An Apology to Horse Show Mom's Everywhere

            I have decided that although I am a seasoned competitor when it comes to showing horses, I fail miserably when it comes to being a spectator. After watching my boyfriend compete at the NCHA Futurity a week ago, I’ve discovered that I haven’t been giving horse show mom’s everywhere nearly enough credit. 

Our barn mother’s are always talking about how stressful and nerve-wracking it is to sit up in the stands and watch their kids compete. I always assumed this was true, but obviously I have never witnessed it first hand (since I’m normally in the middle of the arena when this is taking place). However, after having to sit through a first go, second go, semi-finals and finals of the Non-pro, I have to say that being on the sidelines is excruciating. 

When I first decided to go down to Fort Worth to be a supportive girlfriend, I thought it would a nice change of pace. Since the majority of my time at horse shows is spent competing, I thought that being able to relax a little and watch someone else might be fun. I was wrong.

Now don’t misunderstand, it was very exciting to be able to watch and learn about an equestrian discipline so different from my own. That is until it was my boyfriend’s turn to compete. My friends sitting beside me laughed as they watched a typically calm, levelheaded competitor turn into an anxiety-ridden mess.

I was perfectly fine, until the person before him began their run. As he walked to the herd, my heart was beating so hard that I could practically see it thumping beneath my shirt. Along with wringing my hands until they were raw and neurotically chipping at my finger nail polish, I probably looked liked the typical obsessive horse show mother.

I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath until he finished his run, 2 and ½ minutes later, and I felt unusually lightheaded. During this time, I also managed to mutilate the poor Styrofoam cup I was holding until all that was left was a sad, little pile of fluffy bits.

My own mother thought this was hilarious and very appropriate payback for her having to stand on the sidelines and watch me throughout the years. So to all of those horse show mothers out there, I am sorry for severely underestimating the difficulty and importance of your role as a spectator. I also have a question to ask. Does it ever get easier?

Finals First-timer Wins $250,000 with Record-Breaking Score

        

       At last night’s NCHA Open Futurity Finals, Tony Piggott and Rockin W swept the field with a huge score of 229 points. This score ties for the all-time Futurity record with a 229 that was marked by Royal Fletch in 2000. Owner Alice Walton of Rockin W Ranch, accepted the winner’s check for $250,000 and the prestigious Fort Worth Cup.
       Rockin W is a fourth generation Walton Ranch bred stallion by legendary producer Dual Rey and out of 2004 NCHA Horse of the Year Boon San Kitty. This was Piggott’s first time in the NCHA Open Finals.
       Earlier in the week, Piggott rode Rockin W to a fourth place finish in the John Deere Open Finals earning $15,946. At the conclusion of the Futurity, Piggott took home a pair of checks worth more than double his previous career earnings. He actually rode the horse for the first time just two weeks before the Futurity began. Piggott was the catch-rider chosen for Rockin W because the horse’s trainer Gary Gonsalves opted to ride two of his other mounts.
       Only four other horses, in addition to Rockin W and Royal Fletch have scored a 226 or higher in the Open Finals of the NCHA Futurity: High Brow CD with 226 in 2007, Oh Cay Felix with 227 in 2006, Highbrow Supercat with 226.5 in 2005 and One Smart Lookin Cat with 226 in 2003.

The Principles of Body Isolation

            I recently read an interesting article recently about the importance of learning how to isolate different parts of your body while riding. Truthfully, I almost passed it by because of the title, Roping: In Your Mind’s Eye, by Jody Reynolds. Not that there is anything wrong with roping, it just isn’t my discipline of choice. However, after reading the piece, it became obvious that the principles of body isolation can be applied to any equestrian sport.

Before David Avery became the AQHA director of international affairs, he was a Professional Horseman in Roswell, New Mexico. He taught that by isolating different parts of your body, you can deliver different messages to your horse. One way to do this is by altering the position of your seat.

The three different seat positions consist of the “on” position, when the pelvic area is against the seat of the saddle, the “in front” position, when the pubic bone is against the seat of the saddle, and the “behind” position, when the gluteus is against the seat of the saddle. Obviously, if you compete in an event like hunter under saddle, you will ride with much more of a forward seat than if you compete in an event like western pleasure. However, Avery says that regardless of the discipline, every rider can benefit from practicing these three positions to increase their range of motion.

Avery also taught how to isolate the seven different segments of the leg.

1.Upper-third thigh – Where the gluteus ties into the groin area, also where the hip and femur attach.

2. Middle-third thigh – The large, fleshy portion of the thigh. You can squeeze and release together or independently to direct the horse and encourage or control impulsion.

3. Lower-third thigh – Where the knee connects to the lower part of the leg. Many beginners will often grip with the lower thigh to stay on, which causes their horse to speed up. 

4.Upper-third calf – Just below the knee. The amount of pressure determines the type of reaction to a cue.

5. Middle-third calf – The large, fleshy portion of the lower leg. This area controls diagonal direction and forward impulsion.

6. Lower-third calf – Where the ankle attaches to the foot.

7.Spur – An extension of the heel.

While at first glance this may seem a bit complicated, just being aware of the different segments of your legs may give you a little insight into how you communicate with your horse. Try thinking about this the next time you're out for a ride.

Moneigh: Art Created by Famous Racehorses

           ReRun, a Thoroughbred racehorse adoption program, has just concluded their annual Moneigh Auction on eBay. Each year, the organization partners with “Moneigh Mary” Simons, assistant to the equine artists, in order to offer a selection of original art painted by famous racehorses. Among the 40 paintings up for auction were a few by famous Thoroughbreds like Empire Maker, Rags to Riches and Funny Cide.

            For those unfamiliar with a Moneigh, they are original pieces of abstract art, created by a horse, using their muzzle, whiskers, hoof or tail to paint. Certain talented individuals even hold a paintbrush between their lips in order to create the image. Most of the artists also sign their pieces with a hoof print. A brass plate with the artist's name is attached to the painting and sometimes a lock of mane or tail is included as a souvenir.

            Proceeds from the auction went to benefit the horses in the ReRun program who are housed in New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

            Artist assistant, Mary Simons, gave a little insight into her experiences with a few of the horses.

            “Empire Maker was the quickest learner,” Simons said. “With no encouragement, he picked up the paintbrush and swooshed like he’d done it all his life.”

“Riley Tucker, Wildcat Heir and With Distinction were painting enthusiasts who wouldn’t let go of the paper and wanted to continue painting. Kona Gold and Lawyer Ron both had personalities of that favorite kid in your class who could make you feel like they were your best friend and would do anything for you,” Simons said.

Be sure to check back on my blog to read an exclusive interview with “Moneigh Mary” Simons.

What's in a Name?

            After a record number of Facebook comments, the final results of our Best Horse Names of All Time List are in!

Best Play on Words Name: Alwayz in the Prinzipls Ofis

Other Play on Word Names: Art I Greyt, Oh Zippossibilities

Best Weirdest Name: Bagels and Cheese

Other Weird Names: Suncherous Jewel, Rollin Slipon, Pati-O-Furniture, Mickeys Not a Mouse

Best Song Reference Name: Too Sexy For My Spot

Other Song Reference Names: Hesa Super Freak, Getting Hot in Here, How Bad Do Ya Want It, Spin Doctor

Best Popular Culture Reference Name: Isthatyourfinalanswer

Other Popular Culture Reference Names: Gucci Handbag, Sleepnwiththeenemy, Fairy God Mare, Don’t Touch My Barbie, American Idol, Guitar Hero, Iron Chef, Donald Trump, Coosella Devil, Pokemon Kid, Cool Hand Luke, Good Golly It’s Molly, Charlie Hilfiger, Will Smith

Best Suggestive Name: Give It To Me Dirty

Other Suggestive Names: Kiss My Sweet Assets, Its All Bhindthe Zipr, Dirty Affair, Tonightsthenighthoney, Dude Do Me Right, HoneyYou’reUnzipped, My Zippers Popped, Spent the Night, I Like it in the Dark

Worst Name: Should Have Been Glue

Other Bad Names: Unknown, JoJo Squeeky Star, Kims Doc Badgerette, Pattys Wasp, Yellow Cow Dog, Bucks Bag Lady, Don’t Skip The Smurf, Yeller Snow, Mr Flashdancer, Bad Acid, Up the Assets, Alpo

The Ultimate Worst Name: My Dixie Wrecked

Other Really Bad Names: Dog Breath, Pass the Chicken, Shootin Poo

Funniest Name: Buffythebovineslayer

Other Funny Names: Quit your Butchin, Hoof Hearted, I’d Rather Be Fishing, Peptoboonsmal, Smart Mouth, Invite Me or Bite Me, Whoop Your Asset, Who Needs Therapy, Skirt in The Dirt, Mr. Yella Fella, Rebas Stormin Normin, Big Be Bobbin Bob, Daddy’s Money, Bob N For Apples

Best Funny Name When Announced: Butt Naked

Other Funny Names When Announced: The Pool Boy, Steve’s Ex Boss, Totally Exposed

Miscellaneous: (here are some additional names that we thought were clever, but didn’t really fit into a category) It’s Only Petty Cash, One For The Record, Form the Line Behind, That Would be Me, I Gotta Good Name, I Only Date Models, The Total Package, Get Off My Tail, Towhomit May Concern

    

     Be sure to check back later to read select interviews with a few of the winners on how they came up with the winning names.

The Black Stallion Literacy Project Inspires Children to Read

            The Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse has recently formed a partnership with The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation in the hopes of inspiring children to read. In the spring of 2010, first and fourth graders in the Kentucky counties of Fayette, Bourbon, Madison, Clark, Scott, Woodford and Jessamine will be able to participate in the project. This widely acclaimed program was featured on ABC Nightly News as the best motivational reading program for school-aged children.

            As part of the program, first graders will be given two hard copy books to keep, both by Walter Farley, "Little Black" and "Little Black Goes to the Circus."  The first grade program also includes a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park for a hands-on experience with the park’s horses.

            Fourth graders will be given a hard copy of Walter Farley's classic, "The Black Stallion," a pop-up display, and a copy of the Academy Award-winning Francis Ford Coppola movie, "The Black Stallion." The fourth grade program will conclude with a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park's new indoor arena for a presentation of the Florida-based Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction production featuring the Black Stallion. Tickets will also be available for the public.            

            The best part about the program is that the books will be delivered to area schools by a live black pony from the Kentucky Horse Park.  At the end of the program, in addition to their hands-on experiences with horses at the park, the children will also be able to tour the new Arabian Horse Galleries which features "The Black Stallion Experience Exhibit."

             The Black Stallion Literacy Project was actually conceived in 1999 by Farley's son, Tim, and the owner of the Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction in Florida, Mark Miller. The foundation began serving children in 2000, and since then, more than 450,000 children in the United States have participated in the program.

            John Nicholson, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park said, "As the father of two young boys, I personally know the importance of engaging children in reading. As a horseman, I understand the almost-mystical, always beneficial effect that horses have on children, so I am particularly pleased that the Kentucky Horse Park will be involved in bringing children and horses together in a project that will have a life-long, positive impact."

            If you would like more information on The Black Stallion Literacy Project, you can contact Mollie Jameson at 859-509-1915 or e-mail her at molliejam@gmail.com or www.bslf-online.org. You can also visit the Kentucky Horse Park’s website at  ww.KyHorsePark.com.