Lose weight and eat all you want!

Oh, how I would love to believe this is possible, Zsa Zsa...

As equestrians, I bet every one of us has encountered a variation on one of these themes...

• A fellow boarder tells me that her horse's hooves have shown dramatic improvement after using a hoof supplement for only one week!
• A GMO classified ad lists seven saddles for sale, all at the same barn. Seems that a name-brand saddle seller/fitter visited their barn, did a fitting, and found all of their saddles were damaging their horses' backs. Seven new saddles are now on order (est. 50K in sales), and now the original saddles are for sale. 
• A dressage diva is thrown from her horse. The only possible explanation, she claims, is that the barn worker must have neglected to feed her horse its magnesium-based calming supplement. Are you kidding?

There is truth, and there is marketing, and it's increasingly hard to make a distinction. We want things to work, want to believe that something can fix our horse's arthritis, cribbing, bucking, and what-have-you, and that makes us vulnerable to people who want to make a buck. As I told my husband of my hunt for saddle perfection, he got exasperated and said, "It's a piece of leather stuffed with wool. How much  can there be to this?" It's great that we are thinking more of the horse's experience and feelings when we ride, and there is a lot of new research and technology to help us arrive at a better fit. However, where do you draw the line between bona fide research-based findings and the  smoke and mirrors of marketing?

That's my opinion. What do y'all think?

Etsy horse stuff: My likes!

I love the way the horses seem to be "emerging from the mist." Nice design! And at $12 you can hardly go wrong. From the  Etsy lemonglaze shop...

Made  from vintage show ribbons, now a belt -- $30. Lovely! From mjoydesign...

 Dressage bracelet, $48,  from S. J. Zywar...

Small moments: Remembering a friend

Erica (right) and I, 1996

Here is a memory of my friend Erica from years ago -- probably in the early nineties.

I am in a department store in Oxford, Ohio, with  Erica. Erica is probably my closest friend,  and she's a great shopping partner--especially clothes shopping. She has good taste and I trust her to steer me in the right sartorial direction -- toward the most flattering styles. For the iffy choices, she says things like, "it doesn't do anything to you, but it doesn't do anything for you either." Or "Well... It's not unwearable." (Erica uses double-negatives when she is non-committal, a habit I  picked up from her). When she approves of an outfit,  she says emphatically "You can't leave the store without this."

Anyway, we are in the Ladies Sportswear on this particular shopping day.  We find we're both drawn to the same blue and white seersucker A-line skirt, and we both decide to try it on. I pick out the size for my just-under-six-foot-tall frame and she picks out the petite version for her gamine figure. She is least 8  inches shorter than I. Into the dressing rooms we go, and back out again moments later. Not Good. We both look down and grimace. Walking over toward the panoramic mirror, we stand side by side and assess the situation. 

Erica:                 I can't do seersucker. You can  get away with it, because you're tall.
Me:                    Erica. I look like a house.
Erica: (smiling) Well, then I'm the garage.

It is such a small, forgettable moment. But as we stand together in front the mirror,  I feel how unique and wonderful she is.  Erica possesses intelligence, generosity, a sense of humor, and an endearing quirkiness. She's an original.

2012
I learned  last night that Erica has passed away. She had been battling a terrible illness, and had a setback. But she'd held her own so long, and the Facebook postings were upbeat. I didn't monitor closely, and when I checked back after a few days lapsed, I saw her memorial service announcement.  I picked up my orange tabby cat, Newman, and hugged him. I remembered that it was Erica the cat lover who inspired me to bring cats in my life, and who was so helpful with my questions about their care and habits. The pet names I use for my cats came from Erica. She's with me in small ways,  from how I talk to my cats,  to the turns of phrase I use, the way I think about libraries, and other small things.

Erica, you have touched so many lives, mine included.  Sleep in peace.

Erica Lilly
1962-2012

Run-run-run-run runaway dressage horse

This was posted on the Chronicle of the Horse list -- This 17.3 FIVE year old got away from his petite owner as she was bridling him. This is a horse that is very pleased with himself, and it's funny because he seemed so calm and in control. Most horses panic when they get loose.

So the rider put on her big girl pants and rode her test immediately following his capture (and they got   "8s" on the extensions).