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Jan 15, 2010
Next Great Blog from William Micklem: “The Young Will Judge the Old”
Thank you to BarnMice.com for sharing this fantastic blog series with us!
I remember the occasion well. It was the Fourburrow Pony Club camp in Cornwall, in the south west of England. I was 12 and a typical thin gangly kid. As you can see in the photograph above I was six foot tall on stick legs and all curled up on a 14.2 pony....my brilliant mare Charlie's Aunt. So what did my coach do? She took away my irons and made me ride and jump all morning with no stirrup irons, just like so many coaches have done before and since. She was especially confident about doing this because she had also taught my elder brother Charlie, who was able to ride the most slippery horses bareback with great ease.
(Left: Photo courtesy of William Micklem & BarnMice.com)
BAREBACK DAYS
My father also spent his first lessons bareback. He was taught to ride as a boy by the founder of the Pony Club movement Major Harry Faudel-Phillips. No one was allowed to use a saddle until they first became established riding bareback, sitting on a sack secured by a surcingle. The question is how many of you are nodding your heads in agreement as you read it, and bemoaning the modern restrictions of health and safety? However there is more to this story.
Log on to BarnMice.com to read the rest of this great blog!
Nov 04, 2024
Convention
USEA Podcast #373: Make a Difference in Your Sport at the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention
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!
Nov 03, 2024
News
33 Strength and Fitness Workouts for Horses
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.
Nov 02, 2024
Competitions
Best for Last in the CCI4*-L at the Eventing Championships at Galway Downs
Being the last rider in the final competition of the day can be an unenviable position. Molly Duda felt the pressure all day while gearing up for her ride on her own 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Disco Traveler (Donatelli x Cadence).
Nov 02, 2024
Classic Series
Waredaca Celebrates 20 Years of the USEA Classic Series Three-Day Event: Meet the Winners!
Waredaca celebrated 20 years of its USEA Classic Series Three-Day Event from Oct.23-26 in Laytonsville, Maryland. From Beginner Novice through Modified, 72 horse and rider pairs got to experience the thrill of competing in a long format three-day event. Read on to learn more about the winners.
