Free bird!

I took a mental health day on Thursday to reset my messy mind a little. I've got lots of exciting things going on in various aspects of my life and I think that taking the time to pause and reflect is important so as not to get bogged down with the details! Horses have always offered me that sort of reprieve and I'm grateful to be able to turn to them when I needed a distraction or support (or just a good laugh).

We're almost snow-free at the farm, but with all that snow melt comes MUD and lots of it. Not to mention the ring is super cuppy and deep right now as it attempts to dry out and drain. It was too sloppy to ride in the ring so we decided to free jump a bunch of the horses (Riley included). Our free jump area is really cool. It was once a ring designed for little kid pony rides so it's essentially a ring with another ring inside it (so that the ponies couldn't dash into the center or run away). It has footing and is large enough for the horses to get a nice pace and rhythm.

Riley heard that Bobby was the fanciest show pony, so he got jealous and struck this sweet pose to show off all his angles.

#GOALSMET

Handsome man

This weekend was a little bit hectic with both Emily and I have opposing obligations both days with only a little bit of overlapping at the barn. Saturday I met her and we were determined to get two sets in before she had to head out!

We decided to take the two chestnut boys out first, her young prospect and Riley (best buds). Everything was still really snow covered, so we opted for a hack along the bridle path that surrounds the big paddocks. Both boys were very brave hacking into the unknown and with the snow being VERY deep in spots, they were getting a thorough workout. I think I even heard Riley huffing and puffing a little. When we got back around to the barn, we decided to take our hack down the drive (it's about a mile long) and up to the big hill that looks back toward the barn. This hill is going to prove extremely influential in Riley's fitness and for me to get a better feel for galloping up and down terrain! On the asphalt, I asked Riley to really march along because there's simply no reason he can't do some "real" work at the walk!

Heading out on our hack around the pastures

Both of us looking super awkward.

The next set involved two of Emily's sale horses. A lovely mare named Lola (who might be sold) and a 5 year old dark bay on his 5th ride post-track. You have to love the brain of a well-adjusted TB as he took the lead and led the whole way bravely. At one point they were heading under some low branches when one caght on her vest and snapped off landing on him. He scooted two steps forward and realized everything was fine and went along his merry way! He's definitely one of those types that is REALLY going to blossom with his own person.

Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...

Turner leaded the way with Emily up. He's for sale!

I had the barn to myself Sunday and I had planned to ride Riley and Turner, but time got away from me and I had some things I wanted to take care of with Riley, so Turner got off the hook. It would mark my first solo voyage on the property (and the ring is a bit of a hike from the barn) but Riley was just stellar.

Heading up the ring, he spotted a buttload of deer bouncing around

Playing the ring, the snow was finally soft again! (also, sweet bedhead Riley)

We mostly stuck to a large oval (probably larger than 20 meters, but I don't have a good eye for such things unless I'm in a dressage court) and it was actually really fun. He felt super, and because of the 6"-12" snow he was taking this big, bold steps that made him feel like a big fancy warmblood! So we practiced bend, riding without reins and using my legs to maintain our shape and of course lots of sitting trot. His trot is generally easy enough to sit, but in the snow he was really getting a lot of suspension, so it was very challenging! I used some of Emma's recent tips and though about pressing down into my toes, which ultimately kept the ball of my foot where it should stay and keeping my elbows elastic. I always try to this of turning my bell button toward the sky to help straighten out my upper body and I felt I was actually doing some pretty solid work!

*Ahem, my core hates me today.

Our snowy playground!

The last goal I had for the weekend was to take a conformation shot for January. Riley's looking a little rough due to some fungus on his face, and I was going to have to do it by myself (HA!), but I wanted to try anyway. Gotta stick to them goals.

But before we get to that, when I pulled him out of his paddock I noticed something kind of horrifying... As in, his tail was half-gone. I nearly burst into tears and as I'm sure a bunch of you know the struggle it was to get his tail long and full...

We still don't know what happened, but it was either eaten by the pony OR some lunatic chopped it off:(

I wound up trimming another 8" off of it to make it look slightly less insane, but I dunno guys, I'm at a loss for words. if anyone has any suggestions to help it grow any faster let me know!

Onto his little conformation shoot. It was moderately successful, but I was just happen he stood very still in a decent position while I snapped these:

Hahahaha.

This was basically the best I could get him to stand up without spooking him or having him walk over to me for snacks.

Tail or no tail, he's super adorable.

Overall, he looks like what I would suspect from having the last 2-3 months off with only light hacking. Under saddle he's been super soft and bendy and he's moving really well even without shoes. they'll go back on in another week or two after the mud disappears. But I think this is a good baseline moving forward. We'll up his workload each ride and get him up to 4 rides a week in the next month.

Turning back time, just a little more.

Thanks everyone for bearing with me while I recap the last few months. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you've seen some of the photos in this post, but they are worthy of a real write up to reflect on a few things.

I'm just going to put this here.

As I mentioned recently, we competed at an event with less than adequate preparation. It wasn't that we weren't ready, but we didn't get a chance to XC school at all and we jumped a handful of times at a neighboring farm. Our last barn had a tiny grass ring and three jumps that I used maybe once or twice. It wasn't ideal, but nothing ever really is, so we made it work with what we had and the opportunities that presented themselves to us. Emily's business partner runs a nice facility close by so we were able to pop over there for a few jump schools. I had decided that if we could jump all her new fancy stadium jumps, that anything at the event would be easy (hahaha, ok). She had just gotten some really cool fences made including stone walls, gates, a wavy jump with boat sail standards and a butterfly jump with wings!!! She also has a little area for xc schooling. But it's a primarily hunter/jumper barn so it's more like a few logs, some stadium jumps in between trees and some hanging logs... oh and a bank jump that no one uses:)

We warmed up indoors and Emily had me ride through a gymnastic a few times to get Riley thinking on his feet. This is going to sound weird, but for whatever reason, no matter what height she sets jumps to in a grid I could care less about them. But you set up some random vertical somewhere and I clam up like a weirdo. She's well aware of this so she'll jack fences up in grids while I'm not looking. Very sneaky.

Love his soft expression

Maybe one day my poor right leg will uncurl itself

As you can see, he was very excited about the whole thing. He's always been a sort of economical jumper. He's gets his limbs out of the way, but he doesn't see the point of going bonkers (until he finds something scary and then jumps it like a deer). We used to joke around when he first started learning to jump because often his front feet were on the ground and his back legs hadn't quite left the other side of the fence.

This particular day, we worked on me landing and GOING. In his conservative state, he will attempt to putter out when he thinks the activity is over... you can see me kind of goosing him to continue cantering over the ground pole in the gif!

So we headed outside, jumped a quick course and then took to the XC field to practice our land and GO! technique.

Heading toward the barn, weeeeee!

This thing looks pretty innocuous, but it's begging for a run out to the right and there's a huge log pile upon landing (to be avoided)

And GO! Riley!

It got to the point that I would land from a fence and gallop away from it to get his engine revved up. If there's one thing I learned from the event (and falling off) it's that Riley jumps wayyy better if he's going. This half-hearted, lazy canter/trot is not doing us any favors. And I know the gears are in there... exhibit A:

Maybe a little TOO much enthusiasm. 1st jump school of 2015.

But there's a balance, and I think we found it. It's important to get him revved up, but not offended. In front of my leg and not teetering in 2nd gear.

He found this lattice especially exciting. *You get a better idea of the bank in this pic.

The lattice gave us a little issue in that he was very backed off the first two times over it. Once I got him back in front of my leg he jumped it beautifully and wouldn't ya know it, when he jumps well, my position improves too. I bet you guys are really blown away by all my powerful insight.

Lastly, we worked on the bank a little bit. We knew for sure that St. Augustine would have at least one bank question on the course and we wanted a little refresher for Riley. He's always been wonderful about banks. Drops/banks in and out of water = no problem. This bank however does not have a "small" side. It's 4 rail road ties high (roughly 32" plus grass). But, like I have for every other bank, I just trot him up to the obstacle, support him and he goes. This is where his default of being a little less exuberant pays off.

Good boy!

Riding down a big bank is such a cool feeling!

Weeeeee! Love the matching ponytails! Jesus Niamh, this isn't the Head of the Lake!

Writing this got me thinking about the kinds of things I'd like to work on in the near future. I think to feel competitive again this year, we need to jump... a lot. it doesn't need to be big, but it needs to be consistent. Riley needs to be cantering course and we need to have adjust-ability. I think we'll start with some grid work and gymnastics to get his foot work back and go from there. Since we have hills again, I think that conditioning and interval work thrown in once a week will get he and I back into shape and ready to tackle XC. *I see a lot of 2-point and no stirrup work in my future.

Now or Never (Q1 goals)

What having dinner with your trainer looks like

In the spirit of holding myself accountable I set some goals on paper last night with Emily. I explained to her what I was hoping to accomplish for the year and we pulled up the calendar and made some notes. Obviously the list pictured above highlights A LOT of events, but it gives us something to strive for every month. Now that we actually have a fabulous ring, I can truly make plans for us!

2016 Q1 Goals:

• Leg Riley back up - conditioning on hills, flat work and jumping
• Look at competition schedule and decide on a first outing
• Jimmy Wofford Clinic (on Riley's birthday no less!)
• Lesson weekly with Emily and once a month with an outside trainer
• Work up to 4 days of riding with Riley (Flat x 2, condition day, jump day)
• Ride a sale horse for every one ride on Riley to build my fitness and skill (the pony counts)
• XC school (Boyd's?)
• Sign up for MCTA and TIP for year end awards (I think this creates a fun incentive for us to do our very best!)
• Monthly conformation shots

I think these are ambitious but attainable goals. I'm extremely lucky to have the opportunity to ride lots of different horses who all have something to teach me. And, as much as I'll get something out of riding them, I'm also able to trade in sweat equity for training rides on Riley.

Boot camp starts this weekend!

You ready Riley?

To move forward sometimes you have to look back

If I have to make some sort of New Year's resolution for my blog it would be two fold:

*Blog more frequently/regularly.
*Set quarterly goals for Riley & I to hold us accountable.

I have a lot of inspiration for this thanks to all of you guys and I hope I can really give this blog the attention that it deserves this year (*for the record, fall/winter 2014, spring 2105 was a very rough time for me personally and many things fell by the wayside). I'm feeling energized and inspired so buckle up readers...

With that in mind, I feel as though I should use the only competitive experience we had in 2015 to help set the tone for the goals ahead. 2015 was a tough year for us competitively. We didn't really have a chance to get going with any regularity because of Riley's head-shaking. And, if I'm perfectly honest, things were looking a bit grim for any sort of future for him as a riding horse. Looking back, I believe that several things came into play that triggered his Head Shaking and this year I am planning to be extremely proactive in order to soften it's blow come spring time. Despite all of that, he remained very game to work with once we had the head shaking under control and he was more comfortable. I was able to keep up with my riding (having access to lots of OTTBs is a good thing) and we were able to get some traction in the fall. We figured it would be a good idea to round out the year with a starter trial the first week in November. At this point we had only jumped a couple of times (less than 5 times, including hopping over a few small xc jumps at a neighboring farm). Our flat work was strong enough and the jumping at the baby beginner novice level is not an issue so we just decided to go for it.

Product review -- Dubarry Clare Boot

I received these boots as a very generous birthday gift from the most wonderful SO of all time a few weeks before my birthday (so mid-November). I wanted to wear them a bunch and have a chance to ride in them before I gave a proper review!

Swoon

Truth be told, I have always wanted a pair of Dubarry's (I never wanted to try a pair on because I knew I'd end up loving them and they were something I'd NEVER buy for myself) but I've never liked the ones that seem to be so popular (the Galway boot) -- those tassels in the front would drive me absolutely mad.  Furthermore, if I'm going to have a boot of this quality, I want to be able to wear it on the street as well as at the barn... enter the Clare.

This boot really combines all the things Dubarry is so well known for... luxurious full grain leather, interesting details, fine craftsmanship and of course, they are completely waterproof (all the way to the top!!!). What I especially love about them is the interior leather piece that's made for (occasional riding).

Love the detailing in the back!

I've worn these nearly non-stop since I got them and they are now pretty well broken in. At first the leather (especially around the heel/ankle) is quite stiff. But as anyone knows with good quality leather goods, the break in period is necessary and worth it down the road! The right boot was always a bit stiffer than the left, and I think it's because my feet are different sizes. I was really nervous about them getting dirty and scuffed at first (this is why I can't have nice things) and I kept changing out of them at the barn and into my Hunter wellies but I realized quite quickly that these things can take a beating and keep on going. Even the grossest mud and rain is no match for these guys! A quick wipe down with a damp cloth and a little leather conditioner and they look good as new. These are definitely made for someone with a slim calf, which is actually something I struggle with a lot (boots being absurdly wide and unflattering around my lower leg) and I believe the opening is 15-15.5" at the widest point. Because they don't have zippers, going up a size is recommended (which I did, and I wear a 7.5), but they also have boot pulls sewn to help you out during the break in period!

Last week, I rode three horses (okay 2 horses and a pony) wearing them and they are delightful to ride in! It was really nice not having to switch into my paddock boots and half chaps and just throw my helmet on and go! I have very unstable ankles due to competitive gymnastics as a kid and so the additional support around my joints was welcomed. I was a little concerned about the foot bed being bulky in my stirrups, but they actually looked fine (with plenty of space on either side of the sole) and the thickness of the sole felt great to balance on (probably similar to riding in Blundstones).

Outside of the farm, I've been wearing them several times a week and I think they look pretty fetching with jeans, leggings, and even dresses! I've gotten quite a few compliments on them around the city. With winter just setting in, it's been so nice to have a quality pair of boots that are truly warm and waterproof!

The price point is pretty steep coming in ~$500, but at this point in my life my feet are not going to change much and I have come to understand that investing a few, quality things (especially leather goods) will last a lifetime. From what I can tell from wearing them almost exclusively for the last two months is that they are only going to look better with age. The best part is that they can go from daily wear (fashion), to the barn to the saddle! That's worth in my book!

Starting from scratch -- the project pony

So if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you're probably aware that there's a new pony friend in my life. For those of you who don't... let me introduce you to a little pony named Sugar:

Kinda in loooove with her.

Buzzzzz, buzzzz, buzzzz... that's the sound of inviting winter in.

We've had an unseasonably warm winter here in Philadelphia, as in... a few years ago we had several feet of snow and ice everywhere to deal with. This year, I haven't put more than a sheet on Riley (and he's being going without one on most days)!

With (another) move under our belts and new and exciting facilities awaiting us, I knew we'd be legging up much earlier than I was originally planning. I had his shoes pulled a few weeks ago, so I took his shoe allowance and spoiled myself by having him professionally clipped! Woo hoo!

Let just say, Riley was not super stoked about being removed from his best friend in the WHOLE world to get a bath.

Opinions, he has them.

I actually enjoy the process of clipping (though the hair everywhere sucks) but I don't have my own clippers and Riley's pelt (yes, it can only be referred to as such) is really weird and destroys blades no matter how sharp they are or how clean he is!!! Out of fairness to the groom, I bathed him within an inch of his life and prayed that he'd dry in time! As a thank you for my painstaking work, Riley decided to bite the ever loving shit out of me while I was checking his belly for dampness. Through my quilted vest he very nearly broke my skin (and I'm sporting a huge bruise/welt combo) -- to which I responded with a little reality check on ground manners thankyouverymuch. Needless to say, when the groom arrived he asked me if Riley behaves for clipping and I assured him that he'd be on his best behavior. As a general rule, he's great for clipping and really enjoys it, but you never know.

Look at his sheepish expression. That's what a naughty (clean) horse looks like.

I decided on a hunter clip but I had his whole face done too just for fun (and to see if anything creepy was lurking underneath).

I am so pleased with how his skin looks clipped. In previous years, he's dealt with all sorts of gross rain rot/fungus issues and once clipped he looked a bit sad. This year he's only got a few little spots of funk and the coat underneath was shiny! I think it's partially due to the mild weather, but also because I've been treating his funk with Listerine/water and grooming all his yucky spots feverishly (*honorary mention for Head and Shoulders here too).

So much hair!

But GUYS, I took out his tail braid and combed it out and WHOSE TAIL IS THIS???

It was well worth every penny, and I didn't mind helping to hold Riley when he got fidgety about his face. He looks incredible! I can't believe this is a horse who isn't in proper work yet!

What a handsome beast! Also, he looks wayyy better with a few less lbs. He's usually looking a bit rotund by now.

Best of all, I adore how his face looks clipped! He grows insane goat hair all over his chin and I think it makes him look pretty unremarkable in the winter. I think he has a very cute face when you can actually see it!

Almost palomino for the day! ps. still fuzzy inside those ears:)

I guess I should dig out his quarter sheet as winter decided to show up the DAY AFTER I CLIPPED HIM!!!!!! We haven't had consistent cold weather at all and of course now he has to go in two rugs!

Ah, well, at least cool down time will be a minimum!

3rd Annual Equestrian Blogger Gift Exchange!!!!

This year I was finally able to participate in this wonderful event hosted by Tracy. I absolutely adore my blogging family and I've met so many of you in person already that feeling like I "know" you all! Also, I hope to improve on my already good record for meeting you in real life as I have a tentative trip planed to Austin at the end of April!!!!

Thank you Carly for my wonderful presents from Straight Shot Metal!!!!!

All the pretty things!

A gorgeous decal (I cannot decide where to put it yet) of Riley and I with his tattoo number below, a bracelet with his show name and a skull bridle charm (now I feel like I fit in!) and of course candy canes for Mr. Riley himself. Btw, Carly, I ate one.

I am equally eager for my secret santa recipient to get their presents! It's super fun watching all the blogs to see what lovely and thoughtful things we were able to do for another!!!!

ps. I have lots to update, including a recent event that we competed, but life has been full and busy and I needed a small break from my own blogging (not to worry, I've been reading all of yours).

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and happy new year!

Dusting off the cobwebs

Into the Sunset -- all smiles

In a series of unprecedented events, I was able to ride Riley 3 times in 4 days! I don't know if it's the new farm, the time off, the magnesium or what, but he feels better than I ever remember! Coming off the heels of our great (albeit short) ride on Tuesday I brought a friend out to meet the ponies and to help take some video of how he was looking under saddle on Friday. We decided to switch Riley to a hollow loose ring (single joint) because he's wayyy too backed off in the Dr. Bristol on the flat (which I already knew but my other bridle is tucked away somewhere from the move along with the bits)! I've never ridden him in a loose ring and was curious to how he would go in one. Historically, he can be a bit busy with his mouth (not in a gaping mouth kinda way) he just generates a LOT of foam but it's not necessarily because he's relaxed and enjoying/accepting contact 100%.

Long story short... he loved it. I decided to warm him up (w-t-c in both directions) before filming and now I wish I had actually gotten the warm up too, because it was the best he's ever felt! He gets a little deep here and there, but I think he was expecting to hit the same type of bit... when he realized he wasn't going to, he was soft and I could push him further into the bridle. This dressage isn't going to win us any ribbons, but I am so happy with him relaxation and tempo.

*Blogger is being a little bitch so I'll try uploading videos later (though if you are friends with me on FB you've already seen them)

Saturday was super hot and humid (perfect conditions to stimulate HS) and I thought it would be a great chance to see him go with Emily in the tack with the new bit in place.

Guys, my horse... I was all hearts-for-eyes emoji the whole time. It doesn't hurt that we were riding in the gorgeous late afternoon sunlight!

It's no wonder he pulls shoes off while riding!

Who is that guy? Emily makes him look terrific!

Right lead picked up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

<3 td="">

I hoped on and got the same soft, cadenced work out him. Picked up both leads without issue (though he did meet the persuasion stick, aka GETOFFMYRIGHTLEG). I was just swooning. Emily said it's the best he's ever felt and she was really impressed with his great attitude coming back into work. Looking back at how grumpy he was in late April reminds me that he was probably in more pain and discomfort than I could even imagine.

Just cantering around looking fly. *Also could I please for the love of God sit up straight?

So we'll keep moving forward under tack. Our takeaway from the watchful eye of Emily was to incorporate in lots of transitions (especially trot-canter-trot) and to reintroduce some baby lateral work to help encourage him to bend around my leg and start looking for comfort in the outside rein. We'll hack around the soybeans to break up the monotony of the ring and hopefully, we can get him our on a hunter pace soon and maybe some xc schooling. I have a feeling he is going to be very enthusiastic!

*For those of you keeping track, he's still on the same amount of magnesium and Taurine twice a day. He has only shown HS symptoms once wince we moved and I am happy he's feeling much better physically.

Nothing beats a good brain

If you've been reading this blog long enough, you know that I bought Riley because on his 3rd and 4th ride post-track I took him on paper chases. He was foot perfect both times and I was left grinning ear to ear on a horse I knew nothing about. I was sold (and so was he!). Two years later and it's that brain of his that makes me so happy and proud to call him my own...

New farm (not all pictured due to privacy)

We've settled into the new place nicely, and of course just as I was about to put a first ride on Riley he pulled a shoe! He turned out now on wayyyy more acreage and it's really hilly (which is awesome -- he looks great) but that also means a higher chance of pulling shoes AND not being able to find said shoes when they come off. Ah well, it's a trade off.

So he got a new LF tacked on and we saddled up for a first ride at the new place. I know it probably seems like I'm always going on about how my horse has hardly been ridden, but it's true. With his head shaking finally all but gone, we are FINALLY able to think about getting back into a program together. My patience has paid off and I feel better that I didn't push him when his body was telling me no. As usual, he was quiet and happy to be groomed and tacked. I texted two friends to let them know that I was getting on in a few minutes (I was at the farm alone) and that I would send another after my ride. I brought lunging gear up to the ring prior to my ride, just in case he was silly. I try, in all scenarios, to set us up for success. I listen to him. I'm not some egomaniac that will just get on and ride anything in all conditions (especially alone) -- so I try to be thoughtful about the horse I have that day. I posted the photo of the farm above to sort of show the layout of the ring in proximity to the barn. His turnout field is below the barn and goes off to the right. His buddies have dutch doors that face out that way. The driveway (you can't tell in this photo) is VERY steep as you head around the corner and up to the ring. I hopped on, he took a deep breath and off we went. Quietly into the sunshine up the grass to the ring. He did think about spooking at a bunch of kids toy cars (the kind they can drive around in) that are marked by "danger" in my picture, but nothing more than giving them the hairy eyeball, and slowing his walk. I booted him forward and we got down to business.

I forgot that I left my saddle pads at home so we kicked it old school.

He felt really, really great. No head shaking to be seen, no real naughtiness (except for not wanting to GETOFFMYRIGHTLEG) and he was light and forward. I'm sure I looked like a big idiot trotting around with a stupid grin on my face, but guys, it's been so long since I got to enjoy my horse and not see him suffering. We mostly worked on spiraling in and out in both directions, with some transitions for good measure. I was about to start some canter work when I saw something shiny in the grass...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?!?

He never took a weird step (the grass footing is great) and he didn't feel lame/off at all. Yep, he pulled the OTHER shoe. You see, while the farrier was there he noticed that his LH was looking a little long (it's only been 2 weeks since his last trim) and he has a quarter crack in that hoof that he wanted to keep at bay so he rasped it a little. He left the other hind alone and wouldn't you know it was just long enough, and Riley was tracking up well enough to cleanly rip the shoe off. I hopped off and decided to save the canter work for next time. Congratulations Riley, you win... again.

Luckily, we had already put in a solid 30 minutes of quality trot work, so it wasn't a total wash. I texted my farrier the picture above and said that Riley misses him already. He'll get that tacked back on today. *Lest you worry, his feet and hoof walls look great -- I think it's just a coincidence that he lost two shoes back to back!

But other than our wardrobe malfunction, I couldn't be happier about our first ride at the new place. There was no screaming (apparently Riley screamed and screamed when his buddy was taken away for work the other day -- he was happy to work -- and that makes me very happy in return.

Because this is the best view in the entire world.

It got me thinking about where he and I have been and what we've done together (not much)... but days like that make me so grateful that I have a horse with a good brain. He is not an easy ride, or uncomplicated by any means... but he shows up for work and I can trust him. I know when I swing my leg over what kind of horse I'll have for the day.

It has not always been easy with him, for a myriad of reasons. He used to be god awful for the farrier and now he and I joke about that.

You've come a long way baby.

This is a horse who once, while being shod, freaked out so much in the cross ties that he peed, spooked, slipped in the pee while the farrier was holding his hoof and nearly fell over crushing him. Yesterday, the farrier already had him out standing quietly, and I literally held him for two minutes while he fit the shoe. Riley happily snoozed away.

Wild OTTB getting shod.

I deal with a lot of professionals these days, both horse dealers and sellers and I am constantly dumbfounded by people they have to interact with who do not appreciate the quality of a horse's mind. They think they know what they want in a horse and somehow get wooed by color, or movement, or height or pedigree overlooking the brain!