The USEA Equine Cardiopulmonary Research Group will be conducting a study this weekend at the New Jersey Horse Park as part of the New Jersey Horse Trials I, June 27-28. The Group has been working on improving the testing techniques and the USEA has now purchased additional equipment that will allow for more horses to be included in the study.
In April, Dr. Catherine Kohn updated the membership on the work being done by the Equine Cardiopulmonary Research Group. Dr. Kohn emphasized the importance of getting more horses involved in the study when she said, “This is a small study population that may not reflect findings in a representative population of appropriate size.” Her recommendations for follow up were clear: study many more horses.
Dr. Kohn also stated “The AliveCor ECG Device and App for the iPhone makes it possible to perform a field ECG anywhere that one has a cell phone signal.” A major challenge the group faced was the design and fabrication of a device that “will allow us to record the horse’s ECG at rest, during the warm-up, while on the cross-country, and during the initial phases of the recovery period.” The goal was to do more pilot studies of the newest prototypes throughout the season, and the New Hersey Horse Trials this weekend will be the first of a planned series of studies to continue through the summer.
The USEA would very much appreciate the cooperation of this weekend’s competitors in making horses available for the study. The team of veterinarians will work within your competition schedule and will keep you fully informed every step of the way. All results are completely confidential. Priority will be given to horses competing at the highest levels this weekend, but please do not hesitate to ask the veterinarians if you have a specific concern about your horse. Sign-up sheets and a questionnaire about your horse’s general health will be available on grounds.
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.