Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2016 i Practical Horseman

Practical Horseman|January 2016

New Year’s Goals

About a year ago, I changed my eating habits because I’d been feeling lethargic and unfocused. Following a system based on improving a person’s blood-sugar level, I limited sugar and carbohydrates and increased vegetables, protein, good fat and water intake. In a short period of time, I felt significantly better—I had a lot more energy and felt more clear-headed. The changes made me realize just how much my diet impacts my health and general well-being. Though it probably should have occurred to me earlier, when I read this month’s article “Fueling the Sporthorse,” page 48, I realized that just as diet affects how I feel, it can also significantly affect horses, especially in terms of how they perform. In the article, Drs. Katie Young and Karen Davison share the complicated…

2 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Choose the Best Paint Sporthorse

To learn about Julie’s evaluation philosophy and to see an example of how to best present your horse for this column, visit www.PracticalHorsemanMag.com. 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…

5 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Independence

Are your aids clear and independent of each other? Are you telling your horse conflicting or contradictory things at the same time? Maybe you are aware that you clash your aids but have difficulty avoiding it? Can you isolate and use different parts of your body? If you watch successful hunter riders such as Scott Stewart, Kelley Farmer and John French navigating a course, all of their aids are soft and invisible yet extremely effective. Another great example of aids working together is grand prix rider McLain Ward. If you study him closely, you will see all the parts of his position work in concert with each other. Riders need strong positions to use their aids effectively and independently. A rider is considered in balance when all the parts of…

5 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

FUELING THE SPORTHORSE

Research in the past several years has provided a great deal of information on meeting energy requirements of performance horses. However, there is still an element of art to balancing the various fuel sources to meet an individual horse’s needs. Depending on the workload, type of work and individual metabolic differences, the type of feeding program can look quite different even among horses with similar lifestyles. As a horse’s level of performance effort increases, higher energy requirement is the most obvious change in his nutrient needs. Energy is the fuel used by the horse for all functions, including performance and maintenance of body tissues. Energy itself cannot be measured, but it can be converted to heat, which can be measured. We measure the energy stored in feed in megacalories (Mcal)…

11 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Practical Tips & Talk

7 Things To Do in January LEARN from top trainers at the George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session, Dec. 30–Jan. 2, in Wellington, FL. Select young riders will participate in mounted sessions with Christine Traurig, Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut. Free to auditors; www.usef.org. WATCH Juniors hone their dressage skills during Robert Dover Horsemastership Week, Jan. 5–9, in Wellington, FL. Participating trainers include Dover, Steffen Peters, George Williams, Laura Graves and others. Fee to audit begins at $20; email kodester1@yahoo.com. KEEP UP with the latest news, rule changes and developments from a multitude of sport and breed associations at the 2016 U.S. Equestrian Federation Annual Meeting, Jan. 13–16, in Lexington, KY. Friday and Saturday night awards dinners honor top horses and equestrians; www.usef.org. TAKE IN the performances of elite jumpers…

3 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Your turn

It is with the highest respect that I submit a minor correction to the September 2015 issue’s Jumping Clinic with George Morris. The second “narrow-barreled Appaloosa” is, in my eyes, an excellent example of a Pony of the Americas. As an amateur adult owner of one of these athletic and affable ponies, I consider myself a proud proponent of this breed. These ponies have been bred for generations to be the ideal child and family horse and help build on the principle of introducing children to horses in a fun, positive way. They are not little Appaloosas. I believe the pony featured is a lovely example of what POAs have to offer. Adrienne Brant-Ruther, via email I just received my issue of Practical Horseman with the Salute to the Thoroughbred…

2 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

What’s Up with That?

Based at Fox Covert Farm, in Upperville, Virginia, Jim Wofford competed in three Olympics and two World Championships and won the U.S. National Championship five times. He is also a highly respected coach. For more on Jim, go to www.jimwofford.blogspot.com. Your first lessons on horseback are typically difficult, but after you get a few hours in the saddle, they are usually fun. There are few greater pleasures than applying a new skill or technique to a riding situation and getting the desired response from your horse. However, there are certain learning speed bumps in all three classic disciplines that you are likely to hit as you develop your skills. Let’s talk about these speed bumps, how to get over them and how to speed up your learning curve again. You…

11 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

CATERING TO THE STARS

For this year’s annual inside look at superstar equine care routines, we interviewed the riders of Olympian and FEI World Cup™ Final winner Flexible, champion Conformation Hunter Cold Harbor, Pan American Games dressage team gold-medalist Rosmarin and world-class eventer RF Demeter. Once again, these four horses demonstrate that champions come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Their care teams also prove that there are many different ways to get horses to the top and keep them there. All of these horses’ riders strive to sustain and enhance their mounts’ power, stamina and longevity while maintaining manageable energy levels. Some take advantage of high-tech therapies, neutraceuticals and supplements. Others believe their horses thrive on a simpler program. One thing they all agree on is consistency—in riders, owners and routines. Hunt Tosh…

27 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Controls in The American Forward Riding System

The forward riding system is a modern system of riding for hunters, jumpers, hacks and cross-country horses and consists of three major components: position, controls and schooling. In this section, we discuss controls. There is no question that the average American rider and many Europeans know more about position from observation and reading now than at any other time. Although unfortunately emphasizing the seat (position) even in the title, the U.S. Equestrian Federation hunter seat equitation division has done a great deal to help educate the general public. However, the area of controls and understanding them has not come through as strongly as the position part of the system. It is very important to understand that modern American riding has a complete system of controls, one level relating to the…

12 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Winner’s CIRCLE

Jumpers Set Sights on World Cup™ Final Across the United States and Canada last fall riders in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League vied for points at five events to qualify for the 2016 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final slated for March 25, 26 and 28 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Top finishers included: ■ American Peter Lutz, who rode Robin De Ponthual to victory Nov. 14 at the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Las Vegas. The pair left out the last stride to the final fence in the jump-off. Their clear round and time of 33.21 earned them the win by just four-tenths of a second. American Audrey Coulter and her new ride, Domino, finished second, opting for a smooth and clear round rather than the…

7 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

A Broken Neck Can’t Stop This Eventer

*“For him to not be able to be ridden again, that was devastating to me.” The Gentleman Pirate is Kelsey Briggs’ horse of a lifetime. She bought him for $600 as a 3-year-old at River Downs Race Track in Cincinnati, Ohio, a failed racehorse due to a minor wind problem. “I liked the way he was put together,” Kelsey said. “Underneath the big head, scrawny neck and long legs, I could see the potential there. I also loved his personality. He was hanging his head over the stall door and begging for treats.” Pirate proved the Charlotte, North Carolina, resident right, effortlessly adapting to his new career as an event horse. He was competing at the Intermediate level by the time he turned 7. “It was so easy for him,”…

3 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Legs That Need Small and Big Adjustments

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 Crossrails have two training advantages: They are low and they invite the horse to jump the center of the fence straight. A rider can work on many things—position, finding the takeoff spot, rhythm, etc. Our first rider should continue to work over them until she solidifies her leg. Her heel is up and she is pinching with her knee, causing her leg to swing back. She needs to practice trotting and cantering low fences in two-point putting her heels down. In the…

7 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Mental Skills: What’s In Your Toolbox?

An equestrian mental skills coach and A-circuit competitor, Tonya Johnston has a master’s degree in sport psychology. Her book, Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse, is available in paperback or e-book edition. For more info on Tonya’s work, go to www.TonyaJohnston.com. Have you ever had a fabulous day where you felt in sync and confident with your horse, and the very next day scrunched your face in exasperation when it felt like you couldn’t ride your way out of a paper bag? It may feel bewildering to go so quickly from one extreme to another. The thing to remember is that your preparation, inspiration and focus all help to create those great days; they don’t just happen when the stars align or because…

6 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

GET HIM FIT

As owners, trainers and riders we are responsible for all aspects of our horses’ health and welfare, which includes ensuring that they are adequately fit for the work we expect them to do. Fitness allows the horse to perform to the best of his ability and reduces his susceptibility to injury. Conditioning is the process of training the horse to become physically fit by a regimen of exercise, diet and rest. This article focuses on exercise and rest, but remember that the diet should be adjusted according to the horse’s workload and body condition. Fitness and strength improve when a horse performs a sufficient amount of exercise on a regular basis. The sequence of events is that strenuous exercise results in minor tissue damage that is repaired over the next…

14 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Here’s How

Help me sit the trot Q I’m a dressage rider who is trying to learn how to sit the trot. I feel as if I bounce around a lot and can’t figure out how to stop. How can I learn to sit the trot better? JANA WAGNER HAVE A QUESTION? Email it to Practical. Horseman@EquiNetwork.com or mail to 656 Quince Orchard Rd., Suite 600, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. ALearning to sit the trot is challenging for everyone. It’s particularly difficult for adults who didn’t ride, ski or do gymnastics as children and so didn’t develop the necessary muscle memory and balance. Whatever your background is, the only way to improve your sitting trot is to sit the trot over and over again. It’s tempting to put it off, for example, if…

11 min

Practical Horseman|January 2016

Fit Rider, Happy Horse

Your horse isn’t moving forward with the freedom you know he’s capable of and his back sometimes seems sore around the withers. Your veterinarian has checked him out and found no underlying soundness issues. Your saddle fits his back perfectly, and you’ve splurged on a plush fleece saddle pad. What more can you do? Maybe you should start an exercise program—for yourself. Horses move with longer strides and more freedom in their backs after their riders complete core strength training, says researcher Alexandra Hampson. That’s because core fitness helps riders sit more symmetrically in the saddle, reducing uneven pressure on the horse’s back. Hampson, a dressage rider, holds an honors degree in human kinetics from the University of Guelph in Canada and a master’s degree in equine science from the…

4 min