June/July 2013

a r a b i a nTH

E

JUNE/JULY 2013

Maur

ine L.

Web

b

Poeme D’Amour and Misti Cassar

2 The Arabian Sport Horse Magazine

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.rozearabians.com

3June/July 2013

JUNE/JULY 2013

16 HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

by Rebekah Savage

22 HILDA GURNEY

Q&A with Dressage Olympian

28 WINGS & SPRINGS

A modern day Pegasus

34 WARREN PARK STUD

by Dick Warren

46 BRUSALLY RANCH

The Sport Horse Legacy

54 BACK TO WORK

by Cindy Tobeck

60 KEEPING THE FAITH

by Katie Keim

72 ONE IN A MILLION

A tribute to Cal Dorado

82 DRESSAGE AND THE HUNTER & JUMPER

The Base for Equestrian Disciplines by Sue Kolstad

9 Bits & Pieces

12 Profiles in Courage

24 Inspection Prep

38 Trainer Close Up

40 Life with Horses

58 In-Hand Training

62 Reading Reflections

64 A Tale of Two Sisters

67 From Roses to Rehab

76 The Comeback Queen

80 Biomechanics

86 Back to Basics

92 Classifieds

93 Service Listings

http://www.entice-design.com

http://www.thearabiansporthorse.com.com



Century Club: Amie Phoenix+A series featuring Arabian members of The Dressage Foundation’s exclusive horse & rider teams whose combined ages meet or exceed 100 years

My grandmother, Marie Welch,

got her first Arabian in 1949,

so Arabians are in my blood.

In 1974, when I was just five years old,

my family moved back to Colorado from

Pennsylvania, to live on her farm and

help her out. My dad was an extension

agent and my mom stayed at home with

my brother and me when we were young-

er, then later returned to teaching. My

parents also bred Arabians; they still do,

although they aren’t as active about it as

they used to be. I’ve been riding Arabians

ever since I was five, and I grew up show-

ing them with my grandmother.

Amie Phoenix+ (AKA “Phoenix” and

“Mr. Bean”) was born in 1983 to a mare

my brother and I co-owned. We were go-

ing to start our own breeding farm and

call it “Amie Arabians” (Amie = “friend”

in French). Phoenix was sired by Moniet’s

Echo, an Ibn Moniet El Nefous son that

my grandmother had leased for one year.

His dam was NBD Prudence, a mare my

parents had bred who was out of my first

dressage horse, NBD Peace by The Phoe-

nician+++. Prudence’s sire was Mt. Vu

Zaabafar, a *Mustafar son that my grand-

mother bred.

Since we were teenagers, Phoe-

nix was our pet. We’d catch him out of

the field—and take him away from his

mom—to play with him. She didn’t care

and neither did he! We taught him tricks

If all goes accord-

ing to plan, he

will do his third

Century Club ride

in June...the day

before his 30th

birthday.

by Trisha Swift

Norm Brown and family after his Century

Club ride with Amie Phoenix.

5June/July 2013

and taught him to ground drive when he

was a baby.

I started training him to ride when

he was 4, but I didn’t get serious about

his training until he was about 12. I had

spent two years after college in the north-

east U.S. being a working student at dres-

sage stables, so I was ready to get serious.

Phoenix and I had many show successes,

including two regional Championships in

dressage. I also competed him in the first

two Sport Horse Nationals. All of his win-

nings in dressage contributed to his Le-

gion of Honor.

I taught him to jump when he was 19,

and though it took him a couple of years

to warm up to it, he finally started enjoy-

ing himself. He even won a couple of

schooling two-phases. As he got older, it

was clear that he still wanted to be ridden,

even though he could no longer advance

through the levels. He truly gets depressed

when he’s not worked. I started teaching

lessons, so I used him as a lesson horse,

and he was much happier. I still bareback

ride him around some if no one rides him

that week; otherwise, he’s not happy.

Because we played with him so much

when he was a foal and when he was

growing up, I think he thinks he’s a person.

He loves people, and loves being messed

with. He has a sense of humor; if you laugh

at something he does, he will do it again.

He has a playful streak in him. I have one

boy who rides him now, and Phoenix likes

to throw in a little playful jump sometimes

when he goes to trot. The boy thinks it’s

hilarious, and so does Phoenix.

Phoenix’s first Century Club rider was

my dad, Norm Brown. Although my dad

has always been involved with horses and

showed them, most of his involvement

was on the ground. He rarely rode. When

I signed on to help revitalize the Estes

Park Arabian Show, I got a bee in my bon-

net that my dad should do a Century Club

ride. He was reluctant at first, especially

after the horse he was supposed to ride

passed away, but I offered Phoenix for the

ride (Phoenix’s trot is a little bouncy; that’s

why he wasn’t the first choice). My dad

had to learn to post the trot at 79 years

old! It just shows that you can do anything

you put your mind to.

The second rider was my dad’s friend,

Jim Snook. Jim has trained many horses,

but he had mostly ridden western and

done ranch work. The world of dressage

was completely new for him. However, he

wanted to give it a go because my dad kept

talking about how great it was (as well as

showing off his ribbon, plaque, and photos

of the ride). Again, Jim rode at the Estes

Park Arabian Show, and once he figured

out the test, he did a great job.

After Jim’s ride that day, I had a little

fun with my then 29-year-old gelding. I

entered him in pole bending and barrel

racing… with my dressage saddle that Jim

used for his test. Neither one of us had

ever done either event! We got last place

in both, but it was hilarious fun, especially

when Phoenix jumped the chalk line at the

start of the pole bending race. He does

know how to jump!

If all goes according to plan, he will do

his third Century Club ride with my mom,

Amie at 2003 Sport Horse Nationals

Donna Brown, at the Estes Park Arabian

Show. That will be the day before his 30th

birthday, so I plan on having a birthday

bash for him at the show. That way eve-

ryone can celebrate with him! Although

he’s had some health issues in the past

(he had pneumonia when he was two, and

has had several bouts of laminitis during

his 20s—this has been under control ever

since we figured out he has Cushing’s dis-

ease, and he’s on medication for that), he

is doing well right now, so I expect he’ll be

celebrating his birthday in style.

Phoenix is a lot of fun, but he’s also a

trustworthy guy - I can put just about any-

one on him. He has gone to both coasts

to compete at Nationals, and just like his

grandma (Peace), he gave me his all when

I showed him. He can be stubborn, but

he might just get that from me! He has

taught countless people how to ride and

will hopefully continue to for many more

years. Phoenix is just amazing!


continued on next page

Game On!A cute little bay Arabian named Game On and his junior

owner/rider, Kaitlin Miller-Roberts, so impressed the

judges at both the 2010 and 2011 USEF National Pony

Jumper Championships that they unanimously voted them as

winner of the “Short Stop Pony Jumper Style Award.” This award

is reserved for the one rider they feel exemplifies the best classi-

cal jumper horsemanship. No one rider has ever won it twice.

Add to that the Team Gold Medal in 2011 and Team Silver

Medal in 2010 for Kaitlin and her Zone 7 teammates, and you can

clearly see that this pair’s talent is world class.

This winning partnership started off in 2009 when Kaitlin’s

trainer, Tracey Badley, got him as a trade from his previous owner

who had out-

grown him. “I’ve

always been par-

tial to Arabians,

as I grew up with

a hunter pony

that was half-

Arab, and Tiger

reminded me of

that pony,” says

Tracey. They de-

cided on a career

in jumpers for

him as he had a

tendency to cross

canter, which

would not work

for hunters.

Tracey says

she wouldn’t

trade her Arabian

jumpers for the world. “ I love Arabians, they have so much try

and so much heart. They shouldn’t be able to do what they do,”

she says. Nicknamed “Tiger” for his fierce determination, Tracey’s

admiration for him comes through in her voice. “He is so charis-

matic, he loves to run and jump. It’s like he’s built on springs - he

doesn’t know or care how big the jumps are, he just goes over. We

even jump him 1.20m (4’) at home!”

Kaitlin had ridden a 7/8 Arabian in 2007 in the local pony

hunters, but at the time would have never thought she would

later be looking at buying an Arabian pony jumper. When she got

on him for the first time she recalls that, ” It was an instant con-

nection and I fell in love. When I jumped him, I knew he had the

heart to be a jumper, because every ride he gave 110%. “

Kaitlin had shown hunters up to 2’9”, but had never done

jumpers more than a few times, and Tiger was the perfect confi-

dence builder. In 2009 they did the local circuit puddle jumpers

2’6”-2’9”, won Reserve at their second show and she subsequent-

ly bought half-interest in him.

Then in 2010 they started competing in the “A” show pony

jumpers 3’3”-3’7”, with their sights set on Pony Finals in August.

Kaitlin and Tiger were winning in both pony and low children’s

jumpers, easily

qualifying for the

USEF National

Pony Jumper

Championships at

Pony Finals. The

Zone 7 team, of

which she was a

member, finished

in 2nd place

overall, earning

a Silver Medal. In

addition, Kaitlin

won the coveted

Style Award.

This bold

pair finished the

2010 season with

a USEF Reserve

Champion in Zone

7 and a National

5th place in Pony Jumpers, a 5th in Childrens Jumpers and a year

end Reserve Champion in Pony Jumpers at the Texas H/J Associa-

tion. Kaitlin then bought Tiger outright - he was now a part of the

family and she wanted to take him to Pony Finals again in 2011.

Their 2011 season was even better than 2010, with Tiger plac-

ing 1st or 2nd almost every class. Again they headed to Kentucky

for the Championships, but this time, Zone 7 won the Team Gold

Medal! “That was our greatest accomplishment, winning Gold at


GAME ON continued from page ??

Photos courtesy Kaitlin Miller-Roberts

the Championships, in addition to finish-

ing 8th individually after a very technical

1.10 meter course,” says Kaitlin. Addition-

ally, she was again selected for the Style

Award!

They were also Zone 7 Champion in

Pony and Childrens Jumpers, Champion

in Pony Jumpers and Reserve in Childrens

Jumpers in Texas H/J Association.

2012 was a transitional year for Kaitlin

as she prepared to head off to college, and

therefore didn’t show much. This year, he

is leased out to 10-year-old Alissa Brandt,

who is learning the ropes.

“I learned so much from Tiger, I am still

learning from him,” says Kaitlin. “I think

the most important thing he taught me

was to not let someone tell you that you

don’t stand a chance. No one would have

thought the Arabian pony that cross-can-

ters would be able to do the pony jump-

ers, but he showed everyone that he could

the exact same thing as the big expensive

horses, only even better. “

“Arabians have the best personalities,

Tiger is very funny to be around and al-

ways makes me laugh. I also admire their

athleticism, I never knew how athletic they

were before I got Tiger. But my favorite

thing about him is his heart, I haven’t ever

felt a horse want to win as much as Tiger.

He loves to jump and go fast, and half the

time I think he could read my mind about

what turns and what spots I wanted to do.

If I was nervous, he would prance into the

ring, or do a little playful ‘jump’ before the

buzzer and it always made me laugh and

relax. He is just a great teammate!”

9June/July 2013

HUNTER & JUMPER NEWS Half-Arabian mare Ability+/(MHR Nobility x Nikita {KWPN})

with Kristin Hardin on placed 2nd in both the 1.10m & 1.15m

Jumpers out of 20+ entries at the Memorial Day Classic at LAEC.

Ability is owned by Gregg & Nancy Shafer.

Arabian PA Sebastion (Oh Canada x Crystal Vision) and owner

Sarah Ingram on winning a 1.0m jumper class (of 46 entries) at an

open show in May. They were named Reserve Champion.

Photo below is by cwillsphotography.com

BITS and pieces

DRESSAGE NEWS Ashleigh Flores-Simmons and Anglo mare Athena+++// (LS

Zane Grey+// x Little Badger Baby) made their debut together at

the CDI*** Golden State Dressage Festival and earned a 69.7% in

FEI Grade 2 Para Equestrian test.

They also earned a 67.2% on First Level Test 1 and a 62.4% on

First Level Test 2 at the AHANC show Saturday. This was their first

time at First Level and just their second show together. . Athena is

owned by Rita Mason. Photo above is by Grey Horse Photography.

The newest members of The Dressage Foundation’s Century

Club: 89 year old Sy Budofsky and Arabian gelding Romeos Krys-

talbay (Romeo VF+/ x Krystal Charm {AAF Kaset+}), who have a

combined age of 105. They performed their required dressage

test yesterday at the Palm Beach County Mounted Posse Dressage

Show. The horse is owned by the Livecchis of Desert Rose Ranch.

We will have their story in our next issue.

Carla Scarmazzi and her Half-Arabian RS Royal Edition (Bal-

liance V x Rosa Linda {KWPN}) won the High Score Adult Amateur

Award at the VA Dressage Assn. Central Chapter Open USDF Show

with a score of 68.973% in First Level.

Coming in a close 2nd was Carla and her purebred Arabian

CR Ice Storm (My El Sahib x JA S Hannah) with a 67.069% in First

Level.

After a 2 year break from serious competition, Arabian gelding

Comandr-N-Chief+// (Rio De Janiero x Shilo Liberation) and owner

Stacey Burdick-Taul won their Prix St. Georges test at the KY Dres-

sage Assn Spring open show. The judge was a British FEI 4* judge.

Stacey & Chief were our April/May cover story.

Half-Arabian Arosenthyme MA+++/ (Rosenthal {Hann} x Alu

Minchah) cleaned up in First Level at Whidbey Eq. Ctr. Open Dres-

sage Show with scores up to 71.6%. She is owned and bred by

Arabian H/J rider and trainer Michael Desiderio was hand cho-

sen by George Morris to participate in Morris’ USET Show Jumping

Program in May at the USET headquarters.

Only 10 riders were chosen from hundreds of applicants. Cri-

teria were 18+ years old, competing successfully at 1.45m or high-

er and ability to represent the US in international competition. The

application included videos and a written essay.


BITS and pieces (continued)

EVENTING NEWS The 2013 Eventing season continues to be a great one for

Arabian horses!

The big tune-up event before Rolex for many at The Fork. Will

Faudree & Anglo Riesling De Buissy were tied for 7th after dres-

sage in the CIC** and Houston and Daniel Clasing were in 44th in

the CCI*** out of 56 entries.

Final results were: Will and Riesling De Buissy finished 7th

in the CIC**. Daniel Clasing and HOUSTON jumped up to 25th in

the CIC***. Both horses went double clear in a VERY tough cross

country!

At the Ocala International 3 Day Event, the dynamite British-

bred Half Arabian Erodium, ridden by Olympian Jessica Phoenix,

were in 5th place after Dressage in the CCI**, held that place with

a double clear Cross Country. They went double clear in Stadium

to finish in 5th place.

Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event ended very well for Anglo Arabian

Houston and Daniel Clasing, they went double clear on that mas-

sive cross country course and finished after stadium in 21st out

of 50 entries.

The Maryland Combined Training Assoc. Horse Trials is a popu-

lar fixture on the spring eventing schedule. Held at Shawan Downs

in Baltimore, this year was well attended by riders and horses with

big names and not-so-big names.

Lauren Kieffer had a string of horses there, including her

young Anglo-Arabian Vermiculus. This writer was present to watch

them do their stadium round and go right out onto cross coun-

try. Unfortunately, a miscommunication in a combination caused

them to have to circle, counting as a refusal. They finished 15th in

Preliminary.

Phot

o by

Liz

Hal

l

Shawna Macauley and trained/ridden by Nicol Hinde. Alu Minchah

was the top dam of Half-Arabians at the 2012 SHNs. She also pro-

duced Imnaha+//.

Michele Judd and her homebred Half Arabian mare Rite From

he Start (Routinier {Old} x Rahsema Jewell) earned the overall

High Score award at the Va. Dressage Assoc./N. Va. Chapter show

with a 74.107%! It was their first rated show. Photo above by Kara

Hite/Pics of You.

Half-Arabian PL Lucky Tammy (Its The Luck Of The Irish {RID} x

PL Shirley) with owner/trainer Glenda Player earned a 69% their

first time in Third Level Test 3 at the PVDA Spring Open Dressage

Show. Tammy & Glenda performed a dressage demonstration at

the 2010 World Equestrian Games. She was bred by the Player

family of Playland Farm.

Half-Arabian ONLY A DREAM (Nico {AWS} x Nisrs Navianna)

competed in May in Prix St. Georges at the Lexington Spring Dres-

sage Show, earning a 60%. She is ridden by Sarah Doyle, owned

by Janet Lewis and bred by Susan McAdoo. Photo by Pics of You.a

Congratulations to Half-Arabian KB Kalila Fahim+++/ (by KB

Omega Fahim) who earned a 73% in Fourth Level to win at an

open dressage show at just her 2nd show at that level. She is

owned by Chrissie Bailey and trained/ridden by Chelsea Sibley.

Arabian stallion Bonne Vivant++++// (Monogramm x Bonne

Cherie) and rider Kassandra Barteau earned a 63.29% in Prix St

Georges and a winning score of 63.684% in I-1 at the Chatta-

hoochee Hills Open Dressage show. Kassandra had only recently

gotten the ride. Bonne Vivant is owned by Cheryl Showah.

Oz Poof of Purchase

Rite From The Start

Pics

of Y

ou

11June/July 2013

BITS and pieces (continued)

Denise Nader and Anglo Zurick competed in Open Novice,

finishing 8th. Denise donated a perpetual trophy named for her

Arabian Octavius to be awarded to the winning Senior Beginner

Novice team.

Half-Arabian PL Irish Thunder (PL Diamond Hill {ID} x PL Elad-

dinns Lite) and owner Rose Lehnig placed 2nd at the Redland

Hunt Horse Trials in Training last month. PL Irish Thunder was bred

by Playland Farm, who have been breeding Arabians & HAs since

the 1970s.

Oz Poof Of Purchase, homebred Anglo ridden & owned by

Katy Groesbeck, won the CCI2* at Twin Rivers Spring 3-Day after

double clears in XC & Stadium. Their next outing will be Rebecca

Farm in July along with Poof’s brother, Oz The Tin Man, who was

laid up with an injury since fall. Katy is fundraising for the trip -

donate by visiting www.kgeventing.com.

Katy and her awesome horses will be featured in the August/

September issue.

Mid-May was the very popular Jersey Fresh event. Half-Ara-

bian ERODIUM and Olympian Jessica Phoenix finished dressage

in 5th place in the CCI3* with a 55.4. Anglo Arabian Riesling De

Buissy and Will Faudree were in in 3rd place in the CCI2* after

dressage with a 49.8.

After an exciting cross country on day 2, Riesling De Buissy

wound up in 2nd place in the CCI** with a double clear while Ero-

dium jumped clear, but had time penalties and was sitting in 7th

place in the CCI***. There were only 2 double clears on this tough

3* course, which 6 horses didn’t even complete.

Showjumping concluded in the CCI** with Riesling De Buissy

and Will finishing in 2nd place after a double clear course. Ero-

Jenn

i Aut

ry/E

vent

ing

Nat

ion

Riesling De Buissy

dium and Jessica finished the CCI** in 8th place.

Tami Pacho and her Half-Arabian mare WALL STREET STATUS

(Back Street x Sea Symbol RF {ASB}) placed 4th at Galway Downs

Spring Horse Trials in Sr. Beg. Novice after a 3 year hiatus from

competition.

Anglo Arabians Tatchou and Hito CP finished Badminton Horse

Trials in 60th and 64th places respectively out of 84 entries. One

of the toughest tests of horse and rider on the planet!

Saumur in France had 5 Anglos in the 3* and 15 in the 2* as

is to be expected in the birthplace of this breed. The final results

of the CCI3* for the Anglo Arabs: Olympe d’Eos - 12th; Junco CP

- 15th; Iberon CP - 19th; Piano Star - 20th and Neo De Breuil -

22nd.

Arabian BF Amigo (NV Congo x Tema Amira) who competes as

“Figjam” was recently sold to a young rider, Hayley Miller, and they

placed 2nd & 3rd in Novice Rider on their first two outings. Figjam

was previously competed at Prelim by Elisa Wallace. Best of luck

to this new pair!

The 26 year old Arabian mare Black Moons Molly (Nahr Ra-

ban x Mistanny El Aswad) and her junior rider Melissa Morris, who

placed 16th at the Mill Creek Pony Club Horse Trials. Molly stands

just 13.3 hands.

Melissa & Molly have qualified for the USEA Area IV Champi-

onships the last 2 years! Molly is owned by Cassie Phelps.

Vermiculus and Lauren Kieffer finished the Preliminary divi-

sion in 4th place at the Virginia Horse Trials. The pair moved up

from 7th after dressage, thanks to a double clear cross country

and just 4 jump faults in Stadium.

Erodium

Jenn

i Aut

ry/E

vent

ing

Nat

ion


Profiles in Courage

Walking in the Shadow

of a Rainbow

by Karin Foley

Mary Jo Hoepner &

Made In The Shade+/Kathleen Bryan Photo

13June/July 2013

Very few Arabian-bred horses compete in the Open Dres-

sage world. Even fewer compete at the FEI (internation-

al) level. But only one is doing all of this with an Amateur

rider, and that is Mary Jo Hoepner and her Half-Arabian/

Percheron gelding “Made In The Shade+/” by the late Arabian stal-

lion Ravenswood Flag.

There is a concept in Native American thinking called “Walk-

ing in the Shadow of a Rainbow.” The concept is

two-fold. The first part being that relation-

ships develop not from some monumen-

tal happening but from the constancy of

day to day things…sharing. So for instance,

humans develop meaningful realtionships by

simply doing simple things together such as

taking walks, planting a garden together, or

sharing meals.

The second part of concept has to do

with experiencing something “wonderous.”

We have walked in the shadow of a rainbow

when something “wonderous” is seen or expe-

rienced. Now at the basis of part two is part one.

The “wonderous” is always there in everyday

things for us. We have to open our eyes to see

it.

This Native American concept is deeply

rooted in the belief that all humans have ani-

mal spirit guides and teachers. Furthermore, we

journey with our guides and teachers through our different life

times since Indians believe we are souls with a body and not bod-

ies with a soul.

The moment our beloved horse makes us his or hers is the mo-

ment at which we Walk in the Shadow of a Rainbow. It is those

day-to-day moments of riding, feeding, grooming, and visiting

that make that particular “wonderous” moment possible. Such is

the experience of Mary Jo and her boy, “Shade.”

There is a reason this column is called “Profiles in Courage”

and not “Profiles in Check Writing.” To bring along a horse on your

own takes not only total commitment it requires the courage of

your convictions and a level of emotional toughness that few of

us can rally. Yes, it does cost money but it also cost time and

fortitude. There is a big difference between paying a pro to

train a horse and bringing a horse along yourself.

According to the United States Dressage Federation,

Dressage is a French term meaning “training” and its

purpose is to develop the horse’s natural athletic

ability and willingness to work making him calm,

supple and attentive to his rider. Currently, com-

petitive dressage involves nine progressive levels

incorporating multiple tests within each level. Special tests are

also written for musical freestyle. To the untrained eye, dressage

at its best appears as though the horse is without cues from its

rider, further testament to the cooperative partnership necessary

between them. The time and effort it takes to arrive at that place

is akin to the time and effort it takes to achieve the “wonderous,”

part two of Walking in the Shadow of a Rainbow.

Several years ago when I first heard about Shade and his Perch-

eron heritage it made me smile. Going back probably a dozen

years ago now I stopped at a friend’s place mid trip to layover with

my Percheron driving horse “Wild at Heart.” By coincidence that

same weekend Thomas Ritter was conducting a dressage clinic at

my friend’s farm. Wild at Heart was turned out in a paddock and

Ritter, glancing out the window, commented with his most Ger-

man attitude that he (Wild at Heart) was not any good for anything

except plowing. Almost instantly Wild at Heart began doing canter

pirouettes in the field and Ritter’s lower lip hit his chest. I could

not control my laughter.

Percherons are one of the few breeds of draft horses capable

of doing mid level or higher dressage. They often cannot do FEI

levels only because their size, as a matter of physics, makes it im-

possible. Many Percherons have the structure and brain to do the

work. So while I thought MJ’s choice a bold one, it made perfect

sense.

Mary Jo told me she searched for Shade for two years before

finding him as a green four year old. He needed to be “the one,”

meaning the right fit personality wise he needed to be capable

of doing FEI level dressage. In addition, to meet MJ’s needs he

needed to have size, be athletic, sound, and he had to fit within

a certain price range. Mary Jo told me, “I had a fantastic Anglo

Arab bred by Dr. John Aldred. I was not going to settle for anything

less.”

While it is an indisputable fact that it takes steady, consist-

ent, grueling work to bring a horse up through the levels it is

the relationship with the horse that makes all things possible. To

achieve greatness with a horse you must first Walk in the Shadow

of a Rainbow. Like many of the most successful horse and rider

combos, Shade and Mary Jo utilize other disciplines in Shade’s

training, such as Working Western, jumping and trail riding. It is

a well-known fact that the FEI horses under Steffen Peters care

take regular trail rides as part of training and reward for a job well

done. I hear Weltino’s Magic loves to trial ride because he loves

to look at things.

At an AHA show about five years ago I visited with Carter Bass

during a break between judging dressage tests and asked Carter, if

in her experience most dressage riders in the open world trained

and rode their own horses or had pros do the work for them. She

kind of snickered (as only Carter can do) and replied, “At the upper

levels either the pro rides the horse or the owner does. A combi-

nation of the pro schooling the horse and the owner hopping on

for shows is ridiculous and does not work.” MJ trains with Grant

Schneidman and relayed a similar comment from Grant. “You can-

not fake the upper level movements by having someone else train


Kathleen Bryan Photo


and school and then hop on.” So for the

eight years Shade was at Grant Schnei-

dman’s, he was ridden by MJ 99% of the

time.

One imperative when an amateur

works with a pro is to find the pro that

works with you and your horse. Mary Jo

says about Grant, “He figured out right

away that Shade tried so hard. He even

admonished me that I needed to be more

sensitive with my sensitive horse.“ From

riding many, many mares through the

years, I learned that there are some hors-

es you have to ask and some horses you

have to tell. Additionally, you have to real-

ize that some horses will just try too hard

and those horses without a kind hand will

get disheartened. So for those like Mary Jo

with a sensitive boy like Shade it is imper-

ative to work with someone who sees and

understands a sensitive horse…not all do.

My first dressage trainer announced

to me that “anyone who thinks their horse

loves them is crazy.” I filed that one away.

My first dressage horse, Lilly, DID love me

and I her. Lilly has long since retired from

the dressage arena, is happier as a fox

hunter, and she remains a constant horse

love in my life. That unloving trainer was

quickly replaced.

I could not miss in my conversations

with Mary Jo about Shade how much she

loves Shade and how in tune she is with

him. Those of us who have had the privi-

lege of interacting with Mary Jo over the

years know the tough Mary Jo. That is the

Mary Jo who represents her region with

USDF, the Mary Jo who works towards im-

provements for dressage riders with AHA,

the Mary Jo who is not afraid to say what

she thinks based on her experience. The

Mary Jo who has the courage of her con-

victions. You might not always agree with

Mary Jo yet you have to respect her right to

voice an opinion because she has EARNED

the right to voice it. So the Mary Jo who

brought along Shade…the soft, quiet Mary

Jo who loves Shade was quite a surprise

to me. You cannot miss Mary Jo’s love for

him.

How much of success has to do with

intangibles by definition cannot be quan-

tified. It is impossible to think that any

horse could be brought along year after

year by an owner if the relationship was

not harmonious. I asked FEI 4* judge Janet

Foy if when she is watching a horse and

rider pair if she can see the special bond

between them. Janet said, “Yes, think of

Brentina and Debbie MacDonald or Ed-

ward Gal and Totilas. Not every rider gets

that perfect partner.” I could not help but

ask Janet how that affected a test score

and her response was perfect. “In the USEF

test, ‘harmony’ is the last score in collec-

tives and is a great place for a ‘10.’ In the

FEI tests, the submission and rider score

would be the place to do it.” It was not un-

til near the end of my conversation with

COURAGE continued from page 13

Karin Foley has written for numerous equine publications including The Blood Horse, Middleburg Today, Equus Magazine, and Modern Arabian Horse. She currently lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York with her husband Willis. Together, they breed Arab and Welsh bred sport ponies for adult dressage, eventing, and foxhunting riders. They also raise English Labrador Retrievers to be PTSD service dogs, therapy dogs for autistic children, and great family dogs.

Karin has studied riding and horse-manship with many wonderful instructors including Sally O’Connor , Thomas Ritter, and Conrad Schumacher . She attributes her sticking seat to a year of lunge line lessons with the fabulous Kayla DeArmis, a student of Conrad Schumacher’s and the encouragement of her long term friend, Sue Fanelli.

Karin’s interests include sport horse breeding, the biomechanics of riding and unusual horse adventures. Karin also en-joys writing about courageous horses and their riders and individual experiences with great teachers. If you have a unique story contact Karin at [email protected].

Janet when I mentioned that the horse

and rider pair I was writing about was Mary

Jo and Shade from Janet’s home state of

Colorado. With great glee Janet said, “MJ is

a GREAT gal. She often takes lessons from

me. I love her to death!” Mary Jo and Shade have won both

Bronze and Silver Medals in the USDF and Horse of the Year honors in All-Breed Awards and USEF rankings. They have earned high-er median scores than many professionals they compete against.

They were selected as demo horse and rider for the Intermediare II / Grand Prix group for “Through The Levels” Symposium with Olympic rider Steffen Peters and judge Janet Foy. This accomplished pair have been recognized for their achievements by Foy. There were over 80 applicants for this honored position!

Throughout their career together, Mary Jo has promoted Shade’s Arabian heritage to judges, trainers and spectators alike. They participate in clinics, educational demon-strations, training sessions, etc. Each time, the comments from spectators and partici-pants illustrate a change in their perception of the capabilities of Arabian-breds in the

elite upper levels of dressage.

About Karin

Kath

leen

Bry

an P

hoto

15June/July 2013



by Rebekah Savage

17June/July 2013

A leap of faith, a skilled trainer and a gifted mare combine to make

a winning partnership in both the Arabian and open jumper cir-

cuits. Hope Springs Eternal+/, a 2000 bay purebred mare by

multi-National Champion Park Horse stallion Allience+// and out of the

mare Pajarito Esprit, has proven herself time and again in the jumper

division.

In 2005, Hope was bought by trainer Kristin Hardin of Kristin Hardin

Stables in New Cuyama, Calif. Hardin was returning from Sport Horse

Nationals and had just lost her horse, DDA Springtime, to colic. With an

empty spot in her trailer, Hardin stopped to look at Hope and decided

to buy the mare and take her home. Hope was unpapered and unproven

as a show horse but Hardin recognized the potential of the mare and,

wanting to show her on the Arabian circuit, had her DNA tested in order

to have her registered.

Hardin was pregnant at the time Hope was being started, so she had

a friend help her. Once Hope was well broke, they created a sale video.

In 2006, Lynn McAlister of Shadow Acres Farm in Mountain Home, Ar-

kansas, was looking for a horse for her two daughters. McAlister saw

the video and although she hadn’t seen Hope in person, she made the

decision to buy her. “I never laid eyes on her and I never talked with my

husband,” said McAlister. “I had bought an unpapered horse. It was a big

leap of faith.”

McAlister finally met Hope in person in Scottsdale where Hardin

showed her what the horse was capable of. The original plan was after

the show, McAlister would trailer Hope to her new home. Hardin, after

starting and showing Hope, knew how talented the mare was and given

her somewhat hot-headed temperament, McAlister decided to let Hope

return to California and continue training with Hardin. McAlister ended

up also buying Hope’s sister, a quieter horse, for her daughters.

Under Hardin’s guidance, Hope blossomed into a fierce competitor

in the jumper ring. Together, the pair have won numerous awards in the

Arabian and Open jumper circuit. Her first year at Sport Horse Nationals,

they won the Arabian Open Jumper class. Since then, they have won

the class three more times and finished second once. They also won the

Mini-Prix twice and the Speed Class once.

On the open circuit, Hope dominated the 1.00m Jumpers and the

1.07m True Green Jumpers in 2009 at the Santa Barbara National II. In

Hope

SpringsEternal


Photos courtesy Kristin Hardin


HOPE continued from page 17

2012, at the Memorial Day Classic, she won

in the 1.05m Jumpers and 1.00M multiple

times. At the Camelot Classic, she won the

$1500 .95m Speed Stake and .95m

Speed Stake Championship. Also in

2012, Hope showed at Showpark

June Jamboree Festival, Santa Bar-

bara National II and Pebble Beach

Equestrian Classic II, where she once

again dominated the 1.05m Jump-

ers.

The unique partnership between

Hope and Hardin was proven when

Hope jumped an ATV as part of a

demonstration. “She is so trusting of

me, if she feels I want her to jump it,

she will,” said Hardin.

In between her competitions, Hope

earned a sponsorship with Platinum Plus.

“She has been on it since she came to my

barn,” said Hardin. “She has never had any

health issues. She is a poster child for Plat-

inum.” Despite her lack of health issues,

McAlister had a concern. “If something

happens to Hope, we don’t have some-

thing of her,” said McAlister. So, the

decision was made to pull Hope

from competition to breed her. Af-

ter several attempts to breed her,

a foal was not produced. After dis-

cussion amongst Hope’s vet, trainer

and owner, the decision to switch

stallions was made. Hope then was

bred to Cortez, a Holsteiner Grand

Prix jumper, owned by Hardin.

In 2011, Hope gave birth to

a filly named Hope and Dreams,

whom they call Harmony. Harmony

is now 2 years old and “looks like a

tiny version of her Mom,” said Hardin. Har-

mony, who is still growing, is slowly being

handled and started. “Hopefully she’ll be

as good of a jumper as her Mom,” said Har-

din.

After two years away from jumping

and competing, Hope’s owner and trainer

questioned whether she would still en-

joy showing. They needn’t have worried,

Hope quashed their doubts even win-

ning the 2012 Arabian Horse Association

Open Competition award. The Open Com-

petition Award is given to a Purebred or

half-Arabian or Anglo Arabian in areas of

outstanding achievement in representing

the Arabian breed in Open Competition.

“Hope is the most competitive horse I’ve

ridden,” said Hardin. “I’m glad she won it,

she deserved it.”

Since her big return, Hardin cannot

help but notice Hope’s love for competi-

tion and jumping. “She loves to jump and

work. She loves to show, she gets quite an

attitude at a show. Getting on her is like

sitting on loaded dynamite.”

McAlister is tossing around the idea of

breeding Hope again, but for now, Hope

will continue to blast her way through the

jumper ring.

Not bad for a leap of faith purchase

on an unpapered, unproven and unseen

mare.

Hope and Harmony

Chocolate, Black and Yellow puppies ready to go home with you July 2013!

Blind Squirrel Labradors

English Labs for Sport, Service, Therapy & Love

Karin Foley • 716-244-8659 • Email


19June/July 2013

Photos courtesy Kristin Hardin


MA Winds of Magic was born in West Virginia on April 11, 1996. His sire was Half-

Arabian Moment of Magic, sired by Saddlebred Harlequin Magic Maker. His dam

RAS Wind Dancer was an Ivanhoe Tsultan granddaughter.

Purchased as a two-year-old by a man on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, he made his

way to eventer Betsy Brawner of Humphrey’s Point Farm in Rock Hall, Maryland. Betsy

recounts the story, “Magic came to me as a trainee, meaning his owner did not know what

to do with him. He was no use to her as he made all the students cry, such was his ‘fun

loving’ temperament. One girl was able to ride him, she would jump him over the fences

and that was all she did with him, but she moved away and nobody could or would ride

him until he found his way to my farm.

“I put him in the round pen and he ran around with his nose straight up in the air, tail

high, prancing on air it seemed. I thought ‘what a beautiful animal!’ Magic and I bonded,

I was a very daring rider and had a deep admiration and respect for him, plus I adored his

personality. After over a year, I decided to purchase him, taught him some dressage and

off to the horse trials we went. He managed to gather many blues at the novice level and

became quite well known in the area.“

He was also a bit of an escape artist. “I found it nearly impossible to keep him in the

fields, every morning I found him grazing

in my front yard. We put rails on top of the

posts but nothing worked.”

When Betsy acquired some green Thor-

oughbreds, she realized it was time to find

Magic a new home. Many potential buyers

came and went after he took them across

the arena his way until a young girl, Chris-

tine Lonsdale, and her mother showed up.

Christine was looking for an event-

ing pony, she had shown a little bit in the

jumpers both locally and rated, was active

in pony club and fox hunted. She had even

ridden a few Arabs for other people from

time to time.

“Christine rode him beautifully, she

had a perfect position and Magic some-

how knew she was worthy. They came

back with her trainer and the trainer saw

the potential and a deal was struck,” re-

calls Betsy. “ The rest is like a fairytale.”

It was June of 2008, and Magic was

Christine’s 14th birthday present. They

bonded quickly, as the perfect horse and

rider partnerships do. Christine describes

him, “Magic is incredibly intelligent, al-

most human like. He’s the sweetest, most

lovable animal I’ve ever encountered. He

will sleep in his stall or field and I can just

lie next to him and relax. Magic is very at-

tached to me, and he’ll watch me when I

go walk the course when my mom holds

him, she says he never takes his eyes off

me. Magic is a once in a lifetime pony, he’s

Arabian Pony Blows Away the

Competition

Parker/The Book LLC Photo

Winds of Magic

21June/July 2013

massively talented and athletic, and he’s my best friend.”

Christine and Magic started out in eventing, until they both real-

ized that dressage was not a favorite for either of them. So in 2011,

they decided to give jumper shows a shot. They enlisted the help of

trainer Kenny Krome, who immediately saw the potential in Magic.

Christine admits that it took her a little longer to polish her skills.

By their fourth show, Magic and Christine were winning every

class they would enter at the 1m level, even winning the Champion-

ship at the Maryland National Hunter/Jumper Show. The new kids

on the block were definitely the ones to beat!

In 2012, they set their sights on qualifying for Devon, hoping to

compete in the $2,500 North American League Pony Jumper Cham-

pionship. The pair did very well leading up to the Championship

class, earning firsts and seconds in the other classes. Their strategy

during the championship jump off was to go cautiously as no rid-

er ahead of them had gone clear. Christine and Magic had already

jumped 5 clear rounds that day, and she knew he could give them

another. Christine rode the course conservatively, and they left up

all the jumps. Although they incurred three time faults, it was still

good enough to give them the win and the Championship.

Their next outing was the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in

Harrisburg where they would compete in the $4,000 North Ameri-

can League Pony Jumper Finals. After jumping a clean round their

first trip, they pulled one rail in the jump off but still earned Reserve

Championship.

“Winning Devon was the best moment of my life and was my

biggest accomplishment. But Reserve Champion at Harrisburg was

cool too!” Christine says.

In 2013, they haven’t shown except for an outing in January

where they placed second in the NAL/WIHS/M&S Children/Adult

Jumper Classic at 1.10m. Because of Christine’s school schedule,

they weren’t able to qualify for Devon this year but have plans to go

up north to compete over the summer.

About her special pony, Christine says, “Magic has taught me so

much! He’s so talented that he’s been able to easily transfer into the

various stages of my riding as I’ve progressed. I was not nearly as

smart on course as I am now, because of Magic. Magic has gone from

babysitting me around the courses to becoming my greatest partner

in winning the big classics. Magic has also taught me a lot outside

the ring. He’s taught me the value of hard work and patience.”

Christine is planning a professional career in horses, but states,

“I will own Magic forever, no matter where the future takes me, he

will stay by my side.“

Christine and Magic in the Winner’s Circle at Devon.

Christine’s Senior Prom photo with her pony.

Phot

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urte

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hris

tine

Lon

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oto

cour

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Chr

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ale

Winds of Magic


Q & A withHilda GurneyThe Olympic rider and trainer answers readers’ questions about Arabians and dressage

You have to have

a horse with three

good gaits, and the

ability to really

have power to be a

sport horse.

What do you think Arabians can bring to

the table as sporthorses?

Arabians are wonderful animals, full of

vim and vigor, they like to work, and they

are beautiful. They bring energy, lightness

off the ground, which is what we want in

the sport horse type, and buoyancy and

beauty. They are tough horses so they

bring resiliency, they’re long-lived plus

most of them stay pretty sound.

What are the weakest aspects of Arabi-

ans?

The conformation of their hindquar-

ters.

How do you compensate for this?

Well I think now Arabian breeders are

breeding for different types. Some breed

for Western, some breed for show hack,

some breed for Park horse type. I think

now that people are starting to breed Ara-

bians for sport horse, they need to pay at-

tention to the hindquarters.

When I judge the sport horse halter

classes, which are really popular, usually

I’m giving nine on the head and eight for

the shoulders and saddle position and

eight on the legs. Hindquarters I go down

to a six. It’s the articulation of the hind-

quarters, especially in the Egyptian Ara-

bian, it is wrong for sport horse. The Polish

Arabian is the best line and more suitable.

You have to have a horse with three

good gaits, and the ability to really have

power to be a sport horse. Whether you

are jumping, doing dressage or eventing,

you need power. They need to be able to

articulate the hind leg under them to cre-

ate that power. So you want the longer,

more sloping croup and the forward slop-

ing femur.

Do you do anything different when rid-

ing/training Arabians?

No, nothing different. I probably have

10 different breeds and I train each horse

as an individual, not as a breed, because

they are an individual.

Do you see Arabians, Half or Anglo Ara-

bians as being competitive in open com-

petition at a regional, national & interna-

tional level?

Not regular Arabians, but Half-Arabians

absolutely. I taught a clinic with a horse

by Aul Magic (Laine Sklar’s Paladin SF} that

was really, really tops. That was in Arizona.

And I judged the Young Show Horse Series

Finals at Spy Coast Farm in Florida with

$25,000 prize money and a Half-Arabian

{Samantha Werner’s Uphoria} was Cham-

pion in the halter. They didn’t say he was

Half-Arab, but he was really fabulous, by

far the most outstanding horse that day.

Half-Arabians have been competitive

on the international level, just not pure-

breds. One, they’re too small generally;

and two, the articulation of the hind end.

As far as Anglos, probably the other cross-

es would do better, the Thoroughbreds are

no longer competitive in the sport horse

23June/July 2013

world. Sometimes in eventing but pretty

much in dressage and jumping you don’t

see Thoroughbreds anymore.

Do you think there is breed prejudice

among dressage judges?

Maybe a little. But I’m a dressage judge

and I’m about to bring my Arabian up to

I-1 and Grand Prix very shortly and I’ve

done well with him. It’s not that they are

breed prejudiced, it is that the horse has

to perform in a suitable manner. It is the

horse not the breed. I mean purebred Ar-

abs aren’t bred to move across their backs,

which is really important in dressage. Most

Arabs tend to move hollow in their backs.

All dressage judges want to see a horse

using his back and most purebred Arabs

aren’t bred to move that way. But some

of the crosses tend to move that way as

they get positive characteristics from both

sides. And then you have exceptions. The

Arab stallion I ride has very good move-

ment. He certainly could carry more en-

gagement in the gaits, but he is capable

of very good engagement. His piaffe and

passage are as good as it gets.

Hilary Clayton’s stallion carries very,

very good engagement and he’s competi-

tive in the open world too. But they’re not

going to make it to the Olympics, they’re

too small and they don’t want small horses

in the Olympics. There shouldn’t be that

prejudice but there is.

What observations do you have about

horses that ‘think too much’ or ‘think

they know better than the rider’ and do

you have some insight into how to handle

these personality types?

First, no horse knows better than I do,

we don’t go there.

So many of my horses are registered

Oldenburg but they’re at least half Trakeh-

ner and they are hot. They have similar

dispositions as the Arabians. So we work

mostly on relaxation, same with our young

horses. And we have a lot of Half-Arabians

too, but they are part Trakehner so they are

more than half Arabian. In fact, most of my

stock is more than half Arabian but they

are called Oldenburg or whatever.

They are so willing and you don’t have

to be so tough. We spend more time on re-

laxation and just waiting, it’s a nicer train

frankly. I love horses and I don’t like get-

ting after them. But you teach them to wait

and you do it in a patient way. You know I

don’t spend a lot of time, I ride 15 horses

in five hours. And in half an hour I can do

a lot of training on a horse. But it doesn’t

have to be tough or repetitive, you know.

You don’t get impatient with them. They

try so hard to please you.

The biggest thing is usually getting

them used to competition. I always school

at a show before I show. The first time in

a show ring is never in a test. I usually

take the day before to school the horses

in the ring. With young horses,

we take them to shows and just

hang out. We school the day be-

fore the show or school the day

of the show when it’s allowed,

just to get them where they’re

confident and you don’t over

face them. You just have to be

really aware that you can’t over

face them, let them build con-

fidence. It’s the same way you

do with a child, it’s something

you build. You don’t take a child

and throw them into a swim-

ming pool; you introduce them

gradually.

What is your first impression

when you see an Arab come

down the centerline?

I usually think, “How pretty!”

I like seeing non-Warmbloods.

Hilda with purebred stallion Cal Dorado, National Champions in Prix St. Georges in 1997. Rob Hess photo.


Prepare Your Marefor an InspectionConditiioning and training tips before your Arabian mare gets inspected

They are not looking

at pedigrees...

They are looking for

Arabians with

correct

conformation and

good gaits...

For us breeders of Arabian bred sport

horses, it’s that time of year when

we start to think about which mares

to take to an inspection. The regis-

try that you choose will ultimately decide

the breeding direction you choose, but

getting your mare ready is the same for all

of them. Arabians are beginning to make

their mark in sport horse breeding with

more and more Arabians making their way

to Warmblood registry inspections.

How we prepare our mares for this

process can make a world of difference

the day of the Inspection. I’m writing this

from my personal experience of taking my

mare, Caraechstrodinair, to her AHS In-

spection, where she received scores that

placed her as the highest scoring Arabian

mare in the AHS Breed Books. Carli re-

ceived an extremely rare “10” and scored

“8’s” for elasticity and impulsion.

The following is my training routine for

preparing my mares for Inspections. My

hope is that I can share what worked for

me to help others who want to take their

Arabian mare to an Inspection and get

good results.

Beginning 8 to 12 weeks before the

inspection, following this very easy con-

ditioning routine will have your mare well

prepared and looking her best for the in-

spection process:

1. Hand walk for a pre-warm up to lung-

ing.

2. Lunge in a relaxed forward fashion.

3. Lunge in long/low contact with side

reins.

4. Lunge with quiet transitions, while

staying forward into the contact.

5. Lunge over ground poles.

For Riding Mares:

1. The above process as a warm up for

your ride. (2-3 days a week)

2. Riding over ground poles/cavalettis

3. Trail Riding (Hills and Galloping)

Finding out the date of your chosen

inspection location is the first step. Let’s

say for the sake of this article that our tar-

get inspection is in late August, so I would

begin in early May. All you need to get

started is a decent place to lunge, a bridle

Story & Photos by Tamara Torti

25June/July 2013

with a simple smooth snaffle, surcingle,

side reins and ground poles. Relaxation,

suppleness and impulsion along with very

good conformation are key to having a

good inspection.

I like to begin with working on the

lunge with side reins. I do this 3 times a

week for about 20 minutes each session.

Always begin with walking first. I actu-

ally like to hand walk my mare around the

arena a few times before and after each

session. This gets your horse loose before

your begin and helps the cooling process

after.

On the lunge, I like them to be forward,

walking with a purpose, while stretching

down into the contact of the side reins. If I

can paint a visual, you want to see big over

stride while the horse rounds over its top-

line and all the moving parts should look

freshly oiled and loose. Many Arabians

find this to be the most difficult, but they

will learn if you stay with it. If I’m working

with a green horse I will take my time and

walk quite a bit, hand walking and lunging.

When I get relaxation with contact I will

proceed to trot.

The trot work should also be forward

with stretch over the topline in the contact.

If the horse stays in the contact I then start

adding transitions walk to trot and back

to walk, always looking to keep the horse

forward into the contact while maintaining

relaxation. I will also begin doing transi-

tions within the gait, working to medium

back to working, really keeping the hind

end engaged.

Moving onto the canter, I like them to

be forward, but not running. The canter

needs cadence and balance. Many of our

Arabians that have been trained for other

disciplines tend to “run” around in circles

very quickly; if you have one of these,

do not worry, it can and will change with

some work. Always keeping relaxation in

mind, let your mare find her comfort zone

and encourage her to relax by bending her

to the inside then letting her back out; re-

peating until she starts to slow down and

find her rhythm. This may take some pa-

tience and a couple of sessions, but it will

get better. Even though the “canter” is not

scored at an inspection, during the Liberty

part they will see the canter and you want

it to be a good impression. It should be

cadenced and well balanced and these ex-

ercises will help get good results.

During the lunging sessions you can

and should mix it up a bit by adding ground

poles. Start with a single ground pole on

the circle, when you have walk, trot and

canter in a forward and relaxed manner

add a couple more poles and set them for

a working trot stride. I usually have any-

where from 3 to 5 set for the trot. This will

help muscling through the neck, shoulders

and over their topline while teaching them

rhythm, impulsion and reach. Ground

poles should be added after a good warm

up, so you get the most out of the exer-

cise.

If your mare is a riding horse, you have

a huge advantage in conditioning options

for the Inspection. Warmblood Registries

are looking to accept mares that will im-

prove their gene pool and create better

riding horses, so if the mare is rideable

that is a plus. If you are already compet-

ing within a sport like Dressage, Hunters,

Jumpers and even Endurance, you are

ahead of the class. Use the lunging exer-

cises as a warm up to your ride, or as a light

day of work within your weekly routine.

You too will see improvement in muscling

over the topline. During your rides add

some ground poles and cavalettis to your

routine. Really ask your mare to reach and

stretch over her back when going through

the grid.

Getting out of the arena and out on the

trails can also be very beneficial, especially

continued on page 94


www.tranquillityhorsefarm.com

27June/July 2013


A modern day Pegasus takes the West Coast by a storm

As the old adage goes, you don’t

know what you are capable of

until you try. If you ask Poeme

D’Amour, he’ll tell you nothing is impossi-

ble. The 10-year-old Anglo-Arabian geld-

ing has a “cheeky, I can do anything” atti-

tude, according to his owner Misti Cassar.

And so far, he’s been right!

Born and bred in the Limousin area

of France, a region considered the cradle

of Anglo-Arabian horse breeding, at the

well-respected Elevage De Buissy, Poeme

came to the United States in 2009. He is a

a son of Ryon d’Anzex, who competed in

the World Championships, and Jacinthe

Du Maury (by Fol Avril), both products of

over 100 years of Anglo-Arabian breed-

ing. Jacinthe had previously produced

the National stallion Fusain du Defey.

Previously, Cendrine Dutrait and her

partner Jean Bernard Anizan had bred

Ryon to their mare by embryo transfer

and gotten the colt Nid d’Amour de Buis-

sy, who now stands at the French Nation-

al Stud. They had really wanted a filly, so

they tried again and Poeme was born.

He was an impressive big colt, gray

like his mother. He was selected for the

famous elite sale, “FENCES,” and sold to

the National Stud., although he stayed at

home until he was three, when his educa-

tion began.

From 4 to 6 years of age, he was com-

peting in France under Cedric Hurel, one

of the country’s top jumper riders. His

6-year-old season ended with an ISO

(show jumping index) of 131, having

qualified for the final in Fontainebleau,

and competing twice with no faults at

the Championships at the Lion d’Angers.

Shortly thereafter, he was sold to Belgium

where his breeders lost touch with him.

Misti Cassar, an experienced jumper

rider based in California, had competed

on an international level for several years

and was looking for a new horse in 2010

when a friend in France told her about

Poeme. “How does a horse who has


ON THE COVER

Wings and Springs! N

ancy

Ros

en n

ancy

shoo

ts.c

om

29June/July 2013

had only one jump down in 29 classes

sound?” he asked Misti. She had no idea

what an Anglo Arabian was, but his record

spoke for itself.

Misti flew to Italy to try him, although

she was about to go through a much-

needed knee replacement after having

fractured her knee in eleven places. She

had been living in a lot of pain, although

riding was much more comfortable than

walking. Poeme was one of two horses

she tried that day and there was no doubt

in Misti’s mind that she wanted him. She

sealed the deal from her hospital room

the day of her surgery, despite knowing

she wouldn’t be allowed to ride for an-

other 9 months. She left him in Europe

for 2 months before bringing him home.

So while Misti busted her butt in re-

hab – her physical therapist said she and

a 3-time Iraqi veteran were his superstars

- Poeme was being shown a little by John

French in some 7 & 8 year old jumper

classes, even winning a few.

In the spring of 2010, Misti took over

the ride and had success in some high

jumper classes and a few Grands Prix.

Then she took Poeme back to Europe to

show him there. “It is so much less expen-

sive to show there. You only spend about

300 euros per week compared to $3,000

per week in the U.S.,” she explains.

It was back to California after a few

months for family reasons, and into the

jumper arena there with some prestig-

ious placings in 1.3 and 1.4 meter classes

for the pair.

But it was in the summer of 2012

when Misti and “Mister,” as she calls him

(since everyone thinks he’s a mare) set

the world on fire. They placed 10th in the

$30,000 Pebble Beach Grand Prix. In Sep-

tember, the crowd cheered wildly when

they won the $30,000 LA International

Welcome Stake class and placed 3rd in

the hotly contested $50,000 LA Interna-

tional Grand Prix!

A couple of weeks later, they were 3rd

in the $35,000 Sacramento International

Welcome Grand Prix (1.5 meters). Misti

and Mister followed that up three weeks

later at the National Preview Horse Show

with two wins in the $30,000 Grand Prix

and the $30,000 Grand Prix Champion-

ship!

They’ve been to a few shows so far

this year, placing 5th in the $33,000 HITS

Desert Classic, garnering a win in a 1.4

meter class and an 8th in the $15,000

HITS Desert Circuit Level 8 class.

“He is so brave, but sensible and re-

ally game. He would go through fire if I

asked him,” says Misti of their connec-

tion. “He can just walk around these big

courses and win as long as I don’t mess

him up. He hates to touch a rail!” Their

routine each day, after ring work con-

sists of a 3 or 4 mile hack down the road.

“There is no substitute for the time we

spend together, we have a true bond.

When he sees my car pull in each day, he

whinnies more and more insistently the

This horse is my

first Arabian,

but I can tell you,

he won’t be my last!

Poeme with his dam, Jacinthe Du Maury, at the

FENCES auction. Photo courtesy Cendrine Dutrait.



ON THE COVER


longer I take to get to him.”

That isn’t to say Mister is an easy ride.

“Not everyone can get along with him, al-

though he’s quiet enough for my daughter

to ride. George Morris just loves him, I can’t

get him off the horse!” Misti explains. She

says that she’s always ridden the French

horses with a lot of blood very well, which

may explain the almost telepathic commu-

nication she has with Mister.

“We have a warm up routine at the

shows; we hack for about 25 minutes until

he takes a deep breath and relaxes. Then

he’s ready. Once on course, it is a very

technical 90 second ride. The way he kicks

up his hind end over the jumps comes

naturally to him, but it also means I have

to keep my eyes up on the backside of the

jumps or else!”

Misti says she’s still learning about her

boy, having just found a new bridle that

gives her a “connection with impulsion,

plus a meaningful half-halt. I can’t wait to

try it again.”

Their long range plan includes the pos-

sibility of attending the 2014 World Eques-

trian Games in Normandy with syndication

a probability to make that happen. Misti is

also looking at a brother of Mister’s as a

new mount.

“This horse is my first Arabian, but I can

tell you he won’t be my last!”

WINGS continued from page 29

31June/July 2013

The Elevage de Buissy is settled in

an historical Anglo-Arabian breeding re-

gion, near Pompadour, in the south west

of France. It was created a decade ago by

Cendrine Dutrait and Jean Bernard Anizan.

Without any doubt there is no breeding

operation in Europe with such a collec-

tion of quality Anglo-Arabian mares. The

success of this stud is the result of a very

selective breeding process. The quality of

pedigrees and especially damelines is the

key of any successful breeding, whether

you breed thoroughbreds for flat races,

chasers, sports horses or dairy cattle…

In addition the education, mating skills,

feeding and preparation of young horses

are very important and these elements are

also mastered by the Elevage de Buissy

crew.

Fleur d’Anis (born out of two parents

that won at the Nations Cup level) pro-

duced Olala de Buissy (Cook du Midour

AA x Laudanum TB x Arlequin AA) that won

at the Nation Cup and 1m60 Grand Prix

level last year with the French Equestrian

Team. He’s an amazing jumper, with a lot of

blood, very careful and a fantastic canter.

The first offspring of this dark brown stal-

lion are 3 years old now and they already

have shown a lot of quality.

Jacinthe du Maury, from the famous

dameline of Yasmine (mother or grand

mother of a lot of Grand Prix Showjumpers

in France), is really the foundation mare

of the stud. Her first foal Fusain du Defey

(co-bred by Jean Bernard Anizan) was born

and raised at the Elevage de Buissy. He is

now the father of international eventers

and showjumpers after long sport career.

Ridden by Michel Faumont he was really

hard to beat at the 1m45/1m50 level and

won prizes up to the 1m55 Grand Prix Lev-

el. Jacinthe du Maury also produced two

other international showjumpers: Poeme-

damour de Buissy and Illusion d’Amour.

Nid d’Amour de Buissy, the full brother

of Poemedamour de Buissy, is at stud in

France as a stallion and his offspring is

very promising. The Yasmine dam line also

produced Printemps de Buissy (successful

at the 1m30 level in Spain) and Shamdala

de Buissy (winner at the 1m30 level in

France).

Out of other mares (all selected in the

best damelines of the French Stud-book),

the Elevage de Buissy produced Quotkijet

de Buissy (that was one of the best young

eventers of France at 6 and 7 years old in

France before being injured), Olympe de

Buissy CCI2* in France, Riesling de Buissy

CCI in the USA, and the amazing Looping

de Buissy that is already competitive at

the CCI3* level and considered as one of

the most promising eventers in France for

the top level competitions. Fillies sold by

the Elevage de Buissy to other breeders

have already produced top jumpers like

Quenelle du Py (competitive at the 1m50

level in France) or Rock’N Roll Animal (one

the best French horse at 5 and 6 years old

in showjumping).

The Elevage de Buissy is without any

doubt one of the best Anglo-Arabian

breeding operation in Europe. Competitive

horse for showjumping and eventing are

born there. They give a lot of satisfaction

to their owners, even at the amateur level.

A place where competitive and beautiful

Anglo-Arabians have found their best pro-

moter.

About the Breeder - Elevage de Buissy by Adrien Cugnasse

DRO

M p

hoto

PART 2


In February 1982, an acquisition and breeding took place

that would have profound effects on our breeding program

and prospects even thirty years later. And like everything

else that Sandy did, while there was a plan and a vision,

there was no guarantee of success. We bought Daurita (Daufin x

Tamarita) in foal to Ibn Awad++/ from Ken and Laura West, and

bred Shawzi (Pepe x Miidj) to Ibn as well. At this time, Daurita was

only the third horse Sandy had ever bought. Their stories will show

how by mere chance but guided by intuitive knowledge and “gut

feeling,” results were achieved that probably have a lesser chance

of happening than winning the lottery.

The next year, we met Owen and Roz Wagstaff at the Crabbet

Convention in Denver along with Beatrice Paine from England. We

mentioned Aur Vanity and the three of them came soon after to

see him and the other horses. The Wagstaffs bought Aur Vanity

and he went to Australia where he won championships right and

left and for a time was considered the fifth winningest imported

Arabian in Australia. The sad part is that he died way too early, just

about like Aulrab.

We also met David Ward in Denver. Sandy had heard of him

through a magazine article and when he saw Aulrab, he wanted

him of course. This meeting started a great friendship and associa-

tion that has benefitted both of us over the years.

Aulrab bred Scimitar Leniah, a Binis daughter out of Bint Leb-

naniah of Pico out of the desert-bred mare Lebnaniah and on May

15, 1982, she delivered Aur Samari. Sandy’s sister, Donna and her

husband Geoff Barton formed the Aur Samari Partnership to show

and breed him and he sired 23 foals. His daughter, Aur Magic Ali,

born in 1987, is one of our most important mares. After being sold

and then rescued, Aur Samari was lovingly cared for by Marci de la

Torre until his death.

In 1983, El Shama was born out of Aurieha. (El Shama sired

22 foals; 18 purebred and 4 half Arabs.) That same year, Shawzi

gave us Shawmai and Daurita presented Seranetta, all by Aulrab.

Of course, both mares are gone, but their daughters Shawzina and

Aur Alexandria respectively have produced some of the finest

Aur Vanity

Excerpted from “It Only Took 50 Years,” by Dick Warren, a manuscript he plans to publish one day.Photos courtesy Warren Park Stud

PART 2

33June/July 2013

horses in our herd.

Aurniaha (Aulrab x Scimitar Leniah) was also foaled in 1983.

Her 1988 colt, Star Magic Jeriel, by Lewisfield Magic+/, sired 5

purebreds, including Aur Magic Mustafa and Dawn Jones-Low’s

FCF Robin Goodfellow.

Georgia Cheer, GF Silver Mystery’s owner, was born in Eng-

land; the daughter of a Chinese father and English mother. She

was aware of the Arabians that were bred there and had an ap-

preciation for them. When she and Sandy began talking horses

and Sandy told her what she knew of the bloodlines of her horses,

Georgia got an idea. Why not a magazine about the horses that

came from England bred by the Crabbet Stud? By this time, Sandy

had met Michael Bowling and Carol Mulder, both of whom had

explained about the lineage of the horses that she had acquired

and bred.

So it was, that in September 1983, the premier issue of Geor-

gia Cheer’s Crabbet Influence came out. On the cover was a paint-

ing by a friend of ours and on the back cover was a great color ad

featuring Aulrab along with two inside ads. One featured Aurik and

Aulrab, and the other had a picture of GF Silver Mystery with her

colt, Aur Vanity. (The magazine ran from 1983 to 1992 in printed

form and Sandy has every issue. It has proven to be an excellent

source of information for this story.)

In 1983, an experiment that would be tried two more times

with equally outstanding results, Sandy bred Aulrab to his full sis-

ter Aurieha. She had talked about the idea for some time based of

the fact that both horses were outstanding in their conformation,

athletic ability and disposition. And I said to her, “What have you

got to lose? If you don’t like the result you can lock it in the attic.”

But the result was very good when Auriel came on April 1, 1984.

Sandy gave Auriel to her sister Donna who owned, with her hus-

band Geoff, the 400-acre Saddle Rock Ranch in Sonoma. (Geoff

had a knack for making money and I always hoped that some of

that skill would rub off on me. I’m still waiting.)

Then, out of nowhere, on Friday May 11, 1984 Sandy suffered

a stroke. Rushed to the hospital, we found her to be fairly alert but

with weakness on one side and having trouble speaking. Sandy

worked hard at getting better and in about a year she had recov-

ered.

In 1984, GF Silver Mystery was again bred to Aulrab and a year

later, Aur Mystic arrived. In the spring of 1988, Charles Justice

from Hendersonville, North Carolina, came out of the blue down

the drive to ask Sandy if she had any stallions to sell. Because we

had Aulrab for breeding and Sandy needed to buy hay, she sold

Mystic to him. In the 17 years he was in NC, he bred only two

mares; the rest of the time he was a pet.

The famous Aul Magic+/ arrived on May 9, 1985. He was a spe-

cial colt; handsome and very gentle. Our daughter Debbie started

working with him when he was a long two-year old and by the

fall of ‘87 she was ready to get on him. She asked me to hold his

continued on next page Aur Mystic

Aur Samari


halter while she got on and we walked around the corral a couple

of times. She said, “Let go.” I did and he was broke. He was too

good to sell but, like Aur Mystic, we had Aulrab that was doing all

the breeding. When Judy and Cody Thornton said they would like

to lease (take care) of him we agreed and they had him as a fam-

ily pet for the next ten years in Burley, Idaho. Not long after they

returned him, Betsy Teeter and Sharon Byford-Ruth bought him

and the rest is history.

Aur Destiny (Aulrab x Daurita) foaled in 1985 and was bought

by Mike and Pam Chapman, becoming a top competitive trail and

endurance horse. There is a very dramatic picture of him and Pam

charging up a rocky slope on one of her rides.

Georgia Cheer bred GF Silver Mystery to Ben Rabba++/ that

produced CR Silver Monarch in 1986. He sired 39 foals of which

31 were purebred. His show career netted 2 firsts, 7 seconds, and

6 Top 5s in 12 shows from May 1988 to July 1996.

On June 2, 1986, Lewisfield Magic sired Amberr Magic out of

the Ab Salute daughter Ferriffa Farwa for David Ward. In 2002, her

daughter WW Aur Mystique Ambeer by Aur Mystique was born

and would later be the first mare we ever lost to a foaling accident.

It should be noted that in her entire career Sandy has only lost one

other foal at birth.

Aur Minx by Aulrab came along in 1987 out of Shawzi. Her

greatest contribution was Aur Magic Mustafa by Star Magic Jeriel

that in 15 shows in two years won: 1 championship, 10 firsts, 14

seconds, and 20 top 5s.

Aleeiaha came along on June 18, 1987, by Lewisfield Magic+/

out of Aurieha. She produced two notable fillies: Aulieraba and

WW Miss Ga’zi.

Aurik (Aurab x Naulana) sired 22 foals, one of which has be-

come our most treasured mare, Shawzina, foaled in 1988 out

of Shawmai. She is a beautiful bay mare that David and Shirley

Henderson of OTB Arabians bought in 1994. Her son, the gelding

Aupollo, was foaled in March 2000 by OTB Auryan++/ (Aulrab x

Basktiana). He performed in 17 shows from April 2002 to October

2009 and won 3 championships, 5 first places, and 16 Top 5s. In

May 2005, Auryans Legacy, a full brother of Aupollo, was born. In

15 shows, Auryans Legacy won two championships, 2 firsts, and

Aur Destiny Shawzina

WARREN PARK continued from page 33

Aul Magic and Sandy

35June/July 2013

14 Top 5s.

In May 1989, Aur Aurelia by Aulrab was foaled. She was the

second result of the full brother/sister cross that had worked so

well the first time. She produced four foals and one, Aur Midnight

Magic by Aur Mystic was given to Otto Hackel.

One of my favorite mares is Rieba, born May 13, 1990. She

is the third member of the select brother/sister breeding project.

She is one of those horses that is always “in your pocket.” Plus she

has a special attitude. She produced two foals for us: Aurieba by

Argonaut, and Mystic Legacy. Dawn Jones-Low bought her in 2005

and before her death in 2012, she had given Dawn two great foals;

FCF Robin Goodfellow by Star Magic Jerial (Lewisfield Magic+/ x

Aurniaha) and FCF As You Wish by AAA Legion of the Seas, a rising

dressage star.

Another very nice mare, Aur So Vain, came along on March 27,

1991 by Aulrab out of GF Silver Mystery; a full sister to Aur Vanity,

Aur Mystic, CR Silver Monarch, WP Bright Magic, and Aur Mystique.

Aur Mystic and Aur Mystique have been responsible for much of

the success of our breeding program.

While being treated for loss of weight due to a thyroid issue

just before Christmas of 1994, we got the dreaded news that

Sandy had leukemia.

For the next year or so Sandy went into a slump and pretty

much climbed into a hole and stayed there. We wondered if we

could continue keeping the horses. At the time, some of Sandy’s

friends came forward to help out. David Ward finally got his dream

to come true when Aulrab was sent to his ranch in British Colum-

bia in the Okanagan Valley. Marci de la Torre took a mare or two

and Eva Marie Casparite took several mares as well.

By 1998, Sandy started to feel better and some of the mares

came home. Aulrab stayed at David’s and a scheme was hatched

Rieba

to send Aulrab, GA Topaz (Galan x Aurtama by Aurab) and some

selected mares to Cal Poly in a group that was called the Heritage

Herd to try to restore some of the original Kellogg bloodlines that

had been diluted through the years. What seemed a good idea

didn’t work out all too well.

First of all, Topaz, a very sensitive stallion, fretted at being

away from home so much that he was brought home to our place

where he thrived and remains today. It became apparent shortly

that Aulrab was not feeling so well and at first shipping fever or

the like was suspected. In an early attempt to breed him, he was

unable to perform. An examination was done, and a stomach tu-

mor was found. Normally, once a horse is at the college’s stables

they stay there forever., but in Aulrab’s case, he was allowed to

come home where he died a short time later. He is buried here

along with his full sister Aurieha.

You don’t need to be told how it crushed Sandy. I found out

much later that David thought about giving up the horses until

Sandy talked him out of it. Well, Aulrab was that kind of horse.

In 1998, Sandy bred Aur Mystique, a gray, to Aurieha and got a

colt the next year that was almost a mirror image of Aulrab. Virtu-

ally the same blaze face, the socks and leg runs but on the other

side, and little white spots here and there. Sandy thought Aulrab

had been reincarnated and named him Mystic Aulrab. But I think

that in the back of her mind she knew what was going to happen.

A South African named Johan Theron was looking for a stud for

his Crabbet bred mares and he eventually flew over, saw Mystic

Aulrab and bought him.

Around this same time, a freak accident trying to free a cast

mare during a storm landed Sandy in the hospital once again, this

time with a broken neck. For six months she had to wear a halo,

GA Topaz

Mystic Aulrab



the device that secures the head in place to keep it from moving.

It rests on the shoulders and has four screws that anchor into the

head at forehead level. Doctors were amazed Sandy wasn’t para-

lyzed.

After Aulrab died, Sandy had sent Aur Mystique to David. Mys-

tique was always a little harder to handle and with her physical

limitations she felt David could do a better with him, which he has.

One day in 2002, we were headed into town when Sandy said, “I

wish I had never sold Aur Mystic.” I knew instantly what she was

talking about.

In 2003, Sandy called David to cry on his shoulder about Aur

Mystic, “I want my chestnut stallion back.” Two weeks later David

called to tell her that he had bought him back. It was easy enough

Aur Mystique

Aur Mystic

to find the owner and when David called him the guy said “You

should have called me sooner, I gave him to my neighbor,” but

David managed to track him down.

Mystic got to David’s place in British Columbia a couple of

weeks later. He had never been near other horses and he was put

into a paddock next to the mare field where he immediately start-

ed pacing the fence. It didn’t take him long to drop a lot of weight,

so David sent him to us where we could put him in a paddock

away from the other horses and feed him up. Soon enough he was

fit and started breeding some mares. He was bred to two mares in

Aur Mystic Diamond

Aur Jesse James

2003 and the next year we got two nice colts; Aur Mystic Diamond

(out of Aur Aurieana) and Aur Mystic Heir (out of Aur Alexandria).

All told, he has sired 22 purebreds.

Around this time Sandy got a call from a man named Ed Dodd,

who explained that he had been directed to us by a friend of ours

when Ed told the lady what kind of horse he was looking for. Ed

was in his 30’s and was running an online motorcycle supply busi-

ness. He had trained Arabs in his earlier years but had never found

any that suited him. Ed was immediately taken with the horses

here and was impressed with their quality and athletic ability. He

knew a little about Crabbet/Kellogg bloodlines and appreciated

Sandy’s efforts to keep her program authentic. Ed ended up buy-

ing Aul Vanity (Aul Magic x Aur Alexandria).

In early 2007, Shirley Henderson called to ask if we knew any-

one who might be interested in buying Shawzina. She would be

willing to take 500 bucks for her. “Holy cow, send her up as quick

as you can,” screamed Sandy. So it was that Shawzina was sent to

Ed Dodd’s place in San Juan Bautista and bred to the fantastic Aul

Vanity, resulting in the bay colt, Aur Jesse James. Shawzina later

produced Aur Naulana by Aur Mystic.

Sandy was due to start chemotherapy due to an enlarged

spleen and lymph nodes in January 2009, and we weren’t sure

how it was going to come out. David Ward, Johan Theron, Otto

Hackle and Ed Dodd all arrived to show support. David and Johan

stayed for a week and Otto and Ed came for the day.

WARREN PARK continued from page 35

37June/July 2013

Aur Mystic Alexander

Later, Sandy started having trouble breathing. She was di-

agnosed with pneumonia and it was discovered that part of her

right lung was so infected that it was removed. We were told later

that there was a three-day period when it was questionable if she

would recover. She did, of course, but her days of handling studs

and so forth were over.

We haven’t tried all that hard to sell any horses with the econ-

omy the way it is and also at this point most of them are too valu-

able as breeding stock. Ed’s 40-acre ranch at San Juan Bautista

is the home for two stallions, a gelding riding horse and seven

mares. At our place we have nine stallions, seven mares or fillies,

and one gelding. David Ward keeps two more of our stallions and

two mares at his place as well as his own forty plus herd.

Now at ten years old, Vanity is an incredible colt with massive

legs and an unbelievable trot. His first foal, Aul Jesse James, is a

coming five-year-old 16 hand bay. He also sired a yearling filly out

of our Aur Samari daughter, Aur Magic Ali.

Today, Sandy is holding her own. She suffers from COPD, takes

medicine to help control it and continues to use oxygen 24/7. I

call her my Timex Girl - she takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.

We have had a great run. For most of the time we simply stayed

here in Sanger and quietly bred Arabians on a shoestring budget.

Once in a while something would sell and in some cases the horse

would excel. Fortunately, Ed Dodd came along and decided that

Sandy’s horses were the answer to his dream and is now a partner

who is in a position to promote these fine animals and to that

end is having four stallions: Aul Vanity, Mystic Diamond, Aur Jesse

James (soon to be a gelding), and Aur Mystic Alexander trained

with more to follow.

Thanks to Ed setting us up with a Reverse Mortgage company,

the last five or six years we have been able to make a lot of im-

provement here and keep the horses going as well.

This is an exciting time for Sandy. It is the realization of a

dream that started almost fifty years ago. With Ed’s involvement, it

will continue for at least another fifty years.


I let my horses

shape their destiny,

rather than paint

them into a corner.

Interview with Mark Schuerman

I met Mark Schuerman when I brought my Arabian gelding, Rawhide V, to him for training.

I asked Mark to get Rawhide V trained and experienced, so that I could safely ride him on

trails. Then I left the country for 6 weeks … confident that Rawhide V was in good hands.

Upon my return, I not only had the beginnings of a good trail horse, I also learned from

Mark that I had a very good dressage prospect. Three years later, Rawhide V +/ is my trail

horse and dressage performance horse extraordinaire. I hope the following interview will

explain why Mark is able to train happy horses that excel in several disparate disciplines.

Sherry: Why do you do so many different things with your horses.

Mark: I let my horses shape their destiny, rather than paint them into a corner. I keep op-

tions opens so they can do what they want to do.

Sherry: Why did you come to be a trainer of Sport Horses?

Mark: I like to compete in Sport Horse, because those events are judged on an interna-

tional standard … the same standard used in open venues for all breeds. Sport Horse

judges use the same criteria and score the same as open shows all over the world. It’s a

tough field out there, so I’m even more excited when our Arabs win.

Interview and photos by Sherry Conrads

Mark riding Di Shambolea across the fin-ish line of the Tevis 100 mile endurance ride.

39June/July 2013

Ashley Young and Mark with Surreal Bey, Ellexus Bey+/ and Rawhide V+/ at Pacific Slopes Regional Show.

Sherry: How long have you been training

Sport Horses?

Mark: In the 1970’s I was training Sport

Horses and competing in Sport Horse

events before they were called Sport

Horses.

Sherry: What shows do you and your cli-

ents participate in?

Mark: AHA Class A, AHA Regionals, Pacific

Slope Championships, USDF Open Shows

and Sport Horse Nationals.

Sherry: Besides Sport Horses, what other

disciplines do you and your clients partici-

pate in?

Mark: We do a lot of endurance training

and competitions, including AERC distance

rides, FEI endurance rides, Tevis Cup and

Open Dressage. I finished the 2012 Tevis

Cup in 11th place and several of my cli-

ents have also completed the Tevis.

Sherry: Do you train other breeds, other

than Arabians?

Mark: Yes, currently I’m training a warm

blood that has helped me earn a bronze

medal from USDF. The rest of my barn is

all Arabians.

Sherry: Why do you like to train Arabi-

ans?

Mark: I never get tired of looking at them,

and they are an athletic and intelligent

breed.

Sherry: What is your proudest Sport Horse

show accomplishment?

Mark: Every time one of my students wins

a blue ribbon. The smiles on my client’s

faces are my proudest moments.

Sherry: Tell me about your clients.

Mark: Well, my students range from be-

ginners to those winning National Cham-

pionships. I also have several clients who

are being reintroduced to riding after a

long time off. I don’t limit myself to upper

level riders, because we all have to start

somewhere.

Sherry: What is your most important goal

for your students?

Mark: To enjoy themselves and for them

to feel like their dollars are well spent.

Sherry: Besides showing, what other

horse related activities do you participate

in with your clients?

Mark: Well, we do horse camping, trail rid-

ing and a lot of endurance conditioning. I

like to do a variety of activities, because

I enjoy it and because it keeps both the

horses and the riders having fun and main-

taining a fresh attitude.

Sherry: What are some of your goals for

2013?

Mark: Win it all … or go down swinging.

Mark trains out of Lakeside Equestrian

Center in Loomis, California and can be

contacted at [email protected]

Interview and photos by Sherry Conrads

About a year ago, after a break of

several years, my husband Wil-

lis announced that he wanted

to start riding again. Willis and I breed

Arab hybrids for eventing, dressage and

jumpers under the Solar Hill Sport Horse

banner so we had just about every com-

bination of Arab bred on the farm. At the

time Willis made his announcement we

had at least two perfectly lovely well un-

der saddle Anglo Arab geldings in the field

plus my personal saint of an Arab-Welsh

cross. Each was available for Willis to ride.

He wanted an Arab mare.

I was mostly thrilled by Willis’ an-

nouncement. What girl doesn’t want a

sweetie that rides? It just would have been

so much e-a-s-i-e-r if he had been willing

to ride a horse we already had. The thing

is we did not have a purebred mare of

rideable age. I thought about the geldings

and trying to persuade him to give one

of them a go. Then I remembered a story

Willis had told me years ago about why he

loved Arab mares so much and decided to

leave it alone. One thing you learn in mar-

riage is sometimes you just have to leave

things alone.

Willis’ story was this, “Homer Daven-

port was an extremely influential and pow-

erful American political cartoonist at the

turn of last century. He became wealthy

due to the demand of his political work,

and he saw his first Arabian horses at the

Chicago World’s Fair. He quickly planned

an expedition to the Saudi Peninsula re-

gion to buy horses.

In those days, the nomadic Bedouins

and Sheiks would not accept any currency

other than gold and silver, probably for

good reason. The available horses were

spread over a vast area, and the territory

was relatively unsafe. Davenport and his

entourage selected Arabian mares to carry

them to the horses for sale. Mares are saf-

er as they are built to carry weight, do not

call out to other horses as stallions do, and

consequently were the preferred horses

for battle.

Mares used by Davenport were typical-

ly in the 800 lb. weight category, and were

expected to carry one- third of their body

weight representing rider, tack, food, gold/

silver, guns and ammunition. Often they

had to reliably cover 300+ miles in four to

five days. Davenport did not initiate this

ordeal of the percentage of horse-carried

weight; the nomads had been doing it for

centuries.

So, in my simplistic way, what worked


by Karin FoleyHorse Shopping and Finding the ONE

Life With

MC

Full

Phot

o

for them works for me. I have always loved

the mares.“

Willis is a distance rider at heart. That

works because any kind of riding I do re-

quires my horse to be super fit. There is a

nothing better in a hacking buddy than the

ability to go the distance. Willis’ idea of a

pleasant stroll is a swift 25 miler.

I needed to find Willis an Arabian

mare of a certain age, started under sad-

dle, with an agreeable disposition, a super

work ethic, hopefully a horse that had not

experienced too much emotional trauma

that required rehabbing, sound without

any previous injuries, and good feet. Wil-

lis cares about pretty. Me, I think you don’t

ride the head. I added pretty to the list.

One thing I know from selling so many

horses through the years is that what

people often say they want is not what

they end up bringing home. Many a time

a buyer has come by insisting that they

wanted a six year old bay and ended up

leaving with a ten year old buckskin be-

cause horse selection often has an unpre-

dictable, emotional component. There is

often something intangible to the exact

right fit. Since I was shopping for a horse

for someone else I vowed to make a list

and stick to it.

Willis’ mare had to be comfortable to

ride and built to stay sound. She needed

good bone and decent joints since riding

out in the open sometimes requires scal-

ing stone riddled mountains, climbing

over rocks, and wading through water. She

would have to be capable of stepping up

underneath herself and popping over small

logs, using herself properly so she could

go the distance sound and she had to be

comfortable to ride. This mare, whoever

she was, was going to have to be a horse

I could ride in between our “couple rides”

to keep her fit. I might want to take her

hill topping with the hunt or ride a lower

level dressage test with her for fun. I was

not looking for an upper level prospect. I

was looking for a great all around horse.

Simply put we were looking for an athlete

with an intact brain who was also pretty.

These requirements made our target horse

what I would call a mid-priced horse - an

odd price range for buyers and sellers. We

wanted certain things and we were willing

to pay for them. We were not willing to

pay for things that were irrelevant to us

This might be a good time to mention

that Willis is the encyclopedia of Arabian

pedigrees. I have yet to stump him when I

mention a stallion or a mare for that mat-

ter. He always knows all about the horse.

Moreover, he can tell you about the grand-

parents or great grandparents in Russia,

Poland, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia,

Argentina, or Spain. He knows who was ex-

ported or imported, when and to or from

where. He knows the chain of ownership

for horse after horse. He also knows all

the back stories so playing “Stump Willis”

is never any fun. He had some definite

ideas about the heritage of the mare we

selected.

We decided to narrow our search by

country of origin. We breed horses with

primarily Crabbet and Spanish Arab blood-

lines. So we know their capabilities. Willis

added Polish to the list because as he says,

“Polish stallions were not used for breed-

ing unless they were winners at the track.

They have to be athletes to get a breeding

license, “ and we’re looking for an athlete.

So the list of requirements grew to

include an athlete with a good brain that

was pretty AND of Crabbet, Spanish or

Polish descent. It did not seem like too

much to ask.

If you think that our list of “must haves”

would be easy to find then you have not

spent much time reading the for sale ads.

There is not a for sale ad that reads, “Ath-

letic, pretty horse with good brain of Crab-

bet, Spanish or Polish descent”. The real

ads require translation.

I started the search on the Arabian

Horse Association website purebreds for

sale section and selected “endurance” as

the first category. While there were horses

whose tagline read clearly for distance rid-

ing it appears that the advertisers tend to

check every box possible in order to get

the most number of views. I had to sort

through ads along the lines of “Half broth-

er to 2x Canadian National Champion,”

“Sweepstakes nominated 8 year old,” and

“Scottsdale TT by National Champion.” Se-

riously, for an endurance horse?

Under discipline one mare’s listing

said, “English, Trail, Endurance, Dressage,

Western, Hunter, Working Western, Brood-

mare.” Since several of those are contradic-

tory, I passed. Most of THOSE horses were

priced for the headlines, not for hubby.

I moved onto dressage and driving cat-

egories. Dressage for a horse designed to

use itself well. Driving you may ask… have

you ever seen what a combined driving

horse does? They are super athletes. The

ones on AHA’s website were of the fine

harness type and seemed to be wilting

flowers by comparison. We passed. The

listings went pretty much the same way

as the endurance horse listings includ-

ing the headlines with nothing to do with

dressage or driving. There were a few that

fit but price or geography excluded them

from consideration.

We moved on to Dreamhorse, Horse-

ville, Horseclicks, Equine Hits and includ-

ed a few regional for sale publications

and equine websites. We asked friends

for referrals. Anyone who has ever done

it knows it is dangerous to post anywhere

that you are shopping for a horse. The re-

sponses are likely to be thinly related to

the request and often snips or quips will

ensue about your choices as a buyer. It is

not for those without some emotional for-

titude.

A few months ago I asked my friends

on the Arabian Sport Horse Alliance what

they looked for in a prospect for a particu-

lar discipline. Regardless of each person’s

discipline their overwhelming response

was that they wanted a horse with a good

mind. Mind first, no surprise! Made for

the job at hand ran a close second. Most

people said they would consider a horse

with a past not related to their discipline

of choice.

Let’s face it, no one horse can be all

things to all people. Some horses, while

perfectly suitable for one job, are simply

41June/July 2013



not built to do all jobs. We can debate

what good basic conformation includes

and we would probably agree on the ba-

sics. I am not talking about that. I am talk-

ing about being built for the job at hand.

At minimum an equine athlete has to have

is a good amount of bone and large joints

plus the right angles for the job they are

expected to do. The angles on a hunter

and an eventer are different as are the

hind legs…or at least they ought to be.

Each discipline puts its own unique re-

quirement on a horse’s body. Many adver-

tisers offering Arabian horses for sale do

not seem to get that. Or maybe the pool

of buyers has diminished to the point that

sellers ignore the rules.

A horse also needs to be suitable for

the rider. There have been many times

now through the years when a potential

buyer has come to see the advanced pros-

pect we had for sale when what they really

needed was the mid level packer. To ride

a true upper level dressage horse, for ex-

ample, the rider needs a good amount of

ability to be able to sit the giant trot. My

first experience with a true FEI level trot

left me hanging on to the barn rafters for

dear life. It is not an uncomfortable trot it

is very smooth and fluid. It is just vertically

huge. It is not an experience for the unpre-

pared.

The other thing any horse for sport has

to have is heart. Steeplechase racing runs

in my blood. One thing you learn about

steeplechase horses is that you cannot

force the horse to do it. The great ones love

it. This explains why even the best bred

Thoroughbred does not always a Kentucky

Derby runner make. The great breeders

look for “heart.” Arabian horses are the

same. There is nothing more pleasant to

ride than a willing, happy, brave Arab be-

cause the best ones have heart. The sport

horse disciplines require a certain amount

of bravery, a willing spirit…..the horse has

to want to do the job.

We decided to skip the ads that tried

to be all things to all people and concen-

trated on the ones that talked about the

mares mind, athleticism and descent. Af-

ter all, we were NOT looking for a “show

horse” we were looking for an athlete…..

BIG difference.

We looked at video after video of

horses bred to be one thing then adver-

tised as being suitable for “Sport Horse”

as if “Sport Horse” was a generic horse. I

even considered the ones claiming that

the horse was both a serious hunter AND a

dressage prospect because you just never

know. Not one of those horses it turned out

was suitable for any of the sport horse dis-

ciplines. I have burned the one video of a

horse whose advertisement declared her

to be an “FEI dressage prospect” when she

was exactly everything contrary to a dres-

sage horse. It is a serious misconception

that because a horse has pretty movement

that it has dressage potential let alone the

highest level of potential.

The whole process was exasperating.

While I am not really sure why someone

chooses, for example, to try and sell a horse

clearly bred to do, say, western pleasure as

a “Sport Horse,” I have my guesses and they

are not exactly complimentary to those of

us serious about our sport. I try not to

think badly of people who make it obvious

that they think so little of me. My mother

always told me that you cannot respond to

rudeness with rudeness or a demeaning

attitude with a demeaning attitude. There

are few humans with better manners than

my mother. I try to remember her words in

my dealings with horse people.

The other thing we saw over and over

again on the videos were horses being

hand ridden, horses being ridden so tight

that their backs were unable to move free-

LIFE continued from page 41

43June/July 2013

...a horse is only

worth what it is

capable of doing

or the value to the

person that can

utilize the horse’s

talents.

ly, horses in pain being ridden by oblivious

riders, saddles sitting on the horses shoul-

ders, horses being ridden by riders with no

apparent balance, ill fitting saddles, harsh

bits, horses hating to work, horses tired of

it all. Pass, pass, pass! Ever wonder where

a hunter bump comes from? I can send

you the links to the videos showing how

it happens.

Eventually, we settled on a sweet,

pretty bay mare; an eventing type of Polish

descent. She was one of the first horses

I looked at and I was instantly smitten by

her. It took me months to decide to bring

her home because I could not get over her

sire. I kept thinking about her and compar-

ing her to every prospect I saw. I under-

stand that you ride the horse in front of

you. But it is nice to know that if a riding

mare were to have a career ending occur-

rence that it would be possible to breed

her. Eventually, I made the observation

that she defied her pedigree and I made a

deal with myself. I simply would not breed

her since those traits I found undesirable

would always be a part of her. Our girl was

bred to be something other than the little

eventer that popped out. She does have

the heart of an Arab race horse and a “can

do” nature. I am sure she got those traits

from her Polish ancestors.

Probably one of the toughest things in

this situation (and there are many, many

of these I have found) is that the original

breeder has serious money tied up in just

getting a horse like our girl on the ground.

They are married to the idea of recouping

their investment. No buyer can afford to

be insulting if they expect to bring a horse

home.

I was surprised how many breeders

use outside stallions where the stud fee

alone exceeds the value of the horse pro-

duced. You add vet cost, mare care, bring-

ing the horse up until it can be started un-

der saddle and then in many cases there

are also trainer’s fees. The number gets

pretty large pretty quickly and still a horse

is only worth what it is capable of doing

or the value to the person that can utilize

the horse’s talents. Or as Willis has said

for years a horse is worth what someone is

willing to pay for it.

Our girl had been for sale since she

was a weanling with no takers. She is now

six. While lovely she was not worth what

the breeder had tied up in her. For our

purposes she was a PROSPECT that pre-

sented some risk and we were not will-

ing to pay for a show horse pedigree that

was of no value to us. I assume that if the

breeder had been able to sell our girl into

a show horse family that would have been

concluded long before we came along.

A variety of experiences is a good thing

in a sport horse prospect. Variety and cross training are highly desirable when consid-

ering any young horse. It is a big plus if a

horse has been out some to local shows

or similar for experience …totally different

concept from a “show” horse. While the

horse needs to have certain experiences

to make them safe and fun, that experi-

ence can be gleaned at the local 4-H show,

at a fox hunt’s hunter pace, or in your own

backyard pond. I like schooling some on

baby cross country courses with young

horses because they get to experience a

good variety of water, jumps, terrain, etc. I

am a big fan of ponying a young horse to

let them see the world.

A purchaser cannot pay for all the class

A shows the horse was taken to as a baby

to be shown on the line when it adds no

Will

ig W

illig

Pho

to


New Arrivals!

Colt (CJ Fflash x Daughter of Legends)

Riviera(Rosenthal x Maraekar)

Dafina Mazal (Masada Mazal x Majarres Halan Fujai)

Motivation I (AO Breeze x Marvfelous)

Good Vybrations RLC(BA Vyagra Bey x Allie Bint Kedar)

New Arrivals!

Filly(Rubignon x WF Khemilla)

Filly(Piaff x Virag)Colt

(CJ Fflash x Daughter of Legends)

Rivers Run I (TTT Little Dan x Three T Big E)

Dafina Mazal (Masada Mazal x Majarres Halan Fujai)

Good Vybrations RLC(BA Vyagra Bey x Allie Bint Kedar)

James Bonne ASA(Bonne Vivant x MWF Algerina)

http://www.arabianheights.com/sale-offerings/


The Sport Horse Legacy of Brusally RanchThis article is adapted from a chapter in the new book, The Polish and Russian Arabians of Ed Tweed’s Brusally Ranch (Mare’s Nest Books, 2013)

SCRABBLEA grandson of Brusally’s Comet daughter, *Sal-inaa, Scrabble+// (Monogramm x *Saletra), rid-den by Mary Claire Massey, has twelve National titles in dressage, including 2007 U.S. National Champion Grand Prix. Photo courtesy of Kathy Massey.

...Classic beauty,

good size, correct

conformation

and athletic

ability must be

combined to

create our idea of

the perfect

Arabian.

Known today as a pioneering breed-

er and one of the founders of the

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, Ed-

win J. “Ed” Tweed was born in 1893 and

grew up in Chicago, where he trained as

an architect at the Lewis Institute. In 1917,

he married Ruth Phillips. By the 1920s, he

was a partner in a Kansas City, Missouri,

architectural firm specializing in bank de-

sign and engineering.

Unfortunately, the need for new bank

buildings evaporated during the Great

Depression, and Tweed moved his fam-

ily to Independence, Missouri, where they

rented a portion of a bank that Tweed had

designed and converted it into a cafe. In

1935, the Tweeds returned to Chicago, so

that Ed could take over his father’s falter-

ing business. The family’s fortunes im-

proved along with those of the company,

enabling Ed and Ruth to buy part of a farm

belonging to meatpacker Gustav Swift in

Lake Forest, Illinois. They named the farm

Brusally, after their son Bruce and daughter

Sally, and Ed set about designing a house,

horse stable, and cattle barn. The Tweeds

purchased some riding horses, and Ed be-

gan breeding cattle and pigs.

Although Tweed had heard about Ara-

bian horses, he came into contact with his

first purebred Arabians during a 1940 visit

to the Scottsdale farm of early Arizona

breeder Merle Cheney. Tweed, a lifelong

horse fancier, saw something special in

these animals. His granddaughter Shelley

Groom Trevor recalled, “My grandfather

was very aesthetically minded, which is

what attracted him to Arabians. He also

liked the creative aspect of breeding —

cattle, pigs, and horses — and he had the

finances to do it.”

Ed “semi-retired” in 1949, and the

Tweeds moved to Scottsdale. He and Ruth

bought a house with acreage on Cheney

Road, and purchased two horses bred by

Cheney, the first of hundreds of Arabians

by Tobi Lopez Taylor

47June/July 2013

SKORAGEThe champion stallion Skorage (Gaysar x Rageyma) was the horse who put Brus-ally on the map. He is shown here with Ed Tweed (center) and his rider, Earl Craig. Photo courtesy of Shelley Groom Trevor.

they would buy, breed, and sell over the

years. Later that year, the Tweeds bought

a quarter section of Scottsdale desert, and

Ed drew up plans for a 160-acre ranch,

also to be called Brusally. Once the ranch

was built, Tweed went about designing an

Arabian horse breeding program. First, he

acquired well-bred broodmares from es-

tablished breeders, and then he purchased

a high-quality stallion, Skorage (Gaysar x

Rageyma), bred by Daniel C. Gainey, owner

of the well-known stallions Ferzon and

Gai Parada. Although Skorage was already

a halter champion when Ed bought him,

Skorage kept up a rigorous show schedule,

racking up a total of 112 blue ribbons and

twenty-two championships.

In 1954, Tweed contacted the roughly

twenty Arabian owners and breeders in the

state, and together they formed the Ara-

bian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA),

with Tweed as the club’s first president.

That year, the AHAA held an exhibition of

Arabians at the Wrigley family–owned Ari-

zona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix.

The AHAA’s first All-Arabian Horse

Show, sponsored by the Tweeds, Fowler

and Anne McCormick, and Philip and Helen

Wrigley, was held in Phoenix, again at the

Arizona Biltmore, in February 1955. Tweed

served as the master of ceremonies. Fol-

lowing a hiatus in 1956, in 1957 the show

was held for the first time in Scottsdale, at

the McCormicks’ Paradise Park. For many

years, the McCormicks hosted a pre-show

barbecue for exhibitors, with the Tweeds

providing a post-show luncheon.

Tweed, meanwhile, was breeding Skor-

age to his band of broodmares. Skorage’s

get made their entrance on the national

stage in 1961, when his daughter Skorata

was named a U.S. Top Ten Mare and his son

Pulque++ was named a U.S. Top Ten Stal-

lion.

Tweed began searching for better

mares to breed to Skorage and new stal-

lions to breed to Skorage’s daughters. In

the early 1960s, word spread among the

Arabian-breeding community that high-

quality Arabians were to be had in Po-

land. The first Polish Arabians to arrive in

Scottsdale, imported by Robert L. Aste in

1961, piqued the interest of local breed-

ers. In late 1962, Tweed’s friendly rival

Dr. Eugene LaCroix, of Lasma Arabian

Stud, breeder Dr. Howard Kale, and their

two sons traveled to Poland to purchase

horses. Prior to the arrival of the Lasma

importation, Tweed saw the Polish import

*Muzulmanin++, the 1963 Scottsdale

show’s champion stallion. The horse was

taller and more athletic than contempo-

rary American-bred Arabians, and he made

a positive impression on Tweed.

In March 1963, the Polish horses cho-

sen by LaCroix and Kale arrived in Scotts-

dale. The shipment included the famous

stallions *Bask++ and *Naborr (the latter

imported for Anne McCormick), as well as

several broodmares. The horses had en-

dured a grueling forty-four-day sea jour-

ney, during which most of them had lost

a great deal of weight. One mare aborted

her foal, and then died. Tweed decided

then and there that any horses he import-

ed from Poland would arrive by airplane.

That month, Tweed sent Brusally’s

trainer Steve Spalding and manager Dean

Cantrell on a buying trip to England, Hol-

land, and Poland. On their first stop, the

pair met English breeders Musgrave Clark,

Margaret Evans, and Patricia Lindsay.

Having received a crash course in Polish

Arabian breeding from Lindsay, Spalding

and Cantrell proceeded to visit various

Polish state-run stud farms. They selected

two stallions and nine mares before re-

turning to England, where they continued

shopping for horses. Cantrell eventually

went back to the United States, leaving

Spalding in England to close the deal on

the Polish horses. Spalding also used the

time to see some Russian-bred horses.

Impressed by their high quality, Spalding

purchased a Russian stallion, *Park, and ar-

ranged to buy two Russian mares, sight un-

seen, based on their excellent pedigrees,

from horse importer/exporter and art col-

lector Peter Provatoroff.

At this point, Tweed was committed



BRUSALLY ORIN+

ROYALzON

(*Orzel++ x *Algorina), bred by Ed Tweed, ridden by Joyce Thomas. Winner of seven National titles in the hunter over fences division in the 1980s. Photo by Wright

A descendant of Brusally’s Comet son, *Centaur, Royalzon+/ (Hagazon x Royal Expectation), ridden by Tamara Cook, was 1996 Canadian National Champion

Jumper and 2004 U.S. Top Ten Jumper. Photo courtesy of Tamara Cook.

(*Orzel++ x *Gontyna), bred by Ed Tweed, ridden by Shelley Groom Trevor. Shown here competing at a horse trial in Flagstaff, Arizona, in the early 1980s.

BRUSALLY ORzETYN

Photos courtesy Shelley Groom Trevor

49June/July 2013

BRUSALLY GWIOUSA

(*Gwiazdor x Arrousa), bred by Ed Tweed and ridden here by Janet Blakely in about 1972, was also a Western Pleasure champion and Scottsdale Top Five Novice Cutting.

BRUSALLY ORzETYN

(*Orzel++ x *Gontyna), bred by Ed Tweed, ridden by Shelley Groom Trevor. This stallion won the title of 1980 U.S. National Champion Third Level Dressage, and went on to compete successfully at the Prix St. George level. Photo by S. Gail Miller.

Photos courtesy Shelley Groom Trevor



to buying eleven Polish horses and three

Russian horses. Upon learning that the air-

plane he had chartered in Poland would

hold fourteen head, Tweed directed Spald-

ing to return to that country and buy three

more horses. The entire Polish contingent

was shipped to the United States in late

May, and the three Russian horses arrived,

by ship, the following month. The fourteen

Polish imports were: *Abhazja (Omar II x

Arfa), carrying the filly *Brusally Czortja

(by Czort); *Algorina (Ali Said x Alga);

*Almeriaa (originally Almeria) (Faher x Am-

bara); *Basta (Comet x Bajdara); *Chlosta

(Faher x *Carissima); *Czester++ (Comet x

Cerekiew); *Daszenka (Trypolis x Daszma);

*Genua (Grand x Gwara); *Gontyna (Dok-

tryner x Gazella), carrying the colt *Brana-

bar++ (by Branibor); *Gwiazdor (*Naborr x

*Gwadiana); *Miroluba (Faher x Mira); *Na-

wojka (Wielki Szlem x Najada), carrying the

colt *Brusally Chazan (by Chazar); *Rifata

(Faher x Rasima); and *Warna (*Naborr x

Wielka Zorza).

The three Russian imports were: *Na-

paika (Pomeranets x Nomenklatura);

*Palmira (Arax x Provincja); and *Park

(Knippel x Ptashka). Tweed soon augment-

ed his first “Polish invasion” by purchasing

two more Polish-bred stallions: *Faraon++

(*Naborr x Forta), imported by Leon Rubin,

and *Centaur (Comet x *Sabaa), imported

by Frisco Mari.

Brusally Ranch was entering its most

successful phase. The Polish imports *Cz-

ester++, *Gwiazdor, and *Faraon++ all

earned U.S. and/or Canadian Top Ten Stal-

lion awards, and *Centaur was named a

U.S. Top Five Novice and Open Cutting

Horse. Tweed’s herd sire, Skorage, was

bred to some of the Polish mares with

good results; Skorage daughters were later

bred to the Polish stallions with even bet-

ter results.

Along with its successes in the show

ring, Brusally Ranch also experienced

some hard times. *Almeriaa, one of the

1963 imports, broke her leg and was eu-

thanized soon after arriving in this coun-

try. *Gwiazdor, a full brother to the well-

known stallions *Gwalior++ and Grandorr,

died young, after siring only a handful of

foals. But Tweed’s worst, longest-lasting

headache was caused by the Russian Ara-

bians that Spalding had acquired in 1963

from Provatoroff.

The Russian Arabian breeding program

at the time was based on Polish horses

seized during World War II and on Eng-

lish horses bought from Crabbet Stud.

Because the Arabian Horse Registry of

America (AHRA; now the Arabian Horse

Association) accepted both Polish-bred

and English-bred horses, Spalding felt that

chances were good that the registry would

accept Tweed’s Russian purchases as well.

He and Tweed were well aware that the re-

cently imported *Naborr had been born in

Russia and was of Russian parentage, even

though he had been shipped from Poland.

Furthermore, whereas *Naborr had been

graded “I” by Russian officials, Tweed’s

stallion *Park had been rated even higher,

and given the grade of “Elite.”

However, AHRA president Daniel

Gainey, from whom Tweed had purchased

the stallion Skorage a decade earlier,

disagreed with this line of reasoning. In

March 1966, he informed Tweed that “the

American Registry has come to accept the

records and papers of the English and

Polish Registries at face value, just as they

accept ours. . . . It is quite possible for the

English or the Poles to accept horses from

Russia if they wish. We don’t accept them.”

Apparently, Tweed had brought up the case

of *Naborr, to no avail. “*Naborr was in the

Polish Registry,” Gainey explained. “He

passed inspection and was accepted for

American registration. Your three horses in

question were not owned by Poles or Eng-

lishmen, nor were they in either Registry,

and thus they are not subject to registra-

tion in our registry.” Unfortunately, Tweed

could not call upon Provatoroff, the seller

BRUSALLY continued from page 49

COMET OFFSPRING

Three of Brusally’s five Comet offspring (left to right): halter champion *Salinaa (x Salwa), champion producer *Basta (x Bajdara), and *Zbrucz (x Znachorka), U.S. Reserve National Champion Park. *Salinaa is the granddam of National-winning grand prix dressage horse Scrabble+//; *Basta is the great-granddam of Jayel Super, an international-level endurance horse; and *Zbrucz is the sire of Bruyuri, U.S. Na-tional Third Level Dressage ATR, as well as other National winners, race winners, and endurance horses. Photo by S. Gail Miller; courtesy of Shelley Groom Trevor.

51June/July 2013

of the three horses, for help in this mat-

ter, as he had died only a few months after

they were imported to the United States.

It was not until 1978, fifteen years

after their importation, that Tweed’s Rus-

sian horses, and their offspring, were fi-

nally recognized as purebred Arabians

and issued AHRA registration papers. By

that time, Tweed’s Russian stallion *Park

was long dead, and Tweed’s two imported

Russian mares were at the end of their re-

productive lives. An article published in

Arabian Horse World in 1984—a year after

Tweed’s death—finally gave Tweed credit

as a pioneer importer of high-quality Rus-

sian horses. Also in 1984, the Arabian geld-

ing Brusally Skoraik (Brusally Skorage x

*Napaika), a son of one of Tweed’s Russian

mares as well as a grandson of Skorage,

completed the first of what would be four

consecutive finishes in the yearly Western

States Trail Ride (known as the Tevis Cup),

in which a horse and rider traverse 100

miles in a single day.

During this dispute over the Russian

horses, Tweed sought out other challenges

with characteristic optimism. With advice

and help from his friend Bazy Tankersley,

owner of Al-Marah Arabians, Tweed built

an indoor sales arena and held Scotts-

dale’s first Arabian horse auction, timed

to coincide with the February Scottsdale

show.

Three of the Tweeds’ granddaughters

came to visit in April of that year. Although

all enjoyed riding, one granddaughter in

particular—Shelley Groom Trevor—felt

that she had found her calling. Trevor went

to work at the ranch, mucking out stalls,

cleaning tack, bathing horses, and taking

riding lessons in a variety of disciplines.

Eventually, she went out on the horse-

show circuit, winning awards on Brusally-

bred horses at events across the country,

including the U.S. National Champion-

ships.

Also in 1967, a second shipment

of horses from Poland arrived at Brus-

ally. Sending his new trainer Denis Scully

overseas to choose the horses, Tweed

purchased nine Arabians for himself and

imported two (*Paleta and *Prowizja) for

other buyers.

The imports were: *Bulawa (Laur x

Bulgotka, by Witraz), carrying the filly

*Brusally Bulawa (by Almifar); *Cerera

(Ferrum x Cerekiew, by Wielki Szlem): *La-

wenda (Doktryner x Laguna, by Opal), with

foal *Laura (by Ariel) at side, and carrying

*Brusally Gwarny (by Gwarny); *Manna

(*Naborr x Manilla, by Doktryner); *Paleta

(Comet x Planeta, by *Naborr), sold to Dan-

iel Gainey; *Prowizja (*Ego x Prowarda, by

Korej), sold to Leo Knight; *Orzel++ (Pi-

etuszok x Ofirka, by Ofir); *Salinaa (origi-

nally Salina) (Comet x Salwa, by Kuhailan

Abu Urkub), carrying *Brusally El Azrak (by

El Azrak); *Wislica (Branibor x Wataha, by

Duch); and *Zbrucz (Comet x Znachorka,

by Rozmaryn).

Brusally’s two new imported stal-

lions, *Zbrucz and *Orzel++, changed the

direction of Tweed’s breeding program

yet again. *Zbrucz, a big bay, was a born

show horse. He won several halter cham-

pionships and was named a U.S. National

Reserve Champion Park Horse. *Orzel++,

a tall, rangy chestnut, had been favored

to win the 1967 Polish Derby prior to his

purchase. Tweed built a half-mile track on

the ranch to condition his new horse, and

then sent him to the races. *Orzel++ won

four races for his new owner, including a

win over the great Kontiki, and was named

the first U.S. National Racing Champion.

Later, *Orzel++ became Tweed’s most suc-

cessful show horse since Skorage, winning

U.S. Top Ten titles in halter and English

Pleasure, and being named the first U.S.

National Champion in Sidesaddle.

While the ranch was at its zenith, Ed’s

wife Ruth—whom he referred to as his

“balance wheel”—became increasing ill,

and she died in 1971. Tweed, now near-

ing eighty, had his own health problems


A trio of Brusally’s Stallion ads, courtesy of Shelley Groom Trevor.


to contend with. He turned over more of

Brusally’s management to Trevor and to

the ranch manager, Lee Staheli. He also

encouraged a younger couple, Joe and

Martha Ann Cassel, to start a Polish breed-

ing program. Using Brusally bloodlines as

a base, the Cassels went on to breed sev-

eral successful race horses and National

winners.

In October 1976, eighty-three-year-old

Tweed wrote a letter informing his friends,

as well as current and former clients, that

he was retiring from Arabian horse breed-

ing and offering his horses “only to those

who already own Brusally Arabians or have

expressed an interest in doing so . . . . [I]n

this way perhaps your hopes and dreams

may merge with mine, and my retirement

may be brightened by the knowledge that

the Brusally bloodlines are in good hands

and will continue to represent the fin-

est in Arabian breeding.” He sold about

fifty horses, keeping five. Trevor selected

twelve Arabians for herself, and tried to

keep the ranch going as best she could.

In early 1977, Tweed suffered a stroke

that paralyzed one side of his body. De-

spite his doctors’ dire predictions, Tweed

lived at the ranch for another six years.

He died in his sleep in June 1983, a few

weeks shy of his ninetieth birthday.

It is fair to ask how relevant Tweed’s

breeding program is today, sixty-odd years

since he purchased his first Arabian hors-

es. After a few years of relative obscurity,

his breeding acumen has come to be ap-

preciated by a new generation of Arabian

breeders and riders, especially those spe-

cializing in racing, endurance riding, and

the sport horse disciplines.

Tweed’s granddaughter has remarked

that “If my grandfather were alive to-

day, he would be breeding Arabian sport

horses.” In fact, since the 1970s, horses of

Brusally breeding have excelled in dres-

sage, show jumping, hunter over fences,

and eventing.

Upper-level dressage performers with

Brusally bloodlines include two grand prix

competitors—Regional Champion Bey-

moon Zela+/ (descended from *Orzel++

and *Miroluba) and National Champion

Scrabble+// (via *Salinaa)—as well as

Brusally Orzetyn (*Orzel++ x *Gontyna), a

Prix St. Georges winner who was also 1980

U.S. National Champion Third Level. Other

Brusally-related National winners in dres-

sage include: ARR Autumn Shades+// (via

*Orzel++ and *Manna), U.S. National Cham-

pion Third Level ATR; Bruyuri (by *Zbrucz),

U.S. Top Ten Third Level; Wistar Ananda+/

(via *Faraon++, *Basta, and *Palmira),

U.S. Top Ten Third Level; Brufire++// (via

*Orzel++, *Zbrucz, *Genua, and *Mirolu-

ba), U.S. National Champion Second Level;

Armendeus (via *Lawenda), U.S. Top Ten

Second Level; Staleys Fadjura (*Faraon++

x Brusally Skorenua), U.S. Top Ten Second

Level; RR Gar-Sun (via *Faraon++), U.S.

Top Ten Second Level; Annapolis++// (via

*Orzel++ and *Abhazja), U.S Top Ten First

Level; Copper Chancellor+ (via *Faraon++,

Skorage, and *Genua), U.S. Top Ten First

Level; Blyth (via *Lawenda), U.S. Top Ten

Training Level JTR, 14 to 17; and Moshe

O Zel+/ (via *Orzel++ and *Miroluba), U.S.

National Champion Training Level JTR, 13

and Under.

Jumpers and working hunters of Brus-

ally lineage with National titles include:

A Leader+// (via *Zbrucz), Canadian Na-

tional Champion Jumper; Annapolis++//,

Canadian National Champion Regular

Working Hunter ATR; Kingo The Road (by

*Faraon++), U.S. National Champion Jump-

er; Royalzon+/ (via *Centaur), Canadian

National Champion Jumper; Indian Jewel

(via *Orzel++), Canadian Reserve National

Champion Hunter Over Fences; Brusally

Orin+ (*Orzel++ x *Algorina), U.S. Top Ten

Hunter Over Fences; and WP Dal-Fyn++

(via Skorage and *Genua), Canadian Top

Ten Working Hunter.

A few Brusally horses have even taken

part in eventing. Brusally Orzetyn, men-

tioned previously as a dressage horse,

also competed in horse trials with Trevor,

under the tutelage of eventing trainer

Andrew Popiel. Brusally Orlin (*Orzel++ x

*Salinaa), ridden by Popiel’s wife, Danielle



ARMANNI - A descendant of *Orzel++ and *Ab-hazja, Armanni (Monogramm x SS Annita) was named 2008 U.S. Top Ten Sport Horse Stallion. Photo courtesy of Robbin Stewart.

BRUSALLY ORZELYNA+ (*Orzel++ x *Algorina), bred by Ed Tweed, ridden by Shelley Groom Trevor. Competed at Third and Fourth Level dressage in the late 1970s, won two National titles in Western Pleasure, and was a halter and English Pleasure champion. Photo by S. Gail Miller; courtesy of Shelley Groom Trevor.

BRUSALLY ZELYNA (*Orzel++ x Brusally Zbruyna), bred by Ed Tweed, ridden here by Shelley Groom Trevor, around 1990. This mare was named 1986 Race Mare of the Year, com-peted briefly as a dressage horse, and went on to produce two race winners. Photo courtesy of Shelley Groom Trevor.

53June/July 2013

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ed Tweed’s Groundbreaking Importationof Polish and Russian Arabians

$39.95 8.5 x 11 paperback, 212 pages286 photographsPublished by Mare’s Nest Books/Screenfold Press

Forewords by Ed Tweed’s daughter, Sally Tweed Groom, and granddaughter, Shelley Groom Trevor

Featuring chapters on *Orzel++,*Zbrucz, *Czester++, *Faraon++, *Gwiazdor, *Chlosta, *Genua, and twenty other imported horses, this extensively researched history isa valuable addition to the library ofany serious breeder of Polish andRussian Arabians.

Available at Amazon.com and Screenfoldpress.com

Brusally full page ad 5-22-13_Layout 1 5/22/13 4:25 PM Page 1

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http://www.screenfoldpress.com


Back to WorkCross Training to Re-Condition a Retired Sport Horse

By Cindy Tobeck

The bad news hit like a hammer blow, “You’re not going to be showing in Idaho this year.”

My veterinarian announced this to me after confirming

my half-Arabian working hunter mare, SMF Annie Get

Yourgun++/ had injured her right hind annular liga-

ment. It meant six months off for Annie,

and unfortunately for me, the 2012 Ara-

bian Sport Horse Nationals in Nampa,

Idaho were exactly six months away.

We had enjoyed a stellar 2011 season,

amassing seven regional championships

in working hunters, hunt seat equita-

tion and hunter hack between the west

coast regions of 4 and 5. Annie and I

had gained a lot of valuable experience

over fences since her first trip to Nation-

als in 2010. That year she was the Re-

serve National Champion Half-Arabian

Hunter Hack for Amateurs to Ride. I felt

that 2012 was going to be our year to

take home the big red rose blanket. That

dream was now crushed.

Standing in her darkened stall star-

ing blankly at the image of her fetlock

on the computer monitor, I told my vet

in a soft, pleading voice, “But I really

want to go to Idaho…” As he packed up his equipment to leave,

he looked over at my other horse, a retired chestnut gelding and

offered, “Why don’t you take him to Idaho?”

I laughed out loud, “He’s retired!”

“How old is he?” my vet asked.

“Well, he’s 18 or 19...and in no shape to be going back to Na-

tionals.”

Before my vet left he rolled down the window of his van, “He

can do it; you’ve got enough time to get him ready. What have you

got to lose?” I smiled and rolled my eyes doubtfully as he drove

off.

Surprisingly, the tears didn’t come, but

instead a strong sense of determination

took over. I walked right back into my barn,

put my old gelding, Khajun Bey+++// in

the cross ties and looked him over with a

critical eye. Dirty, he was as hairy as an old

goat, with a distended underline that was

the result of a 2007 life-saving explorato-

ry surgery to remove an enterolith. He am-

bled around the property, rarely moving

beyond a walk any more, and the years of

showing left my old retired friend some-

what stiff. The last time I rode him was at

the 2010 Arabian Sport Horse Nationals,

nearly a year and a half ago.

Khajun had been a wonderful show

horse and I was proud of the fact that I

bought him as an unstarted 3 year old and

trained him myself, together earning every

point of his Legion of Supreme Merit and

Legion of Excellence awards. Despite the fact that I’m a do-it-your-

self amateur on a tight budget, we had won many sport horse and

dressage regional champions and reserves, as well as National Top

Tens and even a Reserve National Championship…but I reminded

myself that was all accomplished on a younger Khajun.

Evaluation and Goal-Setting

After clipping what seemed like the equivalent of enough hair

55June/July 2013

The Program: Cross Training and Joint Comfort

Sunday ………Cavalletti work / free lunging

Monday……..Hill climbing

Tuesday…….Day off

Wednesday…Cavalletti work / lunging with side reinsThursday……Dressage lesson

Friday………Dressage

Saturday……Low jumping / hunter lesson

The bad news hit like a hammer blow, “You’re not going to be showing in Idaho this year.”

to re-carpet my entire living room, I took Khajun out to the arena

and lunged him. He had the exuberance of a much younger horse,

snorting and prancing with his tail over his back. He held his head

high and his trot had beautiful expression and suspension. I was

beginning to believe that maybe he could be competitive again.

When it came time to canter however, I could tell that his hocks

were quite stiff. He couldn’t maintain the canter for more than a

couple of laps and his right lead canter depart was difficult for

him. In order to maintain it he circled around me counter-bent to

the outside. In no time, he was at a full sweat from lack of condi-

tion.

I made the decision to move forward and after riding Khajun

the following day I was able to further evaluate his current level of

fitness and suppleness. It was clear that I was essentially starting

from scratch. As I rode him, it was evident that the training was all

still there, but despite his enormous heart, his body was simply

unable. I knew that it would be unfair to ask him to pick up where

he left off performing at second and third level dressage move-

ments, he was stiff and as uncoordinated as a youngster. So, we

went back to the basics: training level. I kept in mind that although

he might be ready to get back to second level in six months, there

was the problem of getting him qualified for regionals in a mere

eight weeks!

The countdown had begun. I had eight weeks until my first

qualifying show. There were four months until Regionals, and six

months until Sport Horse Nationals. I’m a goal-setter; it’s what

motivates me. I had already set my goals for Annie and had a

hard time giving up those ambitions. I decided that even though

I couldn’t compete with him over fences, I could still rely on him

to be my partner for hunt seat equitation not to jump. I also made

it a goal to compete in dressage training and first levels as well as

sport horse under saddle at the Region 5 Championships and the

Arabian Sport Horse Na-

tionals.

I wanted to keep

Khajun’s work varied and

interesting to him, while

at the same time minimize

risk of injury by using a

cross-training approach.

I like the method of us-

ing cavalletti to improve

condition, balance, confi-

dence and rhythm. Since

Khajun didn’t need any

more training per se, cav-

alletti work enabled me to

stay off his back but still

get maximum conditioning

results. When working with

the cavalletti, I started with

a single pole on the ground. While lunging Khajun, I would add up

to four poles, spaced at about four feet apart. Eventually, I would

raise up the poles using my plastic Blocs to a height of six to eight

inches. I would do this twice a week, one day with side reins, and

the other day without. I would spend no more than 20 minutes

doing these exercises. Right away, it was apparent that this caval-

letti work was helping him to develop strength over his back and

to bring up his fallen underline.

Every Monday, I would get home from work and hook up the

truck and trailer for my favorite conditioning activity: hill climb-

ing. I found a grassy, long, moderately steep hill about 3 minutes

from my house. Hill climb-

ing was an excellent activ-

ity to build Khajun’s hind-

end strength and develop

thrust. Of course, I had to

be careful of the footing

as well as avoiding over-

stressing his stifles with

too much work. On the hill,

I would trot him up while

staying off his back and

maintaining a two-point

position. It was wonder-

ful to feel the power of his

hindquarters as he lowered

his croup and pushed off

behind. We would always



Vern L. Serex Photo

He had transformed

from an old, fat, hairy,

stiff retiree to a sleek,

conditioned, muscled

and bouncy show horse...

walk back down the hill, and I would lean back, shifting my weight

over his rear while maintaining a soft contact with his mouth to

balance him. Khajun and I would go up and down our hill in this

manner 8 times, which took about 15 minutes. After such short,

but intense work, I always made sure he got the next day off in

the pasture.

On Thursdays and Fridays I did dressage. I found that working

with my elder statesman, the warm-up was critical in order to cre-

ate suppleness. In the tests for Training and First Levels, there is a

movement called the ‘free walk’ where the horse walks on a loose

rein, and reaches for the contact by lowering his head, stretching

over the back and through the neck while actively stepping un-

der himself. There is a similar movement at the trot in both tests

where the test directive reads, “Quality of stretch over back, for-

ward and downward into a light contact while maintaining balance

and quality of trot.” In my warm-up, I would work for about ten

minutes on these two movements on 10, 15 and 20 meter circles

in both directions with an exaggerated inside bend and a focus

on pushing Khajun to the outside of the circle with a strong inside

leg. Going to the right was initially tough for him because he could

hardly bend, but persistence paid off, and he was increasingly be-

coming softer and more flexible. In addition to the walk and trot

low-stretchy-bendy-circles, I added the canter to our repertoire

and would switch between gaits, circle sizes and directions fre-

quently.

Once he was relaxed and loose, I was able to work on lots of

strengthening exercises. Among my favorites for his inside hind

leg (which I needed him to build-up if I wanted quality canter de-

parts) were the shoulder-in, half pass and turns on the haunches.

My number one secret weapon for improving the overall quality

of his canter was simply to counter canter. I would canter figure

eights with no change of lead while maintaining his tempo and

keeping his shoulders up. I’d canter serpentines with no change

of lead between loops. Eventually his canter became soft and bal-

anced.

Every Saturday I would get a hunt seat / jumping lesson. Al-

57June/July 2013

Suz

anne

Stu

rgill

Pho

to

though Khajun wasn’t going to be competing at recognized shows

in the working hunter division, I felt it was important for me to

‘keep my jumping legs’ and continue to build my skills while main-

taining my confidence over fences while Annie was recuperating.

Working over low fences and through gymnastic exercises proved

to be a great way to increase Khajun’s fitness. Jumping over fenc-

es, one of the rider’s paramount jobs is to create and maintain a

steady rhythm. As I gallop around a course or over a series of fenc-

es, I have trained myself to count in my head to keep the tempo

the same. I can’t get on a horse now and trot or canter without that

counting metronome automatically droning in my head. This work

was carrying over into my dressage, where a steady tempo is just

as important.

My favorite gymnastic exercise with Khajun was to trot over a

pole on the ground, land in a canter, jump over a cross rail (7’ away

from the trot pole) one stride (18’) to a small vertical fence, then

another single stride (21’) to a second vertical. Since Khajun is a bit

of a chicken around jumps, I would add one element at a time to

build up his confidence. Building his confidence over fences was

part of my overall plan because I knew that it was highly likely our

flat hunt seat equitation classes at Regionals and Nationals would

be in the working hunter arena, where he would have plenty of

fences to look at, and (I hoped) NOT shy at!

I knew that this was going to be Khajun’s last shot at Nationals,

so I spared no expense and did everything I knew possible to as-

sure his comfort. This aggressive approach to joint comfort made

me feel like I covered my bases, and it certainly made Khajun feel

better as evidenced by the spring in his step!

He received a daily supplement of Cosequin ASU in his feed.

In addition he had his hocks injected. Midway through the show

season as Nationals drew near, I gave him a series of Adequan

injections as well as doses of Legend. Finally, to top it all off, he

was adjusted by his chiropractor twice and had an acupuncture continued on page 55


Formula for SuccessWinning strategies from a top in-hand trainer and handler

Most of the

problems we have

with our horses

stem from pasture

learned behaviors

and bad timing

on the part of the

trainer.

Many trainers have experienced

both the positive and negative

influences of improper train-

ing methods, whether this is your horse’s

misunderstanding of the use of aids, or a

problem area that needs addressing. The

foundation at which your horse is built

upon is the key ingredient to your horse’s

successful career.

As a trainer, you must determine how

much exercise and training should be in-

cluded routinely in your horses develop-

ing stages. As well as how often you should

modify your horse’s training program. You

must formulate a program that suits the

needs of each horse individually. There is

not a single, universal, consistent program

that could be used for every horse. Which

is why its important to be able to formu-

late a program based on your horse, in his

or her current needs.

The ground formula for career prepa-

ration consists of your horse’s physical

and psychological variables. We must first

ask ourselves how much physical activity

should we include into a young horse’s ex-

ercise program?

To answer the question about the

amount of physical activity, we must de-

termine the length and the frequency of

training. There are too many variables to

take into consideration in order to make

young horse exercising a “one size fits all”

program. What we can conclude, is that the

goal of physically exercising a young horse

is to stimulate the proper development of

the muscular and skeletal systems; with-

out stressing either to the point of fatigue

or failure. I like to break these down into

three categories:

A. The Level of exercise (lungeing/mild,

golf cart/moderate, or long lining/ad-

vanced).

B. Type of exercise (walk, trot, or can-

ter).

C. Duration (the length of activity).

The conformation of your young horse

is very important in determining the level,

type, and duration that he or she is capable

of. If the horse is weak over his topline, or

has a “baby” under neck, you could incor-

porate some advanced Levels of exercise

when the horse was ready to strengthen

his or her topline. If your horse is croup

by Michael Brown

Michael presenting a 2 year old on the farm.

59June/July 2013

high, or high at the withers, you will prob-

ably find that certain Types of exercise will

be a struggle for them as they advance.

This is not a huge concern, as the horse is

still developing. In which case, you would

either only introduce the type of exercise,

or keep it to a very minimal in Duration.

For all horses, exercise programs should

begin at conservative levels and increase

as positive results are achieved.

Now that you have an understanding

of how much physical activity should be

included into your horses exercise pro-

gram, you can now begin to understand

the psychological (mental) aspect of your

horse’s preparation.

Like any relationship, it is important

to understand what one likes, as well as

what one dislikes. Sensitivity, resistance,

and pressure are all factors in discovering

what temperament your horse has. If your

horse is willing to give to a little resistance

to the contact (i.e. half halt), or is willing to

lift its leg with the slightest touch of the

fetlock, then you have a horse with a train-

able mindset from the get go.

Don’t be discouraged if you do not. Not

all horses start this way, but it is important

to know what type of horse you have so

you can build on his or her strengths, and

improve and strengthen his or her weak-

nesses. A wild horse wouldn’t allow you

to put a halter on, just as a two year old

might not allow you to put a bit in his

mouth. Your relationship with your horse

should carry over these values to build the

bond between trainer and equine. Which

is why the mental preparation is just as, if

not more, important than being physically

prepared for his or hers career. So what

motivates a horse to be a willing partici-

pant?

Horses are instinctual and behavioral.

They react in different manners based on

the way they feel, and they way they were

taught.

A. Instinctually, horses are known to

be “flight or fight”, “herd bound”, and/or

very brave or insecure. Get to know your

horse so you can build on their strengths,

as well as recognize their weaknesses.

B. Behaviorally, they learn from both

the herd and the handler (i.e. what they

can get away with). Make sure the learned

behavior comes positively in their train-

ing. They need to be happy with their sur-

roundings (pasture management), and feel

safe with their handler in an unfamiliar en-

vironment (bond development).

Most of the problems we have with

our horses stem from pasture learned

behaviors and bad timing on the part of

the trainer. Horse’s become aggressive, or

stimulate aggression, based on their herd

rankings. Make sure that the attention the

horse is getting in the pasture is related to


Young horse showing resistance to pressure.

Michael presenting a 2 year old on the farm.

Exhibiting a matiure horse


ZLA Pepets Regalo+// is a small

14.2 hand purebred gray Arabian

gelding whose registered name

reflects his Spanish breeding. Regalo in

Spanish means “gift, ” which is appropri-

ate because I consider owning him a gift.

Reggie, as we call him, was eight years old

when I purchased him.

Reggie is very intelligent and has a laid

back easy-going personally. Rarely does

he spook and even then, it is more of a

flinch in place without even breaking his

gait. Then he seems embarrassed about

his reaction and realizes that it took more

effort on his part than it was worth. Not

only is Reggie intelligent and very safe,

but he also is a talented dressage horse.

He had shown Training and First Level

dressage and had competed in hunter/

jumper at local Class A shows.

I quickly learned that Reggie’s favorite

color is pink (coincidently my favorite

color). So we would go to shows with our

pink lead rope and pink sheet. I would

over hear little girls say to their mother as

we walked the show grounds “Look mom!

It’s the pink pony!” Reggie would eat up

the attention, walking up to total strangers

and peer into their coffee cup as if to say

“Do you have anything for me?” Of course

no one could resist that cute face and pink

nose.

In my first year of showing him, we re-

ceived two Arabian Sport Horse National

Top Tens at Training Level. I remember

that moment like it was yesterday; I was

so happy I was almost in tears. As we were

waiting to enter the awards ceremony, my

mother looked up at me and said, “Re-

member this moment, you might never

experience this again.”

In the winter of 2009 while prepar-

ing to show Third Level, I noticed Reggie

wasn’t moving quite right. Something

looked off in his right hind. After giving

him rest, then trying a chiropractor, we had

our vet check him out. Reggie had chang-

es in his right hock, it was a bone spur.

We had no idea what happened as there

were no external signs of injury or trauma

to the leg or hock, but the internal injury

was severe. As if it couldn’t get any worse,

he also had moderate navicular changes

in both of his front feet. The vet injected

the hock and front feet and put Reggie on

stall rest for several months. I tried riding

him again around May, but he was three-

legged lame. I was devastated. Many of

my “horse friends” pretty much told me to

give up on him, that he would only maybe

be a children’s pony. I would do no such

thing, I could never give up on him!

At the advice of my vet, I rode Reggie

several times a week. We would happily

move along in what I can only describe as

a really bad western pleasure jog trot. I

could only ride straight lines and then walk

through the corners and the short side of

the dressage arena. One day, I noticed

maybe 25 to 30 minutes into my ride, Reg-

gie got a little more pep in his step. What I

finally noticed is that at some point, Reggie

became a little looser. No he still did not

move like he used to, but it was perhaps

a little better. Eventually I tried trotting

through the corners and 20 meter circles.

He would slow down for these movements

because they were difficult for him, but

each ride became a little better.

In June of 2010, we returned to the

show ring. We were only able to show

Training Level, but I was not complaining.

The fact that not only could I ride Reggie,

but show him at any level, was nothing

Keeping the

Faithby Katie Keim

Keeping the

FaithReggie’s Story

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61June/July 2013

short of a miracle. Reggie came out winning virtually every class.

He even received Top Five at Regionals.

Throughout the next year Reggie improved with every ride. In

June of 2011 I noticed a slight bluish discoloration in his right eye.

My vet came out to examine it. He was not sure exactly what was

going on and sent the photographs to the University of Illinois. He

explained to me, “We can’t rule out melanoma because of his his-

tory, but I don’t think that’s what it is.” What?! Melanoma?! On his

eye?! I had never heard of such a thing. I didn’t even know that

was possible. When Reggie was 11, we had found a golf-balled

sized melanoma along with many other small melanomas in the

usual places grays get them. Given his relatively young age, there

were more melanomas than one would expect. The University

of Illinois said, based on the photographs that it did look like a

melanoma and to bring Reggie to the University as soon as pos-

sible.

Dr. Ralph Hamor and Dr. Amber Labelle, veterinary ophthal-

mologists, confirmed a melanoma in Reggie’s right eye. They also

found a smaller one in Reggie’s left eye. A typical outcome of this

rare circumstance is removal of the eye, but I was going to do eve-

About Melanoma of the Eyeby Dr Amber Labelle

Melanoma is a type of cancer that comes from pigment-

containing cells in the body called melanocytes. Melanocytes

are responsible for the color of the skin and other organs. Horse

skin is usually pink or brown. The more melanocytes in the skin,

the darker its color. Cancer results when cells in the body start

growing uncontrollably. Melanoma is a well-recognized cancer in

horses. Grey horses are at a greater risk of developing melanoma

of the skin than non-grey horses. Breeds of horses for whom grey

is a common coat color (such as Arabians and Lippizaners) are

also at greater risk of developing skin melanoma. Skin melanoma

occurs most commonly under the base of the tail, at the commis-

sure of the lip, around the genitals and around the eye. Melanoma

usually appears as hairless skin masses that can vary in size from

the size of a dime to the size of a grapefruit.

Melanoma can also occur inside the horse’s eye. Melano-

mas usually arise from the colored part of the inside of the eye

called the iris. Intraocular melanomas can lead to blindness and

glaucoma (painfully high pressure inside the eye) and ultimately

may necessitate removal of the eye. Meeting Katie Keim and Reg-

gie in 2011 piqued my interest in intraocular melanoma. Up until

rything in my power to not let that happen. Reggie has so much

expression in his eyes. After weighing the options, we decided to

laser the melanoma in both eyes. The melanoma in the left eye

completely flattened (and is still flat). The melanoma in the right

eye did decrease some in density.

Reggie coped well with the treatment and we were all very

excited about a successful outcome. We decided to laser the right

eye a second time in the fall of 2011. Again, more matter was

destroyed and everything appeared a success once again. Then

several weeks later, back at home, Reggie began to have discharge

from his eye and it was swollen. We took him back to the Uni-

versity of Illinois and found that Reggie had an infection. After a

couple of months, the infection cleared and he was able to return

continued on page 91 continued on page 91

now, not much has been known about intraocular melanomas in

horses. The lack of scientific knowledge about the long term prog-

nosis for intraocular melanomas in horses and the relationship

between skin melanoma and intraocular melanoma made it dif-

ficult for me to answer Katie’s questions about Reggie’s prognosis

and treatment options.

Stud

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Recently, I’ve been confronted with changes in cir-

cumstances that offer me new opportunities and

choices. Transitions are often unsettling, but they

really do help to clarify priorities and to open space to

consider how best to achieve goals.

Denny Emerson’s recent book How Good Riders

Get Good: Daily Choices that Lead to Success in Any

Equestrian Sport is both aspirational and inspirational.

Denny Emerson is a (retired) world class 3 day eventer

with an exceptionally broad and deep involvement in

equestrian activities including Morgan breed shows,

endurance riding (he’s owned and ridden Arabians in

endurance including completing the Tevis), leadership

positions in several national equestrian organizations,

stood stallions at stud for purpose breeding top event-

ing horses, as well as coached riders and trained horses

to elite levels.

Although elements of the advice in this book can

be utilized by equestrians with modest goals, the core

intent is aimed at assisting horsemen and women

who wish to attain a high level of achievement in

some aspect of equestrian activity. There’s no

mollycoddling. Denny makes it clear that in or-

der to achieve high goals, hard work is con-

stant and difficult choices and sacrifices

are necessary.

The book provides a number of ex-

amples to illustrate the principles of

the consequences of the choices that

a rider (trainer/breeder) makes in

each of several critical areas that

include discipline, life circum-

stance, support network, char-

acter traits, physical fitness,

attaining knowledge and ex-

perience, and the horses. If

riding is a true

passion--

a n d Books have always been important to me. As a child, I spent countless hours reading

at home and at the public library. Growing up in the suburbs in a non-horsey family,

books were also my main entryway to the world of horses and provided fuel for my

dreams. Several decades into adulthood, books are still a treasure to me as they con-

tinue to inspire and inform all areas of my life –including riding and horsemanship.

While there is no substitute for real life experience handling, training, and riding

horses -- books and other media can broaden and deepen the knowledge base that

we apply to the practice of good horsemanship.

by Dawn Jones-Low

Reading Reflections Goals & Choices

63June/July 2013

you wish to become the best rider (or

trainer, coach, breeder, judge, etc.) that

you can be in your chosen discipline, this

book illuminates paths to building the

skills, knowledge, and access to resources

that are indispensable to that goal.

“I’ll bet that in every equestrian dis-

cipline, if you analyzed it, you would find

that the best people have the horseman’s

equivalent of a very full ‘quiver’ [of ar-

rows]. They have the emotional and char-

acter traits that help them in their quest,

they’ve built a support network, they live

in the right places, they’ve developed

good physical skills, and they know a lot

--about pedigree, about vet issues, and

soundness, conditioning, and so on. They

have those pieces –those ‘arrows’— at

hand when they need them …To have that

arrow in your quiver, in other words, is

very often the result of a conscious choice

to put it there.” [pg 186]

Consciously making choices focused

on attaining long term goals is an essen-

tial part of good breeding practices as

much it is for achievement in training and

riding. In breeding for sport horse abil-

ity, the Warmblood studbooks of Europe

have the “fullest quiver” to borrow Den-

ny’s metaphor. The recent book by Chris-

topher Hector, The Making of the Modern

Warmblood: from Gotthard to Gribaldi, may

seem far afield from the Arabian horse,

but for those interested in breeding the

Arabian as a sport horse, there are appli-

cable lessons to be gleaned.

The book’s examination of the de-

velopment of the

m o d e r n

W a r m -

b l o o d

s p o r t

h o r s e

from the more

old-fashioned util-

ity types for agriculture,

war, and general riding is

constructed around profiles of

the major studbooks and influential

stallions with auxiliary sections address-

ing specific issues faced like whether

infusions of Thoroughbreds are still ben-

eficial, the question of whether breeding

horses for amateurs and for profession-

als is necessarily different, to what extent

data analysis is useful in breeding selec-

tions, viewpoints on specialization for

dressage and jumping, challenges

of presenting and evalu-

ating young horses at the

Bundeschampionate, market

pressures on stallion selection,

the importance of the mare base, and

so on. There are plenty of divergent

viewpoints in the book which helps

to illuminate the complexity and

diversity that exists in what super-

ficially seems to be a uniform sys-

tem.

One of the cautionary tales in the

book regarding goals and choices relates

to the Trakehner breed which suffered in

reputation in the 70’s and 80’s due to an

admitted focus on the aesthetic aspects of

the breed over competitive performance

traits. [In the 70’s] ”The idea of having

something special led to a false goal –

beauty. It was no longer performance that

was important but beauty.

More and more Trakehner breeders

concentrated on beautiful faces, straight

limbs, and forgot about things like ride-

ability or jumping ability.” [pg 608] The

section describes how breeders changed

course and by the 90’s, the breeding goals

had been altered to prioritize performance

qualities resulting in a rejuvenation of the

desirability of the Trakehner as a sport

horse and for breeding in other registries.

There are certainly parallels with concerns

expressed within the Arabian breed com-

munity.

The widespread use of shipped

cooled and frozen semen is a concern

in the Warmblood world just as it is for

closed studbook breeds like the Arabian.

The paradigm of regional production test-

ing has changed to reflect a global market,

and there is concern that “fashion breed-

ing” may be obscuring the discovery of

excellent breeding stallions who are slow

maturing or who are less exciting than the

heavily marketed young stallion champi-

ons. “In former times the breeders had no

chance [to breed to distant stallions] --they

used the stallions that were sent to their

district, and then several years later they

would see which stallions were the best,

and often it would be the stallion that they

didn’t think was going to be the best, and

the one they thought was going to be the

best was not so good.” [pg 167]

That reminds me of a nugget of wis-

dom from the great Arabian breeder, Bazy

Tankersley, who clearly had a “full quiver

of arrows” in regards to breeding achieve-

ments with Arabians (including for sport

horse disciplines). In A Field of Arabians:

Bazy Tankersley and the Horses of Al-Marah,

by Susanne and Jake Page, Mrs. T. is quot-

ed as saying, “Learn to identify end prod-

ucts as opposed to horses that are part of


Goals & Choices


by Shayna Dolinger

This cross of Polish Arabian Piaff

and Hungarian mare Virag produc-

es more than Sport Horse athletes

for the big ring; it produces horses

that are an affair of the heart.

In 2006, I was extremely fortunate to

obtain and import from Germany Virag, a

Hungarian Warmblood mare sired by Colo-

nado (Contender) and carrying the impor-

tant German jumping/dressage lines of

Landgraf and Ramiro Z, some of the most

influential and successful lines in Europe

today. Virag was a dream come true after a

long search for a hunter/jumper mare.

Having the same interest in Sport

Horse prospects, a long-time Arabian horse

lover/competitor and dear friend Kelly Ro-

driguez contacted me with what would be

a turning point in my Sport Horse program.

I remember Kelly starting off with say-

ing, “Shayna, I want you to keep an open

mind and look at this stallion, his name is

Piaff (Eldon x Pipi). Piaff is a tremendous

athlete, big powerful mover, has excellent

confirmation, and is a great match for your

Hungarian mare; do not say no until you

look at him.” Kelly knew I would be quick

to say NO because it was an Arabian, es-

pecially since I was from the open hunter

and warmblood world and with that comes

the stereotype thoughts of crazy Arabian.

She also knew I had Arabians years ago

that were jumping machines and saw the

window of opportunity to twist my arm a

bit because I was bored with business as

usual with the open hunters.

So, the research on Piaff began. Comb-

ing the internet articles and blogs, maga-

zines and film in various languages finding

every scrap of information I could on the

stallion: Multi-International Champion of

Poland, the Netherlands; Multiple Stakes

Winner, to interviewing representatives

from the Pride of Poland/Piaff Partnership

for hours on the merits of the stallion and

requesting his racing records from Po-

land. The stallion had to prove to me he

was more than just a pretty face, he must

be a performance horse and he must be

able to pass-on his athletic abilities. Piaff

exceeded my expectations, not only was

he conformationally correct and moving

horse, but he was a great racehorse with

multiple wins on the track, dressage, clas-

sic hunter, native costume and while in the

USA started over fences.

Understanding the importance of

breeding for performance and form to

function, Piaff was approved for Warm-

blood breeding with the German Rhein-

land Pfalz-Saar (RPSI) as a Book I stallion.

Their criteria states, “The RPSI stud book is

divided into Stallion Books I and II, and is

open to mares and stallions of recognized

Warmblood breeds, as well as Thorough-

breds, Arabians and Anglo-Arabians. RPSI

From great promise – to tragedy – to beating overwhelming odds – to successCountess of Piaff and her new 2013 baby sister– their story

65June/July 2013


(“Zweibrücker”) horses are bred for quality

of movement, correctness of conformation

and clear character. This foundation pro-

duces a superior athlete with high train-

ability and competitiveness for any of the

sport horse disciplines.”

Piaff met my list of criteria and addi-

tionally, in order for offspring to be eligible

for a full Passport and Brand, both parents

MUST be approved in Stallion/Mare Book

I and only those offspring may be consid-

ered stallion candidates with the possible

chance of breeding on later. (If one parent

is missing approvals and does not have ac-

ceptable bloodlines/paperwork, then the

offspring is only eligible for a Certificate

of Pedigree -- no chance of a colt having

a chance to go threw the approval process,

thus cannot breed on through the registry.

So, the deed was done. In 2007, Piaff

and Virag blessed us with the arrival of

Countess of Piaff, a huge, correct, power-

ful moving grey filly who shined during

her RPSI inspection and was approved as

a Premium filly; something that was ex-

tremely important to me as I was striving

to breed a performance horse.

For an approved RPSI Arabian/Warm-

blood cross, Countess had enough Arabian

type to compete in halter, which she loved. I

will never forget the squeals of excitement

and joy from the very successful Arabian

stallion owner and breeder Denise Gainey,

“OMG, look at her TROT, that is just wrong,

she is a Warmblood!!!” Countess’ handler

was a former track competitor and she just

about trotted him off his feet. The filly

earned a Top 4 Region 15 Yearling Halter/

Region 15 Halter Futurity as a 3 year old

and Sport Horse In-Hand Region 15 Top 3,

in addition to wins in SHIH at various rated

Arabian Shows, but she was bred compete

in the jumper/hunter ring!!

At 4 years old, I started Countess under

saddle. She was easy, with a smart, willing

attitude and wanted to work more than

eat or do anything else; you could turn on

the outside arena lights and she would run

and stand under the lights waiting for her

saddle. After getting the basics started—

walk, trot, canter; I sent the filly out for fin-

ishing. In just a few short months and at

her first Arabian show, she won the SHUS

with a professional and won the SHUS se-

lect rider class with me. We were excited

and looking to our next show in 2 weeks

and Region 15 in 6 weeks.

Just when you think you are on top of

the world and have the highest expecta-

tions for your horse tragedy strikes and

everything comes crashing down.

While attending the Virginia Arabian

Horse Association Show (VAHA), I received

a call saying that Countess had injured

herself in the stall at the training barn.

The veterinarian recommended the filly

go to an emergency veterinary hospital for

treatment. We immediately shipped the

filly to Blue Ridge Equine, a hospital ca-

pable of handling trauma and severe inju-

ries. After evaluation of the filly’s injuries

and every treatment performed possible

over a 24 hour period, Countess’ diagno-

sis was a compromised tendon sheath in

one hind leg and laminitis in the opposing

hind hoof. There was nothing more than

the veterinarians could do, the filly did not

have a good leg to stand on and I asked

the attending vet to put her down immedi-

ately and end her suffering.

Everything with Countess seemed so

surreal - like it was not happening, but it

was. I just wanted to be left alone, but

wasn’t. Within a few hours, a friend who

was announcing for the VAHA show an-

nounced the loss of Countess of Piaff.

Friends were ringing my phone; trainers

and competitors shed tears with me giv-

ing hugs and their condolences. Online

The Arabian Breeders Network and Face-

book messages of condolences, love and

support from the Arabian and warmblood

communities came in from all over the

world.

The Arabian Horse Community is the

most amazing, generous and supportive

group of horse owners and family I have

ever experienced; offers of breedings,

young horses, horses with training, etc.,

came pouring in – all were appreciated

more than the English language would al-

low me to express, but I was not ready, my

heart was too broken.

For 2 years, I sat grieving, missing my

filly and Arabian horse friends and family;

so I knew I needed to do something! So I

started horse shopping, looking online, at

inspections, visiting to training barns and

breeders, auctions, magazines etc., I lost

count after looking at 2K plus horses (no

kidding). I saw many fabulous horses with

excellent breeding and talent, but ALL

would have to follow in the footsteps of

Countess, so I respectfully stepped back


http://www.belesemo.com/salesvideo/2012/Belesemo_Don_Quixote/Don_Quixote.php


http://www.belesemo.com

67June/July 2013

From RosesTo Rehab

By Susan Winslow

Photos by Suzanne DeGeorge

Sun streams through the windows, casting long shafts of soft, morning light across the expanse of the indoor arena. Dust motes dance as the sound of children’s laughter rings through the rafters . . .

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Two riders with special needs, ages nine and ten, are assisted

by leaders and side walkers in a rollicking game of “Walk-Whoa

Red Light/Green Light.” They cheer each other on as their elegant

horses, a bay named Khlassicstatement and a chestnut named Mr

Wise Guy, respond to their riders’ physical and verbal cues, mov-

ing with the easy, natural grace of the Arabian breed. The horses’

delicate, curved ears flick forward and back as they listen atten-

tively for direction from their riders. When the game ends in a tie,

there are high-fives all around, and one rider leans forward, wraps

his arms around the chestnut horse’s neck and whispers, “Good

boy, Wiser! I love you.”

The Arabian horse as one of the world’s

oldest breeds, has a long and illustrious

history going back thousands of years;

having been prized by such leaders as

Mohammed, Ghengis Khan, Napolean,

and George Washington. Today, as they

safely carry their riders through stretch-

es, riding exercises and games, Khlassic

and Wiser are representing yet another

aspect of the breed’s versatility in their

role as trusted therapy mounts. In fact,

they are two of a small herd of full and

half-blood Arabian therapy horses at

Wings and Hooves Therapeutic Riding,

Inc. in East Kingston, New Hampshire.

The farm’s mission is to enhance the

lives of individuals with physical, emo-

tional, and developmental disabilities

by building confidence through equine as-

sisted activities and partnerships.

Karen Cuneo founded Wings and Hooves, a registered 501(c)3

nonprofit organization, in 2008 on the 169 acre farm where she

lives with her husband, Paul and daughter, Kristen. Thirty-three

years ago, Karen was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythema-

tosus disease and in the ensuing years, she has undergone three

kidney transplants while maintaining her commitment to her fam-

ily and a busy career in the financial industry. She says, “There

is no doubt that my horses helped me through my illness, and

my dream throughout the many health challenges I faced was to

share the healing power of horses with others.”

Before founding Wings and Hooves, Karen enjoyed competing

her Arabian horses in local and regional “A” rated Arabian Horse

Association competitions. She and Paul also supported Kristen’s

show career that took her to the National level of competition.

Along the way, they purchased a number of Arabians and Half Ara-

bians, and they consider each of them as family members. As the

horses aged, Karen realized that they still had much to offer, so the

transition from the rigorous life of a competitive show horse to a

new job as a therapy mount was a natural progression for some of

the family’s show string.

Khlassicstatement is a bay gelding born in Boxford, MA in

1997. Karen knew his dam, Khalico, and witnessed the foaling, an

event which formed a strong bond between her and the young

colt. She says, “I bought Khlassic, as we call him, and after he was

weaned. I was at the barn one evening and saw his mother with

her face pressed up against the bars of the stall across the aisle

just watching us. I was so touched by that, I bought her too, so

she would always have a good home with her son nearby.” Khalico

was a daughter of the famous sire, Khemosabi, and she was known

in the barn for her strong maternal instinct and kindness, living a

full life to the age of 32.

Khlassic inherited that kindness, along with

a whimsical sense of curiosity and a busy mind.

Karen says, “He loves this job as a therapy horse!

We once had a puzzle game in the ring that had

big wooden pieces. Khlassic loved to pick up

the pieces in his mouth and put them on the

puzzle board. He is so smart, you really have to

see it to believe it! At a 9:00 a.m. lesson Khlas-

sic walked around the arena with his leader and

his young rider with a full, bold stride, but then

at the 12:00 pm lesson he intuitively changed

his gait to mirror that of a different little rider

who walked on her tiptoes. We’ve done about

everything with him including jumping here at

the farm, but he really excelled in the show ring

in the Arabian Hunter Pleasure classes.” As a

youngster, Khlassic started out in Arabian Halter

before transitioning into Arabian Hunter Pleasure

in local and New England Regional level competitions.

Khlassic competed at the Empire State Arab show with Rebecca

Eddy and they took a first place and Champion in the Arabian

Hunter Pleasure 18-39.

Mr Wise Guy+//, a handsome 15 hand chestnut gelding, is

known for his unique appearance, as his tongue can be seen at

times hanging out of the side of his mouth. This is a result of nerve

damage sustained early in his life, but this supremely talented

horse never let it slow him down. While people are initially drawn

to his unusual appearance, it’s his intelligent, gentle nature that

leaves a lasting impression. “He’s a superstar,” says Karen with

pride. The Cuneos purchased him from John and Lisa Jo White

for their daughter Kristen in 2001. Mr Wise Guy already had an

impressive show record, and Kristen went on to win multiple Re-

gional and National titles with him. Mr Wise Guy’s five page show

record spans twenty years and includes multiple Regional, United

States and Canadian National Championships as well as the pres-

tigious Legion of Excellence.

“This horse really has done it all. He drives, rides, and has

Mr. Wise Guy

THERAPY continued from previous page

69June/July 2013

he really stepped up his game when he knew he was at a horse

show- I remember the first time I rode him at a show the night

before his class. My mom asked me how it went- I told her ‘He’s

amazing- I just hope I can keep up with him!’ Wise Guy took care

of me and he taught me how to ride a top English Pleasure horse.

On the ground he was as sweet and loving as could be. Wise Guy

embodies what an Arabian horse should be: a great athlete and a

close friend to those around him.”

These aren’t over the hill, tired show horses. They are active,

healthy horses that have achieved regional and national titles and

have gone on to a second, rewarding career in their golden years.

Karen says, “The innate intelligence and willingness to please in

the Arabian horse makes them ideally suited for this job. In addi-

tion to a Clydesdale and three Norwegian Fjords, we have a num-

ber of Arabian and Half Arabian horses and ponies in our program:

Almost a Lady, a Half Arabian pony; Goldie, a Half Arabian mare;

two Half Arabian Geldings: SS Lord of the Dance and Bobo Show+/

plus the two full Arabians, Khlassic and Mr Wise Guy. The Arabian

is generally a long-lived breed, and our therapy horses are still

going strong well into their mid twenties. They thrive on having

a job, and being cared for and loved by so many people. Because

these horses have been active campaigners on the show circuit,

they have a been-there, done-that attitude and they are extreme-

ly well schooled. These are qualities that make excellent therapy

horses.”

Karen admits that in some spheres, there is a misconception

about the Arabian breed that her horses are helping to overcome.

She explains, “Because Arabian horses have such a proud, majes-

tic carriage, and can really turn on the fire in the show ring, people

often think they are a flighty, hot type of horse. I was at a P.A.T.H.

International Conference where more than once a person said that

they would use any type of horse for therapy except for Arabians.

That type of statement just comes from a lack of true knowledge

about the breed, and our horses disprove that stereotype every

day.”

Khlassic, Wise Guy, Lady and the other horses with Arabian

bloodlines at Wings and Hooves are evidence that this breed can

do it all, from winning national titles in the show ring, to carefully

carrying a four year old with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome through

his therapeutic riding lesson. “They are so incredibly smart,” says

Karen, “You can see them watching and feeling their riders, and

adjusting their way of going for them. With their keen intelligence

and their highly developed sense of the human/horse bond, Ara-

bians make great therapy horses.”

shown in those capacities all over the United States and Canada.

He has never let his physical challenge slow him down, and it’s

something our riders and volunteers can relate to,” says Karen.

Marjorie Carr, who showed him to Youth National Champion re-

calls, “Wise Guy was one of the most fun horses I have ever rid-

den. He was an incredible athlete and he loved to show. In fact,


My heart horse, Silver Run Sohn (Gai Torero x Bint Lea Rouge)

wasn’t the fanciest or the bravest horse, but he certainly had a

kind, gentle soul. I bought him from a friend in 1994 when my

children were still small. We showed at local hunter shows, ama-

teur Arab shows, trail rode and had lots of fun. My kids and sever-

al friends learned to ride

on him. He was patient,

quiet, sweet and beauti-

ful – the perfect teacher.

Veteran Arabian breeder

Ann McKay called him a

saint in horseflesh.

His misgivings

about some jumps was

often only overcome

by a firm application of

leg, and perhaps fear of

getting in trouble. He

was adored by all who

knew him, despite his

“leave now-ask ques-

tions later” philosophy. (Every ring had its boogie man corner and

he wasn’t going to get eaten!) Nonetheless, his reaction with an

experienced rider was completely different than when he was

carrying a novice. He knew the difference.

We showed just a couple of seasons at rated Arab shows and

he did quite well. Sohn earned East Coast and Region 15 Champi-

onships culminating in a trip to US Nationals in Kentucky in 2002

at the age of 20. He earned a Top Ten in Working Hunter AAOTR

before I retired him from competition that year.

After that, he hung out at my farm, trail riding and living a life

of leisure as I had promised him. When I was injured in 2004,

Sohn even came to visit me in the hospital. In 2005, I was forced

to close my farm and disperse my horses, so I leased Sohn out

to a friend in Pennsylvania who taught lessons to children, some

with special needs.

In April 2007, I went to visit Sohn for the first time in 2 years.

My plan was not just to visit, but to try to sit on him once more,

not a simple task for someone with my physical limitations. My

heart soared when I saw him, he walked right up and seemed to

know me, even though I was now in a wheelchair. I was thrilled to

just kiss him and pet him.

We took him up to the ring, racking our brains about how to

get me on him. My son finally threw me over his shoulder and just

tossed me up into the saddle. We got my feet into the stirrups,

fashioned a neck strap for me to hold, stationed someone on each

side of me and started to walk.

He walked so slowly and carefully, helping me maintain my

precarious balance for a good ten minutes. It was heaven. I had

ridden (sat on?) a horse a couple of times since my injury, but not

one of MY horses. What a

difference it made! I had

zero fear knowing him in-

side and out as I did.

My daughter hopped

on him and took him for a

spin around their outside

course of jumps, swapping

leads and over jumping

like a young horse. What a

great day!

We lost him a few

months later, but not be-

fore he had endeared

himself to even more spe-

cial riders. He was truly a

saint.

{I still own his half-brother, who shares Sohn’s quiet disposi-

tion and gentle nature. I even got to “ride” him when he was five

and we visited him at a horse show.} - Peggy Ingles

My Own Rehab Tale

71June/July 2013Russian Roulett

FR Hercules


One In A Million

Cal Dorado

From an inauspicious beginning,

Cal Dorado certainly made his

presence known. Given away as

a 4 month old to Californian Barbara Park-

ening, “Flash,” as he was known by his

friends, became an international star.

He was sired by the *Bask son Cal-O-

Bask and born in February, 1979. With 2

club feet and way too much white to suit

his breeder, the sire’s owner agreed to

take him back. Barbara happened to go to

the farm to visit Cal-O-Bask and spotted a

weanling in a nearby corral. “It was love at

first sight,” says Barbara.

Barbara had gotten her first horse, a

half Lippizan, when she was fourteen and

put her in training with the famous Circus/

High-School trainer Albert Ostermaier. She

trained with Albert until she started to

show competitive dressage and has been

training with Olympic dressage rider Hilda

Gurney ever since. In the mid-eighties she

earned her bronze, silver and gold medals

from the USDF.

After taking on the little guy, Barbara

hauled Flash long distances to receive cor-

rective shoeing to improve his feet. Bar-

bara recounts, “I started him under saddle

and the put him on long lines. It didn’t

take him long to figure things out and he

taught himself how to canter on three legs,

we thought that was a pretty good trick.”

Barbara taught the gorgeous flashy chest-

nut how to do high school dressage move-

ments in long lines. He would walk down

the centerline on his back legs, passage,

piaffe, Spanish walk, pirouette, bow and

much more. She used him in her “Danc-

ing With Horses” traveling theatrical show.

“He could piaffe and passage all day and

loved doing it. You can still go to Arabian

Magnificent Dancing Stallion on You Tube

and see his whole act,” says Barbara.

When Flash was 17, Barbara went to

her friend Hilda with a plan. She asked

Hilda to make him a Grand Prix horse and

win a National Championship on him.

Hilda recalls, “First, I had to teach him

lead changes, which I did. But the tricky

part was getting on him – when you swung

your leg over, he’d drop his head. He didn’t

have a huge shoulder, so when he’d put

his head down and buck there was no way

you were staying on. After I got dumped

a couple of times I always had someone

hold his head when I mounted.”

In spite of that, Hilda says she really

enjoyed him. “He wasn’t mean, he would

prance and dance but he wouldn’t kick

or bite or anything like that. Until the day

they put him down he’d come out of the

stall and he would prance and dance. Flash

was always a character, very vibrant, prob-

ably the most vibrant horse I’ve ever seen.

An absolutely beautiful horse.”

Hilda showed him in open shows at

Grand Prix, earning scores in the 60s. In

1997, they took Flash to Albuquerque to

compete at U.S. Nationals in the highest

dressage level they offered at the time,

Prix St. Georges. Flash and Hilda won the

class with a score of 65.93%, following

that up with a dressage demonstration be-

fore a crowd of 5,000 spectators, earning a

standing ovation.

Later, the years of walking on his hind

legs caused him some soreness in his

hocks, so he was retired from competition.

His offspring have carried on his winning

legacy. Fancy Trick was trained and shown

by Hilda to 2 National Championships in

Grand Prix and one at I-2. His purebred son

Aleros+/ earned a National Championship

in 3rd Level, is almost ready to compete

at Grand Prix this year and is planning on

Photos courtesy Barbara Parkening

73June/July 2013

another trip to SHN in 2014.

Of Flash’s offspring Hilda says, “Ale-

ros a really a fabulous mover. And we now

have grandkids from Flash that are super

movers and really talented in piaffe and

passage.”

His daughter, CD Gold Fever+++/ is

a 2 time Reserve National Champion in

Halter with Regional wins in Show Hack.

Rhythmandbluesscr+// is a multi Nation-

al Top Ten winner in Dressage. MC Stars

Nstripes+/ is a Reserve National Champi-

on in Show Hack and multi-Top Ten winner

in Carriage Driving and Sport Horse Show

Cal Dorado performing (left) and with Hilda Gurney after winning his National Championship in Prix St. Georges (below).



Hack. CB Endeavor+ is a Canadian National & Reserve National Champion in Hunter

Pleasure. April Moonsong+ is a Reserve National Champion in Sidesaddle.

And one last foal is due this month, conceived from some frozen semen har-

vested from a testicle that was herniated and subsequently removed. The dam is a

large Hanoverian mare who has produced one foal by Aleros already.

On April 18 at the age of 34, Flash tore the wall of his rectum while trying to

pass a hard fecal ball. There was nothing the vets could do, so he was laid to rest.

For an unwanted baby, he has certainly left an incredible legacy.

Cal Dorado performing (left and above) and with his son, Go For The Gold (below).

CAL DORADO continued from page 73

75June/July 2013

Half-Arabian daughter Fancy Trick with Hilda Gurney performing a dressage demonstration at Sport Horse Nationals

Purebred son Aleros+/, a breeding stallion competing at Grand Prix in open dressage shows.

Cal Dorado performing (left and above) and with his son, Go For The Gold (below).


Aurora MR+//The Comeback Queen

There are some horses that are super-

stars because they have a superstar

as a rider and there are some horses

that are just born to be a superstar regard-

less of their rider. Aurora MR (JRPadrov x El

Disar Eve) is the second kind of horse. Now

don’t get me wrong, all of her riders have

been great, but it is not often that a horse

is a superstar with every rider they are

paired with. Aurora is just that, and I think

after reading her story you will agree.

Aurora was started under saddle in the

fall of her 5th year. Right away the trainer’s

12-year-old daughter was riding her and

fell in love. Together they practiced dres-

sage movements and had fun jumping the

jumps that were set up in the arena. When

it came time to start showing, the trainer’s

schedule did not blend well with our Ara-

bian Show schedule, so she sent one of

her 12-year-old students, Jennifer, to ride

Aurora. Here we were at a show with a kid

that we really did not know, riding a horse

that had less than 6 months of formal train-

ing and with no trainer to school them!

Jennifer and Aurora were stars at this

first show, so we continued attending Ara-

bian and Open Shows with Jennifer as her

rider. The pair qualified for the 2004 CDS

Jr. Championship show in Training level,

so off we went. After the first day of the

Championships, Jennifer and Aurora were

ahead of the rest of their class by a solid

5% and just had one more ride to go to be

named Champion.

On day two, during the warm up for

their last ride, while cantering on a 20 me-

ter circle Aurora stepped on a large rock

that had been thrown into the arena and

tore her right hind suspensory ligament

right below the hock. It was so bad we had

to bring the trailer to the arena to take her

home.

During the vet examination it was de-

termined that she had a large hole in her

suspensory and the vet felt she would be

only be broodmare sound for the rest of

her life. Well I was not willing to accept

this, so I took her home and put her in a

paddock for 6 months, after which we

took her back to the hospital and had her

by Karen ErnstPh

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77June/July 2013

leg scanned. Much to their surprise, they

could not even find the scarred tissue from

the tear and gave us the go ahead to start

conditioning her to return to work.

In the spring of 2005, Jenny Breen

agreed to ride and show Aurora for us at

Open and Arabian shows (still schedule is-

sues with trainer) and so a new team was

born. Together they won not only at Ara-

bian Shows but also almost every Open

Show class they entered. We traveled to

Canada for the 2005 Canadian National

Show that year and they earned Aurora’s

first National Top Ten Award - at Training

Level. They ended the show year winning

USDF Young Rider Training Level Award

and several AHA awards.

In 2006, Jenny became Aurora’s own-

er and the team returned to the show ring

at First and Second Level, again winning in

Open and Arabian competitions. They were

named USEF Dressage Horse of the Year,

and added 4 more National Top Tens (First

and Second Level) and a Reserve National

Championship at First level to Aurora’s list

of awards.

In 2007, this team continued with their

success at Second level winning two Re-

gional Championships and two Top Fives.

Meanwhile, back at home, I lost Aurora’s

little sister to a pasture accident and I

asked Jenny if she would sell Aurora back

to me. Aurora’s mother was a very special

horse to me and I really wanted to have

one of her daughters. Jenny agreed to sell

Aurora back to me, but would no longer be

her rider.

We then went to Jennette Scanlon of

Scanlon Training and asked her to evaluate

Aurora for further advancement in Dres-

sage. We were happy to learn that Jen-

nette felt she was in fact talented enough

to become an FEI Dressage horse, so a new

team was born.

In 2008, Jennette and Aurora at-

tended the Scottsdale Arabian Show and

were stars just like Aurora had been with

all her other riders. They ended the show

with Aurora winning 4th Level High Score

Champion.

Aurora and Jenette ended the 2008

show year as Sport Horse Reserve National

Champion at 3rd Level and Top Ten at 4th

level.

In 2009, Jennette became pregnant

and was unable to ride, so she enlisted

one of her young students, Samantha, to

ride Aurora. This new pair started show-

ing at 3rd level in June of 2009 and right

away were stars. In their first two shows

together they qualified for the 2009 CDS

Jr Championship show at 3rd level. In

August of 2009 they attended the CDS Jr.

Championship show and were named CDS

Jr. Championship Reserve Champion 3rd

Level.

Things were going so well with this

new pair that we decided to add 4th level

to their schedule. Aurora was already qual-

ified for Nationals in Open, so they just

needed to qualify at the amateur level,

which they did at their first show.

Samantha and Aurora showed at the

Region 3 Sport Horse Championship show

in 3rd and 4th level Open and Amateur

and were named 3rd and 4th Level Cham-

pions in Amateur and Reserve Champion

3rd Level Open with a Top Five in 4th Level

Open. They ended the show year as USDF

All Breed Champions in 3rd & 4th Levels.

Not bad considering that this pair was only

together for 3 months!

In 2010, Jennette was back to rid-

ing Aurora and the pair started compet-

ing at Prix St. Georges in open shows and

doing very well. In July of that year, they

added Intermediaire1 to the schedule and

again were holding their own at the open

shows.

At the 2010 Sport Horse National

Show, Aurora and Jenette earned a Top

Ten in PSG dressage and was just out of

the ribbons for Int.1, but knowing this was

a new level for them, we were not discour-

aged by her placing. Aurora did end the

year as USDF All Breed Reserve Champion

PSG level and Champion Int.1 level.

In 2011, Jennette added Int. 2 to Au-

rora’s schedule and we started attending

open shows, where she again held her own.

All was going well when she came down

with a rear leg lameness. After examina-

tion it was felt that she had a bad case of

thrush and medical action was taken.

Aurora was taken out of work, hand

walked and in a couple of weeks all was

well, so back to work she went. We started

noticing that her angle seemed wrong on

her left front foot and asked about it - the

farrier insisted that everything was fine

and not to worry.

About 2 months after we first noticed

the angle change on Aurora’s left front

foot, she was lame. We were told that it



was just stiffness from her trailer ride to

the show and that she would work out of it.

When she did not get better, an appoint-

ment was made with the vet. Upon his ex-

amination, it was found that her left front

angle was off so badly that as a result she

had strained or possibly torn her collateral

ligaments within her hoof and she was set

up on a hand walking schedule and stall

rest for 3 months.

At the end of 3 months, Aurora was

taken back to the vet and was found to still

be at a grade “3” lameness and at that time

the vet said she was probably not going to

return to full soundness. He felt that she

may become sound enough for a junior to

ride her at Training Level, but would not

perform at the FEI level again.

Again I was not ready to accept this

future for Aurora, so I brought her home

and returned her to the same paddock she

stayed in when she tore her suspensory 7

years earlier.

Aurora was not happy not working but

she adjusted to a life of rest for the most

part and enjoyed hanging out watching the

other horses play in their pastures. I kept

Aurora home for 13 months this time and

let nature take it’s course in healing her.

In October of 2012, we took Aurora to

Danielle Casalett of Casabrook Training to

start conditioning her for a return to work

if she was sound. Aurora has been sound

since her first day with Danielle and was

so happy to start back to work. I believe

that Aurora is happier with Danielle than

she has been with any other rider and in a

short period of them they have become a

beautiful pair.

Danielle has taken Aurora’s return to

work very seriously and all proper precau-

tions are taken for Aurora’s safety. They

spend 4 days per week in the arena and

then at least 1 or 2 days out at the lake

where they enjoy a trail ride with one of

Danielle’s students. Danielle also takes

the time to take Aurora out to graze grass

and they enjoy girly time together. Aurora

loves her girly time!

On March 17, 2013 five months after

returning to work, 18 months after being

told she would not return to work at the

same level she was at before her injury,

and 21 months after her injury, Aurora and

Danielle attended their first show. They

showed at the PSG level and although

they did not win their class it was a ma-

jor win for Aurora as she again proved the

vet wrong and she performed every move-

ment of the test without difficulty, even

obtaining a qualifying score for SHNs and

the Region 3 SH Championship Show.

AURORA continued from page 77

Join Us On

*Salinaa), ridden by Popiel’s wife, Dan-

ielle Leader, was a winning eventer, and

Litawor (out of *Lawenda) was a cross-

country and fox-hunting horse in England.

No doubt Tweed would be gratified

to learn that descendants of his breeding

program continue to win at the highest

levels of Arabian competition. In 2008, a

racing colt named Abu Alemarat, who de-

scends from *Orzel++, *Zbrucz, and Skor-

age, became a Triple Crown winner in the

United Arab Emirates. The same year, Zbro-

ja Fata (via *Orzel++ and *Chlosta) won Po-

land’s Criterium Stakes, and in the United

States, MVA Scarlet Orzel+/ (via *Orzel++,

*Zbrucz, *Chlosta, and *Genua) won her

seventh National title in Reining. Also in

2008, the brothers Armanni and Annapo-

lis++// were both named U.S. National Top

Ten Sport Horse Stallions. In 2009, Mukata

Fata (via *Orzel++ and *Chlosta) won the

Polish Oaks. Riverwatch (via *Faraon++),

won the 2011 Tevis Cup, and in 2012, TM

Super Bird (via *Orzel++ and *Chlosta) was

named Darley Older Mare of the Year.

As Tweed noted in 1975, “Our purpose

here at Brusally is clearly defined: first, to

prove that classic beauty, good size, correct

conformation and athletic ability must be

combined to create our idea of the perfect

Arabian; and secondly, to make available

in America a select pure Polish breeding

group to be used by those who feel such a

goal is worth accomplishing.”


http://pinterest.com/thearabiansport/

79June/July 2013

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MOBILE HORSE SUPPLYUnique/Creative •• York, SC www.mobilehorsesupply.com

Bob

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you will not find elsewhere. We also carry a full line of tack and clothing that have been tested and approved by local trainers. Please visit our website and soon-to-be online store. Sue’s work will also be available for sale on-line. We also embroider several of her designs on clothing.We also carry a full line of quality tack and supplies and specialize in the hard-to-find and special order items. If we don’t have it, we will do our best to find or make it!

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http://www.mobilehorsesupply.com


BiomechanicsWorking with the Mind of the Horse

A Series by Lisa May

Forty years ago Mary Wanless set out to

discover what makes riders ‘talented’. Now

with six books, multiple DVDs, and clinics

worldwide, her “Ride With Your Mind”TM

(RWYM) method of coaching explains how

the talented rider’s body shapes the horse’s

athletic use of his body. Her pioneering

work has seeped into that

of many others who refer to

“rider biomechanics”. Wan-

less’ strategies can be un-

derstood most clearly from

the source.

RWYM begins by clari-

fying where the rider’s

body is in space, noticing

the impact on the horse

and taking the next most

accessible step to improve

skills. Wanless’ strategies

of mental awareness and

body control are her “First

Toolkit.” These are the hu-

man skills that underpin

good riding. Different from

other instruction methods,

this is a coaching strategy

that recognizes different

people’s learning styles. In daily life we

rarely experience communication styles

that coach rather than direct. From the

unique starting point of each rider’s body

and mind, RWYM coaching methods make

it possible for us to map the territory we

ourselves have to cross to arrive at good

riding. The method guides people to dis-

cover how to learn independently in col-

laboration with the horse.

The importance of contemporary re-

search on horse behavior and learning is

recognized in RWYM. Wanless calls these

horse-starting and training methods the

“Ground Zero Toolkit.” Senior Coaches

incorporate the work of innovative horse-

men of the past like the Dorrance broth-

ers, as well as contemporaries like horse-

man & Aikido master Mark Rashid, and

Australian equine behaviorists Manuela

and Dr.Andrew McLean. These horsemen

insightfully describe how to communicate

with the horse’s mind. The “Ground Zero

Toolkit” encompasses tools that help hors-

es and humans communicate.

In his wonderful book, The Nature of

Horses, Stephen Budiansky recounts the

fascinating evolution of horses’ involve-

ment with people and debunks myths

about horse intelligence and learning. He

writes, “Only by looking at the environ-

ment and circumstances that an animal

has adapted to through evolution, can

we begin to understand the fundamental

reasons it does what it

does.” A detailed pic-

ture of horses’ highly

evolved behavior is

critical to understand-

ing how to work with

them. That picture

emerges as Budiansky

reviews horse behav-

ioral science including

McLean’s research.

Here are a few

things the research

shows. Horses are

skilled at associating:

they have the abil-

ity to anticipate based

on barely perceptible

cues. As they evolved,

those that were sen-

sitive to smaller and

smaller clues from the environment suc-

ceeded in mastering their environment.

Horses are also skilled at habituation. They

become desensitized to repeated events

that may arouse their fear, but aren’t actu-

ally a danger. As a prey animal the horse

evolved to conserve energy unless needed

for flight. Those able to conserve energy

by distinguishing actual threats from other

stimuli thrived. Those that unnecessarily

81June/July 2013

expended energy were less robust - less

evolutionarily successful.

Association in combination with ha-

bituation makes horses highly teachable.

Our ability to perceive and control very

specific stimuli is more limited than that of

the horse. We are less focused. Our minds

tend to wander or attempt to multi-task.

While we work with a horse our attention

is often diverted to internal thoughts or

external observations. While our minds

are busy we miss the questions horses

pose: May I walk a bit faster while being

led? Can I take a bite of grass? The horse

experiences our lack of response to the

question as permission. After the horse

has interpreted our inaction by walking

ahead of us or stopping to graze we notice

the change, often labeling it disrespect or

disobedience.

When we correct the mistake after the

fact, we create confusion for horses: We

unintentionally agreed to the speed or the

intent to graze when we missed the subtle

questions? Horses struggle to figure out

what part of the subsequent action we did

not want since we did accept the faster

walk and the thought to graze. Riding ex-

amples:

1) The continuous pressure of strong

hands or the nagging pressure of hands

that don’t distinguish clearly between a

desired or an undesired response lead to

habituation.

2) Lower legs that continuously cling,

kick, or don’t release when the horse

makes small changes lead to habituation.

Becoming habituated is becoming desen-

sitized.

Humans tend to perceive a desensi-

tized horse as resistant, hard mouthed or

evasive. Yet, it is our own hand contact or

leg use that has trained / habituated the

horse in a way that we don’t want. When

we get a response we don’t want, we typi-

cally use an even stronger aid or punish

the horse, which furthers the vicious cy-

cle.

Reward and punishment both rein-

force behavior. When horses get punished

for a mistake or when the correct choice

is unclear they become confused. Some

spend more time trying to figure out what

is being asked than attempting a response.

Others nervously run so fast through their

whole repertoire of trained responses that

people say the horse is being evasive.

When fear accompanies a learning experi-

ence, equines hesitate, shutdown or dem-

onstrate what McLean calls “Conflict Be-

haviors”. We often call conflict behaviors

“evasions, disobedience or disrespect”.

Some horse’s flight or conflict behaviors

are subtle: loss of attention, dullness to

aids, “zoning out”. They may express their

confusion with tension, shying, difficulty

with steering or speed. Others panic,

showing that they are overloaded or short-

circuiting through dramatic flight respons-

es like bucking, bolting or rearing.

All organisms need a predictable world.

The less predictable, the more stress they

show. By unintentionally making the envi-

ronment unpredictable, our human incon-

sistency can trigger horses’ flight instincts.

Innovative horsemen and behavioral scien-

tists have found that rewarding the horse’s

approximation of correct responses and

ignoring - rather than punishing - a mis-

take more effectively reaches the equine

brain. As Mark Rashid says, “Reward the

try”, and, “Focus on what you do want. Not

on what you don’t want. Whatever you fo-

cus on you’ll get more of. Focus on what

you want.” Human action makes sense to

horses when it helps them.

All energy expended on behavior is

communication. By understanding what he

is communicating we begin to work with

the horse rather than against him. Strate-

gies for working with rather than against

horses’ natural behaviors can be found in

Mark Rashid’s many books. In a very enter-

taining style, he helps us understand our

world through the mind of the horse, “If we

are only students of technique our knowl-

edge has limits - If we are students of the

horse learning is unlimited”.

The research indicates that while train-

ing methods that claim effectiveness with

all horses may eventually work with most

horses, individualized training that takes

into account a particular horse’s past his-

tory, maturity, intelligence, confidence,

dominance, physical abilities and toler-

ance for physical and mental strain may

be more humane and ultimately more suc-

cessful.

RESOURCES

Budiansky, The Nature of Horses: Exploring

Equine Evolution, Intelligence, & Behavior

Dorrances, True Unity; True Horsemanship

Through Feel

May, “Crossing the Species Divide” Idyl-

wildFarm.com, Articles Section

McLean, The Truth About Horses; Equitation

Science, “Articles” at www.aebc.au.com

Rashid, Horses Never Lie; Horsemanship

Through Life; Whole Heart Whole Horse

As athletes on horseback we can use our

own anatomy to communicate to the horse

a streamlined framework for movement.

Find out more about these strategies for us-

ing the brain to communicate with horses

through behavioral science and biome-

chanics! There’s a wealth of information at

www.Mary-Wanless.com including coaches

worldwide - with five in the USA at www.

RideWithYourMindUSA.com.

Working with Wanless since 1997, Lisa

May is the first US accredited RWYM coach

& a horsemanship student of Mark Rashid

since 2000. Also a Professional Association

of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

instructor, she travels for clinics from her

home in Maryland www.IdylwildFarm.com.


Wherever there is a horse and a

man, there will be a competi-

tion to suit the needs of their

immediate surroundings. Ours is a history

of wars, a history of two sides competing

against each other for supremacy. It is

the nature of man to challenge the power

above him, attack and conquer. It is be-

cause of our nature that we have created

competitions and we have created breeds

of horses to fit these needs.

Where does it all begin? In my last arti-

cle I introduced Xenophon, a Greek Warrior

from 400BC who is credited with leaving

us with the first written word of training

the horse. Not only did he write a series of

manuals which are the foundation of dres-

sage training, but his works also include

the basis for the hunter, jumper, and all

horse sports which include flat out racing

and galloping with no collection or balanc-

ing of the horse on to his hocks, or in other

words “The Dressed” horse. Alongside

Xenophon’s classical balanced seat, from

which the rider can gather his horse, he

does not neglect useful advice concern-

ing the importance of letting the horse

and rider stretch into a more horizontal

balance when galloping across country.

Jumping ditches and riding up and down

hills is also explained with reference to

the varied head carriage as the horse bal-

anced himself.

In my great quest to understand how

dressage can be applied to hunters and

jumpers, I have been exposed to the po-

litical diversities and attitudes which com-

pose a bigger discretion than the tech-

niques of applying common sense training

(e.g. dressage) to train the horse to jump.

There is a long steadfast attitude between

the two forces and I have enjoyed not only

learning the history but also watching the

‘wall crumble” before my eyes in this gen-

eration, and I feel like I have been a small

part of its demise.

TheHunter &Jumper

Wils

on H

ui P

hoto

Federico Caprilli (top) revolutionized the world’s jump-ing style. The study of photographs of a horse in action (by Muybridge, below) offered proof of the benefits of his methods.

83June/July 2013

Anyone who has been exposed to both

worlds can’t help but notice the sarcasm

and long engrained attitudes of both dres-

sage riders and hunter/jumpers towards

each other. Hunters mock dressage rid-

ers and refer to them as DQ’s (Dressage

Queens) while looking down upon

them as fearful cowards who hide

behind the enclosed walls of the

arena to stay safe on the ground.

Correspondingly, the dressage rid-

ers look upon the hunters and jump-

ers from snooty eyes mimicking ar-

istocracy which is the origin of their

passion and devotion, and the base

for the throne upon which they see

themselves sitting.

None of this is new, the split be-

tween the two goes back as far as

history holds records. The Mongolian

warriors travelled in a flat easy can-

ter on the forehand in the manner of

later day hunters, the nomadic tribes

gripped with their knees and leaned

forward with their bodies, which

was the logical start of the forward

seat. From Mongolia and Greece, the

Medieval Period engulfs nearly a

thousand years until we arrive in the

nineteenth century to find the cur-

rent situation of today’s two raging

worlds of competitions as a continu-

ation from 400 B.C.

War tactics changed with the

Renaissance Period and the need for

a smaller swifter more agile horse

necessitated the re birth of the Ibe-

rian horse and the development

of the Thoroughbred. As cavalry

schools sprung up across Europe,

they continued training and improv-

ing the breeding of horses. And as

is always the case, exhibitions and

competitions became a popular way

to entertain the royalty along with

the public during non war time as a

way to demonstrate the best trainers and

armies in the time.

Historical events facilitate change,

jumping horses is only around 200 years

old in the history of man’s partnership with

the horse. The development of the middle

class in England and the private ownership

of land resulting in the erection of fences,

walls, hedges and ditches led to excellent

hunting obstacles. Prior to this period, the

only jumps known had been the leaps and

airs of the High School. It was with the ev-

With the Thoroughbred came a com-

plete change of riding style, former prin-

ciples of balance, collection and control

were happily abandoned by the majority,

and seen as counterproductive to goals of

speed and freedom. Now all that mattered

was the propagation of an aestheti-

cally beautiful horse with fine limbs,

a delicate head, sensitive and excit-

ing to ride at great speed with stam-

ina. English nobility and commoner

alike were able to enjoy their own hot

blood, priding themselves on a lack

of formal riding style, with their own

daring and the natural ability of their

excellent horses, they were able to

chase at breakneck speed over every

manner of obstacle in the country.

It was England that led the way

by abandoning Academic study which

was based on principles of balance,

collection and control for the sake

of speed and freedom. Although the

British led the way because of hunt-

ing, it was the advent of show jumping

at the turn of the twentieth century

that gave rise to the development of

the sport which not only abandoned

classical dressage, but was the cause

for the separation and disparagement

between the two worlds.

Frederico Caprilli, an Italian cav-

alry officer, (born 1886) studied the

mechanics of the horse over jumps

and thanks to the invention of the

camera, was the innovator of the

forward seat, a radical change which

revolutionized the world of jumping.

Caprilli was diametrically opposed to

dressage, proclaiming one excludes

and destroys the other. His methods

were happily adopted throughout the

jumping world, requiring no literary

study or social standing, traditional

background or special premises.

Two influential men brought the

Caprilli system to America. They were

Col Harry D. Chamberlin and Vladimir Lit-

tauer. Chamberlin received a portion of his

background at Saumur, but abandoned all

olution of the English Thoroughbred pro-

duced from the three foundation Arabian

sires; The Darley Arabian, Godolphin Barb

and Byerley Turk that the racing and hunt-

ing world would completely revolutionize

the world of riding across Europe and into

America. continued on next page


forms of collection in favor of the Italian

method after having studied in Italy. His

reasons being, the forward seat method

was easier to teach to the great numbers

of cavalry officers and the meth-

ods of high school dressage

weren’t necessary.

Chamberlin was a brilliant

jumper and won a silver medal

in Show jumping at the Los

Angeles Olympics in 1932. He

went on to become the most

sought after teacher at Fort Ri-

ley Calvary School and was very

influential in the propagation

of the forward seat and dispar-

agement of collection and any

high school movements which

require the horse to engage and

bring the hocks under. He en-

couraged the development of

the low sweeping stride close to

the ground, the standard for today’s mod-

ern hunter, discouraging any flexing of the

hocks, bending the knee or lowering of

the croup which would be the result of a

horse having been trained with dressage

methods. Chamberlin’s intent was to

separate the two disciplines and to

insist that the techniques of one were

not applicable for the other.

Vladimir Littauer, a Russian cavalry

officer and refugee, is highly credited

with the innovation of the Caprilli sys-

tem in the United States. He helped es-

tablish a riding school in New York City,

Boots and Saddles, where forward rid-

ing took its hold and prospered across

the East Coast.

Littauer is recognized today as one

of the most influential teachers, lec-

turers and equestrian authors in the

country, his influence extending through

many competitive riders and Olympic

gold Medalists. Littauer’s background, like

Chamberlin’s, included a formal education

in high school dressage, which he aban-

doned for the forward system designed

to make riding easy and natural, yet he

retained a respect and admiration for the

skills required of the former.

I consider myself very lucky to have

trained with a Ukrainian Cavalry Officer,

Mykola (Nick) Pawlenko, who immigrated

to the United States in 1950 after the Sec-

ond World War. He was trained in the tra-

ditional military way and fought in World

War II on horseback. His father, Ivan, was

a pupil of James Fillis, one of the most

influential dressage trainers of the cen-

tury from St Petersburg Cavalry School; he

graduated from Pinerola Italy and Saumur

France cavalry Schools as well. Mykola’s

first love was jumping even though he had

been brought up on the best trained dres-

sage horses available, he would tell me “I

never got a wrong feel, but I still had to

pay my dues!”

When he moved to the United States

after the war, he ended up in the Chi-

cago area where he was first involved in

the jumper world, when his

children became interested

in dressage; he converted

his best moving jumpers to

dressage and was instrumen-

tal in starting dressage in the

Chicago area. All his jumpers

had a dressage foundation

which is why they were so

easily converted.

I trained with Mykola

for nearly a decade, he was

a master horseman for not

only dressage and jumping,

but work in hand, lunging,

long lining and driving. My

insatiable thirst for knowl-

edge was the spark for our

student-master relationship. I never tired

of watching him supple his jumpers and

use gymnastic training techniques to

strengthen and teach his horse agility and

balance in jumping. He also taught me how

to free jump horses to retrain them

from bad habits or form over jumps.

He was highly educated in the his-

tory and theory of training horses and

the methods of all the great masters,

retaining many of his methods from

the German system. He understood

how to apply dressage methods to

each horse according to the conforma-

tion and character of the individual ani-

mal. Upon settling in the United States,

he fell in love with the thoroughbred

horse although he was one of the first

people to import warmbloods in the

1960’s. I spent years totally engulfed

in learning the art of training horses with

a foundation of dressage methods, since

then I have continued using my education

to apply it to all the horses and varied dis-

ciplines I have participated in.

When the hunter/jumper world first

starting recognizing the value of dressage

training, they couldn’t bring themselves to

About Sue

DRESSAGE continued from page 83

Col. Harry D. Chamberlin

Vladimir Littauer

85June/July 2013

use the term “dressage” so the word “flat”

became a standardized vocabulary word.

I spent many hour “ flatting” hunters and

jumpers early in my career. I took a job

in a sale barn with the intent to learn the

hunter world, and to my surprise, all the

horses I regularly schooled were the ones

that sold. The hunter trainer noticed the

pattern and a year after I had moved on,

contacted me to thank me for showing him

the value of flat work, which he incorpo-

rated into his training regime.

Although hunters are allowed to com-

pete on the forehand, I discovered that

by combining the methods of dressage

to strengthen the loins through collec-

tion, the horse could perform with more

strength and agility when returning to the

forehand. It was in the 90’s that I started

importing warmbloods from Europe and

I soon discovered there was a market for

a horse which had a dressage foundation

that could also jump. All horses in Europe

are started in jumping before specializing,

and since there are no hunters in Europe,

I brought over many talented dressage

horses which were easily converted to the

hunter rings.

As the hunter world discovered this

untapped market, the style of hunter has

gradually changed in the U.S. and today

you see mostly warmblood horses with

solid dressage training sweeping the hunt-

er and jumper championships across the

country. As I said earlier in this article, I

feel I had a small part of the “wall” crum-

bling. I doubt there will ever be a complete

unity between the two arenas, but they

are blending together today due to the

understanding of balance and apprecia-

tion in the eye of the beholder for a well

trained, obedient, and adjustable horse

that follows the arc of the line of travel

and can be ridden with ease and grace.

Today, dressage methods have infiltrated

the hunter and jumper arenas and even

though the long held attitudes between

the two forces remains intact due to hu-

man nature, the horse tells the truth as the

performances are being awarded by the

best trained horses with suppleness and

agility, a testimony to the training.

To sum it up; Dressage for hunters and

jumpers when stated in simple terms is

“training” relative to the need.

Sue Kolstad is an S rated Dressage Judge, a recipient of all three USDF medals, Bronze, Silver and Gold. She has been active in Dressage for over 30 years. Her resume in-cludes a teaching degree in education, Rid-ing Instructor Certification from UW River Falls Wi., Vi Hopkins Symposium for Riding Instructors, participation in all educational potions of the USDF Instructor Certification program.

Sue has trained and competed many horses through FEI levels including three at Grand Prix. Her background includes train-ing extensively with a European Master for several years as well as continuing to train and clinic as often as possible with top cli-nicians and respected professionals both in the US and abroad. She is an avid reader and student of the history of dressage.

Her love for the horse has led her in many directions and she has enjoyed horses

in multiple disciplines into which she has incorporated her background of dressage. Sue has evented through prelim, competed in combined driving, hunters, jumpers, en-durance races, as well as showing sport horses, including stallion presentations. She has imported many horses from Europe which have gone on to produce champions in the US. Many of her students have won medals and championships through all the levels up to GP. Sue is devoted to education and the classical development of the sport of Dressage, which consumes her life. Not many people can say, “I love what I do and I do what I love!”

About Sue

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Back to Basics SeriesShow Ring Etiquette

With show season upon us

and in full swing, both

schooling and show ring

etiquette is very important. In order to

keep us all safer. Over the last 10 years, as

I have traveled the country showing, I have

noticed a marked decline in basic safety

and etiquette, especially in the school-

ing ring, which resulted in some unneces-

sary accidents. When showing, we want to

show our horses to their full potential, but

we need to remember that we share the

schooling and show ring with others.

First and foremost is safety. Over the

years, many unspoken rules of the ring

have been passed down, and we all need

to remember and respect them for every-

one’s well being. Remember that you do

not know the other horses in the ring; the

horse could be green and inexperienced,

nervous, an aggressive horse that kicks,

a stallion, etc., so following some simple

rules of etiquette I am going to discuss will

help keep everyone out of harm’s way.

When hacking a horse to warm it up

along the rail in the schooling ring, there

will be other horses and some will be

traveling in the opposite direction. When

a horse is coming towards you, remember

that it is like driving a car. Pass left shoul-

der to left shoulder, so if you are traveling

to the left you have the rail and the horse

traveling to the right is on the inside. Be

sure to give plenty of space between you

and the other person, for the safety of both

the horses and riders. The rule of thumb is

to leave enough room that another horse

could fit in the space.

The rider on the inside is responsible

for the space since the rider on the outside

has the rail preventing them from moving

farther over. There will be times during

schooling that the basic left shoulder to

left shoulder rule is not ideal for what you

are doing with your horse. In these cases

you can yell out to the other person “In-

side!” for the inside track or “Outside!” for

the rail. Just remember to give enough

time so that the other rider can safely re-

spond to your request

When it comes to passing another

horse/rider who is moving slower than

you and in the same direction, in either the

schooling or show ring, be considerate!

Pass with enough space between you and

them, again leaving a space at least equal

to another horse. Before moving back

over to the rail, glance over your shoulder

to make sure that there is enough room.

About two horse lengths would be my sug-

gestion.

I cannot stress how important this is,

especially if you are riding a mare passing

a stallion. On multiple occasions I have had

a mare pass me while I was riding a stallion

and the rider moved over too soon, plac-

ing the mare’s hind end directly in front of

the stallion’s nose. This made the stallion

very excited and I had to wrestle to rein in

and to regain complete control. However,

there have been many sad cases, through-

out the nation and in all disciplines, where

the stallion’s rider couldn’t regain control

of the stallion and in which the stallion

injured or killed the mare’s rider as he

mounted the mare. These incidents, along

with others involving another rider “cut-

ting off” someone in the ring, have lead

to senseless accidents which could have

easily been avoided by following simple

riding etiquette.

When jumping in the schooling ring,

remember to be aware of others. The

same goes for those hacking while riders

are jumping their horses. Do not cut or cir-

cle in front of a jump while a horse is ap-

proaching it. This can cause a horrible col-

lision. If you are approaching a jump it is a

good idea to “call your jump.” For example,

if there is a vertical and an oxer present,

then yell out the jump you intend to jump.

Yell “Vertical!” or “Oxer!” as you are about

to turn to approach the said jump in order

to make the other riders aware where you

are going.

Another helpful tool in the ring or

anywhere on the show grounds, is yell-

ing “Heads up!” This is a very useful tool

in countless situations. For example, if

someone is about to cross in front of a

jump (either another rider or a grounds

person) then yell “Heads up!” to get their

by Ashley Wren

Hop

e C

arlin

Pho

to

87June/July 2013

attention to prevent a potentially bad

situation. “Heads up!” can be used when

there is a loose horse, when someone is

not paying attention and about to cause a

collision, etc. Please remember that if you

hear it, to make yourself aware of the situ-

ation and respond quickly.

Another great tool, and one which al-

lows others to know information about

your horse, is a colored ribbon in the tail.

This tradition is one that has been slowly

fading, but it is one I strongly encourage

and which I hope to see become more com-

mon again. There are four different colors

of ribbons used, each of which has its own

specific meaning to convey to others at

the show. Red is a very important color. It

represents a horse that is more prone to

aggressive actions towards other horses.

Most commonly it denotes one that is

known to kick at other horses but, on rare

occasions, it can also include a biter.

Another very important ribbon is a blue

ribbon. This means the horse is a stallion,

so if you are riding a mare, please be very

aware of horses with a blue ribbon for rea-

sons like the one I described earlier in the

article. Green is a ribbon denoting a horse

that is a young and inexperienced, easy to

remember because the green color corre-

lates to green horse. The last color that is

used in ribbons is white, showing that the

horse is for sale.

Using cell phones to either talk or text

while in the schooling ring is something

we all are probably guilty of, but it is still

very dangerous. Cell phones distract us

from both our own horse and others in the

ring, and could keep us from responding

quickly in a bad situation. Another danger-

ous practice is lunging in the school ring,

and it shouldn’t be done if there are riders

jumping. If there is no other area to safely

lunge your horse and people are just hack-

ing, be aware of your whip. Do not crack

your whip as someone is riding near you

as it could easily spook the other horse

and cause an accident.

The schooling and show ring rules

of etiquette, along with simple common

sense, are important in keeping everyone

safe. Shows are meant to be fun and safe-

ty is a key to having a good, fun show for

you and everyone else. If everyone were

to follow these simple rules of etiquette, it

would allow you to more efficiently warm,

school, and show your horse.

Have a great and safe show season this

year and for many years to come.

Ashley began riding at age 2 and show-ing on the national circuit at age 6 on the east coast. During her junior career she had the opportunity to work with some of the Southeast best hunter jumper trainers. Dur-ing college Ashley competed in IHSA and also coached various teams, was Regional Cacchione reserve champion 3 times, mul-tiple zone and national placings, and 2006 National Sportsman Rider of the Year.

Ashley became a professional in 2008, she owns and trains at Rimrock Equestrian Center a 160 acre 54 stall facility in Billings, MT. Since becoming a professional trainer, she is a certified equine appraiser, certified hunt seat and jumper trainer, a Montana Hunter Jumper Association board member, and USEF “L” judge. Ashley’s specialty is starting and training hunter jumpers, and

also likes working with difficult horses.Ashley holds many state, zone, and na-

tional rankings throughout her amateur and professional career. She also has trained successfully junior and adult riders, and has had students accepted in the USHJA EAP program. Ashley is also a Voltaire Design rider, Kerrits ambassador, and has various other sponsors.

About Ashley

T he name Titanium comes from Greek mythology, ac-cording to which the Titans

were sons of the Sky and the Earth, forced to live hidden underground among flames.

Titanium was discovered in Great Britain in 1791 by William Gregor. The specific characteristics of this metal are: strength, lightness, resistance to pitting, biocompatibility, nonmag-netic and very low heat conduction. Titanium is chemically extracted from ilmenite and rutilio, that are present in the earth crust. Titanium is the only metal among 11,000 alloys and non-alloys known thus far to be completely biocompatible with the human body.

Titanium is, by nature, covered by a layer of dioxide which destroys bac-teria with great power, (not only sta-phylococcus, but also streptococcus, bacillus anthracis, legionella bacteria and so on) it’s effective against high polluting agents in the atmosphere (nitrogen dioxide, benzene, sulphur oxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and certain fine particles).

Furthermore, it is a very low heat conductor and therefore it always

keeps a pleasant temperature to the touch. Being nonmagnetic, it creates a high protection net against the earth’s magnetic fields responsible for much dysfunctional behaviour both in hu-mans and, even more so, in animals.BENEFITS

It’s resistance to acid based ele-ments in the horse’s mouth make for the bits extreme biocompatibility. Coupled with it’s lightness (the steel version weighs double) a bit in tita-nium is a valid alternative to the many bits on the market.

As a number of tests have shown, once the bit is inserted inside the horses mouth, an abundant amount of saliva is produced with relaxation of the neck muscles while also reducing TMJ.HAND TOOLED

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All this, together with a long craft

of tradition makes every bit a unique masterpiece.SELECTING YOUR BIT

Horses have different shaped mouths, which can include a high or low palate, thick tongue or lips. As a horse grazes it pushes the grass up into the palate with the tongue, then moves it to the back molars for the grinding action.

When we place a bit in the mouth we should understand that the tongue would like to be able to move the bit somewhat. A Loose ring style allows the mouthpiece to move up or down on the ring, and the tongue. A fixed mouthpiece may float or lightly rest on the tongue or may be positioned higher in the mouth thereby creating the nutcracker action which is very uncomfortable.

A horse will open his mouth to get away from the bit hitting the roof of his mouth. There are many shapes of mouthpieces, the single link, the loz-enge three piece - which lays flatter and an anatomical shape to name a few. It’s important to pay attention to your horse and what he seems most happy with.


Lorenzini Titanium Bits

High tech and your horse’s mouth

89June/July 2013

The first step is to measure the mouth correctly for your new bit. Measure the width of the mouth either with a bit you have or a bit measurer. Secondly, examine the inside of your horses mouth. Does he have a fleshy tongue, thick lips and is his dental work up to date? Mouth peices come in varying thicknesses, 14mm, 16mm, 18mm, 21mm. Most horses are quite comfortable with the 18mm. If your horse doesn’t have much room in the mouth then a 16mm may suit him bet-ter.

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It lays softly on the tongue and bars. In our tests the Arabians seem most responsive to the taste and even

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The endurance riders have em-braced Titanium for it’s low heat con-duction. It remains the same tempera-ture in the mouth and does not heat up during a long ride. The increased amounts of electrolytes given to the competition horses may be reacting with certain alloys in the mouth caus-ing the corners to burn, which are grounds for elimination. Not so with Titanium.

There are many styles and sizes covering every discipline.

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disobedience, or elder authority.

Not from a rude, or otherwise aggressive

horse.

A trainer must also know when to step

in at the right moment when handling the

horse. In order for the horse to understand

what’s required during a training session,

a handler must act immediately and in a

timely fashion. For example, when intro-

duced to the bridle or halter, it is best if

the horse does not pull away from the

handler in avoidance of the bit or strap.

This could turn into a very tough habit to

break, both now and in the future, with ac-

ceptance of the bridle/halter and/or bit.

Think slow and methodical, rather than

quick and abrupt.

Discover your horse’s physical and

IN HAND continued from page 59 psychological capabilities. Some would

conclude that a yearling not be lunged for

more than 10 minutes. Reason being: he or

she is unbalanced (create improper mus-

cular development), could damage growth

plates, and/or joints are not developed cor-

rectly. A two year old might have excellent

balance, straight legs, and/or solid feet; but

could be mentally unprepared for a bridle.

Its possible that a 16 hand three year old

have a great temperament, but have issues

working through building muscle from its

size and awkwardness. By understanding

your horse, you can develop a program

that will enhance his or hers strengths, by

avoiding his or her weaknesses.

A horse’s purpose in life is to seek

safety and to feel comfortable in its sur-

roundings. As a trainer, your goal is to in-

still safety for both the handler and the

horse, by implementing relaxation through

leadership and trust. Young horse’s are in

a constant state of changing balance, both

physically and psychologically. It is up to

you to be witness to the developing stages

of your horse, and adapt a program that in-

fluences positive results.

Michael Brown has been handling

young horses and stallions, and building

trust and confidence from the ground up

for many years. With well established

ground work horses become easier and

safer to handle, and are able to be shown

to their full potential. Michael is currently

working towards his DSHB “r” Judges Li-

cense through USEF.

About Dawn

your long term program. I had to make a

very hard decision some years ago. I had

the national champion stallion, Count Bazy

++, … and I had his three-quarters brother,

AM Count Rafla, who never won a halter

class in his life. But he was a tremendous

athlete. … I sold the national champion

and kept AM Count Rafla. That was not a

mistake, but one of the times when I was

right. AM Count Rafla was a better breed-

ing horse. He was an ingredient not an end

product. Count Bazy was not very success-

ful in the stud --he was an end product.”

[pg 129] Mrs. T. understood that planning,

testing, making adjustments from lessons

learned, and aiming for improvement in

each generation was essential to devel-

oping a solid breeding program. A wealth

of insights and lessons –“arrows for your

quiver” can be found in And Ride Away

Singing: the Breeding Philosophy of Bazy

Tankersley and the History of Al-Marah Ara-

bians by Mary Jane Parkinson as well as in

A Field of Arabians.

The Arabian was once renowned both

as an exemplary riding horse and as an im-

prover of other breeds. Many of us in the

Arabian sport horse community believe

that many Arabians still possesses these

qualities. Lady Wentworth’s lifelong study

GOALS cont’d from page 63

Dawn has been interested in the sport disciplines since the late 1980’s. She rode on the IHSA team in hunter equita-tion on the flat in college, has dab-bled in low level

eventing, and then fell in love with riding according to classical dressage principals. In 1998, Dawn sold her talented young Warmblood and bought her first Arabian after discovering the athleticism and de-lightful temperaments of the Arabian horse. After studying the history of the Arabian in the sport horse world, Dawn started Faerie Court Farm on 40 acres in Addison County Vermont where she is breeding and raising Arabian sport horses from CMK bloodlines with the help of her husband, Thom, who is perhaps the best horse husband in the world.

of and dedication to the Arabian breed in

the early to mid-twentieth century helped

to fuel worldwide interest in the breed.

(She can certainly be credited with a “full

quiver”!)

In The Authentic Arabian Horse she ob-

serves, “Arabians are pre-eminently riding

horses and they have all the attributes that

make riding a delightful thing. An Arabian is

more than a mere horse: he soon becomes

as great a friend and companion as a dog,

and his beautiful action and kind temper

and his great intelligence make him a valu-

able asset to the stable.” [pg 269] and “The

Arabian will, we hope, always remain the

great regenerator of every breed under

the sun, to be called in when others fail,

to improve all qualities in all breeds, ex-

cept speed in the Thoroughbred.” [pg 267]

To what degree these assertions remain

true must be tested and proven, but that

should not deter individuals who are truly

committed to exploring and cultivating

the potential of the Arabian in the sport

horse realm.

This is an exciting time for the Arabian

sport horse community. Opportunities

exist to strengthen and expand interest

in and involvement with the Arabian as a

sport horse and in sport horse breeding.

By setting ambitious goals --tempered

by knowledge and experience-- and mak-

ing choices focused on achieving those

goals –with necessary corrections along

the way-- riders, trainers, and breeders of

Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, and part-Arabian

sport horses can help reveal the wonder-

ful qualities of the Arabian to the wider

sport horse world.

of Illinois Veterinary Team, especially Dr.

Ralph Hamor and Dr. Amber Labelle, and

Dr. Thomas Monfort.

91June/July 2013

home.

This episode was the first time since

Reggie’s hock injury that I had not consist-

ently ridden him. Not only was I worried

about his eye and what the future held for

that issue, but also how he would move

once he was able to be ridden again. I

was pleasantly surprised by how great he

moved from the start - it felt as though we

had not lost those couple of months under

another laser treatment on his eye since

the fall of 2011, however, we continue to

monitor the growth and return to the Uni-

versity of Illinois for checkups.

When Dr. Labelle at the University of

Illinois first met Reggie, it inspired her to

start a research project on equine melano-

ma. She has several horses participating

in the study and presented her findings at

an international veterinary conference in

Scotland in June of 2012.

As a direct result of meeting Katie

and Reggie, I began a study of intraocular

melanomas in horses. I initially contacted

members of the International Equine Oph-

thalmology Consortium (www.horseeyes.

com) about cases of intraocular melanoma

that these member veterinarians have seen

in their careers. This study has spanned the

Atlantic Ocean and now includes over 50

horses from 5 different countries. I collect-

ed information about the horses’ breed, age

and sex in addition to information about the

appearance of their intraocular melanoma

and any skin melanomas. If the eye had

been surgically removed as a result of the

melanoma, we also looked at the removed

eye tissue to analyze the pattern and fea-

tures of the melanoma. At this time we are

still collecting cases, but our preliminary re-

sults have been very interesting.

The average age of horses affected with

melanoma in this study was 12 years, and

25% of the horses were Arabians. A whop-

ping 85% were grey, although cremello,

chestnut and bay coat colors were also ob-

served. Not all horses had a complete physi-

cal examination by the ophthalmologist at

the time they were diagnosed with intraocu-

lar melanoma, but of the horses for whom

physical examinations were recorded, 67%

had evidence of skin melanoma.

We are still collecting and analyzing

information and thus no final conclusions

have been made, but we are looking forward

to sharing this information with the veteri-

nary community in 2013. My hope is that

this information will spur further studies

about the causes of intraocular melanoma

and the development of effective treatments.

Katie and Reggie have been the source of

inspiration for this research, and I hope to

honor their bond by bringing new informa-

tion about intraocular melanoma to light.

REGGIE continued from page 61

MELANOMA continued from page 61

saddle.

In the 2012 show season, we won the

Region XI Training Level ATR class and re-

ceived Top Five in Training Level AAOTR.

We received our highest score to date of

76.07% all helping Reggie earn his Legion

of Excellence. For the first time in Reggie’s

career, we placed first in the USDF All-

Breeds Year-End Awards for both purebred

Training Level Open and Training Level

Adult Amateur. We also ranked eighth in

the USDF Adult Amateur Year-End Award

for Training Level! My little gray Arab, who

had overcome so much, who I was told

would never be more than a children’s’

pony, was ranked nationally with the big

boys!

Reggie has not had maintenance in-

jections in his hock since January 2010.

I have him on a joint supplement, he has

corrective shoeing and every day, he con-

tinues to move better. Reggie has not had

I will continue to never give up on my

Regalo, or “gift”. Reggie has blessed my

life in more ways than I ever could have

imagined. He taught me how uncondi-

tional love can be. He taught me perse-

verance. He taught me to never give up

on my dreams. He taught me to never give

up on those I love. He reminded me that

miracles do happen.

Every day, I am thankful for Reggie be-

ing in my life. I am reminded of that as Reg-

gie just had his fifteenth birthday. I never

take any moment with him for granted. I

know we will face many more challenges

in the future, but that is ok. We will get

through them together and I will always

fight for him.

**Special thanks to all of those who love

and care for Reggie including Dr. John

O’Keefe and Dr. Rachel Boyce of Heartland

Equine Health Center, LLC, the University

War

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93June/July 2013

value to the purchaser. I assume they

were shown on the line to begin with in

the hope of selling them. Therefore, that

cost falls under the category of market-

ing expenses and not training. I think that

competitors in the various sport horse

disciplines would be much more open to

considering a horse with “show” horse

experience if the asking price had some

correlation to the horse’s ability AND they

could figure out from the advertising if the

horse was remotely capable of performing

the task required. Every time I encounter

the term “well bred” I think, “well bred for

what?”

Our girl came fairly quiet under saddle,

with a few random holes in her education,

and some amount of emotional baggage.

I like mares and I choose to think I under-

stand them, so I felt comfortable that any

of those issues could be resolved amica-

bly. Early on we realized that her previous

rider had used force. Our girl prefers to be

asked rather than told. Like many mares

she hates to be nagged by your leg. I can

say with some certainty that she was like-

ly hobbled to produce an unnatural gait.

Hobbling makes a horse unsure of where

to put their feet and is something that only

miles and miles at the walk can undo. She

came to the right place for that.

It has been a very long time since ei-

ther Will or I had gone in search of a riding

horse. It made us appreciate the buyers

that do arrive at our barn door. The whole

search process was a good reminder of

how buyers consider a horse for sale. Usu-

ally, I go shopping in my own back yard.

It was educational, to say the least, to be

on the other side. We are happy with our

little girl. It took us only a month or so to

find her. Yet another six months to decide

to make her ours and we could not be

more sure that we made the right choice.

After all, according to Willis, there is noth-

ing better than an Arab mare for riding the

wind.

LIFE continued from page 43

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if you can gallop. Galloping will lengthen

the muscles, help your mare really get in

front of your leg and it encourages them

to be forward. Trail riding also allows you

to add some hill work, which is very good

for building muscle and strengthens their

hind ends. I like to mix things up on the

trail with bending and transitions. I find

that if I get my mare out once or twice a

week she has a better mind set for work-

ing. I’ve also seen big improvements in

her walk and canter work.

I want to take this time to really ad-

dress the walk. As I mentioned before,

this is where most Arabians will fall short

in their scores. Spend a lot of time hand

walking. Walk with a purpose having your

mare stay right with you, lengthen your

stride to get your mare to lengthen hers.

Do not walk quicker, just walk with a big-

ger stride, your mare will learn to stay with

you and follow your lead. When hand

walking I like to do some little exercises

that mix it up a bit. “Whoa/Go” is fun to do

at the walk and teaches your mare to not

only pay attention, but helps her engage

her hindquarters.

While walking, half halt before you

halt. Then back to walk. Repeating this a

few times will get your mare under herself

for a better length of stride in her walk. If

you’re riding, bending and counter bend-

ing on a circle at the walk allowing the

horse to stretch into a free walk frame is a

great way to stretch as a warm up and cool

down exercise. This also allows your mare

to step bigger in a relaxed frame, which re-

ally helps for a better walk in hand.

Next, I’d like to point out key factors to

getting good scores in your gaits is free-

dom through the shoulder, relaxation and

impulsion. Ground poles and cavalettis

will help stretch out the shoulders and

teach them to really reach and have a bet-

ter range of motion. Under saddle you can

add some simple exercises to your warm

up and cool down that will really help free

up the shoulder. Again, while walking on a

big circle in a long and low relaxed frame,

start moving your horse’s shoulder. Push

the shoulder in on the circle maintaining

contact, then push the shoulder out on the

circle. Fall in, fall out.

As you do this allow your horse to

stretch through the contact into a free walk

frame. Some instantly take the stretch and

allow you to move the shoulders in and

out easily, others you will have to be pa-

tient and keep asking. Once they get it,

this will be a very easy exercise and will

fit perfectly into your everyday routine.

By loosening up the shoulders before you

begin working, you will see more range of

motion and better use of the shoulder -

benefiting everything you do in sport.

I’d like to end this with a little pep talk.

I truly encourage all Arabian sport horse

breeders to attend and participate in a

warmblood inspection. Following these

exercises will increase your chances of

getting good scores and being accepted

into the registry you choose. The judges

will appreciate a well conditioned and

well groomed mare that is well prepared

for their process of selecting outside

breeding mares into their registry’s breed-

ing books.

Go with confidence and have an open

mind. I have found that many judges, even

if Arabians are not their cup of tea, will

really give an honest evaluation of your

mare. They will approve the good ones.

Most important thing to remember, they

are not looking at pedigrees and they are

not looking for the perfect Arabian. They

are looking for Arabians with correct con-

formation and good gaits to help create

top of the line riding horses. With this

in mind, go and enjoy the education and

process that comes with participating in an

inspection.


INSPECTIONS continued from page 25

95June/July 2013

treatment once.

An Unlikely Champion

Throughout Khajun’s regimen, I felt

like I owed him a couple of concessions.

First, since his ‘retirement,’ he had become

an outside horse. He liked it this way, and

I allowed him to continue to live outside

in his field throughout the show season.

The only time he got stalled

was when we went to shows

during those six months. In

hindsight, this was beneficial.

He didn’t ever get stocked up

in the legs and he maintained

good respiratory health that

he often didn’t have in earlier

years where barn dust aggra-

vated his breathing giving him

bouts with heaves. Secondly,

when I initially turned him out

to pasture, I cut off his long

tail to his fetlocks and told

him he’d never have to have

his tail wrapped again. I kept

that promise. His beautiful

flaxen tail was just as lovely,

and looked more legitimately

like a sport horse’s tail prob-

ably ought to look, which is

an important consideration

since us sport horse exhibi-

tors show to open judges.

Come show season,

Khajun exceeded my expec-

tations. He had transformed

from an old, fat, hairy stiff retiree, to a

sleek, conditioned, muscled and bouncy

show horse whose enduring willingness

so typical of an Arabian inspired me. At the

Region 5 Championships he was Champion

Arabian Sport Horse Under Saddle ATR (16

entries), Reserve Champion A/HA/AA Dres-

sage First Level ATR (11 entries), Reserve

Champion in Hunt Seat Equitation ATR (7

entries), and earned Top 5’s in A/HA/AA

Dressage Training Level ATR (3rd overall

with 15 entries), and Arabian Sport Horse

Under Saddle Open (4th overall out of 17).

If there were any doubts before about his

competitiveness, they were gone now!

Prior to leaving for Idaho, I went to a du-

al-judged Region 4 and 5 show to tune up

and confirm my horse had enough stamina

to compete in multiple classes and cuts. I

was excited because one of the dressage

judges was also a Nationals judge. There

I competed in Sport Horse In-Hand, Under

Saddle, Dressage Training and First Lev-

els, and Hunt Seat Equitation Not to Jump

and took home 12 firsts, 3 seconds and

a third. Additionally, Khajun and I earned

a 71.61% and a whopping 74.8% in our

dressage tests - with the nationals judge!

Needless to say, I was believing our cross-

training and hard work were paying off!

In September, I drove nine and a half

hours to Nampa, Idaho. My husband and

daughter came along for the ride in our

¾ ton truck and two-horse trailer. As I

parked it alongside the mile-long row of

semi-trucks and mega trailers, I could have

easily been beaten mentally before even

stepping hoof in the ring. But I thought of

the last six months, how hard we worked

and how no stone was left unturned in

Khajun’s conditioning and joint comfort

program. I believed that after all these

years, I was bringing the best version of

Khajun to Nationals: a horse with the con-

fidence that comes with age, possessing

the correct training, and enough fitness to

get through the week.

Khajun certainly delivered: Reserve

National Champion in Dressage

Training Level AAOTR (20 en-

tries); Top Ten (3rd overall out

of 22) Dressage Training Level

ATR; Top Ten (3rd overall out of

10) Hunt Seat Equitation Not to

Jump ATR; Top Ten (17 entries)

Dressage First Level AAOTR; and

Top Ten Dressage First Level ATR

(15 entries).

The cross-training condition-

ing program that I used turned

my diamond-in-the-rough into a

shining super star while keeping

him sound and taking the mo-

notony out of his work by add-

ing variety. Although it wasn’t

my plan to take my old gelding

to the 2012 Arabian Sport Horse

Nationals, in the end, it felt like

it was meant to be. There will be

another opportunity for Annie

and me in 2014, and believe me,

I‘ll be ready.

BACK TO WORK cont’d from page 57


SISTERS continued from page 65 explained to me the management of a

Kenney Garde 2B mares; I had realistic ex-

pectations and gave the okay to proceed.

Dr. Stanford bred the mare 5.5 hours post

ovulation with frozen semen; she ovulated

3 follicles, so utrasounding for twins at

day 14 was mandatory. Found twins and

one was pinched off and placed mare on

Regumate – hoping she would hold onto

the foal. For 11 very long months, under

Dr. Stanford’s care directives, guidance

and office visits, we successfully managed

the mare at home to term.

On April 29, 2013 Virag delivered at

Woodside Equine a healthy, vibrant bay

filly by Piaff! Yet to be named, as we are

holding out for a very special name, as she

is truly a miracle baby for Virag and Show-

biz Farm.This article is dedicated to Bill and Sarah Dol-

inger, Woodside Equine-Dr. Stanford and Dr. Ham-mond; Cabin Point Equine-Dr. Cupp, Dr. Janey, Dr. Hillyer; Janow Podlaski Stud; Piaff Partners; The Galluns; Kelly Rodriguez; Bruce and Cindy Car-penter; Susan and Temple Robinson; Karen Mar-tin; Andrea and Matt Bulifant; Robert and Denise Gainey; Judy Getter; Donald and Angie Williby; John and Sharon Turnbull; Gene Sober; Dana Donahue; Cathy Davis;The Garlands; Greg Peak; Rob Simpson; Beth Conti; Gretchen McCormick; Shelly Ellsworth Brown; Kara Hite; Janet Bellows; Kathy St. Martin; Dr. William Ley; Bill Payne; Mar-gret Gafford; Arabian Horse Community, RPSI, friends and family, without your support, suc-cesses of Countess of Piaff and our new 2013 filly may not have happened.

When you see the filly out at the shows or come to the farm for a visit, please take your pic-ture with her and know YOU were part of her his-tory in the making.

from horse shopping knowing that “the

heart wants what it wants” and sought af-

ter Piaff again.

Dreams and accomplishments can

never happen by saying “I cannot, it is

impossible or I give up,”negative actions

never get positive results.

During spring 2012, I was very fortu-

nate and blessed to purchase a breeding to

Piaff; excitement and anticipation of own-

ing another Piaff x Virag offspring began

again. I knew breeding Virag at 14 years

old may hold some challenges and had a

uterine culture test performed. Lab results

concluded the mare was rated as a “Ken-

ney Garde 2B,” not for the faint of heart

because mares statistically only have a 10

to 50 percent chance of conceiving and

caring a foal to term.

What to do now? There is nothing in

the world like a great support system, and I

found the Arabian Horse Community to be

the very best. I contacted many Arabian

breeders and asked “What would you do?”

I received honest pros and cons; as well as,

researching on the Chronicle of the Horse

breeders forum from others who had Ken-

ney Garde 2B mares. Cindy Carpenter of

Watching Hawk Arabians told me “You

need a vet that performs miracles, one

that specializes in equine reproduction.”

I sought out the expertise of Dr. David

Stanford, Diplomat of Equine Reproduc-

tion at Woodside Equine. Dr. Stanford

completed an evaluation of Virag and

Bob Tarr Photography • Cincinnati, Ohio • (513) 851-8529 • www.BobTarr.com • [email protected]

North American Anglo-Arabian

Horse Association

National Show &

Year End Awards

forAnglo-Arabians

in theSport

Disciplines

Learn more atNAAAHA.com

97June/July 2013

Winning Moments

Bob Tarr Photography • Cincinnati, Ohio • (513) 851-8529 • www.BobTarr.com • [email protected]

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June/July 2013