Letter from the President

Future Focused

Summer brings so many gifts for equestrians: sunshine and longer daylight hours can mean more time in the company of horses, whether on a busy competition morning or a lazy evening hack. These summer days prompt excitement in kids who are let out of school to spend more time at the barn and at competitions—and nostalgia in parents who fondly remember their own long summer afternoons at stables and shows. At US Equestrian, we understand both perspectives, and in this summer issue we account for happy memories even as we focus on making a better future for ourselves, our children, and our equine friends.

Kids and ponies are an iconic equestrian symbol of summer, and we start this season with an homage to that classic pair in our “Pony Power” feature. To explore the timeless appeal of the smaller equines, we talked to a prominent trainer, a former pony rider who now competes jumpers internationally, and two adults who compete ponies in carriage pleasure and combined driving. We found that ponies don’t only provide a solid foundation for the youngest equestrians; they teach and inspire riders and drivers of all ages and disciplines, and they can also help extend equestrian careers or carry them into entirely new directions.

“They may be small, but they’re definitely the boss!” as successful pony rider turned jumping athlete Gia Rinaldi put it. “They definitely taught me some good life lessons.”

If summer is peak pony season, its absolute pinnacle is the USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms, which will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Aug. 9-14. In this issue, be sure to check out our quick guide to some of the family-friendly events around Pony Finals. Can’t make it in person? You can still catch your favorite ponies and riders via USEF Network at usef.org/network.

Junior equestrians and their families also should bookmark our Juniors’ Ring section in this issue, where we highlight three ways USEF can help pay for students’ education. Our quick summary of these scholarship opportunities includes basic application information, including deadlines.

We’re not only considering kids’ futures in this issue, though, but all of ours. To that end, we asked several experts about ways to improve horse operations’ sustainability. They gave us plenty of food for thought, plus tips that facilities of any size can consider employing to go a little greener.

It’s not quite back-to-school season, but we also tapped experts from Zoetis, the University of Kentucky, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, and more in this issue to bring you their knowledge on a range of subjects, including methods for controlling flies (in our Pro Tip section), a link to a new video about preventing hoof abscesses (Learning Center), top tips for reducing dust in your barn (Horse Health), and a feature-length question-and-answer session with Dr. Kevin Hankins about best practices for vaccinating your horse or pony.

Here at US Equestrian, listening and learning about your concerns is paramount to our ability to adjust what we do and how we do it, and it’s been a critical component to many of the new initiatives we’ve undertaken these past years. They have been based upon and driven by member feedback and we rely upon that interaction to help us serve you. I’ve ended many a public meeting with “Let us know what you think,” and many of you do, so thank you. In this issue’s How it Works section, we explore one of the crucial ways your feedback helps make equestrian sport better for all: through competition evaluation and compliance. Your feedback is a vital component of the evaluation process for USEF licensed competitions and empowers you to advocate for safe and fair competition, whether you’re showing in your first pony class or going for a national championship. After all, that’s at the core of our mission statement: to provide access to and increase participation in equestrian sports at all levels by ensuring fairness, safety, and enjoyment.

So as you visit competitions this midsummer, please do follow up with an evaluation letting us know what worked well and what you thought might be improved. By doing so, you’ll be helping to ensure that everyone in the equestrian community will have even more happy memories of summer show seasons, now and in the future.