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Saturday, December 05 2020 / Published in General

Eventing with Boyd Martin

What’s your approach to training through the winter?

For me, training in winter is about fitness and about getting the horses conditioned for the upcoming season. The reality is that we won’t be competing again in the immediate future, so we need to slightly adjust our training program with less focus on drilling the dressage tests, and more about developing overall strength and suppleness.

A lot of horses in my program have a vacation in November and December and are back in work come January, and won’t be heading to a competition until February or March. I think with the training of the horses in the winter months, it’s partly about conditioning and partly about training.

Conditioning or something different than dressage every second day is important for the horses in my program. This might be hacking on the roads or doing a bit of trot and canter work on the track, or any sort of exercise that’s going to build a bit of a base of fitness for the coming competition season. To me, this is also good mentally for the horses as I feel just drilling them day in and day out in the flat work can leave them quite sour. As we live in hunt country, we have also been known to take the horses out hunting, which is useful for their fitness and can make them a little more bold.

For me, the training of the horses for dressage during the winter is a little bit more about throughness and suppleness. The reality of competing in a show is still miles away, so I don’t focus too much on the actual movements. The bulk of my training is on getting the horse really using its body, getting it supple from head to toe and finding any blockage in its body. This creates great muscle and topline. 

As winter progresses and the show season gets closer, I might introduce some test work in my training. For me, this is often the time of year I enjoy most as there’s less stress about getting to the next show and you can spend a lot of time working with your animal to create strength and suppleness before the season ahead. 

A lot of the trot work in these early winter months would be in rising trot, taking pressure off the horse’s back and encouraging more swing. Exercise-wise, I like to do a lot of yielding and lateral work, which I think can help your horse get more supple. In the canter work, I do a lot of lengthening and shortening of the stride: making the horse bigger in the canter and then collecting and really sitting down behind, which is a great strength-building exercise. 

Do you have any tips regarding winter apparel for riders?

I’ve had good fortune over the last years, especially here in America, finding winter breeches. I used to wear long underwear underneath my normal riding pants but there’s something about having two layers that can create rubs and feel uncomfortable. There’s some great technical winter riding wear out there that can really keep you warm and comfortable no matter what the weather. It’s worth investing in a few quality pieces because if you’re cold and your muscles are cramping up, you’ll be miserable and not very effective in the saddle. I’ve been lucky to ride with Ariat over the years and even though I’m an eventer, I’ve stolen the winter Western riding gear for my own wardrobe because I find it good, warm and hardy weatherproof clothing. 

What are your thoughts about training on hard ground?

With training horses, I think it’s really important that they work on all different surfaces. This isn’t just from me as an event rider: My wife, Silva, is a dressage rider and my show jumping mates feel the same. If you’re on top-notch synthetic footing all the time, it’s better for the horses when you’re doing the more concussive training, but it’s also important to get them out in the woods, on hard gravel and on slippery footing. It strengthens the legs and makes them a bit hardy. You don’t want to get to a competition where the footing isn’t perfect and the horse is just not used to it and have the chance of injury be that much higher. 

At our farm here at Windurra, we’re blessed with footing from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces in our jumping and dressage rings and on our gallop track; we also have a nice hard bitumen road that the horses go hacking on, and a quiet trail through the woods with a fairly even dirt surface. As a trainer, when I come up with the list of which horse is doing what each day, I make sure that they’re on a variety of surfaces. 

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Tagged under: cross training, eventing, winter riding

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We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
13.1hh, Welsh section B
Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
AI only and EVA negative
Fairfield, VA

Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #sidelinesmagzine
Don't get caught without your green on today!🍀🍀
 
In today's featured article, we have Jessica Howington, who is dressed for the occasion in her green shirt! Jessica is the Owner/Rider at CrownView Dressage, a Realtor with Showcase Properties of Central Florida, and a Nurse Practitioner! Jessica has been involved with horses since she was a little girl. Everything from bareback to eventing she tried until she found her love for dressage.

Today, she and her family own CrownView Dressage, a 157-acre training, boarding, and breeding facility in Ocala, Florida. Jessica started training and teaching but felt as if her life was still missing something. Until Jessica focused on horses full-time, she didn’t realize how important the healthcare field was to her life. Jessica missed seeing patients and being in the medical field. Jessica is now back to working again as a nurse practitioner while also focusing on training her five competition horses, including her Grand Prix mare Cavalia. 

Jessica feels lucky 🍀 to have two amazing parents who have supported her in all of her endeavors and instilled the importance of work ethic, morals, dedication, and sacrifice. 

You can read all about Jessica and how she's finding fulfillment in her busy lifestyle in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! Click the link in our bio for more 

✳️Tag us in your “lucky” photos for a chance to be featured on our story! Happy st. Patrick’s day everyone!🍀🍀

📸Photos by Melissa Fuller, msfullerphotography.com 

#stpatricksday #irish #stpattysday #green #ireland #luckoftheirish #stpaddysday #shamrock #happystpatricksday #lucky #saintpatricksday #leprechaun #stpatricks #stpatrick #kissmeimirish #clover #paddysday #march #potofgold #stpattys #love #beer #guinness #shopsmall #handmade #stpatricksdaydecor #stpatricksdayoutfit #fourleafclover #stpatricksdayparade #luckycharms
Like many equestrians, eventer Devon Tresan is no Like many equestrians, eventer Devon Tresan is no stranger to balancing a busy schedule. From serving as president of the Pony Club South Region Youth Board to working on her online high school courses and modeling gigs, Devon has nearly every minute of her time planned out. And with her horses right in her backyard in Ball Ground, Georgia, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Devon’s fast-paced lifestyle stems from growing up around her parents’ animal casting business, Animal Casting Atlanta, where they train and provide animals for projects in the film industry. Devon’s parents, Carol and Greg, took her on her first film job at just two weeks old; both parents pushed Devon toward acting when she was younger. While Devon didn’t want to be an actor herself, she did follow in their footsteps with her love of animals, especially horses. 

“My parents’ company has provided animals for ‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Suicide Squad,’ a majority of the Marvel TV shows, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and so many more,” Devon said.

Devon started her equestrian journey when she was 9 years old. Initially, the Tresans bought a flashy gray Welsh pony, I Am Superman, for Devon to take in the hunter ring. However, Superman lived up to his name and proved to be too speedy for the job. 

“He was super cute and just a great little ride,” Devon said, “but he was still a pony! He made me work hard for everything we accomplished together. I was lucky enough to ride with a trainer who did both hunters and eventing, so we were able to switch disciplines pretty easily. Those eventing lessons together kickstarted my love for the sport.”

Read all about Devon and her busy life in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more
@TrDevon Lane Tresan  @Devontresan

📸Photo by Carol Lane Tresan
📸Photo courtesy of Devon Tresan
📸Modeling photo by Sara Hanna, @atlphotos 

#model #fashion #photography #love #style #instagood #photooftheday #beauty #instagram #beautiful #like #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #Sidelinesmagazine
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