Q: This is my first year in IHSA Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competition, and I’m not comfortable riding unfamiliar horses at shows. Do you have any tips for getting to know a new IHSA horse in the short time we have before going into the ring?

NANCY PETERSON

Hollins University sophomore Sarah Brown rides a borrowed horse in IHSA compeittion.

A: There are several ways to get physically and mentally ready to go into the IHSA show ring on unfamiliar horses. Start by riding as many different horses as possible before the show. Getting to know new horses and finding out what makes them “tick” will put you ahead of the game. You don’t have to ride each one extensively—even just one lesson or jump school can be very informative. Your goal is to develop the art of identifying each horse’s unique qualities. Here are some tips on how to do that.

“Read” each IHSA horse the second you throw your leg over his back. Look at his expression and feel everything happening underneath you, even how he reacts to you putting your foot in the stirrup. You can learn a lot by gradually picking up the reins and putting slight pressure on the horse’s sides to ask him to walk away from the mounting block. I like to use the phrase “Stop, go, turn” when getting the feel of a new horse. As you walk around the arena, ask for some halts and turns. Observe how much rein and leg pressure you need to get the response you want. Making small adjustments to the horse’s walk—asking him to speed up or slow down slightly—can also tell you a great deal about that individual.

At competitions, watch and take notes about the horses being schooled and competed in the classes ahead of yours. Read the horse descriptions provided by the host school. If you have a few general questions about the horse, it’s OK to ask the horse holder, but grilling him or her about every detail is usually counterproductive. It can even make you more nervous to receive a spontaneous or (sometimes) inaccurate answer. Remember that horse holding is probably the most thankless job at the horse show—and many horse holders are beginners or uninformed people who cannot answer sophisticated riding questions. The best way to get honest, straightforward answers about a particular horse is for your coach to pose pertinent questions to the host coach.

Prepare yourself mentally for each ride. For flat classes, picture the perfect ride in your mind. If you are jumping, memorize your course, paying attention to every detail. Most importantly, try to face whatever makes you most nervous. Learning to manage show nerves is difficult but not impossible. Should a sport psychologist not be available, find someone else, such as a supportive friend or coach, who can guide you carefully in that direction. Take plenty of deep breaths and perhaps even spend some time alone before the competition. Most likely, the more you compete, the less nervous you’ll become, the more you’ll relax and the better you will ride.

When you’re in the show ring, always remember the basics: outside ­diagonal (for posting trot), inside lead (for canter). Even one slip of the fundamentals can make a difference in the color of a ribbon.

There are several things not to do ­before going into the ring or while competing. Around the country, these are either not allowed or are frowned upon:

1. Do not grab the horse’s mouth and push him into the bridle to create a deep and stiff frame. This does no good for you or the horse and, in most cases, is prohibited.
2. Wagging the head—pulling it from side to side with your reins—to get a horse collected is not allowed and can be hurtful. Whether it is done in or out of the ring, it gives you a false sense of collection and usually makes things worse by upsetting the horse. P.S. Judges hate it!
3. Rude or unbecoming behavior in the ring is not allowed. Sometimes nerves overcome riders, erasing their ring etiquette and finesse. Try to make your nerves work for you and not against you by always thinking ahead and preparing for what’s coming next.

Rerides are available at most shows. Know the protocol for this situation. If your coach requests a reride for you, it may or may not happen. Either way, stay quiet and be a good sport.

Finally, if it’s just not a good day and things have gone wrong—perhaps you had an unfortunate ride on a horse who doesn’t fit your riding style—it’s hard to be sportsmanlike, but it’s so necessary! When you leave the ring and hand the horse to the horse holder, always say something positive. Absolutely never badmouth a horse!

So, with all of these tips in mind and your physical and mental homework done, take a deep breath, reach into the hat, pull out a name, mount and ride your best. This is the most rewarding sport and, thanks to IHSA, we can get closer to our goal of being better horsemen and -women. Enjoy the ride!

Nancy Peterson has instructed riding students at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, since 1972. Among many of her achievements and awards, she received the 2007 IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award and was named the 2004 Virginia Horse Show Association Horseperson of the Year and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times. Currently the director of riding at Hollins, Nancy has guided the team to fourth place in the IHSA Collegiate Cup Hunter Seat Team Championships in 2004 and 2010 and sixth place in 2005. In the recent 2010–11 season, the Hollins riding team won its second straight and record 19th ODAC title, and Sarah Jarosinski ’12 was the IHSA Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences National ­Reserve Champion.

This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

Are you considering joining an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association riding team in college? Here are a few particulars of IHSA competition you need to know before you show.

How much time do IHSA competitors have to ride their drawn horses in the warm-up area before going into the ring?
Usually, very little time is available for a rider to get to know a horse before going into the ring. During the preceding class, riders are to mount their horses and walk them around—no trotting, no collection. It’s just enough time to address stirrup length and to get a feel for a horse. Walking in the small warm-up area is the only preparation a rider has. Coaches and others may help with stirrups and give last-minute instructions.

How much time is there between the horse draw and the actual competition? Before they get on, can riders request feedback from the home team riders who know the horse? If so, what sort of questions would you recommend asking?
In our region (Zone IV, Region 2), except for one school, the draw is done one class prior to a rider’s class. The rider may mount after drawing the name, unless the horse is in the ring. In that case, the rider has the advantage of watching his or her horse being ridden. In many regions the draw is done during the coaches’ meeting preceding the horse show. After the draw, riders may see what horse they are going to ride and in many cases watch it be shown. There are times when a horse may be resistant to the show ring or for some other reason have to be pulled, in which case a replacement for that horse will be announced.

I find that, without exception, coaches, trainers and riders from a host school are very willing to give riders from other schools help and advice about a horse. Before a show many of the horses will be schooled over a course of jumps, and it is a big advantage to see those horses go. In addition, you’ll find a list at every show that catalogs each horse’s mannerisms: the need for a crop or spurs, for example, or a drift or other type of behavior that a rider might need to be aware of.

There are many questions riders ask at the horse shows, but the usual ones are about canter aids, how a horse reacts to other horses around him, and whether when jumping the horse will get down the lines and change leads comfortably. Another good question is whether the horse show allows simple change of leads in the jumping classes.

The whole reason for these shows is to allow riders to compete safely in a college varsity sport for a national title. As individuals or as a team, riders compete at different levels, from beginners to riders who have competed in Jumper classes. It’s the only sport in which a beginner or a novice in a sport can compete at the varsity level to be on a nationally ranked team.

Nancy Peterson has instructed riding students at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, since 1972. Among many of her achievements and awards, she received the 2007 IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award and was named the 2004 Virginia Horse Show Association Horseperson of the Year and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times. Currently the director of riding at Hollins, Nancy has guided the team to fourth place in the IHSA Collegiate Cup Hunter Seat Team Championships in 2004 and 2010 and sixth place in 2005. In the recent 2010–11 season, the Hollins riding team won its second straight and record 19th ODAC title, and Sarah Jarosinski ’12 was the IHSA Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences national reserve champion.

Read more from Nancy about intercollegiate riding in Here's How in the December 2011 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

If so, you’re not alone. As a psychologist who specializes in helping equestrians, I’ve learned that fear (and its low-grade form, anxiety) is one of the major problems that all riders have to deal with. Maybe you fear being injured, or losing control of your horse. Perhaps you’re even afraid that you might have to replace your horse with a more manageable one. Maybe you’re afraid of failure---or of disappointing others. Possibly, your big fear is having to admit that horse ownership isn’t as you’d fantasized it.

No matter its source, your fear is an emotion that’s interfering with the enjoyment and satisfaction you hoped to get---or once had-from horse involvement. And chances are, you’d like to get the fun back.

I can help. I’m going to assume you’ve come to me for professional help in how to cope with your horse-related fear or anxiety. Then, assisting you as I would a paying client, I’ll lead you through the 10-step process I use to help other riders gain control over their fear. By the time our “session” is finished, you’ll have a set of useful self-knowledge tools, and will be ready to begin deconstructing the fear that hinders you.

Under ordinary circumstances, we’d meet in my office, and I’d ask you a series of questions designed to help both of us understand your problems, and what you want to accomplish. I’d take a detailed set of notes, for both of us to use in helping to shape a solution.

In this case, though, you’ll have to take your own notes, so have a pad and pencil ready as we begin. (Resist the temptation to keep track of your answers in your head; the actual process of writing will help you gain understanding of what’s happening, and gaining that understanding is the most important thing you can do in dealing with any problem.)

The questions I’ll be asking will require some introspection on your part; to help spark your thought processes, I’ll provide examples of answers from three other riders. Let’s begin.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY FEARFUL SITUATIONS. Write down all the situations you find to be fearful, being as specific as possible.
Examples:

• Rider #1: Afraid to ride horse in groups, especially in open fields, or on narrow trails.
• Rider #2: Afraid to ride at trainer’s arena, after horse bucked me off there.
• Rider #3: Anxious when riding in public, especially at shows when friends or relatives attend.

This step will help you begin to clarify and narrow down what you need to deal with; only by doing this will you be able to break your fearful situations down into their component parts, and work on one part at a time. That process will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by the total task of riding “with other riders,” “in an arena,” or ‘in public.” After specifying their fearful situations, most riders realize that the majority of their riding actually is within their comfort zone, and that helps to increase confidence.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY FEARED OUTCOMES. Write down what you’re afraid will happen, if your feared situation actually were to occur. Be specific about the outcome that you fear, “I’m afraid of not being able to control my horse” is too vague.
Examples:

• Rider #1: Horse might be excited by other horses. Might lose control of horse, fall off, be badly hurt, miss work, get behind on payments, lose farm. (Note: It’s not unusual to have many feared outcomes!)
• Rider #2: Trainer might get angry at me for not having horse under control. Could make me cry in front of him. Might be a start of another fight with spouse over whether I should keep horse.
• Rider #3: Might be criticized for not living up to previous performances, and feel inadequate. Might get stressed out trying to entertain “family groupies” and ride poorly. Might not win.

You may find this to be the most difficult of the 10 steps; many riders do, because it requires them to admit, or to acknowledge, just what they fear will happen. This requires soul searching, and the ability to look fear in the face, and can be a frightening experience. Current fears often trigger memories of previous fearful, unpleasant situations that we’d rather not remember. (Many riders tell me that their greatest fears aren’t physical fears, but emotional ones!) Nevertheless, without this acknowledgment, you may continue to keep your deep fears buried, and thus be unable to deal with them effectively.

Goal Setting: Basic Principles
Established properly, goals can provide you with a map of what you want to accomplish. For your goal to serve that purpose, state it in a way that achieves these objectives:

1. Make your goal specific, and make it measurable. A goal such as “I want to be less fearful” is vague, and difficult to measure for progress; a better goal would be, “Each time I ride my horse in an open field, I will maintain control of him through proper use of my reins, legs, seat, and voice, just as I do during arena rides.”
2. State your goal in positive terms, citing what you will do, not what you won’t do, or don’t wish to have happen. Otherwise, your subconscious mind may hear “don’t” as “do”, and you’ll end up doing exactly what you don’t want to occur.
3. Make your goal realistic. For example, it’s unrealistic for you to expect to never experience fear; it is realistic to expect to learn how to manage fear.
4. Put your goal in writing. The process of writing helps you to be specific and clear about just what it is you hope to accomplish.

“A helmet can get pretty gross,” says Tabitha Knaub, manager of Dominion Saddlery in Burbank, California. “Especially if you’re at a horse show, the weather’s hot, and you’ve left your helmet on all day long.”

Fortunately, you aren’t the only athlete who has to deal with helmet odor. You’re in the same boat as cyclists (motor and pedal), climbers, hockey and football players, and anyone else who participates in an active sport that requires head protection. That’s a big market for anti-stink remedies. So it’s no surprise that with a little legwork—which we’ll help you do—you can find products and strategies that will prolong the life and effectiveness of your helmet, increase the chances it’ll be dry and comfy the next time you put it on, and (best of all) banish that sweat-socks odor.

Why Your Helmet Smells

Warm, damp, dark environments are where mold, bacteria, and fungus tend to grow—so a sweaty helmet is prime breeding ground for all three. Fresh air is their chief enemy.

You may unwittingly encourage these unwelcome guests if, after riding, you stow your still-damp helmet inside your tack trunk or wrap it in a plastic bag to keep it dust-free. Either way, with no flow of fresh air to help it dry quickly, the lining stays damp, allowing bacteria and molds to flourish and give off foul smells. And the damage doesn’t stop with an assault on the olfactory sensibilities: Persistent dampness can shorten your helmet’s protective life by causing glues to deteriorate and liner fabric and padding to rot.

It’s Best to Be Proactive …

… because odors can be hard to eradicate once they’re established. “After riding, the best thing to do is to not put your helmet in a bag or box,” Tabitha Knaub says—particularly if it’s fabric-lined. Instead, she advises, wipe the inside with a clean, damp cloth; then let the helmet air-dry.

If you must, go ahead and store your helmet in your tack trunk or a hat bag—but only temporarily. As soon as you can, take it out to allow some airflow and let it dry. If you’re at a show and you need to lock the helmet away, keep it in your car or the tack-storage area of your trailer.

You can also invest in an electric helmet dryer that emits a steady stream of warm air. An Internet search for “helmet dryers” will reveal many companies (such as NBS-IT Inc. and Impact Racer) that sell devices specifically intended to dry helmets, in various designs, for a wide range of prices. Most dryers can’t be used when the helmet is locked away in a cupboard, though. If you purchase a dryer, be sure not to leave it (or any other electrical heating devices) unattended.

When Your Helmet’s Already Smelly

Fabric-softener sheets (find them in any supermarket laundry-products section for a couple of dollars a box) don’t necessarily kill odor-causing bacteria, but they do help to diminish the odor itself. One or two crumpled inside your helmet after riding make for an inexpensive, easy-to-do solution—and “even help prevent static cling with your hair in the winter,” Tabitha says.

Spray-on bactericides and odor removers, such as helmet-maker Charles Owen’s Hat Deodorizer (about $10) or English Riding Supply’s No Sweat Sport Hat & Helmet Refresher ($12.50) are available at tack shops, online, and through many catalogs. Available online at motorcycle-equipment websites such as www.cyclegadgets.com is Helmet Fresh^® deodorizer ($4.95). At www.paxtoniscool.com you can find Paxton’s Tactical Gear Cleaner™, a military-grade cleaner for police and army helmets ($7.95) and other equipment. Some riding helmets’
labels warn against using alcohol-based cleaners because of their drying effects. If yours does, check the ingredients of any deodorizer you’re considering to make sure it isn’t
alcohol-based.

Deodorizers “are not miracle products,” Tabitha warns, “but they do help.” If your helmet lining is particularly smelly, you may have to use a lot of spray or several applications. Be careful not to over-saturate, Tabitha cautions. Not only will you have difficulty getting the lining dry again, but you may degrade the glue, fabric, and liner material of the helmet. (If your skin is sensitive, you may also increase the risk of an allergic reaction.)

For major disasters—say you stored your helmet in your tack trunk so wet and for so long that fungus worthy of a biology experiment has flourished in it—Charles Owen makes a Hat Cleaner ($10.95), and Helmet Fresh has a big brother called Helmet Fresh Cleaner ($4.95). Both products are designed for heavy-duty cleaning, but with the delicate nature of rider-headgear linings in mind. Still, check the label. And always be sure to test a product on a small area of your helmet liner to make sure it doesn’t cause any damage.

When all else fails, you may need professional help. Search online for “clean sports gear” and you’ll find companies—such as Northwest Clean Gear (www.nwcleangear.com) in Portland, Oregon—that charge around $10 to $25 to clean a helmet (in many cases with a washing machine that is designed specifically for sports equipment). The downside: You’ll have to ship your helmet to them. Most such companies specialize in football, hockey, and lacrosse-type helmets; make sure before you entrust your helmet to one that it’s familiar with the countless fabrics and materials on the in- and outside of today’s riding helmets, and to confirm that its process won’t cause damage.

And What About the Outside?

Dust and dirt, especially if turned to mud by rain, mean the outside of your helmet can get yucky, too. And cleaning can be a challenge because coverings, like linings, come in an assortment of fabrics—synthetic suede, velvet, satin, silk, leather, plastic, microfiber—that some cleaners can damage. So you’re always safest checking and abiding by the helmet manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations. (Failure to heed warnings could damage your helmet, reduce its effectiveness, and void your warranty). If you’ve lost the information your helmet came with, you can probably find care instructions on its maker’s Web site. (See the box on page 82 for a list of major manufacturers’ sites.)

A few standard tips: Alcohol-based cleaners can damage vinyl, so you’re better off using a soft cloth dampened with plain water. For microfiber or velvet, allow mud to dry thoroughly, then whisk away with a clean, medium-stiff-bristle brush. Or you can clean and revive microfiber with a suede block (available at shoe-repair shops for less than $10) or a clean, dry sponge. To perk up velvet’s nap, hold the helmet over the steam from a pot of boiling water (protecting your hand with an oven mitt or towel); it’ll soon look good as new!

This article originally appeared in the July 2006 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

July 2, 2009 -- Teamwork proved key to the successful running of the 35th Old Dominion Endurance Rides, held this June in the Appalachian Mountains along the Virginia/West Virginia state line. Throughout the ride, teamwork made the difference: between horses, riders and crew, between ride management, veterinarians and farriers, and between radio operators, drag riders and emergency rescue personnel.

By June 12, 158 horse and rider teams had arrived at base camp outside Orkney Springs, a quaint little town located at the foot of Great North Mountain, part of the George Washington National Forest. Of the 33 100-mile teams who started on the humid morning of June 13, 24 completed. Of 69 55-mile teams who started, 56 completed. And the 25-mile limited distance ride had 43 starters and 40 finishers, a 93 percent completion rate.

Since its evolution from the U.S. Calvary Mounted Service Cup, the Old Dominion (OD) endurance ride stands out as a true test of teamwork between horse and rider on a spectacular, but undeniably difficult trail. In addition to the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) and Eastern Competitive Trail Ride Association (ECTRA) sanctioning, the 55- and 100-mile distances of this year's event also served as the Arabian Horse Association Region 15 Championship.

By June, the spring rains had pelted the Virginia landscape for several weeks, so trails were muddy and footing was slippery. The rain held off most of ride day, and ominous clouds rolled across the sky, bringing cool breezes and keeping temperatures in the low 80s. The air was thick with humidity that made pulsing down tough.

Trailmaster Gus Politis, assisted by several OD members, marked this year's trail. Old Dominion Endurance Rides, Inc., board member John Marsh said the 100-milers faced three major climbs: a 1500' climb to the top of Great North Mountain at mile 6, a 1600' climb to the top of Devil's Hole 40 miles into the ride, and a 1000' climb up Little Sluice Mountain 70 miles into the ride.

Claire Godwin, DVM, and EH Ahmose make their way along the ridgeline that separates Virginia and West Virginia on her way to first place in the Old Dominion 100-mile ride.

© Hugh Mac Donald

Marsh noted that the majority of trail consisted of rolling, forested terrain over a combination of trail and Forest Service roads with frequent elevation changes of 300 to 400 feet. Riders enjoyed the display of mountain laurel in full bloom, along with ample streams for drinking and plenty of grass on trail for horses.

Veterinary checks at five locations revealed scene after scene of the incredible synchronization between riders and crews, as well as ride management, station heads, timers, volunteers, vets, farriers, and traffic control.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m., OD member Claire Godwin, DVM, on her 10-year-old Arabian gelding EH Ahmose was first to finish the 100 miler in 12 hours and 17 minutes. "Ahmose is a cantering horse, which held him in good stead on this ride," said Dr. Godwin, who was thrilled with her first 100-mile win on a horse who had never before done a 100.

Dr. Godwin added, "The trail was challenging, but doable--a blast. The miles melted away since the scenery was so gorgeous." The Godwin family epitomized teamwork: daughter Katie crewed for her mom and husband Pete assisted with trail marking and filling water tanks at key points along the trail.

Stagg Newman and Ruth Anne Everett rode with Godwin most of the day, with teamwork and sportsmanship going hand-in-hoof. All three watched each others' horses for problems and Newman even lent Dr. Godwin an hoof boot when Ahmose lost a shoe.

Everett's Anglo-Arab Razz crossed the finish second and earned the best condition award. Katherine Shank on WindDancer-Bey was top finisher in the 100-mile Calvary Division, which precludes receiving any outside assistance. Shank also received the Old Dominion Trophy for the team that demonstrates optimum performance based on the horse's post-ride recovery and condition.

The first junior finisher in the OD 55, 11-year-old Hunter Green makes his way along the Virginia/West Virginia stateline aboard Gotcha Covered PW, owned by Deborah DeShon.

© Hugh Mac Donald

In the 55-miler, Bonni Hannah finished first on Rezus Respite. Kara Lee Thomas finished second on AF Big Bucks. And junior Hunter Green was third on Gotcha Covered PW. Veterinarian Meg Sleeper's horse Syrocco Gabriel received best condition.

On July 28, 2007, on the night of the full riding moon, 185 horse-and-rider teams gathered in dusty darkness, awaiting the 5:15 a.m. start of the 53rd Western States Trail Ride, also known as the Tevis Cup. Taking riders and their mounts through extremes of temperature and elevation, the Tevis is considered the most challenging endurance ride in the world.

The journey would begin under tall Truckee pines, gaining elevation steadily to High Camp near Squaw Valley, then progressing through the Granite Chief Wilderness to trace narrow trails penciled along precipices of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Horses and riders would slake their thirst, cool down and refuel at checkpoints whose names bore witness to the trail's toughness and rich history: Devil's Thumb, Dusty Corners, Last Chance, Deadwood. Although the first finishers would take their victory lap in Auburn's McCann Stadium before midnight, more than half the finishers would take nearly the entire 24 hours to cross the finish line and pass a final veterinary inspection to earn a silver buckle.

Among riders this year would be Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM, 74, of White Post, Va., an avid endurance rider and EQUUS magazine's medical editor since the magazine was founded 30 years ago. He's a member of the endurance riding hall of fame with nearly 6,000 lifetime endurance miles and six Tevis completions. An early architect of equine sport science and an advocate of equine welfare, Mackay-Smith has earned Tevis buckles in each of four decades: the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. Away from the sport for six years and the Tevis for 12 years, Mackay-Smith wanted to take in the view from Cougar Rock one more time and ride through the night from Forest Hill to the finish to earn one more buckle in the '00s.

Riding an Anglo-Arabian named Fred, Mackay-Smith made history in 1995 by becoming the first man or woman to finish first on both the Tevis and its east-coast counterpart, the Old Dominion 100 near Front Royal, Va. Many thought the feat would never be matched, but last year John Crandell, of Capon Springs, W.V., atop a powerful, elegant, blaze-faced Arabian named Heraldic, not only won both rides but earned the coveted Best Condition award.

Growing up in an endurance-riding family from West River, Md., Crandell was just eight when Mackay-Smith was winning his first Old Dominion. He considers Mackay-Smith his mentor in the sport. Crandell is now considered one of the finest endurance riders in the world, and Heraldic remains undefeated in five 100-mile endurance starts.

Two trails converged at this year's Tevis: Mackay-Smith returning on an interior journey to see if he had one more Tevis completion in his bones, and Crandell returning as defending champion, seeking back-to-back Tevis Cups on different horses. Their mounts were superbly conditioned, both coming off wins in two tough Eastern endurance events, the Old Dominion 100 and the Michaux Madness 75. Their pacing and strategy ultimately reflected the riders' overarching concern for the well-being of their mounts. Each eschewed a "win at all costs" mentality, opening the door to rewards perhaps richer than either had imagined.

Friday, July 27, 2007, Tevis Eve
Mackay-Smith ventured west on a personal quest--a "voyage of inquiry," as he put it the evening before the ride. Resting on a cot under the pines as a nearly full, fat yellow moon came up, he said, "I'm in emotional territory I haven't investigated before." Since he finished first on both the Old Dominion 100 and the Tevis Cup in 1995, a progressive arthritic condition has bedeviled the otherwise ageless man, forcing him at 74 to flirt with the fringes of the end of his endurance career.

"As you slow down, the rest of the world seems to speed up," Mackay-Smith observed. "If you had said to me when I was here last, 'your next conceivable window [to ride Tevis] is gonna be 12 years from now,' I might very well have accepted that that was a nice way of saying, 'that's it, buddy.'"

Although he kept up another favorite equine activity, foxhunting, Mackay-Smith often reflected on whether his endurance days were over.

"It sneaks up on you," he noted. "Months turn into seasons and seasons turn into years. By the autumn of '04, I was unable to ride a horse sitting still or at the walk. I could manage a trot and gallop and jump fences, but I knew I had to get that hip done." In April 2005, he had a hip replacement.

Horses of All Sorts
Linda Hood was the kid who got on the tough horses after they bucked off their riders. From the time she was 11, she would ride her pony, Ginger, home from school, and then head to Briarcrest Stables in Edmonton, Alberta, to ride three or four horses every day until dark.

"I was fortunate to ride for five years under the tutelage of Alice Greaves Metheral, a leading hunter-jumper trainer of the day," says Tellington-Jones. "My other good fortune was that during the winter we had education classes, where we learned details from the British Horse Society about training, breeding, judging, conformation, tack and breeds. It was a wonderful foundation when I became a U.S. Pony Clubs instructor and opened my own school for riding instructors."

Even as a child Tellington-Jones saw many horses buck early in their training, and she was dumped numerous times by animals who had had tumultuous starts. She reasoned there must be a better way, so she began ground-driving youngsters before saddling them. "I started my first horse when I was 12, with no bucking," she says.

At age 13, Tellington-Jones was teaching riding lessons and showing. By 15 she had retired the prestigious Calgary Herald Challenge Equitation Trophy after winning it three times. Stepping in for an injured rider that year, she earned the coveted Knock-Down-and-Out jumping championship at the Edmonton Spring Horse Show, clearing obstacles taller than 5 feet 2 inches.

From there, Tellington-Jones went on to compete in a remarkable variety of disciplines. She has won top-level competitions in endurance riding, eventing, dressage, Western events, jumping, steeplechasing and more. She completed her first of five Tevis Cup 100-mile rides in 1960, with her Arabian mare, Bint Gulida.

Guiding Lights
Tellington-Jones's grandfather, Will Caywood, had a profound influence on her. "He was a gifted horseman, and I grew up with the idea of hands-on with horses," she says. "My grandfather believed in letting a horse get used to you in his own time to develop a common trust." Caywood hummed, sang and whistled to horses to calm them and develop a relationship with them. He also introduced his granddaughter to the idea of using massage to improve their performance.

An equally positive force was Tellington-Jones's first husband, Wentworth Tellington. Before graduating in 1956 as an officer in the last U.S. Cavalry class in Norwich, Vt., he competed at Madison Square Garden on the U.S. Cavalry team. It was standard procedure for the officers to work their horses in the company of others, often making their way around obstacles as cannons were fired. The men also rode the horses out of the arena in a straight line.

Their techniques became the precursor of the Tellington Method's Playground for Higher Learning, a training course of obstacles that teaches confidence and cooperation. "When I began developing ground exercises," Tellington-Jones says, "I found that horses learned much faster when worked through a maze of six 10-foot ground poles that we call the Labyrinth."

An Emphasis on Education
In 1961, at the dawn of the era of the backyard pleasure horse, the Tellingtons established the Pacific Coast Equestrian Research Farm and School of Horsemanship, a nine-month residential school for riding instructors, in Badger, Calif. The students were required to show in Western pleasure and hunter classes, achieve at least a 50 percent score in a First Level dressage test, complete a 50-mile endurance ride and start a young horse without bucking.

"In 1964, Went and I realized there was a growing need to find a method for teaching adult beginner riders," says Tellington-Jones. "At that time, adults joined junior riders in classes, and this was very frustrating, because few adults have the natural coordination and ability that many juniors have. That's what made us decide to concentrate on equine adult education." Putting the concept into action, Tellington-Jones taught a series of eight-week evening classes for adult riders in the early 1970s at the University of California-Santa Cruz.

"Went encouraged me to share knowledge," Tellington-Jones recalls. "We coauthored the first book on equine massage and physical therapy in 1965. We also published a quarterly newsletter and wrote a monthly magazine column. I was inspired by his desire to make a difference in the world."

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Department Key: BP (Back Page), C (Consultants), CR (Case Report), F (Feauture), HO (Hands On), HW (Health Watch), MF (Medical Front), PER (Perspective), RU (Round Up), SR (Special Report)

A

Aadland, Dan