Category Archives: Equestrian Assistance

Community/Charity, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, EQUUS Foundation, Eventing/H.T., Para-Equestrian, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping, Vaulting, Western/Reining

The Results Are In for Round 3 of America’s Favorite Equestrian!

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WESTPORT, CT – August 2, 2011 – The results of Round 3 of America’s Favorite Equestrian are in. Four equestrians in each of the eight disciplines that participated in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have moved onto Round 4.

Who’s In the Lead?
Dressage: Debbie McDonald followed by Steffen Peters, Guenter Seidel and Courtney King-Dye.
Driving: Chester Weber followed by Tucker Johnson, Rochelle Temple and Suzy Stafford.
Endurance: Becky Hart followed by Dave Rabe, Julie Suhr and Bill Wilson.
Eventing: Tiana Coudray followed by Boyd Martin, Kimberly Severson and Phillip Dutton.
Jumping: Anne Kursinski followed by Beezie Madden, Margie Engle and McLain Ward.
Para-Dressage: Jennifer Baker followed by Mary Jordan, Jonathan Wentz and Robin Brueckmann.
Reining: Andrea Fappani followed by Tom McCutcheon, Shawn Flarida and Tim McQuay.
Vaulting: Megan Benjamin followed by Katherine Wick, Devon Maitozo and Ali Divita.

Keep Voting! One more equestrian with the lowest number of votes in each discipline will drop off the list at the end of Round 4 on September 30, 2011. Don’t let it be your favorite! All it takes is a $5 gift to The EQUUS Foundation to keep your favorite in the running for America’s Favorite Equestrian.

How to Vote:
Visit the link at http://www.equusfoundation.org/vote.

For a $5 contribution, you can select your favorite equestrian (listed by discipline) and follow the instructions provided to use mobile texting to vote. After texting your vote, you must reply YES to confirm your vote and $5 donation.

Continue reading The Results Are In for Round 3 of America’s Favorite Equestrian! →

Contributors/Press, Equine Assisted Therapy, Publications/Media

Equine Therapy: NAHRA No More, Now PATH, by Claire Dorotik

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The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, also known as NARHA, originally formed in 1969, is now the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.).

The association tagline is “Ensuring excellence and changing lives through equine-assisted activities and therapies,” and is designed to reconstruct the now outdated NARHA model. Because equine therapy is such an evolving modality, there are now a myriad of ways in which horses can be helpful in the therapeutic realm. Yet NAHRA focuses mainly on programs that are designed for handicapped riders.

However, NARHA is the oldest organization for any form of equine therapy, and therefore creates guidelines for all other equine therapy activities, including those produced solely for mental health benefit. Recognizing the obvious constriction of this setup, the NARHA Board of Directors voted for the name change for several reasons.

Primarily, PATH is a much broader based organization, allowing for regulation of many types of equine therapy, including equine assisted psychotherapy, and learning.

Secondly, the term “handicapped” is no longer considered correct, and those who are restricted to a wheelchair prefer to be referred to as “wheelchair bound.”

Continue reading Equine Therapy: NAHRA No More, Now PATH, by Claire Dorotik →

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance, FEI, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012

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Gold standard: Britain’s Lee Pearson (GBR), MBE OBE has become a Paralympic icon with nine Paralympic gold medals to his name (pictured at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games)

Lausanne (SUI), 25 July 2011 – Para-Equestrians bidding to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games can now apply for funding as part of a brand new grant scheme to help with training expenses.

Eurovestech plc, the pan-European development capital fund, has put up a €25,500 grant to support 15 equestrian athletes around the world as they prepare for London 2012.

The grants, which will be distributed by the FEI, will be available to riders who have not won medals at the Paralympics, World Championships or World Equestrian Games since 2004.

National Federations representing Para-Equestrians from smaller nations where funding is limited are urged to apply for the grants. The grants are available both to riders who compete on their own horses and those that compete on borrowed horses.

Interested riders should contact their National Federation with their competition and training plans before 15 August 2011.

“It’s great news to hear of this initiative as the IPC is keen that a great number of athletes get the opportunity to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games across all sports, including Para-Equestrian,” explained Chief Executive Officer of the International Paralympic Committee Xavier Gonzalez.

Continue reading Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012 →

Diana de Rosa, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance, Products/Services

Healthy Horse Boutique Supports Haddad Staller in Her Olympic Quest

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A Portion of All August and September Purchases from Healthy Horse Boutique to Benefit World Class Dressage Rider

Carbondale, CO — July 21, 2011 — “My goal when starting Healthy Horse Boutique was to create a company that could ultimately support equestrians who are in need of help,” explained Marian Nilsen, owner of both Healthy Horse Boutique and Cookies with a Clue. With this goal in mind Nilsen is ready to kick off her Healthy Horse Boutique Rider Crusade with a campaign supporting 2006 and 2010 World Equestrian Games U.S. Team Dressage alternate and 2007 and 2010 World Cup Finalist, Catherine Haddad Staller.

Catherine is an American dressage rider presently stationed in Vechta, Germany.  She represents the United States in competitions throughout Europe at both national and international levels. With her Grand Prix horses — Maximus JSS, Cadillac and Winyamaro — she has accumulated over 80 top ten placings and wins at Grand Prix level. Since 1995, she has run a successful training and sales facility in Germany.

Catherine will travel to the United States at the beginning of August with her two Olympic contenders — Cadillac and Winyamaro — to spend two months training and showing on American soil.  “This is a preparation tour for me and my horses.  I hope to pick up some good qualifying scores at the CDI-Ws for both the World Cup and our Olympic Selection Trials,” explained Catherine, who plans to compete in the two Saugerties CDI-Ws and at Devon where she won the World Cup qualifier last year with Winyamaro.

Continue reading Healthy Horse Boutique Supports Haddad Staller in Her Olympic Quest →

Contributors/Press, Equine Assisted Therapy, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Publications/Media, Training/Clinics

Equine Therapy: “BUCK” the Movie, by Claire Dorotik

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Before Ceasar Milan came onto the scene, people thought that fixing bad behavior in dogs had little to do with the dog owner, and even less to do with the relationship he/she had with the dog. Well, we now know that the way a dog acts is often a telling reflection of the way the owner handles him/her. And what Ceasar has done for dog owners, Buck Brannaman has done for horse owners. The newly released movie “Buck” tells the story.

Weaving easily between poignant moments at several of Buck’s four day colt starting workshops and glimpses into his home life and horrific past, the movie sheds light into horse and human relationships in a way not seen before. As the inspirational force for the movie, “The Horse Whisperer” with Robert Redford, Buck has taken the teachings of the late Ray Hunt, and embarked on a non-stop journey to encourage people to re-think the nature of the horse and the way he is trained.

In one of his well-attended seminars Brannaman describes riding the horse as asking a prey animal to “allow a predator (human) to crawl on his back,” then adds that he’d also like to “strap some pieces of dead animal (saddle) on the horse’s back too.” The movie then intersperses interviews with several of Buck’s friends, followers, and clients that have seen miracles occur with their mounts, and in the process, given cause to reconsider not just how they approach their horse, but their life as well.

Continue reading Equine Therapy: “BUCK” the Movie, by Claire Dorotik →

Awards, Benefits, Community/Charity, Conferences, Equestrian Aid Found., WHIN, Wild Horse Sources

Willie Nelson and Family Win WHINNY Awards

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Nashville, TN – July 12, 2011 – It’s become not only a mission with a passion, but one that has members of the Nelson family standing up and doing whatever they can to stop the slaughter of horses.

Willie Nelson has been an advocate against the slaughter of wild horses for years and of the almost 70 horses he owns, 25-30 were rescued directly from slaughter. He believes it’s our job to protect them and makes it a point to support many of the groups that work in this area. His passion and advocacy
is being shared by his family.

His daughter Amy and granddaughter Raelyn have joined in the fight testifying against the slaughter of horses and are making it a point to work with the State of Tennessee’s legislative branch to keep the dialog about any laws concerning these issues open.

“Here’s another great example of someone with high visibility taking the time to support this cause and who brings along not only his family but thousands of fans around the world to join him. There’s a reason why people like Willie Nelson. The man shows his dedication to horses and doing the right thing every day of his life. Willie definitely walks the talk,” states WHIA Executive Director, Catherine Masters.

The Whinnys are an awards program set up by the Women’s Horse Industry Association. The awards will be given out on October 6 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Rhythm and Hooves benefit to save horses. The event will raise funds for three equine charities: The Cloud Foundation, The Equestrian Aid Foundation and NetPosse.com. The benefit will be a part of the WHIA’s Annual conference (October 6-8 at the Radisson Hotel Opryland) where women in the horse industry will gather to exchange information and business.

For additional information on the WHIA and its upcoming conference and benefit, please visit Women’s Horse Industry or call 615-730-7833.

Contributors/Press, Equine Assisted Therapy, Publications/Media

Equine Therapy and Addictions, by Claire Dorotik

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When thinking about addictions, some things are quite obvious, while others are much more disguised. Clearly, those with substance abuse issues of any kind are still subject to a healthy dose of social stigma. Often this desire to hide what is not considered acceptable by the masses is what fuels the emergence of a multitude of “exclusive” addiction centers. For a sense of what these day spa like treatment centers look like, just Google “Malibu drug treatment.” Yet this avoidance of the problem also disguises a much larger issue. That is, aside from the war in the Middle East, addiction issues — from prevention efforts to treatment, loss of work time, health claims, and addiction related incarcerations — claim the largest share of national spending. So it seems fitting then that treatment centers scramble for the latest and greatest way to treat this massive social problem. Of late, equine therapy has become one of these nascent methods for getting to the root of what causes a person to turn to the bottle, pill, or powder.

Horses and addictions would seem strange bedfellows, but our four legged friends are actually quite well suited for this population. For one thing, addictions involve a great deal of denial. Denial not just of the problem, but of what one is actually feeling, thinking and doing. And this denial pervades beyond others, but to the self as well, leaving a person that has a very fractured understanding of himself. This detachment from the self can actually be a very prominent reason to drink.

In addition to denial, those with addictions have a very limited tolerance of emotions. What may be the normal, run of the mill emotional response for a sober person can often seem overwhelming for a person with a history of addiction. And as time goes on, avoiding emotions and using a substance to distract one from them leads to a dwindling emotional tolerance, so much so that very small hindrances can eventually precipitate a relapse.

Continue reading Equine Therapy and Addictions, by Claire Dorotik →

Community/Charity, Equestrian Assistance, Phelps Media Group, Products/Services

Ariat Donates New Clothing to Georgina Bloomberg’s Rider’s Closet Charity

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Georgina Bloomberg

Brewster, NY – July 11, 2011 – Equestrian apparel company Ariat recently donated over 600 pairs of new riding breeches to The Rider’s Closet at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, Georgina Bloomberg’s charitable program for riders in need. The Rider’s Closet accepts new or gently used equestrian apparel and sends them to pony clubs, therapeutic riding centers, scholastic teams and individual riders who request show or lesson program clothing and boots.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Ariat for almost five years now,” notes Bloomberg. “I am consistently impressed with not only the products they produce but also with the kindness of those who work with the company. I have really enjoyed representing Ariat and have found their products to be fashionable and functional. This donation is yet another example of their generosity and commitment to help every rider be properly attired for riding.”

Founded by Bloomberg as a home-based operation in August 2006, The Rider’s Closet quickly grew in scope, as did Bloomberg’s equestrian career. In July 2010, she decided to move The Rider’s Closet to a new location where it could operate on a continuous basis while she traveled to competitions. Familiar with its philanthropic mission and services, Bloomberg partnered with local nonprofit Pegasus Therapeutic Riding to bring The Rider’s Closet to Pegasus Farm in Brewster, N.Y. Managed by Pegasus staff and operated by volunteers, The Rider’s Closet is thriving in its new home. Requests come in daily from around the country, and the recent donation from Ariat will have a lasting coast-to-coast impact.

“With Ariat’s help, The Rider’s Closet will be able to send quality breeches to countless riders in need of new clothes,” states Bloomberg. “I am so appreciative of the company and am honored to be an Ariat-sponsored rider.”

Beth Cross, president and CEO of Ariat, echoes Bloomberg’s sentiment. “We are thrilled to team up with Georgina in support of The Rider’s Closet,” notes Cross. “All of us at Ariat are proud to be of service to this terrific organization and look forward to supporting them in the future.”

The Rider’s Closet accepts shirts, breeches, jackets, boots and half chaps. Demand is especially high for paddock boots and tall boots in adult and children’s sizes. For safety reasons, helmets cannot be accepted. Information about donating or requesting items from The Rider’s Closet is posted to the Pegasus website at www.pegasustr.org/trc.

Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389  fax 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

Equestrian Assistance, Eventing/H.T., Media/Radio/TV Sources

Eventing Radio Episode 149 by Bit of Britain – A Kiwi’s Pursuit of Gold

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New Zealander Jonathan ‘Jock’ Paget has relocated to the UK to pursue his Olympic Dream and shares his impressions of joining the big time. We hear how the Injured Jockeys Fund is opening its doors to other riders in need and Chris welcomes Max Corcoran back to share co-host duties. Take a listen right here.

Eventing Radio Episode 149 by Bit of Britain – Show Notes and Links:

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Awards, Community/Charity, Competitions, Equine Assisted Therapy, FEI, Western/Reining

Actor and Horse-Lover William Shatner Endorses FEI’s Star Date in Rio

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Lausanne (SUI), 6 July 2011 – Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, author and horse-lover William Shatner is supporting the HSBC Rising Star category of the FEI Awards, the scheme organised annually by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the governing body of horse sport, to celebrate equestrian heroes.

Shatner’s role as Captain James T. Kirk in the science fiction TV series Star Trek, which was first broadcast in 1966, made him a cultural icon and earned him worldwide fame. His more recent role as Denny Crane in The Practice and Boston Legal earned him two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

The actor breeds and shows American Saddlebreds and Quarter Horses and spearheads the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which brings together world-class Reining horses and riders to raise money for a therapeutic riding organisation that works with severely disabled children.

Speaking of the HSBC Rising Star category of the FEI Awards, which is open to equestrian athletes aged 14 to 21 who demonstrate outstanding sporting talent and commitment, Shatner commented:

Continue reading Actor and Horse-Lover William Shatner Endorses FEI’s Star Date in Rio →