Colored Trakehners?? Really?

Interesting and surprising look at the history of spotted, pinto, and colored Trakehners in Europe: link

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Baltimore Police Mounted Unit Trots on Despite Budget Cuts

Nice little video about the usefulness of mounted police units.

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new year’s adventure

Eastern North Carolina

I am moving to North Carolina.  In a month.  YIPEE!!!!  I accepted a position as an intern at a mid-size hunter-jumper barn about an hour from the north coast.  It’s a very rural area and not at all a snooty show barn, but it’s just the right kind of barn for me to get back into shape physically, emotionally, and mentally after this incredibly fatiguing year.  I am shipping both of my horses back with me (now, more than ever, I am kicking myself for buying another horse, but then I know I just couldn’t leave Tico in his previous situation, so….) and it feels weird to think about that, being as I’ve seen them so little in the last six months.  Like we’re all going to show up in this place we’ve never been before and look around and see each other – hey, fancy meeting you here!

I have gone up, down, and around about this move emotionally but ultimately feel really good about it.  Folks who know me only moderately well keep asking, WHY would you want to move THERE?  Besides the fact that I have been drawn to NC for about 5 years now, it’s pretty easy to answer:  The people are nice.  The air is clean.  The property values are reasonable.  The land is beautiful.  The weather is moderate.  And there are lots of horses.  Capiche?

I saw my boys the other day and they have turned into shaggy ponies.  Mojo has rubbed the same part of his mane out that I have been trying with little success to grow for two years now, so I am seriously considering roaching the whole thing and starting over, which is basically where he was at when I got him.  When I moved him to the ranch back in March, I had just trimmed his mane and tail into a reasonable semblance of an English horse, but there’s no hope of that now.  Tico’s roan markings are more pronounced with his winter coat but the furry look doesn’t help his general lack of refinement.  If there ever was an Appaloosa who fit the stereotype of “Indian pony”, he’s it, albeit with a pretty great tail.  Ah well….beauty is as beauty does.  I’m just wondering what the barn will think when these two Western boys step off the truck a few weeks ahead of me… Like, Dear God, what did she bring us?  (Actually, it’s the South, so they would probably say, My word! I am really going to have to practice not saying the Lord’s name.)

I should get there, after a cross-country drive via the southern route, a few days before Christmas.  I’ve spent Christmas alone before and didn’t mind, but this year I have a special trip in mind – a pilgrimage to find the wild Outer Banks ponies:

Hopefully I will be able to take some photos of my own.  I have missed the ocean so much since I moved from the North Coast of California down here to the dusty and dry Central Valley, that I am just very excited to be able to spend time by the water, on beautiful beaches, looking for wild horses….

*click on images for more info

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Godspeed, Teddy O’Connor

Teddy O’Connor, the little pony that could, was euthanized yesterday. I can’t stop crying. I have no idea why I’m so upset, but here’s what I wrote to the O’Connor Event Team:

Although I’ve never seen Teddy in person, I followed his career as many did, with awe and wonder at the pony who taught us that heart, drive, and determination were more important than size or conventional wisdom. I’m surprised to find myself so upset over his loss, but then, true greatness affects everyone, because true greatness changes the way we think. Teddy and Karen gave all of us a story to take with us every day, that with courage and belief you can do anything you set your mind to do.

My prayers and thoughts are with you all,

JDP

Sacramento, CA

You can send your thoughts and sympathies to teddy@oconnoreventteam.com

A photo memorial is up on flickr: In Memory of Theodore O’Connor 1995-2008

UPDATE:  A lovely post about Teddy is over at the great horse blog, regardinghorses.com

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Equine Art

Although I haven’t yet really dug in to the subject, I am very interested in contemporary equine art.  My taste is more towards the modern, post-modern, and abstract, but I’m open-minded.  I had the thought that maybe I’d even like to start a gallery here, so if you all have a favorite artist you’d like to recommend, that would be great.

In the meantime, I found artist Barbara Rush, who has a self-described neo-cubist style:

It looks to me like she might be a dressage rider.  What do you all think?

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