Walk It Out! So with our season on hold and the pressure to train and compete off, it might be time to take a look at how you are incorporating walking into you and your horse’s fitness routine. Walking, alone or with a buddy (six feet away, please! And not just for the mares), is one of the best ways to develop fitness and strength in your horse while putting very little wear and tear on their joints and feet, improving their fitness and soundness and saving them for when we actually get to start competing again. For many of … [Read More]

Hillori Connors is an amateur adult from Topsfield, MA who enjoys competing at the lower levels of eventing in Area 1.  Her horse is Chantilly All Quality (aka Fig), an 8 year old, 17 hh ISH gelding that she has had for almost 1 year.  Shortly after Fig’s arrival, he had several back-to-back minor injuries, and just started back under saddle in January. In 2020, they are looking forward to getting back into full work, and hopefully competing at some of their favorite Area 1 events.  We thank Hillori for reporting from Aiken this winter! What is it about Aiken … [Read More]

Rachel Kiczuk is from Amherst NH and works in Groton, MA at Scarlet Hill Farm.  Her horse Africa is a 15.3 TB/Irish Sport Horse by Formula One, and they compete at the preliminary level.  Rachel is looking forward to creating good memories with her co-workers down in Ocala this winter. Next Wednesday will mark one month since I migrated down to Florida with Scarlet Hill Farm. I work for Denise Goyea as her head groom at the farm. The two-day road trip down to Ocala was uneventful for us, just driving for hours on end and stopping overnight on the … [Read More]

For those of us without very many jumps, this exercise gives you tons of options using minimal jump standards, and keeps the outside of the arena open. Poles on the ground work great for this exercise as well! The three jumps in the middle can be any type, I chose a skinny and an oxer for the diagonals, and a vertical on the center line. The far vertical is set to allow both verticals to be jumped on a circle or on a serpentine. I added the bounce exercise as I had extra poles but you can leave that out … [Read More]

Last month we talked about the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning and how to utilize those ideas in Eventing. Please click here if you missed it. This month I would like to highlight a key principle and discuss how we can apply it when in the tack. External Focus of Attention How many riders have listened to our instructor say the same thing over and over? You understand the words, understand what they mean but can’t seem to make it happen? How many instructors feel they give the same lesson over and over again? When we hit these training road … [Read More]

So while some of us are lucky enough to decamp to warmer climes for the winter, many of us in Area 1 are stuck at home for the winter, circling around and around the indoor.  For intrepid eventers, however, the off season is a great time to hit the beach with our horses. I really don’t know if there’s anything more fun that galloping down a windswept beach and I know my horse appreciates the break!  So we’ve put together some tips for beach riding – especially for those who’ve never done it before – and some information about some … [Read More]

Having never attended an organizer meeting, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I sat in on this session at the 2020 Area 1 annual meeting. I had visions of organizers fighting tooth and nail for dates and debating every proposed change. I was pleasantly surprised to find a very supportive environment focused on ensuring that all events in Area 1 had dates that were compatible with their farm needs and schedules, and making sure that event organizers understood the various rules and restrictions to prevent conflicts with events in the area as well as neighboring areas. Sharyn Antico, … [Read More]

At this year’s annual meeting, Sorcha Martin, an Area I competitor and physical therapist, gave a terrific talk about applying the science of motor learning to improving our riding.  This talk was so helpful (and validating – did you know all the time you spend coordinating your tack actually helps you to be a better rider?) that we asked her if she would be willing to become a regular contributor to the newsletter.  She has agreed; below, she outlines the science that is the foundation of her work, along with specific applications for riders. “I’m perfectly happy with how well … [Read More]