There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Despite our best plans and organizational efforts, life with horses can very often mean we are cycling through Plans B through Z when we start the day with Plan A in mind. If your summer schedule includes your first horse trials or your hundredth, it’s always helpful to check-in with your own organization methods to stay prepared and ensure competition day runs as smoothly as possible.
One of my favorite sayings is, “You don’t win ribbons at horse shows, you only pick them up there.” The idea behind this message is that our ability to succeed is really created in our schooling sessions where we learn and practice the many skills required to ride successfully.
Any day spent with a horse is bound to be a good day, because each and every one of those days will be filled with endless learning experiences and memorable opportunities. Unfortunately, sometimes it can be a bit tricky to see those opportunities for what they are, or even worse, mistakenly view them as obligations, and it can all start with a few innocent words, called obligation-creation phrases, that we might unintentionally mutter to ourselves.
Janice Binkley might have 35 years of coaching experience under her belt, but that hasn’t stopped her from working towards a new goal—becoming certified through the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP). “I want to support the program,” said Binkley. “I believe in the program. I really feel like we need to be like the British Horse Society with their certification program, or like the Germans—they know how to do it right.”
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is thrilled to announce Ride EquiSafe as a “Bronze Level Sponsor of the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC)” taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Aug. 27- Sept. 1.
Eventing brings people together. Both in the barn aisle and out at schooling or recognized competitions, the eventing community is a large, enthusiastic, and cohesive group. From the grassroots to the very top levels of the sport, events across USEA regions need support. Whether or not you intend to compete this season, check out team STRIDER’s top 5 ways to support events near you.
Why do some horses and riders always seem to find their balance and their feet when the unexpected happens? The answer may lie in the time-tested practice of gymnastic exercises. Every rider, every horse, at every level can benefit from the use of ground poles, cavalletti, and gymnastic exercises over small fences. This article is aimed at improving the balance and stability of both horse and rider. Improved balance and stability not only contribute to better show jumping and cross-country jumping, but are the foundations of more secure and safer riding.
Sleeping Fox Farm Eventing is honored to host three-time Olympic medalist Phillip Dutton (USA) for a two-day clinic at Leg Up Farm in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania. The event will take place June 1-2, and will start at 8:00 a.m. each day.
One of the important concepts that event riders of all levels should understand, and practice is how the dressage flatwork carries over into the show jumping and cross-country phases. Don’t forget, the word dressage, translated from French, literally means training.