At the memorial service for seventeen-year-old Olivia Inglis, who suffered a fatal accident on cross-country in Australia, her family was presented with the photo mosaic of riders all over the world showing their support.
The collective hearts of the horse world broke last week when we heard the news that seventeen-year-old Olivia Inglis had died on the cross-country course at Scone Horse Trials in New South Wales, Australia as a result of a rotational fall.
The accident also claimed the life of her horse Coriolanus, who was euthanized when his injuries were discovered to be more severe than originally believed. The darkest times, however, show us what we’re truly capable of, and the global equestrian community rallied behind Olivia’s memory, taking to social media to share messages of support for the Inglis family and to remember a young equestrian who was taken from us too soon. While the accident was a dark reminder that this sport that we love carries intense risks, the #RideForOlivia movement also reminded us that horses carry us to the greatest heights, regardless of discipline.
The images tagged #RideForOlivia were incorporated into a photo mosaic, which was presented to the Inglis family at Olivia’s memorial service earlier today. (It’s unclear how many images were ultimately selected from the hundreds of thousands tagged on social media.) The finished piece is both a lovely tribute to Olivia Inglis and a powerful reminder that the equestrian community cares deeply for its own.
Equestrians all over the world are uniting in remembrance of Olivia Inglis, the 17-year-old Australian eventer who was killed in a cross-country accident last weekend.
Supporters have flocked to social media to send messages of condolence to the Inglis family and to express their grief at a young life taken too soon. On Tuesday morning, March 8, Inglis, the family’s bloodstock operation, announced via Twitter the #RideForOlivia movement:
The death of any equestrian, regardless of discipline, is a sobering reminder that this beloved sport of ours bears very real dangers that we face every time we throw a leg over the back of a horse. When a young rider is taken from us, this reality can be hard to bear. However, #RideForOlivia reminds us equally that we face these dangers for the love of the sport and the love of horses, and in the act of riding, we show our support and honor the memory of one special equestrian who left us too soon.
As of this morning over 8 million people have engaged in the viral hashtag, including many of the nation’s and world’s top eventers:
#rideforoliviaFollowing the tragic accident which claimed the life of Olivia Inglis in Australia, event riders around…
This post originally appeared on our sister site, Horse Nation.
Did you miss out on last year’s opportunities to wordsmith your way to ownership of Rock Spring Farm or Big South Fork Lodge? Don’t worry, because there’s another chance to write a farm-winning essay, this time to acquire Newstead on the James of Cartersville, Virginia:
Newstead Manor at Newstead on the James. Photo provided by Carol Carper.
Newstead’s current owner, Carol Carper, is today a certified wedding and event planner who coordinates weddings on the beautifully-restored farm. She’s also a retired Morgan Horse breeder and an American Driving Society judge. While her herd of Morgans is reduced to just four at the moment, Carper has added a flock of Katahdin sheep.
The barn with its new residents, a flock of Katahdin sheep. Photo provided by Carol Carper.
All you need to do is a submit a 200-word essay telling Carper and a three-person panel of judges why you would like to own Newstead. There’s also an entry fee of $233, which allows Carper to recoup the estimated $1.5 million market value of the property, and award the winner $100,000 directly to help ease takeover as long as the predicted 7,000 entry level is met. While a $200-plus entry fee sounds steep, it’s pocket change compared to the cost of purchasing Newstead directly. A winner will be chosen on September 21, 2016.
Still not sure if Newstead is worth an entry fee and an essay? Take a look around and see for yourself.
Carper painted this mural herself. The 1905 Steinway O is not included with the property. Photo provided by Carol Carper.
The library, including on the left a watercolor of Carper’s matched pair of Morgan mares, Glick’s Night Wind and Glick’s June Twilight. Carper bred their dams, foaled, trained and presented them over two decades, forming the basis for her eventual four-in-hand. Photo provided by Carol Carper.
The East Paddock, where Carper’s Morgan mares and foals once roamed. Photo provided by Carol Carper.
Carper’s four Morgan horses still on the property (as well as the sheep and dogs) are not included as contest prizes, but are available for purchase if the winner so desires. Here is Carper’s Morgan stallion Zoey, “D-J Zoba”:
Photo provided by Carol Carper.
If your curiosity is piqued, head over to Newstead on the James’ website to download the official rules and entry form, as well as browse the farm’s history and FAQ page for more information. You can also “like” Newstead on the James on Facebook for updates.
We’re adding our own unofficial rule that if an HN reader happens to win, we all get to come visit. Go riding!
When rescuing severely emaciated animals, mere hours can often make the difference between life or death. But with an anticipated record-setting snowstorm on its way to the East Coast, time was never more of the essence than on Friday, Jan. 22, when Last Chance Ranch was called in to help rescue 16 neglected horses and other farm animals in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
Last Chance Ranch rushed to beat the storm, transporting five of the horses in the most critical condition to Quakertown Vet Clinic that Friday. After the snow storm passed, Last Chance Ranch transported an additional seven horses, two of which were pregnant mares, along with 20 sheep and one dog to their facility for emergency care. Three of the horses were severely emaciated horses and could not stand on the trailer ride to Last Chance Ranch; volunteers aiding the rescue effort carried them off the trailer and into stalls.
“This is by far the worst case of neglect LCR has seen. The volume of animals and the number of dead horses on the property was astounding. Last Chance Ranch is doing everything we can to ensure the animals in our care are receiving the veterinary and nutritional care they need to get them back up to speed. We need everyone’s support, prayers and donations if you can to help these animals pull through,” Last Chance Ranch said on their Facebook page.
The rescue team with Clarissa, one of the horses in the most serious condition. Photo via Last Chance Ranch.
Four additional horses remained on the scene until early this week due to unsafe road conditions caused by the historic snow storm. Volunteers assisting with the rescue effort fed and watered these horses until they could be safely moved from the scene.
“The efforts of the team of staff, volunteers and newly made friends for these horses were amazing. Everyone pulled together to literally carry these stoic horses not giving up their will to live.”
Sadly, one of the horses in critical condition died at Quakertown Vet Clinic over the weekend. Last Chance Ranch is reporting that the remaining horses are responding well to treatment, including Clarissa, a mare who collapsed in her stall and was lifted to her feet with the help of a sling and three local fire departments coming to her aid.
Further details of the neglect case are not able to be disclosed at this time due to the ongoing investigation by Pennsylvania State Police. In the meantime, you can help support these neglected horses and farm animals by making a donation at this link.
“While we have already raised an astounding amount, knowing that some horses are still in critical care and will need veterinary care, as well as at least two of the mares being pregnant, means it looks like we will have these horses for some time yet,” Emily Monsen, Last Chance Ranch’s adoption coordinator and a fellow eventer, said. “We are taking everything one day at a time.”
To make a donation towards the treatment and recovery of these horses, please visit the fundraiser page here. You can view more photos of the rescued horses and follow along with the recovery on Last Chance Ranch’s Facebook page.
Kjirsten Lee, both a lawyer specializing in equine law and a horse owner/competitor, introduces the new 2016 changes in vaccine requirements. Keep on top of the new rules! View the 2016 USEF Rulebook.
We are well on our way to Daylight Savings Time, and equestrians know what that means: spring vaccines! When you are scheduling with your vet this spring, keep in mind that there are some competition rule changes that might affect what veterinary care your horse gets and when. Here’s a breakdown.
USEF-recognized competitions
GR 845: Equine Vaccination Rule: Horses showing at USEF licensed competitions this year must have proof of Equine Influenza Virus and Equine Herpes Virus (Rhinopneumonitis) vaccinations within six months prior to entering the show grounds. [Click here for the complete rule]
What counts as proof: Proof can be documentation from the veterinarian stating that the horse received the vaccination, the name of the vaccines, and the date of administration. If someone other than a veterinarian administered the vaccines, the exhibitor must be able to provide a receipt of the vaccine purchase signed by the owner or agent; name, serial number, and expiration date of the vaccine; and the date the vaccine was administered.
In the rare case where a horse cannot receive either of the vaccinations because they have a history of adverse reactions, the exhibitor must have a letter from the veterinarian on official letterhead, stating that the horse cannot be vaccinated due to medical concerns and providing a log of temperatures taken twice daily for the week prior to entering the competition grounds. The horses must also have their temperature taken and logged twice daily while on competition grounds.
USHJA-recognized competitions
EQ103: Eligibility to Compete: Horses showing at USHJA licensed competitions, starting on December 1, 2017, must be microchipped in order to compete for points or money, or to be eligible for year-end awards. The microchip must be implanted in the horse’s nuchal ligament. [Click here for the complete rule]
In 2019, this rule will likely extend to horses at all USEF-recognized competitions.
For all equestrians
Don’t forget that you will need a negative Coggins in order to compete — or even to travel off the property where your horse is stabled. If you are going out of state, be sure to check whether you will need a health certificate (chances are, you do!).
Kjirsten Lee, J.D., is an equine attorney with RB Legal, LLC, in Golden Valley, MN. She has written on topics such as the Horse Protection Act and use of drugs in racehorses, as well as general legal issues that horse people may encounter. You can follow her on Twitter at KMLee_Esq. Kjirsten and her OTTB, Gobain, compete in dressage and eventing.
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Horse Nation.
Reddit, the “front page of the internet,” hosts Photoshop battles in which the citizens of the web are turned loose to photo-manipulate images that are then up for a popular vote to declare a winner. Entries range from the impressive to the hilarious (and plenty that are wildly inappropriate).
Reader Holly Mooney alerted us to an ongoing battle inviting Reddit users to photoshop the following image:
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… and the resulting masterpieces were hilarious and epic, to say the least. Keep scrolling to see are our favorites. And whoever you are, Girl Falls Off a Horse, if you’re reading this, send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll send you some EN swag.
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You can view the full Photoshop battle here (note that some images should be considered NSFW).
Internet, thanks for embracing the insanity in the middle.
This became an instant EN/HN classic when we first published it last year, so we're bringing it back once again. Share your own experience with the 12 Gates of Christmas in the comments below. Merry Christmas, EN!
I’m sure there are well-maintained and constantly manicured equestrian facilities complete with hinge-tightened, never-bent, always-chained gates offering access to picture-perfect pastures.
But for the rest of us who actually live in the real world, gates are one of those things that we take for granted — until they fall off their hinges, get run into by the tractor or slip out of our hands on a rainy day when we’re trying to keep the other horses back … you get my point. For all of my fellow horse people who just want a nice, well-working gate for Christmas, this one’s for you.
1. The Simple Gate: one chain, one block to rest the hinges, easy access. If only they were all like this.
2. The Of-Course-There’s-a-Giant-Puddle-Here Gate: have fun convincing your horse to walk through this, especially if you’re trying to hold the gate in one hand, lead the horse with the other and somehow be expected to keep all of the other horses from following you through.
3. The I-Hope-No-One-Turned-On-the-Electric-While-I-Was-Out-Riding Gate: every farm has one — whether it’s a crossed wire, a dangling chain or just a weird practical joke from your farm help, touch this one while the electric fence is still on and you’ll be in for a lovely surprise.
4. The Lazy Gate: I have no idea why this gate is called a “lazy gate” other than maybe someone was too lazy to install a real gate. Inevitably, no matter how many times I go through this thing, my horse will always be terrified of the loose wires the minute I try to take it down to go through.
5. The Bane of My Existence Gate: seriously, I hate this thing. Sure, it looks innocuous enough, maybe even pretty there at the top of the hill framed between the brush and the trees. But it’s ancient, sagging and positioned terribly into a slope that means you need to use all of your strength to drag the thing open and closed.
6. The Cattle-DIY’ed-Their-Own-Gate Non-Gate: okay, this isn’t actually a gate, but an access point that cattle (and potentially really wily horses) created into a totally-otherwise-inaccessible section on the farm. Meaning that to get the cattle back out, someone needs to schlep in there on foot and encourage the cattle to go back through a fence … defeating the purpose of fencing in the first place.
7. The A-Draft-Horse-Tried-To-Jump-This Gate: no further explanation needed.
8. The Just-Kidding-I’m-Not-Really-a-Gate-Anymore Gate: it looks like a gate, sounds like a gate, looks like it should provide access into the field behind like a gate … but wait! That’s fencing wire stretched across it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go the long way around. (Don’t worry — this death-trap-of-a-gate is in a hay field, not a livestock field!)
9. The For-the-Love-of-God-Never-Leave-This-Gate-Open Gate: because those cows there on the other side will be all over the county by the time you remember you left it open.
10. The Worst Gate in the History of Gates: “Well, we don’t have a gate wide enough for this opening … let’s just chain two narrower gates together.” REALLY IS THIS THE BEST WE COULD DO? (To be fair, we don’t use this gate very often … but when we do, boy golly is it a pain in the rear.)
11. The I-Wish-There-Was-a-Gate-Here: see that little trail through the fence? I like to ride down that trail at the end of my ride, cross the creek, and then ideally meander back to the barn … oh but wait, there’s no gate here, so I actually need to ride another half mile, cross the creek two more times, and then go through another lazy gate (see #4.)
12. The Perfect Gate: it’s never been hit by a tractor. Its hinges are tightened. It’s chained neatly. It’s even posted. How long will this pristine example of gate-ness remain so pure? Well, it’s a working farm, so probably another week or so …
Yep, we love to talk about our horses … at length. And when our friends, family, significant others or innocent bystanders express a genuine interest, we’re flattered. But there are a few questions, for their own health and sanity, that they should never ask us again. Here are a few.
1. Do you love your horse more than me?
You really don’t want to know that answer.
2. What exactly is sheath cleaning?
Trust me, you really don’t want to know.
3. How much do your horse’s shoes cost?
The answer will make you sick.
4. When will you be back from the barn?
Before 2015 ends, hopefully.
5. Why do you blindfold your horses in the summertime?
Seriously?
6. Where do you put your horses in the winter?
We bring them in the house, and they sit in front of the fireplace. Duh.
7. How much do horses eat?
As much as you will feed them, and they’ll still be hungry.
8. How much does it cost to feed a horse?
Every penny you will make goes to feeding them.
9. Do you want to do something this weekend besides going to the barn?
Um, let me think about it. NO!
10. I want to buy a horse for my daughter. How much money do I need?
Bill Gates’ salary, plus another million just for vet bills.
What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
This post originally appeared on our wacky sister site, Horse Nation.
Ryan Hall, in some ways, is a “typical” teen eventer — the 15-year-old has goals of competing in the North American Junior & Young Rider Championships, Rolex, the Olympics, college in Kentucky and training in Europe. She competes in Area V, having moved up to Training level this year, and is as an active member of Pony Club.
But unlike most young, aspiring eventers, Ryan’s training resume includes a special project that under her tutelage has rapidly progressed from having never worn a halter to jumping 2’6″ verticals, banks and logs: KitKat the donkey. And while this unorthodox pair may never experience the thrill of cantering out of a start box together, their journey is proof that the spirit of eventing comes in all shapes and sizes.
Girl Meets Donkey
Ryan didn’t exactly set out to train a donkey to jump, at least not at first. She had received the ultimate Christmas present of a new horse in 2012; unfortunately, that horse proved to be too green to help her progress in her riding. He did, however, show a lot of raw natural talent in jumping out of his pasture on multiple occasions at the Halls’ cozy two-stall barn at home.
A brief parade of pony companions for the gelding proved to bond too quickly with him, making everyone’s lives difficult when the horse needed to leave the property for lessons and training. And then a friend suggested that the Halls get a donkey for a companion instead.
Enter KitKat, an unhandled young donkey jenny, purchased from a woman downsizing her herd of 30. KitKat was separated and loaded from the herd via a series of corral panels and a whole lot of rodeo; when she arrived at home, the Halls had to back the trailer into the paddock and release her right into the field.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Hall.
It took Ryan and a friend from Pony Club a few weeks just to be able to slip a halter on KitKat. But that didn’t stop Ryan — she got the donkey accustomed to being touched, groomed and handled, spending all of her free time after school out in the paddock with KitKat.
As Ryan’s mother Tina jokes, “Ryan has the personality of a donkey: She’s extremely headstrong, can be frustrating to deal with and there’s NO talking her into doing anything she doesn’t want to do.”
Photo courtesy of Ryan Hall.
Initially, KitKat served as a fun escape for Ryan after constantly being in “training mode” with her green gelding — she could blow off some steam playing with the donkey. As Ryan dealt with some rough periods with junior high bullies, KitKat was there as a refuge and companion. “(Ryan’s) loyal and loving underneath it all,” Tina said. “Perhaps that’s why she and KitKat get along so well — they ‘get’ each other!”
Ryan can’t argue with her mom’s assessment. “KitKat is me in donkey form, and I’m KitKat in human form,” she says. “She’s opinionated, yet if you ask her in the right way, she will do pretty much anything.”
Photo courtesy of Ryan Hall.
Not Your Average ‘Eventer’
One thing led to another. As Ryan and KitKat developed a bond and she developed as a teen event rider, Ryan started riding KitKat on little trail rides around the property and teaching her to jump in-hand. The jumps got higher, KitKat’s ground handling improved, and the donkey handled every question Ryan sent her way, from verticals to oxers to ditches and logs and banks. KitKat can side pass as well as walk, trot and canter.
“Overall there aren’t any holes I’ve found in KitKat’s training,” Ryan says. “She did lots of groundwork before I ever sat on her, and she’s extremely solid.”
Ryan tells the story of one time she was walking the donkey under saddle. “KitKat took off towards this skinny and just wanted to go jump, then she jumped the ditch after. It’s hard for me to believe I got this donkey ‘wild’ a little over two years ago and everything she knows I taught her.”
Donkeys, of course, are notorious for doing only exactly what they want to do. When asked about the differences between training a donkey and a horse, Ryan says, “Everything. They don’t just move off the leg, they take a lot more convincing, they are very spunky, they can jump from a standstill, they have a very ‘fast’ trot and her canter is very long. At least right now there’s not much collecting of her, but I hope in the future there will be.”
Caidyn and KitKat. Photo courtesy of Ryan Hall.
Ryan’s legs are a bit longer these days, and with KitKat being the size of a medium pony, she recently found the donkey a new rider. “Her name is Caidyn. She’s 4 years old, and she’s an amazing rider,” Ryan says. “She’s the only person that can get KitKat to do a course by herself without me running in front. They just really fit with each other, and she loves her.”
Celebrity Donkey
Ryan’s other passion is photography. Her Instagram account @EventingMyDonkey is full of training photos from along her journey, as well as photoshoots she sets up with KitKat — and, with over 28,000 followers, you might say it’s pretty popular.
“To this day I don’t know how this came to be,” she says. “Whenever I first got KitKat, I didn’t set out to have this jumping donkey, which most people don’t understand. One day I just had this bright idea — let’s see if KitKat can jump — and after about 45 minutes of attempting to get over to where the jump was, I learned not only could she jump but she was scopey. The more and more I post about KitKat, the more people tag their friends.”
Photo courtesy of Ryan Hall.
As Ryan mentions, no one else is doing what she does, so she’s learning everything as she goes.
“The hard thing about training a donkey is you can’t go Google how to get a donkey to move off the leg; no one writes about it,” Ryan says. “Therefore I basically have to make up and figure out everything myself (including cues).”
As for the-little-donkey-that-could’s future, Ryan says, “KitKat is going to continue working with kids at the walk, trot, and learning to canter, and one day I hope for her to be good enough to be a lesson donkey. I also think it would be really cool to do a demo at Rolex.”
Ryan Hall and Napoleon. Photo courtesy of Ryan Hall.
Meanwhile, Ryan will continue pursuing her own eventing career with her new horse Napolean, a Welsh Cob/Thoroughbred cross. “I bought him hoping for a NAJYRC horse,” she says.
KitKat, you’re a four-star event donkey in our book. Go Eventing.
Disturbing news is rocking the equestrian community as the recently-imported Grand Prix prospect Phedras De Blondel was discovered dead at Steve and Debbie Stephens’ Centennial Farm in Palmetto, Florida, apparently butchered for meat.
The phrase “every horse owner’s nightmare” is bandied about perhaps too readily in equine media, describing everything from three-legged lameness to colic to someone leaving the gate open. Steve and Debbie Stephens of Centennial Farm in Palmetto, Florida, however, are living a true nightmare as they struggle to piece together what happened to their newly-imported Grand Prix prospect, Phedras De Blondel.
The horse, a twelve-year-old Selle Francais gelding, was trained and campaigned by Christian Hermon in France and then sold to Debbie Stephens, an international Grand Prix champion, on October 18, 2015. Debbie continues to train and compete, while her husband Steve is a well-known course designer as well as a former show jumping champion in his own right. Phedras De Blondel shipped to the United States, passed quarantine, and arrived at the Stephens’ farm on Friday, October 23, 2015.
Here is Phedras De Blondel in his last performance in September in France with Christian Hermon in the irons:
On Sunday morning around 7:00 AM, October 25, when barn staff began the morning feed, the horse’s stall was empty. Staff searched the property, hoping to find Phedras De Blondel running loose. They discovered instead the grisly sight of the horse’s remains lying in a small paddock: his head, neck and ribcage, with the meat gone. The horse had been removed from the barn some time in the night and brought down to this paddock to be slaughtered.
As Steve Stephens reported to ABC Action News, he believes that the killers came to the farm intentionally to butcher a horse, but that Phedras De Blondel was not targeted specifically. A Manatee County Sheriff’s Department spokesman believes the same. This eerie story comes right on the heels of raids on three illegal horse slaughter facilities in Wellington, Florida, which were believed to have been in operation for years. The Stephens believe that the horse meat was sold on the black market, possibly in direct relation to the closing of those three illegal slaughter facilities. As a large, well-muscled horse, Phedras De Blondel would have been appealing as a meat animal.
The Stephens’ house is attached to the barn at Centennial Farm, and a security camera does run in the stabling area. Footage is being reviewed for any evidence, and security will be amped up around the farm. Other farms in the area are on high alert as well, fearful that something similar could happen to them next.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Department encourages anyone with information to call the office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS. A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise reward money through the Sheriff’s Department for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for Phedras De Blondel’s horrific death.
Our thoughts go to Debbie and Steve Stephens and all of Phedras De Blondel’s connections.
If you missed the first round of Equestrian Cards Against Humanity, check out the original post here. The first round was so popular that we got right to work on a second installment, called as per reader suggestion “The Horse-Poor Expansion Pack.”
We’ll kick off today’s collection with more reader submissions, courtesy of Merissa and Jess. (They even printed their own professional-looking cards.) Remember that the black cards are a question or a fill-in-the-blank, and the white cards are the answering nouns. When you mix these in with the regular cards from Cards Against Humanity, the possibilities are endless (and oh-so-uncomfortable.)
Seriously, though. Who used all my fly spray?
Never underestimate the mare glare.
Who needs a sippy cup?
Brilliant.
Ready for round two? Here are our latest set of black cards with game-original white cards:
And here’s the inverse: the game’s black cards with a few equestrian suggestions filling in:
This post originally appeared on our wacky sister site Horse Nation. (And, yes, we are already working on a special eventing edition of Equestrian Cards Against Humanity. Stay tuned!)
How does one best describe the game Cards Against Humanity? It’s kind of like Apples to Apples, if all the apples were sour — the all-grown-up, totally irreverent, discomfort-inducing version of the family-friendly card game. Played in a group, individual players take turns acting as judge, drawing a black card and reading it aloud. Black cards are a question or a sentence with blanks.
The other players then submit white cards out of their own playing hands; the white cards are nouns that answer the question or fill in the blank. The judge selects what he or she thinks truly completes the statement and that submitter wins the point.
A safe-for-work tame example:
Each deck comes with a few blank cards so you can write in your own shenanigans … so imagine our delight when we discovered that Horse Nation readers were substituting in their own equestrian suggestions:
And we agreed with them that Cards Against Equestrians does, in fact, need to be a thing. So we came up with a few suggestions of our own, filling in our own white cards (the nouns) and pairing them with black cards from the game.
Of course, we could play the game the other way around, too, and fill in our own black cards … completed by white cards already in the game:
Are you a Cards Against Humanity player? Ever written in your own equestrian-themed blank cards? Let us know in the comments below!
Love horses? Want to build a career in the horse industry? Equestrian Trailblazers might be just the motivation you need. This post originally appeared on Horse Nation.
Featured Trailblazer Monty Roberts: natural horsemanship practitioner and builder of a brand
“Want to make a small fortune in the horse industry? Start with a large one.”
“There are no jobs in horses.”
“The only jobs with horses are for professional trainers.”
How many times have we all heard these statements? Horses, it would appear, are best left to be just a hobby. But scratch the surface of the horse industry and you’ll realize that there are so many more ways to build a career in this world than by sitting on the back of a horse itself. And that’s exactly the message that June Burgess is seeking to spread through the Equestrian Trailblazers Summit, a 12-day virtual event that will be accessible to registrants all over the world.
From June 1st through the 12th, the Equestrian Trailblazers Summit will be publishing two 20- to 30-minute video interviews daily, available for registrants to view. In Burgess’ words, the videos are the “perfect length to enjoy with a coffee between mucking out.” Burgess reached out to 24 individuals all around the world in various aspects of the horse industry, ranging from equipment and tack innovators to natural horsemanship practitioners to equestrian lifestyle experts — the specific career paths are unique and varied but all hold the common feature of blending each individual’s passions and talents with the equine industry.
June Burgess is a businesswoman based in Ireland who has worked for a variety of ventures in her career; she is also an avid amateur event rider. Her first epiphany that there was so much more to the horse world than training and coaching was when she discovered the Equus Film Festival, created by Lisa Diersen — an event that had somehow flown under her radar for years. Burgess watched each trailer represented at the Festival: “each one opened my eyes to the positive and enriching influence of horses to all manner of people in every corner of the world […] once I found that website, I was past the point of no return.”
Featured Trailblazer Linda Kohanov: author and practitioner of equine-assisted psychotherapy
The more Burgess dug into the horse world, especially internationally, the more she learned about the career paths that make up an industry: not just riding and training the horse itself, but the entire culture and lifestyle of being an equestrian. Finding your own place in that industry can be a daunting task, and it can be hard to find a way to marry your individual skills with your love for horses.
So Burgess picked the brains of 24 individuals from facets of the industry that we may not have ever considered: on the roster for the Equestrian Trailblazers Summit are Monty Roberts, horsemanship practitioner and founder of a brand (USA); Lisa Diersen, founder of the Equus Film Festival (USA); Vanessa Somers, the CEO of Horse Lifestyle (a new online equestrian streaming service based in the Netherlands); Dianne Jenkins of Jent Bodyworks (Australia); William Micklem, author, speaker and inventor of the Micklem Bridle (Ireland); and Gérard Thevenot, the inventor of the original air vests (France) — among others.
Registration for the summit is free, and always will be. As this is the first such summit of its kind, and hopefully the first in a series, Burgess is hoping for feedback from registrants to help shape future interviews. To view a short video by Burgess and register, visit the Equestrian Trailblazers Summit website. The summit begins June 1 so registration is only open for a few more days.
In Burgess’ own words: “I am particularly inspired by individuals who ‘create and maintain momentum.’ All of these Trailblazers do that. I want to get that across to viewers and generate ideas for new directions they could take in their careers and give them an insight into the mindset for success. You are never more successful than you are living your passion!”
I’m sure there are well-maintained and constantly-manicured equestrian facilities complete with hinge-tightened never-bent always-chained gates offering access to picture-perfect pastures.
But for the rest of us who actually live in the real world, gates are one of those things that we take for granted — until they fall off their hinges, get run into by the tractor or slip out of our hands on a rainy day when we’re trying to keep the other horses back … you get my point. For all of my fellow horse people who just want a nice, well-working gate for Christmas, this one’s for you.
1. The Simple Gate: one chain, one block to rest the hinges, easy access. If only they were all like this.
2. The Of-Course-There’s-a-Giant-Puddle-Here Gate: have fun convincing your horse to walk through this, especially if you’re trying to hold the gate in one hand, lead the horse with the other and somehow be expected to keep all of the other horses from following you through.
3. The I-Hope-No-One-Turned-On-the-Electric-While-I-Was-Out-Riding Gate: every farm has one — whether it’s a crossed wire, a dangling chain or just a weird practical joke from your farm help, touch this one while the electric fence is still on and you’ll be in for a lovely surprise.
4. The Lazy Gate: I have no idea why this gate is called a “lazy gate” other than maybe someone was too lazy to install a real gate. Inevitably, no matter how many times I go through this thing, my horse will always be terrified of the loose wires the minute I try to take it down to go through.
5. The Bane of My Existence Gate: seriously, I hate this thing. Sure, it looks innocuous enough, maybe even pretty there at the top of the hill framed between the brush and the trees. But it’s ancient, sagging and positioned terribly into a slope that means you need to use all of your strength to drag the thing open and closed.
6. The Cattle-DIY’ed-Their-Own-Gate Non-Gate: okay, this isn’t actually a gate, but an access point that cattle (and potentially really wily horses) created into a totally-otherwise-inaccessible section on the farm. Meaning that to get the cattle back out, someone needs to schlep in there on foot and encourage the cattle to go back through a fence … defeating the purpose of fencing in the first place.
7. The A-Draft-Horse-Tried-To-Jump-This Gate: no further explanation needed.
8. The Just-Kidding-I’m-Not-Really-a-Gate-Anymore Gate: it looks like a gate, sounds like a gate, looks like it should provide access into the field behind like a gate…but wait! That’s fencing wire stretched across it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go the long way around. (Don’t worry — this death-trap-of-a-gate is in a hay field, not a livestock field!)
9. The For-the-Love-of-God-Never-Leave-This-Gate-Open Gate: because those cows there on the other side will be all over the county by the time you remember you left it open.
10. The Worst Gate in the History of Gates: “Well, we don’t have a gate wide enough for this opening … let’s just chain two narrower gates together.” REALLY IS THIS THE BEST WE COULD DO? (To be fair, we don’t use this gate very often … but when we do, boy golly is it a pain in the rear.)
11. The I-Wish-There-Was-a-Gate-Here: see that little trail through the fence? I like to ride down that trail at the end of my ride, cross the creek, and then ideally meander back to the barn … oh but wait, there’s no gate here, so I actually need to ride another half mile, cross the creek two more times, and then go through another lazy gate (see #4.)
12. The Perfect Gate: it’s never been hit by a tractor. Its hinges are tightened. It’s chained neatly. It’s even posted. How long will this pristine example of gate-ness remain so pure? Well, it’s a working farm, so probably another week or so …
2014 $10,000 America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred Contest winners Icabad Crane and Phillip Dutton. Photo by Megan Stapley Photography, courtesy of the Retired Racehorse Project.
The Retired Racehorse Project’s annual banner event is getting a new home. For 2015, the Thoroughbred Makeover is moving to the world-class Kentucky Horse Park facilities in 2015, hinting that this OTTB thing is kind of a big deal.
Steuart Pittman knew all along that the Thoroughbred was a superior sport horse, as did a lot of competing professionals. But as the eventing world towards importing warmbloods, Pittman stuck to his Thoroughbred guns, refusing to fall for the then-trending belief that the breed was hotheaded and untrainable.
He even began breeding his own Thoroughbreds just for competition as sport horses–and then came to the realization that the animals coming off the track were far superior to the ones he was breeding on his own.
Michelle Craig and Nap for Sycamore. Photo by Rough Coat Photography, courtesy of the Retired Racehorse Project.
Cue the lightbulb moment–Pittman realized that the sport horse world needed Thoroughbreds just as all of these retiring racehorses coming off the track desperately needed new homes and careers. His first event took place in 2009, a symposium on re-training the retired racehorse that drew about 350 attendees from 10 states.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, the Mustang Heritage Foundation was finding great success with its Extreme Mustang Makeover program. Pittman borrowed the idea, made a few modifications, and created his own national multi-disciplinary event in 2013 called the Thoroughbred Makeover, hosted at the Pimlico Racecourse in Maryland.
The $10,000 America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred contest crowned former stakes winner Icabad Crane, whose last appearance at Pimlico was when he finished third in the Preakness.
Check out Icabad Crane with his rider/trainer Phillip Dutton as they demonstrate the horse’s amazing adjustability:
Now, as the Thoroughbred Makeover gains national attention and more enthusiasm than ever, the multi-day expo and contest is moving up in the world to the superior competition facilities at the Kentucky Horse Park in the heart of American Thoroughbred country in Lexington.
With its huge grounds and multiple venues, the Kentucky Horse Park will allow the Thoroughbred Makeover to welcome more participants in more disciplines than ever–though the Thoroughbred is most commonly found in English disciplines such as eventing, jumping and hunters, Pittman envisions a huge array of classes, including hunter hack, hunter over fences, field hunter trials, show jumping, dressage, eventing, judged trail riding, polo, and even western events like working ranch horse and barrel racing.
The Thoroughbred as a breed shows aptitude in all of these events–all that’s needed is the proper education for both horse and rider, which is what Pittman hopes to demonstrate at this event.
Dale Simanton on Rikim. Photo by Rough Coat Photography, courtesy of the Retired Racehorse Project.
With this showcase moving to the center of the American Thoroughbred world, the eye of the industry will be upon the Retired Racehorse project and hopefully draw support to the project’s cause.
Pittman hopes that this new focus will help the worlds of racing and sport horse competition work together for mutual benefit. Just a few weeks after the Thoroughbred Makeover, Keeneland track (also in Lexington) will host the Breeders Cup championships–what better timing?
To learn more about the Retired Racehorse Project, check out the program’s website.
