Tabla de contenidos para May/June 2025 en Horse Illustrated

The mare stood patiently as I invaded the depths of her “personal place” with the probe of my ultrasound machine. Both Barbara and I looked anxiously at the small black screen but did not see the image we had hoped for. It could have been worse—there could have been twins, or extra fluid—but the black, quarter-sized circle indicative of a single, 14-day pregnancy was conspicuously absent. But the mare felt pregnant. I had learned to palpate mares 10 years before portable ultrasound had been invented, so I learned the “feel” long before I learned what they looked like on the very expensive 6-inch black-and-white TV screen. (My first one cost more than a new truck.) Without ultrasound, I would have called her pregnant, and that would’ve been the end of…

Sleep is often an overlooked element in the life of an equestrian, overshadowed by early morning barn chores and multi-day competitions. Most days are filled balancing training schedules with your other daily responsibilities. But sleep is the cornerstone of recovery and performance, and has a major effect on injury prevention for all riders, whether you’re navigating the intricacies of dressage, mastering the sliding stop, or spending long hours on the trail. Let’s explore the science of why riders need quality sleep and how it directly impacts your performance, recovery, and long-term wellbeing. WHY PRIORITIZE SLEEP? Sleep is essential for peak athletic performance, especially for equestrians. It’s not just about feeling rested—it’s about riding effectively, minimizing injury risk, and supporting your body’s recovery and adaptation after long days at the barn.…

Ground driving is a fun activity that can be done with almost any horse. Some of the uses include: ◆ Teaching a young horse how to steer and stop before being ridden. ◆ Improving steering on children’s horses that are too small for an adult to ride. ◆ Building a horse’s confidence by having him taking the lead. ◆ Doing an enriching activity for horses that are unable to be ridden. ◆ Introducing a horse to obstacles or pulling a cart. GETTING STARTED I use a saddle, a bridle with a snaffle bit, and two long driving lines. A surcingle may also be used in place of a saddle, and you may want to carry a buggy whip to encourage forward motion. Note: When ground driving, I run the driving…

Acrowd lines the hillsides overlooking Georgia International Horse Park’s Grand Prix Arena. It’s a steamy evening on July 5th, 2024, at the Georgia Quarter Horse Association’s Big A/Stars & Stripes Circuit, and feet, some clad in flip-flops and others still sporting boots with spurs that sing with every kick, dangle from the arena wall. A diverse sea of faces look out excitedly over the hallowed sand where Olympic dreams were made during the 1996 summer games in Atlanta. A hush falls over the crowd, and both cowboy hats and caps proudly displaying military branches of service are placed over hearts as a cowboy on a striking palomino enters the stadium. He carries an American flag, familiar colors dancing proudly in the evening light as the golden horse’s gait quickens with…

Adopting a horse, regardless of when or how it occurs, is always a special occasion and a reason to celebrate. But since 2021, the entire month of May has been dedicated to placing special emphasis on promoting adoptable horses and, very likely, placing them in a perfectly matched new home. Will 2025 be the year that you take part? CHEYENNE & WHISPER Alexa Atchison of West Farmington, Ohio, had always dreamed of owning a horse. “When I was told that I was going to get one, I couldn’t keep my eyes off "myrighthorse.org,” Atchison says. While much needed to be done before she and her family were able to bring a new horse home, when she saw Cheyenne and her dam advertised, they immediately planned a visit for the following…

Arich, glowing coat and flowing mane and tail testify to a horse’s overall health. But balanced nutrition and thorough grooming sessions aren’t enough when serious skin allergies strike. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common allergic skin disease. Traditionally, IBH is associated with insects of the genus Culicoides, including biting midges (“no-seeums”), sand flies, black flies, horn flies, stable flies, and mosquitoes. Hypersensitivity to Culicoides is also referred to as “sweet itch.” “These insects make their appearance in the spring and become sparse in the cold winter months, but generally they remain active yearround, especially in places like Florida, contributing to the chronic causes of allergic skin disease in some horses,” says Caitlyn Henderson, DVM, of Peterson Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, one of Florida’s largest equine clinics. The…

We place impressive demands on our farm and towing vehicles, and we expect them to work as hard as we do. We fill up the truck bed with bags of feed, move hay, drive out to the pasture with a load of fence posts, and—probably dearest to the equestrian’s heart—we haul horse trailers. For many decades, the only option for this type of work were the traditional gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles that we all grew up with. And these trucks are still in high demand today for towing horse trailers and performing general farm work. But there’s a new option available as well: fully electric, battery-powered trucks, which are rapidly gaining popularity. Can they perform the same tasks? And can they haul our horse trailers with the same ability as…

A. STETSON SKYLINE 6X COWBOY HAT Crafted from proprietary 6X fur felt, prized for its durability and elegant feel. Finished with a matching self-felt band and three-piece, silver-tone buckle, plus a handsewn genuine leather sweatband and full satin liner provide a time-tested fit and premium comfort. $340.00; stetson.com B. ARIAT TEAM KIRBY STRETCH SHIRT Ariat has updated the fit on their best-selling performance shirt to give you even more room to move. Featuring iconic team logo along the sleeve, it’s flattering on everyone and has just the right amount of stretch. $58.95; ariat.com C. WRANGLER ULTIMATE RIDING JEAN WILLOW A classic mid-rise fit is enhanced with a slightly pitched waistband and is fitted through the seat and thigh to complement your curves, finished with a riding bootcut leg opening that…

Over the last decade, the equestrian world has become a hotbed for ethical treatment questions. The 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics and then the Paris Olympics brought our sport under even larger scrutiny, with outside groups like PETA and mainstream media weighing in. This past decade has also brought with it landmark laws, including the banning of whisker trimming by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) for their competitions going into effect January 1, 2021. Many believe these are just the first steps in calling for more change, including banning whisker trimming by other organizations, as well as banning flash nosebands, which have been under high scrutiny for being over-tight at high-profile sporting events. Others believe these are rare instances of misuse, and that most horse owners are doing what’s best without the…

Many riders struggle with turning their horse accurately, often with one shoulder or the other taking over and bulging through the turn. This is usually because all of the focus is given to the destination rather than the turn. The following exercise will bring awareness to how you’re asking your horse to turn so that you ride his whole body rather than just directing his head and neck. FIGURE-8 POLE The setup for this exercise is fairly simple. You just need four poles—bonus points if they have a center stripe—and two standards (or other jump supports that are safe to use). Start with one pole on the ground with a standard on either side, and the other poles off to the side out of the way. After a brief warmup,…