The Christmas we all dream of. Photo courtesy of Equestrian Coach FB.
Yesterday I woke up at 3am so I could bring my horses in before the horrible freezing rain hit. I bundled up and walked out with my headlamp and my reluctant dog, and grabbed them all and tucked them into their heavily bedded stalls full of hay and lukewarm water. This seems like a crazy thing to do, for a non-horse person. Why didn’t I just leave them in, you ask? Because I have three horses that stall walk if they stay in overnight, and this terrible weather is predicted to keep going for a few days, so I figured they could use one last night of freedom. Be kind to your barn managers/horse butlers this season as they balance caring for your horse with the regular holiday stress!
News From Around the Globe:
Many top results from program graduates in 2022 have once again proven that the YEH program is meeting its mission of identifying future four- and five-star horses. With three of the four Team U.S.A. horses at the FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy being graduates of the YEH program, as well as top placings at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships, the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, the Kentucky Three-Day Event and the year-end USEA leaderboards, the YEH program is making its mark as a major talent spotter for top athletes in the sport of eventing. [Leading YEH Horses of 2022]
Don’t forget to enter our Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway! You and three friends could win tickets, premium tailgating for cross country, a travel voucher valued at $750, and Dubarry gear for the trip. Entries are open until 12/31, so don’t delay! [Fly Away to LRK3DE]
Best of Blogs: Let’s Talk About That Kalinka Video
Jingle Bells is a Christmas favorite, but it was not written with yuletide merriment in mind. It clearly states in the song “sing a sleighing song tonight” and we have no one to blame but ourselves for this misunderstanding. The song, written 164 years ago, was a “sleighing song” and its jolly cadence mimics that of a trotting horse. The wool has been pulled over our eyes since 1945 when Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters took the song mainstream. There are verses that have been hidden from us that involve drag racing, picking up girls, a high-speed crash and an unneighborly man. [The Hidden History of Jingle Bells]
Do horses prefer warm water to cold? With liquid intake one of the biggest concerns in winter for our equine companions, it’s critical to know what is scientifically proven to keep them drinking, and keep their guts moving. [Water Temps & Equine Drinking Behavior]
Actually, I’ll never complain again about winter weather:
