Hanover Shoe Farms/Gettysburg

I am glad that we decided to make this trip. The seminar was great and I got to drool over some of Hanover Shoe Farm's best yearlings. We also got to see the Panderosaa and No Pan Intended. Their facilities are absolutely amazing. I learned a lot and I even got to chat with a fellow color genetics freak from the USTA :) We also made a stop over in Gettysburg and Harrisburg so some of those pics are tossed in here too.



Hanover Shoe Farm/Gettysburg

Horsez for PS2

This review is for the video game Horsez for Playstation 2. I can honestly say that this is the best horsey video game I have ever played. Most horse games are far too childish and easy. This game presented a real challenge. The complicated story line requires the player to actually think their ways out of predicaments. You are responsible for your own training and the care of your horse. Your character is at an equestrian boarding school where you take lessons in everything from show jumping to horse body language. They even turn cleaning hooves into a challenging game. The graphics are great as well. Definately deserves four horse shoes!

Bella Sara

This review is of Bella Sara Trading Cards. I purchased these on whim just to see what they were about. Each card features horse artwork along with a postive quote or saying. Each card also has an activation code that you can enter on the Bella Sara website. Once your horse is entered you can groom, feed and play games with your horse. It is definately geared more towards children but I know plenty of adults who also collect Bella Sara cards. The website is well designed and enjoyable to use. I give it three horseshoes. They are still in the developing stages it seems. Once they have everything built up a bit more, they're rating will definately go up :)

She Flies Without Wings

This review is of the book She Flies Without Wings: How Horses Touch a Woman's Soul by Mary D. Midkiff. This was another amazing book. It was so nice to read the experiences of someone who is like me, feeling more at home in the barn and with horses than anywhere else. Mary tells the story of her own life from childhood to middle age through the stories of the horses that have made impressions in her heart. She makes you laugh and she makes you cry, while also causing you to think about your own life and horse experiences. Another must read. Four horse shoes!

Tao of Equus

This review is of the book Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov. I have to say that this book is the single most influential book that I have ever read. It drastically changed the way I think about everything from my reltionships with horses to my relationships with people. It also shed a new light on the situation with Bailey that I discussed in a previous post. This allowed me to finally let go and stop blaming myself for the things that have happened in the past. If you are a woman and you love horses this is an absolute must read. Even if you aren't, it will change your life. This book definately deserves the coveted 5 horseshoes!

I am so behind on reviews so I just might be posting a few today :)

New Addition

Well, I couldn't resist the temptation of seeing if they had any new Breyers at Tuesday Mornings. I'm glad I caved in though because I got a Chubasco & Caravelle for $30! They are normally $65 so I think I made out pretty well. Now if I could just figure out where I can find room for them on my multitude of shelves...



Only one more week until my trip to Hanover Shoe Farms! It should be an awesome experience. I promise to take tons of pictures and post them here.

Hambletonian

This was another weekend at the Meadowlands for me. I was a little disappointed that Pampered Princess didn't beat out the boys but it was an excellent race as always.



Hambletonian 2007

Hambletonian Festival

This weekend was the Hambletonian Festival and we had a blast. It started with the parade in Rutherford,NJ. Silly me only took pictures of the horses :) You can see them in the slideshow below. I loved seeing so many different horses in one place. With the exception of the lady standing next to me who thought braided manes and tails were cruel, the crowd was great. After the parade we were able to get autographs of harness racing drivers and trainers, including John Campbell.



Hambletonian Festival

We were completely starved and overheated so we made our way to the Rutherford Blimpie. Post time wasn't until 5:00 so we started looking for things to do. We attempted to visit Mane Connection but they were closed. It was probably for the better since I probably would have brought home a Breyer or two. It was too hot to walk anywhere so we killed the rest of the time wandering around the Garden State Mall.

We got to the Meadowlands early so we could catch the USTA youth race. The ponies and kids were so cute. We also picked up out giveaways which were pretty nice messenger bags. Not bad for a $1.00 admission. The Eliminations were great to watch and Pampered Princess is my pick to win the Hambo. It'd be great if she won too because a fillie hasn't won this race since 1996.

Bridled

I found this movie on YouTube and I thought it was great. Enjoy!

Breyerfest Weekend

Well, this weekend marks yet another Breyerfest that I'm stuck at home. I did have some model horse fun though thanks to the wonderful folks on Fallen Leaves. Every year they do a great giveaway. I won two adorable Hartland foals, one palomino and one flaxen chestnut. I also won a factory error Little Bit ASB. They forgot to paint his eyes and hooves!

Of course, we can't leave out the Model Horse Blab. I ordered their Stone Special Run Honey (Palomino Sabino Palouse, yay) and I can't wait for her to get here.

Hopefully I'll actually have the funds to attend Breyerfest next year. I've never had the chance to meet so many fellow collectors in one place.

My First Product Review!

I use so many horse related products that I figured I might as well start writing reviews on them. I'm going to use a 1 to 5 scale, one being sucky and five being great. I even found a cute little horseshoe graphic to use.



In honor of Funny Cide's recent retirement I am reviewing the book Funny Cide. I found this book incredibly interesting. It followed every detail of his life from foaling up until he lost Preakness. I was left feeling almost like I knew Funny because of how much they described his personality and habits. It's a side of Funny that most of us didn't get to see in the press. It's amazing that the Barnes and Noble in Hoboken had it for only $5.00! It was writen as more of a human interest piece but it was writen by his owners who are more like investors than horsemen. I would definately recommend this book. It gets four horseshoes out of five, but only because I am very hard to please. :)

Hoboken Mounted Police

I've been working in Hoboken for a few months know so I thought I should post something about the city's resident equines. I'm so glad they are here and I appreciate the chance to get to see a horse every once in a while.



Hoboken Mounted Police from Brad Miller and Vimeo.

Awesome Podcast

I've recently discovered Horse Girl TV. It's an awesome podcast and definately a must see.



I'm also super excited because at the end of August I get to go see the yearlings at Hanover Shoe Farm!

I need a 12 step program for platic ponies :)

Well, I've added yet another horse to the collection. Mike agreed to drive me Rick's Saddle Shop so that I could look for those ellusive decorator Silvers. No special Silver were to be found though. This time I got the 2006 Fall Collector's Choice, Autumn Shimmer. She was just too pretty to leave her sitting on the shelf. I love her high gloss and she had the sweetest expression. This picture is from Breyer but it really doesn't do her justice.

Men Doing Dressage

This video is hilarious!

Yet Another New Addition

The custom stablemate Fresian came very quickly and I am in love . The picture just doesn't do this little guy justice. He's my first horse that actually won some live shows (he has three NAN cards!) so I am very proud. The toy store by my boyfriend's house is going out of business. I got a Starman (glossy 2004 collector's edition Old Timer). I'm still trying to figure out what breed to assign to him. I'll be sad to see this store go. The lady who used to own the place knew I was a collector and she would set things aside for me. We'd have these long conversations about which models she should buy for her granddaughter. She retired a few years ago though and they haven't gotten any new horses since then .

Accidental New Addition to the Herd

Well, I accidentally won a custom SM on ebay. I had forgotten about bidding on him before I commited to buying my resin. He is a cute little guy though. He' the one in the picture above.
I had to make a stop at Target so I also picked up the new stablemate Arabian. I have to say that I am in love with his paint job. You couldn't tell in the store but he has a really neat metallic sheen to him.
Just on more week until my resin is paid off and he can come home :)

R.I.P Bailey

I usually try to keep my posts light hearted but I can't today. It has been seven months from the day that my care horse, Bailey was put to sleep.
I was attending college and every equine major is assigned a horse to take care of. Right before Christmas break, the management at the barn forced me to body clip Bailey. This was despite my many complaints about his physical and mental well being. He was old, skinny, narcoleptic, lame and was terrified of clippers. Those are five very big reasons to NOT clip a horse. Because it risked getting a failing grade, I had to cave in and do it anyway.
A week later I received an email from the school's vet letting me know that Bailey had been put to sleep. Ever since then, I've been struggling with overwhelming feelings of guilt and anger. Was me clipping him the straw that broke the camels back? I'll never know but I do know that it never should have been done. I mourned him like you would a person and I still do. On the fourth of every month I am reminded of the sad horse who was in so much pain.
This one event was the impetus for me leaving that particular college. I did not want to be attached to the name of an institution that could do this to a horse. I miss the barn and riding with every fiber of my being. I still have passion and the desire to have a career with horses, I just need to find somewhere else to pursue my education.

My First Resin

I am jumping up and down with excitement because I just put a deposit on my very first resin. He is a SM scale Rearing Brushfire resin sculpted by Kathleen Moody and resculpted and painted By Penn Youngman. He is a soft roan with faint dappling, flashy sabino markings and one blue eye. He is adorable (atleast I think so) and he was a steal at just $100. I will definately be posting pictures as soon as I get my hands on him.

Wachovia Classic at Beacon Hill

I was so very happy this past weekend. My boyfriend surprised me with a trip to the Wachovia Classic at Beacon Hill. It had been so long since I'd been around horses. He even let me drag him back the next day to see the Budwiser Grand Prix. I've never been to a Grand Prix before and it was amazing to see my childhood heros up close. All of the horses were amazing. Joe Fargis won with his horse Edgar. I thought it was awesome since Joe and Edgar were two of the oldest competitors there. It was great to watch such a well paired rider and horse jumping so well. On the model horse side of things, I picked up two stablemates when we stopped at Target on the way to the horse show. They didn't have a huge selection but I got the new Tennessee Walker and Andalusian. I especially love the paint job and eyes on the Andalusian. It's amazing how far the paint jobs on stablemates have come since I first started collecting. Well, this is my first blog on here. Let me know what you think of it!