Atlanta Horse Connections Volume 27

27 TH EDITION - 2019

HORSE CENTS

FINANCING YOUR HORSE HABIT HOPE & HEALING

SURVIVING ABUSE

YOUR HORSE’S RISK FROM

MOSQUITOS A VISIT TO THE

FAR EAST

AMINE BADR Taking the Atlanta Art World by Storm

SPORT

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ENTERTAINMENT

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T R AV E L

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STYLE

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COMPETITION

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WELLNESS

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LIFEST YLE Hope & Healing

Horse Cents - How to Make Money in Horses

INTERNATIONAL A Visit to the Far East

EVENTING

A Great Start to 2019

ART S & ENTERTAINMENT Square Peg, Round Hole Artist Amine Badr

If you do keep trying, there is no guarantee that you will succeed, but if you don’t keep trying, it is absolutely guaranteed that you will not succeed.

– Denny Emerson

2019 EVENTING SEASON IS UNDERWAY!

what’s INSIDE 27 30 32

SHORT STIRRUPS Silly Gil

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DRESSAGE

Free ≠ Abandoned

WELLNESS

Fuego’s Journey It’s Not Just a Mosquito

Ivie Cullen-Dean and Fernhill Full Throttle

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SQUARE PEG, ROUND HOLE

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Penny Morse Editor Welcome to the first issue of Atlanta Horse Connections in 2019! A new year,

Heidi Caldwell Creative Director

and we have some old and some new writers to entertain and inform you!

This year we are excited to welcome Rule #1 Investing to our family of contributors! We all need to think about our financial future, and Melissa and

Maureen Forman Lifestyle Editor

Phil Town are going to advise us how to save and make our money grow. You are never too young or too old to start saving.

Lindsey Nieves is a blogger who has a lot to say about her life with horses. From her childhood to her return to horses as

Contributing Writers

an adult, with a job and a husband! Her sense of humor is wonderful and we think you will enjoy her outlook on life as

Yvonne Barteau

much as we do.

Maureen Forman Carolyn Haward Melissa Hyde-Town

We are excited to introduce Amine Badr, a wonderful and highly talented artist who has just moved to the Atlanta area.

Jenny Kepano

We think he is going to be the artist to know and own one of his works in years to come!

Dr. Kara M. Lascola Lindsay Nieves

Maureen Forman, our super Lifestyle Editor based in Los Angeles, has once again found a topic that we prefer not to talk

Amber Spiler

about but need to address. When I read this article, I was drawn in. Especially as this year was the start of the SafeSport

Bill Woods

course, and the number of people that were so annoyed about having to take it. In my opinion, if you had a problem taking it, then there were things going on in your life that meant you needed to take it. We should be addressing overzealous parents sending their children off to certain riders and trainers, paying for the privilege and ignoring the

Contributing Photographers

treatment of their kids, all in the name of success. This is nothing less than sex trafficking, a huge problem especially

Amine Badr

in the Atlanta area. Turning a blind eye to what goes on just because this is the horse industry, and in every discipline,

Kira Noelle Badr

makes it no less evil. Bottom line, we need to all find our sense of what is right and stop worrying about upsetting

Liz Crawley

people when we see something that is very wrong.

Maureen Forman Carolyn Haward

I hope there is something for everyone in this issue. We certainly enjoy keeping you informed!

Penny Morse

On the cover: Atlanta artist Amine Badr ŠKira Noelle Badr

Atlanta Horse Connections Magazine is part of City Horse Connections, an equestrian network bringing the equine world together, one city at a time.

/atlantahorseconnections

All articles and pictures are owned and copyrighted by City Horse Connections, a subsidiary of JJP Group.

Reproduction of copyrighted material, without prior permission of the copyright owner, is illegal according to 17 U.S.C. Reproductions of copyright materials apply not only to traditional works such as books, photographs, drawings, etc., but also digital media such as music, movies and software. Š2019.

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Maureen Forman

“

Well, the young queen, she fixed him with an arrogant eye. She said, ‘You won’t understand

”

and you may as well not try’ But her face was a child’s and he thought she would cry. But she closed herself up like a fan.

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– Suzanne Vega

HORSES REPRESENT metaphorical experiences to stimulate emotional growth.

The truth of horses is that they cannot be emotionally manipulated. Horses are clear on their boundaries. Horses don’t experience ‘fear paralysis’; they aren’t immobilized by fear. Horses aren’t manipulated by guilt. It’s inherent for a horse to flee threats, intimidation or danger. Unlike horses, victims of sexual violence don’t always behave the way we expect. How survivors react to a traumatic assault is individualized, and the science behind how trauma changes the brain is indisputable. Silence, or lack of protest or resistance does not show consent.

To the survivors of sexual abuse: It’s courageous of you to talk about this, and the equestrian community deeply respects your bravery. Thank you for coming forward. What happened to you was in no way your fault. You did what you needed to do in the situation.

The societal costs of sexual battery include the fact that victims do not always receive the help they need to recover, and perpetrators are not always held accountable. It’s interesting to note that sexual violence also promotes systemic gender inequity. Trans and gender nonconforming people report high rates of sexual violence, harassment, and assault in school because of their gender (NCTE 2009) Bisexuals, lesbian women, and gay men report levels of intimate partner violence and sexual violence equal to or greater than heterosexuals. (CDC 2013)* The individual costs of trauma include PTSD, depression, substance abuse, selfharming behaviors and suicidal thoughts.

Sexual assault is most often committed by someone the survivor knows. Often

it is someone in their own coterie. The fact is that most perpetrators of sexual violence know their victims. The survivors of sexual abuse by legendary horseman Jimmy Williams risked social ostracism by speaking out. After the 2018 NY Times Article exposed the numbers of victims any whispers about Jimmy Williams “not being able to defend himself postmortem”, were fiercely challenged to go back in time and protect Anne Kursinski from being assaulted at age eleven. While under reporting makes data difficult to gather, research has given us some understanding of perpetrators of sexual violence. In terms of what research shows, Jimmy Williams would be defined as a serial predator.

Research suggests that men who are perpetrators of sexual violence may: • have hostile attitudes towards women • believe in gender stereotypes about women and men believe that women often say no even when they expect or want sex • believe that alcohol can justify their actions exhibit hyper-masculinity Sexual assault is never a just a “misunderstanding.” Research on perpetrators of sexual violence suggests they: • plan their attacks • groom victims for attack • use alcohol to make potential victims more vulnerable • use violence to get victims to submit • use psychological tactics to coerce • victims rarely use weapons like guns or knives World renowned interventionist, author, and visionary, Brad Lamm, is the ‘rearranger of disorder’ and embodies

resilient compassion. Brad has appeared as an expert on a multitude of platforms.

It’s not unusual to view him, powerfully eloquent, on television, or experience him, daring and poetic in print. Those who have the pleasure of knowing him would recognize that he is devoted, recovered and curious. His kindness is balanced with just the right amount of complicated. His nationally recognized treatment centers, Breathe Life Healing Centers, Inc. deals with the ramifications of trauma in the form of addiction. His work with Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Mehmet Oz propelled him into the limelight, as he redefined the approach of intervention and treatment. He validates that the roots of self-harm are more often than not, the result of the impact of complex trauma. He explains that his clients self-soothe in a litany of ways, many useful and healthy, many useful and unhealthy. The second category alleviates the symptoms of trauma, yet are often unsustainable.

What is striking about Brad’s approach is that he also recognizes the trauma that is felt by the “voices that matter” (Friends, Family and Support Group or “Circle of Change”). “What to do!?” becomes a moment by moment mantra of desperation rather than a once in a while cry that ordinary living provides. He prefaces his answer to AHC’s question about how to address pain felt by the support person/people with, “Caring is our human condition. When worn down, discouraged and hurt, one can easily and understandably move into another state entirely–one of apathy. “I don’t care because doing so is just too exhausting, debilitating, hurtful, etc.” The goal at that point in treatment is to help not only the Identified Loved One (ILO) change states, but also the ILO’s support system. As the care giver’s central nervous system holds AHC

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©Maureen Forman

Abusers use alcohol to make potential victims more vulnerable and horse shows can be the perfect place to accommodate that behavior in an unsupervised setting.

these repetitive wounds, these traumas, it adapts and carries on.

The irony of equine therapy as being a proven model for trauma treatment and addiction is not lost on the numerous victims of trauma that occurred within the equine community, at the barn, or at the horse shows. Victim blaming is a major barrier to reporting. The reaction to Jimmy William’s accusers has been visceral and divisive. Reading about how Jimmy groomed both horse and rider, and absorbing their legacy of pain that comes with that complex trauma is difficult to say the least. We must impress to the brave victims that it’s not their fault. We must

avoid asking speculative or interrogatory questions. It is not your job to investigate or make judgments about what happened.

Asking these questions can make a victim feel you’re blaming them for what happened. As a community, we must intervene if you hear of victim blaming.

Survivors of sexual assault who have come forward are among the great faces of heroism...confronting the trauma and addiction is nothing less than courageous, heroic, defiant and, ultimately, victorious.

Brad Lamm is one of the most recognizable names in recovery. When he is not saving lives, you can find him biking, working out, meditating, reading and

relaxing with his husband Scott and miniature schnauzer Billie Goat. Based in both LA and NY, he shares that Provincetown, MA is indeed a special spot for him. “The sand, sun and water–along with a vibrant recovery community there– sends me.”

AHC would like to thank the survivors of Jimmy Williams’ assaults for finding the courage to speak publicly. We encourage others who are not ready to speak about trauma, but are coping by abusing drugs, alcohol, sex etc., to seek professional help through their journey of healing, and to never forget that they are loved and they are beautiful.

Brad Lamm, CIP Brad is an author and teacher best known for helping people make life-enhancing change. Brad’s mission is to help families have “more good-less bad” in their lives and to reduce suffering. He began his own recovery journey in 2002 from addiction and an eating disorder. What seemed an impossible challenge proved how even the most challenging case might not just get better, but thrive from a starting point of hopelessness.

He has popularized the “invitational intervention” where family and friends are invited to collaborate on a Change Agreement. This gentler intervention technique is evidence-based and highly successful.

He has managed more than 1,000 invitational interventions, visited hundreds of treatment facilities across the country, presented before Parliament in the UK, served on the board of the Association of Intervention Specialists and collaborated with the most knowledgeable and effective specialists in the field of behavioral health while working at the state level to introduce treatment options to communities. In 2012, he opened the 54-bed sub-acute trauma program, Breathe Life Healing Center in West Hollywood, California. Breathe’s treatment standards are industry-leading and aimed to support mind, body, and spirit. He has been in private practice for more than a dozen years and his scope of practice includes entire families, vets, and adolescents. Brad believes the family is incredibly resilient and uniquely poised to offer support, and loving leverage to help a someone they love, begin change. www.breathelifehealingcenters.com

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L I F E & H E A LT H

HORSECENTS Melissa Hyde-Twon

HOW DO YOU MAKE A LITTLE MONEY

WITH HORSES?

Becoming a Millionaire in the Horse Industry, Without Starting as a Billionaire!

WELL, YOU FIRST START with a lot of money!

Let’s be honest fellow horsey people, we are uniquely different than most other enthusiasts in that we prioritize our entire lives, relationships and finances around our horse addiction….err, I mean equine hobby. We decide where we live according to proximity to our boarding facility or even become farm owners. We spend inordinate amounts of time with our horses, sometimes to the exclusion of spending time with our family and non-horsey friends. We shell out significant chunks of our income to all things required to care for them in the form of boarding, shoeing, veterinarians and training. And when you add being a competitor, the costs can really expand exponentially. If you are fortunate enough to have a supporting benefactor

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in the form of parents, spouses or owners to underwrite these costs….count yourself among the luckiest and go hug them…. NOW! Most horse owners and competitors however, fall into the category of funding their own equine hobby and it undoubtedly results in a financial struggle for one of two reasons. Either you don’t make enough money to support your hobby or you are not wisely spending the money you do make! In my line of business, we help people manage their personal finances and teach them how to invest their money on their own. Both of these things require creating a budget and planning and to do each of these, requires a little bit of the “Big-D”….discipline. But before you shudder at the thought of imposing

discipline on yourself, consider this. YOU ARE ALREADY ONE OF THE MOST DISCIPLINED PERSONS IN OUR POPULATION! You are a horse owner/ rider/competitor and by necessity, must be disciplined. So, for kicks, let’s look at a few simple things you can do with that intrinsic discipline you possess and apply it to a few strategies designed to free up some cold hard cash that could be better used for let’s say, training and horse shows!

1. Track your finances Yes, that’s right, take an hour (your horse won’t miss you; he’s happily grazing without a thought of you) and create a simple budget of your income and expenses to see where all the moo-lah is going. Pull out your credit card statements and checkbook and download a budgeting app (or hand write one) and record where the heck you are spending your hardearned cash. Once you can see where the money is going, you can find opportunity to determine where it can be better allocated towards your equine pursuits.

2. Think about the long-term benefits and drawbacks of your purchases You will be surprised at how many of your purchases you don’t even remember making or what they were for! Most horse owners make far too many impulse buys on horse items that are unnecessary.

I mean how many saddle pads, different

bits and latest tendon boots do you really need? These impulse purchases are probably putting you in debt and robbing you of funds you really need for entry fees or unexpected vet bills in the future.

3. Only use credit cards when you absolutely have to This is not news to you and you know it!

Remember grandma and grandpa’s rule about only buying things when you have the cash to pay for it outright? Well, their ancient, sage advice is right. Unless you can pay off your credit card bill in full each month, you could be paying as much as 20+% or more for that new bridle, than had you paid cash for it. Not to mention the peace of mind you have in knowing that you have a balance available to you on your card for the unexpected vet emergency your horse will gift you with sometime later this year.

favorite pro rider. Buying just to brandish their logos and use the same hi-tech equipment can be expensive and in all honesty is probably overkill for the level of riding most amateurs enjoy.

Don’t fall into the marketing trap used by these companies that you must buy their product so you will get noticed by the judge better or that your effectiveness as a rider depends on their tack. Instead, ask yourself this question; “who am I trying to impress?” In your heart of hearts, if you cannot make a valid argument for why you truly need these new $250 breeches, you probably are about to load up

es

e show f

4. Stop trying to impress everyone else Everybody loves sporting the latest fashion trend in riding apparel or using the same saddle and boots as our

that clinic is

vet bills

HOW Much?? farrier ts

supplemen

good hay

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your credit card with un-necessary debt to impress someone else. Instead, use the cash on an extra lesson or a clinic to truly improve your skills and impress the judge, and that competitor two stalls down that always beats you by 2 points!

5. Figure out what habits are draining your budget Did you know that if you have a smart phone or participate in social media your every consumer habit is being tracked?

Yep, that’s right! Those sneaky folks at Facebook, Amazon, Instagram etc. are tracking your buying and browsing habits so that they can bombard you with ads for all those products you just gotta have!

Can’t live without…must buy now or offer ends…. the Kardashians are using them for goodness sake!

Apple-Pay, Venmo and PayPal make it easy with one click to get that newest sensation in shedding blades and best fly trap ever in the history of the world right this moment as it pops up in an ad on your computer screen! Don’t do it y’all! You actually CAN live without it and have your entire life.

Now go put that money you were about to spend in an envelope marked “lesson fees” and don’t open it back up until your trainer puts her hand out!

Budget” and set them right on your kitchen counter. Do this so you will see them when you get back inside and implement strategy #1. Take the first step in creating more abundance in your equine coffers. I promise you will see the financial results in time for the summer show season and will be patting yourself on the back for doing what already comes so naturally for you as a horse person, employing your discipline.

Wow! You made it through the entire article on establishing some “Big D” in your personal finance life to fund your equine addiction. Congratulations! We all want more money to spend on bettering ourselves as horsemen and women so hopefully a part of you is willing to try implementing some of these strategies. So now, before you set this magazine aside to go toss hay and check water buckets, do one more thing; grab a pen and pad, write on the top of the page “My

Now go play with your horses!

– Melissa (Author’s note: I’d love to hear from you regarding the biggest financial challenge you have in your equine hobby. Drop me a note at PersonalFinance@RuleOneInvesting. com and I will gather the most common financial challenges faced by you all and try to help devise a solution to them in next month’s edition of Atlanta Horse Connections)

money can’t buy happiness,

but it can buy horses, (which is pretty much the same thing.)

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MIKE CALDWELL

Carolyn Haward FEI International Show Jumping Judge, Greece

a visit to the

FAR EAST I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, a couple of weeks before President Trump did but my experience undoubtedly differed radically from his. To tell you about it, I’m going to deviate from equestrian sports in this issue and describe my first impressions of the Asian world.

I ARRIVED IN HANOI, VIETNAM, a couple of weeks before President Trump did but my experience undoubtedly differed radically from his. To tell you about it, I’m going to deviate from equestrian sports in this issue and describe my first impressions of the Asian world.

First contact was at the moment when I stepped out of the taxi onto the pavement outside our hotel, or outside where our hotel should have been. Er, hotel? I couldn’t see a hotel anywhere.

“Are you sure this is the correct address,” I enquired of the taxi driver, whose knowledge of English was limited to a few greetings and the word ‘football’. All I could see was a dirty roll- down shutter over

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the front of an abandoned shop.

At the side was a dark narrow alleyway, to which our taxi driver was pointing. Horrified, I watched as he proceeded to wheel our two suitcases into the aforementioned dark passageway.

It was worse than I could have ever imagined! The filthy ground was littered everywhere with rubbish and just above our heads hung myriad electric cables loosely strung together and so close that they threatened to zap us into oblivion without so much as a moment’s notice.

Ducking and cringing and expecting

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Left page: Halong Bay 1. Life on the streets in Vietnam 2. One of the many ‘Dragon’ boats 3. Lantern shop in Hoi An 4. One of the many ornate temples 5. A regular day on the streets 6. Hotel reception area, with a decorated shrine to Buddhain honor of the Chinese/Vietnamese New Year

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rats to jump out from each black cranny we passed (I’m sure there must have been plenty around) we finally turned a corner to come face to face with the brightly lit frontage of our hotel. Stepping across the threshold, we couldn’t have come across a more drastic contrast to its most unholy shambles of an approach path. Here was a marbled reception area, albeit rather small, decorated with multicolored flowers and exotic fruits before a shrine to Buddha –this in honor of Chinese/Vietnamese New Year–next to the reception desk.

little stools on the black pavements eating their evening meal surrounded by mounds of rubbish; gorgeous temples and pagodas filled with golden statues, fruit and flower offerings; poor shanty town villages mired in mud and garbage; vast expanses of lush vegetation, rice fields, coconut laden palm trees, trees bearing large fruit that I didn’t even know the name of, blue lagoons with traditional boats plying their trades... and everywhere such gentle polite people always willing to help and make our stay as memorable as possible.

A gilt rococo mantel clock and brightly decorated paintings of Vietnamese rural life completed the totally over the top decor. This was to set the scene for the whole of my time in Vietnam, a country of sharp contrasts: the abject squalor of filthy backstreets with locals squatting on

Needless to say, we didn’t stay at that first hotel. The room given to us was far too small, there was no wardrobe to speak of, a tap in the bathroom leaked and the view from the tiny window gave on to another black alley and a hovel so close you could almost touch it. Anyway, I could never

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have borne going to and fro along that awful dark alley every day. How that hotel ever got a 9.6 rating from TripAdvisor I’ll never understand. We moved to another hotel in the same part of the old town district but with much improved facilities.

This lively heart of the city is buzzing with activity: people selling all kinds of wares on the pavements, whole streets devoted to markets, surprisingly good restaurants serving excellent local food, especially those on the edge of the lake. This lake is a pretty sight with a wonderfully decorated temple on an island approached by a picturesque red wooden bridge. One thing to be aware of, though, is the horrendous traffic, not so much in the number of cars as the number of motorbikes. For a city with a population of 7.5 million, there are 5 million motorbikes! And no pedestrian AHC

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crossings! You just pick your moment, take a deep breath and start walking! Somehow you can make it to the other side alive as the vehicles dart around you!

Further north from Hanoi is Halong Bay, a World Heritage Site of great beauty, best visited by taking a 2-3-day trip on one of the local boats. We took a traditional wooden boat which offered very clean cabins with en suite bathrooms. Dine on their superb cuisine while watching the amazing scenery move across the windows–huge limestone outcrops covered in vegetation are dotted all around this enormous bay covering an area in excess of 600 square miles. It is truly a sight to be seen and treasured. During our stay we visited, among other things, an underground cave system which is the largest in south east Asia, a pearl farm where we learnt how live oysters are impregnated to produce real pearls a year or two later and a floating village where families still live today.

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1. Outside entrance of one of the many temples 2. The Mekong Delta 3. An exotic cuisine display 4. How to serve fish Vietnamese style 5. Canoeing on the Mekong Delta 6. Lantern Festival in Hoi Right page: Boat houses on Halong Bay

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From Halong Bay our journey moved southward again, to Hue and then Hoi An, both situated in central Vietnam. The former has a strong French influence, a result of old colonial times. Here can be seen wide tree-lined boulevards, a riverside boardwalk, numerous cafes and restaurants and Dragon boats for rides on the Perfume river. What wonderful names! At night the roads along the river are lit up with mostly flower inspired illuminations. A four-hour train journey to Danang, then a short drive by taxi brought us to the latter town of Hoi An, a delightful pretty town, again on a river, and famous for its lanterns.

They hang across almost every street and decorate shop fronts, restaurants, hotels, boats and bridges. We were lucky enough to be there for the annual Lantern Festival.

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Not only were all the lanterns lit up at night but on this special festival the people take a paper lantern down to the water edge, where they place a candle inside, light it and set the little lantern boat afloat.

Others take their paper lantern onto a boat and set it off from there. Hundreds of these lanterns float slowly down the river until finally they catch fire and go out in a blaze of glory; quite a sight to behold!

This little town is also renowned for its tailors. Take any picture of a dress or suit and they can make it to your measurements within 24 hours. Also of special interest is the night market selling all kinds of trinkets, souvenirs, leather goods, lanterns, jewelry and, of course, food. I can highly recommend the mixed rice with sea food, sweet and sour chicken or beef, or any of the soups with noodles.

But I have little to say about roasted frogs, snakes and scorpions on sticks! Definitely not for the faint hearted! The locals claim that they give you strength but I go weak at the knees just at the thought of one of those creatures near my mouth!

Our last port of call was the capital city of Saigon or alternatively known as Ho Chi Minh City, named after the Vietnamese hero who helped unite the country into one nation. A vibrant city in itself, Ho Chi Minh has little to offer that cannot be found in many other big cities. There are numerous skyscrapers, plenty of traffic with the ubiquitous motorbikes, a French inspired opera house, and, of course, a large river, which offers the tourists evening trips with 3-4 course dinners on board large pleasure craft. In the daytime we did a tour of the city in a fun way, by

cyclo, a kind of bicycle rickshaw. These cyclos have right of way, so you get great pleasure in weaving safely in between all the crazy traffic. At each point of interest your guide, who is following behind on a motorbike, will come and give all the necessary background information to make it all more interesting.

narrow channels through the mangroves and see from close up all the various exotic tropical fruits- papaya, jack fruit , lychees, mangoes, dragon fruit, pineapples.

Lunch was served in a traditional home among all the trees, a most delicious five course meal decorated by figures carved by hand out of vegetables!

We also took off from Ho Chi Minh to the Mekong delta for a couple of days of rural peace before we had to start our journey home. The Mekong is a huge complex of waterways in the far south of the country. Rather than stay on a boat again, we opted for a riverside resort which offered us a stay in a little thatched cottage on stilts, right by the river. From here we were able to take a small boat to visit the surrounding area: a floating market, a rowing boat to take us up the

From there it was back to Ho Chi Minh to catch a plane to Hong Kong and from there to London. Back to cold weather and some plain cooking. I must admit I was actually looking forward to a roast dinner with potatoes. I think I was rather noodled out!

Also, back to unpacking, then packing again. I’m off to Italy to do some judging at a couple of CSI 3*s, so it will be equestrian again next time!

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Ivie Cullen-Dean and Fernhill Full Throttle

Mary Bess Davis and Bahlan Macadamia

eventing off to a great start for These pairs were at the March Horse Trials at Chattahoochee Hills, March 2-3. Looking forward to seeing them again and YOU this season!

Julie Richards and Fernhill Stateside

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2019

Sommer Matheny and Hips Don’t Lie

Charlotte Cloudsdale and Oxygen

Megan Harris and TBS Declan Pondi

Ivie Cullen-Dean and Fernhill Full Throttle

William Kidwell and Tremelo

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WE LIVED IN a rural area during my childhood and a couple of our neighbors had poorly looking lawn ornaments with hooves, which I visited on a regular basis. I was obsessed, but clueless, and thankfully my parents realized that if I was going to steal away under the cover of night to trespass and feed carrots to anything that resembled a horse, the least they could do was help me find an outlet to appropriately– and with supervision–follow a developing passion.

Square Peg, Round Hole Lindsey Nieves

What feels like a lifetime ago, in an era where wool show coats and rust colored breeches topped the sales charts, I blindly entered the horse world. Well, to be fair, my parents entered me into it.

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Without the likes of Facebook recommendations and Google searches, my mom got the name of a woman who had a small farm and was giving lessons to kids from our neighbor.

She called, as you did in the 80’s, and gathered up the information which would set me on a lifelong path in the equestrian world. I started lessons a few short weeks after that with week long horse camps, horse shows and ultimately leasing a pony to follow.

It’s funny looking back now with the favor of so much technology, that a single recommendation and phone call launched an entire lifetime for me. Truly though, we lucked out.

The woman my mom had found turned out to be a qualified and capable horsewoman who placed heavy emphasis on horsemanship and equitation. From beginner lessons at 7 years old through preparing me to ride on the equestrian team for The College of Charleston, she was always there - in front of me leading the way, beside me guiding me, and behind me cheering for and encouraging me.

My parents were never able to afford a horse for me. In fact, sometimes now I wonder what sacrifices they really made to just keep me riding for all of those years. Typical of most kids who go off to college and graduate and get jobs, riding fell by the wayside for me.

Partially time and partially money, my commitments were launching a career and trying to pay my rent and car payments on my own. While I would always jump at any chance to ride, really I was just focused on making ends meet and getting settled in life. For well over a decade, I had to let my passion of riding take a back seat.

Fast forward to a, seemingly abrupt, arrival to my 30’s–finally settled, finally in a job where I have expendable income, and finally in a place with extra time. A seed of thought crept in when that same trainer I had spent my childhood working with bought a farm approximately 5 minutes down the road from where I was living. And now, with the luxury of Google searches, I obsessively started looking into what I would need to ride again growing that seed into something with roots.

I found a Chronicle forum where I discovered that the horse-world calls people like me a re-rider. People who left riding for whatever reason, to return in adulthood and start over. I had a new label. However, everything in the equestrian world had changed. Helmets are safer (no more clear harnesses?), breeches and shirts are technical fabrics (no more wool and dry clean only?), saddles are largely French with knee and thigh blocks (no plain flaps?). It was like navigating a city you know intimately, but at the same time all the street signs have changed. It dawned on me that

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815 Herring Rd., Newnan, GA 30265 though my previous trainer had made a solid name for herself in my local horse community, that I was looking for–and needed–something a little more laid back to relaunch my riding career. I feared that the cutthroat hunter/jumper show barn world was not one I could afford or enjoy any longer, though I desperately wanted to ride again.

And so, in true millennial fashion, I also scoured the internet for trainers and barns that could fit my wants and needs as a 30-something year old, newly labeled rerider. No, I didn’t want to be in a lesson mill with 10 year old kids, no I didn’t own a horse, no I didn’t want to be required to show every weekend and on and on until I nearly gave up the dream I had of finding a place to fit me. I was a square peg in a round hole and nothing felt just right.

Until one day, maybe a year or so into my

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search, I happened upon a place that was the just the right distance and just the right size. My hopes grew after meeting with the trainer that it could be the matching square hole for which I had searched exhaustively. While the focus of this barn was on the eventing discipline, the vibe felt right. Could I be a 30-something year old hunter/jumper reinventing herself as an eventer? I was skeptical, but decided to give it a chance. And much like the beginning of my early days with lessons, I found myself forging friendships, learning about eventing, leasing a horse, and showing again. About a year later, fully entrenched back into the world I fell in love with long ago, I finally bought my first horse.

back on this decades long journey, I see how each person, place and horse had a hand in helping me find a new place where I could fit in. With the perspective only age and experience can bring, it’s easier now to see that some things are worth waiting for.

For all of the square pegs out there, I hope that you persist. Even if it looks a little too shiny and confusing at first, there is always going to be place waiting for you.

While I joke about being a recovering hunter, a re-rider who can’t find a place in this new world of low rise britches, bedazzled headwear and bright cross country garb; the truth is that when I look AHC

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Jenny Kepano

Amine Badr

A C O S M O P O L I TA N A R T I S T S E T T L E S I N AT L A N TA AMINE CAME FROM AN interesting family.

His grandfather was a Shakespearean scholar, an expert in Old Master paintings, and an art dealer. His grandmother was an original member of the renowned Bluebell Girls at the Folies Bergère. His mother who lived in the UK, went to live and study in Germany where she met his father. Amine was born in Ireland, and lived in Germany and France with his parents and older brother. He became very inspired by the nature and history of the different cultures and countries he visited and lived in.

In 2002 Amine moved to Paris. He tried his hand in many trades, but always seemed to find himself coming back to his paint brushes and canvases, so he enrolled at the Atelier des Beaux Arts. His passion was solidified and his love for art, along with his skill and technique, began to flourish. In 2016 Amine moved his career to the United States where he decided lay his roots. He now lives in Atlanta where he

“

I am inspired by the colors and shapes that surround me in my everyday life. I love to add dimension and whimsy to my pieces by playing with the shapes and color to give

continues to explore, create and grow as

a different perspective. My

an artist.

work is a way for what I see to transform and live on.

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–Amine

Walk Through the Park AHC

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Above: Hunters Opposite page, top left: Open Field top right: Six Wonders middle: Wine Time bottom left: Rainbow Trees bottom right: San Marco

“I use acrylic for the background and I use oil paint for the shapes in the front scene. When I finish, I add details with oil pastels and charcoal. Sometimes I sculpt the shapes with molding paste on canvas and paint it to give my paintings a three-dimensional movement.�

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Providing advanced diagnostics, routine, complex and emergency medical and surgical care to horses with a variety of ocular disorders.

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The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and Ophthalmology welcome the addition of two new The Equine Internal Medicine Service is an integral part of the equineDrs. ophthalmology health care team. faculty members, Richard McMullen and Shannon THIS IS ADVANCED Boveland.

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1/18/17 7:34 AM

Amber Spiler

Silly Gil

A hun ting we will go!

It's me Gil, the best pony ever. We are nearing the end of Winter finally and all I can think about is the tender, green grass sprouts that will start poking out of the ground soon. They are so yummy and sweet and they just melt in my mouth. Oops, I'm drooling. Wonder if that's the clover?

Oh no. I hear the jingle jangle of Puck’s tags on his collar. Puck is the naughty Jack Russell Terrier mutt that lives with my girl.

He always gets me into trouble so I will try to ignore him.

“I love hunting!” He starts sniffing around with his little pointy snout.

“Yap” Ugh. “Gil, Gil! My girl is coming to get you and take you on a trip today.” My girl.

Then I hear it. The sound of grain rattling around in a bucket. I love grain. There she is. My girl, skipping down the lane toward my field with the promised bucket of grain.

She loves me.

So, I’ve heard. I continue munching as we wind our way up the dirt lane to the barn and eventually into the trailer. An hour later I find myself all tacked up and in the middle of a pack of howling hounds. They call them hounds but they look like big Jack Russell Terrier Mutts to me. Speaking of…

“Gil!” She throws her arms around my neck

“Psst, Gil.” That silly mutt has been hiding

“She is taking you fox hunting!” He is literally hopping up and down with excitement now.

“Cat hunting, mouse hunting…I am a mighty hunter.” Mighty small is all I can say.

as I dive into the bucket. “We are going on the best adventure today. We are going fox hunting!”

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in the back of the truck. What is he up to?

“I’m going to hunt with the other hounds.”

He’s all puffed up now. “And I will be the winner of the fox hunt. Just watch me.” He gave a quiet yap and then disappeared.

I sigh and shake my head. A second later I start a bit because someone is blowing a horn. Sheesh. This is a loud group of animals and humans.

Off we go! Well, we are actually walking and standing a lot. So far this isn’t really hard work and that’s perfectly fine with me.

Gives me time to snack on the tiny green leaves growing on the trees as we stand around listening to the humans and the hounds competing on who can make the most noise.

“Oh!” my girl cries, “Look! The hounds have found something! Let’s go!” We slowly

start to move one at a time and as we form a line we start trotting. Whoa, now we are cantering. The hounds really must have found a fox. Then I hear that familiar voice.

“Gil, Gil, Gil!” what? “Gil, help me!” I look down and that silly mutt is galloping along beside me. “They think I’m the fox! Help!”

I snorted because that’s my pony laugh.

Now the little mutt was finally going to get what he deserved.

“Gil!” He jumped away from a hound who was trying to take a bite of him. Okay. Much to my girls dismay I slowed down a bit.

“Gil?” My girl sounded concerned. “Oh! Puck!” Puck leaped onto a log and bounced right on to my back. I pinned my ears and swished my tail to let him know that I didn’t like it.

“What are you doing out here?” I could hear Puck panting and licking at my girl’s face. “You silly mutt! It’s a good thing Gil saw you when he did or you would be hound food.”

We finished the hunt with cheeky little Puck sitting in front of my girl riding on my back as if he were some sort of hero. After the hunt, at the brunch I actually saw my girl giving him some of her ham. I can’t believe I do all the work and he gets the treats.

Later that day when we got back to my pasture my girl slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a big, orange carrot.

“Gil, today you were such a good boy. You ran with the big horses and then saved my favorite pup. You are the best pony ever!”

I nuzzled my face into her chest and she hugged me tight.

Today I was a good pony.

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Fuego’s

Journey

Yvonne Barteau

YVONNE BARTEAU HERE. Many of you know me as a Grand Prix dressage rider/trainer, author or filmmaker. While I am still all of those things, my current mission is to educate and do my part to make folks aware of the plight of unwanted horses here in the United States of America. Our country still ships over 140 thousand horses across our borders into Mexico or Canada each and every year to a very inhumane end of life. As a lifetime horse trainer I cannot turn a blind eye to their plight. As a nation of horse lovers we need to band together, use our one voice, and say no.

Our family now lives year round at Rock Bluff Ranch in Bell,s Florida. This is the home of KYB Dressage and Horses without Humans the 501c3 we opened in 2017 to help those with no voice of their own. We currently have over 40 adoptables all in various stages of training. I thought to take one of our many rescue projects and share his story with you.

Fuego is a seven year old red roan Paso Fino. He was part of the Lake Butler, Florida seizure. Fifty horses in various stages of neglect, some needing to be euthanized were taken from the farm they had basically been abandoned at, and moved to an evaluation center. I was called in to assess the horses, personality and training wise. I spent just minutes with each, and agreed to take seven of them in for rehab, retraining and adoption. One little scaredy cat caught my eye.

He was super sensitive and very worried about his situation but wanted to latch onto something or someone that would ease his concerns. I did a very small session of join up with him during that initial evaluation. While at first he was tearing around his little enclosure like a scalded cat I could tell he wanted to lock in and find peace with me. So he was an easy selection.

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Little Fuego has a mixture of fearful and aloof tendencies.

This makes him slightly more complicated to train and also makes repetition extremely important for him.

When we came back to collect our little herd I again did a join up session with the little gelding we had named Fuego.

He was quicker to respond this time and after I had him haltered I walked him to the trailer and loaded him without difficulty. We put the new ones in quarantine pens, two to a pen, except for a little mare (Rosie) who was much too thin and needed to be stalled. Fuego was in with Gaston a little grey of similar temperament with a milder and less worried reaction to things. I tried to find a moment every day to visit my new friend because he would revert to his scared antics if not interacted with enough.

As the calories started to soak in to our Paso group they all started basic ground control. It was obvious these horses had received very little handling. It is also hard to adopt out such horses. Training is an expense that many rescue organizations cannot afford and while horses get handling, it is training they need in order to have a chance at becoming a valuable partner to someone. Through the training process we get a unique understanding of each individual. This allows us to accurately represent them to potential adopters.

Little Fuego has a mixture of fearful and aloof tendencies. This makes him

slightly more complicated to train and also makes repetition extremely important for him. On the front side he presents his fear and insecurities but when he gets more comfortable his attention span is limited and he needs short sessions

with repetitions to gain comfort and awareness of new things. He will likely best suit someone who is calm, not fearful themselves who wants a partner and has time to spend with him.

I will share more photos of how we start Fuego under saddle during future posts.

We will stay with this little charmer in some fashion until he finds his forever

next chapter of his journey which is the riding part.

Horses without Humans allows people to adopt horses, train them, and then re sell for a profit. Future buyers just need to be made aware that the horse has a family at Horses without Humans. Adoption fees vary at Horses without Humans depending on age, quality, training etc.

If a horse is adopted and then proves not suitable he can be exchanged with one that is. Some horses need lots of training before they can be safely adopted. We try to help folks looking to adopt, find a suitable partner for their set of circumstances so that successful partnerships can be formed. Please reach out if you can help in any way. Volunteers, donations of money, goods or services, fostering or adopting all help us keep our wheels turning so we can save more horses. Horses who may have no chance at life, unless we intervene. My email is kybdressage@aol.com and our website is Horseswithouthumans.org. Please look us up or reach out if you can help.

See you on down the trail...

person. I have to say I am kind of in love with him myself. The shoulder and hip control work we do as part of our ground control training has prepared him for the

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IT’S NOT JUST A MOSQUITO

Understanding the Risk to Your Horse

Kara M. Lascola, DVM, MS, DACVIM Associate Professor Equine Internal Medicine, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine

MOSQUITOS ARE A COMMON NUISANCE for those of us who enjoy outdoor activities. While horses may not experience the annoying itch associated with a mosquito bite, there may be significant health consequences if the mosquito is carrying a virus that can cause potentially fatal neurologic disease. The three important viruses associated with neurologic disease are Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), and West Nile Virus (WNV). Birds are the natural reservoir for these viruses. When mosquitoes feed on birds carrying the virus, they become infected and can then transmit the virus to other birds, humans, or horses.

These viruses can cause inflammation of the brain, which is called encephalitis. All are reportable diseases, rely on infection through mosquito vectors, and pose significant health risks to humans as well as horses. Vaccination against these viruses should always be part of your horse’s core vaccine program. Because these are reportable diseases, your state veterinarian must be notified if your horse is diagnosed with EEE, WEE, or WNV. While infected horses are not a source of infection to other horses or humans, they are important sentinel species because they indicate the risk of infection in a given area.

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Neurologic disease associated with EEE and WEE is often called “equine sleeping sickness� because of the characteristic periods of stupor observed in many horses.

In North America EEE causes the most severe neurologic disease in both horses and humans. The number of cases reported in horses varies by year, but averages between 100 and 300. While EEE is reported most frequently in the southern U.S. (southeast, southwest, Gulf coast), cases are identified in eastern regions as far north as Canada as well as in the northern Midwest.

WEE is found in the western US and although occasionally detected in wild birds, cases in horses have not been reported for over 20 years. Compared to EEE, WEE results in milder neurologic disease and has a lower mortality (20-40%).

WNV exists throughout the continental US. Disease is most common in humans, birds, and horses but is also reported in cats, dogs, alpacas, and small ruminants.

First documented in the US in 1999, WNV peaked in 2002 when > 15,000 horses became infected. While WNV disease in

The most common neurologic signs of WNV include behavior changes, muscle twitching, and poor balance.

In horses, mortality associated with EEE infection is 75-95% and the progression of disease is quite rapid. Fever may precipitate neurological signs that often appear suddenly and can include altered behavior, compulsive walking or circling, increased sensitivity, excitability, stupor muscle twitching, head tilt, and problems with balance, swallowing, or breathing.

Progression to paralysis, seizures, and death is common and usually occurs within a few days. In horses that survive infection, recovery is long and often incomplete.

horses has declined with regular vaccination, approximately 200-600 cases are still reported annually. Signs and severity of WNV disease vary considerably in horses and mortality is 30-40%. While the most common neurologic signs include behavior changes, muscle twitching, and poor balance, numerous other neurologic signs can also occur.

There is no cure for WNV, EEE, or WEE. Supportive care may be prolonged but is critical for horses showing signs of disease.

Accurate diagnosis requires

laboratory testing to detect antibodies to the virus in the horse’s blood or spinal fluid and is essential as these are reportable diseases. Vaccination is the cornerstone for prevention of EEE, WEE, and WNV. Horses living in areas with a longer mosquito season, such as the southern US, should be vaccinated every 4-6 months. Mosquito control and decreasing exposure to mosquitoes is also extremely critical.

Mosquitoes are spreading across greater geographic ranges and there is a potential increased risk for the introduction of foreign mosquito-borne diseases, such as Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE), within the US. VEE could have important consequences for both humans and horses.

Historically confined to central and south America, VEE has been reported in Florida.

Disease associated with VEE infection is similar to EEE and WEE with the important distinction that infected horses can serve as a source of infection to other horses and humans. While the risk for VEE infection in your horse is currently very low, ensuring appropriate control of mosquito populations, vaccination against known mosquito-borne diseases, and good preventative care for your horses remains important.

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Free ≠ abandoned

Bill Woods

IF YOUR REACTION IS “Oh, yeah, everybody knows this,” then simply congratulate yourself. If you are an event rider, a foxhunter, or a trail rider, then what I am about to say ought to be second nature. But especially if you are late to riding and in particular to dressage riding, and even more so if you have acquired a schoolmaster to pursue your dream, then listen up!

For the better part of 50 years, a holiday tradition of mine has been the Christmas Day trail ride. Long ago we would foxhunt on Christmas morning. Over the years as we have progressively ossified and increasingly pickled ourselves for the occasion, the ride has devolved into a more casual stroll around the neighborhood... leading me to this observation: While I am totally in favor of technical riding, the notion of having your horse “on the bit” should be a matter of choice, not a reflexive defense mechanism every time you put your foot in the stirrup, especially if your intention is to have a leisurely trail ride.

It’s about letting go, about teaching your horse (if he doesn’t already know) how to deal with freedom, about trusting him, and about not micromanaging every step that he takes.

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Yes, at times of your choosing you may wish to school your horse out in the open, and you should be able to put him on the bit anytime you want. But that is entirely different from riding out always on a tight rein, the horse on contact, and his neck shortened and flexed. Perhaps you do it out of habit, perhaps from lack of confidence. Either way, the message you transmit to your horse with restrictive forearms and clenched fists hardly invites relaxation!

Constant restraint equates to pulling. You pull. He pulls.

It happens in the arena, and it happens on the trail. Just as every half halt should be an interruption and a momentary release (his reward), so must the advises you give him when riding out. “Check then allow and repeat as necessary!”

Here’s a tip: a worthwhile skill to develop is the ability to bluff, to fake it. I can think of times when a horse I was on was actually running away with me, but as long as I didn’t reveal that fact to him, he didn’t really use his advantage, and I was able to regain control.

So if you hack it out, just survey yourself. Suck it up and remember, “on the buckle” means more than letting the reins be 2 inches longer!

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