Denny Emerson

Our columnist takes a look at how horsemen have created their own language.

Every day on farms and racetracks, at shows and events, all across the United States and Canada, horsemen and horsewomen utter remarks, questions and phrases that make perfect sense to them but might just as well have been spoken in Swahili to an outsider.

Our columnist points out that a rider’s success largely boils down to how many hours he spends in the saddle.

There are several diverse groups of riders who all know, to varying degrees, that in order to become better they need to ride more hours than they currently do.  

Our columnist believes an early, structured focus on style, position and effective riding could benefit young eventers.

Our columnist analyzes one of the most common jumping faults—and how to avoid it.

During the summer of 1961 I was working as a very lowly assistant trainer of Morgan show horses at the Green Mountain Stock Farm in Randolph, Vt., when I drove down to South Hamilton, Mass., one weekend to watch the Wofford Cup, then the U.S. National Championship Three-Day Event.

In late Autumn it gets dark and cold early in Lincoln, R.I., and by the time Joe McLaughlin and I pulled into Lincoln Downs one day in early December, 1961, the track was black except for a few flickering bulbs which did little to dispel the murk along the partially deserted shed row on the back side of the racetrack.

Our columnist tries to imagine what eventing will be like when today’s foals reach the peak of their careers.

The horses currently excelling in modern three-day eventing were not “purpose bred” to be good at this sport, because when these top horses were foaled, eventing was altogether different.

When a sport changes radically, and virtually overnight, as eventing has changed, the breeders are caught flatfooted. They have about a 10-year time lag before they can catch up with the new requirements.

There are many different theories on how much rest a sport horse needs and how often, but everyone agrees that horses benefit from vacations.

In 1950, when I first became involved with horses on a daily basis at the Stoneleigh Prospect Hill School in Greenfield, Mass., the frequently harsh conditions of the New England winter created automatic downtime for horses.

There were two big differences between then and now with respect to winter riding. There were almost no indoor arenas, and almost no horses were transported south for the winter.

Our columnist addresses the new business realities of 21st century eventing and whether they are “fair.” 

Our columnist explores the incredible journey from youngster to 5-year-old.

Raising and training a foal, yearling or 2-year-old to become a horse ready to enter the competitive arena will be one of the most satisfying and educational experiences a rider or trainer can ever have. Knowing that the horse you’re riding is also the horse that you made from scratch validates you as a horseman in a way that riding someone else’s project never can.

As winter stubbornly retreats across the mid and northern tiers of North America, riding schools, training centers and camps are all about to begin the seasonal ritual of getting ready for summer riding.

Summer days, or as Nat King Cole sang, “The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,” are just around the corner.