Equine Sublime or Ridiculous?

I came across this photo recently that shows the meeting between the world’s largest horse, Radar, and the smallest horse, Thumbelina. Why they have a child holding a horse that could crush him under a single hoof is beyond me.

Radar, who is a Belgian Draft Horse, is 19.3 1/2 hands tall (6′ 7.5″) and weighs more than 2400 lbs. According to Preifert Ranch, which owns Radar, he eats 18 pounds of grain and 40 pounds of hay and drinks 20 gallons of water each day. Personally, I don’t think that’s very much hay for a horse that size.

Thumbelina is just 17 1/2″ tall and weighs just over 57 lbs. She is a dwarf miniature horse, but from some angles, she looks more like a pot-bellied pig.

While minis might not be what I consider beautiful, this one has done a lot of good. According to her owners, Kay and Paul Goessling, Thumbelina has raised thousands of dollars for charity and loves children. Certainly, I can’t see too many kids snuggling up to Radar!

Great Horse Books (for Adults)

When I was at the library last week I found, in the library sale pile, a stack of hard cover Dick Francis mysteries for a buck a piece. I snapped them up and have been happily rereading them. I’m an avid mystery reader and if the books have an equine sub-plot, so much the better! Even though I’ve already read everything that Dick Francis has written, I read some of them so many years ago that I’m enjoying them just as much the second (or third) time.

I started reading horse fiction as a child. I devoured every book that Walter Farley ever wrote, and luckily he wrote many! Of course, I read classics such as Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka, and had a personal favorite, A Horse Called Joe.

As an adult, novels with horse themes lie thinner on the ground. With such a plethora of horse books for young girls, I’m surprised that there aren’t more authors catering to adults who are obsessed with horses.

With beach weather fast approaching, it’s time to stock up on some good horse fiction (and non-fiction) so that even when you’re not riding yourself, you can ride vicariously.

Some of the books that I’ve read and enjoyed recently include:

• Any Dick Francis mystery
• Seasbiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand
• Horse Heaven, Jane Smiley
• A Year at the Races, Jane Smiley
• The Grave Maurice, Martha Grimes (not the most accurate book, but I do love Martha Grimes)
• Hot Blood, Ken Englade (non fiction, but more horrifying because it’s factual)
• Sweet William, John Hawkes
• Stalking Horse & Fire Horse, Bill Shoemaker
• $tud by Kevin Conley (non-fiction)
• Horsepeople are Different, Cookie McClung (actually, anything written by Cookie McClung has me in stitches!)

There are a few on my “to read” list that have been recommended by others:

• The Hunt & The Chase, Jan Neuharth
• Horse People, Michael Korda
• Rita Mae Brown’s foxhunting mystery novels
• The Monday Horses, Jean Slaughter Doty
• The Language of Light, Meg Waite Clayton

I’ve also come across some good compilation lists that have given me some new ideas:

• From the blog Equus Palaverous, the Equus Palaverous Horse Fiction Library
• Amazon’s My Favorite Horse Fiction
• From COTH poster Poltroon, a database of grown-up horse fiction

Equestrians must Support Land Conservation

This morning, as I was hacking through a path mowed through local hay fields, I counted my blessings. I am lucky enough to live in a town that is truly a leader in the conservation of its land and the maintenance of its trail systems. Although only 12 miles west of Boston, the town boasts 75 miles of trails, many of which are equine friendly, and has its own public riding ring (with jumps!). We even have a town farm which hays many of the fields, selling mostly to local families.

Maintaining an equine-friendly town takes commitment from horse owners, both in terms of respect for the land and participation in town decision making. About a year ago, there was a meeting by the trail commission because some residents took umbrage at the horse manure that was on some of the trails. They proposed that riders should have to clean up after their horses or that horses should wear diapers to keep from soiling the trails (don’t laugh, diapers for horses do exist!). There was record turn out from horse owners at the meeting, including an impassioned speech from one of the town’s major landowners who spoke of the role that equestrian pursuits have played in our town for hundreds of years. In the end, there were no restrictions placed on equestrians.

This is not true in many other towns. There are lots of places where the traditional bridle paths have been closed to horses. Property owners who have not grown up with ponies in their back yards don’t want horses tearing up their lawns and leaving free fertilizer in their wakes. As horse owners, we must cultivate these property holders by showing them respect for their land. We must always ride on the edge of fields, avoid soft footing and be courteous when we encounter hikers on the trails. The riding way of life is seen by many as anachronistic and by some as elitist. We need to make sure that it is neither. If you live in a town where bridle paths are still part of the landscape, make sure that you are always a good ambassador for the sport, and please make sure you participate in the land policies adopted by your town so that the trails are preserved for the next generation.

There are plenty of people who still enjoy seeing horses walk by. One morning I was riding down a quiet road when a woman burst out her front door still in her bathrobe. “Oh,” she cried, “I heard the hoof beats and I had to come out. It’s been years since anyone has ridden by and I so miss it!”

We do still have our

A Moment of Silence for Those Magnificent Athletes

The euthanasia of Theodore O’Connor yesterday after a tragic accident is just the latest in a terrible series of tragedies that have plagued the eventing community this spring, starting with Frodo Baggins and The Quiet Man, and including Nullabor, and Tigger Too. I don’t ever recall such a spate of fatalities in our sport.

There’s been a lot of discussion in the media and on equestrian forums about these deaths; eventing is under an unflattering spotlight and the sport — and its riders — have received more than their share of criticism. I propose that we put all that aside and simply honor these magnificent athletes with a moment of silence and a hug for our own horses. These were magnificent athletes that were loved and respected by their owners and riders. They will all be sorely missed.

These horses were all among eventing’s elite: they lived in luxurious surroundings and received the best of care. Many of those who condemn the sport don’t realize that these were horses that loved the game. You simply cannot make a horse complete a course of fences that it doesn’t want to jump, especially at the upper levels.

There are plenty of horses that need the support and care that outrage amongst concerned equestrians could provide; horses that are neglected, abused, or sent to auction as a last resort. Save your anger and activism for them; give these horses the honor and respect they deserve.

Rider Responsibility – Knowing When to Call it a Day

One of the pearls of wisdom I got from a coach about 16 years ago (thank you, Amy!) was that some days it’s better to just get off your horse and go back to the barn then to fight through an issue. We all have days like that. It seems like you and your horse are out of sync, can’t do anything right, and you get frustrated and angry.

Today was one of those days. I don’t know if my horse was feeling stiff from hunting, or whether I just plain wasn’t riding well, but it just wasn’t coming together. I know that there are times when it’s you need to make that certain breakthrough, but today we weren’t doing anything that important. I finished the school with something easy that my horse (and I) could accomplish and took him for a hack on the buckle.

Knowing when to call it a day is an important skill in riding. It’s not always clear cut. But those are the riders who choose to retire on XC when their horse is not quite right, or when they’ve had a stop that shouldn’t have happened, choose not to compete because the footing isn’t good, or decide that their horse has reached its potential and shouldn’t be pushed any harder.

Our horses, for the most part, try hard to please us. I am grateful that my horse has taken such good care of me during the 12 years that we’ve been partners; it is my responsibility to make sure that I know when to back off and when to push. As another wise instructor reminded me, you need to make each ride a good one for your horse.

While I was hacking out, I reflected on the role that rider responsibility has played in some of the tragic accidents that have put the eventing community in the spotlight. Obviously, there is a huge difference between not fighting with your horse over a schooling issue and competing at an international caliber event, but there are some parallels.

A tremendously moving article that appeared on May 9th in The Chronicle of the Horse by Danny Warrington touched on this topic. Warrington is an advanced-level rider and professional teacher and trainer at Warrington Eventing near Fair Hill, Md. He was married to international rider Amanda Warrington who died in an eventing accident 10 years ago, and he rode steeplechase races for 10 years. This article alone made my Chronicle subscription worthwhile this year. I’m excertping part of it below only because it has appeared in a public forum with the blessing of the publisher.

Know When To Call It A Day

You have to be aggressive in this sport. It is X-C; there is an X in front of it. It is an X game. This is an adrenaline sport, and you have to be on the edge. It is tough; it is a thrill. You can’t come out and ride it like it’s the hunters either, but you have to know by the time you get to the upper levels, that there is a day that you have to pull up.

It’s part of the game to say, “This is not my day” and go home. I did it at the Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.)—my horse had two more stops to go [before being eliminated], and the stops he’d had were not horrible, but my horse said, “You know what, I don’t want to do this.” And I said, “OK, let’s go home before we get hurt.” And I went home and didn’t get hurt.

When you have consistent things telling you that you are having a bad day, you’ve got to make the decision: Do you want to pull up, or do you want to go home in an ambulance? I’ve got to tell you: pull up! Walk your horse home. There is no shame in retiring.

Go home, school, figure out what’s going on, and maybe, your horse isn’t a four-star horse. Maybe your horse isn’t a three-star horse. Maybe you’re not a four-star rider. Maybe you’re not a three-star rider. Those are facts you have to face, but don’t kill yourself trying.

When did the Ground get so much Harder?

Last week I fell off my horse.

Luckily, it’s not something I make a practice of doing. In fact, it’s been several years since I made an unscheduled dismount. What I can report is that the closer you get to age 50, the harder the ground gets! I can only imagine the damage it can do after that. I don’t remember minding so much when I was younger. Heck, I can remember when I used to fall off all the time and I just bounced off the ground and kept on going. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve fallen off horses; it’s an inevitable part of the sport.

It was not a dramatic fall. Yes, I was foxhunting, but I wasn’t trying to jump a four strand wire fence, ford a river or negotiate particularly tricky terrain. Okay, the horse in front of me stopped suddenly from a full gallop and looked like it sat down. While I was watching the horse try to pick itself up my horse stumbled and off I went. It was a spectacular case of paying attention to the wrong thing.

It wasn’t a particularly bad fall. I landed on one of my most padded parts and was on my feet in short order. The tricky part was that I could no longer see more than two feet in front of me; my glasses has broken at the nose piece, leaving both ends on my ears! Given that I am extremely nearsighted, my first thought was that I should walk my horse back to the trailer, retrieve my spare glasses and drive home. But dang it, I was mad. I had driven an hour to the hunt and this fall had taken place less than ten minutes after the first cast of the hounds. I resolutely remounted my horse and — given that he can see far better than I — sent him after the field.

I can’t remember the last time I rode without my glasses. I felt like I was riding through an impressionist painting with lovely soft shapes and no hard edges. I could see well enough to know which horse was in front of me, but that was about it. Footing? Low hanging branches? I’m assuming that my horse was paying attention to the former and I managed to avoid the latter (mostly).

Luckily, this was a territory with no jumps. I’m not sure that I’m brave enough to attempt jumping without my glasses, although it would certainly prevent me from fussing with my horse to find a spot. No, I draw the line at a pell mell gallop through the woods.

I’m glad I finished the hunt. After all, the bruises didn’t show up for another couple of hours (and they were dramatic!) and I didn’t realize I’d pulled a muscle in my shoulder until the next morning. It would have been a shame not to take advantage of the time when I still felt only embarrassment.

How to Achieve Ultimate Hunter Hair

Until recently, I had no idea to what extremes show riders will go to achieve “ultimate hunter hair.” By this, I’m referring to the way your hair is supposed to look and fit under your hunt cap. It sounds pretty simple: you cover it in a hairnet and put your helmet on, right? Not so fast. Your hair must cover your ears in perfect wings. No ears can show!

It appears to be relatively simple to get the “look” with long hair. You put a hairnet over all your hair, put it in a ponytail, flip the pony tail on top of your head and secure with a second hair net. But reading about this on COTH shows that there are several variations to this theme.

Variation #1:

• Part hair down the middle and let hang straight down.
• Start to gather hair into a low ponytail, while keeping the hair as far down on your ears as possible.
• Band your ponytail.
• After knotting hairnet to ensure a tight fit, place on hair front to back, making sure you catch the hair on your ears. Don’t worry if ponytail isn’t completely contained in this net.
  Knot a second hair net, twist up ponytail, and place second hairnet on back to front, making sure base of ponytail is completely caught up in net.
• If nets are tight enough, you can now adjust the hair covering your ears to give that traditional look.
• Place helmet on top of everything and hope you don’t need to remove it before the end of the day.

When I had long hair I hated to use the pony tail method as, even with a larger helmet than my schooling helmet, the bulk of the added hair gave me a headache. Here’s a solution that sounds more comfortable but is more complicated:

Variation #2:

“I don’t put my hair in pin curls – those bobby pins would hurt under a helmet – but what I used to do under wigs in absence of pin curls was this: I use those flippy-clips (what on earth are they called? the ones that pop open when you bend them one way, then snap shut when you bend them the other?) and strategically clipped/twisted/folded my hair to make it flat. Basically shaping it to my head. It takes much less room than a ponytail, eliminates the delightful pressure points that such a knot on the back of your head creates, and keeps the helmet fitted tightly all around.”

You’d think that by cutting your hair, the process would be easier. But no! Short or layered hair makes the process more difficult. To achieve just the right look — remember, ears must be covered — some women are relying on double hairnets, pantyhose and bobby pins. Others swear they will never cut their hair for fear of changing the fit of their helmets.

Variation #3:

Check out this fully illustrated guide to creating hunter hair which provides step-by-step instructions: Hunter Hair for Short Locks.

I will never look at my hairnets and helmet the same way again. Although, as a foxhunter, I’ve noticed many naked ears showing out on the hunt field and no pantyhose on anyone’s head! However, I will admit that I have several hunt caps now that are on tap to fit with different lengths of hair. I do understand how a $50 hair cut can end up costing additional $350 when the new helmet purchase is factored in.

Trailer Safety: Choosing the Right Hitch

One of the most frightening things that can happen when you’re pulling a tag-along trailer is sway or fishtailing. I was once driving behind my husband when he was pulling the horse trailer. He was going down a steep hill on the way to Vermont and he was going too fast. The trailer started to sway. From where I was sitting, it was incredibly scary. Luckily, he’s an excellent driver and he got the rig under control, but for a few minutes I was wondering if I was going to lose horse and husband!

There are several things that can cause your trailer to fishtail.

• Being passed by a large vehicle
• Crosswinds
• Sudden evasive maneuvers
• Driving downhill
• Driving too fast
• Tires that aren’t properly inflated
• Poor weight distribution – when towing a trailer with a ball mount hitch the trailer’s tongue weight is transferred to the tow vehicle. The additional weight inn the back pushes down the rear end of the tow vehicle, simultaneously raising the front. As a result the rear axle has to handle both the trailer tongue weight and the additional load that occurs as weight is transferred from the front axle.

If you experience trailer sway, it can be difficult to bring under control, even if you do everything right. Keeping forward motion and tension on the hitch can help prevent loss of control from trailer swa.The best thing you can do to straighten out a sway is to hold the steering wheel steady, take your foot off the gas, and apply the trailer brakes only (not the car brakes!) This slows the trailer behind you and keeps the tow vehicle going forward which should straighten out the combination.

Use a lower gear to travel up or down steep hills. If you feel the trailer pushing the vehicle when you are going downhill, apply the hand brake to slow the trailer. On long uphill grades, downshift the transmission and slow to 45 mph or less to reduce the possibility of overheating.

Preventing Trailer Sway

The better choice is to prevent trailer sway from occurring by installing a hitch that works with you to stabilize your trailer and to drive defensively. When we experienced the fishtailing, we were pulling with just a standard hitch (as installed by the trailer company). Shortly after that we installed a hitch that would help prevent sway. After much research, my husband chose the Equal-i-zer Hitch which provides both weight distribution and anti-sway control.

Weight distribution hitches add spring bars to the hitch system which are used to apply leverage between the tow vehicle and the trailer. This leverage transfers the load sitting on the rear of the vehicle to all the axles of the vehicle and trailer. With the trailer tongue and rear cargo load distributed between the axles, the vehicle is leveled off and performance is greatly increased. Weight distributing systems should be used any time the trailer weighs more than 50% of the vehicle weight.

Sway control devices help prevent the pivoting motion that can occur between tow vehicle and trailer.

The difference with the Equal-i-zer hitch was like night and day. With the hitch, my trailer and truck ride like a single unit with no fishtailing. At this point, I can’t imagine driving my trailer without it. Yes, it takes a few more minutes to hitch and unhitch, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really not a problem. Especially when you consider the benefits.

Resources

A good resource for trailer and towing questions and information is www.mrtruck.net.

Here’s what the Website says about the Equal-i-zer hitch:

There are several good WD hitches available. I like Equal-i-zer because their hitch works as a Weight “Distributing Hitch and Anti-sway bar all in one and they are one of the only ones that don’t require holes drilled into the trailer hitch and they work with surge brakes like you find on boat trailers and some horse trailers. The Anti-sway system is incorporated into the spring arms as they drag across the L bracket on the trailer end and the hinged trunnions where they bolt to the head. This causes friction and slows down the reaction at the hitch. They hook up easy and fast without holes in the trailer hitch. The friction anti-sway bars that are an option on some WD hitches apply pressure with a sliding plate clamp system that aren’t to be used in the rain or snow. During rain and snow you need anti-sway the most. Equal-i-zer WDH are a little over $500 so they aren’t the cheapest or the most expensive, you can order direct from the manufacture or a lot of RV and trailer dealers sell them. I use mine on all the different trucks I test from Quadrasteer Suburban to Hummer H2. I’d be in trouble if I had to drill holes in all the trailers I borrow. A lot of bumper pull horse trailers have sheet metal across the V-hitch so you have to cut a small slit in the sheet metal for the brackets. Which is better than most WD hitches that have a wide clamp that is bolted or welded to the trailer frame for the spring bars to attach to with chains. Also instead of corrugated washers to adjust the angle of the head, Equal-i-zer uses a large solid pin with spacer adjustment that can’t slip.”

Other commonly used hitches include:

• Reese
• Draw-Tite