Author: RoanokeEquestrian

Young cross country course designer sought to mentor under Nicholson

John Nicholson
Virginia Horse Trials organizer Andy Bowles (left) and FEI course designer John Nicholson. Photo by Brant Gamma | Via VHT

The Virginia Horse Trials announced in December an opportunity for a young Cross Country Course Designer who is starting their pursuit of Course Designing, but if you want a shot you’ll have to act fast.

The VHT is looking for an enthusiastic new cross country course designer to take over our Horse Center side cross country course which caters for BN to Prelim classes under the mentorship of our recently appointed FEI Course Designer John Nicholson from New Zealand for an initial 2-year period.

Nicholson is a well-recognized international designer who designs in numerous countries around the world and who this year was the course director for the FEI International Course Designers Seminar in Ireland, which focused on designers from all over the world.

The winning candidate will be expected to be on site for about 10-14 days prior to the events working alongside Nicholson and the builders. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by VHT and a small fee may be negotiated for the right candidate.

Applications must be submitted by Jan. 8. (Friday!) Applications should include the following:

  • Cover letter
  • Equestrian Resume
  • A brief outline on your thoughts on modern
    cross-country-course designing and ideas on how to improve the presentation of courses.

Mail applications to Virginia Horse Trials, 3455 FM 731 Burleson, TX, 76028

Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel with a phone interview, then a final selection will be made by this panel and the Executive Director of VHT. Final appointment will be made by the
end of January 2016.

Additional information about the application and selection process can be found at Course Designer Mentor Program.

Extreme Mustang Makeover coming to Virginia Horse Center

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Courtesy BLM

 

The Extreme Mustang Makeover is scheduled at the Virginia Horse Center on August 26-28.

This wild horse training competition will offer two divisions: Youth, ages 8-17, will compete with a mustang in-hand and adults, ages 18 and over, will ride their assigned mustang in preliminary classes to compete for a spot in the top 10 freestyle finals.

After being selected to compete at an Extreme Mustang Makeover event, a trainer picks up a Mustang that has been virtually untouched by humans. With approximately 100 days to gentle, halter break and saddle train the Mustang before the competition.

Horse and rider teams compete in preliminary classes that include evaluating the horse’s ability to maneuver through patterns and/or trail courses.

After the preliminary scores are tallied, the highest-placing horses are chosen to compete in the finals. Trainers have 4 minutes to present a freestyle performance to showcase their Mustangs’ abilities and talents.

Mustang Makeover
The winner of last year’s Mustang Makeover at the Virginia Horse Festival.

The event will award $25,000 in cash and prizes. All adult mustangs will be available for adoption via auction. Bureau of Land Management representatives will be on site to approve interested adopters.

The entry deadline is March 28. Mustangs will be picked up April 29-30 in  Knoxville, TN

A Mustang Makeover competition was held last year at the Virginia Horse Festival at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia.

The Mustang Makeover competition’s is an effort by the the Mustang Heritage Foundation to promote the Mustang’s versatility, trainability, and worth as an equine companion. Over 5,000 American Mustangs have been adopted through the Mustang Heritage Foundation since 2007. The foundation will hold 10 Extreme Mustang Makeover competitions this year.

Sweet Briar College equestrian competing in Germany at World Finals

Makayla Benjamin is a sophomore at Sweet Briar College.
Photo via Sweet Briar College

Makayla Benjamin, a member of the equestrian team at Sweet Briar College, won  the show jumping portion of the World University Equestrian Federation World Finals (AIEC-SRNC) in Marburg-Dagobertshausen, Germany. She was 3rd overall and Team USA was 5th overall.

Benjamin, a sophomore majoring in engineering from Leesburg, Virginia, is one of three riders representing the United States in Germany from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1. Fifteen countries are participating in the three-day competition.

The competition is broken into four stages, with the first stage having every rider competing in both dressage and show jumping. Then the field is cut down to 12 riders for another round of dressage and show jumping on different horses. The finals on New Years Eve consist of the top two riders competing on the same two horses.

“I am extremely proud of Makayla and thrilled that she has been given this opportunity,” said Sweet Briar Riding coach Mimi Wroten, director of riding at Sweet Briar. “Makayla is a dedicated, hard working, and talented rider whose focus, attention to detail, and determination will take her far in this competition.”

Selection for the team is based upon how well riders have done at previous competitions during the year. Benjamin traveled to Sweden during the summer for a competition in hopes that it would earn her a spot on Team USA for the world finals.

And thanks to connections she has made through the AIEC program, Benjamin is going to be spending two weeks working in Holland after the competition.”It’s just such a great community to be a part of and it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet so many people from around the world that all have a common goal,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin says that AIEC family is a very supportive group and she has felt welcome since her first competition. She is also very thankful for how supportive Sweet Briar has been in all her endeavors and pushing her to be better everyday.

Other media reports of this story:

MUD! December rains have horse owners saying a lot of dirty words

While many were dreaming of a white Christmas, nature had another color in mind this year. Instead of fluffly white flakes, the holidays came with warm weather and plenty of rain. In stables all across the area, that means pastures of mud. That’s enough to make many horsemen actually start wishing for colder weather. At least it will be frozen! Nothing makes going to the barn less enjoyable then wading through the slop to do the daily chores. Pushing a heaping wheel borrow through 6 inches of mud? There’s nothing much more jolly. But beyond the inconvenience and mess, mud can spell deeper problems.

Equine health concerns caused by mud:

For a horse, mud can be an unhealthy environment. Bacteria and fungi live in mud and can cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald and thrush. Scratches, grease heel, mud fever, rain scald and rain rot all share something in common: They are horsemen’s terms for one disease: dermatophilosis. When dermatophilosis strikes the pasterns, horsemen often call it scratches or grease heel; when it affects the horse’s body,they may call it rain rot, rain scald and mud fever. Dermatophilosis is characterized by scaly, crusty, scabby skin, and it’s a particular problem for horses that are exposed to moisture and muck for extended periods.  While every horse has the potential to be affected, those with white legs, those with either long hair or sparse hair on their cannon bones and fetlocks, and those that are turned out in the elements and not groomed every day are the most susceptible.

Bacteria may also find their way into the skin through minor wounds and cause cellulitis. Horses with cellulitis experience swelling and heat in an infected leg. They will show signs of pain and lameness and often have a 102- to 104-degree fever. The fever is important to differentiate cellulitis from a run-of-the-mill lameness. Horses with severe infections will go off feed and show signs of serious discomfort. Their legs become extremely sensitive with inflamed blood vessels. Although cellulitis isn’t a mud-related disorder, mud compromises the skin’s protective barriers against bacteria and keeps wounds soft and open.

In addition to bacteria concerns, muddy pastures also provide mosquitoes and flies a place to breed. Feeding on muddy ground can cause dirt or sand particles to be ingested, which can lead to sand colic. And of course injuries to the horse and humans can result from the slippery footing. Deep mud can cause injuries like bowed tendons and can also be tough on horses with arthritis.

5 hoof problems caused by mud

  1. Softening Hoofs: When horses have their hooves in wet and muddy conditions, their soles begin to soften. This softening is one of the horse hoof problems that can cause a series of issues, including making their hooves sensitive and more likely to bruise.
  2. Lost Shoes: But contrary to what many horse riders assume, the mud does not suck off the shoe. Instead, it causes the horse to pull it off on its own. When a horse slips in the mud, it keeps its front foot on the ground to attempt to reestablish its footing. The horse’s back hoof steps on the heel of the front one and then pulls off the shoe, once the front foot is picked up.  
  3. Abscesses: Bacteria thrives in moist conditions, allowing it to invade your horse’s hoof and work its way towards the sensitive parts of the hoof. It then gets trapped inside the hoof, where it continues to multiply. Sudden limping or showing other signs of lameness should be watched for. There may be some swelling on the horse’s leg that has an infected hoof.
  4. White Line Disease: This disorder is also known as seedy toe, hoof or stall rot, hollow foot, yeast infection, Candida and wall thrush. White Line Disease is a fungal infection which happens when the inner hoof wall separates, creating a hole or crack on the sole. The bacteria will invade through the crevice and begin to eat away at the foot’s The specific bacteria associated with this disease is anaerobic, meaning it lives without oxygen. 
  5. Thrush: When mud gets packed into a horse’s foot, bacteria from the mud begins to establish itself there. While it eats away at the hoof’s tissue, the bacteria also creates an infection with visible discharge. While White Line Disease appears white and dry, thrush in horses shows itself as a dark, gooey substance with a rancid odor. It resides in the grooves within a horse’s frog and in cracks of the hoof.

Get rid of the mud with these stable upgrades

  • Use gutters and downspouts to redirect water. Use collection systems such as rain barrels, cisterns and rain gardens.
  • Build up high traffic areas with some sort of footing such as chipped wood, gravel or course sand to keep horses up out of dirt and allow rainwater to drain through. (Gravel should be no larger than ¾”) Use at least 3 inches of footing or more. If you already have a lot of mud, put footing in at least a 1:1 ratio (for 6 inches of mud, you’ll need at least 6 inches of footing.)
  • If possible, keep horses inside immediately following a rain. Letting pens dry out a little will lessen the areas that get churned up.
  • Create a sacrifice or high-use area to keep horses off the pasture. Use this area during rainy/wet periods or whenever the rest of the pasture needs a rest from grazing. Ideally, pasture grasses should not be allowed to be eaten below 3 inches of growth.

Virginia Horse Center open for board and schooling through February


Starting Sunday, Dec. 6, the Virginia Horse Center will offer winter schooling and boarding through Feb. 29, 2016.

Boarding and schooling at the horse center gives horses and riders access to the barns and indoor arenas, including Anderson Coliseum, the East Complex and the indoor schooling rings.

Daily rates for schooling at $25/horse or $15/horse if over 10 horses. The weekly rate is $100/horse, or $75 for more than 10 horses. And the monthly rate is $300/horse or $250 for more than 10 horses. Board does not include care/feed and turnout is not available.

Riders will also have access to jumps and other equipment and may also use the horse center’s trails and dressage arenas. Ring maintenance will be performed twice daily as needed. Cross-country-course access may also be available but may require an additional fee.

For full information and to reserve your stall or make schooling arrangements, please call the Virginia Horse Center office at (540)464-2966. 
  

 

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Calendar of equestrian events near Roanoke for December

Shakkira Jubellee (Bellagio RCA x True Aura by True Colours)…one of the beautiful
Arabians you will meet at our “Christmas With Arabians” event this Saturday. Photo via Facebook.

Things are winding down on the calendar as we enter the holidays. This weekend you’ll find a Mountain State Rodeo Winter Series (Dec. 4-5) at the Virginia Horse Center and Christmas with Arabians program in Buchanan from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 5, learn how it’s possible to build a business around these exquisitely beautiful horses, even if you don’t own a farm. RSVP (required to save your spot) or get more info at http://amethystacres.com/contact or deb@amethystacres.com.

Also a Lucinda Green Clinic has been scheduled for Jan. 24 at Penmerryl Farm’s Equestrian Center in Greenville. Email gammonlee@gmail.com for registration forms. Price is $150 for small group jumping lessons on cross country technique. Lunch is included. Lucinda Green’s clinics have received high praise, including “She teaches you and the horse to be independent, yet work together. Lots of helpful take-home skills and lots of praise and encouragement!” from one recent participant. And another said, “I think every eventer should ride with Lucinda at least once in their lives!”

On Dec. 12, don’t miss the Hear the Beat Horse Show — Christmas Edition at the Virginia Horse Show, benefiting Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding Center. The show will include fun classes like a costume contest, an ugly sweater class, an eggnog class and much more, plus enjoy a Christmas bazaar, farmer’s market, silent auction and chili dinner. Danielle Toms will judge. Be sure to check the prize list to see the list of fun classes planned.

Also on Dec. 12, a IBRA barrels and poles show will be held at Old Grey Mare Arena in Raphine, Va. The exhibition will start at 11 with the classes immediately following.

To round out the holiday season with your horse, ride with the Franklin County Equestrian Club Reindeer Games Competitive Trail Ride on Dec. 26 at Waid Park in Rocky Mount. Registration at 10 a.m. and ride at 1 p.m. Ride is about 2 1/2 miles long with five obstacles. Ribbons will be awarded for 1st through 6th place. $5 members, $15 non-members.

 LOOK AHEAD

Like Roanoke Equestrian on Facebook for continued updates on horse shows in the area. Have a show coming up? Contact us at Roanoke.Equestrian@gmail.com to add it to our calendar.

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Calendar of equestrian events near Roanoke Nov. 21-22

Weekend highlight: The Bedford County Hunt will hold their Fall Horse Show at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Randolph College Riding Center in Lynchburg, Va. Leslie Prillaman will judge. The show is Blue Ridge Horse Force sanctioned. The show will include classes both over fences (2′ to 2’9″) and on the flat.

ALSO THIS WEEKEND:

 LOOK AHEAD

Like Roanoke Equestrian on Facebook for continued updates on horse shows in the area. Have a show coming up? Contact us at Roanoke.Equestrian@gmail.com to add it to our calendar.

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Calendar of equestrian events near Roanoke Nov. 14-15

Weekend highlight: The Virginia Horse Shows Association Championships will be held Nov. 12-15 at the Virginia Horse Center. Dedicated this year to the memory of J.T. Tallon, the hunter/jumper show starts Thursday and will be judged by Walter J. Lee and James Toon. The year-end double point show is for members of the Virginia Horse Shows Association who have competed in at least five associate member shows during the 2015 show season.

HORSE SHOWS

TALKS/CLINICS/TRAIL RIDES 

  • Rockbridge Hunt Club Fall Hunter Pace, Nov. 15, Staunton, Va.
  • CANCELED Horse Head Wreath Workshop, Nov. 14, Blue Ridge Public Library. Build your own custom horse head wreath. Instructor Dee Kegley. November 14 at the Blue Ridge Public Library at 10 a.m. $50 for BCHA members, $55 non-members. Includes the pattern so you can make more. Contact Dedi Spradlin (bilju@yahoo.com or 5 four 0. 353-8579 no later than noon on Friday, Nov. 13, to claim your spot. 

 LOOK AHEAD

Like Roanoke Equestrian on Facebook for continued updates on horse shows in the area. Have a show coming up? Contact us at Roanoke.Equestrian@gmail.com to add it to our calendar. 

Franklin County Equestrian Club hosts competitive trail ride in Rocky Mount

The Franklin County Equestrian Club held a competitive trail ride on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Waid Park in Rocky Mount. The club had 26 riders tackle the trail and also held a Truck N Treat for the little ghosts and goblins on Halloween.

Following are photos from the trail ride that have been posted to the club’s Facebook page. If you’re interested in participating in the next competitive trail ride, the club will hold another — also at Waid Park — on Dec. 26.

Meanwhile, the club will also hold two more shows in November:
 


The Magic of Creativity: Costumes at Cross View show brought imagination alive

Merlin’s Magical Apprentice won the Costume Class at Cross View’s Halloween Show on Oct. 31.

Some of them wore wigs. Some of them wore beards. And another wore whiskers.

Those key pieces of Halloween costumes weren’t found on the children walking door to door that night; they were found on the horses in Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Cross View Horse Show’s Costume Class at Green Hill Equestrian Park.

The details were the best part of each and every costume. Some made you laugh out loud as they walked by. One perfectly matched a horse’s name (Merlin’s Magical Apprentice) and another fit the costume to the animal (Shrek came dressed with a furry-eared donkey.)

The amount of imagination, creativity and plain work that goes into that class is quite impressive. Here are some photos from this year’s class. The wizard, Merlin’s Magical Apprentice, took first place, but all of the participants were truly winning entries.