Registration is now open for the first 2009 United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Trainer Symposium. Savannah College of Art and Design will host the Trainer Symposium on May 1-3 in Savannah, GA. Trainer Symposiums give members the opportunity to participate in practical training sessions and round table discussions with top professionals in the industry. The schedule offers three days of instruction from top clinicians in the country, specializing in hunters, equitation and jumpers,...

HITS, Inc., is pleased to announce the HITS Saugerties spring and summer horse show dates at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY. This year, HITS Saugerties will offer seven weeks of AA-rated hunter/jumper competition at its state-of-the-art facility, as well as several special events, including the 2009 USEF Junior Hunter East Coast Finals and the 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals. "Our spring and summer show series in Saugerties are quite special, as they provide a...

Para-equestrian and high school senior Jonathan Wentz will be featured in the television series, The Real Winning Edge , January 10-11. Other areas can find channels and times for airing at www.realwinningedge.com/index.php . Wentz was selected for the show after seeing an article in USEF’s Week in Review in June 2007, "TV Producer searching for Equestrians for New Series," and submitting his bio. The 30-minute show profiles three young achievers who have overcome challenges and each are...

Every competitive horse owner knows that showtime is stressful. However, stress from training to trailering can affect horses, too. Horses can continue feeling the stress even after stepping off the trailer. Situations such as increased stall time—especially at an unfamiliar facility—and limited turnout, along with training and competing, can often lead to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS). In fact, 63% of nonracing competitive horses can suffer from EGUS. EGUS can diminish the...

The deadline for nominating stallions to the American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) Grand National in order for all 2008 foals to be eligible for lifetime recording is Monday, December 1, 2008, with a 10-day grace period deadline of Thursday, December 11, 2008. A new lifetime Grand National stallion nomination fee schedule, based on the number of mares bred, is an inducement to recruit new stallions into the program. Stallions by a Grand National-nominated sire, or (even if by a non-nominated sire)...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Executive Committee approved the specifications for the Eventing Watch List on November 17, 2008. Born out of discussions at the USEF/USEA Safety Summit in June, the goal of the Watch List is to notify riders at USEF licensed and USEF endorsed Eventing competitions that their riding is potentially dangerous. The Watch List is a list of horse/rider combinations that could be regarded as displaying a pattern of potentially dangerous...

Results of a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) online survey conducted in May and June 2008 concerning the USEF Dressage Performance Standards Proposal showed that 65% of the over 1,250 respondents feel that there should be a proficiency requirement in order to advance through the levels in dressage competition. In addition, 56% of respondents indicate that the levels of proficiency identified in the draft proposal were appropriate. Important concerns about the USEF Dressage...

Highlights of both the 2007 Platform® American Miniature Horse National Championships and the 2007 Platform® Shetland Pony Congress will be aired in May and June on RFD-TV. The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) National Championship Show and the Shetland Pony Congress are the equivalent of the Super Bowl for Miniature horses and Shetland ponies. The shows attract the top small equines from throughout the U.S. Last year’s televised highlights from the shows are back on air just in time to...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) 2008 National Para Equestrian Championships and the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team-Equestrian begins this Friday, May 16, at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, and will conclude Sunday, May 18. The USEF National Para Equestrian Championships and the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team-Equestrian will run concurrently with the dressage competition kicking off Friday with the...

Because proper dental care is vital to a horse’s overall health, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is launching a campaign to promote the need for horses to receive a thorough oral examination at least once a year. Designed to reach horse owners, the campaign kicked off in April and run through 2008. It is important to catch dental problems early. Horses with dental problems may show obvious signs, such as pain or irritation, or they may show no noticeable signs at all....