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Yankee Walkers: Gaited Horses of New England SpotlightS membeR StoRieS Donna Randolf’s Versatility Adventures Submitted by donna Randolf
Ember and I just finished our first (out of eight) versatility class. What a great experience! You all know me, and I was a nervous wreck between the snow and ice, trailering in it, and bringing Ember somewhere different. But Todd, being the wonderful husband that he is, drove us there and back with no problems. Ember was her usual self, blowing and snorting with her tail over her back for the first 10 minutes. I started working her like I’ve been taught, and making her work until she started to listen to me. The trainer asked if I’d like someone to help me and I said, “No, I’m OK, I’ve got to learn how to deal with her.” And after 5-10 minutes of working hard in circles, she settled right down. For obstacles there was a wooden bridge, raised ground poles, a gate to open, to close, and to go through, mats to walk over, a fence to open, walk through, and close, and the super scary hanging tarp. Ember managed to pull it down from the rafters! After they repaired it, she eventually would go under and around it without too much trouble. She’ll get better. Each week the obstacles are going to get more challenging and I am looking forward to them. I feel so good about her…and me. What a great way to make the winter go by faster, and work with Ember instead of just having her “sit.”
Avis and Bruce Hurley
was lame. He pleaded, “Would you please ride my horse? I think there is something wrong with him.” Avis happily stepped up into the saddle and eased the horse forward, and with a light seat and her educated hands, the horse glided right into a perfect four beat gait like nothing she had ever experienced. The horse was one of the gaited Morgans, which was still common in the days before the smooth-gaited stock was culled in favor of the more popular trotting horses of that breed. At 71 years young, Avis tells this thrilling story like it was yesterday! Growing up among a family of Standardbred enthusiasts, Avis has a wealth of knowledge regarding breeding, movement and biomechanics. Her favorite horse was a Standardbred gelding she called Big Red. Big Red not only had a beautiful trot but with Avis’ patient guidance and educated seat and hands, he was able to perform: flatwalk, running walk, amble, working rack, racing rack, and of course, pace! Today, Avis and her husband Bruce have two Standardbred mares and several non-gaited Lipizzan youngsters that will be ready for sale in the spring. As their herd is reduced and the young stock is sold, Avis has decided it is time for her to purchase her “last” horse, which is gaited, of course! Maybe, she says, it will be a Rocky Mountain Horse. But whatever breed she chooses, it will certainly be one that reminds her of her all-time favorite horse, Big Red.
Meet Club Officer Ellen Flatley Submitted by ellen flatley
Submitted by Julie dillon
While visiting a nearby barn in her late teens, club member Avis Hurley met an unskilled rider who was holding a beautiful horse that he thought
For the past 25-plus years, I’ve been fortunate enough to look out my window and see horses. As with most of us, we’ve had a lifelong passion and mine drifted specifically toward those
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Donna Randolf with Ember.
weighing close to a ton. I got my first Percheron mare as a weanling and we had close to 20 years of riding and driving together. During that time, she gave me a beautiful filly, who in turn, over the years, gave me another filly. I consider myself lucky to have the chance to drive single as well as a mother-daughter combination. As much as I love driving, trail riding for me is the ultimate relaxer. I’ve ridden my big girls on the trail as well as a couple of draft crosses, but in the back of my mind I was yearning for a gaited horse. My first step was to contact Julie Dillon (gaited horse instructor and owner of Horse Feathers Riding Academy in Goffstown, N.H.). We spent time on the phone and she suggested some reading material to help understand the different gaited breeds and footfalls: Easy Gaited Horses by Lee Ziegler. From there, I did a lot of research on the web and ultimately corresponded (frequently) with Melissa Bailey at Walking After Midnight Farm in Cross Junction, Va. Keep in mind, I had never ridden a gaited horse, just heard about their smooth gait, which was intriguing versus the energy I was expending with drafts and draft crosses on the trail. So, for me the first order of business was to get the ‘gaited experience.’ Melissa invited me to her farm, and I rode maybe ten Tennessee Walkers over a few days and felt a huge smile cross my face on those ‘test drives.’ I fell in love with Cookie (aka: Ebony’s Molly Ann), an 8-year-old strawberry roan with flaxen mane and tail. I fell in love with her personality, looks and the smooth gait that was a dream! Selfishly, my goals are now to ride as often as I can; enjoy the social network of a couple local riding clubs; and ride in supreme comfort, because my ultimate goal is to be riding strong when I’m 90! Some of my friends said, “You bought what? All Tennessee Walkers are hyper, nervous and basically crazy!” However, that statement is far from the truth! Yes, Cookie is flashy but she is calm, sane, forward, and the smoothest ride on the planet. When I ride, I find myself laughing continued on page 87