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Tuesday News & Notes from Legends Horse Feeds
https://ift.tt/2oPFoAJ That’s a (partial) dream team right there. The Pan American Games gold medal winning team was celebrated over the weekend at Stable View Oktoberfest. Unfortunately Boyd Martin and Tamie Smith were unable to attend, but teammates Doug Payne and Lynn Symansky made sure they didn’t “miss” any of the action. National Holiday: National Homemade Cookies Day Events Opening This Week: Fresno County Horse Park Horse Trials, Events Closing This Week: Hunt Club Farms H.T., Tryon Riding & Hunt Club H.T., Pine Hill Fall H.T., Fresno County Horse Park H.T., Hagyard Midsouth Three-day Event & Team Challenge H.T. Tuesday News: Mark your calendars: Tickets for the 2020 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event go on sale October 15th. The event will be held April 23-26, 2020 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Don’t miss out on the best weekend all year. [Tickets] The deadline for the USEA Worth The Trust Scholarship is creeping up. If you’re interested, make sure you’ve got all your information submitted by October 5th. [Deadline Approaching: Apply for the 2020 Worth the Trust Scholarships] British Eventing took a beating over the weekend with rain forcing cancellations. Some events were able to run Saturday, but by Sunday all were abandoned. Next weekend’s events are keeping a keen eye on the ground as further rain is expected. [Ground conditions ‘great’ but further rain expected as BE resumes after washout weekend] Tuesday Video: If little ponies can just 2* and 3* fences, what excuse does YOUR full-sized horse have? [Crickets.] Exactly. Here’s a recap video from the FEI European Pony Eventing Championships from Team Great Britain’s Freya Partridge and Master Macky, who earned team gold and individual fourth. Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV October 1, 2019 at 12:07AM
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A Picture Worth a Thousand Words: Bobby Meyerhoff and Fortuna
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Bobby Meyerhoff and Fortuna. Photo by JJ Sillman. Bobby Meyerhoff has learned a lot from the smallest horse in his barn. Perhaps one of the greatest lessons a horseman or woman can learn is that of empathy. Without this all-important skill — one that doesn’t always come naturally, at that — it can be difficult to tap into the deepest, most locked away talents a horse possesses. There is no handbook for empathy and horsemanship. All we have is the concept of feel, our own instincts, and our knowledge of how horses operate. Sometimes, we learn the most valuable lessons when we’re least expecting them. This idea is what made Bobby chuckle to himself as he galloped through the finish flags aboard Fortuna, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare he’s produced from the ground up. The diminutive mare, who stands just 15.2 hands, had just completed her first CCI4*-S at Plantation Field. And while the pair came away with perhaps the most memorable photo of the event, artfully captured above by JJ Sillman, the story behind the photo is one that speaks volumes — if we’re willing to listen and dig deeper. Fortuna (Nova Keur x Balou de Rouet) was feisty and hot-headed when Bobby first acquired her as a two year old. Right away, it was a lesson in patience for Bobby, who knew that he would need to listen to the mare in order to obtain her trust. Somewhere under that tough exterior was a careful and freakishly talented horse. “It’s been a lot of slow and steady like a turtle,” Bobby explains. “I just have to keep telling her the same things: everything is ok, work your body side to side and let go, trust me. I’ve come to realize that she can be a little insecure — she has all this bravado and attitude, but underneath it she’s got some insecurities.” Trust is something we all strive to achieve with our horses. Fortuna is “crazy brave and bold”, but sometimes this creates a potential for trouble out on a cross country course. We often discuss at length the shape a horse’s body should take over a jump. The distance we find to an obstacle dictates the shape and the efficiency of the jump. Bobby’s learned how to ride Fortuna forward to the base, which helps her tame the careful exuberance she displays. This carefulness and exuberance makes for an awesome photo, Bobby says, but the important thing to learn here is that this type of jump needs to be treated with caution. “I had a sense that she would jump super high over that oxer at fence six,” Bobby recalls. “When she sees something she doesn’t know — and that was one of the bigger fences she’s seen — her instinct is to jump crazy high. And sometimes that power doesn’t carry over because she dedicates her inertia to getting up in the air but not necessarily over.” By moving slowly with the mare, Bobby’s been able to smooth out her jumping technique over time. But it’s a constant question of balance for Bobby, who at 5’11 says he’s really had to fine tune his own balance in order to allow Fortuna to do her job. “If I move my upper body an inch, she moves,” he says. “So it’s actually made me have to ride better. I know she’s a super quality and has a lot of jump and scope, but I also know she’s giving me her all. So I know I have to be right there with her and everything has to be that much tighter.” A newly minted Advanced horse, Bobby knows that with more time and experience Fortuna will continue to develop her jump. After that bold jump at the open over on Mike Etherington-Smith’s course last weekend, Bobby knew he needed to pay attention to his mare during the remainder of the course, which is certainly no slouch for even the most seasoned horses. “The pictures are impressive, but they also mean she’s harder on herself,” Bobby explains. “I want her to be more efficient, and I think with more experience she’ll learn to use her talent more positively. You just have to be careful with horses like this and take your time with them.” “She wasn’t scared, but she was impressed,” he continues. “I had to ride carefully at the next few fences after that just to make sure she hadn’t lost confidence after that big effort. And she really started to get better — she let me ride her to a better distance and listened to and trusted me rather than just looking at the size of the jumps and reacting on instinct.” Bobby knows he’s sitting on a star. He knew it before he set foot out on Plantation’s cross country. And over the last seven years of creating a bond with the sensitive Fortuna, he’s been able to fine tune his sense of empathy and of knowing exactly what type of ride his horse needs on that day. That day, Fortuna grew up a little, and Bobby felt that much closer to cracking the code. “Walking to the cross country warm-up, I had a little chat with her,” Bobby says with a laugh. “I said, ‘Ok, I’ll make you a deal. I’m going to trust you and go with you out there, but you have to trust me too. So let’s meet in the middle.’ And she went out, she got a bit impressed, but she listened to me and she took that and got better and better.” Crossing the finish flags, Bobby was overcome with an emotion that elicited a chuckle from him. “It was something like, I can’t believe we just experienced that together.” Bobby says he’s not concerned with ticking off goals at a specific point in time with his and his wife, Danica’s, talented mare. “I think it’s easy to say ‘Ok, they’ve done this level, now it’s time to move up,’ but I think that’s where you can get into trouble. If you don’t take the time to look beyond the qualifications on paper and ask yourself if the horse is truly ready for the next challenge, you may end up with a horse or a rider that has lost confidence.” They say that if you can get a mare on your side, the sky may just be the limit. Even though Fortuna hasn’t been easy to get close to, he says every bit of this journey has been worth it and a testament to the idea of patience and empathy for the horse and what it needs. Horses, after all, aren’t so complicated, at the end of the day. They just need someone willing to listen. Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 30, 2019 at 04:35PM
Monday Video: The Tiniest Photo Finish
https://ift.tt/2o1UJNX You know we love a good pony race here at EN, so we can’t help but share what might have been the most exciting finish in pint-sized racing history. The Shetland Pony Grand National is always a highlight at any event it’s held at and this weekend’s race, a charity event at Newmarket Racecourse, certainly did not disappoint. The two-and-a-half furlong race came down to a photo finish to determine the winner. Watch and see what happens! Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 30, 2019 at 03:35PM
Nupafeed Weekend Winners: Area VIII Championships, FEH East Coast Champs & More
https://ift.tt/2oBFknT While I spent my weekend moving (highly do not recommend), many of my friends were out and about doing much more interesting things like rocking it at the Area 8 Championships or tackling move-up courses elsewhere. As we wind down into the tail end of the 2019 eventing season, it’s time to start thinking about what we’ll be working on over the winter and what we want to accomplish next season. Congratulations to all competitors from this weekend, and a special shout-out to Emily Brooks and Lord Darby, our lowest scoring finishers this weekend who earned a 22.4 in the Novice Rider A at Jump Start! Major Weekend Events: #Stable View: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram U.S. Weekend Results: FEH East Coast Championships [Website] [Final Scores] FEH 4 Year Old: Revel In Soul and Andrea Manley (81.4) Jump Start H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]
Intermediate Championship: Jackie LeMastus and Indian Mill (50.9) University of New Hampshire H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] Open Preliminary: Adrienne Iorio and FH Bea Tastick (48.1) Surefire Farm H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]
Open Intermediate: Lisa Takada and Wishbone (39.5) Sundance Farm H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]
Open Preliminary: Todd Wulf and Kilcannon Max (46.4) Larkin Hill H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] Many thanks are in order for Joan Davis and Flatlandsfoto for providing more win shots from Larkin Hill this weekend! Visit the Flatlandsfoto website to place your show photo orders. Prelim/Training: Heidi White and Captain Fernhill (26.3)     
ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]
Open Preliminary A: Hannah Sue Burnett and Capitol HIM (31.2) 
Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 30, 2019 at 01:04PM
Product Review: Banixx
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Photo by Jimmie Schramm. Everyone is always looking for the best product to kill fungus, scratches, and the dreaded crud on our horse’s legs. We are also always searching for a cream or salve to heal our horses wounds and scrapes as quickly as possible. How nice would it be if these products existed and we knew they worked? Enter Banixx! Let’s just start with the Banixx Medicated Shampoo. There is a long list of what this shampoo can treat: rain rot, scratches, sweet itch, cannon karatosis (cannon bone crud). The beauty of this medicated shampoo is that there are no detergents in the ingredients, which is what leaves your horse’s skin dry and flakey. Instead it uses surfactants, these lower the surface tension of water which makes the molecules less likely to stick to themselves and more likely to interact with oils or dirt and grease. The shampoo is also infused with sea-sourced amino acids that repair damage to your horse’s hair and are also gentle on the skin. Banixx Medicated Shampoo is non-toxic; you will not find paraben, sulfate, alcohol, or soap. This is a very healthy option to try when tackling the crud! Next the Banixx Wound Care Cream is safe and is an effective skin infection and wound treatment. This cream is good for scratches, wounds, cuts, rashes, ringworm, sweet itch, and dermatitis. Not dissimilar to the medicated shampoo, the wound care cream also contains sea sourced amino acids and is non-toxic. One thing I like most about this wound cream is that it is very light in feel, not think or heavy, this helps keep the wounds clean and creates an invisible cover to protect the wound. I have included two examples from my own testing. The first is from a horse that got properly kicked in the field, he ended up needing staples and was incredibly sore and banged up. I used both the Banixx Medicated Shampoo as well as the Banixx Wound Care Cream. The vet told me I would need to have the staples in for 10 days. After using the Banixx products every day we were able to take the staples out 3 days early because of how well the wounds looked. Needless to say, I am very happy with these results. 
The kick wound after using Banixx products. Photo by Jimmie Schramm. The second example is from a horse that is currently on stall rest and has been getting a little bit of crud not the fronts of her legs. For this horse I used the Banixx Medicated Shampoo and the Banixx Bacterial and Fungal Spray. This was sorted in literally three days. Now this case was not as bad as some are, but I can see that with how fast and how well this worked for this particular horse that it would be brilliant with tougher cases.  
If you weren’t already sold on using the Banixx products here is some other cool information. All of these products can be used on dogs and cats as well! Considering that most of us horse people are multi pet homes, it is nice to have products that can be used on all of our animals. I know that we all hear this often, “try this product it will change your life,” but seriously, TRY these products! They will change your life, as well as make for happier, healthier pets! Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 30, 2019 at 12:04PM
Best of Paso Fino Breed Competes for National Titles at PFHA Grand National
https://ift.tt/2nRTfpC Perry, Ga. – After a year of competition, hard work, and dedication, competitors gave it their all at the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) Grand National Championship Show . The championship, held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Ga.... Steedread News via US Equestrian News Feed https://ift.tt/32yJsDT September 30, 2019 at 10:53AM
An Eventer Joins the Hunt: An Excellent Alternative in the Off-Season
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Bridlespur Hunt Club It all started with an eventing student of mine who got into fox hunting, and a client ottb. I went Fox Hunting. I have been a hunter jumper for over 26 years and an event rider for many of those. In spite of adoring photos of the riders in scarlet coats on a crisp morning surrounded by hounds, I had never actually joined a hunt. “Don’t embarrass me,” whispered Rebecca as we rode up on our horses to the gathering area before they released the hounds at Bridlespur Hunt Club in Eolia, Missouri. Embarrass her? What could I possibly do? Literally 5 seconds later it happened. But let’s back up a moment and talk about what Fox Hunting entails. 
Amy Nelson (on the grey) with Hummingbird’s River. It is sort of what it sounds like. Although these days you don’t actually “hunt” a fox … it’s more of a chase. Generally the hounds will catch the scent of a fox (or in our region of the U.S. more likely a coyote) and the run begins. It is never the intent to harm the animal. It appears in my non-expert opinion that the fox/coyote is quite fast and intelligent, and more often than not will give the pack of hounds the slip rather easily. Fox hunting is simply noisy hounds and a super fast-paced hack, over terrain with logs, stone walls and coops built in. 
Bridlespur Hunt Club At Bridlespur Hunt Club they share portions of their land with an open to the public Nature Preserve, available to bird watchers and hikers. The terrain varies from rolling hills next to corn and soybean fields, to wooded areas and flowing shallow creek crossings. There are several “seasons” for the sport and several “levels.” And at most clubs you don’t have to be a member to try it out a couple of times. They offer a “capping fee” (something like $25) to join the hunt as a guest. The “levels” are 3rd flight – mainly walk/trot, back away from the hounds a bit. The leader of this flight tries to take short cuts through the land so you see the action without being in the galloping field of madness. No jumps, or optional jumps like small logs/coops at the very end. 2nd flight – more of a canter pace behind 1st, seeing more action, again jumps appear to be optional here. 1st flight – right up with the hounds, galloping terrain, jumping up to 3′ or so, crazy people and booze. 
Roading at Bridlespur Hunt Club The seasons are Roading – generally August, puppies and older hounds who no longer can keep up with the hunt get to go along in this season. It gives these young hounds a chance to get familiar with the whole ordeal before the real hunts begin. I had immense fun with roading, as there is no greater joy than watching an elderly hound feeling important as though he still had a job. One particular hound stayed all the way in the back with us at a slow trot during one of these rides, feeling proud of himself, with the speed his legs could maintain at his age. Is he smiling? Green horses and newer riders are encouraged to come out during these rides as well, to introduce the horses to the chaos on a smaller scale. The puppies are a bit less intimidating with their floppy ears and drooly enthusiasm. You should attend for the cuteness alone. Roading is casual with polo shirts and tan breeches. Some even allow western tack for trail ride days, but check with the club in advance. Some have Hunter Paces and even the elusive Mushroom Hunt – an expert on finding edible mushrooms leads a ride. 
Informal hunt at Bridlespur Informal hunts fall in September up until Opening Hunt in October. Tweed coat, ratcatcher and stock tie (apparently they prefer an actual tie, but were ok with my pre-tied tie from eventing). Black gloves. Hair net and velvet helmet. On warmer days they wave coats for a vest, but as an eventer plan on wearing your summer hunt coat if you don’t own a vest. Formal hunts begin on opening day, and require a black hunt coat, black gloves, stock tie. The scarlet coats are reserved for gentlemen and ladies of the staff who have been awarded colors. Read all about the attire here. 
Formal Hunt There are a few things you should know before you go Fox Hunting. Definitely read that your local club’s website for rules and information. Ask questions. This group of people is very open to helping you out and making sure you understand the protocol of tack, clothing, talking, and vocabulary. So how did I embarrass my student?? For the love of all that’s holy do NOT call them beagles. In my defense they look like beagles but they are definitely not. They are much taller and larger because your average beagle would NOT be able to keep up with a galloping horse. Ok. Sounds stupid now…but the hunt is 2.5 hours away and we got up at 3:30 am. I don’t even get up that early for Eventing! They are Fox Hounds. Google this. You’ll see the difference. Also…do NOT call them dogs. They are hounds. Fox Hunters are polite folks so they won’t openly correct you, but you’ll likely get a tongue-lashing on the drive home from your student, and perhaps a bit of gossiping during snacks and drinks in the clubhouse after the hunt. Learn terms like Tally-ho, Huntsman, and Whip before you go. Tally-ho is a good thing, apparently. And study up on attire. Just like you wouldn’t go into a dressage test with bell boots and pink saddle pad, Fox Hunters take their tack and attire choices seriously. I would highly recommend the experience for Eventers, especially those in regions where the event season only runs a few short months. Fox Hunting will allow you to get out over terrain with your event in horse in the winter months, and weather-depending, pop over a few jumps in the off season! This particular hunt allows members to use their land on non-hunt days for schooling and riding as well. Or go on hunt days – your horse does not have to be brave over terrain when 30 horses just crossed the moving creek (quite shallow, like a water complex, at Bridlespur) in front of him…he will absolutely cross without question. 
Informal hunt at Bridlespur It may seem a little daunting at first, but trust me, the leaders of each flight look out for all the members of their group. If you struggle or have a question or need help (say the green horse you are on gets a bit nervous), they are like the mother hen and will take you under their wing to make sure you are safe and having a great time. I stuck to 3rd flight and had a blast. Cost-wise to join a club it might run as much as 3-4 Horse Trials, but you get the entire year as a member. They may have a young rider (under the age of 25 for some!) or new member discount for your first year, and some offer a trainer option (of any discipline) with the idea that you’ll bring students with you to try it out and help drive membership. Oh. And there are snacks. 
Bridlespur Hunt Club If you’re in an a region with a short event season, check out your local Fox Hunting club. You might just love it! Fox Hunting is basically just the cross country portion with dogs…Er…Hounds. And absolutely NO dressage. Coming up on October 20th Bridlespur Hunt Club in Eolia, Missouri has the opening day hunt and blessing of the hounds. If you don’t ride in it…it’s worth coming to watch! 3…2…1…Tally-ho! 
Informal Hunt Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 30, 2019 at 09:03AM
Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks
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Photo by Abby Powell. Horses never cease to amaze me. Yesterday I went on hack and was merrily trotting along until my mare slammed on the breaks, threw her head down, and jumped sideways all the same time in a very dramatic spook that nearly tossed me over her neck. The object of her fear? A pile of another horse’s poop in the middle of the trail. I’ll probably never understand why something as benign as that is terrifying, but the kid riding the dirt bike on the property bordering the trail further down didn’t even warrant the flick of an ear. National Holiday: National Mud Pack Day Major Weekend Events: #Stable View: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram U.S. Weekend Results: FEH East Coast Championships [Website] [Final Scores] Jump Start H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] University of New Hampshire H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] Surefire Farm H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] Sundance Farm H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] Larkin Hill H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] ESDCTA New Jersey H.T. [Website] [Final Scores] Monday News & Notes: The East Coast USEA FEH Championships took place at Loch Moy Farm in Maryland this past weekend. Witht he East Coast Champions being crowned, the 2019 FEH Championships have now wrapped up, with the West Coast and Central Championships each taking place within the last week. [Catch up on all FEH Championship Coverage] Winter will be here sooner than we know it whether we like it or not (mostly not). We can’t prolong the inevitable, so we may as well prepare for it so that it might suck a little less. Our friends at horse nation put together a handy list of things to take care of before the temperatures seriously start to dip. [Autumn Is Here, but Winter Is Coming: 8 Ways You Can Prepare For Colder Weather] The equine fatality total at California’s Santa Anita Park is now up to 32 since last December. A three-year-old colt, Emtech, was euthanized on the track on Saturday after a catastrophic breakdown during the eighth race. Emtech’s jockey was not injured. [Catastrophic Breakdown Mars Santa Anita Card] Monday Video: Your Stable View CCI3*-S winners, Doug Payne and Vandiver
Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 30, 2019 at 12:01AM
Strong U.S. Showing at the 2019 FEI Driving World Championships for Ponies
https://ift.tt/2orLfw1 Ászár-Kisbér, Hungary – It was a strong showing of pony power for the U.S. with Mary Phelps in the Pair Pony division and Leslie Berndl in the Single Pony division as they competed in the 2019 FEI Driving World Championships... Steedread News via US Equestrian News Feed https://ift.tt/32yJsDT September 29, 2019 at 06:15PM
Sunday Video: An Eventer’s View from Dressage at Devon
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Lainey Ashker has been splitting her time between eventing and dressage worlds, and this weekend she was busy taking names at Dressage at Devon. Of course, Lainey brought her own unique flair to the occasion because if you’re going to make it to the awards ceremony at Dressage at Devon, you might as well live stream it! Go Lainey. Go eventing. (Go dressage??) Steedread News via Eventing Nation https://ift.tt/2YdaaQV September 29, 2019 at 05:00PM |
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we had one rail that was totally my fault, as I turned too shallow and didn’t have her straight soon enough. The XC course was very hilly, if you weren’t going up and You were going down. Between that and the uncharacteristic heat, it took a lot out of the horses. I’m proud to say that Twig went double clear likE a boss. She did they a bit tired at the end but she powered through and we were double clear to finish 4th!!! I am so happy and proud of her. She’s getting her well deserved pampering. A huge thanks to Christina Stamos Johns and Michael Johns for their help today with Twig after XC and getting video and pics. 
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