Welcome to EN’s 2023 rewind! We’ll be resharing some of our most popular stories from the year throughout the last few days of 2023. This excerpt first appeared on EN in June.
In this excerpt from his new book Ride Better with Christoph Hess, FEI “I” Judge in dressage and eventing Christoph Hess helps one rider overcome the lack of trust that is interfering with her cross country schooling.
Photo by Jacques Toffi.
I have a five-year-old horse that I would love to regularly jump cross-country. My goal is to someday take part in a schooling trial or small event. But, my horse lacks experience and I lack courage. What can we both do in order to reach my goal?
Trust between horse and rider is the key to future success. Therefore, the first goal must be to develop this trust—and it must be mutual. The horse must trust the rider and the rider must be able to rely on the horse. Your horse must accept you as a person he trusts and respects. This gives him security—security that you can develop when grooming, saddling and bridling, loading in a trailer, and through groundwork. When your horse trusts you, he’ll demonstrate the reactions you want him to—meaning, he’ll do what you expect from him. The horse that trusts his rider “on the ground” will also do so more readily under saddle.
Regularly hacking outside the arena (together with an experienced horse and an experienced rider) is the prerequisite for being able to start training your horse to jump cross-country. You must endeavor to develop good balance and supple relaxation while in a light seat, both on “solid ground” and over jumps. You will only be able to give your young horse the necessary trust if you yourself are already able to execute the tasks that you’re planning to ask of him when riding an experienced horse. Therefore, it’s important that you regularly have the opportunity to jump cross-country on an experienced horse. The experienced horse will give you the security and confidence that you’ll need in order to later train your own young horse.
When your horse trusts you, which is the key to success, then and only then, will he be able to solve the unfamiliar and, later, also tricky challenges put to him when going cross-country. The first steps must be executed with a very sensitive touch. It’s important that the training begins with small, inviting jumps that are wide from side to side and framed at the ends. Water should be clear and the ditches “friendly” and enclosed.
One non-negotiable requirement: the trainer, who must always guide you, should have lots of experience so that he can correctly estimate what you and your horse can handle. As a less experienced rider, you’re not able to accurately assess what you can ask from your horse and how you can move him forward methodically in order to always give him a good feeling about his work.
It’s an important requirement that you always approach new cross-country obstacles with a secure lead horse to help introduce them. The lead horse gives your horse security, as horses are herd animals and like to jump obstacles following after another horse. This applies especially to cross-country type obstacles, such as ditches and water. These will be much easier to jump or cross through when you’re following a lead horse, rather than trying to approach them alone with your horse.
Training horses—and this includes developing trust between you and your horse—takes a lot of time. Your horse needs time to process and understand what you want from him. Here, the wise old saying applies: “Less is often more!” Jumping should always take place in such a way that you are presenting your horse with only small challenges.
For the horse’s sake, a training session should never introduce too much that is new at one time. The horse must understand what is required from him, and he should also be having fun with it. Therefore, building trust with a horse is closely tied to building his motivation. Under no circumstances should the horse jump out of fear!
Regardless of level or discipline, every rider must convey confidence to her horse. The rider must never “let her horse down.” This is an important requirement for your horse to trust you. Therefore, you should only ride to jumps that you really want to jump—this means, you must first throw your own heart over the fence!
If you have doubts about riding over certain jumps, it is advisable for you to first practice on an experienced horse to gain confidence. Further, your young horse should be ridden back and forth over special jumps by an experienced rider. This secures your horse’s confidence and helps you to jump these fences with your horse later without a problem.
A sight worth crying over. Photo by CSW Equestrian.
Well, it’s happened. It’s officially no longer winter, but instead it is mud season in Virginia. I always love a little drought in the winter, and we were spoiled until this week, when everything turned into a swamp, and I live on the side of a hill. Sometimes I think that people started going south for the winter to Aiken or Florida just as much for the sandy footing as the warmer weather, and I’m beginning to think they have a point. If anybody has tips for surviving mud season other than wine to cope, holla at your girl.
News From Around the Globe:
After 2020, the idea of buying a horse at an online auction doesn’t seem so crazy anymore. It almost seems too good to be true: Dozens of well-bred horses for sale, with useful photos and videos provided and perhaps even radiographs, all available to purchase in one place at the same time. And often you don’t even have to be there in person, because the whole enterprise may be online and livestreamed. But how to be a savvy auction buyer is slightly more challenging than just throwing in your bid willy-nilly. [Buying Horses at Auction]
We aren’t the only ones spending the last few days of 2023 reminiscing about our favorite moments….COTH just posted their favorite photos as well as their most popular blogs, and you’ll definitely want to check both out.
Anything from Ingrid Klimke is worth revisiting, even if this clinic recap is from earlier in December. Ingrid’s passion for horses was the most tangible takeaway, especially as it factored into her approach to each of the 15 horse/rider pairs participating. Tailoring the work to each horse’s personality, abilities and brain is critical, Ingrid stressed throughout. “If you don’t get the answer you were looking for, figure out a way to ask the question differently.” Clear communication in the aids and a pat or other acknowledgement of things done right were key. Minor disobediences, usually due to distractions, were to be ignored whenever feasible. [Ingrid Klimke’s Tools of the Trade]
Maybe horses in all sports should be treated in more species-appropriate ways, rather than treated with kid gloves. This was the conclusion of a study on what was said after welfare campaigners gained access to the racecourse before the 2023 Grand National. The paper, published in Animals, investigated how what was said could affect public acceptance of involvement of horses in sport. Changing the way we talk about equine welfare – and treating horses like horses rather than “like kings” – may not only improve it, but also protect our sport for the future. [Horse Welfare for Sport Horses]
Hannah Black with Jennie Brannigan’s Twilightslastgleam and Stella Artois. Photo by Abby Powell.
It’s that time! We received a multitude of nominations for our end of year #SuperGroom award, presented by Achieve Equine, and while we found the task to be nearly impossible, we let the nominations speak for themselves.
So, without further ado, we’re pleased to crown not just one but two #SuperGrooms to Rule Them All! Receiving four separate nominations each and taking home this year’s award are:
Stephanie Simpson and Tsetserleg in Tokyo. Photo via Stephanie Simpson.
Here are a few excerpts from the nominations these grooms received:
Stephanie Simpson: “Not only is she the backbone of the Windurra operation, she will always offer or arrange to help anyone if needed or asked. Doesn’t matter how busy she is, she will help with a smile on her face and a friendly word of encouragement. She is a true advocate for the horses and an amazing horsewoman.”
Stephanie Simpson: “No matter what the horses always come first and the attention to detail and care never wavers. She will fly to Europe one week and then groom 6 young horses at the next week and gives every horse the same care. She is truly one in a million and over my 10 years with Boyd I’ve seen many grooms come and go and she is hands down the top one.”
Hannah Black: “Hannah is an incredibly hard worker, extremely detail oriented, and can make a horse look better than absolutely anyone else can!!! Her horses – no matter how many Jennie is riding – always look immaculate.”
We’d also like to make an Honorable Mention for a very special nomination we received for one Mark Rowland, who was nominated for his skills as horse husband and #supergroom:
“Mark is the definition of a super groom, being from UK originally, and a bit old school, he always makes sure not only that a horse is turned out properly, but he goes above and beyond with making sure anyone’s horses needs are met from our barn, not just mine. Mark is most at home working with horses, they shine for him, he can also muck a stall like no one else lol, but really, the horses always look amazing. He is also an artist so he can free hand a quarter mark with the precision of a master painter, and takes pride in raking an aisle or shedrow to perfection. Our entire barn leans on Mark at events, he is quick to lend a hand to anyone who needs extra help, especially when it comes to studs. I’m back riding an competing after 37 years away from the saddle, I count on Mark in so many ways, he gives me confidence to spread my wings and soar, polished boots and all. Cheers to all the supergrooms, mine is extra special as he warms up my side of the bed at night so I don’t get into cold sheets. Mark Rowland is the best groom and husband and I couldn’t be a prouder wife.”
These fantastic and hardworking grooms will receive prizes from Achieve Equine to start their 2024 with a bang. Stay tuned for many more #SuperGroom profiles coming your way soon, and as always – Go Eventing!
Welcome to EN’s 2023 rewind! We’ll be resharing some of our most popular stories from the year throughout the last few days of 2023. This article first appeared on EN in March.
Liz Halliday and Miks Master C. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
I’ll be honest, when it was suggested that I write a piece about the eventing stallion Mighty Magic (thanks to the recent successes of his offspring at the top levels) I just about fell over.
This is it, folks, the role I was born for.
Finally, my years of being a breeding nerd and a Mighty Magic superfan have paid off, and I can truly say that I’m not sure there’s anyone better suited to tackle this mighty (get it? Sorry not sorry) task.
Before we get started, let me give you my resume:
1) Two of my three horses have Mighty Magic in their pedigree
2) A few years ago I traveled *mumbles incoherently* miles to his current home base in France just so I could see him in person
3) I dutifully stalk every offspring showing worldwide at the FEI levels to keep tabs on their careers, as well as all the ones I can find showing here in the U.S. at the National levels
4) I’m relatively certain Will Faudree might have a restraining order out on me at this point, I just keep showing up at random horse shows to ogle Mason (aka Mama’s Magic Way), who looks so much like my own six-year-old by Mighty Magic that it’s borderline creepy.
Anyway, you get the idea. I am, in my opinion, uniquely qualified for the task of writing about Mighty Magic, and – fair warning – this will most definitely be biased because it’s been penned by his number one fan. You’ve been warned, people. Let us begin.
Me and my own Mighty Magic offspring. Photo by Xpress Foto.
Behind the Magic
Mighty Magic (known as “Mighty”) was bred in Germany by Horst-Henning Lienau, a product of several generations of his show jumping breeding program. The elegant bay colt was born in 2003, the second foal of his dam Neika I, a career broodmare who went on to produce over a dozen offspring for Henning. In addition to Mighty, some of her other most notable sport offspring include Akela (by Acorado) who competed to the CCI3* level under British rider Nick Gauntlett, and Chlodowig (by Coriano) who show jumped to the 1.45m level with Philipp Schlaich of Germany.
Mighty’s second dam Fiona VIII, by Lavall was also a member of Hennig’s breeding program. Her most successful sport offspring was Conradin, a 1.60m show jumper by the stallion Contender. This mare line is Holsteiner Stamm (mare family) 1947, which has produced breeding stallions such as Cambridge, Clintord, and Contini, and sport horses such as 1.60m show jumpers Carella 5, Quicka, PMS Candy Girl, Cash and Go, and Cabanza. Mighty’s fourth dam, Peidra, is also the dam of Conejo, a stallion, competed by U.S. rider Karen Cudmore, that show jumped at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2003 FEI World Cup Finals.
The part of Mighty’s pedigree that everyone notices first, though, is the fact that he’s got a full Thoroughbred sire and damsire. His dam, Neika I, is by the famous Thoroughbred stallion Heraldik, one of the most successful sires of event horses of all time.
Born in Czechoslovakia in 1982, Heraldik’s first job was as a steeplechaser, although he wasn’t particularly successful in that endeavor. After a soft tissue injury ended his racing career he became a lesson horse, eventually finding his way to the show jumping ring. There he found his niche, competing up to the 1.50m level with rider Viliam Naštický.
Eventually Heraldik caught the eye of a German breeder, who purchased him for breeding in the hope of adding blood to their mares without sacrificing jumping scope. Heraldik was a success, eventually approved for breeding with at least 10 stud books and is the sire or damsire to over a dozen CCI5* event horses and sire of seven 1.50-1.60m show jumpers.
Mighty’s sire, Mytens, was born and bred right here in the USA. By Kentucky Derby winner Spectacular Bid and out of a Hoist the Flag mare, Mytens was bred by Elmendorf Farm in Kentucky and sold as a yearling at the 1984 Keeneland sale for $950,000.
Although his career as a racehorse didn’t pan out, he was discovered by famous Holsteiner breeder Maas Johannes Hell, who brought the stallion to Germany for use in his sporthorse breeding program. Mytens had a reputation for being a beautiful stallion that passed his elegant type as well as good jumping ability, and he produced multiple showjumpers through the 1.50m to 1.60m levels.
With almost 90% Thoroughbred blood and the rest show jumping blood, you could say that Mighty was certainly born for the sport of eventing. He also looked the part: a moderately tall, elegant, and long-legged colt with a big stride and good uphill gaits.
As we all know, though, it isn’t just what’s on paper that truly matters when it comes to making an event horse –- it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Once again, Mighty proved that he ticked all the boxes.
In 2006 as a three-year-old he completed his 30 Day Stallion Test with a final score of 8.42, with an 8.10 in dressage and 8.38 for jumping, earning high scores for temperament and rideability before moving on to his performance testing.
While his show jumping talent was not considered to be quite up to the high standard of the top show jumping-oriented stallions, given his rideability and natural affinity for the flatwork it was decided to try him as an event horse. Mighty found his way to the stable of German CCI5* rider and Olympic gold medalist Andreas Dibowski (aka Dibo), where they immediately found success in the young horse classes, ending his five-year-old season with Mighty being crowned the German 5-year-old Eventing Reserve Champion.
Even while maintaining a breeding career alongside a show career, Mighty continued to show his aptitude for eventing. According to Dibo, Mighty’s talent for the dressage phase was evident from the start, thanks to his good gaits and workmanlike demeanor. Mighty also took easily to the cross country phase, particularly with his strong gallop, his rideability, and his desire to jump.
While Dibo says that Mighty could be a bit distracted and silly at his home stable, “he was very serious at the competition. He liked to perform and knew when people were watching.” Mighty was often the most reliable of Dibo’s string for the prize giving ceremonies, sometimes ridden by his groom for awards.
With Dibo aboard, Mighty finished second as a six-year-old at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championship for Young Horses at Mondial du Lion in Lion d’Angers, France. As a seven-year-old they came back again, this time winning the 7-Year-Old World Championship title and besting what would become some big-time horses of the future, including FRH Butts Avedon, Quimbo, Paulank Brockagh, and Bay My Hero.
Together Dibo and Mighty competed up through the CCI4* level while also continuing to maintain the stallion’s busy breeding career, thanks to Mighty’s intelligence and generally easy-going nature. Dibo said, “he knew the difference between training and breeding and he was able to do both.”
After the conclusion of his eventing career, Mighty eventually made his way to France to Haras du Feuillard, the breeding and show stable of Valerie and Benoit Burban. There he has continued his stud duties and also served as a dressage mount for their daughter Eugenie, winning Team Bronze at the Children’s European Dressage Championships in Spain when Eugenie was only 13 years old.
Success in the Breeding Shed
Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
As a sire, Mighty got off to a bit of a mixed start in Germany. His first foal crop was born in 2007, and initially some breeders were a bit surprised by his early offspring. Given Mighty’s high blood percentage and elegant type, it was thought that he would refine and lighten his offspring, thus over his first few years at stud he was bred to many mares that were heavier and more old-fashioned in type. Like many stallions, though, Mighty has proven to produce more closely to his damline, and did not lighten those heavy mares the way that many breeders first expected.
Indeed, some of Mighty’s highest-performing offspring have come from mares that had some “blood” themselves. His first foal crop produced CCI4* horse Plenty of Magic, whose dam was by a Selle Francais show jumping stallion and had a French Anglo Arab damsire. CCI4* horse Figaro des Concessions is out of a full French Anglo Arab mare. CCI5* horse Mama’s Magic Way is out of a Hanoverian mare whose sire is the Thoroughbred stallion Star Regent. CCI5* (possibly soon-to-be *knocks on wood* 5- star) horse Miks Master C’s dam is a mix of show jumping and Thoroughbred blood, with a full Thoroughbred fourth dam.
No shame in my crush on Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Kate Samuels.
While Mighty has produced a variety of offspring when it comes to type, there are other traits he seems to pass on quite reliably, most notably his big personality and character.
My own Mighty Magic son is a very busy-minded, curious, and playful horse (he has two philosophies: everything goes in his mouth, and life is one big game), so temperament is one of the first things I ask about when I find someone that owns a Mighty offspring. And, conveniently enough, writing this article gave me the perfect excuse to spend hours getting people to tell me all about their own Mighty horses. Under the guise of very serious official EN business, of course. I am always super professional.
Anyway, one of my first victims was the aforementioned Will Faudree. I can’t help it, Mason is my favorite CCI5* horse and I will always start there first. Will and I have compared notes on our horses in the past, sending each other videos of them doing pretty much the same things in the crossties or in the barn. Let’s just say they’re definitely never bored or boring.
Mason was bred in Germany by Mareike Leers-Schreiber of MaMa’s Ausbildungsstall (hence the Mama’s prefix), who produced him through the CCI2* level. He was then spotted by Dibo and moved to his stable, where Mason did a couple events with Dibo in the irons before Will received a fateful phone call.
“I was competing at Fair Hill in 2018 when a friend of mine called me and told me that she had seen a horse at Dibo’s yard that would be a super match for me, but I would have to get there on Monday to try it because if not, it was going to be going to a long format the following weekend,” Will said. “The timing was good and I was able to hop on a plane after show jumping and try him Monday morning, and from the moment I sat on him, I knew he was my horse.”
Mason is known by most eventing fans for being a stunning mover and excellent in the cross country phase, but his journey has not been without its challenges. Will says, “he has been one of the toughest, yet most exciting and fun horses to work with. He has taught me the true definition of patience.”
At times Mason’s exuberance and enthusiasm have gotten the best of him, particularly in the dressage phase. “I often describe him as a three year old little boy at Disney World on a sugar high. So I have had to learn to be that kind of parent. To be honest, I think we are very similar personalities and really good friends.”
Despite sometimes being a bit tricky to ride, there is no doubt that Mason quite enjoys his job; I’m not sure you’ll see any other horse on cross country day that looks as delighted as Mason (who Will hopes to aim for Burghley in the fall). Will says, “When I’m in the warm up for Mason on cross country I’m like a little kid revving the engine.”
Mason also isn’t the first Mighty Magic offspring that Will has produced; he brought Michel 233 (who was out of an old-style Hanoverian mare with only 16% blood) up to the CCI4*L level a few years ago. While Will doesn’t see a lot of similarities between the two horses, personality-wise, he did say that they were both quite fast across the country with a good gallop.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
That quality also seems to be present in Miks Master C. “Mickey” was originally produced up the levels by CCI5* rider Maya Black, who says that even as a green youngster he always had a great gallop. While he could be a bit spooky for cross country schooling, Maya says “he was always braver at the competition.”
According to Maya it took a little time for the young gelding to gain his confidence, but as he progressed up the levels he became more and more sure of himself and his character also grew in tandem. Now, he’s described as one of the best horses Liz Halliday-Sharp has ever partnered with, and as his strength and experience grows he stands poised to make his mark on the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in April. “He’s got a lot of power,” Liz described. “It’s a work in progress. I think when we get it polished in another few months, he’ll be unbelievable.”
Mickey is a U.S.-bred, hailing from the breeding program of one of America’s leading event horse breeders, Laurie Cameron. A self-described hobby breeder for over 30 years, Laurie founded her breeding program in 1991 with a Thoroughbred mare named Bit of Elegance. Early on in Laurie’s breeding venture she spent time in Europe taking breeding courses from the best breeders she could find, learning how they made their stallion and mare matches. There she fell in love with a lot of the Holsteiner show jumping lines, which she thought would be a good match with her hotter Thoroughbred mare.
Laurie has since produced multiple generations of upper-level event horses, including CCI3*L horse Double Diamond C, CCI4*L horse Early Review CBF, as well as Mickey’s dam, CCI2* horse Qui Luma CBF. She has bred mares to Mighty Magic multiple times, with one of those breedings also producing CCI3*S horse Maks Mojo C.
Laurie says that Mickey, along with all her Mighty offspring, has always been a people-oriented horse that enjoys his work, even from a young age. Laurie describes him as the kind of horse who “thinks all of this is just a fun game”. When asked what drew her to choose Mighty Magic for her mares, Laurie said “I always want to breed horses of good type that are rideable, adjustable, safe and want to do their job. Mighty Magic’s love their job.”
Now 20 years old, Mighty is retired to stud duty at Haras du Feuillard in France, where I was able to visit him in 2019. In person he was bigger than I expected, and it was immediately clear where my own Mighty Magic son got his personality –- Mighty strutted out of the stable with a gleam in his eye that said “You’re obviously here to see ME” and made quite the game out of trying to put anything and everything in his mouth. His cheeky temperament and desire to show off was evident, even in his more mature age.
While Mighty isn’t a fit for every mare and his offspring aren’t a fit for every rider, there’s something about the way they approach life that has to be admired. I mean, sure, there’s nothing I own that hasn’t been in my horse’s mouth by now, and sometimes his idea of a fun time is certainly not always the same as mine, but I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have never had a dull moment with that horse.
As more sons and daughters of Mighty climb the ranks I have no doubt that we will see more of them at the upper levels of eventing in the years to come, and I’ll be right there outside the ropes cheering them on. Don’t worry though, I’ll leave the foam fingers and the cowbells at home. Wouldn’t want to spook anyone…
It’s the time of year when I see everyone heading off to tropical getaways and wondering what I did wrong so that I’m not one of them. But I’ve got a running bucket list of places to go, and this spot, NIHI Sumba in Indonesia, popped up on my Instagram a few winters ago. We won’t talk about the fact that it popped up thanks to some NFL players I follow, so I’m going to go ahead and assume it’s out of my budget, but a girl can dream right?
U.S. Weekend Preview
It’s that time of year – nothing to add here.
Thursday News & Reading
How does one design proper cross country schooling questions as a coach? It’s an imperative skill that a coach must possess: knowing how to set appropriately challenging exercises for students. David O’Connor has some advice for coaches here.
#ICYMI: We’re re-sharing some of the top stories on EN in 2023, and you won’t want to miss Dr. Tyler Held’s column, “Between the Ears” with 5* rider Zoe Crawford, here.
Could there be new hope for injured tendons? A common injury in eventing, tendons are some of the most critical body parts that require much rehab when injured. New technology is emerging to help vets get ahead of these maladies — find out what the future might look like here.
Welcome to EN’s 2023 rewind! We’ll be resharing some of our most popular stories from the year throughout the last few days of 2023. This article first appeared on EN in June.
It seems like these days we look at each other’s lives through the lens of a highlight reel. We get to see the incredible trips, the best jumps, and the moments that we’re proud enough of to put on social media. What we don’t talk about is how much pressure this adds to athletes on both ends of the news feed.
Riders, whether professional or not, are made to feel like they ‘have to’ post something that makes them look cool and successful. Then, as we consume this content, we are stuck with the disillusioned perception that the sport is easy and that if you’re not succeeding, then maybe you aren’t cut out for it. I would like to take this opportunity to go ‘between the ears’ of some of the riders that make up our Eventing Nation and work to understand some of the real challenges this industry presents.
To read more from the Between the Ears series, click here.
Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Abby Powell.
I think everyone remembers the first time they fell in love with horses. For Zoe Crawford, it all started at her grandparents’ cabin in New England and a memorable trip… to get ice cream.
As the story goes, across from the ice cream stand was a ranch offering pony rides. Little Zoe threw a temper tantrum when she was told to get off of her pony and her parents thought, “This kid needs some riding lessons!”
Growing up in the city of Boston, Zoe had to start at a local hunter/jumper barn, where she was involved in Pony Club but didn’t have access to real eventing until after she graduated high school. After graduation, she took a gap year to be a working student for Jeannie Clark in Ocala, where she finally got her first taste of eventing.
Throughout college, Zoe learned and rode as much as she could. By the time she graduated, she had three horses and went right into building her own business. Now a CCI5* rider, Zoe has a lot to share about what she has learned in the industry and all the ups and downs along the way. Let’s go between the ears…
Can you tell me about how you built confidence throughout your college years while not being in a program full-time?
“I was able to compete at Young Riders the summer before my sophomore year of college, and in doing so, I was named to the U25 Team. This opportunity, and getting help from Leslie Law were crucial to navigating the waters of upper-level competition. A year or two later, I was awarded the Essex grant, which was another huge boost to my confidence. Here I was, juggling school, competition, and training- and getting the validation that someone else saw my hard work was awesome. That summer, I came up to ride with Phillip Dutton, and I learned a lot from him as well as other professionals in the area. At that point, my confidence was very high.”
Zoe Crawford and K.E.C Zara. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
When was your confidence at its lowest? How did you get it back?
“I think the biggest thing that really rattled my confidence was following my first year at Kentucky. [K.E.C. Zara] had been so consistent on cross country, so I just really didn’t expect to fall off. Luckily, we both walked away fine, but the experience affected both of our confidence. It was the first time that I had a fall like that. Coming off of the event, I was lucky enough to have two other horses, one going Prelim and one going Intermediate, so I got to get right back out there. I did go quite slow on cross country while I was getting back into the groove of it and trusting myself again. But I think the confidence just came back with time and practice.
“When I got to go back to Kentucky with Zara, we made it through cross country, but that show was not without its challenges either. I had to face a huge mental battle when I was held on the cross country right before the exact spot where we had fallen before. Over the loudspeaker, I could hear it was Ashlynn Muechel whose fall had caused the hold on course. Ashlynn and I are friends, and we had driven up to the show together and were sharing a tack stall, so it was really hard to not think about her on top of all the other emotions I was experiencing. Zara is quite hot at events, which proved to be a welcome distraction. I had to use all of my concentration to keep her calm during the hold. I also took the opportunity to think about my game plan and realize that if I had to take some of the longer routes, that would be OK because my goal was to get through the finish flags.”
Zara and Zoe were ultimately spun at the second jog after their successful cross country completion at Kentucky in 2022. Luckily, it was just a little bit of soreness and the pair was able to compete at the Maryland 5 Star later that fall, complete with a double clear cross country ride and a top 20 finish. While gearing up for their Kentucky redemption this fall, Zara sustained an injury and is now enjoying retirement with Zoe.
Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Sally Spickard.
How are you dealing with Zara’s retirement?
“When I found out that Zara was injured, it was obviously bittersweet. I caught the leg right before we left for Stable View, and she wasn’t even lame on it, so on one hand, I was disappointed about the future but on another, I was so glad that I know my horse so well and trusted my gut to have her looked at. So I’m glad she’s ultimately OK, and she’s still here with me in my barn and I get to see her everyday. She’s 17 now and I’ve had her since she was six, and with all she’s given me, I just don’t think it’s fair to try to make her come back to compete at that level again, even though her prognosis looks great.
“Now that she’s retired, it’s almost like I’m starting over again. I currently don’t have any other horses competing at the upper levels, which is something I have to wrap my head around. Zara took me around Advanced for six years and now I don’t even have something going FEI. So now I’m just focusing on the lessons that I learned from her and how I can produce the horses that I do have now.”
Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Abby Powell.
Have you ever experienced burnout? How do you overcome it?
“I’ve been burnt out a few times on different levels. Sometimes it’s been when I feel like the horses haven’t been going as well as they should be, and sometimes it’s when I feel like I’m working away and not a whole lot is changing. The last time I was really feeling it, I had a conversation with my Dad and he asked me if I wanted to do something else, and that kind of snapped me right out of it. Even when the day to day stuff gets hard, it’s still what I want to be doing. I can’t see myself working a desk job and I know that there are going to be struggles everywhere you go. Zara helped put things in perspective for me, because the challenges that I’ve faced with her have given me confidence to handle other setbacks.”
Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara. Photo by Shelby Allen.
What advice would you give for someone in the sport that’s currently facing adversity?
“Sometimes you have to be one of your own biggest cheerleader, which can be really hard, but you have to be able to believe in yourself. I also feel like you have to have a few people that you can call and vent to, just so that whatever you’re going through, you can get it off your chest. The reality of the horse industry is that you might not be able to change the situation that you are in, so you have to have those people that are going to help you process your feelings.”
Zoe is working on rebuilding and refocusing her goals for this year, growing her business and building her team. One of the most unique things about our sport is that it’s so dependant on our horses, and sometimes they have their own needs and plans.
If you make the Olympic team for basketball, you don’t have to restart at the pee-wee game just because your basketball deflated, but when you’re an equestrian, you are going to have to constantly rebuild horses and partnerships from ground zero as part of the process. This is where separating yourself from results is an important part of mental health, from Beginner Novice to Advanced, and everything in between.
Dr. Tyler Held EdD CMPC is a professional groom and Certified Mental Performance Consultant. You may have seen her over the last few years working for International 5* Jennie Brannigan or listened to an episode of her podcast, The Whole Equestrian.
Tyler started riding in summer camp at the age of 5 and essentially never looked back. She obtained her Undergraduate degrees in Animal Science and Equine Business Management from the University of Findlay in 2014. During this time, she spent her summers doing her first working student job at an eventing barn and quickly became obsessed with the sport. After experiencing some mental blocks in her own riding, she decided to focus more on grooming and learning more about Sport Psychology. In 2017 she moved to Chester County, PA to work as a Vet Tech and groom for Dr. Kevin Keane, which opened a lot of doors in the eventing community.
Just as she finished her Master’s Degree in Sport and Performance Psychology, she took the reins at Brannigan Eventing as head groom. Now partially retired from grooming, Tyler is focusing on growing her consulting business, Thought Quest Mental Performance Solutions, and helping Equestrian athletes navigate the mental challenges that come with the sport.
Since my only child became an adult, my Christmas Days have been merry ones, spent in bed sipping something fancy. But this year I got my *** up and into outdoor clothes, pulled on my boots and headed to the barn to spend the day with my new horse. The usual cat lady mug in my stocking was swapped out for a horse mom one, and my non-horsey husband has admitted that he’s been upgraded to now-horsey husband. Here’s to many more horsey Christmases (and enjoy the video above of a Christmas made very special!).
U.S. Weekend Preview
It’s that time of year – nothing to add here.
Wednesday News and Reading
“A pony won’t fit on the sleigh” was a seasonal refrain repeated more than jingle bells in our house – it almost became a family Christmas tradition. It turns out, though, that sometimes Santa does manage to make kids’ horsey dreams come true. Here’s a round-up of reactions to getting the ultimate Christmas wish. [Best. Christmas. Ever]
It’s the perfect time to add a bit of flavor to your arena work by changing things up. These ten exercises are a handy way to break out of the rut that is the outside track and give you and your horse something to really think about. [Variety is the Spice of Life (and Arena Work)]
Riding bareback isn’t for everyone, but for Janet Jones, it’s a pretty awesome feeling. She shares her story of her love affair with bareback riding – from learning to ride right from the beginning sans saddle to navigating the fact that vaulting onto a horse in your forties is not quite the same as when you’re twenty-something. There are also some great tips for how to get started if you fancy it. [Au Naturel]
It’s always a good time to celebrate the people who are making a difference in the world through horses. From helping at-risk children to supporting US equestrian teams reach the pinnacle of their sports, find out about four individuals whose work is having a real impact. [Change Makers]
And finally, our friends at Horse Nation have rounded up some festive Thoroughbred names. Yes, Santa Claus is on there, but poor Rudolph doesn’t seem to be any more popular in the racing world than he is with the other reindeer. Check out who did make the cut. [Season’s Greetings]
Looking for a new home for the new year? Ocala Horse Properties has the beautiful Oaks & Meadows Farm for sale. This ten stall barn is only 20 minutes from WEC and features a 2 acre fully stocked pond.
Video Break
I always think this time between Christmas and New Year is a bit of a waiting game, and what better way to while away six hours than watching some throwback cross country?
Welcome to EN’s 2023 rewind! We’ll be resharing some of our most popular stories from the year throughout the last few days of 2023. This article first appeared on EN in March.
Want to sit the trot so well you start firing out sub-20 scores? Laura’s got the exercise for you. Photo by Shelby Allen.
A good friend of mine recently made the shift from mostly eventing to mostly dressage. The first questions she postulated for me were, ‘what does this mean for my exercise routine?’ and, ‘do you think that there is an exercise that I should be doing more now that I’m a dressage rider?’ The answer to both of those questions, though, goes much deeper than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
My first question in response to something like this is always this: Are you exercising outside of the tack? If you are exercising, I’m proud of you: that’s half the battle, and one where a lot of equestrians fall short already. In my book Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders there are event riders, jumper riders, and dressage riders as models. However, the routines aren’t specific for the discipline they represent. A dressage rider can get as much out of the Sharon White exercise routine as the showjumper can get from the routine with Lauren Sprieser.
I work with many event riders because, to be honest with you, this is the population I know best. However, I also train professional dressage rider JJ Tate, and have worked with many professional and amateur dressage riders. The exercises I have JJ doing aren’t all the same as the ones I prescribe to my event riders — however, there is also a lot of overlap, andvery rarely will any rider get through of a week without doing squats or bird dogs.
Here’s something that’s totally universal for riders of all disciplines, though: the best muscle to target if you want to develop an independent seat is the glute medius. I will say, of course, that most strictly dressage riders are already pretty strong in area of the body — however, the event rider tends to be a lot stronger in the hip adductors or the inner thigh. This comes from establishing a strong galloping position.
But what about those eventers who want to develop their seat to emulate the strength of dressage riders? A great exercise for transitioning from eventing to dressage is the fire hydrant, but this is also a great exercise for the strictly event rider to do as well, because it’s main focus is developing your glute medius. This exercise will help you to wrap your leg around the horse in the sitting trot and canter transitions, and it’ll also help with applying your leg correctly — a win all round!
The Fire Hydrant
To begin the exercise, start on all fours. Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
1. Start on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and you knees aligned under your hips.
Begin to lift your knee while keeping your spine straight. Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
2. Keeping your hands rooted into the ground, lift your knee off the ground.
Here’s an example of what it looks like when you let your spine rotate – don’t do this! Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
3. While staying strong in your spine (you don’t want too much rotation in your spine, so focus on staying straight), lift your leg to the side with your knee bent.
Instead, stay straight, move slowly and deliberately, and focus on your breathing, too, rather than quick fire reps. Photo by Tally Ho Creative.
4. Inhale as you bring it up, exhale as you bring it back down.
5. Repeat for two minutes or as long as you can, and then switch and do the other side.
Laura Crump Anderson is a certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and is a Registered 200 Hour Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines through her business, Hidden Heights Fitness, and is also the author of Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science, and has evented through Training level. Read more of her EN fitness columns here.
It’s all I can do, really, to muster up a tiny scrap of energy in my post-Christmas Day food coma to share the sentiments above with a hearty “same”. I hope you’re all enjoying a bit of down time after a hectic season — and if you need an excuse to take five, enjoy my pick of the reads of the day.
Every year, The Chronicle shares this tear-jerker of a Christmas story, and this year is no exception. It’s a sweet read on helping others’ dreams come true and grabbing your own by the horns, too, no matter how late in the game you might find yourself. It’s fine if you have a tiny little cry.
There are few eventers as ineffably cool and effortlessly glam as Ginny Elliott, and I never, ever get bored of deep-diving back into her horses and escapades of years gone by. If you, like me, want to be even a quarter as cool as this sporting pioneer, you’ll love reading some of her memories this morning as you get that first coffee of the day in.
And finally, Christmas Day might be behind us, but I’m stretching my festivities out for another few weeks. I mean, it’s going to take me at least that long to bother taking the tree down, so might as well, right? That’s why I’m telling myself that it’s not too late to share this horsey version of the Night Before Christmas.
Sponsor Corner: The best source of vitamin E is fresh green grass. In the winter time, it’s easy for our horses’ Vitamin E levels to drop low. Signs of low vitamin E include neurological problems, a damaged coat, and eye & muscle issues. Learn more on this with a handy graphic from Kentucky Performance Products.
Watch This:
Catch up with Elisa Wallace and mustang Dior as they tackle their first show together:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours from all of us here at Team EN! It’s been a year of extraordinary highs and crushing lows, with major victories and also plenty of sad goodbyes dotting the year gone by. Now, we hope you can all take a moment — or more — to celebrate all you’ve accomplished (or, perhaps, survived) this year and raise a glass to a new one to come. Eat, drink, be merry, and if all else fails, we’ll meet you in the barn!
Your Monday Reading List:
For some towns and cultures, horses aren’t just a part of the Christmas morning chore list — they’re a major player in the traditions of the holiday, too. Get to know how horses help make Christmas complete around the world in this round-up guide.
Is your New Year’s Resolution to buy the young horse of a lifetime at an elite auction? Great plan, if so — we’re huge fans of heading to Ireland, say, for a jam-packed couple of days of analysing quality horses and bloodlines and then losing our minds on auction day. But the whole thing can seem pretty intimidating, so it’s worth checking out this guide to getting it right as a buyer at your first auction experience.
Merry Christmas to everyone, but mostly to Sidelines Magazine’s Hot Horseman of the Year, Woods Baughman. Here at EN, we take this accolade and accomplishment very seriously, and definitely aren’t planning to get a series of comedy T-shirts made for Woods to don at trot-ups while we continue to bully him mercilessly on the internet. Definitely not. Anyway, you can read more about our favourite walking stud muffin here.
Got an unhorsey other half in need of a crash course in, well, horsing? Perhaps the time has come to sign them up for a comprehensive online learning course — or, I guess, you could just hand them a shavings fork and let them learn the hard way.
Morning Viewing:
Sneak in some festive polework with this set-up, the installation and execution of which should get you away from your family for a good hour or so:
