There’s something very special about Lipizzaners, and it’s not even really got anything to do with the high school classical dressage movements, the Hapsburg-era palace they perform in in Vienna (very cool, though, if you’ve not been), nor the incredible story of how they very nearly perished in the Second World War but were saved in a remarkable rescue mission. Instead, I’m talking about their universality for horse-crazy kids. They’re the ubiquitous pony magazine centrefold – like Akhal Tekes, they were one of those breeds none of us would ever actually encounter but we all knew so much about. Horse breed encyclopaedias highlighted them, VHS tapes on the beauty of the horse showed them in all their glory, and model horse companies shilled many a white horse into the clutches of a little girl. That’s why, at the age of 32, I think I still find myself transfixed by them – and why I was so excited to see that the FEI’s RIDE magazine put out a new episode focussing on their true home, the Lipica Stud in Slovenia. I’m already SkyScanner-ing my next holiday, frankly.
EN TRENDS:
Classic Eventing Nation
Creating a Peaceful Home for Horses with Sara Kozumplik
Sara Kozumplik and Rock Phantom. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Five-star eventer. USEA Governor’s Award Winner. Grand Prix show jumper. Sara Kozumplik is one of those highly experienced riders who has been there and done that. A life-long horse woman, Sara has been wintering in Ocala since 1999, when she was a teenager. After renting facilities for a number of years, she got the opportunity to create Overlook South, the sister farm to her Virginia facility, Overlook Farm, thanks to her long-time owner Edith Rameika.
I caught up with Sara to talk about her farm shopping journey and to get a bit of a barn tour through her top-notch facility. Bonus: she lets us in on her number one farm management secret.
Everyone has different goals when it comes to looking for their dream farm. Sara had a list of goals for her long-time friends and owners of Ocala Horse Properties, Chris and Rob Desino and Matt Varney. “The number one thing was a good property for the horses, a peaceful property, not on a busy road,” Sara said. “And I needed an area with enough hacking for my horses, as I do a lot of training on different surfaces.”
Sara was also looking for a farm with a good grass area for riding, plenty of turnout, and possibly a road that was suitable for hacking. Besides a peaceful location, Sara’s penultimate priority for the property was a concrete barn. “I didn’t want to have to build a barn. I wanted to be able to get into the situation without a whole lot of extra stress and hassle. So for me, that was really important. I wanted to be able to have the horse side of it as turnkey as possible,” Sara said. “I prefer concrete barns in Florida. Concrete barns are cooler and wood barns don’t last as long, thanks to all the heat and humidity.”
Because Edith, or “Edy,” was going to be investing in the property, Sara wanted to make sure it would be a good investment. To that end, she wanted it close to the World Equestrian Center and the University of Florida. She and Edy chose to work with Ocala Horse Properties to find the perfect property – and it wasn’t just because Sara has had a close relationship with Chris and Rob since they first started their business nearly two decades ago.
View this post on Instagram
According to Sara, the Ocala Horse Properties team knows Ocala and the surrounding area better than anyone else. “I use the best farriers and vets and trainers. Of course I’m going to use the best realtors, too,” Sara said. “They know exactly what I need as a sport horse rider, they know exactly what I’m interested in investment wise, and I don’t have to mess around.”
“Those guys have ridden and they’ve been athletes to the highest level of rowing,” Sara said. “So that makes them unique in the fact that they have a real understanding of upper level sport and equestrian sport.”
In the end, Sara purchased Overlook South because it checked the boxes on almost her entire checklist. Overlook South is located half a mile down a private road, which gives Sara the road hacking access she wanted. Covering 60 acres, Sara’s horses have plenty of room for both turnout and hacking. While it originally came with the gorgeous 18-stall concrete barn Sara wanted, she did install a large ring with top-notch Wordley-Martin footing and laid out her own pastures for turnout. The property also has a beautiful pond with a bridge that you cross to get back to Sara’s house, which she describes as “a heck of a lot nicer than I need.”
Overlook South covers 60 acres, but a third of it is heavily wooded. While this started off as a negative aspect of the property, it quickly became her favorite. “I thought well, that’s a lot of land that we’re not using, so that was a negative tick for me. But it ended up being the most positive aspect of the farm,” Sara said. “And the reason being is it’s provided us with peace and quiet. We’re a half mile from route 27, but I can’t hear anything. You can walk to HITS from where I am, but unless the wind is perfect, you can’t hear anything. My horses love it here because it’s so quiet.”
Creating a peaceful environment for her horses is hugely important to Sara — and her realtors were keen to prioritize that for her, too.
“Matt knew that I would love this property and I needed to come see it and he knows how much I like peace and he knows how much I want my horses to feel calm,” Sara said. “When there’s a lot of farms and a lot of stuff going on right next door, that energy can transfer over and stress everyone out. And I just didn’t want to deal with that. Matt said, ‘No, you need to come to see this property because I promise you you’re gonna love it.’ And he was right.”
Welcome to the dark side, kiddos! Photo via Sara Kozumplik Murphy on Facebook.
Sara has managed to maintain a peaceful environment for her horses, but also host clinics, a schooling show series, and camps, like the 2023 EA21 National Camp, thanks to the unique layout of the property and a house that’s perfect for entertaining. When you drive down the road to Overlook South, the main boarding and training barn is off to one side, while the competition/riding area is on the other. “The horse shows and clinics and the like are quite aways from the house and the turnout for the horses, but it’s close to the arena and some of the barn,” Sara described. “It’s plenty of room, but it’s also quite a consolidated area on one section of the farm, where the clinics and the horse shows and stuff like that are held. So, they don’t go all over everything and that makes it a little bit more peaceful by nature.”
While she’s all about keeping a peaceful environment, Sara is not going to shelter her horses either. “It’s not a bad thing for horses. Like, they can have peace most of the time,” She said. “But sometimes they’ve got things going on with their lives. They don’t always get peace, but that makes them a little bit more used to a big environment. Then when the day is over, everybody’s gone, and everyone gets to have a breath. And it still turns right back into that quiet home very quickly.”
[Side note here about the Winter Schooling Series I mentioned: if you’re in the Ocala area, I highly recommend you take advantage of this series. Here’s what Sara had to say about it: “It’s essentially just so that we have a place to practice over professionally designed courses with proper footing and proper jumps. It’s nice to be able to go and do a $40 round over a quality course as well and not have to break the bank every week. So we’ve been doing that for about seven years.”
You cannot beat a professionally designed course on great footing for $40 a round. Okay, back to business!]
Of course, it’s not just a facility that creates a peaceful environment for your horses. How you manage that property makes a massive difference in the happiness of the horses as well. When I asked Sara what her number one farm management tip was, she said, “The biggest secret to success is having the right people in the barn. You can have the most amazing facility going and you can still have very miserable horses if you don’t have the right people in the barn.”
For Sara, consistency is key. “Having new people show up every six months is not a good thing. I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve had the same team for a long time. But it’s also a two way street – the happiness of the workers has to be a priority.”
Because Sara travels often, she needs a team that she feels comfortable leaving unsupervised with her horses. “I also have to be on the road a lot in order to make enough money to keep everything going. So my main thing is that I have to trust people. I have to trust everybody that I have on my team, that they’re going to do what I asked them to do with my horses.”
View this post on Instagram
Once you have the right team in your barn, then Sara suggests having your horses outside as much as possible. “That is so, so, so important, right? Horses need to be able to get out and move around. It keeps them sound and keeps them happier,” Sara said. “They 100 percent have to have something to eat in front of them all of the time. Sometimes you have to have a Jenny Craig paddock so they don’t blow up like a balloon, but they still need something to pick at.”
Sara also had a tip that applies to all riders, not just farm owners. To put it simply: give your horse some downtime after you ride. “Horses need a second to have an opportunity to catch their breath, have a pee, and a drink,” Sara said. “You know, I’ve seen situations where people were riding their horses for an hour or even longer. Then they come back into the barn and they go straight to the wash stall. That drives me mental, like that horse is going to colic or something.”
“Our primary goal has to be a happy environment for the horses, and happy people create a happy environment,” Sara said. “The reason we work so hard is for them to be content, because they don’t ask for this life, you know?”
This article was sponsored by Ocala Horse Properties, the number one in Ocala farm sales for 15 years and counting. Find your dream farm, just like Sara Kozumplik. Start by browsing their listings here.
Write (or Video!) Your Way to Free Training from Great Meadow International with the Jimmy Wofford Essay Contest
Kristen Bond and Enough Already at Great Meadow. Photo by Jenni Autry.
One of the things that I always most loved about Jimmy Wofford was that all his (extensive!) equine knowledge and wisdom was so eloquently imparted: he was as good a writer as he was a rider and trainer, and I learned as much about the art and craftsmanship of creating brilliant sentences as I did about riding positively to a fence when reading his books and columns over the years.
Now, his extraordinary legacy is being honoured in a way that reflects his love for sharing knowledge, with the Jim Wofford Essay Contest, presented by Davis Equine. There will be two prizes on offer at this year’s MARS Great Meadow International (August 24–27): the Scholarship Prize “will be awarded to a GMI competitor based on their submission and their sportsmanship and horsemanship demonstrated throughout the weekend”, while the Development Prize is open to “all spectators, competition staff, volunteers, grooms, and participants of GMI for the current year.”
So what are those submissions? Well, although this is ostensibly an essay competition, it’s actually broader in scope than that – you can enter an essay, a video submission, or a quote concerning Jimmy’s training techniques. (If I were to be eligible to enter, I reckon I’d go down the route of a Woff-inspired cross-country day preview and predictions piece, which used to be the highlight of my horse-magazine-guzzling year. You’re welcome to take that idea and run with it, writers and vlogger types.)
Jim Wofford and Chinch share a moment.
The prizes, which are generously sponsored by Davis Equine, Ride Safe, the Virginia Equine Rehab Center, and the GMI organising committee, are fittingly educational: the winning contestant of the Scholarship Prize will receive a training stipend of $2500 to train with one of the trainers from a pool of trainers who previously trained with Jimmy, who will be selected by the organising committee, and will also receive a perpetual trophy. The Development Prize winner will receive a collection of Jimmy’s “most influential books about training techniques”, to be provided by Davis Equine, and an award certificate.
“Jim Wofford was a horseperson beloved by the local equestrian community and beyond,” says Dr. Chad Davis of Davis Equine. “Many of the riders at GMI have been influenced by Wofford. We wanted to honor his contributions to the sport, not only in this year, but for many years to come with the support of the community and this local event.”
Ready to enter? Click here and give it your best shot. Submissions are due on August 15, 2023 and winners will be awarded at Great Meadow International (August 24-27). And, as always, Go Eventing!
Thursday News & Notes
View this post on Instagram
With limited context to work with, I’m going to give you this gem of a photo to start your Thursday off right: it’s Mariah Carey, babyyyy, and her daughter Monroe, who appears to be a newly-confirmed horse girl and I am HERE FOR IT. Now we just need to get the Elusive Chanteuse on a horse.
US Weekend Preview:
Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY): Website | Scoring | Entry Status & Ride Times
The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD): Website | Scoring | Ride Times | Entry Status
Larkin Hill H.T. (NY): Website | Scoring
News From Around the Globe:
So often, simplicity is the key to great riding. Simplicity and – you guessed it! – great basics. That was the name of the game on day two of the EA21 West clinic, which took place in Washington state and focussed much of its attentions on the quality of the canter. Here’s what the participants learned, and some great inspiration for your weekend jump school.
We’re not the only people obsessed with Aachen. In Andrew Nicholson’s latest op-ed for Horse & Hound, the former winner espouses the event as the ideal showcase of our sport to a wider audience, and we couldn’t agree more. As an aside, it’s always a funny little thrill of sorts to bump into this absolute legend of the sport at the media centre coffee machine in the morning before he heads off on coaching duties. We’ll let it slide that he nicks our beverages, because he does write rather well.
Rich Fellers has pleaded guilty to being Not A Great Dude, Actually, and will likely serve four years in prison. While that seems like a pretty short sentence for a sexual abuse charge, it’s still heartening to see a case of this kind actually yielding some kind of punishment. Unrelatedly, this week, disgraced US Gymnastics ‘doctor’ Larry Nassar had a very bad time in prison after telling his fellow inmates that he wished the women’s tennis match at Wimbledon, which they were watching together, was being played by girls. Oh dear.
Watch This:
Time for a classic rewatch – this time, from 2009, where a baby-faced Michi Jung made his 5* debut at Luhmühlen with La Biosthetique Sam…and won it.
Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Desert Fun on the Coconino Training XC Course
The Coconino Horse Trials in Arizona just completed their Summer I and II series this weekend, and once again delivered another fabulous event. For us here in Utah, traveling to the annual two-week show is a big treat, and nearly half my barn team ventured into the mountain desert of Flagstaff this month to participate. The second weekend also includes the Area X Western Underground, Inc. Classic 3-Day Event series, which is always very exciting to see!
Ride Coconino’s Training course here with Brett Youssi and Finny’s Macho Man, who finished 4th in the Training Rider division on their dressage score in both weekends’ events — just their second and third recognized rides at the level. Congrats to all the riders on their success in the mountains!
Vet Recommended for Active Seniors
In this modern era, horses are living and performing well into their twenties and thirties. The maintenance of ample lubrication and durable articular surfaces within the joints is necessary to ensure long-term soundness and exceptional performance. Horses of all ages can benefit from the support of JointWise, a complete joint supplement.
- Maintains a balanced immune response within the joint, decreasing damaging inflammation and the development of osteoarthritis
- Preserves fluid motion and flexibility
- Supplies the building blocks necessary to support normal cartilage growth and the regeneration of damaged tissues
- Sustains ample high-quality synovial fluid, which lubricates and nourishes the joints
The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPVet.com
NEW EVENTING STICKER AVAILABLE. Visit https://kppusa.com/spring2023/ to grab one for your barn.
10 Products You’ll Need to Survive Fly Season
Who’s already fed-up with the flies? I know my horse is. I went through and found the top ten products you’ll need to make it through fly season with your horse (relatively) unbitten.
Maximum Airflow Meets Maximum Fly Protection
SmartMesh Ultimate Fly Sheet
I don’t know about where you live, but here in the Mid-Atlantic, it’s hot, like a step-outside-and-start-sweating-instantly type of hot. It’s tough to find a fly sheet that will offer your horse fly protection without causing them to overheat. That’s where the SmartMesh Ultimate Fly Sheet comes in. The super lightweight and breathable fine mesh allows for maximum airflow to keep your horse cool and comfortable, while still providing head to tail fly protection. Plus, it’s backed by SmartPak’s three year durability guarantee.
Relaxed Fit Fly Boots
SmartPak Deluxe Relaxed Fit Fly Boots
Chipped hooves. Foot soreness. Stone bruises. Did you know that all of these common hoof health issues can be caused by stomping at flies? As the owner of a finicky barefoot Thoroughbred, I’m unfortunately very familiar with all three. Fly boots could be the answer to better hoof health this summer, as they can dramatically cut down on how much your horse stomps at flies. These relaxed fit fly boots are designed to be as comfortable for your horse as possible, while still providing that desperately needed fly protection.
Fly Mask with Hard Core UV Protection
SmartPak UV90+ Fly Mask w/ Extended Nose
Owners of gray and bald-faced horses, this one’s for you. If you have a horse who needs sunscreen applied on a daily basis, this fly mask offers both UV90+ sun protection as well as fly protection. It has an extended nose that will cover your horse’s sensitive muzzle so you don’t have to spend your morning slathering sunscreen on a none-too-happy horse. If you have a horse who is prone to moon blindness and melanomas, consider using it year-round.
Fashionable Ear Protection
SmartPak Luxe Collection Ear Bonnet
If you have a horse that becomes personally offended by flies while being ridden, I’m sure you know that an ear net becomes your best friend in the summer months. Ear nets can cut down on head shaking, help your horse stay focused, and, most importantly, keep your horse happy while you ride. With the SmartPak Luxe Collection Ear Bonnet, you can look stylish and protect your horse from flies. Available in navy, black, and white, this ear bonnet features satin-like fabric on the ears and a sparkly rope trim to add just the right amount of bling.
Plant-Powered Fly Spray for Horse & Rider
OutSmart® Fly Spray
How many times have you sprayed yourself with your horse’s fly spray in a moment of desperation? Now you can spray yourself with a fly spray that’s actually safe for both you and your horse. OutSmart Fly Spray is made with Geraniol and Peppermint Oil, for a combination that works and smells amazing. This next-generation insect repellent is effective against house flies, stable flies, mosquitoes, and ticks.
Feed-Through Fly Protection
Smart Bug-Off Pellet
Feed-through fly supplements often get mixed reviews. But the SmartBug-Off Pellet has a total of four stars from over 1400 customers. With that many good experiences, it’s a safe bet that this supplement actually works. Picky eater approved, this supplement provides key ingredients to deter biting insects, such as garlic and apple cider vinegar. Plus, if your horse is prone to sweet itch, this supplement also supports healthy skin and a normal inflammatory response.
Set It and Forget It Fly Trap
Rescue Disposable Fly Trap
Imagine if you could remove 40,000 flies from your farm just by filling a bag with some water. With the Rescue Disposable Fly Trap, that’s actually a possibility. The reviews are glowing, with one reviewer proclaiming, “How dare you make a product that absolutely exceeds expectation.” Because the powder attractant is contained within the trap, all you have to do is fill it with some water and hang it up.
Hard Core UltraShield Fly Spray
UltraShield EX Fly Spray
Unfortunately, sometimes the natural fly sprays just don’t cut it. If you’re looking for a more intense fly spray, consider the UltraShield EX Fly Spray. The sweat resistant insecticide and repellent formula will protect your horse from more than 70 insect species for up to 17 days. It also contains sunscreens and coat conditioners to keep your horse looking great. However, use it sparingly! Insecticides can be harmful to pollinators.
Disguise Your Horse from Flies with an Earth-Friendly Fly Sheet
SmartPak Deluxe Fly Disguise Sheet with Earth Friendly Fabric
There’s been a lot of new products on the market lately that use zebra stripes to confuse flies and prevent them from landing. SmartPak’s version is a little more subtle. The SmartPak Deluxe Fly Disguise Sheet uses an innovative hexagonal pattern to confuse flies, making it hard for them to find your horse. As an added bonus, the fabric for this fly sheet is made from earth-friendly recycled materials. Each sheet saves 315 plastic bottles from the landfill.
Say Goodbye to Ticks
Equi-Spot Fly Control
Ticks seem to be the guest of honor so far this fly season. Prior to this year, I have picked one tick off my horse in the last four years. This season, I’ve pulled off more than I can count. You don’t want to mess around with ticks and the diseases they carry. I use Equi-Spot Fly Control to help combat these disgusting blood suckers. The heavy-duty permethrin formula kills and repels houseflies, stable flies, face flies, horn flies, eye gnats and ticks on horses and it lasts for two weeks.
There’s no way around it. Fly season is… well, not great. For many equestrians, it’s their least favorite time of year. Your horse won’t make it through the summer fly-free, no matter what you do, but you can at least make their quality of life a little bit better through the summer months with the right fly gear. I know my thin-skinned Thoroughbred appreciates a good fly spray and fly mask! What’s your favorite fly protection hack?
This article is sponsored by, you guessed it, SmartPak. Don’t let the flies stop you from riding your horse this summer. Click here to shop on SmartPakequine.com.
Zut Alors! Serious Home-Side Team Announced for European Eventing Championships + Nominated Entries Revealed in Full
Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza at Haras du Pin in 2022. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
What a week for Europeans team-spotters! Not only do we have the full list of nominated entries for each country, but another nation – and this time, the home one – has revealed its final squad of six for next month’s FEI European Championships, which will be held at Haras du Pin in Normandy from August 9–13.
The Championships will be used as “a full-scale rehearsal” for the French for next year’s Olympic Games, which are also set to be held in France and will also feature a cross-country course designed by next month’s designer, Pierre le Goupil.
The six selected horses and riders, in alphabetical order by surname, are as follows:
- Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine, owned by Philippe Lemoine, Guy Bessat, S.A.R.L. Ecurie Karim Laghouag and Camille Laffite
- Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau* Ride for Thaïs, owned by S.C.E.A. Ecurie du Cerisier Bleu
- Gireg Le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge, owned by Frédérique Grand and Augustin Grand
- Héloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre Z, owned by Bénédicte Le Guern and Philippe Le Guern
- Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza, owned by Jane Young and Martin Thurlow
- Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold*HDC, owned by Haras des Coudrettes
OR
Diabolo Menthe, owned by Mézard Sports and Françoise Niclaus
Chatsworth winners Stephane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The French Equestrian Federation (FFE) sat down for a chat with team chef d’equipe Thierry Touzaint upon the reveal of his squad, which features seasoned Olympians such as Nicolas Touzaint and Karim Florent Laghouag, as well as exciting up-and-comers, such as 2022 Bramham Under-25s CCI4*-L victors Héloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre, World Champs top-ten finishers Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza, and Chatsworth CCI4*-S winners Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau* Ride for Thaïs, who has been poignantly renamed to honour the young rider by whom he was produced and loved before her tragic death at Haras du Pin.
“My choice was, above all, focused on couples who have been successful for two years,” he explains. “If we take them one by one, they all shone at a very high level. This selection is therefore quite logical when you look at what they have shown. These are couples who present well on dressage and who are reliable on cross country.”
That, he hopes, will help them to clinch a podium finish and put valuable mileage on the clock ahead of next year.
“The objective is to bring back a medal above all, and why not to win? For that, you will have to be good from training. We will have nations like Germany and England to watch closely. We have a very good team, I am quite optimistic, I hope we will do something good,” he says, explaining that he will make his decision on which four will ride on the team itself, and which will compete as individuals, after the first horse inspection on the Wednesday of the event. “I like to see the terrain first, walk the cross country, see the quality of the ground… it can influence my choices. The team line-up and running order will be announced as usual after the first horse inspection on Wednesday August 9th.”
All the horses and riders named are, crucially, part of the ‘A’ list development squad for next year’s Olympics, and it’s telling that Thierry is choosing to put them forth for this challenge – but with a year yet to go before the Olympics, their names are not set in stone for that selection process, nor should riders who are conspicuous only by their absence here, such as Astier Nicolas, currently sidelined due to horse injury, or Tom Carlile, be considered out of the hunt for Paris.
“It is obviously an important step before Paris. Now we know that the Olympic format is very different, with only three pairs and a profile of the cross course that is generally not very difficult. Dressage will be really decisive next year. There are still couples who can join the group for selection. There will be 4 and 5 star international events at the end of the season which will give me a lot of information.”
European Championships team announcements:
The 9 Principles of the “Dialogue of Motion”
In this excerpt from Ridden: Dressage from the Horse’s Point of View, dressage judge and classical trainer Ulrike Thiel gives us nine principles we must understand to communicate efficiently, fluidly, and understandably with our horses.
Image by Horst Streitferdt.
The fundamental mind-body principles of the dialogue of motion between horse and rider are implicitly incorporated in the classical dressage teachings, though not with any such terminology or labels attached. Therefore, I have given these principles names that have helped my students understand them.
1: The Arch Principle
As horizontally oriented beings, horses lift their backs when ridden correctly, and it is the curve of the arched back that lets us sit comfortably. As vertically moving beings, we humans must arch forward our chest-stomach-hip regions. The arch in horse and rider allows more to be accomplished with less (unnecessary and perhaps disruptive) movement. When horse and rider succeed in “tuning” their respective arch to the other’s, little movements can have a large effect.
2: The Independence Principle
The rider must be able to move all her body parts and muscles independently from one another, without losing balance, blocking the dialogue of motion, or disturbing the horse’s movement. Many body movements are naturally connected in our coordination system. We have to learn to first separate them in order to be able to intentionally employ them as individual elements. In addition, we must be able to tighten and relax specific areas of the body, either simultaneously or sequentially.
Appropriate exercises on the longe line can help riders learn how to do this, but there are also some that can be practiced in everyday life. The development of the rider’s independent coordination is comparable to the regular daily exercises required of a ballet dancer.
3: The Scales Principle
This principle is seen most clearly in the “relative elevation” that is characteristic of collection—the horse is beyond his natural horizontal balance and in an uphill balance, with his hindquarters a little lower and deeper (further beneath the horse’s torso) than the forehand, as seen when one side of a pair of scales is weighted.
The Scales Principle begins with engaged, forward-downward riding while stretching, and it ends with the levade. The scales are weighted by little more than a half-halt. The rider “holds” the horse with her seat and under her weight, the “rear scale” (hindquarters) automatically stays down while the “front scale” (forehand) lifts a little without the horse having to push harder off the ground with his front legs.
4: The Balance Principle
The horse can only balance the rider while staying true to his path of travel when the rider sits vertically in the saddle. If the rider cocks one hip or pulls one leg up, then the horse must step under the displaced weight. On a circle the horse will drift in, while on a straight line, he will have to change direction.
The horse doesn’t naturally turn while making good use of his hind end as we want him to in a change of direction. His weight tends to fall on the forehand. This causes many riders to ride turns using undesirable “secondary aids,” sometimes without even knowing it. Here again, lessons on the longe line can be of benefit as the horse teaches us to feel his movement on the turn, and the rider learns to correct herself in response to the horse.
5: The Anticipation Principle
The rider must look forward, think in advance, and give the horse enough time to incorporate her signals into his own movement plan. She must allow time for her movement impulses to be expressed through the horse’s.
When the rider just “goes along” with the movement of the horse, we miss a certain dynamic. It isn’t clear to the horse what should actually be happening and consequently he can’t prepare himself properly. When the rider thinks far enough ahead, her anticipation is translated through her body, and there is the feeling that she gives the horse a subtle suggestion, and then rider and horse complete the movement together.
6: The “Plug” Principle
Our two seat bones are the two prongs of the “plug” of communication. Only when they are in direct contact with the horse can the most important connection occur. The seat bones can only stay in contact with the horse when the rider sits straight with her vertebral column in a natural, neutral, S-shape. A helpful image is to imagine the rider as Donald Duck, with his tail stuck out behind him. (This position should not be confused with riding with a hollow back.)
The lower back musculature must be well trained to be able to sit the canter (for example) while keeping the “plug” plugged in.
7: The Dialogue Principle
Horse and rider both have their part to play in their dialogue of motion. Both are involved in the decision regarding what will be done next. Horse and rider listen to each other and adjust to each other. Every new individual movement is the result of a conversation.
8: The Concentration Principle
Only when the rider fully concentrates on her horse and her task can she expect the same focus on her from her horse.
On the one hand, this principle is simply a matter of courtesy. On the other, the complex mind-body activity of riding can only be mastered when energy is not lost or wasted on other, unrelated tasks. This goes for both the rider and the horse. When one of the two is distracted, the dialogue of motion suffers considerably. For example, shying horses are frequently the result of riders who aren’t concentrating.
9: The “Here-and-Now” Principle
When riding, the only thing that matters is the moment of moving together and what we want to achieve in that motion. Stresses, worries, and problems disturb this process and have no place in the saddle. Negative feelings and experiences should not be taken with us to the barn; they cause us to react unfairly to the horse, our partner.
Even when something goes wrong while riding, the rider shouldn’t brood over it while in the saddle. That goes for during competition as well as in daily practice. You can think about what went awry later. The next movement, and your horse, deserve your full concentration.
Image courtesy of Horse & Rider Books.
This excerpt from Ridden: Dressage from the Horse’s Point of View by Ulrike Thiel is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com).
Wednesday News & Notes from Ocala Horse Properties
The final leg of the Baton of Hope tour took place in London last weekend and event riders were in the saddle showing their support.
Olympic gold medalist Oliver Townend, 5* rider and mental health advocate Mollie Summerland and Eventing Performance Manager Richard Waygood rode from Wellington Arch to Horse Guards Parade with The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment as they carried the baton towards its final destination of the Houses of Parliament.
Baton of Hope is intended to “encourage necessary, open conversations” about suicide awareness and prevention. Riders Minds, an online resource dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of equestrians, is a partner to the Baton of Hope, and played a major part in the ridden leg of the London route.
Mollie Summerland has shared her own stories of mental health via her social media channels; she told British Equestrian: “It’s really important that we’re here today, and to be able to talk about a topic that needs to be raised, have more awareness of and be spoken about more. To be able to ride through the streets of London and play a small part in helping suicide prevention – I hope it shows that even in the darkest times, there is hope and they are not alone.”
Find out more about Baton of Hope and Riders Minds, and read the full story here.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Larkin Hill H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Major International Events
Haras de Jardy (FEI Nations Cup) (France): [Website] [Timing & Scoring] [Schedule]
Wednesday News and Reading
For the first time in ten years (!!), Horses Inside Out is coming to the US. Using painted horses, the lecture-demo will teach you all about musculoskeletal anatomy, posture, and the effects of saddlery and riders on our horses. It’s perfect for equine pros and amateurs alike, and it starts today at Morven Park. [Don’t Miss Out]
Aiming for the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships? Then US Eventing wants your story! Between August 29th and September 3rd, Kentucky Horse Park will host divisions from Beginner Novice right through to Advanced, and US Eventing will be warming us up with stories of some of the competitors. Fancy being part of the action? Send your 800-1200 word stories to [email protected] before Friday July 21st. [In Your Own Words]
Science and stats meet eventing as proposals are put forward to increase safety in our high-risk sport. Research into cross country falls, fence and course design and overall risk factors has concluded in four evidence-based recommendations for how eventing can be made safer for both horses and riders. Covering qualification criteria, risk-profiling of horses and courses, and a disqualification limit on dressage scores, the proposals are said to be “actionable and achievable interventions” that will “improve welfare, whilst also helping to protect the social license to operate for the sport”. [Safety In Numbers]
They say ‘a change is as good as a rest’ (or ‘a spell’ if you’re Aussie, apparently) and it turns out this is true for horses too. We’ve all hit a plateau in our gym work (or perhaps have heard that that’s a thing if you’re not of the gym-going variety). Progress seems to stall, which is frustrating, and boredom lurks just around the corner. But did you know that a repetitive routine for horses can also lead to tiny injuries accumulating? Yes, repetition is important when we’re training horses, but too much of something – no matter how good it may be – is generally a bad thing (for sure this is true for tequila and chocolate cake). So, is the answer a rest day? Not necessarily. Here are some useful ideas for how to engage your horse in ‘active rest’ (think body builder taking a day off the weights to enjoy a little yoga, for example). [Changing Things Up]
Ah, Pony Club Camp – do I have some tales to tell..! My camp experiences happened in Kenya as part of the Nairobi Pony Club. They involve horses being spooked by waterbuck, galloping alongside zebra, and long-drop toilets you should definitely never look down. Horse and Hound have gathered together some of their best memories and want you to share yours too. [What Happens at Pony Camp…]
And finally, a farewell to the planet’s biggest rocking horse. The 5,500 pound giant has been tethered in Innisfil, Ontario since 2008, but the land it stands on is being used for road development and the enormous cost of moving the wooden equine means that its destined to be demolished. [Rock-a-Bye]
Sponsor Corner
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C, owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Debby Palmer, had a fantastic run at CHIO Aachen that helped Team USA secure a silver medal in the SAP Cup. Relive the moment with this video from Liz’s Instagram.
Video Break
Inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022, Lipizzaner horses date all the way back to 1580.
Lipica, in Slovenia, is the largest Lipizzaner stud in the world, and is home to more than 300 of these gorgeous white horses.
Fun fact: Lipizzaners are born dark and lose their color as they mature.
Learn more about these awesome horses, the people who care for them, and the riders who work with them on their impressive repertoire of skills in today’s video break, and read all about this historical stud here.
Q&A with Gillian Higgins: Understanding Anatomy to Improve Equine Welfare & Performance
If you’ve ever seen the incredibly interesting photos of horses with the musculoskeletal system intricately painted onto their coat, then you’re familiar with Gillian Higgins’ work.
For the first time since 2013, Gillian is coming to the United States to teach a clinic at Morven Park Equestrian Center in Leesburg, VA, made possible by the North American Saddlery School and HCS, USA Saddlery. I caught up with her to find out who she is, why she’s passionate about equine anatomy and biomechanics, and what riders can expect to learn from her. If you’re local to Leesburg, be sure to sign up for the Horses Inside Out clinic happening tomorrow (July 12) to learn from the expert herself!
Photo courtesy of Gillian Higgins
Prior to founding Horses Inside Out, Gillian had a varied career. She’s worked in all sorts of bodywork, for humans and horses alike, including working as a human sports and remedial therapist, equine sports massage therapist, equine chiropractic manipulator, and BHS Senior coach/trainer. She trained to be a human sports and remedial therapist at the Nottingham School of Massage and Manipulation, before learning equine sports massage with Mary Bromiley. Since then, she’s written 11 books on the subject of equine anatomy and biomechanics with topics ranging from pilates for horses to massage for horses.
After realizing how many of her clients and students could benefit from learning more about equine anatomy, Gillian started hosting small little clinics just for her contacts and it grew from there. Since founding Horses Inside Out in 2006, Gillian has taught at veterinary universities, to professional saddlers and saddle fitters, and to other therapists and equine bodyworkers. “Whatever we do with horses, the more we can learn about anatomy, the better we can ride, train, and look after our horses. For me, that’s what it’s all about. It’s making sure that we’re doing the best we possibly can to help these gorgeous, gorgeous horses,” Gillian said.
Gillian Higgins and Freddie Fox, photo courtesy of Gillian Higgins.
Q: You have a great quote on your website, “Study the bones of a horse well and they will tell you a story because anatomy reflects function.” Can you explain what you mean by that?
The more you study anatomy, the more you realize just how much of a story it can tell. For example, the shape of the bones, how they change, how they adjust. So if you take the natural shape first, that can give you information about what it’s designed to do. Why are muscles shaped the way they are? That can help us to understand how horses move, why they move that way, and perhaps why they don’t move in other ways. And I think that can help us to understand how and why we should be training our horses.
In the early days of Horses Inside Out, I had this fabulous horse named Freddie Fox. I had him from when he was five to when he was 25. And very sadly, in 2021 we had to have him put to sleep. I made the very difficult decision to build his skeleton and unveil it at our annual conference earlier this year. When I did my talk about it at the conference, I saw how many lives Freddie touched, through demonstrations, through my books, through our online academy. He has helped so many people to learn about anatomy and biomechanics.
After knowing him his whole life and then being able to see his skeleton really epitomized exactly what I mean when I say that bones tell a story. I could see everything about Freddie’s life through his skeleton, from his medical history to how he rode under saddle. On top of informing us about arthritic changes and other health issues, bones can tell us about muscular asymmetry through attachment points. If a horse is moving asymmetrically, you can actually see a slight change in the shape of the bone.
I suppose another example would be how anatomy reflects function in terms of posture. When we talk about improving a horse’s way of going, we’re talking about improving posture. So if you walk up to a yard and look at a horse and how he chooses to stand in that moment, you’ll have people say, “oh, that’s just because he’s slouching in that moment.” But, how you are in that relaxed moment is a reflection of how you are most of the time. So a horse standing in the yard with his hind leg out behind him, with his back down and the base of his neck forward– that is a reflection of how he’s going to be when ridden.
The more you study anatomy, the more it becomes more useful and allows you to better assess horses and improve the way you train.
Photo courtesy of Gillian Higgins
Q: How can Horses Inside Out benefit the average horse owner?
I think it’s up to us as horse owners, riders, and professionals to take responsibility for our horse’s posture and way of going. We have to think of ourselves as personal trainers to our horses and good personal trainers really know and understand the body and that’s basically what we’re talking about here. If we really understand the anatomy of the horse, the biomechanics, then we’re going to be able to better assess your horse, to better know what your horse needs, and to understand what you’re asking of the horse.
So yes, Horses Inside Out is about understanding anatomy. But actually it’s really about, what can we do about it? Learning what training is appropriate and what is the right sort of cardiovascular fitness, and understanding why we’re doing that cardiovascular fitness -– because we want our horses to be healthy.
Three things horse owners will learn through Horses Inside Out are:
1. Understanding how the weight of the rider comprises the horse’s posture, their ability to move, and their ability to balance. By ensuring your horse moves correctly, you’re making the horse’s job easier and more enjoyable.
Some of the muscles that support the rib cage effectively were designed to support the horse’s breathing. Yet, we have the weight of the rider on top of them, and those breathing muscles suddenly become load bearing. So, the question becomes how can we strengthen those muscles? Cardiovascular fitness, or getting your horse breathing hard, will strengthen those muscles and make your horse’s job easier.
2. Horses Inside Out encourages horse owners to think differently about fitness. For example, the question, “How fit does my horse need to be?” Let’s say I only hang out at the barn on the weekend and we just go for a walk down the road. Does that horse need to be cardiovascularly fit to just walk on a flat surface? Well, no he doesn’t. He’s not gonna get out of breath walking down the road.
Fit horses will have better posture, will have stronger backs, and will be better able to support their ribcage, which is what we’re sitting on. So yeah, the horse doesn’t need to be cardiovascularly fit to walk down the road. But if they are, they’re going to be so much better at carrying the weight of the rider.
3. Understanding equine anatomy puts more pieces of the puzzle in place and ultimately means we can better look after our horses. Horses Inside Out is about anatomy and biomechanics, but it’s also about understanding assessment exercises for improving posture, movement, and training performance.
We all love our horses and we want the best for our horses and I think this is particularly important in today’s world. We need to do everything that we possibly can to make sure that they are conditioned, including both musculoskeletal conditioning and cardiovascular conditioning. We have to ensure their bodies are strong and capable for the job that we’re asking them to do and so that they’re strong enough to enjoy the work we’re asking them to do.
Q: What is one thing you wish every rider knew about equine anatomy?
I wish every rider understood that the most common cause of riding-related injury in horses is repetitive strain. Very often people will say repetitive strain injury is caused by a rider doing too much canter work on hard ground, or drilling too much left shoulder-in, or practicing a specific dressage move over and over again. And all of those things are true, to a certain extent. Repetitive strain injury can be caused by all of these factors.
But repetitive strain injury is often caused by asymmetrical biomechanics in the horse’s body– or, putting it simply, bad posture.
When a body, horse or human, is in perfect posture it is also in perfect symmetry. And when it moves, the forces within the body will be evenly distributed. So for example, if you run and you have poor posture, let’s say you have a tendency to slump your shoulders and your head goes forward, you’re going to put more strain at the back of your neck.
If a horse has a tendency to go a little bit extended in the back and carry the base of the neck forward and down, which is the same sort of scenario as to the human running with slumped shoulders, you’re going to have more strain in certain areas. If you’ve got asymmetry within the body and poor posture, you’re going to have asymmetrical forces through the body. So if some areas get more force and others less force because your horse is working in a poor posture, it doesn’t matter how much you vary your training. Your horse could still develop a repetitive strain injury.
–
The Live Painted Demonstration will be taught by Gillian on July 12th at the Morven Park Equestrian Center in Virginia. Hosted by the North American Saddlery School and HCS, USA Saddlery, you can expect a mix of educational demonstrations, applicable exercises, and some vendor shopping. In true British fashion, there will be a tea break halfway through the clinic.
“We’re so thrilled to be bringing Gillian over to the United States,” said Amber Markley, co-owner of both the North American Saddlery School and HCS, USA Saddlery. “As a saddlery and saddlery school, we’re passionate about helping horse owners better understand how equine biomechanics impact performance and horse welfare, particularly when it comes to saddle fit. Bringing Gillian here to provide quality education and knowledge was a mission close to our hearts.”
Gillian brings her love and passion for horses to everything involved in Horses Inside Out. She says it’s not about memorizing the names of the bones, muscles, etc. “It’s about how we as riders, trainers, and owners, use that information to help our horses because at the end of the day, we all love our horses.”
If reading this article brought out your inner horse nerd, like me, click here to sign up for the clinic.
This article is brought to you thanks to support from Horses Inside Out, Gillian Higgins, North American Saddlery School, and HSC, USA. We’ll have a full recap of the clinic coming soon on EN!
