Bucket list: Seeing these exotics

One of my bucket list items is to see an Akhal Teke live, in the flesh. From the shimmery metallic glow to their coat to that saluki sleekness and the association with such a romantic region of the world -- in my hundred-stall stable I would have a few of them, just to look at. If you hear of one in the Northeast, let me know...

Dream 2 Grip would Seem 2 HURT!

I want to have faith in Derdau, because I love their boots. This is an unusual thing to say because I have never tried on Derdau boots, much less ridden in them.  But every year at Rolex I go to their booth and drool over their showcase of boots in unusual colors, leathers, and textures. Well, here is a new "texture" that I'm... I'm... I'm just not sure.

  Grip and durability
The ad says "grip and durability," which are good for the rider. But I think Harvey would have definite opinions about these.  I'm not sure how these pimply dots would enhance grip or durability. I seem them as making your horse "hot off the leg."

Horse hair bracelets: Charming or creepy?

I've never been 100% sold on the idea of making jewelry out of your horse's mane/tail hair. There is something about wearing-a-piece-of-someone-you-love that feels somewhere between taxidermy and "Silence of the Lambs."  Hair is a powerful symbol, and horse hair is beautiful and natural and strong. Is it right to trivialize it into jewelry?

Think what bugs me is  the intertwining of horsehair with what I consider to be finery -- and have you looked at what some of these things cost? At Dressage At Devon some of the booths I visited used diamonds and precious metals, at a cost of as much as thousands of dollars. The natural beauty of hair with the artifice of high end jewelry? It's not for me.  I say this knowing jewelry is a matter of personal taste, and others may feel differently.

Good news!
Enter at A has made a horse bracelet I can embrace -- coupled with leather, and with a simple design that parallels what you see in a quality bridle, the leather and hair just "fits." It's sporty too, you could wear it with jeans and the kind of clothing horse people tend to wear. I'd own one, and in fact soon I'm going to sacrifice a bit of Harv tail to have one made. And to top it off, its TWENTY BUCKS.

Gloves to love!

These gloves are TEN DOLLARS on Ebay -- and I can recommend the seller and the gloves. I'm a bit of a "princess and the pea" story when it comes to glove fit, and these fill the bill. I now have two pair (see below) and the pink ones are on sale now on Ebay from cameras-n-more.  This seller offers a wide assortment of horse and non-horse items, and I'd love to know where he got these. I have not ridden in them zillions of times but they are holding up well, and for $10 they're a steal. Grab a pair.

Awards a go-go IV: Volunteer of the Year

I've worked for the Lehigh Valley Dressage Association for about three years. I do the web site, the email communications, some of the publications, and I try to manage one or two of the shows every year. I love this GMO because it fills a special niche. I belong to  ESDCTA too, but they are very different organizations.

ESDCTA
When you compete in one of their shows you really test your stuff, because some really tip-top horses and riders are in this organization. ESDCTA is huge (over 600 members) and it is a tad outside my immediate geographic area. It can be hard to get to know everyone and it is less of a social venue -- partly because I don't put the effort into getting involved, but also because it is all so spread out.

LVDA
LVDA is smallish, it is more geographically focused, and -- what I really love -- is the diversity of its membership, and of the horses that compete. There are divas, there are people that cross into Western, there are monied folks, there are middle class-types, there are fancy warmbloods, there are interesting crosses, and quarter horses, and... You get the idea. And LVDA is small enough that I get to meet and get to know some wonderful people who are tied through their love of horses.

In 2012, I was volunteer of the year. This is really great, but in the end I get so much more out of my time with LVDA than I put in. I wish more people volunteered for LVDA, and not because we need the help (we do!). Volunteering for this organization is rewarding -- folks are missing out!

B-day! What I want

Today(Saturday) is my birthday. Bob always asks me to tell him what to get, because he considers birthday gift-buying to be a form of torture. I want to make it easy on him, so I'll tell him exactly what I want.

Bob gets his wish 

How bout this chestnut pictured right, Bob? I found this colt on facebook and I went ga-ga. It's a sign from the Gods that he is named B-Day! I love the pretty markings and unusual face but he has more going for him than color:

• he was top foal at his Hanoverian inspection
• he has bloodlines to die for,  by Benidetto out of Willbuerg/Warkant. Benidetto is a super stallion with great rideability
• B-Day was bred at walnut-farm.com. 

Way back when I was looking at babies, I visited Walnut Farm (Ohio) and met breeder Linda Woltz.  You won't find a nicer, more knowledgable, more enthusiastic person, and her farm is baby-raisin' heaven. She showed me a lovely 11-day-old foal. I was not ready to buy (this was the first stop on my horse-shopping journey). That exquisite little liver chestnut baby ended up at the top of the USDF standings by age five.  This is a breeding program that serious dressage folks should know about.

So here is B-Day. Will Bob step up to the plate and make me the owner of THREE horses? We'll see...

Saddlebred dressage II and III and IV

This two-year old moves better than some warmbloods I've seen (nice rhythm!), especially for a two-year old in what is likely a growth spurt.  I picture this one eventing, but dressage is sure a possiblity. Wish I could see some canter work.

WOW I just looked at some other footage from the same Youtube account -- and the farm is in Shelbyville KY where my sister lives! Hey, Les...

Saddlebred Dressage part I

I love seeing non-traditional horses doing well in dressage, so I'm sharing this great footage of two Saddlebreds -- one today, and one tomorrow. The SB below is already a star, and tomorrow's horse will be a great sport horse (maybe in dressage).  The text that goes with the footage below is:

Will (Revelation's First Prophet) is an 11 yr old American Saddlebred gelding who started learning how to be a dressage horse in 2011. Here are some highlights from the first trip down centerline to the end of the 2012 show season, his first year showing dressage, mostly First level and first go at Second level at the end. Enjoy. :)

A new take on "pony jumpers"

It's in the single digits this morning in NE PA, and I made the fastest trip ever to the barn last night. When global warming lets you down, there's nothing like chubby pony pictures to lift your spirits. What could be more appropriate than showing these pony jumpers (item of apparel as opposed to... you know). The little Fair Isle sweaters are featured in this Mail Online article. You might have already guessed, I would love something like this for Riley. I picture Harv more in a smoking jacket ...

Awards a-go-go part III

The shameless bragging continues unabated.

 This year my GMO, the Lehigh Valley Dressage Association, won three awards for our communications. I co-manage the Web site, which won a "best user experience" award, and an article I wrote for our newsletter on the Hilary Clayton workshop, won the best first-person narrative award. Another newsletter article won best general article.  So LVDA cleaned up! Here are the awards that ended up in my hands -- the plaques were touched by George Williams :-).

Awards a-go-go II

Here is our high score award for a training level test we did at the start of the summer (Ri got a 9 on his gaits), at 76%.

Awards a-go-go I

So Ri got two Training Level year-end awards from our awesome GMO, the Lehigh Valley Dressage Association.  He got one for training level schooling shows (72% avg) and one for USDF recognized shows (68% avg). My GMO is renowned for its awesome awards. Aren't they lovely?

Jes Maharry: New and notable

I love the jewelry of Jes Maharry -- and she recently posted this new design of Facebook.  Her stuff is undeniably high-end, and while I wish there was some sort of costume jewelry knockoff her whimsical hand would be hard to duplicate, and I think there is nothing like "the real thing" when it comes to precious metals and jewels. Most of her jewelry is not horse-oriented, but her horse depictions are so lovely and spirited -- when I win the lottery, I'll be sporting her stuff...

Orange is the new what-have-you

I like orange. No crime in that. Tuesday night, wandering down the beauty aisle of the grocery store,  I made an impulse purchase of bright orange nail polish--like the polish pictured right except REALLY SPARKLY. I don't wear nail polish, and my nails at the time were a wreck My nails look like the nails of someone who works at a barn, and often lets nails break off naturally rather than clip them. No nail files in the house.

 But the Maybelline marketers did a good job of packaging and design and making the shade of orange that looks "fun to wear." I'll bite!

At 11pm, I applied it, just to see how it looked. I concluded that it was okay for weekends, but not really okay for work. Uh-oh. As a non-nail polish user it did not occur to me that I should have gotten nail polish REMOVER. Duh.

For the record, there are solutions found in the average garage that can be used to remove nail polish. I won't tell you what they are because I don't recommend anyone else try it. I'm just sayin, it worked to get the polish off, and leave my skin more or less intact.

Now that said --- I re-applied the color Friday -- Newman approves, and it is the kind of shade that sets off an orange cat, don't you think?

My SocialMe analysis

Just for fun I ran the SocialMe analysis, and I got these results...

Check out my SocialMe at http://www.zeebly.com/social_me/305401/all3/9a64e031060?s=35GNcwiN0&l=v Run it on your account here http://www.zeebly.com/social_me/?s=35GNcwiN0&l=g

Trotify -- make your bike sound like a horse?

This product Trotify made me nostalgic for the days when you didn't have to buy your kid fancy electronics so that they could be "cool." In my neighborhood we took a playing card and attached it near the spokes with a playing card to make a cool fluttering sound. Could there be kids out there who would want this coconutty device? Let's hope so...

2012: A perfect year to throw out perfectionism

2012 was a good year competition-wise. As someone who tends toward the middle of the pack (no "thrill of victory," no "agony of defeat"), Ri and I are basking in what was, for us, a pretty good year. We won some year end awards from two GMOs, for one thing--more on that later. I'm happy, but I'm realistic about our performances. Ri is a lovely, kind horse, and judges saw it and rewarded it. I'm a lucky girl to have him, and the view from his back is worth a million bucks.  Four years ago, when he was on stall rest and needed unrelenting  care, I had no idea if he would even be sound for riding, much less competing. The real victory is that he is happy, and rideable, and healthy.  So this is all good.

Let yourself be happy: Taking the good advice 
Here is a shout-out to Kevin Donnelly. I'm relaying his sage advice to all of you perfectionist dressagey types. Hey, Kevin, you may not remember me, but we used to board together at a barn when I first moved to PA. Harv and I were competing, and one weekend we came away with blue ribbons and even edged out an area professional for a First Level victory at a recognized show. You congratulated me, and I was quick to explain how some of the more competitive riders had difficult horses or bad rides.

You said something that stuck with me:

"You should enjoy the highs to the fullest, because with horses, you're don't know how long you're going to stay there, and you need the highs to get you through the lows." 

Thanks Kevin. I'm going to follow this advice this year :-).

Teeth are like diamonds

One World butterfly shirt, overpriced but gorgeous

After a lifetime of good teeth, 2012 was a bad year for dental work. I have FOUR cavities, and one of them was much worse than the x-ray suggested. The dentist filled  two of them last week, but said that a crown might ultimately be necessary. On Saturday, the tooth broke while I was eating a granola bar.

I was able to walk-in that day, and the dentist tells me  it'll hold till my next appointment, but WHAT A BUMMER. Expense, hassle, and a feeling that this is a harbinger of my old age. Since childhood I have had dreams of my teeth falling out. Now I'm living it.

Did I mention my out-of-pocket costs? 

In my younger days I read many editions of Don Quixote by Cervantes. My litmus test for a translation was how a particular passage on teeth translated into English. In the best English translation Don Quixote says that "Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond." Some of the other editions made no reference to diamonds and the passages were totally mundane.
Teeth really are like diamonds.

OC shoes, my interpretation of Dorothy's red slippers
(and on sale)

So what does this have to do with photos of the end-result of my unnecessary, impulse shopping? Well, after leaving the dentist and going out to see the horses, I stopped for some retail therapy on the way home.

I have to admit, I feel better. And it's a good thing.

The shirt and shoes will likely be my ensemble at the awards banquet I'm going to this Friday.

Stay tuned!

"Loose horse!" -- All's well that ends well

A friend of mine shared this news article and video of a Maryland race horse that dumped his rider and went cantering down Route 1. Yes, we love our horses, and we're terrified they'll get injured when they run off. On a more practical level, a loose horse is essentially litigation on the hoof. Add traffic to the equation, and it's a nightmare of carnage waiting to happen. Thank heavens this horse was okay. Interesting that the car was tracking his speed. Race people.

Nice guys do dressage

Hey, I sure don't travel in elite circles in the dressage world -- but eventually I hear enough second-hand information that I feel good about certain elite professionals. One of them is George Williams. I have to kinda like anyone who's operating out of Ohio, having lived there myself and enjoyed the down-to-earth kinds of people that live there. But also...

 Three to four people I know have clinic'ed with him, or met him, or encountered him at shows. Every report is "what a nice guy!" Most recently, one of our GMO members went to Wellington, and she asked to take his picture. She told him the photo was for her GMO. He said, "Oh, what GMO?" "LVDA," she answered. Here is his response.

"Hi, LVDA!" George Williams with Cleopatra

Thought I would share my second or third-hand brush with fame.

Dressage: "apparently it's a thing"

From Current.com culture blog, discussing words of 2012:

"Old words came back in style, common phrases found new meaning and everyone learned that "dressage" is really just a fancy word for horse ballet (which apparently is a thing)."

Who knew? Google converts to "hand" measurements

Winter Lungeing

Ahhh, the joys of winter lungeing while the ice-covered fields prevent turnout. Love this bit from Victoria Tunis (a friend of a friend on Facebook)..."WHEN IN DOUBT, LONGE IT OUT."  This is an old photo of young master Riley on the lunge...

Riley, the Hannibal Lecter of textiles

Monday January 7, 2013 
After being sick for four days (recall I'm getting over a bout with the flu), I head out after work to see my horses.  That morning I had thrown on a scarf I'd gotten at Dressage at Devon that September. My first time wearing it, always a special day, it was paired with a butter colored turtleneck. I thought the pairing looked smashing.

Scarfing up a scarf
Unfortunately, Riley thought it looked delicious.

I had left my coat jacket open, as it was a nice day. I got out of my car, ran to Riley's dutch door, and hugged him hard. I was scratching his neck and noticing now long his mane was getting, when I felt a heavy weight pulling against the back of my neck. I looked down to find my 60" scarf about half-way consumed by my chestnut Hanoverian Hoover.

I had taken this photo after getting my scarf at Devon. I wanted to blog my wonderful find -- two cashmere scarves for $25 (one was for Bob)! I can still wear it, but there is a new color -- that familiar green slimy smear all horse people know!

Damon Hill: Better than Totilas?

Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW, Germany’s top finishing partnership at the summer Olympics, won the German Masters World Cup Freestyle in November with the highest ever score for the pair internationally, 86.775%. Damon Hill is a Rubenstein X Donnerhall cross (like Riley!) and I really like his type.  In the young horse (five-year-old) competition his scores were  walk 9.2, trot 9.80, and canter 9.2.

My 3 day "24 hour" bug

It's rare for me to be behind on blogging, but boy oh boy am I behind right now! I have a doctor's note :-).

On Thursday am, I didn't have much of an appetite, and by that afternoon I had a stomach ache and chills. Bob had been sick the previous week, and I waffled for about an hour about going to the barn. I remembered, though, that he went into work (an hour drive) when his symptoms appeared and he barely made it home.

I drove home, and within an hour I was glad I did. I'll spare you the details but suffice to say my stomach has been empty for three days.

Day 3 of my 24 hour bug
While this has been my worst illness in recent memory, and I don't care to repeat it, I'm taking some comfort in the fact that I might, in fact, be able to fit into some breeches that have been feeling a bit snug. If I can keep it off, maybe some jeans breeches are in my future.

This is so girl, and so horsey. Not proud of it, but there it is...

Line dancing horse

This is a cute gimmick -- kudos to this family for taking their show to the next level with this amiable and clever horse! I like to see horses doing well at anything. A cynic might find it exploitive but I say, show me a horse with a talent, and I'll show you a horse that will always have a home. It's like the pig in Charlotte's Web -- he he's "some pig," this is "some horse!" Also it seems like a nice, loving family, a total win-win. Except, maybe, for the competition. 

Why my horses will never travel internationally

Well, I doubt Riley would ever need to travel worldwide, and Harv, jetsetting hipster that he is, does not fly in cargo. I suspect the company that shared this photo was trying to reassure people? The horess look happy enough, but this makes me cringe...

Hoof product: I'm 150 years too late!

This photo came up in an image search I was doing -- I thought, "Hey, I can always use another hoof boot!" Clicking away, I arrived at this Queen's Scullery blog post. The boots, it turns out, are over 150 years old and in the 1860s they were used in mowing lawns (horse-drawn lawn mowers)! Quoting SJ Alexander's wonderful blog on Victorian history and culture...

"By the 1860′s the vast expanses of turf at Flemington [Ed: a racetrack in Melbourne, Australia] would have been mown using horse drawn mowers. Horse drawn mowers were developed in the 1830′s. Previously lawns were managed using scythes (think Grim Reaper). To protect the turf from damage from the horses’ hooves the horses were fitted with leather booties. These boots are made for mowing... Mrs Beeton’s Book of Garden Management has an extensive section on the newly developed Mowing Machines. All are a hand pushed version of the mowers that horses pulled along."

 It looks breathable, comfortable, and protective (of the horse as well as the lawn). It's just that I'm on the wrong continent and over 150 years too late...

New Year's Resolutions

So I'm running behind in putting together my New Year's Resolutions. Here are the ones that are on the table so far....

1. Achieve a score of 60% at First Level,  by the end of the year.
2. Keep Harvey fat and happy and have a big 27th birthday bash.
3. Submit to my husband and be a Godly and Obedient wife.

This last one was Bob's suggestion ;-).

New Years Day: Start with some insight into riding!

I attended a clinic with a *Grand Prix rider from Florida last month -- he was an extraordinarily intense and focused clinician--always moving, whether walking at the rider's side or trailing after them. He achieved quite a bit with each rider.

One enlightening metaphor he gave us had to do with the use of seat bones to control a horse's balance. He asked us to consider a large piece of plywood standing upright. It is easy to keep a piece of balanced upright plywood perfectly straight up, using only minute adjustments with the tips of the fingers to hold it up. Once it begins to fall one way or another, however, fingers aren't strong enough to  hold up the plywood. You need to use your hand or arm to grab it and bring it back to an upright position.
This is so for for riding as well. It is easy to keep your horse balanced and upright with minute adjustments with the seatbones and through ab control. Once a horse has lost his balance and is falling in or out, you have to use more dramatic adjustments with your knees, thighs, and lower legs. And because the horse is reacting to grosser, less precise adjustments, it's more likely that s/he will overcorrect and require more adjustments.

So why no video or even the clinican's name? Well, I was going to ask to videotape it, and as we were milling around prior to the clinic, I overheard someone else ask if they could videotape their spouse. He smiled and joked, "Sure -- just don't post it to Facebook."

I have to assume Youtube was also out of the question, and left my camcorder in the car.