Ask Cari

My brother Jim riding RJ while visiting Windrock Farm in his Airstream. What a way to travel, efficient, elegant and easy living. Come back and visit again soon! We miss you!

RJ finds the mares in the arena very exciting, showing his athletic prowess by dancing around on his hind legs.

Rex is working with another person in the clinic teaching how to move the hindquarters around from the fence line after learning to perform this excercise at the mounting block.

RJ learns to remember to listen to the rider. Here Rex is bending his neck which not only forces RJ to focus on his work, but also stetches out all the outside muscles of his body. This is often a good excercise to warm up the horse with on both sides.

Jillian, Alex and Wyatt wait for there turn on King Richard.

King Richard shakes off all the flies while Jillian is leading him into the barn.

Jillian riding King Richard

Is your horse trying to tell you something? Is he girthy when you cinch up the saddle? Does he cringe when you approach with the saddle? Has he started bucking or changed his behaviour when ridden? If so, there is a good chance your saddle is the culprit.

Several common signs of a poor fit —

the saddle rocks when placed on his back without a rider

The cantle bounces up and down when riding

There is no space between the wither and saddle

The underside of the saddle is bumpy with knots in the flocking

The horse is bucking when ridden

So how do to find the perfect fit?

Take your time! Saddle shopping should not be rushed. The saddle is a critical piece of equipment that allows for communication between rider and horse.

Find a reputable saddle fitter to check the saddle fit. Follow up with an annual check up.

Take a tracing of your horses back to create a gage to use when looking at prospective saddles. Here you can see Patty Barnett, a skilled saddle fitter measuring the back of this horse to create a tracing for the owner to take to saddle shops.

Many times the saddle needs to be re-flocked and fit to each individual. Here Patty is pounding the flocking to fit the saddle to the horses back. For more information as to how to find the correct fit for your horse, contact Patty at saddledr@aol.com. Also check out her web site at www.eastcrowsaddlery.com.

Your horse will be forever grateful!

The next clinic will be in January

Here is one of the participants comments on results from the last clinic.

Thank you!

I loved everything about the clinic! Rex is so knowledgeable and everyone was very friendly.

It more than fulfilled my expectations. I didn’t expect to get on Dolly at the end of the 3 days, but it actually happened.

The only area of improvement would have been the weather on Friday. Although we were able to work in the barn, we weren’t able to complete the outside ride on Friday. I am very grateful Rex took me to the round-pen on Saturday to boost my confidence and prove to me that I could do it! Without that, I might have been too nervous to attempt to get on her once we got her home. And that would have been a shame!

I would absolutely recommend the clinic and I would absolutely come back for more! One of the best parts of it was that he was teaching both the horse and the rider. It wasn’t like sending your horse to be trained, it was sending both of us to learn so we can do it right going forward. Who can’t use that type of training up on a regular basis?!!

We have a long way to go, but we are at least under saddle now (in a round pen and at a walk). I’ve done it alone and she still stands beautifully for me (we haven’t worked on a mounting block yet and I can hear Rex scolding me over it, but she stands perfectly still while I get on from the ground and waits patiently til I tell her to move on, so I can’t complain about that).

Thank you again. I definitely intend to see you again! -Diana

Icelandic Sheepdogs love the water

Indy greets his fans after a clear show jumping round at the Millbrook Horse Trials in August. Indy went on to run one of three clear cross country rounds at the North Carolina Horse Park at his first Preliminary event. He is scheduled to run in two more events before the end of the year.

Junior Novice Champion at the Millbrook Horse Trials in August.

Beau jumps around a clear cross country and stadium course to finish on his dressage score for the blue at the Millbrook Horse Trials. This win qualified the team for the American Eventing Championships in Illinois. Here Kayla and Beau are standing with Maja who travelled from Germany to cheer on our favorite Irish horse. Congratulations!!

Kayla’s Mother is thrilled with her Victory!

Strangely I found myself dressed in costume of General Benedict Arnold wearing a white wig and greatcoat over uncomfortable riding britches and shoes far too big for me. I was requested to gallop RJ away from the camera, looking from side to side for the invisible pursuing enemies as the second unit director filmed Benedict Arnold fleeing from his home in the middle of the night. Many takes were demanded to shoot the horse from several angles so that more drama could be edited into the film.

Initially I was hired as RJ’s trainer to perform one major scene where the General’s horse is shot dead to the ground. In this particular scene Benedict Arnold narrowly escapes a British bayonet pointed at his neck. After RJ is positioned on the ground, the director requests that RJ lift only his head looking back at his rider in agony and fall dead to the ground. True to form, my horse offered numerous options from highly dramatic to calm resignation.

However prior to falling to the ground he had to spar a bit, proffering a brief repertoire of a of tricks for the camera, rearing and dancing on his hind legs with only his saddle and bridle. He was quite intimidating, commanding respect from the cast and crew.

Between takes, the entire cast embraced him, rubbing his neck and asking many questions about his career as Hidalgo in the Disney classic film. He loved all the adoration and attention. He was such an obedient actor for the most part, with a brief moment channeling Marlon Brando, finding it difficult to transform into character. Rj worked a full day shooting over a dozen scenes with both the director and second unit.

This film is being produced for PBS to air next fall. It is titled American General: Benedict Arnold based in part on James Kirby Martin’s revisionist history, “Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: an American Warrior Reconsidered.

RJ has been busy this summer with photo shoots and performances, generating interest and income for the Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation and Retirement Foundation. He has settled into his new life at Windrock Farm enjoying the large fields of turnout and changing seasons. For information on his availability please contact cari@cariswanson.com or check the web site www.cariswanson.com.

Congratulations to Joa on Kestrel who finished 8th at the September Kent Horse Trials. It was a beautiful day with many horses competing for ribbons in several divisions. Kestrel is settling into his new career eventing jumping a clear cross country round with style and confidence.