Fun with foal photos (courtesy of Foxwood Farm!)

Thanks to Foxwood Farm for letting me share these marvelous photos of their 2010 colt Karl by  the Grand Prix stallion Blue Hors Romanov.  His mom is by Stedinger out of  a Prince Thatch mare.

Says the breeder: "He is probably the boldest foal I've ever had, with a freakishly good character and temperament. He's got nice, uphill conformation (strongly resembles Romanov) and if he's half as nice of a mover as his mother he will be one lovely horse."

I can hardly doubt it. Already that he looks like quite an athlete.

Foxwood Farm is an 85 acre farm in Charlotte, Vermont --  look at their news page and their mares page, these guys are doing it right!

Riley at Devon 2010: Return to the Dixon Oval

It's September and Riley returned to Devon for  second tour of the Dixon Oval. The weather held out, despite predictions of 90% rain. It was hard to video from ringside (horses in class obscured the view), and a gentleman standing next to me was amiably chatting and asking questions while I tried to watch. I gave up on the video and just watched -- what I have is below.

Prepwork
My big focus was keeping up Riley's energy level. As Felicitas VN said, you get a certain amount of time and then you run out of quarters. My trainer had back-to-back classes, which we knew early on. With no warmup, I hoped Riley would have an extra spark, but as I walked him around the schooling ring he was an old soul, relaxed and taking it all in. My trainer came out of the ring, we swapped horses, and back in she went.  Riley looked like a horse starting work -- it took him a few minutes to start to shine. And the class went so fast! Anyway, my trainer showed off his strengths, he performed well, and I was very proud.








Get'er done at Devon
I have to say a word about my trainer -- and the word is ENERGY. She made it all happen. No bragging, no complaining, no mention of how much work this all was -- but I saw her prep and take two horses to Devon with no groom. It was pretty much non-stop-foot-on-the-gas, yet she was tireless.

My thought on witnessing this first hand?  Whew.

Come to think of it, I guess that sums up the past few days, generally. Whew!

No, it's not modern sculpture...

Sept. 27, 10pm

I'm at Devon, and three guesses as to what this is (scroll down to see the answer).

Some sharp criticism for Devon management
Devon is notorious for dangerous stalls, and I know several years ago there was a thread on COTH about how  management was working on fixing things up. The Hilltop and Iron Springs barns were upgraded to palatial splendor. You'd think most of the regular stalls would be cleaned up by now.

Decidedly not.

The stall with Riley's name on it had probably 30-50 industrial staples in the interior walls-- most of the staples were partially pulled out, sharp edges exposed, about the height of his eye. I got some needle nosed pliers from my tack box and went to work.  After pulling about 20 out, I started collecting them, so there were more than are pictured above. The horses sat on the trailer for 45 minutes while I stood on a stool with those pliers. The whole time we were holding up a line of trailers waiting to unload their horses. The guys who managed parking were nice but they wanted us to unload and move on. I was pretty steamed.

A brief but heartfelt rant
Devon management claims they will charge you a cleanup fee if you leave manure. Manure! I'd welcome manure compared to this! Someone should be checking the stalls, removing this dangerous stuff, and charging the former incumbents. I didn't just get unlucky either. About half-way through my cleanup it occurred to me that I should just move to another stall (there were lots of free stalls), but when I checked, all of them had nails and staples (though not as many as my end stall, which was probably a tack stall).

After removing all of these staples we finally got Riley settled in. The front of his stall is a dutch door style with a wood frame above. Riley hung his head out, and I was petting him, and happened to look up--directly over his head, protruding 4" from the inside of the frame, was a big nail.  If he'd lifted his head higher than the doorframe -- well I won't go there. I re-inspected the stall and found two similar nails on the stall walls.

What idiots would leave a stall in this condition!!!!! This is making me really angry, so I'll sign off :-(.

Tomorrow is another day, and our class is bright and early. Bye now...

The "I'm at Devon, catch ya later" post ;-)

Ran across this clip Sunday night. Have I shown this one before? Don't think so. I didn't intentionally break up the Felitas clinic (would have been a bit more methodical if I'd done it on purpose. I just put the camera down when I wanted to watch. So while I'm away at Devon, here is the last bit of footage. There are nuggets of wisdom throughout, so I don't feel too bad about sharing this in bits and pieces...

Devon: The pregame analysis

What will Hilda Gurney think of Ri-Ri?

It's time to ramp up for Devon and to prep for Riley's under saddle debut. The day sheets were posted about ten days ago -- they list the competitors in each class. 

You be the judge!
How will Riley will compare with the other horses in the class? I couldn't resist a little sleuthing. Here are some videos/pix of the other horses who will be there. IMHO the most impressive ones are Borencio, Beaumont, and Rauber in that order. But in this cast of characters Riley should "fit in" pretty well.

• Beaumont ISF
• Borencio
• Boo Sinclair
• Constantine HTF (scores)
• Rohsalina
• Theodora of Wintersprings
• Rauber
• Slingshot

Last time Riley was at Devon (2007) he was a yearling in the Championship class. He scored 10th place out of 11 horses. Of course I think he was robbed ;-) but he was a pretty geeky yearling. No matter -- it was the most fun I've had at a horse show. I really want to repeat that experience -- a great time, a beautiful horse to show off, and lots of good shopping. OH, BTW -- Hilda Gurney is the  judge this year, and back in 2007 she gave Riley as 76%.

Felicitas: Improving the canter and the transitions...

The final Felicitas installment! Some of you will appreciate FVNC's remark on wearing a helmet at the start of the video. She spoke at length about this and I only caught  the tail end of her commentary. Most of the riders did NOT wear a helmet, not sure why FVNC only mentioned it to one rider except that Ri's trainer rides a lot of young horses. Anyhoo, this session is part of a longer mostly of canter and transitions into and from the canter.

Felicitas: The end of the lesson

Riley's canter has improved from being near-four-beat to what you see in this clinic -- although he's tired in this footage. He's always lagged a bit with the hind, but stall rest really did a number on him. Kudos to Riley's trainer for doing a lot of hill work, which I'm sure helped. The trot? Well, look at the video -- hind legs not so quick at the start, but I love the way it improves over the course of this session...

"Who's to blame...?" when horses are hurt

The flip side of the "safety first" principle is that if you try to control too much you're messing with Mother Nature. That can bring on injuries. Need a few examples? Here's my list o'shame...

• In an effort to keep Harv warm in the winter I used jammies (lycra-hood for heard and neck) under his blankets. During turnout one day the hood slipped over his eye which was swollen shut for several days.
• While Riley was on stall rest (last year) I normally handwalked him in the indoor arena, but it was super-windy and the ring was crowded. I decided to walk him up and down the barn aisle "to be safe," using a stallion chain and lunge line. He tried to bolt, got a few strides away before I gathered the line, and when the line "caught" he got thrown off his feet. He landed on his belly/hip on the cement aisle. His breath was knocked out of him, but he was okay.  The indoor would have been safer.
• The barn manager called me -- Riley's front legs were swollen. Imagining cellulitus, another hoof abscess, or a blown tendon, I drove to the barn in a state of panic. But it was none of the above, The swelling was weird, blotchy, and worse on the inside of the leg... We figured out what happened. The night before I had saturated his legs with fly spray (no stomping!). An hour or so later, I decided to ALSO put on tendon boots. Over the fly spray. FAIL.

Don't leave me out here hangin' -- share your "overprotective mom" stories!

Selten HWF, young horse champion on Dressageclinic.com

You all know I'm a big fan of Horse Hero, the U.K. equestrian video subscription site. While I'm not a member of Dressageclinic.com I hope to join once I'm riding Riley regularly. I do appreciate that they shared this video of the Selten HW, a young horse who went on to make history as a three time Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship -- as a 4, 5, and 6 year old. Bred in U.S. he's an example of the kind of horse we can produce...

Harv's dental dilemma, Part II

So as many of you know, Harv is not eating well due to an uneven bite surface.  Remember my last post, I wondered if  if this was an equine dental error? It's possible, but as I thought about it I realized that Harv had not seen a dentist in a little over a year when I noticed the difficulty eating. If it were a result of a poor filing job I'd think it would be evident soon after the work was done. Anyhoo, we'll never know. What is to be done for my boy? According to my vet, the recommended actions are...

• Talk to my current equine dentist (who has a great reputation). See  if he thinks filing down the rear molars would help even him up. This is risky  and therefore not something I'm willing to try, at least not right now. Maybe in six months.
• Buy cubed or processed hay, or cut hay into smaller pieces. My vet says   it isn't so much the coarseness of the hay as the length that makes chewing difficult.
• Feed soft hay when possible. Some commenters have recommended steamed hay.
• Check his poop. Look for...
• Rough, course-looking poop (a sign his gut is doing the work his teeth can't do)
• Reduction in poop (means he's eating less)
• Normal poop accompanied by excess water during elimination. It's gross, but to be more descriptive, normal poop followed by a "squirt" of clear liquid indicates a problem.
• Look for partially chewed pieces of hay (cuds) in his stall. 

A sad, sick feeling...
I tried to catch his eating behavior on video, so that others might recognize the problem in their own old friends -- but it didn't seem right to stand there with a camcorder while he struggled to chew.  The thought of Harv, whose greatest joy is eating, standing hungry with food in front of him -- it just breaks my heart. I've been blessed to have a horse who seems ageless. If only it could go on forever.

The good news is, Harv is in very good weight right now, the latest hay shipment is really soft, and it's possible his teeth might still grow a little at this point. Let's hope!

The power of uber-cool boots, now at Smartpak

Smartpak Equine's Cordoba Andalusian Riding boot ($245)

One of my cellphone ringtones is "These boots are made for walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra. Nancy's wearin' her boots and she's ready to stomp on some fools.  Me too! I don't know what it is, but the sound of my Petries on the  barn aisle makes me feel like a pretty freakin' powerful.

If my Petries make me a Princess of Power, what do you think the boots to the right, from Smartpak Equine, will bring their wearer? I know the answer: Super powers and super chic. Kudos to Smartpak Equine for branching out into the equestrian fashion zone. This fall's catalog is a blast.

The trick to wearing these boots, I think, is to let them make a statement all by themselves. A pair of brown cords, a beige cable sweater, a little thin gold strand around the neck, and you're done.

Of course I want a pair, but between Devon and having Riley in full training and flying home for my high school reunion and buying two saddles (used) I have been very, very naughty.  I'm on shopping hiatus, big time. I'll be lucky if I'm in any sort of financial shape by Christmas.

From fashion to theatrics
For some reason I've been getting a wiccan/fantasy/sci-fi/renaissance catalog called Pyramid Collections. For $79, I can have these buccaneer boots. If I don't let anyone get within 20 feet to see that they're vinyl, if I don't actually walk in them for any length of time, and if I don't get them wet or muddy, do you think they might somehow satisfy my yearning for the ubercool boots?

No, I didn't think so. Sigh.

Riley clinics with Felicitas Von Neumann-Cosell

In part to prep for the Devon under saddle class, and in part to get a "read" on his training progress, Riley clinic'ed with FVNC this past Friday. Very interesting! FVNC was aware of our Devon goals and many of her remarks addressed how the under saddle class should be approached. Here is the early footage...

Trainer sayings to remember

 

"Remember, we need shoulders like a princess and hips like a whore."


This quote was posted on COTH as part of a "trainer sayings" thread. I love it.

Devon preview: Riley's "bro" De Feiner Star

Hands down, this is the nicest DeLaurentis son I have ever seen -- he's a stallion prospect named De Feiner Star (DFS). He'll be at Devon, competing in an under saddle class on Wednesday -- materiale, I think. His mom will be there too, and I'd like to see her because I bet she is spectacular based on this fellow's gaits. Delaurentis is known for passing on beautiful conformation and especially lovey heads and necks -- but DFS's gaits are far more extravagant than his dad's. I cannot wait to see the mom and son.

DFS competed at the Young Horse Championships at Lamplight where he scored a 75.2% for an eighth place finish among top young horses in the U.S. 

Why I love Black Country saddles

Well, my new-used County Perfection saddle fits me well, and it fits Riley well, but it does NOT fit Harv. And now that I have experienced the County's 17.5" seat I know that I've been riding in a saddle too big for me for years. Saddle fitters have told me that to fit my long femur I need an 18" saddle, but...

They were wrong!
They were wrong, and I have an 18" Black Country Eden that is too big for me but fits Harv. The good news is,  a little Net research and a few phone calls are making this possible. I'm consigning my 18" Black Country Eden and getting a used 17.5" version with serge panels (soft wool underside, not leather). I trialed it for five days. Harv is in heaven. I'm in heaven.

Ten things to love about Black Country saddles
I love Black Country saddles. I love the folks that make them and the folks that sell them. BC does not have the name recognition it deserves -- they are the hidden treasure of the saddle world. What makes them so wondrous?

Olympian Claudia Tarlov in a BC Eloquence saddle

1. Great feel! Soft leather and padding make BC the "LaZBoy of saddles." When you sit in this saddle it feels like you're home.
2. Got a cold-backed horse? They offer a serge panel option (wool underside rather than leather) for sensitive backed horses. Harv loves his!
3. Unlimited customizations at no charge -- leather color, seat depth, gussets, billet type, you name it, they can add it.
4. They have good resale value.
5. Got a wide-backed horse? Try their hoop tree design.
6. Got a thoroughbred? They have saddles to fit those big withered, slender guys. They are best known in the eventing world, I think, and they do a lot of thoroughbreds.
7. The saddles are competitively priced, with no compromise on the quality of their "low end" saddles.
8. Customers report fast turnaround on orders.
9. Quality -- the leather, workmanship, and design are built to last
10. Service! Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop is a super outfit.

 A word about Trumbull Mountain
I believe they are the only BC dealer on the East Coast, and they are probably the biggest and most experienced BC saddle dealer in the U.S. The staff there spend time with you; they are experienced in fitting horses long distance, and they ask very detailed, astute questions. If you trial/demo a saddle, and send them good pix of the saddle on your horse, they'll give you their honest assessment of the fit. If they think another model of saddle will work better on your horse, they'll tell you, even if it is a less expensive model. I have sent pix and even a video, and I could tell when I spoke to them they watched it closely. They respond promptly via phone or email. They want you to be happy/satisfied.  Their blog  Saddle Fitting - The Inside Journey  has a lot of great information about saddle fitting, their saddles, and their company.

I should mention that I never asked them to evaluate if the Eden fit me. The focus was Harv.  I wonder what they might have told me about the fit of the saddle to me...

I wo

Ralph Hill, eventer, in a BC Vinici

BC RESOURCES

COTH threads

• Black Country saddles
• ME: long legs HORSE: short back SADDLE HELP!!!!‎ 
• Favorite Close-contact Dressage saddle? 
• Narrowing a Black Country saddle‎ 
• Experience w/Black Country or Fhoenix Dressage Saddles‎ 

Black Country saddles! from horseforum.com
Black Country saddles from ultimatedressage.com
Mazing Saddles!  from the British BBC

Bite me: Harv's dental dilemma

Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond. 
                            Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605
 
This quote (one of my favorites from Cervantes' Don Quixote) is more true of horses than of people. They live by their molars and their health depends on their ability to grind. So it alarmed me to note that Harv, who used to tear into hay with great gusto, has not been eating well. He takes tiny pieces,  slowly, and with modest success. 

I  had a dentist out. Unfortunately he came during Bob's emergency hospitalization, and  I couldn't speak to him directly.  I heard second-hand that Harv's teeth were worn down and that he would likely have trouble eating coarse hay. What? He's only 23. I started to think back to his past dental care -- he's gotten regular care, but....

 There are a number of dentists used at my barn.  I confess that I've signed up with whoever happens to be coming out, so in the last five years he's had about 3-4 dentists. Last week, when my vet came to give Riley his shots for Devon, I had her take a look at Harv. 

My vet's assessment
Harv's jaw is uneven. His lower molars don't meet any more; they're down to the gumline. The upper molars are taller and have more occlusion, which means that they have a better grinding surface. With this uneven bite  he can only use the back molars. It's possible this is just the way his teeth are wearing down, but Harv's checkered past with regard to dental professionals could be a contributing factor.


"3 out of 4 dentists recommend NOT over-filing"
In talking to an area horse professional, I learned that most of Harv's past dentists have good reps -- but one has, or had, a reputation for removing a lot of tooth.  He's not incompetent, it's the way he works. It seems that some performance horse dentists adhere to a philosophy that it is beneficial to file teeth aggressively. The rationale is that if horses can move their mouths easily from side to side, they will be more comfortable in the bridle. This practice is falling out of favor, for good reasons. Horses managed this way have eating problems, and in some cases their teeth break off or into pieces. Was Harv filed too aggressively? I don't know. Whether through normal wear and aging, or through dental exuberance, he's having trouble eating. I'm not interested in dentist-bashing, especially when there is no real way of knowing what happened.  But a word of advice -- do a little research on your dentist. Ask around.

So what about Harv? What are my options? Find out in an upcoming post...

WEG commercials: Well done!

These are very cute! Make me wish I was going! My favorite is the one with the couch...

Aesthete: Video footage of a top young horse

Aesthete is one of the top young dressage horses in the country. He was the 2009 Markel/USEF Four Year Old National Young Horse Champion, and this year he was third. He is   ridden by Karen Monks-Reilly, who is also married to  Pat Reilly, the head farrier at New Bolton. Riley knows him :-).

IMHO one of the most notable things about Aesthete is his natural energy.  Monks-Reilly (a former eventer) didn't follow a typical dressage training regimen. According to Dressage News:

“Aesthete was described by the judges as 'dynamic' and 'buoyant' that Karen said probably came from her training program that she adopted from her eventing days–lots of hacking, short training sessions and “none if he doesn’t want to do it,” and mostly being “a young horse, being happy, to be joyful and young.”

I love this quote. You can see how Karen's style encourages big, happy, bouyant movement...

This Dutch warmblood is by Trento B out of Unusual by Gribaldi (the sire of Totilas).

Canter cutie! Riley counter canters and starts walk-canter transitions

Devon here we come -- the canter is really shaping up. There is a huge hill on the barn property -- back in the day, big name eventers did conditioning up this hill. Riley is being worked on this hill too. My trainer's  trainer, Felicitas Von Neumann, was on the cover of  Dressage Today when she wrote about the value of hill work.

You'll notice a few corrective moments. Riley has a habit of throwing his haunches to the right, during transitions especially. It can sometimes be corrected with a light aid, but occasionally his hind end will swing out in what looks like an act of defiance. When that happens, the trainer's correction is a little more emphatic.

Katie Price -- a celebrity critique

This photo accompanies a news article about Katie Price getting into horse racing -- clearly the picture is unrelated to the story. Looking at the image with Bob, I remarked that she needs to relax her arms. Bob, being a guy, wondered how someone with her extreme figure [I'm paraphrasing] can balance on a horse. Most important of all, get that girl a helmet! And tuck that hair in!

On the plus side, she certainly has the shoulders-back concept down pat. And I love the pink boots, I really do.

clipped from www.thesun.co.uk

Cloning update: Owner clones her stallion

 I read this article from The Horse magazine on the Health of Cloned Foals Examined in New Study. It's a tricky business and health issues are common. Meanwhile owners are cloning their favorite horses...

clipped from www.thebatt.com

A&M first to clone foal from live mare eggs

Cloned foal Mouse meets his genetic parent, Marc. 

Knotts provided the inspiration for the cloning project after learning about Texas A&M’s cloning efforts while searching for a horse similar to her stallion.

“Everything I could turn up was too small, too young, too old, not quite sound, etc.,” Knotts said. “I realized I didn’t just want another horse, I wanted another Marc.”

LG Giveaway: Donate to feel great and maybe win a prize!

Here's the deal. Donate to Laura Goldman on the USPEA site (to specify a donation to Laura see these instructions).  Post a comment that you donated (keep the receipt number in case you win. **Commenters/donors on any participating blog will have a chance at these prizes:

•  A gift from Epic Farm's Etsy shop
•  A $25 gift certificate from Dover Saddlery
• A fabulous "Horses get great Grass mileage magnetic bumper sticker

 The contest ends of the last day of the para competition at WEG, Octobr 12. Winners are announced between the 15th and the 20th.

Ebay buying to help LG
Some of the horse bloggers are also featuring Ebay items where some of the proceeds will go to Laura.  They're listed here...

Black Country Eden dressage saddle 18M excell. cond!(10%)

Beval Devon saddle, 16.5", regular tree, very good cond (15%)

Happy mouth pastel pink bit 5.5 5 1/2 inch loose ring (100%)

Who heppin' out?
Lots of horsebloggers are participating! Visit them now, and remember if you leave a comment on your donation make sure to check the BTB blog on the 15th and/or provide contact info...

• Freelance Instructor's Diary 
• Epic Farms
• The Giant Horses
• Work in Progress
• Little Black Pony
• Sasha Lyons blog
• Dressage Mom

**MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE BTB BLOG OR LEAVE CONTACT INFO IN YOUR COMMENT. BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE  A RECEIPT NUMBER FOR YOUR DONATION.

Hair police -- pet peeve #3789

Bad equestrian hair -- both Equine Ink and Behind the Bit have covered this topic in the past. Look at the photo left of an international European show horse, braided up and groomed to an inch of his lfe. Now look at the rider, with her unkempt, disheveled hair sticking out from under her helmet. A veritable Courtney Love in the irons.

I can't believe anyone thinks it looks good, and in fact it ruins the picture. Could she not be bothered to tuck it in her helmet? To me, wearing hair outside the helmet is the sign of someone who doesn't really ride.

 On a long hair lover's web forum (forum for *really* long hair -- fetishy long) one equestrian with thigh-length hair showed how she dealt with the issue (see right). Granted it was more to protect her hair, and that much hair probably wouldn't  fit  into a helmet, but it's a neat solution. Good for her!

A clean, sleek appearance (no protruding hair or hair in a bun) is soo classic, so  utterly Grace Kelly that we need to introduce the style early to young women riders. Now Outfoxed Farm does a "How not to wear your hair" educational video which I think all long-haired riders should watch.

Labor Day Weekend: Head injury!

Yep, I cracked my noggin pretty good, but I didn't fall off a horse. Late Sunday night I went out to retrieve something from the trunk of Bob's car. Using the remote to open the trunk from in the house, I went to the car in the pitch dark. I didn't know the Thule^TM bike racks were installed on the trunk. I fished my stuff out and slammed the trunk down, hard. The bars of the rack came down on the top of my head. I sort of knocked myself out. No blood but a lot of pain and cursing when the dizziness subsided, and a goose egg to boot.

Doctor, it hurts when I half halt
Riley's trainer was at the U.S. Open this weekend, so I rode him lightly. Saturday, before my cranial crackup, I hacked around the farm with another boarder. Sunday  night was the bike rack attack. Monday, I dragged my brain-injured self to the barn and gingerly strapped my helmet on. See below...

This isn't just the "good parts" of the ride, it's pretty much the whole ride (due to my self-induced headache). You'll notice some funny stuff with my hands -- was trying to counteract his tendency to get low in the poll/curl. The correct behavior would have been "more forward, more leg." It felt like we were really moving, but obviously we weren't!

Laura Goldman, para-equestrian, deserves your support!

Over the summer I've been feeling  just a tiny bit of self-pity about Riley. My trainer does so well with him, I'm wondering "am I good enough to do this nice horse justice?" Maybe you know that thought pattern.

Well, enough of that!
If you need a reality check, like I did, read Sheri Israel's blog post about para-dressage competitor Laua Goldman and her ambition to compete at WEG. If you lament that your sitting trot isn't where it should be, or that you need a better saddle, or a better trainer,  this article will offer another perspective on personal and athletic challenges.

Thanks to Sheri for bringing Laura's story to me and others. I'm proud to be a supporter of LG and Horsebloggers will be offering a giveaway prize (or prizes) to a few lucky readers who  help  her achieve her goals [details to come soon]:

You can support Laura Goldman 
by giving to the USPEA 

and designating the gift to LAURA GOLDMAN.

clipped from www.uspea.org

Donors: Leave a comment with your email (or identifying ID) if you donated to be considered for the drawing.

  According to Sheri, Laura is  is classified as a grade 1a, which is considered the most impaired level in the FEI classification scale.  But what is amazing is what she can do on a horse -- watch the video below to see what Laura has accomplished despite physical challenges.

If you donate, leave a comment saying "I DID IT!!!" One of you will get a great prize (if you provide me a way of contacting you!)...

Fare thee well Cabana Boy

I'm guessing most of you have heard that we lost Cabana Boy, a Contucci son owned by Hilltop Farm. He was competing with enormous success with Chris Hickey and they were aiming for the Pan Am Games. He got injured in the pasture. No one saw it, but according to Dressage Daily he was found standing by the gate with a shattered knee.

I just posted an article about horse injuries that suggests most horse accidents are the result of human error. This tragic pasture mishap serves as a grim reminder that sometimes bad things just happen.

I watched this musical freestyle tonight.  What a happy, forward, ride, and what a perfect choice the Beach Boy's music is for this All-American "surf's up" kind of horse. Fare thee well, CB.

Who needs 'One Life to Live?'

Did anyone else get an unsolicited email [reproduced below] from the NY breeches company Aanstadt Das (AD)? I have no idea why I got it, but it's not so much a business message as an emotional journey.

My first pair of breeches were ADs. Deerskin breeches opened up a whole new world for me -- a world of luxury, riding comfort, and credit card debt. But back in early 2000s or so, the business suffered from unreliable service/product delivery--just as a competing company was gaining a great reputation for manufacturing a similar breech.   I heard some buzz about back-stabbing business partners; it was all very melodramatic.

Sonya, Sonya, Sonya
Well, the founder of AD, Sonya, sent out an email clarification. Alas, it may not have the intended effect. Not sure what she was trying to clarify but the thing abundantly clear was that the company management (Sonya):

1. Does not form lasting business relationships.
2. Was unable to guide a promising business through the challenging period of rapid growth.
3. Takes things personally. And can't let go.

 She admits she's more of a creative type than a business woman, which explains a lot of this.  Nevertheless, the letter does not instill confidence, nor does her decision to sell a pair of used breeches worn by Linda Parelli "many times" for (gulp) $3500.  At any rate I'm a loyal fan of the breeches. Sonya, Sonya, Sonya, the lower prices are fine but let your past business spars go -- put your energy into your business.  You make a great pair of breeches!

One breech to wear, one life to live...

Here's what I got via email...

A CLARIFICATION OF THINGS (w/a bonus)

Aanstadt Das, the 'Original' Deerskin Riding Breech, a company that began
over 35 years ago is offering  - DIRECT TO THE CONSUMER - Deerskin Breeches
at phenomenal prices. For those who have wondered, "What ever happened to
Aanstadt Das?" please take the time to read about the transitions we've had
over the past 10 years. And spread the word - letting others know where
they can get the Original Aanstadt Deerskin Breech at a great price. Sonya
Bergstrom, the Designer of Aanstadt Das, does not 'wholesale' to anyone,
but instead believes the savings should go to the consumer. That is why the
pricing is so fair!

Currently they are offering "BEST" specials on full seats 2FORS AS WELL AS
OTHER GREAT SPECIALS at their store on eBay. This along with many, many
other tremendous deals!
You can visit their store at this link:
http://stores.ebay.com/Aanstadt-Das?_rdc=1

First, let us be clear that Equissentials is not the same thing, and never
has been. Many individuals are confused regarding what has been told to
them about 'their' product and its origin. This should help clear up some
of that confusion.  Aanstadt designs are all Originals and 40 years ago -
there was absolutely nothing that resembled the Deerskin Pant that exists
today. Sonya created them out of necessity and inspiration along with her
development of fabrics, design, style, shape and choice of leather.
Aanstadt  sizing ( A COLOR CODE SYSTEM) is by far the most comprehensive
that exists due to the never ending study done first hand by Sonya. There
have been well over 100,000 individuals from all over the world measured by
Sonya using 13 measurements to create her sizing and patterns. As many of
you know Sonya was swamped with business in the late 90's and needed help
to meet the customer's needs. A separate facility was created (Acquisaurus)
which was never a partnership. Fortunately, Sonya realized early, within 5
months that the intentions that surfaced were very different than what was
initially presented and totally against her philosophy. Sonya sued Mr.
Creighton after
5 months due to illegal use of her name and won the lawsuit, however the
quarter million in funding that he received in order to help her, stayed
with him and was used to launch the first 'knock off' of her designs -
Equissentials. The funding he received was based on all the years of R&D
done by Sonya and the products and designs developed during the 25 years
prior. The new company was a 'look alike' and it used Sonya's work as its
foundation.

There are other companies, as well, who have taken many aspects of Sonya's
work and have incorporated them within 'their own'. They are not her
originals by any means. So, it is what it is, and at Aanstadt Das, Sonya
continues - on her own - having fun doing what she loves most with dynamite
innovation and design, which has proved to be unsurpassed in both savings
and design.

Before Equissentials, Sonya and Hollie McNeil created Riding Right with the
base of the Catalogue being Aanstadt Designs. They were never partners.
Between the road travel, selling directly and the Catalogue there was just
too much business - that is why Sonya needed help and looked for the right
individual to help meet the demand. Joe's expertise and what he presented
as a sincere desire to help seemed like the right solution, it was not. The
expansion was to help the catalogue meet their demand, as well as direct
sales. In the mean time, Hollie, who felt she 'owned' Sonya and did not
like sharing, so she sued Sonya, sold her company for a lot of money, and
told the buyer she had manufactured all the products. If your Aanstadt Das
Breeches got kinda funny looking in 2000, this is why. Since 2000, there
have been all kinds of things said - the main being that Aanstadt Das was
out of business and sold everything to Joe/Equissentials. All the lies and
rumors have been simply astonishing!

Sonya has never been a partner with anyone, nor has she ever been 'out of
business'. She had to start all over, with no funding, in 2000 - go on the
road and continue doing what she loved, and still loves - designing and
making breeches.

When asked her common response is, "Let me be absolutely clear, the past 10
years have been the most difficult, challenging, and painful (emotionally,
physically, and spiritually) of my life. However, being on the other side
of all that now, I would have never given up those experiences and
relationships. I needed them in order to grow. My desire has always been to
expand. I was just expanding in the wrong direction and needed the
correction those experiences brought. So many things contributed to where I
am now, and I am so thankful for every aspect (person and situation) that
helped to mold me. I still love what I do and will continue to do what I do
best - turn a vision into something tangible that is useful and helps
others achieve their goals. The heart behind my Designs and Patents are
honest and the products that come from that heart is my gift to share, and
I am so thankful for them." In addition she comments, "I only expanded to
help meet the demand and am so sorry for all the problems and confusion it
has caused others."  That was NEVER her intent!


So after 2000, Sonya was on the road extensively and once again had too
much business and reached out again to a Company 'who was very interested
in helping her'. I.T.S. in New Jersey. That was 2005. There was never a
partnership or a selling of Aanstadt Das. Shortly after moving production
to New Jersey (a huge move), once again the 'real' intentions of I.T.S.
surfaced. They, like others before them, just wanted to pick her brain and
buy Aanstadt, which was not for sale. So, after 5 months that ended. Those
of you who knew Aanstadt Das at that time and lost touch with Sonya and/or
her products or your orders during this time, now you know the 'truth'
about what happened then. Furthermore, if you had an order that was
incomplete, please contact Sonya, as it is her intention to respond to all
affected by these transitions.

Then, she was back on her own on the road and things really sped up. In
2006, as she was coming back from a show, Sonya got a call from her husband
that he had blood clots in his heart, legs, and lungs and was being moved
to another hospital. Over the weekend his condition escalated and Sonya met
the ambulance accompanying him to the hospital. He almost died. He did
eventually make it through, but as these things go, it caused Sonya to make
major changes in how she was doing business in order to be closer to him.
At this point, (2006 to 2007) her manufacturing facility was 2 hours away
and once again she had to make another major move in order to be there for
him.
He was in and out of the hospital, in serious condition, 3 times.
Fortunately, he is now stable, taking one day at a time, and has a good
support group caring for him. As a result, Sonya had no choice but to drop
out of site and now you know why. To top it all off, Sonya developed a
debilitating condition in her right hip and was slowly losing her ability
to walk, having a continual increase of physical pain that became mentally
hard to deal with. During this time she produced with her staff as best she
could in spite of the pain. In 2009 the condition worsened to where the
inevitable surgery (total hip replacement) happened in December.

At present here in June, 2010, quite simply, you would never know she was
the same person. The surgery brought a total transformation to her stamina,
endurance, and ability to function. It is amazing what physical pain does
to/for a person. Excited about her new life and attitude, she is back on
the road, and is expanding once again. This time she is expanding with a
great group of individuals within her company who know her well, support
her and work well together. Each person has their own gift and loves what
they do bringing success. Everyone works from his or her heart; the
atmosphere is light and exciting, and we have fun creating all Sonya's new
designs.

The hope of Aanstadt Das is that if anyone feels they got lost in the
shuffle, that they would understand with this clarification all that has
happened and the reasons for the temporary disconnection - but most of all
that they would contact Sonya and reconnect.  We at Aanstadt hope this
helps to clarify some things for you all!

Bottom line...Sonya Loves making breeches and coming up with new designs
and fabrics - that is what she does best and just had to simplify things
and learn a lot about discernment!


Please spread the word that AANSTADT DAS lives!

Let everyone know where he or she can get great Deerskin Breeches at
tremendous savings - the Originals!!!

SEE AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE "REAL" DEAL!!!

                                           Thank you for taking the time to
read this!
We appreciate it so much if you purchase one of our breeches on ebay,
request an invoice and mention this phrase "THAT CLARIFIES THINGS" and
we'll give you $15 off your purchase.




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RESOURCES

Catalog venture reins in TV news career in Business Journal (Albany)
Aanstadt Das breeches thread on Ultimate Dressage
Aanstadt Das thread on NC Horse News

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