It’s nearly time for the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, which this year will visit Seattle, WA for its four-day gathering. This year’s Convention will take place December 12-15, and there’s a full schedule of meetings and seminars on tap. You can view the full information hub here, but make sure to clear time in your schedule for a special screening of Hoof Dreams, a documentary focusing on three women’s Olympic eventing pursuits. The documentary, directed by Jessie Deeter, is also available to stream on Peacock with a subscription.
On Saturday, December 14, you can join Jessie Deeter, and one of the film’s stars, Tamie Smith, for a screening and panel Q&A. Tickets are included with Full Convention registrations or can be purchased separately for $15 here.
Events Opening This Week
Stable View Aiken Opener H.T. (SC); Ram Tap Combined Test (CA)
News & Reading
Hear from some of the Cycle4Caroline riders, who finished a grueling, 1,200km+ journey from Scotland to London to raise funds and awareness for the British Eventing Support Trust and Spinal Research. The campaign brought about a rollercoaster of emotions, capturing once more the communal nature not only of our sport, but of groups of people joined in unison around a dedicated cause. You can read more in Horse & Hound‘s review here.
USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown, USEA CEO Rob Burk, USEA President Lou Leslie, and Equiratings’ Diarm Byrne got together to reflect on a busy 2024 and the highs and lows that accompanied it. Tune in to the latest episode of the USEA podcast here.
Is a pat on the neck what your horse would choose as a reward? Research suggests it may not be, and the concept of “operant conditioning” is further explored in this article.
Sponsor Corner: Kentucky Performance Products
Managing the easy keeper is anything but easy.
Generally when owners feed easy keepers they are overfeeding calories—or underfeeding nutrients. If your horse has such a low metabolism that he can easily subsist on forage alone, then his complete nutrient requirements are not being met; only his energy requirements are fulfilled. On the other hand, if you feed your easy keeper adequate forage plus 5 lb per day of a commercial grain mix in order to meet his vitamin and mineral requirements, then he is likely receiving excessive calories for his metabolism and/or workload. The horse that can meet his or her energy requirements from forage alone should have vitamin and mineral requirements met using a concentrated vitamin and mineral supplement that does not contribute calories to the diet.
Keep in mind that exercise can do wonders for these horses. A little bit of exercise in an easy keeper can go a long way to increasing his metabolic rate. And never starve your easy keeper, as it only serves to slow metabolism more. Extended fasting can lead to a dire ailment known as fatty liver disease. Remember, forage can meet an easy keeper’s energy requirements and a concentrated vitamin/mineral supplement can meet his body’s nutrient requirements.
Learn more about supporting your easy keeper here.
Video Break
Tune in for “No Stupid Questions” with Tik Maynard:
