Equine Ezine

When I first watched this video, I was confused–an Iberian horse, a Dutch horse, American country music superimposed–but now I think I get it. The great Spanish horse Fuego and the great Dutch horse Totilas did have some similar movements.

The Spanish horse perhaps wasn’t so unorthodox after all, when compared to the gold medal winner. Lay on some equally unorthodox music and it takes things so out of context that you see things as if for the first time.

The Spanish horse exhibited huge expression of movement and joy in his work which transcended to the watching audience. So much so, that he received a standing ovation for his performance.

Totilas was quite precise and exact in his movement, however, did not exhibit the elevation that Fuego performed in. Fuego had flair, presence and the movement to pull it all off in front of a huge audience.

Andalusians or PRE’s, as they are now named, were bred for classical dressage long before the warmbloods came on scene. Has dressage become just a stuffy old sport governed by politics and money? The black stallion was beautiful but lacked the presence that the gray stallion had. Those powerful shoulders, long legs, that neck. Everything about him screams athleticism and pizzaz to boot.

In case you didn’t follow the recent World Equestrian Games, what you see here is a gray PRE (“Andalusian”) horse, Fuego XII, ridden by Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz of Spain. The black horse is the gold medal winner, Moorlands Totilas–now just Totilas–a Dutch Warmblood ridden by Edward Gal of The Netherlands. He has since been sold to German horse dealer Paul Schockemohle. The music was superimposed by the video editor.

In Kentucky, the crowd boo’d the judges when they saw the scores. They thought surely the Spanish horse had won the gold medal. But he hadn’t. Dressage is still dressage, after all. Fuego and Totilas are the two primary horses that people will remember from the dressage portion of the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

Valentine’s Day is coming. My lovelies will be getting peppermints and carrots that day. How about yours? As for the people, I think it’s a great idea to give the gift that lasts….a favourite horse picture lasered into a beautiful crystal rock. How original! Click on the link above to view unique samples of memoirs etched in rock.

Show your horse you care. Valentine’s Day is Hug A Horse Day too! If you have more than one HUG ‘EM ALL! xxooxx…

Where in the wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined. He serves without servility: he has fought without enmity. There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent; There is nothing so quick nothing more patient. The past has been borne on his back. All our history is his industry; We are his heirs, he our inheritance. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Horse.

Truer words were never spoken for the kind of love that equestrians and breeders have for their sport and their horses. 

EQUESTRIAN SPORT

When an equestrian or their mount makes a mistake, it’s not just one, but two athletes that can become injured.  Unlike a snowboard, skis or a motorcycle, a horse has its own intelligence and judgement call/decision making ability.  A successful partnership is created between two individually thinking, performing and feeling beings.  Both the creation process and the act of performing together are breeding grounds for injury and drama…success or failure. 

It can be BLEEDIN’ PAINFUL!  But we always climb back on…God willing!  Why?  Because it’s worth it, because it’s our passion.  Horses are not basketballs or golf balls.  They are beautiful, kind, generous, spirited creatures that choose to stand by our side and willingly be our partners even if it hurts. 

It has been said that of all the sports, the jockey or horse rider is the fittest of all athletes.  It may LOOK easy “sitting” atop those beautiful beasts.  But how does one control an on average 1200 lb horse without being fit?  It’s through the legs, the balance, the mind, the arms…ALL parts of the body working hard together that make the act of riding “look easy”. 

And how does one do that when one has been trampled, dumped, crashed, cut and bleeding off and on for years in the sport? 

PASSION, love of the horse, love of the sport, love of the partnership.  It’s a LOT OF DRAMA!  But it sure ain’t boring…and it is DEFINITELY A SPORT!

Oh and by the way, we also do it because it’s FUN!    YEE HA!

YEE HA!

Ah yes…the never ending escapades of Frenzied Filly.  She never tires of tiring me out…from fixing her fantastic forages into mischieviousness. 

WHO...ME?

As I was saying, the Rummaging Filly was caught red hooved pillaging a freshly opened bale of green tasty Alfalfa delight.  Amazingly, part of the wooden floor upheld her weight…the part she was standing on.  Alas, one must remain calm in episodes of near emergency proportions…though the fact that this was a totally UNnecessary state of affairs was uppermost in my mind.  Scolding and cussing under my breath as usual (since filly episodes have been occurring more frequently of late), I haltered her and tried to turn her around in the small space.  There went some more boards as one of her hooves went through one of them!  At this point, having nothing to lose, I walked away and tried leading her mother out of the paddock and down the dark road.  This usually works to get the filly off the trailer when all else fails.  Nope.  Brought the mare back, then led her out again and FINALLY the Filly scrambled off the boards safely onto the paddock surface.  Checked her legs…tough as nails, that Filly is.  The boards, however, did not fare as well.  Big gaping holes everywhere in my little barn…making it unsafe for ME to walk inside….sigh. 

The Winter Blues have gotten to all of us here in this rainy valley.  But when the Filly gets bored, all hell breaks loose.  I must get some video footage of her airs above the ground on one spot, no less.  She really would make a great Lippizan.  She’ll be white one day…maybe that will help someone want to buy her.  Her antics do get past entertaining at times…at the end of a long day at work with visions of vet calls looming in my mind as I jump to her rescue.  But every time, she gets that look on her face like she really is the one who always has the last laugh…she had her Alfalfa and ate it too.

Who...ME?

Don’t let the look of casual indifference on this filly’s face fool you.  I dare say that every time she creates another “situation”…the image of a huge For Sale sign with large red letters hanging around her neck comes to mind.

Her latest endeavour to find a new home where they tolerate this kind of “stuff” was the other night…a night when I realllly did not have time for one of her more serious shenanigans.  Another horse may have injured themselves, but not her.  Oh Mastress of Deception and Torment! 

My barnyard setup is a bit bizarre in that the “barn” or hay/tack shed with adjoining shelters is in the middle of the paddocks.  Therefore, if one “special” horse was in the mood to create chaos and havoc, all they have to do is slide the door open (with nose) that leads into the hay storage section and hop in.   Alas, a “hop in” would cause the old floor boards to crumple beneath the weight of a foraging for trouble horse.  During a fleeting lapse of attention to locking doors behind me whilst cleaning shelters, the gray nosed one, the one with increasingly gray hairs growing on her annoying self as she matures, silently slid the door open and hopped right in…also quietly apparently.  Upon hearing some muffled thumping in the vicinity of the hay shed, I rushed over and saw to my horror that once again I must leap into action to attempt to save the filly’s life!  I had no idea just how far her leg or legs would go through those floor boards.  

A little background on this Dilly of an annoying Filly… her trailering history has been sporadically quirky…  She loads and hauls well…however, often, she will not get OFF the trailer.  Most people take their horses to a trainer to teach them to get ON the trailer.  Mine won’t get OFF.  Does ANYone have a horse like this?  I would SO appreciate any tips on resolving this weird issue.

It’s getting late and it’s feeding time.  I have to think of a way to finish the story without swearing.     To be continued….

Today’s Featured Video portrays footage of some beautiful Spanish stallions trained and ridden by J.P. Giacomini.  Hundreds of years of breeding athleticism into the genes has created great versatility.    An athletic horse can perform well in a variety of disciplines and excel in some.  Versatility permits longevity in a horse’s useful life. 

The stallion, Bicanco, started as a bullfighting horse…now he Piaffes and Passages in a beautiful cadence.  The short bounces, extreme bursts of speed, short and long side passes are elegantly  transformed into the balanced and rhythmic movements so appreciated in the discipline of Dressage.   And how does this amazing transformation take place?  It’s in the genes of an athletic horse.  An athletic horse is a naturally balanced horse.  The rider guides him to the required type of balance needed for the desired sport.  It’s interesting to note that Merlin, the bullfighting horse, and some of the Spanish horses in dressage training have no throat latches on their bridles.  The bit shanks are long, but the riders are light handed with an easy balance on the horse’s back.

Today’s Featured Video portrays the magnificent Lusitano stallion, Merlin. This video is LARGER than life and MUST be watched in HIGH VOLUME for maximum effect and sheer enjoyment…JMO.

Merlin is 7/8 Lusitano and 1/8 Quarterhorse. The breeder is Jacques Bonnier (the tall gray haired gentleman who greets the rider before he returns to the bull). Merlin is owned and ridden by Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza.

Note: This video is not to showcase the sport of bullfighting. It is to appreciate the bravery, loyalty, and sheer athleticism of the horse.

Let us not forget that mankind’s first use of the horse was in the battlefield. Many maneuvers, abilities and aptitudes originally utilized in the horse as a working/battle partner are still passed on in today’s breeding programs to create the sport and recreational horse.

I admit:  I WANT ONE OF HIM!  As a Warmblood breeder, I can honestly say this is one horse that could sway my persuasion of preference.

The partnership of man and horse never fails to find a reason to continue, no matter how our world changes.

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Hay! I just discovered the above great site while searching for deals on horse wormers. Amazing prices on EVERYthing was the big surprize…from bird and pet supplies to mostly everything horse! Girls, check out the coloured riding socks AND…drum roll…wormers for only $2.69!! Oh and for us dog lovers, they have THE cutest jackets for pathetically low prices…under Weatherbeeta section. Looking for unique horsey and doggish gifts? Horseloverz haz it all.

Speaking of unique, I have to say I was quite impressed with the quality, quantity AND huge topic variety of calendars at the site below. Don’t let the dog breeds fool you…cute as they are. There is a fantastic HUGE selection of horsey calendars with everything from Gypsy Vanners to foals. Gallop over here and check this out:

HAPPY SHOPPING and hay, if it’s too late for shipping to arrive before Christmas, there’s always New Years, Valentines Day and Birthdays!

Cheers,
The Equine Blogger, sometimes Equine Shopper…

AN EYE FOR QUALITY

Thanks for riding by again. Developing this site is like trying to put a bridle on a hot headed horse…eager to gallop on, flex its muscles, feeling the earth move beneath its hooves. One must have a good seat to balance between hurdles of technology, skill set, and knowledge. A good seat complemented with an eye for distance…comparable to coordinating for longevity and creation with an eye for quality.
So, the student asks the teacher: what do YOU want to see on the perfect equine ezine site. What kind of riding, maintenance and training do YOU do with your beautiful horses? Where do YOU go to for problem solving, whether it be training, behaviour issues, diet or breeding. What components would contribute to creating a site where you could hang out in for most or all of your equine needs?
Which brings to mind…ho ho ho…’tis the Season. What are you horse lovers putting in your horses’ Christmas stockings this year? Care to share? Where do you find the best holiday deals? Curious minds would like to know where one can find the most unique horsey gifts ever! Please share your ideas by commenting in the Comment Section. You never know…there could be a Popularity Poll…to see whose horse is THE MOST SPOILED horse ever!

PS: The floating paragraph WILL be dealt with as soon as I find a good trainer to deal with the behaviour.