Meghan Benge kindly sent us some beautiful photos from the US Combined Driving Training Sessions and the Sunshine State CDE.  Thanks you Meghan!  If you have something to share with EN, send it to [email protected]!

From Meghan:

This is Wendy O’Brien from Aiken, SC with her Welsh Cobs getting a lesson from US Team coach Michael Freund. Wendy is the 2012 National Champion pony pair driver.

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Paul Maye participating in team training with a German Riding Pony stallion, Marcus. Paul and Marcus are the 2012 National Champion Single pony.

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Paul Maye and Marcus won the marathon at Sunshine State CDE, and finished fourth overall.

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Tracey Morgan and her German Pony, Fuego, won the dressage and the overall Advanced Single Pony division at Sunshine State. Tracey has been a World Championship team member previously with a pair of Dartmoor ponies.

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I had the pleasure of enjoying a beautiful breezy Florida day watching cross-country at Rocking Horse.  Here are some clips of horses through the water, a couple at the coffin, and a few more at the bounce bank.  I think I managed to get all of Buck’s rides!  Peter Atkins and Henny had an unfortunate stop at the skinny out of the water; it looked like Henny may have slipped a bit going up the bank.  Buck (proving that he IS human!) also had a runout with No More Rocks at the same skinny.  For the most part, though, the course was riding well.

Samantha will be along later to provide a full write-up and lovely photos as always!

[Live Scores]

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From Dana Diemer, EN’s resident CDE expert:

Sara Schmidt driving her own Kaboom, FEI Advanced.  Photo thanks to picsofyou.com.

A Florida State of Mind 

Combined driving competitions are well underway for the 2013 season.  Next up on the calendar is the Little Everglades International CDE, which takes place February 22-24 at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City, Florida.  This is the first FEI competition of the season and a full slate of top turnouts are expected to head down the center line on Friday.

Little Everglades Ranch is a 2050 acre working ranch, noted for their top notch Hanoverians, thoroughbred race horses and belted Galway cattle.  They also produce hay, peat moss and camelina, a biofuel crop.  In addition, owners Bob and Sharon Blanchard have gone the extra mile to provide a competition venue for combined driving that rivals any to be found anywhere in the world.  The dressage and cones arena is enough to make the greenskeepers at Augusta National golf course drool with envy and the obstacles are well placed with optimum spectator viewing in mind.

A list of expected competitors will be available on Driving News USA at www.drivingnews.us no later than Wednesday, and spectator information is also available at www.littleevergladesranch.com.

Karen Chandell and Gabbie VanScoy made a nearly 10-hour drive to Aiken to watch the recent USEF Training Session.It was a fabulous few days.  Here is a compilation video that Gabby put together.  Thanks, Gabby!  And thanks to Jackie Smith for sending it to us!  If you have something to share, send it to [email protected].

Want to feel inadequate with your jumping abilities?  The ring crew (and rider Lane Clark) take on the show jumps ON FOOT in this SIHS Human Horse High Jump Competition.  These guys jump higher without a horse than I do with one!  Congrats to Skyler, who successfully cleared 5’5″ twice to be declared the winner.  Maybe jumping sticks and patio furniture in the backyard isn’t just something little girls do…!

Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo, shown here at Fair Hill. Photo by Jenni Autry

Another weekend, another event with Buck Davidson continuing his quest for world domination.  Buck has six horses entered among the three Advanced divisions, and after dressage and show jumping he sits in sixth place or better with all of them.  Samantha Clark is at Rocking Horse this weekend, and has been tweeting all the action live.  Follow her @samanthalclark, and check back tonight for a full report here on Eventing Nation.  Upper level cross-country begins tomorrow.

[Live Scores]

Rocking Horse Winter II results after dressage & show jumping

Advanced Dressage Test A – Division A

1.  Buck Davidson  – D.A. Adirmo

2. Peter Atkins – HJ Hampton

3. Buck Davidson – Park Trader

Advanced Dressage Test A – Division B

1. Leslie Law – Zenith ISF

2. Jonathan Holling – Downtown Harrison

3. Buck Davidson – Ballynoecastle RM

Advanced Dressage Test B

1.  Joe Meyer – Sanskrit

2. Buck Davidson – Mar De Amor

3. Katie Ruppel – Sir Donovan

Colleen Hofstetter has contributed several articles to Eventing Nation.  Today she explains the history and reasoning behind Florida’s agriculture inspection stations– if you’ve ever taken your horse to Ocala, you’ve had to stop there before!  Many thanks to Colleen for writing, and thanks as always for reading!  If you have something to share, send it to [email protected].

From Colleen:

FLORIDA’S FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

By now most southern bound riders and horses have hopped on the ol’ 95 or 75 south and joined the parade of horse trailers and lorries that headed for warmer climates. Big or small, grand, functional, or errr, shall we say, somewhat dubious: various modes of transportation carrying valuable equine cargo have made the trek south and are having some time in the sun. Lucky fellas and fillies!  A good many of the snow birds and their snow ponies are already basking away in sunny training facilities, and to get there all they had to do was cross the Mason-Dixon Line, bid the Blue Ridge good bye, roll through the Carolinas, motor down a snippet of Georgia, and there you are! But as you cross the border into the land of sun, citrus, and outrageous hay prices, it’s time to throw on the brakes and stop at the “Ag Station.”  The what? The Ag Station, or what is formally known as the Florida Agricultural Interdiction Station – a mandatory stop for any vehicle that has something in tow or is transporting any agricultural product, which includes horses.

I got to wondering why? Why stop now? Why don’t other states have inspection stations? Florida is one of the few states to have Interdiction Stations; it currently has 22 stations along the 19 roads that cross over the St. Mary’s and Suwannee rivers into peninsular Florida, and one station that has opened on 1-10 near the Florida and Alabama border. Basically, any paved road into or out of Florida has an Interdiction Station, which are manned by over 200 Bureau of Uniformed Services law enforcement officers

Major Harold Barry of The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement spoke with me about the history and function of the Ag Stations. Considered to be Florida’s “First Line of Defense”, the original Ag Stations first appeared in the 1930’s and there were only two. The stations were mostly operated by farmers and local citizens in need of supplemental income during the Great Depression. The stations consisted of tents and wooden shacks on a dirt pull off, and the attendants used their own vehicles to chase down anyone who didn’t stop.

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The inspection stations soon grew to 16 locations and were first established on the six major highways crossing the Suwannee and St. Mary’s Rivers, as these rivers form a natural boundary north of the citrus and vegetable production areas. Originally, the stations were only open during prime citrus production season. The Interdiction Stations are considered to be essential in safeguarding the state’s agricultural production, which is second only to Florida tourism, and generates approximately 57 billion dollars in direct sales each year. Horses, in the eyes of Florida, are part of the agricultural industry; the Florida equine industry has an estimated horse population of 350,000, with an overall estimated economic impact of $6.5 billion annually and a capital investment of $7 billion. (USDA)

Given all those numbers it is easy to understand the state’s desire to monitor products being shipped throughout the state, including horses. Florida is able to boast a well below average incidence rate – 0.016% – of EIA cases, a fact attributed to strict monitoring of horse traffic and quarantine regulations. Another factor to consider is the tax revenue that is generated by the inspection program. For instance, every commercial vehicle entering the state must turn over its bill of lading, which identifies the cargo being carried. The bill of lading is copied, and the copy is sent to the state Department of Revenue, The bills of lading are then processed to determine which company may owe the state of Florida the difference between Florida’s 7% sales tax and the sales tax in the state of origin.

This program has generated more than $100 million for Florida since it was launched in April 1993, and currently averages about $1.2 million in sales tax revenue each month. Additionally, vehicle inspection also catches its fair share of illegal contraband and individuals trying to smuggle items hidden inside cargo carriers. One infamous example was the case of the ”million dollar printer” in which  inspectors spotted a million-dollar printing press hidden in the middle of a trailer supposedly filled with Wisconsin cheese. Hiding the printing press wasn’t a violation of state law, but it was an attempt to get around paying $70,000 in sales tax, something that got the haulers of that item in a lot of trouble! That tidy sum is only part of the 6.7 million the Department of Revenue collected in taxes during the last fiscal year as well as the 1.1 million collected in contraband through inspections and investigations at interdiction stations. (FL Dept of Revenue)

While horse haulers do not have bills of lading, carrying the proper (and legitimate) paperwork is necessary. The inspection for horses is relatively easy: pull into the station, go inside with your Coggins and health certificate, an officer will accompany you back to your trailer, inspect your “cargo,” and voila! You are on your way again – unless there is something amiss with your paper work, (as when and un-named BNR had a caravan of trailers with necessary paperwork, but the wrong horses in the various trailers!) or you forgot/didn’t know you were supposed to stop, (as there is a “Bypass station” light that will flash when the lineup of vehicles is too long – which only happens 3% of the time), or you have managed to really tick off the normally pleasant officers at the Station! In 2011 there were approximately 8 million vehicles that passed through the interdiction stations with approximately 10,000 violations issued. Overall there were 808 livestock violations, with a majority of those being equine related. Those violations, as noted by Major Barry, were primarily administrative, the result of “inaccurate” paper work on Coggins and health certificates. Major Barry stated that the officers at the Interdiction Stations are trained to detect anomalies on paper work – the motivation to change the paperwork something of a puzzle to Major Barry: altered certificates can lead to a 3^rd degree felony charge and fines of up to $3500.00! So why risk it when the cost to obtain both certificates is minimal, especially as compared to the boarding, training, and showing fees most people rack up during the winter months?

Major Barry is no stranger to horse people and he reports that most going through the Stations are “pretty organized and there are many wonderful horse haulers”. Major Barry also knows the other side of the coin though, as he was the arresting officer in the landmark 1992 insurance fraud case involving Tommy Ray Burns and the killing of horses for insurance money. Major Barry also stated that in addition to problems with paper work, some people actually try to conceal livestock – like the recent case of a pony inside a U-Haul trailer! Oh yeah, it takes all kinds!

The usual length of time at the Ag Station is typically about 10 minutes, unless there is a huge line up of tractor trailers. The busiest times for the stations are on Fridays, Sunday evenings and Mondays. Fridays and Sundays being horse show travel times and Mondays being the start of the work week. However, technology has managed to speed things along and officers no longer have to hand write information. Computerized scans and the VACIS system are used, although the VACIS system uses gamma rays to scan container trailers for undocumented cargo and is not used on horses. Additionally, many regulars such as Marcea Funk of Market Street Equestrian (www.marketstreetequestrian.com) in Jacksonville use the Equine Interstate Passport Card, which also speeds up the process and is valid for 6 months.

So as you plan your riding filled days in the Florida sunshine, get your papers organized, don’t pretend that the “you don’t need to stop” sign is flashing, make sure you have the correct horses with you, and you will be on your way in a flash! For all you lucky folks getting ready to travel somewhere into or out of the Sunshine State, keep up the good reputation of horse haulers in general and eventers in particular!

Officer Norris inspecting a horse trailer.

Valentine’s Day isn’t all chocolate and roses when a husband finds out his wife created an online dating profile, stating the two loves of her life are her horse and her convertible.  How does he get revenge?  Watch and see!

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all of Eventing Nation.  I hope your horses get some extra carrots today!

Readers have sent us a handful of photos from the past few days, and we’re always happy to share them here on the site.  What have you been up to?  Send your photos and stories to [email protected].

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From Pam Blumberg:

Photos from Aiken Training Sessions, Boyd Martin and Master Frisky

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From Gracen Grundfest:

Look who really does all the work at Holling Eventing!  Caiden Holling helps clean tack.

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From Maureen Hall:

I’d like all those Canadian eventers down in Florida to see what they are missing today: 4- and 5-foot drifts in a snow storm!

Kate Chadderton sent us this video from Pine Top.  She rode Collection Pass in the Open Intermediate 1 division and finished 12th with double clear show jumping and 12.8 time penalties on cross-country.  Thanks for sending us the video, Kate!

Many thanks to EN reader Suzanne Adams for sharing this with us– a reminder to be thankful for those who take care of our horses, no matter what the weather brings!  Check out Suzanne’s blog at Confessions of an AA Event Rider and Convicted Over Thinker.  Have a story to share with EN?  Send it to [email protected].  One chosen submission will be named the Omega Alpha Guest Submission of the Month and receive a free Omega Alpha supplement!

From Suzanne:

ODE TO THE WINTER BARN WORKER

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire inside is delightful. And, since we’ve got no place to go… Let it snow, let it snow… LET IT SNOW!”

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Nemo was a beautiful blizzard with it’s light fluffy snow flakes and howling winds whipping through bare trees.  I was nestled comfortably between a sleeping hound and napping lab.  It was the perfect night to catch up on things…  personal things, like cooking and cleaning projects, doing taxes and maybe a nap or two.

The state wide driving ban prevented a visit to the barn to be sure Ms Sug was warm and comfortable.  I knew she was in good hands but I still wondered and worried just a bit…

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 Of course we appreciate them… sometimes with a holiday gift or two.  Yet, while I was cuddled up on the couch snugglying Mr Floppy…  The City Barn woke to drifts over 20 feet high, blocking barn doors.  And, with the blizzard still roaring, they used the school ponies to get to the barns to feed our lil princesses and princes.

If it were me, I might have cried myself back to sleep.   Instead, they worked and dug and worked and dug…  little by little what was once a mound of white was transformed into the barn we trust will keep our ponies safe…

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I dream of owning this barn… my plans are quite amazing if I do say so myself.  (I can really go on and on about what I’ll do when I win the big, big lottery.)

When I saw the Barn Owner tacking up his horse just 48 hours after the blizzard hit, I thanked him.  And then asked him to send me these pics on the day I win that big lottery…

It is a real reminder that Barn Work and Ownership is a huge under taking and not as easy as the vision of my dreams…

Yes, City Barn Boarders and Friends, I saw your Facebook posts and I know we’re grateful for the efforts this past weekend.  I wonder, sometimes, if an appropriate token of our gratitude could be one less text reminding the Barn Worker to put on the green sheet after taking off the blue blanket or perhaps, maybe… one less suggestion (complaint) about how to better do the stalls or manage the indoor.

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You see, I’m not sure I would have wanted to be the first person to walk down from the warm house or barn apartment and be greeted with the beautiful white fluffy snow “gently” blowing around the hill.  So, my penance for being tucked away, cozy and warm, is a ban on any thoughts, comments or suggestions on anything that looks like “improvements”…  cause after Finding Nemo, I am not worthy to “improve” upon anything!

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City Barn Workers and Owners…  I humbly bow in your general direction and say…  YOU ROCK!  And THANKS!!!!

And for all of you who do this work so well…  Boarders and Friends thank you too…

Note – All photos are courtesy of the Orchard Hill Equestrian Center Staff and Friends  (www.orchardhillequestriancenter.com)

From Yvette:

Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City:  The Fat Tuesday Edition

Pony Club members from the Deep South Region give the EN logo a little Mardi Gras flair!

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Happy Mardi Gras, Eventing Nation!  Even though I’ve spent the majority of my life living north of the Mason-Dixon Line, there is something about Mardi Gras that brings out my inner Southern Belle.  It could have something to do with my penchant for sporting silly costumes, my magpie-like attraction to sparkly beads and tiaras, or my fascination with feather boas, but when it comes right down to it, I’ll blame it on the fact that I’m just a Northern girl with a Southern stomach.  Laissez le bon temps roulez (and roulez and roulez)!!

Although the early spring eventing season has officially kicked off for those lucky enough to permanently reside in or winter in warmer southern climes, the rest of us are just starting to wake up from our winter slumber to – you know…renew our USEA memberships, fill out that first entry form of the season, and…oh crap…where DID I put those stamps?  My pony – that sleek little 14 hh beast who rocked his way around Waredaca’s Novice 3-day course a mere three months ago – now looks more like an inspiration for a Thelwell cartoon rather than a move-up candidate.

And while the woolly-coated pony with the mid-mane pulling mullet may not be ready to go compete at Morven today, I know he will be more than ready for his debut in six weeks, because like a bad break-up line in a cheesy rom-com…it’s not you, Super Pony  – it’s me.  Don’t get me wrong – I’ve got my dressage tests down, and am blessed with a pace clock that won’t quit.  No, no…the biggest hurdle for me at the beginning of the season is…

The white breeches.  Which brings me to this week’s tip:

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Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City #28:

Regardless of when it may fall on the actual calendar, the first Opening Date of the season will always seem like Fat Tuesday when you go to try on your white show breeches.  Just as many individuals will give up their vices of sweets or chocolate following post-Mardi Gras hedonism, mailing in that first entry check of the may prompt eventers to engage in what I like to call the “White Spandex Pants Diet Plan (WSPDP).  And while a balanced diet contributes to the success of the WSPDP, the true key to its effectiveness is the mantra, “spandex is a privilege and not a right.”

From Lauren:

Your Weekly “Why Does My OTTB (insert weird quirk here)?” Q&A

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Good day, Eventing Nation!  Congratulations to all of the Ocala and Pine Top finishers this weekend.  Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, every restaurant within a one hundred mile radius is overbooked, and Rite Aid is running out of Russell Stover’s Chocolate Covered Marshmallow hearts (oh, the humanity!). This week brings the return of the Q & A you have all grown to love.  Next week, more questions will follow as well as an update on MY latest OTTB prospect that I just picked up on Friday morning.  Cross your fingers, toes, and eyes that he vets and enjoy these new EN reader queries.

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I have a gorgeous Thoroughbred who I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about. He has a lip tattoo that is mostly illegible. I have tried all the tricks – blot the saliva away, take pictures in dim light, take pictures in sunlight, take pictures under a black light, etc. It is still impossible to make out more than one or two numbers and they are still a guess at best. I’ve had many people affiliated with TB’s who claim to be good readers of tattoos look at his and come up with nothing. I don’t know his registered name, age, origin, or racing history. All I was told is that his previous owner got him in Florida, he ‘definitely raced’ and is supposed to be around 13. (Although some vets argue he could be 18!) I am dying to know the history of my handsome boy. Is there anything I can do? I hate knowing that his name and age and racing history is all right there at a click of the mouse…I just don’t know the key numbers to access it! Is his history gone for good or is there one last step I can take to figure out his identity? (contributed by EN reader Hannah Lintz)

Thank you for your inquiry!  If he is tattooed, there is at least a 90% chance that he raced, in my opinion.  Horses are typically tattooed within a few weeks or a month of running in a race.  Things can happen in that last period of time to curtail their racing careers, but it is unlikely.  The Jockey Club will help you if you take a picture of the tattoo and send it to them.  There is a surcharge, but they do have professional tattoo decipherers of sorts.  Remember that all Thoroughbred tattoos are an alphabetical letter based on their year of birth followed by five numbers.  If a horse is imported, there will be an asterisk followed by five numbers.  The numbers correlate to the order in which they were registered on a given year and the letter for each year can be found here:  Tattoo Letters By Year Free tattoo research is available at: Here. Also, remember that the minimal amount of scar tissue caused by tattooing can sometimes be felt by rubbing your fingers along the horse’s upper lip.  Best of luck in your search!

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I found the most recent discussion about evaluating potential TB horses for sale quite interesting.  I wonder if you could address a different TB search.  All the TB horses I see offered (off the track) are fairly tall, 16H and up.  I would like to find pony or near pony sized animals, 15H and down.  In the price range of the OTTB animals, not the astronomical prices of show ponies.  How and where to look for those?  And, just as difficult, how do you find the really mellow TB horses?  I know they exist, I have met some.  But most of the TB horses are a lot more reactive than a nice quiet schoolie.  So where and how can I shop for the really quiet TB horses?  Best from my point of view would be a combination of the two above situations.  Is that even possible? (contributed by EN reader Robin Crickman)

Thank you for your inquiry!  I would disagree that all OTTB’s are tall.  I often find myself scrounging the depths of dank, dreary barns for something over 15.2hh.  However, I do find most horses to be between 15 and 17hh and it is uncommon for Thoroughbred’s to be under 15hh in my experience.  They do exist, they are just rare.  They typically even come with a cheaper price tag, as short OTTB’s are typically less desirable for sport horse clientele.  It is hard to hone your search into horses within your height requirement but with a lot of due diligence, your time and effort with pay off, I promise.  Mellow TB’s on the other hand, are pretty hot commodities but are really not all that rare.  I would venture a guess that 1 in 5 Thoroughbreds can truly be considered “hot”, two of the remaining TB’s are occasionally flighty but overall pretty sensible, and the last two are lesson-horse quiet.  At the end of the day, finding your “perfect storm” or quiet and small isn’t out of the realm of possibility at all.  Simply do your research, expand your search area as much as possible, and limit your deal breaker’s to significant soundness issues.  Good luck!

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I encourage you to send any horse-specific or general-knowledge questions to me via email ([email protected]) for more in-depth and on-point answers and am certainly happy to help you evaluate any potential prospects that you are eyeing. Go Eventing and go gallop a former racehorse.

Gavin Makinson wrote an awesome IEF report for us last year, and you may remember a profile Samantha did on him as well. We also mentioned a few weeks ago that he’d kindly be reporting on this year’s IEF for us, and Gavin created his formal introduction video on last week, as well as Part 2 yesterday. Many thanks to Gavin for coming on board and presenting this wonderful write-up of the 2013 International Eventing Forum.

Gavin Makinson and Oliver Cromwell

 SESSION 3: Course Designer vs. Coach –  Mike Etherington-Smith and David O’Connor

David O’Connor and Mike Etherington Smith are two of the sport’s most experienced people in their field.  Mike has been at the top of the course designing game for the last twenty years and David, as a rider and now trainer, at least the same. This session was a fascinating meeting of two closely related but competing worlds.

There were three guinea pigs for this session, of varying degrees of experience and on different types of horses. The first was  Millie Dumas, a young rider in Great Britain on her horse Artistiek, an 8 year old KWPN about to move up to Advanced. The second was Neil Spratt, a 4* rider from New Zealand, on CMC Karma, a 7 year old CCI* mare by Ricardo Z. The final contestant was Caroline Powell, a well known 4* rider also from NZ riding Onwards & Upwards, an experienced CCI4* horse.

Both Mike ES & DOC have the benefit of showmanship, and an ability to get their points across in a fun and informative way, and David is one of the world’s greatest educators.  He has distilled a system of how to teach a rider how to be an Eventer from the ground up. Mike let us into the way his head works in terms of putting a course together, what are appropriate questions and what aren’t.

Firstly David and Mike talked about their respective jobs and challenges.  Both are gifted speakers and had very clear views on their respective roles. I figured their own words were most appropriate here.

From DOC:

 ‘This is kind of fun because the name of this session is Coach vs. Course Designer. Whilst we want to try and get into the head of the course designer today, sometimes it does feel like a Vs. You feel like really from a riding point of view, that when you go to a course, you have no idea realistically what Mike is going to ask, so your job in the training part is really to have all the pieces of the puzzle. We’ve all had those 5000 piece puzzles where you have 4098 pieces and right at the end you realize you don’t have 2 pieces! It’s a little frustrating. That’s what it feels like when I go to a course.  Do I have all the pieces of the puzzle?  Can I handle whatever someone is going to throw at me?  Do I have the communication? Do I have my horses confident? Do I have a way to talk to them whatever the situation is? Because then I am coming to whatever event and I am going to go to Mike ES and go ‘Nope… Because I got them… I got the answers… I got stuff.’”

“So I always try to make sure that from a training point of view, I am putting in these pieces of the puzzle… I keep putting them together.  The beginning of this puzzle for me is about two things: What are the horse’s responsibilities and what are my responsibilities?”

“The horse’s responsibilities are to jump whatever he needs to jump.  That’s why we bought him. That’s why we feed him. He has to try for you.”

“Your responsibilities are for me very clear. No. 1 – Direction: Can you ride down a line, can I go faster or slower down that line, whether that line is bending or it is straight, but it is MY line.  It is very important in everything that you do that the direction is the most important part of that first step.”

“If a horse’s quarters are out on a 20m circle in the dressage arena, why would it be different between a XC question of table to a huge corner? The horse’s quarters swing out, you have a run out at the corner, and all because you can’t ride a line. So all the phases have to tie together. You have to communicate in each phase in the same way on an every day basis.”

“No. 2 – Speed: How fast do you want to go? Again, on an everyday basis. If I gallop into a bounce at 700 miles an hour, I don’t care how balanced he is, how talented he is, it’s still going to be REALLY UGLY.  It’s not going to work.  I might live through it, but the speed has to be appropriate for whatever the exercise is that you are asking for and going cross country there are only four or five speeds that we play around with.”

“Then we get into the quality of the canter. There are people that say balance is the most important, but it doesn’t matter how good the balance is if you’re not pointed at the fence,  so direction has to be number 1, then speed, then rhythm and balance…”

“And then the last is a sense of timing.  Being able to recognize what’s going to happen, being able to recognize a distance, or not looking for a distance so that you can start to get the horse into a place where he has to do his job, to solve the puzzle. I’ve given you the line, I’ve given you the speed, I’ve given you the balance, a sense of rhythm, now solve the puzzle.“

“This is an instinctual game, you drive a car but you’re not thinking about driving the car, you’re on the phone, you’re talking to the kids in the back, you’re trying to get the dog in the back seat again, you’re eating, you’re constantly adjusting and that is purely by instinct.  It doesn’t even get into the conscious part of your brain because you’re thinking about something else. But if you actually remember the first time you drove a car, you didn’t know what to look at. All that stuff, and there was too much information for you to process and you got really nervous about it. It is our job as coaches to try and set that up for a rider, to make it an instinctive process… To that end, if as a rider you’re thinking about it, you are LATE.”

For more from Gavin, click here: (more…)

Gavin Makinson wrote an awesome IEF report for us last year, and you may remember a profile Samantha did on him as well. We also mentioned a few weeks ago that he’d kindly be reporting on this year’s IEF for us, and Gavin created his formal introduction video on last week. Many thanks to Gavin for coming on board and presenting this wonderful write-up of the 2013 International Eventing Forum.

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Gavin Makinson and Oliver Cromwell

SESSION 2: The Steps Through the Levels — Sir Mark Todd

SIR Mark Todd obviously requires no introduction. Mark worked with three horses and riders at different levels: Kitty King, a CCI4* rider, and Ceylor LAN, a 6-year-old working at BE100; David Doel, a UK team Young Rider, and Koyuna Sun Magic, a 17-year-old former CCI4* horse with Wendy Schaeffer and David’s GB Young Rider team horse; and Louise Harwood (nee Skelton), a CCI3* rider for GB, and Whitson, a 10-year-old CCI3* horse.

Mark was introduced by Eric Smiley as having something in common with Roger Federer and Rory McIlroy, in that all of those three make their respective sports look easy. It’s hard to disagree with that.

The focus of Mark’s session was the “jumping ladder.” He wanted to give us a very brief glimpse into some of the things you can do to train and also improve a horse. Mark was very aware he wouldn’t be able to show us the full journey through to international event horse, but what it did give us was a real insight into some of the reasons Mark has done so well and what his day-to-day work involves. And as a trainer, his teaching style mirrored his riding … quiet, very focused, clear and stylish.

Mark talked about the two main areas he works on when training his horses to jump. First, he talked about using gymnastic exercises to improve the horse’s balance, technique and strength. Then, the other side of his jumping and pole work focused solely on improving the horse’s rideability.

Mark stressed the importance of carrying the flatwork from the dressage forwards into the jumping. Mark described this work as “flatwork with jumps in the way. With a horse that’s rideable in the arena that you can control at the canter, you can have him balanced and be certain that you can ride in a balanced, positive way to a fence. When you ask the horse to slow down, check the stride and that he does it immediately, and when you put your leg on to lengthen the stride, that he does that immediately. And that all comes back to your training on the flat that you carry through to your jumping.”

Improving Rideability

To assess and then improve the rideability, the guinea pig riders started in trot, using various poles dotted around the school. Mark said that even with his older horses, he often goes back to a pole on the floor, reinforcing rhythm, balance, control and obedience. And the daily work of all his horses incorporates random poles into the work in an effort to make jumping “everyday and no big deal.”

From random poles scattered on the floor in trot, the work progressed to canter and to canter poles at related distances. Throughout the work, Mark was quietly insistent on rideability, adjustability and the rider remaining soft. He didn’t mind mistakes but has an uncanny ability in knowing when to correct, or simply repeat. Mark was keen as well that a progression be shown in the riders.  For example, it was fine for a rider to use a more visible hand aid the first time through a new exercise where a horse had to shorten. In subsequent attempts, though, the horse had to respond to the rider’s upper body so the hand could become less dominant and the aids more refined.

Pole work and related distances were repeated until the horse truly understood the question and then was able to repeat it correctly subsequent times. From a personal point of view, it was a good reminder that the first time a horse gets it right isn’t the time to pat him on the neck and put him away, but to check it wasn’t a fluke once or twice more, then move on (and then probably check it a couple of days later).

Work over a pole progressed to a small fence — nothing complicated — but with the same emphasis on rhythm, balance and softness, and then to an exercise to teach the horse to land on the correct lead. It was surprising that all horses bar one misread this exercise at first, but the exercise was essentially a figure of 10- to 15-meter circles, with a small fence over X.  Each time the horse landed, it would land on the opposite leg from which it had taken off in, and then the circle was reduced. The canter wasn’t allowed to change — the horse had to remain balanced — and Mark was insistent on rideability.  It took several attempts until Mark was happy.

From a spectator’s point of view, it was fascinating to realize that, yes, Mark undoubtedly has a gift, but the process in making it all look so easy comes from many dedicated hours of quiet, obsessive persistence at home.  Toddy was lightning quick to spot if an aid could be smaller, if a rider’s balance could be better, or if we could interfere less or do something better. Applying those same questions to his own riding gives us the finished product that we are so used to seeing on the big day.

Click for much more from Gavin: (more…)

While much of the East Coast battled the winter storm dubbed Nemo, eventers down south enjoyed lovely weather at the Ocala Horse Properties Winter II Horse Trials. Dave Elle, an Equiventures volunteer, was kind enough to snap these excellent photos from the intermediate and preliminary divisions. Click here to see full results from the event. Go eventing!

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Mike Huber and Patent Pending (OI)

Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me (OI)

Jonathan Holling and Downtown Harrison (OI)

Buck Davidson and Copper Beach (OI)

Carmen Schatte and The Flying Tomato (PR)

Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni (OI)

We first welcomed Lesley Grant Law (not to be confused with Leslie) to our guest blogger stable last year, when she told us all about the creatures of Ocala, and then gave us the runner-up for 2012’s Story of the Year with her Tale of Injury and Rehab.  Today, Lesley’s back to update us on winter happenings at the Ocala Horse Properties Winter II HT.  Thanks for writing, Lesley, and thanks for reading!

From Lesley:

I have just returned home from the Ocala Horse Properties Horse Trials were we were all treated to a glorious Florida day of sunshine.  The Powers that Be had been asked to write a short descriptive piece of the day’s events and of course all I really want to talk about is the fact that I shouldacoulda been 3rd and 8th with my most spectacular baby intermediate horses if I had not somehow managed to trip out of the water and get left clinging onto the corner on the top of the bank with the one horse at the third last fence!!!! But.. I don’t think that is what they wanted me to write about lol.

–

So as I sit multi-tasking, icing my knee, listening to SpongeBob amuse our son, trying to cook dinner, and writing this, I guess the first thing to say is that if you haven’t been to an Ocala Horse Park event you really should.  It is run by Equiventures LLC which is basically Peter Grey and Jon Holling.  I literally grew up with Peter who would take me from American event to American event when I was too young to do it myself.  I would sit on the engine of his lorry (the engine is between the driver and co-pilot seats) and he and Paul would listen to me ramble on and on for hours across the country when I was a young brat that thought I knew it all.  Peter is the consummate professional in everything he does; and so too is Jon Holling.  These two guys take so much pride in their event that there really isn’t any length they would not go to to make their event the best within their powers.

The show jump course was stunning in both appearance and design as they have brand new jumps and the great Marc Donovan to do the course for them.  There really isn’t many horse trials out there that could rival the Ocala show jump track.  The cross country course was designed by another one of my childhood friends Jay Hambly from Canada.  As usual, Jay did a great job putting together difficult enough tracks that were both fair and well built (although clearly the footing out of the water MUST of been amiss in some small way LOL).  Most impressive of all was the work they put into their footing.  It has been dry as a bone down here as of late and they watered and watered and worked that course for days.  We were lucky to get a spot of rain last night, but even during the rain they were out there working the course.  Very few horse trials put the effort into the footing that these guys do and we as Riders, are so very appreciative on behalf of the horses we love.  What makes these events stand apart from many is that they are run by top class Riders for Riders and whether you are running at the novice level or at intermediate, they afford all levels the same high standards.  I felt bad for them today as there were quite a few holds to the schedule so many areas got very mixed up in times but never once as riders were we made to feel rushed, confused, etc.  They were brilliant at dealing with issues as they came along without any ensuing drama.

–

It would be ignorant of me not to mention the tragedy that befell Andrea Leatherman today and her beloved horse Neveah.  The pair suffered a fall at fence 4 on the intermediate which resulted in the horse’s death.  I have word that Andrea suffers from punctured lungs and broken ribs; wounds that will heal much better and quicker than her mind and heart.  I lost my first horse when I was 17 of a heart attack on course.  It was 6 minutes of my life, years ago, and every second of those minutes will stay with me forever.  I can close my eyes now and relive it in a second.  I don’t know Andrea very well, but my heart cries for her.  The only solace is that I know she must have great parents as I see her father quite a bit with her, she has a wonderful partner in Buck, and a great support system that will help her through all this.  The accident in my opinion was certainly in no way a reflection on the event which in every other portion of the day was a real treat to be at, but it is a terrible, most awful aspect of our sport and my thoughts go out to them.

Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison

Gavin Makinson wrote awesome IEF report he did for us last year, and you may remember a profile  Samantha did on him as well. We also mentioned a few weeks ago that he’d kindly be reporting on this year’s IEF for us, and Gavin created his formal introduction video on Wednesday.  Many thanks to Gavin for coming on board and presenting this wonderful write up of the 2013 International Eventing Forum.

Gavin Makinson and Oliver Cromwell

From Gavin:

The International Eventing Forum 2013 – ‘Journey to the Top’

Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

#IEF13

@eventingforum

facebook.com/IEForum

Review by Gavin Makinson

@gjmeventing

Monday 4^th February saw the 2013 International Eventing Forum take place once again at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. (www.hartpury.ac.uk)  The FEI, British Eventing and the worldwide eventing community gathered in Hartpury’s (heated!) indoor to meet, greet and above all learn.

Last year’s IEF very much focused on a count down to a very big day, specifically those four spectacular days of eventing in Greenwich park.

This year, the IEFs organiser and creator, Eric Smiley (FBHS), former international event rider and worldwide eventing coach explained that with the Olympic four year cycle now back to year one, it was a time to re-assess the Journey to the Top.  And as such this year’s training sessions had an emphasis on correct training, good practice throughout, and an arc to horses’ and riders’ education.

Compared to last year’s four sessions, this year saw three working sessions. It offered a more streamlined day albeit with no less brain ache at the end.

The three working sessions were led as follows:

1. How Both Ends Meet – Ian Woodhead

Dressage from the beginning to the finished product…

2. The Steps Through the Levels – Sir Mark Todd

The jumping ladder…

And lastly:

3. Course Designer vs. Coach –

Mike Etherington-Smith and David O’Connor

In addition, there were two information sessions centered on the significant changes the FEI have made to the rulebook for 2013.  It’s clear the last few years have seen a period of reflection and a real desire to change and update the sport from an FEI point of view, so we had specific Veterinary updates from Graeme Cook and John McEwen and then a rule book update from Catrine Norinder and Giuseppe Della Chiesa, with Q&As afterward.

A summary of the main changes can be found here on the FEI website:

http://www.fei.org/sites/default/files/file/DISCIPLINES/EVENTING/Rules/2013-01-30%202013%20EVENTING%20RULES%20-%20main%20changes%20FINAL.pdf

So to the sessions; today we’ll cover part 1 with Ian Woodhead.  Check back the next few days for Parts 2 and 3.

1. Ian Woodhead – How Both Ends Meet

Ian Woodhead is now one of the UK’s foremost trainers of dressage, in particular of top-level event horses.  He was born into a family steeped in horses, and trained in pure dressage from an early age.  Firstly at home, then at Talland, and later with renowned trainers worldwide.

Towards the beginning of a successful career as a competition rider, Ian was asked to coach a pony dressage rider.  The seeds of a career as international trainer were instantly planted and with sheer graft, Ian quickly reached the top of his game.  In more recent years, the focus of his training career has shifted, thankfully in our direction and he now almost exclusively works with event horses.

Guinea Pigs:

Rider: Tom How

Horse: Belco HRS, 2006, KWPN, owned by Hows Racesafe

UK Lycetts 5yo champion 2011, UK Lycetts 6yo champion 2012

Rider: Matt Frost

Horse: AMD Don Rosso

Justine Sole

Matt and Justine both from AM Dressage

www.amdressage.com

The session was divided into 3 areas focusing on:

• Day to day training as opposed to competition riding
• Presentation
• Test riding and Arena craft.

Working with Tom How and his talented young horse Belco, Ian talked about his system, day to day training and how that differs from competition riding.

As a rider, pupil and occasional coach, I am obsessed by knowledge and smart people working at the top of their game.  I worked with Ian as a junior event rider myself and it was fascinating to see how his system has developed and evolved along his 20+ year career.  As a pupil you long for those days where somebody gives you a gem of information, that revelatory light bulb moment that makes you instantly want to get on a horse and challenge something fundamental about the way you’ve always ridden.  Ian provided that at the Forum.

A few things were noticeable.  Ian was very quiet. He’s a man that doesn’t waste words, but what he does say is golden. There was a noticeable lack of drama or of confrontation, with the emphasis on a clear explanation in the horse’s early training of the head position, movements and behavior.

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There are many ways to define equine intelligence, and lack thereof.  Here, a dressage barn in Kentucky attempts to rate their horses depending on how they manage to find carrots under a 5-gallon bucket.  I know I have one horse who would tip the bucket immediately, eat, stand it back up, and tip it again; another who would destroy the bucket entirely (“HA! Silly humans, I’ll teach YOU to mess with my food!”); and one who would probably ignore the bucket and just stare at me until the treats magically appeared.  Because that’s what I am… a random treat dispenser.

Last month, reader Rebecca Barber wrote an article for us with some sage advice for aspiring college students.  Today, Rebecca tells us how cross-training in jumpers and equitation has helped her eventing goals.  Thanks for writing, Rebecca, and thank you for reading.  If you have something to share, send it to [email protected].  All published reader entries are considered for the Omega Alpha Reader Submission of the Month!

From Rebecca:

A Collaboration: Learning from Other Disciplines  

Rebecca Barber. Photo by Brant Gamma

“Straighten your wrists! Flatten your back!” This sounds like a pretty standard beginner’s lesson. That’s what I would have thought too, until this past year. Lately, I have been taking advantage of other disciplines, first the jumpers and more recently hunt seat equitation.

I began riding like most kids do in the pony hunters but following the purchase of my first horse, a green broke fiery chestnut mare (completely suitable at the time, not!) I switched to eventing. Towards the beginning of my senior year of high school, despite a fair amount of success at the lower levels on a variety of horses, I was burnt out. The horse I was competing had just been sold and with college quickly approaching it really wasn’t the time to start working with a new mount.

I saw an add online for a farm that needed an extra body to ride and compete young horses. The farm specialized in taking horses off the track and retraining them as hunters or jumpers. On a whim I contacted the owner and went out to the farm to meet her. It was exactly what I needed.  The summer I spent in the jumpers and playing with freshly backed 3 year olds, although at times humiliating, taught me not only how to ride the tighter turns expected in the jumper arena but also how to simply get the job done. Riding the farm’s horses I was expected to be able to get around a course. It didn’t matter if the horse over jumped into a combination or spooked at a grandstand, my job was to give it a positive ride. I was lucky enough to have three horses that summer to compete and many more to ride on a daily basis. There were definitely low points, such as going through the timer mid course, making what could have been a solid round, null and void (I’m never going to make that mistake again). Regardless, the summer as a whole exceeded any expectations that I may have had, due in part largely to Sarah Warmack and her incredible team. Thanks to the patience of everyone there, hard work paid off and I left a much more solid rider.

Following that amazing summer of hard work I returned to William and Mary. First semester, due to my innate clumsiness, I spent out of commission. Two days after making my college’s IHSA equestrian team I broke my ankle playing basketball. FAIL!  In retrospect, not being able to ride for a semester showed me how necessary it is for me to have horses present in my life.  Second semester I started back up with the school’s team. The nice thing about IHSA riding is that it forces me to focus on the basics (which I admit I probably skipped over a bit too quickly when I was younger). Heels down, eyes up, back straight were once again drilled into my head. A crest release developed, my back somewhat straightened (still a definite work in progress), and I am now starting to develop a lighter seat (Although, I really want to try George Morris’ thumbtack technique, unfortunately my ever patient coach at school, Karen Greenwood, says its too mean… we shall see when she gets desperate enough)

This past summer I returned to my hometown knowing what I needed to work on. However, I also managed to bring home an event horse. “My” horse was kept at a wonderful small show hunter farm, where I was lucky enough gain the respect of the head trainer, Baily Dent. As a result my days were spent riding sets with her. We would ride all morning and with each horse I received a mini lesson. It was definitely frustrating and at times outright humbling (imagine jumping the same 2 foot vertical 10 times while struggling to maintain a rhythm, stay light in the seat, and perform a proper crest release), but at the same time it was completely worth it.  Not only could I feel a difference riding her horses but I was able to translate it into my riding of “my” eventer. Being able to be effective in a lighter seat is incredibly helpful. I am still waiting for that light bulb moment…but I think I have improved thanks to all of the amazing people in my life. Now my amazing event trainer Kiki Osbourne has a more effective rider to work with (which I am sure she is grateful for). I am so appreciative of everyone who takes the time to work with me. I cannot wait to see what this coming show year has in store.

For me, the combination of exploring other disciplines and returning to the basics has made a tremendous difference. And for those of you who say that hunter/jumpers are sissies, I dare you to try to ride softly with invisible aids, finding all of your distances, over a course of eight fences. I just heard that I am showing over fences and on the flat next weekend in an IHSA competition. I don’t get nervous going cross country but I’m definitely nervous to show in the equitation ring… guess I will see how it goes?!?

William & Mary Equestrian Officers

Kate Samuels and Nyls du Terroir.

While most of us are enjoying the rigors of the normal work week and suffering through “Hump Day,” others in Aiken, SC are having fun at Full Gallop’s annual mid-week one-day horse trial.  EN is batting 1000 today, with our own Jessica Bortner-Harris and Kate Samuels winning their respective divisions.  Congrats, ladies!  Way to keep your insanity in the middle!

[Live Scores]

Looking at the scoreboard, many riders are incurring time penalties on cross-country.  In early February, this is pretty normal– most are out for the first time after a winter break, and there’s no need to crank up the engine just yet.  Most of the dressage scores are in the 30s for Prelim and above, which makes Kate’s 24.1 on Nyls stand out; her flatwork this winter must really be paying off!  Great job, Kate!

Advanced Intermediate

1.  Jessica Bortner-Harris / Win the War  53.5
2.  Momo Laframboise / Dejavu  57.4

Intermediate

1.  Sarah Cousins / Joule  47.2
2.  Momo Laframboise / Raniki  52.8
3.  Sarah Cousins / Westerly  54.0

Preliminary – A

1.  Kate Samuels / Nyls du Terroir  42.5
2.  Daryl Kinney / Union Station  63.2
3.  Ashley Kriegel / Maybelline Cover Girl  75.1

Preliminary – B

1. Hayley Armstrong-Laframboise / Dexterity  72.0
2. Andrew McConnon / Fernhill Tic Tac  72.8
3. Jennifer Bazan / Allegretta  81.5

Preliminary Training

1. Robert Costello / Fernhill Teddy Two Two  30.5
2. Daryl Layfield-Insley / William Street  33.3
3. Mikki Kuchta / Callie  33.4

Training – A

1. Kim Severson / Mighty Himself  26.4
2. Jennifer Bazan / Emiko  42.5
3. Hallie Bean / Gemelli  42.7

Training – B

1. Kim Severson / Cooley Cross Border  24.5
2. Ariel Grald / Wynthrop  26.8
3. Molly Kinnamon / The Diesel Boy  31.4

Novice and Beginner Novice divisions have not finished yet.  Check out the full scores here.