I will always love this image. It’s one of my all time favorites…such a favorite that I decided to spend some time painting.
Michelle

Well after 4 weeks off, my partner JUST might be ready to start work again. We waited to the day that the vet prescribed before I brought Sidney out to see how sound he was on the left front. Trotted on the straight hard ground and his foot falls sounded even! On the lounge it was a little questionable but not glaringly lame. Great!
Up we go the next day to start with some bending and suppling and see where his mind was at and he was so ready for work that I had to keep reminding him to take breaks. After 5 minutes of trot he was blowing.
Next day we worked, then he had a day off due to Thanksgiving. After one day off I take him out of his stall to work and he was shoulder lame in the left front! Arggh!! What could that be? Turned out to only be about a day and it must have been from work and then a day off while also being out of shape. Our massage therapist is coming out tomorrow to work on him and to give advice of any issues. Wish I took as good care of myself!

That’s the name of the big horse and coach expo I went to with The ”Istituto d’Arte Equestre”. The classical dressage institute from Maestro Giorgio Mereu Pez who is my riding instructor. The whole weekend was a good time. I had some paintings, to cheer up the stand, and made drawings, and finished a painting of the maestro himself.

I sold quite a few of my diary paintings, and got some commissions, but unfortunately I invested the proceeds in a very good Champion and Wilton side-saddle….

I’ve got a bit of a writer’s block, besides being very busy, with painting, cleaning, horse and saddles, (I’ve brought the Champion and Wilton side-saddle remember!!!)
Everything’s going swell, and I will be with the Q again soon. And will be stuck in America with lots of time to write

This is a drawing I did last weekend, sorry for the bad quality, I had to photograph it and it was dark, all my photos of the weekend are bad

I was excited and a bit anxious to take Blue out yesterday, without the safety net of having a coach right there with me.  It’s been my past experience that things go well with an expert at hand, but fall apart quickly when I am left to my own devices.  My daughter saddled up her pony and I prepared Blue, who was jumpier than usual.  I was worried.  My husband was present to pick up the pieces or admire our success…depending on how good or bad things went.  A few deep breaths and we were off…

Blue stood like a calm and seasoned horse for me to mount, her behavior reinforced by an endless stream of, “STAND…good girl…good….STAND…good girl!”  Neither my husband nor I could believe this was the same horse who had danced all over the place trying to avoid being mounted the week before.  She moved off nicely on a verbal command and the slightest squeeze of my legs.  My daughter and I rode all around the yard for forty-five minutes, snaking around trees and other objects.  We had a couple of spooking incidents, but Blue quickly composed herself and never bolted.  There were grain trucks whizzing by on the road, machinery and tractors running in the distance, and strange vehicles parked around our property.  Blue barely noticed.  She was 100% better behaved than the day before, hardly even bothering to challenge me.  The couple of times she did get agitated with me, I kept calm and kept her moving and she got over it.  Needless to say, I was murmuring “good girl”  and stroking her neck a lot!!!  I didn’t have to get loud with my corrections at all.  It was amazing.

My husband, who had not dared to let us off the lead rope for more than a few minutes the week before, was astounded.  He had missed my ride the previous day with the new coach, so he had not seen with his own eyes the dramatic shift in my relationship with Blue and her reaction to me as a leader.  He knew I was excited (the whole world knew that…I called all my moms and all my friends and updated my facebook status to reflect my joy), but it took seeing me and my horse happily ambling around the yard to fully understand how life changing this was.  All the heartbreak of the past year was erased in two days.  I’m not naive enough to think that we won’t have setbacks, but now I have the right person on call to come help me fix the problems.  Nothing seems insurmountable anymore.  My husband was still telling me, as we drifted off to sleep last night, “Honey, you and Blue were wonderful today…just wonderful.”

My hubby harbors a little ill will towards the trainer who had Blue for two weeks early this fall.  He thinks the man duped us by pulling an age old stunt.  He thinks the guy really didn’t do much with Blue until the last day or two…then he pushed her to the brink of exhaustion…and at that point, she was too tired to fight or assert her own will and my daughter probably could have ridden her.  I know I certainly didn’t like what she looked like when we went to pick her up.  She was thin and filthy and had bleeding wounds, either from his equipment rubbing wrong or from other horses or God knows what.  I never expressed my displeasure to the guy, because he’s also my back up farrier and his girlfriend is my super awesome natural hoof care expert.  I didn’t want to burn any bridges.  But I learned a valuable lesson – I’ll never let a horse go somewhere else for training (and I’ll never buy another green horse who needs extensive training).  Any trainer or coach has to come to me and work with both of us.

Honestly, Blue’s behavior was equally my problem.  I created the monster by freaking out and getting off her when she acted up, rather than correcting the problem and moving on.  Sometimes fixing the rider fixes the horse!  We’re still a work in progress, but I’m looking forward to doing that work.  I’m looking forward to all the years to come.  My husband said yesterday, as I dismounted and gave Blue a hug, “You guys really are gonna make it.  You’re going to grow old together.”  Yup, that’s the plan!

River Valley Horse Ranch is Open Weekends through April

Horse sense, n.:  Stable thinking.

Horseback Riding 101

1. As with bicycle riding, helmets can be worn on riding trails. Remember to bring your own, if you are more comfortable wearing one.
2. If you’re saddled up waiting for your group to hop on, please don’t keep kicking your horse to start the ride before it’s time. That’s gotta hurt!
3. Hold on:)
4. Riding horse trails is a peaceful experience, please try to be considerate and don’t raise your voice unless there is an emergency.
5. If you’re passing another rider on the trail, let them know.
6. Pay attention to the trail. Take it easy around low hanging trees and sharp corners.
7. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings by disposing of trash in the proper place. The only thing that you should leave behind are hoof prints.

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.  ~Winston Churchill

River Valley Horse Ranch is Open on the Weekends November-April 10am-Dusk.

RIVER VALLEY TRAIL RIDES • HORSEBACK RIDING 

16480 Jonathan Carver Pkwy   Carver, Minnesota   55315 Phone: 952-361-3361

by: Kimberly S. Brown, Editor
November 27 2009, Article # 15362

The Arabian Horse Foundation today announced establishment of a scholarship in honor of the late actor Patrick Swayze and his wife, who raised and showed Arabian horses.

Foundation president Larry Kinneer said the scholarship, “creates a lasting testimony to their careers in dancing, theater, and movies, love of the Arabian breed, and contributions over the years to Arabian Horse Association youth programs,” according to an article on current-movie-reviews.com

The article noted that the Swayze scholarship will be awarded each spring to a young person involved with Arabian horses who seeks a career in the performing arts. The scholarship was launched with a pledge from Iron Horse Farms of Canton, Ga.

Phoenix and handful of the foals that LCC saved back in 2004

So yesterday I was trying to catch up on blogs and I read a post from the Last Chance Corral that got me worried. For those of you new to my blog, Phoenix (the Appy) was rescued at a few days old by the Last Chance Corral. Phoenix is a nurse mare foal. For those of you who do not know what that is please read this post here (and don’t mind the fact that in the post I was still using Phoenix’s fake name of Texas). Anyway, knowing the rescue that Phoenix came from has a blog I added it to my blogroll a while back. Often they use it for PR for horses that they have rescued that are looking for good homes. Sometimes they use it to ask for help…and this time I heard their pleas loud and clear. There is a real chance they will not be able to have a foal season this year. And that makes me want to cry. That means that little buggers like Phoenix will not be given a second chance, or any chance at all.

For those of you who think I am being dramatic you have to understand that there are not a lot of rescues out there that can save nurse mare foals from the Thoroughbred industry. The main reason why most do not even try is because of the expense. Milk for the foals is anything but free. I shudder to think how many bag of milk they go through in a single week. And just one bag of milk is $100 with a discount! Other horse rescue organization are luck to get $5,000 of donations in a season, they could not dream of spending that much in milk in a single month. The other reason is how secretive the nurse mare industry is. Victoria, the woman who run Last Chance Corral, has spent many year fostering her relationships with the nurse mare breeders. These breeders have learned that they can trust her not to backlash against them and so they let her go to the farm to get the foals instead of going to the auction or being sold directly to leather makers.

Phoenix was supposed to be a pocket book. They try and breed for color because they can get more money for a spotted pony skin versus a single color. That being said he is one of the coolest horses. EVERYONE loves him. I literally cannot walk from one end of the farm where he is to the other without having someone stop us to tell me what a good horse he is. People love him for his personality and his crazy colored coat. Even I have grown to love that big spotted behind. He is just that kind of horse. The special kind that everyone at the barn not only knows, but has a cute story about. And I know he is not the only cool nurse mare foal. Of the 13 that Phoenix’s owner brought to our area all are easy to train and good horses. What are the odds of that? Not high I am sure. Not only do I not want innocent foals to be killed in the name of fashion (and horse racing) but I also want someone else out there to get a chance to have a cool horse like my Phoenix.

I don’t want innocent foals to not be given a chance. That is why I am asking that you all to at least think about maybe making a donation. The Last Chance Corral is a 501(c)3, which means that it is tax deductible. And I know that it is a tough time of year for most people money wise, but think of it like this. If all the people who are regular daily readers of this blog sent off a check to the address below for $10 that would be half the milk money right there. And if everyone who came to my blog on a weekly basis did $10 in addition…well…there would be all the milk money. I am so scared right now about LCC not having a foal season that I am asking for anyone who can to please think about helping out. I know that the Young Rider and I decided not to exchange Christmas presents this year so I used the money I would have spent on her on a donation instead. Not only did I feel good about it, but she was happy also that they money that would have gone to something frivolous went to something important instead.

So did I inspire you to donate yet? If so you can send checks to the address below or click here to go to LCC’s website and donate online. I know that not everyone out there can afford to give, or even would want to, but I hope those that can do. Foal season starts soon and I would hate to see good baby horses not be given a chance in life.

LAST CHANCE CORRAL
Victoria Goss, President
5350 US 33 South
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740) 594-4336

Not so sure you want to just give a donation? Click here to see the t-shirt and sweat shirt designs to buy. That way you are getting something in return and helping a good cause.

For many, Thanksgiving means the Three F’s: food, family, and football. To this, I add Fotography. And Fillies. And many Furlongs of graded stakes action.

Cigar Mile Day is generally the last hurrah of the season for New York racing fans. This time of year, the weather gets chilly, racing at Aqueduct moves to the inner dirt course, and the holidays approach.

I brought my friend Lisa to the track and she did a great job as my assistant. She also learned quite a bit about the light at the track and how to get the proper exposure for bright sun and the shade of the grandstand.

Before you know it, Derby Fever will be upon us. This Saturday gave racing fans a little more information about their favorite two-year-olds.

Launch N Relaunch broke his maiden with ease.

Buddy’s Saint (center) won the Remsen handily.

Although they did not take a trip to the winner’s circle, there were many other nice colts at the Big A that day, including Imaging:

Highveldt Storm:

Lentenor, full brother of Barbaro. Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby was one of my favorite races of the decade, but I never got to see the great colt in person so it was a treat to see his younger brother carrying on the legacy.

But the day was not all about the colts. Stardom Bound had an eventful return from her layoff. Peach Brew stumbled out of the gate at the start of the Gazelle- if you view the video (below), you can see that it happened in the blink of an eye, but the photo shows how much it can affect a horse’s game.

The marquee race of the day was the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap. Kodiak Kowboy won the race and a real shot at this year’s Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter.

Furlongs and Furlongs of Fun for this Fotographer. Hope you had a good weekend as well.

It was a warm 74 degrees on a perfect New Orleans Sunday. I slept late, but headed out to the track to meet some friends to catch some racing. The streets were fairly empty, especially since the Saints don’t play until tomorrow night. Until I hit Claiborne, of course. It’s Bayou Classic weekend right now, and the place is crowded with alumni and tourists. The game was yesterday, the Battle of the Bands/Greek Step Show on Friday, so I wasn’t at all surprised to see a parade getting ready to roll. I watched for a bit and then respectfully crossed the street and headed on my way. Now, going to the track on Thanksgiving is an old tradition here in New Orleans. A couple of years ago I went with friends and was shocked by the number of people there. Most days, however, the Fairgrounds seem empty, and even the folks who are there are sitting in the OTB, placing bets. Like any gambling place, it’s kinda depressing. I mean, gambling is a total set up, and one that preys on folks who can least afford to lose. Like most things in life that are incredibly problematic, gambling is also a whole lot of fun. The empty Fairgrounds meant once I locked up the Surly, I easily ran to the rails just in time to snap this picture of the horses running the first quarter of the fourth race. I had a lovely day, sitting in the sun, watching, listening, and feeling grateful I’d forgotten my money and credit cards at home. One thing, though–the Fairgrounds needs a few bike racks. There was barely room on the fence for all of us to awkwardly lean our rides.

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Well, if any of you still check this blog after so much time has gone by, you would probably assume that either great progress has been made considering I’ve been too busy to get on the Internet…or else the Horseback Writer has flaked out and gone down the tubes. Well, it’s a little of both, and it’s a tale of lost mojo, failed health and hospitalization, and the struggle to get my life back.

As you can see here, my daughter and her horse haven’t been suffering a mojo problem lately, (she won “Most Improved Horseman” at the 4-H Achievement Awards) but I’ll bet there are a lot of horse owners out there who have had this problem a time or two. So I have planned a short series of posts about “mojo” in the interest of helping us all (a rough outline here):  What It Is and Why We Need It, Why We Lose It, How to Go On Living While It’s Gone, and How To Get It Back…a process which I am now running with.

But first, a brief update on  a few of the horses, for those who might have been wondering…

Winnie is turning out to be quite a nice, calm, quiet, relaxing horse for the trail. She is pretty much ready for adoption.  Her son, Sam, who was adopted, is happy and thriving in his forever home and we see him often. He is taller than his plump little pony of a mom, and quite happy with his mustang pal Panda, once known as Shadowfire, and then for a time as Pretty Cookies.

Avalon and Corona both were adopted to presumably good, forever homes and came right back — Corona, in only a week.  You think people understand that horses are not dogs, but even dogs need time to settle in to a new situation and you can’t expect a new horse to respect and trust you right from the moment they set hoof in your paddock, especially if all you do is feed them treats. Happily, Avalon has found a new home with an experienced horsewoman and we are very optimistic about this one. Corona may just want to live nowhere but here; this was her third try at a home. She is a perfect angel here, (we use her for trail riding) but she can be headstrong and needs sturdy or electric fencing.  She is grandkid-gentle, but you have to know what you’re doing in the saddle.

Brandy, an adoptable young Quarter Horse mare, has been started under saddle and she is beautiful, a willing, fast learner.

Silly Wizard has come a long way. He is learning more advanced ground games and he is responsive and energetic both on the ground and under saddle. He is a very sensitive horse and still has issues with his ears, and fear of people other than me.

Rosa, a.k.a. Cassie, and her life partner are doing well together in their remote haven, taking things slowly but making better progress now that Patrice has constructed a functional round pen out of cedar posts.

And, sadly, the sanfoin hay study thing fell through…something to do with lack of trucking space for the hay. So that’s the update, and definitely enough for one post! Thanks for reading…

I went to photograph a dog and owner yesterday for the pitch for the forthcoming, ‘A Nation of Dog Lovers- the purebred, the allsorts, the rescued and the saved.’ (Possible subtitle). We already know Blue (below) from his early days when he had many a skirmish or two with Ollie and (as sanctioned by Ollie), Dylan. He is about Dylan’s age. I have a great photograph of him with his owner, but for now that is under wraps. He’s a Labradoodle of enormous vim, vigour, charm and exuberance (he only knocked me over twice). Funnily enough, regular blog contributor makemeadiva (who also has a great picture and story in for the pitch) has blogged a compelling piece about another animal called Blue today here.

I can understand the need to protect fora from spammers/scammers, but if they don’t like your IP you’ve had it. Tough luck France, you’ve been banned.

Most fora seem to be able to deal with this amicably – they let you register, and if you post spam you’re deleted and banned. What has just really got up my nose for the second time, is registering, getting an automated response saying you have to be “approved”, and then waiting for something to happen. Do they really think that their forum is so valuable that I’m going to hang around? What is “approval”? If it’s looking up my username to see if I’ve been spamming, I’d probably have changed it anyway. If they check my IP, yes, spammers use it – but does that make me one? Does everyone check the username they’ve picked to make sure a spammer hasn’t used it before? Or perhaps they expect someone to use the same username everywhere, and we all know that’s not a good idea.

So, rather than wait to be accepted to an unmissable forum, where all I wanted to do was post my horses’ names for posterity and info for anyone else who has a horse from the same bloodlines, I’ll do it here instead.

Welsh section D’s

Vaynor Bay Lynne – bay b 1987, sire; Parc Alexander, dam; Vaynor Rosina Princess (sire Parc Alexander)

Trehewyd Sulwin – chestnut, b 1994, sire; Rhystyd Spark, dam; Trehewyd Llinos Mai (sire Horeb Euros)

Now strangely, although these two ponies were bought at different times/places, it seems they are related.

Not only was Parc Alexander (Bay Lynne’s dad) sired by Parc Welsh Flyer, but Parc Welsh Flyer is also a great great grandad of Sulwen’s mum and great grandad of Sulwen’s dad. Even worse, Parc Alexander sired Vaynor Bay Lynne’s mum (still with me?), so that makes Vaynor Rosina Princess not only Bay Lynne’s mother, but also half-sister.

Anyway, neither of them seem to mind very much.

Sulwen & Bay Lynne

Before anyone mentions my cruelty, I should state that they are standing right outside their completely open nice warm barn.

PS Sulwen has sweet itch, so that’s the end of her line

This week has been very busy.

Wednesday I had dental surgery…extracting, bone graph, an appliance.  Everything went well and I’m very thankful to be pain free.  The infection is gone and everything should settle down and repair nicely.  I’m left with being light headed and dizzy but I’m sure that’ll pass in the next couple of days.  It’s very hard to sit and “do nothing”.  I’m practising pacing myself and getting the most out of each day!

The horses all look amazing.  The work is so much fun and is so rewarding.  Lindsey has found a new level in her riding and the horses are responding in kind!  Lance is looking more and more like a Grand Prix horse, Fred is changing shape and blossoming into an elegant PSG/Inter 1 mare and our baby stallion William has surprized us all and is turbo charged his work…hard to see where his feet hit the ground!

Alex is back in the swing of full work, Marilyn and Jen have Tara up and looking great, Odin is doing his job and Barb is on a steep learning curve with him.  Billie is benefiting from Barb’s rides on Grace and Grace is enjoying her job as schoolmistress for Barb and Melissa.  The ponies are having a blast with the little girls…there is lots of giggling and singing coming from the arena as they ride.

Ivars and Greg set up panels in the front paddocks.  The paddocks are now 1/3 the area and the horses can’t burn around.  We do this so as the footing gets icy there is less of a chance of somebody slipping as they gallop away when turned out in the morning.  They all hate it!  “Paddocks are too small and the favorite spot for watching the world go by is on the other side of the panels, stomp, stomp!!”  Fred went out and walked about then stood at her gate waiting for Katie to bring her in.

We’re putting together Flying Colours Christmas Open House, December 28 (Monday), 1 -4.  Wine and cheese, demonstrations, a fun afternoon.  Details to follow soon

V

This rider clearly should not be allowed anywhere near horses. This horse though is FANTASTIC! Look at how poorly this guy was setting the horse up. And yet the horse jumps. Gennyral’s massage therapist sent me this video in an e-mail with the title “I hope he wasn’t wearing a up”. All I can say is that I second that!