Spa Day for the CANTER horses! (and other stuff)

A real life SPA DAY happened at the CANTER MidAtlantic farm in Cameron NC recently. Sand was knocked off, tail dredlocks were unlocked, and wild mustang manes were pulled. A pull here, a brush there and the shaggies were transformed into the sexies! My favorite part of working the the CANTER heese is when the ugly duckling transforms into the swan.

OMG -CMA Fabulous Jada just did a perfect Bend and SNAP!

 Above: Rhett isn’t impressed with the Barber Shop

Below: Beckham thinks long hair is kewl..

Rhett is actually very sweet and just didn’t feel like having his picture taken on this day! HA! He makes up for the crabby with how well he’s put together, though, don’t you agree??

Below: Ruthie sez “quick! take a picture! Gracie is being a good dog! PS why,  yes i AM gorgeous, thank you very much!”

Soon after the Spa Day Jada came to live with Clive to start CMA Boot Camp! She’s been there one full week and has hacked out by herself and with company. She’s crossed the legendary “creepy creek” without issue, and has started over teeny tiny cross rails! She loves having personal attention and is basking in the adoration of the boys in the paddocks on both sides of her. She’s such a princess and that is no lie! Everything is new to her and she just takes it all in stride.

And my good boy Clive recently passed the Amateur Test!! Our friend Madeleine hopped on him, did a little flatwork and even jumped an X or two!  Rewarding? Oh yeah!

In closing.. Gracie and Chip – two of CANTER MidAtlantic’s biggest fans!

Dear Clive, you are not the Decider ( but it can still be fun!)

I’m terribly remiss in my blogging.. I ride more than I write.

We’ve been so lucky to have seen a bunch of horses off to their new homes and careers the last few months  Mazzie, Hurry, Cadence, Casey, Bid, Jester, Bolt, Tommy and Wheatie..and while I look at those name and remember each individual horse I’m reminded how unique they each are. Each has their own personality and quirks. One might be quick off the leg, or a bit through his body than the others.. one might have a easier time cantering in balance at first . But at the end of the day they’ve all been delightful to work with and have made me wonder if it really IS this easy…it is, isn’t it? They ARE all different, so for EACH one we do whatever it takes.

 Well meet CMA Clearview Heights.. a big 5 yo chestnut gelding.. big looking, big moving, big pony!This picture is one of the first times I rode him in Allie’s ring.  He started out started great in the ring but we quickly found he got a little anxious hacking out. To be honest he was pretty naughty. Sadly, the video camera never seems to be on during the spin and wheel episodes! ha! Suffice to say, he makes very good use of the Wild Jersey Boy Memorial Neck Strap!

Some of them just don’t “get it” and going to a new environment and having to stand still, in the woods, for example.. can cause a bit of anxiety.. such WAS the case with Clive.. So after two attempts at hacking out which ended with us jumping off and walking him home.. in hand.. we decided I’d focus on working only in the ring with him.  Whatever it takes, right? This is a video Allie took the first week of ring work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dbl2CWTRbQ

Yes, he’s cute, yes he can move.. but notice how behind my leg he is, and how I am kicking every stride! I didn’t know it at the time but would soon find out that Clive thinks HE is the Decider. He thought it was up to HIM how fast we went, what direction we went and how fast we went there.. oh no, Clive, my friend.. how wrong you were!

So, I basically took things back to basics with him. I started with ground work. Call it Natural Horsemanship, call it what you want. I call it Plain Old Horsemanship.  After a solid week of nothing but ground work, I introduced light flatwork into the routine.  One day ground work, next day flatwork, next day ground work AND flatwork.. follow me? Then, when he was consistent in that at Allie’s farm, Clive moved up to Vass to live with my horse, Tip.

Clive: dis grass iz gud!        Tip: I know, right!?

                                                                                  

Once in Vass Clive settled right in but still demonstrated some nappiness when hacking away from the barn, and even stranger.. while going back TO the barn.  Most of us have felt that anxiety under us and its not a great feeling. My least favorite is when they don’t stand STILL so you can get OFF of them.. unnice.. Well, out came  longe lines and let the ground driving begin!!  I said “we’re going to HACK and hack is what we’re going to DO! “.. ( even if I’m walking behind the horse!)

Let’s just say I’m a huge believer in long lining/ground driving or whatever you want to call it – its a fantastic training tool. From the perspective of walking behind the horse you can see WHAT they do instead of just feel it, and can also see what might be going on to cause it.  You can also  make corrections without the risk of things deteriorating into a bad situation.

This process took weeks. I would long line Clive one day, the next day lead him to the riding area, get on and do light flatwork, get off and walk him back to the barn. The next day I’d long line him around the farm or literally into the woods on a “hack”. The next day I’d walk him out to the riding area, get on and do some flatwork, get off and lead him back. A HUGE deal was when I got on AT the barn, and rode out to the riding area, did some flat work, then rode him back. A giant thrill was when Clive hacked out with my friend Karen on her horse. A even GIGANICER thrill was when i got on and I took this lovely ( but naughty) horse on a hack all by himself.

So to make a not-so-long story even longer.. Clive is doing very well.  I can hack him out without issue but I STILL am disciplined and keep ground work in Clive’s program. He’s the kind of horse that needs it and benefits from it.

This is a video of him that Allie took last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y_q4MBIMS8&list=UUMACxClDs5tQnUR7kK3d3ZQ&index=4&feature=plcp

Notice the change in his balance (more uphill) and how much more in front of my leg he is now. Both of those things are MY decision! (OK, Clive, I know YOU’RE the one doing the actual TROTTING! geez.)

I have high hopes for CMA Clearview Heights. He’s not for a beginner, but with the right rider I know he will do great things. Its been a long road with him, and I’ll  continue on that road until he finds his ‘person’. But till then, for this horse, and for all of them, I’ll do whatever it takes.

­­­­

The more things change…

BUSY BUSY..

Spring is definitely here and summer is just around the corner here in NC! Azaleas and dogwoods are almost finished blooming. Perfect weather for hacking out across the sandy countryside!

And in the midst of all this newness and green stuff and hope for a fun impeding summer we here at CANTER Midatlantic had some sad news this past week… Our beloved Jersey Boy who was purchased by a friend here in Southern Pines succumbed to colic and had to have surgery. During surgery it was found that he had an abnormality in the small intestine that could not have been found or predicted..it was only a matter of time before it caused him trouble.. He came through the surgery great – and his prognosis for full recovery was excellent – and hopes were high. I was able to go and visit him last Sunday and was thrilled with how well he looked  Sadly, later that day he took a turn and sustained a twist in his intestine and there was nothing that could be done to save him.  Words can’t describe our heartache for this lovely young horse, his new owner, connections, their compassionate veterinarian, and the whole crew the farm where he lived. (Though its little consolation, thank goodness his owner had just insured him – so she was able to provide the care he needed when he needed it most – a sad reality, yes. But a very worthwhile investment when the unthinkable happens..)

We hope for the best.. and give them all the best chance for success.. and do what is best for each one individually… and while my heart aches for the loss of Jersey,  it swells with love and pride for the ones looking over the fence at me – hoping to be the next one, looking forward to their first XC school and whatever fate and the future has in store for them.

. Those that know me know I’m a one-man woman! But in the time I’ve been working with the CANTER horses I’ve found that I’m capable of loving more than one at a time -and when one leaves I fall in love with the next one immediately.

The CANTER horses are doing great – Burgiss has moved down to Aberdeen, started hacking out and is loving life. He’s a very sweet and quiet horse who apparently had ZERO interest in being a racehorses. I remember seeing him for the first time last august when I went up to MD to pick up CANTER horses.. Burg Hill had just come from the track and had just been gelded, poor guy. He was super cute then – as he is now. He gives the rider a very balanced and steady feeling. Because he is so uncomplicated I think he’ll go on to be a very versatile, athletic and FUN partner for whatever lucky person who takes him home. One of my favorite things about him is that EVERY time I go to get him out of the field to ride he nickers at me and comes up to me, ears pricked, very friendly and adorable. We’ve had quite a bit of interest in Burgiss lately. – naturally he lost a shoe and bruised his foot the day they wanted to see him free jump.   Isn’t that just like horses? ! The good news is that today he popped a huge abcess – yes, we love pus – and should be just fine in a few days!

Mazzie is going through a crazy growth spurt, which timed itself perfectly with her toe breaking off from an abcess that grew down from her coronet band.. she’s back in the rotation and loved going on a hack the other day with our friend Zoe Bennett, who has started helping me hack the babies out in pairs! Zoe loved Mazzie and it was great to be able to watch her with someone else riding – she’s so cute. Believe it or not she’s all legs now – yes, that’s right, the butterball is now a butterball on stilts! We’re changing her name to Mazerati because she’s a little, red sportscar!

Speaking of growth spurts, Hurry and Tommy are going through some weirdness too.. Hurry looks like his front end is standing in a hole he’s suddenly so butt high.. while Tommy looks like two men in a horse costume.. No wonder these guys weren’t successful on the racetrack.. being so physically immature.. Hurry is definitely going to be a big horse,  (16+ hands ) Tommy won’t be a giant horse (15.3)  but HOLEY MOLEY is he fancy. He’s got beautiful show hunter written all over him. Hurry is turning into quite the little tank – but an elegant tank – if that’s possible. He’s a lovely mover, and has been super easy to retrain. He has a cheeky streak – mainly when you put your leg on he’ll shake his head and say “NAH!” but then is all ‘oh ok.. i guess I can…”

Zippy has been sold and is and going to live in the heart of Virginia horse country. Congrats to Patricia, his new owner, who has the vision to look past the rough and see the diamond within! Oh, and when we said ‘you have to have this horse” she believed us! I can’t wait to hear updates about his training and progress.. I think he’s got a very bright shiny future ahead of him!

We’ve put Jester into the rotation, too! He’s a lovely 16.2 liver chestnut gelding with big movement and the look of an Eventer. I love his breeding, too. ATTENTION pedigree nerds! He’s out of an Allen’s Prospect mare – Allen’s Prospect was known for producing horses that jumped!  His first rides are proving that he is quiet and eager to learn – when he gets strong he is going to be amazing.

All of these horses are started  – come and see them!!! Feel free to send me questions about any of them.

Daylight Spending Time!

With Daylight Savings time I always think I’ll have tons more time to get things done during the day- in reality I only just get MORE busy!

Things are going great with the CANTER horses here in NC.. Jersey and Vida have moved to their new homes! While we are sad to see them go we are delighted with their opportunities to become the wonderful partners they are meant to be with their new owners and riders.

There are certain questions that I am asked all the time.. here are a few:

Why are all the CANTER horses so quiet?  When do you know when to start their retraining? There are many more but for the sake of time I’ll try to tackle just these with simple answers.

Well, there are certain things we do with all the horses.. number one is that they get turned out for at least 3 months before I hop on.

In this picture (taken last summer) Jersey said.. I’m being turned out for a few months before i startz my retrainings.. then I will be awesome! ( and he was right! )

One can have a few theories about why our horses are so quiet.. and for the most part they really are. There is no crazy bucking during the first rides, not a lot of spooking on hacks.. their biggest acts of distraction are simply that: they just don’t know any better. They don’t realize I’m trying to TEACH them anything… at first I’m just an annoying thing on their back.

Hurreador sez i lives out and I eats my hay..life iz gud..

CANTER has learned through time that our method of turning horses out for at least 3 months before retraining begins is a system that works.. it does a world of good…No, this does not make a horse TIRED, it makes them relax. They are young healthy animals and need the time to “let down” from life on the track. Certainly a good amount of turnout is necessary for their mental health as well as their physical health.. when I turn them back out after training it isn’t uncommon for them to trot or canter off, throwing a few bucks in then. They don’t do this while we ride them though,  I like to think this is because they are happy!

Mazzie sez oh hai!

Not only does it allow them to detox.. it also gives their feet time to be rebalanced, their muscles and bodies to reform and for them to realize that their life has changed… When they go into retraining they are assessed at first with a little walk, trot and canter in the ring.. to make sure they are feeling ok, to see how much steering and brakes I have – or don’t have… Then we like to transition them to a program  of long walking hacks to build muscle, balance and confidence. When their MINDS are quiet my job gets EASY.. The mind that is trusting, and relaxed and happy… THIS is the brain that can be trained!

I love me some Burgiss..!

I feel strongly that a sense of routine, keeping it short and sweet, and starting with long hacks is KEY to producing a quiet confident horse. During their DOWN time the horses live out, are fed, given hay, have farrier, vet and dentist visits.. they are wormed, and groomed, but not ridden.. We’ll bring them up to the ring once in while to see how they are moving. And to assess if they are ready for and WANT a job..

Daisy asks if she can be NEXT!

Each horse is different.. it is not uncommon for a horse to be aloof when they first come off the track.. . some are way too fit, some are just sore from track work, some might need minor injuries taken care of, others might just need a break from people, activity and work.. they’re just babies after all… Such a horse will sometimes not want to be caught in the field..will give you the stink eye when you come out to get other horses.. they’ll often make it clear they want no part of human kind.. Then one day they won’t trot off immediately when they see you .. they won’t herd the other horses away from you.. they’ll cautiously approach me when I’m putting a halter on another horse.. suddenly the aloof one will poke me in the back with their nose… I’ll pick them out of the herd and groom them one day, and soon the one that was aloof is now the one that greets me at the gate.

When they are relaxed and quiet the finally realize I’m not just riding them for my own amusement.. or just to annoy them… I also use a lot of routine with the horses.. and keep the sessions short.. 20 minutes is PLENTY long for a green horse that hasn’t been in work. At this stage of the game I want the horses to think their new job is EASY and FUN.  Quit before the horse gets tired or bored or sour.. that is when the tired overrides the desire to learn and please you.

TB’s love having a job when they’re feeling up to it.. They love attention!

Wild Jersey Boy becomes a Wild Sporthorse Boy!

We took Wild Jersey Boy to his first ever cross country school this past weekend.  The time was right – lots of hacking and walking over fallen trees and logs in the woods, walking through creeks and into ponds, and across every natural swale that passes for a ditch that I can find.  Now it was time to introduce him to real CROSS COUNTRY jumps. Ditches that are little boxes in the ground, real water jumps with banks, scary man made obstacles with brush and air underneath.  YIKES! I was so excited to get there, this adorable horse has come so far!

This is the FIRST time I rode Jersey in December. He was a little unsure of what I wanted but the FANCY was there!

In a nutshell, Jersey was a total star. We warmed up with a little w-t-c in our friend Mari’s show jump field, which Jersey thought was kind of a big deal at first. I don’t mind if young horses need to have a look around  – new places can be unnerving to them, and he was by himself which can make some horses nervous – ottb’s or not. He settled very quickly and then we hacked down to the xc schooling field with Mari on her own OTTB, Remy – who, it’s worth mentioning, came out of the CANTER trainer listings! yay!  It was fantastic to have her with us to give us a lead over jumps and to help make the experience for Jersey one that would only build his confidence.

This log is HUGE, ok?

While we might seem to get our horses going quickly,  in reality we are really very careful with them. We like them to have fun, and we are very careful not to do things to scare them or overface them.  One incident of broken trust can set your training back months!

That said, we walked around the xc jumps, letting Jersey take it all in and then simply strolled to Mari’s massive water complex.. walked into the water and across it .. No biggie! ..and it is something walking into a pond on our hacks translated to perfectly.. It didn’t take Jersey long to think that water jumps are KEWL and he decided he’d trot through ! Splashing is FUN!

A few times out of the water and hopping up the baby bank at trot and we were ready to tackle the LOGS!

We trotted over a tiny log then progressed to a bigger (beginner novice size) hogsback style pile of logs! After that we put a few little jumps together – a skinny log between trees to a stone wall and then on to another log.. this was the first time we’d cantered fences – I’m a firm believer in starting babies over solid fences at canter before Show Jump fences. Not only am I just more comfortable with it,  to me it helps them figure out what to do with their feet and gain confidence with jumps that are solid.  I found his canter to be so incredibly adjustable -  a perfect example of the JUMP doing the work of balancing him.

On to the baby ditch.. which was a non incident because by this point Jersey was wondering where the Head of the Lake was! ha! SO brave..

It’s crazy how a young horse’s mind works when it comes to new jumping experiences – there was an airy little jump that, as he came to it, his own shadow appeared after the fence. This spooked him a little but he proved to be catty and brave and got himself over it with style, natural athleticism and complete honesty!

We ended our school at this point.. completely delighted with Jersey and how he totally stepped it up to this new experience. It’s amazing how these young horses surprise me – just when you think you’re teaching THEM you find out that they are teaching YOU! Teaching you how amazing they are.. and how willing and happy they are to do new things! Love the Jerz!

Wild Jersey Boy sez: I GOTS IT!

There is nothing not to love about this young prospect. Do get in touch with us if you are interested in seeing Jersey or any of the CANTER MidAtlantic horses!

Zippy – de – doo da… Zippy – dee yaaa!

I’d like to share this fantastic article written by our friend Stephanie Diaz, scribe of all things equestrian here in the Sandhills of North Carolina. Not only is she a great horsewoman, she’s a brilliant writer as well.

http://www.thepilot.com/news/2011/jan/29/conrad-helps-horses-be-all-they-can-be/

This past weekend was Nature’s mean way of saying, “Hey, remember Spring? Well it ain’t here just yet..but here’s a little tease ” We had a fantastic weekend of riding, pulling a few manes, and spontaneously showing horses!

Allie and I had been wanting to take a couple of horses to the Moss Foundation and thought Jersey would really benefit from another nice outing – with a bit of atmosphere of having other horses around, too. We parked at Denny Emerson’s Tamarack farm, to hack from there into the Foundation. On the way we walked past his ring where he was teaching a jumping lesson to several riders. There were other horses hanging about, having finished their lessons, horses jumping, and a small group of people.  It was a great opportunity to say Hello and to mosey around a ring filled with brightly colored jumps,  including some adorned with the remains of this year’s Emerson Christmas tree  – in a nutshell – lots to look at!

Denny invited us into the ring to trot around and since I assume you pretty much never don’t do what he asks, I went ahead and started trotting Jersey around the ring, through the jumps, between the other horses.  This was Trip Off The Farm #2 and.. we quickly found out that just one trip off the farm is all it took.  Jersey Boy thought it was NO biggie and was nearly the most relaxed I’d ever felt him be. He is one of the nicest young horses I’ve ever ridden let alone trained. ( I think I might have mentioned before that I LOVE him…) They loved him, too! – naturally – and it was very rewarding to see him rise to the occasion in their midst! Nice to know we’re on the right track with our youngsters!

Meanwhile up in Cameron, Zippy has decided that HE is the next in line for training.

One of the things CANTER tries to instill in the TB racing industry is the responsible ownership of horses. Owners that genuinely care about their horses after their racing days are over, when they start to show signs of being not that interested or have the talent for  racing  – it is THIS type of owner, combined with great trainers and good exercise riders, that make the future of these horses bright. and opens the possibilities up for them for their future careers. OH, and it makes our job re-homing them so much easier!

The way a horse is first started, and then ridden daily by exercisers and jockeys – is very apparent the first time we get on them to start retraining.  Though they might not bend all that much or “go on the bit” or move laterally just yet…it is easy to tell when the BASICS are clearly there.

Zippy is just such a horse. While he may look a bit rough at the moment, living out, a little furry. He has been perfect to ride from the first time I pulled him out of the field, threw the tack on him, and hopped on to evaluate his awesomeness. He is undergoing our Spa Treatment this week and loves being groomed and generally gussied up! He has a beautiful face, and personality to go with it.

The first thing I noticed is that Zippy gave me the feel of a horse that is GOING to be a big boy. When his frame fills out and he finishes growing – he’s only just turned 4 – he should be at least 16.1.. A very elegant, dark bay gelding is IN THERE – you just have to look.. and use your imagination.

His trot is lovely – a big swinging step – free in the shoulder with a strong back. he carries himself straightly and evenly. He is “broke” to the leg – by that I mean he doesn’t scoot forward if you give a little kick, and you don’t have to work hard to GET him to move. It’s just easy. The first time I asked him to canter I don’t know which surprised (and delighted) me more, the fact that he stepped RIGHT into the correct lead immediately, or the fact that his canter was so balanced, rocking-horse rhythmic and fantastic that I was nearly speechless. (and I’m almost NEVER speechless!)   He canters easily and lightly with a loop in the reins, the rhythm and balance never changes.  His canter makes it easy to imagine a fence in front of him.

After three rides, he is starting to accept contact with the bit and LOVES to stretch down  -long and low is his new best friend. Horses tend to want to do things that feel good so if stretching down feels good to him now then that is FINE with me. When his topline develops – and we know it will – I can’t think of any limits  for this lovely boy. Kudos for Zippy’s former owners, and to all of the owners of racehorses who want to give their horses a chance for a career after the racetrack. We, at CANTER, thank you for our opportunity to take them to the next level.

We’ll get some pictures of Zippy this week.  I really look forward to sharing his retraining and development!

WANTED: true horsemen/women who can see through the sort of relative scruffy appearance of a young ex-racehorse, just a few months off the track.  Those who can look at a diamond in the rough and see the many facets waiting to be polished. Those who recognize how hard a green horse tries to figure out what us crazy people want, and appreciates the kindness and genuineness they exhibit. ONLY those who can see the amazing and astonishing potential of a beautiful horse, before the gloss, muscle and experience make it easy to see…need apply.

Field trip to the Carolina Horse Park!!

WAHOO! Our trip to the Horse Park on Sunday was a raving success! The ponies – Vida and Jersey – were REALLY good. Nothing unexpected – and everything perfectly reasonable for babies never off the “farm” (unless they were racing)! The cool part is through the power of facebook, and our own big mouths, a lot of people, including upper level riders, knew we were there with CANTER horses, and were watching our babies go. This is really rewarding, of course, and reinforces that we are on the right track, and have quality horses for all levels of riders.

I didn’t know what to expect, after all these are just babies who haven’t gone and seen a lot. But at the same time I know them and didn’t really expect any bad behavior. They didn’t disappoint at all, in fact we left the park with huge smiles on our faces and totally full of pride!

Jersey was the most “on his toes” of the two – He was the first one I got on – so it was still a little chilly out, bless his body-clipped little heart! But nothing completely out of the ordinary for him. He hacked from the trailers really well, and quietly. Once in the warm ups was when his eyes started popping!  He sometimes takes a few minutes to work in and settle, and this was one of those times.  He was basically just a little tense but TRIED so hard to hold it together – it was adorable! Lots of snorting and toe flipping! It helped him relax to have a canter instead of just trotting around so we cantered in the jumping warm-up with people coming at him and he didn’t bat an eye. He just needed some convincing that there wasn’t a starting gate out there somewhere but after another outing I think he’ll be pretty sure that life is all behind him.  The learning experience wasn’t just for the horses, though. I really was able to see a whole new side of them, and to take away a what I need to work on more with each one, as well as what to work on less!

He’s one of those horses that no one would look twice at when he was standing in a field. His work in the last month or so has really built up his topline, developed his movement, and he’s suddenly a very sturdy and athletic sporthorse type. I think he has the look and talent to be an excellent eventing partner for some lucky person and be the super-star that I believe he is!

Jersey says “How YOU dooin…?”

Vida was next up. I hopped on at the trailer and she was all” ho hum” about the whole deal…

Once we got into the atmosphere of the warm-ups and rings she woke up a bit – looking around like the JUST TURNED 4yo that she is but then settled right in and was very professional about the whole thing! I did a little w-t-c in the dressage warm-up. She also turned quite a few heads – she is SO cute!  I feel like an amazon on her but I was reassured that it doesn’t look that way, but she’s so agile I feel like I’m on a unicycle sometimes! WEEEE!  Before we were finished I tooled her around the jump warm-up and she was like, ‘oh ok, this is kewl!” She’s going to be a quick study for the lucky person who takes her home – She’ll be suitable for a variety of disciplines, too, I think – show hunters, a little eventing, whatevs!

“I feel pretty… oh so pretty..!”

Both were super good – no spooking, silliness or shenanigans.  So proud of them – next time we’ll cross country school a couple!