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Here’s a sight we all want to see: Tom McEwen’s Toledo de Kerser, safely at home, happy, comfortable, and tucking into some well-earned carrots. It’s been an incredible weekend of sport at Defender Burghley, but when horses pull up lame, it’s hard to shake that from your mind and focus on the competition itself until there’s word from the ground that all is okay — and I’ll admit I’ve watched this video a few times over with no small amount of relief that this special horse is in good nick after his scary moment on Saturday. Heal up quick, Toledo! We miss you out on course already.
National Holiday: Happy Labor Day! Celebrate by taking it easy with your horse today – a long hack is the key to a happy mind, I’m sure of it.
US Weekend Action:
Bucks County Horse Park H.T. (Revere, PA) [Website] [Results]
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Results]
Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, WA) [Website] [Results]
Seneca Valley PC H.T. (Poolesville, MD) [Website] [Scores]
Silverwood Farm Fall H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Results]
The Weekend’s Major Events:
Defender Burghley: [Website] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]
#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Official Program] [EN’s Coverage]
Your Monday Reading List:
Let’s start the week off with a serious one. Research suggests that roughly 50% of ridden horses, whether competition or leisure mounts, are in pain — and it’s up to us as their caregivers to recognise and react to that, not to write it off as bad behaviour or a lack of compliance. Want to know if your horse is one of them? Good on you — you’re one step closer to a happier horse and thus, happier rides. This checklist will give you a starting point to work from and help you recognise your horse’s most subtle pain indicators. [Assess your horse — it’s the right thing to do]
While I’ve been knees-deep in Burghley action, the AECs have been unfolding across the pond. As much as I love the upper-level stuff, I really get a buzz from reading the stories of the lower-level winners — a fascinating bunch of people who so often balance a huge number of obligations with their passion for riding. There are no armies of grooms; no big-money owners — just dedication, hard work, lots of fun, and a tonne of inspiration. [Meet the Beginner Novice champs here]
There was plenty of chat last week at Burghley about dressage judging. We saw some discrepancies between judges, plus what many riders interpreted as a positive uptick from Thursday to Friday — and, perhaps, some competitor bias, too. This fascinating article brings science into the mix and asks an interesting question: is truly unbiased judging a human impossibility? [Read it here]
Does your horse stiffen in the canter transitions? Dressage pro Amelia Newcomb’s got a fix for that in her dressage agony aunt column. [Go forth and conquer]
Morning Viewing:
Check out Horse & Hound‘s video interviews with the leading riders after a thrilling showjumping finale at Burghley.
