Frosty horse mornings. Photo courtesy of Whistling Ridge.
Warning: weather complaints coming. You know what’s really great? When it’s quite literally 70 degrees during the day, but also 32 at night. This makes everything SO simple in horse land, and I just adore it. Would you like to be tied to your farm 24/7 because of constant blanket changes that are necessary on different levels for all horses in varied arrays of clipped? Would you like your car to turn into a mobile jacket wagon? Please, move to Virginia in the winter! It’s the best!
If you’re going to take advice from anybody, make it Chris Bartle. He’s helped top riders transform into medal winners at the top levels of the sport, but he knows how to teach you from the ground up as well. Read more to find out his advice on each phase….[Chris Bartle’s Top Tips for Modern Eventing]
Top level rider Katie Wherley is having a cool online auction to raise funds to support “Grateful Heart”, who was this year’s USEA Future Event Horse 3-Year-Old Filly Champion. She’s got some amazing things up for grabs, everything from homemade apricot truffles, to therapeutic blankets, and an entry to MDHT. With over forty items to choose from, you won’t be disappointed. [Katie Wherley Winter Fundraiser]
Did you know that SmartPak has thirteen single-ingredient supplements? Me neither, until I read this quick blog. Actually, I love the simplicity of single-ingredient supplements, and they function true to form. Looking for some cool calories? Try 99% Fat. Antioxidants? SmartPak’s Vitamin E supplement. [Smart & Simple Supplements]
Carmen Schatte and her Dutch Warmblood mare Lady Elvira won a Training division at the 2016 Pine Top Thanksgiving Horse Trials. They returned to the venue last weekend, one year stronger and one level higher. They led the Open Preliminary division from the start and ended on their dressage score of 30.5 to once again win the holiday weekend and qualify for a one-star.
“Our hard work payed off,” said Carmen, who owns and operates her own mobile pet spa, Wet Paws Mobile Spa. “Long work days turned into late night rides and being on top of her training and gallop schedule. She’s the fittest she’s ever been and our hard work has been more than rewarding.”
Some riders talk the entire way around the course, but this is a quiet, focused pair. All you can hear in their helmet cams is the wind screaming by, the smooth rhythm of hoofbeats and horse breath, and the occasional ‘whoa’ from Carmen to rebalance her eager mount. But Carmen breaks the spell when she realizes they’ve got their bogey fence—a huge trakehner of a turn—in the bag.
“One of the most terrifying yet greatest moments of the last four years with this powerhouse of a horse,” Carmen said. “Six strides out I was ready to throw up, but she generously took the reins from my fingers and said ‘I got this mom, just hold on!’ for a foot perfect take off and landing. Mid-air I was screaming ‘GOOD GIRL!!’ That’s my unicorn!”
Hang on to your hat and watch this powerhouse couple tear it up on course on Pine Top.
The feeling you get when it’s just you and your horse
It’s why we do what we do.
Fight back against an energy crisis that can impact condition and performance
Equi-Jewel® is a high-fat, low-starch and -sugar formula that was developed to safely meet the energy needs of your horse. Whether you have a hard keeper that needs extra calories to maintain his weight, or a top performance horse that needs cool energy to perform at her peak, Equi-Jewel can meet your horse’s needs. Equi-Jewel reduces the risk of digestive upset, supports optimal muscle function, maintains stamina, and helps horses recover faster after hard work, all while providing the calories your horse needs to thrive.
The fat found in rice bran is an extraordinary source of dietary energy. In fact, fat contains more than two times the energy that carbohydrates and proteins do, thereby fueling horses more efficiently. Fat is considered a “cool” feedstuff because it does not cause the hormone spikes that lead to excitability. Adding stabilized rice bran to your horse’s diet allows you to decrease the amount of starchy concentrates (grains) you feed, reducing the risk of colic and laminitis resulting from grain overload. Equi-Jewel is an excellent source of calories for horses on low sugar and starch diets.
It is why the horse that matters to you matters to us. Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? We are here to help. Contact Kentucky Performance Products, LLC at 859-873-2974 or visit our website at KPPusa.com.
This article is brought to you by Athletux Equine. For more Athletux articles, please click here.
Photos courtesy of Athletux.
Hang on a second, did Barbie give up the ride on her loyal palomino?
Wait a second … I don’t remember Barbie’s horse (side note: quite a bit of conflicting information out there on this horse’s name. Dancer? Dallas? Tawny?) having a hind end like that …
Well that’s because the adorable, spunky and incredible little mare on the right isn’t a fictitious plastic doll, but instead an exciting 7-year- old Swedish Warmblood owned by Laura Boyer and ridden by James Alliston of Alliston Eventing in Castro Valley, CA.
James Alliston and Pandora at Galway Downs. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Pandora is a well-loved member of the crew at Alliston Eventing, and after her impressive win on her dressage score in her first Intermediate at Fresno County Horse Park Horse Trials, the flashy duo is getting some much deserved attention.
“Everyone makes fun of (James) when he rides her because she’s little and palomino but she’s seriously so cool,” said James’ girlfriend and fellow trainer Helen Bouscaren.
Pandora’s results speak for themselves. With top ribbons all up and down the West coast in the Prelim and CIC1* divisions and that impressive Intermediate debut Pandora has proven herself a force to be reckoned with, all 15.2 hands of her.
With a bright future ahead of her, Alliston Eventing head groom Golly Martin recalled a time from Pandora’s past that really sums up the feisty mare’s personality: “She was so sassy as a baby. She used to always follow Kendra into the tack room when Kendra was working on the breeding farm where she was born.”
Baby Pandora. Photo provided by Golly Martin.
Kendra being Kendra Boyer, whose mother, Laura Boyer, owns Pandora, as well as her sire and dam.
Prostor, Pandora’s sire, was a nationally ranked hunter before being gelded and sold to an amateur when he was nine. A 1993 Russian Trakehner, Prostor is still a picture of elegance today. At 17 hands, the big chestnut has a refined look, and an impressive career to go along with it. Competitive in both the hunters and dressage, looking at Prostor’s long career gives a pretty good idea where his daughter might have picked up some of her tenacity. Prostor competed in the hunters and dressage with James well into his teens. In fact, at age 19 he received a Novice level dressage score of a 15. Even though Prostor was gelded, he still has frozen semen available, which is how he was bred to Pandora’s dam, Camellia E.
Camellia E, or “Marilyn,” a Swedish Warmblood mare, was purchased as a gift for Kendra as a 3-year- old and had a successful career as an A-circuit jumper.“Like any mare she can be a little particular, but she’s a super sweet girl. She’s a really talented jumper and was a great broodmare,” said Golly. Pandora is Marilyn’s only foal.
Pandora and mommy Marilyn. Photo provided by Golly Martin.
With impressive bloodlines and an elite rider with James, Pandora had some distinct advantages as she started her career, and she’s certainly lived up to her promise. “With James, Pandora is a super sweet little lady who tries so hard for James,” Golly said. “She is so willing on the flat, and super smart, learns very quickly. She is a phenomenal jumper, it’s so neat to have a smaller horse with that much heart and talent. She loves cross country, her ears are always perked and looking for the next fence.”
In watching any of her cross country videos or even just looking at Pandora in photos, it’s easy to see her enthusiasm for her job. Here they are at Fresno County Horse Park H.T. earlier this month, where Pandora clinched 1st place in her Intermediate debut:
Despite her enthusiasm, Pandora is a no nonsense type of gal. “She knows her job and wants to get to work,” Golly explained. “She’s straightforward no matter where we are; she just wants to get in the ring and show off, or go jump some cool jumps.”
With Pandora being on the smaller side and James Alliston being on the taller side, the height differential has the potential to add a challenging component, but James says Pandora’s heart and athleticism negate her small stature: “She has a really good size stride for her size, and she doesn’t feel small. She is a small package, but has the ability to compete with the more traditionally sized horses. It’s part of her appeal — everyone who sees her is instantly enamored, and comes to watch her through all of the phases.”
James Alliston and Pandora. Photo by Shelby Allen.
It wouldn’t be story about Pandora and James without mentioning her ongoing love affair with Happenstance, James’ 3* winning horse owned by Mary McKee. “They love each other. They’ve been stabled together at a few shows and we always catch them playing above the stall wall, or with their noses pressed to the same spot whispering sweet nothings to each other. She has very good taste in men!” Golly laughed.
So what’s next for James and Pandora? “She’s got a few more Intermediates scheduled for 2018, and then a 2* at some point,” James said.
The little mare has the heart and talent to make it far in the sport, and we can’t wait to see what this real life Barbie horse and her Ken can accomplish together.
Oh hay there! Welcome to yet another incarnation of #EventerProblems. This time, probably because I’m hungry and there is nothing in my fridge except beer, scary week-old Thanksgiving leftovers and some vials of Adequan, we’re featuring a very special food and drink edition.
The 2028 U.S. Eventing Team is already out there somewhere, and it’s up to us all to nurture their talent and their big dreams. “2028 Olympic Talent Watch” is an (adorable) new series in which we identify junior eventers who are already exhibiting the heart and the guts to lead American eventing to glory in the (distant) future. Any short-stirrup riders you know come to mind? Email us their story at [email protected].
Photo courtesy of Jill Ekis.
The only complaint that Kai Ekis, age 7, has about riding horses is that he sometimes gets mistaken for a girl.
From Jill Ekis, his mother: “You don’t see many boys out there. He always says, ‘Mom! Can’t they see I’m wearing a tie?’ I try to explain, ‘At your age, Kai, you all look the same under the helmet but a few more years in this and people will start to remember you. Especially if you work hard.’ That makes him happy.”
Kai has been around horses since he was a baby, as Jill rides and his dad was part of the Allegheny County Mounted Police when he was on patrol and rode horses in riot gear for crowd control. Jill rides as well, Kai inherited the horse bug and has been in a riding program for the past two and a half years, and 2017 was his first year of competing.
Photos courtesy of Jill Ekis.
“I certainly didn’t expect him to take to riding like he did,” Jill says. “As a mom we all hope our kids love it but you just never know.”
His sport of choice? Eventing!
Kai’s trainer Heather Birkmire of Silver Crest Equestrian Center, near Pittsburgh, Pa., is an eventer and OTTB enthusiast. She compliments her young pupil’s natural abilities and instincts, and noting his uncommon drive and courage not often seen in riders his age.
Photo by Miranda Akins/Photography In Stride.
His dressage training comes from Karen Pikovsky of 4R Horse Training, who pulled him out of the kids’ program to instruct him when he was starting to pick concepts up quickly.
Although Kai sticks to ponies for competition, he will jump just about any horse suitable to his size. Jill recently purchased a 13-year-old OTTB eventer whom she plans on showing next season, and the hope is that Kai will grow into the OTTB someday. Kai and Jill ride together and have started training with Dark Horse Farms and Amanda Wilson Eventing.
Photo by Miranda Akins/Photography In Stride.
At Kai’s first combined test, Jill says she was nervous. Kai had gotten a bit nervous the day before when his pony refused a wall during a schooling session, plus they were running late to show jumping and Kai hadn’t yet learned the course.
But Kai rose to the occasion. Jill recalls, “He watched a girl ride through once and gave the thumbs up to his trainer, and we both sat back and watched him rock it like a champ without any sign of stress and we really knew he had something special. He works amazing well under pressure and continues to surprise his family and trainers alike.”
Photo courtesy of Jill Ekis.
Kai’s latest competition wasn’t a combined test or mini trial but 2-foot classes at hunter show to help him get past his nerves of jumping walls.
“I know there are plenty of kids out there who jump, but he does it with such bravery and challenges himself to take the next steps,” Jill says.
Best of luck to Kai! Hang in there, buddy — you have plenty of great male role models to look up to in this sport!
Giving Tuesday can be fun! Photo via Will Faudree Eventing FB Page
It’s wonderful to see eventers giving back this time of year, and Will Faudree Eventing is making a tradition of it this year, recruiting Bobby Costello and John Zopatti to crew the 2nd Annual Celebrity Bartending Event. The occasion raised money for the Hearts 4 Heroes Corporation, a nonprofit that connects service members with physical and mental disabilities and trauma with canine- and equine-assisted therapy. If that’s not a worthy cause, I don’t know what is.
Our very own Buck Davidson and Carlevo have been noted as one to watch for 2018. EquiRatings notes that the horse has finished in every place inside the top ten except for the elusive win. Is that a portent of things to come for next year? [A Win on the Way]
Boyd is expanding his horizons this December with some clinics in Japan. Boyd will be holding a number of clinics in association with the NRCAJ (the Japanese riding association), the JRA (the Japanese Racing Association), and Godolphin. The clinics will aim to help riders in Japan learn how to transition OTTB to new careers, particularly eventing. [Martin to Host Clinics]
Stuart Tinney’s near-miss with a flag at Adelaide has stirred plenty of debate. With the rules in place for 2018, the FEI will be taking another year to evaluate the definition of a runout after Stuart Tinney’s horse almost entirely missed the fence but still managed to pass his shoulder inside a flag. The USEF will revert to the previous rule of elimination while waiting for the FEI to settle on final language. [The 50 Penalty Rule]
SmartPak Product of the Day: This isn’t exactly the time of year to think about buying heat gear, but the holiday sales are often a great time to get deals on summer wear like this Kastel Sun Shirt using the Holiday17 coupon code! [SmartPak]
Maybe the racetrack isn’t just for Thoroughbreds! Each November at Exeter Racecourse’s Devon Day, thundering hoofbeats are heard far and wide as crowds draw for the charity Clydesdale Race. Six Big Friendly Giants (BFG) as they are called give it their all on the turf, this year to benefit the Devon Air Ambulance.
The horses are from Adventure Clydesdale, which offers horse trail riding holidays through the beautiful landscapes of Dartmoor in Devon. This year’s winer was an 11-year-old Clydesdale named Siryl ridden by Bryony Frost who took a celebratory flying dismount following their success.
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If you’ve been thinking about participating in the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover, your opportunity is coming up! Trainer applications for the 2018 edition of the event open this Friday, December 1st, and updated rules will be published that day as well. Applications will be accepted through January 15th and approved trainers will be announced on February 1st.
Eligible horses must have raced or had a published work after June 30, 2016 and not have started training in a second career before December 1, 2017. To help you out, we’ve picked out three eligible candidates for next year’s Thoroughbred Makeover to feature in this week’s OTTB Wishlist:
Here’s a well-bred and classy horse who’ll make a lovely sport horse prospect! Talk Time’s sire, Quality Road, is known for producing offspring that are both easy to work with and workmanlike. This athletic guy had a decent record at the track, earning $84,000 in 28 starts. Talk Time is reported as sound and with no vices and was very well-mannered for photoshoot on a blustery New York day.
Here’s a lovely looking filly who has a disposition to match. Global America’s connections report that she is easy-going, has an in-your-pocket personality, and isn’t at all mareish. She’s ready for her second career and could go in any direction. She trotted out very nicely and also has recent radiographs of her knees and ankles available for viewing.
This horse appears to be aptly named! Photo Shoot is ready to bring the same competitiveness to his next career that he brought to the track. A well-traveled guy, this gelding has raced at many different tracks up and down the U.S. and Canada, earning over $200,000 in 47 races. This elegant horse will need someone with experience to bring him along, but he’s sure to be a stunner!
A therapeutic riding lesson. Photo: Flickr/Andrew Hutchinson/CC.
Happy Giving Tuesday: this growing annual movement reminds us to keep some room in our plans this holiday season for charitable giving as well as gift-giving to family and friends. If you’re looking for ideas or inspiration for an equine-based charity to support this year, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorites.
The Brooke
In developing regions of the world, equines are still a critical aspect of the workforce — an estimated 100 million working horses and donkeys support 600 million people in such tasks as carrying water, hauling fuel and feed or pulling loads. The Brooke seeks to improve the lives of these working animals through community-level change, including education, health care and networking with local veterinarians. The Brooke also works with governments in these countries to develop legislation to better protect working animals. Learn more about The Brooke.
US Equestrian’s Disaster Relief Fund
2017, frankly, was a terrible year in terms of natural disasters: from wildfires all across the American west to hurricanes in the Southeast and Puerto Rico, the United States was hit hard — and of course, where there are people there are horses. US Equestrian’s Disaster Relief Fund was a resource for horse owners in need in these times of crisis, providing funding for emergency veterinary care as well as feed. We’ll never know what tomorrow might bring, but the Disaster Relief Fund could very well be our parachute. Learn more about the Disaster Relief Fund.
Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
The TRF is the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the world, devoted to protecting the Thoroughbred racehorse when his racing days are over to prevent him from possible neglect, abuse or slaughter. To this mission, TRF has sheltered thousands of animals, with many going on to second careers while some remain at sanctuary. TRF has also partnered with State of New York Department of Correctional Services to create a vocational training program for inmates, focusing on equine care and management. Learn more about Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
PATH International
The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International) is the credentialing organization for therapeutic riding centers and also certifies instructors and specialists. PATH International provides training and educational resources for therapeutic riding schools all over the world, insuring that students, teachers and horses are safe, healthy and happy and that the maximum benefit can be reached by all. Through PATH International, prospective students can find an accredited organization that will best match their needs to enrich their experience. Learn more about PATH International.
Your local rescue or therapeutic riding center
Keeping your donation in your own community can be one of the best ways to help affect change at the local level — search for reputable horse rescues or therapeutic riding centers in your area that could benefit! Keep in mind that donations don’t have to be in the form of cash: many rescues or programs are desperately in need of volunteer help, either for day-to-day operations or for larger projects. Your individual talents will be appreciated, whether you’re able to groom rescue horses, repair fence, repaint the barn, muck stalls, be a sidewalker champion, design marketing materials, write articles or build a mounting ramp.
Need more ideas? Check out our past weekly Standing Ovation by Ovation Riding columns, which spotlight an individual or organization doing good work in the horse world.
My fantasy vote goes to Rome, with dressage and show jumping to be held in the majestic Stadio dei Marmi and cross country running through beautiful Italian wine country! Photo by Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour.
The 2022 World Equestrian Games is the hot potato of equestrian championships — nobody seems to hang onto it for very long. To recall, in December 2016 the FEI named Lexington and Slovakia’s Samorin the official candidates to host the WEG; then, in January, the Kentucky Horse Park withdrew itself from consideration, explaining that they did not think it would be “economically feasible,” leaving the Samorin Equestrian Centre as the only official bidder.
But at last week’s FEI General Assembly, it was announced that Samorin had decided to not sign the WEG host agreement and had subsequently withdrawn its bid. The FEI Bureau has decided to reopen the bidding process under a revised timeline, with the host to be allotted at the FEI Bureau meeting in November 2018.
“We are confident there will be candidates, but these are complex Games and we need to make sure we do it right,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos told the General Assembly.
Loads of candidates, we’re sure! Step right up!
We thought we’d kick-start the nomination process. Which brings us to this week’s “Let’s Discuss” question: Who would you like to see host the 2022 WEG? Think outside the box and remember — in this thought experiment, at least, money is no object!
It doesn’t have to be an established equestrian venue like Lexington or Tryon; consider the 2014 Normandy WEG’s conversion of a soccer stadium into its main arena. Lots of swanky NFL stadiums sitting around here collecting dust in the offseason, just sayin’. Maybe you’d like to see cross country run through Central Park or Augusta National Golf Club, or the rainforest or the Mongolian steppe. Dream big! Who knows, the FEI seems to be grasping for straws anyway, maybe we can shake loose a lead or two.
Share your wildest 2022 WEG fantasy venue in the comments section below!
