In this article, I’ll explain how I warm up on the flat and share two ground-rail exercises to improve your eye to help you see a distance, work on adjustability and get comfortable with adding or leaving out strides.

The Warm-Up

Jumping courses are getting more and more technical, so your horse needs to be as rideable and adjustable as possible, and that starts on the flat. Olympian Lisa Wilcox comes to my farm a few times a week to ride my horses and help my students. Riding is one sport that no matter how long you’ve been doing it, there’s always more to learn. Watching Lisa ride my horses and then discussing how they feel to her helps me improve as a rider. Dressage is an important part of my program as it really strengthens the horses’ muscles and helps prepare them for the jumper ring. For these reasons, my warm-up is focused on dressage basics.

I start with a lot of walking, which is good for the horses—physically and mentally. Walking gets their circulation going and helps loosen up their muscles. Compare it to when you first get out of bed. Most people don’t go straight to exercise; they wake up a bit and stretch before increasing their physical activity. I stretch and supple the horses by bending to the inside, counter bending and doing leg-yields, shoulder-ins and serpentines before moving on to the same exercises at the trot and canter. 

I also do a lot of transitions throughout my warm-up—both between and within the gaits—all while working on the connection by using leg and as little hand as possible to keep the horse’s hind end active and light in the bridle. Your horse needs to be like an accordion, able to open and close his stride very easily without losing his balance or power in the hind end.

This is essential for jumping, too, because a balanced horse with impulsion can jump much more easily, even if he’s not at a perfect distance. Riders tend to struggle with keeping power and impulsion in the hind end when collecting their horses and compressing the stride. They forget to back up their hand with leg and only pull on the reins so their horses run through the bridle and end up on their forehands. Your hand aids should always be as light as possible. 

The hind end is so important—it’s where the power comes from to jump and where the collection comes from for dressage. When your horse is using his hind end correctly, he’ll have more impulsion and his gaits will be more animated. It will feel like he’s in front of your leg and carrying you uphill, not like he’s pulling you along with his front end. 

Preparing for the Ground-Rail Exercises

These two ground-rail exercises are very simple and useful for:

• Learning to see a distance
• Improving rider confidence
• Developing adjustability and rideability
• Getting comfortable with adding and leaving out strides
• Staying connected and keeping a rhythm with even strides
• Practicing straightness and balance
• Determining how to ride a line depending on the distance over the first jump.

For these exercises, you’ll approach in an active canter with the main goal of getting comfortable closing and opening your horse’s stride as quietly as possible. I prefer my students to ride the exercises in almost a full seat, or a three-point position with their legs molded around their horses and their seats in contact with the saddle. You should feel like you’re part of your horse so you can be more sensitive to his back and hind end. A lot of riders tend to focus on the front end because it’s right in front of them, and they make the mistake of thinking the horse is on the bit because his neck is flexed. However, you actually need to feel the animation coming from behind, and you can do that by keeping your legs molded around your horse. 

As you ride over the rails, think of your hands as extensions of the reins. Since it’s only a pole, there’s no need to give a big release. Your hands should simply follow the horse so he can use his topline over the rail while keeping the connection. 

For many riders, ground rails prove to be more challenging than jumps. Horses tend to focus on and study jumps more in order to clear them. But with rails, they don’t pay as close attention, so riders need to use more leg and seat to create impulsion to help their horses correctly navigate the exercise. So, these ground-rail exercises will also help pinpoint any weaknesses you might have to fine-tune your riding.

Exercise 1: Two Ground Rails 

You can set this exercise at any distance, but since they’re rails or cavalletti and not jumps, you don’t need as much room for takeoff and landing. Allow about 12 feet for every stride between the rails or cavalletti, but instead of allowing 6 feet for takeoff and landing (as you would with jumps), allow 1 or 2 feet. For example, if I’m setting a six-stride line with two rails or cavalletti, I’ll make it between 72 to 74 feet. Set the exercise so you can approach it from both directions and alternate directions each time, so your horse works equally on both leads.

In this exercise, you’ll practice riding the normal six strides, next adding a stride for seven strides and then leaving out a stride for five strides. This will help you gauge your horse’s adjustability and get comfortable with adding and leaving out strides while maintaining a connection and hind-end impulsion. Whether you’re doing the normal striding, adding or leaving out a stride, the idea is to stay in the same balance and keep each stride as even as possible, with your horse using his hind end while staying in front of your leg—just like you practiced in the warm-up. 

Start by seeing if you can comfortably canter the two ground rails in six strides by sitting still and keeping an even rhythm and a steady connection. Then, try adding a stride for seven strides by using a little more seat and leg to keep the impulsion while collecting your horse’s stride. Your horse should still be in front of your leg, but his stride should be compressed. If you ask him to add a stride without enough leg, he’ll likely break to the trot.

Next, try leaving out a stride for five strides. For the five, your horse needs a more open stride, but it shouldn’t look or feel significantly different than his stride for the six or seven. Opening the stride doesn’t mean faster. Maintain the same balance and simply lengthen the stride from your horse’s hind end by keeping a light feel of his mouth to keep the connection from leg to hand and an uphill feeling. When you go over the first rail, your horse should feel round and like he is coming up through his back. If he’s flat and running on his front end, he’ll be unbalanced, discombobulated and may get to the rail on a half-stride and either chip or have to reach for the rail.

Keep in mind that how you canter into the line over the first rail will affect how you approach the second rail. For example, if you’re planning to do the normal six strides but you see a very forward distance coming in, your horse is going to land and take you forward with a more open stride. To get the desired six strides, you’ll need to balance and compress him by backing up your hand with your leg and seat inside the line, so he doesn’t break to a trot or lean on your hand. But this shouldn’t be a drastic adjustment. If the opposite happens and you jump into the line a little backwards without enough impulsion, land and gradually ask your horse to open up his stride by keeping a light connection with your hand as you add leg so your horse doesn’t run flat on his front end. 

Exercise 2: Two Ground Rails on a Bending Line

For this exercise, set two ground rails or cavalletti on a bending line. You can set the striding based on the size of your ring or whatever striding you want to work on, but like the first exercise, you only need 1 to 2 feet for takeoff and landing.

In addition to the other benefits mentioned previously, this bending-line exercise will help you learn how to use your track to your advantage in order to add or leave out a stride. You’ll find that you don’t have to worry about getting a perfect distance to make this exercise work. 

As you did in your warm-up and the first exercise, make sure you have a powerful canter and keep an even rhythm and a steady connection. To add a stride in the line, curve the line to give yourself a little more room. To leave out a stride in the line, ride a straighter, more direct track. Look at the rails coming out of your turn, being careful to stay on your track without cutting in or fading out through the turn. Look where you want to go and draw an imaginary line in your mind—whether you want to line up the two rails on a straight, direct line or use more bend on a curved line. If you get there on an imperfect distance, you can move your track toward the inside or outside of the rails to get a better distance and smoother jump. 

Get Creative

Use your imagination to come up with other ground-rail exercises. Think about what’s most difficult for you and your horse, including problems you’re having on course, and apply it to the ground rails. For example, if you’re having trouble coming off a short, left turn, practice that. If your horse is cutting or diving to the inside after a line, exaggerate going straight and then bend him around your leg correctly so he learns to land, balance and go around the turn properly. You can even set up a whole course of ground rails to work on riding smooth courses.  

With these exercises, I try not to make things too complicated. I want riders to get comfortable with keeping an even rhythm and proper balance, collecting their horses and adding a stride, opening up the canter and leaving out a stride and—one of the hardest things—simply sitting still and doing nothing to maintain the desired canter. Remember, when it comes to horses, less is more, and the fewer jumps you can do with your horse, the better for his long-term health and happiness.

For More:

• To watch hands-on training videos with Margie Engle on EQUESTRIAN+, click here. Use code MARGIE15 for 15% off your first month’s subscription.
• For more of her top training tips, click here.
• To listen to our podcast with Engle, click here.

About Margie Engle

Margie Engle has been one of the winningest jumper riders in the U.S. for more than three decades. To date, Margie has won more than 250 grands prix classes, six World Cup qualifiers, more than 75 Nations Cups, a record 10 American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year titles and was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 2021. She competed in the 2000 Olympics, won team silver at the 1999 Pan American Games, team gold and individual bronze at the 2003 Pan American Games and team silver at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. Margie and her husband of 30 years, veterinarian Steve Engle, are based at Gladewinds Farm in Wellington, Florida. 

Nestled in the red and white pine forests of Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, Traverse City Horse Shows at Flintfields Horse Park is ideally postured between Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay and Elk Lake and is home to 130 acres of pristine showgrounds that welcome more than 1,800 horses during the peak of its summer show season.

What started as a one-month, mid-summer show now spans over 13 weeks from June through September and hosts such prestigious events as the American Gold Cup, Longines FEI Jumping World Cup CSI5*-W and FEI North American Youth Championships with top riders representing 48 states and 26 countries, thousands of attendees and $7 million in prize money.

Since 2015, Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) management has continued to invest in the growth and modernization of the venue with the goal of transforming it into one of the premier venues for equestrian sport in North America. TCHS Communications Director Gary Howe says that every improvement aims to enhance the experience for the horses, riders and spectators.

“Riders like us in part, because the owners continually put revenue back into the park, and I think that’s reflected by the top-level riders we draw,” Howe said. “We have 12 weeks of competition where there is at least one Olympic rider here, as well as other five-star riders.”

Olympian and show-jumping legend Margie Engle has been coming to TCHS since the Morrissey Management Group took over the show’s management in 2015 and has brought many clients to the venue over the seasons. A longtime fan of Gene Misch’s jumping competitions, she feels the Morrissey group has provided an extension of what Misch started in the sport. “Gene was an innovator by starting the grand prix tour in America and did so much for the sport of show jumping,” she said. “The Morrissey group has basically carried on his legend.”

Engle appreciates the attention to detail TCHS provides for the exhibitors, horses, grooms and spectators alike, and that management constantly seeks feedback on ways they can continue to improve. “Traverse City has become a home away from home. Their organization and management is world class. They always hire the best people—whether it’s at the in-gates, the jump crew, the barn managers and everyone involved,” she said. “And their shows are extremely inclusive and have divisions for all levels—no matter what level of jumping you’re doing.”  

From its state-of-the-art show facilities catering to both horse and rider’s well-being, ever-improving amenities and cool summer climate to its superior management, tranquil scenery and proximity to a myriad of summer activities and fine dining, the Traverse City experience continues to attract thousands of riders while also captivating new audiences. Here, we take a look at what it’s all about.

Creating a Premier Summer Show Destination

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event in its entirety was known as the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival and lasted from four to six weeks. During the summer of 2020, however, when Michigan opened outdoor sporting events for competitors after pandemic restrictions had halted national and international sports during the spring, the show committee launched into action.

“The pandemic actually helped us expand. Even though we didn’t have spectators that summer, it helped us fast forward some growth plans that were already in the works,” Howe explained. “It turned out to be an amazing opportunity, and we added the Traverse City Spring Series, as well as the Tournament of Champions in the fall. Now, all together, we have 13 weeks of showing with 12 of those weeks being FEI competitions.”

Along with top riders, TCHS has also attracted a swath of upper-level events that continue to help boost their growth, including the FEI North American Youth Championship as well as a Nations Cup and three five-star grand prixs this year. “All of these things play into making sure that we are the premier summer show destination,” Howe said.

The expansion of TCHS also makes a significant contribution to the local economy each summer, with one 2021 study estimating the duration of that year’s show brought in roughly $130 million to the area. But even more important than the economic benefit, Howe, who grew up near the horse park, says the showgrounds have also had a positive cultural impact on the local community.

“This was always cherry country. And while it’s been transitioning for years, the community held on to their love for wide-open agrarian views,” he said. “These days, there are still cherry orchards, but also equestrian farms. And in a way it’s kept that same feel, which is a pretty good trade-off.”

Stay—and Show—Awhile: Why Riders Love TCHS

While Traverse City can be logistically challenging for riders in some parts of the country, Howe says a lot of people come up and stay for the summer. “Our average stay for competitors is over 30 days,” he said. “There are plenty of barns around the country who come and stay for the whole season.”

Now that Engle isn’t competing abroad as much, she stays in Traverse City and competes for most of the summer. And compared to the steamy temps in her homebase of Wellington, Florida, she says the weather in northern Michigan is second to none during their show season.

“It’s probably cooler here at this time of year than anywhere else in the world. Even places in Europe we used to go to have been warmer in recent years,” she noted. “I enjoy showing all over the world, but the weather here and the people in the Midwest are just really wonderful.”

International show jumper Hunter Holloway of Topeka, Kansas, who currently operates out of California, is also a TCHS regular and appreciates the management’s dedication to continual improvement.

“We come every year. You can’t beat the management and the facilities are top-notch. Every year they’re always doing improvements,” Holloway said. “You come back and there’s something new and better for the exhibitors, the horses, the spectators—all of it. Plus, you can’t beat the weather, and the downtown Traverse City area is amazing.”

For some, the event presents a family-bonding experience. Mom-and-daughter riders Amy and Eden Immerfall of Charleston, South Carolina, stay in the Traverse City area for the summers with the rest of their family and enjoy pursuing their equestrian passions away from home.

“It’s so much fun here. The staff is so nice and friendly, and the jumping courses were a lot of fun,” 12-year-old Eden, who is competing at TCHS for the second time, said. “The food is really great, too. I love the chicken tenders.”

Amy, who competed in the meter jumpers, enjoyed her first experience at TCHS this summer. “It’s so beautiful here and the weather is amazing. I also love that it’s all so walkable and feels small, but there are so many upper-level riders here,” she said. “You get to watch the best in world, and then you get to ride. It really feels like an honor to get to show here.”

State-of-the-Art Facilities and Easy Access

With thousands of horses, riders, grooms and support teams flooding in and out of Flintfields Horse Park throughout the summer, the venue has been expertly designed to facilitate both equine and human athletes, as well as their entourage of trainers, grooms and family.

The park is currently home to six permanent barns with modern, secure stabling, roomy stalls and ample storage space for those who stay long-term, and Howe says they aim to add two additional barns per year, simply based on construction limitations during the winter. During peak season, they expand the facilities across 18 temporary barns with 2,100 stalls. Turnout paddocks and shaded grazing and turnout areas are also available.

“We build in March and April and make sure all new construction projects are finished by May before people start moving in,” he said. “We’ve recently added new judges’ booths and we’re always updating the footing—refreshing or replacing it if needed.”

The park boasts a total of 15 rings including seven show arenas with premium GGT Footing, plus those for schooling and longeing, and additional facilities are constantly being added to meet the needs of growing international competition.

Another advantage of being in northern Michigan, Howe notes, is the natural sand footing around the grounds. “It drains really well naturally, but the FEI schooling ring and the FEI grand prix ring have a state-of-the-art pooling mechanism underneath, so it helps the arena dry quickly after rain,” he said. “Even if we have a big storm, a couple hours later after a quick drag, we’re back up and running.”

Engle appreciates continual improvements to the barns, stalls and footing and says management always keeps the horses’ well-being at the forefront of their plans. In these efforts, they recently opened a new area of expansive forest where riders can trail ride to give their horses a reprieve from the show environment.

“It’s a beautiful piece of land and gives the horses and riders a break to get off the showgrounds and wander around in a nice, open space in nature to relax,” Engle said. “We don’t’ get a lot of that at many places, so that’s a huge bonus.”

Through their partnership with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, TCHS recently opened this mile-long bridle path that runs south of the property. “It’s already become a rider favorite,” Howe laughed. “Margie isn’t the only one raving about it!”

All major show arenas have massive, high-resolution video boards with all classes being livestreamed daily on Clip My Horse. “The boss likes to brag that we have the second largest fiber network outside of the local hospital,” Howe laughed. “But that’s really important when we have the World Cup broadcast on CBS Sports. And last year, we had two competitions on ESPN 3.”

The airport is 10 minutes from the venue, and as for lodging, the horse park is 10 minutes south of Elk Rapids, and Traverse City—the hub of northern Michigan—is 15 minutes west with a plethora of hotels, motels, long-term suites and rental homes and condos. (There are even beachfront rental homes on nearby lakeshores.) Even closer to the park at just two miles down the road and with plenty of lodging options are the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel and the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.

“It’s really convenient that everything is so close. I know there are plenty of shows where you’re off in the middle of nowhere,” Howe said. “Plus, there are lots of great restaurants in Traverse City. So, it’s a nice reward after putting in a 14-hour day at the show, you can be in a fine-dining establishment 10 minutes later.”

Among Engle’s many favorite restaurants in the Traverse City area, Forest—A Food Studio tops her list. The cozy eatery offers family-style seating and a seasonal menu that changes monthly. “It’s kind of like a food experience with tapas-style servings and is always fun because you get to meet people from all over the world and try different types of food including their pastas made from scratch. It’s all fantastic and definitely a unique dining opportunity.” (See “Good Eats: Dining in Traverse City” below for more recommendations.)

Broad Appeal: Fun for All

In addition to making TCHS a top destination for equestrians and their horses, Howe and the show management team strive to make the experience enjoyable for spectators who are new to the sport.

“I’m trying to bridge the gap between people who are new to equestrian sport and those who’ve been in the game for a long time,” Howe said. “Before, a lot of the messaging was really focused on the equestrian world. But the locals didn’t understand what we were talking about. You can’t really advertise for a grand prix or a five-star when people have no idea what that means.”

But Howe’s education efforts have paid off, and people in the local community have started to recognize the top level of equestrian sport in their backyard and are continuing to come back year after year and even cheer for their favorite horses and riders.

“There’s definitely nowhere else in Michigan where you can watch Olympic athletes compete all summer,” he said. “It’s such a beautiful destination and people come out and relax and have drinks with friends or grab a bite and sit in the sun and watch the action.”

Howe notes management’s efforts to create both a horse- and family-friendly atmosphere. “At major shows, the industry average is about 3.2 people per horse,” he said. “We have an average of five to six people per horse—mainly because we’re in northern Michigan and it’s such a great place to come in the summer that everyone brings their families.”

Equestrian or not, the venue offers a little bit for everyone with a wine museum, kids’ play area and plenty of notable nosh spots. Concessions include yummy quick-service staples like French fries, burritos and chicken tenders, as well as the uber-popular Great Lakes Lemonade stand and a rotating fleet of food trucks with offerings like pizza and acai bowls. Other on-site favorites for food and drink include the Cabana Coast Club, the Bonobo Bar (with wine offerings from their local vineyard) and One Trick Pony coffee bar with organic Higher Ground roasts.

In addition to their regular fare, this summer’s special events include a Farm to Stable Dinner Series with celebrity chefs including James Rigato, Sarah Welch and Joe VanWagner, along with local farmer and winemakers. “We wanted these dinners to have a distinctly local take on culinary creativity,” Howe said. “So, every menu will be designed with ingredients sourced from farms in northern Michigan.”

During her long stays in Traverse City over the summers, Engle has lots of non-equestrian family and friends visit and says, in addition to stopping by the show, they enjoy the multitude of outdoor activities and sightseeing opportunities in the area.

“We do everything from going to the wineries and enjoying the local history to hiking, sightseeing at the rock cliffs and sand dunes and renting a boat to go out on Torch Lake,” she said. “For those of who show regularly, we even have a weekly poker game in the VIP tent, which is always a fun social escape where we don’t talk horses for bit.”

While Howe says it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the local community that there’s a lot of money involved in the sport, he finds the people who work so hard and are 100% committed to their equestrian goals more paramount to the experience.

“There is so much passion behind this sport,” he said. “You’re not going to find anyone who works harder than people at horse shows—from every level. And I’m really trying to build an appreciation for that here.”

Click here to watch a video from Traverse City Horse Shows 2025.

EVENTS

• WEF 9: March 4 – 9; Wellington, Florida
• Winter Spectacular X: March 4 – 9; Ocala, Florida
• TerraNova Winter Series IV: March 4 – 9; Myakka City, Florida
• World Equestrian Center March Dressage: March 5 – 9; Ocala, Florida
• Global Dressage Festival 9: March 6 – 9; Wellington, Florida
• Pacific Coast Dressage at Galway Downs: March 7 – 9; Temecula, California
• WEF 10: March 11 – 16; Wellington, Florida
• Global Dressage Festival 10: March 11 – 16; Wellington, Florida
• WEF 11: March 18 – 23; Ocala, Florida
• The Event at TerraNova: March 27 – 30; Myakka City, Florida
• Galway Downs International Horse Trials: March 27 – 30; Temecula, California

Watch & Learn on E+

Livestream: We’re super excited to announce that we’ll be livestreaming our first Galway Downs International Horse Trials in Temecula, California, on March 27 – 30. Watch on EQUESTRIAN+.

Gymnastics for Form: In this new video series on E+, Olympic show jumper Margie Engle explains how to teach your horse to develop form over fences and demonstrates flatwork and gymnastic exercises, including raised cavalletti, bounces and an in-and-out combination with a vertical and oxer. Check out her new series here.

Lateral Work, Changes & Trot Lengthenings: Dressage phenom Anna Buffini demonstrates how lateral movements build upon one another throughout a horse’s development and how to develop flying changes and trot lengthenings through the levels. Check out her new video series on EQUESTRIAN+ here.

Spring Health Checks

• Carefully check your horse’s pasterns for scratches.
• Inspect his hooves for thrush and/or soggy, weak hoof walls. For more on how to treat and manage thrush, click here.
• Get a Coggins test if your horse will be traveling this spring and summer.
• Do a fecal egg count test and deworm based on your horse’s living situation and your veterinarian’s recommendations.
• If your horse has had little to no access to quality pasture over the winter, consider checking with your vet to determine if you should have her vitamin E serum values checked.
• Schedule a dental exam and have your horse’s teeth floated if necessary.
• Work with your veterinarian to determine if your horse is due for any springtime vaccinations.
• As your horse is exposed to more light with the longer days and his winter coat starts shedding out, accelerate the process by using a shedding blade over the large areas of his body. Follow up with a stiff body brush to remove loose hair, dirt and dead skin cells to allow his sleeker, summer coat to grow in.
• Schedule a farrier appointment ahead of show season.
• Have your horse’s blood selenium levels check if you live in a selenium-deficient area.
• If your mare tends to get less-than-desirable to ride when she’s in heat and you use supplements, herbs or hormones to help manage her unwanted behaviors, check with your vet to see if now is the right time to start.

Barn & Trailer Management

• Check fence lines: Winter weather can be hard on fences. Examine your fences and enclosures carefully and make any necessary repairs.
• Clean out water troughs: Especially if your troughs have been partially frozen throughout the winter, give them a thorough cleaning.
• Trailer tune-up: This is good to do any time of year, but especially if your trailer has been sitting around for a few months, be sure to check the hitch, wheel bearings, tire pressure, lights, brakes, flooring and all latches.
• Start fly control: If you use a fly-control system like Fly Predators®, it might be time to deploy them depending on what part of the country you live in.
• Mud management: Use footing material like gravel or wood chips in areas heavily trafficked, manage manure, install gutters and downspouts, intercept surface flows and plant trees and shrubs to prevent your barn and surrounding areas from becoming a muddy mess as the last winter snow thaws.
• Spring cleaning: Power-wash stalls, scrub feed buckets, clear cobwebs, unclog gutters, declutter your medicine cabinet, organize your tack trunk, freshen up community areas and plant flowers to add a pop of color to your barn this spring.

Training & Show Prep

• Get the fresh out: Especially if your horse has been cooped up for much of the winter, help him get excessive energy out and ramp up his fitness with longeing sessions.
• Ready, set, check: Start your horse-show checklist to get all of your tack, apparel, equipment and other gear organized and ready for the competition season. Throw old or empty supplies out (or recycle) and replace as needed.
• Last call: Ensure all elements of your show apparel are clean, in good repair and working properly (if you wear a safety vest, for example). The same applies to your horse’s tack and other gear.

Baby On the Way?

• Prepare a foaling stall: Ideally, set up your mom-to-be’s foaling stall in a quiet location away from other horses and barn traffic. It should be roomy and open and free of any objects or protrusions that could pose a safety risk; be sure to provide safe water sources, non-stick bedding, fresh air and climate control for heat or cold. Washable walls and flooring will also make your life easier. Move your mare there well before her due date so she can get accustomed to her new quarters. For our full pre-foaling checklist, click here.
• Assemble a foaling kit: Key items include a halter and lead for your mare, headlamp with fresh batteries, stopwatch, notepad and pen (or your phone) to keep track of noteworthy events, tail wrap for your mare, small hand towels, large towels for drying the foal, bulb syringe, trash bags and disinfectant. Also, make sure you have your vet’s number programmed into your phone.
• Set up a foaling web cam: As your mare’s due date approaches, install a foaling webcam so you can easily keep an eye on her from anywhere and ensure it’s working properly well before the big day gets close.

Happy March, from your friends at Practical Horseman!

Graystone Stables in Berwick, Maine, buzzed with early-morning activity: Terry Golson, 62, rubbed a manure stain off her black-and-white Paint. Katie Plaisted, 15, briefly longed a pony in the outdoor ring. Ten-year-old Ryen McDaniel and a group of riders, trainers and auditors lugged jump poles, standards and jump filler into the indoor arena.

The reason for the effort? The arrival of Olympic show jumper Margie Engle.

A dressage rider, Golson had entered Practical Horseman’s contest, “Win a Day with Margie Engle,” as a way to give back to other boarders, mainly teenage girls, at Jason Ludwick’s hunter/equitation boarding facility. The young adults had cheered on Golson after she arrived at the barn in 2019 and had started to jump with her American Paint Horse Association-registered Tonkas Midnight Snow.

“Winning this was really a gift to the people at the barn who welcomed me here and brought me into their world of hunter/jumper shows and the jumping, and the kids are great,” said Golson, who won the contest, sponsored by Equimax (a Bimeda dewormer), out of nearly 550 entrants. Engle selected Golson because in her essay she spoke about how the young riders at the barn were involved in all aspects of horsemanship from grooming to cleaning tack to sweeping the barn aisles.

The clinic, held last spring after a year’s delay because of COVID-19, was divided into four sessions, with jumping heights ranging from 18 inches to 3 feet. Engle arrived shortly before 9 a.m. and the lessons began. Despite the differences in skill levels, horse type and fence heights, Engle structured the lessons similarly: flatwork with a focus on transitions; riding two poles on the ground in five, six and four strides; and jumping lines or a small course that included a one-stride trot gymnastic and a bounce.

One overall training theme emerged with all of the sessions: Use more leg. As Engle repeated throughout the day, “You can never use enough leg.”

Following are five exercises that Engle shared with the riders. Continue reading at the bottom of this article for seven additional tips.

Exercise 1: Lengthen and Collect the Trot

After a brief warm-up where riders stayed on the arena rail and encouraged their horses to trot forward, Engle had them lengthen on long sides of the arena in posting trot, then collect on the short ends in sitting trot.

To lengthen, Engle encouraged riders to use their legs and seats to drive the horses forward into a light connection. To collect, she told them to first use their legs and seats to engage the horses from behind. “Leg and seat before hand,” she said, emphasizing that she wanted to see a difference in stride lengths.

One goal of the work was getting the horses listening to the riders’ aids. Another was to create impulsion. After Engle told Golson to drive with her leg in the sitting trot, Tonka sat back on his haunches and lightened his front end. “He’s carrying himself more from behind,” Engle observed.

When Lily Baker’s sensitive horse, Champtino, raised his head as she collected in sitting trot, Engle said it was an indicator that Baker needed to use more leg and seat than hand. “You want a lively trot with more impulsion behind,” she said. “You want to coil him more so he shortens his stride but keeps the impulsion.”

When one of the horses became heavy during the collected work on the short side, Engle encouraged the rider to “wiggle the bit so he gets off your hand.” She also suggested counter-bending to soften him and make him lighter. “In tug of war, they’re going to win every time,” Engle said. “Work in different ways to finesse them to soften so they can sit back on their hind ends.”

Exercise 2: Lengthen and Collect the Canter

Similar to the trot work, Engle asked the riders to canter, lengthening down the long sides and circling on the ends of the arena to better connect the horse’s hind end to the front end and to establish a nice rhythm.

But first riders needed to focus on the transition into canter: In preparation, Engle told Golson to “first establish a nice, balanced sitting trot that’s very active behind. Then sit deep and drive him forward.” Engle encouraged Sara Plaisted to improve her canter depart by getting her mare, Dimi, in front of her legs at the walk and feeling where her hind end was. If he didn’t go forward enough when she asked, Engle told her to use a touch of spur, remembering to not lean forward.

After making sure the horses were going forward in the canter lengthenings, Engle told riders to use their legs but keep a connection with the reins to slow the horses down in the collected work. The goal—to develop lively, bouncy canters.

Engle had Golson use half the arena at the canter to make sure Tonka was collected, bending off her inside leg before returning to lengthening on the long side.

When Baker’s Champtino became heavy in her hand when she collected, Engle told her to stay in the center of her horse, sit tall, use more leg and wiggle her fingers a little. “Instead of pulling, use your leg so he comes up behind,” Engle said. “Now he’s collecting without breaking to the trot. … Feel how light he is—he’s like a feather on the ground.”

Engle told Sara Plaisted to sit on the flat part of her seat bones, have a stronger canter on the long side and collect with several small circles on the short sides, half-halting by squeezing with her legs into contact so her horse “sits on his hind end.”

The more experienced riders both lengthened and collected on a circle at one end of the arena. But they, too, still needed crisp transitions to canter. After Elle McDaniel made a rushed canter depart, Engle had her establish a more collected, leg-to-hand connection before asking.

Engle also told the riders that their arms should be an extension of the reins, following the horse’s head and neck at the canter. “You don’t want tight and then a loop [in the reins]. Keep a little more consistent feel,” she explained. “Make sure you have a connection from hind end to front end, and you do this with leg to hand.”

As with the trot exercise, the horses became lighter in the riders’ hands in the canter work. And Engle reminded riders of the point of all the flatwork: “How are you going to go to the jump without your horses responsive on the flat?”

Exercise 3: Hold the Counter Canter Across the Diagonal

For the day’s final group, Engle ended the flatwork session asking the riders to canter on the left lead, make a half circle, reverse and hold the counter-canter to the right. As the riders cantered through the diagonal, Engle instructed them to hold the right lead using their inside (right) legs, asking for a slight bend to the outside (left). If the horses swapped, she told the riders to be really strong with their right legs, keep a consistent feel of the reins and cut the turn around the end of short side of the arena a little. When McDaniel’s pony, Bit-O-Honey, continually swapped, Engle had her return to sitting trot and then pick up the counter canter to finish on a positive note.

Exercise 4: Adjustability Over Two Poles on the Ground

To further test the horses’ responsiveness to the aids, Engle set two poles across the diagonal that the riders cantered to on the left lead. Engle first had riders canter the two poles in a nice five strides. Then she had them canter the line in a steady six strides. Next, they opened up their horses’ strides to ride it in four strides. To get the proper number of strides, riders had to keep going forward through the turn to the first pole, which was challenging because a jump was set so that riders couldn’t get straight to the pole line until they passed the fence. Once over the first pole, they had to react quickly, depending on the stride count they wanted.

Most of the horses and riders cantered over the five-stride line easily, but shortening in the six strides was harder.

Lily Baker had to use a lot of leg to make sure Champ didn’t break to trot as she collected and worked to fit in the six strides with his long step. After a few attempts, she succeeded, though the last stride was tight, but Engle complimented her, saying she liked that Baker “stuck to her guns and fit it in.” Many people would have given up when they started to get close to the second pole, Engle added.

When Amy Haines’ Pumpkin Coach, aka Nigel, had difficulty collecting his stride and stuck out his nose, Engle told Haines to use her seat and leg into a steady hand. “He’s got to carry his hind end to fit in six strides,” she said.

Similarly, Engle cautioned Sara Plaisted to make sure Dimi didn’t become too heavy when she collected. She told her to sit deep in the saddle so Plaisted could have her back as leverage. Engle also had her work on keeping Dimi straight in the line, so he didn’t swap leads.

Because of the way the line was set, riders could canter over it only in one direction, so afterward Engle had them canter around the short end and ride a simple change on the diagonal. But even this simple change needed to be controlled. “Don’t scramble through the transition,” she told Plaisted. “Instead, go slower and canter from behind.”

Riders had an easier time when Engle had them open up their horses’ strides and canter the line in four strides, but there were still challenges.

When Monika Calitri didn’t get the four strides on Finnigan and pulled up, Engle told her to keep cantering through the next turn to instill the idea of forward. After cantering over the first pole, Engle told her to “be a little more assertive when you land” and keep kicking, even gallop down the line.

Engle said she thought Katie Plaisted’s big horse Counterno Boy, aka Pono, was testing her in the four strides by slowing down and pretending to go to the bathroom. “You have to be more assertive,” Engle said. “He’s kind of taking advantage of you.” Engle told Plaisted to take a feel of his mouth and use plenty of leg. When Plaisted was smooth in the four strides, Engle had her next do six strides, being strong with her seat and leg to really collect. Then Engle had her open his stride and ride forward through the canter for the four strides, all to make Pono more responsive.

When rider Lilly Leonard put on her leg to go forward in four strides, Engle pointed out that her pony, Along the Bay, aka Willy, instead evaded the work by going more up and down. Engle also said Leonard was leaning up and throwing Willy’s mouth away. Instead, Engle wanted Leonard to keep a feel of Willy’s mouth and be really strong with her leg and tap him with her stick if there was no response. “Gallop. Gallop. Gallop,” Engle encouraged, and when the pony finally did the four strides, she added, “It wasn’t perfect, but at least he’s going off your leg now. If you’re on course, it’s hard to get where you want if you add your leg and he just goes up and down.”

Exercise 5: Put It Together on a Course

To finish each lesson, Engle had the riders work over a small course. For this work, she wanted riders to think of keeping their horses’ rhythms. “Think of these as speed bumps in your flatwork,” she said.

To start, riders trotted into a one-stride gymnastic and cantered out. The gymanstic was initially a ground pole to a pair of crossrails with another placing pole between them. For the more advanced riders, Engle made the second crossrail a vertical. Engle explained that this was a good exercise because it allowed the riders to focus on holding the two-point position and letting their horses jump up to them without the worry of finding a distance. In addition to their positions, riders worked on making sure their horses were in front of their legs and straight.

After the gymnastic, riders made a tight left turn to an outside six-stride line. Though the turn was difficult, Engle wanted the riders to get their horses in front of their legs early so they didn’t have to do the work in front of the jumps.

When Haines had trouble making the turn after the gymnastic on her large chestnut, Nigel, Engle told her to channel him through her legs, explaining that it was “good to do hard things at home so what is at the show is easier.”

After the six-stride line, the riders turned left and collected the horses’ strides to jump a bounce set across a short diagonal. Then the riders turned right over another outside line in a very quiet five strides. The more experienced went on to jump a small oxer set on a diagonal.

When Baker jumped, Margie told her to coil Champ in the corner especially because the lines would ride tight for such a big horse. The five-stride outside line was set at four strides, but Margie had them jump it in five strides because the jumps were low.

When Amanda Conley rode the course, Engle said it looked like Conley anticipated that her horse, Due Diligence, aka Dylan, was going to be strong, so she took a hold of him and he pulled more. Instead, Engle wanted Conley to relax her hand and focus on keeping the rhythm and his canter level. “When you relaxed your hand to the last oxer, he leveled out,” Engle said.

Engle also said that Conley seemed worried about seeing the distance. “You have to be confident that something will show up instead of getting tense and trying to force it,” Engle said. “I’d like to see you guys take a deep breath and let it happen. Enjoy the process a little more. Just be patient.” Engle also told Conley to “be comfortable whether [the distance] was short or long. It’s not going to be perfect.

“Relax your hand and allow the distance to show up. Don’t throw him totally away, but I don’t want him bouncing up and down. Keep a light connection with the hand.”

After the clinic concluded and Engle signed autographs for the younger riders, clinic participants enthused about the opportunity to ride with her. “I learned that there is a way to ride assertive and strong while also making it look smooth and effortless,” said Katie Plaisted. She also learned from watching others. “One of the things that [Engle] said to one of the other riders that really stuck was, ‘You’re not going to see the distance out of the turn. You just have to wait until you get closer to the jump and hope something shows up, and make whatever shows up work, even if it’s not perfect.’ I will definitely remember this experience for the rest of my life and take the knowledge that she gave me with me wherever I go in my riding career.”

As for Golson, the clinic with Engle exceeded her expectations: “We’re way up here in Maine,” she said. “People don’t come up here, so for Margie to come here and tell the kids they’re valued and that they have talent and that they can do this, too, even when you’re in a little out-of-the-way town. That’s a really big deal.” 

7 More Tips for Success

Here are seven additional training tips that riders gleaned from Olympian Margie Engle during Practical Horseman’s “Win a Day with Margie Engle” clinic:

• Don’t forget the walk. Engle made sure the horses were going forward into the riders’ hands and engaged at the walk before they could move on to trot or canter. “The walk is very important. You can correct a lot at the walk,” Engle said.
• If your horse is strong, keep your leg. When a horse is strong, many people take their legs off, Engle told one rider. When the rider’s horse started to lighten, Engle said, “That’s coming from leg, not the hand. Push with leg.”
• Get your horse’s attention back on you when he spooks. When a few of the horses spooked or shied away from something in the arena, Engle’s advice was to take the horses’ attention off the spooky object and back on them. They did this by using inside leg and bending the horses away from the source of the spooking.
• Be assertive when necessary. When Katie Plaisted’s horse, Counterno Boy, spooked at Engle, who was standing at the side of the arena, and swapped to the counter canter, Engle said, “Even if he swaps, send him forward. Don’t pull up. … When you put leg on and he backs off, you have to be strong and assertive and make him go forward. If he’s not listening to your leg, go to the stick. He’s kind of got your number. He’s doing what he wants to do. You have to have him do what you want to do.” Plaisted’s horse then bucked and balled up his stride, going up and down, when she asked him to go forward. Engle coached her through the episode: “Get him in front of your leg. Kick him hard even if he bucks.”
• Practice riding in a full seat, even if you ride in the hunters. This was partly to help in collecting the horses and partly so that riders were comfortable in seats other than the two-point position.
• Carry a stick and wear spurs on the flat for the same reason you get insurance, Engle said. “You hope you never have to use it, but it’s good to have just in case.”
• A few minutes of collected, balanced work each day is better than working longer but without requiring collection. “When you’re jumping, you have a lot more options when your horse is balanced,” Engle said. 

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of Practical Horseman.

Olympian Margie Engle is always seeking ways to extend her mounts’ careers without making them mentally or physically sour. She avoids overdrilling them not just to prevent unnecessary stress on their legs but also because she wants them to look forward to their work with the freshest, happiest attitudes possible.

In this issue:

• Margie describes six lessons she’s learned to strengthen and condition horses while reducing their risk of injury as much as possible.

• She explains three exercises that she uses to keep her horses’ programs fresh and effective.

Also included, from our archives, the late Midge Leitch, VMD, gives time-proven paste deworming techniques to make sure your horse gets the entire dose.

This Practical Horseman Extra is brought to you by Equimax.

When dressage rider Terry Golson moved to Maine in 2019, she decided to board her APHA registered Paint, Tonkas Midnight Snow, at hunter/jumper barn Greystone Stables in Berwick, Maine, because of its big stalls and nice turnout. She’d been a little hesitant because the barn was home to a lot of teenage girls and she had heard that subset could be challenging.

Instead, Golson found a group of young adults who not only welcomed her but also cheered her on, especially when she and Tonka started taking lessons over poles on the ground and then crossrails. As a way to thank them, Golson entered Practical Horseman’s “Win A Day with Margie Engle” contest more than a year ago. For the contest, Margie would travel to the winner’s stable and teach her and 10 friends.

Golson’s dream became reality Saturday, when Engle, an Olympian and World Equestrian Games team silver medalist who has won more than 200 grand prix classes, traveled from her home base in Wellington, Florida, to Jason Ludwick’s Greystone to teach Golson and 10 riders at the barn, many of whom were the same young riders who gave Golson so much support.

“Winning this was really a gift to the people at the barn who welcomed me here and brought me into their world of their little hunter/jumper shows and the jumping, and the kids are great,” Golson said after the clinic, which was sponsored in partnership with Equimax, a dewormer made by Bimeda. Golson had won the contest out of nearly 550 entrants who all had written short essays on why they should win. The top 10 finalists made five-minute videos further pitching their case.

“This was the way for them to have a very special day,” Golson said. “Margie was amazing, of course, because Margie’s eye is superb and laser focused, and she seemed to know exactly the exercises that we needed to learn and what we need to do to progress.”

The young women at the stable agreed. “Having the opportunity to ride with Margie was such an incredible once-in a lifetime opportunity,” said 15-year-old Katie Plaisted, who rode in the fourth and final session of the day. “She is such a great teacher as well as rider, and I learned so much even just from watching the others in the clinic.”

“It was an amazing experience, and we couldn’t be happier with how things turned out,” enthused Lilly Leonard, 15, who rode in the session with Plaisted.

‘You Can Never Use Enough Leg’

The morning of the clinic, the stable hummed with activity in anticipation of Engle’s arrival. Golson was busy rubbing out the manure stain her black-and-white Tonka had acquired on the white part of his hind leg. Plaisted took out one of the ponies to longe him briefly before his session with Engle with another rider. Ten-year-old Ryen McDaniel, along with many of the other clinic riders and resident trainers Stephanie Plaisted (Katie’s mother) and Kate McDaniel, helped bring in poles to set the course in the indoor arena for the lessons.

Rain during the week had required the clinic be in the indoor ring, which had been watered and dragged with the arena mirrors squeegeed the night before; new plastic flowers decorated the jumps. The clinic was divided into four sessions, with jumping levels ranging from 18 inches to 3 feet. One of the four sessions was two Short Stirrup riders on their ponies. Engle arrived shortly before 9 a.m. and the lessons began.

Despite the differences in skill levels and fence heights, Engle structured the lessons similarly: flatwork with a focus on transitions; riding two poles on the ground in five, six and four strides; and riding a small course that included a one-stride trot gymnastic and a bounce.

A main training theme emerged with all of the sessions: Use your leg to ride forward to engage the horse’s hind end and maintain that with a light connection with the hand. As Engle said to Lily Baker who rode Champ in the first session, “You can never use enough leg, even with a sensitive horse.”

Ride Forward on the Flat

Engle started with Golson and Baker’s session, asking them to ride their horses forward off their legs. Soon after, she had them lengthen their horses’ strides down the long side of the arena in posting trot and shorten and collect on the short side in sitting trot.

When the riders collected, Engle instructed them to use their legs and seats to drive the horses forward yet keep a connection with the hand. “You want a lively trot with more impulsion behind,” Engle said to Baker. “You want him to feel light in hand. You want him to feel like he’s carrying himself not you carrying him.”

After the trot work, Engle had the riders canter, but they needed to make sure their horses were engaged from behind and balanced at the trot before they asked. When Golson’s Tonka had a new spring in the posting trot, Engle asked Golson to ride a transition to sitting trot, reminding her to use her leg and seat before her hand. “Establish a nice balanced sitting trot that’s very active behind. Then sit deep and drive him forward” into the canter, Engle said.

Even though most of the riders rode in hunter or equitation divisions where they are often encouraged to stay in two-point at the canter, Engle had them remain in full seats. After Golson lengthened down the long side, Engle had her work on more engagement by riding a circle at one end of the arena. “Go down the long side, then ride a small circle to the left, using your leg and seat to collect him,” Engle instructed, having Golson bend him around her inside leg as well. When Tonka looked more uphill and lighter, Engle added, “There he started to engage behind.”

Two Poles on the Ground

After the horses were more engaged on the flatwork, Engle had the riders canter two poles on the ground across the diagonal. The poles were set so they could be ridden in a nice five strides, and then Engle had the riders collect and ride the exercise in six strides and four strides.

In the third group, Monika Calitri’s Finnigan rode the five strides easily but was more challenged fitting in the six strides because Finnigan didn’t change his stride length easily. When he raised his head or broke to the trot as Calitri tried to collect him, Engle told her to use more leg to “coil” his stride. Once they succeeded in getting the six strides, Engle said, “See you can do it, but it’s a lot of work.” To ride the line in four strides, Engle told Calitri that she needed to go forward through the turn with a little feel of his mouth, and once over the first pole gallop to get the four strides. “You’re putting your leg on and he’s going at the same pace,” Engle said. “Be more assertive when you land [from the first pole.] Keep kicking.”

Gymnastics and a Course

After the pole exercise, Margie had the riders jump a small course, starting with a gymnastic with a trot pole to a crossrail, then one stride to a second crossrail or vertical, depending on the rider’s experience. Between the one stride was another placing pole. So the riders trotted over the first placing pole, over the crossrail, over they placing pole, then finishing over the second crossrail/vertical.

After the gymnastic, Margie had the riders make a tight left turn to an outside six-stride line, to another left turn to a bounce set across the diagonal, to an outside five-stride line. The more experienced riders then finished over a long approach to an oxer set on a diagonal.

As Katie Plaisted approached the gymnastic on Counterno Boy, Engle told her to focus on her position and keeping her horse straight. “It’s a good exercise because you don’t have to worry about distance,” she said. To all the riders, she reminded them that “you need to make sure he’s in front of your leg, even if you’re just trotting.”

Amanda Conley’s Due Diligence sometimes had trouble maintaining rhythm around the course. Margie said it looked like Conley worried about him getting strong and take on his mouth, causing him to go up and down. Instead, she told Conley to let him go. “You relaxed your hand to the last oxer, and he leveled out,” Engle said. Though she wanted Conley to relax her hand, she also wanted her to maintain a light connection with the hand, not throw it away.

Engle also advised Conley not to be so worried about finding the perfect distance. “I’d like to see you guys take a deep breath and let it happen. Enjoy the process a little more,” Engle told her as she rode around the course. “Just be patient. Be comfortable whether the distance is short or long. It’s not going to be perfect.”

After her session, Plaisted said, “The most important thing that I learned was that I need to ride more assertively and not let my horse take over and get his way.” I learned that there is a way to ride assertive and strong while also making it look like smooth and effortless.”

At the end of the day, after Engle said her goodbyes and headed to the airport, the riders bubbled over about the day. Golson was thrilled she had delivered a gift to give back to the riders who had been so supportive to her.

“We’re way up here in Maine,” Golson said. “People don’t come up here, so for Margie to come here and tell the kids they’re valued and that they have talent and that they can do this too, even when you’re in a little out-of-the-way town—that’s a really big deal.”

Thanks to Equimax for its sponsorship of the Win A Day with Margie Engle clinic.

Daniel Coyle (IRL) finished the 2019/2020 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League the same way he started it—with a victory.

After beginning the season with a win in Vancouver (CAN), Coyle rode Farrel to the top of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Ocala (USA), besting an eight-horse jump-off. The duo crossed the timers of Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s (GER) shortened course in 37.05 seconds. Margie Engle (USA) and Dicas finished second with a 37.37-second time, while Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) and Cristalline finished third in 37.96 seconds.

“I think everything was going really well until the last turn,” Coyle said. “I had a little slip there, and I thought everything was going great until that point. I thought, ‘Have I lost it?’” When I went through the finish and [saw] that I was able to catch the [leaders]—both of them have fantastic horses and are fantastic riders as well—I was delighted to beat them!”

Last to go and Engle to beat, Coyle executed a very different plan than the then-leader. Engle used Dicas’ massive stride to her advantage, while Coyle relied on Farrel’s swift turning, along with a sheer will to win.

“[Farrel] is a very small horse. He doesn’t have as big a jump as most horses, but he just believes he’s one of the best,” Coyle said. “Belief always overdoes talent, and he obviously has loads of that as well, but it’s his way, and he can do things that other horses can’t do.”

The victory secured Coyle a place in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final, which will take place in Las Vegas (USA), April 15-19, 2020. The appearance would mark Coyle’s first in a championship.

“In the middle of last year, [my team] decided to try and aim for the [Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final]. Until today, it seemed we didn’t have enough points. It’ll be my first World Cup Final, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Adrienne Sternlicht finishes the season atop the east coast standings with 61 points, one more than Elizabeth “Beezie” Madden (USA) with 60 points. Brian Moggre (USA) is third in the standings with 56 points.

Karl Cook (USA) sits atop the west coast standings with 59 points. Jenni McAllister (USA), who finished seventh in Ocala, moved into second with 40 points, one ahead of Alex Granato (USA), who has 39 points.

Full results here

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League – Eastern Sub League Standings

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League – Western Sub League Standings

Horses don’t make it to the top of the sport by chance. Although luck plays a part, larger factors contribute to success at the elite level: partnership with the rider, strategic training, an ample dose of talent, a knowledgeable team of professionals and a program of meticulous management and care. While thoughtful care might not bring every horse to the top levels, you can bet that each of the horses competing at the Olympics or topping national leaderboards has a personalized program to bring out the best in his or her health and performance.

In this series, we’ll take a glimpse into the daily management and care of leading sporthorses, one of which is Margie Engle’s partner, Royce, a show-jumping celebrity. While each program is tailored to the specific demands of these icons, one common strategy is clear: There is no magic pill that these horses thrive on. It’s simply attentive care by professionals who listen closely to their needs.

Royce

Nicknames: None

Occupation: Show jumping

Hometowns: Wellington, Florida and Chamant, France

Basic stats: 15-year-old, 16.2-hand Oldenburg stallion

Sire: Café Au Lait

Dam: Petula (by Grandilot)

Royce’s People

Breeder: Gestüt Lewitz

Owner: Gladewinds Partners, LLC

Rider: Margie Engle

Flat/Dressage Rider: Lisa Wilcox

Barn Manager: Bernie Maier, who also helps flat Royce

BACKGROUND: Royce has the presence of a stallion with massive power and scope that is skillfully piloted around grand prix courses by the petite Margie Engle. And while he might appear to be all business in the arena, he’s got a fun side. For example, he responds when you call his name. “You can call him from anywhere and he turns around and comes over like a dog, whether he’s in his paddock or in his stall,” Engle says. He’s also playful and will snatch anything he can get his mouth on. “He’s grabbed my phone out of my hand before,” she says. “He plays with a stick all the time, he grabs the broom—he actually hit someone with the broom once when it was by his stall. Royce was like ‘Hey, you aren’t paying attention to me!’ He’s quite a comedian.”

Royce was bred by Gestüt Lewitz, a stud farm owned by Paul Schockemöhle in Germany. Russia’s Liubov Kochetova then competed him before Engle and a group of partners purchased him as a 7-year-old.

According to Engle, Royce always had tremendous power, scope and carefulness—but he was a little wild. The jumps themselves were never the problem. “I couldn’t turn very well to the left. He’d jump amazing when he got there,” she says. But he was missing the basic elements of rideability between the jumps. “He did grand prix before he could walk, trot and canter,” she says. So, Engle enlisted the help of U.S. dressage Olympian Lisa Wilcox to improve his rideability.

Royce was also challenging to handle and turn out, but over the years, he has learned to relax and just be a horse outside of the ring. Inside the ring, however, the pair became an unstoppable force once Engle was able to harness his power. Nowadays, the pair dominates the most challenging jumper courses in the world with dependability. “He’s been so consistent. He’s been clean every first round of almost every grand prix he’s done,” Engle says.

But it takes more to be a world-class athlete than pure talent and good training. “I just admire how much heart he has,” Engle explains. “He’s very brave. … There’s never a course I walk into and say ‘I don’t think he can jump it.’ He’s so kind about everything.”

See also: Sporthorse Stars: Donner

DAILY ROUTINE: Royce is fed around 6 a.m., is ridden either by Engle or Wilcox and then goes out in a paddock for as long as he likes. He usually has some kind of therapeutic work performed on him each day, and then, if the weather is good, he might get turned out for a second time.

He is generally ridden six days a week. When he’s in Wellington, Wilcox rides him twice each week while Engle observes. “I learn a lot just by watching,” she says. “And [Lisa’s] helped me and some of my students. She’s very generous with her time. It really helps the whole program.” After Wilcox is done with Royce, Engle will take him for a trail ride or a walk down the road because he enjoys it.

For a horse whose primary job is jumping, his training program doesn’t actually include much jumping at all. “I like to save his jumps for the [competition] ring,” Engle said. “It’s better not to overjump them. You can do other exercises to keep them fit.” Additionally, Engle tries to ride him on different surfaces and do some cavalletti and bounce work to keep him fit between shows. She also likes to give him ample time off—he had three months off before the winter circuit started. She ramped up his work, introducing bounces and small jumps as show season drew closer. (Go to PracticalHorsemanMag.com to read Engle’s article “Fit and Fun for Life” about ground-pole work and cavalletti.)

NUTRITION: Royce receives three meals of Purina per day with hay cubes in between. Engle also likes to use a HayGain steamer to feed steamed hay. In addition to his regular grain and forage, she feeds him a variety of supplements by Finish Line, including a multivitamin, electrolytes and Stretch Run Plus, a daily liquid supplement that supports healthy metabolic muscle functions. Engle takes it herself, saying it helps with recovery time. Royce also receives Gastrogard.

See also: Sporthorse Stars: Private Practice

OTHER CARE: Engle has a very open-minded approach to horse care. “Anything that might help him, he gets,” she says. Royce receives acupuncture every two weeks and also has regular chiropractic work performed by Engle’s husband, veterinarian and equine chiropractor Dr. Steve Engle. Royce is adjusted every night before he shows and once a week when he isn’t competing. “Lisa can feel the chiropractic adjustments, too,” she says. “It’s like night and day.”

Royce spends time on a TheraPlate—a vibrating, horse-sized therapy plate—and receives pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) via a machine from Pulse Equine. Both machines are aimed to promote the body’s healing process for optimal function, but they operate in different ways. Royce has therapeutic ultrasounds done and receives laser treatment. Engle utilizes a magnetic blanket, too.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Selected as 2018 USEF Grand Prix Horse of the Year • Winner, 2018 $500,000 Rolex CSI*****  

This article was originally published in the Summer 2019 issue of Practical Horseman. 

“Gutsy,” “determined” “relentless” are just a few adjectives used to describe one of the winningest jumper riders in the United States for more than three decades.

Margie Goldstein Engle spoke with Practical Horseman Editor Sandra Oliynyk for the podcast, covering topics such as her experiences as a working student, her early career riding tough horses, and the serious injuries she’s sustained over the years and how she could have prevented some of them.

Toward the end of the episode, Engle also shares her favorite jumping exercises, which include cavalletti and bounces. She wrote an article in Practical Horseman magazine, describing the exercises, which you can find here. 

Other podcast highlights:

Discussing why she’s been so successful:

Margie Goldstein Engle: I just love being around [the horses]. They’re very majestic animals with big hearts, very trusting. They’re just beautiful animals to be around.

Talking about how growing up, the kids at her barn would dare her to do different things:

ME: They would put a strap around the [ponies’] necks and dare me to jump them bareback, and they’d longe me over a jump and have me stick my hands out or sit backward or stand up. I fell off a lot, but I had a good time. I was a little bit of a daredevil.

What makes her horses try so hard for her:

ME: The horses have kind of an unconditional trust for people in general, as long as you don’t do anything to break that trust and you keep them confident in the things you ask them. You don’t ask them for more than they’re capable of doing at that point. I think they feel what you feel, and if you’re confident and you instill confidence in them and are kind of gutsy, they feel that and feel like they’re going to try for you. I also think they sense if they like you. I tell people if you’re a student in a class, you’re going to learn a lot more from a teacher you like than one you don’t like. It’s just kind of human nature.

Handling nervous energy:

ME: Normally when I go in and jump the course, there’s enough to think about with the jumps and the striding and what your horse is doing. I just try to focus on what they’re doing and the course and not all the exterior things.

Handling losing in competition:

ME: I’m not great at that. I do tend to go over things in my head a little too much. I really beat myself up over and over. [But] I try to look at it in a positive way and you learn a lot more from your mistakes than you do from what you do correctly. So I try and think over what I did wrong and try and correct it for the next time. It’s not a positive thing to keep going over too much the negative aspects.

Learning from watching others:

ME: I learned a lot from the sidelines. When I was a kid, I used to beg my friends, ‘I’ll groom for you if I can go to the shows.’ When I went to the big shows, when they weren’t showing and I didn’t have to help them, I was watching and studying from the sidelines what people were doing in the schooling areas and watching them at the horse shows. I think you can gain a lot of experience by watching.

Learning from horses:

ME: The best teachers I’ve had are the horses themselves because if you listen to them, they’ll teach you a lot. They let you know when you’re doing things correctly and they let you know when you’re not. As long as you’re listening, they’re there to be probably one of your biggest instructors.

Discussing flatwork and how Olympic dressage rider Lisa Wilcox works Engle’s horses on the flat:

ME: The flatwork has always been important. … You want the horses to ride correctly in between the jumps. You have to be able to open and close their strides. They’ve got to be adjustable to get there correctly and at the proper balance. Lisa’s work with the horses on the flat is amazing. She really gets them cantering and carrying themselves from their hind ends and that’s where their power comes from when they jump. You’ve got to have them active and you have to have that spring behind loaded so the horses jump easier. It gives you a lot more options from what distances you can jump from. So if they’re carrying themselves better and their balance is good and they’ve got that suspension, then they give you lot better jumps. You’ve got way more options than when you’re cantering around on a horse who’s on his forehand or off balance.

About Margie Goldstein Engle

To date, Margie has won more than 200 grand-prix classes, six World Cup qualifiers, more than 20 Nations Cup classes and a record 10 American Grandprix Association Rider of the Year titles. Engle competed in the 2000 Olympics, won team silver at the 1999 Pan American Games, team gold and individual bronze at the 2003 Pan Am Games and team silver at the 2006 World Equestrian Games.

More recently, she and the Oldenburg stallion Royce have been in the winner’s circle numerous times. In 2018, they won the $500,000 Rolex CSI5* and Royce was named the 2018 U.S. Equestrian Federation Grand Prix Horse of the Year. They kicked off 2019 finishing second in the Longines Grand Prix of the Palm Beach Masters CSI5*.

About the Practical Horseman Podcast

The Practical Horseman podcast, which runs every other Friday, features conversations with respected riders, industry leaders and horse-care experts to inform, educate and inspire. It is co-hosted by Practical Horseman editors Sandra Oliynyk, Emily Daily and Jocelyn Pierce. The next podcast will be with show jumping Olympian Anne Kursinski, and future episodes feature Olympians Jim Wofford and William Fox-Pitt and USHJA International Hunter Derby winner Liza Boyd.

Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast. You can subscribe and listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts or iTunes, Stitcher and Soundcloud.