Many people might not have noticed this, but on the top of my blog for about a year there has been a page all about my 2009 show goals. I think I have done really well this year! I am a little disappointed I didn’t reach all my goals, but life isn’t perfect right? I have a little while to come up with my 2010 show goals which is good, because I have no clue what they are right now! That might be because I don’t yet know what I want to do with Phoenix. Do I want to go recognized? Create a training level freestyle? Try show jumping? Or eventing? I have no clue. For now I am just going to work as hard as I can in my lessons and progress with our dressage training. So now it is time to look back.

1) Have Fun

• I had TONS of fun this year. Every show I went to was a good experience. I laughed a lot, got to spend time with old friends and make new ones. Showing IS fun for me so it was not hard to finish that goal.

2) Get a score for every test I ride

• April 2 tests ridden, 2 tests scored
• May 2 tests ridden, 2 tests scored
• July 2 tests ridden, 2 tests scored
• September 2 tests ridden, 2 tests scored
• October 2 tests ridden, 2 tests scored
• November 2 tests ridden, 2 tests scored.

3) Have a judge write something positive about his movement

• Surprisingly, this didn’t happen this year. Maybe he is just not as cute a mover as I thought? Phoenix did get a lot of 7s on gaits though. In fact, in most tests he got 7s for movement. He also got a lot of comments about being expressive, but that had more to do with his high flying tail or grumpy old man face. Maybe I should try and carry this goal over to next year?

4) Get a 7 on my position

• May 10 at the local Show Grounds in Training 2…and several more times throughout the year. I just counted and 5 different judges gave me a 7!!! That was a fun surprise…I thought I got a few 7s, not a handful…and all from different judges! How cool is that?!?!

5) Go to at least 4 different show grounds this year

• The Crik (April 25)
• The Local Show Grounds (May 10)
• Sweapstake Farm (July 15)
• Gennyral’s Farm (which is not really a show grounds, but we went there for a clinic and it was a field trip so I am counting it. And yes, I am lucky that I have 3 good show grounds in under 30 minutes from the barn)

6) Qualify for a year end award form the local show grounds

• Qualified for a year end award in the Evergreen Hunter Division…and no joke he got something. My little award winning hunter

7) Do at least 1 other type of show besides dressage

• July 5th Hunter Show + October 5th Hunter Show

8 ) Break 60% 3 times

• April 25- 63% – T-1
• May 10 – 62.174% – T-1
• May 10 – 68.928% -T-2
• I only didn’t break a 60% on 2 tests all year! And both were at the same show. Not bad for a very green baby horse!

9) Show Training Level Test 4

• July 15th at Sweepstakes show. Earned a 55.6% Not such a good idea, but at least I tried to do it.

10) Earn my bronze medal from the local show ground

• I am not able to complete this because I did not show enough this year at the local show grounds. I also decided that we were not ready for T-3 and T-4 just yet. Hopefully next year!

So overall I am very happy with how Phoenix and I did this past year. In fact, most dressage riders train their horses for at least a year before they show them. Poor Phoenix just got thrown right into it. He was already showing with only 3 months of training, and 2 of those being winter months with inconsistent work. We had a ton of set backs this year, including 2 rounds of lameness. Even with all that we still did well. The mistakes we made were all due to training and lack of experiance…which we are working hard on fixing over the winter!

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.

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!

Today it is windy. Like 40 mph wind gusts and consistently blowing over 20 mph. It is also only in the 40s so it is cold. It is one of those days that makes you think twice before walking out the door. The kind of day where you think to yourself, “I don’t really need to ride today”. The kind of day where you make all sorts of excuses and justifications for not riding.

I will be riding today though. I got the extra push I needed yesterday. I was at Phoenix’s place and went to put him away in the field. It was then that I saw a  family who lives near the farm. This family clearly had a bunch of extra members in town for the Thanksgiving holiday. These people were so excited to see horses, to be near horses, that they were even taking pictures to capture the moment. It was so sweet to see little kids to thrilled to pet one of the minis that they kept talking about it, long after the minis had wandered away.

It was one of those moments that remind you how lucky you have it. I get to see horses, my horses, everyday! Most people can only dream riding off into the sunset. I do it…several days a week.

So what if it is windy and cold today. At least I get to ride. I am so lucky.

So last year I wrote up a gift giving guide and I got a lot of e-mails from parents, husbands and friends of horse lovers thanking me for the ideas.

This year I am doing things differently. I am going to organize the gifts by price. I am also going to include t999/8he link to where I have found the product for cheap but also a place that I trust. That means that I have purchased something from the site within the past 6 months. So without further ado, here is my 2009 horse lovers gift guide.

Gifts for under $5

These bridle charms are adorable. They come in a variety of designs and also can be used a zipper pulls, boot charms or an embelishment to any tack. These make a great gift and you can get a price break if you buy more than one at the same time. 5

A nice soft brush. I think any horse person would agree that you can never have too many brushes. There are lots of soft curry combs, body brushes, and face brushes that are very inexpensive and will add to any grooming kit.

SSG riding gloves. A horse person can NEVER have to many gloves. Even if they don’t ride with gloves they probibly do barn chores with them!

Gifts for under $10

Make you own horse treat kit. At about $6 this is a very cute idea. Sure, it is cheaper to go out and just buy some treats, but where is the fun in that? Give this cool

Cotton Lead Rope. These make a great gift and come in a variety of colors so you can get one to match every personality. One one of the pros of cotton is that if a horse pulls you wont get rope burn, and one of the cons is that it is not long lasting so it is one of those always in demand items.

Himalayan Salt lick. This extra fancy salt block is cored from mountains half a wold away. It has extra minerals in it and is something that a lot of horse owners don’t want to splurge on themselves, but will love to receive!

Gifts for under $20

Make your own horse hair jewelry. This is a really cute idea. I highly doubt that whatever is made will really last, but regardless I am sure that it would be fun to do. I know that I am dying to buy one of these myself.

Sheepskin inserts for your boots. I don’t know who thought of these but I want a pair! They look so comfy and also seem like a great way to keep your toes tosety all winter. I am dying to get a pair myself now. One of the reasons sheepskin is so popular with saddles is because it has the ability to conform in just the right way without negativly impacting fit.

Get a speical braclet with the name of a speical horse. This personalized braclet can be in black or brown with wither brass or silver looking engraved nameplate. I know that I wear my bracklet with Gens nameplate a lot. It is horsey jewerly withouth being tacky.

Gifts for under $35

Rain Boots! Now this gift is awesome for anyone who lives in an area where it can get muddy. These are not the warmest or sturdiest rain boots, but there are some of the cutest!

“Wish Ring” necklace. I am a total sucker for horse shoe jewelry. This wish ring necklace is a good twist on the tradition because not only does it give the wearer something to fiddle with, but it also has silver, gold and black in it so you can wear it with most anything.

Any horse person of any discipline needs to keep up their education. Regardless of your age, the Pony club manuals are a great way to learn new things. I know that I have all 3 manuals as well as the suplemental book on lunging. All the pony club books are packed with information and are easy to read because they are kid friendly. Grab a few books and give someone the gift of knowledge.

Gifts for under $50

A personalized halter. I LOVE this idea. For so long only all nylon halters had the option to be embrodered. Now Tory leathers has come up with this cool looking number which is SAFE! It is the kind of thing that a horse person probibly will never buy for themselves. I mean, you can get a breakaway halter for $18 so most people cannot justify the over $45 dollar expense on themselves, but it is really cool and anyone I know would be thrilled to get this. It would even make a good gift for someone who does not have their own horse because they could get their name on the halter and bring it and use it whenever they take lessons.

A fancy browband can make a rider feel like a million bucks. These cool browbands can add come color and fun to any dressage riders look without being too much.

And not to halter you all out, but this uber fancy looking padded fully leather halter is a great buy. They use a lower quality leather, but that is not noticible to the untrained eye. This looks like a $150 halter to most people and as someone who owns several I can tell you that they stand up to the test of time. Gen has one for turnout that he has been in for almost a year now and it is still going strong. Add a bridle plate and your friend of loved one will really think you broke the bank on this present.

Gifts for under $ 75

A nice show pad. No matter what discipline, or even if the person shows or not, a really nice saddle pad can make any rider feel special. If the person rides dressage you want a white square pad, if they ride hunters, jumpers or eventing you want a fleece pad that is cut to saddle size. I thought this was a pretty cool idea for a western show pad.

Speaking of saddle pads…this animal print bareback pad is a must have! I think they are totally adorable and you can bet that that one of these is on my Christmas list this year! Bareback pads make a great gift for any horse lover. From the long time owner who wants that speical connection to someone just starting lessons who wants to develop the perfect seat.

I, like so many USDF members, am on the USDF mailing list. I recived this e-mail in my inbox and it made me very excited!

“In response to a recent incident at an international competition, the USDF Executive Board has issued the following official statement:

The USDF does not approve of training techniques such as hyperflexion especially when taken to an extreme. While we recognize that we can not control how riders train at home, excessive techniques should not be tolerated at competitions. The USDF feels that it is very important that as a sport we police ourselves and encourage the USEF and FEI to call upon their licensed officials to ensure that cruel and abusive riding does not happen at our competitions.

The USDF agrees with and strongly supports the FEI position as stated in the November 17 press release and in particular the statement: “The FEI acknowledges and welcome public opinion and will continue to ensure that the welfare of the horse, which has been central to this debate, will remain its absolute priority.”

Why is this a big deal? Because for so long it has been a “look the other way” method of training in the US. Now that the USDF have come out clearly against it hopefully people will be shunned out of doing it.

For those of you who have not seen the video yet I am posting it below. And for those of you who are not sure why that video is a big deal look at the horses tongue. It is BLUE. That means there is no blood flow to the tongue. I want you to take your pointer finger and grab it with the other hand and squeeze as hard as you can. See how long and how hard you have to hold before it turns blue? It is disgusting! Poor horse. Oh, and if you look at all 4 and a half minutes of the video you can spot at least 2 other people using rolkur as part of their warm up.

I just woke up from the most bizarre dream. Phoenix and I were competing at Devon…in the adult amateur hunter under saddle class. And it was in indoor show. How wierd is that!

So yesterday I did something that I have never done before…I forgot my riding clothes!!!! So instead of heading to the barn to ride Phoenix I ran over to the tack store to buy some more hoof supplement for Gen. Yes, this giant building is a local tack store to me. I know you are jealous. And this is only one of 6 good size shops that are under a 40 minute drive from me.

While there I went into the consignment section of the shop. I got a great deal on these leather reins and this really nice leather girth! I was looking for a used blankie for the fat spotted one, but no such luck. I am so lucky though to have a tack store only 10 minutes from work that I cannot complain about not finding a super cheap blanket.

As I was driving to see Gen I had to stop and take a picture of this old barn. It is falling apart, yet for some reason I think it looks so cool in the darkness.

These are the new boots I got for Gen at the Equine Affaire. So far I am impressed.

My not so happy pony. He is being a cranky old man because it is almost supper time. I asked him to pose for the camera.

But he is clearly not in the mood. I try and plead with him by telling him that I will scratch his butt if he just looks handsome for one picture.

Clearly his bum was not itchy last night. All well. I suppose my horse doesn’t have to pose for pictures everyday. He must be as sick of this photo challenge as I am! I think it would be easier if I had a real camera and not a video camera that will sort of take pictures when it feels like it.

I love looking in at my boy all tucked in at night safe and sound. Having a corner stall with a nice big window is the best! I am very lucky to have found “Hill Farm”. It really is the best.

Here Gen is waiting for his dinner. Can you tell I am loving the black and white picture thing as of late? And so ends my photo challenge posts. It was fun. I hope you all enjoyed. Do you all like my picture posts or my word posts better?

It was so cold yesterday morning that there was frost on the ground when I went to get Gen in from the field.

Gen was not so sure about coming in. Normally I just have to walk towards the end of the barn and he heads over. Not so much yesterday. I didn’t mind walking out to get him, but it does make an owner feel very good when they just have to show up and their horse comes to the fence to groom them.

I was not happy to see this sore come back when I took Gen’s boot off Saturday night. At least this time it is still very near the surface and only about half the size of last time.

Look at how long his hair is! It is totally covering the sore. When he comes in for the night I fuss with the hair to give the leg some air, but when it is under a boot it is totally covered by winter hair

Here is my handsome boy posing with his new boots. While I doubt these boots are as great as the company owner says, if they can give him support without rubbing him I will be thrilled!

Here he is posing again…jk. Because of the injury the left leg is almost always forward when he is grazing so the right leg can bear most of my chubby boys weight.

My horse was very happy that he went back outside. And very happy to test out his new boots. The pictures of him trotting away are all blurry, but trust me, those boots will have gotten a good trial run.

You can tell so much by looking a horse in the eye.

One of the mini’s wandering around the farm free. This photo challenge is tough!!! It is hard enough to think about taking pictures during all the things you do, but then to have to go through them, upload them, etc it just takes FOREVER! I am very excited that today is my last day.

So even though I do try to keep this blog as horse centered as possible, sometimes I need to share a little bit about my everyday life. I spent all of yesterday morning helping to pack care packages for our troops. This picture is of a quarter of the parking lot and let me tell you it was PACKED in there. If anyone feels like our troops are not supported they need to come to my neck of the woods. I was so inspired that when I left I took the money that was left over from the equine affaire and went shopping to make my own personal care package for a soldier out there. I was thinking about doing anysoldier, but if anyone out there knows of a person serving in the armed forces that could use a little holiday cheer (complete with mini christmas tree so someone that celebrates christmas is a big plus) please send me their address and I will happily send it their way.

The weather was perfect for an afternoon ride. Here Phoenix is watching them work the stallion yet again.

Even though all Phoenix’s stifle issues are gone for now I still like to walk him over ground poles in the warm up to remind him to pick up those back legs.

Here he is running through my outside aids to avoid going over those ground poles! Lazy Pony!

This picture doesn’t really show it but there was a low flying airplane doing all sorts of scary acrobatics above us.

Look at how golden and shinny he is in the setting sun!

I am a total slacker in the off season so we bailed on ring work early and took a trail ride, which was cut short by the fact there were hunting all around us.

And I know that this is totally dangerous, but there were no cross ties when I got back up to the barn. Phoenix and I are working on ground tying, and that was the mare that raised him (running joke is that he is turning white because he wants to be a part of the grey family) do I dangerously flung the rope over the cross tie. Phoenix was totally cool with it and did not move a muscle…which is a good thing because I think that the Young Rider would have killed me if he would have spooked and dragged her horse along for the ride.

And last but in no way least I went off to visit my Gennyral. He looked so pathetic and angry all at once waiting for me to come get him I had to take a picture.