I’m knocking on wood with my left hand and typing with my right, but it’s been a freakishly mild winter so far. Here in the southeast, we’ve had less than a handful of subfreezing days, and my first event of the season–Sporting Days Farm H.T. on Feb. 4–may be the earliest I’ve ever gotten my horse out, any year, ever. I’m thinking maybe God wants us to enjoy an extra long year of eventing before we all die in the zombie apocalypse next December.
Elsewhere in the world, people are less delighted and more creeped out. In the UK, there are reports of mares going into heat way early, horses growing less winter coat and shedding early, and lotsa lotsa rainrot. [H&H]
A fundraiser for Allison Angrove will be held on Feb. 26 in Martinez, CA, featuring food, raffles and a silent auction. Allison sustained a traumatic head injury in the show-jumping warm-up at Ram Tap Horse Trials in the spring of 2009 at age 16. After 14 months in a coma and 28 months in the hospital, Allison returned home where she currently undergoes intensive speech/language and physical therapy. The Team Allison Fund was created to assist with Allison’s expenses, as providing for her ongoing needs has challenged her family monetarily. For fundraiser tickets and/or donations, contact Terri at [email protected]. (US Eventing)
The Chronicle‘s Lisa Slade gives a fantastic report from the first leg of the Retired Racehorse Trainer Challenge. She relays the trainers’ various approaches to choosing a horse and provides a play-by-play of their first rides. Considering the circumstances–“Imagine getting on an ex-racehorse for the first time in a small indoor arena–during an ice storm–in front of a large crowd of people,” Lisa writes–the expo went as smoothly as possible. The Challenge concludes on Feb. 25 at the Pennsylvania Horse Expo, where the trainers will be judged on how well they’ve tamed their beasts. (COTH)
The National Farmers’ Union has called for revelers celebrating the Chinese New Year in the UK to refrain from letting off Chinese Lanterns. The concern is that the lanterns, which are kind of like fire-powered mini hot-air balloons, could set fire to barns or be eaten by livestock upon returning to the ground. (H&H)
How do you decide which supplements to buy for your horse? A British study has revealed that horse owners are most likely to use their vet to guide nutritional supplement purchasing decisions, as well as recommendations from other riders. (HorseTalk)
Football legend Joe Montana’s horse farm in Sonoma Valley, CA, is for sale for a cool $35 mill. The 500-acre property includes a 9,700-sq.-ft. stone home, caretaker’s unit, pool and spa, private pond, basketball court, olive farm and professional-grade stable with indoor arena. Just in case you’re looking. (HorseTalk)
Top of the Tweets: Alexandra Beckstett (@ABeckstett), Features Editor for The Horse, tweets, “Freelancer just turned in story about Cryptorchidism (go ahead, Google it) called ‘Tales from the Crypt.’ Yes.”
Best of the Blogs: Elisa Wallace survived January Poplar Place H.T. 2012 to finish in 5th place in the I/P division on Beatriz Halbert’s 15.1-hh Arabian, Figjam. In her blog, she recounts the excitement that was hiding out in the bathroom on Saturday as tornadoes passed through the area, then thrills us with a helmet cam of her foot-perfect xc go. Elisa’s commentary is priceless, but my favorite part is the last few seconds when Amigo is clearly still full of go as he approaches the final fence. “Goodness gracious, horse,” she exclaims. “I can’t feel my arms!”
