I somehow missed out on National Day of the Horse yesterday like a dummy, so I’ll just share one of my favorite posts from yesterday here to make up for it. I’ve really enjoyed following the McFall family adventures as they tackle the sport with several of their own homebreds. This family is one that does it all, from breeding sport horses to competing at the upper levels to providing coaching to riders in northern California — they’re fun to follow!
U.S. Weekend Preview
We have arrived at that weird time of year in which there aren’t many events to be found. Enjoy a weekend off, friends!
Wednesday News & Reading
One of the greatest services we can do for our horses is to seek to understand them. In his new book, For the Love of the Horse, Mark Rashid muses on the concept of understanding horse behavior and how these clues can give us a broader picture of how our partner is feeling. [Read more here]
After the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab released its first helmet rankings, opinions swirled. One voice added to the mix is that of the group behind the MIPS technology that has become commonplace in our helmets. They’ve issued a statement addressing the results of the study, and you can read more about it here.
If you’re a fan of the Equestrian Voices podcast, you can show your support by voting for it as the best Sports podcast in this year’s 1st Annual Listener’s Choice Signal Awards. [Cast your vote]
We can all relate to the…er…fun…that is a winter riding lesson. This play-by-play from The Plaid Horse had me rolling (and feeling extremely called out, if I’m being honest…).
Several rule changes were approved or moved forward to the USEF for final consideration at last weekend’s USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Savannah, GA. More information on the pending rule changes will be released in the coming days, but you can read a summary of the final USEA Board of Governors meeting here.
I’m getting pretty pumped for the London International Horse Show, which kicks off in earnest this week and always signals the true beginning of holiday season, in my opinion. Our friends at Horse & Country will carry the live stream from this year’s competition, and you can view the schedule, subscribe, or buy a one-time pass to watch the action here.
Tack Facts with Sterling Essentials: I think this review from Anna S. of Sterling Essentials (and honestly, what the brand teaches in terms of how to actually care for tack) puts how we feel perfectly: “I have to say, Sterling Essentials will forever change the way I care for my saddles. I was taught to use oils to care and condition my tack, which I never tried anything else because that’s how I was taught! When I tried this… My mind was blown! The cleaner pulled off all the oils that were just sitting on the top of my saddles. Then when I used the conditioner… It truly works itself into the leather to make it soft and restore it and no residue remains. I’m so impressed with this that I will never use anything else on my tack. Thank you for creating an amazing product!”
Sponsor Corner: Don’t forget to snag your holiday deal from Haygain!
Wednesday Video Break
K, I want to see the full camera footage from this — talk about cross country with even more adrenaline, if that was even possible!
