You can wear your helmet in the sun, but store it away from hot places, such as your car trunk.

Photo by Heidi Melocco

1. Keep Your Helmet Cool
After you ride, do you keep your helmet in your vehicle’s trunk or in your trailer’s tack room? It’s great to keep your helmet handy, but note that helmets aren’t made to be stored in the heat.

Don’t ever throw your helmet in a car trunk, where temps can reach more than 160 degrees Fahrenheit—too intense for helmet materials. That heat can cause the helmet’s structures to break down, compromising its protection capabilities in case you fall off your horse.

To preserve your helmet’s integrity, keep it out of the sun when it’s not in use, and store it in a tote or carrying bag where the fabric can wick moisture from the helmet and keep it dry.

For more tips on how to care for your helmet, check out Troxel’s safety site: www.troxelhelmets.com/safety.

2. Be Sunscreen Smart
Coppertone’s MyUVAlert app from Apple reminds you when it’s time to reapply sunscreen and delivers the latest ultraviolet index for your location. Keep in mind that UV rays can be strong enough to burn even if it’s cloudy or when you’re in a dense forest.

The free app also charts your local weather and provides links to a radar map.

Look for a nongreasy sunscreen designed for sports, and buy a new bottle each year — expired lotions won’t defend you as well against the elements.

3. Ride in Moonlight
If summer heat and humidity limits your riding time, consider planning a moonlit ride with your trail buddies. Slap on the bug repellent, and head out on moonstruck trails.

First, make a safety plan. Plan your ride close to the summer’s full moons; in 2013, the full moon will occur on June 23, July 22, August 20, and September 19.

Travel a familiar trail, and plan your route ahead of time. Know what local critters you might run into, and plan accordingly.

Tell someone where your riding group is headed and when you expect to be back. Wear reflective riding gear (especially if you must cross roads), and take a flashlight

—   Amy Matthews, Montgomery, Alabama

4. Carry Water
This collapsible water bottle is easy to stash in your saddlebag—and it’ll stand up in your truck’s cup holders without clumsily flopping to the floor. The “anti-bottle” by Vapur (www.vapur.us) is BPA-free, stands up or clips onto your saddle’s D-rings when full, then rolls up for easy storage in your saddlebags when empty.

When you get home, wash the bottle in your dishwasher’s top rack. Prepare for your next ride by filling the bottle and placing it in the freezer. You’ll have cold water all day on the trail.

5. Buy Helmet-Friendly Sunglasses
On a recent trail ride, my helmet tapped a tree branch, and although the pressure wasn’t intense, I felt a slam against the bridge of my nose. I can only imagine what could’ve happened if I’d hit my head harder or, worse, suffered a fall.

Make sure your glasses will fit well under your helmet with room to spare. Shown is a model from Revo’s Cut Bank (www.revo.com).

Photo by Heidi Melocco

The solution? Make sure your glasses will fit well under your helmet with room to spare. When shopping for glasses, take your helmet with you. Look for sunglasses designed with a slim, sporty look. I’ve found that designs without a frame at the top work best.

Also, look for lenses made from a shatterproof polycarbonate material, and padding over the nose that’s soft, cushioned, and well-attached.

6. Brush out Burrs
Summer trails are full of dry burrs and thistles. Spray on a mane-and-tail conditioner before your ride, and brush your horse after every ride. One brush perfect for his mane and tail is the Knot Genie (www.knotgenie.com). This brush, designed for people, resembles a currycomb; its ergonomic shape fits inside the palm of your hand. Its teeth easily work through long hair, due to varying bristle heights.

The teeth are all rather short, so anchor your free hand on the opposite side of your horse’s mane as you brushed, to work through knots. A Teeny Genie is available for young riders.

7. Downsize Your Wallet
You don’t want to tote your chunky wallet with you on long summer rides. But it isn’t always safe to keep your wallet hidden in your truck at a trailhead or campsite. Before you leave for your next trail-riding trip, take a moment to downsize your wallet. Only keep originals of your crucial credit cards, plus your driver’s license, and pack them in a smaller wallet that will fit in your saddlebag or a zippered pocket.

June 10, 2013--William Coleman III and Phillip Dutton both maintained their leads in the final show jumping phase to win the CCI3* and CIC3* divisions respectively at the 2013 Volvo CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event, The Todd Sandler Challenge, held June 6 to 9 at the Bromont Olympic Horse Park in Bromont, Quebec.

The Olympic equestrian discipline of Three Day Eventing is often referred to as the triathlon of equestrian sport, with the phases of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping taking place over three consecutive days. While the cross-country is considered the most thrilling phase, the show jumping at Bromont held plenty of excitement, as scores were very close among the top contenders in all four International Equestrian Federation (FEI) sanctioned divisions.

William Coleman III of the United States became the winner of the CCI3* division and the Todd Sandler Challenge. Riding Obos O’Reilly, owned by Four-Star Eventing Group Syndicate, Coleman posted one of only two clear show jumping rounds in the CCI3* division. The challenging show jumping course was designed by Mauricio Garcia of Puerto Rico, who was assisted by Canada’s Jean Pierre Ayotte.

“I do love this event,” said Coleman, who was a member of the U.S. Eventing Team at the 2012 London Olympics. “I like the way it’s run and the people who run it. I always have a good time here. Some people have events where they tend to do well, and Bromont is one for me.”

Finishing second in the CCI3* was Canadian Olympian Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON, who piloted Foxwood High to the only other clear round in the division, rising three spots from fifth place following Saturday’s cross-country phase. O’Hanlon also rode two other horses in the CCI3*, both of which finished in the placings. With Bellaney Rock she was fourth, while A First Romance placed 12th.

“This was the first CCI3* for all three of my horses,” said O’Hanlon. “I am thrilled with how all of them went this week, and I’m happy to be taking them home happy and sound. I’m looking forward to the future with all three of them.”

In the CIC3* division, Phillip Dutton maintained the lead he established after cross-country with Team Rebecca’s Ben. In the CIC3* division, competitors rode a shortened cross-country course compared to the CCI3*, but the final show jumping phase was over the same course as the CCI3*. Dutton had one fence down in the show jumping, but with a two rail lead, he still comfortably finished first with 72.1 penalties.

“I am overall pleased with Ben; he’s a very talented horse,” said Dutton, a two-time Olympic Team gold medalist for his native Australia who now competes for the U.S. “Ben’s work is getting better and higher quality.

Dutton, a frequent competitor at Bromont, was once again impressed with the calibre of competition.
“Bromont and Fair Hill CCI3* are the two hardest competitions of this level in North America in terms of terrain and course design,” he said in reference to the annual events held in Quebec and Maryland.

Moving up to second place with one of only two clear show jumping rounds in the CIC3* division was Canada’s Jessica Phoenix on Pavarotti, the horse with which she won individual gold and team silver at the 2011 Pan American Games.

“Pavarotti was awesome all weekend long, and he was so rideable on cross-country,” said Phoenix, who was the highest placed Canadian at the 2012 London Olympics. “He couldn’t have jumped any better.”

In the CCI2* division, Erin Sylvester of the United States managed to maintain her lead, despite a less than perfect show jumping round riding Mettraise. Her eight fault round and final score of 70.4 penalties stood up against the field of 14, after only four riders went clear in the show jumping.
“Overall I was really happy with my horse today; she got excited in the ring but she still tried really hard,” said Sylvester. “This is a big improvement over where she was even a few months ago.”

American Buck Davidson moved up five places in the CCI2* show jumping phase, vaulting from seventh after cross-country to second place after posting one of the division’s few clear rounds with Santa’s Keeper. Davidson was also third with Knight Lion.

In the CCI1* division, Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON, was the only Canadian winner at the 2013 Volvo Bromont Three Day Event. It wasn’t an easy victory for Roberts, who went into the show jumping with Yarrow only 4.8 penalties ahead of Erin Sylvester on Paddy the Caddy, who had added a single time penalty to their score in the show jumping. That one time penalty turned out to be just enough to keep Roberts in the top spot. After taking one rail and adding four faults to his score, Roberts finished just 0.8 points ahead of Sylvester, with 49.7 penalties.

“I thought the course today was really well designed. It was challenging for the level,” said Roberts, who was excited to have had such a major success with Yarrow, a six-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding sired by Yavari and bred by his parents, Canadian Olympians Ian Roberts and Kelly Plitz. “I’m really excited about Yarrow. He’s also a part of our family.”

The success of the Volvo CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event relies on the support of many sponsors and volunteers each year. Volvo returned as title sponsor for the second year, and Bromont was included for the third time in the PRO Tour Series. The Professional Riders Organization (PRO) is a non-profit group of accomplished event riders dedicated to promoting the sport and advocating safety for horses and riders.

“We are delighted with Volvo’s involvement again this year,” said Sue Ockendon, Event Director of the Volvo CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event. “We are also grateful for the sponsorship we have received from SSG Gloves, and from Keith and Debbi Eaman. We greatly appreciate the support from all of our sponsors.”

While the weather didn’t cooperate for much of the weekend, Ockendon says it’s a tribute to the ongoing improvements to the footing and drainage at Bromont, and to the efforts of the cross-country jump crew that the event was a success in spite of the rain.

“Jay Hambly and his crew worked very hard to make it possible for the horses to run at every fence,” said Ockendon of Bromont’s resident course builder and his team. “They put gravel down at every fence throughout the day on Saturday. That’s what helped the footing stay solid.”

The cross-country courses at Bromont were designed by Derek Di Grazia of the United States. Riders agreed that Di Grazia, the resident course designer at Bromont since 2009, created tracks of world class quality at the 2013 event.

“Derek is arguably one of the best designers in the world,” said Dutton. “What you find with his courses is consistency, and his courses are bigger than what you see in most of North America. You can have confidence in the lines that the distances are going to work.”

The 2013 Bromont Three Day Event was host to an FEI Course for officials, technical delegates, stewards and course designers. The course drew people from around the world to Bromont, which is in the final stages of bidding for the right to host the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.

“The FEI Course was very good,” said Ockendon. “It gave people from all around the world the opportunity to come to Bromont and see how it works.”
The Volvo CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event, The Todd Sandler Challenge, is made possible in part through a contribution from the Government of Canada. The organizing committee also wishes to thank the Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, for their support of this year’s event.

For more information about the Volvo CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event, please visit the bilingual website, www.bromontcci.com. Live scoring is available throughout the duration of the event.

Volvo CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event – Final Results

CCI3*
William Coleman III (USA) – Obos O’Reilly – 58.2
Selena O’Hanlon (CAN) – Foxwood High – 65.6
Sarah Cousins (USA) – Tsunami – 68.2
Selena O’Hanlon (CAN) – Bellaney Rock – 69.5
Alison Springer (USA) – Copycat Chloe – 77.0

CIC3*
Phillip Dutton (USA) – Ben – 72.1
Jessica Phoenix (CAN) – Pavarotti – 76.3
Lauren Kieffer (USA) – R. F. Cosima – 80.5
Caroline Martin USA) – Titanium – 91.6
Sarah Cousins (USA) – Westerly – 92.7

CCI2*
Erin Sylvester (USA) – Mettraise – 70.4
Buck Davidson (USA) – Santa’s Keeper – 78.8
Buck Davidson (USA) – Knight Lion – 82.4
Booli Selmayr (USA) – Castle Diamond – 82.7
Kate Chadderton (AUS) – VS McCuan Civil Liberty – 83.4

CCI1*
Waylon Roberts (CAN) – Yarrow – 49.7
Erin Sylvester (USA) – Paddy the Caddy – 50.1
Mikki Kuchta (USA) – Calle – 54.5
Phillip Dutton (USA) – Mansfield Park – 54.7
Lucia Strini (USA) – Petit Filou II – 54.9

During the hour-long presentation, Roy will discuss innovations in helmet design. By adding complexity into the helmet design to answer many of the questions asked in today’s riding accidents, Charles Owen has been able to build a helmet that works to deal with the energy of impact in a wider range of accident situations. Horses and riders are riding in many different situations and environments than before, requiring helmets that can answer today’s tougher questions.

"We are always looking for ways to help riders stay safe in the saddle so we're delighted to present this free webinar with Roy Burek from Charles Owen," said EQUUS Editor Laurie Prinz. "Roy can provide a unique perspective based on his years of experience with helmet design."

Roy brings over 30 years of experience in setting helmet standards. He is currently a representative on the European Standards for equestrian helmet safety and a leading member of ASTM International’s helmet standard’s subcommittee. Through his research for Charles Owen, Roy has learned that helmets with multiple standards and multiple certifications help lessen injuries across a broader spectrum of accidents.

Not reading the labels your horse’s grooming products. Whether dilute in water before application or use gloves. Read the label and directions; it might save you hours of working up a lather … with conditioner. It takes longer to wash it all off then it did to lather.
Brooke Anderson, Texas

The biggest mistake I ever made was getting so caught up in moving up the levels and training that I forgot why I did it anyways. I lost that feeling you get when you accomplish something and the moment you cross the finish line after a clean cross-country and you feel as if you are walking in the clouds. Don’t ever lose that relationship with your horse where you are simply inspired by riding them and the partnership you have built. Because at the end of it all, whether you win or lose, you have a best friend for life who will try their heart out for you. ENJOY THE MOMENT!
Bobby Ann Christensen, via Facebook

Trusting someone else to feed my horses.
Elizabeth Brix, via Facebook

An acquaintance fed her horse’s hay on sand = sand colic.
Sally Weaver Lampson, via Facebook

Leaving my horses in someone else’s care and they ended up starving him... needless to say I care for my horses now and they never miss a meal.
Cayln Elliott, via Facebook

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
Natasha DeFeudis, via Facebook

Not having enough patience. It is easy to get frustrated on a bad day with your horse, but anger and violence never work with horses and never will. Its important to learn how to step back when you start to get angry and re-evaluate the situation and try to find a positive way to get your point across.
Maria Strong-Zupan, via Facebook

Never let anyone ride your horse! No matter how experienced they say they are!
Cheryle Klein, via Facebook

Not trusting my gut as to what was right for my horse. I am his voice, and I must speak up for him.
Trish Muskus, Florida

Having a “trainer” tell me how to ride/ fix problems on my horse when she was too afraid and inexperienced to ride her own horse. Once I saw her in action at her barn, I began to realize she had no idea what she was doing.
Dee Kellner, via Facebook

From a trainer’s point of view, I have learned to take boarders that trust in me that I have their horses and their own best interest at heart, listen to what my team (vet, farrier) says and take a consultation lesson with me before they make the move. Not everyone “meshes” and it’s a big decision.
Tulip Pond Farm, via Facebook

My biggest mistake was using a General Large Animal Veterinary Practice. Although the primary veterinarian was a well-respected horseman, his partner was not. A dog ran into the arena and started chasing my colt. He broke free and jumped out of the arena and slammed into the barn wall! He took a couple of seconds to get up. My least favorite vet that showed up. At the time I thought we did proper treatment. We did take x-rays, but he did not recommend splinting. Later he called and told me that the x-rays where okay. I did ask him to get his partner to look at them, but I didn’t hear anything. By Saturday night I was greatly concerned and I called in an Equine Specialist. Repeat digital X-rays did show a fracture! With his age, there was a decent chance with surgery. But this colt had heavy halter breeding, so his weight at that time was a concern (over 650 pounds). After a stiff splint was applied we drove him the 2 hours to the recommended University, but too much damage had been done and they we not able to approximate the fracture. Hard lesson learned, I should have immediately called the Equine Specialist when the Cow Vet showed up! To this day I only use Equine Vets and refuse to allow any vet I don’t trust on my property.
Jan Makens, via Facebook

My biggest mistake was not knowing the signs of Cushing’s disease. Neither the vet nor farrier caught the signs of foot trouble and thyroid issues (although they were separate from the Cushings). He went probably more than a year untreated. If I had known the symptoms, I would have gotten him tested. His last four years were very expensive, but I learned so much about him and diseases and ailments that I wouldn’t have given it up. He ended up passing (via euthanasia) last March because his arthritis had gotten too painful after three months of quarantine due to Strangles... But that’s another lesson.
Gina Hoeft, via Facebook

Pay the veterinarian. Other opinions are just that.
Kevin Cottrell, via Facebook

My biggest mistake in horse care when I was starting out was not finding a great coach to show me the way. If you work with the wrong people and don’t ask questions, you do yourself and all your horses a big disservice. Safety is overlooked, nutrition can be overlooked and bad habits are developed. My advice is to find a great coach or mentor who is certified or highly qualified to show you the ropes, so you don’t miss out on the right experiences.
Claire Ziff, Alberta

Read more answers to this question in the June 2013 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

Even if you don’t show your horse, you may wish to give him a light clip. At the very least, you should clip a bridle path to separate the mane and forelock, providing a place for the headstall to sit comfortably.

It’s also a good idea to get your horse used to clippers in case you or your veterinarian needs to clip around an injury.

Here, world champion trainer Lynn Palm demonstrates her gentle clipping technique. She introduces the clipper slowly. “Every time we work with our horses—and that includes grooming—clippers are always a part of it while they’re learning to accept to be clipped.” she notes.

Palm suggests investing in a clipper that has two speeds: a slow speed for the delicate areas around the head and a faster speed for the thicker hair on the lower legs. She also recommends a cordless clipper for maneuverability, especially if you’ll be working on a young horse.

Caveat: If you use a corded clipper, don’t allow the cord to drape in front of your horse’s head, where he might chew/nibble on it. He could be electrocuted. Also, keep the cord behind you, for safety reasons.

Step 1. Introduce sound only. First, Palm advises, get your horse used to the sound of the clipper. Turn on the clipper, and simply move around him. You might need to do this step for days, weeks, or even months, depending on how quickly your horse accepts the sound.

Step 2. Add feel. Second, get your horse used to the feel of clipper. To do this, you’ll first hold the clipper in your hand, then touch him with the back of your hand and arm. Start at the shoulder. (Don’t get near his head, which is the most sensitive area.) Work back and forth, and up and down, never touching him with the clipper.

Gauge your horse’s comfort level by watching where his eyes are looking and his ears are working. When he accepts this touch on his whole body, then move to his head. Start at his jaw, where the hairs are thicker and less sensitive, then move to the front of his forehead. Finally, move to his ears, his most sensitive area. Remember, you’re just touching him with your hand and arm.

Step 3. Clip the bridle path. When your horse accepts the sound and feel, you’re ready to clip his bridle path. Push ear forward, and clip back, away from his ears, for a nice, clean clip.

Step 4. Continue clipping. If you’d like to continue clipping around your horse’s head for the show arena, follow the steps in this video tutorial.

For complete DVDs describing Lynn Palm’s grooming techniques, visit www.lynnpalm.com. 

Lynn Palm is the founder of Palm Partnership Training. She’s shown more than 34 Quarter Horse world and reserve world champions, competing in both English and Western disciplines. She’s won a record four American Quarter Horse Association Superhorse titles and was the first rider to win the prestigious Superhorse title twice on the same horse, Rugged Lark.

If you’re looking for a riding instructor, you’d want to work with someone who has lots of horsemanship knowledge and experience. You’d choose an instructor with proven teaching skills who could relate his or her knowledge to you in a meaningful way. You’d expect this someone to be respectful and professional.

“Anyone can hang out a shingle and call himself or herself a riding instructor,” says Christy Landwehr, CEO of the Certified Horsemanship Association and a Master Level instructor herself. “I go to a stylist who has a certification to do my hair, so certainly I want at least the same level of expertise from someone who’s teaching me or my child how to ride a horse.”

Given this explanation, if you teach riding yourself, this certification process might be worth your time.

Validated Skills
As one of the largest and oldest certification programs of its kind, CHA is the original. While the association doesn’t claim to teach clinic participants how to become instructors, Landwehr notes: “You can’t help but learn how to teach riding when 10 riding instructors get together and teach four lessons each during a five-day clinic, with instant feedback from one another and the clinic staff.”

CHA offers an extensive menu of certification clinics designed to offer something to everyone — including arena instructors, trail guides, combined trainers, recreational vaulting coaches, therapeutic riding instructors, college and university programs, seasonal riding-program instructors (summer camps, dude ranches, etc.), and even equine-facility managers.

CHA revolves around a public safety and awareness platform. “We want to help the public identify teachers who have a validated skill set,” says Landwehr. Certification demonstrates to both potential employers and customers that the instructor has been tested and proven against a respected standard, under independent evaluation.

CHA Clinics
The Certified Horsemanship Association offers two- to five-day certification clinics open to riders/instructors 18 years old and up.

“During the program, you’ll be evaluated by a written test, by a riding test to ascertain your skill level, and by teaching at least four lessons, one of which is a ground lesson, with CHA-certified clinicians evaluating you for your teaching ability,” explains CHA Program Director Polly Haselton Barger.

If you like working with active learners, have teaching skills in your background, and have time and energy to start your own business, consider becoming a riding instructor through the CHA.

At the end of the clinic, you’ll be assigned to a certification level based on your evaluations by the two CHA clinicians. “Levels range from one to four in both Western and English riding,” Barger explains.

Instructors may recertify at the end of the three-year certification period by providing documentation of at least 25 hours of continuing education and work within the industry. However, if you’re interested in raising your certification level, you must attend another CHA certification clinic and be reevaluated.

Certification clinics take place all over the United States and Canada. Host sites set their own prices according to the amenities they offer, but in general the clinics run from $500 to $800 for the five days, which usually includes lodging and meals.

Trade Perks
Achieving CHA certification brings instructors some neat perks. For example, some insurance companies offer a discount on premiums. Most important though, Barger says having a CHA certification raises the level of professionalism in your horse community.

You’ll also receive a subscription to The Instructor, published by CHA, a biography and photo listing on the CHA website, use of the CHA logo on your business cards, and professional insurance and sponsor discounts. You’ll also have an opportunity to attend an annual educational conference, plus regional conferences.

Renowned clinician and trainer Julie Goodnight is a CHA certified Master Instructor. “Through this organization, I have learned so much about safety, professionalism, and industry standards,” she says. “CHA has just completed a new edition of their excellent manual, The Composite Manual of Horsemanship, which I edited. It’s a must-have for all riders and instructors.”

Emily Esterson is a freelance writer, editor, and dressage rider based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jenny Sullivan is an equine-industry writer, editor, and horsewoman based in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

When it comes to scenery, it doesn’t get much better than the Rocky Mountains. And when it comes to a guest ranch that focuses on horses and trail riding, it doesn’t get much better than Drowsy Water Ranch (www.drowsywater.com) in Granby, Colorado.

Last September, my friends and I spent one glorious week at DWR.

Rocky Mountain Grandeur

Located at 8,200 feet above sea level, DWR is just a few miles outside the small town of Granby, but there’s a sense of being far from civilization.

Chalk that up to the fact that DWR is nestled in a picturesque valley and covers 640 acres. It borders on thousands of acres of Bureau of Land Management land, as well as the Arapahoe National Forest. The mountain ranges surrounding the ranch add to that snug, “tucked away” feeling.

The Fosha family bought DWR in 1977, but the ranch has been in business for almost 80 years. At peak season, DWR accommodates as many as 50 guests per week.

However, we came during an “adults only” week at the end of the summer, and there were just two dozen of us. It felt like our own private getaway.

Depending on the size of your group and any specific lodging requests, you may stay in Horse Thief Den (the main lodge) or in one of nine cabins nestled along the banks of picturesque Drowsy Water Creek.

Accommodations have comfortable Western-style décor, and the staff provides daily housekeeping. We four had a two-story, four-bedroom, two-bath cabin idyllically situated by a small pond.

We even had a woodstove, which made things especially cozy on the crisp September nights. (DWR staff made sure we were well-supplied with kindling and split wood.)

We quickly became familiar with the lodge’s dining room, eagerly anticipating the cheerful clanging of the “gather round” bell 15 minutes before lunch and dinner.

The staff doesn’t ring the bell for breakfast, but we had no trouble showing up on time. There’s something about homemade cinnamon rolls warm from the oven that inspires punctuality!

Quality String

Riding is the main focus at DWR, and it shows. This is truly where the ranch and the Foshas—Ken, Randy Sue, Justin, Gretta, and Ryan—excel.

True, it’s industry standard to match horses and riders, but DWR does a better job of it than many guest ranches. Owning a string of 130 well-trained horses definitely helps.

The Foshas put extra time into providing instruction following basic natural-horsemanship principles. Their focus is not only on safety, but also on making sure guests have the best possible riding experience.

In addition to careful matchmaking between horse and rider, they offer lesson rides and loping clinics, so riders feel competent before hitting the trails.

“Our goal is not only to help people have fun, but also to become better riders,” says Randy Sue.

“We’ve found it makes for a better experience to take the time to offer more instruction,” adds Justin, who has a Master of Business Administration in marketing and serves on the board of directors of the Colorado Dude Ranchers’ Association.

I’ve been on numerous riding vacations in several different states, and I found the horses at DWR were the best of the best. I was impressed by the variety; the DWR string includes everything from Quarter Horses and Paint Horses to draft breeds and draft crosses.

My horse was responsive and alert — a true pleasure to ride. I never felt like I was on a “dude” horse, and appreciated riding a horse that was accustomed to the elevation and terrain.

Golden Trails

Some of the surrounding trails are remarkably steep and twisting, but the wranglers made sure we also had opportunities to speed things up when the terrain allowed.

The only time we were in a large group was the morning of the breakfast ride, when everyone rode up to a scenic plateau overlooking the ranch valley and enjoyed breakfast outdoors.

The rest of the time, we went out in small groups. This made it easy to ask questions of the wranglers and learn about the area, once prime hunting grounds for Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute Indian tribes. The first white men didn’t show up here until the mid-1800s.

Our trip coincided with the aspens turning. We rode beneath towering golden canopies and along winding trails scattered with their leaves.

The aspen stands on the mountainsides literally seemed to glow with an intense light. Combined with those Colorado blue skies, it made a stunning backdrop.

Our favorite ride was the all-day trip that took us to the top of Music Mountain, at nearly 11,000 feet. The views at the summit were spectacular as we talked, joked, and ate our sack lunches. A brief hailstorm blew in after we mounted up again, but we stayed dry, thanks to the slickers tied to each saddle.

The most remarkable part of the ride was coming down the Aspen Slide. (Think The Man from Snowy River, only in slow motion.)

Recent rains had made the trails muddy and slick, so we had to fan out and zigzag our way down

the steep mountainside, riding through a blazing-gold aspen forest.

I was never so grateful for a surefooted horse. After we finally made the descent, it was awe-inspiring to look back up the mountain and realize what we’d just accomplished.

Cynthia McFarland is a full-time freelance writer who writes regularly for national horse publications and is the author of nine books. She owns a small farm in north central Florida. A horse owner for more than 35 years, she enjoys trail riding on her Paint Horse gelding, Ben.

March 18, 2013--With a first-place prize of $350,000 on the line, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum rose to the occasion, piloting Bella Donna to a paycheck she will not soon forget as winner of the first-ever AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. The best of only two clear rounds, Michaels-Beerbaum and the 10-year-old mare that she co-owns with EOS Sport capitalized on a successful season at HITS Desert Horse Park with the sweetest win of them all.

“California is my home and it was great to come here and ride for this kind of prize,” said Michaels-Beerbaum, who was named the Platinum Performance Leading Rider at the conclusion of the HITS Desert Circuit earlier today. “Money like this is more often given away in Europe and it is bringing the American standard to a whole new level. It’s a tremendous step and the future of the sport is becoming more and more exciting in this country.”

And the money, it seems, is attracting riders from all corners of the world to American soil for top-notch competition. With three countries represented in the top three, nine different nations made it into the top-twenty money this afternoon.

There were 40 competitors vying for a

slice of the million dollar pie. After 32 had completed the first-round course without a single clear, it appeared that no one would crack the code that was Olympic gold medalist Conrad Homfeld’s track and a jump-off of four-faulters became a real possibility.

Spectators looked on in anticipation as John Pearce of Bermuda Dunes, California rode in on Chianto, owned by Forest View Farm Allison Moore, and cracked the code to a triumphant clear round.

Five trips later, Duncan McFarlane of San Ramon, California was clear riding for his native New Zealand. Unfortunately, a single time fault barred him and Simone Coxe’s Mr. Whoopy from the jump-off   landing him in third overall. With only three more challenges to Pearce, Michaels-Beerbaum entered on her bay mare and guaranteed a two-horse test with a flawless effort over Homfeld’s 14-obstacle track, which featured 17 jumping efforts at heights up to 1.60m.

In the jump-off, Pearce was clear until a slight rub at the second-to-last fence led a rail down for four faults. “I knew Meredith was behind me, so I was trying to use as much speed as I could over obstacles this size while still being careful,” said Pearce. All Michaels-Beerbaum and Bella Donna had to do was go clear, and go clear she did. Despite picking up three time faults, victory was hers. Pearce posted a time of 53.70 seconds, while Michaels-Beerbaum rode in 56.70 seconds with a 54-second time allowed.

“The course was brilliant and a very good test for $1 million,” said Michaels-Beerbaum. “There weren’t any bad pictures out there today – some rails came down, but overall it was very good competition.”

In fourth, Karl Cook of Woodside, California was clear with three time faults in the first round aboard Signe Ostby’s Jonkheer Z. Capping the top five was the fastest of the four-fault rounds – Peter Wylde of Lake Worth, Florida and The Wannahave Group’s Sandor De La Pomme.

Despite the superb Desert Circuit performances of her other mounts, Malou and Unbelievable 5, Michaels-Beerbaum stuck to her plan and had her 2012 Olympic mount, Bella Donna, accompany her into the ring as her AIG Thermal Million ride. “I have the most experience with Bella and when I walked the course this morning I was 100% positive that I made the right decision,” she said. “I trained Bella Donna with her last owner and said that if she ever wanted to sell the horse I wanted to be the first in her mind and I was. It took me a long time to get her ridable, but she qualified for the World Cup Final as a nine-year old and that just shows how good she is.”

Pearce piloted a relatively older, yet wildly successful, horse to second-place honors, riding the 17-year-old Chianto. “I can’t even count how many grand prix he has won for me and I am just so proud of how far he has come,” he said. Pearce and Chianto are regular million-dollar competitors and were third in the first Pfizer Million in Saugerties, New York in 2010.

While the sizable paychecks are nice, Duncan McFarlane admits that high-stakes classes are keeping his sport alive. “It really gives the owners a real desire to invest in these horses and keep the business thriving,” he said. McFarlane was second in the 2011 Pfizer Million in Saugerties and admits that his next goal is to head east again in September for the fourth-annual event, now under the title Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix. Zoetis was formerly known as Pfizer Animal Health.

AIG, title sponsor of the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix was represented by Vice President David Hubbard, who is based in Los Angeles and made a day of it at HITS Thermal. “This was such a thrilling event – it’s the best show I’ve seen,” he said. “The crowd was electric and it was all because these riders were so impressive.”

Hubbard gave the unofficial nod after the class that AIG is interested in returning to be a part of the million-dollar event next year. “Our goal is to provide safety and security to this lifestyle with our products and services, and this event is a great opportunity to accomplish that.”

HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri acknowledged the pivotal role that AIG played in making today’s event a success. “AIG embraced this class from the beginning and recognized how impactful it is in the sport and we are very excited to continue this relationship,” he said. “Coupled with great sponsors, I could not have been happier with the results. While we were very happy to welcome some East Coast competitors, it’s nice to see people who have worked hard showing here all season go home with the big checks.”

The AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix put the final exclamation point on the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit and as the sea of spectators headed home and prize money checks went to the bank, thoughts turned ahead to the Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson on September 8th, where riders will again converge in Saugerties, New York to rewrite show jumping history.

1) With your stirrups, go at the posting trot, then cease posting at the top of the "up" phase of the motion and stay poised above your horse’s withers, taking the shock of your horse’s movement in your knees and ankles. You can do this exercise at all three gaits. Maintain a soft, consistent connection with your horse’s mouth by carrying your hands just above the withers with supple elbows. Do not straighten your knees or rest your weight against your horse’s neck. (While this is more comfortable for you, an incorrect position avoids the difficulty of this exercise and, even worse, drives your weight straight down into your horse’s withers with every step or stride.)

2) Posting the trot without stirrups is an excellent exercise to strengthen your lower leg position. It has additional advantages: it's an exercise that you can do without any special facilities, and is something you should do before attempting my next exercise.  Before you start, place your knees a little high in the saddle so that you have sufficient leverage to produce your posting motion. This exercise is surprisingly difficult to do, and you will find your knees slip down after a few minutes. When this happens, practice lifting your knee up in the saddle. This is the same motion you need to make when attempting to regain your stirrup after

it becomes dislodged, so you are practicing something that will make you safer and more effective, as well as fitter. While posting, remember to relax your elbows as you rise, so that your hands do not move up and down with your posting motion.

Build a similar gymnastic in an enclosed area to form your “jumping chute.” Make sure your horse is calm, and understands the exercise, before you start jumping without reins or stirrups.

© Jim Wofford

3) For this third exercise, you need three things: a neck-strap, a jumping chute and a suitable horse. By “suitable,” I mean you need a horse that will trot and canter quietly over gymnastics such as you see illustrated here. The neck-strap is easy; use a spare stirrup leather, adjusted one-third of the way up your horse’s neck. The jumping chute is a little more complicated. Using an indoor arena, or an enclosed outdoor arena, place a gymnastic line of jumps down one long side.  Start with a placing pole 9 feet in front of a small vertical, then build a second vertical 18 feet away, followed 19 feet later by an oxer. Put wings on the inside standard of each jump. (The wall serves as the wing on the other side of the jump.)

Once you have measured the distances and made sure the jumps are perpendicular to the wall, remove all the rails except two poles on the ground 9 feet apart on the end of the gymnastic where you will build the first vertical, leaving all three wings in place.

When you first start to build the gymnastic, keep your reins and stirrups. Rehearse your horse through the gymnastic as you gradually add one more jump. If your horse shows any signs of over-exuberance, teach him that you expect him to trot quietly into the placing rail and the following gymnastic, then canter away from the gymnastic and pull up to a halt in the corner at the end of the line of jumps. I have my students perform a turn on the forehand or a turn on the haunches, depending on the level of training of the horse, and walk out of the corner before attempting the gymnastic again. This helps prevent your horse from bolting through the corner while he attempts to launch you into the rafters.

Once your horse is settled, take a short break while you tie a knot in your reins. This is just to shorten the reins, and place a knot in your reins you can easily locate and pick up again … after you have jumped the gymnastic without your reins.

Bill Steinkraus, who combined form and function to win a show jumping gold medal in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, still sets the standard for riders who want to ride well over fences. In this photo taken at the first fence of the 1967 Hickstead Derby, his lower leg position provides him with a stable platform for his aids, and Bold Minstrel is responding with an effortless jump. Horse and rider's nonchalant attitude belie the fact that this fence is well over 4 feet. Bill's foot has entered the stirrup correctly, with the ball of his foot on the tread of the stirrup, and his little toe against the outside branch of the stirrup. His leg is turned out at the same angle as that with which he walks. Although his heels are lower than his toes, they have not been forced completely down; there

I want you to trot into the gymnastic, keeping your stirrups (for now) and holding your reins—but this time, drop the reins on the neck just before the placing pole and cross your arms in front of you. Obviously, regain your reins after the gymnastic and pull up in the corner, as you taught your horse to do earlier. You can do this exercise with your arms crossed in front of you, crossed behind you or extended at shoulder height.

Take another break while you make sure your neck strap is adjusted correctly one-third of the way up your horse’s neck. (If it is too loose, you will find yourself pulling with your hands in your lap, which is ineffective.)  This time, I want you to cross your stirrups in front of the saddle, and hold the neck strap while you jump the gymnastic. Once you drop your stirrups, make sure that you keep your knees up against the knee roll of your saddle. If you allow your knees to slip down in the saddle, you will not be able to follow the jumping motion correctly. (You may need to remove the stirrups altogether if they cause too much interference with your thigh.)

Practice the gymnastic several times using the neck strap, to make sure that your position is secure. Once you are confident in the strength and security of your lower leg, you can do the same arm exercises as before, but this time do them without your stirrups. Continue to pull up to a walk at the end of the line, for safety reasons.

Unless you are a very experienced rider, you should not expect to complete all of these exercises in your first session. If you are just coming back to jumping after a break, it will take you several lessons, plus some serious gym-time, to develop the strength and fitness required. However, the added stability and security of your jumping position will be worth the effort.

In my last column, I quoted Bill Steinkraus, a great theoretician as well as a great rider, and here he is, back again: “The rider’s position must provide a stable platform from which the skilled rider can apply the aids with the precision of a surgeon.”

All good riders I have ever seen had one thing in common: an excellent lower-leg position. It makes sense when you think about it. Our stability is based on our positions in the saddle, and our positions in the saddle are based on our lower legs. However, before talking about your stability and the basics of your jumping position, we must make sure your stirrups are correctly adjusted for jumping.

Stirrup-Leather Length
Incorrectly adjusted stirrup leathers cause many of the jumping errors I see in my lessons and clinics. We can prevent many of these by a simple procedure: Halt your horse after warming him up with some suppling dressage work. If he is restive at the halt, have someone hold him. Take both feet out of your stirrups and let your legs hang straight down. Adjust the length of your leathers so the tread of the stirrup touches you at, or just above, your anklebone. Next place your foot in the stirrup. At this point, if you were to have a friend take a photo of your position, you would observe an approximate 90-degree angle behind your knee when seated. (At the top of your posting motion or at the top of your horse’s jumping effort, this angle will become about 110 degrees.)

Now that your stirrup leather is ­adjusted to the correct length, take your foot out of the stirrup again. I want to review how you place your foot in the stirrup because this is important and ­deserves careful attention.

Feet: The Foundation
Still at the halt, place your foot in the stirrup with the ball of your foot on the tread. I prefer that you have your little toe against the outside branch. From a lifetime of working with expert coaches, however, I have learned that even the best in our sport disagree about details of our lower-leg position. For example, some experts tell us to place the ball of the foot against the inside branch.

Although I have a strong preference for placing the little toe of the foot against the outside branch, because it produces a more supple position, I agree that regardless of instruction or intention, some riders find that their feet will invariably migrate to the inside branch. I think this has to do with the individual’s ankle conformation, and you should make a virtue of necessity and ride where your joints align correctly.

When you have your foot against either branch of the stirrup, I want to see about 1 inch of space between the sole of your boot and the other branch. At the same time, I want about 4 inches of space between the top of your foot and the inside top of the stirrup. Both of these rule-of-thumb measurements allow some space for your foot to leave the stirrup in the unfortunate event of a fall. A fall is potentially dangerous at any time, but falling with your foot trapped in the stirrup almost guarantees serious injury or worse. Pay attention to these details—they may save your life someday.

I want to make one more important safety ­adjustment: Look at the photos of the rider’s lower-leg position (at left) and notice the adjustment of the spur—the buckle of the spur strap is precisely centered on top of the ankle. This gives you the best chance to avoid getting the buckle caught against the branch of your stirrup in case of a fall. This may seem like a million-to-one shot, but it is one lottery you would rather not win. I have seen this happen several times, and each time the buckle was incorrectly adjusted and wedged firmly against the stirrup, thus preventing the rider’s foot from escaping. The riders involved escaped injury or death only by chance, not by attention to detail. (The correct adjustment of the spurs also gives you the greatest control of the application of this aid, which I will discuss in more detail in future columns.)

Returning to position adjustments, while still at the halt, rise in your stirrups as if you were posting the trot. ­Allow your heels to sink down and your toes to turn out slightly, though do not

attempt to keep your feet at some pre-determined angle to your horse’s body. Frank Chapot, a member of the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame, says it best when he tells us to ride with our feet at the same angle as that with which we walk. Again, you want to ride where your joints align correctly.

As you rise, make sure your ankles are relaxed. Try to imagine that the ­stirrups are lifting your toes, not that you are driving your heels down. Another technique is to think that rather than pressing your heels down, you are ­lifting your little toe. These techniques will produce a more relaxed and supple ankle joint. Next return to the saddle keeping equal weight on your pubic bone and your two seat bones, with the point of your shoulders just in front of your hip bones—a position I call a “light three-point.”

Build Your Position
You can tell from my approach that I believe in building your position from the ground up—and in this case, your stirrups are the ground. Now we will move our attention farther up the rider’s show-jumping position.

When seated, your calves should rest quietly on your horse’s sides. Your horse’s jumping motion can be quite powerful. To retain your connection with him, there must be some grip involved. However, that grip must originate from the large bone on the inner surface of your knee and the flat of your calf. If you pinch with the front part of your knees, your lower leg will swing back and your position will become weak and unstable.

There is also a second grip involved in your lower-leg position—the closing of your heels, which is the signal you use to maintain or increase your horse’s impulsion. Riders with weak positions often confuse these two very different grips.

Now let’s move our attention higher in your jumping position. Although your thigh is connected to your horse’s back while you are seated, your thigh will not really have the ability to grip if you either jump or post at the trot. You will, however, certainly improve your jumping position by tightening the outside of your thighs, because this will produce the grip necessary to stay connected while your horse jumps.

I mentioned in an earlier column that I want you to rest on a three-point position, or the seated phase of your posting trot, in the approach to a jump. While in this connection, keep a slight forward arch in the small of your back. This alignment is the natural shape of the human spine. In addition, it allows the lifting ­motion of your horse’s back to be transmitted correctly and efficiently to your upper body. You have probably been told by your jumping coach to allow your horse’s motion to create your jumping position. You will have a better chance of that happening if the alignment of your upper body is correct.

Continuing upward, your body should be erect, shoulders level and chest lifted. Your chin is raised, and your eyes are focused along your horse’s path. Your forearms should form a straight line from your elbow to your horse’s mouth, whether viewed from the side or above. Hold your reins between your ring and your little fingers with your thumbs turned slightly in from the vertical. Bert de Némethy, longtime coach of the U.S. show-jumping team, said we should carry our hands as if we were carrying a plate of soup. Just so.

Adjust your reins so you have an equal range of motion in your elbow forward and backward. You will find this adjustment places the inside point of your elbow in front of the point of your hip. Control the length of your reins by placing your thumb on top of the reins, not by making a fist.

Once you have done all we have ­discussed, you and your horse have the best possible chance of remaining harmonious throughout the five phases of the jump: the approach, the takeoff, the flight, the landing and the departure. Keep this framework for a correct ­jumping position in mind while you review my exercises for improving your jumping position.

Reprinted from the March 2013 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. Get more exercises to help strengthen your lower leg over jumps here.