And just like that the spring season was gone . . .
All the plans.
All the excitement.
All the goals. The calendar now has scratch marks on the days we were meant to travel and nothing more for the rest of the season can be filled in yet.
So here we sit – watching the news, looking at maps, happy we don’t live in the worst hit areas and empathizing with the people that do.
What to do now? We need to keep this glass half full.
Some barns are open and some are shut – hopefully we respect the farm owner’s wishes and take care of fellow boarders and ourselves and take all precautions.
If you are riding, this is a great time to practice the basics. How round can you make that circle? How straight can you get to the jump AND go away from it? How long can you go without stirrups? It’s also a great time to get outside as the weather gets better and go for a long walk. We have to remember that it is still five weeks (at best case scenario) before any horse goes out the start box. We need to pace ourselves – this virus, unfortunately, is a marathon, not a sprint.
Some have chosen this time to give their horses some time off. The crews that are lucky enough to be in California or South Carolina or Georgia or Florida have already had a mini season. These horses have earned a bit of downtime.
Some people have made the decision not to ride. Riding is dangerous and if we do fall off that could take up another hospital bed for someone that is sick, but those horses still need care and movement and turnout.
What is important for ANY of these horses is to make sure when the end is in sight, we are ready to roll. Horses and riders are fit enough, shoes are on schedule, vaccines are done, teeth are floated, trailers are checked, we have practiced, we start back at the right level, and we can do our best for our horses to be successful.
We can make the most of this mini break – without competition we now have time, if we choose, to tidy up all the details and be more than ready when we hear “3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . have a great ride!”
COVID-19 Updates from USEA
When That’s Me Z won the USEA Young Event Horse West Coast 5-Year-Old Championship in 2022, his co-owners Tommy Greengard and Andrea Pfeiffer knew that competing at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Championships for Young Horses at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d'Angers, France, in two years time was the ultimate goal for the promising young Zangersheide (Take A Chance On Me Z x Venetia) gelding.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is excited to announce a request for expressions of interest to host the first standalone USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships in 2026 and 2027. With the success of the inaugural joint championships in 2024, the USEA is confident that the progression of these programs lends to a standalone event for these hardworking students in 5th through 12th grade and undergraduate college programs.
The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention is easily one of the most influential weeks in the sport of eventing in the U.S. and this year it is headed to Seattle, Washington, Dec. 12-15. USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown talks about all the details surrounding this year's Convention with USEA CEO Rob Burk and USEA President Lou Leslie. From important discussions around safety and horsemanship to a charity poker tournament and more, there is so much going on in Seattle this year that you won't want to miss!
The following is an excerpt from 33 Strength and Fitness Workouts for Horses by equine training and conditioning expert Jec Aristotle Ballou. Strength routines and this workout are for horses and riders with a good existing level of fitness who are working toward increased strength and endurance.