Author Archives: Carley Sparks

And then the rains came… The Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Florida has been cancelled for the second consecutive day. It’s the third time inclement weather has pushed the...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Just kidding. These all fall firmly into the worst category. And it’s hilarious. https://twitter.com/AdenAshley/status/689594002652291072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/youngtheangela/status/689592433760403457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/M0rganp3rry/status/689589536461078528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/GroomSecrets/status/689587363589312512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/DatingMyHorse/status/689504292189839360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw...

When a slew of bad things happen in a short period of time, it can be tempting to try to make sense of the ensuing chaos. Bad things happen in threes. It’s all part...

Pole work is an important part of training a horse, both physically and mentally, says Sally Amsterdamer, a British dressage instructor who specializes in flat work for show jumpers. “The...

“It’s an amazing day! You could say there’s only one person who could be happier than me today and that’s the winner. I would bet that I’m happier!” That was...

Three-day eventer Elisa Wallace, of Jasper, GA, redefines the term “barn dance” in her latest video blog. Watch her cut a rug while desensitizing the spooky young Mustang, Sparks, to Elle King’s pop hit “Exes and Ohs.”...

The only thing more popular than Adele’s latest hit “Hello”? Parodies of the singer’s instant classic. Now, thanks to Kelly Jewell, we have an equestrian version. Between the mud slinging, dancing on the car and cleverly...

Because some days are meant for falling face first down a Twitter hole and calling it "work." 1. Texting my trainer be like Me: *polite greeting, complete sentences, perfect grammar* Trainer: “ok w...

A lot of things can go wrong when your horse slips the bridle mid course. You could fall off, as most often is the case. You could keep jumping, like Belgium show...

When you reach the kind of superstar status where people recognize you by your nickname (Hey, Beezie!) and the world’s toughest critics (*cough* GEORGE MORRIS) marvel at your textbook position,...

A gut-wrenching scene played out in downtown Houston last Thursday when a city police horse was struck and killed by a cement truck. Charlotte, a 6-year-old Tennessee Walker, was on...

Sometimes it sucks to be a Royal. Like when you’re playing in a charity polo match to raise money for a good cause, but you lose your balance and slide right over your...

Stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard explains dressage. (“It’s brilliant! It’s just useless.”) And shares his suggestions for giving the sport more public appeal. (“Dressage a la burglar!”) Live at the Apollo! (In 2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddQs1_HyyAo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtjrSoHIyuU Waking up is hard! Especially when it's 4 a.m. on a Sunday and you have to be at the barn braiding. We're here to help make sure you don't hit...

Some horses are natural athletes that can achieve seemingly impossible feats—like Rolex Grand Slam champion Hello Sanctos and triple crown winner American Pharoah. Others, like this ex-ranch horse, struggle with the simple...

German dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) is currently ranked #5 in the world with her 14-year-old KWPN stallion Unee BB. In 2015 alone, they won the Grand Prix and the Grand...

Some horses need time and training to learn how to negotiate a jump. Like this one, who’s clearly doesn’t understand the purpose of canter rails. At all. [caption id="attachment_3796" align="alignnone"...

And people say dressage riders don’t have a sense of humor… (Watch for the Carl Hester cameo at the end!) [fb-video src='https://www.facebook.com/trtmethod/videos/441043972753891/'] When he’s not busy posing as dressage rider extraordinaire “Brett Kidding,”...

Imagine you just imported a new Grand Prix horse from Europe. You go to work excited about your new prospect and are alerted that he’s missing from his stall. A quick search of the grounds reveals...

When a horse refuses a jump on course in competition any manner of disasters can happen. You might get pitched onto the ground or into the jump. You could get caught...