Imagine Special Equestrians

03/22/2024

03/21/2024

To improve the position and forward aspect of your hands...

Imagine home base for your hands as a square in front of your saddle that is even with the width and height of your hips. Always keep your hands in the home-base square with the feeling that you are pushing a shopping cart forward.—Melissa Allen

🎨: Sandy Rabinowitz

03/21/2024

A recent article which asserted that Americans can’t breed good horses is getting lots of flak, and it should.

Part of the article (which, full disclosure, I haven’t seen), apparently was especially critical of USA OTTB mares, so I went onto the Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds site, and immediately found this mare, Kressa La Wrote.

https://www.pedigreequery.com/kressa+la+wrote

I haven’t seen her, but I can read. She ran 16 times, won just over $100,000. She is by a good stallion named Wrote, who was a grade 1 stakes winner.

So if I were looking for a mare to breed from, and most especially if I wanted an athletic mare with speed and a bit of grit, and if I wanted a cross-bred, either RID or some warmblood, this is exactly the sort of mare that would be on my radar screen.

American Thoroughbreds that are sound and tough enough to get through training, get to the track, and bring home checks tend to be tough and athletic. Racing is harder than most horse sports, and if a mare had what it took to race, she probably has the quality to breed from.

I have bought several mares that raced at Finger Lakes, and one of them, Rosie’s Girl, went on to become an advanced level event horse. Anyone who dismisses American Thoroughbreds has probably not ridden and competed many of them, the way I have.

Now look, I am not specifically endorsing this mare, but she has the record that tells me she could dig in, she is at a good price range, and there are all sorts of horses pretty close up in her pedigree who were VERY good.

My point is that of all the bargains out there, the most bang for the least buck, I can’t think how anyone can find as much class and quality as we see right here in our own back yard coming daily and weekly out of racing. Should we take precautions? Absolutely. Can just anyone retrain an OTTB? Probably not. But for a horse that is like that old Timex ad, “takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin” where will you find anything like our good Thoroughbreds?

03/21/2024

10/05/2023

10/04/2023

A little for you: Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical **emergencies,** due to the amount of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare.

As always, our favorite piece of advice is to consult your horse doctor directly for more information!

10/04/2023

Dear Cowgirl,

You can control very few things in life.

You cannot control how others feel about you and your decisions.
You cannot control other people’s happiness or their reaction to yours.
You cannot control the abuse or violence others inflict upon fellow humans.
You cannot control the sickness that attacks those you most care about.
You cannot control the weather, the past or the exact outcome of the future, no matter how hard you try.

But…

You can control the words you speak and the way you treat others.
You can control the amount of effort put into your passions and dedication to your goals.
You can control what you believe and how firm a stance you’ll take on those beliefs.
You can control how you allow yourself to be treated.
You can control how much respect you require from other people.
You can control how you speak to yourself in the quiet moments.

You can control how you decide to deal with the pain and knock-downs life hands out when you least expect it.

You can decide to admit defeat and acceptance.

Or you can stand up yet again, no matter the bone aching tiredness that lies inside you and smile.

Accept what you cannot change.

Breathe life into things you can, and find joy in knowing nothing is for sure except the beauty of this moment right now, and the unending and terrifying possibility of tomorrow and a chance to try again.
~ Adrian Brannan
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Always..always try again!
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Happy Saturday, friends!