So, thanks to OTB, I now have to come up with 10 honest things about myself that I’ve never shared before. The 10 things isn’t too tricky, but the “haven’t shared before” part might be. Sticking with tradition, I’m keeping it horsey (mostly)!

1. I’ve learned so much about horses and riding between blogging and owning my first horse. I was always a pretty good rider and knew a bit about horse care, but I always only knew the what. Now I’m learning the why. Of particular interest is horse anatomy and function, and how my own anatomy affects my riding.
2. I can relate just about any topic back to horses. Need an analogy or object lesson? I can always find one that’s horsey.
3. The worst horse day I ever had was in college while I was teaching a beginner hunter camp at my barn with my mom. I rode Penny before camp and was jumping, and she dumped me. The twit spooked at something and came to a sliding stop AFTER the jump. I landed flat on my back in front of  her, but was mainly just a little bruised. Then, in camp later that morning, an older rider lost her balance over a cross-rail in the same spot in the ring and fell off. She hurt  her back and we had to call an ambulance. So not fun. I know this stuff happens no matter how careful you are, but I felt sick for hours for having someone get hurt on  my watch.
4. I really hate getting dirty. Unless I’m in a barn. There I couldn’t care less. I’ve even been known to climb into a full manure spreader to retrieve toads or eat my lunch without bothering to wash my hands (that one’s for you OTB!). If it’s not horse-related dirt, I hate it and avoid it at all costs.
5. I had to work at my barn when I was 11 to pay off a vet bill because I almost killed one of the barn cats. I liked the cat, and decided to put him on a leash and walk him around. Relatively harmless, right? Except that I made a collar and leash out of bailing twine. He didn’t like it and managed to escape almost immediately. I couldn’t catch him to take it off, and later that night he got himself hung up in a tree! He ended up being fine and lived for many many years after that. But I was knocking down cobwebs and filling water buckets for months because of it. It was a silly kid thing, but I still feel bad about it!
6. I’m worried about what I will do with Ace and his winter coat this winter. Last winter, he had an abscess and was in early stages of training. Now, we’re working a lot harder. I plan to keep working and training this coming winter. Really, Ace will need to at least be trace clipped to combat the sweat. But, if he’s clipped  he needs a blanket. And I can’t put a blanket on him because the other horses will destroy it in 10 seconds flat. So I need to figure out how I can keep working him at the pace I want, but not have him get too hot and sweaty when it’s cold. It’s worrying me, despite the fact that its the middle of July. Advice welcome!
7. I love my horse to death, but sometimes I have to be good and put my hubby first. For instance, there is this awesome event at Pegasus tomorrow that I would love to go to. It’s a demonstration by Lew Sterrett called Sermon on the Mount, and it sounds amazing. However, tomorrow is one of the very few days out of the year I absolutely cannot do anything horsey. It’s our anniversary! Hubby says he doesn’t care, but I know it’s important that tomorrow is our day.
8. Things I just don’t get in the horse world: how to ride gaited horses, why on earth western pleasure is fun, and why it’s so difficult for people to accept preferences in training techniques and disciplines. It wouldn’t be so much fun if every horse person only did hunter/jumpers just because I thought it was the best discipline. I have zero interest in riding western pleasure. So what? If that’s what you love, then get to it! I do think there are some absolutes, like treating our horses with kindness and respect no matter what discipline or training method you subscribe to. How you go about that doesn’t matter so much.
9. My biggest fear right now is that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I bought Ace. Training-wise I’m not worried. Relationship-wise I’m  not worried. But his habits of getting hurt drive me nuts. I hope that I didn’t buy this falling apart horse who is going to have to be retired sooner rather than later.
10. My greatest joy is the way Ace looks at me. I can walk into the arena, and he immediately walks right up to me with his ears pricked and his eyes full of recognition. He very clearly says, “Hey there, it’s my human!” I like that we get along and have learned to trust each other.

If you haven’t done the 10 things yet, consider yourself tagged!

Or, in the case of the Lemonade Award that my dear blogger friend OnTheBit passed on to me, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” (I tend to prefer the “When life gives you lemons, stick ‘em down your shirt” version.)

At any rate, the Lemonade Award recognizes bloggers who maintain a positive and uplifting attitude on their sites.

This is one of the best awards I’ve gotten because staying positive is something I work hard to do, even when I don’t really want to. I firmly believe that we choose our attitudes. It also comes at a time when I really really need it. I’ve been feeling down and out of sorts lately, and getting this award when I don’t really feel like making lemonade encourages me to hang in there.

Here are some lemons that have been squeezed into lemonade lately:

• Ace had an abscess, but it gave us another way to get to know each other and to work on his problems with holding up his feet.
• I wrecked my car, but I was perfectly fine and now have a newer, more reliable vehicle.
• Smoke had to be put down, but he had a long full life and was loved by many.
• I may get stressed and have minor breakdowns occassionally, but I’ve got a good hubby and a sweet horse with broad shoulders to cry on.

I’m not into tearing people down to make a point, no matter how valid. And I really appreciate other bloggers who hold that standard as well. A few that immediately come to mind are

• Grey Horse Matters
• Freelance Riding Instructor
• A Horse Crazy American in Germany
• Behind the Bit
• Deanna Castro
• The Eventing Percheron
• Saving Argus
• Rising Rainbow

These are some fantastic blogs that if you aren’t reading, you definitely should be!

Sometimes horses get sick or old or injured and go on their own. But other times, we have to make the responsible, kind decision to euthanize. But how do you know when the time is right?

I grew up in a barn that averaged around 35 horses, and we lost quite a few for different reasons over the years. When I was 10, my mom bought the first horse she’d had in my lifetime just to have to put him down when he severely colicked six months later. I’ve treated injuries, watched breeding, and walked sedated horses until they went down to undergo a procedure. But today was the first time I’ve been with a horse at the end.

Some people don’t want to witness that event, but I wanted to be there for Classic – so she would have a familiar face – and for her owners – for support.

It was time for Classic. She knew it and we knew it. And everything was very peaceful. For the first time in a long time, she’s comfortable and at rest. It was planned ahead of time, so I was able to put my thoughts together ahead of time and write a tribute to Classic for my Ace’s blog. Please stop over there and read about this wonderful horse.

As a new horse owner myself, I’d like to think that Ace will live forever – especially in light of today’s events. But especially because of today, I know he won’t. And it helps to be prepared at least a little bit for how I would handle it if that day comes. Things you need to consider:

• what vet will you have out?
• where will you bury your horse and how will you make that happen? You may not be allowed to bury him or her on your property.
• do you want to be with your horse at the end? No vet will force you to be, but they’ll allow you if you want. Keep in mind that while many times it’s a peaceful process, sometimes horses will fight it and struggle. Can you handle it if that happens? What will provide the best closure for you?
• take pictures and videos of your horse throughout it’s life. You’ll be glad to have those down the road.
• write down special moments or things you want to remember about your horse.
• look into ways you can commemorate your horse, like having horse-hair jewelry made or getting a portrait painting or custom blanket or throw.
• if something would happen to your horse while you are out of town, who do you trust to make the judgements in your absence?
• Horses grieve too, and it’s important to let close buddies see the body so they know what is going on. Does your horse have a special friend or pasture buddies who need a chance to say goodbye?

Planning all of this ahead of time will make it a lot easier for you when that unfortunate day comes, whether it’s expected or unexpected.

Do you have any other recommendations or ideas to add to this? Please leave a comment and share.

The USA and Switzerland are tied for first, each with 12 total faults, followed by Sweden with 13. The US’s McLain Ward and Sapphire are tied for the invididual lead with Eric Lamaze and Hickstead of Canada.

The course was tough, with tight turns, tricky verticals, a water jump that gave horses trouble, and heights that had to all be at or close to the maximum. The US team handled the difficult course well. McLain went clean for the second time. Laura Kraut and Cedric were clear until the very last fence of the course after showing impressive athleticism. Will Simpson had 8 faults, one rail and one foot in the water, while Beezie Madden and Authentic had a rough go with a refusal, a rail, and 3 time faults. Their 11 faults are dropped in the team standings.

Round 1 Show Jumping Team Standings

1 Switzerland, 12 faults
1 USA, 12 faults
3 Sweden, 13 faults
4 Great Britain, 16 faults
4 Canada, 16 faults
6 Netherlands, 17 faults
6 Norway, 17 faults
8 Germany, 20 faults
8 Australia, 20 faults
10 Brazil, 25 faults
11 Mexico, 26 faults
12 Ukraine, 34 faults
13 Saudi Arabia, 38 faults
14 New Zealand, 45 faults
15 Hong Kong, 59 faults
16 China, 99 faults

Only the top 8 teams, including those tied for 8th, will move on to Round 2 of the team show jumping competition. Be sure to catch the team finals and medal winner tomorrow morning live on NBCOlympics.com (actual competition takes place Monday evening in Hong Kong).

Show Jumping Individual Standings

The top 50 riders will move on to Round 2.

1 McLain Ward, USA
1 Eric Lamaze, Canada
3 Rodrigo Pessoa, Brazil
4 Denis Lynch, Ireland
4 Jos Lansink, Belgium
7 Marc Houtzager, Netherlands
8 Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, Sweden
8 Stein Endresen, Norway
8 Christina Liebherr, Switzerland
8 Edwina Alexander, Australia
8 Niklaus Schurtenberger, Switzerland
13 Ben Maher, Great Britain
13 Steve Guerdat, Switzerland
15 Ramzy Al Duhami, Saudi Arabia
16 Angelique Hoorn, Netherlands
16 Tim Stockdale, Great Britain
16 Pius Schwizer, Switzerland
16 Will Simpson, USA
16 Matt Williams, Australia
16 Ian Millar, Canada
22 Patrick Lam, Hong Kong
22 Antonio Chedraui, Mexico
22 Nick Skelton, Great Britain
22 Laura Kraut, USA
26 Lotta Schultz, Sweden
26 Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Germany
26 Federico Fernandez, Mexico
29 Beezie Madden, USA
30 Kirk Webby, New Zealand
30 Bernardo Alves, Brazil

See complete results with scores and penalty details.

The Olympic show jumping competition will continue Monday evening in Hong Kong with Round 2. It will air live on NBCOlympics.com Monday, August 18 at 7:15 am or later on TV on Oxygen from 6:00-8:00 pm. NBC will post the video in their long-form rewind section after it airs live. Go to the Olympic equestrian video channel to watch show jumping online.

• How Show Jumping Works
• Online Olympic Equestrian Live Video Schedule
• Olympic Equestrian TV Coverage Schedule
• Daily Results and Recaps
• Additional Olympic coverage including rider profiles, news, discipline formats and rules, and details on Hong Kong facilities

But I’ve found that I can’t really disagree with him, and I’ve grown a very deep respect for him. If I hadn’t developed that already, I would now that I’ve read an online exclusive article he wrote regarding Eventing Lives in the Balance.

I’ve been waiting to hear from him on this topic, and Jim Wofford brings a highly-informed, horse-centric, and intimate view of what’s gone wrong with cross-country.

“It is clear in my mind: We now have an event that was designed by humans for humans rather than by humans for horses. Because of this, we have forced riders to cross the line between discipline and domination.”

Jim argues that our horses are equipped to make it through a cross-country round safely. He compares the cross-country phase to steeplechasing. In steeplechasing, he explains, horses are jumping fences of the same heights and at the same or greater speeds, and they aren’t experiencing the devastating rotational falls that are claiming the lives of horses and people in cross-country. Horses don’t want to fall. They are agile, and will do whatever it takes to stay on all four feet. This is why horses stay safe in steeplechasing despite large fences and speed. Horses with good balance and self carriage shouldn’t have any problem negotiating a cross-country course.

He also explains how the cross-country phase of three-day eventing hasn’t changed in 85 years. The course design isn’t that different, and the time requirement is the same.

So, just what is the problem with cross-country today?
The root of the current danger problems in cross country

Jim believes that horses are being asked to specialize more and more in the three phases, making them more dependent on their riders and losing their personal initiative. With the higher-level dressage movements and emphasis on collection, horses are depending on their riders for every cue and movement. With the technical fences in show jumping and even in parts of cross-country, riders are required to slow their horses and guide them to good spots through tricky combinations. And the result is that on the easier cross-country fences they are making up for lost time and relying on their horses to do the work. But the horses are so used to relying on the riders to adjust their strides and find their spots, that they aren’t taking care of themselves as well. They’ve lost their initiative.

I may not do eventing myself, but I’ve been riding my whole life and know enough about jumping and dressage to know that this is a valid theory. And it’s coming from a three time Olympian and horseman who knows this sport like no other.

The solution: initiative and self-carriage
I’m always advocating getting to the root of problems when we want to see change, and this might be what needs to change to make eventing safer. Jim suggests:

1. First of all, don’t even think of competing without competence. You are in this sport because you treasure the partnership the sport gives you with your horse. Work on your competence to the exclusion of any competitive desires. Bert de Némethy said, “A good feeling after the round is better than any ribbon.” That statement is as true today as the day he made it, over half a century ago.

2. When you are training, make sure to include daily exercises in initiative and self-carriage. If you cannot finish your dressage periods with quiet work on long, soft reins, you are not riding your horse in self-carriage. Regularly practice jumping gymnastics on a long or loose rein and remind your horse that he needs to, in Eric Smiley’s lovely phrase, “take ownership of the fence.” Jump small banks and ditches on loose reins and find steep slides and hill climbs where you can remind your horse how to adjust his own balance without your dictation. Make him proudly independent of you so that he understands his job so well you merely walk the course and then show him the way. Tell your horse what you want him to do, and then allow him to do it.

3. This last part might be a little bit my fault, and I apologize. Due to the recent increased importance of dressage and show jumping to the competitive outcome, I have stopped telling people to find a horse with the “look of eagles.” Horses who are successful in competition these days are extraordinary movers and powerful, careful show jumpers. But finding one who combines all this with the look of eagles is nearly impossible. Thus when we compromise, we must compromise on the horse’s movement, not on his agility. I now recognize that more than ever these are the qualities we need, qualities of the horse’s spirit. Certainly we need great movers and powerful jumpers, but above all we need a partner, not a slave. We need horses who are supremely courageous, fiercely independent and phenomenally agile.

Find such a horse and treasure him. Teach him that you will trust him with your life. Give him the education he will need, and then sit quietly while he does the job you have very skillfully and very patiently taught him. He won’t let you down. We owe all this and more to our horses. As Jackson Browne says, “There are lives in the balance.”

This is just a small portion of Jim Wofford’s analysis. I would strongly recommend taking some time to read his article, Eventing Lives in the Balance, for a detailed look at this issue and it’s potential solution.

As promised (although a little late), I’ve written a recap of the Small Business Unleashed internet marketing conference that I told you about a while ago. It’s all about Focusing on People at SBMU and you can read it on our company blog.

I was going to write a separate recap just for you and focus on the horse blog world. But, it’s a good article and I thought that you could read it over and then let me know what aspects of the conference most interest you. So, go read it on the SiteLogic Marketing Blog, and come back and ask questions! If there’s something you didn’t understand, or a concept you’d like to know more about, let me know. Once I’ve gotten your questions about online marketing, I’ll do a question and answer post and relate it specifically to the equine blogosphere. This could be a really fun session of sharing ideas and expertise with one another. I know we are all always struggling with ways to get more readers to our blog, to get them to comment, and to build awareness of equine issues.

So, ask whatever you want and I’ll share what I know from my experience as an internet marketer and what I learned at the conference!

Once you read about it, you’ll definitely want to plan to attend next year.

I left super early Thursday morning on a bus trip to New York City as a chaperone with a high school band and choir. We got home late Saturday night after a whirlwind tour, and Sunday afternoon I flew out for Houston for the Small Business Unleashed internet marketing conference I told you about a while ago.

So I’m here in Houston, Texas (enjoying warmth and green!) getting to know some awesome people and filling my head with lots of good information.

Once I get a chance, I’ll fill you in on…

• the mounted police I saw at work in NYC
• new blogging tips
• building a community around your website
• and the rest of the Unleashed conference

Happy blogging to all of you. I’ll be back to writing and commenting soon.

He offers some effective, easy-to-implement tips that will make a big difference in your blog traffic. I guarantee you are even doing some of them already!

Getting incoming links for your blog is one way to rank higher in the search engines as well as bring in more traffic. Additionally, the more links you get from “authoritative” sites, the better off you’ll be. Basically, an authoritative site is one that has lots of incoming links from other authoritative websites.

Use a blogging search engine and resource called Technorati to monitor your own authority as well as the number of links pointing to your horse blog. If you go to Technorati and search for your blog’s URL, you will get a list of all the sites that are linking to you, what page they are linking to, and what their authority is. It’s great fun to get involved in the community and watch the links come in and the authority go up.

If you have any questions about any of Mack’s 10 tips or about using Technorati, feel free to ask!

As I was walking with the volunteer coordinator at Pegasus Farms therapeutic riding facility a few weeks ago, I learned how they trained the horses to perform part of this commercial. I always wondered how they got the 22 horses (I didn’t count, I just figured they stayed true to 11 players for each team) to gallop up and halt together right at the line of scrimmage.

Missy (the volunteer coordinator) told me that a friend of hers was involved, so she had the inside scoop. Apparently, the trainers would put down a couple of long 2×4 boards out in a field with grain scattered on top. The horses, of course, would come running for food and stop in a nice straight line in order to dig in. Eventually, they were so used to the routine that they would gallop up and stop at the 2×4 with or without the food.

Pegasus has tried a similar trick this fall to teach the horses not to crowd the pasture gate. A semi-circle of gravel was laid down inside the gate for each pasture. When we turn the horses out for the night, we walk them across the gravel, onto the grass, turn them back facing the gate, and remove their halters to release them. Now, hungry horses anxious to come in for their morning grain will gallop up to the gate … but will stop in the grass right before the gravel. And they wait their turn. Pretty amazing.

I thought this was a phenomenal training trick, as I’ve spent years dealing with pushy mares (well, horses, but the mares are always the worst), crowding and fighting to be led in first. I know this is a pretty common issue for anyone with more than one horse in a field, so I really loved this simple training idea.

The keys to the success of this training trick are consistency and a recognizable boundary. Do it in the exact same way in the exact same place every time and your horse will learn. I can’t guarantee it will work for all horses, but it’s definitely worth a shot — for their safety and for yours.

Here are a few more of my favorite Budweiser horse commercials:

American Dream Budweiser Clydesdale Superbowl Commercial

Budweiser Horses Snow Fight Commercial

Riding Gloves

Warm Weather: Crochet-backed, leather (deerskin preffered)

These come in a variety of styles and a variety of colors. The better the leather, the better the glove. Some have elastic wrists and some have velcro; I prefer the elastic. It’s more comfortable and more flexible, plus they’re really easy to pull on and off.

• Crochet-backed leather riding gloves at Dover Saddlery >>

Cold Weather: Good Hands Thinsulate Leather Winter Gloves
These are by far the warmest, best-quality winter riding gloves. Fleece riding gloves tend to be popular buys, but they really aren’t that warm and even more importantly are big and bulky and interfere with your riding ability. The Good Hands leather gloves are fleece lined, water-resistant and warm while being thin enough to allow better riding. They are also very durable.

• Good Hands winter riding gloves at justforponies.com >>

Anything Ariat
Ariat is the top maker of riding boots for both English and Western riders. They make cowboy boots, paddock boots, tall boots, clogs, barn wear, and fashion wear among other apparel. I have their paddock boots and love them. They are on the pricey side, but hold up much better (and are more comfortable) than their less expensive counterparts. If you really want to make your horse-persons Christmas, go Ariat! Ariat boots are ergonomically designed and provide superior support and comfort. They really are in a class by themselves. I now ride in the Ariat Heritage and will never go back to another brand.

When it come to the boots, the sizes run similarly to most dress shoes (at least for women). I usually wear a 7.5 or 8 depending on brand or style in regular shoes, but definitely only needed the 7.5 in Ariat. Ariat boots and other products are available in many online stores and are also carried by Tractor Supply and Co.

• Ariat riding boots at Dover Saddlery >>
• View all Ariat boots, gloves, shirts, jackets, accessories and more at Ariat.com >>

Warm Winter Clothing
Us crazy horse people tend to go out in all weathers, and the most dedicated really know how to layer. Fleece is warm, soft, and comfortable and great for layering now that we’re getting into the cold season. Clothing made specifically for riding is better than a generic Eddie Bauer fleece, as its contours and flexiblities are designed specifically to flow comfortably with riding activity. Bulky clothing just gets in the way when working around horses.

• Riding fleece and layers at Dover Saddlery >>

Socks
Horseback riders can never get enough boot socks and warm socks. For English riders who typically ride in tall boots, it’s nice to have thin, knee-high socks specifically designed to go under boots. Nobody can see them, but we always know when we’re wearing cute socks.

• Boot socks at Dover Saddlery >>

Earlier post with Christmas gift ideas for horse people >>