We all want to do the best with our young horses and to produce well-schooled, educated animals. However, it’s easy to get bogged down in detail and spend a lot of time in the arena. We shouldn’t forget that young event horses need to learn to deal with wide-open spaces, natural terrain, and obstacles - and the best way to do this in an unpressurized way is by going hacking.
US Olympian Lauren Nicholson says: “Hacking is an integral part of my program and really should be part of everyone's. It’s important for the development of the horse’s body - muscles, ligaments, soft tissue, and so on. Event horses are expected to run across the varying ground and jump solid objects, and they need to learn to keep their balance while doing so. Introducing that early on in their lives is essential.”
Here are Nicholson's top tips for successful hacking:
The spirit of eventing was strong during the opening ceremonies on Friday afternoon at the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships. Just shy of 200 Intercollegiate and Interscholastic competitors lined up in the main arena at this year's host venue, Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, while chanting fight songs, waving team flags, donning mascot costumes, and more, all in celebration of this year's championships officially getting under way.
The "happiest horse trial on Earth" is set to kick off tomorrow, Friday, May 3, at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, where 18 colleges and universities and eight Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Clubs will parade their teams through the main arena to mark the official start of the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships!
Earlier this week, Kent Horse Trials announced its cancellation after 44 years, and as a result, Larkin Hill Horse Trials, which will be held June 29-30 in North Chatham, New York, has stepped up to offer more divisions to help competitors.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.