Skyeler Voss and Argyle accepted at the VA CCI*. Photo courtesy of Skye.

Cheering for my buds at VAHT this weekend, I sadly won’t be able to attend, but I’ll be stalking the scoreboard with the rest of you. VAHT is my hometown event, and the place where I did my very first Eventing competition, so it holds a special place in my heart. Good luck this weekend everyone!

International Events Going On:

[Saumur Live Scoring]

[Houghton Hall Live Scoring]

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Virginia CCI/CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Flora Lea Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website]  [Ride Times]

Willow Draw Charity H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

The Spring Event at Woodside H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Equestrians Institute H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

May-Daze at the Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Coconino Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

The second annual intercollegiate eventing championships kicked off yesterday at the beginning of VAHT. Last year, the University of Georgia red team took home the gold, but this year there are 17 colleges, 21 teams, and 81 riders vying for the top prize. The riders range from Beginner Novice to CIC2*, with a coefficient scoring system to account for differing levels. [Intercollegiate Eventing Championships]

Best of Blogs: How a Lonely Cowboy Found Love in the Patagonian Desert

Hot on Horse Nation: Fantasy Farm: French Castle Edition

These days, prepurchase exams are considered normal for all budgets of horses. Not only are you looking for lameness concerns, but there are lots of other potentially performance affecting issues that might not be deal breakers when making a purchase. But what are the major things that riders and owners look for in a pre-purchase examination? [Pre-purchase Exams for Horses]

Put this feed cart on your pinterest wish list for the perfect barn. We just got one of these Burlingham Feed Carts at the barn where I work and it is straight up luxury. It’s HUGE and can hold 240 lbs of grain in three separate containers, but it’s also really easy to wheel up and down the aisles to feed all the horses with maximum efficiency. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

Use KER ClockIt™ Sport to Bring Technology Into Your Horse’s Fitness Routine

The KER ClockIt Sport mobile app is currently used in a wide variety of riding disciplines in 71 countries across the globe. ClockIt is a universal tool that riders can use to track heart rate, speed, and altitude to make assessments about the fitness of their horses and how they should proceed with training. Take a look at the following ClockIt sessions to get a glimpse into how riders are using the latest technology in equine fitness.

Discipline: Dressage

Discipline: Endurance

Discipline: Eventing (CIC2* horse doing hill work)

Discipline: Eventing (XC school)

Discipline: Foxhunting

If you are interested in learning more about the app, contact the ClockIt team by checking out the KER ClockIt website or emailing [email protected].

I just can’t. Photo by Kate Samuels.

I was just sorting through some old photos the other day, looking for some gems from years ago, and I found this photo. Captured in Holland, on a rainy day, out visiting the neighbors with some friends of mine and their daughter looked at this adorable Dutch pony with what we can ALL recognize as “the look.” Unsurprisingly, her mother reports that she asks for a pony every night before she goes to sleep now.

International Events Going On:

[Saumur Live Scoring]

[Houghton Hall Live Scoring]

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Virginia CCI/CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Flora Lea Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website]  [Ride Times]

Willow Draw Charity H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

The Spring Event at Woodside H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Equestrians Institute H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

May-Daze at the Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Coconino Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

William Fox-Pitt has a new four star mount in his barn. With Jock Paget deciding to move back home to New Zealand, owners Frances Stead and Russell Hall wanted to keep Clifton Signature with a top rider in England, and chose the top rider himself to take over the ride. “Signature” completed two Pau CCI4*’s and one Rolex Kentucky CCI4*, and William has long term hopes of syndicating the horse and retaining the ride for a hopeful slot in the WEG 2018. [WFP’s New Four Star Horse]

Heading to Devon? We’ve got you covered. Not only is there Eventing at Devon for the very first time ever, but there’s also, like, some other cool stuff there, so I hear. It’s gonna be live streamed (yay!) and Jumper Nation will be covering the entire thing, so get at it! [2017 Devon Horse Show Stats]

Oh. My. Squeeee! The first four foals by Tamarillo’s clone have been born. Tomatillo, the stallion clone of the great WFP ride Tamarillo, stood at stud last year for the first time, and has six expected foals for 2017. Four of which have arrived, and let me tell you, they’re stinkin’ adorable. [Tamarillo/Tomatillo Babies]

Hot on Horse Nation: Filly Gets Loose, Heads to Cafeteria

No words. Photo courtesy of Jennie Brannigan.

Ugh, the first real horrible summer heat wave hit Virginia this week. I’m like 90% sure that five days ago I was turning on the space heaters in my room, and then suddenly its 95 degrees during the day and so muggy you feel like you’re walking through soup. Welcome to Virginia in the summer, you never really quite get used to how horrible it is!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Results]

Kent School Spring H.T. [Website]

Fair Hill May H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Otter Creek Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

CCC Spring Gulch H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

With seventeen British riders entered at Luhmuhlen, hope is strong for the first GB win since 2010. Heading the pack is Pippa Funnell with her Rio ride Billy the Biz, Nicola Wilson with Bulana and Oliver Townend on four horses. Four! Ros Canter is also bringing a four-star first-timer after her brilliant round at Badminton, and Flora Harris, Harry Meade and Alex Bragg are all entered as well. [British Luhmuhlen Entries]

Canadian singer/songwriter Elyse Saunders and Roar Records have released a song in honor of Jessica Phoenix! Rise is all about Jessica’s comeback following her injury at Jersey Fresh ahead of the 2015 Pan American Games. Jessica got back in the tack in time to win an individual silver medal with Pavarotti. [Download Rise]

Breeding horses: not for the faint of heart. It’s every little girl’s dream to breed their own baby horse, and to snuggle it and grow up with it and have it become the champion of the world. But, for sport horse breeders who do that as a business, it’s a tough world to bring a horse all the way to three years of age and get it under saddle before selling it, and it’s not always profitable. [The Cost of Breeding: Is It Worth It?]

The Preakness is running tomorrow at Pimlico, are you all read up on the entrants? This year’s Preakness field is ten horses strong, including Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming along with some other colts that ran that race, and some fresh faces who are challenging from outside the Triple Crown Bid. [Horse Nation Preakness Preview]

Okay, tail cords on blankets might not be a glamorous topic, but hear me out. First of all, nobody likes a poopy tail string on a blanket, its just a disaster for everyone involved. The horse gets poop on his butt, you get poop on your hands when you touch it, and its just gross and smelly and cruddy. If you have these Rambo Replacement Tail Cords, not only does poop tend to not stick to it quite as much, but you can just hose that sucker off and be done with it. Get you one. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

KER Service of the Week – Educational Newsletters

Owners can sometimes find themselves in uncharted territory when it comes to feeding and managing horses. The experts at Kentucky Equine Research (KER) are here to help guide you through the process with Equinews.com, a reference site for all of your horse feeding and management questions. Updated daily, the site contains the latest in equine nutrition and health news.

You can also get the latest in equine nutrition, health, and management delivered straight to your inbox every week with KER’s award-winning newsletter, The Weekly Feed. See an example issue and subscribe today.

Lee Lee Jones. Photo via World Class Grooming FB.

The eventing community has gone above and beyond in raising money towards Lee Lee’s recovery, with everyone from riders and trainers to local tack stores donated their time and services towards helping Lee Lee. EN raised money at the Rolex tailgate, funded by regular people just wanting to help out. The grand total is over $33,000 towards her rehabilitation and care, and the generosity of the community is just outstanding! We are so lucky to be in a world where kindness like this happens, I can’t even process it truthfully. Thank you to everyone who helped out!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Results]

Kent School Spring H.T. [Website]

Fair Hill May H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Otter Creek Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

CCC Spring Gulch H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Boyd Martin was a keynote speaker at the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses yesterday in Washington, D.C. “It was a real and wonderful honor to get invited to talk at such a huge event, and it’s even more special for me because I am a big racehorse fan and have had a lot of success with off-the-track Thoroughbreds changing their careers to be three-day event horses,” said Martin. “In America, we have a massive pool of top-class, athletic Thoroughbreds that need another job after they finish their racing careers, and I’m a big believer that the Thoroughbred is still the ultimate event horse.” [Boyd Martin Keynote Speaker for Thoroughbred’s Second Careers]

Introducing your young horse to trakehner jumps can be daunting if not approached in a systematic manner. Sharon White lends her voice on how she teaches young horses to jump trakehners, which now show up very early in their competitive careers. While Sharon has a cross country schooling field in her back yard, she knows ways to make it work at home when you can’t easily access a ditch on a regular basis. Read more at the USEA. [How To Introduce a Young Horse to Trakehners]

A filly in Scotland sired by one of the Queen’s horses is seeking a name. Interested in naming one of the Queen’s horses? You can submit your proposal to HorseBack UK, a Scotland-based charity that uses horsemanship to improve the lives of the injured and sick of the military community. This beautiful little girl has looks to die for, with both American Quarter Horse and Highland Pony for bloodlines. Send your name today! [Name the Queen’s Filly]

Hot on Horse Nation: I Am The Horse In The Fantasy Film

The Eventing Family is awesome! The Dragonfire Farm team threw a surprise party for Jen McFall to celebrate her achievement at Rolex with High Times.

Our winter in Virginia was the driest in the whole world, which was great because no mud! But now it’s spring, and I literally don’t get a single week without several days of rain. What is this, England!? We are not built to handle such things! I want warm spring weather and chirping birds and grass that doesn’t need to be mowed every five days, darn it!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Jersey Fresh International Three-day Event [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse Farm 2nd Annual Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Texas Rose Horse Park Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Galway Downs Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Winona Horse Trials  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Plantation Field May Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

WindRidge Farm Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Grindstone Mountain Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Derby winning trainer Todd Pletcher has donated the value of his Derby prize to TB rehoming organizations. Pletcher is keeping the Dodge Ram truck, but he donated the value of the new truck to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and New Vocations, two well known organizations that help racehorses find new homes and new careers. Aside from this big donation, Pletcher has been a supporter of both organizations for several years, and has always been involved in the racehorse rehoming movement. [Derby Winner Donates to TB Charities]

Clark Montgomery is giving back some of what he learned in his years abroad now that he’s back based in the US. Clark is based in Lexington, Kentucky now but he is traveling to many different states to give clinics for dressage, show jumping, and cross country. The USEA has a new series with featured clinicians, including videos, photos and direct quotes from a recent clinic with Clark in Maryland. [Featured Clinician: Clark Montgomery]

Erik Duvander is on a clinic tour of the US right now, and your next opportunity to get in on the action is Sandy River Equestrian Center on July 20-21. Erik is the ex High Performance Team Coach for New Zealand, and has over 30 years experience coaching at the highest levels with the top performers from all across the world. This clinic is in Axton, Virginia, and will focus on show jumping the first day, and cross country the second day. [Erik Duvander July Clinic]

There comes a time in a girl’s life when she realizes that ALL her saddle pads are pretty gross and need to go into the trash. I’ve been holding on to a few saddle pads way past their legitimate lifetime, just because they’re not obviously trashed yet. Saddle pad hoarding, anyone? However, my conscience was cleared when I saw that SmartPak has an AP saddle pad that comes in eleven different colors, and costs just $18. Time to refresh the inventory in the barn! [SmartPak Product of the Day]

Cutting-Edge Research Supports KER Products

When you choose a product from Kentucky Equine Research (KER), you can be confident it’s supported by real research and contains the highest quality ingredients.

KER’s research is conducted in-house at our 150-acre farm in Versailles, Kentucky. KER has the laboratory capabilities, trained research horses, and experienced technical staff necessary to develop innovative products. A high-speed treadmill, mechanized horse exerciser, indirect calorimeter, and other mechanisms are all on site for use in research. Take a look behind the scenes here!

KER supplements are expertly formulated based on our own research, along with insights from other leaders in the research community.

If you are in the market for feed, look for a KER partner feed that includes KER’s micronutrient ingredients. To evaluate your current feeding program and get recommendations for your horse, contact a KER nutrition advisor today.

When your horse is just this relaxed at competitions. Photo courtesy of Kate Brown.

Ah, horses. Always keeping you humble and reminding you that plans are nice, but nobody cares. I’ve been working with a young horse on standing still at the mounting block this week, and he thinks this is absolutely the worst possible request I could make. He’s lovely and very willing otherwise, but try to make him stand still and he gets SO mad. Yesterday, I spent 45 minutes asking him to stand still after I mounted. FORTY FIVE MINUTES. He relented his pawing, kicking out, backing up, fake rearing, snorting and general hissy fit for about a minute at the end, and I called it a day. Oh, sorry, you had plans to do things today? Whoops.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Jersey Fresh International Three-day Event [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse Farm 2nd Annual Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Texas Rose Horse Park Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Galway Downs Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Winona Horse Trials  [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Plantation Field May Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

WindRidge Farm Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Grindstone Mountain Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Get ready for Jersey Fresh with some fast facts and a cross country preview. With four divisions (CIC2*, CCI2*, CIC3* and CCI3*) being offered, the biggest is the CIC2* with 31 entrants. The classic cross country course has been designed by John Williams for the last fourteen years, but Capt. Mark Phillips has taken over for 2017, so we’re excited to see what changes he’s made. [Jersey Fresh Fast Facts]

Top hits of Andrew Nicholson’s storied career….where do we start? To the man who had to wait 37 completions of Badminton to finally win, he’s certainly had his fair share of career highlights before this past weekend. He’s been to the Olympics almost every year since the 90’s and has seven WEG rounds under his belt. The man is an iron horse! [Andrew Nicholson’s Eventing Career]

In the quest for increased safety over cross country, the USEA is exploring collapsible fence technology. Frangible pins have now become a constant in both national and international competition course design, and have saved many lives with their effective deployment. What would happen if a solid table was connected all the way around with MiM clips so that it collapsed with the right kind of force? USEA has compiled this excellent guide to frangible fences, and you should definitely read it. [Exploring Collapsible Technology]

Balancing your horse’s diet is a never ending struggle. SmartPak is here to help you with finding the right balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, from all different sources. Omega-3 promotes anti-inflammatory responses, and Omega-6 promotes inflammatory responses, both of which are important for your horse in a lot of different ways! Check out this handy chart on how to balance the two. [Is Your Horse’s Diet Off Balance?]

You know you always want to know how to do this:

Willberry Wonder Pony will be riding the Badminton cross country course with Sam on Saturday! Photo via Kitty King Eventing.

Willberry Wonder Pony will be riding the Badminton cross country course with Sam on Saturday! Photo via Kitty King Eventing.

Sorry, don’t try to make plans with me for tomorrow, I’ll be too busy glued to my live stream (if it works FINGERS CROSSED) of Badminton cross country. There’s nothing like a little adrenaline rush from watching four-star cross country rides, and two weekends in a row! Today we have the three final riders from the US, as well as some pretty highly rated riders from other countries as well.

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless: 10:10 a.m. BST/5 a.m. EST
Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee: 10:42 a.m. BST/5:42 a.m. EST
Lauren Kieffer and Veronica: 3:54 p.m. BST/10:54 a.m. EST

#MMBHT Links: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Schedule, Live Scores, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, Watch Live, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Preview:

MCTA H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Results]

Heart of the Carolinas 3DE & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Poplar Place H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Penny Oaks H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

The Event at Skyline H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Top quality photos from Shannon Brinkman and quotes from the leaders and US riders? Don’t mind if I do! [COTH]

Andrew Hoy doesn’t think Fence 22, a bullfinch, belongs on the course at Badminton. What’s a bullfinch, you ask? Good question, as it’s a rather old style fence that we don’t really see anymore on courses anywhere. It’s a fence with a big tall soft brush, not trimmed, that the horses have to push through over the main jumpable obstacle. Some riders are rather concerned about it, and others not so much. [Does the Bullfinch Have a Place on Cross Country?]

Figuring out what bits are permitted for FEI and USEF/USEA competitions is a constant source of headache for all riders. With all the new and cool technology coming out these days with bits and bridles, it can seem a little daunting. It’s a good idea to brush up on your rulebook, and check out the illustrations before heading to your big show. Due to an uptick in inquiries, the USEA has provided clarifications here for your perusal. [Legal Bits for Dressage]

Hot on Horse Nation: How To Be The Best Adult Amateur You Can Be

KER ClockIt™ Sport Session of the Week – Interval Training

In this week’s KER ClockIt Sport session, an eventer is using interval training to increase his horse’s level of fitness. He starts with a warm-up to lead into higher speed work. As you can see, the horse’s heart rate increases every time the rider increases speed.

KER researchers have performed numerous treadmill studies to measure work intensity as measured by oxygen consumption, heart rate, and lactate production. These studies have shown that increasing speed by 35m/min on a level treadmill increases a horse’s heart rate by 6 bpm. You can get the same effect by adding a 1% grade.

To see a detailed report like the one above, go to the KER ClockIt website and log in to your account. Once you are signed in, you can view your detailed sessions under the “Sessions” tab.

I can’t even right now. Photo via Michael Jung’s Instagram.

AHHHHH it’s actually happening! It has begun! Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event 2017! I haven’t been since 2010 when I drove for both Rolex and the WEG to the Horse Park, so I’m super pumped to be going again. Also, let’s just take a moment to appreciate that Michael Jung, World/Olympic/European/Universe champion, was at one point standing in the arena taking selfies while lunging his horse. Celebrities, they’re just like us.

Events This Week:

#RK3DE Links: Website, Schedule, Entries, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, Live Scores

Fresno County Horse Park HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

University of New Hampshire Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

For real. Download the EN App. I can’t believe I have to remind you. It sends you reminders when we post a new article! So you don’t miss a thing!! [App for iOS] [App for Android]

What does it take to get a horse ready for the Rolex jogs? Elbow grease, baby oil, sooooo many baths in purple shampoo, some hoof oil on your face, and the tiniest neatest braids you’ve ever seen. Just kidding (kinda). Max Corcoran shows us around the Rolex stables and tells us what’s up with turnout at this level. [Show Turnout 101]

Allison Springer will be sporting a royal blue pin for her last ride at Rolex with Arthur in support of young equestrian Jess Smart. Allison taught Jess and her spunky Paint/Saddlebred cross many times during her stays in Aiken, and Jess was always available to help jump crew at clinics. Taken by both horse and rider’s game attitude, Allison didn’t hesitate to represent Jess on this occasion. Jess was attacked by a mysterious and aggressive disease this spring, and doctors are still trying to find a diagnoses, meanwhile she is trying to recover the use of her body and voice. [Help Jess Smart]

I can’t believe we’re introducing Shane Rose as a Badminton first-timer … but here he is!

Sharon White’s mount, Cooley On Show, gets some snuggles after hacking around for his first visit to Rolex Kentucky. Photo via Sharon.

Let’s get right to business: have you downloaded the EN App yet??? If not, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE!!!?? Get on it. It’s super fun and easy and a great way to keep up with all the happenings at Rolex this week without refreshing your browser every few minutes. You can get it on iOS and Android, so hop to it!

Download the EN app for iOS: apple.co/2q1Phaw

Download the EN app for Android: bit.ly/2q25359

Events This Week:

#RK3DE Links: Website, Schedule, Entries, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Fresno County Horse Park HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times

University of New Hampshire Spring HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times

News From Around the Globe:

Unfortunately Waylon Roberts had to withdraw Kelecyn Cognac from Rolex at the last minute. During the trip from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, the horse contracted shipping fever, and while they tried everything they could and hoped he would bounce back, ultimately the decision was made to take him to the Hagyard Institute to better insure his recovery. We wish “Dan” a speedy recovery and hope to see him and Waylon at a four-star very soon! Waylon Roberts Sporthorses

Don’t forget to enter our Rolex Pick ‘Em Contest from Omega Alpha! All you have to do is pick the winning rider and their overall score, easy enough right? Entries close before the first test on Thursday and you win a big old goody bag from Omega Alpha if you’re a magical wizard and you get it right! Enter Pick ‘Em

Best of Blogs: Carrie Childs’ Road to Badminton

Competition nerves can get the best of us, but some good old fashioned sports psychology can get you on the horse and into the ring. Horse & Hound spoke with Danielle Olding, an expert in performance coaching and sports psychology, about ten top tips to help anybody overcome a bout of nerves. 10 Tips To Banish Competition Nerves

If April showers bring May flowers, I better wake up next week to an entire FIELD of daisies. I’ve been drizzled on, I’ve been stuck in a downpour, I’ve been up to my knees in mud, but what I haven’t been is drenched to the bone. That’s because I know about rain jackets, and I always have one in my car. You can bet I’m brining one to Rolex! Check out this new jacket from Outback, it looks stylish as hell and you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s waterproof to the hilt. SmartPak Product of the Day

On the road to Rolex!

Hellooooo black beauty! Photo by Kate Samuels

What is it about black horses and grey horses that just make us swoon? I just picked up Nyls’ “little” brother, who is just about to be four and already a hair over 17.1 hands, so not very little at all. He’s also about the opposite personality type, which is hilarious. He is extremely laid back, calm about everything, and super friendly like a dog. So, not really like Nyls at all. But I can’t wait to get started with him!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Longleaf Pine H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Plantation Field April H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

River Glen Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

US Eventing Show Jumping course design is doing cool things this year.  In 2017, Richard Jeffery will review show jumping courses for all FEI eventing competitions in the U.S. following the event. Course designers will be asked to submit their courses as posted at the competition to Jeffery with all technical details (distance, time allowed, etc.) within five days of the completion of the competition. Each course, along with the technical details provided by the course designer, will be posted on the US Equestrian website with Jeffery’s critique. This will allow course designers to review other courses and consider Jeffery’s input when designing their own courses. [USEF: Eventing Show Jumping Enters Next Stage]

Got a horse that is unpredictable with loading into the trailer? Inevitably this happens when you’re loading up early in the morning for an important show or clinic, and it’s a nightmare. Troubleshooting how to deal with different trailer loading problems is important, and I find it is most important to determine why your horse has the undesired behavior in the first place. Read more to become a better trailer trainer. [Troubleshooting Trailer Loading]

Like you even needed reminding, but a new video from England highlights racehorses in their second careers. Shot in Newmarket by Equine Productions, it features horses in eventing, show jumping, dressage and polo, and includes the Queen’s champion 2-year-old racehorse who is now competing at Prix St Georges. [Retraining of Racehorses]

Best of Blogs: Around In Circles vs Over Fences

Want to embarrass dress up your horse for the summer season? The incredible can’t-go-wrong Cashel Fly Masks now come in six differently colored patterns, so your pony can stand out in a crowd. Or complain to his friends how he is wearing pink sparkles on his ears and doesn’t think it’s very manly. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

KER Service of the Week – Educational Resources

New horse? Different barn? Change in workload? Things can get complicated when it comes to feeding and managing horses. Kentucky Equine Research (KER) wants to help make it easier for you to stay up-to-date with the latest in equine nutrition and management. From new articles daily on Equinews.com to a library that includes technical resources and our own published research—you can find the answers at KER.

Equinews.com is a reference site for all of your horse feeding and management questions. You will find articles that cover topics in nutrition, health, and general information regarding horses. You can also get these articles delivered to your inbox weekly with KER’s award-winning newsletter, The Weekly Feed. See an example issue and subscribe today!

Would you like to dig deeper into the science behind proper equine nutrition and management practices? Check out the KER Library which includes numerous research reports and conference proceedings, as well as the full text of all four volumes of Advances in Equine Nutrition. This information is fully searchable and is readily available to browse, download, or email.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Harris Insurance Services Facebook page.

I’ve got a very exciting announcement this week … but you’ll all just have to wait to see what it is! Mwahahaha! Let’s just say it comes as a sequel to my infamous Nyls, and it’s one of my favorite things. This can be called “making something out of nothing,” or taking a scraggly ragamuffin and transforming it into a wondrous beast of many talents. Wait and see!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Longleaf Pine H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Plantation Field April H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

River Glen Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Developing young horses into confident upper level mounts is a talent all to its own. Two-time leading lady rider Lauren Kieffer is a super four-star rider, but also incredibly lucky to have experience in bringing along a string of young horses from the ground up. She’s not above riding four-year-olds at Novice. Lauren has a great blog with the USEA chronicling her adventures with her current string, all of whom have different paths on their way to success. Bonus: videos of exercises for young horses! [Young Horses Take Their Own Courses]

I never imagined this headline, but top event riders tried their hand at Camel Racing at Burnham Market over the weekend. Lissa Green, Jonty Evans, Laura Collett, Bill Levitt and Sarah Cohen along with ten other riders all participated in  a spot of camel racing for charity at the event. Decked out in cross country attire, there was more than enough hilarity to go around. The races will recommence at Houghton Horse Trials next month, and god help us, I hope they come to the US. [Camel Racing Event Riders]

Ah, the horsey engagement. It’s what all horse crazy girls dream of, right? Your man, your horse….your man embracing the batty horse side of you and acknowledging that you probably want the horse to be part of the wedding… Horse & Hound collected three of the best horse engagement stories and compiled them for your pleasure. [Horsily Ever After]

Magical Unicorn! Work by Mike Roe.

I’m here at Fair Hill, bunking in a trailer with one of my oldest friends from the terrors of working student days, and even though the event is only two days long for me, it feels like a mini vacation. Well, minus the fact that everyone on their way to this event got stuck in the most god-awful traffic on 95 (regardless of northern or southern origin). I was stuck for over an hour standing still! People saw trucks ablaze the side of the road! Madness!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Fair Hill CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Ocala CCI & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Twin Rivers CCI, CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Can you remember David O’Connor’s big ride Wilton Fair? By big I mean literally too, this Irish gelding was a stocky 17.3 hands, and while he proved too much horse for several people before David, this pair was very successful at the upper levels together. Relive the glory days of David and “Wilbur” with this Throwback Thursday from the USEA. [Wilton Fair & David O’Connor]

Best of heartfelt-letter-to-a-horse blogs: Lainey Ashker Writes to Anthony Patch

Badminton Badminton Badminton!!

Hot on Horse Nation: Fantasy Farm = Narnia

Sore No More Liniment is a must-have for your trunk at shows and at home. This wonderful little bottle is proven to help reduce deep tissue and soft tissue discomfort, and improve the performance of equine athletes. I actually do notice the difference between a leg wrapped with Sore-No-More and a leg dry wrapped. This Performance Ultra Liniment also is specifically formulated so that it is FEI legal. [SmartPak Product of The Day]

Looking for a first-show experience for your baby event horse? Silver Fern Farm’s Young Horse Series features three shows (April 29, June 10 and Sept. 2) in Earleville, MD. Bring all of your greenies out — there will be in-hand classes for all disciplines and breeds, as well as baby green under saddle and crossrail classes,” explains series founder MaryAnn Luke. “My goal is to make this show series well run and mimic a rated type show, but be a relaxed venue for all involved to learn and become more adjusted in a safe inviting environment.” [Silver Fern Farm Young Horse Series]

A truly horrible view. Photo by me, Kate Samuels.

Yesterday I woke up to a black sky, and a full morning of thunderstorms and heavy rain and generally miserable conditions. Then, halfway through the day, it all completely blew over, the sun came out, it became beautiful and I even saw an incredible rainbow in the afternoon. Sometimes, I think that Virginia truly can’t make up it’s mind what season we are in at any given time.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

The Fork CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

CDCTA Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Pine Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Spring Bay H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

John and Beezie Madden announced the retirement of the amazing Cortes ‘C’ yesterday on Facebook. Tiny, as he is known in the barn, is best known for his cross-legged jumping style and was successful with Beezie for many years, including a Team and Individual bronze medal at the 2014 WEG, and competing in the 2016 Olympics before sustaining an injury. We’ll miss you Tiny! [Cortes ‘C’ Retires]

Gold Cup Fast Facts: The Fork and Chattahoochee Hills

Hot on Horse Nation: Goat Equitation

Doesn’t your perfect pony deserve the fluffiest of fluffy sheepskin shipping halters? For all those long hours on the road to get to events, clinics, and lessons, you want your precious darling to keep his/her head safe while traveling, and there is no better way than outfitting them with a giant fluffy halter. SmartPak has an excellent one that won’t break the bank. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

KER ClockIt™ – Session of the Week

In this week’s session, a rider takes her horse out for cross-country training using hills. As you can see in the session below, the horse’s heart rate (purple line) increases when the horse goes up each hill (blue line), despite minor changes in speed. By using a hill, riders can easily raise their horse’s heart rate into a higher conditioning zone without increasing speed.

Multiple KER treadmill studies have shown that exercising horses on an incline greatly increases work intensity as measured by oxygen consumption, heart rate, and lactate production. These studies have shown that at a canter speed, a 1% increase in grade increases a horse’s heart rate 6 bpm—the same effect on heart rate as increasing speed 35m/min on a level treadmill. Therefore, equal heart rates can be obtained by cantering horses on a 6% grade at 490 m/min as from galloping on the flat at 700 m/min.

To see a detailed report like the one above, go to the KER ClockIt website and log in to your account. Once you are signed in, you can view your detailed sessions under the “Sessions” tab.

A whole mess of confused looking Advanced and CIC3* riders at The Fork. Photo courtesy of Allison Springer

And thus begins a new era, with The Fork officially starting at Tryon International Equestrian Center today. The Fork has long been a highly anticipated event, as one of the last prequels to Rolex, and with the signature terrain of the previous hosting farm. This year, for the first time, it’s held at the soon-to-be WEG location of Tryon, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

The Fork CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

CDCTA Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Pine Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Spring Bay H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Get a top notch course walk from Tamie Smith around the CIC* Galway course from last week. In the USEA’s new series, “Ride Between The Flags”, you get a personal course walk from some of the nation’s top riders, with specific combinations and real life courses on the line. Tamie won the CIC* with Mai Baum, upon his return to competition at Galway, and she knows a thing or two about accurate cross country riding. [Ride Between the Flags with Tamie Smith]

Psyched for the 2018 WEG at Tryon? We are too. That’s why we’re delighted to announce that they’ve chosen a logo for the upcoming event, as well as released a promotional video. You gotta see it. [WEG 2018 Releases Logo & Video]

Did you miss the fact that you can win auditing passes and a dinner with William Fox Pitt? I thought I might remind you of this most important opportunity, through EN and Team EnGaged Clinics. On May 2-3 in Kentucky, you don’t want to miss out. Enter today! [Win WFP Tickets]

Best of Blogs: If “Groom Wanted” Ads Were Honest

Just a little throw back to my idol at Burghley. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Yesterday I took my sausage dog (it’s her body type) and my fat pony (his preferred nomenclature) on a long two hour adventure down the road, through the woods, and over the rivers. It is finally starting to act like spring, which is my favorite season, and I was reminded of how lucky I am to enjoy the horse that I have, and the open lands I have access to. Then, my dog came home and immediately jumped into my bed, wet and muddy and everything.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Morven Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]  [Live Scores]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Galway Downs CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Danielle Dunn is only twenty-four, and heading towards her first Badminton CCI4*. Having been to the Young Rider European Championships three times, Danielle and her mare Zocarla BLH are primed and prepared for the Big B. She’s heading to Belton CIC3* as her last prep with the mare, and is blogging along the way for Horse & Hound. [Danielle Dunn’s Badminton Diary]

With Galway Downs coming up this weekend, are you ready for the action? Galway is the first Adequan USEA Gold Cup qualifier on the west coast, and almost everyone is heading that way. You’ll be able to enjoy live streaming, and watch another CIC3* course designed by Ian Stark. [Gold Cup Fast Facts: Galway Downs]

Dust patterns and sweat marks have long been indicators of saddle fit, but do you know the real story? The long and short of it is that your sweat marks and dust patterns should be even from both sides, and not show anything down the middle or near the withers. Inspecting your horse and your saddle pad after a ride could give you a better idea of how your saddle is fitting, and thereby giving you insight into any training issues you might be experiencing. [Do You Understand Sweat Marks?]

Best of Blogs: Elliena Eq: Wear Anything But White

Hot On Horse Nation: Luxury Fantasy Farm of Your Dreams

KER Service of the Week – Nutrition Advisors

Problems such as brittle hooves, tying-up, and lack of energy or appetite can be solved with simple changes to your horse’s diet. If you suspect your horse’s diet is the culprit of a problem, or not producing the results you expected, consider talking to a nutrition advisor.

The nutrition advisors at Kentucky Equine Research (KER) analyze your horse’s needs, current ration, and workload to make custom recommendations using products available in your area. Using MicroSteed™, a proprietary ration evaluation software, KER nutrition advisors are able to produce a custom graph showing how each component of your horse’s diet contributes to its nutrient requirements.

Have a question about your horse’s diet? Share a few details and a KER nutrition advisor will be in touch.

“Soft, supple and straight forward to ride: Crackerjack!” Photo and caption via Boyd Martin.

One of the many reasons why we love Boyd is that he’s not afraid to show his sticky moments online, as evidenced by the above photo. More than a few riders had some funky moments through this second water combination at Carolina International CIC3*, but Boyd definitely has the best caption for his moment in time with good old Crackers.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Morven Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]  [Live Scores]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Galway Downs CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

A World Class Grooming Clinic to benefit Lee Lee Jones’ recovery will be held May 7 at Cedar Springs Farm in Cochranville, PA, with 100% of the profits going directly to assisting with Lee Lee’s medical costs, rehabilitation and care. Cost is $90 for pre-registration and $110 for week-of registration. [Lee Lee Clinic Info & Registration]

The USET announced yesterday that Caroline Martin and Mackenna Shea have been awarded the 2017 Karen Stives Eventing Endowment Fund Grants. This grant will allow these two young professionals to compete in the Karen E. Stives European Emerging Athlete Tour, under the guidance of Leslie Law. They will represent the US on the international stage at Houghton Hall CICO3* and Bramham International CCI3*-U25 in Great Britain. [Karen Stives Eventing Endowment]

US Dressage riders Laura Graves and Kasey Perry-Glass were their own flying grooms on the way to the FEI World Cup in Nebraska. Verdades and Goerklintgaards Dublet shipped out of Palm Beach this week, and while most top horses have a traveling groom, these two ladies like to keep things simple and personal with their horses. “The way we are with our horses, we like to be with them whenever it’s permitted,” Graves said of herself and her fellow riders who fly. [Olympic Riders or Flying Grooms

Best of Blogs: Horses Know How To Be Horses, If Only Humans Didn’t Interfere

Crackerjack takes a bow after dressaging. Photo by MP Stone.

On my way to my favorite event today! I’m only running the Open Intermediate, as it is my horse’s first event of the year. This sounds kinda nuts now, because these days the event season starts so darn early, I’m a million miles behind by starting in March. However, I’ve started my season at Carolina International for the past few years, and I love it. It’s always such a fun event, and great courses to get you out of the winter doldrums. Super pumped!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Carolina Links: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Stream, Schedule, Orders of Go, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Poplar Place CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Stable View H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Can Allison Springer and Arthur repeat their performance from last year and win Carolina International? As a Gold Cup event, the CIC3* at Carolina is jam packed full of stars. Did you know that there is $65,000 in prize money at this event? There will be live streaming for anybody interested, and if you’re at the event, over 30 vendors for your enjoyment. [Fast Facts: Carolina International]

Much beloved Virginia Horse Trials Schooling Shows are taking it to the next level with sponsorship and big prizes. VAHT will host three Starter Horse Trials and Cross Country Schooling days in 2017, with events in April, August and October. With a unique educational format and newly added excellent awards from sponsors, these schooling shows are the creme de la creme of unrecognized events. They offer Green through Preliminary, and have cross country schooling on the day before the event. Presenting sponsor Blue Ridge Equine clinic is giving embroidered quilted saddle pads to winners, and providing a hospitality tent, and McCauley’s Equine Formula, Easy Pellett Products, Merial and Buchanan Livestock LLC have donated prizes for April’s event. [Virginia Horse Trials]

Auburn Eventing Team is hosting an online auction to benefit the 2017 season from today through the 27th. They have everything from beautiful paintings, luxury leather care, a fantastic beach house getaway to lessons with four-star riders. If you’re looking for a good deal on some stuff you probably already want, go ahead and check it out! [Auburn Eventing Online Auction]

Hot on Horse Nation: Water Skijoring (??!)

NSFW Laugh of the Day: Why Racehorses Aren’t Always for Beginners