One fall, one near-fall, two frangible pins

The cross-country day was "a disaster" as a friend put it. I was there with my camcorder and by chance captured footage of two bad incidents, both at fence 15, the double corners. Kelly Sult and Hollywood took the second corner badly, and possibly were saved by the franginble pin(s). They went on to finish the course, amazingly. At Kristi Nunnick and R-Star fell at the first corner; R-Star was fine, Kristi was taken away in an ambulance, but I hear she is okay. The accidents seemed similar to me, but the pins only worked for Sult. WARNING: This is tough footage to watch. Take a look if you want to see and compare the falls (Sult/Hollywood first, Nunnick/R-Star second). For better or worse, the footage is pretty clear...

UPDATE: At the request of Interested Parties, this footage of two bad moments at Rolex will be/have been removed as of 5/4. I figured our days were numbered when I posted it, but can I admit to being fascinated by this sort of footage?  I watched all the tsunami and quake documentaries till my husband drew a line in the sand and said "no more."  This is just one more manifestation of that behavior quirk, plus I do think it is educational/informative for people to see what can go wrong, and how it goes wrong. No doubt it is at the expense of the subject, and I can understand someone lodging a complaint...

That said, here is a link to some photos on Lucy's Quest blog, and here are some photos from Katrina Zimmer:

The jog (USEA photo)

I missed the jog, but a friend of mine suggested I check out the Ashker attire, which was reportedly not among the more conservative sartorial choices. Lainey is pretty open about being girly and fashion-conscious, and I think her choice here -- pirate boots and nicely fitting sweater -- is eye-catching, in a good way. I didn't see the jogs, but go to USEA Eventing to see a full photo layout. Everyone looks great! Laine

Friday's footage: Peter and Lyle!

Oh, what a wonderful  coursewalk Peter Atkins (of Henny fame) gave to a crowd of his friends and fans. Peter gave just about the most educational coursewalk I've ever attended -- a lesson, as well as a course walk, and some of his hints I can apply to dressage. Here he talks about keeping the horse straight and controlling the shoulder:

Peter has a unique riding style, and he talks about his rationale for riding in a "defensive position" today. Would love to share it but the wind, the announcer, and Peter's walking around made the audio hard to hear.  I hope to share one more segment...

Lyle Lovett reining
Later Friday evening I watched Lyle Lovett compete his palomino in the reining competition (yes, THE Lyle Lovett):

Rolex April 28: Over before it starts for Katie Ruppel

The very first dressage ride Bob and I watched was a non-starter. Katie Ruppel's mount Sir Donavan made a definitive statement: NOT TODAY.

The pair halted at X -- and they stayed halted for about 30 seconds while Katie urged him on, first subtly, then more urgently. He looked very annoyed and nappy. He eventually trotted off, only to stop again a few movements later, for good. He responded to his rider's urging with two huge bucks, but no forward movement. I saw Katie's hand go up, and I believe the judge excused her at her request.

Bob remarked that it's a shame we can't convey to horses when "it really matters" that they obey. I observed that if I were Katie I would probably take him back to his stall and whack him a few times on the butt with a broom, just because.

 Truly, I hope he's okay. My heart breaks for the rider. Here is some footage of Katie Ruppel and Yellow Rose Eventing.

Why I don't own a boarding barn

 Because people do foolish things like this!

One wonders if the horse had some kind of desensitization (kind of doubt it) before being subjected to the scary bag. Kinda doubt it. I'm a firm believer that horses shouldn't be asked to tolerate things that aren't likely to occur in real life. Small bags? Sure. Standing while a larger bag blows past? Okay. But a noisy, huge, ever-so-likely-to-get-caught-on-equipment-person-horse bag carried under saddle? Dumb.

This could be an episode of Jackass.

Sitting trot help -- can't have too much!

Biomechanics in riding is all the rage, as evidenced by the jillions of biomechanics specialists, mechanical horses, and exhibits at horse expos. But here is the real deal, as far as I'm concerned--Susie Peacock helping a Grand Prix rider with her sitting trot on a Standardbred/Selle Francais cross, no less. The full video is available from my favorite online horse video subscription service -- Horse Hero. 

A word on Horse Hero. I've been a subscriber for two years, and it's only $25 USD for a continuous stream of fresh, informative videos. Here's a motivator -- the first two people to leave a comment that they've joined Horse Hero (backed up by the email receipt) gets the much-coveted Behindthebitblog.com t-shirt, Andy Warhol design.

Rolex Preview: When you're buying custom boots...

You want a boot company that knows your discipline. So what's wrong with this ad? The company will be at Rolex....

Enter now! iPad/helmet giveaway from Riders4helmets

Whether you want a new iPad 2 or need a new helmet, Riders4helmets  is sponsoring some cool contests and the largest helmet giveaway in history.

• Giveaway 1: Win an iPad2 3G + WiFi (32GB). To enter this giveaway contest you MUST visit Riders4Helmets at Rolex KY 3DE (April 28th-May 1st)
• Giveaway 2: (29 helmets and other prizes approx. value $4,500).   Fill out the online form or visit Riders4Helmets at Rolex.

You should know that this organization that is a labor of love spearheaded by two committed individuals, Lyndsey White and Jery Bryant. They have no "dog in the fight" -- neither of them benefits from this labor of love, and maybe that's why they've received so much support.

On a side note
I've "taken it on the chin" a little because some of the riders I feature on my blog do not wear helmets. I suppose the criticism has some heft to it. I'm just glad no one has been too scathing or angry. Hope it doesn't seem too hypocritical that I'm promoting this contest on behalf of Riders4helmets. Personally I always wear a helmet and I think everyone should, and I tell people who don't that they should, for their own safety. But I stop short of dictating the use of helmets by the people I associate with -- they know how I feel, but it's really their call. Those of you who leave comments lamenting my helmetless riders, please don't stop! Thanks for speaking up.

Mare requires three handlers!

Bob and I laughed ourselves silly over this video of an Andalusian mare being worked by her three "handlers." Make sure to watch all of it to see one of the handlers go for a bit of a swing...

What I don't get about Dover...

I buy things from Dover -- they often have unique items and a great selection. Their customer service is good. Their shipping fees used to drive me bananas, but they changed their policies recently to make the shipping fees correspond better with the actual shipping cost. What do I not get about Dover?

Their sales, and more generally, their prices. This image appeared in their most recent spring sale catalog, and it is listed as an inventory closeout. The price, almost $120, is $20 more than what I paid for the item from Smartpak last fall when it was first introduced. Closeout pricing? Hardly. I priced this item from a lot of sources last fall, and not one was over $110 with tax.

Hey guys at Dover -- was this a mistake?

How to ride a half pass, and how much I love the Brits!

Has anyone noticed that it's hard to get straightforward, practical instructions for executing some dressage movements? Even articles on subjects like "perfect your flying changes" don't really always address have the step by step instructions. Now this is understandable in some respects -- after all, there are intangible little issues like "is your horse collected enough?", "does your horse have the strength?", and "can you make the aids clear enough?" But how nice to see this practical little vide on the subject...

I'm not surprised that this video is from the Brits. Is it just me or do they seem to have a more down-to-earth, practical tone in their approach to horses?

Icelandic horse doing dressage: Yet again "I want one!"

Love the color, love the big handsome head, love the judge's spot on scores...

So I haven't talked about Rolex yet...

Bob and I will be there from Thurs through Sun--the whole enchilada. As I watched the entry list there were no real "Oh goodie!" horse/rider combos, but I knew it was just because I hadn't done my research. Case in point, Amateur rider Frankie Thierot and her Selle Francais gelding Fric Frac Berence -- with her name, you knew he had to be French, right?


So why are they special? 
The things we overcome make us special. As Frankie and were rising up the ranks, Fric lost an eye. At one time one-eyed horses were not allowed to compete in eventing after a certain level. Frankie worked to get 'clearance' to go beyond Prelim and now the one-eye rule has been changed.

Frankie works full time as a Communications Director, Part-time as a correspondent for USEA, and she trains and competes in the most time- and resource-consuming disciplines in equestrian sports. Hats off to you Frankie! You can read more about her, and see a gorgeous photo of her galloping Fric on a California beach, if you check out some of her recent coverage...  USEA Eventing; her Web sitehttp://www.frankiethieriot.com/; and the Rolex featured rider series. You can also see them in action on this Youtube video, about 2' 30" or shortly thereafter...

Horses and personalities

Riley offers an opinion on Birthday cake icing

I guess the average person doesn't really think horses have much personality. To so many folks, they're livestock. Horse people know better of course!  I do think some horses have had the spirit knocked out of them -- a breeder I met once referred to mistreated horses as having a shellshocked demeanor.
If you read the books (and there are lots of them), experts create a classification system that makes sense for other horses -- social, fearful, aloof, mixed, etc. The classification systems are interesting, but do they have value? Do all horses fit into this system? I think not. Riley and Harv, of course, are far more complex than any four-category system could capture accurately :-).

Riley: The Social/Clown/Goofball^stubborn , with a little Crabby Baby thrown in. He's a clown in the pasture, he's a social butterfly, head always hanging out the dutch door. He's a crabby baby for the farrier, and stubborn about working that inside hind.

Harvey: The Leader/Watchful/Funny/Sensitive^worrier horse.  He's confident in herds, he's sweet, easily offended, he's kind, and a worrier. Harv is constantly peering out his stall windows with a look of concern. It's as if he knows that somewhere out there...

• Someone could be late with his dinner.
• Something  might not be in its proper place.
• Something predator-like is approaching. Or, okay, maybe not a predator, maybe a cat or rabbit.  Still, one must be vigilant.

How does your horse express his personality?


RESOURCES

Building Your Dream Horse: Charles Wilhelm's Ultimate Foundation Training by Charles Wilhelm, Allison Houston

Ride the right horse: Understanding core equine personalities by Yvonne Barteau and Carol Lavell
Personality of the horse by Brandt Aymar, Edward Sagarin

Is your horse a rock star? Understanding our horse's personality by  Dessa Hockley

Hit It Off with Your Horse!: Understanding and Influencing Character and Personality (DVD

Horse personality types from Horsechannel.com

Understanding horse personalities: Parts I-IV from Equisearch

Red Horse Arti-MudHoof Putty

A farrier told me about a new hoof care product line from Red Horse Products -- an all natural, antimicrobial/anti-fungal line that comes in various formulations/consistencies to work as a topical application, to fill small cracks, and to plug deeper crevices. I thought it might be an alternative to Keratex hoof putty which can be rather difficult to work with, especially in cold weather. Right now Red Horse products are  only available from the UK but you can order it if you don't mind the shipping fees. The product itself is reasonably priced, and the cost for both products plus shipping from the UK was $60.

I ordered two items, Arti-Mud Hoof Putty^tm and Hoof Stuff.^tm  The hoof putty is designed on the premise that the only thing that sticks in some crevices is mud, so why not medicate the mud? I've used it several times on Riley's post-surgical hoof hole (farriers tell me it'll never go away). Here is my video review...

Phoebe Buckley: Romany Gypsy at the Olympics? Maybe

Someone sent me this wonderful BBC News article about Phoebe Buckley, the 26-year-old professional event rider who competes in eventing in the U.K., at events as grand as Badminton and Burghley. She grew up a Romany Gypsy and experienced a bit of culture clash coming into the horse world from a small, tightly knit traditional culture. According to an article on Phoebe in the UK Metro  gypsies eschew many modern ideas, starting with things like credit cards. It also  sounds like women are expected to assume a traditional role in the family. Phoebe  defied her background by not marrying young, opting for a career instead. As if this isn't already an "against the odds" sort of story, she competes on Little Tiger, a 14.3 mare owned by Polly Taylor.

Definitely read the article -- but also take a gander at this dicey riding footage, from just one year! I suppose it goes with the territory of working with baby event prospects... There's footage of Phoebe on a horse encoutering water jump and I've simply never seen anything like it...

Wilona: a mare that merges two of my favorite bloodlines!

She's by Quaterback X Don Schufro and to me she has the gait mechanics of both. She's coming 3 years old, but what a trot!  I guess the jury is out on whether she'll get the "10" Quaterback canter.  She was pretty excited, and kept cross-cantering. Her shoulder is huge.

"How to do dressage" with Oliver Townend

You've gotta love Oliver Townend, and not just because he has sandy-red hair and chiseled features. This video really is entitled "How to do dressage" --he talks a little about sitting trot, a little about bending/suppleness, etc. It's worth a watch, and not just because he is easy on the eyes...

Shoeing a dressage horse: A farrier nails it (sorry)

I read an interesting article in the American Farrier's Journal: Remember these pointers when under dressage horses written by Ron Perszewski interviewing Dave Farley. The author makes some interesting points about shoeing dressage horses, and I'll share the highlights of the interview with Dave and his advice to farriers....

• Any farrier  interested in dressage shoeing of any type should go watch the horses work.
• Dressage horses are often started at age 3 (late for some disciplines), and they are often started barefoot. This is good for the farrier since it's easier to tell where the horse is breaking over and where he's compensating for his conformation faults.
• Dressage horses get good nutrition and their feet grow fast. 
• Experienced dressage riders can detect changes in their horses' gaits. When they get to that fourth or fifth week, they'll call you to to reshoe.
•  Ninety percent of what you're doing is in the trim, and you'll need to get good at balancing the foot -- you can't do it all with just muscle. 
• Farriers that shoe dressage horses as a specialty will get fewer horses done in a day; they'll be more tired, and more sore.
• When shoeing a dressage horse spend more time evaluating the conformation and gaits.
• Pay extra attention to the hind feet. Problems show up on the front end, but about 80 percent of the problems  are secondary to the hind end."
• Check to see if each hind foot is centered. If it's too far one way or the other, it's going to affect the diagonal front first, and that starts a chain reaction. Look at these horses laterally. Get down on your knees, ten feet behind the horse, to see if the heels are level. 
• Once you get down to a clean sole, leave it there. Some dressage horses weigh 1,500 or 1,600 pounds. If you take a horse like that down to only 1/4 inch of sole, you're in trouble.

The whole section called "Keep it simple" is worth reading, and it's too hard to summarize -- so read it!

Animo breeches: Not a horse in sight

Animo^TM breeches, which are made in Italy, have recently become available in the U.S. and now Dover Saddlery is carrying them. I think they're cute in photos but I really enjoyed their Spring 2011 catalog, which has a "theme" (think all their catalogs have a pretty unique look and feel), and not a horse in sight! As a rider I will be interested in

• what the fabric feels like
• how well they fit me
• how on earth I'll pay for $350 breeches

Expensive, but just the kind of detailing I fall for -- it is  just lovely. $350! I'm afraid I'll like them. Really afraid. 

The Showsheen winners! Five poems and a special award

 First, the Charlie Sheen-Showsheen special merit award
 Dressager, your entry referenced Charlie Sheen, a connection I would never have dreamed of. Your entry was not as polished (so to speak) as some others but for making an AWESOME and unique connection you deserve an award of your very own. You are welcome to a BTB T-shirt if you want one -- my first Warhol design t-shirt giveaway. Email me with your sizing info...

And now for the ShowSheen winners!
They happen to be haiku poems, which I didn't think many people would attempt. Never underestimate BTB readers :-). Winners, email me your mailing address. The Showsheen will come directly from Absorbine (THANKS ABSORBINE!)

 First place, goes to the rapper haiku, darkhorse:

Show Sheen with grooming
The shine helps my fortitude
Calms my attitude

Second place, most poetic, equinovice said...

Bathed in ShowSheen rays
My Belgian makes the sun blush
Blazing gold thunder.

 Third place, most compelling (I'm totally sympathetic), Lexie said...

I need lots of help
to score 60s in dressage
Tia must radiate

Fourth place,  GreyDrakkon made me laugh!

Winter will not leave
My arab is like a yak
now a shiny yak

Fifth place, I want to see a mule glow, and Bent Barrow Farm's haiku was phrased in the form of a question...

I'm half horse, half ass—
Therefore, not a horse owner.
Can I still compete?

Conquering the canter?

It's a little shaky (and I'm not talking about the footage), but here it is. Canter transitions, lots of'em, in both directions. Again, it felt like I was flying but when I see the video I realize how much work there is to do. First order of business is to stabilize my hands.

Deer oh dear!

Last Friday morning at 8am,  I drove to the barn and met the farrier (needed to hold Riley for him). Then I headed back on the country roads toward work, about a 15 minute drive. I could not have been going more than 40MPH when I heard a loud crash and felt an impact on the driver side.  In the rear view mirror I saw falling tufts of hair and the female deer struggling across the road. I'm afraid she didn't fare well.

I was shaken but kept driving. No damage was apparent until I turned sharp onto a city road, and then I heard my wheel make a funny noise. I called the insurance company and drove to the "collision center."  The damage to my Yaris is pictured left. Well, that's why I have insurance. I drove back to work in a rental car.

Relaxing at home...
After 5pm I go home and reflect  on my not so stellar day. Bob is at work, and I decide to take it easy.  I'm home lounging around in a John Deere sweatshirt paired with oversized,  pink plaid flannel jammy bottoms tucked into my terracotta Uggs. Quite a getup. I go to pick up my cat, who is looking out the window.   SH*T!!! A car i in the driveway! Someone's coming! I fly upstairs, change into jeans/bra/sweater, and run to the door.

Hey, why is no one knocking?

Here's why. The car in the driveway is my rental car.

That was actually a pretty good laugh.

Bareback puissance!

Pretty wild, huh? New Zealander Vicki Wilson jumping Showtym Girl, her 15.1H mare.

Hunter under saddle: Shoeless?

"Spend a few moments at the back gate of the US Equestrian Federation Hunter Trials or the big year-end hunter finals, and you won't be able to miss it--the rows of aluminum shoes flashing in the sunlight as farriers make a mad dash to pull them off the nation's top hunters"

The Chronicle Connection March, 2011. [article in this issue]

If you can believe the author Hope Glynn, it's routine for hunters to have their shoes pulled before their flat class (they're tacked on later). I don't hang out in hunter circles but this little tidbit of truth surprises me in so many ways. 

• Is there THAT big of a difference between lightweight aluminum and barefoot?
• Wouldn't pulling shoes from a horse that normally wears shoes make them gimpier, at least initially?
• Does it really make the difference between "top" and "mediocre" ribbons?

This isn't about barefoot vs. shod
To me it's a question of how a horse that's normally shod moves better right after shoes are pulled. I've witnessed the opposite many times. It's also hard  to imagine that a horse will move that much better barefoot vs. aluminum that has been drilled out.

I posted my questions to COTH's hunter/jumper list. Most responders thought it was a fairly ho-hum practice. Shoe-pulling for flat classes seems to occur mostly at the largest events (finals, etc.). If it's done rarely it probably doesn't happen enough to truly damage the average horse hoof. Problem is, some people don't know what's best for their horse.

A farrier that comes to our barn has worked at some big shows. He told me about the day he spent at the Capital Challenge pulling shoes for the flat class for $100/horse. He said a lot of hoof wall gets lost, and grooms duct tape the feet until just before the class. One horse whose shoes were pulled  was excused from the ring for gimpy-ness. Of a class of 35 horses, 29 had their shoes pulled  and tacked back on for $100. It's a couple hours work for three farriers working in an assembly line. Do the math, and you can imagine all the happy farriers.

So there are other downsides too:

• Expense (but is this a group of people who we need to worry about?) 
• Sportsmanship -- it does not make the hunter world look like a very horse-friendly business, and frankly it seems a little silly. Will these people do anything for a ribbon?
• Fairness. Let's say it does make a difference in how a horse moves. What about the hypothetical horse that needs shoes and would be gimpy? What about the competitor that can't afford the farrier bills?

 Hope Glynn proposes banning it. I suppose that's the horse-friendly thing to do -- but mostly I think we'd be saving these owners/riders from themselves. Also I would feel sorry for the farriers :-).

Stacey/Riley, Sunday April 3

Well, here is the best footage from the session. Video is a great teacher, and I can pick apart a lot of stuff but will refrain here, except to say that when I was riding this felt "super-forward." I really, really need eyes on the ground when I ride. Comments welcome.

My next horse will be a Hereford?

From the standpoint of temperament, here's a mount that will almost certainly feel safe to ride -- and this one, at least, is willing as can be! Thanks to eventingnation.com for sharing...

Win a bottle of Show Sheen! (Courtesy of Absorbine)

Back when we were at Hasslers for the Linda Zang clinic, I wanted Riley to look fabulous. He was nicely braided, his tail was pulled, hooves shined, and I wanted his coat to glisten. About the third time I reached for the ShowSheen,^tm my trainer grabbed the bottle out of my hand. "No more Show Sheen." She was right. He was sleek as an otter. None of our video footage does him justice, as the ring lighting didn't capture his luster.

Absorbine has recently released a new version of Showsheen^tm that works like hair spray, providing continuous spray from any direction. This is something that I think helps to coat uniformly and reduce the chance of overapplication. You can watch a video about how it works on Youtube.

Wanna win a bottle?
Absorbine has graciously offered five bottles of the new Showsheen^tm to BTB readers. They let me design the contest to select the recipients, and here is my idea.

To enter the contest, leave a comment on this blog post (sign it so I can identify you!) and do one of these three things:

• Finish the sentence ShowSheen^tm makes my horses coat so bright___________
• Finish the sentence My horse needs help in the shine department because_______
• Write a haiku poem about ShowSheen^tm (poem form is 5/7/5 syllables)
Ex. Riley glistens with / The light from a thousand suns / "That's enough ShowSheen."

There will be FIVE winners announced April 12. 
Criteria for judging? Originality/uniqueness, cleverness, endorsements from other commenters. 

Riley recent footage

I need to stop showing you the "post-Stacey" footage, where my trainer gets on a slightly tired horse and fixes a few things. I'm hoping to have Bob video me soon, and then we can really have fun!

Harv's spring roll

Probably not the first "bare skin" roll of the season but apparently one of the more satisfying, if you have the audio turned on...

Saddlebag thighs--the old-fashioned breech

Does anyone know why breeches used to be designed this way? Wss it just that fabric back then had limited stretch?

My next bridle will be this one

My next bridle will be this one EXCEPT that I'll opt for the plain noseband (see alternate view). Crystal color will be topaz, bridle color will be brown, and it will be stunning. Worth every bit of the... What????? $600?????? Let me know if you see any knockoffs out there...

Another view...