seasoned rider magazine july/august 2012

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WHAWHAT CAN’T T CAN’T WE DO??WE DO??

One Horse!

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Four Phases That Test Your Skills, Your Horsemanship & Your Confidence!

Four Phases That Test Your Horse’s Trust and Confidence in You!

Do you and your horse have what it takes to meet the challenge?

Phase IHorsemanship - Arena Class

Tests your riding skills!

Phase IITrail Obstacles - Outdoor Trail CourseTests your trail skills and confidence!

Phase IIIGround Horsemanship/Trust - Arena Obstacles in Hand

Tests the partnership you have with your horse!

Phase IVFreestyle -

Use of props, costumes, music and telling a story is encouraged.Tests your horse’s confidence in you!

Introducing:Seasoned RiderChallengeTM

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8 GETTING BACK IN THE SADDLE AFTER A BAD EXPERIENCE

By Cheryl Childs

10 EPM The clinical and personal sides

By Cheryl Childs

13 CUTEST COUPLE WINNERS

16 STRETCHING THE TRUTH“I didn’t have to stretch when I was 17”

By Bob Goddard

18 MASTERS POLOCROSSE IN AUSTRALIAFast-paced action-packed sport

By Amanda Lund

20 CALIFORNIA MISSION RIDE

21 UNIVERSITY RE-TRAINS HARNESS RACERS By Cassie Elia

6 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

12 THE FEED BAGDelicious Recipes

15 SPECIAL FICTION SERIESStarting Over - Part 1

22 REVIEW CORRAL100 Years in Harness by Nicole Kraft

23 EQUESTRIAN LIFESTYLECatering to the Equestrian Lifestyle

24 HEART AND SOULWhat’s Not to Like

Feature Articles

Departments25 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT/REVIEW

26 IT GET BETTERS WITH AGEPhotos Submitted by Seasoned Riders

28 HEALTHY RIDERYoga and Horseback Riding? YES!

29 LEGENDARY HORSES

30 TRAVEL ADVENTURESTorres del Paine, Childe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

“Over 40 Riders Rock”

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Volume I Issue 3 2012

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Seasoned RiderTM Magazine is published bi-monthly byWinning Colors Media. Seasoned RiderTM does not endorse thecontent of any advertisement in this publication, nor does itwarrant the accuracy of any advertisement. All photographs andcopy are subject to publisher’s approval. The publisher reservesthe right to refuse any advertising for any reason. At no timeshall the publisher’s liability exceed the cost of the advertisingspace involved. © Seasoned RiderTM. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or part without written permission fromthe publisher is prohibited.

5

Publisher:Winning Colors Media

Editor:Cheryl Childs

E-Mail: [email protected]

Associate Editor/Art Director:Cathy Childs


Associate Art Director:Judith Evans


Contributing Writers:Cassie Elia

Mark GochmanBob GoddardAmanda Lund

Cassie Mangold

Senior Marketing ConsultantCathy Childs


Advertising/Marketing ConsultantsWestern United States

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From The Editor’s Desk:I don’t know how many of you have read, or have heard of, the chil-

dren’s book the Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen. Itis about about two weavers who promise an Emperor a new suit ofclothes made out of the finest cloth money can by and the very vaneEmperor who gives them the money to buy that cloth. However, the twoweavers don’t spend the money on the cloth so they come up with arather clever plan.

They convince the Emperor and everyone around him that the clothis invisible to those who are unfit for their position, stupid, or incompe-tent. When the Emperor parades before his subjects in his new clotheseveryone acts as though they can see the clothes, except for a childwho cries out "But he isn't wearing anything at all!” Okay, what doesthis have to with anything horse related? Well I’m about to explainthat.

I think we oftentimes have Emperor’s New Clothes syndrome in the horse world. We are some-times convinced by people in our industry that we should see things a certain way and do things a cer-tain way. They convince some of us if we don’t do that it’s because we are not smart enough or savvyenough to understand what they are doing. Not wanting to look foolish, people often go along withoutquestioning what they are being asked to do or what they are seeing - which can lead to problems forthe horse and the human.

For example, there has been a real trend lately of people standing on the their horse’s back which(unless you have a trick saddle, are a trained trick rider and your horse is trained for trick riding) couldvery well get you hurt, but nobody seems to want to say that to those people standing on the back oftheir horses. In other words - let’s not tell the Emperor he is naked, because we might look as if we arenot smart enough to understand why people are doing this.

People are also riding their horses with no bridle or halter and using a stick to control the horse,which, in my professional opinion is not safe, especially on the trail. We need to tell the Emperor thatwhat he is doing is dangerous.

I have seen a video of a clinician, at an event, asking those participating to stand up in their stirrups,put their hands behind their backs and ask their horses for a trot. Thankfully, those participants werewearing helmets. That was a dangerous thing to ask anyone to do on horseback. Those riding in thatclinic should have said “ No, are you crazy?”, but they wouldn’t have wanted to appear ignorant orunable to understand what the clinician wanted them do, so they dutifully did what they were asked.

Sometimes at these clinics the horses aren’t being treated with kindness and sometimes it borders onabuse, but nobody is willing to stand up and voice that opinion. You know what’s coming - they don’twant to tell the Emperor that he’s naked.

This syndrome can be found in showing circles as well, even at the Olympic level. A trainer/riderbegins to consistently win and they will become very sought after because of those wins. People don’tconcern themselves with the methods that person may be using which could be harming the horse - allthey can see is those Blue Ribbons, Trophies and Medals. Again, people don’t want to speak outagainst these methods. After all, those people are the experts and they certainly wouldn’t want toquestion them. That would make them appear ignorant.

When you see a person doing something that is dangerous to themselves and their horse speak up -maybe you can help that person before someone gets hurt. If you feel a horse is being abused speak up,don’t just stand idly by and let it happen. This applies to everything in life - stand up and say “That’snot right!” Go ahead - tell the Emperor he is Naked.

Cheryl Childs - EditorCheryl

7Seasoned Rider

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8 Volume 1/Issue 3

by Cheryl Childs by Cheryl Childs We all know that old saying “If you fall off

a horse get right back on the horse,” and that’sgood advice, but, honestly, getting back on thehorse immediately is the easy part. It is a dayor two later that things become more difficult,because that is when fear sets in - after youhave had some time to think about what hap-pened. There are also times when you aren’table, physically, to get back on the horse.When you have to wait to recover from aninjury it becomes even more difficult to getback in the saddle. After a fall, whether it’sjust a minor one or something more serious,fear can take over and become a huge obstacleto overcome when you’re trying to get back towhere you were before the incident.

Fear robs you of your confidence, which inturn robs you of enjoying one of your pas-sions in life - your horse. Oftentimes we feelguilty because we don’t want to ride the horsewe have enjoyed, trusted and loved to ride somuch in the past. We are often embarrassed,as well, not wanting to tell anyone we havelost the confidence to ride because we areafraid that would seem weak or silly to others.Sometimes we begin making excuses not toride such as “I don’t have the time” or “ I’mtoo tired today, it was a long day at work” or “The weather is not good for it” and so on.That, in turn, brings more bad feelings - guiltand sadness about not wanting to be with yourbeloved horse.

When you’re having all these feelings yourhorse is picking up on them. Horses need aconfident leader and when you become nerv-ous or anxious your horse loses confidence inyou as a leader and more problems can occur.This becomes a vicious cycle - the more fear-ful you become the less trust your horse hasin you, so basically you are feeding off eachothers’ fear and lack of confidence.

The most important thing anyone can do isadmit their fear to themselves, to their horseand to the people around them. It can be very

Getting Back in the Saddle Getting Back in the Saddle AfterAftera Bad Experiencea Bad Experience

The most importThe most important thing anyone can do is admit their fearant thing anyone can do is admit their fear............

9Seasoned Rider

difficult to admit to a fellow horse person thatyou have lost your confidence to ride. Somepeople will understand while others won’t.Friends or riding companions who advise youto “Just get back on that horse and ride,” aren’thelping you, even though they believe they arehelping. In some cases taking that advice maymake matters worse for you and your horse.The best advice is to find a friend or familymember you can confide in and who will helpyou work through the problem. If possible finda professional riding instructor who has hadexperience dealing with adult riders with fearissues.

Since you have lost your confidence andyour horse has lost his/her confidence in youas a leader you need to do something to startbuilding trust again. Doing ground exerciseswith your horse can often aid in getting someof that confidence back. Do simple obstaclessuch as walking around cones or barrels, walk-ing over ground poles or through a labyrinth.These exercises can very easily be transferredto mounted work. You should always work atyour own speed and within your comfortzone, whether doing ground work or riding.Again, having a friend, family member or aprofessional helping you with these exercisesis better than working alone.

Once you begin working your horse undersaddle again you need to work on relaxing inthe saddle. As a rider you are alwaystelegraphing how you feel to your horse. Tryjust sitting on your horse and taking deeprelaxing breaths as you would in a Yoga class.You will find that when your body relaxes sowill your horse. When you feel you are tensingup while riding just take some deep breathsand relax. Don’t be afraid to take your timeand do some ground exercises. Then ride in anarena or an enclosed area for a time - there isno shame in that. When you are comfortableand feeling confident again take a short trailride with a friend, but again at your ownspeed.

You will find that the sooner you admit toyourself that you have lost your confidenceand need help, the sooner you can workthrough the fear and get back to enjoying yourhorse again. Don’t let pride or fear (or both)rob you of your passion in life or of the specialrelationship that has grown over the yearsbetween you and your horse.

10 www.seasonedrider.com

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis

by Cheryl ChildsEquine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis

(EPM) is a disease of the central nervoussystem (brain and/or spinal cord) that iscaused by the protozoal organismSarcocystis neurona. The main host forthis organism is the opossum and horsesthat are exposed to opossum feces withinfective sporocysts can develop neuro-logic disease. The disease attacks thehorse's central nervous system.

It is thought that 50 percent of all UShorses have been exposed to the parasitethat causes EPM. The disease can befound in Canada and Mexico, as well asSouth America. Fortunately, not all hors-es exposed to the parasite develop the dis-ease. Horses can come into contact withthe parasite while grazing or eating feedor drinking water contaminated by opos-sum feces.

Some symptoms may include: loss ofcoordination, ataxia (incoordination),spasticity (stiff, stilted movements);abnormal gait or lameness; muscle atro-phy, most noticeable along the topline orin the large muscles of the hindquarters,but can sometimes involve the muscles ofthe face or front limbs; paralysis of mus-cles of the eyes, face or mouth, evident bydrooping eyes, ears or lips; difficultyswallowing; seizures or collapse; abnor-mal sweating; loss of sensation along theface, neck or body; head tilt with poorbalance; horse may assume a splay-footedstance or lean against stall walls for sup-port.

They say that Equine ProtozoalMyeloencephalitis (EPM) is a master ofdisguise. The disease can be difficult todiagnose because its signs often mimicother health problems in the horse andsigns can range from mild to severe. Youshould consult your Vet immediately ifyou believe your horse may have EPM, astreatment should begin as soon as possi-ble. If your Vet suspects EPM, he or shemay order blood and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) analysis. In laymen terms - a spinal

tap. A positive blood test onlymeans the horse has beenexposed to the parasite, notthat it has or will develop clin-ical disease. Prompt, accuratediagnosis is essential and treat-ment should begin immediate-ly. The treatments are mostusually with drugs known tokill or retard the reproductionof the protozoa S. neurona.None of the drugs kill 100% ofthe protozoa. They believe thedrugs reduce the protozoa pop-ulation to a level where thehorse's immune system killsthe rest. Your Veterinarian mayalso prescribe the use of ananti-inflammatory, immunestimulant, and/or vitamin Eduring treatment. YourVeterinarian will suggest thatthe horse not be ridden orworked for some time,dependent on the severity ofsymptoms. It’s important tokeep the stress to a minimum for thehorse and allow the immune system torecover. While success rates are highwith treatment, these days, not all horsesrespond positively to therapy and 10-20%of horses may experience a relapse.

Only your Veterinarian can diagnoseand prescribe treatments for this disease.There are several treatment options avail-able and you should speak to yourVeterinarian about what treatment optionswould be best for your horse. There iscurrently a vaccine to immunize againstSarcosystis neurona.

Good horsekeeping practices will dis-courage unwanted visitors such as opos-sums and other rodents from contaminat-ing hay, grain and bedding, which maylessen the chances of exposure. Keepfeed rooms and containers closed andsealed. Use feeders that minimizespillage and are difficult for wild animalsto access. Clean up any dropped grain

immediately to discourage scavengers.Feed heat-treated cereal grains andextruded feeds since these processes seemto kill the infective sporocysts. Keepwater tanks clean and filled with clean,fresh water. Maximize your horse's healthand fitness through proper nutrition, regu-lar exercise and routine deworming andvaccinations. Keep in mind that yourhorse can be exposed to the parasite whilegrazing, but good horsekeeping practicesmay lessen the exposure.

The disease was first identified in 1964by J.R. Rooney, who recognized the pro-tozoa in spinal cord lesions inStandardbreds. Awareness amongVeterinarians and horse owners hasgrown considerably over the years. Thereis ongoing resarch at the University ofKentucky, the University of Florida, OhioState University, the University ofCalifornia at Davis, University ofMissouri, Virginia Tech and University of

The Clinical Side

A beautiful, vibrant Katy before EPM

11Seasoned Rider

Maryland and Michigan State University,as well as other institutions, in EPMdiagnosis, treatment and the life cycle ofS. neurona.

Again if you suspect EPM in your horsecontact your Veterinarian immediately -the sooner it is diagnosed the sooner thetreatment can be started.

I was surprised how many peopleresponded when I asked on SeasonedRider facebook if there was anybody outthere who had dealt with EPM, as I had. Ididn’t realize it was still so prevalent. I received an e-mail from Alexis Hutton,

who is dealing with EPM for the secondtime. Four years ago she had an oldergelding with EPM. “We caught it reallyearly, in fact, we didn't test for it, we justtreated it. It all worked out well, so I did-n't think it was that big a deal,” Alexissaid. However the horse is now a veryhard keeper during the winter. In June of2011 Alexis bought a new gelding. Thegelding had some problems that she

thought were just character flaws. “Hecame from a feed lot and they are all busi-ness, so I thought he just picked up badhabits that I could work through,” Alexisexplained. The first thing she noticed wasthe gelding stumbled a lot, over reachedand hit his front feet. She passed that offas a habit from the feed lot. With workthat seemed to improve. Alexis noticedhis back feet would slide a little when heset them down. She had the gelding’sshoes pulled , since he was having troublekeeping his fronts shoes on anyway.Without the shoes and with some morework things seemed to be improving forAlexis’ gelding.

Then one day, in January, she took himon a trail ride. It was a long ride, but aneasy trail. “We were about back to thetrailer and FreightTrain started to sweatreally bad. I walked him out and even gotoff, his color was bad, he looked likedeath,” Alexis said. She thought he wasjust dehydrated, but she soon realized itwas more than that. FreightTrain wasdragging his back legs very badly and wasreluctant to even move. “ I knew some-thing was seriously wrong. I unsaddledhim and sent my husband back for thetrailer,” Alexis explained . By the time herhusband got back the gelding hadimproved some and was making attemptsto eat and drink, but Alexis noticed hisbottom lip was saggy and she thought per-haps he had had a stroke. The gelding wasnever the same after that day. He contin-ued to drag his back feet and act sluggish.

Alexis had a chiropracter out who toldher it was a stifle problem. She took himto her regular Vet who told her, in a mat-ter of 20 seconds, "That's not stifles,that's neurological." He pointed out howhis back end wasn't tracking with his frontend, drunk like. That day they tested twoout of three of Alexis’ horses for expo-sure to EPM and two came back positive,which is not unusual - most horses do.While normal levels of EPM are around250 Alexis’ gelding Freighttrain tested at4,000 and 5500. Her other gelding tested

at lower levels. They began treatmentimmediately . They did five days of treat-ment , three shots a day and NO STRESS.

After having both horses back home fortwo weeks Alexis wasn’t seeing muchimprovement in their posture or behavior.Alexis didn’t feel her Vet was really edu-cating her on the options for treatment, soshe sought out a second opinion fromanother Veterinarian. The secondVeterinarian felt that the treatment Alexis’horses were receiving was only treatingthe symptoms of EPM. He suggestedtreatment with ParaNex, a natural supple-ment. He also suggested Alexis give herhorses other supplements, as well, to helpbuild up their muscles again.

She is pleased with results from thetreatments with the gelding who had lowlevels of EPM. She treated him for amonth along with the other supplementsand he has improved “We've been ridingfor about a month and he seems to beshaping up nicely, no problems there,”Alexis told us in a recent update.FreightTrain, the gelding with very highlevels of EPM, is still recovering. Shedidn’t see much improvement with thefirst 30 days of treatment and opted to doanother 30 days with ParaNex. Alexis’Vet told her she should start building himup in the fall when it gets cooler. “I firsthave to make sure he can back up welland turn tight circles with no problems,”Alexis explained. Most days her geldingseems extremely capable, other days hereally seems off. The Veterinarian toldher it could be six months to a year ofrecovery time.

Alexis wanted to share her story inhopes this will help make people moreaware of EPM and educate them aboutthe disease.

My experience with EPM was verysimilar to Alexis and to others. I neverheard of the disease until my mare wasdiagnosed with it in 1996. At that timethere were really no medications for thedisease to even aid with the symptoms ofEPM.

Equine Protozoal MyeloencephalitisThe Personal Side

continued on page 14

Katy with EPM

www.seasonedrider.com12

End of the Trail Beef Patties

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped1 pound of lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/4 teaspoon of pepper1/2 cup beef broth1 teaspoon of cinnamon1 teaspoon of cumin 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs2 packages of crescent roll dough( 8 oz each)1 large egg lightly beaten

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillover medium heat. Add onionsand cook, stirring occasionallyfor 5 minutes. Stir in groundbeef, salt, pepper, cinnamon andcumin. Brown meat well andthen stir in beef broth and breadcrumbs. Cook for 2 minutes.

Unroll crescent dough. Combine2 triangles to make 1 rectangle ofdough. (2 packages make 8 rectangles)

Place filling in dough and foldover. Press edges with fork toseal and brush with a little egg.Repeat with all pieces of dough.

Bake at 350 degress for 15 minutes or until golden.

Black Bean Salad

Combine In a Bowl 1 can of Black Beans - drained3 or 4 large green onions -chopped1/4 cup of chopped walnuts2 cups of chopped celery

Dressing

Combine In A Bowl 3/4 cup sugar1/3 cup oil 2/3 cup rice vinegar Salt & Pepper to taste

Pour dressing over beans, stir,serve chilled.

The Feed BagThe Feed Bag

End of the Trail Beef Patties with Black Bean Salad

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13Seasoned Rider

The judges have spoken. The winners of the CutestCouple Photo Contest are: (shown clockwise from top left)

1st Place - Sheila Christiansen and Cooper (Sheila willreceive a Seasoned Rider Tote Bag)2nd Place - Becky Frakes and Radar3rd Place - Lucia Reid and Cloud4th Place - Jim Slaughter and Sammy

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! You all rock!

Watch for more contests on

www.facebook.com/SeasonedRiderMagazine

My mare, Katy, had several issues overthe summer of 1996. Issues I thought, tobegin with, were unrelated. There was aslight change in her behavior over the sum-mer, she seemed to develop back pain, shebegan dragging her rear hoof and she start-ed stumbling when I rode her. Whilebathing and clipping her for a show thatsummer Katy got very nervous, which wasuncharacteristic for her. She broke out inhives the following day, so I didn’t take herto the show and I have always been so gladI didn’t.

I guess the turning point was in the fall ofthat year - Katy had a very bad colic. Thetype of colic where the Vet stayed at thebarn instead of treating and leaving instruc-tions. In fact at some point that eveningsurgery was being discussed, but that didn’thappen as she improved after several hours.After the bout with colic Katy changed. Theonce bouncing, personable mare seemed towithdraw. When I rode her she seemed offand not interested, which wasn’t like her atall.

That fall Katy had two more colics. TheVet checked for worms, which came backnegative, and suggested I start using sup-

plements to aid in her digestion and giveher pelleted, rather than textured, feed. Itook all the Vet’s advice. There were nomore colics, but Katy was dropping weightand the rear hoof dragging, as well as thestumbling, got progressively worse. Shebecame more withdrawn, as well.

As with many other cases Katy wasdiganosed with a “stifle problem”. I knewthat there was more to it than that. She con-tinued to lose weight, she had taken up crib-bing, and her stumbling was getting worse.I had the Vet come out again and explainedto her that there was more to this than a sti-fle, worms, boredom, teeth problems ordigestive issues and she agreed. She askedme to walk Katy away from her thentowards her and then she took Katy’s rearleg and crossed it in front of her other rearleg. Katy didn’t resist her doing that withher leg and when the Vet set the hoof downKaty stood there without moving that leg. Icouldn’t believe it, Katy stood with herback legs crossed. The Vet asked me to getone of the other horses and she tried to dothat with that horse, but he resisted andpulled his hoof out of her hand.

The Vet had asked me on the phone if I

had heard of EPM and, of course, I hadn’t,but I did some research on it and what I sawwasn’t good. “I could do what is literally aspinal tap on her, but I’m 99% sure we aredealing with EPM,” she said. My heartsank when I heard those words.

Katy was diagnosed in late November of1996 and by February of 1997 I knew thebest thing for her was to let her go. The dis-ease had taken such a big toll her. She hadlost so much weight her ribs were stickingout, her once shiny chestnut coat was dryand lifeless, she had no interest in me oreven her stablemates. There were days Iknew she couldn’t see and days when shecould hardly walk. On those days I kept inher in the stall for her own good. She wouldstand in the back of the stall, not even com-ing up when I called her. My beautifulArabian mare was nothing more than a shellof the horse she had once been.

On March 8th, 1997 I released Katy fromher pain and misery. I always try andremember her as that bouncing, beautiful,outgoing and athletic Arabian that I boughtas a three year old, trained, bonded withand loved.

Equine Protozoal MyeloencephalitisThe Personal Side - continued from page 11


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Starting Over-Part 1 by Cheryl Childs

Seasoned Rider Fiction Series

Jackie nervously twisted her watch on her wrist, waiting forKelly to come out of the dressing room of the trailer. She kepttelling herself to relax and not let Kelly see her nervousness. Thefirst call to the class came blaring across the PA system. Jackieknocked on the door, “First call, Kelly,” She heard mumblingfrom the dressing room, but couldn’t understand what was said.Kelly stuck her head out of the the trailer and blurted out, “Ican’t get into these things,” referring to the jodhpurs she had towear for the class. Jackie nudged Kelly back through the dress-ing room door and followed her inside.

“ Oh yes you can, they are just like putting on panty hose,” shesaid, pushing Kelly down on the small stool that was in thedressing room.

“ Okay, but I’m too old for this,” Kelly said.“ Too late, my friend, you agreed to this and we are five min-

utes from the start of the class. It hasn’t been that long anyway,”Jackie said, handing Kelly a pair of socks.

“ Oh, no just a damn 20 years since I was in the show ring,”Kelly commented, as she finished pulling on the jodhpurs.

Jackie grabbed the riding boots off the floor, “ Kel, youhave ridden in 100 mile endurance races, you did 3-day eventingand you ride reining horses - a hunter pleasure class is nothing.”

Kelly took the boots, “True. Help me get into these,” shesaid, struggling with the boots. With some effort they managedto get Kelly’s boots on, “Okay, where’s my jacket?” Kelly said,standing up. Jackie reached around Kelly, grabbing the huntjacket off the peg it was hanging on.

“God, it’s hot in here,” Kelly said.“ Yes. Okay you look good, lets go,” Jackie nodded, reach-

ing over and opening the door. The cool damp air felt good asJackie stepped out of the trailer. “I hope Gary and Kate didn’thave any trouble getting Bee tacked up.”

Kelly followed her out, “Certainly had trouble getting metacked up,” she said, in the dead pan voice that she always used,not matter what she was saying.

Jackie laughed, “Her girth fits better, come on lets head to thearena.”

As the two hurried toward the arena a light rain began to fall.Jackie cursed herself under her breath for not thinking to grab aslicker so Kelly’s clothes wouldn’t get damp. Jackie kept scan-ning the group of people and horses gathered by the arenaentrance. For a moment she couldn’t find Kate, Gary or Bee, butfinally she spotted them close to the doorway. Bee was standingquietly, even though the horses around her weren’t.

“ Okay, let’s do this, “ Jackie said as they reached the doorway.Gary and Kate both turned around with an expression of reliefon their faces. Gary started to say something, but was interrupt-ed by the announcement over the PA that class 24 should be atthe gait. Jackie motioned for Kelly to get mounted.

“ Here I’ll give you a leg up,” Gary said. Kelly took a deep breath and gathered the reins. “Okay.” she said, as Gary gave her a leg up and she eased

into the saddle. Leaning down she patted the horse on the neckand said “Bee, we need do to our best to place in the top ten.

We’re doing this for Jackie, you know that, so those people wholeft to go to Wade’s barn will wish they had stayed with the realtrainer.”

Jackie smiled. “ No pressure, Bee. Look you do the best youcan and have the best ride you can, don’t worry about the rest,”she told Kelly, patting her on the leg. Just then the gate openedand a young woman wearing a baseball cap and carrying a clip-board in her hand asked Kelly what her number was. All four ofthem answered at once - 17. The woman motioned Kelly into thearena.

Jackie watched as Kelly and Bee entered arena, “ I’m askingtoo much of her,” she said under her breath.

“No you’re not Jackie. You know Kelly would do anythingfor you,” Kate said as she put her arm around Jackie’s shoulder.“Come on, let’s go sit down and watch Kelly kick those twentysomethings’ butts.”

Jackie nodded slightly, not convinced that she was doing theright thing. She loved her friends for wanting to help after thedivorce and after she lost almost all of her clients, but whatseemed like a good idea four months ago didn’t seem like it now.Kate pulled her arm. “Okay,” Jackie said.

They walked by the box of seats that had the Golden LakeStables banner hung on it. Several of Wade’s clients were seat-ed there, but, thankfully, he wasn’t.

“ There’s some seats,” Gary said, steering Kate toward them. The three of them climbed up the steps. Jackie’s knees were

shaking and she felt like jello inside as she sat down in the fourthrow up. Gary and Kate sat on either side of her.

“ That’s your class, Judge,” was announced and Jackie closedher eyes and said a little prayer. Kate patted her on the knee,telling her Kelly would be fine. Jackie nodded.

“ Yes, of course they will, as long as Kelly stays calm.” Jackie sat stiffly in the chair, not speaking, while Kelly and

Bee rode the class. After the first request for a canter and areverse Jackie took a deep breath and relaxed, almost slouchingin the chair. It was the canter and change of direction that Kellyand Bee struggled with, but this time they executed both flaw-lessly.

“This is it,” Jackie said when the announcer instructed theclass to line up in the center facing the ring steward. She sat upon the edge of her seat.

“Good Lord this is a big class,” Jackie commented as the judgewalked the line, asking each to back up.

“ Yeah, fifteen in there,” Gary said, also sitting on the edgeof his seat.

Jackie, Gary and Kate sat motionless as they began toannounce the winners, starting with sixth place and workingtheir way to first place. Kelly’s name had not been announcedand they were down to second place.

“ Come on, “ Jackie said. “ Second place goes to......”

To be continued!

15Seasoned Rider

Until recently, I wasn’t in the habit of stretching before riding.My reasoning for not stretching prior to riding is that I didn’thave to when I was 17. And since I’m about the same as I waswhen I was 17 (except that it doesn’t take as long to wash myhair) stretching seems like a waste of time. That was my reason-ing.

Actually, I didn’t ride when I was 17. But I played all kindsof other sports. And I never stretched unless I was told to by acoach or other large adult.

Now, I have somebody telling me again. This time, it’s mymuscles talking and they are less forgiving and a lot meanerthan any coach I’ve ever had. No coach ever made me walk likea cross between Frankenstein’s monster and Pecos Bill. Stiffinner thigh muscles do.

Another voice weighing in on the subject is that of my daugh-ter, Hiliary. In addition to being an experienced horseback rider,Hiliary is a certified Physical Therapy Assistant. This means shecan do everything a Physical Therapist can do except for evalua-tions. This does not stop her from evaluating her father. In fact,she takes all that pent-up evaluating energy out on me.

“Oh. I see you’re limping again today. That’s because yourupper thoroxic combutable perratoid is strained.”

I can’t understand half of what she’s saying and tell her so.She pulls the time- honored Ignorant American Talking to aForeign Speaking Person Ploy on me and repeats the same thingonly louder:

“THAT’S BECAUSE YOUR UPPER THOROXICCOMBUTABLE PERRATOID HAS BEEN IS STRAINED.WHY DON’T YOU WANT TO STRETCH?”

“I’m fine. Everyone gets a little stiff after a good ride.”“Not if they warm up properly.”I turn my head away and say “Not if they warm up properly,”

in the nasally Mocking Mumble Voice.“Dad, do you realize what you’re doing to your muscles and

ligaments when you don’t stretch?”“If I knew what I was doing, I wouldn’t be taking riding les-

sons in the first place. Now would I?”Hiliary shakes her head. “It doesn’t have to be this way. I can

show you how to get those muscles supple and ready for a ride.”Actually, there are benefits to the stiffness and aching. It

reminds me that I’ve actually done something and that it’s okayto have a beer or two (or three). But, the problem… (or four) …is that it affects my riding. The stiffness and aching does too.I’m just not in my top riding form when my muscles are bitch-ing at me. We all have our own excuses.

Hiliary placed herself parallel to our living room couch andput one leg up on it. She was demonstrating how to stretch myinner thigh muscles. Or the upper interior maxminal incisor.

“Above all, don’t bounce. Just go as far as you can go untilyou feel a ‘good ache’.

I don’t know about this. Bouncing seems natural to me. If I’mgoing through all the trouble of putting my leg up on the couch,I want to get the most out of it. Just standing there seems toopassive. And when you’re in that position, bouncing is all you

have.Hiliary continues: “Then hold it for fifteen seconds. Just be

still. If you bounce, you cause a rebound reflex in your mus-cles.”

“I like the sound of that.”“It means you’re making little tears in your muscle fiber.”“I don’t like the sound of that.”“When you start to stretch, your muscles initially react by

contracting. They actually respond to it as a threat.”“My muscles are paranoid?”“The contraction only lasts a few seconds. Once they figure

out you’re only going so far, they begin to relax.”“I’ve always wondered who is really in control… It’s not me,

is it?” I really should be taking notes in case I ever get in themood to write some sci-fi.

“Just be patient, Dad. If you stop the stretch too soon, yourmuscles won’t have the opportunity to relax and you’re notdoing any good.”

“So, fifteen seconds, then?”“Yes, fifteen seconds is good. And don’t hold your breath.

That just increases muscle tension.”“Breath rhythmically, not comically. Got it. Are we done?’“No, you have to do all your muscle groups. Stiffness in one

set communicates stiffness to other groups.”They communicate? And plot? There is definitely some good

sci-fi grist here.“You know, Hiliary, people look kind of goofy when they

stretch.”“Yes, we do. Your bow-legged, sideways gait and perpetual

groaning is way more dignified.”Fine. I’ll keep working at this until they call me Gumby Bob.

by Bob GoddardStretching tthe TTruth


Editor’s Note: Bob Goddard is a columnist and author . Watch for more of Bob’s columns about his experiences as a “Seasoned”person becoming a rider for the first time in his life.

17Seasoned Rider

Cross Country Trail RideEminence, Missouri

An Experience That

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Visit us, and you will enjoy three meals aday, horse shows, dancing,

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75 acre campground

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Hwy. 19 East Eminence, MO

573-226-3492

Polocrosse is a fast-paced action-packed sport on horseback.It is extremely popular in Australia with hundreds of playerstravelling long distances each weekend throughout the wintermonths to play at carnivals throughout the country. With chil-dren as young as six up to the Masters of the game aged fromforty onwards, it is a true family sport. It is not uncommon tosee three generations of one family travelling and playingtogether. For many families, the highlight of the season is tohave all members of the family in one team. Seasoned riders arethe backbone of the sport with most continuing to play well intoand beyond their forties.

Once hooked on the sport most people see it as a lifestylerather than a hobby. Seasoned riders Lisa and Peter Johnsonhave both played for Queensland at the Masters level onnumerous occasions and still at 50 and 55 respectively travelalmost every weekend to compete. Their son Matthew is in theOpen Men’s Queensland side and has been named in theAustralian team for this year aged just 25. His girlfriend SydneeDoolan is in the Under 24 Women’s Australian side. Paul(Zoom) O’Leary is known to members of the Cunninghamand Queensland players as Father. With a daughter and six sonswho all have played or still play the game, Zoom was a memberof the 2012 Queensland Masters Men’s Team while his twoyoungest sons Anthony and Zac were both in the Junior sides.In his sixties, Zoom has played all his life and injuries and agedo little to slow the old fox down. Zoom acts as mentor to manyyoung players and is often happy to play “down the grades” toteach new players the finer points of the game. Paul’sQueensland teammate Bill Kerr can often be seen paying along-side his not quite seasoned wife Melissa and they are a formida-ble team.

Every second year national championships are held. The ven-ues rotate between the states. With Western Australia being4,336 km (2,694 miles) from Queensland and NorthernTerritory 3,424 km this is a massive undertaking. At theNational Championships there are competitions for Sub-Juniors(12 and under), Juniors (13 -16), Intermediates (16 – 21), OpenMens, Open Mixed, Masters Men and Master Mixed. TheMasters competitions are every bit as exciting and fast as anyother competition. For women, Masters is Over 40 and for menit is over 50. These seasoned riders are fiercely competitive andthe title is extremely hard-fought. This year in Brisbane theSenior Mixed competition was won by New SouthWales over Queensland 23 – 18 while the Masters Men’s com-petition went down to the wire 21 -20 between New SouthWales and Western Australia.

Polocrosse is one of only three sports that can be claimed asuniquely Australian – the other two being campdrafting and

Australian Rule Football - it was invented in 1938 by Mr andMrs Edward Hirst who had seen similar exercises being used ina riding school in England to help young riders learn controlover their ponies. The sport took a leap forward in 1976when the International Polocrosse Council was established byMr Max Walters AM, MBE.Today the sport is played world-wide. The most significant milestone has been the stagingof three Polocrosse World Cups in 2003, 2007 and 2011.Australia won the first two World Cups but were beaten by bothSouth Africa and Zimbabwe showing that the sport is nowtruly international.

Polocrosse is played between teams of six players with threefrom each team on the field at any one time. The players carry along cane racquet with a net at the end for picking up andthrowing the soft rubber ball. The first section of three ridersplays for one time period known as a chukka. At the end of thetime the other section comes on while the first section rests andthen they change ends and repeat for the next two chukkas.There are between four and eight chukkas and each chukka runsfor between six and eight minutes. The field is divided intothree sections and the players are numbered 1, 2 and 3. Thenumber 1 player is the only person allowed to score a goal, thenumber 3 players defends the goal and the Number 2 players

by Amanda Lund


“Seasoned riders are the backbone of the sport...”

Seasoned player Kathryn Forster.

Masters Polocrosse in Australia

are the mid field players, delivering the ball to the 1’s and help-ing with defence in the centre field.

Horses used for this sport at the elite level are nearly alwaysAustralian Stockhorses. Known for their speed, stamina andagility, they need to be able to spin, turn and accelerateextremely quickly. A number of breeders have developed spe-cialised bloodlines that are highly sought after by the top levelplayers. Unlike Polo, each player may only ride one horse forthe duration of the carnival so it is affordable to most as they donot need a string of ponies. The chukka system allows for thehorse to recover between periods of hard work. In the uppergrades, the horses need to be extremely fit and there is a closecheck kept on the welfare of the horses with a designated horsewelfare officer at every carnival.

At the lower more social level, where many seasoned ridersplay, many breeds of horses can be seen and the fitness require-ment is no more than for a Pony Club mount.

19Seasoned Rider

A sport for all ages – front row Junior playersSophie Forster and Carly Cooper, back rowSeasoned players Amanda Lund and Paul(Zoom) O’Leary.

Mother and son Amanda and Charles Lund battle itout as opponents.

Husband and wife team Bill and Melissa Kerr take theball down the field together.

Join Today!Connect with other “Seasoned Riders”TM

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Local Chapters Forming (or form your own)Subscribe today to join: www.seasonedrider.com


THE CALIFORNIA MISSION RIDE

Press Release

California’s 21 Spanish & Native American mis-sions form the state’s largest attraction, with over5.5 million visitors each year. Dotting the coastlinefrom Sonoma to San Diego, the missions defineCalifornia’s first and most significant historic back-bone. People once travelled between these missionsby horse. Is a horseback journey from mission tomission still possible today?

A filmmaker, a writer, a horse trainer, an actor, ahigh school student, a stuntman, and a wranglerwill try to connect the missions on horseback. Andfrom their saddles, they will be filming an excitingdocumentary about the journey for school-age audi-ences. Their ride takes place in two phases, startingin the North in 2012 and continuing through theSouth in 2013. Riders will visit the missions ofNorthern California, between Sonoma and SanMiguel, from August 18 and September 16, 2012.

Over the past 100 years, the automobile hasreshaped the California landscape. But a horsebackapproach will view land and culture from anglesrarely appreciated since the advent of Ford’s ModelT. Riders will dispel myths (No, the missions werenot built to be a day’s journey apart on horseback!),and search for links between the mission-era pastand current life in each location (Yes, there is a con-nection between Mission Santa Clara and the glob-al phenomenon that is Silicon Valley!).

At each mission stop, riders will team up with localsto present events capturing a community’s past, present,and hopes for the future. The events are as varied asCalifornians themselves: archeological exploration,ghost stories, hi-tech music, a roundtable look at theBay Area, visits led by Native Americans, a tour guid-ed by 4th graders, performances and art exhibits, a fies-ta, and more. Each event delves into an aspect of mis-sion history that remains alive today, and that is almostsure to shape life and land in generations ahead.

The California Mission Ride offers a fresh look atsubjects ranging from sports and adventure to history,Native American life, the arts, education, wellbeing,

food and wine, hi-tech innovation, the environment,architecture, water & agriculture, coasts, parks, andtourism.

This unique historic journey and its accompanyingdocumentary will highlight yesterday’s influences oncurrent communities – using old-time transportationand real-time technology –to prove that relics of thepast illuminate paths to the future in fascinating ways.

Website: http://www.thecaliforniamissionride.org/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-California-Mission-Ride Twitter: @RideCalifornia

Seven riders take on a 600 mile horseback journey through thepast and for the future.

by Cassie Elia In most college courses, students are assigned a textbook. For

the Equine Management Cooperative class at the University ofMaine, students are assigned a horse. This unique course usesdonated Standardbred mares as a teaching tool to allow studentsthe opportunity to train a horse and learn hands-on veterinarytechniques. Currently, the JF Witter Center (the UMaine live-stock facility) houses 13 mares and one stallion that have allbeen trained for harness racing but now need a new career.

Most Standardbred horses are bred and raised to race in sulkyraces. They race as either trotters (diagonal legs move in unison)or pacers (lateral legs move in unison). Both the trot and paceare 2 beat gaits and the speeds at which they are raced are near-ly the same as horses that race at the gallop. Most Standardbredracing is done in harness with the horses pulling a lightweight 2wheeled vehicle called a sulky. There are a few Standardbredunder saddle races around the country, but the sulky races arecommon sights at fairs, festivals and racetracks.

As with any breed of racehorse, there are going to be somehorses that are successful and others that don’t have either thedrive or speed to be racehorses. These horses, and the ones thatwere successful but have been retired, need homes and jobs. Thebreeding business will occupy some of those horses, but thegeldings, and horses who aren’t suitable as breeding animals,need another career option.

The Standardbred re-training program at UMaine emerged in1998, developed by Dr. Robert Causey and Dr. Jim Weber. Thereis a constant source of suitable horses due to the proximity of theBangor Raceway where sulky races are held. The Equine pro-gram accepts donations of Standardbred mares, under the age often, that are sound and have a tractable temperament. Most ofthem did race and have either been retired, or deemed not com-petitive enough for racing. Every year, one or two of the maresare bred and the foals are sold as harness racing prospects. Thebreeding presents the Equine students with the opportunity tolearn about fertility and parturition. The mares not in the breed-ing operation are trained as riding horses so not only do the stu-dents benefit from the experience, but the horses gain an educa-tion as well.

Roadshow Hall, the resident stud, raced for 7 years and earnednearly a half million dollars. His lifetime mark is 1:57:2 whichis made even more impressive because it was on a half-miletrack which means the horse has to 4 turns to make rather than

2 on an mile track. The University has owned 3 race horses(Venus Of Milo, One Vine Lady and Pembroke Whiteout) sincethe inception of the program. Any winnings the racing mareshave procured have gone right back into the program to care forthe horses in the Witter barn.

Training an ex-harness racer to ride is not much different fromtraining any other horse to ride. The biggest hurdle is that theStandardbred have been specifically trained to not canter so theyget a little confused when the trainer begins to ask for it.Standardbreds CAN canter, it is a misconception that they don’t.The breed has been genetically focused to have a strong trot orpace, so the quality of the canter sometimes suffers, but they areall capable of cantering and do so naturally.

The UMares, as they are affectionately called, are also usedas mounts for the University Drill Team. Riders on the team ridethe UMares in performances all over the State at horse shows,racetracks and local fairs. The Drill Team riders and students inthe co-op class work in the barn doing daily stable chores. Eachweek they have training sessions with Cassie Elia, the equinetrainer, where the progress of the horse is evaluated and newexercises are assigned for the student trainers to practice duringthe week.

The program’s success is due to the generosity of the donors,and the dedication of the students. Several students have bond-ed so well with their assigned horses that they have purchasedthem. UMaine student, Arianna Goulatis, says it is exactly thatbond that she likes most about the program. “Its very fulfillingto see the horse you work with succeed because you put in somuch time and effort.” Taking a horse from harness racing tobeing a safe and capable riding horse takes commitment. KellyClifford, a UMaine alumnus, now works at the University’sWitter Farm in the horse barn. She has worked with UMare,Lacy, for the past year. “ To see where she was at the beginningof her stay here at Witter to where she is now is a testament tothe hard work we all put in everyday. It hasn't always been aneasy process, but you learn to work with and around the horsestemperament, and to see her performance once she "gets it" (orI "get it") is the best reward!”

The Standardbred re-training program not only gives the stu-dents hands-on experience, but it benefits the horses as well.They get excellent care while in the program and after 3 yearsare sold to good homes. What’s better than going to school anddoing homework on the back of a horse?

21Seasoned Rider

University in Maine Re-TrainsStandardbred Harness Racers

Photos courtesy Schwarcz Photography

ReviewCCoo rr rr aa ll


100 Years in Harness by Nicole KraftReviewed by Cathy Childs

When we received the press release about the publicationof 100 Years in Harness (published by The US TrottingAssociation) I knew I had to have a review copy of the book.I think I was secretly hoping that amid this photographic jour-ney of harness racing I might find a photograph of myGrandfather, or one of his brothers, who trained harness hors-es in the 40’s and 50’s. They had even travelled fromWisconsin to California for the Santa Anita harness racingseason in 1947, but there were no such photos in this book.

Even so, I was not disappointed. This coffee table book isfull of fascinating photos that show the rich history of harnessracing. From the photo at right that depicts the world champi-on pacer Jimmy Creed as he arrives in New York from SanFrancisco in 1937 (for a race with a $25,000 purse) on anAmerican Airlines DC-4 to the photo of one of the great pac-ers of the 1970’s (Rambling Willie) surrounded by fans at theKentucky Horse Park in the 1990’s.

This book chronicles the history of Harness Racing, bydecades, from 1900 to 1999. Author/Editor Nicole Kraft, whois executive editor of Hoof Beats, the world’s leading publica-tion devoted to Standardbreds and harness racing, did anexcellent job of choosing photographs and anecdotal stories totake the reader from harness racing’s humble beginnings as“the sport of the people” to the golden age of harness racingwhen 17,000 fans attended The Red Mile on Memorial Day1982, just 80 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, and a horsenamed Nihilator had earnings of over $3 million in the late1980’s. Ms. Kraft also mentions the day, in 1937, that a 12year old girl guided a trotter, Dean Hanover, to the fastest mileever contested by a woman and says that “harness racing wasone of the first sports to strike a chord for female equality....fillies won 4 of the first 8 Hambeltonians”.

The book is easy to read and full of entertaining facts, suchas the term “sulky” (the 2 wheeled cart used in harness racing)comes from the owner’s desire to “ride alone” and the nameof person who invented the first starting gate (Steve Phillips).

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested inhorses or in history.

100 Years in HarnessNicole KraftUS Trotting AssociationHard Cover, 2008, $15.00ISBN: 0979389119Available from www.ustrotting.com

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23Seasoned Rider

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If you have a touching, heartfelt story to tell submit it toThe Seasoned Rider E-mail: [email protected] Subject: Heart & SoulStory should be approximately 550-600 words. You may submit one high resolution color photograph (300dpi, jpg). Be sure to include the name of the photographer.

HW

hat’s

Not

to Li

ke? By Cassie Mangold

What do I like about my hors-es? They take me places no oneelse can go, trail riding withwonderful friends and family,giving kids their 1st ride, tellingpeople about how God used thetime spent on horseback to healthe gaping wounds between meand my sister, hanging out in thebarn for therapy after a hard day,riding bareback around the pas-ture, grooming & scratchingtheir bellies and necks gettingthose soft knickers when theyknow it's dinner time, the waythey smell.....what's not to like?

I always dreamed of owning ahorse, for as long as I canremember. Everything in mychildhood years revolved aroundhorses. The few Barbies we hadwere used to ride our model horses.My sister and I would spend hourscutting out cardboard barns andfences, crocheting saddle pads andbraiding string into bridles. Mostlittle girls didn’t get the way weplayed but there was no changingour horse crazed minds.

We had contact with our family inthe country when we were little -up to about the age of nine. OurPoppa would let us ride the poniesbut not with saddles because hewas afraid we’d get dragged. Welearned to ride bareback on irritableponies who taught us well how tobe launched over obstacles andswiped off by fences but we keptgetting back on every chance wegot. Then due to divorces andremarriage we lost these connec-tions and ended up living in the cityuntil we were adults.

My sister and I were loving and

civil to each other after many hardyears but lacking in the bond thatmost sisters seem to have becauseof unknowingly being pittedagainst each other by our step-father. It wasn’t until she moved tothe country, got horses and invitedme and my small son out to ridethat we discovered how much hadgone on that we didn’t realize andhow innocent we both really wereof the things we thought the otherhad done. We rediscovered howmuch we loved and needed eachother on the trails, far from civi-lization where no one could inter-rupt our much needed healing time.

I never in my wildest dreamsthought I would actually own ahorse. But, at thirty, I got my firsthorse after her husband found amustang for sale cheap and Ithought it was a good idea to buyhim. I named him Cool Red Dudeand that wild creature was like get-ting hooked up with those poniesagain. I worked hard to settle him

down and Dude taught me how toride all over again. My sister andour kids had many wonderfuladventures on the trails, in thecreeks, racing across pastures andpicnicking under huge trees.

Since then Dude has moved on togreener pastures and my sister bredher mare and I now have a wonder-ful twelve year old half Hancockmare that will go through anythinglike a bulldozer when we forge ournew trails. What a wonderful timethe last fifteen years have been.Just last weekend we took two ofher grandkids out for a trail ride inthe river bottoms and they saw upclose a bald eagle, deer galore, twowhite barn owls, and fish flounder-ing in a shallow, almost dried uppond. It’s joy beyond compare andI hope for many more years of rid-ing to come. It’s been more funthan should be legal but we hope tonever stop riding, loving our horsesand sharing the joy with others.

Cassie on Tater, her Hancock mare, at a parade in Dec. 2011

Heart and Soul-Stories from Our Readers

By Seasoned Rider Reviewer

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I have used other products on my greyhorses and they often left the coat dull. ArcticWhite Shampoo enhanced the color of theircoats and left them with a shiny coat. It did-n’t leave their coats dried out and dull look-ing. It did the same for the bays as well, leav-ing their coats with a deeper, shinier color.

I really liked the scent of the shampoo. Italso rinsed out very easily, leaving noresidue.

The conditioner and detangler had a greatcoconut scent. Like the shampoo it left thecoat with a luxurious shine. What I liked thebest about it was how it helped eliminate tan-gles in the horse’s mane and tail. When Icombed out the mane and tail they were actu-ally detangled, making it easy to get thecomb through.

Espree Animal Products is an "animal cru-elty free" company. The Espree product lineconsists of natural, pesticide-free animal careand grooming products to meet the specificneeds of your pet safely and naturally. Theirproducts include shampoos, conditioners, and therapeuticproducts. Their lines also include alternatives to pesticideproducts, finishing sprays, colognes, perfumes, healthyproducts, fly and insect products, stain and cleaning prod-ucts and much more! All Espree products are blended withthe finest natural, human grade ingredients. From allergiesto arthritis, from insect related skin problems to minor

mishaps, Espree provides a quality natural alternativeproduct for your animal.

Check out all their products out at www.espree.com

To submit your product to be reviewed contact:The Seasoned Rider Reviewere-mail: [email protected]: Product Review

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www.seasonedrider.com28

Feeling a little stiff in the saddle? Experiencing pain,fatigue or tension when you ride? Well maybe theanswer to that is trying Yoga. I know what you’re think-ing - Yoga and horseback riding? Please! - but more andmore people are turning to Yoga to help them stay flex-ible, increase their endurance and improve their overallriding.

According to WebMD, Yoga safely stretches mus-cles, releasing lactic acid (which causes stiffness, ten-sion, pain, and fatigue) as well as increasing range ofmotion in joints and possibly lubricating the joints.Yoga poses can stretch your muscles to open up shoul-ders and hips and increase spinal flexibility leading toincreased fluidity and grace. If you experience less stiff-ness, pain or discomfort on those long trail rides or dur-ing competition it will be more enjoyable for you and itcould even result in a better performance.

Yoga classes focus on movement and precise align-ment of the body and require that poses be held for rel-atively long periods of time. When holding a pose youbuild strength. Some poses require use of arm andshoulder muscles, some demand more of the legs,quadriceps and hamstrings, while almost all Yoga posesrequire use of the "core" muscles. When your strengthincreases everything becomes easier and requires lesseffort. Saddling your horse, mounting without a block,cantering or trotting for long periods all become easierand more enjoyable. With increased strength, particu-larly in the "core," comes better posture and, therefore,better balance. Having better balance, aside from theobvious of keeping you in the saddle instead of on theground, allows better control of your horse.

Yoga teaches Calm Breath and Quiet Mind which willhelp you to feel less stress, whether it’s pre-show jittersor trail riding jitters. Transmitting nervousness to yourhorse can only make matters worse for horse and rider.

Yoga teaches you to observe, deepen, and control yourbreathing. The amazing thing is that while normallyyou might breathe shallowly and quickly when you arestressed or anxious, Yoga teaches you that if you havethe concentration and control to breathe deeply andcalmly, you make your body believe and behave as ifyou are calm and serene and pretty soon, you are calmand serene. Control the breath, control the body throughYoga. Control the breath and you can engage in yoursport of choice with a clear, quiet mind free of distrac-tions that detract from performance and enjoyment.Control the breath with Yoga and learn to take that trailride without unnecessary stress and actually enjoy thejourney. Free your mind to compete at the horse showand concentrate fully on the task at hand. Deep breath-ing will also make more oxygen available to all mus-cles, once again reducing fatigue and increasingendurance.

If you seek to be more flexible, be stronger, have bet-ter balance and endurance, improve core power, andhave a calm, centered mind - try Toga.

These qualities will improve your life in general andlikely will make you a better rider with more controland confidence in yourself and make your rides morecomfortable and enjoyable for you and your horse.Yoga for better horseback riding? Yes! Find a Yogaclass near you or attend a weekend or week-long retreatto fully immerse yourself in the experience. You andyour horse will be glad you did.

Namaste. (Commonly said at the end of yoga prac-tice - it means “the light in me honors the light inyou.”)

Yoga improves riding by increasing flexibility and endurance

29Seasoned Rider

Dan Patch was foaled at OxfordIndiana and grew up into a fine coltin the stables of Dan Messner. Danwas sired by Joe Patchen. Messnernamed the colt after himself, “Dan”and Patchen, "Patch". John Wattleswas the devoted trainer. Dan Patchwas four years old before he was feltworthy of his first race entry fee. The date of birth of Dan Patch was

April 29, 1896. In 1900, Dan Patchwas sold by Messner for $20,000 toM. E. Sturgis of New York City.Dan was already recognized as ahorse of unusual potential and thesum paid for him by Mr. Sturgis seta record at that time. In 1902 a newowner entered the life of this greathorse, Marion W. Savage ofMinneapolis, who was to guide thishorse to the pinnacle of harness rac-ing and to earn for him the title"King of Pacers". Mr. Savage paidthe, then fabulous, price of $60,000for Dan Patch.On Sept. 8, 1906 some 93,000 peo-

ple gathered on a sizzling hot day atthe Minnesote State Fairgrounds.They were all expectant. Mr. Savagehad announced in advance that Dan

would try and give arecord breaking per-formance. The crowdsensed that somethingunusual was about tohappen. It did - Danswept around the 1mile track in 1:55!

(That record has been equaled, butnever broken.) The crowd wentwild. And Dan himself seemed tounderstand what both he and thecrowd were there for—as he passedthe finish line Dan, in his character-istic way, turned his head toward theGrandstand as if to say—"Thanksfolks. I knew you were pulling forme and I just had to come through."

During his racing fame days (andwhen he retired) Dan Patch was keptat the famous Savage RacingStables, 20 miles from Minneapolis.This was a 600 acre farm with a lux-urious mansion and several largeand handsome barns and two racetracks. In the summer Dan practicedon the one mile outdoor track—inthe winter on the half mile track,which was entirely covered by aroof.

Dan traveled in a special train car,gaily decorated with pictures of thegreat horse. Trips were madethroughout the United States. Danwent lame after an exhibition mile atLos Angeles in 1909 and was retiredthe following year.

Even though he was a stallion

Dan Patch was known for his gen-tleness. He loved to be with people,especially the children. It is said atthe end of a race he had a way ofnodding his head at the crowd toacknowledge the applause that theygave him.

Dan Patch passed away in 1916from a heart ailment, following anattack of pneumonia. His owner,Marion Savage, passed away thenext day. Some believe that Mr.Savage’s bond with Dan Patch, hisbeloved Standardbred, was so greatthat he died from a broken heart.

Editor’s note- Information provided byDan Patch Historical Society - Videosof Dan Patch racing can be seen onYouTube.

LLEEGGEENNDDAARRYY HHOORRSSEESSDDaann PPaattcchh WWoorr lldd CChhaammppiioonn PPaacceerr

There are times when one dreams of kickingback, relaxing, and having a lazy vacation on abeach somewhere, and there are times when a 12day hiking, kayaking and horseback riding trekseems like just what the doctor ordered. It was dur-ing one of the latter times that my wife and I decid-ed to head out to one of the southern most parts ofthe world, Torres del Paine National Park inPatagonia, Chile.

Because of our flight schedule we woundup arriving 4 days before the trek started, andstayed at the amazing Estancia Tercera Barranca.This rustic working sheep ranch is situated right near thepark, with magnificent views of the snow capped moun-tains. We had the time of our lives helping the Baquianos(Cowboys) on the estancia herd sheep on horseback, andput green chalk on the sheep for identification.

We enjoyed long leisurely walks on the locallybred Criollos, surveying the immense ranch and watchingthe local wildlife that included rabbits, condors, and gua-nacos, which are similar to llamas.

We didn't want to leave, but after heartfelt good-byes to our guide, Erigardo, the Baquianos and the grace-ful owner of the estancia Don Pepe, we headed into thepark to meet our group and set up the little yellow tent thatwould be home for most of the next 12 days. Our group was about 10 people, mostly British andAmerican, most of whom were very experienced travelers.Our main guide Jim was an athletic Californian, well suit-ed to leading a group on a demanding multi-sport adven-ture.

Although we had initially thought about a ridingonly holiday through the park, we decided to try a "multi-sport" adventure that included kayaking and hiking withlight packs. The kayaking allowed us to travel throughfjords right up to glaciers, and the hiking componentallowed us to scale extremely steep ascents to view thefamed Torres (towers), magnificent rock formations thatpreside over the park.

The weather in Torres del Paine is changeablefrom moment to moment, and bringing several differentlayers on the trip is critical. In just a few minutes the

weather can go from sunny and warm to windy and rainy.We spent a lot of time before leaving outfitting ourselveswith several different layers, including capilene, smartwool, fuzzies, and shells, and this turned out to be key tohaving a great trip.

After a few days of hiking we arrived at the loca-tion where we were to meet our horses. We were excited tofind that our new friends, the Baquianos from TerceraBarranca, were our wranglers for the trip. I had never rid-den on such steep, rocky ground, but our horses were surefooted, and ascended and descended with a studied care-fulness.

After relying on our horses to carry us, it wasagain time to do more work ourselves, and we started thekayaking phase of the trip. We had not done much kayak-ing, but after a quick lesson and a little bit of practice wegradually got the hang of how to paddle without using allof our energy. It was amazing kayaking up to the famed"blue glaciers", which owe their blueish color to their oxy-gen content. We pulled our kayaks up onto one of the gla-ciers and had our lunch, and then made pisco sours, a won-derful Chilean drink, using ice from the glacier.

It was hard to leave this magnificent part of theworld. We had made great friends in Chilean Patagonia,our guide Eri, the wonderful Don Pepe, and the lively,cheerful Baquianos. We think of them often, and look for-ward to returning.

Copyright Equestrian Adventurer Media, LLC

Riding, Hiking and Kayakingthrough Torres del Paine, Chile By Mark Gochman


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