Kate Samuels is an avid 3-Day Eventer who currently competes at the Advanced/3* level with her wonderful Selle Francais gelding, Nyls du Terroir. A rider since the tender age of three, she is a young professional in the sport learning as much as she can from various mentors, both equine and human. Kate has worked for Eventing Nation since 2011, and has enjoyed every minute of it. She brings a lifetime of experience with horses as well as a wealth of knowledge gained through competing at the top levels of the sport. When not riding through the boiling hot, freezing cold, rain or snow, Kate enjoys baking pies, photography, and finding ridiculous videos on the internet.
In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge famously created a series of photographs called “The Horse In Motion,” settling a debate about the placement of the legs during galloping. While many theorized that the horse always had at least one hoof on the ground, California governor Leland Stanford, a businessman and racehorse owner believed in the idea of “unsupported transit” during the gaits and hired the artist Muybridge to help him prove it.
In order to capture the sequence of a gallop, Muybridge placed many glass-plate cameras alongside a racetrack, and each one was triggered by a thread that the horse hit as it ran by. These frames proved that at one point, all four hooves were indeed off the ground. However, most artists at the time portrayed that moment with the legs extended on either end and, in fact, Muybridge’s photos showed that it happened with all the legs tucked underneath.
Fast forward to modern times, and designer Evan Hawkins has been inspired to bring “The Horse In Motion” back to life. He and ten of his friends tattooed one of the frames onto each of their arms, and turned it into a GIF animation. Hawkins plans to expand his project to 1,000 people around the world for larger stories and animations through single frame tattoos. Check out the full project HERE!
It just goes to show you, a good rider can really adapt to any situation and be successful, no matter what the discipline. Gina Miles, renowned eventer and Olympic silver medallist, has now officially tried her hand in the hunter arena. Aboard Bravo, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding who previously competed at the CIC* level, placing sixth last year at Twin Rivers in the spring, Gina traded out her cross-country vest for a hairnet and a standing martingale. Bravo has taken to his new career well, and Gina reports that it’s great fun. Our friends at COTH have a great story on Gina’s hunter ring adventures. Check it out here.
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Everybody out there is searching for “the one,” that horse who will finally fulfill all your dreams, will take you to the top and make your heart soar every time you sit on him. The horse that will greet you every day with a happy face and a willing attitude, who will never hold a grudge for your mistakes and will learn the tasks you set with a greedy intellectual hunger. If you’re a horse person, you’re always seeking the one, even if it’s not consciously or actively. As riders, we constantly seek the next best thing, but what if the idea of the perfect horse is a myth?
Now, I’m not saying that you can’t find “the one” or that the horse that will fulfill all your dreams isn’t out there. What I am saying is that the idea of an ultimate specimen that is superior to all others is a misconception. Just in the way that no one pair of jeans can make every butt look great (Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants — no way, am I right?), neither can a horse work perfectly for every individual rider.
Some of this stems from watching absurdly athletic horses at competitions and thinking, “Well, he does have the nicer horse so of course he gets a better dressage score.” This is where we go wrong. Yes, there are horses that are more naturally talented in the movement department or the jumping department, but that does not mean they are easier to ride, easier to train or simpler to manage on a daily basis. In fact, the more athletic a horse is, the more difficult it is to funnel that athleticism into the correct avenues. We seek the fancier horse without understanding the complications that go along with it.
But seriously.
Here reads the “perfect” horse advertisement (on Sport Horse Nation, obviously): Lucky is a 7-year-old bay gelding with just enough chrome to be fancy but not enough to warrant buying stock in purple shampoo. He comes with a full set of clean x-rays on every possible bone in his body and has never had a lame step in his life! Lucky has competed and won through Preliminary level and could do Advanced, but is just as happy to do Beginner Novice. He is completely obedient on the ground, and never objects to anything like clipping or standing on the trailer or being left outside in a cold rainstorm. Lucky is the same every day, even if you don’t ride him for two weeks. He’s completely schooled on the flat and requires no less than a simple application of some tension on the reins to go on the bit and perfectly engage from behind. He’s never looked at any kind of jump and simply chooses the perfect distance for himself and jumps with his knees to his eyeballs every time. He never has rails and wouldn’t dream of stopping on cross country. Easy enough for an amateur but fancy enough for a professional. Asking only $10,000 but totally negotiable to the perfect home!
Perfect, right? Sadly, that is a completely fictional advertisement, and if you see one like that, believe that it’s actually too good to be true. We can’t all have the big mover, the flawless jumper and the brave horse that never questions anything. From the sidelines, the upper-level horses seem to be an impenetrable force of nature, but anybody closely involved with them will tell you they have just as many issues as regular horses. To dream of the ultimate athlete who will solve all your problems and hand you a blue ribbon every other weekend is to live in a fantasy.
Not everybody needs to ride a Rolex winner. Some horses, while their athletic talents have limits, have more to teach us in other realms. Some seem to be handmade for our humble purposes, and some come into our lives only to teach us one lesson. Here’s the thing: Horses aren’t perfect, just like you and me. But this is where the beauty of imperfection exists, in the reality that while none of us are perfect, there is still the chance that somewhere, someday, you’ll find “the one” that will match all of your imperfections, and you will fit together like a puzzle piece.
Kelly Utter wrote this blog for CANTER Mid-Atlantic on her own site, where she chronicles the journeys of various retired racehorses. Kelly is a volunteer and board member with CANTER and tries to bring the racehorse re-training experience to life for other members of the equine community through sharing photos and blogs online. This one, although sad, reminds us of how special horses really leave marks on our hearts and how important it is to know when to say goodbye. Thanks to Kelly for writing and sharing this piece, and thanks to you for reading.
Allie and Mikey together. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad.
From Kelly:
MIAMINEEDSAHALO dueled for a half on a short lead, widened around the turn, drew off through the stretch under a drive.
Miamineedsahalo, Mikey as he’s come to be known, was 3 years old. It was his first win in six starts. In the history of cheap claiming races at Charles Town, it was an everyday occurrence, the kind of thing most people noticed only long enough to check their tickets and cash their bets. It also changed the world. I realize that might sound a little dramatic or overwrought, but it really did.
See, some horses seem to exist at junctions. They are joiners, connectors and without really trying, they set great things in motion. That night at Charles Town, when the little brown horse shoved his head down and drove to the finish, he was connecting with a person who is just like him, the director of CANTER Mid Atlantic (then CANTER West Virginia) Allie Conrad.
For us volunteers and friends, what happened that night has reached a sort of mythological status — it’s part of CANTER’s creation story, and as such, some of the details may be wrong and may have grown in significance in our minds. And that’s OK, I think, because the ripples that were sent out that night have grown and grown into something huge and wonderful. Up until that time, CANTER was a listing service. Allie’s fated introduction to her amazing boy Phinny is what started her involvement with CANTER. Her meeting with Mikey would shunt her along an entirely new path.
Mikey didn’t just win a race that night. The little horse, with his slightly roman-nosed head, broad chest and compact build, did it with a broken bone. Somewhere around or coming out of the far turn, there was a stumble or a misstep. A moment where his stride faltered ever so slightly, and it may or may not have been apparent that something was wrong. What actually happened was that he broke a small bone in his ankle and kept on plugging. It might have been endorphins and adrenaline and overwhelming instinct that kept him running, but those of us who have gotten to know Mikey tend to think it was something bigger. Mikey, for his small stature and short little stride, has the heart of his ancestors. He has will and an almost stubborn nature, and even though I wasn’t there, I feel … no, I know, that it was heart and will and determination that carried him forward that night.
Mikey with volunteer Laura Muncy and trainer Stefany Wolfe. Photo by Kelly Utter.
People who romanticize Thoroughbreds and racing talk about heart a lot. People who haven’t been around horses tend to dismiss that because they’ve never experienced it. But we know better — we know it when we see it; we know it’s what elevates even the most common bottom-of-the-barrel claimer to something pretty amazing. And we know that within each Thoroughbred lies a little spark, a will and the fighting spirit of long gone ghosts like Man O’ War or Secretariat. They don’t always bring it out at the track, but every Thoroughbred has it. Mikey had it that night, and his determination caught Allie’s attention.
She also knew something went wrong, and it didn’t take long to find out how badly. I don’t know all of how this went down, but I know that Mikey was going to be sent on, his connections not wanting to do the rehab work (unwilling or unable to see the greatness in his effort), and his life was very much at risk. That couldn’t happen. And when she sobbed to her then-boyfriend John that he couldn’t, just couldn’t, go to the killers, he agreed and helped her to buy him. For a couple hundred dollars, Mikey’s value was recognized and cherished, and his life saved. Allie had met a horse who would inspire great work and came to know that this man who she loved, she really, really loved, he would be her soulmate and partner forever.
Mikey became the first horse CANTER brought in for the rehab/retraining program. So what if he would never leave us? For CANTER, he is our Secretariat, our class clown and our best friend. Volunteers would help Allie with his daily care, giving him attention, wrapping his legs, and simply offering him love and recognition while he was on stall rest. At this point, I hadn’t even become involved with CANTER; I knew of it and knew Allie, but stopped by to meet her while I was searching for a new boarding farm for my horse. I met Mikey too then and didn’t yet know much about him or that he was one of the most special beasts on the planet.
Mikey helping with a Christmas photo shoot for CANTER. Photo by Kelly Utter.
Taking Mikey in led to an expansion at CANTER Mid Atlantic. Soon, horses were coming in and finding a soft place to land where there might not have been one before. Later, CANTER would expand even more, adding the Delaware program, taking even more horses and getting a really amazing training program going, ultimately finding great long-term matches for hundreds of horses. Would this have happened without Mikey? I am sure it would have. But he was one of the sparks.
Years later, after spending time with horses who were with us because Mikey got us started, we pulled up to Happy Horse Hill and grabbed Mikey out of the field. At that time, you might not have even known he was a Thoroughbred. He was rotund, looking rather like a pregnant Quarter Horse (perhaps a cross with a Morgan or Mustang, too!). He was short, with a long, western-style mane. He was one of our wild brumbies, mugging you in the field and stealing your hat, or letting you hop on bareback for a ridiculous ride to the gate.
His personality was what would kill you. He was hilarious — he loved attention and treats and had a way of communicating exactly what he wanted in ways that were impossible to miss. Namely, he wanted you to brush right there, just so. And he wanted to stay with you forever. Every time we’d go to bring him in, he was the horse who would call to us and come running. Getting him back out in the field after a grooming session often took multiple people. So we took him at his word and brought him in for some work.
He came with us to Southwind, where we started riding him (which he loved, despite some stiffness and mechanical lameness from his old injury). We rode him western; we took dressage lessons. He approached every new thing with the same head-down-and-determined way he won his last race. Sometimes he would shake his head about, reminding you “forward please!” and to get your leg on. He very much enjoyed his horsey yoga sessions with our dressage trainer, grunting and huffing with pleasure when a little lateral work released some stiffness or tension in his body. He didn’t much see the point in jogging out on the trails, preferring long-reins meandering or an all-out run through the hayfield. Mikey was the horse that brought you back to childhood — he was the opinionated pony that you had a blast with no matter what you were doing. He was the poster child for us, the horse that kept us happy and kept us going.
When I had my first experience with euthanasia and stood cradling a horse’s head in my arms — a horse who would be dying far too young at 3 — it was Mikey who reassured me after. All along, he’s played comforter for all of us, particularly Allie, reminding us all that things are OK. When things are hard emotionally, or when there’s stress over how things are going (whether worrying about money or logistics or whether it’s all worth it), Mikey’s been the constant who could always cheer us up and make us feel good about moving forward.
Short and stocky Mikey. Photo by Kelly Utter.
So for something to be wrong with Mikey, it’s like the world tilting on its axis.
Allie got a call several months ago that something was very wrong. It turns out that something was EPM — he had major neurologic symptoms and is having trouble controlling his hind end. True to form, he was frustrated and angry at things not working right, and Allie had some hard thinking to do about balancing things like prognosis, budget and what was really in his best interest. Because he’s Mikey, and because he occupies such a huge space in our hearts, Allie went ahead with some treatment, which seemed to have a positive effect for a while, and gave him a good quality of life as he moseyed around Allie’s farm. But more recently, he’s taken a turn for the worse, and it’s become apparent that there is only one right thing to do, and that is to free our most gallant, courageous, sweet friend from pain and difficulty, and let him go.
Mikey came into Allie’s life almost 10 years ago. As we approach a decade of taking in horses after their racing careers and finding them new homes and lives, please take a minute to thank this wonderful horse, thank the universe for bringing him and Allie together, and also to think about the horses who have changed your own lives for the better. May they all stroll through fields like these forever.
The cross country at Red Hills this year turned out to be extremely challenging, and the CIC3* caught out a number of horse and rider combinations that are very experienced and talented at that level. The second water complex saw its fair share of sticky rides, and the turn after the combination was quite slippery, which caused some problems for a few riders trying to make the time. However, as always, a tricky combination makes you really appreciate the good rides and the riders who were committed to their plan and successfully navigated all of the obstacles. Check out a good portion of the competitors, brought to you by RNS Video Media!
Leo at his first Beginner Novice Event at Paradise Farm HT. Photo by Carrie Meehan.
This one time, late last summer, I reported that my giant project dinosaur horse, Leo, seemed to suffer from a generalized lack of self confidence, and that it was an ongoing process to try to help him overcome that problem. I felt that he was mostly naughty under tack because he was worried and scared of life, and my job was to conquer this and teach him to rule the world. Then, a few weeks ago, I was confident enough to compete him at his very first event, at Beginner Novice level, at Paradise Farm HT. I decided to trot most of the fences on cross country as an added confident builder for my enormous green bean, and I felt that it was a smart move. However, as it goes with a lot of learning curves, you see little to no improvement, and then suddenly BAM it’s all there.
In this case, I have literally created a monster. I wanted a confident horse, and well, I sure got one. After the seriously impressive conquest of his very first cross-country course over 2’6″ fences, Leo feels that he is now a master of all things jumping and truly believes that he can now leap with style over anything. Great! That is, after all, a hallmark of a great event horse. When in doubt, believe in yourself and pick your legs up high. After Paradise, he came home and did a local combined test and schooled his stadium round a few times, cantering all of the jumps in a semi-cohesive fashion.
At this point, it became clear to Leo that he was just so smart, so talented, so athletic, and obviously understood this whole jumping thing completely. So, why was I still pestering him about this “balancing the canter” thing, and what’s the deal with steering toward the middle of the jump? UGH and like, WHY do we have to pick up the right lead?! Cantering is cantering, OK LADY?!
Looking innocent enough after a jump school and a bath. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the teenage years. Remember that time when you thought you knew everything, and you were supremely ticked off every time somebody (read: your parents) tried to impart any kind of wisdom or structure into your life? I can see your wry smiles right now, as almost all of you know exactly what I’m talking about. Horses have this period, too, and thankfully it doesn’t last as long as the human teenage years, but it’s almost just as painful.
The teenage diaries of a giant Hanoverian are where frustrated sighs, angry temper tantrums and high-pitched “you just don’t understand!” fits go home to roost. NO I don’t want to hold consistent contact in the canter. NO I don’t want to listen to you on the way to the jump. YES I know exactly what I’m doing. STOP telling me how to live my life! When you add a certain amount of new physical strength and fitness to a horse who has been properly and slowly prepared for his job, sometimes you get the magical solution of a confident teenager. Ta da!
As for now, my approach is simple: wait it out. I’m not instigating fights with him, but I’m certainly not giving in to his tantrums and fits about simple things. I’m happy that he is feeling bold and sassy, and I don’t want to punish him for that or teach him that it’s an undesirable trait. I just want him to take it down a tick and learn to control his brain a little more. I think he’s never felt so strong in his life, and so he just can’t contain himself from exploring all the new speeds and jumping the highest he can just because. All of these things are great, just in moderation. When he gets to Advanced, we can revisit the subject of him being the king of the world, but until then, it looks like lots of canter pole grids and patient repetition.
Dear Leo,
I am truly, truly glad that you enjoy jumping. I am so happy that you find cross country to be both exciting and interesting, and that you are not overly frightened of, well, any of the jumps. It makes my heart sing to know that you are now more than willing to complete the course of obstacles with enthusiasm. However, here are some ground rules that you might be willing to consider in the near future:
Distances are a thing, and the sooner you learn that I’m here to help you choose the most satisfactory one, the better.
Being angry that I’m suggesting slowing down by throwing your head vigorously into the air and shaking it at a high rate of speed is not helpful. In fact, I feel confident in saying that it is the opposite of helpful. How can you even see the jumps when you do that?
While it’s nice that you feel good about your jumping abilities, you haven’t even reached three feet yet, so let’s take it down a notch.
I’m not sure if you’ve met me before, but I am more patient than a Siberian tiger stalking its prey and more stubborn than a mule. I’ve got forever.
Ah, the spooky horse. Especially during the winter months, sometimes you just can’t help but be frustrated by spooks, leaps and snorting antics from your equine partner. Whether you’re riding a young horse, a chronic spooker or just a fresh horse coming off a little vacation, you’ve probably experienced a spook or two in the past months. So, how do you deal with it? Are you able to control your emotions when it happens to you? Do you understand where your horse is coming from and why he is spooking?
As prey animals, it’s only natural that their survival instincts have ingrained in them an incredible ability to jerk all their muscles in an instantaneous response to a perceived threat. Horses in general can react a lot quicker than most animals with a similar size and weight, as anybody who’s been dumped by a spooky horse could tell you.
Spooking comes from a lot of different origins. Whether it’s inexperience, natural and legitimate fear, intentionally naughty behavior or just a chronic ability to see ghosts, there is no point in pretending it’s not aggravating. However, I stand by this statement unequivocally: there is no benefit to using punishment or losing your temper with the spooky horse. This only creates a secondary reaction from the horse, and after repeated punishment, they come to expect it and it only exaggerates their behavior. It’s not about whether or not your horse spooks, it’s how well you can train him to control the spook.
Did you SEE that?!
I’ve owned a chronic spooker for years now (ahem, NYLS) and I’ve completely adapted my riding to cope with this annoying habit while still achieving the results that I want. He is “afraid” of the following: poles on the ground, liverpools and tarps in any shape or form, jumps that you have to go near but not over, stumps, large rocks, big shadows in weird shapes, the color blue, dressage letters (most of the time), the sound that gravel dust makes when kicked onto PVC, clumps of snow, cow patties, ditches (no matter how small), barns in the middle of a field, and pigs. That is by no means a comprehensive list, but it gives you an idea of how my daily routine goes: trot, spook, transition, trot, spook, canter, spook, run sideways, trot, canter, spook, stop dead and blow at the pole on the ground. No, it does not get better with age, and nothing I do makes him realize that he’s actually irrational and insane.
So how do you go Advanced with a horse that can barely trot in a straight line without spooking? Patience, patience and some more patience. Certainly an ability to control your emotional reactions to environmental stimuli is important, as anger and frustration have no place in the saddle, especially with a spooky horse. Explaining the situation calmly and repeatedly can help some horses get a handle on themselves, and for others like Nyls, you simply move on with life and work on controlling the spook to a manageable degree. As with most things, Dom and Jimmie from Evention have a helpful video to watch, check it out if you’ve got a spooky horse that’s driving you nuts!
Whatever bombproofing course this horse has taken, I want to know how to get that for my horses. Not only does he have screaming and flailing people surrounding him, but he’s got a live band playing loudly right next to him! Even for police horses, this dude is cool. Check him out as he boogies and shows off some moves on Bourbon Street to celebrate Mardi Gras!
Snow pony!!! Leo hanging out in the frosty environment here in VA.
Good morning Eventing Nation! Today marks the beginning of Red Hills in Tallahassee, FL, which always hosts a huge amount of upper level competitors in a beautiful setting. They are boasting a brand new cross country course which is central to the rest of the competitions, great news for grooms and spectators! Of course we have the indomitable Jenni Autry on the grounds stalking everybody reporting on the action with photos and live updates.
I would be amiss if I did not also mention that our hopes and prayers are with Silva Martin today, as she suffered injuries from a freak riding accident yesterday while teaching a lesson. Keep your fingers crossed, and your eyes on EN for more news relating to her recovery.
The Eventing Radio Show is out of control this week…in a good way! If you wanted to hear about Max Corcoran’s special jumper show in Florida, Hawley Bennet-Awad’s spring plans, Allison Springer talking about Arthur’s return to competition, Will Coleman reminiscing about his clinic with George Morris and Andrea Leatherman handing out jumping tips, then you better click on this link. [Eventing Radio Show]
Individual tickets for WEG events are now on sale. They come at a range of prices depending on the event, from €5 to €90. If you are still planning on buying, you better do it fast- over 210,000 tickets have already been sold. [WEG Ticket Sales]
The first Super League class of the autumn eventing season takes place at the Puhinui Horse Trials in Auckland this weekend. The CNC3* features many top names, including Simon Gordon on Fletch.com, Angela Lloyd on Song and Donna Smith on Balmoral Tangolooma. While the field is only seven horses and riders total, it will be an intense competition between the best of the best from NZ to start the autumn season. [Super League Class]
Do you have a baby horse? What’s on your list of things to teach them? Blogger Michelle from The Horse has a filly that is coming three years old this spring, and she’s started a pretty impressive list of things that the little girl can do on the ground. Including: trotting up, wearing four boots, longing, standing for the farrier, and wearing a snaffle bridle. What would you include on your list? [Young Horse Training Guidelines]
After much work, the Great Meadow Foundation, located in The Plains, Va., is ready to announce their final plans for a world class competition this spring to help prepare the members of the 2014 World Equestrian Games Eventing Team. As we heard at the USEA Convention last fall, Chef D’Equipe David O’Connor was targeting this facility for a new three-star level course specifically designed for High Performance needs.
As of now, there are no official plans to use Great Meadow as an annual USEA-sanctioned competition ground, but rather for it to become the official grounds for the preparation of U.S. eventing teams for the future, including the 2014 WEG and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. While the property used to host FEI-level competitions, it now only has steeplechase, polo and jumper competitions on the grounds.
David has been working closely with Olympic course designer Mike Etherington-Smith to design a three-star level course that will fit the needs of the High Performance team. While it will certainly feature some of WEG designer Pierre Michelet’s favorite questions, it will not be an overly difficult course. As WEG itself is at the end of August, horses and riders will be working more on fine-tuning skills rather than cut-throat competition.
The competition is slated to be held on July 26-27, with dressage and show jumping held on the first day, followed by cross country on the next day. The event will be very spectator friendly, with tickets costing only $30 per carload. Spectators can purchase ring-side boxes for dressage and show jumping and will also be able to enjoy a bareback puissance competition prior to the show jumping in the evening. As a location that is densely populated with horse people in general and eventers in specific, I expect it to be a riotously good time filled to the brim with excitement and friends.
Oh Craigslist, how you entertain and horrify me at the same time. Your general lack of grammar and spelling always makes for a wincingly good time, as I read about the ridiculous crap that America is trying to sell and flinch every time a basic word is butchered on my screen. Of course, there are many people on Craigslist trying to get rid of horses, donkeys, mules and other livestock in a variety of amusing ways. The descriptions of the horses is usually what gets me, and makes me wonder if I should start an organization to save these animals from these obviously moronic individuals who should never own any animal ever. While I’m building my millions to do just that, please enjoy some samplings from the internet with some help from Snarky Rider, I’ve gathered some of the best of the Craigslist Crazies.
Sante Fe, N.M.: “11 female lama mid age wel maintained good mannered no spiting or anything like tha4700for the lama i also have 2 ponys females breedable one younger thann the other both well maintained i also have one male mule young breedable wel maintained and one donkey for sale hes midaged but wel maintained both the ponys and the mule and donkey r $500 each all these animals r heathly and need a new home im moveing n cant take them with me im open to offers please dont waist my time or yours text prefered”
Los Angeles, Calif.: “Selling My Quatre horse 4 year old It runs fast Its healthy no Medical problem. Complete horse its gental and real calm good around kides. Its rienda charra. Selling because i dont have time to ride It. Asking $5,800 o.b.o “
Lancaster, Pa.: “I have a green broke Registered 9 year old Morgan for sale. And He is like a chestnut color.He is built pretty as can be good manners. He through a lot of nice Colts already.”
At least he’s having fun with it (Nyls loves winter). Photo by Kate Samuels
This winter seems to be neverending, what with the polar vortex(es), the ice storms all over the country and the unceasing sense you’ll never truly be warm again. I’m about ready for this to be over. I traveled south to Aiken, hoping to escape the worst of it and was followed by more snow and a completely absurd ice storm. Quite simply, there are parts of winter that the rest of the world doesn’t realize exist, mostly because they live and work inside for the majority of their days. As horse people, no matter what level of involvement we have, there is no excuse for “sleeping in” or “staying warm inside” when the weather is horrible. And so, as I hunker down for yet another giant ice/snow/sleet storm here in Virginia, I’m imagining myself sweating in the sun but realistically just listing the ways that I hate winter while I shiver in my cabin.
1. Blankets: I’m not even delving into the clip/don’t clip argument here, but my horses work during the winter, and so I can’t have them sweaty and wet with long hair. Thus, they are clipped and blanketed. However, blankets are a hassle for any number of reasons. You have to be constantly in touch with the weather changes throughout the day and the night to ensure that you are properly managing your horse’s temperature. Blankets are heavy to drag around and cumbersome to deal with in large quantities. Blankets are constantly filthy and require regular cleaning so that you don’t get dirt and bacteria all over your horse. Blankets get ripped and torn and shredded by naughty horses and need expensive repairs. Oh, how I long for the simple days of turning my horse out naked without a worry!
2. Numb fingers and toes: I’m good with layering; I can put on a tank top, two T-shirts, a sweater, a thermal long sleeve, a fuzzy jacket, a thin down jacket and a heavy outer coat in about five minutes flat in the dark mornings of the winter. Socks and gloves are an entirely different matter. It gets to a point in the winter where there actually isn’t any amount of clothing you could put on your feet and fingers to keep the blood flowing, and so you just embrace your fate and try to wiggle your toes in your shoes all day long. Related note: Jumping off a 17.2-hand horse in the winter makes you regret ever buying a horse over 15.2, as you feel your feet are about to shatter into a million little pieces.
3. Frozen water: Nothing like a little pick axe action to get you warmed up in the morning! The daily routine of trundling around the fields with your hammer/axe/giant stick every morning to break the ice on the various water troughs seems like a great workout at first, and then you realize that you actually hate everything about it, and you’re not even psyched about the shoulder muscles that come along with it. If you’re really unlucky, your pipes will actually freeze in the barn, and then you’ll be sitting there desperately hoping that your space heater will fix all your woes and restore the power of water to your life.
4. Power outages: Nobody likes power outages, but for horse people, it’s a whole ‘nother kit and caboodle. Most farms run off well water, and when the power goes out, we immediately scramble to provide water for animals that drink about five to 10 gallons per day. If you’ve got a generator, I’ll be coming over, buckets in hand.
5. Monotony: We do eventing because we like the spice in life, and we want variety on our menu. Winter doldrums positively suck that right out, and as you make your 10,000th 20-meter circle in a dark indoor, you wonder, “Why am I doing this again?” Worst of all, winter is about being bored, waiting for the ground to unfreeze so you can go outside and run and jump and practice real stuff for competitions. I’ve never been somebody who will choose riding in the arena over riding in a field, and during the winter, I start to think that if I never see an arena again, I’ll be a happy girl.
OK, so I’m a little bit whining about my first world horse girl problems, but seriously, where is my sunshine!? Where are the funny tan lines I get for my gloves and T-shirts? Maybe if I concentrate hard enough on a tropical setting, I’ll survive the next ice storm and live to tell the tale.
Thoroughbred racehorses that go on to second careers are unique in that they have two retirements in their lifetimes: the first from the track and the second from the show ring. Thoroughbred Legends, a new EN series presented by Cosequin, seeks to honor off-track Thoroughbreds that went on to accomplish great things as upper-level eventers and now enjoy a second retirement in their golden years. If you know of a great Thoroughbred for this series, email [email protected].
Christa & George at Red Hills in 2012 in the Intermediate. Photo by Diane Flowers.
Born in 2000 by the South African stallion called Horse Chestnut, Shahaadi was an awkward looking baby, and his breeder thought that perhaps he was too slow a developer to go to the race track. Julia Steinburg bought him as a three year old, and gave him some more time to mature before sending him to Boyd Martin to compete through the Novice level. Topping out at 15.3, George was small in stature but thrived in the sport horse world.
Shortly into the beginning of his career, George found Christa Gandolfo, who was a working student for Phillip Dutton at the time, and searching for a young project horse. Boyd convinced her to look at the horse, who he was sure was world class. Christa immediately fell in love, and bought him on the spot, not knowing how much he would teach her about upper level Eventing.
While George was incredibly sweet on the ground, he was nothing if not quirky and naughty under saddle. “He would spook at a rock on the ground, but jump anything you’d put in front of him,” remembers Christa. “Despite everything, I quickly became ‘his’ person, and he gave me his all”.
Christa and George on cross country. Photo by Diane Flowers.
In their first attempt at competition together, Christa recalls that it was an unmitigated disaster, as George reared sharply in front of the third fence on cross country and spun her off, only to go galloping home without her. After that, however, things began clicking and the two were second at their next event at Maryland HT.
The habit of rearing continued however, and it got to the point where Christa and her family had him examined, finally discovering that he had kissing spine, which was causing him discomfort. Through expert care, George went on to move up to Preliminary, where he was rarely out of the top three, and finished his first year at that level in the USEA Top Ten at Preliminary.
“If he hadn’t had kissing spine, he would have easily moved up to Advanced and could have been something truly amazing,” says Christa. “We had this special bond, and he was a fantastic mover with a huge jump, and just the biggest heart”. As it was, they completed three CIC2* competitions together, and won a few Mini Prix competitions in New Jersey.
George was always careful in show jumping. Photo by Diane Flowers.
Both Christa and George preferred cross country. “He naturally had a very high head carriage, and his ears were always perked forward and flopping around the whole course,” says Christa. “Even though he was challenging and he really made me ride well, it was always that much better crossing the finish flags”. On the flat, George had these amazing trot extensions, which really made him fun to ride in the dressage as well.
After several years at the Intermediate level, George was diagnosed with EPM in the winter of 2012. At the same time, it was becoming apparent that his back pain was increasing. “When we looked at the new x-rays of his back, my vet told me that he must truly have loved his job to have done that level,” says Christa. Directly after learning this, she retired George and has not sat on him since. He has been enjoying the good life, turned out with her other retired horse, Thalia Light, in a back field at Christa’s farm.
“George taught me about patience and partnership,” she remembers. “He taught me to be a confident and bold cross country rider, and definitely how to hold my upper body, as he was 15.3 and I am 5’9! He looks like a brood mare now, and will be with me until the day he dies”.
Why not start your morning off with a little Boyd and a tiny Mr T?
Well, EN, I have officially returned from Aiken to my hometown in Virginia, and I can officially tell you that returning too early is literally painful. I was in t-shirt mode in Aiken, and I had already forgotten how to operate in the cold. I don’t know where my scarves, my gloves, and my extra warm layers are anymore, and my body is suffering because of it. Virgina, while not terrible by any means, has been rocking an average temp of 18 in the mornings and 30 during the days, and I have a sunburn from Aiken. Can you say, #horsegirlproblems?
Lindsay Traisnel and her mare Saniki compete at Le Lion D'Angers. Photo by Patricia Pearce.
Becoming a working student is a rite of passage for every rider who is hoping to compete at the upper levels and especially those who are dreaming of becoming a professional in equestrian sport. The process is one drenched in sweat, blood and tears and has frequently been colloquially called “slave labor.” Ideally, it should be more of a positive educational experience than purely an exercise in toil, and that’s exactly what Lindsay Traisnel (nee Pearce) and her husband Xavier believe, and they’ve crafted a program to fit that need. In the Traisnel Equestrian Young Horse Development Course, students are taught the vital skills of how to take an unbroken horse through the training process, to competition and beyond.
Originally from Canada, Lindsay competed through the CCI2* level in the United States and worked for the O’Connors, Clark Montgomery and show jumper Gavin Moylan before moving abroad. After selling her horse, she decided to take that money, move to England and work for Lucy Wiegersma with a young horse in tow. It was there that she met her future husband, Xavier Traisnel, who was freshly graduated from the National Riding School in Saumur, France. Xavier had just received the highest level of teaching available in France, the BEES2, and had also produces his own horses to the Intermediate level.
After living and working together for over a year in Lucy’s yard, the two began dating and eventually were married. “We have only ever known each other as co-workers, which makes working with your husband a lot easier than it sounds,” Lindsay said. After finishing their work for Lucy, the two moved to Janzé, France, to begin their own business, Ecuries d’Aulnais. It is here that they focus on developing young horses into future stars for international eventing.
While the idea of tutoring young riders in the ways of the business is nothing new, Lindsay and Xavier are both bilingual English and French and are excited to offer the opportunity for travel and exposure to more than just the local crowd. “There are other programs similar to ours, but the difference is that I wanted to make it possible for North Americans to come,” Lindsay said. “When you travel to a different country, its difficult to bring your own horse, find somewhere to live and get your memberships and such. We are able to provide all of this in our program.”
Xavier schooling a young horse at home. Photo by Delphine Maleuvre.
So what exactly is the Young Horse Development Program? If you are accepted into Traisnel Equestrian, you are provided with a young horse to learn on, care for and compete on under their guidance and coaching. You are responsible for helping with the care of the many other horses in the barn and various duties around that. However, the course also included tutoring in things such as breaking in babies, grooming, stable management, veterinary care, presentation and marketing your young horse to potential buyers. Currently, there are 19 horses in the barn, 11 of which are competition age, so there is plenty to do.
Students are also allowed a few weeks for traveling in Europe and are given all of the prize money that they win on their selected mount. Should the young horse they are riding sell due to their hard work and diligence, the student is granted a commission on the sale. Lindsay and Xavier provide everything in between, including entry fees, stabling, housing, transportation, and farrier and veterinary costs.
For the most part, we know about France’s young horse program due to the notoriety of Le Lion D’Angers, a championship competition in the fall that has incredible prediction statistics for the future success of its winners. Société Hippique Française, a separate association in France that runs all of the competitions for 4-, 5- and 6-year-old horses, is also very well developed.
At the age of 4, horses are asked to do a dressage test that shows walk, trot and canter in both directions and includes medium gaits. The show jumping is simple, and the cross-country test includes all of the basic questions at smaller heights. The courses increase in difficulty as the season progresses, finishing at about Training level height. For 5- and 6-year-olds, the year-end goal is Preliminary and a tough CIC*, respectively. The SHF also offers incredible prize money for their young horse classes, with one of Lindsay and Xavier’s 4-year-olds last year winning more than 1,000 euros in his competitions.
Conditioning the horses at home. Photo by Delphine Maloeuvre.
The skills to develop a young horse are integral to surviving in this industry, and the opportunity to learn from the SHF is one that is not afforded to many North American riders. “Great horses aren’t always for sale, and even if you have a good budget to buy a CCI2* horse, chances are it’s for sale because the owners don’t think it will be a CCI4* horse,” Lindsay said. “Plus, it’s the best feeling when you jump around your horse’s first Preliminary if you were the very first person to sit on them.”
When considering candidates for the course, Lindsay stresses that it’s less about their current level of experience, and more about their dedication and motivation on the job. “We know what it is like,” Lindsay said. “We understand that first and foremost, you are here to learn and not to be a slave. Obviously there will be work involved, but also fun, learning and a chance to compete and travel in Europe.”
“We just wanted to do something a bit different to make sure that people are learning, not just becoming free labor. While I have been lucky to work for some great people in some great places, it hasn’t always been great, and sometimes you end up doing a lot of work for very little in return,” Lindsay said. “We are able to find a suitable lease for students so that they can take a young horse and produce them. Whether they want to be a professional or just be able to create horses, it’s a very important skill and not something that is taught very much in the United States.”
Kate Samuels and Nyls du Terroir at Pine Top. Photo by Jenni Autry.
No matter how well I think I know my horse, every single year he comes out and he’s a little quirkier, a little different than last year and our first Advanced is always a bit of a funny experience. I didn’t think it was possible, but 2014 seems to be a time when his ego has actually grown, and it showed this past weekend at Pine Top. He still has a blast on course, but he also thinks that he knows all the answers, which makes for some interesting conversations out there between the two of us. He skipped around the Pine Top Advanced course like it was Novice and loved every bit of it. I dedicate the first song to what I am pretty sure was going on in his head the whole time.
After the excitement of Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials this past weekend, Aiken was host to one of the most eagerly anticipated clinics of the spring season: the George Morris butt whipping session. I was gleeful when I realized it fell right before I left South Carolina, because I’ve always wanted to see if he really is as crochety as I’ve heard, and I wanted to hear all of the wonderfully blunt nuggets of wisdom that he so casually throws about. I wondered what he would make of our scrappy Event riders, and how he would take to our horses, but mostly I was hoping for some great quotes, and I wasn’t disappointed there.
As one of the most respected trainers in the country over jumps, George wastes no time in telling you exactly what you’re doing wrong, and how to fix it. His solutions are not complex, nor are they of a mystical quality, but instead they are simple and effective. As he said, “Nothing has changed in the past fifty years, it’s just when people get stupid ideas and try to re-invent the wheel. Classic never changes, stupidity changes!”.
Will Coleman & Butch Cassidy
I watched the mid-day group, which was comprised of seven upper level riders: Boyd Martin riding H.H. Lancaster, Phillip Dutton riding his new horse Hermes Harri, Caitlin Silliman riding Callisto, Erin Sylvester riding Captivate, Will Coleman riding a new young horse named Butch Cassidy, Lillian Heard riding Arundel and Kate Chadderton riding Checkout the Charmer. All of the horses were about Training or Preliminary level, minus Arundel, who is Abbie Golden’s Advanced mount.
All of the horses began with the walk, and like a pony club school, all the riders dutifully circled the ring. George spoke to the importance of having good contact from the very beginning, “Contact is straight, steady, definite and supple,” he said. As the horse resists, the rider is to raise his or her hands slightly and close the fingers, effectively resisting in the exact proportion as that of the horse. He proclaimed over and over that riders from “the continent” have a pervasive fear of contact, and that it was something with which he vehemently disagreed.
Boyd Martin & H.H. Lancaster
As the warm-up progressed, it became clear that the next principle that George was obsessed with was having the HEELS DOWN. As the first person brave enough in many years to tell Phillip Dutton to keep his heels down more, I salute you, George. As he spoke of the importance of one of the most basic attributes of a good rider, he said that “If a basic is violated, there will always be a consequence to pay. You can’t have hands before you have legs, and that is why I’m very fixated on leg position and weight in the heel”. He explained that an independent upper body and thus the hands comes from a secure lower leg, which is all based in the weight of the heel, and so the whole position comes from one single base.
Erin Sylvester was another one that he picked on for her heels, and for her he imparted my favorite quote of the day: “Either break your ankle or I’ll come break it for you” as he asked her to have a firmer lower leg position. After that was settled, he watched Lillian ride the course, and commented that perhaps she should try out for the Maclay Finals, as she was by far the most proficient in the half seat ride. However, as the jumps got bigger, he did begin to speak about her body in relation to the motion of the horse. “With the motion, in front of the motion, and behind the motion. Only two are correct”. As the jumps got bigger, Lillian became a little too far forward, and he had to ask her to get a little behind the motion for certain jumps, which was unusual for a Hunter rider to be telling to an Eventer!
Caitlin Silliman & Callisto
Everyone warmed up over an oxer in the middle of the arena, where many of them were schooled in the art of the half seat, which is not utilized as much in the Eventing world as it is in the Hunter and Jumper world. “The horse should be equally obedient in the half seat as the full seat!” George admonished to several riders who were creating impulsion through their seat instead of with their legs. He informed us that this action was called being an “ass-grabber” and told Boyd that he was guilty of this, which resulted in a few giggles in the crowd.
Next, the riders all got a chance to go over a short course of ten jumps of related distances throughout the arena. The first round through was small, and then after everybody had gone through to his satisfaction, the jumps were raised. Boyd worked on his ability to keep the contact with his horse throughout the course, and Phillip was again chastised for his heels coming up over the fences. After a few short courses, Boyd was complimented on his quick change to suit the exercise, as both his half seat and consistent contact was much improved. Phillip’s horse was quite large, and although a careful jumper, George wanted to see that he was self sufficient, and so he encouraged Phillip to “invite the rail down”. When Phillip saw a good distance, he wasn’t to stuff the horse underneath or crash him through, but simply drop his hands and allow the horse to make a mistake, should he so choose. Harri was very careful, and responded well to this exercise.
Phillip Dutton & Hermes Harri
In possibly the dryest humor I’ve ever heard at a clinic, George proceeded to tell us all a joke about lower leg positioning. He told us about a show that he was judging in his father’s hometown of Augusta, Georgia, and after he pinned an amateur ladies hack class, an older competitor came up to him and asked why she had not received better marks. “I told her that I didn’t like her legs, and she replied, ‘That’s not what your father told me thirty years ago!’ But she didn’t have weight in her heels”.
Will was riding a very young horse, whom he told me later has just come into his barn, and he’s probably only jumped him a handful of times. Owned by KBLB Event Horses, this little gelding was incredibly careful over the fences, and needed a confident ride to get him in front of the leg and feeling good about the bigger fences. Will is a master at the subtle use of a stick behind the leg, and when George encouraged it to an extent, Will used it a few times too many on one course. George said, “There’s nothing better than the stick to get them in front of the leg, but you don’t want to get stick happy! Just like women, only use it for one or two on the course, not everyone at the party”. To him, there is a noticeable difference between fences you use the stick, and ones you use the voice and the spurs to educate the horse.
Erin Sylvester & Captivate
Caitlin was riding Callisto, a cute jumping gelding owned by Tatiana Bernstein, and George was immediately very complimentary about her leg position and control. Callisto, however, had a slight drift to the right, and so they worked on keeping him straight in the air. “When a horse drifts in the air, open the opposite hand, don’t leg him because he’ll get too quick, but keep the straightness with an opening rein”.
Kate Chadderton’s horse, Checkout the Charmer owned by Beth Sokohl, is a TB mare that has competed through the Preliminary level. Initially, these two were rushing through the exercises a bit, and the mare was exhibiting quite a short stride, which made Kate feel the need for speed. George had them do a little shoulder-in on the circle and get the horse listening to the inside leg and using her body a bit more in the canter. Making efficient turns is not rushing, and knowing the difference is key.
To top it all off, George hopped on Caitlin’s horse, after finding out that Boyd’s horse was not so quiet for the mounting. At 76 years young, he wanted to show the riders exactly how and why what he was talking about was important. He showed the difference between his desired body position and that of a defensive position (the “ass-grabber”) and how it affected the horse over the jumps. He jumped a few jumps, and then exhibited how he could be effective in his half halt, without his butt jammed into the saddle, and as this horse was quite attuned to the leg, he didn’t need to try to create impulsion with his seat either. At the end, he said he would quite like to keep Callisto for himself!
A day with George Morris was everything I had hoped for, and more. He was effective, efficient in communicating what he wanted, and most of all, he was accurate in his assessments of both horses and riders. To me, it’s a delight to watch a master at work, and I think we can all learn a little from different disciplines and different generations. Please enjoy the videos below, and for goodness sakes, keep your heels down!
The warm up-fence, always an oxer.
Boyd riding Ron & Densey Juvonen’s H.H. Lancaster
Will riding KBLB Event Horses’ Butch Cassidy
Phillip riding Tom & Carolyn Cadier’s Hermes Harri
Love this photo of Allison Springer & Arthur having a ball at Pine Top. Photo by Carrie Meehan.
Well, I survived another exciting day at Pine Top Advanced, and only suffered some windburn and a few sore shoulder muscles from riding an over enthusiastic horse on cross country. After arriving in the morning to a drenching rain, it did clear up and it was wonderful weather for the rest of the day. Despite the hour delay to competition, many of the early riders got soaked in their dressage tests, but everybody brought their game faces and persevered for a fun day full of Advanced competition. The funniest news of the day was that Kate Chadderton jumped an unknowing human being who was sitting down on the landing side of a jump on cross country!
Coach DOC gives a rousing speech underneath a disco ball at The Willcox Hotel in Aiken. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Celebrating the return of power and sunny weather, all the who’s who of Eventing turned up last night at the biennial Olympic Gala at the Willcox Hotel in downtown Aiken, South Carolina. As only the third Olympic Eventing Gala of our times, it is fast becoming a destination for owners, riders and general supporters of our wonderful sport and all those involved.
Aimed to raise money for the USEF High Performance Eventing team, the gala offered a variety of silent auction items, including lessons and coaching from many of the top riders, a day with Phillip Dutton’s head groom Emma Ford, and even twenty x-rays by Kevin Keane, which David pointed out could be “twenty x-rays of literally anything you want!”. There were wonderful paintings, a beautiful bridle, and a great selection of other products available for bidding, and they were approached with great gusto.
While this gala only happens once every two years to raise money for either the Olympics or the World Equestrian Games, this year is particularly exciting. Our new regime under Coach David O’Connor sent nineteen horse and rider combinations overseas in 2013, and part of the mission of the gala was to perpetuate this sort of international travel for many years to come.
Party goers peruse the silent auction table at the Olympic Gala. Photo by Kate Samuels.
David gave a short speech in the beginning, thanking everybody for coming out and dressing up so nicely. Most of us were sporting fancy farmer’s tan lines, but we had in fact found dresses, heels, suits and ties and were all looking quite snazzy. David spoke to the importance of this year as a World Equestrian Games year, and how he’s hoping for more success there and at the Pan American Games in 2015, and the Olympic Games in 2016.
He stressed that the WEG in Normandy will be “a true Eventing competition, in the sense that it will be the cross country that decides the outcome”. This year we are selecting the team earlier, to avoid the issues we had with horses continually staying fit and primed all spring and summer for the 2012 London Games. We will also be preparing here in the U.S., versus taking all of our horses and riders overseas for weeks prior to the Games. “All of these riders are supported by great teams, and in this sport, it really does take a village,” said David. Without the support of all the owners and patrons, the USEF Eventing Team would be legless, and the gala last night was just one step closer towards achieving the success we perceive to be on the horizon.
Doug Payne & Crown Talisman. Photo by Kate Samuels.
For the first time in a long time, the Aiken Training Sessions were not frigidly cold and blustery, but instead a lovely sunny day with a light breeze that kept both horses and riders comfortable. Coach David O’Connor must think we are all insane, as he travelled up from Florida this week after the original training sessions of last week were cancelled due to our freak ice storm and subsequent loss of power for eight days. “It looks like a tornado went through the town of Aiken,” he said, and he isn’t far off. Having endured the terrible temperatures lately, all the riders and spectators were ready for a good dose of jumping horses and sunny weather.
Today was also a special occasion because we got our first glimpse of the new US Eventing Show Jumping coach, Silvio Mazzoni. Already familiar with some of the riders, Silvio is based out of Middleburg, VA and Ocala, FL, which are two areas filled with Eventers. Not only has he been successful through Grand Prix in the Show Jumping arena, but Silvio represented Argentina in the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome in Eventing, so he is quite familiar with our sport, and the complications that go along with creating a clean round on the third day of competition.
Silvio Mazzoni, new Show Jumping coach. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Today was very much a sort of meet and greet occasion, as Coach David O’Connor was there to introduce each horse and rider combination to Silvio. Not only were the sessions today aimed at introducing everyone, but almost all of the horses are heading to Pine Top on Friday, and therefore were unlikely to be making any grand changes directly before the competing.
I was able to watch Doug Payne on Crown Talisman (Tali) and Will Faudree on Pawlow (Ernie) for the second set of the morning, and while it was a little difficult for spectators to hear what was going on, I managed to grab a few nuggets of wisdom. The first and most noticeable thing was that Silvio had set up a much more complex grid to begin with than we usually see in the training sessions. There was a raised cavaletti to a regular pole, followed by a small vertical to another pole, and then to an oxer which grew in size. The distance between the vertical and the oxer was quite short, and combined with the poles, it effectively kept the horses on their toes and also forced them into a deep distance for the takeoff, working towards a rounder and more difficult arc over the jumps.
Will Faudree & Pawlow through the grid. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Silvio was very soft spoken, and made only a few minor adjustments to each horse and rider pair. He was consistently adamant about riders keeping their shoulders back, and using their balance to insure that the horse was properly prepared for both the takeoff and landing of each jump. Doug’s horse Tali tends to be a bit slow off the ground, and Silvio worked with Doug to encourage Tali to decrease his hesitation on the takeoff. Will’s horse, Ernie, was feeling a tiny bit careless today, and so he got to use the channeling poles through the oxer (as seen above) in order to get a little better quality jump and increase his carefulness for the day.
While I wasn’t able to see anything absolutely ground shattering today, it must be said that I thought Silvio did a quiet, thoughtful job with what is undeniably a difficult job. To enter into a whole new world of riders who are quite experienced and competent and immediately take stock and control is a challenge, to say the least. As he left it today, each rider left with something small to take home a practice a few times on their own, but I know we still have more to see of Silvio Mazzoni’s expertise.
There’s really no way to break this to you sweetly, so here we go: If we are at a competition, I’m definitely noticing your turnout and that of your horse. And I’m not the only one. Your presentation in terms of cleanliness, tidiness and overall appearance says more than just how much washing you did yesterday, but speaks volumes about your daily care routine. Whether it’s your tack or your horse’s coat, it tells the story of your commitment and overall attention to detail. In a larger sense, appearance isn’t just superficial, but rather it shows how much time and effort you are willing to commit to your success, no matter how small the deed.
For me, it’s all about personal pride. I know that I work incredibly hard, that I sacrifice a great many things to be able to compete in this sport. We all do. Every time I take a horse out, no matter what level, no matter what public or even private occasion, I want to show the world how proud I am of the work I’ve done and the wonderful animal that I have the pleasure of riding. If I can’t be proud of that, then I’m doing it wrong. To fail in the last detail of ensuring a good first impression would be simply an insult to all of the long days of hard work.
The turnout of your horse is not a reflection of luck, nor the number of grooms and experts at your fingertips, but old fashioned, good horsemanship and attention to detail. Being an equestrian is about nothing if not those two things, and it shows in your equine presentation. The care of your horse shines through (or doesn’t) through good nutrition, daily grooming and the right program for each one.
Turnout: A+. Ludvig Svennerstal and Shamwari 4 at Pau CCI4*. Photo by Kate Samuels.
In terms of looking appropriate for your competition, it’s all about that extra step. Did you take that time to braid them well enough to look neat? Did you use a whole bottle of purple shampoo? Did you bang your tail and clip your bridle path and trim those whiskers? Did you care enough and take this seriously enough to put in the extra effort? I get it, Aiken, you’ve had no power for a week. But really, even without power, you can give a horse a serious wet towel bath and scissor trim. It’s all about your dedication, and it shows through.
Think about who we admire in our sport — the professionals that we ultimately look up to the most. We respect them because they are incredible athletes with a wonderful set of highly tuned skills, and it shows. Think you can catch Jan Byyny without a perfect hairnet all the time? Think again. Wonder if William Fox-Pitt’s horses ever look like a pig pen when he’s riding them? I doubt it. If I want to achieve any success, small or large, I expect to have to be just as attentive as these fine folks. We should all aspire to their level of horsemanship and personal presentation, because even if we can’t ride in four-stars, we can match their daily care.
You might say, “Oh, Kate Samuels, she’s just being a snob!” and you might be right. However, for me, it’s all about respect for the grand animals that I get to work with. If all of us can agree on nothing else, it’s that we’re all here for the love of a horse. To me, part of that love is doing the very best that I possibly can at all times to prove that I’m worthy to work with these equines. That means pride in presentation and doing my part to match the product. And, at the end of the day, if I don’t have the perfect ride, or perfect score or perfect result, at least I can say that I looked damn good doing it.
Step One: Wear a neckstrap in warmup for Dressage. Photo by Carrie Meehan.
After experiencing a snow storm last week, an absurd ice storm this past week, and an earthquake Friday night that shook the entire house, Aiken has literally been ready for anything to happen this spring. Go ahead, laugh at us for trying to move south and avoid the cold weather, because it’s actually ridiculous. We are certainly getting our workouts in, lugging water buckets and tubs everywhere for days, and blundering around in the dark after 6pm to clean stalls without lights. I figured that if I could manage to stay sane through the fallen power lines, the frigid conditions and the power outages that I could definitely manage to get my giant dinosaur horse around his first Beginner Novice, right?
I know I’ve been quiet about Leo for quite some time now, as last time I updated you on his progress was in September, when I related that I was spending all fall piddling around with him. I probably could have hurried him and worked more in the arena on special skills like picking up the right lead on command, but instead I chose to take an alternate route with him and work on his general work ethic and his overall body strength and coordination through long hacks up mountains, over rivers and through the woods. It really helped his mind, and as an enormous horse, it was a long process to get him to understand all his body parts over varying terrain.
Step Two: give lots of pats for acceptable behavior. Photo by Carrie Meehan.
A few weeks ago, I decided to take the plunge and enter Leo in an event. I chose Paradise HT, and sent my entry in with some trepidation. The weather over the winter in Virginia was certainly not conducive to keeping the horses in work, and when it came down to it, Nyls got preferential treatment and when it was icy outside Leo time off. He came south after having about two or three weeks of irregular work that pretty much accomplished nothing. I had not cross country schooled him, and cantering jumps was not really a consistent thing that existed in his world. Sounds great, right?
Well, he has really loved his time down south, and has been training great. We cross country schooled a few times, and he seems to really love it! He is totally green to the fences, but willing as anything, and when in doubt just needs a few clucks to get over it. Granted, the fences barely come up to his knees, but he’s been very workmanlike and trying hard to learn everything that I throw at him.
Yesterday, he went to Paradise. Luckily, he has limited amounts of white on him, because as we haven’t had power in four days, and he definitely got a redneck bath with a wet towel and lots of scrubbing. Step one? Wear a neck strap into the dressage warm-up. No shame, you guys, no shame. He hasn’t been naughty in a long time, but you never know with a new environment, a little tension…anything is possible.
Step Three: look really intense while you jump tiny fences. Photo by Carrie Meehan.
We did, after all, experience a little bucking. I survived and earned a few admiring comments from various riders in the vicinity, who were impressed with my save. Leo was foiled in his attempt to make me stop asking for that pesky right lead, and had to immediately go back to work! He completed his dressage test in good style, although his marks aren’t what they will be because he was googly-eyed at everything around the arena and had two giraffe moments as well.
Cross country was next! I was a little ambivalent, as he’s never been out on a course before, and clearly was a little star struck with his environment. I decided early on that I would trot most of the fences (I know, I know) so that he would have a good confident round and his little brain would have time to contemplate all the environmental stimuli that go along with your first big competition. So, we cantered in between the fences, and trotted for a few strides before them! He was perfect! He spooked a little at a few jumps, but with a little encouragement and a few clucks, he popped right over everything. Ditches, banks up and down, water and a variety of tiny spooky jumps, he just hopped around. We had a few awkward moments, and even managed to have time penalties (how did I do that?!) but I had a huge grin crossing the finish line.
It’s not always about the height of the jump, or the difficulty of the movement. Leo’s problems in life are from a much more obscure place. He had a terrible work ethic when I got him, and his attitude was one of “NO WAY LADY!” more than “Ok, we can try that!”. For me, to have him try hard to behave under duress of confusion and excel over a bigger challenge than he’s ever faced was enough reward. Even if the fences come up to his knees, it’s the little things that make your heart sing at the end of the day.
Good morning Eventing Nation! Welcome to one of the best days of the year: Valentines candy all goes on sale today!! This is one of the only days that you can pretty much shamelessly purchase more than your own healthy share of chocolate and nobody thinks anything other than, “That chick knows what’s up”. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I leave CVS with three bags of discount candy.
