A Phone Call that Changed Everything...

It was on this date ten years ago that I received what would turn out to be a very important phone call.

Christmas was over, all the presents unwrapped and food devoured.  I was home alone while my parents were out to dinner when the landline rang.  It was my trainer.  She called to tell me about a horse that was in the barn on trial.

Earlier that year, my parents had finally decided that the time and circumstances were right for me to have my first horse. So, we embarked on a journey to find a horse that fit my dad's requirements (both temperament and height) as well as our budget.

 Horses were tried and I became so desperate to have a horse that I could be heard saying after each trial, "I liked that one.  We should get him.  Please?" I said this even after riding a horse that tried, painfully, to scrape me off on a post.  Such was my desire to have a horse to call my own.

So, it was with eager attentiveness that I listened to my trainer's description of the horse.  He was in the barn on trial for another rider who was also looking.  She had decided that she didn't like him and my trainer thought maybe we would like to see him while he was still there.  He was a bit of a diamond in the rough, she said, but he had potential.  More importantly, he was quiet, tall, and in our budget.

His trial was almost up, so if we were interested we would have to look at him quickly and decide even more quickly.  I promised that I would tell my parents about it as soon as they got back.  As soon as I hung up the phone with my trainer, I squirmed and jigged around the house in excitement.

 If my parents had possessed a cell phone at the time you can bet I would have called them straight away.  However, they did not so I had to content myself to wait anxiously, hoping and praying that this horse, would finally be the one that would be my horse.  I swear a dinner never took so long as the one my parents ate that night.

We did go to see this horse and he was everything we wanted and more, but that's a different story.  This story is about a phone call, one that I still think of every December 28th.  Sometimes, one simple little phone call can change everything.

Merry Christmas!

For everyone who celebrates and everyone who doesn't, I hope today is filled with family, friends, love and good times.

 I hope today is a wonderful escape from our hectic day-to-day lives and that we are able to remember the things that are really important to us.

I hope that if you asked for a pony for Christmas, you got a pony.  If not, I hope your pony comes along real soon.

I hope you have fun and enjoy whatever it is you're doing today.

 My Christmas Pony many years ago...

Merry Christmas!

My Horsey Christmas List

Dear Santa,

This year for Christmas, I find that my wish list (aside from World Peace and family health) is filled with practical mundane must-haves.  I could tell you about how I need new barn shoes because the soles of mine have finely parted from the rest and I'm getting sand in my shoes, or that my string gloves are more hole than glove, that I need a new keeper for the strap on my helmet, or that I'm dreaming of new breeches that accommodate my ever-expanding thighs, but that wouldn't be fun for either of us.

Instead please find enclosed what my list might look like if I weren't a poor college student with an extreme lack of money.  Or you know, feel free to steal these ideas for other equestrian's on your list!

1. This adorable custom plush pony. Allright, I guess you could argue, Santa, that I'm not a baby and maybe a little too old, but look how cute it is! I almost want my siblings to have kids just so I can buy them each one of these plushies.

From monpetitamourbaby

2. I have to give Chronicle of the Horse the credit for finding this one. I love everything about these: love the idea of taken Breyers that have seen better days and repurposing them, love the concept, and love that they come in different prices in case you can't afford a big one.

From HoundstoothDesign

3.  Credit goes again to COTH and I doubt I could convince my boyfriend to put this behind our bed, but again I would have loved one of these as a kid.  Furthermore, I wish I had thought of this idea as an adult.  Kudos to go to mjoydesign for creative thinking!

Again, by mjoydesign

4. I like this shirt. a lot.  Though I have to say, a horse doesn't have to be a show horse to be wonderful.

For $22.00 from RefineryShop

5. Yes, I still color and yes I love these.

For $20.40 from RedElmDesigns

6. For some jewelry: I love the Scandinavian Dala Horses.

For $35 from TheClayPony

Moving away from Etsy (though I do love it a lot)...

7.This is purely traditional for me, as I try to get one every year that I can (although I don't remember them being quite so expensive!).

For $59.99 From Breyer

8. Dana's Doodles has a lot of cute designs and options but this one is my favorite because it embodies how I always viewed my horse, and what a great idea for a stall sign!

For $29.99 from Dana's Doddles

9.  Sometimes, as a horse person I find I have to rein in (sorry) my enthusiasm when it comes to other aspects of my life. It can be so easy to see something that I would otherwise think was tacky and buy it simply because it has a horse on it, but that's not the case with the totally adorable and tasteful apron. 

For $36.99 from ModCloth

10. All right, so technically I already have this book, but it totally was on my wish list until someone gave it to me for my birthday, so that counts, right? I can't wait to read it!

Hardcover for $16.59 from Amazon

In closing, Santa, I hope you know that a horse is always on my list and you wouldn't even have to gift wrap him!

Love,

EquestriAnnie

Abby

In the past, I've written about two of my favorite horses, Eddie and the Hony Mare, who were instrumental in my horse career. Well now, I'd like to talk about the first equine in my life and I even have a photo to share:

This is Abby, or my Nanny Pony as I sometimes call her.  She wasn't technically mine at any point, but in my heart she was and always will be mine.  You can't see the halo in this picture, but no doubt about it, Abby was a saint.

She was the sweetest, sanest, most dependable pony there ever was.  My dad tells me that she was so safe, that when he was teaching, he would help me tack her up and then throw me up on her in the indoor arena.  He told me he would close all the doors and gates and then go teach a student in the outdoor arena, periodically checking on me to make sure I was ok.  There was never, not once, a mishap.

I would give Abby a little thump with my tiny heels every once in a while, and she would oblige me with a couple of steps of jog, before slowing to her sedate and steady walk.  I remember riding in the indoor telling Abby stories where she and I were on wild adventures together or I'd sing to her the little nonsensical songs I came up with in my precocious childhood.

Abby was my very first best friend and I could not have asked for a better one.   She listened to me for hours on end (no mean feat) and gave me a sense of independence. Those few years of having Abby as my nanny were truly awesome.  However, eventually my parents told me that Abby's owners had taken her back.

It wasn't until two years ago that my naivete vanished a little and I figure out what had really happened. Although, I suppose depending on your religious views, that's exactly what happened.  It certainly does comfort me to think that Abby, Jack and now Eddie, the horses who took such great care of me in life, are still keeping an eye on me from a better place.

I hope that every little girl who dreams of horses gets to have an Abby in her life.  While they are a bit more expensive, ponies like her truly make great babysitters!

He Rode And Lived To Tell The Tale

A while back I posted about trying to take my boyfriend for his first horseback riding experience.  Then I was bummed when that didn't happen, but now I can say that I successfully took my boyfriend riding.

Our University's riding club decided to take a fall trail ride before the weather got too cold.  Several of the girls brought their boyfriends along for the ride (pun, sadly, intended).  We had a blast!

I was like a proud mama on her kid's first day of school.  I took so many pictures and my boyfriend, bless him, did not roll his eyes in a single one.

A cute guy, a horse and a dog makes the prefect picture in my book.

We went to a large establishment with about 25 horses waiting for our group and another trail ride group.  The mounted us up according to hight with my boyfriend being the first one up.  Well that worked out for me, because it meant more time for me to be taking pictures!

My boyfriend took everything in stride (man I'm really on a roll today!) and looked right at home on his mount, Chief.  He was even voted "best heels" of the group by me and a friend!

You better believe that I was coaching my boyfriend in the car ride there.  Of course, I emphasized the importance of having your heels down, but then I started to say "now if you canter..." when my boyfriend interrupted with, "It's my first time on a horse! I'm not going to be doing any cantering!"

I felt extremely sheepish for getting so carried away.  Of course he wasn't going to canter!

Well..... due to a miscommunication in which the trail guide thought we were ALL members of a riding team, not only did he canter but he cantered repeatedly! And now I'm sure he'll never doubt me again. (yeah right.)

I was so proud of him for doing so well and so excited to finally be able to share with him even a tiny sliver of this sport, these animals, that mean so much to me.

How soon is too soon to start suggesting that now we need to get two horses? Just kidding honey if you're reading this!




not really :)

NaNoWriMo

I have decided to challenge myself and expand my horizons again, only this time in the literary world.  Also, I'm hoping it'll be fun.

For the next 30 Days, I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month.  The challenge: to write a little every day (roughly 1,600 words) to end up with a 50,000 word essay or the beginning of a novel.

So, on top of my schoolwork, lessons, work and the blog, I will now be writing fiction everyday.

If I remember correctly, the last story that I wrote involved a palamino mare who walked on her hind legs and wore a dress.  To be fair I was rather young, but this should still be interesting.

So, if I am a bit absent this month, it's because I'm furiously imagining and writing my butt off!

Wish me luck!

Puissance Class

Six riders attempted the $25,000 Puissance Class, but four rounds later just one would win.

In the qualifying round, Aaron Vale was first to be eliminated after knocking a rail at the second qualifying fence, a high vertical.

Five of six jumped the qualifying jumps and the 5'6" wall and returned for the second round.  Two of the warm-up fences were removed so riders had only to jump the triple bar and the wall set at 6'.  Ljubov Kochetova, the only lady and the only rider representing Russia in the Puissance, was the next to be eliminated.

Four came back for the second jump-off round with the wall set at 6'6".  Todd Minikus aboard Sweetheart, his winning mount in Thursday's Gambler's Choice,  had a pretty good rub but managed to leave the wall standing.

Along the way, Boeing added another $5,000 to the purse, making it a $30,000 Puissance class.

The third jump off round saw all four returning riders attempt the 6'9" wall, but Scott Brash got a less than ideal distance and took down part of the wall.

Three riders came back for the final jump-off round where the wall was set at a staggering 7'.  This was the round that would determine the final payout.

Andrew Kocher  aboard Donnatello, was the first in and the first eliminated.  Todd Minikus  and Sweetheart also had the wall down to tie it up for first place.

It all came down to Puissance pro Nick Skelton.  He did not disappoint, despite a good rub, Skelton and Unique left the wall standing to win the title.

Minikus wins the $20,000 Gambler's Choice

A nun, a cop and Santa.  It sounds like the beginning to a joke, but really it is a partial list of competitors for last night's Gambler's Choice class at the Washington International Horse Show.   Since the show falls so close to Halloween, it has become tradition to hold a costume class as part of the festivities.  And truly, there is nothing like seeing world class riders like Aaron Vale, Margie Engle and Todd Minikus dressed is goofy costumes.

As with any Gambler's Choice class, each fence was assigned a point value.  The riders are given a set amount of time to jump as many of the fences they can in whatever order they choose, however each fence may only be jumped no more than twice, as Navona Gallegos found out.  Had her third time over the 110 point Animal Planet vertical counted, she would have been third instead of six. Knock downs and refusals in the regular round do not count against the rider's score, except in time wasted.

At the end of the regular round, riders were given the option of jumping a final "joker" fence which in this case was a high vertical flanked by cupcakes made by Georgetown Cupcakes.  Aaron Vale a.k.a Tony Romo discovered that taste testing the cupcakes while mounted was frowned upon.

Other costumes included two hippies, Buzz Lightyear, and of course, a tube of toothpaste.

In the end, it was Todd Minikus or Uncle Sam's fantastic round aboard Sweetheart that took top honors. Making sharp 360 degree turns back and forth over jumps, Minikus scored 990 points and left the joker up to set the bar at a total 1190 points.

Saer Coulter, who was dressed as one of two Na'vi riders from Avatar, took home second with a score of 1160.  Nick "skeleton" Skelton had a bit of a dust-up when he jumped the joker fence prematurely but in the end, the judges allowed him to jump it again and he managed to ride away with third due to his 1110 point score.

Christmas themed riders "St. Nikolas" Dello Joio and Margie "the elf" Engle took home fourth and fifth respectively.

For the final results go here.

Part Horse, Part Pony, All Awesome

We all have them, the horses that whose personalities stick with us in some way.  Whether it's that one pony who hated cows or the gelding who liked grape soda, some horses are memorable. I like sharing the stories of some of the horses that I've met who were characters.

A good friend of mine has a hony mare. What is a hony? The result of a quarter horse x welsh pony cross.  Part horse, part pony, all awesome.

She's 15.3 on a good day, but woe betide anyone who tries to convince her of that fact. She is pure white with a big fluffy mane and the sweetest kindest, most feminine eye that I've ever seen.  Sometimes I call her "Hoover" because of her thorough grazing habits.  Unfortunately for her, 5 minutes of grazing and she puffs up like a balloon.

But none of that comes anywhere close to why I love this hony mare.

It's her attitude. She has the heart of 18 hand charger and the brains of a mastermind. She loves to jump and cruises around any course with ears forward exuding confidence.  I have never had this mare take a wrong step with me.  One time during a show, half of the ring -including the first fence- was partly underwater.  The Hony Mare did not even pause. She charged right through the water as if it were a puddle, didn't even give the jump a second look, despite not being able to see the base, and sailed right over.

In short (no pun intended) she gets it done.  Instead of "I think I can, I think I can," the little hony engine that could seems to say "I got this, I got this."  She is spunky, occasionally stubborn, spoiled to high heaven, and utterly dependable.

When I ride the Hony Mare, her confidence washes over me and makes me feel nigh on invincible. She is a good partner for every one that rides her and I feel very grateful that her generous owner has let me be one of those people.

Wanted!

Here’s my situation: I have a number of friends who want to ride a horse for the first time.  Naturally, as the only horse person that most of them know, they look to me to facilitate their horsey aspirations.

I would love to do this.  I want to share the joy of horses and riding with everyone I know, so that they too, will love my sport as I do.  My significant other periodically reminds me that I have yet to get him on a horse.  Probably some of you out there are now yelling at your computers, “You mean she has a boyfriend who wants to ride and she hasn’t done that yet!?!?!”  I know, epic fail on my part.

The problem is this, I have no horse for them to ride/interact with.  Chances are somewhat slim that I can find someone who is willing to let me use their horse for ponying around friends and even slimmer that I can find one that I deem suitable.

That’s not me being snobby, just practical. So many people I meet, upon hearing that I am a horseperson tell me their horror stories.

“I rode my aunt’s horse one time and it bucked me into a fence.”

“I tried to pet my neighbors horse when I was five and it bit me.  I cried like a little girl.”

“I got kicked by this really mean pony.”

These stories all end the same way.

“I don’t like horses.”

People seem to have one bad experience with one horse and then suddenly, all horses are jerks.

So, I feel a lot of responsibility to make my friends’ first horsey experiences good ones so that they at least don’t hate all equines.

To me, this means a controlled encounter with the right type of horse, a sort of horse ambassador for the fictional nation of Equus. If my horse were still alive, this would not be a problem. I am convinced that his sole goal in life was to be loved and adored by humans.  The second that anyone would groom him or pat him or simply pay attention to him, you could practically feel the gratitude and happiness radiating off of him.

Jack ferried my friends, my mom’s friends, former students who hadn’t ridden in years and people who had never met a horse before.  Jack remained calm and affectionate and he won a lot of hearts over during his years as an ambassador.  Most notably, a little boy who was deathly afraid of horses came to watch his mother ride and after interacting with Jack he decided that maybe they weren’t that scary after all. Less than a year later and this same boy was taking regular riding lessons.

Jack’s sweetness and dependability were what made him such a great beginner horse and that ability to instill at least a like, if not love, of horses in neophytes is yet another reason that I miss him so terribly.

Unfortunately, my favorite horse ambassador is gone.  Fortunately, I think I’ve found a way to get my friends riding.  It’s not as great as having Jack, but hopefully it’ll do…..

In the Cross-ties

And now for something completely different....

I realized that there aren't nearly enough photos on this site.  That is mostly due to the fact that I am not a very good photographer.  Most of my pictures come out a little blurry.  Nevertheless, as I continue to work on my photography skills, I'm going to try and include more photos in my blog posts.

I present to you my debut portrait series: In the Cross-ties.

This is Miss Izz, a former school horse that the team was allowed to ride.

Happy Face 

Angry Face grrrrrrrrrrr!

"Does this look like the face of a horse who tried to bite you? I don't think so!"

Yeah she definitely tried to bite me (or anyone grooming her) on more than one occasion, but she is at heart a lovely girl and I always enjoyed riding her.  The team has since moved to a new barn and left Miss Izz behind, and I know that I was not the only team member who was very disappointed by this.

Next up:

  Sir Buck,

the Noble

...and Cranky

If I had to describe him using only one word it would have to be, personality.  This horse has so much personality and it manifests in so many unexpected ways that I frequently find myself laughing while on course.  Again, thank heaven for all school horses and all horses in general who let us ride them and make us laugh!

Loss

A while back, I posted a photo of my favorite school horse, Eddie. This morning I found out that after 27 years he is on his way out of this world.  Since I have already written the best tribute to him that I could, I won't get sermon-y but I will say that he was a wonderful horse and it hurts me that I am not home to be with him, sit by him, and worry over him as I did when he colicked.

Eddie was a wonderful horse and though he has lived a long and I hope, happy life, it is still a hard loss to bear. As a longtime horse person and the daughter of a horse person, I am aware of the mortality of horses.  Eventually, they will all leave us, some shorter than others, and some not in a way that we would choose.  Still, at least in my years of experience, it doesn't get any easier.

Inspiration

The other day I was looking through one of my favorite books, Careers with Horses, doing some research for a project.  Now, as a journalist I have to try and remain objective at all times, but I have to say that personally, this book probably changed my life.  As cheesy as that sounds, it's true.

There are so many professions listed in the book, but there's really only one that stands out in my mind.  When I read the profile on Moira C. Harris, that was it for me.  I hadn't even considered that writing about horses could be a career for anyone, let alone for me, but here was this woman, the editor of a magazine that I read religiously every month, saying that it was possible to have a successful career combining writing and horses.

I always loved reading the editor's note in Horse Illustrated.  Harris was pretty, her horse was gorgeous, she was funny, and she was the boss. All of a sudden I had an image of myself, pictured on my very own editor's note, myself as the boss, and I liked that image.  From then on, Harris became the focal point, the tangible goal for my education and potential career. Moira C. Harris became this representation of everything I wanted to be, everything I aspired to.

Earlier this year, when I had my first published grown-up article, I posted a triumphant status on facebook: "Look out Moira C. Harris, I'm coming for you!"  When I later found out that she had passed away after a battle with breast cancer I felt horrible. I worried that somehow my ambitious comment had been misinterpreted by the universe and it was my fault the horse world lost this amazing voice.

While I was paging through Careers with Horses again, I inevitably went back to the interview with Harris.  It made me so sad to read about how happy and busy she was just a few years ago and now to realize that she's gone. That's the amazing thing about the written word though, it is immortal. Long after we are gone, our words remain.  Even though she is gone, Moira C. Harris will continue inspire me, and I have no doubt- others like me, and push me to pursue the career I want.

$40,000 Nutrena Grand Prix

Finally, an eon later, I bring you the $40,000 Nutrena Grand Prix from Midwest Horse Fair:

In the past couple of years I've noticed a lot more events for the hunter/jumper people.  Before, a lot of the people I knew didn't attend because they thought there wasn't anything there for them.  Two years ago, Stacia Madden did an equitation clinic and last year, Nick Karazissis has put on a great clinic for the past two years and last year MHF introduced the Nutrena Grand Prix. Suddenly, everyone from every barn I've ever ridden at is going to the Fair and more specifically, to the Grand Prix.

Last year, the place was absolutely packed. This year it was still pretty full, but there were a couple of open sections.  I don't know if this is due to the ticket price ($18 for the cheap seats and $35 for the lower level seats) or the weather.  As you might recall from my earlier post, the weather was very crappy.

Still, the course was challenging, the competitors were good, and the hot pretzels were delicious. (I have a bit of a food obsession, don I?)  

Both last year and this year's fence had a bogey fence. Last year, it was a liverpool with wavy planks wherein the pool was pushed completely under the jump with no groundline.  This year's bogey fence didn't claim as many good rounds as the liverpool, but the first jump of the course still saw its fair share of knock-downs. From my height I couldn't determine why the riders had the first fence (pictured above ) down, maybe the horse sighted in on the fence next to it, maybe the cups were just shallow.

The crowd noise played a factor for some, but there were a lot of really good rounds at the grand prix. I was excited to see so many young riders there (even if it does make me feel old) doing well.  The horses were great, one of the horses is a half-brother to my horse so it was cool for me to see him in person albeit from high above.  To sum up, it was a great time and I can't wait for next year!

Sorry for the extremely brief (read a little lame) post about the prix that happened over a month ago.  Finals got in the way and I really want to move on to some newer (read exciting) announcements.  Stay tuned!

The Fair

As a little girl my father used to take me to the Midwest Horse Fair and it continues to be one of my favorite events out of the year.

If you've never been or never heard of it, the MWHF is this hive of equestrian activities that descends on Madison every year.   Chances are, if you've heard of it, it is in some way represented at the horse fair. From saddlebreds, to minis, to jumpers, to reiners and ropers, and everything in between.  There are tack sales, purse sales, horse sales, and my favorite: funnel cake sales. There are clinics galore to participate in or audit and people EVERYWHERE! There is never a dull moment, there's always something you can watch or do.

With so many people and horses it could easily become a chaotic mess, and yes it can be a little overwhelming for first-timers, but bless the MWHF organizers, the entire thing runs fairly smoothly.  Sure, there's a hiccup here and there; a friend's mare was stabled across the isle from a stallion and when she promptly went into heat he promptly went insane and pandemonium ensued (neither owner was able to secure another stall) and seeing so many people riding on asphalt without helmets in large crowds makes me nervous.

 On the other hand, I was quite impressed with the people involved in MWHF when I heard that my trainer's gelding had colicked in the middle of the night and the fair personnel noticed, called my trainer and prevented him from rolling. So perhaps it all evens out.

This year, I decided to bring my boyfriend with me so he could get a wider variety of horse experiences than just hearing me talk about lessons and coming to the occasional show.  We got there a little late so we missed the show I thought he would most enjoy: the Priefert Percherons.  They are a six-horse hitch doing incredible docking maneuvers and going high-speed around the arena. While I was bummed to have missed their performance, my boyfriend got a kick out of meeting Shaq, a gorgeous 19.3 hand Percheron.  He was especially impressed with how big Shaq's feet were.

This is essentially what I love about the horse fair.  I love that neophytes like my boyfriend can come and experience a completely different world and hopefully, develop a love for these amazing creatures.  I love that I can go an see a slice of the horse world completely different than my own.  And most especially, (but least seriously) I love that I can eat fried cookie dough while I'm expanding my horizons.

Midwest Horse Fair

Every year I look forward to the Midwest Horse Fair.  It's one of the biggest attractions for horse people in these neck of the woods. Located in Madison, WI it draws people from the surrounding states as well as from far away.  One group of exhibitors comes all the way from Texas!  Considering that it snowed, sleeted, and was generally miserable, I think that's all the more impressive.

As I mentioned, MHF is one of the highlights of every spring.  I had a glorious weekend of fantastic original coverage planned.  I was going to take pictures, write reviews, analyze clinics, etc. Oh yes, it was going to be great.

And then life intervened.  That's the best explanation I have for the weekend.  Sometimes you have a great idea and you execute it without a problem.... and then sometimes you can't get off of work.  Sometimes it's snowing in the middle of April. Sometimes your camera battery, which you could have sworn was fully charged, it actually dead but you don't realize it until you're at the fair. Sometimes, things just don't go as planned.

So all of my lovely coverage of the fair did not happen. I did get to watch a couple of demonstrations including, drumroll please....Steffen Peters! Also, I attended my favorite recent addition to MHF, the $40,000 Nutrena Grand Prix. I will try to post a little more general information on the Fair as well as a recap of the Prix in the next couple of posts

Livin' On A Prayer

I realize that I am probably not alone in this, but these days I feel that I have more things that I have to do than there are hours in the day. I'm beginning to feel stretched a little too thin. I have so many things that I feel I have to do or need to do, that there isn't time for the things I want to do.

One night last week, I was contemplating whether or not I should try and ride that evening.  I had forgotten my riding gear at home and then worked late.  I arrived home to a kitchen in desperate need of cleaning, I was hungry and I had homework and research looming over my head, figure in a drive during rush hour and horse that needs to be lunged before riding and the time really starts to add up.

What happened to the little girl who never wanted to leave the barn, she who would have loved to sleep in her horse's stall if given the opportunity? How could she now, 20-something years later, be too busy to ride? I couldn't remember if I had always had this much on my plate and blown it all off for horses, or if life had been simpler when I was younger.  In other words, what had changed: my life or my priorities?

As I sat at my kitchen table debating whether or not I should (or rather could afford) to take the time to go riding, I grew more and more agitated.  I was tired of analyzing different article structures and researching the arcane origins of this equine discipline or the top studs of that breed so that I can be an equine encyclopedia and be more employable, answering e-mail, cleaning my house and the other ten dozen things that I "should" do.  Finally, in defiance I decided that for that night I was going to do what I  wanted to do and the rest be darned until the next day.

As soon as I started backing out of my driveway Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" came on the radio. To me, it was a sign. I don't know quite why, but that song just fit perfectly with my mood. So I turned the radio up and headed off into the sunset to go ride.

I stand behind that decision because I think that I can hardly write about riding without being a rider. Riding is what inspires me to write. Riding is also the my way of relieving stress and winding down, this lets me have the energy to do research and homework and go to my job.  More than that, horses are who I am.  My identity as a rider, my connection with horses, has always been the thing in my life that make sense.  Sometimes, it has been the only thing in my life that makes sense.  That's too important to ignore. So here's to riding and here's to livin' on a prayer.

The Mystery of History

A friend recently turned me on to a blog that tells the compelling saga of Argus, a horse who spent 16 years confined in a tiny pen before being rescued. I was captivated as his foster mom gradually discovered more information on Argus’ horrifying past.  This got me thinking about the paths that our horses travel before they come to us, often with a history that we can only speculate about.

When I bought my horse this is what I was told: he had lived on pasture board at the previous owner’s place, where she had taken him out of the pasture a couple of times a month to do light dressage with him.  It was not known if he had ever jumped before. This was the background my trainer was able to provide me with.

Seeing him for the first time brought new questions, a few that I was only ever able to guess the answers to.  When I bought Jack Daniels, he was wearing a nylon halter that was unraveling and held together with duct tape.  He had a dirty tangled mane that was about two and half feet long.  He had a potbelly but no muscle.  He had a shiny patch of black skin on his withers.  His knees and front feet were two different sizes.

The mane and the wormy belly and the muscle could all be explained by living on rough board and not getting worked.  We guessed that at some point he sustained an injury to his left knee serious enough that he was either put on stall rest or couldn’t put his full wait on it.  This explained the big puffy knee, but also the feet.  His left foot was normal, but his right front had spread out, becoming wider and flatter as it absorbed the weight usually borne by injured leg.

Like Argus, the first thing Jack Daniels got was a haircut.  I spent over two hours pulling his mane.  To me, this was something I could do right away to show that Jack was now a beloved showhorse. Jack didn’t mind undergoing a two hour beauty session for two reasons: first, he had a really bad coat so the hair practically fell out and second, because he just loved being around people that much that it didn’t matter what was being done to him.  In the end it was not his scar or his feet that puzzled me the most but his personality.

I’ve thought so many times about how Jack loved people. I think about how I often had a hard time giving him an IM shot because he kept trying to nuzzle me and how when we drove him through a jump shoot on that first day he headed straight for us each time so he could stop and say “hi”.  Then I think about how this people-centric horse came from a life in a pasture with little human contact.  I wonder if that experience influenced his personality.  I think of how lonely he must have been and that’s usually when I have to stop thinking or else I’ll start to tear up.

I had the advantage that many owners don’t; I had my horse’s papers.  I was able to see who bred him, what states he had lived in and for how long.  This provided enough background for me to track down his parents who were still at the farm where he was bred.  I never contacted the breeders because I was terribly shy and didn’t know what to say.  After Jack died, I decided to contact them to see if there were any full siblings to my sweet horse that were running around.  It was too late. The website had been taken down and I found an article stating that all the horses had been seized and the owners were facing animal cruelty charges.  Instead of answering my questions, this news raised even more of them. Was he neglected as a foal? Is that how he got his scars and his temperament?

When you buy a horse later in its life you often have to wonder what their history is.  Sometimes there are clues like scars or personality, but often we have no idea of the journey our horses have gone through, or how it has shaped them. We can only see the horse in front of us and wonder about the past. Sometimes, like in Argus’ case, it’s more worthwhile to just enjoy the time we share with our horses.

A Favorite Photo

This is Eddie.  I was looking through some photos on my computer when I found this photo of Eddie from last year.  I love this photo so much because it’s just a perfect photo of a horse that means the world to me.  Allow me to tell you a little bit about Eddie and why I love him, and then we’ll get back to the photo.

Eddie was the school horse at the barn where I rode during most of my formative years, but our history started before either one of us found ourselves at that farm. Eddie and I first met when I was around seven years old.  My dad was a freelance instructor at that time, and one of his clients owned Eddie, I believe my dad even helped her find Eddie.  In one of his other past lives Eddie was a Children’s Jumper for a young boy.  Not many people who know Eddie now are aware of that fact.

Eddie shared the client’s stable with one other horse: a “husband-safe” horse whom I was allowed to ride.  I remember very clearly one trail ride my dad and I took. My tall, lanky father on the short-statured Eddie, and little seven-year-old me on the 16.3 husband horse, we explored the local hillsides. My father rode Eddie because he was considered to be too spirited for me to handle.  Ironically, it was the husband-horse who later bucked me off for the first time in my life.

The client eventually moved and my dad helped find a new home for Eddie with one of his former students who had just opened her own barn. During the next couple of years, my dad’s involvement in the horse world was very limited, and I had little opportunity to ride. Then, as a birthday present, my parents got me riding lessons with the trainer who had been his student.  When I showed up for my first lesson, anxious and unsure, I was surprised to learn that I would be riding Eddie who was now a school horse.  Even though I had never ridden Eddie before, it was so comforting to be around a familiar horse in a place that was filled with strange horses and intimidating people. 

In that first lesson on Eddie I jumped, even though I didn’t realize it, for the very first time.  Eddie consistently packed me around at every lesson.  I consider Eddie to have given me the gift of jumping.  He was such a great partner, and I never doubted that he would take care of me.  Towards the end of our partnership we started doing some equitation courses, which is when Eddie seemed to come alive.

When being groomed, Eddie would pin his ears in irritation and assume a sour expression.  He is not a cuddly or overtly affectionate horse.  When he was being hacked, his ears were still pinned backward and with a swish of his tail Eddie will let you know how thrilled he was at any given moment.  Now in his twenties, Eddie is a little bit “Walter-Mathau cranky” and a little bit “Danny-Glover-as Riggs too old for this sh*t!” Eddie is the quintessential  grumpy old man.  The funny thing is that it’s all a sham.

While he pretended to hate the kids he ferried around, he really loved them.  He pins his ears when being brushed but secretly he loves the attention.  I discovered this by relentlessly smothering him with affection and adoration and ignoring his outward protests.  A couple of times, always when least expected, Eddie has rewarded me for my devotion.  Once, while grooming him, as I was switching sides, he lowered his head and gently placed it against my chest. For a brief moment, the grumpy façade fell away, and he let me ruffle his forelock, then he reverted to his normal attitude.

Eddie loved doing jumper turns.  Maybe it reminded him of being a young, fresh, impressive jumper, but Eddies eyes would take on a new gleam; he would snort; the tail would swish more and he’d start dragging you to the jumps.  Another thing that not many people know about Eddie is that he could turn on a dime.  There’s another favorite picture I have of Eddie and me in mid-turn. His coat is shiny, his braids immaculate, his eyes alert, and his every muscle is being used.  He doesn’t look like an old school horse, rather he looks like he’s in the ring at Harrisburg.

But let’s get back to the first photo of Eddie. Look at the Rip Van Wynkle whiskers on his muzzle. Eddie is now twenty-seven and officially retired.  His shoes have been pulled, his whiskers never again to be clipped the morning of a show. I love the lighting in this photo.  He’s looking intently into the sunset, which seems so appropriate somehow, like he’s viewing the sun setting on his long career. Look at the alert eyes and pricked ears. He’s simply beautiful.

To me, all school horses are beautiful and precious.  They teach us to be better riders and repeatedly give us so much of themselves.  Many riders, like me, have Eddie and school horses like him to thank for our continued passion for horses and riding.

Introduction

From the time I was really little, I always knew that I wanted to live my life surrounded by horses.  I first sat on a horse before I could walk, and as a youngster I used to run around on all fours pretending I was a horse. I was the very definition of horse crazy. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for my bank account, my love of horses did not cool with age, as it does for many little girls.  I blame my parents.  My mother loves all animals - cranky ones, ugly ones, abandoned ones that jump through glass windows and chew couches - and my father has ridden horses ever since he was bitten by the horse bug at fifteen.  He devoured books about horses and was largely self-taught, eventually becoming a professional.  So, as you can see I was doomed before I was even born.

I am now a college student working my way toward a career in journalism. Specifically, I want to combine two of my passions and write for an equestrian publication. As a trainer’s brat, I grew up with horses and have about 20 years worth of stories to tell. I ride on my University’s intercollegiate riding team, and up until recently served as the organization’s president.  I have also competed for 10 years at unrated and rated horse shows.  Occasionally, I am asked to judge small, local, unrated shows, which is something that I really enjoy doing. It always makes me glad to see new people discovering the sport that has brought so much to my life. I compete in and judge the Hunters and Jumpers, but I’d like to try each discipline as part of my unending fascination with the horse world.

If you couldn’t tell by now, I am a huge horse nerd. I am simply fascinated by horses and the horse industry. I have an entire bookcase dedicated to horse books and magazines and they are rapidly taking over another bookcase in my house. I can think of no better thing than spending everyday learning and then sharing what I’ve learned.  Did I mention I want to be an equine journalist? So, allow me to share with you the cool things I discover. Since I am journalistically inclined, this blog will feature a fair share of article-type postings, but with some polls, stories, and random musings thrown in to mix things up.  I hope you enjoy reading as much as I know I will enjoy posting.

Welcome to EquestriAnnie and thanks for reading!

-EquestriAnnie