The Equine Mind...

While I would jokingly say Chaos and Dayo both think: "Hay, grain, hay, grain, grain, hay, hay, hay... carrot?" I know they are much more complex than that. Horses mirror their riders, coaches and trainers - mine are mesmerized whenever my coach is explaining something, and will stand patiently for as long as it takes for me to understand. This article explains how, and illustrates what makes horses so marvelous, and sometimes cuddly :)

Dayo... my leap of faith :)

 

Meet Dayo ("Joy Arrives"). Formerly Ebony / Home By Dark, she is an eight year old OTTB, one of three mare whose owners have fallen on hard times. For three years, I've looked and looked at horses, donated money to rescues. Of course, I have Chaos <3. Who knows why one horse speaks to you, or why your soul suddenly says: "Enough. It's time to take that leap of faith, and be the difference."

Stay tuned for stories as we get to know each other; for photos as she fills out, and becomes the awesome mare she is going to be!

Take a deep breath and just relax!

Winter is a time to work through schooling issues, to develop balance, hone flatwork skills, and prep for the upcoming show season. This year, it has also been a season of working through frustrations and behaviours (largely associated with a long winter, too much ice, restrictions about riding in the sand ring, and poor turnout). It's easy to get frustrated, to over-think, and to worry about what's happening and why. Not surprisingly, when I stress about a situation, Chaos' behaviour magnifies it one hundredfold.

So we have been working on relaxing. Whether it's an issue in the cross ties, a refusal to stand still at the mounting block, a general friskiness due to restricted turnout, a piece of equipment that "wasn't there the last time", or a small drift of snow that has blown in through a crack in the east end of the arena wall (something Chaos feels is so evil that it has to be approached from the left, the right, and the centre with incredible trepidation, much snorting, balking and, if possible, flight), I have found that a deep, heavy and loud sigh, followed by audible chewing on my part, can help us both refocus, and relax.


The minute his body tells me something is not quite right, I stop what I'm doing. I take a heavy, deep and loud sigh, and I chew (think cows chewing their cud). If Chaos doesn't relax, I repeat the process until I get hear a heavy sigh from him, followed by chewing. His reaction is followed by a release of tension, his head comes down, his eyes soften. No frustration. No argument. Just a peaceful way to refocus him, to regain his attention. It also relaxes me, refocuses my energies, and helps me to problem solve for a positive outcome, rather than a reactive one.

Relaxing is a win-win. It eases tension and stress, it reassures, it helps us succeed in the task at hand. It builds trust and confidence. It centers us both, and enhances our ability to communicate.

A deep breath. It's the difference between this...

... and this

So the next time you ride, or you find yourself face to face with an evil snowdrift, take a deep breath and relax. Your horse will thank you, and your body will too.

Two

I was sitting around a table one evening, listening to friends tell the story of when they met. He said, "I remember when I asked her to marry me, her mother pulled me aside and said, if you want to stay married, never come between [name] and her horses."

At that point he paused, and gave me a big smile. He said, "and do you know what I did? I went out the next day, and bought her two." 

<3

Good riding is all about getting out of your horse's way

The best riders use their aids to help their horses be as brilliant as they can be. And then, these riders get out of their horses' way.

Nick Skelton's ride on Heracross demonstrates the beauty and simplicity of control and communication. Skelton really knows how to help his horse, and stay out of his way. So much so, that watching it leaves me thinking to myself, "I could do that course".

Stay tuned!

The Story of Snowman ~ Every horse deserves a chance

"Some horses you “ride” to victory.
Others find victory on their own - you just have to hold still and go along for the ride."

Does anyone remember Snowman, the show jumper who launched Harry de Leyer's career? De Leyer found Snowman at auction in Pennsylvania. Then, he was an 8-year old Amish plough horse sent for slaughter. De  Leyer, looking for a school horse, arrived late at the auction - just as the "dregs" of the auction were being loaded onto the kill buyer's truck. The horse's eyes met De Leyer, and he was purchased off the truck for $80.

Snowman (as he was renamed), went to work in the riding school. He was a barn favourite, adored by the De Leyer children. A year after his purchase, De Leyer sold him to a neighbouring doctor, who was looking for a horse for his daughter. It seemed like a perfect fit: a forever, loving home for Snowman, and a 100% profit for De Leyer.

Snowman had other ideas. He believed he had found his forever home with De Leyer, and was not going to take no for an answer. A few days after the sale, De Leyer received a call from the doctor saying the horse had jumped out of his paddock, and was in a neighbour's yard. Snowman was returned to the doctor, but he continued to escape, finally jumping his paddock fence, and every obstacle in his path, across the six miles that separated his new home from the De Leyer's farm. 

It turns out that De Leyer had not bought a school horse. He had bought a show jumper and a personality. And while his early training was hardly auspicious (Snowman pretty much decimated small jumps and cavaletti), once De Leyer pointed him to what Snowman considered a real jump, his passion appeared. Two years after he was saved from slaughter, Snowman and De Leyer won the jumper championship at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden, and Snowman became the American Horse Shows Association Horse of the Year. In the five years Snowman and De Leyer competed at an international level, they won many top competitions and titles. And they captured peoples' hearts. Snowman appeared on both the Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett shows, in an episode of To Tell the Truth. He was the subject of two children's books (The Cinderella Horse, by Tony Palazzo,1962; and Snowman, Rutherford Montgomery, 1967), and of the impressive The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse that Inspired a Nation, by Elizabeth Letts, 2011.

Snowman lived out his life with De Leyer, and was humanely euthanized at the age of 26 following complications due to kidney failure. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Show Jumping Hall of Fame. The Breyer model of him is now a collectors item.

Last summer, Elizabeth Lett's book about Snowman was published. Now, director and producer Ron Davis is looking to make a documentary about Snowman and De Leyer. He feels that the story stands the test of time. "When you looked at Harry and Snowman on paper in the 1950's, neither were destined for greatness. But they came together, there is no other word to describe them other than inspiring."

Lett's book and Davis' pending documentary are incredibly timely. It's a story of success in the face of horrible fate. In a time of rising costs, the tremendous influx of horses into an already saturated marketplace, increased awareness of and the call to ban horse slaughter and the culling of wild horses, the story of Snowman carries some valuable lessons:

"First, be fair, and don’t be so tough on your horse," De Leyer says. "You can get more done with carrots and petting them than with being so tough. Snowman went in a rubber D-bit, and I school all the horses in a rubber D-bit. I am lucky with horses, but this is part of my luck – to be nice to horses and nice to people. Then also, don’t give up too quick on yourself. There is always a chance to get there, so give yourself a chance. Give every horse a chance."

Snowman is another great reminder of the success you can find if you give a horse the chance.

Credits go to "The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse that Inspired a Nation" (Elizabeth Betts, 2011)
http://www.threerunsplantation.com/newsletters/equestrian_news2.asp?newsletter=6&page=24
http://www.horse-canada.com/horses-and-history/snowman-the-ultimate-rags-to-riches-story/

$100 "hell horse" wins Tevis Cup

When the stars align and a horse finds his place/person magic can happen. Do you know of a horse circumstances are conspiring against - in a field, a barn, at auction, in a feedlot? What if that horse was one connection,. one circumstance, one caring person, away from excellence and a chance to thrive in life?

Many may know a horse just like this. We all deserve hope, and the chance to succeed. Would you take the chance, change his life, and yours?

$100 Psychotic Wild Hell Horse wins Tevis Cup

Sometimes we just need the right angel to come along show us how to spread our wings.

Who Says Ponies Can't Jump?

It's 1968. It's the Olympics, individual show jumping class. U.S. rider Bill Steinkraus and Snowbound take the gold. British equestrienne Marion Coakes and Stroller take silver, jumping one of only two clear rounds over a course that was described as the biggest course in show jumping history.

Marion Coakes is about 21 years of age. Stroller is about 18 years old. And, at 14.1 hands, he is a pony.

Stroller was born in 1950, a bay Conemara pony / thoroughbred cross. He was owned and ridden by Marion Coakes, who successfully convinced her father not to sell Stroller when she turned 16 and was ready to "graduate" to horses. Coakes and Stroller were formidable competitors, winning 61 international competitions.

At 20, Stroller won the 1970 Hamburg Derby. Coakes said, "When we sailed over the last fence, having completed the only clear round of the day, the crowd of 25,000 went crazy. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. We had completed the 50th clear round ever achieved on the course — and it was the first by a woman rider.”  And by a pony.

Stroller is living proof that it is not the size of your body, but the size of your heart and spirit that make you a champion.

Who says ponies can't jump?

Branch County

When I was little, Branch County was my dream horse. Or at least one of them. So many horses. So little time!

It's hard to find information about him now, but here are a few fun facts:

•  He cleared 7'2" to win the puissance class at the Royal Winter Fair one year to carry his rider, Robin Hahn, to victory.
• He was picked up by Michel Vaillancourt in February of 1976, after Hahn decided he could not afford the $10,000 price tag, and opted to compete on L'Esprit in the Olympic Three-Day Event instead.
• Branch County and Michel Vaillancourt won the first ever individual medal in show jumping for Canada at the 1976 Olympics in Bromont, Quebec.
• Branch County was only seven at the time, and Vaillancourt set a record for being the youngest show jumping rider to win an individual medal (two babies, as Vaillancourt has said).
• Branch County was a failed race horse. 

Branch County joins the ranks of another favourite thoroughbred, Snowbound (gratuitous Snowbound photo here):

A reminder that the thoroughbred is a fantastic and courageous sport horse. Two great show jumpers, two great reasons to consider an OTTB!

The Wolf and the Donkey - a modern parable

This is a beautiful and incredibly touching story of love and grace. Original credit below.

THE WOLF AND THE DONKEY
On May 9, 2007, in the mountains of northern Albania in the northwestern city of Patok, a wolf was captured and put in a pen. To feed him, his captors decided to give him "live food," an old donkey who, having been exploited for many years by its owners, had become worthless to them. Nobody expected to see what happened next.

Both animals, prisoners of an evil man with a desire for possession and selfishness, did something unexpected. The wolf looked into the donkey's eyes and the poor old donkey did the same, and the two became friends. Because in a world dominated by the greed and apathy of men, the titles of prey and predator become meaningless, and a wonderful friendship can develop between two souls, victims of the same evil, only made possible by emotions that we struggle to understand. 

UPDATE:
12.000 people had written to the government of Albania asking that the life of donkey be spared and the wolf released to the wild. The story got coverage from the Albanian television and under the huge pressure of the public, they finally let both of them free.

The original article mentions that the donkey lives now happily on a green pasture and that the wolf would even pass by sometimes to visit him.

Original source: http://www.gut-aiderbichl.at/aktetier/aktetier_1038.pdf

Thanks to Occupy for Animals. Please visit their page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-for-Animals/152547194813334

Air Amateur - your Tuesday smile

There is no better way to start the week than with a smile. This will resonate with everyone who has ever found themselves suddenly without a horse underneath!

I would confess, I've booked many a flight on this airline, and in spite of the fact the descents are desperately quick, the landings abrupt and often painful, and the airline highly unsympathetic (and often surprised), I keep going back.

Here's hoping your ride today is on friendly skies!

Feeling down? Saddle up

Or at least, check out these very funny videos in celebration of the horse!

How to Hide a Horse (I Love Lucy)

French and Saunders: Ponies

And always remember, "A horse doesn't care how much you know, until he knows how much you care." Pat Pirelli

In Memoriam - A Farewell to Sea Fox

Ottawa, ON— Equine Canada and the Canadian Equestrian Team extend our heartfelt condolences to Canadian Olympian Leslie Reid and her mother Edith Thomson on the passing of their horse, Sea Fox.

Sea Fox
Photo credit—Cealy Tetley

Sea Fox, a Dutch Warmblood stallion sired by Roemer, was born in the Netherlands in 1982 and imported by Reid as her new dressage partner in 1986. Sea Fox easily moved up the ranks, usually scoring top marks in each outing.

Under the tutelage of Udo Lange and Christilot Boylen, Reid trained in Europe from 1993 to 1996 in order to maximize the development of her handsome and talented stallion.  In 1995, the pair made their debut at the international grand prix level, earning many top 10 finishes at prestigious CDI competitions in Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Donaueschingen. 

Reid was the first Canadian rider to be named to the 1996 Olympic Dressage Team, qualifying after the first two Olympic Trials. In November of 1996, Reid and Sea Fox captured the Volvo World Cup Dressage Canadian League Final held at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Horse Show.

Reid and Sea Fox competed at Grand Prix until he was 17 year of age. For the next few years, Sea Fox taught Reid’s young rider students the ropes of upper level dressage until he was officially retired at the age of 20.

“He was the perfect horse,” said Reid. “Handsome, honest, and the most gentle stallion one could ever have.”

Sea Fox’s well-earned retirement consisted of relaxing in his field until he was almost 30-year-old.

About Equine Canada
Equine Canada is Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism.  A member-driven, charitable institution, it is the executive branch of the Canadian Equestrian Team, and the national authority for equestrian competition; the national voice for recreational riders; and the national association for equine welfare, breeding, and industry.  Equine Canada is recognised by the Government of Canada, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national organisation representing equestrian sport and equine interests. For more information about Equine Canada, please visit www.equinecanada.ca.

Helping hearts help an old horse in need

It would be fair to say I'm a little horse obsessed. It's a feeling that lay dormant for a few years, when the kids were young. When they were old enough, I volunteered, then worked for CARD (Community Association for Riding for the Disabled), a therapeutic riding centre in Toronto. Working with horses as therapy animals, watching the difference they can make, re-ignited this obsession to the point where it became a virtual bonfire.

It was the beginning of the end. The powerful combination of working with horses and helping people spoke to my soul, and even though I no longer work at CARD, those two passions remain with me and strong.

Today, I surf the internet looking at OTTBs, rescue horses, and horses for sale. I pour over articles about bedding, footing, course building, tack, grooming, horsemanship, equine nutrition, naturopathy. I visit tack shops, and am slowly growing my supply of grooming tools, etc. Most importantly, I participate actively as a lobbyist for animal and equine rights, and as part of a pipeling dedicated to rescuing rehabilitatable horses from the kill pen (specifically OLEX, which is local to me), and rehoming them.

While I am acutely, painfully horse-less right now, participating actively and contributing to the wonderful world of horses is important to me. I was reminded of this when a call to action came through a Facebook page, Camelot Feed Lots. A lovely 30-year old chestnut mare at auction, bound for the kill pen.  I'll never meet this horse, but her pictures, the call to save her, and my fundamental and unwavering belief that no animal or person deserves to be discarded once their usefulness is past, were compelling enough for me to take a leap of faith and donate money to an organization I knew nothing about (without benefit of tax receipt) in the hopes that her life would be respected. For a horse, 30-years is a life well lived, and a life worth saving!

Thanks to the many people who also made a commitment to this horse's life, it was. The thank you note above is from the wonderful people at Helping Heart Equine Rescue. Amber is a really lovely old mare (such a cutie!).

The experience was a great reminder that participating in the world of horses does not necessarily have to mean ownership, and it does not have to cost a great deal of money. There are so many ways and means to be close to horses: advocating on an equine's behalf, supporting a local equine rescue, volunteering (at a therapeutic riding centre or in an equine-assisted therapy programme). Because of this horses, and Amber, will always have a special place in my heart. 

Shetland Ponies and the Grand National - the stuff marketing dreams are made of?

There are few sights more endearing than thundering Shetland ponies tearing around a steeplechase course tackling 12 miniature "Aintree-style" fences. Shetland Ponies are fabulous, fierce competitors, and their cuteness often belies a high intelligence and well-developed sense of mischief.



The Shetland Pony Grand National qualifier from the 2011 Badminton Horse Trials, one of several qualifying events held in England as riders and their ponies vie to qualify for one of 10 spots in the Shetland Pony Grand National at Olympia, the London International Horse Show, held in December.








From an event marketing perspective, the Shetland Pony Grand National really has it all. The ponies and kids are compelling, the race is incredibly fun. It is a compellingly cute attraction that appeals to audiences young and old, and it is linked to charity and a high-profile, worthwhile cause. The Shetland Pony Grand National raises significant money for charity, draws visitors to horse shows (which means increased profile, more revenue, etc), and, in an era where a significant number of breeds are considered endangered by the http://www.rbst.org.uk, gives the Shetland Pony Registry and the breed's opportunity to do what it must: reinvent the Shetland Pony so that it stays relevant in the modern world.

About Shetland Ponies:
Shetland Ponies originated as a breed in the Shetland Isles, northeast of mainland Scotland. They are small, hardy ponies ranging in height from 7 hands (28 inches) to 10.2 hands (42 inches) at the withers. American Shetlands can be as large as 11.2 hands (46 inches).

The ponies have heavy coats, short legs and are considered very intelligent. were first recognized as a breed in 1890. They were first used for pulling carts, carrying peat, coal and other items, and for plowing farm land. When the Industrial Revolution increased the demand for coal, Shetland ponies were used as pit ponies on mainland Britain and in the United States, where the last pony mine closed in 1971.

They were officially recognized as a breed in 1890. 

Today, Shetland ponies are ridden and shown by both children and adults in harness classes, and used for pleasure driving outside the show ring. Shetland ponies remain very popular for small children, used in riding schools, for pleasure riding and at horse shows. They can also be trained as guide horses, peforming the same role as guide dogs.

 About the Shetland Pony Grand National:
The Shetland Pony Grand National stared in 1981 as the brain-child of the Late Raymond Brooks-Ward, the founder of the Olympia International Horse Show. The steeplechase is run along the same lines as its big  brother, the Grand National at Aintree. Ponies are paraded, jockeys (wearing racing silks) are mounted led to the start. The race around the course incorporates 2 1/2 laps and 12 miniature Aintree-style fences. 

The rules of the event are simple:

• Riders must compete for a year in a discipline like jumping, eventing or dressage before beginning the qualifying process at the Windsor Horse Show.
• Competitors must be between the ages of 9 and 13, and no taller than 5'1".
• Ponies must be at least 5 years old, and registered with the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society.

The purpose of the Grand National is two-fold. It raises money through race sponsorships: since its inaugural race in 1981, the Shetland Pony Grand National has raised more than £400K, with the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital being this year's charity of choice.

Great sites to visit to learn more about Shetland ponies
http://www.shetlandminiature.com/
http://www.thebritishhorse.com/ShetlandPonyBreed.html
http://www.shetlandponystudbooksociety.co.uk/
and of course, the Shetland pony wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shetland_pony

Faith and Spirit

Horses play an integral role in the history, and the present, of the Americas. In recent months, there have been a great many articles about the BLM's wild horse roundups, the treatment of retired racehorses, of neglect and cruelty. The issue of horse slaughter (which is currently banned in the United States, but allowed in both Canada and Mexico) is receiving tremendous publicity both for the inhumanity of the practices associated with it, and because of the practice itself. 

"Faith and Spirit came to the farm on April 20th 2011. We received a phone call from the local kill pen that a foal had been born in their holding pen. We worked desperately to raise funds to rescue mom and baby. Joel, one of our dedicated volunteers, donated what we needed to save these two. We estimated his birth date is April 10th 2011. This colt literally saved his mother's life. There's no doubt the slaughterhouse would have killed her, pregnant or not. Faith and Spirit will remain at Day Dreams Farm until Spirit is weaned and then Faith will be up for adoption. Spirit will continue to grow up at the farm and he will choose which direction he wants his life to go."

The inhumanity of the kill pen, and the tragedy that faces horses who find themselves there, is illustrated in a wonderful video of a foal born in a kill pen while his mother waited for slaughter (http://youtu.be/WODPAmME1e8). There is a happy ending for them both, thanks to Day Dreams Equine Rescue and Therapy (http://www.daydreamsfarm.com) but there need to be many, many more. Horses, because they have outlived their usefulness in one role, should not be thrown away. They can certainly be retrained for another purposes. Like all domesticated animals, they have an important relationship with people, and one that is mutually beneficial. The unspeakable things we do to dispose of them reflects our respect for humanity as a whole, and it is time we step up for the human race, the animal population, and the planet. 

The issues around the treatment, management and slaughter of horses are complex, but the realities seem to be simple and come down to an all too common denominator - human greed.  Horses are expensive to keep, and if they are wild, can be inconvenient to have around. Crushing economic conditions have exacerbated poor conditions for many farmers and horse owners, with more and more horses suffering from neglect as owners are unable to keep them. A reduction in horse races and purses, and an increase in irresponsible breeding, have resulted in a glut of unwanted racehorses, many of whom have earned significant money before being consigned to the kill pen because their racing careers are over.  Rescue organizations are stretched, and advocacy groups fight an uphill battle in the face of a glut of unwanted horses. And, it is important to remember that, in North America, horses are not raised for human consumption, and the sale of horse meat is prohibited by the FDA for health purposes.

Please advocate to stop horse slaughter, and to address the root causes of this issue. And please, support your local rescues, shelters and therapeutic riding centres!

The Horse - grass eating herbivore or meat-eating monster?

Every night, I pull information on horses, horse welfare, the equestrian world. Usually the links are specific, related to articles, facts, research. Tonight, my eyes caught the headline "The Ponies of the South Pole: The Forgotten Story of Antarctica's Meat Eating Horses."

I have long subscribed to the belief that horses are prey animals, herbivores. Their teeth include 12 incisors in the front, ideal for biting and tearing grass and other vegetation. They have 24 premolars and molars at the back of their mouth, which help them chew to break down the grass and other vegetation. I work with horses in a therapeutic riding environment, and know them to be sensitive, compassionate, caring animals. I am keenly aware of the sensitive nature of their digestive tracts. And, while I have certainly experienced my share of aggressive equine behaviour, I have always attributed this to nurture, a need to communicate dissatisfaction, stress, anxiety, pain, anger. The concept of the horse as flesh-eating monster was always firmly entrenched in the realm of myth, told in stories like the Mares of Diomedes and the Man-Eater of Lucknow.

Intrigued, I began to read. The article, written by the founder of the Long Riders' Guild, CulChullaine O'Reilly, pulls together a fascinating array of stories and evidence to support the theory that horses can indeed be the flesh-eating animals of myth. Evidence that includes details of Shackleton’s expedition to the South Pole, of the blood-eating horses of Tibet.

What if the myths were grounded in fact?

O'Reilly has spent more than 30 years studying equestrian travel techniques. He has experienced the world in a way which I certainly have not, and he has seen and participated in events and activities that are likely beyond my sheltered understanding. He is the founder of the Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation, dedicated to the creating the world's first comprehensive hippological study. The Foundation's goals are:

• To maintain the world’s first open-source academic website devoted to the study of all aspects of hippological influence in the arts and sciences.
• To invite the participation of all humans, regardless of race, national origin or native language to share their horse-related wisdom with others.
• To provide a forum, free of commercial influence, wherein equine-related articles are provided free to scholars, students and equine enthusiasts.
• To publish every major work known to man dealing with equestrian wisdom and history.

His book, Deadly Equines, purposes to debunk the idea of flesh-eating horse as myth, and explores the possible reality that our 21st century understanding of the horse is two-dimensional at best, a sanitized and Disney-esque view that prevents us from understanding the true nature of the horse.

The website for the Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation (http://lrgaf.org) is a fantastic compilation of stories, news and articles about the horses. Horses in history, int the military, and today. I realize, reading through it, that my belief that horses are herbivores is based on the physiology of the horse as I understand it. And I am intrigued as to why some horses would be flesh-eating (man-eating!) while most remain true to the animal of prey who uses flight to escape danger.

I remain committed to the belief that horses heal, and the the relationship between man and horse is mutual, inspiring, positive and whole. But, I am reminded of Robert Sullivan’s “The Flight of the Reindeer - the True Story of Santa Claus and his Mission”.  As with Sullivan’s book, I find that the website, the articles, take me to a place where I am willing to suspend disbelief. Nothing will shake my firm belief in the horse as friend, companion and ally, and I do not find it distressing that horses may be, or have been at some point, carnivores. After all, dogs certainly are, and the relationshihp between man and dog has not suffered because of this. I find I want to read the book. And the rebuttals. CulChullaine O’Reilly has opened up for debate a subject that will likely be discussed for some time, in the face of real or supposed evidence on both sides. The “myth” of the horse as herbivore is firmly entrenched in Western thought, and it will be interesting to see what comes of the Foundation’s researches.

To read more about CulChullaine O’Reilly’s work, check out:

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/features/meateatinghorses-190.shtml

http://explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=20323

http://www.lrgaf.org/deadly_equines.htm

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Pony Express is hot off the stands

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At All About Ponies, we understand that life is better with a horse. Whether you are a serious competitor, a pleasure rider, an instructor, coach, taking riding lessons, or just someone who knows that someday they will have a horse - because they must! - The Pony Express is for you! Every week, The Pony Express rounds up information on the web about horses, and it is the most direct means of getting highlights of the week's news and events in all areas related to the horse: Equestrian Sports, Wild Horses, Equine-Assisted Therapy, Equine Health, Natural Horsemanship, Horse Rescues, Horse Welfare, Horse Properties, Horses for Sale.

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A Tribute to Woody Stephens

 

See the full gallery on Posterous

98 years ago today, Woodford (Woody) Cefis Stephens was born in Stanton, Kentucky. Elected into the National Racing Museum Hall of Fame in 1976, Stephens' career in thoroughbred racing spanned seven decades. He ran Cain Hoy Stable for Harry Guggenheim for 10 years, trained seven Eclipse Award winning race horses, five kentucky Oaks winners, two Kentucky Derby winners (Cannonade '74, Swale '84), a Preakness winner (Blue Man '52), and an unprecedented five straight Belmon Stakes winners (Conquistador Cielo '82, Caveat '83, Swale '84, Creme Fraiche '85 and Danzig Connection in '86). In 1983, he won the Eclipse Award as the top trainer in the United States.

As a young racing fan, I spent hours glued to the television watching the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont, the Queen's Plate, and any other race that was televised. I poured over a friend's father's racing sheets and stud books, tracked races through the newspaper, learned about handicapping. I studied bloodlines, lineage, genetics and picked the horses from the racing sheets in the Globe and Mail that I thought would win, place or show, based on that magical combination of bloodline, talent, rider, trainer and heart, and my own applied "knowledge". It was a passion that, for a while, bordered on obsession, and my goal ultimately became to breed and own the first filly to ever win the Triple Crown. Woody Stevens was a part of the dream team I wanted to assemble to help me on this quest, along with my long-time hero, racing legend Sandy Hawley. With a great filly, and those two in her court, I was confident it would become a reality.

The dream still lives on, and today it seems fitting to remember the dream, and pay tribute to one of the men who figured so prominently in it.