Royal Palm Farm getting into the Christmas spirit! Photos courtesy Royal Palm Farm.
It’s officially Christmas week! For me that means visiting with family I literally only see once a year, but not before getting wild and crazy at the annual EN Virtual Office Christmas Party. Of course many of us with horses don’t tend to do much in the way of traveling on holidays…the animals still need to eat…but we’re a resourceful bunch and find plenty of ways to bring holiday cheer to the farm, like the crew at Royal Palm Farm in Eufala, Ala. In the above photos, Tiffany Palmer gives Roy and Jean Brinkman’s Trakehner stallion Stiletto a smooch (we can only assume there was mistletoe nearby) and Anissa Cottongim’s Tatendrang does his best Rudolph impersonation, but of course we already know both these boys can fly!
Monday News and Notes:
Gift shopping for a horse girl is equally the easiest and most complicated thing one can do. Socks with horses on them – awesome. Jewelry with horses or horseshoes – great. The economy sized duct tape or package of diapers – we always need these! But never, ever, make the mistake of trying to buy something for our horse. [Horse Girl Gifting 101]
Are you in Wellington this winter? Have you for years been ready for your close up? Stable and Spice is calling for 10 WEF riders to participate in a video series about fitness and nutrition. Each rider will be filmed once during the season and featured in one episode. [Casting Call]
Bridles, martingales, draw reins and other head tack and accessories might seem simple enough, but each component of each piece of tack has a significant influence on communication between horse and rider, and incorrect usage can have detrimental results. Know that your tack is appropriately fitted, used only when necessary for training and that pressure is being properly applied. [Head Tack Mechanics]
Schooling days at Bruce’s Field in Aiken, South Carolina will begin January 5, 2016 and continue every Tuesday through March 1. At $25 dollars a round, riders can school over courses from 2’3″ to 3’9″ on excellent footing, with approximate start times for each height. There is no need to sign up in advance! [Winter Schooling Days]
One of my most prized possessions is a sleigh bell I found in my stocking on Christmas morning when I was a kid. The sound of bells are synonymous with the holidays, but there is much more to the purpose of sleigh bells – as well as the different types – than you possibly could have imagined. [Everything You Never Knew About Sleigh Bells]
What to do without an indoor? Slap some bells on and jump.
Posted by Reed Ayers on Saturday, December 19, 2015
