Wizard: The Equine Dental Report
Not a photo of Wizard, but it is one of my favorite photos of horse teeth.
Wizard had his teeth floated by our local veterinarian last Thursday.
This was my first time seeing a horse’s teeth floated with power tools. I found it to be a positive experience since it was faster than the traditional filing method, plus there is less wear and tear on the horse’s mouth. Wizard was sedated quite a bit in order to keep him still while his teeth were worked on. His head was held in a sling/halter and I stood with him to keep his head straight.
He had: hooks on his back molars, sharp edges, and a wave mouth. The wave mouth will need more sessions since it cannot be fixed in one floating.
Later that afternoon, Wizard had his feet trimmed by my farrier. It looks like he will be able to stay barefoot for a while.
Chiropractic adjustment… check.
Acupuncture treatment… check.
Teeth floating… check.
Hoof trimming… check.
Ready to ride again!
Rock! Joshua Van Ness and Friends at The Saint in Asbury Park NJ
Jersey rock mainstay Joshua Van Ness performs at The Saint, celebrating the release of his new record, DNA. Formerly a member of bands including Souls’ Release, The Crayons, Van Ness, and Brother Jenkins, Joshua put together a supergroup of local rockers to accompany him at this event: Jonathan Andrew (Mike Ferraro and The Young Republicans, formerly of Souls’ Release), Joe Beninati (Dacks, Almost Lucile, Alison Cipris and many others), Eric Blakenship (formerly of Brother Jenkins and The Original Swingers), and Marty O’Kane (Spiraling, April Smith & The Big Picture Show).
Jonathan Andrew (my awesome husband) performs his song “Me and Someone Else” with Joshua Van Ness and Friends at the DNA record release party at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ.
Formerly a member of Souls’ Release with Joshua, Jonathan played bass on many of DNA’s tracks. Jonathan’s current projects include What’s Yours Is Mine, the newest release by Mike Ferraro and the Young Republicans, and Arrivals and Departures, his solo debut.
Marty O’Kane joined Joshua Van Ness onstage for the release of DNA, Van Ness’ debut solo album.
I first saw Spiraling (then dubbed You Were Spiraling) open up for They Might Be Giants at The Tradewinds in the late 90s.
From www.spiraling.net
“Spiraling’s own history begins in the waning days of the twentieth century, when Tom Brislin, keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter, joined up with bassist Bob Hart to form You Were Spiraling. After releasing a self-produced eponymous debut, the group caught the attention of They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh, who released the band’s next effort, The Hello CD, under the imprint of his Hello Recording Club. After touring the world as a keyboardist for both Meat Loaf and Yes, Brislin revamped his original band concept, dropped two syllables, and added two new members: guitarist Marty O’Kane and drummer Paul Wells. As Spiraling, this lineup toured in support of a number of marquee bands, including OK Go, Live, They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, Hot Hot Heat, and many more. The group has also toured Japan as both the opener and backing band for Atlantic recording artist Marion Raven, and, more recently, backed up pop legend Deborah Harry on her 2007 American tour.”
Former Brother Jenkins members Eric Blankenship, Billy Brucker, and Joshua Van Ness reunite for the first time in over a decade on stage as part of Van Ness’ record release party at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ.
Spotlight: Hickory Ridge Farm
On November 1, I did a portrait session at Hickory Ridge Farm, a friendly and well-run farm in Allentown, New Jersey. The first impression that I had when I arrived at the farm was how much I liked the atmosphere; friendly people and happy horses. The barn is large but not crowded- there are lots of places on the property to ride, as well as thousands of acres of trails in nearby Assunpink Wildlife Preserve.
It was my biggest photo session to date. I started with Lakota and Shiloh, an Appaloosa gelding and Quarter Horse mare. Both were deeply bonded with their owner and had wonderful personalities. Plus, I have a big soft spot for Appaloosas ;^)
Next were Buck and Tuck, the Golden Boys…
The next horses were the handsome Arabians Cairo and Captain. I have not had the chance to photograph too many Arabians so it was a lot of fun to work with these guys.
Cairo
Captain
There was such a great variety of horses, from spritely youngsters to beautiful horses in their 20s; disciplines ranging from trails to dressage to western pleasure.
And Schnauzers!
Click here or go to my website to view the rest of the photos.
Wizard: Show Me Those Pearly Whites!
Wizard had his first chiropractic treatment on Oct 29. It was bittersweet to have the equine chiropractor out to the barn since I associate her with all of the great work she did for Alibar. But I was happy to have her treat Wizard.
The good news: she felt no new soreness or stiffness, which made me feel way better about his recent girthiness. She said that he adjusted remarkably well and has a lovely limber neck. I told her that he does yoga in his paddock- I’ve seen him do a perfect circus pony bow to grab a blade of grass under the fence.
The bad news: she feels that his teeth most likely need a lot of work. Then get his feet trimmed. Then get back to riding him ;^)
So Wizard will be getting his teeth floated this week. Will report back with the results!
The Ultimate Horse Lover- In Stores Now! Sarah K. Andrew: Lead Photographer and Contributing Writer
I’m the lead photographer and a contributing writer for The Ultimate Horse Lover. I wrote one chapter about Alibar and one chapter about how to photograph horses. You’ll recognize many of my favorite equine images that I’ve taken over the past two years, plus the work of many other talented writers and photographers.
The Ultimate Horse Lover is a collection of stories about horses, tips on horse care, and full-page color photos of beautiful horses. I love the variety and fresh feel to it- there are up-to-date chapters about saddle fit, nutrition, and behavior. I remember spending my entire childhood poring over great horse books- this is one of those books!
It was a pleasure to work with this group of people- they are the team that put together the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When I was out in California for Breeders’ Cup coverage, I met Gina Spadafori, sydnicated pet columnist and author of Dogs for Dummies, among many other accomplishments. She’s the coolest!
I also have a photo in The Ultimate Cat Lover :^)
If you purchase a copy of either of these books, send me an email so we can arrange mailing and it would be my pleasure to sign it for you. It’s the perfect time to order holiday gifts:
Click Here to order The Ultimate Horse Lover
Click Here to order The Ultimate Cat Lover
If Amazon is out of stock, try some of your other favorite bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc.
Rock: 111 More Bands I’ve Seen
212
Amethyst
Ape Fight
Awake Asleep
Ben Trovato
Big Orange Cone
Billy
Bionic Rhoda
Blue Fire
bobfields
Bon Jovi
Boxcar Nancy
Brian Dewan
Brine and Bastards
Butterspy
Corn Monitor
Crash Test Dummies
Cropduster
Dan Bern
Dead Go West
Deftones
Dewey Defeated
Dishwalla
Double Breasted
Enemies of the Oyster
Evan Dando
Everlounge
Ex-Models
Fishbone
Floodgate
Fountains of Wayne
Fury of Five
Gravity’s Pull
Hero Pattern
House of Leaves
Inchworm
Indus
Inflatablemen
Instant Death
Jim Testa
John Easdale
Jonathan Andrew
Kid With Man Head
Lincoln
Lisa Loeb
Lo Faber
Love Gas
Love in Reverse
Makeout Party
Mars Needs Women
Mason Dixon
Matt Witte’s New Blood Revival
Miles Hunt and Malcolm Treece
Mono Puff
Mr. Holland’s Anus
Nebulous Thoughts
Nerfherder
Neud Groove
Nickelback
Oui 73
Pedro the Lion
Pennywise
Peter Searcy
Plug Spark Sanjay
Psycho 78
Readymade Breakup
Realistic Danger
Richard Butler
Richard Swift
Skeleton Key
Skyline Rodeo
Small AM
Spacehog
Sparks Fly From a Kiss
Spiral Jetty
Suran Song in Stag
The American Flag
The Benjamins
The Carlsonics
The Causey Way
The Christmas Cookies
The Connells
The Contact by Garvey
The Danielson Famile
The Erics
The Flaming Lips
The Jigmakers
The Jimmy Wilson Group
The Mellowtraumatics
The Milwaukees
The Mink Lungs
The Misteriosos
The Nerds
The Rosemary Pure
The Selzers
The Slow Wire
The Stuntcocks
The Swimmies
The Urchins
The Wahoo Moment
The Waking Hours
The Washington Social Club
Three to Six Inches
Tris McCall
True Love
US Maple
Val Emmich
Weezer
Wesley Willis
Wisemaster Joshu
Wolfe and the Wayside
Casino Drive… Classic Potential?
Before dawn, I was photographing silhouettes at Santa Anita when I saw a familiar blaze and I smiled… The horse walked briskly toward me… A leggy chestnut from Japan… A regal pedigree… Half brother of two Belmont Stakes winners… Rival of Big Brown… Winner on the Santa Anita Surface… Undefeated…
Can Casino Drive take down Curlin in the Classic and avenge his unfinished business from the Belmont Stakes? Just HOW good IS this horse?
Or will another horse play the Classic spoiler? Colonel John looks fantastic- if he runs to his looks, he could win big tomorrow. And what about Grade 1 winner Go Between?
If you’d like to see my Breeders’ Cup photos (including Zenyatta’s A-W-E-S-O-M-E win in the Distaff), check them out in the Thoroughbred Daily News. Subscription is free and you can get the newsletter link sent to you each day. You can also sign up to get TDN Alerts sent to your phone for the latest news in racing. Go to www.thoroughbreddailynews.com and click on the Subscribe for Free link on the upper left part of the screen. TDN is also available in print at the Breeders’ Cup, as well as at the top sales and races around the world.
This will most likely be my last photo posted from California. Next time I post, I’ll be back in Jersey. Can’t I stay just a little longer? I love it here.
I Could Get Used To This…
Sunshine. No clouds. Great record stores. World-class racehorses. Fluffy racing surfaces. I could get used to this…
Curlin took a spin on the track today- he looked ready to run. He tilts his head as he gallops and looks like a coiled spring.
And I finally got to see Zenyatta! She’s big and beautiful and charismatic and well worth the trip west. Best wishes for a big win tomorrow.
The international shippers were out in full force and they look quite imposing. I’d love to see a few big wins from them…
Kicking Back in CA
Dearest Trickski is doing the kicking back and I’m keeping myself QUITE busy between distributing the Thoroughbred Daily News and photographing everything that moves. I’m getting the hang of things out here- I only got lost and accidentally ended up on a freeway once today. My mission for tomorrow: photograph more European horses.
Greetings from the West Coast!
A warm hello from warm California! I’ve left the land of golden fall foliage for the golden sunshine of California. I’ve left apple cider for In N Out Burger. No more dirt, I’m in the land of synthetic racing surfaces.
Things are gearing up for the Breeders’ Cup and the excitement level is high. Nice weather and nice horses make for a promising weekend of racing. The fields for the races look highly competitive- I have seen a few of the European invaders and they look fantastic. Spirits are high and the track feels great- I’m a total synthetic racing surface skeptic but ProRide seems like a big step in the right direction.
Photo below is of Idiot Proof testing out the downhill turf course- he was schooled over the surface break to ensure that he does not spook at the change in track when he’s racing. Now he’s really idiot proof ;^)
This is the Jersey Girl in California… signing off!
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 