Hackney Horse Koopman's Rumba & Alice Simpson, Woodbridge Dressage 2015 ...

Love this pair. I'd own this horse in a New York Minute! This video makes me happy -- seeing these two work together with such cheerfulness! The canter work is really lovely. I get the impression they've been partners awhile. 

My little sugar cubes

I've been going through sugar cubes like gangbusters, and the other night I stopped at Walmart to pick up some more. Well, they had no white sugar cubes but did have these Roland Rough Cut Demerara cubes, which I have seen at Whole Foods for a lot more $$.  I snapped it up for the boys, and it's pretty neat! Harder and less cube-like than white sugar cubes, it does not crumble as easily in your pocket. The aroma is stronger and also delightful. I read up on it.

 Demerara sugar is a large-grained, somewhat crunchy, raw sugar with origins in Guyana. Unlike brown sugar, which has the added molasses flavor, Demerara has a natural caramel-like flavor that hasn’t been refined out. Demerara sugar is also referred to as Turbinado sugar in many markets, which has more to do with how the sugar is processed in turbines, than where it originates.

It's just under $3 a box -- not bad!

Amy Winehouse: Documentary musings II

In the trailer for the movie Amy, Amy Winehouse was described as the girl that "disappeared in front of our eyes." What that meant, I learned, was that Amy grew up in the world of social media, and there are videos of her from early childhood on. The film uses footage taken by friends and bystanders, I assume. If you want to get a sense of "public" her addiction was, you'll find videos, one after another, of Amy wasted on Youtube -- in concerts, on the street, in interviews, you name it. There was apparently no one to rein her in or protect her from herself. It's sickening and sad, but also remarkable -- when in history has someone's life been so "out there"? There is more footage of her on drugs than sober, and on the whole, it makes her look like a fool. No wonder she was the butt of jokes back then.

Looking at Amy with a kind eye
What you see in the movie is pretty restrained -- there is some footage of her under the influence of drugs, but it's all in context -- we see the whole person.  The director, I think, wanted to counter the tidal wave of negative press and visuals of Amy when she was alive.  My first reaction is, good for him.

But is it true?
The movie  Amy was respectful of Amy, which I appreciate -- it's long overdue. But is it balanced? I've read a whole bunch about her.  I'm not sure the Amy (movie) perspective is entirely accurate, or at least it omits some important truths. The movie seemed to suggest that her success/stardom, and the people close to her, failed her horribly.  I've read excerpts from people close to her suggesting this too:

“There was a huge chain of selfishness and negligence around Amy,” says [Nick] Shymansky. “I remember an expert saying on the news that she could drop dead at any minute. But there were still gigs being booked. I would never have anything to do professionally with someone in that state.” Says Davis: “The finger can be pointed at certain people, but in many respects we can all be blamed. I’ve gone through all those feelings myself. I would have had to be there 24 hours a day to try and help.”
That she was allowed to perform in public, over and over, when she was barely able to stand, would suggest gross mismanagement on the part of her record company. But I don't know.  Her boyfriend/husband Blake may have introduced her to hard drugs. Her family may have been riding the wave of her celebrity, and record companies are (gasp) in business to make money. From what I've read since seeing Amy,  her troubles started in her early teens. Long  before she took the stage to sing professionally she was an impulsive girl prone to extremes of emotion. Bulimia, cutting, drinking, smoking pot, she did all of these things in her youth. She was kicked out of school and moved out of the house at 15. Amy omits, or at least downplays early signs of her addictive tendencies. I don't know why. It's possible that the sources I read were wrong -- but they seem credible, and they are echoed in many sources. Probably, it was a perfect storm of Amy's vulnerability and (at best) inaction from those close to her.

You all know I missed out on all of this while it was happening. What do you think?

Review: Padded underwear for riding and biking

On the Chronicle of the Horse forums, you'll read occasionally about something called "the Inverness Problem." A member with the name Inverness once confessed about chafing in the nether regions, and it sparked a long, involved thread on the subject.

I read it with interest, since the summer months can sometimes lead to chafing. There are several underwear products on the market -- you'll see them advertised in Dover Saddlery's catalog, but they are all expensive, running between $21-90, and who knows how long they last?
Now that I'm biking, I really need padded bike pants, but I hate buying one more pair of pants when I have so many yoga pants and leggings already. The solution was to find padded bike undies that work, and that don't cost a lot, and wear them under everything.

I found these on Ebay, from ilastone (seller), you'll find these great pink padded undies for under $8. They're light, well-padded, and cheap! When you think of the cost of a regular pair of underwear, they're a steal.

Buckeye and Samantha Majors - Mule dressage alert!

Not only a mule, but a mule with spots. So love watching this free 'n easy test...

Super barn has stalls available, Bucks Co.

USDF Silver Medalist Kristin Corcoran on Quince,
who is currently schooling Grand Prix movements.

I've been fortunate in my years of horse ownership to have kept my horses at wonderful facilities. I've moved around a bit as my needs have changed, but I've been very lucky. Maybe having wonderful horses helps ;-).

A barn recommendation
That said, my experience boarding Riley at Graystone Equestrian Center has exceeded expectations in every way. Care is individualized/meticulous, training is top-notch, and the facility is beautifully managed. The atmosphere is up-beat and supportive, and owners/trainers Kristin and Kendra are both knowledgable/experienced and hands-on in care and management -- a great combination. Riley has been there about three years now.

While the barn has nearly always been full, they currently have several stalls open due to boarders moving and horses sold. If you have a are looking for a barn for your horse, or if you have a young prospect that needs a good start, it's a barn that you should consider!

Riley enjoying turnout in his pasture.

Harvey performs his "Dance of the Underfed"

On a good day, he'll have a round, high action like Totilas. He's mellow here.  Bob obliges him by giving him his evening feeding. I finish his legs, throw his boiled carrots on his pellets, and into his stall he goes for dinner. 

Harvey pasture playtime

I was trying to capture footage of Harv trotting in the "big pastsure," to see how he looks and to do some gait analysis. Harv's not having any of it -- it's dinnertime and the feed dish is in the sacrifice area of the paddock. He scoffs at all of our coaxing. There are a few trot steps in there. He doesn't look bad...

Waist training is a thing, apparently

So I guess "waist training" is a thing -- think corset with modern textiles/rubber, and you've got the idea. Weird thing is, if you can stomach the suffering (so to speak), it apparently does shrink your waist.

Now I'd love to look better in breeches, but at the expense of my internal organs? My spine? No. I'm pretty sure this is a fad -- who would put up with this kind of craziness? I looked at a few reviews on Youtube, and one really made me chuckle.

Ann, who looks to be under twenty years-old, bought the size small--because she wants to wear a small. "I had to lose weight to fit into the size small waist trainer, so first I lost 8 lbs...." She loses weight to fit into the corset, and in losing weight she doesn't really need the corset! The moral is, the answer to our problems lies within us!
God love this girl.

Carl Hester analyses his GPS test at Aachen

Like everyone else I love Carl Hester and his droll sense of humor. He makes a funny comment about the crowds -- worth watching just for that!

Amy Winehouse: Documentary musings I

Disclaimer #1: I had never heard of Amy Winehouse till I saw the trailer for Amy, the new documentary about her life. I had no expectations or pre-conceived notions of her. Having seen it, I recommend it. It is sad, but see it anyway.

On one level, Amy is a story about the vulnerability of youth. It used to be safe, or at least safer, to engage in experimentation in the name of discovering who you are. No more. Embarrassing mistakes, bad decisions, impulsive actions follow you forever -- throw in hard drugs, and you mess yourself up irretrievably.  If I had children, I would make them all see this movie. "Look," I'd say. "This is what addiction looks like, and what it can do to you."

A movie about Amy
This is so much more than a movie about drug addiction, and it's more than a biography. Amy Winehouse's life merits honor, reflection, and examination. Director Asif Kapadia provides a thoughtful chronology of Amy's life and music. But her story is inextricably tied to our media-saturated-everything-on-video culture,  the music industry, and the drug addiction that led to her death at age 27.  He gives her such kind treatment, long overdue given how tabloid press covered her when she was alive. It's a haunting tribute to a lost soul, and this clip captures its feel and texture.

After seeing Amy, I became a little obsessed by the story of Amy Winehouse, for many reasons but mostly this -- on TV, on Youtube, in UK and US tabloids, we essentially watched her die. It is just hard to believe no one intervened in any real way. Watching the movie, it's alarming how small and alone she seemed. One thing that is particularly interesting is the documentary's use of cellphone-captured video -- slice-of-life moments recorded by friends, family, and managers. We see Amy during those the 'downtime,' not when she is in the spotlight -- and it's like being the proverbial fly on the wall. The effect is that we come close, or at least closer, to knowing the real Amy Winehouse.

The 'real' Amy? Even tatted up and made up like a Ronette, she manages to convey a girl-next-door personality, someone easy and down-to-earth. She's a funny, intelligent, eccentric young woman with a unique musical perspective. Amy grew up in a family that had a long history with jazz and ties to the era of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. In her teens, Amy listened endlessly to Sara Vaughn, Billie Holiday, and other great vocalists -- but she was equally influenced by contemporary music trends, hip-hop, R&B, rock. Musically, she was an original -- I marvel that her music escaped me until now. Here is live footage of Amy, in case you've only heard her Grammy-winning hits. Bear in mind she was probably about 25 when this was recorded.

Disclaimer #2: Bob chides me for becoming obsessed with tragic figures. For awhile I was a little obsessed with Timothy Treadwell, the charismatic, eccentric young man that lived with Kodiak bears in Alaska -- until finally one killed him. Treadwell was the subject of the Werner Herzog documentary Grizzly Man (also a great movie). Some people just draw you in -- and when I find myself wanting to know more about a person, I do the research. The next few posts are outlets for my mini-obsession.

Part II coming up

Harvey: A page from Riley's playbook

I was taking Harv pix, interacting with him, and catch him in the middle of a (gasp) VICE! He's a closed-mouth type of guy, even under saddle he doesn't yaw and carry on like a chestnut horse I know (Riley). So I snapped a pic. Lori, if you are reading this, it didn't go on too long. 

Harvey in the heat

I usually come out to see Harv in the early evening, and here he is after a heavy shower. Like a big fat seal standing out there...

Totilas in Aachen 2015: The footage

I assume this is the footage where Totilas performs with noticeably uneven hind legs -- heartbreaking to see, yet even injured he is spectacular. The subsequent diagnosis, a bone infection in his hoof, must have been painful -- but he looks so game.

 

46 Fahrtwind: a terrible name in any language

I'm not big on bathroom humor but this made me chuckle. It is a better name in translation -- airflow or airstream. 

Riley trot work August 7

Not sure if I have shared this yet -- similar to other work. You see a lot of work to the left b/c that is where I struggle -- tend to lean to the inside, and clutch the inside rein - -pushing Ri's right shoulder out. Concerted effort here to correct bad habits impeding our progress.

Affluent Americans who ride horses, 2011-2014

Looks pretty steady...

Additional Information:
United States; Ipsos; 2011 - 2014; See supplementary notes for the detailed sample size of each year; 18 years and older; Persons living in affluent households  

Riley canter work -- ninety-plus degrees

God love him. Ri is trying very hard -- canter left is our current struggle. 

$50,000 Ridge At Riverview Grand Prix -- I was there!

I went with Bob and a friend to The Ridge at Riverview -- Nona Garson's place -- and watch the Grand Prix jumpers. This little horse won, and I don't even know his name -- he was number 99, and he looked to be 16 hands or less. There was another horse there named Aerobic, a name that would be appropriate for Riley :-).

Wow, I mean, Wow.  If you turn up the volume you will hear how wow'ed Bob and I are. The number of times Bob and I say "wow" in this competition would make a good drinking game...

It's been awhile since I've seen jumpers, and it seems to me that breeders must be crossing these animals with alien life forms, or cats. They are freakishly athletic, coming to the bottom of each fence and powering over in prodigious leaps, snapping their knees to their chin, clearing many jumps by a foot or more.

Horze reflective tendon boots

I recently got a pair of Horze reflective boots -- one of many kinds of protection boots offered by Horze. I chose these (which Horze provided for free in exchange for this review) because I had such a good experience with the Horze reflective bell boots ($12).  The neoprene-type bell boots are soft for Ri's sensitive chestnut legs but they've held up really well, and they are easy to take on and off.

These galloping boots are the "match" to the bell boots. At $29 the price point is tough to beat. Like the bell boots, these tendon boots are soft, and softly bright as  opposed to neon which I think is pretty (see my photos below).  The slightly sherbet-colored orange has reflective tape and tough velcro closures with reflective Horze logos.

Based on 4-5 rides, I really like these boots. They are comparable to other manufacturer's galloping boots in overall design, but with these advantages...

• They have a straight velcro closure, which is safer. The  hook and loop closures are easy to overtighten and in my opinion, a loser.
• There are no sharp unfinished edges on this Horze boot, which looks more polished and finished.
• It may sound silly, but we probably all have clothing we wear because the fabric just feels nice. The material these boots are made of feels more like a microfiber than neoprene, and just judging by the using them on Riley, they may not store heat the way neoprene boots do. They feel like a textile.
• The reflectivity is a bonus for night riders, road riders,  or night turnout. 

As far as protection, I think they offer mid-range impact protection. They'll do better than the Equilibrium boots, which are more for "support" and retail for over $90.  Riley doesn't really do the kind of work requiring high-impact protection, and the Horze reflective boots are suitable for typical daily work and turnout.

 For super heavy work, for high-level eventing, these boots would not compare to stiffer, heavier boots made of materials that resist high-impact.  Horze makes the Memphis boot with pile lining (and others!) for greater protection, at $47.95.

Here are some pix of Riley in the boots. He has a large which fits great -- you can see I have the boots on a bit too high. My bad. 

Riley Trotwork -- it's feckin' hot out!

Short clip of Riley trotwork in 90-plus degrees. He's agreeable enough but not energetic. I'm happy with this work. I adore my Tropical Rider Enduracools here...

Leading challenges facing the horse industry...

Newman: Post surgery, he is really blooming

Removing six of Newman's teeth has really improved his health! These pix, taken a week or so after the surgery, don't really show his weight gain and the improvement in his coat -- but it's amazing.

Meanwhile Red Kitka is losing weight -- bloodwork is normal but he seems to have aged in a matter of month or so. Monitoring...

Riders nationwide from 2007-2013

A decline -- not too surprising-- who can afford this sport? The definition of participant is broad, too, riding once a year...

Harvey has a new entourage

The farm where Harvey lives seems to have officially declared their chickens to be free range -- flown the coop, at least for the last week or so. These chickens have quickly learned which of the horses flings his grain angrily out of the bucket while eating. Oh, sometimes he just up-ends it too.

When I feed Harv his third feeding of the day near dusk, the chickens are at least as interested as Harv. They linger nearby, waiting for the windfall of horse grain. It is cute.

But then everything involving Harv is pretty cute.

Harv has seemed a little under the weather lately -- I'm hoping it is the heat. He is moving slow, a little lethargic, and not eating with his usual gusto. He got dinged up the other day and his left hind was swollen -- I think he might be struggling to get up and down. Not really enough data points to call the vet yet. Today is the first day in a few weeks where the temps are moderate. I'll see how he looks tonight...

Owners with horses in training, 2012

A simple graph -- numbers for training are larger than I thought...

Ruthless: A review and giveaway

Being a librarian, it's not too surprising I'd have a long reading list -- typical Book Club books, classics, favorite authors like Russell Banks, Doris Betts, and Jane Smiley, and most recently a Lawrence of Arabia biography that is thick enough to stun an ox.

True crime, though, is a guilty pleasure.  I grew up reading The Onion Field,  In Cold Blood, and  Helter Skelter. My dad and I used to share books like Fatal Vision, Mind Hunter and (not quite in the genre) Justice at Nuremburg. I regularly watch Cold Case Files, Who the bleep did I marry, Dateline ID, etc.

I'm telling you this to make the point that (I think) I'm qualified to review a crime book, whether true or fiction.

You've all been briefed on the new suspense novel by Carolyn Lee Adams, Ruthless, in a recent post. I'm here to tell you what I thought of it.

In defense of True Crime
Every day there is a new headline  about people doing horrible things to other people. It's sensational and distasteful to dwell on it too much -- but it is also natural to want to understand the why it happens, to ask the criminal (and sometimes, the victim) what were you thinking?  I think this is why the genre is so popular.

Ruth -- Anything but a victim
Ruthless shines in revealing the why and the what were you thinking? in the true crime narrative. The female character Ruth (the captive) is a tough young horsewoman who has more than her share of responsiblity running the family horse business. Ruth is a real person as far as I'm concerned, like me in some ways, but very different in others. Much of the novel goes on in Ruth's head, it's Ruth thinking -- we read her thoughts as she wakes up, injured and constrained, buried under dirty shavings in the back of a truck. We see the world through her eyes as she meets her captor and plots her escape from Wolfman's woods cabin. So many novels of this genre are misogynist -- Ruth is no dummie, and she's no victim, and it's enormously refreshing.

Wolfman -- the man and the monster
Wolfman, you might have guessed, is the serial killer -- he has a penchant for young redheads with attitude, and Ruth is not the first he has taken. Ruth sees grim evidence of past victims as she awakens in a remote cabin where she is held. We get in his head a little too. Wolfman like some hulking fetishy lumberjack, with (alas) a lot of back woods smarts and stalking/hunting/shooting skills. Through flashbacks we learn he grew up in a sick, dysfunctional family, lonely and isolated, and ultimately believing that women caused his problems. Readers of the genre know this recipe, and he's the piping hot sociopathic entree.  For better or worse, you'll feel like you're meeting a monster.

How Ruthless reads

Dialogue, actual talking, is scarce. It is a testament to Adam's skill as a writer that she can create Ruth and make her so damned real.  Horse people especially will recognize her -- anyone who competes in equestrian sports knows someone like Ruth -- who by the way earns the barn nickname "Ruthless."

If you like this genre at all, I predict you'll get sucked in right away -- the story all but grabs you by the shirtcollar. No spoilers, but -- after Ruth made her initial escape into the woods, I could not put the book down. Tired, hungry, delirious, and petrified, Ruth's voice is authentic, and funny, and hopeful.  Her quirky wit in the face of fear make the suspense bearable.

This is a young girl we're talking about -- she is all teen -- she ain't perfect, she's got some flaws and issues, but she is a horse girl, a consummate competitor in the show ring. She grew up fast, she likes to win, and to cope with her situation, she makes her escape about winning, just like in the show ring.

At work, I was required to attend "active shooter" training -- what to do if someone came to campus with a gun and started -- well, you know. The theme of the training was that survivors of active shooter situations have the ability to a) get past denial and b) believe they would survive, and c) take action. That is exactly what Ruth does.

If I had to pick three words about this book the words would be authentic -- suspense -- and wit. And that's the best recommendation I can give, I think, for this kind of novel.

If you'd like to read the book, but not pay for it ;-), I'm doing a giveaway! Tell me in a comment why you MUST read it, and LEAVE A MEANS OF CONTACT (e.g., email). Thanks and happy reading!

Lies and statistics: Not sure I believe this one...

More dressage horses than hunter/jumpers? Maybe, if children/teens aren't counted as they are not "owners"?

Source: Statista database. American Horse Publications; March 5 to May 20, 2012; 10,505 Respondents; 18 years and older; Horse owners and managers  

Favorite Olympic Sports: Well, equestrian sports beat wrestling...

Flipping the question, what is the favorite Olympic sport of Americans in 2012 -- we do better than at least a few other sports... Source:Techbargains.com

Least favorite Olympic events: Huh?

What is wrong with people? I'm shocked. We're less favored than synchronized SWIMMING? The survey of over 1,000 people was conducted in the U.S.

 "The statistic shows the results of a survey carried out in order to find the least favorite Olympic sport event among Americans in 2012. In this year, equestrian events were the least favored with 13 percent citing them as such. Badminton was in second position with 10 percent of those surveyed citing it as their least favorite Olympic event." Source: Techbargains.com