Classic Eventing Nation

Photo courtesy of Alison Hardaway.

As an event rider for the better part of my life, I have always cared about the well-being and training of horses. Recently, I have decided to focus on finishing up school and take a break competing. Currently, I am a graduate student at the University of North Texas working on my Master’s in applied behavior analysis. A quick explanation: applied behavior analysis is the scientific study of interactions between a single person (or animal) and their surroundings to better predict the future behavior of that person (or animal). Applied behavior analysis can be applied to many different situations, and a basic knowledge in the science is very useful when applied to horse training.

Through the lab that I participate in at UNT, ORCA (The Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals), I teamed up with my advisor Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruíz to get going on some research with horses. Dr. Rosales-Ruíz is a very distinguished behavior analyst who has had many successes in animal training, including teaching horses that are afraid of loading to get on trailers quietly. I came to him with a few different ideas for research projects, but the one that we picked was teaching horses to be calm during clipping without the use of sedatives.

Clipping is a necessary routine grooming task, yet many horses do not enjoy this procedure. Many times when clipping horses, sedation is imperative to reduce the risk of injury to both the horse and the handler. My research question was: Is it possible to reduce, and possibly eliminate, sedation overall?

I reached out to the Area V Eventing Facebook group in search of a barn that might help me out with some participants for the study. Jennifer Bramlett and her daughter Rhyse were amazing and let me work with their barn full of horses for the study. I cannot thank them enough!

I started by taking a baseline and identified horses that would react and would not be able to be clipped efficiently without doping. I started by writing down a list of steps I would typically follow to clip a horse. As a previous working student, I have clipped many horses and I used this experience as a starting point. Dr. Rosales-Ruíz and I outlined a procedure where I would follow these steps and if a horse reacted, I would hold the clippers to the horse until they exhibited a calm response.

At first, I was trying to get done as quickly as possible and I wasn’t paying enough attention to my learners. I would go past small reactions and they would escalate to bigger ones — like rears and tossing of the head. I would fail to stop when ears were pinned or muscles were tightened thinking, this reaction doesn’t matter, I got it.  Through the process I really learned to watch my learner and listen to them — even though I might be able to handle this current reaction (pinning of the ears, etc.) it does not necessarily mean that I can clip through the next (which might be a rear or otherwise dangerous response).

After running several more participants, Dr. Rosales-Ruíz and I created a process that was effective in clipping all of the horses. The process falls under the category of “shaping,” which means teaching through small steps which can help to reduce errors for the learner. In other words, we created a list of steps that a handler could use to teach a horse to be clipped, avoiding any unwanted or dangerous behavior by the horse. The steps start with running your hand over the horse’s body to first identify any spots which might be sensitive later, then running your clippers that are off over the horse’s body, then finally turning on the clippers to run them across the body culminating in the clipping.  Since the horse really wants you to go away and let them eat, especially the frustrated ones, you can use this to your advantage to teach them to be calm during clipping by timing it just right.

Practically, this is done by going slowly through the list of steps and as soon as your horse starts to react, you hold your position. You only back away only once the horse is calm again. This works by reinforcing the calmness in the horse, which makes it more likely for the horse to be calm again when being clipped in the future. In contrast, many times horses being clipped are ignored with small reactions (like ear pinning) and you only stop clipping once you cannot clip anymore (i.e. the horse may be rearing, backing away, tossing head, etc.). When this happens, the problematic behavior is reinforced and then that is more likely to happen in the future.

Through our shaping steps, I was able to trim up (legs, muzzle, ears, bridle path) eight horses with the maximum time being 62 minutes. These horses were generally not in full winter work, and so they did not need a full body clip. Most of the eight horses were clipped in only 15 minutes. All the horses I used in the study had no known prior experience with clipping and ranging in breed and age. The horses included mustangs and rescue horses from kill pens. Most of the horses had recently arrived to the property and were not used to much handling in their past, making the clipping a little bit harder. That being said, the results were pretty exciting!

I then applied and got accepted to present a poster of this project for the Applied Behavior Analysis International Conference in San Diego. It was a great experience and I got to meet other people in the horse community who also study applied behavior analysis. I was very excited to get to share with the scientific community, but I also wanted to share these results with my fellow eventers!

I plan on doing more projects with Dr. Rosales-Ruíz in the future, and continuing to apply the science to horse training and vice versa. I am also looking forward to returning to eventing as soon as possible with some exciting young horses coming up.  Let me know if you want more information on the science or my project, “Teaching Horses to be Calm During Clipping,” at [email protected].

Growing up riding in Northeast Texas, Alison is an upper-level adult event rider who has competed to the Intermediate/2* level. She has ridden four horses to Preliminary and above, including Clifton Peekachu and Tequesteris. She moved to Area III to attend the University of Florida for college and subsequently moved to her family farm in Georgia. During her time in Florida, she spent time working with both Scott Keach and Joe Meyer. Most recently, she has moved back to Texas to attend graduate school at the University of North Texas.

In the market for a new four-legged partner? You may find your unicorn on our sister site, Sport Horse Nation. To help with the search, we’re going to feature a selection of current listings here on EN each week. We include the ad copy provided; click the links for videos, pricing and contact information.

Summer working students are ending their terms and heading back to school, which means professional barns are looking for hard working, eager, reliable individuals to take their place. Being a working student is your chance to immerse yourself in the professional equine world, further your education, and network network network.

There are tons of positions listed on the Sport Horse Nation Employment Opportunities category page. If you’re on the hunt for work, be sure to check it out, and scroll down to see eight working student and full time hire positions available now.

We’ll start with one of the best employment ads we’ve ever seen here:

working student for dressage barn with eventer fondness

Working student wanted for FL season. 3 months (January-end of March, early April) in Wellington taking care of dressage horses for CDI GP rider. Range of horses-this winter season will include breaking in a young horse to wear a saddle and longe, taking babies to their first outings, training changes on a young horse, all the way up to schooling piaffe and passage. Bring your own horse for 5 lessons/week!

Job includes transport for your horse to and from Florida, board, lessons, barn apartment. You need to enjoy horse care–that means grooming, turning in and out, bathing, cleaning stalls. You want to learn–you do not need to already know everything!–and you have a good sense of your strengths and weaknesses. You do not hate “the sandbox” but appreciate its ties to cross-country and stadium.

Job: Mondays off, split night check with me (no more than 3 per week), minimal time at horse shows grooming, and the opportunity to show your horse. Pretty regular hours for an equestrian job–we start at 7 and are done by 5. If you lack a horse, I have a nice TB mare I can lend you for the season.

You need: a car, or a truck and trailer (Thumbs up for own transport). I am not opposed to visiting WEF and have h/j friends who might be engaged to help you leap over things. I even have experience schooling jumpers, so I can help a bit. Happy to give you names of eventing clients and friends in private if you are interested.

Good opportunity for an eventer to work on dressage in a relatively positive, occasionally sarcastic, and often quite funny environment. Last year’s working student really appreciated her music tutorials–she came barely able to identify rock and roll and left singing Bruce Springsteen. High tolerance for NPR required.

Live in barn manager position for 8 stall barn near Minneapolis MN

Safe Haven Stable is seeking a live in barn manager for a small boarding facility starting in the fall of 2018. Easy going fun people, nice horses to care for, and heated barn in which to work. Duties include feeding, turn out, cleaning, etc. Must be able to move hay bales and feed bags. Ideal person will have a sense of humor and a love of horses. Compensation includes rent, utilities, board for one horse, and a stipend. See www.safehavenstable.com and safe haven stable on facebook.

Full Time Employment

Cairn O’Mount Stables’ expansion to Delchester Farm has created an opening for full time help. International event rider Susie Beale has been producing top horses and riders for 30 years. Travel to world-class events, work with FEI horses, and enjoy a team environment. Position includes all aspects of horse care, riding and competing opportunities available for the right individual. Salary commensurate with experience, with an adjustment should you bring your horse. Valid drivers license, previous horse experience, and positive attitude a must.

Working Student for 4* Rider at Active Facility in Sunny Florida!

Event barn under CCI**** rider Jennie Jarnstrom located in Apopka, FL (20 min from downtown Orlando). Active event barn with 30+ horses. Duties include but are not limited to am/pm feedings & turn out, stall cleaning, & other various barn chores. Benefits include DAILY riding opportunities and instruction, hands on experience working w/ horses both made and green, learning medical management skills & overall barn management skills.

Looking for someone with a willingness to learn and ability to take direction (and a joke). We have a great community ranging from older AA’s, to serious competitors, to some “bad to the bone” little kids, and everyone likes to have fun. It is hard work and long hours but we’ve also shared mimosas on the cross ties. The atmosphere and support amongst our clients is unbeatable. There are also potential opportunities to travel for shows (several FEI events on our schedule for this season) and to teach lessons, for the right applicant.

Accommodations are a shared 2 bedroom detached apartment, stipend & groceries, board for one horse. Minimum 6 month commitment required but longer commitment preferred, opportunity to turn into a permanent position. Position is FULL TIME (1 full day off) and most suited for someone between 18-24 years old. Looking for someone who can start as soon possible. No pets.

Working Students Needed in Near Future.

Law Eventing will be looking for a 4th team member to start anytime between now and December to get ready for the busy winter/spring season.

Interested individuals should be:
18 or older
have a riding ability of strong training level or above
own their own vehicle
be able to work consistently, be reliable, be mature, be alert, be energetic, be interested
must be able to pay for their own accommodation (we can probably help you find cheap local accommodation) and have the money to support themselves and their horse
must be able to commit through May1st.
must have their own horse that is: SOUND, SANE, and able to put up with the level of training you will receive

Our working students are expected to work 6 days a week, with vacation time in winter and summer, regular hours of 7am-4:30pm, show hours of ?-?. In exchange they receive full board on one horse, customized attention, many many lessons in whatever they need, help at shows, experience riding other horses, experience grooming at top events, ability to watch lessons given to people at their own level up to riders of 4 star calibre, and shipping when available.

On paper, our working students receive approx $2,200 a month in services. But if they are diligent and attentive and watch, what they can receive in learning about riding and the business far exceeds that amount. We have produced many many horses through the ranks and many riders. Our working students come for 6 months and the MAJORITY have stayed for over two years whether we like it or not lol.

Please realize this is not a ‘barn job’. This is an emersion into an upper level, elite, eventing program. It is a lifestyle, a pathway to a career. We operate as a family with a small group of people here and a lot of very nice horses.

Join the team at Caroline Martin Eventing!

Amazing opportunity to work and be part of Caroline Martin Eventing! Based in Riegelsville PA for 7 months of the year and 5 months in Ocala Florida. We are looking for a hard working individual with initiative and is a strong team player. Ideally with some previous experience working at a farm and is confident handling competition horses.

Duties include: daily chores, lunging, hacking and galloping (if competent rider). You will have the opportunity to travel all over the United States and Europe to groom at international events. This is a full time, 6 days a week and must be able to drive a trailer. Shared accommodations on property and is a paid position unless you bring a horse. Start date is ASAP.

Working student position open

Looking for a long term, hard working, organized female to join our team at Windfield farm in SC. Great opportunity for someone wanting to improve their riding/training and competition skills as well as gain knowledge in horse care and barn management.

Lovely, low Key facility, 8 stall barn and pasture board. Peaceful place to ride and enjoy your horse. Duties include feeding, turning in and out, blanketing, stall cleaning, grooming and tacking. 5.5 day work week and this job will allow you to pick up work elsewhere if needed.

We offer lovely housing (utilities & internet paid), free board for one horse, weekly lessons and coaching at shows. Opportunities to ride and have lessons on other horses here as well . Hoping to find someone willing to make a year commitment. please email if interested and provide some references.

Working Student position – Join the Windchase Team!

Olympic rider Phyllis Dawson (VA) is looking for a long-term working student at Windchase beginning in September 2018. Receive daily lessons, full board for your horse if you bring one, experience riding multiple horses, housing, and shipping to competitions, a package with a value of over $3000 per month – in return for barn work and horse care.

You will be part of a top quality Eventing stable, train with an Olympic rider, and learning how to run a successful business. Plenty of riding opportunities and daily instruction, and top class facilities. Check out our Web site: www.teamwindchase.com. We are in the heart of the Area II Eventing community. Bring your horse, ride and compete – or if you don’t have a horse take lessons on ours. We are looking for dedicated students who can commit to at least six months.

Listings included in this article are randomly selected and confirmed to be current and active before inclusion. Sport Horse Nation features user-generated content and therefore cannot verify or make any warranty as to the validity or reliability of information.

Meg Pellegrini and Ganymede at The Event at Rebecca Farm. Photo by Heather Walden.

How far and how high can a pony go? She had a successful record in her youth taking Nicolette Merle-Smith through the CCI1* level and even some Intermediates. But I was a 10-year-old going Beginner Novice on this 11-year-old super pony … would she be too much?

My riding history began as a 5-year old doing hunter classes and riding a 12-hand, undisciplined pony named Raindrops on Roses (“Rosie”). I rode her for four years but was ready for my next pony.

I discovered eventing when I was 9 and my family moved to California. I started training with Lisa and Brian Sabo at Sabo Eventing and joined Newport Mesa Pony Club as soon as I moved. I rode several schooling ponies until I finally connected with Sea Smoke (“Smokey”). Smokey was a very spicy, 13.2-hand New Zealand Sport Pony who tried repeatedly to teach me to control a runaway pony. The work he made me put in started my deep love of the sport.

Since Smokey was a popular schooling horse and I wanted to ride more and more, we decided to go try Ganymede (“Luna”). Luna is a 14.2-hand Connemara Thoroughbred pony with a ton of heart. Soon after, we decided to go ahead and get her out of Nicolette Merle-Smith’s hair and take her home to California. This was the best decision we’ve ever made.

Meg Pellegrini and Ganymede at The Event at Rebecca Farm. Photo by Heather Walden.

The week Luna arrived I started taking lessons and quickly figured out that the was going to be a tough one for a 10-year-old to crack. But, because she was my first pony, I instantly fell in love. After a few months of jump schooling, learning to control her next level gallop, and trying to learn just a few basic dressage movements all while she was running off … we decided to try a Beginner Novice.

We drove up to Woodside Summer Horse Trials and ended up finishing on my dressage score of a 23.0 and bringing home a blue ribbon. I was ecstatic and went home with a whole new level of confidence that somehow I could make this pony listen. A few events later, I realized that Luna just really loves horse shows and would much rather please me at the events than at home.

A year later, we moved up to Training. Once the jumps started to get bigger, Luna was finally somewhat pleased with the size. I look back on the videos of my first Trainings and it’s crazy to see how much I have learned and how we have progressed. Just this past year, Luna and I won USEA Pony of the Year, USEA Jr. Training Rider of The Year, Area VI Pony of the Year, Area VI Reserve Mare of the Year and Area VI Jr. Training Rider of the Year.

Meg Pellegrini and Ganymede, Pony of the Year and Training Junior Rider of the Year. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

After two years of Training Level, I was finally eligible to go Preliminary. In January I made my debut at Galway Downs Winter H.T and ended on my dressage score of a 30.4! But soon after Luna suffered a minor injury and in the time she was out, we decided to do an embryo transfer. The stallion we chose is Andrea Baxter’s Coronado. We have high hopes that this baby will take me far in eventing one day.

Back at the barn, and three months later, Luna was finally healthy and ready to compete again. We did one Training Level in July and made the decision to trek to Rebecca Farms. But hopefully move back up to Preliminary. Thanks to Hawley Bennett-Awad we got a ride up to Montana and Luna and I competed in the Preliminary Rider division; but unfortunately rider errors in show jumping caused an unfortunate end to our weekend. Even though it wasn’t the weekend I was hoping for, I was fortunate to be able to go home with a happy and sound pony with many things to work on.

Thankfully, Lisa was going to The Summer Event at Woodside and I could go to get my confidence back up at the Preliminary level. The first two phases went very smoothly and by the end of the weekend we were in first place. Going into show jumping in general is scary and nerve wracking but going into the arena in first gave me more nerves. Thankfully, Luna gave me an amazing round and we ended up winning the event.

In all of these experiences, I have learned patience, perseverance, and how to have true grit. My next goal is competing in my first CIC1* with Luna and keep going up from there. Luna has been the best partner a girl could ask for and every day I’m grateful for her crazy personality and her love for me and the sport.

Meg Pellegrini and Ganymede. Galway Downs Training 3-Day. Photo by Cecile Zovighian.

If you were to look up the word “determination” in the dictionary, you are bound to find a photo of fourteen-year-old Genevieve Munson. Despite her remote location in Northwest Arkansas, this ambitious young rider has risen through the ranks while adding several prestigious accomplishments to her riding resume. 

Photo by Jennifer Kaiser

From Humble Beginnings To Pony Finals Champion

Since the moment she could sit up on her own, Genevieve has been on the back of a horse. Following in her older siblings footsteps, the Rogers, Arkansas native began taking riding lessons at a local as a child. She made her schooling show debut when she was four and by the time she was seven years old she had moved up to the rated circuit.

“When I was seven I showed my little hunter pony,” Genevieve recalled, “and at nine I started riding with the local Pony Club and achieved my D3 rating. That’s when my transition to the jumpers really started. We went to do a demo as a D3 rider in Kansas City and that is where I met Bluebell’s owner, Carlie Beisel.”

The little blue roan pony had come to Carlie’s barn to be a dressage pony for one of her students, but the duo wasn’t clicking right away. One day, while a young rider was leading Bluebell around the farm, the pony spooked and jumped a five-foot gate. That is when Carlie knew it was time for a career change and the 13-year-old pony went to live with Genevieve. 

“Bluebell is what really brought me to the jumper ring,” shared Genevieve. “I owe so much to that pony. She gave me my next step-up and kind of tossed me into the spotlight.”

Genevieve and Bluebell. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography

And toss her into the spotlight she did; together, Genevieve and Bluebell accomplished some pretty incredible feats including winning the individual and team gold at the 2014 Pony Finals. “For me it was always the goal,” Genevieve reflected on their 2014 success. “That’s where I wanted to go so that is what I was going to do. It was blissful, of course, because I had finally figured out how to make that a reality.”

“Make It Happen” Mentality

Genevieve has carried that same focus and determination throughout her riding career and it has served her well. Rogers, Arkansas isn’t known to be an epicenter for top equestrian talent, but she has never let that hold her back.

“I have a circle of people around me that support me and help me. I am very lucky to have that,” she shared of her unusual training scenario. Genevieve rides and trains at home with the help of her older sister, but partners up with different trainers as she travels all over the country to compete. That networking has afforded Genevieve the opportunity to work with trainers such as Martien van der Hoeven, Matt Cyphert and Linda Allen.

“Certainly I’ve met roadblocks along the way and obviously there is a financial strain, but we have always figured out a way to make this happen,” she continued. One of those systems that has allowed Genevieve to compete at the higher levels was by catch riding while at shows. Over the years Genevieve’s networking skills and perseverance have caught the eye of riders, such as Michael Burnett, who have allowed her the opportunity to show their horses and garner more experience in the ring.

Photo provided by Genevieve Munson

“I met Michael at the George Morris clinic last October and we connected later. Next thing I knew he was reaching out to me in regards to catch riding for him here and there and it has worked out really nicely,” shared Genevieve. “My purpose is to present a trainer’s sales horses in the best possible manner in the junior classes. There is a benefit for both parties so it is truly a win-win.”

Some of those catch rides Genevieve takes on are spur of the moment with their first time together being in the show ring, but she doesn’t let that unnerve her. “It comes down to feel,” she said. “If you depend on knowing what the horse might do all the time, you will never succeed. Catch riding all comes down to the adaptability of the rider. You have to have the feel!”

Always Looking Ahead

With accomplishments such as a silver medal at the NAYC, competing at the FEI Nations Cup in 2016 and clinicing with Anne Kursinski and George Morris, we imagine it’s challenging for Genevieve to pick a most memorable moment of her career so far. While she admits that she holds her Pony Finals win in 2014 near and dear to her heart, she said she is more focused on looking forward than reliving the past.

“I want to be on top. I don’t always know how I am going to get there, but I am learning along the way.” For now, Genevieve is focusing on the six horses in her string and hopes to spend two weeks at the Mid States Falla and Fall Finale where she aims to compete in some Welcome classes and smaller stakes. The American Royal, EAP Nationals and National Championships in Vegas are also on her radar, as well as returning to ride with George Morris this fall.

Photo by Jennifer Kaiser

Genevieve finds a way to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together with the hopes of seeing her large goals come to fruition. She aspires to return to the NAYC next year, compete at the World Equestrian Games in the future and hopefully make the team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Dreams that large may scare some, but Geneveive remains unfazed. “It’s just another step in the ladder,” she told JN with a sense of calmness and determination that leads us to believe anything is possible for this enthusiastic young rider.

If the name Pontus Hugosson sounds slightly familiar to Horse Nation readers, it may be because we shared this gem for an “Oh Crap” Monday, in which the specific line, I believe, was “we have to admire the self-confidence in Hugosson that said ‘yes, I do want to share this on social media.'”

That seems to be the guiding mantra for this guy, whose Facebook page Pontus Hugosson is actually tagged “@pontushumor.” While Hugosson is still actively training and competing, he’s also carving out a few minutes of his day to create and publish some true equestrian cinematic wonders of our time.

This one, for example, made me actually LOL:

THE HAT TIP, THOUGH.

After getting over my giggles, I found a few more true winners on Hugosson’s page that confirmed that yes, we all need to go follow this guy immediately.

My favorite part of this one is the actual horse casually watching him roll by… I get the impression this is totally normal around Hugosson’s barn:

Pontus Hugosson, you’re officially a Horse Nation hero. Go riding!