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Equestrian Weekly Articles

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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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

Register and Book Hotel Accommodations for 2018 USEF Annual Meeting, January 17-20

by US Equestrian Communications Department | September 26, 2017

Lexington, Ky . – Registration is officially open for the 2018 US Equestrian Federation (USEF) Annual Meeting taking place Wednesday, January 17- Saturday, January 20, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Lexington in Lexington, Ky. The four-day event offers plenty of opportunities to network and hear about the progress around equestrian sport from USEF leadership and others in the industry. From specific discipline-focused meetings to moderated forums, attendees will come away with increased

Is it Navicular Syndrome? Things You Should Know About Caudal Heel Pain

by Glenye Oakford | September 19, 2017

Navicular syndrome—now often referred to by veterinarians as caudal heel pain—is a diagnosis many horse owners dread. But advances in imaging technology, like magnetic resonance imaging, have made diagnosing and treating navicular-related lameness more precise, and, in many cases, a diagnosis of caudal heel pain isn’t career-ending. Here are some things to keep in mind about caudal heel pain, according to Dr. Liz Barrett of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky.

Rider4Helmets Announces International Helmet Awareness Day 2017!

by Riders4Helmets / Charles Owen | September 12, 2017

After years of far-reaching global success, Riders4Helmets has announced that their much-anticipated International Helmet Awareness Day will take place over two days this year: Saturday, September 16, and Sunday, September 17. International Helmet Awareness Day embodies the message of safety that Charles Owen shares 365 days a year. By uniting retailers and riders in an informative day of discounts and safety education, this weekend is an exciting opportunity to support and celebrate the

365 Days Until the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018!

by US Equestrian Communications Department | September 12, 2017

We’re kicking off the 365-day countdown until the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 , which take place Sept. 11-23, 2018, at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C. WEG only comes around once every four years, bringing together the world’s elite equestrian athletes from eight Fédération Equestre Internationale disciplines: jumping, dressage, para-equestrian dressage, three-day eventing, combined driving, endurance, vaulting, and reining. The

US Equestrian Awards Five Students Higher Education Equestrian Scholarships

by US Equestrian Communications Department | September 1, 2017

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian (USEF) is pleased to announce the five recipients of the USEF Higher Education Equestrian Scholarships for graduating high-school seniors. Created to support students who intend to continue their equestrian careers during college, either through an equestrian-related degree or by riding on an intercollege equestrian team, the scholarship awards a $1,000 grant to each recipient to be used towards their education at their respective college or university. The

US Equestrian Lettering Program Is Underway for 2017-’18 School Year

August 29, 2017

Lexington, Ky. - Even if your junior-high or high-school athletic program doesn’t have an equestrian team, you can still earn your varsity letter in horse sports, thanks to US Equestrian’s Athlete Lettering Program. The program recognizes and honors equestrians in grades five to 12 for their dedication to equestrian sports. To be eligible, a student must Be a US Equestrian member (fan or competing) Log 100 hours of equestrian activity Compete at three competitions of any type or

Disinfecting 101: Brushes, Buckets, and Stalls

by Glenye Cain Oakford | August 29, 2017

It’s cheap and effective to make disinfecting part of your barn routine. We’ve got Hagyard Equine Medical Institute’s top tips. Regular disinfecting around the barn can help prevent disease, so it’s worth making a good scrub part of your horsekeeping routine. But how often do brushes, buckets, and stalls need disinfecting? And what are the best disinfectants? We asked Dr. Nathan Slovis of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for his advice. The good news: it’s cheap

From Tragedy to Triumph: NAJYRC Gold Medalist Tillie Jones Arrives at USEF Dressage National Championships

by Andrea Evans | August 22, 2017

On July 23, 2017, Tillie Jones found herself on top of the podium at the Adequan ® /FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) as the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Individual Freestyle Dressage Gold Medalist. However, it came with no shortage of hardships along the way. This week, Tillie will face stiffer competition when she competes in the AGCO/USEF Junior Rider Dressage National Championships in Wayne, Ill. It is her perseverance

From Hippotherapy to Paralympic Dreams

by Glenye Oakford | August 15, 2017

If someone had told Alanna Flax-Clark 15 years ago that she’d be pointing for the 2020 Paralympic Games in para-dressage , she probably would have laughed and said, “What’s dressage?” “I was never that girl running around in cowboy boots with all my Breyer horses when I was younger,” Flax-Clark, 34, says in her website bio. “I knew nothing about horses! They only came into my life at a time when I needed them the most.” Alanna Flax-Clark and

Saving Ground: Fair Hill’s Equestrian Community Unites to Grow and Preserve Land for Horse Sports

by Glenye Oakford | August 15, 2017

There has been a variety of horse sports at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md., since at least 1925, the year William DuPont, Jr., established his property in Cecil County with thoughts of using it as a cattle farm, nature preserve, and equine sporting paradise for his beloved Thoroughbred racing and foxhunting. Today, Fair Hill offers high-quality three-day eventing, endurance, combined driving, flat race training, and steeplechase racing, among other things, at the 5,600 acres now owned by the state of