There’s no shortage of technological advances supporting equestrian accomplishments. However, the woman who’s accomplished the latest of those in the dressage world does so with a simple, old-fashioned strategy.
“We let horses be horses,” says Charlotte Dujardin, Olympic, World Equestrian Games, and World Cup champion. “Our horses get the very best of care, but we don’t really do anything too out of the ordinary.”
Charlotte’s horses live at the yard of Carl Hester, her Olympic teammate and mentor. At their training base in the U.K.’s Gloucestershire County, the horses spend as much time outdoors as possible. They’re often schooled in the field and hacked on open roads. Neither the footing nor the weather is perfect during that work, and that’s part of the point. “You’re going to have to ride a test in the rain and wind someday, so the horses best be used to it,” Charlotte told clinic participants some years back.
Indoor life, however, is a necessity at least some of the day. That’s why Charlotte is head-over-heels about ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring by Haygain. “There are a lot of products that can be sold by telling you about it,” Charlotte notes. “But this, when you actually walk on the product, it sells itself straight away.”
Comprised of a layer of orthopedic foam covered by a durable, single-piece top cover that is sealed to the stall wall, it provides cushion, softness and sufficient traction for easy ups and downs. “If I’m honest, I’d want to sleep on it myself,” says Charlotte. Learn more at www.haygain.us.
See this article in the April 2021 online edition:
The Northwest Horse Source is an independently owned and operated print and online magazine for horse owners and enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines in the Pacific Northwest. Our contemporary editorial columns are predominantly written by experts in the region, covering the care, training, keeping and enjoyment of horses, with an eye to the specific concerns in our region.
