HORSE TALES

I had the opportunity to go out photographing with a master equine photographer recently (hence my silence on the site). It was a really incredible experience- I learned so much about lighting and timing and how to get the horse in the right position. He even carries a little electronic toy innard that makes a galloping and neighing sound to get the horse's attention.

I posted some of my work--when a horse is turned out like this, it's almost impossible to get a bad shot. And at dawn in the middle of a field full of mares and babies, well, you can see how nice those turned out.

It was nice to get back on horseback after a long business trip--I'm always paranoid about what I'll find when I get home. But all is well and I had a pretty good ride on B this afternoon-just worked on stretching him out and going forward. A good workout. Really tried to heed the words of Klaus Balkenhol, who I've been reading a lot about lately. He very much likes the word patience. Although I felt impatient with Baleno, I remembered to take it slow and let him loosen up. I also did a new exercise- a tear drop pattern, with a volte in the middle, to make him more bend-able. I like this quite a bit because it forces you to change the bend frequently and gives me an alternative to the three, four or five loop serpentine as a warm up exercise. 

A few of my favorite things:
The tee shirt that Jo Fanelli, a friend and poster on yourhorsesports, made for me. The tee shirt has a close up of my beloved old eventer, Volare screened on the front. I bring Volare on every trip now, thanks to Jo.

My Cavallo paddock boots and chocolate brown Pikeur breeches, both purchased at significant discounts in a small town in Germany where I spend time every year riding. About the only things cheaper in Europe than the U.S. are riding breeches and boots.

My "Browbands by Design" belt that matches Baleno's somewhat bling-y browband. Looks great with jeans and dresses up black work slacks very nicely.

1) Barbaro's blowout
2) The outpouring of well wishers during Barbaro's treatment
3) Beezie Madden's nearly flawless World Equestrian Games performance on Authentic.
4) Andreas Helgstrand's unbelievably fantastic Grand Prix Special and Freestyle Performances on Blu Hors Matine.
5) Beezie Madden's wreck on Authentic at the Rolex World Cup in Las Vegas.
6) Karen O'Connor's 14.1 hand pony Theodore the Great coming in 3rd at the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day.
7) Amy Tryon's horse pulling up lame at the same event, and having to be put down a few days later.
8) Watching Brianne Goutal, star of Animal Planet's TV series about the Medal McClay, move rapidly up the ranks of the show jumping world.

Wow! It's been a few days since I checked in on the members list, and I'm excited by all the new names on the list! I'd love to see you post some good horse stories, photos and videos. This site is all about sharing. Share the horse love!

It really has to be one of the oddest places I've ever horse showed: Sunland Park, NM, but really almost El Paso, a few miles from the old Mexico.

Across a very refreshing looking (90 degrees today) rather large pond that takes up the infield (complete with fountains-good for some horse lookies, for sure) is the Sunland Park Casino. The warm up? On the racetrack. A little tilted, but good for practicing balance. Lots of very nice horses and riders checking out the flapping tents and the general vibe of the place this afternoon. I always forget that El Paso isn't that far from Arizona, and that it's a pretty big town in its own right, and so naturally there's a very nice turnout. The barns are lovely, spacious and efficient and pleasant, and there isn't too much of a horse racing vibe to the place.

As a horse crazy little girl growing up on 93rd Street and Central Park West in New York City, I spent hours staring out the window of our 17th floor apartment building hoping for a glimpse of a horse on the bridle path in Central Park.

Those horses came from Claremont Riding Academy, a double-doored stable on 89th street, just a few blocks from my apartment. My mother and I would sometimes walk by Claremont, and the rich smell of horse manure and indoor arena dirt and horse breath would waft out of the doors and I'd practically die of longing.

I learned today that Claremont will close for good this weekend, after 115 years in business. It's a part of my past that I still think about-- all that longing, the smell of the place, watching the horses come up and down the ramps (the stables were above the indoor arena, up these long wooden ramps that had slats nailed to them so the horses wouldn't slip). Catching a view as the riders zoomed past the double doors that opened right on to the street. Sometimes we'd see a group heading out to the park, clopping along on the 89th and across Central Park West. Sometimes in the park I'd stop playing in the playground to watch the horses pass on the bridle path.

Yup, that kind of spring day. No riding today, despite an upcoming clinic this weekend with trainer Nicole Thuengen Polligkeit from Germany. Yesterday was bad enough, with 25 mph winds, but 50 mph gusts is too much for me. Instead I'm sitting in my office now watching the empty feed bags blow over the neighbor's fence.

So if you read the earlier post, you'd know I've been in search of the rare Czech Kladruby horse.

Well I found them today! About 50 km from Prague, by train, plus about 4 km of walking to the National Stud--owned by the government, which keeps the bloodlines of five Kladrubys going strong. There are hundreds of white, grey and black horses there, in a somewhat rough-around-the-edges but once grand palace and stables. The horses have prominent roman noses but otherwise resemble outsized Andulasians. That's their origin, in fact. The Kladruber were used as carriage horses--white for royalty and black for church functions, from the 17th century until today. During the war and the Soviet occupation, not much happened in Czech equestrian sports, but nowadays (that the Czech republic is part of the EU), there is a very real effort to bring up the interest in all things equine. There are hundreds of acres of fields, cross country jumps, and carriage driving obstacles, and the whole town of Kladruby bad Ladem (don't forget the last two words if you want to get to the right town...see earlier post!)

I'm thinking about horse adventures. I want to hear about yours: That's the theme of this upcoming week: Horse adventures. The parameters? totally open. What was the craziest trip you ever took in search of a horse?
What's the best horse art exhibit you've ever seen?
Hair raising trail ride?
Coolest horse thing you've seen in a foreign country?
Or???
Can't wait to read them.