Amanda Arnold, Averett University Attending a university with an equestrian program is one of the best learning opportunities a student can ask for. Most equestrian programs are designed to teach students the basic concepts of horse care, stable management, riding practice, and riding theories. With this solid basis, a student is more capable of securing a job in the equine industry upon graduation. I chose to attend a university, instead of becoming a working student, because of the educational opportunities and connections. While being a working student is a great experience and can be very helpful in getting your foot in the door, I believe school can offer a greater variety of classes and learning opportunities. I am a student who loves to learn a wide variety of information, so the Equine Business Strategies and Business Law classes at school keep me interested in the industry. As a part of the general program, many universities also require their students to complete an internship in their chosen field. As a junior at Averett University, I have had the opportunity to complete two internships thus far in my academic career.
As a Business Management and Equine Studies double major, I could apply for an internship in either the business department or the equestrian department. Since my goals after graduation are equine related, I chose to focus there. I looked at Yard and Groom, USEA area I and II, and other equine job search related websites to find an internship. Most online advertisements will give a detailed description of the job and the requirements for the individual, however they do not always describe the farm itself or the work environment. Eventually, I went to our department head, Ginger Henderson, to see if she knew of any places that were looking for a summer intern. That is where I found Scattered Acres, a small eventing based farm in Catlett, VA. While I believe that the internet can be a great place to job search, I also think that students should use every human connection available to them. In the equine industry, connections to people who value your work ethic, can help you find internships that might not be available to just anyone searching online. By utilizing a school’s resources, and the professors who have connections with people in the industry, you can get a more personalized experience at an internship. Using a school’s resources can also narrow down your search, because they will know your experience level and the type of internship that you are looking for. My second internship, at Hilltop Farm, Inc., came to me in a different way. In 2015, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) created a Quiz Challenge, in which members would take a test to determine the extent of their knowledge in horse care, riding theory, and a few other categories. A preliminary test was administered to determine the qualifying members, who then would travel to Ohio for IDA Nationals to take a final test. The grand prize for the highest scored test of the final round was a month long internship at Hilltop Farm, Inc. I believe that organizations like IDA, IHSA, USHJA, and many others, are really critical in helping young, motivated students to find internships and other opportunities. IHSA in particular is known for its willingness to help riders further there intercollegiate careers, whether it be riding or academic. They offer several scholarships for members of IHSA, such as the T. McDonald Scholarship Challenge (which tests theoretical and practical concepts of horse care), the IEF Scholarship and the All-Academic Award, among others. I participated in the T. McDonald Scholarship Challenge and placed 7th, after the practicum final, at IHSA Nationals in 2015. It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for because I learned a lot in the area of horsemanship, and I was given a scholarship for my placing. The USHJA is another organization that I was introduced to in school, because of my IHSA coach Cricket Morris. The USHJA is a great organization for young riders because of their educational programs, such as the Emerging Athletes Program, which has the goal of helping young riders to become more knowledgeable horsemen/women. I would highly recommend checking out these programs if you are looking to further your horsemanship. After completing my internship at Scattered Acres, and finishing up my month long internship at Hilltop Farm, Inc., I can say that I would not have had these amazing opportunities if I did not have the connections and opportunities established through my university’s equestrian program. However, an internship can teach you so much more and help you to apply all of the information that you have learned. I knew a fair bit about horse care, stable management, and riding theory when I arrived at my internship in Catlett, VA. However, over the summer I was able to apply my knowledge and learn even more about stable management. I was also able to develop my riding skills and theory even further with instruction from Autumn Rae. Taking the knowledge gained from that internship, I felt much more prepared when I came to Hilltop Farm, Inc. in December. There I was also able to learn about handling young horses and the management involved in running a large facility. In classes at school, they teach you how to do things and the theory behind the practice. Then, when I got to my internships, I was able to take that physical practice and theory, and actually apply it to a real life situation. I absolutely believe that internships is the best possible way to experience the industry you are looking to enter and gain practical knowledge first hand.
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The Young Horse Show Series, a program committed to the development of young sport horses within the United States, celebrated its fifth anniversary season last weekend at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. Against a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range in Mill Spring, NC, the open layout of the Tryon show grounds lends itself well to showcasing a number of top quality sport horses both in-hand and under saddle. In direction relation to the promotion of these young horses, the show itself offers a variety of educational opportunities for handlers, owners, and spectators alike. I hold a firm belief that both continued education and the dissemination of my own knowledge sits at the core of my foundation as a professional handler. The in-hand portion of the show is comprised of two separate components, and while each requires a different systematic approach, the basic concept of teamwork plays a pivotal role in keeping the program running like a well-oiled machine. Akin to USEF/USDF breed shows, each horse is set up in front of the judge and presented in movement on the triangle. As official handlers for the program, we aid each other to insure every horse is presented to their maximum potential. Each horse that enters the ring is an individual, and as such, a revamp of handling methods may be required from one to the next. An electric, sensitive horse that over responds to the environment may need a few reassuring pats on the neck or some encouraging “good boys!”, while one that lacks the self-motivation to truly show themselves off may need a bit of support via a driving aid such as a lunge whip. As I am handed the reins to take a new horse into the ring, I connect with the owner for an insider’s perspective on how the horse may respond to the new environment. Each horse can change within the ring, and the key is to remain a few figurative steps in front of the horse, and to keep an open line of communication with fellow handlers. A vital element in the relationship I build with my clients is the ability to engage realistically about their horses’ strengths and weaknesses. I often find a disconnect between my work with a client’s horse and being able to critique how that individual horse may look for a judge or public audience. In contrast to the USEF/USDF breed shows, the Young Horse Show Series implements free running as the second component for the in hand class. For me as handler, being able to see the horse move freely paints a more complete picture of the “ins and outs” for each animal I work with. How do they use their hind end? Their front end? Do they travel correctly? Does the horse truly move through their body? Is the horse more balanced to one direction in comparison to the other? Being able to answer these questions can greatly influence the way I work with each horse, and in addition, my feedback for the owners. Many of my clients will ask for some exercises to practice with their horse once back at home, and it is crucial that we are able to collaborate to help each horse progress in the future. In addition to in-hand classes, the series also offers age-specific jump chute classes. I found the score cards for the jump chute particularly in depth, with critique given on take-off, front end technique, hind end technique, scope, and bascule. These classes give owners a thorough analysis of their horses, and the jumping quality of some of the entries is truly top notch. I do think the series provides a good niche for the young jumper market, and as such, the market has embraced it. My background as a handler is strongly dressage oriented but I find working with the jumper-bred horses helps to reshape some of my own philosophies - and its fun! The series is a unique opportunity to further understand equine athleticism across a broad spectrum of disciplines at various stages of development. Friday and Saturday nights featured exhibitor dinners, sponsored by Aliboo Farm, Inc. and the USEF/USHJA groups respectively. In conjunction with the USEF/USHJA dinner, spectators were treated to a Stallion and Mare Show. It was a treat as each horse commanded the George Morris Arena under the lights, and the presentations included live commentary on the horse's bloodlines and competition results. AliBoo set up a breeding survey raffle for exhibitors that included an iPad and gift cards as prizes. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to network over good food and drink while refreshing our brains on some fun horse knowledge. I would really love to the see the Series find a bit more support from the Dressage community in particular and think it is vital for all of our separate markets here in the US that we work together and promote one another. The Finals in Tryon was a perfect juncture for motivated amateurs and professionals alike. A vast array of individuals inspired me throughout the weekend, including Taylor Flury and Jordan Bali of AliBoo Farm in Minooka, Illinois. In September, Taylor competed two of her own American-developed horses at the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses in Belgium. She is a passionate cheerleader for the American sport horse and offered some insight as to how the US can improve our development of young horses, reflecting on her experiences showing in Europe. Taylor’s younger brother, Jordan, is an aspiring handler and assisted with the in-hand and jumpchute classes throughout the weekend. The industry is hurting for some new blood in the way of handlers, and I think Jordan is the type of individual we so desperately need: self-motivated with a strong capacity for learning and implementing new techniques. Self-motivation and an interest in education are two facets that the American sport horse community really needs to find a way to harness and support amongst its newest generation. The Young Horse Show Series is a perfect venue for doing so, illustrating a strong push for the development of both young horses and young professionals. The program consistently gives me new ways to network and refine my own skills while operating under a fun, laid back atmosphere. I hope to see the influence carry on into other parts of the industry! The number of horses qualifying for the series finals continues to grow every year, as does the overall support and enthusiasm for the program. Be sure to visit www.younghorseshow.com for further information on the Series and its upcoming locations for the 2016 season! Quinnten Alston has an extensive background of working with young horses, both in preparation and presentation for the show ring. At Dressage at Devon 2011, he was named “Best Handler” and he has presented two horses into the Grand Championship title at Devon. Quinnten is Hilltop Farm's primary show handler and is fundamental in the development of the young horses at the farm. Photos by Antonio Salazar
One of the true great pleasures to be had in the horse world is shopping for a new horse. With the exception of one client (who basically wanted me to just show up on her doorstop with her new equine partner), horse shopping evokes cherished memories for my clients and I, laying the foundation for hopes and dreams to materialize in the carefully selected dream horse.
Visions of imports fill webpage after webpage, but when a client approaches me about finding their next partner, I start with American bred horses. Careful selection and matching is of utmost importance to me, and the quality of horses now being bred in the United States is wonderful. Our U.S. breeders should be commended on the quality of horses they are producing year after year. From large breeding farms to small boutique breeders, my personal belief is that the American breeders are putting great thought and careful selection into every foal they produce. With a smaller market than Europe, American breeders have to monitor competition results, carefully follow trends, and predict what the market will sustain – there is little room for error when choosing a stud for their broodmares. This thoughtful evaluation by breeders is consistently producing very high quality foals. I count myself very lucky to have purchased from one of our dedicated American breeders, not only for myself, but also for my clients. In fact, my American bred Hanoverian stallion has exceeded my wildest expectations, and is a fantastic representation of the quality horses that are the result of careful, selective breeding. Purchased as a weanling, I’ve participated in large breed competitions with my boy as a yearling, two-year old, three-year old and in both dressage and breed shows as a four-year old. As a rider and trainer, I am an outsider - that is to say, I am not a breeder. I have viewed, with a trainer’s eye, the quality of horses over the course of the last four years with great appreciation. If I had unlimited resources and a place to keep them all, I’d be “collecting the whole set” without ever setting foot on a plane to Europe. So, while I know there is an allure to an exotic European shopping trip, I urge my clients to look at home first. I bet you’re thinking “but, all the arguments made for buying in Europe…” – I get it, you will not convert 100% of horse shoppers, but you can combat the perceived advantages, by addressing them. Let’s look at the arguments made for going to Europe:
From my experience, the market for horses in this country revolves around a few key traits, with temperament being at the top of the list. I compete alongside some of the nicest, most well bred horses I have encountered – they are all exceptional in temperament and rideability. Promotion of our successful American bred horses should be a group effort, “the rising tide lifts all boats” as the saying goes. I applaud the USSHBA for their efforts on behalf of the American breeders. I consider myself lucky to work with horses, and horse people, for a living. As I have gotten to know some of our breeders, I am truly impressed by their unwavering dedication to create the best. I applaud their success and am proud to be a supporter, now and forever. Joanna Gray-Randle is a USDF Gold, Silver, Silver Freestyle and Bronze Medalist and a Graduate of the USDF “L” Judges Program with Distinction. She trains and competes her American bred, four year old Hanoverian stallion, Royal Tourmalet SPF (“Artie”), in dressage competitions in the Northeast. To find out more about Joanna and Artie, visit her website at www.jemgray.com. Natalie DiBerardinis, Hilltop Farm Successfully managing a stallion’s competition and breeding careers requires careful planning. It’s easy to forget that they are essentially being asked to have two distinctly different jobs. Each of his jobs place different physical and mental demands on the stallion and your management approach needs to account for all of those demands.
For the young horse who is just beginning his breeding and show career, our preference is to have them well-started undersaddle before they begin breeding. Those early months with just a single focus allow the stallion to fully understand one job, the expectations for behavior, and develop a training mindset. While much time is spent with all our young horses on groundwork and manners, extra attention is given reinforcing these lessons with the stallions. Once the stallion understands his role undersaddle, we then can add his second job as a breeding stallion. Each year we evaluate the plans for every stallion. We’ll look first at his training and competition schedule. Peak show season often conflicts with peak breeding season. The anticipated size of a stallion’s breeding book will also be considered. A stallion breeding ten mares a year is under far less pressure than, for example, the stallion breeding fifty mares a year. Your plan will change from year to year and while our expectation is the dual-career approach, there may be times when one or the other job has to take more of a priority. If a stallion has a particular heavy show schedule or important competitions in a year, we may limit him to a shorter breeding season in a given year or provide incentives for mare owners willing to utilize frozen instead of cooled semen. The use of frozen semen has many advantages, but particularly reduces the demands on the stallion as semen can be collected at a time that is in least conflict with the training/show schedule. For example, at Hilltop Farm our standard cooled semen season runs from March 1st to August 31st and that of course coincides with our peak show season. To work around this, we have sometimes taken stallions in the winter to Florida. We will delay the start of their breeding season until April, get the majority of their shows done early in the year, and then allow them to just continue to train during breeding season without the added pressure of horse shows. For other stallions, we may only show very lightly during the start of breeding season, but then may end their cooled semen book earlier than our standard. When working towards a major Championship competition or something like a Stallion Performance Testing, you may choose to not breed in the month or so leading up to that event so that the stallion’s focus and physical demands are channeled towards just that one job. Likewise, if the stallion’s priority is his breeding duties we will schedule a lighter competition schedule during the breeding season. A heavy collection schedule can be very physically demanding on a horse. Listen closely to what your horse is telling you and adjust your plans accordingly. While we prefer to keep a stallion in training throughout the breeding season, we may need to lighten the work load during this peak breeding time and will utilize bodywork (massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.) as needed. A stallion’s nutritional program must also be carefully monitored. A heavy breeding schedule and/or heavy travel schedule for competitions will cause some stallions to lose weight and condition. Your equine nutritionist can help you adjust your feeding program to meet these seasonal demands. A slight bit of extra weight going into the start of breeding season can be beneficial for some stallions. However we don’t want them fat; they still need to be fit so that there is less risk of injury (both in breeding and training). Even our stallions that are retired from riding still use a walker or treadmill to help with their fitness levels. Our breeding shed is a bit of a walk from our main barn where the stallions reside. Not only does the separation of environments help the stallions know what their job focus is at any point, they also get to warm-up their muscles just a little bit on the walk over to the breeding shed. That small warm-up we feel helps avoid injuries when mounting/dismounting the phantom. Some stallions come back from the shed invigorated and feeling great in their bodies. Others can get a bit sore or lethargic from frequent collections. Some stallions are more able to focus on their riding work after a collection; while others become more focused on mares and their surroundings instead of their other job. Through trying different schedules, you’ll learn the ideal management for your stallion. Can he be collected just prior to loading and heading to a horse show, or is it better if you include an extra ‘day off’ on his breeding schedule when you know he’ll be headed to a competition? Is it better to ride him before he’s collected or is it fine to ride him later in the day? The answers will be different for each stallion. Every stallion is unique and his specific plan and needs may change a bit from year to year. Managing a dual-career for a stallion has its challenges, but through careful management of the goals, schedule, nutrition, environment, and training your stallion can have excellent success in both jobs. Originally published in Select Breeders Services Newsletter. It’s foaling season! The most exciting (not to mention exhausting) time of year for breeders. When your foal is born - a wet mass of legs and potential - you already have a lot invested: planning, work, time, and money. You’re hoping it’s also the beginning of a glorious future, because your business is to produce foals with talent and potential. Now it’s your job to let the world know what you've got.
Taking pictures of your foal to share with the world is something we naturally want to do. As a breeder, you’ll probably have that excited, “new parent” feeling - even if you've done this many times before - and you’ll naturally want to document those first moments, first steps, first day outside, and so on. I’d like to recommend that you also consider each photo in marketing terms. Like training a horse (every time you interact with a horse you’re training it, whether you’re thinking of it as “training” or not) - every time you make an image public, you are publicizing your business - whether you think of it as “marketing” or not. With that in mind, here are some things to think about as you document your foal’s first summer: Get used to carrying a camera with you at all times. Phones make this so easy! You just have to remember to use it. :-) Sometimes it’s a challenge if you’re by yourself, and you’ll miss some great shots, but pull out your camera whenever you can. The nice thing about digital pics is that it’s easy and cheap to take lots - and just delete the ones that don’t turn out. Give some thought to where you post your photos. These are my top three recommendations, in order of importance:
I recommend having your own “naming convention” for all your farm photos: a format that you use consistently to name all your pictures. One small technical point: for internet use, don’t leave spaces in your image names; use hyphens or underscores instead. Here are a couple of examples: my-farm_bambino17_2015.jpg Farm name first, foal name second (with a number for each picture of that foal), followed by the year the photo was taken. If the foal doesn’t have a name yet, use something like “2015foal.” This basic format will do wonders! my-farm_bambino23_sire-x-damsire_2015.jpg Better yet! This provides a world of information in a short amount of space. Remember that every image you post is publicity for your farm. Only post images that show off your best. No matter how cute a baby picture is, don’t use if it makes the foal - or the mom or surroundings - look bad. Take a lot of pictures so you have some great choices. Consider hiring a professional photographer, and if possible, time it for when your foal is going through a “good phase”! Photographing horses is actually pretty difficult to do well. For every do-it-yourself photographer, I recommend reading some professional tips and advice for getting the best results. I wish everyone a successful foaling season, not too many sleepless nights, and some great images to promote your breeding business! Anna Goebel is the publisher of Warmblood Stallions of North America, www.WarmbloodStallionsNA.com, and has been involved in equine publishing, marketing, and design for over twenty years. Her new website for international breeder news is www.WarmbloodBreeding.com. |
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January 2021
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