Club Equestrian Site by USEF Offering Free Event & Business Listings

USEF has developed their new website, Club Equestrian, as a user friendly forum for the equine community.

Right now, users can promote their equine-related event (seminar, clinic, expo, show, fundraiser, etc) for free by filling out the online form. The event will be added to the Club Equestrian nationwide calendar.

USEF members can also list their equine business in the online business directory, which is organized by state and broken down into a myriad of categories and subcategories from Training and Boarding to Alternative Health Care.

The site also features a discussion board, news page, videos and photos and an online encyclopedia.

The United States Equestrian Federation is the national governing body for equestrian sport, responsible for selecting, training and funding our US Equestrian Team and for licensing equestrian competitions of all levels across the country. USEF works for the health and welfare of horses by assisting in humane efforts, disaster relief and in coordination with state and federal governments and other national equine organizations on all issues important to the equine community.

Steffan Peters Edges Out Werth to Win World Cup Final with 84.95%

Steffan Peters become the second American rider in history to win the World Cup Final on Saturday Night at the Rolex FEI World Cup held this year in Las Vegas. He has only been partnered with his horse, the 11 year old gelding Ravel (by Contango), for 14 months. Peters credits Ravel's good mind and sound temper for helping him to the win. Dressage Daily quotes Peters: “Ravel kept it together even with the noisy crowd. I am really one of those lucky guys in the world that gets to ride a horse with a mind like that.” Ravel's success is a credit to Iron Spring Farm's breeding program, of which Contango has long since been a cornerstone stud.

See a video of Peter's historic ride at NBC's Universal Sports Equestrian Channel.

For more live equestrian sports action, The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event starts Thursday, April 23rd and runs through Sunday, April 26th. Held each year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, Rolex draws a crowd of over 100,000. A festive atmosphere pervades the Horse Park with more than 175 merchants, corporate sponsors and food vendors on the grounds. Equestrian Events, Inc. is offering pay-per-view webcasts of the dressage and cross country. Universal Sports' Equestrian Channel will have free, live coverage of show jumping on April 26th.

photo credit: AP Photo

2009 Kentucky Derby - This Year's Opportunity

The 135th Kentucky Derby is less than three weeks away and as I say every year, let all of us "Good Horsepeople" take advantage of this opportunity to promote the horse industry by educating our friends, families and co-workers about our favorite animals. By talking intelligently about the pros and cons of the racing industry in a constructive and supportive way, we can raise awareness for responsible racing and horse-keeping practices, and for the thousands of ex-racehorses that need help transitioning into new careers as sport horses, pleasure horses and companion animals that support and contribute to the equine industry in this country.

Each year the Derby attracts more than 150,000 people to Churchill Downs and millions more will tune in on television. People who rarely interact with horses are suddenly interested in the contenders, their stories and the action on race day. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with a couple of the horses and their stories, as well as the issues current to the racing industry today, especially the retirement and placement of off-the-track racehorses. To learn more, check out CANTER (the communication alliance to network Thoroughbred racehorses) and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

Here are the The Good Horseperson's early picks. If you can't make it to the race, online Kentucky Derby betting is a simple and easy option.

I Want Revenge: This colt by Stephen Got Even recently won the Wood Memorial Stakes, despite the fact that he lost valuable seconds in the beginning of the race after rearing in the starting gate and lurching out of the box slightly behind the rest of the field. In a New York Times article by Joe Drape, I Want Revenge's jockey complements his mount, calling him "such a smart animal" and "mature for his age." He may only have 3 victories in eight starts, but I Want Revenge has plenty of heart and a cool-headed jockey who believes in him.

Papa Clem: A handsome bay colt by Smart Strike (Mr. Prospector), Papa Clem just won the million dollar Arkansas Derby last Saturday, edging out Derby favorite Old Fashioned, who is now out of the race with an injury. Papa Clem's trainer, Gary Stute, has been feeling very good about his colt, who he feels is at the top of his game. After watching the video of Arkansas Derby, Papa Clem seems like the kind of horse who has staying power and the ability to dig in and get the lead at the right moment.

Friesian Fire: This bright bay colt by A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) has the bloodlines and more wins than Papa Clem and I Want Revenge - he is actually unbeaten so far this year, and ran away with a 7 length lead in the Louisiana Derby. Friesian Fire is trainer Larry Jones's only hope in what he's calling his last trip in the run for the roses. Jones will attempt to run him after a 7 week lay-off, which has raised some eyebrows, but clockers caught the colt running very well this morning on the dirt at Keeneland.

image courtesy of www.kentuckyderby.info

Debbie McDonald will be Celebrity Guest Speaker at the 2009 PVDA Ride for Life

The Potomac Valley Dressage Association announced last week that they have confirmed Olympic Bronze Medalist and World Cup Champion Debbie McDonald as the Celebrity Guest Speaker at their annual Ride for Life competition on June 27-28th, 2009. The Ride for Life supports breast cancer research in coordination with John's Hopkins.

Ride for Life's Saturday night Dancing Horse Challenge and Gala features international quality exhibition performances, dinner options and a well stocked silent auction, which includes a riding clinic donated by McDonald. The event is held at Prince Georges Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Tickets are available at the door starting at 6pm on June 27th, $15 per person.

According to PVDA, the Dancing Horse Challenge has become one of the largest and well attended dressage freestyle competitions in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

For more information about the show, visit Ride for Life's newly revamped website:

www.pvdarideforlife.org

Star Athlete Profile: Combined Driver Chester Webber

Chester Weber won the four-in-hand division at the Sunshine State Combined Driving Event at the Florida Horse Park last weekend.
I have been admiring Webber since seeing his exhibition at the Washington International Horse Show in D.C. last October. The four-in-hand dressage is really something to see...a really impressive example of obedience and submission.


In 2008, Webber became the first American to win an individual medal the Four-In-Hand World Championship, held in the Netherlands. He was also named Equestrian of Honor by the United States Equestrian Federation for dominating most of the combined driving divisions throughout 2008. One of his competition horses, Jamaica, was named 2008 Horse of Honor. Jamaica was a former tourist carriage horse rescued from the slaughterhouse and trained by Webber into a world class combined driving athlete.

Webber intends to qualify for the 2010 Alltech FEI Word Equestrian Games to be held right here in the states at the Kentucky Horse Park. Tickets go on sale beginning September 25, 2009.

Are You Ready for the Spring Shows?

Amanda can help you get ready for the spring dressage season with haul-in lessons and training at Cedarville Equestrian Center in Brandywine, MD, located 20 minutes off of the Capital Beltway in Southern Maryland.

Haul-In Lessons with Amanda are $60...including:

• A box stall with mats and fresh bedding for your horse to relax before and after your ride.


• Standard size dressage arena ready for Fix-A-Tests, practicing or designing your freestyle or learning new figures.


• Huge indoor arena with lights, mirrors and dust-control.


• Heated bathroom with shower available for your use.


• Patient, competant instruction, goal-setting and specific exercises to work on.

Going out of town before a show? Send your horse for training for only $35 a day.

Other services available:

• Show Coaching


• Full Training/Competition Packages


• Sales and Brokerage


• Lessons on School Horses


• Rehab, Lay-up and Conditioning


• Re-Training/Help for Behavior Problems

Strategies for Preventing Founder

The coming spring will bring lush new grass, wild temperature fluctuations and other stresses to our horse's sensitive systems. Besides colic, the most prevalent and dangerous affliction I usually see around this time of year is laminitis or founder.

The terms "founder" and "laminitis" refer to the same basic condition, when restricted blood flow to the laminae structures (that which holds the coffin bone to the hoof wall) causes the laminae to weaken, and the coffin bone to shift downward, away from the wall. The more the coffin bone shifts, the more the condition worsens. Shifting of the coffin bone causes heat, soreness, lameness and permanent changes in the horse's gait. Corrective shoeing can help a horse with chronic pain. Generally, laminitis usually refers to a singular, acute condition, while founder describes the chronic, recurring condition.

A horse that founders tends to be prone to do so again, therefore, prevention is the best medicine.

On April 21, 2009 The University of Michigan is hosting a free one hour webinar called "Countermeasures for Equine Laminitis.” Dr. Bridgett McIntosh from the University of Tennessee will host the session, which will discuss strategies to prevent laminitis based on the most current scientific research.

Click Here to register for the Laminitis Webinar.