Thursday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

A future Eventer’s first jump! Photo courtesy of Jules Ennis Batters.

My miniature donkey, Pepe, decided that yesterday was such fine weather he would break free and bomb my lunging session with my usually very excitable thoroughbred. The funny thing about Turkey is though, he will get super worked up about something really random, but the donkey tearing around the arena while he works was completely chill and acceptable. The good news is that if any type of animal gets loose and runs around while I’m at a show, he won’t care one little bit.

Black History Bit of the Day:

Before 1865, the horse industry relied on the mental acuity and physical labor of enslaved African Americans. They were valuable assets to their enslavers; so too were their racehorses. In the South, success on the track brought prestige. Often, the hard work and expertise of African American horsemen enabled that success.

Enslaved boys and young men assigned to the horse barn would begin as stable hands and general laborers. They then worked as exercisers, hot walkers, or jockeys. With yet more experience, these enslaved horsemen might become grooms, trainers, or stable managers. [Read More About Exploited Expertise from Black Equestrians Here]

Weekend Preview:

Full Gallop Farm Mid February H.T. [Website]

Pine Top Advanced H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Three Lakes Winter II at Caudle Ranch [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Get excited for the upcoming Stable View CCI4*-S, happening April 1-3 in Aiken, Sc. For the first time, Stable View is devoting areas at the perimeter of the Pavilion for spectators to follow all of the action by tailgate! Tickets for “Tailgate on the Turf” (50 reserved spots with an option for food & beverage) will go on sale soon, so keep an eye on Stable View’s channels for more information!

From ranging on federal lands to the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, some horses in the state are trained by inmates and then adopted and eventually paid for by private owners. Hank Curry, the head horse trainer for NNCC, said you cannot lie to a horse because “they are almost like a lie detector”.”It teaches these guys to be humane, patient, persistent but also steady,” said Curry. NNCC said the horse program is 13% more likely to prevent re-offending than those not in the program. The inmates say the tough part now is saying goodbye to a bond they cultivated right up until auction day. [Nevada Inmates Help Horses Find Forever Homes]

The Area III council met last night and voted unanimously on their coach and selectors for 2022. The Area III Coach for 2022 is Ashley Johnson and the Area III Selectors are Hilda Donahue, Lauren Eckardt, Michael Pollard, and Sarah Dunkerton Sizemore.  Just a reminder if you want Area III Young Rider swag the fundraiser closes tonight (the 24th)! [Area III Fundraiser]

If your horse is falling in and drifting all over the place, it’s probably driving you up the wall (maybe even literally, if they’re drifting outwards towards the wall!) and you might be left wondering what you’re doing wrong. Having a horse who drifts and falls in or out can make it really difficult to ride even basic figures like circles and centre lines. And it can also be problematic when jumping or even hacking or going on a trail ride. [How To Fix Your Drifting Horse]

An EHV-1 outbreak in California worsened over the weekend, with one horse euthanized and eight total cases now confirmed at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, including three horses with neurological symptoms. Two shows planned for this week, at DIHP and at Los Angeles Equestrian Center, have been canceled in response. [EHV-1 Outbreak Worsens]

Video: Unique perspective!