Just a few odds and ends today to wrap up the week!
First of all, we finally got all of the paperwork done and the invoice paid for the Little Orphan Annex memorial award with Retired Racehorse Project. It is officially official! Britt designed the awesome logo above, which will go up on the RRP website soon. The sponsorship also came with different advertising options, and we picked a half page ad in Off Track Thoroughbred magazine… which we don’t really know how to create, so if anybody is good at designing ads, help would be appreciated. I think its due at the end of April.
We’re really excited to be able to do this award, and now we’re trying to spread the word, so please feel free to pass along the info… in short: there’s going to be a $500 cash prize awarded to the highest scoring chestnut mare at the 2019 RRP makeover.
Thanks again to everyone who came together and supported this award in Annie’s honor, I think it’s going to be really special.
For those keeping an eye on the Willow Tree mares, Lissa is VERY PREGNANT. She’s at 325 days now with her Catoki foal, so she’s probably got at least 10+ days to go. Sadie is being super creepy, as always. Is it because she’s obsessed with Lissa? Is it because she wants to steal the baby for her own? Maybe both.
You know who isn’t super creepy? Peyton. The TB mare that I possibly might have talked Willow Tree into buying last year. She looked really rough when Michelle picked her up, but boy has she blossomed into a gorgeous mare.
I feel like Thoroughbred mares of that quality are few and far between, so I’m excited to see what she produces for the eventing side of the breeding program. She’s going to be bred to Ramiro B this year, who was a Grand Prix showjumper in his own right, and has become a prolific producer of event horses, siring top horses such as Ballynoe Castle, Cooley Master Class, and Cooley SRS. He has a really impressive strike rate, so he seems like a sound choice for Peyton’s first foal to get an idea of what she will bring to the table.
Grace is also set to be bred to a top producer – Weston Justice. WJ son Templar Justice, ridden by amateur Katie Preston, was one of my favorites on the Burghley live stream last year. Really cool horse. Another offspring, Jesmond Justice, is on the entries list for Badminton this year too. There are exciting things happening in this breeding program, y’all. I can’t wait for these baby eventers.
Last breeding related thing (tis the season I guess) – the Usandro frozen is FINALLY stateside. After many paperwork issues and delays, mostly on the French side, and a year later than planned, but hey, it’s here. I know a few people had reached out to me interested in purchasing some, but now I definitely don’t remember who. If you’re still interested let me know and I’ll get you the info.
On an unrelated note, did y’all see the new dark brown Motionlite? Because I did. And now I can’t unsee it, in all of it’s chocolatey goodness.
Damn you Alessandro Albanese. I need this.
On another completely unrelated note (yes I’m ping-ponging today, it’s Friday, give me a break) has anyone been watching the Carolina International live feed? Yesterday’s dressage was interesting… apparently a trick that some dressage people use with a horse that likes to play with it’s tongue during a test is to put a marshmallow in it’s mouth before they go in the ring? I’ve never heard that before. But it was mentioned by the dressage rider commentator during a test where a horse had it’s tongue out like 90% of the time. She was also responsible for the best quote of the day: “She definitely signed a peace treaty at the end of that extended walk.”. It was great.
The live stream is on EQSportsNet, which isn’t free, but with code EQUSEA2019 it’s only $5 a month and you can cancel whenever you want. It’s a good stream, and there are two Mighty Magic’s at Carolina, one in the 3* and one in the 4*, so I’m in full stalker mode.
Last but not least for today, who has actually used the IKEA potties as rail raisers trick that’s been circulating the internet for years?
I’m mighty tempted, considering how cheap they are, but does the plastic hold up to being outside or will they just disintegrate in 6 months?
breedrideevent.com 
I’ve never heard of marshmallows, but we shove handfuls of sugar cubes in my trainers mare’s mouth before a test. She was an ex Amish horse, and we think she used to have her tongue tied. So now she has a really bad habit of just letting her tongue hang loose in the dressage ring.
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I use the Ikea potties, love them! They hold up quite well except for when a horse actually tramples it. I tend to use them just indoors since I’m in Michigan, but I think they would hold up fairly well in a warmer climate year round.
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I am assuming that the potties hold up to the extreme cold as well then? I have been tempted as well, but wasn’t sure that they would withstand the cold swings in an indoor arena. I am north of Toronto, Ontario.
In a perfect world I would love to purchase the Rail Razors https://www.bigdweb.com/product/rail+razer+set+of+4.do but they retail here in Canada for $60 CAD vs the $30 USD.
The potties seem to be a cheaper option in the long run.
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I’ve heard that the rail razors suck, like they turn over easily and don’t hold the rails very well.
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I have the Rail Razors and I can confirm. They tip over SO EASILY. I’m not a huge fan. I’ve used them with pvc and wood poles. They’re a bit better with wood, but not enough to be able to do more than one pass with my slightly careless mare who needs to knock her feet on more poles before she’s better at engaging over them.
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Save your money on the rail razors……. they are SO unstable. Unless you have a ground person to constantly put them back up. Blox work well.
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DAMN It. I just had a long ass post and wordpress ate it. This is happening a lot lately. Anyone else? ANYWAY LOVE THAT COAT (how many coats do you need), I do ads (just email me though I bet there are pros online that can help you too) Just need content, photos or logos, and specs of ad (bleed, trim etc.). I volunteered on a newsletter for a few years and did all their ads plus I manage the program ads at my real job. Also, I guess Michelle keeps you around because even if you are an enabler on getting her to buy new horses they seem to be good picks 🙂 HA!
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uhhhh she gave me no specs beyond “half page”….
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See if someone more qualified comes forth for you if not, send to me and I can work something up for you guys!
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I’ve never heard the marshmallow trick, but I can see how it would work. Though I can also see some horses (ahem, PIG) getting REALLY offended by the texture. Haha. I also subscribe to the “fill em full of sugar” technique, as they tend to be more likely to suck on the bit if it’s encrusted with sugar crystals. Does make clean up a NECESSARY thing, bc “that’s how you get ants!”
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I have a friend thats used bed raisers from Walmart or Ikea for years and they’ve held up through multiple barn moves and our cold ass temps.
We have rail razors at the barn and I’ve never had issues when I’ve used them. But why spend that money when there are cheaper alternatives.
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aren’t bed raisers just flat across the top? How would they cup the rail?
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No. These ones had four little stubs at the top, on each corner, that kept the rail on.
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Hmm, I haven’t seen any like that!
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I can’t seem to find any online, but bed lifts show a wooden version of what I am talking about. Just can’t find the plastic version.
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I found a couple in my searching but I don’t think they would work as well with my clumsy-footed horse since the little edges are so low.
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I bought my trainer some of the IKEA potties for Christmas and they’ve worked great so far! They’ve been outside all winter in our awful rainy/frozen/rainy cycle this year, and still look good. We haven’t put any weights or anything in them, but they stay in place and hold the poles well. They will tip over if your horse knocks a rail hard, but don’t move if lightly tapped.
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I bought some potties last night! We’ll see how they work.
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I just picked up some potties earlier this month. We like to knock poles down and sometimes will tip over the potty too, but usually it’s just the PVC rail that bounces out of the “cup”. We don’t have a lot of wood rails at this time so I’ve just taken to lots of mounting/dismounting to reset stuff when it comes down and is displaced enough that it’s messing up the rhythm.
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I wonder if all the sudden a few years ago Ikea saw a massive increase in the sale of potties and wondered WTF.
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Who is the beautiful Usandro? Wasn’t able to find much about him online.
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He’s a 14.2h jumper stallion from France, by the stallion Sandro Boy. His facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/UsandroTiliaDerlenn/
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I want all of peyton’s babies. I adore her.
I’m thinking of getting the potties, I’ve been surfing pinterest for similar ideas because i really need a way to lift rails slightly but that’s the cheapest one. I wonder if they stack for storage purposes…
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They stack really well, kindof just like how ziplock containers stack.
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I bought 8 last night and they all stack into each other very neatly.
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How many MotionLites is too many?
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n+1 where n is the current number of motionlites
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Math I can actually understand!
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Ha! So, After trying one on, I definitely love the Motionlites. I am debating whether or not I *really* need a new jacket. But likely something will happen as it gets warmer and I start dying in my current (many years old) RJ Classic coat.
Also I am so glad the logo turned out! At this point obviously we’ve already chatted about the ad. Let’s keep in touch and tell me if I can help.
Also- I’m heading to Carolina tomorrow for XC. Remind me- who are the MM babies? I’ll see if I can’t do a little to add to your stalking…
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In the case of THAT jacket, and considering where you live/show, yes you definitely REALLY need that jacket. I can’t even express how nice it is the summer, I was really glad to have it at Chatt.
The MM babies are Mama’s Magic Way in the 3* (he looks very gangly and very green, should stand out LOL) and Michel 233 in the 4*. Both ridden by Will Faudree.
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I have the ikea potties! Ours have sat outside over this awful midwest winter and they appear to be just fine when I dug them out last weekend. One thing I need to do is punch a few holes in the bottom so they don’t hold water. That’s on the to do list. But I’m happy with them!
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I thought I was set on a navy MotionLite, but… chocolate. With my brown boots… I mean…
(Can I wear a brown coat + brown boots + black dressage tack?)
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Yes! Do it!
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I guess I’ll need a brown helmet then too
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Oh those potties look like a great idea! I bought the stupid expensive ones from Burlingham (they’re little X’s) when I got jumps a few years ago. I love them, but if I wasn’t already dropping a crap ton of money on jumps, I wouldn’t spend that much for them. Potties seem like a great alternative. You’ll have to let us know how you like them.
I had a moment I’m not proud of this weekend when trainer nixed ANOTHER horse I wanted to try (she hasn’t liked a single thing I have, and keeps sending me horses to look at that I can’t afford…). Anyway, mild horse infused depression was soothed by the purchase of the espresso coat. And maybe a gray one K helmet. Possibly. Not to be worn together of course.
Lastly, the TB mare you picked out is gorgeous. Can’t wait to see her babies!
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