Joining USEA Official Podcast host Nicole Brown this week is five-star rider Lauren Nicholson (née Kieffer) and legendary groom and USEA President Max Corcoran for an episode all about producing young horses and how to can give them the best possible start to their career.
Nicholson came to work for David and Karen O’Connor when she was 17 years old and has spent the last 15 years bringing hundreds of horses along in their barn and for Jacqueline Mars’ program which breeds and produces horses from the ground up. Corcoran also spent over a decade on the O'Connor Eventing Team grooming and working with the young horses, so as Nicholson said to start off the podcast, “Most of my education for young horses came from working for David and Karen O’Connor and Max, so this should be a good episode.”
Questions covered in the podcast include:
Nicholson and Corcoran are a wealth of knowledge and discuss everything from why they start horses in a rope halter to the importance of good feet to using ponying as an emergency brake to exercises for starting jumping and more.
They end with each sharing their top three tips for laying good foundations with your young horses, but these are just a teaser for an episode you don’t want to miss!
Nicholson’s top three tips:
Corcoran’s top three tips:
Subscribe to the USEA Official Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PodBean, or Stitcher, or click below to listen in!
Black stallion antics after the CCI4*-L jog inspection yesterday were not a preview of Cinzano's dressage test today. "When you are riding and working him, he's all into what you are doing," says Amber Levine, who owns the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Classe VDL x Walta) through her Cellar Farm. A 31.5 dressage test puts them atop a field of four, three of which, including Cinzano, are first-timers in the division in Paso Robles, California.
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.
The Chattahoochee Hills H.T. is hosting one of three CCI4*-S divisions this weekend across the country and with 34 entries they have the largest turnout as riders prepare for their spring CCI4*-L and CCI5*-L goals. The facility in Fairburn, Georgia is running seven events in 2021, but their April event is the only one offering a CCI4*-S.
The Fair Hill International April H.T. and CCI-S is back from April 9-11, 2021 after a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 shut down last year and with the calendar roll, it is two weeks before the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event – making it an ideal prep. The venue in Elkton, Maryland is hosting four USEA recognized events this year including the inaugural Maryland 5 Star this October.