Holy Moly!

I'm riding tomorrow.

My trainer offered a full day riding camp between Christmas and New Year's and I jumped at the chance. I know, I know...I haven't even been near a horse since September so I will likely be a mess. We're having two mounted lessons, one unmounted, a potluck and we're finishing the evening by seeing War Horse. Hopefully, I'll get my horse quota for a little while to hold me over.


Now where did I put my riding clothes?

And do they fit!?!

Are you serious?

This post today on Craigslist really has my blood boiling:

I'm a sucker for a chestnut mare

Those who've been reading from the beginning of this blog, know that it was inspired by one very feisty, very opinionated chestnut mare. A mare who not a single person would dare catch (much less ride) and somehow the stars aligned to put the two of us together. Our individual stubborn streaks managed to keep us working with each other and helped us form a very special bond.

What you couldn't know is that this love for all things fiery and red-headed started wayyyyy back in the beginning...Meet Cleo:

Yep, a 6-year old me carrying a crop! Love her roached mane!

All dressed up as Maid Marion for Halloween (we needed a lead!)

What a cute little face! She was maybe 15 hands and the first horse I rode after I graduated from ponies!

So thank you Cleo, for making an impact on my young equine-obsessed mind that chestnut mares are awesome!!!!!!!

When the going gets tough...

the tough get, errr....creative?

I've been so honored by the responses I've gotten through the internet from my blog and re-posts from others about the paper cuts! I've received several requests for commissions and I now have 3 in the works! Each one brings a new set of challenges and so far they've all been pretty straightforward, with one caveat...

...not all photos are created equal.

I mentioned in my step-by-step  blog, that finding a good photo is the first part of the paper cut process. You have to manipulate it slightly in Photoshop to separate out the layers and then you may begin cutting, the photo doesn't have to be perfect (since you eliminate background info and distracting elements anyway), but what happens when the photo a client gives is awful? Well, this was the situation I was faced with for my very first commission. The woman lives in Canada and her horses are back home in England (more on how she found me and our serendipitous internet meeting later)...she knew exactly which horses she wanted for the first round (she's having me do two more in January) and after a little back and forth via email she finally sent me the photos she'd like to me to use. She admitted they weren't the best, but hoped there was some way I could make them work. I'm not going to sugarcoat it...it was tough. At first glance, not only were they small file sizes, but they weren't very good photos from a technical stand point (poor lighting, composition, etc). And likely, low resolution scans of photographs. This was a factor I had simply overlooked when embarking on doing commission work...so after struggling with the files a little and doing some magic in Photoshop, I managed to make them into a posterized image I could work with. I decided if I was going to make this work, I should start with the most challenging one first...and here he is...

this is Frankie (what a cutie!)...I massively improved on the original file and this was just about all I could get out of it

I used Frankie as a chance to play around with adding another layer of tonality. This time I used 4 layers and I really like how he came out. I took a quick picture of the finished cut out against a bright color so you could see. He and the other piece will be mounted on a neutral handmade paper to be framed with the others I complete.

I may clean up a few areas before he completely finished. What a sweet face!

What helped Frankie is that he oozes personality. So despite being a black underexposed pony in a dark stall, I managed to improvise a little and get a lot out of the original photo.

What do you guys think?

RIP Rowley

I made this for my best friend's dog Rowley who sadly passed away a few weeks ago. I've known him since I was a sophomore in college and as one of 4 dogs they had, he ran that household...even putting their Lab/Chow in his place. He was a Grade-A snuggler and he and I were bonded for life because I dog sat overnight for him the very first day he came home from the shelter.  Their little pack will not be the same without him.

Original photo -- I knew he's be a challenge because I'm emotionally attached to him, and he's a mostly black dog!

Finished! Mounted onto some handmade neutral paper and matted with cream 4-ply

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I used leftover paper I had from Gogo's which got the job done, but I might have picked slightly different ones if I was starting from scratch. She doesn't know that I've been making these so I hope she's pleasantly surprised when she receives hers in the mail tomorrow!

I have several commission requests underway! It's super exciting. I'm hoping to play around with a few techniques while I work on them (specifically adding a fourth layer) and maybe introducing some textured papers.

Let's get crafty...a sort-of-step-by-step-tutorial to paper cut portraiture

Apologies in advance if this hurts more than helps explain the process I took to make these portraits! There are lots of teeny, tiny steps along the way and I tried to document as much as I could, but it's a little hard without 2 pairs of hands (next time I might make a video tutorial). Here is the video tutorial that I used to figure out the whole process.

Fair Hill International ***

Photo dump! Details and captions to follow! I realized two things: 1. I should have brought my tried and true Nikon and a zoom lens, 2. I need to learn how to use my fancy pants Sony NEX compact digital SLR (it's such a great camera and I STILL don't know how to use it consistently...it's either awesome, or terrible).

Paper Cuts!

Well, I took it upon my crafty self to use my skills towards something equine-related! I was hoping to work on something for Andrea and Gogo before she had to say goodbye (It will be a lovely photo album)...and so I wanted to practice with another horse to know I could actually pull off the technique! Some researching of paper cut techniques/photoshop tutorials later and voila!

Klein mare in three tones, cut from paper and mounted onto blue cloth (Klein's colors!) and I matted it with some 4-ply mat board!

Apparently, I am ambitious with my first attempt...I didn't think about how difficult getting contrast and depth out of a dappled grey horse would be. I like how it turned out...though next time (and for Andrea's) I will invest in some quality paper...I just printed various colors that I would need rather than purchasing them, because honestly, I wasn't sure I could pull this off. I am fairly adept with an exacto, but I can get frustrated easily with things that are tedious, so I spread this project out over several days so I wouldn't crumple it up along the way. If anyone is curious about the process, I started with this:

Klein and Stacey killin' it

And turned it into this:

And then cut each color layer out of paper!

I'd say it was a success! Contact me if you'd like to know more about this process!

the next to last song

This isn't the last song
there's no violin
the choir is so quiet
and no-one takes a spin
this is the next to last song
and that's all
     - From Dancer in the Dark

Andrea and Gogo

 This is for Andrea and Gogo. Today she says goodbye to her beautiful mare, Gogo. I started reading her blog at the beginning of my journey with Kiki (and found myself going to the very start to read about her entire adventure with her opinionated mare). She was inspiring, to say the least. Honest, comedic, intelligent, patient and compassionate, Andrea was the only girl for this horse. In this dark hour, I know that Gogo is grateful for you...and all of your fans and friends are here for you both.

xo.

Devon, Dressage, and DQs

I've only been to Devon once before...and it was for the Spring Hunter/Jumper show. The whole scene there is a little strange for me...I mean, I grew up riding bad ponies, mucking stalls for lessons. I'm not implying that some of the people who go to Devon didn't start there too, but the money that is seeping out of pores around the Dixon Oval is hard to comprehend. Just waiting for the restroom you get an idea of the caliber of THIS horse world vs. the one you might be playing in. There's not a horse listed on the classifieds wall (outside the restrooms) under 25K. Green 7-8 year olds are going for around 10K. It's pretty amazing really. Don't get me wrong, the horses are gorgeous, but wow. But...long story short, the Grand Prix Freestyle was amazing and two-thirds of the riders performed their tests in a chilly downpour! I felt surrounded by greatness and indeed I was in the company of riders and horses of Olympic caliber.

Busy, busy, busy...

I've been busy lately...but not riding. While I would love this blog to be strictly horse-related, I think that being a multifaceted individual allows me some wiggle room to talk about the other parts of my life that are distracting me from, or keeping me from riding. I am admittedly, a bit of an over-sharer, even though I consider myself intensely private at times.

One Year

Today marks one year since I last rode Kiki. It all seems more like a dream than my actual life when I think about it now.

:(

Meet Spot!

More on my lesson later (I've got the bf in town and he's taking up nearly all of my attention!) but I will say it was good. Sneak preview: We Jumped! WOO HOO!

My mount for the day was a lovely gelding named Spot. I met him last time I was out there and his owner is a lovely woman who is a professor at Tyler School of Art in Philly. How cool is that? Spot is a mix of some sort (I am convinced he has a hint of something draft in there) and he has a lovely refined face. His owner mostly does dressage with him, but he's done a little bit of everything, including skijoring!!! After not riding in two months (and not having a lesson in over 6) he was just what I need to boost m confidence a little. I remembered how to tack up a horse and wasn't flopping around all over the place once I got on!

Here we are!

I interrupted Spot's grazing for this, he's not amused.

Hi pony!!!

More to come!

Spoiler Alert

I scheduled a lesson with a new instructor tomorrow. She teaches at the farm that my friend Emity boards her horse at and she's an ex-advanced level eventer and she's shown in upper levels for Dressage and jumpers. She is also a yoga instructor and apparently uses it in her approach with teaching. I met her briefly when I was out riding Emily's horse Charlie and she seems super nice.

I am really excited* to ride again, though I am a bit worried I've forgotten how to tack up a horse, much less how to get around on one!

I figure if I am going to buy a horse down the road, finding a good instructor that teaches the discipline I want to ride (and compete in) is crucial -- and so I don't over face myself with a horse I can't handle when it comes time to buy one!

Wish me luck!

*I feel like I am going to throw up a little thinking about it.

Burghley, Burghley, Burghley...

I can hardly get enough.

Want to kill 20 hours of your day? Go here

I have watched through '95 so far, rationing out a video a day so I don't get fired or find myself surrounded by chores at home. I will say, I've been watching the dressage coverage and cross country and have skipped most of the show jumping (partially because they have the winners posted on the links). Some of the courses have been completely outrageous, notably a few sunken roads that make my palms sweaty just thinking about, and some nail-biting combinations that Captain Mark Phillips seems to think are hilarious (hearing him giggle while doing the course walk seems quite sinister). Of all the **** tracks, I think Burghley may be the biggest test of skill and endurance on both the horse and rider. It is the place where riders show their true grit (that's not to say that any other **** track is a walk in the park), but I think Burghley is different. Undulating terrain, huge fences, technical questions, and a tough optimum time to meet, it's unforgiving and certainly not for the faint of heart...I mean, I get weak in the knees just watching. What is apparent from watching the earlier videos is that the British riders are just Gods. They ooze class and showmanship and have incredible horses. I was wondering if something about ex-steeplechase horses gives them an edge. There are certainly a ton of OTTBs running around *** and **** tracks, but I wonder if the British steeple chasing gives them an edge. The horses seem braver, and hungry for each fence. Even some of the really young horses running around Burghley recently pulled off the track have a sense of maturity that I don't get from most of our horses. What's more is that so many of these horses have the coveted "5th leg". They save their riders by being smart and catty at the jumps and can get themselves out of heaps of trouble without being separated from their rider. Obviously, the rider plays a huge role too, but I have been seriously blown away by the horses.

Canter USA -- Part Two

Again with links due to restrictions...

Warner's Way


Talk about a dream horse...under 16 hands (perfect for me)...built uphill and an amazing front end. I love how his neck is tied into to his body and he exudes personality! Only 3 years old with a handful of starts!

Double the Dare

What's not to love about this guy? Flashy, check...kind eye, check...nice conformation, check! He reminds me a bit of my friend's horse (recently featured on this blog, City Diplomat)...plus, his name makes me think of Nickelodeon! And no starts!

And something a little different...from Sport Horse Nation...
Bourbon Ginger Bear

I will admit, I was attracted to this ad primarily because of his name...but, that said he's right up my alley! 7 years old, 15.2 hh and Chestnut...quiet and straight forward! Woot!

*end horse stalking*

A visit to the old farm

It had been nearly 7 months since I had visited my trainer's farm. How time flies! I'll admit, I felt a little nervous about seeing everyone and braced myself for the onslaught of "where have you been" and "what have you been up to" questions, worse though, was having to explain that I am NOT currently riding...sigh. Everyone seemed very excited to see me and I got plenty of hugs from the girls! We stayed for their end of camp show and I got some photos of all the fun.

City Diplomat -- who proved to be my most frustrating equine subject to date!

Munchie and Major -- riding in a pairs class

All of these horses came from the same racehorse trainer in NYC !!! I've also ridden all but one of them!

Arizona -- looking fancy

Reddy -- dream horse

Lucy and Munchie in the jackpot jumper round -- too much cute!

City and Natalie -- I've been trying to convince her to event this boy!

One of the coolest parts of the day was seeing how much City has progressed since I first met him last summer. You can read about me meeting him here. He was given to Natalie as a Christmas gift last year (I remember Betsy telling me when I was there in November and I burst into tears -- it hit a little too close home, chestnut horse and all) and she's done some really amazing things with him. Lately, they have been kicking butt and taking names on the Virginia hunt point-to-point scene. when i rode him a year ago he had just arrived at the farm and was a bit of a green bean. I learned how to play polo on him and he was terrified about the mallet, the mallet's shadow, and anytime I moved my arm with the mallet. He barely had a canter, and when he did it was unbalanced and goofy. But, what he did have going for him in those early days was that he had such a great attitude. He was game and willing to do whatever was asked of him. And now? Well, he's a dream horse. Unflappable, he hunts regularly in the first and second flight, he's been running some steeplechase and point-to-point races, and traveling around with a "been there, done that" attitude that everyone hopes their horse will develop. Oh, and best of all, this horse has a beautiful JUMP!!! Although he gave us tons of trouble during our little impromptu photo shoot (see: unflappable horse will not prick it's ears for ANYTHING) he was still my favorite horse to watch all day!

The truth is, I miss the girls, my instructor, the atmosphere and most of all the horses (especially Charlie)...but right now with my hard work paying off left and right, I know I made the right (um, mature) decision to take a small hiatus.

Agoraphobia: fear of situations in which escape is difficult

Sing it, Freddy!

A few nights ago, I watched a brilliant documentary about Queen (ahem, the music group not her Majesty). I held a sing-a-long for 2 hours, alone  -- though my neighbors probably heard me -- and I found myself reminiscing about long car rides with my Dad as a child. These were hours spent driving to and from the horse farm and it was then that his musical tastes started to influence me. Living in England it seemed natural to love The Beatles (and we did), and my Dad had a real thing for Paul McCartney. We listened to Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Tracy Chapman and of course Queen. Queen was a group that was misunderstood initially in the US, but in England they were already huge stars. I would watch concerts replayed on television and thought naively how amazing it must have been to stand there in a sea of people and sing "We Are The Champions" along with Freddy and the rest of the boys. Watching the documentary rekindled that though...oh my, how special it must have been to see them play. Thousands and thousands of people all singing together in solidarity...suddenly, I found myself feeling nauseous...my hands got clammy and before I knew it I started thinking about worst case scenarios in that big stadium. You see, as someone who has struggled with slight variations of panic disorder, I find the idea of being in a massive crowd like that nearly sickening. Want some insight into the anxious/worrier personality? Here's how my thought process develops: first and foremost, how do you use the bathroom? I mean, do people wear diapers? Go on the floor? Ask someone to hold their spot to make the trek off to the port-a-potty to wait in line for an hour? What happens if you lose the people you came to the concert with? They didn't have cell phones back then...did they have a meet up spot? Nah, all those people seemed too cool for that. What if there was a fire? What if the stage collapsed? Did they know where the closest exit was? What if you passed out, was there ANY chance of getting medical care or would you have your face stomped to the beat of "We Will Rock You"? Sigh.

Can you even imagine?

This, my friends, is a sad reality I have to deal with as an adult. I am plagued with a mild case of Agoraphobia (and not in the sense that I have a fear of open spaces or leaving the house) the fear of situations in which escape is difficult. I generally avoid large crowds and stick to smaller venues to see bands I like. I have gone to very few big sporting events (and I am developing a love for baseball living in Philadelphia). Working in downtown Philly, although not nearly as crowded as NYC, can be a challenge for me at times. I don't necessarily worry about what I will do in a high stress situation (I am actually quite good at keeping my cool and helping others) but I worry what a sea of strangers would do if suddenly there was some sort of emergency. But I know I have it in me to PANIC. A few years ago, we had a fire scare in my office building. We work on the penthouse floor, 19 floors up...not terribly high as far as city buildings goes, but it's one hell of a hike to go down 19 floors of stairs. In fact, it takes about 15-20 minutes at an uninterrupted pace. This particular day they entire building evacuated, I could hear the screaming fire engines racing down Walnut St and the energy amongst the people heading into the stairwell was becoming a little grim. People weren't politely chatting or laughing any more, they were focused on one thing...getting out. I heard whispers of smoke on the 3rd or 4th floor -- we were still at the 14th floor...I picked up the pace springing down the steps. Then I found myself behind two women walking side-by-side blocking the stairwell. I not-so-patiently slowed down behind them and felt my heart rate speeding up...they were casually walking down the steps, putting both feet on each and every stair. The panic bubbled up and I pushed past them and ran down another 8-9 flights only to find myself stuck behind hundreds of people near the 3rd floor. I think I scared a few of my coworkers who eventually caught up with me only to find me near tears and about to throw up. For someone who acts cool, calm and collected 98% of the time I am sure it must have been some sight to see.

I swear this story is loosely related to horses. You see, watching that documentary about Queen made me think about the Olympics. Specifically, the crowds at the Olympics. I am preemptively worried about how I will feel surrounded by thousands of strangers trying to get to and from the same places (what if there's a Tube strike!). I'll be with family, so that will help, but I start feeling a little nauseous just thinking about being there. Luckily, the cross country day of eventing only allows 12,000 people (only, ha) and the other events are held in a stadium, so I should be ok...right? I am worried that while horses from all over the world are competing before my eyes, I will be looking for the nearest exit, or trying to figure out whether or not the overweight guy two seats over can move quickly enough in an emergency...

Perhaps I should chill out. We don't even have our tickets yet.

**I am going to my trainer's farm this weekend to take pictures at event camp! The girls and Betsy are coming up from VA! Can't wait!

My future horse OR the white whale

As a true horse girl I have always dreamt of my "future horse". I've not only etched out what this horse looks like but what its personality would be like, how it would come running across a huge field, hooves thundering, to greet me at the sound of my voice. How we'd ride around bareback exploring new territory together, go for picnics and share lunch, swim in rivers together, and maybe one day even win a few blue ribbons. This imaginary horse has changed over the years and as I have gotten a little older, and less idealistic, I have a fairly good idea of what I want my future horse to be, and this time it doesn't involve wings or the ability to speak English. So as I think longingly about my future horse I've given a lot of thought (more than I should even admit to) about what it's show name would be. I decided this name years and years ago and I've kept it a carefully guarded secret until now.

in which I love my job (for a fleeting moment)

We're on the backside of the London Book Fair now and as the carts of books come through receiving and onto cataloging, I can only hope that there might be something on those carts to pique my interest. To the everyday person my job is quite interesting, and it's true, I am surrounded by rare pieces of history all day long -- in fact, I am one of the few people in the office that gets to handle each and every piece of inventory. But, as I close in on my 6th year here I will admit, I am jaded by these beautiful, scarce texts. I joke with my assistant about how boring certain volumes are (for example, anything written about economics or the stock market -- no matter how valuable -- is completely snooze-worthy), I cringe when an elephant folio comes my way (Roberts Holy Land, I'm looking at you -- 8 volumes weighing in at a combined 350lbs -- and all yours for $500,000) and don't get me started on signed baseball books written in the last 100 years. Barf.

So last week, as the books started to pour through the office and carts started filling up outside my studio, I crossed my fingers that something cool would be waiting for me. Protocol here means that I photograph the "expensive" stuff first (usually sales people already have it selected for clients) and then I shoot all the "other inventory". This other inventory we refer to as "B" books, basically anything under 5K. This is usually where the dregs of the rare book industry are lurking, so I often put off shooting these books until the inventory manger is breathing down my neck.

of google calendars and taking care of business...

So, as stated in previous posts, I've had quite a bit of Real. Life. Responsibility to take care of. I'm getting it done. I have a new roommate nearly secured, though I will miss my current one desperately -- he's leaving big shoes to fill (quite literally). I've been meeting new and exciting people, gardening, and enjoying the beautiful weather. Everything seems to be a little easier even after just a few weeks of FOCUS. I had yet another root canal last week *shakes fist at dentist stealing my horse funds*...but I can see a light at the end of that tunnel there and that feels rewarding. I spent a large portion of the last week working out my finances so I can switch everything over to a credit union instead of a major bank. The long term goal here is to get a car in the next year, and after that...a horse. Having my money in a credit union will make all of that much easier to attain even if switching my bank account over is a HUGE pain in the butt right now.

My google calendar is filling up again...appointments, dates, and events...just the next few weeks are going to be so busy (but FUN) -- and only ONE of those plans is horse related!. Next week the movie "BUCK" comes to Landmark theaters in Philadelphia and I CANNOT wait to see it. For those of you unfamiliar, Buck Brannaman was the inspiration for the film, "The Horse Whisperer". Here's a quote from the movie that hits close to home for me these days...followed by the trailer.

Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will.

 **If you live near Philly, let's go see this together!
***He's coming to this area in the fall and I really want to audit a course!
****Also, I am going to sob like a child watching this film...you've been forewarned.

CANTER MIDATLANTIC

So, I've been stalking Canter USA's site for the last couple of days. Knowing that Emily got both of her horses from there (directly from the trainer, I believe) and that she has a couple of people as resources to find good horses off the track has kicked my possible search for a horse into high gear. I am beginning to determine a criteria for the kind of horse I'd like, though it's not refined enough to share just yet. Obviously, I'm not going to get one right now...a year from now? Well, yes...maybe. Unless of course another project comes my way between now and then. Above all things, it doesn't hurt to look...right?

The canter site has pretty strict rules regarding distribution of their photos, etc...so I can only post links. But if you find yourself bored enough to read my blog, you won't mind clicking on a link or two...or three.

First up:

Stormy Eclipse

*She's a little more than I'd like to pay for a horse with no real under saddle training, but...she's REALLY nicely put together. She's got a lovely shoulder and I like her big bodied confirmation. I'm only 5'6" and 15.3 is actually a perfect height for me as long as they're not scrawny.  It doesn't hurt that's she a dapple grey mare either;) She's 8 and she raced which would make me a bit more concerned...but certainly worth watching.

Next:

Love on a Wire

*There is something very special about this horse. After looking at so many and gathering what you can from the internet, certain horses just seem to stand out. He's got a real look of intelligence and with some time off and new muscles, he's going to look incredible. He's got some great looking legs too! Swooooon.


Finally:

Laduska

*She's the youngest of the bunch, and under that woolly coat I can see lots of potential. She's a little less flashy than the first two, but there's something sweet about her. Again, she's got that bigger bodied shape in a smaller height. I'd love to see some spring time photos of her!

Ok, back to regular life again...

Prime Time Charlie

Here he is: 16hh, big-bodied, 4 year old OTTB -- lower level event prospect!

Emily is 5'11" with legs for days!

Baby shoulder-in

picking up some vibes...

Yesterday was proof that horses are incredibly adept at sensing and reacting to vibes in the air. Emily and I arrived to the farm around 12:30 or so and it was eerily quiet. She mentioned that Sundays are generally low key days there, but there was something a bit unique about that way the farm felt when we got out of the car. We both looked at each other and commented on it. We went inside and a young girl with shorts, half chaps and a helmet came into the tack room and told us that just before we had arrived, a woman who had been riding in the indoor took a nasty fall. Her horse spooked at one end of the arena (I found out later she has been thinking of selling him due to constant spooking) and she landed really hard on her back. She didn't get up right away and emergency services were called. According to the girl, two fire trucks and a few ambulances arrived and quickly assessed that the woman needed to be airlifted out of there. The only field available for a helicopter to land was filled with horses in turnout and there were several horses in private turnouts nearby. Everyone on the property scrambled to get each and every horse inside before they could land the chopper. The girl was still out of breath and covered in sweat when she recanted the story to us so it was hard to believe with how quiet the farm seemed, that only moments before had been utter chaos. Hopefully the woman involved will be ok. She and her horse were scheduled to go to HITS Saugerties in the next week or so.

We got the boys out and Emily checked Jacks leg (he had cut it open a few weeks ago and it's healing nicely). She wrapped him in some polos and put him in a small round pen to stretch his legs and eat some grass. We groomed Charlie for his photo shoot and took him to one end of the barn aisle to set up the shot. After a few minutes of shooting, Emily peeked around the corner to see if Jack was keeping all his feet on the ground...um, not so much. He was rearing and walking around on his back legs, practically climbing out of the round pen. She handed me Charlie and ran off to bring him in. This is a horse you have to draaaaaaag behind you when you're leading him and he acted like a wild eyed colt as she tried to get him into the barn without incident. I yelled down the aisle that he looked ready for the "jog". Something in the air? I'll say.

We finished Charlie's photo shoot and we got him tacked up. I was really excited about riding him again and Emily wanted to see me jump him (I was admittedly really nervous about jumping in front of her). So we headed straight up to the jumping field (it's a big, beautiful field with rolling hills and lots of neat jumps everywhere). I got on and he was antsy to say the least. Emily went off to start setting some jumps and I started warming him up. There was some head shaking (uncharacteristic of him) and he seems a bit more tense than the day before, but I figured he's work out of it. I wasn't about to tolerate silly behavior even if he is only 4! The bugs were REALLY bad and we had forgotten to fly spray him, so Emily ran off to the barn to grab some. She suggested I do some walk-canter-walk transitions to get him light on his forehand, so off we went. I got a beautiful walk-canter from him and I immediately got into a light seat (Emily's saddle is a VERY forward XC saddle that's a bit big for me) and then I sat a little, and then got back into a light seat. I was about to ask for a down transition when...was that a BUCK? Buck...BUCK...holy shit he DOES have a buck...BUCK (I saw his hind quarters out of the corner of my eye)...I'm going to fall off and Emily is now a speck on the horizon almost at the barn...don't lose it now Niamh...I sat deep, looked up, pulled his head up and kicked him forward. Phew! I was curious if Emily saw any of it (she caught either the beginning or the end of it)...and I was proud of myself for not losing it or falling off -- how embarrassing that would have been. We walked around until she got back and I told her what happened. She mentioned that he tried a little buck with her sister-in-law but nothing major, but that she has seen him buck wildly on the longe line. I got off and she hopped on, I just wanted to see if she felt the same tension/agitation that I was getting. His bucks almost suggested a tack issue...but there was no evidence to suggest that...We think it was likely the bugs so we took him back to the outdoor arena away from the long grass. He still seemed quite tense and bratty, and I was slightly relieved that it wasn't something that was just happening for me. She trotted him over some ground poles and he cantered/hopped and nearly offered a buck. Odd. I mentioned that perhaps all the commotion on the farm earlier probably created a bit of an electric atmosphere and she agreed. He was even wild-eyed in the wash stall -- which she said was completely out of character...

Oh horses.

I'm sad he's leaving because I would have loved to ride him a few more times with Emily and Jack (now that he's nearly better). Once Jack's 100% sound and mostly sane she said I can try him too! In the meantime she's going to keep an eye out for any potential projects around the farm. There's an adorable 16h dark bay mare coming off stall rest that would be perfect for me. She's a little OTTB, 3, and just as sweet as can be. Has a walk, trot, canter and has gone over a cross rail or two. I poked my head into her stall to say hello, and she soooooo wanted to go do something. We shut the door and squealed and bounced around her stall! I may take some jumper lessons with a trainer there to get my sea legs back over fences too!

Follow up post to come, complete with photos!

eye opening

I can hardly describe what a different experience I had riding with Emily yesterday. The barn is gorgeous, home to around a hundred beautiful horses (mostly hunter/jumper types). Though the farm itself doesn't have a manager, there's a staff and three trainers that more or less run the place. Everyone was friendly and welcoming and I didn't feel out of place for a second. I was worried that at a hunter/jumper barn I might feel a little odd. I was soooo excited to meet Charlie and to see Jack again. He has really blossomed and looks fantastic. I'm still in awe of Emily's ability to see Jack as a 2 year old on the track and understand that there was something really special about him (potential to be an upper level event horse). One of the neat things about her two horses is that they have dramatically different personalities on the ground and under saddle. Charlie is a ham on the ground, a bit pushy and opinionated. Jack wants you to hold his head in the cross ties, and you practically have to drag him out of his stall (he was laying down knee deep in straw when we arrived -- co cute). Under saddle, Charlie is ALL business, and completely unflappable. Did I mention he's 4??? She picked him up off the track in November and has been working with him since then. He just completed his first little horse trial and won his dressage division. Jack, who's coming off of a month on stall rest, was pretty amped up. As soon as I got on Charlie I relaxed...he trucked me around quietly while Jack danced around a little. At one point we were going in opposite directions and as we went to pass each other Jack came unglued, leaped away from Charlie squealing. Both Emily and I started laughing...silly pony. Oh, and Charlie? Didn't flick an ear. His best buddy in the whole world just bolted away screeching and he didn't miss a beat.

What's special about Charlie is that he's green but sane. I loved riding him because he's had great training so far, but he still needs lots of education. He's exactly the kind of horse I would want if I was looking for one. Sadly, he's leaving on Tuesday for Virginia to be sold out of Phyllis Dawson's farm. He's going to make someone a very nice lower level event mount.

The truth is, riding at a great place, with an awesome rider was inspiring and at one point Emily looked at me and said, "you need a horse of your own". Sigh...I know.

Best news? She invited me out again today to ride Charlie and dun, dun, dunnnn...she's going to set some jumps for me!!!!!!

Time to go throw on my riding pants!

short-lived horsey hiatus...sorta

I've been working hard on getting the annoying things (responsibilities) under control in my life. Much progress is being made on that front, and I have to say the momentary reprieve from riding has been welcomed and appreciated. I've been utilizing my time effectively and followed through on some small promises made to myself over the last few weeks.

I miss riding, it's true...all the horse blog reading and Youtube video watching won't change that. So in an effort to keep that flame alive, I reached out to a friend (the girl responsible for introducing me to my instructor) to see if I could catch a ride out to the farm to see B and the ponies. We're figuring out a good day to arrange it and I am super excited to see all the familiar faces again. Then, last night I got an email from Emily (the advanced event rider I mentioned in a previous blog post). She asked if I wanted to go riding on Saturday! She's excited for me to meet Charlie, the horse she's co-owns and who's leaving for sale soon and her horse Jack. I met Jack when he first came off the track as he was let down and rehabbed at my instructors farm. At that point he was throwing himself on the ground when he'd get turned out and freaking out everywhere else being completely nuts. He recently just finished his very first pre-baby-novice HT!!!!

So on to tomorrow, riding with a an advanced rider and her two lovely prospects and hopefully learning a thing or two:)

Yay!

counter balance

Songs I would love to ride a freestyle dressage routine to (in no particular order):

I especially love the last song because there's a great part for a free walk. I am such a nerd.

Final Results

Rolex Final Results:
1. Mary King and King's Temptress (GBR) +0  47.7
2. Mary King and Fernhil Urco (GBR) +0  49.7
3. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville +0  53.1
4. William Fox-Pitt and Neuf des Coeurs (GBR) +0  54.0
5. Clayton Fredericks and Be My Guest (AUS) +4  57.0
6. Oliver Townend and Sonas Rovatio (GBR) +0  58.2
7. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential (CAN) +0  60.0
8. Hannah Burnett and St. Barths +8  61.3
9. Boyd Martin and Remington +0  61.4
10. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master (CAN) +0  68.5

I'd say my guesses were pretty good, with 3 of my 5 picks in the top ten!

I got to spend most of my weekend watching the live feed (thanks USEF network) and only missed the first 9-10 riders go XC on Saturday. The course was really well designed this year with plenty of questions throughout. No one jump seemed to be causing problems but there were a few spots where if the horse was getting tired or the rider lost focus gave a few repeat run out or sticky occurrences. Even a few seasoned riders seemed to have trouble at the hollow which appeared to demand precise riding of all three elements.

Tiana Coudray seemed to ride Finian so boldy around the course. He's such a big, impressive horse that makes the jumps look quite small. It seemed as though her youth and inexperience at the 4* level got the better of her at the farmyard complex, and as Finian twisted over the large table, jumping left, he landed on the other side unaware of the incline, losing his footing and stumbled. My heart broke as Tiana popped out of the tack and was thrown clear. She'll have so many more runs at Rolex and other big events I'm sure that she felt the whole trip was worthwhile and educational. She's one to watch, she made that very clear.

 It was awesome to watch Ollie guide his "green" horse around the course. I was watching the rides with someone who knows very little about riding (much less eventing) and it was interesting for him to see the little differences between horses and riders. I commented on Ollie's ability to ride ANYTHING...and in the moments that his horse bobbled or got nervous he kept quiet and confident and the horse went around beautifully, getting stronger with each jump. I must admit I am a sucker for the British style of riding...it may be a little less pretty, but it really seems to allow the horse to make good decisions lets the rider stay out of the way. 

Boyd's ride was impressive, but was certainly expected from him and his beautiful mount Remi. I would have liked to see them climb the leader board a little more but it wasn't to be.

R-Star and Kristi Nunnink started off quite strong and looked lovely bouncing around the course. The double corners started giving quite a few pairs problems along the way with Kelly Sult and Hollywood crumbling the second element earlier in the day (side note: that horse looked EXHAUSTED half way through the course and like his heart wasn't in it that day -- after the crash there I worried he wouldn't make it around). It seemed as though Rosie didn't read the first corner well at all and had quite a dramatic crash on top of it. They both flung the ground with a bit of a thud, R-Star getting up a little dazed and Kristi laying on the ground. It was heart-wrenching to see and Rolex would scorn them once again. I think some riders feel a bit jinxed by the Kentucky Horse Park and perhaps this pair is one of them. I simply love this mare and Kristi really deserved a top finish. Luckily they were both ok (I think Kristi broke her collarbone).

And that leaves Mary from my predicted list. What else can be said about her at this point? She rode Fernhill Urco around his first four star track like he's been doing it for years. He gained confidence with each jump, and never let him get overwhelmed when he had a less than perfect jump. A perfect example was when she let him come back to a trot at the water. He got a bit of a wiggly jump over the vertical in and she brought him back, let him regain composure and hopped over the B element and the second duck like it was no big deal. What a fantastic horse woman. I was showing my friend how much further behind the motion she stays over jumps and explained how helpful that can be with younger, less experienced horses. It was also quite interesting to see how Mary and the other veteran out there really supported their horses on the landing of some of these fences. KHP's rolling hills caught some riders and horses off guard and a few horses really struggled with the landings.

*The thoroughbreds running Saturday certainly showed their endurance around the hilly course and it was clear that some horses coming out of the start box too fresh got fatigued early on. Nearly every Tb coming through the finish flags was still full of running.

**If I could ride any horse that I saw go round Saturday it would without a doubt be Olivia Loiacano's Subway. That thoroughbred made the course look like a complete blast and what a fantastic gallop!!!

I held my breath while each rider negotiated the showjumping Sunday and I was ultimately really pleased with the results. I definitely teared up watching Sinead's round and the look on her face when she went through the finish flags was priceless. Again, I think her skill on XC and poise in the showjumping phase are directly related to her investment of time and energy under William Fox-Pitt in England. I wish more of our young riders could spend a few years over there. It's clear the Brits know what they are doing and we would be remiss in not trying to learn from them.

Rolex Update

Here's how I am fairing so far after dressage:

Tiana Coudray -- Ringwood Magister [1st place]
Oliver Townend -- ODT Sonas Rovatio [26th place]
Boyd Martin -- Remington XXV [9th place]
Kristi Nunnink -- R-Star [13th place]
Mary King -- Fernhill Urco [2nd]

Out of a field of 54, I'd say my guesses are pretty good!

I got to see everyone but Mary King's test. Of course I knew she would only improve on her first ride (and boy did she). Watching Tiana ride such an accurate and expressive test was inspiring. I definitely felt myself tearing up when she finished her final halt, saluting with a huge smile on her face. She rode the test of a lifetime. There was some commentary that it was a safe test, but that aside, she rode Finian to the best of his mental ability in the grandstands and atmosphere without allowing his energy to boil over (where many people pushed and lost their horses here and there). I hope the rest of her weekend goes as well as today. Oliver rode his relatively green mount accurately (and certainly on the safe side)...while the horse isn't a flashy mover or particularly expressive, he rode each movement precisely and seemed quite happy with his test. I felt like Remington missed out on a few points and he's just a gorgeous horse in the dressage arena. I am excited to see them go tomorrow! Kristi's test on Rosie was just gorgeous. The horse exudes personality and class and Kristi rode each movement squeaking out as many points as she could. They both really seemed to be having a fantastic time and I think it showed in their expressive test.

Fingers crossed for more good luck tomorrow and safe rides for everyone in Kentucky!

USEF Rolex Coverage

Just loving it right now (ahem, at work)...

I'm going to make predictions (or my wish list for winners):

Obviously Mark Todd is favorite to win for everyone, so I'll leave him off my list...I cannot wait to see him ride this weekend!

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister:

Young, talented, and what an extraordinary horse!

 

Young and hungry, I watched these two climb the ranks over the last few years kicking ass and taking names along the way. I think they are well prepared and I would love to see them have a great weekend!

Oliver Townend and ODT Sonas Rovatio:

Such a scrappy, smart rider!

I have a soft spot in my heart for Ollie. I grew up in the same area as he did in England and something about his mentality with horses hits close to home. I feel like he could ride a giraffe around Rolex if he had to. He's had some tough falls in the last few big events and he deserves a top finish.

Boyd Martin and Remington XXV:

What a handsome pair!

 

Boyd is such a stand up horseman all round...This horse has so much potential and it doesn't hurt that he's stunning. I think they have a chance of a top placing if they have a good dressage day.

Kristi Nunnink and R-Star:

Gorgeous little mare!

The back story of Kristi and her mare Rosie are what makes me enjoy watching them go. They've worked incredibly hard to get to this level and it shows in their beautiful partnership. An unfortunate fall last year kept them out of the competition, but I think they'll have a good weekend.

Mary King and Fernhill Urco:

I'm seeing a trend in my favorites

Mary King is simply a legend. She's got two gorgeous horses going around the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend and I think her experience will help her get to a top 5 spot. Both horses exude talent and she seems unflappable. It will be a good weekend for the Brits (again!). I chose Urco over temptress because I'd love to see one of the Fernhill horses win big!

**Disclaimer: These are my sophomoric guesses and predictions -- there's no serious eventing education to back up my thoughts!

blogging hiatus

I'm still here...I've just been busy. Busy with life, work, dentist appointments, roommate departures,  trying to be social, reconnecting with old friends, making plans and trying not break plans. All this, and I am the kind of person who needs A LOT of alone time. *sigh*

And yes, I've been riding and spending time with Kazi. Not as much as I have wanted to due to things stated above, but I've been making my pilgrimage there at least a few times a week to kiss his nose, throw on his tack, and put him to work. He's had a little bit of a bee in his bonnet the past few weeks. Due to D's knee injury she's been doing strictly ground work with him (*see: trailer loading) and he's been making some forward progress. It's still unclear if we're going to be able to get him on the trailer Saturday for the Parelli clinic, but I believe we are going regardless...Hopefully that puts less pressure on her to get him loaded. I have a feeling that the other lessee is letting Kazi get away with all sorts of stuff when she rides. I feel like every time I get on him I am riding him for the first time and he feels green, not goofy green, just like he doesn't understand how to bend or yield to my leg. I swear my right leg is going to wind up wayyy more muscular than the left one. That's cute.


Sunday he pulled a whole bunch of BS with his owner when she was working with him on the ground. We gave him a well needed bath after he lathered himself up freaking out and I hand grazed him in the gorgeous 80 degree weather while he dried off.

Here's how his mind works when asked to do an activity:

*he's asked to walk in a circle around D
*we put a barrel and mount block about 3-4 feet apart and ask him to walk through on the circle
*he does it once or twice at a walk, no spook, no bolt
*D asks for a change of direction
*Kazi loses his mind, stops sniffs barrel, plays with the fixtures on top of it
*finally after some persuasion he starts through and bolts pulling at the end of the 20 ft line
*each repetition of the activity sends him into bigger and better bolts/spooks
*he can hardly turn to face the question before bracing and shutting down
*D gets after him for being a butthead and he rears (halfheartedly) and pulls against her trying to change direction or just get away from the question at hand

We wound up spending wayyyy more time on this activity than either of us would have liked, but it was interesting to see how his brain was working. We need to figure out a way to get him re-focused when he gets like this. Even after removing him from the activity and working on something else, his anxiety was still there.

Today I rode him in a PACKED arena. There was a lesson going on and 3 other girls riding around. One on a dead quiet small horse that seriously reminds me of a carousel horse...another on a super cute pony that I want to kidnap, kinda zooming around without a care in the world...and the other girl was riding a newish horse at the farm, and beautiful blue roan rocky mountain horse who is a ball of nerves...The weather has been crazy all day and I debated even going out there between thunderstorms but I had a terrible day at work and I have another dentist appointment tomorrow so I needed some horse therapy. The horses were clearly being influenced by the barometric pressure (thoroughbreds seem particularly sensitive) and the rocky mountain horse, Bonnie and Kazi were losing their minds. I rode him for around an hour and much of it was spent walking and doing lateral work to keep his brains intact. We did some walk-trot-walk transitions focusing on encouraging him to move out when heading downhill (the arena has a slight grade and he protects his legs by shortening up which leads to him tripping). He just felt stubborn and sticky. I cantered him a few laps to let him stretch out and he was much more forward after that. But then the wind picked up Bonnie started spooking and bolting and Kazi felt like that was his green light to freak out. For the first time ever I had to one-rein stop him into the rail. He kept gathering up his hind end to bolt and I stopped him dead in tracks before he got too much momentum -- I think I really surprised him and he knew immediately he was in trouble.

We finished the ride with more lateral work...bad behavior = hard work time.

someone feels guilty

**Oh yeah, he tried to bite me when I was saddling him...

Blast from the past!

I started riding at 4 when we lived in the Bahamas. This was taken when I was 6 riding a little chestnut mare (old habits die hard) named Cleo. She trucked me around my very first shows and offered me a maiden voyage on a nearly upright rear (when I clung to her neck and stayed on). Cute little thing with her roached mane and all.

I think my Mom made me push my helmet back for a good photo!

The other girl in the photo was my best friend Christina who was responsible for getting me involved with horses in the first place...simply stated, I had to do anything she did too.

Let's see your silly childhood horse photos!

A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!

I am sure I've mentioned before that I work as a photographer for a rare book company...the largest in North America to be exact...my work week varies day to day, I have an assistant and I more or less arrange my workload (unless we have a big catalog coming out -- fall is our busiest time of year). One of the best things about my jobs (and why it suits me as a self-proclaimed nerd) is that I am surrounded by rare and valuable things all day lone. Even better than that, I get to handle each and every one as they come through the studio. Things that most people will either never see, or may stumble across in a museum or famous library. The owners just returned from a huge book fair in NYC and acquired some really beautiful and expensive new things for our inventory. In the last two days I have handled over a million dollars worth of books split between 8-9 different titles. Crazy.

Today, while photographing Shakespeare's Fourth Folio (ahem, $250,000) I highlighted a few passages for use in the upcoming catalog. I thought I would include one here...work life + horse life meld in the blogosphere!

fondling rare books -- it's how I pay the bills

there's no such thing as boredom

Recently, when I was trying to explain horse shoeing to a friend...we came up with a really great cartoon image of Kazi after he gets new shoes. This was a collaborative effort.

hehehehe

Wide Open Spaces

I was disappointed to arrive at the farm Saturday to find out that Kazi had not been trimmed or re-shod. Also, a side note: The pictures taken last week do GREATLY exaggerate the toes in front, but his toes are simply too long for me to feel comfortable asking for much from him. I wanted to get further photos but there were tons of people around and I didn't want to seem like a creep. The horse does have a heart of gold though and has been foot perfect since his tumble last week. That said, I was not about to do any sort of real riding on him and further exacerbate the issue. I did not want to ride him Saturday if his feet weren't done and if I did, it would be just tack walking around. A group of people were going on a walk-only trail ride and asked if I wanted to go so I could see the trail system a little (and they knew I was worried about Kazi's feet). The two trainers there agreed his feet were fine for a walk in the park, so off we went! Sometimes in situations like this, it's good for me to be ambushed with a new plan. Given any time to think about what lies ahead I have a tendency to worry about silly things. This was Kazi's first trail ride of the year and I knew it would be interesting and educational.

What I know about his experience on trail is limited to a few stories. He is apparently pretty good in groups, will lead or follow, isn't particularly spooky, jigs on his way home...the usual kind of stuff. I have heard about him bolting when other horses have spooked and getting a little goofy in open spaces...so I tried to keep an open (and sensible) mind heading out. We took the opposite route of the loop we were going on which took us into an area called the Meadowlands. It is essentially a huge clearing that they are working on to reroute some of the trails (sadly to accommodate bikers). The footing is great and it's nice and windy with some good hills here and there. Kazi had a really hard time keeping it together once we got out there and he could see for acres and acres. I didn't react, simply kept my reins soft (short enough that if he bolted I would have reins to use, but not so short that he felt restricted in ANY way) and followed his head with my hands. I counted his rhythm in my head and chatted with the trainer who was leading in front of us. The two girls riding behind me are both teenagers who were on pretty dead broke mounts (though, they both have their moments). The horse leading is a really cool Rocky Mountain Horse that is just as sturdy and calm as can be, but he is a big baby. He can handle pretty much anything unless that "thing" is coming towards him at speed. If that happens he wheels around and runs in the other direction. In my mind I pictured a little cartoon horse running away from something scary with a big cloud of dust and it's little legs going so fast but the horse isn't going anywhere. The trails were pretty quiet and there weren't too many tough questions along the way. The was one point where a log had fallen and created a beautiful 3 foot vertical across the trail. We had two options to get around it, but Kazi couldn't figure out the first one -- which was following the horse in front off to the left over a narrow path and back down. As we started in that direction, I could feel him thinking about leaping to get to the lead horse, so I turned him around and headed up an embankment and around the whole fallen tree instead. It was a much better choice for both of us. He still seemed pretty confused with how to get down the other side, but at least he wasn't pressured into any airs above ground. The whole loop took about an hour, and as we headed back to the barn all of the horses got a little goofy. I didn't mind at all, but then we headed toward a horse eating monster. Said monster was just a small piece of equipment about 50 yards away (and on the trail path) that was moving rocks around. The unit must have been a little bigger than a ride on lawn mower, but holy crap, this thing made soooo much noise. The horse in front, Sonny, was coming unglued, and Kazi was following suit. We stood there for about 5 minutes trying to get the operator's attention so he could shut it down for us to pass. The two boys were just losing it a little and Kazi just wanted to keep moving. Having him stand there was pretty awful and I could tell he couldn't figure out what to do with his body. Finally, the guy shut it off and now we had to convince the already terrified horses that they had to meet their maker! Sonny was actually so bad that it somehow calmed kazi down. He was spinning and trying to bolt away and Kazi stood like a gentleman while I patted his neck and encouraged him to walk (slowly) past. I like for horse to really SEE the scary thing, touch it if they need to and learn how to walk away from it. Everyone got past just fine and we were nearly home (I think that element made everyone want to just run for home). Kazi proceeded to just stay really excited and worried about maintaining the distance between him and the leader so we switched places. Putting Kazi in front meant he had to look around and pay attention. His whole body relaxed and we marched back to the barn on the buckle.

What a brave boy!

I was really proud of him for his first trail ride of the year and our first together! Nothing he did was dangerous or crazy, and it was helpful to have a trainer there to help guide me through the scary parts. One of the things I like so much about thoroughbreds is that they just have great brains. They really try to figure things out and want you to help them along the way. It's a real partnership.

There were some really cool spots along the trail for trotting and cantering and I am looking forward to working up to that with him!

I gave him plenty of love, stuffed him full of granola bars and gave him a kiss on the nose!

*His owner was out on Sunday and worked on trailering again...she said he still wouldn't stay in the trailer -- sigh. I think it's just too small.