The first of the mini American Pharaoh's we'll be seeing this spring! Photo via Victor Espinoza's FB page.
With the advent of the new year, that means new Thoroughbred babies! While most of the world looks at these bundles of legs and wonders if they’ll be the next Triple Crown winner, I wonder if we’re looking at the next Donner or Courageous Comet. Dream big, little colt, whether it’s for your first career or your second.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Ocala Winter I H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Your Wednesday News & Notes:
Voting for USEF Equestrian of the Year and USEF International Horse of the Year closes at midnight EST tonight, and both Phillip Dutton and the HND Group’s Mighty Nice are up for a title. Votes from the public play an integral role in deciding who will win the titles. We freely admit to being biased and we think both Phillip and “Happy” deserve to win. So come on EN, take a few seconds and go vote!
Click here to vote for USEF Equestrian of the Year
Click here to vote for USEF International Horse of the Year
Because most Brits stay home for the winter season, they’ve developed some pretty good training methods for winter. Nicola Wilson, who events out of her family’s yard in Yorkshire, has a few tips she sticks to for the winter season. Developing a good base level of fitness, praising good behavior, and and lots of hacking on hits and river banks are amongst her top tricks. [Nicola Wilson: 9 Top Winter Training Tips]
Blog Rewind: The Plea of the Ruined Horse. Although it was written two years ago, the sentiments jumper trainer Rebecca Young is a good reminder as we bring in the new year. There’s always pressure to jump higher, show sooner, put square pegs into round holes. Sometimes our ambition gets in the way of what’s right for the horse. [Do Better]
Eventing Podcast: The 2017 Preview Show. In this episode, the EquiRatings team spends some time discussing who is hot for 2017, whether they are established four-star competitors or exciting three-star horses poised for stardom. If you haven’t started to tune into this series, you are seriously missing out. [Eventing Podcast]
SmartPak Product of the Day: With the so-called Great Migration well underway, all of our lovely, clipped horses are now headed for warmer climes…and sand. While sand is has the advantages of brushing right off unlike mud, it can cause skin issues with some of the more tender-skinned horses. MTG is the absolute best for getting rid of rain-rot and fungus in my experience, and has the added bonus of smelling exactly like bacon. [SmartPak]
Wednesday Video: Why do top professionals choose footing from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces?
