Tag: Horses

Here Comes the BLU-RAY!!

blu ray

Finally after waiting years the HD of “the Black Stallion” feature film is coming out on Blu-Ray! Yeah!
Coppola’s American Zoetrope / MGM 1979 Academy Award winning movie will be released on March 18, 2014 on Blu-ray disk. Carroll Ballard directed Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney and a cast of classic stars in one of the most popular movies of all time. The critic Pauline Kael of the New Yorker wrote, “this may be the greatest children’s film of all time”.

As I had the honor of being able to work on the movie from the very first days, even before filming began, going around with Carroll and Dad to look for THE STALLION. What a long wonderful road it’s been.
So many of us have been asking for a HD version and it should look great on that huge flatscreen TV you are watching the Superbowl on tomorrow.

Once this comes out they may be inspired to put it together as a trilogy with “Black Stallion Returns” and “Young Black Stallion” as a set … or even better a TV mini series! We’re still working on getting that next feature, “Black Stallion Revolts“, in production. Why does it take so long in Hollywood? Maybe they have too many cars and not enough horses!

You can pre-order the disk now through Amazon  (you have to click on the blu-ray choice) BUT, if I were you, I’d wait a bit ’cause I’m getting a DISCOUNT code which will save us all a little money. The disks are still in production but they promised to send me the code soon – you won’t get the Blu-ray till March 18 anywhere so get it HERE for less!

Happy Days and I’ll post the code ASAP!

Enjoy the Ride!
your friends in the saddle – Tim & Pam Farley

Arabian Nights closing – end of an era :{

After 25 years and thousands of shows with millions of cheering fans Arabian Nights is closing it’s doors at the end of the year. We all have great memories and it’s a sad day.
A heartbreak for everyone but the times have changed and been tough on so many horses – as you all probably know too well. See the show one last time before it’s too late.
Here’s the news’;

KISSIMMEE, Fla. —Arabian Nights dinner attraction in Kissimmee is closing its doors Jan. 1, owner Mark Miller announced Friday.

After 25 years and more than 10,000 performances for more than 10 million guests, Miller says the local attraction can no longer provide a product cheap enough for consumers.

Despite the closing, Miller says staff will remain dedicated to providing the best show possible for its last scheduled shows.

“Our mission now is to present the best possible product for the rest of the year so that the people who have loved us over the years will be able to come back and experience the magic of our show one last time,” Miller said.  “Then we will be concentrating on how to assist our incredible staff in handling this transition.”

Miller praised his staff, saying, “There is no question that the skill, dedication, work ethic and people skills of our employees have enabled [us] to be the best there is. Anyone looking for an incredible employee after the first of the year should call our human resource department immediately.”

While the staff continues to perform its annual Christmas show, ending Dec. 31, Miller is offering half-price admission to central Florida residents.

http://youtu.be/hGlv7uwweMQ#aid=P9ZzFn3aFWI

 

catch rider

Been meaning to write about his one … a good summer read …. or maybe that Christmas gift for someone special?
If you have time on your tablet there’s some fun here; Lot’s of other gifts (click) too!!

cover thanks Jennifer!

more as a pdf; ebook

Lonely people have enthusiasms which cannot always be explained. . . . When something touches their emotions, it runs through them like Paul Revere, awakening feelings that gather into great armies.

—Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale

ONE

IT WAS RAINING hard and the lightning was getting close. I ran the red gelding down the path in Dunn’s Gap and listened for that moment when a horse is at a full gallop and none of his feet touch the ground, because during that split second, we’re flying. I pretended we were racing a train as the trees whizzed by, their branches scraping my jacket. I lay down on the horse’s neck to avoid a low branch. Water dripped off my riding hat into my mouth, tasting of sweaty nylon. I spat it out and wiped my face on my sleeve while I kept my eyes up, banking around a muddy turn.

As we galloped, the rain came down in a roar. I was soaked through. The reins were slippery and I fought to keep a grip on the horse. I dug my fingers into his dirty mane and around his martingale strap to hang on. I’d tied his tail into a tight mud-knot, wrapping it around itself into a ball so it didn’t fall past his hocks. It would be easier to get the mud out later.

The red horse took the bit in his mouth, bore down, and ran for it like he was loose in the field. He must have forgotten I was there. His ears were forward and he wanted to go, but it was slick, and running like this in the mud was dangerous. If he stumbled, he could send us both down the ravine. One shoe clinked loudly against an old rusted pipe that was gushing rainwater down into the creek below, but it didn’t interrupt his stride or worry him one bit. I listened to the confident, rhythmic hoofbeats, and I grinned.

Quick thoughts began to flicker in and out of my mind. This was the last of the big summer storms and the last day before school started. Every time I thought about it, I felt sick to my stomach. I hated school. I couldn’t sit in a plastic desk all day, couldn’t stand being inside under those awful lights with those teachers staring down at me. If you had to squeeze yourself into a girdle to stand up and try to teach a bunch of hillbilly kids—well, that was just pathetic. I hated the way it smelled at school, the way the rednecks in the hallway would yell and scream like they owned the place.

One time I’d heard a boy say, “That’s Jimmy Criser’s girl—they live in that shitty little gray house behind Hardee’s.” When another boy laughed, I looked at him and said, “Well, at least my daddy ain’t a drunk like yours.” We all know things about each other in Covington. And people who make fun of me wish they hadn’t.

All these kids thought they were cool, but I knew they’d never amount to a damn thing. They’d work in the paper mill until the day they died. I know that sounds mean and angry, but I’m not either one. We have a life to live that could stop any minute, and I guess I can’t believe this is how some people want to spend it. It makes me sad as hell. I want to ask them, don’t they want to know what’s out there? I sure do.

One day, I’d win the Bath County Horse Show up in Hot Springs, where all the rich kids competed every June. I’d jump every fence perfectly on a big, shiny, braided hunter, and I’d jog my horse into the ring to claim the silver cup and tricolor championship ribbon. The wealthy kids lining the rail would say, “Damn, that girl can ride anything.” Melinda, my mother, would stop cursing horses and love them like she used to, and her dirtbag of a boyfriend would fear me. The kids at school would whisper to each other, “How’d she learn to ride like that?” And some kid might say, “She’s the best rider I ever saw.”

I stood up in the stirrups and planted my hands on the red horse’s withers to slow him down. He pulled against me, and I wondered if I’d have to run him into the bank to make him stop. I couldn’t hear Wayne’s horse at all. The creek always ran hard and loud back there behind Coles Mountain. It probably sounded just like this two or three hundred years ago. I wished for an instant that I could have lived back then and spent my days running through the woods on a horse. If you were fourteen in those days, Jimmy used to tell me, you worked just like the adults, didn’t waste your time at school. Kids were baling hay with a team of horses at nine years old.

The red horse tore around a turn, his ears shot up, and he slammed to a stop. My feet came out of the stirrups, and I had to tighten my knees like a vice to hang on. What the heck had he seen? Maybe June, hiding behind a tree?

The horse snorted hard, and finally I saw what he saw: a hickory had fallen across the path, gotten caught in another tree. Damn, he had good eyes. I could barely see it. Some horses can stand right next to a locomotive and not mind one bit, but others will damn near tear the barn down if a woodchuck runs by. I was right. This red horse didn’t shy at anything. His eyes were locked right on that fallen tree in a way that made my palms sweat.

I waited a moment for Uncle Wayne to catch up. I heard the smack of another horse’s hooves, and my uncle galloped out of the fog on his brown horse and stopped too. His horse was blowing hard with his chest lathered up. Uncle Wayne squinted, his face slick from the rain running off his baseball cap. He cursed. It would take forever for us to backtrack, and the hill was too steep to walk the horses around the fallen tree. They’d be up to their hocks in mud, and I imagined us sliding down the hill, a tangle of reins and hooves, into the ravine. Horse people are always walking that line between being brave and being crazy. Sometimes it just depends on how things end up.

The red horse looked at the fallen tree and pulled on the reins, wanting to go. It must have been four feet high, and I had never jumped anything that big. The horse faced the jump and squared himself up for it.

“Hell no!” yelled Uncle Wayne.

I felt the horse coiled like a spring underneath me, and I dug my heels into his sides. He planted his hind feet in the mud, got his hindquarters up under himself, and took three big strides. But he got in too close. He sprang out of the mud and must have cleared that fallen tree by a foot. I tried to hang on, but even though I had a handful of mane, I was left behind. When he landed, he shook me loose. I fell hard in the mud, and everything stopped.

I heard Uncle Wayne’s voice calling, “Sid!”

Still holding the reins, I put my hands to my face, opened my eyes, and realized the horse was gone. The bridle lay next to me—I guess I’d pulled it right off his head. Now he was running around Dunn’s Gap wearing nothing but a saddle in the pouring rain.

Wayne was on foot in the woods twenty feet away, trying to get to me. He swore again as he helped the brown horse pick his way through the rocks and briars. Finally they made it through, and I looked up at Wayne’s face in the rain. I could see the outline of his skull in his tan skin, and his blue eyes sparkled like big aquamarines. Maybe he was the Grim Reaper, coming to take me to heaven.

“What’s the West Virginia state flower?” he asked me.

“The satellite dish,” I said.

I felt for my teeth to make sure they were all there.

“Damn it, girl!” he shouted. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself!”

I sat up, dizzy and confused, my riding hat lying in the wet weeds. When I inhaled, pain shot out from my ribs. I had a metallic taste in my mouth from the shock. I felt like my bones had crashed into each other.

“When you ride my horse, you damn well do what I tell you,” he said.

I was ashamed.

“I just found that red horse in an auction pen last Thursday,” he continued. “I don’t know a thing about him—”

“He can jump,” I interrupted.

“Well, that’s good, ain’t it?” Wayne said sharply, looking me in the eye. He was scaring me. Sometimes he looked exactly like Melinda. His little sister, my mother.

He put his hands on his knees and stood up.

“We better go find that half-nekked horse ’fore somebody calls the sheriff,” he said.

We walked together down the path, the wet brown horse hanging his head. I slipped a little in the mud, and Wayne grabbed my elbow. “Watch yourself. Slick as a fat baby’s ass out here.”

We found the red horse by the side of the road looking embarrassed, with one stirrup caught on a farmer’s mailbox.

Flying Horses

Here’s the rest of Rachael Kraft’s fascinating article. Just think about how horses are transported around the world for shows and races the next time you’re coaxing one into your trailer.  I’ve met a few transporters on the Black Stallion movies, which was very interesting for me, but only one small job on their list. You can imagine the responsibility of moving multimillion dollar horses from one race to the next! Movie stars – no big deal!
Always more to see & do at ;   www.theBlackStallion.com

And now for the rest of the story …

 Traveling inStyle

By: Rachael Kraft *Representative of Double D Trailers:  Horse Trailer Manufacturer since 1997 with emphasis on research, design, product improvement and horse safety through creation of safer technologies. Owned by Brad Heath.

For humans, we have the choice of car or truck…train or bus…economy or first class.  Wherever we go, we’d like to get there quickly, comfortably, and without a lot of hassle.   Some horses travel just as much or more than the typical person and they have the added challenge of weighing close to a ton!  Whether the horse is an elite athlete, a show performer or a beloved pet, they still have the ability to travel in style.

In the horse world, the most recent example of horses traveling in style is the group of talented three-year-olds competing in this year’s Triple Crown.  This prestigious set of three grueling races starts in the rolling hills of bluegrass state with the Kentucky Derby.  The horse Orb gave us a thrilling victory at the 2013 race and many hoped he would be a three-win contender.  His hopes were dashed when he was defeated at the second race, The Preakness, held at Pimlico Racetrack in Maryland.  Only one more race remained, and fans across the nation were eagerly awaiting the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8 where Orb got a chance to meet his rival Oxbow in the 1 1/2 mile challenge. 

Many spectators forget what a terrific challenge the Triple Crown is for a young horse.  After all, they are only three-years-old.  In many other horse disciplines, a horse this young would barely be starting the training for their sport.  For a racehorse, they are expected to be at their very best.  Each of the races is a physical and mental stress on the animal and there are only days between each of the races.  In addition, the horses need to travel hundreds of miles, settle into a new stable, and prepare on a new racetrack. 

It’s not surprising that Orb’s trainer, Shug McGaughey considered not racing his colt in the Belmont after a fourth place finish at the Preakness.  Lucky for us, he announced that his colt would definitely race on Saturday.  He made this decision after Orb ran a good workout last Sunday morning1.  In the end, the exciting showdown between Orb and Oxbow didn’t matter.  A 15-1 longshot named Palace Malice beat them both to the wire!  Oxbow came in 2nd and Orb came in 3rd.  Nothing is every predictable in the world of horseracing. 

Picture1_OrbArrives

Derby winner Orb arrives at Pimlico for Preakness5.

A question still remains.  Just how do elite racehorses travel from state to state to compete?  Is it possible that you passed a world-class racehorse while traveling the interstate?  In short…yes.  For most racehorses, they travel in plush horse vans or trucks that travel on the highways.  These vehicles have many of the same features as regular horse trailers, but are often air ride equipped to provide an extra smooth ride.  The long trailers will have wide doors, low ramps, extra storage space, excellent ventilation and feature some high-tech amenities. Drivers will use two-way radios and GPS to find their destination while using closed circuit cameras to monitor their equine passengers8.  All of this effort is taken so that the racehorse can arrive at the track in top shape to prepare for their race.

Racehorses aren’t the only equines that travel hundreds of miles by road.  Meet the Budweiser Clydesdales.  These beautiful teams of draft horses travel the country to make appearances at parades and sporting events.  During their demonstrations, eight breath-taking animals pull an immense red cart full of products to be delivered.  The team is driven by two handlers and overseen by a sturdy Dalmatian dog.  These cart horses show their great strength and agility by maneuvering the cart and even “parking” it at an imaginary loading bay.  It is truly a treat to see them on display. 

Three teams of ten horses each travel the country to put on demonstrations.  They perform at a new destination each week, which means a great deal of time on the road.  In order to keep the horses happy and healthy, the horse handlers limit their travel to 500 miles a day and stop for breaks every two to three hours.  “If it’s going to be a longer haul than that we’ll find an overnight along the way to stop,” said horse handler Dave Thomas.  “We won’t haul more than two days in a row; if it’s longer than a two-day trip then we’ll have a rest day built in. 6

The horses are frequently checked to avoid the main health concern – colic.  Luckily, Thomas said severe bouts of colic are rare.  “We’re pretty careful.  That’s one of the main reasons we try not to drive over 500 miles a day.  We don’t (want to) stress them out.”  Once they arrive at their destination, the horses are turned out or taken for walks.  They even have a special sled for the horses to pull for some exercise6.

The Budweiser Clydesdale trailer is hard to miss.  It is a massive red tractor-trailer with an image of the Clydesdales prancing across the side.  The trailer needs to carry ten draft horses, the crew, portable stalls, grooming supplies, basic vet supplies, and shoeing supplies.  Grain, hay, and shavings are shipped ahead to their destination.  They carry anything that you would need to care for a horse when you’re on the road 10-11 months of the year.  Watch a video interview with Dave Thomas here (http://www.thehorse.com/videos/31711/budweiser-clydesdales-whats-in-the-trailer) 6.

Budweiser Clydesdales

TimesBudweiser employee Brady Bardin of Booneville, Miss. leads one of the Budweiser

Clydesdale horses out of its trailer outside Fabiano Brothers Inc. in Michigan7.

For even longer trips, horses cannot be transported by road and must take to the skies.  The mighty Breeder’s Cup race features many horses from other countries who travel in planes to reach the event.  “They travel first-class,” said Chris Santarelli.  “They each want their own stall.”  Santarelli is the treasurer of the Mersant International Ltd., which is the official transport coordinator for the Breeder’s Cup2.

 “It is a major undertaking,” Chris Burke explained. Burke is the co-owner and operator for International Racehorse Transport, which files 5,000 horses each year.  “Each air stable can hold three horses. So if you were traveling from Australia to England, three to a stall is the equivalent of economy ($17,500), two to a stall is business class ($30,000), and one horse on its own is first class ($50,000)3.”

Picture3_HorseBoardingJetstall

A horse is shown here entering their jet stall for a trip aboard a plane.4

The horses don’t usually have problems with the flight.  “A racehorse is usually a very disciplined animal,” says Andrea Branchini, manager of Horse America Inc.  “He will travel very well.  It will go up a ramp.  It will go into a stall on a plane. 2  This is not to say that all of the horses are calm, cool and collected.  “When you have some two-year-olds racing, you do tend to get horses that have never traveled to America.  You worry a bit about hose horses in flight,” said Santerelli.2

The horses are under constant surveillance while in the sky.  Grooms check them frequently to make sure they are not showing signs of dehydration or restlessness.  They are given plenty of water and hay.  Handlers regularly check horses’ pulses and make sure they are eating and drinking enough.

Picture4_HorseInPlane

A horse in his jet stall while on board a plane4.

Each horse carries a passport that contains information about their coloring and identifying features.  The passport also contains their inoculation record.  For the Breeder’s Cup horses, once they reach Churchill Downs, they are put under a 42-hour quarantine to check for a normal temperature and blood tests for four diseases:  glanders, piroplasmosis, equine infectious anemia, and dourine2.  When they are given the all-clear they are ready to leave quarantine to prepare for the race.

Since it seems like such a hassle, you might wonder why an owner would bother to transport their horses such long distances for competitions?  For racehorse owners, the prestige of winning internationally can boost a horses breeding value after they leave the track3. For other horses, special events like the Olympics, Rolex Three-Day Event, and World Equestrian Games will draw international competitors.

Click here (http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2012/03/08/how-do-you-ship-a-horse-to-the-olympics/)  to see an excellent video of horses being transported to the 2010 Horse World Cup in Las Vegas9.

For the average horseperson, we don’t have any upcoming plans of taking wild cross country road trips or traveling internationally to compete.  Still, your horse deserves every bit of concern and care as these elite athletes and performers.  That is why is extremely important to find a horse trailer that has the best safety features for your horse.  DoubleD Trailers is an excellent example of a company that provides fantastic horse trailers (http://www.doubledtrailers.com/Horse_Trailer_Models.htm) to transport your horse.  They provide many different models to fit your individual needs10.  Whether it be in a trailer, horse van, or in a plane, it can be certain that horses can truly travel in style.

SOURCES:

1.  Bien, Louis.  SBNation.  Belmont Stakes 2013: Orb to run last leg of Triple Crown. Jun 2 2013. Available:  http://www.sbnation.com/2013/6/2/4388486/2013-belmont-stakes-news-orb-running

2. Laidman, Jenni.  Louisville Magazine.  Flying horses: How foreign race horses get to Churchill Downs [Breeders’ Cup].  Nov 4 2010.  Available:  http://www.louisville.com/content/flying-horses-how-foreign-race-horses-get-churchill-downs-breeders-cup

3. McKenzie, Sheena.  CNN.  Flying high: From ‘cattle-class’ to ‘horse-class’.  March 22 2013.  Available:  http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/22/sport/air-travel-race-horse-flying-class 

4.  Image:  Robinson, Philip.  DailyMailUK. Welcome to Horse Air – how the world’s most elite horses are transported.  Accessed June 4 2013.  Available:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2131554/Queens-Diamond-Jubilee-Welcome-Horse-Air–worlds-elite-horses-transported.html

5. Image:  WCMH-News. Derby winner Orb arrives at Pimlico for Preakness – Available:  www.nbc4i.com

6. Larson, Erica.  TheHorse.com. Caring for the Budweiser Clydesdales.  April 23 2013.  Available:  http://www.thehorse.com/articles/31736/caring-for-the-budweiser-clydesdales?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=health-news&utm_campaign=04-23-2013

7.  Image:  TimesBudweiser employee Brady Bardin of Booneville, Miss. leads one of the Budweiser Clydesdale horses out of its trailer outside Fabiano Brothers Inc. in Monitor Township on Tuesday.  Accessed June 4 2013.  Available:  http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/05/mid-michigan_evening_links_bud.html 

8.  Elite Horse Transport.  Accessed June 4 2013.  Available:  http://elitehorsetransport.com/

9.  Video:  Carlson, Dane.  How Do You Ship A Horse to the Olympics?  March 8 2012. Available:  http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2012/03/08/how-do-you-ship-a-horse-to-the-olympics/

10. Double D Trailers.  Accessed June 4 2013. http://www.doubledtrailers.com/Horse_Trailer_Models.htm 

Yunnan Baiyao, ever try it?

Yunnan Baiyao boxYunnan Baiyao
Yunnan Baiyao

I’ve read about this Chinese medicine for people but never thought how good it might be for use with horses. I had a letter this week that one owner had really excellent results on cuts, as a general antibiotic mixed with water and used in ears, etc. and even taken internally. Unlike regular antibiotics it doesn’t seem to build up resistance. And it’s VERY affordable since they use it all the time in China. It is available as a powder, ointment, spray or packaged bandages.  Vietnam veterans might remember seeing the vials during the war.
Has anyone used this herbal remedy before? Like to hear your comments & if it worked for you or not.
Thanks!

Think Orb will do it again in the Preakness?
Enjoy the Ride!
TF

From Wikipedia;
Yunnan Baiyao (or Yunnan Paiyao) (simplified Chinese: 云南白药; traditional Chinese: 雲南白藥) is a hemostatic powdered medicine famous for being carried by the Vietcong to stop bleeding during the Vietnam War. [1] The medicine, developed by Qu Huangzhang in 1902, is designated as one of two Class-1 protected traditional medicines, which gives it 20 years protection. In China, its reputation is equal to that of penicillin in the U.S. It is founded and manufactured by a state-owned enterprise, Yunnan Baiyao Group in Yunnan, China. The formula is secret.