A particularly fat and hairy retired Advanced horse showing off his horrible teeth. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Thank god the snow we got on Tuesday melted yesterday because my dingbat Thoroughbred was already going stir crazy with two days off in a row. He’s not insane to ride after a few days off, but he becomes…strange…in the stall if he isn’t worked into some kind of exhaustion every day. He doesn’t stall walk, more like, persistent stall meandering, which is hell to clean no matter how often you try to pick it out through the day. If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with clean stalls, and this particular trick of his makes me go bonkers.
National Holiday: National Static Electricity Day
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Majestic Oaks H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
Biggest news for the inter-disciplinary equestrian world yesterday was the official retirement of Laura Graves’ Verdades. Diddy, as he is known, has been a force in the US Dressage team for many years now, and was an actual fairytale come true for Laura. Now 18 years old, Laura purchased Diddy as just a yearling and they came up through the levels together, recording a 5th place at the 2014 WEG, team gold and individual silver at the 2015 Pan Ams, team bronze and individual 4th at the 2016 Olympics, and team and individual silver at the 2018 WEG. [Verdades Retires]
Does your horse have small rubs at the back of the saddle area this time of year? If so, it’s usually an indication of an issue with dermatitis, lameness, or saddle fit. If your horse has asymmetry from an unsoundness or kissing spines, the bald patches can be caused by irregular movement under tack. Hair rubbing can also be caused by movement from the saddle, which indicates a poor fit, so make sure you get your saddle checked on a regular basis. [Bald Patches On The Back]
What’s the difference between retraining a Standardbred racehorse to a Thoroughbred racehorse? Most people have experience in one or the other, but rarely both. Horse Nation blogger Ashley Francese has retrained both, however, and notes more commonalities than differences. [Standardbred vs Thoroughbred]
Training Tip Thursday: Lindsay Partridge’s Positive Horsemanship
Training Tip Thursday Pt 2: Moving Towards Intent: Is Your Training Too Loud?
Winter can be one of the most risky times of year for your horse. Between staying at home in the mud and the snow, or traveling down to a warmer climate and an unfamiliar environment, there are lots of factors that could potentially cause your horse medical distress. Luckily, with Taylor Harris Insurance Services on your side, you can sleep tight at night knowing your horse is protected, no matter what kind of ridiculous antics they pull in turnout. [Request a Quote from THIS]
