Show me your whorls!

I came across THIS ARTICLE today. It's about whorls (or swirls) and how the number and placement may or may not indicate a horse's personality.

What do you think?

Send me a picture of your horse's whorls - let's stick with just foreheads if you can - and send in a little snippet about their personality and if you think the whorl theory rings true with your beast.

I'll run them all on this blog. Maybe we can prove the whorls wrong?

Send photos and snippets to: finalchapter.karen@gmail.com

And don't forget your name, horse's name and a link to your blog if you have one. :)

2014 Goals and comments

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a post about my goals for 2014.

Let's review 2014, shall we?

Here is what I laid out for myself:

Goals for 2014:

• Show Third Level, get my bronze medal.
• By fall, show a kamakazie Fourth Level test.
• Attend FHF adult dressage camp
• Attend JJ Tate clinic in April (Lexington). At the very least, audit.
• Buy a new saddle
• School more Fourth/PSG
• After I blow all my savings on a saddle, start saving for a used truck
• Always always put Hampton first, let him tell me what he's ready for
• Host a clinic at the farm
• Attend 2 rated shows if financially possible

1) Show Third Level, get my bronze: SUCCESS! It was not without struggle, that is for sure. But we did manage to get those scores in May. Later in the year, I improved on those scores so I felt like I did actually "earn" that Bronze medal, instead of scraping by.

2) Show a kamikaze Fourth Level test: No, we didn't do this. We just were not ready and trying to reach this goal would have just set me up for more disappointment. We maybe could have pulled off 4-1 but sticking to Third resulted in more positive experiences. There is no rush anyway!

3) Attend FHF adult dressage camp: No, because it was on the same dates as the JJ Tate clinic. 

4) Attend JJ Tate Clinc: Yes, and it was AWESOME.

5) Buy a new saddle: Yes! I have enjoyed my Amerigo this year but it is for sale now. It is a perfectly great saddle but I am fighting with it some because of my long thigh. So, I will be shopping for another one over the winter. Yay.

6) School more 4th/PSG: Success! We have started pirouettes and continued developing Hampton's fancy trot. I have played around with some tempis as well although the flying changes are still a major weak point and need more polish before we try any test with tempi changes.

7) Start saving for a used truck: Nope. Not even in the cards. It will likely be years before I am in any sort of financial situation to buy a second vehicle. I'd likely have to get a better paying job. OR sell the horse. That's just reality, but it's not such a big deal as I do have the ability to borrow a close friend's truck if I need it.

8) Always put Hampton first, let him tell me what he's ready for: Success.This is so interesting that I wrote this well before the year blew up in my face. Because this theme is really what 2014 was all about. In the spring, I stood up for my horse and I stood up for myself. You cannot let people bully you and manipulate you. Others wanted to write Hampton off. I realize he is not international material. I really don't want an international horse (yet). I want an enjoyable horse who is more than a competition vehicle. He is my buddy, a member of my family. But you also never write Hampton off as a dressage horse. You may think he isn't capable, but he will keep on trying. I never thought he would learn passage. Or even be able to do a decent flying change. Too bad so many people pass up the mediocre horses on first glance. Their loss!

9) Host a clinic at the farm: Nope. Things just didn't fall into place here. Not a big deal.

10) Attend 2 rated shows: Success! I am hoping to repeat this for 2015, and possibly add a 3rd rated show. I am currently working 3 jobs in hopes to start a savings account. And by savings account, I mean more money for showing. haha. Half kidding.

Next up: Year In Review and 2015 Goals.

Thanksgiving passage

Finally I have some video of the Porkchop passaging!

Thanksgiving meant the boy joined me at the barn. Which meant I put him to work and made him take some video. Too bad I deleted his commentary which was in a British accent.

Please keep in mind that 1) Hampton is not Totilas or Valegro 2) I am not Charlotte D. 3) We BOTH only started learning this late summer.

With that said, part of me wanted to edit this video and include only the good moments. But then I decided to leave it as is so that everyone can see that yes there are some neat moments but we fall out of it a lot and go flat. All part of the process. Hampton needs strength. We both need timing. It's a work in progress but he is getting the hang of it.

WW: Schooling off the property

(used with persmission)

Hampton's heritage: My King

I've written about Porkchop's so-called pedigree a couple of times before.

A little about Hampton's pedigree

Pedigree geeks unite

I am a big believer in riding the actual horse, not his papers. But I do like looking back and seeing what Hampton's ancestors have accomplished.

My King

My King is Hampton's great-great-grandsire. He is a 1966 Rhinelander. He was 17 hands. Interestingly enough, there is quite a bit of size in Hampton's warmblood lines. I assumed he got his size from the Clydesdale, but that may not be totally true.

My King was bred and trained by Ed Rothkranz. They were part of the 1980 Alternate Olympics for the Canadian Olympic Team. My King is a son of Martel, who was on the Bronze medal winning German Olympic dressage team in 1952. 

It's a small world, as Ed Rothkranz currently lives in southern Kentucky.

My King produced a number of successful babies, including horses in both dressage and Grand Prix jumping. Dr Reiner Klimke owned a mare, Amantiado, by My King.

My King was also a Grand Prix jumper.

My King and Ed

Does anyone else have a horse who goes back to My King?

Keep on truckin'

Porkchop and I have been working 5 days a week on our Dressage Skillz.

Three of those days I focus on suppleness - keeping him loose and swingy, working on bend and perhaps throwing in some lateral work.

Some lovely hacking out in a back field today while the weather
was still warm.

Two days I really focus on AMPING UP THE HAMPER. This of course has increased his spook factor, but so be it. It hasn't gotten out of hand (yet) and actually at times helps me keep his poll up. Ha, take that horse. His passage has gotten so much stronger and more consistent. Now I can start to use it and dial it back out to a "show trot" that we can take to the show ring. It's still a work in progress but we are playing with it. I've also started to really focus on the canter pirouettes. This is a brand new movement to me, so they are not perfect. Or even that good, really. But thankfully this is one thing that Hampton is VERY good at. If I can learn the timing and the aids, I know this will be one of our highlights. I'm pretty sure we will have decent piros by spring.

(I promise to get video of passage soon!)

Example of what our faces look like when attempting PSG canter zig zag.
Good grief.

I spend a lot of time doing forward and back. Like, a lot of time. Sounds boring, but when you start to feel the results it is suddenly not so boring. I also focus on transitions especially in the lateral work. For example, trot leg yield across the ring - around X slow down to a jog-trot (still leg yielding) - and then go forward again and keep leg yielding. Leg yield to ranvers is also super beneficial to Hampton - especially the right ranvers.

The flying changes are better and better - although I still deal with a lot of anticipating by Porkchop. He is just very smart and thinks he is helping. So I do a lot of "changing my mind" and keeping counter canter, or just changing direction, turning, something to keep him listening to me and not changing when he is anticipating. Canter leg yields are our best friend. That exercise has helped me more this year than anything else. If you have a horse with a tight back and tight hips - this exercise is for you. Do it. I love you, canter leg yields.

Looking pretty fit.

Things are coming along. Just in time for winter. ha.

But the good news is that we now have an indoor, although small. Plus an aquatread AND a theraplate at the barn to help keep Hampers fit and loose.

So we will keep on truckin.'

Pretty much.

The 6 types of people that shop for horses

I may have mentioned on here that I was somewhat involved with a non-profit adoption agency that rehomes OTTBs. Because of that, I often dealt with people who are horse shopping. I also used to work as a young horse trainer who was responsible for showing horses to prospective buyers.

I've come up with a list of different types of people I most frequently ran into. Selling horses is not for the faint of heart. Horse people can be cray-cray, even when you get into the higher price ranges.

The educated, classy professional

The ECP arrives to the appointment on time. They have given you a specific horse or horses they want to look at. They watch the horse, don't talk a whole lot and perhaps then hop on for a ride. If the horse does not interest them, they politely let you know. They come dressed to ride and are dressed in a tidy manner. They may ask some questions, but most of their focus is watching the actual horse. I love ECPs. They are honest, to the point and don't waste time.

The arrogant "professional"

These shoppers are frequently late - maybe even two hours late to an appointment and they expect you to wait around for them. Some may be irritated if you have to reschedule. They arrive and check out the horse they requested to see. These people will often start making all sorts of comments to you about the horse. "Oh, he has really crooked legs." "Hmmmm, why is his ankle swollen?" "Wow, he has a really sore back." ...

Or one of my personal favorites:

Pro: "Oh my god, his mane is awful. They must have cut it with scissors! How lazy!"

Me: "Yeah, actually I did that. Yes, I was lazy and cut it."

Pro: "Oh, I didn't mean to be rude."

... Yes you did!

Or, during a pre purchase exam:

Pro: "Well, I guess if he turns up lame I will just bring him back to you guys!"

These "professionals" often overestimate their riding ability. Maybe almost get bucked off, or cannot stop the horse. (yes some of the OTTBs are not so well trained but as a "professional" you should have other tools). They make a lot of commentary - to which I do not respond. I'm just hear to help and to show you the horse. I can't fix his sore back right this second, he's 2 weeks off the track. These types will sometimes insult you in a backhanded way. They think they are superior to just about everyone.

(while watching a horse canter)

Pro to me: "Now, he's on the wrong lead." "Do you understand leads?"

Me: "Yes, I do." *stares blankly trying not to lose my shit*

(same idiot)

Pro: "I'm going to ponder this decision concerning this horse. Do you know what ponder means?"

Me: "Yes. It means to think about." (said with snark)

I mean don't come in here and insult the seller or VOLUNTEERS thank you.

The educated, classy amateur

I love ECAs. They are my favorite shopper. They are looking for a horse who will be a friend, maybe a competition partner. Maybe even a re sell project. They typically come with an open mind, and they have done their research. They are friendly, and ask a lot of great questions. They watch the horse go, and then take a spin themselves. They are careful with the horse, but know what sort of buttons to push to see if the horse is what they will get along with. They have a sense of humor and are pleasant to deal with. I have actually made several friends from showing horses to ECAs.

The laid back, just-want-a-nice-horse person

These are the shoppers who are looking for a family, trail, pleasure, 4-H type horse. They aren't looking to turn the horse into some high performance show animal. They want a good mind, but typically fall for horses of pretty colors and nice tails. No, I am not joking. The horse could have crippled knees but dang he has a nice tail. Sold! They can range from beginners to those with riding experience but just want to take it easy. Nothing wrong with that, and often these people make great homes. Sometimes the horse hoarders fall into this category, however. Or those who return a horse for whatever reason (divorce, finances) and then 6 months later want another one. Sometimes entire families show up to the appointment. Sometimes this is good, sometimes it isn't. Like when you let your 4 year old run into the arena while your 15 year old is riding an OTTB. This type of shopper very often overestimates their riding ability by quite a bit. Sometimes they have a trainer who falls into the Arrogant "Pro" category. But there are some truly nice people that also fall into this category that have ended up being great adopters.

The Mountain People

Now we start getting into the truly crazy people. Mountain People is a term I use for adopters who show up and I immediately think they have come from the back woods of West Virginia (no offense to any WVa readers ...). The men have a wad of dip in their lower lip. The women are decked out in camo and no one speaks proper English. A couple of times I thought Duck Dynasty was doing an episode at the farm. They always complain about the English saddles and they make me extremely nervous when they want to get on a horse. It's frequently a team effort to make that happen. Truly, many of these horses deserve a gold medal for tolerating what they do. 

Comments from Mountain People may include such quotes (these are real quotes) as:

Teen: "Ma, remember that time you called the cops on me?"

Mother Mountain Person: "I can call the cops whenever I want!"

Mountain woman's apparent lover once aboard an OTTB (and trust me it was not easy getting him aboard this horse. He was a big guy, and did not know how to properly mount a horse):

 "Oh I like 'em. I can shoot my gun off dis one!"

Me to Mountain guy: "You have to wear a helmet, it's our policy"

Mountain guy: "That's dumb"

Mountain teen: "I'm lookin for a jumpin horse."

... upon getting on one OTTB, she proceeded to walk around the roundpen white-knuckling the English saddle and trying to neck rein. Not sure she is going to make it over a fence anytime soon. ....

These people seem to randomly fall in love with certain horses. It may be the one with the best tail. It may be the one who most looks like a QH. It may be the one with the most unique color.

 It's NEVER the actual nicest horse we have. 

What these people do at home

The BATSHIT FUCKING CRAZY

Signs someone may fall into this category:
(these are all real and happened to me)

- Taking a hand and putting it in the horses's ear, while yelling "BUZZZZZZZZZZZ" .... to see if the horse will "tolerate clippers."

- Bragging to me about how you've won the Saddlebred world's five gaited championship. "Have you ever met someone who has won that title?" He says to me. 

"Yes," I said. "I used to work for a trainer who has."

Silence.

 ... I knew this guy never won that title. I grew up in that industry. He was a total flat out liar. He also said he won all sorts of things at Congress, Walker shows and Devon. No, no and no.

- Adopting a horse, then putting a stop payment on the check an hour after you get him home.

- Claiming we are frauds and calling the organizations founder and volunteers such names as dumbass, motherf------, bitch, etc. Yelling and screaming at people who are trying to help you and make things right.

- Sitting in the truck in silence while your "man" yells at volunteers (see above). Like a good little wife!

- Backing a volunteer against a wall, pointing your finger directly into his face and proceeded to name call, threaten and otherwise abuse this volunteer who was trying to help you.

- Refusing to leave the property (after you returned the horse), because you want a check that you had already put a stop payment on. Meanwhile snaking around the property in other barns you have no business in.

- Publicly trashing an organization on Facebook.