I ran across this video a couple years ago. I often go back to watch it. I have watch it probably 50 times, maybe more and each time, it send chills up my spine. Each time, I am in awe at the sheer mastery of horsemanship of this rider and the profound relationship he has developed with his horse. Leaving the highly heated debate of the Spanish Bull Fighting aside, one cannot argue the fact that this duo has something special, something earned. Those of us striving to develop a deeper relationship, better communication or just better riding skills. take note. There is alot going on between man and horse in this video that most of us can only begin to grasp.
I don't know about any of you, I find this video an inspiration.
I encourage you to appreciate the tradition that this sport is steeped, look past the graphic content , and truly watch to see some amazing horsemanship unfold before your eyes.
Warning- somewhat graphic content
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
January Blahs
Imprisoned into the safe confines of sanded corrals, the horses are crabby, sullen and terribly bored. Their legs yearn to run, their lungs to burn with the icy crystalized air and their manes tossing wildly with the gusting winter winds. They will have to wait.The ice sheet that now covers the majority of our 5 acres left me no choice last weekend. A decision between safety and confinement or freedom and danger. I chose safety. The risk of a a horse down on the ice, unable to get up , or worse, a broken limb, was too high.
I hate winters like this; lots of snow with below freezing temps, followed by a warming trend which brings rain and melting snow, only to be followed by dipping temps once again and snow, to now hide the disastrous footing from unsuspecting equines.
So, we have officially entered the January blahs, a point in time where my horses and myslef long for warmer days to frolic and play in the sunshine.
C'MON SPRING!!!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Picasa help!
Okay, it CANNOT possibly be this difficult to upload photos from Picasa but apparently it is..
I saved certain photos to a specific album name in Picasa, then opened up a new gadget for a slideshow, chose Other, copied the URL from the new folder and when I saved it, the gadget just sat there and said "loading" forever and never actually uploaded any photos...
Any advice???
I saved certain photos to a specific album name in Picasa, then opened up a new gadget for a slideshow, chose Other, copied the URL from the new folder and when I saved it, the gadget just sat there and said "loading" forever and never actually uploaded any photos...
Any advice???
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Dirty Laundry
A blog is a wonderful place to connect with others, meet new people, share interests, bounce ideas and blab about whatever your heart desires. I started my blog for all those reasons and because I love horses, I love to talk about horses and I love to talk to other people about horses. Pretty simple.
Since starting this blog in 2008, I have shared a lot of things, mostly horse related but there have been a few other topics as well. I have enjoyed having it as a “creative “ outlet of sorts but at times, I have struggled with finding a balance between not sharing those things that I feel should be left sacred and sharing those things that are okay to share that my readers would enjoy reading . I have also treaded lightly on subjects that can turn into a perceived insult. Lets face it, horse people can have pretty strong opinions and thoughts about how things should be done when it comes to horses. In a lot of cases, I have found those opinions, methods, and thoughts are all too often based on ego driven agendas with horse people. In 2011 I might risk going out on a limb a bit and dabble into a few more “touchy” horse subjects that I have avoided in the past.
In the meantime, I thought it might fun to air a bit of my dirty laundry with you all and followed in the steps of a post idea that several , like EG, Tamara , Funder (and probably numerous others) have already done.
Here's 31 “things about me” that you probably didn’t know , or would have never guessed, or maybe didn’t want to know but now do??? Anyways, hope you enjoy them and try not to laugh too hard???
1.I first fell in love with the Spanish Horses in 1995 when I had the rare opportunity to train one of the first few Spanish Norman fillies by Spanish-Norman sire Romantico HHF from Hamid Hill Farms. I also had the honor to show her in harness at her very first show. She was awesome and I was in love. I knew I definitely wanted another Spanish horse someday back then. I never knew the experience would come full circle with having the opportunity to own the type of horse, a Barb, proclaimed to be the ancestor of the Spanish Norman warhorses Linda and Allan were breeding back then. Life is funny.
2.I love splitting wood as an occasional stress relief.
3.I am quirky and get worse as I get older.
4.I am obsessive compulsive about things, like unplugging my curling iron before leaving the house in the morning. I have been known to get miles down the road , only to have to turn around to re check it again, only to find, every time, that I did in fact unplug it (it does have an auto shut off , but don’t go there)
5. I am left handed to eat and write with, but do almost everything else right handed.
6. I occasionally partake in Horseback archery competitions and have to hold the bow upside down in order to hit the target. Must be a left handed thing…
7. I swam before I walked because my older sibling threw me in our pool (with water wings ofcourse) when mom and dad weren’t watching.
8. I prefer not to use the last of anything, especially toothpaste. Refer to # 3 for an explanation.
9. I constantly misplace my car keys.
10. I have the olfactory sense of a bloodhound. I can smell things you don’t even want to know about.
11. I think I have a good sense of direction until I get lost, which happens a lot…
12. I was kicked in the head by a horse at the age of 11 and should not have survived.
13. I ruptured my spleen a year later and almost bled to death. The spleen healed on its own with blood transfusions as supportive therapy. The surgeons said it was unheard of given how bad the rupture was.
14. I never outgrew that annoying habit that kids have of asking “why” . I am insanely curious about things and tend to be a research geek. I never settle on an answer until I have researched it myself.
15. I have more interests than I have time to pursue.
16. I am deathly afraid of lizards, spiders and snakes and I don’t much like chickens or turkeys either.
17. I have two brothers and a sister.
18. I have an eclectic taste in music but my favorite is Jazz. My uncle was a jazz musician.
19. I am pretty good at shredding people verbally if they want to argue about something and I am a master at using one’s own words against them.
20. I require a lot quiet and alone time.
21. I spent several years wishing I was the crafty creative type. I tried various crafts, trying to find the one that worked for me. I went through cross stitching, sewing, beading, bracelet making, quilting and who knows what else. In the end, I ruined a sewing machine, glued myself to material, and all kinds of other mishaps before I resigned to the fact that I am not crafty or creative. If I am lucky, I can sort of sew a button on my shirt in an emergency… maybe.
22. On the other hand, I am pretty good at interior design. Go figure.
23.I absolutely cannot follow a recipe to save my life. I always have to change something. I blame it on growing up with my Hungarian grandmother who was an amazing cook. I inherited her skills.
24. I hate unloading the dishwasher.
25.I find belly buttons repulsive and belly button jewelry triggers my gag reflex. Feet are barely tolerable. Again, see #3.
26. I learned to play a Jembe drum but in the process, also learned that I am Rhythym challenged. That would explain why I dance like Elaine on Seinfeld.
27. I find it hilarious when people fall and have offended more than one person as a result. I am told it’s a nervous response. I diasagree, I just find it friekin hilarious to watch people fall down.
28.I grew up living next to Meryl Steep and knew all her kids.
29. I taught Jane Curtain’s daughter how to ride horses in Pony Club.
30. I excercised one of Whoopi Goldbergs Arabians for a summer. He was crazy.
31. I hate shopping, unless it's for horse stuff..hate hate hate it.
So there you have it...me and all my "quirks"
Bonus(just because)
I am ALWAYS the one to find a hair or something disgusting in my food at a restaurant. AlWAYS....
Saturday, January 1, 2011
From Our farm to yours ...
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. Here's to new beginnings, new trails, and new adventures.
All the best to you as we begin yet another year at Acer Farm.
All the best to you as we begin yet another year at Acer Farm.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Season's Greetings
Forgive me. This is late.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who read my ramblings, of which I have not been very good at these days.I will work on it, I promise. But you should all know. There are many days that just seeing your responses makes my day, just knowing that some of you read what I actually write. It's hard to believe but I am very grateful. Writing this blog allows me to connect to others in this large world that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do.. so thank you.
Since I was late for Christmas, I may as well be early for the next holiday.
Happy New Year !!
I know, I know, 2011 isn’t quite here yet but I am really looking forward to a new start. Heaven knows I need one.
2010 was one of the roughest years I can recall. It was a year of many stressors. It had a few high spots like completing Maggie’s first limited distance but overall, 2010 was a year of big challenges for me. Everything from health issues with family and friends, divorces, deaths, injured horses, expensive vehicle repairs and just when I thought I had reached a point where the year's misgivings couldn't possibly get any more difficult, it did just that.
I found myself faced with having to say goodbye to my best friend of over 12 years, my dog Munci. On December 23rd I had to make the devastating decision to say goodbye to Munci. He had developed cancer and by the time we saw any symptoms, the cancer had metastasized into his lungs. There was nothing we could do except keep him as comfortable as possible, give him lots of love, pray for a miracle and wait. Prayers are often answered in ways that you don’t always understand. My prayer was for Munci to make a miraculous recovery so we could have more time but most of all, my prayer for him was not to suffer. I didn’t get the first part of that prayer answered but the second part was. It was only a period of 5 days from the time we learned of the cancer before Munci and I had to part our ways. It will take some time to adjust to the silence that remains after a dog is no longer there in your home anymore.
Looking back at 2010 , I have to believe there is some other force out there that explains why so many difficult times ensued in 2010 for me. Maybe 2011, I get a clean slate. Atleast that is what I am hoping for.
Usually this time of year, I begin putting together a plan for training and conditioning for endurance, getting ready for at least one ride. Unfortunately, Hooves and Company, the local distance riders group I am part of, won’t be putting on a local ride like they (we) normally would. That means that I won't have access to a local ride in 2011. That really stinks butat this point, I am not going to stress about it.
Instead, my plan is pretty simple… just ride, as often as I can, as long as I can. JB will need many hours of rebuilding, mentally and physically. Maggie just needs many hours period. If a ride works out that I can attend, great, even if I have to travel. If not, I can still ride and log miles. I am planning a few weekend horse camping trips with friends. I am just looking forward to a summer of good times spent with good friends and good horses.
There are other things in store for 2011 at Acer Farms as well.
Stay tuned and once again, thank you for reads Barbs Etc.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who read my ramblings, of which I have not been very good at these days.I will work on it, I promise. But you should all know. There are many days that just seeing your responses makes my day, just knowing that some of you read what I actually write. It's hard to believe but I am very grateful. Writing this blog allows me to connect to others in this large world that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do.. so thank you.
Since I was late for Christmas, I may as well be early for the next holiday.
Happy New Year !!
I know, I know, 2011 isn’t quite here yet but I am really looking forward to a new start. Heaven knows I need one.
2010 was one of the roughest years I can recall. It was a year of many stressors. It had a few high spots like completing Maggie’s first limited distance but overall, 2010 was a year of big challenges for me. Everything from health issues with family and friends, divorces, deaths, injured horses, expensive vehicle repairs and just when I thought I had reached a point where the year's misgivings couldn't possibly get any more difficult, it did just that.
I found myself faced with having to say goodbye to my best friend of over 12 years, my dog Munci. On December 23rd I had to make the devastating decision to say goodbye to Munci. He had developed cancer and by the time we saw any symptoms, the cancer had metastasized into his lungs. There was nothing we could do except keep him as comfortable as possible, give him lots of love, pray for a miracle and wait. Prayers are often answered in ways that you don’t always understand. My prayer was for Munci to make a miraculous recovery so we could have more time but most of all, my prayer for him was not to suffer. I didn’t get the first part of that prayer answered but the second part was. It was only a period of 5 days from the time we learned of the cancer before Munci and I had to part our ways. It will take some time to adjust to the silence that remains after a dog is no longer there in your home anymore.
Looking back at 2010 , I have to believe there is some other force out there that explains why so many difficult times ensued in 2010 for me. Maybe 2011, I get a clean slate. Atleast that is what I am hoping for.
Usually this time of year, I begin putting together a plan for training and conditioning for endurance, getting ready for at least one ride. Unfortunately, Hooves and Company, the local distance riders group I am part of, won’t be putting on a local ride like they (we) normally would. That means that I won't have access to a local ride in 2011. That really stinks butat this point, I am not going to stress about it.
Instead, my plan is pretty simple… just ride, as often as I can, as long as I can. JB will need many hours of rebuilding, mentally and physically. Maggie just needs many hours period. If a ride works out that I can attend, great, even if I have to travel. If not, I can still ride and log miles. I am planning a few weekend horse camping trips with friends. I am just looking forward to a summer of good times spent with good friends and good horses.
There are other things in store for 2011 at Acer Farms as well.
Stay tuned and once again, thank you for reads Barbs Etc.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
One, Two, Three; One, Two , Three; One, Two, Three
Yes, I am counting. What am I counting? I'll get to that in a minute..
So, it's only days before Christmas is here. Are you still shopping, wondering what to get your horsey friends? I have the perfect thing.
For endurance riders, we're kind of a funny bunch. We're really into our equipment and many are really into accessories... We spend alot of time in the saddle and we focus alot on pacing, rhythym and timing. We all know that if we are tuned into our horse and our horse is tuned into us, we'll likely both come through 25, 50 or more miles a lot less fatigued. Getting into a rhythm is pretty important.Often times, when I am working in the arena on dressage or other flat work, I find playing music with a good beat helps both the horse and myself find cadence in a canter , or keeps the trot steady but having access to music while your out riding the trail isn’t always convenient, even with the age of personal music devices such as IPods. If you want your horse to be able to hear it, you need to pack along speakers and that just doesn't work. Believe me I have tried. As it turns out , there's another way to bring along some music with you and your steed out on the trail.
Rhythm beads, aka Speed beads. You’ve probably heard of them. Or maybe not.
What are Rhythm beads? Only the coolest thing I think an endurance rider could possibly accessorize their endurance "get up" with, in my humble opinion. !
They are jewelry for your horse but they are more than that. I think it’s a valuable training aid used to help accentuate the rhythm and cadence of your horses gaits. Remember that counting I was doing???
Those of you that are Rhythmically challenged….. listen up! This could be your ticket to not bouncing into your saddle anymore!
These Rhythm beads are worn like a necklace on your horse, just in front of his/her shoulders. They are typically made of glass beads interspersed with small bells. Similar to how a musician uses a metronome, the bells and beads omit a soft jingle as the horses move with each stride. It helps the rides learn to hear the gait, then learn to feel the gaits. Even better, horses seem to get something from them as well and will often learn to follow a tempo.Its not uncommon to see these necklaces worn in the dressage shows where riders and horses score depends stricly on finding rhythym and cadence in every gait at every moment. I have even used them when I do a little jumping to help me count strides between fences. The beads can also serve other functions as well. On the trail, they help alert wildlife that something is approaching. That can be beneficial when you live where I do and occasionally have to deal with bears , wolves and cougars. The last thing I want to do is surprise a mama Griz with a cub. The rhythm beads would let her know something is coming long before I get there, hopefully. (Ofcourse, I could always strap on a few larger bells to my saddle like a lot of riders do here, but to me they are kind of like a dinner bell to a bear since all the hikers in the park wear those big metal bells. Besides, the rhythm beads have a much nicer sound. Ofcourse, the other perk is simply that it kind of looks nice on your horse, you can match it to your color scheme and with most women, we all like to accessorize, right???
You can google rhythm beads and find a number of places that sell them or, if your like me, you can dabble into making your own and get double to pleasure of coming up with your own customized design. What a fun winter project!! And what a great gift idea!
So, it's only days before Christmas is here. Are you still shopping, wondering what to get your horsey friends? I have the perfect thing.
For endurance riders, we're kind of a funny bunch. We're really into our equipment and many are really into accessories... We spend alot of time in the saddle and we focus alot on pacing, rhythym and timing. We all know that if we are tuned into our horse and our horse is tuned into us, we'll likely both come through 25, 50 or more miles a lot less fatigued. Getting into a rhythm is pretty important.Often times, when I am working in the arena on dressage or other flat work, I find playing music with a good beat helps both the horse and myself find cadence in a canter , or keeps the trot steady but having access to music while your out riding the trail isn’t always convenient, even with the age of personal music devices such as IPods. If you want your horse to be able to hear it, you need to pack along speakers and that just doesn't work. Believe me I have tried. As it turns out , there's another way to bring along some music with you and your steed out on the trail.
Rhythm beads, aka Speed beads. You’ve probably heard of them. Or maybe not.
What are Rhythm beads? Only the coolest thing I think an endurance rider could possibly accessorize their endurance "get up" with, in my humble opinion. !
They are jewelry for your horse but they are more than that. I think it’s a valuable training aid used to help accentuate the rhythm and cadence of your horses gaits. Remember that counting I was doing???
Those of you that are Rhythmically challenged….. listen up! This could be your ticket to not bouncing into your saddle anymore!
These Rhythm beads are worn like a necklace on your horse, just in front of his/her shoulders. They are typically made of glass beads interspersed with small bells. Similar to how a musician uses a metronome, the bells and beads omit a soft jingle as the horses move with each stride. It helps the rides learn to hear the gait, then learn to feel the gaits. Even better, horses seem to get something from them as well and will often learn to follow a tempo.Its not uncommon to see these necklaces worn in the dressage shows where riders and horses score depends stricly on finding rhythym and cadence in every gait at every moment. I have even used them when I do a little jumping to help me count strides between fences. The beads can also serve other functions as well. On the trail, they help alert wildlife that something is approaching. That can be beneficial when you live where I do and occasionally have to deal with bears , wolves and cougars. The last thing I want to do is surprise a mama Griz with a cub. The rhythm beads would let her know something is coming long before I get there, hopefully. (Ofcourse, I could always strap on a few larger bells to my saddle like a lot of riders do here, but to me they are kind of like a dinner bell to a bear since all the hikers in the park wear those big metal bells. Besides, the rhythm beads have a much nicer sound. Ofcourse, the other perk is simply that it kind of looks nice on your horse, you can match it to your color scheme and with most women, we all like to accessorize, right???
You can google rhythm beads and find a number of places that sell them or, if your like me, you can dabble into making your own and get double to pleasure of coming up with your own customized design. What a fun winter project!! And what a great gift idea!
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