Photo courtesy of Dragonfire Farm FB.
Can we please talk about these adorable jump fillers that Earl and Jen McFall are making for the winners of Twin Rivers as fun prizes? Our whole EN team agrees that we would be delighted to win a souvenir such as this to take home and put in our arena, or give to our coaches as a thank you for all their hard work and lessons. The artistry too! Anybody on the east coast want to give them a run for their money?
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Chattahoochee Hills H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Fair Hill International April H.T. and CCI-S: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Twin Rivers Spring International: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Live Stream]
CDCTA H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Spring Bay H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
THIS is my favorite article all month. I’m always trying to explain how I train myself and my horses to accommodate my “lazy rider” habits, but Lara Graves explains it much better than I have been doing, and I’m going to steal her phrases! Graves asked each rider, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard are you working—10 being that you’re working so hard you’re going to pass out from the exertion, and a 1 being that you could sing a song while trotting.” Adding that she was looking for a 2 or 3 at most on the scale, Graves explained that when she first picks up a trot, she is working at a 1. Ideally, the less she works, the more responsive her horse is. “If I’m working at an 8 and my horse is giving me a 5, my ability to make that 5 a 10 doesn’t exist.” In contrast, she said, “If I, as the rider, am working at a 1 and getting a 6 from my horse, now I have room to move up. Ask yourself, ‘How hard am I working?’” [Less Work, Bigger Reward]
Sometimes you’ll do everything right but your ride will still go wrong. You’ll ride balanced, make your changes, see your distances, and clear all your fences, only to have your horse throw a shoe causing him to trip and spook at a butterfly causing you to fall! Daniel Stewart wants you to know that you’re just going to have to be okay with not always being okay. And being okay with not always being okay is the KEY to always being okay. He says his method is pout, park, and progress. [Pout, Park, & Progress]
You might see a different name riding Boyd’s 5* horses at Fair Hill this weekend…but don’t worry, she’s not doing the jumping phases. Boyd seems to have wrangled a deal with Fair Hill to allow his lovely dressage wife Silva to school his three mounts heading to Kentucky in the Advanced Combined Test, but they’ll be practicing the 5* test. Guess he’s really hoping to blow back some international entries in the first phase this year! [Boyd & Silva Competing at Fair Hill]
The next time you take your horse on a long trailer trip, don’t forget to accommodate for their recovery. Trailering uses huge amounts of energy from your horse, from the vestibular system, the somatosensory system, body temperature regulation, and anxiety can all take a big toll. Studies show that trailering can be a proper workout for your horse, so don’t always expect him to be immediately ready to go when you arrive. [Trailering Is A Workout]
Ride around the Tryon 4* with Elisa Wallace:
