State of Our Sport
This is an opportunity to express your opinions and feelings on the sport in general. All we ask is that you please keep comments productive for the sport.
A message from Bernie Traurig, President of Equestriancoach.com:
The following comment from member, Vickie Montgomery, was recently posted on our blog:
HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS SPORT MORE AFFORDABLE?
This is a question that will for sure bring more questions than answers. How can we come up with a solution to help make this sport affordable for the talented young riders that have a dream but their parents do not have the funds... How can we take young horses to get mileage without having it cost so much. How can we buy horses that are not so expensive that are still quality for the job...These are just the tip of the iceberg on questions.. If you have any thoughts or even more questions post it & lets see with some brainstorming what we all can come up with...
- Vickie Montgomery
Vickieʼs post has served as a catalyst for creating a means for an open, constructive dialogue within the horse community to address THE STATE OF OUR SPORT. For some time now our sport, from A to Z, has longed for some beneficial changes. Change, however, cannot happen overnight. Your ongoing thoughts, comments, suggestions, and potential solutions are important, and your participation is vital.
Please add your comments below (scroll down) or reply to existing comments as you read them. We are looking for positive, productive, and constructive comments and only contributions of that nature will be posted.
AS A TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION, the 3 people with the most valuable comments, posted by 1/31/12, will receive Annual Memberships to both EquestrianCoach.com and the North American Riders Group (NARG). Should you already be a member of Equestrian Coach, you may upgrade or extend your membership another year or receive a gift membership for a friend. If you are already a member of NARG, you can likewise pass you award on to a friend.
Please make sure to include your name in the post if you want it published with your comment. We would also appreciate it if you would include your e-mail so we can contact you if necessary, but we will not make that information public.
- Bernie Traurig
The following organizations and people, through their passion and desire to improve the sport have agreed to spearhead this endeavor and will decide by vote the above awards:
From Chris Kappler, president of North American Riders Group:
“The North American Riders Group is excited to be working with George Morris, Leopoldo Palacios, Linda Allen, Ronnie Beard, Will Simpson, and Bernie Traurig, president of EquestrianCoach.com. We feel these people and organizations provide a great way for the regular exhibitors across America to reach out with positive ideas and comments to help make our sport better. We need active participation from everyone and together we can improve our sport.”
- Chris Kappler
Click here to view the NARG mission statement and website: www.narg.org
From George Morris, Chef dʼEquipe USEF Show Jumping Team:
“I think we need a lot of people, for example if we have a task force, North American Riders Group, which is a very active and aggressive organization, and a bulk of people with altruistic vision we can hope to make little chinks in the armor towards fixing it.”
- George Morris
Be sure and read George Morrisʼ candid conversation with Bernie Traurig on 12/24/10 where George shares his feelings, in depth, on The State of Our Sport:
THE TSUNAMI IS COMING
Well my concern is that weʼre going to paint ourselves into a corner of being a third world country. Weʼre outsourcing everything such as little third world countries do because they donʼt have an internal structure. We totally overlooked……read more
From Linda Allen, Olympic course designer and worldwide riding, judging & course design clinician:
“I am both honored and excited about being asked to be a part of the group that is going to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our sport today. It is possible that both the industry and the sport that so many of us love will be facing shrinking participation in the future if some long-range planning doesn't take place soon. Bringing together individuals from throughout the sport, along with active input from your membership as a whole, is clearly a great place to start.”
- Linda Allen
From Will Simpson, Vice Chairman of Show Jumping High Performance Committee, NARG Board of Directors Member, President of West Coast Active Riders:
“I encourage every one who has enjoyed this sport in the past and wants to in the future to share your positive and constructive comments. Working together we can improve our sport.”
-Will Simpson
From Ronnie Beard, renowned judge, trainer, and Show Jumping High Performance Committee member:
“I am excited to be working with people who share a genuine interest, as myself, to the improvement of the sport. Together we can make
change.”
- Ronnie Beard
From Leopoldo Palacios, course designer extraordinaire; Olympic Games, Pan Am Games, FEI World Cup Finals, FEI Technical Delegate:
"I am honored and grateful to be a part of this group that attempts to solve the problems of our beloved sport. In this moment, the sport really needs the involvement of the people to acknowledge the current, actual issues and their possible solutions."
- Leopoldo Palacios
Vickie Montgomery
"I am excited & privileged to be included in this group! Many of us here share common goals to improve our sport. The challenge for some is how to make it affordable to participate and for others maintaining the vision of elevating top riders and horses to the heights of competitive success. I believe these goals can be realized if we, professionals and amateurs, join together as one to make a change."
- Vickie Montgomery
Benson Carroll
"I feel enormous gratitude to join together with such an impassioned group of top horsemen and women from our sport , especially because we all share the common bond of wanting to preserve the qualities of the sport that we hold in high esteem , and at the same time feel concerned about the direction our sport has taken in other areas , we must all come together to invoke change if we want to see our sport continue to thrive."
- Benson Carroll
Please make sure to include your name in the post if you want it published with your comment. We would also appreciate it if you would include your e-mail so we can contact you if necessary, but we will not make that information public.
Post Your Comments By Clicking on "Post a Comment"
Comments
How do you see the horse industry & the sport of show jumping?
How do you see the horse industry & the sport of show jumping working together & not working for the best of the sport.
1. Anybody listening to the mainstream?
I rode in Ca. in the 60s'-70s' with one horse and no political connections. I've come back into it astounded at what a business it has become! Certainly one horse won't do.......looks like an army is needed, and a good relationship with some folks with clout to make it these days. I am also amazed at how few riders actually take the time to be horsemen and women. They hop on the horses the groom is holding, and away they go. There is no time to let a division winner walk into the ring and be recognized, with a photo and award. I think we are the ones who help pay the bills for the "big time folks"....can you take a second for us?
As an A.A. rider, they say my name in between ring times as the champion of a very tough division, and nobody knows what horse or rider won it. I'm worn out by the "hopeful pre-pre" low divisions....the show is now in multiple (and I do mean multiple) rings, but I guess that's how money is made for ...our superstar international riders. Just don't forget us...that's all I ask. My family sacrifices allot for me to have a horse, that I worked very hard to make a nicer horse. Can you spare a minute at a show for my wins? Do you remember folks like me? I'm willing to zip my britches up on the side and proud to wear my chin strap, but some of the old traditions are being lost in the quest for more money.
2. Believe me the international
Believe me the international stars don't have it much better, many of us support our own horses, and run from ring to ring just to make a living. Shows now just have a class for everyone, and don't specialize in much. The only classes with proper prize givings are flat classes, classics and grand prix. We have made the shows like super Wal marts. Something for everyone, but not a lot of quality. Remember special costs money, or so Ive been told by show management.
I'm with you, we need special for every division. But please don't blame the international riders, we are in the same boat as you, and we did not create this. Its our industry. Not our sport. Most of us still love the sport and have sacrificed a million things in our lives to do it. Including family time, marriages, clothes, vacations, you name it. We need to focus on how to improve the sport, and the industry. Playing the blame game will get us no where. We all need to be appreciated for what we do, in every division. Maybe we need to separate some of the shows. So everyone can have their moment.
3. The amateur...
I very much enjoyed reading your response to my thoughts on the state of money, horse showing, and the amateur. It helped me understand your point of view on the subject. I'll still stick with my notions that many riders out there are not necessarily horsemen and women, and that a bit more time at a show could be spent on acknowledging the division winners, and reserves. I still believe that the money thing has skyrocketed, in every corner of this sport. As an international rider, I'm sure you work hard, teaching others ;going from ring to ring, and I do understand that many of you give clinics, and get some kind of support from patrons (if you are lucky!). I guess there is some frustration on my part. In the past (wow...that sounds bad!) I do recall a couple of minutes of acknowledgment, for a champion, or reserve champion.
Occasionally a picture! I do get a baseball hat, shirt, or towel, if I go ask for one! The Super Walmart comment is really true. I'll leave it at that. I would love to see the industry and sport improve. But, for me that includes all levels of this sport, because we who are not international jumper riders pay a bundle too. Thanks for your input. I really enjoy the Grand Prix and classics. I sacrifice allot too, as does my family, so I know how you feel. By the way, I am very proud of our USA teams, and try to watch or go to the big events. I hope that amateurs still get respected, and recognized for their accomplishments also. Good luck!
Well stated. Lets not play
Well stated. Lets not play the blame game it does not solve anything. Focus on the solution not the problem.
4. showjumping needs to sell itself, and here's how:
Showjumping has this wonderful depth of tradition and stories to draw upon, and we don't.
Showjumping is the culmination of a sport that teaches values better than perhaps any other, but we don't talk about that.
Showjumping could be part of a solution to a future that gets more confusing as it gets more technologically capable, if we would offer it to be.
Instead, as Mr Morris noted, we have all looked inward for better results, but only to further ourselves individually. Showjumping is a team sport elsewhere in the world, but not so much here.
The team building starts at the very bottom, and we all want to start at the top.
Here's what those at the top, and those in the middle can do:
1. buy or train a young horse that is bred here. By making that investment of 5 or 10,000 dollars, you spend your money here, with someone who owns a farm, a truck, a tractor, fencing, feed, and pays shoers, vets, trainers, and yes, horse shows, with that 5 or 10,000 dollars. Then the sponsors that look at 3 million quarter horse owners who buy a million or more trucks, are pretty happy to give away the equivalent of 100 trucks to make sure you buy theirs. Simple, right? And the young horse ownership also pays mortgages on farms, and encourages a way of life that most of us really would like to have, if it were only possible to do it and make a living, right? it's gotta start somewhere...
THIS IS A PORTION OF AN IN DEPTH COMMENT. TO READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, CLICK HERE
5. Supporting our Riding Schools and marketing riding in general
Getting new people and young riders hooked on horses is key to supporting our horse industry. Giving away riding lessons and exposing people to the joy of horses and riding is instrumental. The AQHA has done a great job on marketing the quarter horse. It's great that we all love horses, but if we don't help spread the word and support the entry level market we will become an elitist sport.
Thanks, Cheryl
Erpelding publisher Calif. Riding Magazine, Calf. Horseman's Directory.
6. Top down
I agree with Cheryl. But this has to come from the top down.
The stables that support entry level riding often struggle because they do not necessarily serve the riders ready to invest just yet. Along with the problem of becoming pigeonholed as an 'up down' program there are multiple other factors that discourage stables from working towards becoming solid beginning fundamental horsemanship academies. (Half-donkeyed comes to mind instead)
There is such a disparity between how 'elitist' barns make their money, ie commission on valuable animals, day fees, etc and so on- and the amount of money one can rightly ask for per lesson per student and even later as they step into their first lease- where is the incentive for these barns to employ well educated competent individuals who really care about the tradition and discipline of the sport?
Quite frankly the individuals who are this well educated often sequester themselves within their businesses and do not seem willing to even fraternize with the up -down trainers- again I will qualify that with a 'not often'. I understand all of our time is valuable but - if the industry and the tradition is the centerpiece - helping each other improve on more than just a personal one to one basis might help make this a more affordable sport not by decreasing cost by by increasing the value of entry level equestrian education.
How do we recognize good entry level trainers? How do we help them? Clinics? Phone calls? Should there be a formal system? What would you do if George M, Anne K, Geoff T or Bernie T randomly showed up on your doorstep? I bet you'd start crossing those t's and dotting those i's. I know I would. This is not going to be an answer of dictation - but rather of outreach.
7. Keep our public stables open!
I am concerned about the state of our sport. With so many stables closing in California, how are we to keep horses our way of life and for some their hobby. We have to convince City Councils and Government to let us keep our stables. Best case was when the Water District shut down River Trail Stables and something like 250 horses had to be re-homed. How do we convince the government (State and sometimes Federal) to let us keep our passion. How are we going to share the joy of horses with young people if there are no local stables? Because its those young people, in my opinion, that we need the most. Also young kids that are economically challenged, they need something like a horse to hold onto and believe in. Having a program maybe through the city for a discounted rate would help and open up a world that would be otherwise unreachable. Keeping the I.E.L. program open for High School Equestrian riders and keeping the benefits available for them to compete and represent their High Schools. I agree with Cheryl AQHA and AQHYA has done a great job getting young riders involved. But what's the point of getting them involved if we have no public stables?
Sincerely,
Kari DiTeresi-Chavarria
8.Bred in the US:Buy quality and develop here vs. $ to Europeans
... But for the brave, the ambitious, and the intelligent, buying younger and born in the USA a great value and you get as a bonus that ever present carrot that this one youngster you picked out might actually be that special one: the Olympic gold medal in the making.
Thank you kindly for your patience in listening to my point of view. I hope it contributes to the discussion positively.
Kc Branscomb Kelley
www.branscombfarm.com
THIS IS THE END PORTION OF AN IN DEPTH COMMENT. TO READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, CLICK HERE
9. The Importance of Education
... We have the money. We have the horses. We have the resources. And we have the educators. It's time to move away from overpriced show venues and overpriced horses from Europe. It's time we focus our energy on broad education programs and develop a definable training scale by which to train horses and riders. It's time to acknowledge small name trainers who do an excellent job at preparing the next generation of horses and riders. It's time to rebuild the horse community to connect local trainers to upper level trainers, beginner riders to advanced riders.
I am excited to be present in the industry when there is so much talk of change...
- Sarah Phaklides
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10. Sarahs' comment
Here, here Sarah....very well said!
11. Thoughts on "The State of Our Sport Post"
Mr. Taurig,
I believe that the question posed in the original post is really a ten-fold question and we could get into details on many various things. I'm a working professional and adult amateur rider in my late 20s. I currently own a 3yo German Riding Pony, and will be bringing her through the levels as she progresses. I ride in the SF Bay area and have called Southern California home as well.
Mr. Morris interview is a very sound assessment of the state of Show-Jumping in the US. The issues of outsourcing, breeding, horsemanship and costs involving horses are really the core of why we are where we are right now.
These are my insights.
~Encourage lower level schooling shows so that young horses can go around without breaking the bank. (The Sonoma Horse Park 1-day series, Starr Vaughn, Rudy Leone's Shows, OCHSA shows and the like come to mind.) Perhaps we also need to take a look at how many classes we are offering at the "A" and perhaps cut back to 2-3 rings (like the Menlo Charity show), giving ample time for people and horses to be seen. As an Ammy, by the time I get to a schooling show I've already dropped $400 to be there let alone the actual show fees. So a 4-5 day "A" show is only going to happen once a year for me.
~Build and suppor...
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12. Patrolling our own sport
I believe that we have the responsbility of patrolling our sport and the people in it. I have seen on more occasions than I care the recall, young people (and by extension - their parents) become turned off of horses by the all too frequent unethical conduct of those who claim to be "professionals" in the sport. Only this week...
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13. ADDRESS ISSUE OF GETTING THE BEST HORSES AND RIDERS TOGETHER
To afford the international quality horses, our best riders have to build enormous training service businesses catering to the rich or “mega rich” as George Morris refers to them. To keep the clients happy, the trainers have to not only work on their own riding but become super teachers, business people, marketing executives, marriage councilors, babysitters..you get the idea. More often than not, these same clients that can afford to buy these top young open horses also want to ride them themselves so often the good ones become amateur horses long before they are ready short-ending what might have been a promising international open career. It should be enough to be a great horseman and a rider and then to be able to be matched up with the best horses bred in our own country. Unfortunately, breeding industry economics, the way the USET and High Performance athletes are managed/funded in the USA, and the horse show management function in this country don’t really encourage that connection to be made or kept. Here’s what we can DO about it...
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14. National Development Program
National Development Program These suggestions for the future of our sport apply to all of North America. It has to start at the grass root level. Back in the mid 1960’s there was a man some of you might remember, Aubert Brillant , he had been in boat racing and decided one day that he would like to change sports and he found horses. He went out and bought the three best horses that were available from the indoor circuit of that given year. Gray Lady, Enterprise, and the Hypnotist. He then hired Sonny Brookes to come back with him to the Montreal area to ride and show them. With those moves he single handedly brought the sport from very primitive to a much higher level. He didn’t stop there; he formed the National School of Equitation. He went out and hired an instructor, Mr Bruce Fuller, a young Canadian who had just graduated from Le Saumur Equestrian Program in France. Mr. Brillant had asked some well known horse people to scout the local horse shows to pick recruits that would take an intense program he planned to provide. It included room and board, all the horses, tack and instruction for one year. He funded this program for two years and developed two groups of young people that went on to be Riders, Instructors and Trainers, some of whom that are still around to this day. All that being said, for today’s world, a grass roots program of volunteer scouts is needed who would evaluate young riders at the lower level for their riding ability and report their findings up the line to a national group of advisers that could evaluate all the input. There should be a national program that could be funded by patrons, National Federations and Government bodies. This program would provide scholarships that could send some of these riders to the top riders in the countries that would benefit by putting them to work riding and working. They would learn all aspects of horsemanship. Most top riders in North America have more horses then they can ride and would benefit by having these young people around. The financial ability of these recruits should be taken into consideration for the scholarships so that those with the talent and no ability to get top level horses and trainers can continue. With the costs today one person couldn’t be expected to fund it but a group of people can pool their funds for this type of program to continue on a regular basis. Please add you comments that could improve this type of program.
Phillip Rozon(CAN)
15. USHJA - Emerging Athletes Program
Phillip, check out USHJA.org, look under PROGRAMS and you will see a program called the Emerging Athletes Program. It has been underway for a couple of years in the U.S. It is designed to identify young riders with talent but they are required to possess knowledge of horsemanship as well. It's a good start and could perhaps be used as a model for some team selection process(Young Riders?) if followed up with the use of some team horses.
16. Expanding on Phillip's Post
I do like Phillip's idea quite a bit. I think something similar could be accomplished but maybe not with large training centers due to the cost. Through USHJA certification and talent scouting or EAP, we could set up talented students with the appropriate certified instructors and offer the USHJA certified instructor a stipend to supplement the training costs of the student based on need.
The student in this program should be required to pass certain written, hands-on and riding tests once a year, ensuring program compliance from both the instructor and the student. Instructors of students and students who do well should be recognized nationally. Students should be able to attain certification levels (much like the existing Pony Club but tailored to the Hunter/Jumpers) and should be allowed to "specialize" in a discipline if they choose. After the annual evaluation, if it is determined that the student has met or exceeded the current instructor's knowledge base, the student should be able to be re-assigned to a new trainer of higher ability. By the time they "graduate" from the program, they should have the knowledge and exposure to tackle the industry either on their own, or as a highly qualified assistant. A similar mentor program could be established for existing USHJA certified professionals to encourage them to continue their education.
Sarah Phaklides
THIS IS A PORTION OF AN IN DEPTH COMMENT. TO READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, CLICK HERE
17. Support scouting and professional internship programs
... With all of that said my husband and I are not independently wealthy. We are working people living in Southern California. Our industry keeps us here in one of the most expensive places to live in the world. We together make a great deal of money by anyone's standards. But to compete in this sport we spend 35% of our after tax salary!!!. And, the prospect of how to find the money to get her the next horse to take her to 1.20 and beyond seems impossible! We spend every extra dollar on the current expenses. This is not to say what a sad story we have because I am acutely aware of how blessed we are but it is to say with all of the resources we have how does someone less financially advantaged have a prayer of competing? How do I as a parent of an Olympic hopeful or Grand Prix hopeful have a prayer of keeping pace with the expenses of this sport? While we are fortunate we are not mega rich. She needs to get to the next level and without some kind of scholarship, internship, sponsorship, grant I have no idea how to help her. It's no wonder there is no pipeline of talented riders developed here in the U.S if it is only open to the mega rich as Mr. Morris states. Talent scouts work for every major professional sport why not ours?
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18. It's a good idea- just a start, and needs transparency...
Hi, I admire and respect anyone who takes the time to respond to any of these issues. A national program is much more possible in a smaller population like canada's, and any of the Euro Countries. We suffer from multiple growth questions which we all must grapple with: 1. outsourced and offshored production that leaves current generations to plug in at the fully assembled level. 2. Much higher barriers to entry and centralized management and officiation. 3. Vast Gulf between means of buyers, customers and what used to be, only a few generations ago, a mainstream activity. The world works this way, and we've all followed along over the past 30-40 years. It's a cultural question that confronts every advanced society. For Emerging Athletes to be true contributors to the sport, it requires some experience with the sources- Breeding, raising and training young horses. That's the missing element of horsemanship, and all the pony club topics are covered when you are looking at catching a cycle, keeping a foal healthy, preventive vet care, early hoof care, basic handling on to first rides. Talent comes from a feel for the animal from it's own view of the world. Right now, it's just a series of clinics, and the criteria allow for some politics to enter in. America is a big, big country, and the EAP should be regionalized, and run regionally. And we have to take a look at whether we want to continue as a servant/master sport, or whether we want to reward domestic production...
19. State of Our Sport
As I entered Thermal for the first time this year I was shocked at the prices for a stall for one week. As a breeder, trainer, and someone who sells horses for a living, it is important for me to always keep track of the bottom line. So, unfortunately, I will not be taking my own horses to Thermal. The cost of one week there, is equal to two horse shows somewhere else. Horses are not necessarily worth what 'you have in them'. In that vein, I struggle to put miles on my horses where it won't cost me a fortune and where my money is best spent. Case in point, why I haven't been to Thermal/Indio for 15 yrs. I may travel out of state, or pick shows that are under the radar, causing me to field many questions of 'why that show?' from other professionals. When I pick shows, I look at the prize money payback for each level, and what besides the show ring, what do the show grounds offer. Barn-ring-barn-ring dosen't always help season a young horse. I choose shows like Woodside, where you can ride out in the cross country field, introduce banks, different terrain and build confidence in the horses. I travel to Scottsdale to the shows there because there is always a $10 ring to school in all day, and nine different arenas to ride in. One week there is money well spent. I wish every show manager had vision like this, to create a venue during a big show to facilitate trainers and breeders putting miles on their horses. We all should have a common goal, grow our sport, grow the business...
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20. Well done to you all for your constructive views
Some very interesting thoughts have been posted. The bottom line is that all professionals; be they trainers, veterinarians, farriers, transport operators or involved in any of the many other areas available those wishing to make a living involving horses deserve to have reasonable compensation.
This includes show organizers, who often become the punching bags for those distressed by the cost of owning and showing horses. There is no doubt that organizers have a privileged place in at least the hunter-jumper world--the protection offered by the mileage restriction placed on competing organizers is certainly not available to any of the previously-mentioned professionals. As it exists today, shows certainly have a great business model: no restriction on costs to participants and very little obligation to provide a cost effective and friendly showing atmosphere.
I’m not sure that there is much that can be done about the show costs born by those involved, other than more regulation on show organizers. Direct competition for exhibitors between shows (perhaps by scrapping the mileage restrictions on show dates), similar to that experienced by trainers, may be the best way forward.
What about all the various memberships required to enter a rated show? Just try explaining about all that to a new showing client; very confusing to say the least!
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21. Suggestion to Improve this Dialogue - the top "10" list:)
There is some good stuff happening here but many of the posters (myself included!) have long anonymous posts that subsequent posters aren't able or willing to build on - but that is the central point/opportunity of a blog. My own post about USA-bred jumpers being price/value competitive with those from Europe was most certainly too long. Apologies to all! So, here's my IDEA. Use this blog to post your TOP 8-10 best ideas of something SPECIFIC to do to make our sport more affordable and inviting. Then add or agree with the last person. Here's mine: 1. Get rid of the mileage rule for any competition that routinely draws more than 400 horses/exhibitors. If there are that many customers, a little honest competition would do everyone a world of good. 2. Get rid of the prize money in classes restricted to Amateurs and Children : Let 'professional's" make honest money competing equally and let the rest of world enjoy recreation and true "sport" motivation. 3. When a horse bred in the USA (or North America) wins something - take notice of it - tell who the breeder and the dam and sire are- and who started it in the show ring. Support our own grass roots. 4. Consider doing your own grooming! It is amazing what you learn when you pick up a hoof, clean a dock, or poultice your own horse. Or at least announce who the groom was...maybe more juniors would think the job was fun and interesting. 5. Help those top professional's with real international show experience to get back on good young horses - funded or supported by the USET so they can mentor (role model) their clients and young protogees to be horse trainers not just "riders" (I have a specific idea about how to do this cost effectively without costing USET $$) 6. Go to a "B" show on your own or with a riding buddy and tell the show manager why you appreciate it and how they can improve the footing and make the classes more attractive to amateurs. 7. Here's a controversial one: Pay commissions only on sales not purchases (the horses will last longer perhaps and the sellers are always happy to pay commissions!) 8. Recognize barns/trainers that offer working student opportunities or mentor good young professionals. 9. Go on a trail ride at least once a week and try to let your horse find some grass to graze on. Stop and pet the next foal you see if the owner will let you. 10. Another controversial one: Eliminate the braiding and apparel rules in Children's and Adult Amateur divisions - make it easier for them to do their own grooming and tacking up. Kc Branscomb Kelley (again)
22. "Like" Numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, 7,
"Like" Numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10. "Dislike" Numbers 5 (not sure how this will help make showing any more affordable for the average horse show participent) and #2 (amateurs and parents need the prize $$ just as much as anyone else, to help defray costs). If we're going to eliminate prize $$, let's make it equitable and eliminate it in ALL divisions (which I am not in favor of) Add: Eliminate or lower all the extraneous fees, such as various non-member fees, EMT fees, office fees, "late" entry fees, add/drop fees, "just because we can" fees and on and on and on fees....most are redundent and obvious attempts to gouge the exhibitor. Most (exept for various non-member fees) of these expenese should be built into the entry fees and should not be separate fees; the money collected from exhibitors for these fees far exceeds the actual expense show management actually pays for these services. I've organzied and lots of shows and know this to be true. The non-member fees are similar attempts by various oganizations, to gouge the show managment as well as their exhibitors.
23. 5 is good ! We need the top
5 is good ! We need the top riders to help the younger ones! We are in big trouble when it comes to future trainers, and horsemen! We are simply not producing them. Mostly we are producing show ring robots and relying on our good friends from Europe to train horses for us. I made my first grand prix horse, and many after that. We need others to do the same or we will have no depth left to draw from. It will make the sport more affordable in the long run, because we wont have to run across the ocean to buy horses, and we will be able to partner with breeders and in turn both parties will have success. Imagine a future that has us training horses for other countries. Good for the sport, and good for the economy!
24. Summary
After reading through all the comments posted thus far, I think I've compiled what seems to be the main themes and suggestions. Some are more daunting than others, but all are possible. Step 1: Ramp up the USHJA Trainer Certification Program by giving scholarships to young professionals and requiring riding and teaching a part of the requirements. Trainers should be able to "specialize" in hunters, equitation, jumpers, and/or young horses and at various levels. (For example: Trainer is certified at Level 1 for Hunters, Level 2 for Equitation and Jumpers, and Level 3 for Young Horses; give consumers a better idea of the trainer's strengths/weaknesses and help trainers address their own strengths/weaknesses.) Continuing education should be encouraged for trainers to move up and add to their levels. Step 2: Locally expand the Emerging Athletes Program to encompass a wider range of talent. Step 3: Establish a national curriculum by which to measure student progress. Allow students (amateur or junior) to test annually (written exam and riding exam) and receive certificates of completion for levels (like Pony Club). Step 4: Select one outstanding rider from the EAP to work with an approved USHJA Certified Trainer in each Zone as possible. (Start with one student per Zone as a trial and then expand to nominating exemplary students at shows by judges.) Provide national recognition for trainers and students who participate and do well in the mentor program. Step 5: Expand Linda Allen's Benchmark Program across the nation. Provide monetary or other incentives/recognition for people who breed and train American-bred horses. Incentivize thoroughbred classes at horse shows. Step 6: Remove the mileage rule for shows that average [number that makes sense] or more competitors to encourage competition between shows (thus encouraging shows to have more fewer fees and better classes). Consolidate classes (no more three divisions of 2'6" amateur/childrens hunters - leave those at the C-rated shows). Host demonstrations or "mini-clinics" at horse shows on specific topics (saddle fit, gymnastics, hoof care, nutrition, etc) to make continuing education easier and more accessable to the public. Step 7: Encourage higher level trainers to mentor lower level trainers in the same area free of charge. Give TCP credit to both towards their continuing education requirements. Pay-it-forward and help the community. Step 8: Encourage big name trainers to do one free clinic every three years in less well-known areas to raise the standard at "backyard" barns and uncover talent (What would *you* do if George Morris showed up at your barn tomorrow? Yikes!). Publicize it heavily through local flyers and USHJA emails. Step 9: Create fun and marketable classes at horse shows to be televised. (Make money on advertising.) Did I miss anything? :) Sarah Phaklides
25. Disappointed in our sport
I have to tell you how much I enjoyed your interview with George Morris.
Several things struck me. I am a great fan of the fabulous American Thoroughbred. I am so happy to see that there is support for them from such important figures in this sport. Currently, they seem to be so under appreciated for their breeding, intelligence, athleticism and their desire to compete.
Secondly, I find that very few trainers are interested in talking about horses and horsemanship. I was fortunate enough to be at the Oaks when Cappy Smith was there. Where do you find horseman like him who could watch a horse walk into the show ring and tell you exactly what that horse would do? Where are the trainers that sit with you at the warm up ring to watch riders like yourself prep for a go in the show ring? Who teaches about conformation and how to select and start a nice young horse? Or, how to care for them so that their, and our, careers last.
And lastly, after stepping away from the ring for a few years, I am disappointed to find a show world that has moved way beyond what I can afford to keep up with. I have always managed to show and ride over the past 34 years. Now I'm not so sure how I will be able to keep up and continue to learn and grow...
THIS IS A PORTION OF AN IN DEPTH COMMENT. TO READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, CLICK HERE
26. you rode a nice tb named grafitti, time to find another one
Hey Jules,
You are a good rider, the type that a trainer like me might put on a green or sale horse for more mileage or exposure. And you might be able to afford a tb off the track- and you are good enough to bring one along. They still are available, and you will be hearing more about it, thanks to a new organization, called the TB Show Horse Association. This group is sponsoring classes for just tb's, so in the beginning there will be more to choose from. Then, as you well know, tb's can compete in open divisions just fine, thank you very much, and so a 6 or 7 year old can move right along, maybe join the ranks of Maggie Jayne's nice Grand Prix horse that was 8th at the Washington Int'l President's Cup.
It's a place to start. I have other suggestions i just posted to this blog.
See you around.
OTTB's Up for adoption
There are several good organizations here in CA and all over the country that take in Off the track TB's, There are many of them healthy enough to move on to new careers and the adoption fee's are very reasonable. After the Finish line here in CA supports many organizations including CANTER where I got my adopted horse. Joanne
27. Linda Allen - Some thoughts and a new idea: Benchmark
To me the single biggest issue that the sport of show jumping faces is the escalation of the costs involved to participate. When we look at other sports/hobbies, they all have costs associated with them. Some (such as bridge or table tennis) are inexpensive and some others (for example yachting or snow skiing) are significantly more expensive. Horse sports will always be on the high end due to the cost of maintaining the horse. Those basic costs continue to rise as feed and land costs go up and there is not so much to be done about that.
Our particular equestrian discipline becomes much more expensive because its nature is competitive and skill comes not only through training but also lots of practice over courses in the competitive environment.
Over the last few decades we have established a unique “American-way” of doing our sport. This method involves selecting a good trainer to work with, buying a series of well-schooled horses, and attending a nearly non-stop series of the best horse shows around. The shows are used practice competing until the rider’s skill level rises to the level of the shows they are attending. Like our system of “equitation” and “hunters” this system has many things going for it: it is elegant, it produces results, and nearly anyone can reach a decent level of proficiency if they follow it. It has one big downside however; the costs involved preclude utilizing it successfully for many outside of the ‘mega-rich’ category that George speaks of.
The most discouraging thing to me is that this formula has become the ONLY way that someone can get involved in our discipline and have a chance to become proficient enough to perhaps be recognized as a talent. One can no longer even get a toe in the door without a great deal of money.
Serious talent for any sport is a rare thing. Consider how many high school football stars even make it to a top college team, and how few college stars are signed to the pros. It takes thousands of kids playing high school football to stock our pro teams with quality players. If the cost of learning to play as a kid was $30 to $50k per player per year, we wouldn’t have much of a sport to watch on TV.
As George has said so many times, our riders are as good as the horses they are sitting on. Buying going horses is not cheap. We are competing with the wealthiest people throughout the world for that handful of truly championship-level horses that come on the market. Without developing our own sources of horseflesh, developed at something significantly less than the $30 – 50 k a year it costs to have a horse on the road at major shows, we are shortchanging our sport at the international level.
Just like football players, you have to begin with a very large quantity of young athletes in order to find those rare diamonds that reach the elite level. And just as a high school coach need not have the skills of the leader of a Super Bowl team, trainers/riders of young horses starting out need not be Olympians. They do need to be horsemen with the right skill set to deal with young minds and put then on the right path. They also need affordable opportunities to put that all important mileage on them.
What we are missing are the venues for putting inexpensive ‘high school’ level mileage on our younger/greener horses. Places where owners, trainers, and riders can concentrate on training rather than competing, in an environment that simulates that found at a larger horse show. The Benchmark Program is a new idea for meeting that need. (go to www.thebenchmarkprogram.com for more information).
Benchmark is meant to offer, in areas with a concentration of jumper interest, opportunities for smaller venues to host one-day Rallies. These Rallies are focused on schooling rather than competing, a place where a young horse (or less experienced rider) can practice over a suitable course and develop the skills necessary to go to shows and do well, or to be successfully marketed. Based on aspects of similar events offered in various countries in Europe, horses can gain experience and accumulate a performance record at a very low cost. Rallies can also develop into marketing venues where potential buyers can go to see what is out there and even try a horse in a competitive setting since the format is so flexible.
The very first Benchmark Rally is to be held at El Sueño in Somis, CA on January 9th. Despite heavy rains in California in recent weeks it is hoped that there will be a good turn-out at this lovely facility that offers a good footing and a covered arena if needed. Bring horses or just come to observe and socialize. Let’s brainstorm the future - one that can offer suitable and economical opportunities for our young horses and riders.
Linda Allen
28. Great Idea the Benchmark Program lets expand of it!
Linda THANK YOU for developing this program for the young horses!!! I know you have been working on this for along time, so hats off to you for getting it down!
Programs like this one will make a difference for the owners' pocket book & produce a better young horse in the long run. We need a program like this for the young riders as well.
As a child I remember going to schooling shows (one day shows) to receive mileage for my horse & myself. It was a family day were everyone pitched in. Then as a trainer I used this same formula for my very young students, uneducated parents, that new nothing about horses or even been to a horse show before & educate them on the process. Coaching "how to compete", "how to take care of their horse", "how to win & lose", (both rider & parents), without the parents spending their life savings. Yes we would get up at the crack of dawn, haul in, ride their many classes & then haul home exhausted, always eager to do better the next time or feel fulfilled that we won the test for that day! Riders need as much or even more mileage then the horses so maybe we can springboard an idea of this benchmark program that Linda Allen has created for the up & coming riders of the future!
Vickie Montgomery
34. This IS What WE NEED!
I thank you, so much...for the Benchmark program. This is exactly what we need. I am an amateur rider breeding, training and showing on my own, after years of riding with a trainer. One big frustration is how difficult and expensive it is to school my young horses at the shows. I hope this becomes a successful program and will expand! And to be in So. Cal, is amazing since I had almost given up hope that there is much of this interest on this coast.
Thank You!
29. State of Our Sport
It took a long time and a lot of factors to develop the horse show world as it exists now, and I doubt there is an easy or single fix to making riding more accessible, or to ensuring that we are developing young horsemen and women not just riders. I would like to see an effort at the national organization level to do more to popularize the sport. I suspect curling gets better TV ratings and that's just wrong. Get TV spots around the Kentucky Derby, or Nickelodeon's The Saddle Club. Make an effort to show rounds the way they really are, rather than having a single camera somewhere up in the rafters that makes a 1.60 round look like playing chess (how about helmet cam?). Show the derbies, show the babies. Sponsor gymkhanas. Publicize the American Thoroughbred (hard to find when you're looking). At the least, more interest = more corporate dollars, which is the lifeblood of sport today.
30. Initial Benchmark Rally A Success
Call it another successful experiment in show jumping for Olympic and World Cup Course Designer Linda Allen. The inaugural Rally for her Benchmark Program took place Sunday, January 9th. Allen’s latest brainchild is a program designed to provide affordable mileage for horses and riders.
An antidote to huge shows where amateurs and professionals with young horses might pay thousands to test their progress against the finest competition, a Benchmark Rally provides a training opportunity at a much lower cost. It’s a one- day affair where conditions simulate a show, but participants can school and have the opportunity to “iron things out” as the day progresses.
The Rallies run like this. Horse and rider combinations enter the desired height and proceed over the course, which is set to be similar to what they’d find at a show, but designed to be straightforward and inviting in nature. If they complete the course in their initial try and are registered with the Benchmark Program their fault score will be added to their performance record. If they have difficulty with some element of the course, or just wish to improve upon their round, they may jump additional schooling rounds (either at the original height, or later in the day as the course get easier, whatever will assure that the day is a positive learning experience). In their schooling rounds they can jump parts of the course or even devise their own ‘jump-off’ course if they feel this practice would be advantageous.
In the kick-off Rally held at El Sueno Equestrian in Somis, California, about thirty five people and close to twenty horses came to test their skills. The course was initially set at 1.30 meters. Twelve jumping efforts over nine numbered obstacles tested competitors with all the elements of a recognized show. The course contained a double combination, Liverpool, narrow jump, simple bending lines, and finished with a triple. As the day proceeded, the fence heights lowered about every half hour, and the more complex elements of the course were modified as the heights went down.
The feel of the Rally was like a Concours Amite, with a strong group of volunteers producing it all. Officials and competitors were able to speak with each other throughout, with learning and camaraderie as a result. This unique format created a relaxed and fun event, with professionals helping each other. Every one came away with good mileage and knowing more about how prepared they are for a real show.
More information on the Benchmark Program is available on the web at www.thebenchmarkprogram.com.
31. State of Our Sport
"Benchmark" -- A standard against which others can be measured
"Rally” -- bring into ‘order’ again / a renewal of strength / a call to come together / revive
--Webster’s Dictionary
California delivered its best as the sun rose over Somis, CA known as the most temperate climate in the United States. Linda Allen was doing finishing touches for the first horse of the day, a 6 year old Argentine horse ridden by California-based trainer, Laura Santana. Laure had mentioned to me earlier that week that although it is six years old, her horse is quite green to step into the YJC classes at Thermal and the pressure to keep up with more experienced jumpers could be to her horse's detriment. Laura realized that what she really needed was a "real" yet inviting track where she could "practice" in show ring environment. Who better to provide that sort of opportunity than Linda Allen? Aside from her Olympic credentials from '96 Atlanta, Linda spends her time advising, consulting, judging and clinicing all over the country. Linda’s broad perspective proved to be “dead on” when she combined practical and an aesthetic "shifts" with Benchmark by offering a setting where professionals, amateurs and developing horses alike can train over the same track, with descending heights throughout the day. This “contrary” height format encourages a ‘”Jump-Assess-Repeat” approach, quite the opposite of horse show convention of jumping big, bigger, biggest to try to win your main class. Simplifying the course through the day assures that riders and horses all have the opportunity to finish the day on a positive note, even if the lack of experience shows up in the first attempt.
Benchmark lets you have your horse put into the database so that his first round score at each height can become part of his performance record (another reason for the higher to lower format – after all, how accurate is a jumper score if the horse has had practice rounds over the same jumps until they get it "right"?). Now, if you want a "re-do" it's a fraction of the price of the already reasonable first round (the rates for the first Rally at El Sueno Equestrian Center were $35 for the first round, then only $25 for each subsequent round). More importantly, if you hit a rough spot in your first round, you can go jump it again at the same height or lower, leaving the green horse/rider with more confidence at the end of the day!
How may times have you had a tough time in the AA jumper class and your choices are limited to: (A) waiting for tomorrow’s class, or (B) paying another full entry fee to jump an even bigger track than the one you just messed up? Neither of these is a good choice for anyone who has just felt a bit "over faced"!
Linda wasn't at the Rally to clinic, but her generosity and real desire to make sure everyone learned and had fun had her dispensing tips to each rider that made all the difference!!!! The Benchmark Rally is a GREAT IDEA that was beautifully executed by a small group of volunteers. They had real jumps, perfect footing, an efficient ring crew and a USEF judge. It was a perfect beginning to what we hope will be a groundswell of interest, and a return to focusing on the business of training horses and riders to compete on their own merits and efforts. Like so many things that have become out of reach for the shrinking middle class, good horsemanship and riding (particularly competitive riding) have become increasingly elusive. Almost 20 years ago George Morris predicted in The Chronicle of the Horse column "Between Rounds" that the American "love affair" with buying "made" horses from Europe would come to an abrupt halt at the first sign of any financial distress here in the USA. Sure enough, that is exactly what came to pass in 2008, and as a result the horse business has had to make huge adjustments. Gone for many are the easy shopping sprees through Germany and Holland to pick up the next big winner, oftentimes without the background to sustain the imports “winning ways”. Change can often be challenging, but then isn't that the nature of sport?? Linda is absolutely correct, and her timing is perfect. The Benchmark Program isn't a horse show, nor is it a clinic; it is a hybrid venue where the word "elite" refers to an aspiration to strive for, rather than "expensive". Linda has drawn heavily from the European local one day, one ring concept of a gathering of horsemen.
With one Rally under our belts, strong support from a large number of online publications, as well as from our friends at Show Jumping Unplugged -TV, I feel confident that this program (found online at www.thebenchmarkprogram.com) will re-open the sport to equestrians that increasingly have found themselves out-priced from the sport they love. They say for every dark cloud there's a silver lining. For me, the silver lining comes in the form of a back-to-basics concept of exactly what horsemanship is; something way more than collecting ribbons that get left behind when the horse trailers roll off to the next show ground.
I'd like to close by saying that at our debut Rally, with very nice trainers, amateurs, and horses in attendance, we actually stayed and watched each other ride, rather that jumping on the nearest golf cart to quickly get on the next one. And it was fun!! Finally, a breath of fresh air!!!
www.thebenchmarkprogram.com
A progress report on The Benchmark Program
Once again Linda Allen is coming to Somis, California to preside over The Benchmark Rally#2 this Sunday April 3rd . With Linda attending and building the track and making herself fully available for questions along with constructive tips , interest is growing rapidly in these events . Because
it is slightly "out of the box' (not a "show per se...nor a "clinic" ) we initially had to really walk folks through exactly what Linda's concept is and that concept is to redirect the emphasis in this sport away from serial "winning" with no specific goal onto "development" that may someday translate to the next horse , student. or general understanding of the mechanics of " becoming " a horseman . Happily with the website www.thebenchmarkprogram.com
serving as a great information resource we now have summer dates (3) being hosted in Huntington Beach . So a planned 4 has turned to 7 !!!
Julie Golden has picked up the ball and joined the Benchmark family and we are elated .
Kevin McGinn
kevinmcginnstables.com
32. It starts from the grass roots
The State of Our Sport
I am an instructor in the small town of Lafayette, Indiana. After getting back into horses after a 20 year break I was shocked at how the industry has changed. The number one thing that caught me off guard was the loss of Hunter Jumper Discipline in my area. And how the Hunter Jumper Show that was still running in our area had become very streamlined, impersonal, and expensive! I think that if we would like to know what the state of our sport is we should go back to our “grassroots”.
Horse showing can be a very affluent sport. It can be affluent in many ways. The attitudes of riders, trainers and show personnel, the amount of money you have to spend, the type of horse you ride, who you are, your reputation, and much more. Where are those people coming from? Are they coming from the middle to upper-class family of horse people? Children moving up in family business, siblings following their older sibling up the equestrian ranks, or certain areas of the county that are booming with reputable professional equestrians. How many come from the “grassroots”?
It is very tough for a child in a small community to find a way up the ranks and into the main stream of “a” rated shows and equitation events. Parents of children don’t know what horse showing is and when they finally give an instructor permission to take their child to a show, they bulk at the price. Parents can’t spend 10-20% of their monthly income on their child’s shows.
Let’s turn our sport into a full circle event. The ones on the top come down to the bottom and it goes round and round and the “state of our sport” continues to grow and sustain itself.
I think that the first job at hand is exposure. Exposing horseback riding as a sport is paramount. We must educate our parents, educators, politicians and children that horseback riding is a sport just like football and soccer. It is a great motivation that brings the child off the couch and out into a physical activity. The World Equestrian Games was a start.
We need to expose the public to our sport through advertising and televised competitions. Newspaper and magazine articles that explain the benefits horseback riding can provide a child. We need equine organizations to have member mentors for the “grassroots instructors”. Organizations need to find ways to help the smaller facilities with talented riders and instructors. Help small town instructors find the resources for their students to attend shows on a regular basis. Bring the upper most trainers into the smaller communities with cost friendly clinics, also as judges and instructor trainers. Organizations should find a way to sponsor smaller schooling shows for “grassroots” riders. Those that have found ways to “make it” in our sport, should pay it forward, to the less fortunate down here at the “grassroots”. Growth in the “Grassroots” end of our sport will surely be productive for the “state of the sport”.
Wilene Gillim ARIAC
33. What I did to help affect change in our area
I have truly enjoyed and been inspired by the commentary presented on this blog. While much of what I have to say has already been said (probably much more eloquently!) by many of the previous posts, I would like to share what I have done to work towards a solution to the issues discussed above. Central Coast Equestrian Association is a non-profit organization I created last year to serve the needs of equestrians here on California’s Central Coast. The mission of CCEA is to educate, support, and unite our local equine community. Our mission statement is as follows:
THIS IS A PORTION OF AN IN DEPTH COMMENT. TO READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, CLICK HERE
"Bred in the USA" is working well...
As a contributor to this discussion and a dedicated breeder of pure German Holsteiner bloodline jumping stock here in California, I am seeing a very positive change just in the last couple of years. Two interesting and very positive facts:
1. This year, for the first time, all but one of the stallions enfolled in the annual North American 70 day Licensing Test authorized by the German FN here in this country (authorized by the German breeding Verband's) -over 95% were born in the USA or Canada. Last year's winner (2010) was also a USA bred horse and received a score high enough 129.88 to be considered a Book I or "Elite" breeding stallion in Germany.
2. At the 2011 YOung Jumper Championship Western Division Finals, three of the top 5 Five year olds were american bred, and two of the top 5 Six year olds were bred here as well.
North American breeders are producing top quality that can and do compete effectively against the most expensive imports from Europe. In the long run, that will do a great deal to improve both the economics and the international success of our sport. Support your local North American breeder - look here first, by the plane ticket second. (ok..that is a thinly veiled advertisement I admit...)
Love over Lables
In some ways, riding should be expensive when it comes to well-being of horse and rider. Quality feed, land, stabling, and safe, appropriate equipment are not cheap, and most people do need to make sacrifices to care responsibly for a horse. That being said it can be done, but one really needs to rise above the epidemic of extravagance in English equestrianism. This extravagance extends from retail products to facilities to the stock that we choose. When it comes to horses, we really need to take a look in our own backyard more often. In addition to promoting the American-bred Warmblood I think broadening our view about the Thoroughbred is important (beyond economical reasons). By promoting early withdrawal from racing and overall pride for his ability in other sports we can take advantage of everything this wonderful horse has to offer. Endorsement of affordable products and local horses by top, recognized leaders in the equestrian world is the key to bringing about this change. Promoting enjoyment of our animals and the sport at all levels would make us all feel better about budgeting for this passion.
-Laura Tommaso, IL
The problems in the horse world reflect the problems in the
general public
When we have this extreme difference between the very rich at the top and everyone else at the bottom, it is every sport and every facet of life that suffers. Add that to the rapid development of our rural spaces and we get squeezed from both ends. When land is overvalued, it becomes less desirable for for horse stables and hayfields and more desirable for shopping malls and office parks.
Part of the speculative inflation in land prices has been one reason why the rich are so very rich. Capital gains taxes are taxed at 15%. So it is more lucrative to speculate in real estate than it is to invest in a legitimate business.
We need to tax the rich at rates that will actually bring the classes back to parity levels we had in the '60's and we need preserve land around our cities as green belts like Oregon does. I know this seems like straying far afield from the original question but it's not. When the very rich can afford the best horses the rest of the horse world tries to follow suit. All of a sudden only european warmbloods are acceptable and nothing else can compete. But what is a pittance for the billionaires is a huge burden for everyone else. And perfectly good horses get bypassed because of the crowd mentality that only one kind of horse will do.
When the dotcom boom fed the land speculation that started in the silicon valley of California, Woodside and Portola Valley horse property became hot property but the people who bought the property weren't necessarily horse people so barns got torn down or went unused and concern for the trail system became more tenuous. Places for the average horse owner to rent became more scarce because there were less backyard barns available, so the remaining stables jacked their prices up (and hay was getting more expensive because farmland was being converted to housing tracts)
A lot of people moved out of the area or gave up their horses because of all this and many of the top trainers left to find places of their own that they could afford. So now we have trainers coming into the bay area to do clinics once a month and there is a dire need for good trainers to actually live and keep stables here. The thing that drove them out were the vast riches of the dotcom millionares. The trainers that remain need to cater more to the very rich and there aren't enough of the rich who ride to keep these trainers comfortable and that is only getting worse in this recession.
If wealth was taxed properly this boom and bust wouldn't have happened. If there were rent control for horses (I know that's a fantasy when there isn't even rent control for people to speak of anymore) and if the rural communities were required to consider the effects of approving McMansions on the recreational groups in the area and required to preserve people's access to barns and trails and arenas this would have been ameliorated.
In the meantime, the various horse organizations need to get together and decide to support public policies that will preserve farms and stables and places to ride because if we don't have these basics nothing else will follow.
The equestrians need to connect to other recreational groups because we all have an interest in preserving our recreational facilities. Mountain bikers will work with horse riders - there is actually a lot of cross-pollinating between the groups nowadays. If we work together we can preserve land and trails that are mutually beneficial. I often say that horse owners have the money and mountain bikers have the numbers so let's work together.
Don't let land developers pit one group against the other because we both lose when the land gets closed to one or the other group. The developers know that the fewer people interested in a particular piece of property the easier it is for them to get the government to change the zoning rules and let them develop it.
Getting more to the question itself: if we want to promote the utilization of American horses, we need to create classes or prizes for them. I have a rescue TB that is fully capable of competing to the level that I am able to get to and I didn't need to spend 20-30K for a horse that will have more talent than I will ever be able to use. Sporting orgs should work with rescue orgs and connect with race track owners so their horses are known to the trainers before they ever get retired from racing.
In other countries, breeders are restricted from breeding certain horses - we can't do that here but we can do it on a voluntary basis. Dog breeders have their dogs certified free of certain genetic problems and horse breeders can do the same especially with the new genetic tests that are being developed. This is happening for certain diseases but could be expanded.
If a potential warmblood owner knows that an american warmblood is certified free of ocd they might be more willing to buy that horse than to import a horse from europe that doesn't necessarily carry that guarantee.
It also seems to me that trainers are squeezed worse than anybody else except maybe the assistant trainers. They work for a pittance and don't have health insurance usually and are not in control of the barn unless they own it, which they rarely do. A site like this can give these trainers some additional funds but not for the vast majority out there.
Getting government assistance like getting public funds for the olympics or for adding equestrian programs to high schools and colleges seems like one way of funding trainers.
Going the route of corporate sponsorship for the trainer and team is happening but not at the level of corporate sponsorship for cyclists or motorsports as an example. Corporate sponsors don't have to be just saddle makers and supplement companies. However, having corporate sponsorship might make it harder to fight for those policies at the national level that need to take place.
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