Sounds good doesn’t it? Well. Free always does.

By: Cameron Liddell

 

The Le Moyne College Equestrian Team is an Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association hunt seat team that competes in Zone 2 Region 2 in Syracuse NY. The team has a maximum of fifteen riders per season competing in divisions from Walk/Trot to Open Equitation Over Fences and everything in between. Currently there are 370+ schools and over 8,300 students throughout the United States and Canada that compete in the IHSA. The IHSA also offers scholarships and many networking opportunities for all levels of riders

Is your horse truly submissive and obedient? Is your horse truly forward and does the action of the rein go through his whole body equally on both sides. If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes, then the rein back will be easy to achieve and show artistry and engagement. It is an extremely beneficial exercise for the horse when correctly executed as it engages his core, strengthens his top-line and develops strength in the gaskin and suppleness through the hips. It also increases flexion of all joints in the hind end. All these benefits are of immeasurable importance as you develop your horse to piaffe, passage, pirouettes and expressive flying changes (all of which topics are covered in the recent issues of Horse Bits Magazine). The rein back is also used in training other English disciplines and also in Western training.

by Elizabeth J. Dana

Whether you believe in fate or miracles, out of chaos and tragedy rose the birth of compassion. It began, as all tragedies seem to do with a phone call, three years ago from the Central New York SPCA, detailing the discovery of 14 wild, starving ponies abandoned in a snowy field, with no access to food or water and many horses from the herd already dead.

Unsoundness and other frailties of old age often call for horses to be relieved of day-to-day performance requirements, but regular exercise remains important for older horses. Exercise comes in many forms—it can be as simple as encouraging aged horses to walk from one end of a field to the other for feed and water, or walk-only lessons or lazy strolls.

Once the leaves start to fall, it means winter is around the corner. And in many parts of the country, that means below-freezing temperatures; snow and ice, slush and mud will be very present. To get started on winter preparations for your horse and barn, the earlier you begin to “winterize” the better.

Written by Jennifer Roberts
We all like to think of the barn as a place to unwind and relax, but did you know that there may be a hidden danger to you lurking in your horse’s stall?

When you open the stall door, pitchfork in hand, are you hit with an acrid burning of the nose, lungs and throat? That my friend, is the signature trademark of ammonia

An Arab mare arrived for retraining with a disturbingly common problem of fear and distrust of people.   My barn is often the last stop for horses before being sent to auction or euthanized due to dangerous behavior, and this mare was facing the same fate if I failed at connecting and retraining her.  The owner of this beautiful horse was grief stricken and disillusioned after bringing her once sweet, trusting mare home from a six month stint with a professional trainer.  She now has a dangerous horse that spooks, bolts and is afraid of her owner and people in general.

Tickets are now available for purchase at the Verizon Center box office, online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. General admission tickets for daytime performances are $15 (plus applicable service charges), Tuesday through Sunday, with children 12 and under admitted for free. Evening performances, VIP, reserved and general admission tickets are available starting as low as $20. For group discounts, contact Verizon Center Group Sales at 202-661-5061. For more information on tickets and discounts for military, seniors and students, visit www.wihs.org/tickets/.