There are a lot of questions about sponsorship that pop up regularly on bulletin boards. From the other side of the sponsorship request, here are my "Sponsorship 101" tips:



• I would recommend targeting companies you are familiar with and already use and like their products or services.

• Before contacting anyone, do a bit of research on the company. Find out who they already sponsor, in what area… if they already have a ton of riders in your geographical area, your chances are… Continue

ECOGOLD founder and textile engineer John Da Silva, explains important factors to control and help reduce the temperature of your horse during work.

"As with human athletes when horses exercise, their muscles develop heat. Like a car’s engine, after the initial warm-up, the heat generated needs to be dissipated for the car to run well.

The natural way in which the body controls overheating is by producing sweat. When the sweat evaporates, it cools… Continue

So I just came back home from the Burghley Horse Trials, I didn't have much time to blog while I was there...I was too busy posting the videos. I figured it would be more interesting to see the incredible performances than to read my chitchat.

Ok, so I was there because my company sponsors Phillip Dutton, Buck Davidson and Karen O'Connor, and they were all selected to be part of the US team competing at Burghley.

Upon my arrival, the first thing that really struck me is how beautiful… Continue

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

We were as thrilled to be at the Steffen Peters' clinic at the RCMP Arena in Ottawa this weekend, as were all the auditors & riders. It was a great opportunity for them to get one-on-one instruction from the current World Champion. We were surprised to see him get on almost all the horses. As he explained, it was easier for him to understand the horse from the saddle than from the ground. It was a real treat to see him in action and reveal his… Continue

I travel from horse show to horse show and see poor-fitting saddle pads all the time. Not enough by itself, some misguided riders often combine a too-short saddle pad with a thick halfpad, creating even more pressure points.

Imagine wearing flip flops where the back of your foot hangs out by an inch. Now go walk for 10 minutes. Comfy? I don’t think so.



So how to avoid that:



1. Buy a saddle pad that fits your…

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We were privileged to see the US Olympic Gold Team medalists when they appeared together for the first and only time at the Syracuse Invitational Show on Oct.31.

They discussed their passion for horses, early riding experiences and answered questions from their fans. McLain Ward mentioned his mental preparation for the Games, working with a golf sports coach to improve his ability to deal with pressure.

Laura Kraut talked about the bond…

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