ESDCTA Collective Remarks - December 2022

COLLECTIVE REMARKS

Happy December!

I’m so happy that we’ll be able to once again hold our annual Awards Banquet in-person on Sunday February 26, 2023, at the Copper Hill Country Club in Ringoes, NJ. Everyone puts in so much effort all year that it is nice to reconnect with friends who we haven’t seen in over two years, enjoy some good food and refreshments, and be recognized for all our accom plishments. Look for more information about this wonderful event in the next month. In the meantime, please start soliciting items for the Silent Auction, which benefits grants, mostly Youth grants. Send a description of the item to Janice Pellegrino janmpel@msn.com and bring the item with you to the banquet, or arrange with someone else to bring it if you can’t attend.

With the colder temperatures coming, be kind to all your equine friends. Make sure they have plenty of forage, fresh unfrozen water, comfortable shelter, and at least some outdoor walking around time in the sun. If you don’t ride your horse every day, remove blankets frequently to check for any problems – weight loss, injuries, skin problems, or other unseen issues that need attention.

I hope everyone has a fun, pretty, light-filled holiday season, and a very Happy New Year.

President

Board of Trustees

OFFICERS

Phone only before 9 p.m. please

President president@esdcta.org 732.208.8715 Vice President vicepresident@esdcta.org 609.351.1054

Secretary secretary@esdcta.org 201.240.4505

Treasurer

Holly Cornell Ellen Brindle-Clark Ruth McCormick Betty Adduci 3340 Curley Ct, Mullins SC 29574

treasurer@esdcta 610.564.9169

Executive Board

Jena Rondinelli

Dressage at Large 732.814.1117 Eventing at Large 732.598.3077 Dressage Competitions 201.874.0373

Jennifer Duelfer Dr. Lisa Toaldo Janice Pellegrino Paige Zimmerman Vacant Heidi Lemack Gary Maholic Victoria Shilton Stephanie Warner

datlargeMAL@esdcta.org eatlargeMAL@esdcta.org dressage@esdcta.org eventing@esdcta.org marketing@esdcta.org membership@esdcta.org membership@esdcta.org fi nance@esdcta.org education@esdcta.org youth@esdcta.org

Eventing Competitions Marketing Membership Membership 609.306.8221 Finance 215.489.1557 Education 6093511054 Youth

NJEAB Representative crunner141@comcast.net Awards Carolyn Montgomery awards@esdcta.org

OFF BOARD COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Calendars/Activities Grants

Equipment Newsletter Nominating

Mia Zimmerman Wilma Pfeffer Meredith Rogers Vacant

activities@esdcta.org grants@esdcta.org dressage@esdcta.org newsletter@esdcta.org nominations@esdcta.org

Omnibus Show Results Mia Zimmerman Lori Kelly calendar@esdcta.org results@esdcta.org

Becky Kuc Holly Cornell

COMMUNITY NEWS

If you’re reading this, you are probably a member of ESDCTA, but I’m sure you know of someone who rides dressage or events who is not a member. You know all about the wonderful things offered like educational programs, clinics with big name trainers, horse shows, year-end awards, and not least, that sense of being part of a community of likeminded people. The more members ESDCTA has, the better the programs we can offer. Our membership numbers are also important considerations when state and local governments decide on legislature that affects us (like open space), and we advocate for our sports (We helped get better footing at the HPNJ). Please reach out to your equestrian buddies and tell them about all of the benefits of membership and have them sign up. The more the merrier!

Let us know what you would like to help us with in 2023. All skills and interests wanted. Have an idea? We want to hear about it. Remember, this club is what YOU make it. Contact president@esdcta.org if you are interested.

Amateur Dilemma

By, Meredith Rogers

And that’s a wrap. With USDF Dressage Finals in the rear-view mirror, my show season is officially over and what a show season it was. This is the most I have ever shown, with 24 classes, encompassing 5 tests at 3 levels, over 10 distinct shows, in 4 states, from April through November, in weather ranging from 95-degree heatwaves to pouring rain, sleet, and freezing cold. But it all paid off. USDF Dressage Finals was a huge success. We ended up Reserve Champion AA First Level, 8th in the AA Second Level Championship, and 5th in the AA Second Level Freestyle Championship. It was my first year going and I will admit that I was very overwhelmed. First, there was the drive from NJ to KY, which was 11 hours and the longest I have ever gone. My trainer was taking Leo, but I followed behind her. It wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. The Kentucky Horse Park is huge and the environment is electric – you can feel that this is not like any other show. But, then again, it is. The horse still needed to be cleaned, braided, and schooled, and I still donned white breeches (although I had a new coat). One thing that was really fantastic was that we were stabled right next to people I had met at Regionals and right down the aisle from a large New Jersey crew, making our little corner of the barn more like home.

Before this year’s show season, I thought I knew how to show. Nope. The biggest thing I learned this year were the tests themselves. It got to the point where I didn’t have to think about the movements and could think about how to ride the movements

(eg, poll needs to be more up, keep the bend, go deep into the corner and then forward, etc). I learned a lot about Leo and how he reacts to things and how to keep him happy (we must hand-walk!). I learned what’s important to bring to a show and what isn’t regarding equipment, food, extra clothes, etc (I should have brought more rain gear to Kentucky!). I also learned the extent of my commitment to this sport. Showing so much took a lot of time, effort, and money. It was also very stressful, but I had goals, and I am happy to report that I exceeded all of them.

Leo also learned a lot about how to show. At Saugerties he was very stressed in his stall but in Kentucky he was quite chill. Last year he was a spooky mess in just about every show ring we entered but this year it was only the Alltech arena that got him rattled (we spooked our way through our championship freestyle class). Flowers in letter boxes were no longer a big deal. I think a lot of that stems from him trusting me more overall, which was achieved by just doing more things together. Throughout the year, every time I opened the trailer door in a new locale, he looked relieved to see me there, but on the way home from Kentucky when I peeked in on him at fuel stops he seemed to expect me to be there – which was a great reaction.

One thing I always knew is that showing with friends is more fun. Even when I didn’t go to an event with any barnmates, I started to get to know others from the area who compete regularly, and so I started to feel like part of our local dressage community. Everyone has been so nice and helpful even when we were competing against each other. I also always knew that you can’t do this alone. I had a lot of support from a lot of people. I am grateful for every last one of them.

I hope all of you achieved your goals for the year. I’m going to take a week off and then I will start planning and training for next year. Since my aspirations will be more modest in 2023, the show season should not be as hectic. But, I definitely have the bug, and a competitive nature, so we’ll see…

A Finals to Remember

November 8-13, Olivia Steidle Dressage took on the Kentucky Horse Park for the US Dressage Finals!!! This was our very first time attending. There were ups and downs throughout the week, but the experience was like no other. I am incredibly grateful to have had the oppor tunity to qualify for and attend one of the most prestig ious dressage competitions in the US along with the best horses and riders in the county! It was a great learning experience and I eagerly look forward to the day I get to go back… which is hopefully soon.

By, Paige Zimmerman

We made the trip with two horses: Ducati and Flying Colors aka Muppet (mount of trainer-extraordinaire Olivia Steidle), both of which are owned by Brenda Curnin. We had qualified for US Finals at Regionals, which was back in September in Saugerties, NY. Olivia and Muppet qualified for the 3rd Level Open Championships, and Ducati and I qualified for the 2nd Level Open Freestyle Championships. I was also waitlisted as an alternate for the 3rd Level Jr/Yr Championships, but I did not end up getting in.

You may be wondering why I competed in the open class as opposed to a Jr/Yr class. At Re gionals and Finals. Well, there has never been a separate division for youth riders who want to compete in a freestyle championship. In fact, US Dressage Finals only began including youth riders last year! So, I competed against open riders (mostly professionals) at Regionals, with the goal of qualifying for the Open Champion ships at Finals, which I was able to successfully accomplish. The good news is that I found out that next year, USDF will be offering joint Jr/Yr and AA freestyle championships at Regionals and Finals, meaning that youth freestyle riders

will now compete against adult amateurs as opposed to professionals. This is a great move and will definitely help to level the playing field. That said, I do wish it had been implemented this year as opposed to next year, because next year is my last year as a Jr/Yr. In 2024, I will be 22 and therefore an AA.

We arrived in Kentucky on Tuesday November 8. On Wednesday, we had a schooling day and I had a freestyle sound check. The weather those first couple of days was an amazing 70 degrees and sunny. On Thursday, I rode in a 2nd Level Freestyle class to prepare for my 2nd Level Open Freestyle Championship on Saturday. Ducati got excited in the ring, so there were some tension mistakes (he’s decided flying changes are now more fun than counter-canter, and he wants to do extended trot everywhere) but regardless, I was pleased. We earned a 65.367%.

On Friday, the weather turned. It was still on the warm side, but it poured all day. Ducati and I did a 3rd Level Test 3 class, and it was a huge improvement from Regionals. We earned a 66.125% and 2nd place. He was very relaxed throughout the test and did not do any airs above the ground— his anxiety about the flying changes seemed to have finally abated (knock on wood). It’s been a massive struggle for him to learn them over the last 2 years, but I sense light at the end of the tunnel, and hope all the hard work is finally paying off.

Friday afternoon, Brenda, Olivia, and I also went on a rainy bike ride all around the Kentucky Horse Park. We explored the Museum of the Horse, the Breed Barn, and all the sculptures and historic landmarks. It was nothing short of incredible to see in real life what I’ve only ever seen in pictures and videos!

Saturday was my 2nd Level Open Freestyle Cham pionship class. The weather had changed again to very cold and windy with rain, sleet, and even some snow. We had gone from T-shirts earlier in the week to long underwear and layers of coats! As I prepared to enter the ring, I knew Ducati’s attention had turned away from me. The speakers were covered

in big plastic garbage bags due to the precipitation, and he thought they were the most frightening things he’d ever seen. Then when my music came on, it was much louder than it had been at my sound check earlier in the week. Ducati was very upset, spook ing and spinning. I couldn’t calm him, or even make it past X for that matter, and we were eliminated. The poor guy was so frightened that it completely overwhelmed him, which is a reaction I’ve never experienced with him before in the 4 years I’ve been riding him. He’s not very spooky by nature, even though he is very sensitive.

I later heard from other competitors that the computers had crashed in the outside rings, eliminating their data from the sound checks.

I have never had a major problem with Ducati react ing poorly to music, but since he is sensitive, I always request low volume for my music when we do sound checks. Additional competitors also struggled with the loud volume and there were other upset horses.

I feel like a lot of rides could have been helped by a quick sound check re-do. Management never even communicated to us that there was an issue, so we all found out the hard way. I also feel that they could have invested in some outdoor speakers instead of covering them in garbage bags, because the plastic looked very large and imposing to the horses, and I observed rearing and spooking from other horses looking at them. When I went to the show office after my ride to ask about the volume issue, they explained what had happened and they were very apologetic (which I appreciated), but the situation certainly put a damper on an otherwise very well-run competition.

It was unfortunate I wasn’t able to finish my Championship ride at US Finals, but I did not come out of the ring discouraged. I felt that outside circumstances had affected our success, and sometimes the cards just aren’t dealt in our favor when compet ing. It’s the nature of the sport— one step forward, two steps

back. The proper thing to do is praise the horse for their heart and effort, knowing that they owe us nothing, take a brief moment to grieve the disappointment, and then move forward with new and exciting plans for the future. I am grateful that Ducati and I made it to the US Dressage Finals in the first place, with a freestyle that I choreographed and music I edited by myself on my school laptop using youtube and free software. I’d been dreaming of competing at the Finals since I was 14 years old, reading the USDF YearBook every night before bed and memorizing dressage tests until I nodded off.

Thank you so, so, so much to Olivia Steidle and Brenda Curnin for all you do for me. I never would have had the opportunity to experience these wonderful adventures with out you. Olivia, I would not be the rider I am today with your expertise, patience, and unwavering support. I’ve probably said it before, but you’ve changed my life. Brenda, your generosity in allowing me to work with Ducati has absolutely changed my rid ing for the better, and it has allowed me to connect with and learn from a horse that I truly love. I am eternally grateful for the opportunities you’ve given me. I also want to thank my parents for coming along on this trip and for always supporting me in this crazy sport. I wouldn’t give any of it up for a second, no matter how tough it gets.

I would also like to congratulate Newsletter Editor, Meredith Rogers, for competing at the Finals (also for the first time) and riding three beautiful championship tests that all earned top ribbons!! It is always nice to connect with and support friends through out these special experiences.

Onwards and upwards into the winter of training. I am already excitedly planning for next year!

Horse Treats

By, Meredith Rogers

I think my horse is pretty smart, but this horse was a genius! A horse named Beautiful Jim Key could supposedly read, write, do arithmetic for numbers ≤30, count change, dial a phone, sort mail, faint on command, and recite bible passages, among other tricks. He was born in 1889 to an Arabian mare that had been a badly abused former circus horse rescued by William Key of Shelbyville, Tennessee. Mr. Key was a former slave who made a name for himself as a business philanthropist and self-trained veterinarian, as well as Jim’s trainer. Mr. Key had wanted to breed a racehorse by mating the mare to a Standardbred stallion, but instead got a clumsy, sickly colt that was named “Jim” after the local drunk.

Jim as a foal would let himself out of gates, open drawers to get himself apples, and first started learning tricks by mimicking a dog. Jim was said to have an IQ the equivalent of a 12-year-old human! Mr. Key capitalized on Jim’s intelligence and stressed that he taught him using only patience and kindness. Mr. Key promoted the humane treatment of animals as he traveled the country in a special railroad car. The phrase “be kind to animals” stemmed from Mr. Key and Jim. More than 2 million people joined Mr. Key’s humane club, called “The Jim Key Band of Mercy,” and millions of children took the ”Jim Key Pledge” to always be kind to animals. Jim could retrieve a coin from the bottom of a large glass jar filled with water. Audi ences could give Jim instructions that he followed correctly without his hander’s intervention (yeah, right). Jim performed at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, at Madison Square Garden, and he even impressed President William McKinley, who proclaimed, “This is the most astonishing and entertaining exhibition I have ever witnessed”. Jim died in 1912 at the age of 23 years. If you would like to learn more, there is a book: Amazon.com: Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World’s Smartest Horse (Audible Audio Edition): Mim Eichler Rivas, Mim E. Rivas, Blackstone Publishing: Audible Books & Originals https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Jim-Key-History-Smartest/dp/B08RSPKFM5

News from Outside the Ring

King Bests Knight

The Badminton Horse Trials, currently presented by Mars Equestrian, first started in 1949. At the time it was proclaimed “the most important horse event in Great Britain”. Even after 73 years, it is still a premier destination. In 2020 they were cancelled due to COVID, which was only the 6th time they had ever been cancelled. Bad weather led to cancellations 4 times: 1966, 1975, 1987, and 2012. An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease resulted in its cancellation in 2001. This coming year (2023) the coronation of Charles III and Queen Consort is forcing a postponement by 1 day, so that crosscountry does not coincide with the celebration, allowing everyone to participate in both events. A little more history about Badminton…the youngest horse to win was 5-year-old, Golden Willow ridden by John Shedden, who won at the first event in 1949. Golden Willow was said to be so wild that Mr. Shedden tied a piece of string from his belt to the saddle so that in case he fell off, he may still have some control over the horse! The oldest horse to win was Nereo, who was 17 and ridden by Andrew Nicholson in 2017. There have been only 2 winners from the US: Bruce Davidson on Eagle Lion in 1995, and David O’Connor on Custom Made in 1997.

Hit the Trails

Like going on a nice hack when not in training? The American Horse Council’s Recreation, Trails and Land Use Committee has published a new guide and national trails directory. It provides state-by-state trail information, so you can find horsefriendly paths, with additional information about land preservation, trail etiquette, and safe traveling with horses. The guide was compiled by Jay Harris of Transylvania University, Lexington, KY, who wanted a single place to find what had previously been scattered throughout numerous publications. Back Country Horsemen of America, Equine Land Conservation Resource, the State Horse Councils, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and American Trails also contributed to this directory. It can be found here: https://horsecouncil.org/national-trails-directory/.

Congratulations to our very own, Paige Zimmerman!

Paige was the recipient of this year’s USDF Region 1 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Dressage Community by a Youth

Much deserved for all you do for ESDCTA and the dressage community at large

Let Your Horse Find His Takeoff Spot for a

Let Your Horse Find His Takeoff Spot for a Jump?

Jump?

By, Earlen Haven, Country Haven, Woodstown, NJ

By, Earlen Haven, Country Haven, Woodstown, NJ

…. an interesting test held back in the 1920’s …….

This topic has been discussed for eons.   I am happy to read that more trainers are teaching riders to allow the horse to find his own takeoff spot for a jump these days.

In the February and March issues of Practical Horseman, there are a lot of articles mentioning the topic, which is great.  I am only going to highlight thoughts from a few of the “greats” quoted in the magazine.  If you want to read more in depth about the details of these articles, obtain back copies of the magazine.  There are a lot of great articles.

Let’s start with an article written by Leslie Threlkeld about a clinic with the German Olympic Event ing Gold Medalist, Andreas Diboweski, in the March 2017 issue.  He states “to focus on riding forward in balance - not on the distance - for a safer jump”.  He goes on to elaborate “both horse and rider share responsibility when riding cross country.  The rider’s responsibility, he says, is to show the horse the right direction, give him the correct speed, keep her own balance and know the condition of the horse and her own fitness.  The horse’s responsibility is to find the moment of takeoff.….By pulling the shoulder and upper body back while maintaining contact, a rider can half-halt and apply the leg so the horse carries himself better, thus creating the powerful canter we desire to jump safely. They don’t do that when we start to fight with the bit or pull on the rein.”….. “The neck is a very im portant part of the body for the horse to find their own balance.”

In the February issue, US Eventing Team show jumping coach, Silva Mazzoni states “I’m very big on working to get a better technique and teaching a horse to show jump clean, in the right form with the least amount of interference or help from the rider.”  Under his tips for a successful course, he states “Don’t get in the horse’s way of doing his job.”

Also in the February 2017 issue are comments from Tom Brennan, a USEF “R” hunter judge and the winner of the 2012 WCHR National Emerging Professional Championship. “Riders showing in the 2’ to 3’6’ hunter divisions merely need to arrive in the vicinity of a good takeoff spot to give their horses the opportunity to jump a fence well.  They don’t need the same precision that riders jumping 4’ or 5’ need.  Instead, they should focus on establishing the right rhythm, pace and track, and then relinquish control of the distance.”

I was taught that a good bascule was approximately 1 to 1 1/2 times the height of the fence.  In other words, a takeoff spot for a 3 foot fence would be 3 foot to 4 ½ foot from the base of the fence and the landing would be 3 foot to 4 ½ foot from the jump, creating a bascule of 6 foot to 9 foot.  Remember there are different size horses, with different lengths of stride all approaching the same jump.  It has been a good rule of thumb for me.  I am a big proponent of allowing the horse the use of his neck to

jump.  Even with fairly novice riders, we hardly ever had a refusal jumping because the horses could get themselves out of trouble if they needed to, with the use of their necks.

Recently I read a newspaper obituary about Artie Hawkins.  The famous hunter judge stated he never counted strides between jumps when judging.  He wanted the horse to get there in stride and smoothly.  I can remember years ago, when it started to become popular to count strides, the discus sions that we had at the USEF Hunter Judging Continuing Ed Forums lead to the same decision.

Buck Davidson, another one of our Olympic Eventers states “He emphasizes staying out of the horse’s way and letting him make mistakes so that he figures out how to fix them in the future…. Kicking and pulling at the lower levels will bring you a horse that is locked in his back and nervous.  Give them the room to jump. Be patient.”

And last but not least is an article in the March issue by Jim Wofford, one of our past Olympic Event ers concerning the test that was done back in the 1920s as an experiment at Fort Riley, Kansas with the cavalry.    “The Army took 100, 4-year-old remounts that were just coming into service and put them in a special 6-month program.  50 recruits who had just passed their Basic Equitation Course would be assigned 1 horse each.  In addition, 10 experienced first lieutenants and captains, graduates of the Officers’ Advanced Course would be assigned  to the program and given 5 remounts apiece to ride.  The program would culminate in a jumping test.”  Jim asked Gen. Henry which group scored better - the ones ridden by skillful riders or the ones who had been forced to negotiate the course without help from the advanced riders.  “Well,” he said, “it wasn’t even close”.  “The best and safest horses were the ones who had been allowed to figure it out for themselves”.

Jim went on to comment  ”Modern elite riders have developed their skills to impressive heights, and the quality of their riding is breathtaking.  It is a conundrum that our riders are better than ever, yet they partake in a sport that is statistically more dangerous than half a century ago.  My explanation for this is that the continued improvement in rider skills has sometimes caused riders and trainers to cross that invisible line between discipline and domination.  Our horses are ever-better trained and more athletic, but we must always remember that they are partners and friends, not slaves.”

At the end of one of our 8 week unmounted seminars, 2 of the students said they saw a sign that they had to get for me.  It said When in doubt, let your horse do the thinking.  That does pretty much speak for me.  In fact, I would even say, even when not in doubt, let your horse do the thinking. They really are so much more adept at making decisions than we give them credit.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Earlen Haven @ 856-769-1916 or Earlen@countryhavenfarms.com.