Welcome to my life. Photo courtesy of Saddle Up FB.
In our world, as in every other world, there are people who are naturally good at self-promotion, and those who shy away from it. The relationship between actual talent and ability to self promote are unrelated, which can be problematic for consumers. I’m rambling, but the point is that I fall into the latter category, and I’ve never felt comfortable talking myself up, but in my long walks down the frozen dirt road these past few weeks, I’ve decided to try to do better at that for 2022. So, if you see me in person or virtually, hold me to my resolution!
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Rocking Horse Winter I H.T. (Altoona, Fl.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Full Gallop Farm January H.T. (Aiken, Sc.): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
News From Around the Globe:
In the news of the weird, a horse cantered down the Chanel runway with a literal princess this week. Monaco’s Charlotte Casiraghi is well known as an equestrian and as a committed ambassador for Chanel, but until this week, she has never gotten an opportunity to combine those two roles on a large scale. Chanel described it as “part landscape, part garden and part open theatre stage,” and said that the seating for attendees was incorporated into the stage. Veilhan also shot a video to accompany the show, and it features Charlotte riding through a fantastical equestrian park to music composed by musician Sébastian Tellier. Enjoy the video below. [A Princess & A Horse Run the Runway]
Trying to build topline this winter? Whether your horse is coming back after an injury or you’re looking for new techniques to build up muscle, establishing a strong topline is vital. The topline is considered the muscles that line a horse’s back, neck and hindquarters, which work in unison when a horse is moving balanced and correctly. The developed muscles along a horse’s back act as a buffer to the weight of a rider in the saddle. But movement through a horse’s back should be fluid, and have some give. [6 Easy Steps To Build Topline]
Liz Halliday-Sharp has a penchant for adrenaline sports. Along with competing at the highest levels of Eventing, she’s also been a race car driver. During an informal mid-summer clinic in California, the race-car part of her life emerged with her emphasis on developing, maintaining and shifting between the right gears for the horse in all three eventing phases. Halliday-Sharp explained to students that the right gears are found with the horse balanced between a steady, adjustable contact through the mouth and a “hugging” leg. This leg is firm at the horse’s side and poised to apply more pressure when the situation warranted. Equally essential in stadium jumping and on cross-country is an upright body position supported by a strong core. [Shifting Gears with Liz Halliday-Sharp]
Throwback Thursday to one of the coolest lady riders around. Kathy Kusner went where no woman had gone before, starting with a legal case in 1968 that allowed her to become the first licensed woman jockey in the US, Mexico, Germany, Chile, Peru, Panama, and South Africa. She was the first woman to ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup, known as the toughest timber race in the world, and was also the first woman to ride in international competition as a member of the US show jumping team. [Girl Power with Kathy Kusner]
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