The Plaid Horse August 2024 - The Pony Issue by The Plaid Horse

Good Luck To Everyone At Pony Finals

Quality horses and ponies always available for purchase or lease

Coming Up Gold

Golden OPportunity

Coming Up Gold

large regular

shown by: Astera Frydman available for lease

Isabella

medium regular available for sale

Golden OPportunity

large regular

shown by: Sophia Grose available for lease

Kissed by the bay

large regular

shown by: Sophia Grose available for lease

Beaverwood’s Primrose

medium green

Kissed by the bay

Kissed by the bay large regular shown by: Corrigan Janiak

Kissed by the bay

large regular

shown by: Corrigan Janiak

large regular

shown by: Corrigan Janiak

POsh Ability

Beaverwood’s Primrose

medium green

Beaverwood’s Primrose

shown by: Corrigan Janiak

medium green shown by: Corrigan Janiak

medium green

POsh Ability

shown by: Corrigan Janiak

medium green

shown by: Corrigan Janiak

sugar rush

medium green

POsh Ability

medium green

shown by: Lilly Hertzog available for lease / sale

CHASING DREAMS

Quality horses and ponies always available for purchase or lease saddle lake equestrian center / missy jo hollingsworth . 859.750.7568 . me@missyjo.com . www.saddlelakeequestrian.com

small regular

sugar rush

small regular

shown by: Corrigan Janiak nationally 5th as of 6/26/2024 available for lease

small green

CHASING DREAMS

small green

CHASING DREAMS

shown by: Corrigan Janiak available for lease / sale

small green

shown by: Corrigan Janiak available for lease / sale

small green

shown by: Corrigan Janiak available for lease / sale

saddle lake equestrian center / missy jo hollingsworth . 859.750.7568 . me@missyjo.com . www.saddlelakeequestrian.com

Standing industry leading pony stallions: *Telynau Royal Charter, *Telynau Gallant, Royal Party Shoes, Canadian Crown Royal, and Wellen Gold Point

Standing industry leading pony stallions:

*Telynau Royal Charter, *Telynau Gallant, Royal Party Shoes, Canadian Crown Royal, and Wellen Gold Point

If you are showing a pony sired by one of our leading sires, please stop by our stalls for swag!

*Telynau Royal Charter, *Telynau Gallant, Royal Party Shoes, Canadian Crown Royal, and Wellen Gold Point If you are showing a pony sired by one of our leading sires, please stop by our stalls for swag!

September starlight

large regular shown by: Elektra Trujillo

Windhover Triple

Crown

Windhover Triple Crown

children’s - eligible medium green available for lease / sale

Cane creek’s oopsie daisy

Cane creek’s

children’s - eligible small green available for lease

oopsie daisy

children’s - eligible small green available for lease

Cherrybrook Silhouette

large green shown by: Lilly Herzog available for lease

ROYAL ALLURE

large green shown by: Lilly Herzog available for lease

ROYAL ALLURE

large green eligible available for lease / sale

Memory Lane

mc dreamy

children’s - eligible medium green available for lease

Royally Blonde

large green eligible available for lease / sale

medium green eligible available for lease / sale

Memory Lane

medium green eligible available for lease / sale

Utopia

small green eligible available for lease

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Get a look inside to better care for them, inside and out.

“Horses have shaped my life and if I could provide that opportunity to one child—to fill their hearts and enrich their lives, I feel that in some small way I can impact this world for the better. I have been honored to personally provide that opportunity to one child. With your help, we could provide this opportunity to many more.”

Ashley Holsinger, Founder/CEO

The Mayes Foundation is a 501c3 dedicated to providing support for

piper@theplaidhorse.com

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acebook.com/theplaidhorsemag

@theplaidhorsemag INSTAGRAM: @theplaidhorsemag

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PHOTO: CASSIDY KLEIN FOR THE PLAID HORSE

McLain Ward and Ilex at CHIO Aachen

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Goals

A FRIEND and I were recently discussing an upcoming scenario I was about to encounter. We were laughing at my probability of failure. We both knew it was high. But I wanted specifics.

“Well, I think…” she paused, debating statistics. “All right, 88.5 percent chance you’ll fail.”

I pondered. I conceded. That figure sounded about right given the data that I had in my pocket as well.

John Madden said to me recently that it’s never been harder or easier than it is right now. This has been rolling around in my head since he said it. It is so hard right now and it has always been so hard. It is so easy right now and it has always been so easy.

We have incredible technology and resources and also incredible challenges that come with them, just as every generation before and after us. Life seems like it should be getting more simple… and it is and it isn’t. Life is getting so much more complicated, which is harder and easier. It is shockingly simple in today’s world to convince yourself that it is not cool to try, or it’s not worth it to try, or to convince yourself that being risk-averse is a solution to anything.

Being negative is so easy. Our brains are literally calibrated to do that. What’s hard is to believe. Is to know you’re playing with fire. To know you might be, or that you will be hurt. You will be burned. And it may or may not be worth it and you really won’t know until months, years, or decades later. And still, the only answer is to try anyway.

When discussing Hemingway in another recent conversation, another friend said, “I mean this with the most respect possible… you are The Old Man and the Sea.” The gambling aspect of this sport and this business never really bothered me—I’m always ready to head back out there and never believe in a win until it is across the finish line.

Handy

4 & 5 Piper presenting the two sections

1 Piper with her pony Eagle and Emily Elek • 2 Piper with Robin Greenwood

Piper presenting the Large Pony

Hunter winner Hey Scooby and Ella Tarumianz

of Leadline

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

I find it very freeing when people think I’m going to fail. It’s almost easier, I’ve already, in many ways, accepted failure, and the pressure stacks on my brain in a way that has always made sense. As a natural optimist, I usually believe that I can, and try to do the thing anyways. As I geared up for being wrong yet again in my career, I couldn’t help but to ponder what all the people would tell me to not bother. Don’t show up. Tell me I couldn’t go.

But, I simply cannot live like that. We all have 24 hours in a day to work with. Other than that, we all have strengths and weaknesses. Some of us are stronger, some smarter, some have more support, and all of us are using everything we’ve got to develop more skill.

When I was at Wellington this winter and McLain Ward was starting his journey with Ilex, every armchair quarterback could be heard whispering how he couldn’t take a horse that green and be ready for the Olympics. With his level of skill, infrastructure, and belief of deadline to be on the team again, we should have all known that it was possible. This horse, one that looked simply unpreparable to many in February, just placed second in the Grand Prix of Aachen and is looking in top form going into Paris for Team USA. So, here we sit in Kentucky for the summer shows, USEF Pony Finals, and USHJA Hunter Championships. It’s time to believe. Not because we all are the best or most talented or have the best horses. But we can believe that it could be our day and we will leave everything we possibly can in that ring trying. Are we going to win? Statistically we will not, but we will try. We will build skill so that we can someday win or train a winner or groom a winner. We will be undaunted by our learning gap and how much work we have to do. We will be the people who put themselves out there. Whether we win, or cry in the bathroom, will get up tomorrow with the same zest and enthusiasm and seize that day, too.

Teaching is not and will not ever be scalable for humans or horses. And statistics of small numbers are never accurate. They leave room for error, room for belief, and room for anomalies. Believe in your horse, yourself, and your partnership to be an anomaly.

I write this as someone encouraged me to do it. To set goals again after taking a break from riding with any purpose or

intention for the last year. To be the rider of my dreams and not of my desk chair. I have three goals for this year. None are practical. I doubt any are actually achievable if I were to put a percentage on it. Certainly they are lower than that 11.5 percent chance of success. They are all expensive and not the best use of money. They are all time-consuming and probably not the best use of time. The red ﬂags are numerous. You will likely see an article about my failure at these pursuits in this magazine. But, I hope to live a little bit, I believe, and I will leave everything I have for the next 12 months in their pursuit. I’m only surrounding myself with people willing to carry this all consuming belief.

It is my hope that we can all be an encouragement to everyone, and especially to those who are not fortunate to get it at home. This magazine is for all of those who heard no when we were young. Who heard that we couldn’t. That it was too expensive, too much, too hard, too high, and too impossible.

Let me start a snowball of people in your life saying yes. Let me say thank you for reading and believing in me. Let me say that I believe in you. I know you can do it. I want to see you learn, ride, train, step up, jump bigger, achieve goals, challenge yourself, and be better. You can and you will put the work in. You’ve got this. Keep at it!

Piper Klemm, Ph.D.

TPH PUBLISHER

1 Adam Hill and Piper at CHIO Aachen (Germany) • 2 Really excited to get there

De Zon in Ommen, The Netherlands

4 Landing in Amsterdam

5 Team USA Laura Kraut and Baloutinue

6 CSI Ommen

7 Piper at dinner with Lauren Kardel of Kardel Global Equine

8 McLain Ward and Ilex in the Grand Prix of Aachen

9 - 11 Surprise unplanned trip to Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Amsterdam

12 Alicia Harrington of Equerry with her TPH issue at CHIO Aachen

13 On the set of Horse Bytes with Dani Waldman in Amsterdam

PHOTOS: ADAM HILL, PIPER KLEMM, AND CASSIDY KLEIN FOR THE PLAID HORSE

JULY 2 - 7, 2024

1 Adrienne Sternlicht and Kumina Della Caccia won the 1.40 m CSI 1* Grand Prix • 2 Julia Nickl repping The Plaid Horse • 3 Jules de Bruijn • 4 Ansgar Holtgers Jr and Good Morning B in the jump-off of the 1.55 m CSI3* • 5 Kent Farrington and Greya jumping clean as they were named to the 2024 US Olympic Team for Paris

6 Taylor Kain with the July Issue of The Plaid Horse

7 Taylor Kain and Im Special in the 1.45 m

8 Celebrating a great day including Lauren Kardel, Scott Fitton and siblings, Adam Hill, Geoff Case and Taylor Kain, Dawn Kain, Wes Kain, and Piper Klemm

Lucas Porter and Sleepy P Ranch’s Vigakata

PHOTO: RACHEL McNURLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

Claire Gordon-Neff and Over Ice, owned by Alexandra Simon, leased by Heidi Schmutz

FRONT RANGE SHOW STABLES

Claire Gordon-Neff fosters a caring barn environment to create happy and confident horses and riders

WORDS: APRIL BILODEAU

NESTLED ON twenty acres in the foothills of Colorado, just a half hour from Denver and Boulder, sits Front Range Show Stables, a state-of-the-art hunter/jumper facility run by Claire Gordon-Ne . The facility boasts a 30,000 square foot indoor arena, two outdoor arenas, as well as elds and trails for hacking. Large box stalls with automatic waterers line the multiple barn aisles and customized turnout is o ered to each individual horse.

Riders are encouraged to enjoy the amenities such as multiple client tack rooms, on-site laundry, hot and cold water, as well as a lounge with viewing area.

While these amenities are what make the property great, the most important quality at Front Range is the emphasis on horsemanship.

“My entire raison d’etre is making happy, confident horses and riders,” Gordon-Neff tells The Plaid Horse. “Sound horses are happy horses. Happy horses are safe horses. Horses whose physical and emotional needs are met are

happy horses. Happy horses take care of their people and happy horses win!”

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Gordon-Neff had recently relocated to Colorado when she started her business in its original setting just outside of Boulder in 2015. While she had been a professional at that point for almost twenty years in New England, the move provided her with a fresh opportunity to start anew with some ideas and a new foundation for what would become Front Range Show Stables.

“In my quietest and most introspective

SPOTLIGHT

moments, Front Range Show Stables was manifested out of my deep calling to provide the most horse-forward, positive, loving, and competitive place for our clients and their horses,” says Gordon-Neff.

In 2020 she bought the property. While for some it would be a scary time to purchase a property of that magnitude, Gordon-Neff saw an opportunity to create a safe space for horse lovers.

“When the world needed a safe place most, there we were. It felt serendipitous,” says Gordon-Neff. “We went to work at our new farm, taking care of our existing clients and making room for others who needed a safe space to gather (at a distance) and ride, and heal. It became glaringly obvious in the first few months of owning the farm that folks needed to heal not only from the isolation of a global pandemic but also from their own journeys of being told what they are and are not by the world and themselves.”

While showing and winning was always a priority, her goal for them became so much more than that.

“My work isn’t just about teaching horses and people to jump the jumps from the proper distance in the correct form, or how to count and measure, or how to use the inside leg into the outside rein; we do that too, but it’s more than that,” says GordonNeff. “We have created a community of people who value each other, cheer and champion for each other, and prioritize the physical, emotional, and holistic well-being of their show horses and themselves.”

A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Gordon-Neff and her team work hard to create an unmatched environment for both horse and rider.

“While I don’t ride much anymore, I have a wonderful, capable, and brilliant human, Alex Heimann, who lovingly, accurately, and confidently pilots our horses in the show ring and at home,” says Gordon-Neff. “The two of us are a synergistic super team, and we’re lucky enough to be very close friends—working hard together for the betterment of our clients and horses makes us the happiest.”

The team at Front Range also consists of their barn manager, Lux, who was first one of Gordon-Neff ’s customers, as well as Chelo who is the property’s foreman and lead groom.

“Everyone on staff adores our horses

“We have created a community of people who value each other, cheer and champion for each other, and prioritize the physical, emotional, and holistic well-being of their show horses and themselves.”

—CLAIRE GORDON-NEFF

and humans. The incredible care we provide is derived from this authentic love and desire to provide the best care in the business,” says Gordon-Neff.

The love and care that each staff member gives the horses is widely recognized by the clients at Front Range (see sidebar).

A COMPETITIVE, CAPABLE TEAM

While the welcoming environment that Gordon-Neff and her team have created is impressive on its own, the resume of Front Range’s horses and riders is also notable.

“In six years, Claire took our daughter, Alsa, from her first jump to a second at the Hamel Medal Regional and a win at the Las Vegas National Horse Show,” says Alicen H., a Front Range client. “We consider her family. And, Claire always produces winning horse and rider partnerships!”

While ribbons and accomplishments are nice, Gordon-Neff finds it important

to celebrate every win with her riders.

“It’s hard for me to quantify my proudest moments as a trainer because I’m totally moved by the mundane. I get as excited about watching one of our homebred babies learn to halt and take a breath at the mounting block prior to a first ride as I do watching our kids and amateurs win a big class or compete in a national final,” says Gordon-Neff.

“I cry happy tears watching my people and horses master a new concept at home as well as be recognized for their hard-fought triumphs, earning countless year-end HOTY Zone and National Awards. It all matters.”

At a recent horse show the Front Range team attended with nineteen horses in tow, a couple of the judges acknowledged Gordon-Neff after the horse show to commend her on producing happy horses and good-riding people.

“That made my whole world,” says Gordon-Neff. If our horses’ and humans’ happiness, comfort, and confidence is visible from the judges booth, I’m totally doing my most important work. In that moment, I too, felt so seen.”

While Gordon-Neff plans to continue mastering her craft as a model professional in the industry, she hopes to be an example for young trainers looking to break into the business. Her advice?

“We’re never done learning. Study, read, and learn from the masters then listen to your gut and follow your heart. Most of all, listen to the horses. If you listen, the horses will tell you everything they need and want. It’s our job to hear them when they whisper.”

For more information about Claire Gordon-Neff and her team at Front Range Show Stables, visit frontrangeshowstables.com.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING...

“FRSS has an incredible program on so many levels. First of all, the horse management is top-notch and extremely dialed in. I can trust that everything will happen as it should and the horses will always come first. Second, the training and coaching is amazing. Claire and team have a high level of emotional intelligence and are extremely skilled at navigating physiology, mechanics, brains, and hearts — for horses and humans alike. Finally, all of this has attracted and built a really wonderful community of people with similar values! I’m grateful beyond measure to be a part of this barn.”

—LINDSAY M.

“Front Range Show Stables is more than just a show barn, it is a community. In addition to expert coaching and instruction from Claire and her pro team, FRSS has given our 14 year old daughter a second place to call “home”. At FRSS our daughter has become an incredibly committed and successful hunter/jumper

FAR LEFT: Alex Heimann and Pop Rocks, owned by Alsa Halquist

NEAR LEFT: Top 3 Low Child/ Adult Hunter Classic finishers at The Colorado Spring Final

rider but more importantly she has learned to be a confident, independent, and responsible young woman. Thank you FRSS!”

—JEREMY L., father of Sydney

“Front Range Show Stables has been so much more than just “our barn” to our family. Claire has created an extremely special and supportive community of teachers, riders, and the highest caliber of equine professionals who’ve been with us through every stage of competition, purchasing, and even the tough decision to say goodbye to a beloved horse. We’ve learned so much during our time at FRSS and met so many wonderful people, especially Claire who goes above and beyond to take exceptional care of her horses and her people.”

—KATE O., mother of Lux

“There are many things I love and appreciate about Front Range Show Stables. At FRSS horses come first. Every horse and every rider is treated with the utmost care, attention

and respect. Whether your horse is retired or you are showing and winning at the top level, you will receive a top-tier experience from the team at FRSS.“

—JODI S.

“I love Claire Gordon- Neff and Front Range Show Stables for their exceptional quality care and training. The professional communication ensures I’m always informed, and the outstanding staff with their expansive knowledge and thoughtfully-run facility means my horses are always a top priority. It’s a magical place where both horse and rider can truly excel at home and in the show ring.”

—SARA K.

“I love being a part of the community at Front Range Show Stables. I work unpredictable hours, so immaculate care with no “cut corners“ was a huge priority for me, since there are many days I can’t make it out. I sleep so well at night knowing that the team treats my boy as good as I would (and better!). I also love being surrounded by such a positive group of barn friends who celebrate your successes and rally behind you in your failures. It’s amazing that such good care and good people exist in the same place. Getting to the FRSS is a bit of trek for me, but it’s worth the drive every time!”

—ANDREA O.

In a busy world full of unrelenting demands, we find stillness in the barn. Stillness that allows us to be present with our loved ones and our horses.

Make each second spent in your barn, a cherished memory.

Highland ponies from imported stock; producing brain, bone and trainability. A multi-disciplined ride and drive

Highland ponies from imported stock; producing brain, bone and trainability. A multi-disciplined ride and drive large pony, adaptible to many equestrian fields.

Stud Services by Bamoral Archer*

Stud Services by

Bamoral Archer*

14.2h HPS approved; Dark Grey Dun, color producer

Foals may be in the part-bred registry of the Highland Pony Society, out of non-Highland mares.

Foals

Foals may be in the part-bred registry of the Highland Pony Society, out of non-Highland mares.

*Frozen (available in US, AUS and Europe), Chilled Fresh and Live cover available.

Visit highlandponysociety.com for breed information.

Visit highlandponysociety.com breed information.

the Balmoral lineage. Archer is the only Highland pony from HM the Queen in North America. Less than 275 Highland foals born world wide per year. A fantastic cross for performance and sport.

wide per year. A fantastic cross for performance and sport.

at HHSPORTPONIES.

Outstanding imported pony lines including Vincent, Öosteinds Ricky, Golden State, Dating AT, Genesis BL Bred for movement AND temperament Imported stallion GOLDJUNGE, 2023 Grand Champion Pony at Dressage at Devon, on premesis Wide selection of ages from custom in-utero to 4 year olds under saddle

Goldjunge, 2023 Grand Champion Pony at Dressage at Devon, stands

PHOTO GALLERY

2023

PONY FINALS

LARGE REGULAR

— 3rd Under Saddle

2022

PONY FINALS

LARGE REGULAR

— 14th Overall

— 12th Over Fence

— 18th Under Saddle

— Champion VPBA

2021

PONY FINALS

LARGE GREEN

— 4th Under Saddle

AVAILABLE FOR LEASE

Can be tried in KY after competing at Pony Finals, then in Charleston, SC. For more information visit us on social media @SeaHunterFarm or see contact info below.

GRIER SCHOOL

Matching Riders to Horses and Dreams to Reality at a Top Girls’ Boarding School

WORDS: JESSICA SHANNON

PICTURE AN ALL-GIRLS ’ BOARDING SCHOOL, nestled in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania, where the riding program— featuring school horses that are junior hunters, former Grand Prix mounts, and top reiners—matches each student to their own mount for the whole year.

Welcome to Grier School. Dating all the way back to 1853, the girls’ boarding school draws students to its idyllic campus from around the United States and the world. Many of Grier’s students enroll for the school’s top equestrian program while benefiting from the education and camaraderie of an elite boarding environment.

A NEW LOOK AT DISCIPLINES

Grier’s Director of Riding, Chrystal Wood, knows that their equestrian program is a big draw for the school. They offer hunter/jumper, dressage, and the Western disciplines of reining and ranch riding. “A lot of students try a new discipline, and they end up sticking with the new one,” says Wood. A love for horses and dressage, for instance, may have brought a teenager to Grier, but a lesson on one of the school’s Grand Prix horses or world-class reiners may change their riding path.

Students can take lessons in the recreational program, compete in IEA disciplines, show locally and rated shows, and qualify for larger shows, such as Capital Challenge, Pony Finals, Congress, Dressage at Devon, and USDF National Finals. Regardless of discipline, Wood puts

a big focus on horsemanship and building well-rounded riders. “The girls can spend as little or as much time as they want in the barn,” Wood says. “The program is what you want it to be. The more you’re involved, the more you’ll do.”

Grier School’s riding staff includes an R judge and licensed course designer, and their facilities are as much of a draw as the opportunities the riding program provides. They have two indoor arenas, two outdoor arenas, and they are building a third indoor. There are also miles of trails to explore on horseback, and the school’s 62 horses are stalled in six barns. Their horses include ponies, warmbloods, and Quarter horse reiners. Only a handful of the horses are privately owned.

“Riding at Grier is a community effort,” Wood says. “The director of the school,

ABOVE: Taylor Allen participating in the USDF FEI Youth Clinic at Hilltop Farm. Here she is seen being instructed by USDF president, George Williams

PHOTOS: ANDREW RYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP MIDDLE); SHANE REX (BOTTOM MIDDLE); PRICELESS (BOTTOM RIGHT)

Anleigh Alhert riding Jasmijn owned by Grier School at the 1.25 USHJA Junior jumper Team Championships

“Girls come to Grier for life experiences. Being able to attend class and ride are hallmarks of our program. Our barns are mere minutes away from our dormitories, so riding here is accessible.”

—CHRYSTAL WOOD, DIRECTOR OF RIDING

Geoffrey Grier, checks in daily to see if we need anything. He showed up the other day with an entire carload of barn supplies.” Director Geoffrey Grier says, “Riding is one of our top signature programs, and the administration fully supports it. We are so proud of our equestrians and their coaches.” The school’s support allows Wood to focus her program on Grier’s students, horsemanship, and the students’ goals.

A UNIQUE ONE HORSEONE RIDER PROGRAM

Riding at Grier is truly a school community sport. While the majority of riders are hunter/jumper riders, their Western riders shine just as brightly. Led by head western coach Christopher McElyea, Western Grier riders compete at NRHA and AQHA, as well as IEA with their classmates who ride in English disciplines, and they recently excelled in Forth Worth. Middle and High School riders were IEA Champions.

The girls’ success, regardless of discipline starts with horsemanship. Wood leads a program that matches each student with one horse for the year. Their horses have one rider, and that gives the rider the opportunity to build a relationship with the horse. Wood wants her riders to experience the benefits of a strong relationship with a horse in their care, both in and out of the saddle. The one horse-one rider program was established by Wood and is unique to Grier School.

“The horsemanship aspect for me is incredibly important,” says Wood. No matter the level of horse show, Grier School does not take grooms. “The kids bathe, lunge, ice legs, cold hose, feed, clean stalls, and handle every bit of prep involved.” Students have the opportunity to work in the barn to offset showing costs.

Whether a student is taking walk-trot lessons or jumping 1.40 m, Wood instills a strong work ethic in her riders. Participants in the recreational program have never ridden or choose to ride for fun, and they are in the saddle 1-2 days per week. Girls in the Junior Varsity program

are aiming for varsity, and they ride 2-4 days per week. Varsity riders have 2 flat lessons, 2 jump lessons per week, and may ride up to 6 total days each week.

Students also have the ability to ride outside of lessons in Grier’s Free Ride Program, which is supervised but not with instruction. “They’re given a plan on what to work on during Free Ride. They can’t just get on walk, trot, canter, reverse, and get off. Everyone learns the basics of good flatwork, including haunches in.”

Grier School’s support of the riding program extends into academics, ensuring girls can show as often as they want. One of the appeals of the program is that students can miss school for horse shows without truancy issues or falling behind in classes.

Wood emphasizes the unique collaboration at Grier between academics and riding and labeled their riders as “academic powerhouses.” An Academic Coordinator travels with them to shows. “She is a teacher and a horse person. She’ll tutor them on the road, free of charge to students. They’ll go to Florida for two to four weeks in the winter, and she will be with them,” adds Wood. Students and their Academic Coordinator communicate with their teachers, allowing riders to be academically sound while showing. Head of School, Kara Lawler, says, “At Grier, we believe our students should be able to follow their passions both inside and outside of the traditional classroom setting. We are willing to provide the support they need to find success.”

CHAMPIONS IN AND OUT OF THE SADDLE

Riders at Grier School have high success rates at shows. To be sure any rider who wants to show can do so, Grier will go to local schooling shows, around two rated shows a month, and as many rated dressage shows as possible. Grier School is the only program to win the IEA Triple Crown, earning championships in all three disciplines. This is an incredible feat for their riders and a testament to their hard work, dedication, and commitment.

In addition, 7 riders recently qualified for the Emerging Athletes Progam. One student won the Level 2 Green Reiner at Congress, and another won the FEI Junior Rider Championships. Annually, girls receive NCEA and IHSA scholarships to continue riding in college. A lot of riders become professionals, and one Grier alumna is currently on the Longines Tour.

“Girls come to Grier for life experience and being able to go to school and show as much as they want,” says Wood. Their success in the saddle is inspiring, and their determination to succeed equally in the classroom is admirable. One of their team captains shows in the beginners, and she is exactly the hardworking and knowledgeable young horsewoman Grier aims to build.

If you want to learn more about Grier and enrollment, please contact Head of School, Kara Lawler, at klawler@grier.org.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Isabella Knobloch aboard Gina VII owned by the Grier School competing in the 1.15 Junior Jumper Classic; USEF Festival of Champions – FEI Junior Rider Champion; Congress Champion – Level 2 Green Reiner

Team USA’s Laura Kraut and Baloutinue

CHIO AACHEN

GERMANY JULY 2 – 7, 2024

PHOTO FEATURE

Photo

PHOTOS: CASSIDY KLEIN

February 2024

PHOTO

RIGHT:

Team Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Otis Blue at CHIO Aachen (Germany)

BELOW: Shane Sweetnam and Otis Blue (by Jaguar Van Paemel) on the cover of The Plaid Horse

BRIDGEPORT FARMS

Best of Luck at Pony Finals

Charlotte Cook & Chiccobello

Large Pony Hunter

AMANDA LYERLY

Ride More, Scroll Less

WORDS: PIPER KLEMM, PH.D.

AMANDA LYERLY would rather be talking to a horse right now. To watch her every day, for years, handling every up and down of the show day, training, horses, and riders…she is completely at ease. Methodical and fluid, she is reliant on decades of experience and always learning anew, totally at home and centered through the chaos of top-level competition. To be interviewed, not so much. Horse people at the show watch her teach, train, and operate. She’s not who the internet is fawning over. In 2024, she’s a horse trainer, coach, and has somehow been untouched by everything we lament our sport has become. She has spent every waking moment in the barn, not in media training or posing for photoshoots. She surrounds herself with like-minded people who value learning and optimizing each horse’s personal experience above all else. She’s competitive to show off the best trained horses and riders and not to hang a ribbon or post a photo.

“People underestimate the importance of the right start.”

—AMANDA LYERLY

“Your foundation for all of it is the same whether you’re doing equitation or jumpers or hunters. It is all built on basics. I don’t think you have to specialize so young,” Lyerly tells The Plaid Horse. “The more you get on a horse and the more you can do—if you have those opportunities, do it all and then decide what you really want to do. The more time you’re just riding, whether it’s equitation or hunters or jumpers, more time in the saddle is always going to make you better.”

Training sounds simple to hear her explain it. Keep the animals comfortable and happy. Practice. Prepare for all the challenges coming. Ride more. “I don’t get super stressed about the big competitions. I feel like if these kids have done their work all year and they’re prepared, all the steps to getting there are the hard part and completed,” she says. “You can learn so much from paying attention and it is easy to tell who really wants it.”

Lyerly both attracts and role models a sense of horsemanship that is hard to find. “When riders come after school, they tack up their horses and put them away. Everyone knows how to pitch in

and help out anytime at the horse show, where we have grooms to help the days run smoothly,” Lyerly says. “As a student, you have to want to learn and want to be involved. I think kids have so many commitments and expectations on them today that they don’t just spend as much time at the barn.”

More from Lyerly on training, success, and the future of our sport…

TPH: How do you train for success with young riders?

AMANDA LYERLY: Training is so situational—I might put as much pressure on myself when taking a short stirrup rider to the ring for the first time, hoping it goes well for them. It is on us to find how we get each rider specifically to their best in each moment. Some kids thrive on being pushed and other kids you have to be careful that you don’t. You have to really know your kid to be successful and then you can read them well enough to handle each situation.

TPH: How do you start kids to ride forward and correct and balanced and brave?

AL: Most kids have a style that relates back

probably to the first animal they had. People underestimate the importance of the right start—if you have a kid who is stiff and locked, they probably had a pony that was strong or hot and pulled them. Each kid develops a style from what they learned on. I really start by focusing on the basics, but I don’t stress position being perfect. Their heels need to be down and they need to be in the right place, but I think you sort of let them in the beginning figure it out and develop their own style and then you tweak it. If they naturally want to be loose and go with the horse, I want them to develop that feel because I know that we can work on mechanics later. Everyone has a way they want to ride naturally that works for them and the more time they spend in the saddle, the more you have to work with and tweak to correct and not take away from their natural feel.

TPH: How can aspiring and starting professionals still make it in today’s world?

AL: Being good at this sport is about being involved in everything. Work ethic is the first thing I look for when hiring assistant trainers. You have to be ready to jump in

and learn everything. There will always be a lot of opportunities for assistant trainers at many barns because it ends up being a more transient position than is ideal for many barns. People get to an age where they don’t want to travel this much or they have a family or significant other or they’re over it or they want their own business. So there is natural progression that allows opportunity for new people to come in and to learn everything, ride, and work in the sport.

The shows are so big and it requires such a collaborative approach to manage a show day at these facilities. We all have to work on the same page of what each rider is working on, what we’re focusing on with each horse, and all show goals. To get the most out of opportunities in this sport, it is more important than ever to be able to work with a wide variety of people. You really have to care about the horses, the people, the team, and improving yourself. I was an assistant trainer for 15 years and I encourage everyone to be an assistant for longer than they think they need to and build as much skill as they can before going out on their own if they want to.

TPH: How have we made the sport harder on kids?

AL: I really believe that most problems can be worked through, but that’s often not what you’re seeing on social media. I think learning to work with a horse, even if it’s not exactly the one you might have wanted, is one of the most rewarding and important parts of training. We have so many kids believing that if it isn’t perfect in a few weeks, it is the wrong horse or they shouldn’t have to work through it. Social media doesn’t show many people struggling, so people feel isolated when they do struggle, which misses a huge aspect of our day to day sport. It’s hard on trainers to keep everything positive through normal learning processes and frustrations with all the online influences—people get a sense that this sport is easier than it is.

TPH: What is success in this sport?

AL: Success is the little things that happen. More and more, everyone judges success for ribbons they did and didn’t get, but the ribbons come enough when you are having the little things come together. If you have a kid who has a pony with

“I really believe that most problems can be worked through, but that’s often not what you’re seeing on social media. I think learning to work with a horse, even if it’s not exactly the one you might have wanted, is one of the most rewarding and important parts of training.”

—AMANDA LYERLY

a hard lead change and you finally start to get it, that’s huge for the kid to master something. That mastery is so much more important than a blue ribbon because they carry the skill and confidence of that onto every animal they get on for the rest of their lives.

Blue ribbons in the show ring are a byproduct of success, not an indicator of success. Little steps are what we are looking for because that is what eventually gets you there. People spend so much money and put so much pressure on everyone around them that they expect results, but there are still so many animals that are much more affordable because you need to be a little brave or deal with a little quirk. Those are the skills that you need to focus on developing if you want to be successful by all metrics. If you can fix a horse, you can still end up owning a really nice horse that you might not be able to afford otherwise. Managing those horses often requires knowing and learning every step of the process and if you don’t enjoy that and are not satisfied with the little steps, a long road of satisfying hard work becomes an insurmountable road.

Your foundation for all of it is the same whether you’re doing equitation or jumpers or hunters. It is all built on basics. I don’t think you have to specialize so young. The more you get on a horse and the more you can do—if you have those opportunities, do it all and then decide what you really want to do. The more time you’re just riding, whether its equitation or hunters or jumpers, more time in the saddle is always going to make you better.”

—AMANDA LYERLY

PHOTOS: SHAWN McMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY (BOTTOM 2)

ABOVE AND NEAR RIGHT : Showing for the ﬁrst time in about ﬁve years, Lyerly piloted Daryl Whitmoyer’s Sovereign to the Championship in the 3’ USHJA Hunters at Kentucky Spring 2024

PHOTOS: ELEGANT EQUUS PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP LEFT AND ABOVE)

PLAID HORSE

BR AVO

Congratulations to SCAD Equestrian on an

STANDING AT STUD 2024

Featured Clinicians:

Guy McLean (Quietway Horsemanship) sponsored by Custom Equine Nutrition

Chris Irwin (Horse Think, Mind Your Horse)

Tik Maynard (Eventing & Behavioral Training)

Ryan Rose (General Training & Trail)

North America’s Premier Equine Exposition & Equestrian Gathering

NOV. 7–10, 2024

W. SPRINGFIELD, MA

Eastern

States

Exposition

• An Unparalleled Educational Program.

• The Largest Horse-Related Trade Show in North America.

• The Marketplace Consignment Shop

• The Fantasia (sponsored by Equine Medical and Surgical Associates) — Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

• Breed Pavilion, Horse & Farm Exhibits, Horses for Sale and Adoption Affaire

• NEW! Breed Bonanza — A unique under saddle class showcasing the best features of horses from all breeds!

• Drive A Draft — Learn to ground-drive a draft horse in this fascinating experience with gentle giants!

• Equine Fundamentals Forum and Youth Activities — Educational presentations, exhibits, and activities for new riders and horse owners, young & old.

• NEW! Stagecoach Rides — Enjoy a horse-drawn stagecoach ride around the fairgrounds and see Equine Affaire like never before.

• The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition — A fast-paced timed and judged race through an obstacle course with $5,500 at stake!

• Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge — Show off your muscles in one of our fun barnyard Olympic events!

• And much, much more!

Lauren Sammis (Dressage)

Traci Brooks (Hunter/Jumper)

Barbra Schulte (Cutting, Sports Psychology)

Marcie Quist (Driving)

Daniel Stewart (Jumping, Sports Psychology)

Ivy Starnes (Easy Gaited Horses)

Mary Miller Jordan (Mustangs, Liberty)

Solange (Stable Riding)

Celisse Barrett (Mounted Archery)

Sam & Kellie Rettinger (Draft Horses)

Mini Doves Equestrian Drill Team (Mini Horses)

Renegade Drill Team (Drill Teams)

Rebecca Platz (Mini Obstacle Courses)

Copper Hill Vaulting Team (Vaulting)

Additional presenters to be announced soon!

THE PLAID HORSE QUESTIONNAIRE WITH

Emily Elek

STATUS: Professional PROGRAM: Stonewall Ponies, Ixonia, WI

As a horsewoman, I am most proud of my older ponies that are still out there teaching kids how to ride. I think it’s proof of a strong foundation and good care when a horse or pony is happily working in their late teens and twenties. • As a horsewoman, I would most like to improve the way we look at getting people and ponies started. There is such a rush to get animals and riders in the show ring. Showing should be fun for the ponies and the kids, a place where they can keep learning, not a pressure cooker of perfectionism. • The best part about being an equine professional is I get to hang out with ponies and people who love them all the time. • The part of training ponies I’m best at is figuring out what keeps them happy and eager to work with us.

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY FOR A PONY RIDER TO HAVE IS a hunger to learn whatever they can about horses.

My best piece of advice for young riders is spend as much time in the barn as you can! You can learn a lot by watching and hanging out with your pony, as well as watching lessons, watching the farrier, vets, and bodyworkers too! • I give kids opportunities riding and showing because I was given opportunities to learn and show and I think it’s very important to pay it forward! Plus I love helping kids learn to be empathetic riders. • My favorite horse book is Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley • My favorite non-horse book is All Creatures Great and Small (spoiler, it also has horses) James Herriot made me think I was going to be a vet ;) • A pony’s strength is in their brain. • I’m a sucker for a smart pony! They aren’t always the easiest to train, but they can be so rewarding once you figure out how to motivate them. I also seem unable to pass up grey ponies with great canters. • Ponies are more fun than horses.

MY MOTTO IS

You can’t get better if you don’t show up… sometimes you show up and fail, but then you get up and try again.

On Mondays, you’ll find me either in the barn with the farrier and chiropractor, or if I’m zapped after a horse show, I might hang out in my PJs all day.• The future of our sport depends on teaching kids more than just riding! There is no excuse for kids to not know how to at least groom and tack up their ponies, and be safe in handling them on the ground. • My absolute favorite show is Devon because I love the history of it, and seeing so many top horses and ponies and horse people in one place... plus the food and shopping are amazing!

Driver’s Ed

Driving ponies and giving back

WORDS: BETH ONESS

I NEVER IMAGINED myself driving ponies. The idea of driving seemed precarious—an oversized set of wheels tugged behind a horse? And I’d heard the cautionary tales: You can have some terrible wrecks. I didn’t doubt it. There didn’t seem to be much control. In a riding ring, if a horse gets out of hand, I can ask the horse to go forward or steer it into the rail, or hop off, but driving…hanging onto the end of a rein (providing it hasn’t snapped), yelling “whoa!”…seemed tenuous.

A neighbor, who fancies himself a horseman, is a welder who acquires various bargains. He built his own cart for a new horse, and when he took the horse out on the road for the first time, the horse kicked the cart to smithereens in front of our house. I didn’t witness the actual explosion, but I saw the trembling aftermath. He put the horse in one of our paddocks and, afraid to touch him, tethered him too tightly to a post. I came outside to find the horse becoming frantic, and I untied him and walked him home.

What I’ve found about driving is that, especially for a beginner, it takes more than one set of hands to get things arranged. We’ve spent some lovely summer evenings giving buggy rides to friends and their children, and the communal task of driving has been one of its unexpected pleasures.

One summer we went across the river to Clear Meadows Farm in Osseo, WI, to look at some ponies. Pat Smith had proposed a swap for a pony I had for sale. Pat is a tall woman, coiffed and capable, who drives Welsh ponies at breed shows and open competitions. Her husband, Steve, doesn’t need to say a lot to make it clear he knows what he’s doing. Steve moves quietly around a horse, adjusting a harness, making sure nothing is out of place, as if it’s second nature.

We came home with a three year-old pony named Logan, who I chose because

I liked the softness of his eye and his hunter pony movement. I hoped he’d be a versatile pony, good for both riding and driving, and he looked like our little Tasha. I hoped they’d make a team.

When Welsh pony owners and breeders first talked to me about sires and bloodlines, I had little idea what they were talking about. They got terrifically excited about certain stallions. I felt like a kid tossed into an advanced class when I’d missed the introductory course. But after buying a pony of indeterminate breeding, who looked like a pony hunter, but who clearly did not like to jump, I started to understand why people intoned Denny Emerson’s adage: “Pedigree predicts performance.” I decided I might do well to learn something and heed that advice.

As a youngster, Logan had been driven as part of a team. In experienced hands, this is a good way to start a pony, but when we brought him home, we started ground driving him on his own. At first, it was awkward to manage the long reins,

and Chad or our 13-year-old son would help me by leading him. Soon, Logan would drag a tire around the ring or the yard, and he behaved so well we thought we’d hitch him up. I was unprepared for how readily he took to it. Logan trotted around the ring, ears forward, as if to say, “I like it here, I like being out front.”

I wanted to take him out on the road, but our road had patches of gravel on the smooth dirt. The blacksmith recommended boots for his front feet, and the Cavallo boots I bought were amazingly sturdy contraptions: fitting over the hoof, they protected the bottom of the hoof from stone bruises, then wrapped around the front with strong Velcro. The first time I used the boots, and then took them off, I saw they’d rubbed the back of Logan’s pasterns. I felt terrible. My willing pony had been hurt by my good intentions. The next time we hitched him, I followed a friend’s advice and wrapped his legs before putting the boots on. I watched for signs that I’d dampened his good nature, but

that didn’t seem to be the case—up and down the road, around our hilly property, around the garden—he trotted around as if he’d done it for years.

Our first show with Logan, in Ladysmith, WI, was one of those familiar horse show stories: perversely cold for June, it poured sheets of soaking rain. Chuck Erickson, who had bred Logan, looked over our set-up, and helped us make small adjustments. Pat Smith looked us over, loaned us a martingale, made more adjustments. It was like one of those makeover shows, but their comments were thoughtful, and their adjustments and suggestions were practical rather than cosmetic. My husband drove Logan around to ‘warm up’ in the pouring rain. They were entered in the Draft Singles class, and shortly after they entered the ring and picked up a trot, the wheel fell off the cart.

Chad asked Logan to halt, and Logan calmly came to a stop. And that was that—all our preparations ended in the

Watching Logan and Tasha trot around the lawn, pulling Chad and his brother along, the ponies did seem purposeful and cheerful, a true team.

pouring rain with busted cart. Not bad for a three year-old, I told myself.

OUR LITTLE FILLY TASHA, bought at an auction, looked like Logan’s feminine counterpart; she had the same chestnut coloring with a refined little face. We practiced harnessing her, ground-driving a bit, but we knew we’d need guidance hooking up a team for the first time. One Labor Day weekend, Clear Meadows Farm hosted a clinic for those of us who wanted to know more about driving. Our son Jensen, now a recalcitrant teenager, reluctantly came along. We promised junk food, which smoothed the way. In the clear weather and sun, it was fun to visit with people we’d last seen scurrying around in the pouring rain. Pat and Steve Smith showed us how to hitch Logan and Tasha together for ground driving, and how to harness them properly with a cart. Steve went over our harnesses with a practiced eye, setting the breeching a bit higher, adjusting the

overchecks, making sure the quarter straps were snug without being too tight. Pat explained why a team harness should be put on, and taken off, in a specific order, and said that, if we did this with a partner, it was useful to have a system to avoid slip ups. For me, it was helpful to have Chad there, watching and helping, taking it all in. He’s mechanically-minded and understands how things are put together. There’s a lot to take in and check on, and having hands-on teachers, and a capable partner, is helpful in ways large and small.

A FEW YEARS AGO, my husband took on the care of his older brother, who’s a quadraplegic. Chuck was 19 when he was injured, and up until then, he’d been my husband’s protector: whole and capable and cheerful. Chuck has a traumatic brain injury, and even though he thinks like a child, he has a teenager’s desires and frustrations. He’d like an ATV. He’d like a girlfriend, and a car, and a trip to Arizona. My husband once let Chuck steer our old Oliver tractor, and when I asked how he liked it, my husband said, “Hard to tell, I think he wanted something that would go faster.”

At first, Chuck lived in a house near us in Minnesota, with my husband taking care of him, but Chuck couldn’t really manage on his own, and he now lives at the VA nursing home in Tomah, WI. Visiting Chuck is hard. Due to a tracheotomy, he can’t speak very well, so he mainly communicates requests and small complaints. He wants chocolate milk, not white milk; the winter is too cold (we can relate). My husband jollies his brother along, teasing him as a brother would, but Chad comes home from the 200-mile round trip tired and drained.

So we started bringing ponies to the VA. It’s good for the young horses to get out and about, seeing different things, and the veterans, many of them old farm boys, seemed to enjoy them. We walked the ponies up and down the long handicap ramps, brought them up to the gazebos, let them graze the lawn and explore the wheelchairs decorated with flags. We groomed the ponies, led them around, and let Chuck hold their lead lines. Tasha liked to nuzzle Chuck’s ball cap. All this pony activity made our visits more pleasurable. The spacious grounds at the VA included soccer fields and open spaces, and it was hard not to think: this would be a great place to drive the ponies.

VOICES

We hitched Logan and Tasha to a cart for the first time at home. I was nervous, but Chad said, “It’ll be fine.” Sure enough, we got them hitched, Tasha felt a little pull on the tugs, and stepped out as if she’d been doing it all her life. She and Logan made a wonderful team, and she didn’t seem reluctant at all. Although Tasha and Logan were doing all the work, that first team drive felt like a huge accomplishment. Chad drove them down the road, around the farm, and they happily went on their way. •

I’D LIKE TO SAY that it was our great training skills that made these ponies what they are, but that wouldn’t be true. These two ponies took to driving like it was in their blood—and, of course, it is. Logan’s sire, Dandardel Lyric, was a national driving champion, and Tasha has some wonderful driving ponies in her pedigree as well. Green as they were, they seemed so happy to be out front, trotting as a team. I started Logan under saddle the following year, and he was an absolute champ at

the local horse shows, placing in hunter under saddle classes against the big horses. I thank the Farnley breeding behind him. It was so much fun to see them as a team that we wanted to take them out to the VA to see if Chuck would like a buggy ride. My husband’s brother is tall, 6’3” stretched out, and Chuck does have some mobility. He has the use of his hands, although his motor skills are awkward, and he can pull himself up with a walker, so we knew that the challenge would be keeping the buggy still while my husband got Chuck into it, which might take five or ten minutes.

On a sunny fall day, we brought Logan and Tasha out to the VA, hitched them up, and Chad drove them around the lawn to let them stretch their legs. We wanted to make sure they’d be well-behaved before proposing a ride to Chuck. The ponies were calm in the wide-open spaces, so my husband asked them to halt at Chuck’s wheelchair. Chuck was grinning, as if he couldn’t believe it. I stood at their heads, and they waited patiently for Chuck to get into the buggy, which took time and a little doing.

Once in the buggy, Chuck seemed comfortable enough. Chad came around, picked up the reins, and they were off!

Tasha and Logan trotted around the grounds, pert and ready, clearly enjoying themselves, and Chuck enjoyed it too–perhaps riding in a buggy gave the impression of speed that a tractor ride didn’t. Chuck smiled as they circled the grounds, walked over the helicopter pad, trotted through the parking lot, and trotted past the other patients watching from the steps of the VA.

It was a sunny day, one of the last of the fall, and the ponies stood quietly as Chad got his brother out. For ponies who were four years old, this seemed like a huge accomplishment. It seems characteristic of the Welsh breed––and this is one thing I love about them––that they have a kind of happy alertness, but also a willingness to settle down and be patient when necessary.

Horse people use the phrase, intoned into a cliché, this pony likes his job, but watching Logan and Tasha trot around the lawn, pulling Chad and his brother along, the ponies did seem purposeful and cheerful, a true team. When I thought of all the help we’d had in getting them started, I didn’t think of it as hard work, more of what a pleasure it had been—and how much fun there still is to be had.

1 Liza Boyd and Crooner Brimbelles Z took top honors in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by Equiline, hosted during Tryon Spring 6/TR&HC Charity Horse Show • 2 Robert Mercer and Clovermeade Pop Secret dominated the $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby presented by Penny Insurance Agency Equine & Farm • 3 Doug Payne could be found in all rings throughout the Tryon Spring Series • 4 Dapples in the Derby Field

5 The Tryon Spring Series featured numerous Pony Hunter Derby classes for our tiniest athletes

6 Tanner Korotkin and Qastaar van’t heike flying through Tryon Stadium at Tryon Spring 5

7 All smiles for Samantha Rice of NRG Farm

In Memory of

San Remo VDL

IT IS WITH immense sadness that I share the loss of my heart horse, San Remo VDL.

This isn’t a note that I could write in one sitting, and it’s one that pulls on my heart more than words can describe. As we said goodbye and I hugged him one last time, I thought of our long history, much of which the horse world may already know. In celebration of him, I’d like to share it for those who wouldn’t mind walking down memory lane.

Remo and I found each other nearly 15 years ago, just shortly after my dad’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Walking into the indoor on the warm up day of Maclay Regionals, I remember laying eyes on him for the first time and saying, “Wow, that’s my dream horse,” out loud. Already under Stacia and Beacon Hill’s care, I (as a local kid with big and what felt like unattainable aspirations) admired him from afar.

Just a few days later, in search of a horse for USET Finals, my dad connected with Remo’s then-owner, Amanda Flint, who said that she had a horse who had just been with Stacia at Capital Challenge and regionals. As we walked into her farm to see if the horse and I could be a good pair, there he was. It felt surreal, and I was in disbelief. Was it really him, my dream horse? Come to find out, we were indeed a really good pair.

PHOTOS: REBECCA MACATEE (LEFT); JAMES PARKER/THE BOOK LLC (TOP); ELIZABETH BENSON LONG

WORDS: ELIZABETH BENSON LONG

San Remo VDL at Beacon Hill Show Stables

The authoer and Katie Benson at Devon Horseshow

In retirement at John Madden Sales in Cazenovia, NY

Warrenton HorseShow

HORSES

After a successful warmup day in Gladstone, I recall being in the car with my mom and dad as he dialed Amanda to ask about also riding him at Medal Finals (or so I thought). In that moment, my dad said, “Oh, and we’d like to talk about purchasing him, too.” As you can imagine, I was in shock…but my dad had his own plans, knowing that Remo was going to be the horse that would make my dreams become reality.

With what was otherwise planned to be my dad’s retirement money, Remo soon became ours. My dad knew that he wouldn’t be with us long enough to see our partnership truly grow, and even though we didn’t talk about it out loud, he began laying the foundation for what would soon be some of the best years of my life. I only came to know this years later, but before my dad passed away, he asked someone who became one of the most influential people in my life, Stacia, to look out for me and Remo. He asked that, along with my mom, she would ensure we “grew up right,” focusing on being a good horsewoman, a good student, a good friend, and a good person. Without hesitation, she kindly and humbly agreed, and with a great horse and her looking out for us, he was at peace.

My dad passed the following February. So started the rest of our story. With Stacia, Krista, and Heather training us up, Remo and I grew into our own.

But before we dig into our next chapter, a quick bit of funny context: At the beginning, Remo was anti-turnout… and boy do I mean anti! So much so that he once jumped the fence at Beacon Hill, only to find his way back into the barn. One of the guys then said, “San Remo’s not an equitation horse, he’s a jumper!”

But after a while, that changed. With some injuries along the way, the team grew to understand Remo for who he was and figured out his routine and care, which included rehab at home and ultimately winters and time off with John Madden Sales up on Madden Mountain. (Spoiler alert: He jumped out of the paddock there, too.)

Fast forward a few years, and one day after a humbling experience with the fence and the mares in the next pasture, he came to realize that outdoor life suited him, and that it was important to keep all four on the floor.

With Remo’s reliable “just call me

“When I was on him, I knew I was safe and that he would always try his hardest.”

when you need me” type of way, he became what I fondly say was a bit of a machine. He only came back for the most important shows, with Krista being the one to wrangle him back into the bridle. It wouldn’t take him long. He would soon be winning the next class. And for years even after I finished, this would become his new normal.

Remo wasn’t always the most affectionate, and no, he didn’t love trail rides nor ribbons being passed up to him, but I believe he showed us his love in other ways. If there is one thing that I know for certain, it is that Remo never told me “no,” and I mean that quite literally. Not once did he refuse a jump, even in times when he likely should have. He took me to the winner’s circle more times than I can count, even though he hated prize givings, and he made me believe in myself more than any horse before him.

When I was on him, I knew I was safe and that he would always try his hardest. It was his love, skill, and forgiveness that allowed us to end our time together on the highest of highs, winning at Washington, Devon, Wellington, and more. It was a time I will never forget, and I truly believe that I am forever in his debt.

It would be silly to say that such a special horse’s career would end after just

one kid, and thankfully Remo’s career continued for years and years after me. Soon paired with Gabrielle Bausano, Katherine Strauss, and finally Madison Goetzmann, Remo continued to take show after show by storm. He tried harder than any horse that I have ever known, and together they won at Devon, the Hampton Classic, the North American Junior Equitation Championship and Maclay finals, just to name a few.

It was through his kind original owners, great riding students, care from team Beacon Hill including Grande, dedication from those on the Mountain, and commitment from my mom and dad, that we saw Remo live an incredible life. I am beyond thankful for all of those in his village and for the paradise in which Remo retired over the past few years.

And so, my Remo, I hope you are proud of everything that you have done. We are lucky to have been a part of your journey and we did our best to do right by you, as you always did right by us. Although I feel as if a huge part of me is gone, I know that as you crossed through Heaven’s gate, Dad was waiting for you, ready to thank you for taking care of me for all of these years.

Until we meet again, Remo. I love you.

At the 2012 Washington International Horse Show

TRAFALGAR SQUARE BOOKS

The Industry Authority in Equestrian Publishing

Olympian Ingrid Klimke’s tips for training outside the ring.

NEW RELEASES FOR YOUNG RIDERS

The biography of beloved children’s book author Marguerite Henry, with the “story behind the story” of more than a dozen of Henry’s bestsellers, plus artifacts from Henry’s personal collection and original illustrations by Wesley Dennis and other artist collaborators.

“Teen fans of Henry’s books will find much of interest in this biography, illustrated by more than 100 photographs.”

–ALA BOOKLIST

How a girl saves a donkey, and a donkey saves a girl.

The sequel to Liberty Biscuit, coming Fall 2024!

AN AMERICAN HORSE PUBLICATIONS PRESS RELEASE

Study to Examine Selenium Blood Concentration in Ontario Broodmares and Foals

WORDS: JACKIE BELLAMY-ZIONS, EQUINE GUELPH

SELENIUM-DEFICIENT SOIL can lead to several conditions in domestic animals including white muscle disease. Of importance to Ontario horse breeders is the fact that most foals are born with low blood selenium concentrations. Some clinical signs of low selenium levels may include dysphagia or weak suckle reflex due to pharyngeal/masticatory muscle weakness. Southern Ontario soil is known to be low in selenium.

Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Luis Arroyo, graduate student Isidora Rodriguez, and Dr. Alison Moore from OMAFRA, are currently involved in a study funded by the Ontario Animal Health Network-Equine. They aim to investigate some of the gaps in knowledge of the selenium levels of broodmares and foals in Southern Ontario.

Preliminary results have not undergone intensive analysis yet and clinical significance has not been established but, of the over 100 submissions so far, it seems most mares have adequate levels of selenium while most foals are below the reference values.

Selenium is an extremely important dietary element, and there are several other places with major soil deficiencies, like the Netherlands and New Zealand. Reports describe an array of clinical conditions in cattle, for example, from retained fetal membranes, cystic ovaries, anoetrus, early and late embryo death, mastitis and increased somatic cell counts which are associated with selenium deficiency. Arroyo postulates, “We have not fully determined the extent of what these micronutrients can do if they are not at adequate levels.”

In the Ontario study, they will be looking at the current reference values in use and comparing them to the levels being reported in the study.

The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) has seen clinical cases of rhabdomyolysis in foals. Muscle damage or white muscle disease is well known in calves, particularly fast-growing animals. Within a few months of life, they can develop muscular damage, including heart damage, which can be fatal.

Arroyo discusses some of the classic clinical signs of low selenium levels in a foal. They can exhibit trembling at the walk and milk coming out of the nose if they cannot swallow well. “There are also less overt clinical signs that we see in foals every year, when they come to the clinic at OVC,” explains Arroyo. “They cannot nurse if they have pharyngeal collapse. We place a feeding tube and give support for a few days and supplement the selenium and then usually the foals are back to normal. So, there is a little bit of clinical evidence that perhaps these

foals are having a milder form of selenium deficiency.”

This study will include a survey of the broodmare’s health status and geographical details. The researchers will look at all the mares and see which ones fall within adequate levels or levels below the reference values. They will be assessing if reference values and intra and inter assays variability.

“This will help determine accuracy of the tests and form the basis to design further studies,” says Arroyo. “Studies that could compare factors such as horses’ diet, “hay versus grass pasture” or the effect of dietary supplementation with selenium versus not supplemented.” This could potentially lead to find conditions that can result from low levels of selenium and perhaps that help to make better informed interventions.

“Then there is the question of absorption,” says Arroyo. “Even when sufficient levels are present in the diet, this does not guarantee proper absorption or necessarily translate into adequate levels in blood.”

Nutrient absorption is highly impacted by the horse’s overall diet. For example, some nutrients can affect absorption of others (for example Copper and Molibdenum). Dr Arroyo states almost every foal in Ontario will get an injection of selenium and vitamin E right at birth to ensure they are receiving it systemically. It is because foals receive this shot within the first day of foaling, that the samples for their study are to be collected prior to the injection to eliminate this external factor from influencing the research results.

The researchers will be measuring the selenium and vitamin E levels in both the mares and foals, at time of birth, as well as the colostrum. Milk is known to be an insignificant source of selenium, but the study will measure how much may be available in milk regardless.

Stay tuned for the results of this important study which will aim to shed some light on the signs of low selenium in foals.

Ontario Animal Health Network has kindly provided funding for this initial study. Additional funding will be required to further investigate the preliminary findings and to determine additional factors such as the effects of different diets on selenium levels in horses.

NOTES: Equine Guelph is the horse owners’ and care givers’ Centre at the University of Guelph in Canada. It is a unique partnership dedicated to the health and well-being of horses, supported and overseen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epicentre for academia, industry and government—for the good of the equine industry as a whole. For further information, visit www.equineguelph.ca.

Study aims to fill in gaps in knowledge of the selenium levels of broodmares and foals in Southern Ontario

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