I’ve found myself doing a lot of thinking recently about the idea of access to horses. It’s something that feels like a tangible way to have a positive impact for the next generation, for a kid who may need an outlet, who has an uncanny love for horses that needs to be expressed and nourished. There are various nonprofits and access programs across different sports, and much can be gleaned from diving into some research. One thing I’ve noticed in common is this: virtually every sport needs help at the grassroots, lower levels. The Little League games. The dirt bike tracks. The soccer fields. So many of them lie untouched, relegated to the neighborhood kids who make use of having it nearby. There is so much potential and so much that sports of all kinds do for young generations. There must be more we can do to expand this notion when it comes to horses.
I understand that bringing horses into or closer to a new community presents a world of challenges, but it’s some food for thought. Horses bring us peace (when they’re not breaking out of the crossties or finding inconvenient ways to injure themselves, that is), and it’s a feeling that I truly believe is something more people could benefit from. It’s a concept I will continue to dedicate time to, and I invite any and all conversations around this as the strength of one is nothing compared to the strength and combined creativity of many!
National Holiday: Today is Canada Day!
Weekend Preview:
Cool Job Alert: Mexican five-star eventer Daniela Moguel is looking to add someone new to her apprenticeship program. Described as an immersion style program, participants learn all aspects of horsemanship and business management in a way that helps them build careers of their own. Sounds like a pretty cool opportunity if you ask me. Learn more here.
I’ve been doing a lot of relearning of our country’s history. After learning about the many untold stories I’d missed out on, I decided to start down one rabbit hole in particular: the Black American cowboy. I’ve done a fair bit of reading, but I found this deep dive from Huffington Post to be particularly insightful in summarizing the history. If you want a primer, this is a good place to start.
In my Instagram scrolling this week, I came across this moving reflection from Colorado Rockies player Ian Desmond on racism in the United States as well as the concept of access in underprivileged communities. If you take out “baseball” and sub in “equestrian”, I feel a lot of the same undertones can be applied to the sport that has shaped our lives, too. No, this isn’t a dig. It’s an opportunity to reflect on how we can make horses and the peace they bring something more people can have the opportunity to enjoy. Ian’s post provided a lot of food for thought for me, and I encourage you to take a read too.
Kyle Carter wants coaches to take their roles in helping keep riders safe seriously. In this opinion editorial for Heels Down Mag, the Canadian Olympian reflects on the idea of moving up and what more coaches and riders should be considering. Moving up is not a decision to be taken lightly, and there are some good points made here.
Time for another conformation critique from the USEA. This time, former FEH/YEH Championship judge Chris Ryan shares his thoughts on a young Irish Sport Horse/Thoroughbred gelding. Take a gander and see how your conformational eye stacks up.
Wednesday Video: New episode of Young Black Equestrians alert! In the newest interview, we meet Ranee James, who balances being a mother, working with the Urban Equestrian Academy in the UK, a career as an artist, and big goals for her own riding…meanwhile, I need a nap after writing this.
Ecovet is an entirely different type of fly spray … and you apply it to your horse in a different way, too. With fly season upon us, we’re sharing some tips for how to best apply Ecovet:
