Hawley Bennett's Gin & Juice gearing up for the season at the Buck Davidson clinic. Photo via Hawley's Facebook page.
Polar vortex, be gone! I’ve spent the majority of this week completing my move to the other (cooler?) side of Missouri, and the fact that we were locked in a battle against the snow drifts and the evil cold did not make the move any easier. That said, though, I am safely installed in the city I now call home and, more importantly, I have been re-connected to the wonders of the Internet. Excuse me while I catch up on the hot stories that I may have missed over the last few days. Speaking of hot stories, how are you enjoying our snazzy new layout? It’s been difficult for me to keep the new design under wraps, so you can imagine my relief that it is here at last. Remember, we love receiving your feedback, so please don’t hesitate to let us know how you feel!
Events This Weekend:
Ocala Horse Properties Winter HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Friday News:
Looking for a new way to learn your dressage tests? Robin, owner of TheDigitalHorse.com, has been hard at work animating the USEA dressage tests for all of us eventers to learn. You can click on over to The Digital Horse to learn both USDF and USEA tests in animated format. I tested a couple of the tests just for fun, and it definitely makes it easy to visualize and memorize each movement. [The Digital Horse]
The results of a Thoroughbred placement survey done by the Retired Racehorse Training Project have been released. A common misconception is that many ex-racehorses are rescued from dire situations after their race careers dwindle. The survey results surprisingly showed different results. For example, over 60% of the OTTB owners surveyed said that they acquired their horses from private owners or directly from race trainers or owners. [RRTP Survey Results]
Supergroom Emma Ford will be returning to Phillup Dutton’s employment. After briefly working for Mystery Whisper’s owners, Jim and Sarah Wildasin, Emma will be joining Phillip and his string in Aiken for the winter. I have to admit, I was secretly hoping that she would bring Mystery Whisper with her, but that does not seem to be the case. [Emma Ford Returns]
Is your horse a problem solver? Apparently there is an entire field of study dedicated to animal cognition. Cognitive thought is something that we automatically attribute solely to humans, but what if other animals have this capability as well? Much research has been done on the subject, and if your horse has figured out how to unhook his stall guard, you may want to click on over and find out more. [Can Horses Think Through Problems?]
The 2014 GMHA Festival of Eventing promises to be a good time this year. The association has received permission to run a CIC* this fall, and the Festival will also be supplemented with clinics from the likes of Bonnie Mosser and Bobby Costello. Prize money will also be increased, including a $10,000 purse for the Intermediate division, and several key sponsors have signed on to provide prizes. [GMHA Festival of Eventing]
Best of the Blogs:
Bad Eventer writes about the ups and downs of life the sport.
Friday Video:
