National Forest Trail Bill Introduced

American Horse Council 06/19/2014

On June 19, Congresswomen Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Tim Walz (D-MN) introduced the National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act of 2014 (H.R. 4886). The bill would direct the Forest Service to take several actions to help address the current trail maintenance backlog that is adversely impacting all trail users on many national forests, including equestrians. The AHC, Backcountry Horsemen of America, and the Wilderness Society were significantly involved in the creation of this bill.

A June 2013, study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Forest Service trail maintenance backlog exceeds a half-billion dollars, and only one-quarter of the agency’s 158,000 miles of trails meets agency standards for maintenance. This maintenance backlog is causing access and safety issues for equestrians and all trail users on national forests.

The National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act would direct the Forest Service to develop a strategy to more effectively utilize volunteers and partners to assist in maintaining national forest trails. It will also provide outfitters and guides the ability to perform trail maintenance activities in lieu of permit fees. Additionally, the bill would address a liability issue that has discouraged some national forests from utilizing volunteers and partner organizations to help perform trail maintenance and would direct the Forest Service to identify and prioritize specific areas with the greatest need for trail maintenance in the national forest system.

In the current fiscal environment it is unlikely Congress will appropriate additional funds to directly address the trail maintenance backlog. This bill will help improve trail maintenance without the need for additional funding.

The bill is supported by the AHC and many other recreation organizations.

'Minimalist' Endurance Saddle's Biomechanics Studied

The “desert style” technique employs a simplified, “minimalist” saddle—much lighter than standard endurance saddles—and longer stirrups,
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre
Jun 21, 2014

An old style of riding could bring new benefits to modern-day endurance racing. Endurance could head back to its roots and see its riders adopting the “desert style” riding technique which, one research team says, leads to better horse-rider harmonization and faster galloping.

“Confirming our hypothesis, the 'desert style' riding technique in our study provided for a considerable increase in the percentage and quality of riding in the seated canter, which translated into a net gain in speed,” said Sylvain Viry, PhD in equine biomechanics at the Institute of the Science of Movement of the University of Marseilles, in France. Viry presented the results of his preliminary study at the 2014 French Equine Research Day held March 18 in Paris.

“The proportion of the seated canter (greater than 80%) in the desert style technique was four times higher than values previously reported for horse-rider couples of the same level using traditional endurance riding techniques in similar racing conditions,” he said.

As European endurance circuits begin to include more high-speed work, riders have been seeking ways to enable their horses to gallop for longer periods, Viry said.

The “desert style” technique (also known as the “Harley Davidson” riding style, Viry said) employs a simplified, “minimalist” saddle—much lighter than standard endurance saddles—and longer stirrups, Viry said. The rider’s feet are placed more forward than in standard endurance equitation, the rider’s upper body is set farther back, and his or her pelvis takes on a high degree of mobility. It leads to a riding seat that is very similar to that used in desert competitions in the Middle East.

In their study, Viry and colleagues compared the dynamics of a single horse and rider combination being ridden in both the “traditional” and “desert” techniques during different phases of a 130-kilometer (80-mile) race. The team found that vertical movements between the horse and rider were significantly more aligned when the horse was ridden desert style, Viry said, and the horse spent considerably more time (81% vs. 51% of the time) in gallop compared to when he was ridden in a traditional style. The horse's overall speed also increased by 5.6% in desert-style tack, meaning the time it took the pair to complete the race was reduced.

“These results appear to indicate that this riding style is more efficient than traditional endurance riding styles,” Viry said.

But don't head to the tack store just yet: Further research on a larger group of horses and riders is needed before the researchers can make definite recommendations, Viry said. Future studies will also aim to address health and welfare effects of the desert style riding technique, he added.


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New FEI rules in endurance a 'great step foward'

Horseandcountry.tv - Full Article

By Charlotte Ricca-Smith on 20th-Jun-2014

New endurance rules, which address “horse welfare and fair play”, have been approved by the FEI in time for the World Equestrian Games.

Step forward

The “fundamental" rule changes are in line with the recommendations of the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) and will be implemented on 1 August 2014.

The ESPG was set up by the FEI last year to develop a 10-year plan to address the current problems in endurance riding.
“The new rules for endurance are a great step forward for horse welfare and fair play, and we strongly believe they address the key issues that the discipline has been facing,” said Brian Sheahan, chair of the FEI endurance committee and member of the ESPG...

Read more here:
http://www.horseandcountry.tv/news/2014/06/20/new-rules-endurance-great-step-foward

FEI Media Session Takes Place in Lausanne

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

June 12, 2014, Lausanne, Switzerland ~ Media representatives were invited to share insights and creativity in a discussion session on June 11 chaired by HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, FEI President, at HQ FEI, the HM King Hussein Building in Lausanne.

Asked for their input on a variety of media and promotional subjects were Marcio de Castro, Olympic Coordinator, TV Record Brazil; Ollie Williams, reporter for BBC Sport, CNN; Natalia Arriaga,Olympic correspondent for Agencia EFE; Steven Wilde, Commentator; Callum Murray, Editorial director, Sportcal; Dirk Willem Rosie, Editor in chief, Eisma Horsesmedia & De Paardenkrant; Mascha de Jong, Equestrian Correspondent De Telegraaf; Kim Lundin, freelance equestrian writer and photographer; EBU’s Garret Phelan, and Julien Schiess for Summer Sports; Beatrice Saunier, Head of TV & Media Business Affairs, France; and Pamela Burton, USA photojournalist, Editor, horsereporter.com...

Read more here:
http://www.horsereporter.com/2014/06/17/fei-media-session-takes-place-in-lausanne/

Australian Jennifer Annetts Looks Forward to WEG Endurance

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

June 12, 2014 ~ shared by Meg Wade

Jenny Annetts, 27, has been riding endurance since she was eight years old and has completed more than 10,000km of competitive rides of 80km and above. After ten years of Pony Club in Glen Innes, Annetts went to Jamborree level, excelling at dressage and flat work events, but she found her real love was working with her horses to complete long distance competitions. Jenny finished her first 160km event the day after her thirteenth birthday.

Since that time she has excelled in competitions, winning the Victorian State Championship in 2011, and the NSW State Championship in 2012 and 2013...

Read more here:
http://www.horsereporter.com/2014/06/14/australian-jennifer-annetts-looks-forward-to-weg-endurance/

Austraila: Endurance Team Announced for the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games

16 June 2014

The Australian Endurance Team for the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games was announced today.

Congratulations to the following horse and rider combinations:

Jennifer Annetts and Castlebar Contraband

Alexandra Toft on Dream Dancer te

Penny Toft on Centre Fold te

Ben Hudson on Oso Edith

Sasha Laws King on Qacima du Sauveterre

USEF Names Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Endurance Team

USEFNetwork.com

RELEASE: June 19, 2014
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: USEF Communications Department

Lexington, Ky.- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named ten horse-and-athlete combinations to the Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Endurance Team. Additionally, three combinations have been named as alternates.

The following horse-and-athlete combinations have been named to the Short List (in ranked order):

Heather Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) and her own Chanses
Chanses is a 2005 Arabian gelding.

Ellen Olson (La Motte, Iowa) and Farzad Faryadi's Hot Desert Knight
Hot Desert Knight is a 2000 Arabian gelding.

Dr. Margaret Sleeper (Frenchtown, N.J.) and her own Syrocco Reveille
Syrocco Reveille is a 2000 Arabian mare.

Jeremy Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) and his own RR Gold Dust Rising
RR Gold Dust Rising is a 2006 Arabian gelding.

Kelsey Russell (Williston, Fla.) and Valerie Kanavy's My Wild Irish Gold
My Wild Irish Gold is a 2003 Anglo Arab mare.

Jeremy Olson (La Motte, Iowa) and Amy Wallace-Whelan's Wallace Hill Shade
Wallace Hill Shade is a 2002 Half-Arabian gelding.

Valerie Kanavy (Fort Valley, Va.) with her own Just Gold
Just Gold is a 2005 Arabian gelding.

Lisanne Dorion (Williston, Fla.) with her own SH Sur Trad
SH Sur Trad is a 2004 Arabian gelding.

Dr. Nicki Meuten (Zebulon, N.C.) and her own FYF Dutch
FYF Dutch is a 2004 Arabian gelding.

Melody Blittersdorf (Jeffersonville, Vt.) with her own Synthetic
Synthetic is a 2000 Arabian gelding.

The following horse-and-athlete combinations have been named as alternates to the Short List (in ranked order):

Dr. Margaret Sleeper (Frenchtown, N.J.) and her own Syrocco Cadence
Syrocco Cadence is a 2003 Arabian mare.

Martha Rattner (Paris, Ky.) and James Hay's Indepen
Indepen is a 2002 Arabian stallion.

Willemina DeBoer (Hico, Texas) with her own Frisia Shaheen
Frisia Shaheen is a 2006 Arabian gelding.