Search results matching tag 'practical horseman'

Do you think the USHJA Hunter Derby concept is the future of the hunter sport?

staceyhedge — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

In the upcoming November 2009 issue of Practical Horseman, we have a feature with John French on his winning strategies with Rumba at the inaugural 2009 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. If you've been following this "new" concept at all, what are your thoughts about it? Do you think this is the future of the hunter sport? Why or why not?

Horse Adoption

staceyhedge — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

In the October 2009 issue of Practical Horseman, there's a story on how to successfully adopt a horse. Have you ever chosen to adopt? Share your experiences with other readers!

Ever had a bad fall? Share your story.

staceyhedge — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

In the August issue of Practical Horseman, we published a story with Danny Warrington and Mike Pilato on making falls safer ("Heads Up! Rethinking Fall Safety").

Have YOU ever had a bad fall? If you were taught how to fall, did it help you during the situation? Would/could you have done anything differently if it happened again? Do you currently do anything to help prepare you for future falls? Share your experiences.

Re: Become a Fan of Practical Horseman on Facebook!

staceyhedge — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

FYI, our Facebook page is now easier to find! facebook.com/practicalhorseman. Thanks to the 1,000+ fans, we were able to register our username this morning!

Rolex Snapshots on Facebook

staceyhedge — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Want to see more of 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event? We've posted some snapshots from Prac staff members Margaret Rizzo and Hunter Messineo on our new Practical Horseman facebook page. To find us, just type "Practical Horseman" in the "find friends" search box. Become a fan to receive updates on events and other timely news.

POLL--What do you think would make eventing safer?

staceyhedge — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

[Poll]

Green Horsekeeping Ideas

staceyhedge — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:00:00 GMT

In my best Linda Richman voice (Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live, for the pop-culture challenged): I'll give you a topic ...

In the March 2009 issue of our fabulous magazine (Practical Horseman, in case you missed that), we did a story on 39 "green" ideas you can implement around your barn. Ideas ranged from stuff everyone can do like recycling plastic and aluminum and using a bucket and sponge to wash your horse (instead of a hose) to the more complicated, such as installing wind/solar power generators and composting manure.

What strategies have you implemented around your barn to help "reduce, reuse, recycle"?

(And now for a shameless plug: For those of you who don't have a copy of the magazine, pick up the latest issue at your local tack shop/book store or, while we're on the subject, go the eco-friendly route and subscribe to the new digital version at www.zinio.com. True, it doesn't have that new-magazine smell, but it cuts down on stuff headed for the landfill--not that you'd EVER consider throwing out one single copy of our fine publication! Right?)

December editorial: What's Fair?

staceyhedge — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT

In the December 2008 editorial, I invited you to discuss the findings of the FEI Tribunal in the positive drug cases at the Olympics.

In a nutshell, American Courtney King was disqualified--and the US Dressage Team's fourth place finish erased--because Mythilus tested positive for a very small amount of Felbinac. (The concentration found in his blood wasn't enough to have an affect on a rat.) While the Tribunal acknowledged the excellent stable management practices of the US team, they had to uphold her suspension and disqualification because she was unable to prove the source of the contamination.

On the flip side, Brazilian show-jumper Rodrigo Pessoa's horse Rufus also had a positive drug test. Rodrigo was able to show the source of the contamination--his groom was using a topical ointment on his own broken collarbone and accidentally transferred the substance to the horse. However, the Tribunal still found him guilty and upheld his suspension due to what they deemed poor management practices.

My question to you is this: Is the FEI's "zero tolerance" policy fair, or do you think there needs to be some middle ground when it comes to decisions in these types of cases? And, if you agree the system needs to be overhauled, what do you think should be done?

Re: George Morris Clinic Article

staceyhedge — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:00:00 GMT

You can submit prints to

Jumping Clinic

Practical Horseman

656 Quince Orchard Rd., Suite 600

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Please make sure they are horizontal, at least 4x6 inches and in focus. If the photo was professionally taken, please include the photographer's name and contact info, if known. The photos should be actual prints and NOT printed from your home computer.

Re: Eventing Safety—Your Thoughts

821462 — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 GMT

I think some of the rule changes regarding qualifications to move up through the levels are valid, but I feel that they should apply to both horse and rider as a team. If you check Baron Verde's (Darrin C's horse) record with the USEA, he moved from Novice to Prelim in 5 events: 2 Novice, 2 Training (one with 60 penalties), then did 1 Prelim with lots of time faults before the event where the accident occurred, all from January until March. If the experience qualifications applied to both horse and rider, there was no way that the horse could have been doing Prelim. This would make catch-riding difficult, but how safe is that anyway? It would also prevent riders from buying experienced horses and riding them at levels above the rider's ability because they feel the horse can do it.

I don't think that there should be qualifying scores for dressage and showjumping, however. Cross country is the important phase and is where most accidents occur. This ties in with Mr Wofford's philosophy of placing too much emphasis on dressage and show jumping.