Equestrian Weekly Articles

The 2020 Saddle Seat World Cup was one of many competitions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled to take place July 19-25 in Parys, South Africa, the U.S. Saddle Seat Team withdrew from the competition in April in an effort to prioritize the safety and well-being of the athletes. Despite the unfortunate outcome, the team members remained proud to have been selected to represent their country at the international level. US Equestrian is pleased to introduce the athletes and

Ringbone is a disease that does not discriminate; horses of all breeds, ages, and functions can be at risk. An arthritic, degenerative disease of the pastern and coffin joints, ringbone comes in two types. High ringbone affects the pastern, and low ringbone affects the coffin. Similar to arthritis in people, ringbone develops in our equine counterparts from causes such as injury, infection, and normal wear and tear. There are also developmental factors to be aware of, including bone cysts and

The NIGHTWATCH® smart halter™ noninvasively monitors a horse’s heart rate, respiration, and activity and is capable of alerting caretakers to early signs of distress. Photo: Courtesy of Protequus® Jeffrey Schab has lived every horse owner’s nightmare twice, once when he lost his first horse to an immune disorder and more recently in 2013, when his husband’s American Saddlebred succumbed to colic. “It was like, ‘Oh, my God, we love our animals and we

Burgess works on one of her paintings in her studio (Courtesy of Suzie Burgess) Suzie Burgess has loved horses for as long as she can remember and always appreciated their beauty. As an artist, she was able to unite her passion for horses and art in the form of large oil-on-canvas paintings. Burgess admires the diverse people who love horses and how these amazing animals touch people’s lives. As a child, Burgess did whatever she could to be around horses. “It was always in my blood.

Dick Miller, the Paso Fino Horse Association’s newest Hall of Fame inductee, was first introduced to the Paso Fino breed in the 1980s when he saw a sign on Interstate 80 in Nebraska advertising the “SMOOTHEST RIDING HORSE IN THE WORLD.” Nearly 40 years later, Miller (Fort Myers, Fla.) is not only still riding, but is also competing at top horse shows around the country, thanks to these unique horses and the tight-knit community of people who love them. Though he grew up riding

It’s a scenario every horse owner dreads: a runny, black, foul-smelling discharge around the frog area of a horse or pony’s hoof sole. That’s the classic sign of thrush, a bacterial infection that involves the frog, including the grooves on either side of it and the cleft between the heel bulbs. “It can affect any part of the frog, but that’s where we see it the most, right where the owner would be using the hoof pick along the sides of the frog and along that

The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals serve as an excellent stepping stone for junior athletes looking to further their riding careers. The 2019 Finals champions learned much from their experiences and feel they are better prepared to reach their goals. Emma Reichow and Ellie Ferrigno topped the West and East leaderboards, respectively, and shared a look back at the 2019 Finals. 2019 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-West with Emma Reichow

Maplewood Warmbloods' horses had top results at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, such as MW Ave Maria (right with Lindsey Holleger) (Taylor Pence/US Equestrian) Many of the country’s top U.S. dressage horse breeders set their sights on the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions each year. The Markel/USEF Young Horse and Developing Horse Dressage National Championships held at Festival provide an excellent opportunity to showcase horses who are carefully produced to be

Three generations of Schatzberg family photographers (left to right): Casey McBride. Jack Schatzberg, and Howie Schatzberg. photo: Courtesy of the Schatzberg Family Photography is more popular than ever, with numerous photo sharing and editing apps just a tap away on our phones. But for photographer Howie Schatzberg and his nephew, fellow photographer Casey McBride, professional horse show photography is a family tradition. Howie and Casey grew up in the business learning from the late Jack

Lots of cute ponies have been on display at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. Lily of Chincoteague is an eye-catching 16-year-old Welsh Chincoteague Pony cross mare, and she has an interesting story to match her lovely pinto color. Paydan McLaughlin pats Lily of Chincoteague after their test (Tayler Bicandi/US Equestrian) Fifteen-year-old Paydan McLaughlin of Greenfield, Rhode Island, found an excellent partner in Lily of Chincoteague, known as Lil or Squish in the barn. Paydan has

It has been one year since the U.S. Dressage Team won the team silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Three of the four individuals named to the team are competing at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions: Nora Batchelder, Sarah Lockman, and Endel Ots. US Equestrian asked them to take a look back at the Pan American Games and share how those experiences have affected their plans for the future. Sarah Lockman Sarah Lockman and First Apple at the 2019 Pan American Games

Fourteen-year-old Carlee McCutcheon of Aubrey, Texas, has had a string of impressive results in hunter and jumper classes as well as in reining. She comes from a family of champion equestrians: her parents, Tom and Mandy, brother Cade, and grandfather Tim McQuay all have won multiple FEI World Equestrian Games™ medals in reining, and McCutcheon is building a notable resume all her own. Carlee McCutcheon and MTM Unexpected compete in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the 2020