Hillary Dobbs!

Hillary Dobbs is a young 19-year-old woman who is truly spectacular. While I was in Washington, DC at the NIH, I was reading the sports page and she appeared. She is competing at the highest level of show jumping, the Grand Prix level, where the jumps are 5 1/2 feet tall! She has 5 Grand Prix level horses, Quincy B and Corlett among them. She has a twin sister, Heather, who is a professional show jumper. Hillary is also a sophomore at Harvard University! What a girl!

Her father is the famous Lou Dobbs who is busy on book tour with his book War on the Middle Class. Hillary and her sister grew up on a 300 acre farm in northern New Jersey where her mother rode English and bred halter horses. Hillary has had training from Missy Clark and John Brennan of North Run Farm in Warren, Vermont. Missy Clark is very famous for the top circuit training and competing.

Hillary won one Grand Prix on Quincy B and 3 on Corlett so far. This begins her first year of such high competing and she'll commute from Harvard to Florida starting in January for the winter competitions. She is preparing for international competition, so she can gain experience and perhaps win a spot on our Olympic team. Here is what she says of her experiences, "A dream come true. This is a goal of every little girl who's riding ponies, all the way up. We'd see the best Grand Prix riders at every show on Sundays competing, and that's what we'd look forward to doing in the future."

Here's what her dad says, "At shows, she's up at 3 or 3:30am to work the horses. She thinks nothing of putting in 16- to 18-hour days. As a father, I'm begging her to relax and find time for herself, but as she says, she's living her dream. You give your children roots and you give them wings, and she's certainly spreading hers." Her trainer, Missy Clark, says, "She's a tough cookie. Jumping is rough and tumble. You're going to fall. You're going to have wrecks. You have to have the mind-set to deal with that. In addition, she possesses the quality I can't teach -- the ability to go in the ring and be a winner, to not crumble under pressure, to have that focus to perform when it counts."

And all this began at the age of 4, when mom and dad gave Hillary and Heather a pony named Poppy. By the age of 5, they were competing in lead line competitions!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uSn2UPbClTg

Wining Effort and My Girls!

Violet's dam was a 1997 racehorse named Wining Effort who had a dosage index of 5 and career earnings of $10,672! Her own parents are Two's A Plenty and Right Effort by Rajab. Her dad earned $282,183 and Rajab earned $75,600, and his own dad, Jaipur earned over $618,000! So, Violet is well-connected to racehorses on her mama's side.

In fact, if you look at her pedigree, you'd be super impressed. Wining Effort has Dark Star, the only horse to beat the 1953 Kentucky Derby winner, Native Dancer. And she has One Count, the Belmont Stakes winning kid and grandkid of Count Fleet and Reigh Count. And she has War Admiral, and the double whammy Count Fleet, War Admiral kid cross to create Three Fingers!. And she's got a dash of Jaipur, the horse who beat Ridan in one of the most amazing match races ever. And Wining Effort has a splash of Stymie, lucky girl!

So, my sweet, dancing, flirty, girly, smart Violet is rich in dam history!

Little Mama! December 29th, 2007!

This morning, Saturday, December 29th, 2007, I went to the stable for a riding lesson. It was a wonderful day. I groomed my beautiful Violet and lunged her. She wore her new work boots and was naughty during her lessons, just like a thoroughbred should be after several weeks of vacation. But she did her Whinny Widgets dressage test well.

Then I groomed beautiful Hailee and took her for her photo above and gave her some light exercise which you can view in the video. Hailee let me play the friendly game and I worked toward getting her to accept me touching her belly, flanks, and udders. She needs to learn how to be accepting about the foal asking rudely for a drink! It was a great morning. Both my mares look just lovely and strong and sweet. Hailee and Violet have the kindest eyes.

Touching your horse with your heart! -- Getting Savvy!

Okay, so I am writing this Parelli post on December 5th, a really magical day. We had snow and I got up at 5:30am for a winter walk with my beautiful Zelia. I played with my pets and then went into work and sat quietly to watch my Parelli DVD. The lessons today were getting your horse with savvy and leading your horse with savvy.

I hadn't done Parelli in awhile, but was determined to try with Violet this evening. I went to the stable and V was happy to see me as usual. Ears forward, head lifted with anticipation, quick steps to the gate, kisses, and nuzzles! All good. We practiced getting with savvy and had a friendly game chat. Then we did Parelli.

And let me tell you. Violet is a brilliant young lady. She loves Parelli. We played the porcupine game, driving game, yo-yo game. She was *all over* the Driving from Zone 3 game. And then she was eager to do the leading with saavy game and backing through a gate game. She learned instantaneously to wait for me at gates and wait for permission to pass. She truly *gets* that it's about bonding and team spiritedness. And she is joyful about the friendly game. It was just a thrill to have such a good evening.

Still having trouble getting V and H to bond. Lots of squeals and kicks and pinned ears. And now V is in heat, so she can't figure out whether she is afraid of H or strangely in love. But things are moving along. There was more nuzzle and neck kisses before hissy fits this evening. And there was respect for me when I was in the ring. So....being prayerful and watchful.

My Fabulous 44th Birthday Party!

Today I am 44 years old! I woke up late, went and got a Starbucks and the NYT and listened to Louie Armstrong's version of "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?" A great start to my new year!

On the 23rd, Sunday, we celebrated my birthday a bit early at my sister's house. It was lots of fun. I cooked from my organic garden supplies and from the beef I bought from a farmer in Weston. I spent time with my family and received really nice presents!!

But best of all was celebrating with my nieces. Those girls know how to party. As soon as the cake rolled out, they went wild. Emma demanded to know whose birthday it was and when she found out it was me, she went big-eyed (probably thinking I was too old for a birthday!) and said happy birthday to me a thousand times! How very nice. They were completely into their treat, as you can see from these photos. All I can say is if you want a party to go off with a festive air, bring my party girl nieces!

My Mom and Aunt Mary Jane

Here are my mom and Aunt Mary Jane over Thanksgiving weekend. Don't they look like lovely girls? But troublemakers too! They are the warmest-hearted ladies I know.

Visualizing Dressage

Here is a photo of Violet taken by Jane Marie on a cool lovely sunny day in October. Violet was showing off, playing, goofing around, enjoying life. And in this photo, she was demonstrating for us how she would do her Grand Prix Level dressage performance at the Kentucky Rolex. She wants to be an Eventing Horse.

Little Mama! December 22nd, 2007!

Here's a photo taken of Hailee on Saturday, December 22nd, minutes before I left to visit my family at my sister's home. My girl is showing her growing figure -- making a beautiful baby foal!

My Hailee (Rocks and) Rolls!

I wanted to prepare for the new foal, so my mom and I purchased a memory camcorder, so that I could capture videos of the new foal, my nieces, Jane's baby, and so many other things. Here's the start of it all. Among my first little slices, a video of my big pregnant Hailee taking a luxurious dirt roll on Wednesday, December 26th!

Tiny Hoofprints! 7 Months of Growth

I am writing this entry on December 8th, after spending a lovely morning and early afternoon with Hailee and Violet. H was a darling for the farrier and made friends with Tony, and hung out with me and Norbert.

Here's what I know about her baby. Her baby is between month 7 and 8. She quadrupled in weight between months 6 and 7 and went from the size of a rabbit to a small beagle. She was gaining about 1 lb. every 10 days! Now the baby has whiskers around her muzzle and chin, and mane and tail hairs became apparent. And she now has eyelashes on her eyelids. I hope she has eyelashes like her lovely, girly mom, Hailee! The baby has only 17% of her weight, and will gain 80% of her total size over the next four months of gestation. We've got to keep her stocked on just the right amounts of calcium, protein, and roughage. Beautiful, darling, beloved growing baby!

Zelia, Emma and Me!

Here we are, adorable girls! It's a photo taken Thanksgiving weekend and we were outside, playing in the snow, chasing balls, riding bikes, and enjoying life! My sweet Emma is a real pistol! She's a live wire. And, of course, my Zelia is a glorious smart dog. Here she is chewing a ball that she stole from the dog down the street.

Merry Christmas!

Our Nation's Capitol!

About 3-4 times a year, I travel to Washington, DC to volunteer my time to the National Institute of Health. I love my work for them. But here's a photo from my last trip this past November 7th-8th. In these photos, I am taking a taxi from Dupont Circle to Washington National airport with two scholars from my panel session. We are passing the Washington and Jefferson Memorials.

I wish that we had taken the way of the bridge into the city with the two giant golden horse statues. I asked the taxi driver about them, and he said that was the Victory Gateway! I will post pictures of those two massive steeds in the future!

Right before this trip, I stopped to visit Violet on my way to the Toledo Airport. She and I practiced Parelli and she did it perfectly. I felt so empowered and happy when I left for DC! And then I swung by on my way home to give her a kiss goodnight upon my return! What a good little thoroughbred girl!

Gamely and My Girls!

My girls are related to Gamely, a 1964 Claiborne filly out of Bold Ruler and Gambetta. Gambetta's parents are My Babu and Rough Shod which I think are tremendously cool names. Anyway, this young filly started racing at age 3 and raced for 3 years. Her total record was 41: 16-9-6, and she won the Princess Stakes, Test Stakes, Alabama Stakes, Santa Maria Handicap, Santa Margarita Handicap, Wilshire Handicap, Inglewood Handicap, Beldame Stakes (twice), Santa Monica Handicap, and the Diana Handicap. She even once came in second in the Californian to Dr. Fager.

Not surprisingly, she earned the 1967 Champion 3-year-old filly award, and the 1968 and 1969 Champion Handicap Mare! She was inducted in the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1980. She passed away at the age of 11 because of a ruptured stomach, after bearing two foals, both to Round Table.

My girls are related to this Claiborne filly through many relatives, including Nasrullah, Discovery, and Sweep.

Touch Your Horse with Your Heart! -- Learning about Yourself

So, Violet and I were progressing nicely through the Parelli Level 1, primarily because she is such an intelligent, gregarious young lady. She so enjoys the challenges, communication, and, of course, play. She loves to play.

But I've been distracted and a bit overwhelmed with Hailee's arrival. It's so funny how even good news and events can throw you off your game! Through Hailee's return, I've learned just how wonderful Violet really is, in ways I hadn't fully appreciated. And I realize how much I care for Hailee, but how she just never is going to change -- she is a right-brained impulsive fear-girl, poor thing. I can respect that in her now and want to become skilled at helping her live with and overcome those qualities.

Anyway, my point to today's blog entry! I haven't been reading or practicing Parelli lately, other than gently hanging with my girls and playing the friendly game. But I plan on getting back to the work and play of it all! Violet is bored and wants some challenging play. Hailee needs work, needs desensitizing, and needs to get back in the frame of living with humans and human touch, so we can help her with her baby!

So, it's a frosty cold December 1st morning, as I write this entry, but I am off to the Farmers Market to buy some eggs and potatoes and then off to the barn for greetings, grooming, photos, lunging, riding, and Parelli with my girls!

Tiny Hoofprints! Fat and Minerals!

Two days ago, on November 27th, I drove up Dowling Road to Brinker Farms to purchase some mineral blocks for Violet and Hailee and a extruded fat supplement to add to Hailee's diet as she's gestating.

Hailee looks great. She's round, plump, she's blooming beneath her winter coat. She looks stocky and powerful. And you can feel her firm belly with baby inside! Last night, I played with her, groomed her, and put conditioner in her beautiful tail and combed it out. It's so nice to fuss over her. I know she misses her herd of girls, but she and Violet are making friends, and soon they will be turned out together!

Canonero -- 1971 Derby winner

I love this story about the "Caracas Cannonball!" Canonero was the smashing surprise winner of the 1971 Kentucky Derby. This story derives primarily from the Brodowsky and Philbin book, Two Minutes to Glory: The Official History of the Kentucky Derby. Canonero was born with a crooked foreleg, so he sold for a mere $1,200 at the Keeneland auction and was shipped to Venezuela where some report he had an undistinguished race record and others said he did very well.

His trainer, Juan Arias, had grown up in the Caracas slums without a father, and lost himself in the "beautiful world of horses." Canonero was ordered back to the States when his owner, Pedro Baptista, received a dream from his deceased mother telling him to register him in the Derby. Chick Lang, on the nominating committee, remembered getting a call from a Spanish-inflected voice telling him to enroll a nobody horse with good pedigree. Lang put his name on a cocktail napkin and just barely registered him when he remembered at the last minute!

So, Canonero had a harrowing trip. Two of his planes had mechanical failures, and finally he was loaded into a cargo plane with ducks and chickens. His papers weren't in order when he arrived in Miami, so he had to wait 12 super-hot hours before being unloaded, and then spent 4 days in quarantine before taking a truck 1,200 miles to Lexington. He looked like a bag of bones, having lost 70 pounds during the whole ordeal, and could barely walk. Also, on top of it all, he was given a haircut -- the bobbing of his bangs -- which left him looking like "Moe of the Three Stooges."

And his entourage! Juan Arias treated Canonero like his beloved son, petting, hugging, kissing, whispering to him. He would talk to Canonero and solicit his opinion. If Canonero told him he didn't feel like training, no running that day! So, you can imagine, by the time he hit the Derby, he and his entire team were considered a BIG, FAT JOKE!!! But as Arias said on that day, "Nobody knows my horse. But after today, the world will know him."

And sure enough, 20 horses took to the field that day, and Canonero fell to 18th place. Then in bursts throughout those two minutes, his rider, the South American jockey, Gustavo Avila "El Munstruo," let him break forward. No whips were used. Arias would never allow a whip on his loving lovely little boy! No, just hands and heart would lead him forward. Finally, Canonero whipped to the lead and won in a romp at 3 3/4s lengths! The world was flummoxed, except for the Venezuelans who immediately took to the streets and partied -- who can blame them! And, of course, Baptista took his son to the cemetary to thank his dear old mom for the celestial tip! He showed the world it wasn't a fluke when he won the Preakness a few weeks later. But a foot problem stopped his Triple Crown bid in the Belmont.

In 1972, after healing, he came back to win the Stymie Handicap, by beating the very famous Riva Ridge. He won the 1971 Champion 3-year-old colt award and ended with a career record of 23: 9-3-4. He went to stud at the end of 1972, and passed away in 1981.

My girls are related to him most immediately through Prince Rose, Nasrullah, and Man o'War!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonero_II

chateaugay -- 1963 Derby winner

While my mom was carrying me, Chateaugay was busy becoming a world champion. He was by Swaps and Banquet Bell and his ultimate race record was 24: 11-4-2. He was voted Champion 3 year-old colt in 1963. He was ridden by Braulio Baeza to a Derby victory over Candy Spots and Never Bend. He placed in the Preakness right behind Candy Spots and then beat CS in the Belmont to win two of the three jewels -- one of the many "almosts" in history!

But you can't beat a nice solid Kentucky Derby win!!! He served as a stud in the United States from 1965-1971, and then in Japan from 1972-1985, passing away in his last stud year in 1986.

My girls are related to Chateaugay most immediately through Hyperion, Bull Dog, and War Admiral!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateaugay_(horse)

Handsome Arcangelo!

This summer, I was buying these big beautiful exotic fabulous flowers from our local Farmers Market. I would put them on my dining room table and can the day's purchases! Well, my handsome Arcangelo felt that I was setting up a stage for him. He would Sphinx in the sun, beneath the flowers, and display his gorgeaus siamese self. He knows his job! He classes up the joint! What a sweetie pie. My big goofy teenage big-pawed boy!

Violet, My Lovely Girl!

Here's a picture Vikki took of us in September. Violet couldn't look more regal and lovely. She looks like I just pulled her off the trailer after returning from a race meet at Saratoga, and now she gets a rest at Claiborne Farms!

Okay, so she really looks like she's had a fun summer at wonderful Breezy Acres and that she had a chance to gallivant and show off for company!

A happy, lucky girl!

Lamb Chop (1963) and My Girls!

My girls are related to Lamb Chop, the 1960 Claiborne Farms filly who earned the 1963 Champion 3-year-old filly award and ended up in the Aiken Race Track Hall of Fame. She had a 23: 12-5-4 record and won the Coaching Club American Oaks, Monmouth Oaks, Spinster Stakes, Firenze Handicap, Gazelle Handicap, Santa Suzanna Stakes, Jersey Belle Stakes, Comely Stakes, and La Centinela Stakes.

Her parents were Bold Ruler and Sheepsfoot by Count Fleet. So, she is very closely related to my horses, especially Violet. Some of their immediate relatives are Nasrullah, Discovery, Count Fleet, Sir Gallahad, and Blue Larkspur.

Unfortunately, Lamb Chop broke her leg in the 1964 Strub Stakes, in a field of 13 horses. She was euthanized and buried in the Santa Anita infield. She was a brave, strong, competitive Claiborne filly!

Little Mama! December 15, 2007!

Here are photos from Saturday morning, December 15th. They are not that good, I know. But we were in a Saturday, it's too cold to ride, but at least mom brought us some apples sort of mood. H chased V around the ring and V acted like an oppressed princess. My little herd of girls were being very girly and weird! We had a great morning of grooming and hugs. Even though it's not such a great photo, you sure can see H Jr. getting bigger! I took a picture of V too, so she wouldn't feel left out. Beautiful girls!

Touch Your Horse with Your Heart! -- Driving from Zone 3!

So, Violet and I are playing at Level 1. She is very good at yo-yo, porcupine, and driving. And she and I are now working on picking up her hooves from one side, gently encouraging her to put her head all the way down to the ground, and driving from zone 3 -- which means using the carrot stick lightly over her withers and walking with purpose with her moving lightfooted and sure toward a destination I am looking at.

She is terrific about the hooves and her head. She has been giving her head in that way from the very beginning! But we are pretty funny at the driving from zone 3 game! I am *not* supposed to look at her, but I always do -- then she looks at me and we are both thinking, "What!? Why are you looking at me?!" And she is just wondering when we are walking purposefully, why we are purposefully walking with great energy toward a wall, etc. But, you know, she finds it fascinating and I get a big kick out of it too! And Violet is one smart thoroughbred, let me tell you!

Tiny Hoofprints! Worming Hailee Jr.

When baby is born, s/he'll need special care. So, here's what instructions I'll be following about worming for the little one. The little one needs to be wormed with Ivermectin every 2 months, beginning at 3-4 months, until 1 year of age. Presumably, s/he'll be protected before then because she'll be on a mom-based diet! When s/he's at weaning age, she'll put herself in the way of possible parasites!

Imagine

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky

Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Canyon Creek Farm and Horse Rescue Efforts

Here is a photo of a mare and her foal rescued from a Premarin Facility. Premarin stands for Pregnant Mare Urine which is used to help women deal with the symptoms of menopause. Mares who participate in this industry and their foals stand a great, great risk of ultimately being slaughtered. Canada slaughters many horses each year for want of finding a home or for being of no more use in a Premarin factory. And in the United States, over 1,000 horses are slaughtered each day.

So, the people of Canyon Creek Farm decided to create a limited liability corporation to rescue what mares they could from standing feedlots and from premarin farms to train and prepare for adoption. The link below describes their important, blessed work.
http://www.canyoncreekfarm.com/

Citation -- 1948 Triple Crown Winner!

Citation was a Calumet Farms horse who was 8th of the 11 Triple Crown winners! His parents were Bull Lea by Hydroplane by Hyperion. He was in the Kentucky Derby with his half-brother, Coaltown by Bull Lea and Easy Lass by Blenheim. These two brothers were so scorching hot that only 4 other horses had the courage to enter the Derby that year!

The day of the Derby was wet and sloppy, but Citation pulled immediately into the lead. Eddie Arcaro pulled him back and let Coaltown surge ahead. But finally, Arcaro let him go, and Citation went on to win by 3 1/2 lengths!

Eddie Arcaro, one of the best jockeys of all time, said of Citation, "Citation was the best. He was so fast he scared me." Jimmy Jones was Citation's trainer, and his dad, Ben Jones, also a famous trainer, told him the night before the race, "Jimmy, you can sleep well tonight, and you can take this as gospel: any horse Citation can see, he can catch. And he's got perfect eyesight."

Now just a small recap of his racing career! He ended with 45: 32-10-2, and had to take some time off for an osselet in his fetlock joint. He was the first horse to earn more than $1 million. In 1947, he was voted the Champion 2-year-old colt. In 1948, his big year, he earned Champion 3-year-old colt and the Eclipse Horse of the Year, and, of course, won the Triple Crown! He was the first horse in the U.S. to win 16 races in a row, and the second in the world. He had 19 wins in 20 starts. In 1950 and 1951, he was Champion Older Male.

Of his 1948 season, it can be said that he won at every distance, won at 10 different tracks, won in 7 different states, travelling in unairconditioned trucks and rail cars. He won all his races by a total of 66 lengths, and won the Triple Crown races by a total of 17 lengths. He ended his racing career in 1948 (at that point) with a 29-27-2-0 record! His 16 race winning streak made it as #67 of Horse-Racing's Top 100 moments according to Blood Horse, and Blood Horse reported that the owners of the horses entered in the Belmont the year Citation swept the Triple Crown were true good sports, "These gentlemen deserve some credit for their sportsmanship, for they knew when they entered they were filling a race for Citation." He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1959. And he was voted #3 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century.

His trainer, Jimmy Jones, said that he would put Citation above Secretariat in that ranking, at #2, saying "He was the best horse I ever saw. Probably the best anybody else ever saw, I expect. Citation didn't have a fault. He could sprint, he could go two miles, he could go in the mud, and could go on a hard track. He could do it all. Secretariat couldn't run a bit in the mud." His dad, Ben Jones, put Citation at #1, saying "Man o' War? Citation is a better horse."

Of the Derby win, writing in his autobiography, Eddie Arcaro reported thinking of Ben Jones' words, "the horse that Citation could not run down had not yet been born." And Jimmy Jones said, "My horse could beat anything with hair on it."

My girls are related to this superstar most immediately through Bull Lea, Hyperion, St. Simon and Isinglass.This blog entry received help from Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, and Two Minutes to Glory: The Official History of the Kentucky Derby.

You can read more about Citation who is buried at Calumet Farms at the following links:
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/citation.html
or
http://horseracing.about.com/od/famoushorses/l/aa012998.htm
or
http://horseracing.about.com/library/blcitation.htm
or
http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/citation.htm
or
http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014135.html
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citation_(horse)

Frances Mabel Hollams and Courage!

Here's another painting by the wonderful Frances Mabel Hollams. She loved to paint directly onto wood and let the grain come through and she loved to give exacting details to her beautiful horses. Here she has painted Courage and you can see that he truly was a noble, courageous creature. Hope he's leading a herd in heaven!

My Beautiful Summer Jackie!

Here he is, my naughty rat bastard. Little Jacques Mamou Lagniappe Sanchez, otherwise known as Jackass or Jackie. Such a handsome, wise, wonderful, disciplined household warrior and domestic lion. He takes such good care of us. He loves us with a firm understanding. He's a little zen buddha of a cat. Much love to him, he has earned his wings that's for sure!

Indian Blessing and My Girls!

Indian Blessing, a 2-year-old filly born on April 9, 2005, is undefeated and considered one of the top fillies of her day. In her first start at Saratoga, she won by 5 1/2 lengths and was pulling away. She also won two Grade 1 stakes, the Frizette and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She's an undefeated little wonder! She is owned by Hal and Patti Earnhardt who also owned and bred her sire.

My girls are related to her many ways, but primarily through the usual wonderful connections: Blushing Groom, Princequillo, Nasrullah, and Bimelech. She also has some pretty special relatives in her own pedigree, including Round Table, Northern Dancer, Nijinsky, Mr. Prospector, and Shenanigans. I hope she continues to have a strong, good life and wins at 3. And then I hope she lives in royal glory as a broodmare and herdmate in Kentucky!
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/breederscup07/news/story?id=3082681

Little Mama! Dec. 8th, Such a Happy Day!

Here's Hailee voguing! We had such a wonderful day. This morning, I researched her foal's current development. I went to the barn and Stephanie told me that she'd had a dream that Hailee had a little colt foal and that he was bay. Isn't that nice. Happy baby dreams!

I had a riding lesson on lovely Violet, and Steph and I went for hot chocolate. Hailee hung out with Steph, Tony, Norbert, and me, and she was a good girl for the farrier, Ricky. Deb showed up and got to meet her. We had a wonderful day. Next week, she will be in month 8!! My lovely, sweet, darling girl!

Touch Your Horse with Your Heart! -- the Yo-Yo Game!

So, Violet and I are still playing with Parelli Level 1. She is just so very smart and playful and witty. I am so glad that I started this adventure. It makes me appreciate her horse nature. I still anthropomorphize like crazy, but I really enjoy trying to think about what it means that I am a predator and she is prey in nature!

Anyway, she's really good at the porcupine, driving, and yo-yo games. But I have to say that she's pretty amazing at the yo-yo. She's very observant and subtle. She knows what I want.

Now we are working on me picking up her legs all from one side. She's pretty good at it. And since I started Parelli, she's becoming very light and agreeable about offering her feet. She's super good about lowering her head. But today, November 13th, we had a bit of confused fun doing the side-driving game where I'm supposed to walk boldy, with her a bit ahead of my shoulder toward a goal. She was confused and I kept breaking the rule. I am supposed to look with confidence at our goal and NOT at her! But I always looked at her. We'll pick up this game, I just know! Namaste to my beautiful Violet!

Sanfoin and My Girls!

Sainfoin was the 1890 Epsom Derby winner. He started 11 times and won 4. He was a successful stud who produced the English Triple Crown winner, Rock Sand. And he's felt very strongly in thoroughbred lineage. My girls are related to him through his best connections. Violet carries him multiple ways, especially through Nasrullah whose Nearco has Sainfoin and whose Mumtaz Begum has Sainfoin's full sister, Sierra. Of course, Violet also has Rock Sand. Both Hailee and Violet carry Sainfoin through his daughters, who were bred to Fair Play and produced our darling Man o' War! Sainfoin was pretty studly because he was a 3X3 cross to Stockwell!

Voting Each Day!

So, yesterday I started to really learn and own that I am part of the herd. That's a wonderful discovery for me, you can imagine! So, today I hung with my little herd and interacted with them. Here they are. H was less squealy today, and V flashed her hindquarters once or twice, just to affirm that she understood that she's at the bottom of the herd and doesn't really want to be scolded by H all the time.

It was lots of fun to hang with my gorgeaus girls. In these photos, you can see H's big ol' belly! My cup runneth over.

A Horse of a Different Color!

Here are photos of Monarchos when he won the Kentucky Derby and now in his stallion register as a mature, 9 year-old stallion! Can you believe how silvery grey he has become rather than his dark color! No wonder a book was written about this wonderful creature called A Horse of a Different Color!

A Herd of Three

So, today was a winter day. When I got into work, I watered my poinsettias, looked at pictures of V and H and watched some of my Parelli DVD. The lesson today was how I am part of the herd, and I had better be alpha! So, I took that lesson to heart. My girls are not a herd of two, we are a herd of three.

It was fun to go to the stable this evening and work Parelli with Violet and groom my sweet Hailee. Hailee let me use my clippers to trim per pasterns. And I worked with them to let them know that I am alpha whenever I am in the ring with them. We had lots of fun this cold winter evening!

A herd of three very nervous girls! But adorable and big-hearted too!

Here's a Celtic symbol for the horse. Celts, cool people that they are, really love horses and value them as integral to their lives. So, they view them as symbols of strength, agility, wealth, and even fertility. I know I see them for their strong spirits and loving hearts!

Early Morning Winter Wonderland

This morning, at 5:30am, my alarm went off and I lay in the dark with Zelia and my cats and thought about my day. I was looking forward to seeing Hailee and Violet, and anticipating grooming and doing Parelli with them. I imagined Hailee's beautiful thick winter coat and her beautiful face and my Violet's tall skinny girl frame and sweet eyes. And I was happy.

And then, I heard an alarm and a plow and saw lights flashing across my ceiling and I knew! Snow Day! So, I leaped up and Zelia and I took an early, early morning walk in this misting, snowing, wonderful white world all quiet, except for the plows, my neighbor out on his early exercise, and someone diligently shoveling their walkway!

Then I came home, took care of the pets, made Scottish Breakfast tea, made toast from homemade French bread, and put raspberry jam that I canned on it. I ate that while watching NYPD Blue taped on DVR in the middle of the night. And then I packed my lunch of couscous and curried apple chutney, and canned cherries and peaches. It's a wintery day and I am eating my little sweet summer-canned food.

I am thankful for this life.

Breed Spotlight! Paints!

An All-American Breed, the Paint, is historically important for understanding our values. The Paint is the 2nd largest breed registry in the United States, if you consider annual registrations. The horse comes in three kinds of coat patterns -- tobiano, overo, and tovero. In the photo, you see a tobiano. The horse has a stock-horse body type, muscular, strong, powerful, and an agreeable personality. You can register a horse with the Paint association if they have at least one Paint parent. The other parent can be registered as a Paint too, or can be registered with either the American Quarter Horse Association or Jockey Club.

The first note of a Paint in the U.S. historical record was in 1519 when Hernando Cortes brought some over on his conquistador travels. His publicist, Diaz del Castillo, noted them. By the 1800s, the Paint was extremely popular among western plains Indians, especially the Comanche. These indians favored bright, loud, flashy, spotted horses who were powerhouses! By the 1950s and 1960s, people were beginning to coordinate trying to register and preserve the breed. So, starting in the 1960s, some ladies began to coordinate information. By 1961, they held their first show. By 1962, they registered their first formal Paint horse. And by 1965, they had laid the ground work for the World Paint Show, as well as registered 1,300 members and 3,800 horses!

My beautiful Hailee is a registered breeding stock Paint horse. Her sire, Speckled E.T., is a Paint (produced by a Quarter horse sire and Paint dam) and her dam, Docs Blue Rock Dawn, is a Quarter horse.

You can read more about this fabulous breed at the following link:
http://www.apha.com/

Riding and Introductions, Getting our Groove

When I arrived at the stable tonight, on "my time", little Violet was out in the arena and she trotted up right away. I gave her two treats and we had sweet words. Then I visited Hailee in her stall and she gave me some nickers.

I free-lunged and rode Violet and she was such a good responsive girl. I rode with my stirrups a hole longer, so that I could give clear aids all along my leg. And it worked. I am not sure they are the right length, but we'll find out during riding lessons on Saturday. It's fun to change things up, at least!

Then I let my girls out in the ring together. Still squeals, still carrying on, still the pregnant mama claiming space. And still V swirling elegantly around all girly and slim and keeping out of the way. But today they went in for a closer kiss and H allowed a kiss on her neck before doing the mare freakout! I am a lucky woman. I have two mares and a foal on the way! Today I felt like we were getting a routine. We were learning that we are a threesome.

Laurel Burch passes on Sept. 13

The artist Laurel Burch died on September 13, 2007 at the age of 61. She is survived by her husband, daughter, son, and two granddaughters. She was born in 1945 and raised in a broken home in which her father married three times and her mother twice. She left home at the age of 14 and by the time she was 20, she was the single mother of 2, taking metal from junkyards to design fanciful jewelry.

She sold her work on the streets of Haight-Ashbury and was discoverd by an Indian businessman who took her to China where they were intrigued and financed her work and introduced her to cloissone. She worked with fabric, metal, wood, and color, color, color.

Here's how she described her art on her webpage, "I live within the vivid colors of my imagination...soaring with rainbow feathered birds, racing the desert winds on horseback, wrapped in ancient tribal jewels, dancing with mythical tigers in steamy jungles."

She passed because she had been living for years with a painful, dangerous, degenerative disease called osteopetrosis. She suffered over 100 bone fractures over her life. Her bone disease worsened over the past few years, and after breaking her right arm in 2005, she began to learn to paint with her left arm. She told a newspaper that despite these injuries, pains, and illnesses, if she had to choose between health and her artistic gifts, she would choose her art, "in a second, in a heartbeat."

In her very last works, she included words, with some pieces quoting a Native American proverb, "The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears."

I have one of her purses, one with fantastic dancing horses galloping across a dark night sky!
Namaste and blessings to you in the afterlife.
http://laurelburch.com/

Breaking News! A Herd of Two -- Introductions!

So, now I have a little herd of two with a third one on the way. I can hardly believe it. Last week, I did a very abbreviated introduction by releasing both mares together for 10 minutes. It went medium.

Tonight I went further! I arrived and Violet was all wound up with energy. So, I free-lunged her for a long time! And then I put out two hay piles and put both mares in together. Hailee is clearly going to be the boss mare. She pinned her ears, squealed, back kicked for no reason. She ate on her hay pile and then every once in awhile would just pick up her head, pin her ears, and squeal for no reason. And Violet just did big eager girly trots in circles around Hailee. She was happy to get out of her way. I could tell that my thoroughbred princess was confused, but trying. And Hailee. Well, she just knows the ropes after a year of working in a herd!

But what I was really pleased by is that Violet took a luxurious, long, slow, messy dust roll by Hailee. So, clearly she was trying to say that she is comfortable with her new sister, even with the introductory fireworks. So, crossing fingers, they were out together for 45 minutes this evening. And nothing but girly mean faces and some squeals. I pray that their introductions continue and they become a happy herd of two!

The Kind and Accomplished Chris McCarron!

Christopher John "Chris" McCarron is one of the most famous jockeys the United States ever enjoyed! He was born in 1955 and in 1974 began racing, after the encouragement of his brother, Gregg. During his career, he raced 34,239 mounts between 1974-2002 and had a winning percentage of 21%! He retired in 2002 after 28 years of racing, worked on the film Seabiscuit, worked for the Santa Anita Race Track, and then decided to open a Riding Academy to teach how to be a jockey.

In this photo, you can see some of his very first students, and he is in the background! Most everyone in the horse industry thinks that this riding academy is a great idea that U.S. horse enthusiasts desperately need. Most jockeys internationally do have riding schools to learn their sport; we've been unique for our lack.

Anyway, you will remember Mr. McCarron from my earlier blog posts about John Henry. He was hugging that elder statesman! He was a regular rider for that fabulous Eclipse Award winning horse and spent time with him when he passed earlier this Fall.

But here are some of his many achievements. He won the 1974 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, the 1980 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, the 1980 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, and the 1991 Mike Venezia Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship." He was the youngest jockey to win $100 million, and the nation's leading jockey 6 times! He also won 9 Breeders' Cup Races, including 5 Breeders' Cup Classics, and won 6 U.S. Triple Crown Races, 2 Kentucky Derbys, 2 Preaknesses, 2 Belmonts! He was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1989, and when he retired he was the all-time leading money winner, with $264 million in winnings!

Among his many retirement accolades, some said that he "punched the clock day in and day out." He was a "role model and fierce competitor."

Besides John Henry, his Kentucky Derby winners were Alysheba (1987) and Go For Gin (1994)!

Anyway, I think it's great that he's running a riding academy for jockeys. I have the link posted below! Only $3,300 per semester for 6 semesters of learning -- a deal really! And they provide the horses. I bet he's a great teacher. This is what he had to say about finding your bliss, "I"m a true believer that everybody is born with an ability to excel at something. Everybody has a talent to be really, really good at something, whether it be drawing, singing, kicking a football, or whatever it might be. But it's the lucky people that actually find out they discover what that talent is."
http://nara.kctcs.edu/aboutDisplay_section_4.cfm
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McCarron
or
http://hall.racingmuseum.org/hall/jockey.asp?ID=200
or
http://www.macbethfund.org/news_stories/chris_retires.htm

Shuvee and My Girls!

These photos are from Braulio Baeza's webpage. He was very lucky to have ridden some of the best horses in history, including Shuvee, a 1966 filly who rocked out in racing! Her parents were Nashua and Levee by Hill Prince. Much of what I'll write about her here is from the Blood Horse's Top 100 Thoroughbreds of the 20th Century series. She earned #70 for her impressive deeds.

Here are the first words written about her in this history book, "She looked like a stallion, ate like a stallion, and trained like a stallion. Best of all, Shuvee could race like a stallion too." Nice, real nice. I bet she'd be annoyed because she probably thought of herself as a sweet ol' big girl! She grew to 16.1 hands and was a monster-sized girl!

Anyway, she won amazing races by huge margins. She liked to swing from behind and then just leap into the lead. She won the Filly Triple Tiara -- the Triple Crown for girls in 1969, and then was voted Champion Older Mare in 1970 and 1971. Ron Turcotte rode her to a second straight victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup -- no other filly or mare has won that race ever, let alone twice! Her big competitors at the time were Gallant Bloom and Process Shot.

Her trainer, W.C. "Mike" Freeman, said of her, "Boy, she was tough. You couldn't make her back off the feed tub or anything. She'd eat anything you put in front of her. And she needed more training than any filly I saw!" Her owner dad said, "She never took a bad step in her life and never had any physical problems at all through her racing career. Real extraordinary mare -- for a big filly, particularly. Never bucked her shins. Just a real freak!" This strange praise was indeed remarkable because she had a long 4-year racing career (1968-1971) and was a big horse, so it would have been easy for her to hurt those long legs! Her final record was 44: 16(15), 10(6), 6(4)! She was such a talented girl that she could run great at any distance -- 8 furlongs to 2 miles!

When she retired, she died fairly young in 1986 due to complications in foaling. She died a champion! She was inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in 1975, the Aiken Training Center Hall of Fame upon its opening in 1977, earned 2 Eclipse Awards for Champion Older Mare in 1970 and 1971, and the Filly Triple Crown! No wonder she's #70 of the top 100 racehorses of the 20th century!

My girls are related to Shuvee most immediately through Nasrullah, Princequillo, Ultimus, and Sir Gallahad!

You can read more about this champion mare at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuvee
or
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=136
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuvee_Handicap

Little Mama! December 1st, 2007

Here we are, Saturday morning on December 1st. Hailee had her Rhino shot for her 7th month doctor's visit a week ago. She is feisty, sweet, and makin' a baby!