The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) has been researching and studying the sport of dressage for the past nine years. Through the efforts of countless individuals, including input from staff at the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), dressage will become an AQHA-approved event beginning January 1, 2010. AQHA-registered horses, shown by exhibitors who are current individual members of AQHA, will be eligible to earn points at...

Tendon and ligament injury causes both economic and personal hardship for horse owners and industry professionals. A prolonged period of lay-up and rehabilitation is necessary, but whether the horse will be sound at the end of the rehabilitation period is uncertain. Lameness due to tendon and ligament injury is common in performance horses, affecting up to 25% of racehorses over a career and accounting for up to 43% of injuries in event horses, but it is also common to companion horses. Chronic...

Lexington, KY— Don’t miss your chance to vote for your “Favorite USEF Breed Competition.” The idea behind this contest is to award and promote the USEF licensed breed competitions for their efforts in running a show so well that exhibitors want to call it their favorite. Also, this contest gives exhibitors the opportunity to provide positive feedback about the competitions to the USEF. The competition rules include that you must be a USEF member to vote and you must have participated in the...

Every two years, while the selection committees ponder who will represent the United States, another selection process is under way to determine who will feed our horses while they represent our country. For the last four games—2002 Jerez World Equestrain Games (WEG), 2004 Athens Olympics, 2006 Aachen WEG, and 2008 Beijing Olympics—Pennfield Feed was the feed of choice for our equestrian teams, because just like them, Pennfield demonstrates the highest level of consistent quality....

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that 47 USDF members successfully completed the USDF “L” Education Program between April and October of 2009. The USDF “L” Education Program is designed to prepare candidates to enter the United States Equestrian Federation “r” Judges Training Program, to qualify individuals to judge schooling shows, and to give competitors, trainers, and instructors greater insight into the evaluative techniques of judging dressage. The...

Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), in support of the University of Kentucky Saddle Up Safely campaign, is waiving its fees for the CHA Instructor Certification Clinic at the Kentucky Horse Park, scheduled for November 19-23, 2009, resulting in a significant reduction in the overall price. The UK HealthCare initiative to promote rider safety was launched in October, and is a five-year program to reduce the number of rider injuries. CHA Riding Instructor Certification is a five-day process...

The Morgan breed's largest horse show has begun. The Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show is held in Oklahoma City, OK, and already some athletes have taken world championships in their respective divisions. If you weren't able to make it to Oklahoma this year, have no fear. You can still see all of the action ringside by going to www.morgangrandnational.com and order your live, streaming video. You can also read all of the results posted on www.gaitkeeper.com at the end of...

The Texas Rose Horse Park will host a Trainer Symposium, October 25-27, in Tyler, TX. Melanie Smith Taylor, Jeff Cook and Sandy Ferrell will present sessions on hunters, jumpers and equitation with topics ranging from training exercises to business practices. Members will have the opportunity to participate in practical training sessions and round table discussions with top professionals in the industry. To view a complete schedule of the event, visit www.ushja....

From the USEF Eventing Department Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing Developing Rider program is instrumental in identifying and fostering up-and-coming Eventing riders in the United States. It has undergone some changes over the last year to continue to build a foundation for the future. Horse/rider combinations will be selected to participate in one two-day training session with Capt. Mark Phillips, which may be held in conjunction with the High...

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) is proud to launch its first ever Year of Youth—a yearlong celebration of youth equestrianism—which will run from August 2009 to August 2010 when the Youth Olympic Games will take place in Singapore. For the first time, young people will come together overcoming geographical barriers by using a unique online platform delivered by the FEI. “Equestrian sport is fortunate to have a generation of ambitious and hard-working young people...