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I’ve never named a Gadget of the Year before, but if I had, it probably would have been the Ultimate Hoof Pick pretty much every year. I love that thing a lot more than is probably normal. And this year I have a new contender that is worthy to sit side by side with that magical hoof pick!

I finally started consistently using studs on Henry this season. It’s been a good 15+ years since I’ve had to stud a horse on a consistent basis, so when I was putting my kit together I opted for a couple of cool things that didn’t exist back in the day. One of those was the Bionic Wrench.

I admit I originally got this thing because a) it looked kinda neat, and b) I vividly remember how much I used to hate using wrenches to remove studs. Especially if they were wet or muddy or had been torqued in there really tight. I lost a lot of skin off my knuckles. Plus I had to carry around a couple different wrenches because not all of my studs were the same size, and I inevitably always reached for the wrong one.

Clearly all of those things scarred me deeply, because I’m nothing if not a total cheapskate, yet I opted to spend the $25 on the Bionic Wrench instead of a few bucks on a couple of traditional wrenches. It was worth every penny.

Being able to grip each side of the tool and squeeze them together gives you a lot more power with considerably less effort. It’s much easier to get the studs tighter when you put them in, and much easier to remove them afterwards. The head of the tool grips all the sides of the stud, so there is zero slippage, and it can still grip the stud even if it’s covered in mud or turf. It fits any size stud, taking the guesswork out of figuring out which tool you need. For me this thing has been fantastic, making it much easier to get studs in securely and out quickly.

I also used it to tighten some loose nuts on a couple of my jump standards, and loosen a couple of stubborn, painted-over nuts on my horse trailer windows when we replaced the screens. Even if you don’t stud your horses, it can be a really useful tool to have around the barn. The amount of time, skin, and cussing it’s saved me definitely make it worthy of being my 2017 Gadget of the Year.

 

WE FINALLY GOT TO GO FOXHUNTING! Or in this scenario, bobcat chasing. Whatever you call it, we galloped around for like 2 hours and it was freaking awesome.

This started as many of our adventures do, with Trainer saying “Hey Chance, you wanna ________?”. To which my answer is almost always yes, because duh. My friend Kathy was kind enough to invite some of her eventer friends out hunting with Independence Foxhounds, and a whole bunch of us showed up to see what this thing was all about. Independence is a small hunt, and they were very kind about letting us newbs have a lot of leeway with attire and tack. So if you’re used to very formal hunting, prepare to be offended by my appearance in these pictures. I, however, am very appreciative of not having to run around last minute and try to pull together something very formal for a first-time, lets-see-what-this-is-all-about kind of thing. Especially since the only really hunting appropriate thing I own is tan breeches. They even sent out an email mid-week saying we could wear raincoats, since rain was in the forecast.

Since the place where they were hunting is about 2 hours away from me (isn’t literally everything?) I left Friday afternoon after work and hauled to Trainer’s place. We set to work with the important tasks on Friday night, like preparing the flasks.

Then Saturday morning we were off bright and early to load the boys and head out. It’s been a long time since Henry’s been in a slant load, he kept trying to walk straight in and chested the divider. Derp. And since he was in the last spot, he also had to back out on kind of a slant, and step down at the same time. Double derp all over the place. Bless him. But we made it, got tacked up, and he immediately took up the role of Uncle to Trainer’s 3yo OTTB, Jack.

Everyone got mounted up with little drama, flasks in one pocket of the rain jacket, phone in the other (bc I gotta get pics of THIS!). We got a mini-briefing on rules and etiquette, sorted ourselves in second flight behind Kathy (poor Kathy, being responsible for all us idiots), and away we went.

We started out at a very civilized walk/trot, with periods of stopping and waiting as the hounds struck off looking for scent. We hung way back just kind of waiting and staying out of the way, while also being VERY ENTHUSIASTIC to be out hunting.

Then the hounds kind of went rogue after some deer and things hit pause while the staff went off to round them up. That’s when David, poor David he had no idea what he was getting into with us, came back and asked if any of us wanted to go for a gallop. Um. Yas. Yas we would. At that point we split off into two groups… the ones that wanted to run around and be idiots went with David, and the ones that wanted a more relaxed w/t experience stayed with Kathy.

And that’s how we ended up first flight. I think all of us thought that David was going to take us for a loop and bring us back, but basically we spent the next two hours galloping around. First for fun, then catching up to and following the hounds. We’d gallop for a while, then take a few minutes for “refreshments” (ie drinking and chatting).

Most of the trails were pretty open and flat with a few creek crossings, but it got a little wild a few times when we weaved through the woods. I took a tree branch to the knee that turned into a pretty bruise, and at one point while galloping behind Highlander (the draft/paint X) he tossed up a poop/dirt clod out of one hoof that got me right in the chest. And that’s how I got horse poop all over my saddle. Lesson learned – don’t gallop behind Highlander.

As with many things he does, Henry took this quite seriously. He listened intently to the hounds and horn, always very very interested in them but not scared. I think he caught on that we were following them, and the longer we were out there, the more into it he got. The hounds ended up finding a bobcat and chased it for a while before it climbed a tree. This led to more galloping around on our part.

Henry started out a little slow but by the end he was finding a whole new gear and was still full of run by the time were done, after almost 3 hours total of being out. He basically pranced back to the trailers.

And for the data geeks among us, the GPS map from the master’s horse and the hounds is pretty cool. Her horse covered almost 11 miles. No clue how far we went, but we went there fast. I should turn on my GPS next time.

Yeah that’s right, I said next time. Because holy shit that was fun, I totally want to go back. Galloping and/or giggling for 3 hours was basically all of my childhood dreams come true, and it’s some seriously awesome conditioning for the horses, especially with the different terrain and footing.

Except I want to be a little less ghetto next time, so I’m gonna try to pick up a plain navy or black coat for cheap. Luckily they’re all over eBay for like $25, since nobody wears the wool coats anymore. Henry also thinks he’s earned a hunt bridle, but I’m not convinced yet.

Maybe after a few more hunts, kiddo.

I can’t thank Kathy enough for inviting us, or Independence enough for letting us come see what it’s all about. Foxhunting has been on my bucket list forever and it was just as fun as I thought it would be. We will definitely be back!

Our main barn worker retired a couple weeks ago.  Laura is a tough, gruff, wiry lady, the kind you’d expect to see working as bartender at a biker bar or something. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, but at the same time she’s incredibly kind and caring. Originally Laura worked in corporate America, at a big company where she got up every day, put on her suit and heels, and played the 9-5 game. Then one day she looked around at her life, realized how deeply unhappy she was, and walked away from it all to pursue a career that would make her feel happy and fulfilled.

First she worked at the race track, as a hot walker, then a groom. She worked longer hours and more days and made less money, but her heart was happy. Every single day she felt like she was making a difference in the horse’s lives, and every single day she got to enjoy being outside and moving around instead of chained to a desk in a cubicle. I can identify with that part of Laura in a major way, and I admire the courage that it took for her to walk away from stability in favor of something more satisfying.

Eventually Laura made her way to my barn, which is of course where I crossed paths with her. When Henry moved in he was fresh out of rehab for his saucer fracture and required a pretty strict routine for his first month or so. Laura impressed me right away with her dedication to making sure that he was taken care of appropriately. No matter how inconvenient, she did it all to a “T” with no complaints.

It didn’t take long for Henry to become one of Laura’s favorites. She thought his cheeky personality was quite funny, and I was getting texts in the middle of day asking something like “Can Henry have banana?” or “Henry wants some of my Bugles, can he have some?”. She shared all of her snacks with him, but his particular favorite was her extra salty sunflower seeds. Eventually she got to where she would buy two bags at a time, one for herself and one for him.

Laura also knew the behavior of every horse, inside and out. When Henry colicked last winter, she called me and said “Henry is half-heartedly eating his breakfast, and every once in a while he stops to paw. I’m worried he’s colicking.”. And she was right, he was. But she caught it so fast that a little bit of Banamine and a 20 minute walk fixed him right up, and for the next few weeks she soaked his hay every day and gave him alfalfa, “just to be sure“.

Henry isn’t the most maintenance-free horse to take care of. In the summer he really can’t stay out past 10am or he’ll sweat to death, and in the winter he requires close attention be paid to his blanketing needs. Laura had no problem with any of it though, always stopping in the middle of chores to bring him in, or coming back down to the barn late at night to put his blanket on. I never had to worry about whether my horse was too hot or too cold. And she always tossed him extra hay.

If she saw me packing up my trailer to go somewhere, she’d stop what she was doing and help me pack, despite my protests. Before I could even turn around she’d be tossing hay up in the bed of my truck or packing Henry’s grain. That’s just her nature. It didn’t really matter if you needed the help or if she had other things to do… she’s a helper, and she was going to help. And every single time we got back from the show, she was the first one asking me to see pictures and video. She thought Henry was just a blast to watch. But really, that shows you how invested she was in “her” horses, and how much she genuinely cared about them. Laura even asked about Presto all the time, and became deeply invested in his journey too.

Laura’s husband had a stroke a few years back, so pretty much every spare minute she had was spent taking care of him. They lived in a mobile home on the property, and she would buzz back and forth from the barn to the house, making sure everyone was taken care of. That was her job, 24/7. But eventually her husband required more and more care, and she decided to retire and move closer to family so she would have some help. A decision I totally understand and respect, but I miss Laura a lot, just the same, and I think Henry does too. If nothing else, he’s wondering where the heck the nice lady with the sunflower seeds went. I still send her texts and pictures, because I know how much she’s missing the horses, too.

Barn workers in general are overworked, underpaid, and a lot of times very under appreciated. Because of that, good ones can be really hard to come by, yet they have one of the most important roles in our industry. They’re the ones that interact with our horses the most, and they’re the ones that are entrusted with their overall health and well-being. So if you have a good one like Laura, make sure they know how much you appreciate them and everything they do for you and your horse… I guarantee they will be happy to hear it.

Four years ago today I took a crazy leap of faith and bought a plain bay TB named Jerry off of Facebook, sight unseen. I immediately dubbed him NotJerry (because I didn’t like that name and didn’t want it to stick) before hemming and hawing for a while, looking at his pictures, and settling on Henry instead. A friend of mine picked him up in Arkansas and brought him back to Texas with her, so I didn’t meet him until the next day, but I was already a bit more in love than someone should be with a supposed “resale” horse. Clearly that whole resale part never happened.

 

This horse brings me so much joy, and puts laughter into my life every single day. He’s my best buddy, my team mate, my confidant, and my therapist. I trust him implicitly, and I’d like to think he feels the same way about me. Every day when I see that goofy face come greet me at the gate, it makes my heart a little more full. I’ve owned a lot of horses in my lifetime, having spent a long time going from one project to another, but none of them have been as special to me as this one.

That’s not to say that these four years have been easy-peasy. Henry is one of the most challenging horses I have ever had, and it’s taken me a long time to figure him out. He has some baggage that we may never fully overcome, but he shows up to work every day and tries his heart out for me without exception. He’s taught me how to be more tactful, more aware, and how to think outside the box.

He’s taken me on a journey I would have never even dreamed possible and taught me more than I knew I was capable of learning. He has humbled me, yet boosted my confidence at the same time. He is not fancy or flashy or endlessly talented. No one would ever pick him out of a crowd. But that plain brown wrapper is hiding a heart of gold, and that’s the most important thing any horse can possess.

If you had told me four years ago that we’d be where we are today, I would have thought you were smoking something really expensive. Henry has brought me back to eventing and reignited my passion for the sport. He’s carried me over things I never thought I would have the courage to jump. And yesterday in our dressage lesson we did a canter half pass that was good enough to get a “YES! EXCELLENT!” from our trainer. But mostly he’s just been a rock steady presence in my life, flopping that tongue around like a doofus when I’ve had a bad day or looking for just the right bush to spook at when he thinks I’m getting a little too big for my britches. I’ve never had another horse like him, and I can only hope that there are still many more adventures that lie ahead for us.

To Henny! You are one of a kind, bud, and it’s an honor to be your human.

 

Let us discuss!

I grew up in the h/j ring, where ponies were strictly kid’s horses. I can count on one hand the number of times I saw adults on ponies, and usually it was because said pony had been N-A-U-G-H-T-Y at some point, not because the adult actually owned and showed the pony regularly. And if it was in the dreaded 14.3-15.2h range – forget it! No value in a horse that size. These days I don’t know if it’s just that the tide is turning a bit, or if it’s the fact that I’m involved in different sports, but seeing an adult on a pony or hony isn’t a rarity anymore.

While I personally am a bit big for actual ponies, I could totally see myself on something 15h-15.2h. I think it’s great that we’re seeing smaller mounts more regularly for adult riders. After all, how many times have we seen an adult amateur perched atop a giant warmblood that is quite literally way too much horse in every regard?

These days, the quality of the purpose-bred ponies and crosses is so high. Gone are the days of short-legged little demon fluffs who look as if they were made from spare parts and moved like miniature sewing machines. These days the ponies easily rival the warmbloods when it comes to quality gaits and talent.

While the dressage pony/hony breeding has really gotten quite good in this country, the jumper side of things has been slower to grow. I think a lot of people believe that a pony or small horse just couldn’t possibly have the scope and step to rival a horse, but to those people I ask – ever watched the pony jumpers in Europe? Those things can ping around 1.20m like greased lightning, and it’s not at all unheard of for them to make it to 1.30m or 1.40m. Granted, it’s probably slightly more unnerving to approach a bigger fence when said fence is taller than your mount, and some people genuinely do need larger horses. But really, do I have to do anything more than point to Kent Farrington and Creedance to prove the potential positives of a smaller mount?

There has always been a pretty strong, yet niche market for the Connemara in eventing, something they have proven time and time again to excel at. I have to admit, I myself am a big Connemara fan. Someday I’ll own a cross. Preferably buckskin. Not that I’m dreaming or anything (okay, I might be a little obsessed with WH Topgun). They are not always the best movers though, and good ones can be hard to find.

I’ve been thinking about this subject a lot since we saw the pony-sized Usandro in France a few months ago. He is mostly warmblood, and certainly looks just like a warmblood, only shrunken. He gives scope, a good length of step, rideability, and good gaits to his foals. He’s by the horse stallion Sandro Boy, who scored a 10.0 for jumping at his approvals, went on to be a World Cup winner under Marcus Ehning, and sired the Champion of the Holsteiner licensing in Germany this year. His damsire is Welcome Sympatico, who managed compete successfully through 1.55m despite being only 15h. The amount of “jump” in that pedigree is better than most horse stallions in this country. The more I’ve let it ruminate, the more I think he would cross really well with the type of mare base we have in the US and make some really super little horses that could excel at all 3 Olympic disciplines. Spoiler alert – the first three photos in this post are all Usandro offspring in Europe.

What I’ve really been stuck on, though, is how to make a stallion like this appeal to American breeders. The most obvious answer is easy: demand. Riders have to want these horses in order for anyone to produce them. A lot of people seem stuck on the magical 16h minimum requirement. I get that, but there are also plenty of people that could have a lot of success with smaller horses (or ponies), too. How do we encourage that, or get people to take a chance with (and see the value in) a more pint-sized mount? Those are the questions I keep pondering.

Over time I think that these sportponies and honies will continue to gain ground with adult riders. Competitions like the Pony Cup are definitely helping, as is the media attention that a lot of small horses get at competitions. Could a stallion like Usandro find a market here as a sire? Will American riders buy the offspring? And will the prices be enough to actually make it worthwhile to breed them, or will people see a pony and expect it to be cheap? I want to find out.