Join the WEG 2010!

Would you like to participate in the World Equestrian Games 2010 in Kentucky?

Everyone can participate by sponsoring a team! In fact, the Championship Driving Classes are being attended this year by David E. Suanders . David will be driving four-in-hand with his team of  USA bred Morgan Horses. He is one of many still in need of sponsors willing to volunteer services such as shoeing, stabling, and feeding for his world-class team. See their write-up on New England Morgan Horse Assoc. titled: Make Way for Morgans!

David did a great demo of his driving skills at the July 30th New England Morgan Horse Show in Northampton, Ma.     No one was left in doubt over David’s chances to win the WEG after witnessing his skillful maneuvering and flair for accuracy in tight turns. His horses quickly respond to his coaxing and push their own limits by maximizing their energetic efforts.  Northampton crowds were indeed delighted with such an exuberant four-in-hand, Morgan Team display.

If you can donate, by cash or services: http://blackprong.com/team/

coming next week: David’s videos from competition four-in-hand driving, on EQUI-TV.

Equi-Trivia Quiz! »« Videos you loved!

Videos you loved!

Bridleless Cross Country Pony & Rider

Back by popular demand! The most favored horse videos are back on EQUI-TV for this week. Thanks for your comments! Many of your favorite picks were actually our favorites too! The deeply moving and heart wrenching video: “Sound the Bugle” is tops for honoring the horse in battle. And for action, the jaw-dropping Metropolitan Mounted Police demo wins hands down and for the best horsemanship, too; imagine removing your saddle and going over jumps while carrying it on your arm. NO THANKS. And everyone loved watching John Lyons perform his miracle on the horse who wouldn’t walk over the tarp at last years Northeast Equine Expo. Our favorite? The adorable bridleless pony who takes his rider on a cross country gallop and does his clever tricks as well.

Thanks for watching and checking in on the Equi-TV page and for reading our website, volunteering information, and submitting such great articles!

Next month take the new Horse Trivia Quiz. Find out if you just “like” horses or if you are  a full-blown  horse addict!

Remember: For August: The first  EQUI-TRIVIA QUIZ

Join the WEG 2010! »« Working with the Local Sheriff Posse, by Steve Lock

Working with the Local Sheriff Posse, by Steve Lock

Photos:Volunteers with Yolo County Sheriffs Posse, California

When I was younger my focus was mainly in the area of Eventing. Shortly after the 9/11 attack, I joined our local Sheriff’s Mounted Posse. Being involved with the Sheriff’s Posse opened a whole new world for me with horses. I learned a lot more about desensitizing horses. I learned how valuable horses are as a search animal. As you can imagine, they provide a much larger field of view, they cover more ground and move faster, and they will alert you when there is something you need to check out. It may not be the person you are looking for, but then again, it may be. There are people who in recent years have started training horses to air scent, like some dogs do, and with good success. I spent about four years as a Training Officer with the Posse, and one year as President. I experienced many positive things I may never have had the opportunity to experience had I not been a volunteer with the Posse. I would encourage anyone wondering what to do with their horse, looking for something new to do with their horse, or who wants to serve their community to seriously consider joining their local Sheriff Posse if there is one, or if not, joining a Mounted Search and Rescue group. You and your horse will learn many new things, make some wonderful new friends, and have your lives enriched while you have great fun doing it. It is a very satisfying experience.
In addition to the Search and Rescue, as volunteers with the Sheriff’s Posse, we also rode in our local Christmas Parade each year with the Sheriff’s Department component. We patrolled the parking lots at our local county fair each year to deter break-ins and help people find their cars. We sat on our horses at the entry gates of the county fair and let people pet our horses, and answered the many questions they had about the horses and what work we performed. It was great fun for us, and great public relations for the Sheriff’s Department. We participated in Toys for Tots each December. As you may expect, we had training in many areas. A former San Francisco Mounted Policeman and Instructor trained us in friendly crowd control and formation riding. We participated in a four-day Search and Rescue training each year with several other Mounted Search and Rescue units. We learned about living and surviving with our horses in the wilderness. I had the opportunity to participate in a training demonstration put on by a former Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Mounted Officer and Trainer at the Western States Horse Expo two years in a row. All in all, it was a very enriching experience. One I am glad I did not miss out on.

Videos you loved! »« July 1-4, 1863:Horses of Gettysburg

Mules;the other war horse

A post from “civilwartalk.com” in honor of the indomitable war-mule:

On the evening of October 28, 1863, during the Chattanooga campaign, Confederate troops under the command of General James Longstreet attacked the Federal forces of General John W. Geary. General Joseph Hooker had left Geary’s troops to guard the road along which ran the “Cracker Line,” the round-about route by which Union troops were forced to supply occupied Chattanooga. Although the fighting was disorganized and confused, it raged until 4:00 the following morning and ended in Confederate failure to break the Cracker Line.One of the more enduring and amusing stories to emerge from the Battle of Wauhatchie concerns a purported “charge” by a herd of Union mules, who broke loose from their skinners and dashed headlong into Confederate lines. In his account of the engagement, which appears in Battles and Leaders, overall Union commander Ulysses S. Grant claimed that Southern troops under General Evander Law mistook the runaway mules for a cavalry charge and fell back in confusion.This poem, an obvious parody on Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous “Charge of the Light Brigade,” was probably composed shortly after the incident and gained widespread circulation.

Half a mile, half a mile, Half a mile onward, Right through the Georgia troops

Broke the two hundred.

“Forward the Mule Brigade! Charge for the Rebs,” they neighed. Straight for the Georgia troops, Broke the two hundred.

“Forward the Mule Brigade!” Was there a mule dismayed?

Not when their long ears felt All their ropes sundered.

Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to make Rebs fly.

On! to the Georgia troops, Broke the two hundred.

Mules to the right of them, Mules to the left of them, Mules behind them

Pawed, neighed, and thundered.  Breaking their own confines,

Breaking through Longstreet’s lines -  Into the Georgia troops,

Stormed the two hundred.

Wild all their eyes did glare, Whisked all their tails in air

Scattering the chivalry there, While all the world wondered.

Not a mule back bestraddled, Yet how they all skedaddled  —

Fled every Georgian, Unsabred, unsaddled, Scattered and sundered!

How they were routed there By the two hundred!

When can their glory fade? Oh, what a wild charge they made!                                                       All the world wondered.  Honor the charge they made!                                                      Honor the Mule Brigade, Long-eared two hundred!

Photograph courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western Heritage Collection. Poem from oldpoetry.com

June 25,1876;The Horse who Survived »« Mount up Providence!

Mount up Providence!

Photo: Badboy with Officer Jose Castillo

If this horse looks familiar it is probably because you have watched him stroll down Westminster street or have seen him stand on watch during a Water Fire Festival in our own city of Providence, RI. Police horses are also considered officers of the law, even though they carry an additional police officer on their backs.  Police horses must be agile and hardy because they endure long hours on city streets, curbs, and sidewalks. Inspector Del Rio, who is in charge of the mounted division, explained that the horses “work late into the early morning hours. They’ll be patrolling the bars and streets with their officers until two in the morning,” which means they may not be back to their stalls until three or later that night. Many people don’t know that public mistreatment of these horses can be considered an assault on an officer and can actually bring a trip to jail for the offender. While they are mostly quiet and sweet tempered as they stand on watch or walk the beat, these patrol horses know their jobs and readily interfere when crowds become unruly. They are trained to assist their human officers in the line of duty regardless of dangerous conditions.  To learn more, or to meet these special mounts, you can read their biographies on the Providence Mounted Police web site listed here. Click on the link and meet all ten horses! http://www.providencepolice.com/mounted_command/meet_horses.html

Mules;the other war horse »« Comanche Tribe:Trainers of the Calvary?

Horses in Public Service

At the turn of the twentieth century the horse was still a dominating influence in public life. As the source of primary transportation they pulled machinery and wagons in their role as field and farm helpers. In their civic duties they mobilized the fire, police, and military services.   Their role in military action required enormously rigorous training which a core of expert horsemen diligently implemented. It was not a surprise that such expertise would lead to public challenges to see whose country’s training regimen excelled, and so the beginning of the Equestrian Olympic Games began in 1900. Only three categories were listed, and two more were added as unofficial options although not included as official Olympic classes. There was the “Jump”, “High Jump”, and “Long Jump” categories with “Hacks and Hunters” and “Mail Coach” added as unofficial categories.  Belgium brought home two Gold Medals, a silver and one Bronze. France and Italy battled out and tied the remaining Gold Medal and battled for the remaining silver and bronze. The results were France winning two Bronze, one Gold; and Italy winning only one Silver and sharing the Gold with France.

(Equestrian pictogram from Olympic files)

Horses and Plains Indians; R.E. Moore »« Fun Training for Weekend Riders

Fun Training for Weekend Riders

Photo: Brenda Imus from myHorse.com

Do you work a forty hour week? Are you limited to just the weekends to ride? Are you unable to trailer out due to inclement weather? Here are some fun horseback activities you can do to keep your horse reasonably in shape and to keep his mind active.

Many riders find that the use of cones offers endless variety and complexity for training options. Just three cones in a spacious triangle, or on a straight line (verticle or horizontal), can mimic a trail ride by using the cones as ‘trees or rocks’ to maneuver your horse around. As you wind through them you can alert your horse to: not drifting sideways outside the intended circle; not to change speeds on his own; not to ignore your seat and force you to only use your reins for turning; and not to be one-sided, but instead bend both ways, right and left, when asked. As he gets the hang of it at the walk then you can pick up the pace to a trot, and when he gets really fluid and comfortable, the canter work has endless options for practicing figure eights, flying changes, and even counter canter.

Ground poles expand your cone lessons by moving beyond the turning and flexing exercises. The discipline of the work helps your horse with learning to shift his weight backward and begin lifting to step over objects.  This helps increase your horse’s impulsion and dexterity of stride, and assists you in gaining better control and influence in the saddle. (There is no reason why you can’t add a tarp to walk on, too.) One of my favorite uses of ground poles is to place two to three groupings of  poles throughout the ring. I lay them flat on the ground with a cone at each end. Then I practice figure eights by having the horse step over the center of the pole, bend around the end cone, step again over the center of the pole, then bend around the other end cone. As you come over one set of poles you can head for another set while in a leg yield/shoulder-in/half-pass, then return to the figure eight at the new set of poles.

You can see that even if you only have a few hours a week to ride, you can still imagine how to ride full-time.  Try jotting down your ideas during the day so that you can remember to try them out on your next weekend ride. When you finally return to riding your horse outdoors your horse should be better prepared from these special exercises, and you’ll have a closer relationship with him from spending extra time with him during the wintry months.

Horses in Public Service »« John “Red” Pollard