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News, Sports, Lifestyle. Everyday.Charlie: The Complex Horse Who Inspired a Retiree Back Into the Saddle — and Prevented Brain Rot 27 Jan 2025, 2:10 pm
When Pennsylvania retiree Joni Miller first met rescue horse Charlie during her time volunteering at Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) in Woodbine, Maryland, it was not love at first sight.
Miller could not even catch the wily nine-year-old Thoroughbred in the field. Yet, what started as an elusive, complex relationship became a life-enriching experience for Miller, a secure future for Charlie, and even spawned a fundraising book.
Charlie arrived at DEFHR in early 2016 as a neglect case with a body condition score of two out of nine on the Henneke Horse Body Condition Scoring System, meaning he was emaciated.
In addition to his critically low body condition, he was suffering from several health issues, including sharp dental hooks and points that needed immediate attention to improve his ability to chew and digest food properly. He also had dermatitis, which caused skin irritation, and thrush, a painful condition affecting his hooves.
After several months of care both in DEFHR’s rehabilitation and training programs, Charlie was ready for his mental rehab and entered DEFHR’s Equidopt program, where he was matched up with Miller in September 2016. Participants in the Equidopt grooming sponsorship program play a major role in their assigned horse’s life through weekly grooming sessions, enabling a special bond.
“I thought he was beautiful and elegant, but in the beginning he wasn’t wild about people, and he wasn’t really interested in me,” recalled Miller.
But then something game-changing happened. Miller had foot surgery and couldn’t visit Charlie for a few weeks. In fact, due to the gelding’s aloof demeanor, she planned to ask for another horse to look after.
“The day I returned, Charlie needed grooming,” she continued. “When I went to put him back in the field, he wouldn’t leave my side to go back to his friends. He stood there with his head on my shoulder while I petted him. Eventually, we had to move because we were blocking the gateway, but that was the moment when he set the hook and started to reel me in.”
Miller had no plans to adopt a horse in her retirement and hadn’t ridden since she was 12, but the idea started to take root even though DEFHR was looking for an intermediate-level rider for Charlie. She was driven to get back in the saddle for Charlie’s sake and began taking lessons six times a week.
“I wanted every available spot,” said Miller. “I was not a good match for a fairly green Thoroughbred who was very forward, but DEFHR’s head trainer, Sara Strauss, told me later that the barn staff had commented that I was his person and that we had a bond from the beginning.”
Strauss recounted that Charlie was a lovely guy to work around during training. She also discovered that he was happiest ridden in a bosal, a type of bitless bridle with a braided nosepiece.
“I remember chatting with Joni during the adoption appointments and mentioning that she and Charlie may not be the best match for each other with their varying skill sets,” laughed Strauss as she recalled Miller and Charlie getting to know each other. “But sometimes you have to give a relationship a good try, and that’s exactly what Joni and Charlie did.”
Any doubts Strauss harbored evaporated as the bond between the two strengthened.
Charlie went home with Miller in August 2017, where she helped him overcome breathing difficulties, which led to a tracheostomy. This surgical procedure creates a permanent opening in the neck and windpipe to aid with breathing.
Charlie now lives a full and healthy life as a riding horse, with the tracheostomy allowing him to breathe more freely and maintain a better weight. It has also improved his demeanor around other horses and at feed time.
The now 17-year-old gelding has become such an expressive character that he inspired Miller to start writing Facebook posts about what Charlie and her other horse, a mare named Pepper, were really thinking about all her exploits. When, in the spring of 2024, a fall from Pepper resulted in a broken pelvis, Miller found herself confined to her house and “bored out of my mind.”
To use her downtime productively, friends persuaded Miller to turn the Facebook posts into a book, which she called “Straight From My Horse’s Mouth: Life According to Charlie & Pepper.” She donates the proceeds of every copy she sells to DEFHR and Turning for Home, a Thoroughbred rehoming operation.
Miller is grateful for the personal growth that owning Charlie has brought her. She has enjoyed the twists and turns of her learning curve throughout the years since his adoption.
“Horses can come with baggage just like people do, but Charlie is over his now. I’ve learned so much from owning him, like being quiet and still—and observing. I think I’m giving him a pretty good life. We do everything in baby steps, and he’s come a long way. Horses can’t use words, but they can tell us what they mean to us through their behavior. He’s a wonderful gift, and I am forever grateful to the team at DEFHR for saving him. It’s not just animals they save—they enrich human lives too.”
Miller wholeheartedly encourages anyone considering adoption to go for it.
“These horses can bring such joy to your life,” she concluded.
“I can’t imagine what my retirement would be like if I didn’t have my horses, especially Charlie. I’m having fun, but—more than that—I’m still learning, and if you don’t learn, your brain rots. Being with Charlie is my magical time. I would have given anything as a kid to ride; it took 57 years, but I got there eventually.”
“Joni has put a lot of time and effort into developing her relationship with Charlie and growing as a horsewoman,” added Strauss. “We are so thankful to her for giving Charlie a wonderful life and continuing to pursue the lifelong journey of horsemanship.”
To learn more about DEFHR’s available horses, visit defhr.org/available-horses/. To buy a copy of Miller’s book, email pepperandcharlie@yahoo.com or visit the Charlie & Pepper — Straight from My Horse’s Mouth Facebook page.
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What the WEF?! Week 3: “There’s balls in them britches!” 27 Jan 2025, 12:13 pm
Another week of cold.
We’ve all been reduced to one thought, if you can call it that: “It’s cold.” Our conversations, if you can call it that, consist of “I’m cold.” As if our brains themselves have frozen, the neurons sparking ineffectually.
I speak to my brother on the phone. “I’m cold,” I say. “It’s horrible,” I say.
*Silence on the line.*
“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t say that to you,” I say, remembering he’s in Minnesota, a much more northerly and much more frozen place.
“No,” he says, “You shouldn’t.”
Angry, I am, forced to find empathy for someone else when I feel my own suffering so acutely. Irritated, I am, to think my problems aren’t the worst of it.
But by the weekend it’s warmed up. The talk moves from the weather to the news, delicious and welcome to all: King Edward is here! The best horse in the world, and he’s entered in this week’s 4-star Grand Prix. And not only that, we have the individual Olympic gold medalist, Checker 47.
And for riders we have the World Number 1, the World Number 3, the World Number 4, the World Number 7, the World Number 9! I could go further in naming glamorous practitioners of the sport, but with these riches there’s no reason to consider double digits.
Oh, King Edward! He’s been put 45th in the order in a field of 45, to build up the frenzied anticipation of the crowd. The entire VIP empties to watch his warmup.
Bright yellow tape has been placed a foot outside the fence that circles the warmup ring to keep us from leaning in, to help us resist the temptation to reach out and stroke a muscled flank.
Oh, King Edward! He’s wearing half a bridle. He hasn’t a bonnet, his forelock in a tight little braid. His look is fetching and rebellious.
His fans form an impenetrable gaggle along the yellow tape and photographers clog the artery that leads from the ingate to the VIP, so I don’t see the round, only hear two enormous, unified sighs of disappointment: 8 faults.
“You jinxed it!” I shout later at the 12-year-old show jumping superfan and future 5-star rider I run into after the class.
“I didn’t jinx it!” she shouts back. She’s with her girlsquad, that roving band of fanatics that loop the arena on Grand Prix nights.
“Why are you watching a warmup?” I keep yelling. “You’re jinxing it!”
To her protestations I put the question: “And what about Checker? What was his warmup like?”
“I don’t know!” she yells in my face. “I didn’t watch it!”
“So you admit it!”
I’ve caught her, she knows it, as Checker 47, Olympic Champion, is the winner.
And what a win. I’m back in the VIP for the jump off, King Edward is back in the stable, the yellow tape is empty. Christian Kukuk and Checker 47, the first clear of the night, the first to go in the jump off.
And it’s pretty. That rollback to the Netjets oxer? Tight. Dangerous. That notorious oxer that a riderless horse jumped on its own earlier in the evening after ejecting his pilot (then spending ten minutes circling the ring at a full gallop, to the consternation of the crowd). That oxer that took out another horse-and-rider trying to catch the time later in the jump off (a not-so-pretty tumble, where are the medics anyway?).
That extreme-angled slice over the vertical penultimate fence, that gallop to the last? The whole thing smooth-as-silk and flowing like a river. Three whiskies in, and I’m warm and adrenalized, hooting despite myself ’cause the whole thing’s so pleasing to the eye.
And in the end, none could catch them. Rails clattering to the ground in the various attempts. Gold medalists? Ok, yeah, I can see it.
“Is that a stallion?” asks a member of our party.
“Damn straight that’s a stallion!” I shout. “There’s balls in them britches!”
More ‘What the WEF?!’ from Erica Hatfield:
- What the WEF?! So it Begins
- What the WEF?! Week 2: Richie Vogel *Is* Cute
Be social! Follow Erica Hatfield & Eye Candy Jumpers:
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Marc Houtzager Plays the Long Game with Sterrehof’s Dante 26 Jan 2025, 3:40 pm
In an ideal jump off, the kind written for movie scripts, the excitement builds as each pair in the ring is faster than the last and the winner executes a smooth and speedy track where every jump comes up on stride.
The jump off for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam was not of that variety.
Three of the six pairs to advance to the short course managed to produce clear rounds to claim the podium. Two had the slowest times. And the winning round, while efficient, was not the fastest of the day nor the smoothest.
Class winners Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof’s Dante added down the first line, cross-cantered to the double, and made a tight, but stalling, rollback to squeak over the vertical before galloping to the last two fences. Their time of 38.30 seconds was almost a full second slower than the fastest (but not faultless) two pairs on the day and two speedy pairs in Denis Lynch on Vistogrand and Max Kühner with Eic Julius Cesear were still to come.
Even Houtzager didn’t think he’d done enough.
“I didn’t expect [to win] after my round with two more quick riders coming,” admitted Houtzager. “I make my own plan, and it works out.
“I give all the credit to my mare.”
Perhaps though, he should reserve some of that credit for his management of the KWPN offspring of Canturano.
At 17, the “really fit” Sterrehof’s Dante has been under Houtzager’s saddle since 2018, but has been used sparingly in the highest division.
Since making their 1.60m debut in 2019, they’ve made 62 starts at the height, averaging just 10 classes per year (Jumpr stats). In the past two years, Houtzager has used her more conservatively still. In 2023, they jumped just seven rounds at 1.60m and retired in two. In 2024, the pair contested 10 starts at the height and retired in three.
But in Amsterdam on Sunday, all signs pointed to it being their day. Jumping before a hometown crowd, the Dutch rider and his longtime partner captured the World Cup qualifier for the second time in their career. They previously won the Amsterdam leg in 2020 and did it again in 2025. It’s their career fourth Grand Prix win at the height (Jumpr).
“This crowd gives you wings here in Amsterdam,” he said, the Dutch flags still waving in the stands. “It’s a great show…no words.”
France’s Kevin Staut remains atop the Western European League standings on 70 qualifying points, followed by Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker.
The League next stops in the Bordeaux, February 6–9.
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Lottie Fry Is Two for Two this World Cup Season 26 Jan 2025, 11:22 am
Charlotte Fry defended her title in Amsterdam and is two for two this World Cup season.
The British Olympic medalist won the FEI Dressage World Cup at Jumping Amsterdam last year with Everdale. On Saturday, she reclaimed the title aboard Glamourdale, sweeping the Grand Prix and the Freestyle in the eighth leg of the Western European League.
In a deep field that saw nine pairs score in the 80s, Fry and her 2022 world championship winning partner were favorited to win. The pair scored an impressive 79.500% in the Grand Prix, despite a minor mistake in the one-tempi changes. In the Freestyle, they were just shy of a 90, scoring 89.840%.
“Glamourdale was amazing again today,” said Fry. “We work hard at home to keep improving, and he truly keeps getting better. You could see that reflected in the scores we received. He’s an incredible horse, and he loves arenas like this.
“Some of the canter work I sat there like, is this real?!“
Fry and the 14-year-old KWPN stallion also won the World Cup qualifier in London in December. In 44 international appearances since 2018, they has an 84% top three finish average and have only once finished outside the top 7.
Fry now sits in 12th on the League Standings, but is undecided on whether she’ll aim for the World Cup Final in April.
“We’re planning the rest of the season step by step. Next week, Glamourdale will be honored as Horse of the Year at the KWPN Stallion Show in Den Bosch. The European Championships are our main goal this year, and we’re building toward that.”
For “Glammy,” it’s back to the breeding shed between competitions.
“He’s been doing both his whole life. Breeding comes naturally to him. He has such a good temperament and knows when to switch between breeding and sport. He’s very intelligent. He’ll be available for breeding again this season,” said Fry.
Werth continues to lead the Western European League with 75 points and has officially secured her ticket to Basel. Carina Scholz (GER) and Dinja Van Liere (NED) sit in second and third, respectively.
The World Cup next stops in Neumünster, Germany, on February 13–16.
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Anna Marek & Fire Fly Are No Strangers to the AGDF Podium 25 Jan 2025, 5:00 pm
American rider and Pan American Games bronze medalist Anna Marek dazzled audiences on her way to winning the FEI World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle of Week 3 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival Friday night.
Marek and Fire Fly, a 15-year-old gelding by Briar Junior, scored a 77.755% at the Friday Night Stars event while performing to the music from the Stranger Things soundtrack. Based in Ocala, FL. Marek has been riding Fire Fly, owned by Janet Simile, for three years. In 2023, they were among the gold medal winning American team at the Pan American Games and also won individual bronze.
Marek’s challenging freestyle included 13 two-time changes on a curve and metronomic, drumbeat passage.
“This freestyle is really fun to ride, and I love the dramatic music,” said Marek. “This is my favorite freestyle venue to ride at; you can feel the atmosphere, and the horses get excited in a really good way—I knew he’d get pumped up.”
Kevin Kohmann finished second with Dünensee on a score of 77.545%. After winning Thursday’s qualifying grand prix, Germany’s Felicitas Hendricks, placed third with 76.365% on Drombusch OLD.
“Fire Fly is a very sensitive, spooky horse,” Marek said of her Pan Ams mount. She trains with Anne Gribbons. “When I started riding him I told his owner it might take me a while for us to show Grand Prix together, but we keep getting better and better. It’s taken us a little while to get on the same page, but now I feel like he’d do anything for me. It’s really exciting.”
Friday’s class doubled as a qualifier for the U.S. Equestrian Open of Dressage, which features 23 qualifying events across the country, seven which are hosted by Wellington International at AGDF this season. The final event will happen in California in November. Hendricks is at the top of the qualifying scoreboard so far.
Hendricks and Drombusch OLD experienced a handful of uncharacteristic hiccups, which were seen in the scores.
“I think the cold got to us a little today,” said Hendricks. “There was some spiciness that I didn’t expect so I had to back off a bit which made me maybe a little too shy with my aids and led to a couple of mistakes. But I’d rather have a horse with too much energy than a horse with low energy. I know warmer days are coming and we’ll be back on track then. It’s all a learning experience that never ever stops.”
World Cup competition continues Feb 5–9 at ADGF.
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U.S. Spams Chinese Intelligence with Millions of Horse Girl TikToks 24 Jan 2025, 3:39 pm
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Following the “saving” of TikTok last week, U.S. intelligence agencies have apparently adopted a strike-first approach to confuse and potentially debilitate the Chinese, who they fear could be spying on American users.
On Friday, a multi-agency team of government-enlisted hackers for the National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agencies (CISA) joined forces to temporarily hijack U.S. and Chinese TikTok feeds for nearly two days.
Their aim? To dominate the app for millions of users around the globe using one, very specific algorithm: Horse Girl content.
“It was basically a massive show of force—a little bit of stick-swinging—by the U.S. government,” said Fred Tinsley, executive director of the Social Media Cybersecurity Agency. “If you were on TikTok during that period, maybe you were looking for your usual Trad Wife content, or a makeup tutorial, but that’s not what you got.
“What you got was an 30+ hour loop of horsey content: Cute baby horses, naughty donkeys falling down, the signs people would notice if someone stopped riding horses, inter-barn drama, horse show anxiety, how they’re pissing off their trainers.
“It was all very ‘inside baseball,’ in a sense, but also, I think for the NSA and CISA, it served their point. They wanted a flex that would get the attention of those potentially looking to steal American data and information. And also, they wanted to be a little annoying.
“It’s like, ‘We see you, we know what you’re up to, and if you don’t knock it off, there’s 36 hours of horse girl TikToks coming to a feed near you.’”
According to industry experts, the ruse seems to have worked. One Chinese intelligence informant we spoke with on a condition of anonymity said his fellow cyber spies were “gob smacked” by the move—yes—but mostly by the content.
“These TikToks tell us a lot about American ‘horse girls,’ and frankly, we have a lot more questions,” they informant said. “They could be riding around on yachts, and living in mansions, and instead, they spend all their time and money making farm animals do tricks? Very unusual,” the informant said.
“And clearly, these horse girls live in fear of a lot of things: taking care of their horses in the cold, their trainer’s disapproval, showing up at events looking disheveled, significant others finding out how much they’re spending… these themes, over and over and over again. It just wouldn’t stop. They wouldn’t stop.
“I don’t know what we were watching,” the informant continued, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I just know I never want to see it again.”
More satire from Nina Fedrizzi:
- Public Library Bans Beloved Children’s Horse Classics for Being “Too Godless”
- Missouri Woman Opens World’s First Equine Bootcamp/Wellness Spa
- Course Designer Moves to End the Use of Measuring Tapes
- Olympic Rider Dispels the Myth of Wearing a Hairnet: It’s a Personal Choice”
Sign up and get more satire by Nina Fedrizzi delivered straight to your inbox.
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Felicitas Hendricks Is Competing Against Herself, And Winning 24 Jan 2025, 3:26 pm
Twenty three-year-old German rider Felicitas Hendricks and Drombusch OLD are out to best themselves at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival this year.
After finishing out last year as the top rider of the season, Hendricks has already won the FEI World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle during opening week, and won again during week three at the FEI World Cup Grand Prix on Thursday.
Hendricks and the 14-year-old Drombusch OLD (Destano x Dimaggio) produced a 72.457% test—with a high score of 73.696% from Dutch judge Monique Peutz-Vegter, to come out on top. It was the exact same score that the pair managed one year ago—and a personal best—to win the World Cup Grand Prix in 2024.
“We kept Drombusch nice and warm before I got on and I wanted to give him his time to really warm up in this cold, to get his muscles to loosen up a bit,” Hendricks said.
The chilly weather with highs in the 50s and gusty winds made for an uncharacteristically cold third week of competition at the ADGF. “I already knew getting on that he might need a couple of minutes longer than he usually does.”
“Drombusch is a good boy all through the test and showed some great work,” continued Hendricks. “He did great canter half-passes, but I made a little mistake where I was a bit quick and he had a small trip, but I was very happy with him overall. I knew I’d have very good competition here in Wellington so I would never come here and take a win for granted—you have to work for every single one of those. I get equally excited about every good test.”
American rider Anna Marek placed second with a score of 71.239% riding her 2023 Pan American Games team gold medal mount, the 15-year-old gelding Fire Fly (by Briar Junior). Third went to American rider Kevin Kohmann on the 16-year-old Dünensee with 70.37%.
“I’m lucky enough to have a horse that’s consistent in everything; in the way he thinks and in his way of going,” Hendricks said of her partner, whom she has ridden for the last three years after taking over the ride from her uncle and trainer Christoph Koschel. “He proves over and over again how consistent he is, and he knows exactly when it’s showtime because then he’s extra good and says, ‘Let’s go!’”
Hendricks rode her first senior CDI grand prix at AGDF in 2023 and has racked up impressive results ever since, including winning team and individual gold medals at the 2023 European Under-25 Championships. With Drombusch OLD, she has won seven out of eight senior starts at the 2024 AGDF.
“I used to get very nervous in a negative way,” Hendricks said. “I’ve been working with a great mental coach that has helped me get out of this way of thinking and be very positive and excited about competing. I don’t look up the other competitors days ahead of the show because I don’t want to get in my head about it too much. I just know I have to do my best with my horse, and I know he’s going to do his best for me, and that’s all that matters.”
Hendricks is now eyeing a spot on the German Nations Cup team in AGDF Week 7 and and making an appearance in the CDI5*.
This year’s AGDF features seven weeks of CDI competition and runs through March 30.
Stay tuned for more coverage from Wellington this season at horsenetwork.com.
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Why Do We Ride Horses in Wintertime? 22 Jan 2025, 4:39 pm
Winter comes but once a year, but every year, it takes horse people hopelessly by surprise.
We are shocked by its sudden vigor, its lack of pity. The absolute relish Mother Nature seems to take in our small, acute moments of suffering.
Take, for instance, the delicate air kiss of snow that somehow puffs into your face, down your clothes, and onto your driver’s seat, no matter how carefully you clean off your windshield and door.
Running late and fending off that already-defeated feeling you get the moment you leave your bed’s down comforter, you acquiesce to sit on that dusting of snow in your front seat. Undoubtedly, it will melt. And undoubtedly, the questionable “pee” spot it leaves behind on your upper thigh will be a reminder to you: Use the scraper next time.
No matter, you press on.
Your tires crunch loudly on the hard-packed snow as you pull into the barn driveway. Not only is this a sure sign that it’s cold as f*ck, but also, that your horse has likely noticed.
And yes, there she is, waiting attentively for you in her stall, all bright eyes and bushy—Wait is she swishing her tail? It must be your imagination, but something seems up with her. You can tell.
You brush her warily, one suspicious eye on her suspicious eye—an eye ablaze with the cold, her general lack of turnout, and the usual amount of mare. She half-passes like a member of the Village People in the crossties.
Good God, when was the last time she went out?
Suddenly, you’re reminded of last night in your warm bed (now but a distant memory), when you spent two hours tossing and turning, worrying she might need another blanket; that she might not have manure in her stall.
Once again, your anxiety rises as you hang your bridle on the hook. You look at your mare, she looks back at you. You both know this is a dumb idea.
You lift off her blankets, pausing at the monstrosity currently forming on the tail strap. Like the ancient glaciers themselves, a slow accretion of ice, snow, and a thousand defecations has somehow formed this glistening slick of brown, knotty rope before you.
Your glove is off, and you’re vaguely horrified you might have touched it. And then, you remember: You’re a horse girl. A lifetime of aerosolized dirt and grime has fully inoculated you against this kind of nonsense, and probably Smallpox and Covid as well. You should clean the strap, at some point.
I can’t think about that right now, your inner monologue interjects, channeling its best Scarlett O’Hara drawl. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow… when its warmer.
You wipe your hand on your coveralls and drop the blanket in the corner.
Lunging would be a good idea, you know. But you’re already behind schedule. Your mare seems unaware, mentally making her way through the second chorus of In the Navy, her hindquarters skittering away from the mounting block as you attempt to swing a leg over. Somehow, you scramble aboard.
And there you sit, a Carhartt-bedecked knight on the eve of battle. Through the layers of long-underwear, fleece-lined gloves, and triple-wool layers, your maneuverability is limited. Softly (you think), you apply your lower leg. Your mare responds, leaping forward into space. A little less.
Your heartrate quickens as she breaks into a trot, your cooler streaming gallantly behind you. And what adventure awaits!
Each corner you pass is a brave new world, a veritably Narnia of unseen lions, witches, and creaky wardrobes that only your horse can conjure. She snorts, she crow hops, she ponders a spin. The sweat beads beneath your ample Gore-Tex.
With every spook and false start, the tension is building in your neck and shoulders. Slowly, it morphs into red-hot, unjustified anger at your general milieu.
What is WITH that trainer rustling grain bags in the feed room?
What idiot left that cavaletti along the rail?
For the love of GOD can someone get hay for that horse stomping in the aisle?
And then you hear it, another sound, one you know all too well.
Your stomach drops as the snow rumbles above you, breaking loose, and beginning its long, slow slide down the metal arena roof. It’s accompanied by a seismic roar of sound, one your mare—any mare—can’t tolerate on the best of days, let alone sub-zero ones.
At this moment, toes frozen, morale dampened, staring down your impending doom, it can be difficult to remember your “why” in the horse world. But fret not, dear reader.
As Scarlett O’Hara said (or maybe just implied), “Tomorrow is another day, and failing that, a hot shower always awaits you back home.”
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Ouch! Equine Injuries 22 Jan 2025, 4:13 pm
Equine injuries, drats!
True came to me in pasture turnout the other day with two bleeding wounds—a double puncture and scrape to the front of his knee and a scrape up above that knee. If it ain’t one thing, it’s another—horses are so fragile. And turnout is a tradeoff: in return for exercise, fresh grass, and socialization, you have to accept increased risk of injury.
Enter Florence Nightingale, or should I say Nightinghorse?
I washed the wounds with Betadine and cold-hosed the leg for 30 minutes. The wounds were fresh when True showed them to me—the blood was still wet—so there hadn’t been time for anything to swell. The knee wound was deep enough for a stitch or two, but being located smack on the center of the knee where it bends, I didn’t think stitches would hold very well.
I don’t use Bute until after a veterinarian has inspected the horse—because she can’t see the problem once I mask it with anti-inflammatory drugs. I wrapped the wounds for cleanliness and put him in his stall with some good hay. Then left the barn with all fingers and toes crossed.
Next day, the wounds looked pretty good and there wasn’t much swelling. True also wasn’t limping at a walk. Whew.
I hand-walked him for 30 minutes—actually, he hand-walked himself. It was an unusually quiet day at the ranch, so I removed his halter and rope inside the arena but kept walking. He followed me every step. Then another cold-hosing for 30 minutes. He loves that part, because we cold-hose on grass, so he gets to graze while I hose. Everything looked good.
But on Day Four, True nickered at me from his stall. I glanced in and saw a front leg swollen from about 8” above the knee all the way to his hoof. Uh-oh. I wondered about cellulitis because the swelling was delayed. Time to call the veterinarian!
One thing I always recommend—be sure you have the best vet available to you, and be sure you are an established client. When things go wrong at midnight, you don’t want to scramble to find help.
My vet arrived and also suspected cellulitis. A blood serum test for infection came back inconclusive, so we decided to try a sweat wrap before adding antibiotics. Antibiotics are often overused in horses, leading to super-germs that don’t respond to treatment, so I prefer not to use them unless absolutely necessary.
We covered True’s leg—hoof almost to elbow (except for the open wounds)—with a slimy glop of Furazone mixed with DMSO, then wrapped the whole thing with sheet cotton, gauze, vetwrap, and elasticon. It would stay on for 24 hours, and we would know more when it was removed.
Upon removal the next evening, True’s lower leg was back to normal size. The area around the knee was still enlarged, but I was pleased.
I’ll keep treating it over the next couple weeks with Betadine scrub, cold-hosing or ice, and hand-walking as much as possible. We’ll add more 24-hour sweat wraps and/or Bute at the veterinarian’s determination.
I detail treatment of True’s injury here because it is so important for riders and trainers to understand the basics of veterinary first aid. Be sure you know when to call a vet and when to treat an injury on your own. Have the best possible provider available to you ahead of time.
Work with your vet closely and be sure you understand instructions and techniques—write them down! Know exactly how to carry out critical practices like cold-hosing, wrapping, and hand-walking. If you aren’t sure, ask a veterinarian or experienced trainer for instruction—this is no time to become shy or prideful; your horse needs you!
I’ll let you know how True is doing in a couple more weeks… and hopefully we can get back to our canter jumping.
Related reading:
Brain-Based Horsemanship is a weekly column that chronicles Janet Jones, PhD, and her journey with True, a Dutch Warmblood she trained from age three using neuroscience best practices. Read more about brain-based training in Jones’ award winning book Horse Brain, Human Brain.
A version of this story originally appeared on janet-jones.com. It is reprinted here with permission.
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Brazil Out, Italy In: Longines League of Nations 2025 Is Upon Us 21 Jan 2025, 3:53 pm
A new year is bringing a new team lineup for the second annual Longines League of Nations series.
With the first event kicking off once again in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on February 15, this season will bring a first-time nation into the mix along with a revised lineup of destinations—and maybe a little drama, too.
The Nations
Rankings for the top 10 teams are calculated based on the combined points of each national federation’s six best athletes in the Longines Rankings, including at least one U25 Athlete.
That means that Germany—reigning champions of the 2024 Final in Barcelona—will join Team Ireland, which also finished on top of last year’s overall qualification standings thanks to top-ranked riders Conor Swail, Cian O’Connor, and Daniel Coyle.
They’ll be joined by the USA, helmed by Kent Farrington and McLain Ward; France; Paris Olympic team gold medalists Great Britain; and Belgium. Switzerland will also return along with the Netherlands, which finished second on the podium at last year’s Final in Barcelona, Spain; and Sweden, which finished third.
Italy will make their League of Nations debut in 2025 thanks in part to points earned by riders Lorenzo de Luca and Emanuele Camilli, who currently sit at #35 and #36 in the World Rankings, respectively.
“We are proud that our athletes, after an intense sporting season, have succeeded in qualifying Italy for the Longines League of Nations 2025,” Marco Di Paola, President of the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation (FISE), said. “We extend our gratitude to our athletes, their horses, the supportive owners, and the national team coach for this prestigious accomplishment.”
Italy will take the place of 2024 competitor, Brazil, which is currently ranked 12th in the standings on 9,087 points. Meanwhile, Canada finished just outside the top 10 on 9,383 points.
The Stops
Once again this year, the Longines League of Nations will begin in Abu Dhabi (February 11-15), moving on to the World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Ocala, Florida (March 18-23) and then Rotterdam, the Netherlands (June 19-22). This year’s lineup will also feature a new stop at the Polo Club de Saint Tropez in Haras de Gassin, in the South of France (September 17-21).
The top eight teams of the regular season will qualify to compete in the Final, once again held in Barcelona. Despite being the longtime home of FEI Nations Cup Finals, the event suffered significant negative publicity following last year’s inaugural League of Nations Final.
Top-ranked riders including Steve Guerdat (SUI) and World No. 1 Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) complained about numerous aspects of the Final, with Guerdat telling World of Show Jumping it was, “the worst show I have done this year.”
Among the athletes’ chief concerns were biosecurity in the stabling and warmup facilities, with riders relaying that they had the option of using an indoor warm-up ring alongside ponies from the local riding school. The schedule was also flagged for classes that lasted until midnight on multiple days, as well celebratory fireworks which allegedly spooked King Edward. Only time will tell if the FEI addresses last year’s rider concerns in time for the 2025 Finals in Barcelona, this year slated for October 2-5.
Meanwhile, the first Longines League of Nations competition will take place on Saturday, February 15 in the Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Abu Dhabi. You can watch live beginning at 7 a.m. EST (4 p.m. local time) on FEI TV.
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Skylar Wireman Is Doing the Work & Keeping the Joy Alive 20 Jan 2025, 1:29 pm
‘It’s supposed to be fun, guys!’ Except, fun can seem frivolous.
Fun can seem like a distraction from the hard ‘work’ that we’re taught will make us better. Fun seems like a useless 5 mph zone on an expressway to your goals of riding at 1.20m, or getting to the 2* level, or nailing that flying change.
It seems like horse sports draw in the ambitious, type-A types like flies to honey. Probably because those are the kids who seem coachable in the traditional way that kids are taught to ride in the U.S.; lots of structure, lots of reps, and often a pretty ‘buttoned up’ environment.
So when I find a rider who breaks that mold—who is successful and playful, fun-focused, and lighthearted—I get excited.
Skylar Wireman has been called ‘the future of show jumping’, is mentored by Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde, and is now riding consistently on teams and putting on a big show in the 5* classes. At just 20 years old, though, she hasn’t let any of that pressure kill her simple joy of riding and loving the horses.
This episode is proudly sponsored by Connaway and Associates Equine Insurance Services. Listen in around 24 minutes for Laura’s discussion on age restrictions on insurance policies in horses and how they may be changing.
She’s my latest guest on the Horse Person podcast and I think listeners will be pretty shocked to hear how she takes her show horses camping, riding in the ocean, and how she makes time to play gymkhana-type games like Sit a Buck (the best!) on horseback.
Even Wireman’s course walk strategy is intentionally low-stress; many riders I’ve interviewed have a “protocol” for walking their courses—they do ‘X’ the first time they walk, ‘Y’ the second time, every time. For Skylar, since she’s grooming and braiding and hauling all of her own horses, she has to remain flexible and hope she even has time to get it all done.
Skylar’s story will also feel like a beacon of hope to riders who don’t come from a fabulously wealthy background. Much of her competitive success has been on borrowed horses, catch rides, or homebred horses that she’s developed herself with the help of her mom, Shayne. Skylar and I explore the other ways, besides money, that she’s been supported in this overwhelmingly expensive sport. Her ‘wealth’ is in her village, she explains.
This episode also supported by We Ride Together—because every athlete deserves to train and grow in a safe and healthy environment.
Skylar and her mom, Shayne, still do all of the work themselves: the braiding, the hauling, the riding, dragging the ring, managing the lesson program at their home farm of Chestnut Hills in Bonsall, California. Together they’ve created a do-it-yourself operation that champions resilience and resourcefulness, and Skylar says she prefers it that way.
“I think even if we could afford [to do it another way], I’d still want to do it myself,” the 20-year-old says. Despite her rapid rise in the sport, Wireman remains grounded, focused on building a career that emphasizes both excellence and joy.
Whether you’re an amateur rider, a parent of a young equestrian, or someone who loves a great underdog story, this episode offers something special. Skylar Wireman’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, resilience, and joy.
Tune in to hear her full story, including her strategies for riding borrowed horses, her engineer-like approach to course strategy, and her reflections on making the leap from junior to professional:
Horse Person is a podcast hosted by 4x-award winning podcaster and equestrian media professional, Caroline Culbertson. Hit Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Follow on Spotify, to get biweekly episodes downloaded onto your phone before you wake up and drive to the barn.
The post Skylar Wireman Is Doing the Work & Keeping the Joy Alive appeared first on Horse Network.
What the WEF?! Week 2: Richie Vogel *Is* Cute 20 Jan 2025, 11:49 am
Somewhere in the reclaimed swampland of the Everglades, that glorious river of grass (although it’s actually sedge, not grass, and it’s technically a marsh, not a swamp), a columnist is forced, in only her second brief, to issue a retraction: the middle-aged man described in my first post as having insisted on Richard Vogel being cute—Richard Vogel, World #9 and winner of this week’s 3-star Grand Prix—does not have 2 kids, but 3, or maybe only 1, and is not from the continent of Europe.
(“But I didn’t say you were from Europe, I didn’t even mention—.”)
Also, he is short and very muscular.
All of this to shield his identity, as it is an author’s duty, in sensitive matters such as these, to obscure names and identifying characteristics of anonymous informants.
He is, however, sticking to the facts as he sees them: Richard Vogel *is* cute.
Now that that’s settled, let’s move on to Week 2 of WEF.
This week the FEI jumping was on the grass, at the Global Dressage Festival grounds. It’s that patch of land that will one day soon be the epi-center of a newly-constructed “downtown Wellington.” The patch of land that has been the source of a protracted battle over “the future of Wellington.”
On Friday, I went over for the Qualifier in order to do some sneaky reportage. During the coursewalk, I heard one rider describe the course as “ridiculously overbuilt.”
Indeed, I felt the course was something akin to a Himalayan mountain range, and at $32K in prize money, many wondered what was the point. But what else is to be done with a roster of riders that includes no less than four of the top ten in the world?
We are awash with European imports this season.
“What are these guys doing here? I wish they’d all go home,” said one rider, but laughing.
The truth is that North America is absolutely plagued by insecurity so that were anyone to put up a 5-star (which many do), if that 5-star is unattended by the usual roster of Euro riders, everyone starts screaming about needing a 6-star.
After this, a 7-star and an 8-star will be invented so that star ratings will become quite inflationary and whoever ends up manufacturing these stars will become very rich.
In the VIP, I see the World Number One.
World Number One wears an armband so everyone knows he’s World Number One. I have maintained a fascination with the armband for years and have so many questions.
Like, does he have more than one armband in case one gets dirty? When you lose your spot, must you surrender the armband or can you keep it in a glass case in your house to remember your former glory? But what I really want to know is if World Number One ever goes to bed wearing only the armband, nothing else but, because honestly that’s the scenario that immediately occurs to me.
Another thing that is happening this week is everyone is very sick.
One acquaintance describes excessive vomiting in a long, explicit paragraph at the end of which she affixes “TMI, I know.” Someone else has pneumonia and is on an advanced course of antibiotics.
The jetset crowd flies in, bringing viruses from around the world. We must kiss when we meet and I must submerge my face in a pot of boiling water afterward, or alternatively, pour a bottle of vodka over my head.
I, myself, spent two days hardly being able to move out of the bed. But as I have few other symptoms, I am not sure if it is illness or just life.
I read a book called The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise in order to become a more informed and erudite columnist. (Although we know technically, ’cause I read it in this book, that what I’m reading about is a marsh.)
In it, Florida is described as a “big toe” which is “dangling into the water of the subtropics.” I consider writing a letter-to-the-editor, because none of us see a big toe when we look at Florida. That’s the not appendage we see.
More ‘What the WEF?!’ from Erica Hatfield:
- What the WEF?! So it Begins
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Kent Farrington & Toulayna Chart Their Own Path 20 Jan 2025, 11:02 am
Like other wonderful things in this world—hot sauce, hand cream, double-chocolate cake—a little bit of Toulayna goes a long way.
The famously sharp, speedy, and high-strung mare is coming into her own under Kent Farrington, and he’s thoughtful about managing her ample talents with kid gloves. For instance, the American rider has said he works to keep the job fresh for her, and checks his own ego at the door so he can listen to what his horses need from show to show.
In recent months, it’s clear the bay Zangersheide mare has benefitted in a big way.
In December, Farrington and Toulayna finished second on the podium in the prestigious Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final at CHI Geneva. And on Saturday, January 18, they did one better in their first big class of the year at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.
There, Farrington and Toulayna topped a three-horse jump-off to take the $200,000 UG Health Grand Prix CSI4*. The pair’s time of 38.62 was enough to edge out Farrington’s Paris Olympic teammate Laura Kraut and Bisquetta on 39.01 seconds. Ireland’s Jonathan Corrigan was a close third with Darius De Kerglenn (39.68).
“My plan was to beat Laura,” Farrington laughed. “Laura’s horse is very fast, and Laura’s very fast, so I never underestimate their speed.
“We talked a bit about our strategy for the jump-off. She was going to do eight strides to the liverpool fence, which I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a big-strided horse.’ Then I saw her do it easily, and I was like, okay, that was a fast round.”
Mounted on a much different type of mare, Farrington knew the eight strides were likely out of reach for Toulayna. But there were other places he could use the horse’s significant foot speed to his advantage.
“My horse has a shorter step, and I didn’t want her to get flat. So, I did the outside line, but at a high rate of speed. That made me shorter to the next fence, and I was able to keep the same speed and catch her by fractions,” he said.
Farrington has made a career out of producing his own horses up to the top of the sport. It’s a facet of his program that’s essential in order to build the kind of trusting partnerships required by the speedy, ultra-sensitive, blood-type horses that tend to suit him best.
At 11 years of age, Greya and Toulayna are just the latest graduates of the ‘Farrington method,’ with the 10-year-old Myla notably not far behind. And while the OS mare, Greya, leads the pack for prize money at just under €900,000, as well as 5* grand prix wins (two to Toulayna’s one), the bay Zangersheide tops the class by other measures.
Toulayna has more podium finishes at 1.50m and up—15 compared to Greya’s 10. What’s more: With this victory in Ocala, Toulayna now leads Greya at five grands prix wins to three (Jumpr Stats).
“I’ve had Toulayna since she was seven with Rabbit Root Stables in California. They bought her in total trust with me, having never seen the horse, and they’ve been an incredible partner,” Farrington said.
“We’ve had a lot of success, and she’s been a fantastic winner, basically from the start. She’s stepped up to the biggest levels and performed well.”
Could 2025 be the season of Toulayna? She’s already making her case.
The post Kent Farrington & Toulayna Chart Their Own Path appeared first on Horse Network.
Willem Greve & Highway TN N.O.P. “Nail It” in Leipzig 19 Jan 2025, 7:27 pm
While riders often dissect their rounds before they’re even off their horses and have had a chance to catch their breath, some jump-off efforts simply deserve a pat on the back.
Or, a fist bump.
“Today we were smooth from the first to the last, everything went to plan and we nailed it!” said Willem Greve (NED) after taking his winning shot at the Frank Rothenberger (GER) designed track at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup of Leipzig (GER) Sunday afternoon with his longtime partner, Highway TN N.O.P.
The pair brought it home in 40.52 seconds and were the only combination to break the 41-second barrier. Fast and clean, this victory was especially sweet on the heels of Jumping Mechelen where the pair’s World Cup ambitions were dashed after an unfortunate rail hit the ground in the jump-off.
Yet perhaps Mechelen was the dose of frustration that pushed them to the top.
Rothenberger’s first round course didn’t thin the 40 combination field as much as expected, leaving 12 riders to advance to an all-or-nothing jump-off. A conservative ride or single rail would have put Greve and the 13-year-old KWPN stallion far outside of the prize money.
“It was only our second World Cup [this season]. At Mechelen, we were close, but we didn’t start [the jump-off] quite so well…I’ve been riding Highway since he was seven, so this is our sixth year together and we know each other so well,” said Greve.
A strong partnership is often the deciding factor when the difference between top honors and untacking before the victory lap comes down to fractions of a second. Greve and Highway have that in spades, with 37 podium finishes and 6 Grand Prix wins under their belt (Jumpr stats).
“He’s always searching for the first distance and I just have to follow him,” said Greve.
Frenchman Simon Delestre and 12-year-old gelding Dexter Fontenis Z nearly had it in 41.21 seconds after shaving down Hans-Dieter Dreher’s (GER) time of 41.55 seconds with 13-year-old gelding Elysium. They finished second and third respectively.
“I did my max today, but Willem was just faster!” Delestre admitted.
“I’m really happy with Dexter. He’s so consistent and has had so many wins already. It wasn’t the plan to go to the final but if we are doing well next week in Amsterdam, perhaps we have a chance to qualify.”
The story in Jumping Amsterdam remains to be written, but in Leipzig, it’s Team Greve’s celebration. Among Greve’s many 5* achievements, this one serves as his first World Cup win, and he’s quick to pass the credit along to his team.
“I’m honored to ride such a horse for Team Nijhof…Richie [Skillen, Willem’s show groom] gives everything for the horses, so this is for him for the owners and for everyone who helps make my job very easy”.
“Very easy” is perhaps not how most of us would categorize a World Cup-winning effort, but perhaps that’s why it’s best left to the pros.
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Course Designer Moves to End Use of Measuring Tapes 17 Jan 2025, 2:58 pm
OCALA, FLORIDA—Inspired by Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s recent decision to remove third-party fact-checking from Facebook and Instagram, Level 4 Course Designer Greg Guthrie is pushing to eliminate “the tedium of measuring” on course builds.
Guthrie recently announced that he plans to do away with the universally relied upon tools of his trade, including measuring tapes and wheels. “Trust me,” said the notoriously laconic Guthrie. “That’s all you really need to do.”
While Guthrie refused to go into how he ‘makes the jump-course-design-sausage,’ so to speak, he reluctantly explained that he finds the standard methods of course designing to be “too constraining.”
According to Guthrie’s vision for the future, five-star course design will become more about “feeling the numbers” and less about “actually knowing them.”
Measuring distances has long been considered a virtue of course design, where a clear path ensures that riders don’t need to zigzag from one jump to another. A precisely measured line in the jump-off often ensures a class winner for the rider who dares the leave-out stride, while an improperly measured distance can have—well—much the opposite effect.
“It’s really my prerogative,” Guthrie said, noting that the use of new, experimental measurement tools such as psychic mediums, crystals, and divining rods were not off the table.
A representative for the international show jumping governing body said that while they found Guthrie’s declaration surprising, there was nothing, technically, in the rule book preventing him from designing courses based on his “feelings.”
“Mr. Guthrie has been a highly respected member of the equestrian community for more than four decades, designing courses for World Cup Finals, continental championships, and even the Olympic Games,” the governing body’s representative said.
“While we as a regulating body do not, at this point, plan to adjust our training modules or course design curriculum based on Mr. Guthrie’s new methodology, we will be closely following the outcomes of his designs in 2025—both good and bad.”
When asked if the representative worried that this suggested a lack of basic oversight, and that some of these “outcomes” could be potentially disasterous for horses, riders, and the sport at large, the representative cleared his throat.
“Let me be clear: The international regulating body does not believe in rawdogging jump course design.
“That said, changing times call for changing measures, no pun intended. In the spirit of flexibility, we fully support Mr. Guthrie’s evolving professional process; where he leads, we will follow.
“In other words,” said the representative, “we’re just going to see how this goes.”
More satire from Nina Fedrizzi:
- Public Library Bans Beloved Children’s Horse Classics for Being “Too Godless”
- Missouri Woman Opens World’s First Equine Bootcamp/Wellness Spa
- Surgeon General: “Horse Sports are Addicting, Promote Financial Insecurity”
- Olympic Rider Dispels the Myth of Wearing a Hairnet: It’s a Personal Choice”
Sign up and get more satire by Nina Fedrizzi delivered straight to your inbox.
The post Course Designer Moves to End Use of Measuring Tapes appeared first on Horse Network.
Mindset and Consequences 17 Jan 2025, 8:32 am
I love questions that get my mind whirling, and someone asked me a good one the other day: “How many repetitions are necessary for a horse to learn something?”
Well, of course, the answer depends partly on what we’re trying to teach. A horse can learn a behavior that fits his nature much faster than one that goes against it.
For example, we can teach most horses to stop at the word “whoa” pretty quickly. But it takes a lot longer—10 or 15 years longer, sometimes—to teach a horse to ignore the hard wiring in his brain that tells him to shy at something new and scary.
In the latter case, we’re working against 56 million years of evolution and a brain that dictates instant flight. In the former, we’re banking on the likelihood that the horse kinda wants to stop and stand still for a minute.
But that answer barely scratches the surface of the question. In brain-based horsemanship, I try to take all features of the horse’s learning mind into account. Her memory capacity, her age and experience, her mindset at the time of learning, the method used to teach her, the emotional bond she has with her trainer, the consequences of her behavior, the environment she lives and learns in.
(For the moment, let’s ignore all the physical conditions that must also be met. A horse can’t learn a lesson that hurts because of an undiagnosed veterinary problem or find the stamina to produce results while starving, and so on. I’m assuming, here, that we are talking about a sound, healthy horse who is receiving good care on a daily basis.)
My friend wanted a quick, concise answer to her question, not a dissertation. So I chose the two features I believe are most important: A horse learns not by virtue of repetitions, but by mindset and consequence.
True has been taught his ground manner and performance lessons with exactly those conditions in mind. The bond is critical too, but it lies at a higher level—bonding and learning are both produced by considering mindset and consequence.
Mindset refers to the horse’s levels of calmness and attention at the time a new maneuver is taught. No one—horse or human—learns well when nervous, fearful, excited, or distracted. So before I teach True something new, I make sure he is calm and relaxed, receptive to something new. If he isn’t, I spend the time needed to create that mindset before starting a new lesson. Sometimes it takes 60 seconds; sometimes it takes 60 days. We’re on horse time, here, not human time.
Consequence refers to what happens after the horse tries to perform the new maneuver. We all make mistakes while learning—that’s what learning is all about: Try: fail. Try: fail less. Try: that’s a little better—and so on.
If the learning horse does well at a new task, does he get rewarded? In what way—edibly, non-edibly, profusely, grudgingly, sparingly? If he makes a mistake, what happens? Does he get punished? Does he sense that his trainer is angry? Does he receive a neutral response that neither rewards nor punishes the behavior? Is he given a chance to try again? Does the trainer give up with a huff and put him away? Is she teaching… or just drilling? (Please see Post 95 if she’s drilling.) Is the overall experience pleasant for the horse?
During a new lesson, a horse’s mindset and the consequences she receives for her learning attempts are critical. Try to achieve a calm, attentive attitude in the horse before presenting the new lesson. And offer a generous, kind consequence (usually non-edible) for good effort, even if the result isn’t perfect yet.
Think more about these two features than about repetition, make the experience positive for the horse whether she succeeds or fails, and you will be on the way to improved performance and a well-bonded horse who looks to you for loving guidance.
Related reading:
Brain-Based Horsemanship is a weekly column that chronicles Janet Jones, PhD, and her journey with True, a Dutch Warmblood she trained from age three using neuroscience best practices. Read more about brain-based training in Jones’ award winning book Horse Brain, Human Brain.
The post Mindset and Consequences appeared first on Horse Network.
I’m Not “Too Sensitive”: I’m a Horse Person 15 Jan 2025, 1:41 pm
Last year, I got in a heated argument with a family member.
Crazy how a grown adult can melt into a child during a fight that dredges up the past. Here’s the gist of it: “You’re too sensitive. You’ve always been this way.”
It’s as if I’d spent my entire life plagued by some disease. This was also the narrative I learned as a child: I’m a sensitive person, so something is wrong with me.
Luckily, I’m no longer eight years old. As an adult, I can unpack this accusation.
Instead of feeding into the idea that being “too sensitive” makes me “less than,” I’m considering how being sensitive has served me well in life. My sensitivity has made me a good friend, mother, and partner. And here’s another way being “too sensitive” has worked in my favor: Horses.
Horses require a level of emotional finesse that—let’s face it—many people don’t have or understand. For example, people often ask when I fell in love with horses.
Thinking back, it was my first pony ride at the zoo. I connected with that animal during those five minutes in a tight circle. As a child, I sought to understand horses. They didn’t despise my sensitivity, they desired it. Horses are born sensitive too. We share this trait.
Horse people are often mistaken for being quirky or dramatic. Often, I think these labels reflect how others misunderstand our sensitivity. If you’ve never ridden or worked with an animal 10 times your size, how can you fully understand that good horsemanship requires sensitivity?
In my view, it’s a gift that we are attuned to another being’s feelings, not something that makes us difficult or damaged. And horses, well, they are emotional barometers. A horse will give you a swift lesson in sensitivity if you ignore the warning signals. Buck-off-central.
Your horse wants his feelings to be validated, one way or another, and often he’ll reward sensitivity with a smooth ride. Unlike people who learn to mask their emotions, most horses are honest—you know where they stand.
If you’re aware of the signs and respond to them in turn, you’ll learn to avoid the “big” reaction. I’ve always respected that about horses.
This connection is the origin of my lifelong love for them, a love I’ve passed down to my children. It’s a love that is not rooted in ribbons or high jumps, but in my soul. Just as I respect sensitivity in horses, I nurture it in my children. I encourage them to ‘feel their feels’ fully, own them, and work through them in healthy ways.
Exposing my kids to horses and the barn, weaving these interactions into their lives at impressionable ages, I believe, kindles their sensitivity instead of extinguishing it.
At our own little backyard barn, these are the types of things I say to my three youngest daughters to build their awareness about how their actions and emotions impact the horses.
“When you go to catch the pony in the field, keep your head down, walk slowly. Your pony reads your body language.”
“Ponies have rough days. We have to be extra patient today. People have rough days, too. We have to be patient with ourselves as well.”
“If you worry, your pony picks up on that. She’ll worry too. Take a breath. Try your best to relax, and she will relax.”
Through the horses, I’m helping my kids to be more in tune with their own feelings. Horses are incredibly perceptive, mirroring our emotions, and often reflecting back what we feel.
In the same way, we can learn to recognize and understand the emotions of those around us. Sensitivity is not something to shy away from. It is a powerful tool for building deeper connections, fostering empathy, and nurturing patience.
I see these lessons taking root in my oldest daughter, now 15. Recently, I watched her ride with her trainer. Every moment was teaching her about sensitivity, reading her mare’s signals, feeling her horse’s energy. When her mare became tense or fidgety, her trainer helped her adjust. They worked through it, reconnecting step by step.
“Can you feel that resistance?” the trainer asked when my daughter missed a sign. “Try an opening rein.”
By the end of the lesson, the mare was calm, moving fluidly with my daughter. My daughter learned to wait until she felt the subtle shift in her mare’s body before the next transition. She could predict the mare’s response. Those tiny moments are so easy to miss if you’re not paying attention; like a whisper.
The lesson wasn’t just about horsemanship. It was about sensitivity in life. Being too wishy-washy in your interactions can create confusion; being too rigid can cause resistance. But when you find the balance, when you communicate clearly, working through the feelings, you build trust. This requires a level of vulnerability.
That’s how life works too.
Sensitivity doesn’t just affect your horse; it shapes how you interact with everyone. And yes, my heart aches more in a world that often wants us to be Teflon-tough, but I wouldn’t trade it. I’m willing to be vulnerable. I want to raise my kids to be the same.
I want them to be good horsewomen who feel the full range of emotions, even when it’s hard work. Because horse people aren’t afraid of hard work.
We embrace everything that comes along with the horses, the highs and the lows. One day, you’re the derby winner. The next, you can’t even get around the course. But you keep going. You learn to listen more adeptly to your horse because you love it. Because it matters.
In the end, figuring out the horse means figuring out yourself; one subtle, sensitive moment at a time. Call us “dramatic” or “quirky” if you want, but sensitivity is how we connect, how we grow, and how we thrive. It’s not a flaw. It’s our gift.
The post I’m Not “Too Sensitive”: I’m a Horse Person appeared first on Horse Network.
From the Stars, by the Stars: 2024’s Grand Prix Winners, Ranked 15 Jan 2025, 6:35 am
Planning a top horse’s annual show schedule is no fly-by-night operation.
Riders and their teams invest hours making a plan, thoughtfully working backward from events where they hope their horses will peak. Along the way, they carefully build in time for things like vet work, conditioning, travel (and post-travel recovery), and time-off.
Thankfully, for the horses that took home multiple Grand Prix wins at 3*, 4*, and 5* shows world-wide this year, it’s clear those meticulous gambles paid off.
But what is the star system, and why does it matter?
After all, navigating the alphabet soup and star designations that accompany international equestrian competitions can feel overwhelming for the uninitiated (we see you hunter squad!). Thankfully, understanding the system is relatively easy, at least when it comes to show jumping.
The typical prefix ‘CSI’ (short for the French term Concours de Saut International) simply indicates that an event is international, under the governance of the FEI. Some common suffixes, meanwhile, might include an ‘O’—or ‘CSIO’—and indicates the show is an ‘Official Nations Cup’ competition. Show Jumping World Cup competitions, meanwhile, are labeled CSI-W.
Breaking the ‘stars’ down is even more simple. It goes like this: the higher the star, the higher the level of course difficulty and prize money offered.
“You know at a five-star that the grand prix will be a 1.60-meter [course]. And at a two-star, the maximum you will jump is a 1.45m,” Lizzy Chesson, USEF’s Managing Director of Jumping, told US Equestrian.
So which horses won the most, by the “stars,” in 2024? We’re breaking it all down for you.
3* Competition
Only 18 horses in the world managed to win two grands prix at the 1.50m-1.55m level in 2024—and their ranks are mixed. One includes Victor Bettendorf’s (LUX) former ride, the 9-year-old phenom Foxy De La Roque (more on her in a minute).
With an average horse age of 13, however, all signs indicate that the 3* list also includes many been-there-done-that mounts who are either stepping down the ranks, or gradually cresting the wave of a longstanding partnership with their riders.
Among this variety: Ireland’s Conor Swail and his then-17-year-old “horse of a lifetime” Count Me In, and Philipp Weishaupt (GER) and the 14-year-old Coby 8, both of whom have also campaigned successfully at the 5* level—including FEI World Cup wins (pictured)—pocketing more than €2 million a piece in career earnings.
In terms of prize money at the 3* level last year, the USA’s Molly Ashe Cawley tops the list with the 13-year-old Zangersheide mare, Berdien. The pair benefitted from an American winning streak last July, notching back-to-back 3*, 1.50m victories in Traverse City, Michigan. (For the full list of 3* leaders, download the Jumpr Stats app!)
4* Competition
More than 70 horses (among them Count Me In and Foxy De La Roque—again!) took home a single 4* victory in 2024. But only two horses in the world earned the distinction of winning more than one.
This first is the 11-year-old Selle Français stallion Enjoy De La Mure and 21-year-old FEI 2024 Rising Star Award-winner Omar, Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi. The partnership from the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—who also made their Olympic debut in Paris this summer (pictured)—earned top, 1.55m 4* placings at the FEI Nations Cup in their home country at Sharjah in January, and in Montefalco, Italy in May. No question, this talented young team is one to watch.
But the top-performing duo at the 4* level in 2024 is the Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen and her partner of nine years, the indomitable then-18-year-old (!) stallion, Con Quidam Rb. Having earned a total of 20 grands prix wins together and well over €1.2 million in career earnings, the pair added three, 4* victories at 1.55m-1.60m to their resume in 2024: Two in Spain at Vejer de La Frontera and Gijon, and one in Opglabbeek, Belgium.
5* Competition
If you’re a true fan of show jumping, it’s not hard to guess who the three, top-performing 5* mounts of 2024 might be. Here’s a hint: each of them are the only horses in the world to win three, 5*, 1.60m+ grands prix a piece last year.
Representing Switzerland, Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei continued their reign of excellence this year, sharing not only the 5* title for 1.60m+ grands prix wins but, according to Jumpr, also leading for prize money earned (more than €1.4 million), and for clear rounds at that height (a surreal 92%).
Not to be forgotten is the breakout wunderkind Foxy De La Roque, the only 9-year-old horse since at least 2015 to win multiple grands prix in a single year. With Luxembourg’s Victor Bettedorf in the irons, the pair were victorious in 5* classes in Rome, Italy; Lyon, France; and the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In terms of stats, that looks like an 83% clear and win rate in the first six 1.60+ rounds of the Selle Français mare’s career.
Last but certainly not least, United Touch S is a horse that’s been in the spotlight since livestreams worldwide first captured his otherworldly stride and scope in real-time. Under Richard Vogel (GER), the Westphalian stallion earned FEI World Cup wins in Lyon and Stuttgart, Germany and a 5*, Saturday Night Lights win in Wellington to kick off the 2024 season.
In three years together, the pair have pocketed more than €1.4 million in prize money, earning a total of five, 5* wins, and finishing in the top 10 in 38 rounds at 1.60m+ at a 71% clip.
Want to dig deeper on the stats? Jumpr App is available on iOS and Android.
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Pedigree Story: Monaco N.O.P. 14 Jan 2025, 4:30 pm
The 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding Monaco N.O.P. (Cassini II – Ulla II x Contender, Stamm 429, breeder: Ralf Lütje) delivered an incredible victory in December for his rider, Harrie Smolders, in the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI Geneva—the final Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of 2024.
Monaco N.O.P. has been expertly managed by Harrie Smolders throughout his career. But what is the story behind Monaco N.O.P.? Where does his damline originate?
Family Kahlke from Rosengarten
In 1858, Jakob Kahlke became the owner of Stern, a mare born in Dithmarschen, who became the foundation mare of Stamm 429. Jakob Kahlke lived in Rosengarten, and his farm remains in the family to this day. Rosengarten lies at the heart of Holsteiner breeding, just three kilometers from the stallion station in Haselau.
The success we see today from Stamm 429 traces back to three daughters of the stallion Heidelberg (Heimburg – Nachod x Nordmark, Stamm 884, breeder: W. Schröder): Kreta and Marga, who were full sisters, and Insterburg, who represents a different line. Heidelberg stood at stud in Haselau in 1944.
Dr. Dietrich Rossow described him in the Hengstbuch der Holsteiner Warmblutzucht: “A compact stallion. Solid, firm, with a broad and well-muscled body, particularly powerful through the saddle region. He was slightly overbuilt, with a strong foundation and straight hind legs with little hock angulation. He also had broad strides with sufficient propulsion. An excellent sire and producer of quality mares. Winner of the heredity ranking for two consecutive years.”
This entire lineage—especially its foundation and the branch leading to Monaco N.O.P.—maintains a strong connection with the Haselau stallion station. The proximity made travel convenient, and the station consistently offered a good selection of stallions to choose from.
Marga became a broodmare for Franz Lage, who stood the Trakehner stallion Totilas (Pythagoras – Tontaube x Pilger) at stud. This pairing resulted in the gelding Marbo, who competed successfully at 1.40m level. Marga’s daughter, Silka (by Heidefreund I), became the dam of Tasso (by Totilas), an international showjumper ridden by Hartwig Steenken.
Ralf Lütje
The breeding line of Monaco N.O.P. has been part of Ralf Lütje’s family for several generations and traces back to Marga, the full sister of the previously mentioned Kreta.
Ralf Lütje explains: “My father purchased the mare Rikona (Ladykiller xx – Konnie x Fasolt, breeder: Dr. Gerd Möller), born in 1979, as a foal. We have continued breeding with her ever since. Ladykiller xx (Sailing Light xx – Lone Beech xx x Loaningdale xx) stood at stud in Haselau, and Dr. Gerd Möller brought his mare there.
“My father crossed Rikona twice with Capitano and named the second daughter from this pairing Wirtin II as a nod to another successful family line we have, Stamm 2666. Monaco N.O.P.’s lineage is truly a product of the Pinneberg district in Schleswig-Holstein.”
Capitano (Corporal – Retina x Ramzes AA, Stamm 104A, breeder: Rheder Thormählen) was chosen because of his exceptional lineage. Ralf continues: “Capitano is the son of Retina, an incredible showjumper ridden by Fritz Thiedemann. He was a sport horse, and our goal has always been to breed sport horses. Both my father and grandfather bred sport horses. My father bred Albrant, who competed successfully in eventing with Herbert Blöcker, while my grandfather had already developed that line.”
Wirtin II was crossed twice with the Holsteiner Grand Prix dressage stallion Loutano (Landgraf I – Troja x Calypso I, Stamm 4093, breeder: Marlis Jürgens), who was highly successful with Margit Otto-Crepin. From this pairing came Hirtin III, the first foal. Lütje recalls: “Loutano was one of the few stallions not standing at Haselau. We had to travel to Gross Buchwald, as at that time, there was no fresh or frozen semen, only live cover.”
The second foal from this cross was Leopold W, a gelding who competed at Grand Prix level with Antje Kim-Wilkens. He received his initial training from Detlef Nesemann.
Ralf Lütje continues: “We also used Loutano because of his movement. Horses need elasticity in their movement, and all the horses we breed have that quality. Hirtin III became the dam of Pur Lady (by Carthago), a 1.50m jumper ridden by Thomas Voss, and bred by my late brother. We collaborated closely on breeding. Hirtin III is also the dam of Conelli 3 (by Con Air), who jumped at 1.40m, and Clivia (by Calato), who also competed at 1.40m.”
He elaborates: “We initially bred Hirtin III three times to the Thoroughbred Heraldik xx (Caramel xx – Heraldika xx x Cale xx). She passed on her excellent conformation, producing three state premium daughters: Nixe XIV, O-Lady, and Pur Lady. Nixe XIV became reserve champion of the Pinneberg district.
“She was not very tall but had excellent conformation, movement, and a lot of blood. Harrie Smolders even remarked that he couldn’t believe Monaco N.O.P. was by Cassini II (Capitol I – Wisma x Caletto II, Stamm 3389, breeder: Johann Hermann Claussen) because he [Monaco N.O.P.] shows so much blood.”
Out of O-Lady, a full sister to Nixe XIV, Lütje bred the 1.60m jumper Cassinio (by Cassini I), ridden by Constanza Abdala, and the CCI3* eventing horse MK San Cero, ridden by Mark Todd.
Lutje adds: “We also bred Nixe XIV to Contender (Calypso II – Gofine x Ramiro, Stamm 2472, breeder: Niko Detlef), who stood at stud in Haselau. As a breeder, you always aim to choose the best stallion for your mare. We had considerable success with Contender and this line. For example, Tina III (by Contender, out of Elisa and Wirtin II) became a state premium mare and champion in Elmshorn.
“Unfortunately, we had less luck breeding with her, but breeding isn’t always about success stories. For instance, we can no longer get Monaco N.O.P’s dam, Ulla II, in foal. We don’t want to use ICSI or embryo transfer with her—she has already done enough for us. Monaco N.O.P. has two full brothers, including Erroll Gobey, a successful CCI4* eventer ridden by Bruce O. Davidson Jr.
“We also have a daughter by Catch (Colman – Pia LH x Calido I, Stamm 890, breeder: H.P. Loeding-Hasenkamp) out of Ulla II. She is a state premium mare who excelled in her mare performance test with an overall score of 8.75. This line is known for producing horses with excellent movement. We’ve always prioritized matching stallions to our mares based on conformation.”
Lütje notes that they keep their foals until they are three or four years old to assess their health through x-rays before deciding their future. “In the past, we bred about six foals a year, but in recent years, we’ve reduced that to one or two foals annually. From this line, we’ve also bred Holsteiner-approved stallions, such as Caplan (by Carolus I), who was sold to Arnaud Dobber.”
Ralf Lütje concludes: “Monaco N.O.P. is the result of careful breeding, selecting stallions that complemented the mares in our program. I also want to emphasize that Harrie Smolders is the one who brought Monaco N.O.P. to this level. He did the fine-tuning with this horse. Alessandro Mingoli discovered Monaco N.O.P. when he was three-years-old. Before that, we entrusted his early education to Roland Metzler. Monaco N.O.P. was sold as a four-year-old to Mingoli.”
He recalls a critical moment in Monaco N.O.P.’s early life: “At one and a half years old, Monaco N.O.P. came in from the field with a significant amount of fluid coming from his nose. I called the vet, who administered medication via injection. He warned that if there was no improvement within 14 days, we would need to investigate further.
“Unfortunately, the condition didn’t improve, and the vet suggested taking Monaco N.O.P. to the clinic. There, they made a small hole in his frontal sinus to flush it out. He stayed at the clinic for six weeks undergoing treatment. However, the vet eventually called and said, ‘This horse isn’t improving at all.’ The vet had lost hope for him.”
But Lütje wasn’t ready to give up: “We brought Monaco N.O.P. back home, even though the nasal discharge persisted throughout the winter. He was turned out on the field, and over time, his condition began to improve. Gradually, the symptoms disappeared completely.”
Thirteen and a half years later, in the final month of his fifteenth year, Monaco N.O.P. claimed victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI Geneva—a remarkable turnaround for a horse who had once been given up on at just one and a half years-old. His incredible partnership with Harrie Smolders has been key to his success.
Interestingly, Marcus Ehning won the 2023 Rolex Grand Prix at the CHIO Aachen with Stargold. Stargold’s third dam was born just four kilometers from where Monaco N.O.P. was foaled. Both motherlines have strong ties to the stud farm in Haselau, which plays significant role in shaping international showjumpers. With Monaco N.O.P. and Stargold, this region has now produced two Rolex Grand Prix winners.
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American Eventer Andrew McConnon Faces FEI Investigation, Suspension 13 Jan 2025, 3:10 pm
The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) announced it has opened an investigation into American eventer Andrew McConnon related to allegations of horse abuse involving several horses over an extended period of time.
The disciplinary proceedings against McConnon, 38, were sparked by multiple alleged breaches of the FEI General Regulations, including Article 142, which prohibits horse abuse.
In 2024, videos surfaced on social media allegedly showing McConnon riding a horse and striking it multiple times in the head. Reports of abuse to the FEI and other governing sport bodies came from people who allegedly worked for McConnon and witnessed multiple instances of horse abuse over time.
Due to the investigation, McConnon has been suspended from competition by the FEI, and subsequently, also the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the United States Eventing Association, effective this month. No decision has been made yet in the ongoing case. McConnon will be granted an opportunity to appeal any decision.
The FEI said it will not provide further information on the case at this time to “ensure the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings.” More information about McConnon’s case will be updated here as details become available.
“We support the decision made by the FEI to thoroughly investigate this matter,” shared USEA CEO Rob Burk, “and the USEA will continue to cooperate with both the USEF and FEI, the governing bodies that hold responsibility for investigations and disciplinary proceedings under the rules of our sport.”
Shortly before the 2024 Olympics, British dressage darling Charlotte Durjardin withdrew from the Paris Games as video surfaced of her that alleged horse abuse. On December 5, the FEI issued a one-year suspension for Dujardin related to the case.
Allegations against McConnon were shared with the FEI earlier in 2024, and it took eight months for the organization to formally announce an investigation and issue a suspension.
McConnon competed last year at the Defender Burghley CCI5*-L on a Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant, awarded by the U.S. Eventing Association Foundation, after abuse allegations had already been shared with governing sport bodies. At the time, an FEI spokesperson confirmed McConnon was under investigation but did not provide further details.
McConnon, based in North Carolina, is a lifelong equestrian who has competed as a professional in three-day eventing and show jumping since 2011, according to his biography on the USEF website. McConnon had success early in his career, including third-place finishes in the CCI2*-S at Chattahoochee Hills with Fernhill Tic Tac in 2013, and with Ziggy in 2014. He spent two years working for William Fox-Pitt in Great Britain, where he also competed and completed the CCI2*-L at Houghton Hall with Andarilho in 2017.
More recently, McConnon won the USEA Young Event Horse-5 divisions at Full Gallop Farm and Five Points Horse Trials in 2019. He also won the Virginia Horse Trials CCI-1* in 2020. That same year, McConnon was named to the Adequan® USEF Futures Team Challenge with Ferrie’s Cello.
Those concerned about horse abuse are always encouraged to report to the USEF. Click here for more information.
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