Reinsmanship In Photos: Cadence and Extension

I've been spending a lot of time recently focused on cadence and reinsmanship.  Never did I expect it would be so hard to find a horse with superlative cadence.  This led me to many, many pictures of false extension as well.  I get really quite upset by these photos of top trainers in international competitions with world class horses exhibiting incorrect cadence and extension in the horses and poor posture and support in the whip.

"Isn't anyone else concerned with this?!?" I plead.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Or just nit picking.  Then along comes a barely 21 year old girl driving her lovely pony in the Welsh countryside.  And my hope is restored.

Meet Emily Ham and Jack [Crossfield Glory], a Section C Welsh stud. I know Ms. Ham and Jack only through the wonders of the internet, so it seems fair that I make full disclosure that I am operating on two possible theories of truth.  The first being that Ms. Ham has studied very astutely in her brief career on the box seat to be the best whip she can possibly be and that the Crossfield Stud has spent years developing a breeding program that has produced more than one superfly pony.  The other theory is that both Ms. Ham and Jack are freaks of nature, bestowed, by the Gods, with talent and ability found in less than 3% of the population, to thwart the rest of us.  Make your own assumptions...

Reinsmanship: Cadence And Extension by Emily Ham and Crossfield Glory

The only thing wrong with this photo is the lack of sunshine. [ Unless you live or have lived on the British Isles, and if so, you find nothing wrong because the more desirable 'not raining' is in effect.]  Pony: superlative frame, round, soft, cadence near enough perfect, hind end engagement beautiful.  Whip: posture impeccable, contact as soft as a breeze from heaven.  Ms. Ham is employing the altogether more effective style of one handed driving.  I'm old school and am glad this young woman is, too. One handed driving means more consistent contact for the horse, less over-steer and interference from the whip.

Ah...the sun!  Here Jack displays wonderful cadence in rhythm and length of stride, despite being a tad short of working trot.  I am going to guess that Ms. Ham is asking for a little less forward and a little more engagement.  But what is important to note is how she is doing that.  Her hands are not buried in her lap, her elbows aren't behind her tipped forward shoulder blades.  She is rocking back on her seat bones and lifting her hands.  The effect of this is to check the speed, lift the pony off the forehand and engage the hind quarters for more impulsion.  This is what I mean when I say the transition must be made from back to front.  If Ms. Ham lengthened the reins, Jack's forehand would extend and not his hind quarters.

Here is another remarkable example of back to front driving: Bend To The Left.  Jack is stepping into the bend with his near hind leg.  You can see his bend as his near hip has come closer to his near shoulder [also reflected in the wheels of the carriage: near wheels closer, off wheels farther apart.  Even the carriage is bending. So. Exciting.]  Wait, there's more!  He also has perfect support from his whip.  Ms. Ham's shoulders indicate the path of the bend: her left shoulder points to the center of the circle, her outside shoulder follows the circumference of the arc.  Sublime.  If I have ever told you to "use your shoulders", "bend the horse by turning the corner with him" This. Is. What. I. Mean.  Thank you, Ms. Ham.

This is extension.  Notice the symmetry of hind quarters: Jack's and Ms. Ham's- they are both rocked back on their bums.  This is a perfect photo to show how the horse's movement is mirrored in the whip. If Ms. Ham was tipped forward, off her seat bones, Jack's movement would be all front end and he would loose hind end engagement. [I know, I do it all the time with my horses, it is a battle I must fight to correct.]   Luckily for Jack, he has Ms. Ham and we have a standard of perfection: correct movement from behind creating breath taking movement on the front.  Balanced extension. [The red ribbons are first place in the UK.]

When I complimented Ms. Ham on her driving, she answered by saying she was lucky to have such an amazing pony.  Grace and humility.  Freak of Nature?  I think: Not. There is nothing not to love about this gifted young woman and her pony.  This is the standard we should all endeavor to achieve.

Lastly, thank you to Ann Ham for the photos, and for her continued belief and support of her daughter and Jack's career as an example to us all.

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

The Mermaid's Dad

As Beautifully As I Can

When I was a tween, my mother made me join the town swimming team.  There were a number of reasons why swim team was a complete torture for me.  Firstly, it took time away from riding horses.  Secondly, I have many confirmation faults that can not be disguised by a Speedo.  Standing next to the other lithe, long legged little mermaids on swim team, I felt like a troll with my high waist and thick thighs.  Lastly, while I can swim, I am not a fast swimmer.  Coupled with my fierce competitiveness, I felt like a failure of a troll.  My coach helped [unwittingly] heap insult to injury by assigning me to be the anchor of the B Team's Medley Race.

At every meet, after the beautiful, bronzed dolphin swimmers had completed the race, I stood at the edge of the pool, while my fellow troll teammate floundered through her laps of the butterfly stroke, before I dove in and swam my lengths.  All alone.  When I finished, I drug my rubber limbs from the pool and dove into the anonymity of my beach towel.

"Everyone went to the concession stand," I told myself.  "No one was watching."  Dripping hair about my face disguised the tears of humiliation.

After one particularly gruesome home swimming meet, I was trudging in flip flops, robed in beach towel back to the car, to get the You'll Just Have To Try Harder Lecture when one of the Mermaid's Dads stopped me.  "I just wanted to tell you that my favorite part of these swim meets is watching you in the Medley Relay.  You swim so beautifully."  I hope I remembered to thank him despite my tween stupor at his compliment.

When I climbed into the car, I burst into uncontrollable, convulsive sobs, so moved was I by this man's kindness.  Misunderstanding, my mother said, "Well, if you feel this strongly about it, I guess you don't have to go to swim team anymore."

"No!" I shrieked and those sobs choked out any form of explanation.  She let out one of her characteristic I'll Never Understand You Child Sighs and drove me home.

I finished the season in swim team, trying to swim as beautifully as I could in the medley relay for the Mermaid's Dad. The Troll Team never came close to winning a race, but we came third once.  As I climbed out of the pool, I heard cheering, lead by none other than The Mermaid's Dad.

He died too few years afterwards.  At his funeral, I promised him I would spend the rest of my life trying to do everything I could not do as well as others as beautifully as I could.

For the most part, I have kept my promise.  I try to walk and breathe as beautifully as I can.  I try to ride and drive horses as beautifully as I can.  Whether I can win or not, I try to compete as beautifully as I can.  And whenever I can, I give an awkward little girl a compliment from my heart: as the legacy of the Mermaid's Dad.

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Morning Dew Musings

My dew laced weather vane

A low mist hung in the corn under a lilac and rose pink sky this morning before the sun dawned.  The birds and the crickets were singing as I sipped a cup of Mocha Java, contemplating the day.  "Iowa," I mused.  "You can be so bewitching...Ouch!  Bloody Hell!"  Mosquitoes were biting chunks out of me.  That is how it goes: get too sentimental about Iowa and it bites you in the ass.  Literally.

Dawn is starting to sleep in as the kids go back to school.  Heavy dew drips from the corn and the infernal heat of summer is only an ember most days.  All the signs that Villa Louis Carriage Classic is right around the corner.

With the strength and conditioning phase of training over, Don Pecos and I are working on elasticity and form.  This is the most difficult part of the training curriculum, but also the most rewarding. I must convince the horse to repackage his strength from stamina into performance.  While Don Pecos never complains, he just 'pretends' that he doesn't 'get' it, perhaps with the hope that I will give up or the season will end.  But I know he has it inside.  I just have to get it out in two weeks for the show.  And before winter wraps us in her long, cold embrace.

Oh, Iowa...

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Fixing A Broken Trace

This is a neat video from ponyandcarrige.co.uk about carriage driving spares kit basics to get you home safely.  Great tutorial!

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

The Yorkshire (Carriage) Driving Club

I am so happy that  Mr & Mrs F C Greenwood of Halifax took the responsibility of getting out the moving picture camera and preserving this super footage for us.  There is so much to love about this. Especially because there is more: Part 2 tomorrow.

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

English V. Western

This is a very well done presentation of two disciplines.

Enjoy...

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

The Voice of God

The Grace of God: The Major General

I am not a church going person. I'm too sarcastic for organized religion. Intelligent design does not make sense to me. I like Buddhism a lot, but I'm too lazy to practice it. I think Jesus was a really cool guy, but as far as virgin birth goes, well, I'm not sold.

However, if you distill religion down into its basest denomination: belief, then I can be very devout. Some people believe they can hear the voice of God in music and I'll agree. I hear the voice of God through the horses.

Before you hit Unsubscribe, or label me a heretic, let me explain. In God's country you will usually find horses. If you own a horse or two or five, you will often need more money than God. When you have to say goodbye to them the final time, you will know God's will. See what I mean?

If you have a relationship with God, it might be guided by a pastor/priest/rabbi or other such spiritual leader. The horses are my spiritual leaders. All my greatest joys are as a result of their teaching. They carry me and my burdens of life with grace. I see a different world when I look at it in the reflection of their eyes. "When I bestride him, I soar."

[Wm. Shakespeare channeling the voice of God.]

Because I work so closely with horses, I can read them and sometimes even communicate with them. I open up my mind, heart and soul, ask the horses for help determining the solution and quite often, it comes. Sound crazy? "She's gone all Freaky Animal Communicator on us!" Imagine those words coming from your pastor/priest/rabbi/etc and replace 'God' for 'the horses'.

Teaching and training horses and their people is not a job to me. It is a calling. It is what I was born to do. It is not easy and God knows I'll never get rich doing it. But he also knows that is not why I do it. I'm not zealot material [ see paragraph one: too sarcastic & lazy], but I do my work religiously. There but for the grace of God go I.

I hope you can find the 'voice of God', however you define it, somewhere, today.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Accidental Sagacity: Adult Riders

"No hour in the saddle is wasted." Winston Churchill

The days of summer, although longer in the sun's perspective are always too short from mine. The warm weather has brought several new clients to the Serendipity riding lesson curriculum and I've seen accidental sagacity at work. These women all have the horse love gene and have been riding for years. They found Serendipity through a desire to be better riders for their horses. What they discover about themselves out of the saddle is an added bonus.

Self awareness is the foundation of a good rider. Balance in the saddle, mental focus and an understanding of form and function are so important and seldom taught in riding lessons. How often have you heard an instructor say, "Heels down!" with no explanation? The most common result of this instruction is to push the foot forward to drop the heel, compromising the leg position under the rider's seat. "Shoulders back!" seldom opens up the solar plexus to improve coordination and balance between the rider and the horse.

So often I see riders struggling with their own bodies while riding. Their ankles are over extended, lower legs in front of the girth, pelvis tipped backwards, spine at a forty five degree angle in front of their hips, shoulders collapsing on the rib cage, with the whole shebang compromising the function of the spine. Yet, they labor on because of the horse love gene. They say to me with legitimate concern, "My horse is really stiff on this side/direction." "My horse won't step out at the walk/trot." "My horse has trouble bending."

When they begin to understand how to use their body to accommodate the physics of movement and participate effectively, the horse 'magically' supples, steps out and bends. At the end of the lesson the horse looks at me and lets out a big sigh. The rider is ecstatic. Whenever I am confronted with this, my heart goes all a flutter and I fall in love with my own life's work all over again.

This week, I got the equivalent of a dozen roses and a box of chocolates from my work. One of these gals sent me an email saying she was practicing good posture all day long and she had grown an inch since her lesson. [I'll bet anything her friends will secretly surmise that she's had cosmetic surgery.] Another wanted to cancel a lesson because she had a really bad day at work, but didn't. She left the barn after her lesson smiling, relaxed and said, "Wow. I was having a bad day. Now it is a good day."

That is accidental sagacity on its finest form.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

How Does Turquoise Smell?

At the turn of the century, many pantries were painted in a horrible color of turquoise. Apparently, flies don't like the color. I don't like it either, unless it is the Mediterranean sea and I'm lying on a beach next to it. But, I like flies even less, so I set about finding a turquoise fly spray for the horses.

Because I am not a chemical engineer, I had to figure out a way to think about this challenge. My horses suffer all summer long from the flies and they can also suffer from the fly spray I put on them. The only commercially available fly sprays that really work for any length of time are petroleum distillate based. These fly sprays make my horses break out in palm sized hives. What to do?

Approaching a problem from any available angle is a hobby of mine. So, I linked turquoise with smell. I think turquoise smells like Vicks Vapor Rub. Guess what? So do flies. As Vicks is petroleum based, I need to cut it with an innocuous medium. Flies don't like vinegar either. Vinegar is a pale turquoise smell, add it to Vicks [put the tub in the microwave and melt it or buy the liquid, more expensive form if you don't want your kitchen smelling like a sick child] and you have a pretty good fly spray. To make it stick better, add a little original formula Dawn dish washing liquid, which is also, you got it: turquoise.

Yes, it smells awful at first. But when the flies buzz away, turquoise starts to smell pretty sweet.

Kind regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Swan Necked Morgans

Any one who has ever seen two horses reunited after several days apart knows exactly what I mean when I refer to a Swan Neck. They greet each other, necks extended and curled, heads together and you stand in awe. "I wish I could get them to do that when I am riding/driving/asking them to," you say to yourself. That is what I spend endless hours trying to achieve.

The above photo is a great illustration. Leo was a fantastic Morgan gelding I worked with and he is demonstrating the Swan Neck. You just don't take a horse out of the pasture and park him in front of the camera and get that photo. It took six months of training and conditioning. It is the result of self carriage that only comes from the ability to stretch the horse to his potential. Of course, the horse must be physically capable, but he must also be physically fit.

I have shown horses with out the Swan Neck, quite successfully. But the ones who had the Swan Neck stopped the show. And everyone else. In their tracks. Because these are the horses who are awesome. Cleo, the horse at the top of this blog won Concourse d'Elegance in her first show with that lovely Swan Neck.

What inspires the horse to give the Swan Neck? I think it is equal parts fitness and adoration. If you tell a horse he is brilliant, he believes you. The more you tell him, the more brilliant he becomes. When he achieves the fitness and adoration balance, he gives you the Swan Neck. You have to be the horse he greets after a brief separation. You have to inspire the beauty.

The dullness of a conditioning curriculum is broken when you see a glimmer of the Swan Neck materializing. Then, you know: this is it. Today, Don Pecos gave me 5 minutes of Swan Neck Perfection. It was absolutely and utterly sublime. I came home from the stables a walking cloud of dust and happy as the horses rolling in it. We're on, Folks. We're on.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

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

www.hossbiz.com

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

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.

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.

New and Improved Hossbiz.com

The birth of a new website! I had a client in London who told me renovating a house was like having a second child, you forget just how painful it was the first time. Ditto website design. This is the second website I have created on my own, the first with software that should have the warning label: "If you are over 31 years old, you will not be able to understand any of this. Go back to college and study Computer Science before opening this application or risk serious harm. Side effects include, but are not limited to: headaches, eye strain, immediate graying or loss of hair, panic attacks, dry mouth and heart palpitations."

But it is done now, and I am quite proud of it. Check it out:

www.hossbiz.com

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.