Classic Eventing Nation

Start Box Jams: The White Elephant Edition

By on Dec 23, 2013 12:00 pm -

There are some truly special songs that surface this time of year. Some of them are funny, some of them are weird and others are just plain horrible.  Much like those As Seen On TV novelties, horrible holiday songs are horrors that you just can’t look away from.

Scruffy The Elf – I’m Scruffy The Elf (The Elf With Facial Hair)
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer is viewed by many as the all time best-bad-Christmas song, but after hearing this song I suspect we have a challenger for the title.

New Kids On The Block – Funky Funky Christmas
I was a NKOTB fan when I was a kid.  I remember setting up the VCR to record this very performance.  I spent at least an hour figuring out how to program the arcane machine, spent my own money on a blank tape and woke up early in the morning to view what I’d recorded.  I faintly remember that my mom recorded one of my horse shows on the tape shortly afterward which made me upset for about five minutes.  At first, I was stoked when I found this on YouTube.  Now I am quite embarrassed.

Star Wars: Christmas In The Stars – R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Putting a Christmas theme on things that are completely non-Christmas related always makes me laugh.  Add in the fact that the 1980’s were a very weird time of marketing and you get some true Christmas gems.  John Bon Jovi, singing children, R2-D2 and C3PO come together for what is an admittedly weird but very festive Christmas treasure.

The Art of Doing Less

By on Dec 23, 2013 12:00 pm -
Nyls at Plantation CIC3*. Photo by Jenni Autry

Nyls at Plantation CIC3*. Photo by Jenni Autry

There’s a scene in one of my favorite movies, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, where a surfing instructor is attempting to teach a first timer how to pop up from the position where he lies on his belly into the surfing balance on his feet. The scene is ridiculous for a number of reasons, but the basic one is that the teacher is positively terrible at explaining what he wants from his student, Peter. As Peter pops up from lying down to standing up, Kunu (the instructor) says, “Don’t do anything. Don’t try to surf, don’t do it! The less you do, the more you do”. Attempting to pop up again, Kunu says, “That’s not it at all. Do less. Get down, try it again”.

As absurd as the scene is, I feel like a lot of riding is exactly like this situation. We spend our whole lives trying to achieve results without looking like we are doing anything at all. If you watch the best riders in any discipline, whether it’s Dressage, Show Jumping or Eventing, they tend to almost look like they’re doing nothing. They have bottled the essence of effortlessness and they drink it for breakfast with their Wheaties.

I have a student who is just beginning her exploration into the world of Eventing, and has ridden in the Hunter arena before this. She has a cute young thoroughbred who’s a great jumper, and a patient boy with lots of potential. The two hardest things that she’s struggling with right now are the concept of consistent but light contact, and the strength to sit down and back in the canter and resist the urge to hover above the saddle. I was explaining to her the other day that both of these things will take time, but the ultimate goal is to look like she’s not doing anything, but simply sitting in perfect balance and coexisting with her horse, achieving results effortlessly and invisibly. You can bet I got an exasperated look for that.

Leo being adorable. Photo by Samantha Brooke Photography.

Leo being adorable. Photo by Samantha Brooke Photography.

Of course the ultimate goal is to be able to seamlessly accomplish whatever movement, obstacle or pattern you want from your horse without the audience noticing what cues you are using. The logic behind this, for me at least, is that I want to be as kind and subtle with my cues as possible in order to communicate on a better level. If a horse can feel one fly sitting on his flank, you think he can’t feel when you apply your leg an inch further back than usual? Horses are trained through the application and release of pressure, be it in the reins, the seat bones, the legs or what have you. I feel that the goal with each horse is to come to an understanding where the pressure applied can be much less, and everyone leaves happier.

However, here is where I think people go wrong with this idea: in order to achieve this “doing less”, you can’t do nothing. You can’t passively ride your horse with little to no aids and hope that he’ll come around eventually. You also can’t simply hang on his mouth and hope he will soften before you do. You can’t avoid all arguments and focus on being nice all the time. If you do, you are effectively training your horse to walk all over you, and slowly ignore your aids.

Within this concept of “doing less” and working towards a subtler, nicer form of communication, there is a time for discipline, but with empathy. Nobody wants to hear about discipline, but the fact of the matter is that it’s not inherently evil, just the same as bigger bits or draw reins or spurs are not inherently evil. The only thing that makes these tools aggressive is the user, and how they choose to implement them. The part that is important in this is empathy, and never temper I would rather correct a behavior once with a little more authority, than nag incessantly for months, numbing the horse to your aids. Check out George Morris’ approach to horsemanship in the video for more thoughts on this.

In short, I think it’s important that as riders we realize our impact on our horses and live more intentionally while we are on their backs. Every time you interact with him, you are training him for something, even if you don’t mean to do so. As the horse is a highly social animal, you must first start to enter his social structure as a person who can be trusted and respected. Once you achieve this, you must then begin to understand that each ride can be geared towards finding that essence of effortlessness, and bottling your own jug for breakfast.

 

 

Holiday Gift Ideas: Last Minute Ideas

By on Dec 23, 2013 10:30 am -

‘Tis the season to have absolutely no idea what to get any of your friends or family, for the umpteenth year in a row. Every once in a while you find the perfect present, but especially for horsey friends, the pressure is on. Obviously you’ll be purchasing something horse-related, but does it have to be pink and have a fat pony on it? We here at Eventing Nation say NAY! That’s why this holiday season each one of our impressive staff writers is picking one unique, amazing, thoughtful and clever horsey gift to help you along during this time of stress. Happy holidays!

It’s the absolute last minute.  Seriously, why did you wait this long?  If you’re anything like me it’s simply that the time just got away from you.  It can be pretty overwhelming when you’re faced with the critical dilemma of what to get those last few people on your gift-list and know full well that even overnight shipping won’t save you. That’s where EN comes in.  Here are some last-minute gift ideas that may just save the day!

Do your friends love to go cross-country schooling? Do they spend more time at your local horse park than they do at home?  Perhaps a day-pass or year’s membership for your local horse-park is in order!  I know I always forget to renew my memberships at least one of our local horse-parks and if I was smart, I’d renew all of them right now while it’s on my mind.  The great thing about this is that not only are you supporting the community at large, but some horse parks are set up in such a way that your membership fees are tax deductible.  How awesome is that?  Fair warning, this one might be a bit tricky to pull off, but it is certainly worth calling up your local horse park to see if they can help you out.  I know I’ll be on the horn with Woodside, Fresno County Horse Park and Camelot the moment I can sneak away from the festivities!

Do you have a friend who hauls you and your horse everywhere? Being the nerd without her own trailer, I’ve got a few trailer-owning buddies who I am eternally indebted to.  Without trailer-owning friends there would be far less hijinks and far fewer adventures.  These fine friends put wear and tear on their vehicles in the name of fun.  Do yourself a favor and become the best tag-along ever and pick them up a gas gift card. We all know how expensive gas is and a free tank is sure to be appreciated.  If you want to go the extra mile you could also grab them a gift certificate for an oil change too! [Gasoline Gift Cards][JiffyLube Gift Cards]

Confessions From An Obsessive Compulsive Over Analyzer

By on Dec 23, 2013 9:00 am -
Valonia at Pirouette Farm (photo taken by May Emerson) Valonia at Pirouette Farm (photo taken by May Emerson)

Why would I throw away perfectly good money on therapy when I can divulge my inner most thoughts with all you die hard Eventing Nation followers? I must confess, I come from generations of border line obsessive compulsive and overly analytical folks, therefore I was doomed from the get-go. Although, this mental state is nothing to be ashamed of, in fact, several members in my family, including yours truly, have actually embraced this state of being.

There are a considerable number of benefits that accompany this mental state. For starters, whoever suffers from OCOA (obsessive compulsive over analyzer) will appreciate the fact that we are all incredibly organized. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am the queen of To Do lists. I leave ink reminders on my hand. I leave sticky notes everywhere, and I send myself email reminders so I don’t forget to do something. Call is crazy, call it organized, call it whatever you may like, but this girl would never have graduated from college if it weren’t for those don’t forget to do…today notes. We also pay close attention to details. We lose sleep at night thinking about important tasks, and about our loved ones (obviously horses included). The list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, OCOA comes with a list of baggage as well. As an avid event rider, my OCOA gets in the way frequently. Let’s say I have a horrific lesson (true story). I cannot see a distance to save my life, while others are cantering circles around me. Ultimately, the lesson ends with a fight and I replay the events over and over again, until my internal remote practically freezes from over use. I become enraged and every thought is consumed by the lesson I had two days ago. Where did I go wrong? Why can’t I figure this horse out? What am I missing? What am I doing with my life? Am I supposed to be a rider? I really don’t know how to ride….maybe I should find something else to do.

Skybreaker xc schooling this summer (photo taken by May Emerson)

Skybreaker xc schooling this summer (photo taken by May Emerson)

Raise your hand if you’ve ever lost sleep over a ride, a lesson, or a competition, or asked yourself if you should really be riding at all? Reassure me that I am not the only rider who questions herself, while replaying her thoughts, decisions and training repeatedly? Selling your soul to eventing, or coming close to selling your life to this sport can be simultaneously amazing and dangerous. Yes, we have all consented, and signed on the dotted line below. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we chose this way of life, or at least we thought we did. And yet, did we remember to factor in the rage, the seemingly unattainable goals, the headaches, mind aches, body aches, and the never-ending questions about our horses? Before we signed the arbitrary document, did we contemplate the hardships, and the long lost nights of sleep? Of course we didn’t think about the side effects when we signed up for this life because we were under the event riders spell, and lured in by gorgeous horses, and thrill seeking competitions.

A wise Professor in college once told me, “we don’t choose our paths, our careers, and our lives, instead those paths, those careers, and those ways of life choose us.” I have no idea if this philosophical statement is valid or not, but the concept is perplexing nevertheless. Regardless of my Professors insight, life spent on a horse farm seems to have countless more pro’s, than it has con’s. Yes, I have lost sleep at night thinking about and obsessing over my cross country course for the following day, or why my horse seems unsound, or why I can’t ride better. These are common fears and thoughts. Perhaps I am not the only victim suffering from OCOA, perhaps you cannot own, ride and compete a horse without having a drop of OCOA in your blood?

 

Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

By on Dec 23, 2013 12:01 am -
I look forward to it every year! I look forward to it every year!

Where did the weekend go?  I swear it was Friday night five minutes ago. I got very lucky this year and was granted a stretch of paid days off this week thru New Years, but there’s still a ton of things to do before the in-laws drop by. Then again, the A Christmas Story marathon won’t start until Christmas Eve, the weather’s great and it’s looking like a perfect day for a trail ride.  Guess that means it’s a perfect night for an all-night cleaning festival. Happy Holidays, EN!

Events and Combined Tests Open for Entry: 

Opened November 26, 2013
Ocala Horse Properties Winter I H.T. (Florida, A-3) – Closes December 24th!

Opened December 03, 2013
Poplar Place Farm January H.T. (Georgia, A-3)

Opened December 10, 2013
Fresno County Horse Park Combined Test (California, A-6) Full Gallop Farm H.T (South Carolina, A-3) Rocking Horse Winter I H.T. (Florida, A-3)

Opened December 17, 2013
Galway Downs Winter H.T. (California, A-6) Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials (South Carolina, A-3) Poplar Place Farm February H.T. (Georgia, A-3)

Opening December 24, 2013
Pine Top Winter H.T. (Georgia, A-3) Ocala Horse Properties Winter II H.T. (Florida, A-3) Full Gallop Farm February H.T. (South Carolina, A-3)

Monday News and Notes:

Are you feeling extra creative? What better outlet than our Christmas Jingle Contest, presented by Point Two? All you have to do to enter is send a jingle to [email protected] by midnight EST on Christmas Eve. We will announce the winner on Christmas Day.

It just keeps getting better and better for Andrew Nicholson. Nicholson has topped off 2013 with another $50k in his pocket after topping the HSBC Rankings for the year.  He won the HSBC bonus in 2012 after moving to the top of the list with a stellar performance at the London Olympics. What a way to end the year! [More from horsetalk.co.nz]

Missing Pony Alert  Tic Toc is a small grey pony that has gone missing.  He belongs to a little boy in England named Joshua Carnegie.   Joshua’s parents have offered a £6,000 reward for the safe return of their five-year-old son’s pony and some celebrities have gotten in on spreading the word via Facebook.  I hope they find him soon!  [More from Telegraph.co.uk]

Does your horse’s BFF cry for him when you head off for a hack? There is nothing more pitiful or annoying than a gelding standing in the corner of the pasture crying mournfully for his buddy.  Separation anxiety can encompass a range of behaviors from very mild to very extreme and can be quite frustrating to deal with. If you’ve got some buddies who just can’t bear to be apart, the folks over at TheHorse.com have posted some information that you might find useful!  [More from TheHorse.com]

Goodbye Hollywood Park. Hollywood Park is the second major California race track to close since 2008.  The closure of Hollywood Park is a very sad loss when it comes to horse racing history.  The 260 acre property will be turned in to a housing and retail development starting next year. [More from LATimes.com]

One dollar from all USEA entry fees is to be used to fund equine medical research.  This initiative was announced at the USEA convention earlier this month.  The additional dollar on your entries begin showing up in January.  It is expected that approximately $40k will be raised thru this initiative. [More from horsetalk.co.nz]

Monday Video: Sometimes you need to kick back and watch cartoons for a bit.  Who remembers Pippi Longstocking?

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From Dressage Today: Dressage Training Exercises to Calm Your Hot Horse

By on Dec 22, 2013 3:00 pm -

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.

From Dressage Today:

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.

  1. On a 20-meter circle, pick up the canter or trot.
  2. With your outside leg, move the circle in to 18 meters. Then, with your inside leg, press it back out to 20.
  3. 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.

  1. Start a leg yield or half pass on the diagonal from the corner. Begin in normal working trot.
  2. Slowly build it to finish the line in medium trot.
  3. 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!”

Click here to read more.

Sunday Video: Throwback Cross Country

By on Dec 22, 2013 1:30 pm -

I’ve always loved looking back at the history of our sport. If people think eventers are insane now, try taking a look back a few years. I also love to see some of the  most influential people in the sport at the height of their competitive careers. This video has all of the above. A clip from a Captain Edgars bloopers tape, there are many famous names who make an appearance. Sit back and enjoy, all while thanking your lucky stars for inflatable air vests. Thanks to Tamra Smith for posting this on her Facebook page!

Stephen Bradley: Wrapping up the 2013 Competition Season

By on Dec 22, 2013 12:00 pm -

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. 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~

In Memory of Molokai

By on Dec 22, 2013 10:30 am -
Dorothy Crowell and Molokai gracing the front of the Wheaties box

Dorothy Crowell and Molokai gracing the front of the Wheaties box

As we say goodbye to one of the greatest Eventing horses from the long format era, we must pay tribute to the glory that he posessed in his heydey. Here was a horse that was immortalized on the front of the Wheaties box, a horse that won the inaugural CCI4* in 1998 at Rolex Kentucky, and earned an individual silver at the World Equestrian Games in The Netherlands in 1994. Mo was responsible for bringing Dorothy Crowell to the top levels of the sport, taking her to England to complete Burghley and Badminton in the top ten, and then back to Kentucky again.

Luckily for us, Dorothy’s husband John has just posted a collection of old videos from the 1990′s, when Dorothy and Mo were competing regularly at the CCI4* level. Included in the videos are his 1998 winning cross country round from Rolex Kentucky, an up close interview with the two of them from 1996, and his retirement ceremony in 1999. I’ve attached two videos here, but if you want to see the whole playlist, click HERE.

Sarah Clark: No Such Thing as a Free Horse

By on Dec 22, 2013 9:04 am -

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!