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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.

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Dressage Trainer Jim Koford on Friesians, Freestyles, and Coloring Outside the Lines

by Glenye Oakford | November 28, 2017

Adiah HP just loves to dance. That’s how her trainer and rider Jim Koford puts it. “It’s physical, and it’s exciting, and you have to stay on your game!” Koford said of partnering Adiah in the dressage ring. Adiah HP and Jim Koford during their Grand Prix Open freestyle championship ride at US Dressage Finals earlier this month. Photo by SusanJStickle.com. Their joy in performing is obvious—you can watch their winning performance in the Grand Prix Open

Filing a Repeat MPA Disclosure Form Online Just Got Easier!

by US Equestrian Communications Department | November 14, 2017

Effective Sept. 1, 2017, the United States Equestrian Federation requires the reporting of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) administration within 90 days before a USEF-licensed competition, and a new form must be filed with each subsequent MPA administration. The electronic MPA Disclosure Form is the fastest, easiest way to file. And if you have repeat administrations to report, that process just got even easier, thanks to a new autofill feature that automatically adds your horse’s

Preparing the Older Horse for Winter

by Glenye Cain Oakford | November 7, 2017

Aged horses need a little extra support when winter settles in with cold temperatures and snow. We asked Dr. Luke Fallon of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., for an autumn to-do list that can help you prepare an older or geriatric horse for the coming season. First, discuss a plan with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can help with all aspects of aged-horse care, from a proper diet to hoof condition to management of arthritis. Ask your vet to assess your horse and

Giving to Honor Human and Equine Veterans

by Glenye Oakford | November 7, 2017

Horses have been veterans, too. During World War I, the U.S. shipped about 1 million horses and mules to Europe to assist the allied war effort. Photo by William Ivor Castle/Wikimedia Commons The military and horses have a long shared history, starting with their partnership on the battlefield. Today, there’s still a deep connection through a number of charities. In advance of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, we highlight two that bring horses and veterans together and one that honors

Horses are Helping Veterans Find New Joy—and a Path to Equestrian Sport

by Glenye Oakford | November 7, 2017

When U.S. Army veteran Seyward McKinney took fifth place recently in a dressage competition at the Virginia Horse Center with a Quarter Horse mare named Trinity, it wasn’t just any result. It was an important early milestone in what McKinney hopes will become a competitive para-dressage career, thanks to programs that are introducing military veterans to horses—often for the first time—both for therapy and for sport. Seyward McKinney and Trinity. Photo by Sonya Weaver.

Know Before You Show: New Rules for a New Competition Year

by United States Hunter Jumper Association | October 31, 2017

Below are important rule changes that will be effective Dec. 1, 2017 , for the 2018 competition year and affect Hunter/Jumper competition. Please take the time to review these important updates that were developed with horse and rider well-being and safety, fairness of play, and enhancing the competitive experience in mind. Click here for a comprehensive list of rule changes that were approved in early 2017 and will take effect for the 2018 competition year. View the entire 2018 USEF Rulebook

For Para-Dressage Athlete Mary Jordan, Riding is “Spiritual Medicine”

by Ashley Swift | October 31, 2017

Mary Jordan, a lifelong equestrian and a developing Grade V para-dressage athlete, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) 15 years ago. But despite the ups and downs that accompany the neurological disease and treatment, Jordan has always found a way back to the saddle. Mary Jordan and Rubicon 75 Photo: RMBPhotography.com Jordan competes in both para- and able-bodied dressage. Last month, she won the Grade V Freestyle class at the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship, and now

When to Worry About Coughs

by Heather Smith Thomas for EQUUS Magazine | October 24, 2017

This article originally appeared in EQUUS magazine , a media partner of US Equestrian. Any horse will cough occasionally, particularly if he catches a noseful of dusty air or gets a bit of debris in his airway while he’s eating or drinking. That’s just a normal sign of a healthy airway keeping itself clean. Sometimes, however, coughing is an early sign of illness or that your horse is developing an inflammatory condition, such as heaves, that will respond better when treated

Know Your Ringworm From Your Rain Rot

by Glenye Oakford | October 10, 2017

Skin problems can affect almost any horse anywhere, whether you live in a tropical climate with year-round heat and humidity or are preparing to start blanketing your pony against autumn rains and winter snow. Luckily, most are straightforward to treat—but it’s helpful to know whether your horse’s particular issue is caused by bacteria, fungus, virus, or an allergic reaction. We got the skinny—plus some treatment and management tips—from Dr. Luke Fallon at Hagyard

USEF Grants Helping Grow Equestrian Sports

by Glenye Oakford | October 10, 2017

US Equestrian’s mission—to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible—extends into the equestrian community in a number of ways, including grants that help fund a wide range of affiliate programs. And that’s making a difference, say US Equestrian’s affiliate organizations. Cassidy Shepard and Chocolualatte. Photo by Blight Photography “It really helps us to have support from US Equestrian,” said Linda Haines, chair of the American

Honoring the Horse in Art

by Glenye Oakford | October 3, 2017

Horses have been a lifelong inspiration for Julie Ferris , but it wasn’t until she went to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., that she finally was able to bring her equestrian life and her artistic ambitions together. That fusion is now sustaining Ferris both personally and in her career as a visual artist. Ferris’s art is realistic without being static; it’s infused with an equestrian’s understanding of how horses move and behave. “Especially

Drug Shows Promise in Preventing EHV-1 Neurological Complication

by EQUUS magazine, US Equestrian Media Partner | October 3, 2017

This article originally was published in the May 2017 issue of EQUUS magazine, a media partner of US Equestrian. Low doses of a common anticoagulant drug may help prevent a life-threatening neurological complication of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection. Typically, EHV-1 causes only mild clinical signs, but in outbreak situations, an estimated 33 percent of infected horses may develop equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM), which is characterized by damage of the blood