We woke up one morning and “poof!” it was November! That means we’ll be setting up shop at Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Massachusetts, in no time at all…or in other words, next week…
Take your pic with Fergus!
That’s right: Equine Affaire runs Thursday, November 7, through Sunday, November 10, 2019, at the Eastern States Exposition grounds. Come find the TSB booth 846/847 in the Better Living Center. You can browse and buy our newest books and favorite bestsellers, shop our massive sale bins, take advantage of show specials and discounts, sign up to win great prizes, and take your picture with this year’s Fergus the Horse—an EA tradition!
2 pm and 4 pm, Meet Equine Core Strengthening Specialist Simon Cocozza
We can’t wait to see you next week! Oh, and if for some reason you can’t make it to Equine Affaire, pop over to our online bookstore for great holiday gift ideas for the horse person in your life. Horse books are some of the most affordable equestrian gear available!
Apparently, equestrians played a key role in popular bar design. Never mind the obvious (sometimes a horse girl needs a drink)—theory has it, back pain, likely related to hours in the saddle, was the key influencer in this equation.
Click for info.
“Back pain affects four out of five people at some time during their lives,” explains retired neurosurgeon and horseman Dr. James Warson in his book THE RIDER’S PAIN-FREE BACK. “It is the leading cause of disability for people between the ages of 19 to 45. Back pain is second only to the common cold for causing adults under 45 to miss work. Furthermore, as we age, low back pain becomes more and more common—affecting half of the population older than 60 at any given time.”
Uplifting, right? But the kicker is, whatever causes the back pain—be it sources outside or within our equestrian pursuits—it ultimately affects our ability to ride, as well as our enjoyment of it. And that, my friends, would surely drive a man to drink.
So what does all of this have to do with bars?
Photo by Charles Hilton.
“A posture characteristic of people who have spine problems or pain is a tendency to flex the hips and knees somewhat,” says Dr. Warson. “This takes traction off the nerves—particularly the sciatic nerve—and makes them a little bit more comfortable. Extending the back—especially when standing with a straight leg—may irritate the nerves. This is why people who have severe back problems tend to bend forward somewhat, as well as flexing their hips and knees, in order to get some relief.
“In the ruins of Pompeii are a staggering number of saloons, bordellos, and bathhouses. Each of these entertainment places featured a long, low, stone step that ran in front of what was the equivalent of the bar. Since most of the people who rode horses in that era were either soldiers or politicians, and since the proprietors of the various establishments wanted to keep their elite clientele happy, the low step encouraged the power players to gather around the bar. Riders were generally wealthy and worthy of courting as patrons. Long hours in the saddle, however, contributed to a host of chronic back problems. The low step allowed clients to flex the hip and knee. It would alleviate their pain somewhat, enabling them to stay at the establishment longer—and spend more money.
“The bar owners knew that the people who rode in on horseback were probably hurting. They also knew that flexing the hip and knee would make them more comfortable. People standing at the bar could rest their feet on the step and ease some of their chronic pain. If the patrons were feeling no pain, they would tend to hang around longer, and they’d tend to drink more.
“Later on, especially in Europe, the stone steps were replaced with a brass rail, which is commonly seen and still used today at the base of bars almost everywhere.”
There you are, folks…a rider’s reason for that foot rest at the bar. Party people everywhere have equestrians to thank for their hours of comfort, belly-up.
Cheers.
THE RIDER’S PAIN-FREE BACK is available now from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.
Switching trainers, moving from one barn to another, trying a new hairdresser…isn’t it amazing how all these things make us feel a sharp pang of guilt, like we are somehow being unfaithful? I mean, rarely is there a contract involved or even promises of fidelity, and yet…
Susan Conley’s new memoir MANY BRAVE FOOLS chronicles her discovery of riding and horses at the age of 42, and how her new passion helped her recover from years living in a codependent relationship with an addict. (Of course, horses introduced her to an addiction of her own.) In this excerpt, Conley shares the story of the first time she had a lesson barn affair and how ultimately, just like in her human relationships, her horse-life relationships were all about chemistry.
***
I had been riding exclusively at my first barn for one year and seven months when I decided to try a different stable, one that was on my side of town, for a private lesson.
I felt like I was having an affair.
Hermes was a strong, well-built cob. He had been brought in from the field just before my lesson, and he took a moment at the open door of the covered arena, every time we passed, to call for the friends he’d left behind. He was not in the least bit interested in me, and I wasn’t managing to engage his attention. He grudgingly trotted when I asked him to, and he refused to listen to my request for the canter at all, so the instructor waved a longe whip at him.
I got distracted by her whip. Hermes leaped to the left. I slid off to the right.
“You fell?” The instructor was incredulous.
You lashed the fucking whip at him, I thought. “Yeah, well,” I said.
I had landed in a damp patch on the ground. Let’s just say it was an aromatic bus ride home.
A couple of weeks later: same (new) barn, same horse, a group lesson this time, outside riding ring. A different instructor was busily chatting with some of her colleagues, leaving the riders to make their own decisions regarding rein changes and whatnot. I was once again trying to get Hermes to canter for me. The line of riders had halted at the M marker and would individually pick up canter between C and M before heading toward the fence, which was set up at B. (I could change barns but that crazy riding alphabet seemed to be following me.) We came around the corner and Hermes was motorbiking it, cutting it sharp/sharper/ sharpest. I leaned on the outside stirrup, off-effing-balance, and started to feel the saddle slip and slip…I went down. I fell softly onto the sand, and stood right back up.
No biggie. Except that the instructor came over, shaking her head, gesturing at the saddle, now completely over on Hermes’s offside.
“See that?” She put her hands on her hips and gestured at my horse and his gear, all askew. Everyone else, waiting for their turn to jump, stared.
Yes, I saw it. Cow. “Yeah,” I said.
She proceeded to lecture me on proper lesson preparation as she released the girth and righted the saddle. I was so pissed off my anger practically vaulted me off the ground and back in the tack. I was beneath her notice until we started to jump. She raised the rails on the fence to over two feet.
“Hermes—” She hadn’t even bothered to ask my name. “—you don’t have to do this.”
“I can do it,” I responded.
We trotted. Hermes still wouldn’t canter, not until we were a few strides away from the jump, anyway, but we took it perfectly.
Showed you, I thought. I certainly wouldn’t be coming back to this place anymore. Falls three and four were the height of ignominy; though the new barn was nominally closer to home, the affair was over. I went back to where I’d started.
I didn’t fall for Kilternan, my initial lesson barn, at first sight. Sure, I liked it right away, primarily because the place was laid back, the staff didn’t mind me hanging around (sometimes for a full hour before my lesson), and nobody passed comment, even though I was dressed like a complete fool for the first few weeks, wearing jeans and those silly boots and a borrowed helmet. I did strive to get my look increasingly right: jodhpurs, paddock boots, new headgear. I toughened up, abandoned the myriad layers and woolly scarf I initially swathed myself in, riding in just a T-shirt.
Horse owners asked me to do things like mind their mounts while they ran to get a hoof pick or hold their offside stirrup while they got on. I was becoming known, even if it was for being the crazy woman who took two busses all the way from the other side of town, a million miles away.
In the case of this love affair, distance was not an issue. I was learning that if a place gave off the right vibe, then I should be careful not to muck it up. There was a world of chemistry between horse and rider, rider and instructor, between the riders within a group lesson, and indeed, between the horses and the instructors. I wouldn’t ride Maverick when Angela was teaching the lesson. He adored her and always tried to show off, bucking more than usual, pelting for the perimeter after a jump, desperate to go fast, to show his favorite person what he was made of. When Emily was instructing us, Dancer would do everything in his power to stand by her. Once, we were waiting in the middle of the arena watching others take their turns over a jump, and when he heard Emily’s voice behind him, he turned a full one-hundred-and-eighty degrees to face her.
That kind of chemistry took time to build, and I knew you didn’t just throw it away.
***
MANY BRAVE FOOLS is available now from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.
“Being coached” and “being a coach” are two of the topics examined in Eric Smiley’s new book TWO BRAINS, ONE AIM. “The aim of this book is twofold,” Eric says. “Firstly, to improve the relationship between coach (in all its guises) and rider and horse; in other words, help the rider learn how to learn, as well as guide those who help others in an instructional capacity make the way they communicate clearer. Secondly, to give those who do not have regular tutelage techniques and practical exercises to help develop riding and training skills.”
We at TSB know Eric best as a riding coach, clinician, instructor, and mentor, but we got to wondering about Eric’s own experiences as a student. Did he have a coach who influenced him in profound ways? How had he learned his craft through the years? Who did he credit for his equestrian successes? Eric was kind enough to share answers to these questions and more:
Being asked to share the story of my “best coach” has ended up becoming a reflection on who I have become and why. Trying to separate horse from person has become impossible. Surely in true horsemen and women the two become inseparable as we live our lives for and because of “the horse.”
Some of our greatest experiences in life are horse-related. Some of our moral dilemmas that have shaped us as people have their origins in equine situations. So for me to separate horse from person or to identify an individual coach is impossible. Sport coaches are defined as follows:
Sport coaches assist athletes in developing to their full potential. They are responsible for training athletes in a sport by analyzing their performances, instructing in relevant skills, and by providing encouragement. But they are also responsible for the guidance of the athlete in life and their chosen sport. As a child I used to watch my father come home from a stressful and exhausting day as a consultant thoracic surgeon. None of his surgeries were normal—all were life-threatening and in the midst of the Northern Ireland troubles. I would watch him go to the stables on his way from the car to our house. He would spend some time in the company of his beloved hunter “Bob.” By the time he arrived in the house and joined our family, a semblance of peace had returned to his overstressed mind. Non-commissioned officers in the army have a tendency to be direct and explicit when getting things done. There is little ambiguity or doubt in the minds of those who are at the receiving end of the order. I used to watch Ben Jones ride his army remount horse “Custer.” At the time he had been promoted from Sergeant to Captain to Chief Instructor at Melton Mowbray. He had previously been an Olympic Rider. I was doing a six-week riding course there. Ben Jones was direct with us and his horses. Always fair, but clear what was required. I watched him school Custer on the flat and over jumps, the clarity of where responsibility lay was clear for all to see. I was left with a certainty of “be clear and fair, but make it happen.” “Now, Eric , what’s your question?” Mrs. Sivewright would ask at the beginning of every riding lesson. After an embarrassing first lesson (no one had told me to be prepared), I made sure I had a question ready to ask at subsequent sessions. This sparked my curiosity forevermore. This was at the beginning of my formative nine months at the Talland School of Equitation as I embarked on my chosen career with horses. My curiosity has continued to make me look and listen to any coaching of any sport that I can and then think about how they are going about fulfilling the definition I shared above and what I can learn about about their method and delivery. “Enterprise” was not an easy horse. Maybe that was why he was cheap and not really wanted by his previous owner! He was, however, very talented but very misunderstood. I was asked if I would like a lesson with Dr. Reiner Klimke on one of his rare visits to Ireland. What a revelation that turned out to be. Day One was disastrous. Enterprise was SO spooky as to not go anywhere near corners , doors, mirrors, spectators, or Dr. Klimke. Day Two was unbelievably wonderful. With quiet, skillful instruction, Dr. Klimke got into the mind of Enterprise and assured him that it was okay. The work was beyond the expectation of anyone present, especially me. I learned to seek excellence and to be creative in doing so. The joy of living in Ireland is the people one meets and gets to know. While being part of a team setting up a coaching structure in Ireland, I got to know someone called Liam Moggan. At the time he was one of the lecturers at the Sport Coach Development Department of Limerick University. I listened, watched, and was in awe of his unerring positivity and communication skills, and his humanity. It was impossible not to come away from every encounter enriched as a person. As you read this you will begin to see that I have not talked much about many riding instructors that have influenced me. At the ripe old age of (??) I believe that most people today will have had more lessons by the age of twenty than I have had in my whole life. Yes, I have been in clinics, and I have learned from those instructors. But my interest has been largely self-taught. I loved the book The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. It poses the “nature/nurture” question of talent, but it also gives a method of achievement. Much resonated with how I saw coaching and had been plying my trade for many years. It gives one huge encouragement in what your doing when you read such a well accepted book, saying much the same. However, none of all this really has much meaning or practical use unless we are inspired in some way to make it happen. Inspiration comes from many sources. I would implore you to watch a TED talk given by Dame Ellen MacArthur in 2015 (CLICK HERE).
I’m not making any political statement by recommending it, but listening to her it is impossible not to be inspired.
Eric Smiley’s book TWO BRAINS, ONE AIM is available now from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.
TSB is proud to release our first audiobook with one of our original bestselling authors: IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS, written and read by renowned rider, coach, and motivational speaker Jane Savoie, is now available from the TSB online bookstore!
We know horse people lead busy lives, often juggling work, family, and riding, so we want to make it easy to listen to some of our top authors’ best advice while commuting, or during your morning walk, or while sweeping the barn aisle or raking the arena track. There’s no better place to start than with Jane Savoie’s contagious enthusiasm, which couldn’t be better highlighted than in an audiobook read by Jane herself.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS was the followup to Jane’s breakout bestseller THAT WINNING FEELING!, the first book ever to recognize the importance of training the mind and shaping attitude in order to achieve higher levels of riding skill. In RIBBONS, Jane shares the tools and ideas for self-improvement that she has used, not only to help herself deal with challenges, but her students—who range from Olympic contenders to intermediate riders—as well. Full of shining examples of the success of her methods of dealing with riding’s—and life’s—challenges, this book is essential for anyone who is passionate about horses but may be struggling, at some level or other, with negative emotions and frustration from slow development of riding skills.
Want to know how much Jane’s techniques can help you in both riding and life? While recording her audiobook, Jane was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. Here, in her own words (the introduction she reads at the beginning of the RIBBONS audiobook), she shares how pieces of her book gave her tools she could use in her day-to-day struggle to combat her illness:
***
Sometimes it is hard to believe that my first book about riding and sport psychology—THAT WINNING FEELING!—was published over a quarter of a century ago. Its follow-up was this book: IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS. Time has indeed flown, as they say it should when you’re having fun.
And I have, for the most part, been having fun! In addition to teaching and mentoring riders through my clinics and online courses, I discovered ballroom dancing…a pursuit that demands the same kind of relentless attention to detail and patience in the mundane practice of basics as dressage. The two “Ds”—dressage and dancing—have over time given me what my mind and body crave most: achievable short- and long-term goals, small successes to be celebrated every day, and the chance to connect with a skilled and motivated partner, as well as evolve with that partner over time.
But then, in 2015, just as I had begun recording the audio version of this book, I found out I have multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer.
My life as I knew it went on hold as I spent the winter going through a round of high-dose chemotherapy, and I actually finished recording the IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS audiobook you are about to listen to while I was in the hospital, recovering from a stem cell transplant.
It is so easy to lose yourself in the physically excruciating process of battling back from illness or injury. I realized, as I forced myself to walk, IV rattling beside me, the 40 laps around the nurse’s station that would mean I’d gone a mile, that it was techniques I talk about in this book—those habits formed over a lifetime—that got me out of bed and placing one foot in front of the other, determined to get strong enough to go home.
My positive self-talk mantras became, “I’m going to breeze through this transplant,” and “I’m as tough as nails.” I desperately craved activity, but was often too tired to do more than my laps of the nurse’s station, so I filled that void within by making myself busy with visualization. I looked up pictures of myeloma cells, and when I discovered they looked like sunny-side up eggs, I reveled in the hours I could spend mentally smashing yolk after yolk. The “As If” Principle became my go-to …when I was scared, I acted as ifI was brave. When I felt depressed, I acted as ifI was bursting with optimism. The chemistry of fake emotion is the same as the chemistry of real emotion, so I changed my physiology on my bad days—smiling at nurses and doctors when they greeted me, replying, “I’m great!” when they asked how I was feeling.
That doesn’t mean I wasn’t discouraged when my blood counts didn’t improve on a particular day, but I always remembered what I wrote in this book about resilience, and the importance of being able to bounce back in the face of challenges—because that is what makes sure you stay in the game.
My wish for you is to not only learn how the tools in the chapters ahead can better your riding and improve your ability to meet your equestrian goals, but also that you find yourself, like me, better equipped to handle the kinds of trials, small and large, that prove themselves the bumps in the roads we travel.
Jane Savoie’s strategies can help you chart your course to success. Art by Beth Preston from It’s Not Just About the Ribbons.
Thanksgiving is over…let the shopping begin! At TSB, we’ve joined the Black Friday (Etc) Party by kicking off a big, end-of-the-year sale today, and it will run straight through Small Business Saturday (did you know TSB has a staff of SEVEN?), and (why not?) Cyber Monday, to boot. Just visit our online bookstore at HorseandRiderBooks.com and enter code BLACKHORSE at checkout to buy one item, then receive 30% off all additional items! Plus, we offer FREE SHIPPING in the US. (Yippee!)
Have a horse lover in your family? TSB has hundreds of books and DVDs to choose from. Here are 5 of our top sellers of 2018:
As soon as we turn back the clocks, we all know it is almost that time again…time for Equine Affaire at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts! Tomorrow we’re loading up the horse trailer with our bestselling books and DVDs, as well as all our newest releases, and heading south down Route 91, leaving our Vermont offices behind for four days of horse-centric fun!
Join us in learning from our expert authors who will be on-hand as featured presenters, including:
Sharon Wilsie, founder of Horse Speak™ and author of the books Horse Speak: An Equine-Human Translation Guide (with Gretchen Vogel) and Horses in Translation, provides a guest post this week. Her books are available from the TSB online bookstore (click HERE) and watch for her new DVD, coming in November 2018.
I like coffee. Strong coffee. The kind of coffee that sends an aroma out, wafting through the house and creeping under the bedroom door around 6:00 a.m. when the automatic coffee maker has brewed the liquid gold. More often than not, the urge to get just “one more minute” is corralled by the opposite urge to get my first cup of that delicious stuff.
I am one of those “animal people” who finds themselves living amidst a slew of furry friends. Slumping toward the kitchen, I have to be careful to step around a sleeping dog and not to trip over the purring kitty convinced that the best thing to go with coffee is a can of cat food.
It’s late summer here in Vermont, and from our patio I can still enjoy the early morning sunrise through the deep mists of the forest surrounding our home. There are mountains to the south and a “good hill” to the north, where we can currently spy ducks and geese practicing their flight patterns.
The horses shift and snort down below in the little valley they call home. They live in total turnout, with run-in shelters to go into when the sun is high or the bugs are too intense. We have one intrepid escape artist, so the herd has to be locked behind a gate at night where the shelters are. But the “old man” is left loose, and he usually saunters up to enjoy my morning coffee with me.
Zeke stares at me now, as though he would like to fill me in on all the goings-on that took place during his night watch. Seems a raccoon got into the garbage bin again. Zeke let’s me know by staring toward the mess, which I had not noticed yet. I lift my cup to him, and nod my head, certain he chased the varmint away. He nods his head and lets out a prolonged snort. Zeke likes things to stay tidy around here. I have seen him pin his ears at a moose when it had the audacity to wander into the back acres.
The newest member of our family, a one-year-old lab mix named Willow, has been digging, bouncing, and sniffing around, and now sneaks up toward Zeke’s nose. He sniffs her, too, then for good measure pins his ears and looks away. She takes this as a signal to run at top speed around and around him for a few minutes while he stands still, looking very annoyed—but I suspect he secretly enjoys it, because they do this every day. She loves to go trail riding with us, and even though due to his advanced age Zeke is restricted to a 20-minute walk down a very level trail, he seems to prefer it if she comes along.
Because of his senior status, I had chosen not to ride him this summer, but he got steadily depressed. One day, when I was tacking up another horse in the riding ring, he sauntered up to the saddle, which was placed on the split-rail fence, and stood alongside it, perfectly still. I smiled at him but went ahead with riding the other horse. When we were done, he lay down in front of the riding ring gate. Immediately, I assumed he was sick and went to him. Upon standing up, he walked over to the saddle again, and put his nose on it.
Well! What was I to do?
I put the other horse away, and saddled Zeke. He marched me over to the trail head and insisted on trotting every chance he got.
Since then, I take him out once or twice a week. He has even opted to go up the dirt road near our home a few times. I try not to ride him more than 20 minutes at a time, but it is always my choice to dismount, he seems to be perfectly happy to keep going.
Sharon and Zeke. Photo by Rich Neally
Our property has different levels of fencing on it for various turnout, but Zeke has the run of it most days. Sometimes in the early morning, he will walk up to the bedroom window and get the dog barking. When we look out the window and see his enquiring nose, we know he wants something, and its time to get up. This was the case one morning when the trash men came a little earlier than usual. Our driveway is more like a short road, and Zeke came to our window to wake us, then stood in the yard, facing the sound of the oncoming trash truck. We jumped up just in time to get the barrels up the driveway, and he even sauntered halfway up the lane to watch us transport the barrels out of the back of our pickup truck and into the garbagemen’s hands. We thanked Zeke for the wake-up call and scratched his belly—his favorite spot. Then he received his morning rations of soaked senior grain and hay stretcher, right next to the back patio where we typically have our morning coffee and enjoy the first light of the day.
I have known of many people who have a senior “lawn horse.” Zeke’s records are lost, so we don’t know exactly how old he is—but there are many years under his belt. I feel that his long career as a circus vaulting horse, a carriage horse, and a therapeutic riding horse have earned him the right to live a life of liberty and the pursuit of his own happiness. Each time I invite him to go riding, it starts with simply placing the saddle on the rails. If he wants to go, he walks over and puts his nose on it. If he is not in the mood, he doesn’t.
Zeke has had a series of mouth tumors over the past two years. He has lost two teeth and regularly deals with having the vet remove the bulk of a tumor when it interferes with his chewing. However, he barely even needs sedation for any of this and appears grateful to receive the aid. He suffered a serious hind-end injury somewhere in his past, because he has scars up and down his hind legs, and his rear ankles are quite enlarged. Despite this, he loves his life. He loves Dakota, the half-blind mare he lives with when we put him in a paddock when we need to leave the house. He whinnies and even canters around if I take her out for a ride. When Zeke first came here, he was in a lot of pain, and had become a serious biter. He was going to be put down, and I offered to adopt him instead. Dakota claimed him and became his “alpha mare” in about two minutes, and they have been together ever since. She even taught me how to work with and around him safely.
Even though I am the author of two books, Horse Speak (with Gretchen Vogel) and Horses in Translation, I am still learning the intricateness of the language of equines. Having an elder wiseman such as Zeke gives me much to think about. He challenges me to communicate directly with him (like drawing my attention to the garbagemen, or the raccoon), and he makes me dig deeper to find connection with a horse that many people would have written off.
I like to ride my horses, but I love to sit and learn from them even more. Each time I am around them doing chores, brushing them, or just sitting with them as they graze, I seek to allow myself to go into what I call “Zero”—the inner state of stillness. From there, I can watch and observe their communications. There is a rhythm to Horse Speak; it’s like a timeless dance, moving to the music of “crunch-munch-munch” as the horses swish at a fly or chew their food. Step, chew, swish, step—lift the head, lower the head—chew, step swish. I am reminded of bees doing their “flower dance” and communicating to the rest of the hive where the best pollen is. Or fish, moving in tandem under the dock at Woods Hole, Cape Cod, at my friend’s house. Sitting on the dock, witnessing the movements of cormorants diving or seals swimming out of the harbor, I am reminded that life does this natural thing, this rhythm of movement, sound, feel, and breath. The waves crash into shore, the waves recede out.
Horse Speak is a gift. It is as old as the hills and as new as the message today from Zeke, saying, “Hey, don’t just sit there, come with me into the woods…. Sit on my back and feel my rhythm.”
And I will.
Sharon Wilsie’s books HORSE SPEAK and HORSES IN TRANSLATION are available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.
It’s been a pretty big year for TSB author Tik Maynard. In June we released his hit memoir IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE HORSEMEN, and we are very excited to now congratulate Tik and his wife eventer Sinead Halpin on the birth of their son, Brooks Tobin Maynard, born September 4, 2018.
We caught up with Tik and Sinead BEFORE the baby arrived and asked if they would share a little about Tik’s typical day at Copperline Farm in Citra, Florida. (Note: The way it was BEFORE the new addition…we promise to follow up in a few months and see how it all rolls with BTM in tow!) With plenty of change surely in store, this is Sinead’s take on “A Day in the Life of Tik,” pre-fatherhood…
Our days here at Copperline are a little different right now, considering we are expecting our first child in about four days! With that being said, Tik is doing the work of two while I am stuck at home on “stall rest.” I saw this “Day in the Life” assignment on Tik’s to-do list and figured I was up to the task…AND I would tell the truth, while Tik might insert visions of some superhero or the Lone Ranger in your head. While Tik might be a mix of both these characters, they do not show up until he gets into the groove of his day. He is more like Eeyore before mid-morning!
5:45 am We live in Florida all year round, so the mornings in the summer start before dawn. Tik is on his first horse by 6:30, which is a little before the sun comes up. The alarm goes off around 5:45 am, which is normally followed by me getting up, turning on the kettle, the puppy attacking Tik, and then a lot of groans from the not-morning-person. The phrases “you don’t understand” and “it’s the middle of the night” tend to whine out from the bedroom. He eventually manages to scuffle into his britches, pour some coffee from the French Press into his Yeti, and sloppily apply sunscreen to his face (not-at-all-rubbed-in, for dramatic effect), then out the door he goes, with a very happy pup scampering behind him.
We have a Ride Board that has every horse (23 currently) listed and all the days of the week. We try and fill this out at the beginning of the week so gallops, cross-country schools, and lessons can be scheduled and everyone knows the plan. When Tik pulls up to the barn, tack is already on the first horses. The girls in the barn often set the order in which the horses are worked so it collaborates with turnout, farriers, vets, and any other goings-on that they manage. Tik has anywhere from 8 to 14 horses on his list a day.
Tik and Sinead at Copperline.
10:00 am The more schooled horses and horses requiring a bit more time tend to go first thing, also those that don’t have owners coming to watch their training. Normally 4 to 5 horses are schooled by around 10:00 am, and by that point it is also necessary for Tik to have another Yeti full of coffee or a snack! Around this time Tik is also becoming able to carry on conversations with humans as well as horses, and the one-liners and puns start rolling in. (To Lauren, grooming a pony: “Are you sick? Cause it looks like you’re feeling a little hoarse.” To Rain, as she brushes a tail: “That tail looks rough. Oh well, might make a good tale.” And when Abby tells Tik about the stray pregnant cat that has set up shop amongst our winter blankets: “Oh my cat, you have got to be kitten me.”)
After the coffee break, Tik carries on with the list. The working students start hopping on horses once morning chores are wrapping up. Often the next group of horses are slightly greener, and it’s good for them to stand in the tack while Tik teaches, or he schools while keeping an eye on the others.
The Copperline Crew.
1:00 pm Around now, if Tik doesn’t get some food, the language and focus skills start waning, so he makes a quick run back to our house for a sandwich and often a wardrobe change. He gets really sweaty here in the summer! The afternoon is often filled with horses that need to be worked on the ground and lessons that need to be taught, so it’s normally to everyone’s relief that a full-stomached, re-motivated, freshly clothed Tik returns to the farm. Tik is probably one of the happiest and most laid-back people I have met … as long as he is fed and has coffee 😊.
3:00 pm Hopefully horses and riders and lessons are wrapping up around 3:00 or 4:00 pm, at which point Tik tends to hop on the zero-turn mower for a few hours to make sure the farm is looking good. We have some part-time maintenance help a few days of the week at the farm, but Tik loves his mower, and to be honest, we have had some arguments over who he prefers spending more time with… John Deere or me!
6:00 pm When the door opens at home the end of the day, I have to carefully guide Tik toward the bathroom as he starts filling me in. He is like a five-year-old and starts stripping off layers of dirty clothes before the door shuts. If I am not careful, he ends up stripped to his boxers before he has reached the kitchen, with a trail of clothes, dirt, and horse and dog treats falling from his pockets marking his progression. (Enjoy Yums are the horse treat of choice!)
Next, I normally hear a yell from the bathroom because he has forgotten to grab a towel and is conflicted about what to do, ask for help or scoot to the bedroom. I usually come to his aid, as I get equally upset when he leaves pools of water across our bedroom floor….
One day he will be trained.
7:00 pm Tik usually spends the next few hours answering emails, writing for Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, or working on his next book, but first the question that must be answered is normally brought up at lunch, and that is: “What are we doing for dinner?” We tend to cook something easy at home and catch up on the day, or Tik heads to play basketball at the local YMCA a couple days a week with his friend Zach Brandt.
10:00 pm Depending on the scope of the day, the lights normally get turned off after vegging a bit or reading a Jack Reacher novel. On lighter days he will read maybe a horsemanship book, like one by Mark Rashid, or sometimes a book he picked up at the airport—he just finished The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony. He is also working his way through Animal Training 101, which was written by Jenifer Zeligs, a lady from California that trains sea lions!
With owning a farm and running a horse business, there is never a dull moment. But Tik and I often joke that even if we won the lottery tomorrow, we would still do the same thing…with a few improvements to the property, and—you guessed right—a live-in chef!
Tik, Sinead, and Brooks (Selfie by Tik)
Thank you to Sinead Halpin for her willingness to share a glimpse of her life with Tik, and congratulations to them both on the birth of Brooks. We’re guessing they’ll need twice as many snacks in the house, now!
Thank you to Lauren DeLalla for the use of her photographs.
Tik’s memoir about his life as a working student turned professional horse person IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE HORSEMEN is available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.
CLICK HERE to download a free chapter or to order.
Be sure to read the other installments of TSB’s “Horseworld By the Hour” blog series:
Professional horse trainers and riding instructors have mind-blowingly busy lives—that’s why it is so amazing to hear how they make it all work. The layers of scheduling, the early mornings, the sacrifices when it comes to friends, family, and personal interests…. That can be the story, but sometimes, a balance is struck, and it all clicks.
We caught up with TSB author and horse trainer Jec Aristotle Ballou and asked her how she spends her typical day, and wouldn’t you know, it sure sounds like she’s found the same physical and emotional balance she strives to establish in each of her horses. Here’s a glimpse at her life as a professional, in 24 hours:
5:15 am I wake up and begin my morning ritual of coffee and writing in my journal. Inspired to keep a creativity habit, I started writing three ‘Morning Pages’ in a notebook every morning 20 years ago and I still do it! Sometimes I write good stuff, other days it’s drivel. But what counts is that it happens.
6:30 am I meet some of my running teammates for a 7- to 10-mile run. I started running ultra-marathons a few years ago and now I can’t seem to stop (pun intended). It is a glorious way to cleanse my mind and open the day. Even when I travel around the country to teach clinics, I like to get in my morning run before embarking on a busy day.
8:00 am Most days, I arrive at the barn by now. Like many trainers in California, I don’t own my own farm. The horse property I lease is a 20-minute drive from my house. Some days I commute by bike, other times I drive while listening to podcasts like Dressage Radio Show where—yeah!!—my book 55 CORRECTIVE EXERCISES FOR HORSES was recently featured in an episode. During my commute, I ponder the advice my past teacher Manolo Mendez gave me: You have to know with each horse where you want him to be in his training next week, next month, next year. I assess what seems to be working, what might not be working so well, and if I’m honestly on track for what each individual horse needs.
Click the image above to listen to Jec on Dressage Radio Show, Episode #479!
8:00 am–12:00 pm Before it gets too hot, I ride my training horses. Most of the horses that come to me for training are in need of learning how to use their bodies better or overcome some kind of physical restriction or compromised movement. I work with a diverse spread of breeds. Right now, we have three Icelandics, a Thoroughbred, a Halflinger, a Quarter Horse, an Arabian, a Missouri Foxtrotter, a couple of grade mares, and my own Andalusian. During the morning hours, I rotate between riding in the arena, my large gallop track, and our trails. I am an enormous advocate for cross-training; all the horses here follow that program. A few days a week, I have a helper who prepares the horses for me to ride; other days I do everything myself (these are the days I’m exhausted by 5:00 pm!) Around noon, students start showing up for lessons.
1:00 pm–4:00 pm Usually during the afternoons on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday I’m teaching group and private lessons, trying my best to stay under a floppy hat and out of the sun, while simultaneously eating some bites of sustenance when I can.
5:00 pm I often stop at the gym for a short weight-lifting session on the way home so I can be back at the house around 6:00 pm and spend an hour replying to emails and writing articles for the equine magazines I contribute to. This computer work usually overlaps with making dinner. I’m mostly vegan, which means I spend a lot of time planning and preparing things to eat. And because I run/workout so much, I eat a lot!
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8:00 pm My partner and I often walk the Jack Russell along the cliff overlooking the ocean before we wind down for the evening.
9:30 pm I’m in bed “reading,” which is usually a euphemism for falling asleep with a book on my face. When I succeed at staying awake, I love to read. Typically, I read three or four books a month, devouring non-fiction, poetry, fiction, and anything else that can make me think, teach me something, or wake up my senses in some way.
Trafalgar Square Books' first horse book was CENTERED RIDING, which we published in 1985 and remains one of the bestselling horse books of all time. Author Sally Swift went on to found the now worldwide organization and form of learning and teaching riding known as "Centered Riding."
check out this great equestrian resource
Click image to visit EIE!
learn how to tell when your horse is lame on stall and stable podcast
Click the image to listen!
tsb author sean patrick on fairness in training
Click the image to read the rules to train your horse fairly.
review of charlotte dujardin’s autobiography
Click image to read the review on HorseNation.com!
Click image to learn the "jumping without looking" exercise.
how to quiet your mind before entering the barn
Click image to read this great piece from Equestrian Ontario!
did you know? equestrian trivia
Did you know that before she was three, Olympic Show Jumper Beezie Madden was riding a saddle on a saddle rack, pretending it was a horse? Find out what else made her good in Denny Emerson's bestseller.
famous horse trainers read fergus
So fun! Three top horse trainers read Fergus: A Horse to Be Reckoned With :) Click image above to watch!
Click the image to read Melinda Folse's "Sally Swift's Visionary Connections: Now 30 Years Strong" on Equisearch.com.
great review of george morris autobiography
Click the image to read the review of UNRELENTING at MyHorsePowerApp!
great book review!
Click the image above to read the fab review of WORLD-CLASS GROOMING FOR HORSES on Eventing Nation.
how george morris wrote his autobiography
Click image above to read the great piece in SIDELINES MAGAZINE about George Morris's blockbuster autobiography and the woman who helped write it.
mark rashid’s novel is now a movie!
Click the image above to watch the trailer for the new feature film OUT OF THE WILD, based on the novel by Mark Rashid and available from www.HorseandRiderBooks.com.
see fergus on horsechannel.com
Click the image to read about Fergus the Horse and artist Jean Abernethy on HorseChannel.com.
search trafalgar square books blog
are you guilty of a deadly sin of dressage?
Click the image above to find out if you are guilty of one of the Seven Deadly Sins of Dressage!
doug payne feature article!
Check out the feature about Doug Payne and his new book THE RIDING HORSE REPAIR MANUAL by Nancy Jaffer on NJ.com! Click the image of Doug and his horsey family above to read the article.
american cowboy editor’s pick
"Being able to watch Sean employ his training methods is incredibly beneficial—you'll see how your cues should look and how to identify and read your horse's response...The four-disc DVD set, with nearly seven hours of footage, is a must for do-it-yourself horse trainers." --Lauren Feldman American Cowboy, Associate Editor
great review!
"Authors Dominique Barbier and Dr. Maria Katsamanis combine riding theory with scientific principles to explore, explain, and enrich a rider's ability to communicate with a horse." --Practical Horseman Magazine
george morris says:
"You must get inspired by reading books about riding. I read books about dressage every day. You must always work on being a better rider."
we love this author video!
Author Laura Chester introduces her new book, RIDING BARRANCA---click the image above to watch the video!
equus editor’s pick
"This book delivers a comprehensive regime for mental and physical fitness at any riding level." --EQUUS Magazine
eventing nation book review
"A great read and a handy tool...Doug does a wonderful job of speaking objectively about varying problems that can arise...we definitely recommend this book for riders of all levels and disciplines."
great story about centered riding!
Click the image to read "Timeless Ride--Better Tips (Thank You, Sally!) by Jennifer Forsberg Meyer on HorseandRider.com.
search the trafalgar square books blog
check out this radio interview
TSB author Dr. Renee Tucker talks about easy Body Checkups YOU can do from her book WHERE DOES MY HORSE HURT? Click the image above to listen!
best book for kids
"This ode to the range emphasizes the enduring allure of the American West." —Kirkus Reviews
get started in western dressage
Great exercises from Lynn Palm to get your horse forward, straight, and balanced as you pursue this hot new sport!
george morris says:
“I’ve spent time with this book and find it very correct. Author Susan Tinder did an excellent job putting together a useful collection of courses.”
featured equine art
Click image to check out Jennifer Brandon's custom horse and pet portraits.
tsb bestseller
Click to order the 7 Clinics with Buck Brannaman DVD series.
book review
"This book will help you unravel your equine athlete's personality and needs, so you can evaluate your horse's 'emotional conformation,' which the author Kerry Thomas calls the real indicator of a horse's ability...no question as to why his work has been called 'groundbreaking.'" -John Strassburger, Performance Editor, Horse Journal
"With a myriad of horse facts written into the story, adolescent readers will find this book not only entertaining but educational as well." -Equine Journal
author spotlight
Click to read about renowned horse trainer and behaviorist Linda Tellington-Jones and her newest book!
reader review
"This book has changed the way I will communicate with horses for the rest of my life. The fact that I got IMMEDIATE results means so much to me and the horses. I don't think I will ever ride in fear again. Amen!" --Carla from Florida
author trivia
Sgt. Rick Pelicano, author of the bestselling books BOMBPROOF YOUR HORSE and BETTER THAN BOMBPROOF, enjoys participating in the sport of mounted jousting in his spare time.
anne kursinski on unbridled tv
Click the image to see Anne Kursinski, author of ANNE KURSINSKI'S RIDING & JUMPING CLINIC, talk about some of her career highlights and favorite moments competing for the US Equestrian Team.
we love…
Learn online with the pros! Get top riding expertise delivered to your computer or mobile device! Click the logo above to find out more.
We all reinvent ourselves from time to time. In my case, this usually involves hair color and heavy eyeliner. In the case of the Padlock Ranch, all it took was a fab new website to make what was really good look utterly amazing. That’s right…the other day I clicked on over to see what was […]
The Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, is celebrating founder Bradford Brinton’s 132nd birthday on June 26, 2012, with free admission all day, and cake and ice cream on the grounds from 2:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m. “Just as Bradford Brinton dreamed of his ranch in the West and made that dream […]
“The bar owners knew that the people who rode in on horseback were probably hurting. They also knew that flexing the hip and knee would make them more comfortable. People standing at the bar could rest their feet on the step and ease some of their chronic pain. If the patrons were feeling no pain, they would tend to hang around longer, and they’d tend to drink more.
She proceeded to lecture me on proper lesson preparation as she released the girth and righted the saddle. I was so pissed off my anger practically vaulted me off the ground and back in the tack. I was beneath her notice until we started to jump. She raised the rails on the fence to over two feet. 
As a child I used to watch my father come home from a stressful and exhausting day as a consultant thoracic surgeon. None of his surgeries were normal—all were life-threatening and in the midst of the Northern Ireland troubles. I would watch him go to the stables on his way from the car to our house. He would spend some time in the company of his beloved hunter “Bob.” By the time he arrived in the house and joined our family, a semblance of peace had returned to his overstressed mind. 
Sharon Wilsie’s books 
