MORE: FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES

The response to the re-published “For The Love Of Horses” has been amazing, but the problem isn’t going to go away by itself. What are we going to do about the unwanted horses? I’ve been reading comments on Facebook, visiting various sites, and looking for answers. Here are several links and comments worth reading.
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FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES pt. 1

The following is a story that I researched and wrote for Sidelines’ February 2011 issue. It was a very challenging story to write, because of the subject matter: unwanted horses in the United States. I love horses, but my work doesn’t have me laughing all the way to the bank. Neigh, I live on a tight budget and if I splurge on anything, it’s on having one pony and one dog. That’s it. They eat before I do.
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Happy 89th, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair!!!

The Royal – Nov. 4-13th in Ontario – is more than just a horse show, says our friend and colleague, Michelle C. Dunn, who for the past three or four years has handled both the Royal’s photography and PR. It is a celebration of the Royal’s motto – “bringing the country to the city” – and the livestock side of the show serves to remind kids of all ages that ‘real life’ means growing food to fill all those pretty packages that line supermarket shelves. The opening night of the Royal offers spectators a double header of equestrian excitement. The uber-popular horse hockey returns with NHL legends Darcy Tucker and Mark Napier ‘facing off’ on horseback with Curtis Joseph and Darryl Sittler. We have been hoping for years to run away to the Royal to assist Michelle – maybe next year! This sounds almost as much fun to watch as indoor eventing – Rolex Kentucky 2006 being where we met Michelle for the first time, as numero uno photographer for Marty Bauman’s Classic Communications team in the Rolex 3-day event press center.
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CEqE Help: “Who, Me?”

Continuing Equestrian Education (CEqE) – chapter 5: When it’s time to CEqE help: Let’s face it, we’re DIY about lots of stuff related to writing and riding, but when we need help, sooner or later we ask for it. One of those moments took place his morning when Landgate Lord Peter, aka “you little s**t!” decided that it was all well and good to walk onto the two-horse ramp-load trailer, but when Bryan McDonald at The Fine Equine Stables (where our pony lives and where we spend a fair portion of our days, having changed from night person to morning person to accommodate said purebred Connemara to beat the heat and deerflies that prevail by 8 a.m…) decided to switch our trailer practice to the big (as in huge) trailer with the step-up, Mr. Minimal spoke up loud & clear: nuh uh, no way – fuhgeddit! There was hay on the floor, so never mind the treats (hay-extender pellets) in our pocket, and the little bucket of Connemara Crunch – a great low-sugar horse feed for easy keepers, whatever the breed, which he loves. We make the approach and jump up, but our darling pony stops, looks at us, looks at the hay on the floor in front of his nose and says essentially, in that word-less but eloquent non-verbal way in which animals, especially smart equine, communicate: who? me? nuh uh, no way – fuhgeddit! Just one of the many eloquent expressions by which Landgate Lord Peter communicates non-verbally.
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In Memory of Woodburn

Woodburn partnered with Phillip Dutton to finish 2nd at the 2010 Kentucky Rolex Three-Day Event, the year William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Cool Mountain claimed the title. It was a great contest from the dressage test onward. Phillip and Woodburn improved from eighth after dressage to fourth after cross-country to second after their second double-clear jumping round,  but they couldn’t catch the winners who also jumped faultlessly. The top two finished on their dressage scores, separated by 4.9 penalty points. Woodburn and Phillip won the Pentacle Cup as the highest placed Americans, but there is only ever one Rolex winner. Woodburn and Phillip also competed on the USA three-day team which finished fourth at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
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CEqE 201 – Getting On With It

Well, sooner or later every rider buys a ‘cheap’ piece of real estate and we’re no exception. We were in a jumping lesson on Saturday (only yesterday, seems more like a week, but we’ve got our nose back to the wordsmithing grindstone and time takes its own line…) and Lord Peter was acting spooky – noticeably so, compared to his relatively calm demeanor for the past three months, truth to tell. Later we realized that the last time he was on this sort of sensory alert (stallion on the lookout for danger to his herd) was last summer when… oops, getting our tongue over the bit in terms of this anecdote
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CEqE – From May to Now

CEqE rocks at The Fine Equine in Amissville, VA! Bet you thought that we (Lord Peter and yours truly) had gone to ground in turns of our Continuing Equestrian Education. Oh no no no! We’d been up to our ears in the spring fever of deadlines, trying to eke out a living and, of course, when it came to work, Peter got pushed to the bottom of the list. But not anymore: our pony is our priority, and we’re working on getting to the barn by 8:30 or earlier (method to our madness, more on early mornings in due course)
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Upperville – Saturday’s Action Under The Oaks

Well, we are really behind this morning: we got up uber-early and galloped through a gazillion photos from Saturday. We missed a few of our favorite classes, but were fortunate to snag some pix on the run, so to speak, of the Silver Foxes (Piedmont Invitation) winner and third place, but totally missed the Family Class (we’ll probably beg a photo of the winners for print coverage), and the rains came after we shot Connemara Mare and Stallion (purebred) champions, but not before we turned in time to catch Tracy Weinberg and Larone scorch to the win in the $10,000 Junior/Amateur Jumper Stakes – they’re trained by Joe Fargis
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Upperville – Proving Ground For Talent

Upperville: ask any show rider who lives somewhere in Virginia about the Upperville Colt & Horse Show and you’ll get chapter and verse about what it means to compete under the hallowed oaks or across John Mosby Highway in the jumper rings. Upperville is Mecca – it’s not the only version of Mecca, but here in Virginia, it’s a showcase for horses and riders, a country atmosphere that retains its unique and individual voice, a place where the shops offer goods ranging from tack and horse-related supplies to high fashion to riding fashion to jewelry to whatever might capture your fancy. Tori Colvin won the $25,000 Welcome Stakes, sponsored by Windsor Farm and Friends, on June 10th
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Thursday at Upperville

With that old saying in mind that one picture is worth a thousand words, you all must make do with pixies as yesterday was a very long day and we collapsed as soon as we got home and fed our dog, who also collapsed after a long day accompanying us via golf cart on both sides of John Mosby Highway at Upperville. Because Upperville is too huge for one person to cover with a camera, we decided to concentrate on the jumpers on Thursday, because that’s part of the soul of Upperville and there is a committee to raise funds to improve the jumper rings similar to the hunter side which boasts great footing. Upperville show manager Tommy Lee Jones told us to speak with committee leader, rider/trainer  Joe Fargis, and we caught up with him early Thursday evening. More on that later: if we don’t post photos and get out of here pdq we won’t get to ride our pony and that is one of our greatest joys… So, here are a few pix and ‘deep captions’ to describe Thursday at Upperville. Allen Richards and Copper Futures in the Adult Amateur Jumper class where they placed 2nd to Alison Wichman riding Mrs.
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