This week’s Fab Freebie: A Diamonds in the Dirt travel kit for riders on the go! Photo courtesy of Diamonds in the Dirt.
We eventers don’t pack lightly for our horses when we head to shows: two if not three entire sets of tack, a complete equine wardrobe, tack trunks full of every imaginable item for every imaginable scenario, all the trimmings to make a temporary stable into home for the weekend, plus hay, grain, and a 1,000+ pound animal loaded into a truck and trailer purchased exclusively for carting all this stuff around.
And yet, why can’t I remember to pack even the most basic of essentials for myself? At horse shows, my self-care goes down the drain: I end up washing my face with a bar of crappy hotel hand soap and, despite the fact that I own at least 20 lip balms, I can never find a single one. My horse looks and feels like a million bucks, yet I’m hobbling around a three-day old ponytail and dark circles under my eyes.
We can take better care of ourselves than this, eventer friends. Last week we introduced you to Diamonds in the Dirt — “small-batch, hand-crafted skin care with a focus on organic ingredients, simple formulas, and earth-friendly packaging.” Formulated with hardworking, hard-playing equestrians in mind, it’s a sent-from-above answer to our special skincare needs.
This week, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Diamonds in the Dirt and their distributor, World Equestrian Brands, to give away a collection of travel size items that are perfect to just throw in a bag and go. Hotel bar soap, never again!
Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter, and then check back in next week’s Wednesday’s News & Notes to see who won! Shop the Diamonds In The Dirt product line here, and keep an eye on their Facebook page for all the latest! You can also shop the line via World Equestrian brands here.
It’s been a fascinating week for racehorse-related geekery, friends, and the neat thing about research into racehorses is that much of it is translatable to our beloved sport of eventing. This week we’ve gathered up some interesting information that all centers around racehorses: from using them as a model for a human and horse disease, to new research about genetics and breakdowns, plus a great synopsis of injury prognoses for Thoroughbreds coming off the track.
As horse owners and competitors, we want to give our equine athletes every opportunity to feel and perform their best. Keeping up to date with the latest news in horse health and medicine is an important part of that, and it’s why Medivet Equine is bringing you the latest in horse health news each week.
Following the medical model of “do no harm”, MediVet Equine develops scientifically based therapeutics enabling the horse to call on its own healing ability, thus achieving its full performance potential. MediVet Equine provides effective, all natural, drug free products and lab services designed to optimize the overall health of performance horses. They specialize in regenerative treatments that help the body heal itself to get stronger naturally. Boyd Martin has several of his top competitive mounts on MediVet ACS, and has had terrific results!
This Week in Horse Health News …
Racehorses are being used to study atrial fibrillation by creating a 3D map of the heart –video above! Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to heart-related complications such as blood clots, stroke, and heart failure. It’s a condition that can develop in both horses and humans with a long history of athletic training as scar tissue accumulates on the heart. Collaborating researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Adelaide are using ultrasounds and echocardiograms while trotting horses exercise on a treadmill to create 3D maps of their hearts. This cardiac mapping will provide insights for both clinical management of both human and equine patients with the condition. Results will be presented at a conference later this year and two publications from these data are excepted to be released within the next year as well. [HorseTalk]
So there’s this thing called the Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) mutation and it’s not a genetic risk factor for catastrophic breakdown in Thoroughbred racehorses according to a recently published study from researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. WFFS is a fatal genetic condition that is characterized by abnormally thin or fragile connective tissue. The mutation is recessive and only presents at a very low frequency in the breed. The UC Davis researchers showed that carrying a copy of the mutation did not increase the risk of catastrophic breakdown. Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome is named as such because it was first studied in Warmblood horses, though it is also present in Thoroughbreds and crosses. [UC Davis]
When purchasing an off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB), it’s important to understand their medical history and how it will affect their limitations in a second career. Dr. Janik Gasiorowski of Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in New Jersey answered questions in a recent Chronicle of the Horse article about the prognosis of some racing injuries and suitability to go on to another athletic career. From fractures, to soft tissue injuries, to feet — this is a must-read for anyone thinking of getting involved with OTTBs. Some injuries may not be as hopeless as you might think! [Chronicle of the Horse]
Aiken’s only CCI4*-S is back and competitors have a lot to look forward to come Saturday. Captain Mark Phillips returns again as course designer with his track build by Eric Bull and beautifully decorated by Millie Maney.
The course takes a similar route to previous years, including the stretch added in 2018 that brings riders through the additional fields where the schooling series Eventing Academy is run. No one should get too comfortable, though, as CMP has carefully tweaked a few key combinations — a corner changed to a chevron, a boat relocated, etc.
Take a look around fence-by-fence and let us know what you think. First CCI4*-S rider is scheduled to leave the starbox at 2:47 p.m. on Saturday. We’ll be there to bring you all the latest.
Many thanks to Sammy Keats for the photos from this virtual course walk.
Stable View has gone from budding event to top FEI billing in five short years. With a variety of events to choose from in the fall season, this top-notch venue continues to draw a big field of top competitors, offering a respite to the rock-hard footing that often grips the northeast this time of year.
An aerial view of the covered barn and surrounding landscape. Photo courtesy of Stable View.
The clear rate on cross country at this event is only 52%, significantly lower than the world-wide clear rate of 69% at Advanced/4*-S level.
No one has led the marquee division (Advanced in 2016/17 and CIC3* in 2018) from start to finish yet.
Only four pairs in 75 cross-country starters have made the time here, making it one of the trickier venues at which to catch the time.
Dressage Divas
Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Under Suspection and Lynn Symansky are the clear headlines in this phase for the weekend, owning the only two-year dressage average in the twenties. This pair scored a 25.0 in their last outing at Great Meadow 4*-S, and what’s more exciting is that they’ve lowered their dressage score in four consecutive outings.
Celien cracked the 70% mark in her first 5*-L start last fall with Hallie Coon and followed it up by flirting with 75% at Pine Top. Although their scores since then have hovered in the low-thirties range, that could be sufficient for a competitive placing near the top this weekend.
Sinead Halpin returns to this level for the first time in three years with Cutty Sark. In the horse’s first Advanced, they scored a 28.2, which would be enough to make them a contender for a top spot in the first phase.
Show Jumping Powerhouses
Katherine Brown & Victor Z. Photo by Lisa Madren.
Victor Z has a bit of a spotty record on the cross-country thus far in his young career, but he cannot be faulted in the stadium phase. In four rounds, he and Kate Brown have had a grand total of zero rails.
Phillip Dutton and has another crack jumper in his string in Fernhill Singapore, who has only one rail in eight rounds, one of which was a catch ride by Boyd Martin.
Under Suspection should shine in this phase as well; she and Lynn Symansky have had only one rail in six starts at the level in the past two years.
Cross-Country Machines
Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The chestnut mare Caribbean Soul boasts the fastest pace in the field, having finished either as the fastest time of the day or within ten seconds of the fastest ride of the day in each of her three rides at this level under Clark Montgomery.
Nilson Moreira da Silva and his WEG mount Magnum’s Martini are speedsters as well, finished as the fastest run of the day in 50% of their six runs at the level in 2018/19.
PREDICTED WINNER: Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection
Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection. Photo by Shelby Allen.
A few weeks ago, my young horse jumped around his third and ostensibly last Training level. One week ago, he clobbered a specific jump in my ring, and was pretty mad at himself, but went on fine for the rest of the jump school. Tuesday, I entered him in a Modified. Yesterday, he suddenly remembered clobbering said jump in my arena, and decided he was positively petrified of going anywhere near it, and I had to spend an hour getting him to walk over poles in that specific location without blowing his brains. Young horses are great, right?
Who doesn’t love a rags to riches story? Kathryn Currey has experience with the heart of a diminutive thoroughbred mare, as her family owned the immortal Touch of Class. She found herself a new age version with a small chestnut mare she bought for $400 off the track, and A Lil Evil has now proved her worth by winning at the Hampton Classic in the jumpers. And boy can she jump! [Racetrack Reject to Hampton Classic Tricolor]
Hellooooo clipping season! It’s… nice? To see you again? Whether you don’t mind clipping or it’s your worst nightmare, it’s good to know about the different options. You don’t have to simply take it all off! There are varying states of nudity that might be more appropriate for your horse and his workload. Check out the styles! [What Type of Clip is Right For You?]
Look, horse people are weird and we also find very strange things satisfying. When your life is in the barn, you find small pleasures in daily things like pulling mane, perfectly sweeping an aisle, or … finding the bean …. Whatever it is, we know you, because we are you. [9 Things Equestrians Find Satisfying]
Even all of us here in our eventing corner of the world are familiar with show jumping legend Beezie Madden. Running one of the busiest and most successful show barns in North America requires a high level of attention to detail — and this is a duty that Becky Huestis takes seriously. In the latest “Madden Method” video, Becky takes us behind the scenes at the Madden home facility in Cazenovia, Ny. Here are some top takeaways from behind the scenes at the Madden home base:
Water buckets are favored over automatic waterers
Feed buckets are fastened at the back corner to give caretakers an additional opportunity to walk into the stall to check on each horse
Straw is used in lieu of shavings or sawdust
It’s bad luck to put picks and shovels away dirty!
Shavings underneath the straw in areas where a horse uses the bathroom in the same spot can help absorb wet spots
Using straw helps save on plastic
Use your broom to do a quick cobweb and dust sweep after you clean the stall #multitasking
“Remember, if it’s not comfortable for you, it’s probably not comfortable for them.” – wise words from Becky
Want more Madden Method videos? Check out the main YouTube page for many more helpful tips!
For 673 accepted trainers, the 2019 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover is fast approaching! From the beginning of the year until the Makeover, to take place Oct. 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park, four of those trainers have been blogging their journeys, including their triumphs and their heartbreaks, successes and failures, for Eventing Nation readers. Read more from EN’s 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Bloggers: Lindsey Burns, Hillary McMichael, Clare Mansmann, Jennifer Reisenbichler.
Today Clare catches us up on her Makeover partner, Alarming (Unbridled’s Song – Malibu Legacy, by Malibu Moon), who — spoiler alert — might not make it to the Makeover after all but has a bright future ahead nonetheless.
We don’t always make a big deal out of it when a horse sells. Some new owners aren’t all that into the limelight, and since our horses tend to get a lot of pushy limelight (I’m very guilty of this but I love them so much I want to squish and squeeze and tell everyone about them and I CAN!!!), we are respectful of others’ wishes.
Alarming, however, gets no such respect. He’s just a bit too much to hide his light under a bushel. He’s too big and too funny and too boisterous and too … everything to not share! And so he not only gets a big deal, he gets a little extra limelight.
When we first met Alarming, it was in the coliseum at the Kentucky Horse Park at the end of a long week of showing. We had agreed to join in the first ever Makeover MasterClass at the 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover, and were very excited (though we weren’t sure what to expect), but when Sunday rolled around and most people were heading home, our kids were tired, the “manny” was worn out, and I’d lost 10 pounds of water weight (but looked great in my RRP shirt!), what we really wanted was our own beds and to shower without flip flops. But, of course, we love our RRP and so we scurried over to the indoor, 7/8ths of the way packed, Tiz Solo Vino in tow. It was a great group of people in that arena, though, and we made lasting friendships and contacts and isn’t that just what this Makeover has done for so many?
Alarmingly Striking
Amongst all the peopling, we met none other than Alarming, brought to the demo by the lovely folks at MidAtlantic Horse Rescue (MAHR). He was tall, dark, and handsome. He was on his toes but not off of them. He was a little like a tea kettle, and our job was to let the steam out before the whistle sounded. He allowed us to show some of our training methods (which, if you were one of the lucky few in the audience, you may remember consisted of me scurrying around trying not to get run over by Tom, and this is, in fact, a large part of our training methods…promise…) and was supremely responsive. We were alarmingly smitten.
Tom and Tiz Solo Vino with Alarming. Photo by Lucky Clover Photo.
Alarmingly Loving
He came to our farm shortly thereafter, and won everyone over with his adorable bedhead, smarts, and affection. We even caught our manager sitting on him in the field in nothing but a blanket, just for fun. And that’s Alarming’s motto: just for fun.
He’s even fun in the rain … almost …
Alarmingly Soft
I don’t know why, but he is the softest horse in the world.
Alarming at his first “show” at Beverly Equestrian, where a gaggle of teenage girls swarmed him to exclaim over his softness. He. Was. In. Heaven.
Alarmingly Big
He grew inches over the winter. He went from gangly teenager sitting on the bench to beefy quarterback dating the prom queen at an alarming rate.
This is when he was small.
Visibly growing in this picture.
Alarmingly Athletic
He blew us away as he developed. That gawky stage was short-lived, as he learned where to put his feet. We knew the value of going slow, and allowing him to tell us what he needed and when. We learned to train better, to ride better, and we had a heck of a lot of fun.
Alarmingly Dorky
He doesn’t know how to lick. He licks with his tongue out and rubs it on you. That’s weird, and probably on purpose.
I just … I dunno … about either of us.
Alarmingly Adored
We put time and thought, a lot of sweat (no blood), a few tears, dinner conversations, breakfast conversations, driving conversations, and a whole lot of laughs over this horse. We had dreams for him, and despite ourselves, we always knew those dreams would not include us forever, much as that’s what we would want.
Photo by Anna Purdy Photo.
And that’s the crux of our job and our promise. Our horses must move on, find their job, find their people. We are but stepping stones in their lives, though we strive to provide a firmness in their foundation, so that their next homes are happy and functional and fruitful. Their futures are not about us, and not in spite of us, but in part because of us, and the time and effort and thoughtfulness we put in to each and every horse.
And so Alarming has found his spot. He is the huntsman’s and staff horse for the beautiful Keswick Hunt in Charlottesville, VA. It is with a team of people we know and respect, and we are nothing but thrilled for this horse. Many people have asked, rather in shock, if we were still taking him to the Makeover. While there are some owners who would enjoy that, the truth is, the horse is not ours anymore, and he never really was. He has a job to do, and a job he loves doing (and is quite good at), and taking him to the Makeover would be for us, and no longer for him. Our whole purpose is to find a way forward for any horse that comes to us, and remembering to leave ourselves out of it.
We aren’t just rehoming, rehabbing, or retraining, but reCAREERing. Alarming is not the first, nor will he be the last, but he is, without a doubt, alarmingly special, and will hold a place in our hearts and minds and stories from this day forward, and every future horse will benefit from what he taught us.
And so in true, sappy Clare fashion, here is a montage of his training for the past nine months.You will see the highlights, but we will remember the quiet moments and the snuggles, and hacks and lightbulb moments, and yes, the significant airtime and how to ride a horse who lands on his hind legs like a kangaroo, just because he can.
In keeping with the organization’s goal to better serve the Thoroughbred and continue to educate the owners, trainers and farms who seek to help transition these horses to second careers, the Retired Racehorse Project’s new arrival exam at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, emphasizes soundness, body condition and microchipping.
“The aim of the arrival exam is to not only verify each horse’s identity and ensure he or she is healthy and sound for competition, but to also set the standard of horsemanship associated with off-track Thoroughbreds,” said RRP executive director Jen Roytz.
“In addition to the actual exam, which is reminiscent of what competitors might experience at higher levels of competition with horse inspections, we also hosted webinars with Q and As and published educational materials focused on topics such as nutrition, hoof care, the Henneke Body Condition scoring system, vaccination protocols, and injury rehabilitation and prevention” Roytz added.
Components of the arrival exam
Every horse that competes at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover will undergo an arrival exam performed by veterinarians from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Arrival exams will include an assessment of body condition score and vital signs, examination for lameness at the walk, and a scan for a microchip.
Canva/Daisy-Daisy/CC
Microchipping is rapidly becoming the equine industry standard as a means of permanent identification, and every horse participating in the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover is required to have a microchip registered with The Jockey Club. Horses are required to have a Henneke body condition score (BCS) of 4 or higher in order to be cleared to compete at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover.
This requirement has been set to ensure that horses have enough fat and muscle reserve to be able to perform at the Makeover in a comfortable manner, as well as to set an example within the equestrian industry for horses successfully transitioned off the track.
“BCS of 4 is a widespread standard with equine welfare and health professionals indicating that a horse is in acceptable condition,” describes Dr. Shannon Reed, the RRP’s consulting veterinarian. “It is the baseline standard used by welfare organizations and veterinarians that appropriate nutrition for individual animal needs is being provided. The Henneke System has been adopted as the measuring system that allows veterinarians and equine health professionals to effectively communicate the status of a horse muscle and fat reserve.”
Veterinarians will also measure each horse’s vital signs, including temperature, pulse and respiration as indicators of good health, and will also examine each horse for any extensive blemishes or areas of swelling.
All horses will be examined at the walk on a straight line and in turns on firm ground for soundness. Barefoot horses may present in boots. While Makeover horses will not be jogged for the soundness exam, judges, stewards and show officials may remove any horse from competition that appears unsound for the discipline.
Year-long education
To help trainers be successful in preparing their horses to arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park ready to compete, the Retired Racehorse Project provided plenty of educational resources. These resources included webinars with equine nutritionists and podiatrists, information about the Henneke body condition score and how a score is achieved and encouragement of trainers to be proactive in addressing body condition concerns with their veterinarian and support team.
New for 2019, every trainer submitted a letter of reference from their veterinarian with their application to compete at the Thoroughbred Makeover that stated that the veterinarian had confidence that the trainer could successfully transition a horse to a second career with regard to overall health, wellness and care.
Canva/marlenka/CC
Best Conditioned Award
To recognize trainers who produced their horse for the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover in peak condition, a Best Conditioned Award will be given in each of the Makeover’s ten disciplines. The award consists of a trophy halter by Clever With Leather and was generously sponsored by Nina Bonnie.
“Bringing a horse to the Thoroughbred Makeover is a huge commitment of time, effort and dollars. I sponsored the Best Conditioned Award to be given to the trainer who, realizing the importance of conditioning not only through physical exercise, but feeding and grooming, presents a horse that stands out above the rest in each division,” said Nina Bonnie.
“The Makeover has been tremendously effective in engaging more equestrians in the retraining and conditioning of Thoroughbreds after racing, and this award is aimed at rewarding those who take a comprehensive approach to preparing their horse for not only this competition, but for their future as sport horses,” added Bonnie.
The Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, is the largest and most lucrative retraining competition for Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in the world. The competition is intended to inspire trainers to become involved in transitioning these horses to second careers, and the National Symposium serves to educate the people involved in the care, training and sale of these horses to responsible owners.
For more information about the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, which takes place October 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park, please visit https://www.tbmakeover.org/.
Kim and Dan at the Athens Olympics. Photo courtesy of Kim Severson.
One of the most celebrated eventing horses in history passed away this week at his home of Plain Dealing Farm at the age of twenty-six. Winsome Adante, known in the barn as “Dan,” was a legend for the sport of eventing, and a life changing force for many who knew and admired him.
Imported from England in 1999 by Jan Byyny, he was quickly purchased by Linda Wachmeister, and became the horse of a lifetime for so many people. Paired with Kim Severson as his rider, they were well known for being formidable in all three phases, placing in the top after dressage, following it with a fast and clear cross country, and topping it off with an invariably clean show jumping.
Dan and Kim have almost too many accomplishments to list, but certainly winning Kentucky three times (2002, 2004, 2005) when it was still a long format ranks amongst the most impressive. They also competed at the 2002 WEG in Jerez, earning individual 6th place and team gold, the 2004 Athens Olympics, garnering an individual silver medal as well as a team bronze medal, and the 2006 WEG in Aachen for a team fourth place finish.
Dan was the second American horse ever to win Blenheim in 2001 and placed third at Badminton in 2007, cementing his place as a winner against any competition from around the world. He was, of course, inducted into the U.S. Eventing Hall of Fame in 2015, was subsequently made into a Breyer horse, and his illustrious career kept him at the top of the USEA’s Historic All Time High Point Horse Leaderboard for more than ten years.
Linda Wachmeister, Dan and Kim. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
Kim readily admits that he was her horse of a lifetime, and speaks from the heart about his passing. “My once in a lifetime opportunity came in the form of a 16.1H bay gelding from England; his name was Winsome Adante, otherwise known as Dan, and sometimes lovingly referred to as Danimal the Wild Animal. So many of my firsts in the world of eventing came from my partnership with Dan: Badminton, Olympics, World Equestrian Games, Burghley, and more.”
“Now, when I think back about our time together, two words come to mind: opportunity and gratitude. What an amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity to find Dan, and then be supported in our partnership by many amazing people.”
Kim was not the only one to feel the life changing effects of this bay gelding, and his owner Linda Wachmeister shared with us her own story of Dan. “The main thing for me when I think about Dan was that he was always a very handsome horse, but when you saw him in the field he didn’t look particularly striking. Under tack was where he became the magnificent creature that he was. He completely transformed and it never ceased to amaze me. He knew it was his time, what he was doing and he loved his job.”
“I had no idea where he would take me and my family,” says Linda. “From the first time I entered the winners circle with him I told myself ‘this is a special, once in a lifetime moment for you Linda. Look around and take it all in.’ Then I got to repeat it because he just kept winning. It was incredibly special and none of us had any idea that’s where he would take us.”
“Through Dan and Kim, as a family, we learned about this sport called eventing and were completely immersed. It’s affected my whole family in such a positive way and without him and Kim, we would have never had any idea. I’m so very thankful for what he gave us.”
Dan in happy retirement at his farm in Virginia, Plain Dealing. Photo by Lindsay Johnson.
Dan had the special privilege to be ridden and cared for by the same small group of dedicated people for the vast majority of his life, including his grooms Molly Bull and Lili Bennett, his owner Linda Wachmeister and her daughters Lucia and Benita Strini, and of course Kim. After his retirement in 2007, Dan went to live the life of luxury at Plain Dealing Farm in Scottsville, Virginia, regularly visited by his human family with his favorite treat: peppermints.
Molly Bull groomed for Kim and Dan for several years, including his win at Blenheim in 2001, and remembers him fondly as a horse who always had an incredible sense of humor and a strong spirit. “If he had his mind set on something, he was going to do it, no matter what,” says Molly. “He was not the kind of horse you could ever hug and kiss on, but he was so amazing to ride and care for.”
Lili Bennett was Dan’s right hand girl for the majority of his career, and was even in England with Kim when they tried him. “He seemed nice enough, but nobody knew what he would become,” says Lili. “I think the first person to recognize his talent was Bruce Davidson, who came up to us after the show jumping at Millbrook and told Kim to hang on to him.”
Dan was well known around the barn for having distinct opinions, and in many ways Lili says it made caring for him almost easier, because his routine was minimalistic. He was not interested in being fussed over with therapeutic blankets, he preferred not to wear hind leg wraps, and clipping him was an adventure to say the least.
Over The Limit (Jake) and Winsome Adante (Dan) at home at Plain Dealing Farm. Photo by Lili Bennett.
Dan also greatly preferred Kim as his rider, and their partnership was what made their success truly special. “He was not terribly tolerant of us riding him,” laughs Lili. “It just wasn’t something he felt he needed to put up with, and I don’t think he really took any of us seriously.” While he may have bucked off his fair share of grooms, all of them agree that being a part of his storied success at the very top levels of the sport was completely worth it.
“I just feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of it. There really wasn’t anything all that special about him at first glance; he wasn’t the flashiest mover or biggest jumper, but their partnership was just something magical.”
In my life, I take a lot of photos of horses, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. First, the key is to take a lot and weed out the best ones. Second, there are some horses that are good at modeling, and some that just straight up suck at it, no matter what you try. If it was possible to teach horses to do the ears-pricked-faraway-glance pose, I would be so very happy. In the meanwhile, enjoy this photo of a recent natural model I found.
As the Retired Racehorse Project competition begins next week, they’re debuting a new intake exam. In keeping with the organization’s goal to better serve the Thoroughbred and continue to educate the owners, trainers and farms who seek to help transition these horses to second careers, the Retired Racehorse Project’s new arrival exam at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover emphasizes soundness, body condition and microchipping. “The aim of the arrival exam is to not only verify each horse’s identity and ensure he or she is healthy and sound for competition, but to also set the standard of horsemanship associated with off-track Thoroughbreds,” said RRP executive director Jen Roytz. [RRP Debuts New Standards for Care]
Speaking of ex-racehorses, lets bust some myths about retraining them. If you’ve ever had some preconceptions about the thoroughbred breed, or horses with a previous racing career, you simply haven’t ridden enough of them! If any breed has variety, it’s the Thoroughbred. [Myth Busting Common Misconceptions About Thoroughbreds]
A miraculous story proves that a broken leg doesn’t always mean the end for a competition horse. Last year during a jump-off in Aachen, Yuri Mansur and Vitiki suffered a horrific fall, and the horse was taken off the premises in an ambulance. It was revealed that he had broken a front pastern, but went quickly into surgery and a cast. Now, after a year, the pair have returned to competition feeling better than ever. [Olympic Dream for Horse with Broken Leg]
Did you catch the THIS stadium jump at Plantation Fields this past weekend? Taylor Harris Insurance loves supporting Eventing and our great sport, and wants to see more of you join the THIS Eventing Team, and find out why riders at the top level prefer working with THIS. [Request a Quote Today]
