SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Sidelines Caps
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Thursday, June 28 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.

What is the ultimate goal of going to a clinic?

First and foremost, I admit I’m in the category of often going to one-off clinics with recognized coaches that I admire. I think it’s always a motivating and inspiring exercise and no matter how good you are, there’s always something else out there that someone other than your usual coach will pick up on. I enjoy one-off clinics with Joe Fargis and George Morris; both of these gentlemen obviously have admirable track records as well as reputations as top clinicians.

As a side note, my sole purpose at a clinic is to improve my personal riding and to come up with ideas for new exercises for my horses in training. I’d never take a problem horse to a group clinic, as I think it’s unreasonable to expect that any clinician can transform your horse in one or two sessions in a group lesson. It’s just not going to happen. I’d always try to have a horse that’s a good all-rounder and will cope in the group lesson scenario.

With your week-to-week coach, they know you and your horse inside out and can focus on your weaknesses. They know all the subtle details that can help you. The one setback is they often know you too well. With Silva teaching me at home, she’s almost too used to the way I ride. I love it when I go to a clinic and the clinician starts picking on one small detail, usually something obvious like my lower-leg position or upper body. They really pick on it and it becomes obvious that my usual coach has gotten used to me swinging my leg or looking down, while this fresh set of eyes is onto it and they make a big deal about it. It makes you go home and think about the ongoing issue that has been left unaddressed.

The most inspiring thing about a clinic from a training point of view is the clinician will come up with a unique set of exercises, different from your normal routine. I love to go home with this and try to compose that exercise or type of training with all my horses at home, and try to regurgitate some of these lessons to my students.

I think the most important thing is when you’re driving home from the clinic, throw out a couple things that you felt didn’t work for you, and also really remember a couple of the good things that did work for you. That’s really the goal of the clinic: to take bits and pieces that are worthy of your interest and add them into your system of riding.

Do you have any tips for choosing a horse at a sport horse auction?

When you go to a sport horse auction, you do have a degree of protection and the horses are fairly reputable. Over the years, I’ve bought many horses from auctions; I’m always impressed with the Irish auctions like Goresbridge and the Go For Gold Sale, and as a young man I worked in Germany preparing young horses for the PSI auction at Paul Schockemoehle’s.

There are pros and cons to buying horses at auction, in my opinion. One thing is, you can try a number of horses very easily, in close proximity, in a short period of time. This is very convenient as you can try five, six, seven horses that meet your criteria, and disregard the ones that aren’t suitable. On the contrary, flying around looking at one horse here and one there is time consuming and expensive and sometimes you buy a horse you shouldn’t just because you can’t be bothered making another trip.

Often horses are sold at auction because it could not be sold independently. You have to make sure they’re not using the auction as a dumping ground; a horse could be for sale for months or even years and the owner takes it to the auction just to get rid of it.

The third thing is something I’ve been guilty of: You get very excited and riled up at an auction and get to a point where you feel like you have to come home with a horse. Mix that with a couple of cold beers and you might make a regrettable purchase!

I advise taking someone for a second opinion, because it’s easy to fall in love at first sight and it’s good to have a voice of reason. I try to do a little background check on the horses for sale and with a few phone calls, find a couple old riders or someone who has worked with the horse and find out some of the gory details of its background.

What are your thoughts on footing maintenance?

I’ve now been in America for the past 10 years and it’s mind-boggling how the sport has evolved. The competitions have improved, training facilities have gotten better and generally speaking, everyone’s expectations are higher. If a facility or footing is mediocre at an event, I feel like the riders and owners have very high expectations and all hell can break loose!

At our farm in Pennsylvania, we have a cross-country schooling facility and we have a lot of people come to school, and I’ve found they’re coming not just for the jumps but for the footing. Longevity in our horses comes down to soundness, and footing is paramount. Luckily for me, I’ve become good friends with a few local farmers who have a passion for grass; they’ve started getting involved in the equestrian world — in some cases due to the fact they marry an eventing rider, like my good mate Jamie Hicks whose wife Kate rode around Burghley. Jamie is very keen on producing the best quality grass available. Many times a year he comes to our facility and aerates, fertilizes, mows, chain harrows and improves the footing for our horses. I really feel like the grass on which our horses train is getting better and better. I think it’s important for anyone with a training facility to link up with a footing specialist, whether it’s synthetic footing for the rings or turf on cross-country, because of the role of footing in preserving the longevity of the horse.

 

Double D Trailers Info

Share this page:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tagged under: boyd-martin, eventing, q&a

What you can read next

Victoria Colvin Ties for Grand Junior Hunter Championship with Way Cool and Ovation at Capital Challenge Horse Show
Will Simpson: It’s All About the Horses
Welcome

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Jessica West always rode any horse that was availa Jessica West always rode any horse that was available to her throughout her Junior career, so she knew she had an advantage when she decided she wanted to ride on an NCAA team in college. Now a senior at @@auburnu and majoring in psychology, Jessica has enjoyed everything about the equestrian team and is ready to move on to her next adventure. 

Read more about Jessica at the link in our bio!

#ncea #ncaa #equestrian #collegiateequestrian #huntseatequitation #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #collegelife #showjumper #hunterhorse #horseshow #sidelinesmagazine
In the unique and challenging sport of combined dr In the unique and challenging sport of combined driving, Jacob Arnold has proven himself to be a bona fide star. It’s been said that success develops from a recipe based on hard work, perseverance, learning and sacrifice, paired with a love of what one is doing. Since the time he was a boy, Jacob has had the right combination of all of those ingredients, which have culminated in a meteoric rise to stardom.

Beginning his career as a Junior, Jacob earned the coveted @usequestrian Junior Equestrian of the Year award in 2011. Since then, he has taken the combined driving world by storm, competing successfully in four @fei_global World Championships. He also won the USEF Advanced Pair Horse National Championship in 2020 and 2021, among other victories—all before the age of 28, in a sport that has historically been dominated by older drivers. Last September, he placed 12th—the highest of any American driver—at the 2021 FEI Driving World Championship for Pairs in a field of over 100 top-level drivers.

Read more about @jacobarnoldcombineddriving at the link in our bio!

@alex.banks.photography #combineddriving #drivendressage #dressage #driving #carriage #horsedriving #equestrianstyle #equestrianlife #horselover #drivinghorse #carriagehorse #showhorse #sidelinesmagazine
@rolex Testimonee Daniel Deusser has claimed the f @rolex Testimonee Daniel Deusser has claimed the first equestrian Major of 2022, winning the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters. In doing so he also claimed an additional bonus for non-consecutive Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping wins, following his victory at CHIO Aachen last year. The German champion’s outstanding performance riding his trusted partner Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z once again makes him the live contender for the coveted Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

Catch up on all the action and watch the free highlights video on the Sidelines Show World blog (link in bio!)

#showjumping #rolex #grandslam #rolexgrandslam #showjumper #dutch #netherlands #dutchwarmbloods #equestrianlife #hunterhorse #hunterjumper #equestrianstyle #showhorses #showjumpersofinstagram #jumpinghorse #grandprixjumer #grandprixhorse #sidelinesmagazine
Dog and Horse friendly 3 bedroom 2 bath on 1.25 ac Dog and Horse friendly 3 bedroom 2 bath on 1.25 acres in Jupiter Farms, Florida.

Jupiter Farms is an equestrian community with a trail system and a sand riding arena at the park. Charming home features vaulted ceilings, custom trim, custom lighting in master bedroom that changes color with a remote. Granite countertops in kitchen and laundry room. New 2022 stackable washer/dryer. Privacy fenced backyard with beautiful tall pines for shade, many palm trees also on property.

Secure fenced  25’ x 25’ pen with wood fencing , for a horse, dogs or a garden.  Wonderful property in desirable Jupiter Farms. 45 minutes to Wellington, 25 minutes to Jupiter Dog Beach. Perfect oasis for dog and horse lovers, close to everything in South Florida. MLS# 10778333, Agents welcome.

$655,000
Contact 561-246-9317
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • SALLY EDELMAN SLATER

    Specializing in Luxury & Equestrian Properties

    Servicing Westchester, Duchess and Putnam Counties in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut Douglas Elliman Real Estate 914-584-0137/sally.slater@elliman.com www.elliman.com/newyork/associate/612-a-563-w2295/sally-slater

    [Read more]

  • Welsh Pony Cross Stallion - Boca’s Entourage
    Boca’s Entourage (EMC Entourage x Lands End Poseidon) 2016 Black 12.1 Pony Stallion Premier Pony Hunter Stallion Correct Confirmation, Balanced Canter & Floating Trot Stud Fee $1,000. Collection and Shipping $250. www.PoniesandPalms.com 561-756-4442

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022
  • Better Business with Malvern Bank: Michael Meller’s Secrets to Success
  • Third Annual Painted Ponies Art Walk takes over Southern Pines, NC!

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Jung Ends as He Began — On Top — at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™
  • ROLEX TESTIMONEE DANIEL DEUSSER WINS ROLEX GRAND PRIX AT 2022 DUTCH MASTERS
  • STABLE VIEW IN AIKEN POSTPONING ‘A’ RATED $400,000 H/J CHALLENGE SERIES DUE TO RESTRICTIVE MILEAGE RULE

Category

Recent Posts

  • Unbridled with Bev Bedard

    By Britney Grover     Other than leaving f...
  • Katie Duerrhammer: Driven by Love and Respect for Horses

    By Kimberly Gatto Portraits by Melissa Fuller &...
  • The Importance of Finding the Right Bit for Your Horse

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp Anyone who knows me is aw...
  • Martha Ingram’s Family Ties, From Horses to Philanthropy 

    By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Brenda Black &nb...
  • Course Designer Spotlight: Alan Wade

    Course Designer Spotlight: Alan Wade Our next S...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!