Happy Thursday Eventing Nation! Today, I will spend all day outside riding about 8 horses, and the forecast says…average temperatures of 95. This translates to several things: drinking so much water that I physically cannot fit any more in my belly, looking like a tomato with a helmet for at least six hours straight, participating in the wrong kind of wet t-shirt contest, and collapsing on my kitchen floor at 7pm with my dog panting beside me. Ah, the glamorous life of a horse girl!
Events This Weekend:
IEA Horse Trials, Classic Training & Novice 3-Day Event [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
The Colorado Horse Park T3D, CCI* & Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
GMHA June Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Poplar Place Farm June HT [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Waredaca HT [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club HT [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Carriage House Farm CT [Website]
News From Around the Globe:
We totally forgot to send an EN reporter to the Balkan Eventing Championships! Bulgaria’s Miroslav Iliev claimed individual gold at the FEI Balkan Eventing Championships 2013 at Sighisoara, Romania last weekend with a stand-out performance on his horse Lazuren. Fellow Bulgarian Ivan Dobrev took silver, while Romanian Viorel Bubau took the bronze. There were a total of eight riders from three countries competing, although there were no team medals awarded as only Turkey and Bulgaria could field a full team. The championship is run at the CCI1* level. [Balkan Eventing Championships]
Researchers at the University of Kentucky just completed a study on how working with horses beneficially effects emotional growth in humans. 10 horses and 11 nurses from a nearby hospital were used in the study, with the nurses tested on their emotional intelligence prior to beginning work with the horses, and then six months afterwards. The tests showed that all nurses who participated showed an increase in all four major emotional intelligence competency areas, although they do concede that the sample group was too small to draw any real conclusions. We know better, though. [Horses Make You Better at Emotional Intelligence]
China has a new variation on the bird flu that has already infected 130 people, and now they are warning us that it could mutate and infect horses. H7N9 flu has killed 37 people so far, and is a Grade III severe outbreak, and likely to evolve into a Grade IV (very severe) soon. The flu currently can live inside birds, humans and pigs for years and could very likely mutate to survive in horses. [Bird Flu, Possibly Horse Flu in China]
The Stand’N’Store Step Stool (say that five times fast) is probably one of the most essential products in any barn. Seriously, how can you get any better than something that helps you organize your stuff, carry your grooming tools, and mount your horse, all while looking tidy and nice? A must have for both shows and around home: getcha’self one. [SmartPak Awesome Step Stool]
Best of Blogs: Jessica Morthole describes her first ride on her OTTB for the Retired Racehorse Project
