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70% and Grand Prix Blues for Israeli Rider: A Magical Beginning For Sahar Hirosh and Whitman

70% and Grand Prix Blues for Israeli Rider: A Magical Beginning For Sahar Hirosh and Whitman

by | Jun 27, 2017 | Blogs, Premier Equestrians, Press Release |

Sahar Daniel Hirosh on Whitman Wins the Grand Prix at the Gold Coast Dressage Association Summer Solstice

The Journey Begins — Sahar Daniel Hirosh on Whitman Winning the Grand Prix at the Gold Coast Dressage Association Summer Solstice with a score of 70% (Photo Credit to Joanna Jodko Photography)

Wellington, FL (June 26, 2017) – Sahar Daniel Hirosh and Whitman notched a first place finish in the Grand Prix at the Gold Coast Summer Solstice in Wellington, Florida this past weekend — marking their first foray together on a path toward the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG). In their competitive debut as a horse-and-rider combo, the pair earned the blue ribbon with a 70.00 percent, propelling Hirosh one step closer to realizing his dream to ride for Israel at the WEG. The Israeli-born Hirosh is an American citizen poised to seize the unique opportunity to bring glory to both countries.

He began preparing the 2003 KWPN gelding (Rhodium-Camora, Saluut) owned by Jane Suwalsky for competition this year at the beginning of the winter equestrian festival show season in Wellington, Florida.  Hirosh met Sulwalsky for the first time as when he was as a child in Israel.  “Jane used to live in Israel and when I was a child I was lucky enough to meet her there. She was one of the people who influenced the development of dressage in Israel. She is an extremely knowledgeable horsewoman who has taken horses up to Grand Prix and it’s amazing to ride for someone I respect so much,” Hirosh shared.

Hirosh had as much praise for Whitman as he did for his owner, “The best part of the test was how much he was with me,” Hirosh said. “The harmony. Whitman is an amazing horse. He took me out there and he did everything I asked. He’s hot, yet light. He doesn’t question what I ask. I think he was made for me.”

Now the duo is heading north to New Hope, Pennsylvania, where Hirosh hopes to continue garnering successful scores at Saugerties and Dressage at Devon.  “The goal is the World Equestrian Games and anywhere we can go, including the European Championships,” he said. “The sky is the limit.”

Hirosh also plans to compete Don Daiquiri, a 2002 Oldenburg gelding (Don Cardinale-Neastate III, Rubenstein I) owned by Beth Palmgren, in the Grand Prix at Saugerties and Devon and aim him for the 2018 World Equestrian Games, as well.  In addition, he rides Sakramenter (Samarant, Sandro Hit, Westminster), an Oldenburg gelding owned by Karen Ramsing-Bixler.

His formula of taking the time behind the scenes to ensure the horses are poised and well prepared before they go down centerline, is a recipe for success. Not only does he have a proven formula, but Hirosh knows it takes a team to help him achieve his goals, including the owners of his horses and his sponsors.  “I have amazing owners in Jane, Beth and Karen and wonderful sponsors,” Hirosh added.

Hirosh’s sponsors also helped him display his patriotism on his debut Grand Prix ride on Whitman. Custom Saddlery and KEP Italia helmets designed special tack and gear with Israeli colors and designs. Custom Saddlery created a saddle with the blue of the Israeli flag on the seat and trimming cantle of the saddle. Beth Haist of The Horse of Course introduced Hirosh to KEP Italia helmets and worked with the international company to design a helmet sporting the Israeli flag.

While blue designs begot blue ribbons for Hirosh, there was also a lot of craftsmanship to make sure the equipment not only looked the part but also was the epitome of functional. Custom Saddlery’s expert saddle fitters worked with Hirosh to be certain that the saddle fit perfectly, including making the knee rolls “in just the right spot” to create the best communication between him and Whitman.

Another sponsor, Premier Equestrian, installed the world-class footing in the arena in Pennsylvania where Hirosh will train again this summer.  The company also bestowed the honor of Premier Equestrians to Hirosh for his display of sportsmanship and his commitment to always put his horses’ needs to the forefront over his own.

One thing is certain, Hirosh has surrounded himself with a top team as he launches on the journey to bring pride to Israel in the 2018 World Equestrian Games. “It is said, it takes a village,” said a happy Hirosh after the first show, “But I feel lucky enough to have nations of support for this exciting endeavor.” Hirosh is now settling horses into their northern training stable in Pennsylvania and picking up their training regiment right where he left off in Florida a week ago under blue skies! To learn more about Hirosh and the horses and their Journey to the World Equestrian Games, log onto www.sdhdressage.com, and follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sahar.hirosh.

Premier Equestrian’s ArenaAid Tops List of Best Selling Arena Footing Products

Premier Equestrian’s ArenaAid Tops List of Best Selling Arena Footing Products

by | Apr 25, 2017 | Blogs, Press Release |

ArenaAid footing additive is Premier Equestrian's best seller

Premier Equestrian’s ArenaAid footing additive has quickly become a popular choice among equestrians due to its versatility and high value (Photo courtesy Premier Equestrian, no photo credit necessary

Sandy, UT (April 25, 2017) –Well-known footing and arena company Premier Equestrian has a new star among its lineup of top-notch equestrian products. ArenaAid, one of the brand’s most popular arena footing additives, has recently topped the bill of best-selling products for the company. The additive is quickly becoming a consumer and competitor favorite across disciplines, attracting attention for it’s high value and exceptional versatility. ArenaAid has been installed in the riding arenas of top professional riders, including dressage Olympians Steffen Peters and Laura Graves, dressage trainers David Blake and Sahar Hirosh, Olympic eventer Gina Miles and noted hunter competition judge Page Tredennick.

The additive packs a powerful punch of key factors that enhance a riding surface’s quality, including increased cushion, cupping, rebound, grip, and moisture retention. The textile-based additive contains a unique formula of nylon and polyester fibers that can be blended with a wide variety of new or existing sands. The blended fibers act as a stabilizer in sand by trapping loose, rolling particles to give the footing better structure. Additionally, the fibers work to reduce dust and decrease the need for watering by holding moisture at the arena’s surface. ArenaAid mixes well with most sands, making it an ideal solution for budget-conscious arena owners who can’t afford to compromise on quality.

For dressage trainer Sahar Hirosh, ArenaAid was the perfect solution to transform his existing footing into a world-class, professional riding surface. Hirosh had been struggling with dusty, dry footing that required watering three times a day to keep it in rideable condition. When he came to Premier Equestrian with his problem, the company examined his existing arena sand and recommended adding ArenaAid to keep the footing moist for longer and keep dust to a minimum. While Hirosh was traveling in Europe, Premier installed the additive in his footing, and the results were unquestionable.

“Premier’s solution, ArenaAid, was very affordable, and now I water my arena with the automatic sprinklers only one time each day and drag it one time. It was amazing what they did,” recollected Hirosh.

ArenaAid was also installed in the outdoor riding arena of Olympian dressage star Laura Graves, in combination with another Premier footing additive, ProTex®. Graves consulted with Premier Equestrian to find a solution for some lingering issues in her existing arena, and the company worked with Graves to design a solution specifically to meet her riding and training needs.

In addition to making for a cleaner, lower-maintenance riding surface, ArenaAid can breathe new life into old footing by increasing several factors that support a horse’s natural biomechanics. The textile additive increases cushion, which absorbs the force exerted by a horse’s footfall, as well as provides rebound, which reflects the energy of the horse’s step back upward, helping to propel it forward in a continuous motion. The stabilization created by the ArenaAid fibers also increases grip, keeping the horse’s feet from slipping and maximizing the efficiency of its overall forward motion.

Just as top human athletes in sports such as basketball and football need ideal equipment to promote performance and lessen injuries, equine athletes also need the best quality footing. With that in mind, Premier Equestrian formulates a variety of arena products for equine needs, getting horses onto discipline-specific, ideal surfaces to promote equine fitness and prolong careers.

Now the official footing supplier of US Equestrian, Premier Equestrian is proud to be a longtime supporter of Florida’s Adequan Global Dressage Festival, and will also be supporting the Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies show series. The company has provided dressage arenas for top competitions such as the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, the U.S. Dressage Finals, and the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Its arena footing is also installed at The Del Mar National horse show.

Premier Equestrian also offers a wide array of equestrian products, including dressage arenas, letters, accessories, and maintenance-free jumps and poles. The company also offers a wide variety of audio systems, barn equipment, horse toys, and more. You can learn more about footing’s effects on a horse’s biomechanics and ways to improve an existing arena in the Premier Equestrian footing arena surfaces guide. For more information about ArenaAid, Premier Equestrian, or to request a free catalog, arena-footing sample, or arena-sand analysis, please call (800) 611-6109) or visit www.PremierEquestrian.com.

Premier Equestrian Coaches Utah State Equine Studies Students on the Basics of Good Footing

Premier Equestrian Coaches Utah State Equine Studies Students on the Basics of Good Footing

by | Feb 21, 2017 | Akiko Yamazaki, Blogs, Events, Press Release |

Premier Equestrian Coaches Utah State Equine Studies Students on the Basics of Good Footing

Heidi Zorn of Premier Equestrian spoke to students at Utah State University about footing and its effects on horse biomechanics. (Photos courtesy JRPR- no photo credit necessary)

Logan, UT (February 21, 2017) — Heidi Zorn, footing and arena expert and co-owner of Premier Equestrian, is a keen supporter of education on the importance of footing for both horse and rider. It’s no wonder that, when she received an invitation to share her knowledge and expertise with a group of equine studies students at Utah State University, Zorn was quick to enthusiastically accept.

Earlier this month, Zorn was asked to speak at the college by Kelli Munns, Equine Lecturer and English Equestrian Team Coach at the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State. Eager to share her insights on this very important subject, Zorn prepared a detailed presentation for the class on the topic of footing’s effect on horse biomechanics, and how different footing types are needed for different riding disciplines and why.

Reflecting on the experience, Zorn observed, “The students and the staff were all very eager to learn. Breaking down the flight of the foot and how it interacts with different surfaces introduced new, key concepts to their studies.”

Premier Equestrian Coaches Utah State Students on the Basics of Good Footing

When asked why footing is such a crucial topic of education for equestrian students, Munns explained “It takes the students to another level in their education. Through this topic, students are educated on the science of equine biomechanics and the influence that arena surfaces have on it. It’s a part of the industry that combines science and performance. Without good footing, your horse’s performance and confidence will likely be compromised.”

Munns went on to expand on the importance of the topic, saying “When I think about my position as an educator, my ultimate goal is to inspire students to make the industry better for the welfare of the equine athlete. If we want horses to perform to the best of their ability, it is important that we examine all aspects of their training programs. Based on a horse and rider’s discipline, they’re going to need different arena surfaces; biomechanics say so. If you’re going to prolong the integrity of your horse’s body, it would be a worthwhile investment to examine the arena’s surface, where the horse spends the time training.”

Both Zorn and Munns felt the talk opened up a fundamental opportunity for the students to become more aware of the work that still needs to be done in the industry, as well as challenging them to continue with scientific research efforts on the subject of footing.

When asked what the chief takeaway from the talk was, Zorn replied, “We all agreed that how the horse is affected by different surfaces has very few studies; the current studies are still in their infancy. There have been many studies on racehorses, but not many on sport horses, and even less for the western horse. The industry as a whole is lacking in quantified and scientific studies. There may be an opportunity to work with Universities to research just how different types of footing surfaces are affecting the soundness of sport horses and western disciplines.”

Munns also echoed the sentiment, adding “My hope is that students left the talk feeling inspired to continue the research of biomechanics, promoting soundness and wellbeing of our equine athletes and how they can contribute to the science in the equine industry.

Heidi Zorn launched Premier Equestrian in 2000, which supplies riders with world-class footing, dressage arenas, jumps, and other equestrian products. Today, every product sold by Premier Equestrian is measured against a passion for safety, practicality, and well-being of the horse. To learn more about footing and biomechanics, watch Premier Equestrian’s video on their website.

To request a free catalog, free footing sample, or free sand analysis from Premier Equestrian, call (800) 611-6109 or visit www.premierequestrian.com.

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