SHAWNA SIMMONS: Equine Photography Shawna Simmons has a natural eye for photography and editing, apparent in the immense variety of work that she can call her own. Simmons fell in love with photography in high school, where she shot on film and developed in a dark room. While in high school, Simmons dived into fashion photography, regularly using her sister as a model. She continued her passion throughout college at the University of South Carolina, where her pieces were regularly featured in the student magazine. After college, Simmons traded Columbia, South Carolina for New York City to pursue fashion photography. In New York, Simmons had a variety of work, including working for Anthropologie as a photo editor, Christie’s where she ensured online images accurately portrayed the art for online bidders, and most notably for Macys.com, where she was the first social media photographer hired by the company. Throughout her two years at Macys.com, Simmons increased online engagement of the 15 million Facebook and Twitter users by more than 150%. In 2015, Simmons moved to Loudoun County, Virginia, commuting to work in Washington, DC. Simmons, like many, grew up riding, but stepped away from it for many years while pursuing a career. Now back in horse country, Simmons has horses again, including a yearling she bought, trained, and is now showing, and has branched out into equine photography. Using her immense knowledge of lighting, timing, and editing, Simmons creates gorgeous equine fine art. She creates not pictures, but pieces of art to be displayed in the home of the loving owner or admiring rider. She has been especially successful when shooting horses and dogs to be combined in a single picture. Pictures are shot separately, posing is important, and Simmons can make even the smallest dog fit into an equine portrait. Simmons can be found at shows across the east coast, both showing and shooting. So, be on the lookout to schedule your equine portrait session for your favorite show ring partner. For more information on Shawna Simmons’ photography, visit shawnasimmons.com, email at shawna.simmons@ gmail.com, or contact via phone at (540)327–3693.
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BY TPH INTERN IRENE ELISE POWLICK
T
icks have become a bigger problem throughout North America. Climate change and its warmer than average temperatures means longer warm seasons, earlier springs, shorter and milder winters, and hotter summers--ideal for ticks. Plus, ticks have a broader geographic range than ever before, so even states that haven’t dealt with them in the past might find ticks to be a problem in the near future. Nervous Tick is here to help everyone enjoy their time outdoors without worrying about these harmful pests. Tick sprays and repellents for humans, horses, and dogs typically contain harmful chemicals such as permethrin. Nervous Tick contains no such thing. The proprietary blend of essential oils will keep ticks, mosquitos, gnats, and other bugs far away from you without compromising your health. Meredith Ann is the brains behind the operation. She’s a stay at home mother with a background in chemistry and environmental science, and her husband is a forester and arborist who works to eradicate invasive species that provide tick habitat. Meredith didn’t like seeing him come home from work with ticks embedded in him, and she wanted
her three young children to enjoy playing outside without risking tick bites. She knew enough about essential oils to try a healthier and more sustainable approach to keeping the ticks away. “I started in my kitchen three years ago, blending essential oils and sending my husband out into the field every day. He’s my guinea pig,” she laughed. “When we finally got the formula right, he went out for weeks without one tick, and the spray down lasted all day.” Meredith decided to go big or go home, and got her product licensed in the state of Connecticut with their Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and keep everything up to EPA standards. Her oils are specifically sourced from a certain EPA case number that ensures they are what the labels says they are. Quality control is of paramount importance to Meredith, who blends each bottle by hand herself. She expects her dog and horse lines to come to market with full DEEP approval in spring 2020. The dog formula works to deter ticks on her outdoors-loving labrador, and she has found that her 21 year old morgan horse is much happier to be sprayed with Nervous Tick than with regular permethrin-based sprays. Consumers can also look forward to soaps for humans and animals coming soon.
All Nervous Tick products are bee friendly, vegan, gluten free, cruelty free, and organic. Learn more at thenervoustick.com
1 • THE PLAID HORSE
I was doing night check, like I do every night, and noticed some cobwebs up in the aisle light and made a mental note that I needed to clean those. I felt bad that my barn doesn’t look like those magnificent barns seen in magazines. You know the ones, where there are chandeliers and gold inlay everywhere and not a single piece of hay is out of place. It made me feel like I was woefully negligent in my duties. What am I doing at night check that I could skip so I had time to clean cobwebs? At night check, I water everyone. I know which horses, even though there are two buckets hanging in the stall, will only drink out of one bucket, no matter what. I know which horses dunk their hay in the water bucket. I check to make sure everyone has had water to drink and know which ones will wait until they get turned out tomorrow to drink in the paddock. I look into each bucket to make sure clean, fresh water is the only thing in there, no birds, no mice, no poop. I also make sure the bucket isn’t leaking water out of a crack or smooshed by the horse or has sharp edges that means I need to replace it. I inspect every inch of each horse to make sure there are no injuries, no swollen eyes, no runny noses, no blown up tendons, and no missing or shifted shoes. I’ll check halters to make sure there are no rubs or a snap hasn’t sprung. They have a talent for getting in trouble in their stall! I also make sure that dinner was eaten in full including any medications, and that no manure was deposited in the feed trough. I make sure that they are
happily eating hay. I check each stall to make sure the correct hay, whether Orchard Grass, Timothy or Alfalfa, was fed at dinner since there are allergies. I scan the stall to make sure nobody has kicked out boards and that stall mats are properly placed. If it’s raining hard, I’ll check every stall to make sure there is no flooding. While looking in the stall, I also check to see if anyone is pawing in the stall. If I see that, I’m immediately looking for signs of colic. Has the horse rolled, has he eaten, are his nostrils flared, is he looking at his sides, just to name a few things running through my mind. I’ll stay at the stall and watch for a few minutes. I’ll start the emergency procedures, if needed. I’ll do the same thing for signs of a choke, and I can tell the difference between the two. There are times, I’ve “heard” a horse make a sound, and knew it wasn’t right and sure enough, the onset of colic or choke, just by listening. And I do listen to everything because sometimes you hear something better than you see it. I know what it should sound like at night check… peaceful, quiet, and unhurried. I make sure all stall doors are latched correctly and that everything is where it’s supposed to be. I haven’t ridden a horse in 20 years, but I’ve picked up more tack, brushes, hoof picks, whips, and other equipment left out by kids and adults alike, and I don’t mind. It tells me the barn is alive with activity during the day, and I’m in after all the lessons and baths and hugs are given. Just me and my ponies. So what should I not do at night check? The cobwebs are still there and I’m just fine with it. ◼
BY PAMELA N. SAUL
One of the many struggles of horse ownership is keeping our horses comfortable during the fly season without spending all of our time out in the paddocks searching for missing fly masks and fly boots. Most of the fly masks and boots on the market today don’t fit the aesthetic many of us love for our horses. Let’s face it–we like to have beautiful things for our horses and our barns, and it’s no fun to sacrifice taste for durability.
a spine down the back of the boots so they stay in place without sagging and remain comfortable for your horse. They are both easy to clean and maintain, you simply spray them down with water and put them back on.
This is where Mackey USA steps in! From their durable fun loving fly masks and fly boots to their hanging hay bags, tack organizers and backpacks, Mackey USA has super fun, super functional equestrian items that solve lots of issues for many horse owners.
In addition to fly apparel, they offer both a hanging hay bag with a slow feed version, grooming totes, hanging tack
Mackey’s fly masks and boots are made from durable yet comfortable materials and both have heavy duty hook and loop fasteners so the horses can’t pull them off. Mackey fly boots are designed with
organizers, whimsical rain sheets, treat bags, a waterproof and stain resistant backpack for all your equestrian gear and several new styles of bamboo socks to match their collections. Lots of fun for both horse and rider! All Mackey USA designs are tested extensively with lots of input from fellow equestrians before they ever reach the shelves of your local tack shop. Mackey USA designs include the Bee Mine, Modern Vintage, Racer, Dandy, Southwest and Flying Frogs collectionswith new designs and new products being added regularly. From the improved fit of products for horses to the functionality of rider gear, we can all look chic and elegant at the barn and by the show ring with Mackey USA. ◼
For more information go to:
www.mackeyusa.com
theplaidhorse.com • May/June 2016 • 111
2016 CELEBRATED THE CENTENNIAL AIKEN HORSE SHOW IN HITCHCOCK WOODS.
“The road may bend out of sight at times, but I know what lies ahead: the faraway horses.” Buck Brannaman, The Faraway Horses
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Custom Constructed for You At Morton Buildings, we know that special care and attention is needed when constructing an equestrian building. That’s why we listen to your needs and work with you to develop a stall barn, riding arena or storage building that is safe and beautiful for you and your horses.
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(540) 825-3633 Culpeper VA
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