Domestic Diva Transformed to Ghoulish Edwardian Equestrienne on US Newsstands; Friesian Doesn't Spook

by Fran Jurga | 31 August 2009 | The Jurga Report

Move over, Rachel Alexandra. Your day as the hot horse on the newsstand is over.

Say hello to Rutger, one of five Friesian horses owned by domestic diva Martha Stewart, who re-wins my affection every year for her all-out gleeful celebration of Halloween. This year her magazine has a special cover on its Halloween tribute issue--it's Martha herself, wearing crazy contact lenses, red eye shadow and sporting a three-inch scar on her cheek. But she's upstaged (in my opinion) by Rutger, the well-groomed, clear-eyed, unblinking horse at her side.

Inside the magazine, there's a double-page spread of Martha astride Rutger; she's wearing a spooky cape over black breeches with tall boots. It's strangely reminiscent of the Rachel Alexandra pose last month in Vogue--when was the last time two major magazines had double-page fashion-style spreads of a full side view of a horse in back-to-back months--or at all?

Interesting gossipy thing to note: look closely at the cover photo. Do you notice anything? Look again. One more time? I know some of you will spot it right away: Rutger is sporting what is known these days as a bitless bridle, or a shanked hackamore if you're old-school. Rutger's is pretty upscale old-school, with a padded cavesson.

Rutger's mane is done in a basketwave.

The Friesian association staff must be dancing in the street tonight--what a great endorsement for the breed!

There's lots more about Martha and all her horses on her blog or click here to read my introduction to her lame horse rehab cast of equine professionals or click here to meet Linda Friedman, her farrier, who has also been on Martha's television show since I wrote that article. And click here to see a segment of Martha's show about horse slaughter and adoption.

The photo above was one that Martha took the other day and posted on her blog; that's her stable in the spooky morning mist.

It's not hard to figure out where the inspiration for Martha's Halloween outfit originated. Right down the road from her home in Bedford, New York is the famous village of Sleepy Hollow, the fictional home of schoolmaster Ichabod Crane who was chased off this earth by a headless horseman who is believed to still gallop these roads late at night...or is it just Martha and Rutger?

Have fun and get in the mood for Halloween. The magazine featuring Rutger really is a hoot...and a howl...and a scream!

What Do Martha Stewart and Fran Jurga Have In Common? More Than You Might Think...

by Fran Jurga | 5 May 2009 | The Jurga Report

For the past year or so, Martha Stewart has been blogging about her veterinarian, Dr. Elizabeth Kilgallon, and her progress in diagnosing and treating a degenerative hock issue found in Martyn, one of Stewart's Friesian horses. But is she after my job?

Martha Stewart and I have a lot in common, actually. Sure, there are the horses in common, but there's more than just that. She's the head of a media empire. I'm the head of a media empire, too, if you count all my readers who work for royal stables in places like Dubai and Oman.

Martha's on Twitter; I'm on Twitter. The only difference is that she has 557,627 more followers than I do. And she isn't following me.

I follow her, though. I have to keep an eye on this woman because she's obviously trying to take over my turf, and I'll tell you why.

Martha introduced her blog readers to her lay equine dentist, Brian Stuart, and didn't apologize for not using a vet to float her horse's teeth.

You see, Martha and I are both involved with horses. And we both are bloggers.

I wasn't worried at first, when I heard she was starting a blog...but did she have to do such a good job of it? I read her blog because I thought it would inspire me to be a better blogger.

And then, when she blogged about what goes on when her horseshoer, my friend Linda Friedman, stops by to pedicure the feet of her Friesians, I didn't feel threatened. I was thrilled that someone of Martha's stature was writing about farriers, and there's no farrier more deserving of a good write-up that Linda Friedman. Martha knows how to pick a farrier.

This spring, Stewart is updating us on Martyn's progress, including precise recommendations of the therapy regimens and equipment used...even the therapists!

But now that one of her horses is lame and she's blogging away on the minute details of its therapy, I'm having to stop and think about what this woman's real motives are. I think that Martha may be after my job.

Through Martha's blog, we're meeting the horse dentist, the saddle fitter (Kate Athanas-Wilson), the Game Ready cold therapy expert and I'm starting to wonder if there is a better cared for barn of horses in the Northeast. It's as if Martha has been reading every article I ever wrote in eveyr horse magazine ever printed in the last 20 years. "Advice to horse owners: hire the best professionals....start at the feet and work up...."

Martha seems genuinely interested in what each and every one of these professionals does for a living, she raves about their interesting tools, and she's keen to know what they are doing and how it will affect her horse.

We all know how difficult hock problems can be, but Martha is determined to get to the bottom of Martyn's problem and she has assembled a cadre of top-notch horse health professionals and state-of-the-art equipment to help her horse. Bravo!

Blog readers were treated to details of Martyn's Game Ready cold therapy treatments, provided by Jamie Miles.

Here are some links to horse health posts on the Martha Stewart Blog that you might enjoy:

Click here to read about Martyn's hock lameness diagnosis.

Click here to read about Martyn's massage therapy session.

Click here to read about Linda Friedman's winter shoes for the Friesians.

Click here to see a photo album of Martha riding her horses in the snow this winter.

I think the horse world has a great friend in Martha Stewart. She's blogging and Tweeting in our language, so check it out! Just remember to come back here to your own tribe.

You can also follow Martha on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarthaStewart

Will Martha design a perfect interior for Linda Friedman's farrier rig? Linda's probably happy with it the way it is but Martha might have some ideas!

All photos on this post mirror from www.themarthablog.com.