Weber Wins 8th National Championship

At the 2010 Live Oaks International: Chester Weber can even make driving cones in the rain sexy!

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Countdown to the Iowa Horse Fair

Tired, tired muscles- poor lethargic, winter weakened things have been getting a workout this week. The body just can't keep up with the mind, which is so very excited about everything.

Iowa Horse Fair preparations are speeding up, since the date is rapidly approaching. I have made several summer weight, reversible lap aprons that I'm very proud of to put in the booth. I have acquired 6 horse related antique prints, the rare and out of print book list is coming along and when I get all the details sorted out, I will list them. Martha Stover is feverishly working on sample rain covers for the gig seat to promote her talents. Judy McClure of The Hat Shop is choosing a selection of superb men's hats, including a grey top hat, several Panamas, Fedoras and natty woolen News Boy Caps to place on consignment.

And you're hearing it here first: Harold is placing some antique furniture on consignment! I am most excited about this, not only will it make the booth look marvelous, he is going to actually sell something. What was that noise? Dear readers' jaws dropping on the desk? Probably. One of the best pieces he said I could take [which I loaded into the horse trailer and packed other things in back of as fast as my aforementioned tired muscles could before he changed his mind] is an antique toboggan. Harold's take on it is that someone took the runners off a full sized sleigh, fashioned a long toboggan seat and attached pony thills, so the pony could pull the children around. Unfortunately the thills [shafts] are missing, but you can see where they attached. It is soooooo sweet.

Harold has also lent me two antique glass display cabinets that I will put all of Judy's fabulous hats in, a few of the rarer books and a pair of carriage lamps that I took while Harold wasn't looking. I didn't steal them. Exactly. But, I am in possession of them and currently trying to persuade him to part with them. He did say, "Maybe."

Mark your calendars! April 10 & 11th, Varied Industry Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds. Come see the booty! Bring your checkbooks: carriage booths stocked like this don't happen very often!

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Spring and a New Carriage Driving Training Curriculum

Ahhhhh, Spring, you capricious, coquettish little season; so daintily you beguile woolly winter coated earth with promises of flowers and verdant views, albeit quick to retreat behind a contemptuous wind, or vainglorious snow storm. Who could be affronted for long, when the wind and snow shift hemispheres for fresh saps to freeze and your warm breath tickles the darling blossoms at your decolletage?

Oh, yeah, I got Spring bad. Which is good. Very good.

My new carriage training curriculum is really producing results. Just in a week, I can see substantial improvement in the horses. They are capable of more elasticity and suppleness than they were in months of training under my old regime. Their minds are much more eager, too. They seem to sense something is up with this new training model and I am seeing my excitement mirrored back to me.

Morgan horses always thrive on variety and I think they will merge seamlessly into the combined driving format. Now whether my mid-aged mind and body can relate so easily to the new paradigm stay tuned, but I am animate.

Hoping to take a leaf from the insatiable Morgan horses that I know and love, I must remain animate about all the projects I've agreed to take on this year and figure out how to fit in all this variety. The T Cart, the Horse Fair, the CDEs, Columbus Carriage Classic, Villa Louis' 30th Anniversary, and New Moon Carriage Classic. Stay in the Buggy! It won't be boring!

Go out and catch a bad dose of Spring!

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Trisomy Awareness Month

Michele, Don Pecos and Lucy welcome Morgan to his therapeutic riding lesson

Morgan came for his therapeutic riding lesson on Wednesday. We had two special treats: the weather was fine and Morgan's Dad, Mike came to watch. Michele was able to join us as Don Pecos's leader and everyone was in great form. Morgan was smiling and shifting his seat to encourage Don Pecos to extend the walk. Pecos obliged and Michele got a good workout, too.

I've talked about Morgan in the past, but as March is Trisomy Awareness month, I wanted to add some information about this condition. In Trisomy 18 there are three chromosome #18 instead of the usual two. It is a life threatening anomaly in which 90% of children born with it will not survive. Trisomy 18 is diagnosed in one in 3,000 births.

Morgan is in the 10% of children with Trisomy 18 who live past their first birthday. He has many other challenges including Type I Diabetes and epilepsy, but he is a living miracle and reason for the rest of us to marvel at the beauty of life, in all its incantations.

He has taught me many lessons and my life is a richer place because Morgan is in it. When he laughs, the world is a better place. When you look for joy in unlikely places, like Trisomy 18, you find even greater wonder.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Limerick to Dublin by Stagecoach

Limerick to Dublin by Stagecoach

Tim Malloy's film of George Bowman and family making a coaching run on the Molly Malone in Ireland. Post St. Pat's Day, this is a film of homage to our carriage driving history.

Congratulations, Tim and thank you for sharing your talent with us.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Some Very Exciting News

NEW MOON CARRIAGE CLASSIC

SEPTEMBER 18, 19, 2010

IOWA STATE FAIRGROUNDS

Well, we've done it: taken the plunge into the pleasure driving show arena, this time as organizers instead of exhibitors. Harold Ault and I are very excited about announcing this news. The New Moon Carriage Classic will offer the typical pleasure show classes: turnout, reinsmanship, working pleasure, gambler's choice, pick your route and fault obstacles. It will also offer training and preliminary dressage classes and a marathon vehicle division for those who normally show in combined driving events. Sadly, for Edward Cullen fans, there will be no vampires.

This is a gargantuan undertaking, but both Harold and I feel it is time. We both have experience in organizing large scale events and look forward to producing a top competition. The judges are hired, the classes defined, but we still have more details to confirm. There will be plenty of volunteer opportunities available and you will be hearing a lot more about this in the coming months as the needs are determined. If you would like to be involved, please let me know.

While I would rather continue to blog about exciting things like shows, horse fairs, driving pairs, my 2009 corporate taxes are staring derisively at me. Ouch. Must go. Hope you have a sublime day.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Fabulous Mens Hats

Oh, Gentlemen, let me tell you how much you need a hat and how badly you need to go see Judy McClure at the Hat Shop in Sherman Hill. Judy is sending a bunch of her stock with me to the Iowa Horse Fair and I couldn't be more tickled. The hats she has are of a quality that is hard to find, both in design and texture. Her shop, in the front of her 1895 Victorian house is a time machine and certifiably organic as real class always is. Judy is full of lovely temperament, easy charm and quiet gentility. And so are her hats. They are perfect for carriage driving- from informal to sporting to formal, Judy can fit a hat for it.

We were talking about what styles flattered what face types and or personalities and Judy told me that the hat could define a personality trait that the wearer might not have known they had. Mens hats are so much plainer than womens hats- or so I thought. I got an excellent education from Judy who showed me how a bigger brim completely changed the style of the hat. Or how the Italian interpretation of the hat completely differed from the English.

I was transfixed and picked out about 25 hats for the Horse Fair. I did tell Judy to scale it down if she wanted to, my eyes were so wide I just kept wanting more. So, I hope will gentlemen whips!

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

The Art of Sarah Lynn Richards

"Paragon" Image by Sarah Lynn Richards for Equitana USA, 1997

When I first saw "Paragon", Sarah Lynn Richards' painting for the 1997 Equitana poster, I was breathless. The image of a rearing horse was powerful and delicate at once. I was an instant fan.

Richards is a self taught artist and her watercolors are proof that her talent is inherent. A trained psychotherapist, Richards applies the art of analysis to her own art. She says, "When I struggle [with a painting], it is usually because I have not thoroughly gotten to know my subject." Her reference to painting as an 'expression of Self'' also gives a clue to her therapeutic roots.

Her artwork has hung in galleries such as the Portland Museum of Art and the Kentucky Derby Museum, and is popular for promotion of equine events all over the country. Described as feminine, yet powerful, with a strong emotive quality, Richards' work continues to take my breath away.

Richards' work can be viewed and purchased in Iowa at Apple Creek Gallery in Cedar Rapids and Northwood Gallery in Sioux City, or online at http://www.sarahrichards.com

"Peek" by Sarah Lynn Richards

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Dressage Short Film by Tim Malloy

More from Tim Malloy...I know. You're welcome...

Dressage from Tim Maloy on Vimeo.

[Ahhhhhhh...]

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendpity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Iowa Horse Fair Preparations

Work on the Iowa Horse Fair carriage driving exhibition and booth progresses, with some exciting developments.

Bob Nervig and I are working on the body awareness presentation and are both very excited about it. Bob will be driving Don Pecos demonstrating how the whip's performance effects the horse's performance. Don Pecos is really starting to understand the Big Picture and his attitude towards this is darling. Bless him.

The collection of rare and out of print books is coming along nicely. The fascinating thing about these books is the difference in the quality of the printing. You can order these books online, but it really is a crap shoot as to what you end up with when the post arrives. At the booth, you will be able to compare and contrast and choose between the same book, at different prices, which reflect the quality and rarity.

I am developing a relationship with a local 'haberdashiere' to provide mens and ladies hats, which is also very exciting. In the next week, I'll get together with her to organize what I feel will be a very nice collection of show hats.

My favorite carriage driving filmmaker, Tim Malloy is working with me to provide some of his outstanding DVDs for sale in the booth. Nothing can truly define carriage driving like Tim's films can. We are discussing the logistics of it and anyone who wants to weigh in on their desire to own any of Tim's glorious films would be most welcome. You can view shorts of Tim's films at: http://vimeo.com/5934478

The snow is melting. Spring and the Horse Fair will be here before we know it!

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Building Leg Aides Awareness

My mother reported to me at the weekend that she bought a horse. After breeding some of the finest horses in Morgandom for 30 years, my mother retired, moved to Arizona, [where, I'm sure my father thought was far enough away to cure her of the horse disease] and then decided she would learn how to ride a horse. She told me her new horse was trained with leg aides and that she'd have to learn this fast.

So, I thought I'd dedicate a blog to what seems to me as simple common sense, but which many people relate more to brain surgery. Leg aides can only be aptly applied if the rider has adopted the correct position of seat and legs first. There is a big difference between sitting on the saddle and sitting in it. If the rider uses the saddle like a chair, the backs of his legs will probably wrap along the sides of the horse with knees and feet pointing away from the horse's sides and heels pointed directly into the horse's sides. This is a compromise of balance for the rider, however it is how most people do it. By straddling the horse with the legs and feet, the hips form a "V" causing the seat to raise out of the saddle and the rider becoming top heavy.

To correct this position, you must sit in the saddle, bringing the inside of your knees to touch it, turning your toes parallel to the horse and dropping weight down into the stirrups. Think of your hips as an inverted "U" with your legs being straight under and not forming a horseshoe shape. To make sure your feet are directly beneath your seat, stand in your stirrups by straightening your knees. If you can't, your legs are too far forward. If you can, but your bum comes crashing back down in the saddle, your feet have moved too far forward as you stood. If you fall forward onto the horse's whithers, you are probably standing on your tip toes, not rising from your knees, or your feet are too far back. Keep practicing standing in your stirrups until you can keep your feet consistent and maintain your balance. When you have this, return your seat to the saddle, but wait, don't move your legs!

It takes a good deal of coordination and muscle memory, but it is the foundation of leg aides. Once you can do this at a halt, practice it at the walk. Your horse will wonder what the !@#$%^& you are doing, but ask him to be patient to help you and he usually will, as long as you aren't bumping him in the sides with your feet. Once you can master this incredibly odd looking exercise, try sitting and rising to a four beat tempo: up, down, up, down. This helps you polish your leg position.

Leg aides are direct and passive. The direct aide is applying pressure from your inner calf muscle on the horse's side either in front of the girth [to direct the horse's shoulder and front end] on the girth [to direct the horse's barrel] and behind the girth [to direct the horse's hind quarters]. When applying a direct aide, make sure your corresponding leg is giving a passive aid: not touching the horse, but in a position to help him identify with the corresponding direct aide.

Since your legs are attached to your seat which is attached to your torso, shoulders, neck and head, this is a team effort: leg aides require the whole body to be really successful. If you are turning to the right, turn your head, shoulders, upper body, your hip bones and your legs [left slightly forward of the girth but not touching the horse] right leg slightly back of the girth, also not touching the horse] to the right before you start pulling on the reins or giving any aides. Usually, the horse will just move under your body's position and turn to the right because that is the way you are facing. If you need to use an aide, touch the horse with your left leg slightly forward of the girth to move his shoulder into the turn, maintaining the passive position of your right leg. Horses are trained to move away from pressure for our convenience. Reverse the process turning to the left.

Riding with leg aides is the most satisfying aspect of horsemanship. The horse and rider appear to move as one unit, with grace and subtlety. It often seems as if the horse is reading the rider's mind, as the cues of legs, seat and hands are almost invisible. It takes a great deal of practice to develop muscle accommodation and consistency, but if you ride with balance, your horse will move with balance and the picture will be worth all thousand of my words.

[Good Luck, Mother!]

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Stay In The Buggy

Blogger as a young thing in frilly dress [my mother's futile attempt to turn me into a lady] with her Grandpa, Mimi the dog, Taffy the cat

I've been thinking about my Grandpa a lot recently. February 20 would have been his 103rd birthday. Regular readers of this blog may remember the above photo and will know how much Henry Schrader shaped my life. He was the horseman in the family and friend to all the animals. I could write an entire book based on my experiences with this great man, but if I was to name one thing that completely illustrated his influence, it would be his oft used phrase, "Stay in the buggy."

From a very young age, I have memories of Grandpa saying this. Even then, I understood it's meaning: Don't. Give. Up. "I can't catch that stupid pony!" Stay in the buggy. "I can't ride that stupid pony!" Stay in the buggy. "I'm tired!" Stay in the buggy. "I wanna go home!" Stay in the buggy. "I'm trying, why isn't this working?" Stay in the buggy.

There was never a trace of criticism, reproach or jeering, although Grandpa was capable of delivering each, gently and with great love. Stay in the buggy was Grandpa's cheer. It said it all. It was an affirmation of his love for me. It approved of my stubbornness. It guided my decisions. It fueled my passions. It is tattooed with hearts and roses on my psyche.

As I age, I still wonder what I'm supposed to do; how, when and why I'm supposed to do it. I still hear Grandpa's voice with the 40 year old answer. If there was a reason you logged on today, I hope you will find accidental sagacity when I wish for you to stay in the buggy.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

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Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.