New York Horse: Spring 2015

NEW YORK HORSE

STORIES. ADVICE. HORSEPLAY.

Ride Better…

CENTRAL NEW YORK EDITION | SPRING 2015

Over fences Over hills Over time Inside Edge

Top coaches share their best advice

Winter Waistline? $4.95

NYHorseMag.com

PLUS

Get your Horse Back in Shape

WHAT THE JUDGE IS THINKING TAKE YOUR HORSE FOR A SPIN EXPLORE OTTER CREEK TRAILS BRANDING A HORSE BUSINESS

Features

TABLE OF CONTENTS

22

Making Strides

Perfection is out of reach. But riding better? That’s within everyone’s grasp, says three-time Olympian Michael Page.

28

35

41

43

46

Words from the Wise

Out for a spin

Weighty Matters

Off the Beaten Path

Equinomics Major

Collegiate and Interscholastic coaches answer this question: What is your best advice for riders?

Stable Hopping visited Hoyts Training and Showing, and then stopped for a chat at Morrisville State about reining, heart and the “whoa face.”

Did winter leave your horse not-sopleasingly plump?

Try this training regimen to get him back in his skinny saddle.

Otter Creek horse trails beckon riders with 65 miles of woodlands and waterways in Lewis County.

Marketing a horse business is all about creating your unique message and look. And yes, it’s possible for even the smallest operation.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Guide 49 50

60-Second Clinic

51

Field Notes

53

Tips from a Trainer

What the judge is really thinking.

Secrets Worth Stealing

Olympian Courtney King Dye on schooling, overcoming nerves and why riders should think about learning golf.

Want to ride safely and confidently outside? The starting point is one magic word: Control.

Universal truths – “Replace negative with positive energy” – from the driver’s side.

Departments 4 7 8

Editor’s Note

10 12

Leg Up

14

Leg Up

18

Leg Up

21

Armchair Equestrian

56

Thanks To Our Underwriters Leg Up

News, Notes and Conversation Starters

Calendar Leg Up

Guest Column: Why NY needs ‘inherent risk’

Insight: Results from NY’s first equine industry survey

Newsmaker catches up with Naomi Blumenthal

Thirty years of advice goes into “Classical Riding with George H. Morris” Parting Shot

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17

EQStyle

Home edition

On the Cover Equine artist Judy Goldthwait’s portrait of Irish Stout, originally commissioned by the New England Equitation Championships, captures the hunter’s fine head and intelligent eye. Find more of Judy’s work in the Artful Horse, page 30. And read how she came to specialize in equine art and pet portraits in the NYH Spotlight, page 6. Artwork by Judy Goldthwait of Cazenovia, online at jgpetportraits.com/.

Canterbury Stables G R A B

S U M M E R

B Y

T H E

R E I N S

With 225 acres, a new outdoor arena and three miles of trails set in the rolling hills of Cazenovia, Canterbury Stables offers a premier riding experience. A welcoming professional staff, outstanding horses and strong program allows students of all ages and levels to discover the joy of riding. We are dedicated to providing quality lessons tailored to your goals and the boarding, care and training of performance and pleasure horses.

Canterbury Stables: Building better riders for 13 years. Let us make your equestrian dreams possible.

W

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Pony camp in July and August supervised by our trainers. Get a leg up on fun with week-long sessions for children ages 6 and older.

Learn horsemanship, play games, and gain lifetime memories.

Daily, private half-hour lessons and a Friday trail ride are included.

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F

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Time and space to ride indoors or outdoors.

Enjoy our new 105’ x 235’ outdoor arena.

Rainy days, come inside to our 100’ x 225’ dressage arena or 100’ x 200’ hunter/ jumper arena. All have dust-free, TravelRight footing. Boarders may ride our trails.

Local and recognized show opportunities in hunter/jumper and dressage.

Ready to compete?

Let our instructors and expert visiting clinicians polish your skills.

A modern, 53-stall barn with two tack rooms.

Treat your horse to best-in-show care, with daily turnouts in halfacre paddocks, and night checks.

4786 Roberts Road, Cazenovia Phone: 315-440-2244 Email: info@canterburystablesny.com

Q U A L I T Y .

C A R I N G .

C A N T E R B U R Y .

YOUR JOURNEY = OUR GOAL

EDITOR’S NOTE

The relentless

pursuit of

imperfection

T

here’s a reason why the cover of this magazine says “Ride better” not “Ride perfect.”

It’s easy to forget – in the quest to go higher, go faster, go up one level – that riding isn’t about perfection. The great riders know this. The rest of us are reminded, sometimes painfully, of our many imperfections every time we put a foot in a stirrup.

Hall of Fame eventer Michael Page, in a day of teaching class after class (and level after level) about show jumping, never once mentioned the word. It isn’t part of his philosophy and not part of his vocabulary. “Ride better,” he said, and sometimes, to see if anyone was paying attention, “Ride gooder.” And so his students did, with the occasional break in the action for the team determined to prove the old saying true: Your horse’s behavior always seems to depend on the number of people watching.

Which is why the pursuit of better happens over time – one stride at a time.

Take Page’s words in this issue to heart. Forget about perfection, and also about a specific discipline. It’s not about being an event rider, or a hunter, or jumper or dressage rider or reiner or Western pleasure rider.

It’s about being a good rider. “Riding well,” as Page says, “is the key to everything you want to do.”

The interscholastic and collegiate coaches we spoke to for this issue, and asked to share their best piece of riding advice, also stressed the journey over the destination.

Over a lifetime of imperfection, and that’s not just limited to riding, I’ve learned the wisdom of striving and the folly of praying for perfect. Good horses have taught me a lot. The ones who knew the minute I wasn’t thinking about them and took me on a joyride, who decided to be terrified by a dandelion, who took revenge because they’d been dragged out of their nice quiet stall – I’m thinking of you, Whispy – they all taught me a lot more.

“Horses always have more to teach us,” Olympic show jumping champion William Steinkraus said, “as I am reminded anew every time I ride.”

And if imperfection is good enough for him, who are we to argue?

Get out there.

Ride more.

Ride better.

4 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

SPOTLIGHT

Judy

Goldthwait

I

graduated from Cazenovia College in 1998, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Specializing in equine art and pet portraiture, I found a way to make a living by painting what I know and love most.

When I was young, my cousin always had a horse or two and we would spend hours riding bareback through the fields and offroading through the woods. When I finally convinced my parents to pay for riding lessons, I spent many years working at the stable and riding the crazy lesson horses no one else wanted to ride.

More importantly, I became aware of the world of horse showing.

I’ve always loved horses, and like most horse-crazy girls I collected Breyer models and would spend time drawing them in a sketchbook. In high school I majored in art, not knowing what I really wanted to do when I grew up.

I remember one of my teachers telling me to stop drawing horses because I needed a wider variety of work in my portfolio. Holding on to that notion throughout college, I rarely included horses in a project. I pursued commercial illustration, thinking it most likely to provide the best career path for me.

It was my senior year of college that I discovered there actually was a career in fine arts that allowed me to paint horses. My first portraits were done of the various horses on the farm where I rode. Many of those horses I still hold dear in my heart, as they were the muchbeloved lesson horses I spent many years riding. Although I don’t compete any more, I spend a lot of time at events throughout the Northeast, from fox hunting, equitation and hunter shows to pleasure driving competitions.

For the most part, inspiration for my paintings derives from photos taken at those events. Most work I turn out is by private commission; portraits for clients of their cherished horses, dogs and even a few cats.

My current four-legged friends may yet become the subject of some future painting. My best bud is now 23 but as frisky as ever. His pasture mates include a 36-year-old pony that my daughter is learning to ride, and an enormously fat pony that may find himself out in the hunt field this fall. I am grateful to have them all at home. They provide a very valuable service of distracting me from my work! I am also very grateful to have a husband that may not get the horse thing, but lives with it.

Judy Goldthwait’s clients span the United States and Canada, England, Holland and France. She has also designed work for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, Interscholastic Equestrian Association, New England Quarter Horse Association, New England Equitation Championships and the Lorenzo Driving Competition.

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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; Morton Buildings; Morrisville State College; The Beattie Sanctuary; Central New York Reining Horse Association; Madison County Tourism; New York Farm Bureau.

PRESENTATION

Art Director Darren Sanefski dasanefs@go.olemiss.edu

EDITORIAL

Contributing Editor Renée K. Gadoua editor@nyhorsemag.com Dr. Karin Bump

Contributing Writers Katie Karen L. A. Navarra Nowak Pomeroy

Tony Sgarlata

Kate Bemis

Contributing Photographers Jessica Genevieve Liz Berman DeClerck Hirschey

J. Thorne

ADVERTISING

Advertising Director Peter K. Barth advertising@nyhorsemag.com

New York Horse magazine is published quarterly by: Tremont8 Media LLC Box 556 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

NEW YORK STATE CENTER FOR EQUINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Canterbury Stables W O R L D

C L A S S ,

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

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 Beezie Madden and Cortes C both win elections

The National Reining Horse Association has re-elected Jennifer Hoyt to a two-year term on its Executive Committee.

In her six years serving on the NRHA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Hoyt has been an integral part of the formation of the Entry Level Program enjoyed by many competitors. She also served on the Youth Committee, and has represented NRHyA at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Nationals “There are exciting things in the future for our youth,” Hoyt said, “and I am grateful to be a part of programs and events to help our youth reach as far as they can imagine.”

An NRHA professional, she and husband, Tom, own Hoyts Training and Showing in Manlius (profiled on page 36). She is also a founding member and director of the Central New York Reining Horse Association.

The honors keep coming for Beezie Madden and her equine partner, Cortes C. Madden, of Cazenovia, was elected to a four-year term on the US Equestrian Team Foundation Board of Trustees.

Madden has set the standard for show jumping in many ways. Beyond her three Olympic medals, two of them team gold, she is the only four-time USEF Equestrian of the Year and is the first woman and first American rider to be ranked in the world’s top three.

Cortes C was chosen as one of 10 horses inducted into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame for 2015. The black Belgian Warmblood – with his distinct, crossedleg jumping style – was selected by the US Equestrian Federation for his athletic achievements. Cortes C has already been named the USEF 2014 International Horse of the Year and took Best Horse honors at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

NY Farm Bureau: Equine inherent risk law is a 2015 priority New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton says reforming New York’s inherent risk law for equine operations is a top priority for the 2015 legislative session.

Norton said horse farms across the state are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of insurance for boarding operations as well as riding stables. Many 4-H clubs can no longer house horses because of the insurance liability, Norton added.

Said Farm Bureau in releasing its legislative agenda: “46 states recognize this concern and it is time for New York to join their ranks. Without reform, running a horse related business that also supports tourism and the joy of riding is becoming more difficult.”

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Cortland trainer illustrates newly published CHA Spanish manual Artwork by Susan Harris of Cortland graces the pages of the Certified Horsemanship Association Level One Manual, which has just been published in a new Spanish language edition. The 48-page book also contains detailed information on horsemanship safety, English and Western tack, exercises on horseback and how to walk, trot/ jog and do arena riding patterns.

Christy Landwehr, Chief Executive Officer of CHA, said the association received a grant to translate the manual into Spanish, “as many of our active states have a large Latino population.”

Harris won the CHA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2013.

PHOTO COURTESY FEI

Jennifer Hoyt re-elected to NRHA leadership team

ARTIST RENDERING OF EQUINE EXPORT STALLS © ARK DEVELOPMENT, LLC.

Horses for the Holidays helped CNY’s needy Horses for the Holidays brought in cash and donations of blankets, feed, tack and other supplies to help horses across Central New York.

“We are grateful to all the wonderful people in our community who have supported horses in need through acts of giving,” Skanda Equine, a Cazenovia farm and educational facility, said in a statement. Skanda created and runs the program.

All supplies and money donated to Horses for the Holidays are distributed to those requesting assistance and to horse rescue organizations including the CNYSPCA. Donated items - including blankets, buckets and halters - are still available for those in need. Send requests to marion@ skandaequine.com or call Marion at (315) 815-5056.

Trending: NYC says neigh to carriage horse ban Fuhgeddaboutit. That’s what New York City voters, by a margin of 63-25 percent, say about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park and replace them with electric cars.

The results, in a poll by Quinnipac University, continues a trend of year-long support for the horses that cross all racial, gender and political lines in the city.

JFK to offer new facility for traveling equines Horses and other animals traveling through New York’s Kennedy Airport will arrive at a state-of-the-art handling facility starting in 2016.

ARK Development LLC has signed a 30-year lease to build the $48 million, 178,000-square-foot animal cargo terminal. The ARK at JFK will have a large animal departure lounge, where horses for export have access to comfortable stalls, food, and water. There is also an arrival area where each horse’s vital signs are taken before they are placed in climate-controlled units with bedding and natural light.

The ARK will also have a 24-hour veterinary hospital, and will be a USDA-approved airport quarantine facility for the import and export of horses, pets, exotic animals and livestock. The design allows planes to taxi directly to the building, so horses can be transported in a seamless fashion that reduces stress.

The facility was designed with guidance from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

LEG UP: CALENDAR M A R C H 21

Clinic with National Reining Horse Association Hall of Famer Mike Flarida at Cazabu Farms, Cazenovia. Ride or audit. More information: Jennifer Hoyt at hoyttrain1@gmail.com.

A P R I L 12

CNY Dressage and Combined Training Association Gymnastics Clinic at Deer Hollow Farm, Cazenovia. Topics include: timing, balance, jumping technique. Auditors welcome. More information: cnydcta.org.

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64th annual Syracuse Chapter PHA Horse Show, Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds. “A” Rated hunterjumper. Free admission. More information: syracusepha.org.

M A Y 1-3 14 28-31

43rd annual Empire State All Arabian Horse Show at the NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse. Free admission. More information: empirearabian.org.

NYS Breeders Show, Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds. Section 1 is May 1417. Section 2 is May 21-24. Free admission. More information: nyshba.com.

CNY Reining Horse Association Ride and Slide, Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds. Free admission. Top riders

compete for over $25,000 in prizes. More information: cnyrha.com.

J U N E 12-14 20 26-28

National Barrel Horse Association 4D Supershow, Toyota Coliseum, NYS Fairgrounds. Free admission. More information: nbha.com.

Drill and Cavalry Training at Pure Country Campground, 176 Kelly Road, New Berlin. Learn formations, how to handle a sabre. More information: purecountrycampground.com.

Brookfield 50/30/15 Competitive Trail Ride. Sponsored by NYS Horse Council, sanctioned by Eastern Competitive Trail Ride Association.

More information: duniry@aol.com or brookfieldCTR@roadrunner.com.

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LEG UP: CLINIC CLOSEUP

Learn about cross training, gain perspective from an Olympic judge, at Caz clinics

L

earn how dressage can help you ride better over fences – and vice versa – and then rummage through the mind of a top-flight dressage judge at a pair of clinics coming this spring to Cazenovia.

International rider and Olympic judge Gary Rockwell is at Canterbury Stables April 17-19, for a weekend of clinics on riding from the judge’s perspective.

But first up, on March 21, is a demonstration on cross-training at Cazenovia Equestrian Center. The clinic will include instruction on how to incorporate the dressage training pyramid into warm-up exercises for your horse, and then demonstrate how dressage movements on the flat relate to jumping.

Instructors Diane Brandow and Becky Huestis will also demonstrate jumping exercises to help the dressage horse and rider. The goal is to encourage riders

to think outside their comfort zone to solve problems in their discipline.

Huestis is a trainer at John Madden Sales in Cazenovia; Brandow runs Sugar Maple Dressage Academy and is manager of Cazenovia Equestrian.

The clinic starts at 4:30 p.m. at the center on Erieville Road. The cost is $20 per person at the door.

Then, in April, improve your performance by learning first-hand what judges are looking for when Rockwell comes to Dressage at Canterbury. As a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team, Rockwell competed across Europe.

He was a judge at the Beijing and London Olympics and is one of only 5 “O” dressage judges in the country.

There is limited space for riders, who will receive one-on-one instruction from Rockwell; he works with riders of all levels in these individual sessions.

There is plenty of space for auditors who are welcome to observe, take notes and interact. Sessions begin in the morning at the stable on Roberts Road; breakfast and lunch are provided for riders and auditors.

The cost to audit is $20/day. For more information visit canterburystablesny. com or call 315-440-2244.

LEG UP: GUEST COLUMN

It’s time for NY to pass an Inherent Risk law “WHY DOES SKIING HAVE PROTECTION WHEN THE EQUINE INDUSTRY DOES NOT?”

By Karen Nowak President, Brookfield Riding and Driving Association

A

ll but four of our 50 states have Inherent Risk laws that include horses and horseback riding. New York is one of those states in which horsemen, camps, stables, and other recreational equine operators can be sued for

CHECK IT OUT There is a short, 2 minute video by the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of NY that explains the problem, titled Equine Activity Liability Reform.

Watch it at: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=RV9nM-isUKY.

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state.ny.us/comm/?sec=mem&id=24

(William Barclay, R-Fulton, serves on the committee) and the Senate Judiciary Committee - John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, is a member - at nysenate. gov/committee/judiciary.

State with no Equine Inherent Risk Law

NY NV CA

MD

GRAPHIC BY DARREN SANEFSKI

unavoidable injuries suffered by riders.

Participation in a recreational sport always involves some degree of risk that you assume under the law. These are “inherent risks.” Examples of such risks in particular sports include: getting hit by a baseball during a baseball game, or getting knocked down by a skier who wasn’t looking where he or she was going. Falling off a horse is another.

Most states require equine activity operators to notify participants of these inherent risks, and acceptance of the risks is a requirement for participation in equine activities. These statutes do not limit lawsuits in cases where the operator’s actions increase the risk of injury — for example, providing defective equipment – but they do protect from frivolous lawsuits arising from unavoidable accidents.

Article 18 of NY CodeGeneral Obligations protects skiing operations. New

York’s current law imposes an undue liability burden on recreational equine operators, who face both high insurance premiums and personal financial risk.

New York needs to stop dragging its feet and add an Equine Inherent Risk statute to Article 18. Such a statute has been proposed every year since at least 1999.

Each time the bill progresses to the Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees, but it never sees the light of day until the next year when it is again proposed, referred to the Judiciary Committees, and “dies.”

This is totally unacceptable.

According to a 2012 study by the NY Horse Racing and Agriculture Industry Alliance, the New York recreational equine industry accounts for $2.07 billion in revenue and over 15,000 fulltime equivalent jobs. That is just one segment of this industry. We should be trying to grow this industry in this economy, but the burden of ever-rising insurance costs makes it prohibitive for many. Such a statute would limit or prevent frivolous, unfounded lawsuits, resulting in lower insurance costs. How long do you think the skiing industry would last in this state if people could sue for any and every mishap?

Why does skiing have protection

when the equine industry does not?

The state benefits by having the statute for skiing because some of the resorts are state owned. That is not the case with the equine industry. Many of our state’s elected officials are trial lawyers themselves, plus they have a financial incentive in terms of campaign contributions from the powerful and wealthy NY Trial Lawyers Association.

Trial lawyers make a significant portion of their income from lawsuits so they have an incentive to stop this legislation from progressing into law.

It is long past time for the members of the equine community to stand together and demand that this legislation be passed.

Please get involved!

In my experience, it is best to call, fax and email, as different staffers are responsible for each, increasing your chances of being heard. Contact information for your Assembly member can be found at the Assembly’s website, assembly.state.ny.us/.

Contact information for state Senators can be found at nysenate.gov/.

Once the bill moves forward to the Judiciary Committees, we will need to put pressure on them. You can find the members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee at assembly.

LEG UP: INSIGHT

Survey Says: Horses must be viewed as agriculture

HORSE WELFARE IS TOP PRIORITY, FIRST POLL OF NY’S EQUINE INDUSTRY FINDS

By Dr. Karin Bump Guest Columnist

T

he results of the first-ever survey of New York’s equine industry found people in the horse business want to be identified as an important part of agriculture, and consider equine welfare and the state’s failure to enact an inherent risk law their top priorities.

The survey, conducted in the fall, asked industry members to provide input into the state’s equine policy and program needs. The landmark, online survey grew out of a Governor’s Task Force to reduce obstacles to the growth of agriculture. We knew many of the obstacles but, until now, we didn’t know how to prioritize efforts to address them.

The survey’s original goal was 1,500 participants; when it closed, 1,880 individuals from all but two counties had participated.

Are Horses Agriculture?

When asked “are horses an important part of agriculture,” 70% of respondents said ‘Yes.’ When asked if horses were represented as an important part of agriculture, only 11% said ‘Yes.’ That’s a problem we need to correct. If we want to be considered part of agriculture, we have to participate. That means identifying where we align with other agricultural groups and building on our commonalities. If you are wondering where we might align with dairy, goats, garlic, or beer, here is one area: protection of land and the ‘right to farm.’

We often think we are very different from other parts of agriculture – and in many ways we are. But we also have much in common. One way to focus on the commonalities

ABOUT THE SURVEY The survey asked about policy and program priorities in eight areas: Business/Facility Operations; Equine Health; Trail Use/Access for Equine; Horse Racing; Horse Shows/ Events/Facilities; At Risk/Unwanted and/or Abused Horses; General Equine Use; Industry Promotion & Marketing.

Participants were asked to prioritize each policy/program.

Respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, live in NY and have some involvement in the equine industry.

The survey found division over banning New York City’s carriage horses 14 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

is to join the largest and most active agriculture group in the state, the New York Farm Bureau. NYFB already promotes horses as agriculture and has an equine committee. With strong membership from the equine community, it becomes easier for NYFB to promote the recognition of equine as agriculture, ensuring that equine is included in agricultural initiatives such as reduced-cost loan programs, and tax incentives for business growth and development.

Top Policy Priorities

BY THE NUMBERS

materials. So why hasn’t it passed? A number of reasons, including the need ranked tougher Not surprisingly the topic of equine for equine owners to contact their penalties for welfare was a top priority. The subject legislators. Farm Bureau has made equine welfare is complex, and the survey shows the this easy for everyone by providing an violations a critical or high priority intensity of the debate. The areas with e-lobby link on their website for equine the largest divide between ‘critical ranked inherent risk. Numbers count and priority – needs action immediately’ and passage of an legislative decisions are often guided ‘opposed to having this as a priority’ inherent risk by numbers. Get involved, so we can were two welfare related topics: law as a critical or high priority get this passed. (Read more on inherent • Improved procedures for shipping opposed risk in a guest column on p. 12.) and handling equines intended for improving At the end of the survey, participants slaughter so that horse-slaughter procedures were asked for comments and feedback. facilities can reopen in the US, and so equine slaughter facilities A consistent comment was ‘please • Ensuring that legislation is not can reopen in the US; 34% enacted to ban the use of carriage horses. share the results’ and ‘please do called it a critical priority However, the No. 1 priority was something with this information.’ This to push for tougher penalties for article is one avenue of sharing, and violation of equine care/welfare includes a few points of the survey — policies. We may disagree on what is acceptable and more are in process. The survey also is being used to inform unacceptable, but to make an impact, let’s set aside our lawmakers and agricultural organizations so that we strengthen differing views on slaughter and carriage horses and act and grow as an industry, united by our common goals. as one on our mutual support for equine welfare.

For more details on survey results, or to learn more The second priority was inherent risk, which has been about supporting these priorities, please join us on LinkedIn an issue for at least the past 15 years. It’s a priority for both or Facebook at NYS Equine Industry Policy Priorities. the NYFB and the New York State Horse Council, and both have worked tirelessly to support inherent risk legislation.

Dr. Karin Bump is a professor of equine business NYFB has this as a top priority for 2015 and has partnered management at Cazenovia College. She is Chair of the with the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of NY to create lobbying Equine Committee for the New York Farm Bureau.

80% 73% 28%

HANNAY FARM

MINIATURE HORSES

The small package good things come in

Voiced trained to drive.

Quality conformation.

Useful, friendly and affectionate.

A few of our registered minis are for sale, by appointment only.

GENE & MARY SMITH Cazenovia, NY • 315-655-9748 Email: spice5@windstream.net Check us out on Facebook and www.hannayfarm.com

LEG UP: EQSTYLE

A mustang races in Sea Spirit, a giclée in sepia tones by photographer Dona Bollard. (Ethan Allen, Route 5, DeWitt. $2,330.)

Make your walls both seen and herd

E

questrian style has legs – which is to say it’s timeless, classic and has something for every taste in decorating.

EQStyle makes its debut in New York Horse with this issue, digging into what to do with unadorned walls. We are supporters of Buy Local, and because we encourage our readers to do the same, everything that finds its way to the EQStyle pages is available at area shops or created by our many talented artists and artisans.

But back to those walls. Are they looking like, well, the broad side of a barn? Not to worry. NYH shopped around and found something for every room, whether it’s channeling a traditional hunt-country vibe or a giving an equine spin to contemporary. And for original works, be a patron to area artists like Cazenovia’s Alyson Markel (below), Toloa Perry and Judy Goldthwait, whose work is featured in this issue’s Artful Horse.

Sun Grazer, a monotype print by Cazenovia artist Alyson Markell, is a unique work on archival paper.

(Artetude Gallery, Asheville NC, artetudegallery. com. $3,400.)

A more contemporary approach to the subject sets this silhouette of a black beauty apart. (Available by special order. Dunk & Bright, 2648 S. Salina Street, Syracuse. $262.)

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 17

LEG UP: NEWSMAKER

Professional Horsemen’s Association of America honors Naomi Blumenthal

By LA Pomeroy and NYH Staff

N

aomi Blumenthal of Manlius received this year’s Frank J. Hawkins Award from the Professional Horsemen’s Association of America, in recognition of her dedication to her fellow horsemen.

“We are lucky to have someone of such ability and talent volunteer her time with our organization,” said Frederick F. Schauder, president of the national PHA. Blumenthal, whose volunteerism includes serving as PHA national vice chairman, said she was “very honored to receive the award because of the quality of the people who have also been recipients and the many contributions they have made … It’s always nice

to feel recognized by your peers.”

Blumenthal also serves as president of the Syracuse chapter of the PHA and is a national director of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. She said she encourages everyone to dedicate some of their time to being a volunteer.

“The volunteering end of life is so important,” she said. Not only does it make an important contribution to a cause but, “you also get so much out of it yourself. It broadens your horizons in so many ways … I can’t urge people enough to get involved.”

Among Blumenthal’s efforts this year, Schauder said, was her work on behalf of the First Annual PHA Invitational, the first show to

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benefit the national association.

“Naomi wrote the entire prize list,” Schauder said. “She gave so much of her time and skills to assure its success.”

The Frank J. Hawkins Award was started by his sons and fellow horsemen, Artie and Steve Hawkins and has been presented annually since 1992.

Blumenthal said Artie Hawkins was a mentor, and knowing that he approved her choice made the award that much more significant.

Blumenthal’s lengthy career includes two decades on the Cazenovia College faculty, working with numerous breed associations and disciplines, and managing shows for (among others) the New York State Fair, NYS Horse Breeders Association and Syracuse PHA. In 1999, the IHSA recognized her with its own Lifetime Achievement Award.

LEG UP: ARMCHAIR EQUESTRIAN

Three decades of riding advice from an icon of the sport “CLASSICAL RIDING WITH GEORGE H. MORRIS” OFFERS INSIGHT AND SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUES

T

alking about his latest book, legendary horseman George H. Morris makes a promise to every reader: “If I was able to learn the techniques outlined in this book, you can, too.”

And since it’s Morris, an Olympic medalist and former U.S. Olympic show-jumping team coach, it’s definitely worth it to take a chance that he’s even half right. In Classical Riding with George H. Morris, ($29.95, 200 pages with illustrations, www.HorseBooksEtc. com) he writes about the techniques he uses to train both horse and rider for hunter/jumper competition, including three decades of his articles

from Practical Horseman magazine.

It’s a trip down memory lane for Morris, who demonstrates time and again how his simple yet effective methods – based on classical dressage and jumping techniques – continue to produce the best riders and the happiest horses. As he says in his introduction, “My basic philosophy has remained the same, but as you read, you’ll see that my emphasis on different points and techniques has changed slightly over the years as I’ve continued to learn, grow and evolve as a horseman.”

Sections on both flatwork and jumping address everything from warming up before riding a course to gaining insight about contact and flexion and riding a bending line.

You’ll also learn how to: • Train your young or green horse on the flat and over fences, with special guidelines by age; • Improve your horse’s flatwork to help his jumping; • Put yourself in the safest and most effective riding position; • Learn to see a distance; • Find the release that is best for you and your horse.

In addition, the book features special reports from Morris’ Horsemastership Training Sessions, in which he shares his observations as a coach about up-and-coming young riders.

If you’ve never read a book by this master horseman – or even if you have – this one is worth adding to your rider’s bookshelf.

AND WE QUOTE …

“Riders must be realistic about their goals and the ability of their horses.”

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22 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

Ride Better

“THERE ARE NO SECRETS, JUST HARD WORK,” THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN MICHAEL PAGE SAYS. “NO ONE GETS TO BE A GREAT RIDER WITHOUT RIDING.” NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 23

And to a third: “Forward and straight, balanced and calm. … The better you get, the more you understand how important forward and straight and an independent seat are the basis of horsemanship. There are no secrets, just hard work. People don’t believe it’s that simple to understand, but so hard to do well. No one gets to be a great rider without riding.”

“Christmas!” he shouts as another rider hesitates on a broken line. “If you don’t create the energy, he can’t use his talent.”

“That’s right – hallelujah! That’s the ride. Even your horse is happy with you,” he approves as the rider applies more leg and puts together a clean second trip. “You have to move. You can’t just sit there and dream … It’s not about being an event rider, or a hunter, or jumper or dressage rider.

First and foremost it’s about being a good rider.

“A bad rider, no matter how expensive the horse, you get on and the horse can’t do what you paid for him to do. Riding well is the key to everything you want to do.”

For Page, that begins on the flat. Good flat work, he teaches, is the foundation of good jumping. It’s on the flat that the fundamentals – the mechanics, the aids and the communication

“Listen to your horse,” Michael Page says, “he’s the best teacher.”

24 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

PHOTOS BY GENEVIEVE DECLERCK

F

ormer Olympian Michael Page says everything in two words: “Ride better.”

It’s his philosophy, his passion, and his guiding principle as a coach and trainer. There are no shortcuts to excellence in any discipline, Page teaches, but he sums up the path to “better” with his trademark precision: “Ride more.”

Horses, and the quest to ride better, have been a constant in his life. As a boy, Page dreamed of becoming a Pony Express rider. He grew up instead to become one of eventing’s great riders, winning Olympic team silver at the Tokyo (1964) and Mexico City (1968) games, individual gold in Mexico City, and individual gold in 1959 and 1963 at the Pan American games where he also earned team gold in 1963 and 1967. His great partner, Grasshopper, is one of only five horses inducted into the US Eventing Hall of Fame.

“You don’t ride because you want to go to the Olympics,” he says. “You ride because you love to ride. And if you’re good, and you’re lucky, you get the horses – and the horses take you to the Olympics.”

At 75, Page commands a show jumping clinic at If Only Farm in Freeville with the same intensity he brought to competition, a blend of encouragement and uncompromising critique peppered with wisdom and insight gained from a half-century on a horse’s back.

“Look where you’re going,” he commands one rider. “Steer early with your eyes.”

“More is not better. Better is better,” he tells a second. “If you want to know more, you have to listen more. Listen to your horse, he’s the best teacher. That’s the way you get better. … Don’t keep jumping higher for the sake of jumping higher.

It’s not a question of riding over two feet, or three feet or four feet. It’s a question of riding good.”

“If you can’t ride well on the flat, you can’t optimize what the horse can do over fences.”

between horse and rider – are built.

In every sport, they practice the basics, he explains. In golf, it’s hitting the ball. In diving, it’s entering the water without a splash. In basketball, making free throws. Every winning coach says the same thing: We executed the basics better. We didn’t make any mistakes.

In jumping, that means working on the flat.

“If you’re good on the flat, the horse gets to the jump better,” he says. “Remember: 90 percent of the time when you’re on the course, you’re on the flat. So if you can’t ride well on the flat, you can’t optimize what the horse can do over fences. Good riders ride better because they have control of the horse on the flat.”

Getting there, Page says, requires time, dedication, a willingness to learn and the right instructor to teach those lessons. Go to someone for instruction, he advises, only if you respect that person enough to do everything they ask. Then give them a 100 percent effort every time. And use what you’ve learned – don’t tuck it away in a mental folder to try another day on another horse.

“I’ve learned a lot, and one of those is that you have to be unafraid to try different things in order to learn different things,” Page says. “If you’re not smart about using your knowledge, you’re doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past … Smarter is better NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 25

PHOTOS COURTESY OF US EVENTING ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE

than dumber. But you have to be smart enough to know what is better. That’s the secret.”

And so it all comes back to those two simple words: Ride more.

Ride over cavalettis. (It gives the horse confidence, Page says. Warm up with cavalettis and when you get to jumping “the horse says, ‘I know what to do. I don’t have to worry about the turkey on my back.’”)

Ride without stirrups. (Ride without stirrups until you can’t dismount. “Then I’ll know I’ve accomplished something,” Page says. “You feel better on the back of a horse than you do on the ground. No pain, no gain.”)

But ride.

“The biggest and never-changing thing is you have to love to ride,” Page emphasizes. Every day if you can. Whenever you can, if you can’t.

“Without working harder, you’re not going to be able to achieve what you want to do. If you don’t work harder, and you don’t try to achieve what’s possible, when you look in the mirror you have no one to blame but yourself.

“I’ve always had a passion for riding. I still love to ride. You have to love to ride, and you have to be willing to pay a price to ride better.”

And when the ride is over — every day, every time, every ride — thank your horse, he says. “Pat your horse when you’re done. Tell them they did good.”

MICHAEL PAGE’S PILLARS OF RIDING If you ride better, you will do better.

The best riders ride more. Is there any question about that?

It’s not how much you know, it’s how much the horse understands of what you know.

Wait with your body, ride with your leg. If you take off your leg, it makes it harder for the horse to understand what you want him to do.

Riding without stirrups is not meant to torture you; it is meant to get you fitter, tighter and stronger – quicker.

Attitude is everything. You have to think riding is what you want to do.

The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare.

No one can teach riding as well as a horse. Listen.

You must understand the box, but you must be able to think out of it.

26 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

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Y O U

A N D

Y O U R

H O R S E

What 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. MANY TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY DAYS TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS. HERE IS WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY: Tiffany Day, head coach Morrisville State College IHSA Western team

Lisa Eklund, head coach Morrisville State College IHSA hunt seat team “Good riding requires more than passion. It takes perseverance and grit. The most successful riders are not afraid of making mistakes as they know that is how they get better and grow.

“Successful riders have goals and make a plan to achieve them. When their path toward their goals is blocked, they find ways around the road block and create a new path. New goals are always being set. There is no end to their journey as they know there is no such thing as perfection. Perfection implies an end to learning and growing.

Successful riders see learning as limitless.

“So my advice to anyone wanting to have success in any level of riding is to have what author Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset. Keep looking at your failures as opportunities to grow, and understand that with hard work and dedication you will have success.

Your passion should be for learning about riding – not for winning.”

28 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

“The goal of showing in IHSA is to demonstrate your horsemanship skills and flexibility as a rider on an unfamiliar horse. Oftentimes, riders are unhappy or frustrated that they drew a horse that is bouncy at the jog, not very smooth at the lope or slow to make transitions. But they need to show their ability to sit that jog or lope, to be adaptable. A horse that seems bouncy with one rider, can appear smooth and comfortable with a more supple rider.

“That is why, when I have my riders practice, I try to get them on a different horse each time. We can learn so much about our balance, body position and overall control of ourselves and our horse by developing our skills on multiple horses. We can learn a lot when we ride the unfamiliar horse down the rail; how much leg is required for gait transitions, how much contact to maintain on the reins, how soft or firm do we need our seat and legs to be. “… If there is an error that happens, leave the error behind and go on to the next maneuver instead of giving up. It may be a minor blip on the radar, but if we give up it can become a major deduction. Learn from each ride and each horse. In IHSA, luck can be related to the horse you draw but how you show that horse is a demonstration of your skill as a rider.”

Jamie Epstein, coach, Syracuse University IHSA Western team “Win, lose, or draw, always strive for the best ride you can possibly have.

I always tell my riders that, at the end of the day, the class came down to one person’s opinion, and they don’t know your personal journey as a rider.

“Whether you won the class or did not place, if you know that you did your absolute best then that is all anyone can ask. Maybe the last time you competed you didn’t pick up the correct lead, or when asked to reverse at the jog you broke gait. Next time you show, aim to fix those mistakes.

Take pride in those accomplishments.

As a coach, I am just as proud of them as I would be if you won blue.

“Keep your eyes on your personal achievements, and you will always find competition rewarding.”

Ronald Bartholomew, coach RGB Equestrian Team (IEA hunt seat)

NEXT ISSUE

“Two Legs, Two Hands & make every jump the same.” #nailedit

We’ll have more advice from top coaches, trainers and riders.

Denise Van Patten, coach Syracuse University IHSA hunt seat team and coach Smoke Tree Equestrian Team (IEA hunt seat)

Megan Maloney, coach Emerald City Equestrian Team (IEA hunt seat) “My advice would be to become active in your education as a rider.

Start with a knowledgeable trainer, but also take it upon yourself to read articles and books by the greats, audit clinics, watch live streams of competitions, go to shows and watch riders preparing in the schooling ring.

“There are so many free or inexpensive ways to expand your qualifications. Riders with a well-rounded education become better horsemen.”

Ann Fowler, head coach Cazenovia College IDA dressage team “One of my colleagues … says “be a sponge, not a rock.” I love that. Be open to ideas and different methods of training and different disciplines.

“Be open minded! There is always more to learn about horses and riding.”

Adam D’Agostino, head coach Cazenovia College IHSA Western team “To me, a good rider is open minded. I find that out of the riders that I coach, the ones who excel the most in the ring are those who come to a lesson with questions, and listen to the advice they are given.

“Any coach can only do their job if their riders are trusting of their program, and approach every ride as a learning experience.”

“There are riders, and then there are horsemen. We should all strive to be horseman and never deviate from ‘classical’ or be swayed toward ‘gimmicks.’

“I try to instill in my students to develop a strong foundation with correct basics, and to build upon these over time – with a lot of hard work and patience with oneself as well as the horse.

“I also encourage them to always listen to their gut and not be afraid to make mistakes, as this is the only way one can learn – to grow. They should also steer away from gossip or worrying about what others think, but instead put their energy into reading, watching and listening to the great legends of our sport.

“Finally, remember that perfect practice of pace, path and position makes permanent!”

Sara Paddock, coach Emerald City Equestrian Team (IEA hunt seat) “Come prepared. Ride as many different horses as you can.

Go out there and have fun.

“Take something away from each class, even if you don’t bring home a ribbon.”

Amy Sherrick-von Schiller, head coach Cazenovia College IHSA hunt seat team “The best thing riders can do to prepare for success in the IHSA is to master the art of the catch ride. They need to ride as many horses and different types of horses as possible. They all have something to teach the rider, from the backyard horse who doesn’t know his leads, to the fancy horse with the impressive horse show resume.

“Riders need to be able to get on a horse, assess and adapt in a very short amount of time to do well in intercollegiate competition. It’s not about training or drastically changing the horse, it’s about adjusting one’s ride quickly to get the best possible performance in the show ring, on that particular horse, one time.

“You don’t learn this by riding one horse all the time or only ‘nice’ horses all the time. The more horses a student rides, the more he or she learns the art of catch riding. This is what makes an effective rider.”

Kim Allan, coach Emerald City Equestrian Team (IEA hunt seat) “As riders, we are athletes. We need to treat ourselves as an athlete.

“It’s not just about developing core strength. To truly become connected and effective, it’s about developing mindfulness. With mindfulness comes body awareness, focus, patience, and riding in the present. Keep striving for that mind/body balance and you will feel a great difference in your ride.”

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 29

30 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

Artful orse H The

A MOMENT IN TIME: EQUINE PORTRAITS BY JUDY GOLDTHWAIT

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 31

32 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

What do you love most about painting and drawing horses?

The subject, of course!

I love looking through photos I take and finding one that inspires me ... a particular angle, great lighting, beautiful eye. It could be a horrible photo, but I can visualize it as a great painting.

How have your experiences with horses – riding, driving, owning and caring for them – influenced your subject matter and how you approach a piece?

I am definitely more drawn to painting hunters, which is what I grew up with. And, although I don’t get much opportunity, I truly enjoy painting the shaggy outdoor, real-life horse – no frills, messed-up mane, crooked ears.

Those are the moments I love to capture: A horse being a horse.

Share your creative process. Where do you start?

A portrait always has to start with good photos. Since I typically don’t know the horse, I rely on the photos for all my information – pose, color, expression, correct tack, etc.

First is the drawing. Next, an underpainting of blue and/or purple.

This offers a base for overlaying the actual color of the horse. Paint is applied to the canvas in thin layers, so the purple and blue show through to provide the shading.

My third step is to paint the background. Then I start on the subject, layer upon layer with each one adding more detail. Typically it will take four layers of paint over the underpainting and then some more time working on the intricate details.

How would you describe your style?

I like to think I’m a little impressionistic while staying fairly realistic, if that’s at all possible. I don’t want to be a photocopier! Although portrait work requires a certain amount of intricate detail, there is a little room for artistic license.

What advice would you give to aspiring equine artists?

Find your own style. Do what you like. There is a niche for you somewhere. I’m just finding mine and I’ve been at it for fifteen years.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 33

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NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 35

Stable Hopping

P

REINING IS A PASSION FOR TOM AND JENNIFER HOYT, ONE THAT HAS TAKEN THEM TO THE HEIGHTS OF A SPORT THAT CELEBRATES ‘ULTIMATE HORSEMANSHIP.’

Paris waits.

“Feel her mouth,” Tom Hoyt says. On board the mare, Sara Petersen is 100 percent concentration.

“Don’t pull. Now cluck.”

Paris uncoils.

Second gear, third gear.

“Cluck.”

Fourth gear. Dirt flies. Paris accelerates.

“Now just say it …”

“Whoa!” says Sara.

Paris sets the brakes, leaves a track in the footing, and slides to a stop, her nose almost at the far wall.

The 7-year-old Quarter Horse, officially Bright Crome, shone in her first full year of competition. With Tom at the controls, they competed in the Intermediate Open classes at the

36 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

2014 National Reining Horse Association Derby, won the High Point buckle, and were ranked in the world Top 10. The goal in 2015 for owner Sara is nothing less than Rookie of the Year.

But that doesn’t mean Paris is exempt from regular tune ups, hence the sprint-stop, sprintstop exercise known as fencing. “It teaches the horse to go end-to-end without stopping,” Jennifer Hoyt explains. “It teaches them not to anticipate, but instead to respond to your command.”

Paris must be both obedient and athletic to be at the top in reining, a sport whose first principle is that the horse must be willingly guided. Reining started as a way for ranchers to show off the skill of their working cattle horses, and the signature moves – the slides, spins and rollbacks – all have their roots in moving cows. What started out as getting a steer from there to here became ‘my horse can slide farther than your horse,’ but the seamless connection between horse and rider remains at reining’s heart.

“We’re getting rid of that old cliché that when you ride a horse, you’re the boss,” Tom says. “It’s a partnership. I don’t even think of them as equines, they’re partners.

“I try to train my horses like they’re my

employee. What employee wants you harping on them all the time? The horse has a job to do. That’s what I’m doing: teaching them to do their job.”

Adds Jennifer: “Jumping is an eye, reining is a feel. It’s ultimate horsemanship, the ultimate communication between horse and rider.”

Reining is a family affair for the Hoyts. Tom came to reining from barrel racing. Jennifer was an event rider until, as she says with a smile, Tom led her “down the dark path.” Together, they own Hoyts Training and Showing in Manlius, and have been a cornerstone of the sport in Central New York for more than 20 years. Tom is the head trainer; Jennifer, who was just re-elected to the NRHA executive committee, is manager and head instructor. Daughter Jamie Epstein, the 2006 intercollegiate reining champ, is assistant instructor and head coach of the Syracuse University Western equestrian team.

In their barn, as in reining as a whole, there are levels to the sport – from the pros and competition-hungry kids to the Golden Girls who ride on Thursday night but only when the weather is good. That’s one of the attractions of the sport, the Hoyts say: Riders and horses compete against others at their level.

“It’s not like you have to have a $500,000 horse to compete and win,” Tom says and, in fact, since the entry-level program started in 2010, participation has soared nationally. That first year alone, the numbers rose from 15,000 to more than 19,000.

“It made reining more accessible and inviting to the cross-over rider,” Jennifer says. “There’s a lot of discipline; it’s something you do have

to practice at. But you progress up the ladder as you go through the maneuvers. If you can walk-trot-canter, if you have a feel for your horse, you can place at the lower levels.”

And then there’s the sheer animal magnetism, adrenaline rush and high-octane fun of reining, where the competitions are loud and energetic and the riders start wondering ‘what did I do?’ if they don’t hear the crowd. Put a rider on a reining horse, ask them to spin, and they’re hooked. Yes, it’s that addictive, says Jennifer.

Adds Tom, with a wicked grin, “reining is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”

It’s the fun that first attracted some of the celebrities who have embraced reining. Country singer Lyle Lovett told the New York Times he was looking for a horse for his father to ride, went to a reining event and thought, “this looks like just too much fun.” Actor William Shatner talks about the joy of competition, but also the feeling of “being at one with your horse.”

That’s the feel the Hoyts talk about, the partnership. Not counting strides, but feeling when the horse is at peak acceleration and it’s time to ask them to slide. A rider has to learn that, and it only comes with time, practice and discipline. But once it’s learned, between horse and rider, there is confidence and trust.

“Anyone who’s ever ridden a horse that’s taken off … Having a horse that you say ‘Whoa’ and it stops – that’s everything,” Jennifer says. “The horse, the communication we teach the horse, that’s something anyone can use in any discipline.”

(From left) Tom Hoyt on Big Paychex, 2013 CNYRHA Summer Slide; Sara Petersen on Bright Crome (Paris); Jennifer Hoyt on Lenas Noble Prize, 2007 Northeast Regional Championship; Tom on Pistol Pacn Red Pine, Yankee Reining Horse 2014 Summer Spectacular.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 37

Inside Reining THE NYH CONVERSATION: HEART, TRAINABILITY AND EVERYONE’S ‘WHOA’ FACE

Ability, conformation, breeding and heart. All of the necessary ingredients to build a great Western horse are getting a workout in the round pens. Bonnie Miller and Tiffany Day are watching, encouraging, trying to stay warm on the sidelines. On this afternoon, the students are the trainers, tuning up this horse, getting that one used to a saddle for the first time. Here, in Morrisville State College’s barn, the lessons they’ve learned from Miller and Day become well-behaved hooves on the ground.

B

Bonnie Miller, director of the college’s Western Studies program, has trained and showed Paints and Quarter Horses for 37 years. She owns 81 Paint World and Reserve World Champions in nine different events including reining, trail, Western pleasure and working hunter. She’s also been on the other side of the scorecard, judging the APHA World Show six times and serving as judge at major reining contests in

Tiffany Day on Boonsmal Lil, a mare she says is “very quick, full of talent and sharp on the maneuvers.”

38 NEW YORK HORSE

five countries, including the Canadian Cup. Tiffany Day, assistant professor of Equine Science and head coach of Morrisville’s Western team, grew up riding and showing in classes from barrel racing to hunter under saddle. Reining and working cow horse classes is where you’ll find her now, training and showing her own horses including Boonsmal Lil, an 8 year old QH mare who won the 2014 CNY Reining Horse Association Green Horse Division.

Both sat down with New York Horse for a conversation that ranged from curing the horse that over-anticipates to everyone’s “whoa face” but started with a question at the heart of success: How do you evaluate a horse’s reining potential?

Tiffany: You have to go off a combination of attributes. A horse might look good on paper, but if they don’t have the conformation, they’re not going to be able to pull off the maneuvers.

Bonnie: Trainability is a factor, too. They have to have the attitude and the willingness. They have to have the athleticism. Otherwise you’re trying to cram a square peg into a round hole. Forty years ago, the horses that went into reining were the ones

that went too fast for Western pleasure classes.

I’m also looking for longevity of soundness.

Enough muscle to be strong, but not so much it interferes with being agile.

And that intangible ingredient – heart?

Tiffany: They have to have the natural desire to do it. It’s when you ask a horse to do different things and they want to do it, they’re receptive to the rider. With a reining horse, they have to want to stop, to get into the ground.

Bonnie: It’s the guts to push through the hurt and uncertainty and do it for you. That’s one thing you don’t know until you get on them.

So you’ve got the horse … good breeding, good conformation. Step two?

Tiffany: You’re spending a lot of time working on the basics. Good gaits. Maneuverability. Body control. All of that has to be accomplished, the communication has to be established, before you transition them into sliding and spinning.

That speaks to something singer Lyle Lovett said about the appeal of reining to him: “The horse has to almost disappear and become part of you.”

Bonnie: Right. The communication should be seamless.

Tiffany: Reining celebrates the partnership

between horse and rider. They are working as one; there’s willing communication. The guiding principles have stayed the same for over 40 years: The horse should be willingly guided.

Bonnie: When it’s done right, it’s so graceful. It’s awe inspiring when it works.

It’s very humbling when it doesn’t.

No kidding. We’ve all, every discipline, had both kinds of rides. In reining …?

Tiffany: You don’t want the horse to over-anticipate.

You don’t want them to learn the pattern. You want them to wait on you and respond to you rather than anticipate.

Bonnie: If they start to anticipate, you have to de-sensitize them.

Tiffany: Vary when you do the elements so they listen to you. … They need to accelerate into a stop. So you might build and you might stop – or you might not stop. So they listen to you and don’t anticipate the command.

Bonnie: Also, a lot of things happen right in the geographical center of the pen. Spend a lot of time just standing in the middle of the pen so they get the idea it’s not a scary, difficult place to be.

Verbal cues?

Bonnie: That’s OK. With spins, you

have to count it out loud to yourself.

Clucking, saying ‘whoa’ is encouraged.

Tiffany: (Laughs) Just look at our pictures. Everyone has their ‘whoa face’ for the slide. The horses are trained to verbal cues. You sink in the saddle, take your lower leg off the horse and say the magic stopping word.

OK, so it’s all going the way you planned in the warm up. What amps up a winning ride?

Bonnie: Anytime you add speed to any element, it increases the difficulty.

It’s exciting to watch and to perform. You’re never bored if you’re showing a reiner.

Tiffany: When the crowd’s working for you it’s even more fun, because they’re seeing what you’re feeling. The hollers are something we live for.

That was something all the quiet, stoic hunter people had to get accustomed to.

We’re a rowdy bunch, but it’s an encouraging rowdy.

“Probably the hardest thing to learn is how to sit the sliding stop,” says Tiffany Day.

Other than ’be one with the crowd,’ what advice do you have for us hunter types – or Western pleasure types – who’d like to add some reining adrenaline to our lives?

Bonnie: You need strong basics. These are high speed, athletic maneuvers. If they’re not accustomed to loping a horse, they’re going to get catapulted off in a spin.

Tiffany: Absolutely, you have to have a strong foundation. Know how to sit the trot. Know how to sit the lope. How to use your legs.

Bonnie: The hardest thing to teach is how to have a plan and be thoughtful.

Tiffany: Probably the hardest thing to learn is how to sit the sliding stop. Each horses is different in how they do it. Some sink into the ground, some glide. You can always tell the new riders because when they stop they always look behind them to see how far they’ve gone.

Bonnie: I’d also say concentrate on being consistent. It’s better to go slow and correct than to add speed.

Tiffany: The first thing the judge looks at in scoring is how correct you performed the element. The rookie mistake is wanting to go fast rather than concentrating on correctness.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 39

American Horse Publications launches third equine industry survey EARLIER STUDY ID’ED HIGH COSTS AND UNWANTED HORSES AS TOP NATIONAL ISSUES.

A

national Equine Industry Survey is underway

by American Horse Publications (AHP) to learn more about trends and practices and identify critical issues facing the industry as perceived by those who own or manage horses.

The survey closes on April 1. It’s open to anyone 18 years of age or older, who lives in the United States and currently owns or is responsible for managing at least one horse.

To take the 2015 AHP industry survey, go to www.ahphorsesurvey. com. The survey is anonymous, which means that no one – not even the members of the research team

analyzing the results – will be able to associate any information that is given with an individual respondent.

Among the questions, participants are asked to identify the top three issues facing the equine industry. In the second AHP survey, nearly 56% of the respondents said that the problem of unwanted horses, and what to do with them, is one of the top three issues. The next two concerns were the cost of horsekeeping (47.1%), and overbreeding (37.3%).

This is the third equine industry survey conducted by AHP, a nonprofit association that promotes excellence in equine media. (New York Horse is a member.) Each of the first two studies collected more than 10,000 responses. The 2015 survey is sponsored by Zoetis, an international animal health company.

SURVEY TRENDS FROM THE PROS Meanwhile, three interesting trends are emerging from the annual horse business survey conducted by equestrianprofessional.com:

1.

Horse professionals are struggling to find properties and/or facilities that are close enough to their client base.

2.

Horse professionals are finding it challenging to educate clients who have unrealistic expectations and preconceived ideas about horses and riding because of marketing campaigns and Internet information about training horses.

3.

Horse professionals are having difficulty getting hobby riders to commit to more comprehensive programs, for example following a progressive learning track of taking regular lessons, moving on to leasing, then buying and, for some, competition.

Pudgy Pony?

Plump Paint?

IF WINTER LEFT YOUR HORSE WITH MORE POUNDS THAN PEP, GET HIM BACK IN SHAPE WHILE AVOIDING INJURY.

By Katie Navarra

C

entral New York winters are challenging. Days are short and temperatures are frigid. Snow piles accumulate early and linger well into spring.

Horse owners without access to an indoor arena are forced to give their horses time off, while others choose to take a break until better weather returns. In either case, when spring arrives, a horse’s return to work should be carefully planned to avoid injury.

Whether your horse has had one month off or four, he’s lost his fitness level, according to a study led by Cornell University veterinary students and David Eldredge, the head polo coach at Cornell. “It was found that after one month out, the horses had lost all fitness,” Eldredge said. “The results at the end of the fourth month were the same as after one month.”

“It takes nearly two months to build up muscle, but only two weeks off from a training routine to strip away muscle,” agreed Adam D’Agostino, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Western coach at Cazenovia College.

Regardless of the length of the layup, horses should be brought back to work slowly. Three to six weeks of steady exercise that gradually increases in duration and intensity is ideal. “It was always my feeling that at the end of three weeks the horses were ready to start fulltime training,” Eldredge said. “(The study) determined that after gradually building up the workout times over each of the first two weeks, and then continuing from that point forward, the horses were at their best fitness from the end of three weeks on.”

Dr. Erin Morgan-Paugh says it’s fine to go even slower, and recommends four to six weeks to bring a horse back into condition. “A month allows the horse to

undergo several cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic adaptations that will greatly benefit their performance and help prevent future problems,” said Morgan-Paugh, a veterinarian and associate professor of equine rehabilitation and exercise physiology at Morrisville State College.

During the first two to three weeks of returning to work, the horse experiences cardiovascular changes, which improves oxygen delivery to the muscles. Metabolic changes also occur allowing the horse to more efficiently use energy from their rations and eliminate byproducts such as lactic acid.

Horses that have been maintained in light work over the winter will return to their previous fitness level more quickly than those that have been completely rested. “Some fit up faster than others,” D’Agostino noted. “The horse’s age and body condition can affect how long it will take. Ask your veterinarian for advice if you’re unsure what your horse needs.”

Design a regimen to include these essentials: A good fitness program should include a warm-up.

“Warming up is always important, but it’s particularly important as you recondition them back to work,” MorganPaugh said. A warm-up period increases circulation to the muscles and provides the necessary nutrients for proper muscle function. “This increased blood supply also helps the horse dissipate heat that accumulates during exercise,” she added.

Giving the horse time to loosen up improves flexibility in the tendons and ligaments and increases range of motion in the joints.

D’Agostino said he begins every training session with bending and counter-bending exercises to isolate the shoulder. He uses lateral work, including leg yields, at the beginning of each training session. Bending, he said, “is like stretching to me.

Even with my most fit horses, I do these exercises every day.”

“Trotting is one of the best exercises to build up muscle.”

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 41

Once the horse is warmed up, then trotting, alternated with walking, can begin. “Interval training can be very effective for improving a horse’s fitness,” Morgan-Paugh said.

Ask your veterinarian to help you design a routine that fits your horse, both she and Eldredge say. In the first week, it will likely include 10-15 minutes of total trotting time, with adequate breaks for walking. By the second and third weeks, trotting can increase to 20-30 minutes. “Trotting is one of the best exercises to build up muscle,” Eldredge said.

Cantering work should be limited in unfit horses until they have had time to build up their condition. Depending on the horse, short periods of cantering work may be introduced during weeks three and four. “Cantering is very good for building up the horse’s wind,” Eldredge said.

Much of conditioning is activity specific. Exercises typically simulate the activity you want to perform in the future. However, cross-training and incorporating activities such as ground poles or hill work, can benefit horses in any discipline by improving flexibility and challenging the muscles. “Hills are useful in building up muscle and wind, but should only be introduced in the third week of work,” Eldredge said. “Any earlier and you might strain soft muscles, tendons and ligaments.”

A thorough cool-down is essential. “The cool-down period maintains circulation to the tissues and helps to remove lactic acid from the muscles,” Morgan-Paugh said. Lactic acid contributes to muscle soreness and stiffness, thus the cool-down period is particularly helpful when reconditioning

horses back into work. “Performing stretches with your horse before and after exercising can also help minimize injuries and improve a horse’s flexibility and performance,” she added.

A critical element: Monitor your horse Returning to exercise after a layup is demanding.

“Horses are like people. If you haven’t trained for a marathon you’re not going to go out and run one on your first day of a conditioning program,” D’Agostino said.

“Knowing how your horse reacts — respiration and sweating wise — are great keys to understanding their fitness level,” Eldredge said. If you’re unsure how to measure your horse’s respiration rate, ask your vet or trainer to show you.

A horse’s heart rate during recovery from exercise is another indicator of cardiovascular fitness. During exercise a horse’s heart rate can exceed 200 beats per minute. If the horse is fit for exercise, the heart rate should return to less than 60 beats per minute within 10-15 minutes.

The heart rate to respiratory rate should be 3:1 or 2:1. If this ratio approaches 1:1, the horse is overexerted or stressed and exercise should be stopped.

Bottom line, if you’re uncertain how to judge when you’re working your horse in the ‘just right’ Goldilocks zone, ask a professional.

“If you’re a novice or new to horses, it’s much safer to ask your farrier, vet and/or trainer for advice on a reconditioning program,” D’Agostino said. “If you’re not careful, you can do a lot of damage or cause injury to your horse.”

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The Burnt Creek Trail leads to pristine Payne Lake.

Off the Beaten Path OTTER CREEK, IN THE ADIRONDACK WOODLANDS OF LEWIS COUNTY, SPURS THE SOUL PHOTOS BY LIZ HIRSCHEY Editor’s Note: New York’s state parks, forests, wildlife preserves and private properties, beckon riders of all abilities and interests. Diverse terrain, from stone-dust paths and rolling hills to rugged mountain terrain await. Get out there and ride!

By Katie Navarra and New York Horse staff

S

ituated on the Independence River Wild Forest, the Otter Creek Horse Trails are considered the “champagne of trails” for horse riders.

A series of interlocking trails rambling over 65 miles of woodland and waterway, Otter Creek opens the western edge of the Adirondack Mountains to horse and rider.

“Depending upon one’s mood, ability or limitations, one can find a trail to satisfy,” says Steve Ropel, president of the New York State Horse Council and

founding member of the Friends of Otter Creek. “Take a short half hour jaunt or a more challenging 6-7 hour ride. There are even a few secluded camping spots that one could pack to and spend the night camping out under the stars with your equine friends.

“The wilderness, up here, offers so much; old stands of timber, backcountry ponds and lakes, waterfalls, tumbling streams or meandering rivers and tiny little springs. There are very few places in the nation that can put such diversity together as Otter Creek does.”

Trails: The trail system is located on both the Independence River Wild Forest Unit of the Adirondack

Forest Preserve and on the Independence River and Otter Creek State Forests bordering the western edge of the Adirondack Park in Lewis County.

The trails follow old sandy roads

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 43

Woodlands and wilderness lakes await riders on the Otter Creek trails. and wooded paths through a beautiful and diverse area including spirea flats and hidden Adirondack ponds.

Several creeks — including Otter, Little Otter, Beaver Meadow Chase, Burnt and Crooked Creeks — as well as the Independence River, cross or follow the horse trails. Bring a fishing pole – and a state fishing permit. Most of the creeks and lakes are home to brook trout.

Lucky anglers can also find brown trout in Little Otter Lake and Otter Creek.

There are also “trails dressed with wild blueberries just waiting

44 NEW YORK HORSE

to be picked,” Ropel says, adding that many of the roads and trails are perfect for carts and wagons.

One route that’s particularly popular leads to the Trail Side, a local restaurant where the proprietor set up tie rails for horses while riders enjoy a meal or drink.

Wildlife: Riders keeping an observant

eye may encounter deer, bear, coyote, fox, grouse, wild turkey, snowshoe hare and varied species of birds.

Catspaw Lake and Pitcher Pond, both located in the trail system, are home or host to migratory birds.

“There’s always the chance of seeing deer and baby fawns in early summer,” Ropel says. “We’ll occasionally run into turkeys and grouse along the trail and sometimes a coyote. In certain areas of the trails, there is a greater chance of seeing a bear, especially when blueberries are ripe. And there is the occasional run-in with a porcupine.”

Horse accommodations: There is ample space for horses available at the statemaintained trailhead assembly area in the Independence River State Forest.

There are no reservations however – it’s a first come-first served basis for the 100 roofed tie stalls and two stallion box stalls. Horses staying overnight must be kept in one of the tie stalls.

(Horses are not allowed to gallop or canter in the assembly area.) Potable water is provided for horses starting in mid-May and is shut off in October, the day after Columbus Day weekend.

Human accommodations: Primitive camping and parking is available at the trailhead assembly area. There is a pavilion, picnic tables and a bathroom with running water, sink and toilets but no showers. Port-a-johns are also available during the peak summer months. There is no electricity.

Accessibility: Handicapped accessible mounting blocks are available at the trailhead and at three scenic overlook areas. Accessible bathroom facilities are also available at the assembly area. Reserved parking is available in the main lot.

Special notes: Riders on the system are asked to sign in at the trailhead register in the event of a search and rescue, and also for funding purposes.

Another safety point: according to local riders, about 80 percent of the trails get cell phone service.

Fee: None.

Season: Water for horses is available mid-May through Columbus Day. Check them out: The Friends of Otter Creek work to preserve, develop, promote and maintain the trail system.

Among the projects they are looking at this year is building a picnic area with tie rail in a scenic clearing off Evie’s Pond Trail. The Friends website, friendsofottercreekhorsetrails.com, includes recommended rides, a map and a list of places to stay in the area.

Contact: The Lowville office of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, 315-376-3521, is the main contact point. For a printable map of the trail system, go to dec. ny.gov/outdoor/41073.html. For other information including directions, field notes and regulations visit dec. ny.gov/outdoor/8088.html.

TRY THESE RIDES “On a hot and sticky summer day, a cool refreshing woodland trail that follows a stretch of the rocky, tumbling Independence River would be a good choice,” NYS Horse Council President Steve Ropel says. These are his other top choices:

MAP COURTESY OF GOOGLE

OTTER CREEK HORSE TRAILS

“The Casslerville Trail is a more rugged and rocky trail which challenges a horse’s conditioning and traverses a glacial moraine of material deposited thousands of years ago. The Casslerville Trail passes through a deep open valley that in the winter gets buried with snow and sees very little sunshine.

This valley leads to a glacial ridge which the trail, covered by spruce and fir, follows for about a mile with steep 100 foot drop offs about 10 feet on either side.

“A real pretty, but longer ride, is the Burnt Creek Trail. One can get to this trail by several different routes. One way, Frost Pocket Trail, follows an open course through a low sandy stretch of native spirea and low-bush blueberries into a replanted pine forest. It’s a great place for a pleasant canter. It ends at pristine Payne Lake where one can refresh his or her horse or take it swimming.

Scan QR code to launch PDF of Otter Creek horse trails map

“The rest of the way to Burnt Creek overlook crosses Adirondack wild forest filled with large old maple, cherry, birch and pine trees. The overlook itself contains a small picnic area where one can enjoy a lunch or snack atop a high cliff overlooking the very pretty, and wild, Burnt Creek valley. This place and the stretch of trail along the creek is especially beautiful during the fall foliage season.”

Building your equine business “ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND. COME BACK TO YOUR MESSAGE. TELL YOUR STORY.”

By New York Horse staff

Y

ou have the barn, the horses, the tack, the financing and the lesson plans.

That’s a good start, but it isn’t enough to build a successful equine business. The missing piece is marketing, and while it’s the piece that can seem most daunting, it really comes down to a simple concept: Build your brand. Get the word out.

“It can feel like a mountainous task,” said Wayne Westervelt, vice president for marketing and communications at Cazenovia 46 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

College. “Do we have the personnel, the finances and the budgeting to pull it off?”

The answer, for even the smallest business owner? Absolutely.

Here’s how.

Start with a basic building block: “You must have a consistent message,” Westervelt said.

From logos to websites to videos, print materials, letterheads, promotional items and social media – the message should be the same. For the college, the message is “Building Futures since 1824.”

For McDonald’s restaurants, it’s “I’m lovin’ it.” For Nike, “Just do it.”

“For your business ask yourself, ‘What is your mission? ’” Westervelt said. “Stay true to your mission and your message.”

And there’s another easy lesson in consistency to be learned from those corporate giants: Don’t let

your brand wander all over the place. If you use a logo, make that image part of everything you do.

“Nike has the swoosh. McDonald’s has the golden arches. And everyone knows what they are,” Westervelt explained at a workshop by the Cooperative Extension and NYS Center for Equine Business Development. “The more you provide variety in your logos, the more you lose recognition of the brand.”

For a small business, that means your business cards should look like your letterhead which should look like your invoices – with elements that also appear in your advertising, marketing pieces like brochures, and your website. Think of all of them as branding opportunities; a chance every time you hand out a business card – or even send out a bill – to remind the recipient of who you are.

“Think about how one piece relates to the others,” Westervelt advised. “They should look like they’re coming from the same company or organization. Messaging should be consistent and connected across platforms.

“You should be driving the message through every time you can. Establish your brand. Come back to your message. Tell your story.”

Using multiple logos can be all right, according to Westervelt, but each one should have a specific use. And make sure there is carryover from one logo to the other. Don’t stray from the color palette and use the same fonts. Cazenovia College, for example, always includes “Founded in 1824,” and the image of four Greek columns above its name. At New York Horse, we always include the magazine’s message, “Stories. Advice. Horseplay.”

Don’t rush the process, however. Take your time and come up with the right logo, advises Adam D’Agostino, an associate lecturer in the Equine Business Management program at Cazenovia College and owner of Empire Performance Horses in Jamesville.

“Don’t throw up a tacky logo just because you feel you need one. Your business name will suffice until you come up with a good logo,” D’Agostino said. “Be classy,” he added, and that extends to how the logo is used. “If you have it on your pants, your hat, your shirt, your jacket – that’s too much.”

Consistency also extends into advertising. “Be recognizable,” Westervelt said. Advertisements should have a similar feel and message wherever they appear, so that potential customers immediately identify your ad with your business.

Why is that important? It typically takes customers eight or nine times to see an ad, he said, before they make a decision to buy.

Speaking of advertising, Westervelt suggests making targeted buys. “Ask yourself: Where are your customers?” he said. And then spend only what you can afford.

CREATE A CATCHPHRASE Take some tips from Wayne Westervelt, on how Cazenovia College developed “Building Futures,” to create your own catchphrase: “We started with questions: What was our message? What was something that held true for every era, every alum?

How could it capture the Cazenovia experience?

“We wanted something short … We had to have a message that could speak to everyone – past, present and future. To current and prospective students.

“It was a ‘from the ground up’ process. We would throw the ideas up, walk away, talk to more people. Will it resonate with everyone?

“It all came back to ‘Building Futures.’ It seems to come out of nowhere, but you know when you have it.”

“Choose what you can do and put everything into it,” he said. “If you can only do fliers, do fliers. But make sure your message is clear and conveys your brand.”

Other marketing opportunities Westervelt encourages businesses to consider: n E-newsletters. They’re a great way to keep in touch with your customers, he said, and they don’t cost anything except time. n Customer testimonials. “Get your customers to help promote your brand – word of mouth marketing … If you can get your customers to sell your brand, that’s success.” n Social media. It’s become an extension of what the college does, Westervelt said, and he recommends at least thinking about trying everything that’s out there. Facebook offers the possibility of creating targeted campaigns and allows personal feedback from customers. Their metrics also allow businesses to chart the success of a specific message or campaign. Instagram and Pinterest are avenues to create followers on a medium that didn’t exist a few years ago. The biggest challenge is trying to stay on top of the latest trends and technology.

“You want to be diversified,” Westervelt said. “Interest is a good thing. You want people to be aware of your company, your institution, your product … Spread your message. Communicate with as many people as you can. Never put all of Stay true to your mission and message, Wayne Westervelt says. your eggs in one basket.”

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 47

arabian spring horse show 43rd annual Empire State

May 1 – 3 , 2015 | NYS Fairgrounds | Syracuse

Come experience the beauty and athleticism of the versatile, family-friendly, modern Arabian horse.

Artwork by Carol Shuster Swartz

Full complement of Halter and Performance classes

Proudly presented by:

2 days FEI Dressage classes Hunter/Jumper competition in the Coliseum Hunter and Dressage-type Sport Horse In-Hand and Under Saddle Judged by: Main Ring | Lisa Jo White | Woodstock, IL Dressage and Sport Horse Type | Pamela Wooding “S” | Hope, NJ Hunter/Jumper and Sport Horse Hunter Type | Ellen Shevella “R” | Charlottesville, VA F o r a l i s t o f s p e c i f i c c l a s s e s o f f e r e d , e n t r y f o r m s a n d m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w w. e m p i r e a r a b i a n . o rg .

Experience | Participate | Sponsor | Volunteer | Shop | Enjoy

GUIDE THE

TIPS. EXPERT ADVICE. SECRETS WORTH STEALING

First person: Notes from a judge’s scorecard “I want to begin by saying that I sit with dozens of judges throughout the year. Often we are judging in the same ring, doing some classes together or alternating classes between us.

“One of the most important things … to understand is that the judges – in spite of the weather, bugs and long hours – are there because they love what they do.

“Judges want the exhibitor to have a rewarding, safe and enjoyable experience. Judges actually hope you’ll have the ‘ride of your life’ when you come in the ring. They are hoping to differentiate between good horses and riders based on strengths rather than mistakes.

“Judging is not as easily understood as perhaps most exhibitors would like: It’s not always black and white.

“There are many variables, and judges themselves have different backgrounds as well as likes and dislikes. We often refer to our rule books, our mentors, or each other. We are required to attend clinics, and we are constantly learning and fine-tuning our skills.

“Every division is different, every judge is different, and each day is a new day. What wins in front of me today, may not win in front of another judge tomorrow. That’s because there’s a human element in judging. We each bring something different to the judge’s box. And human error can occur. However, the basics of judging horses and horsemanship are the same.” ­ Tony Sgarlata is a registered judge with the United States Equestrian Federation — for hunters, equitation and hunter breeding. He spent many years in Central New York as a competitor, trainer and judge, and now calls Charleston, SC, his home base. He judges 20 to 30 Premiere and national-rated shows annually in the U.S. and Canada

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 49

THE GUIDE: SECRETS WORTH STEALING

Insights from an Olympian

“RIDE THIS MOMENT NOT TO MAKE THIS MOMENT GOOD, BUT TO MAKE THE NEXT MOMENT BETTER.”

C

ourtney King Dye has a passion, dressage, and a cause: educating riders about wearing a helmet.

In March 2010, two years after she competed for the U.S. in the Beijing Olympics, a horse she was schooling tripped and fell. King Dye, who was not wearing a helmet, went down with the horse, fractured her skull and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury.

Her accident was the catalyst for the Riders4helmets campaign and, King Dye said during a recent stop in Cazenovia, the effort has “certainly saved countless individuals from injury and death.”

“For 20 years I rode without a helmet,” she responded when asked what she would say to riders who don’t wear protective headgear. “I hope they would learn from my mistake, but if they

won’t there’s nothing more I can do.”

King Dye was the guest speaker at the CNY Dressage and Combined Training Association awards lunch.

After talking about her experience and how the accident changed her life, she took questions on topics ranging from nerves to lazy horses: When your horse is laid off for a bit – because of the weather, or maybe an injury – how do you get them back to where they were?

“Don’t go easy on them and reduce your expectations. Demand less. But what you do demand … demand the same perfection the whole way through. You might only ask them to walk-trot-canter. But you must demand that the canter is quality.”

Any advice on how to deal with nerves?

“Ride a horse every day like you’re getting ready to show. Then you will be prepared. If you feel prepared, you won’t feel nervous.

“It’s like when you study hard for a test. You’re not nervous because you know everything. You know you’re going to ace it. It’s the same with riding. You need to feel prepared.

That’s a way of feeling that I can’t stress enough with each rider.

“Ride this moment not to make this moment good, but to make the next moment better. Ride this moment to make the next moment easier.”

“Golf.” There are a lot of similarities in the way you approach both sports, she noted. “At first it’s very mechanical, studying and learning all the technical details ... Then you practice until it’s instinct and let the instinct take over.”

Some advice on how to deal with a horse that isn’t listening to aids?

“Give him a moment to respond. Then give him a boot …

The waiting is important. People squeeze then immediately kick, and the horse is thinking it’s one aid – a squeeze and a kick.

“It’s an aid and then a discipline.

Wait before the discipline. Then they learn to respond to the aid.”

And when they’ve responded correctly?

“Then pat the heck out of them. Let them know how special they are.”

50 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

PHOTO BY SUSAN J. STICKLE COURTESY OF COURTNEY KING DYE

Are there other sports you would recommend riders take up to improve their riding?

THE GUIDE: FIELD NOTES

Ride outside with safety and confidence “THE MORE CHAOS YOU CAN GET YOUR HORSE USED TO, THE BETTER.”

L

PHOTOS BY KATE BEMIS

ori Gronau is among the rarest of equestrians. As a professional huntsman, in Gronau’s case for the Limestone Creek Hunt, she’d be unusual enough. As a female huntsman, she is very nearly a party of one.

She brought her years of experience to a foxhunting prep clinic at Springerle Stables in Auburn, where she shared practical advice and tips on preparing both horse and rider for working in a hunt field. Substitute “outdoors”

for “hunt field” and what Gronau says is valuable advice for anyone who wants to hack around safely outside the confines of a ring.

The starting point is control. It’s one thing to walk, trot and canter with control in an arena. But outside, where there are all sorts of things a horse might find strange and therefore scary – from cars that backfire to weeds that are just standing there minding their own business – it’s an entirely different matter.

“Stopping and standing quietly are very important elements” of riding safely outside, and should be practiced until they are second nature to your horse, Gronau says. “Halt and stop are two skills you want your horse to know … Do whatever it takes to make him relaxed and comfortable in the field. If that means letting him eat grass while you’re stopped, that’s OK.” That said, don’t be disappointed in yourself or your horse if he requires some additional encouragement.

“Most horses need more bit in the field,” Gronau notes. “But if you’re always yanking on his mouth to stop, it’s time to go back to the trainer.”

Backing up is another skill that’s critical to riding in the field. The reasons are many: There may be an obstacle on a trail that can’t be ridden around. On an actual hunt, the hounds may change direction or the huntsman may change course.

“The horse must be able to back up easily and readily,” Gronau says.

“Practice at home – both straight back and on a dog leg – until the horse moves off your leg.”

Control is the starting point to riding safely outside, Lori Gronau says.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 51

Here are some other exercises from Gronau that will help any horse work better outside: • Practice walking or trotting over ground poles to help horses learn how to go over logs or other small obstacles.

• Teach your horse to turn in a very small space by marking out a box with ground poles to practice.

• To strengthen your legs, practice holding the two-point position or practice posting without stirrups. Get into the two-point by shortening the reins, moving your hands in front of the horse’s shoulders and bending forward at the hips. Keep your back straight, and take most of the weight in your ankles and heels.

• To work the horse’s muscles – and yours – and achieve balance, practice getting on and off the horse from both sides. “It’s a tradition that you mount and dismount from the left side,” Gronau says. “There’s no reason for it.” Also practice saddling and leading from both sides, she says. “It gives the horse’s brain a workout, too.”

• To get the horse accustomed to expecting the unexpected, practice being unpredictable on his back. Reach down. Reach forward. Reach back.

Turn in the saddle. Lean back. “Not doing normal stuff should be natural for him,” Gronau says. “He should not think, ‘Ohmigod, what’s she doing?’ … The more chaos you can get your

horse used to, the better off you’ll be.”

The goal, Gronau says, is for a rider to feel as comfortable on their horse as they do sitting on the couch at home.

But while you’re working toward that ideal ride, Gronau says to remember the universal rule of training: “Build on success. Don’t set your horse up to fail.”

WANT MORE TIPS? A hunt clinic will be March 28 at Springerle Stables, 4160 Franklin Street Road, Auburn. For information, contact Lori Gronau at 315-6623787. The clinic is sponsored

by Limestone Creek Hunt.

Whether they ride or drive, canter or lope, go around barrels or over fences, we cover horses.

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THE GUIDE: TIPS FROM A TRAINER

Make your horse a willing partner “I’D RATHER SEE YOU MOVE THAN DO NOTHING. EVEN IF IT’S WRONG.”

By New York Horse Staff

“T

rot, please.”

The chestnut gelding and gleaming carriage make a handsome pair, but on this turn around the ring the horse is, well, dogging it. His trot is barely a hair more than a walk.

Larry Poulin shakes his head. He wants more action. In the show ring, he says, a judge wants to see a horse that’s powerful and active. “You’re giving points away if you don’t maintain speed,” he advises and charts a remedy.

“Click first,” Poulin says. “If he doesn’t respond, tap him with the whip. … Develop a tempo in the trot, asking for rhythm and regularity.”

Bingo. Now the gelding is paying attention.

The big lesson for everyone gathered around the ring is not about the whip but about who’s in control: “Be an active driver. I’d rather see you move than do nothing. Even if it’s wrong.”

Poulin knows more than most mortals about commanding the moment. He’s won the U.S. Equestrian Team Pairs championship eight times and represented the U.S. at the World Championships in 1985, 1987 and 1989, where he was the highest-placed American driver.

He came to Central New York for a weekend of clinics at Morrisville State College sponsored by the Cherry Valley Carriage Association, and worked with drivers at all levels of expertise and every breed of horse from minis to towering Friesians. His goal throughout was to create a team – a knowledgeable driver and a willing equine partner – and his individual sessions were peppered with universal takeaways, starting with a training problem unique to driving:

UNIVERSAL TRUTHS What can people who sit on top of a horse learn from someone who sits behind a horse? Quite a bit as it turns out. These wisdoms from Larry Poulin apply to everyone who works with horses: “Make small tweaks when training, not big movements. It’s like tightening a bolt. If you tighten it too much, it will break. You have to keep working those threads until everything falls into place.”

“Replace negative with positive energy.”

“All you need is love.”

There’s no such thing as a pat on the back. “When they do something right,

you can’t pat them. It’s hard to train a horse you can’t touch. You have to find a different technique; you have to do it verbally. Praise them. Say, ‘Good boy.’”

The starting line. “The first thing you teach a young horse is to go forward, to learn rhythm and regularity. That’s the first thing you teach any horse.”

Stay one step in front of your horse. “I’m always thinking ahead

to the next movement. Be prepared for what you’re doing next.”

And a corollary. “Always turn early.

The turn begins when the horse’s

At the halt, Larry Poulin says, the horse should be looking straight ahead, waiting for the next command.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 53

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Larry Poulin will return to Central New York for a clinic May 30-31 at the Morrisville College Equine Rehabilitation Center, 4414 Route 20, Morrisville. There are 20 lesson spots available. Auditors are welcome. For more information or to reserve a spot contact Sandra Patrizio at 315-6554734 or spatrizio@twcny.rr.com.

from the driver, not looking right or left to see what’s going on.”

Stopping point, part 2. “Even though he’s resting, he has to be correct. … Make him flex at the halt. He can rest on the bit.”

Departure point. “From the halt to the trot, there should be no more than two

head gets to the imaginary center.”

Be an old softy. “Visualize what’s going on in the horse’s mouth. Your hands have to be extremely soft and steady. …

No sawing, it’s no help to the aid. The hands and reins should both be quiet.”

A tip from “Frozen.” “The secret of the connection is to be done with the connection. Don’t hold on to the connection. Do it and let it go.”

When in doubt. “Always go back to the walk when you get in trouble.”

Stopping point, part 1. “At the halt, the horse should be looking straight ahead, waiting for the next command

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steps at the walk. By the time he takes the third step, he should be trotting.”

Take it slow. “With the transition to the walk, in riding it’s seat-legs-hands.

In driving, it’s brakes-voice-hands.

The goal is to get to the point where the ring announcer gets to the ‘and’ in ‘and walk’ and they’re walking.”

NYH MARKET

PARTING SHOT

Portrait of a mare and foal, rescued ponies at Skanda Equine in Cazenovia, by Heather Bragman

“In the steady gaze of the horse shines a silent eloquence that speaks of love and loyalty, strength and courage.

It is the window that reveals to us how willing is his spirit, how generous his heart.”

— Author Unknown

56 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com