United States Eventing Association

When Debra Ladley first noticed her 18-year-old retired hunter gelding, Jack, was experiencing sudden lameness, she thought what most horse owners do; that there was a hoof abscess brewing.

Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.

Another fantastic week at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention has come to a close in Seattle, Washington! Several days of celebration and education, highlighted by the year-end awards luncheon and the Annual Meeting of Members with special keynote address from Tik Maynard, were bookended by two important governance meetings of the USEA's Board. This event would not have been possible without the support of the many loyal partners of the USEA and the Convention.

In eventing, riders go to great lengths to protect their horses from the demands of competition. Whether it’s the complex terrain of cross-country, the sharp turns of show jumping, or the long hours of hacking and training, every stride places stress on a horse's legs. Protective boots play a key role in guarding against impact injuries and strain—but they can inadvertently trap heat, potentially leading to fatigue, discomfort, and even long-term health issues.

There is so much to be thankful for this holiday season: our horses, family, barn besties, coaches, grooms... the list goes on and on! However, we would be remiss not to reflect on how grateful we are for our supporters, too. This Black Friday weekend, consider shopping with the companies that support the sport of eventing year-round—our USEA Sponsors!

The horses in trainer Joe Davis’ barn at Horseshoe Indianapolis don’t just get standard hay in their nets each day. Throughout the afternoon, Davis or one of his employees opens the HayGain machine that sits at the end of his shed row and pulls out a warm, beautiful-smelling bale of freshly-steamed hay to fill their nets.

Every now and then, a video goes viral on social media of a rider heroically going around a show jumping or cross-country course with one, or no, stirrups. There’s a great one of Mark Todd going around Badminton with a broken stirrup, and you just wonder how on earth a course that difficult could be jumped like that—because it’s hard enough with two stirrups!

The past few years have seen veterinary imaging for horses grow by leaps and bounds. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were once rare and expensive luxuries for veterinarians trying to diagnose a horse, only accessible in a few places in the country. These days, more referral clinics are getting ahold of machines to bring advanced imaging closer to more people and horses. Some of these newer machines are faster and don’t require horses to undergo full anesthesia to get images.

There are lots of podcasts related to horse sports out there. You can find training advice, stable management tips, and even veterinary recommendations in various podcasts. But the podcast series “Riders Unscripted” from Ride iQ is the first, to my knowledge, that features one-on-one conversations between amateur riders and a sports psychology coach.

The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is happy to announce that Parker Equine Insurance will return as the “Official Equine Insurance Provider of the USEA” for 2024 and 2025. As part of their corporate sponsorship of the USEA, Parker Equine Insurance will provide support for several programs as a “Gold Sponsor of the USEA American Eventing Championships,” a “Contributing Sponsor of the USEA Classic Series,” a “Contributing Sponsor of the USEA Young Event Horse Program,” a “Bronze Sponsor of the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention,” and the “Insurance Partner of the USEA Eventing Coaches Program.”