Buck the Movie

I finished reading The Faraway Horses a few weeks ago and was deeply moved by Buck Brannaman's life story. He overcame an abusive father to become one of the premier practitioners of natural horsemanship, learning from the Dorrance brothers and Ray Hunt.

Buck did clinics at Pierce College before I started learning to ride here, and, unfortunately, has not been back since I bought my boy (there haven't been any clinics here at the sinfully underutilized, taxpayer-built facility for about five years--ever since the school kicked out the boarders.) 

I feel fortunate that I was able to attend or watch a number of clinics here with the amazing Harry Whitney, but I would like to attend a clinic with Buck.

The next best thing is to see the wonderful documentary Buck, which opens in Los Angeles and New York tomorrow, and opens wider next week.  The film won the viewers' choice award at Sundance and when you watch it, you will understand just why.  It's not just about a relationship with horses, it is about all kinds of relationships.

I was lucky enough to attend a screening of the film on Tuesday night which had a Q & A with Buck after the film was over.  I was very surprised that I did not recognize a single face in the audience, but it was a benefit for Homeboy Industries, so the tickets cost a bit more than your typical night at the cinema--but not all that much more for a date these days.  My friend (and superior horsewoman) Melinda Snodgrass had come into town that afternoon and my newly horse-addicted niece Kristina was staying with us, so they got to come along with me.

I arranged to have Kristina take riding lessons while she was visiting.  She went to Ireland a few years ago and took a few there, and I got her to the barn last year when she came to see me compete on Jeopardy!.  This year, she was in California for three weeks and managed to get a lesson most of the days she was here.  Being tall (around 5'8"), weighing slightly more than the average feather (perfect for the working actress she is), and, as described in a recent review, "leggy", she has a much more perfect body for riding than her doting aunt (who thinks it is a good skill for Kristina to add to her acting resume.) 

Kristina immediately applied concepts from the film to her new skill.  She was able to describe how the two horses she was riding in lessons mirrored or responded to what she was doing in the saddle and on the ground with them.  I was very pleased.  I'm sorry she probably won't be able to take any more lessons until the next time she comes out to visit, but now she knows she can mount from the ground (oh those legs), post and sit a trot, and control a horse who decides it is time to take off (even though she hasn't actually learned the canter yet.)  She'd look spectacular in a dressage arena, but the one lesson in a western horse had her declare "I could sit this trot all day long."  That's how I feel about Ace's trot.


Melinda decided that her Lusitano stallion Vento would really enjoy the cow work that Buck does in his clinics with more advanced riders.  I'd love to watch that clinic.  If I were an advanced rider, I'd put Ace into one.  He has no fear, and an appropriate amount of curiosity, about cows, both from his early days in New Mexico with Melinda (who bred him) and when he was boarded at the college (which does still have an agriculture program, though most days it looks like it is being dismantled.)

In response to the Q&A, Buck said he's doing a clinic out here next year.  I'm staying alert to find out when that will be, because I'd love to attend it.

If you happen to live in Los Angeles, Buck Brannaman will be in attendance at the 7: 30 P.M. showing of the film on Friday, June 17, at the Landmark Theatre in the Westside Pavillion on Pico Boulevard and at both the 7:00 P.M. and 9:30 P.M. shows on Saturday, June 18 at the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood (which has reserved seating.)

If you don't live in L.A., you can check out this link for other places the film is playing.  Do not miss it.

How to Embarrass Your Horse

 From kind of pretty...

 To not so bad...

 To OMG....

 And what were you thinking?

It wasn't even Halloween. It was draft weekend at the Los Angeles County Fair. The poor paint's eye says "get...me...out...of...here."

Adventures of New Puppy

Friday was Ginger's visit to the vet, who pronounced her perfect in every way.  No kennel cough in evidence.  A weight gain of seven pounds.  Time for an adventure!

On Saturday, I took Ginger up to the barn to meet her really big brother, Ace.  She was appropriately apprehensive, unlike Dexter who thought the horses should respond to barking and play-bows by, well, playing.  Ginger had a rough and tumble time with Gayle's Aussie shepherd, Eli, even though she was on a lead.  After Ace finished his lesson, she got a chance to get a little bit closer.

Willie, a Haflinger, was less intimidating, so she got even closer.

I would call it a successful visit to the barn and she even got a lesson in walking on the leash from Gayle.

On Sunday, she had us in hysterics and reminded us of a poem we once heard Tim Curry read at the L.A. Public Library. The poem is from an anthology called Unleashed: Poems by Writers' Dogs.  This four line poem is called "Birch" and it is by Karen Shepherd.  Every dog owner I know understands this poem.

Are you going to eat that?
Are you going to eat that?
Are you going to eat that?
I'll eat that!

Our friend Lisa, subject of this display of dog cuteness, does volunteer work for a pet adoption charity, so she was not all bothered by having Ginger hover near by looking for a hand-out.

My Horse Story

I started this draft months ago. Life got in the way of the post.

Arlene, who writes the Gray Horse Matters blog, posted this meme which originally was sent to her on Facebook. I decided to play along for the benefit of all of the horse friends I've made through my blog. The rest of you, just talk among yourself. If anyone decides to play along, let us know.

1. How old were you when you first started riding?

Although I've been on horses a number of different times during my life, I took up riding as a serious hobby when I was 48.

2. First horse ridden:

Probably one at an amusement park when I was five. The same day I met Zippy the Chimp, who slobbered cheese on my hand (there's an 8mm movie somewhere.) The first one of the school horses I rode was probably Loblolly at Pierce College. I developed a relationship with an old guy named O.P. there before I got Ace.

3. First horse trotted on:

O.P., one of the Pierce College school horses.

4. First horse cantered on:

I'm still working on that! Actually, it's Ace. Often when it is his idea and not mine. I'm a big coward and speed still scares me.

5. First Horse fallen off of:

Ace.

6. Most recent horse fallen off of

Ace.

7. Most terrifying fall:

Not the one where I broke my arm, although that wasn't any fun. The one where the breath was knocked out of me two years ago and resulted in a bruise the size of Nebraska on my hip. Man that hurt, but not being able to breathe terrified me.

8. First horse jumped with:

That's not going to happen. Ace doesn't even like cavalletti very much.

9. First horse who ran away with you:

His name was Scooter and he belonged to my writer friend A.C. (Ann) Crispin. I thought I had gone 100 miles and he only went about three strides after he got bit by a monstrous horse fly.

10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:

My friend Lira's mare Lark, a huge Holsteiner with 24/360 PMS.

11. First horse shown :!)

Hasn't happened, since showing isn't my thing.

12. First horse to win a class with:

See 11.

13. Do you/have you taken lessons:

Several times a week, actually.

14. First horse you ever rode bareback:

Ace, on my own on day. I didn't fall off, but it was a dumb idea to do it for the first time when there was no one around and I clearly had no idea what I was doing.

15. First horse trail ridden with:

I did a trail ride back in college on Long Island and managed to stay on because I was too stupid to know I didn't know enough to be riding on a trail. I took another such ride for two hours in Yellowstone National Park a few years later. I was fine until the wrangler told us that the camera I had slung over my shoulder and under my arm was the most worthless thing I could be carrying. He was right, but in retrospect, I think riding without a helmet was even dumber.

16. Current Barn name:

Independence Ranch.

17. Do you ride English or western?:

I ride in a western saddle with an English attitude.

18. First Horse to place at a show with:

See 11.

19. Ever been to horse camp?:

No.

20. Ever been to a riding clinic?

Yes. I've been in a clinic with Harry Whitney several times. I've done Rod Bergen's bomb-proofing clinic lotts of times.

21. Ridden sidesaddle?

No.

22. First horse leased:

I skipped over the lease and went right to ownership.

23. Last Horse Leased:

See 22.

24. Highest ribbon in a show:

See 11.

25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?:

No.

26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?:

No.

27. Ever fallen off at a show

No, but I did at a clinic--I passed out in the saddle.

28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?: 29. Have you ever barrel raced?

No.

30. Ever done pole bending?:

Not really--I don't go that fast.

31. Favorite gait:

Sitting trot on my very smooth Arab.

32. Ever cantered bareback?:

No.

33. Have you ever done dressage?:

Working on it. The horse knows more than I do.

34. Have you ever evented?:

No.

35. Have you ever mucked a stall?:

Almost every day since I bought the horse.

36. Ever been bucked off?:

Nope, none of my falls has been that interesting.

37. Ever been on a horse that reared

Yes, and stayed on.

38. Horses or ponies.

Horses.

39. Do you wear a helmet?:

All the time.

40. What's the highest you've jumped:

A ground pole.

41. Have you ever ridden at night?:

Yes.

42. Do you watch horsey television shows?:

Absolutely.

43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?:

Broken arm.

44. Most falls in one lesson:

One.

45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?:

Yes.

46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?:

No.

47. Have you ever been bitten?:

Yes. Ace was a yearling and I was visiting my friend Melinda, who bred him. We were having a conversation outside of his stall. He took exception to being ignored and took a piece of my shirt and upper arm. Ouch. Melinda smacked him so quickly, I couldn't believe how fast she reacted. He never did that again, and I decided to buy him anyway three years later.

48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?:

Yes. Who hasn't?

49: Favorite riding moment:

The first time I cued Ace to the canter and we did a complete circle.

50. Most fun horse you've ridden:

Ace is a great deal of fun.

Helmets and Falls

Arlene over at Grey Horse Matters wrote an excellent post on helmets that was mostly appreciated by her readers. Unfortunately, a couple of posters seem to think that (1) there's no proof helmets prevent serious injury or (2) people who wear helmets engage in more risky behavior or (3) people who insist that others wear helmets are socialists, Nazis or worse.

I definitely belong to the wear a helmet every time you ride a horse club. I'm not so good about wearing a helmet when I'm around my horse on the ground, but I do tend to wear one when I'm dealing with a horse I don't know. If I wanted perfect hair, I'd find another hobby.

Where I work, the college way of safety requires the wearing of helmets whenever someone is handling the school horses. When there was boarding, the boarding agreement originally required the wearing of helmets, but, apparently because the barn manager's wife didn't want to wear one and some cowboys insisted that they shouldn't have to wear them, the requirement for adults was lifted if they signed a waiver. That was a stupid decision made by someone who doesn't know a damned thing about horses. There was also a requirement about footwear, but that too was released (probably because the barn manager's wife liked to ride in sneakers.)

Helmet rules at shows seem to depend on who is sponsoring the show. The western competitions are very helmet unfriendly. The English stuff tends to insist on helmets. While I tend to ride in my western saddle, I always wear my helmet. If I could find a western hat with a helmet inside, I'd buy one. They are hard to come by and generally expensive.

At my barn, no one goes on a horse without a helmet. The trainer is insistent, and she's absolutely right. When kids are trained that way, they think nothing of it and will continue to wear a helmet as they grow older.

I do remember taking trail rides in groups when I was in college or later, where helmets were not an option. These days, most string rentals require riders to wear a helmet or sign a waiver. When the string arrives from the stable in the Hollywood Hills down at the Mexican restaurant near the Equestrian Center, I always think about what kind of idiot drinks a couple of margaritas and then hops back on a horse without a helmet.

One of my instructors always says "the only person who never falls off a horse is one who never gets on a horse." I've fallen off more times than my 50-something body would prefer:

1. I slid off at the trot about 6 months after I got Ace in a well-dragged arena. Got up, dusted myself off, and determined that maybe the saddle (a very flat English saddle) was the wrong size for me and/or the horse.

2. I came off the horse to great damage when I was positioned to circle left and he caught something out of the corner of his eye, did the Arab squat and ducked out from under me to the right. I tried to stop the ground from coming up at me with my arm, because there were a number of items, including a mounting block, I was afraid I was going to hit (they'd been left there by the trainers for the handicapped riding program.) Result: broken ulna, dislocated radius, broken wrist (there's a name for it, but I can't remember what it is.) If I had tucked and rolled, I would have walked away. I was riding in a dressage saddle.

3. About a year after the broken arm, I was in a group lesson at the trot, another horse came up behind Ace and he took off at what must have been a buck, because I realized I was flying. I had enough time to think "relax, relax, relax" and came down quite limp, full bodied, like a snow angel. Got up, and got back on. The helmet definitely came into play in that one. I was riding in my western saddle, thus disproving my husband's theory that a western saddle is safer.

4. Two years later, I was in a clinic with Harry Whitney. We had a great day. All was well. We were in a group doing the last ride down the arena at a walk to a trot before finishing for the day. I was laughing and having a great time. That's the last thing I remember about being on Ace's back. Spectators said I simply slid out of the saddle and down the right side of the horse like a sack of potatoes. Apparently, I fainted in the saddle from the heat or a failure to hydrate. I definitely hit my head, because it was a while before I came out of it. The next thing I do remember was being asked my name, my horse's name, my birthday, Ace's birthday. Harry was on Ace's back, giving him a good workout, but it was clear to everyone that Ace had not a single thing to do with me coming out of the saddle. We did go to the hospital, and the decision was I might have a slight concussion but it was a good thing I was wearing my helmet. I had an MRI a few days later and all was clear. I actually went back and rode on the last day of the clinic. I was riding in my western saddle when this happened.

5. My last fall was two years ago. I was taking a lesson on a longe line and riding in my custom-built, English saddle. I lost my balance at the trot and my trainer says I just gave up trying to right myself. I flew off his back. In some ways, it was the most scary, because it knocked the wind out of me and I didn't think I would ever breathe again--longest few seconds of my life. I also gave myself such a bruise on my hip that I never thought the black and blue would go away. I hit my head when I landed, but the helmet definitely protected me there. Crushed foam, no concussion. Eventually, I was able to roll over, get up on my hands and knees, and finally sit on the mounting block. Everything hurt. The x-rays showed no broken bones, but the jolt kept me off the horse for a few weeks and I still can't bring myself to ride in my Schlesse saddle.

I do think about wearing a padded vest, even though I don't have any interest in jumping, but it gets really hot in L.A. But I would never get on my horse, or any other horse, without a helmet. I value my brain too much. Len would rather I keep Ace as a lawn ornament than as transportation, but I'm not willing to give up riding. It's a skill I might really need someday.

Jockeys at Santa Anita Race Track

When I was taking classes in the horse program with Ron Weschler at Pierce College we got a yearly class trip to Santa Anita race track and a tour of the private areas where horses are trained and housed. One of Ron's best friends (and team mates on the rodeo team) from his own days as a student at Pierce is a top trainer there, which is how we came to have the privilege.

We would meet at 6:30 a.m. at Clockers' Corner, which meant being in a car no later than about 5:30 on a Saturday morning in the spring in order to get to the race track, park, and hike to the entrance. Frequently, there would still be fog hugging the ground, and watching the horses materialize out of it as they took to the track was almost magical.

One time, I turned around and realized that Gary Stephens was standing just a few feet away. Another time, Bob Bafford came over to talk to our group. The photograph above was made in 2005, soon after I got my digital SLR. When I find the original, which is in color, I'll replace it. I never stayed for the actual races, but I really enjoyed watching the horses practice. Santa Anita is a beautiful park and the San Gabriel mountains are its natural backdrop.

I bring this all up because Animal Planet just ran a series called Jockeys which was shot during the Oak Tree session at Santa Anita last fall. I think it just finished running, but I'll bet it goes into repeats. A friend mentioned it to me and I managed to catch a few back-to-back episodes last Sunday and then I saw what appear to be the final episodes on Friday night. As far as reality shows go, it was really good. Of course, it has horses, which most of them lack. I don't know if there will be another season, but there should be.

There were about six jockeys that they spent most of their time on: two women and four men. But other jockeys, like the afore mentioned Mr. Stephens, and trainers like Mr. Bafford make appearances. So did Cigar, who failed to win a $3 million purse at the stakes. I did shout a lot while watching it--it is hard to watch things like horses rearing in the gate sending a jockey flying to the dirt--but the relationships were interesting and the number of different horses a jockey rides in a career is staggering. I do recommend it.

My friend Neil Gaiman, about whom I wrote recently, will be the guest on The Colbert Report tonight. Stephen Colbert is a comic book and science fiction geek, so I'm sure it will be a good show. I became a fan of Colbert's the night I saw him speaking Elvish to Conan O'Brien and realized he is nothing like the character he plays on The Colbert Report.

Horses in Our History

There's a fascinating article in today's Los Angeles Times about the domestication of horses, which indicates it goes back at least 1000 years longer than previously thought. Could be that Jean Auel had it right all along. (Ignoring it's soft-porn moments when a man arrives on the scene, it's got a wonderful relationship between woman and horse.)

Things You Will Never See Me Do on My Horse

Here's a few of the things we saw at the Festival of Horses the weekend before the Rose Parade in January. None of them are things I ever plan to do with Ace. In the image above, in a reenactment of a buffalo soldier activity, the rider laid down his horse to use as protection in a shoot-out (a particularly noisy activity in a covered arena.)

My poor sense of balance and my fear of heights would never allow me to stand up on my horse and swing a lasso around us both.


Trick riding at high speeds is something best left to young people who have no sense of their own mortality:
It's great fun to watch, but several of the riders hit the dust during the demonstrations. No one was hurt, since all of the riders got up and back on their horses. I'm not sure I would have done any of this when I was 12, even if I didn't have a fearful mother.

Why We Close Gates

For those of us who are into safety first with our horses, it can be a real annoyance to be with people who just don't get it. I'm trying to get past stupid things people do with their own horses--getting hurt that way is just evolution in action--but when they do things that might have an effect on others, it is still a problem.

I close and lock all gates through which I pass. At most of the places I've had Ace, this is a very important step because most of the places have been too close to roads where drivers aren't driving defensively. This is even in neighborhoods where it is apparent that horses and children on horses are present. It was a safety measure that was an important part of "the Pierce way" of safety.

After a number of months of being at Ace's current barn, I talked to the owner about the problem with people leaving the gate to the tack area open. I offered to buy a sign, but she got one and put it up. We're probably the only people who actually keep that gate closed, but it is important to do so, as one of the other borders learned yesterday. Fortunately, it wasn't as harsh a lesson as it might have been.

I got to the barn around noon. The electronic gate at the street is working again (it was damaged during the big winds we had more than a month ago), so I closed the gate behind me after I drove in and parked. Then I checked the arena gate, which is frequently left unchained by other borders, in case I decided to let Ace out to stretch his legs. After this many days of rain, he's anxious to kick up his heels, but I won't let him out unless there's no standing water and the footing doesn't appear to be too slippery. Across the street, at the first stable he lived in out here, there's a memorial plaque to a horse who broke her leg when turned out into a still-wet arena. I've watched horses slip and slide for a couple of yards in wet arenas. It is not pretty and my heart was in my throat.

I walked to the tack area and opened and closed the gate that lets me in and gives an extra layer of protection when horses are being fed or any other time their stall doors might be open. I decided to let Ace out while I cleaned and changed his water, so he was out in the arena and I didn't hear another border come in.

When I saw her, I noticed she had left the back gate open. Since Ace wasn't in his stall, it wasn't a problem for me. But I did notice she had her horse's stall door open and she was going back and forth between it and the tack room. I said hi, told her I wouldn't be there for much longer, and I'd bring Ace back in after I filled his water, if she wanted to turn her horse out. She said she'd only be there a short time, so, no, it wasn't necessary. I went back to cleaning the stall.

Then I heard a commotion. Ace was running back and forth along the run-side of the arena. I looked out on the run side of the stall and saw a big red horse in the parking lot. The gate to the street was wide open. The horse had slipped out, gone through the open gate on the tack side of the stalls, and was heading for god knows where. Fortunately, his owner managed to chase him to the corner away from the street and got the gate to the street closed. Ace continued to run madly as I saw my son (who had been in our car) walking along the far side of the arena, between the arena and the fence with the house next door. Michael was herding the other horse to the back of the property, where a second fence closed off the tack area. The border and her daughter headed past the door to Ace's stall to meet him from the other direction. They caught him and took him home. As she walked by, I said to her "and that's why we always close all of the gates behind us."

Michael was quite horrified by what could have happened. "Mom, here's all kinds of holes that the horse could have caught his foot in on that side of the arena. And a lot of other things he could have gotten hurt on." The holes are there to accommodate lights for the arena, which I fear will never be installed.

We used to have horses in the barn that could and would open gates, which was another reason to make sure that all gates were locked and chains were secured. Their owner was one of the other people who never closed gates. Unfortunately, the girlfriend and the daughter of our theoretical barn manager are also unwilling to close gates and will go out of their ways to open gates which have been closed for them. It's hard to say anything about that without worry of getting an eviction notice, I'm afraid.

Horses at the Getty Villa

About five years ago, our friend Sandy Cohen decided we all had too much stuff in our lives and began bestowing upon his friends "adventures" for the winter gift-giving festivals. We've gone to Descanso Gardens to see camellias, played in bumper cars for an afternoon (I missed that one, but Len and Michael had a great time), had a Pirate Adventure down in Anaheim, and solved a murder-mystery over dinner at the Marina. This year's adventure was an all-expense paid visit to the Getty Villa.

The Getty is the only museum I've ever been to that requires reservations for a regular visit. The Villa was the only Getty Museum for many years, but now most visitors to Los Angeles are familiar with the looming buildings which sit on top of a hill above the 405 freeway in Brentwood. The Villa is nestled in a canyon overlooking the Pacific Ocean between Santa Monica and Malibu--technically, it may well be in Malibu. The Villa houses ancient art and artifacts from Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, and Roman eras.

My first visit to the Getty Villa was either the first or second Christmas I spent in Los Angeles while I was attending law school. That was before the Villa and its surroundings were renovated (which happened after the big Getty center was opened.) We attended a reception for the new president of Case Western Reserve University at the Villa in the spring, so Len and I got a brief look at things then but we didn't bother with an organized tour. I'm a big fan of museum shops, but I remember being disappointed in the gift shop because there were no memorable horse items available.

This time, the gift shop window stopped me in my tracks because there were horses on display. I gave serious consideration to the statue of Perseus and Pegasus on the left in the photograph below. Medusa's head is hanging from something attached to the horse (we know it can't be a saddle, right?) The half-horse on the right was only one of several variations on that motif--I was very tempted by a bronze version with Athena and an owl on a chariot drawn by the half-horse.

I also saw a lovely Centaur, some variations on Cupid and Psyche, and Nike driving a two-horse chariot. I noted that the manufacturer is Pacific Giftware and I found an on-line store selling some of the pieces for less than at the Getty here. They are actually pretty reasonable in price, certainly a lot less than I paid for Aragorn riding Brego at the Black Gates from Sideshow.

The shop also had a number of wonderful books for sale. So many books, so little time. In the photograph you can see the Steven Saylor book Rome. I've read and enjoyed a number of the books in that series. I would also recommend John Maddox Robert's SPQR series which covers about the same time in Roman history. I picked up a book which studies mythological themes from a number of cultures, with the aim of discussing the universality of a number of them. It's interesting reading and a good review of gods and myth from around the world.

This time, there were also some nice pieces of jewelry, but $825 for a shell cameo and even $325 for a glass and silver cameo with horses were a bit more than I had in mind (and Len wasn't volunteering.) I did get a cheap gold-toned Pegasus, but I'm thinking of saving up for one of the cameos.

The Getty Villa is based on the Villa dei Paperi in Herculaneum. Apparently, it is smaller than the original, which makes one wonder exactly how big that one was. The Villa dei Paperi belonged to Julius Caesar's father-in-law and was burried under a deep layer of lava in 79 A.D. Unlike Pompei, it's harder to dig in Herculaneum, so all of the drawings of the Villa were done by people working underground. This is the pool, which looks toward the ocean. The original pool is something like 16 feet deep. While the plan was to replicate the pool, that depth would have required a life-guard at all times, so this pool is only 18" deep.

The gardens contain only vegetation known to the Romans. Our docent told us that if you look down, it's authentic. If you look up, you'll see non-native-to-Italy plants, because we are in Southern California. Below is the view from the far-end of the pool looking back to the two-story Villa.
The original also has a second story, but we were told that the stairs would have been very narrow. The covered walkways are painted and there are terra cota bas relief insets in the ceiling. A variety of marbles is used throughout the building on both floors and walls.
Since we'd been to the Villa only about six months ago, I decided to devote my visit to looking for horses in the artwork. I came upon a card which said "The horse, a symbol of wealth and status, figured prominently in ancient art. Owning a horse allowed a citizen to participate in social, civic, athletic, and military activities, including the cavalry. In athletic competition, chariot and horse racing were the most expensive and dangerous events and therefore the most prestigious. Ancient riders rode bareback, without stirrups or saddles." Athena created the bridle, however.

In a gallery of things horse, I saw these gold harness decorations.

Here is a bronze horse and rider. I imagined that it could be Alexander and Bucephalus (the first horse in Western history with a recorded name) but it was not so identified.

These bronzes look like Henry Moore could have cast them, they look so modern and abstract. Reproductions of similar pieces were available in the museum shop.
Here's a small group of clay horses. There was a tripod with horses at each of the points, but it was too dark to photograph and flash was not allowed.
Here is a bas relief in marble with horses.
This is from a Roman sarcophagus. The work is beautiful.
The panel on the Labors of Hercules included this bit of information. Why, I wondered, did they not show a mare in the drawing? It was like the day I saw the short on the MGM menagerie and couldn't help but notice that the "Gallant Bess" doing at liberty tricks was not "she."
Horses were a common motif on the amphorae and kraters at the museum. Holding the camera still long enough was hit-or-miss, since I only brought the point-and-shoot rather than the grown-up camera with more control. The relative size of people to horses seems to vary a great deal.
I can't imagine it is much fun for men to ride nekkid. Not particularly aesthetically pleasing, either.
We expected rain, since it had rained and was heavily over-cast in the San Fernando Valley when we left for the museum. That's the nice think about California: Don't like the weather? Drive a few miles. It was much nicer on the basin side of things, but as we left for home, the clouds looked like a new storm would be rolling in. That's the Santa Monica Pier in the photo below, as we drove past at about 50 m.p.h. and I held the camera up out the window. It's always a gamble when you do a "Hail Mary."
Once again, Sandy and his cohorts in this gift-giving put together a memorable day, including lunch, a guided tour, and dinner and games afterwards at Sandy's house. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with next year.

Pizza for the Horses Tonight at Shakey's

Horse and Pony Rescue Ranch, Inc. (HAPRRI) is having a benefit to help pay for the board and feed for several rescue horses, including Montana and baby Willow, about whom I've written earlier.

The benefit is tonight, October 22, at Shakey's Pizza, 10340 Reseda Boulevard in Northridge, California from 5:30 to 9:30.

I've got a flyer that I'm supposed to take with me for it, but I know that members of Family Equestrian Connection will be at the restaurant before I can get there with flyers for people who show up. I'm pretty sure that HAPRRI gets a percentage of the sales during the evening.

If you happen to be in the neighborhood (and I know some of the folks who read my blog are in the neighborhood), please drop on by to support the horses. Ask for a flyer from the folks who are handing them out and say I sent you.

Thanks!

Molly and Willow Get a New Home

I'm taking a class in multimedia storytelling which is supposed to teach me how to use Final Cut Pro, Sound Slides, Flash and DreamWeaver. So far, I'm not totally getting Final Cut Pro, which tells me I should sign up for the class which is dedicated to FCP in the Spring. Or I need to go out and buy a good book. Or I need to have my friend Becky, the professional film editor (she worked on Spider-man 2 & 3, a couple of the X-men films, and a whole lot more), come by with her equipment to give me lessons. The first project is due next week and I'm on shaky ground with the technology, I'm afraid.

I did go out and shoot my first story for the Sound Slide presentation. My group is doing a multimedia package on the impact of the economy, and, as I've mentioned before, I'm looking to cover animals being neglected and losing their owners.

My trainer Gayle started a 501(c)(3) horse rescue charity many years ago called Horse and Pony Rescue, Inc. (H.A.P.R.I.) They got a call about some badly neglected horses a couple of weeks ago and one of Gayle's other students, Scott, decided to take on a thoroughbred mare and her three month old filly. Molly--whose name has now been changed to Montana--and Willow arrived at Davis Ranch on Saturday. The filly is beautiful, despite having caught her leg in something at the place from which they were rescued. The mare is emaciated, but in much better shape than she had been when first rescued about a month ago. The interim holding ranch managed to put about two hundred pounds on her, but there's a long way to go.This is what Molly/Montana's backbone and ribs looked like when she arrived on Saturday, after two weeks of good food. She was giving everything she had to feed her baby. Apparently, the place that owned her was feeding the horses Pig Chow. From the description, it sounds like the place was the horse equivalent of a back yard puppy mill.

Scott built a really nice 24 x 30 stall for the horses which will be divided into two 12 x 30 stalls when the baby is weaned. They will be well cared for by the entire Family Equestrian Connection. I'll be taking follow-up photographs of the horses to show how they progress. I'm also supposed to be setting up a news and color blog as part of the class (as if I need to be writing another blog) and I'll post the name as soon as I come up with one.

Horse Show

I'm not sure I get the joy of horse shows. Long dusty days waiting for a few minutes in the ring and not having the slightest clue what the judges are looking for I'm just not that competitive (unless playing Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit) and I've seen a bit of an attitude that's hard to take. Nevertheless, I went off to photograph the kids from my trainer's program at a schooling show on Sunday.

I enjoy the opportunity to practice action shooting. I didn't have as long a lens as I would have liked, but I still got some good photographs:
Leann and Charlie didn't have much of a chance against the bigger horses over the jumps, but later wiped their friends off the field in equitation.
Ashley and Curio won the timed jumping class and wound up as reserve champion for high point of the day.
Pebbles had a bit of an issue with an orange cone, but if you point her at a jump she's a very happy half-Arab. Very pretty, too.

The kids had a really good time, which I guess is the most important thing.

I rather thought I couldn't do much worse than some of the competitors, so we might take Ace to a schooling show one of these days. He has a lot more substance than some of the Arabians I saw. Too many of them looked incredibly unhappy at their fate. It was a long day for them, too,

Horses in Need of Rescue

Accounts of people who can't keep horses and of horses rescued from animal cruelty are increasing faster than our "mental recession." Arlene at Grey Horse Matters recently rescued two Arabians (she was willing to take three, but a home was found for one of the two stallions) and Victoria at Teachings of the Horse wrote about attempts by BLM to start slaughtering horses again.

Here in L.A., I got an e-mail about a pair of Tennessee Walkers available for adoption and ETI Corral 36 sent out a newsletter with a notice of 70--yes seventy--horses in need of fostering out of an Animal Control shelter near Castaic.

The 70 horses were from a herd of 100 taken from Equus Sactuary in June, where they were found with no food and little water. The caretaker has been sentenced to almost 3 years in state prison after she pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty charges. Applications to foster and eventually adopt one or more of the horses may be obtained by calling 562-658-2000.

If I had my own horse property, I'd be going out to Castaic to look at the horses this weekend. I wish I could afford to take on another mouth to feed, but I'm paying four times as much as I paid to keep the Arabian Prince in food and shelter two years ago and I don't think we've even begun to see the jump in hay prices I'm afraid will come with the push to plant corn for fuel rather than food crops.

Virus

Gayle called to let me know that one of the horses in Ace's barn appears to have the same virus or flu that one of the horses in her barn had a couple of weeks ago. It's airborne and there isn't anything the vet can really do except give a shot of banimine and wait it out. The symptoms are similar to colic and there's a lack of interest in food. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Poor horse. Since the arena allows all the horses to touch each other, it will probably hit them all.

Fire Plans

I went over our fire evacuation plan with Gayle last night because it just feels like a firestorm is coming. Last night the winds were pretty strong and combined with the dry heat, we've got a disaster in the making.

The FEC horses go to Moorpark or Hansen Dam if there's a problem in Chatsworth--depending on where a fire is. Moorpark got burned out pretty badly two years ago. My girlfriend relayed the problems of getting her giant alpha Holsteiner mare evacuated. The last big fire along the ridge of hills in Chatsworth was three years ago. Where Ace is was in no danger of fire, but the smoke was bad there. Last year, the smoke from the fire in Malibu was pretty bad in the West Valley where I had him then.

When Ace was at Pierce, fire was not a worry because Pierce is an evacuation center for horses and other livestock in emergencies. Several times, we were threatened that they were going to put evacuated horses in either the inside or outside stalls where our horses resided. Can you imagine the stupidity of doing that with horses whose immunization and health histories aren't known? Fortunately, we were able to stop that from happening, but I noticed during the evacuation last year, the indoor/outdoor stalls became two holding pens and horses were in all of them. I don't want Ace brought to Pierce during an evacuation unless I can get one of my friends living in Melody Acres to let me walk him over there!

The fire evacuations are enlightening. You realize how much better care you take of your horses than most people do. Several years ago, people brought in a small herd of Arabians, including a 30+ year old stallion. They were all in pitiful state, but him especially. It looked like he hadn't been groomed in years, and his feet desperately needed trimming. His teeth must have needed floating because he was nothing but skin and bones. Animal control should have confiscated all six of the horses from these owners. There was a sweet young filly I could have been convinced to adopt. Unfortunately, they were all sent home with their owner.

Ace trailer loads pretty well. He does need a few minutes to consider the box, but he stands well when he gets in and will eat any treats left for him. He's always pretty anxious to get out, however. He'll load a step-up or a ramp, thanks to a lot of work by Rod Bergen. Around here, everyone needs to make sure their horses load with little hesitation. Emergency evacuation teams will leave horses behind when there's no time to waste.

The dry hills of the California summer are something that's still a disconnect to me. I grew up in the western foothills of the Catskills. I often miss the green. Flooding has been a problem in my home town several times over the past few years, but I can't remember a fire that engulfed even an acre of land when I was growing up there. Too wet.

Licenses & Micro-chips

Two years ago, I had an opportunity to get Ace micro-chipped at the college. I also had to pay for a license, which is more about counting horses than anything else. I'm glad I got the micro-chip, although I've read some scary things about them. Ace seems to be doing just fine with it. Since horses don't have collars on all the time (unlike dogs), I haven't quite figured out what to do with the license tag. If I were Ace, I'd hate to have it banging against my cheek if I put it on his halter.

The other day, Gina asked me if Ace was licensed, because they need to have all of the horses licensed in order to get a conditional use permit for the barn. I managed to dig up my license, which expired, and now I've got to drop by the Department of Animal Services to renew the license. I noticed the paperwork has the wrong address and it uses Ace's call name rather than his registered name. That's probably not as important.

The City of Los Angeles recently claimed some sort of ignorance about how many horses are in the San Fernando Valley, saying there were less than 500. That was based on license sales. Lots of horse owners gathered to let the City know they were quite wrong about that, but there is now a push to get the horses licensed.

Ranch Antics

The wind kept up all weekend in Chatsworth and, with the temperatures dropping today, I wonder if we'll still have wind when I go for my lesson this evening. Right now I'm watching a heavy breeze out my window, although that's not necessarily a clue as to how things will be 7 miles north of here.

Even though we couldn't ride, Ace did get quite a bit of turnout time on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, I let him out with Mini, the miniature horse owned by the other attorney at the ranch. She owns Beau, a thoroughbred, and Reina, who may be a quarab. The attached video shows Ace in a few moments of actual interaction with Mini and then a brief look at Jake (Ace's neighbor on the north side) and Reina, who has the trimmed tail. Ace is more into parallel hanging out rather than actual play.

As you can see from the video, the arena is bordered on one side by the stall runs, so the turned-out horses can get up close and personal with the ones left behind bars. I tried, but failed, to capture Ace getting back at Sebastian, the huge thoroughbred in the stall to the south of Ace's, as Ace would trot down the row of stalls, lunge to nip Sebastian, and turn tail and dance out of Sebastian's reach. I think it makes up for all of the times Ace has gotten nailed by Sebastian with no place to escape if he fights back.

On Sunday, after Tim had finished Ace's feet and I was getting ready to let him back into his stall with fresh water, shavings, and a snack waiting, I saw that Sebastian was getting caught up in his blanket. Sebastian had managed to unbuckle one of the fastenings in front (my friend Melinda's horse Vento is a genius at this) and had pulled the blanket partially off his prodigious rear end, so as he stepped forward, he was stepping on the blanket and blocking preventing further movement. All of the other clips were still in place, so the elastic bands were wrapped between his legs.

The horse's size intimidates me and I had no intention of trying to go into his stall to fix things. He's not terribly fond of me, because I keep waiving him away from me and my horse when we're in the run. Nevertheless, I got him to come over to the rail where I tried to get the blanket back in place. He stood while I adjusted it and then promptly ripped at the front and got it off his butt again. Not that I could blame him. At 11:45 it was probably close to 90 degrees and he was definitely overheated.

I had no idea when or if his owner would come by that day, and neither of the phone numbers on her contact sheet work (I've tried to reach her before), so the only safe solution was to get the blanket off. I got him to come over to me at the fence again and I unbuckled the fasteners at the side of the blanket and the one back-leg fastener I could reach. Then I got the other fastener in front, which he had been frantically trying to work open. He stood remarkably still while I pulled the blanket off his back and dropped it to the ground, where I hoped he would just step out of the last elasticized fastener. It caught on his leg wrappings, but I managed to reach to get it to the ground (I'm amazed he didn't kick at me) and then he did step out. The yellow blanket is pretty filthy, but at least Sebastian didn't break a leg.

Ace acts as if a blanket is going to eat him and he would probably have been in the next county if that was the way I took his off. We need to work on that (even though I don't have to blanket every year, which is why he acts as if he's never seen one most of the time) and bicycles. Every one that rolled by while we were doing his feet on Sunday was grounds for a startle. I had warned Tim to beware of motorcycles, but Ace barely blinked at the several that went by the gate. Those bicycles were a different story entirely. Since I'm planning to take biking up for Bike to Work month in May, I'm thinking we may need to desensitize him to those silent monsters.

Blushing

I don't blush--much. I do scuff my toes a little when I get a complement, and Victoria Cummings at Teachings of the Horse has given me two "aw shucks" moments recently, the first with the Excellent rating for my blog and the second, more recent one this morning for "Excellence in Equine Care," no doubt for spoiling my Arabian Prince on a regular basis (and probably, though she didn't know it until now, for giving him better regular medical care than I bother for myself.) I thank Victoria very much for both of these designations. I'm happy to know I'm not just writing to myself every day.

I've been working on my list of places to pass the Excellent Award on to, which is why I didn't put it up here earlier. I'd happily give the award to each of the blogs written by other people I've got listed on the right side of the page. These are the ones I do check every day. Many of the blogs I read regularly have nothing to do with horses, but then, mine is pretty eclectic. So let me pass on an Excellent Award to:

The Patry Copyright Blog by Bill Patry, one of the geniuses of intellectual property law. I met Bill when he worked for the Copyright Office and I was a photographer in the D.C. area and I have nothing but respect for him, even if he may have gone over to an evil empire (he's now Google's chief counsel.)

Jane in Progress by Jane Espenson, a television writer acquaintance of ours who writes plenty of good advice on scriptwriting for newbies and wannabees. Jane's currently on Battlestar Galactica, but is quite well-known in our circles for her work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Wolfmanor Wisdom and Whimsy is written by Noel Wolfman who divides her time between producing animated films and making cloth dolls and selling patterns for them. There are lots of lovely pictures of things I'll never have time to make on her blog, but I might sometime get around to putting together the horsey-plush to cover a tissue box pattern she gave me! Noel is sort of the Martha Stewart in our crowd (but she'd probably agree that I'm better in the kitchen though I can't touch her in decorating.)

Behind the Bit by Stacey Kimmel-Smith recently had a post with videos of all different breeds of horses riding dressage at Grand Prix level. Loved watching the Arabian sport horse, although I though the canter pirouette was a little clumsy. The blog's got a lot of information and links on it.

Julia Sweeney has a very entertaining blog which I stumbled upon recently, not that I can remember exactly how. I've really enjoyed reading it.

I've found some wonderful horse-related blogs because of the links that Victoria and Arlene at Gray Horse Matters have up and from there on it's been a real adventure to find out what is available. As it happens, Victoria and Arlene have beaten me to handing out awards in that arena. But I can easily give my dear friend Melinda Snodgrass the Excellence in Equine Care Award because she raised beautiful, healthy Arabians (including my beloved boy) and is now beyond happy with her Lusitano stallion Vento, whose antics are taking up quite a bit of space at Melinda's Musings blog. Melinda is a novelist and television writer who lives in New Mexico. She's also an upper-level dressage rider. Her new novel, Edge of Reason, is due out in a matter of weeks and can be pre-ordered on Amazon and you can get a sample of it here. I read the manuscript several years ago and I'm looking forward to the next book in what is planned as an urban fantasy trilogy. Melinda gets the Excellent Award for blogging as well, because her posts on writing and politics are well worth reading.

I would also like to pass on the Excellence in Equine Care Award to Gayle Paperno, my trainer at Family Equestrian Connection. Gayle doesn't have a blog, but if you know anyone who is looking for a safe, classical trainer who is great with kids and adults with baggage in the Los Angeles area, I can't recommend her enough. She's the one who makes time to check on Ace and give him his lunch every day at a different barn than her own while I'm at work 7 miles away. She is all about what is best for the horse.

The Perfect Match

Thanks to Linda Polk's blog Hoofbeats, I found this cute little quiz to determine what my horse profile is. Big surprise: I am an Arabian (although with champagne taste on a beer budget.)

Arabians are arguably the most beautiful breed of horse in the world. The bright, enourmous eyes, the graceful arching neck, and the famous dished face. You have a fiery temper, it takes quite a rider to tame your spirit. In a good mood, you may be found elegantly trotting the length of the fence with elevated gaits, and your mane and tail waving like flags in the wind. Everyone envies your beauty... but beware if they make you mad!
Your owner is most likely to be rich, and own a famous arabian breeding barn. You'll probably have an entire web site dedicated to you.
Your colour will most likely be: Reddish Bay, Dapple Grey, Palomino, or a glimmering Chestnut.

The blog has some wonderfully funny posts, including a couple on strange horse laws and computer programs. Well worth digging through old posts to find them.