NEW YORK HORSE STORIES. ADVICE. HORSEPLAY.
CENTRAL NEW YORK EDITION | FALL 2015
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The Clinicians
They came. They saw. They conquered our issues.
Harry & Snowman & Jennifer
A new chapter, an enduring legacy
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EQ STYLE ENJOYS A HUNT BREAKFAST
HOW TO MAKE EVERY FARRIER HAPPY
Q&A: EQUINE BIZ OR HOBBY HORSE?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! NYH TURNS 1
In association with the NYS Center for Equine Business Development
At Canterbury Stables HORSES ARE THE PASSION OF YOUR LIFE
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EXCELLENCE
THE HEART OF HORSE COUNTRY
RIDE & BOARD
Set on 225 rolling acres in the hills of Cazenovia’s horse country, Canterbury Stables offers the finest care in a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere.
We offer: A premier riding experience for hunter/jumper and dressage An outstanding group of lesson horses
We are dedicated to providing quality lessons tailored to each rider’s age, level and goals and the boarding, care and training of performance and pleasure horses.
Three competition-size hunter/ jumper and dressage arenas, two indoors & one outdoors, all with dust-free footing A modern 53-stall barn, daily turnouts in ½-acre paddocks, night checks & farm-grown hay
FIND US AT 4786 Roberts Road Cazenovia
Environmentally-friendly practices Three miles of scenic trails, yours to ride when you board with us
Phone: 315-440-2244 canterburystablesny.com
YOUR JOURNEY = OUR GOAL
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BUILDING BETTER RIDERS SINCE 2002
Features
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Dollars and Horse Cents
Chapter Two
Breakfast of Champions
Horsemanship 2.0
Running a horse business? Maybe, maybe not. Nine questions hold the key.
In which rider and trainer Jennifer Gurney, much like her legendary stepfather Harry deLeyer, gives a new start to horses given up for naught.
After the last hound has worn out his woof, it’s time for that most delicious of equine traditions: the hunt breakfast.
There’s more than one path to excellence. Check out Patrick King’s Six Rules of Riding and Cliff Schadt’s advice on galloping and greatness.
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The Artful Horse
The yearlings strut their stuff as photographer Michael Davis captures the bays, the bidders and the backdrop of the Morrisville College Standardbred sale.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Guide 51
60-Second Clinic
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Ride Better
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Be Prepared
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Good Horsekeeping
A rider’s seat is critical to a horse’s back
IHSA and IEA coaches share more of their best advice. Share yours, and win a $50 gift certificate to Show Trunk II.
Now – not the middle of a blizzard – is the time to draw up an emergency plan
What every farrier wants every horse owner to know
Departments 20
Off the Beaten Path
Day trip? Explore Madison County’s Stoney Pond
On the Cover
Thousands of people pass this piece of art every day, many — probably — without giving it much thought. The statue stands at the entrance to the Morrisville State College Equine Rehabilitation Center on Route 20. In the hands of photographer Michael Davis, silhouetted darkly against a pale sky, it is transcendent. Find more of Michael’s work in the Artful Horse, page 28, and every week in the Syracuse New Times, where he is their award-winning staff photographer.
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Editor’s Note
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Thanks To Our Underwriters
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Leg Up
News, Notes and Conversation Starters Leg Up
Calendar
Armchair Equestrian
The Riding Doctor says: Feel better in the saddle
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Newsmaker
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Marketing
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Parting Shot
Beezie Madden clinches Nations Cup gold for U.S.
A strategic plan starts with the business owner
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Nov. 12-15 Featured Clinicians Dan James Julie Goodnight Chris Irwin Caroline Rider
Ken McNabb Kerry Kuhn Warwick Schiller
Lendon Gray (Dressage) Michael Barisone (Dressage) Chris Cassenti (English & Hunter Pleasure) Phillip Dutton (Eventing) Doug Milholland (Reining) Bernie Traurig (Hunter/Jumper) Sharon Camarillo (Barrel Racing) Paul Maye (Driving) T.R. Potts (Hunter under Saddle, Trail, Western Pleasure) Anita Howe (Easy Gaited Horses) Sylvia Zerbini (Liberty) Susan Harris (Centered Riding®,
Eastern States Exposition W. Springfield, MA
Come to Equine Affaire and celebrate the horse with us. • An Exceptional Educational Program • The Largest Horse-Related Trade Show in the East • Breed Pavilion, Horse & Farm Exhibits and Demonstrations • Equine Fundamentals Forum Educational presentations, exhibits, and activities for new riders young and old. • The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition (sponsored by Nutrena®) on Thursday morning and Friday afternoon in which horses and riders will race through a challenging obstacle course with $5500 at stake! • The Fantasia (sponsored by Absorbine®) on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights. Don’t miss Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse.
Anatomy in Motion™, The Visible Horse) Litchfield Hills Vaulters (Vaulting) American Sidesaddle Association (Sidesaddle) Connecticut Renegades (Cowboy Mounted Shooting)
Equine Affaire, Inc., 2720 State Route 56 SW London, OH 43140 | (740) 845-0085 Presenters subject to change. © 2015 Equine Affaire, Inc.
For all you need to know to go including the event schedule and information on tickets, host hotels, camping, or participating in clinics consult... NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 5 equineaffaire.com
EDITOR’S NOTE
It’s our birthday; you are our gift Break out the confetti and the champagne and keep the lucky horseshoe firmly tacked to the barn door: New York Horse is celebrating its first birthday, and we have you to thank. One year ago – after many months of planning, dreaming and 2 a.m. bouts of nocturnal problem solving – this magazine became words on paper. Since then I have been to countless horse shows, meetings, workshops and clinics. Everywhere, I have spoken to you, our readers and the words that make me proudest are (happily) the ones I hear most often: I love your magazine. I read it cover to cover.
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You have been generous with your time and with sharing ideas. Many have already become stories in our pages. Others are works in progress. In a previous life, when I was managing editor of a daily newspaper, I would tell reporters to get out of the building. ‘Unless your computer explodes,’ I would say, ‘you aren’t going to find a story at your desk.’ As I travel across the region, finding fascinating people, amazing horses and hidden treasures around every curve, I am reminded of that truth. (Unless, of course, I am skidding around that curve on an icy CNY road, questioning my sanity, and wondering whether Virgin Islands Horse is a financially viable option.) So thank you again: To the underwriters and advertisers who took a leap of faith. To the writers, photographers and designer who made this a nationally-honored magazine in its very first year. To every reader who accompanied us on the ride. Here’s to all of you. And here’s to Year Two. Go ahead, turn the page.
SPOTLIGHT
Michael Davis
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hotojournalist Michael Davis is the award-winning staff photographer for the Syracuse New Times, where he covers “assignments of any kind.” This year, he received a first-place award from the New York Press Association for a photo essay on auto racing, and second-place for sports action and feature photography. He was also honored by the Syracuse Press Club for sports photography. His artistic talents, however, aren’t limited to one muse. A musician, he plays Hammond organ, electric piano and keyboard with classic soul and rock group The Coachmen, a gig he’s had since 1968. Davis, a Syracuse native, attended LeMoyne College and Onondaga Community College where, he admits, “although I was registered as a business student I spent most of my time in (the) music and drama departments.” A colleague who has worked with him many times, New York Horse Contributing Editor Renee Gadoua, says Davis has the ability to size up any situation – invaluable for a photojournalist – and is never without a camera.
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NEW YORK HORSE From show jumping to trail riding, driving to dressage, we cover it all with unbridled passion
NEW YORK HORSE Editor & Publisher Janis Barth jbarth@nyhorsemag.com
UNDERWRITING SUPPORT
New York Horse is published in part with underwriting support from: Canterbury Stables; Cazenovia College and the New York State Center for Equine Business Development; Blue Ocean Strategic Capital, LLC; Nye Auto Group; The Beattie Sanctuary; Madison County Tourism; Morrisville State College; New York Farm Bureau; New York State Fair; Central New York Dressage and Combined Training Association; Central New York Reining Horse Association.
PRESENTATION
Art Director Darren Sanefski dasanefs@go.olemiss.edu
EDITORIAL
Contributing Editor Renée K. Gadoua editor@nyhorsemag.com Contributing Writers Katie Navarra
LA Pomeroy
Contributing Photographers Michael Karl-Heinz DiDi Emily Kathianne Gloria Davis Frieler Lund Riden F. Snaden Wright
ADVERTISING
Advertising Director Peter K. Barth advertising@nyhorsemag.com
New York Horse magazine is published quarterly by: Tremont8 Media LLC Cazenovia NY 13035. All rights reserved. ISSN 2375-8058. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express consent of the publisher. All material submitted to the magazine becomes the property of Tremont8 Media. Submitted material may be excerpted or edited for length and content and may be published or used in any format or medium, including online or in other print publications. To subscribe: Write to New York Horse, P.O. Box 556, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Subscriptions are $12/year. Please include your name and address and a check or money order for the full amount. For gift subscriptions, include the name and address of each recipient and we will send a card in your name.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR
NEW YORK HORSE U N D ERWRITERS
Canterbury Stables W O R L D
C L A S S ,
NEW YORK STATE CENTER FOR EQUINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
M I N U T E S
A W A Y
4786 Roberts Road, Cazenovia • Phone: 315-440-2244 • Email: info@canterburystablesny.com
Promoting the sport of Reining through shows, clinics and educational seminars Promoting dressage and eventing as art and sport through competitions, clinics and educational activities
Leg Up
N E W S , N O T E S A N D C O N V E R S AT I O N S TA R T E R S Oswego rider in Top 5 at NRHA Collegiate Championship Danielle Grasmeder, who rides for SUNY Oswego, has picked up another top placing in a national competition. Grasmeder received a score of 206.5 to tie for fifth place at the National Reining Horse Association’s Collegiate Reining Championships. The placing comes barely a month after Grasmeder was named the Open Reining champion at the Interscholastic Horse Show Association national finals. The Collegiate Championship Class, held June 27 at the NRHA Derby, features the top four individuals from the IHSA, National Collegiate Equestrian Associations, and NRHA competing head-to-head. Riders randomly draw for their order of go and the donated horse they will ride; they are allowed a five minute warmup prior to entering the arena.
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Fair’s summer horse shows packed big economic kick What has 24,000 legs and a $12 million impact on the Central New York economy? The summer horse shows at the state Fairgrounds in Syracuse. More than 6,000 horses competed this summer, Fair officials said. They’re accompanied by some 18,000 owners, riders, trainers, and family members. Together, using industrystandard measurements, their economic impact tops $12 million. The season, which runs through October, brings 30 horse shows to the fairgrounds, “and those shows create a very large and positive benefit for the local economy,” said acting Fair Director Troy Waffner. Still to come: • The New York Morgan Horse Show – September 16-19 • The Empire State Quarter Horse Association Show – September 23-27 • The Autumn in New York Horse Show – October 1-4
Museum of Racing exhibit celebrates Travers poster series
Plans for state Fair improvements still being finalized
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is celebrating the 30th anniversary of artist Greg Montgomery’s famed Travers Stakes poster series with a special exhibition. Greg Montgomery: 30 Years of the Travers, will be on display in the museum’s von Stade Gallery through the end of the year. The collection includes each of Montgomery’s posters, including the 30th anniversary edition, “Crossing Union,” (pictured at right) created for the 2015 running of the Travers. The Travers Stakes was the first race contested on the Saratoga Race Course’s opening day, Aug. 2, 1864. Montgomery’s Travers posters are the longest continuing series of art, featuring a single event by a single artist, in racing history. Among his other works, Montgomery created 40 covers for the Dick Francis mystery novels.
Final plans for a $50 million makeover of the state Fairgrounds, including a proposed new equestrian park, have not been completed. Fair officials had hoped to share the plans with the public as they visited this year’s Fair, which starts Aug. 27. As part of the project, it’s proposed the fairgrounds become home to a new, indoor show facility, capable of hosting the largest regional, national, and international equestrian shows, and stabling as many as 1,000 horses.
Derby benefits Make-A-Wish of WNY The Derby at the Genesee Country Village and Museum not only provided a weekend of top-flight equestrian competition, it benefited a worthy charity. This year’s beneficiary was MakeA-Wish of Western New York, which received a check for $7,500. The nonprofit grants close to 150 wishes each year to children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions.
RAPASADI FENCE
We take pride in the work we do. Offering all types of fencing, you can count on us to have the products you need. Our customers are our top priority.
Residential Commercial – Farm Horse & Cattle Fences Gates – Horse Stalls – Pole Barns Flex Rail, No-Climb, Board Rail, High Tensile, Hotcote, PVC, Chain Link, Wood & Ornamental Fencing Post Driving & Drilling Ask us about custom-built jumps for your hunter/jumper ring We offer free estimates and free temporary fencing
LET US FENCE YOU IN! COVERING ALL NEW YORK • 315-374-2287 • RAPSFENCE.COM NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE
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LEG UP: CALENDAR A U G U S T 23 27
Dressage clinic, “Training the Young Horse from Green to 2nd Level” with Carel Eijkenaar. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., lunch provided. $45 advance/$55 walk-in. Voltra Farm, 6000 Rock Road, Verona. New York State Fair, Syracuse, runs through Sept. 7. Two horse show sections. Toyota Coliseum and 4-H rings. Free with paid Fair admission. More information: www.nysfair.org.
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Limestone Creek Hunt Opening Meet and Parade of Hounds through Cazenovia, followed by the Blessing of the Hounds at Lorenzo State Historic Site, Route 20, Cazenovia. More information: limestonecreekhunt.org.
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CNY Horse Club, 7 p.m. at the Homer Senior Center, 31 N. Main St., Homer. Speaker is attorney Melissa Subjeck, who wrote about Equine Trusts for the Winter 2015 issue of NY Horse. Empire State Quarter Horse Association Fall Show. Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse. Free Admission. More information: esqha.org.
Autumn in New York Horse Show, runs through Oct. 4. Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse. Free Admission. More information: naomishorseshows.com
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NYS Draft Horse Club annual sale, Cortland County Fairgrounds. More information: nystate-draft-horse-club.org.
Barneveld Horseman’s Association Trail Ride to benefit the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital & Research Fund. Ride starts at 10 a.m.; pot luck lunch at noon. More information and pledge forms: BHAHorse.com.
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CNY Reining Horse Association Fall Classic/NE Affiliate Regional Finals. Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse. Free Admission. More information: cnyrha.com.
Adventure Trails Obstacle Class, Houghton College Equestrian Center, 9823 School Farm Road, Houghton. Clinic 1-5:30 p.m. using police horse training methods. Auditors welcome at no charge. More information: GentleDoveFarm.com.
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LEG UP: ROAD TRIP
Round up your horse-loving friends and head to Equine Affaire
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t’s time for a getaway. If you love horses, put Equine Affaire on your calendar for Nov. 12-15 at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA. It’s four days to indulge a passion for horses with clinics, seminars, and demonstrations by top riders and trainers; hundreds of vendors at an equine marketplace; and the chance to explore new breeds and disciplines. Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse, the Fantasia, begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Nov. 12-14) and is the perfect ending to the day. “This year’s show will incorporate many of the elements that Fantasiagoers have come to expect at the event including Grand Prix freestyle dressage, freestyle reining, driving, horses at liberty, and drill team performances – but all with a new twist,” said
Eugenia Snyder, president of Equine Affaire. “The evening will culminate with Lipizzaners performing the phenomenal ‘airs above the ground.’” Whether you’ve spoken “horse” since childhood or discovered your passion later in life, you’ll find more than 200 clinics, seminars, and demos – including one by Central New York’s centered riding expert Susan Harris – to help you achieve better performance and a winning relationship with your horse. If you’re new to the horse world or still developing your basic riding skills, the new Equine Fundamentals Forum is a must. The forum will feature a demo ring and hands-
on interactive displays about horses, horse health, and horse management. Looking for tack or grooming supplies? An equine getaway? How about riding apparel and gifts? Retail therapy abounds at Equine Affaire’s legendary trade show. It’s the spot to research riding vacations and equestrian college and university programs, evaluate all types of feed and supplements, and find jewelry and books, art, photography, and all of your equine and equestrian lifestyle must-haves. Tickets are $15/day for adults, $50 for a four-day pass. Youth tickets (7-10) are $8. Kids 6 and under are free. Advance tickets are available through Oct. 25 at equineaffaire.com – which also has daily schedules, hotel information, maps and tips for making the most of the visit – or by phone at (740) 845-0085.
Morrisville State College Experience Morrisville’s unique setting, programs, and facilities for yourself. Tours, visits, and faculty appointments can be scheduled online at www.morrisville.edu or register to attend one of our Fall Open Houses on September 26 or November 14.
• Equine Science, Breeding, Racing, Rehabilitation, and Business Management Options
Look for us at the te New York Sta Fair! www.morrisville.edu/statefair
• Largest Breeding Program in the Northeast • State-of-the-Art Equine Rehabilitation Center • Four Indoor Riding Arenas facebook.com/morrisvillestatecollege
www.morrisville.edu an equal-opportunity institution.
LEG UP: ARMCHAIR EQUESTRIAN
A prescription to feel good and ride better UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR BODY WORKS AND IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE
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fter leaving horses behind for many years to pursue her medical career. Dr. Beth Glosten decided it was time to ride again – only to discover that, as a middle-aged woman, she struggled with tension, awkwardness and an aching back. Glosten’s own frustration with riding prompted her to apply her medical skills to figure out what it would take to create a horse and rider moving together harmoniously, but also feel good while doing it. Now she’s sharing what she learned in The Riding Doctor (Trafalgar Square Books. Paperback, $29.95) which offers clear and understandable
AND WE QUOTE “Correct posture provides the foundation for efficient riding and organized management of the horse’s energy. While proper posture creates an elegant position, it is not just about looking good: Good posture is a healthy position for the spine and the position from which you can most easily balance and move with efficiency.”
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explanations of riding anatomy and what our bodies “do” on horseback. The book – based on Glosten’s Five Rider Fundamentals of mental focus, proper posture, leg control, arm control and understanding movement – is aimed at riders of all ages, abilities and equestrian disciplines. The book also provides more than 50 step-by-step exercises to help develop fitness and mechanics specific to riding. “By helping you understand how your body interfaces with your horse,” said Glosten, “I hope to help you meet your riding goals and, at the same time, ride in good health and prevent injury.” Here’s some more of what she had to say about riding problems and solutions and what she looks for in a horse: What is the most common issue you see in your riding students? What is the usual solution? Glosten: I would have to say it is
a rare rider that doesn’t have some postural issue to work on. Posture is so fundamental to a balanced position in the saddle, both front-to-back, and side-to-side. Problems with front-to-back posture (being arched, or rounded, in the spine) can interfere with staying precisely with the horse’s movement, and not being left behind. Lateral, or side-to-side, imbalance is also very common — that is, a rider sits heavily on either her right or left seat bone, all the time, rather than staying balanced over both seat bones. The usual solution is first helping the rider to be aware of the problem, and with feedback from mirrors, help her recognize that what feels “normal” is not correct alignment. Activating the relevant muscle groups to help stabilize correct alignment helps the rider keep the good posture. Feedback from the horse, by way of
improved movement and responsiveness, is the most powerful, positive reinforcement for keeping, and believing in, the prescribed postural changes. What are three things you hope riders can take away from your book? Glosten: I hope riders are empowered
to take seriously the important role their posture and balance plays in the success of their horse’s training. I hope that riders come to believe that they can change posture and movement habits that interfere with their riding and performance. I hope that riders come away with a system to consider their position every step of the ride. That they can ride along asking themselves, ‘Where am I? Where am I?’ to maintain awareness of their own body while riding. What is the quality you most like in a horse? Glosten: I really appreciate a horse
that tries hard to do what you are asking.
LEG UP: INSIGHT
Is your horse a family member? Employee? Livestock? Q uick, fill in the blank: “I think of my horse as a ______.� If you answered family member, you have plenty of company. The results, just out, of a national survey by American Horse Publications, found two-thirds of Americans (67.4%) view their horse as a family member. The question was new this year, and the survey allowed respondents to choose all the options that applied. The other choices were: best friend, companion
animal, employee, investment, livestock animal, performance partner, and pet. After family member, the most frequently chosen options were companion animal (62.7%), performance partner (57.6%), and pet (52.9%). A smaller percentage of respondents viewed horses as an investment (22.4%), livestock (21.1%), and employee (7.8%). Those answers generally held true for New York, which was grouped together with Pennsylvania and Delaware in the
survey results. The biggest difference was in the number of respondents who looked at horses as livestock. New York was lower than the national results, with around 15% saying their horse was livestock. A few other tidbits: Survey participants said they expect to compete in an average of 5.4 events this year. 70.3% said that feed of all types has become more expensive. 65.1% they will reduce expenditures in other areas of their lives to cope with higher horse costs. The survey was conducted Jan. 6 through April 1 with U.S, residents 18 and older; a total of 10,662 usable responses were received.
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LEG UP: NEWSMAKER
Beezie Madden clinches Nations Cup win in a nail-biter
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he Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team, anchored by Cazenovia’s Beezie Madden, took home the gold in a nail-biting finale at the 100th Nations Cup of Germany. After two grueling rounds, the U.S., Germany, and Belgium stood tied, with scores of eight faults. Under FEI rules, the winner is then decided by a timed jump-off between one rider from each team. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland tapped the master of speed, Madden, on 2014 International Horse of the Year Cortes ‘C’. The duo did not disappoint as they blazed through the course just fractions of a second ahead of Belgium’s rider to win the team gold. The competition began with a challenging first round for the U.S. team of Madden, Kirsten Coe, Laura Kraut and Lucy Davis. With a pair of unlucky dropped rails and a fault at
CAZENOVIA EQUESTRIAN CENTER
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Home of Sugar Maple Dressage Academy and Certainty Sales Hunter/Jumpers • Personalized programs for the serious student • Offering training for horses at all levels • Varied show schedule • Reasonable prices with big results • Quality horses and ponies available for sale or lease • Specialized sales marketing options
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Ready to soar? Our new beginner horsemanship program welcomes young riders and adults.
Check our website for information on upcoming clinics and shows at CEC! CazenoviaEquestrianCenter.com or find us on Facebook today! 3676 Erieville Road, Erieville New York • 315-655-0388 • Diane Brandow (Dressage) • Meg Maloney (Hunt Seat) HORSE 16 NEW YORK NYHorseMag.com
PHOTO BY KARL-HEINZ FRIELER
Beezie Madden, Laura Kraut and Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland celebrate their Nations Cup win.
the water, the U.S. ended the round in a tie for third place Round Two saw superb efforts from all U.S. riders. Kraut led off with Nouvelle to finish a fast, clean round. Coe and her big chestnut mare Baronez galloped through the timers in the second spot, also with a clear round. Davis and Barron knocked down two rails and finished the round with eight faults, which proved to be the drop score. That put the pressure on Madden, who marched around the course with her characteristic poise to finish with zero faults and force the jump-off. The three horse-and-rider combinations chosen by the Chefs d’Equipe of their countries then faced off on a shortened course against the clock. Madden entered the jump-off first. Cool and collected, she executed the course brilliantly to finish ahead of the German and Belgium riders. “… This is what we do it for,” said Ridland. “It was an unbelievable day ... To win it, and win it in a jump-off, we had an incredible experience that we won’t forget for a long time.” Madden and Cortes C went on the next day to grab individual silver, finishing second in the Grand Prix of Mannheim by the slimmest of margins in a jump-off that included 15 riders. Madden went clear, finishing the course in a blistering 42.73 seconds. It all came down to the last rider: Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum on board the Holstein mare Chiara. The pair turned in what Beerbaum later called the best jump-off of their partnership, going clear and stopping the clock at 41.61 seconds to take the gold. Being able to watch Madden’s ride, he said, gave him “an additional adrenaline push.” Madden said she was “very happy with how Cortes C” jumped, especially after he had done three rounds in the Nations Cup. She said not everything had gone as well in the jump-off as she hoped, “especially not before the double combination, but I am satisfied with the outcome. “
LEG UP: MARKETING
Give your equine business the competitive edge
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mart marketing for equine businesses starts with the person who knows the business best: the owner. “You need to know how to talk about your business, or you’re going to have trouble with longevity,” says Adam D’Agostino, an associate lecturer in the Equine Business Management program at Cazenovia College and owner of Empire Performance Horses in Jamesville. “You have to know what else is out there on the market … You need to understand your product from your perspective, your customer’s perspective and your competitor’s perspective.” Running a breeding operation? Know the Top 5 stallions. Tack shop? The shelves had better include the latest trends and newest products on the market. “I’m a trainer,” D’Agostino adds. “If a client says they want to buy a yearling, I better be able to find one. Your product is your brand in the horse business. My horses are my product.” That means knowing the competition, says D’Agostino. It gives your business an edge if you know what you’re up against. “Know who they are and what they offer. Know them by name – every single competitor within a 10-mile radius.”
Then take that information and use it to develop a marketing strategy: What can your business offer today that a competitor can’t? To D’Agostino that means a business should always be looking to expand, to add new services and products and to change or eliminate what isn’t working. “You don’t have to change all the time, but you need to stay fresh,” he says. “Fresh is very important in the horse world.” Then tell the equine world. Advertise to the extent the budget allows. Ask customers for testimonials. Other tips: Master at least one or two social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. If all you do on a computer is email, create a stand-out signature. Own your business name and create a brand around it. Go to a website like GoDaddy and buy your domain name for as little as $20 a year. Invest in a professional sign. “A bad sign can ruin your business,” D’Agostino says. “It’s the first thing people see.” Sponsor a show. “People will be hearing your name all day.” If you can’t afford a show, sponsor a class or a trophy. And remember one of the top rules of successful business marketing: “You have to be your No. 1 fan.”
“You have to know what else is out there on the market.”
THE WORLD OF
REINING
SLIDES INTO SYRACUSE THIS FALL • Oct. 22-25, CNYRHA brings the North American Affiliate Regional Championship to the Coliseum as part of the annual Fall Classic show. • Stunning stops and fast spins come to the NYS Fairgrounds as 400 top reiners from the Northeast and Canada compete for a spot in the national championships. • The Northeast Breeders Trust Futurity will have over $23,000 added prize money. (This is a closed futurity for 3-year-old horses whose sires were in the NEBT Stallion Auction this year and runs concurrent with the CNYRHA Futurity.) The Futurity runs Saturday night, Oct. 24, with a Calcutta and an exhibitors’ party by Limp Lizard BBQ. • The TV program “Inside Reining” will be there to shoot footage. • Check out the CNYRHA Facebook page or www.cnyrha.com for more information and plan to be at the Fairgrounds in October!
Proud Sponsor of 19 Horse Shows Exhibitor rates available Minutes to the New York State Fairgrounds Make it a blue ribbon stay. Enjoy free wireless Internet, an indoor pool and complimentary hot breakfast. 6946 Winchell Road, Warners, NY 13164 Telephone (315) 701-5000
NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 17
LEG UP: EQUINOMICS
Hobby Horse or Business? THE IRS USES A 9-POINT TEST TO DECIDE. DOES YOUR EQUINE OPERATION PASS OR FAIL?
I
s your equine venture a business or a hobby? You might want to wait a second before answering that question. Just because you want it to be a business, like to think of it as a business, and hope that someday it might actually make a profit – doesn’t mean it’s a business. At least it might not be in the eyes of the IRS, and for tax purposes their opinion is the only one that counts. The IRS starts with this question: Is a profit motive present? Then,
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says accountant Paul Mahalick, the government uses a nine-point test to determine the answer.
1. Is the enterprise carried out in a businesslike manner? “The big one that I push is: The owner must keep complete and accurate books and records,” said Mahalick, partner in the equestrian practice group at Grossman St. Amour in Syracuse. He spoke at a workshop by the NYS Center for Equine Business
Development and Madison County Cooperative Extension. “If you have an office that’s in a box in a corner, that’s not a business – that’s a disaster.”
2. Expertise or experience. Simply put: Do you, or your advisors, have prior experience in the business? Do you have a degree in the field or other educational experience? For example, if you are operating a stable, that might be a degree in Equine Business Management from Cazenovia College.
3. The time and effort you’re spending on the activity.
6. A history of losses. Losses during the start-up period are normal and expected, Mahalick said. Farmers, including equine operations, get a break, he added. “In the eyes of the IRS, a farming operation can make a profit in only two out of seven years before being considered a hobby,” he said. “Otherwise it’s two out of five years.”
“Business means it’s primarily where you make your money,” Mahalick said. Ask yourself: “Is this something you’re doing five hours a week while you have a full-time job somewhere else?”
4. The expectation that the assets may increase in value.
7. The amount of “occasional profits” earned.
Even if you are not making a profit now, do you expect to earn an income in the future or make money off the sale of assets, for example by training horses or selling ones that are currently being trained?
5. Past success. Simply put, Mahalick said, “Have you run a business before and made it?” He noted that if you’ve had a hobby farm in the past, the IRS may conclude you don’t “have a profit motive for the current activity.” And he added, “Failure to earn any money from a similar activity in the past may prove that the current activity is not engaged in for-profit.”
An occasional small profit for an activity that has a big investment and/or incurs big losses – let’s say winning one $1,000 hunter class after spending $100,000 on a horse and transportation to shows – is not enough to establish the for-profit motive the IRS wants to see. However, if the profit is occasional but substantial – let’s make that a $35,000 win, and more than once – the IRS says that’s “generally indicative” the activity is not a hobby.
8. Financial status. What the IRS is looking at here, Mahalick said, is “What are your
other sources of income?” Substantial income from elsewhere – especially if the losses from the equine operation generate sizeable tax benefits – signals this may not be a real business.
9. Elements of personal pleasure or recreation. The IRS is wary if there’s a personal or recreational aspect to what you’re doing. To them, that may indicate the activity is a hobby, not a business and you are simply looking for a way to claim some losses and pay less taxes. (If it’s a hobby, Mahalick explained, “the most you can do is zero out your expenses, you can’t take it as a loss.”) But – and this is important – deriving “personal pleasure” from an equine activity isn’t enough to have it classified as a hobby if the other factors show it is a business. The bottom line, Mahalick said, is there is no one factor that determines hobby vs. business. “These are all gray areas,” he said. “You have to have all your ducks in a row to determine whether this is a business or a hobby.”
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NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 19
Off the Beaten Path
PLAN A DAY TRIP WITH WOODS AND WILDLIFE AT STONEY POND
Scenery, solitude and birdsong abound along Stoney Pond’s horse trails in Madison County.
Serving the Agricultural Community with Pride • Equine Feed – Agway, Nutrena, Purina and Triple Crown • Farm Seed and Chemicals • Dry, Bagged, Bulk Fertilizer & Lime • All types of Dairy and Farm Feeds available In Our Garden Center & Gift Shop • Garden Flags & Fairy Garden Supplies • Bird Seed & Feeders • Bagged Mulches, Soils & Garden Fertilizers
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Editor’s Note: New York’s state parks, forests and preserves, beckon riders of all abilities and interests. Get out there and ride!
By Katie Navarra
Shhhh –
don’t tell anyone! Stoney Pond State Forest, tucked into the hills of central Madison County, is a hidden gem, cherished by the riders who know about it and didn’t want NY Horse to share the secret. (Sorry.) An easy, 20 minute drive from Cazenovia, Stoney Pond’s horse trails wind through natural hardwood forests and plantations of red pine, white pine, Scotch pine and Norway spruce. The trails, for the most part, meander near the forest edge. Under the old-growth woodland canopy, riders enjoy quiet and solitude interrupted only by birdsong. Waterfowl and wildlife are abundant throughout. That’s because of the unique central feature of the 1,469acre forest: 44-acre Stoney Pond was built in the 1950s to provide habitat for wildlife. The pond was populated with largemouth bass and panfish, and is home to blue herons, Canada geese,
mallard ducks and other waterfowl. Come back in the winter, when horses are not permitted, to enjoy a 13-mile Nordic ski trail system that runs through the heart of the forest. There’s also a snowmobile trail on the western flank of the forest, along Green Road and trail No. 15, which is open to horses in the spring and summer. Directions: The trail head is approximately 2.5 miles down Jones Road. Take state Route 20 into the hamlet of Nelson and head south on the Erieville Road for approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto Old State Road, heading east to Jones Road. Horse accommodations: None. Horses are not permitted in the camping area. There is a new parking area for
horse trailers on Jones Road. It’s not marked, but it’s easy to spot from the road and, as an extra bonus, there’s a trail starting from the parking site. Day users must leave by 10 p.m., according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Fees: None. Season: May 1 to Sept. 30. After the ride: Check out the shopping, dining and other attractions along the Route 20 corridor. Go to madisontourism. com or nyroute20.com for details. For more information: Call the State Forest Office, 607-674-4017, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. For trail maps, field notes and regulations, go to: dec.ny.gov/lands/8111.html.
NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 21
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Time Again JENNIFER GURNEY CHOSE CENTRAL NEW YORK TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE STORY BEGUN BY HARRY AND SNOWMAN. … There was something about this horse. Harry turned back and the horse was still watching him intently; he was wise, an old soul, a horse whose steady demeanor seemed to cover hidden depths. Man or beast, Harry did not like to see a proud soul held in captivity. ‘Might make a lesson horse if we can fatten him up,’ Harry said. He handed over the eighty dollars and never looked back. From “The 80-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse that Inspired a Nation” by Elizabeth Letts
U ARCHIVE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EQUUS FILM FESTIVAL NYC
BY L.A. POMEROY
p For Discussion was a gift. The Thoroughbred – aka Jerry – was bred for racing. But as the recipient of this gift horse confirmed, Jerry wasn’t exactly built for speed. “He couldn’t outrun me,” Jennifer Dahlman Gurney recalled. Going nowhere fast where racetracks were concerned, Jerry was a good horse in need of a new start. Gurney needed something, too: “We needed to build another barn and in order to do that, we needed money, so I figured I’d better start showing Jerry to try and get him sold.” And with that, she stepped – jumped, rather – into the family legacy. NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 23
GLORIA WRIGHT PHOTO
Jennifer Gurney unsaddles one of her top hunters, 15-year-old Gianni, after competing at the state Fairgrounds. 24 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
EMILY RIDEN/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP
F
or the better part of two decades, Gurney’s name was firmly linked with the training and management of young Thoroughbreds at racetracks in New York state and beyond. Now, she’s returned to the hunter/ jumper rings where she started, launching the next evolution of her Green Acres stable in East Syracuse, contributing both to the renaissance of the American Thoroughbred as show horse and – much like her legendary stepfather Harry deLeyer– to second careers for horses given up for naught. DeLeyer’s story – told and retold in three best sellers and now a documentary – is one of belief and redemption. Half a century ago, he paid $80 for a horse bound for slaughter, named him Snowman and forged him into a national showjumping champion. One chance encounter at a Pennsylvania auction saved two souls that day and crafted a friendship that lasted a lifetime. “Snowman had taught him this lesson so many years ago. No obstacle is too great to overcome for a man with a dream.” — The Eighty-Dollar Champion
“I was solely in the Thoroughbred business for about 24 years. I grew up riding and showing nonstop,” says Gurney, 48. Her first pony was a little Welsh named Flicka. “I remember Flicka best as a dedicated stopper. My stepdad had to school her prior to shows to convince her to jump a round. That usually lasted for about three classes before she went back to refusing the first jump, and I’d have to leave the ring crying. “… She taught me, first and foremost, to have fun with your animal and to enjoy each one as an individual. She was an extremely average pony, but to me she was my world and friend. I spent every waking hour with her.”
WIN THIS New York Horse has a copy of “The Eighty-Dollar Champion” to give away. To enter, send an email with your name and address to Editor@ nyhorsemag.com and put “Book” in the subject line. Entries must be received by Sept. 30. We will draw one winner at random from all the entries received.
Jennifer Dahlman competing in the 2015 Derby at Genesee Country Village and Museum.
Spending every waking hour with horses: It was a foundation of the work ethic DeLeyer instilled. “He was up without an alarm and at ‘em every day,” Gurney remembers. “He worked until the work was done, then worked a little more. I hated it as a teenager but it stuck with me. My first track job? It was 11 months before my first day off. Horse racing and showing are games of inches. Miss a day, miss a lot.” But deLeyer never let the pressure translate to the horses. She recalls a gentle, relaxed image of him at the kitchen table, savoring the stack of bacon, homemade bread and eggs sunny-side up her mother would make each morning. “She’d have to find him in the barn to get him his lunch, and bring him home for dinner, but he never hurried breakfast.” After breakfast, the real day began. “Harry always believed riding should be fun,” or at least adrenaline-surging, says Gurney. She tells how he made her take an off-track Thoroughbred over a cross-country course he’d made. It included a 4-foot fence up a bank, to a second 4-foot fence, with an 8-foot jump down the other side. “I can’t do that,” she told him. “Yump,” he replied, in his heavy Dutch accent. “Yust kick him in dah belly.” It was a trademark move, Gurney says: “Harry ... He’d feed you into combinations that looked like an easy 2-foot coming in and would be 6-foot jumping out, with a 4-foot bar in the middle. It was almost a high, to challenge yourself like that.” “Horses are just like people: Each one has some hidden potential. What it takes to bring out the best in a horse, or in anyone, is to believe in him 100 percent.” — Harry deLeyer
At Penn State University, Gurney was captain of the equestrian team. She graduated in 1989 with a degree in elementary education and teaching, but confessed to growing bored with youngsters of the two-legged, human variety. So she returned to New York, where her father was buying racehorses and succumbed to the siren song of the horse business. NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 25
“I drove back to New York and got a job on the racetrack as a hot walker, making $175 a week, working seven days a week, 12 hours a day,” Gurney recalled. She worked her way up to groom and then assistant trainer, working for Mike Hushion, respected as one of New York’s top Thoroughbred trainers One of Hushion’s owners was Barry K. Schwartz, co-founder and chairman of Calvin Klein Inc., and former chairman and CEO of the New York Racing Association. Schwartz and wife, Sheryl, had purchased the largest privately-owned property in Westchester County and proceeded, as an Architectural Digest profile described, “to dedicate the farm to the glory of horses,” including breeding and racing Thoroughbreds. Enter Gurney. “Stonewall was an amazing run,” Gurney says of her 10-year tenure as trainer at the farm. “It was 760 acres, 45 minutes from New York City, and I had a boss who said, ‘Do whatever the horses need.’ I had a staff of 25 and was responsible for everything from delivering the babies and breaking the yearlings to making hay and planting the flowers that decorated the farm.” It was a different sort of baby that convinced her the time had come to move on: “After my second daughter was born at Stonewall I decided to buy my own farm, to spend more time with my kids.” She named the farm Green Acres, after her broodmare, Greening, wanting it to become – with a nod to the 1960s TV sit-com and theme song – “the place to be.” Thanks to Jerry’s second career, Green Acres found its place. The racetrack washout Barry Schwartz gave her “sold quite well,” Gurney said. “We built the barn and it snowballed from there.” Since then, Gurney has been no stranger 26 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
to victory gallops at major shows, including wins on The Other Brother at Devon and Harrisburg, and a Zone 2 year-end title, winning the championship by 800 points more than the second-place horse and rider. Another top hunter, Gianni, competed at the National Horse show in Lexington in 2014 and The Other Brother “got good ribbons there in 2012,” Gurney says, casually adding details of an accident that injured her neck badly enough to need surgery. She had a plate and screws inserted into her neck in September 2013, sitting out the National Horse Show, even though both horses qualified. “Harry taught me to ride with no fear,” she says, but credits top trainer Gary Duffy of Ithaca with the fine-tuning. One of his lessons was how to improve her arc over fences, and Gurney shares the secret: saying “whoa” while over the fence and again on the landing side. “It makes a horse pause for a split second, and that creates a nicer arc.” “The big gray is long gone, but living on is the memory of the horse who was yoked to a plow yet wanted to soar. Snowman and Harry showed the world how extraordinary the most ordinary among us can be.” — The Eighty-Dollar Champion
Success, Gurney believes, is a recipe whose best ingredients include joy and camaraderie, and building Green Acres, she says, is the sum total of a team’s contributions. Over the summer, she made the leap to a new facility in East Syracuse and once again, there was a horse story to go with it. This time, it was a homebred Gurney foaled and raised out of Greening. A horse that raced under a name that proved more intimidating than his record: Green Monster. “They don’t come any better looking. But he
ARCHIVE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EQUUS FILM FESTIVAL NYC
Less than two years after being saved from slaughter, Snowman, the former Amish plow horse, won the 1958 show jumping Triple Crown.
was too big and a goofball. When the starting gate opened, he just stood there like he was saying, ‘Huh?’” she says of the now 8-year-old gelding, who made his racing debut at Gulfstream in March 2010. “I think he went through eight different trainers. But as soon as I saw him, I was pretty excited.” By then, he’d figured out his job as a racehorse. But after winning his next outing, Green Monster came up injured. Gurney was there with a second chance, ready to transform another off-track Thoroughbred into a solid working citizen. “She takes horses that don’t work out and finds them new homes,” said Dr. Jerry Bilinski, a North Chatham veterinarian who sits on the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “She does it more professionally than most, operates a very attractive facility, and I would highly recommend her to anyone.” Green Monster took a month off when he first arrived to put on some weight and wind down, and then it was time to start working. In midJuly he took his first show-ring baby steps at the Huck Finn Classic in Syracuse. “There was a show announcer, and other horses cantering in the warm up rings, and even some big trucks, and he didn’t miss a beat,” Gurney says. “He was fabulous.” She expects once things are settled, she’ll be back in the ring with the Green Acres string, adding a few lines to Green Monster’s résumé. “I come pretty close to being offended, when someone says I rescue Thoroughbreds,” Gurney
adds. “These aren’t horses from kill pens or auctions. I get horses that just can’t race anymore because of injury, or they’re not good enough, or have lost interest. Horses come here sound, well cared for and up-to-date on vaccinations. “These are horses in incredible condition. They just need to find a new job.” Jerry is also back home at Green Acres, enjoying semi-retirement in his new role as a lightlyridden lesson and show horse. And as Gurney and Green Acres continues the family legacy of starting good horses on great careers, she promises this: “Jerry will be with us until the end.”
HARRY & SNOWMAN AT THE EQUUS FILM FESTIVAL NYC In 1956, Dutch immigrant Harry deLeyer rescued a broken-down Amish plow horse from a slaughter truck, paying $80 for the gentle-eyed gray gelding and naming him Snowman. In less than two years, Harry and Snowman won the ultimate indoor show jumping hat trick: the top titles at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden, Pennsylvania National, and Washington International, beating the nation’s purebreds and gaining instant celebrity status. Snowman had his own fan club, was twice profiled in Life magazine, and was the subject of three best-selling books, including the 2011 NY Times best seller, The Eighty-Dollar Champion. Snowman retired from competition in 1962 to Harry’s farm on Long Island, where he died in 1974. In 1992, he was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. Harry, now in his 80s, and the deLeyer family share their story in a new documentary, Harry & Snowman, screening Nov. 20-22, at the Equus Film Festival NYC, at the Village East Cinema in Manhattan. Learn more at: facebook.com/EquusFilmFestivalNYC.
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T Artful orse H The
MORRISVILLE’S YEARLING SALE THROUGH THE LENS OF PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL DAVIS
he bay colt with the white snip — hip No. 012 — fairly glistens as he takes a turn around the sales ring. The student at the end of his lead rope has practiced this bit of choreography so often it is practically in her DNA. The colt stands square so buyers can look him over, then walks up and down so they can watch how he moves. The bidders riffle through thick green-and-white sales books; men in suits, men in cowboy hats, men in baseball caps and a smattering of women and kids. They scribble notes in the margin, peer at No. 012 and purposefully ignore the people sitting around them. The unstated understanding is that every other buyer is a potential scoundrel and thief, waiting to snatch the yearling you prized. Buyers would sooner cut off their hand than tip their hand. The Morrisville State College Standardbred yearling sale is underway and the sales barn is churning with activity as students uniformed in black suits and gold vests lead horses on and off the auction stage. Nearby, others fuss with their charges as they await their turn. A bay bearing the halter tag 114 snuffles through the stall door at passersby. A stream of mostly unintelligible patter from the auctioneer keeps the sale moving. He curls syllables into the microphone and punctuates them with numbers and come-ons as the bidding heats up. “Now 15, now 17, now –“ He breaks off and appeals directly to the bidder. “Why not?” On the far side, a bid spotter erupts in a flurry of gestures. He points. He waves his arms up and down. He shrugs and grimaces, then pantomimes making a phone call. Isn’t there someone who can be reached to pony up a few more dollars? And then it’s over. The gavel swings, the auctioneer nods, and another yearling heads to a new barn, to owners who dream of racing glory. In 2014, the Morrisville sale put 130 yearlings through the ring with an average price tag of $10,715. The top-seller was one of their own: the college-bred and raised bay yearling Royal Encore sold for $85,000, the highest price paid for a horse in the 25-year history of the sale. All told, the Standardbred sale took in nearly $1.4 million; the profits go toward the college’s equine programs. This year’s yearling sale is Sept. 20, and the high-stakes game will play out again, bidders choosing untested horses relying on a mixture of research and instinct. This day is all about potential, what might be. Today they can revise the record books and stand the sport on end. Today no one breaks stride or loses by a nose. Tomorrow will wait to be written. NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 29
“In buying a horse or taking a wife, shut your eyes tight and commend yourself to God.” ~ Tuscan Proverb 30 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
Under the gavel...
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Behind the scenes...
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Hounds, Horses & Country Ham EQ STYLE:
A TRIBUTE TO THE HUNT BREAKFAST (WITH RECIPES)
BY JANIS BARTH
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MR. FOX’S HUNT BREAKFAST BY HARRY BINGHAM NIELSON (1861-1941)
A
Bloody Mary bar welcomes the hunters home from the hills. In the dining room, dishes cover the table and sprawl onto a sideboard. Ham studded with pineapple, potatoes drenched with sour cream and Cheddar, French toast spiked with vanilla. Hunt breakfast. Were two words ever a more delicious reward for going over the river and through the woods? (And, as every rider knows, occasionally going into the river and throughout the woods,
SEASONAL MIMOSAS Ingredients 1 quart apple cider 3 cinnamon sticks 1 knob fresh ginger, smashed 3 whole cloves Pinch of nutmeg Juice of 2 lemons ¼ cup sugar
Directions Stir together the cider, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool, then strain. Chill the cider mixture in the fridge until ready to serve. For each serving, fill champagne flutes, or other stemmed glasses, about halfway with the cider and top with the cava. Stir and serve. Cook’s note: The fresh ginger makes the difference!
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LIMESTONE CREEK HUNT
1 750-ml bottle dry cava or other dry sparkling wine
MASTER WOLFF’S CRAB DIP Ingredients 1 lb. crab meat 1 cup sour cream 4 Tbl. mayonnaise Juice of ½ lemon 3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp. hot sauce ½ tsp. garlic salt 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, divided Directions
Hunt no farther for the perfect place to set down a drink. Fox hunt coasters, set of six, $24.95 at Tizzy’s, Cazenovia.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients, reserving ½ cup Cheddar for topping. Spoon into a baking dish, top with reserved cheese and bake 30-45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers as an hors d’oeuvre. Also good over rice as a main course.
holding onto a chunk of mane for dear life.) Breakfast has always been a part of riding to hounds, and the modern version is an outgrowth of the hearty English breakfast. Sometime in the mid-1800s it morphed into a meal held after the hunt; but even if the shadows are starting
to lengthen by the time the riders gather, it is still traditionally called a breakfast. “We are done whenever the hounds are done,” said Barbara Lindberg, one of the Masters of Foxhounds of Cazenovia’s Limestone Creek Hunt and director of the Equine Business
NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 39
“Women never look so well as when one comes in wet and dirty from hunting.”
FROM MR. SPONGE’S SPORTING TOUR, AN 1853 NOVEL
40 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
POTATOES O’BEUKEMA Ingredients 1 bag (2 lbs.) hash brown or cubed potatoes ½ cup melted butter 1 tsp. salt ½ cup chopped onion 1 can cream of chicken soup 12 ounces sour cream 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese For topping: 2 cups crushed corn flakes ¼ cup melted butter Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except corn flakes and ¼ cup butter. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle corn flakes over the top of the potato mixture and drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered for 1 hour until hot and bubbling. Serves 12. Cook’s Note: I have found potatoes with onions and pepper already in them and they also work.
WATSON FAMILY FRENCH TOAST BAKE Ingredients 10 ounce loaf French bread 12 eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup milk 2 Tbl., heaping, white sugar 2 Tbl., heaping, brown sugar ¾ tsp. salt 1 Tbl. Vanilla extract 1 Tbl. Cinnamon 2 Tbl. Butter Directions Grease a 9x13 pan. Cut bread into 1-inch thick slices and arrange in one layer in the prepared pan. Beat together eggs, milk, white and brown sugar, salt and vanilla until well mixed. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight or, at the most, 24 hours. Uncover and dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Serves 6. (Triple for hunt breakfast.)
Management program at Cazenovia College. “If we are hunting at 10, we try to be civilized and eat at one. Sometimes it goes according to that plan. One breakfast I hosted, though, started at 12:30 and people were still coming in at 4 because the hounds had different ideas.” Tradition is a word that comes up often when she talks about the hunt. From the colors of the members’ coats, to the autumnal pumpkins, leaves and wheat sheaves selected for the hunt breakfast décor, it is a sport steeped in time-honored touches. Before the hunt comes one of the oldest and most enduring: the traditional stirrup cup, a small sendoff serving of cider, port or sherry – another nod to the sport’s English roots – to ward off the cold, toast to good luck in the field, offer a little Dutch courage and make it hurt less when you fall off. In Britain, a slice of fruit cake, easy for a rider to hold in their gloved hand, is also offered, she said, “as a little calorie boost to get you through the hunt and to breakfast.” Ahhh, breakfast. Spurs are shed – “you don’t need spur marks on the Duncan Phyfe sofa,” Lindberg observes – mud-splattered hunt coats are exchanged for tweeds and everyone goes inside where it’s warm, to eat and drink and begin the process of embellishing on the day’s events.
They’re the reason for the season, so why not invite them to breakfast? Papier mache foxes, $85$125 at Flowers on Main, Cazenovia.
SECRET FAMILY RECIPE GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS Ingredients 2 cups original Bisquick mix 2/3 cup milk ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 Tbl. Butter 1/8 tsp. garlic powder Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together Bisquick, milk and Cheddar until a soft dough forms. Drop nine spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake 8-9 minutes until golden brown. Stir together butter and garlic powder and brush over warm biscuits.
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“While you will find soup to nuts the premise is sort of English country clothing ... Women often wear sporting hats – not Kentucky Derby hats – because we all have helmet heads.” Limestone Creek breakfasts, with a few gala exceptions, are hosted in private homes by a hunt member or a friend of the hunt. “We tend to offer something breakfasty, but also something substantial,” Lindberg said, describing an indulgence that begins with Bloody Marys or Mimosas — a modern addition from the brunch menu — along with a cheese board, charcuterie and dip. Then it’s a breechesbusting progression through potato casseroles, French toast and bacon, to ham or turkey and main dishes that range from the elaborate “to something as simple as chili.” Among her specialties is a beef stew, slow cooked and rich with beef tenderloin. And then there is dessert. Because, really, what’s the point in spending hours atop a horse if the calories can’t be turned in for pastry credits? “Several of us do an apple crisp, because it is of the season,” Lindberg said. “I also do a trifle because it’s just so British. And everyone takes a cookie or a brownie for the road.” But what, one might wonder amidst all this human repasting, of the hard-working hunt members with four legs? The hounds are warm and tucked away in their kennel and the horses get their reward before any of the humans are fed, said Lindberg. Dressed in their coolers, cleaned up and having had a chance for water, they “are ecstatic to be standing in their trailer with a full hay net … Hunt horses learn to value hanging out with a full hay net.”
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LINDBERG’S HUNT COUNTRY STEW Ingredients 3 Tbl. Flour 1 tsp. salt. ½ tsp. celery salt ¼ tsp. garlic salt ¼ tsp. pepper ½ tsp. ginger 3 lbs. beef tenderloin, cut in 2” cubes 2 Tbl. Cooking oil 1 ½ cans (12 oz. each) diced or stewed tomatoes 3 medium onions, sliced 1/3 cup red wine vinegar ½ cup molasses ½ cup beef stock 6-8 carrots, cut on the diagonal Directions Combine first six ingredients and sprinkle over beef cubes. Brown seasoned beef in hot oil and place in crockpot or slow cooker. Add tomatoes, onions, carrots, vinegar, molasses and stock. Cook on low about 4 hours, until beef and carrots are tender. Serve over rice. Serves 8-10.
PHOTO BY GLORIA WRIGHT
FROM GRANNY HAHN’S RULES FOR HUNT BREAKFASTS Pretend not to notice if a lady takes a stiff drink. Should she take two in rapid succession, notify her best friend. Under no circumstances do you notify her husband. If you wish to use a stuffed fox as part of your display, make certain no cats are present. Rita Mae Brown, Saveur magazine
NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 43
Anything forced
and misunderstood
can never be beautiful.
“… If a dancer was
forced to dance by
whip and spikes, he would be no more beautiful
than a horse trained under similar conditions.”
— The Art of Horsemanship by Xenophon, 360 BCE, the oldest-known text on riding and training
NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 45
The Six Rules of Horsemanship, and other lessons
T
here are no expressways to excellence. “Expect a lot, accept a little, reward as often as possible,” Patrick King is saying. Shortcuts aren’t possible. It’s a growing process, one step after another. Step One: Acknowledge that time is the currency both horse and rider must spend to achieve their full potential. Don’t give up when triple combinations, sliding stops or the perfect half-pass aren’t a lesson – or two, or 100 – away. “It’s OK to be challenged,” says King. “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you can do it well.” It’s Day 3, and King is stitching together the weekend’s clinic at Canterbury Stables in Cazenovia. Horses have behaved. Horses have misbehaved. One has taken several high-speed tours of the arena on his own. King has guided from the center, horseman and clinician, philosopher and educator – challenging riders to move forward, encouraging when they stumble. The lesson is not based on time, he says, it’s based on what you have to do. Training is not based on time, it’s based on what you want to accomplish. “Every ride, I try to ride from the position of a finished horse – whether it’s his first ride or his 10,000th ride,” he says. “I’m not trying to rush him. I’m saying, ‘Here’s where we’ll be someday. Let me help you find your way.’ “… We can’t rush understanding. We can’t rush confidence. We have to build on it – a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. The way we present our ideas to a horse is just
“EXPECT A LOT, ACCEPT A LITTLE, REWARD AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.”
like the way we present an idea to a person and it has a lot to do with the way a horse reacts to the idea. Think of him as a dance partner. How would you ask him to dance in a way that makes him want to dance with you? “Every horse is perfect; they’re just not finished with their education. Just like every rider is perfect; they’re just not finished with their education. And we’re all in that same boat.” For King, whose Ohio-based Patrick King Horsemanship teaches classical principles for modern riders, education begins with The Six Rules of Horsemanship: Rule No. 1: Think. Rule No. 2: Plan. “You have to plan. Whether you’re riding a hunter or a dressage horse or a reining horse, you have to plan for what you’re going to do. If you want to get 10 strides between two jumps, you have to plan.” Rule No. 3: Focus. Rule No. 4: Adjust. Rule No. 5: Breathe. Rule No. 6: Smile. “Where focus goes, energy flows. That’s why I’m such a big fan of Rule No. 6. Don’t think about the bad things, think about the great things.” Education continues, he says, with understanding the equine brain, and uses the morning’s delinquent filly as an example. “People live for tomorrow. They put money in the bank for the interest it earns tomorrow ... A horse lives for yesterday. This filly is looking at me saying, ‘I didn’t
“You have to be the leader,” Patrick King says. “You have to be consistent in how you ask and insistent on the response.”
PHOTOS BY DIDI LUND
46 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
have to work this hard yesterday. Why do I have to work so hard today?’ It’s our job – it’s our responsibility – to make today the best yesterday she has to look back on.” How does a rider accomplish that? It’s a two word answer, says King: “The best way to get the correct response from a horse is to be consistent and insistent. “You have to be the leader. You have to be consistent in how you ask and insistent on the response,” he explains. “To a horse it’s clear cut: There’s a leader and a follower, and that’s a part of a horse that we’ll never take away. If the horse asks ‘Are you the leader?” and you say, ‘Well, umm’ then the horse thinks ‘Well I’d better take over and make decisions or we’ll both die.’ “They’re constantly checking your credentials: ‘Are you qualified?’ Five minutes later it’s, ‘Are you still qualified? Have you got a plan?’ When he decides you’re not qualified, that when he says, ‘I’ll take over.’ It’s a survival thing. I’ve never known a horse who wanted to be in charge.” So yes, every rider needs to be part equine psychologist and also part equine anatomist. King believes that 85% of our troubles with a horse can be solved by gaining better control over his inside hind leg. “Everything we do with a horse is just a combination of footfalls. The inside hind leg is the driver and the primary balancer.” And that piece of biomechanics translates to every detail of how to ride better: “The more connected your seat is to the horse’s feet, the easier everything will be,” he says. “In the grand scheme of things, you’re going to think about riding more with your seat and very little with the hands. In the finished product, riding should be 80% seat – from the knees up — 18% lower leg and 2% hands. “Think about your body position: Where are your shoulders? Are you sitting with your butt stuck out behind you? Where is your lower leg? Think about the carousel horse. The horse goes up and down on the center pole. If the pole is crooked, the carousel horse can’t go up and down the way it’s supposed to go. Think of yourself as that carousel pole ... Equitation is really about how you relate to the horse. Modern riders think that equitation is looking pretty.” Where riders become frustrated, King says, is usually one of two places. First, is when they forget that excellence isn’t a straight-line, fast-forward progression. It isn’t only the horse that needs repetition, it’s the rider. If you get
the basics right, he teaches, the fancy stuff is easy because the fancy stuff is just a combination of the basics. “People say ‘I’m sick of Square 1. I want to move on to Square 2. When do I leave Square 1?’ You never leave Square 1. You always keep Square 1. You put it in your pocket and take it with you. You never leave Square 1.” The second is when they ask for more than their horse can give. That’s wrong, he said, and the human part of the equation has to move past. “You don’t ever want to take the horse to the point where they can’t, because then they learn that there’s a bottom to their bucket.” Still, as every rider knows, there are times when you’ve asked a horse to do something that’s well within what he can accomplish – that he’s accomplished many times before – and the horse says no thank you, not today. That’s when the rider has to remind the horse who’s in charge. “Pressure tells the horse ‘You haven’t found the right answer yet.’ Release tells the horse, ‘You’re correct, or thank you for trying,’” King says. “The release basically says ‘Yes.’ We don’t want to release until we get the appropriate response ... The horse is allowed to make the wrong choice; it’s part of his education. We just want to make sure he doesn’t feel the release in the wrong choice. “
FIVE EASY PIECES 1. “The outside rein is akin to the guardrail on the highway. It sets the shape of the road.” 2. “The three things a horse needs in life: Repetition, repetition, repetition.” 3. “If we let them be on welfare on the ground, that’s how they’re going to be under saddle. It’s that personal philosophy that we teach them.” 4. “Idle hooves are the devil’s playground … If he’s seeing squirrels, give him a job to do. Give him something to work on so he’s so busy being productive he can’t go hunting for squirrels.” 5. “This continent is surrounded by water. They’re going to stop sometime. The trick is staying on them until they do stop.”
NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 47
Excellence: The Common Thread “IT’S BETTER TO BE THE PERSON THAT PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES EVERY DAY OF WHAT YOUR HORSE CAN DO.” PHOTOS BY KATHIANNE F. SNADEN PHOTOGRAPHY
C
“With every ride you’re either making them better or making them worse,” Cliff Schadt says. “Make every ride better than the last.”
48 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
liff Schadt swings into the saddle and the little roan blasts sideways as if he’s just stuck his hoof in an electric socket. Schadt is a second-generation horseman. He grew up riding hunter/ jumper, has worked most of his adult life on Western ranches, and let’s just say the little roan isn’t phoning in anything that Schadt doesn’t already have on speed dial. He’s unruffled and glued to the saddle, a perfect demonstration of the importance of seat: the ability to stick to the horse no matter what the horse is doing. “Forward motion is everything with a young horse, it’s everything,” he says as moves the horse – under saddle for only the second time – through all the recognized gaits and a few the roan has invented on the spot. “One of the biggest reasons horses buck or rear is they don’t understand forward motion. The best thing you can do with a baby is teach them to go forward.” In riding and training, Schadt’s methods are modeled after Vaquerostyle horsemanship and classical
dressage, which he brings together as Common Thread Horsemanship. Riding is a partnership, Schadt says, but not an equal partnership. Nor, he says, current opinion aside, is there anything natural about it. “There’s nothing natural about us, a carnivorous animal, riding a horse. It’s highly unnatural. You can ride buck naked with a string around the horse’s neck and it’s still not natural … But we have a special relationship with the horse. The bond we can form with them is amazing. “We tell the horse we’ll provide for you, we’ll take care of you, in return for which we ask you to do these things. The responsibility is on us to ask correctly. When we’re in the saddle, it’s not an equal partnership. We care for them 23 hours out of the day. The hour that we’re riding them, they listen to us.” And so the roan listens, and relaxes, and begins to stretch into a proper frame. Creating a confident, balanced team is reachable for every horse and rider, Schadt believes. At a clinic at Lone Birch Stables in Homer, he shared his formula for success, starting with: Don’t just sit there and do nothing.
“If you do any riding, you know that if you’re just sitting upstairs, not being an active rider, just being a passenger, that’s when things go wrong.” Ride the center line. “If we want to have our horse be up and under us and straight, our hands have to be up and straight. The optimum position on a horse is shoulder over hip over heels – centered. If I was to put a broomstick next to you, everything should line up and be straight. “… If we want our horses to carry themselves better, we have to carry ourselves better. Envision a string pulling up through the top of your head. Everything gets lighter – your shoulders are back, your chest is open.” Learn from the past. “With every ride you’re either making them better or making them worse. There’s no grey area, no middle ground. Every time you get on you’re either training or untraining. I challenge all of you to ride better every day. Make every ride better than the last.” Full speed ahead. “If you can’t have extension at all four gaits, you can’t
have collection. A lot of people don’t gallop a horse unless it’s an accident. You should gallop almost every day.” Don’t hold anything back. “My first day on a horse I do everything on them that I will ask in the future – walk, trot, canter, gallop, rope – because I don’t
want any surprises next week. Horses that are started and then don’t canter until 30 days in, that’s when they buck, because it’s suddenly something new and different. The horse is thinking to himself: ‘What? Everything was nice and comfortable and now you’re asking for something new.’ “ Remember who’s in charge. “Don’t let them anticipate, make them take their cue from you. Some days I just ask a horse to canter five to 10 times around in each direction, and then I put them away. Nothing else. It teaches them not to anticipate, to listen only to you.” Just like a Boy Scout, be prepared.
“The faster you go, the harder it is to be organized in your aids, what your hands and seat are doing. It’s important that, the faster you go, the more you slow down as a rider. Be methodical in your aids. Be prepared ahead of time. Riding is about ordered progression, about having a plan for what you do.” Don’t settle for less than the best.
“The biggest thing that stands in the way of greatness is good. It’s better to fall short of greatness than to live in mediocrity. It’s better to be the person that pushes the boundaries every day of what your horse can do.” NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 49
New York Horse article honored for writing excellence
A
n article by Jeanne Albanese, that appeared in the Winter issue of New York Horse, received a top national award in this year’s American Horse Publications writing competition. The story, “Why the Outside of a Horse is Good for the Inside of a Girl,” was selected from among 21 entries for the prestigious Valiant Human-Animal Bond Award. The award is presented annually to the author of the article that best promotes the relationship between horses and people. The award, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health, was named for the blind dressage horse, Valiant, owned by Jeanette Sassoon. Valiant passed away in November 2013, however his spirit continues to inspire. Albanese was unable to attend the AHP ceremony in Texas, but sent these words about her work: “I stumbled upon this story through a neighbor, and when I heard that a little girl found her own voice through horseback riding, I knew this was a powerful dynamic and one I wanted to explore. There are so many social and academic
pressures facing girls today, and their relationships of unconditional love with their horses offer them an escape from that world for a few hours a day, all the while building the confidence and self-reliance they need to step out of the show ring and back to everyday life to face those challenges.” The story also placed third in the feature writing category. “The feature weaves the stories of the girls with the facts and figures on youth and horses,” the judge said. “A great piece where the writer let the sources tell their story.” American Horse Publications is a non-profit association promoting excellence in equine publishing media. Its members include equine-related print and online media, professionals, students, organizations, and businesses which share an interest in equine publishing. This year’s AHP competition included more than 60 classes, 837 entries, and 115 contestants, of which 72 were finalists. Earlier this year, New York Horse also received an award for overall excellence from the Syracuse Press Club.
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50 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
“Big enough to serve you, Small enough to care”
GUIDE THE
TIPS. EXPERT ADVICE. SECRETS WORTH STEALING
PHOTO BY LAUREN BAKER/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP
Vet’s Rx: What your seat means to a horse’s back Sophie Verges, aboard Q Royal Palm 2, works on initiating connection with her seat.
Classical training will never become old fashioned, says veterinarian Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, because it is built upon balance and an understanding of the skeletal and muscular connections that run throughout the horse’s body. Take away these pointers from his sessions at the USET’s Gladstone program:
A good, light seat is important in maintaining proper alignment through the horse’s neck and back. “Horses are not meant to carry an extra 150-200 pounds, so we don’t want to be a weight on the horse’s back. We want to be part of the rhythmic swing. We want to have a dance.” How to initiate connection with your seat? “You have to feel as if you weigh an extra 200 pounds. Smile and relax as if you had a whiskey.” Don’t ride with heavy hands; the horse’s rhythm and suppleness originate off the seat and legs. “Your horse’s head has to fall in front of its withers. The back can only come up when the horse’s neck is in balance. You have to have rhythmic impulsion at the trot in order to have collection, which is like the tension in a spring. You only use the leg to overcome resistance.” And finally, remember the importance of heart: “Classical riding only works if you love your horse and you love to ride.”
THE GUIDE: EXPERT ADVICE
Words to Ride By THE COACHES AGREE: CHALLENGE YOURSELF, KEEP LEARNING AND NEVER GIVE UP
W
hat is your single best piece of advice for riders? That’s the question NY Horse put to the top collegiate and interscholastic coaches in the region. We shared some of their answers in our winter issue. Here is more of what they said:
Nicolle Madonna Cerio, head coach Le Moyne College IHSA Team and coach Team CNY EQ (IEA hunt seat) “There is no substitute for time spent in the saddle, time spent working around horses and time spent competing. “The best riders are comfortable, but never assume things will go
“Nothing about riding comes quickly or easily,” says Audra Ravo, “but that is the beauty of the sport.”
as planned. They are prepared for anything. They ride the plan, and make adjustments as needed to stick with the plan. The only way a rider gets to this point is time and great instruction. “Surround yourself in an environment that is going to challenge you – take you out of your comfort zone – in a good way. And, like with any sport, not everyone is going to be a Beezie Madden. In reality, most will get
nowhere near that level. There are many versions of ‘good’ so be sure during your long journey in the equestrian world not to get frustrated with your own version of good. Always strive to be better but don’t be discouraged if you aren’t the next Lillie Keenan. “This is a sport that gives athletes a lot of longevity. Use that: Never stop listening, never stop learning. Every horse, every experience gives you an opportunity to learn something; every bump in the road opens up an opportunity to learn how to overcome and get better. “
Audra Ravo, coach Ithaca College IHSA hunt seat team “Don’t give up. Nothing about riding comes quickly or easily, but that is the beauty of the sport. “There will always be low points and high points, but keep working and it will pay off. The sport takes dedication, but it is so worth it.”
Valerie McCloskey, coach Whisper Wind Equestrian Centre team (IEA hunt seat) “My single best advice to ride better is: As riders we must always keep learning, from the horse, our colleagues and instructors.
“As equestrians, if we are always open to learning and working on basics, we will become better riders and our equine partners will thank us.”
YOUR TURN & A GIFT OK, NY Horse readers, now it’s your turn. What is the best piece of advice you ever received about riding and/ or horses? We’ll print a selection in a future issue. Every answer we receive will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Show Trunk II. Send your entry to Editor@nyhorsemag.com, and put “Advice” in the subject line.
52 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF AUDRA RAVO
“Keep an open mind and be open to challenges, as those are often where most of our learning comes from. We must practice that which is difficult for both us and our equine partner, and continue to work on basics – always basics.
THE GUIDE: SAFETY
Update your equine disaster plan WHAT? YOU DON’T HAVE ONE? WELL, THEN, SEPTEMBER IS THE MONTH TO GET READY
S
eptember is National Preparedness Month, a good time for horse owners to take stock in case the unthinkable happens. Natural disasters – and Central New York has seen its share of blizzards, floods, high winds and severe storms – can strike anywhere at any time. Beforehand is the time to make sure your horse is included in an emergency plan, says Cindy Gendron, coordinator for The Homes for Horses Coalition. “Different types of disasters call for different responses, from evacuating your horses to keeping them safe in a barn or in a field,” Gendron says. Plan for the worst case – evacuation – and anything less will be that much easier to handle. Her tips: Permanently identify each horse by tattoo, microchip, brand, or photograph. In your records, include the horse’s
age, sex, breed, and color. Keep this information with your important papers. Keep emergency halters.
On each halter attach a luggage tag with the following information: the horse’s name, your name, email address, your telephone number, and another emergency number where someone can be reached. Place your horses’ Coggins tests, veterinary papers,
identification photographs, and vital information — such as medical history — in a watertight envelope. Store the envelope in a safe, reachable place so it is ready to go if necessary. Prepare a basic First Aid kit that is portable and easily accessible. Don’t be caught short: Include
enough water, hay, feed, and medication for several days for each horse. If your horses are unaccustomed to being loaded onto a trailer, practice so they become used to it. Post detailed instructions in several places — including the barn entrances, office and/or tack room — to ensure emergency personnel can see them.
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MINIATURE HORSES
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• Experience art in nature at Stone
• Or simply relax and take a stroll in Lakeland
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Cazenovia, NY • 315-655-9748 Email: spice5@windstream.net Check us out on Facebook and www.hannayfarm.com NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 53
THE GUIDE: GOOD HORSEKEEPING
Five ways to nail an appointment with your farrier FOR ONE THING, KNOW YOUR LIMITS ON CONTROLLING YOUR HORSE
E
ven if your horse is a barefoot babe, regular visits from the farrier are a necessary part of proper hoof care and maintaining optimal performance. Steve Kraus, head of Farrier Services at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine and a 44-year veteran of the profession, says the best gift you can give your farrier is a clean, well-behaved horse in a safe workspace. He outlined five things every farrier wishes their clients knew: 1. Catch and clean up your horse.
“It may only take five minutes to get him in, but if everyone takes five or 10 minutes to catch the horse, it adds up. That’s why farriers are notoriously late. Bring him in early enough so you can clean off muddy legs and feet and give him time to dry off and settle down.” 2. Provide a suitable workspace. “It has access to the truck and is reasonably well-lit. It is located out of the wind, rain and snow but well-ventilated. A safe place, with no bikes or lawnmowers or things the horse can get into, with enough room if I have to move quickly. And it should be reasonably quiet. The other day a girl ducked under the crossties while crunching up a large plastic bag, which spooked the horse I was working on. When we’re underneath horses we can feel them tensing up, and we don’t know what’s going to happen.” 54 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com
3. Teach your horse manners. “In my early years I made a good part of my living working on horses that no one else could or would shoe. It was part of the job. Now there’s a liability factor, not only for me but for the owner and the horse itself, and we have to be more careful. Most farriers today say it’s not their job to train and
discipline horses, so don’t expect it.” 4. Know your limits. “Some owners are very capable of handling their own horses during trimming and shoeing, and some are very incapable. I’ve had to tell owners to please just sit down and be quiet and let me handle the horse.” 5. Learn about AFA Certification.
“American Farriers Association certification is the only program in the US where farriers voluntarily prepare for and take competency exams. They are doing it to improve their skills and knowledge and to be assessed by their peers, and they deserve a lot of credit for that.” Steve Kraus specializes in troubleshooting under-performing horses. In addition to his work at Cornell, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Region # 5 of the American Farriers Association. An avid rider and polo player, Kraus owns and trains five polo horses at his farm in Trumansburg, and coaches and umpires at Cornell’s Oxley Equestrian Center.
NYH MARKET
PARTING SHOT
“When humans decided to harness the horse’s power rather than to eat its meat, it was the beginning of an enduring affinity between human and animal that still serves us today. The horse has been our beast of burden, our transport and our warrior.” — Nicola Jane Swinney, from “Horses”
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