Monday, January 3, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 News
At the 2010 Pre-HITS, Sakura Hill Zorriola gave us a Third in the Level 3 in the Grand Prix ring and a clear round at Level 4 with one rail in the jump off. Aaron is very pleased as are we with Zorri's happy and confident attack. On to HITS Ocala where Zorri will be joined by debutantes Sakura Hill Ana Bella and Sakura Hill Ahme.
Wang Chung M2S and Felix Hassmann scored a win in the Final of the Youngster Tour for 7-Year-Old Horses at the CSI** Offenburg (Germany)--the Preis der KLEENEX Kimberly Clark GmbH.
At the KWPN Central Keuring at Den Ham in 2003,the Ster daughter of KWPN mare Harnita pref.prest., Tarnita, garnered first place by having the highest score for loose-jumping.
May 2010 and the following decade bring hope, happiness and prosperity to all.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sizing a Horse Up
I was speaking with a Dressage instructor from Scotland recently and she gave me a little visualization tip when sizing a horse up to see whether or not they are proportionate.
It goes as follows:
The size of the head from poll to the very end of the mouth is your base measurement
The neck from point of wither to point of the poll should be approximately 1.5x the length of the head (ideally it is 1.75x the length of the head).
The point of the wither to the point of the shoulder should be 1x the length of the head
The point of the hip to the point of the back of the hip should be 1.25x the length of the head
The saddle position should be 1x the length of the head
The point of the hock to the floor should be 1x the length of the head
I used a lead rope to measure these things and found out that our mare Ana Bella was on the mark for these measurements; however, Zorriola was a bit short in the hip and shoulder.
It goes as follows:
The size of the head from poll to the very end of the mouth is your base measurement
The neck from point of wither to point of the poll should be approximately 1.5x the length of the head (ideally it is 1.75x the length of the head).
The point of the wither to the point of the shoulder should be 1x the length of the head
The point of the hip to the point of the back of the hip should be 1.25x the length of the head
The saddle position should be 1x the length of the head
The point of the hock to the floor should be 1x the length of the head
I used a lead rope to measure these things and found out that our mare Ana Bella was on the mark for these measurements; however, Zorriola was a bit short in the hip and shoulder.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Horsey Sayings Explained
I was looking online for an explanation of a particular horsey saying and stumbled upon several websites that provided explanations and histories to some of the most commonly used horsey sayings and superstitions. I thought that I would share a few of the ones that I found.
1. Hang a horseshoe over the door for good luck
This superstition is probably an amalgam of beliefs because horse shoes have seven holes and seven is regarded as a lucky number, they are made of iron, which has the quality of strength, and they are associated with horses and donkeys both of whom have been revered through the ages. There is also a legend from the middle ages about a blacksmith named Dunstan. Dunstan was visited by the devil in his blacksmith shop. The devil wanted Dunstan to make him shoes, but Dunstan refused and beat the devil, making him promise never to enter a place where a horseshoe hung over the door. To prevent luck from running out, the horseshoe must hang toe down. In some cultures however, it's believed the toe should be hung toe-up.
2. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
While we value horses now as companions, they were once valued as modes of transport. You probably wouldn't give away a young horse that was still useful. When a horse got old, it would no longer be able to pull or carry loads, and therefore, had little value. One way to tell if a horse was old was to open its mouth and look at its teeth, which would reveal its age So, don't look in a 'gift horse's' mouth, because you'll probably find out its old, and you'd realize you had gotten something of little value (and not appreciate the thought behind the gift - if indeed it was well intentioned.) So, to look a gift horse in the mouth would be to question the value of a gift.
3. One white foot, buy him; two white feet, try him...
... three white feet, look well about him; four white feet, go without him.
This saying has variations such as ‘four white feet and white on his nose, take off his hide and feed him to the crows.’ That’s pretty harsh! Or, one, buy me, Two, try me, Three, shy me, Four, fly me. This old saying is probably based on the belief that white hooves are weaker than dark and your white footed horse is prone to unsoundness due to wear and cracks. The saying is reversed in one version. One white foot, keep him not a day, Two white feet, send him far away, Three white feet, sell him to a friend, Four white feet, keep him to the end. Whatever the intent behind the rhyme, we've learned that hoof color is not as important as we once thought it was.
4. From the Horse's Mouth
To hear something direct from the person concerned or responsible, rather than second-hand information. For example 'It isn't just a rumor that the factory will close, I was there when the boss said it, so I heard it direct from the horse's mouth'. The saying originally came from horse racing, where it was believed that the best tips came from the people working with the horses (trainers and handlers), so if one hears it from the horse itself then the information is even more direct and certain. For example 'I got a racing tip yesterday, and if it wasn't straight from the horse's mouth, it was the next closest thing'.
5. High Horse
During the Age of Chivalry, a knight was considered chivalrous if he was adept at riding a horse in full armor, which is not easy when the armor and rider together weighed around 440 pounds. Telling someone to get off his high horse probably originated from the fact that knights had to ride specially bred large horses because of the enormous weight of their armor. Nobles would ride through town quite literally looking down on others from their tall horses. Later on, politicians paraded in ceremonial processions on unusually large horses. A Scottish proverb incorporating a reference to one’s “high horse” was cited by James Kelly in 1721. Come off it is also derived from this saying.
6. A Dark Horse
One of England
7. Chivalry
Chivalry is from the French word for horse, cheval. Because of the code of gallantry, which knights were required to know well, chivalry eventually came to be associated with the ideal behavior for noblemen. Cavalier, which now means to behave aristocratically or in a dismissive manner, is the term one assigned to gentlemen who rode for the military.
8. Putting on airs
Putting on airs may come from a term used in dressage to indicate a movement in which the horse’s legs are off the ground. The various “airs” above ground are performed chiefly by horses trained in the hautes écoles (high schools), like the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. To put on airs, then, would be to show off a talent that is shared only with the most elite.
9. Starting from scratch
Starting from scratch first implied that someone was being honest in a horse race by making sure that his horse’s front feet were just behind a line drawn in the dirt road that marked where the race was to commence. Although the phrase up to scratch was first published in reference to boxing 160 years ago, it may have been used earlier in horse races.
10. Wild Goose Chase
Going on a wild goose chase refers to an equestrian sport started in England England
equal intervals. The movement of the leader and the followers reminded people of the characteristic flight of a flock of wild geese, so the sport was called a wild-goose chase.
Sources: http://horses.about.com/od/understandinghorses/tp/horsequotations.htm
http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/articles/olsen_horsesense.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1789276/wildgoose_chase_origin_of_the_expression.html
Monday, December 6, 2010
So you have a horse for sale...
You have a horse to sell-- what next? I have created a "Horse for Sale Checklist", which we go through when one of our horses is offered for sale. Our philosophy is to give the potential clients as much information as possible so that if they do decide to contact us and see the horse, they are simply verifying what they already had learned, asking any further questions, and making personal contact.
The Ad
- The Basic Information:
- Sex
- Year of birth (rather than age because sometimes ads become of date and it is hard to determine up to date age)
- Height (or if young: "Should mature to _____h)
- Discipline (Hunter, Jumper, Eventer, Dressage, All 'rounder etc.
- Level: Beginner horse, Schoolmaster, 3'6" Hunter etc.
- Tag Line: "Super Amateur Temperament"- What makes him stand out
- Breed and Registration
- Pedigree (if known) Sire x Dam x Damsire
- Extras: Is it USEF Lifetime recorded? Any predicates: Keur, Prok, Premium?
- Description: We try to avoid hard sell phrases that make promises. For example: "10+ mover" (you don't know what horses they've seen, in other words, they may have just seen Lingh or Westporte meaning that your horse probably will fall short of your claim in comparison!) "Point and shoot"(you cannot be 100% certain how a horse will perform while being tried by an unfamiliar rider or in a situation unlike what it is accustomed to) Similarly, try avoid the use of Superlatives- "Easiest, best, most, prettiest, etc." It leaves a lot of room for the potential client to be disappointed.
- Mention any Show experience or Performance worth mentioning. If the horse is young, has it been off the property to school?
- If the horse has noteworthy lineage, mention something about the sire, dam and damsire (Genes may not be everything, but can certainly increase predictability)
- Good UP TO DATE Video and Photographs. Keep videos short and to the point- no need to show the horse warming up over fences, get to the essence of the jumping session-- i.e- if you say the horse is jumping 3'6", the video should show it jumping 3'6". Movement/Flatting: walk, trot, canter, each direction but keep it short. Photographs: Conformation, Performance (Free jumping, free moving, Jumping under saddle, Flatting--all this Depends on the age of the horse), head shot.
The Inquiry
- You have a telephone message or email about this particular sale horse:
- Never write anyone off: You never know what kind of client they might turn out to be.
- Most importantly, email or call them back ASAP. If you cannot talk at length , at least reply and tell them that you have received their call and will be in touch in x days. Always acknowledge receipt of their inquiry.
- When you do touch base with them, let them ask questions and don't inundate them with what they have already learned from reading your listing. They will probably want a few things verified and clarified. The ad is where you sell your horse--by the time of inquiry, most potential clients have already decided that they are interested in seeing your horse and, barring any surprises from the conversation, will simply want to clarify and verify some things in the ad and check to see if the horse is a good match for them.
The Showing
- So you've set a date to view the horse
- Make sure the horse is clean before arrival. I prefer to have my horses in a stall when the client arrives. However, you may wish to ask the client of they prefer to have the horse stalled or at liberty if that is where it spends much of its time.
- If the horse is of riding age:
- Take the horse out on cross ties to groom (this will be a touch up because the horse will have already been groomed). Demonstrate picking out its feet and brushing.. Ask the client if they would like to help (some clients like to be hands on whereas others prefer to observe) This is the time that I personally like to use to get to know the client better and ask about their experience, what they plan on doing with the horse etc. After the horse is groomed, tack the horse up. Make sure that the tack is clean. I always ride the horses first to show them to the client they and then ask if they wish to try the horse themselves. If the horse is jumping, make sure that the fences have already been set to save time.
- If the horse is not started:
- Take the horse out and groom. I usually do not ask the client to help as too many people around a young horse may not best. Again, this is a time I like to use to get to know the client. I show the young horse leading at a walk from a side view, towards and away from the client. I stand them up to be inspected much like at a breed inspection.
- I then take the horse into a medium sized paddock and show their free movement to the client.
- If the dam is on the property, I will show her as well (conformation and free movement).
- If you have other horses that the client might be interested in
- Mention them and ask if the client would like to see them as well. Have the ones that you think may interest the client already in a stall to make things easier and more time-efficient should they want to see them.
- At the completion of the appointment,: try not to leave things too vague. See if you can get a feel as to whether they liked the horse(s) shown or if none of them were a good fit. Be sure that both you and the client have the means readily to contact one another. Make a date to follow up with a phone call.
You should feel that you have given them a complete picture of the horse. The client may consider that the horse is not the right fit and has no further interest; however, you have shown it to the best of your ability. If you have been pleasant, forthcoming, well-organized and professional, you may have a sale now, in the future, or to a friend of the potential client if not the client himself!
Good luck and happy horse sales!"
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| Ana Bella Free Jumping |
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| Ana Bella Headshot |
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| Ana Bella Performance Shot |
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| Ana Bella Conformation Shot |
Monday, November 29, 2010
Some of my favorite cavalletti exercises #3
We are now beginning to transition from the basics to the intermediate.
These are some useful distances between elements of a double, triple or combination:
Pony Horse
Approach at Canter:
Bounce 10-12' 11-14'
One Stride 21-24' 24-26.5'
Two Stride 31-34' 34-36'
Approach at Trot: Between Jumps 1 and 2
Bounce 9-10' 9-11'
One Stride 16-18' 18'
Two Stride 30' 30-32'
Between Jumps 2 and 3
One Stride 19-21' 21'
Between Jumps 3 and 4
One Stride 20-22' 22-24'
Trotting Pole Distances:
Pony 4-4.5'
Horse 4.5-4.75'
Placement Poles:
Trot Approach: 9' from base of fence
Canter Approach: 19-20' from base of fence
Average stride length:
Pony Horse
Trot 3.25-4.75' 4.5-5'
Canter Varies by size 9'-12'
These are some useful distances between elements of a double, triple or combination:
Pony Horse
Approach at Canter:
Bounce 10-12' 11-14'
One Stride 21-24' 24-26.5'
Two Stride 31-34' 34-36'
Approach at Trot: Between Jumps 1 and 2
Bounce 9-10' 9-11'
One Stride 16-18' 18'
Two Stride 30' 30-32'
Between Jumps 2 and 3
One Stride 19-21' 21'
Between Jumps 3 and 4
One Stride 20-22' 22-24'
Trotting Pole Distances:
Pony 4-4.5'
Horse 4.5-4.75'
Placement Poles:
Trot Approach: 9' from base of fence
Canter Approach: 19-20' from base of fence
Average stride length:
Pony Horse
Trot 3.25-4.75' 4.5-5'
Canter Varies by size 9'-12'
Monday, November 22, 2010
In the Warm Up Ring-Jumpers
Everyone has their own warm up routine before they enter the ring with their horse, and I know that every horse is an individual and requires different things. This being said, I've found a routine that I've had several of my trainers follow with small variations on the theme to suit the individual horse.
The routine goes something like this:
To create the rub or the fallen rail, place the top rail of the last vertical just off the cup on one or both sides, usually "wind" from the horses' jump will be enough to knock it down regardless of them touching it.
If you are lucky enough to be called back for the jump off, don't overdo the work you do between your first round and the Jump off.
Preserve your horse's energy and keep things short. Remember, they've already been warmed up and jumped, so now just wake them up and fine tune.
I prefer to do this with a short canter around to make sure that they are awake- maybe another round of "explode-come back".
Finally, I might angle a vertical to make sure that they are willing to take the jump on a slice. Then off to the ring I go!
The routine goes something like this:
- Walk 7-10 minutes to warm up
- Trot-5-10 minutes to loosen up and become supple
- Canter- 5 minutes- bend side to side to supple and then extend down the long side, shorten along the short side and incoportate several fairly small circles, then extend again down the long side. (This is an exercise that has been practice while schooling at home and will increase your horse's ability to "explode" from a tight turn which will gain seconds during a jump off.
- Now, you are ready to jump. The flatwork portion is to warm your horse up, loosen and supple him and make sure that he is awake before you begin jumping.
- Cross rail or small vertical
- Make the vertical a bit bigger
- Small oxer
- Larger oxer
- Back to a Vertical to finish- this will sharpen them up in front
To create the rub or the fallen rail, place the top rail of the last vertical just off the cup on one or both sides, usually "wind" from the horses' jump will be enough to knock it down regardless of them touching it.
If you are lucky enough to be called back for the jump off, don't overdo the work you do between your first round and the Jump off.
Preserve your horse's energy and keep things short. Remember, they've already been warmed up and jumped, so now just wake them up and fine tune.
I prefer to do this with a short canter around to make sure that they are awake- maybe another round of "explode-come back".
Finally, I might angle a vertical to make sure that they are willing to take the jump on a slice. Then off to the ring I go!
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| Tisolde winning the Classic in Jacksonville in 2007 |
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