Holiday Spirit! Photo courtesy of Becky Sturdy.
There are plenty of things I don’t love about winter, namely being cold. And I’m cold all the time. However, I have to admit that I don’t totally hate the mandatory shorter work days, due to the darkness at 5pm. It’s a nice seasonal break to be able to rest up a little bit, and actually do things like cook myself dinner instead of cramming some bread and cheese into my face at 9pm and promptly falling asleep before waking at 5am. Everything has a silver lining.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Full Gallop Farm December H.T.: [Website] [Entry Status]
News From Around the Globe:
In May of 2019, Nora Battig-Leamer’s OTTB, Dubai, had a freak accident on cross country schooling that they could have never predicted. Hesitating over a suspended barrel jump, he somehow got the jump stuck underneath himself, and fell sideways, impaling his abdomen on a supporting pole. The following story of his recovery is nothing less than miraculous, and Nora is looking forward to a full season in 2021 with Dubai. [Back from the Brink: Dubai Storm Weathers a Life-Threatening Infection]
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Have you entered the Nation Media Holiday Contest yet? Learn how you could win an epic prize pack from Banixx, Haygain, Kentucky Performance Products, Legends Horse Feeds, and SmartPak here – and don’t wait! Entries close this Friday, December 11.
In case you were looking for something to drool over today, check out this literal pony paradise. Actually, several paradises. Helgstrand Dressage has locations in Germany, Denmark, and Wellington, and each facility is absolutely bonkers, in the best possible way. [Pony Paradise: Helgstrand Dressage]
According to a study by German researchers, horses tend to shift their laterality, becoming more “left-legged” and “left-eyed,” in stressful situations. This switch to right-brain processing suggests horses are confronting challenges that are usually managed by the brain hemisphere that deals with emotions, the researchers said. When the horses adjust to the stressor and learn to cope, they tend to revert back to left-brain hemisphere processing, which deals with routine. [Left Side Preference May Indicate Stress]
