Gaitpost Equestrian Blogs
 | Carolyn Willekes
TRAVELLING THROUGH TURKEY
Latest Blog: Horses in Daily Life
What has amazed me is the regular presence of the horse in daily life. It is something I would expect to find in Eastern Turkey where nomadism is still common, but I have seen horses everywhere i have gone. Of couse there are the expected 'tourist' equines who pull carriages around towns.
But it is in the routines of day-to-day life that I have found an unexpected number of horses. I have to say that it can be a little surprising to have a horse and cart come rattling past your car on the road, especially in a city. It happens all the time though as local farmers bring their produce to the markets. The prevalence of horse drawn vehicles on the roads is clear from the 'no carriages' sign on the major toll roads!
If you want to see first hand how the horse holds a place in both ancient and modern Turkey, visit the village of Herakleia on Lake Bafa at the foot of Mt. Latmos. The lunar landscape surrounding the village has been inhabited for millennia, and the 'modern' town is buit on ... |
 | Chris Pack
CHRIS CROSS COUNTRY
Latest Blog: Florida Recap...
Well, as my first blog..ok second, but I didn’t actually submit anything on my first due to technical difficulties, I am not sure of the exact format…. So I have written a sort of ‘Florida Recap…
Friday was a big day as the grand prix was the only Nations Cup in the United States. 8 Teams made the journey and many miles including Australia, Venezuela, Canada, Ireland, Great Britain. The 4 rider teams were all signaled to walk the course together and right from the first few steps it was unanimously discussed that this was going to be an absolute test of scope! Steve Stephens was the course designer and as he was walking around and double checking heights and spreads he was constantly being bombarded with riders who were looking for any tactical answers that would help them. To say that is was huge was an understatement, Jennifer Crooks walked out and said this was going to be the biggest course she has ever jumped in her life. The first round finished with the field very much-sep... |
 | Danielle Macey
SPUR OF THE MOMENT
Latest Blog: Getting friendly with new media
With all the new media options available to businesses these days, it’s important to determine which best suit your business and how to best utilize these options. With social media and electronic media being increasingly important for businesses, it’s key that they are used properly. If used improperly, it’s very easy for people to opt out thus losing the link with these potential customers. Let’s look at some specific platforms:
Bulk e-mailers: Anyone who has an e-mail account, which is most of the population now, knows how annoying spam is. If you’re a company sending out bulk e-mails as a way to communicate with potential clients, you’re a spammer. So how do you avoid being too annoying and increase your chance of actually being read as people wade through the masses of spam they get daily?
To avoid being too annoying, be selective about how often you e-mail your bulk list. Here at GaitPost we send out 2 bulk e-mails per month to remind people about our deadlines. In... |
 | Elizabeth Toth
NAJYRC - CHEF D'EQUIPE PROGRAM
Latest Blog: Super Saturday
Our Canadian team topped off their amazing week with Esmee Ingham and Norsemann taking the BRONZE medal in the Junior Freestyle with a score of 70.900%. Ingham of West Vancouver, BC rides in Delta and Langley, BC and is coached by Wendy Christoff and Leslie Reid.
In the Young Rider freestyle on Saturday evening in the big ring under the lights, Canadians took both GOLD and BRONZE medals. Jaimie Holland of Caledon, Ontario, earned a 72.60 % aboard her mare Fluerina. Once again her father could be heard throughout the arena with his now familiar "who loves ya baby?" victory call from the grandstand. "I would like to thank my parents for their support and Tom and Ellen Dvorak for their help. They have coached me since I was ten." said Holland.
Meghan Lane, also from Ontario put in a truly jaw dropping ride on her mare Caravella earning a 70.35 percent and the bronze medal. Her trot tour was worthy of the adult FEI Grand Prix ring, and saw much of the Canadian conti... |
 | J. A. (Jake) Davidson
JUST JAKE
Latest Blog: Western Fair
Oh I am so bad. I just never give up. And for some reason everything keeps coming my way. Out of the blue and today I get more information to support my "If it isn't a Standardbred - it isn't a horse campaign". Western Raceway in London, Ontario has started an initiative where they are putting cameras on the helmets of the drivers to give the fans a different view of the race. These are not the polished images from the professional videos I have recommended over the last few weeks. This is raw footage of the real thing.
Mud hitting the camera is no different than the mud in the drivers face. Feel the horses lean into the turns at 30 + mph. See the stretch run. Over the next while Western Fair will be posting a series of these race videos. My boy Tahuya Riverdance pounds the track in London on a regular basis. Perhaps we will see a race from his perspective.
Sooner or later you will see why It has to be Standardbred!
See the video through the Standardbred Canada website at : http://w... |
 | Judy Wardrope
JW EQUINE
Latest Blog: WEG - The Final Four
The concept of the top four jump riders changing horses at the World Equestrian Games (formerly the World Championships) has always intrigued me. But I have some conflicting thoughts and feelings regarding the format.
Yes, for a rider to claim the title, he or she should have the ability to ride other horses. And the Final Four usually offers proof of a rider’s ability to adapt to different mounts, although I have a sense that part of Gail Greenough’s win in 1986 was Gail’s hard-earned partnership with the opinionated Mr T played a role.
But, the thing that doesn’t make sense to me is the changing of saddles. In 2006, the first change was Edwina Alexander (regular mount, Pialotta, a mare) riding Cumano (Jos Lansik’s regular mount and a stallion), and when the mare’s saddle and pad were put on the back of the stallion, he turned to smell it. Recognizing the female scent, the stallion had the predicted physical response. Hmm…
In 2006 three of the horses (Authentic, Pialotta, ... |
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