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By Cassie Argento-Bird Cassie worked with Oro during June, July and August. Here is her summary of the many things Oro taught her. Sacroiliac and Hindquarter Weakness Until this summer I had never worked with any horse that had a SI weakness — so I really enjoyed being able to be apart of Oro’s journey [...]
By Jewel New Jewel is currently a horsemanship intern at LOPE. LOPE hosted a clinic with Linda Hoover last month. I was able to participate in this clinic, and I was quickly drawn to Linda’s style and philosophy, as were many of the other students who had not worked with her before. There were classical [...]
LOPE is a nonprofit organization devoted to preparing at-risk racehorses for new careers, while inspiring young people through horsemanship education. We have launched a new summer internship for young adult horsemen and horsewomen who aspire to become professionals in the horse industry. Description and Duties Candidate Requirements Top consideration will be given to: Candidates in [...]
Shadow Warrior has had some difficult experiences in his life. Bred in KY, he raced 13 times there — and then went to Puerto Rico, where he ran 70 times in four years. In September 2017, two hurricanes devastated Puerto Rico. The racetrack barns were severely damaged — and several hundred racehorses (including Shadow) were [...]
Overview Many deserving OTTBs are overlooked due to minor issues that limit them to flatwork or low jumping only. The OTTBs with some limitations (due to sports injuries and/or conformation issues) often have a negative image as being flawed or unsuitable mounts. They can need initial rehabilitation followed by consistent conditioning and retraining — which [...]
Eliza: The importance of emotional discipline “One of the most valuable things I’ve learned yet is how to control my emotions when working through challenges with a horse. Often times, before working with my current project horse Eli, I would find my self struggling to stay positive when I faced difficulties with my own horse.” [...]
Our junior interns will be posting regularly on the LOPE blog. Below is the first post in the series (by Eliza Jones). Eliza is committed to good horsemanship. She has ridden in multiple clinics with Buck Brannaman. Her horse (Jammer) has benefited greatly from Eliza’s dedication, patience and skill as a rider and steward. Welcome, [...]
On February 18-19, JD Badertscher of J3 Performance Horses held a Colt Starting Clinic to benefit LOPE. All proceeds went to the care of Flavor, a special racing warrior who recently arrived at LOPE. Alex Myers is a LOPE intern and a young professional horse trainer. She is working with LOPE as a Horsemanship Scholar. [...]
In the past, I’ve had a conflicted relationship with Buck Brannaman clinics. On the one hand, I love the caliber of horsemanship and elegance that Buck presents. I can watch Buck ride all day (no mean feat for someone as physically restless and bleacher seat intolerant as me). The camaraderie of the riders and auditors [...]
A generous sponsor donated a spot for LOPE in Peter Campbell’s clinic earlier this month. I signed up for the Colt Starting class and brought a horse that had been returned to LOPE by his adopters (due to unexpected changes in their situation). By their account, the horse had been in professional training earlier and [...]
