While it was fun looking at the babies at the Hilltop Farm GOV/ISR inspection, the highlight of the day was not in the nursery, but with the tribal elders of HTF. Over lunch the stallion barns were open for visitors, so I went looking for Parabol. If you're not familiar with him, Parabol was among the first wave of dressage stallions of real quality brought to the U.S. He is also Riley's grandfather, maternal side, so of course I'm biased in my assessment.
A staff member led me to his stall-- the best stall in the barn, on the end, overlooking the dressage ring and spectacular landscape. Two sides of his stall have windows so he can stick his head out and watch the glorious world go by. I was honored to be able to spend time with an elder statesman of Westphalian stallions. He came right over to us, and the HTF staff member kindly opened his door and let me say hello to him. And I got to meet him, and took some video footage of Parabol with another visitor. Please ignore my blabbing and fawning (would've deleted the audio but the HTF lady had many interesting things to say...)
Born in 1983, Parabol is four years older than Harv, but he is still physically impressive, strong-backed, and beautifully muscled. He is moving a little slow, but apparently he is still taken on hacks occasionally. Even at his advanced age, he has a presence -- regal, gracious, kind, wise -- it's hard to describe. Parabol is truly an old soul and I can imagine how beloved he is to those who know him. Thank you Hilltop Farm for sharing him with us.
Recall that as a junior at Purdue, I went on a date with a grad student in chemistry (read Part 2 of this series for more background). When we left off, I was not in a tanning booth, or getting my hair styled, or surveying my wardrobe to get ready -- no, I studyed chemistry. Here is the rest of the tale...
Although the title of part 3 might have a spicy double-entendre, the date was kind of underwhelming. We met at a local hangout in the early evening, on a Friday. To say Tom (that was his name) seemed distracted is an understatement. Although he talked a blue streak (about himself and his research), he refused to make eye contact. He seemed to be either examining his third shirt button or speaking to someone directly behind me -- to the point I had to fight the urge to look around. It struck me as more nerves than rudeness, but I didn't know exactly how to put him at ease, being pretty darned uncomfortable myself. I mostly sat quietly and listened. That is, until...
He spoke to me of Love (Canal) I was just thinking what a disaster this was, and maybe Tom was having similar thoughts, because he noted that a recent documentary on the Love Canal was playing on campus. Well, I had stumbled upon articles on the subject during my research, and my memory at that time was good. Oh my God. I know something about this. I sudddenly started talking. Not just talking, narrating, spewing facts like a voice over on the Discovery Channel. I regaled him with details about the site--the caustics, alkalines, fatty acids and chlorinated hydrocarbons, I let loose with a torrent of factoids on the Love Canal.
Now Tom did actually make eye contact. Actually he stared. He looked more startled than pleased, as if a dog suddenly stood on its hind legs and talked. I knew that my soliloquy was not having the desired effect, but I still gloated. After all spending the date avoiding eye contact, he finally saw me. Hah! Made ya look! Perhaps because it was clear that the worst of our little date had just taken place, we settled down and actually did start to talk to each other. Not a great conversation, and no interpersonal chemistry. Still, we ended the evening on a pleasant note, knowing we wouldn't have to cross the street avoid each other in the future.
What was my point here? Oh, I don't know. I suppose my point is that old hackneyed cliche, just be yourself when you're in the social scene. In all other matters, do go to the library and get informed. Cheers.
No one who attended this inspection would dispute the highlight of the baby horse inspection (ISR/GOV on August 29). The colt Ripken HTF (5/29/09) got a huge reaction from the crowd, and he was the top colt with a score of 8.8. He is a spectacular fellow by Riverman out of a Contucci mare. He's black with white socks but it looks like he will turn gray like dad. A few months ago he was listed on the HTF Web site, offered for 13K. He was off the sales list when I checked tonight (I viewed the cached page). Here is the footage of his "run" along with some footage from other Internet sources...
Ripken, HTF, ISR/GOV inspection
The top filly was Periwinkle by Popeye (Popeye is a pony, the filly is not. To be honest, I was more partial to another nice filly(though there were many) by Wamberto. Wailea (3/11/09) was an amazon beauty by Wambarto and out of a Riverman daughter. Her video will be shared Monday or Tuesday.
Best name of the day also happened to be a lovely foal: Red Umbrella, by Royal Prince out of a Duellglanz mare. Think I have some footage of her...
Dressagestar.com is a relatively new horse sale site that I learned about from a Facebook contact. It's a nice site and I enjoyed the formats for browsing and searching. In the little snapshot of time I persued the listings, I saw ponies, a gypsy vanner, and this paint horse. Can't resist sharing, he is adorable and doing some upper level movements. Standard disclaimer, I don't know the owners. You all know I like the non-traditional dressage horses, especially when they're well trained and ridden...
Age: 11 Size 16.1HandsGender:GeldingColor: OtherState: FLCountry Located:US (United States) Breed:OtherPrice: 7500USD This is a 11-year old Paint Gelding with the sweetest disposition you could ever imagine. Skippy is currently training 3rd level and is ready to show 2nd level. His forwardness and willingness to please his rider make him a joy to ride and train. He is suitable for an armature or beginner, loads and clips without any problems. He is super safe on the trails hacks and has no vices.
A few of you were kind enough to compliment my college senior picture -- the word "gorgeous" was used twice. Thanks! But even the photographer joked about the photo shoot. When I went to look at the proofs, he was Mr. Sarcastic: "Oh, I didn't recognize you with your eyes open." Of the myriad of photos we took, it was the only one where I had my eyes open most of the way. Truthfully? It's not a bad photo for me, I've taken worse. But gorgeous? Bless your heart.
And you don't know the half of it! My only sister (older by two years) must sometimes ponder what it would be like to take a bad picture. Her high school years were just one fab photo after another -- beauty contests, modeling, dancing, looking good in a gym suit, Quiana knit prom dresses, boys calling all the time. She had what they called "advantages" in Jane Austen novels.
I think the photo above is one of her nicest, although her wedding photo for the newspaper was good too (not scanned so I can't share it). Here are several more or less randomly selected shots from our family album. It's not like I had to pick out the good ones.
With her first child, Jamie.
Wearing my mom's wedding dress (which I could not zip around my upper thigh, never mind my waist)
Les and I in our early 20s
My mom loved navy/nautical themed clothes back then
Dad and my very tiny sister
Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship. ~Margaret Mead
What a great bit of wisdom. Some sisters are super-close, and at the other end of the continuum are sisters who fight. I can't say we were really competitive -- we were very different kids in terms of temperament and interests -- but growing up there was friction, and I think she'd agree we lived more or less separate lives growing up. We've gotten closer over the years, despite living far away from one another. Les now has two beautiful girls, a tall horse-loving hubbie, and two horses she keeps on her 15 acre property in Louisville KY. She's been a great listener and a great supporter through Riley's recent surgery -- it's so nice to have the horses in common!
This is part 2 of "I do things so you'll know better." Again, we're going back to my undergrad years, 1980-84. A dorm mate fixed me up with a graduate student in chemistry who I'd met briefly on campus. She felt we'd get along great, and told me two things:
He's very smart.
He lives in his own world.
I wondered which of those attributes made her think we were compatible.
We were to meet at a local chocolate shop that Friday--a not-quite-blind (nearsighted?) date with a graduate student in chemistry, a guy in his mid-twenties. Ugh. I'm a junior undergrad studying what my pre-med friend called one of the pretend sciences -- psychology. I wondered what on earth we would talk about. In my immature junior year mind, there was only one thing to do that made sense.
Hot date homework? I studied for my date. Meaning, I read up on chemistry. You will be relieved to know that I was smart enough not to go to an actual chemistry textbook. In a decision that foreshadowed my future career as a librarian, I went to the library and consulted the Readers Guide. Yes, I researched "chemistry in society." Superfund sites, DDT, ozone depletion, blah, blah blah. Let him think I'm homely or immature, but I'll show him I know a thing or two about chemical spills!
My job in the Riley bandaging process is twofold. I stand at my horse's head to keep him from chewing through the cross ties, and I prep and hand off scissors, bandages, and saline to the ones doing the real work. My vet has perfected the cocktail of Riley happy juice, though, so as of Monday he's practically dozing off while we work.
How lucky for you! I can take a moment from my surgical nurse duties and video the progress in his healing. Sorry, don't have the time to shield the squeamish from the gross-out video. The hoof is being flushed with saline solution now, prior to the layers of gauze pad, gauze roll, vetwrap, elastikon, and duct tape (two layers).
Jose (barn manager) and Kelly (owner) have met me faithfully every M/W/F at 6:45am to manage the sedating and bandaging process. After we're done I muck Riley's stall -- as a courtesy, and because it's easier to do while he's dazed and quiet. Then I clean up in the restroom (which has a shower), change, and run off to work. How many days till he's healed? I get different answers, but that's still a sizable hole there, isn't it? It's a long haul, for sure.
One of my favorite blogs is I do things so you don't have to. Actually it's kind of a love/hate thing, I love JD's blog but hate that I can't write like that. It was another bitter pill to swallow to watch the video of JD giving a keynote speech at blogger conference in July. She's funny in person. And she's pretty. Throw in great hair, and you've got a genetic slam dunk.
Anyway, this entry is sort of a spinoff on the I do things concept, with apologies to JD. She has adventures so you don't have to, I do things (or did things) so you'll know better.
1984: The senior photo I happen to know that a lot of my readers are under 30, so I'll reveal that I was once under 30 too--here's a picture of me, circa 1984, as a senior at Purdue University. I'm sharing this picture to set the stage for my next "I do things" blog entry. My next entry will be about my goofiest moment in college (surprise, it's something other than the photo).
I'm sporting the preppy look that was de rigueur in the eighties. I didn't wear it for this photo, but I had a monogrammed sweater. The SEK was cursive/stylized and the boys teased me that it looked like SEX--but I wore it anyway. The impossibly fluffy hair? That's the result of Clairol hot rollers worn for forty minutes. Remember I grew up during the Breck Girls ad campaign -- that's my excuse.
You won't be seeing this on my blog EVER, but for my high school senior photo I wore a cowl neck sweater and long hair parted down the middle, in the 1980's way. As part of the pre-photo primping, girls pulled all their hair forward in front of the shoulders to make it look thicker, the teen version of a combover. (JD, you won't know anything about this, Ms. gorgeous hair.) I did this, but my hair was also carefully draped to follow the outside edge of my eyebrows. I thought it made my face look thinner.
I did things so you'll know better Here are a few pearls of wisdom for the under 30 crowd, from someone at or a tad beyond middle age...
Your mother is right. Wear something classic for any photo shoot -- something likely to survive the fashion season. If she offers to take you to Talbots, go. This goes for proms too.
I'm so behind the times in youth fashion, I don't know what the 2009 equivalent of hot rollers is. But trust me, anything that takes forty minutes of daily grooming you can and should skip. Spend your time learning chemistry (more on this in my next blog entry).
Yes, I wore a pink bow. A bad decision, but at least it was reversible. I could take it off and throw it away. It did go out of style! Everything does! Think of that as you contemplate that butterfly tatoo above your derriere. Your body will change, but that tat will remain, for better or worse. And it will be worse. Think about being a residents of a nursing home in 2050. The aides will have a good laugh at your expense.
All that aside, have fun and don't worry too much about what people think. Just be careful of things that can't be reversed and things that are captured on film...
I'm helping -- as sort of a fun side project -- to put together a Web site for a barn in the area, a very nice facility and nice people who want a Web presence to give them a bit more visibility. I'm using blog software because my blogging skills are far more up to date than my web skills (alas). While there are arguments for both platforms, a blog platform will compel us to keep the site updated/fresh which will increase visits. There is alot happening at this barn anyway, showing, camps, clinics, etc. Here is a snapshot of the draft (click to enlarge). The site in progress is at www.molassescreekfarm.com.
My question to you all is, when you're looking at horse boarding or training facilities, what do you want to see? What visuals are most helpful, and what do you want to know about? I'm looking for answers from two perspectives:
for potential boarders or lesson folks looking for a place
for current boarders or lesson folks already at the facility
For this particular site, certain info is forthcoming (trainer bio, pictures of the facility itself). What info should be front and center, what can be on a subsidiary page? As a viewer do you mind the date/journal format?
Riley update: The good news is the discharge is either a very slight infection or normal serous discharge from the growth of granulation tissue. He goes back to the clinic for a checkup on Sept. 9. Riley is walking well, eating well, no temperature, blah, blah, blah.
Now the bad news. The barn manager, and now my vet, have noted a loss of body condition. While he gets generous amounts of grass hay, he is not getting grain, only MSM and hoof supplements. And of course, no turnout. He is not ribby, in fact his tummy and neck are robust looking. His topline, though, and his hindquarters look bad. There is a depression on each side of his spine. I'll be honest, has assumed this was just the price you pay for having a horse on stall rest -- but maybe there's something that can be done. We'll be starting him on some kind of low carb high protein feed, at least until the trip to the clinic.Next Saturday I'm going to the Hilltop Farm GOV inspection in Colora MD. Can't wait! And to get myself geared up I checked out some threads on inspections on various listservs. I read where an arabian mare was accepted in the the Hanoverian stud book/mare book. Not only did this mare get accepted into the mare book, she got a 10 on her head and an 8 on her gaits. Here is the video from the inspection...
I just discovered some nice short videos on horse.com. The first one I encountered is a little tutorial on the dressage whip -- using it in hand, mostly. I like the narrator's analogy of using the whip not to punish but as an extension of your body...
Update: Riley has some early signs of a mild infection, a little discharge at the site of the wound. The vet at the surgical facility said just to watch it (he is on SMZs) but I'm having my local vet come out tomorrow too. She has not seen the wound yet and it's a chance to get her up to speed. Riley is bright, no fever, walking and eating well, etc. It's all precautionary. Oh, and my claims rep Gloria sent a message that my "medical coverage is exhausted." Exhausted, what a perfectly fitting word Gloria. I feel your message to the core of my being.
I get the Hilltop Farm Inc., newsletter (I recommend it, it's not just promo stuff) and they have a dressage QH listed for sale. What a doll, and what a catch for some petite rider getting started in the sport. From the looks of the pix he might be able to move up a level or two -- seems athletic. I'm hoping to go to the Oldenburg Inspection at Hilltop. Wonder if he's there...
A safe, reliable, and fun partner for a junior or amateur rider. Last year, Wellington showed at Training and First Level with his junior owner receiving scores consistently in the 60’s and up to 71%. Previously, he has evented to the Preliminary level and loves to jump. He would be an excellent mount for someone wanting to do some lower level eventing, local hunter/jumper shows, dressage – or all of the above.
And then there are two So then I started re-researching quarter horses in dressage -- things change ya know! I found this boy on Equine.com, another looker, and priced right...
Because I have particular tastes in some of my food, I go to several different grocery stores. For example, I drive 15 minutes out of my way to buy my favorite yogurt, Yoplait Cinnamon Bun. I went to that store last night, after an exhausting day at work, to replenish my yogurt supply. It starts out uneventfully. I fill my carrier with yogurt (and some nice muscatel grapes) and head to the checkout.
The saga begins... At the Express checkout there appears to be only one person in front of me. I'm not paying much attention as I dump my food on the conveyor. But when I glance over to my fellow shopper, my heart sinks. A large, hard looking woman stands in front of me with just one 2 liter bottle of soda--but further ahead, lined up, are multiple shopping carts filled with bottles of soda. Apparently a stock boy is retrieving many more sodas of this type for her. With the authority of a sergeant she informs the cashier that 50 bottles will not be enough, she needs around 70.
Why is she in the express lane?Aren't there usually reasonable limits on quantity during sales?Why are all the other checkout lines so long? I have lots of time to ponder these questions as we wait for the stock boy to come with more bottles. I leaf through magazines. Meanwhile, the Coke lady insists that the bottles in the carts be recounted as she fears she will be overcharged.
The stock boy from the back room appears with a cart filled with the rest of the bottles in boxes. The cashier starts ringing up the order, the boy is packing the bottles and I feel hopeful I will be able to check out my grape and yogurts. The credit card is swiped and the request for signature is on the LCD panel. Almost home!
Then, the Coke lady pauses over the LCD panel and says, "So I will come back in the morning and buy more at the same price." The cashier -- all of 17 years old, by my estimate -- explains that sale prices change on Thursdays and are set by the Coke company. The Coke lady puts down her pen and says firmly, "Then we need to come to an arrangement." The young cashier is out of her depth, and starts to look around for backup. The shoppers in line behind me start to look for other lines.
Abort or continue? I initially thought the Coke lady was having a party (wedding?), but at this point I suspect she is intending to resell the products elsewhere. I have now waited a full ten minutes with my yogurts and grapes. Damp from the 97 degree weather and crabby from lack of sleep, I step forward and insert myself into the mix...
Me: "Hi. Can you finish this transaction so that I can check out? A signature is all that's needed."
Coke lady: "I'm not finished. If you don't want to wait, you can go to another line."
Me: (wearily, to the cashier): "Do I need to change lines?"
Cashier: (nodding, looking like she desires death) "I'm so sorry."
Me: (gazing fondly, regretfully at my rare and wonderful yogurt): "I'm sorry, I won't be buying this."
Catching the stock boy's eye, I ask if he can take return the products to the shelves. "Sure, sunshine!" he responds brightly. Typical smartass high school kid, he is delighted with the whole scene. Better than TV.
I have not been this angry in a long time. My proper Midwestern upbringing fails me. I turn to the Coke lady and give her my signature border collie look. This look scares small children.
Me (calmly but emphatically): "This is very inconsiderate. Checkout lines are to pay for things. If you don't like the set price, you should go to Customer Service."
Coke lady does not seem to register any emotion, good or bad. I left.
I stopped at a 7-11 on the way home and got crappy, unfun yogurt. As I sat on the couch and spooned my yogurt out of the tub, I mentally composed my scathing letter to the store. But then... What good's a letter going to do? What will it change? Who will care?
Well, I suppose I'll join every other horse blog in blogdom in reporting that Blue Hors Matine, the horse featured in the most-watched Youtube horse video on the Internet is retired with a non-riding injury. Five million downloads, and about 50,000 of those were mine :-). Her performance at the World Equestrian Games in 2006 has introduced millions around the world to the sport of dressage, and what a wonderful example of the sport at its most exhilarating. Since we've all seen heaps of pictures and video of her performances, I'm choosing photos of her rider giving her a big fat "Atta girl!" Her sire Silvermoon (Video) was by Kostolany, a leading Trakehner sire who is found in the bloodlines of Gribaldi, Hofrat, and Painted Black. Her mother is by Matador, another legendary sire.
In 2007 at the Las Vegas World Cup Finals Matine tripped coming off the trailer and injured herself. The owners/handlers hoped that her soft tissue injury would heal, but she missed the 2008 Olympics and never really came back 100%. This news is heartbreaking for everyone who loved to watch her perform, but Matine will have a new career as a broodmare.
And a word about handlers of these amazing horses...
I pray that none of us is ever responsible -- or feels responsible -- for a horse being injured. I read about a famous show jumper lunged at his groom as he worked in the stall. The groom instinctively raised a pitchfork he had in hand and inadverdently pierced the horse's nose. Fortunately it was not a serious wound, but the horse missed the competition of a lifetime (I forget which one, but it was a big one). Imagine how the poor groom must have felt!
We all occasionally read of career- or life-ending injuries in freak accidents -- Matine, Peron, Teddy, His Highness, and Lord knows many others. I always say a quick prayer for the person holding the end of the lead line when unforseeable tragedy occurs. I'm sure they will carry the burden of that moment for the rest of their lives, rightly or wrongly.
Ending on a high note!
So Matine will be a mom, and her owners have decided against ET -- she'll actually carry the baby and have her at her side (they think motherhood will quiet her temperamental nature). What a treat to think of her being able to kick back and just be a horse. Let's all put on our thinking caps and select a good father for what will certainly be a special and much made-over baby.
I will never be able to recreate the Google search that resulted in this little tidbit -- behind the scenes of a music video, Snoop Dogg and one of the set extras (a horse) share a moment. Yes, Mr. Dogg looks like a dork here, but remember he did not grow up in rural Iowa. He gets points for the effort.
Are those twizzlers?
You'd think he was feeding a shark. I admire the horse's good humor and cheery acceptance of this awkwardly offered treat. I also admire the scantily clad young woman holding the horse. she looks very at ease.
What next, a gangsta rap freestyle? You probably never thought this blog would feature Snoop Dogg (I'm kind of shocked myself). Harv and I would like to provide assurances that we will not be performing a gangsta rap freestyle, and we pray that this entry has not inspired anyone else to do so. But while we're on the subject of Snoop Dogg, I might as well throw in this photo, which was posted on a blog I visit regularly (AmyOops.com). The caption is "How Rich People Watch Football."
Bandaging session #2 at home, what a struggle. Rompun via IM injection may not be as predictable as IV, or Riley has acquired super-equine resistance to sedatives. He stood fairly well but tormented his mom (yours truly) standing at his head. Oh, and his jolly ball has been deconstructed.
I'm pleased to have met the acquaintance of equine architect John Blackburn, who designed some amazing barns that were featured in my blog entry on barn design. In an email exchange I fought the urge to pelter him with questions, and ultimately I asked if he would like to be a guest blogger -- something I've never done. We discussed a few topic ideas, and settled on the subject of "what people who are building their own barn should know." Blackburn is clearly a proponent of custom barn design, and sent me this article on custom barns vs. kits. He is co-publishing it on his own blog. It's worth noting he's written articles that have appeared in publications such as Western Horseman, Southern Home, The Washington Post, and Town and Country. Oh, and no $$ changed hands, just FYI. Barns (outside) of the box: A guest blog Though I may be a bit biased, as an architect specializing in equestrian design for the past 25 years, I can’t help but babble on and on about the merits of custom designed equestrian facilities over kit or prefab barns. For the sake of the readers, I’ll try to remain brief.
Experience Kit barns are based off the idealistic notion that “one size fits all.” Sure, there are various models and sizes, but these barns aren’t designed with your particular needs, the needs of your site, or the needs of your horses in mind so much as they are mass-produced to sell, sell, sell. Cost is a factor no matter what the budget—at what cost is it worth risking the health and safety of the horse? Throughout my experience in master planning, designing, and consulting for equestrian facilities, I’ve realized that no two barns are run the same. In my opinion, that means a carbon-copied barn just might lead to fuzzy operations. As Custom As You Like It’s true that custom design is more expensive than a prefab or kit barn. Still, the actual pricing varies incredibly depending on the types of finishes, overall size, details, and amenities you seek. For those of you who have envisioned a “dream barn” for years, or crave the details missing in kit barns, custom design covers all the bases. For some, utilizing architectural services for building placement—called site or master plan design—can even help a prefab barn operate successfully. For others, a master plan is the first step before designing a custom barn that reflects its environment and the functionality of the entire farm as well as the individual needs of the owners and his/her horses. Attention to Safety I’m a broken record when it comes to this saying, but here it goes: If given an opportunity, a horse will find a way to injure itself. As far as I see it, it’s my obligation to ensure that all of my designs protect the horse to the greatest extent possible. This means no protruding objects on the walls (not even a light switch!), only horse-friendly surfaces, and analyzing traffic patterns on the farm in order to place buildings to aid daily operations—for starters.
Seeing Green Eco-friendly design isn’t more important than ever. It’s just getting more attention than ever—and it’s about time. While I’m a proponent for solar panels on each and every barn in America (seriously, the potential is huge), there is an abundance of simple and cost-effective ways to “green” your barn.
Throughout the years, Blackburn designed barns have relied on principles of passive design in order to capture the natural powers of the wind and sun to the barn’s advantage. By encouraging vertical ventilation through design, barns can stay cool in the summer, moderate in the winter, and dissipate the spread of harmful pathogens and gasses year round. Skylights and clerestory windows allow abundant natural light to flood the barn. A rainwater harvesting or greywater system, light-colored roofing, and low VOC paints and finishes are other options to maximize the eco-factor in your barn.
A New Blend If my profession has taught me anything, it’s that flexibility is key. After all, design is about discovering solutions and rethinking the norm. With this in mind, I recently introduced a line of four pre-designed barn models as more budget-friendly alternative to custom design. Called Blackburn greenbarns™, these barns marry the ever-important attention to detail along with an all-green game plan. The barns feature passive design, green materials and finishes, and additional systems such as those solar panels of which I am so fond.
The Bottom Line Just like various barn protocol, custom design is not for everyone. Nevertheless, the qualities that set custom design apart from kits and prefabs should be kept in mind despite your budget or the size of the project. Health and safety details are paramount if you seek to build a barn worthy of its precious inhabitants. Simply recessing all of the fixtures is a huge step towards protecting your animals. The relevance of a master plan will never fade in my book: if you can, consult an architect or landscape architect who has experience designing for horses to help you plan your farm or ranch thoughtfully to avoid future “surprises,” which tend to be costly mistakes that might have been avoided.
John Blackburn is the owner and senior principal of Blackburn Architects, P.C., whose portfolio includes hundreds of equestrian projects, ranging from barns and arenas to complete training facilities. With offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., the firm has garnered several design awards throughout their 25 years of equestrian design experience. For more information, please visit www.blackburnarch.com and www.blackburngreenbarns.com
Riley update: The first bandage change went well except that the scissors guaranteed to cut vet wrap and elastikon also cut the back of Riley's pastern. He also has a sore on one heel bulb -- there's a lot of moisture in that bandage, and it's softening the tissue. The vet advised covering it with some gauze to let it dry out.
This is part of the not really Riley series, chronicling Riley's life in a palatable way (hopefully)...
If real estate is location, location, location... For most amateurs buying their future dressage horse, the mantra is (or should be) temperament, temperament, temperament. I'm not brave about handling naughty horses, and I knew that to raise a youngster I'd need one that was quiet and agreeable. How can you judge temperament in a youngster? Well, there is wisdom on the subject but I didn't know it before I bought Riley. I was lucky.
Riley at 3 weeks Here is the video from my first visit, when Riley was just under 3 weeks old. It had rained for two straight days and the babies and moms had been stallbound. When we turned Riley and mom into the arena, I wondered if they would both just careen crazily. They didn't. Even without experience, some of Riley's behaviors made me feel instinctively he would have a good temperament. Here's the video...
Why did I buy Riley?
First and foremost, I love his mother. Absolutely ga-ga. I love her gaits, her body type, and her Rubenstein head/neck. Her temperament was maternal, kind, and quiet. This is critical because she's Riley's main role model for 5-6 months. A spooky, distrustful mom will make her baby spooky and distrustful. Aside from passing on genetic traits I admire, Rachael helped show Riley what a good character is.
Riley's expression. For a stallbound baby, less that three weeks old, Riley is calm, soft-eyed, and well, just sweet. He isn't frantic when he's turned loose, and he pauses frequently to observe his surroundings.
In the video, go to 4:33 minutes -- part of the action is cut off but you get the idea. Riley gravitated to humans. I'd seen a lot of babies at around this age, and not all of them liked or trusted humans. One had to be held forcibly in his stall, with mom, for me to touch him. Handling is certainly a factor, but like human babies, some come out of the womb more naturally reticent vs. friendly.
Be clear about what you want When I talked to breeders, I emphasized size and temperament ("big and quiet"--big, because I'm tall). As far as gaits were concerned I wanted three good gaits and a horse that tracks up at the trot. Riley didn't have the fanciest dressage gaits of the babies I looked at, but there were a few things I liked about his movement -- namely his head carriage and the way he lifts himself like a string is pulling his head and shoulders up.
When to visit a baby Breeders will tell you that in the first week of a foal's life, they may have an post-birth frenetic energy the is not a long term character trait. I don't see any reason to see a newborn or very young baby. You've probably heard the adage three weeks, three days, three years. Maybe experts can tell something at three weeks, but I think to the average person three months is the best time to baby-shop. If you are going for the big gaits, try to go before inspections, because the highly rated foals tend to go up in price based on inspection comments. Read some of the articles below for some good advice on baby evaluation. There are also tests of foal temperament that can abe adapted to test temperament/reactivity in an unobtrusive way.
Develop your eye for babies If you're looking for a baby, my suggestion is to start going to inspections the season before. You can really develop your eye by seeing LOTS of babies. It'll help. And while U.S. horse people tend not to think about bloodlines, they are very important in buying a good temperament. Stallions like Jazz, Ferro, and Baloubet du Rouet are brilliant but hot hot hot. Donnerhall, Rubenstein, Brentano II are all known for producing rideable horses.
In my dream world I have a horse for sitting trot and one for rising trot. Riley can be my sitting trot horse, and my rising trot horse will be one of the boing-boing babies from the elite foal/mare auction in Verden below! These are my choices, three Quaterbacks and one Sarkozy/Don Schufro. Click on the link to see a few really lovely Sir Donnerhalls too...
Quaterdance
Quintus
Quaterback Junior
Sinka
Oh, yeah, did I mention the third horse? I need one for Bob to feed treats and handgraze -- that's Harvey!
At Rolex a few years ago Bob and I stopped at a booth at the trade fair -- a guy selling spots in an equestrian community. As Bob spoke enthusiastically about the prospect of land in Aiken South Carolina, I read the brochure and noted that land started at $700,0000. That's land, not an actual house.
But it's a great idea, no? People who love horses sharing the costs of the land to ride on and the facilities? I read up on it. It turns out that this is one of the fastest-growing amenity-based communities in the U.S. Equestrian communities come in all forms: some are marketed to the elite affluent, and others are much more modestly priced. Lara Fackrell wrote her master's thesis on it, and here are a few facts from her findings...
In 2002, only about 10% of the residents of equestrian communities actually owned horses! Now the numbers of actual horse owners is rising.
Boarding facilities are generally independently operated (board isn't included). Board rates for facilities with central boarding is pretty much the "going rate" for the area.
Between 2002-2008, the number of equestrian communities rose by at least 183% -- now there are over 250 communities in the states
There are two types: those with central boarding and the "estate type" where the owner keeps the horse on his/her own plot.
Most stables operate as public facilities (in part because community members don't fill the stalls)
Some communities are not developer-owned. In a number of cases, a private owner with a big horse farm decides to subdivide and share their facility with the new homeowners. See Sarah's Way for an example of this type of community.
The O'Connors of eventing fame have lent their name to a 'branded' community called The Oaks. Other communities boast that they have big name trainers at their facility. These marketing techniques have been very successful.
Riley is home! He was chipper and bright when I went to the clinic, eager for something to happen (a ride in the trailer, maybe?). He walked into the trailer like he was late for an appointment, and the trip home was uneventful. When I left he munching happily and getting reacquainted with his stall neighbors. We go back in three weeks for a checkup.
Ambarliquid suggested that while we wait for Riley to recuperate I should give a recap of Riley's life. A "Growing up Riley" series. Hmm. Let me think. Sure, why not? Sounds like a good idea to m--
Wait, what's that sound? So mournful, so pained, it's -- why, it's the cries of anguish from friends and acquaintances who have already suffered through my incessant Riley musings and stories.
The Not Really Riley series, installment 1
So here is a 'not really about Riley' story -- its about the horse I almost bought, the also ran. In April 2006, Bob and I took a trip to Asheville NC to see a lovely 3-4 month old gray colt. His gaits were quite nice, he breeding was outstanding, but he had a bit of a spicy personality. The breeder rated him 4-5 on a scale of 10, which isn't exactly dynamite, but temperament was my #1 priority. Also he was just a tad aloof in my book; humans were not on his radar. Here is the footage we took of him.
3-4 Months
On a Friday I told the NC breeder I was interested, but had one more foal to visit that Monday. She agreed to hold him for me over the weekend, and I promised to call her Monday night. That Monday morning, I drove four hours in driving rain to see a breeder with a big red colt in Maryland. I almost called and cancelled because of the weather, but I heard this colt's mom was especially nice. "Sit on your hands," this breeder had told me. "Don't make an offer until you see this one." That was Riley. When I saw him -- well, that's another story -- but I pretty much knew he was the one.
I often thought of the grey colt and wondered what became of him. A few weeks ago I googled his registered name, and ran across some videos on Youtube! He's grown up quite nicely I think. His bloodlines are D-line, like Riley, and this is a late maturing bloodline.
At 2 years
At 3 years
I believe he is for sale. Developmentally he reminds me a little of Riley, a big boy with the right stuff, but lacking in wither development. He doesn't yet have the strength and lift that you see so clearly in his three month video. A good looking boy, though. Hope he finds a good home.
UPDATE: Riley has his new shoe, and he is coming home at 10:30am tomorrow!
Riley is on hiatus from work, as you know. But when he does get back under saddle, I'll be following some advice from Katherine, a member of the ultimatedressage.com forum. I always look for her posts because they are informative and detailed, but simply written. In a recent post about training naturally crooked youngsters, here is what she observed...
The problem defined With a trained horse, you should be able to ride with both reins in contact. However, he does not understand, and because his balance is not yet correct, you also will not be correctly weighting your stirrups. You'll find you try to turn [Editor note: in the horse's "bad" direction] but end up having to stop him entirely so you will not run into things....as he does not understand turning. In the western world, getting the horse to correctly respond to the inside rein, which is your turning rein, is called "teaching the horse to follow his nose." Instead of his body following his nose which is necessary for him to turn, he may only give you his head and neck. Check to see if the outside rein is blocking his outside shoulder. It cannot step forward and inward as is necessary for the turn. When this happens, it also throws your weight into the outside stirrup, rather than the inside one.
The fix When you go to turn, release the outside rein forward, and make sure you get your weight onto the inside stirrup. When you feel his body actually begin to turn, then gently take back the outside rein, and try to sustain the turn, working the greater weight of your inside stirrup toward a higher and somewhat looser outside rein. In the other direction [Editor note: in the horse's "good" direction], it will be the inside rein that still gets released a bit forward, and also be careful that you do not put too much weight on your inside stirrup, or he will be bending too much in this direction...falling inward instead of trying to go straight as he was doing in the other direction.
It's 5:05pm, and I have not yet received my daily phone call from the vet. Today is the day he get's shod with a backwards shoe. I hope they call soon...
So you've seen the pix of Riley's hoof. You knew there had to be video, right? Here is the video tutorial on how to bandage Riley. Bob was videographer as usual. Gore alert, again.
I have now asked the vet several times if a hospital plate can be used. It looks like the ideal kind of wound for a plate, but I think there may be a comfort factor (or some other factor) because it's looking like he won't get one. I'll know when I get that phone call!
If you're squeamish, turn off images in your browser or stop reading. The pix are purposefully far down on the page.
Saturday Bob and I went to see Riley and meet with the vet. We had a Saturday appointment for her to show us how to wrap the hoof. It was also my first opportunity to see the surgical wound. Frankly I felt anxious. I'm responsible for protecting that traumatized hoof for the next four months.
Just as we arrived for the appointment, we saw a teenage girl being carried out of the barn by her mom and dad, with the attending vet trailing after. She had fainted at seeing her horse for the first time after surgery. Call it empathy, call it the power of suggestion--I started to feel light-headed. Bob saw me pause and take a few deep breaths. He grabbed my by the shoulders and propelled me into the barn. "Everything will be fine."
The unveiling
Riley looked bright and at ease, much more like his old self. They sedated him so they could take their time showing me the bandaging process. Riley isn't very patient, they told me. "When you're home you'll have to work faster than this." As they started to remove the bandage, Riley was dozing and I was hyperventilating. The last of the bandage finally came off. When I saw the extent of the wound, I actually knelt down to make sure I was seeing it correctly.
So what's it look like?
Sometimes it is good to be wrong. The vet's description was accurate, but my mental image (and the illustration I posted earlier, shown right) were wrong, wrong wrong. And this is a good thing. When the vet told me they had gone up to the coronet band, I thought they meant they took hoof wall up to top of the hoof. And I'd seen plenty of surgical pix that did just that.
But that ain't what happened here. If you've ever hollowed out a Halloween pumpkin, you did pretty much what the surgeon did. He scraped out the bad tissue and bone, but without removing the dorsal hoof wall. When I saw his hoof was intact, I wanted to jump up and down with glee. Instead, I stood there and blandly commented that it looked better than I expected. You can't imagine my happiness and relief. More hoof, more protection. Here are still shots from the video...
Icky wound alert.
If you aren't grossed out by the first picture, here is a better view to the hollow interior. All of the tissue you see there is new growth.
It's funny what odd things make horse people happy. When a horse is colicky, we do a happy dance when they finally poop. When they abscess, we're elated to see the disgusting exudate spew out. And now, I'm feeling positively giddy from the knowledge that Riley's hoof is as hollow as a dried gourd. Oh. Well.
Correct Connect helps you develop better contact with your horse. The reins/gloves were developed by Olympic eventer Jill Hennenberg and endorsed by recognized trainers. Read about them!
While it was fun looking at the babies at the Hilltop Farm GOV/ISR inspection, the highlight of the day was not in the nursery, but with the tribal elders of HTF. Over lunch the stallion barns were open for visitors, so I went looking for Parabol. If you're not familiar with him, Parabol was among the first wave of dressage stallions of real quality brought to the U.S. He is also Riley's grandfather, maternal side, so of course I'm biased in my assessment.
Click here to see video
