Advanced level eventer and USEA ICP Level II Certified Instructor Steuart Pittman will return to Maine for clinics March 6 & 7, 2010.  This will be our last opportunity to ride with Steuart this winter/spring as he is not scheduled to return to New England again until later this summer!

Clinics will be indoors with excellent footing and are a great opportunity to build on winter work, or to enlist Steuart’s guidance to “jump start” a spring training program custom designed for you and your horse for dressage, gymnastics, indoor jumping, or whatever YOU would like to focus on.  $65 for hour-long semi-private or $80 for 45-minute private lessons.  Advance registration is required.  Auditors welcome.

Steuart is a nationally-recognized clinician whose prior clinics here in Maine and Northern New England have been very popular.  He is well regarded for his teaching and training abilities and his positive, fun-loving attitude which make his clinics both educational and fun.  More information about Steuart is available at his website, www.dodonfarm.com.  Check out the great work he has been doing with the Retired Racehorse Training Project, including at this year’s Maryland and Pennsylvania Horse World Expos at http://www.dodonfarm.com/RRTP-temp.html.

For more information or to register:

For SATURDAY, MARCH 6 at SPRING CREEK FARM in Lyman, Maine contact Sarah Armentrout at 207-468-4035 orride@springcreekmaine.com.

For SUNDAY, MARCH 7 at INISH BEG FARM in Standish, Maine contact Malinda Lawrence at 202-438-2088 ormalindalawrence@hotmail.com.

Horses

I just received this from a friend and thought I’d put it out there to see if we can find a home for this guy!

FREE to the right home, references required – Reg QH gelding, 10 years old, gray, 15.1 hands.  Good manners, easy keeper.  Well behaved for vet and hoof trimmings (I trim him myself).  He has great feet.  He is free because he has had some soundness issues that finally improved with chiropractic care, which should probably be continued at a maintenance level.  Originally trained Western but I rode English, doing beginning dressage work.  Was ridden WTC last summer and fall two to three days a week.  He also has been alone and isolated the last few years so will probably get excited in new situations and will need someone who can understand and work with that.  Located in Milford, NH.  Email for more info  clafrenaye@myfairpoint.net

PASS IT ON!

Horses

I recently found an interesting site called Horse Tip Daily – a radio show that offers daily tips on all things equestrian. Today’s tip, #116, was offered by international 3-day eventer Sinead Halpin. Topic: Walking Cross Country.

Visit Horse Tip Daily Radio Show on a regular basis to hear all their great information!

Horses

The horses of Great Bay Farm are on a break until the first of the year and their coats are getting so long a furry to keep warm during the winter. I had to stop in the other day to shovel out  my trailer after some snow here in Maine. It happened to be sunset and the two bay buddies – Hershey and Billy – were watching me. I was able to capture this moment.

There was a beautiful haze from the warmth of the day and the sun was just starting to set. They were both very interested in what I was doing and as always, stayed close together. Billy & Hershey are best buddies and will miss each other when Hershey goes south for the winter and Billy heads to a local indoor to start his training for the spring Eventing Season.

Hershey (The Game Plan) is an Intermediate level event horse and is for sale. See his information at Great Bay Farm.

Horses

This wonderful slideshow is courtesy of Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto. She did “30 days of photos” and the result is outstanding! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Courtesy of Flatlandsfoto.com

Horses

This spoof on the “free credit report” is one every horse fan should see. We all know colic is not a pretty thing for our 4-legged friends. So this is a “tongue in cheek” sort of giggle to share.

Free Colic Report Commercial from Douglas Tollett on Vimeo.

Horses

Hershey waits for his buddy Billy outside the stall door.

Today it was that time in the fall when our horse got his Fall Shots. Along with his  shots, Billy had his annual exam, sheeth cleaned, and teeth floated. For us horse-folks, this is nothing out of the ordinary.

For this Mother Mucker, it was inspiring. I always knew there was a special bond between the horses in a herd. But what I saw this day was a very special friendship between the horses at Great Bay Farm.

When I walked into the barn, Billy – my daughter’s Thoroughbred Gelding Event Horse – came right in to greet me. However, after seeing me reach for the halter and hearing the drilling of the vet working on Eddie’s teeth (the third horse in the barn), he left  fast to join his buddy Hershey (The Game Plan) out in the field.

Out to the field I tromp, being the Mother Mucker that I am, and after several attempts, Billy finally let me get close enough to put the halter on. As always, when one of the horses is lead into the barn, the other follows. So of course, his buddy Hershey walked in right behind us. I placed Billy in his stall and closed the door. Hershey stayed close by.

This is where I really started to see the bond between these horses. You can see in the first picture (to the right) that Hershey never left Billy’s side. He stood outside the stall door almost as if to say “Why are you locked in? We never get locked in. What’s going on Billy?” He seemed … well … worried.

Dr. Tom Judd, of Equine Veterinary Services, completed the exam. All was perfect! His shots came next, and then the yearly cleaning of his sheeth. After giving Billy some sedative to relax him, Dr. Judd began the dental procedure to keep Billy’s teeth from growing long sharp areas. The procedure is known as floating and Dr. Judd is the best!

Dr. Judd Exam's Billy's Mouth

Equine Dentistry: Floating Teet

Billy was a star patient. As the sedative wore off, I looked across from the inside of the barn looking out, and there was Hershey – still waiting at the door – a bit worried that his buddy wasn’t his normal playful self.

As the sedative wears off, Hershey is still by Billy's side.

I knew the horse at Great Bay Farm were very close, but somehow this dedication took me by surprise. Horses truely are special creatures. I’m so lucky to say I’m a horse person!

Horses

My daughter adores her pony! Of course, he’s not really a pony. He is a 16h1″ thoroughbred horse that is 9 years old. He has run a long format one star (*) with the previous owner, who is my friend and my daughter’s coach. Our horse (Billy), is love of my daughter’s life at the moment. I think this moment says it all!

I am often asked “how did she get started with riding?”. And here is my answer:

When we lived in England, UK – and she was just 5-1/2 years old – every little girl was taking riding lessons at one of many local stables. She was just like every other little girl. Only she went from lessons once a week to joining the British Pony Club to spending a full week at a pony camp by the time she was 8. She passed all the Pony Club tests with flying colors as high as she was allowed by her age. She learned everything about the horse and equipment as well as general dressage and jumping skills. And lucky for us, it was only 5 minutes from our house.

When she was 10, we repatriated back to the USA (Katy, Texas). She wanted to continue riding and asked about trying to compete. At the time, I didn’t know the difference between just ‘jumping’ and all the different styles and forms and groups there were to get involved in. But after trying several barns, quickly learned that hunter/jumper was not for her. We stumbled upon an eventing barn on the out squirts of Katy, Texas, I could see the lightbulb go on and the excitement in her eyes.

A few months later, we bought her first horse – which really was a pony. A 14h3″ quarter horse named Micromachine (“Mikey”). He was around 15 years old, but a veteran eventer. Perfect for a 10 year old just learning the sport. Mikey helped build my daughter’s confidence as she took her first rounds at all three phases of eventing and gave my daughter her first “GREAT RIDE”.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Horses

When I’m not driving to the barn, mucking stalls at a show, cleaning tack, or walking a cross country course, and when the family really take a “day off”, what do we do?

RIDE ROLLER COASTERS!

I guess we are an adrenaline junkie family!

But while we were riding these coasters, I noticed something in common with the eventing world – as the cars left the “station” the announcer said … can you guess?

Yup – “HAVE A GOOD RIDE”.

And so it goes … that even when we have time away from the horses and eventing, that world just creeps right back into our life.

I guess I’m just meant to be a full-time Eventer Mom, no matter what the activity.

Horses

Today I was not a mother mucker. I was not the groom. I was not the trailer driver. Nor did I have to travel hours to get where I was going.

Today I was just a volunteer.

In other words,  unlike any other horse show this year – I was just a volunteer … it was my ONLY job today. Because today – at Snowfields Horse Trials in Pownal, Maine – my daughter didn’t ride. She, too, was just a volunteer.

It was so much fun to be able to just give of myself to a sport that I support. And it was a gorgeous New England Fall day, with the leaves in bloom, a very brisk breeze in the air, and the excitement of the day at hand.

But the best part was that I got to do my favorite job … cross country starter!

What’s so fun about watching a clock and telling people to “GO” at 2-3 minute intervals? As the starter, I get to talk to each and every rider and see the excitement in their eyes – and their horse’s eyes.

“2 minutes” I say.

Then, horse and rider walk or trot around the start box.

“Having a good day?” I ask – and in 60 seconds or less I hear about how their morning went on this event, held all in one day.

“1 minute” I say.

At that point, they usually make a larger circle around me and the start box until they hear me say “30 seconds”.

In the box they walk – and then right back out again. Behind me, beside me as if they are pacing.

“15 seconds” and they head toward the box. And then it happens. the very best part of my 2 minutes with the horse and rider.

“10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 GO! … HAVE A GREAT RIDE!”

My four favorite words in the sport of eventing.

So what did you do today?

Horses 3-day eventing, cross country, eventing, volunteering