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 COVID-19 swept through the United States, it took a toll on human life and the economy. As hospitals sprang into action, businesses shuttered and the scramble for provisions began, animal rescue organizations started bracing for the worst, knowing that surrenders and possible starvation cases weren’t far behind. At Drifter’s Hearts of Hope, a 501(c)(3) equine rescue in Franktown, Colorado, President Jacqui Avis and Director of Fundraising Rachelle Nye sought to head this problem off at the pass. They knew better than most that it’s seldom cheap to feed or care for horses, having rescued more than 460 to date. “We had experienced an increase in owner-surrender requests [people who ask to relinquish ownership of a horse to the rescue] and had seen a decrease in people interested in adopting…
Whether you keep a horse at home or board one elsewhere, chances are you have been affected by COVID-19. Here are some additional tips and links to assist horse owners financially strapped by the pandemic. To help reduce costs, the United Horse Coalition suggests the following: • Turn out horses as long as possible to save on the costs of feed, hay and bedding.• Increase hay consumption and decrease grain and supplements as much as possible.• With your farrier, discuss the possibility of pulling your horse's shoes.• Reach out to others and share resources in community collaboration. Do you need to stop riding? As long as you feel healthy and observe reasonable precautions—and as long as your facility is open—you might consider continuing with your routine. Exercise is good for…
Attending functions at my daughter’s school over the past few years, I kept hearing the word “resilient.” Educators wanted to instill resiliency in students so no matter what the future workforce looked like, they would have a tool to help them succeed. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think all of us are using that tool in abundance. And I admit that some days I’m better at living resiliently with so much uncertainty than others. But then I think of people like Kevin Babington. After a riding accident left him a quadriplegic in August 2019, he determinedly worked his way out of the hospital and a long-term stint at a rehab facility—with the help of his family and friends—and he is again active in the equestrian community, teaching…
On PracticalHorsemanMag.com Try this Exercise to Improve Straightness and Practice Focus Hunter/jumper rider and trainer Jane Ehrhart’s three-stride to three-stride exercise helps horses and riders gain confidence while teaching straightness and practicing focus. It is designed to help any horse stay straight without a lot of interference from the rider and can be varied to suit specific training challenges. PracticalHorsemanMag.com Visit PracticalHorsemanMag.com for exclusive online content on training, health, lifestyle, news and competition. Reader Survey: We Want to Hear From You! Visit Prac’s home page to take our survey and tell us what you think about the magazine so we can better serve you. Two random survey-takers will each receive one gift card to USRider, an equestrian motor plan that offers 24/7 roadside assistance. Keep up with PRAC on social…
Most cross-country courses these days ask us to take jumps off turns. A typical version of such a question, one you may encounter from Novice level on up, is a drop—where your horse has to jump down from one level to a lower one—followed by a fairly short, bending line to a narrow fence. This means you have only a few seconds after the drop to reestablish your position, focus your horse on where he’s going and make sure he keeps his energy forward through the turn. In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps to ride such a combination successfully. Who Can Do It You want to be skilled at slipping your reins through your fingers so your horse can lower his head and neck off the drop.…
For me, the warm-up is first and foremost the building block toward what we want to achieve with the rest of our ride. For this reason, I prefer a very structured, systematic approach to my riding that begins with the warmup. Whether I’m riding green or Grand Prix horses, the warm-up is about knowing I can do three things: 1. Check and train my horse’s reactions to my seat, leg and rein 2. Check and test my ability to regulate the length of my horse’s stride 3. Check and test my ability to control his overall shape Every moment I am sitting on my horse’s back, I am teaching him something, and the warm-up is no different. The work has to be directly relatable to his training. I want to…
