Monthly Archives: June 2009

Addicted to audio books

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary and tagged with , ,

I can’t criticize my son for walking around with earphones (or in his case, earbuds) because I’m just as bad. He listens to music; I listen to books.

Listening to books is a great way to make chores not such an effort. Muck stalls, pasture pickup? Not a problem when I have a good book to listen to. I’m often “plugged in” when I’m working at the barn. In fact, I probably listen to at least a book a week (each book is usually between 10-15 hours). I do draw the line at listening while I ride. I like to hear what’s around me and that’s difficult to do when listening to a book. Plus, it kind of defeats the purpose of enjoying the time with my horse.

I started listening to audio books when my kids were younger. When we went to the beach audio books gave me the chance to get in my “beach read” and keep an eye on my kids while they played in the water. We also listened to books in the car — nothing like a good story to entertain the whole family.

Back then — probably about 8 years ago now — the options for listening to books was fairly limited. You could get books on CD from the library, but often times those were scratched at the most important part of the story.  So when digital downloads came onto the scene, I was delighted. The easiest solution, and the one with the best selection was, and still is,  Audible.com. Basically, you plug your Ipod into your computer and it magically syncs through ITunes. The downside is that it’s expensive. Purchasing an audio book is generally $20-plus unless you pre-pay for credits. Then you can get most books for $10 (except for the most popular ones which are still 2 credits).

A few years ago our library started offering digital downloads Netlibrary. This is very cool because the books are free. Even better, you don’t have to return them and they are impossible to lose.  The frustrating part was that 1) the selection of titles was limited and 2) they weren’t compatible with an Ipod, so you need to invest in an MP3 player that supported WMA files. For those listeners looking for a good MP3 player, I’ve had great success with buying Creative players on eBay (I like the Zen V, but the new Stone looks good, too). I find that if I pay less than $25 for a player I feel much less horror when they fall into the water tank. Last week my Ipod Touch had a very close escape: I leaned over and it fell out of my pocket right in the path of my horse. I saw his hoof coming down and body checked him before he landed on it leaving him looking at me in stark confusion.

This year I got frustrated with the fact that many of the books I wanted were “not in the collection” of my local netlibrary. Geez, you’d think that the digital collection would be almost unlimited! But thanks to our librarian I discovered that I could get an e-account with the Boston Public Library, which has a much better collection. That got me thinking. Since my mother lives in New York, I also finagled access to the New York Public Library’s audio book collection. The real bonus was that both of the big city libraries offer MP3 books (Ipod compatible) as well as WMA compatible files. I am in heaven. Now I have access to more books than even I can imagine.

So, dial into your local library (or the nearest large city) and start downloading!

Always wear your helmet when you jump!

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Breyer Horses, English Riding, equestrian, equestrian helmet, Equestrian video, Rider Safety and tagged with , , , ,

This made me chuckle. Not just because I used to make my Breyer horses jump, but because I love the PSA. You should always “where” (sic) your helmet, even in Breyer land! Rotational falls can happen there, too. The question is, would a frangible pin have helped?!

Has eventing gotten safer? Not that I’ve noticed.

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, Eventing, Rider Safety and tagged with , , , ,

Last year there was a lot of talk about how to improve the overall safety of the sport. There were meetings. There was publicity about frangible pins. People talked about the relative safety of the long and short formats.

Then you see a photo like this one published. There is a series of photos posted by the photographer, Paul Rainford, that shows the whole fall in slow motion.

Faith Cook and Naigor suffered a rotational fall at the Branham CCI*. Luckily they will both be fine.

Faith Cook and Naigor de la Roche suffered a rotational fall at the Branham CCI*. Luckily they will both be fine. Photo: Paul Rainford Photography

Another rotational fall that could have been prevented by using a frangible pin. This fall happened at the Bramham CCI*. The good news is that Faith Cook will be okay. She has two broken bones in her back and neck but no damage to her spinal cord. Her horse, Naigor de la Roche, walked away with bruises.

Others this year have not been so fortunate. In April, Ian Olding, a 47-year old experienced eventer was killed at Belton Horse Trials after his horse, Gran-Kiki, flipped over a table. This is a fence where a frangible pin would not have made a difference.

In May Phillip Dutton had a rotational fall at Jersey Fresh on Bailey Wick. While Phillip walked away, the horse had to be humanely destroyed. While it is likely that his neck was broken, his owners chose not to have a necropsy performed. In this case, the back rail of the oxer had a frangible pin, but the front rail did not. The horse chested the fence and rotated. Six months earlier, at Fair Hill, Dutton had a rotational fall with Loose ‘n Cool, although neither was injured.

I know that work is going on behind the scenes to study safety and to minimize the conditions that lead to fatalities. It seems though, that fence construction and the design of courses that ride more safely would be a good place to start. And soon.

A few additions — I received a comment from Paul Rainford, the photographer who took these photos. While they appear in the comments, I’m putting them here as well as he provides additional insight:

With regards to frangible pins, I did actually discuss this with the course designer later in the day as she came to look at my pictures. The use of pins had been discussed by the team at Bramham, but it was decided that pins were not needed for this fence.

Also, I actually think that if the fence had been put together with frangible pins, then the fall may have been worse, as the horse would still have fallen, but actually landed on Faith.

This is, however, just my opinion.

Paul

Is your horse this smart?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, horse training

Back in September, I found a wonderful article on horses that showed scary intelligence — horses like Clever Hans, Lady Wonder and Beautiful Jim Key that were considered so “smart” in their times that they were thought to be psychic! I mentioned this in my post How Smart is your Horse? The Bar is high for equine prodigies.

Since then I’ve come across a few more cute examples. Not necessarily things I’d train my horse to do. In fact, it never occurred to me to put my horse in my car!

Nicole’s Law will protect young equestrians

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equestrian helmet, Rider Safety and tagged with , , ,
This poster helps explain helmet fit.

This poster helps explain helmet fit.

On June 8th the Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist signed “Nicole’s Law” which requires that horseback riders 16 and younger to wear a helmet when riding on public roads and rights of way and while taking riding lessons. Rodeos, parades and private property are exempt.

Sadly, Nicole’s law is named for Nicole Hornstein, 12, who was riding a horse when it stumbled and fell. She fell off and hit her head on pavement. Nicole, who was not wearing a helmet, died in 2006 after 20 days in a coma. Under the new law, anyone who allows a child to ride a horse without a helmet would be fined $500. The law will take effect on October 1.

Head injuries are the most common cause of death for people who ride horses or ponies, according to the American Medical Equestrian Association. The advent of modern helmets, which must pass safety standards have been shown to reduce head injuries.

The U.S. Pony Club saw head injury rates among its members fall 29% with mandatory helmet use and a study of hospital admissions rates in England dropped 46% after helmet standards and designs improved and more riders used the safer helmets.

Even more convincing (because there is more data) is how much bicycle helmets have reduced the number and severity of head injuries. According to the National SAFE KIDS campaign wearing helmets has been shown to reduce head injury risk by as much as 85% and brain injury risk by as much as 88%. An estimated 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented by wearing a helmet.

As someone who always wears a helmet, I’m pleased that Florida has passed this law. I hope that the habit of wearing a helmet is ingrained into every young equestrian’s consciousness so that when they “age out” of the law, they continue to wear a one.

Surprisingly, the only other state to have an equestrian helmet law is New York. That state passed its helmet law in 1999 and it took effect in 2000.

It’s not that I believe that private actions should always be legislated; rather, I believe that not enough trainers and parents insist strongly enough that their students or children wear a helmet every time they get on a horse. Frequently I see trainers and other equine professionals ride helmetless. They are adults and they have the right to make their own choices. However, too often they set a bad example for the minors who want to be just like them.

I know that many people don’t like the way helmets look. Some don’t believe that helmets truly offer protection. But when riding around minors I wish that all adults would err on the side of safety and strap on their helmets, just in case.

The benefits of a good brisk walk

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, horse back riding and tagged with , , , ,
Walking on a loose rein is not only relaxing for your horse, but makes it easier to chat!

Walking on a loose rein is not only relaxing for your horse, but makes it easier to chat!

We’ve had rain here for the past two weeks. Lots of rain. For those of us with no indoor, that means one thing: riding in mud.

When the sun peeks out for brief periods I’ve tried to get on my horse and get him moving and thinking. He doesn’t have the personality type to hang out for a week with nothing to do. He gets grouchy and skittish. He likes having a job.

Of course the footing right now stinks. It’s a combination of shoe-sucking mud with slick areas that make it impossible to do anything except walk.

But that’s not such a bad thing. There are some real benefits to going out for a good forward marching walk with your horse. I used to ride with a dressage trainer who recommended that I take my horse out every week for a walk of at least an hour and that I concentrate on establishing a good forward rhythm. No ambling along! I could hear her (German) accented voice in my ear.

Here are the benefits that I’ve always found from walking.

  • It’s relaxing. Even at a brisk pace when I walk my TB he never gets riled up. If he’s had a few days off it’s usually better not to let him get excited. It’s no fun to ride a head flipping jigging maniac that needs only the slightest excuse to gallop off.  Set out at a brisk walk on a loose rein and he stays relaxed and happy.
  • It’s low impact conditioning. I’m lucky enough to have some hills nearby so when I go out for a walk I make sure to incorporate them into the ride. When I used to take my Trakehner to Vermont I was amazed by how fit he got doing just two weeks of hill work — mostly at the walk!
  • I can ride on a loose rein. I like to give my horse a day off from riding on the bit. I think it provides a good mental break to ride on the buckle. I know my horse enjoys it. I like him to stretch down and loosen up his back (provided he doesn’t take the opportunity to snack).
  • I can watch the birds. Sometimes I don’t want to drill or school or do much of anything except commune with my horse.

Eau de Grassy Meadows

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian and tagged with , , , ,
The scent of wet hay, wild flowers and sunshine as I rode by this field today was just irrestible.

The scent of wet hay, wild flowers and sunshine as I rode by this field today was just irrestible.

I was out riding this afternoon, walking at the edge of the hay field and inhaling the most incredible scent. Really, if I could bottle this I’m sure that equestrians would snap it up. Here’s what I envision:

Top notes of green hay — hay that is drenched with spring rain, with just enough warmth in the air to tease out the freshness of the smell. Hay with white flowers growing in it and orioles diving down to eat the seeds off the tall grasses. Today we saw a flock of these exquisite yellow and black birds darting from the tree tops into the grasses. They were spectacular.

Middle notes of white flowers and lilac. The small white flowers that grow on the bushes near the fields. I’m not sure what type of plant they are but they produce a fleeting and light scent that you can only just catch if you walk by. Trot and you miss it.

Base notes of moss, leather, and the hint of damp horse. The scent that immediately registers with equestrians as the partnership between man (or woman) and horse, the peace and serenity of a quiet ride where you are listening to the birds the soft muffled sound of hooves on damp ground and the occasional jingle of the bit.

So, now I just need a perfumier who will bottle this. Then my fortunes will be made!