Competition in the Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series remained strong in the month of July. With the summer competition schedule heating up, many horse shows featured Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series classes, making every point count in this month's battle for Rider of the Month. With Cavalor's support, the Series honors one rider each month as the Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Rider of the Month. The honor goes to the one...

Surrounded by the beauty of the Kentucky Horse Park, First Lady Jane Beshear presented a proclamation declaring Saturday, August 15, 2009, as the Fifth Annual Hats Off To Kentucky's Horse Industry Day. "I can not think of a better way to celebrate our signature horse industry than to invite everyone to attend a day of festivities at the Kentucky Horse Park," said First Lady Beshear. "I encourage all Kentuckians to join in the fun on Saturday for the Hats Off to Kentucky's Horse Industry Day."...

The American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) has announced additional enhancements for the use of its new Certificates of Registration, which were introduced recently. “Since we announced and started mailing the new, larger Registration Certificates within the last several weeks, and the accompanying new transmittal memorandum which doubles as an official ‘Statement of Registration and Recorded Ownership’ for use in submitting entries to competitions, we have received very favorable feedback in the...

The North American Young Riders Endurance ride took place on Friday, July 24. It was run concurrently with the FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) and for the first time all three North American countries were represented. Held in the rolling hills of Henryville, IN, riders competed against the clock for team and individual medals. Heavy rains left the ride’s 75-mile course a bit more treacherous, requiring riders to be extra cautious. The Individual Gold and Silver...

Shelburne, VT—AMHA is pleased to announce the following equestrians have been named to Team Morgan and will take part in an international competition in North Carolina next month. Jordan Cusumano, 19, Brighton, MI Gaetana D'Alesio-Spina, 17, Mendon, MA Kimberly Forster 17, Fall City, WA Nena Marlin, 17, Brunswick, ME Rachel Menard, 17, Walpole, MA Sarah Shimmer, 18, Marshall, MI Emma Ziemer, 15, Sheboygan Falls, WI Morgan trainer Sandy Sessink of South Lyon, MI, has been named the team's coach....

The Public Auction Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed recommendations regarding the use of radiographic reports as part of the pre-purchase exams that are conducted on horses for sale at public auctions. The goal of the task force is to promote ethical practices during the sales process, particularly at Thoroughbred auctions. “We view our recommendations as a ‘best practices’ approach that is applicable to veterinarians as well as buyers and...

The American Horse Council (AHC) is working to preserve the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program (RTP). If Congress does not take action this year this program could no longer be available to recreational riders. The RTP provides funding directly to the states for recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. It was created in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and...

International dressage rider and trainer, Heather Blitz, together with Mary Wanless, BSc, BHSI, FRSA, and Dr. Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, will present the "Naked Truth of Riding," a two-day symposium on May 9-10, 2009, at the Leatherdale Equine Center in Minneapolis, MN. The symposium delivers a complete package of information. Students will learn about the relationship between veterinary medicine and dressage performance, with special emphasis on prevention and treatment of lameness...

Lexington, KY – The Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC) announced the collegiate teams that have been selected and seeded for this year’s competition, in conjunction with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). This year, there will be twelve schools competing in Hunter Seat, including Equitation Flat and Equitation Over Fences. There will also be twelve schools competing in Western, including Horsemanship and Reining. Eight...

The University of Minnesota is performing a study on tying up in Morgan horses. One cause for tying up in horses of all breeds is type 1 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM), for which there is now a genetic test that uses blood or hair roots. (For more information about the test, go to www.cvm.umn.edu/umec/lab/Advances_in_PSSM.html .) However, there are horses that appear to have a type 2 form of PSSM, which, at present, can only be diagnosed by muscle biopsy. The University of Minnesota is...