The Harvster reaches epic proportions

I always say that if I had children they would be very fat. Food equals love, right? Harv enjoys being chubby, and I'm convinced that seeing his rotund frame lowers my blood pressure.

See the photo below. If I want a chubby Harvster, you can see that my work here is done.

A few words about fat...
My vet told me once that with modern feeds, there is no reason a horse that is willing to eat should be thin. Older horses do have appetite loss, but -- from what I've read -- if you have an old horse (otherwise healthy) that will eat, and you're in a position to feed the senior feeds at the *prescribed levels, you should be able to keep them in good weight.

I probably sound pretty glib, and I don't mean to -- I know there are barriers to making this happen:

• Many old horses are battling illnesses such as Cushings that will mess with their metabolism.
• Many old horses -- like old people -- just don't want to eat.
• Many horses have metablic issues that make it healthier for them to be THIN. Obviously we're not talking about horses who are founder-prone or insulin resistant.
• The amounts of senior feed that old horses may need may require 3-5 feedings a day. If your horse is not at home, that could be tricky.
• It's expensive to feed that much food (although for horses that can't eat hay the costs are offset a bit).

*Have you checked your senior feed bag prescribed amounts? If your feed is fed as a complete feed, you're gonna be feedin' a whole lot of feed. Thankfully Harv eats some hay, although not as much as  he used to...

Fannnnncy polo wraps

Order at www.calevo.com. Even though this company is outside the U.S., the cost including shipping is $60 for a set of four. The only drawback here is that you'll want your velcro to finish at just the right place. I can usually do this with the front legs. The back legs are kind of a crap shoot.

 

De l'Or: Dancier is having some nice offspring

When I see that a baby has Dancier as a sire I take notice. He seems to produce some lovely babies. Rotspon has been around awhile but he also produces a type that I like.  I love a leggy horse.

Here is a young stallion who has both in his lineage, De L'Or. Wow.

Here is Dancier himself...

Ian Stark and Gin N' Juice: Dressage over fences

For the full story on the post, go to Eventing Nation to read about how the stars aligned so that the legendary eventer (not retired) and Olympic medalist Ian Stark got a catch ride on Hawley Bennett's Gin'N Juice. What I love about this footage is how he packages the mare up into a ball of fluid energy. About thirty seconds into the footage she looks like she could be in the dressage ring performing a collected canter...

RIP Flake (Florencio I-Metternich)

This stallion, "Flake," was so named because the star on his forehead looked like a snowflake.  He was known for his wonderful temperament, which is evident -- in this footage he is only three-years-old. Sadly, he passed away a few days ago -- he died in a training accident, a broken leg. I can't help but wonder if he fell while lungeing, but I suppose he may have been jumping.

What to name the baby: Horse names revisited

Some of my most popular posts have been on the subject of naming horses -- who knew?

This is a shoutout to  breeders who IMHO give some great names to her baby horses or who have a notable system for naming. My first example is Tally Ruhle of Triad Farm Hanoverians. Tally's farm cleaned up at the 2013 regional Hanoverian foal inspections this year, with foals by her stallions Welfenkoenig and Black Tie and  foals by Pablo and Rubinero. 

Here is her wonderful filly, Porn Star by Pablo out of Calculated Risk by Corlando, at the 2013 Hanoverian inspection. Calculated Risk is in the Hanoverian jumper program (indicating exceptional jumping skill) and she was competed through Intermediare I. This is a special filly. In my dream barn she would have a place, along with a couple of other Triad horses...

In the Hanoverian world, babies are named with a name that corresponds to the first letter of the sire's name. For example, Riley is Delancey, who is by Delaurentis, who is by DeNiro. With that in mind...

Triad Farm knows how to name babies...

What can I say, the foal names are clever and edgy, and I love it.

• The stallion Black Tie has produced colts named  Boot Cut, Button Fly, Booty Call, Bam Bam, Burlesque, Bell Bottom, Boy Toy, Barenaked Lady, and Bottoms Up.
• Remember the Pablo filly Porn Star (above)? I admit that Porn Star is VERY edgy, especially for dressage where many have delicate sensibilities. Porn Star has full siblings with names I love: Panty Raider, Pistol Envy, and Puppeteer.
• The stallion Welfenkoenig has babies named Wild Rumpass, Wham Bam, and With Love. He's relatively new but the breed inspectors love his offspring.

   

Jazz Harvey

The title Jazz Harvey is a reference to the music I've selected for his video this go-round. Normally he has folksy, cowboy background music. This is a departure, think "Vegas Elvis."

The name of the music is Harvey's New Thing -- admittedly the footage is a lot like Harvey's old thing, but still adorable.

Baby horses: Summer inspections

I'm hoping to go to a few foal inspections this July --DelVal, Rolling Stone, High Point Hanoverians. To whet your appetite, here is a particularly nice baby.

Black Hanoverian colt by Licotus o/o SPS Riou (Rouletto-Prince Thatch xx) 

bred and owned by Mary Lou Winn of Homeagainfarm FL :) 

Lincoln is for sale

The physics of falling

You can find anything on the Internet! And I love it. Check out this link from Lorien Stables, and their horse fall impact calculator. Using this calculator, I figure I hit the ground at about 14 miles per hour when I fell off Riley.

BTW, if you calculate a fall from 17.1H versus 15H, it makes a small difference but not nearly as much as the speed you're going or the force of the buck.

If that sounds true, this does not...
I think the research below is junk science.

The Book of Odds quotes these stats:

In a landmark 1985 study, Dr. J.L. Firth estimated that while "a serious incident can be expected at the rate of 1 per 7,000 hours of motorcycle riding, serious injury rates exceeding one per 350 horse riding hours have been described, making horseback riding 20 times more dangerous than motorcycling."

Granted, motorcyclists spend more time riding their vehicles than we do our horses, but still this statistic seems skewed. If this were true for the average competitive dressage rider, there would be a serious accident every couple of years...

Equestrianism: A must-watch video

Grab a Kleenex. This is a good one.

 


Compare to the other video that reliably makes me cry (which I've posted before).
Which do you like?

Because I can: Kicka$$ mare for sale

A friend of mine has a lovely mare that she has decided to offer for sale, as her daughter (the rider in the family) is away at college, and this young mare has so much to offer to someone. I have followed this youngster's progress for years, and look forward to watching her success in whatever discipline her new owner chooses for her. She is a lovely mover and jumper, and she has a temperament suitable for ammies. Please share this video with anyone you think might be interested.

"High Valley Hanoverians is pleased to offer for sale FALENA, a lovely and talented 16.1H bay 2008 Hanoverian Mare by Fabuleux (Fabriano) out of Lasca (Lasino). This pedigree has excellent dressage lines as well as well as high performance jumping lines. Falena is a talented mare with 3 excellent gaits as well as a mild temperament suitable for an amateur rider. She demonstrates the athletic talent that could be developed for FEI dressage as well as the jumping technique in the free jump chute that would prove valuable in the hunter ring. Falena competed in the 2012 Young Event Horse program and is currently developing a dressage foundation. Interested parties may contact Annetta@HighValleyHanoverians.net."

News with Bob and Riley

Bob and I went to the doctor in Philly Monday. The news is good! His bloodwork is better than average -- no change in his bloodwork (usually triglycerides go bonkers) and no change in thyroid yet, although the doctor says it's coming. Bob declared his skin was 50% better, I declared it was 90% better, and the doctor (ever the diplomat) declared him to be 75% better.

Bob has a skin growth on his head that appeared in February. It was biopsied this time around, and we should hear in a week. I consider this to be "small potatoes."

I rode Riley on Monday, a very "normal" experience except that after his boot camp, he is much hotter off the leg, which made him such an enjoyable ride! We're back in business, but for now the trainer is still doing the majority of the riding. I'd like to do first level one, at least, by the end of the  year. The canter work has improved so much already, it makes sense to leave him in training.

It's the best time of my life ! - Summers with horses

Who among us does not remember these wonderful summers of horses and riding during our teen years?

If only he had some chrome

I love this horse's coloring! I wonder what his breeding is.

Gaga over gadgets: Adjustable spurs

I ordered  a pair of spurs that I'm interested in trying --  Flip'n Go spurs from Centaur.  I've always wondered why someone hadn't invented spurs with adjustable length, and here is a pair that comes close. I bought these from  tackshopofaustin.com, and I got the  easy-care rubber spur straps from Bit of Britain for $10.  Here is a photo sequence of how they work...

Out of the box...

Here they look pretty sleek, and they aren't harshwith that bulbous end. Note the base is thicker to accommodate the mechanism inside.

 

Another View...

Top down...

 

The mechanism -- it works on a spring, and you just move the protruding piece a little bit toward the spring and release to pull the spur piece down...

Here I'm engaging the spring and pushing the spur down. I could easily do this while mounted. The instructions say to were spurs so that you are pulling the spur toward the horse to disengage it (so that it isn't accidentally disengaged when you apply the spur).

These spurs were well-reviewed on the Chronicle of the Horse forums, but they did say you have to keep the mechanism clean.

Voila. If your horse doesn't need them they are out of the way.

Another view...

Sidesaddle dressage: Awesome ride

This old man!

Since Riley is in boot camp, I have time to really enjoy Harv. One of our fun activities is lungeing. The retirement farm/horse sanctuary barn manager gave us some great advice -- I can't believe it never occurred to me -- Pentosan for Harv. He got his first shot last week, and already there is a difference in his movement. Earlier in the session, before I thought about taping, he was moving out much more -- but it is his choice. Yes, he's a little gimpy but (I think) pretty fluid for an old dude. The bad news is  that there may be a shortage on Pentosan. I have a half-vial and am trying to get more.

Anyway, here's Harv. When I searched to find music to accompany Harv's footage, I was so pleased with what I found. Seems perfect to me! He's working here at his own pace, just me clucking, no whip or commands.

Helen Langehanenberg wins WC Dressage title

I don't know how I missed this amazing performance! The gaits, IMHO, seem more natural than Totilas but the brilliance is there and the willingness and partnership too. The announcers seemed to be able to critique this ride -- I'm not sure I can see the flaws they see.

Make sure to watch the last part of the video (I tried to make the video start after the final salute, but it doesn't work). Watching the smiles is as fun as the video.

Afraid to ride?

Hi all, no real report or post today. I will be hopping up on Riley on Monday. I'm not worried about riding him inside, but...

Right now it is hard to imaging going in the outdoor or showing. It still blows me away that we rode and showed for three years and he was 99% a reliable steady Eddy, and then one day we're cooling out and...off I go.

Will I ramp back up to riding outside and showing? YES. But I don't really look forward to it. I think I just need to get some rides under my belt.  Oh well, the bucking strap is in place. Here goes.

The waiting list, 2

Harv, July 6 2013

So Bob and I toured the retired horse sanctuary on July 4 (for background see the Waiting list 1 blog post). We spent about an hour or so meeting the staff, walked around the property, and asking questions. We concluded our visit with the promise that we would call in a few days with our decision.

As we drove away from the farm, neither of us said anything right away. As we passed the herd of retired horses grazing near the road, I said tentatively, "Wow, what great people." Bob's first sentence: "If only it were ten minutes away."  Bob had hit the nail on the head. The sanctuary is an hour drive on rural roads. I'd be visiting on weekends only -- and Harv would no longer be mine.

 If I grouse about the time it takes to visit and "putz around" with Harv, I get deep enjoyment out of seeing him and caring for him. He's like a polite old man, so appreciative of the visit and such a gentleman. And he is  a hoot to interact with--expressive and sensitive, and easy to read -- it's like interacting with a person. The thought of seeing him just once a week...well, I just can't see it.

And relinquishing ownership? If I were going to do this, this organization would be the one.

But I just can't.

I do feel just a tidge of guilt, knowing that this place is *designed* for the older horse and tons of grassy pasture. I know I'm making the selfish decision. Harv is at a boarding barn now, and he does not have the extended turnout the retirement farm offers or the endless grazing. He does have overnight turnout this summer, and daytime turnout in winter.

If Harv seemed unhappy in his current situation, I might take another look. But he is thriving where he is, all fat and sleek and enjoying a big stall with a cross breeze and a panoramic view. The staff seem fond of him and treat him with care. He is turned out with two saddlebreds. They are so chummy they move together like a school of fish! You'd think they were tied together with rope, and they even drink out of their water bucket all at once. I can't believe their heads all fit in there.

I like having him close to me, and ultimately he needs to stay my responsibility. And, bottom line, I don't know how long I have with him. I don't want to squander our time.

The waiting list I

About six years ago, when Harv was about twenty, I put him on a waiting list for a regional horse sanctuary/retirement farm. It has a great reputation, with over 100 years of service to animals, and a big endowment. It's nestled in a tony, vibrant horse community, and they publish a newsletter that I've received for years. More importantly, I know people who have homed their horse there and their reports are good. I was warned that the wait list was long  -- people have waited three years or more. I signed up, and pretty much forgot about it.

"Your name is up!"
This week, we got the call. Harv is at the top of the wait list. The email gave me the option of taking the spot, deferring, or opting out of the wait list. I had some work to do before deciding. I had never actually visited the place! There were many questions to be asked.

One big factor
Owners have to sign their horses over to the sanctuary; you relinquish ownership, which is scary.  From the experience of friends I know that the (former) owners stay  in the picture, and within reason their wishes are respected. It's a unique situation, and one I feel fortunate to have available to me. Bob and I drove down (an hour's drive from home) the other day.

The visit
I can't say enough about the facility. It exceeded our expectations in the quality of the farm and property (well-manicured, tidy), the size and richness of the pastures (good fencing!), the experience and knowledge of the staff, the feeding program, and...Well, every point on my list was ticked off with a check and a smiley-face. The manager was really on top of things and very easy to talk to; she seemed willing to work with owners and very accessible. Really, Bob and I were blown away.

We spoke to the head volunteer and the barn manager, and we toured the property from the stalls to the pasture, wash stalls, feed room, and paddocks. Bob and I listened, asked questions, and discussed Harv. When we parted, we told the folks there we would discuss it in call them in a few days.

Harv in the hospital, Part III

So recall that Harv, in 1998, had sinus surgery and that I was a new horse owner, acting a little crazy and worried sick. I was visiting him as often as I could and probably driving the staff at the NCSU vet school a bit bonkers.

 One day when I was hand-grazing Harv a member of the veterinary field staff was was driving by in his truck. He stopped his car, watched us a minute, and called me over.  Dammit. They're on to my twice daily visits and they've had enough. I walked over to the car, Harv by my side, braced myself for a visitation restriction.

I was wrong. He was very kind.  He said: "Not many of our owners visit their horses. We've noticed how your horse looks for you, and he perks up when you're around." He told me that on average horses lose ten lbs a day while they are hospitalized, and it is common for them to get depressed. Owner visits often give the horses a real psychological lift.

While he stopped short of saying he wished more owners visited their horses, he seemed approving of my visits.

It's true that when I visited, I always found Harv with his head down facing the back of the stall, and he did  perk up when he saw me. I'd only owned him a few months back then, but I was the only familiar thing in this new environment. What's more I was the hand grazer, so it didn't surprise me. 

Some illnesses are so life-threatening that the horses aren't very aware of their surroundings -- maybe then it doesn't matter.  But if your horse is at a facility, there are good reasons to visit. I do think Harv and I bonded over the experience.

Harv and the hospital, II

If you read Harv in the hospital Part 1 you know the main part of the story, and you saw the photo of Harv at NCSU vet school. This is an addendum about the photo from the first blog. The photo of Harv to the right is a photoshopped version of this photo. This picture was taken right after Harv got off the trailer when he went to NCSU for surgery While I document and photo my horses to within an inch of their lives, photos were the last thing on my mind that day.

I got it from NCSU.

NCSU was taking photos for a vet school brochure that day, and they were happy to have an equine specimen that was healthy and photogenic. The handler was one of the vet staff, and she was exactly the kind of person you want taking your horse when you arrive at an equine hospital. Friendly, competent, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over your horse. And Harv was especially lovely,  clean as a whistle with a pulled mane. I gussied him up like we were going to Devon rather than a hospital. I wanted everyone involved in his surgery to know Harv is a cared-about horse--and possibly an expensive one ;-).

Harv looks pleased to have arrived, and ready for his closeup.

I just love this photo.

Harv in the hospital, I

Harv is admitted for surgery at NCSU, 1998

Thanks to commenter Susan for telling me a story that reminded me of Harv's time in the hospital in the late nineties. It relates to recent discussions on the blog about our relationship with horses.

Harv has surgery
Just a few months after I bought Harvey, back in 1998,  he required surgery on his right sinus to remove a cyst. I was working at North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, and  I took Harv to NCSU's vet school for the surgery. The vet science campus was only a few minutes from where I worked at the library. He was only a short bus ride away, and I visited him twice a day--at lunch and after work.

Owner visits were not common -- I think a lot of folks shipped their horses in and hoped for the best. I only saw another owner there once.

Complications
Harv had complications from surgery that I think I have described elsewhere, but essentially he developed a bad infection in the surgery site and he colicked. His "two-day" surgical procedure kept him in the hospital for ten days over the course of two stays.

NCSU is a good hospital -- but being a nosy owner,  I caught some anomolies in Harv's care:

•  Harv's meds chart was posted on his door, and staff were supposed to check a box when meds were administered. More than once I found his pain meds/antibiotics had been skipped.
• When Harv started to colic, I saw the signs late on a Friday night, a day after the surgery. He was clearly uncomfortable, stretching as if to pee, biting at his sides, etc. The vet student managing the shop that night was in training to be a small animal vet. She thought he was "just stretching."  I found someone else who confirmed he was colicking.
• I stopped a vet student who tried to  feed him grain during his colic recovery -- she had missed the sign on his door.

I'm sure I was a  huge PITA.

By the way, NCSU at the time had a great crew and I don' t mean to diss them.  I would take my horses there in a heartbeat if I lived in the area.  My horses have been to several hospital facilities, and with one exception (New Bolton)  care issues do crop up.

Be there or be square
Vet hospitals are like people hospitals. They can have a great reputation and the doctors can be the top in their field, but the people caring for your horse are busy and overworked. You don't ship your human loved one off to the hospital and leave them there, hoping they'll get good care. You monitor. You check in. You show up. You ask questions. I think the same goes for horse hospitals.

Equine hospitals vary in how much they tolerate/welcome visits, but if you're respectful and careful, you can probably hang around.  I recommend it.

Kitty haunches in

And I thought haunches in and half-pass were hard...

Danica at High Valley Hanoverian: Lovely mare!

Aside from the Delaurentis Stallion De Feiner Star, this is one of the nicer dressage prospects I've seen that was produced by DeLaurentis. Recall that DeLaurentis is Riley's sire.

Hanoverian Summer Auction

Well, there are many reasons to watch the Hanoverian Summer Auction videos for 2013. You might be sharpening your eye, looking for a prospect, or wanting to see what particular stallions are producing. I've been there, and now I just look for horses that catch my eye for good, and for silly reasons. You can read more about each horse in the brochure.

Here are my picks...

Cutest markings

Biggest ears

Parabol, 1983-2013

Reproduced from the Hilltop Farm web site.I'm so saddened by this news. I had blogged about meeting him several years ago, and he was a wonderful, wonderful soul.

Parabol 

January 10, 1983 - June 25, 2013

On June 25th Parabol was humanely euthanized at Hilltop Farm due to declining health and age-related complications.  While our hearts our heavy with this loss, we choose to focus instead on the thirty remarkable years Parabol had. 
Parabol was the Champion of his 100-day Performance Test with the outstanding overall score of 140.38 points.  A successful jumper in Germany, Parabol easily transitioned to the dressage arena after his purchase by Jane MacElree.  He was the 1991 USDF Horse of the Year at Third Level and a Top Ten Finalist for the 1995 Pan-Am Selection Trials before developing into a successful Grand Prix horse with both Scott & Susanne Hassler. Approved by multiple breeding associations, Parabol’s influence has been significant and he has an approved stallion, multiple Premium/Elite mares, and high-level competitors in dressage, hunters, and show jumping to his credit.
Parabol’s most profound impact however was on those who worked with him daily.  In Parabol’s presence you felt the depth of character, the generous nature, and the charisma that made him a truly great horse.  It’s been an honor to have him in our care for so long and we’re grateful for each day we had with him. (June 2013)

Here is video footage I took of Parabol, back when he was 26 years old. Bob watched this video and said he could see Riley in Parabol...

Parabol, elder statesman of Hilltop Farm from Behind the Bit Blog on Vimeo.

Worst judge comments -- Some Doozies!

Here are some pretty remarkable comments from dressage judges -- shared on a Chronicle of the Horse forum thread.

• "Capable horse, incapable rider." 
• For a horse competing at third level, "Horse would make a terrific FIRST Level horse" 
• For chubby horse and chubby rider, "horse and rider in *very* good condition!" 
• "Horse went better with previous rider." (my vote for most hurtful)
• Weaving down center line ""like a drunken sailor." 
• One judge said "above bit" for every  movement, but "The best part was the drawing she drew at the bottom of what my horse's headset looked like and what it should have looked like. "
• "You must be a foxhunter." (rider was) 
• In  collective marks comments, a "?" for gaits and a "no" for Rider. 
• "This is not a timed event."
• "Rider needs to learn to ride before she sets hoof back in my ring again." (my vote for most arrogant and out-of-line. If anyone is paying for ring-time it's the competitor.)
• "Seek professional help."

I have never had hurtful comments on a dressage test score sheet. One of our lengthenings was deemed "Explosive!" when Harv reacted to a monster truck driving by at the Sussex Fairgrounds.

What remarkable remarks have you gotten?

Hackney-Clydesdale cross at Intermediare I

Loving the power and willingness shown here. How fun!

Non-warmblood success in the ring! Quarter Horse at third level

What a nice test! This rider should be proud of herself and her lovely horse. Love to see amateurs and their not-necessarily-dressage-bred horses getting out there...