Merry Christmas!!

Click the picture to go to the album.

MY horse

Today is the day I can officially call Amber "my horse." Whether you believe in fate, destiny, or God (as I do) we were brought together to be together from this day on and hopefully to celebrate many October 3rd anniversaries.

Surreal? Yes. Since I was a kid, I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. Wanting to take lessons, wanting my own horse. I went to rodeos and horse shows and read every horse book and magazine I could get my hands on, but all of that only intensified the desire. Summer horse camps were a tonic, but they couldn't cure the disease.

It has been 16 years since I read Misty of Chincoteague, the one that started it all. Thank you, Marguerite Henry, for penning such a masterpiece of children's literature. How many other little girls have read that book and wanted their own pony? Now I have the opportunity to live that dream. I thought it would take longer. When I joined the Natural Connection on September 19th of last year, I wanted to get back in to riding. I wasn't on the market for a horse, but little did I know that one month later there would be a horse on the market for me...

...and I fell in love with a skinny red mare, with a dirty white blaze. She was just beginning to grow her poor excuse of a winter coat and I had just come to Miran Farm a few weeks prior. But even through her dull coat and malnourished body the elegance and refinement bred into the thoroughbred still radiated. She needed longer than most to settle in to her new home so it wasn't until March that I began to ride her. She was a very simple horse to ride. Simple as in she only knew how to do one thing - go fast!

My experiences learning from Amber that I have chronicled in this blog have mostly been positive. If I ever get frustrated, I try to keep it to myself for the benefit of my readers and to not discourage others who would like to take on the challenge (and it is a challenge) of retraining an OTTB. There are a few entries where the frustration seeped out into the keyboard, but I have been taught to look for a positive takeaway from every experience.

And so the journey continues except now I am no longer the little girl on the outside looking in. I am the young woman flying through the fields, drinking the wind, crouched over the withers of...my horse!

Courageous Comet at WEG

I stumbled across this article on Bloodhorse.com. It's always inspiring to see an off track thoroughbred have such a highly successful second career.

Winning isn't the only thing...but it sure feels good!

Part 1

Show day dawned bright and sunny. I was the first "competitor" to arrive at the barn getting there at 7:30am. You have to be prepared in case your horse decides to roll in a pile of manure the night before. Amber of course was as clean and prissy as she normally is, but I spent extra time prettying her up since you always want to make a good impression in a show.

We spent 45 minutes warming up, which looking back was a mistake. The first class was "green" hunter walk, trot. Complete disaster. I had to half halt every trot step and that didn't really work. Then she would either throw her head up or reach down for the bit. It was the most frustrating class ever since Frying Pan Farm back in March. I should have anticipated that since she was doing it towards the end of warm-ups. The judge for our schooling show was super nice. The great thing about schooling shows is that the judge will come over and tell you what you did well or what you could do better. There were 8 of us in that class. The first thing the judge said when she walked over was that she penalized horses that were fighting the rider. Great. That was all that happened for us in that class. So we didn't get a ribbon because it was indeed terrible and super frustrating. I can be my own worst critic, but for once somebody agreed with me!


Instead of doing the next 5 classes in the green hunter division I opted to scratch out of all of them, untack and turn Amber back out in the pasture. And I also scratched us out of hunter "pleasure" since there was no way we could have pulled off the "pleasure" charade on Saturday. I actually really enjoyed watching everybody else compete. I seriously contemplated not doing any more classes the rest of the day but one of my good friends came to watch so I didn't want to let him down especially after battling the Oatlands traffic.

I saddled up with a little more confidence later on in the morning knowing that the next three classes were equitation classes (judging the rider). I also had used one of my favorite little gems called Quietex which is a paste that acts as a calming agent for horses. This worked wonders at the FPF show in August and I think it may have helped on Saturday. We went in to the ring with no warm-up. The other riders were waiting on us. It was a good ride, not stellar, but good. Amber behaved like the little pseudo-hunter I've been training her to be. And unlike the last show, I posted on the correct diagonal within a few strides. I was off one time for half a stride but the judge didn't catch it. We didn't get pinned after the equitation walk, trot class but the judge had a few comments. She said she was looking for soft contact and she said only one of us picked up the correct diagonal immediately every time. She pointed at me! I was pretty sure then that we had gotten first in the walk, trot. Once you are on top in a class, it's easier to do well in the classes following.

The next class was equitation walk, trot, canter. I hit my diagonals and we cantered on the correct lead both directions. One of the great things about Amber is that she rarely hesitates to go faster. We were cantering clockwise and Ann riding Hank was on our inside struggling to get going on the correct lead. We were cantering along much faster than them (and everyone else) so I called out that we were going around on the outside so they didn't bear out on us. As we circled Ann and Hank, Amber got excited and bolted, head in the air down the straight end of the ring. Fortunately I got her under control to go around the turn and soon after that the class was over. I didn't know if that little antic had cost us placement or not but I was somewhat pissed that she had a racehorse moment during what was otherwise a good ride.

To finish out the adult equitation division, we had to do 4 jumps set at 18" at either a trot or a canter. Only Cathy and Maddy and me and Amber participated. I always start out the series with the intention of trotting the 4 jumps but Amber likes to rush them so we jumped the first one at a trot and cantered through the second one after which I brought her back to a trot to do the third jump then we compromised and she cantered over the fourth. Definitely not stellar but I knew that this would be our weakest class. We ended up getting first in the walk, trot, first in walk, trot, canter and second over the jumps which made us the Champion of the division. Our first blue ribbons and champion ribbon. Very exciting for me and also for Amber since this is the first "winner's circle" she has ever been in. :-)

Amber and I are gearing up for a show this Saturday at Miran Farm. I should say, I'm trying to gear her down for the show! No hilltopping or galloping through fields.

I need to figure out how to post video on this blog. Pictures don't quite do justice to how far she has come in the 7 months I have been working with her.

Tonight we had a lesson where we schooled over 12'' jumps. Yes, I know. One whole foot. Not quite like you see on TV with those Grand Prix jumpers getting over 6 feet. But as my fellow riders will understand it is hard to maintain rhythm and form on a green hunter.

I am confident that we have improved since the last schooling show where she was racing around the ring and I was holding on for the ride and steering!

More Pictures from Frying Pan Farm

Click picture to go to the Picasa Album. Thanks again to Stephen Reasonover for the pictures!

Equine First Aid

Amber has an abscess that just ruptured and a puncture wound just below her stifle that is now infected. Prognosis is excellent but I spent more time medicating my horse than riding!

My "Winglish" Horse

I took one step towards the dark side and introduced Amber to pole bending. We've been working on bending in circles so we are taking on a new challenge.

Amber does excellent flying lead changes, the most challenging part was getting the right speed to weave between the poles. We only got through the pattern once going one way and we missed a pole which is automatic disqualification. Like most western events pole bending is all about speed and less about form - although good form leads to better times.

I haven't seen anybody try to convert an OTTB into a western horse. Amber is still very English but she might be able to be a western/english hybrid - a "winglish" horse.

Daddy's Blood

I'm tired but I just wanted to remark that Amber's "little bro" Debussy won the Arlington Million today. The Million is one of America's premier grass races. Although half siblings are technically on the female side, I still think it's cool that they share the same father!

Field Buddies

Miran Farm is a place where English and Western riders coexist peacefully. I encountered one of the rare "conflicts" Wednesday evening - the ropers had taken over the indoor ring! This is not normally a conflict because a) it happens every Wednesday b) I can ride in the outdoor ring. Yet again, the weather was against me and turned the outdoor ring into a muddy slip n' slide. And rather than wait an hour to use the indoor, I opted to ride in the big field.

We started out rather well. Amber tried to bolt through the gate into the field but I held onto the reins. Eventually she stood still enough so I could get on. I was reluctant to go any faster than a walk since it had been raining off and on all day. Mind you, the field is huge and when we got to the far end, Amber decided she was lonely and started whinnying for her buddies. Monty was the first to respond to the damsel in distress and he cantered all the way over from the other side to join us. Then Gunner came trotting at full speed. For those not familiar with Gunner, he doesn't have a "full speed." All of a sudden EVERYBODY was there and it was like I didn't exist. Amber didn't really want to do anything. Too much for the thoroughbred brain to handle. We did canter up the big hill, but after that she kept trying to wheel take off. I still wonder what that would be like....

Photo: herd buddies Sunshine and Lily

Saddle Happy

I made my first serious purchase as a "horse person" this weekend - a beautiful used/loved Smith-Worthington saddle. It has the long flaps for my long legs and is a medium gullet - although medium-narrow fits Amber better. But for the awesomely cheap price, I couldn't let it go!

Amber is starting to really learn to bend and to move off of my leg. In our lesson on Saturday we worked on lateral movement and being able to bend in small circles at the canter. It was a fairly exhausting exercise just going one way but then we had to do it again on the other lead! We are so far removed from the "racing days" when Amber just wanted to go fast. I would be exhausted after just ten minutes.

Our jumping still needs work. I feel like we can't quite get the rhythm down. The first time through the grid I was holding her back so much I forgot to release over the jump. So the next couple times I over compensated and did the automatic/extended release instead of the crest release. Did I mention it was only a 12" jump?

Circling in Ovals

Wow, it's been over a week since I posted! I hope to add some more pictures over the weekend and maybe a video clip if all goes well.

We had a nice trail ride Monday night. I now know where the secret jumping log is in the woods. I will have to go back and visit that section of the trail soon. My plans for "hilltopping" tonight were stymied by the amazing downpour. Had I gotten out to the barn 30 minutes sooner, I would have made it. Instead we did work in the indoor - figure eights, circles. Actually the circles were more like ovals. Bending at any speed above a walk produces an oval rather than a circle. She was also rather eager tonight. There were only two days between the last time I rode her and tonight. Amber is one of those horses that really can't be ridden too much. And she is getting a belly.

Cantering on the correct leads was less of a struggle for her anyway. I almost lost my balance while I was checking to see if she was on the correct lead. Instead, I lost my stirrup but managed to stay on. Yee haw! In the next six weeks I would like to see if I can teach her to go from a walk to a canter. I feel tired just thinking about it. She seems to be able to sense when I am about to ask her - probably because she's figured out the general routine of our rides.

Show Time!!

Great day at Frying Pan Farm! Awesome day if you were under the age of 12 since that seemed to be the age cohort taking all the ribbons. I want to see those kiddos ride the same way on Amber. Guaranteed she would not make it easy for them. We saw a couple of incidents where ponies got the better of their riders. In the class prior to mine one kiddo used her crop a time too many and found herself sitting in the dirt with her pony racing around the ring. In a couple of my classes there was a girl riding a horse that was oversized for her and she couldn't seem to keep him in a trot. He would be cantering long after we were asked to walk.

Enough about everyone else. Amber and I did 3 pleasure classes (one division). The first class I totally screwed up. Screwed up as in posted on the wrong diagonal for eight strides. It never fails. I only post on the wrong diagonal in shows. The second class was walk, trot, and "go as you please" meaning the rider has the choice of trotting or cantering. I opted to trot in this class and I thought we did fairly well. At one point we got kind of squeezed and Amber stalled out almost into a walk, but I thought we deserved a ribbon in that class. However due to the subjective nature of pleasure classes, if you don't ribbon in the first class you're pretty much screwed in your whole division. I had some hope for the third class since we hadn't unleashed the stellar canter however Amber was determined to canter on the right lead going both directions so we were out of contention pretty quickly.

Except for a few major mistakes, a good experience overall. I think it may have been the best we've done in a show. The Frying Pan Farm series are Virginia Horse Show Association Shows so they bring out a lot of people going after points not training horses.

Photos: major props to Stephen Reasonover, one of my non-horsey friends who made it out to take photos.

By Timber Hitch, on Being Lucky

I am a lucky.

• I have a home.
  
• I am about to have a mommy who loves me more than any other horse. And I also have mommy's friends who love on me too.
• I get unlimited access to grass in a ginormous field.
• I have multiple geldings who adore me and are at my disposal.
• I can boss around other horses.
  
• I am a mare so I am entitled to be bitchy on occasion and it is tolerated.
• Mommy is patient enough to put up with my crap.
  
• I no longer race for a living but I can live for racing if I choose.
• The only baby in sight was foaled by another mare.
• I do work on occasion, but it is preceded by a nice grooming and followed by a cool bath.
• I live, I breathe, I eat, I run. I am a HORSE!

Work or Pleasure?

Going to show on Tuesday at Frying Pan Farm in Herndon, VA. I think it is a great use of a PTO day! Amber is going to try and pass herself off as a pleasure horse which means I have to do a terrific acting job of making it look like she is easy to ride! If I can manage that, I deserve an Oscar.

I've tried all manners of transitioning up from a walk to a trot. From simply vocalizing "trot" to the slightest leg pressure or a cluck. She likes to bolt into a trot and then with half halts I can slow her down to reasonable pace. I've also had a great deal of success in getting her into a nice rhythm by sitting the first 5 or so strides and then posting. But as soon as my butt leaves the saddle she takes that as a cue to go faster. And I can't really sit the trot when the judge asks for a posting trot!

Another Amber gem is the "canter mentality." Once we work our way up to the canter whether in a lesson or just riding by ourselves, that's all she wants to do. And she's become accustomed to launching into a canter from the corners of the ring so I have to half halt in anticipation of her speeding up. Sometimes she'll get pissed and throw her head up and take the bit anyway. Thoroughbreds!!!

Anyways, the show should be fun. I am sitting at my desk with the Almanac of American Politics beneath by feet since I am trying to train my heels to stay down. The riders with the lowest heels tend to do well at FPF. Hopefully I can find some of those nice jointed stirrups at the Clifton Tent Sale this evening!

Photo: Amber checks out Icabod

Contrast

I thought about switching from English to Western. I went to a rodeo Saturday evening to cheer on Jean, Fareed and others from the farm. Barrel racing and pole bending are so much fun and they are all about speed not form! Amber definitely has speed but probably not the same acceleration as horses that compete in western events. And she doesn't quite have the ability to bend around barrels without knocking them over.

However about 10 hours later I was at a show in Quentin, PA to cheer on Julie and Rosie in their hunter show. And then I remembered how much I love English riding and going to shows. So I'm still an English girl although I will still continue to envy the adrenaline rush of western competition.

Amber was an absolute star when I rode her this evening. We struggled a bit with the left lead at the canter but finally got it in the end. I can't wait until our next competition!

Photos: Jean on Cisco, Julie and Rosie

The Hilltop Experience

There is really nothing like riding a galloping horse. When I was about 12 I decided that I wanted to be a jockey. I had a rocking horse that I "practiced" on. I made a little saddle complete with short stirrups. I don't think I really ever mastered the whipping technique however. :-)

I mentioned in the previous post that we went "hilltopping" last night. Hilltopping is cantering/galloping up a hill and (hopefully) stopping at the top. The purpose is to build muscles in the hindquarters from the impulsion required to get up the hill. As we know, Amber needs strong hindquarters to get her over the jumps. Trotting over poles helps but doesn't quite do enough.

I crouched low over her withers and urged her on but surprisingly Amber was still ready and willing to stop once we got to the top of the hill. We did this 4 times! I let Jean do the first two times because I didn't really believe Amber would stop when asked. I can't help but wonder if she'll get into such great shape that she wants to go up over the hill and down the other side. Haha.

Like, whatever....

I did not fall off and Amber did not run away with me. Galloping up the hill was FUN! But my evening is overshadowed by my frustration that I cannot get her to canter on the left lead consistently. It's the first time I feel we've really taken a step backward in the last few months. I should really be writing effusively about how great it feels is to "hilltop." Maybe tomorrow I'll feel less pissy.

Trotting and Cantering Awesomeness

I am tired, it is late, and I have to get up early tomorrow. I just wanted to say how awesome Amber was in our lesson this evening - at least with trotting and cantering. We found a nice slow trotting speed that I could probably ride all day (if I didn't have to post to it). And even better, I learned how to get her to canter on the left lead again. We also learned that Amber does not do bounce jumps, even baby ones. So that means more galloping up hills to strengthen the butt muscles. Yay!

I am on the market to purchase a saddle but am in no rush. I can use Jean's as long as I need to. Depending on the brand I need a 16.5-17" seat with a medium-narrow gullet. I also need forward flaps so my knees don't poke out over the edge of the flaps. Apparently Amber is not the only one with long legs! Ben was nice enough to let me try out his Bates. It was a little big in the seat so I felt like I was going to fall out of it. But otherwise a great fit for Amber.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post. It will probably be titled with one of the following "pizza and beer","I fell off my horse" or "crazy out-of-control thoroughbred." :-)

Riding with friends is the best

I just wanted to give a shout-out to the wonderful supportive people in the Natural Connection. Such a wonderful, fun, supportive group of people! We opted for a trail ride yesterday in the cool confines of a Northern Virginia forest adjacent to the farm property. It really is the only thing you can do in 98 degree heat with 75% humidity. The outdoor is in the blazing hot sun and the indoor is stifling with not enough circulation.

Trail riding is a nice change of pace for horse and rider. I try not to let my equitation slack off too much though. :-) There were about a dozen of us - almost the whole herd, out on the trail. Did you know that squirrels prey on horses? Ben's horse Pheonix sure thought so! Fortunately there were about 4 horse lengths between Amber and Pheonix at the time so there wasn't a "cascade of spooking." Our route was mostly flat and grassy with one "strenuous" hill. The tricky part is not going up the hill but coming back. Amber thinks she can just charge down the hill. I would really like her to settle back on her hindquarters going down so I don't feel like I'm going to get launched over her head!

In the "horses are expensive and deliberately force us to spend money on them category" - princess dislodged her fly mask somewhere in the million acre field. Mommy is hoping there are some on sale at Dover's tent sale this weekend. For now, fly spray will have to do the trick.

A Good Workout

Tonight was simply a workout. Especially for me. We warmed up in the outdoor arena and everything was perfect. Except again she would not pick up her left lead when asked. I'm starting to wonder if it's a physical problem or just laziness. Or she just likes the right lead so much more! I managed to get her on the left by doing a tight flying lead change essentially making her so uncomfortable on the right lead she had to change to the left.

Then for a change of pace we went out into the pond field. There are 4-5 other horses in this field but it is big and has nice rolling hills that are good for cantering. We looped it one time and I could feel that Amber was getting antsy. She was out of earshot of her herd which is pastured on the opposite side of the farm. She didn't want to walk and then when I wouldn't let her she started doing her silly old tricks of trying to take the bit - head tossing, tongue over the bit. Cantering up the hills was fun. It would have been more fun if I could have just let her loose instead of worrying about how much braking power I would have at the top. This horse does not get tired. But I sure do and I will sleep well tonight.

Jumping "back" into it

I neglected to mention that Amber and I worked on ground work under the tutelage of "Cowboy Ben" and Carol on Sunday. I think my horse has ADD. She'll understand what she's supposed to do, then her brain will flitter away to the pasture where all her buddies are grazing. We made some progress with leading and I know what to do when she gets bossy on the ground.

I had ambitions of riding outside - galloping up hills in the fields to build strength, but rain canceled that. Instead we had to work indoors. It's a little bit tighter and Amber likes to cheat around the corners especially at any gait above a walk. We made significant progress at backing! I've tried backing her before and she just throws her head up in the air and tries to go forward into the bit. I got her to back up one step over the weekend, but leg pressure still means forward for her. So I sit up straight in the saddle and say "back" as I toggle the reins. I use my legs only to keep her straight as she backs up. We can do a good three steps now before she says "enough." I'll take it. :-)

Jean was gracious enough to supervise so I could go over a crossrail. For safety reasons, I never jump alone, and neither should anybody else! Amber is such an honest jumper and almost never tries to duck out. She does tend to not tuck her knees up as much as she should. I also had a harder time getting her to pick up the left lead cantering counterclockwise although I could get her to do a flying lead change. Jumping is the best part of riding. Some people enjoy dressage, others like barrel racing or roping, but jumping is definitely for me. And Amber is for me too. :-)

Back to Work

This has been my most physically active weekend in about a month. In both our softball games on Friday I played catcher which proved to be very strenuous on the quad muscles. Saturday evening I had my first lesson on Amber in what seems like forever and as a result my calf and shoulder muscles join my aching quadriceps. It's a good thing that my physical activity restriction is lifted in 2 days. I can't wait to go all out!

Amber was exceeding good in our lesson. She trots so nicely now. What a relief! I can't say I miss fighting over the trotting speed. After 15 minutes of war I would be completely exhausted and my hands would be raw even through my gloves. Now I feel as though we could trot all day. And then we cantered...fast!! There is truly nothing like riding a horse at his or her "all-out" speed. I've only done that a few times in my life. I would consider it my ultimate adrenaline rush. Amber has a very big canter stride and she tends to pound the ground. If I give her too strong of a cue she goes really fast. If my cue isn't strong enough she just trots faster before finally moving into a canter. Anyways, I cued too strongly and she moved into a very eager canter. So I said screw the canter and crouched flat over her neck on the long end of the arena. It's about 3-4 strides of gallop before we get to the short end and I used every bit of it. Problem is, she learns she can pick up a lot of speed on the long end and she goes faster instead of settling in to a nice canter. But it feels awesome and I tell myself it tires her out a tiny bit.

Once we got the canter "under control" we worked through a grid of ground poles. I say under control with quotations because a lot of the time it feels like we are barely controlled - hence the sore shoulders. I need to have a shorter inside rein so I can make a better approach without overbending into the corner. Sometimes steering Amber is like steering a big rig. Hopefully our bending exercises will help. The flying lead changes were not as sharp either. She was very content to canter counter-clockwise on the wrong lead for a good lap and a half. My trying to change her lead only resulted in a faster canter. We did the grid several times and the thing I love most about this horse is that she doesn't quit. If she gets tired she doesn't act like she is tired. Thoroughbreds may have small brains, but they have the biggest hearts.

Between now and the next lesson, I plan to continue working on bending exercises, trotting over poles, and cantering through the grid. Tomorrow I'm getting a massage.

90 Degrees and Still Fast

So tonight was the second time I've ridden Amber since I started this blog. It was just around 90 degrees at 8 o'clock. I refuse to let weather deter me from riding. Meteorologists are predicting a hotter than normal summer in the DC metro area. This is my third summer here and I think I have yet to see a "normal" summer.

I am really starting to love the fact that Amber is "miss prissy" when it comes to being clean. I can't remember ever having to brush large areas of crusted poop off of her body (knock on wood). She does manage to crap on her legs though especially when she's nervous like when we trailer to shows! I purchased a rubber curry comb a couple of weeks ago since they tend to be more gentle on thoroughbred's sensitive skin. And according to the August issue of Horse Illustrated it's one of the necessary tools to groom like a pro.

The last time I was able to ride it was mostly walking with a little trotting on the trails. Since there were no trail buddies, I elected to spend some time in the outdoor ring. We started out doing some bending around the leg. This has been a challenge because up until we began training her, leg always meant "go faster." And thoroughbreds do not usually need much of an invitation to go faster! I think my new favorite exercise is the 7,7,7 - seven strides of sitting trot, seven strides of posting, and seven strides of 2 point at the trot. Up until about a month ago it was 7 strides of sitting trot, 7 strides of posting, one stride of 2 point then straight into a canter. It's still tricky to keep a nice trotting rhythm in the 2 point position but otherwise Amber does quite well I've learned to control her rhythm at the posting trot by slowing my post (ha!). Also the more contact my butt has with the saddle, the easier it is to keep a nice slow rhythm whether it's at the trot or canter.

And then after being so disciplined, I earned my spot in the ranks among the world's worst horse trainers :-). Amber's best gait is fast. I like fast. However fast is not always an appropriate gait. See when I ask for a canter and I get fast, I should bring her back to the canter? Nah. To my defense I will say I did not expect such enthusiasm for fast in the heat. It took me by surprise so I had to just kind of go with it...you know. Amber does beautiful flying lead changes at the canter. We did a few of those and called it a day. The timing could not have been more perfect to end. Somebody within eyesight and earshot decided to use up the rest of his 4th of July firecrackers. Awesome.

Teddy and Amber

Back in the saddle! Ok it's only been 16 days (forever). I did commit myself to "taking it easy" since the doctor told me to wait another two weeks. Whatever.

I took Amber out on a trail ride with some of the people in our group. We started out with four and it only ended up being 2 of us that went into the woods. I thought she did very well. A little impatient when we started out but that is typical thoroughbred and something I'm not sure will ever be fully trained out. Carol, Ben and Jean were nice enough to keep working with her while I was out of commission.

The Red Mare is definitely in heat. When we got back to the barn, her herd lover, Teddy, was not too patiently standing at the gate. In the past Teddy and Amber have gone to shows together and if they can't see each other, they will whinny almost incessantly. But this is the first time that I've seen Teddy leave the herd way out in the pasture to come find his girlfriend! When I turned Amber out, she made it very clear to Teddy what she thought was going down tonight but I'm not sure he quite agreed. Anyways, I'm sure it will be settled later since they walked back to the herd as a couple.

Photo (left to right): Teddy, Moonlight, Destiny

Fat N' Sassy

Went out to visit the horses for the first time in almost 2 weeks. Didn't ride because I'm not quite up to that level yet - although I definitely want to! Used a new uber-soft thoroughbred friendly brush. Not sure if she was impressed but she really seems to enjoy being groomed now and is less impatient about being turned back out with her buddies. All the treats she gets while she's in the barn with me probably help. It was only about two weeks ago when I got her to eat chopped up baby carrots out of my hand. Her teeth are kind of like those of a kid who grew up without braces but desperately needed them. So chewing big crunchy things like apples and carrots is uncomfortable. Fortunately, moistening her feed has worked very well. And as the picture shows, she's definitely fat and sassy.

Broodmare Life

Ok, so it's been officially a week since I've ridden. Starting to get ants in the pants....

I learned some more things about Amber last night. The nice thing about thoroughbreds is that they are truly the most documented breed of horse in the world. I did some digging on her produce record. I figured out that she had given birth to 5 named foals but over a ten year span that's a little odd. I found out why. Her first offspring in 2001 was Zack Attack (by Honor Grades). Then in 2002 she was bred to Sandpit (BRZ) but was barren. The following year she carried a foal by Formal Gold but aborted it. In 2004 she produced the chestnut filly Quaking Asp (by Gentlemen) but 2005 she was again barren after a breeding attempt with 1984 Breeder's Cup Mile Champion Cozzene. Half Hitch was the result of a successful second mating with Cozzene but he proved to be the least successful offspring. In the only successful consecutive breeding Amber produced Skip the Drama (2007) by Horse of the Year and Breeders Cup Classic champion Skip Away! A foal by Irish Stallion Castledale was aborted in 2008, but the best offspring yet may be the Yonaguska filly (Ms. Discombobulated) that she foaled just before she came into my life. This yearling filly has no inbreeding through the third cross and Yonaguska is currently 25th on the North American sire list.

Photo: Yonaguska

Slow Saturday

Normally I would be out at the barn today/this weekend but I am temporarily "grounded" due to surgery. In anticipation of this forced relaxation I ordered a couple of books online. The first book is about the famous racehorse and sire Native Dancer who shows up on both sides of Amber's pedigree. The second book is aptly named "Beyond the Track" by Anna Morgan Ford. Ford started the "New Vocations" racehorse adoption program and has written an excellent book to help would be adopters understand the life their off-track thoroughbred (OTTB) is leaving and also the best ways to help them transition into a new career. Ford has first hand experience helping over 1000 OTTBs make the transition from racehorse to riding horse and her book is a must read for anyone taking up this challenge! I am about 2/5 of the way through and part of me is like "yeah that makes sense" and the other part is grateful Amber doesn't have some of the issues Ford describes.

One in 30,000

This is Amber. Born April 6, 1995 she was one of the more than 30,000 foals registered with the Jockey Club that year. She was christened "Timber Hitch" and is by the British champion Diesis out of Half Hitch by Dewan, a son of Bold Ruler. One of her crop mates - Real Quiet, won the 1998 Kentucky Derby. Another - Victory Gallop, spoiled Real Quiet's Triple Crown bid by a scant nose. Favorite Trick was the first 2 year old to be named Horse of the Year since Secretariat. Countess Diana wired the 1997 Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies by 8 1/2 lengths, a record that still stands. Real Quiet, Victory Gallop, Favorite Trick and Countess Diana - 4 members of la creme de la creme of the 1995 foal crop. Less than 1% of thoroughbreds born in any given year can be considered part of this elite group. The vast majority either never run or aren't good enough to make it out of the claiming ranks. Amber was part of the majority. She raced a total of 4 times at ages three and four and placed third one time for career earnings of $1680. Not enough to pay for her expenses. The next 10ish years of her life she was a broodmare producing 5 named foals. In January 2009 she was sold at Keenland in foal to Yonaguska for a scant $1000. A lady from CANTER (Communication Alliance for the Networking of Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses) purchased her and rehomed her with a riding camp after the Yonaguska filly was weaned. Fall of 2009 is when Jean found her, lethargic and underweight. Jean will be the first to admit that she's not a fan of thoroughbreds but fortunately for all involved Amber won her over! Jean is the owner and much-beloved instructor at "The Natural Connection." Honest to God she is one of the most patient and positive people I know and you will see how that is true as I post more about Amber! As you may have guessed TNC emphasizes natural horsemanship, trimming instead of shoes, and 24/7 turnout time. See the following links:
http://www.thenaturalconnectionhorses.blogspot.com/
http://thenaturalconnection.blogspot.com/

I was inspired to create this blog by the thousands of thoroughbreds that leave the track each year and the people who do their best to give them second careers. Hopefully we can all learn from each other (and them) to make the transition process easier and minimize our frustrations. And there WILL be frustrations. I have a lot of posting to do to catch up on where Amber and I are and there is much to tell.

Stay tuned....