Another browband! Cultured pearls

For a client in DC. 

Reminiscence, Part II: The necklace

So in Part I of Reminiscence, I stumbled on letters from a college friend Linda.

One summer day, probably in the late
1980's, Linda brought me a necklace that she had found at the Chapel Hill Apple Chill Festival. It was a clay pendant that featured a salamander. It was attached to a card that described how salamanders, or maybe geckos, are a symbol of transformation/metamorphosis.

It was not an expensive piece but I loved it. The message of transformation resonated with me then. I'd left graduate school in psychology -- a decision that felt like failure at the time, even though I was academically successful. I was working at a bookstore and wondering what on Earth to do next. At a point in my life when I was trying to find out who I wanted to be, it was the perfect gift.

Stuff floats in and out of my life. Losing and finding things is part of my MO -- I lost my graduate school diploma, I lose my wedding ring (off and on), and important paperwork appears and disappears.

Losing things is a habit and I've learned that most things can be replaced. But I've had this necklace for probably thirty years. I wear it on days that are significant to me. I wore it when I was married. I wore it my first day of work in PA. I wore it to my dad's funeral. It's not a lucky charm, and I don't think of it as something that will change anything that is going to happen -- but it has a certain power for me, a power that I assign it, and maybe that Linda gave it, in giving it to me. It's a treasured thing.

Reminiscence Part I: Letters

Not my letter but mine look a lot like this.
Email is sterile in comparison!

As part of a new PA law regarding background checks for employees, I have to provide the address of my last NINE residences, in my case going back to 1986. Luckily, I remembered that I had a shoebox of old letters, and thought they might yield some useful info.  I checked, and wouldn't you know -- I saved the envelopes! Retrieving my nine addresses was a snap.

Reminiscing
I hadn't opened that box in many years, much less read the letters, in perhaps 20 years. I have missed letters -- honest to God handwritten words on fancy and plain paper or notecards, what a delight.

 I found a fistful of letters from an old housemate. We lived together while I was in graduate school at University of North Carolina. Linda Powell. I met her in 1986 or thereabouts, and we kept up with each other for many years -- we had been pretty close. My last letter was in the mid-nineties, a wedding invitation.

A tall, striking blonde, Linda did not fit any mold or stereotype. Looking at a photo, she would have been easy to peg as a sorority type. She did have a feminine, soft voice, but she was anything but a dumb blonde.  An international relations student and political junkie, she was intelligent and and a good debater, using humor to keep things light.  She was kind, self-effacing, and very, very funny. She liked to make people laugh -- imagine living with Terri Garr (anyone remember her?). The memories still make me laugh, but the funny stories just don't translate over time, as is so often the case. It's funny how her handwriting, instantly familiar on her signature blue-lined yellow notebook paper, brought it all back to me.

Stay tuned for Part II

From Rolex to Ruthless

Several years ago at Rolex, I  met a "blog friend" Becky for dinner. Her sister Carrie came with her, and my sister Leslie came with me :-). Four awesome women, Lexington fine dining, and one of the greatest horse events in the world -- how can you lose? The answer -- you don't. You have an awesome meal and great conversation.

 Becky is a really special person in every sense, but this post is about her sister -- Carolyn Lee Adams. She's one of those people you would drop everything to meet for lunch -- fun, funny, a good listener, great stories. It doesn't hurt that she is a horse lover, and that she has a blog, Fanfreakingtastic. Every year she writes an irreverent overview of the Kentucky Derby (read one of my favorites here). A creative type, Carrie attended the University of Southern California Film School and graduated with a BFA in screenwriting. Oh, and she's a standup comic.

I still remember that lunch, and what we talked about, and how much I enjoyed Becky and Carrie's company.

Carrie has now published a novel -- Ruthless.  I hesitated only a few weeks to buy it -- it's a young adult book, and I'm no the target audience. However, I'm always up for a serial killer crime/suspense novel, so I bought it last week.

Full review to come  soon, but here are a few things you NEED TO KNOW.

• Horses figure prominently in the novel! And it's written by a real horse person -- there are no cringeworthy poser passages. You'll be nodding your head in recognition as you read. 
• Young Adult? It may be a young adult novel, but like Warner Brothers cartoon, it's for adults too. The nice thing about a YA serial killer novel is, it won't get too gruesome. 
• Hooked. I'm only 40-50 pages into the book -- and I'm hooked. This is not a formulaic story with the bland, virtuous, predictable protagonist. The book surprises me. And I love that. 

Stay tuned for the full review!

I hate everyone giveaway -- winner is...

So, I highlighted the Blue Q socks and now I own a few pairs -- time for a giveaway :-).  And the winner is...

NO ONE!  (YET)

Because entrants did not provide their email address to get in touch with them

and/or didn't respond to comments on their blog when I notified them.

Guys.. Try again!

How animals grieve

Harv with a buddy from long ago

I was researching squirrels last week in our library. Why? Well that is kind of a long story, but while I was in the stacks I ran across a book on the shelf, How Animals Grieve. I can't say it was a great book -- more anecdotal than scientific -- but there was a chapter on horses. The author referenced an article, one that I could not find online, but I found reference to it in this article by the same author: Managing grief responses: Bereavement could deteriorate the health of your horses.

This vet certainly thinks horses have the capacity to grieve and I don't think it is much of a stretch to imagine animals having emotions similar to humans. How different can it be from separation anxiety that we witness all of the time in the equine world? I have seen Harvey recognize his equine buddies after many years. Horses can have friends, human and equine. I know Harv knows me, and looks to me for security in new situations. I can see, have seen, horses looking for their buddy in the pasture, and have seen horses call for their owners when they hear their car in the driveway.  One of the few prerequisites for missing someone is wanting to have them around.

If you believe this, then feeling grief strikes me as very much in the realm of equine feelings. At the same time, the article suggests that horses are animals who live in the moment. Unlike humans, and maybe other animals like dogs, they can accept and move on fairly quickly. I don't think this means they don't really care that much -- I just think that is the way they're wired.

Just musing here. What do you all think?

Still for sale: Lovatt and Ricketts 17" saddle

This nice saddle is currently languishing at a consignment shop in NJ and it does not deserve this fate. Completely adjustable (allen wrench type key), good working condition, ideal for flat-backed horses. $350 and it is yours! 

Another "favorite" browband -- magnetic and badass!

This was a custom order for Kristine, a repeat customer!

Couture Hippique from Divoza Horse World

I've often perused Divoza Horse World, a European equestrian web site, has a lot of unusual stuff. I'm not sure if everything is dressage legal here in the U.S., but I bet stuff on this site will trend here in the next few years. The jacket below is from Couture Hippque. I'm not big on block color in fashion but the model shown wears it well!

Here is a variation on that style in color  from the Couture Hippique Web site...

What you can tell about a person from his/her books...

Bob, who inexplicably does not grasp the concept and benefits of a personal library, has been nagging me to clear out all of my books. I did consider that I might have books that were not life-affecting, and maybe I could get rid of those. So I scanned my shelves, and found...

A Room of One's Own, next to A Horse of Her Own. I loved both books at the time I read them, probably ten or fifteen years apart. This is why I want my book collection. It is very much what is my past, what I'm interested in, and what is me. 

19 years together: Harv and I Part II

So on July 7, 1997, Harv's purchase papers and Jockey Club papers were transferred to me.

He was now tucked into his new stall, and officially mine.

I was so excited! I left the barn at about 7pm and sailed down the gravel road and onto the small country road that took me back to Raleigh.  I know I was thinking about how this was a lifelong dream. I had given up a lot to make it happen, but I didn't care! That is where my mind was; it certainly was not on driving.

I came to an intersection for a highway, and I pulled out without even looking. A station wagon swerved to miss me, and every passenger in the car -- mom, dad, and two kids, swiveled their head toward me, each of their mouths forming an "o" of surprise. We missed each other, but if they hadn't been paying attention, it would have been a real lifechanger.

I knew this -- and it shook me up. I pulled the car over into the next parking lot I found. Sitting there in my car I had the conflicting emotions of fear and guilt and and relief and happiness. Thank heavens I missed that car. Thank heavens Harv came into my life.

19 years together: Harv and I

I bought Harvey, and brought him home, on July 8, 1997, in Chapel Hill NC.  It's our 19 year anniversary!

On the day of the purchase, his owners took him to a state finals horse show in Raleigh -- part of the sales agreement, she showed him one last time -- and we drove together to the co-op barn that would be his new home.

 The owner's dad was a terrible driver and even as an inexperienced horse owner I could tell that Harv was struggling in the back. Dad would slam on the breaks to stop, and jolt forward to go, talking the whole time and seemingly unaware of the cargo in back.

When we arrived at the farm, they discovered that Harv had broken the chest bar of their relatively new trailer. He was frantic and sweating, and as he backed out his tail was up and his head was giraffe-like in the new surroundings. Several of the co-op members had come to watch, and one of them said, "Well, he's pretty but he's nuts. I told you guys he would be nuts." I was too preoccupied to reply, but she later turned out to be one of Harv's big fans -- she trailered us all over the place, and helped out when Harv needed surgery.

Anyway, so Harv went into a stall and an appaloosa was stationed next to him as the other horses were turned out.  He settled right in.

To be continued...

Harv in the rain I

Heavy storms are the norm right now after 5pm. A few shots of Harv, sopping wet, follow...

Pony and kid cuteness -- nice to watch...

Get'em when they're young.  See photo below -- on a larger pony, still looks talented :-).

"Little ones are the greatest!Lana-Pinou and her Shetty Fee FH"

Posted by Freiberger Hof on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Posted by Freiberger Hof on Saturday, July 11, 2015

Whoopsie!

Courtesy of Full Tilt Photography -- love the horse's expression...

Whoopsie!
Posted by Full Tilt Photography on Monday, July 13, 2015

Horze Glove Giveaway!

These Horze.com Supreme Neo summer riding gloves are sex-o-ramic, and I'm giving them away only because I am not really "qualified" to wear gloves with a jumper insignia.

To enter, leave a comment on my blog or on Facebook, describing what breech/shirt combo you would wear with these to be matchy matchy (you won't be judged on your answer :-). Make sure you wear a 7.5 or 8 before  you enter, unless you'll be giving them as a gift. Include your email!

Horze Glove Review and Giveaway!

These Horze.com Supreme Neo summer riding gloves are sex-o-ramic, as Bob says. Their cool plum color (also available in blue), sleek fit and feel, and stretchiness are the glove equivalent of a body suit like Emma Peel wore on The Avengers.  They make your hands look great.

They do not have the opening at the wrist as some gloves do, but I had no trouble getting these size 8's on. If you are a 7.5, go up a size to an 8, because these fit nicely. They retail for $18.95.

I have some photos below, and you can see more at On my Google Photos site. Horze has some great gloves, and a whole category of  summer gloves.

Stay tuned for the giveaway (tomorrow's post) -- if you wear between a 7.5 and 8 these gloves will fit you.

No Hands! To improve your riding

It's amazing how it's possible to learn, unlearn, and relearn the same thing. I'm continuing to understand, in new ways, the concept of proper riding, and with each re-revelation the understanding changes.

Back when I rode Harv, I thought I understood light hands -- I didn't have 'em, but I thought I knew what light hands were.

I did not.

Now, on Riley, I thought most of my "contact problems" resulted from  rein length -- I just could not seem to maintain a proper length of rein. That is part of the problem -- but really it is a problem of understanding contact, my upper body, the relationship of hip to hand, and what it should be versus what I do.

When Ri and I are not in sync, it's tempting to use contact as the "go-to fix it" strategy. Too much focus on the hands, not enough on the seat, is the wrong equation. Mary Wanless used to ask riders what percentage of their time is spent thinking about what  part of their body, and the horse's body, do they spend the most time thinking about.

To progress, I have a new mantra, something like the Sally Swift "stubby legs" concept. Sally had us pretend we did not have a lower leg. I am telling myself to ride as if I have no hands -- or rather my hands are passive, giving, and "out of the picture" in fixing things.

With my hands no longer part of "the solution" to controlling the shoulder, to get roundness, or create bend -- by God, I'm using my seat! Riding 101.

New browband -- sold one in five minutes!

And I love it -- magnetic hematite, which some claim has healing properties. It sold from my Facebook page within five minutes. I have more beads, and can make another. See btbbrowbands.com!

RIP Omar Sharif

RIP Omar Sharif -- a heartthrob of old. 

Lawrence of Arabia was the last movie I watched with my dad. 

Sharif also was a racehorse owner and his obituary appeared in Blood Horse.

"I hate everyone" giveaway!

So, I highlighted the Blue Q socks and now I own a few pairs -- time for a giveaway :-).  To win a pair leave a comment on my blog, or on the Facebook post, describing why these socks "speak to you." I'll start -- aside from the sentiment woven in, these socks match my tan breeches beautifully!

Tropical Rider enduracool breeches -- love the merlot!

I've reviewed the Tropical Rider breeches before -- they are among my favorite manufacturers. For a long time I've yearned for one of their colors -- merlot -- thinking it would be a burgundy-color. Well,  during their last sale I splurged on the new color with deerskin extended patch breeches, just about $100 with shipping. The breeches came, and while they are not quite the color I expected, I LOVE the color. They are not pink, not magenta, and they are not burgundy, but they are a super-saturated dark rose color. Big thumbs up! BTW, they now make their waistband with a new "stiffer" elastic that holds up really well and does not roll. 

Little Hanoverian long-legs

This little guy does not quite know what to do with all of that movement, it's like a little foal body sitting on top of Totilas....

Horze Shona Touch-screen gloves: they work!

I received a pair of Horze Shona Touch-Screen gloves  from Horze.com (thanks guys!).  They have a whole line of summer gloves, and I had my choice. I selected these, in part because I love the two-tone brown, but mostly because like to ride wearing my mobile device.  Great safety measure, but realistically I can't use my touch-screen with gloves on.

Till now! These work, I can text and call and take photos while wearing them. And, they are pretty (I selected the tan/brown with Riley in mind), but they come in black and pink too! I normally wear a 7.5 -- got the size 8.  I do like a roomy glove, but a 7 might have worked too. They are stretchy, breathable, smart-looking with the two-tone, and I like the wider velcro tab. These compare favorably to the SSG gloves and even Ariats -- and they are only $19.95.

I love theses too much to part with them, but soon I'll do a giveaway of another Horze pair of gloves -- have not ridden in them yet but they are sex-o-ramic, pretty and sleek.

You've got mail... from Riley?

A recent Facebook post described a new technology for horses and their owners.

 The headline proclaims: Wearable device let's horses communicate with people! The subheading in the article caught my eye...  "New wearable technology for horses will let them email their owner."

Hmmm. Not sure if that is a good thing. 
Harvey's an open book -- I know what he thinks. But Riley? I'm not sure open communication is... well..  Here's what I imagine:

Mom and me

Why are these men's socks?

My theme, my colors, but they are men's...

Mom in June

I visited mom in KY last week. Nice picture of mom in the courtyard at her assisted living home...

Equine Wine

Another pretty bottle! Horse Heaven Hills. Not bad. 

Catio is a thing

Saw a Facebook post recently on "catios" -- patios for cats. Bob constructed a catio before catios were a thing. Ours is circa 1998...