14-years....and counting!

Angel has never lost her inquisitive nature.

It was Spring 1997. I had graduated high school early and my days were filled with horses and riding. I'd been horseless for about 8-months, my junior career was over and it was time to move on, so I was back to catching rides on whatever came along. I had thought I had found a nice Hanoverian gelding the previous winter, but his owner's were firm in the price, which was too much, and my trainer said, "We'll find you something, just have patience..."

On March 24, 1997, a truck load of horses arrived from South Carolina. I remember the date because (one) they were a week late, one of the horses was a steeplechaser and his owner wanted one more race, and (two) this steeplechaser was renamed Oscar with the show name Academy Award - it was the night of the Oscars when they did finally arrive.

I knew one of the six horses on the van was for me, but I wasn't sure which one yet. I was secretly hoping it was Harley. He was this big bay gelding, just built like a hog and he had the most enduring personality. Every opportunity I got, I was taking care of him. After more than a month had passed, all but three horses were spoken for: Harley, Andrea and Aaron. Andrea was a young-green-grade filly. You couldn't tack her up in the cross-ties, you tacked her up in the arena, you had to lunge her before you rode, and you had to make a moving mount-up. Otherwise this filly would EXPLODE and she had a buck on her that no one stayed on! Aaron was a BIG imposing mare, very curious and inquisitive. She had the most amazing eyes and this beautiful dished face. I would hang on the fence and watch other riders school her, her jump was always flawless. I saw her take a 5' vertical with a foot to spare and it never mattered the size of the jump, her jump was always the same. She would boldly gallop to the base of the jump, spring up catlike with her knees to her nose and crack her back over the jump. She was just so round, not too many riders were able to stay with her. One day, during a home show, I was asked to turn her out in one of the back grass paddocks. I couldn't get over her size and how attentive she was, I was definitely smitten.

A few days after the home show, head trainer, Polly, told me to go get Andrea and my friend, Katie, to go get Aaron and be ready to ride in the outdoor. We were both probably nervous, I knew Andrea's reputation and by this time she had earned the nickname 'Bucking' Andrea. Katie was a good rider, so I can't imagine what she'd have to worry about. But then out of the blue, Polly came by and stood watching us get ready. She announced that she had changed her mind, I was to ride Aaron and Katie was to ride Andrea. "Whew," I thought, but then I remembered how bold Aaron was and her concussion forming jump. I was not going to win that day.

Katie and I joined the next lesson, and at the end of the hour Polly came out to check on us. I'll never forget what she said, "That one [Aaron] will like Kelly's soft hands, they'll be good together." I was ecstatic!! The date was April 28, 1997.

I had my new horse and now it was time for a new name, we had been calling her 'Aaron' because she came from Grand Prix rider Aaron Vale's farm in South Carolina. (Similarly, 'Andrea' was named for Aaron's business partner, Andrea King.) I was NOT going to call her a 'boy's' name, so at first I thought Sasha because she was so sassy over fences. I was also a big fan of Fox's Kindred: The Embraced, where one of the characters, a red-head, was named Sasha. However, the name just didn't feel right and instead I just kept calling her 'Mare'. Just a few days after I got 'Mare', I had a particularly bad jumping lesson, "It's like learning how to jump all over again....", I cried. Then it hit me, I learned how to jump on an old American Quarter Horse buckskin, named Angel (see below), and so 'Aaron' who became 'Mare' was officially christened...Angel.

Angel, an American Quarter Horse mare.

It wasn't long before Angel lived up to her new name. We were always short on taller-bigger horses in the lesson program, so I had agreed to Angel being used from time to time for the adult riders. I was not at the ring to witness this, but from what I was told, they were jumping a line of combinations and the rider became off-balance. So Angel stopped, but in doing so, somehow, got her reins caught on the jump standard pulling the jump onto herself. Angel didn't freak out, bolt, spook, panic, etc., she just stood there like a statue while my trainer walked up and untangled her. After the lesson my trainer, Beth, came up to me all smiles telling me what had happened.

This trademark in her personality has continued over the years. There was the time we were hauling to a show and her foot mysteriously became wedged under the manger in the trailer. We had to use a sledgehammer to get her free, and she didn't freak out. When people go to horse shows, they typically stay away from the loud speakers. They crackle, hiss, are loud, and basically they spook a lot of horses, not Angel; we could park right underneath one and they never bothered her. Best part was, no one else was ever parked next to us! Another time was when I had my accident, no one saw me fall and Angel got me help. A few months after my accident, I was getting on Angel bareback when I over-estimated my strength and actually leaped over her back. Instead of my falling to the ground, I had my hand still on the reins, Angel pulled back sharply keeping me upright and then lowered her head so that her head caught me in the chest.

If I hadn't decided on the name 'Angel', I think Cat would have been just as good. In all my life with horses, I have never seen such an accident prone animal...and one that has lived to tell about, too!

1. She tore her left front tendon.
2. She had a reaction to a bad rhino flu shot.
3. Said reaction^^ caused her to founder so badly she seedy toed.
4. She fell through an ice covered pond.
5. She fell into a 6' ditch, with me on her!
6. She got loose once and caught in a rope - major rope burn.
7. She slipped on ice and broke her knees open.
8. She jumped the pasture fence, landed on asphalt and re-broke open her knees.
9. She got her foot stuck under the manger on the way to a horse show.
10. She's colicked twice.
11. Has been cast once in her stall,
12. While rehabbing her took her swimming; she reared up and cracked her head on the ceiling.
13. Another time while backing out the horse trailer she slipped and cracked her head again.
14. Got stung in the eye and nearly lost said eye.
15. Accidentally stepped on her lead rope, reared up and slipped on the grass injuring her sacroiliac joint in her back. (Which has ended her career and almost her life.)

Angel doesn't let those little things bother her too much. She still gets free-range when turned out, we seriously don't pasture her just turn her loose in the yard. She rarely leaves the property and comes galloping when called. Recently she was up by the side of the garage and I called her to the back, she turned picked up a canter and jumped the corner of the back patio, a good six feet wide corner. But she didn't miss a stride, she was simply in her glory. When she was younger and I would leave the jumps up in the pasture, it was not uncommon to see her out there jumping on her own -- completely freestyle. People can say racehorses don't love to run or are not born to run, but I disagree. All you have to do is watch Angel jump something and you know that she truly loves it, so why can't racehorses love running?

Angel freestyle jumping.

One of the things I always considered myself lucky was, you couldn't tell when Angel was in season, as in ovulating. I've heard stories and I've witnessed mares that are purely witchy when in season. All they care about is not what you want them to care about and because they don't pay attention to the handler they are easily spooked and can kick out or bite. Under-saddle, I've heard its not even worth your time trying to ride them, you just can't gain their attention long enough to get any work done. Angel was never a moody mare in the sense of being nasty to ride, she was all business all the time. I just couldn't go changing my mind on distances or expecting her to carry me if we chipped in while jumping. In fact, to this day, the only way you know when she's in season is by her frequent 'potty' breaks.

On the ground was a different matter, as I've said before, Angel is truly an independent horse and has little use for humans or Dino and Sancho for that matter. She's still not moody, just a tough cookie and she truly has mellowed with age. Except when it come to blanketing. She will still nail you (or me, in this case) if you mess with her blanket. The last time my farrier was out he touched Angel's blanket up by the withers. Immediately Angel's eyes narrowed and her ears went flat back. Don't know what it is, but I think everytime she has bitten me it was over blanketing.

Even with all those injuries, freak accidents, and personality quirks, I look at Angel now and remember all the good times, 14-years worth. We know each other better than anyone, there are no secrets between us - just raw thoughts, emotions with no self interest; its a pure relationship. I look at her now and I still see this beautiful-amazing creature. This creature that is so smart, sometimes too smart for her own good, you show her something once and she'll do it herself the first chance she gets. What I don't see is this broken down animal, which is the reality. I remember in her 'glory' days she was so big that she wore an 80/82" blanket, and now her in twilight years she wears a 75". Her girth was a 52" and now she could probably wear a 48". I have to constantly remind myself now that I can no longer live in the past and rehash what was, instead I have to live in the present and cherish what time I have left with my Angel. And really, isn't that what's all about? Always being in the present and appreciative of what you have?

Angel and I enjoying some quality time.

As for 'Andrea', my friend, Katie, leased her for that summer and gave her the show name: Russian Roulette. Horse-people really do have a sick twisted sense of humor, don't they? When Angel was out for an injury and Katie had gone home for a few days, it was I who got to keep Andrea in work. As I had already mentioned, she had a buck no one could stay on....well that's not exactly true. She never got me off, she tried though, boy did she try, but I stayed on and I was the only rider to have ever done so.

Ahhh, to be young and stupid again, with a touch of stickability. :P

You want something? Don't wish for it.

You know how they say, if you want something bad enough, wish for it and it'll come true? Well it's ALL hogwash. You see, I've been wishing for wonderful riding weather. Wishing for it with all my might. What did I get instead? Rain. In fact, I have been able to work Dino since April 13! Which is why the blog has been so quiet. How was he prior to that? Doing pretty good, he was just starting to show signs of Losgelassenheit -- looseness in his back. I could visually see him swinging in his back, and let me tell you, it got me so excited! For a dressage horse, it is one of the hardest things to truly achieve. With this, Dino was also really starting to come over his back, engage his hindquarters while using them more effectively beneath him. A lot of racehorses, they, obviously, don't know how to properly use their body. So when they trot, they kind of just go up and down on their hind legs like a pogo stick. To make them more engaged, loosen their back and have a connection is really a step forward in the right direction.

But then it started raining...and it hasn't stopped!

So what else has Dino been up to? Remember a few posts back when I said Dino really doesn't have anyone in his corner? We can emphasis that now. On April 7, Dino managed to kick off Angel's stall door.

What happened was simple (and completely my fault). Angel, for whatever reason, has decided that she doesn't like the timothy grass anymore and was literally starving herself over it. So I went out and bought $4 alfalfa hay, but I'm still mixing it with the old hay. Doesn't really do me any good, Angel just shifts through it and scatters it in her stall. I don't want to waste it, so when I clean stalls I pull Angel out of hers, put Dino in there and I'll then clean Dino's stall while he finishes up her hay.

Angel's a smart girl, too smart. She knows how to open and close her stall door, open the grain barrel, the pasture gate, etc., among other things. This is were it becomes my fault. I've shown her how to do the first two things, after that she started to figure things out.

So I'm in Dino's stall, he's in Angel's stall and Angel's loose in the barn. My back is turned and out of the corner of my eye, I see Angel open her stall door and enter. Before I could even do anything, Dino started kicking. I don't know how Angel escaped unscathed, but poor Dino didn't. He actually kicked Angel's stall door off, and I'm talking the 4x6 that the door was hinged to split right down the middle and the door itself, landed 4' in front of the opening! How do I know the distance, because it cleared the 4x6 rubber mat in front of Angel's stall door.

At first, I didn't even see if Dino had any cuts on him. I thought he had injured his patella by the way he was holding his leg, and the fact he was hopping around on three legs. The patella is the knee cap and on a horse and is located at the stifle, the juncture where the hing leg meets the belly. When the patella has slipped out of place, it will move over the joint locking the leg. The best way to remedy this is to either a)back the horse up or b)pick up the hind leg, stretching it back until the horse pulls it forward. I opted for option (a) and backed Dino up to see if it popped back into place, if that was the problem. It wasn't. Then I discovered the bleeding right at his left hock. It was a good abrasion. I cleaned it up and managed not to get kicked. Yay me! Last year, while I was at WEG, I purchased a bottle of Well-Horse and I am so glad I did! It really came in handy and I'm happy to report, the product lived up to its claim. Dino's leg healed within two weeks with new hair growth. I should also mention, that Dino's entire left hind stocked up but a little DMSO cleared that up within a few days as well. I just swear by DMSO.

So without further adieu, and for your viewing pleasure, the pictures:

Angel's stall door (top), right where it landed, four feet in front of her stall. Dino's back left hock (bottom), the day after the incident.


In other good news, Dino has two projects in the works. Along the lines of National, and not just me writing here, publication. Stay tuned! ;)

In like a lion, out like a lamb

Don't you love these little weather idioms? The only one I actually like is: "A dry March and wet May, fill barns and bays with corn and hay." Not so much an idiom, but a lovely little rhyme that fills my heart...and lessens my pocketbook. But what can you do? But FINALLY, the weather has broke and the ground has dried, which can only mean one thing: back to work for Dino (and I). HA, a little rhyme. :P

We started back to work yesterday morning and it couldn't have gone better. I have to say, I had very little hope of getting anything accomplished, but Dino proved me wrong, and re-enforced the theory that horses do in fact have wonderful memories, by remembering his lessons from last year. For one, Dino walked when asked and did very little jigging. It wasn't until I made a conscious mental note he was walking that he started jigging (murphy...), but came back as soon as I asked him. So yay!

This was a very simple work/lesson, no need to over due it on the first day and risk injury. So we walked for 10 minutes in one direction, long and low, and then trotted for two minutes before changing direction and repeating. We ended on a high note when Dino halted when asked. Again, yay!

One might think: why are you so excited for something so trivial? Au contraire. Nothing is ever trivial when it comes to horses and their training, or this case reconditioning. Nothing is worse than a suspensory or tendon injury in a horse, I know...her name is Angel.

Shortly after I got Angel in April 1997, she suffered an injury to her superficial digital flexor tendon, that's the tendon below the skin and lies against the canon bone from the back of the knee to the fetlock. Angel's injury occurred just below the knee with the tendon fibres tearing. How this happened, I don't know. She could have overstretched the tendon while jumping, i.e., landing after a jumping forcing her fetlock down; she could have been overworked that day, when a horse is fatigued everything in them is fatigued and fatigued tendons loose their elasticity making them more susceptible to strain and injury; or she simply just was not in good enough condition for the workload and therefore her tendons and ligaments where not strong enough to handle the increased stress. In the end, Angel was injured and originally out a couple of months, which didn't work and she ended up being out of commission for 18 months.

So the lesson for the moment: 1)make sure your horse is properly protected from leg injuries, nothing beats a good polo wrap (IF you know how to apply them) if not good work boots that protect their legs. 2)if your horse is tired, what are you gaining by forcing them to continue working? NOTHING. So stop it! I am a big fan of walk breaks, frequent walk breaks. 3)gradually work up to a fitness level. Have a thought out plan on how you are going to get your horse and you back into shape, and have patience. It takes a lot of time to get a horse back into even a moderate workload after being off for the season or from an injury.

Of course I have a plan, I've been fretting over it for weeks now, just chopping at the bit to get back into the ring. Will the plan actually work? Well, that's a totally different question. But hopefully, weather permitting, he will be worked, no more, than 5 days a week and at least 3 days a week.

Week 1: work up to walking 20 minutes with two sets of 2 minute trots
Week 2: work up to walking 30 minutes with two sets of 5 minute trots
Week 3: same as above, add in large serpentines to prepare for flexion and suppleness
Week 4: walking 45 minutes with two sets of 15 minute trots, continue with serpentines adding in loops
Week 5: same as above, add in leg-yields
Week 6: same as above, increase trot time to two sets of 20 minute trots
Week 7: same as above, add two sets of 5 minute canters
Week 8: increase walking to 60 minutes, two sets of 20 minute trots, two sets of 10 minute canters
Week 9: walking 60 minutes, 30 minutes continuous trotting with direction change, two sets of 15 minute canters (if needed)
Week 10: same as above, start asking for impulsion

In the beginning it is not important to use my corners, I will instead work on an oval shape as Dino will be stiff. As the weeks go by and his fitness level increases, going into the corner and becoming supple will be asked. Working on downward transitions are important, especially coming off the canter.

GOAL: first horse show on June 18 and FDCTA camp, July 6-9. Between week 10 and the horse show four weeks later, will allow time to work on the test. I have not yet decided on what level we will show at, Intro or Training Level. Anyone who rides a horse should be able to show at Intro, it is only a walk and trot test with 9 - 13 'movements'. The idea is the horse should be ridden in a light and steady contact. Training Level is walk-trot-canter and has 13 - 16 'movements'. The goal here is show the horse is supple, moves freely, maintains a steady rhythm and accepts contact with the bit. I would feel better with Intro, but in all honesty, I should show at Training Level. We shall see.

After camp I hope to show Dino two more times, so it will make for three shows plus camp this year for us. I'd say that is very feasible, however, nothing is more important than having everything be a positive experience for Dino. At any time we can take several steps back and when we do, we will just regroup and try again!

Howdy!

Compensation

Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that all things are balanced by their opposites. Darkness by light, cold by heat, loss by gain. With that thought, pictures from this past winter (while waiting for the ground to dry).

Dino is always pestering Angel, February 2, 2011.

Angel eating snow, don't know why, February 2, 2011

"You caught me!"

Sancho in a snowstorm, December 13, 2010.

Sancho cantering in the snow, December 13, 2010.

Dino trotting in the snow, December 13, 2010.

Dino being nosy, February 2, 2011

An Empty Corner

My farrier came out this morning to trim everyone's hooves. Dino was first and he had been good all morning with me, so I didn't think much of it. But he kicked at my farrier. Three times. And then charged him when he was back in his stall. He then did the same thing to me, which he hasn't done in about a year. You know, right about now, Dino doesn't have anyone in his corner.

I was thinking about this last night; we've simply gotten use to having two seniors that have been there done that, two seniors who are quiet and don't give much trouble. But, as I reminded my Dad, they weren't always that way.

Angel was a tough horse. I remember just to clip her you'd place her in cross ties, have a chain over her nose, someone would ear twitch her, someone else would hold onto the lip twitch and she'd still be fighting. And man, when she got mad her big brown eyes would just glow red with fury. She was the complete stereotypical (Chestnut mare, beware) package of a chestnut thoroughbred mare with a double swirl; pretty, feisty, head strong, brave, tough, hot, etc.

Riding Angel was an adventure, then AND now. She is the perfect example on why you shouldn't over jump a jumper, instead spend about 95% of the time on the flat and only 5% over jumps. She was nearly impossible to flat, went in a simple egg-butt snaffle - I'd say it was a heavy weight snaffle, very thick. She was always behind the vertical, meaning that she carried her nose just off her chest, kind of like someone who's using too much draw rein. I think I had her atleast a week before I ever cantered her. Boy did she have a stride on her, scared the crap out of me!! An average horse's stride is about 12', Angel's was closer to 14', so it made jumping more difficult. At the end of that first week my trainer at the time, Beth, told me I had the weekend to learn how to canter her...or else! 'Or else' was the silent threat that I was loosing something, probably my stirrups, but I did learn.

When it came to jumping Angel, there was no going back. If the line was a straight forward six strides, I may ask, at the last minute, for seven. Inevitable, we'd chip in which is a big no-no. Angel didn't play that game. If I committed to that six strides, it was six strides. If I tried to see-saw her into seven, she'd make it five. Angel had experience showing in the Level Five classes (3'9" - 4'), she knew more than I. A lot more. So I really needed to let her teach me. She always took care of me and never had a stop in her. No matter the distance I put her at a jump or the angle, she tried. Even if her ears were flat back and her tail swishing angrily.

On the ground, Angel could be sweet as strawberry pie one minute and angry as a hornet the next. She just had no use for people and when you bothered her too much, watch out! Angel took people, including myself, in doses and was truly an independent horse. When I brought Sancho home, we had them in the pasture together. I was holding Sancho and Dad had Angel, we were just letting them touch noses. There was something about the look in Angel's eyes that made me warn Dad, "You better step back..." and that was all I got out because at that very moment, she lunged open mouth for Sancho's jugular! To this day, I don't think she'd care if Sancho or Dino disappeared never to be seen again. She'd probably enjoy the peace and quiet!*lol*

Señor Sancho is a different character all together. You don't find Paso Finos bred like him anymore and if you do, you're shelling out some money. Pasos today, I really don't like. They look very weak in the loin and croup, and appear to become strung out while gaiting. Sancho's just bred so nicely, but maybe I'm just biased. ;) Even at 23, Sancho still has brio, meaning controlled energy or spirit. I must of had Sancho two or three years before he ever walked under-saddle, it was always go-go-go. In hand, Sancho's respectful. Most of the time atleast. He has his 'stupid' moments. But he's a typical Paso; he's got brio, he strives to please, is very willing, responsive, etc. But he still has his moments, those stupid frustrating moments, I just want to rip my hair out moments, moments thinking to myself, muttering to him, screaming/yelling across a field: "I'M GOING TO KIIILLLLL YOOOOUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!! It happens. I can only imagine what my neighbors think...probably why they don't talk to me. Whatever, let them deal with that nut job.

Back to Dino, Dino who is relatively young, feisty, tough, hot, head-strong, athletic, and can test one's patience...

By George, I'VE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's Angel and Sancho all rolled into one!

Sh*t. I am soooo screwed.

"Where art ends, violence begins."

I can't take credit for the above quote, it was actually said by Col. Bengt Lundquist. Col. Lundquist was a Swedish dressage master and is credited with bringing dressage to the United States. He wrote the Practical Dressage Manual back in the early 80's and nearly 30-years later it is still a must read.

When you work with horses, especially on your own, you become your own 'trainer' with your own philosophy or rules to live by. My philosophy is something I call: The 3, 3's.

1. A horse has the mental capacity of a 3-year-old child.
2. If you discipline a horse, you must do it within the first 3 seconds of it doing something wrong. Otherwise they've forgotten and you're just being abusive.
3. When you do discipline them, only do so for 3 seconds and walk away.

I am ashamed to say that I recently broke my rules. Since this blog is titled the Ups & Downs, I thought in an effort to be honest, I must write about what happened.

A little more than a month ago, Dino started becoming aggressive. At first it was towards my Dad and it was just little things, like pinning his ears when he walked by his stall. Then one day, Dad went into his stall to change out water buckets and Dino wanted out. Dad pushed him back and while Dino stood in the corner, he charged my Dad with ears flat back and mouth open. Dad told me about it and said he got after him. At the time he stressed, "I don't trust him."

In my mind, I thought, "Whatever, I trust Dino. He wouldn't do that to me." It didn't take long before I ate my words. Our barn is 30' by 40' with the stalls along the east side wall. In the northwest corner is the hay mound, directly between the hay mound and Sancho's stall, is where the grain and bedding is stored. Our barn is an open floor plan, if the horses can't get out and we're doing stalls, we just let them out into the 'court-yard', if you will. At some point, someone was being naughty, I don't know if it was Angel or Dino, but my Dad got a rope to fasten across the width of the barn to Angel's stall, to keep them out of the hay. Okay, I was lazy in a hurry, whatever, but I didn't fasten the rope across as I was cleaning Dino's stall one day last month. He got into the hay, I yelled at him, he moved away and when I approached him he got aggressive. Laid back his ears, switched his tail, his mouth tightened...all the signs that I know is his way of telling me, "I'm in no mood."

It didn't deter me, I thought in my silly human mind, "I'm the boss here, what I say goes." So I asked Dino to move over, nothing. I told Dino to move over, nothing. Well now I'm annoyed and I made Dino move over. He turned his butt towards me and double-barreled kicked at me. I would like to think I reacted about the same as anyone would, I was angry and I immediately got after him. I made him move and continued to do so until I felt he had moved his feet enough and I gained some respect before I allowed him to stop. Remember, this is a 30' x 40' barn with three stalls, 18' from the front of their stalls to the opposite wall and about 30' from the hay mound to the front of the barn; so its about 18' x 30' of free space. Really the horses can only walk in there, maybe a few steps of trot but nothing else - there's just no room, so it wasn't like I was running him ragged. But I did keep him moving.

About a week goes by and the same darn thing happens. Dino got into the hay mound, I got after him and he kicked at me - one foot this time, the back right. He was so close to me this time, I literally had to spit out dirt and small stones. I reacted differently this time, I was angry and there was a level of fear that rose up within me and more than anything, I reacted to that fear than to my anger. I, again, got after Dino. When I went to grab his halter, he reared. He didn't strike out, just reared up. That pretty much sealed it. I was no longer thinking clearly. I can't even begin to speculate how much time elapsed, it felt like no more than 10 minutes, but I'm sure it was much longer. Needless to say, when I was done Dino was shaking with his nose to the ground.

It was at that moment that I saw what I had done to him and I immediately backed off. I was sitting on something, don't recall what, watching Dino watch me. I softly called to him and he, without hesitation, came directly to me. It would be nice if I could say we shared a moment, but we didn't. I finished in the barn and went up to the house to email my trainer. I was honest about it and asked for guidance in this situation. I even reached out to a few horse friends, who all quickly attempted to assure me it was okay. I needed to get after him and even it was done harshly, he was less likely to do it again.

Wrong.

It was like three days later and I was in Dino's stall cleaning it with him in there. I asked him to move, nothing. I told him to move, aggression. I made him move and he kicked. This time my pitchfork was the causality. He nailed that sucker and had it been bone instead of plastic and wood, he would have broken, no shattered, the bone. Of course, it would have been my knee or thigh he was that close. Once again, I got after him. Which was stupid, because at one point I was in the corner with no where to go. Which in hindsight is how Dino felt, trapped.

Every month I get four horse magazines: Horse Illustrated, Dressage Today, Practical Horseman, and Equus. One might ask, "Why so many magazines?" I like learning about new techniques and sometimes what someone writes, can resonate deeply when the right person reads it. They can see things more clearly, understand a situation better, take what that person learned - apply it to their life/situation, and it all allows them to become a better person.

The March issue of Equus had two such articles. One was titled "Get Your Horse's Attention", in which Cherry Hill talks about combating boredom, anticipation and sourness. Right now, Dino is sour. A horse who is sour will pin their ears, switch their tail, head shaking, bucking (kicking), bulk when asked to move,etc. This paragraph spoke volumes to me, "Finally, sourness can develop when the lines of communication between horse and rider are broken. In particular, the communication sequence is broken if you forget the importance of acknowledgment and yielding. If you don't yield (reward) when the horse does something correctly but, instead, you try to "hold" your horse [...]" This is not something that happened over night, our communication has been breaking down for a while now. I just kept thinking, "Winter, it's bound to happen. It'll get better when we can get back to work." I know I need to re-establish the lines of communication with Dino if we are to move past this. Waiting for the ground to thaw is not going to work here.

The second article is part of a series, "Saving Sophie". Author Ann Hardy was a journalist who adopted an Appaloosa filly, Sophie, whom was rescued from slaughter. In part III of the series, Ann and Sophie are facing their own communication breakdown. Ann found help in a new trainer, Emily, who believes Sophie's "integration into a herd was paramount. As prey animals, horses need a herd in order to feel safe. Also, the pecking order of a herd would teach Sophie valuable lessons in terms of respect and hierarchy - in other words, she would not be allowed to be a brat [...]" Dino is a race-horse-brat, he was isolated so long at the track that he really doesn't know how to act in a herd. And right now, who's going to teach him? My 23-year-old 13.2-hand Paso Fino gelding or my 21-year-old lame (read: crippled) thoroughbred mare? When it comes down to it, I am the fourth member of the heard and it's up to me to find a better way to communicate with him about what is acceptable and what is not. Again, communication.

Probably the best was Jim Wofford's column in Practical Horseman, "Our Horses, Our Teachers", which is where the title of this post came from. I love reading Jim's column every month, there is always something to learn from them. This time around Jim was really stressing just how much we learn from our horses and he goes on to list what he has learned: Patience; Ignore gender and color; Work beats talent everytime; Plan for success; Punctuality; Sense of humor; and Optimism. What stuck out at me the most was optimism. "You only need three things to be happy: Someone to love, something to do, and someone to do it with. If you love horses, this takes care of itself. "

That last day, when Dino kicked at me and got my pitchfork, I had a good cry in his stall. Just wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed. I just felt that I couldn't put up with that type of behavior and he probably needed to go. It was at that moment that I felt compassion, but it wasn't coming from me, it was coming from Dino. You see, as I was crying, Dino had wrapped his neck around me almost laying his cheek against my ear with his nose over my shoulder. I caught my breath for a second and thought, "How weird, its like he's hugging me back." Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing here and it probably doesn't even matter, I just knew in that moment that Dino and I are in this together, that together Dino and I will ride this out and be better partners on the other side.

In the midst of all of this, Dino turned nine on February 13.

YAY, Dino!!!

Dino's page on the Thoroughbred Adoption Network, courtesy of Maker's Mark Secretariat Center.

Dino was also the "Secretariat Descent of the Day" on Secretariat's Meadow. (Please scroll down to see the mention. :)

I am on this personal mission to get Dino's story out to as many people as possible. Hopefully in doing so, would let people know that off the track thoroughbreds are not 'ruined' and can be re-trained for second career. Which is why I write this blog.

A month ago, Eclipse Awards put out a question on their facebook page, "If you could make a new category for an award at the Eclipse Awards what would it be and why?"

This was my answer: A former racehorse who's made an impact outside of racing. Whether he/she is a showhorse (4H to international level), is used in search and rescue, or found a new life as a rehab mount (for mentally or physically handicapped children and/or adults). This is also something that should be voted on by the Turf Writers Guild AND the public. They get nominated by the guild, but the public chooses. Much like how CNN has their Heroes Award. Submitting can be via Youtube along with a 1,500 word essay. The winner gets their own Eclipse and a feature story (including cover) on the Blood-Horse. This would be a great way to give attention to the retired thoroughbred racehorse. Boost adoptions and maybe even give incentives to trainers and owners for their horses; make sure these horses get a second lease on life after racing.

I firmly believe in this and hope to see it become a reality one day.