California Chrome, a good boy in Dubai

In case you haven't seen this race -- yes, CC wins but there was an equipment malfunction toward the end that could have been disastrous. You can see it clearly at about the three minute mark. Kudos to the jockey, and to CC himself, who was not only a spectacular racehorse, but also a very good boy.

Inexplicable statements

Bob: "Hey -- what are we going to do with all of these carrots!????"

Me: Have we MET???!

Speechless.

16.3h White Percheron Mule Rides Drives - Anyone Can Ride

He went fast, and I can see why. Hope he has a loving family...

Fatal Thoroughbred Racehorse Injuries Decline by 14% in 2015

News of interest to Thoroughbred lovers...

The Horse.com reports that Fatal Thoroughbred Racehorse Injuries Declined by 14% in 2015. The stats that underpin this finding are collected in the Equine Injury Database, managed by the Jockey Club. I found the Jockey Club report as well.  They have a chart depicting the fatality trends (see chart below for fatality rates per 1,000 starts.

If you're a real data wonk, take a look at the breakdowns by age, track type, and race length.  Older horses, horses running on dirt, and horses running short races (less than six furlongs).

Developing riding musculature

A friend of mine was helping me develop a weightlifting program for core and "riding" musculature. She introduced me to the T-Row, with two types shown below. You can see the muscles developed.

I'm no fitness expert but it certainly makes sense to develop these muscles!

My workout playlist: Stacey's get in shape challenge

By get in shape, I don't mean weight loss, I mean fit for riding. 

The Harvster rolls --

A friend just sent me this video from late summer. He was struggling a bit to rise in those days, but never faltered. You can see how he uses his front end to compensate for the weaker hind legs. Enjoy seeing this footage, he looked so good even at the end...

GypsyX Haflinger For Sale

This little guy has "stinker" written all over him (for experienced rider, it says), and Haflingers are smart smart smart. If warning bells are going off, I still love the look of him. A very cool project for someone, and potentially a big payoff. He's the size/type I'm looking for, except already trained and reliable ;-).

Spring and all of its joys...

I have been lucky with Harv in so many ways -- and when he passed, I felt shaky (after all it's a traumatic process in some ways), and I felt a sense of loss, but there were no heaving sobs, and no big drama. He was gone, and I was very sad, but I accepted it.

I should have expected that certain milestones would bring it back, and then some.

Spring.

With the weather turning, and the ground warming up, and the winter jackets being tossed aside for the windbreakers, I'm missing the spring rituals with Harv -- everything from the shedding to the first bath to anticipating the spring grass. He's not here for it, and he won't be here to enjoy the summer. Missing you Harv.

Angel Harv from Philomena's Friends

I've featured Philomena's Friends on Etsy.com in the past -- she makes sock horses, and I've done giveaways of her blue  and pink sock horses. -- just $25.  She makes unicorns, monkeys, cats, and yes, angel horses. I had to order an angel Harvey version of her sock horses -- look at the little wings! I love mine, he sits on my bed.

Your dressage starter kit! Can't resist posting this lovely TB for sale...

Let's just say I know the owners and can vouch for them. Good peeps, and a lovely horse.

Tucker is a 15.2 unraced Thoroughbred, 12 years old with a fun personality, a great build for dressage, and three nice gaits. He has been owned by a "dressage family" since age 6, and it shows! He is impeccably trained. In 2015 he was shown lightly at training and first level by a working student, with good behavior and good scores. The sellers hope he will go to a show home. Asking $8,500 but negotiable to the right home. The video is a ride from late summer 2015. Located in Quakertown PA, call Kendra at 610-360-2688 FMI.

Charging for barn-time?

Ah, Craigslist. 

Craigslist find -- childhood memory!

When I was eight or nine-years-old, I somehow got my parents to buy this poster for me. To my pre-teen mind, this was the most beautiful painting in the world. It took my breath away. 

I ran across this on Ebay, for sale as delightfully kitsch. I guess it is. But it had its day!

Steampunk Browbands

Some lovely steampunk browbands from White Hart Designs on Etsy.com. Around $100.

Yankee Doodle Saddle Pad!

Isn't this gorgeous? It's from the Etsy shop Padded Ponies and it's $78. It comes in dressage or all purpose, pony or horse, and there are many, many country options for international riders.

Standardbred canter!

Super travare/Standardbred Stallion

For those who believe there is no point putting the schooling into your Standardbred's canter maybe this video can help change your mind. This video is of an amazing Standardbred stallion competing with an equally amazing canter.

Posted by Underestimated Standardbreds on Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Stroller: Amazing photo

This is Stroller, a 14.1 hh PONY jumping at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 with Marion Coakes Mould. Marion got Stroller when she was 13 and he was 10. Read more about this pair on Horse Nation.

This is Stroller, a 14.1 hh PONY jumping at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 with Marion Coakes Mould. Marion got Stroller when she was 13 and he was 10. Posted by Tricia Scheele on  Read more about this pair on Horse Nation.

Saddle Pad Giveaway!

I'm doing a giveaway of this Horze Dressage River Saddle Pad. It's a lovely color combination of black with red (could pass for hot-pink but it's red when you look closely) and grey piping. I love the grey stripe along the spine. At $35 it's a great buy! I took photos in different light because the colors -- especially the red -- look a little different in different lighting. 

Reinforced nylon billet straps have Velcro fasteners and a nice girth keeper. Shell is 100% cotton with poly filling.

Giveaway signup!
Thanks Horze for your support of my blog and for offering this giveaway. To enter, leave a comment on my Facebook page or my blog naming one neat thing you found at horze.com's web site! MAKE SURE TO LEAVE AN EMAIL OR CONTACT INFO! It's amazing how many people forget to do this :-). 

 

Sorry this photo is a bit washed out -- the red is a beautiful deep red, more rose than orange in tone.

The Mare by Mary Gaitskill Part 3

The last thing I will write about this wonderful novel is how Velvet captured  in words a thought and feeling that I have, every day. She spent most of her days in Brooklyn, with only weekend visits to see her horses, and in particular, her favorite mare. She writes...

The sky was huge and bright, but it was touching me now, it was friendly, and the huge brightness of the grass stretched before me. I started her at a walk. This was my place. No one would ever be in this place but me and my horse. No man, no children, they would never come here with me. This place was only for me and my mare. 

It's not just me...

So you may recall that when Harv passed away, I blogged about how I felt like he was still here.  Yesterday, I ran across this post on the Chronicle of the Horse forums. A number of people responded that they had similar feelings. I'm sharing the original post, you can read the rest on the Chronicle...

Have We Lost Our Minds...Or Did You Have a Similar Experience After Losing a Horse?

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Our beloved E---- passed a week ago today after a severe colic. I know so many of you have also lost special, beloved horses and I'm wondering if anyone else has had some of these same experiences ... or if my husband and I have finally gone over the edge.

When my other horse K---- passed, I felt truly alone ... I felt his loss as an emptiness, as if he were truly gone. 

But it's different now.

Not only do I not feel like E--- is gone, I feel like they are both here. Please tell me I am not crazy ... I just "feel" them both here. There is a peace, calmness and comfort that I cannot describe.

My husband says he sees them in the evening when he goes out to feed the others. He says it's like a fleeting image out the corner of his eye, enough that it makes him turn to look. And of course, they are not there, but he feels like he saw them.

I understand this could just be our minds playing tricks, but neither of us is "like that." We are very pragmatic business people, not ones who frequent the fortune teller or howl at the moon, you know?

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Tori Gelding? Pretty boy, but what's a Tori?

I think a Tori horse is an Estonian Warmblood. 

Spring beauty for those April Showers...

This Barbour painted horse umbrellla is gorgeous -- at $129 it is out of my price range, but... WANT. I have to stop reading these  high-end magazines...

Skeletal riding and obtaining flexion With Catherine Haddad

You know you'd like to train with someone when you just like listening to her talk...

2015 CHC International Horse Trials: Cross Country (Elisa Wallace & Hwin)

Elisa Wallace, eventer and trainer of Mustangs, has trained a Mustang Magic performer from 2015 to Preliminary level in eventing. For a 14.2 "pony" this is quite an achievement! Read more at EventingNation.com. Here he is competing earlier in 2015...