New England Working Equitation (NEWE) and USAWE "L" Judge Stephanie Hayes will be offering three monthly virtual schooling sessions during winter of 2024.  We want to help you along your journey of this fun and growing sport by giving you the opportunity to ride the USAWE dressage tests and three different EOH courses. This year the EOH courses will consist of no less than six obstacles and no more than ten, to make setting up a course in small areas much easier. Each month new obstacles will be used.  Riders will be emailed their scores, detailed feedback, training tips and exercises to improve scores and their WE training.  No prior Working Equitaiton experience is required to participate. First time WE riders are encouraged to participate! 

 

Rides will be judged in accordance with the USAWE 2024 Rules with the exception:

*EOH course will not meet required # of obstacles

* Due to the nature of riding in winter, all riders will receive the same presentation mark.

* Since the focus of the Virtual Series is education and not competition, any DQ'd ride will continue to be judged and scored with a "0" given on the obstacle where DQ occurred. 

​

​

​

​

Please read the instructions carefully to register and submit your dressage test

and/or EOH course video each month. 

​

Registration opens the first day of each month of January, February and March.

For January video’s will be accepted until 1/24, February until 2/21, March until 3/24.  

​

Entry Fee: $50 per dressage test. $50 per Ease of Handling course.

 

How it works: 

​

1. Submit your registration by emailing newenglandworkingequitation@gmail.com your name, horses name, and Level, month, email address and phone #. 

2. Click the Paypal Button to make the payment or send check to NEWE PO Box 22 Johnson, VT 05656.

3. Accept the invite to the private FB page NEWE Virtual Schooling Series. 

4. The first day of each month (January, February, March) a virtual course walk will be posted on the FB of the EOH course. 

5. Set up your dressage ring or course, ride, and video it.

6. Download video to YOUTUBE and send the private link to newenglandworkingequitation@gmail.com

7. You’ll get your test sheet in an email along with detailed comments about your ride, and tips how to improve. 

8. At the end of the month scores for dressage and EOH will be posted on the private FB page. 

 

 

How to Submit your Test/Course 

 

Download your video to YouTube. Send the link(s) to newenglandworkingequitation@gmail.com along with 

YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, HORSES NAME, MONTH, AND LEVEL. 

​

 

ABOUT VIDEO’ing

 

At the beginning of your video you MUST clearly state:

 Your name, horses name, Level, and what month you are participating in. 

 

 Please come close to the camera for at least 5 seconds prior to the bell ringing to indicate start of the dressage test/EOH course with this information. Riders should salute the judge/camera at the beginning and end of the Ease of Handling course as well as the dressage test.

Videos of tests and courses must be unedited from start to finish.  They must be one continuous recording starting with your introduction. 

 

The dressage test must be video’d from C.

 

The EOH should be filmed from the middle of the arena with the videographer zooming or walking to the far end of the arena. The dressage tests may be called for Intro Level and Level 2 only.  The caller should be and it is preferred to be positioned at B or E, but will be allowed to call from C or A if space is an issue in indoor arenas. The EOH course can be called at Intro level only. The caller is to be positioned at the side of the arena. 

Coaching during the test or course is not allowed. REMEMBER: The judge can't score an obstacle if there is a visual obstruction or the rider is too far from the camera. 

​

Disclaimer: Judging from a video has some drawbacks. It is difficult to see riders and horses due to certain angles, lighting, obstruction of views, etc. The judge can only judge what they can see. The quality of your videos may affect your score if the judge cannot see you or if there is excessive movement of the camera so please keep this in mind as you review your scores.  Please have your EOH videographer follow you a bit so the judge can see you at the far end of the arena. 

 

DO NOT VIDEO IN PORTRAIT ORIENTATION. HORIZONTAL/LANDSCAPE ONLY! 

 PLEASE check your video before you get off of your horse!!!!  If the video is of poor quality, too dark, too unsteady, please re-do it. 

                            

For questions about registration contact newenglandworkingequitation@gmail.com or call 802-730-5400. 

 

For questions directly regarding the tests or EOH course please ask your questions via the Private Facebook page “NEWE Virtual Schooling Series” that you will be invited to join when you register.  If you are not on Facebook then the course will be sent via email. 

 

You will get a photo of your test/score sheet emailed to you along with details about your ride from the judge (in addition to the notes on the test/score sheet). Generally, the turn around time to receive your results are within a few days. 

 

We hope that you find this virtual series a helpful way to support you on your WE journey! 

 

Virtual judge Stephanie Hayes BIO:

Stephanie Hayes has been a professional in the horse industry for over three decades as a natural horsemanship clinician, trainer, instructor, and competitor of various disciplines. In 2017 she attended her first Working Equitation clinic and was inspired to incorporate the benefits of Working Equitation into her teaching and training programs. Stephanie conducts numerous WE clinics throughout the U.S., is the President and co-founder of New England Working Equitation, Inc., is a USAWE Recognized Professional Instructor,  a USAWE "L" judge and serves on the USAWE Executive Committee. Stephanie has been a  WE presenter at Equine Affaire in Massachusetts in 2021 and Ohio in 2022 . She has won National and Regional Championships on several horses at Level 1 through 4, and coached her junior rider to National Championship honors. Stephanie lives with her husband Tim Hayes at their farm, The Center for America's First Horse in Johnson, Vermont where she trains and promotes rare Spanish Barbs. 

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​