Diminutive equines took center stage at the 2010 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships, held recently at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky.
Championships in six hunter divisions (green and regular) were bestowed to ponies in three height categories: small (not to exceed 12.2 hands), medium (over 12.2 and not to exceed 13.2 hands) and large (over 13.2 and not to exceed 14.2 hands). In addition to hunters, pony jumpers vied for a national championship, and riders from across the country tested their riding skills in the EquiSport Insurance/USEF Pony Medal Finals.
More information on the competition can be found on the USEF website.
Ponies are notoriously easy keepers. Ever wonder how horsemen keep hunter ponies in top competition weight? Kentucky Equine Research (KER) went straight to the source. As part of a larger survey of feeding management practices of sport horses, KER nutritionists polled the owners and trainers of ponies to see exactly what they were being fed. The results of the survey are included in a paper titled "Feeding Horses at the Winter Equestrian Festival: A Review of Common Practices," featured in the proceedings of the 2010 KER Nutrition Conference, Feeding and Veterinary Management of the Sport Horse.
The Kentucky Horse Park is the site of this year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. You can win tickets to this exciting international event by signing up for one of KER's free electronic newsletters. Enter to win now!
