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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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Get Show-Ready with These Five Steps

by US Equestrian Communications | Jun 2, 2020, 9:00 AM EST

The best time to avoid last-minute headaches with your horse show entry is before you ever fill it out. With Photo: Sarah Bennett for Howard Schatzberg US Equestrian’s website, usef.org, it’s fast and easy to take care of pre-show business like renewing your US Equestrian membership and recording your horse for points, so you can focus on competing. Check these things off your list now and enjoy your show season! 1. Join or Renew Your US Equestrian Membership (and Take Required...

Return to Fitness

by Kathleen Landwehr | May 26, 2020, 4:04 PM EST

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected barn activities across the country. For equestrians who have been unable to ride or drive due to stay-at-home orders or to protect the health of barn workers, getting back to horse sports under eased restrictions is a welcome change. However, if your horse has been enjoying a vacation for an extended period of time, he may need some help getting back into shape before he is ready for full work. Dr. Laura Werner of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute...

Equestrians Helping Equestrians: Relief Efforts in the Wake of COVID-19

by Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Communications Department | May 26, 2020, 11:20 AM EST

Once a week, the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) shares a school-horse appreciation post on social media for what they’ve dubbed “Feed Your Favorite Lesson Horse Friday.” There’s also “Tip Your Groom Tuesday” and “Support a Horse Show Super Hero Sunday,” which are all designed to encourage equestrians to give money to support lesson programs and horse show support staff. While spring would typically be a busy time of year for the...

MemberPerk Spotlight: Q & A with Equo’s Steven Bluman

by Equo | May 19, 2020, 4:10 PM EST

This has been a landmark year for a lot of things in our sport, and one of the most positive changes is the tech boom in the industry. Many companies are coming up with innovative ideas to help equestrians live their best lives and meet the future with every advantage possible. The Equo app , a USEF MemberPerk , is one such innovation: an equine transportation app that makes it easier to get your horse to his destination. US Equestrian members get a 15% discount on their first Equo app use and...

Equestrian Air Vests: What You Need To Know

by Leslie Potter | May 8, 2020, 4:20 PM EST

While most equestrians are well aware of the potential for head injuries that comes with riding, riders run the risk of other types of injuries when involved in a fall. Eventers have been wearing body protectors on the cross-country course for decades to mitigate some of that risk, and in recent years, self-inflating air vests have become a common item of supplemental safety gear. Photo: Taylor Pence/US Equestrian Riders in other disciplines have taken note, and air vests are starting to show...

Q & A: Equine Asthma with Dr. Laurent Couëtil

by Glenye Cain Oakford | May 4, 2020, 10:24 AM EST

"What is clear is that with improved environmental management you can really benefit horses with asthma a great deal," says Dr. Laurent Couëtil. Photo: Olena Lyzun/Shutterstock Dr. Laurent Couëtil is a veterinarian and professor of large animal medicine at Purdue University, where he also is the director of the Equine Sports Medicine Center and of Equine Research Programs in the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. Couëtil specializes in the early detection and treatment of...

Three Ways To Maximize Virtual Learning Using Show Ring Skills

by From Upper Echelon Academy | Apr 28, 2020, 3:25 PM EST

If you are doing distance learning for the first time, you’re probably wondering how to maximize your new virtual education. Upper Echelon Academy (UEA) offers advice based on years of experience teaching online, year-round students. Here are three UEA strategies that will help you succeed with virtual learning: 1. Make your schedule as routine as your horse’s warm-up. (Your horse thrives in a routine and so will you.) UEA student Maggie Hill says, “The best part of online...

Six Tips for Protecting Your Horse’s Joints

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Apr 22, 2020, 1:57 PM EST

Joint health is key to any horse’s performance, whether he’s a trail horse or an Olympic-level athlete. A number of factors can contribute to arthritic changes in the equine joint, and there are some things you can do to promote your horse’s joint health. We asked Dr. Laura Werner at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for her advice on management strategies that can help protect equine joints. A proper calcium/phosphorus balance in your horse's diet can aid joint health....

A Dream Deferred: Behind the Scenes with 2020's LRK3DE First-Timers

by Glenye Cain Oakford | Apr 20, 2020, 4:22 PM EST

Rider: Fylicia Barr Horse: Galloway Sunrise #HomeWithHorses in: Kennett Square, Pa. Fylicia Barr, 24, has been living under her state’s stay-at-home orders in Kennett Square, Pa., and has had to close her barn to clients. “We’re still keeping the horses going,” she said of herself and her three-person staff, who are taking care of 19 horses. “I’m definitely riding a lot more than I was before! Usually I’d be teaching, too, but now we’re all riding...

Para-Dressage Newcomers Awarded Grants to Fund Ambitious New Dreams

by Ashley Swift | Apr 7, 2020, 10:19 AM EST

Exploring new breeds and disciplines is one of the most fun parts about being an equestrian. As we challenge ourselves to learn a new style of riding or master different training techniques, we inevitably become better athletes and horse people. Newcomers to U.S. para-dressage Meghan Benge (Windsor, S.C.) and Erika Wager (Delmar, N.Y.) are doing just that, and making a splash as they do. Benge and Wager are both veteran competitors in a multitude of other disciplines, including endurance,...