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Tuesday, March 13 2018 / Published in General

Everything Eventing With Boyd Martin 

Boyd Martin riding Gloria Callen’s mare Welcome Shadow
Photo by Amber Heintzberger

Well known for both his fun-loving approach to life and his indefatigable work ethic, Boyd Martin has represented the U.S.A. in three-day eventing at two Olympic Games and two World Championships, and was on the gold-medal-winning Pan Am Games team in 2015. Boyd’s wife, Silva Martin, is a grand prix dressage rider and they have a son, Nox. Boyd and Silva train out of their own farm, Windurra USA in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, and spend winters at Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina.

How do you teach a person who is new to eventing how to gauge their horse’s pace on cross-country?

After years and years of riding cross-country, I believe I’ve got a subconscious metronome for what the speeds are at each level. I’d have to say for novice and training, a nice, comfortable working canter is ideal. There’s no pressure in hurrying any of the technical fences and you can let the horse stretch out a little in the galloping lanes, but you shouldn’t feel like you’re pushing any limits to make the optimum time.

Once you get to preliminary and above, time becomes a much bigger factor. I don’t necessarily go for the optimum time every time I go cross-country; you must get a feel and understanding for your horse’s condition, the footing, the temperature and other factors, and not become obsessed with winning a prize at that event at the expense of your horse.

To practice, find a big field or a track and measure the distance out — you can use a meter wheel — to determine what 350, 400 and 500 meters looks like. Practice cantering that distance in one minute to figure out what, for example, 400 meters per minute feels like. But understand that speed varies on-course due to hilly terrain, turns on-course, and galloping type fences vs. turning questions. The ultimate goal is to make the optimum time without looking like you’re riding fast. I’d encourage anyone to go to an event and watch the top riders on-course. Notice how smooth and gentle they look, particularly as they go from a galloping speed to a balanced canter.

Don’t get too obsessed with this. Over time and with experience, you’ll develop a feel for the correct pace. As for your position on cross-country, when I teach clinics, I often suggest that riders pick a rider that they want to emulate. With YouTube and so on, you can watch some of the best in the world online. Notice their position and style over fences but also how they ride between fences: how short their irons are, how their body is positioned and how they use their body to balance the horse as they gallop over the terrain. This visual aid gives you something you can try to copy at home.

How do you work through problems like refusals or run-outs?

First things first, we want to try never to put our horse in a situation where it wants to run out. Cross-country is all about confidence, so you need to start small and simple and over time increase the size and difficulty to jumps as the horse becomes more competent. There are different degrees of pressure you can put on the horse when he’s questioning the fence. I try to anticipate whether the horse might be hesitant and one or two strides before that moment, I use my leg stronger and maybe a bit of stick to give him confidence on that last stride.

Basically, when horses come to training, I’d be proud to say that most of them have never had a stop or run-out. Often, if a horse is running out, it’s an indication that somewhere in its training there’s been a mistake made. Often it’s with ditches, banks or water and the rider may have to go back to a lower level to give the horse confidence. My rule is to spend a year at each level, maybe a year and a half at intermediate, so that the horse is confident and never over-faced.

How’s it going with the new U.S. Eventing coach, Erik Duvander? 

Erik is definitely a different style coach than we’re used to. He’s very into the horse’s suppleness and flexibility and so far that’s been our main focus: not asking for too much difficulty but getting the horse relaxed, soft and supple. Then the exercise you’re working on is quite easy. We’re only a few weeks into the year but he spends a week or 10 days here in Aiken, South Carolina, and then heads down to Ocala, Florida, before he comes back to Aiken, so we’re getting plenty of time with him. I’ve known Erik for a long time and watched him train the New Zealand team particularly over the past couple years, and his training style works very well with me. He’s very personable; he’s not trying to put on a big show if anyone’s watching and he’s always willing to get on the horses if he thinks that will be helpful. I think it’s going to be very good for the U.S. team, having him in our corner.

What are your thoughts on what to wear for eventing?

Silva and I are both so proud and honored to be associated with Ariat. Obviously, this is a brand that’s recognized all over the world for outdoor fashion and equestrian apparel. When it comes to riding gear, they are really world class. If you look at the majority of international event riders, they are wearing Ariat breeches, boots, gloves and jackets. I’ve been absolutely blown away by the clothing line that has come my way. The gear is very high quality in its production as well as comfortable and fashionable to wear around the house and barn and in any outdoor activity. Ariat is an always-evolving company. They are the perfect blend of stylish and fashionable, durable clothing that has the latest technology in breathable fabrics that move with you when you are riding and active. Believe me, when you are riding around a big four-star cross-country course, you need equipment that can be put to the test.

 

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Tagged under: boyd-martin, eventing, q&a

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
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...

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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

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