All the post-cross-country feels. Photo by JJ Sillman.
In my continued effort to understand the equine experience, I’ve purchased myself a veritable library of books on physical therapy, massage, myofascial release, and acupressure amongst others. I’m a nerd, and I love learning random new skills, and I’ve been applying some of what I’ve learned to each of the horses that I interact with every day, and it’s really made a huge difference for all of them. Just knowing how to read reactions and pain responses as I slide my hands over their bodies is amazing, and I highly recommend having your body worker teach you a few moves. Your horse will thank you!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Summer Coconino H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Essex H.T. (Far Hills, NJ): [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Major International Events
CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Eventing Main Page] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]
News From Around the Globe:
McLain Ward and Contagious took their first win of the week at CHIO Aachen and one of the first individual victories at the iconic venue for Ward, besting a class of 56 entries for a competitive win. The duo stopped the timers as the third fastest combination in the first round and ultimately secured victory after finishing the second round in 41.41 seconds. “Contagious was fantastic. This is a class that everyone in the sport dreams of winning and for us, Aachen is the biggest competition in the world, and the one that means the most to the rider. The Rolex Grand Prix, the Nations Cup, and the Prize of Europe are the main events here and it’s very important and such an honor to win one of those classes,” said Ward. [McLain Ward Wins Aachen]
Amateur eventer Amy Dobbins didn’t really expect her college project pony, Oliver Twist, to re-enter her life years after selling him, let alone watch last month as he helped cinch a U.S. Eventing Association Intercollegiate National Championship. Now 17, “Ollie” has brought multiple young riders across the country through the eventing and show jumping rings, moving from Georgia to Arizona to California before returning to Dobbins at the end of 2020. [Pony Boomerang Wins Championship]
Imagine: you are at the biggest sporting event of your life. The stakes are high, and you have spent countless hours preparing for it. However, you are expected to just show up and immediately perform. You cannot stretch or take a practice swing. You have no time to loosen up or sharpen your eye. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Just like us, our horses need adequate time to warm up each day. A warmup is any preparation for work, and it is often the leading edge of that work. It is the small aid response that becomes the more advanced aid response. [A Case for Warming Up with Kyle Carter]
Best of Blogs: Hard Work Isn’t Enough to Show Successfully — It’s About Privilege
Heel problems are common hoof issues in horses, with some estimates attributing more than one-third of all chronic lameness to the heel (caudal) region. The condition owners might be most familiar with is the low heel, which also happens to be one of the most difficult heel problems to manage. Scott Morrison, DVM, partner and head of the podiatry center at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Kentucky, described the issues low heels can cause and the mechanical tools farriers and veterinarians can use to address them. [Managing Low Heels in Performance Horses]
Sponsor Corner:
Check out this heck of a save from Area III Championships at Stable View’s summer event last weekend:
