The ninth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Western Dressage is a new and growing discipline in the horse world. People are talking about it everywhere. At North American Western Dressage we answer questions every day about what it is, how you do it, what you wear, what your horse wears, bits, reins, helmets, levels of tests and competition, movements and how you do them and a myriad of other things. Answering these questions could be a full time job for any one of our...

The sixth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder When on a horse, I wear a riding helmet. My students wear riding helmets. I ride and show western and dressage. The helmet/hat quandary, style vs. safety, the tradition or common sense conversation is therefore a subject near and dear to my heart. On March 22, 2012, I went into the hay barn to get a bale of hay to feed lunch in the barn. To make a long story short, despite my usual care in tipping bales, as I turned to leave the...

The fifth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Last week I poked a little fun at what western dressage riders are wearing for both schooling and show. This week I want to bring you the reality of the situation from manufacturers who give us the products that will ultimately be seen in rings around the country. Last week I showed you the proposed North American Western Dressage rules for WD show attire. Since the requirements state that riders must wear a long-sleeved shirt with...

Dynamic and Laura Pfeiffer. Traverse City, MI - As Horse Shows by the Bay continued its second day of fierce competition--again amid spectacular weather and conditions at the Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, Michigan--the key to success was consistency. While day one showcased an unprecedented number of sweeps in the professional hunter sections, with the same horse/rider combinations sweeping all three classes offered in their respective sections, today riders had to remain steadfast....

Shade and Katie Lambert-Boone. Traverse City, MI - Amid bright blue skies and perfect summer weather, thousands of participants from all over North America kicked off the Horse Shows By the Bay Series. Taking advantage of perfect conditions, the first day of professional hunter competition showcased an uncanny day of "Trifectas." In a rare feat, all four professional hunter divisions--First Year Green Working Hunter, Second Year Green/High Performance Hunter, Green Conformation Hunter and...

The fourth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Every day I head out to the barn to work. Like other trainers, I work outside in temperatures from 0 to 100 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year, from dawn till dark and sometimes longer. As a professional trainer and riding instructor I am called on to muck stalls, fix fence, buck hay, dump grain, rake footing, fill water buckets, sweep the aisle, clean tack, change bandages, medicate, lead beginners, longe riders, heft children...

Major equestrian competitions attended by U.S. athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check Equestrian Weekly on Monday for a report of any top finishes by U.S. Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions or USEF Championships within the USA and international FEI...

Team USA's first training ride in Abu Dhabi. Photo courtesy Kelly Kimbler. Lexington, KY - The U.S. finished fourth among 19 teams Saturday in Abu Dhabi, UAE, at the FEI Junior and Young Rider World Endurance Championship despite an uphill battle that included an injured horse at the first inspection. "What an exhilarating team effort and realistically an unexpected result - but privately hoped for," said Chef d'Equipe Emmett Ross. Unexpected, in part, because Natalie Muzzio's horse...

Devon, PA – It’s a spring ritual. As pink and white blossoms dapple the trees across the Delaware Valley, preparations move into high speed for the annual International Dressage at Devon (DAD) Horse Show , a premier North American equestrian event, hosting top Olympic equestrians, more than 700 horses and 35,000 spectators annually. The show combines world-class dressage competition and the world’s largest open breed show outside of Europe with international Fall Festival...

Leipzig, Germany - The Rolex/FEI World Cup Final saw a shuffle throughout the standings after the conclusion of the second round this afternoon. With 44 World Cup points up for grabs and the chance to head into the final round on zero faults, clear rounds were at a premium. Forty horse/rider combinations jumped Frank Rothenberger’s impressive track, with seven riders representing six different nations returning for the jump-off. In Sunday’s final only the top 29 riders from the...