Practical Horseman Winter 2023

There’s nothing I like more than learning about different training exercises. How to make horses more rideable, turn better, become more supple. That was one of the reasons I asked riders at the Capital Challenge Horse show in the fall what their favorite training exercises were. The riders shared those, but they also talked about keeping their horses happy. For example, John French, who won the 2023 WCHR Professional Challenge at the competition, commented that his success stems in part from his belief in keeping his horses happy. He takes them into fields or out on trails “You have to make them love their job and want to do it for you,” he said. Nick Haness, who placed second to John in the two-round Professional Challenge class aboard Queen Celeste,…

1 Overall: My first impression of this rider is that she’s kind of a seat-of-the-pants rider, but she hasn’t gone through the American equitation system. Leg: Her foot is what we call “too far home” in the stirrup: The iron is too close to the heel and not on the ball of her foot. She also doesn’t have any weight in her heels in the air, and she’s spurring the horse in the air, maybe by accident. She’s reaching for her stirrups as well, which is causing her to pinch with her knee and not have contact with her calf. This has caused her lower leg to slide back. I suggest she shorten her stirrups and work in two-point and without stirrups on the flat to strengthen her balance and…

This photo shows Larissa Williams on her Premium Oldenburg mare Sans Souci. Larissa purchased Sans Souci as a schoolmaster. She was trained up to Prix St. Georges and is now training Larissa through the levels. After two years, they are competing at Third Level, but in this picture, they are showing First Level, Test 3. There is a famous statement from the old German masters: Young horses need an experienced rider—and young riders need an experienced horse! Being a “young” rider, Larissa did just the right thing when she got herself this schoolmaster mare. One can see in the picture already that this horse has been trained. She looks like an elegant dancer, light on her feet and nicely balanced. I love the expression of the horse with one ear…

For 50 years, Practical Horseman has brought readers in-depth articles on the discipline of dressage from trainers at the pinnacle of the sport. These included those from the Spanish Riding School, German bereiters and Olympians. As the sport grew in popularity, riders and trainers in other disciplines saw the value of dressage training and how it helped their horses’ performances. In fact, one of the main sentiments repeated over and over is that every horse can benefit from and excel in dressage training. And while many articles in PH focused on the importance of laying the groundwork and the basics, there were just as many nuanced and technical articles for experienced riders and horses. PH also focused on the personal side of the sport, with profiles on up-and-comers and those…

SPONSORED BY Over the last five decades, veterinary care and best practices for horse health and management have undergone extraordinary advancements, driven by improvements in technology and research methods. Since the first issue in January 1973, Practical Horseman has informed readers of the latest findings and developments so they can provide the best possible care for their horses. Nutrition guide-lines, fly protection, corrective shoeing—you name it, PH has covered it. One common piece of advice remained the same throughout the years: Know your horse and what’s normal for him so you can detect problems before they become serious. This means making regular checks part of your routine. Take his pulse, respiration and temperature. Study him for bites, scrapes, loose shoes, and do a thorough check of all four legs. Many…

Hailing from a family of equestrians, Hunter Holloway has been around horses her whole life, and she’s been competing at the Hunter top of the sport since a young age. At just 12 years old, she became the youngest ever to win a national grand prix. In 2016, she won the ASPCA Maclay National Championship, the Washington International Equitation Finals and the U25 Jumper Championship at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Holloway’s success has continued into her professional career with highlight wins including the 2018 AON Cup CSI5* Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Canada, the 2022 $405,300 HITS Grand Prix CSI5* at HITS Saugerties in New York, and numerous national and international grand prix wins. She has also represented the United States on Nations Cup teams in Canada and Germany. One…