Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Practical Horseman

Schooling my horse at night after work, I’m not always the most motivated or focused. That’s when bad habits creep into my riding, like rounding my shoulders during flatwork. When I catch myself doing this, I envision Olympic show jumper McLain Ward warming up one of his horses. He has a meticulously correct position and sits taller than any other rider I know. With that image in my head, I immediately bring my shoulders back and drop more weight into my stirrups. That, in turn, makes me think about the rest of my position, so I can fix any other issues that I’ve let creep in without realizing it. Two of our experts in this issue strongly recommend watching or visualizing other riders in action. Grand prix rider Charlie Jayne…

Timing, finding your spot, seeing your distance, using your “eye”—these are all terms for the same thing: guiding your horse to an ideal takeoff spot. It’s the single-most challenging element of riding a course in any jumping discipline. There’s a common misconception that some people are born with a great eye and others are not. In reality, all riders have the same ability to see a distance. The only difference is the degree of confidence we each have in our ability. If you worry about whether or not you’re going to “find” the right distance to a fence, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. This anxiety causes you to change your pace or line (or both), to pump your body, throw yourself ahead of the motion or clutch at…

Natalie Henry, of Georgia, has two Dartmoor pony crosses. The gelding is half Quarter Horse; the mare is half Thoroughbred. They are half-siblings through their sire. Natalie has owned both of them since before they were 2 years old and says they have been “easy keepers” since day one. Unfortunately, she has had to manage both ponies for EMS. Natalie’s mare was diagnosed first. “I noticed something was off with her the spring she was turning 5. I was riding nearly every day and she was still pretty pudgy. She had a few fatty deposits across her topline and a very cresty neck,” she explains. “Our first real indication that something wasn’t right was a very slight bilateral lameness in the front. She just didn’t feel like herself. Her coronary…

□ SUBMIT an application by Oct. 1 for one of two Worth the Trust Scholarships offered by the U.S. Eventing Association. There’s a $3,000 award for a young adult (age 16–25) and a $2,000 grant for an adult amateur (age 26 and older); www.useventing.com. □ CHEER ON Juniors and Young Riders as they display their skills during the multiple phases of the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East, Oct. 5–7, in Gladstone, NJ; www.usef.org. □ VISIT the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, Oct. 11–21, in Harrisburg, PA. The historic show features the $132,000 Grand Prix de Penn National, the Dover Saddlery/USEF National Hunter Seat Medal Final, a family fun day (Oct. 13) and an extensive trade fair; www.panational.org. □ SPEND a day in the country rooting for your favorite…

4 NAL Events Scheduled For this Month Oct. 6, 7:25 p.m. Pacific Time—Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Sacramento, California; part of the Sacramento International Horse Show, Oct. 3–7; www.westpalmsevents.com/sacramentointernational-world-cup Oct. 7, 2 p.m. Eastern Time—Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Columbus; part of the Split Rock Jumping Tour at Brave Horse Show Park, Johnstown, Ohio, Sept. 26–Oct. 7; www.splitrockjumpingtour.com Oct. 20, 7:45 p.m. Pacific Time—Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Del Mar, California; part of the Del Mar International Horse Show, Oct. 17–21; www.westpalmsevents.com/del-mar-international-worldcup-wee Oct. 27, 9 p.m. Eastern Time—Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Washington, D.C.; part of the Washington International Horse Show, Oct. 23–28; www.wihs.org…

On this sunny October afternoon, I’m celebrating my 64th birthday with one last canter up a gentle slope. Four strides in, my 16.3-hand Dutch Warmblood gelding begins drifting left. I feel Bindigo’s back muscles bunch beneath the shallow, unpadded saddle I’d pulled off the tackroom wall. Hauling his more secure custom saddle from my house to the boarding stable had seemed too much trouble. But oh, to have my usual knee rolls to sink into! Oh, to have mastered the one-rein stop my husband is forever lecturing me about! I’m a sitting duck—but not for long. Bindi launches an impressive crow hop. Glancing over his shoulder at the ground far below, I wonder, Am I going to fall? After 55 years in the saddle, I simply don’t do falling—and, with…

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 Our first rider’s stirrup iron is exactly correct: She is touching the outside branch with her little toe and the iron is twisted so that branch leads the inside, making the iron perpendicular to the girth. This allows for a supple leg. The rider’s lower leg has slipped back because she has too much grip in her knee. As a consequence, her knee is acting like a pivot, sending her lower leg back. This is a bad habit that she can fix…

Whatever discipline you ride in, one of the best ways to improve your skills is to study successful riders at the top levels and try to emulate them. You can learn so much by observing how they use their aids, what they do before, during and after the jump and how they ride in between the jumps. With online sites like YouTube overflowing with free videos of riders from around the world, it’s easy to create your own customized, at-home viewing library. Whether you’re learning something new or trying to fix a bad habit, this is a great reference tool to take advantage of at any point in your riding career. Watching almost any experienced rider can be educational, but you’ll benefit the most by zeroing in on individuals uniquely…

Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is another endocrine disease, previously known as Cushing’s disease. Like EMS, PPID can lead to laminitis. The disease also raises insulin levels, which can make equine metabolic syndrome worse. “PPID is seen in middle-aged horses as well as the aged horse,” says Dr. Nicholas Frank. “Now we recognize horses with EMS often develop PPID. So it’s a question of finding out if there is one endocrine disorder or two endocrine disorders in the same horse. Detecting the PPID is important because we can treat that and take that factor back out of the picture.” Dr. Frank recommends closely watching any horse or pony over the age of 10 for signs of PPID, whether or not he is predisposed to EMS. These are: ▪ Weight loss…

Stutes Triumphs at Rebecca Farm Some 600 eventers of all levels tested their skills July 18–22 at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana. In the toughest challenge—the CCI***—Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin, owned by The Chatwin Group, took top honors. They led the division from start to finish, picking up just 1.2 cross-country time penalties and dropping a single rail on the final day to end their weekend with a score of 32.1. “I feel so fortunate to have had my family and friends in attendance and to have had the opportunity, thanks to the Broussard family [owners of Rebecca Farm], to compete at such an unbelievable venue,” said Stutes, who owns Athletux, a sports-marketing agency, and has also recently launched a handbag company. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime…

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. Lessons and clinics are part of my life. I enjoy them because the routine is familiar and comfortable. However, it is always a great departure from the usual to do what I did recently—conduct a clinic in a different location from my typical sessions, using a new format, with riders from a discipline other than eventing. This change-up can provide a wonderful learning experience for both the participants and the clinician; it certainly was for me. Let me get the “alphabet” and the nuts-and-bolts background out of the way first.…

Charlie Jayne and his two sisters, Maggie and Haylie, grew up on Our Day Farm, a training and breeding facility near Chicago, Illinois, founded by their parents, Alex and Linda, more than 30 years ago. With an early foundation in the classic American forward riding style, at age 13, Charlie became the youngest rider in history to compete in an American Grandprix Association grand prix. He achieved his first grand prix triumph at the age of 18. In 2006, he made his mark in both the jumper and equitation rings by receiving the U.S. Equestrian Team Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award and winning the U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search Finals–East. Since then, Charlie has competed for the U.S. on numerous Nations Cup teams around the world,…

Get All The News From WEG Rely on Practical Horseman’s editorial team to bring you all the latest developments from this fall’s World Equestrian Games. Reporting from the event site in Tryon, North Carolina, we’ve got the inside scoop on the horses and riders, the competition and those all-important results. Visit us on the web at www.PracticalHorsemanMag.com and check out our social media channels: ▪ www.facebook.com/practicalhorseman ▪ www.instagram.com/practicalhorseman ▪ www.twitter.com/prachorseman ▪ www.pinterest.com/prachorseman Site Spotlights Top-Notch Equestrian Experiences Equitrekking, the Emmy-Award-winning PBS television series that is broadcast around the world, has launched a new website for travelers and travel agents seeking exceptional horse experiences. The site, www.TopRidingVacations.com, showcases diverse horse-oriented activities for vacationers. “We’re continuing to develop resources that riders want and need,” said Darley Newman, the creator of Equitrekking, who…

Thermal Tights Fashioned from premium performance fabric, the new Dublin Performance Thermal Active Tights are designed to keep you comfortable and warm in cooler weather, whether you’re riding or just working around the barn. Looking for stability in the saddle? These tights promise to function as well—or better—than many breeches, with features to enhance fit as well. A PU silicon print design affords optimum grip while a contrast knit panel along the thigh offers even greater flexibility and rider support. Available in ladies’ sizes 24”-36”; navy, iron, plum and black; MSRP $89.99; www.dublinclothing.com. All-Around Effective You might already be familiar with Vetrolin® Shine Spray, a high-luster coat polish and conditioner for horses and dogs, and aromatic Vetrolin Liniment Spray which helps relieve equine stiffness, soreness and inflammation. Farnam has re-released…