New York Natural Equestrians

Donna and I had our own playdate in our ring today. We fashioned a roundpen out of “caution” ribbon and it worked pretty well until the breeze kept blowing the poles in the cones over. We were still able to make it work pretty well. Martine was able to join us toward the end and she got Willoh up on the pedestal with all four feet. Donna figured out how to get him to do a figure 8 around two cones. Willoh is such a good boy and soooo different from Dakota and Caz. We had to bring our energy waaayyyy down for him. Donna found that just using the lead rope worked better on him than the stick because he is so sensitive to body language. It was still very hot, but the shade made it at least bearable!  It was a lot of fun!

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Training Tip of the Week:
Teach your horse to trust you even if he gets frightened.

I don’t mind if my horse gets frightened. What I do mind is when he gets frightened and then takes matters into his own hands. Instead of bolting, bucking or rearing, you want your horse to look to you for guidance. Prove to him that every time he gets worried, panicked and uses the reactive side of his brain, you’re not going to hurt him. Instead, he can turn to you and you’ll help him survive the experience. You’re going to take control of the situation by moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right until he calms down and starts to use the thinking side of his brain. Every time you take control, the horse builds confidence in you as a leader. If you punish him for being reactive, he’ll get defensive, more frightened and lose confidence in you as a leader. Remember that the more you practice gaining control of the horse’s feet and rewarding the slightest try, the bigger the thinking side of his brain will get and the less he’ll use the reactive side.

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Please consider making room in your schedule to ride in the Equestrian Parade at the FRIENDS of CONNETQUOT Gala on October 3.  Jerry & Rita Trapani, also members of NYNE, are looking for riders or drivers or even hand-walkers to show off their beautiful horses and help make the Gala a huge success.  This is one of the Friends’ biggest drives for funds (has anyone seen the Grist Mill lately – they need $$$$$ !!)  LOL    Jerry asks that each participant make up an index card providing info about you & your horse – your name, how many horses do you own, who else in the family rides, age, breed, discipline, where you keep your horse, how long you’ve owned him, what makes him/her special, anything that you feel would be of interest to those watching. 

If you’ve never attended the Gala, the parade route is on the paved road from one end of the porch to the other – maybe 1 minute per rider?  The event kicks off at 12:30 so if you plan on participating, please meet at the far end of the Main House by 12:30 at the very latest.  AND DON’T FORGET YOUR INDEX CARD!!

Thanks guys!  Let’s help support the park we love and ride in!!  See you there!

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Thanks again to Evette for bringing the Clinton DVD.  We were all hysterical at some of what he had to say and how he said it.  You Freak of Nature !!  Funny stuff.  But also VERY informative.  I would have to say that was the best Clinton video I’ve ever seen (not that I’ve seen many).  I liked how he first allowed the student to perform a task, then Clinton would step in to show her how she could improve, then he allowed her to try again.  I found it very helpful to have him explain what she was doing wrong and how to correct it.  There’s something about Parelli that I still find myself feeling lost at times which I don’t feel when I watch Clinton.  REALLY looking forward to the 2nd half at next month’s meeting.  If you missed the first half, don’t despair.  The first half was all ground work.  The 2nd half will be all from the saddle.  So even if you missed Part 1, you’ll still enjoy/benefit from Part 2.  I can hardly wait !!

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Don’t be afraid to increase pressure.

Most people want to start with a low amount of pressure, which is great, but when their horse ignores them, or doesn’t move his feet, they don’t increase the pressure. It’s important that you first ask the horse to respond with the lightest amount of pressure possible because a horse will never get any lighter than the first amount of pressure you apply. If he chooses not to respond, you’ll increase the pressure until you get what you’re looking for. Ian Francis, one of my mentors, says it like this: You ask, you suggest, you insist, you enforce. Regardless of how you phrase it, the ultimate goal is to ask with the least amount of pressure and increase that pressure until you get the response you’re looking for. If you start gently and finish gently, then eventually being gentle will be all that’s necessary to get the job done. You’ll do what you have to do to get the job done. You’ll do it as easy as possible, but as firm as necessary. If you always ask gently, then increase the pressure as needed, over time all you’ll have to be is gentle.

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With the weather changing to cold nights and warm days please do not assume you have the same horse that you put away the day before.  It has proven itself every year that  phone calls for horses that have become emotionally scattered increases during this time of year.  Always do your pre-flight check and make sure that you are totally connected with your horse prior to putting your foot into the stirrup. 

Keep It Fun!!

Tony

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EQUESTRIAN TASK FORCE PUBLIC HEARINGS

Suffolk County Legislator Jack Eddington invites all interested members of the equine community and industry and all other interested parties to attend public hearings to take place before the Equestrian Task Force. The task force, which is comprised of public officials, members of the equestrian community, various county agencies and town representatives, is looking to solicit input from interested parties about their experiences regarding the equestrian industry and comments about the Equestrian Task Force Draft Report which can be accessed online at the Suffolk County Legislature web site. Go to Schedules, Boards and Commissions and look for Equestrian Task Force.

Hearing dates and locations:

Tuesday, August 24, 6 to 8 p.m.

Huntington Town Hall

100 Main Street, Huntington

Wednesday, August 25, 6 to 8 p.m.

Maxine Postal Legislative Building

Griffing County Center

300 Center Drive, Riverhead

Thursday, August 26, 6 to 8 p.m.

William Rogers Legislative Building

725 Veterans Highway, Hauppauge

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RON TURCOTTE AND SECRETARIAT

Press release for the live auction of this rare print of Ron and Secretariat @ the Friends of Connetquot Gala October 3rd 2010

Secretariat became a 20^th century legend when he captured the Triple Crown in 1973, winning the Belmont Stakes by an astonishing 31 lengths. In 1978 his jockey, Ron Turcotte, was paralyzed in a tragic accident at Belmont Park when his mount, Flag of Leyte Gulf, clipped heels with another filly and went down.

One of the people who was touched by Turcotte’s story was Arthur Cussell of Brooklyn, a devout racing fan and a great admirer of the art of Rita Trapani. In 1990 he commissioned Rita to create a painting of Secretariat with Ron Turcotte aboard, which he sent to Turcotte at his home in Maine near the Canadian border. The artist took her cue from the cover of a popular sporting magazine and portrayed the horse and rider at a full gallop. Turcotte was delighted and hung the picture in his dining room. Around this time, the patron and the artist met Turcotte at a Belmont Stakes press party, which was meaningful for all three.

Rita later presented Mr. Cussell with a framed copy of the original as a birthday gift, and he displayed it in his living room for many years. When Mr. Cussell passed away on July 4, 2010, it fell into the hands of his friend Paula Rodenas. She offered to donate it for a worthy cause: the preservation of Connetquot Park, which the artist supports and describes as “the most horse-friendly park in New York” The painting is timely, as a movie about Penny Chenery Tweedy, owner of Secretariat, was recently produced. Mr. Cussell, who loved horses, would have approved.

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Is anyone interested in going upstate in September for Jimbo’s Fall Pigroast and Timed Trail Ride?

Date:  September 17-19

Location:  Pure Country Campground

I am going to try and go!  Looks like fun.  (See purecountrycampground.com for more info and to register for this event!)

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Folks, Please let me know if you are planning to attend, or if you aren’t going to ride perhaps volunteer to help out that day.

We’re still looking for new or unused items for our Chinese Auction, horsey or non horsey stuff is fine.

Thanks so much!

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