Week two of snow in Virginia, and I’m real over it. I honestly don’t think I could survive any further north, I am such a weenie about all the cold and wet and ice! I don’t know how you brave equestrians in frigid temps do it, but I suppose we can all comfort ourselves with the knowledge that even lucky snow-birds in Aiken and Florida are kinda cold right now too. Yes, that will keep me warm while I slip and slide my way down to the barn in the 15 degree weather.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Grand Oaks H.T. (Weirsdale, Fl.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Stable View Aiken Opener H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [EN’s Preview] [Volunteer]
News From Around the Globe:
Pippa Funnell knows how to train horses. At the very least, we can all agree upon that fact. That, and we’re all dying for more insights into her success over many decades. “There’s no point being quietly firm with horses one day and completely letting them get away with something the next day. It’s a bit like a kid – for an easy life you might tell them off about something one day, but you don’t want to go through the aggro the next day so you think you won’t bother. Then they don’t know where they stand. By being disciplined and consistent with the horses, they know the situation, they understand.” [Training Tips with Pippa Funnell]
Best of Blogs: A Grey Cloud’s Silver Lining: A Rescue Story
The anticipation for the long-awaited return of Badminton is building! Get hype by reading their rider blog with 5* first-timer Rosie Fry and her Blair CCI4* winner, True Blue Too, or Balou. [Badminton First Timer Rosie Fry]
Adult horses sleep 2.5 to 5 hours a day, 80 percent of which is completed while standing. However, horses need to spend a minimum of 30 minutes lying down per day for the 3.5 to 4.5 minutes of REM sleep needed to achieve a full daily sleep cycle. Horses, as a prey species, lie down only when they feel comfortable to do so. Horses that do not, or cannot, lie down for environmental reasons or because of discomfort, can suffer from REM sleep deficiency. REM sleep deprivation can result in excessive secondary drowsiness and collapse, commonly incorrectly diagnosed as narcolepsy. [Researchers Explore Snoozing in Old, Lame Horses]
Video Break:
Follow along as Cornelia Dorr sets sail for the UK to base with Kevin McNab:
