successisnowhere

With renewed interest in the War Horse, the story of the Trakehner should be remembered.

The royal stud farm Trakehnen was founded in 1732 in East Prussia and dedicated to breeding the ideal cavalry mount — a fast, light horse that also had no problem pulling a plough.

During World War I, the population of the Trakehner horse was cut in half. After the Russian Army invaded East Prussia, the Trakehnen stud was evacuated, with most of the horses lost to the Russians.  Private breeders and their horses were finally allowed to leave in January of 1945.

In that unforgiving winter, the “Trek” of the Trakehner began.

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Some talk more than others, but I bet you’d recognize your horse’s whinny anywhere.

It was important that Joey and Topthorn, the horses in Spielberg’s new movie “War Horse,” had their own voices as well.

That’s the job of the sound man, as Melena Ryzik reported in the Awards Season Blog of The New York Times.  Sound designer Gary Rydstrom shared some of his trade secrets:

“Our first instinct as a sound man is, if I just take a walrus and an otter, and speed them up, it’ll make a great Joey vocal!  Spielberg tried to warn against that.  He wanted the horses to sound like horses.  We recorded many, many horses to find the voice for Joey.

My favorite was the miniature horses.  They sound different, they have a different emotional range — they’re a little closer to dogs.

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There was good news in my inbox.  An announcement of the Dressage4Kids (D4K) Tenth Annual Weekend Educational Program in Southbury, CT on the weekend of January 21st.

Hilary Clayton, whom I’ve referred to here and here, is the Keynote Speaker. There is a special forum for instructors only on Saturday (I’m going) and a forum for judges only on Sunday.

On Sunday, too, there will be an eventing and USEA Area 1 Young Rider Program.  There will be peer roundtable discussions for parents, for professionals and for youth heading toward the North American Junior/Young Rider dressage and eventing championships.

Margaret Freeman will be talking about “How to Get an 8 or Higher,” and “First Level, the Black Hole” (she does have a sense of humor).  Karen Withstandly is giving a talk on “Using the Thermal Imaging Machine for Saddle Fitting.”  Emily Harrison, DVM will be discussing “Volunteering as a Vet in Morocco.”  There is something to interest everyone who’s interested in horses, from performance plateaus to winter survival tips, from vaulting to equine cruelty investigations.

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What a nice way to start the new year — getting selected as blog of the day at Haynet, where “Social Blogging for the Equine & Country Life World” reigns supreme.

Haynet is the UK’s #1 equine blogging network.  This blog joined the roster less than three weeks ago, and what fun it has been.  It’s the perfect place to meet new people, discover new blogs and share ideas.

Sam Hobden founded Haynet after blogging about life with her handsome Belgian Warmblood and, in the process, catching what she calls the “blog bug.”  She envisioned Haynet as a welcoming place for established blogs such as this one, as well as a place where new bloggers could “set up shop” and feel at home.

It’s been wonderful to get a perspective from “across the pond,” and I’m glad that Sam feels the same, as she set up a category on Haynet especially for those of us who spell “behavior” without a “u.”  You’ll find this blog there, along with many others, under the heading “All Things American Equestrian Blogs.”

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As we welcome another year, I wanted to re-read this poem myself and share it with you.  Entitled “When I am an Old Horsewoman,” it was written by Patty Barnhart and originally published in The Arabian Horse World Magazine, twenty years ago.

When I am an old horsewoman

I shall wear turquoise and diamonds

And a straw hat that doesn’t suit me

And I shall spend my social security on

white wine and carrots,

And sit in my alleyway of my barn

And listen to my horses breathe.

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Some years ago, I spent Christmas with my sister in her flat in London.  I wish I were there now, not just because it’s a beautiful place to be at Christmastime, but because if I were there, I could go to the National Army Museum and see the exhibit entitled War Horse – Fact and Fiction.

Instead, since I’m stuck here in the States, as is my sister, I’ll have to see Spielberg’s movie instead.  When I do, I’m bringing a box of tissues because just watching the trailer makes me cry.  

If you can’t make it to the National Army Museum War Horse exhibit in Chelsea (it runs until August), you should make it to the website.   There is much to see to interest the mind and stir the heart.

Unloading horses, Boulogne, c. 1915

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You may be busy like the little elves…

but remember to take the time to enjoy your horses!

In yesterday’s post, I talked about how I teach.  Those of you with a background in Centered Riding, and those of you who are fans of Jane Savoie may have noticed that I mentioned nothing about visualization.

It wasn’t an oversight.  I know that there are riders who learn by seeing and imagining. I feel I can help the first group much more than I can help the second group.

I do demonstrate things, for those who need to see how something is supposed to look.  I’ll show riders how I want their hands to look, by putting my own in position.  I demonstrate posture.  And I’m happy to hop on a horse to show riders what I’m looking for, and what their horses can do, although I seldom get asked to by students who don’t have their horses in training with me. I think that’s good, because what matters is how they can ride their own horses, not how I can.

Every month, I get my copy of Dressage Today in the mail, and every month, I look at the last page, where the visualization feature appears.  They call it “solutions,” but it’s all about imagining things.  I don’t know why they don’t call it “imagine,” but I guess I’m too literal minded.

“Imagine your transitions as snowflakes,” instructed the September issue. It’s hard for me to move past this phrase to get to what I imagine is the heart of the instruction, because I am unable to imagine my transitions as snowflakes.  I just can’t do it.  I’ve tried. I just can’t.  Snowflakes have nothing to do with my body, my aids and how the horse responds.  At least not in a way that makes any sense to me.

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