Horse crazy? Take a number, lady.

Posted on COTH recently:


HELP. I don't care about the non-horse world anymore.
 I just have lost interest in everything except stuff that's horse related. I mean i really cannot bring myself to do anything except horse-related stuff...I'd rather do anything else than continue in academics. I am so burnt out... I'd rather be a working student at a dressage barn this summer. 

Gee. You make it sound like it's something bad..

Random Rolex moments

My random Rolex moments -- if you listen hard you'll hear the names of the horse/rider combinations. But the bottom line is, the Brits ate our lunch. Ever'body popped out of their saddle -- no falls, the horses weren't even necessarily having difficulty. Jim Wofford said that the course designer "made use of the terrain." Maybe people missed some of the ground undulations? Who knows. William Fox-Pitt didn't even hiccup. The guy is a machine.


PS I think it is processing as of about 7:40am. Should be ready soon...

A word about barn drama, part 1

 Yes, it's a drag. But remember...

A Good Lather is Half the Shave!

Dressage, desserts, and deals deals deals!

Smoky Mountain waterproof jodphur boots, $35 

Dressage day 2: I watched rides sporadically and  shopped -- mostly I looked for boots that I could walk in and muck in since every Sunday I muck and do turnout. My sparkly boots are not really boots I can use for turnout/bringing in horses.

The Bit of Britain sales rep scolded me for even looking for a boot that could do both. I tried on many Ariat and Dansko boots that were waterproof--none really even felt that great, and all were at a price point more than $100. Apparently a mucking/walking boot is some sort of holy grail of  footwear, but it still seems crazy to spend over $100 on such a boot.

I wandered over to a trade fair booth that had discounted boots --  the Ariats were not enough of a discount for me (about 10%), but lo and behold, I did find my dream-boot.  Smoky Mountain waterproof paddock boots for $35!!!!  I wore them the rest of the day and even did a coursewalk in them. They were more comfy than my old beat up sneakers, which I have now thrown away. The fit is nice enough that I would be comfortable riding in them too.

Oh yeah, the competition
Arthur and Allison Springer were awesome, as were Demeter and Marily Little-Meredith. Oh, did I mention Doug Payne, who is from NJ and is riding a horse owned by Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen's spouse? I did not see her or Bruce, but did get up close and personal (within arm's length) of William Fox-Pitt. He is very thin and tall, unusually so.  Like some runway models, he has an other worldly look.

Note: The links below don't seem to take you to the right spot (they're supposed to!). Go to the web page, choose Dressage Day 1 part 3, and Laine starts 8 minutes in, Katie right after. Sorry!
So here are videos of the rides I saw yesterday: Laine Ashker  and Katie Ruppel. I see a little of Riley in Sir Donovan. I WISH I saw a little of me in Laine or Katie, as they were totally super. Kudos to both of them, and my fingers are crossed big time!

Had dinner at Bella Notte, wonderful food, great desserts, and a great selection of gluten-free foods.  Here is a picture of Bob, my niece (who is graduating from UK this spring), and the desserts...

Sparkle-plenty boots for Rolex

Hey, don't miss the annual Rolex haiku thread on COTH.
As for my purchases? Well, Harv has a lovely brown snakeskin-lined halter, and I have a cheapo pair of earrings. Tons of samples and freebies that we're mailing back this am, and we'll continue our signup spree.

I have not selected a course walk yet, and it's getting late. Speaking of walking...

My 2011 Rolex boots, multicolor argyle, have had a full year of hard use at the barn (mucking mostly), and the inside of the boots are pretty worn and rough -- not for long walks. As it happens, our local dept store had a sale, and I splurged on new boots for Rolex -- black, sparkly, and quite the counterpoint to the Dubarrys so many folks will be sporting. Still - I love them!

The weather today looks pretty good, high of 66 and partly sunny, and the ground is pretty dry. Tonight and tomorrow strong thunderstorms are possible. Maybe I'll break out the boots.

Going on hot grapes and coffee

Grateful Kate: Sir Donovan redeems himself
Photo from rk3de.org

We left home at about 4:30am, and I continued my annual tradition of packing seedless grapes in my luggage -- handy and refreshing for the trip from the airport to the hotel, and making a stop for lunch unnecessary (straight to the horse park!). At 10:30am, I was munching my grapes and sipping coffee as Bob negotiated traffic. The flight was uneventful except that I sat next to a guy in cowboy boots and a hat. He turned out to be one of the reining judges for the Horse Park competition. Across from me was a lady who worked at Keeneland, and she was sitting next to a lady who runs a horse rescue. I eavesdropped SHAMELESSLY.

We got to the horse park, and I saw Laine Ashker's lovely lovely dressage ride. She rides without a flash and Anthony Patch is perfectly quiet in the mouth -- it can be done! Lainey's position was awesome and she rides much more fluidly than last year (event riders tend to flap around a bit in the dressage ring).   Aside from a late change or two, her ride looked good to me, but I wasn't watching critically, I just enjoyed the view. She got a 51.

Katie Ruppel, the girl whose horse was SO NAUGHTY last year, did a great job. Watching the way she rode was inspiring, she was so quiet and supportive, and her hands were exceptional. I have to say that Sir Donovan reminds me of Riley, or maybe the other way around. They're both big-boned, knobby-jointed chestnuts. SD's dressage test was obedient and relaxed--really nice. The test was not "bright and joyful" but slow -- it almost had a sleepwalking feel. Sir Donovan showed us last year what he thinks of dressage. This year he let's us know he is still not in love, but he's doing it for his rider.

Looking at Sir Donavan, I'm starting to feel that Riley's gawky big-boned, slo-mo movement stage might not actually be a stage. I'm going to try to find video of Ruppel's ride today. Did any of you see it?

OTTBs at Rolex

Courageous Comet, OTTB, many times @ Rolex

Today, we have a guest editor, sort of. I'm redirecting you to Erin Pittman's annual post describing OTTBs at Rolex.  Eventing is where thoroughbreds arguably hang on to their foothold in equestrian sports (non-racing). Thanks to Erin for highlighting these grand horses.

A cross country machine, and he cleans up real nice!

Watching Wil'YALoveme on cross country I noted that big thick pony neck and Courtney's determination to keep him in check before each fence. As he trucked around the course, so sure of himself,  it was hard to imagine him in a dressage "listening" frame. I imagined a fairly rough and ready dressage performance, but how wrong was I? He cleans up real nice!

Connemara Pony competes in Advanced Eventing

Courtney Sendak rides Connemara Wil'YALoveme at advanced level -- in their most recent outing they got 3rd place. That pony is all heart!

Rolex-bound? Measure twice, buy once

Don't get to Rolex and wonder what size SMB boots you should get,  or whether the snakeskin-lined halter will fit your horse. Measure now! Get armed with...

• browband and noseband measurements
• Bit size
• cannon bone size
• Sheet measurements
• Height in hands
• Girth size
• hoof measurements

 Or, if your credit cards can't take more charges -- leave it at home :-)...

Sounds like Hollywood but it's true! Kudos to the hero

Kudos to the 90 year-old man who saved a little girl from being trampled at Santa Anita. And... What were the parents thinking?

Stuff for sale: make an offer!

Cavallo breeches

Tory Bridle

• Tory bridle, generous full or WB size, creme piping, super shape with chewmarks on the throatlatch (thanks Riley). Super condition other than that, but you may want to order a new throatlatch part -- fix that, and it's easily show quality. Reins included that are BRAND NEW. $40
• Piaffe brown dressage girth, 28", Nunn finer, near new, retails for $100, asking $70

• Black Cavallo Championesse full seat breeches, retail for $234, asking $70. Super condition, ridden in once. They are a 30L but taken in an inch at the waist by a professional tailer -- beautiful job -- and now they measure 14." These breeches run small, and the Championesse style is designed for the straighter figure, but with the tailoring they're suitable for a curvier figure. I wear a 28L and these are snug, probably more like a 27L or 26L. Stretchy. 
•  Brown nylon and white fleece  hunter  girth (click for photo), like new, 52", $24
• TEKNA 58" stirrup leathers, near new or new condition (synthetic leather), $30

Horseware newmarket jacket NEW W/O Tags

TEKNA leathers

•  Horseware Unisex XS Newmarket jacket, approx a medium women's -- it's an unstructured fit, could fit sizes 8-12. $40. More pix available

Bling saddle: When every ride is a show

Schumacher seems to make a lot of bling-bling tack, and now they've come out with a bling saddle. Setting aside the whacky looking puffy panels in back, It's an attractive saddle. Do the crystals add to it? I don't know. Maybe I finally draw the line at saddles. Maybe if it was removable. Who wants to wear jewelry every day?

The Romneys' Dancing Horse Competes Without Them - ABC News

 I knew it would happen -- Dressage trotted out as the elite sport that it is (for some, but by no means for all): The Romneys' Dancing Horse Competes Without Them - ABC News. Here's an excerpt...

"The rarefied sport of dressage is a sort of classical equestrian dance competition that comes with enormous expenses and rarely involves prize money. It is a sport of the rich and famous, populated with relatives of Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Bruce Springsteen, and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Wang. Sponsors of world class teams shoulder an array of burdens that go well beyond buying the horses (The Romneys have owned, by some estimates, eight dressage horses, which can carry a six-figure price tag). The sponsors typically pay vet bills, insurance, help support the staffs that care for the animals, and help pay enormous transportation costs that come when horses and riders are shuttled to major competitions in Europe and around the U.S."

Just as there is nothing ennobling or virtuous about being poor, having money does not instantly make you a jerk. I may joke about wishing I had this or that, but there's no real emotion behind it, and in the end I'm happy for the kid who sits on the big gorgeous Friesian or the young rider who wins the dressage equitation class or the owner of the string of polo ponies (poloponies as Ralph Cramer would say). There is something very small in resenting the good fortune of others, and I hate to see this kind of thinking egged on by our friends in the media...

More color, this time at the race track

Pinto thoroughbred to turn heads today
The horse is Modern Society, in New Zealand!

Sold!!!????? Drat

Never mind I can't support three horses. Never mind this one is in Canada. If I'd seen this in time, I'd be on the phone now. Because I dream of owning a certain-color horse, and this is my dream color.  Because I'm an idiot.

That said, the girl in the irons is giving hi an awesome ride, don't you think?

The bad news: Riley loses both hind shoes

Sure there's bad news, but the good news is that I got a chance to use my Cavallo Sport Boots (hoof boots). I have the simple boots for Ri's front feet -- they stay on well but are perhaps  a tidge rounder than his actual hooves. They come in pairs for $99 (Valleyvet.com and Amazon.com).

I loved the look of the new sport-style boots, and their narrower shape was appealing too, given Ri's natural hoof shape. I ordered a pair during the height of Ri's shoe-losing phase last spring. They arrived, and ironically the shoe loss problem diminished/evaporated soon after.


Until last week. Don't ask  me how Ri lost BOTH hind shoes in one turnout. My barn manager speculates that Harv is stepping on Ri's new egg bar shoes as he chases Ri mercilessly, relentlessly, around the pasture.

Anyhoo, the boots worked great -- a little big for the hinds but I just put a few layers of vet-wrap and voila. They fit the fronts perfectly. If you feel the same you can Like Cavallo boots on Facebook !

Rolex readiness, 2012

This ready!!!

How ready am I for Rolex?

1. Chronicle subscription to get the Eventing issue with commentary, check.
2. Rubber boots, check.
3. Aussie hat in lieu of umbrella, check.
4. Credit card balances reduced, check.
5. Clothing for all possible conditions, check.

Oh, and lest ye be jealous, I have not mentioned thus far that Bob and I have splurged!!! No, we're not in the patron tent, but we are staying at the HAMPTON INN. No pieces of breakfast bagel in the windowsill of the stairwell, no funky smelling carpet, no one peeing in the elevator, not THIS YEAR. No sirreee!

Lane Ashker and Anthony Patch, one of many OTTBs at RK3DE

This year I'll be cheering on Anthony Patch and Laine Ashker, among others. I don't read her blog often, but in a recent post she laments that she has not had time to keep up her exercise regimen of running, kickboxing, and pole dancing. Really? Yes, really, I'm so out of touch with popular culture that I had no idea pole dancing is now a fitness routine. But that's neither here nor there, Laine has been very focused on dressage these days, and her dressage tests have been super-nice. Her video blog features her riding a schoolmaster, trying her hand at pirouettes. I think she competes in "real" dressage shows at fourth level on a part-Andalusian now too. I see a future dressage convert in the making.

I still remember she had one of the prettiest jumping rounds at Rolex 2010 -- it could have been a hunter round -- and AP was trying his heart out. You gotta love that.

One minor RK3DE annoyance is that they have not posted the trade fair vendors as far as I can tell. How is one supposed to  PLAN under these conditions?????  Feeling positively giddy.

A word about "politics" and horses

Gotta love it when Austrian Warmbloods are politicized in the media. Because all horse enthusiasts are "wealthy" and "out of touch" with the common man. Believe me I'm not one to defend this or any politician (well, maybe Ralph Nader), but my goodness, you're gonna criticize a guy for bein' a horse husband? I personally feel no small amount of solidarity for a woman who ditches a tedious campaign to go ridin'.Ann seems to be among the many, many women who outclass their spouses...

Ziggy Stardust Dressage style

This is dressage à la Ziggy Stardust -- which is not to say I don't like those boots! They are best worn by the likes of runway model dressage divas, though. Those boots should not get within 100 yards of jiggly thighs.

Loving Paragon, but the music? Eh.

Heather and Paragon, I love the pair, and I expected the musical freestyle to be a giant "wow" -- but the music didn't speak to me. Bonfire/Anky's West Side Story freestyle can make me cry as if on queue, and Rusty/Salzgeber's famous freestyle makes me want to beat my chest. This is such a wonderful horse/rider combo, I guess it'll be hard to find music to match their talent...

"Don't you feel bad?" The young rider dilemma

Adorable AND formidable

Years ago I competed in a large hunter pleasure class with competitors of all ages-- but mostly kids under the age of 15. Harv being the kind of horse he is, we won. I left the ring and a friend came up to me. We had this exchange:

Jane: "Congratulations!"

Me: [shrugs in embarrassment] "Jane, I got a blue ribbon, but I had to beat a bunch of little kids to do it." 

Jane: "So?"

Me: "So there's probably a kid in pigtails crying into her pony's neck. Wouldn't you feel bad?" 

Jane: "Not for a minute." 

 Jane explained her point, which is an excellent one. Junior riders are the most flexible/lithe, most energetic, most trained, most supported riders of the equestrian world. Like the youngest, littlest gynmasts, they're GOOD. And they have lots of time in the saddle, a lot of it in lessons/training.

Here's a case in point, courtesy of Friesian-Welsh. Wow. I hope never to see this little one in the warm-up ring prepping for the same class I'm in!

Spring Cleaning 2012

I should have taken a "before" picture, but...

What's meant by "active hind leg?"

This...

This horse is Santino by Sunny Boy, a personal favorite stallion of mine.

Back tension: What are the signs?

Recently I read an article called "Evaluation of rein or bridle lameness " by the author of Tug of War, Dr. Gerd Heuschmann. The article appeared in a European Veterinary Conference proceedings. Heuschmann contends that it is the rider’s responsibility make sure that the back muscles are able to work freely  without any negative tension. When negative tension is present in the horse’s back muscles  it will show up in...

•  a loss of rhythm at the walk
•  loss of suppleness
• problems in the contact 
• the wrong type of suspension (more hovering steps than powerful fee moving energetic steps)
• accentuation of the natural crookedness of the horse is also accented. 
• slow hind leg and stiff front leg)
• loss of rhythm, especially in the corners and on the bending lines

 I have to say that while I'm very, very tired of the whole rollkur hoo-ha, what I have read about Dr. Heuschman is very impressive. He is a veterinarian and apparently quite an accomplished rider in his own right. Everything he writes about riding makes sense and his philosophy is hardly controversial -- it strikes me as non-controversial, fundamental stuff.

At any rate, what do you all think?

More dressage fashionista thinking

When Dressage Today did the Centerline Fashion competition I had high hopes for some ideas that make our traditional attire a bit more sporty and modern. Well, most of the fashions coming from that competition left me feeling a little lukewarm -- but I applaud the effort. BTW the competition is being held again this year, Shall we submit an idea?

I really like this look  from GPA NewSew Technology.  It's water-repellant, breathable, and machine washable. I'm liking the gray breeches too. Apparently some riders are wearing this in competition in Europe.

What do you think? This video probably displays slowly, for better playback go to the link above, and click on "video" in the upper right-hand corner.

Starzup: Where does the line form?

 White breeches are the hardest thing about this discipline. Could this be our answer? And hey, was that green liquid olive oil? And, where do I sign up? I wonder if they make slacks...

Stanley tool trunk: One caveat

There is one real downside to the boxes -- probably applicable to the more "rustic" barn settings -- I read that the front latches can rust. Bob is going to come out this weekend and spray it with anti-rust something-or-other. Consider yourself informed! Those of you who have the trunk, are there other things to look out for?

Riley is concerned about rust.

Tack trunk trash talk: C'est la guerre

Harvey approved storage.

Until recently, I was living out of icky, tiny, blue rubbermaid tubs -- four of them -- and that ain't no way to live. The one good thing about my tiny tubs was that there was room left for me to store my saddle on a rack, near the boys' stalls -- very convenient. Last week, in a little Guerre des bouffons,  saddle locations became a point of discussion. It was suggested that my saddle needed to be moved, and now there is an empty space where my saddle used to be.

Solution -- Buy something!
My little blue trunks looked lonely and undersized without the saddle rack there to anchor them. Bob agreed -- and he offered to help me get new tack trunks. God love him. I had so much fun exploring the world of fancy trunks, pouring over catalogs of oak veneer, vinyl-covered,  fancy-schmancy  trunks. I have always envied the show trunks you can get for oodles of dough. Faced with too many choices, I checked out the COTH list for advice.  Thread after thread of trunk reviews, and they all said, "Forget fancy, heavy, pricey trunks, go with a Stanley tool trunk." People who'd had those fancy trunks were the biggest fans. How could I not be swayed? I went to Home Depot to see one in person.

 Roomy enuf for my saddle, I observed.

No one needs to know what's in it...
We acquired two of them this weekend, and Harvey gave it a hooves-up. Here are some of the features of this trunk that make it a great alternative to expensive plastic tack trunks and MORE expensive wood/vinyl ones...

1. Lightweight. About 30 lbs.

2. Lockable and latchable.

3. Handle and wheels for portability.

4. Buy a fancy trunk cover, and voila you can travel with the BNT's to fancy pants shows!

5. Buy a name plate, remove the Stanley plate, and attach yours, and voila you're personalized.

Handle for portability!

 6. They're durable, and the plastic is tough, but not thick so that you don't lose storage space with wall thickness.

7.  You can park your butt on it. I can stand on mine (mileage will vary on this)

8.  Little "grooming box" box area.

9. Tall enough for fly spray bottles.

10. You can store a saddle in it.

For those wanting a trunk cover, the dimensions are L= 37 7/8"; W= 22 3/4"; H= 23 1/4."

Read more about Stanley trunks at COTH:

Tack trunk cover for Stanley tool box...Ideas?  Stanley Trunk Cover?‎ - Jan 2, 2012

how do you store everything in horse trailer with no tackroom ...‎ - Dec 12, 2011
Stanley Tack Trunk!‎ - Feb 5, 2011
Patio Storage Box as Tack Trunk/other alternatives‎ - Aug 15, 2010

More results from chronofhorse.com »

Hyperflexion according to HC

Hilary Clayton is a scientist, and not that susceptible to the sturm und drang of polarizing topics like the R word.  By that I mean r-llk-r, or whatever they are calling it now. I am also weary of the drama. That said, HC made some interesting comments while discussing flexion at the poll and through the neck...

She gave visual examples of flexion at the poll and flexion lower on the neck (C2-C3 vertebrae), and she talked a bit about Baucher and his training methods (he liked to see the flexion at the pol, and the poll up).

Naturally this sparked some discussion of overflexion. HC  told us there is no direct evidence that hyperflexion damages the horse physically. She answered a few questions in a neutral, analytical way. Then she made these comments...

 "The more I learn, the more important I think  it is to have flexion at the poll, not the C2-C3 vertebrae."

"It is ugly--to me--it is ugly and incorrect."

"We are training movement into the middle neck vertebrae joints that I don't think are natural movement."

Her understated manner just made the viewpoint more poignant. It was the most reasoned and thoughtful analysis of the issue I have heard on the subject (admittedly I avoid the subject as much as I can). Kudos to the audience and to the lecturer.

SSTACK.COM and the bother with blankets

The bother with blankets, illustrated

I refuse to count how many horse blankets I have. What matters is, I need them (for my horses). The "bother with blankets" is  storage, organization, and cleaning. I have a good solution for the first two, courtesy of Schneider's -- if you don't know Schneiders, they are renowned for their great blankets -- their price and durability is oft-touted on COTH, and they have different styles for different shaped horses. They also carry tack and horse supplies. Recently Schneiders sent me a blanket bag to try, which was wonderful because...

•  I really like my  Dura-Tech saddle bag from Schneiders (the zipper finally broke on my other brand-name bag, and I gave it to someone in Oregon who was going to replace the zipper)
•  I want to solve the blanket storage issue at the barn
• Bob wants me to solve the blanket storage issue at home

The Schneider blanket bag

 I borrowed these blankets (pictured above right) for purposes of demonstration. They're about a size 75" -- two heavyweights, a sheet, and a cooler.  I put them in the black nylon blanket bag rather carelessly and secured the velcro flap. Voila!

Velcro goes all the way around the flap, which helps to keep dust out of the interior. I like the way the bag is structured/tailored, although you may not really see it here. Had I stuffed the bag full I think you'd get a more pleasing effect. 

Two adjustable nylon straps hook to any blanket rack bar, and if your rack is designed right, there is a slot in the middle rear portion of the back to slip through the bar as well.  You can see it in the picture below. Tomorrow I'll show you some other organizational improvements I've made. I'm very proud...

Closeup of closure for rack

Note loop in middle (not used)

Use a label!

Totilas foal: My personal pick

This foal's personality just seems to bubble over -- and I love the mom. I don't know if it is a good sign for the future or just the level of excitement but see how he sits down on those legs when he gets excited? Is that a baby passage? Overall I'm not wowed with the Totilas babies I've seen, but this one has a certain je ne sais quoi. Am I right?

If you watch this all the way through you might see a future for him in cutting/reining/barreling.

Head position and center of gravity

More Hilary Clayton tidbits:

The horse's center of gravity is (fortuitously) about where the rider sits. Much is made of the position of the head and neck in dressage, but research has shown that it doesn't have much effect on the center of gravity. The head weighs about 50 lbs, the neck about 70 lbs. As the horse's head/neck move forward/backward ten inches, the center of gravity moves forward/back one inch.

So, does this mean a high-headed horse is not much more likely to be balanced/engaged/collected?

We do seem to focus an awful lot on the head...