Friday Funny: Jumping Fail

Question for the Readers: Micklem Bridles

If you really feel like it, that 10 minute promo up there explains a lot of the uses of this bridle. But keep in mind that it is just that, a promotional video ;)

They've been around for quite some time, and they were always just some gimmicky-looking bridle I would see when flipping through the pages of magazines. But a friend was raving to me the other day about how wonderful these Micklem bridles are, and how she can use them as a bitless bridle at home, and a bitted bridles for jumping and at shows. Her horse was also a headshaker due to facial nerve pain, and has not done so since being ridden in this bridle. (Greta's headshaking is caused by seasonal allergies, poor thing. But that is only a theory based upon the circumstanes which is arose around, as head shaking is pretty hard to diagnose unless it's photosensitive headshaking or that caused by pain. Greta's neither of those, but that was only one opinion. Hmm... anyway.............)

After looking into them further out of curiosity, they don't seem like a bad idea. A noble effort, if nothing else. They are, if nothing else, steps to solving the problem of pressure on the bars of the tongue, the molars and cheeks, and the opening of the facial nerves and major blood vessels in the face. My only thing is the strap that seems to keep the mouth shut. I've never been a fan of simply strapping a horse's mouth shut, but that doesn't seem to be the purpose of this mechanism. It seems to function more like a traditional noseband and a way to avoid putting pressure on the molars. Even in the fitting video, the demonstrator Tom MacGuinness (founder of Horseware Ireland) specified that it is not meant to be tightened. Interesting.

So now, my question to you, my lovely readers (I am seriously proud of you guys for making this blog so much fun to run, by the way!) what are your thoughts and opinions on the Micklem bridle? Has anyone ever used it? Yay or "neigh"?

I'm not interested in getting one unless they are as wonderful as people make them out to be. But really, the last thing I want, need or can afford right now is a another, and potentially gimmicky, bridle haha!

Quote of the Day: Eric Lamaze

“Well, I think that when you have a horse and anyone who has ridden a horse at our level knows that what these horses do for us is incredible… they become part of our family, you know, they really change our life. It’s a sport that we chose because we love it, but it’s also a sport that we chose because we love the animal…. It’s not like breaking a hockey stick or breaking a tennis racket, for us we become very close with this animal and have great respect for they do for us. We’re in the limelight with our horses, but a horse like Hickstead for sure changed my career…. For me he meant everything… It’s not easy to find a horse of the caliber of Hickstead.”

-Eric Lamaze

RIP Hickstead

Saturday this was only an "unconfirmed report". Sunday I was lost in my own little world and spending quality time with Greta. And today, after a busy morning and classes, I sit down to see that the unthinkable is indeed true and that the great stallion Hickstead passed from a sudden heart attack tragically immediately after a stellar round in Verona. He had not even left the ring.

Do not, I repeat, do not watch the video of the actual death if you want to preserve some innocence. It was terrible. So many shots of people crying, and then a extremely dazed and shocked look on Eric Lamaze's face. Hickstead meant a lot to so many people, and to see that happen after one of his usual breathtaking rounds seemed cruel.

What really warmed my heart though was that the rest of the competition was stopped... at the request of the riders. The horse world is chuck full of snobs and self-centered people, but you have to admit that it's the horse itself that brings us all together, for whatever personal reasons.

"Hickstead really was a horse in a million and my heart goes out to Eric and everyone connected with this wonderful horse. This is a terrible loss, but Hickstead truly will never be forgotten. We were very lucky to have known him." Princess Haya bint Al Hussein

"Every horseman knows the proverb: For every rider there's one horse, and for every horse there's one rider - and they were that sort of partnership. Hickstead wasn't simply his partner in sport, he was his partner in his life's hopes & ambitions." Akaash Maharaj

"We are shocked. This horse was in the past few years the measure of all things." Marco Kutscher

Rest in Peace, Hickstead.

EDIT: I was stupid to buy into the heart attack theory as horses very rarely have heart attacks. It was ruled as an aortic rupture, I believe. Regardless, these kinds of things just aren't supposed to happen to beloved champions, or any horse.

Baby Daddy Shopping ;)

This is what I do every now and then just for grins and giggles, me being the cool kid that I am and all.

So, if I ever were to breed Greta, which wouldn't happen for a good long time if ever, for financial reasons and whether or not it would really be a good idea and such, I had always imagined it to be to another warmblood. Until I found this guy. Well, really I saw one of his babies and heard the sire was a Clydesdale and thought, "DADDY WAS A WHAT?!" Because all of his babies look like big-boned warmbloods. He produces some lovely babies. They're all athletic, big boned, tidy jumpers, and on the more mild side as far as temperament goes, although I am all for a go-getter personality personally. I love the way these guys look. They just appear to be so sturdy and classy!





His name is Spring Water Black Powder Joe, and he is a registered Clydesdale and registered as a approved stallion for the American Warmblood Society. He is by Strong Line Smokin Joe and out of Spring Water Catherine by Donegal King. He won his breeders/owners, Fisher Ranch Warmbloods, the AWS Breeder of the Year Award in 2008 for the lovely foals he produced, mostly out of TB and TB/NSH mares. Examples:




SW Bella Donna, out of a TB mare Derby Bell by Light Of The Stars. Love the build of this gal!



SW Big Rock, also out of a TB mare. He and his owner Rebecca Meyers took the championship at the Evergreen Classic "AA" show in all of the pre-adult hunters and pre-adult equitation classes. Lovely dude, right?


SW Majestic. You can check out his class hunter rounds on YT.



SW Thor, out of TB mare Majarose. I love this guy!

Anyway, these guys look like they would be fabulous all-around horses: eventers, foxhunters, hunters, dressage. Those are the prime examples of his get that I have found, but all of them are quality kiddos.

Currently, Spring Water Joe is in Indonesia right now being bred to TB, TB crosses, and WB mares to improve the breeds on the SE Asian circuit.

I understand there are so many risks with breeding. Even if all goes well in the pregnancy, you're stuck with what you get. I would love, love, love a filly. I don't think I can ever go back to geldings at this point. Stallions, yes, so long as I take the time to school them in proper manners. But mares seem to have the brains haha! If the baby ends up a bit wonky or not quite suitable for the purpose you wanted them for, you're stuck with them. Not to mention the 4-5 year waiting period before serious training can begin, which I would rather have a trusted professional do or at least shadow and assist me. If an accident happens and he/she is deemed unrideable or not able to do the big things you wanted... once again, too bad! I could never give him/her up unless I absolutely had to for unforeseen circumstances.

All in all, it's probably a big ploy to still have a piece of my Greta even when she is gone, which hopefully won't be until a very long time from now. And frankly, I think even looking at her subjectively, she is not a poorly-built girl! She is a bit thin below the knees and has less angle than what would be desired in her hind legs, but she has her fair share of redeemable qualities, and an excellent pleasing personality and level-headed-but-protective intelligence that she could hopefully pass on or teach to her foal.

But I don't think I could ever forgive myself if the pregnancy took a turn for the worse, or if the foal ended up being far less than desirable. It may just be a risk I am too paranoid to take.

But I can dream, right? It would be quite an adventure and probably would have a lovely result!

Any dream stallions y'all like?

Monday Funny

Royal Dublin Horse Show 2011 Video

Walking video... what do you guys think?

Okay, so she's not as lame as I thought she was. And I have a feeling a good trim will help her out. What do y'all think? And WOW about my little pity party last night haha!

She's going to get better :)