Thursday News & Notes

 

NO REGRETS. Photo by Kate Samuels.

It has now been almost two months of 2023, and I have several more Equine Houdini tales to share. In his 22nd year of life, Nyls has truly rekindled his passion for escaping any and all containment attempts by pathetic humans. Twice yesterday he careened around the farm partying it up. Once while I was IN THE BARN he unclipped his stall guard and passaged his way around the barn. The second time, his nimble lips undid yet a different door handle, and I returned from buying nice western alfalfa in town for his ungrateful a$$ to find him covered in red clay eating new grass on my lawn. Do. Not. Believe. Them. When they tell you that your horse will “grow out of it”. As a friend said, “Age is just a number, immaturity is forever.”

U.S. Weekend Preview

Full Gallop Farm Mid February H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Pine Top Advance H.T. (Thomson, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Three Lakes Winter II H.T. at Caudle Ranch (Groveland, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

Horses are able to distinguish between certain letters of the alphabet! In a study published in Animals, and carried out by Clara-Lynn Schubert, Barbara Ryckewaert, Carlos Pereira and Tetsuro Matsuzawa, it was found that four out of five horses learned to discriminate five letters: O, B, Z, V, and X. [Horses Are Smart as Hell]

If you’ve ever lit a scented candle to help yourself relax after a long day, you may not be surprised to learn that the smell of lavender can help calm stressed horses. Researchers at the University of Arizona measured cardiac parameters in eight dressage horses before, during and after they inhaled humidified lavender essential oil. Each of the horses was also tested with plain water to serve as a control either one week before or one week after the lavender trial. The experiment was then repeated with the chamomile essential oil. Read more to discover their findings! [Smells That Calm Horses]

Podcast(s) of the Day: Equus Barn Stories

Are you an Adult Rider interested in competing in the Adult Team Championships at the USEA AEC this Aug. 29–Sept. 3, 2023, at the Kentucky Horse Park? Start building team camaraderie and get valuable competition experience at your Area’s Adult Team Challenges! View the list of ATCs here to see what is being offered in your area in 2023. [ATC Challenges by Area]

Best of Blogs: Thoroughbred Logic — Don’t Move

As a horse owner, you know if your horse is the boss or at the bottom of the pecking order when he interacts with a herd. But keep in mind that herd dynamics — and therefore your horse’s place in the herd — can change. Just because he was the leader in one situation doesn’t mean he’ll act the same within all herds at all locations. If you find your horse acting differently at a new barn, his past and present herd interactions may be the key to understanding his behavior. [Changing Herd Dynamics]

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