Classic Eventing Nation

Sigh. Photo courtesy of Caroline Martin, in Florida enjoying the sun.

I have a really horse specific first world problem specifically about the winter season, and I just can’t let it go. It’s confusing enough that Virginia likes to spend several months being below freezing at night and then sunny and mid-fifties during the day, not only for my wardrobe, but also for the blanketing needs of my horses. There’s nothing worse than having to do multiple clothing changes per day for a ton of horses, except of course for this one thing. The day that it gets so hot that you HAVE to take off the sheets, which immediately results in each and every horse rolling in all available mud. Which then means that you can’t just blanket them back up, you have to bathe them or do an intense cleaning/vacuuming session. WHY must you be so muddy, ponies???

News From Around the Globe:

In case you missed it, the USEF announced Eventing 25 and 18 lists yesterday. With eleven riders on the Eventing 25 list and a whopping seventeen on the Eventing 18 list, its a wonderful sign of upcoming talent. USEF Eventing Emerging Athlete Coach Leslie Law will be helping these young riders both in Ocala, Florida and Temecula, California this spring. [Emerging Athletes Lists]

Your vet is one of your best friends, as your life as a horse owner means you rather rely on him or her. Vets are part magician, part puzzle pro, part therapist, and part pharmacist. If you’ve got to call the vet out for something or other this winter, here are a few hot tips to make his or her life easier, and make the visit go as smoothly as possible. [Preparing for the Vet]

The voting is over for the host of the 2018 World Equestrian Games, but what about 2022? Lexington, Kentucky has their eye on the prize, with an early bid to host the WEG for a second time. They hosted in 2010 with great success, and are only up against Samorin, Slovakia, so far. [Kentucky Horse Park Bids for WEG 2022]

As 2016 comes to an end, we’re all looking back at our top moments from the year. COTH compiled their top ten most popular articles, and unsurprisingly, two of them feature Valegro! Ah, memories. [COTH Top Ten of 2016]

Ice on water buckets, my winter morning chore nemesis. When it dips down below twenty, the buckets invariably freeze, and I’m stuck trying to blast them with hot water to cleanse the hay and gunk out, or just piling them all in the tack room to thaw during the day. I can’t do water heaters because I’m terrified I’ll be the one to burn the barn down, but I can deal with these handy bucket insulators from SmartPak. One per horse, so I know they have at least one bucket that stays cozy and they can slurp all night long. [SmartPak Insulated Water Bucket Cover]

Bless you, Will Faudree photoshop committee.

Only three days until Christmas, and most importantly, today is the last day to get something on Amazon Prime in time for Sunday. You know who you are, Christmas procrastinators, and I used to be one of you. This year was the first of my fully formed “adulting” in this category, as I intentionally saved gift ideas for friends all year long, just like my Grandma has been telling me to for the past 28 years. So when November rolled around, I wasn’t desperately asking leading questions to find out what they desired (and what I could afford), but instead had sneaky ideas lodged in the back of my brain. Listen up, Grandma knows what’s best, because this has been the least stressful last week before Christmas of my life.

News From Around the Globe:

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has named 10 event riders athletes who have been selected for the UK Sport National Lottery funded World Class Podium Potential Programme for the next two years. With one of the best rider development programs in the world, being named to this list is a huge honor and a great way to advance one’s career as an event rider. Athletes will receive support through world class coaching, human and equine sports science and medicine, nutrition and sports psychology. The recipients are: Bert Bolton, Rosalind Canter, Genevieve Clarke, Sam Ecroyd, William Furlong, Tom Jackson, Tom McEwan, Imogen Murray, Sarah Parkes and Francesca Reid-Warrilow. [BEF Names Riders to Potential Podium Program]

Why do we feel the need to dress our horses in Santa outfits? The world may never know, but it continues to feel funny and festive and good, so we keep doing it. I literally did a full barn santa hat photo shoot this past week, and I’m not even a little ashamed. Turns out, folks in the UK also think this is hilarious fun. [Is That Santa, or a Horse?]

Is your property winter chore efficient? In any location that experiences winter weather, the design focuses around how to function when its horrible and cold and frozen and wet and muddy etc. There are ways you can prepare and make your life easier for the coming months, including putting some footing down at gates to paddocks, removing your muck piles before they build up too high, and forming plans for ice storms. [Winter Chore Efficiency Guide]

Best of Blogs: Amateurs Like Us: Realignments and Reawakenings

An excellent way to learn about your horse’s personality, or even just horse behavior in general, is to sit down and watch the herd. Observing your herd dynamics and social structure can tell you a lot about individual horses, and also give you hints as to how horses communicate with the world. But where do you start? Susan McDonnell gives a great guide to getting the most out of your observation sessions. [Watching The Herd]