Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i Practical Horseman

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Balanced Riding

I was at a local one-day hunter/jumper competition several years ago with a barn-mate who was competing her new hunter. He was well schooled but being a bit naughty, trying to pull her petite frame out of the saddle after the fences and playing in the corners. She asked if I would take him in an over-fences class because I was taller and had more leverage for his antics. My own horse was green, so I’d been jumping only crossrails, which I pointed out to her. But my barn-mate really wanted her horse schooled, so I warmed him up at first thinking: I really hope I don’t chip. Fortunately, I quickly switched gears and focused on the skills I’d learned over the years: position, pace, track and straightness. As I…

2 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Genius at Work

Italian cavalry officer Federico Caprilli (1868–1907) did not set out to revolutionize horse sports. His goal was to make cavalry more efficient. Warfare was still conducted on horseback at the turn of the 20th century, and the cavalries of the world needed a system of riding that was both efficient and easy to teach to large numbers of recruits. Before Caprilli came along, cavalrymen rode with straight legs and leaned backward when their horses jumped. Caprilli developed a new system, one where the rider allowed the horse to use his head and neck for balance Although we now recognize his genius, at the time Caprilli was regarded as merely an upstart junior officer with radical notions about how men should ride horses. *Caprilli’s main idea was that horses could carry…

11 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

JUMP-FREE JUMP SCHOOLING

One of my favorite exercises that we use frequently in the Skidmore College riding program is cantering over ground poles. This is a great way to work on courseriding skills without wearing out your horse’s legs. It removes the stress and anxiety about “the jump” and teaches you to focus on what really matters: the ride between the fences and through the corners of the ring. By understanding these fundamentals and consistently executing them properly, you will set yourself up for competition success. This is particularly critical in intercollegiate competitions, where riders have so little time to get to know their mounts before going into the ring. Ground poles teach both horses and riders how to relax and feel confident on course. Students come to our program from around the…

19 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

GREAT Gift IDEAS

Riding with Life In this comprehensive training guide, renowned Olympic gold medalist Melanie Smith Taylor shares her unique program for setting horse and rider up for success. Blending her in-depth knowledge of groundwork and flatwork with her vast experience in the hunter/jumper discipline, she explains how to achieve a harmonious partnership with your horse and realize his full potential—whether you’re a weekend trail rider or a serious competitor. # ZF915, 360 pp., $32.95 The Essential Fergus the Horse The Life and Times of the World’s Favorite Cartoon Equine In her new book, Jean Abernethy has brought together the backstory of Fergus the Horse—how he came to be, his early years, the history of his “friends” and support characters—and combined that with his “greatest hits,” including the most-loved comic strips and…

4 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Winner’s CIRCLE

California World Cup Qualifier Results The West Coast shows in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League continue to provide exciting entertainment as riders compete for the chance to qualify for the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final next spring in Sweden. Chilean rider Samuel Parot scored an impressive win September 26 in the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping™ Sacramento, presented by Lasher’s Elk Grove Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. Six out of the 24 competitors made it to the jump-off, but ultimately Parot and the 12-year-old gelding Atlantis posted the quickest round to win. The pair’s jump-off time of 36.97 narrowly edged out second-place finishers Quentin Judge and HH Copin van de Broy. Three weeks later, Beezie Madden and her longtime partner Simon were the latest pair to…

7 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Deck the Stalls

*“May you have a merry time decorating your barn with family and friends.” When I first signed up for a riding lesson at Foxfield in Westlake Village, California, on my 50th birthday, I didn’t realize it was a gift that would give me much more—a new family of friends, horses, donkeys and dogs with lots of opportunities for fun. Twin sisters JoAnn Postel and Nancy Turrill established Foxfield in 1967 not only as a riding school but as a place to learn, share and play on and off horses regardless of age. One of those opportunities is at Christmas: Horses, tack, stalls and barns are festively decorated by kids, parents, grandparents and friends, spearheaded by Foxfield rider Brooke Mansker, who has generously shared ideas and organized tasks for decades. After…

3 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Who Gets an A Grade for Turnout?

George H. Morris is the former chef d’équipe of the U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Team. He serves on the USEF National Jumper Committee and Planning Committee, is an adviser to the USEF High-Performance Show Jumping Committee and is president of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. 1 This photo is instructive because it shows you don’t have to jump—the rider is going over a rail on the ground. Just as for any other sport, you first must practice at a basic level. If you’re lifting weights, you start at 5 pounds and then move up. I’m not thrilled if they’re at a show where I don’t think there should be ground-pole classes. This is an athletic child with confidence. The stirrup iron needs to be angled so that the…

7 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Riding Simplified

On my training video site Equestriancoach.com, there is a section called “Fundamentals of Flatwork”—a progressive Riding Simplified training system. This system is based on the principles of the American forward seat and forward riding system. *Today we have two systems existing side by side: riding in central balance that is based on the seat (dressage disciplines) and riding in forward balance that is based on the stirrup (jumping disciplines). These basic fundamentals were first set forth by Federico Caprilli in the early 1900s and further refined in the middle of the last century by Col. Harry D. Chamberlin, Gordon Wright and Capt. Vladimir S. Littauer, whom I was fortunate enough to have trained with for five years during my Junior years. In the days before Caprilli, there was only one…

7 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

SHOE FOR SOUNDNESS AND PERFORMANCE

Trimming and shoeing, done right and at the right time, help keep a horse sound and performing at his best. But what’s “right,” and how can you know if your farrier is shoeing your horse correctly? Every horse is different, so what’s best for one horse may not be so good for another. Still, the principles that guide the farrier are the same regardless of the horse’s individual conformation or the work he does. In this article I’ll explain the core principles and how they’re applied in basic trimming and shoeing. I’ll also tell you how to recognize and deal with some common problems related to this work. Balance and Breakover The guiding concept in trimming and shoeing should always be biomechanical efficiency. Biomechanical efficiency simply means that, at any…

13 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Practical Tips & Talk

6 Things To Do in December ■ EXPERIENCE all Vegas has to offer at the Adequan/U.S. Dressage Federation Annual Convention, Dec. 2–5, in Las Vegas, NV. Highlights include educational sessions on training, rider fitness, saddle fit and more; networking; and keeping abreast of key issues through forums and roundtable discussions; www.usdf.org. ■ ATTEND the U.S. Eventing Association Annual Meeting, Dec. 2–6, in Washington, D.C., to learn about topics such as introducing jump-chutes, professional grooming tips and rider fitness. Also featured are discussions about key issues in the sport and the latest rule proposals and technology as well as the Hall of Fame Dinner Saturday night; www.useventing.com. ■ WATCH the Gucci Paris Masters, Dec. 3–6, which will feature some of the world’s most elite show jumpers competing in the heart of…

3 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Therapeutic Riding Study

Can horses help children with autism? Some popular accounts have described remarkable, almost miraculous effects, but there hasn’t been much research. Now a new study—a four-year randomized, controlled trial involving a substantial number of children with autism—provides solid evidence that therapeutic riding can provide specific benefits. Autism affects roughly one of every 68 American children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, and the number is growing. The term “autism spectrum disorder” best captures the complex nature of this condition, which is actually a group of disorders involving brain development. Characteristics include repetitive behaviors and difficulty communicating and interacting with others, but no two cases are the same. The effects range from mild impairment to severe disability. “There is no one right treatment for all children with autism,…

4 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Choose the Best Thoroughbred-cross Sporthorse

Whether I am judging a model class, evaluating a prospect for a client or sizing up the yearlings at home, I first stand back and look for an overall impression of balance and symmetry. My ideal horse “fits” in a square box. By that, I mean he is defined by matching and equal parts, both front to back and side to side. This allows for athletic ability, soundness, trainability and longevity in the job. A horse who fits in a box will have a body that is made up of one-third shoulder, one-third back and one-third hindquarters. I like to see the withers and point of croup at the same level. The horse’s stance, from point of shoulder to buttock, should equal the distance from the height of the withers…

5 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

MUCH TO LOVE ABOUT

Seventeen-year-old Ransome Rombauer believes that her experience at Interscholastic Equestrian Association competitions was a big help in her recent victory at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search Finals–West. In the final round of that competition, the top four contenders ride a course first on their own horses, then three more times on each others’ mounts. In IEA jumping competition, middle- and high-school students ride unfamiliar horses and have minimal warmup time. Though the IEA fences are 2-foot-6, compared to the Talent Search’s 3-foot-11, Ransome says the IEA catch-riding experience helped her to quickly assess each mount at the Talent Search Finals in September and compete with confidence. The northern California rider, also the Leading Rider at the 2015 IEA National Championships last spring, is not alone in praising…

13 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Here’s How

Help me stay on course! Q I constantly go off course in my dressage and jumping tests at events. How do I stay focused? LAURA VANDERVLIET A There are two main reasons for riders going off course in dressage or show jumping. First, you may not know your test as well as you think you do. You should be able to pick it up at any movement or jump and recite the rest of it easily. It’s like knowing the alphabet so well that you can remember what comes after L without starting at the beginning. Second, you may forget your test because your horse does something that distracts you. You’re so busy dealing with him that you blow right by the next letter or jump. Both of these situations…

12 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

When to Change Your DIAGONAL

Deciding when to change your posting-trot diagonal during a direction change across the dressage ring can be slightly confusing. Some trainers suggest changing the posting-trot diagonal as soon as you leave the rail, others say to change at X and yet others instruct riders to change just before reaching the rail going in the new direction. What is correct? High-scoring tests are made up of a multitude of small details and changing your posting diagonal smoothly is one of them. Judges don’t care where you change your diagonal. They just want to see a seamless ride with no loss of balance, contact, straightness or any other disruption of the general flow of the test. The goal is to make the change when your horse is most balanced and steady in…

4 min

Practical Horseman|December 2015

Tack Room

Useful Accessory for Dressage Riders Now you can literally wear a dressage arena on your wrist and practice your test anywhere. Tack Room Essentials offers a Fashionable Tackbox Timepiece watch featuring dressage arena letters and a trot-circle dial. The soft, white silicon strap is easy to keep clean and is water resistant, making it a handy accessory for the barn or at shows. One size fits all; $60; www.dressageextensions.com. Handcrafted for Horse Lovers Show off your inner fashionista with Cuff Bracelets from Horse Hippie. Each bracelet is created by a North Carolina artisan and the letters are individually hand-stamped. Some of the cuffs include sayings such as: “Ride First, Everything Else Later,” “Pony Power” and “My Horse is My Soul Mate.” The material is a high-quality 1100 aluminum, which is…

1 min