It presents step by-step training programs and showing advice from recognized experts in hunters, jumpers, equitation, dressage, and eventing, along with money- and time-saving ideas on health care and stable management.
When I first started competing on the hunter/jumper circuit in the early 1980s, my list of equine idols was long and largely included Thoroughbreds: Jet Run, 1981 World Cup Final winner with Michael Matz; Idle Dice, who had 31 grand prix victories, many with Rodney Jenkins; Sweet’N Low, who cleared the 7-foot-7½ puissance wall at the 1983 Washington International Horse Show with Anthony d’Ambrosio; and Touch of Class, the 1984 Olympic team and individual gold-medal-winning mare with Joe Fargis. The Thoroughbred hunter Touch the Sun had been amassing wins in the Regular Working Hunter divisions first with Steve Stephens and later with Jamie Mann. Soon after came Gem Twist, the 1988 Olympic team and individual silver medalist with Greg Best, and For the Moment, two-time Olympian with Lisa Jacquin. At…
Two words: baby oil. Sheila Chilcote-Collins, Ohio As a professional groom, my paycheck depends on my ability to turnout a well-groomed horse. My secret is rubbing alcohol. It is a greattool to lift dirt off the coat, remove sweat marks ringside or scrubstains out of white markings. Heather Brown, New Hampshire I feed flaxseed and do lots of currying and brushing to keep my girlgleaming year round. Rachael Jungclaus, California I keep my brushes clean. It doesn’t matter how much elbow grease or product you use if your tools are full of dirt. I curry three to four circles and then knock the curry clean. I do the same with my brush after three to four strokes. Once a week I spray my brushes and once a month I do…
1Eveners today emphasize knee and thigh grip, but the most secure grip involves the inner thigh, the inner knee bone and the calf. Pinching with the knee and thigh excessively, without having enough contact in the calf, pushes the rider’s upper body away from the horse’s back and pushes the leg away from the rib cage. This rider’s leg looks beautiful, but I can see a slight knee pinch. She can correct it first at the standstill by relaxing the upper leg and distributing equal contact between the inner thigh, the inner knee and the calf; then she can carry that feeling over to the walk, trot and canter. Otherwise, her heel is down and her ankle is flexed.The stirrup iron is correctly angled across the ball ofthe foot so…
Whether judging a model class, evaluating a prospect for a client or sizing up the yearlings at home, I first stand back and look at the horse for an overall impression of balance and symmetry. My ideal horse “fits” in a square box. By that, I mean he has matching and equal parts, both from 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 havea body made up of one-third shoulder,one-third back and one-third hindquarters.I like to see the withers and pointof croup at the same level. The horse’sstance, from point of shoulder to buttock,should equal the distance from theheight of the withers to the ground. I always look at eyes—not as a…
If you are going to go eventing, you are going to need a horse. It will really help your enjoyment of the sport if your horse is suitable, so you want to choose him with care. As I’ll explain, however, what’s suitable for you is a moving target that is dependent on your abilities and aspirations. Some things to keep in mind when beginning your searchfor a new horse: • Eventing is a risk sport, which makes his jumping ability ofparamount importance. • Eventing is a combined sport, which means your new horsewill need to be able to do more than one thing well. At Entry Level When it comes to matching riders with horses, there is nothingcuter than a young girl with her first pony. She has bracesand pigtails,…
Thoroughbreds are a common sight at Pimlico Race Course, but it’s not often you see them jumping, puffing and barrel racing their way around the homestretch of the historic racetrack. That scene played out over two days last October at the 2014 Thoroughbred Makeover, held at the home of the Triple Crown’s second leg, the Preakness Stakes, in Baltimore, Maryland. In its second year, the Makeover is a national gathering offarms, organizations and trainers interested in transitioning formerracehorses into successful off-track careers. The weekendincluded educational seminars on training, health care and thebusiness side of placing horses with new owners; demonstrations featuring 14 different riding disciplines; the Thoroughbred Charities of America Marketplace that presented 48 off-the track Thoroughbreds for sale or adoption; and final performances from 10 horse and-trainer teams in…
