An Unsuspected Danger in Your Barn!

by Logan Teeter for Equine Business Management class

Ever look up at the ceiling of your barn?  What do you see?  Mostly likely you are going to see one of the most dangerous threats to your barn.  Every night while your horses are resting, spiders are busy at work spinning webs.  These webs over time start to collect dust and start to hang downward.   There are some people who believe that these cobwebs are a good thing because they trap insects such as flies.  This could not be further from the truth.  The truth is that cobwebs are very dangerous.  If a cobweb is touching a burning lightbulb without a safety shield, the heat from the lightbulb can cause the cobweb to ignite.  Once the cobweb is ignited a chain reaction starts.  Cobwebs act as a burning passageway from one end of your barn to the other.  It only takes seconds for the fire to travel through the webbing.  As the cobweb burns it will fall to the floor of your barn starting new fires.  If a burning piece of cobwebbing fell into a stall with dry bedding, you would have approximately 90 seconds before the stall would burn completely.  This only gives you about 30 seconds to get your horse out without injury.   This is a horrific reality.  Take the time to knock down cobwebs in your barn.  It is not a glamourous task but one that could possibly save your horse’s life. 

Idea came from:

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/asc/asc184/asc184.pdf

Related Articles:

            http://www.pennsylvaniaequestrian.com/news/barn-fire-safety.php

            http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/how-to-get-rid-of-cobwebs/

           

Life as an Intern at St. Andrews

By Madison Edwards for Equine Business Management class

Michelle Eld is a senior Business Administration Major and has competed on the hunter seat and western team throughout her time at St. Andrews. She is President of the business club and has participated in the honors program. She is a great team leader and a wonderful asset to the program. Michelle is one of six interns doing a semester long internship to organize the American National Riding Commission National Championships (ANRC) hosted by St. Andrews April 17 – 19, 2015.

I spoke to Michelle about her internship.

Q: How has this experience been beneficial?

A: This experience has provided me with insightful knowledge about event planning in addition to giving me the opportunity to have a truly hands on experience throughout planning ANRC.

Q: Were there any challenges you faced along the planning process?

A: The biggest challenge I faced is organizing my time, especially the week of the event because of how much dedication it takes to put on an event of this caliber.

Q: What were some of the major projects you are involved in?

A: The major projects I was involved in was scheduling food vendors and getting sponsorships from local and corporate venues. However, all of us interns worked together in a variety of ways in media relations, hospitality, and volunteer management.

Q: What are some valuable lessons you will take away from this experience?

A: One of the most important things I have gained from this internship is experience is communicating with business owners and building relationships with them. Additionally, I have gained a healthy respect for people who successfully plan and organize large scale events.

Q: How has your St. Andrews education prepared you for this internship.

A: My St. Andrews education has prepared me for this internship by giving me the communication skills that have prepared me to forge successful business relationships. Additionally, it has allowed me to combine my love and knowledge of horses with my business education.

I look forward to this weekend and I wish the best for luck to all competitors! I also want to thank all of the volunteers who have helped us not only this week but also throughout the past few months. 

Never, Never Give Up

By Claire Pollard for Equine Business Management class.

“Life is like a dressage test. If you are too busy thinking about your last move, the next one won’t be any good either.” – Anonymous

While those words hold very true, sometimes looking back can give good insight. When I first came to St. Andrews as a freshman four years ago, I wanted to try something different.  I had grown up riding saddleseat and had gaited trail horses at home, but was always fascinated by dressage.  I signed up for two dressage lessons my first semester and decided to give it a shot. I had to then make a decision as to whether or not I wanted to try out for the Intercollegiate Dressage Team. I had planned to wait until my sophomore year, but with a little prompting from the team coach, Jackie Dwelle, I thought I could at least try out. With two lessons under my belt, I tried out and made it as an Intro rider.

I quickly learned just how challenging dressage is as I was taught that “dressage is not a speed event”, circles should never be “pancaked shaped” and that suddenly high school geometry became important again. I learned that sitting the trot requires ab muscles and that getting a horse on the bit was not nearly as easy as people made it look. I did not do well showing my freshman year at the Intro level, but I was completely hooked. I watched my senior teammates make it to Nationals as a team and vowed silently to myself that I, too, would get to go before I graduated. I also calculated if I worked hard enough, I could possibly ride at First Level by the time I was a senior…

I did slightly better showing my sophomore year at Intro, but not by much. Dressage was very frustrating, especially when you have ten minutes to figure out a horse and ride a perfectly executed test. I grew as a rider thanks to Jackie despite my lack of success in the show ring and became even more addicted to the sport. To my dismay, my intro eligibility expired after two years and my junior year, I moved up to Lower Training. I was dismayed. I had hardly succeeded at Intro and now was expected to ride a harder test?! I experienced my share of frustrations and highs and lows. I learned to lose and lose gracefully. I learned that even if you did not get a ribbon, you still gained something and that was what to fix for next time. I learned that attitude is everything and that experience is more valuable than that coveted blue ribbon.

Time was running out. I was now a senior in college and had one year left if my Nationals dream was to become a reality. I spent part of the summer interning with Vicki Kelley at Antares Dressage in Pinehurst and she helped greatly improving both my knowledge and riding abilities. I moved up yet another level in IDA to Upper Training. Then, it finally paid off. The first show of the season I won my first blue ribbon for dressage and was high point rider for the day at the show NC State hosted. I continued to be competitive throughout the season, placing well and finally seeing some success. Through the season, I remained close in points for the lead for the Upper Training Division. It finally came down to where I could not beat her to win the division, but could finish Reserve Champion with a shot at a wild card slot for Nationals and I did. After a lengthy wait, I found out that I do indeed get to travel to Ohio for IDA Nationals to represent St. Andrews as an individual, achieving that silent promise I made to myself freshman year.

There is no way I could have done it without the help from coaches at St. Andrews who pushed me to be my best. Jackie Dwelle, Lindsey Agaliotis, and Carla Wennberg all taught me valuable lessons about the sport of dressage. St. Andrews gave me the opportunity to take something I had no knowledge of and really run with it. And as for my First Level promise made freshman year? While I did not compete First Level for IDA, I rode my first First Level test at a schooling show in Pinehurst, checking off that goal as well. It has truly been an awesome experience and I would not trade it for anything.

The next goal on my list to accomplish? Finally teaching my grandmother how to pronounce “dressage.”