Classic Eventing Nation

Best of JN: #AdultAmmyProbs Why This Jumper is Giving Eventing a Whirl

By on Feb 2, 2019 5:53 pm -

As we all know, showing hunter jumpers on the A-circuit isn’t exactly known for being budget-friendly, but lately Facebook has been full of turmoil as show fees seem to be rising across the country. USEF raised the fee for lifetime recording of a horse from $200 to $300 in one year. Meanwhile, class fees, stall fees and nomination fees are rising, while prize money is staying the same. Here I am, scrolling through my phone and thinking: how the heck am I supposed to get time off work and save up the funds to attend more than two shows this year?

A few weeks back, my trainer and I had a heart-to-heart about my riding goals versus my budget. It has always been my goal to be as successful as possible, all the while growing through the levels at a decent pace. I had big dreams of hauling to some of the most dreamy venues like WEF, Devon or Live Oak and showing against top amateurs across the country, but with each check I write it becomes increasingly obvious that I can’t keep up with the Joneses on the A-circuit. As I rattled off some ideas of ways I could cut costs or bring in supplemental income to afford my habit, my trainer piped up and said, “or you could try eventing.

Flash and I at our first eventing derby. Photo by Jen Robertson.

The unique thing about my barn, Altamonte Show Stables in St. Louis, Missouri, is that they focus on both jumpers and eventing. I have gone on a few cross-country schooling opportunities and competed in an eventing derby in the past, but have never been brave enough to make the switch. In truth, I am horribly stubborn and once I set my sights on one day competing in the upper echelons of show jumping, I didn’t want to defer from that dream.

Initially, I brushed the idea off. I wasn’t interested in a discipline switch. I could figure it out. And then one afternoon while I sat at home staring at my projected budget and realized I couldn’t force the numbers to add up, I did some research.

Costs related to showing in the hunter jumper ring on the A-circuit include (but are not limited too):

  • Membership for the USHJA is $85 for one year or $240 for three years.
  • Membership for US Equestrian is $80 yearly.
  • Stabling fees range from $75-1,000 a week depending on the show.
  • Class fees for one division will typically add up to be around $150-300, depending on the show.
    • Also keep in mind that jumpers have nomination fees of around $100+ per class.
  • Office fees, medic fees, zone fees, ticketed schooling, etc will add up to be another $150-300, depending on the show.

If you are calculating on the low-end, I have found that I need to save around $1,500 for each show, and that number does not count trainer fees, hauling fees, hotel or food. If I did one show at around $2,500 a month, every other month, I would spend $15,000 alone in show-related expenses. As supportive as my husband is, there is no way I can convince him to support that number on top of other horse related expenses.

Costs related to competing in a USEA sanctioned horse trial include (but are not limited to):

  • Membership for USEA is $95 for one year.
  • Membership for US Equestrian is $80 yearly but only required for Preliminary level and up.
  • Entry fees range from $150-400 per weekend.
  • Stabling ranges from $80-200 per weekend, but some venues that charge higher entry fees include the cost of stabling.
  • Some events have additional fees such as grounds fees, medic fees or office fees. Typically these fees are less than $100.

I did the research on the USEA sanctioned horse trials in my area and after paying my membership fees, I am only looking at around $600 a show INCLUDING my trainer fees and other expenses. And another perk? Most events are Saturday and Sunday, while some are stretched out over three days. One day of vacation every other month versus one week of vacation every other month is definitely more realistic for a working amateur rider. (Note: The cost of an FEI competition does go up in comparison to horse trials. My research placed an average FEI competition at around $1,200 a weekend in total for my expenses.)

Showing at the Kentucky Horse Park had always been a dream of mine. Thankfully, my participation in the Retired Racehorse Project made that dream come true! Who knows, maybe I will be able to return either as a jumper or an eventer. Photo by Meagan DeLisle.

In the long run, if I wanted to go back to the schooling show circuit I could definitely afford to show quite frequently in the jumper ring. There are many tiers to the hunter jumper circuit and it can be quite feasible to show at the lower levels. However, with the practical non-existence of B-Rated shows anymore, my only alternative would be the local schooling circuit. One of my life goals has been to qualify for some sort of final but, in reality, I cannot afford to compete enough to even qualify for finals like the North American League. I can, however, throw all of my funds into trying to qualify for the American Eventing Championships and have a much better shot, financially, at being able to show enough to qualify.

There is no doubt that the eventing community is doing something right. The affordability and flexibility of schedule is definitely attractive for this jumper lover potentially gone rogue. But what does this mean for the USHJA and the other riders who share my pain? When will enough be enough and the powers that be realize they are pricing the majority of their competitors out of the game?

I challenge the members of the USHJA committee to think about their stance on the “grassroots” of the organization a little differently. Think about your working amateurs who are maxing out the time clock to afford to show, your hungry junior riders who are working off the cost of their lessons, the professionals who are scraping up every penny just to get by and get their young horse seen. There is this awful saying that my parents recite to me every chance they get, “how do you make a million dollars in horses? Start with a billion.” But I challenge you to ask yourself: does it HAVE to be that way? Or have we just made it that way? How are we impacting our industry by doing that? Are we killing it?

I have to think that in some way, we might be.

So what do we do? We make our voices heard. We remind the governing bodies of our sport that affordability and accessibility is key. We remind them that, for the majority of us, this is a hobby and if it becomes a hobby we can’t afford, we may have to turn elsewhere thus resulting in a decline of membership numbers. We remind the leaders of our industry that we are present and that our concerns should mean something to them.

For now, I am going to don a cross country vest, grab a little mane and give a few horse trials a go. I won’t give up on the jumper ring completely, but I definitely aim to supplement my show schedule with eventing throughout the year. Who knows, maybe along the way I will find that my wallet and I love it and that my riding benefits from crossing disciplines.

Can Steamed Hay Be a Game-Changer for Your Horse?

By on Feb 2, 2019 10:44 am -

Liz Halliday-Sharp’s five-star partner Deniro Z eats steamed hay to prevent a recurrence of ulcers.

Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) affects huge numbers of horses and often goes undetected while impacting their performance. A three-year research study recently published by The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine expands extensive past research confirming IAD’s prevalence. Conducted by a group of equine sports medicine veterinarians in Belgium, this new research studied over 700 active sport horses referred for performance issues or possible respiratory problems; 88% were diagnosed with IAD.

Three event riders in the top 10 of the USEA’s 2018 rankings consider Haygain steamed hay a stable staple, at home and on the road: #2-ranked Caroline Martin, #7-ranked Tamie Smith; and #10-ranked Liz Halliday-Sharp. Interestingly, none of them started using a Haygain steamer for its main benefit and the reason for which it was developed: protecting the equine respiratory system.

Caroline turned to steamed hay four years ago to treat an Advanced horse struggling with a heart condition attributed to a bacterial infection. For Liz, steamed hay was recommended by her vet to help prevent a recurrence of ulcers diagnosed in her five-star partner Deniro Z last fall. Tamie found it to help famously finicky eater and five-star competitor, Wembley, eat enough to maintain optimal weight.

Haygain’s bonus benefits are many, but steamed hay’s core purpose is the protection of the horse’s vulnerable respiratory tract. As conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum become better understood, more professionals are following Caroline, Liz and Tamie’s lead in making steamed hay a must in their programs.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) identifies respiratory function as the “main constraining factor to maximal work level in the fit, sound horse.” The new research from the Belgian equine sports medicine veterinarians is one of 15 studies to confirm steamed hay’s effectiveness in ridding hay of breathable particles. The study confirms the connection between fungi and IAD, the most common condition on the Equine Asthma Spectrum.

The study also cited Haygain steamed hay as critical to preventing IAD: horses fed steamed hay were 65% less likely to develop the condition than those fed dry hay. Led by Dr. Julie Dauvillier, the study is the first to connect fungi in the horse’s respiratory system with high incidence of IAD. Along with many inhalable irritants, fungi are present in even the best quality hay. High temperature hay steaming kills fungi, hence its effectiveness in preventing IAD.

“This paper highlights a major piece of the puzzle of equine airway diseases: the role of fungi,” explains Dr. Van Erck-Westergren, co-author of the study. “In human medicine, fungi are known to cause many respiratory inflammatory conditions such as allergies, infection, asthma, etc.

“In equine veterinary medicine, we can find publications that relate the role of fungi in pretty nasty, potentially life-threatening diseases such as fungal pneumonia or guttural pouch mycosis, but barely anything else. Our paper shows for the first time that ubiquitous molds, including fungi, cause chronic lower airway inflammation which is deleterious for the health and performance of our horses.”

Along with dry hay, straw bedding also had a high correlation to IAD incidence. Dry hay and straw bedding “cannot be recommended in performance horses,” Dr. Van Erck-Westergren states.

The study also found that soaking hay, haylage and “dust free” hay did not reduce the risk of fungi-related IAD, while wood shavings were deemed the best option for stalls that require bedding.

Fungi Found Everywhere

“Fungal spores naturally contaminate hay and straw during harvest,” the study explains. “The degree of contamination and proliferation is directly related to harvesting practices, initial levels of soil contamination, as well as storage conditions.”

Of the 731 active performance horses in the study, 79% were found to have fungal elements in a cytological examination of tracheal wash fluid. Horses with fungi in their airways were twice as likely to develop IAD than those without it.

How do you know if your horse has IAD? It sometimes presents with an occasional cough and mild nasal discharge, but often lurks without symptoms. Unexplained decreases in performance are complaints that often lead to bronchoaveolar and trachea washes that reveal an IAD diagnosis. Unmanaged, this condition will progress and potentially mean these horses are more susceptible to debilitating extremes of the Equine Asthma Spectrum, including Recurrent Airway Obstruction, or heaves.

While the study answers questions about prevalence and dangers of fungi, it raises others that warrant further investigation, especially for active sport horses. “A link between fungal growth and an immunodepressive state could not be demonstrated in our study,” the authors noted. “However, it is likely that the immune system of some of the horses included in our study would have been challenged by intensive training, regular transport and competition.”

Finding fungi in so many horses’ respiratory tracts caused the authors to question the “use of corticosteroids as a unique treatment of airway inflammation” because they depress the immune system, which actually fights the fungal infection. They noted that anti-fungal treatment is included in prescriptions for human allergic diseases involving a fungal component, like severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Environmental Solutions

“Environmental management is the only way to protect your horse against fungi,” explained Dr. Van Erck-Westergren in a follow-up interview. “Fungi are everywhere: in the straw, in the hay and in the stall and storage areas. Their aim is to proliferate.

“There is now overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of Haygain steamed hay in reducing IAD and helping to improve respiratory health in horses,” she continued. Regular stall disinfection, dust-free shavings and a sealed flooring system that requires minimal bedding, like ComfortStall, were additional recommendations for keeping fungi at bay, preventing IAD and maintaining the overall respiratory health.

To read the complete study, “Fungi in Respiratory Samples of Horses with Inflammatory Airway Disease,” click here.

For more information on Haygain USA, visit www.haygain.us. 

673 Trainers Accepted for 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover

By on Feb 2, 2019 9:09 am -

Elisa Wallace, whos2018 America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred contest, accepting their $10,000 prize check. Photo by Anne Litz.

The Retired Racehorse Project announced yesterday that a total of 673 trainers have been accepted for the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. Becoming an increasingly-popular event for off-track Thoroughbred lovers and often a gateway goal for first-time OTTB owners, the Makeover will take place Oct. 2-5, 2019 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

The 2019 trainers come from 44 states and four Canadian provinces, representing professionals, amateurs, juniors and a new team entry format. For initial application, trainers selected a primary discipline in which they had the most experience, though they’re not locked into entering this discipline for October.

Eventing and show hunter are the most popular disciplines heading into the 2019 training period; a total of ten disciplines are represented at the Makeover including barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, freestyle, field hunter, polo, show hunter, show jumper, and ranch work.

Trainers are competing for over $100,000 in prize money and a chance at being voted America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred: the winners of each division are eligible for popular vote by text message from spectators watching in person and via live stream. For many trainers, however, the Makeover is less about the competition and more about the experience of taking a Thoroughbred from track to second career successfully.

Numerous big names will be participating in this year’s Makeover: 2018 eventing champion Elisa Wallace, world champion colt starter Dan James of Double Dan Horsemanship, world champion barrel racer Fallon Taylor and two-time Breeders’ Cup-winning jockey Rosie Napravnik (now an eventer).

Other event riders accepted as trainers include Ellen Doughty-Hume, Dorothy Crowell, Hillary Irwin, Kendal Lehari, Natalie Neneman and Cathy Wieschhoff. Click here to view the full list of accepted trainers.

The entire Makeover rulebook underwent some changes for 2019, with an increased emphasis on equine welfare: all horses competing in the Makeover must be microchipped, and microchips will be scanned at a new vetting-in upon trainers’ arrival at the Horse Park in October. New scoring, including overall “impression scores,” keep the Makeover’s emphasis as a training competition rather than an end-goal horse show.

Trainers don’t need to have selected their Makeover horses yet; in fact, some may not acquire their horses yet for several months. Others are well on their way in training already. Trainers will take to social media to share their progress; check out the #TBMakeover hashtag to follow along. We’re also planning to line up some bloggers across all three Nation Media sites, so keep an eye out for those as well.

Nation Media was well-represented at the 2018 Makeover, with Eventing Nation’s Kate Samuels placing fifth in eventing and sixth in show jumping with Turkomani; Horse Nation’s Kristen Kovatch Bentley placing seventh in ranch work and participating in the freestyle with Jobber Bill; and Jumper Nation’s Meagan DeLisle participating in field hunter and competitive trail with Flashback Justice.

[The Journey to the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Begins!]

Saturday Links Presented by Nupafeed USA

By on Feb 2, 2019 12:01 am -

Just in case you need a little more winter goals motivation, here we have Ingrid Klimke looking downright magical on a dapple grey in the snow. Bridleless. Go #BeLikeIngrid and enjoy your horses in the snow (if you have it) this weekend! If you don’t have snow then seriously, you have no excuse not to get out there and have some fun!

National Holiday: 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Weekend Action:

Stable View H.T. [Website] [Results]

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

Three Lakes at Caudle Ranch H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

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

Saturday Links:

Gone Away! Techniques for Galloping Safely

Finding the Fultons: How One Three-Day Event Shaped their Strides to Advanced

Only one UK venue in 2019 Event Rider Masters series

Positron Emission Tomography Performed on Standing Horse for First Time

Welfare warning after huge piles of cake dumped in horses’ field

How Can I Get my Picky-Eater Sport Horse to Eat Enough Calories? (Editor’s note: Not by adding cake, per above.)

Saturday Video: 

Nupafeed® Supplements are now available for DOGS! Yep! That’s right you can get the same great results you have come to expect from our horse products for your dog! Check out what Nupafeed® has to offer your canine friends as well as your horses at nupafeedusa.com

Friday Video from SmartPak: The Most Important Job in Australia

By on Feb 1, 2019 5:30 pm -

Kangaroos decide to have their own race

Are ‘Roo’ serious? A mob of Kangaroos deciding to have their own race at Hanging Rock is about the most Aussie thing we saw all day. 🇦🇺

Posted by Racing.com on Saturday, January 26, 2019

Hello from Ocala, where I’m determinedly chasing the sunshine (having abandoned my poor horse to England’s sudden barrage of snow). It’s a funny old place, this — gloriously, unapologetically horsey, but also inexplicably covered in billboards for vasectomies and warring lawyers (who have presumably not had vasectomies, and are, instead, fuelled by testosterone and gas station tacos). Anyway, spending my days basking in the sunshine and trying to dodge the insect-infested Spanish moss has inspired me to try to find a new career, one that takes me somewhere warm and keeps me there, please, for the love of god.

Enter ‘roo-shooing.’ As you’ll see in the above video, where Northern Hemisphere eventing has loose dogs, errant spouses, and spectators in absurdly clean purple breeches, Australia’s equestrian pursuits are stymied by a different sort of pest. Bloody ROOS, my friends. But, being a resourceful bunch, they’ve figured out a solution to the problem, and it’s not actually got anything to do with swarms of astonishingly poisonous snakes nor, um, drop bears. Instead, they send heroic small children and ponies out to do battle against the armies of roos, and it sounds HILARIOUS.

Miri and Tex Lang are the wee sproglets of an eventing dad (obviously) and Hanging Rock and Kyneton racecourse’s chief roo-shooers, after an infestation of the animals led to the unfortunate cancellation of the course’s Australia Day meeting. They also might be my new heroes.

“FOILED AGAIN.”

“The last time I was doing it, like a few minutes ago, I cracked the whip and it scared most of them away, but two of them were left, and I just didn’t bother,” says Tex of his roo-shooing technique. I mean, same, buddy. Honestly, if you watch one thing today, make it this video. I LOVE this kid.

Anyway, if you need me, I’ll be stocking up on some curiously enormous American snacks ahead of my long trip to the ‘roos. #rooshooingsunnyfl

Beating the Winter Blues: Postcard from the Frozen Tundra, Week 3

By on Feb 1, 2019 1:00 pm -

Are you an ammy-adult eventer who struggles with motivation during the winter months? Madison Givens feels your pain. She is embarking upon her own winter fitness and accountability journey, and taking EN along for the ride. Check back weekly for updates, encouragement, camaraderie and tips to help you come out swinging this spring!

Photo courtesy of Derith Vogt.

Hello everyone and welcome back to week 3 of my winter weather journey! This week is sponsored by ‘Armageddon.’

Armageddon: Do you enjoy owning horses in the winter? Have you ever found yourself just dying to thaw out pipes and water buckets? Do you downright need to risk the elements just because you enjoy the thrill of ‘will I get frostbite or won’t I?’ Well then Armageddon might be for you!!

Photo by Sarah Arnold.

This week came with quite a few road bumps. One being the weatherman’s promise of -55 wind chills. I know many of you have either been watching the news or are feeling this raw experience yourself. The words ‘Polar Vortex’ casting a shadow of doom over our lives. So for this week’s article, I reached out to a few friends and together, we give you “A day in the life of an Iowa Equestrian.”

Screenshot from Accuweather.com. (Don’t ask me what the heck is going on with Saturday. It’s Iowa, nobody knows.)

So you have decided to go to the barn. After dancing, pulling, jiggling, yanking and hopping your way into as many layers as possible, you manage to pull your coveralls over top. The only thing left exposed to the elements are your eyeballs. At which point, you consider doing the Birdbox challenge while at the barn. After all, frostbite sets in after 10 minutes in -55 windchill.

Photo by Sarah Arnold.

Photo by Carol Morgan .(Note the stop sign!)

You have arrived to the driveway of your barn, and find it impossible to drive through. So you call and beg your barn manager to come plow a path. After some reluctance and the word ‘crazy’ being tossed around, they do it. If you are your own barn manager, then you understand the struggle of fighting with the tractor until it FINALLY starts on the 10th attempt.

Photo by Hannah Owens.

You make it to the barn, and find yourself wondering why you put yourself through this. “Be a horse person” they said. “You’ll love it” they said. “It will bring you new meaning to your life” they said.

Photo by Sarah Arnold.

You grab your horse from the paddock and note that they seem much less fazed by the weather than you are. Despite the fact that their whiskers are covered in icicles and they are standing knee deep in snow. It is at this point that your pinky toes begin to get cold.  

Photo by Derith Vogt.

Photo by Hannah Jungling.

Photo by Emily Nash.

Photo by Hannah Jungling.

After dealing with all the hassle that it has taken to get yourself INSIDE your barn, you find yourself soaked with snow, a little sweat, and realize you have to pee. Well guess what. It will take you 25 minutes to peel off all those layers and you now have to make the crucial decision to whether or not you can hold it.

Photo By Emily Nash.

Once you make that crucial decision, you now begin the task of tucking your horse in against the elements. This means making sure they have plenty of hay to eat, and an unfrozen water source.

Photo by Ali Glenn.

Photo by Madison Givens. (Thanks Ashley!)

Once you have your pony settled in with hay and water, you check their blankets. Over and over and over again, you find yourself checking their blankets. Making sure they are warm, but not too warm. You find yourself so worked up about it, that you are guaranteed to wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you made the right decision. Should you have thrown that extra one on? Or taken that extra one off? You don’t know.  

Photo by Emily Nash.

And finally, after you have checked everything over for the thousandth time, you talk yourself into leaving. You have done everything you can to make sure your horse is as safe and comfortable as possible for the weather ahead. The only thing you are doing now is standing around, half frozen and worrying yourself to death. Meanwhile your horse has no idea why you are fussing around them, because honestly they are just trying to eat their hay and go about their own business.

Photo by Madison Givens.

Photo by Sarah Arnold.

And you have done it. You have braved the elements, taken care of your furbaby and now get the reward of traveling home(or heading back inside) to warm up.

Some suggested ways of doing this are:

  • A hot bath
  • A heated blanket
  • Shotgunning a bottle of wine
  • Moving to Florida

Whatever you do, it is an instant relief that you can feel all your appendages again.

And and as a bonus, you get to do this all over tomorrow! (Or in 12 hours, whatever your boarding situation is.)

Sorry to everyone who was looking forward to another more educational post this week. Honestly, with the weather, everything has been a disaster and most of Iowa has entered survival mode. The only thing getting me through it was knowing I wasn’t totally alone out here. Taking care of horses is truly a full-time job. Even when it is Armageddon outside. (Don’t forget to thank your barn managers and all the people who help take care of your horse if you are boarding them.)

Until next week, lets all think green, positive thoughts!

Photo by Fox River Photography.

 

#FlatworkFebruary Excerpt of the Week: Developing Ideal In-the-Saddle Posture

By on Feb 1, 2019 11:00 am -

‘Tis the season to hit the refresh button on your flatwork foundation! You’ll see the extra effort pay off not just in improved dressage scores, but in improved performance in the jumping phases as the year goes on. Has your practice plateaued? Struggling to feel inspired? In partnership with Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com) and our sister site Horse Nation, we present #FlatworkFebruary, a month-long series of book excerpts from leading dressage experts around the world. 

This week: How does one achieve ideal posture on horseback? By practicing — on the ground! This excerpt from The Dressage Seat by Anja Beran, respected German dressage trainer and international author, details a great standing exercise.

Illustration by Susanne Retsch-Amschler.

The following practical exercise describes step by step how to develop the erect posture you desire in the saddle. Practice statically—not on the horse. Control of this posture on a horse or in dynamic movement requires a longer period of practice.

Standing Exercise

1. Stand sideways in front of a large mirror so that you can visually check and observe every step.

2. Place your feet parallel and a little wider apart than your shoulders with knees slightly bent. This corresponds to the sitting position on a horse.

3. Place your hands on the sides of your pelvis and move it forward and back without moving the rest of your body. For this selective pelvis tilt, imagine that your pelvis is a bowl filled with water, and dump the water out forward and backward.

4. Find the middle (neutral) position where the water in the imaginary bowl is level. That is the natural position of the pelvis, from which you can move forward or backward, and to which the pelvis returns again. This is the primary movement in riding. The pelvis connects you to the movement of the horse.

5. Lift your sternum diagonally forward and up. Imagine that your sternum is pulled diagonally forward and up by a string.

6. Put your hands on the sides of your rib cage and breathe deeply in and out to feel the movement of the ribs. With a deep exhale, the ribs close and the position is held by the tension of the upper abdominal muscles, and the sternum is pulled as much as possible diagonally forward and up. In this way you are essentially breathing over the stomach (diaphragm) into the sides of the chest and the back area of the ribs (the back). The middle “building block” is held “plumb” and remains exactly above the pelvis building block.

7. Let your arms hang loosely beside your body, with the shoulder joints in a relaxed neutral position and the shoulder blades pulled down. Imagine that you want to stick your shoulder blades in your back pockets. From the side, your shoulder girdle should now be directly above the pelvis without being behind it. There should not be any rotation in your body.

8. Straighten your head by taking the chin back a little (a slight double chin). The head is now in a neutral position between tending forward and backward. The neck vertebrae as well as the vertebrae of the chest are stretched upward while still maintaining their physiological curvature.

You are now in “erect posture.” All of your movements come from this position. The component parts return to this neutral position after all movement. This posture enables the greatest possible mobility in all directions. An additional advantage is that your muscles aren’t in a shortened position before a movement. This enables the rider to move optimally and to tense or relax with intention.

If you are in a bad position to start with, you will reach the endpoint of your motion quickly. The movement isn’t smooth and incorrect loading creates tension with possible damage to discs and joints. Since it is also unpleasant for the horse when the rider is tense, he is resistant.

Riding consists of a constant exchange of impulses and signals from both parties. Habitual posture errors and deviations from an erect posture must be analyzed and can be corrected with appropriate and usually simple measures.

An excerpt from The Dressage Seat by Anja Beran, reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com).

Event Rider Masters Announces 2019 Series Calendar

By on Feb 1, 2019 8:00 am -

The 2018 Event Rider Masters series podium: Tim Price, Chris Burton and Laura Collett. Photo by Anna Franklin/Event Rider Masters.

Six legs, five countries, four days of three-phase competition condensed into two days, and one big winner … we begin the countdown to the 2019 Event Rider Masters season with the release of this season’s calendar. This glossy, prize-monied CCI4*-S (formerly CIC3*) series includes two new European locations, further expanding this showcase of the sport to global audiences.

2019 ERM dates and venues:

  • Leg 1: The Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials (GBR) — May 11-12, 2019
  • Leg 2: Internationales Wiesbadener Pfingstturnier (GER) — June 7-8, 2019
  • Leg 3:  Concours Complet D’Arville (BEL) — June 22-23, 2019
  • Leg 4: The Jardy Eventing Show (FRA) — July 13-14, 2019
  • Leg 5: Millstreet International Horse Trials (IRL) — August 24-25, 2019
  • Leg 6: The Finale – Concours Complet International Lignières en Berry (FRA) — October 5-6, 2019

New for 2019, the number of riders accepted into each ERM Leg has been reduced from 40 to 30 riders. This will be the 26 highest ranked riders from the FEI World Rider Rankings at the time of entry, plus four wild card riders. The 2019 series will adhere to new FEI Rules for Eventing —  view a guide to new 2019 rules here.

2019 should be an exciting season, with Australia’s Chris Burton seeking to defend his 2018 title, and runner-up Laura Collett (GBR) and third-placed Tim Price (NZL) hot on his heels. 2016 ERM Champion Oliver Townend (GBR) and 2017 ERM Champion Gemma Tattersall (GBR) will be looking to fight their way back onto the podium as well, but it’s a fresh new year and it’s anyone’s game.

As always each leg will be broadcast live via ERM’s social channels and via website with eight highlights shows including a series preview and season review show available on TV in 101 countries. Learn more by visiting the website here.

[2019 ERM Series Calendar]

Friday News & Notes from World Equestrian Brands

By on Feb 1, 2019 12:03 am -

TBT to the RRP. Photo by Nicole Patenaude.

February! Welcome to February! The month of Valentine’s Day, the transitional month between winter and spring (can you see my fingers crossed here?), the shortest month of the year, and some other things like my birthday or whatever. Although, I just passed my birthday milestone last year, and this one isn’t that exciting, so maybe let’s just skip over this next one?

National Day: National Freedom Day

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

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

Three Lakes at Caudle Ranch H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

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

News From Around the Globe:

Get your tickets for the Liftmaster Grand Prix Eventing at Bruce’s Field! Held in just a month on March 1-2, this international competition with a prize pot of $50,000 will feature 40 of the best event riders from around the world. Not only will you see top U.S. riders like Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton and Andrew Hoy riding, but we’ve heard through the grapevine that a certain Terminator might be in attendance as well? Get. Your. Tickets. Now! [Grand Prix Eventing]

Is 2019 the year of the Modified level? Methinks yes. Southern Arizona Eventing Association (SAzEA) just announced the addition of the Modified level to its second annual Horse Trials on March 23-24, 2019. After a successful first year and thanks to the continued support of the donors and sponsors this will be the first Modified offered in the South Western U.S. and the second on the West Coast. “Growth of the sport in Arizona and the West is important to the SAzEA Board of Directors, we are excited to offer this new level and to continue to expand our event for the growing area,” stated Marian LaLonde, President of SAzEA. [Modified Level Expands to Both Coasts]

Former dressage superstar Totilas is set to make his first public appearance since 2015. Last seen at his final competition before retiring four years ago, the 19-year-old stallion will appear alongside his progeny at the KWPN stallion show in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Showcasing both his sons and grandsons, it is a delight to see this inspiring stallion and show off what he has accomplished in the breeding shed. [Totilas to Appear Alongside Sons]

Hot on Horse Nation: Meanwhile, In Canada….

The moment you’ve all been waiting for: Clydesdales 2019 Super Bowl Ad

*Note* this isn’t about beer, it’s always been about the Clydesdales, right?

#ThrowbackThursday Videos from SmartPak: If Horses Were People – Blanketing Edition

By on Jan 31, 2019 5:00 pm -

The polar vortex has descended and our horses are bundled up within an inch of their lives. What better time to break out this classic SmartPak video series?

Yeah… we humans can be a little bit ridiculous when it comes to blankets. Did you know that SmartPak has a blanketing guide that can help us feel a little less neurotic? While you’re at it, be sure to check out SmartPak’s winter clearance blanket event for up to 70% off blanket purchases!

Go Eventing.