The Chronicle Of The Horse

07/24/2025

When the U.S. Equestrian Federation announced an extraordinary rule change to allow hair testing, it also released a new list of banned substances the test will target. Veterinarians say these drugs should never appear in horses fit to compete—and one, the barbiturate commonly used in euthanasia, should never appear in a living animal at all.

In late June, the U.S. Equestrian Federation announced an extraordinary rule change to allow the addition of hair testing for certain prohibited substances as a complement to the existing blood and urine testing protocols. When the hair testing went into effect on July 1, the organization published....

07/24/2025

Do you know a pony or rider headed to USEF Pony Finals who has a truly remarkable story? Maybe the pony has a very unusual background, or the rider has overcome extraordinary circumstances to make it to the competition. The Chronicle of the Horse wants to hear about it! We’re looking to feature a few really interesting ponies and riders who are headed to Kentucky on our website.

Please send a pitch with a details about what makes this rider and/or pony special to [email protected]. Thanks so much.

07/24/2025

One of these pictures is from a handy hunter class. 👀

Sponsored by the National Sporting Library & Museum

If you’re at all worried about walking the course for an upcoming competition, just remember what courses looked like 60 years ago. Flipping though issues of the Chronicle published in the 1960s reveals some truly unbelievable questions on course.

07/23/2025

All horses entered in USEF-licensed or -endorsed competitions will have to be microchipped as of Dec. 1. Chronicle contributor Christina Keim would like to see this "microchips for all" policy leveraged to help horses once their competitive careers are over.

“When a USEF member looks up a registered horse, they already can access a large amount of data about the animal, including current and previous owners, breeding, breeder, breed registry affiliations and show record” she writes. “But what if USEF followed in the footsteps of The Jockey Club and the U.S. Trotting Association by enhancing its database to also link a horse to previous owners, breeders, or other connections who are willing to help in a time of need?”

Beginning Dec. 1, microchips will be mandatory for all horses competing in U.S. Equestrian Federation-licensed or -endorsed competitions. The new rule, intended to improve biosecurity and increase traceability, has the potential to do so much more. It could help provide a safety net for former show...

07/23/2025

"I found the quizzes to be a really helpful tool, and it reminded me, as a trainer, to share my knowledge and information that is commonplace to me, but for my students, it might be something they have never thought of asking or learning about,” said trainer Kristy Willwerth.

Over 150 equestrians from 71 barns across eight U.S. Hunter Jumper Association zones took on the 30-day USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Stable Challenge, showcasing their horsemanship knowledge. USHJA congratulates the top-scoring trainers and their barns in each zone, who will receive prize packages in re...

07/23/2025

“When we are in an emergency, we don’t rise to the occasion; we fall down to the level of our preparation, and that is especially true when animals are involved,” says Bettyann Cernese, a certified Equi-First Aid USA instructor who teaches courses on equine facility disaster planning across the country.

In the early afternoon on Feb. 11, 2022, Katharine Chrisley-Schreiber, founder of Dharmahorse Equine Sanctuary in Las Cruces, New Mexico, heard her husband, Mark Schreiber, utter three words she had hoped she would never hear again: “There’s a fire.” Earlier that day, a brush fire started i...

07/22/2025

🚨Enter to WIN COTH's Readers' Choice Prizes🚨 Enter to win amazing prizes and products from companies that were voted as the top choices of COTH readers! Denmark, Taylor, Harris Insurance Services Back on Track USA Absorbine Pyranha

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the Safe Unsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email.

07/22/2025

What happens to a horse when its owner needs to escape domestic violence? A new collaboration in Maine is addressing that question by connecting a shelter for survivors of domestic violence with an equine rescue.

Three years ago, Peg Keyser attended a workshop presented by West Coast-based RedRover Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the needs of humans and companion animals in crisis. Keyser, who is the advancement director for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals, was partic...

07/22/2025

Honor Coulter, Haley Honneger and Taylor Kamataris will be representing their respective zones in individual and team competition at the upcoming FEI North American Youth Championships.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation has announced the three promising young jumping athletes selected as the first recipients of the newly established USET Foundation Performance Pathway Jumping Grant, made possible thanks to Dr. Jennifer Gates Nassar, Nayel Nassar and their team at Evergat...

07/22/2025

Remember this?

In 1975 Joe Fargis rode Lake Lawn Farm’s Blue Windsor to win the preliminary jumper stake at the Ox Ridge Horse Show (Conn.). Budd Photo



Click to catch up on the sport horse news from the last week: https://conta.cc/451gWwL

07/22/2025

Plain Dealing Farm head groom Sarah Choate has a job with work-life balance, fair pay and benefits. As an ambassador for the International Grooms Association, she works to make her own situation less of an anomaly in the industry.

Brought to you by Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort

Amidst the chaos of a top eventing competition, you might find Sarah Choate standing quietly in a stall with one of Plain Dealing Farm’s horses. She may have a hand on the horse’s poll or back or sacroiliac joint, or she may be asking the horse to stretch or flex—exercises that she, as head gr...