tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29094757321597911132024-03-21T14:39:05.765-07:00West PointChanging the Standard - the adventures of Charlene and Leo!
2016 Go and Play Stable Ambassadors
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-40645451594524235022016-12-04T23:22:00.000-08:002016-12-05T12:27:08.374-08:00An Open Letter to the Unsuspecting<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><b>An Open Letter to
the Unsuspecting;</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">An educational
essay written by Charlene Barry and Kolina Crowe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> I’d like to introduce you to an amazing community of people. A
community you’ve probably heard of, but probably do not know very much
about. They are some of the most resilient, hard working people you will
ever meet. They are opinionated, they are honest, they are a little eccentric,
and they know hundreds of ways to fix any problem you can think of. The
industry that this community exists in is not an easy one. They have to be
willing to spend endless hours working for their passion and making sure
everything is attended to and in place in order to create the best opportunity
for success. They will stay up well after dark, and rise before the sun has broken
the horizon without a second thought. It is a physically demanding, thankless
career choice that goes twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a
year. These people have a passion like no other and the love and dedication to
their animals is surpassed by none. They get up every day and work, all just to
make sure their job is done the right way. None of them see this as a sacrifice
and many of its members couldn’t imagine doing anything else. In this
community, all of this is simply accepted as what needs to be done. The
compassion that can be found in this motley crew of people is hard to
surpass. Together they weather episodes of despair and celebrate the
moments of joy. They are fierce competitors, but will come together in an instant
to help someone in need, often on a global scale. They donate their time,
money, resources, and whatever else they can afford to give. There is no
other community like it; they are the horsemen and women of the race industry.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUInLmkW3FNYQYmWSS1PXE_eQ0BC4bP6DGVzoKSMIN8TpwNQ9Cc8Utct6zHA4eTWdn_7StYrbSGU3Q3ZP15ghA7BwN_u71Hv8ugR_xPeALGy3dfNfWhMQ6g2uiKjm0BapuMtMdDRlCaiB/s1600/11255509_463357493819602_3159028147689697109_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUInLmkW3FNYQYmWSS1PXE_eQ0BC4bP6DGVzoKSMIN8TpwNQ9Cc8Utct6zHA4eTWdn_7StYrbSGU3Q3ZP15ghA7BwN_u71Hv8ugR_xPeALGy3dfNfWhMQ6g2uiKjm0BapuMtMdDRlCaiB/s1600/11255509_463357493819602_3159028147689697109_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thoroughbred Racing at Northlands Park </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> Unfortunately, the majority of people who are not directly involved
in this community often know very little about it. They only know horse racing
for what they’ve seen on television, in movies, or from the falsehoods and
misconceptions smeared across the internet designed to pull on the heart
strings of the unsuspecting for financial gain. Because of this the race
industry often gets slammed with the stigma of being dog-eat-dog; with
trainers, drivers and jockeys ruthlessly pushing their horses and battling each
other at the expense of their animals. As with literally every industry out
there, there are exceptions to the rule and unfortunately there are those out
there who would rather cheat the game than choose to play fair, but by and
large this is simply not the norm.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> Now, there wouldn’t be a race industry without race horses. In
Alberta, we have three main types of race horses; Thoroughbreds, Quarter
Horses, and Standardbreds. These horses, although all different breeds with
their own set of unique performance demands, truly are high performance
athletes. Not only are they designed for their jobs, they’re good at
them! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqoT6DdL5giCecWieKShGCs3GS0jlNQRr7ZTKaDQ9UlE1u0U4Bh4wHjZQ2lWsUR88k8u2UklYv3-_rgpQdEpwhi1a04hKDWMV9XKUQmjffszlLPw0e2C2rxJmiRrWw58k5b4USpzGbJ3A/s1600/_O0A1220small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqoT6DdL5giCecWieKShGCs3GS0jlNQRr7ZTKaDQ9UlE1u0U4Bh4wHjZQ2lWsUR88k8u2UklYv3-_rgpQdEpwhi1a04hKDWMV9XKUQmjffszlLPw0e2C2rxJmiRrWw58k5b4USpzGbJ3A/s320/_O0A1220small.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standardbred racing; photo taken at Century Downs</td></tr>
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The horses of the race world train 5-6 days a week, and we’re not talking
a nice lazy trail ride through a field. We’re talking about fairly high
intensity training; their jobs require them to be at the peak of physical and
mental fitness. These horses like to work, they like to do their job and
to do it well. Their days are a strict schedule of training, feeding; they are
fed high quality, nutrient rich diets, and important maintenance work including
grooming, treatments with electromagnetic and infrared therapy, massage and
chiropractic work. They are monitored daily by their caretakers, grooms and
veterinary professionals who all ensure that these horses are happy, healthy
and fit to preform the task at hand. These horses are bright, smart, curious,
and love learning and investigating new things. These truly are living,
breathing, performance athletes and are treated as such; many of them get more
handling and care in a day than a pasture pet pony would see in a month. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> In addition to being incredible athletes race horses are introduced
to an amazing set of life skills from a very young age. These are skills and
experiences that a number of ‘regular horses’ would spend their entire lives
without ever acquiring. Tied or in hand they know how to stand quietly
for farrier work, being tacked or untacked, brushed and bathed; these horses
are accustomed to the job at hand and know what is expected of them. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHSLPacu5OfixasVeckbGqeGK3knTBa-nstVC9tHOFXwCzGs1qWBtcNEwmrG0cI5iq31hKkYUfCcWn21y6CmBrqaOUM0j6o-Tw2QCCXiUZSnXRj5hebsCuJjEznZ4XSaBCha6cdnwiBl9/s1600/Feb.+15-19++2016+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHSLPacu5OfixasVeckbGqeGK3knTBa-nstVC9tHOFXwCzGs1qWBtcNEwmrG0cI5iq31hKkYUfCcWn21y6CmBrqaOUM0j6o-Tw2QCCXiUZSnXRj5hebsCuJjEznZ4XSaBCha6cdnwiBl9/s200/Feb.+15-19++2016+033.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapping legs before morning training</td></tr>
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They are
handled for numerous hours of the day and are accustomed to having their legs
handled, poulticed and bandaged, as well as all routine veterinary care. They
are familiar with trailering, working in a large, busy group while in close
proximity to others, or even working alone with nothing but open space ahead of
them. They are exposed to a variety of environmental factors such as other
horses passing by, people talking, yelling and cheering, tractors, large
trucks, strollers, flapping tents, children, dogs and umbrellas. These are
not horses that are forced to do a job they hate, nor are they horses that need
to be ‘cured’ of their gait or training. Racehorses are amazing animals
and high caliber athletes who come with a wide range of life experiences and
benefits that people frequently overlook and forget to acknowledge. They
love their jobs and are loved by the people who look after them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SdWC3Bn77Al1h9-MopU0h-T2tgko-qCChPaXgFgWfjPmx2dTFkKUfOhqzY6i6qO_WnM01SO9jaI5w7IMPFXSMtiv-5liunVJReTanmBAsPpT_-DTAO19EgECV8sOVUUXGAgpP7NiGDto/s1600/DSC00272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SdWC3Bn77Al1h9-MopU0h-T2tgko-qCChPaXgFgWfjPmx2dTFkKUfOhqzY6i6qO_WnM01SO9jaI5w7IMPFXSMtiv-5liunVJReTanmBAsPpT_-DTAO19EgECV8sOVUUXGAgpP7NiGDto/s200/DSC00272.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A groom packs the hooves<br />
of a racehorse; a routine that keeps<br />
these athletes fit and healthy</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> The health and performance of these horses is also taken very
seriously and is closely monitored by the veterinary team, who are a constant
presence at the track. The majority of trainers have a close relationship with
the veterinary team, who monitor and administer all medications given to the
race horses while in training and while prepping for races. Any medications in use
are heavily regulated with closely followed withdrawal times and dosages. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">In
fact, race horses are all tested by a third party, unbiased lab for all legal
and illegal substances directly after they run. If any of these tests come back
positive the trainers forfeit any purse money won and face heavy fines along
with license suspensions or loss; which means they are unable to race or even
train horses at any track across North America. The stereotype of ‘doping
horses just to win a race’, in this day and age, with so much to lose and so
much on the line, is a ridiculous notion, but unfortunately heavily believed by
the general public due to large organizations such as PETA spreading false and
ill-researched propaganda. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmwy_jAn4XqW4iS-YPOHFZirKe3ahdkkNCVLSGFii-47sLKk0KCLI77uBCdt4o-NXCq59FeZhemOydFi-7O3wBjUDgYEvcSxYyS8V0P4iUx4QpjXlsJzHYkAUcehAHOMTZaYTD1CDjBRD/s1600/_O0A8827small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmwy_jAn4XqW4iS-YPOHFZirKe3ahdkkNCVLSGFii-47sLKk0KCLI77uBCdt4o-NXCq59FeZhemOydFi-7O3wBjUDgYEvcSxYyS8V0P4iUx4QpjXlsJzHYkAUcehAHOMTZaYTD1CDjBRD/s1600/_O0A8827small.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning training at Bedrock Training Centre</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> The racing community also has a strong passion for giving back to
the community they are involved in, many times not even related to the industry
itself. For the past two years a horseman from south of Edmonton has organized
a fundraiser for the Stollery Children’s Hospital, raising upwards of $33,000
in donations. The Powderpuff Derby at Northlands was a charity race ridden by
non-professional female riders (ie do not hold a jockey licence) that ran for
many years in support of Breast Cancer Research raised over $21,000.00 in just
one of the years it ran. There have been numerous examples of the race
community across Canada coming together to raise money for local charities and
non profit groups, including but not limited to tracks in Ontario, PEI, Nova
Scotia, Alberta and BC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> People of the race industry are also prepared to give back to their
own in times of desperate need; whether it be backstretch fundraisers for
injured fellow horsemen or in support of tragedies that don’t even touch close
to home. In January of 2016 a tragic fire struck at Classy Lane Training Center
in Ontario, 40 horses were tragically lost and there was irreparable damage to
the barn area. Horseman across the country came together and raised $710,000 to
help rebuild the barn, replace lost equipment and ensure the staff would not be
left without a means to live off of. In another case in 2015 the industry
banned together to raise over $150,000 for medical treatments for the wife of a
trainer who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. After 12 rounds of
chemo and a double mastectomy Amanda Harris was set to undergo proton radiation
and 5 years of hormone therapy. Many of her medical bills were not covered by
insurance, but in three short weeks the race industry came together to raise
the money to help off set costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8RlGQUaDaHVw41iE4XEVrip8-V-AkeouA90ERIpz4bfnBM4H-4uoYppWP4KxLJsvtZunN0Pf4sCR6-CmWjanwvagfRtMe8YmyjdnXihOXl1BDi0705EZWgGKYs6gDQFDhtWGIPmBNgO2/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-10-12-21h24m47s244.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8RlGQUaDaHVw41iE4XEVrip8-V-AkeouA90ERIpz4bfnBM4H-4uoYppWP4KxLJsvtZunN0Pf4sCR6-CmWjanwvagfRtMe8YmyjdnXihOXl1BDi0705EZWgGKYs6gDQFDhtWGIPmBNgO2/s320/vlcsnap-2015-10-12-21h24m47s244.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Go Pro angle from the Starting Gate of a Harness Race</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> The race industry also supports their horses after their race
careers have ended, by making an effort to ensure they find new and lasting
careers. Although the stigma around racing seems to be that the majority of
horses go to slaughter after they are ‘no longer useful’ this is simply not the
case. The vast majority of horses go on to rewarding second careers, many of
which are sold on to new homes simply by word of mouth via trainers at the
track and their outside equestrian connections. Many horses go on to new
careers as show horses, pleasure horses, breeding stock, ranch horses and even
as companion horses. As a recognition of the diverse usefulness of the off
track breeds many organizations have stepped up to promote and help change the
public opinion of both the breeds and the industry they come from. The Jockey
Club (the Thoroughbred registry in North America) founded the Thoroughbred
Aftercare Alliance, which is a non-profit organization that inspects and awards
grants to aftercare organizations that retire, retrain and rehome thoroughbred
race horses; they currently have 64 accredited organizations dedicated to
repurposing off track Thoroughbreds. They also run both the Thoroughbred
Connect; an online resource designed to aid trainers and owners in placement of
thoroughbred horses after racing and breeding careers have ended, and the
Thoroughbred Incentive Program; a program to encourage the retraining of
thoroughbreds after their race careers have ended by sponsoring thoroughbred
only classes and high point awards at horseshows and over showing season. It
was recently announced that in 2017 TIP will introduce a specific category for
pleasure and trail horses.
<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">There are also many options for horses that come off
the track with injuries and would otherwise been seen as “no longer useful”.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSHlizfVbeh2dI1Voo3q3kH_FTShM6fpkFaSC66uqx4sDet-D_byYtnI_dPUX7z-w9H-kJLjXhgZP_WNHgmG0lEkDdAHJ_K5fwRBy-F55d8at7j4fUxp3Me5yI-keOD02Se-0uv5RqcUr/s1600/IMG_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSHlizfVbeh2dI1Voo3q3kH_FTShM6fpkFaSC66uqx4sDet-D_byYtnI_dPUX7z-w9H-kJLjXhgZP_WNHgmG0lEkDdAHJ_K5fwRBy-F55d8at7j4fUxp3Me5yI-keOD02Se-0uv5RqcUr/s1600/IMG_1640.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An off track Standardbred enjoying some scratches<br />
at an EC Gold rated Dressage Show</td></tr>
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Many organizations and non-profits offer these horses a life long placement at
farms where they are sponsored by members of both the general public and the
racing community. New Stride is a charity based in BC founded in 2002 by a
group of owners, breeders and backstretch workers that is dedicated to finding
adoptive homes and alternative careers for racehorses no longer able to compete
in racing. Another group based in Ontario called Long Run works under the same principals,
as does Final Furlong in Manitoba, Greener Pastures in BC and the Ontario
Standardbred Adoption Society, providing retired racehorses countless
opportunities to find fulfilling, forever homes.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> As a whole the horse racing industry, and the community of people
that work, live and breathe it, are a diverse and complex group of people. They
can not be summed up in a simple letter, paper or paragraph. In fact, words can
hardly begin to describe the lives of these horses and the people behind them. It
truly is a career of passion and it cannot be properly represented by a video,
news article, or social media post made by an uneducated organization,
individual or group of people; these same people who didn’t bother to have any
other interest in the industry aside from creating a way to condemn it. It is
our dearest hope that people will take the time to recognize this amazing
industry and the people involved in it. If you have questions, ask them, better
yet come down to the track and experience it for yourself, take a moment out of
your day and share in this lifestyle, who knows, you might learn a thing or
two. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKPZs83lXEIuQVFraG3bJ5aYS7XhYkN7C33cZPnhoxqoqxfk3OwS-sqOO524YBHHrUaAUMtlFXiYORNW_9yvQmPQk3PWes4E8LIfbTF0A6vSDpsWl_E8-n3GIh3TvYU-lUBRQs35_F7CG/s1600/IMG_1310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKPZs83lXEIuQVFraG3bJ5aYS7XhYkN7C33cZPnhoxqoqxfk3OwS-sqOO524YBHHrUaAUMtlFXiYORNW_9yvQmPQk3PWes4E8LIfbTF0A6vSDpsWl_E8-n3GIh3TvYU-lUBRQs35_F7CG/s320/IMG_1310.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An off track Thoroughbred representative enjoying<br />
a visit from some school children at Farm Fair International</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-60666277172904106842016-11-25T21:21:00.002-08:002016-11-25T23:10:01.802-08:00No Room for Ignorance<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> There are a number of stereotypes and
misconceptions surrounding the race horse industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These range from race horses being crazy, to
them being untrainable, through to them all going for dog food once their
careers are over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For as long as these
stigmas have existed there have been people fighting to change them. No one has
fought as strongly as those directly involved in the race industry, or those
who have come to love these horses as their partners after their racing careers
have ended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> However, this does not appear to be the
case (as it seriously should be) with all members of the community. Many of you
may have seen the article written by Glen Schaffer in regards to a lady named
Felicia Allen and her efforts to ‘rescue’ and care for retired harness horses,
many of which have come from Fraser Downs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Here’s a link for those who haven’t: <a href="http://www.theprovince.com/news/local+news/room+stable+retired+racehorses+construction+forces+them/12430311/story.html">http://www.theprovince.com/news/local+news/room+stable+retired+racehorses+construction+forces+them/12430311/story.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> The article begins by covering the feel
good plugs about how Allen runs equestrian programs for autistic children and
adults with PTSD, both of which have many academic studies proving their value
and worth. An effort which is both honorable and would take great effort to
pull off successfully.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Unfortunately, that’s where majority of
value in this article ends. It then goes on to state that harness horses would
otherwise not be able to find homes due largely to injuries sustained while
racing and because of the type of training they get for ‘cart-racing’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Injuries that are not specific to the racing
industry and exist in literally every other equestrian sport there is. The
training that introduces them at a young age (2-3 years old) to many
experiences and useful life skills such as trailering, shoeing, bathing,
medical work, driving, and becoming familiar with things like tractors, loud
speakers, working in crowds, strollers, balloons, and an inexplicable number of
things that horses outside of the race industry would be blessed to see by age
six, if ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking a horse off the
track is one of the few instances where you can get a horse that’s already had
a career, and has an entire set of life skills while their counter parts from
outside of harness racing and the race industry are still sitting in a field
smelling dandelions.<br />
<br /> Next, Allen herself has been quoted as saying, “Those horses are not rideable
when they come off the track and they are usually quite badly injured.” And
adds that their ‘pacing’ gait generally leaves them unable to canter or gallop
like normal horses.<br />
<br /> <i>How dare you</i>, Ms. Allen. As someone who claims to be working in the best
interest of these horses, and asking people to donate money to her via her
GoFundMe page, how dare you speak about these horses from such an uneducated
point of view that would only serve to perpetuate the stereotypes and
falsehoods that are the reason they are ‘hard to find homes for’ in the first
place. <br />
<br /> Firstly, Pacing is an additional gait. Not a replacement gait. All Standardbreds
who are bred for pacing, are <i>born</i> knowing how to walk, trot, canter, gallop,
<i>and</i> pace and are fully capable of doing all those gaits. Yes, they have another
gear. And yes they’ve been taught that it’s the preferred gait. Just because their
education has taught them that does not mean they are incapable of doing other
gaits. They can learn that you’re asking for canter, or gallop, just like they
can learn how to stand quietly to have their legs wrapped, or that a cluck
means they should move forward. (Both of which are things they would have
learned from their race careers)<br />
<br /> Secondly these horses are not ‘untrainable’ or ‘unsuitable’ for other sports or
careers. Clearly, not much of an effort has been made to actually work with
these horses by Allen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps if she
had taken a look at her own website, www.standardbredfanclub.com , where many
of the Standardbreds who have gone on successfully to second careers after
racing are in fact listed publically, she would have a drastically different
opinion.<br />
<br /> Finally, many of the horses that are retired from the race track are retired
for reasons that have nothing to do with injuries. They were either too slow,
or simply weren’t interested in racing. Not unlike a warmblood who’s not very
good at jumping, or a quarter horse that wants nothing to do with cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To label them all as ‘broken down untrainable
cripples’ is naïve and disrespectful to the daily effort and care that those
who work in the industry put into these horses to ensure they have the best
chance possible at finding a new job outside of racing. <br />
<br /> I challenge <i>you</i> Felicia Allen to spend a week working with these horses and
their trainers and caretakers. I can guarantee you without doubt, that by the
end of that week you will be ashamed to have referred to these horses as
suffering abusive practices, and will certainly rethink referring to them as
being ‘saved’ or ‘rescued’ on your GoFundMe page. And how dare you pull on
people’s heart strings, for your own financial gain, by misrepresenting the
industry and this incredible breed of horses.<br />
<br /> I am shocked and disappointed that this not only how the race industry has been
portrayed – as something that teaches horses useless skills and runs them into
the ground beyond repair and without reprieve – but that this is how ‘fans’ of
the breed and the horses themselves are being represented. It is incredibly
disheartening that this is what the horses are left to compete against;, a lack
of education and a complete misunderstanding of their capabilities and worth.<br />
<br /> While I acknowledge it is unfortunate that Ms. Allen has found herself in these
circumstances, and that her efforts to this point, although misinformed, have
persevered many other challenges – I sincerely hope that if these horses end
up being rehomed, that they will find themselves under the care of someone
who is willing to put in the effort to educate themselves, believe in these
horses, and not simply pigeon hole an entire breed without giving them a chance,
all the while perpetuating the stereotypes for their own personal gain.
I strongly encourage everyone to read Glen Schaefer’s article, visit Felicia
Allen’s GoFundMe page, and at that point, to really seriously consider who and
what you’re supporting before donating to her ‘cause’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>P.S. I've included some pictures of my Standardbred, Leo, a retired Harness Racing horse - running, cantering, jumping, competing, meeting and educating people about how amazing race horses are and most importantly, being the best team mate a girl could ask for.</i></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-52838586740459672022016-07-27T17:45:00.003-07:002016-07-27T17:57:33.264-07:00This Year so Far - July 2016<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
We’re already over half way through
2016, and Leo’s season is off to a steady start. Being 14 this year,
Leo is starting to become an old veteran at horse shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He maintains his composure regardless of
screaming children, barking dogs, or flapping umbrellas. It’s a treat to have a
horse so chill about so many distractions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite his age, and having a firm understanding of what his job is, Leo
continues to improve and constantly makes an effort to be better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also seems to have made the shift from
being a reactive horse to being a responsive horses. Anyone who’s experienced
both sides of the coin knows exactly how much of a blessing this is! I always
admire his ability to keep pushing through difficult exercises, whether it’s
for my sake or his.</div>
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<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br />
In April, I attended the Mane Event Expo, where I met a number of new and old
faces from the Standardbred community. Leo didn’t tag along this year, but his
influence was felt through the helmet cam footage from his previous events, as
well as his photos and ribbons that helped decorate the booth. Thank you to
everyone who stopped by even just to say hello!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
June saw Leo and I both at an
incredible Stollery Children’s Hospital Fundraiser hosted by Bedrock Training
Centre and Nitza’s Pizza just outside of Beaumont, Alberta. Leo hung out in a
stall in one of the main alleyways of the barn and spent the day meeting guests
and happily taking carrots, cookies, and pats from all the visitors both young
and old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fundraiser raised over
$21,000 and was a super fun day for everyone who attended. Thank you to Kelly,
Amy and their team at Bedrock for always including me in these opportunities!<br />
<br />
Shortly after the Stollery Fundraiser, Leo and I headed south to Cochrane,
Alberta for the Crowfoot Dodge Cochrane Horse Trials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was Leo’s third time competing at the
Pre-training level. We finished on our dressage score for 8<sup>th</sup> place
in a field of 23 horse/rider pairs with very few stadium or cross country
penalties to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leo was a start
through slick footing, busy warm up rings, and random bursts downpour that
haunted the entire weekend. He continues to bring his absolute best into the
ring each time. The event at Cochrane saw Leo with his best adjustability and
rideability to date. Thank you to my coach Noel Clark for his continued
guidance and mentorship!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
Early in July, to show their support
for off the track Standardbreds in new careers, I was given a blanket by ASHA
with "Team Standardbred" embroidered on it for me to use with Leo. I
can't express how much the support of the harness industry means to me, both at
home and at large, and will proudly take this cooler with me on any adventures
the future holds for me and Leo. Thank you so much to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Albertastandardbred.ab.ca/">Alberta Standardbred
Horse Association - ASHA</a> for this gift, and especially to Colleen Haining for
pulling it all together!</div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="text-indent: 0cm;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="text-indent: 0cm;">Frustrated with the lack of
Standardbred related merchandise available in the market, fellow </span><a href="http://www.goandplaystables.org/" style="text-indent: 0cm;" target="_blank">Go and PlayStable</a><span style="text-indent: 0cm;"> ambassador, Alexandria Tiffinger, and I design and launched some ‘Team
Standardbred’ merchandise. To date we have two different caps to choose from, a
polo – perfect for schooling or showing – and a long sleeve sport shirt. I’m
happy we were able to come up with something simple and straight forward to show
our love for Standardbreds!</span><span style="text-indent: 0cm;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br />
Most recently, Georgia Barry and I made the trip down to Montana to take in <a href="https://www.rebeccafarm.org/" target="_blank">the Event at Rebecca Farm </a>and cheer on our fellow Canadians! As always there was
lots to learn, see and do. (I’ll be posting a separate blog about it!) My mom
has always been such a huge supporter of whatever Leo and I have decided to do,
and I was wonderful to get to share the experience with her without having to
worry about competing. Thank you to Lindsay Stevenson for allowing me to help
you throughout your first Training 3 Day, and to the rest of the <a href="http://twojackfarm.ca/" target="_blank">Two Jack Farm</a>
team for having mom and I tag along, ask questions, and cheer you on!</div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br />
The remainder of this year is set up to be a great one. With three events left for Leo, and few other opportunities for myself, and an incredible team of support behind me, I’m excited to see what we can accomplish before hitting the ground running into 2017!<br />
<br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-60925371853572527642016-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:002016-07-14T22:56:28.990-07:00When a bad day isn't just a bad day.<div class="MsoNoteLevel1" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
Horses, like people, sometimes have bad days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes they just don’t feel like giving
that 110% we so often celebrate as a marker of a true athlete or teammate. And
that’s okay. People are allowed to have off days, and so are horses. And sometimes the best thing for both horse and rider is to write it off as a bad day and try again tomorrow.<br />
<br />
But, when is a bad day not just a bad day?</div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br />
Generally speaking, horses aren’t badly behaved for no reason. They tend to
like to do what they’re asked. When they don’t, it’s often not just a bad day,
something’s up, something’s off and they’re trying to tell you. Sometimes
something hurts or pinches. Sometimes there’s a twist in a strap and it’s
poking them. Sometimes they didn’t appreciate having their lunch interrupted. And
sometimes they just don’t like your attitude and you really shouldn’t have
skipped out on coffee that morning. Sometimes the only way they know how to get
your attention is by throwing a total tantrum. <br />
<br />
The point being, I think it’s important not to just write off misbehavior as a
bad day, or a horse simply choosing to be a pain. For instance there was a
harness horse, who trained here in Alberta, and boy oh boy he was a handful! He
would lay down when they’d try to leave the barn to go train in the morning. He’d buck and bend the shafts on the jog cart or race bike when he had decided
he didn’t want to train anymore that day. And at one point, ditched his driver
during post parade and ran back through the barns at the race track with his
bike still attached and caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to the
facility. Just rotten and miserable right? <br />
<br />
That was my horse. The same horse who has packed me on trail rides through
creeks, has a high point gymkhana trophy, met hundreds of children, and charming old ladies, at Farm Fair
last year, and currently tears it up on the cross country course at events
across the province with me every summer. I honestly believe he just didn’t
like harness racing, and that was the only way he knew how to say it. <br />
<br />
This idea, listening to your horse, becomes really important when riding on
your own, or even under the guidance of a coach. At the end of the day, you
know your horse the best. Does you horse usually jump his heart out and take
you to every fence? Or did you just move up a class and have an incredible last
show? Then a few days later they’re suddenly stopping at fences, throwing their
head at transitions and unwilling to take contact? Maybe it’s not just a bad
day. Maybe they’ve been jumping too high, too often and they’re sore. But it’s
up to you to recognize this and figure out if it’s their legs, their back, too heavy of a workload, outside the horse's capabilities, or maybe you changed your riding style or asked them to do something new without
properly explaining it. </div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
There’s endless possibilities, including simply a bad
day, but it’s up to the rider/trainer to figure that out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes even under the guidance of a coach
or trainer or other industry professionals, you may need trust your gut and
know when to look further into why your horse is behaving the way he is, and when to call it a day and think about what you can do to help.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
So when your horse has a bad day, or you have a tough ride, is it really just a
bad day? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Or is he trying to tell you something?</span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz89JArApVzT1Vca6kXMwtTWap8O60G6W6R3UtCKlzvblVEN8fTG_3a_r9_CFaRPukyrI8N_glzqIJvzFTXOULDwgIs7g9FwaeWsnAfwc-TNhOwCF8Mc__DKc2AMMWRmzdBkc_GYmpk-Tr/s1600/IMG_6659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz89JArApVzT1Vca6kXMwtTWap8O60G6W6R3UtCKlzvblVEN8fTG_3a_r9_CFaRPukyrI8N_glzqIJvzFTXOULDwgIs7g9FwaeWsnAfwc-TNhOwCF8Mc__DKc2AMMWRmzdBkc_GYmpk-Tr/s400/IMG_6659.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-65529668066255308212016-06-17T15:45:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:45:45.069-07:00Q & A with Charlene!<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
Hey
guys, previously, I’ve written about what I want to write about. But I wanted
to know what you wanted to hear about! So for this months blog, I opened things
up for questions from you! Here are the
answers to some of the questions I received:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is
there a reputable organization that re homes OTTSB's? Where would you recommend
first time potential Standardbred owners go to purchase a horse?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love
this question. There are a number of organizations across Canada that focus on
rehoming Standardbreds post racing. For a first time owner I would recommend a
place like Go & Play Stables (Ontario) or Greener Pastures (BC). Both of
these organizations regularly bring in horses, and start their post career
education for you! That way the Standardbred is already headed in the right
direction and has a few life skills for you to build on.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How
does their personality compare to a QH say? Would they make good trail horses?
I'm currently unable to ride so will eventually be looking for more of a
partner in crime to spend time with (horses are my emotional solace), someone
to do in hand trail with- eventually in a couple of years, if possible the odd
trail ride - maybe learn how to do some pleasure driving. Would you recommend
them for all of that? Are there any health concerns with the horses that come
off the track that we would need to be prepared for? Does their track training
complicate their off the track training at all?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
personally have very limited experience with QHs and can’t really give you an
answer to that question at this time.<br />
Standardbreds make excellent trail horses. That’s one of their most popular
uses post racing along with Endurance riding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In hand trail, trail rides, pleasure driving are all jobs Standardbreds
are great for!<br />
<br />
Generally speaking, the only thing you’d want to be aware of is their dietary
changes. Many racing Standardbreds are on regular grain and high quality hay. I
would recommend finding out what they were on, so that you can transfer them
methodically to their new diet, instead of taking a horse from a high grain,
and high alfalfa diet and suddenly putting it on just grass hay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from that, there aren’t many other race
horse specific issues I would really caution you on.<br />
<br />
I’ve actually covered your last question in two blogs I’ve previously written
for Go & Play Stables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A Step
Ahead” which talks about the benefits of getting an OTSTB and “Stigmas &
Questions” which answers a number of frequent questions I’ve be asked while out
and about with Leo!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I
have Standardbreds myself, but purely to race. We either rehome or retire them
here at our farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have never trained
them to saddle, so I’m curious to know how they compare to other breeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does riding come naturally to them? Will most
trot? Anything info in general about switching from racing to riding would be
interesting!! Thanks! </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Verdana; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Because
of the skills they already have as harness horses, going from being covered in
equipment, with a race bike and vocal commands coming from behind – most of
them actually transition quite easily into riding. They’re already used to
being thoroughly handled from a young age by people. So having someone giving
the commands from above, instead of behind, usually isn’t too big of a stretch
for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that said having them
understand instructions coming from a riders legs/seat/weight/indirect rein can
take a little more time.</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Being
around the Standardbred racetrack and people, what trick or technique did you
find most useful or what thing did you learn that will be most useful later in
life with other horses or Leo?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In
my industry, generally, if a horse seems off or sore, the first go to, is to
give it a couple days, or a couple weeks, or a couple months even, and see if
whatever the ailment is, sorts itself out. In the race industry, that’s not
really an option because the horse typically has to race that weekend. They’re
so on top of the bodily care of the horse! Legs, back, GI tract, you name it,
they’re on it.<br />
As a result there is much more knowledge about lameness, soreness, flight
patterns, behaviour patterns etc throughout the harness community that just
doesn’t exist in mine. If your horse is off or lame or sore, it’s guaranteed
someone from the harness world will be able to tell you what it is, what’s
causing it, and about 20 different ways you could treat it within a couple
minutes. It’s probably been the biggest learning curve I’ve had since I started
going to the race track and spending time at various harness racing barns, and
something I’ll be able to benefit from with Leo and any other horses that come
my way for the rest of my riding career.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where
did the name Standardbred come from?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
name ‘Standardbred’ comes from the requirement of each horse to be able to pace
a mile in a ‘standard’ time frame in order to qualify and be listed in the stud
book. I.e. they are bred to meet the standard. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Standard-bred.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How
long does it take to ‘retrain’ an off the track pacer or trotter under saddle,
can they all do it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It
depends on what you define as ‘retrained’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As with any other breed of horse, theoretically yes, every pacer or
trotter can be trained or retrained to be ridden under saddle. On one hand, I
know of Standardbred owners here who have taught their retired racers to walk
around with a rider on their back in an afternoon, just with simple direct reining,
nothing complicated. On the other hand, I’ve had Leo for just over 9 years, and
while I’ve been riding him the whole time he’s still constantly being ‘trained’
to learn new skills or improve old ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Long story short – like every other breed, it’s slightly horse
dependant.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why
do they have tattoos on their neck?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To
my understanding this practice was started for ease of identification.
Standardbreds used to have lip tattoos (like the Thoroughbreds) but over time
these can become distorted or hard to read. The freezebrands they started using
around 20-25 years ago and still use now, when well done, are very easy to read
and don’t lose their clarity.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How
do you encourage a pacer to trot? Why do the pacers revert to pacing sometimes?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When
encouraging a pacer to trot, I think it’s essential to remember that in most
cases you are not simply training, but untraining and retraining. As race
horses – out of necessity, not just for speed but also for safety – pacers are more
or less taught that pacing is THE expected gait. (Much like you would treat a
horse that would gallop instead of trotting, gallop = NO. trotting = yay! Good
boy!) Thus, when you are attempting to encourage them to trot, there is a
prominent psychological side to the training as well. It will take time for
them to understand that their job, and its requirements, have changed.<br />
<br />
Praise and positive encouragement is important. Even if you only get a few
strides of trot, count it as a solid effort, a good try, praise them to the
stars, and start again. Standardbreds are workaholics, and like to please, but
sometimes just need a little time to sort things out and figure out that you
don’t want them to do what everyone else did from the time they were born until
now. Likewise, when they get confused or flustered it is very easy for them to
revert back or ‘guess’ that pacing is the answer because up until now, pacing
has always been the answer.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">With
that said, I’ve had Leo for 9 years, and occasionally when doing something new
(like flying changes) he’ll still sometimes ‘guess’ pacing. But it’s usually
only for a stride or two, and then he hops back into canter, no correction
needed.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I really enjoyed answering these questions, and
hope to do it again sometime later this year. In the mean time, if you want me
to expand more on anything I’ve written above or another question you have, I
can be reached on Leo’s facebook page, or any other social media outlets. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><!--EndFragment--> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-81577155051539057072016-06-09T15:41:00.000-07:002016-07-14T15:44:00.951-07:00Stigmas & Questions<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
Naturally, when you take a horse bred
for one very specific discipline, and ask it to do something else, there are
going to be a number of challenges associated with that change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Standardbreds there are a surprising
number of stigmas you’ll run into especially when making the transfer from
racing, to other competitive disciplines. Where I live, Standardbreds are very
rarely seen being used outside of trail riding careers, so most judges and
officials haven’t seen them before outside of racing. Here’s a few of the
stigmas and questions I’ve run into, or heard about personally:<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Is your horse lame?”</b><br />
No, he’s not lame. He’s gaited. He has an extra gear that literally every other
horse here does not have. So, he’s going to move slightly differently on
occasion.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“What warmblood breed puts their brand
on the neck?”</b><br />
This is probably my favourite question, but only because it makes me so proud
of how far Leo has come, and shows exactly how capable Standardbreds are. (For
the record. They don’t. He’s a Standardbred.)<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“How did you teach him to trot?”</b><br />
I didn’t. Pacing in Standardbreds is an additional gait. Not a replacement gait
as seen in some other gaited breeds. He can pace AND he can trot.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Flat movement. Earth bound.”</b> <br />
This was a comment I received on a dressage test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when compared to warmbloods and other
more ‘lofty’ moving horses, - Yes. Leo is incredibly flat and ‘earth bound’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standardbreds are design for efficiency. They
are designed to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible while using
the least amount of energy. Lofty movement, wastes energy moving vertically.
However, while a disadvantage in dressage, this lack of loft is beneficial in
the other two phases that required a bit more distance at speed. :)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“How
did you teach him to canter?”</b><br />
Short answer: I didn’t. He knew that too.<br />
Long answer: Leo knew how to canter, but it was poor quality and he had trouble
maintaining it for more than a few strides. There are three things I found most
beneficial when developing his canter. <br />
1) Regard the canter as a gait change, but not a speed change. <br />
2) Jumping, and placing poles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
3) Finding a stretch of field, and letting him canter to ‘practice’ without
having to worry about turning, or avoiding obstacles like in an arena.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“You’re
so brave, race horses are crazy!”</b><br />
Leo routinely falls asleep while tacking up, in a barn full of horses, with
music playing and uses the cross ties to hold up his face. The craziest of
crazy.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Does he know how to run?”</b><br />
Oh yes. It’s literally his favourite activity. More often with Leo, the
conversation is about running less, not running more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Why
don’t you just get another horse?”</b><br />
This is my least favourite of questions. But only because it makes me the most
offended. Yes, Leo is gaited. Yes, that complicates things. Yes, I know
majority of people don’t know any better.<br />
But, I would rather have a moderately talented horse, that tries his hardest
every single time I put my foot in the stirrup. Than the most talented horse in
the world who holds zero interest in his job, or me. I’ll take a horse with
heart over a horse with talent any day.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Did you train him yourself?”</b><br />
When I got Leo he was started walk/trot western under saddle. Everything else
past that, cantering, jumping, lateral movements, galloping, adjustability,
I’ve taught him under the guidance of various instructors and with the help of
other people within the Standardbred community. But yes, I trained him myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
Oddly, many of these questions are
what motivates me to continue to work through things with Leo each time we hit
a bump in the road, or experience a set back. The eventing community here in
Alberta has been wildly supportive since we started in their sport three years
ago, and has allowed Leo and I a wonderful platform to continue to promote the
breed and break the stereotypes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As always, I’m happy to answer any questions (or
expand on those above) either on Leo’s Facebook page, instagram or other social
media outlets. If you’d rather not post your question publically, private
messages are great as well.</span>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-44126194327887396262016-04-18T08:07:00.000-07:002016-04-18T14:06:14.723-07:00When the Going Gets Tough <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">For those of you who might not know much
about me yet, my off the track Standardbred Leo (West Point) and I are based in
Alberta, Canada. While our focus is on eventing, we have been welcomed by the
harness racing community here to learn more about the ins and outs of their
sport. How they do things, why they do things, what works, what doesn’t,
along with a number of tips and tricks that have been passed down, sometimes,
through multiple generations of horsemen. Over the past year, I’ve come to
know a number of members of this community and found great joy in watching
their horses train and develop, talking to different trainers, drivers, and
owners, and occasionally tagging along to the races.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FWkFxu-PkKPjkwLJNDie46n7dFmg_7JqJbDqDsywK7kKJAIoyfS0UGTir9-7fd9AGnqY5CnH7Qay3sBwvwk992Hc1dP61GXXgp0Av2roC6YFa42LeXui0dXx6R4AFDutSQM7iBPCFG6b/s1600/_O0A1131small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FWkFxu-PkKPjkwLJNDie46n7dFmg_7JqJbDqDsywK7kKJAIoyfS0UGTir9-7fd9AGnqY5CnH7Qay3sBwvwk992Hc1dP61GXXgp0Av2roC6YFa42LeXui0dXx6R4AFDutSQM7iBPCFG6b/s320/_O0A1131small.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlene Barry & Have Not Read It</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">This past weekend there was an accident
during one of the races on Sunday afternoon at the harness racing track here in
Alberta. A number of drivers were injured, and sadly one horse had to be
humanely euthanized. Anyone who’s been in the horse industry long enough
knows that being around horses can be quite dangerous given the wrong
situation. We see it in harness racing, and we see it in eventing.
They’re two very different sports, but both with their own sets of risks. While
these moments are frequently outweighed by the amazing, breathtaking moments
that everyone in the horse world strives and lives for, they still happen. And
they suck. There’s no way around it. Sometimes it’s just a terrible situation,
and you’re left wondering how exactly it happened, and what your next step
should be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Of course the severity of these incidents can
be managed per se. Everyone goes through proper training - typically
under the guidance of someone experienced in the industry like a coach, a
parent, or a mentor of some sort. Drivers and riders are taught to pull up
rather than jeopardize the safety of themselves, their horses, and others.
There are rules and guidelines in place to try and prevent unfortunate things
from happening, and make sure that riders/drivers are not faced with situations
they can't handle. Steps you have to follow in order to be allowed to drive in
a race, or move up the levels in eventing. And there’s safety gear. Helmets are
mandatory. Other pieces of equipment, like safety vests to protect the user
from crush injuries, are being seen more and more regularly in harness racing,
and are required for cross country in eventing. Harnesses and tack are
checked before the horses go out to compete. During races or competitions,
officials and medical professionals are on site, ready to jump in and assist if
the need arises. All of these steps are implemented and reviewed regularly to
make sure each horse and rider/driver pair is entering that race, or heading
out for that round in their best case scenario. But sometimes, despite
this, accidents still happen. Riders, drivers, and/or horses go down, and
everyone’s left trying to sort out what went wrong and determine if everyone’s
okay. Unavoidable, awful, tragic, accidents.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 48.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ4eIL45no_vd-EsP7c0jootk0C7q8-UH_GPhbNhPcuZ226Aws8ZUEWhz8n8gA0oR_GqMchoObpAT-B3BAEtUL0UhH7gO_KqYwu67j2iwyQ8olFkn8AxpQlIEBIWXU7khWWvaFVrFALPw/s1600/12115441_10206815779625759_148142090772565013_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ4eIL45no_vd-EsP7c0jootk0C7q8-UH_GPhbNhPcuZ226Aws8ZUEWhz8n8gA0oR_GqMchoObpAT-B3BAEtUL0UhH7gO_KqYwu67j2iwyQ8olFkn8AxpQlIEBIWXU7khWWvaFVrFALPw/s400/12115441_10206815779625759_148142090772565013_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Flying K Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> Every
time I’ve seen this happen, both in eventing and harness racing, without fail,
the community has been there to help. It’s incredible the compassion
these athletes and their teams show for each other. Instantly, everyone
jumps in to help, in some cases dropping what they’re doing and sprinting from
the barns. Grooms, drivers, riders, coaches, trainers, parents, families.
They’re all there, ready to help best they can. Whether it’s untangling horses
from harness, dusting off a rider or driver, holding onto a horse, comforting a
significant other, helping an injured horse onto a trailer or offering to look
after someone’s entire string so that they can go get medical attention.
(Granted, true to form, horsemen never go anywhere until they know their horses
are looked after.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Recently, in the harness racing world there
have been a number of online fundraiser pages set up to help support those who
can’t support themselves, and the response to those pages has been global.
When a fellow horseman is injured there is a lineup of people waiting to
jump in and assist. Owners and trainers will offer what services they
can, donate equipment or offer to house displaced horses. Drivers will donate
their cut of the purse to another horseman in need. People will jog
horses, ship horses, and racehorses for someone who can’t. Sunday was no
exception to this remarkable aspect of the harness racing community. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJineJ6j9erJ5-sOh00696vw-IWIM5NmcAVYPYs2eZdzd7kFrJM1-mvSYo6sGFNngugfmRH0C8IKdQJDVOp_oQRQUSwzVRVklJF6hz0LZaklBRTzvxE0z3sl84EJJquG_Mpf6vGG5TVGry/s1600/_O0A8296small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJineJ6j9erJ5-sOh00696vw-IWIM5NmcAVYPYs2eZdzd7kFrJM1-mvSYo6sGFNngugfmRH0C8IKdQJDVOp_oQRQUSwzVRVklJF6hz0LZaklBRTzvxE0z3sl84EJJquG_Mpf6vGG5TVGry/s400/_O0A8296small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; text-indent: 36pt;">Despite all this, there was an accident. No one was at fault. It was
truly an accident. Sadly, this accident had an unfortunate outcome with
someone in the community losing their four-legged teammate, and three drivers
falling from their race bikes. But, even though they all compete against
each other, they were all there for each other as well. They were there to help
load the passed horse’s equipment into his owners trailer and offer
condolences. They were there to visit the drivers being treated in the
ambulance. And they were there to help those affected by the accident
race their remaining horses and finish the day together. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The support in this industry goes past the
formal, polite, obligatory handshakes seen in other sports at the end of game.
Usually accompanied by a rather reluctant murmur of ‘good game’.
Unfortunately, most people’s knowledge of the racehorse industry is only what
they can see on television. The horses come onto the track, run around as fast
as they can to make some money, and go back to the barns. Because of this the
race industry so often gets slammed with the stigma of being dog-eat-dog, and
drivers and trainers ruthlessly pushing their horses, and battling each other
just to take home a paycheque. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule, and
those who would rather cheat the game than play fair. But by and large, it’s
not like that. Not at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM91XavI5b93WBvcvlBQLXNzLqsCQJKZTtjQBQJzQZGGDmsv_8fxrwYxk96BIQinjOHNgE9-jVcr4xsbaG3O2rhzR6b73wR80cXFe3Ff0VN2_QJEe3Oe17v-hE6YXiPGMHXd9IYHHYaFYZ/s1600/_O0A8805small1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM91XavI5b93WBvcvlBQLXNzLqsCQJKZTtjQBQJzQZGGDmsv_8fxrwYxk96BIQinjOHNgE9-jVcr4xsbaG3O2rhzR6b73wR80cXFe3Ff0VN2_QJEe3Oe17v-hE6YXiPGMHXd9IYHHYaFYZ/s400/_O0A8805small1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 48.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">What you’ll find is an astonishing community
of horsemen who care for each other and their horses. Being successful in the
harness horse industry often requires long, hard hours. It’s not an easy job,
and many of them wouldn’t even call it a job. It’s a lifestyle. But if there is
a member of the community in need, they’re happy to help. Even if it means an
18 hour day turns into a 20 hour one. If you ask them why they do it - the
extended hours and the tough and arduous work - many of the people in the
racing industry would tell you it’s because they couldn’t imagine doing
anything else, and they wouldn’t want to. This underlying care that
extends from the individual barns to the other people and their horses is one
of the gems of the harness racing world. Notwithstanding they are competitors,
they are a community first, and like in all communities there are good times,
and bad times, emotional joy and passing despair. All this only serves to
strengthen the bond within the community.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 48.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 48.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; text-indent: 48pt;">Does this mean we should just accept these
accidents as they are and not endeavor to decrease the frequency with which
they occur? No, of course not. One crash is too many. Can we continue to
improve safety measures for both horses and their handlers? Absolutely!
And we should.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">As always, I’m
ever so impressed by the horsemen of this industry and how they choose to
respond to events such as this. I give my sincere condolences to all those
connected to Pass the Port following the accident at Century Downs. I wish all
the drivers and horses who were involved a swift and full recovery.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-17654761908194292522016-04-15T17:00:00.000-07:002016-04-18T07:00:38.351-07:00Go & Play Blog Post Number Two, April 2016I recently wrote a second blog for Go & Play Stable. This time talking about the benefits of purchasing and owning an off the track Standardbred.<br />
<br />
"<span style="color: #232323; font-family: caudex, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; text-align: justify;">One thing I very rarely get asked about is the benefits of having a harness horse. So rarely in fact that the first time it happened it took me a couple minutes to come up with an answer. Society and the horse industry in general seems to like to focus on the problems and hardships of a situation. Rarely, if ever, is attention is paid to the benefits which outweigh those so called issues. "</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goandplaystables.org/#!Standardbreds-A-Step-Ahead-The-Advantage-of-Getting-a-Harness-Horse/c7lp/57110d3e0cf21d11795b41ec" target="_blank">Read the entire article here!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-70964929892301979002016-04-14T20:46:00.000-07:002016-04-14T20:46:12.962-07:00Go & Play Stable Ambassador Blog Post<div style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Last week I wrote a blog post for Go & Play Stable! In this blog post I talk about what it means to me to be an ambassador for the Standardbred breed, and for Go & Play Stables, as well as my plans for Leo for 2016.</div>
<div style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
"Standardbreds are a great kind of horse. They possess great work ethic, and are built not only for stamina but for speed as well. It’s qualities like these that make them great race horses. But even the ones that may not be great race horses, are still great horses!"</div>
<div style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
<a href="http://www.goandplaystables.org/#!What-It-Means/c7lp/5705134c0cf27bf9349d1d9e" target="_blank">You can read the rest of the blog post on their website.</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-4949229596957878152016-04-05T11:37:00.002-07:002016-04-05T11:37:14.605-07:00Show Schedule for 2016!Hey guys!<br />
<br />
I've made a permanent file here on the blog with the plan for the 2016 season for Leo and I. It's subject to change of course as the season goes on, but I'll do my best to keep it up to date for everyone.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://westpointstb.blogspot.ca/p/appearances-2016.html" target="_blank">You can find it here!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-5620926960482324732016-03-31T15:30:00.000-07:002016-03-31T15:30:20.049-07:00War Horse Wednesday<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Leo was recently featured at part of Horse Racing Alberta's "War Horse Wednesday"!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was <i>so excited</i> to hear from them, and am grateful for their support! They've done a beautiful job of representing Leo and I as a team. You can read the article on their website.</span><br />
<br />
<h2 class="itemTitle" style="color: #303030; font-family: ExoRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em !important; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20.020000457763672px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<a href="http:/" target="_blank">War Horse Wednesday – West Point (Leo)</a></h2>
<span class="itemAuthor" style="color: #6e6e6e; display: block; font-family: ExoRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http:/" target="_blank">Written by Julie Brewster</a></span><span class="itemAuthor" style="color: #6e6e6e; display: block; font-family: ExoRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span><span class="itemAuthor" style="color: #6e6e6e; display: block; font-family: ExoRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5PpNwg83taIogkxE87v26Axgg4XuByFBLXPiPbqJdt5efkREjzsWyarGxXsB9WFdIXdZgzchFej6GAE3nsH36N21r6ZPHQksed0qS7oOReB3QmkYBj2e51mXLFEAHJUWLTMbqIAjGkYv/s1600/216e854e1c1543768b9e64c2a046ffcb_L.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5PpNwg83taIogkxE87v26Axgg4XuByFBLXPiPbqJdt5efkREjzsWyarGxXsB9WFdIXdZgzchFej6GAE3nsH36N21r6ZPHQksed0qS7oOReB3QmkYBj2e51mXLFEAHJUWLTMbqIAjGkYv/s400/216e854e1c1543768b9e64c2a046ffcb_L.jpg" width="400" /></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-69957241562351489912016-03-31T09:56:00.000-07:002016-03-31T09:59:51.106-07:00What's in a name? "Sulky"<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">
As some of you who know me know, my
minor for my degree is in Classics. Classics is essentially the study of
classical cultures. Ancient Greeks, and Romans and the other cultures
surrounding that time. (I know, Anthropology major, Classics minor, good life plan Char.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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For one of my classes I gave a lecture
on chariots and modern racing for my term project. It was called, “Insights
into Chariot Racing from Modern Harness and Chuckwagon Races.” My class really
enjoyed it and had a number of questions about modern racing and my thoughts on
ancient chariots.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the questions I found most
interesting was from my professor who asked where the name ‘Sulky’ came from
when referring to the race bike used in harness racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly had no idea and had always just
accepted that was what it was called. After sending a couple text messages
to people I knew in the industry, and some Googling, I came up with an answer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The term ‘sulky’ is meant quite
literally. That is to say, since the race bike only carries one person, the
driver, that person must be sulking and therefore prefer to be alone. Which is
why he would drive that type of cart instead of one that could carry a
companion or multiple passengers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I ran this information past someone I
knew in the harness industry here to see what he thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t agree with it. He didn’t liken
driving a ‘sulky’ to being sad, but rather to freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is similar to how I feel while riding.
For those few minutes you can’t worry about anything else. You can only worry
about what’s right in front of you. It was also pointed out that you’re not
alone. Your horse is there with you, constantly interacting and communicating
with you. Sometimes that communication is a little more tense than others and
sometimes it’s flawless, but you’re certainly not alone.<br />
<br /></div>
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It’s an exhilarating break from
everything else going on in the world with one of the best companions you can
find. Unfortunately, ‘sulky’ is the nickname that stuck to describe something
so few people truly get to enjoy.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHauewa6l0mu2edooOA1-CTcQtft2t_I9oGnOJZ7vORdHH_rod-7Hv-Tx8LO3E7QXXiwhTDjKb6MNF-C6nAx2S4qoljWxaDnYKzhftryIdeXdMa3YLEyAQXuyrGM1kFVTmgZUY0G2mlyf/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-10-12-21h24m47s244.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHauewa6l0mu2edooOA1-CTcQtft2t_I9oGnOJZ7vORdHH_rod-7Hv-Tx8LO3E7QXXiwhTDjKb6MNF-C6nAx2S4qoljWxaDnYKzhftryIdeXdMa3YLEyAQXuyrGM1kFVTmgZUY0G2mlyf/s400/vlcsnap-2015-10-12-21h24m47s244.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-21006092124005085662016-03-30T13:04:00.000-07:002016-03-30T13:04:00.298-07:00Standardbred Article<a href="http://www.ispyhorses.com/ispy_new/news/439/64" target="_blank">The Underestimated Standardbred Article</a><br />
<br />
This is a great article and addresses many points I've noticed since I've had Leo. Even when I'm placing higher and putting in better scores than the Tbs, Warmbloods, and other breeds, I still hear that Leo is 'pretty good for a Standardbred'. It should be 'pretty good for a horse.'<br />
<br />
I especially like the end of the article that states,<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"As a general rule, Standardbreds may not gallop as fast as a Thoroughbred. Standardbreds may not make the reining horse a Quarter Horse will make. They might not jump as high as a Warmblood. That's not to say a Standardbred won't gallop as fast as a Warmblood. It's not to say a Standardbred won't make the reining horse a Thoroughbred could be. It's not to say a Standardbred won't jump as high as a quarter horse. The Standardbred is a horse; Accept it as one."</blockquote>
After all, like this article says, they have four legs and a tail too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-89529784074255805742016-03-11T10:08:00.000-08:002016-03-11T10:08:00.504-08:00Charlene & West Point on Raise Your Standards BlogEarlier this week, Leo and I were featured on Go & Play Stable's <i>Raise Your Standards</i> blog.<br />
<a href="http://www.goandplaystables.org/#!Charlene-West-Point/c7lp/56df6a150cf2a71b043be5d1" target="_blank">Check out it along with write ups on all the other applicants here!</a><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909475732159791113.post-31811577343989676072016-03-11T10:04:00.000-08:002016-03-11T10:04:08.489-08:00Welcome!Hello from Charlene & Leo and welcome to our blog! We decided to start this following being selected as 2016 Ambassadors for <a href="http://www.goandplaystables.org/" target="_blank">Go & Play Stable.</a><br />
<br />
Keep an eye here for little updates and things as well as on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/westpointstandardbred/" target="_blank">Leo's Facebook page.</a><br />
<br />
We'll be doing monthly blog posts with Go & Play Stable, so go to their page to check out those, and the other ambassadors chosen for 2016!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeYj0_alEZErmBWeG6VlL0ReRrDRLjBsOVO171lF1V0xsyDCdajA_1x8XZDY9_JHq2baRS59r8kw-YqZdjTIYT6BKwvZbzn8PTmhJVjXWL0VY4K32Vup8jjHJf3V6vnUgODSNEXhXlWwL/s1600/12039550_10152985277101986_8020738440457514821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeYj0_alEZErmBWeG6VlL0ReRrDRLjBsOVO171lF1V0xsyDCdajA_1x8XZDY9_JHq2baRS59r8kw-YqZdjTIYT6BKwvZbzn8PTmhJVjXWL0VY4K32Vup8jjHJf3V6vnUgODSNEXhXlWwL/s320/12039550_10152985277101986_8020738440457514821_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Happy Trails!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0