Become an Eventing Nation Blogger
From Irish RTE television, Hector O’Huckleberry travelled the countryside doing short programs on Irish traditions– this one being the sport of fox hunting. The show provides a really interesting and entertaining look into the Scarteen Hunt, and fox hunting in general, which is so important in Irish equine culture.
When you read this title, you may have thought I’m referring to things that happen when your back is turned. That’s not quite what I mean– instead, I’m talking about those horses that walk into your life when you least expect them.
So far, my best horses have seemingly dropped into my lap, when I wasn’t looking for them. I’ve had friends who horse-shop for months, years even, trying to find a suitable sport horse. They search classifieds, go to sale barns, try this one and that one, go through several failed pre-purchase exams, and the whole process becomes frustrating. I get asked, “How long did you look? How hard was it to find that one?” And I feel a bit guilty, because I don’t find my good horses…they find me!
An ex-barrel racer
I wasn’t looking for my first horse– an unsuccessful barrel racer from a friend down the road, a horse who eventually took me to two CCI*s. I wasn’t looking for my next horse– a fox-hunting dropout mare (MARE!), “sale project,” whom I sold to myself…and went up to Advanced. I wasn’t seriously looking either when a jaw-dropping CANTER prospect was listed for sale at the training center next door, but I walked him through the gate and into my life a day later. He’s going training level now, and it appears the sky’s the limit for him.
Former foxhunter. Her talent wasn’t hidden!
I was happy with the horses I have; settled, content. My husband and I discussed the idea of picking up another sales project, but it was still in the “discussion” phase, I certainly wasn’t searching for one. And then a big, pretty, athletic filly popped up out of the blue…a ridiculous distance away, but she was special. My husband said, “Go get her. Now.” So, a three-year-old TB filly has joined the herd, and though it’s too early to know for sure, she’s turning out to be well worth the spontaneous decision. She will be for sale, of course….
Friends have praised my ability for selecting good horses, but I feel a little awkward about accepting it; they are all very nice horses, but I don’t feel like I deserve the credit for finding them– they found me. It’s not like I turned over every rock from here to Canada, sorting through hundreds of horses, hunting for a diamond in the rough with hidden talent no one else could see. It’s not that way at all…somehow I ended up with a few athletic, sound horses with ability that anybody would appreciate. And I’ve been fortunate not to mess them up (too much) along the way! I’ve been blessed that each horse has come into my life at a time when I was up to the challenge and could afford it; I’ve had to make some adjustments here and there (saying goodbye is hard), but I’ve been able to make it work. And each horse has taken me a little farther along my journey, and taught me more than I could imagine. I am so grateful for all of them.
For everyone out there waiting on a dream horse…be patient, it will come! You might have to search, you might have to dig, but then sometimes when you aren’t looking, the perfect horse will find its way to you and it’s just meant to be.
If you aren’t a regular reader of Bad Eventer’s blog, you should be! With the holiday season revolving around family relationships, Bad Eventer’s advice on choosing a mate and making it last is quite timely.
From Bad Eventer:
It’s kind of funny because over the years I’ve dated 3 men who turned out to be adamantly, emphatically, opposed to my horse ownership. The “funny” part of those relationships is my first date with all 3 of them was an invitation to go horse back riding. I explained my horsey life style and life long passion RIGHT UP FRONT.
EN reader Brooke Schafer has shared several submissions with us, including her heartwarming story From Race Tracks to Galloping Lanes. Sadly, Brooke’s Thoroughbred star Mighty Military (“Ghost”) passed away over the Christmas holiday. We send our sincerest condolences to Brooke and Ghost’s friends, and thanks to Brooke for sharing a little bit of Ghost with us.
Brooke and Mighty Military. Photo by Jim Noetzel, used with permission
From Brooke:
Back in February I wrote a piece named ‘From Race Tracks to Galloping Lanes‘ highlighting my beloved gelding and all of his accomplishments as both a racehorse and an eventer. ‘Ghost’ as he was affectionately known, was battling a chronic sinus infection at the time which required multiple extensive surgeries and endless months of antibiotics and treatments. Throughout it all, his stubborn personality never faltered and he never showed any signs of pain or weakness.
The decision was made this past Thursday December 26 after the infection had unexpectedly ruptured through a new place in his cheek to lay Ghost down and say goodbye before further injury. Having consulted with several Lexington-area veterinarians we were told that his chance for recovery was bleak and dwindling. Not wanting to see my majestic grey jumper lose his health and spirit to an infection he could not conquer, I made the impossible decision to say goodbye while he was still bright and his white coat gleaming.
Having grown up the daughter of a trainer and riding instructor, I have been blessed with the opportunity to ride and show thousands of horses, many of which have been very special to me and have taken me to incredible heights. I can honestly say that none have ever touched me like my big grey OTTB who I initially found unimpressive and passed over for the first 3 years he was at our barn. I wish I had known back then what an incredible horse he would become and how much he would touch and teach me. I will never forget Sally O’Connor telling me that he was ‘really quite lovely’ and the transformation he made before my eyes in the short 2 years I rode and competed him.
Thank you Ghost for sharing your life with me and taking me to new heights I never thought possible. I am sure you are galloping away over the clouds somewhere, swapping leads as you go.
Remember the short little Youtube clip of a white poodle clinging to a miniature horse as it jumped a low fence? The dynamic duo of Juliette and Classie is back with a full-length feature production including more jumps and a trail-type obstacle course.. A well-trained poodle and a well-trained mini? Definitely a pair to be reckoned with!
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And because little ponies are just too cute, here’s video from the 2013 Shetland Grand National at Olympia. Look at the little legs go!
Need a giggle? These Craigslist ads are sure to make you chuckle.
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Courtney Cooper just found a new horse: Vendi. He is a 4-year-old 16.2h Irish Sport Horse gelding sourced through Richard Sheane (of Cooley Sport Horses) in Ireland. As you can see in the video, Vendi thinks that this cross country stuff is pretty cool! Irish banks, ditches, and water on the lunge? With no lunge whip either? I’m super impressed!
Our friends over at Horse Nation have been having an awful lot of fun lately, and the EN chinchillas decided to join in. So, anyone up for a round of Horse Show Bingo?
From Horse Nation:
Horse Nation’s blogger-from-down-under Carrot Top devises some strategies for turning our pain and suffering into amusement.
From Carrot Top:
Horse Show Bingo
Simply print a one copy of this bingo card for each player. Players check off the boxes throughout the day, first one with a complete card wins.
This can easily be customised to suit the horse show in question (eg: for a dressage show, use ‘competitor cramming test at float’ or ‘imported WB’; for a 3DE, ‘matchy matchy XC gear’ or ‘horse doing its nut in the dressage ring because it wants to get to jumping already’).
Vet Bill Guessing Game
This is designed to alleviate a negative situation with humour. You start when someone receives a vet bill. Everyone else has to guess how much it was for by asking simple questions.
‘Did it happen on a public holiday?’
‘How many stitches?’
‘Which vet clinic do you use?’
‘Was blood taken?’
I’ve played this many times, both as a receiver of a vet bill and a guesser, and it never fails to amuse.
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What’s Your Number?
This is another guessing game; you have to guess how many horses someone owns asking only yes or no questions.
‘Can you ever afford to eat out?’
‘Did you get your first horse as a child?’
‘Have you bought new clothes for yourself in the past six months?’
Note: I’ve never actually tried this game, for lack of a willing participant. If someone could do a road test for me and report back, that would be great.
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Horse Show Drinking* Game
For two or more players: sit in the stands and take a drink every time a pre-determined situation arises (eg: whenever a horse swishes its tail in resistance; whenever someone uses a certain bit; whenever someone knocks a pole).
*When I say drinking, I know we’re all thinking of red cordial, aren’t we. Aren’t we?
Go Riding.
Carrot Top is a photo shy Australian who likes horses, riding of all disciplines, and colourful mis-matched socks. She and her mother each own 1 ½ horses (one cheeky young gelding, one wise older mare and another mare who frequently disproves the “crazy chestnut mare” stereotype). When Carrot Top’s family, friends, colleagues, strangers she meets on buses etc. have all tired of hearing about her horses, she turns to her blog Little Bay Horse. She was a horse-less horse-mad girl all through childhood, got her first horse at age 21 and has been making up for lost time ever since.
We’ve been following along with Katie Murphy and her husband Roger — who just won the Amateur Groom Award at the USEA Convention! — as they build their dream farm in New Hampshire. Today, Katie walks us through developing the barn. Feel free to send any questions to Katie at [email protected].
From Katie:
After years of working out of a 1790’s converted cattle barn, I knew exactly what I hoped to achieve when building a barn for our horses and business at Autumn Hill Farm. The list was not long, but it revolved around safety and convenience. The barn at Huckleberry Farm, where I grew up, was a beautiful old English barn. A small foot print, though three stories high, the barn was originally used for a smaller working farm, then converted to a pottery studio, a dog kennel, and finally an area for horses with make-shift stalls. After years of having horses in the barn, and realizing the sad truth that this was not a phase for their daughter, my parents installed traditional stalls and removed the wall of glass used for the pottery spinning area. It was a great barn, and with the history came traits that often can not be replicated with modern day construction (without substantial expense). The barn was entirely post and beam. The massive, hand- hewn timbers were locked together with hand-carved pegs. The barn breathed beautifully, and maintained a temperature balance throughout the year: warm(ish) in the winter – at least by NH standards – and cool in the summer. Most importantly, all our animals loved it.
That old barn watched me grow over three decades. In other to prove my absolute desire to have a pony, my parents had me work towards pony-ownership for many years. The barn’s red shingles watched closely as I walked our dog and brought the cat in for the night. I’m sure the barn laughed heartily as I chased our many chickens around the yard, eager to bring them to safety from the evening’s prowling visitors. And, I bet the barn wavered bets on how many times I would replace our rabbit’s frozen dish of water with warm water during the cold winter evenings. Our barn grew with us, and together, we adapted to one another.
When we purchased Autumn Hill Farm, we planned to convert the lovely historic 28′ x 30′ barn to include four stalls with the back area as a tack and grain space. After several estimates, we learned not only was this more expensive then we expected, but it would cost nearly the same amount to build a 6-stall barn due to necessary alterations to the post and beam frame. I also did not care to ruin the beautiful structure – it is a lovely barn.
So the barn planning began. Location was key – we wanted the structure to blend in with the property, not detract from the inherent beauty of the historic home and barn. I also wanted the roof seam to run the same direction as the oldest portion of the house. After years of admiring old farmsteads, I noticed that house and barn roof lines ran the same direction. There were other details we were careful to include so it would compliment the rest of the property. Due to the new expense, we planned to build a barn as economically as possible. Here is how we did it:
• We shopped around. Same specs, different companies and contractors. The company we chose was nearly 1/2 the cost of one of our other quotes.
• We avoided a cement foundation, and poured cement only in the aisle, tack and grain areas.
• We did not install a weight-bearing loft. We store the hay in the historic barn -good for fire and dust concerns. Even better because it saved us $10-15K.
• We used a simple cut, vertical plank board for the exterior so it would eventually weather as the historic barn has. It’s also one of the cheapest materials available.
• Universal windows – the windows in each stall, grain room and tack room are all the same. Insulated windows in the tack room would have been nice, but they would have distracted from the barn – and they were more expensive.
• We did not include an exterior door to the tack room. More money saved. For 25 years I have slid one massive barn door when unloading hay, grain and shavings. I can do it again. And, I didn’t want an exterior door to distract from the property’s feel.
• Drainage – we used compacted stone dust in the stalls. It was cheaper then concrete and drains beautifully. No smell! My parent’s barn is partial concrete and wood flooring. Despite continuous cleaning, the concrete smells in the summer, and the wood eventually rots due to urine locked beneath the mats.
• Big stalls – All stalls are 12′ x 12′. Our old stalls were substantially smaller (remember, kennel converted to stalls). One stall has solid walls for the horse that needs private time.
• Versatility – All the stalls could be expanded to larger stalls for foaling or rehabilitation. They can also be removed entirely to convert the barn to an open area (versatility of the space for re-sale value).
• Easy and safe stalls: All the stalls have bars in the front and along the upper half of the separating walls (aside from the one noted above). If a horse kicks and breaks the wood, we remove it and slide a new board in. Easy! The doors are on sliders with a convenient locking system that is safe, efficient, and secure. The sliding door and above the bucket area both have a small window that can be opened for easy feeding and watering, and pleasant greetings.
• The 14′ x 12′ grain room could be used as a 7th stall if need be. Brace yourself, Roger…
• The 14′ x 12′ tack room is insulated and finished in tongue and groove paneling. I am so excited to have a space to hang my equipment, instead of storing it in the old sheep’s stall and my trailer.
• Water – Water was brought from the house line, which connects to the historic barn. Working off an existing, and closer, water line also saved us money. We have two frost-free hydrants: in the aisle alongside the tack area (perfect connection for our water heater) and outside near the paddocks. We would have loved to do automatic waterers, but it was money we could not spend.
• Roof – We chose a metal roof to continue the theme of the property. We treated the barn to a protective metal sealant.
• Ceiling – A white metal ceiling was installed far above the stalls. This helps with lighting, and you don’t view the trusses.
• Lighting – We do not have electricity yet. After getting a few quotes, that project will begin after the holidays. (I would LOVE to hear what you have used!) Until then, Roger, the horses and I work beneath the moon or with lanterns. Light carries very well in this barn!
The farm is finally complete. Roger and I brought the horses to Autumn Hill Farm, and together in their separate paddocks, Garth and Deszi pranced around their new playgrounds. Our family is now together, all within view. Making this house a home, for us and our animals, has been a whirlwind of activity, surprises, and stress. Now that it is all behind us, we are eager to see this new barn age alongside us. Many dreams, goals and life lessons will be born and raised at Autumn Hill Farm, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Very few are able to witness their dreams become reality before their own eyes – this is a dream come true for me. To say that I am grateful, fortunate, or lucky does not convey the immense appreciation I have for our life at this very special property, and how it humbles me every day.
Thank you for riding along with us!
Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto sent us this fun story of rescued event horse Palmerston North, “Smartie.” Smartie was saved from a bad situation, and has returned to his true love of jumping and eventing. Many thanks to Joan for sharing, and thank you for reading. All photos used with permission.
Smartie, photo by Flatlandsfoto
In August of 2013, my farrier told me about a good horse in a rough situation. This is something he has done, several times a year for the past 20 years. My response is always the same – we don’t need any more horses! My husband Tom and I have an eventing barn in Area 1 where he trains horses and teaches riders to event. I work as a photographer at many of the USEA events. On average we have 12 horses on our payroll, a number of which our students can take out eventing. I have no idea what made me listen this time as the last thing we needed was another mouth to feed (and feet to shoe) but I couldn’t be happier that I did!
Tom contacted the horse’s owner and was told that he was a 13 yr old NZL TB who had been purchased through a New Jersey Hunter/Jumper barn. Her life had changed and she no longer had time to ride. He was being well cared for but was in a barn with no turn out which is never a good thing for a horse bred to gallop. In addition, it appears it had been several years since he had had any kind of regular exercise. She did mention that she was told he had done some eventing in Canada with a previous owner. This was on a Friday as we were packing to leave for an event on Saturday morning. The following Monday morning we hitched up the trailer and picked him up sight unseen.
Now while my farrier is a western guy, he was a long time race track farrier and knows a quality TB when he sees one. I shouldn’t have been surprised by what a lovely horse this was… However he was going to be a bit of a rehab project. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse weave with the zest he did, but after 48 hours and some turn out he settled in quite nicely.
His previous owner didn’t know his eventing name but his halter said “Palmerston North.” For kicks I checked the USEA database and found a horse by that name that I had photographed in 2009. After consulting my photos, there was no doubt that it was him. Going back into the archived USEA records, it has Palmerston North as being imported in 2006. He was competed by Kyle Carter in his second event in this country and then ridden by Will Coleman his next couple events. He finished 3rd in the P division at Millbrook with Will in 2007. After that he competed with a young rider through the CCI* level, never incurring any XC jump penalties in this country. After that it is a mystery.
We started him back under saddle slowly as he had no strength or muscle tone. He wanted to be a bit naughty at first but went straight to work when given a job to do. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning for his first jump school. No matter what fence/scary box/liverpool he was pointed at he said YAY JUMPING! He was even more excited (but very ride-able) for his first XC school here at the farm. He finished over the “big ditch,” which had a skinny roll top on the landing side set up to school a half coffin question. He walked up to the ditch and popped it, looking to the skinny on the landing side as if to say “This too?”
Come October we thought it might be fun to enter him in a schooling event to see how he handled being on the road. Like everything else, he was a star. We stopped at Denny Emerson’s farm for a lesson the day before the event and he was thrilled to show his stuff – skinnies – slices – ditches – banks – water – no problem! We didn’t do much with him but everything he was asked, he did perfectly. The day of the event he was a bit of a wild man in the dressage warm up but kept it together in the ring (stay in the white box stay in the white box stay in the white box). You could see he was in his element on XC and SJ was just a walk in the park.
Who knows what 2014 will bring for Smartie but my guess is that you will see him out and about in Area 1 galloping XC with a big grin on his face!
This article originally appeared in the July 2011 issue of Dressage Today, but I recently stumbled across it on Equisearch.com. Is your event horse a little too hot and sensitive on the flat? Are you afraid to put your leg on? Is “tense” a common comment on your dressage test? Lauren Sprieser shares some great tips to help make a hot horse more rideable. Click over to Equisearch.com to read the full article.
Forward, Not Fast
The one thing all horses, hot or not, have in common is that they must stay in front of the rider’s leg. Implusion is different from speed, though, and as some hot horses prefer “go” to “whoa,” it’s easy to forget that the horse still needs to feel the leg aid and move forward from it.
When dealing with a hot horse who’s behind the leg, first you have to ask yourself: Is he behind the aids because he doesn’t respond to the aids or because he has a bad response to the aids like getting quicker instead of bigger? Or is he behind the aids because I can’t apply the aids without getting an explosion? If your horse is ticklish like Midgey, the first step is teaching him to accept that your leg is going to be there no matter what.
Exercise One—Spiral in on the circle: Moving in and out on the circle can help teach your horse to accept the leg. You can perform this movement in trot or canter and will find you prefer one over the other, depending on how your horse responds.
- On a 20-meter circle, pick up the canter or trot.
- With your outside leg, move the circle in to 18 meters. Then, with your inside leg, press it back out to 20.
- If the horse gets tight or runs, use the circle lines to control the speed; perhaps you have to bring the circle in to 15 meters or even 12.
The young or unbalanced horse might struggle with those tighter lines and fall out of the canter. If he does, don’t be in a rush to get him back to the canter. Take time. And it’s always best to fix a tight, on-the-forehand, running canter by going back to the trot and starting over. It’s easier to pick up a good canter than to fix a bad one.
Exercise Two—Leg yield on the diagonal: Once you can put your leg on, it’s time to make sure your horse is in front of it.
- Start a leg yield or half pass on the diagonal from the corner. Begin in normal working trot.
- Slowly build it to finish the line in medium trot.
- Keep the rhythm and tempo as your first priorities. Your horse is not to get quicker, merely bigger in his movement.
Using the sideways movement helps regulate that tempo. Georg Theodorescu once told me, “A horse can’t run away when he’s crossing his legs!”
Guest blogger Stephen Bradley has had another successful season this year with his horses and his students. Read on as he wraps up the 2013 competition season, and be sure to check out his Facebook page for more. Many thanks to Stephen for writing, and thank you for reading.
Stephen and Catapult at Waredaca. Photo by Stephanie Bradley-Green.
It was a busy fall! Team SSB was out competing most weekends, and it seems like every horse is the barn was out working hard. If you were keeping track of the weekend results on Facebook, make sure you read the more complete Competition Update below for details on everyone’s rides. Charlotte Harris’ “herd” was all out competing: Bedazzled (“Boomer”) was cleaning-up at Preliminary, Lunetta (“Luna”) made a successful move from Novice to Training, and Catapult (“Crunchie”) is ready to do the same. The Hoffman’s Gamblers Choice (“Woody”) was back at it following his big spring – we’re very happy to have him back in the string of competition horses, and our working student Brynn Hammel started competing Parisa Salehi’s Showman (“Court”). In addition to those, our sale horses Luke, Hound Hall’s Top Shelf (“Scooby”), Lara Anderson’s Full Gallop Casino (“Casino”), and Peter Foley’s Loreto were also out and about.A big, “WELL DONE!” to everyone who competed this season. It was great to have so many horses out competing, so many staff out every weekend, and to see all of the students putting in strong efforts at all of the events.
Back to our sale horses, we currently have some very talented horses offered for sale so, if you are in the market for your next competition horse make sure you take a look at the “Sale Horses” album on Facebook.
And don’t forget about the Triple Crown Trivia and all the cool prizes! To partake, simply e-mail [email protected] to subscribe to the e-newsletters.
We’re already turning our eyes to the 2014 and will once again be based at Full Gallop Farm in Aiken, South Carolina for the winter season. We have great training options for people that want to come down for some fun. Whether you want to come for a weekend, week, or month … we can help create a program that works for you. Just e-mail me at [email protected] for more info!
But before heading south, I’m looking forward to spending the holiday season with family and friends. I hope that everyone is able to take some time to relax over the holidays. See you in 2014!
~Stephen~
Loyal EN reader Sarah Clark has stumbled upon a syndrome that affects many horse owners…like potato chips, you can’t have just one! Many thanks to Sarah for writing, and thank you for reading.
Sarah and Skyler
From Sarah:
There is no such thing as a free horse.
AKA How to go from three horses to eight horses in a very timely manner.
AKA Have I become the crazy horse lady?!?
A year ago, my husband and I bought a new home with a small barn and 13 acres. Before I even moved my three horses to our new place, my uncle talked me into going with him to look at two “ponies” which ended up actually being miniature horses. They were in a pretty rough situation so I decided to take them home. After the owner lassoed them for me. Yes, lassoed. Enough said. Now I had two feral minis along with my adopted mustang, retired geriatric TB, and my competition partner Skyler. Five horses. But two minis really only count as, like, half a horse, right? I quickly took on two more TBs, one a mostly free boarder, the other given to me by a girl who was not riding anymore. OK, seven horses. Or maybe like 5.6 horses. Something like that.
My next bright idea was to look for a (non-feral) pony for my almost 3-year-old son. What better way to inspire him to want to ride, I thought. I mean since he’s shown absolutely no interest whatsoever, having his own pony would definitely get him motivated! I went to the best place I know of to find horses, or at least be entertained while you look for horses, Craigslist. And I pretty much immediately found what I am pretty sure is the cutest pony ever. There he was, looking adorable in the photos of him standing in what looked to be some kind of dog house. But man, was he cute! The ad told me pretty much nothing about him, but I couldn’t resist. I sent a text to the owner asking if I could come see him the next day. And she replied yes! Can you believe that??
For anyone looking at ponies for sale on Craigslist, be prepared for the first question the owner will ask you upon arrival to be something like: So, do you know anything about horses? This is a fun question to answer. Um, well I’ve spent about 26 of my years on earth learning everything I possibly can about horses. So yes, I know a little bit. She proceeds to tell me the all-to-common story about how she thought her niece and nephew would just love to ride a pony around the farm, so she, you guessed it, got a pony! Great idea! By the way, “I heard horses have to have their feet trimmed. Is that true?” Wow. Wow. Yes that is true. Let’s see this poor pony whose feet are going to look amazing, I am sure.
Despite these people’s best efforts to stay in complete ignorance about caring for him, Chico, as he is known, looked great. Luckily she had only owned him for a few weeks before she realized she was in over her head. Chico ran to the gate to meet us and I, eager to meet him, let myself through the gate. As I did, I noticed the children were scared to enter the pasture with me. They were very interested in Chico, and very terrified of him. I took his halter, and quickly realized why. This little beast spent the next several minutes alternately trying to drag me away, and trying to plow over me in any way possible. He literally ran into me repeatedly. This tiny and adorable pony, trying to push me over by ramming me with his cute little face. Oh did I mention he is a stud? Intact, cute as a button, and way too smart for his own good.
I decide the pony isn’t for me, but offer to show the owner how to get some control over him with some basic ground work. At this point, every single member of her family comes out to observe. I spend about 10 minutes circling and backing this little guy in the yard. Hmmmmm… he is very responsive. Smart pony in need of stimulation and a JOB! He starts to look more like a little gentleman. The owner’s niece wants to try my techniques. Good little pony listens to her. The nephew wants to go for a ride. Pony tolerates said child grasping his neck and poking his heels into his flank. “This is a good pony you have here, he just needs someone to be the boss,” I tell his owner. They think I am the horse whisperer and insist I take him home with me. Free.
So… I took him. He was way too cute to pass up. I asked my son what he wanted to name him, anything he could think of. He answered Chuck E Cheese. The pony’s name remained Chico and the first thing I did was have him gelded. My son couldn’t care less that he has his own pony in the pasture. But every time I look at Chico, his sweet little pony face makes my heart melt a little. Hey, anyone know a good place to find a pony sized surcingle? This little guy needs a job!
Laura Collett and Noble Bestman, photo by Samantha Clark
The Horse & Hound is reporting that Laura Collett will no longer ride her top mounts Noble Bestman and Allora 3. Both horses are owned by Phillip Walker; Laura owned a share in Noble Bestman and had the option of a buy-out, but chose not to. She had been based at Phillip Walker’s yard in Membury, Berks, but moved to Lambourn this fall. Noble Bestman is still in rehab from a fractured pastern sustained at Boekelo.
“I’m totally heartbroken, but I was left with no choice,” she told H&H.
Laura said the decision had been made “for various reasons,” but there had been “no falling out.”
“It’s gutting, especially the mare [Allora] — I produced her and sold her to Philip because he liked her. I’m so disappointed as she was a potential team horse, but she’s no longer an option, so I have to move on,” she said.
Now you can make your Ben Hur dream come true. Available for only $1300, this beauty can be yours for Christmas. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about a cheetah rocking horse?
Fiberglass Life sized Horse and Chariot – $1300 (Westside)
Fiberglass Life sized Horse and Chariot , Used for 2 weeks in a drama , would be great for dramas, restaurant decor , horse can be put outside Chariot indoor only..
Cheetah Rocking “horse” (Tallahassee)
Cheetah Rocking horse for sale! Would make a cute Christmas present. in excellent condition! 31″ in length and 16″ in height. Roars when button on ear is pushed. Make an offer and it’s yours!
If you thought Indoor Eventing was a thrill, check out Boyd Exell driving through marathon obstacles inside at the London International Horse Show. Watch as four horses gallop in unison, somehow managing to twist their way through gates in a specific pattern that truly confuses me. Boyd is one of the best in his sport of Combined Driving, and he makes it look easy!
Many thanks to Hannah Sue Burnett for checking in with us! Many horses are headed south to Ocala for the winter, and Hannah just arrived this past week. We wish her all the best in 2014! Thanks to Hannah for writing, and thank you for reading.
Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot
Molokai at Rolex in 1998. Photo courtesy of Dorothy Crowell.
Yesterday, the event world lost one of its classic horses. Molokai passed away out in his Kentucky field at age 30. A 1983 bay Thoroughbred registered as Surf Scene (Hawaii – Pretty Copy), Mo was a fierce competitor in the ’90s taking his owner/rider Dorothy (Trapp) Crowell to the world’s biggest events. He earned individual silver at the 1994 World Equestrian Games in the Netherlands, and closed out his career with a second place at the 1998 Rolex CCI****. In between, he recorded top-10 finishes at Badminton and Burghley. Those that saw Mo on cross-country will never forget him– brilliant and bold with an effortless gallop, he made the toughest four-star courses look easy.
Dorothy sent this text out last night:
Molokai passed away tonight. It will take some adjustments to begin my life without Mo. He gave me my career, my medal, my farm, my family, my life. Love you Mo.
I looked after Mo in his later years in life. He always had a special aura about him; you looked into his eyes and saw greatness, wisdom, pride, and kindness. He wasn’t a big horse– 16.2 at the wither, about 15.3 everywhere else– but standing beside him you felt small. When he walked into the barn, every horse hung his head out into the aisle, nickered and whinnied. He was special, and everyone knew it. He will be greatly missed.
Kristin Carpenter and her young OTTB Khaleesi at the William Fox-Pitt clinic.
The Chronicle of the Horse published a fantastic article by Kristin Carpenter titled, “The Pitfalls of Potential.” Kristin explains the double-edged sword of potential; why we are drawn to the mystical quality, but how it isn’t always what it seems. When evaluating horses, she says you can’t get around two things: character and soundness. All the talent in the world cannot overcome a poor work ethic or a physical weakness. I urge you to click over to COTH for the whole piece, it’s a great read!
Potential. It is a word that inspires our hopes, fills our dreams, and encourages us to get up each morning and try to be better. But potential is a double-edged sword: it lies.
It makes promises that often go unfulfilled, and can lead to poor decision-making and costly long-term investment. No one would ever become great without pursuing potential, but a necessary life lesson is that potential is an empty promise without the other oh-so-important building blocks of success—hard work, determination and desire.
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All too often we ignore the red flags of flaws because we are mesmerized by all the bells and whistles that potential promises. Even at advanced, an athletic animal is perfectly capable of clearing the height. What makes an advanced horse is less its potential to jump those tracks, but instead its character, work ethic, and soundness. And those are things we cannot change with training, no matter how hard we might try.
At any level, a good event horse has character and a desire to do the job. If doing a four-star were as easy as having the potential to do a four-star, all of our top riders would have an army of top horses. If you check in their barns, many have the most incredibly moving, scopiest jumping prelim and intermediate horses you have ever seen.
A federal appeals court has lifted a temporary ban on U.S. horse slaughter, meaning that companies in New Mexico and Missouri could open within a few weeks. Domestic horse slaughter has been banned since 2007, when federal funding for equine meat inspection was eliminated. A 2011 bill restored funding for inspections, and this summer three slaughterhouses sought to resume production after being granted permits by the USDA.
Animal protection groups tried to block the opening of the plants, asserting that they did not obtain permits in the proper manner. On Friday, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled that the US Department of Ag followed proper procedure in issuing the permits. The order lifts the case’s emergency status, and it will likely be months before a final decision is reached. Valley Meat Co. (NM) and Rains Natural Meats (MO) could agree to remained closed if the animal protection groups agree to pay for the companies’ losses during that time. The companies could be ready to open within two weeks.
Horse slaughter is a very controversial topic. It seems morally wrong to many people, yet the simple fact is that there is a demand for processed horses. While slaughter has been closed in the US, tens of thousands of horses have endured grueling transport to Mexico or Canada. And thousands of other unwanted horses have suffered starvation and neglect. Is it better to have them end up in federally regulated plants in the US, than end up starved or at inhumane facilities in Mexico? But at the same time, horse owners worry that their backyard pet could end up in the wrong hands, or stolen, and on a dinner plate. The idea of eating horses is does not sit well with most American stomachs, and it’s hard to look into a horse’s eyes and even contemplate the thought of death for profit. There is no easy answer to this problem.
So, what does Santa do before Dec. 25? He attends Swedish horse shows, of course. Here’s the finale of the Stockholm International Horse Show, featuring: a uniformed marching band, people dressed up in animal costumes, kids on skis with sparklers pulled by ponies, Icelandic ponies dressed as Rudolph, and ponies pulling a VW Bug dropping a trail of fire. It’s like Disney On Ice meets Equitana, set to Jingle Bell Rock. Merry Christmas, Sweden. I’m not sure what you’re doing, but keep doing it right.
Ranch horse/cowgirl included (package deal)
nice 9 year old reg gelding sound, calm finished head and heel horse gentle for any rider 15.3 hands. 4,500 my girlfriend says if I sell him shes leaving so shes included package deal.
Libby Henderson, creator of Higher Standards Leather Care has seen her business grow tremendously in the past year. After giving a few product samples to friends, her special leather products began to take off-- and became a big hit with members of the Chronicle of the Horse Eventing Forum. (See the "Review" topic which has grown to 56 pages with over 37,000 views). As eventers, we always have dirty tack, especially after cross-country, and what would be a better Christmas gift idea than some excellent saddle soap? We asked Libby a few questions and she was happy to discuss her business, the magic of her leather balm, and how it all started as a crush on Karen O'Connor's little bay horse, Upstage.
Q: Tell us a little about your business. How did you start making saddle soap? Where did the idea come from?
Libby: In 2003, I was looking for gifts to give barn friends for Christmas — I found a recipe for the homemade saddle soap, and gave that out that year, along with some homemade horse cookies. I had taken a recipe for the soap, and altered it a good bit to get it to where I was happy with it, and then decided it would be fun to have saddle soap that smelled good too. I learned some things about aromatherapy and essential oils and started experimenting. During that time, I had developed a HUGE crush on Karen O’Connor’s horse Upstage — I’ve been the President of his fan club for a long time! I sent a care package to Karen at Rolex, with the homemade horse cookies, some people treats, and included a small tupperware container of the saddle soap (this is not quite as stalker-ey as it sounds, as I did know both Karen and Max — though I did claim and own, top stalker status for Woody!).
My friends had liked the soap, and I used it, but I was surprised when I saw Max in the Fall that year, and she asked for another tub of the soap — saying it was the best she had used. So, from that point on, I made her several large containers a year, and made it for other friends and for myself, but didn’t think about marketing it. Earlier this year, after Max had retired, we were talking about the soap and she encouraged me again to think about marketing it — I floated the idea to the Chronicle Eventing Forum, lots of people signed up for testers, and once the enthusiastic reviews came in, I decided to give it a try. The crowdsourcing of ideas from other eventers has made this so much fun!
The leather balm was developed after some of the fans of the soap asked for a product — I did some research and have come up with a combination that I’ve been pretty happy with and folks have given great reviews, so it is a little bit research and a little bit trial and error! Customer feedback is the MOST important thing I’ve used in development.
Q: What makes your soap unique? How does it work?
Libby: I wish I could answer just *why* it works so well, but without divulging my super secret ingredient list, I don’t think I can. It is a glycerin base, with conditioning oils added in and it seems to do a great job of cutting grime and nasty funky stuff without drying out the leather, or your hands.
Q: Where are your scents and product names derived from?
Libby: The scents for the three basic soaps are named after three event horses that are very close to my heart. Buzz (Buzz’s Citrus Ginger) and Ben (Ben’s Rosemary Mint) were mine, and Fox (Fox’s Vanilla Lavender) belonged to my trainer, Kelley Nolan Norred. Buzz and Fox are no longer with us, and Ben had to retire early due to having terrible feet, and complications from being insulin resistant — he rules my retirement pasture, and we still battle chronic founder with him. I wanted to honor the memory of these special horses, and thought naming the soaps after them was a way to do that. I also have had some of my special edition soaps named after other horses. Alfie’s Vanilla Mint (belonging to Amanda Smith) and Phinney’s Sweet CinnaMint (belonging to Debbie Brady) were named after horses belonging to two friends who have been a huge help to me in starting my business. We have also donated the chance to have a scent named after the winner’s horse in the Canter Mid-Atlantic Fund Raising Auction and I was stunned at the amount of money it raised to help that great organization. The scents have come from research on essential oil blends, and suggestions from fans!
Q: How did your business grow? How much soap do you produce?
Libby: I have done no advertising so far — well, except for my first ad that will come out in the new magazine Equestrian Culture! It has been solely promoted through word of mouth, mostly through the HUGE review thread on the Chronicle of the Horse’s forums, and through the Facebook page. I’ve teamed up with a group of other cottage industry equestrian manufacturers and done Facebook giveaways and that has been terrific! I also have some sponsored riders in the eventing world, and they’ve been very helpful in assisting me in promoting the products.
I wish I could answer how much soap I’ve actually made since I launched the Etsy store in April, but my bookkeeping is pretty lousy (If I’d been able to do math, I would probably have become a tax lawyer and made a LOT more money!!) but way more than I expected to do this soon! It is made in small batches in my kitchen, and everything is done by hand. I’ve been really fortunate because my husband works from home, and has had the opportunity to get involved, and is doing a lot of the manufacturing now. I’m afraid that without a partner, I’d be in trouble trying to keep up and still be able to focus on my “day job.” But, with his help, we’ve been able to make and ship enough soap and leather balm to meet the number of orders.
Photos by Joanne Vukman.
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Q: What do others say about it?
COTHer Renn/aissance
“I was pleased with how well the balm absorbed into the leather without leaving a residue. I don’t own such a thing as a soft cloth, so I rubbed it in with my fingers while flexing the leather, as I would a balsam. My bridle (much better after 2 months of the soap, by the way- still inclined to be on the dry side, but no longer in a concerning way) absorbed a light coat within about 2 minutes and I put a second coat on. No stickiness, no dirt-attraction, no feeling like I had to wash my hands afterwards (I just rubbed my hands together and now my hands feel great!)
COTHer RiverBendPol
I have turned into a tack cleaner. This stuff is great! My 15-year-old paddock boots and 23-yr-old bridle look like new. (well, aside from the actual cracks in the boots) I have been cleaning my tack every DAY! Unheard of behavior for me. Plus, my good boots shined up well enough to ride in Lucinda’s clinic with no polishing! Thanks, Libby-great invention, thanks for sharing.
COTHer GutsNGlory
This stuff may change me… I’ve already cleaned my tack more in the past 2 weeks than I have total in the six months prior! I can definitely see where this is a nice daily cleaner. It is easy to use and quick. I love that it is a conditioning soap, so I don’t have to use a wash and then also condition everything. One and done – love it! BUT, the bonus for me was that even though it is a “daily” soap, it REALLY did the trick to get off all of the old build up and gunk from my tack that hadn’t been cleaned in several months. I had a breastplate that was covered in 3+ month old dried sweat. With just a little extra force, all of that nasty came RIGHT off. And it wasn’t like I was REALLY scrubbing hard the way I have had to with some other soaps/cleaners – just that little extra bit of weight from my fingers and some extra suds took it off in a blink. The leather felt restored and soft the next day. Even better now that I’ve cleaned it after each ride I’ve used it for since.
Q: What’s your ultimate goal or dream for Higher Standards Leather Care?
Libby: I’d like to see the products continue to grow and spread to other areas. A great deal of my customers are eventers (because, naturally, we are the coolest people out there!! Even those of us who are hoping to one day return to competition at BN feel like we belong to the best community of equestrians that there is!) but I’d like to expand into other disciplines, and have begun reaching out to some western riders as well. I would like to see it sold in more retail locations, but I also like the aspect of being in touch with my customers directly. I’ve had so much fun developing products and have been working with a few new things that I’ve been handing out to folks to test for me. I don’t see myself leaving my day job anytime soon, but I’m always open to opportunities!
www.higherstandardsleathercare.com
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Many thanks to Libby for chatting with us, and her soap is surely to be appreciated in any equestrian’s Christmas stocking! For a chance to win a FREE sample of Higher Standards soap in your choice of scent, please answer this question in the comments section: How many times did Upstage complete Rolex CCI4*, and how many times in the top 15? Winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers, please include your email address.
