In these tough economic times, nearly every horse owner is trying to pinch pennies. When watching your wallet, it’s also important to remember that trimming many veterinary expenses may cost you more in the end. “Horses can be very expensive animals to own and maintain,” said April Knudson, DVM, Manager, Merial Veterinary Services. “So it’s no surprise that, even in a relatively strong economy, horse owners look for the most inexpensive ways to care for their animals. However, the urge to trim...

Pin Oak Charity Horse Show is excited to announce that more than 500 first, second and third graders from the Katy Independent School District will be attending Education Day at Pin Oak Charity Horse Show on Thursday, March 25, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The kids and their teachers will start the educational and fun day watching a jumping competition. The children will then be divided into smaller groups and visit various stations for about 15 minutes, learning about the following:...

Randi Muster (Leah Schwendeman and Gisele.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a great fifth week of competition on February 10-14. The week featured the $150,000 FEI World Cup, CSI*** presented by Spy Coast Farm, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week five title sponsor was Spy Coast Farm. Along with their week five title sponsorship, Spy Coast Farm was the presenting sponsor of the $150,000 FEI World Cup, CSI*** on Saturday, February 13,...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association's (ASHA) annual Saddlebred Summit and Youth Conference opened Thursday morning, February 18, at the Lexington, KY, Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa, and a theme throughout will be honoring and recognizing breeding accomplishments. Thursday's schedule included any number of open committee meetings to consider and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing breeders today. The Charter Club Workshop on Thursday afternoon pays tribute to...

2009 Festival Winner GP Raymeister (SusanJStickle.com) Lexington, KY – Bids are now being accepted by the United States Equestrian Federation® from photographers who would like to be considered for the position of “Official Photographer for the 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions.” The championships return to the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ over two weekends August 6-8 and August 13-15, 2010. These championships showcase the best American dressage...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Eirin Bruheim and NLF Trans Atlantic) Thermometers were up and down, weathermen forecasted gloom and doom with the supposed arrival of three inches or more of snow, and like all good businesses the managers of the Gulf Coast Winter Classics decided to aire on the side of caution by cancelling Friday classes. The good news was that aside from some nasty rain, it truly was a “non event” day as Bob Bell co-chairman had hoped. Saturday saw the return of warmer temperatures,...

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard at the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions (Amy McCool) Weekly Updates from the USEF High Performance Programs: Dressage: In the dressage world, sweeps were the order of the weekend. American Tina Konyot rode her own Calecto V to a determined performance in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle on Saturday; they were the only pair to break the 70% barrier – scoring 70.596%. Pierre St. Jacques was second with Lucky Tiger. Konyot then won the Grand...

Photo by Amy McCool (Adrienne Lyle) Adrienne Lyle, the 2008 USEF National "Brentina Cup" Champion, was on fire during Thermal’s Dressage Getaway show, winning grand prix with both of her horses and earning top scores aboard all of her mounts. Lyle, an Ambassador for Trilogy Dressage Saddles, competed at the Dressage Getaway in Thermal in January and continued her winning streak in February at Thermal’s Dressage Getaway CDI. “I was thrilled with my horses during January’s show. Wizard and Felix...

Photo Courtesy JRPR (Lauren Sammis, left, won the FEI Test of Choice aboard High Field’s Casimirov, owned by Paula Runnells.) Courtney King-Dye and Grandioso III, owned by Hampton Green Farms, turned in an award-winning ride in the Intermediaire II class at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI. The class was sponsored by Sho Clothes, and King-Dye and Grandioso rode away with a beautiful scrim from the upscale dressage boutique in Wellington that specializes in the latest and...

Photo by Flying Horse Photography (McLain Ward and Goldika 559 on course in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.) Canadian Olympian John Anderson sealed the first half of the HITS Desert Circuit with a kiss on Valentine's Day when he captured the blue ribbon aboard Terrific in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Sunday afternoon at the HITS Desert Horse Park, in Thermal, CA. The win marked the second victory of the circuit for Anderson...