It may be a 'random number generator'....but we won suckas!

News of the day = Moose and I won the HJU Ammie Educational Grant!

It went something like this....I was reading Horse Junkies United last night when I saw a familiar face- Moosey! I suddenly realized our submission for the Ammie Educational Grant had won!

Then this happened 



Followed by me handing my husband the phone to read the post....followed by more dancing and screeching as I wanted my phone back to call people anyone and share the news. He wasn't giving the phone back so I paraded out to the pasture to let Moose know....he was apparently unimpressed with my dancing - he spooked and ran away.

Buzz. Kill.

Anyway, remember this post? The post I was lamenting my lack of funds to participate in the Peter Atkins clinic in Kentucky? Well thanks to HJU and the grant sponsor ecogold we are now going!

I still can't quite believe my good fortune! Thank you  Horse Junkies United (a great blog)! Thank you ecogold (they make awesome saddle pads -and do real research)!

Please support these folks -they give back while also providing a great informational service and products.

Shameless Promotion of our "Sponsors"
(teehee...I love saying that)

• Horse Junkies United Blog

• Horse Junkies United on Facebook

Follow or "like" them for daily news and funny stories. You will also see contest announcements and there will be another Ammie Educational grant soon! Go win it!

• Ecogold Website

• Ecogold on Facebook

• Ecogold blog

And my favorite ecogold blog post :

Amazing Results from Ecogold Saddle Pads in Pressure Scans!

 

( I have seriously coveted an ecogold pad for Moosey since reading this. One ecogold. One day.)

A tale of Carrots & Apples, A Doublewide and Badminton Horse Trials.

Peter Atkins and Henry are heading to good ol' Badders. And if you have read this blog for any length of time ever you know Peter is my favorite coach. So let's get he & Super-Hen to England!

A unique fund-raising plan is in place....fans can support the trip by purchasing carrots and apples ($10), the Badminton Entry Fee ($537), or Henry's shipping ($10,000 -yes $ 1 0, 0 0 0). See the options at http://www.shop.runhennyrun.com

Apples & Carrots

"Henny gets a lot of carrots and apples, buying one or multiples of them will keep him happily munching and will be used for other day to day expenses that will occur. This is a great way to donate even if you can/want to only give $10, $20 or $30 "

No $h*t  Henny gets a lot of carrots. While at Peter's barn I saw the biggest bag of carrots I have seen in my (apparently sheltered) life. I mean seriously....just get a pick-up truck load.

NOT this

Still to Small

This is more like it....if it were larger

So yes -Henry does indeed need lots of carrots (donate here).

Hay for Henny ($140)

Clearly I need to move to England. I need hay for $140.

Which also brings us to transport....

aww-let's make sure Owie gets to go

You can help Owen go see his favorite horse run Badders (serious awwww factor here folks) or pony up and get Henry there.


So the cost of transporting the humans and horses makes me less jealous of the hay thing.

On to my personal favorite....

Lodging for Peter

"with your help Peter will be well rested for his week at Badminton and yes he will be living in a double wide."

Yes! A thousand time yes!!! I can't tell you exactly why this tickles my funny bone. As a trailer park liver for several years (I know you are NOT shocked by that little revelation) I am certainly no snob. But the thought of Peter in his doublewide....


 All kidding aside this an expensive endeavor (even not accounting for lost income while away). I would really love to see Peter, his family and his horse live this dream. They are good people.

Please visit http://www.shop.runhennyrun.com and donate what you can (and if you can't I get that -please just keep the Atkins eventing family in your thoughts as they make this journey).

And if someone out there does sponsor Peter's lodging please make it contingent upon photographic evidence. Please.

Peter Atkins teaching in Kentucky soon!!!!

Ack! Have you heard?! Peter Atkins will be teaching in Kentucky soon (as in May!).

The big thing for me is that he is offering private dressage lessons on the Friday of the clinic. I had a few private lessons on school horses while in Florida and my improvement in riding and understanding concepts was actually exponential in scale. I would love to get a private dressage lesson on Moose (as well as jumping/ xc in the group clinic) to see if I can continue the exponential learning!

(As an aside I do feel I am riding Moose much better since my FL trip-yay!)

Now where is that damn money tree? 

....oh yeah....it paid someone's vet bills (cough, Moosey!).

Here is the info:

Ride with Australian Eventing Team member Peter Atkins at Champagne Run!

May 11-13, 2012 | Lexington KY

Friday, May 11 – Private Dressage Lessons (Peter will be teaching a limited number of private dressage lessons the day before the clinic). Me Want! Want! Want!

Saturday, May 12 – Clinic Day 1 -Stadium: Grid work in groups of four for 1.5 hours.

Sunday, May 13 – Clinic Day 2 -Cross Country: Cross country schooling in groups of six for 2 hours. XC!!!!!! In KY! With Peter!

Peter + XC+ KY+ May!

Dressage: $115 per horse/rider combination

Clinic: $325 per horse/rider combination

Auditors: $25 for the weekend Maybe I can do this

Saturday evening we will host a meet and greet potluck with Peter! What? He doesn't eat....will there be a keg?

Limited overnight stabling is available upon request for $30/night.

Reserve your spot early by returning the clinic form with full payment! If someone wants to do this My name is Amy. My horse is Moose. I can supply the coggins part if you supply the payment part. Deal? OK!

Please return payment and forms early to guarantee participation, as space is limited. Negative coggins and health certificates are required with entry.

No refunds will be given unless your space can be filled from the wait list.

Checks may be made payable to Champagne Run. Your entry in the clinic will not be considered complete until payment in full has been received.

Please complete one entry form for each horse you plan to ride in the clinic.

Return forms to:
Champagne Run Farm
Attn: Peter Atkins Clinic
5991 Old Richmond Road
Lexington, KY 40515
mev.champagnerun@gmail.com
www.champagnerun.com

I truly hope some of my fellow bloggers get to go (and you better blog about it!). I'll be out shaking that money tree....

Photo Essay -Moose Tracks

Moose is on vacation post mystery virus from H E Double Hockey Sticks.

Other thank thanking the interwebz for pulling for him and reporting he is back to his Moosey self I have nothing really to blog about...so indulge me in looking at photos.

smiling poneh -first event camp

Dressaging

Moose says NO dressaging!

Benches are for jumping

hmm -Peter you may not want to sit there

Woman from Snowy River & her Pony

I DRINK the water hazard. Drink it ALL!

I LAY DOWN in the water hazard

oh Fine. I'll jump in the water hazard

At shows I learned to RUN not drink the water

That made the yam-provider happy. See.

I like to nap

The yam-provider may nap with me. But NO picture taking allowed!

I jump cute (yam-providers like this)

I am Moose Tracks!

Just got the call -he is coming home!

Go Moosey, it's your birthday, We gonna party like it's your birthday. 

Sick Boy

It started on Sunday.

I went out to the barn Sunday morning in my PJs, bleary-eyed yet ready to do morning chores.

Moose mouthed his feed, let it dribble out and then turned away. 

Let me stop here –Moose is a P I G. If it is not nailed down, he will eat it. If the nails can be pried loose by pony lips then it is not nailed down. And he will eat it.

What is a savvy horse person to do?

Check gut sounds, color & capillary refill, take a temperature & respiration, check for injury or swelling? Did I do any of these things? Nooooo. I sprinted for the house to retrieve my phone. 

The call went something like this:

Me : HELP ME!

Doc: What’s going on?

Me: Moose is dying! DYING! 

Doc: So what’s going on?

Me: He looked at me funny. I think he might have colic. or Foundering. OMG he is going to die!

Doc: Did you take his temp? with the underlying  Did you actually look at him?

Me:  No.  Do you know where my thermometer is? Shit! What is a thermometer? Hold on.  I’ll do that and call you back.

Ring ring.

Me: He is DYING! 104.6!

Doc : OK…asked a few questions about color, gut sounds, etc (none of which I could answer). 

Me:  waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! HELP ME!

Doc:  Ok. Do you want to give some banamine and call me back in a few hours? 

What will make you most comfortable (Note-what will make me -not Moose comfortable...yup, I was pretty hysterical)

Me: I am most comfortable with taking him to a hospital and having at least 10 experts look at him immediately. Do you think Dean Richardson is available?

Doc: I am on my way.

(Huge shout out to Dr. Miller / Prairie River Equine for wading through my hysteria)

My poor boy

Moose was properly evaluated and given banamine with instructions for me to monitor temperature and silly things like color, gut sounds, etc.

Throughout the day and night, his temperature ping ponged. More banamine was given, tasty treats soaked in water offered (all to no avail).

And I think I gained 5lbs (at least).

8:00 

Temp 103. So I ate a cinnamon roll.

10:00 

Temp 104. I ate two cinnamon rolls.

12:00 

Temp was down. I called everyone I knew. “Hi! Moose is 98.7!!!!! “  um yeah….

2:00 

Temp 105 so I ate a pizza. A whole one.

You get the idea.

So Sunday the decision was made to take him to hospital so he could get intensive care and I could stop with the eating already.

Please keep him in your thoughts-he is getting many gold stars for being a model patient. I love my kind, generous boy. He always makes me so proud. Even when sick.

Getting Fluids

Fancy Ice Boots!

My Moose

Parting Thoughts on the Atkins Adventure

“Ask often, expect little, reward often”

Upon reflection on my experience in Ocala, I think that sums it up best.

The training horses are asked to work and more importantly *try* hard. They are rewarded lavishly.

The training session begins the moment Peter has mounted. The horse is asked to be attentive and on the aids immediately. There is no lollygagging around in the guise of a warm-up (I am very guilty of this).

The session proceeds with the horse constantly being asked questions. Can you move your haunches here? Shoulders here? There is bending, leg yields, and every variation of lateral work. The horse is truly being “gymnasticized”. I don’t think I saw Peter ride a plain old 20m circle once –not even on the babies. And everyone did counter-canter –the advanced horses and the green beans.

I can’t stress enough how much the horses were working constantly –backs swinging and legs crossing. It really made me evaluate how I ride Moose. No more boring arena circuits or 20m circles for us.

These sessions are often short as the horses are constantly asked to think and work.  You can see the horses Peter has fully trained asking, “You want this?” “Is this good?” They are all triers and pleasers…it almost seems as if they think they are training him…”if I do this I can make him get off and give me a treat!” And this is what I want Moose to be.

The Horse -Its Always About the Horse

Everything was about the horse.

All the horses at Atkins Eventing live out 24/7, only coming in to eat meals.
Yes, Even Henry. 
As tempting as it might be to bubble wrap this famous gelding, Henry (is treated just like a horse) lives out with a group.

The dentist as well as chiropractor made visits while I was there. Peter does his own farrier work and afternoons often found him tinkering with shoes.

A variety of therapies are employed –from  lasers to “Vitafloor” (a vibrational therapy), each horse had a therapeutic treatment daily.

And treats. Lots of treats and kind words are part of each horse’s daily regime.


On Being a "Working" Student

Ok. So I was not a “real” working student. I was (very sadly) not there long due to work commitments. But I got a small taste. And it was a gift.

Sorry folks, but there is truly no way a trainer gets back what they give when they take on a working student. There has been lots of discussion on the forums about working students and working student positions. And my take is this-when you account for the trainer’s overhead and time there are not enough hours in the day to work off what you gain. In a few days time I was lucky enough to get lessons but I also learned buckets watching everything around me.

There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained just from watching. 

And not near enough stalls to clean or jumps to paint to compensate for this sharing of knowledge.

Live Each Day...

I left my dream trip on Thursday…and Friday morning I was back riding a desk. As is my custom, I scanned Eventing Nation as I drank my coffee. And my heart fell. The news of the explosion at KESMARC caused me to think of all my new friends –human and equine. Peter and Amy both use KESMARC for swimming and therapy – this was devastating news and my heart goes out to all that are affected by the loss of life.

Hug your people. Hug your ponies (and as Peter says never miss an opportunity to give them treats).

Here is his ride from last weekend on the very special Firedrake (this is going to be a big-time horse – you have my word). It is dedicated to the KESMARC family.

In closing, this was indeed a very special trip. There now are some checks on my buckets list –go to Ocala, get private lessons with a special mentor and above all continue to live the dream and take every opportunity offered.

Thank you Atkins Eventing.