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Podcast: The Longest & Toughest Horse Race in the World – Racing the Mongol Derby
StandleeForage.com - Beyond the Barn Podcast - Listen
New Beyond the Barn Podcast Episode
Episode 67: The Longest & Toughest Horse Race in the World – Racing the Mongol Derby On this episode, co-host Katy Starr chats with horse trainer and back country pilot, Lena Haug, about her multi-worldly equine adventures, mainly surrounding her time competing in the longest and toughest horse race in the world, the Mongol Derby, including:
• Being completely immersed in the honorable Mongolian culture
• Self-navigating horses who are racing at top speed, all the while dodging military fields and wild dogs
• Getting kicked in the face from an unintentional dismount, only to get immediately back on for what felt like a rocket headed to space
Listen at:
https://www.standleeforage.com/podcast/episodes/ep-067-the-longest-toughest-horse-race-in-the-world-racing-the-mongol-derby/
2023 Biltmore Hope for Horses photos by Becky Pearman
2023 Biltmore Hope for Horses Endurance ride photos in North Carolina by Becky Pearman:
https://beckypearman.smugmug.com/Other/Endurance-2023/Biltmore-Hope-For-Horses
2023 Lava Cast photos by Jala Neufeld
2023 Lava Cast Endurance ride photos in Oregon by Jala Neufeld, DKTAJAY Photography:
https://dktajay.smugmug.com/Anything-Horses/Endurance/2023-Endurance/Lava-Cast-2023
October 4 is Deadline for AERC National Championships Registration
Official website
The Championships will be held over the Armadillo Trails in the Davy Crockett National Forest in Kennard, Texas, for the AERC 2023 National Championships! October 19 for the 50 mile ride and October 21 for the 100 mile ride. Plus there will be 30, 50, and 100 mile open rides. '
Entry deadline is October 4.
You can mail your entries or email your entries. Each distance needs a separate entry. This entry is also for the Armadillo Open rides as well as the LD.
Go here for more details on the ride and for entry forms.
The Role of Pre-, Pro- and Postbiotics
HorseSport.com - Full Article
What's the difference? A look at these popular equine dietary supplements intended to stabilize the microbiome.
By: Madeline Boast, MSc. Equine Nutrition | September 20, 2023
Despite owners trying to minimize stress in their horse’s lives, no matter what, stressors are going to exist. Some common examples include exercise, transportation, social stressors etc. This negatively impacts the equine gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and since horses have an extremely sensitive GI tract, owners are continually seeking out ways to better support it.
Dietary supplements are a popular inclusion in equine rations. Pre-, pro- and postbiotics are often supplemented in hopes of stabilizing the microbiome of the horse to maintain overall health and well-being. Defining Pre-, Pro- and Postbiotics
Pre-, pro- and postbiotics are popular terms when it comes to gut health supplements. The World Health Organization defines probiotics as live microorganisms that when consumed in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host. One of the keywords in this definition is “live”. This sets probiotics apart from pre- and postbiotics...
Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/magazine/health/pre-pro-postbiotic-supplements/?vgo_ee=zBQsBCkKER1rcvWx%2FPSn6UYeuuOzYsrPofNJSI6eRvqFzDipdl73%3ACrZNZctimMcq4V1iSyXvyLyJlMKZEk7B
2023 September's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast
Horsesinthemorning.com - Listen
Former US Army Ranger Conquers Mongol Derby, New Endurance Racing Legend Memoir, Sept 12, 2023
We learn about teaching horses to wear a neck collar. Former US Army Ranger Reid Albano shares his experience riding the Mongol Derby as an amputee. Chasing Dreams: The True Story of the Youngest Female Tevis Cup Champion author Sanoma Blakely stops by for a chat. AERC VP Kelly Williams Stehman has an update.
Listen:
https://horsesinthemorning.com/former-us-army-ranger-conquers-mongol-derby-new-endurance-racing-legend-memoir-sept-12-2023/
How your horse’s vision differs from yours
EquusMagazine.com - Full Article
If you want to shape your horse’s performance and gain his trust, you need to understand how he sees the world.
May 27, 2022
Janet L. Jones, PhD
See that sliver of light on the sand, shining through a gap in the roof of the indoor arena? Every time she goes past, Hawkeye arches her neck and skirts the boundary as if it’s a rattlesnake. The sliver changes in size and shape with the sun’s movement, and the mare seems to see each tiny difference as a brand-new snake. When a concurrent sound erupts—say, the sound of a grain of sand sliding—she leaps sideways.
These are normal behaviors that reflect the way a horse’s visual systems are hardwired into his brain. We can teach horses to overcome them, but we can’t make them go away. Nor can we make a horse see the way we do. How we respond to his fear depends partly on our own vision, which determines our expectations of what horses see.
Since the 1960s, cognitive psychologists have shown that we construct sight using information from our eyes combined with knowledge in our brains. Things can go wrong at either end—the eye or the brain. A person whose eyes become blind still sees images and dreams. One whose eyes are intact but whose visual cortex is damaged often sees lights and shadows but can’t make sense of them. In rare cases, people who are completely brain-blind can grasp a coffee cup set in front of them or navigate around objects, responding to the physical world even though they cannot consciously see it. This ability, called “blindsight,” isn’t limited to humans; cortically blind animals can do it, too.
Occasionally, a smidgen of visual cortex is impaired so specifically that its owner—having otherwise normal sight—suddenly cannot see color, shape or perhaps movement. Imagine trying to cross a busy street with eyes that function normally but a brain that can’t perceive motion. Cars travelling 60 miles an hour become a series of still images stopped along the road. At the next glance, they’re still stopped, but in different locations.
Neuroscientist Gerald Edelman said it best: “Every perception is a creation.” The trouble is that horses create their perceptions in ways that are very different from ours. Visual information travels from the eye to the brain in both species, of course. But the human brain sends back six times as much neural information in the opposite direction, transmitting messages to the sensory relay station that captures incoming views. This wiring is infrastructure for perceptual interpretation: the effect of knowledge being melded with the eye’s pictures of the outside world. So, who’s more objective in seeing reality, you or your horse? Hate to break the news, but it’s probably your horse. His brain is less prone to illusions and assumptions than yours is.
Equine vision is different from human vision in almost every way—acuity, range, eye contact and detection of peripheral motion, just for starters...
Read more here:
https://equusmagazine.com/behavior/eye-eye-31022/
2023 Antelope Island - Dane Berry
September 24 2023By Dane Berry
It has taken me a while to write this recap, mostly so I could find the words to properly give credit to the amazing veterans, juniors, and everyone else more experienced than me in this sport (which is basically everyone!) who do these rides as a matter of routine. This, my first 50 mile ride was an eye opening, grueling, difficult, amazing, rewarding, and ultimately uplifting experience that has to be lived to truly be understood. I therefore don’t write this post pridefully, but rather in full humility that I truly only succeeded due to support from friends, family, I suppose a little personal insanity, and of course my amazing horse Nico.
Overall, let this preface suffice: I am in awe and respect all of you riders who embark in this sport; I have so much to learn from all of you. Conversely, I can confidently say as probably one of the most inexperienced beginners that just decided to go and attempt a 50-mile ride as my second ever event, that ALL of you looking to get into the sport of endurance CAN DO IT. If I can, you can… Hear me out.
Antelope Island 50-mile endurance Ride, Sept 16 2023 Ride Report
Exactly two years ago, Sept 23rd 2021 was the first time I swung my leg over Nico. It was that first ride that I felt an immediate connection and so I purchased him about a week later. In today's horse buying/selling market, I consider it a miracle that he is the horse I found! I don't recommend to most people doing it how I did it... I had not ridden a horse in about 16 years, and even when I had ridden as a teenager it was very minimal experience with no lessons; just a few odd rides basically. I just loved horses my whole life so I made the plunge and just bought one (as opposed to maybe smarter avenues of pursuing horses, like lessons or leasing!). On top of that, I decided to purchase a fresh trained 8 year old Arabian… A friend of mine retroactively told me that they legitimately thought I was going to die, inexperienced as I was going and buying an Arabian out the gate!...
Read more here:
http://endurance.net/international/USA/2023AntelopeIsland/Dane.html
US Equestrian Announces Athletes for 2023 FEI Endurance Pan American Championships for Seniors and Young Riders & Juniors
USEF.org
by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | Sep 22, 2023, 3:00 PM EST
Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the five athlete-and-horse combinations that will represent the U.S. at the 2023 FEI Endurance Pan American Championships for Seniors and Young Riders & Juniors. The championship will be held Nov. 23-26, 2023, in Llay Llay, Chile. The team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Lisanne Dorion with support from team veterinarian Dr. Olivia Rudolphi.
The following athlete-and-horse combinations are listed in alphabetical order:
• Niki Beck (Gillette, Wyo.) and Majestic Cloudy Boy, her own 2009 Appaloosa gelding
• Uma Kraskin (Deland, Fla.) and CL Magnolia, a 2014 mare owned by Carlos Letelier
• Tom Rajala (Hillsborough, N.C.) and HF Barii, a 2010 Arabian mare owned by Maxi Wimmer
• Alex Shampoe (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Southern Justice, a 2012 Arabian gelding owned by Dessia Miller.
- Direct Reserve: Fine Cut Gold, a 2011 Arabian mare owned by Valerie Kanavy.
• Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) and C.L. Misteriosa, a 2012 mare owned by Carlos Letelier
The opening ceremony for the event will take place on Nov. 22, in Santiago, Chile, and the first veterinary inspection will begin at 3:30 p.m. local time on Nov. 23. The ride will take place on Nov. 24 with the prize giving ceremony to follow.
For more information on the 2023 FEI Endurance Pan American Championships for Seniors and Young Riders & Juniors, visit the official event page on FEI.org or chileendurance.cl.
Virginia City 100 - Siri Olson
September 19 2023By Siri Olson
By Siri Olson
September 19 2023
Each year I try to pick one goal ride. This season VC 100 was on the list. We trained hard, consistently, and did all the things to prepare, beginning in February. The thing about endurance is that it is not an over night process. It is very much a long term commitment.
The ride finally rolled around and plans had been in the making for quite sometime.
We found ourselves rolling into ride camp Thursday before the ride. Its a long drive!! We had some down time and relaxed. The horses settled in great! Friday night was definitely a sleepless night. So sleepless I literally started counting sheep to shut my brain off. My alarm went off and I told my husband that I wasn't sure Troop and I could do this. I was so scared! What was I thinking? Like really, the VC 100?? The toughest ride we have ever attempted and undoubtedly one of the toughest rides in the US. Is Troop ready? Is he really a 100 mile horse? Look at the 100 mile field of riders!! How could we possibly compete here, of all places?? Kevin is always supportive and told me get up and get it done.
I was blessed, honored, and humbled to ride with one of my heroes Max Merlich on his bitch face mare, Layla, on his 70th birthday. Happy Birthday Max!! Congrats on your 100 mile completion.
I was also very honored to ride with badass Tani Bates! She is iconic and tough! Congratulations on Jericho's 1st 100 mile completion! Way to go to the toughest ride ever and knock it out of the park!
Then there's Troop. Yep, we had some A$$ Monkey moments. I mean really, it's not Troop without some antics and attitude. He Trooped through the day as steady as he could be. We both hit a low on those damn SOB's!! Hot, tired, not feeling the greatest. Lack of sleep? Over emotional? Dumb female hormones?? Here's the thing about endurance, the challenge is not always the literal trail. Sometimes it's that connection with your horse and/or with yourself, or just pacing 3 very different horses with different abilities and strengths. Flexibility. Adaptability...
Read the rest here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2023VirginiaCity100/Siri.html
Rider Charlotte gets England call for Home International Championships
Market Rasen rider Charlotte Scott has been selected to represent the England Endurance Riding Squad at the prestigious Home International Championships.
By Sports Reporter
Published 19th Sep 2023
The championship is set to take place at the iconic British Horse Feeds & Golden Paste Company Red Dragon Festival of Endurance, scheduled for September 29th to October 1st, at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.
Charlotte, accompanied by her trusty equine partner Broomstone Red Adare, affectionately known as Oakley, will be part of the England squad competing against teams from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The event is expected to bring together more than 600 horses and riders from all four countries for four days of intense competition and camaraderie.
Charlotte and Oakley's journey in endurance riding is a testament to their dedication and hard work. Oakley, a remarkable 17.2hh horse, has defied expectations and demonstrated a true passion for endurance riding. Charlotte's unique bond with Oakley, built over years of training, has contributed to their success as a team...
Read more here:
https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/sport/other-sport/rider-charlotte-gets-england-call-for-home-international-championships-4340953
2023 Virginia City 100 - Alex Lewis
By Alexandra LewisSeptember 18 2023
It was a busy day here at VC100! It was SO FUN to see the PNW representing with so many horse and rider teams!!
Marco and I had an amazing first 25 miles with Stevie Delahunt and Carmen Jackson and Mallori Farrell ; horses were feeling fresh and ready to go!! Thanks for the fun this morning ladies!!
Marco had no problem navigating the rock in the dark, something I was worried about but clearly don't need to be! We cruised through the first 16 miles of the ride without a hitch and enjoyed the views and how strong Marco felt!! I was having to do a lot of holding him back, but I knew that was going to be the situation because of how fit he is right now!
As we started walking through someone's property which was where we were routed through, Marco went down in some sand onto both knees, cutting them up, and the right one was pretty bad. I noticed at the vet hold he had lost a glue on boot after I did a boot check at mile 10 or so, which is why I think he went down in the first place.
I doctored him up in under 3 minutes, had the bleeding stopped, liquid bandage on the cuts to keep them from getting dirty, and caught back up to the group. Marco felt strong after, but not 100%, which was concerning this early on in the ride...
Read the rest here:
http://endurance.net/international/USA/2023VirginiaCity100/Alex.html
Prater Mountain photos - Jala Neufeld
2023 Prater Mountain Endurance ride photos in Idaho by Jala Neufeld,
DKTAJAY Photography:
https://dktajay.smugmug.com/Anything-Horses/Endurance/2023-Endurance/Prater-Mountain-2023
2023 Virginia City 100 - Virginia Jenkins
September 18 2023By Virginia Jenkins
Virginia City 100... I can definitely say no one was lying about the rocks. Flite and I took on the historical trail and brought home a completion with a 20:05 ride time.
We started out at 5 am in front of the classic Delta Saloon - what a cool start. After the Virginia City sheriff led 60 horses and riders to the wrong start in his own city, we got on the trail. Flite and I cruised along in the dark through the rocks (and more rocks... and MORE rocks) and into the first vet check at 24 miles. Flite vetted in at 40 and 40 minutes later, we were off on the next loop of 15 miles. This loop had some sections with NO ROCK (crazy, I know), but also had Bailey Canyon where I managed to lose two octos. Thank goodness I had my renegades with me. I popped them on and off we went. We came into the Washoe Park check and Flite once again vetted out fabulously...
Read the rest here:
http://endurance.net/international/USA/2023VirginiaCity100/Virginia.html
2023 Virginia City 100 Photos by William Gore Photography
2023 Virginia City 100 Endurance ride photos in Nevada by William Gore Photography:
https://williamgorephotography.smugmug.com/2023-Endurance-Rides/Virginia-City-100-2023