Charity Trail Ride at Traders Point

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in central Indiana and I spent part of it the best way I know how — at a charity trail ride with good friends.  My friends Lynn Reed and Sue Pratt joined me at Wild Air Farms in Zionsville (home of the Traders Point Hunt & Traders Point Charity Show).  The grounds are simply stunning and I’d always wanted to ride on them.  The event offered a chase, a pace and a trail ride.  Given my delicate condition, we opted for the trail ride.  This was especially meaningful to me as it is the first (and only) group trail ride I’m going on this summer due to my pregnancy.  Aside from getting a bit anxious when a rider behind us jumped a fence next to us unannounced, Jewel was fabulous.  Wings, Sue’s OTTB mare, was excellent too!

The Hoosier Ladies Aside, a local sidesaddle group, celebrated their 10th anniversary by hosting a charity ride at the beautiful hunt and show grounds.  The beneficiary for the monies collected was Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Center, also located in Zionsville, IN.  Morning Dove is currently raising funds to build an indoor riding arena.   I was lucky enough to get to meet and ride with Lori, the President of the BOD for Morning Dove.  She was very friendly and full of great information about the organization and their future.  I’m happy to have contributed a small part to an organization that does much for special needs individuals in the area.

Sorry…no photos from this ride.  I figured it was best to pay attention and keep both hands on the reins.     I hope you’re enjoying your spring.  Let me know what fun events you readers have been up to with your horses!

 

Getting Ready for Summer

Its going to be a pretty laid back summer.  Due to my pregnancy, I have no plans for shows at this point.  I may ride in a clinic or two if I get it organized in the next month.  Considering I’m already (nearly) 5 months along, I’m just happy to be riding still.   With that said, I have been in search of someone to part lease my horse.  I’m not looking for anyone to do anything fancy, just ride 2-3 times per week to help keep her fit during the months when I’m not able.  I have found a likely candidate and it could be a really good match.  We’ll see how it goes and I’ll be sure to update here.

Rose (Blazen Honey) is the only FFI horse that I have at the moment.  She looks great!  While she is moving a lot better than she was when she came off the track (about a year ago), she is still lame on the left front.  There is permanent swelling around the fetlock.  The vet has received a donation for a join injection and we’ll be trying that out to see if it improves her condition at all.  In the mean time, I’m not sure what the plans are for her future.  I know that FFI is not interested in adopting a horse back as a production broodmare or race broodmare.  However, if someone wanted her has a broodmare for warmblood breeding, it may be a good option for Rose.

Temperament wise, she is awesome.  She’s a total sweetheart and if/when she is sound for riding, with training, I think she would make a great youth horse.  She is the alpha mare in her pasture, but on the ground with people, she’s fabulous.  Easy to groom, clip, bathe, etc.  She’s very uncomplicated.  Here is a link to her pedigree as well: http://www.pedigreequery.com/blazen+honey

Here is picture snapped yesterday by Sue Pratt of FFI.  Rose looks great considering she’s been out of work for nearly a year.

Blazen Honey, aka Rose, on 5/30/2011.

This is what she looked like when she came off the track, so there is lots of potential here!

Rose, shortly after coming off the track.

 

Spring Updates

First, let me start by saying that I’m really glad that spring is finally here.  The cold weather and snow has been here too long!  Updates for horses are mixed.  Read on to see why.

FFI Horses

Presidential Envoy has been ADOPTED!  Whoo hooo!  He has a found a home with Sarah Bowers, who adopted one of my other retraining projects, Roman.  In keeping with the “R” theme of her horse’s names, Presidential Envoy is known as Randsom at her barn.  So, she has Romana, Roman and Randsom.  They have started work under saddle and will be hitting the show circuit this summer.

Sir Nasty was moved to another foster home late last year.  He is known as “Lincoln” and appears to be doing well.  Check out the FFI website for updates on Lincoln’s progress and availability for adoption.

Blazen Honey, aka Rose, is still with me.  While her physical condition is very good (quite fat actually), she is still not sound on the left front.  Her shoulder is much improved and she moves much more comfortably on her hocks.  However, she still has swelling in the left front fetlock and is not sound on a circle.  She retired from racing in June 2010, but at this point, her future is still up in the air.  It doesn’t look like she’ll be sound for any kind of riding.  I don’t know what FFI’s plan are for her.  She would make an excellent broodmare or pasture pet if such a home could be found.

Training Horse

Shamrock’s Fibber This is where the real sad news comes into play.  Fibber has severely wounded himself.  Without going into too much story, he has sustained a puncture wound into the hock.  Whatever punctured him has ruptured the joint capsule and entered one of the bones of the hock.  This was discovered on Tuesday.  The vet indicated that the injury had happened in the previous 24-36 hours.  Of course, due to the weather, all the horses were covered in mud, making scrapes and other injuries nearly impossible to see.  Due to the mud, infection was already present.  It appears as though he got his hind legs caught up in something.  Perhaps the fence?  There are no indications in the turnout area.  Per the vet, this is just a horse being a horse.

Previous to this, he had sustained a front leg injury, which may have been career ending, but not necessarily life ending.  The vet had initially been called out for diagnostic exams on the front leg when the hind leg injuries were discovered.

Given his age (16 years) and his prognosis for soundness (very slim), his owners have decided to euthanize him. Fibber is a very sweet horse and I will miss him.  My heart also goes out to his owners.  This is a terrible decision to have to make.

 

Fall Updates

Well apparently I’ve been busy!  There also haven’t been that many updates until recently.  Here is where things currently stand.

3 FFI Horses:
Rose (Blazen Honey)
Presley (Presidential Envoy)
Duval (Sir Nasty)

1 Private Training Horse:
Shamrocks Fibber

Rose seems to be healing well.  She is finally trotting sound in the shoulder.  She doesn’t take big strides, but she does move evenly.  This is a major improvement!  The vet will be out to see her in a week or so.

Duval will be leaving soon for another foster home in OH.  I simply don’t have time for them all!   He is a very handsome tall 2005 bay gelding.  I haven’t sticked him, but my guestimate is somewhere in the 16.2h range.  His inside left rear pastern is white.  Otherwise, he is a solid bay (sort of a blood bay versus seal).  He is very sweet and easy to handle.  I have no reason to believe that he has any soundness issues.  The farrier will come tomorrow to pull his shoes.  He still has race plates on.

Presley is a super sweet “pocket pony” 4 year old gelding.  He also will be seeing the vet for his intake exam.  He is a liver chestnut with very handsome face.  His marking include a thin blaze and two socks.  He is in the 15.3-16h range and built a little more like a QH.  He is a fairly severe cribber, but thankfully doesn’t crib with a miracle collar on.

My training project is Fibber, a 15 year old gelding that is privately owned.  He retired from racing in ’07.  He is sweet, intelligent and a handsome chap!  He is easily taller than my own mare (who is 16.1 1/2).  I have yet to stick him, but I’d say he’s in the 16.3-17h range.  He’s also a big scopey mover!  I love how he moves!  He needs some groceries as he’s recovering from a neglect situation.  He also needs some topline muscle from lack of work.  But, all in all, I think he’s going to be a really fun project.  There is a really nice pleasure horse in there somewhere.  Its just a matter of finding him.   Photos coming soon!

My own mare Jewel is doing really well.  She’s the only one I’m riding at the moment, although I hope to be on Fibber in the next day or two.  She is looking great, although a bit of a hay belly from time off recently (puncture wound and 100 degree late summer heat).  I’m going to be starting her on a topline supplement as well.  Its a protein supplement that is designed to help horses build muscle.  We’ll be starting that soon.  All in all, I’m quite pleased with where she is at.

I’ll be keeping this more up to date now that things are rolling again!   What are you and your horses up to this fall?  Did you show this summer?  How’d you do?

 

Rockin’ The Racehorse

If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you know of the fate faced by many racehorses as they retire from the track.  Perhaps they were injured, but more likely, they’re just too slow to make any money.  In any case, the great majority of horses retiring from racing for any reason face the possibility of slaughter.  Before the US government shut down the three equine slaughter facilities in the US, those 3 facilities processed anywhere from 100,000 to 110,000 horses per year with the meat bound for the dinner tables and restaurants of Asia and Europe.  While no exact numbers are known, it is estimated that20,000 – 30,000 of those slaughtered horses (each year) were Thoroughbreds.  Now that the US processing facilities have been closed by the government, our equine friends face a much worse fate in transport to and slaughter houses of Mexico and Canada.

Friends of Ferdinand Inc, the organization that I foster and retrain for is hosting the first annual Rockin The Racehorse fundraiser event to benefit horses retiring from Indiana’s racetracks.  Rockin The Racehorse is set to be a unique evening of horses, cocktails, music and good eats located at the Palomino Ballroom, in the midst of Zionsville, Indiana’s horse country.  Attendees will be treated to cocktails and a fabulous dinner, along with an intimate concert by acclaimed singer/song-writer and recording artist Jennie DeVoe.  Jennie has opened for well-known acts including Ray Charles, Joe Cocker and Bonnie Raitt.  In addition to dinner and the intimate concert, FFI horses (current fosters & success stories) will be at the facility so that guests can visit with the horses, their fosters and adopters.  The event is limited to 120 guests and is expected to sell out in the next few weeks.  More info, including online option for ordering tickets, is available on the website:  www.RockinTheRacehorse.org

Oh yeah…and another benefit…you’ll get to meet yours truly, MOI!  That’s right!  I’ll be there with my foster horse — so yeah, you’ll get to meet them too! This is going to be a fabulous evening you won’t want to miss!

Proceeds from the event will support FFI’s efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home retiring racehorses.

Rockin’ The Racehorse
Presented by The Tony Stewart Foundation

Friday, September 17, 2010
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The Palomino Ballroom
481 S County Road 1200 East
Zionsville, IN 46077

www.RockinTheRacehorse.org

 

Bucket List Adventures

Well, I haven’t been very active in writing about the horses because frankly, there hasn’t been much to write about.  As you probably know, for most areas of the country, including the midwest, this summer has been abnormally HOT.  We set a new record in Indianapolis for consecutive days over 95 degrees.  Now, if it were just heat without humidity, I might actually get up early and ride – maybe.  However, factor in a very high humidity level with a heat index near 110 degrees and frankly, I’m not leaving the AC if I don’t have too.  Therefore, the horses have pretty much had the last 3 weeks off.  We’re finally getting back to normal summer time temps (low-to-mid 80s) which is much more bearable.

Regardless, here are updates on the mares:

Jewel

Jewel (left) enjoys pasture time.

I’ve ridden Jewel a couple of times.  She’s been surprisingly well behaved for not having really done anything except eat in the last 3-4 weeks.  The good news is that she is really looking quite good.  There is nothing like grass pasture to fatten up a Thoroughbred.  I’m very pleased with her weight as we approach fall.  She is an extremely hard keeper, so having some good weight on her this time of year is important because she always looses weight in the winter.

I have also had a couple jump lessons since my last post about that.  They have gone really well.  Jewel is very clever and also very honest.  She has saved my butt a couple of times when I didn’t ride the approach to a jump very well.   We have another lesson scheduled for this coming Tuesday.  I’m even thinking about signing up for some jumping classes at shows this fall.  FUN!

So…on to my bucket list adventure…my barn owner and her daughter are taking two horses to a show near Gettysburg, PA over Labor Day Weekend.  After their show, they are going on a guided trail ride (on their own horses) around the battlefields of Gettysburg.  Call me corny, but this is something that I have ALWAYS wanted to do.  I have been to Gettysburg and it is an amazingly beautiful place, steeped in history.  As it turns out, there is possibly room in the truck and trailer for me and Jewel to come along.  This may be one of the only opportunities I have to ride the battlefields of Gettysburg on my own horse.  I’m really excited.  Nothing is set in stone yet, but I’m working on it.  Updates most definitely to follow!

Rose
Since I last wrote, Rose has seen the vet and had front shoes put back on.  She is still quite sore on her racing diagonal (LF and RH).  We think there is a muscle issue in the shoulder because the xrays are clean, but she stands with the left front foot out in front of her (bearing the weight on her right front).  I plan to have the vet back out at the end of the month for a follow up, a chiro adjustment and to get her teeth done.  She has lost some weight, but mostly in the form of racing muscle.  She is actually gaining some weight back right now.  Its all part of the let down process.  I have to keep reminding myself that she was still racing 2 months ago.  For now, she’s turned out in a 1 acre paddock with a couple other horses.  We’ll see what the vet says.

That is pretty much where the horses are at right now.  What have YOU been doing with your horses?  Have you been avoiding the heat like me?  Have you had a horse-related “bucket list” adventure?  Do tell!!

 

Blazen Honey, aka Rose

Blazen Honey, aka Rose

Just a quick update on Rose.  She is adjusting well to life off the track.  She appears to be pretty laid back.  She’s a little sore yet on the right hind, which is the “pushing” leg in racing, so that’s to be expected considering her last race was just a couple of weeks ago.  She’ll get a couple more weeks off  and then I’ll have the vet out for her intake exam.  She just couldn’t be any sweeter.

 

A Pair of Mares

2003 Mare - Double Dots

So I have two new foster horses.  Both are mares.  They arrived this past weekend.  The first is Double Dots, who was donated to FFI last fall.  She is quite a looker and chalk full of personality.  She is recovering from an injury sustained after she retired from racing and is pretty much just here for the turnout my barn offers.  I know Dot has an adoption application in on her, but I don’t know if her adoption is pending or not.  I do know that Dot has not had any retraining under saddle since her time from the track.  She also only sound for light riding and breeding.  Best to check the FFI website if you think you might be interested in her.

2004 Mare - Blazen Honey

The second mare is a brand new donation to FFI.  Her name is Blazen Honey and she simply couldn’t be any sweeter!  She is a little timid, but very sweet and smart as a whip!  She is a 2004 liver chestnut with two front white ankles and a nearly perfect oval on her forehead.  My best guess is that she is approximately 16h tall.  She has lovely conformation for a sport horse and I think with a bit more time off to come down from racing, she is going to be a really nice prospect.

 

Jumping Jehosaphat!

So if you asked me a month ago what kind of riding I do, I would tell you with a bit of a smirk that I attempt dressage.  I have schooled 3rd level on my mare, although that seems like many moons ago.  Indeed it was over 3 years ago, as that is when she had colic surgery.  Since then (with a few breaks when I didn’t ride for months), we’ve been working on strengthening the topline and the self-carriage muscles in an attempt to reach that magical 3rd level again.  I feel as though we’re finally getting somewhere.   Jewel’s wither pocket is filling in and while her back isn’t completely flat, its not tent-shaped either.   There is muscle and fat over her loin and when we do long and low work across the diagonal, she still speeds up a little, but the power and lengthening is amazing.  It gives me goosebumps for sure!

In the last year, I’ve been living vicariously through my friends that jump their horses (most of whom are all OTTBs). I have gone to shows with camera in tow to take pictures of them strutting their stuff in dressage and the jumper ring. Some of them are also eventers. I’ve secretly been longing to get back into the jump saddle. I mean really…they were just having so much fun out there. Why couldn’t I?

Now, let me paint you a picture of my past….Way back when (nearly 15 years ago now), when I was in college, I called myself an eventer. I participated in small, local combined tests and mini-events. I never participated in a sanctioned horse trial (alas, as a poor college student, I was always riding borrowed horses), but I schooled XC and rode in those small shows when ever I had the chance. Aside from a few jump lessons and XC schooling sessions when I first bought Jewel, I pretty much have been on hiatus from jumping since 1999. And to be honest, until I saw my friends having so much fun out there, I really didn’t have any desire to do any jumping.

 

Adventures in Trail Riding

It seems like for the past few weeks, I had been scheduling rides around the vet, farrier, my own photo shoot schedule and the unbelievably hot and humid weather.  A couple weekends ago, I was shooting a horse show and bumped into my friend Kim on Saturday. Kim asked if I’d like to go trail riding some time.  I was game!  So, last week, Kim and I went out on our adventure…I on Jewel and she on Annie, a Thoroughbred mare that is in training with her.

Kim drove over and pick us up.  We headed over to Natural Valley Ranch, an 80 acre farm located in Brownsburg, IN.  Natural Valley is available for anyone who wants to trail ride. You can either haul in with your own horse, or you can rent one of theirs.  They have flat grassy areas, lots of wooded trails and a nice, sandy-bottomed creek that makes for nice riding as well.

Annie & Jewel scouting for gators.

The mares were SO good.  Jewel is 12 and has been trail riding multiple times — even at Natural Valley.  In other words, she is old enough and experienced enough to be behaved.  Yet she was the one that started off needing support.  Now, in her defense, this was the first trail ride we’d been on in over a year.  Annie is a 5 year old (I think) recently retired TB mare who had only been trail riding one other time at a different trail riding place.  She had every excuse to shy or spook, but she didn’t.  She was a superstar! The mares completely supported each other.  When one of them was worried about going forward, the other would take over.  Sometimes, they would both stand together and check something out, but given some time to consider their situation, they never refused to go forward.  Such good girls!

In the creek, they were on high alert!  I’m quite certain that they thought that every ripple, rock poking out of the water or shadow was an alligator waiting to pounce on them.  Even so, once they determined that the area was safe, they would move forward.  They soldiered on and were really good.

It was great to get out of the ring (even the freedom of the outdoor) and experience something different. We definitely need to do more of that.  Until then, I hope you take a slight risk with your horse.  I’d love to hear of your adventures outside the ring on your own horses.