Colt starting competitions are wildly popular with audiences, imbuing a sense of wonder at what trainers can do with previously unhandled three-year-old horses (colts) in just a few hours. They’re judged events, where each trainer is paired with an unbroke horse and has just a few hours to start it under saddle. While the trainers work with their horses, they explain their training methods to the audience. On the third and final day of the competition, the trainers show off their horse’s skills over an obstacle course. The young horses are started by top-notch trainers, the spectators are entertained, and the trainers win prizes and kudos for their skills. So, what’s not to like?
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Racehorse syndicates have been around for a long time, but it’s only in the last 20 years that sport horse syndicates have become more common. In the horse world, a syndicate is generally a group of people who pool their funds to invest in a horse together and share the horse’s annual costs. Everyone who “buys in” is a shareholder and owns a portion of the horse for a set period of time, or until the horse is resyndicated or sold....
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Brain bucket, crash helmet, head armour, noggin shade, bump cap. Protective helmets have many derogatory names and a long history of ridicule. For decades, hockey players’ sweaty locks flopped about as players slammed into the ice and were walloped by pucks. Skiers protected their brains from colliding with trees by pompom-topped toques, and cyclists wore a leather hairnet to protect their brains from smashing into the pavement. Horseback riders boasted trendy top-hats in the late 1700s, while the fashionable bowler was invented in 1849. Apparently, the bowler’s “tasteful design meant that it didn’t blow off easily.” Fortunately, protective headgear design and social acceptance have evolved....
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A recent study has identified factors associated with an increased risk of falls during the cross-country phase of eventing and has suggested modifications that could reduce the risk of injury, making it safer for horse and rider.
Higher-level events, longer courses, more starters in the cross-country phase, and less experienced horses and athletes all showed an increased risk. Identifying these risk factors allows riders and event organisers to assess the level of risk for individual horse, rider, and event combinations....
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The latest research from the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Read it here...
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Here’s a preview of what’s inside:
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- Canada’s Critical Veterinarian Shortage
- Practical Nutrition for Donkeys
- Gut Health and Colic Prevention
- What are Cryptosporidiosis and Equine Rotavirus?
- Flexural Limb Deformity in Foals
- New Research on Fragile Foal Syndrome
- How It’s Done on Family Farms and Ranches
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- Be a Popular and Appreciated Boarder
- 10 Tips to Build a Better Barn Business
- Optimize Your Schooling Sessions
- How to Safely Condition Young Horses
- Adventures in Bitless Riding
- Develop High Performance Habits
- Trekking Horses — The Breeds Outfitters Prefer
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I smiled, walking past the airport hat kiosk, en route to a judging adventure at an exhibition in Eastern Canada. I’d be wearing several hats and judging a kaleidoscope of classes at the show — equitation, road hack, reining, Western riding, working hunter, pleasure driving, driven dressage, conformation, showmanship, miniature horses… and more!
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As I sit down to write about burnout, I step back through time into memories of moments where I felt overwhelmed by frustration, exhaustion, and an agonizing feeling of not achieving. A feeling of not measuring up to expectations. When I was in this mental place, every unsuccessful show and difficult ride left me feeling stressed, anxious, and like a failure. The thoughts, Why do I do this? and I can’t do this any more! played on repeat in my head....
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The relationship between our horses and their joints can feel scary, conjuring up words like “arthritis” and “lameness.” Our focus on joint function and integrity, including how this plays a role in a healthy hoof mechanism and legs, is designed to create a knowledgeable foundation to support your horse for years to come. Hopefully, by the end of this article you will have a better understanding of joints – most specifically in the legs – how they function, how to help them last longer (preferably for the entire life of your horse), how to recognize when there is an issue, and how to address that issue in the best way. Put your geek hat on – we are diving in!
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When spring finally arrives, the sunny riding season ahead can greet riders with both excitement and anxiety. Where do I start, you might wonder as you calculate how unfit your horse has become from a winter of being off work. How long will it take to ease him back to fitness? What sorts of exercises and timelines should I use? In this article, I’ll answer these questions plus offer a simple schedule in addition to some rules you never want to break....
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Every horse rider knows that the right riding boots are crucial — whether you’re riding for pleasure or for sport, your boots provide protection and stability, both of which are vital to safe and happy riding. But just as important as choosing the right type of boots is getting the right fit, since ill-fitting boots can be distracting, uncomfortable and even dangerous. So what goes into picking the right fit? How do you ensure you’ve chosen boots that will be helpful and not hurtful? To help answer these questions, let’s take a look at different types of riding boots, how they should feel if they fit correctly, and how to break in new boots!
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Experts from the University of Nottingham have found that the sex of a jockey doesn’t influence any aspect of racehorse physiology and performance....
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Canada’s farmland values climbed in spite of impacts from pandemic supply chain disruptions and adverse weather that affected parts of the country, showing an 8.3 percent national average increase in 2021....
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The Canadian Quarter Horse Association (CQHA) is set to host their biannual Canadian Quarter Horse Industry Summit in Brandon, MB at the Keystone Center, March 25-27. The event welcomes Canadian Quarter Horse owners, breeders, and fans from all over Canada. For more information and late registration as a member of the AQHA/CQHA visit www.cqha.ca.
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For many, working in the equestrian world isn’t just a job, it is their purpose in life. As rewarding as it can be, finding balance can be a challenge....
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Canadian dressage athletes Camille Carier Bergeron of Laval, QC, and Vanessa Creech-Terauds of Caistor Centre, ON, partnered to win the Under 25 Nations’ Cup team competition held on March 17 at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, FL....
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Canada’s Roberta Sheffield wasted no time returning to top form in her first international competition since the Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan....
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Jody Schloss of Toronto, ON, made a clean sweep of the Grade 1 division at the CPEDI3* Para Dressage competition held from March 10 to 13, 2022, in Wellington, FL....
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Canada’s Dana Cooke posted top finishes at the Red Hills International Horse Trials held from March 10 to 13, 2022, at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park in Tallahassee, FL....
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