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Aug 03, 2020
USEA Podcast #263: Producing a Young Horse
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:
- What do you look for in a young horse? Breeding, temperament, conformation, etc.
- How do you start their education?
- What are your favorite exercises for teaching balance in a young horse?
- How do you introduce jumping?
- When do you give your young horse breaks?
- What are your classic signs of a horse going through a growth spurt?
- What can you do at home to make sure your horse is ready for his first event?
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:
- Treat them like horses in the beginning
- No timeline for a young horse –some horses are ready for YEH Championships and some horses can’t trot a crossrail.
- Get them out a lot without an agenda.
Corcoran’s top three tips:
- If you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself find someone to help you.
- Be very patient
- If you have a horse that isn’t going to work out, it is okay to be honest with yourself.
Subscribe to the USEA Official Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PodBean, or Stitcher, or click below to listen in!
Apr 10, 2021
Competitions
Cinzano Captures Inaugural Twin Rivers CCI4*-L Dressage Lead
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.
Apr 09, 2021
Competitions
Weekend Quick Links: April 8-11
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.
Apr 09, 2021
Competitions
Fast Facts: 2021 Chattahoochee Hills H.T.
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.
Apr 08, 2021
Competitions
Fast Facts: 2021 Fair Hill International April H.T. and CCI-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.
