Leave your equestrian safety helmet n your truck or in your
tack trunk, and you will surely land on the ground that day.
Look out belo-o-o-ow!
That’s the sound of the usually safety-conscious equestrian,
who just-this-once hops on a horse without his or her riding helmet.
We’re not
talking about the devil-may-care hatless riders, who laugh in the face of
danger and defy the odds each day at the stables. Those folks court disaster,
but they likely know it.
This Turfy’s Law of Horsemanship applies to the usually
cautious rider, who simply skips this important safety step on a random
occasion … and is very sorry afterwards.
The Mane Point is participating
again in the April A to Z blogging challenge, posting daily with alphabetical
entries. For this year's A-Z event, a
month of posts will offer Turfy’s A-Z
Rules of Horsemanship, with all due apologies to the original Murphy of
Murphy’s Law,which basically said,
"If anything can go wrong, it probably will." Horse lovers may have heard some
of these uncannily true, yet often ironic, statements in various forms in the
past. Or not.
Image/s:
Casual Ride by Taliesin MorgueFile Turfy’s A-Z Rules of
Horsemanship Adapted from public domain
clipart
Registered as “Graceland,” Dolly is a nine-year-old
Rheinland Pfalz-saar International mare. The sorrel chestnut cutie belongs to artist,
equine nutrition professional, and graphic designer Shaina Feldman.
Feldman and Dolly share a special bond at work and play.
The California-schooled equestrian is currently practicing
flying lead changes with her 16.25-hand RPSI Warmblood companion.
Based in
Wadsworth, Illinois, Dolly and Feldman enjoy going to shows and clinics, fox
hunting, trail riding, dressage and jumping.
Of course, the pair is happiest in mid-air, flying over fences at full
tilt.
Take a look.
I’ve ridden with Feldman and Dolly several times, and their
shared enthusiasm is downright contagious. I would nearly swear I’ve heard Dolly even
chuckle once or twice … if horses could laugh.
Have you ever been tossed from a horse? Were you bucked off, or did you slip out of the saddle? Did your equine companion launch you into the arena rafters?
Image:
Rearing Jumper photo by Dregsplod
Creative Commons Licensing
Was it a sudden unseating, or did you do a complete face-plant?
At our barn, riders who land suddenly in the dirt are expected to purchase ice cream for everyone at the barn. Other stables have similar decrees, including mandates for everything from cookies to champagne.
Despite our derision, falling off happens. The gutsiest riders, who mount up on the most spirited steeds, can likely attest most enthusiastically to that truth. Anyone who rides long enough will probably take a tumble at one time or another.
Here’s a video I found, showing all sorts of out-of-the-saddle occasions … often over obstacles. Try to count the times you might want to say, “Oops” or “Ouch.”
Our retired racehorse, a beautiful bay Thoroughbred, will show off his spirit in the Liberty exhibition at the Midwest Horse Fair next week in Madison.
Who’s going?
Be sure to watch the Liberty horses in the Coliseum. And cheer extra loudly for our good old boy! He’ll be the senior Thoroughbred, racing around with his tail up in the air like a young Arabian stallion.
Nope, he’s not part-Arabian (although all Thoroughbreds actually are, if you go back far enough in the bloodlines). Instead, he’s related to Man o’ War, War Admiral, Northern Dancer and other famous T-breds.
Here’s a quick video we shot last fall. Try to ignore the rustling wind, as we filmed this on a blustery autumn day in the American Midwest.
Congratulations to thoroughbred racing jockey Calvin Borel, who rode long-shot Mine That Bird to victory in the 2009 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4th. At post time, Mine That Bird stood at 50-1 odds for the 135th Kentucky Derby.
Mine That Bird (Birdstone x Mining My Own) beat such 2009 Kentucky Derby favorites as Dunkirk, Pioneer of the Nile and Freesan Fire. The plucky thoroughbred won the race by nearly seven lengths. Pioneer of the Nile placed second, with Illinois Derby winner Musket Man showing for third.
Trainer Bennie Wooley, Jr., a former quarterhorse trainer from the cowboy rodeo circuit, fairly glowed with pleasure and pride at the end of the race.
Mine That Bird, purchased as a yearling for $9,500 and resold to Mark Allen and Leonard Blach in 2008 (for $400,000), bested multi-million-dollar three year olds to emerge triumphant in the 1.25-mile race at Churchill Downs for the second largest wagering payout in Kentucky Derby history.
Two years ago, jockey Calvin Borel rode Street Sense to win the 133rd Kentucky Derby. Calvin Borel has been nicknamed Bo-Rail for his ability to hug the inside rail of the racetrack, passing horses to a final victory.
On Friday, May 1st, the day before the Kentucky Derby, jockey Calvin Borel rode Rachel Alexandra to victory in the Kentucky Oaks.
Did you miss the race? Watch the 2009 Kentucky Derby here: .
Who do you like for the 135th Kentucky Derby, to be held on Saturday, May 2nd at Churchill Downs, Kentucky? Wagering on the Kentucky Derby can be a puzzling proposition.
Try this 2009 Kentucky Derby word search puzzle (copyrighted and offered exclusively by The Mane Point), and see how you do. Can you complete the 2009 Kentucky Derby word search before post time on Saturday, May 2nd?
Horse racing season is upon us. Here's a quick guide to the various disciplines of horse racing, from thoroughbred racetracks to harness racer to steeplechase and more.
What is the Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing? Here’s a simple and straightforward outline of the three jewels of the much coveted Triple Crown.
The Kentucky Derby is an annual party planner's dream come true. Annually, the Kentucky Derby rivals the Super Bowl as the most popular sports party day of the year. Here's how to throw a first-class Kentucky Derby party, while reining in the costs.
Are you hosting a Kentucky Derby party this year? Where can you find super party supplies online for your Kentucky Derby Day event? Celebrate the Run for the Roses with supplies from these six super online Kentucky Derby party goods merchants.
Last year, for the first time in Kentucky Derby history, spectators and participants had an opportunity to recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles for charity. The Race to Recycle program includes major corporate sponsors and the city of Louisville.
Big Brown boldly blasted from gate #20 into the fray, and he never looked back. The three-year-old thoroughbred won big at the 134th Kentucky Derby horse race, held on Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Kentucky Derby finish on Saturday, May 3, 2008, was bittersweet for horse racing enthusiasts. Eight Belles, the only filly in this year's Kentucky Derby, finished a clear second and collapsed immediately after the horse race.
Eight Belles, the second-place finisher in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, collapsed during the gallop-out after the finish line and broke both front ankles. The filly was euthanized on the spot. This poem offers "Haikus and Views on Racetrack News."
Are all ex-racehorses hot-blooded speedsters? Can a track horse be trained for pleasure riding? Does a racing career destroy a horse for other uses? Here's why a thoroughbred may be just the horse for you!
". . . No choice controversial will trouble the herd. For who could erase a discouraging word? Injustice perceived is often believed. And justice enforced at the wire is absurd. . . ."
Who is my favorite athlete? Here's my great sport and MVP - Most Valuable Pony. Actually, he's not a pony at all. He's a 16-hand thoroughbred horse with a remarkable racing pedigree. His racing days are over . . . or are they?
Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.
Throughout 2009, please join us at The Heart of a Ready Writer, a Bible reading and devotional blog, as we read through the entire Bible in chronological order.
