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Equestrian Weekly

The all new Equestrian Weekly newsletter showcases the best of US Equestrian, including new Learning Center videos, the USEF Network schedule, and original articles. Equestrian Weekly keeps members informed about affiliate news, international competitions, information on rule changes, membership updates, special member offers, and more.

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The Triplets: A Love Story

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Feb 13, 2018, 3:00 PM EST

When the yearlings Epona Elleison, Elle Vitorina, and Big Man in Town make their show-ring debut this spring in the halter division, they will mark an important milestone for owner/breeder Lisa Gaudio—and for equine reproductive science. Lisa Gaudio and her husband Jim Kazanjian with (left to right) Elle Vitorina, Epona Elleison, and Big Man in Town. Photo: Javan Schaller The trio are full siblings, by the Arabian stallion Vitorio TO and out of Gaudio’s beloved mare, Kyrie Elleison....

Combined Driving Gives Eventer a Different View

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Feb 6, 2018, 9:37 AM EST

Trying a different discipline, even temporarily, can open your eyes to new possibilities. That’s what 17-year-old eventer Heather Kottwitz is finding since she started taking combined driving lessons in addition to her dressage, stadium, and cross-country riding. Kottwitz, from Ashland, Mo., isn’t planning to hang up her saddle; she competes her Morgan gelding Sidney at Training level and loves it. But her recent foray into combined driving has helped her learn a different language...

WEG Talk: Dressage and Para-Dressage

by FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 | Jan 30, 2018, 3:00 PM EST

Dressage is the ultimate expression of communication and elegance between a horse and athlete and has rapidly grown in popularity each year around the world. This Olympic equestrian discipline is often compared to ballet, with a scoring system similar to that of figure skating. The harmonious connection between the human and equine athletes allows each pair to perform an intricate pattern of movements for which they receive scores from a seven-member judging panel. The rider’s cues are...

American Horse Council Webinar to Discuss ELD Mandate

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Jan 30, 2018, 3:00 PM EST

The American Horse Council will host a webinar on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. ET to discuss the recent Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandate, which the AHC notes has caused much confusion in the equine industry. In addition to hosting the webinar—which requires registration but is open both to AHC members and to non-members—the AHC also has published two informational brochures. One is about the ELD Mandate , and the other is about the Commercial Driver’s License , or CDL. Both...

Is Your Horse at Risk of Choking?

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Jan 30, 2018, 3:00 PM EST

Choking—an obstruction in the esophagus, often involving food—can affect horses of any age or type. And it can be serious: a bad choke can cause potentially life-threatening secondary lung infection and can injure the esophagus. Grass has more moisture content than hay or dry feed. In the winter, horses whose diets switch from less pasture to more dry matter--and who possibly are also drinking less--can be at higher risk of choking. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help...

Nine Lives and a Big Personality

by Kathleen Landwehr | Jan 23, 2018, 4:00 PM EST

Sarah Medler and Ares competing at the 2017 IFSHA World & Grand National Championships (Avalon Photography) Sarah Medler and Ares, her 17-year-old Friesian gelding, were featured in the Snapshot department of the 2017 winter issue of US Equestrian magazine . The photo showed two individuals, human and equine, who appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves while competing at the International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFHSA) World & Grand National Championship. US Equestrian...

Seven Ways Vaulting Can Improve Your Ride

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Jan 16, 2018, 3:00 PM EST

Vaulting —gymnastics on horseback—is one of the world’s oldest equestrian sports. And while it might look exotic to those of us more used to riding or driving, the sport of vaulting offers a wealth of great training for any equestrian, regardless of discipline. Not surprisingly, many vaulters have fast-tracked into other disciplines, like dressage, jumping, and eventing, after building a strong foundation in vaulting. So what can you get from vaulting? We asked two vaulting...

Know Your Treats: Some Natural Ingredients Can Cause Accidental Drug Positives

by Glenye Oakford | Dec 26, 2017, 3:00 PM EST

Photo Credit: Kim Russell Photo If you like to reward your horse with edible treats, remember to be mindful of exactly what you’re feeding: some natural ingredients, like honey and licorice, can cause an accidental drug positive. “You may think something sounds familiar and benign, but you don’t necessarily know what’s in it,” said Dr. Stephen Schumacher, DVM, chief administrator of US Equestrian’s Equine Drugs and Medications Program. “You know the...

Hoof Help: White Line Disease

by Glenye Oakford | Dec 19, 2017, 3:00 PM EST

Like thrush, white line disease is a fairly simple hoof ailment that is not terribly difficult to treat, provided it’s caught early. “White line disease is often a mixed fungal and bacterial infection, and, like thrush, it’s opportunistic,” said Dr. Bryan Fraley of Fraley Equine Podiatry at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute . “It likes to capitalize on any little defect in the hoof wall that will give these organisms a chance to get up under the hoof wall. It grows...

Dressage Trainer Jim Koford on Friesians, Freestyles, and Coloring Outside the Lines

by Glenye Oakford | Nov 28, 2017, 3:00 PM EST

Adiah HP just loves to dance. That’s how her trainer and rider Jim Koford puts it. “It’s physical, and it’s exciting, and you have to stay on your game!” Koford said of partnering Adiah in the dressage ring. Adiah HP and Jim Koford during their Grand Prix Open freestyle championship ride at US Dressage Finals earlier this month. Photo by SusanJStickle.com. Their joy in performing is obvious—you can watch their winning performance in the Grand Prix Open...