Classic Eventing Nation

Friday News & Notes Presented by Zoetis

By on Apr 1, 2022 12:03 am -

Life is exhausting. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Every March when the spring grass arrives, my horses stuff their faces all night, and then come in for their breakfast and not-so-politely refuse to do work in the morning. This is because they all need to take multiple naps flat-out in the stall, to rest from the face-stuffing and the exhaustion of digestion, I suppose. All of mine have realized that not only do they not have to get up when I enter the barn, but they are fully able to resist my attempts to rouse them and get them to work. Have I mentioned that I am their employee??

U.S. Weekend Preview

Stable View Spring 2*/3*/4* (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Galway Downs International H.T. (Temecula, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Photographer] [Volunteer]

Morven Park Spring H.T. (Leesburg, Va.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (Altoona, Fl.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Inspired by Will Coleman’s recent success? You can read an in-depth review of a recent clinic where he taught riders and horses of all ages and experience levels. “A happy horse will always be more successful than an unhappy one,” Will said to the assembled riders, whose mounts ranged from an off-the-track Thoroughbred and a homebred Warmblood-cross to a PMU rescue horse and a Shetland Pony. “If you can get to a point where you feel like you give the horse a reason to come out and work for you every day, you’re always going to have a better chance of getting not only a better performance but a much more enjoyable and fulfilling performance.” [10 Training Tips from Will Coleman]

Now that Kentucky entries are out, we are all completely giddy at the list. U.S. eventers know #LRK3DE is the best weekend all year and on the world stage, the best riders in the sport have realized first-hand just how good a weekend it is. Not only is the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event a key leg of the Eventing Grand Slam, but the Kentucky Horse Park is also a strategic venue for another type of elite achievement – the title of FEI World Number One. Every single World Number One of the last decade competed at Kentucky the year they were crowned the best in the world and, more importantly, they each relied on and counted their Kentucky result to take them to number one status. Quite literally, the famed Kentucky Horse Park has annually attracted and hosted the best event rider on the globe. Here’s how LRK3DE has made its mark at the top of the world. [World Number Ones Are Made in Kentucky]

Ex-eventer thoroughbred Jack Reacher battled a suspensory injury and a life-threatening coffin bone infection that kept him out of the show ring for nearly 2 years. His owner/rider John Tyson simply hoped the gelding would be sound enough to retire to pasture. But in 2021 they had a fairy-tale season, culminating with The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award at U.S. Dressage Finals. [OTTB Overcomes the Odds]

The USEA would like to know if you are planning to compete in the 2022 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (AEC) taking place at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana on Aug. 30 – Sept. 4, 2022. [Answer the Question]

Thursday Video: Texas Rose Lower-Level Spotlight

By on Mar 31, 2022 7:00 pm -

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. took place over the weekend in Tyler, Texas, featuring Tadpole through Advanced/Intermediate Divisions. As much as we love watching upper-level horses soar to great heights, it’s just as much if not even more rewarding to see determined, confident rides around the pre-Novice levels — like these!

Here are some videos of winning Beginner Novice and Tadpole cross country rides from our friends at RNS Video Media.

View complete Texas Rose results here.

Jr. Beginner Novice Rider B: Carter Jackson and Catch Me K (29.1)

Open Beginner Novice: Kalie Beckers and Sweater Weather (27.1)

Sr. Beginner Novice Rider B: Susan Benator and Robby (35.3)

Tadpole: Olivia Miller and Marley (33.3)

Other pre-Novice level division winners include:
Jr. Beginner Novice Rider A: Allie Jones and Master Envoy (30.3)
Open Beginner Novice: Kalie Beckers and Sweater Weather (27.1)
Sr. Beginner Novice Rider A: Kristi Boyd and Fenway (31.5)
New Event Horse: Katherine Hyndman and Hollymead Swan River (65.850)
FEH – 1 year old: Elizabeth Mulroney and Beatrice MRF (83.850)
FEH – 2 year old: Ann O’Donnell and TGS Alls Well Mister Perry (83.050)
FEH – 3 year old: Ann O’Donnell and TGS Lions Sunshine (79.750)
FEH – 4 year old: Miranda Ford and Flagmounts Scandal (81.800)
YEH – 4 year old: Janet Marden and Flagmount’s Reatta (76.500)
YEH – 5 year old: Kim Wendel and MBF Gambler (82.150)
Starter A: Hailey Brinson and Wyn In Dublin (31.3)
Starter B: Janet Marden and Flagmount’s Reatta (34.0)

Go Eventing!

What’s Your Favorite Kentucky Memory?

By on Mar 31, 2022 4:30 pm -

We’re excited to see the return of the Behind the Barn series for this year’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. This video series is the brainchild of Athletux founder Frankie Thieriot-Stutes, and this year the videos feature clips from each rider interviewed as they muse on a variety of topics surrounding the #BestWeekendAllYear.

The series kicks off today, supported by Mane ‘n Tail Equine, and the first topic at hand is each rider’s favorite Kentucky memory. From the first trip around the famous Bluegrass cross country, to the thrill of the cheering crowd, to that feeling of finishing, find out what your favorite rider recalls about their years at the Kentucky Three-Day Event!

Stay tuned for many more Behind the Barn videos coming your way all through April. We’ll see you in Kentucky!

2022 Land Rover Kentucky Entry Preview: Two Grand Slam Winners Headline 57-Strong 5* List

By on Mar 31, 2022 11:00 am -

Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

After entries for the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event closed this week, I think all of us here at EN broke our refresh buttons looking for the finalized list of accepted entries. Now we finally have a look at the 57 5* and 48 4* entries — including not one, but two Rolex Grand Slam winners! — that will descend on the Bluegrass State in just about a month’s time. The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian, will run from April 28 through May 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

It’s a thriller of an entry list, thanks to a mix of familiar names and faces as well as some exciting new ones that we’ll see at the level or here in Kentucky for the first time. This year will welcome five 5* “rookies”: Josephine Schnaufer-Völkel (Pasadena 217), Woods Baughman (C’est La Vie 135), Marc Grandia (Campari FFF), Alexandra MacLeod (Newmarket Jack), Lexi Scovil (Chico’s May VDF Z), and Booli Selmayr (Millfield Lancando).

2021 USEF National Champion here at Kentucky and winner of the inaugural Maryland 5 Star last October On Cue, piloted by Boyd Martin, will compete at Kentucky alongside stablemate Tokyo Olympian Tseterleg TSF. The other members of the U.S. team in Tokyo are also entered: Phillip Dutton with Sea of Clouds, Doug Payne with Vandiver and Quantum Leap, and Tamie Smith with Fleeceworks Royal (Mai Baum will compete at Badminton).

Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135 are one pair making their 5* debut in Kentucky. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Canada will be represented this year by: Hawley Bennett-Awad (Jollybo), Lisa Marie Fergusson (Honor Me), and Jessica Phoenix (Bogue Sound and Wabbit). Karl Slezak is also entered with Fernhill Wishes, but will instead compete at Badminton.

This will be the first year since 2019 that both Kentucky and Badminton will run; in 2021, Kentucky was able to run thanks to the fundraising efforts of Dorothy Crowell, Sara Kozumplik, and Lynn Symansky, prompting multiple UK and European pairs to hop over for a 5* run. This year, we’ll welcome a robust handful of international-based entries from Ireland, Germany, and Great Britain.

Maryland 5 Star winners Boyd Martin and On Cue — can they do it again in Kentucky? Photo by Abby Powell.

Yes, this includes three-time Kentucky winner and Rolex Grand Slam winner in 2016, Michael Jung, who will bring his Tokyo Olympic partner, fischerChipumuk FRH for a first crack at the Kentucky bluegrass. Michael will be joined by compatriot Josephine Schnaufer-Völkel, who will contest her first 5* with the 15-year-old Westphalian mare, Pasadena 217.

British Grand Slam winner Pippa Funnell, who won Badminton in 2002 followed by Kentucky and Burghley in 2003, also returns to Kentucky with two entries: the 15-year-old Irish gelding Majas Hope, who came fifth at the pop-up Bicton 5* in 2021 along with 5* debutante Maybach, a 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood who finished off 2021 with a top-10 finish in the 4*-L at Blenheim. Pippa has not competed at Kentucky since 2003, save a fifth place individual finish at a little competition called WEG in 2010.

Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH in Tokyo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Fellow Brit Sarah Bullimore will also make her return to Kentucky, this time with her homebred 2021 European Championships partner, the 11-year-old Oldenburg Corouet. This pair finished strong at Europeans, earning bronze competing as individuals.

Also joining the British contingent this year will be Yasmin Ingham, making her Kentucky debut with the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding Banzai Du Loir. This is a pair who delivered a stunning performance under pressure last fall to win the CCI4*-L at Blenheim Palace.

We’ll also welcome Irish Olympian Joseph Murphy, who will make his first start at Kentucky with the 11-year-old Calmaro. This pair earned a top-15 finish in the German gelding’s 5* debut at Pau in 2021; Calmaro was also piloted in his younger years by British Olympian Laura Collett.

Jonelle Price and McClaren. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

New Zealand will be represented by both U.S.-based Joe Meyer, bringing forward the 14-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred Johnny Royale for a third crack at the 5*, as well as Jonelle Price, who will pilot former Mark Todd ride McClaren in the pair’s second 5* start since Jonelle took over the ride in 2020. This pair finished in a very competitive third position at Pau in 2021.

The full 5* entry list can be downloaded here.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Looking to the CCI4*-S, which was a new addition to the Kentucky weekend starting in 2021 (and quickly garnered the labels “CCI5*-S” and “4*-S Olympics”), a total of 48 entries have been accepted. Notable names on the 4* entry list include Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z, Colleen Loach with the rising stars FE Golden Eye and Vermont, Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS, Dan Kreitl and Carmango, Doug Payne and Starr Witness.

You can view the 4* entry list here.

Keep an eye right here on EN for much more news to come from Kentucky. We have a lot of fun things in store for you as we welcome spectators back to the #BestWeekendAllYear next month, including a special course walk in partnership with Ride IQ, contests and giveaways running all month, and all-new EN merchandise. In the meantime and as always, Go Eventing!

Sport Horse Nation Spotlight: Four Handsome Hanoverians

By on Mar 31, 2022 11:00 am -

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

Hanoverians are popular one among eventers and for good reason — they can win the dressage and have scope to spare. In 2021 the breed placed fourth in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses/Rolex FEI Eventing Studbook Rankings, just behind #1 Studbook Selle Français, #2 Holsteiner, and #3 Irish Sport Horse. View the 2021 studbook rankings here.

Here are four that have recently come available and are listed on EN’s sister classifieds site, Sport Horse Nation.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Training Packer, Prelim Miles

2011 17hh Hanoverian bay gelding

Finn has an extensive Eventing record at training level with his amateur owner. He has recently made a successful upgrade to preliminary with a professional. Finn is well schooled up to third level in dressage. Easy to handle with no vices. $85k. Call Waylon at 484 753 2664.

Located in Buckhead, GA.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Valerrama~Quality 2018 Hanoverian Mare

2018 16h Bay Hanoverian Mare by Viva Voltaire.

Val is a fabulous prospect for an ambitious AA or Pro! She can go in virtually any direction: She is jumper bred, but has 3 terrific gaits and so is suitable for Dressage, Eventing and Show Hunters. She is very brave, quite self possessed, personable, and has just begun training under saddle. We have jumped her on the line and she shows super interest in jumping and has been light on her feet with tidy form from moment one.

Terrific one to catch early: Has “go”, but not hot. Loose mover, but medium length body: so neither weak, nor lacking step or scope.

She is a lovely type to make up in any direction!

Located in Aiken, SC.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

5-year-old Ready to Go Up the Levels

Looking for a special young horse to bring up the levels of eventing? Let’s Dance WBF is bred to be an eventer and has been thoughtfully developed with a strong base of education and is ready to compete this spring! She is by Highland Imperius (83% blood by Master Imp, out of a Cavalier Royale – Clover Hill mare) and out of Donna Negra (Hanoverian foal champion by De Noir out of a Heraldik mare). Harriet is lovely to have in the barn, very sensible for her age, hacks out, and has correct gaits. She has been out cross-country schooling and to schooling shows and is the same at home and away.

Located in Round Hill, VA.

Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Honey mare 9-yold Hanoverian X thoroughbred!

9-year-old Hanoverian X Thoroughbred mare, by Rio’s Filius W
15.3 hands, build like a warmblood and easy keeper.
Bought from a professional rider in june 2019 and ridden since by a junior rider. She is currently showing in pre-training and will compete at Rocking Horse Winter III in Florida.
She is training to compete in training this show season. No tic or vice.
She is a stunning mare that love to work, easy to manipulate, brave and fair with jumps!

Located in Pittman, Florida until April 17th.

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

Volunteer Nation: 3 USEA Events That Could Use a Hand This Weekend

By on Mar 31, 2022 9:00 am -

 

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A post shared by Stable View (@stableviewaiken)

Go ahead and pick up that crack-of-dawn volunteer shift. Early birds get a free front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest performances.

Three USEA events — Rocking Horse in Altoona, FL; Stable View in Aiken, SC; and Morven Park in Leesburg, VA — are all still seeking a few good volunteers for their weekend events.

Besides natural splendor, volunteering comes with lots of perks. At Stable View, featured above, for instance, benefits of volunteering include: great snacks, best seats at the event, you can meet new friends and learn about the sport from the experts, and lunch will be served! Also, a free schooling pass that can be used on a future Event Academy Schooling (note 1 pass equals 1 discipline, ie: 1 pass = Dressage schooling, 1 pass= 1 Show Jumping schooling, 1 pass= 1 XC schooling).

As always, you can earn merit points when you donate your time through the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program. Registering to volunteer through EventingVolunteers.com makes it easy and seamless to both find a job and shift as well as learn what your role will entail.

USEA Events

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (APRIL 2022)

March 31st, 2022 to April 3rd, 2022

Morven Park Spring Horse Trials

April 2nd, 2022 to April 3rd, 2022

Spring FEI CCI-S 2/3/4* and USEF/USEA Horse Trials

March 28th, 2022 to April 3rd, 2022

Thursday News & Notes Presented By Stable View

By on Mar 31, 2022 12:03 am -

Meet baby Violet! Photo courtesy of Sinead Halpin.

Congratulations are in order for Eventing Super Couple Sinead Halpin and Tik Maynard, who welcomed their second child and first daughter, Violet Kathleen Maynard this week! We can’t wait to see an adorable new pony to accompany her later this year, because that’s the kind of content we all crave. In fact, I only encourage my friends to have babies so we can get them a pony and recreate Thelwell comics in real life.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Stable View Spring 2*/3*/4* (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Galway Downs International H.T. (Temecula, Ca.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Photographer] [Volunteer]

Morven Park Spring H.T. (Leesburg, Va.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (Altoona, Fl.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Vacation for our equine partners is often undervalued, but not in Ariel Grald’s program. She makes sure that all of her horses get some version of vacation over the winter, and customizes it for age, breed, fitness levels, and personalities. Some horses prefer to be turned out in a field and left untouched, and some are more eager to maintain light hacking to stave off boredom. Read more to learn how to cultivate your winter vacation to return to competition with a fresh and eager mount. [Winter Vacations Set the Stage for a Successful Season]

After a public complaint from Phillip Dutton over the continued lack of leadership through anointing a new chef d’equipe, USEF Director of Sport Will Connell responded that an interim chef and team manager will be appointed prior to Kentucky, giving them more time to find the perfect fit. In other words, we still don’t have any answers. [Continuing Search for US Chef d’Equipe]

The 2022 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships are less than two months away! This year, the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships will take place on May 21 – 22, 2022 at Chattahoochee Hills Horse Trials in Fairburn, Georgia. All schools including junior colleges and online universities are encouraged to participate and send as many competitors as possible. The event offers Beginner Novice through Advanced level and will run Saturday and Sunday. Like previous years, there will be an opening ceremony, a college town, a spirit award, and an awards ceremony on Sunday. [Intercollegiate Eventing Championships]

Green with envy looking at beautiful toplines and well-muscled hindquarters on other horses? While your fun weekend mount isn’t going to look like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of horses, it’s possible for you to build condition and muscle in almost all horses. And doing so will benefit them greatly. Not only will a well-conditioned horse have better protection against injury and unsoundness, but the variety of work needed to build good overall musculature is great for their development too. So, if you’re hoping to put a bit of bulk on to your horse, here are three exercises you can incorporate into their regime to help things along. [Exercises for Conditioning & Muscle Development]

Video:

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Start Your Season with British Eventer Ashley Harrison

By on Mar 30, 2022 5:25 pm -

Ever wondered what the start of the eventing season looks like in the UK? Spoiler: it’s less sunny than those Ocala fixtures. Join Ashley Harrison as she takes her four-star mount Zebedee IX and up-and-comer Kato as they tackle the Intermediate and Novice at Hampshire’s Tweseldown fixture.

Here’s a fun fact for you: Tweseldown was actually the sight of Britain’s very first event, because it was the facility used for the 1948 Olympics. There’s a whole lot of history in its distinctive sandy tracks, and these days, competitors at all levels get to enjoy courses there designed by Eric Winter, who designs the Badminton track.

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FEI and European Equestrian Federation Issue Update on Ukraine

By on Mar 30, 2022 4:32 pm -

The European Equestrian Federation, associated national federations, and the FEI have released a statement following a webinar held today (March 30) to take stock of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and how the nation’s equines can be adequately provided for.

Hosted by the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation, the UEF Charity Foundation, the EEF and the FEI, the meeting aimed to streamline the processes of providing aid, following an enormous uptick in efforts from equestrians all over Europe and beyond. Recent efforts have seen convoys of lorries full of feed leave the UK on behalf of the British Equestrian Federation, and many HGV drivers have been lending their skills to transporting further feed and bedding, as well as medical and veterinary supplies. The UEF Charity Foundation, which was established at the onset of the war, has been at the forefront of managing the logistics of aid, as well as the evacuation of horses, which has recently included noteworthy stallions Cornet Obolensky and Comme Il Faut. So far, they’ve received over 375 tonnes of material aid and in excess of €75,000 of financial aid. Further funding from the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund has allowed the Foundation to create a logistical hub near the Polish border, which acts as a holding zone for up to 40 horses, whose paperwork can then be finalised for transfer into the European Union.

During the course of the meeting, the UEF Charity Foundation stressed that the need for aid — both material and financial — remains enormous and will be ongoing. The Foundation estimates that around 2,000 horses will require their aid over the next month, which would use three times the amount of supplies currently available at the hub.

But all good charity drives must be well-organised to avoid donations of unusable goods, and FEI Solidarity Director Jean-Philippe Camboulives urged National Federations to “designate an official representative to first coordinate the offers of support and supplies nationally, and then liaise with the FEI, EEF and UEF to ensure logistical efficiency.”

He pointed out that goodwill offers of accommodation and employment must go through these representatives to ensure safeguarding.

“The FEI Solidarity Relief Fund has been able to provide great support to individual members in the Ukrainian community through neighbouring and European member federations such as the Ukrainian Vaulting team which is currently training and living in Slovakia thanks to the efforts of the host National Federation and the determination of their Secretary General Zuzana Baciak. And there are many examples like this at the moment. We must continue to work together and to coordinate our efforts and use our resources effectively.”

Further in the meeting, FEI Veterinary Director Göran Åkerström offered an update on EU administrative protocol, which has been amended this week to further facilitate transport of horses out of Ukraine. The FEI is expected to issue clear guidance to stakeholders in the coming days.

EEF President Theo Ploegmakers concluded the meeting by saying, “the situation in Ukraine is devastating, but the collaboration we have seen across Europe through our members and the FEI is incredibly encouraging. There is still a huge amount of work to be done to help both the equines and the wider equestrian community in Ukraine and I believe through our network in Europe we can continue to provide the necessary support.”

If you’d like to assist in ongoing aid efforts or make a donation to help Ukrainian refugees and their horses, check out our resource guide. For further information on aid efforts thus far, here’s a recent update.

Spooking, and Other Ways to Excel at Annoying Your Human

By on Mar 30, 2022 2:16 pm -

While we often have articles on here written by horse enthusiasts for horse enthusiasts, we don’t regularly get the point of view of the horse himself. That’s why we’re delighted dot introduce a new writer for Eventing Nation. He’s French (which makes him both prissy and fancy), he’s larger than life, and he has way more opinions than any of the regular writers for EN. His name is Nyls (pronounced “Nilz”) and he’s here to tell you all the ways in which you can succeed at being a really B.A. event horse, and also a colossal pain the butt. Without further ado, we present the hottest of tips, straight from the horse’s mouth.

It’s important to finely hone your factory-installed spooking radars. Photo via Kate Samuels.

Look, we all know the ways in which we horses are instructed to succeed at our jobs as eventers. The basics are pretty much the same: be obedient and flick your toes on the first day, be brave and sure footed on the second day while also galloping fast, and jump high and pick up your feet carefully on the third day. This is simple enough….so when those of us who are obviously overqualified for these requirements get bored, we have to entertain ourselves with other activities.

If you’re a horse like me who has an agile mind and a willing spirit to pull a little more fun out of each day, you’re in the right spot. I’ve decided to share some of my trade secrets on how to win at eventing, and life in general. Extra points to those who can stick to a strict schedule of repeated behaviors that drive your human up the wall.

  1. When being tacked up, choose something small to object to, no matter how many times it has happened to you before in your life. This way, your human knows you’re going to pitch a fit, but they have to do it anyway. It’s highly entertaining to watch them go from attempting to persuade you to behave, to denying that you are going to misbehave, to anger that you won’t stop, and then finally to begrudging acceptance that this is real life, and it’s happening every day. I chose being brushed on the right side of my neck, so no matter is too small!
  2. Pick something to spook at every single day while being ridden, and make it both irrational and consistent. Me, I like to spook at jump accessories. If there is a pole on the ground, or a standard on the side of the ring, it’s important that I refuse to go near it every time I see it. When, after about ten minutes, you finally relent and let yourself be forced near the dreaded object, be sure to always keep an eye and an ear cocked towards it, and never bend your neck the other direction.
  3. There should always be something that you refuse to do at home, but do perfectly fine at shows. Preferably, it should be something that embarrasses your human when he/she goes to lessons with other humans. An example is liverpools, something every normal upper level horse has to jump every competition. However, this is very funny if you act like an irrational maniac when it is brought up in a non-show environment. “Really, I swear he jumps them at shows!” will become something you hear a lot.
  4. While we are on the subject of horse shows, it’s necessary for the good of your human that you behave well at two shows, and then wild at a third show. When you’ve been practicing your dressage and doing very well at home, pretend like you’ve forgotten how to canter, or even better, act as though you have never seen those white sides of the arena before! This way, your rider never has to stop learning how to ride you. Really, it’s for the best that they don’t become complacent.
  5. This final part is very important to your continued success at life, and your longevity as a beloved yet rued king member of the family. Whenever you purposefully enact one of these tips, you must act the part convincingly. The spooky pole actually WILL eat you, believe it and portray the character of the scared horse well. In addition, it is imperative that after an episode of spooking or freaking out in the cross ties, you behave very innocent and loving to your human, so that he/she has no choice but to snuggle with you, forgive you, and then feed you treats (obviously).

While I cannot guarantee that these tips will help you rise to Advanced, I can assure you that they will enhance your daily level of entertainment, and even strengthen the bond between you and your human. People like to feel that their horse is actually the weirdest, quirkiest horse alive and that every day is a challenge. This is something you can fulfill for them, with just a little extra effort! Good luck and go spooking!