Just in case you aren’t watching the Superbowl, here’s the Budweiser Commercial that was unveiled tonight.
Author Archives: Liz Goldsmith
Should the Diving Horses be brought back to the Jersey Shore?
Horses and riders (all women) dove off Steel Pier in Atlantic City for 50 years. Originally the platforms were 60 feet above the water. They were lowered to 40 feet after Sonora Carver's diving accident left her blind.
One of the main attractions of Atlantic City’s Steel Pier was the diving horses. From the 1920s until the 1978 (yes, 50+ years!) horses ridden by women in swim suits dove from a 40 foot platform into a pool. I wrote about it some time ago (Don’t try this at home: the diving horses of Atlantic City).
Now, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority announced plans to bring back the famous act as part of the first phase of the Steel Pier improvement project.
The decision has caused a lot of controversy. While contemporary accounts from the riders indicate that the horses who participated in the act were not coerced — read the account that was emailed to me by rider Louise Lamoureux, What was it like to ride a diving horse? — animal rights activists are already gearing up for a fight.
Not all contemporary accounts are as positive as the ones reported by Sonora Carver or Louise Lamoureax. I found an anonymous person’s first person account (posted on the Circus No-Spin blog) that suggests horses didn’t always want to jump:
They didn’t like doing it at all, and I saw numerous times the cosequence (sic) for refusing. Of course the shpeel was how they looked forward to the jump because of the carrot they got at the end. One windy day, the granstand (sic) was half full and the horse refused to jump. There was no way to get down except for backing down the ramp or jumping. They tried to get the people to leave, but no one budged. The horse stood up there for close to an hour before the crowd finally left and they could go up and push him off. Believe me, there was no carrot waiting that time.
The riders of the diving horse were always glamorous young women, clad in bathing suits.
Certainly there were injuries, but it doesn’t seem like there were as many as you would expect, especially since there was little concession to safety other than the primitive helmet worn by the riders — many of the young women suffered broken bones that occurred when the horses were trying to get out of the pool (not during the fall). Sonora Carver, perhaps the most famous of the riders, did go blind when she did not close her eyes and suffered detached retinas. However, she continued to ride the diving horses for another decade after her injury.
I discovered you can by the Kindle version of Carver’s book, A Girl and Five Brave Horses, on Amazon so I’m off to read it tonight. Carver reportedly dismissed the way her story was told in the Disney Movie, Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken. I saw the movie a few years ago and am looking forward to hearing her version.
So what do you think? Should the diving horses return to Steel Pier? Would it be possible to make the act safer? Would you go and watch?
Fun . . . or fear?
So, who knows the back story on this photo? Is the kid having a great time or is he wishing the ride would end?
I’ve seen this photo make the rounds on Facebook for quite some time. And each time I see it I can’t decide if this kid is having fun . . . or is scared out of his mind! The expression could go either way.
As a parent, it worries me to see his left foot in danger of slipping down through his stirrup, but I also know how much confidence kids can gain from accomplishing a challenge that scares them.
This kid has the same expression on his face that my daughter had when we rode on the Journey to Atlantis ride at Sea World in Orlando. It was the first year she was tall enough to go on the ride. Half way up the first incline, she asked if she could get off now. The rest of the ride was spent with that expression on her face. Now she rides roller coasters that I don’t even like to watch, let alone ride.
As equestrians, we’ve probably all been where that boy is now. Every time you push your own comfort zone you have that little twinge of fear and wonder if it was really such a good idea. Most of the time, I’m pleasantly surprised that what scared me at first, is quite manageable and might even be fun. Occasionally, I realize that it had been smart to be afraid.
At least for this young rider, his pony seems well up to the challenge. He’s got his game face on and looks like he’s going to finish the course regardless of any rider indecision. Would that we all be so lucky to have rides with so much confidence!
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a digital collage using artwork from La Vie Parisienne. I wanted to capture the sense of adventure you get when you ride off into the woods, your dog by your side.
Welcome to the February Blog Carnival of Horses
Welcome to the February 1, 2012 edition of carnival of the horses. We have some great new blogs included in this edition and I’m really looking forward to reading them and I hope that for those of you who are just starting blogs, this Carnival brings you some new readers.
Aspen Meadows presents The Search Continues posted at News from Aspen Meadows.
Lorna Leeson presents Courses for Horses?.. posted at lorlee1, saying, “A woman and her horses trying to survive the African sun…”
Lorna Leeson presents Whats in a bounce…..? posted at lorlee1, saying, “The horses are back in work…”
L. Williams presents Soft Hands, Strong Legs, Steady Mind posted at Viva Carlos.
Leah Anderson presents I bite my friends. posted at Pie’s Blog.
Gwenyth Santagate presents Something Special Happened Last Night posted at Equine Consulting.
Dock Start presents Stud Chains vs. Rope Halters posted at Adventures In Colt (Filly) Starting.
Paige Cerulli presents The Equine Experience: Because of a Horse posted at The Equine Experience, saying, “This is a new blog I’ve started – I’m a 20-something college graduate who has recently relocated to Western MA. I’m living above the barn with my first horse (an ex-racehorse) living below. The blog, The Equine Experience, chronicles my adventures as an equine massage therapist, freelance writer, and horse owner.”
Martine presents The First French Hack (Ballade!) posted at The Wanderly Wagons, saying, “We’ve temporarily relocated to France with our dogs & horses. Join us as we settle in during January.”
Martine presents Our Paddock Paradise… posted at The Wanderly Wagons, saying, “We seem to have provided our horses with ideal Natural living conditions!”
Martine presents Le Salon de Cheval posted at The Wanderly Wagons, saying, “Great photos of stunning horses at a French Horse show.”
Aspen Meadows presents So Far, So Good posted at News from Aspen Meadows.
Margaretha presents Equestrians Unlimited: Friesian Stallion: Jasper posted at Equestrians Unlimited.
Sarah Bailey presents Starbuckin’ posted at Guiding Starbuck, saying, “Starbuck, the baby greenie I’m training gets ridden outside the roundpen for the first time- and I learn why down South they say “You ain’t rode till you been throwed.”
horse care presents Winston Churchill and the war horse – Horse Sense posted at Horse Sense.
horse care presents The horse that play’s Joey in Spielberg’s War Horse – Finders Key posted at Horse of the Week.
horse care presents Fire Safety for Stables / Barns – Newsletter posted at Horse Sense.
Edward presents In The Orchard posted at My Equestrian World, saying, “I’m submitting 2 posts to my first carnival, this one will introduce the equines”
Edward presents Feeding in Winter posted at My Equestrian World, saying, “My second post for the carnival about the feed the horses and ponies are having to keep them fit and healthy this winter along with their usual haylage.”
Martine presents Désastre posted at The Wanderly Wagons, saying, “late addition to the other posts submitted last week – disaster strikes”
Suzanne presents STRESSLESS EVENTING – FACT OR FICTION posted at Confessions of an AA Event Rider and Convicted Over Thinker.
Suzanne presents YOUNG AND RESTLESS posted at Confessions of an AA Event Rider and Convicted Over Thinker.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of the horses using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
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From the bit box: Full Cheek Slow Twist
This Full Cheek Slow Twist snaffle was my first xc bit
This is the oldest bit in my bit box. It is a bit I bought when I started eventing back in the early 1980s.
At the time I was leasing Dudley, a green Hannovarian/TB gelding. We started him over fences and six weeks later took him out Novice at Pleasant Hollow.
Dudley was a horse that I normally rode in a full cheek single jointed snaffle. Neither he — nor I — had ever jumped cross country and I had no idea what he’d be like on course. We’d schooled over a few isolated fences, but this was all new.
My trainer suggested the big twist as she felt it would give me a bit extra control out on course if I needed it . . . but it wasn’t going to back him off the bit too much.
How it works
A full cheek bit is a useful bit for a horse where you might have trouble turning because the cheek pieces of the bit exert pressure on the side of the horse’s mouth to encourage turning. The design of the bit also prevents the rider from pulling the bit through the horse’s mouth. If you use keepers with the bit, this adds even more stability to the bit (and also helps prevent it from catching on things).
Like all single jointed bits, the mouthpiece the mouthpiece puts pressure on the bars of the mouth, the tongue and roof of the mouth. You can see in the photo to the right that when the bit is bent, the joint moves forward. Some horses don’t like the “nutcracker” action of the single joint but back when I used this bit, there weren’t any double jointed bits and my horse never had any problem with it.
The twist in the metal gives the bit more “teeth” than a smooth bit, but is not considered to be particularly severe. It will impact the lips and the bars. The slow twist may help get your horse’s attention in situations where he might ignore a plain snaffle.
Did it work? It certainly made me feel more in control when riding xc, but I suspect that much of it was in my mind. Dudley wasn’t a strong horse xc and I probably didn’t need it for control, just for security.
Related Posts
More stuff riders say
Thanks, SmartPak for another funny video!
What to do when your horse chokes
Nasal discharge is the most common indicator of choke.
Choking, in horses, happens when their esophagus becomes blocked — usually from bolting their food or from eating very dry food without having access to water. Unlike when a human chokes, a horse can still breathe, but choking can be quite serious. Horses that choke can damage their esophagus and, if the backed up food, saliva or water gets into their longs, they can develop pneumonia.
While I have never seen a horse experience an episode of choke, one of the horses at our barn had a serious incident of choke this past fall. She’s a horse who loves her food and is always in a hurry to eat as much as she can. She got into the grain room and then also got into a tub of hay stretcher pellets. These pellets lodged in her through and got stuck.
What are the signs?
Horses that choke present in different ways.
- They may get agitated.
- They may extend their necks.
- They may appear to be gagging (horses are unable to throw up).
- Discharge will likely come out of their nose.
- Sometimes you can feel the mass in their neck.
It’s pretty horrifying. And it makes you feel quite helpless.
What you should do when your horse chokes.
The most important thing to do is call the vet. Sometimes choke can clear on its own, in few minutes, and sometimes it will be necessary for the vet to come and help the choke clear. Choke is easier and more successfully treated when it first occurs.
Once the vet is on the way, you should try to keep your horse quiet and calm. Don’t let it eat or drink and avoid exercise.
Sometimes you can help clear the blockage by massaging the neck gently.
Sometimes your vet might suggest dosing with Acepromazine. In some cases it can cause the esophagus to relax enough that the horse can swallow the mass. If that doesn’t work, the vet may try gently dislodging the mass with a tube.
If that doesn’t work, your vet may sedate with Xyline. Once your horse’s head is lowered (as the result of the sedation) they can use a warm water lavage to wash down the impacted feed.
After the impact is cleared, your vet may prescribe antibiotics in case any fluids have been aspirated.
Preventing future episodes of choke
Once a horse has experienced an episode of choke they are more likely to choke again because there may damage to their esophagus. To keep your horse safe from a another episode of choke there are some steps you can take:
- Add large rocks to your horse’s grain to slow down their eating
- Soak grain or any pelleted feeds before feeding
- Don’t feed grass clippings
- Avoid feeding dry beet pulp, especially to horses that bolt their feed.
- Avoid feeding large chunks of apples or carrots.
As for Curly, our resident food bolter? She has made a full recovery without any serious complications. She gets only soaked feed and all pelleted feed is kept under double lock and key.
Certainly Curly’s experience with choke has changed my opinion about it. I’ve never had a horse that bolts their feed. Mine have all taken their time eating. But I no longer discount the risk of choke. I continue to soak Freedom’s feed and it’s something I plan to continue. It seems a very simple thing to do which can help prevent great distress to my horse.
Has your horse ever choked? What did you do?
