Merry Christmas to ME!

Look what I just got!

Meet Aljak's Brite Lights, my new dressage prospect.  He's four years old, a roan sabino pinto (yes, pinto!) morgan, who has won championships in many divisions plus he also drives.  I flew out to OKC the day before yesterday to try him, and had an absolute blast with him.  As a rail horse, he's pretty clueless about bending and the inside leg, but that will come.  I also got to drive him and it was great fun.

Here he is in action:

http://youtu.be/xxKUbp3AqfQ

I'm not sure if any of my sidesaddles will fit him, so I may need a new one. Sue!!!! I'll need your help, so we'll see you at Gladstone next year.

Of course, all of this is dependant on the prepurchase exam, but I gave him a good going over myself when I tried him, and if all goes well he'll be shipping east in January.

I've wanted a new horse for so long...I just can't believe this!

I Love a Parade!

 

Yesterday we converged on the small unsuspecting town of Lisbon, MD for the "Ole Fashioned Christmas Horse Parade", an event I expected to simply be a hokey little affair.  Hokey it arguably was, but it was anything but little with over 500 equines participating.  500!  Can you imagine that many equines of all shapes, sizes, and species dressed in all manner of Christmas attire, along with fancy carriages, miniature horses sporting antlers, even a standardbred pulling a racing bike.  There were mules dressed as angels, multiple mounted Santas, and a troop of tin soldiers riding drafts.  Everywhere you looked there was something equine to marvel at, either because of its beauty or its entertainment value.  It was like an incredible Yule time costume party.

 

It was an absolute blast!  Barb's husband Tom was already riding in the parade as part of the Howard County Mounted Patrol, so tossing her horse Beau on the trailer that AM was no big deal.  Separating the two of them once they arrived, however, did turn out to be a big deal since Beau seems to think he is a conjoined twin with Tom's horse Max.  At one point, Beau even started running sideways, so I quickly dismouted, drew up some ace, and gave him a jab of liquid love.  While the drugs took effect we casually started introducing Owen to Beau in the hopes that he would see Owen as his new BFF.  Happily our plan worked pretty well, and other than his continuing to call now and again he quited down and Barb was able to enjoy the event.

 

Even tho' this was literally a last minute plan Barb managed to get two additional ISSO riders to join us, Sue and Nancy, who both rode english in traditional black habits which nicely offset the colorful habits and western tack that Barb and I used.  To top it off, Barb found these wonderful long plastic candy canes that we all used in place of our traditional riding canes.

 

There was some initial tension and jostling around at the start as an organizer with a bullhorn tried to get all 500 participants in their proper order for the parade, but she did an amazing job and we fell into place behind the Goshen hunt and headed out onto the route.  Not only was I impressed with the equine turnout, the crowd turnout was equally impressive with people crammed several bodies deep in places.  Ironically, the two ladies bringing up the back of the field were also riding aside, and one of them, Lou Steinfort, I knew from way back in my 4-H days so many years ago.  She and her friend were turned out in formal attire with appointments, riding absolutely beautifully in perfect fitting habits riding equally elegant and turned out hunters.  They were amazing, and I wouldn't want to face either of them in the show ring.  Riding behind them really showed the wide scope of riding aside, tho' they did make me riding my little poinsettia pony feel like a poor sidesaddle relative indeed!  To top this off, we later ran into Ingrid Gentry, a local dressage judge, and there I am on my supposedly FEI mount dressed up as an 1890's cowgirl.  As you can see, Barb and I elected to wear helmets rather than top hats; I was too worried about riding on asphalt to risk my skull, since I'm still making student loan payments on the veterinary knowledge that's crammed into it.

 



 

 

Waiting to head out onto the route.

Sue

At the parade formation: me on Owen, Barb on Beau, and Tom

on Max; the lady in the center is my mother, Alice.



Team of mini donkeys

Drill Team

Don't you love these kids dressed as Christmas trees?

Percherons pulling a formal carriage

Maryland Park Police

The Goshen hounds with a small field



Ta Da!   ISSO on the route.

Angel mules pulling a stage coach

Of course, there were several Santas

What a cutie!

And the other end of the equine size spectrum.

4-H group

A different kind of four in hand; Owen was not happy when

he saw these coming at him.

Owen, Beau, me, Barb.



A nice group of sidesaddle ladies showing the variety of our sport.

Nancy

and Nancy again.

A close up of Owen's head...note the little cardinals I attached to

his mane.

Owen starting a nice piaffe in hand before...

...rocking back into the levade.  It needs polish but he's really

making progress.

And as if that wasn't a great enough day, it finished up with my running into Kristen Barth, nee Mowery, my absolute partner in crime back in our pony days.  She is now married with children, and I asked her how she would feel if they did as many stupid things as we did back then, such as jumping our ponies over guard rails.  It was so wonderful to catch up with her and I think it's great to have one of my oldest friends living only a few miles from me. 

All in all, it was such a wonderful day and it really invigorated me back into equine activity.  I'd been in such a slump and had actually discussed giving Owen away and selling off all my equipment the night before with Bruce.  What was I thinking?

Anyway, fellow ISSO members...we need to make this parade a regular item on our sidesaddle calendar.

Did I say it was amazing enough?

Gather Ye Poinsettias While Ye May...

OK, so things have sucked a lot lately and I've been down but once again the Dream Team (Barb Thelan and I) has managed to dig up some sidesaddle trouble by agreeing to ride in the Lisbon Ole Fashioned Christmas Horse Parade (http://www.lisbonhorseparade.com/)   this weekend.  Last night Bruce and I excavated my red and green victorian habit out of storage, plus I stopped by Joann Fabrics to pick up some assorted goo-gaws to put on Owen.  Now, we all know that sidesaddle is my passion, but occasionally embarrising Owen really gives me a lift.  Last Easter I put bunny ears on him and rode in an egg hunt; reindeer antlers are too cliche, but I've got some other forms of amusement to attach provided he tolerates it.

I'm bringing along a nice bottle of ace.  What else would you carry in that little offside purse?

In the mean time, I've started Owen on his new special diet (which he hates) along with a supplement and am trying to get hold of Boeringer to order the new pergolide formulation.  According to my veterinary colleagues, this new version is far more effective than the compounded versions I've used in the past.  Owen also got a new clip job, one of my least favorite equine tasks.  Over 15 years of managing a Cushinoid equine (Chummie) mandated three to four body clips per year, and every time I swear I'm going to start paying someone else to do it.  Heavy sigh...I own the clippers so I might as well use them, and I'm always pleased to find a nice fit equine underneath all that shag.

I've also finished the last of the tweaks to my newest western saddle.  I realize the leather color doesn't quite match tho' it will darken over time, but I added a cinch and latigo hanger along with a tapedero stirrup.  The stirrup is rather ugly but functional, and I do have a fear of getting my foot caught up since western saddles don't have break away bars.

I also found this nice cinch with a roller bar that lets me for the first time tighten a western saddle while mounted.  I've really grown to love this saddle and am beginning to feel quite the centaur when I ride in it.

Our mouted training has stalled a bit, and the flying changes are non-existent some days, beautiful on others.  But I've really stepped up the in hand training and started Owen on the levade a few months ago.  It's a long slow process that may take a year or more to finish but he has progressed to the school halt, in which the horse rocks back on his hocks in preparation for the air but only lifts one foot, and he has a few times come off the ground with both front feet.  I think it frightens him a little, so keeping him calm is key.  Yes, I could just snap his hocks with the stick until he leaps up but the levade should be calm and controlled so he must be relaxed to pull it off correctly, and I only school it for a few minutes to keep him from getting sour or tired.  He's getting to the point where he'll even do it in a halter.

We're still having fun together...we'll see how the weekend goes.

Crushing's Disease...

No, that's not a misspelling.  That's my new term for Equine Cushing's disease, since Owen has it and I'm crushed by the news.

Equine Cushings is caused by a pituitary tumor in the brain stem, and I've been consciously blocking out the subtle signs I've seen in Owen (most noticeably fat deposits in what is usually an extremely fit horse) because I didn't want to face the disease that ultimately took my beloved Chummie from me.

I forced myself last week to draw the blood and send it out, and though I had girded myself for a positive test I was nonetheless devastated by the news.  Yes, there is medication to manage the symptoms, but it is not without side effects and cannot stop the inevitable and destructive progress of the pituitary tumor.

I fear this means that Owen has peaked and I can expect no further progress with him.  It also means constant vigilance for the remainder of his life in the form of diet and turnout management...Owen is going to HATE wearing a muzzle, but on the plus side it will keep him from cribbing!

Our meeting with our attorney last week was not inspiring, either, since he said it was unlikely we would get any of our money back from the builder and that we would be throwing good money after bad should we try to pursue legal address.

We had hoped to be in our new house by now, and the deal with Bruce was that once we had the new place established I would get another horse.  But I think I need another horse now.  I have so much emotional investment in Owen, and I need to start another project lest something debilitating, such as founder, happen to him.

But what horse can possibly fill his tiny shoes?

Self Improvements

Of course, when I say self improvement I mean improvements done by myself rather than actually improving my person.  It's true I've not posted for a while but it's not for lack of sidesaddle activity.  I've been hamstrung by the limits of technology...I can't post from work thanks to the security programs put in place by the NSA and I can rarely reach the internet from home since we can't even get a paltry dsl line here in the sticks.

Little by little I've been tweaking my latest sidesaddle and I've been giving it alot of miles.

Owen ready to hit the trail.

First, I replaced that horrible plastic stirrup with this antique Nettles stirrup I found online.  It's got a nice wide tread which any endurance rider can tell you really makes for more comfort than a narrow one.  I still need to replace that cheap cut off leather, and ultimately I'd like to put a tapedero on it; it's safer than a standard western stirrup since there is no break away, tho' of course you can't show in them.  Don't know why...

I also swaped the tie straps so the half breed is on the offside where it is more accessible and doesn't form a bulge under the left flap.  I purchased a set of matching yuma berry conchos and saddle strings to give it a more uniform appearence.  I also added leather rosettes, which actually have a purpose since they act as washers under the concho screws and keep them tight.

This little saddle is fast climbing the list of my all time favorite sidesaddles.  It definitely is my favorite sidesaddle for trail riding and general hacking, and today after a long ride I did some quick schooling in it.  It rode extremely well, and we even were able to get some rough tempis in, even without having a stick on the offside.  I'm still not thrilled with the rigging, but Owen is comfortable in it and the saddle doesn't shift a bit even after several miles on the trail so I'm not rushing to change it.

Old tymey Owen...looks the part, doesn't he?

Yesterday was the Fall War for the medieval re-enactment group I hang out with.  Due to the move I wasn't able to find 99% of my gear, and in the end just threw some of Midas' old Men of Warwick gear on Owen.  With a bit of tight lacing it all worked out, and after a little warm up we headed out to the fighting which was a series of brief skirmishes in front of the castle.  Owen was the only equine present, and though we didn't actually participate he did stand at the margins quite well, even when the canon was fired.  Owen will now let me carry and throw a spear from horseback, and yesterday he even let me carry and swipe a sword around.  At one point he even did canter pirouettes in both directions with the reins in one hand and sword held up in the other. Where is a photographer when you need one?  I'll tell you where he was...sitting only a few yards away, engrossed in a conversation with our friend Bill about computers and missing the whole thing.

On the depressing side of things, our builder has gone out of business, taking our money with him.  We consulted an attorney, and tho' he is going to send a threatening letter, he told us it is highly unlikely that we will get any of our expenses back.  I think the term "blood from a stone" was bandied about.  This leaves us absolutely strapped, since we really can't afford to take the guy to court, and we don't have the money to start again with another builder.   We've been taken to the proverbial cleaners and are now homeless to boot.  I'm not sure where we'll go or what to do with Owen.  If we have to move to far from Woodwind I'll be forced to board him somewhere and I'm not sure where the extra $$$ will come from.  Bruce and I are both determined not to sell him, tho' he could provide a deposit for a builder.  No way.  All the money in the world couldn't buy the experiences I'm having with him.  (Owen, stop that!  Owen, spit that out!  Owen, leave that alone!)

Happy times.  But I may have to sell some sidesaddles and habits.

Good Morning, Sandy

We're starting to get hammered, so I thought I'd get a post up before we lose power.

Saturday we had an open house and a halloween party.  We had some re-enactor and sidesaddle people show up, along with some work colleagues.  Now, I really take Halloween seriously, and finally I'm living in a house that is crying out to made into a haunted house, so naturally I tricked it out:

I added cobwebs everywhere...this

is the front hall.

...and the stairs...

...the landing...

One of the several serving tables

my kitchen 

I put this creepy lady behind the living room door

so you didn't see her staring at you until you turned

around; note the little mouse on the chair rail.

I threw together this little skeleton

cake, which was a challenge since

my cake stuff is all in storage and I

had to make do with what was to

hand.  It's devil's food (which I found

appropriate) with butter cream cheese

filling.



We even used Owen for pony rides!  Occasionally a child grew nervous and clamped down and squeaked, which only made Owen piaffe.  If only that kid knew what he was accomplishing!

And something I didn't have to work on...this is a grave that has been on the farm property since 1894.  It contains the body of Edith Gittings, a little baby that died at the age of three months and is buried on top of a very steep hill, back in the woods and rather far from the main house.  Her's is the only grave we know of on the property.  I wonder why she wasn't buried in a church yard or consecrated ground and why she is all alone out there on the hill top.  We take the care of her grave very seriously and check on her regularly.  Interestingly, once some of the children at the party heard that there was a grave they insisted on visiting her.  It's not an easy hike, but my sister took them out bushwacking to see the site.  The children suggested they say a prayer for her, and they all knelt down and recited a blessing in french.  Children can amaze me.

The horses are all tucked into their stalls, with heavy rugs on, knee deep shavings, and a half bale of hay each in case we can't make it out to the barn before tomorrow.  Several parts of the driveway are already under water.  My sidesaddles, however, are safely inside.  Naturally, when Barb Thelan arrived at my party I had to drag her over to see my newest saddle first thing.  I've made some superficial changes to it, which I'll post at some point.  Currently I have a few more pressing things on my mind...such as 90 mph winds.  But I feel really safe here at Cold Saturday, sitting within 2 ft thick stone walls.  I rode out Hurricane Agnes back in the day here and I'm sure we'll be fine this time, tho' we are having to strategically place buckets around to catch the 10 inches of rain being dumped on us.  This house has stood firm since 1740, and curled up here on the couch with the cats I'm barely aware of the storm outside.  I know we'll lose some fencing, some of the driveway, and possibly the bridge, but everything that counts is hunkered down under cover.

Improvisation

Sometimes you just have to make do with whatever is in the tack room.  I have ordered a queen for my new saddle, but it hasn't arrived yet and I wanted to take it out for a hack.  Fighting the saddle for correct position certainly didn't appeal to me and there wasn't any vet wrap to hand, so in a flash of inspiration I took one of Owen's fetlock boots and fastened it around the upright horn.

Worked a treat!  Had a nice longish ride, including some good cross country trail work.