New Web Format for Columbus Carriage Classic

Lucy Fur, Carriage Dog, Columbus Carriage Classic '09

thankfully no whiff of bunny, or carriage dog begone

It seems I am not alone in redesigning web sites this year! Nancy Osterhaus has taken over stewardship of the Columbus Carriage Classic and voila: a new web format ensues.

http://www.columbuscarriageclassic.com

It is a fine design, thoughtful, easy to navigate and very pretty. Congratulations CCC! Perusing the site, you will find some photos of the Serendipity team. Take a look at Whats New for a great photo of Pecos in action, Lucy makes an appearance [in the above photo] on Stabling and Accommodations and yours truly shows up in shots from the Picnic Class last year on a couple of others.

Serendipity wishes Nancy and her team the very best with Columbus Carriage Classic. It is a lovely show, always a pleasure to compete in and the first chance to see all our fellow competitors since the end of last year. The city of Columbus has produced dear friends like Ruben and Florence Franz and, of course, The Frey Family. The spit roasted pig is also a huge draw for us and makes the seven hour trip worth every mile.

See you in June, Columbus.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Olympian Examples of Grace

Watching the women's figure skating last night, I was inspired to write this blog. It is about competing. I often tell my 12 year old equestrian clients with ill fitting skin, that grace is not only about how you move, but why. When they lament, "That GIRL who is so pretty and skinny is gonna beat me; she always does!" I ask them if their heart is in it. Watching the girls last night, I thought that no one could beat the Japanese or Korean girls [I am not even going to attempt to get their names right, and you will see why in a bit]. They were the embodiment of the art of movement: lithe, winsome, powerful, charismatic, technically perfect.

Then Joannie Rochette of Canada stepped on the ice. This extraordinary young woman who lost her mother on Sunday to a heart attack in one of the most monumental events of her life skated last night with her entire being. She won that competition, despite placing third behind the more willowy, prettier, more technically correct girls above.

I don't follow figure skating, I don't know the names of the other competitors, but I will never forget Joannie Rochette. A shining example to us all that sometimes third place is the true winner. Joannie Rochette is going to inspire more little girls the way we can be proud of- without multi-gazillion dollar sponsorships, but with the grace in her heart.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Testing the Connection in Carriage Driving, Part Two

Yesterday is was hugs. Today it is talking. How do you talk to your horse while you are driving? My mentor, Bob Riley always told me to use a soft, quiet voice, "You see how big his ears are. He can hear you." Voice commands are a recognized aid in driving, but keep the volume down. Voice commands are a whole other blog. Today the talking we are discussing is body language.

Since we consider hugging our horses by using the reins and bit as an extension of our arms, we need to recognize the quality of the hug. How are we using our own body to communicate through the circuit of energy. How loud is our body's voice on the line? What are we actually saying? Are we dropping the call? Is there a disconnect somewhere along the line?

Begin by testing your own equipment. Support your hands and arms with your shoulders. Drop your center of gravity below your belly button. The strength that driving requires can be called upon from your core and transmitted to the horse through the reins like a voice on the telephone. If the communication of strength is coming from your hands, arms shoulders or back, it is like a voice in your horse's ear from a megaphone.

What is your body telling the horse? If you are tense, don't think for a minute that your horse doesn't hear it. Take several deep breaths, breathing like you really mean it. [Breathing deeply is your hug to your own body.] Tension in the line interrupts the flow of positive energy. Then test the individual components to eradicate the tension completely. Make your hands light, by supporting them with your shoulders. Help your shoulders do their job by sitting up straight with your spine and using your seat bones as the foundation of your body's communication circuit.

Circuit Breakers

You think you are giving your horse a good hug, you think your body is speaking softly, but the conversation still isn't going quite right. Check the circuit breakers. Check the whole line. Learn to look for breaks on the line.

Your horse won't settle in to his work, he is fractious. Are you fractious? Are you holding on to the reins for dear life? Are your hands light, held up with your arms which are in turn, supported by your shoulders? Is your center of gravity in your lap or your throat?

Your horse is behind the bit. Ask yourself, "Why?" Where are your hands? Are they in your lap? Where are your shoulders? Are they in your lap? Sit up. Open the line.

Your horse drops his shoulder through a turn. Are you dropping your shoulder? Are you pulling down on the turning rein, and/or throwing the supporting [outside] rein away? All of these instances point to a break in the connection of the flow of energy.

To keep the circuit of communication flowing, check all the junctions. How you hold the reins, how you hold and use your body will determine whether the cycle of communication travels effectively to the horse. Constantly check and maintain all your connections with your horse, your spouse, your children...ah, you get the idea.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blacker

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Testing the Connection in Carriage Driving, Part One

The reins and bit are the connection to communication with the horse in carriage driving, but there is a much larger network to consider: your own body. I always look at the connection starting in the right shoulder, passing down the right arm, through the right hand, down the reins, through the bit and up the left rein, hand, arm shoulder through the back and continuing the circuit. Keeping the connection viable requires attention to the transfer of the energy of communication.

Holding on to the reins for dear life is a communication, but not necessarily the type of communication you want with your driving horse. How do you know how to hold the reins? I always look for experiences that will illustrate the ideas I'm trying to convey. A little girl once gave me a hug. It was the best hug. Ever. She put her whole heart in it, she gracefully put her arms around me and gave me a hug she meant. Because she was nine, I doubt whether or not she had studied how she gave hugs or the science of hugging. But she left a mark on me. I decided that was how I wanted to give hugs and then translated that procedure into driving horses.

Hold the reins in your hands with grace and delicacy. Use the reins and bit as an extension of your upper body and hug the horse. Wrap him up in your embrace and put your whole heart into driving him. Make sure the embrace is as strong as you need to be, but as delicate as you can. Think about the best hug you've ever got and give that hug to the horse. Let your horse know that he can trust you and feel secure in your arms. Communicate your love of driving, love of horses, love of living through the whole circuit of communication, not just the reins.

Watch your horse respond to the communication. See how he becomes more beautiful. After I got a hug from a nine year old girl, several people asked me if I had changed my hair, lost weight or did something to look so good. Nope, I got a really good hug. And it showed. Do the same for your horse, your spouse, your children, your siblings, your friends. Test your connections.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

An Oldie But A Goodie

I met Priscilla and Ken while they were visiting Living History Farms on their Discover America tour in 1999. They had quit their jobs, bought an RV and took off on an odyssey of America. Harold Ault and I were participating in the picnic class at Harvest Moon Carriage Classic. Ken took our photo, Priscilla sampled my cucumber sandwiches, scones and lemon curd and they turned it into a virtual postcard of their trip. I was so impressed with their idea and love the postcard. The superlative style of the card and attention to detail, right down to the wild rose stamp are worth sharing again.

Take a look:

http://www.postcardsfrom.com/t1/990928.html

Life is a journey and some people travel it well. I'm glad I had the chance to meet this wonderful couple along the way.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Classic Bud Ad

Here is one of my favorite Budweiser adverts. The look on the donkey's face in his 'interview' is priceless. Enjoy...

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Tandem and Trotters

New York Times Review of the Society Horse Show at Madison Square Gardens, 1892

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C0CE5D61E39E033A2575AC1A9679D94639ED7CF

This is a wow critique of society, fashion, young people, and horses from the NYT Archives. It has considerable humor, a good dose of cheekiness and a perspicacious review of the classes and horses of this event. The vernacular of the late 19th century never fails to esteem itself. The comparison of Hackneys' high knee action to that of the more comfortable Kentucky horses [to become the American Saddlebred] is a harbinger. Fascinating how that style of horse with flashy movement comes into and out of fashion, and reinvents throughout history, and seems to be, in one form or another, what catches the eye and imagination of all judges of fine horseflesh.

And I just couldn't resist writing: dwarf hackneys and midgits- as the article refers to the ponies. Lest you bombard me for discriminatory remarks, read the article to find why I am so delighted by this description. Ah, I heart the NYTA.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Barnyard Remedies

Throughout the years, I have had the great privilege of coming into contact with old horsemen and their home remedies for various equine maladies. I've put together some of them and will add more to future blogs as I discover where I put all of them.

Abscesses and Open Wounds

The very best and cheapest way to treat an abscess or an open wound is sugar. Sugar is a natural antiseptic, it breaks down the cell walls of bacteria, killing it. Honey and salt work the same way, but honey is expensive and salt can sometimes burn the skin and hair follicles.

For an abscess mix sugar and water, draw into a syringe and squirt it directly into the hole. If you feel the need to 'plug' the hole, use a mix of petroleum jelly and sugar.

For open wounds, my own spin on the subject is: if the wound looks like hamburger, put 'ketsup' on it. This particular recipe doesn't work for burgers, though, it is a mix of sugar and iodine- the consistency of ketsup. Slather liberally on the wound, wrap/dress it and replace the dressing every other day. [Harold Ault uses disposable diapers for dressing, another neat tip.] When the wound heals, there will be no trace of injury.

I have personally avoided many hundreds of dollars in vet bills with sugar and iodine. Sometimes it takes guts to treat a wound yourself, but after the first time, you won't hesitate to reach for the sugar. If, however, you are in any doubt, call your vet. And speaking of the vet, it is always a good idea to ask for an extra tube of Bute and Banamine to have on hand with an understanding of how and when to use them. Then store them next to the sugar and iodine.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Horse Training, Riding, Carriage Driving Treasure Map

"I never thought of it like that!"

"Why didn't my last trainer tell me about this?"

"I wish someone had taught me this years ago."

These are some of the things I've heard from my clients over the years. Training horses and people in the arts of riding and carriage driving is a passion for me. One that has required many hours of watching horses and people go in circles, looking for the subtlest of clues, both negative and positive to polish and hone my own skills as well as theirs. The rewards of which have come by accident and sagacity, trial and error. It is always a treasure hunt.

Finding the hidden treasure within a horse or a person is worth all the painstaking effort it requires. The moment the timid horse believes he can do it, when the rider or whip suddenly makes sense of what she is doing, and the click when it falls into place for them both is a heady elixir. I have been privileged over the years to be a party to these gems many times.

The map to these cache moments isn't always as clear as I'd like it to be; sometimes the directions are vague. Sometimes the landmarks aren't where I expected them, or they are rather less like landmarks and more like hallmarks-so small as to be almost imperceptible. Half halts are notoriously ambiguous, so, as it seems, are twenty meter circles and halt at 'X'. Often the navigating takes more deciphering than the training. Even when the direction is a circle.

Riding or driving a circle depends on the ability to understand straight lines. A minimum of two straight lines, in fact, intersecting in the middle of the desired circle. Silly, everyone knows that, right? Well, I'll tell you who doesn't know that [I know, I promised no names]- the horse. Yes, well, Ace knows that, but that is another blog. Every circle, every equitation pattern, every dressage test, every cones course, every lesson has a map, a diagram, a plan. It is your responsibility to read it, understand it, follow it as your best guess allows.

Training the horse, rider or whip is no different to following an ancient treasure map. Every step along the way asks a question. Am I going the correct direction? Am I leading this expedition to success? Am I missing a clue? Am I being clear, consistent in my directives? The measure of value is in answering the questions, interpreting the clues, and discovering riches beyond silver and gold.

I wish someone had told me that 20 years ago...

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serndipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Carriage Museum of America

It is worth a blog to note the Carriage Museum of America's website:

http://www.carriagemuseumlibrary.org/

Visit for information on carriage types, manufacturers, resources, a fine collection of archived articles relating to, but not limited to: rain aprons, foot warmers and accessories, and absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about copal, an ingredient in coach varnish found predominantly in trees on the Zanzibar coast.

The site has an elegant presentation of articles from The Hub and Carriage Driving Monthly that provide superb insights to all matters carriage. This is a site to bookmark and return to, because one visit is not enough. There is so much information it is a little overwhelming. Eighteen pages devoted to copal seemed indulgent, but skimming over it. I found it worthy of a more detailed look. If it is detail you are searching for, try sixty two pages on the evolution of the trap.

I detect the stamp of Susan Green all over this site. Ms. Green is nothing if not thorough [her book on driving tandem is a mere 362 pages]. No detail is left out, and some very interesting segues are included not only within the site, but within the archived articles as well. Perusing through it is an excellent way to spend a snowy day.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

To Ace and Pecos, With Love

Yesterday was a really tough day in the life of this blogger. I was fighting so many battles at once and being repeatedly wounded. I retreated to the barn and found more problems. It all seemed too much to bear. I thought of Belle Beach and her teaching and tried to 'ride' above the problems.

My adorable little lesson girls arrived and we got Ace and Pecos ready for the task at hand. Somehow the channeling of Belle Beach gave me the power to make it work. Ace settled back into routine and was being his brilliant babysitter self. I told his rider to ask him to get up on the bit by shortening her reins, moving her legs back and squeezing him up to his elegant self. Pecos was going clockwise with his head off to the left. I told his little rider to bring her right leg back and tap him on his side to move his body to the left and his head over to the right. Both girls worked hard with these new concepts and both horses responded beautifully.

My third poppet [5 years old] rode Ace [who returned to default babysitter] with the beginning of form of a great rider. I could see her processing multiple step directives: eyes up, legs back, hands quiet, rhythm, and making adjustments to each without being prompted. Pecos recovered from the terrifying hoodie malfunction of his winter duds to be a rock steady therapy mount.

The difficulties of the day still permeated and dogged my life, but when I finally gave up for the day, my last thought before falling asleep was of my two beautiful boys: Ace with his reassuring cuddles, Pecos with his constant struggle between duty and fear. They are a constant example to me about why it is necessary to keep on fighting. They are the best reason to do so. Accidental sagacity for yesterday: look for answers in your own reflection mirrored in the eyes of the horses.

Thank you Ace. Thank you Pecos. With All My Love.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Another Historical Horsewoman

Continuing in my current fascination for historical horsewomen, I found, in a reference to the equine Belle Beach, a link to a woman of the same name, for whom the mare might have been nicknamed. Ms. Belle Beach was herself well bred and educated, a superb horsewoman of considerable repute. She taught riding and driving to students and showed horses for the likes of Astors and Vanderbuilt's. She was called the greatest equestrienne of the time, and indeed there is a record of Tom Bass' defeat by Belle Beach in a show in Kansas City in 1904. But, by all accounts Ms. Beach was very private and little by way of details is recorded of her life.

In 1912, Ms. Beach published the book, Riding and Driving for Women. It is mysteriously inscribed: "To My Friend, Without whose help this book could not have been." The book itself is perfectly suited to its target market- women-during a time in history when the roles of such a market were being redefined. Ms. Beach tells her feminine readers that if they are expecting to hunt, they should be expecting no special favors from the men, as they might otherwise in the drawing room.

The power and grace of her prose is no less a portrait of her skill as a horsewoman than the photos that illustrate her fine treatise on equestrienne form. Nearly one hundred years later, her words still have relevance and serve as an inspiration to me...

"That which takes but a moment to tell has taken me years to learn; learned as a pupil; learned as a teacher; learned by observation; learned by exhibition; by many a triumph, by many a heart-break; much of it a pleasure, much a hard task, but all of it repaid by my comrades through it all- the horses."

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Tom Bass, Greatest Horseman Ever

Years ago, a friend gave me a copy of Tom Bass, Black Horseman, the story of the American Saddle Horse's famous trainer, the son of a slave girl and a plantation owner's son. It is an elegant rendering of slavery, emancipation, and the history of the emerging breed of American Saddlebreds and the reign of one of the breeds most notable trainers. It begins:

"In the East, it is said that those who are born in the shadow of God can fashion their kingdoms from a dream; a special people, they walk among animals as brothers. Such a person was Tom Bass."

Bass was a fine horseman from an early age; my favorite story involved a nine year old Tom and a belligerent old mule, Mr. Potts, whom Tom gaited and trained to canter backwards. Seeing Tom's gift with the mule, his white father also saw dollar signs and began buying up pedigreed renegades at the local sale barn for Tom to rehabilitate.

"There had been rumors, of course, that some mythical colored boy somewhere was training mules to canter backwards and making well mannered horses out of bad ones..."

If this book only told the stories of the killer, outlaw horses Tom Bass gentled, it would not be long enough. Each story is told with an acknowledgement to the horse as well as the man's simple, perfect genius. It would be enough to bask in the triumphs of those horses and the young trainer, but the task of making history was still to be told.

Since Bass was a black man, despite his blue-blooded father's pedigree, he was prevented from showing the high class Saddle Horses he trained. Until, as his father had done, the money signs began to appear to savvy businessmen in the business of selling high class Saddle Horses. It came down to a black mare, whom only Bass could handle, with a beauty that was impossible to deny.

On the day of the show, no incident occurred because all the local trainers heard there was a crazy horse entered and they were more than pleased that Bass was the one in charge of her. Talent trumped race. Still Bass was nervous and the performance of the mare was being compromised as a result. And Bass knew it.

"Good Lord, boy," a voice said to Tom. "You have got to be fearless. You have got to be in control. Our people need your victories." The voice of his grandfather brought Bass' attention back to the mare, and she immediately responded with a performance none present would ever forget. On that historic day, a young boy on a "killer" black mare took on race and conquered his own fear.

Bill Downey's book of Bass' life is a constant triumph. He is as delicate and humble in telling Bass story as Bass was in living it. There is a great deal of humor, feel good first place wins and that tingling sensation that occurs when you come across something that is especially moving. As with all biographies there is loss: people you come to know through the pages come and go, great horses come, great horses go- Lou Chief, Miss Rex, Rex McDonald and the incomparable Belle Beach, who preceded Bass in death by only a few months.

I generally don't read biographies. I don't like them to end; I always feel like I've lost a friend. I really did not want this book to end; I could have read on and on about this great man. Tom Bass, Black Horseman is a really beautiful book about a really gifted man who loved horses and helped to shape history just as beautifully. I highly recommend it.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.