Knabstrupper USA

This weekend we went to watch the World Masters Dressage at the Jim Brandon Center. Jim Koford our trainer/coach showed Holly Shook’s Pharoh in the 3* on the Thursday and was high enough placed to earn one of the “wild card” rides in the 5* event on Fri and Sat. So while we would have gone to watch anyway, now we doubly had a reason to go.

What an amazing group of horses and riders. We got to see Stephan Peters, Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester, Tina Konyot, and a host of others. A really world class competition. Stephan Peters and Ravel won, but only just, Charlotte was so close in score that it was basically a tie. The Olympics in London are going to be really interesting.!

Watching all that world class riding seems to have helped us. well me anyway. X was so good today, I not only got 4 X 1tempi. eg 4 flip flops, but then I tried and almost made a 3 X 1 tempis. as in actually 3 1′s. But only almost, the best I could do was a flip, flop, one stride and then another flip! Sitting back while you use you legs that fast is HARD!
X is getting stronger and is more willing to be through and over his back. He did a few steps of Piaffe as well and a respectable attempt at passage. I can feel him learning to stay round and to begining to really sit and lift up his shoulders.

Arwen is getting stronger as well, she can now do the shoulder-in to half-pass pretty well and without losing balance or running. She is starting the changes, but April rather than me.

Halifax has learned how to do changes, he is so proud of himself. He sometimes does a flip flop just show off! We are making progress. The days can be hot but at least the nights are cool.

I am so tired after our busy weekend, so more tomorrow.
MW

We are settling into a pretty good routine. In the mornings I get up and feed. Then we turn one set of horses out in their paddock. April starts on stalls while I do any therapy that the horses need. Therapy plate, laser or what ever.
Then we start tacking up and riding. We meet Koford in the dressage arena, and just keep on coming as he keeps on teaching.

We bring in the horses who have been turned out if it gets hot. And the next set get turned out in the afternoon/evening.

Halifax goes out in the roundpen for about 30mins-1 hr depending on the demand.

Lessons are short but intense.
Yesterday X and I were working on the canter zig-zags from I2/GP. It took me the longest time to workout what Jim was wanting me to do.
Half-pass, straiten (leg yield) shoulder in 1 stride, change and immediately the new half pass, rinse and repeat! I finally had to practice the sequence at walk and then trot before I could organize the coordination to do it in canter! No way could I do the 3-6-6-3 or the 4-8-8-4 that the test requires. It took all of my coordination to do two sequences in each centerline pass. We definitely need to work on this. Jim got on X to show me and had no problem doing all of them, so it clearly is not X’s problem!

April and Arwen got to stat flying changes yesterday, poor Arwen, it takes a lot of coordinating the hind legs, and are a long way away from the head for her!

Curiosa is getting more settled, it has all been quite an experience for her. But she is starting to realise that it isn’t terminal and is beginning to relax and work over her back.

Olive had a day off after her intense jumping training.

Halifax is having a blast, he gets to show all of these people what a superior fellow he is, even if the humans are not in agreement! He sees so many different horses in the course of the day and he whinnies to all of them in case someone wants him!.

X had a slight run in with cellulitis, the fungus lives in the sand and you have to be really vigilant about washing the sand off when they come in, but even then he got a hot swollen leg, thank goodness for the laser and the medi tek shampoo, we got it under control before he got too bad.

The facility here is mostly for trotters and pacers, horses who race in harness, so it has a very workmanlike atmosphere . Every morning early the trotters go out onto the race track and do their training. From about 6 am you can hear the sound of hooves on the hard packed sand as they past the barn.

Since I took 6 stalls I got an end room. These are rooms at the end of the barn aisle, which have an ensuite bathroom, other than that they are very basic. 4 walls, a roof, 2 windows, a door. No AC, but it is carpeted. Our other room is in the dormitories, which are a couple of buildings where instead of stalls they have rooms, exactly the same size as a stall! There are shared bathrooms and laundry facilities. There is a kitchen/restaurant/store at the end of the dormitory building. I scored the end room, and April is making do in the dormitory.
A few trips to Goodwill and Target and we got both rooms very liveable in..
As I took a number of stalls we get our own designated turnout paddock. It’s about 200 feet by 100 feet, mostly sand of course. The fencing is only about 3 ft high, so Halifax can’t go out there (he’d just laugh at a fence that small). But the 3 mares can go out together for a few hours and then the two geldings. It is quite a hike though, almost 1/4 of a mile from the barn. But it is a turnout and it’s all ours. There are turnouts even further down the road that ours so I won’t complain!

This south Florida sun is fierce, so we turn out in the early am and in the evening.

It’s been a long time since I blogged for which I apologize. Too much going on etc etc. SO where was I?……
TO start with here are our current crop of babies.
We had 3 super babies this year, Grosie had a colt foal by Ecuador, we call him Aragorn aka Strider, very dark bay possibly black with a small lacey blanket. He is just gorgeous, with a superb walk, and incredible charisma. The current plan is to keep him entire for now, (at least for as long as I can stand it) and see how he develops.

Here is a short video of him;
CCS Aragorn

Peony had filly sired by Don Principe, a very dark chestnut possibly liver, with a small blanket. She is beautiful and elegant and is going to be drop dead gorgeous. A super mover. We called her CCS Galadriel.

Here is a short video of her;
CCS Galadriel

Paula had a colt foal by Leofric the Dane. CCS Peregrin, aka Pippin, is a full leopard colt. He is as pure bred as it gets, being 15/16ths Knabstrupper in the 4th generation.

Here is a short video of him;
CCS Peregrin

We are in the process of weaning. Aragorn got weaned yesterday and Galadriel is due to be weaned tomorrow. and next week Pippin.

Grosie is back in foal this time to Halifax Middelsom. Paula and Peony are not in foal. Peony is going to go back under saddle and try her hand at being a dressage horse. Paula will be bred next year possibly to Lea Ann Hansen’s Schiffon.
Next blog I’ll show our yearlings!

Mr X man, aka Xavoy Middelsom, has an approved son.
For those of you who didn’t know, Xavoy was a stallion when I bought him. I didn’t want a stallion around, so I have him gelded before importing him.
But of his 2 foal crops in Denmark he has had one son approved.

http://www.knabstrupperforeningen.dk/sider_hingsteoplysn/xol.htm

and boy doesn’t Xol look like his daddy!

Way to go Xavoy.
I told him this am, but he was more interested in his banana!

MW

May 2011 be a good year for you and yours. And may you have lots of spots in your life. Happy spots!
MW