Stars!! They’re just like us!! (Really excited to meet a hippo). Photo courtesy of me stalking Michael Jung on his Facebook page late at night for no particular reason.
I had a great jump lesson yesterday as part of my preparation for Millbrook next week, and it’s always nice to have good eyes on the ground to guide you through different parts of your education. After 11 years of partnership, and 6 years at the Advanced level, Nyls is finally somewhat rideable (and I’m actually finally a decent enough rider), which means that even now, our skills are evolving and changing. You never stagnate once you hit a high level, you just learn how many more things there are to improve upon. What is that saying, every day I learn something new and realize how much I have left to learn? That’s me right now.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
#NAJYRC2016: Website, Schedule, Dressage Order of Go, Individual Scores, Team Scores, EN’s Coverage
USPC National Championship H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Times]
Horse Park of New Jersey II H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Hunt Club Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
News From Around the Globe:
Just so we’re clear, you’re not doing anything next weekend, right? The only conceivable thing you can be doing is tuning in to the Olympics, EVEN if you’re competing. For goodness sake, get your schedule set! Jenni knows all the things about Rio, and how to watch it from home. She’ll be covering the event and risking the Zika for you. [How To Watch Olympic Eventing]
Summer is a big time to get young horses started, and have them going out and about. Making a young event horse is challenging stuff, and you have to make sure that you create a confident horse right from the beginning. This starts with your adventures outside the ring, when you’re ready. Courtney Cooper is a big advocate of hacking, and details the ways in which you can get your youngster confidently marching out away from the barn into the scary unknown. [Taking Your Young Event Horse Hacking]
What do you do when you have fear and anxiety about certain aspects of riding? Ask the EquiShrink, of course! One reader sent in a question regarding some equine related PTSD caused by years of riding a very reactive horse, and wants to know how to get over it with the new, calm horse. Seana Adamson, Ph.D, is a psychologist specializing in Sport Psychology for equestrians and also is a USDF Gold Medalist. She has advice columns that are great! Check it out. [Ask the EquiShrink]
Riding at the crack of dawn or well after dinner? You’re not alone. I’ve been getting spectacular sunrise photos, which kinda makes it worth it to get up at 5am….. However, these Horse Nation readers have also been on that train, and taking their photos seriously. [Horse Nation Photo Challenge]
Especially during the summer competition months, it’s really important to provide your horse with proper electrolyte support. Most of us feed electrolytes in our horsey meals, but as the ingredients in the supplements aren’t readily stored inside the horse’s body, this can be a problem. Competing in the summer is stressful enough, without worrying that your horse isn’t able to recover from his/her athletic endeavors, which is why SmartPak has a Smart Ship & Show Paste, which provides probiotics and prebiotics for digestive health, as well as electrolytes and antioxidants. This is an ideal tube for the stress and demands of travel as well as a comprehensive electrolyte balancer. [SmartPak Product of the Day]
