Good horsemanship habits don't always have to be expensive. In fact, some of the best barn hacks don't even require a trip to the tack store. From buying sponges in the automobile section of your nearest superstore to using ketchup as a tool to help whiten the tails on a gray horse, there are tons of ways you can up your horsemanship game on a budget without sacrificing the quality of care for your horse. We asked the USEA membership to chime in with their favorite barn hacks and you did not disappoint. Check out some of the suggestions below!
Marilu J: "Spray pine oil mixed with some water all around your stall walls, it keeps flies out."
Polly G: "Using all synthetic brushes so that you can throw them in a bleach bath to clean them without having to worry about ruining them. Good for large programs where you need to avoid cross-contamination when a horse gets fungus."
Jenny L: "Epona Tiger Tongue grooming tool is the best thing ever for speed grooming/tacking/post care. It’s a cheat I actually feel a little guilty using!"
Haily B: "Dryer sheets for static! Rub [the horse] down with them to help prevent those nasty shocks in the dry winter months."
Margaret M: "For horse shows one of my favorites is to buy two pop up hampers and set them up outside my trailer dressing room. One is for dirty horse laundry and one is for dirty rider laundry. It makes unpacking at home a lot easier!"
Addi M: "Skin so soft, rubbing alcohol and a little witch hazel takes out sweat marks instantly!"
Morgan M: "Vaseline in the corners of the horse's mouth works the same as bit butter to keep cracks away!"
Great Britain’s Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir found themselves in a familiar position today at the top of the leaderboard after dressage at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, scoring a 26.0. A year ago, Ingham and “Banzai” led the field heading into cross-country after Friday’s dressage, but they drew an earlier start this year, and Ingham’s got a few more challengers to come tomorrow.
In comparison to many of his other upper-level event horses, Commando 3, or “Connor” as he is known in the barn, is still a newer ride for Boyd Martin, but that hasn’t held the pair back.
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.
Let the fun and games begin! This morning kicks off the official start of competition at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE). The hefty four-star field is the first to set foot in the Rolex Stadium starting at 8:00 a.m. Last year we saw 49 four-star pairs in this division, but this year there are 63 pairs in the field.