Private 10.83-acre equestrian estate with a 4Br/3.5Bth pool home with open concept living & expansive patio with screened cabana w/summer kitchen & bar, great for entertaining. There are 2 barns totaling 24 stalls. The 14-stall centeraisle barn with 5 grooming stalls boasts two 2Br/1Bth apartments. The second 10-stall courtyard barn also has two apartments, a 2Br/1Bth and a 1Br/1Bth. There are multiple riding areas for training with an outdoor arena, grass grand prix field and CBS covered riding arena w/ viewing platform. There are 12 grass paddocks, 6-horsewalker, 2 covered outbuildings for aqua-treadmills & round pen. Now Offered at $11,500,000
20 acre farm on south shore blvd within minutes of both showgrounds & IPC! The farm boasts 2 barns totaling 32 stalls, 150' x 300' riding arena with new footing, 10acre grass riding field, 9 generous grass paddocks, round pen, euro-walker, two 3Br/1Bth apartments and lounge with bar, full bath. The 10-acre field is high & dry and the ideal location for your home, Grand Prix field and covered riding arena. The location is great for hacking out your horses on the quiet bridle paths of south Wellington. Offered at $11,500,000
Peaceful 25-Acre oasis in the gated equestrian subdivision of Wellington Preserve. Nestled up against a nature preserve and an interior lake, this serene property offers one-of-a-kind views & privacy. Build your equestrian estate here where you can enjoy your family and horses with miles of hacking trails and paved road access for car lovers. An unparalleled opportunity for maximum privacy in Wellington, yet only a few minutes away from all the equestrian competition venues. A must see to appreciate! Offered at $12,375,000 Also offered as 15 Acres at $7,425,000 or 10 acres at $4,950,000
5-Acre equestrian property, 4,390 sq. ft. 4Br/4Bth pool home. 11-Stall center-aisle stable, 250' x170' riding arena & 6 paddocks. The property boasts 2,000 sq. ft. storage garage with 3 bays & full bath, large enough for your RV, horse van or boat. The home features a center island kitchen, gas Thermador range, marble floors, plus an 1,800 sq. ft. great room for hosting socials with a wet bar, wine cooler and expansive sliding glass doors out to the screened pool, hot tub & summer kitchen. Covered arenas are allowed. Offered at $2,795,000 • SOLD
Buyer and Seller Representation
Wellington, Florida • Palm Beach Point
Contemporary, light & bright equestrian property featuring a 4Br main residence and 12-stall center-aisle barn with 2Br apartment. The main residence boasts open concept living with expansive views to the backyard & stable beyond, stone floors & center-island kitchen with gas cooking. All bedrooms have in-suite bathrooms and sliding glass doors to the rear patio & yard. The stable has 2-dry grooming stalls, 2-wash stalls, rubber pavers, large tack room, lounge with kitchenette, laundry room, half-bath, and feed & storage rooms. There is a round pen, 6 grass turnout paddocks and 230' x 150' arena. Offered at $7,875,000
and Seller Representation
JOHNSON ENGEL & VÖLKERS FLORIDA
Selling Wellington and the Palm Beaches M +1 561-313-4367 matt.johnson@evrealestate.com Learn more at mattsells.com
Ocean Breeze
$7,875,000
COOLING MINERALS
infused in liner wick away sweat to help your horse stay cool and dry.
SOFT GRIP
Removable 2XCool liner features a honeycomb pattern silicone grip that keeps the saddle comfortably in place.
PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION
Innovative V Shape design creates a contour to allow for freedom of movement in the shoulder and evenly distributes pressure.
Far View Farms Equestrian Center
Far View Farms Equestrian Center
San Marcos, CA
San Marcos, CA
Offered at $4,000,000
Offered at $4,000,000
Coastal Professional Equestrian Facility
Coastal Professional Equestrian Facility
San Diego, CA
San Diego, CA
Offered at $6,000,000
Offered at $6,000,000
Milberry Farm
Milberry Farm
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Offered at $9,995,000
Offered at $9,995,000
Ultra Chic Equestrian Estate
Ultra Chic Equestrian Estate
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Offered at $10,350,000
Offered at $10,350,000
TerraNova Winter Series
FEB. 12-16 • WEEK I
FEI CSI2*/ National Hunter/ Level 5 Jumper
Florida Residents Enjoy 15% Off
FEB. 19-23 • WEEK II
FEI CSI2*/ National Hunter/ Level 5 Jumper
Junior Riders Enjoy 15% Off
FEB. 26-MAR. 2 • WEEK III
FEI CSI2*/ National Hunter/ Level 5 Jumper
Derby Participants Enjoy 15% Off
MAR. 5-9 • WEEK IV
FEI CSI2*/ National Hunter/ Level 5 Jumper
Adult Amateurs Enjoy 15% Off
MAR. 12-16 • WEEK V
FEI CSI2*/ National Hunter/ Level 5 Jumper
Circuit Championship Finale and the Split Rock Jumping Tour FEI CSI2*
Discover all new on-site lodging, dining & more to be announced!
Buy four weeks, get the fifth week free when you reserve circuit stalls before November 1, 2024.
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Imagine slipping on the comfiest breeches ever, crated from the most luxurious materials, designed for both style and comfort, the Hunter features breathable materials that will make you look and feel like a true equestrianwhether you’re at home or in the show ring. The timeless beige color is accented by sleek black piping on the pockets and wistline, adding a touch of sophistication. With reinforced knee patches and a silicone grip, these breeches allow you to ride with style and comfort. Upgrade your riding experience with these exceptional breeches!
Stable to Street
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Award Winning Expert in Equestrian Real Estate
With 35+ years of experience in the equestrian community, I offer personalized service for buying/selling and renting properties in Wellington Florida. With a proven track record, I guide clients in achieving their real estate goals.
FITTON ENGEL & VÖLKERS WELLINGTON 10620 W. Forest Hill Blvd | Suite 40 | Wellington | FL 33414 M +1 561-758-1634 | O +1 561-791-2220 scott.fitton@evrealestate.com Learn more at scottfitton.evrealestate.com
WEB: ThePlaidHorse.com
CALL: 541-905-0192
EMAIL: piper@theplaidhorse.com
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SUBSCRIPTIONS: subscriptions@theplaidhorse.com
SHOWCAT]ON
IN CALIFORNIA'S COASTAL WINE COUNTRY
PASO PUMPKINS & PONIES
OCTOBER 10 - 13, 2024
PASO PARK FALL CLASSIC
OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 3, 2024
PASO PARK OAK TREE CLASSIC
NOVEMBER 6 - 10, 2024
TURKEY TROT & JUMP
NOVEMBER 14 - 17, 2024
PASO ROBLES HORSE PARK
Equestrian Elegance at Wheatland Farm
15158 Berlin Turnpike | Purcellville, Virginia | $11,500,000
Wheatland Farm is a premier 43-acre equestrian property in Loudoun County and a USEF Center of Excellence. Host to shows and clinics, the state-of-the-art facilities include indoor and outdoor arenas with Attwood Equestrian Surfaces, a cross-country field, and an enclosed perimeter trail. Two immaculate barns feature twenty-six European-style stalls with individual auto waterers, heated tack and feed rooms, restrooms, a manager’s office, significant storage areas, and laundry room. Wheatland offers a magnificent manor home overlooking a 9-acre lake, a heated saltwater pool, two beautiful guest homes, a great barn for entertaining, a boat house and numerous other buildings that make this the ideal property for both the amateur and professional. This thoughtfully designed property provides ramps and accessibility features for individuals with disabilities. Web# VALO2077300
Co-Listing Agent
Jeremy Dalpiaz
Lic. Assoc. R.E. Broker
O 703.552.4180 | M 703.785.5721
jeremy.dalpiaz@elliman. com
Co-Listing Agent
Samantha Fisher
Principal Broker, Owner O 703.408.4261
onthemarketwithsam@gmail.com
Savor
EVERYONE I KNOW has been working at a breakneck pace the last four years. Every single person I talk to in depth as a friend right at this moment is miserable, exhausted, and struggling. We’ve been running unsustainably to the point that, in conversation, I probably couldn’t recollect many important experiences I have had until you brought them up.
It is natural. We were told no and then wanted to say yes. We got scared and when seismic shi s happened in our world, we wanted to be vigilant for our future—developing skill, investing in new arenas, and feasting on every opportunity like we were starving… because we had recently been taunted with that.
Those of you who read this column regularly know that I attribute much of my success over the last decade with this magazine to my ability to say “yes!” in times where it’s easy to be protective of ourselves and cautious. When the world seems out to get us, one of the best ways to get ahead is to say yes and gure it out. Yes, I can help you with that project. Yes, let’s experiment and see if this is a good idea. Yes, let’s try to work together. Yes, I’ll go. Yes, I’ll show up. Yes,
I’ll learn that. Yes, I want to try.
The overdrive of the “overyes” has been exhilarating, it has created opportunity, and it has opened our industry and ourselves to exciting new ideas, pedagogy, and horsemanship. It has been hard, it has been exhausting, and it has been wonderful. And now it is time for that hard work to marinate, to enter a period of slowing and thinking, a period of tact, and a time to savor.
In the course of saying yes, I found myself in Wyoming in August on the side of a mountain in a Western saddle. There is something about Wyoming that I have always loved to feel. From stories of my great-aunt Gertrude dude randing in the early-mid 1900s in my childhood, to many cross country road trips across
vast landscapes, to most recently reading Annie Proulx’s three books of Wyoming Stories, the harshness of landscape and inherent brutality of the wild are such a juxtaposition to modern and city life. I had also always wanted to go on an Active
On the trail at Blackwater Creek Ranch in Cody, WY, as part of Active Riding Trips
Riding Trip and the opportunity to get away, have limited service, and have an excuse to not be tethered to my phone was not one I could pass up. And, riding time is riding time.
I moved into my rustic cabin and instantly wanted to pull a book and not a computer from my suitcase. I felt like I wanted to write a book (I didn’t—the week passed much too quickly as most trips do). I thought I would miss my phone, but found myself absolutely ne without it. I ate every meal with new friends, hung out at the bar during happy hour playing board games, and passed each day with camp activities of hours long rides, archery, swimming, and hikes.
I wouldn’t really consider myself outdoorsy–I had to go to REI and stock up before I le , and I purchased a lifetime membership. Who knows where life will take me, but now I have much better rain gear for Capital Challenge. What I was expecting was to say yes to things that seemed like a lot out of my comfort zone. What I didn’t expect was how impactful, fun, and interesting it would be to meet everyone else there and get to know them. These low-stakes
relationships—we’re at “camp” together for a week or so and say we’ll stay in touch and be friends forever, but you know—are so rare in today’s world. Sitting in the dining room, the bar, on a horse, and in the van around Yellowstone Park, I learned of lives around the world, di erent elds, ups and downs, struggle, and the humanity we all share. We talked about issues, we talked about (very di erent) politics, we talked about experience, and we talked about how the world can improve. We dreamed, we were present, and we pushed ourselves—to win at new board games, on challenging rides, and to hike past our tness levels. We celebrated our lives to date. We took a moment to use the beauty around us to capture the playfulness of life that is so o en forgotten.
I have always wanted to be more robotic—I struggle with how messy I am, how much I can never seem to get enough done, how much I want to optimize myself—and the pandemic provided me with that ability. With the automatic excuse to work, work, work … I worked. In our industry we have to make hay while the sun shines. We all know that. We are a hobby, a whim, and people come
in, they leave, and you can’t really count on anything. For all the bene ts of our incredible lives with horses, stability is and will never be one of them. Anything could happen any day, which is the gamble we all love and can never truly plan for.
We have worked at incredible intensity for an unsustainable amount of time already. There will always be reasons to push, but I implore every one of you to explore how you can go faster by going slower in the coming months. You have made such a great foundation and planted many seeds over the past several years. Some need time and space to grow. Your mind needs a place to process. Your body needs to heal. Figure out one or two places in your life where you can take it just a little bit slower. And savor. In the end, I truly believe that slowing down will be worth it. Enjoy your Fall!
Piper Klemm, Ph.D.
TPH PUBLISHER
Follow me on Instagram at @piperklemm
At the cabin and on the trail to the Blackwater Fire Memorial (Cody, WY)
KERRY Mc CAHILL
Boutique Training Rooted in European Ideals—and Loving Horses
IT WAS NOT LONG AFTER Kerry McCahill started riding that she knew that horses would be a part of her future. She began in the sport at a very young age and spent most of her childhood developing a firm foundation within the American system, moving up the hunter and equitation ranks.
McCahill, however, had big plans for her future, and knew the jumper ring was her goal. She dreamed of becoming a professional show jumper and international Grand Prix rider. McCahill remains in awe and has gratitude for the amazing opportunities she’s had in her career from whom she was able to train and learn from. Each professional she has been able to train with has greatly inspired her own career in developing her niche within the immensely competitive global show jumping industry.
After 10 years of training among the best in the industry as an avid student, McCahill turned professional and launched her own business in November 2023. The business has several professional services which make it unique in the industry; such as traveling around the world to source horses to match with riders, young horse development, sales, and training students.
She grew up riding in New Jersey, and eventually trained in the Hamptons on Long Island, NY for several years.
McCahill is optimistic and excited to return to her roots in creating a new
northeast base from spring to fall each year, while also continuing to spend winters showing at the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). McCahill’s keen observation skills, developed over several summers spent show jumping in the best programs in Europe and the United States, allow her to notice the slightest details in pristine barn and horse management, as well as management of students.
Most importantly, McCahill says, “Love of horses remains paramount for me, both in my business and my daily life in this industry, even though I am a professional athlete who loves competing and bettering myself.” She repeats the phrase “love of horses remains paramount” like a motto that is deep in her core, affecting every decision.
OPPORTUNITY FOR INSPIRATION
McCahill left the United States at only 17 years old for an opportunity to fully commit to the jumpers, where she trained
with Ireland’s Darragh Kenny at Oakland Stables based in Holland. McCahill split her time between Europe and Wellington, FL. She rigorously trained and competed at the best shows in the world, which helped shape her as a young professional on a world stage. Her experience with Kenny is one she will never undervalue or forget. One of her many successes while part of Oakland Stables was the opportunity to be a team member on the Global Champions League on the Global Champions Tour across Europe, where she was able to learn from team members she admired and move up the ranks, jumping at the 5* level.
In 2018, McCahill joined another Irish Olympian, Greg Broderick, based at BallyPatrick Stables in Tipperary, Ireland. While riding with Broderick, she spent a year in Europe and competed in the Sunshine Tour Montenmedio Tour in Vejer, Spain. While abroad, she had many international wins with her team of horses and grew her skills of young horse development in Broderick’s program. After 3 1/2 years dividing her time between Ireland and Florida, McCahill wanted to continue to push the envelope regarding who she could train with as a young professional in the industry.
McCahill was presented with the opportunity to learn from some of the most decorated and well respected figures in the show jumping industry, Markus and Meredith Beerbaum. McCahill
WORDS: JESSICA SHANNON
joined the Beerbaum’s farm in Germany and spent winters in Wellington with the Beerbaums. While deeply immersed in their program, McCahill learned how to manage her own team of horses and develop top quality young horses to the highest level, while honing more skills as a rider and horsewoman. McCahill fully absorbed all the knowledge she could from the Beerbaums, who also became McCahill’s good friends and mentors. Surrounded by her idols on the difficult German show jumping circuit. She collected top results with her team of horses who she was both developing, as well as older horses, in highly competitive
FEI divisions in both Europe and Florida. McCahill spent a total of nine years training, living, and competing in Europe. She rode to top finishes in 5* classes in the Global Champions Tour, as well as wins and placings in 2*, 3*, and 4* classes and Grand Prix. She had similar results at WEF each winter. As her skills developed, McCahill watched what top riders and trainers did in barn management, training, young horse development, and riding.
“With this industry you never stop learning, so I try to take what I‘ve been able to learn from the best programs and apply it in a way to create a unique, top notch professional program,” she says.
“The best ways I’ve also learned are from making a ton of mistakes. Many of the greats say that is when you learn the most, something I’ve really taken on in my showing and entrepreneurial experience.”
Under the Beerbaums’ tutelage, she enjoyed learning how to operate as a professional in the industry, both abroad and in the United States. She was taught about horse management, including safety education, while producing quality young horses and intentional preparation for training experienced and younger horses for top level shows. McCahill’s training in Germany heavily influenced the direction of her boutique business, as well
PHOTO: EQUIFO EQUESTRIAN SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY
Kerry McCahill and Charly Chaplin S, at the 2021 European Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany
as igniting her passion for training and producing young horses.
As she learned to manage her young horses, she found that simplicity, patience, and tailoring a show schedule based on what the horses are ready for is key. McCahill also noted the importance of focusing on safety while bringing along young horses, which is something she carries with her as a vital part of her own business for both horses and students.
“Although I have every ambition in continuing my huge aspirations as a professional rider, I never want to be stretched too thin for the demands of my business,” she adds. McCahill aims to remain flexible for students’ and horses’ needs. She wants her business to be about the individuals and horses within the program and to cater to all of their goals and needs, allowing their time to be devoted to all they want to accomplish.
BOUTIQUE MEANS INDIVIDUALITY
Having a boutique business means McCahill can realize students’ aspirations and get the most out of their horses. She says, “I never want to be a business owner who doesn’t have time for their students or the horses. That is a mistake I see happen quite often, and although I love being busy, I want it to be while dedicating time wisely to the horses and students. It’s something I want to remain stringent on in order to get the best results for everyone involved.”
Along with McCahill’s strong background in show jumping, flatwork has always been a constant for her. She has had the opportunity to learn dressage-based flatwork from top riders, including Olympic dressage riders who have majorly shaped her understanding of flatting her own horses as well as training students on the flat.
“Good flatwork is vital for your connection with your horse,” she says. “It helps promote the soundness of your horse and rideability, which in turn bonds riders with their horses. It also hugely improves results in the show ring.” She also thoroughly enjoys the flatwork, and she finds it to be a necessary part of any successful program.
Responsible horse management is the highest priority for McCahill’s business. The ribbons are a result of being focused on the horse’s and rider’s well being, their goals, and what they are ready to push and do, or not do. Ensuring horse and rider are well
matched is a huge aspect of this, as well as what McCahill focuses on in her sourcing horses for the right riders.
McCahill aims to build confidence and comfort in her riders, who appreciate the care provided for each horse and rider combination. She finds it is vital to understand the goals of the riders she helps, as well as ensuring they’re matched with a horse that is capable of helping them feel confident and able to progress with whatever that goal may be. McCahill also never undervalues the importance of her highly educated team members around her. Her top grooms, vet, and farrier are key aspects to her business and horses’ success. And she listens intently to their expertise in doing what is always best for the horse, which, in turn, helps the rider.
For the training and sales of McCahill’s boutique business, she thoroughly enjoys the process of young horse development and sales. She finds deep satisfaction and joy in seeing horses she has developed have success with their new owners and riders. McCahill has been developing horses for about seven years, and some of the horses McCahill has produced have gone on to jump 5* level both in the United States and abroad.
“Seeing the time, hard work, and joy you’ve put into the development process of these young horses result in their huge success with new people after me is hugely rewarding. It’s a reason I also wanted to pursue that in my business. There are not many women who also do it in the in the US too, so that also makes it really exciting,” says McCahill.
From ages 17-27, McCahill put the riding and training aspects of her career as her primary focus. She is currently enjoying the new entrepreneurial part of running her own business and applying her skills to the unique services she provides to help others. “Even though I have no intention of ever losing my drive to achieve being the absolute best rider and competitor I can be, I have discovered a shift in my career as far
as how much I enjoy seeing the success of the horses I’ve developed after they’ve sold, as well as the rider’s success that goes along with it. This also ties into the horses I’ve matched with riders.”
RED, WHITE, AND BLUE —AND EUROPEAN
McCahill adds that when was a teenager riding in the United States, she started to become confused at times as to where her place in the industry would be when the sport seemed to be glamorized as an expensive hobby, rather than the incredible sport it is with a horse first mentality. She felt she was always a sports person and aspiring athlete growing up, and she wanted to move more into treating the sport as a serious professional athlete, and eventual entrepreneur, who loves what she does and works hard.
Her time riding, training, and living in Europe ignited her direction and passion as to what the sport can be. “The top level of the sport over there and generations of loving horses is so heavily rooted in European show jumping culture, and that is exactly what reminded me of why I loved this sport as a child,” she says.
A fan of both the American and European systems, McCahill combines the best values of what each culture offers, creating what she believes to be a practically perfect system for success.
McCahill is currently based in Wellington, FL during the winters and New York during the spring to fall months, where she looks forward to welcoming clients. After the winter in Wellington, McCahill’s next step is to be based in the Hamptons.
“I’m looking forward to all the possibilities for my business in the northeast, including in the Hamptons next season,” she says. No matter where she is working, McCahill repeats her mantra, “Love for the horse is paramount.”
To learn more about Kerry McCahill’s program, visit www.kerrymccahill.com
Sophia Petri
MARE EHLERS
Taking EHV-1 Education Into Her Own Hands
WORDS: JESSICA SHANNON
THERE ARE NOT A LOT of high school seniors who can say they have published a book, but Marian “Mare” Ehlers has that on her résumé, among many other accomplishments. Ehlers lives in Bend, OR, and she is a prime example of how to be an advocate for others, a leader, and how to work well on a team.
Ehlers has been a board member of High Desert Hunter Jumper Association (HDHJA) since 2022, and she has chaired their silent auction and social media teams for the last two years.
She has been a creative force as an ambassador for both JustWorld International and Healing Reins since 2018. Ehlers also volunteers at a local food pantry and is active in school clubs, sports, and academic societies. Her riding accolades demonstrate her dedication, abilities, and bond with every horse she rides, in all three rings.
One of Ehlers’ most admirable traits, however, is her ability to take moments of fear, sadness, and anxiety and turn them into moments of hope and education. She is passionate and knows how to use her voice. Her mother Megan tells The Plaid Horse, “She likes being a leader and crowdsourcing friends and the community for a cause she believes in. She believes that people working together can get powerful things done.”
In 2022, Ehlers and her equestrian community faced tragedy together.
TURNING TRAGEDY INTO ADVOCACY
A 2022 Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak affected Ehlers, her friends, and her fellow local riders. There were strict biosecurity precautions taken as a result, and Ehlers took note. On February 11,
2022, her own horse became symptomatic with a fever and other signs of EHM. He was put in an isolation tent before testing postive for EHV-1, which can be a result of EHV-1 when it attacks the cells in a horse’s central nervous system, damaging blood vessels that supply both the brain and spinal cord.
With this diagnosis, horses lose feeling in their nerves and hind legs. Those who test positive have a small chance of standing back up if they lie down. Ehlers and her family took shifts, sitting in camping chairs in an isolation tent, and sang songs to keep her horse awake and standing up. Their round-the-clock shifts lasted all two weeks of his illness. Thankfully, he survived and was soon retired, but not all horses were so lucky.
S’more, Ehlers’ friend’s horse, contracted EHV-1 and subsequently EHM, and he was the first to pass away during the outbreak.
“This horse was like her pet,” Ehlers says of her friend’s relationship with her beloved horse. S’more’s owner is younger than Ehlers, and her grief was heavy. Ehlers sat in her trailer at the horse park and knew she had to take action. She wrote a mnemonic device in S’more’s honor that educates equestrians on EHV related biosecurity. She jotted down “Sanitize, Monitor temp, Observe symptoms, Report sick horse, Educate, Separate horses and supplies.” Ehlers showed her mnemonic to S’more’s owner. Throughout the process of creating and advertising the mnemonic, Ehlers stayed in contact with her friend’s mom.
Ehlers next reached out to Katie Flynn, DVM, head USEF veterinarian, to ensure her EHV facts were correct and receive feedback. Flynn was excited and encouraged her to proceed with S’MORES.
Ehlers created posters with a QR code that link to USEF’s biosecurity website. In December 2023, posters began appearing at Sonoma Horse Park in time for the 2024 show season to start. Soon after, Desert
International Horse Park in Thermal, CA requested S’MORES posters. Enthusiasm for the catchy biosecurity posters spread quickly. Ehlers saw a need out of a tragedy, and she took action. It would only be the beginning of her advocacy for EHV biosecurity education.
SHE SAW A PROBLEM & SOLVED IT
After the success of the S’MORES posters hitting the aisles of show venues, Ehlers decided she wanted to reach children who were not going to shows or may not know a lot about viruses.
“I wanted to educate kids on creating healthy habits for biosecurity” she says. “They’ll have good habits as adults if they’re built as their core. In the long run, it’ll prevent more outbreaks.”
Ehlers decided the best way to engage and educate children would be to write a children’s book. Her mom knew who to call for guidance. A friend who wrote a book published by Trafalgar Square Books connected the family with publisher Rebecca Didier. Writing the children’s book quickly became a mother-daughter project with the support of a growing team.
Ehlers was encouraged to find inspiration for horse illustrations online as a starting point. She was astonished when the illustrator of a beloved equine children’s book character, Fergus, excitedly agreed to illustrate her book and
“I wanted to educate kids on creating healthy habits for biosecurity”
— MARE EHLERS
use Fergus as the book’s star. The book team consisting of Ehlers, Didier, Martha Cook, Managing Director, and illustrator Jean Abernethy, was quickly formed.
The team clicked right away. “As a mother, I learned that nothing is done alone. I could not believe this team; they were so excited to do this project,” says Megan. The team communicated back and forth for nearly a year to share their input on illustrations until they were perfected, and Fergus Learns S’MORES Code was officially complete and ready to hit children’s bookshelves.
A VOICE FOR HORSES AND THE COMMUNITY
“I put my heart and soul into this book, and I can’t take all the credit.” says Ehlers, who launched Fergus Learns S’MORES CODE at The Hampton Classic this August, and she will have a second launch
this fall at Desert International Horse Park’s Sunshine Series.
“I was surprised how much power her little hands had. I think she has inspired kids to realize they have the power to make a change,” says Megan.
Ehlers is thrilled that both the poster and books are successfully sharing a powerful message, and she has loved every step of the process. The work has also changed Ehlers’ future. The past two and a half years sparked an interest in business, publishing, and entrepreneurship.
The moral of the story? No matter your age, everyone has the power to make a difference.
To learn more about S’MORES Code and be up to date on the release of Fergus Learns S’MORES Code, please see Ehlers’ websites: www. smorescode.com and marianehlersequ.com
Take charge of your future.
Mauve Purple Blue Charcoal
SHANE POWELL
Rebuilding a Dream
WORDS: JESSICA SHANNON
RIDER, TRAINER, and sales agent Shane Powell has never forgotten where he came from. He kept his horses at home growing up, and Powell’s first pony, Fresh Paint, recently passed away. Ponies like that one, he says, made him the professional he is today. Powell has strong roots in Massachusetts’ north shore, and the location is a natural fit to rebuild his dream horse business along with his location in Ocala, FL. It was always Powell’s plan to be
a horse trainer. To speed up his career path, he graduated high school in 3.5 years in order to make it to Florida in time for the winter circuit.
He’s had valuable opportunities as a working student and assistant trainer for talented riders and trainers such as Mark Jungherr, Susie Schoellkopf, and Jen Alfano. With lessons from his time as a working student, assistant trainer, and his former businesses, including Evermoor, Powell is excited for the growth of his new venture. He says, “I want to create good riders and good horsemen.”
REDISCOVERING A PASSION
Powell says he wants his business to allow “my passion to be a passion again.” He thoughtfully named his business Connelly Brook, LLC, after the river that runs through his parents’ yard, giving him the nostalgia and motivation to always remember where his dreams began. Powell was able to create a boutique training and sales business piecemeal, reflecting on what worked in his past equestrian ventures, competing in hunters and jumpers as a professional,
and working alongside some of the nation’s top trainers.
Connelly Brook, LLC is a seasonal, full service barn on the north shore of Massachusetts and Ocala, FL. At home in Massachusetts, Connelly Brook has around 12 horses, some belonging to clients and some sale horses. Connelly Brook in Ocala has an individualized care-retirement program with pasture board, some horses on lay up, ponies in full training, his donkey, and 10-12 consignment horses. The barn in Ocala is 15 acres with a fully irrigated arena. Powell speaks highly of his assistant, Margaret Swanson, who runs the barn in Ocala during the six months of the year that Powell is in Massachusetts. Swanson has worked with Powell for a long time, and he trusts her deeply and calls her “a gift.”
Powell does not want Connelly Brook to have more than 25 horses, including his retired herd and beloved donkey. He says, “Quality versus quantity will allow me to cater to each individual horse and rider’s goals.” While many boutique barns’ size create space for individual programs,
Powell’s is truly set apart from the rest with his teaching philosophy and skills.
STRONG CONNECTIONS
Powell says, “I want to provide an atmosphere that allows me to teach each individual rider and horse and guide both juniors and amateurs towards national and year end goals.” To that end, he wants Connelly Brook to focus on private lessons, which can expedite the process of getting riders where they want to be. Powell finds group lessons work well in a clinic setting, and he loves teaching clinics. Day to day, however, he prefers private lessons that let him adapt his training styles and techniques to each rider.
When Powell was young, he helped out at a local preschool, often in the role of assistant teacher for little kids in an extended after school program. Coupled with his own learning disability of dyslexia, the skills and empathy he built from working in the preschool are now evident in how he teaches his riders, particularly juniors. “I think they are drawn to me, because I am open with who I am. They find that powerful,” says Powell. Kids, especially teenagers, value mentors who are authentic and true to themselves, and the junior riders in Powell’s program see that in him.
The individualized program at Connelly Brook is the perfect setting for Powell’s teaching gifts to shine. He pays attention to each learning style. Through his own experience academically, observing teachers at the daycare, and interacting with children, he has found true gifts in connecting with kids and adjusting his teaching for each rider. “I pay attention to each person’s learning style. I know when a rider learns by being pushed, or when a rider learns by having a cheerleader type trainer.”
Powell’s strength in assessing each rider’s needs and altering his style to connect with them does not stop in training. He uses those same skills of empathy, listening, and connection as a sales agent. He prefers to think of himself as an agent rather than a broker, finding that agents often possess the same skills he does and can be a bit more versatile and relational. He is passionate about sales. Powell excels at sending a client’s horse to Florida for the winter to be marketed, as well as
“I’m responsible for teaching people how to ride but also how to be a good horseman.”
SHANE POWELL
consignment and producing sale horses at his barn to be sold down the road. If a rider’s trainer is not able to join them on a horse shopping trip, Powell is able to step in and utilize his gifts as both a trainer and agent to assist. He is ready to make any accommodations necessary to make the buying process as personalized as it is to ride in his program.
THE GREAT REBUILD
As Powell builds his new business from the foundations of previous businesses, learning experiences, and a childhood dream, he is also rebuilding himself. One of the lessons he learned from former businesses is to create space for a solid work-life balance. He finds that the more well-rounded he is in his own life, the better it is for the horses and riders in his care.
In his barn, Powell says, “I want a kind partnership with the horses I ride and the students. I’m responsible for teaching people how to ride but also how to be a
good horseman.” He does that through his relational presence, connecting with students, adjusting his teaching to their learning style, and being an agent that is both flexible and versatile. He also inspires his riders with his authenticity and setting new goals for himself.
Known largely for being a hunter rider, Powell believes his heart is in the jumper ring. He says, “There’s something beautiful and exhilarating about knowing you laid down a beautiful hunter round, but I also love the rush of the jumpers.”
He has set goals for himself to compete in the Grand Prix, preferring to show a horse he brought up through the levels and feeling that satisfaction of putting in the work. Powell has already competed in international derbies, and he would love to add Derby Finals to his rider résumé as well. He finds showing a young horse he developed to be incredibly rewarding, and he hopes to achieve these goals while guiding juniors and amateurs to realize their own dreams.
SOUND ADVICE, NATURALLY
Tips for soundness from Dr. Leah Patipa, DVM, James Gilchrist, Official
Olympic and World Equestrian Games Farrier, and Taylor St. Jacques, Top Jumper Rider
KEEPING OUR equine athletes sound is a team effort. Not only does it require your horse’s veterinarian, farrier, and trainer, but it also involves your horse’s nutrition. There are many things that go into maintaining soundness, ranging from bone health, to hoof integrity, to reducing inflammation in joints, ligaments, and tendons.
THERE’S NOTHING BARE BONES ABOUT BONE HEALTH
Bone remodeling is a process that occurs continuously and is essential to ongoing soundness. It is the process by which damaged or old bone is replaced by new strong bone. Many types of horses benefit from a bone supplement, including broodmares for fetal development, young growing horses, those with limited access to fresh pasture, horses on stall rest or recovering from bone or soft tissue injury, and those in heavy training and competition.
Vitamin K1 is abundant in forage and leafy greens, but these levels are unstable, have low bioavailability, and are depleted quickly when grass is made into hay. Research shows that inadequate intake of Vitamin K is linked to low bone density and increased risk for fractures, and that horses removed from Vitamin K rich
pastures have a reduction in bone density within 7-10 days.
Pro Bono contains a bioavailable source of Vitamin K, which plays a critical role in the function of osteocalcin, known to bind minerals and protein in the bone together. Pro Bono also contains Vitamin D, which facilitates absorption of calcium and the balance of calcium and phosphorus necessary for proper bone mineralization, as well as collagen to support healthy bone and cartilage that is strong and resilient.
According to Dr. Patipa, “Most horses benefit from a bone supplement, especially show horses who endure routine concussive pressures during competition as a result of different and unpredictable footing, which can lead to edema within the bone. Bone supplements also benefit foals and horses as their bones are developing.”
PUT YOUR BEST HOOF FORWARD
There are many reasons why horses struggle with hoof health. The most common hoof issues are hooves that don’t grow, poor quality hoof growth, hooves that are too brittle or too soft, weak walls and those that are prone to quarter cracks, and general hoof sensitivity. Some hoof
LEFT: “In the past we used bone supplements that were primarily calcium and phosphorus-based. Now we recommend Pro Bono because it also has Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and collagen, which makes it a more complete product for sustaining bone health and growth,” says Dr. Leah Patipa, DVM
Keep their shoes on with Crackdown, a popular, all natural, and forage-based hoof supplement designed to improve the rate and quality of hoof growth
As with all Equine Elixirs products, Pro Bono is all natural, show-safe and picky-eater approved
issues are the result of environmental factors like tropical weather where the ground is too wet, or dry weather where the ground is too hard, while other issues can be genetic or related to diet.
What your horse needs for quality hoof growth is sulfur, arginine, and methionine, which are naturally occurring in those ingredients that make up Crackdown. It is these sulfur-bearing nutrients that are key to circulation within the vascular network of the hoof, and the development of strong keratinous tissue. Traditional hoof supplements over-focus on biotin, which horses already derive by fermentation of forage in the hindgut, and almost always have enough for daily requirements.
“Horses on Crackdown grow hoof like I’ve never seen before. I work on difficult cases with metabolic and pre-metabolic horses, and I’m always careful about what I recommend feeding them. What I like most about Crackdown is that it’s a supplement that really works and it’s safe to feed to horses who have to be on a low sugar and starch diet. I like being able to recommend a hoof supplement that I really believe helps horses,” says James Gilchrist, Official Olympic and World Equestrian Games Farrier.
JOINTS, LIGAMENTS, AND TENDONS
Another key to maintaining soundness requires reducing inflammation throughout the soft tissue. Arthroscope is designed to address the entire joint,
St. Jacques has used Arthroscope for several horses and ponies, all in different ages and stages of training and competition
“Sully is now 17, and in the three years he’s been on Arthroscope his flexions have been so good that he has not needed a single injection.”
—TAYLOR
ST. JACQUES, TOP GRAND PRIX RIDER
including the cartilage, synovial fluid, tendons, and ligaments. Not only does it contain a synergistic blend of the traditional building blocks of joint health (glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid), but it’s loaded with potent anti-inflammatories like boswellia, ASU, and resveratrol, in addition to hydrolyzed collagen.
Arthroscope supports structural joint and connective tissue integrity and is ideal for horses engaged in heavy workouts, intense training and competition, horses recovering from injury, and even to provide comfort and support for senior horses.
St. Jacques first met “Sully,” one of Auburn University’s horses, when he was 12 years old and she was a standout NCAA rider. After graduating, she
integrated Sully into her own program where he would have a forever home.
“When he was at school he needed maintenance injections every 6 months to stay sound,” says St. Jacques. “He was the kind of horse that always started out stiff and took a while to warm up.” Three years ago, St. Jacques started Sully on Arthroscope to provide his joints, ligaments, and tendons with extra support and to help reduce inflammation.
“Sully is now 17, and in the three years he’s been on Arthroscope his flexions have been so good that he has not needed a single injection,” she says, adding that she never thought Sully would be sound without ongoing maintenance.
“Arthroscope has kept him so comfortable that our vets can’t find anything to improve,” she says. “Every day he comes out to work he moves as comfortably and freely at the start of the ride as he does when we finish.”
BY FEEDING SUPPLEMENTS that address bone density, hoof integrity, and joint health, we can make a significant difference in our horses’ long-term soundness and well-being, helping them perform at their best, naturally.
Equine Elixirs formulates, manufactures, and distributes an innovative line of FEI and USEFsafe equine supplements made for winning, naturally. To learn more about Equine Elixirs and the science behind the products, visit equineelixirs.com and follow @equineelixirs on Instagram/Facebook.
As the only undergraduate equine program located within an AACSB accredited college of business, our core business administration classes combine specialized education, focusing on equine enterprises. Based in famed Kentucky, the heartland of America’s equine industry, our classroom instruction is supplemented with the opportunities for internships, field experience, and contacts with prominent industry professionals.
Equine Business Minor
Equine Business Certificate Horse Racing Industry Graduate Certificate RIDING OPPORTUNITIES:
LEAD
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RANCHO POLO EQUESTRIAN CLUB
Come for the polo, stay for the hunter/jumper amenities
TUCKED IN THE FOOTHILLS of Coachella Valley, Rancho Polo Equestrian Club sits nestled among shady trees, green grass fields, a quiet boutique country life, boasting amenities beyond imagination.
The property sprawls over 80 acres in Thermal, CA, minutes between the world famous Desert International Horse Park for the Hunter/Jumber, rider, and Elorado Polo Club for Polo. The property includes a world class Polo field, as well as a fully-equipped hunter/jumper facility.
The club was originally founded in the 1980s, but in 2020, Triple Sky Ranch purchased the facility with the goals to continue the four-decade long legacy and to support the best class of the hunter/ jumper community benefiting from its proximity to the Desert International Horse Park—it’s less than three miles away.
“When I chat with people in the area, so many at the peak of equestrian sports will say, ‘You own Rancho Polo? We used to work there when we were young,” Torrey Ripinsky, Founder and Director of Triple Sky Ranch, tells The Plaid Horse. “It’s like a fine wine in terms of our polo fields, barns and history.”
No stranger to the equestrian world, he and his sister grew up on horsesback, and, along with their father, a fox hunter,
they all learned in hunter/jumper events and dressage rings on both the East Coast and in England.
“My family and I are very familiar with what hunter/jumper riders, dressage riders and trainers are looking for in a facility, and we made sure to focus on the best in class needs for those sports when remodeling Rancho Polo,” says Ripinsky. “My family’s love for horses is everything. Rancho Polo is for friends and family. Its where we can enjoy our horses, and enjoy our friends. Rancho Polo certainly enjoys a lot of both. Rancho Polo is personal. It’s a family ranch. Each rider, each guest, each boarder comes because of their affinity to horses and to their sport, and ends up a friend. Everyone is invited to the weekend beers & BBQs down at the
WORDS: APRIL BILODEAU
family hut, by the pond – right next to the family barn, along side their horses – all part of the family.”
Rancho Polo is personal, shady, green, cool, calm, private and friendly.
The updates include planting many trees to add shade to the property, as well as new lights, footing, and stall mats for their multiple arenas and over 100 stalls, among many other features that make Rancho Polo the hunter/jumper oasis California equestrians have been waiting for.
ENDLESS AMENITIES
Driving through the ranch, you’ll find the palm tree lined driveway, which offers a sneak peak of their many turnout options, including large pastures as well as pipe corrals for horses needing smaller paddocks. A riding path also surrounds the whole property for a safe, contained trail riding option.
For trainers who are interested in making a home base at Rancho Polo, management offers several options for leasing, including taking over one of their six 12-stall barns, or heading over to Barn F where they have 50-stalls to choose from for a more individual experience.
To accommodate their friends and guests, the ranch also has housing for grooms and they recently received permission to add two hotels and 10 homes,
creating a more convenient environment for barn staff as well as clients who travel to the ranch to ride.
“We hope to attract trainers and horse owners in the hunter/jumper discipline who are looking for the perfect facility for their long and short term boarding needs,” says Ripinksy.
Ashleigh Charity, head trainer and owner of New View Stables in Canada, chooses Rancho Polo for her southern location during the winter months.
“I always look forward to coming down to Rancho Polo in the winter as an option to be close to the horse show,” says Charity. “The environment is awesome. I have my own clients, in my own area, and so many options for riding both in and out of the ring. The stalls are huge and the turnout is wonderful. I also find that
1 Rancho Polo Hunter Jumper Horses • 2 Stroll Along Our Elegantly Lit Pathways, Embracing the Beauty of 40 Acres of WorldClass Fields • 3 World Class Rancho Polo Equestrian
going to Rancho is way more affordable when we want to stay long term. It’s a huge perk for me and my clients. They can go for longer times because they can afford it more.”
Pia Fortmüller, owner and trainer at Dancing Feet Dressage, has also enjoyed time at Rancho Polo.
“Rancho Polo is one of those equestrian facilities that is a dream to stay at for both horse and rider,” says Fortmüller. “As a rider and a trainer, Rancho Polo offers all of the variety needed to effectively exercise and train my horses, and students. Personally, as a dressage trainer, my horses absolutely loved all the cross training options available, especially with the race track, the polo field, and the various rings that are available. For the horses, the facility is also wonderful because the stalls are very spacious, ventilated, and the turnout options are fantastic.”
While the property boasts meticulously maintained fields for polo, the hunter/ jumper side is just as impressive. Riders will find 12’x16’ stalls, three professional arenas with jumps, as well as grass fields and a track for riding. Equestrians will also enjoy separate laundry, tack, and feeding rooms.
“At Rancho Polo, there are no fees for boarders to use any of our amenities,” says Ripinky. “We don’t sweat the small stuff.
We want everyone in our community to be able to enjoy everything our facility has to offer.”
A COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
Rancho Polo is a family ranch, for family and friends who love the sport of horses. It attracts some of the best in class riders in their sport – be it hunter, jumper, dressage or polo – some of the most high profile, highest rated riders come to ride and enjoy the ranch. While the facility is more than just a polo club, and more than a haven for hunter, jumper and dressage riders, the fast-moving sport is behind a lot of the events and communal opportunities that are open to all boarders and trainers at Rancho Polo.
Come and be warmly greeted by Vicky Owens, the ranch manager, in her golf cart. Owens brings decades of knowledge in a variety of equestrian sports, from Polo to hunter/jumpers and dressage. Owens listens to the boarders in every area of their horses’ care.
“Our polo club is for family and friends,” says Ripinky. “It’s all about enjoying the people that you ride with. It’s a very social environment and everyone is invited to attend our events.”
For more information on Rancho Polo Equestrian Club, please visit www.ranchopolo.com. Or visit us at 82800 58th Ave Thermal, CA 92274 United States
PHOTOS: ABERT AZOUZ (3)
—GEOFF TEALL
W e a n l i n g s
Y e a r l i n g s
T w o - Y e a r O l d s
P r o s p e c t s
P e r f o r m a n c e H o r s e s & B r o o d m a r e s
BLUE SPRUCE FARM
“Nice clients, nice horses, and a nice community”
TRAINERS WILL SIMONS and Colin Caporusso are going back to Wellington, FL for the upcoming horse show season, but this time, they’re returning as new business owners.
After years of working for other operations, the inseparable duo are now combining their talents to offer the Blue Spruce Farm, a top-tier equestrian training program teaching skills to a wide range of riders in a positive, supportive environment. Based in Connecticut, the trip to Florida brings them full circle to where they first met.
“We’ve always gone down there working for other people. Going with our own farm and having our own clients is a huge accomplishment. This is an opportunity to really show everyone what we can do ourselves,” Simons tells The Plaid Horse.
Between both careers, they’ve been exposed to a comprehensive range of equestrian skills. They’ve trained ponies, adult jumpers, and green horses, while learning the tricks of turning out the most healthy, happy and polished animals.
Simons started riding in England, progressing to a job in Belgium that offered his first exposure to a professional show barn. From there, he began a grooming career that took him all over the world, giving him experiences in the best care and training programs available at the 5* level. After traveling as a groom, he moved to the U.S. to manage a group
of horses, again at the 5* level. It’s during this time that Simons began showing for himself and developing his talent in training horses for others.
He saw that successful riding careers were created with great training programs. “I dealt with so many young horses and different varieties of riders from Olympic levels to amateurs,” he says. “I liked seeing
WORDS: JESSICA FARTHING
Will Simons takes the jumps at the Old Salem Summer Series on his own Expecting Balou
everyone improve and also recognizing that they can get to the higher levels.”
Simons combined that positivity for outcomes and the focus on the individual needs of both the horse and their rider to Blue Spruce. The result is often better than his clients expect.
“I think it’s important to know people’s goals going in. Then we have a roundabout idea of how to get there and we’ll achieve probably more than they think they can. We want them to succeed,” says Simons.
Caporusso began his riding career early in Milford, CT, around five years old.
“I was the youngest of four boys and I told my mom that I wanted to do something my brothers haven’t done. I started at a local farm in the area and just loved it,” he says.
He started competitive riding on the circuit, doing equitation and hunters, taking a brief break for college, but still riding every chance he got. When the Covid outbreak shut down the country, he was in Wellington visiting a friend, eventually accepting a job offer with room and board at the farm of Olympic Gold medalist Leslie Howard. He finished his degree from the farm’s office, giving presentations online to complete requirements. A short hop to the other coast of Florida landed him a job in Naples managing a hunter farm, and he soon expanded to more opportunities
where he trained everything from lunge line lessons to riders taking on the big jumps.
From there, Caporusso had positions training ponies, amateurs, and riding all levels of horses. His exposure to the different types of training and riding seemed to cover every aspect of horsemanship, but Simons notes that Caporusso has a particular talent: “Every time he goes to the ring with ponies, they’re champions.”
“People learn in different ways, but they learn better in a positive environment,” says Caporusso. “I think most of our clients do this to have fun, and if you’re encouraging and taking your time and really helping them to be better, then they have fun.”
Several companies agree. Blue Spruce is sponsored by Butet, and also backing the farm is Corro, a one-stop equestrian supply shop, Equine Elixirs natural supplement,s and EquiFit, creator of innovative equestrian performance products. Their support is important to the health of the Blue Spruce herd.
“Our sponsors help our horses be in the best form, outfitting them with their exceptional products,” Caporusso says. “Also, the horses look amazing.”
Both Caporusso and Simons are focused on bringing a quality experience to their customers now, but that doesn’t mean that possibilities for the future of Blue Spruce Farm are ignored.
Simons says,”Buying our own personal farm in Connecticut is a goal for us. But our biggest goal would be to have nice clients, nice horses, and a nice community.”
For now, they feel fortunate to be headquartered at Redgate Farms in Newtown, CT, having access to a beautiful facility with indoor and outdoor arenas, a grass training field, round pen, and turnout paddocks. There are also on-site trails for decompression for both horse and rider.
“There’s plenty of turnout, which is important. Horses need to be out,” says Caporusso.
There are some plans for Simons to use his training experience to produce some young horses for sale. Most of all, they’re excited by the possibilities of this new business and the independence that comes from making their own choices.
Adds Simons: “Winning is great, but winning is not everything. If everyone’s going out and doing their best and they’re happy when they come out, that’s the biggest thing we can ask for. I think that’s how people want to stay with you for a long time.”
You can follow Blue Spruce on Instagram, Facebook and reach them for riding and training opportunities by phone on their website or via email at bluesprucefarmco@gmail.com
Will Simons and Colin Caporusso with their animals
Let’s build a champion.
Your young equestrians deserve more than the standard horse barn. Build them a B&D equestrian facility, crafted for the champions of tomorrow.
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MEDICA EQUINE
Harnessing the
power of natural ingredients, Keelin Redmond Hurd, DVM, has created a line of products to help even the most sensitive equine skin issues
WORDS: APRIL BILODEAU
SKIN IRRITATIONS can be some of the most difficult horse care issues that owners have to deal with. While allergies and bugs are some common culprits for the average equine, some horses just have the tendency to have more sensitive coats and skin than others.
Keelin Redmond Hurd, DVM, an Aiken, SC-based veterinarian, noticed that the amount of horses with skin issues in the more humid climate was significantly higher than other areas she previously lived, such as California and Kentucky.
“Skin is bad down here. I see all kinds of different issues,” Dr. Hurd tells The Plaid Horse. “People would bring out what I call ‘the box,’ which is a bunch of half empty bottles of things that weren’t working or burning their horses.”
At first, she was doing what most veterinarians do when they have a patient with tricky skin by compounding medications, adding antibiotics and steroids to certain creams, shampoos, and more.
“There are two problems with this,” says Dr. Hurd. “The law states we can only hand them to horses in our care, and
the components are drugs, so they test positive in a variety of situations.”
With the prescribed medications presenting usage problems and the over-the-counter products being messy and ineffective, Dr. Hurd started doing her own research to find a solution for her patients.
“I started looking at some ridiculously old text books and talking to some older horsemen about what they learned from their mentors about skincare,” she adds.
In her research, Dr. Hurd discovered that equine skin products previously used sulfur, which was something that modern products weren’t listing as an ingredient.
WHY SULFUR?
Dr. Hurd began tinkering with sulfur—a product anyone can buy on Amazon. So for a product so readily available, she
wondered why it had stopped being an active ingredient in today’s products.
“The reason we got away from it is it’s almost too simple, as in, you put it on and it clears things up,” says Dr. Hurd. “It’s difficult to use, however, because it’s not water soluble. I had to take time to figure out how to get it on the horse.”
As the owner of an integrative veterinary practice, Avoca Equine, Dr. Hurd works to use all the tools that she can to better the horse.
“My hope is to use all of the natural options possible,” says Dr. Hurd.
Sulfur, being a natural product, fit right into her mission.
While she admits she did ruin some stoves doing her science experiments with sulfur, she also handled everything without gloves as she wanted to make
sure whatever she put on her patient’s skin, she could put on her own.
Dr. Hurd also extensively tested her sulfur-based products on humans before ever being used for animals. “You know how horse people are!” she says.
About 76 iterations later, Dr. Hurd found the combinations that worked best and in 2020, Medica Equine was born.
MEDICA PRODUCTS
The veterinarian created three different products, a wash, a lotion, and a salve, each with a sulfur base and a specific focus for the horse.
The Treatment Wash is a competition safe formula that gently and effectively aids in the treatment of rain rot, ringworm, and leg scurf among among other skin diseases. The blend of sulfur and essential
oils work together to kill fungus and bacteria. While most anti-fungal shampoos are harsh on skin, often causing worse infections or even burns, the Treatment Wash gently cleanses and treats skin issues.
“It won’t lather like a dish soap, but it does lather a bit,” says Dr. Hurd. “Leave it for 10 minutes and then rinse it off. No need to scrub or agitate it!”
The Lotion is the most unique of the three products as it is similar to the Treatment Wash, but is able to be used dry, so if you’re in colder weather, you can still get the same results from a sulfur product. The Lotion is a leave-in formula that helps all the same skin conditions as the Treatment Wash while leaving the skin smooth and conditioned.
“It’s water-based, not oil-based, so you don’t have to worry about putting it on
BEFORE AFTER
tack, etc.,” says Dr. Hurd. “It’s also the best product for dogs!”
Lastly, the Salve is an ointment that aids in the treatment of scratches, dew poisoning, cracked heels, and other moist dermatitis. The Salve uses sulfur plus lavandin oil, which kills bacteria and fungus, as well as calendula oil, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.
“The calendula oil acts like a steroid and cuts inflammation and itch,” says Dr. Hurd. “Seriously, any redness will be gone by the morning!”
Not only are the results that Medica Equine clients have seen impressive, but the products are also affordable, costing no more than $36 a bottle.
To learn more about Medica Equine, or to buy a product of your own, visit medicaequine.com
PHOTOS: CHRIS QUINN (LEFT); PAULA KRAMER (TOP RIGHT)
Medica Salve helps soothe angry, irritated skin and aids in hair regrowth
2025 Tryon Welcome & Spring Series USEF Preview
Welcome 1 - National / Level 3 - March 20-23
Welcome 2 - National / Level 3 - March 27-30
Welcome 3 - National / Level 3 - April 3-6
Welcome 4 - National / Level 3 - April 10-13
Spring 1 - Premier / Level 6 - April 30-May 4
Spring 2 - National / Level 4 - May 7-11
EE Spring 3 - Premier / Level 4 - May 14-18
Spring 4 - National / Level 5 - May 21-25
Spring 5 - National / Level 6 - May 27-June 1
Spring 6 - Premier / Level 5 - June 3-8
The Reimagined SHOW STRIDES
2, 2024 •
1 Kelly Dunn and Orlopt • 2 Jenna Crawford and Blueridge Rembrandt, winners of the $2,500 LCHSA Pony Hunter Derby
• 3 Madison Cabot, led by Ellen Cabot, and Royal Slipper • 4 A four-in-hand team driven by Jonathan Martin, winners of the Carriages Concours d’Elegance
• 5 Olivia Miller and Poco Roxy Pine
Brass Ring at Devon
JULY 13-14 •
DEVON HORSE SHOW & COUNTRY FAIR SHOW GROUNDS • DEVON, PA
1 Kassidy Danley and Checkmate
• 2 Audrey Ibach and Millon Dollar Man • 3 Katie Deaner and Blueberry • 4 Leadline
KMK PHOTOS
PHOTO GALLERY
PHOTOS:
The Plaid Horse: Can you tell us a little bit about your passion for horses and how you started course designing?
ANDERSON LIMA: I started a long time ago. I come from a horse family, and back when I was a kid, maybe 12 or 13 years old, we lived on a farm. I started riding to get closer with my dad, and I would just follow him around. While he was competing or watching his videos I would be doing some drawings and sketches on napkins or paper and show it to him and be like, “Look, Dad, this is your course.” And that was really the root of how I became interested in course designing.
Plaid: Tell us about some of the courses that really stand out over your career—courses that you walked away from thinking, “wow,” and what made them so special?
ANDERSON LIMA: This is a very difficult question. It’s not just about designing big Grand Prixs or big classes, or courses that result in good results. This is my dream job and I live my dreams now and I have had the chance to go to all the places I’ve gone, and I’m designing at some incredible shows. I put the same effort every single week for every single class. It doesn’t matter if it’s a little small class or a 5* Grand Prix. I’ve been to some shows and designed some classes I never dreamed I would be able to do and that is pretty special to me.
Plaid: For people who are kind of involved in different areas of the sport and maybe not as familiar with FEI, what would you say differentiates the 3* from the 5*? What do you do to increase the level of difficulty?
Q&A with Anderson Lima
Anderson Lima is an FEI level 3 course designer from Brazil. He is well known for his course designs in the 2003 American games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; the South American games in San Paulo, Brazil; Spruce Meadows; Calgary; and multiple FEI World Cup finals in Las Vegas. Anderson also designed the track for the $226,000 Sapphire Grand Prix at the 2023 Devon Horse Show and most recently was designing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
ANDERSON LIMA: Let’s go backwards from a 5* to a 4* to a 3*... in a 5*, you have requirements. If those Grand Prixs are qualifiers for the Olympics or for any of those huge 1.60 m classes, the FEI has some rules about a certain amount of jumps at a certain height that have to be present on the course. So sometimes the difference between the 4* and the 5* in a 1.60 m Grand Prix is very little because they have a minimum of requirements that are the same. The lines are pretty similar and height-wise, the difference is small. But when you go to 3*, that’s one step down. You can set the Grand Prix to 1.55 m or near 1.50 m. There are still requirements in a 3* that you have a certain amount and jumps that you have to have at a certain height, but certainly in a 3*, you can go softer on the height.The technicality of the course at a 1.50 3* is a more pleasant designing process than the 4* or 5*, because you don’t need to go all the way to the maximum width, so you can create elements in the course that test riders in a nicer way than the 4* or 5* classes.
Plaid: Can you tell us about some of the different kinds of training questions you ask in courses? For example, we see in a lot of Grand Prix classes there’s something like a triple bar or very wide jump and then you’d have to shorten up to a very upright, tall vertical. What’s that asking of the horse? What’s that asking of the rider?
ANDERSON LIMA: I think today’s courses we pretty much test the riders more than the horses. I don’t like to be tricky—I don’t like tricky as a word—I like to be fair. Sometimes, as you said, the triple
bar to a skinny or those kinds of tests are very difficult for a group of horses. I like to create nice lines and a balance between forward distances and a little bit shorter distances and normal size jumps. For sure when you talk about Grand Prixs, being fair means creating the right dimensions. But I do like to challenge horses and riders with colors, jumps with a little bit more open space, jumps that are a little bit more solid, or by having planks and walls. There are some questions that are over-tested, but those elements I listed can keep testing the riders and horses in new ways.
Plaid: What does a successful Grand Prix class look like to you? Do you aim for a certain number in the jump off? How do you balance the course being too easy or too hard? What’s a good number for the crowd to jump off and have that excitement?
ANDERSON LIMA: In today’s sport, it’s hard to say the right number. My opinion is any number between six, and ten. At the Sapphire Grand Prix, when you have that amount of people in the Devon crowd, you want to please them with more than three or four going clear. More than six even, but on the other hand you have the riders that don’t want to compete in a jump off with over 12 horses because that means they would have to go faster to this or that. Then again, at some places it could be 12. And at some places it’s three. You can have any number in a jumpoff and still have a great class but the riders and spectators will always find a different opinion than yours. That’s just in the job description.
A HORSE FOR EVERY RIDER
BY KATHERINE LYONS
Reprinted with permission from the author
BUYING A HORSE FOR A CHILD
If you are a parent buying a horse for a young child, do you have the skills needed to do most of the handling? This would include things like haltering, grooming, leading, tacking, blanketing, hoof and leg care, bathing, holding the horse for the farrier or veterinarian, taking the temperature, and trailer loading. These can be relatively easy with a calm, seasoned horse, but some tasks could be quite challenging with others. If you’re not confident in your abilities to handle a horse safely in multiple situations, it would be wise to stable the horse at a facility with
trainers and others available to help. Horse people are extremely generous with their time and expertise.
When I bought my first horse, previously known as Rebel, I stabled him at a boarding facility bustling with activity. There were a lot of people around to witness his antics, and thankfully a few who weren’t too shy to tell me I was in way over my head. I was young and had barely enough money to pay the bills after shelling out his purchase price of $850, so hiring a full-time trainer wasn’t an option. Fortunately, there was a girl at the
barn (I’ll call her Natalie) who could ride anything, and for some reason, she thought my naughty horse was a worthy challenge. Maybe she took pity on me. More likely she was taken in by his cuteness. Whatever the reason, Natalie agreed to ride my unruly steed, to see if she could stop him from rearing (oh, did I forget to mention he reared?). The first time she rode him, he reared so high that she slid straight down off his rump. The stirrups and leathers had come right off, with her feet and the rest of her body in tow! Somehow she landed on her feet, grabbing the stirrups in hand and laughing.
That was the kind of rider he needed! So we reattached those stirrups, she hopped back on, and she never fell off again. After a short time, Natalie had cured his rearing habit completely, and it never resurfaced in all the years I owned him. He still was no saint, and it took many years to make him into a solid citizen, but she got us over a hurdle I was totally unequipped to handle.
I’ve come to find that most barns have their own “Natalie.” You want to know that person… bring them Starbucks and pizza and tell them they rock!
LOOKING FOR A TOP COMPETITOR
If you’re an ambitious rider looking for a national or international competition horse, you want to be extremely specific about the type of horse you’re looking for. Be picky! Consider the attributes of the horse you’ll need in order to satisfy your riding and competition goals and write down everything you can think of. This should be a pretty long list. Make sure to include the qualities that would make an ideal match for your personality and riding style. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a spectacular horse that just isn’t a good fit for you. Do your research on the bloodlines, conformation, age, price, and other characteristics of the most successful horses in your discipline. If this is your first time searching for a horse of this caliber, you might be surprised to learn how much it takes to keep a top horse in good shape. Be realistic about your ability to keep up with the extensive management, financial expense, and time commitment a top-level competition horse requires. You’ll also want a larger budget for horse shopping itself, including travel expenses and pre-purchase exams. (More on budget to come).
DEAL-BREAKERS AND MUST-HAVES
Whether you’re in the market for a trail horse or a top competitor, it’s important to make a list of what you absolutely must have in a horse as well as what you absolutely cannot have. With this list at the front of your mind, you can more easily weed through horses without wasting too much time or energy, or potentially falling in love with a horse who isn’t a good match. Some of the
Let’s face it, horses are expensive, and a huge commitment in time and energy.
most common criteria to consider are size, age, sex, breed, temperament, color, talent for your chosen discipline, and experience/training level. There could also be things that you specifically want to avoid based on your environment or personal preference. For example, if you plan to keep your horse at a boarding stable without regular pasture turnout, you must have a horse that is comfortable living in a stall. Or, if the only farrier in your area doesn’t have a forge or other fancy equipment, you may need to avoid horses that require special shoeing. (Don’t make the mistake of assuming you
can change a horse’s shoeing technique; he may not stay sound.)
I’ve seen people put all kinds of things on their deal-breaker/must-have lists. Some people don’t like cribbers (horses who clamp their teeth onto an object and suck air), or horses who pace or weave back and forth in their paddocks, but others don’t mind these things. Some prefer a horse they have to encourage to go (a “push-horse”), while others can’t stand that, and must have a horse with his own motor (a “whoa-horse”). Sometimes physical characteristics or past injuries or illnesses will go on this list. For example, an old tendon injury might be a problem for some, but not others.
If you are looking for a horse for a child or if you’re a less-experienced, timid, or fragile rider, one of your must-haves should be an age-appropriate horse (not too young). He should also have a calm, forgiving temperament. As I have said before, be honest about your strengths and shortcomings. Also, consider any physical characteristics that may impact your riding. If you’re “vertically challenged” like myself, you might not want an eighteen-hand horse, no matter how fabulous he is. Some people will notice that they are less comfortable riding either a narrow or wider horse. Certain horses feel jarring or uncomfortable. If you have a tricky back, hip, or anything else, make sure to put “comfortable” on your list.
Let’s face it, horses are expensive, and a huge commitment in time and energy. You’re going to put in a lot of effort for this horse, and I’m assuming (unless you’re a glutton for punishment) that you’re hoping for some pleasure out of the deal. That said, remember that certain items on your list may carry more weight than others. There may be times to consider being flexible on things like color, markings, breed, or bloodlines. For example, let’s say you have your heart set on a glowing palomino and you happen to come across a horse that is perfect in every other way, except that he is a bay. Considering how hard it can be to find the ideal match, I would caution you not to be too rigid on the cosmetic things. (Buy the bay!) Keep the big three—temperament, talent, and drive—front and center of your mind.
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HAPPIER
Featured Clinicians:
Guy McLean (Quietway Horsemanship) sponsored by Custom Equine Nutrition
Chris Irwin (Horse Think, Mind Your Horse)
Tik Maynard (Eventing & Behavioral Training)
Ryan Rose (General Training & Trail)
North America’s Premier Equine Exposition & Equestrian Gathering
NOV. 7–10, 2024
W. SPRINGFIELD, MA
Eastern States Exposition
• An Unparalleled Educational Program.
• The Largest Horse-Related Trade Show in North America.
• The Marketplace Consignment Shop
• The Fantasia (sponsored by Equine Medical and Surgical Associates) — Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
• Breed Pavilion, Horse & Farm Exhibits, Horses for Sale and Adoption Affaire
• NEW! Breed Bonanza (sponsored by Blue Seal) — A unique under saddle class showcasing the best features of horses from all breeds!
• Drive A Draft — Learn to ground-drive a draft horse in this fascinating experience with gentle giants!
• Equine Fundamentals Forum and Youth Activities — Educational presentations, exhibits, and activities for new riders and horse owners, young & old.
• NEW! Stagecoach Rides — Enjoy a horse-drawn stagecoach ride around the fairgrounds and see Equine Affaire like never before.
• The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition (sponsored by Chewy) — A fast-paced timed and judged race through an obstacle course with $5,500 at stake!
• Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge (sponsored by Boot Barn) — Show off your muscles in one of our fun barnyard Olympic events!
• And much, much more!
Lauren Sammis (Dressage)
Traci Brooks (Hunter/Jumper)
Barbra Schulte (Cutting, Sports Psychology)
Beth Baumert (Dressage)
Marcie Quist (Driving)
Daniel Stewart (Jumping, Sports Psychology)
Ben Longwell (Vaquero and Ranch)
Kevin Raber (Reining)
Ivy Starnes (Easy Gaited Horses)
Mary Miller Jordan (Mustangs, Liberty)
Solange (Stable Riding)
Celisse Barrett (Mounted Archery)
Sam & Kellie Rettinger (Draft Horses)
Mini Doves Equestrian Drill Team (Mini Horses)
Renegades & Outlaws Drill Teams (Drill Teams)
Rebecca Platz (Mini Obstacle Courses)
Copper Hill Vaulting Team (Vaulting)
Additional presenters to be announced soon!
RI TA TIM PANARO
Kris Cheyne’s Kirin Farm
“I do this because I love it”
WORDS: MARLEY LIEN-GONZALEZ
KRIS CHEYNE’S proudest moment as a professional came not from his own success, but from a student’s—whom he’s known for most of her life.
Last fall, Cheyne’s student Caroline Alexander and her horse Specialist were Grand Champion in the 3’3” Junior Hunters at the National Horse Show, in Alexander’s first time showing there.
“What made it more special is that Caroline has ridden with me literally since she started taking lessons over 10 years ago, and came up the ranks through just our program,” Cheyne tells The Plaid Horse. “That was just awesome, for that kid to win.”
A USEF “R” judge and the owner and trainer at Kirin Farm, a show barn based in Overland Park, KS, Cheyne says he’s proud every single time his students set goals and go after them.
“Whether it’s USHJA, Vegas, or Indoors, anytime they go and they’re happy, it’s always great to see hard work pay off on their end.”
Very few barns can say they’ve brought a walk-trot kid up to the highest levels of the sport, but Cheyne has done so with several riders, including one young amateur who started out in his riding school in 2003 and now has two Grand Prix horses.
“At this level, and maybe I’m doing it wrong, but I don’t do this to make zillions of dollars,” Cheyne says. “I do it because I love it.”
At Kirin Farm, Cheyne balances his highly competitive students who are heading to equitation finals and Indoors with a booming lesson program with riders of all levels. He adds that as much as he enjoys standing ringside at a horse show, he also loves teaching his Monday and Tuesday night lessons with five ladies who jump 2’, might go to one horse show a year, but mostly take lessons for fun.
A key part of the success of his lesson program? Quality school horses. “When you learn on nice animals, you learn to ride better. When you learn to ride on hot horses that teach you to be a little nervous,
you can’t focus on riding well if you’re dealing with all of that. It's about good horses to teach on at home, and good, safe horses in general... we try to stay away from greener horses for our kids.”
A great team is also a vital part of the program: “I make it a priority to always have really good people around me so all these parts work. If that team wasn’t in place I couldn’t do it all, and I’ve been really fortunate to have them.”
He is also grateful for the students who come through his barn, saying most of his job isn’t encouraging riders to ride and show more, but rather slowing those people down, and telling them no. Cheyne might say: “You need to do “x” number lessons a week, you need to half lease, you need some mileage before you can just get a horse!”
When he’s not teaching at home or at the horse show, Cheyne, an “R” judge, is traveling the country and watching horses compete from the judge’s booth. Getting to do all of the above rounds out the professional experience for Cheyne and Kirin Farm, and he finds himself fulfilled by the balance.
“After judging for a few weeks in a row I think, ‘Oh, I want to be horse showing,’ and then after a few weeks of horse showing, I'll think, 'I want to be judging!” Getting to do both, he adds, is his favorite place to be.
NOTES FOR STUDENTS
Being a judge also lends its unique benefits to Cheyne’s teaching curriculum – here are some things he’s always telling his students:
• AT A HORSE SHOW, be as timely as possible when you get to the ring. Trainers sometimes have conflicts at other rings and life happens; but as a rider, you can be ready, know your course, warm up, and be able to walk in and get right to it. Be organized!
• TO THOSE THAT HAVE NICE MOVERS, when you walk in the ring for the under saddle, if you have time to work at will, do it, because the judges are already looking. They’re kind of noting numbers, and they’re getting their card organized, so take advantage.
• WHEN JUDGES ASK for the third time to have riders slide their numbers to the outside in the undersaddle, it is mind boggling the amount of people who outright ignore that. It’s because we physically can’t read your number. Once we know your number, it’s a lot easier to watch the class.
• PET PEEVE: When kids go in and pick up the wrong lead and immediately just kick their wonderful animals to do a flying change, instead of taking time to correct what they did poorly the first time. When you make a mistake, make the correction, fix it, and then you can move on.
Mt. Nittany Classic
GOOD GROUND
Whether you’re starting with an empty field or renovating an existing arena, the expertise collected in these pages will help you make sure the riding and training space you have is the very best it can be for your chosen equine activity, and most importantly, safe for both horse and rider.
MAKE “HOME” HORSE HEALTHY
Easy-to-do enrichment activities for happier horses.
Sensible steps to making vet visits stress-free.
An inspiringly illustrated guide to keeping horses as naturally as possible.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
An Extraordinary Equestrian Journey from Deadly Diagnosis to the Paralympic Games
BY SYDNEY COLLIER WITH HEATHER WALLACE
Reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books
Sydney Collier was told at age 7 that she wasn’t supposed to be alive. A routine eye exam discovered that Sydney had an incredibly rare congenital birth defect called Wyburn-Mason Syndrome. It causes arteriovenous malformations where the veins and arteries in the brain don’t separate as they should through capillaries. Fewer than 100 cases of the syndrome have been reported, most diagnosed in infants following their deaths. During a risky brain surgery at age 11, Sydney suffered a massive stroke, putting her in a wheelchair. As a form of therapy post-stroke, she began riding at a therapeutic riding program. The excerpt that follows tells of her trip to the World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park and seeing Para Riding for the first time.
I can’t do justice to the feeling I had when I saw the para riders for the first time. These were athletes with disabilities like me, competing at the upper levels. My earlier childhood goals didn’t seem so far
away anymore. For the first time in what felt like years, I felt my inner fire rekindle deep within. It may have been a small flame, but it wasn’t gone like I’d feared.
The rider I remember the most, the one who really affected me, was a woman without arms. She held one set of the reins of the double bridle in her mouth, and the second set of reins with her bare feet, and she rode beautifully. I’d never seen a more striking example of inclusivity as that woman in my life. Nothing was stopping her from achieving her goals, and it made me feel like I could do the same thing.
I had a true epiphany, just like a moment out of a movie! I stood there watching and thought, If these athletes are out there pursuing their goals, then I can do it too. If I really apply myself, it could be me on this team.
It was the most empowering moment of my life to date. Even though I was different,
I wasn’t as useless as society seemed to be telling me I was.
I don’t know if my mother was prepared for how excited I’d be after so many months of depression. She had booked our trip to help me through a very dark time, and like a switch, suddenly, my social self came back to the fore. It made all the difference to be around people who made me feel “normal” once again.
I wasn’t different. I wasn’t the odd one out.
For the first time in a long time, I had hope. My mother thought she’d opened Pandora’s Box, but there was no turning back for me. I’m forever grateful to her for recognizing my need for a community who understood my experiences with individuals working toward goals like mine.
It wasn’t enough to watch others ride at WEG. I wanted to meet as many riders as possible. I went from shuttered, surly, teenage Sydney, to excited, chatty
Syd in the blink of an eye. My mom and grandma probably had whiplash. I had an absolute blast!
My mom and grandma stayed in the background and let me explore, giving me freedom. I enjoyed every moment and met as many people as possible. It’s easy to coddle your disabled child and try to protect them from the world, perpetuating dependence. My family didn’t helicopter me or wrap me in bubble wrap like I was some broken thing. Instead, they gave me free rein and let me explore. I’ve always been my own person. I am so grateful to them for allowing that independence to evolve.
That independence allowed me to walk up, limping the whole way and leaning on my cane, to anyone and everyone who was around, so that I could introduce myself and say hello. I knew the sport of para dressage was a way that I could step up to the challenges I was facing and not let life beat me down. It became apparent that it gave me the strength to embrace my new body and my new self. It was the beginning of something exciting.
One of these introductions became life-changing.
I opened with, “You look like someone I should know.”
I am so damn cheeky, but it would be the most important meeting of my life. That rider turned out to be Jonathan Wentz, who would set a cascade of events into motion that led me to where I am today.
At the time, Jonathan was about nineteen years old and representing the United States at his first World Equestrian Games. He had the sunniest disposition— so friendly and welcoming. At over six feet tall you might think he would seem unapproachable, but he had a presence about him, an energy, a way of making others feel comfortable—something I emulate to this day and hope to provide for others.
Jonathan’s goal to be a positive light and help bring more young riders into the sport of para dressage quickly became apparent. It was his passion, and it was something that really resonated with me. Before I knew it, he offered to introduce me to Hope Hand, founder and (then) president of the United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA), so that I could be “classified,” right then, right there—at the World Equestrian Games! (According to
PHOTO: LUC PERCIVAL (TOP LEFT); SUSAN J. STICKLE (BOTTOM RIGHT)
TOP LEFT: Journey, my therapy dog, proudly sporting his World Equestrian Games creds. He was the real superstar!
LEFT: One of the few photos I have with my friend and mentor Jonathan Wentz. We were always having a great time together
ABOVE: Willi Wesley strutting his stuff in the competition arena at WEG 2014
the FEI, classification by “Grade” enables competitors to be judged at an international level on their individual skill on their horse, regardless of their physical impairment.
“The competitor’s mobility, strength, and coordination are assessed in order to establish their Classification Profile. People with similar functional ability Profiles are grouped into competition Grades. For para dressage, the Grades range from Grade I for the most severely impaired, to Grade V for the least impaired.”)
My grandmother was with me during my chat with Jonathan, while my mother remained on the other side of the arena. As I felt my life suddenly being swept up in a current that might lead to a future I hadn’t thought possible, I hurried back to where my mom was waiting.
“Mom, Mom!” I said, my voice full of excitement and disbelief. “You’ll never believe this but I’m going to get classified right here for para dressage and start doing this! Right now!”
Before she could utter a word, I was off again.
After Jonathan’s ride, he took me to meet Hope, as promised, and get classified. I did not know what to expect. I assumed the process would happen on a horse, where I was most comfortable—I imagined maybe I’d even get to ride Richter Scale, the horse Jonathan had just competed. I was so hyped.
To my disappointment, there was no horse. Watching other riders is never the same as being on a horse myself, so it bummed me out. Any day I can get on the back of a horse is a good day. Later, physical therapists trained as classifiers explained that being on a horse can make someone look more able-bodied than that person actually is, so classifiers base their evaluation on the rider only, unmounted.
The classifiers at WEG led me to a trailer, with my grandma in tow as chaperone. There I did a series of muscle tests to help determine what “Grade” I would be when competing in para dressage, so that I would ride with athletes who had similar abilities on an even playing field.
I remember thinking, Is this actually happening?
I was classified as a Grade II rider, so I would ride tests that included fifty-fifty walk and trot requirements, parallel to a Second Level dressage test, minus the canter aspect. I felt elation. I hadn’t even known this sport existed a month ago! In the blink of an eye, my mindset changed from believing dressage was boring to appreciating all the potential there was for me in the sport.
“Mom, Grammy, next WEG and Paralympics—it’s going to be me on that team,” I announced.
If my change of attitude surprised my family after our trip to WEG, they didn’t show it. In fact, they were likely just relieved I had a new, positive focus. Many kids have big dreams for their futures. I was no exception. And I’ve always been determined and goal-oriented. When I said I was going to work toward a goal, I put all my passion into accomplishing it.
My diagnosis and stroke would not define me anymore. I wanted to write the rest of my story.
To read Sydney’s whole story, find her book at the Trafalgar Square Books online bookstore TrafalgarBooks.com
RANCHO POLO EQUESTRIAN CLUB
PHOTOS: KMK PHOTOS
Country
1 Megan Hubbard and Botticelli
• 2 Anleigh Ahlert and Cartoon Tame • 3 Abigail Russo and Crass B • 4 Charly Dobosh and Foxmor Beachcomber (right); Maddison Wrigley and Sugar & Spice
PHOTO
PHOTOS: KMK PHOTOS
INITIATIVES
Anastasia Curwood is co-founder, with Heather Gillette, of Strides for Equality, working to create equitable opportunities for BIPOC equestrians.
A REVOLUTION OF INCLUSION
Black Equestrians and Allies Accept ETHOS Awards
WORDS AND
L.A. BERRY
Ethos: The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature or guiding beliefs of a person, group or institution.
In the case of the Ethos Award Ceremony on Saturday morning, August 31, at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY, it was all about changing the narrative of horse sport by recognizing Black equestrians and allies.
Mayisha Akbar, Dr. George and Ann Blair, Anastasia Curwood, Caitlin Gooch, Lezlie Hiner, and Patricia Kelly were all recognized for their ethical and equitable commitments to making a better horse world for future generations.
“For me, being in the horse world 40-plus years, this is what I always dreamed of, to see a mixture of races, ages and economic advantages in one place,” says Roberta Wilmore, who was joined by Jess Saalfield in
organizing and presenting the awards. “This is an occasion to honor real trailblazers.”
2024 ETHOS AWARD RECIPIENTS
Mayisha Akbar founded the Compton Jr. Posse (CJP) in 1988 in Compton, CA, to bring kids hope, connection and success by teaming them with horses.
“Children are most handicapped by a lack of opportunity,” says Akbar, whose nephew, Randy Savvy, launched Compton Cowboys in 2017 to continue the family mission of imbuing youth with good horse sense and professional acumen. When Akbar tells her young riders to “put your business language on,” she means it.
Dr. George and Ann Blair started the New York Riding Academy in 1970 in Manhattan’s Randall Island Park, making horseback riding more accessible for everyone.
3
“We are in the first organization to recognize Black pioneers. The National Museum of Racing was ahead of its time; thank you. Heather and I want an organization that says to riders, ‘We have your back.’ Horses are power. Horses connect us to our community and our strength.”
Caitlin Gooch is founder of the Saddle Up And Read program that connects horses, kids and libraries in an effort to raise literacy rates in North Carolina. “I never believed I’d be recognized just for doing what’s right,” she says. “Kids love horses and books. It was just putting the two together and thank you God, for the strength to get it done.”
Lezlie Hiner started Work To Ride in 1994, a community-based prevention program in Philadelphia that engages and empowers under-resourced urban kids through interactions with horses. It was a full-circle moment for the ex-Saratoga hot walker and assistant trainer, whose youth program made history in 2011 when three WTR students were on the first Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. Another WTR student, Shariah Harris, was named 2016 US Polo Association National Interscholastic Player of the Year and, in February 2024, became the first Black woman to play in the US Women’s Polo Championship.
Patricia Kelly is president and CEO of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc., created in 1984 to introduce the joys of riding to women in the Hartford, CT, area, and is today both an integral resource for certified equine-related therapy for all who need it and home to the Mary Fields Museum, dedicated to telling the story of the African American experience in pioneer life and horsemanship.
“Forty years didn’t happen to just me. I have an amazing loyal staff with me to give Black and brown kids the same opportunities without the cost. Looking around this room, we can leave what we’ve created in good hands.”
Saalfield, whose prescient college thesis 20 years ago saw the power of equine therapy to heal across divides, may have said it best when she heralded the awards and positive energy they had created as, “a revolution of inclusion.”
The Ethos Award is a bi-annual celebration of joy and representation that partners with unique equine venues across the country to share in its mission to change the narrative of equestrian sports. The inaugural 2022 awards were presented in partnership with the Washington International Horse Show. Learn more or recommend a venue at ethosawardequestrian.com.
1 With Ethos Award creator Roberta Wilmore as awardee Patricia Kelly speaks
2 Roberta Wilmore, Ethos Awardee Mayisha Akbar, Randy Savvy, Jess Saalfield
Ethos Award recipients Caitlin Gooch with Ann Blair
WORDS: PHILIP RICHTER, HOLLOW BROOK WEALTH MANAGEMENT
IS THE MARKET for equestrian show jumpers correlated to global financial markets and, by extension, the broader economy? Is the market for show jumpers recession proof? Are show horses overvalued?
I have recently been asking myself these kinds of questions given my love for the sport and my day job as the founder and president of a wealth management firm. Let’s dig in.
Not only has the stock market recently reached an all-time high, but so has the price of gold. Bond spreads remain tight and prices of residential real estate in America and other assets remain strong. Interestingly, the prices for high-end show jumpers are also bumping up against all-time highs. We are living in a uniquely complex moment in time from both a financial and investment perspective.
The complexity of today’s financial world has its roots in the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008, when central banks around the world cut interest rates to zero to save the global economy. What began as an emergency maneuver to stimulate growth evolved into a way of life that lasted for over a decade. As a result, for a prolonged period, central banks held interest rates below the growth rate of the economy. Easy money was the world’s financial status quo until quite recently. The long-term effects of over a decade of cheap money (negative interest rates in some countries) are still being felt today. Paper assets like stocks and bonds and real assets like art, rare cars, collectible watches and, yes, even horses, have witnessed a staggering rise in prices. However, this powerful trend of rising valuations has consequently increased the risk of the underlying assets.
The price of money does matter— even in the horse world. Following the GFC, interest rates were abnormally low, and inflation was benign, if non-existent.
However, over the last 24 months, we now find ourselves in a notably different economic reality. Mortgages are up over six percent and corporate borrowing costs across the world have risen sharply. Companies with supply chains abroad seeking cheap alternatives are now focused on the certainty of supply—at any cost. There are ongoing wars in the Ukraine and Israel. Combined, these trends and events have put pressure on prices, sparked inflation and destabilized the economy.
The horse world has not been excluded from recent macro market trends. In many cases, prices for hunters, jumpers, and equitation horses have skyrocketed in a similar manner to stocks, bonds and collectibles over the last 12 years. The cost of competing and maintaining horses has also been significantly impacted by recent global macro trends. There has been a commensurate rise in fuel prices, entry fees, feed, veterinary care, and bedding. While inflation has recently cooled, there is a clear parallel path between the asset prices of horses and the asset inflation that markets have endured over the last decade. However, it is important to keep in mind that the segmentation of the horse market is complex and multi-faceted and there are many factors to consider within each subcategory.
MARKET SEGMENTATION
A confirmation of horse price trends via proactive outreach to some of America’s top professionals and Olympic medalists was mostly consistent and highly revealing. Most professionals agreed on the definition and range of market segmentation as well as the current state of the equestrian show jumping market. Today, most professionals consider the lower end of the market to be where horses trade up to roughly $200,000. Approximately $500,000 has become the new middle market with the higher end
approaching and exceeding $1 million. For the right Olympic prospect or turnkey 1.60 m Grand Prix competitor, prices can be well into seven figures.
THE LOW END OF THE MARKET
Research indicates that the lower end of the market is currently saturated with horses. Animals in this category may have soundness issues, stopping problems, or may not have enough experience. As one would expect, this lower-end range of the market is the most sensitive to the economy and interest rates. Equestrians in this segment have increasingly focused on leasing to mitigate the impact of the uncertain, changing, and volatile economic landscape.
THE RISE OF LEASING
Selling any horse is tough work. Particularly in the lower range, sales can be challenging. Many polled for this article agreed that the low end of the market are the hardest horses to sell. Even moving upmarket to the $200,000 range for hunters and equitation horses, leasing is becoming an increasingly popular option. Professionals agreed that the lower end of the market is seeing more leasing than sales. Leasing horses may not be a new industry development, but the magnitude of leasing vs. sales today represents a significant change.
Leasing has been on the rise for twenty years. Notwithstanding the risks of long-term veterinary bills and the cost of retirement, parents of juniors do not want to be “stuck” with a horse for the long term. Leasing allows the customer to keep their options open and possibly maintain more liquidity and flexibility. In a very real sense, leasing is the equivalent of paying tuition in the show jumping world. The lower end market is reflective of the current economic status quo. One professional we spoke with noted that even the current political
environment can cause the lower and middle market to become cautious. This dynamic exists in corporate America when management teams often hold off on hiring and making capital expenditures until they feel comfortable with a given market.
MIDDLE MARKET
According to my research, the middle market for show jumpers has also slowed down. Some professionals called it downright tough, with one stating that “right now, horses that trade in the $300,000 to $500,000 are not flying off the rack like they were two years ago.” Horses in this market are all luxury items like a collector car or a bespoke watch. Horses priced in this category are sometimes additional horses for a junior or amateur. During Covid, sales were robust, but like other luxury experiential extras, this has changed, and people are simply buying less.
The boat and plane markets are a good analogue—as these markets are also slowing significantly. Experiencebased expenses are being discounted across many luxury markets. The psychology of “we only live once” was powerful as people bought the extra horse or bought the boat. However, now that we are in a new high-interest rate economic reality, it is apparent that there is a noticeable slowdown in the post Covid world.
Many professionals cited the cost of maintaining multiple horses as a reason for the market change in the middle market. Others mentioned that we are in the hangover stage from Covid. In certain circumstances, it still might be easy to sell a winning equitation horse or a good 1.45 m jumper, but in this market, it is very difficult to make a decent margin.
THE HIGH END
The higher end at $1 million or more remains robust. Five and six-year-olds with recognized bloodlines are selling for $500,000 in Europe. Very high-quality horses with 1.60 m potential are solidly now in the seven-figure range. Lack of supply remains the primary
driver of stratospheric prices. Today, if one is seeking to buy a top Grand Prix horse, there is a very limited supply. Everyone in this market segment has vast resources and everyone wants to participate at a high level. The demand has never been so high.
Additionally, it is a global market, and it is no longer just the developed Western world looking for Olympic prospects—there are wealthy families around the world today who are ready and able to step up and buy these highend horses. There is a model emerging now, given the amount of prize money,
“We are living in a uniquely complex moment in time from both a financial and investment perspective.”
whereby professionals can justify and subsidize expensive horses because of prize money and the volume of shows. As seen broadly in the global economy, there is strong demand for the best.
FOAL MANIA: SELLING HOPE
Most fascinating is that the young horse market continues to attract huge interest. As a result, prices are strong, and the high end of this market is robust. In Europe, it is not unusual for young horse sales at auctions to fetch over $500,000. Buyers are seeking great bloodlines—in effect, they are making a bet on hope, and they are buying the dream.
This is clearly a derivative market
of the high competition segment. Some of those we spoke with made compelling cases that the young horse market is inflated because of the supply and demand dynamic coming out of the GFC in 2008. After the financial crisis, breeding dropped by around 30 percent, creating a shortage of foals for a prolonged period.
Today, this situation continues, as there are fewer foals available because the cost of developing young horses is too high. As a result of cost escalation, there are fewer horses on the market. The ripple effects of the 2008 breeding slowdown have kept supply in check and prices for attractive foals firm.
Also, innovations like YouTube and social media have made the entire foal market both instant and global. Videos can be shared at the stroke of a key, and create a hyper efficient market as eyeballs from all over the world become obsessed with finding the next Ermitage Kalone. The digital world brings with it broad and instant demand and this dynamic has contributed to distorting price discovery of foals.
To sum up: Across all market segments, prices remain high on the majority of show jumpers, but not all horses are selling. There are a lot of horses that are not trading, and the overall volume is not nearly as high as it was during and after Covid. If a dealer must buy at a high price, it makes it difficult to sell at an even higher price. This trend is impacting margins across the sport. Similar to past real estate manias, people are hearing about big transactions and putting a value on their horse that may not be justified. We are living in an age where everything feels overvalued.
The equity market is trading at the higher end of historical valuation. Like equity markets, there is always opportunity in the horse market. Sometimes a lucky find can emerge, or a deal can be had, but until the economic imbalances of large deficits and leverage work their way through the financial system, it might pay to be prudent and focus on value, just as one would in their investment portfolio.
TOP 7 WAYS TO HELP YOUR TRAINER HELP YOU
WORDS: TONYA JOHNSTON, MA
YOUR TRAINER helps you and your horse learn, develop, and excel in amazing ways. They teach, demonstrate, encourage, cajole, enlighten, cheerlead, remind, remind again, motivate, facilitate, remind yet again, and continuously provide you both with the support you need. Good trainers are very talented at doing these things, they enjoy their work, and they celebrate when they see progress in you both; it’s their job and it’s their passion.
Now, since you are an awesome team player, you may wonder from time to time, “What could I do to help them with this process?” Although saying “Thank you!” and showing your appreciation with Starbucks and beautifully wrapped Christmas presents are a great start, there are also some additional, specific things you can do to help your trainer help you. Teamwork is key, and helping everyone on your team be their best is part of your job as a teammate. Let’s explore my top seven things you can do to assist your trainer in this process:
1 Show up prepared and positive
Your job as a student is to show up to the lesson or horse show with a “can-do” attitude. How do you do this? By being mentally and physically prepared and radiating positive energy. Paying attention to details like your nutrition,
fitness, speaking kindly and positively, and focusing on your goals for the day will help you and your horse, and it also helps your trainer help you. Being prepared and positive brings constructive energy to the lesson or warm-up ring that you will all thrive on. It also demonstrates respect for the process and the hard work, dedication, and effort your trainer puts in day in and day out to help you and your horse succeed.
2
Listen
Nowadays, riders often get referred to as “clients,” rather than students. However, especially at the ring and in the barn, the best trainers are excited to teach you—their student —about your horse, how to ride your best and how to be a successful competitor. They have a wealth of information to offer, but you need to be ready to hear them and everything they have to say. This means arriving at the barn
with a clear, open-minded attitude. To do this, you may want to unclutter your mind as you drive to the barn by turning off your phone or do a “brain dump” when you park at the barn by making a list of all the to-do items swirling through your head so you can leave them behind while you ride. When your trainer feels you ready to listen and do your best it will help them trust you as an athlete which is an often-overlooked component of your team’s success.
3 Let them know what’s working
Your trainer wants to know when their work or teaching methods are having a positive impact. It’s motivating, it builds understanding, boosts the sense of teamwork between you, and helps them become even more skilled at their job. Did you appreciate it when your trainer provided detailed reasons of why you were finally able to nail the toughest part of your lesson today? For
example, they told you that lifting your eye earlier through the turn and adding more outside leg helped you get straight and nail the distance into the last line. Or maybe it was helpful when the two of you watched your video together at the end of the show day? Let your trainer know how much you learned and how much you appreciated it! Even things that may seem unplanned or insignificant can be valuable to share with them. For example, you might have recognized how much it relaxes you when they tell you a joke or act silly at the back gate to help you stay calm. Be a good teammate—let your trainer know what is working!
4
Do your homework
Your trainer may give you homework between lessons or (because you are motivated and inspired), you may make up your own. For example, when your trainer asks you to work on counting
and keeping a rhythm by jumping over small household “jumps” in your backyard, do it! Or if they want you to build a new habit of keeping your hands above the martingale strap, you can visualize yourself riding a course with this arm position to build muscle memory. This is fantastic homework for the days you can’t get to the barn.
Of course, actual riding time between lessons is always a terrific time to work on the physical homework they may give you. Therefore, try to create a system of how to remind yourself of your homework before you get on your horse, such as making a small list on the whiteboard in the lid of your tack trunk, for example.
5 Be an athlete on and off your horse
Your muscle strength, cardio fitness, nutrition/hydration, suppleness, and balance are just some of the things that will help you tremendously when you are riding. Having stamina and physical ability are musts in a sport that requires such subtle, clear, nonverbal communication with your horse. Your trainer works so hard to manage your horse’s readiness; you will help them immensely by taking care of your own.
6 Keep it simple
When you are highly motivated you can accidentally over-do it (yes, it happens to the best of us). You may do too much analysis, questioning, researching, processing and/or review. This is very well-intentioned, but nevertheless it can slow down even the most spectacularly talented trainer.
Instead, help the process by looking for ways to summarize and simplify whenever possible. Whether it is asking for help clarifying two goals for the course instead of listing the 17 you think are essential or saving a question until the end of a lesson, you can be sure that your efforts to simplify are appreciated by your trainer (and your horse). Your focus will be intensified and improved when it is directed towards a few clear, prioritized ideas.
7
Focus on solutions
When you have a rocky moment in the tack, keep your focus on the solution. Though you may be tempted to dissolve into an overly negative, emotional reaction, be strong! Trainers are all about helping you find solutions to your challenges, but when they must wade through large amounts of frustration, exasperation, anger, etc. it is difficult for them to help you. Was that the last time you will ever jump a one-stride or trot a serpentine, or ask your horse for the counter-canter? Of course not! Help them out by using some quality breathing to let go of any negative reactions, and refocus on what it will take to do it right next time. Then, use your mental and physical skills to make the solution feel like second nature.
THE EXPERT TONYA JOHNSTON
Tonya Johnston, MA, is an equestrian mental skills coach and A-circuit competitor with over 30 years of experience helping riders of all levels be their best. She conducts “Mental Skills for Riders” clinics throughout the country or via Zoom and does phone consultations with individual clients. Her book “Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with your Horse” is available on Amazon and Audible. Tonya has a monthly “Inside Your Ride” podcast that is a part of the Plaidcast. Connect with Tonya at 510.418.3664 or TonyaJohnston.com
THE PLAID HORSE QUESTIONNAIRE WITH
Geoff Case
are a lot of things in life that are out of your control, but your effort is always in your
STATUS: Professional PROGRAM: Horseshoe Bend Sales
As a horseman, I am most proud of... The accomplishments of my wife, Taylor Kain, and all of the students I have helped along the way. I’m also proud of the horses we've produced and sold and the careers they’ve have gone on to have with their new owners. • As a horseman, I would most like to improve... Personally, I just want to keep learning more from other horsemen and horsewoman. There is infinite knowledge out there and you should never stop learning and trying to improve. On a larger scale, I would like to improve the pipeline to the senior teams in the US.•The best thing riders can do to prepare to clinic with me is ... Come with an open mind. I don't expect to change everyone's system, horse, or riding style completely. My goal in every clinic is to give the students tools that they want to add to what they're already doing.•One of the things I say most when teaching is … "Remember to have fun." The sport has gotten so chaotic and expensive that I think often we lose sight of the very basic fact that we do this because we love horses and because it's fun.•The most important quality for a student of our sport to have is ... Hunger. You have to want it more than the next person. You have to want to work hard, want to learn, and want to improve. •My favorite horse book is Seabiscuit•My favorite nonhorse book is Shantaram•The best part about living in the Netherlands is ... The access to the top sport, low cost of
living, and the cleanliness/ safety.•I’m a sucker for … Good food and a good mare. •On Mondays, you’ll find me At the stable or on an airplane.•The horse person I most admire is... To pick one seems unfair. There are so many current horsepeople and ones from the past that have paved the way for us. If forced to, I think I would have to pick McLain Ward. •One of the best horse names
I’ve ever heard is ... Clear Rounds Then Party •The future of our sport depends on… Good horsepeople and good stake holders. •My absolute favorite show is Aachen because of the history and level of the sport there. We haven't had a chance to compete there yet, but it's one of our top goals. •My favorite thing about judging is ... Seeing the horses and riders grow over the years.
