Two light bulbs

December 27, 2011 Leave a comment

Learning to sit, effectively

My holiday hiatus over, I was looking forward to getting back out to the barn last night for my lesson.  However, though the mind was willing, the body wasn’t.  One of my knees was killing me and the motion of posting was painful.  So Christy reshuffled her deck, and announced that we’d do more warm up work in two point, and then work on sitting trot.

We’re using two point to build my leg strength, so I can start carrying my weight more correctly, instead of relying solely on my stirrups.  As I went around, I lightened my feet in the stirrups, taking more weight on my upper thighs. Then Christy upped the ante, asking me to take some contact and make the horse round. While in two-point.

Now, this took some doing for me. I’ve not done much in terms of influencing the horse while working in two-point.

“Think side reins,” said Christy.  I closed my fingers, and steadied my hands.  Derby started to pull into the contact, and rounded.

“Good. Now send him forward,” said Christy.  Still in two-point, I squeezed my knees.  Nothing.  Determined not to cheat, I squeezed my knees again.

“This trot’s getting worse, not better!” Christy observed.  “Send him forward!”  After another minute of pop-eyed knee-squeezing, I asked Christy exactly how one sends a horse forward when in two-point.

“You can use your legs and your core while you’re in two point,” she said. When she said that, the first light bulb clicked on. I realized that I hadn’t been using my lower leg at all – and the go button is best activated with the calves.   I tightened my core, which magically connected my body to my legs (um. duh.) and eased my knees, letting my calves drape around the horse a bit more, despite maintaining the two point position.  The horse rounded, and when I closed my calves, he went forward.

“There you go!” Christy approved.  So that was my first light bulb moment. From then on, I was able to ride the horse more forwardly, while maintaining some roundness, in a two point.  It was definitely a first.

From there, we took a walk break.  Christy had me focus on feeling the motion with my seat, paying attention to which foot was falling where.  Then she had me swing my hips, telling me to swing the horse up into a trot, and then continue following the motion with my seat.

After a few rough starts, Christy noted that I was starting to curl forward, and was tensing up in an effort to stay light on the horse’s back.  The result was a tooth-rattling ride that wasn’t any fun for the horse, either.

“Lean back, and point your seat bones towards the front of the saddle, ” she told me.  My next try was much more productive.  I was able to feel a few moments where the sitting trot felt really good and connected.  Best of all, the horse was pretty happy throughout.  Derby was staying fairly round – not popping his head up and going hollow.  I fed him some extra rein, as my hands were still bouncing around a bit, and I wanted to focus on staying with the motion.  Eventually, though, I was actually able to take and hold some contact while sitting, and Derby stretched into the contact, holding it nicely.  I was stunned. While I wasn’t really moving Derby out in any semblance of a working trot, nonetheless, this was the first time I’ve ever maintained any semblance of contact and roundness while sitting the trot.   One night, and two light bulb moments! Can’t wait to get out to the barn tonight!

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Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2011 Leave a comment

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Give.

December 12, 2011 3 Comments

The impossibly beautiful Hope & Horses calendar, featuring rescues from the Camelot auction. Order by clicking on this image.

It’s that time of year – we’re all in the holiday mood, we’re doing some extra shopping, and parties abound. At the same time, food pantries everywhere have thin inventories, and animal shelters and rescues are in dire straights. Most people’s budgets are likewise limited. Giving can be tough.This year, as I was planning a little party for my fellow barn-mates, I floated the idea of doing a gift exchange. Visions of heaps of horse-y goodies danced in my mind. Then Christy said “Why don’t we do something for a rescue? Have you seen the video of the young Thoroughbred the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society (HARPS) just rescued?”

Really, all of us have all the stuff we need, and pretty much everything we want stuffed into our tack trunks and hanging from our pegs in the tack aisle. Our horses are fat, sleek, shiny and loved. Still, I demurred. Fundraising, despite the first three letters of that word, isn’t terribly fun.

But then I saw the video. And got on board real quick.

Instead of gifts, I asked my guests to contribute what they would have spent on a doo-dad to a donation to HARPS. They responded and together we have raised $500 to off-set some of the expenses HARPS has incurred in the rescue and subsequent care of young Tiger. $500!!! Yay!  I’m going to to visit him this week and drop off the donation, and look forward to updating you on how he’s doing.

So, reallocating some funds and not buying something you don’t need is one way to free up budget for a little charitable giving. Buying some of the cool things the charities are offering is another. Here’s my favorite story of the season this year.

The Facebook Group Camelot Horse Weekly has more than 26,000 members, who weekly work together to spread word about the horses sold for meat at the Camelot auction. The auction operator is one of the very few who works with the rescue community, and the relationship is mutual and symbiotic. And almost every week, that pen is cleared, and new homes are found for the horses who, unaided, would be trucked off to a slaughterhouse. And slaughtered.

One key reason why the Camelot group has been so successful is a woman named Sarah Andrews.  She’s an equine photographer, and the author of the Rock & Racehorses blog.  She’s also a proud OTTB owner, and she’s been on my blogroll since this blog started, and in my RSS reader prior to that.  She’s awesome.

The pictures she takes of the horses in the pen at Camelot are heartrending and beautiful.  She gathered her favorites together and published a calendar, with proceeds benefitting One Horse At A Time, a rescue that takes in a lot of Camelot horses, including some of the most unwanted of the unwanted – the aged, the infirm, the really lame.

Sarah recently presented OHAAT with the first check from the sales of the calendar.  The proceeds?  $26,000 !!!!  Twenty six large! And there’s more to come, especially if you order a copy or two for yourself and some friends today.

Every little bit counts.  Please give to a local rescue today, or order one of those gorgeous calendars from Sarah.  (I did!)

Important: Congress just passed a law lifting the ban on the slaughter of horses in the US, plants are coming on line here in the States. We can expect that horses will start to be slaughtered here in the US in about a month or two. Awesome. Way to go Congress. The American public doesn’t support slaughter but foreign business interests do, and their lobbyists line your pockets. Nice work, jerks.

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A Grand Prix TB

November 28, 2011 1 Comment

He’s my favorite kind of horse – a plain bay thoroughbred gelding.  However, once he gets moving, Sea Lord is anything but plain, or average.  You see, he’s a confirmed Grand Prix horse, and has been winning (with very good scores) under Sliva Martin.

I’m constantly surprised that TBs don’t find more favor with ammy riders.   Those that have raced are the ultimate BTDT horses – vetting, trailering, bathing, shoeing are not a problem, nor are golf carts, goats, dogs, loud speakers and crowds.  They do need to be re-trained when they leave the track – OTTBs strongly associate being ridden with running, for example, and things like standing for mounting are foreign concepts.  But TBs are fast learners and are eager to please.  A few months with an adept trainer who understands OTTBs will produce a really nice horse.  My trainer, Christy Rettger, recently detailed the progress of her current young project, and he really has transformed in the short year she’s had him.

Generally speaking, thoroughbreds are real athletes, and have great work ethics and forward gears that are conducive to higher level work.  True, they are not purpose bred for dressage – you will have to do some work and ride the horse correctly to get it through and over its back.  You can’t “fake” it with a TB like you can with a warmblood that has higher natural head/neck carriage.  But they are budget-friendly, willing and beautiful partners – I love how elegant a TB looks in the ring, compared to a heavier horse.

Anyway, this seemed like a good day to plug Thoroughbreds for dressage.  Did I mention that Sea Lord is for sale?  If you have the ability and the cash, you could be gracing a GP ring near you on this refined and elegant creature.   And if you’re in the market for your next mount, consider a Thoroughbred.  At least go ride a few.  I bet you’ll be glad you did.

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Bwahahaha. The indoctrination has begun.

November 26, 2011 2 Comments

I’m out to dinner with Mr. CollectingTBs. It was pouring and we were sharing an umbrella as we walked from the parking lot to the restaurant.  He kept pushing into me, and I kept stepping away.

“Stop moving!” he said as I sidestepped once again. “I’m trying to get my head under the umbrella!

“Sorry! I was moving over when you pushed me!”  I retorted.

“Like a dressage horse, you mean?” he scoffed.

My uuber non-horsey husband is learning!

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Why? Because I can.

November 22, 2011 1 Comment

It’s a blurry cell phone pic but I love the optical illusion of my jacket and the fence.  Almost as much as I love Horsewear’s striped fleece, but we’re not discussing that at the moment.

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Derby’s early days

October 11, 2011 2 Comments

In doing my research on Derby and his identity, I discovered that he was bred by Airdrie Stud, which is owned by consummate horseman (and former Kentucky governor) Brereton C. Jones.  Derby romped on some seriously hallowed ground in his early days.  Poking around on the Airdrie web site, I found a contact form, and on a whim, sent them a note, not really expecting to hear back, because they’re in the throes of the fall sales, and, well, Airdrie is a big operation.  I don’t have rights to this picture of the farm, but this will give you an idea of  the kind of place it is.  Gorgeous, isn’t it!

Today, I opened my email and found a message titled “Photo of Derby as a foal” from a woman named Laura, who works at Airdrie.  She had trawled Airdrie’s archives, and had found some pictures of Derby as a foal, which she scanned and emailed to me.

He was a cute little dickens!

Importantly, the photos included an up-close shot if his forehead, and there, wandering toward is left eye, is a distinctive smudge of white hairs.  This evidence closes the blooks on Derby’s identification. There were a few little doubts, but  I am now 100% sure he is, in fact, Holy Vows.

Yep, that is definitely Derby! And dang, he was a cutie.

And many thanks again to Laura at Airdrie.  A long retired, unsuccessful gelding means nothing to their business, but despite that, Laura tracked down those photos and sent them to me.  I’m really grateful. Thank you, Laura!

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It’s just an abscess!

October 4, 2011 4 Comments

Generally speaking, I wouldn’t wish an abscess on any horse.  But given the alternatives to the weird lameness Derby exhibited over the weekend, I was hoping and praying for an abscess.  I’ll take gravel over stringhalt or a suspensory any day.  Happily for us, Dr. Nicky found a bruise and abscess in short order.  She was able to open it and get it draining, and Derby is already moving more comfortably.  Our immediate future involves twice-a-day soakings and handwalks.  Derby is a stellar patient, which means his prescribed treatment from the vet will be augmented with ongoing cookie therapy too.

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Hand-wringing

October 3, 2011 2 Comments

It was a beautiful weekend, and on my way to the barn on Saturday, I got a text from Christy suggesting a trail ride.  Awesome!  But as they say, “Man plans, and God laughs.”  Because Derby came up lame.   It was pretty strange – he led in from turnout OK (though I will admit that I wasn’t watching him closely.)  I stuck him in his stall to have a private moment and relieve himself before I tacked up.  However, when I opened the stall door, clipped the shank to his halter and invited Derby to come out, he refused, which was really strange.  I cajoled him a bit and he came out, at which point I backed him three steps into the cross ties nearest his stall.

That’s when things started to go South.  As I was currying Derby, he started to stumble (for lack of a better word) and shift uncomfortably.  I unclipped him and walked him around, and he off on his left hind – and it got progressively worse.  He was striding with that leg as though he had stringhalt, snapping it up toward his belly and then forward, and when standing, he would lift and flex the leg upward.  We walked through the barn into the arena, and there, on the soft footing, things got really bad.  He looked like he was going to fall down.

Without further ado, I took him back to his stall.  His strides steadied a bit in the aisle but he certainly didn’t look sound.  He had a little heat in his gaskin, but he would bear weight on the leg (I could actually pick up both hind feet without a problem.   I called the vet, who said it wasn’t an emergency (because he would bear weight on the left leg) and she instructed me to give him 2 g of bute and see how he was on Sunday.

Derby was a bit better yesterday, walking more comfortably, though he still looks awful on soft footing.  He wasn’t doing the strange lift-and-flex routine with his left leg, though that leg will occasionally hover a bit.

His temperature and respiration were normal, and he was bright and interested in his food, until I gave him some bute paste via a syringe in the mouth.  At that point he turned tail and sulked in his stall for a good half hour.

Worryingly, there is now a digital pulse in the pastern on the left hind, and the hoof felt a little warm this morning.   The vet is coming tomorrow.  I hope it proves to be something simple, like an abscess, though the symptoms have been strange.  Fingers crossed.

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Holy Vows, also known as Derby

September 29, 2011 6 Comments

Holy Vows, aka Derby, with one of his foals

Well, do I have some news for you.  We’ve deciphered Derby’s tattoo, and we now know “who” he is — Holy Vows, sired by Holy Bull, out of a mare named Final Vows, by Halo.

And, I learned something pretty astounding – Derby was bred before he was gelded, and he has at least two foals on the ground. I found this picture on the web of him, with his filly, last night.  I can’t believe this horse was ever a breeding stallion – he is the polar opposite of studdy, and can walk by a mare without batting an eye (or curling his nose.)

As far as Thoroughbred pedigrees go, this is a good one.  These are quality horses that have proven themselves in athletic endeavors.  Derby wasn’t successful as a racehorse – in fact, he was downright pitiful, running thrice finishing off the board in all starts and dead last in two of them – but he’s got nice conformation and movement – which his more illustrious parents transmitted.  He gets his sturdy build (and his cute face)  from his daddy, champion and Horse of the Year, Holy Bull, as you can  see to the right:

holybull

Derby’s dam, Final Vows, was a good producer, and among her progeny she foaled graded stakes winner Mighty Magee, Derby’s half brother.  Her sire was Halo, who died in 2000 and was one of racing’s most prepotent sires, siring super-stallion, champion and classic winner Sunday Silence, Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo, champions Devil’s Bag and Glorious Song, and a slew of other top race horses including Jolie’s Halo, Lively One and Saint Ballado.

Grandpappy Halo, evil but talented.

It’s a good thing Halo was a good sire, because he was also a miserable creature with an evil temper and a reputation for savaging his handlers.   Needless to say, Derby had his back turned when the genetics were being handed out – he didn’t inherit any of Halo’s brilliance, but he certainly didn’t get that temper, either.

Generally speaking, Thoroughbred bloodlines mean little for dressage.  But to me, each Thoroughbred is a living piece of history.  I followed Holy Bull’s triumphs avidly, and am well acquainted with Halo, his story and his progeny.  It’s fun knowing my boy  has these illustrious ties, even if it means nothing.

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