Eventing insanity

If the riders are insane for sure some of the spectators are too. Heavy thunderstorms? Let's take the kids!

Head of the Lake!

As a long time fan of the Loch Ness Monster this may be my favorite head of the lake configuration ever.

By the way I just finished a novel called The Monsters of Templeton that has a Loch Ness creature-- beautifully written, it is a magical book.

Trends in fashion -- over-the-knee boots

Another trend I don't get -- over the knee boots. I see them all over our campus, and they look soooo uncomfortable and kind of -- well, purposeless.

Bleary-eyed and heading to Rolex at 5 a.m.

Thunder down under

Under the skies of Rolex, that is -- it always seems to rain Sunday afternoon which is yucky for folks flying out of town.  They're calling for rain Saturday and Sunday this year. I know the drill!

Now, Friday should be awesome, mid- and high-seventies, partly sunny. Can't. Wait.

How's horse selling and buying? The God's honest truth

Someone asked me for a horse buying/selling update. Not much to report at present. An observation, though -- either activity alone can justifiably described as "not for sissies." I'm sure all sellers have stories.

I had a potential buyer email me with a question about Riley's specific shade of chestnut -- pale chestnut was okay, but not bright or liver. The email made me chuckle at what I thought was a "crazy lady" line of questioning -- but when we spoke, the buyer was a lovely person, intelligent and sane and funny. She knows what she wants, and she's going for it.

Selling and buying in tandem is just a double-whammy. Looked at the horse market lately? Suitable horses in a decent price range (e.g., less than the list price of a new car) are rare. Ri will be tough to replace, for sure.  I have not appreciated him, and it's humbling.

 And after all, I've been to the top of the mountain already -- with wonderful dressage partner like Harv,  purchased at a bargain basement price?

As Prince would have said...

Nothing compares 2 U

Curly Friesian -- so many interesting horses in Canada!!!

See ad at http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3660340.html

Google meets horse

From http://imgur.com/gallery/xNk16, this is a great sequence captured by Google Street. They poster claims the horse spooked at the camera, but who knows?

Name that horse?

I love the horse, I really do, but the name that fits IMHO is "Petrie Dish." Would kill for this color in a dressage prospect...

RIP Prince

 Sometimes it snows in April

Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad

Sometimes I wish life was never ending,

and all good things, they say, never last

(Sometimes it Snows in April 1986)

From Etsy 

Perhaps you've heard: Pony stamp coming soon!

 I believe the release date is June 2. Assateagu Island ponies, very pretty!

2 year old CWB gelding " Express" sired by: Earl

CWB  = Canadian Warmblood. This one is two years old -- a little young for me but he has clean x-rays and priced below 15K. Only downside is a trip to Canada, but hey, they are where they are.



Seller:
Name: Heather Smith or Debra Symes
Farm: Thelma & Louise Sport Horses
City: Taber & Pincher Creek
Province: Alberta
Country: Canada
Phone: 1-403-330-3602
Work Phone: 1-403-627-8289

Stilton -- oh so cool color

He's for sale! 17H, three years old, warmblood cross. Contact Hillcrestfarm123@gmail.com

Hank Hutson! May 21 and 22

Long lining and dressage clinic with Hank Hutson

May 21st and 22nd!

For education, inspiration, and new insights (with a liberal sprinkling of humor) audit or ride in this clinic with Hank Hutson. A  true horseman, Hank is an expert in dressage and long-lining and  a background in eventing (Rolex competitor!). Contact Graystone Equestrian Center at 215-538-9811.

Horse Shopping Mysteries

Horse shopping, and horse buying, are not easy.

The shopping mystery du jour is an ad I found, won't say where -- and I'm not trying to make critical commentary -- but what could this mean?

"This horse is suitable for riding primarily in an outdoor environment, or for someone looking for a trail horse. He can be ridden indoors, but adjustments would be needed."

I'm assuming that the things needing adjustment don't include things like the girth, the stirrups -- has to be something with the indoor itself -- cover the mirrors? Lighting?

I get quirky, I've lived quirky, Harv was a delightfully quirky.

This could be a really interesting horse!  

Hair bun holders

New on the European dressage shop sites -- for a range of tastes, I'd say.

Dislike. 15 £

Not a fan of this look, but then saw a note that scrunchy was not included. Lose the scrunchy. 9 £.

LOVE. 6£.

Silly question #147

My spouse sometimes needs help with computing tasks, and on occasion I help him establish accounts with online services. So he calls me because he needs to reset a password, and, he doesn't know the answer to the *security question:

Best horse ever

The answer:

*For security reasons, this question/answer pair has been changed.

New saddle pad shape

Featured in some of the European tack shops. From the placement of the keeper it looks like the "cutoff" is toward the rear -- I would have put it toward the front. Note the patent leather...

Railbirds: Dealing with helpful commentary from the rail

A recent post on the Chronicle forums addressed the issue of dealing with railbirds, or "helpful commentary" from the folks on the sidelines...

"A trainer once said to my friend (an advanced level eventer), 'You just tell them, these stirrups are adjustable.'"

Zenyatta’s 2016 Foal Passes Away

» Zenyatta’s 2016 Foal Passes Away: Champion racemare Zenyatta's 2016 foal, a colt by War Front, passed away Wednesday morning due to complications of meconium aspiration syndrome, Team Zenyatta and Lane’s End Farm announced in a statement today.

AP Prime - $750 TB at Rolex 2016

Why pay more?

And what a nice dressage test!!!

whacky busy

Hi All,

Things are whacky-busy, and the blog has not been updated as well or as regularly as I'd like. Lots of activity in the workplace lately! Anyway, here is the annual Rolex OTTB list from the Retired Racehorse Project.

Gray 'n White pinto with potential

He looks green for his age but what a cutie. He's on a fairly short rein here -- wonder what he'd do on a looser rein, wonder what he looks like without a saddle (conformation shot). Cute mover, cute color, nicely forward. No price though...

 

Socks for the workin' girl

Shelbyville, KY Ramada Inn wall mural

Visited mom this week. Had a lovely stay at this Shelbyville, KY Ramada Inn -- quiet, very friendly staff, GREAT coffee, and last but not least, this hand-painted wall mural (photo below) in the dining area. I loved the horse-theme  of course, and it's a great perspective with the horses in the backdrop. The artist actually "hid" things in the trees, a dollar bill, other items. -- fun for kids to find them I'd think, a great idea. It looks 3D in person, remarkable.  Fifty bucks a night via Priceline.

Dylan: OMG OMG!!!!

Good news, bad news. She's sold and has a forever home. From draftcross.com.

Horze Crescendo Leah Women's Silicone Grip Riding Tights

I have not seen this breeches in person, and this is not a review, paid or unpaid. But the Horze Spring clothing line features this lovely pull-on breech (I don't typically wear zipup breeches).  The Crescendo Leah breech is so sleek and that little bit of bling, that seems to highlight my favorite breech feature, the "gun holster" pocket.  Love.  It comes in navy, black, and beige. 

Feature-wise it has mesh details for added breathability, and polyamide fabric is UV protected, UPF 50+. The heraldic-looking sillicon backside provides grip. At $109 it is at a good price-point. Length is 70cm or about 27.5 inches.  Hoping to see this breech at Rolex!

Horse sale boards, FWIW

This is a quick note on horse sale web sites. I posted in 3-4, and the ones that have resulted in the most traffic by far are Equine.com and Dreamhorse.com, with Dreamhorse.com edging out equine.com a bit. Inquiries really picked up in March.

El Chivo Viejoei -- Six-year-old 17H Thoroughbred just off the track

This guy is a pretty nice mover. $2200 in Youngstown, Ohio. Tempting! See seller description below.



Chivo is a very tall horse that oozes potential. He's really tired of the race track life, and is ready to begin a new career. 2nd gen DANZIG 4th gen SEATTLE SLEW. He's a little body sore and needs some groceries, but with a little bit of tlc and time this horse will really blossom. He's got COLD TIGHT legs. He does sport some white hairs from superficial wounds on his front legs and is missing some hair on his legs from being done up (pictures avail). These are simply blemishes and are not related to any injuries. I think this guy has a very bright future ahead of him! Message 

Megan Fadlovich on Facebook.

Orange is always a good idea

Orange is always a good idea!

Snakeskin: Fashion trend seeps into equestrian fashion