Race Horse: From the Lost Menagerie

From the Lost Menagerie on Etsy.com...

Etsy mini-racers (how cool!)

From ValueArtifacts on Etsy.com...

Winchester Pottery features dressage images

Winchester Pottery on Etsy.com has some lovely pottery. Christmas idea? At $50 it's reasonably priced.

I also appreciate that they feature longears on a mug, for $34...

Harvey mysteries, and the inner life of horses

I go  to the barn late this evening -- Harv is tucked into his stall, with plenty of everything. I give him his night check grain and start putting together stuff I need to clean and re-wrap his legs. I look up. Wait. Harv isn't eating his grain -- he's hanging his head out of his Dutch door, looking at me, expectantly.

Harvey not eating is a sign of the apocalypse. I walk over to him. "Are you okay?"

He nuzzles me and shakes his head.  It's almost like he wants to draw my attention to something. I try to feel under his blanket but he pulls away, then circles his stall, comes back, and nuzzles me again. He's expecting something -- but I can't figure out what. I open the stall door and step in.  He's not hot under his blanket. He's not injured. No physical distress. 

 "What is it Harvey?"

I rub his ears, scratching the old surgical scar on his face. Finally, I scratch under his chin and throatlatch. Ah, the sweet spot. His eye is softer, and he relaxes. Okay, Harv.

I scratch him for a few minutes. It still worries me that over in the stall corner is grain that does not interest him.

I take a seat on the tack trunk in front of his stall. He's now  relaxed, but still attentive to me. He leans his head toward me and touches me on the shoulder. We have a few minutes of companionship, and I tell him what a good boy he is, how smart, and how handsome and wise he is. After a bit he walks over to his feed bucket and starts eating, slowly.

I have a hard time leaving the barn. Changes in behavior, especially appetite, are a bad sign with horses -- and Harv is old, and winter is coming on, and -- plenty of reasons to worry.  But eventually I get in my car and drive home. I tell Bob about Harv's his indifference to the grain, and the comfort-seeking behavior. We ponder what was going on his Harv's head.

How often have I wished my horses could talk! But I can only guess at their inner life.  Bob and I speculate about Harv's behavior that night, and come up with three possibilities: Discomfort, loneliness,  gratitude. I thought about the look in his eyes.Maybe he was feeling old and ache-y, or maybe he was lonely. I know he was glad for my company.

And, almost certainly, he was not very hungry.

Bob update: Best laid plans

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men 
Gang aft agley. 

--Robert Burns

When I bought the tickets to St. Augustine, the plan was in part to give Bob's skin some relief from the cold climate -- the bluster of late fall and winter makes his skin dry and itchy, and sometimes even breaks the skin! Warm weather is good in so many ways -- I wanted the vacation to benefit his health. That was the plan, anyway.

I think I mentioned that Bob is having radiation treatments -- something I hadn't anticipated when we scheduled the vacation. He'd had 4-5 treatments before we left for St. Augustine. The very night we arrived, at the hotel, he discovered that he had blistered in several places from the radiation. So much for fun in the sun, on the beach!

Gorgeous as the weather was, he had to dress for protection.   We had the foresight to buy UVB protective shirts from LL Bean, and what a genius move! Here he is wearing it on a Vilano Beach walk right after we arrived.

While we had a great time in St. Augustine, the CTCL impacted our enjoyment. The blistering from treatment was not unexpected, but there were other unpleasant surprises.

As we were walking around, Bob complained that his feet hurt. When he slid off his shoes we found his feet were swollen and purple. We sat down on St. Georges street and he put his feet on my lap to elevate them. We still don't know what caused that.

He also has been having bouts of nausea, and his appetite is not what it used to be (he's lost about seven lbs. since July).

 Bob is fighting to maintain a normal lifestyle, but he has made concessions. He is not working (though he hopes to return to his job after his radiation). He has started wearing clothing he wouldn't normally wear -- he would not normally wear sweats except to the gym, and now he wears them much of the time. He doesn't do activities late in the day, when his skin is itchy.

He is fighting against the symptoms of CTCL to continue his normal activities -- he goes contra dancing, and we bike, despite the fact that he has a bad skin reaction 5-6 hours after exercise.  I worry that at some point he will have to face some limitations on what he can do, and what we can do together. It is scary.

 I'm writing in a moment of pessimism. He is being treated and the initial results are promising. I need to focus on that.

New, blue boots

They're New, and they're Blue! The new competition rules specify that you can wear black boots, or boots of other colors, but if they are not black they must match your jacket (hope I got that right). These are DeNiros. They may be a tidge too wide at the ankle -- I'm going to ride in them and if they feel too roomy, I'm assured that the company will adjust them. Happy Happy.

Mary Poppins Musical Freestyle

The horse is just darling, and the music matches his style -- as a big fan of Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins, and dressage, I'm over the moon with this freestyle. Kathy Connelly's commentary is insightful and does not distract from the performance. I would love to meet her.

Running and riding

If you read Dressage Curmudgeon as I do,  you know that she is running marathons now.  Read her last post where she compares dressage to running. She writes:

"Long story short - competitive dressage people, you are way too hard on yourselves. Any time you show any level that is difficult for you - you should be proud of yourself. Even if things go horrifically wrong. I wish we could all be as supportive of each other as strangers were of me when I ran a molasses slow marathon."

Sporteology ranked horseback riding in the top ten most difficult sports.  I agree with Dressage Curmudgeon that we are very hard on ourselves as a sport. Maybe this is part because we have partners in our sport that do not necessarily share our goals. We want to do right by them, and that is a good thing.

Slightly à propos to this post, I'll mention that with zero preparation (other than the occasional slow jog) I ran the annual Turkey Trot at the university where I work. It was on a whim. I was thinking I would end up walking part of the 2.7 mile run, which is up and down a mountain (first mile is a killer!).  As it turned out, I ran it. I think my time won't match the other years I ran it -- but it was a much easier run, I didn't feel stressed or tired. So I am happy with that.

Ken's Kitten: Another great thoroughbred story

There are so many great thoroughbred stories and this is one of them. Ken's Kitten is built like a modern warmblood--or rather, the modern warmbloods look more and more like leggy thoroughbreds!

2014 Thoroughbred Makeover: Ken's Kitten from RRP TV on Vimeo

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch: Retired Racehorse Project

Anthony Patch is such an amazing Thoroughbred -- nice that he is featured in the RRTP exhibition!

2014 Thoroughbred Makeover: Laine Ashker Dressage Demonstration on Anthony Patch from RRP TV on Vimeo.

Etsy nails it (so to speak)

Image of a dressage rider surrounded by a crown of thorns. I like it. 

From Etsy.com! 

New browband: The GMO browband

Browband for our local GMO -- this will be a giveaway at the Awards banquet...

Conflict over horses: Bob and I face off

I've been lucky. Bob and I usually agree about the horses and their care--but in the last week our thinking parted ways -- dramatically.

Harv has been wearing leg wraps on his hinds since April, due to his incontinence problem. I wash his filthy, urine-saturated wraps every day using a bucket, a hose, and a bottle of woolite.   I've stayed on top of the cleaning, and the used wraps are cleaned within a half-hour of removing them. This way they are dry by the next day and ready for use..

That was fine this spring and summer. It's too cold to do that now.

Winter wash
How can I handle the washing needs now that outdoor washing is not an option? Several issues:

1. It's too stinky and disgusting to wash at a laundromat. 
2. It's too cold to wash outside. 
3. There is too little volume to justify a separate load every day.

Bob's power of veto
What I need is to be able to wash Harv's wraps every two days in our washer. I brought this up to him casually about ten days ago. He was pretty vehement in his response -- NO! No week old urine-soaked wraps in the same washer we use for our clothes!

Usually a wistful "poor Harvster" is enough to sway Bob. Not this time. He refuses to allow the wraps in the garage, much less put them in our washer.

Okay, so I snuck them in and washed them Tuesday while Bob was asleep. Laundry at 1am. What I need now is a long term solution. Ideas?

Vilano Beach photos

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Oldenburg horses of 2014: 81 Hengst v Vitalis - Diamond Hit - Landadel

I'm likin' the Oldenburg horses these days! Here is one of my faves...

More St. Augustine photos

Bob is attacked by a bear in the Lightener Victoriana museum

The Victorians loved their cats (part of a grandfather clock)

Vilano Beach

Remy Martin: Love the white faces

I love this mare's breeding and way of going, and of course the white face. Now I just need the "five figure" resources to buy her!

 

St. Augustine Day 1

Not all photos are successful but I like some of the technical failures. 

Here is one of Bob on the Bay side of Vilano Beach. You'll know him by his cowlick.

My eyes are half-closed in a lot of these shots, but I love the color and beachiness.

Noble Outfitters Sierra Hoodie Giveaway!

Giveaway color, size medium

I've worn my gray and orange version of the Noble Outfitters Sierra Hoodie several times -- I love that it's unusually lightweight.  I wore it riding Riley during the first cold snap, and it was warm but non-constricting -- when you see the fabric you'll know what I mean. And at $19.99 it offers the cut and fit of Ariat and even Pikeur, at a reasonable price.

My giveaway item is the persimmon color, pictured right, and a size medium, which is pretty squarely a size 8 ladies.

Sign up for the giveaway!

My hoodie color

Dressage Mule -- I WANT HIM

I always watch the Hanoverian and Oldenburg auction videos and drool. But at this moment, I'd rather have this guy. Is he not the cutest? And a nice mover too...

 

First Mule to Compete at US Dressage Finals - Heart B Dyna with Laura He...

Very exciting -- a lovely test.

Glass Horse Ranch

I found this great web site Glass Horse Ranch -- if you are looking for Christmas gift ideas you will find some ideas here! This art glass and jewelry was created by Patti Genack.

Totilas' offsrping are growing up! Totilas - Don Frederico - Sandro Hit

Pretty! Anyone heard any scuttlebutt on Totilas' success as a sire? Early commentary?

Equus Couture: Gorgeous spur straps

Equus Couture was kind enough to send me these spur straps. Recall that I found Tiffany and Equus Couture at Dressage at Devon, and I fell in love with their browbands. I can't wait to try these straps!

Noble Outfitters Essential Jacket III -- Equestrian wear

I wore the jacket to work a couple of rainy days, and Saturdy I wore it to the barn. It transitioned well, I think!

Noble Outfitters Essential Jacket II: Street wear

 I won't be on a Project Runway model anytime soon, but I think this jacket looks awfully nice. The timing is perfect because I'll be travelling in the near future. The length is perfect for riding and the style would transition from riding to real life. Thanks Noble Outfitters!

Noble Outfitters Essential Jacket I: The Video

I was so giddy over a delivery a new coat -- the Noble Outfitters Essential Jacket -- I made Bob laugh. The jacket was unexpected, a gift from Noble Outfitters. I've been a fan of the company for awhile and have blogged about their fall and summer clothing.

  This may seem a little silly but I made Bob videotape me in this jacket so you can get a better sense of it. 

What can I say -- LOVE. More photos tomorrow.

When I look at jackets I'm very particular about the cut. This jacket has a flattering empire style cut and beautiful tailoring. The fabric is luxe, and you can get it in a plum color or black, as well as the khaki color I have.  I love the back vents, the length (perfect for riding!) and the vented back. Some other features...

• Fully seam sealed & waterproof 
• Design is articulated for movement 
• Packable hood stows into collar 
• Adjustable hood and cuffs 
• Internal left chest pocket with cord management 
• Adjustable waist cinch 
• Lower pockets have soft brushed lining to keep hands warm 
• Dropped back hem with vents 
• Center front snap placket with zipper 
• Reflective logo detailing 
• YKK® zippers 

BTW -- they sent me a few other items, one of which will be a giveaway!

In It To Win It -- No kidding!

I chanced on the video and wondered if it was a jumper show or an horse trial/event. At the end I knew it could only be the latter! Gutsy, scrappy, and what a good boy! In It To Win It is a New Zealand sport horse gelding, and this footage is not new -- I had not seen it.

Nothing for granted

I am a member and board member  for a small dressage GMO.  I'm also part of the horse community in the Lehigh Valley here in Pennsylvania. It's a small community, and when you ask a local equestrian if they know another equestrian, the answer is almost always yes.

Just a few weeks ago, we all lost an important member of our community  in a car accident. I knew her for years, boarding at the same barn, and later through our GMO, where she also served on the board.

I need to be careful not to overstate my connection to her. She was not my BFF, and we were connected mostly through our horse-related activities. But she was someone I would call a friend.  We used to meet for dinner occasionally, and we would touch base via phone and email. She was a tremendous help to me as I started to be involved in the board and in show management.

What would be hard to overstate is her thoughtfulness, her generosity, and her kind spirit. When something needed to be done she was always ready to lend a hand, and she was cheerful and hard-working. A lifelong girl scout with a 50 year pin, she embodied the Girl Scout Promise.

A lot of people found out about the accident from a Facebook post. I heard via email.  There was a flurry of email -- sadness, shock, disbelief, and concern for those close to her. 

I never dreamed, I never dreamed, that the last time I saw her would be the last time I saw her. 

There is nothing to say or learn from this. Nothing, maybe except  to take nothing for granted. Take no one for granted.