Elite Equestrian magazine Jan Feb 2021 issue by Elite Equestrian LLC

ELITE

EQUESTRIAN

Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

Journey Through the

Horse’s Digestive Tract

Larry Ray Pruitt New Video Series

A Lifetime ofChasing Horses and a Dream

WINTER Fashion Volume 21 Issue 1 Complimentary

GET YOUR HORSE In Balance www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

TRAILER Options

FULL SERVICE FOR ALL MAKES & MODELS

2021 4 Star: The Ultimate In A 2 + 1 Straight Load • • • • •

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• Extra tall • Large Dressing Room • WERM Floor • Fans in all corners • Aluminum wheels • LED lights inside and out • Plus lots more

Drop by or call and let us tell you the 4 Star Diﬀerence! www.coas�ocoas�railer.com

2021 Stud Fee: $1000 Inc First Collection and Shipment Live Foal Guarantee

DREAM MAKER FARM Call Today!

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ontents

COVER STORY

Mary Sue Jacobs Loves Kids, Animals and Real Estate.

January/February 2021

60 48 20 Fashion • Home • Art

18 MUST HAVES For you, your horse and farm 20 Winter Fashion Great looks that will keep you warm! 22 Warm Hats 24 NEW! Snake Skin Prints 26 EXCEPTIONALLY EQUESTRIAN Home Finds 28 Great Reads 30 EQUINE ART Jose Ignacio Art Feature and Bio 34 Art & An�ques with Dr. Lori Online Selling 30 HIS & HERS Sonny Gasser

26 More

Training, Tack & Showing

52 Western Dressage with Lynn Palm Understanding Test Scores 54 Helping A Horse To Be In Balance

42 EQUINE Recovery Technology

60 VETERANS Ride

57 Trailer Op�ons Part 2

44 Equine Wellness Exams

65 More MUST HAVES For Your Farm!

57 Kats Corner I Choked In Na�onal Compe��on!

Equine Health

38 LEGAL Equine Contract Performance In An Age Of COVID 19

48 Equine Portal Journey Through A Horse’s Diges�ve Tract 50 Oldenburg Main PremiumWinner www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

68 TACK BOX Your source for services & great retail ﬁnds!

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ELITE

Main Ofﬁce, Ocala, Florida: 352-304-8938 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com info@EliteEquestrian.us

EQUESTRIAN

PUBLISHER Bill Vander Brink Bill@EliteEquestrian.us

Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

Published since 2008 Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. Ralph Waldo Emerson

For Media Kit including Print & Social Media Packages email: info@EliteEquestrian.us View current and all previous issues on our web site: www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

ELITE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE is ranked

7 out of 15 WORLDWIDE Equine Magazines To Watch In 2020 According To Feedspot blog

ADVERTISING Advertising Sales, N.E.Region: Kathy Dress 610-420-9964 kdress@ptd.net Advertising Sales, S.E. Region Karen Eagle 352-812-1142 Advertising Sales, National: Diane Holt 713-408-8114 diane@eliteequestrian.us

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Noelle Vander Brink Art & Antiques Editor: Dr. Lori Verderame Equine Art Editor: Jeanne Chisholm Fashion Editor: LA Sokolowski Legal Editor: Avery S. Chapman,Esquire CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alessandra Deerinck Dr. Amy Hayak Dr. Bill Ormston Lynn Palm Tom Scheve

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Carmen Elisa Franco

GRAPHICS Fran Sherman

On the cover... Destiny International’s Marysue Jacobs and family. Read more in the centerfold. Cover photo by Tracy Trevorrow

ELITE

EQUESTRIAN

Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

Journey Through the

Horse’s Digestive Tract

Larry Ray Pruitt

New Video Series A Lifetime ofChasing Horses and a Dream

WINTER Fashion Volume 21 Issue 1 Complimentary

GET YOUR HORSE In Balance

TRAILER Options

www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

Copyright © 2021 Elite Equestrian is a registered trademark owned by Elite Equestrian LLC. No article, photo, or part of this publication may be reproduced wholly or in part without written permission of the publisher. Management reserves the right to approve or refuse any advertiser or contribution for any reason. EE does not endorse any product or advertiser and is not responsible for accuracy of info/opinions provided by advertisers or article content. Photographs are submitted by writers of each article who assume responsibility for usage approval.

www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

MUST

HAVES

FOR YOU

Beautiful BUCKLE

KEEP WARM Look Great!

MODEREN Flare Step out in 70s style with ‘Modern Femme’, the latest high-waist ﬂare-leg women’s jean from Bullet Blues made in America. Available in 32” and 34”L See our ad page 21 BulletBluesCa.com

Aubrion Cannon Insulated Vest. Padded for added warmth on chilly days. Navy, Olive $109.99 www.ShiresEquestrian.com See our ad page 25

Dressage Horses and Arena Buckle Fits 1 1/2 inch wide belt Found exclusively at h�p://www.tempidesignstudio.com/ NewestAddi�ons See our ad page 69

FABULOUS Finds!

NEAT Knits A stunning collec�on of ladies and girls genuine faux fur knit hats and accessories. www.sabbotheadwear.co.uk See our feature on page 22

FOR

YOUR FARM

You never know what unique items you’ll ﬁnd at Good Apple Equine Consignment. These boots are one-of-a-kind and have even been on display in a museum. Stop by and see what treasure is wai�ng for you. We have everything from saddles to books ... all equine related. See our ad pg 68 www.GoodAppleEquine.com

VACUUM Options

Lay-Flat Hose QuickReel

QuickReel and allows for a safe and constant rate of hose deployment. Mounts to a cart or vehicle, also available with an ATV trailer cart assembly. Lay-Flat Hose QuickReel from BigSprinkler.com See our ad page 33 Pasture vacuums collect a wide range of material- manure, sawdust, wood shavings, leaves and rubbish around your property, in any condi�ons, wet or dry. The Vacs are also used for stalls, harves�ng nuts. Clean out your water troughs without bailing just suck out the water, scrub and reﬁll. www.pasturevacuums.com See our ad on page 35

Welcoming SIGN ... with a beau�ful and aﬀordable customized farm sign. Our website will guide you through a unique step by step process where you get to choose the op�ons you want and see complete pricing along the way. Free sign proofs, fast turnaround and free shipping! 1-800-640-8180 www.EZSignsOnline.com See our ad on page 31

HEALTHY Munching

A PASTURE in your Stall!

Our Stall Grazer family of 3 in 1 feeders sit at ground Best On-The-Go level allowing your horses to eat comfortably with Hay Feeding their head down the way nature intended it to be. System! The Slows the feed intake allowing the horse to digest safest and most their feed durable hay properly and bag for a happy, reduces prohealthy horse! duc�on of acid

Reduces risk of ulcers & vices. 25 diﬀerent styles and sizes. www.NibbleNet.com See our ad page 35

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on an empty stomach. 1833-GRAZERS

www.stallgrazer.com See our ad on the back cover.

FOREVER Lasting

COLLARS, BELTS and more

When you purchase a The Kenyan Collec�on product, you are opening doors for opportunity. www.thekenyancollec�on.com See our ad page 21

FOR

YOUR HORSE

Horsehair jewelry and leather that keep a piece of your favorite horse with you always. From bracelets, necklaces, rings, belts, pendants and key chains, there is something for every horse lover. See our ad page 23 www.ponylocks.com

Perfect for Your POOCH!

Durable, prac�cal, a�rac�ve and full of as much personality as your dog! Auburn Leather has a huge selec�on of quality collars, leashes and more to ﬁnd the perfect ﬁt for your furry pal. Shown hereLa�go Center Ring Collars AuburnDirect.com See our ad page 21

Hand Crafted Herbal Supplement

SUPER Supplements

Horse SOX

Protec�ng sensi�ve skin from ﬂies and harmful direct sunlight. Silver Whinnys® by Sox For Horses, Inc, are socks made speciﬁcally for equine legs.

www.soxforhorses.com See our ad page 61

SUPER Soft Saddler’s TLC removes the dirt and grime from the leather’s pores, then replaces the natural oils in one, fast, easy step. See our ad page 53 www.jmsaddler.com

Immunall- op�mal health, resistance and recovery. Op�mizes vitality, appearance, power and performance. Muscle and Joint- Suppleness. Improves suppliness, power, recovery and stamina. Ty-4-Up- Muscular freedom. Stress reduc�on, elimiates waste products & muscular tension. 916-203-1821 immunall-us.com See our ad page 57

877-357 - 7187 www.ThePerfectHorse.net See our ad page 45

TRAINING Tool

SOURCE Micronutrients withstood the test of �me because IT WORKS! Years ago, SOURCE founder, Susan Domizi, competed her even�ng horse, Hull, a talented, horse-but a hard keeper with poor hoof condi�on. When the right micronutrients were added to his diet, he began to thrive. Hull became USCTA Reserve Horse of the Year in the U.S.; and so began the legend of SOURCE®. www.4source.com 800 232-2365 See our ad page 51 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

Ac�vates saliva�on and promotes chewing. The treat that eliminates teeth grinding and encourages submission. The Oﬃcial U.S. Equestrian Training Treat. www.GumBits.com See our ad page 37

More! ...on page 26

EE 19

Wonderful

WINTER

Look Great While Keeping Warm!

AUBRION Padington Insulated Coat Fi�ed long jacket with quilted insula�on for warmth in and out of the saddle. Features a detachable hood with removable faux fur trim. Elas�cated waist and cuﬀs, concealed riding pleat, three exterior zip pockets, 2-way zip with popper fastening storm ﬂap. Navy or Olive. $179.99

AUBRION Cannon Insulated Vest

Padded vest for added warmth on chilly days. Cozy insula�on with stretch side panels for a ﬂa�ering look. Elas�cated hem and arm holes. 2-way zip, two zipped pockets, dipped rear hem. (R bo�om) Navy, Olive $109.99

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AUBRION Pimlico Hat

EQUINE Fashion

A cozy chunky knit hat perfect for warmth or hiding helmet hair a�er �� riding. Faux fur pom pom, �� coordinates with whole Aubrion collec�on. (top R) Navy, Olive, Coral (shown), Mink One Size. $19.99

Continued... www.shiresequestrian.com 20

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Visit us at our new store at WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER OCALA, FLORIDA Find Us In Barn 3 Next To The Hotel

303.931.3493 www.MyEXEQ.com Facebook: MyEXEQ Instagram: exceptionalequestrian Riding Apparel • Home Decor Gift Items • Pet Products

Shop for your luxury accessory needs, each piece handmade using exquisite leather beadwork at the hands of local Kenyan artisans, the Maasai Mamas.

www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

WARMTH

&STYLE

Stunning style and toasty warmth is what you can expect with Sabbot’s high quality, fashionable hats. Sabbot headwear oﬀers a complete collec�on of ladies and girls genuine faux fur knit hats and accessories. All hats and headbands are ﬂeece lined for extra warmth and comfort in the largest range of styles and colours in Europe to suit everyone. All products are manufactured in the Czech Republic, and Sabbot is proud that all materials are produced in Europe #notmadeinchina.

EQUINE Fashion

Sabbot is an approved Fur Free Retailer ( see www. furfreeretailer.com ) Sabbot is commi�ed to bring cruelty free products to their customers. “We have a conscience and will always do what we can to highlight the plight of innocent animals slaughtered for the sake of Vanity.” states Stuart Horne of Sabbot Hats.

For further details please don’t hesitate to contact us either through our social media or direct to Stuart Horne, stuart@sabbotheadwear.co.uk

www.sabbotheadwear.co.uk 22

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A new design for

COLD WEATHER PROTECTION

Give them the Best For horses, dogs and Livestock.

500d and 1000D outer, 70D Ripstop Liner and 3M thinsuate for warmth

Manufactured in Pennsylvania, USA International Patent Pending Dealer Inquiries Welcome

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www.theEquiVest.com 610-247-0829 23

TREND ALERT:

SNAKESKIN PRINT WITH IBKÜL IBKÜL is known as the conscious fashion for the conscious consumer! IBKÜL’s latest collec�on isavailable in snakeskin, one of the trendiest prints of the year.

Snakeskin is the new neutral

—style the print like you would a solid, and pair perfectly with riding boots. Elevate a basic riding pant by pairing it with a fun snakeskin mock neck top like IBKÜL’s BTB Snake Print Short Sleeve Mock Neck ($92 on www.ibkul.com). IBKUL now has this amazing trend in tops, skorts, pants, shorts, dresses, and even a uber cute scrunchie all available both on ibkul.com and Amazon. IBKÜL’s mul�-func�onal intelligent moisture sensor fabric, IceFil, converts perspira�on to refrigerant, keeping you cool, comfortable, and odor-free on hot and humid days. Their garments feature UPF 50+ sun protec�on to combat harmful UVA and UVB rays. Your everyday concerns are met with IBKÜL’s modern solu�ons. IBKÜL’s women’s resort-inspired collec�on launched in 2015 and has evolved into a full women’s and men’s athleisure line. They oﬀer high-quality, performance-driven garments designed to address your modern lifestyle concerns. Their collec�on of ac�vewear is sourced from premium, state-ofthe-art tex�les from around the world. They are leading the future in luxury athle�c wear. Their innova�ve fabrics are available in a variety of prints that encapsulate the Miami (their hometown), Luxe and Resort spirit.

EQUINE Fashion

Let’s talk about Tech! Their fabric finishes in IceFill, Solarball, and UMORFILL are uniquely sourced to offer wearable wellness benefits to provide you with ac�vewear for any occasion. They have been dedicated to developing wearable technology to maximize your ability to move in ultra-so� comfort.

Great styles and colors for riders!

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ibkul.com EE www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

Exceptionally EQUESTRIAN

New Year, New Look! Time to spice up your living space! Enjoy these fun ﬁnds!

INTERIOR Inspiration Heaven Scent La Di Da Luxury Scented Candle

Available in: Pink Fizz & Grapefruit Wild Fig & Grape Sea Salt & Spray Lime leaf & Ginger

These luxury candles are hand-made with 100% organic plant wax exclusively for La Di Da Interiors. With subtle, natural fragrances there is a scent for every room. Approximately 60 hours burn �me - come packaged in eco recycled brown card boxes. Contains no petroleum based wax or animal products. Made in England. RRP: £15

This beau�fully handpainted on stoneware with intricate detail comes in a range of exo�c animals and is bound to give your table se�ng the wow factor. RRP: £55

Black & White Pleated Table Lamp This gorgeous table lamp is a classic but striking design with a black and white pleated shade and wooden and metal base. Would suit any interior. Measures height 78cm width 40cm RRP: £125

www.ladida-andover.com

HAVES

MUST

Quail Zebra Flower Vase

More!...next page

GREAT TACK CHOICES YOU AND YOUR HORSE WILL LOVE! TERRIFIC Tack

The original Dr. Cook® Bitless Bridle in English and Western styles. Prices start at $69.95 877-942-4277 www.bitlessbridle.com See our ad page 53

FRENCH Selections

EQUINE Lifestyle

Customized Perfection

Every unique modular WOW saddle is made to order, to fit both horse and rider perfectly, and can be adjusted in many ways so it is truly a saddle for life. WOW uses tradi�onal cra�smanship and materials combined with state of the art design techniques. This dressage saddle features our Academic seat, one of several dressage op�ons, plus padded skirts to support the thigh. The flaps chosen to go with it have Equitana blocks, adjustable for angle and forward/back posi�on to suit different riders. See our ad on page 2 Contact leaann@wowsaddlesusa.com or 904 591 0540.

PERFECT Protection New designs for cold weather comfort for horses, dogs and livestock. Made in U.S.A. See our ad pg 23 www.theEquiVest.com www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

Old Dominion Saddlery offers high quality, affordable French used saddles. Owner Dina Mazzola takes the hassle and risk out of saddle shopping with expert fi�ng advice, free shipping and a 7 day trial period. Shop their selec�on of fine used French saddles at www.OldDominionSaddlery.com and visit their ad on page 51

��

Ocala Polo Club Practice Games Tournaments Lessons

�� Carol Grant Training Lessons

��

Michael Kearins Training Lessons

��

Located in beautiful Northwest Ocala, Florida, USA. Featuring: • Indoor Arena • 2 Covered Round Pens • Multiple Barns • 2 Level Viewing Area • Locker Rooms

Located in NW Ocala, 2 miles from WEC and 6 miles from HITS

www.TamarianFarms.com tami@tamarianfarms.com • 866.580.3276 • 215.514.7941 4615 NW 110th Avenue, Ocala FL 34482, USA www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

Exceptionally EQUESTRIAN Anne Kursinski’s Riding & Jumping Clinic: New Edition A Step-by-Step Course for Winning in the Hunter and Jumper Rings Anne Kursinski NOW WITH ALL-NEW, FULL-COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS! Olympian Anne Kursinski’s acclaimed book shows you “how it’s done” with stepby-step descrip�ons of 20 exercises to improve your posi�on, your “feel,” and your overall understanding of how to confidently and successfully master a jump course. Throughout, explana�ons are clarified with hundreds of illumina�ng photographs, completely reshot in full color for this new edi�on. You’ll find a top-notch educa�on in basic flatwork and jumping, then progress to advanced flatwork and jumping with lessons in flexion and collec�on, counter-canter, half-pass, ways to perfect distances and count strides, and �ps for riding different kinds of combina�ons, bigger jumps, and natural fences. In addi�on, this revised edi�on includes a new chapter on riding derby-style courses. 416 pages | 350 color photos | $34.95

EQUINE Lifestyle

Dressage Between the Jumps The Secret to Improving Your Horse’s Performance Over Fences -Jane Savoie

Interna�onal dressage rider and coach Jane Savoie breaks down the six most common problem areas she sees when horses jump: “whoa”and “go;” rhythm; suppleness through the poll, neck, body, back, and hindquarters; contact and connec�on; collec�on; and flying changes. Then she fills the rider’s toolbox with targeted exercises on the flat—simple solu�ons to the nagging problems that prevent riders and horses from doing their best over all kinds of obstacles. Throughout, top riders share their own stories and insight, demonstra�ng numerous ways dressage exercises helped solve real problems over fences. With incredible clarity and her trademark enthusiasm, Savoie arms readers with knowledge, confidence, and problem-solving prowess that will result not only in clear rounds, but a happier horse, ready and willing to perform in partnership. 192 pages | 100 color photos | $29.95

There is nothing better than curling up with a good book on a chilly day! If you are spending more time indoors, its a great opportunity to learn something new! Here are some great selections to consider.

Distant Skies An American Journey on Horseback Melissa A Priblo Chapman

Melissa Chapman was 23 years old when she mounted a horse, carrying a puppy named Gypsy, and rode away from everything, heading west. With no cell phone, no GPS, no support team following with supplies, Chapman quickly learned that the reality of a cross-country horseback journey was quite diﬀerent from the fantasy. Her solo adventure would immediately test her mental, physical, and emo�onal resources as she and her four-legged companions were forced to adapt to the dangers and loneliness of a trek that would span over 2,600 miles, beginning in New York State and reaching its end on the other side of the country, in California. Her tale is part American road trip, part coming-of-age adventure, and part uncommon love story—a remarkable memoir that explores the evolu�on of the human-animal rela�onship, along with the raw beauty of a life lived outdoors. 368 pages | 56 photos | $22.95 It’s Been 20 Years, Fergus (and you’re still spooking at that thing?) -Jean Abernethy

He has hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook and a surging presence on Instagram. Each day, he and his diverse group of friends share their mishaps, their successes, and their innermost thoughts with the world. Who is this intriguing Internet celebrity? Fergus the Horse (Equus hilarious), the crea�on of ar�st Jean Abernethy, has been entertaining audiences—young and old, in print and online—with his comedic adventures for the past 20 years. Now, Abernethy celebrates his age—and the wisdom that should come with it—with an all-new selec�on of horsey humor, including many cartoons fans have never seen before, created exclusively for this book. Readers of all ages—from 5 to 95—will be delighted by his wit, honesty, and profoundly funny observa�ons on horses, humans, and the life they strive to live together. 136 page | 200 color illustra�ons | $19.95

Order or browse other titles at www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Follow us on facebook.com/EliteEquestrian/ and Instagram: EliteEquestrianMagazine Read any issue on our web site for free at www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com Please tell our adver�sers you saw them in Elite Equestrian magazine! Ask about featuring your product in Excep�onally Equestrian at info@EliteEquestrian.us 28

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Jose’ Ignacio Domecq Sculptor

Palenque Six polo ponies are tied to a palenque, ﬁve of them have already played and have been unsaddled, but there is still one chukker to be played and the mare with the saddle knows it´s her turn, she is ready, full of attitude and looking forward to the game.2020, 1/7, Bronze, White Patination 99 x 25 x 35 cm. $15,000

She gave it all

EQUINE Art

A single and exhausted polo mare that has just ﬁnished playing and is free from her polo tack and has been left alone by her peticero to get some air, her muscles are contracted and her hind leg is in the air to ease the pain she has from a tough play. The expression of the mare, and the sense of exhaustion are perfectly conveyed by this simple bronze. 2018. No copies available. 35 x 25 x 15 cm

Siesta Two good friends, are sleeping. Trusting in one another, horses choose their favorite at siesta time. It is swing the ﬂies away from the others face with their tail while. 50 x 30 x 20 cm, Clay, 2020. $5,000

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10% OFF SALE

VIEW UPDATED WEBSITE TODAY

STALL HEATERS

Kalglo Electronics Co. Inc., Bath, PA

Taking The Man

Two horses enter in contact at top speed in this play, the ﬁrst horse is being slowed down by the defending player to control the ball on the near side at the time when the attacking player is about to impact with all the possible speed to take him out of the line. Speed, and realistic polo posture are the best assets of this scupture. 2018, Only one copy available. 50 x 50 x 30 cm. $6,000 joseignacio.domecq@fractalia.es Read about the artist’s fascinating life on the next page.

Wellington Place 13532 Fountain View Boulevard Wellington FL 33414, USA 845-505-1147 • 561-557-3747 www.ChisholmGallery.com

Electric radiant infrared heaters warm horses and owners without heating the entire barn. No ultra-violet tanning rays! Ideal for wash stalls, foaling stalls and grooming areas! Made in the USA

610.837.0700

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KALGLO.COM/HORSEHTR 31

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His great-great grandfather introduced polo in Spain in 1870 and his grandfather José Ignacio Domecq, his father José Ignacio Domecq Jr and brothers Roger and German were and are passionate players. Four of his ﬁve siblings also play.

José Ignacio with his wife.

José’s grand parents with HRH Prince of Wales

His passion for polo has allowed him play all over the world, Argen�na, Chile, UK, US, Egypt…. José’s grandfather with Lord Mountbatten and below with HRH Prince of Wales

Playing with the boys in Majadas, our farm close to madrid. 32

Since he was a child in his home town Jerez, he has enjoyed drawing and pain�ng horses, observing not only their anatomy, but also the movements and expressions of the polo ponies during the game. He models polo ponies without pictures or models, being inspired by his profound knowledge of the horse, imprinted to his consciousness through long hours of interac�on, grooming his polo ponies, training and exercising them. He is as in love with the work of grooming as he is with the game. Engaging with horses is an important part his life rou�ne. The feeling of riding and being in contact with them generates in him peace of soul. It is this feeling what he tries to convey through his sculptures. José Ignacio started sculp�ng clay in 2017 and cas�ng bronze in 2018. Since then he has focussed in capturing the beauty of this spectacular sport, the movement and the speed of polo horses in the ﬁeld and expressions and beauty of the animal in the palenque. Small format sculptures and miniatures are mostly his current work but he is star�ng to work on real life and larger formats. See his crea�ons on the previous page.

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José’s father with HRH Prince of Wales

22 ACRES IN OCALA, FLORIDA

In The Horse Capitol of the World, 22 Acres for Sale in NW Ocala, FL (NW Marion County, Florida). $450,000. Zoned Agriculture. 1669’ of Road Frontage on US Hwy 27. Only a short distance from the ‘new’ World Equestrian Center, Ocala, Florida. Great poten�al to be transformed into an amazing Horse Farm/ Ranch. The property is also close to The Florida Horse Park, Post Time Horses in the Sun (HITS),Tack and Feed Shops, and The Ocala Interna�onal Airport.

Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty 1918 SE 17th Street, Ocala FL 34471

Tommy Gilbert (352) 816-1012 or email tgilbert7777@aol.com

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& ANTIQUES

ART

By Dr. Lori Online Selling in the

Age of Covid - 19 By Dr. Lori Verderame

EQUINE Lifestyle

When you think of eBay.com, Etsy.com, Rubylane.com, Facebook marketplace, Chairish.com, and other sites for online selling, you probably think about ele-tronics, toys, kitchen items, jewelry, paintings, magazines, clothes, doorknobs, bikes, celebrity autographs, and just about everything —old or new--else! Working or non-working condition doesn’t even matter when it comes to selling stuff online. Many people are selling online and I’m showing them how to do it with instructional videos about how to spot a valuable work of art or antique and how to turn something old into something outstanding. Two things that the recent, albeit horrible, pandemic has accomplished in our culture are making all of us more comfortable with video conferencing technology like Zoom, WebEx, What’sApp and Google Duo among many, many others. More of us are talking to our friends and family from home via tablet or smartphone. I’m spending many days each week offering guidance on heirlooms and valuables with video call appraisals to clients all over the world from Allentown, Pennsylvania to Perth, Australia. The second thing that the pandemic has prompted is an opportunity to be at home for a long period of time and to clean out the clutter. During this time at home, we’ve descended into our basements, ascended up to the attics, looked in the backyard sheds, dug deep into the garages passed the bikes and unlocked the off-site storage lockers in an effort to sift through all the stuff. Much of what we have found as we assumed the role of household archeologists has been a variety of things from lots of different people and places and from all different time periods. Grandma’s flower sifter, castanets from a high school band trip to Spain, your husband’s little league baseball glove are just some of the stuff that has been uncovered during the self-quarantine period ushered in by the Coronavirus, a.k.a., Covid- 19. What have we found? We found stuff that we want to donate, trash, or sell. We ask ourselves, should I trash it? Our sustainable side says can’t someone use it. Where can we donate it: Goodwill? Salvation Army? Church sale? Synagogue auction? There are lots of places where we can get rid of our stuff but what about making a little money from this unwanted stuff? How can we sell it? On our front lawn is an option but no one gets a great return on a yard sale. The best thing about a yard sale is the space you get in the house from the stuff that went out to the front yard. But you can buy something at a yard sale and resell it online for a nice profit. This is a Benjamin Harrison presidential china plate from the White House service dating to 1892. It was purchased at a yard sale by a client of mine, let’s call her Judy, for $1. She sent me a photo of it so I could identify it for her and I told her what it was and how to sell it online. She did sell it online for a nice profit. She sold it for $1,000 with my help! Amazing. And you can do it too. 34

President Benjamin Harrison White House dinner plate worth $1,000, bought at a yard sale for $1 and sold with Dr. Lori’s help.

Now do you want to know more about selling your stuff online? Here comes more good news. The new technological comfort zone that we have all experienced from the Coronavirus quarantine and virtual home-schooling has made many of us more comfortable with new methods to sell stuff including art, antiques, and collectibles online. So, it’s time to get out your smart phone camera, snap some clear and tightly cropped photos of that old toaster or gently played with My Little Pony doll, watch my instructional youtube videos about spotting valuables and selling and listing your treasures online. How do you know what items will be of interest to buyers on the secondary or resale market? Most people know that items like paintings, sculptures, antiques, collectibles, and jewelry have value but did you know that sports cards, nonworking electronics, and last year’s clothes also have value in the online marketplace. Even pieces of other items can have value as craft materials or parts for workshop tinkerers will buy such stuff. Knitting needles and a bag of yarn that isn’t quite enough for a bedroom afghan can even be sold online. What looks like junk may be saleable. Even the everyday stuff like a Tinkerbell pillow sham, that wrong color foundation makeup that you never returned to the store or used garden tools are sold in the online marketplace. Sure, the prices may not make you rich but it is still more money than you had when that object was just taking up space in the linen closet or sitting on a shelf in the backyard shed. My Mother used to say pennies make dollars and that’s the way you can learn to take something that looks like trash and turn it into cash. Repurposers, those talented people who can take an outdated bedroom armoire that once housed a huge 1990s era tv set and make it into a trendy coffee station for the kitchen/family room with some chalk paint, new hardware, and artistic design skills, have been doing this for centuries. When it comes to selling online look for quality and use my tips to start selling for proﬁt. ��

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HIS

& HERS

Rene ‘Sonny’ Gasser:

Seventh Son of the Circus with L.A. Sokolowski Rene ‘Sonny’ Gasser is a seventh generation horseman and showman from an old Swiss circus family whose extraordinary inheritance as (among others) one of the strongest hand-balancers ever to perform under an American big top, an acrobat, knife thrower, and lion trainer, has taken him around the world. But it is his exquisite equestrian act, The Gala of The Royal Horses, that takes audiences dancing with his four Royal Breeds -- Andalusians, Arabians, Friesians and Lipizzans – while recreating Airs Above the Ground performances rarely seen outside the hallowed riding halls of Vienna or Spain. Add the Art of the Garrocha, and classic Roman and bareback stunts, and the Gasser legacy continues to reign supreme among equestrian circus royalty. For anyone who ever dreamed of running away and joining the circus ponies, this is a ride behind the big top with a true heir to that circus crown. HERS: What do you remember about your first horse or pony? HIS: My first pony’s name was Pepsi, she was an American Shetland and I bought her (with my grandmother’s help) when I was eight. I used to sleep with her in the pasture and she would not move until I woke up. I spent all my free time with Pepsi. She was the first horse I learned how to train and practice with. We had many horses and ponies in my family, but she was the first I had the honor to call my own.

HERS: Describe yourself in one word? What word might your friends choose? HIS: Funny.

HERS: What do you like best in a horse? What do you like best in a person? HIS: In a horse, my favorite quality is their free and ﬂexible spirit. The nature of the horse has so many beneﬁcial qualities to teach humans and if you are lucky enough to have a connection with a horse you will understand what I’m talking about. My favorite quality in people is honesty. In my opinion honesty ties in with a horse’s spirit. If you are dishonest to a horse you will never earn their trust.

HERS: Share an instance where you faced and solved a difﬁcult problem. HIS: Facing difﬁcult issues is part of life. I have found that the best way to overcome them is to tackle them head on with a positive perspective and never give up.

HERS: Is there a job in your past that was never included on your résumé? HIS: I have never had a job that I didn’t add to my resume. I am an open book when comes to my work and my accomplishments.

EQUINE Lifestyle

HERS: How old were you when you got your ﬁrst paying job and what was it? HIS: I was seven and worked taking care of my grandparents’ animals. They had many horses and exotics. Every week I earned my cheque! HERS: If you had to work outside the horse world what would you be doing? HIS: My world has always involved animals. I couldn’t picture not working with them. If I had to stop working with horses, I would be training dogs again. HERS: What is your favorite quote? HIS: “Ask for a lot, be content with a little and reward often.” 36

HERS: Something you feel is true that almost nobody agrees with you on.? HIS: I believe horses can be as easily affected as humans by a common stomach bug or wave of headaches, and is something everyone should take into consideration.

HERS: Where do you see equestrian entertainment headed? HIS: I hope that the newest generations of equestrians have the same passion and work ethic as the past. They have the most knowledge available to them so let’s see how far they can go! HERS: What has this pandemic experience taught you? HIS: That what’s important is to maintain a happy life, which is in the little things. ��

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Equine Contract Performance in the

Age of COVID

The Pandemic has reached us all, in and outside of equestrian sport. In the equestrian industry, impacts range from cancelled horse show and related facilities rentals, to the collapse of equine purchase and sale and lease transactions, to sponsorprofessional relationships dissolving, to governmental travel restrictions for horses and riders, to name but a few. Inquiries to our office are often focused upon the question as to when a party to a contract may be excused from performing a contractual obligation when the failure to perform is caused by COVID or COVID-related circumstances. The World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared the Pandemic on March 11, 2020. Thereafter, government travel bans and restrictions, reduced supplies and demands, and economic realities all have followed. The question is then whether any of those events constitute what is commonly labeled in contracts “force majeure” or “act of god,” “fortuitous event” or “material adverse event” such that partial or complete performance can be excused one or more parties to a contract. For the equestrian industry participant, contract provisions containing such definitions can be found in all types of contracts, from farm, barn, stall and residential leases and purchase contracts, loan documents, property management agreements, construction contracts, employment contracts, sponsorship commitments, advertising and marketing agreements, just to name a few common equine industry contracts. Further, even when those contracts lack such definitions, equine industry clients have asked whether common law concepts, such as “frustration of purpose,” “impracticability” or “impossibility” might otherwise excuse performance under a contract. Whether you are the buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, vendor, show operator, sponsor or professional, these questions, and their answers, all have some relevance to you. Below are a few suggested first steps to employ when assessing the rights of a party to cancel a contract in the age of COVID.

1. Does the Contract Contain a Default or Excuse Provision?

First off, go read your contract. Whether you are the party looking for a way out, or the party seeking to prevent a default or termination by the other party, this is the ﬁrst step. You may not be a lawyer, but you can read the plain meaning of the words in the contract. (By the way, the courts encourage contract interpretation according to “plain meaning” and also presume that you read the contract you signed). Reading the relevant contract language may provide you some of the answers you are looking to obtain. Do not forget to read multiple documents which are related to the same transaction together, because the courts will read related documents in pari materia.

Examples of relevant provisions you might uncover typically contain time of the essence or next business day performance terms, financing contingencies, conditions precedent, as well as the previously discussed force majeure and act of god descriptions. Most contracts preCOVID referred to “Pandemic,” but that is not the end of your analysis: see whether you can make a good-faith argument that COVID or the repercussions from COVID, such as governmental lock-down, reasonably fit in the language of the terms of your contract. For example some commercial and real estate contracts employ the term “material adverse event” in a clause to define the type of event that might excuse performance. The key consideration there is whether the event was “reasonably foreseeable.” That may be one for the lawyers, but you can start your analysis by reading the plain language of the clause and make a reasonable decision whether the excuse you are encountering fits into that contractual definition. You may be encountering a lease or sale problem as a result of COVID, whether it be eviction moratorium, failure to assume occupancy and commence rent payments, failure to close on a purchase and sale, to name a few common occurrences these days. Significant governmental actions, such as eviction moratoriums, stay at home orders, and business hours curtailment may be impacting your equine business contract, not matter which side you are on. However, whether these governmental actions constitute a materially adverse event may also be one for your lawyer to opine. When in doubt, seek counsel, particularly to avoid later litigation. Your real estate contract may contain a force majeure clause, and it is now time for you to consider whether the Pandemic and COVID-related events constitute force majeure. A lot is riding on the specific language of the force majeure provision, if you even have one in your contract. For example, some of those provisions define a force majeure only as an “act of god” or an “event outside the contracting parties’ control.” That type of language leaves a lot of room for substantial disagreement amongst the parties to the contract as to whether the Pandemic or COVID-related events are such a force majeure. Other events of these days, including civil unrest, municipal or banking services interruption, and the like also should be considered as falling within this type of provision. Once again, foreseeability of, in this case the COVID Pandemic, will be an issue to determine when interpreting the relevant contract provision.

Continued on page 66 Continued... 38

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Des�ny Interna�onal’s Marysue Jacobs

combines her love for Horses, Nature and Children into a successful real estate career selling amazing equestrian properties in Wellington,Florida. Photos By Carmen Elisa Franco

She was raised on a farm in Maryland hunt country near Sagamore farms and her love for horses early on led Jacobs to help run the stables at Merryland Farms a thoroughbred racing farm for Mrs. Henry Obre, the niece of Harry Guggenheim. It was then at an early age working with Mrs. Obre’s son Michael Wettach on his Fell’s Point development project in Baltimore that she gained her passion for Real estate and desire to become a real estate Broker.

Her passion for children’s charities and animals came together after the housing market crash when Jacobs rescued 200 animals left behind in vacant homes and started The Tortoise and the Hare Rescue with assorted animals such as tortoises, birds, donkeys, horses and rabbits. This rescue allows children and their families to visit for free and interact daily directly with the animals.

all the furniture and designed one of the most desirable farms in all of Palm Beach County. With a resort like atmosphere this beautiful farmette has it all, including a charming barn fit for the finest horses with chandeliers, designer stalls and fabulous wood beams. The gorgeous screened back porch area is a favorite room with amazing views of the pool and is super for entertaining with a fireplace and bar. Inside the newly renovated home is a gourmet kitchen that will not disappoint -even the best of chefs!

In this issue she is highlighting one of her all time favor equestrian farm sales in Wellington owned by Dan and Lisa Babcock. This stunning farm is hacking distance to the horse show on a lovely private lot recently renovated to make the perfect combination of European old and new. Lisa Babcock has natural talent for design and handpicked

Jacobs is living her dream job and feels Wellington Equestrian life is the best of all Worlds as she continues to be one of the Top Realtors in Wellington selling lovely farms like the Babcock’s with one of the longest running careers, offering 32 years of experience to her clients. She can be reached 24 hours a day at 561-758-5212 or marysue@destinyinter.com

fter her daughter Kelly was born and she started her real estate career she volunteered to help out charities at the Maryland POLO Club, fell in love with the game of POLO and played for many years which led her to Wellington, Florida working with part of the Royal family and the DaVinci horse project.

EQUINE Lifestyle

During her early years in Wellington she organized many charity events, produced and hosted several TV shows, such as The Florida Horseman and Real Angels, which was the number one local TV show on ABC afﬁliate in Palm Beach for 32 weeks in a row. She also started and published the National Horsemen magazine to help support local horseman which was the ﬁrst magazine in the nation to combine all disciplines of equestrian nature.

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Nutrena®

Launches Exclusive

Equine Performance Recovery Feed Technology

ProForce® Rebound Technology™ offers unique health benefits to competition animals Courtesy of Cargill

FOR COMPETITION HORSE OWNERS who want the best for their equine athletes, finding the right feed with guaranteed levels of amino acids and gastric support is often a challenge. Add performance recovery requirements to the list, and the feed search becomes even more difficult. Horse owners now have access to a feed that provides performance horses with the essential nutrition they need to recover. Nutrena® ProForce® feeds now include Rebound Technology™, a proprietary blend of research-backed, FDA-approved branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and chromium that decreases muscle fatigue, improves muscle recovery and restores energy after strenuous exercise. Exclusive to ProForce, Rebound Technology helps horses recover from competition or hard work faster, enabling a return to high performance work and competition. The updated product line features unique feeds to meet a horse’s needs, including: • ProForce Fuel – a high fat, controlled starch feed for equine athletes and hard keepers; • ProForce Senior – a high fat, controlled starch, beet pulpbased feed for the active older horse; • and new ProForce Fuel XF – a high fat, controlled starch, beet pulp- and oat-based feed that includes extra ﬁber (Fuel XF is available only in select markets in the U.S.).

EQUINE Health

“Horses are athletes just like humans, so we approached the development of this feed in a way that is comparable to human athletic recovery,” says Russell Mueller Equine Category Lead for Cargill. “Competition is hard work, and can take a toll on a horse when done many days in a row. Recovery is essential to performing at a high level day after day. We developed a product that competitive riders and trainers can feel conﬁdent in to provide optimal recovery for consecutive performance days.” The ProForce product line also features Nutrena’s exclusive Topline Balance® for topline support, Nutri-Bloom Advantage® for better ﬁber digestion and marine-sourced calcite to support gastric health, a major source of concern for many performance horse owners. These technologies, combined with pre and probiotics, added antioxidants and organic trace minerals provide equine athletes the premium nutrition they need to bring their best to the show ring. ProForce is offered in 50lb. bags across the United States and is available at over 4,000 Nutrena retailers. To learn more about this unique product offering and Rebound Technology,

visit NutrenaWorld.com/ProForce.

Elite Equestrian does not endorse or conﬁrm content suggestions in any articles. See credit page for disclaimer.

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It is Time for

Your Horse’s

YEARLY Wellness Exam? By Dr. Bill Ormston and Dr. Amy Hayak At your Animal Chiropractor’s office, the exam and adjustment are truly aimed at maintaining wellness and will include much more than a routine physical. The depth and scope of a chiropractic examination are far greater than just a physical exam.

Chiroprac�c care addresses 3 areas of your horse’s body: 1) the musculoskeletal part that moves, 2) the immune system, and 3) the internal organs like the heart, liver, spleen and kidneys. Let’s explore how these are related to wellness. Most obviously, chiroprac�c care helps the body resume normal mo�on. When your horse has one area of the body that can’t move, compensa�ons must be made in other areas of the body. Abnormal mo�on leads to altered func�on of the limbs. Altered mo�on can lead to injuries and chronic joint changes.

These include inﬂammatory bowel disease, allergies, heaves, lamini�s, and many other condi�ons in our animals. Recurrent or chronic infec�ons only occur when the immune system is weakened. Animals with chronic condi�ons and heavy parasite load have a weakened immune system. Infec�on causes damage to the immune system, which further weakens resistance. In either case, enhancing the immune system can provide the answer to breaking the cycle. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, “The cornerstone of good health is a properly func�oning immune system.”

Scien�ﬁc evidence proves that chiroprac�c care helps restore more normal movement in the horse. Your horse has more than altered mo�on. A horse with a subluxated rib will experience an inability to breathe deeply and will pant almost constantly. An inability to control oxygen and carbon dioxide levels will alter the pH of the blood. An altered blood pH will lead to things like gastric ulcers, kidney problems and muscle fa�gue. Tradi�onally veterinarians will medicate the kidney problems so that your horse quits urina�ng so o�en. But this does not address the imbalance caused by his inability to breath more deeply.

Strengthening the immune system of the en�re animal world, star�ng with the newborn, should be a top priority for all animal caretakers. Scien�sts are learning that the immune system encompasses nearly every part of the body. It consists of the tonsils, adenoids, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, appendix, Peyer’s patches, lymph nodes, and circula�ng white blood cells. Many of the characteris�c symptoms of illness, from nasal discharge to fever and swollen glands, are signs that the normal immune response is proceeding on schedule. These symptoms represent the body’s best eﬀorts to heal itself. By trea�ng symptoms, we are suppressing the body’s natural response and inhibi�ng the healing process. Instead animal chiropractors a�empt to support the body’s defenses to allow for comple�on of the healing process.

The nervous system controls growth and development of the immune system. This means that a properly func�oning nervous system is a must in strengthening the immune system. The nervous system works by sending and receiving nerve messages or impulses to all parts of the body. The nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, which is protected by the skull and spinal column, consis�ng of a variable number of moveable vertebrae (depending on the species). When the spine is in its normal posi�on, it protects the nerve pathways. A func�oning immune system is one of the keys to a healthy, happy animal who will resist infec�ons, allergies, and chronic illnesses. An immune-mediated inflammatory disease is any of a group of condi�ons or diseases that lack a defini�ve cause, but which are characterized by common inflammatory pathways leading to inflamma�on, and which may result from, or be triggered by, a dysregula�on of the normal immune response.

Chiroprac�c care has been proven by Dr. Ron Pero to improve immune competence in adjusted individuals 200% when compared to non-adjusted individuals and 400% when compared to individuals that were known to be sick. Studies have shown that chiroprac�c care may inﬂuence T and B lymphocytes, natural killer cell numbers, an�body levels, phagocy�c ac�vity and plasma beta-endorpin levels. We know that the nervous system regulates ALL func�on throughout the body; the produc�on of immune cells is NO excep�on. Remember this when deciding whether to con�nue with chiroprac�c care for your animals or when choosing which ones to get adjusted. Everything about the life they enjoy, they can enjoy with you because of their nervous system and the power running through it. An eﬃciently func�oning immune system protects your horse from all sorts of bacterial and viral challenges. Continued...

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Continued from previous page. Chiroprac�c is about power, not pain and mo�on. The power that turned two cells into the amazing mass of cells that is now your horse is the power that controls every reac�on that occurs in that horse’s body. Chiroprac�c care is not about curing your horse’s disease; it is about helping restore normal communica�on between your horse’s brain and every part of its body, including the organs. Restoring this communica�on allows the brain to resume appropriate control and guide the organs to func�on at op�mal levels. Organs func�on at their best, diges�ng food, pumping blood, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide, when the nerve impulses to them are free and working. A horse with a subluxa�on will experience improper nerve flow to and from the organs of the body. Without this power, cellular dysfunc�on begins to occur. Cellular nutri�on requires glucose and insulin levels to be in balance. Diabetes is a name for when cells and hormones are not working together to control and provide appropriate nutri�on to the cells of the body. Altered responses cause the cells to be resistant to the func�on of insulin which causes glucose and cor�sol levels to be elevated all the �me. Cushing’s is an altered level of cor�sol. Metabolic disease syndrome occurs and causes severe debilita�ng problems for you and your horse. These seem more than chiroprac�c. When the issue your horse has seems more mysterious and complex than something for which you would consider seeking chiroprac�c; you might think your horse has a diagnosis that doesn’t even seem to involve the nervous system. However, the nervous system is the first system formed as 2 cells develop into the majes�c being known as your horse. It is formed first because it is needed to control every other organ and �ssue in the body. Giving medica�on to resolve an issue created by nervous system interference will do nothing more than manage the symptoms, unfortunately giving a false sense of health. Un�l the cause (nervous system interference) is addressed, health will con�nue to dwindle, leading to more symptoms and more medica�ons. You may think your horse has so many things deteriora�ng it must be more than chiroprac�c. That mystery issue requires restoring the power that made the body to allow it to heal the body. Equine chiropractors focus on restoring life, not elimina�ng symptoms or curing disease. The reason is simple… only the power that made the body can heal the body. With life restored via the chiroprac�c adjustment, the body is free to work as intended, curing disease and elimina�ng symptoms on its own!

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Part one of a three-part video series on

DIGESTION from Equine Guelph now available! Thanks to sponsor Trouw Nutri�on Canada, Equine Guelph was able to create a series of videos giving par�cipants a “Journey Through the Horse’s Diges�ve Tract.” Part one is now posted!

Diagram Artist: Ruth Benns Equine Guelph presented on the horse’s diges�ve system at the Fueling Wellness Symposium on August 15th, 2020. Missed the Symposium? Don’t worry! You can s�ll catch Equine Guelph’s “Journey Through the Horse’s Diges�ve Tract” as a 3-part video series, sign up here: h�ps://www. equineguelph.ca/news/signup.php.

EQUINE Health

The talks on equine nutri�on subjects were engaging and delivered many real-world �ps to take back to the stable. Dr. Wendy Pearson provided great informa�on related to the hindgut microbiome and tools for equine assessment, like body condi�on scoring and cresty neck scoring. Dr. Paul Sharpe, who is also an upcoming guest speaker in Equine Guelph’s Equine Nutri�on course, presented a me�culous talk on evalua�ng horse hay that was packed with helpful informa�on and pictures. Kayla Johnson, Donkey Welfare and Educa�on Manager at the Donkey Sanctuary, gave a fantas�c and insigh�ul talk on the assessment and nutri�on of our other equine friends – the donkeys.

meant that the conference would become a virtual event. Cue Trouw Nutri�on Canada to the rescue. The organiza�on generously stepped up to the plate and made it possible to create a series of videos that would take viewers on a “Journey Through the Horse’s Diges�ve Tract”. Nutri�on enthusiasts who were unable to a�end the Symposium are in luck as the “Journey Through the Horse’s Diges�ve Tract” videos were released as a 3-part series in Equine Guelph’s monthly communica�ons in late 2020. The videos feature Gayle Ecker and a new rising standardbred star (is there anything those standardbreds can’t do?!) named Jack. Make sure to tune in as we learn what the horse’s diges�ve system looks like, just how big it actually is, what makes it unique and how nutri�on and management strategies can keep it healthy and happy! Part one is posted for you to view!

Other Top Resources You Can Check Out! • Videos Helping Horse Owners (from stretching your feed dollar to equine condi�oning) Equine Guelph was delighted to co-host the Symposium and • New Financial Webinar series - Equine Financial deliver a presenta�on on the horse’s diges�ve system. The Futures presenta�on was originally planned to be an in-person experience that featured Equine Guelph’s interac�ve, life-size model • Online Equine Healthcare tools of the horse’s diges�ve system. The model was developed • Research videos playlist - Equine Guelph YouTube by Equine Guelph’s Director, Gayle Ecker, and gives people a • Covid-19 Resources and updates chance to see what the organs in a horse’s diges�ve system • Ac�vi�es for Youth at EquiMania.ca really look like – without the need for an actual dissec�on. Plans quickly had to change when the current state of aﬀairs

www.equineguelph.ca

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OLDENBURG Main Premium Winner awarded

Vivaldos secured the title of the celebrated Oldenburg main premium winner of the Verband der Züchter des Oldenburger Pferdes (OL). When deciding which stallion is to receive a main premium, not only the stallion’s achievements in sport but also the result of his performance test and, even more important, the quality of his first foal crop, are deciding factors.

The celebrated main premium winner of the Verband der Züchter des Oldenburger Pferdes (OL) was Vivaldos, born 2016, by Vivaldi out of Doris Day by Desperados - Brentano II - Gletscher, bred by Anna Genfors, Sweden, and owned by Gerd Sosath, Lemwerder. Last year, the stallion completed his 14-day test with a final dressage score of 8.05. Vivaldos was already successful in dressage tests for young horses under Veronika Steinhof. For the Vechta auc�on, the Vivaldi son already produced five Elite Foals for top prices. The silver medal went to Viva Gold, born 2016, by Vivaldi out of Weihronce by For Romance I - Don Schufro - Sandro Hit, bred by Chris�ne Arns-Krogmann, Kroge, and owned by Gestüt Wes�alenhof, Steinhagen. The stallion was discovered as price highlight of the Elite Foal Auc�on in Vechta. Last year, Viva Gold completed his 14-day test with a final dressage score of 9.09. In his sport test this year, he received a final score of 8.19. Viva Gold already brought Elite Foals for top prices for the Vechta auc�on. Under Kathrin Sudhölter the Weihegold grandson is victorious in dressage tests for young horses. With bronze awarded, was Galaxy, born 2016, by Grand Galaxy Win T out of Walkure by Sir Sinclair - Donnerhall - Römer, bred by C. Kikkert, Netherlands, and owned by Gestüt Sprehe, Benstrup. Last year, Galaxy completed his 14-day test with a final dressage score of 7.70. His 50-day test he finished with a final result of 7.92.

EE 50

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Palm Partnership Training™ Building a Partnership with your Horse

WESTERN DRESSAGE: UNDERSTANDING TEST SCORES by Lynn Palm In Dressage, it is tradition to receive score sheets from the judge. Horse and rider are judged on each component of the test; a score and comments are recorded. Each element of a test will be scored and most elements will have a comment from the judge.

EQUINE Training & Showing

You can see how the judge scored your ride on a point scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being perfect. In addition, the judge will add comments about your score. These comments can explain how well you executed the test or show you areas where improvement is necessary. Once you understand the scoring system, you can use the score sheet as a helpful guide for your practice at home before the next show. The Scoring: *10 Excellent *9 Very Good *8 Good *7 Fairly Good *6 Satisfactory *5 Sufficient *4 Insufficient *3 Fairly Bad *2 Bad *1 Very Bad *0 Not Performed There are three tests within a level. Each level and test advance with the higher numbers. In other words, First Level Test 1 is less advanced then Test 3 in the First Level. First Level is more advanced than any of the Training Level tests. Here are some statistics about First Level Test 1: • There are 16 elements in the test. • 290 = Maximum Possible Points. • Arena: Standard (20 meters X 40 meters) • Average Ride Time: 5:00 (from entry at A to final halt) The scores that I love to see and always look at first are the Collective Marks & Comments. These marks and comments give the best overview of your skills and your horse. The Collective Marks: • Gaits (freedom and regularity) • Impulsion (desire to move forward, elasticity of the steps, suppleness of the back, engagement of the hindquarters) • Submission (attention and confidence, lightness and ease of movements, acceptance of the bridle, lightness of 52

the forehand) • Rider’s position and seat • Rider’s correct and effective use of the aids • Harmony between rider and horse • Further Remarks: The judge will also give you further remarks about your horse and your performance. Here are some tips that will give you more knowledge about your test: First Level Test 1 Purpose: To confirm that the horse, in addition to the requirements of Training Level, has developed the thrust to achieve improved balance and thoroughness and to maintain a more consistent contact with the bit. All trot work may be ridden sitting or rising, unless stated. Introduce: 10 m half circle at trot; 15m circle in canter; and lengthening of the stride in trot and canter. Check out the Dressage Illustrated books I have available for purchase on our website. The best part of these books is that you have “directive ideas” that explain what the judge will be looking for in each element. An example: A Enter Working Trot X Halt Directive Ideas: Straightness on the centerline and in Halt: immobility: quality of trot; willing, balanced transitions. The books are great tools for success in the show ring. I have each Dressage Illustration book for each level in the office of my barn right next to the tack room. I also have two sets for the horse shows. I put one in my clothes bag to study at night and the other in my tack trunk to be ready at the show. At the end of each show, I make sure I have my books before heading home. I hope you take these suggestions to heart. The Dressage books are very helpful at home and at the horse show. Books: Head To Toe Horsemanship Western Dressage—A Guide to Take You to Your First Show A Rider Guide to Real Collection DVDs: “Dressage Principles for the Western Horse & Rider” Volume 1 Parts 1-5 “Dressage Principles for the Western & English Horse & Rider” Volume 2,Parts 1-3 “Let Your Horse Be Your Teacher” Parts 1&2 For more information on these training materials and more, as well as clinics, please visit www.lynnpalm.com or call us at 800-503-2824. www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

The Original Dr Cook Bitless Bridle Â®

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HELPING A HORSE to be IN BALANCE Story & Photo By Alessandra Deerinck Everyone wants to ride a horse that is balanced while moving. By nature, a horse is able to balance himself at any gait, speed and on any terrain, but obviously when having to move with a weight on the back things can change. In addition to the weight that the horse has to carry, the rider moves, and the horse has at the same time to listen to the rider’s directions. All of this can make balancing difficult for the horse even when the rider is an experienced one, and does not wobble in the saddle, or send out conflicting signals. When present, the state of balance between human and horse is very apparent, and is influenced by both individuals involved in the performance. Having proper balance between rider and horse is not just a matter of appearance, it is very important for the health and fitness of the equine and the rider too. When a horse is not properly ridden, can develop muscle soreness or even lameness, and a rider that does not move in sync with the horse can have similar problems and will not have a pleasant time riding. Using proper tack, learning how to ride by using our aids correctly, and how biomechanics work between horse and rider could be of great benefit in achieving balance, but there is more that needs to be kept in consideration. The horse is not an inanimate object and people need to always take into account that the horse has active control over his own body.

TRAINING & Showing

The interaction between human and horse works when it happens in a cooperative manner, and with effective communication. Ideally, human and equine both need to be aware of the shared surrounding, to be comfortable with the momentary situation, to trust each other to occupy the same space and to be willing to listen to each other. Traditionally, horses are trained to respond to a cue and perform an action, and any horse beneﬁts from good training, but at times, when a situation distracts their attention from our interaction, the horse will not respond to our trained cue. This is true also when we ask him to be in “selfcarriage”, which is an important matter when we are in an arena, riding dressage and is always desirable even when we are trail riding. In order to properly move and be aware of the surrounding, animals choose the orientation of their perceptive organs. Research shows that in any living organism the brain integrates perception through a cognitive process, and the individual consequently displays behavior. The vestibular system activates involuntary reﬂex pathways that lead to compensatory movements to regulate body position, but also activates pathways that send information to the cerebral cortex, to provide conscious perceptions of gravity and movement. A considerable number of cognitive 54

processes depends on the integration of multisensory information. Attention to action and the use of various senses simultaneously enhance perceptual information and benefits the individual. Balance is definitely affected by the need to perceive and by the behavior resulting from the perception. To this day, no research has shown that another individual can effectively control our body against our will. So why do humans think they can do this to the horse, without its voluntary participation? Any equestrian performance is the result of an interaction between man and horse, during which information is perceived and processed by both man and equine. Rather than punishing the horse for not acting in accordance with our demands, learning how to be aware of both sides and develop teamwork can allow us to achieve the leadership position effortlessly. Like any other living organism capable of locomotion, in order to perform at their best and be comfortable with the surroundings, horses need to perceive the environment firsthand while working in agreement with their rider. The sense organs that perceive the environment are mainly located in the head of an individual, with the exception of the sense of touch that spreads over the entire surface of the animal body. Considering this fact alone, it is clear why, to give the best performance, the horse should always have

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control of the head orientation while in motion. In any live individual perception happens always, the sense organs are never switched off. Horses have a very wide ﬁeld of vision, but from our experience, the part that is covered by both eyes is what is critical for the horse to cover, and we are doing more research on this subject to beneﬁt the humanhorse interaction.

A horse can be in balance even ridden by a young rider on a trail in a bit less bridle. Order your original Dr Cook® Bitless Bridle, see page 53.

Along with medications that alter horse’s behavior, and tack that limits the horse’s movements, we create spaces for riding activities that can make it easy for the horse to move because they have a smooth surface and are insulated from the surroundings (arenas). We also shoe horses, which allows them to just partially feel the ground and limits their perception, but when we ride outside of those artiﬁcial spaces, we do not have such wide control on what the horse perceives and his attention can distract him from our control.

Being in balance is always a desired situation when riding a horse.

way a man and a horse work together, is closely related to how the two perceive situations, and can even support each other in the perception process. Horses are more aware and if we monitor their attention behavior, we can avoid being victims of spooking accidents. Our action to facilitate their perception can make them feel safe, and they could consider us leaders in equine terms. The Collection and balance under saddle come from a interaction between man and horse can results in a social horse’s ability to voluntarily control its entire body by lifting relationship through dynamic concepts that are equally the base of the neck, relaxing the back muscles and offersignificant for both. Through each interaction, individuals ing greater flexion of the hocks, assuming a posture that is learn, and build memories that will inevitably affect their close to how they naturally move. Some horses that have future. Doing so in a positive and cooperative fashion been trained or forced to bend their neck, do so without instead of using force or tack that causes pain is definitely the rest of the horse’s body accompanying it, and can desirable, and can even allow us to develop the have a very difficult time to develop balance and ultimatehorse’s interest in being together and willfully participate ly collection under saddle. A horse can actually be light in in the action... It just takes a little thought and is one of the our hands through the avoidance of pressure and pain, by beauties of relating to horses. learning how to avoid obeying our requests with vertical neck flexion. ABOUT HUMAN HORSE SENSING: Human Horse Sensing is a horsemanship system that works on the ground and while Each individual receives stimuli from the environment riding based on a dynamic dialogue through behavior, through his senses, and between man and horse, this which allows us to always manage interaction without beincludes our demands to the horse. When we feel that our ing limited by the rigid boundaries of traditional training. horse is not listening, punishing him can actually reinforce This system works as a language, formulated in parameters the unwanted behavior, teaching the horse to do what we with the same meaning for man and horse, which can supdon’t want him to do, and creating a conflict of interest port us in the practice of all the equestrian disciplines. instead of building a team effort. Human Horse Sensing Horsemanship is the title and subject of a book available on Amazon. Conquering the role of leader in the eyes of the horse is Human Horse Sensing offers educational courses, events, something that must always be done without force, both and online courses. on the ground and in the saddle. To achieve this Human Horse Sensing proposes an innovative approach, which For information visit our website www.hhsensing.com conallows to interact with the horse through a modality that is tact us by Email: hhsensing@icloud.com or by phone at +1 instinctual and does not require preexisting training. The 760 715 1554.

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TRAILER OPTIONS PART 2

Story & Photos By Tom Scheve

More and more, horse owners are ordering new horse trailers on-line rather than buying existing trailers from a lot. Since they are substantial investments and an essential part of equestrian lifestyles, buyers are discovering it is worth the wait to get what they want.

Trailers will be around for years, and overlooking some needed features or options can be an aggravation for years to come. The inability to get clear and detailed information on-line about the models, features, and options before having to call a dealer is frustrating buyers. Some sites post trailers without listing the standard features. Others may not list the options, or if they do, fail to explain their importance and what is involved in adding them. It is even more aggravating that many sites do not publish costs. Customers do not like the phrase “call for pricing.” Options, as mentioned in the last article, are those items not included in the standard features. Some items are “no brainers,” but others may need more explanation. The last issue explained length, width, and height options in detail. Below are other options with explanations to consider.

Adjustable Butt and Breast Bars

TRAINING & Showing

In a straight load trailer, adjusting the height of the butt and breast bars are often available as an option. It is invaluable when carrying varying size horses in both stalls. However, consider adding this option to just one stall, preferably the ditch (passenger) side, if that is all you need. Be aware that the standard latch mechanism may work differently than the one that allows for adjustments, so be sure it works satisfactorily. It ia possible the adjustment may not be enough, so check the adjustment measurement.

they are not practical for the stall area. RV type fan vents are typically used in Living Quarter units or inside tack rooms. Keep in mind that anything that penetrates the roof can leak down the road if not caulked periodically. If it is not needed, don’t get it.

Bulkhead Door

A door that leads from the tack area to the horse area is handy in some models. A straight load with a side ramp provides enough room to carry, or dolly, a large tack trunk up the ramp and load it into the tack room through the Tack Trunks Built-in tack trunks are useful for organizing and storing tack, bulkhead door. However, a standard straight load provides little room to open the door and enter the horse head especially for smaller items. Most tack trunks double as seats, which can be handy when changing clothes, remov- area. A bulkhead door is also commonly used as an entrance from the tack room to a living quarter’s area. ing boots, or just needing a place to relax. Most manufacturers install the tack trunks for bumper pulls in the wedge nose. (photo 1) Gooseneck trailers generally install the Water Tanks For health reasons, it is wise to take the drinking water that tack trunk seat inside the tack/dressing room area along horses are used to when traveling. Besides being more the jack sheet wall directly below the gooseneck. (photo willing to drink it, you know the water is safe. Also, lots of 2) Adding an extra foot in a bumper pull or gooseneck will water is necessary if a laceration occurs. A water tank in a replace the floor space given up for the tack trunk. bumper pull is typically in the dressing/tack room. (photo 4 )The most common is a triangle tank located in a corFans ner and held up with straps. In a gooseneck, it is placed Oscillating fans located in both upper corners of the horse outside under the gooseneck. (photo 5) Both hold up to 30 head area do a good job of keeping the air circulating. gallons of water. With the weather getting hotter every year, fans have become a popular item, especially when stuck in traffic on a hot day. (photo 3) Bridle Hooks Hooks to hang bridles, lead ropes, halters, and other tack items should be standard. Check how many are standard Vents Dual scoop vents in the roof open forward to scoop air into and add more if needed. the stall area when traveling and also open towards the rear to draw the air in more slowly for cooler days. Vents Lower (Center) Divider A lower divider restricts horses from spreading their legs also allow hot air to escape from the stall area when the under the center divider, which provides extra room to trailer is not moving. Dual scoop vents should be standard, balance. Most horses do not kick each other in a trailer, but some companies include only one, centered over the but there are exceptions. Lower dividers are typically steel horse head area. Most offer two as standard, one over or rubber. A rubber divider held in place by wedging it each horse’s head. Additional dual scoop vents located against the floor keeps it from swinging while providing above the backs of the horses provide twice the airflow. some “give” if kicked. (photo 6) Larger RV fan vents can not be open when traveling, so 56

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Saddle Racks

Any trailer with a tack compartment should have a standard saddle rack for each horse, but additional racks are usually available. Make sure the saddle racks are the style that ﬁt your saddles. A style of rack that ﬁts a western saddle may be harmful to an English saddle.

Blanket Bar

When carrying blankets, having a place to hang them is useful. Blanket bars that fold up when not in use make better use of space.

Clothes Bar

For carrying clothes, a clothes bar can is helpful, but it can get in the way. Make sure it is removable. An adjustable clothes or shower rod may work depending on the length and how it ﬁts between the walls. Ordering many options can crowd a small tack/dressing room. Make sure the placement of the options works optimally. If there is doubt, ask the dealer for a ﬂoor plan. If there is still uncertainty, have the parts shipped loose inside the trailer and design and install after it arrives.

�� Elite Equestrian does not endorse or conﬁrm content suggestions in any articles. See credit page for disclaimer.

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Saddle Racks

Blanket Bar

When carrying blankets, having a place to hang them is useful. Blanket bars that fold up when not in use make better use of space.

Clothes Bar

�� Elite Equestrian does not endorse or conﬁrm content suggestions in any articles. See credit page for disclaimer.

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C lassical

Training

Rene Gasser

of Gala of the Royal Horses, is accepďż˝ng a limited number of horses for training in Dressage in Ocala, FL Limited spaces are available for riding students as well.

Rene will bring out the best in your horse! Training for 3rd Level and above. Full board is included with training package. www.galaoftheroyalhorses.com 321-402-1472 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

VETERANS RIDE

As COVID Exacerbates the Veteran Mental Health Crisis, BraveHearts’ “Trail to Zero” Rides On In Kentucky & Illinois - Live and virtual equine rides raise awareness of veteran suicide epidemic As COVID brings to light the importance of open discussion about mental health and the need for more available resources, BraveHearts -- the largest program in the nation using equine assisted activities and therapies for veterans -- will embark on its fourth annual “Trail to Zero” ride in Kentucky and Illinois. The 20-mile trail rides bring the epidemic of veteran suicide to the forefront of national conversation -- 20 veterans and active service members are lost to suicide daily -- and educate veterans and citizens about the beneﬁts of equine-assisted services as an alternative approach to healing. The Kentucky ride will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park and Spy Coast Farm. The Illinois ride will take place privately in Bull Valley, Illinois and will be broadcast as a virtual hour-long program with live and recorded elements.

EQUINE Lifestyle

“Now, more than ever before, mental health is being recognized as a critical component of our wellbeing,” said Meggan Hill-McQueeney, President/COO, BraveHearts. “Many men and women who have served our country are struggling. BraveHearts is here to offer a solution through equine assisted services for all those who have had trouble ﬁnding relief.”

BraveHearts is the largest Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) accredited program in the country that has served thousands of veterans all at no cost, offering equine services to provide emotional, cognitive, social and physical beneﬁts for veterans. Veterans at BraveHearts report beneﬁts including increased self-esteem, self-worth, trust for others and decreased depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and suicidal ideations.

“While our rides might look a little different this year, we’ll continue to ride 20 miles for the 20 veterans and active service members we lose to suicide every day until this number is zero,” added Hill-McQueeney. Kentucky’s Trail to Zero will take place during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month on September 25. The Illinois’ Trail to Zero will take place as a virtual event on October 11. This year, BraveHearts is proud to partner with Equitana USA, the premier North American forum that promotes the exchange of ideas, information, and experiences to enhance the horse and the equine industry. Join the call to action by becoming a “Trail to Zero Hero”: complete 20 miles walking, running, biking or even 20 jumping jacks or 20 loads of laundry. Post a photo on social media and tag #TrailtoZEROHero to raise awareness for military suicide prevention.

Visit h�ps://pages.donately. com/bravehearts/campaign/ trailtozerohero to get involved. To learn more, visit www.trailtozero.org. Meggan Hill-McQueeney, President and COO, BraveHearts. A lifelong equestrian, she developed her own therapeutic riding program in 1996 and began a second in 1999. Meggan is a PATH International Master Level Instructor, a Special Olympics coach, a trainer for Illinois SO coaches, and a PATH evaluator. In 2010 Meggan stepped into the role of BraveHearts President/COO.

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In 2010 Meggan stepped into the role of BraveHearts President/COO. She is the 2015 recipient of the PATH Intl. James Brady Professional Achievement Award, honoring her great dedication, proven leadership and high ethical standards as well as her ability to develop and implement innovative, creative and effective ideas for the industry. Meggan’s theories have resulted in the ability of BraveHearts to expand its veteran services nationally, helping BraveHearts PATH Premier Accredited Center retain its status as the largest veteran program in the nation, using innovative equine-assisted services. 2020 will be Meggan’s fourth year participating in Trail to Zero.

Veterans participating include: Ken Boyd, Gold-Star Father. His son, US Marine, Cpl. CJ Boyd was KIA in Afghanistan in 2010. Ken and his wife Patty have supported BraveHearts veterans since CJ’s death to honor CJ. Ken has become extremely active with BraveHearts riding, helping with special events, and currently sitting on the Board of Directors. Ken and Patty purchased a horse in 2016, fortuitously named Brother, who now holds the name “CJ’s” Brother. Ken has been riding weekly, ever since Brother has come into his life and attributes his healing to this remarkable horse and to the service; he has given to BraveHearts to help CJ’s brothers and sisters. 2020 will be Ken’s third year participating in Trail to Zero. Bill Mercurio, drafted in 1966 for the Vietnam War. He served with the 20th Engineers Battalion in Pleiku, RVN from 1966-1967. Bill and his wife Nancy began volunteering at BraveHearts in 2016 and quickly became immersed in the veteran program, riding together once a week. Bill tragically lost his son in 2017 and has stated that if it were not for BraveHearts, the horses, and his faith, he does not know how he would have been able to get through such a difﬁcult time. Bill rides on the all-veteran drill team and is 62

a PATH Intl. instructor. Bill was part of the 5 veterans who rode in the Trail to Zero pilot ride in 2017. 2020 will be Bill’s fourth year participating in Trail to Zero. Nichelle Wrenn, Air Force, served from 2008 until 2013. After a chance meeting with a BraveHearts instructor in 2017, she became hooked on the camaraderie and dedication shown by the BraveHearts horses, veterans, volunteers, and staff. Grateful and humbled by the opportunities afforded at BraveHearts she can often be found in the barn, emptying water buckets or cleaning horse stalls. As one of the youngest veterans and growing horsewomen she enjoys her time off the horse, leading in lessons or watching riders and instructors, almost as much as riding. Experiencing so many veterans who are open and honest about their mental health struggles and herself having a very stressful career in security with the federal government led her to get serious about her own anxiety. Still very much learning about horses and her own struggles with mental health she hopes to destigmatize mental health services for veterans and non-veterans alike. Photos courtesy of Braveheart

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Dream Farm For Sale Located in Tampa Bay Area

Built 2005 4,742 Sq. Ft. plus 3 car attached garage & patio. 9+ Acres 2 Bed, 2 Bath, upstairs 831 sq. ft. studio w/ full bathroom. (inc in 4,742) Open floor plan w/vaulted ceiling & laminate wood floors throughout. Kitchen has a lg. island w/sink & dishwasher built-in. Open living area; access screened patio & hot tub via 3 sets of French doors. Great entertainment feature w/lovely pastorals views (see photo). First floor master suite w/his & her sinks & two walk-in closets. Second bath has double vanity’s & outside accessibility. Upstairs studio w/French doors to balcony w/views of property. Full bath & separate Central A/C unit, access from inside or a private outside entry. Ideal for conversion to In-law suite or 2 add. lg. bedrooms. LOCATION: Greater Tampa Bay Area. It’s surrounded by serene woods & fields in equestrian community, dead end street. Easy walk to large park with riding/hiking trails, lakes, arena’s and much more. Close to hospital, interstate, airport, shopping and dining. The farm has a lucrative boarding & training business currently in full operation w/ opportunity for tremendous growth. Offering airy well lighted stalls & arena, an irrigation system, board fencing & improved pastures. Stabling for 25, + taproom, untility & storage bldgs. Grounds Keepers apt. on the property.

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Let’s Just talk about it!

KAT’S

KORNER

I CHOKED

in national competition. In early November 2020 Category 4 Hurricane Eta came threatening with its tropical a�ermath storms to my hometown of Atlanta. My dad stayed there with no power to protect our home and manage the tree removal process. Meanwhile my mom remained super calm and didn’t talk about winning or ribbons at all driving six hours to Kentucky. Jimmy Torano my trainer was very relaxed in Lexington that ﬁrst week of November. But even though I came ac�ng like the Na�onal Horse Show was just another show, it was not. The Annual Championship is considered the best Hunter/Jumper show in the country and only takes the top 15 in their respec�ve divisions. I knew I had a shot at winning, and I focused on managing my anxiety.

I felt prepared and confident but I was really nervous because I didn’t want to mess anything up in the ring. I showed my Small Junior under 15 Cornell22 first. I was happy I got to do him first because I’ve had him the longest. He is very reliable and I actually won the first round... it really li�ed my confidence. Consent, my second Small Junior was quiet and Jimmy focused my a�en�on on a really forward canter. He wanted me to leg him at the oxers so Consent could jump across and not too up. It worked and I got 2nd & 3rd. I had one rub because I was a li�le long to the last jump on the first day of compe��on. Coming into the Large Junior under 15 with Grand Remo I was even more nervous. It was only Remo’s second �me showing indoors. Jimmy always tells me to let him jump and give him his head. I try really hard to do what he says, and I got a 90 at the first round winning. The second round I was one stride late on a lead change and got an 81 for second place. Jimmy says I must be more definite when asking for a change.

TRAINING & Showing

Next day I knew I had to win a class if I was going to get Champion on one of my juniors. I tried to get on a good forward canter with Consent because I pulled Cornell and chipped in the stake. Cornell finished 3rd overall. My strategy worked with Consent who received a score of 88 to win the stake, and ul�mately Champion Small Junior Hunter <15. I felt very relaxed next going in the the final day of compe��on on Remo. But I was deep to one jump and a got a score of 80, pu�ng me in 6th in the class. However, because Grand Remo won the first hunter, won the under saddle and was second in the handy, we received Champion Large Junior Hunter <15. And we ended with the highest points winning Overall Grand Junior Hunter, all sizes all ages. I didn’t even know I was in the running. I was shocked, surprised and felt like I finally won a Na�onal Championship at the same level I did with Brighton, my Large Pony when I won Grand Champion in 2018 at USEF Pony Finals. Emo�ons of pride were high with my whole team. But the happy feelings didn’t last long and my nerves hit again waiting for the ASPCA/Maclay Finals in two days. My prepara�on went really well. We had the Maclay warmup in the same ring the next day. All of our jumps were really good, and my horse didn’t look at anything. My trainer thought I was ready. And then the day of finals compe��on I CHOKED NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT! I came in and did my courtesy circle, picked up the canter, and had a good first line. Feeling very anxious, in the next bending line I added a stride. Then to the in, of the one stride, I jumped on an angle and made it impos64

sible for my horse to jump out in one stride. So then I pulled out. I was devastated and had to take that long walk out. Jimmy my trainer was very nice about it, and just said I got too tense and froze up. People assume I don’t have nerves, but I’m really just a regular girl. I went home to Atlanta and focused on all that went wrong but also on all the things that went right with my Hunters. With year end goals to accomplish, I ﬁnished the year in Wellington at three shows in November. I worked that much harder and that much more focused to not repeat that long walk out on that gloomy day in Lexington. I ended winning every show for combined six Championship wins on Consent Champion Small Junior and Grand Remo for Champion Large Junior. I was even named Best Child Rider on a Horse at the South Florida Hunter Jumper Associa�on 70th Annual Charity Horse Show. But the biggest surprise at the end of the show year was that I won the Maclay, the Dover Seat Medal, the Overall Washington and the USEF Talent Search Big Equita�on classes. I really tried to listen to the details of my trainer’s instruc�on, and kept myself more calm and more determined. I will be back in 2021 and will keep prac�cing and trying. My mother taught me to follow my dreams, believe in myself and never ever give up. I want to conclude with a big shoutout to Camden Waldo of Susan Horn’s Prospering Farm in Prosper, Texas. She rides with her IEA team friends Abby, Emilia, Ava, Victoria, Addison, Sabrina, Paulina with trainer Stephanie Savoy. They are all so kind to support me on Instagram and wish me luck. It truly honors and mo�vates me to know that people care.

Kat Fuqua • 2020 USEF Horse of the Year Grand Champion Junior Hunter, Consent • 2020 USEF Horse of the Year Reserve Grand Champion Junior Hunter, Grand Remo • 2020 USEF Horse of the Year Champion Small Junior Hunter <15, Consent • 2020 USEF Horse of the Year Champion Large Junior Hunter <15, Grand Remo • 2020 National Horse Show Grand Junior Champion, Large JR Champion <15 & Small JR Champion <15 • 2020 National Dressage Championships awarded KAT 3rd in the country with her DreamGirl for FEI Children’s Dressage. • 202O Earned USDF Dressage Bronze medal and successfully showed FEI Prix St Georges. • 2018-19 Four times USEF Pony Finals Champion, including Pony Medal • 2018 Washington International Horse Show Large Pony Hunter Champion • 2018 Five times USEF Horse of the Year awards

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Continued from page 38 2. Can You Apply Common Law Principles? Other than speciﬁc contract provisions, an equine industry participant should consider whether there are any common law legal principals, not written into the contract, that might be applied or inferred to excuse or require performance. “Common law” refers to legal principles that exist in the “law of the land” or community and are not always written into a contract, because they are presumed to apply. For example, the doctrine of “impracticability” allows that a party may be excused from performing under a contract if, after the contract is made, performance becomes impracticable by: (a) the occurrence of an event that is outside of that party’s control; and (b) that such an event was assumed, and the contract made under that assumption, by the parties making the contract, to be such an event not normally to occur. “Impossibility” is a related concept, subject to the same sort of analysis. Another common law doctrine centers on “frustration of purpose” when an event occurs (a) not any party’s fault; and (b) where the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event was a basic assumption on which the contract was made. To invoke and take advantage of these common law principles, the circumstances must have been unanticipated by the parties, and particularly not be the fault of the party seeking to be excused from performance under the contract. The corollary to the common law doctrines excusing performance is that parties will not be excused from their contractual obligations when there is an occurrence of an event that the parties had clearly contemplated. The answer is not always so clear. For example, the imposition of governmental regulations is presumed in most contracts, but perhaps not the recent city, state, national and international shut down of business, travel or even meetings. However, neither is COVID a get-out-jailfree card, available to excuse all performance and cure bad contracts. The Pandemic will push the evolution of the law in this area. Do not hesitate to consult your legal professional and advocate for your position, whether to excuse or enforce performance.

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