US Equestrian Magazine by United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.

Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation | Fall 2022

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CONTENTS

52 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Horses helping people live better lives

60 BACK TO SCHOOL

Student teams, education partners, and more

66 MAAPP Protecting our young equestrians

DEPARTMENTS 8

Partners

10 Sponsors 14

Marketing/Media

16 Letter from the President

18 Snapshot Cover: Our shared bond with horses both inspires and teaches us. Photo: Shelley Paulson Photography

20 USEF News 28 Seen & Heard 32 Learning Center 34 I Am US Equestrian 42 Horse Health 46 Trending 72 For the Record

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PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) SHELLEY PAULSON PHOTOGRAPHY, TAYLER BICANDI/US EQUESTRIAN, TAYLOR PENCE PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURES

Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation

US EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE Volume LXXXVI, Fall 2022 PUBLISHED BY The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. CHIEF MARKETING & CONTENT OFFICER Vicki Lowell | vlowell@usef.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Glenye Cain Oakford | goakford@usef.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR Candice McCown | cmccown@usef.org ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kim Russell | 859 225 6938 | krussell@usef.org SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIP & SALES Layson Griffin | lgriffin@usef.org ASSISTANT DESIGNER Kendall Neubeiser | kneubeiser@usef.org EDITORIAL STAFF Kathleen Landwehr, Leslie Potter, Kim Russell, Ashley Swift CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alina Brazzil, Julie Webster-Smith Equestrian Magazine (ISSN 1548-873X) is published five times a year: Horse of the Year Special Edition, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, by the United States Equestrian Federation®, 4001 Wing Commander Way, Lexington, KY 40511; Phone: (859) 258-2472; Fax: (859) 231-6662. (ISSN:1548-873X). NOTE: Effective Spring issue of 2018, Equestrian magazine will be published and provided electronically and only four editions will have printed copies and be provided by U.S. Mail. The Winter issue will only be provided electronically. The Horse of the Year issue will be mailed only to competing members as of the date of publication and the year immediately prior to the date of publication. USEF is not responsible for the opinions and statements expressed in signed articles and paid advertisements. These opinions are not necessarily the opinions of USEF and its staff. While the Federation makes every effort to avoid errors, we assume no liability to anyone for mistakes or omissions. It is the policy of the Federation to report factually and accurately in Equestrian and to encourage and to publish corrections whenever warranted. Kindly direct any comments or inquiries regarding corrections to Glenye Cain Oakford goakford@usef.org or by direct dial 859-225-6941. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to US Equestrian, 4001 Wing Commander Way, Lexington, KY 40511. Canadian Publications Agreement No. 40845627. For Canadian returns, mail to Canada Express, 7686 #21 Kimble Street Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5S1E9. (905) 672-8100. Reproduction of any article, in whole or part, by written permission only of the Editor. Equestrian: Publisher, United States Equestrian Federation®, Chief Executive Officer, William J. Moroney (859) 225-6912. Director of Advertising, Kim Russell (859) 225-6938. Copyright © 20120 Equestrian is the official publication of the United States Equestrian Federation, the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the USA, and is an official publication of USEF.

Published at 4001 Wing Commander Way, Lexington, Ky 40511 USequestrian.org

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ULCERGARD IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: ULCERGARD can be used in horses that weigh at least 600 lbs. Safety in pregnant mares has not been determined. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children. In case of ingestion, contact a physician. ULCERGARD® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. ©2020 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-EQU-0189-2020

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The United States Equestrian Federation does not endorse or recommend any commercial product or service. Therefore, designations as official suppliers of the USEF of any commercial product or service cannot be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by the United States Equestrian Federation.

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www.adequan.com BRIEF SUMMARY: Prior to use please consult the product insert, a summary of which follows: CAUTION: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. INDICATIONS: Adequan® i.m. is recommended for the intramuscular treatment of non-infectious degenerative and/or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses. CONTRAINDICATIONS: There are no known contraindications to the use of intramuscular Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan. WARNINGS: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children. PRECAUTIONS: The safe use of Adequan® i.m. in horses used for breeding purposes, during pregnancy, or in lactating mares has not been evaluated. For customer care, or to obtain product information, visit www.adequan.com. To report an adverse event please contact American Regent, Inc. at 1-888-354-4857 or email pv@americanregent.com. Please see Full Prescribing Information at www.adequan.com. 1 Adequan® i.m. Package Insert, Rev 1/19. 2 Burba DJ, Collier MA, DeBault LE, Hanson-Painton O, Thompson HC, Holder CL: In vivo kinetic study on uptake and distribution of intramuscular tritium-labeled polysulfated glycosaminoglycan in equine body fluid compartments and articular cartilage in an osteochondral defect model. J Equine Vet Sci 1993; 13: 696-703. All trademarks are the property of American Regent, Inc. © 2022, American Regent, Inc. PP-AI-US-0442 (v2.0) 05/2022

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Fall traditionally is back-to-school season, but for those of us who are lucky enough to share our lives with horses, we learn every time we’re in their company. We all know what great teachers horses are, and in this issue we take a closer look at the various ways they enrich our lives. Our cover story takes you behind the scenes at three of US Equestrian’s Community Outreach Organizations—Horse SenseAbility in Sherborn, Mass., HorseSensing in Shelbyville, Ky., and Metropolitan Equestrian Team in New York, N.Y.—where participants learn both horsemanship and life skills. The primary goal of our Community Outreach is to increase awareness of these equestrian programs working with under-represented or underserved communities. The horses at Community Outreach Organizations like the three spotlighted here are not only spreading the joy we all get from equine interactions but they’re also helping people gain practical skills that are the foundation for college and professional careers. From their participation in these equestrian programs, both kids and adults can learn everything from how to make a work schedule, to hands-on horse care skills, to effective interpersonal communication, to how to fill out a college application, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, or interview for a job. That’s good for the individuals, for the horse industry, and for all of us. Our second goal of the USEF Community Outreach Program was to allow those designated organizations the ability to apply for grants through the USEF Opportunity Fund. We’ve screened them and set standards for them, and if you check them out on our website, we’ve educated you about them. If you’d like to support these organizations and our shared effort to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible, please consider making a donation to the Opportunity Fund. Individuals can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the Donate tab on the usef.org home page. For more information about USEF Opportunity Fund sponsorship opportunities, please contact USEF Senior Director of Sponsorship & Sales Layson Griffin at lgriffin@usef.org.

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For junior and collegiate equestrians, this issue’s “Back to School … and Horses” feature highlights programs from USEF, our Education Partners, and our affiliate organizations that can keep students in the saddle and competing well past summer. There are scholarships, interscholastic and intercollegiate team opportunities, affiliate-related grants and activities, and much more to help students maintain their equestrian lives during their academic careers. This guide provides some handy resources to consider, whatever your favorite discipline or breed. Of course, a safe environment is crucial for learning. USEF is, together with our members, committed to providing that safe environment for equestrian sport. The fall issue’s third feature, “Protecting Our Community,” explores this concept of community protection, why it’s so important, and the resources US Equestrian offers to support this vital effort. Continuing in the spirit of learning, this fall issue also offers chances to learn more about your horse or pony’s health. This issue’s Horse Health department, we called on Dr. Luke Fallon of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for an overview of equine cellulitis. The article arms you with tips for spotting this troublesome condition and for working with your veterinarian to treat it. Additionally, in Learning Center, we introduce a new video that recently debuted in our online Learning Center (usef. org/learn) which is about equine gastric ulcers and is hosted by Dr. Nimet Browne of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. These elements—sharing knowledge and maintaining a safe and thriving community— are what US Equestrian and its vision and mission are all about. We’re glad you’ve joined us as we continue our work to broaden the equestrian world and spread the joy of a life with horses to all.

Tom O’Mara President

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE PHOTOGRAPHY

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and Nutcracker Swagger on their way to winning the American Saddlebred Three-Gaited Show Pleasure Limit Rider Championship at the 85th Annual Rock Creek Horse Show in Louisville, Ky.

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PHOTO: LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

JILL LOWRY

USEF NEWS

Fall 2022 is championship season for a world of equestrian sport, with seven disciplines deciding world titles this year at the FEI World Championships, which will take place from August to October at three venues in Denmark and Italy. But you don’t have to be a world-traveler to keep up with the U.S teams in dressage, para dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, and vaulting. Check out the World Championships portal at usef.org for athlete bios, scores, and event coverage. The usef.org website is your gateway to team coverage. Visit usef.org/events/2022-world-championships-herning and usef.org/events/2022-world-championships-pratoni to keep up with U.S. athletes and horses.

2022-2024 USEF/ NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals Venues Announced US Equestrian is pleased to announce the host locations for the 2022-2024 USEF/National Collegiate Equestrian Association Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals for the East, Central, and West regions. This program seeks to introduce riders to the NCEA’s format of hunter/jumping seat equitation collegiate riding and is an expansion of the NCEA’s existing Junior Hunt Seat Medal program. USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals–Central: Showplace Fall Classic (Roscoe, Ill.), Sept. 10, 2022 USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals–East: Pennsylvania National Horse Show (Harrisburg, Pa.), Oct. 22, 2022 USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals–West: National Sunshine Series II (Thermal, Calif.), Nov. 12, 2022 US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara appointed a task force to review bid applications and provide a recommendation for host sites. The task force considered many factors, including the facility, scheduling, competition environment, and migration of exhibitors. Each host venue was ultimately selected because they presented the best options for those factors. For questions regarding the USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal program, contact hunterdept@usef.org.

Competition Calendar Aug. 6-14 Herning, Denmark Dressage, para dressage, jumping, and vaulting

Sept. 22-25 Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy Driving

Sept. 15-18 Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy Eventing

Oct. 22 Isola della Scala, Italy Endurance

Paige Sherman, riding Clint, won the inaugural USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – East in Saugerties, N.Y.

Correction: In the summer issue, an article on page 20 entitled “Athletes Selected to U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team” misidentified the hometown of athlete Sophie Ouellette. She is from Springvale, Maine, not Springvale, Mass. We apologize for the error.

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PHOTOS: ANDREA EVANS/US EQUESTRIAN, ©ESI PHOTOGRAPHY

Follow the FEI World Championships 2022 at usef.org

NOT JUST BOOTS, BLUNDSTONES.

USEF NEWS

USEF Welcomes Five New Community Outreach Organizations

US Equestrian is pleased to welcome five more USEF Community Outreach Organizations as part of the USEF Community Outreach Program. The USEF Community Outreach Program, launched in 2021, is dedicated to supporting organizations across the country that provide equine-based learning opportunities and support the positive impact horses can have within their local communities. These organizations will be recognized as USEF Community Outreach Organizations and are united by their standards in equity, mission, and horse and human welfare. Each organization submitted an application, which was evaluated against the standard eligibility requirements, and was approved by US Equestrian’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Review Committee, consisting of executive staff, volunteers, and athletes. The 2022 USEF Community Outreach Organizations are listed below in alphabetical order: • Beachwood Center for Wellbeing (Charlestown, R.I.) • Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (Clifton, Va.) • Prancing Horse (Southern Pines, N.C.) • Solid Strides (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) • Special Equestrians (Warrington, Pa.) These five organizations join 16 organizations recognized 22 FALL ISSUE 2022

earlier this year, collectively improving access to horses across 15 different states. Additional information about each organization and the USEF Community Outreach Program is available at usef.org/about-us/diversity-inclusion/organizations-program/ program-directory. Community Outreach Organizations receive several benefits, including eligibility to apply for a grant through the USEF Opportunity Fund. USEF is committed to supporting these organizations through grant opportunities because they encourage more people to get involved with horses and embody our vision of bringing the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible. Individuals can make a tax-deductible donation to the USEF Opportunity Fund online at usef.org/donate. The next application period opens October 1, 2022, and closes November 30, 2022. For more information, such as eligibility requirements and required documentation, visit usef.org/about-us/diversity-inclusion/organizations-program/ join-outreach. For more information about USEF Opportunity Fund partnership opportunities, please contact Layson Griffin, Senior Director of Sponsorship and Sales, at LGriffin@usef.org.

PHOTO: SYDNEY SAWYER/NVTRP

An equestrian at the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program.

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 23

USEF NEWS

Members Celebrate Fifty Years as Licensed Officials

USEF Unveils Eight New Para Dressage Centers of Excellence US Equestrian has provisionally approved eight new USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence, pending fulfillment of required background checks and U.S. Center for SafeSport training. The USEF COE program, founded in 2015, is designed to grow the sport of para dressage throughout the United States, playing a critical role in pipeline development, from grassroots through the elite level of athlete and coach education and support. By providing multiple centers of instruction and technical dressage training throughout the United States, the COE initiative provides athletes with disabilities the opportunity to discover competitive para dressage at both the national and eventually CPEDI level, at locations convenient to them. This year, COEs will work alongside USEF Para Dressage Development Coach Lisa Hellmer to further develop their programs. The following programs have been provisionally approved as USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence and are listed in alphabetical order: Carlisle Academy (Lyman, Maine), Healing Strides of VA (Boones Mill, Va.), North Texas Equestrian Center (Wylie, Texas), Para Equestrian Athletes, LLC, at Lloyd Harbor Equestrian Center (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.), Ride On Therapeutic Riding (Chatsworth, Calif.), Therapeutic Riding, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Thorncroft Therapeutic (Malvern, Penn.), and Wheatland Farm (Purcellville, Va.). US Equestrian provides COEs with marketing, outreach, and program support, along with access to USEF funding (budget permitting). For more information on the USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence program, visit usef.org. Under the Compete tab, click Breeds & Disciplines, then Para Equestrian, then Para Equestrian Dressage (all programs). 24 FALL ISSUE 2022

PHOTOS: US EQUESTRIAN

A lesson at Wheatland Farm in Virginia, one of the USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence.

The 2022 competition year marks a major milestone for nine Federation licensed officials. This special group of officials have been officiating with USEF for 50 years. The Federation appreciates their dedication and commitment to the sport through officiating. Licensed officials are an integral contribution to the sport as competitions certainly cannot occur without licensed officials. The following officials have been licensed for 50 consecutive years, with their current licenses: Penny Carpenter (Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation, Jumper); Judith Dannemann (Dressage, Eventing); Janice Decker (Arabian); Anne Judd (Saddlebred, Saddle Seat Equitation); Judy Kibler (Arabian); Elizabeth Lewis (Dressage); John McGinty (Hunter, Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation, Jumper); Thomas Poulin (Dressage); and Melanie Smith Taylor (Hunter, Hunter/ Jumping Seat Equitation, Jumper). Reflecting on her time as a judge, Melanie Smith Taylor said she “always felt it was important to give back to our sport in any way that we can. Judging is fun but not always easy. It requires focus, organizational skills, and integrity, whether it is a small schooling show or the USET and Maclay Finals.” “Judging and stewarding is a huge responsibility,” said steward and judge Penny Carpenter. “Without the support and trust of the exhibitors and trainers who chose to show in front of me or who asked me stewarding questions, I would never have been able to stay in this profession for so long.” US Equestrian gives our thanks and congratulations to the officials who have reached this impressive and inspiring milestone. It is admirable to give back to the equestrian community for so many years.—Alina Brazzil

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SEEN AND HEARD

In & Around the Ring

“Y

- USEF judge Bill Venditta on what he looks for in a driver in a Carriage Pleasure Driving Turnout class at the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair in Devon, Pa.

Above: Caroline Davis and Friesian gelding Cor Ut Terherne earn top honors in the English Pleasure Hunt Seat Open Championship at the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair in Devon, Pa. Right: The U.S. Junior Jumping Team of (left to right) Sahana Ganesan, Andrew Lopez, Stella Wasserman, Leila Diab, and Alexa Leong finished third in the CSIOJ BB Equestrian Junior Nations Cup at the Odlum Brown BC Open in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.

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PHOTOS: DEVYN TRETHEWEY/US EQUESTRIAN, QUINN SAUNDERS, LIBBY LAW PHOTOGRAPHY, LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

ou’re looking for someone who is very confident, has a smile on their face, and they’re enjoying showing because, after all, why are we doing this? We need to enjoy it.”

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Above: The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team of (left to right) Caroline Martin, Isabelle Bosley, Cornelia Dorr, and Alexandra Knowles finished second in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Great Britain CCIO4*-S in Norfolk, England. Left: Beatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense win the Perrigo CPEDI3* at Tryon Summer Dressage 1&2 in Mill Spring, N.C.

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LEARNING CENTER

Gastric ulcers are surprisingly common in horses, but our new Learning Center video details some of the management strategies that can help reduce their occurrence.

NEW WEBINAR Inclusive Spaces for Trans and Non-Binary Equestrians

Any horse, whether a high-performance sport horse or a backyard pleasure horse, can develop gastric ulcers. In US Equestrian’s new Learning Center video, “Equine Gastric Ulcers,” Dr. Nimet Browne of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., details the two separate disease processes of gastric ulcers: squamous ulcers, the most common type which affect the top third of the stomach, and glandular ulcers, which commonly appear closer to the pylorus, where the stomach opens into small intestine. Browne helps you identify symptoms, talks you through the gastroscopy procedure veterinarians use to diagnose ulcers, and discusses treatment options, which differs partly according to the type of ulcer the horse has. “Gastric ulcer disease in horses is certainly not a death sentence, for sure, and most horses do recover after treatment,” Browne says. “Sometimes the initial treatment course of 30 days is not enough, and we do need to extend treatment. Some horses will benefit from staying on some sort of preventative protocol, whether that be medications, management changes, supplements, or some combination of those. But most horses do recover fully from gastric ulcers.” Watch the video, read an article about equine gastric ulcer symptoms and management strategies, and find hundreds of other resources about horse health, training, breeds and disciplines, and more in the Learning Center at usef.org/learn.

As part of US Equestrian’s ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community Conversations series, we hosted a webinar that provided tips for creating and cultivating welcoming, gender-inclusive spaces for all ages and in any environment, whether at a competition or in a boarding or lesson barn. Moderated by US Equestrian’s affiliate and communications manager, Ashley Swift, the panel included Liam Miranda of The Inclusion

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Playbook, Western Washington University student and equestrian Lex Novak, and equestrian coach and farm owner Kate Sharkey. Watch the webinar, access the presentation slides, and check out numerous other resources and websites at usef.org/learn. Scroll down the page for this and other Community Conversations videos.

PHOTO: US EQUESTRIAN

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 33

I AM US EQUESTRIAN

HORSES GIVE ME PEACE by Julie Webster-Smith

I grew up in Chicago. I was adopted, and my adoptive father was a mounted policeman in Chicago. I was born in ’53, and he used to take me to the racetrack as a two- or three-year-old. My mother would say, “Do not take that child to the racetrack!” But he would sneak me there with him, and he would put me on his mounted police horses and stuff like that. That’s how I started loving horses. But the family broke up, and when my mom divorced I was living on the south side of Chicago near Washington Park. There’s one area of Chicago that used to have a bridle path called the Midway. It was a straight shot from my house for maybe two miles all the way to Lake Michigan. When I was about 10, I was riding my bike one day, and I smelled something that I didn’t know what it was. So I followed the smell and saw horses. I was enamored. But I couldn’t go in the barn. I’m not playing the race card, but this is just how it was back then: they wouldn’t allow me in the barn. All I could do was sit on my bike and watch, so I’d do that almost every day. One day the lady who owned the barn saw my dedication. She said, “Do you want to come in the barn? Come on.” I went in, and there was a horse—I guess it was a lesson horse—and she let me brush him. Later on, when I was 16, I found my mother dead; she passed away from a heart attack, and I found her on the couch. My aunt took over my care. She was a registered nurse, and she knew I was going through a lot of problems. So they sent me to a therapist. It was $20 for an hour, and that was a lot of money. Back then, they didn’t have credit 34 FALL ISSUE 2022

PHOTO: SWEET FRESNO PHOTOGRAPHY

Julie Webster-Smith participates in the Horses and Warriors veterans’ program at Calvin Equestrian Center in Hampton, Ga.

Horse trainer and riding coach Julie Webster-Smith has worked on the racetrack, ridden cavalry horses, been an assistant coach with Oberlin College’s equestrian team, and worked with veterans and their horses. Along the way, she says, horses have saved her life.

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I AM US EQUESTRIAN

cards, so she would give me cash. One day I skipped therapy, and the doctor asked, “What happened? Where were you?” Thank God he didn’t tell my aunt. I told him I’d seen horses down in Old Town Chicago. That was the tourist area. I told him I went there and paid to have a lesson, and I rode. He said, “And did you like it?” And I said that, yes, I had loved it. He said, “I can see the difference in you already. We’re not going to tell anyone, but maybe once or twice a month you can go down there.” And that’s how I started riding. I found out that horses were so calming to me. I was in a lot of pain. I was a little girl who had gone through a lot, including a little abuse, because my mother was an alcoholic. That therapist could see what a change the horses made in me. I joined the military in 1977. I asked to go to Fort Carson, Colo., because my best friend in basic training was at Fort Carson. She knew I loved horses, and she said they had a ranch that belonged to the Army and I could work at the farm. I tried out for the ranch job at Turkey Creek Ranch, and I got it. I never had to do what I was trained to do; I got special duty riding the horses. That’s where I first noticed what dressage was. There was an old cowboy there in a 10-gallon hat, and he’s the one who first taught me what dressage was. He also taught me a little bit about reining. I had so much interest in both of them and was like, “Which one should I do?’”He was 36 FALL ISSUE 2022

the first one to say to me, “They’re very much alike. Take your choice.” When I was in the military, they had disbanded the Women’s Army Corps, and there wasn’t awareness about sexual harassment back then, but you were harassed. I had a big old sergeant from Texas, a Black man, and he thought, how could I, a Black woman, ride horses? He would say I didn’t know what I was doing, black women didn’t ride horses—it got ugly. That’s all I’ll say about that. But I was suicidal. I had to leave the military because I tried to commit suicide twice. When I left the military, I went to Meredith Manor in West Virginia and got my Riding Master I. I started a horse training and riding instructor business at the fairgrounds in Ashland, Ohio, where I had about 14 horses, but I was married by

then and my husband decided he wanted to become a United Methodist Church pastor, which means you’re an itinerant pastor and move all around. So I never got to have my own place, but when we left Ashland I took one of the school horses with me, a Thoroughbred named On the Mark; I called him St. Mark because he helped me when I was stressed out learning to be a pastor’s wife and he taught my children to ride. But I had really been having some problems: leaving the military, then getting divorced after 14 years. I have lupus and had blood clots in my lungs. I never knew if I was going to make it. And some things that happened to me in my childhood came back to bite me, and I was seeing a psychiatrist. But the horses kept me alive. I would go to the stables and

PHOTO: SWEET FRESNO PHOTOGRAPHY

Julie Webster-Smith riding alongside Calvin Equestrian Center’s Equestrian Director, Kate Robbins.

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I AM US EQUESTRIAN

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“Today, horses give me peace,” Julie Webster-Smith says. “When I first started riding, they gave me confidence.”

Knight, that I trained. He’s the horse of my dreams. He’s jet-black and is the greatest horse in the world with the best personality. He’s perfect for anybody to ride, but when he’s done, he’s done. He won’t dump you; he’ll just walk away, still carrying the person who is learning how to ride! But he is the best ride. Today, horses give me peace. When I first started riding, they gave me confidence. They gave me self-esteem, and they gave me a need and a want to either take care of somebody or be taken care of by someone. Because horses are great caretakers. And that’s what they taught me from the beginning. As I grew, they gave me a willingness to continue living. Where I am now is so different from where I was then. I have a pacemaker, I have a port in my chest, I’m on Coumadin, and I have lupus. When I go out to Horses and Warriors, and when I get near those horses, it stops me worrying. Back around 2019, I was in a parade at a Black rodeo here in Atlanta. Here I am, a fat lady riding Knight. Everybody else is riding Western, and I rode in in my dressage saddle. I gave Knight a squeeze, and he came in there high-stepping—he’s a Morgan!—and people were waving and calling to us. They came up after and said, “How do you do that?” Well, you know, you can do that, too. I want people to know there is no limit to what you can do; the only limit is you. Learn to ride and be surprised. Julie Webster-Smith lives near Atlanta, Ga., where she operates No Limits! Dressage LLC and participates in the Horses and Warriors veterans’ program at Calvin Equestrian Center in Hampton, Ga. She teaches dressage, hunt seat equitation, and Western dressage.

PHOTO: SWEET FRESNO PHOTOGRAPHY

stand in a horse’s stall and pet them and smell them, and the tension would just go away. Everything would be okay. By then, I was an assistant coach at Oberlin College, and I just couldn’t be away from the horses. If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t be here. Horses have an aura about them that speaks peace. God has given them a spirit of being totally aware of their surroundings. They have to be aware; they’re prey. When they feel safe, that aura of peace and security flows from them and to you. It stops you from being angry, from being hurt, from having problems with self-esteem. If you are afraid, if you are angry, if you are disquieted, you have stress you’ve been carrying, maybe for years, even if you didn’t know it. But the horse knows it as soon as you walk up. If you are quiet, a horse will flick his ears, look at you, and then take a deep breath and sigh. And that warm sigh will relax you. That’s what I look for in a lesson horse: he has to have that peaceful spirit, secure in who he is, and to be able to relay that to others. When I was 47, I decided I would apply to Lake Erie College. I got accepted, and when I graduated in 2003, I was 50 years old and had a B.S. in Equine Studies. I was the first Black person and the oldest person to graduate. Today I mainly ride for pleasure and to keep myself in shape. When I first came to Georgia, I had never seen so many Black cowboys. When I was in Ohio, I was just about the only Black person who was riding. But in Georgia I found this man who ran a Black rodeo, and he told me about a place I should go. So I did, and there were all of these Black people and all of these horses, and I was like, “Whoa!” I met a man, a Marine named Curtis Harris, a good friend who had a horse, a little Morgan cross named Xavier’s Black

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HORSE HEALTH

TREATING CELLULITIS

Left: Cellulitis often starts in the lower leg. Right: Consult your veterinarian for advice on whether and how to bandage in your horse’s case.

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Muddy conditions can contribute to cellulitis, a dramatic and often painful condition. Cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the soft connective tissues under the skin, causes sudden, extreme swelling in the affected area—often in a leg. Given the condition’s seemingly fast onset and dramatic appearance, horses and ponies with cellulitis—especially if they are lame or unwilling to move—can sometimes look like they have a severe injury, such as a bowed tendon or a fracture. So, before taking any action, call your veterinarian for a diagnosis, advises Dr. Luke Fallon of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. The causes of cellulitis can vary. A horse with cracked heels, dew poisoning, impaired lymphatic flow, or a cut might pick up bacteria that then proliferates, but a horse can also develop cellulitis in response to a viral infection that causes vasculitis (an inflammation of the blood vessels) or after an injury that causes a long-term swelling. “I see it at all times of year,” Fallon said. “I see it more commonly during wet periods of the year, because wet conditions tend to cause conditions such as dew poisoning, mud rash, scratches, and cracked heels. Horses that are constantly standing in a moist environment can develop defects involving the soft tissues

associated with the hoof, heel bulbs, and coronet band. Defects of this nature can become an entry point for bacteria.” Symptoms

Whatever the cause, once a horse has cellulitis, it’s easy to spot. The swelling will be significant, hot, and often painful. A leg affected by cellulitis can have a “stovepipe” appearance, and the skin also might crack or develop an abscess. Quite often, the horse also will have a fever. “Take the horse’s temperature,” Fallon advised. “If they’re running, say, a 102-degree temperature, yes, it could be stress-induced because they’ve got a fracture or have a horrible bowed tendon. However, if they’re running a fever, it could be because they have an active inflammatory process going on in their body related to an infection.” In a leg, cellulitis often will start in the lower leg, around the heels, pastern, or fetlock. “It can extend all the way up to the elbow in a front leg or above the gaskin in a hind leg,” said Fallon. “The edema [swelling] can be pitting or interstitial edema, where you can poke your finger into it and it leaves an impression. You’ll

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HAGYARD EQUINE MEDICAL INSTITUTE, SHELLEY PAULSON PHOTOGRAPHY

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HORSE HEALTH

Reduce the Swelling

In cases of both cellulitis (and lymphangitis), getting rid of that excess fluid is a crucial part of treatment, Fallon says. Getting the horse moving, such as by hand-walking several times a day, is an excellent way to achieve this, but there are other options, too, that can help draw the accumulated fluid out of the limb. Those can include hydrotherapy (e.g., hosing with cold water, especially in acute and hot cellulitis cases, or alternating warm- and cold-water treatment, particularly in cases of chronic lymphangitis or cellulitis-related edema lasting longer than 48 hours); poultices or osmotic (fluid-drawing) agents under leg wraps; and underwater treadmills. “If there’s any way to exercise or move that limb, the muscle contractions will help move that lymphatic fluid up the leg,” said Fallon. “Exercise is key. If the animal is able to move around, that’s important.” Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like phenylbutazone (bute) or flunixin (Banamine) are also important in helping to reduce swelling, Fallon said. Corticosteroids and diuretics like furosemide (Salix) can be beneficial, too; antibiotics, corticosteroids, and/or diuretics should be given only under your veterinarian’s instruction. Bandaging can be helpful, but it’s important to bandage properly for cellulitis, Fallon cautions, because an improper bandage can cause fluid to collect and stagnate above the bandage. Consult your veterinarian for advice on whether and how to bandage in your horse’s case. In chronic cases, such as those associated with lymphangitis, low-dose aspirin therapy also might be helpful, but—again—consult your veterinarian before trying this. “You’re looking for things that can improve the vascular flow and lymphatic drainage,” Fallon said. “But the critical component is exercise: you’ve got to

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have locomotion to get that passive lymphatic drainage activated.” Attack the Infection

“If you’ve got a case of cellulitis, typically your vet is also going to treat the horse with some sort of broad-spectrum antibiotic to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active in causing the cellulitis or any potential secondary bacterial infection that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue,” Fallon said. Watch Out for Recurrence

Horses who have had cellulitis are somewhat prone to developing it again. “They certainly can, and the more they have recurrent cases of cellulitis or lymphangitis, it has a propensity to affect that same limb or limbs again,” Fallon said. “And anything that causes inflammation in the body might cause it to flare up again. For example, if your horse gets a gravel in that foot or has some sort of infection elsewhere in his body, that might cause a recurring case of cellulitis.”

Your veterinarian might recommend hosing with cold water, especially in acute and hot cellulitis cases.

PHOTO: LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

sometimes see horses that have so much edema that the serum starts to seep from the skin.” Some horses also can develop chronic lymphangitis, a chronic form of cellulitis that occurs in horses who have impaired lymphatic drainage. Lymphangitis or impairment of lymphatic flow can set the affected limb up for infection by allowing fluid to pool rather than drawing it out again as normal. “When you’ve got a lot of sequestered or stagnant fluid, you have a perfect place for bacteria to proliferate and become a full-blown infection,” Fallon explained. So what can you and your veterinarian do if your horse has cellulitis?

TRENDING

AUTUMN ON TREND Brisk weather is on its way. The season’s best look-and-feel? Crisp and cozy, with a nod to your equestrian lifestyle.

Autumn’s cooler temperatures and naturally brilliant palette are inspiring us to re-energize. What better place to start than the wardrobe? Ariat’s fall pieces are perfect for the coming season, from cozy wool blends for crisp mornings to blazing color accents to tailored pieces that can take you from the barn to the board room. Check out these looks and more at your local Ariat retailer. The Season’s Best Suede

The Leighton boot isn’t just pretty. True, it comes in earthy olive night or barley brown suede with antique brass logo hardware and a classic plaid lining. But this ready-for-anything footwear also sports a rugged, high-performance Vibram® outsole for superior grip and durability, full grain leather, and Waterproof PRO™ construction. Early frost or sudden chilly rain? The Leighton’s got you covered.

From Ariat’s always popular Countryside collection, the Clarion blouse and Tomales shirt let you pivot from a talk with your trainer to a meeting at the office without a need to change. The Clarion’s light, silky twill comes in toile, pinstripe, or the striking print featuring several horse breeds and has a ruffle at the neck and cuff. Tuck? Untuck? You’ll look great either way. The Tomales, a classic button-down available in chambray or a snaffle-bit print, is the ideal weight for year-round wear. A versatile piece for layering or wearing on its own, it has a contrasting placket, collar band, and cuff. Colorful Kicks

The spirited Frontier Chimayo boot is touched with glorious seasonal colors straight from nature: the red and orange-gold of autumn sunsets, the dazzling turquoise of a fall sky. With full-grain leather foot and upper, the Frontier Chimayo is as comfortable, durable, and easygoing as a favorite working cow horse, too. It’s got all the features Ariat boots are known for, including a Duratread™ heel tap, contoured 46 FALL ISSUE 2022

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ARIAT

Sporting Style

TRENDING all-day cushioning, ATS® technology, and TekStep, which provides toe-to-heel rebound and cushioning to maximize comfort and all-day wear without fatigue. These boots are as strong as a work horse but also as pretty as a show horse, with five-row stitch pattern with embroidery and a hand-nailed, scoured, and distressed leather outsole. The Perfect Parka

Ariat’s superior outerwear raises the bar again with the Sterling Insulated Parka, shown here in navy heather. Rain can’t spoil your fall-season fun with this coat’s breathable waterproof construction, sturdy snaps and two-way zipper, and zippered hand pockets. Breathable Waterproof garments are windproof, waterproof, and seam-sealed to keep the weather out, but the surface fabric also allows body vapor to escape so you stay comfortably dry. The jacket also features EcoDRY™ technology which protects you from the elements without harmful, environmentally damaging chemicals, so you can go about your business in inclement weather—and go green at the same time. And the fully lined Sterling Parka does it all without bulk or extra weight, thanks to its Cool Climate Insulation™. Cloudburst catch you off guard? No problem: the removable hood keeps you out of the wet weather and then easily packs away again when it’s not needed. Pair the parka with the Woodside 2.0 vest in chestnut (as shown) for an extra splash of style and contrasting color. Take It to the Street

There’s so much to love in this casual but elegant outfit. Wrap up warm effortlessly with the Saratoga cardigan in soft heather-gray plaid. This cardigan delivers luxurious warmth with its extra length, patch pockets, and cozy hood. Made from an ethically sourced wool blend, its jacquard knit is also reversible and features a horse-bit detail on the back. Layer it as seen here with the high cowl-neck Three Chimney sweater (shown in oatmeal), the tailored Marlow pant—a midweight stretch riding pant with breech details like a euro seat and piping at the pockets. And complete the look with the Sutton II waterproof boots that work hard, look good, and keep you comfortable all day long.

When you’ve unsaddled the last horse of the day and gotten all your charges fed and bedded down, it’s time to kick back and get casual at home or out with friends. Spice up your post-barn fun with the colorful Hilo Chimayo print shoe. Comes with a textile or leather upper, a breathable and cushioning open-cell PU insole, and a lightweight FLX Foam outsole, and a lace-up entry with an easy slip-on style. What that means for you is long-lasting ease and comfort for those post-work hours when you just want to relax and enjoy yourself. To find your local Ariat retailer, visit ariat.com and click on Find Store. 48 FALL ISSUE 2022

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ARIAT

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REACH FOR THE STARS!

BECOME A US EQUESTRIAN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETE! US Equestrian recognizes student athletes for their commitment to equestrian sport and time spent in the saddle. Join the program today!

Ride 100 hours or compete in 3 competitions Be in grade 5-12 Be a US Equestrian fan or competing member Learn more and sign up today! usef.org/go/equestrianathlete

ALL NEW!

North America’s Premier Equine Exposition & Equestrian Gathering

NOV. 10-13, 2022 W. SPRINGFIELD, MA Eastern States Exposition

• An Unparalleled Educational Program • The Largest Horse-Related Trade Show in the East • Breed Pavilion and Demonstrations: Discover a world of horses and their associations • Horse & Farm Exhibits, Horses for Sale and Adoption Affaire: Showcasing horse farms, training and lesson facilities, breeding stallions, horses for sale, and horses for adoption • The Fantasia (sponsored by Absorbine®) — Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights • Marketplace Consignment Shop: Sell your gently used tack, apparel and equipment at Equine Affaire and get cash for items sold! • The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition (sponsored by Nutrena®) on Friday — a fast-paced timed and judged race through an obstacle course with $5,500 at stake! • Equine Fundamentals Forum — Educational presentations, exhibits, and activities for new riders and horse owners of all ages • Youth Activities and College/Career Fair Scavenger Hunt • International Liberty Horse Association Invitational Freestyle (sponsored by EspanaSILK) — Select liberty trainers & horses will display their talents in a two-part competition. • Horses that Heal — Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. will offer an opportunity to interact with horses and experience the effects of equine-assisted activities. • And much more!

Proud sponsors of this Equine Affaire:

Featured Clinicians Jonathan Field Pat Parelli Steve Lantvit Lorie Duff Scott Purdum

Bill Warren (Dressage) Jane Karol (Dressage) Gina Miles (Eventing) Nona Garson (Hunter/Jumper) Sterling Graburn (Driving) Chad Crider (Barrel Racing) Karen Black (Reined Cow Horse) Steve Lantvit (Ranch Horse) Leslie Lopardo (Western Dressage)

Michael Gascon (Easy Gaited Horses) Sally Batton (Athletic Equestrian and Equicize) Ty Evans (Mules) Carrie Brandt and Laura Benson (Icelandics) Caleb Carinci-Asch (Lunging) Joyleen Seymour (Mounted Games) Copper Hill Vaulting Team (Vaulting) Canadian Cowgirls (Drill Teams)

For all you need to know, visit equineaffaire.com

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PHOTO: SHELLEY PAULSON PHOTOGRAPHY

LESSONS LEARNED WITH HORSES BY KATHLEEN LANDWEHR

USEF Community Outreach Organizations are teaching participants horsemanship and life skills, too. Anyone who has worked with horses knows that there’s so much they can teach you. From beginner equestrians developing connections with their ponies while learning the basics of grooming to top athletes seeing their years of goal-setting and hard work come to fruition on the world stage, working with horses teaches people essential lessons that they will take with them wherever they go in life. USEF Community Outreach Organizations provide excellent examples of individuals who have worked with horses and learned life skills that have helped them in their day-to-day lives and beyond. We talked to three—Horse SenseAbility, HorseSensing, and Metropolitan Equestrian Team—that are using horses as facilitators to better the lives of their participants through lessons in practical skills for successfully navigating interpersonal relationships, the college-application process, entrepreneurship, and the workplace. PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE

Horse SenseAbility in Sherborn, Mass., offers seven programs for a variety of participants and keeps their programs financially accessible. Two programs there, Stable Moments® and Wildstar Wranglers, focus on developing life skills for specific groups of children and young adults. Horse

SenseAbility was an early adopter of Stable Moments (stablemoments.com), a nationwide program which matches a child who has been in foster care with a trained mentor and a horse. During the school year, up to 10 children between the ages of six and 14 come to Horse SenseAbility once a week to work on a specific curriculum focused on self-worth, emotional awareness, self-regulation, responsibility, independence, and healthy relationships. “I meet with a parent or guardian and a mental health professional to learn more about the child’s background and have them identify for us two or three areas the child would most benefit from working on,” said Polly Kornblith, founder and executive director of Horse SenseAbility. “Then there are structured activities the mentors can do with their child that are categorized by those focus areas.” Wildstar Wranglers is a vocational program for 18- to 25-year-old young adults who have autism spectrum disorder and are preparing to get a job. The program ties barn chores and job skills into a curriculum aimed at setting the participants up for success. Up to six young adults come to Horse SenseAbility once a week for eight weeks to develop as a future member of the workforce. “The focus is on learning basic job skills that would apply in any

occupation but on learning them here at the farm in a supportive, safe, calm environment,” said Kornblith. “We felt that we could offer something in a different way that might capture these young people’s imagination whether or not they’re interested in working in a barn. They do help us by doing real chores. We treat them, to the extent possible, as they would be treated as an employee.” HorseSensing in Shelbyville, Ky., also prepares its participants to join the workforce with the HS Grooming Education, Certification, and Job Placement Program. It is a no-cost, 90-day residential relapse-prevention program where participants learn from a group of equestrian professionals and become certified on their way to being placed in horse industry career. “The two prongs of the program are veterans and people in recovery from addiction,” Dr. Sally Broder, executive director of HorseSensing, said of the participants, most of whom have no prior horse experience. “Both groups can be kind of lost and not know what their next chapter is going to be, not know how to stay on course. What we’re doing is providing them with a sustainable path forward. Our motto is ‘hope, purpose, and a sense of belonging.’” Under the guidance of HorseSensing educators, the participants do barn chores and work horses on a daily basis

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 53

to financial literacy. MET participants come from various socioeconomic backgrounds, and the organization aims to include everyone. “The love of the horse doesn’t come from your pocket, the love comes from inside of you,” said DaCosta. “I wanted to create an environment where children from all different types of walks of life are able to come together and be a part of a family, an organization that they can grow with and be the next alumni.”

A group of HorseSensing’s program participants learning to train a horse to use a jog cart. A Stable Moments participant enjoys doing barn chores at Horse SenseAbility.

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as they learn horsemanship, basic riding, and trainer-level groundwork skills. “The final week of the three months, we’re literally testing them out and certifying them,” explained Broder. “We teach them how to do each task, and then we expect them to learn how to do it at speed because when you’re working for a horse trainer, they need you to get these horses ready in a thorough fashion, but also quickly, because you’ve got a lot of stuff to do. Then we certify them and we place them in a job with housing.” Metropolitan Equestrian Team, based in New York, N.Y., caters to aspiring equestrians in grades three through 12 with education and equestrian sport opportunities. “Our goal is to change the conversation from ‘if I’m going to college’ to ‘where I’m going to college,’” said Jane DaCosta, MET’s founder and executive director. MET provides a variety of programs, including Interscholastic Equestrian Association and Athletic Equestrian League teams and the Equine Opportunity Program, which educates young equestrians at one of MET’s extension locations. Each of the programs includes an Alternative Learning Program component with lessons on topics from STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) learning

Each of these USEF Community Outreach Organizations teaches a plethora of skills that serve the participants at the barn and in their lives at home, school, or work. MET participants fundraise to reach their riding goals, practicing financial literacy and determination. “We’re teaching our children to be advocates and to be anything that they want to be within our disposable-income sport,” said DaCosta. “If you’re a junior rider in the cross-rail division and you’re saying to yourself, ‘I want to be the next 3’ hunter rider,’ and you know that you don’t have two nickels to scratch together, let’s come up with a business plan for how you’re going to get there. We are teaching a kid how to be their own entrepreneur.” The funds participants raise go into their own accounts to pay for equestrian-related expenses, and MET can provide grants to participants to give them an extra boost. DaCosta is also a big promoter of inclusivity and inter-cultural competency at MET. The participants interact with a unique group of peers and become comfortable with differences and similarities in others. “When you’re put in an environment together of all these different socioeconomic statuses and backgrounds and cultures, you’re creating our intercultural competency and managing ambiguity at a young age,” said DaCosta. “If you’re able to do that, it doesn’t become a shock later and it just organically happens.” Similarly, Horse SenseAbility works on social skills with its Stable Moments

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HORSESENSING, COURTESY OF HORSE SENSEABILITY

TAKE-HOME SKILLS FROM THE BARN

and Wildstar Wranglers participants and sees progress over time. Children in Stable Moments work on developing in those six focus areas each year. “We do a pre- and post-assessment with parents and guardians to see whether there’s been any change over the course of the year,” Kornblith said. “None of those six areas are just day-to-day issues. They all enhance the child’s ability to function in a social setting, function in a family, every relationship they’re in.” Kornblith notes that social skills are especially challenging for people on the autism spectrum, so it is important for Wildstar Wranglers to know how to interact with others. “We try to practice things like talking to a group, giving a presentation, and managing a job interview, which is one of the biggest challenges,” said Kornblith. “They’ll learn things like how to follow directions, check their work, accept feedback, ask for help, and work with other team members.” There can be bumps in the road as the Wildstar Wranglers develop their job skills, but even those turn into learning opportunities. “Say you ask someone to sweep the barn and the response is ‘No, I don’t feel like it.’ Well, that leads to a whole conversation about what the repercussion of that kind of response would likely be in an actual job setting,” explained Kornblith. The Wildstar Wranglers are able to flex their job skills in the supportive environment and develop their confidence. Participants in HorseSensing’s HS Grooming Program learn a range of horse care skills, but they are learning many life skills as well. “The skills would be discipline, responsibility, timeliness, being early for stuff, pushing through when stuff is hard,” HorseSensing’s Broder said. “If no one else is there to pick up the slack, you have to do it because the horse is depending on you—that stick-toitiveness. The other thing is that it builds self-esteem and self-worth, all-around skills for their employability, accountability, self-reflection, and community engagement, because a lot of both veterans and addicts tend to be loners and they

withdraw. This forces them to interact with both the direct boss and the wider people—the people who come in the barn, anybody that you have to interface with.” THE TEACHING AND HEALING POWERS OF HORSES

Even with the variety of program certifications, criteria, and goals, horses remain the centerpiece. Horses enable participants to do things that previously seemed impossible, and they provide comfort to those overcoming hardships. “The relationship with the horses and that ability for people who are traumatized to have that relationship with the horses, that is so healing,” said Broder. “The kindness that the horses demonstrate and what they bring out of us, they bring out all the best things in us.” Horse SenseAbility’s Kornblith agrees about the benefits of the connection with horses. “Our motto is that it’s not about the riding, it’s about the relationship,” she said. “Doing unmounted work with the horse has as much or maybe even more value, particularly for participants who have mental health challenges.” Horses are a pillar of dependability for children in Horse SenseAbility’s Stable Moments. The participants often have

“The horse is accepting, not critical, and resonates with whatever mood the child comes in with,” says Polly Kornblith, Horse SenseAbility’s founder and executive director, of the horses interacting with Stable Moments participants. HorseSensing’s Curriculum Instructor Erin MacLachlan (left) and Education Director Phillip Crittendon (right) give an anatomy lesson to program participants.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

Donate now to the USEF Opportunity Fund to help fund grants to support USEF Community Outreach Organizations. Go to usef.org/opportunityfund to donate.

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issues trusting others and the horses help them work through their struggles. “People have failed, betrayed, and hurt them, so bonding with the horse can be a big first step toward beginning to trust again,” said Kornblith. “The horse isn’t going to have opinions about what they’re wearing that day, where they come from, how they speak, whether they can read, any of those things. A bond usually gets built with the mentor over time, but starting with the horse is key because the horse isn’t like the person who has hurt the child. The horse is accepting, not critical, and resonates with whatever mood the child comes in with.” In the Wildstar Wranglers program, the young adults benefit immensely from learning job skills at the barn with horses, Kornblith says. “With the horsemanship skills, it boils down to being responsible, thinking about others, treating both animals and people appropriately, and being willing to get praise and criticism. That all happens when these young people get feedback from the horse and as well as from the program leaders and their peers,” said Kornblith. “Particularly for those on the spectrum, the ability to communicate without necessarily having to do it verbally or having to look a horse in the eye can be very helpful.”

The sense of responsibility with caring for horses is true for the MET participants, as well. “There are a lot of kids out there today who don’t have the life skills to know what the responsibility is to care for someone else,” said DaCosta. “The animal husbandry that happens between a child and a horse brings them together and gives the child responsibility.” SET UP FOR SUCCESS

There is no shortage of participant success stories from these and other USEF Community Outreach Organizations. One of MET’s success stories is Matthew Drohan, who came from a single-parent home in New York City. DaCosta happened to watch Drohan’s first riding lesson, and she noticed how well he handled himself. She asked him to join MET’s Interscholastic Equestrian Association hunt seat team, and Drohan politely turned down the offer due to financial constraints. DaCosta found Drohan a sponsor in the form of Robin Bender, and Drohan excelled with MET’s IEA team. “Once I started being on the team and really felt like riding is what I want to do, that’s when I started looking at universities to do this,” said Drohan. Drohan went to Centenary University in Hackettstown, N.J., where he competed on the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MATTHEW DROHAN, COURTESY OF MET

Matthew Drohan rides Caspar during one of his working student stints in Wellington, Fla., during a college winter break.

and was the 2018 IHSA Reserve National Champion. Drohan also spent summer and winter vacations as a working student for professional equestrians Anne Kursinski, Linda Langmeier, and Peter Leone. After graduating from college, Drohan set out as a professional jumping athlete, furthering his education in Europe while working for German Olympians Christian Ahlmann and Marcus Ehning, as well as with Irish Olympian Bertram Allen. Drohan plans to start competing young horses abroad and hopes to gradually move up the jumping ranks. “I would say the biggest thing that I learned was really based on my start of being on the team,” Drohan said of his experience with MET. “If you stay focused and you work hard, your moment will come.” Those moments have come for participants in the other USEF Community Outreach Organizations, too. HorseSensing’s Broder is proud of an HS Grooming Program alum who is heading to one of top thoroughbred farms in Kentucky. “The position that he’s going into is going to be a little bit like a stable manager,” Broder explained. “He’s going to be handling all of the duties, like ordering the feed and making sure that all the other helpers are doing what they’re supposed to do. He is stepping into a management role right after leaving here with no previous horse experience.” Horse SenseAbility has received high praise from past Wildstar Wranglers who quickly put their job skills to good use. “We had two participants from Wildstar Wranglers who came back to tell us they would never have been able to get their job if they hadn’t done the program,” said Kornblith. Parents and guardians have similarly reported on the growth of Stable Moments participants. “Anything we can do to improve their interpersonal skills will serve them for the rest of their lives,” Kornblith said of the program’s students. “For example, we know that some of the kids get very angry, frustrated, and act

out in other settings, but these tendencies abate after coming here according to what parents have told us.” The work and results of all the USEF Community Outreach Organizations is inspirational. Passionate leaders create programs with horses that teach so much more than basic horsemanship skills. The innate benefits of interacting with horses are woven into methodical approaches to better the lives of the participants from all walks of life. Learn more about the USEF Community Outreach Program and find a complete list of participating organizations at usef.org/about-us/diversity-inclusion/ organizations-program.

Metropolitan Equestrian Team offers IEA teams to give aspiring young athletes an experience that mirrors riding for a team at the collegiate level.

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The United States Equestrian Federation and its USEF Education Partners have programs that keep students in the saddle and competing well past summer. Back-to-school season heralds the end of summer, but it doesn’t have to spell the end of horse sports for junior and collegiate equestrians. US Equestrian and its official Education Partners give students a lot of good reasons to stay in the saddle during the school year, whether for competition, lessons, or pleasure riding, even if they don’t have their own horse or pony. Some US Equestrian programs can even help students fund their equestrian or academic educations and find colleges that have equine-related programs. So there’s no need to hang up your tack just because you’re heading back to school this fall. Here’s our guide to get you started.

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE PHOTOGRAPHY

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Start by visiting US Equestrian’s Start Riding web page at usef.org/learning-center/start-riding to check out the many opportunities US Equestrian and its partners offer to continue and expand students’ equestrian opportunities from elementary school right through the college years. If you’re interested in learning to ride or trying a new discipline, the Start Riding page can help you locate a trainer through links to a number of programs: • United States Dressage Federation Instructor/Trainer Program • United States Eventing Association Instructors’ Certification Program • United States Hunter Jumper Association Trainer Certification Program • United States Hunter Jumper Association Recognized Riding Academy Program • American Riding Instructors Association • Certified Horsemanship Association Even if you already are an experienced young rider, the Start Riding page has a lot to offer, including a riding facility locator map powered by Time To Ride® and a handy online listing of the many youth opportunities available through US Equestrian’s affiliate breed and discipline organizations. You’ll also find a link to the United States Pony Clubs, a US Equestrian Alliance Partner, which also has grants, awards, and scholarship opportunities for young riders.

USEF’S INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETE PROGRAM

You don’t have to be a record-setting quarterback, point guard, or track star to letter in junior-high or high school sports anymore. US Equestrian’s Interscholastic Athlete Program is making sure equestrian athletes get their due, too. The program is open to USEF competing or subscribing members in grades five through 12, regardless of their breed or discipline affiliation. The program awards patches and pins for accumulated hours of equestrian activity—and not only from competing. Students who trail ride, take lessons, ground train, or school a horse or pony also can log that time toward their equestrian letter patch or pin. To participate, students must submit proof of enrollment in school and either an activity log showing a minimum of 100 hours of equestrian activity or verification that they have competed in three competitions (these do not have to be USEF-licensed competitions and can include rodeos, polo matches, drill team competitions, and more). The program starts each year on June 1 and runs through May 31 of the following year. Athletes receive an Interscholastic Athlete patch and pin after completing the first year in the program; for each additional year completed, they receive an Interscholastic Athlete pin and an award letter. Student athletes also can request that US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara send their current school a letter recognizing their achievement as equestrian athletes. Students can also apply retroactively for activity from previous years, provided they’re still in grades five through 12 and can provide verification of their equestrian activities for the previous years. For program requirements and details, check out usef.org/ learning-center/youth-programs/lettering. USEF GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Thinking about going to college and wondering how to pay for it? US Equestrian also offers grant and scholarship opportunities that you won’t want to miss. The USEF National Youth Sportsman’s Award includes a $1,000 grant payable to an educational program of the winner’s USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 61

Three USEF Education Partners– the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association, and National Collegiate Equestrian Association–offer team competition experiences in both hunt seat and Western disciplines.

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or equestrian-related expenses; winners at the National level receive a $500 grant toward education-related expenses. The Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant test consists of a written multiplechoice horsemanship quiz and a possible essay question and is hosted at a variety of Zone competitions around the country. The National competition, which takes place at USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms at the Kentucky Horse Park each August, consists of a multiple-choice test and, for the top four finishers in each age group, a hands-on horsemanship test.

ships to as many as five students who will continue their equestrian activity while at college or university, whether by pursuing an equine-related degree, competing on an intercollegiate team, or participating in other horse-related endeavors. Applicants must submit a completed application form, an essay, and a reference from an individual in the horse industry. For complete details about USEF grants and scholarships, visit usef.org/ learning-center/youth-programs and scroll down for the Grants and Scholarships tile. The Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant is open to junior riders competing in hunter/jumper pony classes at participating horse shows at the Zone and National levels. Winners at the Zone level receive a $100 grant to be used toward educational

students with opportunities to participate in equestrian sport. They also offer competition programs, including a final championship event that includes team and/or individual participation and recognition. USEF developed its Education Partner Program with two goals in mind. The first is to introduce young equestrians, their parent(s), and equestrian coaches to the federation, and the second is to maintain a connection with collegiate equestrians as they further their education and careers within the equestrian industry. To date, the USEF has six Education Partners. For students in grades four through 12, the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (rideiea.org) offers team and individual competitions in the disciplines

USEF EDUCATION PARTNERS

On the Start Riding page, you also can scout for interscholastic and intercollegiate riding programs led by USEF’s Education Partners. These non-profit organizations share a mission: to provide elementary, high school, and college

PHOTOS: TAYLOR PENCE PHOTOGRAPHY, ASHLEY SWIFT/US EQUESTRIAN, ANDREA EVANS/US EQUESTRIAN, LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

Below: US Equestrian’s Interscholastic Athlete Program allows students in grades five through 12 to letter in equestrian sport.

choice (the reserve winner also gets a $500 grant payable to the educational program of their choice). The award is open to equestrians age 17 and under (as of the current competition year) who are active members in good standing both with US Equestrian and their recognized national affiliate organization. In applying for the award, these equestrians must demonstrate continuing commitment to promoting equestrian sport, and they also must embody positive sportsmanship principles and serve as positive role models. Applicants also must demonstrate that they are active both in equestrian competition at any level and in their communities, and they must provide three letters of reference. US Equestrian’s Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship, which is open to active competing or subscribing US Equestrian members who are graduating high-school seniors, offers $1,000 scholar-

of hunt seat, Western horsemanship, reining, and dressage. Students do not need to own or lease a horse in order to participate. Competition levels include beginner, novice, intermediate, and open, with teams and individuals earning points to qualify for regional, zone, and national finals competitions. The American National Riding Commission (anrc.org) offers such activities as clinics and competitive programs, including the ANRC National Equitation Championships for junior, collegiate, and adult amateur hunt seat riders. The ANRC was established to promote the American System of Forward Riding within the hunt seat discipline, and its competitive programs focus on developing excellence in riding skills, knowledge of riding theory, and the horse’s performance. The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (ihsainc.com) and the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (colle-

(useventing.com, then look under Events & Competitions) are a good bet. The IDA, which is affiliated with the United States Dressage Federation, presents organized educational opportunities as well as competitions for individuals and teams at the Introductory, Lower Training, Upper Training, and First levels. USEA Intercollegiate Eventing also offers individual competition as well as Intercollegiate Team Challenges incorporated into recognized horse trials around the country.

giateequestrian.org) are both specifically for college-age equestrians who are interested in competing on teams affiliated with their college or university. Both also offer competition in hunt seat and Western disciplines. The IHSA, which promotes competition for riders of all skill levels, offers individual and team competition in hunter seat equitation, Western horsemanship, ranch riding, and reining. The NCEA features head-to-head team competition in jumping seat flat, jumping seat fences, Western horsemanship, and reining. For collegiate equestrians specifically focused on the disciplines of dressage and eventing, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (teamdressage.com) and United States Eventing Association’s USEA Intercollegiate Eventing

young members to collect a patch for each AMHA Youth program they participate in. The American Road Horse and Pony Association has a $1,500 Junior Exhibitor Roadster Pony Scholarship Challenge, and the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association also offers scholarships. Find out more about the many affiliate youth programs on offer, from Andalusians and Arabian horses to Welsh ponies and Western dressage, by visiting usef.org/learning-center/ youth-programs. Now that it’s back-to-school season, there’s no better time to learn more about your favorite breed or discipline, get involved with an affiliate organization, and build your equestrian knowledge and skills as a US Equestrian member.

AFFILIATE OPPORTUNITIES

US Equestrian’s numerous affiliate organizations also have vibrant youth programs of their own, including some scholarships and grants, as well as club and special activities. The American Morgan Horse Association’s youth organization, for example, hosts a number of programs, as well as the Youth Patch initiative, which allows

Left: The US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program counts points for various equestrian activities, from lessons to competitions to trail riding, toward a student’s letter patch or pin.

Right: Some of US Equestrian’s recognized disciplines have team programs for collegiate equestrians, like the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, which is affiliated with the United States Dressage Federation.

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PROTECTING OUR

COMMUNITY BY BILL MORONEY AND LESLIE POTTER

Creating a safe environment for equestrians, and especially for our young participants, is a collective responsibility. We explore why protecting participants is so important and what resources the United States Equestrian Federation has to support community protection.

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Equestrians of all ages think of their barns and USEF competitions as a safe space to spend time with beloved horses and like-minded friends, and to temporarily escape the pressures of the outside world. Creating that safe environment for everyone, especially our youth, requires a group effort. We must all recognize and embrace our responsibility to our fellow equestrians and to our sport and be leaders in achieving this goal. Unlike offices or schools, sports have a different and less corporate feel, making it easier to blur the lines of relationships between members of the community. Athletes are striving to achieve their competitive goals, coaches and trainers are working hard to help them meet those goals, parents are juggling work and family responsibilities, and stable staff and service providers are doing their best to ensure the horses are ready to give their optimum performance. Everyone involved in our sport is busy making a huge investment of time and resources, and this intensity can affect our ability to recognize inappropriate behaviors and interrupt them as they are happening. It can also make walking away from a bad situation more difficult than it might seem from an outside perspective.

Many of the community protection practices put in place by the MAAPP are common sense for parents.

PHOTO: LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

What is Community Protection?

US Equestrian’s mission is “to provide access to and increase participation in equestrian sports at all levels by ensuring fairness, safety, and enjoyment.” Part of achieving this mission is ensuring that participants are safe from abuse, harassment, and bullying at competitions and at home in the barn. “When it comes to abuse, US Equestrian has a zero-tolerance policy,” said Tom O’Mara, president of US Equestrian. “We are committed to raising awareness of athlete safety, ensuring easily accessible reporting methods, and providing resources to help you stay safe.” Since 2013, US Equestrian has had athlete protection policies and published a safeguarding policy, which predates the creation of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and their SafeSport Code. While the USEF policy has always included prevention of sexual abuse, protection of participants in equestrian activities also includes protecting mental and physical health, preventing bullying and harassment, fostering a welcoming and diverse environment in the sport, and other considerations that ensure the well-being of all who take part in the equestrian community. In 2018, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act, better known as the Safe Sport Act, was signed into federal law. It required athletic organizations to have and provide abuse-prevention training to adult members, among other requirements. US Equestrian Competing Members aged 18 USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 67

and older must take the full SafeSport training once every four years, as well as an annual refresher course. Navigating the policies and responsibilities around community protection can seem overwhelming. US Equestrian has created guides to give trainers, parents, athletes, and other participants a path not only for handling potential problems after they’ve happened, but also for maintaining an environment that prevents abuse from happening in the first place. USEF’s Safe Sport microsite at usef.org/safe-sport is a comprehensive resource for all community protection materials. Visitors can follow links to access materials specific to their roles in the sport, find answers to common questions, get information on ways to report abuse, and reach confidential hotlines for mental health counseling, crisis support, and more. Athlete protection policies have brought about necessary changes in the amateur sports industry. For us, these changes are aimed at providing a safer environment for equestrian sport. By focusing on community protection, US Equestrian is committed to providing a safe environment to everyone involved with equestrian sport. Who Are We Protecting?

Much of the language around Safe Sport and related programs has centered on athlete protection, and, to be sure, the trainer/athlete relationship is one where risk is heightened because of a power imbalance, especially with minor athletes. However, community protection extends beyond competing athletes to include grooms, working students, and other barn workers. Anyone who participates in the equestrian space is part of the community, and protecting the community is a shared responsibility. By the same token, it isn’t just trainers and coaches who are bound by the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies and other community protection rules. Everyone who is a participant in the equestrian community, from professional riders to vendors on the show grounds, is responsible for knowing the 68 FALL ISSUE 2022

guidelines and abiding by them. In fact, the definition of “adult participant” in the MAAPP was recently updated to clarify the scope of the policies (see sidebar). The MAAPP exists as a proactive measure to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place by limiting the scenarios where abusive behavior is known to occur. The overarching theme of the MAAPP is that one-on-one interactions between adults and minors should be avoided, and when they are necessary, they must be observable and interruptible. There are limited exceptions, and the MAAPP outlines protocol for some of the more common scenarios, such as individual training sessions and meetings with health care providers. Limiting one-on-one interactions with minors minimizes opportunities for grooming practices, which are a precursor to abuse. By keeping some of the key concepts in mind for interactions between youth athletes and adult participants, US Equestrian members can help prevent someone from becoming a victim. These measures also prevent coaches and other adult participants from ending up in gray-area scenarios. Nora Thomas grew up on the Midwest hunter/jumper circuit and today is the co-head trainer and instructor with her husband, Morgan, at Parkside Stables in Washington state. Nora and Morgan have two children, including a daughter, Lillian, who is an active competitor on the hunter and equitation circuits. Nora applauds the changes in equestrian culture in recent years and believes they make the sport safer for young riders, compared with how it was during her junior years. “I’m glad that we have safeguards in place now, because going forward my children will be way more protected,” said Thomas. “Not only are they protected, they’re more aware of how things are supposed to work. It’s a very different time, and I think that’s a good thing. I think it was necessary; it was definitely time for a change. “So much of the change has been good. For example, when we text [our students], we text them on a group chat including

PHOTO: TAYLER BICANDI/US EQUESTRIAN, ASHLEY SWIFT/US EQUESTRIAN

The equestrian community can provide all participants with camaraderie, fun, friendship, and the chance to share knowledge, and every equestrian has a right to enjoy these things without bullying, harassment, or abuse.

the parents, and I love doing that. Parents should be included; parents should be responsible and involved. Even before Safe Sport, it could be awkward texting a kid directly, so it’s nice to have a little clarity.”

MAAPP Updates for 2022

Reporting Misconduct

Under federal law, adults are considered mandatory reporters. That requires them to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse, including sexual abuse, to the authorities. Failure to report under the law is a federal crime. Additionally, the SafeSport Code requires all adult participants to report sexual misconduct, whether or not a minor was involved, to the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Failure to report is a Code violation. All other forms of misconduct must be reported to USEF. Victims of a crime are not required to report their own abuse. For non-sexual misconduct, there are several options available to the person submitting the report, and the reporting individual may remain anonymous. 1. Submitting a USEF Incident Report Form. 2. Contacting a representative on the Athlete Protection Team. 3. Submitting information via anonymous text. Anonymous texts can be sent to (855) 682-8733. All information on submitting a report, along with resources for mental health, are available at usef.org/safe-sport/reporting. The Scope of Community Protection

USEF’s community protection guidelines cover several types of misconduct: sexual misconduct, emotional misconduct, physical misconduct, bullying, harassment, and hazing. The definitions for these terms and examples of misconduct are outlined in the USEF Safe Sport Policy. Not every unpleasant interaction constitutes misconduct under community protection guidelines. Arguments and gossip at horse shows or on social media are unfortunate realities, but unless they are especially egregious or persistent or involve a power imbalance, they may not reach the threshold for action under USEF’s policies. Many interpersonal conflicts, particularly when they are between adults, are best handled by the parties involved rather than escalating to a report of misconduct to USEF. Being mindful of this will help keep the reporting avenues clear for the most urgent cases. That said, members are encouraged to report or reach out to the Federation if they suspect misconduct.

The definition of “adult participants” includes USEF-licensed officials, team coaches, and others with authority over or regular contact with minor athletes.

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Just as science has revealed the serious dangers of head injury, leading to life-saving changes to concussion protocol, increased knowledge of how bullying,

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Advances in Protection

Today’s athletes are reaping the benefits of generations of research on physical and mental health and the ways coaches can help athletes reach their potential without breaking them down. Just as science has revealed the serious dangers of head injury, leading to life-saving changes to concussion protocol, increased knowledge of how bullying, hazing, and negative coaching methods can seriously impact athletes is helping to make sports safer. Change can be difficult, regardless of the issue. It can be even tougher when it involves changing culture. Abuse of any kind is unacceptable, whether it occurred 40 years ago or yesterday. Part of moving forward means recognizing that culture must change and embracing that change, not just with words, but with actions. Some point to examples of athletes who grew up with harsher coaching styles and “turned out just fine.” But no two athletes are affected the same way by a coach’s or peer’s actions, and the negative impacts on an athlete may not be evident until years later. For every athlete who feels neutral or positive about such an experience, there is another who quietly withdraws from the sport or suffers mental and emotional consequences. What might have been an accepted practice a generation ago no longer is, not because today’s kids are “soft,” but because we know better now, and our sport is better for it. Many of the community protection practices put in place by the MAAPP are common sense for parents. Thomas admits that her family has had to make some sacrifices. For example, she draws a firm line and doesn’t host sleepovers for her daughter’s riding friends at her home.

“I have to be very careful toeing that line,” said Thomas. “I don’t have kids stay over at my house, and I think it is a little hard on professionals’ kids. She’s dying to have kids over to our house and have sleepovers, so that’s a little tricky. But for the good of the sport and the good of these kids, l think these safeguards are in place for the right reason. They’re designed to protect everybody, the kids especially. “It does pour over into every sport,” Thomas continued. “As much as [my son’s] taekwondo teacher is awesome, I would never let him go stay overnight. There’s no coach who should have a bunch of little kids over at their house, in my opinion.” The lessons the sports world had to learn were hard-fought. Young athletes who never asked to be martyrs had to sacrifice too much before the adults in charge paid attention. It’s incumbent upon the members of our sport’s community today to continue to make progress so that current and future athletes can be safe and supported. “It was hard to watch some of our heroes go down,” said Thomas. “Obviously, it was merited, but I think that’s where people of my generation and older have such a hard time with it. But it’s for the future of these kids. You see what happened with gymnastics, and you know it just has to change, pure and simple.” US Equestrian members have access to free, confidential counseling with licensed mental health care professionals. A toll-free hotline open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, is available for mental health first-aid sessions. Learn more at usef.org/safe-sport/mental-health-resources.

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hazing, and negative coaching methods can seriously impact athletes is helping to make sports safer.

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FOR THE RECORD

Penalties for Rule Violations OFFICIAL NOTICES Contributed by the Regulation Department unless otherwise indicated. The following official notices are only intended to give penalty information for a given case and not to disclose the factual basis for each violation or penalty. For matters heard by the Hearing Committee, a Hearing Panel decides each case based on the evidence presented at the hearing and takes into account many factors that may raise or lower a given penalty. For example, the Hearing Committee takes into account such things as whether the violation was intentional or unintentional, the nature of the violation, the credibility of witnesses, Penalty Guidelines, penalties in similar cases, past violations of Federation rules by a respondent, and many other mitigating factors. US Equestrian members can access and search the United States Equestrian Federation Suspension List online at USequestrian.org. Hover over the Compete tab on the homepage. In the menu that appears, click Ineligibility List under Rules, Regulations, and Grievances. STEPHANIE ANGUS, of Mooresboro, N.C., violated Chapter 9, GR906.4, and Chapter 7, GR702.1.d, of this Federation, in connection with the WEF Premiere Horse Show held Jan. 5-9, 2022, in that, as trainer, she misrepresented the identity of a horse by permitting the horse to participate in class #1076 under the identity and entry number of another horse. The Federation entered into an informal resolution with Angus to resolve this matter outside of a hearing. Angus fully cooperated with the Federation throughout the proceedings. It was determined that the violation was unintentional and the result of a lack of communication between the agent of the horse and Angus. In determining the proper penalty, the Federation took into account the seriousness of the violation as well as the facts presented and determined that the following penalty was appropriate. For this violation, it was determined that STEPHANIE ANGUS shall be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $300 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1k. Additionally, the results for class #1076 have been revised to reflect a disqualification of the entry in question, in accordance with Chapter 9, GR906.4. ANN BLANKENSHIP, of La Jolla, Calif., violated Chapter 7, GR702.1k, and Chapter 8, GR848.6 and GR848.7, of this Federation, in that she competed at the World’s Championship Horse Show 72 FALL ISSUE 2022

held on Aug. 21-28, 2021, although she was not eligible to do so, due to the fact that she was on the Federation Medical Suspension List. The Federation entered into an informal resolution with Blankenship to resolve this matter outside of a hearing. Blankenship cooperated with the Federation throughout the proceedings. Blankenship demonstrated that she had been medically cleared to compete and the unintentional violation was the result of her failing to timely obtain and submit the proper paperwork. In determining the proper penalty, the Federation took into account the seriousness of the violation as well as the facts presented and determined that the following penalty was appropriate. For these violations, it was determined that ANN BLANKENSHIP shall be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1k. JENNIFER BLISS of Wellington, Fla. violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Holiday Festival I Horse Show held on Dec. 15-19, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse HONOR CODE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that JENNIFER BLISS be censured pursuant

to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by HONOR CODE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. ELLEN COROB of San Luis Obispo, Calif., was sanctioned by the California Dressage Society (CDS) Executive Board because over the course of a five-year period while she served as Chapter Chair, Show Manager, and/or CDS President she admittedly embezzled money from the organization, which was later paid back in full. Such action constitutes a violation of Chapter 7, GR702.1d, of this Federation. The Federation entered into an informal resolution with Corob to resolve this matter outside of a hearing. Corob fully cooperated with the Federation throughout the proceedings. In determining the proper penalty, the Federation took into account the seriousness of the violations and determined that the following penalty was appropriate. For these violations, it was determined that ELLEN COROB shall, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1i, be permanently ineligible to serve in any official capacity in the Federation or for any Licensed Competition, including but not limited to serving in the role of Competition Manager, Secretary, Steward, or Technical Delegate.

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FOR THE RECORD Furthermore, ELLEN COROB shall, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR7031.f, be found not in good standing, suspended from membership, and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for six months, and is excluded from all competition grounds (cannot be on grounds from the time participants are admitted on the competition grounds until the last time for departure. For example, suspended individuals may not be on competition grounds during schooling or other such days prior to the start of the competition for any purpose, including such things as coaching riders, training or schooling horses, or trailering horses on or off competition grounds) during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant, or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities; (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing, or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held

74 FALL ISSUE 2022

in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The six-month suspension shall commence on March 19, 2022, and terminate at midnight on September 19, 2022. Any horse or horses, completely or in part owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation, or stable of hers, or shown in her name or for her reputation (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c, for the same time period. Regulations as to suspended persons are set forth in detail in Chapter 7, GR704. For this violation, ELLEN COROB shall be fined in the amount of $3,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR702.1a. JULIE CURTIN of Woodstock, Ga., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Atlanta Fall Classic I Horse Show held on November 11-14, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, ICE, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level.

For this violation, it was determined that JULIE CURTIN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ICE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. DOMINIQUE HOPKINS DAMICO of Ocala, Fla. violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Princeton Show Jumping Horse Show held on Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse BRIXTON after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that DOMINIQUE HOPKINS DAMICO be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by BRIXTON at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

BRITT V. HARLEY of Henderson, Nev., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Temecula Valley National Fall I Horse Show held on Oct. 13-17, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse PONTEDERA after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation, it was determined that BRITT V. HARLEY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,250 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. The fine was enhanced due to the level of dexamethasone detected. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by PONTEDERA at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. LUCIE HERENDEEN of Oklahoma City, Okla., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with Fall Fun Horse Show held on Oct. 14-17, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse GLOW LIGHT VAN HOF TER EDE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma

FOR THE RECORD concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation, it was determined that LUCIE HERENDEEN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by GLOW LIGHT VAN HOF TER EDE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. RONALD BURT HONAKER of Wytheville, Va., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the ASHAV Horse Show held on Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2021, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse I’M STRAPPED after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that RONALD BURT HONAKER be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by I’M STRAPPED at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. MARJORIE R. JUDD of Baton Rouge, La., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show held on Nov. 8-13, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse I’M IN HEAVEN after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation, it was determined that MARJORIE R. JUDD be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by I’M IN HEAVEN at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. The KENTUCKY STATE FAIR BOARD, as Competition Management, violated Chapter 7, GR706.1k, and Chapter 8, GR848.7, of this Federation, in connection with the World’s Championship Horse Show held August 21-28, 2021, by accepting the entry of an exhibitor who was on the Federation Medical Suspension List at the time of the competition, thereby failing to confirm the exhibitors’ eligibility to compete. 76 FALL ISSUE 2022

The Federation entered into an informal resolution with Competition Management to resolve this matter outside of a hearing. The Kentucky State Fair Board fully cooperated with the Federation throughout the proceedings and took responsibility for their actions. Competition Management admitted that the entry was not properly checked, which was the result of the large number of entries submitted for the competition. In determining the proper penalty, the Federation took into account the seriousness of the violation, noting that a large number of entries cannot excuse the requirement of ensuring all entries are eligible to compete. Accordingly, the Federation determined that the following penalty was appropriate. For these violations, it was determined that the KENTUCKY STATE FAIR BOARD, as Competition Management, shall be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1k. VICTORIA LACAGNINA of Santa Rosa Valley, Calif., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Blenheim Fall Tournament Horse Show held on Sept.15-19, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse TRUE BLUE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin.

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For this violation, it was determined that VICTORIA LACAGNINA be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by TRUE BLUE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. PETER LOMBARDO of Moorpark, Calif., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Desert Circuit I Horse Show held on Jan. 19-23, 2022, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse COVER GIRL after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that PETER LOMBARDO be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by COVER GIRL at

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 77

FOR THE RECORD said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. PETER LOMBARDO of Moorpark, Calif., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with Desert Circuit II Horse Show held on Jan. 26-30, 2022, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse SERENGETI after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation, it was determined that PETER LOMBARDO be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by SERENGETI at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. VICKI MARKOWSKI of Rockleigh, N.J., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 8 Dressage Championships held on Sept. 23-26, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse TRUELY TYME after it had been administered and/or contained in its body cetirizine. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation, it was determined that VICKI MARKOWSKI be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by TRUELY TYME at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. GEORGY MASKREY-SEGESMAN of Somis, Calif., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with the Desert Circuit I held on Jan. 19-23, 2022, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse GERARDUS after it had been administered and/ or contained in its body cetirizine. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation, it was d e t e r m i n e d t h a t G EO R GY MASKREY-SEGESMAN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was 78 FALL ISSUE 2022

further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by GERARDUS at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

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MARLENE PATTY MILLER of Doylestown, Pa., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Tewksbury Farms Stable November Horse Show held on Nov. 20-21, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse TIKTOK after it had been administered and/ or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin.

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For this violation, it was determined that MARLENE PATTY MILLER be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by TIKTOK at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

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ERICA MITCHELL of Louisville, Ky., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with the Flying Cross Farm Horse Trials held Sept. 17-19, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse SHANIKO STAR after it had been administered and/or contained in its body hydroxyzine and cetirizine. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation, it was determined that ERICA MITCHELL be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by SHANIKO STAR at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

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MARIA RASMUSSEN of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with Capital Challenge Hunter Jumper Horse Show held on Oct. 4-10, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse HOBBS LANE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level.

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For this violation, it was determined that MARIA RASMUSSEN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes,

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ribbons, and monies, if any, won by HOBBS LANE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. KOBI RHODES of Wellington, Fla., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the WEF 6 Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC Horse Show held on Feb. 16-20, 2022, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse LORDI after it had been administered and/ or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. Based on the information currently available to the Federation for the violation identified above, and in accordance with a second offense under Category I of the USEF Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines, the Federation determined that KOBI RHODES be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by LORDI at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. JODI RINARD, of Fort Lupton, Colo., violated Chapter 7, GR702.1d,

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of this Federation, in connection with the USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships held Sept. 17-19, 2021, in that she was longeing the horse GARTH ISF in the warmup area when the horse became disobedient, which could have jeopardized the safety and performance of the other vaulters and horses present in the warm-up area. The Federation entered into an informal resolution with Rinard to resolve this matter outside of a hearing. Rinard cooperated with the Federation throughout the proceedings and took responsibility for her actions. Rinard removed the horse from the warm-up after being approached by an official and claims that she was making efforts to remove the horse prior to the official arriving. Rinard understands the dangers that can result from a disobedient horse and demonstrated that going forward she will continue to ensure the safety and welfare of those around her are top priority by immediately removing a horse that could be posing a safety threat. In determining the proper penalty, the Federation took into account the seriousness of the violation as well as the facts presented and determined that the following penalty was appropriate.

For this violation, it was determined that JODI RINARD shall be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $300 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1k. MITCHELL ROBINSON of Wellington, Fla., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Middleburg Classic Horse Show held on Sept. 22-26, 2021, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse CATBIRD after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level, methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level, and guaifenesin.

on Oct. 20-24, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse RAVENNA after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that ASHLEY STANNARD be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by RAVENNA at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

For this violation, it was determined that MITCHELL ROBINSON be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,250 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by CATBIRD at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

KRISTINE STEPHENSON of Rhinebeck, N.Y., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Ox Ridge June Horse Show held on June 15-20, 2021, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse SAWYER WF after it had been administered and/ or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin.

ASHLEY STANNARD of Tucson, Ariz., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Temecula Valley Fall National II Horse Show held

For this violation, it was determined that KRISTINE STEPHENSON be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7,

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 79

FOR THE RECORD GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by SAWYER WF at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. BRENDAN WILLIAMS, of Wellington, Fla., violated Chapter 9, GR906.4, and Chapter 7, GR702.1.d, of this Federation, in connection with the ESP Holiday Finale Horse Show held Dec. 29-Jan. 2, 2022, in that as trainer, he misrepresented the identity of a horse by entering and allowing the exhibition of the horse in two Add Back Hunter Classes under the identity of another horse. The Federation entered into an informal resolution with Williams to resolve this matter outside of a hearing. Williams cooperated with the Federation throughout the proceedings and took responsibility for his actions. Williams demonstrated that the violation was unintentional and the result of his carelessness in not understanding the rules regarding unrecognized/unrated classes. In determining the proper penalty, the Federation took into account the seriousness of the violation as well as the facts presented and

determined that the following penalty was appropriate. For this violation, it was determined that BRENDAN WILLIAMS shall be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $300 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1k. In accordance with Chapter 9, GR906.4, the horse was disqualified from the classes in question. MICHAEL ZUKERMAN of Mill Neck, N.Y., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Old Salem Farm September Horse Show held on Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2021, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse VINTAGE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation, it was determined that MICHAEL ZUKERMAN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by VINTAGE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

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82 FALL ISSUE 2022

• • • • • •

Administered by Nation Motor Club Inc., DBA Nation Safe Drivers

ISSUE

EQ U E S TR I A N LIVING

EQLiving.com

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

GLAMPING CAMPING WITH HORSES, S'MORES, AND LUXURY PLUS FOCUS ON PHILANTHROPY: EQUESTRIANS GIVING BACK

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Matt Johnson Engel & Volkers Florida Selling Wellington & the Palm Beaches 561-313-4367 • MattSells.com ©2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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