To protect its youngest members, the U.S. Equestrian Federation should prohibit rubber band and hooked safety stirrups from being used at recognized competitions. This hook-and-loop design, often called a “peacock stirrup,” has been used for a long time to prevent a fallen rider from getting caught in the stirrup and being dragged. However, these stirrups […]
It’s a blessing and a curse that you can now watch every five-star event (and most CCI4*-L events) from anywhere in the world via livestream. It’s a tremendous learning experience for anyone who aspires to be a better cross-country rider, because you can watch how the best in the world do it. But it also […]
Oliver Townend announced Tuesday, May 7, that he is withdrawing Ballaghmor Class from this weekend’s Badminton CCI5*-L (England). This means Townend, fresh off his win at the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L with Cooley Rosalent, won’t have a third chance to try to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. Ballaghmor Class, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse […]
Several years ago, Frank Taylor recognized there was a brewing labor crisis in the Thoroughbred industry. Along with his brothers Duncan, Ben and Mark, Frank owns and manages the family’s Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and they had always been able to find plenty of help to care for the nearly 500 horses on […]
The Veterinary Corner series, brought to you by Merck Animal Health, features insights from leading veterinarians on some of the most pressing health issues affecting horses today. By Duane E. Chappell, DVM, Merck Animal Health With show season in full swing, so is the chance of equine respiratory disease spread. While cutting off potential disease […]
It was going to be a family trip: my non-horsey husband, toddler son, and me on a six-hour road trip to Lexington for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. But when we started to lay out the details, both husband and son had previous commitments that would make the trip logistically difficult. My husband, perhaps detecting […]
The U.S. Equestrian Federation has announced the athletes selected for the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Rome CSIO5* in Rome, May 23-26. The team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland and team leader Lizzy Chesson and supported by U.S. Jumping Team veterinarian Dr. Diego Ulibarri and equine therapist Janus […]
When Meghan O’Donoghue first met the off-track Thoroughbred Palm Crescent back in 2011 as a 5-year-old, there was no inkling that he would ever be hers, much less become her next five-star mount. She can’t claim any clairvoyant foresight into his potential, because as it happened, they came together mostly by accident. “Honestly, ‘Palmer’ more […]
There is only one place you’d have any luck in finding 11-year-old Brynn Garrett: the barn. With her father, Brian Garrett, DVM, an equine veterinarian, and her mother, Taryn Garrett, an amateur competitor, Brynn is growing up in quite the horsey family. Brynn has been consistent with her family’s ponies and her catch-rides in the […]
“Chordae tendineae rupture.” “Mitral valve prolapse.” “Congestive heart failure.” “Palliative care is the only option.” I typed out these words as the equine cardiologist said them into the phone because I knew I wouldn’t remember them. All I felt was shock. A few days earlier, the friend who was leasing my longtime eventing partner messaged […]