US Equestrian

Become a Member

Here you can find our archive of stories from Equestrian Weekly, our once-a-week look at affiliate news, international competition, amateur profiles, horse care tips, and more. You’ll also find stories from the USEF Insider, a twice-monthly email newsletter packed with features about USEF people and programs, including our drugs and medications program, regulations, and competitions departments.

Both newsletters are free to USEF members (including fans). Make sure you’re receiving both by checking your email preferences in your My USEF Dashboard.

Subscribe to Newsletters and receive a FREE US Equestrian Fan Membership!

Shock Wave Therapy 101

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 27, 2021

U.S. Dressage Team veterinarian Dr. Paul McClellan using shock wave therapy. Photo: Courtesy of PulseVet Can a super-sonic wave of sound energy help your horse heal? There’s evidence that in many situations it can. Dr. Susan Johns, the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team’s head veterinarian, recently participated in a webinar as one of five veterinarians discussing how they incorporate shock wave therapy into their treatment and rehabilitation of equine athletes. We asked Dr. Johns, who

Victory in Verona: Jeremy Reynolds and Treasured Moments Win the Fieracavalli Endurance Cup CEI3*

by Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Communications Department | July 13, 2021

Verona wasn’t the original plan for Jeremy Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) when he and Treasured Moments, the 11-year-old Arabian mare owned by Jeremy and his wife, Heather, made the journey overseas this spring. But a pivot in plans turned out to be a fortuitous one for Reynolds as he crossed the finish line to win the Fieracavalli Endurance Cup CEI3*160 km in Northern Italy’s Veneto region. Jeremy Reynolds and Treasured Moments, winners of the test event for the 2022 FEI Endurance

UPHA Ribbons of Service Funds Charities, Cultivates Well-Rounded Young Equestrians

by Kathleen Landwehr | June 15, 2021

UPHA Ribbons of Service participants at the 2020 UPHA Conference with their check to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - left to right: Ellison Lang, Abby Connolly, Cindy Mugnier, Jacqueline Schatzberg, Ava Lambert, Maya Tasch, Fay Lowry (back row) (Shiflet) The equestrian community consists of generous individuals who are happy to lend a helping hand to those in need, and the United Professional Horsemen’s Association Ribbons of Service is an excellent example. Through the

Heat Stress: Know the Signs and How to Help

by Glenye Oakford | June 1, 2021

Summer’s sultry weather can be more than uncomfortable for your horse or pony; it can be dangerous. It’s important to know the symptoms of heat stress and how to respond to them. Adobe Stock photo Horses that don’t sweat enough or who are engaged in a lot of physical exertion—like three-day eventers, polo ponies, or horses in sports that involve a fair amount of galloping—are most obviously at risk of overheating in hot, humid conditions, says Dr. Laura Werner, a

Mental Health Awareness Month: A Veterinarian’s Advice for Mental Wellbeing

by Erika Sherman and Glenye Cain Oakford | May 25, 2021

Photo: Arnd Bronkhorst/arnd.nl Veterinary professionals are at greater risk for mental health problems because of the stressful and demanding nature of their work. One mental health survey that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted in the veterinary profession found that nearly one in 10 veterinarians reported serious psychological distress, a higher proportion than among adults in the general population. A CDC study published in 2019 in the Journal of the American

Jump Innovations: Q & A with Javan Dalman

by Glenye Cain Oakford | May 11, 2021

Jump design is both an art and a science. Thanks to modern design techniques and materials, today’s jumps can be more eye-catching, lightweight, and safe than ever. We caught up with Javan Dalman, owner and founder of Dalman Jump Co., to learn more about designing jumps for maximum visual effect without compromising safety or convenience. Tell us a bit about the science behind how you create jumps. For example, how does the way horses see and interpret color, height, etc., affect the way

Veterans, Mustangs, and Western Dressage: A Perfect Match for Healing the Mind

by Ashley Swift | April 30, 2021

When Marine Corps veteran Jimmy Welch (Woodstock, Ill.) and dressage trainer Patti Gruber (Woodstock, Ill.) competed with two mustangs at the 2019 Western Dressage Association of America’s (WDAA) World Championship Show, they were also demonstrating the powerful impact a combination of Western dressage and mustangs can have in the healing process of both mind and body for veterans. The World Show first-timers also paid tribute to the flag and all veterans with a Color Guard every

Riding with Cerebral Palsy: “The Horses Remind Me of My Power and Abilities”

by Bryanna Tanase | March 23, 2021

Bryanna Tanase is a classified Grade I para dressage rider who rides at Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, Fla., and Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center in Brooksville, Fla. She hopes to someday secure a place on the Adequan ® U.S. Para Dressage Team and ride at the Paralympics, as well as at other recognized events. She currently rides a Welsh -Thoroughbred cross named Cappy and an American Paint Horse named Shane. Join the conversation by posting your story with #IAmUSEquestrian or submitting

Remote Learning, Equestrian-Style

by Barbara Davis | March 16, 2021

Four years ago, the Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team had never won a medal at an FEI World Championships or a Paralympics. But in 2018, the team won four medals at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games ™ in Tryon. In 2020, they reached the top of the FEI’s ranking list for the first time in the program’s history, with U.S. para dressage athlete Roxanne Trunnell holding the top spot among all FEI para dressage athletes across all Grades. What changed? The answer is Michel

Road Trip: Preparing Your Horse for Travel

by Sarah Coleman | February 8, 2021

Keeping competition horses healthy before, during, and after transport is key to show-ring success. Whether you’re shipping a competition horse across the city or across the nation, it’s important to do everything possible to ensure he arrives on show grounds in the best possible shape. While many preparations are dependent on the individual animal, some are consistent no matter the breed of horse or the discipline in which he is competing. Vaccines One of the best ways to keep a

Nicole Aaberg Promotes Helmet Safety En Route to Girl Scout Gold Award

by Kathleen Landwehr | January 19, 2021

Nicole Aaberg with Cody (Courtesy of Georgette Aaberg) Nicole Aaberg is a US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program graduate whose passion for horses led her to helping her community and achieving a major award in 2020. She has been a Girl Scout for most of her life and received her Girl Scout Gold Award after completing a project that involved raising awareness for helmet safety and providing helmets to a local equine-assisted growth and learning therapy program in her hometown of Thousand

Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy Preserves Urban Black Cowboy’s Legacy, Shares Love of Horses with Community

by Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group | January 12, 2021

Left to right: PURA Executive Director Erin Brown with rider Jessie Schulman on Kidd, rider Stephon Tolbert on Kowboy, and Michael Upshur. Photo: Courtesy of Phelps Media Group Horses and city life—these two things are not often seen as synonymous, but for the founders of the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy , these are an ideal they strive toward every day. PURA was founded to preserve the life, legacy, and culture of Black urban cowboys in the city of Philadelphia. It was established