Some of the horses who were featured in Hoofprints Across My Heart in 2010...
(to the tune of "88 Lines about 44 women" by The Nails)
Coconut was found and saved
She's what dreams have come to be
Scarlet, she was one of four
Their neglect still dumbfounds me
Deliah was a two-for-one
She was in a motherly way
They showed up with Rose & Ruby
Who came to SAFE but could not stay
Sugar is an artist's Paint
I love that girl like she's my own
Basil is a handsome boy
He finally found himself a home
Mercedes came and picked us up
Coconut was cool with it
Kitty went on her first trail
Since then I doubt she's stopped one bit.
No Flies On Doodle, what a doll
Starts the meet with a SWAG win
Forener was lighting fast
I'd like to see some more of him!
Oaks Day was just second place
For miss Rachael Alexandra
Atta Boy (Roy), our hometown boy
proved to us he was a "mudda"
Another mudder, Super Saver
Won the Derby in Kentucky
My bet on him won me the cash
To save Bucky B Lucky
Jaime's Thoroughbred, Grand Slam
Showed his favorite color, BLUE!
We said good-bye to Chinook Pass
He was a hero, through & through
Ravel & Steffen took home bronze
Their Dressage sure made US proud
Totilas, a stunning horse
Was a favorite of the crowd
Phillippe ~ Vigo, a perfect pair
The model World Equestrian
But Hickstead was the perfect one
No matter who was riding him
Zenyatta danced into our hearts
She won nearly every race
We lost Cedar County Queen
But she left us full of grace
Lola came to stay with us
She frolicked in the sunny weather
Jasmine found her final home
I'm grateful for that time together
48 lines about 25 horses...
Showing posts with label horses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horses. Show all posts
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
A Pony For Christmas
My husband used to ask what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas and my first and fast answer was always "A PONY!"...then I got one...but when the question came up PAC (Post Acquiring Coconut) my answer was still "a pony..." with just a tad less pleading and a smidgen of slyness in hopes I might be able to sneak in a second one...and then I got that one too. Be careful what you wish for....you just might get it!
These days I'm down to one and actually pretty thankful for that as well as the experience of having helped Basil as well as (we'll call them) *joys* of bringing up a young horse from a weanling. My current position is that I am glad that is over with so that I no longer have to wonder what it's like. I've done it, no one was seriously injured in the process, a reasonably calm gelding has been brought into the equestrian community, I've moved on and so has he...but to the best outcome I can think of :)
So that takes me back to what I wanted for Christmas...strangely I did not ask for a pony this year...and when I gave my family suggestions for gifts I might like to have, they apparently listened and went to some pretty specific lengths to acquire certain items for I had not picked out things that one can readily run down to Walmart and buy. They added a few pieces to my slightly rare china service when I announced I thought we should move from service for eight to service for twelve in the event that all four kids couple up some day and take our core family to 10. As it is, with just one Grandson & only one extra significant other we're already right at eight. So that was awesome...they also added a piece of luggage in the hard-to-find design that I like & now I can travel in style on my adventures.
I did get a pony...actually I got several Equine themed gifts this year...even without asking (ok, almost without asking!)...Les gave me a VIP Day at Emerald Downs in the Widmer Club complete with a named race! This is becoming a happy gift tradition for me...for both of us actually! I am already getting exciting for the 2011 race meet.
AND...he gave me a Pink Leather Halter for Coconut. It was a bit of a last minute decision & had to be custom ordered but it should be here shortly. Several months ago Bonnie sent me a link to Quilin Leather & Tack in Kentucky. From their website:
"It all started a week and a half before the 2010 Kentucky Derby - we were asked to make Presentation Halters for the Derby and Oaks entries. The only catch was that the Oaks Fillies’ Halters were to be Pink! We’re very traditional at Quillins and we were taken a little aback by the request ... but never shying away from a challenge we accepted and delivered this special order in less than a weeks time. The Pink Halters have caused quite a stir and one was recently presented to Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear at The Center for Women in Racing’s - Horses and the Hearts of Women Gala."
This is one thing I did "hint" for...in fact when I got it I sent the link to Les with the particulars: size, throat snap, name plate, etc...and a week ago he claimed I hadn't told him what I wanted for Christmas, I indicated that I had, in deed, given him a very specific hint PLUS he was sitting right next to Santa when I told him that I wanted a pink leather halter for Coconut! These are the same fancy halters used on Thoroughbreds...only PINK! Even though she's not a Thoroughbred she's in good company with the Oaks Fillies!!! I can hardly wait til it gets here!
Maeve also got me an equine themed gift....an adorable necklace with a vintage cowgirl photo. The day after I put it on, my Magnabilities chain broke. I think the cowgirl was claiming her territory. Yee Haw!!
I met up with Lynn & Kim for lunch a few weeks ago and got a little pre-holiday gift of a Laurel Burch mug in my favorite design: Moroccan Mares.
These days I'm down to one and actually pretty thankful for that as well as the experience of having helped Basil as well as (we'll call them) *joys* of bringing up a young horse from a weanling. My current position is that I am glad that is over with so that I no longer have to wonder what it's like. I've done it, no one was seriously injured in the process, a reasonably calm gelding has been brought into the equestrian community, I've moved on and so has he...but to the best outcome I can think of :)
So that takes me back to what I wanted for Christmas...strangely I did not ask for a pony this year...and when I gave my family suggestions for gifts I might like to have, they apparently listened and went to some pretty specific lengths to acquire certain items for I had not picked out things that one can readily run down to Walmart and buy. They added a few pieces to my slightly rare china service when I announced I thought we should move from service for eight to service for twelve in the event that all four kids couple up some day and take our core family to 10. As it is, with just one Grandson & only one extra significant other we're already right at eight. So that was awesome...they also added a piece of luggage in the hard-to-find design that I like & now I can travel in style on my adventures.
I did get a pony...actually I got several Equine themed gifts this year...even without asking (ok, almost without asking!)...Les gave me a VIP Day at Emerald Downs in the Widmer Club complete with a named race! This is becoming a happy gift tradition for me...for both of us actually! I am already getting exciting for the 2011 race meet.
AND...he gave me a Pink Leather Halter for Coconut. It was a bit of a last minute decision & had to be custom ordered but it should be here shortly. Several months ago Bonnie sent me a link to Quilin Leather & Tack in Kentucky. From their website:
"It all started a week and a half before the 2010 Kentucky Derby - we were asked to make Presentation Halters for the Derby and Oaks entries. The only catch was that the Oaks Fillies’ Halters were to be Pink! We’re very traditional at Quillins and we were taken a little aback by the request ... but never shying away from a challenge we accepted and delivered this special order in less than a weeks time. The Pink Halters have caused quite a stir and one was recently presented to Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear at The Center for Women in Racing’s - Horses and the Hearts of Women Gala."
This is one thing I did "hint" for...in fact when I got it I sent the link to Les with the particulars: size, throat snap, name plate, etc...and a week ago he claimed I hadn't told him what I wanted for Christmas, I indicated that I had, in deed, given him a very specific hint PLUS he was sitting right next to Santa when I told him that I wanted a pink leather halter for Coconut! These are the same fancy halters used on Thoroughbreds...only PINK! Even though she's not a Thoroughbred she's in good company with the Oaks Fillies!!! I can hardly wait til it gets here!
Maeve also got me an equine themed gift....an adorable necklace with a vintage cowgirl photo. The day after I put it on, my Magnabilities chain broke. I think the cowgirl was claiming her territory. Yee Haw!!
I met up with Lynn & Kim for lunch a few weeks ago and got a little pre-holiday gift of a Laurel Burch mug in my favorite design: Moroccan Mares.
Then Lynn surprised me on Christmas Eve with a drawing she made of Coconut...I am so deeply touched! Lynn's known in our SAFE Supporter circle as an amazing quilter, but there are a few of us who were introduced to her talent for drawing early as she captured the spirit of SAFE horses like Hope & Biscotti who were the horses that first drew her into the organization. It's been my understanding that she hasn't been doing much drawing lately so that she chose to draw Coconut is nothing short of an incredible honor...
 | |
| Thank you Lynn Mazer!! |
...and then there's one gift that some of you might have to read this line twice when you learn that I have a collection of Holiday Budweiser Beer Steins...no, I don't drink beer...but it's a long standing tradition in my family that dates back to about 1981. I was shopping with my Mom for pieces to a Jim Beam train my Stepdad Larry collected & saw a stein at a local liquor store and I liked it because it had Clydesdales on it so that became my gift to him...something we both liked: Me~Horses, Him~Budweiser. I gave him one nearly every year after that...
When Larry passed away in 2005, we kids were put in charge of clearing his home and picking things we'd like to keep. I basically only wanted the Budweiser Stein collection and since then my son, Corey, has kept the tradition going by now gifting me with the yearly edition. He's been with me since the beginning of return to horses and coincidentally had decided the Clydesdales are his favorite breed so it makes a lot of sense that he would keep the tradition going with these Steins....it's a connection to the past that has come full circle to our present & reminds me of those special times with Larry. I think he'd be very proud to know that the tradition lives on.
So those are my Christmas Ponies....I wonder what everyone else got?? What ever your traditions are, I hope you all have good friends & family as well. Even without the gifts, I am truly blessed to be surrounded by people to love & inspire me. Happy Holidays everyone!!!!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Making Geldings!
Just a quick note this evening,
On Friday, December 31st, Tacoma Equine Hospital will be hosting a Gelding Clinic. If you have a stallion that needs to be a gelding then hurry and make your reservation. There are a limited number of spots open that day & Dr. Meg dGravelles is offering this service for $50. I hear there might even be two services donated to pre-qualified participants. Dr. Meg told me on the phone today that she hopes to do 10, which will take all day.
"The Tacoma Equine Hospital is planning a gelding clinic on Friday, December 31st. This is being sponsored by The Unwanted Horse Coalition - the price is $50. To make an appointment, or to volunteer to assist, call 253.535.6999. Any questions, contact Dr. Meg deGravelles (same phone number.)"
Here's a link to Tacoma Equine Hospital but I didn't see anything on their website about the clinic. I did, however, call and confirm with Dr. Meg herself that they're doing this. I'm actually going to come down and volunteer to help folks check in and get their horses unloaded, reloaded, etc...the non-medical parts I can help with.
I have a flyer if anyone would like to contact me at hellojet@comcast.net I'll be happy to forward one to you.
Send this information on to everyone you know. Let's
On Friday, December 31st, Tacoma Equine Hospital will be hosting a Gelding Clinic. If you have a stallion that needs to be a gelding then hurry and make your reservation. There are a limited number of spots open that day & Dr. Meg dGravelles is offering this service for $50. I hear there might even be two services donated to pre-qualified participants. Dr. Meg told me on the phone today that she hopes to do 10, which will take all day.
"The Tacoma Equine Hospital is planning a gelding clinic on Friday, December 31st. This is being sponsored by The Unwanted Horse Coalition - the price is $50. To make an appointment, or to volunteer to assist, call 253.535.6999. Any questions, contact Dr. Meg deGravelles (same phone number.)"
Here's a link to Tacoma Equine Hospital but I didn't see anything on their website about the clinic. I did, however, call and confirm with Dr. Meg herself that they're doing this. I'm actually going to come down and volunteer to help folks check in and get their horses unloaded, reloaded, etc...the non-medical parts I can help with.
I have a flyer if anyone would like to contact me at hellojet@comcast.net I'll be happy to forward one to you.
Send this information on to everyone you know. Let's
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Good News
I have but 3 minutes of onboard Internet credit to get this posted so I'll make it quick!
On Wednesday the star of my Super (Horse) Saver post (The most popular of m
y posts, btw...it still gets daily hits!!), Bucky B Lucky was featured on the front page of the Seattle Times in a story written by Seattle Times reporter, Lynn Thompson entitled "Rescue Groups Save Racehorses From Slaughterhouses"
THANK YOU Lynn for giving our Lucky boy a voice and bringing the possibilities for Off The Track Thoroughbreds to the public eye, front page no less! For those of you who may not be aware, she has been working on the story for some time and was able to bring (almost) all the players in this story to the table in order to tell the tale. Most of them showed their true colors, and not all of them were as bright as they might think they are.
Thank you too, to Keith Swagerty who I'm proud to call a friend and to Jeff Dorsch who spoke out to warn people what can happen so we can hopefully avoid situations like this in the future. Also thank you to all the people out there among the various groups who work hard for Thoroughbreds and all horses for that matter, to try to keep them out of the auction process...and of course to SAFE & Jaime Taft who basically bailed me out of my knee-jerk reaction to finding out that Lucky was at Enumclaw.
It's a fine community we exist in....I'm very proud to be a part of it with those of you who care so deeply.
On Wednesday the star of my Super (Horse) Saver post (The most popular of m
y posts, btw...it still gets daily hits!!), Bucky B Lucky was featured on the front page of the Seattle Times in a story written by Seattle Times reporter, Lynn Thompson entitled "Rescue Groups Save Racehorses From Slaughterhouses"THANK YOU Lynn for giving our Lucky boy a voice and bringing the possibilities for Off The Track Thoroughbreds to the public eye, front page no less! For those of you who may not be aware, she has been working on the story for some time and was able to bring (almost) all the players in this story to the table in order to tell the tale. Most of them showed their true colors, and not all of them were as bright as they might think they are.
Thank you too, to Keith Swagerty who I'm proud to call a friend and to Jeff Dorsch who spoke out to warn people what can happen so we can hopefully avoid situations like this in the future. Also thank you to all the people out there among the various groups who work hard for Thoroughbreds and all horses for that matter, to try to keep them out of the auction process...and of course to SAFE & Jaime Taft who basically bailed me out of my knee-jerk reaction to finding out that Lucky was at Enumclaw.
It's a fine community we exist in....I'm very proud to be a part of it with those of you who care so deeply.
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Day In the Life....
...of a World Equestrian Games Volunteer.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Day 15 of the World Equestrian Games in Lexington Kentucky
Day 17 of my trip which included 2 days in Chicago
Day 13 spent at the Kentucky Horse Park
Day 9 working as a volunteer
6:30am: wake up to the alarm because getting there too late on a Saturday might cost 1 to 2 hours of waiting in line just to park. I got some help getting ready...
7am: hit McDonalds on Man O War Blvd to see if the counter guy remembered to bring me my Kentucky Horse Themed McDonalds uniform hat (I've been in EVERY DAY since we made the bargain and he's been sick/off/forgetful for about a week now) but today's SUCCESSFUL! I traded a Kingdom of Bahrain Hat in White (kept the red version) and he was THRILLED! He doesn't wear his cap to work and has two of them anyway, now it's MINE MINE MINE!!!
7:30am: One last stop into the Walmart to collect last minute WEG items before I must pack them up tonite...they're pretty low on supplies but they did have some cool large post card sized versions of the Leroy Neiman official WEG poster...those could make good 'take home' gifts.
8:30am: Circle Downtown Lexington trying to find a parking space so I can get photos of the Horsemania Ponies around town (a whole blog post for later)
8:45am: Find a parking space at a meter that's broken and HOPE that I don't get a ticket while I run around trying to take shots of ALL the horses in a two block radius. I think I got them all!
9:10am: Return to rental car to discover that the city worker who's been dispatched to fix the parking meter has just parked and is just now looking at the meter, he looks back at me just as I open the door and smiles. Whew...no ticket today!
9:45am: Arrive at Spy Coast Parking lot (which is usually a pasture for Spy Coast Farm ) & discover it's packed! Today's walk will end up being about 1.5 miles into the back gate check point.
to get to the opening that will take me to "Camp Ground" parking...
Looking back across "Camp Ground" parking and then begins the hike through the lot...
and looking ahead ...that small white tent in the distance is the security tent
where I will open my jacket and they will search my little backpack...
and then I get to move on to the Volunteer Check-In Tent
One of the Sponsors of the World Equestrian Games is...
"BIG ASS" Fans!!!!
Then you check in and they let you know if there are any changes (which there always are but we never know until we get to the "meeting" later)...they also dole out the volunteer gifts: for me I got a 4 day gift of a WEG Pin & an 8 day gift of luggage handle cover (which I used getting all my crap..I mean stuff home...probably another blog post at some point). I didn't quite make it to 12 so I missed out on the cooler but really by the last day I wanted NO MORE STUFF to take back with me.
The organizers really liked us and took lots of photos, every day, and posted them in the Volunteer Tent...
...and every day Beezie Madden smiles and tells me to have a great day...
one time, in PERSON!!!
11am: I'm finally inside the park and have exactly 1 and a half hours to take in some of the Driving Event and thankfully the coolest water feature on the course is the closest event point to the tent I'll meet up with the afternoon/evening shift volunteers for our "Volunteer Briefing"
12:15pm: It's time to head back to the Volunteer Briefing but I'd like to stay right where I am. I've just gotten so excited about watching these amazing teams wind their way around this water feature making sharp turns and lots of circles...amazing...now I see why it's a competitive sport!
12:30pm: Final (for me) Volunteer Briefing. Since my assigned station is the Main Stadium and it's the final event in Jumping which doesn't start until 8pm, it's decided I'll work the info/program booth at the rear, or Camp Ground, entrance until 6pm and then move over to the Main Stadium after a dinner break at 6pm.
I hadn't worked this position yet so it was interesting to see the teams, volunteers and organizers go by.
2:30pm-ish: I see a familiar face go by on a bike but I'm in the middle of a Program sale so I can't holler at her. All week I'd try to figure out where fellow Seattle Volunteer Jill Hallin was working and here it is my last day and she zips past me on a bike. Huh!?
3:45ish, Jill comes back through on her bike and this time I'm free enough to flag her down! We share a couple of quick WEG stories but end up talking about the SAFE Benefit Horse Show longer! Too funny...but at least we did find each other at some point during WEG...
5:30pm I take a dinner break at Walnut Grove for the last time. After two weeks of their food, I'm so ready to NOT have it again for a long time. Tonight's selection...BBQ'd Pork Sandwich...again for probably the 6th time. I had other choice but I always regretted them. I'm not saying the food was bad, just that for me I was never quite satisfied. Luckily we were given meal vouchers that covered $12 for each shift. It started off with Papa John's personal pizzas and your $12 voucher would get you your choice of cheese or peperoni and a drink...and that's it. I don't eat bready/doughy things as a rule because it hurts my tummy when it gets too full so I basically ate the topping and tossed the rest. $12 for some cheese, a couple of pieces of peperoni & a drink just hardly seemed right but by day 3 they offered me an "alternative" meal ticket which allowed me to go into the Walnut grove food court and have my choice of burger, chicken sandwich, pasta (another thing I don't do for the same "doughy" reasons) Fried chicken, burritos, salad (usually wilty by the time I got there) and these pretty tasty BBQ Pork sandwiches. As it turns out I don't really like most fries unless they're actually basic cut up potatoes, fried...please don't batter them or chemically alter them to make them curl...I'm a fry purist and sadly the WEG fries were battered and usually cold by the time I found a place to sit. But I figured out that I could get kettle chips instead and my meals became much less unpleasant. And all that was probably much more than anyone cared to know about the food selection at WEG...but basically that WAS IT...not just for me but for everyone, guests, competitors, etc...oh...and that BBQ Pork sandwich w/chips and a drink...$14.50 so each day I shelled out $2.50, which is still not bad...but not everyone had a $12 voucher in their pocket like me. I was behind someone who had a $97 lunch bill for 5 people one day...wow!
I ate dinner with a fellow volunteer, Ann, who I now wish I'd thought to take a photo of. She did take one of me and offered to find me on facebook. Someday I know I'll get this random request and realize it was Ann, who was very nice! She was not on that night but came on her day off to enjoy the games on her own without the limitations of a shift over her head.
6:15pm: I wandered across the road to the Main Stadium and my new friends/Vol-employers were already getting things together. I basically volunteered & ended up working the Info/Program booths for TRMG the UK (Great Brittan, not University of Kentucky that also happens to be in Lexington) company that produces all the official printed matter for the games. Part of my job was to sell their programs...the "official WEG Program", the discipline guides and the Daily Ride sheets. Our leaders were actually TRMG employees, or as I called them "The Brits" came over specifically to work these program sales. To my delight my favorite two, Mike & Charlie were just getting things set up for the influx of spectators for the nights event, the Final Four in Jumping.
Charlie & Mike found that if they got out with the programs and caught people as they were getting in, they'd get more sales....
6:30pm - 8:00pm: Sold Programs & Daily Ride Sheet at a booth inside the Main Stadium.
We got to meet all kinds of people from all over the world there. One gentleman came up to me and purchased a Daily Ride sheet and the gal next to me asked where he was from. He replied that he was from Belgium and then turned the Daily Sheet towards us and pointed out Phillippe LeJeune and said "This is my son!" and beamed a very big smile. I said "You must be very proud of your son" and he put his hand on his heart and said "I am SO very proud of my son!" so I wished him good luck and off he went to watch his son compete amongst the top four riders in the world. That has got to be amazing.
What made the night extra amazing was that this was not just a jump-off between four riders, but also between their horses. Each rider would rotate through all four horses and so each horse and each rider would complete the jump course four times each time, a different pair.
8:10pm: Mike & Charlie packed up unexpectedly and announced that they were sure there would be no more sales and that we were all released to go and watch the competition. THIS was a gift to me as I had been scheduled to work all the way until 10pm. The other gift was from Mike when we finished packing up and he learned it was my last shift, he gave me one of their beautiful programs!
One of the cool things about being a volunteer was that our credentials got us into any/every event and we could sit anywhere there was an open seat or we could find a place to stand and watch if we wanted. So I made my way over to the farthest corner of the stadium knowing that it would be my easiest/closest exit to get me back to the Camp Ground entrance for the long walk back to my car. My feet were already done at that point & I just knew that another hour+ was not going to make them any better, even if I sat most of the time. two weeks of this non-stop WEG schedule was taking it's toll and my body must have known it was about to have permission to take a good long break. But THIS was an event NOT to be missed and so I toughed it out and I am so glad I did! oh...and this corner of the stadium also happened to be right at the Warm-up end of the arena where I got to watch all four riders take a three minute warm up ride on each of the other competitors horses.
The lineup in this Rolex Final Four was:
Abdullah Al Sharbatly from Saudi Arabia & his mare, Seldana di Campalto who entered the event having ridden clear in every round leading into the final. If I'm not mistaken he was the only rider to have done so during the games. It was also significant that this middle eastern rider was in the finals and was in a position to possibly win a medal because that had never occurred in international competition before.
Eric Lamont from Canada & his horse, Hickstead a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion entered the final night coming in the first place position after Friday's events.
Jumping super star, Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil with his Mexican Stallion HH Rebozo was a true sportsman & excited to ride Hickstead saying that he thought he'd be fun. He came into the games with multiple Olympic and World Equestrian Game Championship titles.
And then my new "connection" having just met his Father, Phillippe LeJeune of Belgium and his horse Vigo D'Arsouilles.
I was very interested in the Saudi, Abdullah Al Sharbatly, for a number of reasons (one is...again...another post) but mostly because he struck me as entirely grateful for this experience. Each time I watched him ride in previous rounds he would take a final lap around the arena with his hands cupped in front of him, lifted and looking to the sky. My take is it was his thanks to Allah for the opportunity and for the glorious ride, which he obviously had many of that week! in Arabic there is a response to anything you say for the future...like "see you tomorrow" would be followed by "en shah, Allah" which translates to "God Willing" it's saying that nothing happens unless it is God's will.
Some might see his riding around the arena with his hands in the air as arrogant but I saw it much less about how great he thought he was and more about how great the experience was, because it was God's will. I got the feeling from the folks around me that they thought he was asking for approval from the crowd by riding like this. I saw it as a deeply personal moment that had nothing to do with the crowd.
In this round, Abdullah took eight faults on his own horse in the first ride but rode clean on every other horse.
Eric Lamaze was undeniably an amazing rider with a spectacular horse. They were very well suited to each other but I have to say, I fell more and more in love with Hickstead after each ride. It was obvious this horse was born to jump and that he LOVES & knows his job. Eric, however took a rail down on both Seldana and Rebozo, while also accumulating a time fault for a total of nine penalties altogether.
Rodrigo Pessoa impressed me with his sportsmanship. Just prior to Abdullah taking Rebozo out for the warm up ride, I saw Rodrigo coaching him on how to ride his horse with gestures and arms as he described how to go at each jump. I found that inspirational and was so disappointed when he ended up with 12 penalties: 4 on his own horse and then 2 rails down on Vigo. I so wanted him to medal just because of his goodwill towards the other riders. But it's about riding isn't it?
It was really interesting that each rider only had three minutes with each new horse to ride it in the warm-up area (closer to me!) and could ride over each of two jumps, but only once each. I think that added to the entertainment for us in the crowd.
In the end, Phillippe LeJeune rode all four horses clear with no time faults and won the Gold Medal. His last mount was the incredible Hickstead. When he finished the round, he was all smiles and gave Hickstead lots of pats and love. When he dismounted he ran over and gave Vigo hugs and pats. I was very moved by the acknowlegement of the horses for their efforts in the feat. He truly understands that this is not HIS accomplishment alone, he is but a partner in the team and he showed that on his team team especially it's a relationship even deeper than the partnership.
I read an interview the next day that quoted Phillippe saying that he credited his Father (the man I met buying the Daily Ride Sheet!) for instilling his love of animals and that his greatest wish in the world was that his horses could speak because he'd like to know if they love living with him as much as he loves living with them. I get choked up just thinking about this Gentle Man, a true Gentleman, who believes that horses are not mere commodities. It's not just business to him, it's a true relationship. I'm beyond thrilled to have gotten see him perform and have a small glimpse into his equestrian life. THIS is what I came to the games for....to see for myself what the deep hearted equestrians are like in real life. It turns out that, much like myself, horses ARE their real life! I know I would have been disappointed to come away with anything less in the way of realizations.
There was one more honor bestowed and that was upon Hickstead who was crowned the Champion Horse for having cleared all four rounds with all four riders. While I live in awe of the riders, for me it's always about the horses. I was so pleased that they took the time to recognize the Equine Athlete as well.
But this was post was supposed to be about my day...and what an amazing close to the day...or so you think.
10:00pm(ish) I watched the medal ceremony and felt like extremely honored to be there. It turned out to be the perfect end to my World Equestrian Games experience but I still had quite a journey ahead of me.
10:45pm: The walk back was a tad emotional. It started to sink in that I was leaving for the last time and the following day would be the closing ceremonies and it would all be over. I was sad to leave, even though my feet hurt, I was tired and hungry for something good to eat. At that moment I didn't want to go home. I wanted to stay in Lexington and for there to be a World Equestrian Games event every day for the rest of my life. I made it back to the car and the parking lot was backed up as everyone was trying to exit at the same time. I had some more time to reflect on the experience and I have to say it was like nothing I'd ever done before.
To be among horse lovers every day, to see the many faces, to hear the many voices and accents, to know that no matter where in the world they came from, they felt the same as I did, that this was something very special. I think anyone who went came home just a little changed. Hopefully inspired! But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am so glad I did anything I could to get there.
11:30pm: I rolled into Kitty's house and resumed packing my suitcase and sorting out what I had acumulated while I was there, Clearly I would not have been able to get it all home. Kitty sent me about 25 lbs of magazines and books that I drug home with me day by day so that saved me some space but in the end I was not able to bring back the Kentucky Ale I had acquired for Les. But I managed to make the rest of it all fit.
12:45am: I checked my flight and figured out that the 11:30 flight was oversold and my only option was to drive to Louisville and try to make either the 7am or 9:30am flight to Chicago. With a 1.5 - 2 hour drive ahead of me, I would have to make a decision to leave pretty much RIGHT THEN or try to sleep for 2+ hours and then hope I made it. I decided I would sleep on the plane and I finished packing and drug my very heavy bags to the car and said some quick good-byes to Kitty & Abbey.
2:30am: I hit the road and made a couple of stops for coffee.
5:00am: I made my way to the Cell Phone lot at the airport in Louisville, set the alarm on my cell phone and took a power nap.
5:45am: I tried to return my rental car but it was just a tad too early for them so I had to leave my contract
6:30am: After waiting in a fairly long line it was determined that I was not going to make the 7am flight but that I should be fine for a seat on the 9:30am flight. I had to pay a $50 fee for one of my bags being over weight (officially I think I brought home and extra 100lbs in newly aquired stuff ...probably another post as well!) but when I got up to the gate and finally relaxed my brain started thinking about getting home...and my mindset started to change. Now I was glad to be going home...but I knew this experience changed some things about how I saw my role in the equestrian world. I believe it's made me better.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Day 15 of the World Equestrian Games in Lexington Kentucky
Day 17 of my trip which included 2 days in Chicago
Day 13 spent at the Kentucky Horse Park
Day 9 working as a volunteer
6:30am: wake up to the alarm because getting there too late on a Saturday might cost 1 to 2 hours of waiting in line just to park. I got some help getting ready...
7am: hit McDonalds on Man O War Blvd to see if the counter guy remembered to bring me my Kentucky Horse Themed McDonalds uniform hat (I've been in EVERY DAY since we made the bargain and he's been sick/off/forgetful for about a week now) but today's SUCCESSFUL! I traded a Kingdom of Bahrain Hat in White (kept the red version) and he was THRILLED! He doesn't wear his cap to work and has two of them anyway, now it's MINE MINE MINE!!!
7:30am: One last stop into the Walmart to collect last minute WEG items before I must pack them up tonite...they're pretty low on supplies but they did have some cool large post card sized versions of the Leroy Neiman official WEG poster...those could make good 'take home' gifts.
8:30am: Circle Downtown Lexington trying to find a parking space so I can get photos of the Horsemania Ponies around town (a whole blog post for later)
8:45am: Find a parking space at a meter that's broken and HOPE that I don't get a ticket while I run around trying to take shots of ALL the horses in a two block radius. I think I got them all!
9:10am: Return to rental car to discover that the city worker who's been dispatched to fix the parking meter has just parked and is just now looking at the meter, he looks back at me just as I open the door and smiles. Whew...no ticket today!
9:45am: Arrive at Spy Coast Parking lot (which is usually a pasture for Spy Coast Farm ) & discover it's packed! Today's walk will end up being about 1.5 miles into the back gate check point.
I will have to walk through all of these cars in Spy Coast
to get to the opening that will take me to "Camp Ground" parking...
Looking back across "Camp Ground" parking and then begins the hike through the lot...
and looking ahead ...that small white tent in the distance is the security tent
where I will open my jacket and they will search my little backpack...
and then I get to move on to the Volunteer Check-In Tent
One of the Sponsors of the World Equestrian Games is...
"BIG ASS" Fans!!!!Then you check in and they let you know if there are any changes (which there always are but we never know until we get to the "meeting" later)...they also dole out the volunteer gifts: for me I got a 4 day gift of a WEG Pin & an 8 day gift of luggage handle cover (which I used getting all my crap..I mean stuff home...probably another blog post at some point). I didn't quite make it to 12 so I missed out on the cooler but really by the last day I wanted NO MORE STUFF to take back with me.
The organizers really liked us and took lots of photos, every day, and posted them in the Volunteer Tent...
...and every day Beezie Madden smiles and tells me to have a great day...
one time, in PERSON!!!
11am: I'm finally inside the park and have exactly 1 and a half hours to take in some of the Driving Event and thankfully the coolest water feature on the course is the closest event point to the tent I'll meet up with the afternoon/evening shift volunteers for our "Volunteer Briefing"So here's a few shots of the excitement...
12:15pm: It's time to head back to the Volunteer Briefing but I'd like to stay right where I am. I've just gotten so excited about watching these amazing teams wind their way around this water feature making sharp turns and lots of circles...amazing...now I see why it's a competitive sport!
12:30pm: Final (for me) Volunteer Briefing. Since my assigned station is the Main Stadium and it's the final event in Jumping which doesn't start until 8pm, it's decided I'll work the info/program booth at the rear, or Camp Ground, entrance until 6pm and then move over to the Main Stadium after a dinner break at 6pm.
I hadn't worked this position yet so it was interesting to see the teams, volunteers and organizers go by.
2:30pm-ish: I see a familiar face go by on a bike but I'm in the middle of a Program sale so I can't holler at her. All week I'd try to figure out where fellow Seattle Volunteer Jill Hallin was working and here it is my last day and she zips past me on a bike. Huh!?
but thankfully....
3:45ish, Jill comes back through on her bike and this time I'm free enough to flag her down! We share a couple of quick WEG stories but end up talking about the SAFE Benefit Horse Show longer! Too funny...but at least we did find each other at some point during WEG...
5:30pm I take a dinner break at Walnut Grove for the last time. After two weeks of their food, I'm so ready to NOT have it again for a long time. Tonight's selection...BBQ'd Pork Sandwich...again for probably the 6th time. I had other choice but I always regretted them. I'm not saying the food was bad, just that for me I was never quite satisfied. Luckily we were given meal vouchers that covered $12 for each shift. It started off with Papa John's personal pizzas and your $12 voucher would get you your choice of cheese or peperoni and a drink...and that's it. I don't eat bready/doughy things as a rule because it hurts my tummy when it gets too full so I basically ate the topping and tossed the rest. $12 for some cheese, a couple of pieces of peperoni & a drink just hardly seemed right but by day 3 they offered me an "alternative" meal ticket which allowed me to go into the Walnut grove food court and have my choice of burger, chicken sandwich, pasta (another thing I don't do for the same "doughy" reasons) Fried chicken, burritos, salad (usually wilty by the time I got there) and these pretty tasty BBQ Pork sandwiches. As it turns out I don't really like most fries unless they're actually basic cut up potatoes, fried...please don't batter them or chemically alter them to make them curl...I'm a fry purist and sadly the WEG fries were battered and usually cold by the time I found a place to sit. But I figured out that I could get kettle chips instead and my meals became much less unpleasant. And all that was probably much more than anyone cared to know about the food selection at WEG...but basically that WAS IT...not just for me but for everyone, guests, competitors, etc...oh...and that BBQ Pork sandwich w/chips and a drink...$14.50 so each day I shelled out $2.50, which is still not bad...but not everyone had a $12 voucher in their pocket like me. I was behind someone who had a $97 lunch bill for 5 people one day...wow!
I ate dinner with a fellow volunteer, Ann, who I now wish I'd thought to take a photo of. She did take one of me and offered to find me on facebook. Someday I know I'll get this random request and realize it was Ann, who was very nice! She was not on that night but came on her day off to enjoy the games on her own without the limitations of a shift over her head.
6:15pm: I wandered across the road to the Main Stadium and my new friends/Vol-employers were already getting things together. I basically volunteered & ended up working the Info/Program booths for TRMG the UK (Great Brittan, not University of Kentucky that also happens to be in Lexington) company that produces all the official printed matter for the games. Part of my job was to sell their programs...the "official WEG Program", the discipline guides and the Daily Ride sheets. Our leaders were actually TRMG employees, or as I called them "The Brits" came over specifically to work these program sales. To my delight my favorite two, Mike & Charlie were just getting things set up for the influx of spectators for the nights event, the Final Four in Jumping.
So here's the Britt-Mobile...
Charlie & Mike found that if they got out with the programs and caught people as they were getting in, they'd get more sales....
...and meet pretty girls...
6:30pm - 8:00pm: Sold Programs & Daily Ride Sheet at a booth inside the Main Stadium.
We got to meet all kinds of people from all over the world there. One gentleman came up to me and purchased a Daily Ride sheet and the gal next to me asked where he was from. He replied that he was from Belgium and then turned the Daily Sheet towards us and pointed out Phillippe LeJeune and said "This is my son!" and beamed a very big smile. I said "You must be very proud of your son" and he put his hand on his heart and said "I am SO very proud of my son!" so I wished him good luck and off he went to watch his son compete amongst the top four riders in the world. That has got to be amazing.
What made the night extra amazing was that this was not just a jump-off between four riders, but also between their horses. Each rider would rotate through all four horses and so each horse and each rider would complete the jump course four times each time, a different pair.
8:10pm: Mike & Charlie packed up unexpectedly and announced that they were sure there would be no more sales and that we were all released to go and watch the competition. THIS was a gift to me as I had been scheduled to work all the way until 10pm. The other gift was from Mike when we finished packing up and he learned it was my last shift, he gave me one of their beautiful programs!
Bye guys, it's been FUN!
One of the cool things about being a volunteer was that our credentials got us into any/every event and we could sit anywhere there was an open seat or we could find a place to stand and watch if we wanted. So I made my way over to the farthest corner of the stadium knowing that it would be my easiest/closest exit to get me back to the Camp Ground entrance for the long walk back to my car. My feet were already done at that point & I just knew that another hour+ was not going to make them any better, even if I sat most of the time. two weeks of this non-stop WEG schedule was taking it's toll and my body must have known it was about to have permission to take a good long break. But THIS was an event NOT to be missed and so I toughed it out and I am so glad I did! oh...and this corner of the stadium also happened to be right at the Warm-up end of the arena where I got to watch all four riders take a three minute warm up ride on each of the other competitors horses.
The lineup in this Rolex Final Four was:
Abdullah Al Sharbatly from Saudi Arabia & his mare, Seldana di Campalto who entered the event having ridden clear in every round leading into the final. If I'm not mistaken he was the only rider to have done so during the games. It was also significant that this middle eastern rider was in the finals and was in a position to possibly win a medal because that had never occurred in international competition before.
Eric Lamont from Canada & his horse, Hickstead a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion entered the final night coming in the first place position after Friday's events.
Jumping super star, Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil with his Mexican Stallion HH Rebozo was a true sportsman & excited to ride Hickstead saying that he thought he'd be fun. He came into the games with multiple Olympic and World Equestrian Game Championship titles.
And then my new "connection" having just met his Father, Phillippe LeJeune of Belgium and his horse Vigo D'Arsouilles.
I was very interested in the Saudi, Abdullah Al Sharbatly, for a number of reasons (one is...again...another post) but mostly because he struck me as entirely grateful for this experience. Each time I watched him ride in previous rounds he would take a final lap around the arena with his hands cupped in front of him, lifted and looking to the sky. My take is it was his thanks to Allah for the opportunity and for the glorious ride, which he obviously had many of that week! in Arabic there is a response to anything you say for the future...like "see you tomorrow" would be followed by "en shah, Allah" which translates to "God Willing" it's saying that nothing happens unless it is God's will.
Some might see his riding around the arena with his hands in the air as arrogant but I saw it much less about how great he thought he was and more about how great the experience was, because it was God's will. I got the feeling from the folks around me that they thought he was asking for approval from the crowd by riding like this. I saw it as a deeply personal moment that had nothing to do with the crowd.
In this round, Abdullah took eight faults on his own horse in the first ride but rode clean on every other horse.
Eric Lamaze was undeniably an amazing rider with a spectacular horse. They were very well suited to each other but I have to say, I fell more and more in love with Hickstead after each ride. It was obvious this horse was born to jump and that he LOVES & knows his job. Eric, however took a rail down on both Seldana and Rebozo, while also accumulating a time fault for a total of nine penalties altogether.
Rodrigo Pessoa impressed me with his sportsmanship. Just prior to Abdullah taking Rebozo out for the warm up ride, I saw Rodrigo coaching him on how to ride his horse with gestures and arms as he described how to go at each jump. I found that inspirational and was so disappointed when he ended up with 12 penalties: 4 on his own horse and then 2 rails down on Vigo. I so wanted him to medal just because of his goodwill towards the other riders. But it's about riding isn't it?
It was really interesting that each rider only had three minutes with each new horse to ride it in the warm-up area (closer to me!) and could ride over each of two jumps, but only once each. I think that added to the entertainment for us in the crowd.
In the end, Phillippe LeJeune rode all four horses clear with no time faults and won the Gold Medal. His last mount was the incredible Hickstead. When he finished the round, he was all smiles and gave Hickstead lots of pats and love. When he dismounted he ran over and gave Vigo hugs and pats. I was very moved by the acknowlegement of the horses for their efforts in the feat. He truly understands that this is not HIS accomplishment alone, he is but a partner in the team and he showed that on his team team especially it's a relationship even deeper than the partnership.
I read an interview the next day that quoted Phillippe saying that he credited his Father (the man I met buying the Daily Ride Sheet!) for instilling his love of animals and that his greatest wish in the world was that his horses could speak because he'd like to know if they love living with him as much as he loves living with them. I get choked up just thinking about this Gentle Man, a true Gentleman, who believes that horses are not mere commodities. It's not just business to him, it's a true relationship. I'm beyond thrilled to have gotten see him perform and have a small glimpse into his equestrian life. THIS is what I came to the games for....to see for myself what the deep hearted equestrians are like in real life. It turns out that, much like myself, horses ARE their real life! I know I would have been disappointed to come away with anything less in the way of realizations.
The riders returned to their mounts and headed for their victory lap...
There was one more honor bestowed and that was upon Hickstead who was crowned the Champion Horse for having cleared all four rounds with all four riders. While I live in awe of the riders, for me it's always about the horses. I was so pleased that they took the time to recognize the Equine Athlete as well.
But this was post was supposed to be about my day...and what an amazing close to the day...or so you think.
10:00pm(ish) I watched the medal ceremony and felt like extremely honored to be there. It turned out to be the perfect end to my World Equestrian Games experience but I still had quite a journey ahead of me.
10:45pm: The walk back was a tad emotional. It started to sink in that I was leaving for the last time and the following day would be the closing ceremonies and it would all be over. I was sad to leave, even though my feet hurt, I was tired and hungry for something good to eat. At that moment I didn't want to go home. I wanted to stay in Lexington and for there to be a World Equestrian Games event every day for the rest of my life. I made it back to the car and the parking lot was backed up as everyone was trying to exit at the same time. I had some more time to reflect on the experience and I have to say it was like nothing I'd ever done before.
To be among horse lovers every day, to see the many faces, to hear the many voices and accents, to know that no matter where in the world they came from, they felt the same as I did, that this was something very special. I think anyone who went came home just a little changed. Hopefully inspired! But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am so glad I did anything I could to get there.
11:30pm: I rolled into Kitty's house and resumed packing my suitcase and sorting out what I had acumulated while I was there, Clearly I would not have been able to get it all home. Kitty sent me about 25 lbs of magazines and books that I drug home with me day by day so that saved me some space but in the end I was not able to bring back the Kentucky Ale I had acquired for Les. But I managed to make the rest of it all fit.
12:45am: I checked my flight and figured out that the 11:30 flight was oversold and my only option was to drive to Louisville and try to make either the 7am or 9:30am flight to Chicago. With a 1.5 - 2 hour drive ahead of me, I would have to make a decision to leave pretty much RIGHT THEN or try to sleep for 2+ hours and then hope I made it. I decided I would sleep on the plane and I finished packing and drug my very heavy bags to the car and said some quick good-byes to Kitty & Abbey.
2:30am: I hit the road and made a couple of stops for coffee.
5:00am: I made my way to the Cell Phone lot at the airport in Louisville, set the alarm on my cell phone and took a power nap.
5:45am: I tried to return my rental car but it was just a tad too early for them so I had to leave my contract
6:30am: After waiting in a fairly long line it was determined that I was not going to make the 7am flight but that I should be fine for a seat on the 9:30am flight. I had to pay a $50 fee for one of my bags being over weight (officially I think I brought home and extra 100lbs in newly aquired stuff ...probably another post as well!) but when I got up to the gate and finally relaxed my brain started thinking about getting home...and my mindset started to change. Now I was glad to be going home...but I knew this experience changed some things about how I saw my role in the equestrian world. I believe it's made me better.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The Great Paint Project: Part II
Where we left the Great Paint Project last (yes, I am aware some of you have been waiting since April!) Maeve had just put down the new shoes she was buying and returned to the barn with her rescue money...
We made a plan to meet Billie Jean, the owner, for lunch to talk and sign the sale documents. Over soup & salad she explained to us that she'd been going through a rough time emotionally and that her husband thought that having a horse might get her out more and perhaps her mood would improve. They bought Sugar who turned out to be "Spooks Sugar Bar None", a APHA Registered Paint mare who happened to be in foal & brought her directly to KCJ Stables.
It turned out that the barn did not have the appeal that her family had hoped for her and the longer the time between her visits grew, the more she felt even worse than before. It got so bad that even when we agreed to meet, she specified that it couldn't be at the barn because she could not face the horses. I assured her that the horses would be fine and all would be forgiven if she showed up with a cookie...but she insisted that we meet outside and after talking to her, I think I understand how much it all reminded her of how difficult this situation was for her. I got the sense that she did want what was best for the horses and was glad that she could get some peace of mind knowing that people like Maeve and I would do everything we could for them. She did understand that they could have gone into really bad situations and admitted that the people her husband had lined up to come pick them up were contacts of friends who were not even horse people and she honestly had no idea what their outcome would have been.
We signed a Bill of Sale on each horse and out of randomness, Maeve signed for Sugar and I signed for the colt. Billie Jean did tell us why she had meant to name him "Spirit" and it was because she felt like her mother's spirit was guiding her. At the time I had thought something with "Joker" or "Fool" in it was fun because of his April Fools Birthday (shared with my husband, by the way!). We left with a bit of sympathy for this owner who was in over her head emotionally and her guilt over abandoning them at the barn was, perhaps, coming to some closure that I feel she desperately needed. Clearly the rest of her life needed her attention...and these horses did too...and now they had NEW Mommies....and we had new projects.
Now that we had the actual written right to do so, we rushed back to the barn to tell the horses the good news...and yes, I do believe they sense things. Sugar clearly was starting to open up to us. I think some treats and grooming helped that. The wild colt, however, was going to need some expert handling so we brought in Chrissy to help us halter train him. This was needed if we were going to have any hope of taking him out of the pasture he'd spent all but the first 17 days of his life in. That was a bit daunting but ... it had to be done soon!
We decided that the colt needed to be gelded ASAP! Sugar needed her teeth done so we made an appointment with Dr. Tooman to do both on the same day. We had about two weeks to get the colt lead-able so that we could do his daily exercising for the two weeks following his procedure. Chrisy came out and started working with him to get him to move in directions and some basic ground manners. I believe it was down to the wire in terms of feeling "safe" with him before his appointment day, but I guess there's nothing like having to do something to make you just do it and come gelding day, we just got through it. That's all we could do, no choices. Gelding was the sanest thing I could think of to give this colt a chance at finding a forever home. Despite how cute and how pretty his coloring was, the last thing this world needed was another nearly homeless stud. So we made a decision to make it the first priority.
In the two weeks before the gelding/teeth appointment we were able to track down his previous owners to Billie Jean. The breeder who owned his sire had once owned Sugar as well. She informed me that this pair made such good looking & gentle spirited horses that they bred them a total of SIX times in as many years. She also told me that the owner she got Sugar from had paid for 30 days of professional training for Sugar but had been afraid to ride her because Sugar refused to take a bit & would toss her head violently. She thought it had been because someone in her past (not the breeder, from my impression) had tried to float her without sedation. It was thought, however, that the trainer who gave her 30 days came back and rode her fine, even on trails. She did confirm a story that Billie Jean had told us: that Sugar could be ridden in a halter or hackamore but would never take a bit.
So Sugar had been bred five times with the breeder I talked to and then sold to her daughter who bred her to the same stud, Macho Dee Bar (who has since been gelded when the horse economy forced them to shut down their breeding operation). Sugar was sold, infoal, to Billie Jean. They had no idea that the horses had ended up in the situation they were in, which I think speaks to the method in which SAFE rehomes it's horses using reference and site checks. I wonder how many straight sales go through any kind of appropriate match up of horse and human... my guess is that once the money passes hands it's no longer an issue to the most sellers. I do hear, with some regularity, that breeders often stand up for the get they produce and will sometimes take it back or help to rehome it when things go awry. That was my initial hope when I got in contact with the breeder.
Macho Dee Bar
I was told, however, that every single baby that Sugar produced got her easy going disposition and were easy to train. She went as far as to say that one person actually had two of the babies, liking one so much they purchased a second one. It was Cathy Atkinson, not the breeder, who informed me that their (former) stud, Macho Dee Bar, was the son of Barlink Macho Man, a multi-titled halter horse and Supreme Champion Sire. This colt was a grandson of this champion horse and was fortunate enough to get some of pattern genes ;-)
Interestingly enough, the breeder didn't seem to play up that breeding to any of the buyers who ended up with Sugars other babies. I've seen a few, perhaps three, on craigslist or Dream Horse and none have mentioned the amazing bloodlines their horses' have.
Barlink Macho Man
By the time the day came to start the horses on their way to recovery (and life as a gelding) the colt was showing his 'naughty' nature and Maeve started calling him Basil because his personality (or perhaps "horsenality") reminded her of her mischievous brother Basil (sounds like Razzle...not the herb). The idea of calling him anything with "Joker" or "Fool" in it now seemed inappropriate given the circumstances he came to us under.
When stories about free or abandoned horses circulate the crazies come out of the wood works. Early on in the process some 'friend of a friend' came out to see Basil and wanted to put him on an empty piece of property he owned in Gold Bar....but I had to wonder who would care for any horse(s) left there since this guy lived in Burien....and another former KCJ Boarder (who shall remain nameless) saw his photo and immediately wanted to take him to breed him to her mare. The overprotective mother in me thought "Good lord! he's not even a yearling yet!" and made me confirm his gelding appointment.
There was also a referral, a friend of the original breeder who was interested in taking the colt but when I informed them that I would want to do a site check, I never heard from them again. Even a fellow boarder was interested in him at one point but their other horse had some medical issues I wanted to see handled faster than I was seeing and I turned down that offer as well.
Maeve & I decided to test the waters, so to speak, with Sugar and see what she may/may not know. Maeve agreed to be the Crash Test Dummy but thankfully was neither! Sugar got saddled up and sat on with no indication of an issue.
In fact, she was pretty agreeable!
The fist test of mutual trust was a Success!
So Basil's gelding/Sugar's teeth floating day came and Dr. Tooman breezed through the first half great! Basil left the stud world without a care but Sugar fought her floating and had to be given a (Tooman Equine) record FOUR doses of sedative to get her relaxed enough to complete the task.
Poor Sugar....after FOUR doses of sedative
It turned out that Sugar had probably NEVER had her teeth floated in her six year career as a broodmare and the story about the attempt at floating her teeth was probably more accurately a floating attempt with insufficient sedation. Two days later Chrissy came out to give us a hand with Basil's recovery exercise and to check Sugar out. When we told her that the last three owners all seemed to think that Sugar would never take a bit, Chrissy simply said "We'll see about that!" and with a minimal amount of fuss, got Sugar to take a snaffle bit. (have I mentioned that I think Chrissy's a horse-whisperer?) The following day Sugar took the bit with no issue at all and has never refused it since. I guess it's all in what you believe...the other owners believed she never would. Chrissy believed the opposite and my experience has always been to always trust Chrissy.
So I'm going to make this a stopping point with the hope that it won't be another 3 months before I pick it up again. I will, however, leave with a few photos we've collected of one of Sugar's Other babies....and Basil's Full-Sibling....
DIKOTA
We made a plan to meet Billie Jean, the owner, for lunch to talk and sign the sale documents. Over soup & salad she explained to us that she'd been going through a rough time emotionally and that her husband thought that having a horse might get her out more and perhaps her mood would improve. They bought Sugar who turned out to be "Spooks Sugar Bar None", a APHA Registered Paint mare who happened to be in foal & brought her directly to KCJ Stables.
It turned out that the barn did not have the appeal that her family had hoped for her and the longer the time between her visits grew, the more she felt even worse than before. It got so bad that even when we agreed to meet, she specified that it couldn't be at the barn because she could not face the horses. I assured her that the horses would be fine and all would be forgiven if she showed up with a cookie...but she insisted that we meet outside and after talking to her, I think I understand how much it all reminded her of how difficult this situation was for her. I got the sense that she did want what was best for the horses and was glad that she could get some peace of mind knowing that people like Maeve and I would do everything we could for them. She did understand that they could have gone into really bad situations and admitted that the people her husband had lined up to come pick them up were contacts of friends who were not even horse people and she honestly had no idea what their outcome would have been.
We signed a Bill of Sale on each horse and out of randomness, Maeve signed for Sugar and I signed for the colt. Billie Jean did tell us why she had meant to name him "Spirit" and it was because she felt like her mother's spirit was guiding her. At the time I had thought something with "Joker" or "Fool" in it was fun because of his April Fools Birthday (shared with my husband, by the way!). We left with a bit of sympathy for this owner who was in over her head emotionally and her guilt over abandoning them at the barn was, perhaps, coming to some closure that I feel she desperately needed. Clearly the rest of her life needed her attention...and these horses did too...and now they had NEW Mommies....and we had new projects.
Now that we had the actual written right to do so, we rushed back to the barn to tell the horses the good news...and yes, I do believe they sense things. Sugar clearly was starting to open up to us. I think some treats and grooming helped that. The wild colt, however, was going to need some expert handling so we brought in Chrissy to help us halter train him. This was needed if we were going to have any hope of taking him out of the pasture he'd spent all but the first 17 days of his life in. That was a bit daunting but ... it had to be done soon!
We decided that the colt needed to be gelded ASAP! Sugar needed her teeth done so we made an appointment with Dr. Tooman to do both on the same day. We had about two weeks to get the colt lead-able so that we could do his daily exercising for the two weeks following his procedure. Chrisy came out and started working with him to get him to move in directions and some basic ground manners. I believe it was down to the wire in terms of feeling "safe" with him before his appointment day, but I guess there's nothing like having to do something to make you just do it and come gelding day, we just got through it. That's all we could do, no choices. Gelding was the sanest thing I could think of to give this colt a chance at finding a forever home. Despite how cute and how pretty his coloring was, the last thing this world needed was another nearly homeless stud. So we made a decision to make it the first priority.
In the two weeks before the gelding/teeth appointment we were able to track down his previous owners to Billie Jean. The breeder who owned his sire had once owned Sugar as well. She informed me that this pair made such good looking & gentle spirited horses that they bred them a total of SIX times in as many years. She also told me that the owner she got Sugar from had paid for 30 days of professional training for Sugar but had been afraid to ride her because Sugar refused to take a bit & would toss her head violently. She thought it had been because someone in her past (not the breeder, from my impression) had tried to float her without sedation. It was thought, however, that the trainer who gave her 30 days came back and rode her fine, even on trails. She did confirm a story that Billie Jean had told us: that Sugar could be ridden in a halter or hackamore but would never take a bit.
So Sugar had been bred five times with the breeder I talked to and then sold to her daughter who bred her to the same stud, Macho Dee Bar (who has since been gelded when the horse economy forced them to shut down their breeding operation). Sugar was sold, infoal, to Billie Jean. They had no idea that the horses had ended up in the situation they were in, which I think speaks to the method in which SAFE rehomes it's horses using reference and site checks. I wonder how many straight sales go through any kind of appropriate match up of horse and human... my guess is that once the money passes hands it's no longer an issue to the most sellers. I do hear, with some regularity, that breeders often stand up for the get they produce and will sometimes take it back or help to rehome it when things go awry. That was my initial hope when I got in contact with the breeder.
Macho Dee BarI was told, however, that every single baby that Sugar produced got her easy going disposition and were easy to train. She went as far as to say that one person actually had two of the babies, liking one so much they purchased a second one. It was Cathy Atkinson, not the breeder, who informed me that their (former) stud, Macho Dee Bar, was the son of Barlink Macho Man, a multi-titled halter horse and Supreme Champion Sire. This colt was a grandson of this champion horse and was fortunate enough to get some of pattern genes ;-)
Interestingly enough, the breeder didn't seem to play up that breeding to any of the buyers who ended up with Sugars other babies. I've seen a few, perhaps three, on craigslist or Dream Horse and none have mentioned the amazing bloodlines their horses' have.
Barlink Macho ManBy the time the day came to start the horses on their way to recovery (and life as a gelding) the colt was showing his 'naughty' nature and Maeve started calling him Basil because his personality (or perhaps "horsenality") reminded her of her mischievous brother Basil (sounds like Razzle...not the herb). The idea of calling him anything with "Joker" or "Fool" in it now seemed inappropriate given the circumstances he came to us under.
When stories about free or abandoned horses circulate the crazies come out of the wood works. Early on in the process some 'friend of a friend' came out to see Basil and wanted to put him on an empty piece of property he owned in Gold Bar....but I had to wonder who would care for any horse(s) left there since this guy lived in Burien....and another former KCJ Boarder (who shall remain nameless) saw his photo and immediately wanted to take him to breed him to her mare. The overprotective mother in me thought "Good lord! he's not even a yearling yet!" and made me confirm his gelding appointment.
There was also a referral, a friend of the original breeder who was interested in taking the colt but when I informed them that I would want to do a site check, I never heard from them again. Even a fellow boarder was interested in him at one point but their other horse had some medical issues I wanted to see handled faster than I was seeing and I turned down that offer as well.
Maeve & I decided to test the waters, so to speak, with Sugar and see what she may/may not know. Maeve agreed to be the Crash Test Dummy but thankfully was neither! Sugar got saddled up and sat on with no indication of an issue.
In fact, she was pretty agreeable!
The fist test of mutual trust was a Success!So Basil's gelding/Sugar's teeth floating day came and Dr. Tooman breezed through the first half great! Basil left the stud world without a care but Sugar fought her floating and had to be given a (Tooman Equine) record FOUR doses of sedative to get her relaxed enough to complete the task.
Poor Sugar....after FOUR doses of sedativeIt turned out that Sugar had probably NEVER had her teeth floated in her six year career as a broodmare and the story about the attempt at floating her teeth was probably more accurately a floating attempt with insufficient sedation. Two days later Chrissy came out to give us a hand with Basil's recovery exercise and to check Sugar out. When we told her that the last three owners all seemed to think that Sugar would never take a bit, Chrissy simply said "We'll see about that!" and with a minimal amount of fuss, got Sugar to take a snaffle bit. (have I mentioned that I think Chrissy's a horse-whisperer?) The following day Sugar took the bit with no issue at all and has never refused it since. I guess it's all in what you believe...the other owners believed she never would. Chrissy believed the opposite and my experience has always been to always trust Chrissy.
So I'm going to make this a stopping point with the hope that it won't be another 3 months before I pick it up again. I will, however, leave with a few photos we've collected of one of Sugar's Other babies....and Basil's Full-Sibling....
DIKOTA
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