2018 Readers’ Choice Awards: Kentucky Equine Research List of the Year

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At the end of each December, we at Horse Nation like to look back on the year that was and highlight the articles, essays and videos that most inspired readers, triggered important conversations or had everyone rolling on the floor with laughter — and then let readers decide which one is deserving of the title of the Best of the Year.

If there’s one thing we know how to do well at Horse Nation, it’s the list (colloquially called the “listicle”). Whether the thought-provoking variety or its giggle-inducing viral cousin, our lists kept readers coming back for more all year long. Which one is the best of 2018?

The nominees are…

5 Ways I’ve ‘Cheated Death’ at the Barn

Pixabay/CC

“1. ShowSheen. We’re all guilty of this at some point in our horse lives: when I was young and had lots of time on my hands, and only owned ONE horse, I spoiled him rotten. This included long amounts of time spent grooming and pampering him. I had to have him look his best, so I used ShowSheen like it was going out of style. I would ShowSheen him up and then cover him in his winter blankets. The thing is, ShowSheen is slicker than snot on a golden tooth, so when I decided to jump on bareback on a cold winter’s night in the barn aisle, I pulled off his blankets and climbed aboard. He turned one way and I slid right off the other way onto the concrete floor. Note to self: do not use ShowSheen anywhere a saddle or human may sit.”

Read the rest of Maria Wachter’s list here!

17 Random Things Readers’ Horses Spook At

Photo by Krystal Shyne

“12. The mounting block (Samantha Condit)

13. Someone moving the mounting block (Wesley Schroeder)

14. Ferns (Caitlin Last, Lynn Howland)”

Read the entire collection of reader submissions here!

5 Things Every Equestrian Does in Every Tack Shop

Flickr/Rose of Academe/CC

“3. We pick up every. single. bit.

Like, it’s not like I don’t understand how a snaffle works by now, but seriously, try walking past the siren song of a wall of bits and NOT pick them all up and flex them back and forth. Because, you know, maybe they changed something this time.

This also applies to rolling every copper roller you can find. It has to be done.”

Read the rest of Kristen Kovatch’s list here!

9 Kind of Gross Things Equestrians Are Totally Used To

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“1. Thrushy hooves. That smell you get when you combine manure+moisture+hoof. I don’t care how good you hoof keeping practices are, you will one day encounter that smell, and you’ll never forget it. Chances are, however, you won’t gag at it after the first time.”

Read the rest of Maria Wachter’s list here!

Where Are They Now? 5 Breeders’ Cup Graduates, Presented by Draper Therapies

Photo courtesy of Emily Brollier Curits/Wendy Wooley

“Mr. Commons is still owned by his breeders, the Banwell family of St. George Farm. They raced him to earnings of over $900,000 in a career that spanned six years and 29 starts, including two graded stakes wins. Mr. Commons ran eighth in the 2011 Preakness Stakes, plus finishing fifth two years in a row in the 2011 and 2012 Breeders’ Cup Mile on the turf.

‘The Banwells opted to see what Mr. Commons could do in a second career,’ shares trainer Emily Brollier Curtis. ‘They reached out to me to see if I would work with him as a dressage horse. Mr. Commons and I have competed through first level so far, most recently attending regional championships. He is schooling all of the third level and should be showing third next season.'”

Read all about the five featured Breeders’ Cup graduates here!

The WEG feed and forage team from Kentucky Equine Research is hard at work getting the first flights of horses set up. About 170 eventing, endurance, dressage, and reining horses have arrived on the venue so far. As horses arrive from abroad, they transfer from the airport to post-arrival quarantine on the venue. Most horses will require a delivery feed and forage to tide them over during the 42-hour quarantine. When the horse is released, anything brought into quarantine has to be disposed of, so a separate order of feed and forage needs to be available when they arrive at competition stabling. Fulfilling these double orders has the team hopping! Stay up-to-date with the latest from behind the scenes at WEG: https://ker.com/equinews/news/weg/