Not because I have any desire to kill a fox but the riding seems amazing and watching the hounds work looks fascinating. I have been dreaming of going foxhunting for some time but never felt that my riding was up to snuff. Well, after a few of these frankly mental trail rides I've been on, I think I could make it, at least in the hill-toppers field.
They don't have mounted foxhunts here in SK but I could always go over to Ireland to check some out. Clonshire Equestrian, a very nice stables run by the lovely Sue Foley, has trips that allow one to cap on some hunts. Clonshire also has a great cross country training course of their own, so one could practice jumping before going out.
http://www.clonshire.com/about-clonshire-equestrian-centre
The Chronicle of the Horse Hunting forum currently has a thread going about a women's novice hunt weekend at an Inn called The Hunter's Rest.
http://www.huntersrest.net/
This looks like so much fun, and the people involved seem so fun-loving and mellow! I would love to go on one of these one day, but will have to wait til I spend more time in the States.
I think in Ireland it is even possible to follow hounds on foot as they hunt hare.
I know many people are against fox hunting, but unless they are vegetarians, or even vegans, I really think they haven't ANY room to talk about animal cruelty, given the conditions in factory farms.
So, I spend alot of time reading foxhunting reports, books about foxhunting, foxhunting websites etc until the day I can finally be out there, listening to the horn, hearing the thrilling baying of the hounds and feeling the wind whistle by my ears as my horse flies along with the field!
If anyone has spent some time doing this I would love to hear about it!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Another Insane Trail Ride...hmmmmmm
beginning to wonder if the lovely Barbora, our trail leader, is, in fact, a menace! This last trail ride was organized by Slavo in honour of Roderika, who was set to fly to Florida for 3 months. Well, now she is in the hospital, although she is doing okay with no broken bones but she can't travel by air for 2 months. Serious concussion.
10 of us left Bukovec on a beautiful -1 C day. I was riding a different horse than planned so was a little nervous; I usually take Hory out but was on Suleika today. She has a habit of throwing her head incessantly that made me leery.
The ground was VERY hard and icy today. It looked normal but the horses were slipping and crunching through frozen mud layers in the first field. I've heard that sometimes people won't ride in this type of footing but apparently I am the only one : ) We even walked over an ice-sheet on a road by a parked car and a barking dog!
It was great to be out with friends and everyone was happy and chattering. We trotted for a while and then had a first canter through a brown and snow-patched field. Slavo had brought a special camera and was filming as he stood at the canter! Very agile!
We did out first gallop up a nearby hill. WOW! Suleika was super fast! Then she frighted as we passed a hay rick and I learned how fast she she could go! (or so I thought : ) ) We screamed up the hill, clods of earth flying here and there and round to the left into the woods.
We had a lovely walk/trot through the woods, watching for animal tracks.
Then, chaos!
Barbora and Paola exited the woods first and inexplicably started to run off before all the horses were out. You know where this is going. To hell in a handbasket lol.
All I knew at the time was, my horse took off suddenly at a very fast gallop before I was ready. I was still fiddling with my whip and the reins when she started running so I just grabbed mane and hit the ol' half seat.
Before us was a HUGE flat field heading very far into the distance. wow, it went by so fast lol.
Suleika stretched out, got low and blistered the grasses as she tore like a demon heading for the front of the pack. I heard a scream behind me and tried to stop but NO BRAKES! The wind was whistling by and the ground a blur as she galloped, desperate to reach the horses who were well in front of us. Oh my god! I was terrified! I have never ever gone so fast! I just hoped she wouldn't trip and kill us both at that speed!
Then I see a riderless horse out of the corner of my eye and another thud as someone else fell. I was yelling to the girls ahead but of course they couldn't hear me. Suleika caught up just as a small rise turned into a steep downhill field. Yes, I tried the pulley rein but she just went sideways.
The other horses had at last stopped so Suleika suddenly realized she could too. sigh. 3 riderless horses galloped towards us, stirrups swinging. We saw a dark, immobile mound in the far distance, at the very beginning of the field. We jumped down to try to catch the loose horses, which was easy. Barbora tried to figure out whose horse was empty and where was everyone. She rode back to the dark mound while the rest of us stood around calming our very excited mounts. One girl was near tears and another was white as a sheet!
After a long while, we saw the dark mound move and sit, than stand up. Then 2 people began to walk slowly away, toward the nearsest Chalupa ( a small traditional country house) Barbi came back and told us that Roderika had fallen, apparently directly on her head! LUCKILY she was wearing a helmet, which had cracked and was broken. Slavo had heroically leapt from his horse when he saw from the corner of his eye that she fell. His horse ran off to join the others as he knelt by the injured Roderika. Her eyes were glassy and she just stared straight ahead without speaking. Ony when Barbi came and was yelling at her horse to stand still did she focus. She was vomiting and didn't know where she was. very very scary for Slavo.
So, Slavo walked Roderika to the chalupa so a car could take her to the hospital. We walked our horses, 2 people walking 2 horses each, also to the chalupa, where back up riders were called. The 3rd fallen rider was Martina, whose horse was cut off by one of the fleeing riderless horses and stopped suddenly, causing her to fall. She was fine, albeit a little dirty : ).
Here's a pic of Paola leading 2 horses taken by me with an iphone. Hard to manipulate one handed with the other hand full of jigging horse : ). That is the field we ran through so fast! I later realized it was because it was flat that Suleika could pick up that much speed. We usually gallop uphill.
The back up riders came and we all re-mounted, excitedly talking about the heroism of Slavo! The horses were very nervous and high-strung and I was terrified that we would end up on some more unplanned gallops home. It was still a long way back. Miraculously, Barbora decided that to walk the whole way back was best. So walk we did, whispering calming words to the horses. I practiced the deeeep seat and slow breathing I have learned on some other blogs to great effect!
It got very cold on the way home because we were only walking but I was thanking my lucky stars when the barn came into sight!
phew!
We visited Roderika in the hospital yesterday and she is fine-ish. Just a bad concussion. She had a brain scan and was staying for a couple of days for observation. She was still dizzy a day later. poor thing and had to cancel her trip to America. Thankfully she was wearing a helmet as not all people do at this barn!
As to Suleika's head tossing: I asked at the barn and they said she does it habitually, as did her mother. I am not totally convinced because I haven't seen her do it when not bridled and will try out the Dr. Cook's bitless when it arrives just to see if it helps. I am too afraid to check for sharp teeth but will ask someone else to do so when I am there next. The bit clearly has no stopping power for her so bitless can't hurt anyway LOL!!
10 of us left Bukovec on a beautiful -1 C day. I was riding a different horse than planned so was a little nervous; I usually take Hory out but was on Suleika today. She has a habit of throwing her head incessantly that made me leery.
The ground was VERY hard and icy today. It looked normal but the horses were slipping and crunching through frozen mud layers in the first field. I've heard that sometimes people won't ride in this type of footing but apparently I am the only one : ) We even walked over an ice-sheet on a road by a parked car and a barking dog!
We did out first gallop up a nearby hill. WOW! Suleika was super fast! Then she frighted as we passed a hay rick and I learned how fast she she could go! (or so I thought : ) ) We screamed up the hill, clods of earth flying here and there and round to the left into the woods.
We had a lovely walk/trot through the woods, watching for animal tracks.
Then, chaos!
Barbora and Paola exited the woods first and inexplicably started to run off before all the horses were out. You know where this is going. To hell in a handbasket lol.
All I knew at the time was, my horse took off suddenly at a very fast gallop before I was ready. I was still fiddling with my whip and the reins when she started running so I just grabbed mane and hit the ol' half seat.
Before us was a HUGE flat field heading very far into the distance. wow, it went by so fast lol.
Suleika stretched out, got low and blistered the grasses as she tore like a demon heading for the front of the pack. I heard a scream behind me and tried to stop but NO BRAKES! The wind was whistling by and the ground a blur as she galloped, desperate to reach the horses who were well in front of us. Oh my god! I was terrified! I have never ever gone so fast! I just hoped she wouldn't trip and kill us both at that speed!
Then I see a riderless horse out of the corner of my eye and another thud as someone else fell. I was yelling to the girls ahead but of course they couldn't hear me. Suleika caught up just as a small rise turned into a steep downhill field. Yes, I tried the pulley rein but she just went sideways.
The other horses had at last stopped so Suleika suddenly realized she could too. sigh. 3 riderless horses galloped towards us, stirrups swinging. We saw a dark, immobile mound in the far distance, at the very beginning of the field. We jumped down to try to catch the loose horses, which was easy. Barbora tried to figure out whose horse was empty and where was everyone. She rode back to the dark mound while the rest of us stood around calming our very excited mounts. One girl was near tears and another was white as a sheet!
After a long while, we saw the dark mound move and sit, than stand up. Then 2 people began to walk slowly away, toward the nearsest Chalupa ( a small traditional country house) Barbi came back and told us that Roderika had fallen, apparently directly on her head! LUCKILY she was wearing a helmet, which had cracked and was broken. Slavo had heroically leapt from his horse when he saw from the corner of his eye that she fell. His horse ran off to join the others as he knelt by the injured Roderika. Her eyes were glassy and she just stared straight ahead without speaking. Ony when Barbi came and was yelling at her horse to stand still did she focus. She was vomiting and didn't know where she was. very very scary for Slavo.
So, Slavo walked Roderika to the chalupa so a car could take her to the hospital. We walked our horses, 2 people walking 2 horses each, also to the chalupa, where back up riders were called. The 3rd fallen rider was Martina, whose horse was cut off by one of the fleeing riderless horses and stopped suddenly, causing her to fall. She was fine, albeit a little dirty : ).
The back up riders came and we all re-mounted, excitedly talking about the heroism of Slavo! The horses were very nervous and high-strung and I was terrified that we would end up on some more unplanned gallops home. It was still a long way back. Miraculously, Barbora decided that to walk the whole way back was best. So walk we did, whispering calming words to the horses. I practiced the deeeep seat and slow breathing I have learned on some other blogs to great effect!
It got very cold on the way home because we were only walking but I was thanking my lucky stars when the barn came into sight!
phew!
We visited Roderika in the hospital yesterday and she is fine-ish. Just a bad concussion. She had a brain scan and was staying for a couple of days for observation. She was still dizzy a day later. poor thing and had to cancel her trip to America. Thankfully she was wearing a helmet as not all people do at this barn!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
photos from the Trail ride to Branc
Here are some pics from the trail ride to Branc Castle from last sunday. This gives a good idea of the landscape anyway. The link takes you to the description...sadly no pics of the mud beasts we turned into after the final gallop home : )
Friday, February 11, 2011
Saddle Fitting
The saddle fitters from Prestige Saddles came out to the barn last night; they brought 6 different saddles! They were lined up on a low jumping pole, looking tantalizingly delicious!
(sorry about the dark pics but its very dark in the indoor, with lots of shadows and everyone seemed a little irritated with my pic taking so I was trying to rush : ))
I learned that the Michael Robert saddle is a brand version of their Golden Star (? I think, will have to ask again) and the Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum is a named version (with very slight differences) of the Paris model. This was good news, as I don't even follow show riders and so could not care less about named saddles. The non-name saddle versions were less expensive.
They left me 3 saddles to try: the Arezzo, which has HUGE blocks and is said to be preferred by novice riders, the Golden Star and the Archimede their cheapest (snort) saddle. Of course, they were very much trying to up-sell me, which I frankly hate, but what can you do. It was really good of them to explain about the name and non-name saddles.
He had a special tool which he used to take measurements of Semi's back and he made a template on some drawing paper.
He was very knowledgeable about fitting and gave us lots of pointers. They also do re-fitting if your horse changes muscle shape dramatically. he said many sport horses change their saddle fit twice a year, depending on their workload. They can do the re-fit in 48 hours and it is less than 100 euros.
I was advised strongly, by them and by another rider friend, to absolutely take the double calf leather as it has miraculous non-sliding properties and will keep you in the saddle but good. I will check it out as the saddles they left have a selection of different leathers....
These saddles are very Italian in that there is alot of 'style' to them with fancy white stitching, italian flag coloured leather keepers etc. I am more into plainness so I will see if I can get unadorned versions. I was laughing at the Michael Roberts as it was so very masculine looking. Somehow they have made sections of the leather look (to me anyway) like carbon fiber! A known man-pleaser! The saddle looked like a little black porsche! It was very smart but def not for me.
Hopefully my bank account has not caught wind of this as it will roll up tighter than a hedgehog when it hears about these prices : (
(sorry about the dark pics but its very dark in the indoor, with lots of shadows and everyone seemed a little irritated with my pic taking so I was trying to rush : ))
I learned that the Michael Robert saddle is a brand version of their Golden Star (? I think, will have to ask again) and the Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum is a named version (with very slight differences) of the Paris model. This was good news, as I don't even follow show riders and so could not care less about named saddles. The non-name saddle versions were less expensive.
They left me 3 saddles to try: the Arezzo, which has HUGE blocks and is said to be preferred by novice riders, the Golden Star and the Archimede their cheapest (snort) saddle. Of course, they were very much trying to up-sell me, which I frankly hate, but what can you do. It was really good of them to explain about the name and non-name saddles.
He had a special tool which he used to take measurements of Semi's back and he made a template on some drawing paper.
He was very knowledgeable about fitting and gave us lots of pointers. They also do re-fitting if your horse changes muscle shape dramatically. he said many sport horses change their saddle fit twice a year, depending on their workload. They can do the re-fit in 48 hours and it is less than 100 euros.
I was advised strongly, by them and by another rider friend, to absolutely take the double calf leather as it has miraculous non-sliding properties and will keep you in the saddle but good. I will check it out as the saddles they left have a selection of different leathers....
These saddles are very Italian in that there is alot of 'style' to them with fancy white stitching, italian flag coloured leather keepers etc. I am more into plainness so I will see if I can get unadorned versions. I was laughing at the Michael Roberts as it was so very masculine looking. Somehow they have made sections of the leather look (to me anyway) like carbon fiber! A known man-pleaser! The saddle looked like a little black porsche! It was very smart but def not for me.
Hopefully my bank account has not caught wind of this as it will roll up tighter than a hedgehog when it hears about these prices : (
Thursday, February 10, 2011
new bit: "no, thanks" Semi says.
I put the new bit in the new bridle I got for Sementa on Monday but she doesn't seem to like it. Its a jointed snaffle with the twirly lozenge (too technical? lol) in the middle. She spent the whole ride fussing about with her head and even my trainer, Silvia, said that she felt Semi didn't like it. Thinking that perhaps there were just too many changes at once, we tried it again Tuesday, just to be sure. Semi went much quieter in the bit but she was much heavier in the hand. Prior to this, she'd been wearing a borrowed Mexican style (cross-over the nose) bridle with a plain snaffle. I barely used my hands at all and communicated, albeit weakly : ), through my seat and legs. Tuesday, I actually had to pull on the reins several times and she wasn't bending.
This not bending has me a bit worried. I am concerned that my lack of skill is ruining her prior training. She used to bend so prettily into the turns and Tuesday she instead was very slab-like in the turns, like riding a motorcycle. no bend at all.
Silvia hopped on (she rides her also, to keep her tuned and trained) and said the same thing so I don't know...
I will put her back in the mexican bridle and old bit to see if that makes the difference. I have ordered a Dr. Cook's bitless bridle but it hasn't arrived yet; I am really looking forward to trying that out.
This not bending has me a bit worried. I am concerned that my lack of skill is ruining her prior training. She used to bend so prettily into the turns and Tuesday she instead was very slab-like in the turns, like riding a motorcycle. no bend at all.
Silvia hopped on (she rides her also, to keep her tuned and trained) and said the same thing so I don't know...
I will put her back in the mexican bridle and old bit to see if that makes the difference. I have ordered a Dr. Cook's bitless bridle but it hasn't arrived yet; I am really looking forward to trying that out.
Great movies to satisfy your horsey needs!
Yesterday's post had me thinking of the movies I CAN watch to satisfy my horsey needs without being afraid some poor horse will be suffering as part of the plot line. These mainly amount to ....drum roll......MEDIEVAL MOVIES! A genre dear to my heart; 2 years ago I studied Medieval History in Dublin and so I am a serious medieval nerd... I even do some medieval consulting work here in Slovakia, for your rare medieval research emergency lol!
Anyway, here are a few I've seen recently:
-Lord of the Rings: great scene near the beginning where Frodo is hiding and the black horses come walking by snorting and steaming in the night forest. awesome awesome scene! Lots of horseback chases! intense movie.
-LadyHawke: actors are on horseback for much of the movie. chases, runs through the forest etc. Also? Falcons! if anyone is into Falconry. silly movie.
-Sleepy Hollow (with Johnny Depp): another movie with great horse chases, supernatural black horses with the added benefit of haunted forests and crazy trees! scary (but not too scary) movie.
-The Brothers Grimm: speaking of crazy trees, this movie has an enchanted forest where the trees move around confusing travelers. so cool. plenty of horse action here also. silly movie.
That's all I can think off at the mo. Obviously, almost any medieval movie will have lots of horsey action, these are just the ones I've seen in the last year or so. If anyone has any recs, please, please share them....I think I will make a separate category for movie/tv/book recs.
Anyway, here are a few I've seen recently:
-Lord of the Rings: great scene near the beginning where Frodo is hiding and the black horses come walking by snorting and steaming in the night forest. awesome awesome scene! Lots of horseback chases! intense movie.
-LadyHawke: actors are on horseback for much of the movie. chases, runs through the forest etc. Also? Falcons! if anyone is into Falconry. silly movie.
-Sleepy Hollow (with Johnny Depp): another movie with great horse chases, supernatural black horses with the added benefit of haunted forests and crazy trees! scary (but not too scary) movie.
-The Brothers Grimm: speaking of crazy trees, this movie has an enchanted forest where the trees move around confusing travelers. so cool. plenty of horse action here also. silly movie.
That's all I can think off at the mo. Obviously, almost any medieval movie will have lots of horsey action, these are just the ones I've seen in the last year or so. If anyone has any recs, please, please share them....I think I will make a separate category for movie/tv/book recs.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Polo Kid and which horse-themed shows do you watch?
http://www.thepolokid.com/
This movie looks amazing! has anyone seen it? It also seems to be the extremely rare horse movie that doesn't feature some horrific scene of horse abuse or some heart-rending horse death. I can't watch/read hardly ANY horse-related movies/books/even cartoons (sigh) due to over intensity. Why can't these filmmakers calm down.....always going for the cheap, easy puppeteering. I guess drama is necessary but still...
I like the Saddle Club ok. except, of course, that its about 12 year old girls and I am 40. I like Horseland (cartoon) but I swear its sometimes so intense I can barely watch it. sad, I know....but there it is. The one where the horse falls down the cliff? OMG!! Def avoid if you have the LEAST sign of PMS lol, or you will get teary-eyed over this blasted cartoon.
This movie looks amazing! has anyone seen it? It also seems to be the extremely rare horse movie that doesn't feature some horrific scene of horse abuse or some heart-rending horse death. I can't watch/read hardly ANY horse-related movies/books/even cartoons (sigh) due to over intensity. Why can't these filmmakers calm down.....always going for the cheap, easy puppeteering. I guess drama is necessary but still...
I like the Saddle Club ok. except, of course, that its about 12 year old girls and I am 40. I like Horseland (cartoon) but I swear its sometimes so intense I can barely watch it. sad, I know....but there it is. The one where the horse falls down the cliff? OMG!! Def avoid if you have the LEAST sign of PMS lol, or you will get teary-eyed over this blasted cartoon.
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