Rolex winner William Fox-Pitt: An intimate portrait

Note: By "intimate portrait" I mean photos depicting partial nudity. 
 Whenever someone makes the news or gets famous,  embarrassing photos always seem to surface.  This year's Rolex winner William Fox-Pitt is no exception. Ladies I offer you a rare glimpse of William FP and some other British eventers who are easy on the eyes. William was the September pinup in the infamous Bareback calendar, circa 2008...

SEPTEMBER: William Fox-Pitt

The calendar was put together as a fundraiser for Claire Lomas, an eventer who was  injured in a fall in 2007.  What an inspired idea  -- I know I would have bought one. Well, actually I tried to buy one but they sold out eons ago. Three years later, it looks like Claire is doing very well, and the world is a better place for having these images on the Internet. BTW, I sent a little something to Claire (her blog is really inspiring) and corresponded with her a little.  Helping her is the whole point of the calendar, so if you enjoyed it consider a donation to her cause. Claire has a Paypal account (send donations to  clairesfund@hotmail.co.uk).

JANUARY: JP Sheffield and Oliver Townend (the guy who fell at Rolex this year)
4 rumps, too adorable

FEBRUARY: Piggy Finch and Sarah Cohen
Love the socks

MARCH: Steven James, Lucy Kempley, Laura Shannon
Thanks to Steven, my hands down (hands on?) favorite

APRIL: Polly Jackson
The only way to make braiding more hellish is to do it nude.

MAY: Vicky Laing
Don't make her jog!

JULY: Tristram Owers and Sam Griffiths
Hey! Are those briefs, Sam? Cheater.

JUNE: Michael Jackson, Laura Collett, Dominic Ruane, Lissa Green and Emily Llewellyn.
Michael is also cheating. And if that caption is accurate, two women are really shy.

 

AUGUST: Harry Meade and Francis Whittington
Okay. Maybe this one is my fave...

OCTOBER: Polly Stockton, Holly Bate
Naked in the hay =  full body rash 

NOVEMBER: Nick Gauntlett, Julie Tew, Jay Hallum, Ibby McPherson, Spencer Sturmey
Lose the bow ties, boys!

DECEMBER: Joss Day, Georgie Davies, Chris King
We three kings? 

BONUS SHOT! of Oliver Townend

U.S. bred Thoroughbreds at Rolex 2010

Of the horses at Rolex, at least 20 were OTTBs and at least 3 were purchased for under $3,000 (I won't say which). The first photo below shows event-and-former-race-horse  Courageous Comet -- he had 36 starts as a racehorse and then went on to be one of the best event horses in the world (per Jimmy Wofford). His dressage performance compares to anything you see at a USDF-sanctioned show. The bottom photo is the tough little chestnut mare Madeline (she scratched Rolex at the last minute).

There are no original thoughts
I had the brilliant idea to find out about the ex-racers that competed at Rolex this year, but 2/3 of the way through my research I found out "it's been done" on the Canter Mid-Atlantic Calabria Rose blog. Note that her article includes non-US TBs. Now for the list o' OTTB's at Rolex in 2010...

1. Vaunted (Two Punch/First Quad) was scratched this year.
2. Anthony Patch (Castleguard/Aimee Alexis). Registered as Alex’s Castledream, he had 10 starts, 8 at Charles Town, and earned $815.
3. Gin and Juice (Audio/Qtapatree). No info.
4. Brandenburg's Joshua (Gilded Rooster/Josh Dancer) ran at the  Charles Town racetrace.
5. Madison Park (Monaco Magic/Mistress Mine) had  11 starts and 1 win to his credit, earning $2744.
6. Radio Flyer (Stick Together/Gypsy Hoofer) was registered as Bounce the Budget. He had 8 starts with one 3rd place finish with lifetime earnins of $937.
7. Titanium (Shuailaan/Lost Silver) ran 14 times and earned $11,673.  He finished up his racing career at the Lincoln Fair in a $5000 claiming race where he finished second to last.
8. Draco (Aye's Turn/Royal Swish) was registered as  Aye Am Tuff. He  raced two times at Charles Town, finishing last and second to last.  
9. Foreman (Across the Field/Four Flora) was registered as Four Across. He raced 21 times, with one win and one second place finish, and earned $6,908. 

10. Truluck (Maha Baba/Grayfully). No info.
11. Courageous Comet (Comet shine/Rosenelli) had a good career with 36 starts, $71,780.
12. Last Monarch (Benchmark/Alpine Queen),  had 18 starts and finished 2nd and 3rd several times, with earnings of $5,049.  His last race was a $3200 Maiden Claiming race where he finished second to last.
13. Rock on Rose (Amber's Lust/Dorado) was bred by 7 time Rolex winner Bruce Davidson.
14. El Primero (Dr. Dan Eyes/Classic Allure) was bred and foaled in Idaho and he ran a total of 6 races at age 2 and 3. He never outran a single horse.
15. Madeline (Mysterious Count). No info.
16. Wonderful Will (Woodman/Shir Dar)  sold for  $232,869 as a yearling, but he failed to place in 11 starts. Will did a stint as ponying racehorses at the Keeneland race track.
17. Hollywood (Mighty Adversary/True Knight) was registered as Mighty Reckless. He raced 12 times and earned $626. His yearling sale price of $750.  In his last race at Beulah Park in Ohio, he came in 3rd to last in a 4500-5000 claiming race.
18. Coal Creek (Devil on Ice). No info.
19. Leyland (Roy/Dream Creek) was registered as Lee Roy Boy.  He had 8 starts, most of which were at Emerald Downs in Washington State, and earned $1,810 with one 3rd place finish.  As a yearling, he was sold for $13,500.
20. Buckingham Place (Buckaroo/Old Maid) raced 40 times and won $23,298.  He finished his career at Penn National, coming in second to last in a $3500 claiming race.  He won 4 races, came in 2nd 3 times, and 3rd 4 times.

Note that the winner this year, Cool Mountain was a British TB, and there are many non-US thoroughbreds on the roster. If anyone knows a bit more about the history of these thoroughbreds, put it in the comments!

RESOURCES
Racehorses to compete at the Olympics from the Thoroughbred Times
The Thoroughbred in sport horse breeding by  Nicholas 0'Hare
Bloodlines of Hunters and Jumpers in North America by Dr. Peter Birdsall
Even Mark Todd can be led astray from William Mecklem blog (parts 1-8)
Promoting the thoroughbred as a sport horse from Equisearch.com
Thoroughbred sires that jump from TB Heritage

Find a happy place (or, How my husband learned to love Rolex)

At Rolex 2008, Bob (my husband) witnessed The Quiet Man's fatal fall in the cross country phase. It was an upsetting experience, and understandably he didn't return to Rolex in 2009.  This year I opted to drive rather than fly, and Bob kindly made the ten hour trip with me. On Saturday, the cross-country day,  Bob accompanied me to the grounds but he had no interest in watching horses jump. Fortunately, he likes watching the riders gallop away from the obstacles, especially when the horses get a big pat and praise. He positioned himself accordingly, just after the  jumps, and captured footage on the Flip camera.   At my request, though, he videotaped Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm as they negotiated the Head of the Lake...

On Sunday (show jumping day), Bob stood near where horses and riders entered the ring. He enjoyed watching their final preparations behind the scenes. Me? I took footage of the actual rides :-). Here is Arthur (chestnut, rider Allison Springer), who is probably my favorite horse this year, and Napalm (grey, rider Ian Roberts). Ian is so been-there-done-that, he is fun to watch too.

Failing your way to success: Remington's story

If you look at the final standings, you'll see that Remington XXV placed 12th at Rolex this year with rider Boyd Martin. It's a noteworthy accomplishment as Remi is kind of an unlikely event horse. Why?

• He's a warmblood with dressage bloodlines, in a sport dominated by thoroughbreds and Irish-breds. 
• He's quiet and a nice guy -- no "fire in the belly."
• He's "failed a few pre-purchase exams" in his day.

A 1996 Hanoverian, Remi was originally imported from Germany to be a dressage prospect. His sire is Rubenstein I, one of the "big three" dressage sires but not known for jumping. Well, Remi's owners tried dressage, but it didn't work out (not sure why). Remi was foxhunted for a few years before he was sent to Boyd Martin. The plan was to give him some mileage and maybe go as high as Prelim.

Warmbloods can be difficult to get fit, and Remi was no exception. Martin says in his blog, "he’s been the one horse that no one expected to do anything in his career – except for Densey Juvonen, his owner." Certainly no one considered him 4 star material. Jimmy Wofford declared that Remi had the same chance of winning Rolex this year as last year (he didn't compete last year). Humpf! But then, comments like that can be motivating :-).

Remington rocks Rolex!
Twelth place, Mr. Wofford? Who's smiling now? Not too shabby!


If you know your dressage stallions you'll note that Remi is very much like his daddy  Rubenstein. Rubenstein is a sire that "stamps" his get with a signature head and neck and often his dark bay color. Oh, did I mention that Riley's mom is by Rubenstein? Maybe that's why this story has me so jazzed.

My Rolex teary moments: Great comebacks

This year I had two teary-eye moments. First was Laine Ashker's clear show jumping round on Anthony Patch (sorry I accidentally deleted the footage on my new HD camcorder). Why get all sappy about this pair? Well, only two years since her horrific Rolex fall she came back with a new outlook and laid down three great performances. I'm not a jumping expert but Anthony Patch is an OTTB and not the strongest or scopiest jumper out there -- but he's careful and tries his heart out. Lainey piloted him around expertly. The joy on Laine's face at the end of that ride would have softened the stoniest heart. Teary-eyed moment #2? Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm (pictured left)...

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm
Okay, they had a stop, but so did veteran Kim Severson. It was the first time for at Rolex for both of them -- two rookies, yet what an inspiring performance across all three days and a good recovery in show jumping. Remember Snooze Alarm is an Anglo-arab...

While I wasn't brought to tears, I do love Courageous Comet. His dressage compares to anything I've ever seen in USDF competitions. You can see the freedom of shoulder in his jumping effort...

Courageous Comet and Becky Holder
Jimmy Wofford called CC "one of the best horses in the world." Again, an OTTB!

Saturday -- Blue skies and smooth sailing (for most)

Well, it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. The event managers skipped the lunch break to beat some of the bad weather expected mid-afternoon. I lugged around my rain gear and was happy to do it.

A few tidbits...
Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm get accolades for their smooth, competent performance. The announcer just gushed over them, and they richly deserved every word. Is this not just a super little horse?

And Ian Roberts and Napalm cruised around rather casually -- Napalm whacked every fence I saw him jump and Ian hooted and laughed over this fence...

Rolex weather -- rockin' and rollin' thunder

Cross country day: Weather forecast includes t-storms and tornados. Yet off we go, perhaps to our doom. Bob offers his take...

Here is the footage from my favorite booth at Rolex -- Derdau boots...

Day 1 Rolex: The first thing we see

As we walked onto the showgrounds proper, the first thing we enountered was the warm-up ring. Lo and behold, we saw probably the only rider I can identify by sight -- Laine Ashker on Anthony Patch. Now in the last few years I've blogged some critical things about her. That said, she is an impressive young woman who (if we can believe Jimmy Wofford) has changed her riding style to be a little more methodical, a little less reckless than she was a few years ago when she had that terrible fall.

I have to admit that watching these few moments of her dressage warmup left me very impressed, and they went on to have a lovely and soft test overall with a few minor issues. Wishing Laine and Anthony the very best. And, the Threedaysthreeways blog has a nice interview with Laine about her Rolex 2010 jog...

I have a horrendous Internet connection in this rather yucky Day's Inn (didn't they used to be pretty good?). But I managed to upload this footage of the Smartpak coursewalk with (I think) Amy Tryon...

Compounded medications: Legal and ethical considerations

Last year Riley was on the "miracle" antibiotic chloramphenicol, which had to be ordered from a compounding pharmacy. After the polo pony tragedy I wasn't thrilled to go this route. I placed four separate orders, and noticed distinct differences between batches in color and consistency. Some doses were running and others were so thick it was hard to administer -- and the differences could not be attributed to temperature.  

Recently Equine Disease Quarterly published a short article "Legal and ethical Veterinary compounding." Read the whole article but here are some key points...

• Pharmacies specializing in veterinary compounding have been growing exponentially, aided by the ability to reach a larger number of consumers via the Internet. 
• Compounded drugs are not the same as generic drugs. Generic drugs are FDA approved and must have bioequivalence to the “pioneer brand name” drug. Compounded drugs are spontaneously prepared products that lack FDA approval.
• Compounded drugs with their possible inadequacies are better than no drug at all and suitable for a small patient population. 
• Equine practitioners using compounded products are put in a position of evaluating the integrity of the compounding pharmacy as well as the quality and consistency of the pharmaceuticals they produce. 
• The FDA does not routinely inspect compounding pharmacies. This lack of regulatory oversight means that almost none of the veterinary compounding pharmacies follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) guidelines. GMP training and protocol are not required of compounding pharmacies because they are not authorized to “manufacture” drug products. 
• Negligent compounders prepare products from unregulated raw materials with no quality standards. Many of these raw materials are chemical grade bulk products that were never intended for use in the preparation of legitimate pharmaceuticals. 
• Other compounding pharmacies distribute medication without a valid prescription. Veterinarians are schooled on quality patient care, but few pharmacists receive training in quality control for pharmaceutical production.

Veterinarians who frequently use compounded products would be well advised to learn more about pharmacy issues related to veterinary medical therapy. For example:

• It is illegal to compound a specific product when there is an approved drug form of that specific product, except to make a different dosing form. However, the approved product must be used to make the compounded new dose form.
• It is illegal to mark up prices on compounded drugs.
• As a veterinarian, if you use a compounded product, you assume liability for any adverse effects or efficacy failure.
• Drug manufacturers are required to carry product liability insurance; pharmacies are not.
• It is illegal to have a drug compounded in order to obtain the drug at a lower price.

How to pick a compounding pharmacy

Well, I tried to do some reading on this subject, and very quickly one gets into quality assurance procedures that are rather technical and detailed.  I have compiled a resource list below (for those of you who want to get into more detail). 

RESOURCES

List of pharmacies accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board

Find a pharmacist from the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists

How to evaluate a compounding pharmacy from The Compounder

Legal and ethical veterinary compounding from The Horse magazine

Quality assurance issues in compounding pharmacy from imjournal.com

AVMA policy regarding compounding from AVMA

The misuse of compounding by pharmacists from quackwatch.org

Rider size and horse size: Examples

Thanks to Kimberley Beldam-Saylor of True North Dressage, who shared these photos on an  Ultimate dressage forum posting. She kindly agreed to let me repost them here. 

---

A month or so ago I posted an article Am I too big/small for this horse? This is a followup to that post with some fab photos illustrating an important point about matching the horse and rider.  Rider height is not the only part of the equation when you try to find a "right-sized" horse.  Kimberly is 5'8" tall and she is the rider in all of these pictures -- in the same saddle and using the same stirrup length. Comments for each photo are from Kimberly. Let's take a look..

This is a 15.3H eleven year old Cheval Canadien gelding showing 3rd/4th level.  

This wide-barreled type horse  holds a riders leg well.

This is a 14.3H QH mare. She doesn't appear super wide bodied when you look at her, 
but as you can see from the photos she really eats up a riders leg.  

This TB gelding is very lean and measures around 16.3 or 17hh.  

Kimberly says: " I think people need to focus more on how they "fit" with the horse and stop worrying so much about height!  I had the same preconception about horse size before getting the ride (and later co-ownership) on Patriote [the first horse], figured I just didn't fit on anything under 16hh. But clearly that's untrue!  I don't think I look too big on Sugar [the second horse] at all, and she's well under my preselected height. " :)

Thanks Kimberly for sharing this!

 

Yet another chestnut mare! Color theory in the horse world

Experienced horsemen remind us that "a good horse is never a bad color." But is that the end of the story colorwise?  Does color matter at all? Well, I think it does. I remember a book from my childhood that had a chapter on horse color. The author cautioned would-be horse buyers that "pale chestnuts tend to be cowardly," that bay is "a good honest color," etc. And we all know the adage chestnut mare beware.I think chestnuts, like humans with red or blonde hair, tend to have more sensitive skin, for one thing.

What brought on my thoughts of color?
Take a look at this mare...

I just love her--and yes, the flash is part of the appeal. Telling myself that a good horse is never a bad color, I wondered, "Would you like her  if she were a plain bay?"

Well, I can't imagine her as a plain bay. If she were bay she would not be that mare.  IMHO, the mare has charisma and a spark of personality. When you try to piece her apart, something gets lost in translation. It's like wondering if Marilyn Monroe would be a celebrity icon without her blonde hair.  Frankly the question doesn't interest me. She is who she is.

Okay, I'm babbling a little. This post is kind of an excuse to show you this video. Anyway, what do you think???

Riley glows -- is it the Seabuck Equine?

A few months ago the  Seabuck Equine Complete (SEC) supplement manufacturer gave me a free gallon of the product. The product is a digestive aid and skin/coat enhancer. I accepted this product on behalf of a friend whose older horse was having digestive issues. Sadly her horse became so frail my friend was afraid to try anything not specifically prescribed by a vet. She was never able to give him the supplement and he later passed away.

Of my own two horses, I decided to try Seabuck Equine on Riley. Riley had no digestive issues,  but he was skinny, dull-coated, and just coming off a long stint of stall rest.

What is Sea buckthorn?
Sea buckthorn is a natural remedy-- a juice made from sea buckthorn berries. Its botanical name, Hippophae, means “bright shining horse.”  It is said that the Greeks gave sea buckthorn leaves to their horses and noticed the coats of the horses turned shiny.  There is a fair amount of literature on the chemical and nutrient makeup of sea buckthorn.

Sea buckthorn is high in vitamin C (12 times the vitamin c in an orange) and antioxidants. It contains over 180 compounds rich in flavones, lipids and omegas. Although these essential compounds are not uncommon or unique by themselves, the occurrence of all of them in a naturally balanced fruit is unusual. The supplier provided me with a  certified analysis of the product (per fluid ounce). The typical dose is 3 ounces/day.

You be the judge...
Riley's been getting this orange juicey liquid for over a month now. Here are some pix I took back in late March -- keep in mind this is his "winter coat" which is admittedly quite short. He was given a good brushing, but no conditioners, no  bath. It was a gorgeous sunny day. I'm trying to be objective here, but Riley has never had a very impressive  or bright coat. It took a lot of bathing and showsheen to prep him for a show. I'm very happy with how he looks in these photos.

Is there something I don't like about the product? Not really, although the container comes with a pump that makes it a little awkward to SHAKE WELL as the instructions indicate. They are coming out with a measuring cup that I think will work better.

RESOURCES 

Seabuckthorn info from Purdue University (my alma mater!)


A health professional's guide to dietary supplements (section on seabuckthorn) in Google Books

A guide to understanding dietary supplements (section on seabuckthorn) in Google Books

Sea buckthorn from Wikipedia.org

Seabuckthorn info from Global facilitation unit on underutilized species

Michael Morrissey: Too much with the whip?

This is Michael Morrissey on Crelido, USEF WEG Selection Trial #2. Apparently he is facing charges from the FEI and the USEF. In competition you are apparently allowed 2-3 uses of a crop/whip. COTH'ers counted 12-13 smacks. Watch for yourself...

If I had artistic talent...

Here is the kind of art I would create... But because I'm not gifted that way, I enjoy appreciating the remarkable work that others do.

These are things that I found on the blog (and Etsy shop) Missa's Equine Design. You know I love horses and mules. These sculptures and paintings capture something wonderful about these animals, and I love that they aren't too fussy -- you could put them in my household and they'd fit right in. 

clipped from www.etsy.com

Handmade Raku Pottery Mule Scuplture

and glitter. The glazes I used on my sculpture were completely hand mixed by loca

clipped from www.etsy.com

Dream Horse Handmade Sculpture

This little sculpture only measures 5" long by 2.5" tall, and was completely hand sculpted and glazed. The horse's body is done in a soft teal, while the mane and tail are white. My initials are on the bottom of the horse. This sculpture is one of a kind, so you won't find a duplicate anywhere.

clipped from www.etsy.com

My Own Place Original 11x14 Pastel and Ink Drawing

"My Own Place" is an original pastel and ink drawing, featuring an old horse that finally has a place to call his own. This drawing comes matted and measures 11"x14" total; the drawing is 8"x10".

Three Days Three Ways blog post: A Rolex Rundown

I'm always happy to point readers to blogs that have really great content, and in light of Rolex being NEXT WEEK, you may want to take a look at this Three Days Three Ways blog post from Courtney. Courtney's guest blogger Peter Green offers a rundown of the top competitors at Rolex. Yes, we love Jimmy Wofford's summary in The Chronicle of the Horse, but I thoroughly enjoyed this review. I am definitely going to be on the lookout for Jose Ortelli and JOS Aladar (mostly the former). Below is an excerpt, click on the top or bottom link to read the whole enchilada...

clipped from www.threedaysthreewaysblog.com

For this very special post Three Days Three Ways is honored to have Peter Green as our guest writer. He’s an accomplished eventer, past USEF High Performance Eventing Team selector, and a formative influence on the sport of eventing in the US (not to mention a hero!). He breaks down the who’s who of Rolex 2010, who’s got the best shot, and who might be along for the ride. Now that’s an inside scoop!

      Ashley Adams and Vaunted

Ashley goes to Kentucky with a great deal of confidence given last year’s performance on Dressage and Cross Country. But again it will be a sleepless Saturday night concerning Sunday’s Show Jumping.

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch

Laine, after having unfortunate instances at CCI’s, would be expected to have a more controlled but competitive round, based on her recent performances. She deserves a great deal of credit to be able to return to this level of competition.

To read more go to  http://www.threedaysthreewaysblog.com/2010/04/15/peter-greens-rolex-kentucky-run-down/

Bridle for sale -- a very nice one!

After much deliberation and after purchasing the fifth bridle in the Harv and Riley collection, I am regretfully selling the Dover USHJA Hunter Derby bridle that Riley wore at two breed shows in 2008 and early 2009.



Why am I selling? Because Riley will never jump, and he is actually starting to look more dressagey than huntery. And as much as I love this bridle, it will not get used. It's horse sized, it's in pristine condition, and it's already oiled so you don't need to guess what color it will end up (this bridle is very, very light before oiling). Dover sells it new for $300, and this bridle is indistinguishable from new except for the oiling.

It's currently on Ebay so you can bid on this listing.

Thanks for indulging me in a moment of shameless commercialism.

Curse of the chestnut mare: Ulla Salzgeber at World Dressage Masters

You can see it was windy, and it was just not her day. But Ulla shows us how to handle a spooky horse...

USEF Rule change! A new generation of dressage coats

Recently the  COTH  the Dressage forum and the Ultimate Dressage forum  have hosted discussions of the 2010 USEF Rule change concerning dressage attire (reprinted at the bottom of this post). How could I have missed a rule change with such profound shopping implications? The basic black dressage coat is now only one of many options for the fashionable dressage rider.

Technicolor coats!
What are the options? Photographer Terri Miller wrote a blog article that describes the Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) color chart that the FEI uses to determine allowable colors (see the FEI rule on colors). The USEF is following the same guidelines. Terri says you can basically go with "any dark color" but if you're spending big bucks on a custom color coat, it'll pay to use the yafla color chart (Color Value must be between 0-32%). You can also refer to the Wikipedia color chart to get a sense of what colors fall into the allowed value range. Some people are talking about sending swatches to the USEF for approval. Good Lord,  I would not want to be the Color Czar at the USEF.

What else is in the rules? From my interpretation (aided by the forums above):

• Now contrast colors and piping (collar, cuffs, pockets) are allowed (my personal favorite rule change).
• Now you can wear colored shirts (so long as they're solid) when coats are waived. Pinstripes and subtle patterns are okay. No t-shirts -- shirts must have collars.
• Cooling vests may be worn under the coat or vest.
• Solid vests may be worn if coats are waived. This is a big deal for people who don't like to wear shirts tucked in.
• Up to 2 small logos can be worn on the torso. 
• Hats, stocks, ties, gloves and riding boots may be the same color as the coat.

Since you're buying a new coat anyway
Since you're going to go out and have a plum coat with pink piping and collar made, you can opt for another new trend: the shorter jacket. The newer style is more like a typical hunt coat. The one shown below is Pikeur Scarlett -- a little too short for my taste.

I rather like this blend of classic and sporty -- love the zipper! Pikeur Jalisca...

Color and pinstripes and something called "window pane" (tell me what is this???) are starting to be seen in the ring...  This is the Pikeur Epsom dressage coat in pinstripe...

Here is the Cavallo Galathea. I love the contrast trim and collar...

Here is the Pikeur Epsom in the fashion colors -- are the colors legal? I'm not sure...

ELT by Waldhausen European Jacket

Thank God for the USEF and the many shopping opportunities it has created. Here are the colors of my dreamcoat, at least until I find a new set of colors I like more. The khaki is for the coat, the yellow (or maybe tan would be better) is for the collar, which is velvet, of course....

 Here are the rule changes as they appear  in the 2010 supplement (available from the USEF Web site)...

I am a baaaad mommy

 This blog was supposed to be about Riley's new browband. I was so proud of this inspired purchase and the way the colors in the browband complement his coat. Well, here it is. I took the photo Sunday. Yeah, yeah, it's gorgeous. It was not the big event of the day, as it turns out.

Guilt ruins everything
Notice his right eye looks funny? Swollen? Painful? That's mommy's fault. I'm a baaaad mommy.

 How it happened...
I'd planned a photo shoot for Riley Sunday to a) show off the browband and b) capture the essence of Riley at age 4. He got a spa treatment -- bath, grooming, the works. You'd think he'd appreciate it but it was a lot of standing, and pulling his mane  was Not Cool.He did look great when I was done. He was ready for his closeup, and I just needed to put the bridle on.

Riley had reached the end of his patience. As I tried to bridle him he jerked away and started down the aisle. When I stepped in front of him he tried to walk through me. I jabbed back at him (respect my space, dude!).  I raised my arm, Riley  swung his head, and what can I say? I punched him in the eye, by accident.

He reeled backward and instantly started tearing up -- big drops of tears -- and he wouldn't open his eye.  I patted and cooed apologies. It stopped in about a minute, but he would only partially open  his eye. Another boarder (also the photographer) took a look. She assured me he was okay, and she helped me snap these shots quickly. Riley went back to his stall and I watched him closely. I felt soooo bad. Poor Riley.

A teachable moment
Everything I have ever read says  Don't mess around with eye injuries or infections. You call the vet. But at Riley's eye was getting better -- no longer tearing, maybe a little swollen, but about 2/3 open. He was eating and drinking and looking comfortable. And, the vet was coming in the following morning to do spring shots.   I gave him some bute (eye pain is a common cause of colic) and asked the barn manager to keep an eye on him. She promised she'd call if there were any changes. The vet should be at the farm as I write this, but since I got no phone call this a.m. I think he's okay.

Oh, the browband
I love how the browband matches his color plus it has the splashes of white like he does. It's from the Kenyan Collection, $50...