Carousel
Collective ISSUE 02
Espoir
equestrian trendsetters
Equine Therapy Horses with People Problems
Life with a blind horse - Dottie & Michaela
#WeAreE
questrians
cOVER sTORIES 37 Espoir - Equestrian trendsetters we get to the heart of the
Espoir brand in our interview with the creators, Carolyn & Mari-Lize
29 Equine Therapy Horses with people
problems - How our emotions affect our horses
FEATURES 25 The great equestrian debate slamming riders for posting pics of
rEGULARS 07 Editors Notes mostly
horse talk with a little bit of everything else inbetween
13 equi culture for your
monthly ďŹ x of everything equestrian
19 Events upcoming shows and equestrian events
09 TrendBook
this month we look at riding gear in Neoclassical Navy
Carousel Collective March 2017
CONTENTS
themselves riding without a helmet
51 Giveaway
Free Headstrong Facebook cover for those who are pro helmets and want to create awareness
Live what you
Love!
On the Cover Model with horse, stock image 3 | Carousel Collective March 2017
Meaningful Minds Psychologists
Clinical Psychology Practice | Equine Assisted Psychotherapy | Psychological Services for Children, Adults and Couples
www.meaningfulminds.co.za 081 759 4849 | 011 615 1030
BRAND STORY THE CAROUSEL COLLECTIVE WAS CREATED FOR EQUESTRIANS BY EQUESTRIANS. IT’S A MAGAZINE FOR THE SA EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY FROM THE RIDERS, TO THE HORSES TO THE ENTREPRENEURS. IT’S FOR EVERYONE WHO DRIVES THIS INDUSTRY/SPORT FORWARD. Horse have always been no. 1 on the list but then there’s also been art direction and a constant desire to create. A desire that finds itself more inspired after a morning spent riding or while hugging a horse and breathing in that special horse smell that instantly takes you back to your childhood and the first time you found yourself in the midst of these majestic animals. You cannot really do something well, if it’s not something you truly care about, luckily we care a great deal about horses and we love the arts and we love creating things that others can derive joy from. We discovered through listening to other equestrians, that they were ready for and wanted something different in an equestrian magazine and so the decision was made to take our two greatest loves and create the Carousel Collective.
Live what you love
xxx
5 | Carousel Collective March 2017
Carousel Collective | Editor’s Notes |
h t n o m s thi oving... i’m l I stumbled on Purely Porcelain after a beach ride on Noordhoek beach in Cape Town.
After the ride we stopped for coffee at the Free range farm shop and that’s when I spotted this quaint little shop filled with little white treasures and obviously I just couldn’t help but take a peak. I was scrolling through all the comments and photographs on our most recent #WeAreEquestrians post on Facebook and thought to myself how amazing it is to be a part of something, where there is this one thing that so many people can relate to and are connected through, no matter where in the world they are. We love seeing and sharing your images so keep them coming and if you don’t see your image in the current issue, don’t despair it will most definitely be in one of our future issues.
They have the most gorgeous hand-crafted jewellery made from porcelain, leather and silver. To my sheer delight I found something horsey. I always manage to find the horsey things, or perhaps they find me, either way I’m not complaining. Have a look at their Facebook page, Purely Porcelain or email them on info@purelyporcelain.co.za
In this issue we get to the heart of the Espoir brand in our interview with Carolyn and Mari-Lize, the brand’s creators and we also interview Michaela the owner of Dottie a blind appaloosa. This pair shares an exceptional bond and Dottie proves to the world that a blind horse has just as much to offer as a seeing horse. I’m happy to report that the first issue was a huge success! Thank you to everyone for all the kind responses. This magazine was created for you, so it’s wonderful to hear that it’s already a favourite and that makes us all the more excited for the future. We have lots of exciting things planned for the coming months, so be sure to share the Carousel Collective with your friends and fellow equestrians. You can also make sure you never miss an issue by joining our mailing list on our website caroco.co.za each month we’ll let you know when the latest issue is available.
izzy Xx 7 | Carousel Collective March 2017
Leather and porcelain necklace and porcelain horse trinket by Purely Porcelain
Made in Cape Town
Carousel Collective | Trendbook |
neoclassic 2.
1.
3.
4. 1 Cavalleria Toscana Ladies Painting Shirt - Equine Online. 2 Brown Stubben Bridle - P Bloch & Co. 3 Mountain Horse Sovereign Field Boot - Tackshop.co.za 4 Original Hunter boots - Hunter Boots SA. 5 Cavalleria Toscana Belt - Equine Online. 6 Samshield Premium Helmet - Western Shoppe. 7 Dy’on Head Collar - Equine Online. 8 Fleece Navy Bandages - P Bloch & Co. 9 Magic Tack Magnetic Browband - P Bloch & Co. 10 Cavalleria Toscana Full Seat Breeches - Equine Online. Contact stockists for more details
9 | Carousel Collective March 2017
5.
al navy 6.
7.
8.
10. Stockists: www.equineonline.co.za www.pbloch.co.za www.tackshop.co.za www.westernshoppe.com
9.
caroco.co.za | 10
h s i l sty e l t lit rians t s e equ
2. 1.
4.
3.
5. Stockists: www.equineonline.co.za www.pbloch.co.za www.tackshop.co.za
1 Harry’s Horse Grooming Back Pack- Tackshop.co.za. 2 Waldhausen Unicorn Spotty Halter and Lead Rope - Equine Online. 3 Waldhausen Unicorn Spotty Outdoor Rug - Equine Online. 4 Waldhausen Unicorn Spotty Travel Boots - Equine Online. 5 Saddle Up Pink Kiddies Helmet - P Bloch & Co. Contact stockists for more details caroco.co.za | 12
Carousel Collective | Equi Culture |
Emily Cole - Cartoonist Illustrator of Equine Antics As far as cute goes, it doesn’t get any better than Emily Cole’s equine illustrations. Emily does a wonderful job of capturing all those classic situations equestrians find themselves in with their headstrong, scaredy cat, horses. We’re glad Emily gave up her job as an architect to illustrate horses full time. View more of her work on emily-cole.com and her Facebook page Emily Cole Illustrations
13 | Carousel Collective March 2017
Don’t FORGET THEM
Because every horse deserves to be a horse
The Hole in The Wall Horse Project Currently has 1158 patients on record. Visit the Hole in the Wall Horse Project’s Facebook page to see how you can make a difference in the lives of these working equines. caroco.co.za | 10
Carousel Collective
| Equestrian Life |
This month our equestrian crush is Charlotte Casiraghi, for her style and horses. Charlotte is the daughter of princess Caroline of Monaco and granddaughter of Grace Kelly. Charlotte a mom and former face of Gucci is passionate about equestrian sports and environmentally-friendly causes. She is trained by Philippe Rozier and has competed at the Longines Global Champions Tour as well as the Gucci Masters Grand Slam.
Charlotte Casiraghi
15 | Carousel Collective March 2017
Bohemian Style Jewelry inspired by nature and horses available from
www.tilajoriding jackets.com
Hole in the Wall Horse Project
Shavathon
17 | Carousel Collective March 2017
On the 02nd September 2017 Marlene will once again be shaving off her lovely locks to raise funds for equines in need. On the 1st of September 2012, Marlene’s lovely locks were shaved at a public event in East London, after raising R43 432.47 for The Hole in the Wall Horse Project. The funds raised were used for medical supplies, Veterinary care, etc. Five years later, on the 2nd of September 2017, Marlene will once again shave off her hair for the cause, she is hoping to raise R50,000. The previous shavathon Marlene’s hair was donated to CANSA, her hair will be donated to CANSA again this year. Your donations can save and transform the lives of so many starving, ill, broken down and injured equines, whose plight and suffering would be unknown, unheard of and unseen if not for the Hole in the Wall Horse Project. With the ever growing number of equines in need of assistance, the Project is constantly in need of cash donations as well as donations of basic medical products, feed and tack. The Carousel Collective would like to ask each of our readers to please like the Hole in the Wall Horse Project’s Facebook page and to spread the word about the Shavathon and the awesome work Marlene and her team of volunteers are doing.
‘Many small people, in small places, doing small things can change the world’ - Eduardo Galeano
Your second hand tack can make a huge difference in these horses lives caroco.co.za | 18
Carousel Collective | Equi Events |
show jumping Kyalami Equestrian Park 4-5th March Pre-Easter Show Kyalami Equestrian Park 25th March Training show
Dressage/Showing Kyalami Equestrian Park 11th March Grade n Go Kyalami Equestrian Park 25th March Training show
Kyalami Equestrian Park 8th-17th April Easter Festival
Kyalami Equestrian Park 8-17th April Easter Festival
Maple Ridge 29 March - 2nd April President’s Cup
Events
Eventing
Windy Hollow Therapeutic Riding Centre Skeleton Workshop 18-19 March
Fourways Riding Centre 11-12th March Inanda Country Base 25-26th March Underberg 25-26th March Noordhoek Common 1-2nd April
19 | Carousel Collective March 2017
sathenaturalhorse@gmail.com
Lipizzaners Easter Performance 16th April Please contact/refer to each venues website for more information regarding the events listed here. E&OE
| Equi Culture |
equestrian things
Takealot.com has a great range of Adult colouring books to choose from and if you only want to colour in horses, they have books available with 40 pages of horse illustrations for you to get lost in. Adult colouring is a great way to wind down and explore your creative side and while you may not have drawn the illustrations yourself, trust us, picking colour combinations and deciding which colour is going to go where, is an art unto itself.
caroco.co.za | 20
Carousel Collective
| Equestrian Life |
#Insta Crush
@kateloveshorses
Kate Matheson A Manager at Zapata Ranch | Marketing Director | Ranchlands
#Golden oldies Jackie Kennedy enjoying a ride with her children. The bottom pic is of Jackie and JFK.
This month were enjoying a glimpse of life in the real wild west, thanks to Kate Matheson’s instagram account. From a herd of horses walking down a tar road and a western horse with western saddle and all, jumping over a broken paddock fence. It’s just another day on Zapata ranch.
#equine inspired
All b�nds are built �n trust, without it you have nothing 21 | Carousel Collective March 2017
Available at
horseland-sa.co.za
The Great Debate
Is it okay for helmet activists to comment “where’s your helmet” or “helmet!” on photographs riders’ post of themselves riding without a helmet? We posed the question and invited equestrians to answer, below are some of the comments made on this topic: I do agree with always wearing a helmet, but if someone wants to post a photo on horseback without a helmet it is their choice. It might be for a photoshoot or maybe they ride without a helmet...it is their choice ....and I am sure that they know the risks involved. So I would never comment "where is ur helmet or ride with a helmet" Carrie Yes, you are never too good to wear a helmet. Former World Ranked no.1 and Olympic Gold medalist Ben Maher fell off a couple years back,at the walk during training,he had to get few stitches in his head Caitie Helmet awareness is important. Who knew I was a helmet activist? I wouldn't be here typing this if I hadn't worn a helmet all those times I fell off and smacked my head. Colleen I think it would be pointless with adults... but someone needs to speak up about children without helmets. Although Facebook comments are generally not the place to do it. Firn I always wear a helmet. I had a fall years ago that would have been fatal without it. Mary No because its the riders perogative to decide whether they want to wear a helmet or not. No one should judge their choice. 90% of the time photos are taken on a whim. Why ruin the pride that person has by commenting on where their helmet is?? Its unnecessary and irritating Sasha Sadly though its not only the rider's issue as most think (being their prerogative)...should the rider have a head injury, unfortunately it is the family around them who suffer!! My Nephew was knocked off his bike aged 11, no helmet. He suffered a traumatic brain injury. By the grace of god, he is a walking miracle. If he were an adult (children's brains have plasticity) he would be dead or a vegetable. Because of this horrific experience, i definitely would bombard one who doesn't wear a helmet. It saves lives AND families! Natalie I'm a rider who prefers to ride without a helmet mostly because I have not yet found one that doesn't give me crazy migraines (please note that I cannot ride with these migraines and they usually cause vomiting etc from the pain). Now when I post a pic of me and my steeds and I get a million people telling me how I am going to die and how irresponsible I am being because I don't have a helmet I get irritated. It's not your concern. Simple as that. Sarita
25 | Carousel Collective March 2017
My issue is that I have never seen a "caring" comment concerning the whereabouts of someone's helmet having a positive effect on the person involved. They're always offended, so why then carry on? In fact, I see a lot of people wearing their hard hats LESS often just to prove a point then. Hard hat comments are becoming like religious opinions. It might come from a good place, but rarely will it ever be received as such. Nicole If someone tags me or asks my opinion I will say something along the lines of "very pretty but I would prefer a riding hat for the rider". If I simply see the pic I will scroll on and not click like nor comment. I don't post pics or share pics of riders without hats. Ever. Not even thoughtful wise horsey memes. But ask my opinion and I WILL give it. Alida I want to just say here that the global horseracing fraternity wear the helmets and body protectors with great pride. In races, on the training tracks and even handlers on the ground. There are rules in place, where racing authorities have rules that protective gear must be worn on racecourse property. But, even riders and jockeys on private facilities wear them without question, because they know WHY they should be worn. Many riders/ jockeys have the most awesome personalized skull caps and vests (ourcolloquial term for body protectors), and they become instantly recognisable from their kit. Your original question Elizabeth was whether shaming people for not wearing a helmet is acceptable - I don't think shaming in any sense is constructive. But educating people, on the benefits of wearing appropriate protective gear whem riding horses, is necessary, and should be done in a personal discussion environment. I am pro helmets. Pro seat belts. Pro car seats for children. Pro swimming lessons. Anything that can be done to save a life in an unforseen circumstance, should be done. Ashleigh
If you feel strongly about helmet awareness, head on over to caroco.co.za and download our Headstrong campaign Facebook cover. Like the Carousel Collective Facebook page and join the conversation.
ALPHA APPALOOSA STUD AlphaAppaloosa.com
We have 25 beautiful, colourful going horses, young stock, mares and stallions for sale. Contact us for our colour brochure, videos, etc or visit our website. AlphaAppaloosa.com “Alpha Eagle’s Trinity” pictured on the right is a 2 year old leopard stallion, imported bloodlines Alpha Eagle’s Hiawatha (Drea Eagle’s Dandy) x Alpha Wap’s Jellybeans (Wap’s Pajamas) Lots of potential as a breeding stallion, endurance horse, and more Phone Claire on 051 924 2086 or sms 083 228 0223 email: claireamm@gmail.com
Above Alpha Wap’s Whistlestop.... 2 year old colt Right Alpha Wap’s Hot Stuff.... yearling colt Below Alpha Eagle’s Hiawatha.... 12 year old proven stallion,endurance horse Below right Alpha Toby’s Kayak....super big gelding, going well under saddle.
Horses with pEOPLE PROBLEMS In the first part of this series you were introduced to the concept of a horse as a biological mirror. As prey animals, horses have the innate ability to read the physiological states of another animal. This allows them to sense if there is danger from the reactions between the herd, or from the physiological tension of a predator. From human-horse research, we have come to understand that the horse may act as a biofeedback machine for humans - mirroring the reactions of what is happening on an emotional and cognitive level. THE LINK BETWEEN YOUR THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS AND PHYSIOLOGY In order to understand the horses mirroring system, we need to take a step back and understand the way in which our emotions, thoughts and bodily systems function together. Our minds and bodies are constantly in a feedback loop sending communications for the release of hormones for many different reasons. For example, you might be walking alone in the street. You hear a strange noise and immediately a series of thoughts enter your mind about safety (Am I being followed? Is there someone else around? Where is the nearest escape route?). At the same time these thoughts have triggered a fear response. This has released the adrenaline hormone that sends you into fight/flight mode. 29 | Carousel Collective March 2017
The link between your thoughts, emotions and physiology. Words Chevonne Powell
Your heart may start racing, your palms become sweaty, a chill might run through your body, your breathing increases- basically your body is mobilized for action. A second later you realize it was only a cat. The thought triggers a relief response, your body begins to calm and you may laugh or smile. Your heart slows down, your breathing returns to normal and you continue walking. You may feel the adrenaline course through your body for a few moments until everything returns to normal. This sort of loop happens continually with every thought and connected emotion you have throughout your day. From driving in the car, to speaking to your partner or riding at the yard. We are all affected by emotions. Horses read our thoughts and emotions by our bodily responses. They are attentive to what this form of communication is telling them about the rider. Horses are natural followers and need to feel secure in their riders as good leaders. What you think you are communicating is much less important than what you are actually communicating through your physiological states.
WHY NOT TO IGNORE THE WAY YOU ARE FEELING People are often embarrassed to show or express their emotions, for this reason many people try to hide their emotions behind ‘masks’. If a person is aware of what they are feeling and responds accordingly we call this person ‘emotionally congruent’. However, when a person is feeling something, but is ignoring that feeling or trying to brush it aside we call that ‘emotionally incongruent.’ Horses become noticeably agitated in the presence of people who are incongruent. This is not because they can detect lies, rather it is because they can sense the physiological changes of the genuine emotion and become confused with the mixed signals. This confusion is felt as stress in the horse. Horses cannot tell between different causes of stress, they simply pick up on that form of communication and act accordingly- most often in fight or flight. Horses will calm down the moment the person acknowledges what they are feeling. By doing this, the person lowers their blood pressure, even if only slightly. This is enough to drop the horse’s blood pressure in response, which the animal will show by sighing, licking and chewing, and/or lowering his head.
The affect you have on your Horse
PART Two caroco.co.za | 30
The easiest way to be congruent with your horse is to admit (even at a whisper) that you’re afraid, angry, frustrated, or confused. Your horse won’t understand the words, but your body will register positive physiological changes that your horse can read nonverbally, and will be less likely to spook as a result. Furthermore, research has shown that horses can also react to the emotions on a human face. Psychologists at Sussex University, explored this and reported it in the journal Biology Letters. The psychologists made high quality, large size colour photo’s of the same male human showing various emotions. These were showed to 28 horses from five riding or livery stables in Sussex and Surrey. And the horses could tell the difference. “What’s really interesting about this research is that it shows horses have the ability to read emotions across the species barrier. We have known for a long time that horses are a socially sophisticated species but this is the first time we have seen that they can distinguish between positive and negative human facial expressions,” said Amy Smith, a doctoral student in the university’s mammal vocal communication and cognition research group. “The reaction to angry facial expressions was particularly clear – there was a quicker increase in their heart rate, and the horses moved their heads to look at the angry faces with their left eye.” With this in mind, we need to be aware of the affect emotions have on us and our horses. Margrit Coates, world renowned animal healer looked closely at this topic, she said, “We need to look deeper at our inner state because the horse reacts to the truth. If horses could speak or write they would tell us exactly how we are.”
We need to look deeper at our inner state because the horse reacts to the truth. If horses could speak or write they would tell us exactly how we are. We cannot put horses into human boxes, analyzing these animals as types from our viewpoint. Horses are full of emotional instinct, and the nearest we ever get to associating with a wild animal. Past experiences will program a horse to behave in a certain way, they are incredibly emotional animals. Even our own past experiences will emotionally affect how we are with our horses. If we have been told that we are useless and feel it, this will come through when we are around horses. Finding it difficult to take criticism can also have an effect on our behavior. I believe that it’s a wise idea to involve the help of a good life coach, one who is not “horsey” at all, so that we can work on ourselves without any focus on horses.” WHEN RIDING - THE EMOTIONAL TACK UP Equestrian enthusiasts spend a great deal of time making sure they have the right tack for their horses. Saddles must be uniquely fitted, numnahs and girths intact, bits suited to their particular horses needs. If the tack is ill fitted this may result in a sore or unruly horse. In the same manner, we need to go through a process of our own emotional tack up before we ride. This includes: -Being aware of what emotion you are feeling 31 | Carousel Collective March 2017
- Considering the message behind the emotion you have - Attempting to stay congruent - Reflecting on the impact which the emotion may have on your horse and your riding -Making an informed decision about whether you are in the correct emotional space to train your horse. If you are having a bad day, maybe a relaxing hack would be better, or possibly don’t ride for the day and rather spend time with your horse on the ground. These decisions are part of responsible riding. THINGS TO THINK ABOUT What emotional space are you in and why? How may this affect your horse? Emotions such as fear, irritation, anger, frustration, impatience, indecisiveness, calm and joy will all have different affects on different horses- how does your horse tend to react? Do you have emotional triggers? Does this come out anywhere else in your life? In the next article we will be looking at Mindfulness- the ability to be aware and fully present. Being aware of our emotional state and fully present in the moment will help you a great deal in being congruent and building a relationship with your horse.
Sleeves and Fillers
Equestrian Jumping Equipment We all know the amount of work it takes to maintain a riding arena and consistently make it look beautiful. Often, jumps like gates, walls, bridges and aqueducts cannot be built in your own arenas due to the work involved and equipment required, and the only time we encounter them is in show jumping events. Discovery Jump Our PVC sleeves and fillers allow for a lot of variation in jump types - matching sets of sleeves and fillers can be used to build a single jump or beautiful combination jumps, oxers/spreads, triple bars etc. Our PVC products are designed for riding schools as well as personal facilities. They are a safe and easily maintainable alternative to things like traditional picket fences. Not only will your arena look great,the various fillers will give you and your horse good practice for show jumping events. Our light weight standard water trays, manufactured with foam sides are perfect for training and personal arenas, while our very high quality range of exclusive water trays with sound welded crush proof edges are used in graded show jumping events around South Africa.
www.sleevesandfillers.co.za Breathing Life into Your Arena
Corporate Events | Product Launches | Displays | Birthday Parties School visits and Outings | Group Tours | Fundraisers and all Special Events
lipizzaners.co.za | lipizzaner@hixnet.co.za | 079 716 4792
H
ope &
orses
Espoir, an equestrian, dog and leisure brand woven with hope, passion and commitment. We interviewed Carolyn and Mari-Lize the creators of the Espoir brand. 37 | Carousel Collective March 2017
s
spoir E Espoir : {French} | Hope : {English}
It was clear when Espoir launched that there was something different and special about this brand. The ďŹ rst time I came across Espoir on social media I could not believe that it was local. I then saw the brand showcased at the SA Derby and again, I could not believe that it was local, I was convinced the items were imported, most likely due to the fact that over the years we’ve only come to expect this type of quality from imported Italian and German brands. Espoir has changed that by revolutionizing what we have come to expect from locally made equestrian products. The craftsmanship and elegance of each item is out of this world and what makes the Espoir range even more wonderful is the affordability without the compromise on quality. The Espoir brand epitomizes the love and passion Carolyn and Mari-Lize have for design, horses and equestrianism. It is also a brand South African Equestrians can truly be proud to wear and call our own. caroco.co.za | 40
What led you to start the Espoir brand? We both come from a designing background and have an insane passion for horses. We wanted to combine our passion and business skills into a sustainable business that we would love to spend time at and to work for. We have been through extremely tough times, often working 2-3 jobs each at a time, but we have always been there for each other and I strongly believe it is because we can count on each other so much that we have been able to overcome every obstacle that we have come across with grace and success. Tell us more about the Espoir philosophy? Espoir is about bringing amazing quality garments to the equestrian community that are fashionable and functional at affordable prices. This brand is our passion and life and our dedication reflects in our items and garments. Where do you draw your inspiration from? We design from a very practical perspective as we are both avid riders. We follow fashion trends, but never allow trends to completely overshadow the technical aspects of any garment that makes it comfortable and user-friendly to equestrians. How would you describe the brand’s design aesthetic? We love to focus on quality materials combined with the perfect fit. Our fittings are custom made and always finish our garments as small jewels. We have more of a minimalistic approach to our design with subtle details. How important is fashion to you? Fashion is very important to us. We try to follow as much of the international fashion trends as possible without compromising on any of the garment’s technical and practical functionality. How do you balance your riding career and Espoir? It is often hard to balance work from my riding career, but I have a very deep passion for both of them. We understand each other’s passion for horses very well, so it is easy for us to support each other. I have not been able to compete at as many shows as I wished I could, but the business is at a stage now that I can start to attend more shows again. Riding keeps us sane and energized to come back to Espoir and push even harder to reach our goals. We see it as short term sacrifices for long term gains. What are your hopes for Espoir for the future? We aspire to run an internationally successful brand with products that are known for their quality. We will always stay a boutique brand with limited ranges. We aspire to better the quality of our products with every garment.
‘Espoir is about bringing amazing quality garments to the equestrian community that are fashionable and functional at affordable prices’
41 | Carousel Collective February 2017
‘Keep fighting, through every situation that presents itself to you. Every sleepless night, every hard situation and every door that seemed to never want to open’
Who is your favourite South African rider to watch at the moment? I stable my horses at home in Pretoria and my instructor, Jason Phillips comes out to give me a lesson once a week. I do not have the opportunity to watch many riders often, but I really enjoy watching Jason ride my horses and to see what they are capable of and what I can aspire to. On a national level I really enjoy watching Graham Winn & Dominey Alexander ride. I think they both have a great feel for their horses above everything else. They sit still and ride quietly. I love seeing horses that want to fight for their riders and it always looks like their horses fight for them in the ring. Who is your favourite international rider I love watching Penelope Leprevost. She never rides very orthodox horses and rides them with great skill. She is always well composed and there is always great synergy between her horses and her. Tells us about your horses what are they like? I have 3 young horses. They are all poles apart in ability, conformation and the way of going. They are all slightly quirky, but adore each of them for their own best attributes. Land is a lion heart, Shapiro is an over-achiever and life is just too easy for Silver, in every aspect. How does it feel to see riders and horses wearing a clothing brand you created? It is honestly a dream come true for us. We often get so caught up in every detail of the garment, the design, the manufacturing and shipping of the products that we almost forget what it’s all about. I often feel so proud when I finally get to ride at a show again and I see so many of our products being enjoyed by horses and riders. It is extremely satisfying. Do you have a personal Espoir favourite? Definitely the first La Reine bridle that we ever developed. I still use it on my one horse. The leather just gets better the more I use it. The fit is so simple and so elegant. The reins have amazing grip and a soft feel. I really love this bridle. What do you love most about being an equestrian? I love how this entire massive industry is brought together by one common thing, the love of horses. We work to be able to spend time with them and ride. We are always bettering our designs and standards for the comfort of both horse and rider. It is such a massive industry held together by a single thing, horses. They must be phenomenal for such a phenomena to take place. What new products can we look forward to from Espoir in the future? We have extremely exciting garments launching very soon. We have much better fabrics and have worked a lot on the fit of our garments. We are launching our Espoir Leisure range in winter this year, which is also very exciting to us. If you could talk to your ten year-old self, what would you like her to know about chasing a dream? Keep fighting, through every situation that presents itself to you. Every sleepless night, every hard situation and every door that seemed to never want to open will work out into the business you have dreamed of for so long. Never stop believing, dreams come true.
caroco.co.za | 42
make it personal
10% Discount
offer valid until 31/03/2017 use the code 41 | Carousel Collective February 2017
www.silvery.co.za
caroco10
on checkout
a l e a h c Mi
& Dottie
Michaela and Twist ‘n Tough Dot, share an incredible bond and the best thing is, is that if you were to look at the photograph’s of their life together, the moments and adventures they’ve shared, at first glance you wouldn’t believe that Dottie is blind. We asked Michaela to share with us what life with her best friend Dottie is like. You can follow Michaela and Dottie on Instagram @dottietheblindhorse
‘I can say with 100% certainty that I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for my horse’ How did your path cross with Dottie's? My mom had been looking for a horse for my sister and me. At the time, we only had our Morab mare named Paris, who still belongs to my mom. So one day we went on a pretty long drive to see a horse that was for sale, but when we got there we encountered an old Arab gelding who could hardly get to a trot. My mom didn’t want that long drive to be a complete waste of time, so we decided to go look at another horse. When she originally saw the ad for this “World Champion” horse, she figured there must have been a zero missing on the price. Turns out that Twist ’n tough Dot, the world champion POA mare, was being sold for $1,000 because of her blindness. She had been having issues with trailering, which was problematic for the constant travelling required for her shows. Because of this, my mom was hesitant and didn’t consider Dot as a serious option for her young daughters, but we stopped by since we happened to be in the area. I’m so glad that my mom happened to take a picture of me the first time I rode Dottie. I don’t think she took any pictures of me on any of the other horses that we looked at. She’s been my best friend ever since that day. How long have you owned Dottie? I think I was about 9 or 10 years old when Dot came into my life. I’m almost 20 now, so it’s crazy to think that I’ve had her as my best friend for half of my life. I really can’t imagine myself without her. Tell us about Dottie, what she is like? Dottie has a huge personality, and a lot of energy. Ever since we moved to Oregon, we have been going on rides alone, but back in California we would go on trail rides with large groups of around 10 horses, and Dot would always be the leader. All of us riders joked about the irony of being led by a blind horse. I also prefer riding in the front because it makes it easier for me to see the terrain and guide her accordingly. While Dottie does have a lot of that pony attitude, her most prominent traits are her trust, patience, and gentleness. She’s always surprising me with the things that she’s willing to do. She’s willing to take me through deep rivers and a fast food drive thru, and whenever she feels nervous about something new, she’ll always push through it. What is the biggest challenge you and Dottie have faced together? There have been two significant challenges that Dottie and I have faced together. The first and more difficult challenge was when Dottie pulled a tendon in her front left leg. In those 8 months of rehab, it was hard for me to watch her hurting, and I wished that I could have been the one experiencing that pain instead of her. I saw the look in her eyes and how desperately she wanted to be able to run again. I can’t explain how great it felt to finally ride her again after she had healed.
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‘Dottie has shown me what it really means to have faith, even when we can’t see what’s ahead.’ The second challenge was this August when I left the familiarity of California to go to school in Oregon. I wanted to be able to bring her with me right away, but I first I needed to focus on getting settled in a new place. I then had to make the plans for her transportation and save up the money for that. For 10 years I had never been away from her for more than two weeks, so 55 days away from her was difficult to say the least. I found myself getting distracted in my classes, thinking about how much I missed her. On October 11th, she arrived at her new home. She now lives at a barn only 3 minutes away from campus. I love waking up early every morning to feed her and muck out her stall before I go to the dining hall for breakfast. Sometimes I show up to class a few minutes late with hay in my hair, muddy boots, and the sweet smell of horse surrounding me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. What do you love most about Dottie? It’s hard to choose one thing that I love the most about Dot, so I’ll say a few things. I love it when I put her head on my shoulder and I can feel the weight of her head as she starts to rest her eyes. I love playing with her squishy lips. I love laying on her back in her stall while she’s eating her hay. I love talking about her with people. She gets brought into so many of my everyday conversations, especially when I meet someone for the first time. It’s easy to talk about things that you feel passionately about, and that’s why I can’t stop ranting about my horse. I’m just so proud that she’s mine. What advice would you give to other horse owners when it comes to owning a horse that is losing their eyesight? I have had a lot of people, especially from Instagram, ask for advice about working with a horse that’s going blind. I can’t act like I’m an expert on the subject because I have only worked with one blind horse, and each horse is different. I always strongly suggest to someone who has a horse that is going blind that they not give up. I believe that any horse that is developing issues with eyesight still has the ability to live a normal and happy life if taken care of properly. For Dottie, she had a lot of training before I bought her, but we still had a lot of issues early on. All of those issues were rooted in my insecurities as a young rider. I remember back when I didn’t have any trail riding experience and I was terrified to leave the arena and go with a group through an orange grove. Dottie was nervous, but only because I was. I had to grow in my confidence as a rider so that she could trust me to keep her safe. The same is true with seeing horses. The foundation of everything you do with your horse is a trust that you’ll keep each other safe. If there’s mutual trust, riding a blind horse is exactly like riding a seeing horse, except there is the added responsibility of being extra cautious about guiding your horse in the right direction. I have found that one of the most important things to do in training is desensitization to certain sounds. A horse that is losing its sight will develop a stronger sense of hearing and become more afraid of certain noises. Dottie had a hard time with plastic trash bags. I had to work on that by making noises with the bags while comforting her with gentle petting and a soft voice until she realized that it wouldn’t hurt her.
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Could you describe to us a day in the life of Michaela and Dottie, from a care and riding perspective? I love that I get to start off every morning by going to take care of my horse. I feed her, make sure she has water, give her a pill for her arthritis, make sure her eyes are clean, muck out her stall, and let her out in her pasture if the weather allows. When I take Dottie for a ride, we sometimes stay in the indoor arena, but we’d really rather go on trail rides. As of now, we have a hard time finding good places to ride. Since I don’t have a truck and trailer, we just explore the areas close to the barn. Since the barn is so close to my school, I can easily ride down and get to the beautiful campus trails, but at this point I’m still waiting for the school administration to respond to a letter I wrote, in which I asked for permission to ride on the trails. We are sure that many people would be skeptical taking on a horse that is blind, if Dottie could speak, what do you think she would say to them? I think she would say the same thing that I said, which is that you shouldn’t give up on a horse that is going blind. They are fully capable of living normal lives. What is the most important lesson you've learnt from Dottie? Dottie has shown me what it really means to have faith, even when we can’t see what’s ahead. It reminds me of how we don’t know what our future holds, but that God can see the big picture and we can trust him to guide us through all of the twists and turns in life. When I left for college, I had no idea how long it would be before we would be reunited. When she colicked two weeks after coming to Oregon, I wasn’t even sure if she was going to make it. If you’ve ever had a horse colic, you can understand why that was the most excited I’ve ever been to see a horse poop. In both cases, I worked as hard as I could, but it came to a point where things were out of my hands and I just had to trust that it was going to be ok. What role has Dottie played in your life? I can say with 100% certainty that I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for my horse. Taking care of her and riding her has built my work ethic, my confidence, and my character in general. She is without a doubt my best friend, and has been for about 10 years. Human friends have come and gone, but she has always been there. After a long and stressful day or week, I always know that I can go see my horse and forget about everything else. It really is my therapy. What is the best moment you and Dottie have shared together so far? We have had a lot of really great moments, but I think the best moment was when dot arrived in Oregon and we were reunited after 55 days apart. My tears of joy were uncontrollable. Do you find the equestrian community to be supportive of you and Dottie? Many people in the equestrian community are surprised and fascinated by Dottie’s story. I don’t recall ever having an encounter where another equestrian had negative thoughts about it. What is Dottie’s favourite thing to do? What do you both enjoying doing together? I think these two questions go hand in hand because the things that make Dottie happy also make me happy. We love barrel racing and trail riding. We aren’t into the competitive world of barrel racing, but we always give it our all and have fun. She isn’t afraid to hit the barrel so we’re able to make some pretty tight turns. When we aren’t out on rides we enjoy cuddling and just being together.
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