Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Wofford Wrap Up

The Jim Wofford clinic at CBF last weekend was a great success. Much like the Pony Express of old, Laura and Erika braved pouring rain and scorching heat to put together a fantastic two-day clinic and they have the soggy socks and bizarre tan lines to prove it.

From the novice riders to the training/prelim group, Jim focused on the basics. He emphasized that, especially at the lower levels, inexperienced horses and riders should not expect to see distances accurately. Rather than ride for a distance, he advised everyone to ride a rhythm, and to be helpful to your horse by staying out of his way and letting him do his job with as little interference as possible. He talked about the three or four stride moment, or the point in front of a jump where—with adjustment—three or four strides could produce an acceptable jump. If the rider isn’t seeing a distance, he advised they half-halt, rebalance, and add up, rather than pushing for the long spot, and getting what Jim called a “lawn dart” style jump (an image I think we all recognize with a cringe). The balanced approach is the safer approach until horse and rider become experienced enough to ride different distances accurately and safely.

Jim also had a little recommended reading for the riders: Training Hunters, Jumpers, and Hacks by Brig. Gen. Harry Chamberlain (available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Training-Hunters-Jumpers-Hacks-Second/dp/B000USUNPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280249725&sr=8-1). A book that Jim said George Morris keeps under his pillow, it’s a must-read for anyone—event rider or otherwise—who wants to improve the technical quality of their jumping. I, for one, will be ordering it shortly (and will be happy to lend!).

True to his reputation, Jim was humorous and direct in his approach, making the concepts sound simple enough, until it came time to implement them. As the wise sages of horsemanship say, often times doing less is much more difficult than doing more, especially when it comes to jumping, and I can say from personal experience that correcting habits and impulses is one of the most challenging aspects of eventing. Jim’s calm manner did much to put horses and riders at ease, and I think everyone came away feeling educated and inspired.

Not to shift gears too quickly, but I can’t resist mentioning another major event that occurred over the weekend: CBF boarder Phoebe’s (aka Likely’s Mom) wedding! She earns extra points for coming out to ride Likely early Monday morning, as usual. Congratulations, Phoebe!

One final note on hellos and goodbyes. We’re really pleased to welcome Ari (short for Armando), a German import who has come to CBF as a school horse. Laura is half-leasing him, but we’ll be looking for someone who would be interested in leasing the other half of this lovely horse. He’s had tons of training and experience in dressage and jumping, and I can attest first-hand that he’s fantastic to ride. If you’re interested, get in touch with Laura at info@coursebrookfarm.com.

A goodbye for now to Heather Maytham, who just graduated from Boston College and left for Ireland on Monday. She’ll be working until October with top eventer Eric Smiley, and although we’ll miss her around the farm, we know she’ll have an amazing time and come back with lots of cool training tips, and maybe a fake Irish accent. We’re glad she’ll be back just in time for our recognized horse trails on October 9, but until then we’ll have to settle for e-mail updates. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on her adventures.

--Casy

Friday, July 9, 2010


With temperatures well into the 90s, I’m beginning to wonder if I am still living below the Mason-Dixon Line. From my air conditioned office, I heartily salute the riders that are preparing for their horse trials this weekend.

With all the heat, the big news around the barn is… not so big. The newest additions to the CBF family are two kittens: Fiona and Finn. They’re brother and sister, and have made themselves very comfortable in the barn. One thing we’re hoping they become less comfortable with is the horses, as they seem to have no sense of the disparity in size between themselves and their equine friends. Luckily, the horses have been tolerant of their antics in the aisle way. These siblings have already proven themselves by catching two mice! The only one among us who is not happy to meet Finn and Fiona is our current barn cat, Missy, who blames each and every one of us for the kittens’ arrival. Hopefully she’ll get over them soon, and go back to being her cheerful self.

I’d like to take a moment to welcome two new human additions and their horses to CBF, too. We’re happy to have Phoebe and her horse Likely, who have moved here from New Haven, CT. Likely is about the most relaxed horse you could wish for, and we’re very glad that he and Phoebe have come to the farm, especially since Phoebe is a fellow soccer fan and humors me by discussing the World Cup.

Another new face is Rebecca and her two bay geldings Andy and Boozer. I have yet to inquire as to the source of Boozer’s name, but I’m hoping there’s a good story behind it. The two boys have settled in nicely, and all three are a great addition to the main barn.

There are samples of the new CBF line of apparel hanging on the feed room door, and an order form on the bulletin board. I will also follow through on my promise to get photos up here soon if you’re not a regular visitor. You won’t want to be the only kid on the block not sporting a CBF cap, polo, fleece, or jacket, so take a look, even if the very sight of fleece makes you want to pass out from heat exhaustion.

Stay cool!

-- Casy