If You Go, I Go

A day dedicated to failed jumping efforts! Everyone has an off day.

It was a dark and stormy night...

This stunning photomanipulation ("Horse in the dark") was creating by FreakingPrincess on DeviantArt.com. It's a fantastic picture in my opinion, especially the colors, and it seemed to be the perfect opening scene of a spooky story.

The Rechristened Rollkur

Now, I've never been big on horse shows. It's not that I don't like competing, it's just that our local circuit is practically nonexistent. So I'm rarely kept up to speed with "The Laws of the Land," and to be quite honest, I only found out about the FEI's new ban on rollkur's yesterday, when I had the time to sit down and read May's issue of Practical Horseman. I've read a little about rollkur in the past months, as the horse world fought against the FEI's policies on what they dubbed "hyperflexion," and I was very glad to find out that in February, the FEI officially banned rollkur as an illicit use of "aggressive force."

Apparently, however, the FEI has decided to give abusive riders an out. Rollkur, they agree, must be stopped. But LDR? Despite LDR (Low, Deep and Round) distinctly being a extreme and unnatural flexion of the horse's neck, the FEI has deemed that LDR and rollkur are two very different creatures. So while rollkur has been outlawed, LDR is quite vehemently sanctioned.

So what does LDR really stand for? Lazy, Dangerous, and Rewarding? Rollkur and LDR are, in my opinion, slightly different things, but both are indeed unnatural contortions of the horse. LDR is certainly an unhealthy training technique that is not used for correction so much as for competition. It is lazy on part of dressage judges, trainers, and riders; it is dangerous for the horse; but it is also rewarding in competition. This pro-LDR facebook group cites countless successful international dressage riders who train their horses to ride LDR. Anky Van Grunsven, Sjef Janssen, Nicole Werner, Ellen Schulten-Baumer, and Imke Bartels are only a few of the names you might recognize as members. What truly sickens me is the amount of young rider supporters who proudly display pictures of themselves riding in LDR. Medalists from the 2009 Young Riders European Championships as well as recognized International Junior Riders quite proudly display their "LDR is OK" banner on their page. Is this what the next generation of Grand Prix riders considers true horsemanship?

I can't blame the FEI for being intimidated by the powerful supporters of rollkur--sorry, LDR. Regardless, with such footage out as the infamous "Blue Tongue" video along with the countless other evidence of the horrors of hyperflexion, I think it's high time the FEI took a stand to support the welfare of its horses rather than the success of its influential riders.




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Additional Blog Posts
FHOTD

West Coast Friendship: Part Seven

Shall I continue on a bit with my story? I know it's been awhile. Part Six is back here, in case you need to refresh your memory...
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Possibly the most ironic thing that ever happened to me at Magnolia is a little something I like to call "The Great Migration." I had been at Magnolia for several months now, and my days at Carousel Farms seemed a lifetime away. Occasionally, Maura and I would talk about something that had done or seen there, but mostly, I ignored that part of my riding career.

And then, on what seemed to be another ordinary day at the barn, I arrived for my regular lesson and stepped into a nightmare. My first thought as I walked down the aisle of stalls to grab my horse was that I was losing my mind. Familiar faces poked their noses out at me, and I narrowed my eyes, wondering if I was seeing things correctly. Aida, Harlem, City, Seel, Foggy, and Topaz. Six horses new horses at Magnolia, but I knew them all. They had all been at Carousel, their owners loyal boarders who were often Donna's partners in crime. And yet, seemingly overnight, they had crossed some invisible treaty line and made their way to Magnolia.

If I looked just at those first six stalls, I could swear I was back at Carousel Farms. God has a really sick sense of humor.

My little oasis now seemed oddly similar to the place I had fought so hard to escape. As I stood there, staring at the Carousel horses, I battled between curiosity and aversion. I wasn't quite sure how to handle this. And then I heard a voice behind me.

"You used to ride Carousel, right?"

I turned and found myself staring at Foggy's owner. I answered her question with a simple yes, but I was surprised that she recognized me. The boarders at Carousel had formed a sort of clique, bound together by their general distaste of anyone who couldn't afford a horse of her own. She smiled at me then, though, and introduced herself. I answered her politely and made small talk for as long as I could bear before wishing her the best at Magnolia and excusing myself to finish getting ready for my lesson. I ran out of the barn and headed straight for Maura.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Where did all these Carousel people come from?" It's like an infestation in there. I'm not sure I just thought that part, or if I actually said it out loud.

Maura shrugged lightly. "I don't know the whole story. Donna did something to piss them all off, and it was the last straw." She saw the worry in my face and added, "They'll be fine, I promise. You know Tracy won't put up with it if they cause any trouble."

But I was still wary of the Carousel boarders. I was very reserved around them, always polite but always cautious. I still saw them in my heads as Donna and Shannon's comrades in arms, haughty and holier than thou.

It took me months to realize that they weren't those people anymore. Magnolia had the same effect on them as it had had on me. The quiet little barn on the edge of the river brought out the best in people. You couldn't be mean when birds chirped softly in the background, when the smell of cedar chips wafted pleasantly from the stalls, and when everyone else around you was at peace. Away from the pretension of Carousel Farms, their attitudes slipped away.

Or maybe, I began to realize, they had never had an attitude at all.

On The Physiology of Women Riders

I have some hardcore studying to do and a test to take at eight A.M. tomorrow, so I have no time to blog. A big post is coming either tomorrow, or Sunday! Since I feel bad about gypping my readers out of something to read, I dug up this great article from Mary D. Midkiff (Remember her?) that I think every equestrienne can benefit from. Midkiff's book, which I raved about a couple of months ago, might have been emotional, but this article is strictly informational. And there are some enlightening facts about women riders in here. Take from it what you may.
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Women And Horses - What's It All About?
An article by Mary D. Midkiff in the Journal of the AMEA
about Safety in Equestrian Sport

The qualities we see at the top of our riding disciplines have evolved through education, training, hard work, long hours, talent and desire. To be a great rider is a worthy and rewarding goal for male or female. Until recently, the thought processes and approach to teaching and training riders and selecting equipment have been generic and male oriented. But the generic approach is not effective with the majority of riders. The majority are females.

Riding is increasingly being defined by the female element -- she is the predominant participant, dollar spender and decision maker in sporting, showing and recreational activities in the horse industry.

Equestrian Resources (EQR) found over 75% of the members of all equine-related non-racing organizations in the United States are female; over 80% in the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA) alone. This percentage, however, does not indicate the higher number of females involved in pleasure riding. EQH estimates at least 500,000 females in the U.S. are enjoying horses as a sport or leisure activity and many say that number is considerably conservative.

EQR Women & Horses (W&H) Conference and National Tour was created to meet this large and growing population of active equestrian participants and is a program designed to he repeated in locations around the county throughout 1994 and 1995. Each conference presents national personalities and experts in a program of practical discussion, advice and product information devoted to improving the "team" performance of women and their horses.

Through the W&H program and our national experts we are developing techniques that increase awareness of the body and mind of rider and horse as well as provide education in what to look for in equipment that will accommodate the female pelvic and muscular structures efficiently and comfortably-.

In the athletic world at large more females are in competition than ever before and they are gaining performance enhancement by maximizing what is unique in their bodies, minds, and personalities. We are seeing more and more women in the top riding and training ranks of horse sports as leaders of equine-related organizations and as instructors. The education and societal messages they are now receiving indicate it is all right for females to pursue and realize competitive goals.

The basis of and the equipment designed for riding have been established by and for males. Horses throughout time have been used mainly for war, battle, and transportation by males. For example, the Western disciplines descending from the Native American, the working cowboy, and the Pony Express; English riding from the traditions of the hunt field and the military; and the Spanish and Arabic influence with their ancient breeds originating from tribal competitions and ceremonial presentations.

Considering the thousands of years the horse has been used by humans, horses have only been used strictly for pleasure and sport by women for a relative short period. Women have only been riding astride in Europe and the Western hemisphere for approximately 60 years.

Has the female equestrian been provided with every benefit and advantage to allow her to become the best rider she can be? The answer is no. The horse community and ancillary interests need to become more aware of the human element--the female equestrian is structured differently and should be instructed and trained with her health, comfort and safety as a priority.

One aspect of the W&H program addresses the female anatomy and its relationship to the movement of the horse. A national expert and W&H national tour speaker on the subject of the female anatomy and riding is Dr. Deb Bennett of Santa Rosa, California. She has done extensive research on the subject and is a hippologist and a paleontologist by trade.

In an article featured in Equus June 1989 ("Who's Built Best to Ride?"), Dr. Bennett explains, "The technique to which I most strongly object is the instruction given the rider to throw his or her belly or waist forward. In either sex, this motion results in compression of the dorsal aspect of the lumbar vertebral column. Sitting the trot or canter this way, with the crotch dropped downward and the lower back hollowed, will over a period of time shorten and harden the dorsal perivertebral muscles and ligaments, compress the intervertebral disks, and eventually lead to spondylolysthesis and the pinching of nerve roots which emerge dorsolaterally between adjacent vertebrae."

"Thanks to the peculiar bony anatomy which permits them to give birth, women often have difficulty learning to sit the trot or canter without bouncing. Women’s lower backs are typically 'curvier’ (more lordotic) than men's. In women the sacrum articulates with the last lumbar vertebra at a much sharper angle than in men. These differences move the tip of the tailbone dorsally in women, effectively getting it out of the birth canal. However, in the context of riding, this structural arrangement also makes it easy for a women to ride with a hollow back and dropped crotch. Conversely, most men have little difficulty coiling their loins (flexing their lumbar span) which is a pelvic motion essential to following the motion of either the trot or canter.

The W&H Conferences are designed to 1) explore the differences, 2) create awareness about the female body and the origin of pain, 3) develop techniques which allow women to become the most efficient and comfortable riders given their particular anatomical and hormonal variations, and 4) identify equipment that will best accommodate the female body.

We encourage research and recognize the many areas of AMEA members' medical expertise. EQR challenges AMEA members to assist in arriving at meaningful information to help female riders. It is important the sports medicine field be particularly aware of the predominant female population involved with horses. Currently most women are not aware of how their bodies work with the movement of the horse and how they can prevent injuries through better understanding.

We see act abundance of chronic low back pain in female riders. Is it any wonder why? They have been trained to hyperextend their backs and cram their heels down while standing on their toes with an unsupportive saddle since they began to ride as a child. Manufacturers of rib, back supports and knee braces are making a lucrative living off women who ride. W&H chooses the principle of a strong support system within their bodies instead of relying on shortcuts and crutches which in the end will only weaken their muscles.

With the correct information, techniques and equipment, women don't have to hurt to ride.

For example, in the W&H Finesse Versus Strength demonstration sessions, we work with participants on becoming more aware and softening their whole approach to sitting on the horse. We reestablish the seat centered on the ischium and teach the student to concentrate on "filling in" her lower back with strength, which ultimately disallows arching or rounding the shoulders. We loosen the leg and allow it to lie flat in line with the pelvis and ground the foot with the stirrup well behind the ball of the foot with the heel parallel to the ground. The elbows remain soft and bent. This allows for an elastic and moving connection at all times resulting in release and relaxation for both horse and rider.

Physicians and physical therapists need to be aware of the types of unique injuries sustained by female riders as well as understand how they relate to movement while mounted or in other activity surrounding the horse.

Whether it be low back pain, a stressed rotator cuff, a stiff neck, or sore knees, female riders can ride pain-free through awareness, education, the proper saddle, and regular stretching and strengthening exercises.

Ringside

It's that busy time of year again, which means I don't have as much time to blog. I'm going to try to get some good posts in this weekend, but until then y'all may have to be content with the little tidbits I can find. (Sorry!) Today, I wanted to share a video from my night of Grand Prix show jumping. These riders were awesome!

Note: Sorry about the quality. For some reason, it did not translate well onto YouTube.

A Three-Day Fairy Tale

Although I've never personally experience an equestrian vacation, I've always been enchanted by them. What could be more relaxing than an extended visit at a beautiful resort with Woman's Best Friend, the horse? To me, it seems to be the perfect opportunity to experience something truly unique. I can't even imagine the characters you would meet!

What could possibly be better than treating yourself to an equestrian vacation? How about having someone else pay for you?

I found a fabulous little sweepstakes from DiscoverHorses.com in Practical Horseman, and I couldn't help passing the link on. The three-night accommodations aren't exactly what I would call an extended stay, but nonetheless, it sounds pretty tempting. The "luxurious" Inn at North Carolina's Biltmore Estate will happily put up the sweepstakes winner (plus one) and offer a lesson and daily trail rides. In my curiosity, I did some research on what they called the famous Biltmore Estate. I'd never heard of it, but I think these pictures speak for themselves.


Biltmore is absolutely gorgeous, and I think I might have to add this place to my list of Must Sees. Looking at the pictures alone is like stepping into a fairytale. With architecture inspired by the French Renaissance, its courtyards and fountains scream of Old Europe. Or would it be better to say they sing of it? It's easy to imagine Cinderella herself walking through the arched walkways, her songbirds crooning in her ear. Add the coachman's white steeds to that picture, and the magical fairytale is pretty much complete.

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You can get more information on Biltmore here, and enter for a chance to win a three-night at DiscoverHorses.com.

This is Horse City

I came across this video on facebook, and I immediately knew it had to go up on the blog! It's priceless.

West Coast Friendship: Part Six

There's so much that happened with Maura that I can't describe it all. Certain bits stand out more than others, and I can't even guarantee that I'm telling all the events in the right order, because at some point, I stopped writing it all down.

I do remember how quickly things fell into place for me at Magnolia once I was under Maura's guidance. She took a personal interest in all of her riders, and she encouraged us to be at the barn as often as possible--even if we could only afford once-a-week lessons. She loved nothing more than to see her students want to spend time around horses. If we were at the barn, there was always something for us to do. Sometimes, I would simply come and socialize. I formed a relationship with the barn owners, the other riders, the boarders... Someone was always around, and most of them took the time to get to know me, because new faces at Magnolia were few and far between. On other days, I would volunteer to work with the horses in the barn. I did the basics, like feeding and watering, but I also learned some things, like how to manage turnout and how to assess what horse needed what bit and which martingale. Sometimes, if we were lucky, Maura would let us exercise some of the horses. This was always a treat, because the one problem with riding lessons is that students never get to simply hack. But Maura made sure that if we were willing to learn, she was there to teach, both inside the ring and out.

And the more my ground skills improved with the horses, the more my confidence in the arena improved. And the horses responded to that confidence. I remember a particular moment when I was riding a petty mare who refused to pick up her right-lead canter. I had tried asking in every corner; still left-lead. I kept her on a circle and asked again; nothing. Eventually, as we were cantering down the straightaway, in the right direction on the left lead, I took charge. I used my hands, my seat, my legs, my everything, and reinforced it with a tap of the crop on her hindquarters. She gave a start and literally flinched with surprised, and then proceeded to swap her lead in midair.

I could hear Maura laughing from the other side of the ring--not a little chuckle, but full-out, joyful laugh. When she finally caught her breath, she explained, a giggle still bubbling beneath her words, "I don't think that mare's gotten a flying change in years! You literally startled her into a lead change. When you made up your mind like that, I'm pretty sure you scared the crap out of her!" She hesitated and then tacked on, with an apologetic smile, "Sorry for language."

And then I had to laugh along with her. It seemed there was a new lead mare in town.

Don't Cry for the Horses

I wanted to dedicate this blog post to a person I know who recently had to put down a very special horse. I can't write poetry at all, and I thought Brenda Riley-Seymore couldn't have said it better.
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Don't Cry for the Horses

Don't cry for the horses
That life has set free
A million white horses
Forever to be

Don't cry for the horses
Now in God's hands
As they dance and they prance
To a heavenly band

They were ours as a gift
But never to keep
As they close their eyes
Forever to sleep

Their spirits unbound
On silver wings they fly
A million white horses
Against the blue sky

Look up into heaven
You'll see them above
The horses we lost
The horses we loved

Manes and tails flowing
They Gallop through time
They were never yours
They were never mine

Don't cry for the horses
They will be back someday
When our time has come
They will show us the way

On silver wings they will lift us
To the warmth of the sun
When our life is over
And eternity has begun

We will jump the sun
And dance over the moon
A Ballet of horses and riders
on the winds
to a heavenly tune

Do you hear that soft nicker
Close to your ear?
Don't cry for the horses
Love the ones that are here

Don't cry for the horses
Lift up your sad eyes
Can't you see them
As they fly by?

A million white horses
Free from hunger and pain
Their spirits set free
Until we ride again

Brenda Riley-Seymore

West Coast Friendship: Part Five

What is this?? West Coast Friendship??
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It took me years to realize that I have a fear of making mistakes. No one likes messing up, but I will avoid it at all costs. Whether its speaking up during a classroom debate or dropping my stirrups to correct my lower leg, if there's a chance that I'll do something wrong, I won't do it. Now that I've come to accept this about myself, it is something that I can work through. The problem was, when I rode with Maura, I didn't know it.

We spent countless hours on the flat trying to correct my lower leg. It killed me to have my flawed foundation be the focus of lesson after lesson. I was so used to having my flaws ignored or overlooked. Riding with an instructor who actually focused on what was wrong with my riding made me uncomfortable. But I was rewarded for pushing my boundaries. Despite the heaping amounts of flat work, jumping was always incorporated into the lesson. Maura put more faith in me than my other instructors, and the fences I faced grew from mere speed bumps to actual jumps.

As I read through my riding journal from those first few months at Magnolia, I'm surprised at the amounts of "firsts" I had. With Maura, I jumped my first bending line, rode my first flying change, found my first distance, jumped my first jump without stirrups, and jumped my first oxer. But I experienced one equestrian first at Magnolia that was beyond Maura's control, and this single miracle is the strongest in my memory.

I was riding one Saturday morning when a girl no older than seven came running out to the ring.
"Maura, Maura, come quick!" she called. "I think Moondance is having her baby!"

What? was basically Maura and I's first sentiment. Because it was ten o'clock in the morning, and mare's rarely foal in the daylight. This girl was very young; she had to be confused.

But of course, we ran to the barn to see. We left our horses in the cross-ties and headed to Moondance's stall where, surely enough, she was starting to go into labor.

Maura had never delivered a foal, and I certainly had no experience. There was no one else on the grounds, and the mare's owner, whom we had sent the little girl to call, was still several minutes away. The seconds ticked by slowly, agonizingly, as we waited for someone to arrive--and prayed that nothing went wrong.

But finally, Moondance's owner got to the barn. This wasn't his first foal, and he knew exactly what to do. Even Moondance seemed to relax when she heard his voice. And once he took over, everything happened very quickly. Soon enough, laying in the stall with Moondance was a precious baby girl. She was a dusty black with a lopsided star and, even covered in blood and amniotic fluid, she was beautiful. I managed to capture her on my video phone as she first rose to her feet--surprisingly graceful for a wobbly little filly--and even now, that is the most amazing video I have ever seen.

My first foaling experience. And what an experience it was! Of all the things that I would come to encounter, watching Pia (as she would later be named) be born was the most emotional event of them all. Her arrival at Magnolia coincided nearly perfectly with mine, and as I saw her grow up, in glimpses and bursts, I couldn't help but think that she paralleled me. If only a little bit.
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The lovely little foal in the picture is not Pia, but unfortunately I don't have any photos of her on my computer. This photograph was taken by Deirdre-T at DeviantArt.

Bunnies Are Show Jumpers, Too

Happy Easter, everyone! I collected these pictures from various sites--hope you enjoy!

The Jumps

The Jumpers

First-Class Farms: Sunrise Stables, Lexington, VA

(Yes, I am procrastinating on my West Coast Friendship story. Sorry!)

So, last month, as you may remember, I covered a First-Class Farm in St. Paul, Minnesota. Seventh Farm, however, is only one of the many first class farms I've discovered during my college search, and I'd like to devote today to another First-Class Farm: Sunrise Stables, in Lexington, Virginia.


I've heard great things about Sunrise, through simple word of mouth, and when I started looking at colleges in Virginia, I naturally headed to their website. The first thing I noticed was their About Us page, which immediately screams "Family!" (Y'all know how big I am on the whole "family atmosphere" thing.) But beyond the people, I really love the place.

Two hundred and fifty acres of rolling green woods and winding river... What's there not to love? Sunrise Stables apparently grows their own hay organically, and their turnout paddocks are gorgeous. Add to the natural beauty state of the art eventing facilities, and you've practically got Equestria (or, for those of you who haven't read The Circular Path, horse heaven).

Their 15 acre-large cross-country course was designed by an Olympic judge for Green through Preliminary eventing riders. They also have regular trails for conditioning horses and trail rides and a pretty large outdoor riding ring. Their riding program is complete with lessons from and clinics with professionals like Jim Wofford, Sharon White, Brian Ross, Lynn Symansky and Molly Hooper-Bull.

Sunrise Stables is also a pretty awesome retirement home. They apparently have a soft spot for elderly horses. To quote the website: "Sunrise Stables provides very special care for retired horses. They have worked hard for you for years and deserve only the best in care the final years of their lives. They receive the best feeds and hay. They are dewormed and shod or trimmed regularly. The kids here love to spend time with them and groom them on a regular basis."

A beautiful place with a huge reputation and a seemingly great atmosphere for riders and horses alike, Sunrise Stables is certainly a first-class farm.