Smitty's Big Brother Wins National Title

Remember back in April, when I fell for the blanketed Appaloosa foal nicknamed Smitty, and just had to have him--even though he was barely a week old?

It turns out I'm not the only one with an eye for the offspring of An Awesome Secret. Another one of his get, a 2008 model named R Secret Vision, has won the National Champion Yearling Gelding title at the 2009 National Appaloosa Show in Jackson, Mississippi.

This is his victory photo, published with permission from photographer Larry Williams.

I sure wish that Grandpa Smith, after whom Smitty was nicknamed, were here to enjoy this moment in the sun. He'd be busting the buttons right off his Bibb overalls.

Congratulations to Kristine Fasano, owner of R Secret Vision, and to exhibitor Dave Parlier. And, to "big daddy," An Awesome Secret!

Just a bit more evidence that the horse world is a kind of ride, with ups that follow the downs.

Among the Mourners

This morning, there's a backhoe operator out in the pasture, digging the grave for Miss Rose--who was put down yesterday next to her final resting place.

The equine mourners, as well as the human ones,  are giving witness and paying their respects.

Farewell, sweet little friend. We're all going to miss you.

The Merciful Hand

You often hear "how do you know when it's time?" in relation to putting down a horse.

Well, today's the day when we knew it was time for Miss Rose. Her initial recovery from her choke episode last Tuesday was short-lived. Despite daily veterinary treatment and the best nursing we could muster, she didn't regain ability to eat and drink, and by this morning was shutting down and in mortal pain.

We now suspect she may have been in the first phases of some kind of internal distress when she choked, and that something beyond the choke itself may have been the issue. But regardless of underlying reason, there comes a time when the need to ease suffering trumps medical second-guessing. 

A merciful hand, therefore, has opened the gate for Miss Rose to canter off up to Horse Heaven. I'm sure the Tankman, who got there back in February, already has her rounded up and in his herd.

I trimmed a lock from her white mane and tail, covered up her until the backhoe driver can get here to bury her in the pasture, and arranged a vase of flowers in her honor.

R.I.P, little Miss Rose. You were loved when you ran out that gate.

Off Topic: Thinking About Michael Jackson

By now, the entire planet knows that entertainer Michael Jackson died yesterday at age 50. That was the nature of his fame--worldwide.

I once nicknamed a horse after him--Jackson--because like Michael, my Jackson had a glove (a single white sock) on his left front.

This morning, I was reminiscing with Ed about seeing MJ's breakout young-adult performance, in which he debuted the moonwalk. The occasion was the Motown 25th anniversary TV special at the Apollo Theater in New York, in the early 1980s. Nobody had ever seen anything remotely like it, and it created a sensation.

At the time, I worked at a popular Northwest equine publication called The Lariat. We all came to work the next morning and spent most of it talking about what we'd seen on television the night before. It'd take another 20-some years before the YouTube phenomenon would make that performance readily available.

Here it is.

Another Member of the Canine Editorial Team

Readers, meet Sam, as in Sam Purvis, as in beloved pupster of H&R's art director, Adam Purvis.

Sam, a Rat Terrier, is on a considerably smaller physical scale than Happy and Murphy, the two Labs introduced a couple of posts ago.

However, I suspect no one's told him he's a little dog. And as you can see from his expression, he brings a skeptical honesty to his editorial duties.

"Dad--dude!--you're going to put WHAT on the cover of H&R this month?!? Another horse?! Did you forget who is REALLY 'man's best friend'?"

"Um, I hate to bring this up, but that logo color you used last month did not match my dog bed AT ALL."

"Is that BLING I see on the other H&R dogs' collars? Tsk tsk...I like a more conservative look, myself. Goes with everything, and if the Big Boss drops by, I can be under a desk and under the radar in a flash."

"The dog thing? Just a disguise. I'm really just as human as the next person."

July 2009 Horse & Rider: Your Sneak Peek

If you don't have it already, this will be the next issue of Horse & Rider to appear in your mailbox or at your favorite magazine vendor locale.

"De-Spook Training" is a photo how-to on desensitization--great for beginners, and always a good visual refresher for everyone else...you know how those groundwork holes always seem to show up under saddle eventually!

* "Your Next New Horse" offers tips and strategies for avoiding bad buys in horses. There are a lot of seemingly good deals on horses out there right now, but--as we all know--a free or low-priced horse isn't always the right choice in the long run.

* "40 Hot Ideas for Your Bucket List" is a fun-read round-up of the horse activities our staff and readers hope to experience before their buckets get kicked.

* Team H&R's newest member, Julie Goodnight, kicks off her new Confidence Boosters series.

Just a few of the highlights from an issue I hope you'll enjoy and learn from.

Good advice, that you can trust...that's our mission. (See my previous post on for a personal experience with exactly that!)

Horse & Rider Comes To My Own Rescue!

I looked out a window last evening to see Miss Rose, our little Arabian mare, lying apart from the other horses with her neck stretched out and her head repeatedly lifted in an odd way.

"This is not good," I say to myself.

When I go to get her up, she coughs up milky froth, tinged a yellowish-green, that POURS from her nostrils and out her mouth. I've never seen a horse spew like this, and can't imagine what horrible disease has overtaken the poor thing. She's vaccinated against the typical respiratory diseases like flu and rhino, and has not been off the place nor in contact with any unfamiliar horses for many months. Her temperature turns out to be normal, which wouldn't be the case with flu or rhino. What the heck??

So I go to the house to call Dr. Denise, our veterinarian, and happen to spy the May issue of Horse & Rider on the kitchen table. The top cover banner line (which I wrote) was "EMERGENCY! HOW TO HANDLE A CHOKE CRISIS." I remember that the article said something about coughing and fluid discharge, so I give it a quick scan, and--sure enough. Miss Rose's symptoms match those of a horse with an obstruction in the esophagus.

When Denise comes on the line, she agrees that this is most likely the situation--one that's a 9-1-1 problem for a horse--and says she'll be right out. She sedates Miss Rose, gives her an anti-spasm medication, then breaks up the obstruction with a tube passed through a nostril and down into the esophagus. Except for a bloody nose from the procedure, Rosie turns out to be fine.

I'd never seen a choked horse before, but I won't mistake the symptoms next time. And I'll be just as swift about bringing in veterinary intervention, because this was not a do-it-yourself treatment situation.

Now I know why we get "THANK YOU, HORSE & RIDER!" letters from readers who've been assisted by articles in the magazine. I know just how they feel!

And Now, A Wag-Wag from Happy & Murphy

More of Horse & Rider's unpaid editorial staff: Happy (on the left), Erin Sullivan's dog; and Murphy (Alana Harrison's canine companion). And, a new post from the On Staff blog as well.

I'll bet we could have an interesting episode of "You Write the Caption" with these two!

("Whose turn was it to bring the fresh bones for lunch?") 

The California Pup Checks In

Well, as soon as Sadie the PomChi Meyer found out that Squeeker got HIS picture on one of the Horse & Rider blogs, she insisted on a closeup of her own.

Here, you get a glimpse of how closely her hairdo matches that of her pet human, Jenny!

Horse & Rider's Canine Editorial Team

As the production crew put the final touches on August's Horse & Rider last week, I reset my brain to editorial planning for September's issue and beyond. 

I was busy going over notes, making phone calls, and filling in calendar dates, when I felt a familiar "thump-thump-swish" of a dog tail wisking my foot. I looked down, and there was Deputy Squeeker, in position and on duty as one of Horse & Rider's canine members of the editorial team.

The whole lot of us are proof that Horse Person usually = Dog Person as well.

The On Staff at H&R bloggers, Erin and Alana, have dogs, Happy and Murphy, who spend work days under or next to their desks. Their Texas office mate, Art Director Adam Purvis, has four canine furkids in addition to little boys Atticus and Holden. Senior Editor Jenny Meyer, who has a home office in California, is owned by a bossy little PomChi named Sadie. The contributing editors have just as much dog hair in their rigs as those of us who serve on the full-time staff.

One thing you gotta love about dogs as editorial partners is that they never complain about the hours. They're ready to be on standby as long as you need their company.

I'm betting that most of you reading this post have your own canine partners to count on.

Do you?

 

A (Naked!) Episode from 'The Life of Riley'

Shot from my kitchen window this morning, this is a photo of four horses weathering a good rain by getting under a tree.

A pretty ordinary deal, right?

Yes, except not to the sorrel on the far left. That's my 6-year-old gelding, Riley. To him, getting out of the rain under a tree is a brand-new horse skill--taught to him courtesy of Corky and L.B., the two outfitter-string horses who know all about handling life outdoors.

Riley, you see, has been more of a barn boy until this summer. Not only that, but he's also been a barn boy clad in  clothes. He's either been actively showing, in training somewhere, or sheltered for the winter, and has the blanket/sheet/fly cover/turnout rug wardrobe to prove it.

This season, he's finally getting a chance to be more of a naked nature boy. For the sake of a well-rounded equi-education, better late than never!

 

For My Western Decor Loving Readers

The next time you run across an old fold-up wooden ironing board, here's a fairly fun NON-IRONING way to put it to use:

Stand it up and turn it into a portable beverage bar.

I use pairs of cowboy boots to safely transport favorite bottles of chilled water and red wine, plus glassware. I also decorate the bar with the boots, tucking in flowers, napkins, etc.

When folded flat, the ironing board fits behind the seat of my half-ton Ford pickup, and it'd fit just fine in the rear cargo area of most SUVs or bigger cars. And it's way cuter (in my opinion) than anything plastic and portable from China.

I admit that Ed looked at me sideways when he saw me packing an ironing board for my last couple of camping trips. ("You IRON when you're camping?!"...you can just hear a guy  thinking this, right?)

Nope, just putting a little ingenuity to work in a Western way.

    

Warning: Your Dogs, and Ivermectin Dewormer

I just learned of another sad episode of a dog being poisoned and blinded after lapping up ivermectin  dewormer paste, dropped from a horse's mouth after treatment. So it doesn't happen to your dog(s), here are some heads-up points you should know:

* A genetic mutation, known to be present in certain dog breeds (Collies, Shelties, German and Australian Shepherds, for instance, plus mixes derived from them), is responsible for the problem. A dog with this mutation is unable to process the drug effectively out of his system, and suffers reactions--sometimes fatal--as a result. Blindness is common. Learn more here. 

(Ed's dog, Ranger, shown above, is a mixed-breed guy tracing to the affected  breeds.)

* It may only take as little as 1/4 teaspoon of the deworming drug to cause serious effects in a dog who ingests it. A horse can easily spit out this much, or you can have this much left over in a discarded tube that a dog finds and starts to chew on.

* Dogs find flavored ivermectins--ones made for increased palabability to horses--especially tasty. They may sniff out and eat amounts falling to the ground from treated horses, or may dig through garbage to find discarded tubes of dewormer with residue remaining.

* Scientists at Washington State University have pinpointed the mutated gene, and have developed a test for it. The results will indicate whether your dog is susceptible to poisoning from ivermectin and certain other drugs.

* Play it safe by keeping your dog(s) confined whenever you plan to administer ivermectin to horses. Watch horses closely after giving the drug, to make sure they haven't spit any out. Wipe up althing that falls and discard safely. Store tubes of ivermectin paste, whether new or used, out of dogs' reach. Dispose of used tubes with care.

* Never give leftover equine dewormer to your dog!

 

Just About Done With August's H&R Issue

With the last elusive chunk of copy nailed down, and the final loose ends to tie up tomorrow, August's H&R issue is just about out our collective door and  on to the printer.

This makes for an interesting moment of pause--one that doesn't last long. The ball's already in play for the September issue, and we're well into thinking about holiday-related topics.

As for August, it has this as a mix of cover stories:

* Fear: How Men and Women Differ

* Baby Talk: Pre-School Lessons for Your Weanling

* How To: Select a Curb Bit, Ride A Spin, Be a Bolder Rider

* Can Your Horse Life Make Your Living? Four Families Say Yes

You'll see the final package about 30 days from now. In the meantime, be on the lookout for July!

Saturday Mornings at the Wash Rack

 I knew, when stepping back up to the editor's post for Horse&Rider, that I'd have to squash any idea of showing my own horses this summer. I'd already learned, from having the job earlier, that keeping a show horse going on your own, and keeping a magazine going, too, are not mutually inclusive activities. Not, at least, when your objective is to deliver championship efforts at both.

So, you make your bed, you lie in it.

Nevertheless, being up early on a summer Saturday still takes me--in memory if not reality--to a horse show wash rack. That's where I've had some of my best private times with favorite horses. It's not so much the washing part (where the cold water from some fairgrounds hose runs straight down into your armpit), but the intimate, anticipatory communion with the animal that made those mornings memorable.

There's that soft nicker when you show up at the stalls to fetch Ol' Faithful and dust the shavings off him.

There's the clip-clop of his shod hooves as you lead him onto the wash rack's cement floor.

There's the patient acceptance by the good-horse-buddy of the spraying, scrubbing, rinsing process--one he's undergone a hundred times and accepts as part of what he does to please you.

There's that smell of clean, wet horsehair. The squeek of the water scraper running over him. The chirping of birds, up at dawn like you are.

There's the entrance into the day's competitive bubble, where your mind is so occupied by all the details of the show day to come that the brain gets a rest from its work-work or school-work thoughts.

Not at all a bad place to be.

I'll probably wander by a local horse show today, just to say hi to a few of the homies and watch a class or two. And I'll bet some of them are having their own washrack moments right this minute.

Hope they appreciate 'em for the privilege they are.

More from the "On Staff at H&R" Blog

I got some great chuckles yesterday from the latest post at our newest Horse&Rider blog, "On Staff at Horse&Rider," so I thought I'd direct your attention to it.

The Comments section may turn out to be an informal poll, on the subject of who makes her bed in the morning, and who doesn't!

Are These Almost Too Cute to Put on a Horse?

As a lover of all things vintage, especially fabrics and lithography, I have to give you a peek at these saddle pads made from vintage blankets.

They are made by Nancy DeWeir Geaney of Dark Horse Farm Designs, Wilton, CT, and I was made aware of them by my friend MaryJane Butters.

The wagon-wheel Western one--which I have added to the cowgirl trailer's decor--has silver conchos at the rear corners. The pink pad has English styling.

I think these are just about the cutest things ever. So much so that I'm not sure I can stand to let them get horse-sweat dirty!

Inviting You to Play 'Horse Weekend Update'

OK, blogophiles, it's Monday morning, and some of you must have some good stories about the horse stuff you did with your weekend.

So, let's hear the details. Show? Clinic? Barrel race? Trail ride? Roping? Something else that was fun and a break from routine?

If I had a picture of a water cooler, I'd put one here just to get you in the mood to chat up the rest of us!

Sneak Peek: Invitation to H&R's Newest Blog

I often wonder how many people wish they had a job like mine--one where (as I've said for the last 34 years) "you get to talk and think about horses all day and be paid for it." I have a hunch it's quite a few.

Now, thanks to the blogging phenomenon, you'll have the opportunity to find out what it's like to join the field of equine journalism in this day and age. 

Two other Horse&Rider staffers, Erin Sullivan (editorial coordinator) and Alana Harrison (managing editor) have just started a blog of their own, "On Staff at Horse&Rider," in which they'll report on their adventures, observations, deadline challenges, and whatever else they encounter in the nag-magger's daily life.

The "On Staff" blog won't be formally announced to H&R readers until the July issue comes out later this month. But you all get a sneak-peek alert now that the first post is up and ready to read!

 

Reining In and Saddling Up

So I'm word-working away yesterday, riding my runaway deadline pony, when a furious barkfest gets me to look up and out into the barnyard.

Yikes! It's farrier day, and I've COMPLETELY forgotten about the the appointment for five horses that are still at large out in the pasture. The poor guy had to sit twiddling his thumbs while I rounded everybody up and got halters on them.

Not the end of the world,  but a wakeup call to rein in some on the work-related focus that's been occupying most of my brain space lately.

By the time I got back to the house, staff in the other time zones had already gone home to their families. I tidied up a some of the workday's most pressing loose ends, and then went straight back to the barn--where I saddled up my gelding Riley for a chance to try out his new set of handmade shoes.

The deadline pony was still waiting patiently when I got back, no worse for the wait. And the newly shod pony rode great!

Flowers For Stephanie

In her comment on my previous post, Stephanie makes mention of my flower garden. So, to be obliging, here's a photo from yesterday's wander around the yard.

Too bad you can't hear as well as see this spot, as the pink flowering tree is buzzingly alive with bees and hummingbirds. Pretty soon, it'll be snowing pink petals, and the glory moment will be gone for another year.

The best thing about this spot is that it's now mature, and doesn't take much in the way of everyday maintenance (good thing, because I wouldn't have the time to devote to it just now.)

I'm not going to label this post "off topic," because there IS a horse angle to it--underneath all this green and its blooms is what comes out of the horses! (Manure--it's a gardening gal's best friend.)

The New Job and How It's Going

I'm about five weeks or so into my new position as Horse&Rider's editor/associate publisher. One issue, July's, is at the printer, and we're now about halfway through production of August's issue.

So how's it going? Well--there isn't  short answer to that. But as a synopsis....

* I haven't come close to cresting the new-job learning curve yet. Even though I held the job once before, in the 1990s, it's a much different job now--just because it's a much different WORLD now. (How different? Well, for starters, there was no such thing as high-speed Internet and a hundred emails a day.)

* It's not so much a new-old job as it is a new-old lifestyle--one that involves having a magazine and its ever-morphing needs living in your brain, to greater or lesser extent, ALL THE TIME. This is especially true when you do this sort of work from home,  have far-off colleagues in three time zones, and give out your home email address to some 160K readers every single month. The last time I did the job, this aspect took some getting used to. This time, at least, I knew, going in, that such would be the case. 

* The editor post comes with some time-related casualties, particularly at first, when there's so much to get figured out and so many people looking to you for direction and yes-no answers. The biggest one? Personal horse time. At present, it's basically non-existent. Good thing we have a big lush pasture, because it's handling most of the horse-care duties right about now.

* "Bored" is never an issue...because there's never a dull moment!