May 2009 Blog Posts (73)

The Big Day

I was so nervous! I felt really ill for two days!

Thursday was my first ever Dressage competition. It's the mid west RDA regional competition, So it's an important day for all those who entered qualifying classes. I entered a non qualifying class.

I felt incredibly smart in my jacket and pretty impressed with the hard work our groups helpers and instructors had done getting the horses ready and warmed up for us.

We were lucky with the weather as it was beautiful and the sun… Continue

Added by Cat on May 22, 2009 at 7:00pm — 6 Comments

What to do when problems crop up - Part 1

Cooperation under saddle begins with good ground manners. If despite your best efforts you are still having problems with your horse in the stable, don’t panic! Here are some things for you to consider:

General welfare

Before any type of training can be undertaken there are obvious areas that need to be paid attention to.

First and foremost, is the horse in good enough condition to do what you are asking him to do? Can he bend his head to the left and… Continue

Added by Tim Stockdale on May 22, 2009 at 10:29am — 1 Comment

Unlock Your Elbows While Riding

Hi Guys,

I received an email from a rider who said, "Can you help me with a problem I have with "locked elbows"? It is a bad habit that I've been trying to break forever. Any tips or visualizations would be really great!"

So, here we go:

In general, elastic elbows allow for movement. In the walk and canter, your elbows need to open and close to allow for the movement of your horse's head and neck. In the rising trot, your horse's head and neck is still, but…

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Added by Jane Savoie on May 22, 2009 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

It seems wind is the common thread across the country!

Just finished 2 shows....the first at beautiful Halton Horse Place which is located about an hour and half west of Toronto. Just as Chris battled with wind and rain in Calgary we fought with the same conditions.... high winds, jumps blowing over etc etc. Although jumps blew over 3 times on Saturday the worst of the storms that hit the Toronto area somehow missed the show site. Just down the road heavy rains, hail, thunder and lightning were causing havoc with traffic. Exhibitors kept calling… Continue

Added by Evie Frisque on May 21, 2009 at 5:14pm — No Comments

A Joyful Horse is an Amazing Sight!

This week's quote is about joy. And the painting is of an exuberant buckskin Morgan, running joyfully through his sunny pasture.

May your life be filled with joy and sunshine this coming week!

Click here to download this quote/picture.

Added by Karen Brenner on May 21, 2009 at 4:23pm — No Comments

What a week! Patriot anyone?

What a week!

Well, let me first just say, congrats Norway! We (or Alexander Rybak) won the Eurovision song contest.

For those of you who are reading this for the horses just jump down a few scrolls ;) this first bit is dedicated to Norway, my country ;)

Then last Sunday it was Norway’s “birthday” and let me tell you, that is a big deal here in Norway. Everyone walk in parades, sing the national anthem, school bands march, we say… Continue

Added by Hannah on May 21, 2009 at 6:05am — No Comments

PSDD and BPPV

Back to normal life often seems a bit dull in the aftermath of such an amazing event. I think it is known as PSDD (Post Show Depression Disorder). Symptoms are lots of paperwork to catch up on, empty bank account, large amounts of washing and cleaning, and (if one has been overseas) disbelief that the weather could have got so bad so quick...

To add to the tedium of it all I am currently incapacitated (can't ride or drive - aargh, kill me now!) with BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional… Continue

Added by Ottilie on May 20, 2009 at 8:08pm — No Comments

Why the heavy hands?

When I started riding seriously 38 years ago, one of the top achievements of any serious rider was to develop SOFT & EDUCATED hands. Beginners rode with loose reins until they developed an independent seat, advanced beginners through intermediate riders concentrated on developing soft hands, and advanced riders were acknowledged for their soft, educated hands. In fact if you did not have soft, educated hands you were NEVER considered an advanced rider, and were spoken of just as a…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on May 20, 2009 at 2:30pm — 6 Comments

Grooming Tips From the Top

Show groomers share secret techniques for making their horses stand out on show day.

Every top show groom has his or her own bag of tricks out of which they pull some secret technique to make their horses stand out. Here's a list of tips to help you shine on show day:

For really white socks or stockings, dust the legs with baby powder, corn starch or French white chalk.

To cut down on static electricity in the mane and tail, use dryer… Continue

Added by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on May 20, 2009 at 1:00pm — 2 Comments

Ride Better 1-2-3: Fitness for Riders Week 12- Get a Better Back

Hi,

I love to get your comments and questions for this blog- so don't be shy! Attach them to the comments section of a fitness blog that interests you. I select one rider's question each week (if there is one- this week there wasn't) and provide some feedback and fitness tips.

We're officially into the swing of show season now. You still have time to do a little work to boost your stamina. By July, I see riders wilting in the heat, and by the end of season just plain… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on May 20, 2009 at 12:30pm — 3 Comments

Canada secures fundraising for World Equestrian Games

May 20, 2009

Canada's Equestrian Team has joined up with Masterfeeds to raise funds for its campaign up to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010.

Dr Lyons, CEO and founder of Alltech, and Rob Flack, president of Masterfeeds Inc, seal the deal for Masterfeeds as Official Gold Feed Partner of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

This fall, Equine Canada and Masterfeeds will launch a year-long fundraising initiative leading up to the 2010 Games.… Continue

Added by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on May 19, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

New Western Learn to Ride program offered in Alberta, Canada

From the Alberta Equestrian Federation

May 15, 2009

The AEF is very excited to announce that we are now offering a brand new Western learn to ride program! This program is designed for children 5 years old and up and their parents and/or coaches. It is a program devoted solely to the initiation of equitation and to the horse world so that young children can discover the pleasures of western equitation and understand how to care for the horse. This program fills a need with young… Continue

Added by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on May 19, 2009 at 10:30pm — 1 Comment

Chloes progress

We took Chloe to jump in Herefordshire yesterday and she qualified Hip Hop for the Scope Festival Staffordshire England Chloe has now qualified two ponies and we are extremely proud of her Hip Hop she has on loan and her own pony Jet

Added by Anne Marie Turnbull on May 17, 2009 at 1:11pm — No Comments

Sydney CDI ***

Hi all, I'm new to all this but wanted to share my experiences at the Sydney CDI, I went with two other NZ'rs Ottillie and Lisa, they competed small tour and we did the big tour. It was really great, I have an Irish Hunter who is NOT designed to be a dressage horse but we did ok, we had a couple of costly mistakes in both lines of changes in both the Int II and GP tests… Continue

Added by Karen on May 17, 2009 at 1:00am — 4 Comments

Were Back

Sorry to have taken so long to return to action. The virus that has plagued so many people over the last two or three weeks threatened to "take" us - as we had a good day followed by a bad day - but through it all we managed to get three horse shows and tournaments in.

The May Tournaments at Spruce Meadows were a great success as the unpredictable Alberta spring weather raised its ugly head. Evie had made a quick trip to Nelson, B.C. the week before May I and as she flew over Spruce on… Continue

Added by Evie Frisque on May 16, 2009 at 10:15pm — 1 Comment

Rachel Alexandra wins Preakness Stakes, Canadian champ Mine That Bird second

Rachel Alexandra wins Preakness Stakes, Canadian champ Mine That Bird second

Lee-Anne Goodman, THE CANADIAN PRESS

BALTIMORE- Canadian champ Mine That Bird stunned naysayers on Saturday to come within a length of repeating his jaw-dropping Kentucky Derby victory at the Preakness Stakes, proving he's far from a one-hit racehorse wonder.

Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924, but she did it with a feisty Mine That Bird nipping at her… Continue

Added by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on May 16, 2009 at 9:57pm — No Comments

Lesson Time!

It's been a funny week, I had a small FM flare up and that is just about starting to settle down. I feel like I have been trampled by a herd of horses at the moment, which is really annoying and very painful!

My lesson went well, though I wasn't as focused as I have been the previous weeks. I think because I was in a flare, it was messing with my concentration.

Pink was so good, bless him, he had a good warm up by my instructor in the previous lesson, so I didn't have to… Continue

Added by Cat on May 16, 2009 at 4:19pm — No Comments

What do you know...?

... About the Fjord horse?

Since so many people are asking me about my horse I thought I would make a blog about Fjords. The text is copied from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fjord_horse) and http://www.fjordhorseint.no/default.asp but the pictures are mine (unless anything else is written) If there is anything else you would like to know about fjords, please ask… Continue

Added by Hannah on May 16, 2009 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Jersey Fresh CCI3* - a show of ups and downs

Last weekend, we travelled to NJ for the Jersey Fresh CCI3*. It was a chance for us to visit our sponsored-riders and do some product testing.

It was a show of ups and downs and mixed emotions. Sadly, Phillip Dutton had a fall on the cross-country course with Bailey Wick, in which the horse was fatally injured. I was at the water jump & saw him jump the first part of the course, leave for the woods and never come back on the other side. It… Continue

Added by Patricia at ECOGOLD on May 15, 2009 at 8:05pm — No Comments

The Odyssey - Sydney CDI 3* Part 2: The Nitty Gritty

The CDI itself formally began on the Wednesday with veterinary inspection and the Trot-up which went smoothly for us with many compliments on our uniforms (and a few jokes about tea or coffee, chicken or fish - we did look a bit like flight attendants). Later in the evening there was an official welcome party in the VIP marquee where we had a chance to meet some of the other competitors over drinks and nibbles. I left early to pick up my friend, Kellie, who would be my groom for the show, at… Continue

Added by Ottilie on May 15, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments