JR Ride 6; Wizard Ride 49: My Adidas
Saturday, 2/21/09
The farrier gave JR a pedicure and a pair of Adidas for Wizard. OK, they were actually a set of half round shoes. But I like to call them Nikes, Adidas, wheels, etc. The farrier was pleased with the overall hoof health of both horses. Hopefully, JR can stay barefoot and hopefully Wizard will be more comfortable in his shoes (if you’re just catching up, Wizard has been footsore so I gave him some time off and now he has front shoes).
After the farrier left, I tacked up JR. The weather was lovely and the barn was very busy. I decided it was a perfect day for showing some new stimuli to JR. I always try my best to keep a training session within the comfort level of the horse and we take just a step out of the comfort zone with each session. It’s not always possible, since we cannot control the surroundings at all times, but I’ve always been taught that a horse learns best when he is stimulated but not overstimulated.
JR and I took a walk on the trails behind the farm (in hand, not riding). JR bravely negotiated the trails and was very well-behaved. When we got back to the barn, I longed him for about 10-12 minutes. We worked indoors. There were no jumps in the arena so we were able to to a really nice longeing session. I asked JR to do circles as well as traveling down the long sides of the arena. I’m really pleased with his progress. He really seems to be catching on to the “piece of pie” of longeing: his body is the short end of the triangle and I’m the point of the triangle, with my driving aids making up one long side and the longe line making up the other side.
After longeing, I mounted up and we had a short ride in the indoor arena. We worked at the walk, practicing some basic rein aids. Like many horses, JR bends more easily to the left. I rode for about 10 minutes. At the end of the ride. I asked him to halt and stand for about a minute before I dismounted. JR had listened to me even though there were a lot of distractions at the barn. I have a few lessons scheduled this week and I’m looking forward to taking my riding to the next level with the Yellow Fellow.
After JR was groomed and put away, I tacked up Wizard. I longed him first, then rode at the walk. From what I could see, Wizard appears to be more comfortable in his shoes. He was energetic and a little frisky on the longe line. There were children just outside the arena, where Wizard could hear them but not see them. He listened to me but I could tell that he was distracted. He had one “wahoo!” moment on the longe, when he spun in a fancy pirouette and bolted the other way. I calmy reversed him and he was fine the rest of the time. He’s had about 3 weeks off from any serious work so I’m not surprised that he was a little silly.
I mounted up and rode briefly at the walk. I wanted to get a feel for his stride with the new shoes. I’m waiting for my lesson before I do any more serious riding. Wizard seems comfortable and I’m thrilled. After I rode, we took a walk on the trails (in hand, not under saddle). Wizard was very good, especially since it was a different time of day from our normal sessions.
When we got back to the barn, I let Wizard hand graze for a few minutes and then groomed him. Both horses are shedding like crazy. By the time I was done working with both horses, I was TIRED! My rides were extremely low-impact and short but all the running around, grooming, walking on trails kept me busy. I have a feeling that I’ll get into riding shape much faster riding two horses instead of just one.
Since their turnout time was abbreviated due to the farrier’s visit, I turned each horse out for a few minutes in the big arena. JR leapt around like a hooligan but Wizard took the time to take a nice roll in the dirt and then he looked like he was ready to take a nap in the remaining sunshine. Maybe he was dreaming about his new sneakers.
My Adidas
walk through concert doors
and roam all over coliseum floors
I stepped on stage, at Live Aid
All the people gave an applause that paid
And out of speakers I did speak
I wore my sneakers but I’m not a sneak
My Adidas cuts the sand of a foreign land
with mic in hand I cold took command
my Adidas and me both askin P
we make a good team my Adidas and me
we get around together, rhyme forever
and we won’t be mad when worn in bad weather
My Adidas..
My Adidas..
My Adidas
JR Ride 2 (Session 5): Everyone Knows It’s Windy
Thursday, 2/19/09
Ah, the fickle weather of late February. We get a warm spell, we get a cold spell. We get sun, we get snow. And between weather systems in the late afternoon, we get majorly windy weather. Jumps toppled, garbage cans rolled, horses spooked. You know what I’m talking about.
JR has almost completely rolled all the cleanliness away from last week’s bath. I noticed that he’s a little sore when I curry his back. I might have to schedule an appointment for the equine chiropractor. Ka-ching, ka-ching.
I tacked JR up and we took a hand walk around the property before I rode. He’s green and I like to do as much groundwork and handling as possible so we can continue to get used to each other. JR bravely encountered a flock of robins, a fluttery tarp, and the oh-so-scary treeline. The nice thing about him is that even if something startles him, he recovers in less than a second. He’s not the kind of horse who frets for 15 minutes after seeing something scary.
After our walk, I longed JR for about 10 minutes in the outdoor arena. His longeing has improved so much- he’s an excellent pupil. And he’s a pretty mover. I think I heard him clip his hooves a few times- I’m assuming he was overreaching. I’ll ask my farrier about it when he visits on Saturday.
My friend Sarah was not able to make it to the barn today to do a lesson with me (school? instead of riding? what?!) so I decided to be brave and take my first solo ride on JR. On a really windy day. Outdoors. At feeding time.
How was he? Wonderful :^)
I kept the ride short since the weather was getting a little wild and we had already been out for over half a hour with the walk and the longeing. We walked and did a bit of trotting. JR was pulling on my hands more- I’m guessing it had to do with the deeper footing of the outdoor arena and the wild weather. I kept JR on a large circle for our ride. He drifts and stalls a little by the gate but he’s easily persuaded to keep moving.
We also did some stretches. He’s a bendy little guy.
At the beginning and end of each ride, I always ask JR and Wizard to stand quietly for a minute or two after I mount and before I dismount. I think it’s a good habit for them. Before a ride, it’s nice to have a horse who can stand still while I adjust my stirrups and girth. I can do it on the move, but it’s just more pleasant to do these things at a standstill. I also ask both horses to face away from the barn when they are standing before I dismount. And I dismount away from the gate, usually in the canter of the arena or at the end.
After my ride, my mom got a few cute photos of me and JR.
Do not try this at home :^)
After I put JR back in his stall, I took Wizard out and gave him a little grooming. He and JR are both shedding quite a bit. Wizard enjoyed stretching his legs and playing in the arena.
And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
Lensjockeys and Rock Lists: Photographer Holly Van Voast’s Top 10 Albums of All Time
#5 in an ongoing series of Top Ten Lists by my favorite photographers, writers, and musicians. Check out the Top Ten lists of Barbara Livingston, Bill Finley, Bud Morton, and Jonathan Andrew.
Holly Van Voast… the original female Bob Dylan… the Chrissie Hynde of racing photography.
The first place I saw Holly Van Voast’s work was when she turned the Final Turn photo gallery upside down. The Final Turn photo gallery is devoted to images taken by racing fans. Photos of Mineshaft, Azeri, and Storm Flag Flying. Pretty pony paddock pics. A place to learn about shutter speed and pedigrees.
One day, a new set of photos was added to the gallery. It was titled The Woodlawn Invitational Cup. This set of photos featured composites, made both with taped prints and Photoshop, of crisply shot racehorses storming through a cemetery. The trees matched the colors of the silks. The horses charged down the paths on a mission, past stones and mausoleums, winding around trees toward their destination. The best part of the collection was the comments. Every photo had a remark under it about the light, the jockey, the intent of the artist. This chick seemed to have some ideas about photography, New York, and jockeys. Great stuff. I really dug it.
You would not believe the firestorm these photos caused in the online racing fan community. They blasted Holly for her frank treatment of death and were disturbed by the closeness of the graves to the horses and riders. Cruel! Sick! Twisted!
Really?! Come on, people. This is great stuff! Those who saw death and mayhem were creating their own reality based on their interpretations of her work. And that, my friends, is art.
I eagerly followed Holly’s photographic love affair with Edgar Prado and Norberto Arroyo, Jr. After each big race day, people would post their photos in the gallery. Everybody would have the same shot of Henny Hughes. Except for Holly. She’d have a commentary about the hands of his jockey as he got a leg up onto his mount. Or the mood of the paddock before the race. Or the way the jocks look like bullfighters. And pictures of Bud Morton. Brilliant.
The first time I met Holly, we were by the paddock at Belmont Park. I shyly introduced myself and she gave me a big hug, a kiss on the cheek, and a “Nice shoes!”. I expected her to be a quiet, brooding artist slithering in the shadows, but she’s far more outgoing and sweet to strangers than I am.
Digital photography has made excellent art so instant and accessible. Everybody sees the perfect Bill Denver inside rail shot and copies it. Everybody sees the perfect Barbara Livingston Saratoga scene and mimics it. But Holly forges a punk rock path all the way from the Aqueduct paddock to the tree-lined riding paths at Saratoga. She has love for the pillars of racing, like the Whitneys and the Phippses, but she also shines a bright Panasonic spotlight on the rest of the sport. There is light and there are lines beyond the shape of the racetrack. Holly Van Voast hears Spanish music as she shoots. She feels the heartbeat of New York as the horses line up for the post parade. She sees an entire reality behind the ordinary and she’s not tight-lipped about it; Holly candidly shares her thoughts in the descriptions of her photos. A blast of brightness in her images complements the way she captures subjects- depth of field is turned upside down and much of her work would be at home in some sort of complicated graphic novel.
A wonderful byproduct of Holly’s work is that I’m beginning to see imitators, people who dig her vision and do their best to recreate it: Aqueduct-lovin’ jockey sharpshooters. I admit that I see Holly’s favorite jocks in a new light and now have a short list of my own favorite riders to shoot. And I open my eyes a little wider to see what else is going on in the paddock as the horses are being paraded before the featured race.
Holly’s artistic vision is not unlike her fabulous collages and curtains. Her subjects overlap, her worlds collide. She sees the architecture of Manhattan as personalities. She hears punk rock roaring through the hallowed horsepaths of Saratoga. Store window mannequins speak to her. The Lindy Hop is alive in 2009.
And of course, there is the storied portrait that Holly took of Kurt Vonnegut. Looks like he could be sitting on a bench at Belmont waiting for his horse to walk through the tunnel.
Keep your eyes peeled for Lensjockey Magazine– guerrilla-style, competitive photography based in New York.
What rocks Holly Van Voast? Check out her Top Ten List:
1. New York Dolls – New York Dolls: a once crushing, now frantically poignant scream. A poetic and frighteningly right New York City Landmark originally about 12” in diameter. The Dolls were “ON.” Brilliant and untouchable like the best bitch — and dressed better too. They mock you, they mock me with their own knowledge of their rocking greatness — I have a pet theory about “stars” of any ilk. I believe that certain people, certain groups, are stars with or without fans. The New York Dolls most definitely deserved more fans in their own time, and now, but you cannot deny that they were stars with or without us. Live circa video versions of these songs are so riveting and unusual. This is the first and only album of rock songs that has ever made me cry because of the unbelievable beauty and complete, well rendered rock perfection in the arrangements and the writing — stuff that is only more powerful if you know the story of the band. A song called Trash, that’s what made me cry. Wtf?
2. Bob Dylan – “Like a Rolling Stone” : this is the single that sounds like an album. It gives me the shivers listening to it – the actual process of recording and releasing of this song of this song is/was so interesting. To me the effect of this one song in that day’s pop industry was akin to that of Picasso’s Guernica. Shards and sharp cutting and five different places at once — a huge and frightening apparition of a song. One of the best portraits painted in rock. The summer of 1965 rocked like no other summer. Imagine hearing that for the first time riding around in your car, on a hot summer night in NYC. If I could have directed a video for that song, it would have just been someone driving around and turning on the radio and that comes on, as you drive over a bump in the flooring of a bridge. Any or all of the bridges around NYC.
3. Grace Jones – Nightclubbing: my favorite album to loop indefinitely. I never had the album itself, but the cassette tape I had had the whole album on both sides which I loved. It’s dark, dangerous and totally NYC. You can almost smell the coke.
4. Nirvana – Unplugged in New York: listening to Kurt Cobain makes me want to shake him, the banter between songs is almost distracting and self-conscious but not to the point where it diminishes the songs. My favorite song on this album, is “The Man Who Sold the World” — one of my favorite cover songs.
5. Soundtrack from the movie Times Square: TS was a early eighties movie that has some of the best pre-Disney Times Square footage ever. The soundtrack includes Gary Newman, Roxy Music, the Pretenders, Suzie Quatro, The Cars… Gary US Bonds… and some thrilling yet weakish songs from the movie sung by the stars. It’s dated, it was sloppy, it was a fantasy, but it was the movie and the soundtrack that made me want to move to New York City.
6. The Bee Gees — Saturday Night Fever: the flawless production and the insane Barry Gibb vocalizations — they awe me. When this album was released I lived nowhere near New York City, but I could feel the city in the songs I’d hear on the radio when I was little and living in the boonies. The Bee Gees are from Australia but that didn’t stop them from making an album so New Yorky — I love that too. The non-Bee Gee songs are great too… I ❤ the Bee Gees.
7. The Pretenders – That first white album with Chrissie Hynde and Pete Farndon and James Honeyman-Scott and Martin Chambers: If there could be a Chrissie Hynde of horse racing photographers, that’s who I’d want to be. Noisy dirty pictures with a lot of attitude, and a strange tough romanticism. “Up the Neck” is my favorite.
8. The Beatles – The White Album: I loved the poster that came with it, and it’s one of my favorite albums to listen to with earphones. There has always been something sort of clinical about The White Album that I liked. To me, you could call that album “The Beatles Experiment” – that’s what it was to me. I love the loosisity and general realacy of the songs. I like the way Paul did songs from the later years. “Mother Nature’s Son” is one of the songs on that album that I always play at least once after the first listening. The Ringo “Goodnight” bit is so perfect and precious, just like Ringo. It’s like you can see the stars in it. I love “Revolution 1”. I Love “I Will.” And “Dear Prudence”. I have to add that I had a really hard time deciding between this album and Let It Be. And I love the Beatles footage from this part of their career.
9. The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle: it has SWINDLE in the title. I like that, and I love all the crazy bits in this album. It’s almost creepy. I love the songs Eddie Tudorpole sings. And Malcolm McLaren singing “You Need Hands” is too much. This is actually a soundtrack album from a really strange rock artifact of the same name – loosely based on the Sex Pistols. The cover photography always intrigued me, it’s a weird composition including big constructed letters and a punk dwarf. The art direction for the Sex Pistols and the punk era really influenced my photography. Some jockeys are punks!
10 The Best of Blondie: the reason is that drum work of Clem Burke’s on “Dreaming” – and everything else.
JR Ride 1 (Session 4): Macaroni and Cheese
Monday 2/16/09
JR was kind enough to keep one side reasonably clean after his bath on Thursday. My friend Sarah remarked that his color was so pretty after the bath that he looked like a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Perhaps that can be his jumper show name ;^)
I tacked him up and we did a short longeing session. We worked at the walk and trot. He broke into a canter a few times and I used it as an opportunity to bring him back to the trot with verbal cues. JR is a lot heavier on the longe line than Wizard- it does not bother him at all to pull on the line. I do my best to use pressure and release to keep the circles reasonably round. JR was barely winded when I was done longeing him. He’s getting a little fitter and not getting as excited on the longe line. Hooray!
My friend Sarah rode JR for about 10 minutes. They walked, then trotted a few large figure 8s. She hopped off and said, “Your turn!”
I mounted up and was immediately amazed how sturdy he felt. He’s just over 15 hands but he is so round and substantial that my leg did not feel too long at all.
His mouth is way less sensitive than Wizard’s mouth. He did not mind if I played with the bit at all. I need to make sure I don’t get too handsy with him. He rode nicely in the Happy Mouth bit. It allowed him to keep very comfortable contact but he also had plenty of stopping power. I’m starting to really like these bits.
We walked for a few minutes, and then Sarah prepared me to trot. She reminded me that the first few steps might be a little bumpy because he’s green and finding his own balance. The trot transition actually felt easier than Wizard’s. I think it reminded me more of Alibar’s old trot- very Quarter Horsey. We trotted on a 20 meter circle each way, then rode around the entire arena. We worked on figure 8s and I learned how to work him through the center to help him balance, as well as how to ride him past the gate, where he likes to slow down. The lesson lasted about 20 minutes, which was really the most real riding I’ve done in months. The work I do with Wizard is much more at the walk and our trot work is in smaller bits, but JR is balanced and comfortable enough to start trot work already.
It felt really nice to do some meaningful work in the saddle. Speaking of the saddle, it was sliding to the side! The girth was definitely tight enough but the saddle still slipped. JR has nice withers but he is a round boy. I’ll need to do some tinkering to see if I can get the saddle to sit better on him.
When I was done riding JR, I groomed Wizard and brought him out to the arena to let him loose and stretch his legs. He seems a little more comfortable. I’m looking forward to the farrier appointment on Saturday. Hopefully a set of shoes on Wizard and a trim for JR will have me riding much more frequently.
Pugs in the Park: Canine Portraits and Candids
Saturday, 2/14/09
A friend of mine got a 10 week old Pug puppy through a rescue organization last month. For those of you who have had puppies, you can vouch for me how quickly the little buggers change. I’m so glad I got photos of him as a puppy. One of these days, I’ll have to post recent photos of Gracie, who is way bigger (and longer!) than anybody expected.
Julie Poole is probably my favorite canine photographer- her work is technically flawless and her photos show off a signature style.
Most of my equipment and training is geared toward outdoor/action photography so I do my best work outside in a casual and informal setting. This is how I did my shoot this Saturday:
First, I met the dogs and they became acquainted with me. Then, we took the dogs for a walk to the local park. Willie watched the house while we were at the park.
Before we turned Clancy and Otto loose, we posed them for a few portraits. Before exercise, dogs usually look more alert but also have less of an attention span.
Most Pugs have dark faces and light-colored bodies. I metered off the dogs’ faces to keep detail but I also watched for blown-out highlights on their bodies. We had an overcast day so the light was pretty even.
We set the Pugs loose in the dog park. Clancy and Otto the Pugs are far more interested in people than in other dogs. A Puggle was at the park and was desperate to play with his cousins. Otto politely avoided him.
Clancy is getting used to the dog park setting. He was a little shy but he came out of his shell…
Eventually, the Puggle found another Puggle and they were a perfect match.
After the Pugs were done socializing, we did a few more posed photos. Clancy wanted to play checkers, but could not locate an opponent:
Clancy was ready to go home:
He played with Otto and then crashed. Big day for a little pup.
Rock Lists and Valentines: Musician, Singer, and Songwriter Jonathan Andrew’s Top 10 Albums of All Time
#4 in an ongoing series of Top Ten Lists by my favorite photographers, writers, and musicians. Check out the Top Ten lists of Barbara Livingston, Bill Finley, and Bud Morton.
I met Jonathan Andrew in 1997. My BFF Mo and I were headed to a concert at Rutgers. On the way to the show, Mo noticed two guys. First, they were at the bus stop. Then, they were on the bus with us, Then, they were at the show. Then, they were standing next to us at the show. I was not in the mood for meeting strangers but Mo is always in the mood for being gregarious. We started chatting with the guys and they turned out to be pretty cool. We enjoyed our concert. When the show was over, Mo and Dave (one of the guys) wanted the four of us to hang out. The other guy (who lied to me several times about his name, aggravating me to no end) did not look like he was interested in hanging out. Neither was I; I had to work at the barn early in the morning and I wanted to go to bed. Mo and Dave won out and the four of us ended up staying up all night eating grilled cheese at the Grease Trucks, watching Brain Candy, and talking about rock.
It turned out that Jonathan (the guy who lied about his name) also played guitar. As he walked in the room with his guitar, I rolled my eyes. I’ve seen this before. The guy with the long hair and the guitar. Whatever.
But this guy was actually good. He played Guided By Voices songs with startling accuracy and had a really fantastic singing voice. Aside from the AWFUL Weezer song (is there any other kind of Weezer song, really?) that he sang for Mo’s benefit, he had pretty good taste in music. He did not, however, know any Pixies songs and he had not yet heard OK Computer. This was remedied at once. At the end of the night (4am or so), we exchanged CDs. Jon gave me his copy of Guided By Voices’ Vampire on Titus/Propellor and I gave him the Pixies’ Surfer Rosa and Radiohead’s OK Computer. We dated through college and got married in 2005 and lived happily ever after, rocking out to Pixies and GBV songs all the while.
OK, there’s a little more to the story than that.
Jon completes my exacta. He’s perfect. He is funny, smart, supportive, handsome, and fascinating. He accepts everything about me and encourages all my crazy dreams. We laugh A LOT. We have just as much fun on our adventures as we do sitting on the couch talking about the merits of Alice Cooper and Olivia Tremor Control.
We’ve seen a lot of shows. And we’ve been to the track a few times…
Actually, we’ve been to tracks from coast to coast. We even went to Santa Anita and Los Alamitos on our honeymoon (we also caught a great rock show at the Troubadour).
After growing up without any pets, Jon has humored me by riding a few times and supporting me at my horse shows.
There is always music. We’re either listening to records (yes, on VINYL), rocking out on road trips, or Jon is playing music. Jon has performed in many bands, providing driving bass lines, masterful vocals, and sometimes even drumming. His most recent bands have been The Angry Monsters, Souls’ Release, Ciampi, and currently he’s working on an album with Mike Ferraro. He has toured with his bands and guested on many stages and albums. Jon also is a songwriter and solo performer. He has a new solo EP coming out soon and I’ll be sure to share it with you as soon as it’s officially released. His songs sound like they were written by a person who truly loves music: carefully crafted and executed with heartfelt singing and playing. And he can do the craziest jumps onstage.
Jonathan Andrew Action Figure © Sarah K. Andrew
Jonathan Andrew’s iTunes library includes over 1200 albums by more than 600 artists. These are the ten best:
10. Shellac – At Action Park [Touch and Go, 1994]
The most sound three men can possibly make. Who needs melody when you can play like this, anyway?
Check out: Dog and Pony Show
9. The Mountain Goats – Tallahassee [4AD, 2002]
The first track represents the titles for this post-modern musical noir and the last tune plays over the end credits. In between, John Darnielle and Peter Hughes weave a story in song as thematically brutal as musically excellent.
Check out: No Children
8. Uncle Tupelo – No Depression [Rockville, 1990]
The precocious trio’s first and most ferocious salvo combines the energy of hardcore and the hard-luck storytelling of country to astounding effect. Enjoy Wilco and Son Volt all you want, but realize that Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar peaked on their very first outing.
Check out: Graveyard Shift
7. R.E.M. – Murmur [I.R.S., 1983]
I usually go for naturalism, but I find the unique synthesis of sounds on this record – piano doubling bass, acoustic and electric guitars played in unison, a cymbal crash married to a bell chime – to be deeply moving. Michael Stipe is at his most mumbly and obtuse, but, buyoed by Berry, Buck, and Mills’ innovative musicianship, the emotion shakes through.
Check out: Laughing
6. Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night [Reprise, 1975]
Talk about a record that reeks of time and place. Recorded live in an L.A. rehearsal space, this grief-ridden masterpiece features some of the most immediate songs and crudest singing of Young’s admittedly raw career. Eerie brilliance.
Check out: Tired Eyes
5. Descendents – Milo Goes to College [SST, 1982]
Four pissed-off teens alternately screaming about legitimate gripes and adolescent angst, seemingly unaware of – or at least unconcerned with – the difference. The best punk-rock record ever.
Check out: Hope
4. Bruce Springsteen – The River [Columbia, 1980]
This slot could be occupied by just about any of the Boss’s first seven records, but his 1980 double-LP gets the nod due to its ambitious scope and the fiercest playing of the E Street Band’s storied career. As (almost) always on a Springsteen record, the songs are top notch.
Check out: Out in the Street
3. The Band – The Band [Capitol, 1969]
Nobody in the pop/rock sphere played better together than these four Canadians and one Arkansan, and this record boasts their best performances. Robbie Robertson’s songwriting is at its evocative best, the group’s three singers are in fine voice, and John Simon’s clear, warm production lets you hear every note.
Check out: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
2. Belle and Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister [Jeepster, 1996]
Seven Glaswegians, five days, ten acoustic-guitar-based songs: it shouldn’t be this good, but somehow it is. Stuart Murdoch’s melodies and observations have never been sharper, nor his mates’ accompaniment more sympathetic.
Check out: The Stars of Track and Field
1. Pixies – Surfer Rosa [4AD, 1988]
Engineer Steve Albini nailed this one: crank the drums and Kim Deal’s angelic vocals, cut the bass, and roll tape. It doesn’t hurt to have a baker’s dozen of subversive pop masterworks – courtesy Charles “Black Francis” Thompson – at your disposal either.
Check out: River Euphrates
The Hooligans Get Baths
Thursday, 2/12/09
Today was sunny and temperatures were mild, but the winds gusted over 50mph. It was the last warm day before temperatures begin to drop again, so I decided to give Wizard and JR baths. Whenever I see Wizard and JR playing, the word “hooligans” always comes to mind. They wrestle, they buck, they rear, they bite, they kick, and at the end of the day, they snooze in their shed. Today, the hooligans got baths. They have not been bathed in a very long time so I was not sure what to expect. As a racehorse, Wizard would have been accustomed to frequent baths, but that was a long time ago.
JR was the first victim. He stood really nicely, even when the wind gusted hard and the barn door slammed LOUDLY. I fed him carrots every few minutes and told him what lovely manners he had- flattery worked ;^) JR is now about 4 shades lighter than he is in these photos, taken before the bath. Due to the crazy wind, I did not have the chance to photograph JR after the bath. I sprayed his face with water but did not shampoo it. We’ll try that another time.
Wizard was next. He was equally polite and brave when the wind whipped through the door. He was a little goosey but perfectly mannered, even when I stepped on a rake and almost fell on him. I’m oh-so graceful, you know… When I was done, Wizard was sooooo soft- he felt like a big teddy bear.
OK, here’s a confession… I’m kind of a product freak about horses. I cannot walk out of a tack shop without some sort of little purchase: hoof conditioner, shampoo, something. Today, I cleaned out my tack trunk and found all sorts of goodies for grooming. The hooligans had better watch out.
For both horses today, I used my leftover Absorbine Special Care shampoo and Vetrolin shampoo. I use many different varieties and I don’t have an overwhelming favorite at this time. I try not to over-bathe horses since it can disturb the balance of oils in the coat. If I bathed horses frequently, I’d use the mildest shampoo possible. To condition their manes and tails, I used Cowboy Magic. For their feet, I used my old jar of Epona Diamond Hoof Ointment.
Due to the recent discussion on the Chronicle of the Horse forum about coat conditioners, I tried Pink Sheen Spray on Wizard’s tail a week or so ago. I disliked how much it attracted dust and it seemed sticky at first, but as soon as it dried, it felt quite nice. I would not use it too frequently, but in the winter, I like to condition manes and tails to keep them from drying out and splitting. JR and Wizard have natural manes that are not pulled, so they require more maintenance than a short, pulled mane.
And speaking of grooming, have you ever seen a person perform the art of singeing a horse? Pretty cool way to remove the “cat hairs”.
I said goodnight to two soft, clean, conditioned horses. I have a feeling I’ll be saying hello to two grubby hooligans in the next day or two.
JR Session 3; Wizard Session 48- I’m Your Boogie Man
Wednesday 2/11/09
Ahhhh, a warm, quiet evening! I arrived at the barn, knocked the dirt off of Wizard, and brought him outside to do some clicker training. There were some new jumps in the outdoor arena, including one fence with a white, flappy sign in front of it. Wizard arched his neck forward but approached the fence boldly and tapped it with his muzzle. Click, treat, good boy! We did a little more targeting and stretching, about 10 minutes of ground work altogether. My farrier confirmed that he can put shoes on Wizard on Feb 21 so we’ll do groundwork until then.
When I turned Wizard loose in the arena, I noticed something interesting: Wizard gravitated toward the flappy jump. Perhaps it was because it was his first targeted item of the night? I’ll experiment next time and see if Wizard gravitates to a different jump or traffic cone if I target it first.
I think the light work, coupled with the Dengie, is improving Wizard’s appearance. He looks rounder now than he did a few months back and his belly is tucked up a bit. When we were done, I fed Wizard his Dengie and put venice turpentine on his feet.
I tacked up JR and attempted my behavior experiment with him. We first targeted the flappy jump. He was more spooky about it but was nosing it boldly after just a few seconds.
Then, we worked on longeing. JR was really good. New arena, far end of the ring, night time, and he remembered our previous lessons in walking and trotting on the longe line. We did have one explosion when JR saw some sort of boogey man in the woods and did a complete 180 degree turn, followed by a little scamper in the opposite direction. I calmly changed his direction back and he trotted nicely the second time. I have had the best luck working through spooking issues this way: keep working calmly and don’t let the horse look at whatever is spooking him for a long time of he’ll just get spookier (usually). Under saddle, I’ll actually as for a shoulder-in away from the spooky object and it has worked pretty well with most horses.
We longed for about 10 minutes. JR did not break a sweat. I wanted to keep the session really calm and deliberate and we succeeded. I then turned him loose to stretch his legs, and guess what? He ran over to the flappy jump! I might be on to something here.
JR Session 2; Wizard Session 47: Baby Carrots are Your Friends
JR targeting a traffic cone
Monday 2/9/09
JR seems to be enjoying the attention and the work. I put my Moritz dressage saddle on him since it’s wider than my Stubben Portos. It looks like it will fit OK, but it might be narrow (it’s also too far forward in the picture). I’ll try to get a better photo of the saddle fit when I have an assistant hold the horse or snap the photo instead of me doing both ;^)
In only his second longeing session, JR has improved by leaps and bounds (no pun intended). I am using clicker training to mark good behaviors on the longe line. It appears that JR understands “go” but has little “whoah” or any gait variations on the longe. He also does not respond as much to “good boy” as Wizard does. Wizard comes to a full stop if I even think “good boy”, almost to the point of propping.
I kept JR on a much shorter line than last time and it really helped. The first few rotations, he hopped about, cantering, trotting, changing leads, and wobbling in a shape very unlike a circle. I worked a little on “whoooooah”, rewarded with a click and a baby carrot. I spoke very quietly and praised frequently, feeding the line a little and not using the whip at all. I then got a good trot in each direction- click and treat. I asked him to move off again and he walked- good boy! Click and treat. JR seems to be getting the hang of the clicker. Our session had very little aerobic work since I was trying to keep him at a walk and trot so afterwards, I let him stretch his legs in the arena. Wheeeeeeeee! Lovely flying trot and a few wild bucks for good measure. He immediately came back toward me when I called, which was very cool.
Wizard is on vacation from riding until I get my farrier to check out his feet. I did notice that the venice turpentine made his sole smooth and mayyybe a little tougher. I’ve noticed a personality change in Wizard in the past week or so- he’s not his normal laid-back, sweet self. Instead, he’s a little removed and sometimes I see his ears pinned back. Once he saw the bag of baby carrots, his mood brightened considerably :^) We did a little bit of work with clicker training (10 minutes), targeting jumps and doing stretching exercises. He tolerated grooming and I started a Panacur Power Pac, chased by a tub of Dengie.
Wizard Session 46; JR Session 1- Double Trouble
Sat 2/7/09
The plan for Wizard is to get a set of shoes put on him next time my farrier is at the barn. In the meantime, I’m doing groundwork with him. We did a little clicker work, practicing targeting and a little work with disengaging his hindquarters. I also let him trot loose in the arena to stretch his legs. Then, I put venice turpentine on his soles, Corona on his hooves, and put him to bed with some Dengie.
I’ve started with with JR, a 7 year old palomino Quarter Horse gelding. He is barely 15 hands tall, but he’s very stout, broader than Wizard (photo below of Wizard and JR so you can see the size difference). He is very sweet and willing, but also athletic. He has a very short and strong back, and I expect him to be quite versatile under saddle. My friend Sarah has ridden him a few times this week and he is green but very pleasant.
For our first session, I groomed JR- he stands really nicely on the crossties and only got a little ticklish when I groomed his back. I then introduced JR to clicker training, starting with targeting a traffic cone. He took a few tries longer than Wizard but he caught on nicely. We then targeted a few jumps in the arena.
After 5 minutes of clicker work, I longed JR to get a feel for his experience level and to get used to working with him. He knows how to go forward off of the cue of a whip, but he longes in a banana shape, travelling in a curve, hitting the end of the line and turning around. He does not seem to know how to longe at different gaits yet, either. He’s such a willing guy that I think we’ll have no trouble teaching gaits and “whoah” on the longe in a few sessions.
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 