Karen W. steps into the hot seat

In my last post, I challenged CBF boarder Karen W. to try to sneak a guest blog post about her trailer-buying experiences by me. Well, I am nothing if not gracious, so here you have the first installment of what promises to be an informative series of articles on buying a new rig (Spoiler alert: the story has a happy ending). Take it away, Karen!

Hello, I’ve been asked to write something from my horsey experiences for the Course Brook Blog. I’m a fifty-something, female boarder at CBF who is mostly interested in dressage and trail riding.

My most recent experience was this fall when I attempted to buy a used horse trailer.

Part 1: the Search

I talked to a few trailer experienced friends and read a few articles. Here is the link to a particularly good one: http://www.equispirit.com/info/articles.htm which stated that one should get the trailer before getting the tow vehicle, because you need to know the weight of the trailer plus horses and luggage in order to get a vehicle powerful enough to haul safely. It’s a lot of math so have a calculator handy. I also needed a trailer to show my husband that I was serious when said I needed a truck to replace my aging Jeep Cherokee.

Then I got on my computer and searched “used horse trailers”. I found many fine sites and then there is of course Craig’s List. I found some bargains, but remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I emailed a few—three to be precise—and the replies were almost identical: These trailers were purportedly owned by military personnel and even though were advertised as being in the Boston area, they were not. According to the email the military would ship the trailer to me for free and all I had to do was give them lots of personal information. On Craig’s List there is advice on how to avoid scams and apparently this is a typical one. Who knew that people would prey upon our patriotism and current love for the armed forces to scam prospective buyers of horse trailers? I do now. Fortunately I didn’t give out any info other than my email address.

Local sites like Equinesite.com were very helpful and I did not encounter any scams. But I did not move fast enough for many of the ads that I thought were good deals. By the time I made arrangements to go out and see them, usually more than an hour away, they had already been sold.

I stuck with Equinesite.com because they had the most listings in my location. One had listed several trailers and I inquired why. The reason was she turned out to be a consignment dealer so had a choice on hand. She was located in NH about three miles from my brother’s house where I was going the day before Thanksgiving to pick up my mother. How convenient for me! But the day before I went someone posted an ad for a ten-year-old Kingston with a dressing room and it was just one mile off Route 95, which is my path to NH. Since I ran out of time picking up Mom, I did not go to the consignment place. I ended up only seeing the one trailer, which I ended up buying the day after Thanksgiving, for better or for worse.

Stay turned for Part 2: Getting the trailer home.

And... we're back!

After something of an extended summer vacation, the Course Brook Farm blog is back in action! As for the renegade post from March, if Karen wants to write about buying a horse trailer, she’s going to have to get through me first and I’m bigger than she is…

The most exciting piece of non-vehicular news around here is the fact that our October 8^th USEA-recognized horse trials are right around the corner. It seems like just yesterday that we were gathered around the back of the Gator, celebrating Erika’s birthday after the last competitor had gone home and eating cake with our fingers, but September is NEXT WEEK and that means horse show preparations are ramping up all over again. We’re offering BN-T levels again this year and entries are open now!

As the cross country course comes together over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting photos of some of the jumps, and maybe even a jump-by-jump course walk. The new footing in the large outdoor area that we added before last year’s horse trials is riding even better after wintering over, so no matter what the weatherman is calling for there will be good footing for dressage. Ozias has been building new stadium jumps, too. I can testify that the wings are incredibly fancy, and also incredibly heavy.

Also back and better than ever is volunteer coordinator, Janet Sinclair. You may remember her as the woman with the clipboard and purposeful walk if you volunteered at last year’s event. She’s basically a one-woman coordinating machine and thanks to her, all of last year’s volunteers were organized and deployed appropriately. I can attest to that since I was one. I can also attest to the awesomeness of the gift bags that Janet puts together for every volunteer.

If you’d like to come and volunteer, Janet has lots of jobs to fill, even for those who aren’t horsey. For instance, if you’re a kid who is planning on competing at the show, why not volunteer your parents? That will get them and their cameras away from the trailer on show day and maybe they’ll give you one of their free volunteer t-shirts when the day is over. That’s even better than a ribbon! If you want to volunteer yourself or a loved one, you can reach Janet at janetsinclair1@live.com. Operators are standing by.

That’s it for today. Stay tuned for photos, highlights of the boarders’ achievements through the summer show season, and some special guest bloggers in the coming weeks.

--Casy

News at the Farm

Hi Everyone!

Well, we're finally heading out of winter towards spring (I hope!) and it's time to start thinking about our summer schedule.

The big news is that we have booked Bobby Costello to come do a 2-day clinic on July 9th and 10th. Day one will be show jumping/gymnastics and day two will be x-country. Bobby is a Massachusetts native and currently resides in Southern Pines, NC. Bobby was a member of the 2000 Eventing Team at the Sydney Olympic Games and was part of the team that won gold at the 2003 Pan American Games. He is heavily involved in the governance of both the USEA and USEF. We look forward to having him and will have more info on signing up soon.

We will be running a Combined Test and Dressage Schooling Show on May 1st. This will be a great opportunity to get ready for your first recognized event or just to get out and do something fun!

And don't forget our annual Memorial Day X-Country Clinic with advanced level rider Stephie Baer. This is a chance to get quality instruction while schooling our x-country course before our sanctioned event.

Our next blog post will be written by one of our boarders, Karen, who will talk about the trailer buying process. Keep a look out for that!

Horse Trial Recap!

Well, it’s taken a month, but I’m finally here to give you the skinny on CBF’s first annual USEA recognized horse trial! I’ve been travelling, I’m jet lagged, and I’m in the mood for a photo montage, so that’s what you’re going to get. All of the professional photos (you'll be able to tell the difference, trust me) are courtesy of Prestige Sport Shots (www.prestigesportshots.com). Michael and his crew are regulars at all of our events, large and small, and their work speaks for itself.

But before I get to the show, here is a picture of Jim Wofford, laying down the law at our clinic this summer:

If you turn your head and this is what you see as you’re getting ready to jump an exercise, you better turn up your hearing aid. Despite his intimidating appearance, Jim was very encouraging and positive to all of our riders. It also helps that he doesn’t freak out when a ride isn’t working out exactly as planned. I guess when you’ve been in the game as long as he has nothing surprises you anymore.

Now, to the show. As a dedicated reader of this blog, you already know that Course Brook Farm hosted our first-ever USEA nationally recognized horse trials on October 9. It was a huge production, and also a huge success. We had over 90 riders over the day, fantastic weather, and 4,000 pumpkins scattered about the property. In fact, they continue to appear here and there, emerging from secret hiding places.

All levity aside, it was a great day, mostly due to the dedication of our organizers, officials, and competitors. I saw a lot of smiles that day, and heard competitors saying that they would be coming back next year.

Of course none of it could have been possible without Matt and Nancy Mayo, the owners of the farm. We are all so lucky to be able to ride (and in some cases, live) on this beautiful piece of property, and all of us were proud to be able to share it with a bunch of new people.

Finally, BIG THANKS to everyone who volunteered! We know you didn’t do it just for the free hand sanitizer and t-shirt and we hope you’ll want to come back and help again next year.

Now, for the good stuff. Let’s start with some photos of the set-up process...

Here Laura and Ozias are painting showjumping rails and standards. As you can see, there were lots.

Reinaldo and Wilson were instrumental in making the farm look its best.

Assembling the new dressage arena was one of the crowning achievements of Laura’s life.

Having extra pieces left over is always a little worrying.

Moving on to the professional shots of the day of the show...

Outside the porta-potty next to stadium warm up was apparently the place to see and be seen.

Stephie Baer teaches at Course Brook weekly, and brought several horses to compete. Here’s her training level ride.

Our neighbor and honorary boarder Caroline Twining competed her horse Robin in the BN division.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!

--Casy

Horse trials, goodbyes, and hellos

Summer is coming to an end, and this year the change in seasons means a couple of things. First of all, it means that our first USEA-recognized horse trials is coming up. Entries are now being accepted for the October 9 competition, which will offer beginner novice through training-level. Hacking around the farm, I’ve noticed not only the beautiful new jumps that are being constructed, but also all of the hard work that’s being done to ensure that the footing is excellent. Everyone involved in the preparation for the horse trials is determined to make our first recognized competition a success, and from the looks of things, it’s going to be fantastic.

Speaking of getting involved, our volunteer coordinator, Janet Sinclair, is well into the recruiting phase for any and all volunteers. Horse experience is preferred, but there are always jobs for the non-horsey set. You’ll receive a t-shirt, lunch, and the privilege of telling your grandchildren that you were a part of Course Brook’s first recognized horse trials! Volunteering is a great way to learn about our sport and to support its growth. If you’re interested in getting involved, contact Janet at janetsinclair1@live.com.

For many families, September means it’s time to go back to school, and at Course Brook we’re sad to say that three of our favorite people will be heading off to college. Kendra and Dash have already departed for Pennsylvania, where Kendra will be studying at Gettysburg College and Dash will be continuing her education in eventing. They had a great summer season, and I’m sure they will continue to shine in their new home.

Samantha will be heading to study in Seville, Spain, for three months before beginning college in Miami, Florida. We’re going to miss her, and we’re all pretty jealous, too.

Elena is leaving for Stanford in a few weeks, although we did tell her we would be happy to grant her a BA in tack cleaning and horse care if she wanted to stick around. Surprisingly, she didn’t take us up on the offer, but I’m sure she’ll get something out of her time at Stanford.

We’re going to miss all three of them, and hope that they will come back and visit us frequently (and in Sam’s case, bring us some nice souvenirs from Spain). Good luck to all of you!

To end on a positive note, we’re very happy to introduce Payton and Paige, who have moved to the area from Maine. They bring with them their two lovely event horses, Sam and Ben. Also hello to Brianna and Chunky Monkey, who is--despite what his name implies--a lovely dark bay thoroughbred without an obvious weight problem. Welcome!

--Casy

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

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