Sandhills Equestrian Magazine, February 2024

December2024 February 2023

Equestrian Magazine

Solid Start at Setter’s Run Africa by Horseback A Travel Journal

Dark Trials, Brighter Futures: Sandhills Rescues Help Horses Find a Second Chance

Mare and Foal Nutrition | Pinehurst Harness Track

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In this Issue Cover story 34 Solid Start at

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Setter’s Run

Features 15 20 28 40

Beyond the Saddle Dark Trials, Brighter Futures Africa by Horseback Pinehurst Harness Track

Departments 4 8 10 24 44 48

Visualizing Your Way to Success Tack Trunk Foal and Mare Nutrition Let’s Find Them a Home Calendar Advertising Index

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Publisher Sandhills EQM, LLC Layout and Design Sandhills EQM, LLC Contributors Ray Owen Jan Leitschuh Mary McCashin Mary Kate Murphy Cassidy Oeltjen Christina Boucher Reynolds Moore County Hist. Assoc.

Lisa Miyamoto Jason Jackson Candy Allen Ines Ritter Jennie Acklin Advertising & Subscriptions Jennie Acklin 814-688-0083 Jennie@sandhillseqm.com

Hello

Sandhills Equestrians!

Can you believe there are people who will never experience the joy horses can bring?

Whether it’s the breeding program of Setter’s Run Farm, giving a horse a second chance by going thru a rescue, or bringing a community together at the Pinehurst Track, we are taking a deep dive into the ways horses get brought into our lives.

We are also traveling across the pond with a group of friends brought together by horses, and learning how we can enrich our horse’s lives, just as they enrich ours.

Sometimes, especially in the dead of winter, being an equestrian can seem a little isolating. After all, our time is spent draining hoses and changing blankets. But those of us at SEQM are feeling energized by uniting the community, and hopefully inspiring a few people to being the joy of horses into their own life.

Remember to follow us on social media, register for our emails, and share the word about Sandhills Equestrian Magazine!

Cheers!

Team SEQM

General Inquiries info@sandhillseqm.com Cover Haylee Norfleet Photo: Lisa Miyamoto Follow us on

www.sandhillseqm.com Sandhills Equestrian Magazine owned by Sandhills EQM LLC P.O.Box 273 Southern Pines, NC 28388 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Publisher The Sandhills Equestrain Magazine and Sandhills EQM LLC do not neccessassrily endorse the views of their contributors or advertisers.

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SEQM Educational Series

Training/Showing

Visualizing Your Way to Success

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how season is upon us here in the Sandhills. And with a new show year means dusting off that part of your brain that remembers dressage tests (and how to perform in the show ring for any discipline). Maybe you’re moving up to a new level, maybe you spent the winter break improving on the tests you rode last season or maybe you just have winter amnesia and can’t remember which way your tests turn at C. In any case, this means studying and memorizing.

them inside and out. There are a few reasons for this. First there are logistics: a wind gust that carries the reader’s voice off; loud music that makes it impossible to hear; your reader gets distracted for a moment and loses their place - you get the idea. But you also have to memorize how to ride the test. And for this you must know it perfectly.

being ridden, or listen to recordings of someone reading the test, your preferred method tells you which is your dominant learning style.

Successful athletes usually utilize some combination of all three for maximum benefit.

Once you have memorized the circles and transition locations, it’s time to“know your boxes”. In other People learn in different ways. There words, what things are grouped and are three basic learning styles: by scored together. For example, in seeing; by hearing; or by doing/ First Level Test 1 you have a stretch feeling. We all have one dominant circle at C. That’s in one box – one style but also use components of score. Your next box tells you to While I certainly don’t have a all three. Whether you trot around change diagonal from H to P and problem with dressage tests being your living room going through the lengthen the stride. If you spend read, I highly recommend knowing movements, watch videos of the test too much time desperately trying

CANDY ALLEN

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to get your horse to stretch then are late putting him back together it can impact your lengthening across the diagonal. You’ve now negatively affected the scores in two “boxes”.

By knowing how the test is divided up you will know how to keep your mistakes in one box.

After getting a grasp on the logistics of the test, it’s time to ‘memorize’ how to ride it well. Seems obvious, I know, but you have to remember how to ride it well under the pressure of the show ring. The aids, the timing, small adjustments in your position and preparatory half halts, should be automatic. Having all that as part of your muscle memory is just as important as a recall of which way you turn at C.

you ride your horse. Combining those correctly is the ticket to a successful ride. And this requires practice. Riding the test more than once, because you need to know the holes - the weaknesses. And yes, I’m aware that riding your test repeatedly may cause your horse to anticipate but if you ride it enough times the horse learns it has to wait for your aids. You will, after all, be riding it multiple times in a season and thus need to learn to overcome anticipation. And learning the way to address that anticipation should also be part of your memorization process. Regardless, you need to ride it enough to know where to anticipate weaknesses and prevent problems.

make that pattern more correct, while you’re riding the test. These cues should be internalized so that when you memorize your test you are also recalling what your instructor told you to do during each movement. If you work alone, see if you can get a friend to video and as you watch don’t just take note of what you need to improve, but how to do it. Then talk yourself through the test including the aids needed to prevent those problems.

Then comes the next part of your memorization. This is where you combine riding the test and riding your horse. I am a big believer in visualization. I will literally “ride” my test from my kitchen chair. After I’ve learned it and figured out the If you practice it with an instructor, things I need to do to successfully There are two aspects of riding a have them talk you through not just perform the movements, I mentally test: how you ride the test and how the pattern, but the aids you use to ride it stride-by-stride. I enter at A

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knowing from my practice rides my horse travels with their haunches right so I “ride” a bit of shoulderfore right into the halt at X. At C I have to turn left and my horse leans left so I make sure as I approach C I really think about my left leg. I’ve also learned during my schooling that it takes three strides to get my trotcanter transition so I don’t just think “canter at C”. Instead, I visualize my preparations as I approach C. You get the idea. Visualizing your test in this way multiple times adds another layer to memorizing. The idea being that when you go in the ring the preparation for your movements is as automatic as riding the pattern.

This same approach translates to show jumping and cross country as well. Obviously, the courses change from location to location, but there are similar questions asked. You’ve practiced these combinations, or even jumped them before. As you walk your course, visualize not just the jumps but the aids you need to make them successful. That becomes part of memorizing the course. If you get a chance to walk it twice, don’t just walk it, visualize how you will prepare for what is coming and how it will feel to execute that preparation.

The secret to visualization is to see yourself riding your test well: the square halt; clearing that ditch after the drop; the correct number of strides in that combination. Take the time to study each element of the test. Remember what you do at home to make each part of your ride the best it can be and take those memories into the ring. Happy showing!

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SEQM Educational Series

Nutrition

Feeding for Best Outcomes:

Mares and Foals

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eeding mares and foals can feel overwhelming; nutrition plays such a significant role in conception rates, a healthy pregnancy and birth, and the foal’s health throughout their entire life. The National Research Council provides minimum nutrient requirements for mares in each stage of their pregnancy, and there is peer-reviewed research covering almost every aspect of prepregnancy, breeding, pregnancy and lactation that helps us decide on optimum diets for each phase.

Having a sound basic feeding program starting with the forage sets the mare and her future foals up for success.

Understanding body condition scoring can help owners and managers keep the mares and foals healthy as well.

Before Breeding Evaluating your mare’s diet and body condition score is a sensible first step to setting your future foal up for success. As with all diets, the base of the equine diet is the forage. Horses require at minimum 1.5% of their ideal body weight daily in forage, but 2-2.5% daily is more likely. This means at least 15-25 pounds of your horse’s diet every day is forage, so it is an important consideration. A mare will eat something on the order of 6,600 pounds of forage in her pregnancy alone, not accounting for pre-breeding time or after foaling which could bring the total up to closer to 13,000 pounds.

When choosing a forage, availability is the first consideration. You need

something that is readily available in the quantities required by your farm. For a small operation, buying monthly at the local feed store may be appropriate, and for larger operations, buying in bulk from a farmer or hay broker will be more reasonable. Swapping forage sources too often can make balancing your horse’s diets difficult and can upset gut microorganisms. Grass is often the base of a broodmare’s diet, but many will require supplemental hay during times of drought or pasture dormancy, or if the pasture simply doesn’t produce enough grass to meet her needs. Some broodmares will eat hay entirely for the forage portion of their diet, whether due to lack of available pasture or due to metabolic concerns.

Christina Boucher Reynolds, PAS Christina is a graduate of NCSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a degree in Animal Science and concentration in nutrition. She has a professional animal scientist certification in equine, beef cattle and nutrient management from The American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. Christina has worked in the nutrition and vet med industries in several capacities and currently works for Triple Crown helping horse owners navigate feeding and managing their horses.

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Research suggests that maintaining an appropriate body condition score is the most important nutrition variable for breeding efficiency in healthy broodmares. A body condition score of 5 to 6 is ideal; lower body condition scores are less likely to become pregnant and if they do, they will require significantly more care later in the pregnancy, and higher body condition scores are more likely to experience dystocia (difficult foaling) at birth.

Beginning the breeding process with a solid plan for maintaining a healthy body condition score is ideal.

First and Second Trimester The mare’s nutritional needs do not change dramatically in the first 220 days of pregnancy; her calorie needs go from 16 Mcal daily to 18.5, and protein requirements only increase by about 100 grams. Many broodmares are maintained on appropriate forage and a ration balancer that provides the nutrients missing in the forage. Some mares will require more calories, and a low starch/sugar feed can be helpful for maintaining appropriate weight when hay/pasture amount or quality can not be increased. Feeding an excess of calories or starch during pregnancy can change the foal’s response to glucose and insulin for up to 19 months after birth, so avoiding large amounts of cereal grains during pregnancy is a good idea. Daily feeding is helpful for providing sufficient nutrition, but perhaps just as valuable is someone laying eyes on the mare daily to ensure she is not losing condition as the pregnancy progresses. There is a proverb that says, “the master’s eye makes the horse fat” and while we are not advocating for fat broodmares, the premise of daily observation to ensure good health of the horse is a sound one.

Third Trimester In the third trimester the mare’s needs for minerals such as calcium,

phosphorus, copper and iodine increase by 25-50%. Ensuring sufficient mineral intake is important for the foal’s health and development, but also for the mare’s health as the body will leach minerals from her body to support the developing foal’s needs. The ratio of certain minerals is also important.

In non-pregnant adult horses, a 1:1 to 1:2 ratio of calcium to phosphorus is acceptable, but for pregnant mares, the ratio should be 1:4. Feeding insufficient calcium and phosphorus causes foals to be born with weaker, thinner bones and reduces the lactating mare’s bone strength. Feeding sufficient copper is very important for the foal’s collagen and connective tissue development, which is involved in long term joint health. Studies have been done on copper supplementation to pregnant mares and preventing developmental

DOD. Foals born to mares who do not meet their nutrient requirements for iodine or who are fed too much iodine can be born with goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

Selenium requirements do not increase throughout the pregnancy, but ensuring sufficient selenium in the diet is very important. Selenium is an important antioxidant, and feeding the correct amount of selenium along with vitamin E has been shown to decrease the incidence of retained placenta, which can be extremely dangerous for the mare. Selenium has also been shown to improve cell function in the placenta, increase selenium concentration in the colostrum postpartum and increase selenium concentration in the foal’s muscles, which may be relevant to avoiding white muscle disease in foals. Like selenium, the NRC’s listed

The first “milk” the mare produces in colostrum, which is critical for the foal’s health.

orthopedic disease (DOD) in foals.

Providing sufficient copper to pregnant mares reduces the chance of DOD in foals, but unfortunately, studies have not shown supplementing the foals with copper after a copper-deficient pregnancy will be helpful in reducing

requirement for vitamin E does not increase through pregnancy, but ensuring enough is important for this antioxidant as well. Sufficient vitamin E supplementation causes higher vitamin E concentrations in colostrum and can enhance the passive transfer of

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immunoglobulins via the colostrum in the first 24 hours post-birth, giving the foal enhanced immune function.

It is important to note for readers who have tall fescue pasture or feed fescue hay, that mares should not eat fescue in the last 60 to 90 days of pregnancy due to an endophyte present in the plant that creates toxic ergot alkaloids.

Normally these do not adversely affect horses, however in pregnant mares they can increase pregnancy length, increase risk for dystocia (problems during birth), red bag deliveries, reduced or no milk production, and weak or stillborn foals.

Post Parturition After the foal’s birth some of the mare’s mineral needs go almost back to normal, but calorie and protein needs increase dramatically. The first “milk” the mare produces in colostrum, which is critical for the foal’s health. The foal should nurse successfully during the first 1-2 hours to take advantage of the antibodies and gain passive transferthe start of his own immune system that will keep him safe from bacteria and viruses. During the foal’s first vet check at 14-24 hours old, your vet will check for successful passive transfer with an IgG test. If the foal doesn’t have a good response, it may need a plasma transfusion to get what it missed from the colostrum. After the first 12 hours, the mare’s milk transitions to the early-lactation milk she will produce for the first 21 days. Mares in this period of “peak lactation” have higher nutrient demands than any other life stage. Her energy (calorie) requirements increase by 85% and her protein needs increase by 230%, she also has an increased requirement for calcium and phosphorus. Mares will voluntarily consume more feed and forage during this period, and her body will also use up reserves of calories, protein and minerals to support milk production. Coming into this period of peak lactation with a good body

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condition score will decrease negative effects on the mare. For mares who will be re-bred soon after foaling, keeping the body condition score between 5 and 6 increases the chance that she will successfully conceive. The mare in early pregnancy had a need for 16 megacalories of energy each day, but during peak lactation she needs 31 Mcal, so quality forage and feed is critical. Mares can produce up to 3% of their bodyweight daily in milk for the first 90 days, after which it will gradually decrease as the foal begins eating solid foods. Mare’s milk is lower in protein and fat than cow’s milk, but higher in lactose (a milk sugar), making it similar in composition to human milk. If the mare isn’t producing sufficient milk, a vet should be involved and the foal may need supplementary milk, either from a nurse mare or from a commercially prepared product. It is important that foals should not be fed cow’s milk or calf milk replacer at all and should not be swapped to a mare and foal feed until the gut is developed enough to digest feed. Commercially available milk replacers specifically for foals are available as a powder that can be reconstituted with water to mimic mares’ milk or as a milk-based pellet for slightly older foals. Foals past age 1-2 weeks should not be bottle fed as there’s a higher risk of aspiration (milk entering the lungs), but instead should be fed in a pan or shallow bucket.

Research has shown that body condition scores of the mare at birth correlate with the foal’s birth weight: mares that are obese during gestation have heavier weight foals, and heavier foals are at a higher risk of insulin dysregulation, orthopedic disease and OCD during the first year of life. Foals nursing mare with a BCS of 5 or higher grow faster, and it is currently unknown if the faster growth rate might increase the risk of orthopedic disease in the foal. Mares with a body condition score of 4 or lower are more likely to have delayed ovulation and decreased reproductive performance; 20% less

likely to conceive compared to a mare who is a BCS of 5. Feeding a high fat, high fiber feed is ideal for mares who need to gain condition. Mare’s milk is low in fat so the dietary fat can be used for maintaining her own body reserves, and keeping starch levels low helps keep milk composition correct since higher starch diets create milk with lower protein and fat levels.

All the nutrient requirements of the lactating mare are important, but it is important to note the most important one is WATER. Ninety percent of milk is water, and the mare can lose up to 3.7 gallons of water daily through milk production. Dehydration comes with many risks: decreased milk production and colic. A dehydrated mare will look sunken and have a lethargic attitude.

Her gums will be dry and tacky, and her skin will feel tight and less elastic. Water intake should be monitored where possible, and the mare should always have access to free choice loose salt and plenty of fresh water that is easily accessible. Some mares may benefit from including 2 oz of salt in her daily rations, or an appropriate amount of commercial electrolyte.

Key points: •

Create a good diet using the NRC requirements for each stage of pregnancy and lactation

•

Forage is the base of the diet

•

Body condition score of the mare predicts conception rates, as well as health and size of the foal

•

Mineral requirements increase as pregnancy progresses, and calorie and protein needs increase exponentially after birth

•

Equine professionals are available to help you navigate feeding plans for your mare and foal’s success

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Horse Farm Property

2023 FARM SALES IN REVIEW ~ MOORE COUNTY, NC LISTINGS

AVG LIST PRICE

SALES PENDING

AVG DAYS ON MARKET

SOLD

$ 11 Farms

$1.2 Million County $1.4 Million Horse Country

AVG PRICE PER ACRE

$ 3 Pending

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20 Farms

19k AVG County 38k AVG Horse Country

In mid to late 2020 through mid 2022, our local real estate market saw it’s largest gains, highest sales prices and highest volume of sales since pre-recession years of 2005-2008. 2023 was a year for what I like to refer to as a ‘Normalization’ of the market. Low inventory and a historic rise in interest rates caused sales volume to drastically fall and prices to stabilize and/or begin to fall.

While the local horse farm market did see a drop by 40% in sales volume, the average sales price remained consistent with 2022 numbers. However, days on market doubled from 2022 to 2023 which proves there are less qualified, ready to purchase buyers in the market today than a year ago. Other contributing factors that have affected the real estate market nationally are stock market fluctuations, higher than normal inflation, and international unrest.

Looking forward to 2024 we are expecting improvements in interest rates and other factors that could provide a more consistent sales environment for our local horse farm market. Pricing and days on market are far from ‘bad’ and we are lucky to have the Walthour- Moss Foundation, the Moore County Hounds and the Carolina Horse Park in our backyard that provide such a draw for equestrians.

In times of fluctuation and change it is even more important to have a strong Realtor familiar with working through difficult markets when selling a Horse Farm type property. I have a marketing platform that has successfully sold farms in Moore County for over 20 years. Call today for your independant evaluation!

Audrey Wiggins

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910.315.3032 | Audrey1realtor@gmail.com | AudreyWigginsRealEstate.com 14

Beyond the Saddle:

Enriching the time we spend with our horses Jan Leitschuh

W

hile we are blessed in the Sandhills with our moderate winters, plentiful sunshine and sandy footing that invariably thaws by 10 am, we still have “days.”

Whether it is bucketing rain, a lost shoe or stall rest due to an injury that prevents riding, we can still advance our connection to our horses - and even their education - with a simple mind tweak and a few strategies.

puzzles and positive reinforcement to enhance care.

When first you see a prey animal like a zebra, elephant or a giraffe quickly learn to put its leg through the bars at the back of its enclosure for a pedicure or an injection, the wheels start turning.

How could “enrichment” advance the relationship and training of our horses during their confinement?

In the 1970s, I spent my summers working in the Children’s Zoo area of the Milwaukee County Zoo. It was there that I first saw these strategies in practice.

Back then, an awareness was dawning in the zoo world that confined animals need what was then called “enrichment” to stay healthy, sane and perpetuate the next generation. Initially this mental stimulation was along the lines of tossing out interesting objects like balls or lettuce. It soon evolved to zookeepers experimenting with mental

Stall rest can easily result in boredum

This concept of enrichment took a deeper dive when I spent a winter with the late Tom Dorrance, the so-called grandfather of natural horsemanship.

Tom’s way with horses was legendary and truly magical, although he would protest, arguing “No, this is reality!”

His secret?

Tom’s eye was always on the hunt for those “little spots” of worry, tension and concern communicated by the horse.

While our horses weren’t confined by zoo bars, they were confined by our stalls, halters, saddles, round pens and bridles. When a prey animal is confined and their natural flight tendency is restricted, tension arises. Tom was a master at locating and releasing those worry spots.

While our horse is confined due to weather or health issues, an almost infinite variety of possibilities arise: teaching of comical tricks to provoke laughter; simple pressure games that educate; expanding to actually advancing a horse’s relaxation and confidence.

1). At its simplest, teaching a horse to smile, say yes or no, bow, honk a horn and other simple tricks, or do carrot

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“Here is an everyday “little spot” of concern on the horse’s part - he has lifted his neck as the handler reaches to pet him. When the handler steps back, the defensiveness relaxes.

It’s not a major brace, but it IS a little sandpaper-y glitch in the horse-human interaction. Playing with these “little spots” can be an interesting and fruitful project to explore on days you can’t ride - or, every day. “

candyallendressage.com USDF Certified Instructor USDF Gold Silver Bronze Medalist

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Lessons, Clinics, Fix-a-tests

stretches to keep constricted muscles supple can be engaging and amusing.

There are YouTube videos galore on how to do these things, and many horses turn out to be total hams, mugging for laughs and attention.

2). There are also simple pressure games, to educate the horse and refine our aids to “Olympic-level” softness. Slide the hand to where our leg would be, and ask for a weight shift, a lift of the shoulder or rib cage, a disengagement of the hindquarters.

Ask the head to lower at the slightest touch. Flex sideways to a soft feel on the halter rope.

The challenge here: See how little pressure gets the response.

3). But where I like to start, and where I’ll focus here because I don’t see much written about it, is exploring the

small, everyday braces we live with in our horses and we endure - because we can. And that the horses endure because they must.

These tension spots are fairly small in the larger scheme of things, so we often ignore them, or work around them to get to the “more important” activities. But they can build up over time to restrict performance, or even to an explosion that happens “out of nowhere.” Or the horse can simply “stuff it,” and turn internal, fostering ulcers.

The little defensive braces in our horses are small, sandpaper-y glitches in the horse-human relationship.

These small braces are many, and show up larger as trouble catching, avoiding bridling, sour-faced blanketing or saddling, trouble lifting the feet for picking, worries about the clippers,

head-up deworming, fear of injections, difficulty handling the ears - or any part of the body.

Horses are hard-wired to survive, and defensiveness in all its shapes and forms is one way a prey animal does that. In our everyday interactions, focused on our plan for the day, do we ignore or work around the defensive lifted heads, worried or staring eyes, tight lips and skin, swishing tail, pinned ears, the moving away, the planted feet? Or, are we so focused on the task at hand that we are oblivious?

In this fallow no-riding period, we have a terrific opportunity to explore those little “spots” at their most subtle, and put some relationship coin in the trust bank.

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I can assure you, it’s far from irrelevant.

It is a powerful bridge-building “way in” to what is deeply valuable to our horses. It’s the key to the relationship we always wanted with horses as kids trusting and full of mutual regard.

the staring, unblinking eye or freeze reaction, the simplest and most powerful response is… to pause. To halt. To stop one’s advance towards the horse, to lower the hand.

The way in is to start with an assessment.

If your horse is confined to a stall, begin by observing from the outside. Tom used to point out “ you can disturb a horse just standing outside its stall.” Are you greeted with ears up and interest?

Disinterest? A retreat to a corner?

“We ask a question with our advance do you feel safe with me?”

If it’s the latter, the work begins there, with the question: “how can I present myself (or the halter, blanket, etc) in a way my horse can accept?”

To add value to this pregnant pause, one could even take ‘predator pressure’ off by stepping back, or averting one’s staring ‘predator’ gaze. If the horse has a little bit of a freeze response, a loud exhale on our part can sometimes remind our horse to breathe too.

That is a strong paradigm shift from “how can I MAKE him _____ (take this medicine, injection or dewormer, lift his feet, get this blanket, saddle, halter, bridle, blanket, etc. on)?” That’s the mental tweak required. There will be times when these things do have to happen, such as veterinary emergencies. But now is not that time.

The invitation is settling your mind and bringing your friendliest connection energy to the fore. Check your own body for hard or tight spots and consciously release those first.

Then turn this softer awareness to your horse. Pay close attention and scan for the tiniest defensive reaction. You are looking for very subtle indicators. As you enter the stall, does the head lift, does the eye harden? Does the horse retreat or stop chewing? Do they turn their head -or even their eyes- away, checking the exits?

We can completely turn this dynamic around by starting a conversation and becoming the kind of owner a prey animal feels safe with.

The secret?

Upon seeing the smallest defensive lift of the neck or pinched nostrils,

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This simple pause in our advance is magical. It lets the horse know we saw its small uncertainty or worry. Because we saw that tiny brace, we stopped pressing on that little concern. That makes our horse relax a little, feel safer.

And thus begins the cross-species conversation. We ask a question with our advance - do you feel safe with me?

And, with their body language, they will answer “yes or no”.

Will we listen?

This is the gift of time off, the unburdened space to do that. Repeat until the horse relaxes enough to answer “yes.”

Feeling safe is an incredible state of mind for any creature. If we are, say, afraid of heights, which friend would we rather have cliff-side - the one who keeps pushing on our back, on our fears, urging our tense body toward the drop off? Or the friend who said “there is a marvelous view there, put your hand on my shoulder and when you’re ready, I’ll steady you and you can peep over?”

But let’s say when we enter the stall, we find the opposite - the horse is completely relaxed and invites our approach, no pulling away, no lifting of the head, no freeze or stiffening.

We can begin the conversation with an exploration of their body with our hands. Horses are extremely aware of our hands and what they can do. Can we reach for their face without seeing stiffening, a withdrawal of the head?

Can we then handle the face, the chin, corner of the lips, gently wipe away the corner of the eyes, touch the ears and poll, rub between the eyes - all without the slightest lifting of the head or turning away?

If not, the trust conversation begins there. Remember, we have no agenda today except having an exchange with our horse about its feelings of safety with us. We can find a neutral spot and then slowly explore the edges of that worry, asking questions and pausing when the indicators show the slightest tightening. Exhale back to neutral, extend the pause, and try again in a little bit.

And about that pause. It’s essential to trust-building. Watch for, and allow time for, signs of the tension release to appear - they often don’t let down immediately. I’ve waited up to five minutes for a particularly frozen horse to blow out. This is not work for the impatient.

But it IS what many horses need to turn things around. Wait for chewing, twitching, licking, exhaling, head shaking, neck lowering, blinking, yawning, ears starting to come back on line and move, rubbing the nose on a leg, a look away and back, and more.

A horse needs a moment or three to process. Pausing is highly underrated.

But it’s the mark of a truly aware horse handler.

If all that exploration of the face happens brace-free and turned-loose,

then explore other areas on the horse.

The flanks, udder, tail, “temperaturetaking area,” girth area, legs, back and loin area all may have interesting messages for us, if we have ears to hear.

The point is, it doesn’t matter what “little spot” of a brace you explore. The fact that you explore it thoughtfully, in conversation, asking questions and receiving the answers with grace and respect before asking another question is where the magic, the melt and friendship lies.

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From there, it’s a matter of exploring other, larger braces with this listening and acknowledging technique.

For example, we could bring our creativity to the task and invent a way to teach the head-shy horse to chase the halter and catch itself, or touch its nose to the running clipper body when offered. Or, accept an injection or a deworming tube full of applesauce, lift a foot as we run a hand down a leg, allow blanketing or saddling without a defensive expression.

Break each advance into a baby step forward that the horse can accept. The conversational lines are now open.

For lack of a better term, I’ll call this technique “notice-and-pause.” At first, it will seem like it gets in the way of work, all that time spent noticing and pausing.

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But as both horse and rider start to reap the benefits of this subtle conversation, a new awareness can dawn - this IS the work.

From this, a new awareness of “little spots” of concern can bleed into everyday conversation. Once you’ve seen them and melted them into safety, you can’t unsee them. And by “hearing” these messages and encouraging that feeling of safety, we may find a number of other issues or “bad habits” clear up.

Like “magic.”

Call Deborah for a complimentary consultation 910-691-1666 or 910-691-7099 Email dwilson@artistic-kitchens.com

683 SW Broad Street, Southern Pines, NC 28387

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Dark Trials, Brighter Futures: Sandhills Rescues Help Horses Find A Second Chance Mar y Kate Murphy

T

o lifelong horse people and first-timers alike, finding the right horse can be a daunting process. Most people looking for their next equine partner start with an idea of their preferred breed, age, level of training and budget. But finding a horse that checks off all the boxes on paper is just one aspect of the search.

The first is where to begin: social media, traditional sales websites, working through a trainer or agent?

“The algorithms knew that I was looking to adopt and then Onyx’s big face popped up on my feed one day,” West recalled. At the time Onyx was a resident at The Santana Center, a nonprofit horse rescue in Aberdeen.

He was listed as a Dutch Harness Horse approximately 12 years of age. The photo of the Romannosed gelding was all West needed to message the center and drive up from South Carolina to meet him.

Earlier this year, Kristine West started her search knowing mostly that she would like to give a horse a second career. She grew up as a competitive Western rider but had to put horses on the back burner for years. When she resumed regular lessons at an eventing barn, it wasn’t long before she decided it was time to have her own horse again.

West first turned to Facebook groups and Thoroughbred aftercare sites for an ex-racehorse. She vetted several only to uncover potential soundness issues lurking, then fate pushed her in a somewhat different direction.

Though Onyx was older than most Thoroughbreds coming straight off the track, West’s trainer supported her in fostering, then adopting him.

“I’m not a nervous rider, I don’t get flustered, nothing much bothers me, so she gave me her blessing to get a project horse,” she said. “I just thought he had a lovely personality and he was so pretty. The story the rescue got was that he came from the Amish and was formerly a buggy horse, which seems to fit. We think he went through New Holland, but he ended up on another feedlot in

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Pennsylvania. He has scars from the harness and he’s brand-new to riding so he’s still very green under saddle. He’s very smart and he progressed very well, so we decided that we would officially adopt him. The foster situation was really great, just to be able to have him on property and work with him to make sure that we were a good fit.”

With no pressure to make a quick decision and a long trial period, it was a relatively low-stress way for West to “buy” a horse. But horse rescue organizations aren’t usually a go-to for people starting the search for their next horse. The phrase “horse rescue” tends to conjure images of barely-sound pasture ornaments, tired seniors and behavioral cases all fallen through the cracks into a sanctuary of last resort.

But Nikki Dorenzo knows from years of experience that nothing could be further from the truth. As the assistant director at The Santana Center (alongside her mom Kathy Castro) Dorenzo has seen enough healthy horses with illustrious pedigrees and previously high price

tags to know that none of those factors ensures a safe future.

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“People think there must be something wrong with a rescue horse: it must be broken, it must be crazy,” she says.

“Horses end up in rescues, usually, because someone along the line let them down. It could be a $50,000 horse that had a suspensory issue that somebody just didn’t want to deal with, gave it to somebody else and that person ran out of money. People don’t know what happens when you sell your horse on Facebook for $1,000. They don’t know what happens when you give your injured horse away to someone who says they’ll give it a good home.”

Castro started The Santana Center in 2004 because she believed in the potential of rescued horses. It wasn’t only their potential to shine in the show ring or carry riders on trail adventures, but their potential to fulfill a new owner’s dreams and be someone’s horse of a lifetime. That was her own experience with the rescue’s namesake, a Saddlebred gelding she personally rescued as a minimally-handled 9-yearold from a neglectful situation.

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“He was kind of like her heart horse that she found in somebody’s backyard.

She basically turned him around and was able to turn him into a really nice horse,” Dorenzo said. “She had so much gratitude for this horse, so she started The Santana Center to help more horses like him and to help more people find those connections with those horses.”

As opposed to sanctuaries that keep horses for the duration of their lives, rescue organizations work toward placing their horses in long-term adoptive homes. Renaissance Equine Rescue and Welfare Foundation in Vass is commonly asked to take in rideable horses in their early and midteens. Usually, the only thing standing between those horses and a riding career is proper basic care and someone

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willing to put in the time necessary to keep a horse in shape.

“A lot of things happen that cause very good quality horses to end up in rescues. We have had a number of horses that basically were abandoned as a result of their owner passing away. In all of those cases, they have been good riding horses but they had been left on their own for years before ending up at the rescue,” said Tiara Hecht, who founded Renaissance four years ago.

The rescue is now home to about 40 horses at any given time. “So then we have to do some refresher training and body conditioning to get them back into physical shape so they can be ridden successfully. Those horses often have decent training, are very nice horses and go to very nice homes where people ride them and even do a little bit of showing.”

Once any health concerns are resolved, the rescue evaluates each horse’s existing level of training. That process

starts on the ground with everyday handling, determining how the horse tolerates things like hoof care and bathing. If a horse is a candidate for a riding career, Renaissance brings in professional trainers to work with

“A lot of things h appen that cause

that’s an excellent age because the horse has a lot of miles and has more training and experience. They are better suited for people who are looking for a lifelong companion, ride out, do anything kind of horse,” she said. “Our goal is to home them with someone who wants that relationship with their horse, isn’t just looking for a competitive type of horse but is looking for a companion and a lifelong partner.”

them under saddle to ensure that they are safe and reliable. In that time, the rescue is able to develop a sense of whether a horse might be appropriate for children, or have an aptitude for a specific discipline. Hecht estimates that the riding horses Renaissance adopts out are around 15 years old on average.

“For a person who rides recreationally

Both Renaissance and The Santana Center offer a no-questions-asked return clause should an adoption not work out, or in the event an adopter encounters a hardship that forces them to give up their horse. The rescues’ adoption contracts stipulate that adopted horses cannot be sold or otherwise change hands without approval. Both rescues also evaluate potential adopters’ background in riding and horse care, checking references in an effort to ensure a good long-term fit.

“We follow the horses throughout their

very good quality horses to end up in rescues.”

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lives to make sure they’re always safe,” said Dorenzo. “We’re not trying to get horses out the door left and right.

We will keep horses for one or two years. Our goal isn’t just to get them somewhere, our goal is to get them to the right place.”

The extensive adoption process is designed to work out in adopters’ favor as well as the horses’. A credible rescue should give potential adopters plenty of time to get to know horses they’re interested in before finalizing an adoption. Adoption fees are also usually a fraction of what a similar horse might cost from a private seller.

“Even though they have quite a bit of training and we’ve invested in the process, we usually adopt them out for significantly less than they would cost if you were just buying them out in the horse market,” Hecht said. “We do everything that we can to ensure that we have a good match. Sometimes that means that the potential adopter will come and ride that horse a dozen

times, and spend time with the trainer getting to know the horse. If that’s what it takes, that’s what we do as long as we feel like it’s going in the right direction.”

One Renaissance success story is Bananja, who came to the rescue with a large group of Dutch Harness Horses from the same farm. Some of the herd originated from the Netherlands, but the owner had neglected their care in recent years due to illness. In her two years at the rescue, Bananja was trained under saddle for the first time, competed at a few local dressage shows and even became the go-to babysitter for ponying greener horses.

Kristine West and Onyx at their first show

This spring she found a home just down the road from the rescue with Carol Glyder. When Glyder had to say goodbye to her 35-year-old mare (Odette), she needed another companion for her younger gelding Asteryx. Glyder had owned Odette since she was a yearling, so it wasn’t an easy process to consider other horses to fill her shoes. But she

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had previously been on the board of a rescue in California, and was curious about Renaissance — plus they had a Quarter Horse up for adoption she thought might suit as a companion and trail horse. Hecht redirected her to Bananja, though, as a better fit for a less frequent riding schedule. Glyder rode Bananja at Renaissance five or six times before adopting her.

“I think when you’re getting a horse from anywhere, or adopting a horse from a rescue, you’ve got to be honest with them and you’ve got to be honest with yourself, so that they can help you find somebody that is going to work for you. In the end it works for the horse and everybody’s happy,” Glyder said.

“Each person is different, each horse is different. It’s kind of a connection.

You’re not buying a car, this is an animal with feelings and needs and everything else.”

At 16 years old, Bananja is the same age as Glyder’s gelding Asteryx. The pair became fast friends when Glyder introduced them, and now spend their days getting up to mischief and eating any shrub that they can

reach. Glyder also adopted Daisy the donkey, Bananja’s pasture buddy at Renaissance, for good measure. Both new additions have learned to come when called, despite Daisy’s earlier distrust of people. These days only Bananja’s worried rush to eat her grain lingers as a reminder of their past hardships.

to just somebody I wouldn’t know the background or how the horse had been treated or anything like that.”

“Each person is different, each horse is different. It’s kind of a connection.

“He is a lovely mover and he’s quite keen on obstacles so he does enjoy the puzzle. “Looking at a rescue horse, especially one that you really don’t have a lot of background on, you do have to be prepared to take it slow and not be in a rush,” West said. “But I think that rescue horses, and this certainly applies to Onyx, they know they were given a second chance and they try so hard.

They don’t always get it right, but they try so hard. Some days you want to just be able to get out there and get on and have fun. With baby horses and some rescue horses that’s not going to be the case. But seeing the progression makes it worth it.”

“Now I have the three crazy equines but it’s so cute because everybody just gets along,” she said. “I think people that are rescuing animals have to realize that some of them have come from situations and you’ve got to work through them with it, but there were actually a lot of advantages to a rescue versus buying a horse from somebody who just put up an ad. I felt like I knew what I was getting where if I had gone

Down in South Carolina, West is making strides toward her goal of starting an eventing career with Onyx.

West is working on starting him over fences with the help of a trainer, beginning with cavaletti and small gymnastic exercises.

Find out more about horses available for adoption

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Africa

by Horseback

Cameron Sadler

Participants: Tayloe Moye, Jonathan Auerbach, John Huganir, Cameron & Lincoln Sadler, Carrie & Jeb Blount, Ali Kenyon, Grace Bozick, Paula & Jim Colt, Carrie & Bill Brown, Monica Sullivan, Stefanie Hipel, Anne & Fred Dufour

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F

oxhunting brought all of us together and traveling with a group of fox hunters is a really fun way to go! They are easy travelers and along with the thrill of the chase what they love the most is seeing the world from the back of a horse. Certainly that is true for this group, as we have been traveling together for over 20 years! One might wonder about going repeatedly with the same outfitter, but the guide makes the ride, and we just continue to be in awe of the Offbeat Safari guides’ attention to detail and their knowledge of the wildlife - from the mighty dung beetle to the ability to age an elephant calf by where it is walking under its mother.

It originally started with Tristan Voorspuy, an amazing raconteur and Kenyan conservationist. Twenty years later our all-star cast of guides were Jacob Van Plessan and Daisy Soames (both owners), along with Jos Craig and Miranda Simpson from Lewa Wilderness, Milo McConnell from Robin Hurt Safaris, and Laura Smith as the camp director. Any one of these young talented guides would have been able to carry their own safari, so it was an amazing good fortune to have them all looking after our trip!

The second thing that makes Offbeat Safaris special is the horses! Most of them were bred and raised by Cindy

Voorspuy, Tristan’s widow. On all my riding safaris, Cindy’s horses have left me with really positive, amazing memories. On this trip, I rode Posy and then Eilye. Posy was a sweet and quiet horse while Eilye was just wonderful; he reminded me of all of my Off-track thoroughbreds at home! He has a nice long stride and was clever as well as

super comfortable. The staff that takes care of the horses are terrific, horses are beautifully groomed and turned out every day without having use of our modern conveniences.

Day1: Pride of Lions One does not go to Kenya for the weekend. After an arduous trip of two red eyes, followed by a charter flight to the Siana Springs airstrip, we met our

guides, loaded up in the Rovers and within 5 minutes, were welcomed by a pride of lions. On route to Olare Lamun (Rhino Salt Lick) camp, we saw nursing elephants, several ostriches, and an amazing tower of 38 giraffes, and had a nostalgic toast to Tristan. We had our introductory ride and covered about 6.1 miles. First ride, always fun to make sure everyone finds a horse that suits. Offbeat does an amazing job of matching riders, abilities, and dispositions.

Amazing first night; so good to see Jacob again, and to meet Daisy as well as the other guides who are leading us this week. We are so fortunate! This is the A+ team of guides in the world and their attention to detail is constant.

The tents are completely decadent in their comfort with a hot water bottle for the ladies at night, lanterns lit during dinner, boots scrubbed and polished each night, and a cheerful wakeup call in the morning when hot water is brought to freshen up before the morning ride.

Day 2: Zebras, Monkeys and more Newcomers and old hats were once again amazed to ride amazingly close to lions, canter past herds of zebra and giraffes, land an amazing assortment of topi, cape buffalo, elephants, hyrax

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in the canyon, Batteleur, long crested eagle, hornbills, vervet monkeys, baboons, bush bucks, hyenas, and water bucks.

Plenty to talk about at the camp that night after our rides!

are… around 3000 to 3500 pounds!

One hippo just kept his bum to us and continued munching. At this point, I cannot remember why that was so amusing, but I do remember roaring laughter in our Range Rover.

Day 3: Olare Orok Moving day to Olare Orok (Lion camp), This is always a long day with many miles, 12.1 miles in the tack. The ride is split into 3 parts: sunrise followed by on-the-go breakfast; then a few more hours in the saddle, and a delicious lunch, followed by a nice long siesta on pads spread under shade trees; and finally a few more hours on the horses before arrival, showers and dinner.

This was an amazing elephant day! That said, the highlight of Olare Orok is the lions. Thanks to 40 years of conservation by Offbeat Safaris the lion pride there has become really accustomed to the horses, and thankfully, the horses are also really desensitized about the lions as well.

This allows for some amazing viewing of the lions just out being lions! There is no riding the horses at night as the situation would be quite different with the lions being active and ready to hunt.

This was the BEST night drive of the trip! Rule number one about night drives with Offbeat is “Always go”! They can showcase a startling diversity of wild game that is not seen during the daytime. We first had some amazing lions with one giant roaring right beside the Rovers. Then we came upon several enormous hippos on land munching grass, always just amazing to see them out of the water, and to understand exactly how large they

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Day 4: Gallop across the Mara A full day at the Lion Camp - crisp cool weather to start the day! AMAZING first flight type ride with twelve riders following Jacob at a gallop across the Mara, with twists and turns through gullies and over banks, creeks, and a tree pushed down by a hungry elephant. It was a ton of fun, and we all had huge smiles at breakfast. Mexican scrambled eggs were on the menu, one of our favorite safari dishes .

Day 5: Soit Oloololo

Travel day to the Soit Oloololo Escarpment. The camp is just outside of the border of the Masai Mara National Reserve and lies at the cusp of the Escarpment with the most beautiful view of the plains below and Tanzania

in the distance. Though, the trick is to get there one must ride across the Mara River. I don’t know that anyone has ever been eaten while crossing the Mara, but the potential is obvious with massive prehistoric crocodiles and territorial hippos in abundance.

Entering the Park there is a marked contrast with the lush grassland being protected from the ubiquitous Masai cattle overgrazing. The tall grass showcased many elephants and giraffes but hid a massive Cape Buffalo bull who was startled out of enjoying a good wallow and bolted up to run off at the last moment. The horses were far more stoic than the riders at that sight!

Upon arrival, we were happy to see happy hour drinks and snacks waiting after our 18.4 mile trek. That night campers were treated to an amazing sunset, and then after dinner another vista with Tanzania conducting a prescribed burn in the distance that lit up the night sky until dawn.

In the early morning hours before sunrise, we were all awakened by strange noises…click, click, click and then screaming sounds. Noone went out to see what it was of course, but we all found out in the morning that it was the tree hyrax. One tent was invaded by a banded Mongoose and that definitely provided a lot to hear about at breakfast. At dawn, we all awoke to a wonderful sunrise and views of the hot air balloons firing up, and coming across the plains in our direction.

Day 6: Hippo Camp Travel to Hippo Camp, 16.9 miles in the saddle. We were fortunate to see our first and sadly only rhino of the trip. Such a magnificent animal and so incredibly light on its feet. Once again across the Mara River with a little levity this time with a guide casually

exclaiming, “look out for that croc!” while pointing at the river’s edge. Sure enough there was a croc, size 10 and plastic, the shoe kind of Croc. We stopped to glare over a steep cliff where we had seen crocs before and there they were, masses of them! I asked Jacob if we could go down closer to the water, and we did. Once we were down there, he said, “Do you want to see them move”, and with one loud crack of his whip, they quickly scattered.

Later in the afternoon, we came across a group of four young lionesses. Two spare horses were running loose, and they passed the lions without incident.

Just as we started to pass, one of the young lionesses sprung to her feet and charged at us! Thankfully Jacob and Lincoln reacted quickly moving forward and cracking whips, so the lioness retreated. We had some nice canters across the Mara and safely arrived at Hippo Camp. Hippo Camp is situated with each tent just a few feet off the edge of the Mara Riverbank.

Truly there is no better sleeping than after an amazing dinner, drinks and tales of the day, than being lulled to sleep as the hippos grunted and called to each other as they prepared to sneak past our tents to go graze through the night. Needless to say, not a single photo, but jaw dropping thrills for all of us.

Day 7: Dinner in the wild We had two excellent rides totaling 8.8 miles around the Hippo Camp, including fun jumping downed logs and natural ditches that we came across. We viewed the best baby elephants really close up, sleeping lions, plenty of hyenas, grazing giraffes, a huge Secretary bird strutting across the plains, and a great view of a lilac Breasted Roller bird, one of the most beautifully colored birds in the world.

blazing orange and red sunset , then went back to camp for a final delicious dinner of spaghetti bolognaise, Tristan salad made of Avocados, mayonnaise, tomatoes, onions and special spices.

IF you go on this mobile safari, it is definitely worth a trip to see how the kitchen works. You will not believe how the wonderful kitchen staff turn out such delicious meals with rudimentary equipment. Here are a few more of our favorite dishes: Thai Prawn Soup, Shrimp and Avocado Timbale, Mexican eggs, and poached eggs on Spinach, freshly baked bread at every meal. Jeb said, “ I never eat bread at home, but today I had two pieces of toast for breakfast!”

The Last Day: Good bye, until next time!

When we went out for an amazing sundowner, I found a porcupine quill, and used it as decoration for my hair!

It gave me quite the sophisticated look.

We all took beautiful photos of us in the

We rode a total of 85.6 miles over the week, and here are a few more of our favorite things. Galloping with the wild herds of giraffe, zebra, various types of antelope and warthogs, sunset at the escarpment, all the sundowners, our horses, our guides, and the vastness of Kenya’s plains. After one last delicious breakfast, we said our sad goodbyes to the Offbeat staff and our awesome guides, then boarded our charter plane and headed either home or off to additional safaris.

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Solid Start at Setter’s Run Cassidy Oeltjen

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Photos: Lisa Miyamoto

P

ulling through the gates at Setter’s Run Farm feels like you’re opening the door to another world: a world where Painted Ponies guide you through the rolling paddocks to a castle in the sky… wait, I mean the beautiful covered ring overlooking acres of horse paradise.

Annie Eldridge, owner of Setter’s Run Farm, has spent the last decade developing the farm into an allencompassing operation. In that time she transitioned from being an upperlevel event rider to specializing in sport horse breeding and owning horses for 5* event rider, Ariel Grald. This unique combination means that the property is shared by all levels and ages of horses - from fresh faced foals, to high performance event horses, to retirees living their best life among the rolling fields.

The Facility Having such a wide array of horses means the SRF property spans the gamut of premier equine facility offerings.

With a firm belief in the benefits of allowing horses in all-stages of life to stretch their legs, Setters Run features dozens of lush paddocks situated

throughout the rolling hills. These turnouts feature run-ins, grass, and varying degrees of size and terrain, perfect for those currently jumping around the biggest cross country tracks of the world and those who are only jumping in their dreams.

Three separate main stables are located in close proximity to each other, meaning that the performance horse can pass along all their secrets to the next generation but aren’t close enough to have to share cross ties or lunch pails. Each one is designed with features specific for its intended use, like the ability for the foaling barn stalls to easily convert to double size for the mares who are getting ready to foal out.

The riding amenities have been carefully designed for horses to achieve their goals at all stages of life. There are round pens for those who need their world to be a little smaller; riding rings for those who can mostly steer; a state-of-the art covered arena featuring heaters, mirrors, and footing that makes every horse feel like they are floating on air; and cross country jumps that will prepare horses to jump logs on the path or the Leaf Pit at Badminton.

The property also is just a hack away from Moss Foundation, giving all the homebred horses the “foundation” to be solid citizens from a young age.

The Team The team that Eldridge has compiled at SRF is instrumental in the success of each horse’s development. From the moment they take their first breath to the time they move on to their next home, there is a seamless plan, ensuring each horse can thrive in their own time and in their own way.

First up are the real stars of the show – Tim, Tina Turner, Little Biscuit, Brownie, and Blondee – Eldridge’s herd of miniature horses. Hayley Norfleet (SRF’s young horse jockey) laughs as she proclaims that they have to “reel in the mini herd growth”, but, besides being cute to look at, they are an instrumental part of keeping things running smoothly at Setter’s Run. They provide emotional support to foals experiencing their first days without a mother, they entertain the two year olds who need some mental stimulation, and they are a soothing presence for the performance horses who need a friend but not a full-size, full-kicking-power friend.

The first two-legged team member that each homebred meets is David Flinchum, the “baby whisperer”, and foal watch extraordinaire. His quiet demeanor and low stress personality translates to the babies as they

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Norfleet and Flinchum in the process of starting a young gelding under saddle.

experience everything from their first steps to their first time loading onto the trailer. Flinchum and his wife, Mona Gardella, originally ran a breeding operation where Hassinger Farm (our January cover story) now resides, and he now spends his days being the emotional support human for the SRF babies, (and sometimes Norfleet) as they start to move on to the next stage of life.

“He does a really good job of keeping me safe,” said Norfleet, the respect she has for his role apparent in her tone.

“He also prevents me from making the occasional bad decision.”

Norfleet utilizes a lifetime of experience riding different horses of all levels to give the babies valuable tools and the desire to say ‘yes’ to new experiences undersaddle. While she has competed at the upper levels of eventing, her passion for the young horses comes after experiencing horses with significant holes in their training. “I really just

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realized how many times I thought, ‘Gosh, I wish I had you when you were three instead of a sour seven-year-old who has been rushed past your comfort level’.”

homebreds into productive members of society. Norfleet uses Grald’s experience to make sure they are producing young stock that are comparable to the quality found around the world.

Managing the operation of the barn is Jen Ozley, who originally came to Southern Pines to further her hunter/ jumper career, but ended up picking up interest in fox hunting, driving, and, of course, eventing. She was connected to SRF through a mutual contact, and, in her words, “had an interview, and here we are six years later.”

“She travels all over, so it is wonderful to pick her brain on what she looks for in a young horse and what stands out to her,” explains Norfleet. “Her thing is rideability. She would like to see them super rideable for where they are in their training.”

Ozley’s initial interview was with 5* event rider Ariel Grald. Grald started working for Eldridge in 2012, and since then they have become an eventing power duo. Grald has worked to bring several of their horses up from youngsters to the highest levels of eventing.

Having Grald on site furthers the seamless process of making the

Trust in the Non-Linear Process Although Eldridge no longer rides at the upper levels, she uses the same instinct and gut feels that it takes to get around a big track, and she uses it to suss out the best matches for her breeding program.

She is heavily involved with the dayto-day operation of the program and hones in on what each horse needs to succeed, even before they are born.

“I use a lot of instinct when I choose the stallions,” she reflected. “I am a big believer that all event horses in today’s sport need a large percentage of thoroughbred blood in their pedigree. Usually my broodmares are thoroughbred – it’s so important to start with a good mare – excellent conformation, bloodlines, and disposition. Most mares will need their movement or jumping improved, so I really like the warmblood stallions. I also love Irish stallions and try to find that blood on the mare or stallion side, and that’s how I pair them. I think it’s important to breed to stallions that have produced eventing success as well.”

Many large-volume breeding programs have a pretty standard process to get horses from point A to point Z (or birth to sales). With only four or five foals born each year, the team at SRF believes firmly in allowing each horse to develop at their own pace, and peak at their own time.

Science has shown just how important turnout is for a horse’s development, physical well-being, and mental stability. All the horses at SRF utilize the expansive acreage to ensure they get optimal experience socializing outside.

The foals get to enjoy learning to ‘horse’ in small groups, which might include a mini who either keeps everyone in line or instigates trouble.

They also learn early on that being an upstanding member of society is a part of their daily routine. By bringing them in to simply eat and stand in the stall for a few hours, get groomed, and get plenty of treats (typically provided

by Eldridge as she makes her farm rounds), the young horses learn quickly that the stable space is a fun place to be. Ozley utilizes the no agenda/no expectations mentality to analyze each foal’s personality, recognizing early on the tools they may need to be successful later in life.

Besides being cute to look at, minis are an instrumental part of keeping things running smoothly at Setter’s Run

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The same no-rush agenda is a theme throughout every step of the training process. Once they begin being asked harder questions, like those involving a bridle, a saddle, or trailering, Flinchum is careful never to lose their trust. Since he has already played an important role in their life, they are comfortable with him and are willing to step into new experiences.

explained Norfleet. “Usually they master everything pretty quickly, just because of the start they’ve had, so we don’t want to put any extra pounding on them than necessary. They’ll spend a lot of time exploring the Moss Foundation, either under saddle, or being ponied. It’s a great way to teach them to be curious and explore their surroundings.”

When they have decided that saddles are no big deal, Flinchum teams up with Norfleet to introduce a rider. Each of the babies rolls along the train(ing) tracks at their own speed, some spending extra time in the roundpen with an emotional support ground person, while others take to steering and stopping like an old soul, so out to the Moss Foundation they go.

Norfleet’s simple way of approaching this stage in their riding career comes after seeing more advanced horses who may have had a different path in life if they’d been given the chance to go slower in the beginning.

“We usually back them when they are about two-and-a-half years old,”

“It’s so interesting now to see them at two and three say, ‘Yep, that one could be tricky if you scared him or lied to him one too many times,’” she reflected. “For those ones I really believe it’s got to be always black and

white for them so there is no gray area.

Here are your rules and we will stick to them no matter what.”

If Norfleet ever feels like she needs direction with one of the babies or just a check-in with how they are going, she enlists the wealth of knowledge that is available on the farm. Even with Grald’s busy competition schedule, she is available to offer direction with the young horses, and Edridge loves to test them with her deep library of gymnastic exercises.

The Sales Process As in most breeding operations, the intent is usually to sell the horses, and SRF is no different. Where they are unique is the commitment to finding the absolute best situation for each individual horse and their prospective owners, without compromise.

Ariel Grald competing at the Carolina Horse Park

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Since every horse is allowed to mature at their own pace, it means that some of them are ready for their public appearance sooner than others. This commitment to the horse’s wellbeing extends throughout each horse’s lifetime, as each horse born at Setter’s Run always has a home to come back to, should the situation arise. It’s this laid back, no push, no rush atmosphere that leaves buyers feeling confident in their purchase.

“I was given the opportunity to try Tilly on multiple occasions to be sure we all felt it was a good match.

My daughters and I were welcomed like family during each visit and still feel a part of the Setter’s Run family today,” she reflected. “The horses are introduced to so many experiences and have a calm confidence about them.

Everyone at SRF was patient with all of my questions and I never felt pressured during the purchase of Tilly.”

For Raleigh resident Stephanie Foley, it was this welcoming atmosphere that left her feeling at ease throughout her purchasing process. A long-time equestrian who now has two daughters who are following in her footsteps, she purchased SRF Magic To Do (Tilly), a coming six-year-old mare early last year.

Just as the horses have a forever home, the family-like welcome doesn’t end when the purchase is complete.

“Annie, Hayley and Jen have all checked in with me and genuinely care about how Tilly is doing,” Foley said.

“They have offered encouragement and helped me when I have hit

challenges. They all truly care about their horses and work hard to keep tabs on the horses’ continuing growth and progress. I am so thankful to everyone at Setter’s Run Farm for an exceptional experience!”

The non-linear process is working for the homebreds as many of them are already out on the eventing scene.

They are bringing the “SRF” prefix of their name onto the leaderboards at notable events like the US Young Event Horse Championships. Thanks to the amazing team Eldridge has compiled, the future looks bright for US bred horses.

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Pinehurst Harness Track ~ Jewel In The Village Crown Ray Owen

The Pinehurst Harness Track is a piece of history located in the heart of the Village of Pinehurst. The property has been a winter training center for Standardbred horses since 1915, including ten champions. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the oldest continuously operating equine sports facility in the state.

The site is a complex of barns, stables and paddocks arranged around two oval-shaped race tracks designed for Standardbred trotters and pacers. The dominant building of the complex is the Fair Barn, a two-and-one-half story exhibition building constructed in 1917, now the oldest surviving fair exhibition hall in North Carolina.

In the old days, the Track was the hub for Pinehurst equestrian sports – racing, horse shows, polo. There was even an associated foxhunting club and miles upon miles of marked bridle paths that went through all the communities including Taylortown, Southern Pines and Aberdeen.

It was a “horsey” world beyond anything we might now imagine. The founding of the Track coincided with the advent of automobiles.

There were only 16 car owners in the county in 1910, just five years before the Track first opened. Many spectators arrived at events by horse and buggy, and resort guests brought their horses with them to compete.

From 1914-1925, the facility hosted the Sand Hill Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the Southeast. Thousands

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gathered for exhibits of history, local produce and manufactured goods, and the largest showing of Berkshire hogs in the nation. Old families shared stories with fairgoers and there were Highland dancers and bagpipers.

At the first fair, a grand parade 3,000 strong marched through the streets of Pinehurst accompanied by floats adorned in pine-themed regalia. A speaker addressed the masses in a banner cry: “Diversity, prosperity, our eggs are not all in one basket… we want diversified farming and industry… more schoolhouses, more rural society and rural conventions.”

This set the pace for countywide development throughout the 20th century.

‘Belmont’s Eighteen Spirited Stallions’ was a regular feature at the fair, performing within the confines of the Track. The stallions were among the most renowned animal acts of the early 20th century.

Sharpshooter Annie Oakley performed in 1917. She had starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and could shoot a dime out of a person’s hand or apple off their head from 40 feet away.

Another horseman in the Track’s orbit was composer and conductor John Phillip Sousa. He had risen to fame as conductor of the U.S. Marine Band and creator of march

songs, such as The Stars and Stripes Forever. A champion rider, Sousa landed in the Sandhills in the early 1900s and was part owner of a 2000-acre estate near present-day Foxfire. He was known to travel great distances on horseback, his longest journey being around 1000 miles.

In the late 1920s, entertainer and humorist Will Rogers participated in a polo match at the Track. Among the highest paid film stars of his generation, his passion lied with horses and roping. He had been engaged by Pinehurst Resort to promote equestrian sports, and his appearance was touted in local newspapers. At every opportunity he made fun of golf while advancing his love for polo. The local contest ended in a 3-3 tie with Rogers scoring all three points for his side.

Celebrated authors were also patrons of the Track - friends of Southern Pines novelist James Boyd in the 1920s and 30s. The literati included F. Scott Fitzgerald, best known for The Great Gatsby, and Sherwood Anderson, a novelist and short story writer. Anderson visited the community for weeks at a time, and he befriended jockeys, grooms, and trainers around the racehorse stables.

The Pinehurst Outlook reported in 1924: “The horse is king at Pinehurst. Riding, driving, racing, hunting, polo and the horse shows have their devoted followers. One of the chief

pleasures of the Southern winter is the opportunity offered by climate and roads for riding and driving. Fine dirt roads lead through an infinite variety of scenes... The weekly races at the Pinehurst track arouse great enthusiasm. The steeplechases are most popular, although races in which man, horse, mule and ox contend are followed keenly by the galleries.”

By 1929, the Track was at the center of a system of bridle trails that traversed the countryside. The trails were part of a plan originated by landscape designer Warren Manning, who was sent by Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm to manage the creation of Pinehurst. Manning’s design spanned outward for 30 miles and ultimately inspired the creation of what is now Southern Pines Horse country. The Pinehurst Outlook summarized his endeavor in 1922, saying: “Warren Manning is working out a great dream of making the Sandhills one of the foremost recreation grounds of the world.”

Verner Z. Reed was a major figure in the early days of the Track. Active in polo and foxhunting, in 1929 he established the Sandy Run Hunt as a private pack, their kennels located on his farm four miles west of Pinehurst. The hunt livery and colors were green with Sulphur-yellow collar and scarlet piping. Their huntlands were part of the bridle trail system covering woodlands, farming country, some

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DARLENE IVEY ARTWORK

abandoned homesteads, with a number of creeks and wetlands.

Much has changed over the 100+ years since the Track’s founding. Those who used the facility were originally the ones who managed and operated it, under the auspices of groups such as the Pinehurst Jockey Club. Established in 1916 and led by Leonard Tufts, son of Pinehurst Resort founder James Walker Tufts, its membership consisted of owners and trainers of Standardbreds, Thoroughbreds and polo ponies.

Over the course of the 1920s, the Track transitioned to a winter training facility. By the later part of the decade, prominent figures in harness racing were utilizing the site, such as Octave Blake, Del Cameron, Gary Cameron, and Frank Safford.

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“Newport Dream”, owned by Octave Blake and trained by Del Cameron. the first USHWA/USTA Two-Year-Old trotter of the year (1953) to win the Hambletonian, a feat repeated only 14 more times (Source: Hambletonian Society).

The Pinehurst Driving and Training Club was formed in 1949 to initiate improvements to the facility including the creation of a mile track. In 1952, this club was given a forty year lease with control over any improvements. After years of equestrian events, by 1971 the group faced an uncertain future and the site was threatened by development.

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The property was ultimately purchased by real estate investors in the 1980s.

Concerned citizens formed a committee called “The Friends of the Pinehurst Harness Tracks” and gained strong support from the community. When the investors realized the local zoning laws would make it difficult to develop the land they decided to sell it.

Image: Village

of Pinehurst

In 1992, the friends group convinced the Pinehurst Village Council to purchase the property and

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Call or text 954-657-1090

save the equestrian complex. Once the Track was purchased, its intent of being a winter training facility was solidified.

Their final accomplishment was to have the facility listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

In 1995, the Pinehurst Village Council turned the Pinehurst Harness Track over to their Parks and Recreation Department to operate and maintain. And in 1996, the Pinehurst residents formed the Pinehurst Historic Preservation Foundation to restore the Fair Barn to its original use as an exhibition hall.

Restoration of the Fair Barn was completed in the fall of 2002.

Over the years, champions who have trained at the Pinehurst Harness Track include: Brownie Blue Chip, Chocolatier, Coraggioso, Gallo Blue Chip, Glory Bound, Marion Marauder, Medoland Don, Medoland Sam, Pinehurst Lady, SJ’s Photo, and Walner.

Today, the Pinehurst Harness Track is among the best facilities of its kind on the East Coast. According to Scott Norris, a former Pinehurst Harness Track trainer: “There aren’t many places like this anywhere. It’s a real good situation in terms of track services, which is probably the first thing any trainer is looking for. It has a really good surface, trackwise, to exercise your horses. The whole atmosphere is very conducive. There are a lot of young horses down here that have never raced, and it’s a really good place for breaking a yearling or two-year-old.”

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FEBRUARY

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Saturday Pipe Opener 2 Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road Raeford, NC 28376

February 19

Sunday Pinehurst Schooling 4 Pinehurst Harness Track 200 Beulah Hill Road S. Pinehurst, NC 28374

February 23-26

Fri-Sun Triangle Winter Indoors II “A” H/J Show Hunt Horse Complex, 4601 Trinity Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607

March

Sat-Sun Sedgefield at the Park Kickoff NCHJA “C Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road Raeford, NC 28376

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Sunday Pinehurst Schooling 5 Pinehurst Harness Track 200 Beulah Hill Road S. Pinehurst, NC 28374

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Sat-Sun Sedgefield at the Park Kickoff NCHJA “C Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road Raeford, NC 28376

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