Shanti is a professional clip model. Photo by Kate Samuels.
You know what? I actually love clipping season. Almost everybody else hates it, but I actually love the satisfaction of turning a hairy, dirty beast into a svelte and shiny sleek clipped model. I feel like clipping is the adult version of coloring books: if you’re good at it, you color inside the lines, you don’t miss any giant pieces, and in the end, it looks like you weren’t even there. I’m knee deep in pony fur right now, and I’m totally into it.
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Poplar Place Farm November H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]
Texas Rose Horse Park Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
News From Around The Globe:
What does George Morris have to say about No Stirrups November? Shocker: quite a bit. George thinks all of you should ride with more stirrups more often than one month a year because your lower leg is abysmal. He’s at least 102 now and he can still hop on any horse in the world and canter around a jump course with no stirrups and still have perfect balance and equitation. So what are you waiting for!? [Why And How Should We Use No Stirrups]
Alexandra Kudasheva makes even the most daring 4* eventer look like a total wimp. This lady rode across SIBERIA two times with just her little hardy Mongolian horse, Mongolika, as transportation and company. In 1910, she cut her hair, and decided to ride 14,000 miles to St Petersburg, following the rail line across Siberia. No biggie, just a few thousand miles on one horse. [Queen of the Cossacks]
Looking for an awesome clinic to stave off your winter doldrums? Never fear, Anne Kursinski is here! She’s coming to Frenchtown, NJ, November 13-15 for a three day clinic, and you can still snag a spot! There are three sections, from 2’9-3′, 3’3-3’6, and 3’9-4′. Auditors are welcome, and can get a discount for three day attendance. [Event Clinics with Anne Kursinski]
What would happen if Secretariat met American Pharoah? The Wall Street Journal made a really neat split screen video comparing the infamous 1973 Belmont Stakes with Secretariat smashing the field, and the 2015 Belmont with American Pharoah. Comparing times as the two races run side by side….who will be the champion of the ages? [Secretariat versus American Pharoah]
I always say that my bay gelding is way more interesting than any chestnut mare, but the stereotype lives on. If you’re the proud owner of a ginger lady, you know how it goes. Let’s just say, they’re usually divas, and you can hardly ever deny them the fact that they are, in truth, the baddest bi$ch around. [12 Facts on Chestnut Mares]
KER ClockIt Session of the Week:
This graph shows cross-country at a CIC 3*. This horse spent just over 5 minutes in the 80-90% heart-rate zone, and about 2:30 over 90%. Being over 90% (above 200 bpm) represents an intensity that will result in fatigue-inducing levels of lactate accumulation. In studies performed by KER this spring, researchers found that during the cross-country phase of early-season events, horses exercised in heart-rate zones that are indicative of anaerobic energy generation and blood lactate accumulation. This was the case in all levels of competition studied, including Training level. At the higher levels of competition (Intermediate and Advanced), the horses spent the entire duration of their cross-country rounds with heart rates above 175 bpm, and much of the time with heart rates above 200 bpm. Advanced horses accumulated significant levels of lactate during cross-country. This amount was correlated with their heart rate, with less lactate accumulating in horses that competed with lower heart rates. See the research reports.
Sometimes you watch a video of a horse, and all you can say is, “Holy Sh*%! Look at that thing jump!”
