New Blogger:Two Points, Tacos, and Tiaras

There are those horse bloggers that jump into the equestrian blogosphere and immediately just fit right in. From that first post, you like them. Micaylah from Two Points, Tacos, and Tiaras is definitely one of them.

Micaylah is a college student that balances school, work, and riding with an amazing sense of humor and a great outlook. Her horse, Riesling, is a thirteen year old OTTB that she has competed H/J on in the past, but is now focusing more on dressage with. Micaylah has a way of writing about her rides that will leave you looking forward to reading more about her and Riesling's adventures under saddle. Who doesn't like a blogger that can make a riding recap super entertaining?

Oh, and she loves all the shiny things as you can see in her post The Life of a Bling-aholic (one of my favorites).

So, if you haven't yet, stop by and visit Micaylah and Riesling at Two Points, Tacos, and Tiaras. They're fantastic!

Returned

Yeah, life has been super busy. Again. Shocker, I know. Of course, this means I've fallen off of the blogger bandwagon. Again. As much as that fact annoys me, it's really probably a good thing. If you're not busy, you're not making cool dressage stuff money. Right?

Little Miss Blaze Face 

Anyway, I figured doing a quick catch up and, hopefully, a look into some future posts would be good. Even if it takes me a year, I will write these posts DAMN IT!

1. Garrit-Claes Bierenbroodspot clinic.

She can go so nice when she wants....

Loved it! Learned a lot! My friend took a few pictures and hasn't had time to edit them yet, but I will try to get a post up about the clinic soon.

2. Indy

She was absolutely awesome for the clinic and continued to be afterwards.

Getting driven on a day that I couldn't muster the energy to ride.

For a couple of weeks. Then, in typical Indy fashion, she decided that she really doesn't need to work that hard just because I ask her and turned to her efforts to pick a fight so that she has a legitimate excuse to act like a heifer. I've been really good about being patient and fair with any corrections, but I've also spent a lot of my rides with every cuss word in the book quietly coming out of my mouth. Hey, I need to vent and it's a lot better than losing it and going bat shit crazy on her. Whatever works. I have no problem getting after a horse when they need it, but doing it in a fit of rage isn't going to help.

On a good note, her ass is looking fantastic!

J is awesome and understands how frustrating it is. Her lessons help so much and she has been really good about helping me remember that I just have to keep riding Indy through it until the little brat figures that she is just making it harder on herself when she acts like a jack ass. I swear this horse is either going to make me or break me.

3. Winn

The rainbow after the storm. Let's hope it's symbolic.

His feet are still sore, but he is starting to get better and I think I can start riding him again soon. All I want is to be able to ride my sweet (and trained) boy.

4. Racing

We have gotten some new horses in and some of the ones that had a break are starting to get fit again. We've had to sell/are selling some of the lower level horses to have room for the new ones. We're actually down to fourteen horses right now, but have one more coming back in from being turned out along with three two year olds that should be making their way to us soon.

Yeah, my chances of getting a vacation in the near future are pretty much nonexistant. I'm certainly not complaining about the business, but I am so DAMN tired! Like the crawl out of bed and partially collapse a few times type of tired. It's not necessarily the physical work, but the mental aspect on top of it. Constantly thinking about what you need to do, what you need to remember, what you need to get, etc. 24/7 for a barn full of horses for years catches up with a person.  Rarely having more than a few hours away from the track can be brutal. There are no breaks, no vacations, not even a day off, to look forward to. Just more work. Every. Single. Day. For the rest of my life. At least, it is feeling that way right now.

At least Butters gets plenty of rest.

There should be a lull between Denver and Phoenix this year, assuming we don't go to Zia (please God, noooo!). Fingers crossed that we can turn all of the horses out for a couple of weeks and get some time off.

Oops! That one got longer than I intended. Apparently, I needed to rant a bit.

Hirsch knows that I'm a complete sucker for him. Even the fiancé admits how much this horse likes me. After we bathed him before his race, the fiancé was holding him out in the sun and Hirsch kept trying to drag him to me. Love this guy so much!

Anyway, I want to do a post about some of the new horses and the challenges they present. As much as I complain about being tired, I do love my job. It's interesting, challenging, and I love the horses.

5. Projects

Hopefully I don't need either trailer in the next couple of days.

I have been working on an art project and a craft project for a couple of friends. Sorry, Jess. I will get it done eventually :) They should be done and shipped soon. I'll post them when they are. Provided that they don't suck, of course.

6. New Blogger Series

I wouldn't forget about you guys :)

I haven't forgotten about all of you awesome newbies out there. I will be getting in touch soon.

Completely off subject here, but to the idiot that cut half of this horse's forelock off: I do not like you. At all. I've never even met you and you make me crazy. That is all.

That's pretty much the general gist of my life lately. Hopefully I can start finding the time to blog more soon.

What's your opinion: Horse Racing- Answers Part Two

I apologize for this second post taking so long. Between technical problems and absolute insanity the last couple of weeks, I just haven't been able to get it posted. Anyway, you've waited long enough, so here is part two:

I'm mostly ambivalent. I like that the sport employs a number of people and consider it an American Past time, so I'd hate to see it ever go away, but at the same time it doesn't have a great reputation with the general public.


I think horse racing is a great way of creating a need for athletic horses and testing their minds and soundness in a structured environment. I'd like to see more emphasis on long term soundness and improved aftercare, but I think the industry is cleaning up it's image and trending in that direction. I've gotten two fantastic horses through the racing system and I'm certainly not complaining.

I think one of the reasons it gets a bad rap is because of how uneducated people are about the behind the scenes aspect of it. People see the break downs on TV and that's it. They don't see the hard work, care, and money that goes into keeping these horses safe and happy. And they rarely seem to understand that these horses won't run if they don't want to. You can't beat a horse into submission and expect it to go out and win.


I think horse racing is a very polarized sport. The trainers and owners who do not properly care for their horses have an extremely bad effect on the sport, and often overshadow those who do. I think the sport starts horses too young, and trashes them too early (even if they are successful). I wish the racing industry stopped valuing the sprinters, and that long distances were more popular. Breeding for sprinting has done a lot to injure the thoroughbred breed, in my opinion.
I do love that racing makes horses accessible to a large number of people. I love the power and speed of racehorses, and I love the supply of these horses off the track for myself.



The more I encounter, the better view I have of it. I used to hate it when I was younger but now I have an ottb and enjoy watching/attending races

Why are medications so prevalent? I watched a show on ESPN or HBO (can't remember which) and they listed the medications some top level horses were receiving and the number of individual Meds was staggering! It's my opinion that durability has been thrown out the window for speed. Some horses have 7 race careers before hitting the breeding shed, oftentimes due to injury. Is this expected to benefit the breed? Or are some folks willing to go for the flash of brilliance in hopes they will become valuable as a breeding animal? And, why so long between races? Some horses only race two to three times a year, is that even economically feasible? I love watching horse racing, in fact I bought Preakness tickets again this year. This is what sticks out in my mind every race- staying up late as a kid to hear what happened to Prairie Bayou, watching Barbaro and Edgar Prado trying desperately to stop him, explaining to my nephew why that horse (eight Belles) fell after she almost won the race & watching the horse at the county fair breakdown at the top of the stretch and watching has he hobbled on the trailer to be put down. I hope every race that it won't happen again, I understand the risk with any horse sport but in some cases it seems as though there's almost a blatant disregard to horses' safety. But, whenever money is involved, you run that risk. Look at concussions in football, the asinine rules the NCAA puts forth to preserve the "student athlete" (seriously a coach can't give his player a cheeseburger if he's hungry and forgot his wallet?!). The good of the individual is set aside in favor of the almighty dollar. I've seen the softer side too, the people who do it for the love of the sport, the love of horses. They genuinely care for their animals, they aren't just a commodity. The trainers who make sure those who don't make the cut have a safe place to land. Are they the exception of the rule? 
I'm torn. I grew up on a farm. Animals have their place but I was always taught to treat them with dignity and respect. I get the feeling that that isn't always the case in horse racing. Maybe I'm wrong, I dearly hope I am.

In response, you make some very valid, good points. On the breeding, what you say is true in several instances. I think that soundness isn't necessarily completely disregarded, but these horses are performing at a level that even the most sound of horses aren't likely to last long at. In short, they are almost freaks of nature when it comes to talent, which makes it less likely for their body to be able to keep up.

When it comes to the medication, some horses (at any level) are given staggering amounts of drugs. This isn't necessarily the rule, and it completely sucks, yet the media is always going to show the worst of things. What they probably didn't mention is that some of these medications were likely used to actually treat an ailment/injury within the legal withdrawal period and that the horses were not actually competing on all of these. I'm not saying that makes it right, just that it probably isn't as bad as it was portrayed to be. It's also highly likely that top horses in barns of trainers that are known to be very aggressive with medication were singled out. Don't get me wrong, drugs get abused way too often. I could write a book about what all is wrong with the governing of medications, treatments, and veterinarian practices, but the media often gives accurate information in a very misleading way when it comes to racing. They don't differentiate between the rule and the exception.

A lot of the upper level horses don't race many times a year because they don't have to. When a trainer has a graded stakes horse, they know where they can enter to give their horse the best shot of winning. That may only be three races a year. I don't think this is necessarily bad, because the horses aren't running just to run. If they have so long between races because of an injury, the main thing is that they ARE given the time off to recover. They have it much better than the cheap horses. A lot of times, they are retired early due to injury, but I'd prefer that over the horses that are forced to keep running until a fatal injury is obtained. At a higher level, they run for so much money that it is often worth it to run them less often (these horses often average tens to hundreds of thousands per start). Also, most people that own horses at that level are very well off. If they make a profit it's great, but if they don't it's just another tax write off. If an owner can't afford to lose money on their racehorses, then they have no business owning them. It's the people involved that rely on the horses to make a profit that can really be dangerous.

Anyway, that's my opinion. I'm glad that you know that there are good people in this industry. Thanks for your response and I hope I at least kind of helped with your questions.

I honestly don't have the highest opinion of the industry. I know many of these horses are treated like royalty and get the best of the best while they are racing, but I wish the breeding and training was different. We have bred the foot and bone out of the Thoroughbred and they are raced so young. We have these tall, fast horses running on toothpick legs with tiny flat feet. They aren't being bred nor trained for longevity. They are so inbred, and so many of them have soundness issues in their second and third careers. I've worked with many, many OTTBs and they have wonderful work ethics but the soundness issues and sometimes the mental issues (not necessarily a result of racing careers per se but more of the competitive, high-strung nature we've bred them for that helps them win on the track) can make them a challenge to work with if the person is not experienced with the breed. I know there are race horse trainers, owners and breeders that adore the breed and the horses they work with. I just wish some of the racing standards would change.



I love going to the track! Quite a long time ago I went on a trip to Kentucky and Tennessee and got to "meet" Smarty Jones and Cigar. It was a wonderful experience, and though I know not every racehorse (not even close) gets treated as well as those two do, I'm sure that some, if not most get handled with respect and care.

I really love reading about it from bloggers like you - who are so clearly dedicated to their horses and the integrity of the sport. racing has never been my thing - not bc i dislike it but bc it's not *my* sport and i never really educated myself about it. but i LOVE ottbs - i think they are very special horses, in very large part bc of their experiences on the track for better or worse.



I absolutely love it. Because if you have been around any of the barns at all, most everyone is genuine and nice and loves their horses and loves the sport. And the horses love to run (well, most do). The ones that don't are usually found a home doing something else. It gives people a chance to see and be around horses who otherwise wouldn't. And I adore putting my hands on these spectacular athletes and just feeling their raw power. Nothing else like it.

I suspect most of the horses at the highest level of the sport are well looked after. It seems like breeding for speed rather than sturdiness and longevity + the rush to the breeding shed has weakened thoroughbreds overall. Horses that race at lower level tracks are the ones I worry about. When the horse becomes a means to an end - when unscrupulous owners or trainers - owners and trainers who can get away with it because they aren't in the limelight - are trying to get every penny out of an animal - there's a potential for bad outcomes for the horses. 40,000 tbs bred every year and how many make it to the big leagues - maybe 1000? That said - there is absolutely nothing like watching a Secretariat, Ruffian or Zenyatta flying down the track. You can't tell me they don't love their work.



I don't know much about it besides the general access hype. It seems like an industry that is a rollarcoaster of emotions, risk, and expensive. Your blog proves there are good people out there even when we know there are shitheads too. I hope you'll continue to provide insight and explain he racetrack culture. I suppose I fall on the tolerate side. I am mostly ignorant of racing. I think there are creeps and scanners in every part of the horse industry, even some right in the open that people worship, so I have no racehate.

I have very strong, very ambivalent feelings about horse racing. I find it terrifying and exhilarating and very hard to watch, and I really think it stems from one article that ran in a sports magazine, titled "Requiem at Belmont"--scarred me for life about horse racing. BUT like any horse sport, or any sport for that matter, there are very good people who try to do the right thing all the time and treat their animals and people really well. And there are people who are completely disgusting, worthless, soul-less assholes and don't care about anyone but themselves, which just gets magnified when animals that have no control over their fates are involved. The thing that gets me the most is that these horses are so young--it makes me so anxious for them. I just don't know if I'm okay with that aspect or not. People will find a bone to pick about any discipline though, whether it's Rolkur or drugging or weird shoes or martingales or an animal dying at every major competition or whatever. (I would say the same thing anonymously or not.)

I actually enjoy racing and Thoroughbreds, and I'd say that I am deeply interested in famous racehorses past and present. I've always loved Secretariat, Man o War and Seabiscuit(and many others), and I enjoy keeping up with the Triple Crown and having the thrill of watching a horse gallop down the homestretch. I also really love the Thoroughbred breed and their incredible heart. I know that there are race owners and trainers that likely abuse and push the horses too hard. However, there are also trainers that truly love the animal and the sport. Browsing OTTB ads and rescues, I've seen some horses that weren't good at racing that were given away to the rescue simply because the trainer cared enough not to want to horse to end up in the wrong hands or to be pushed too hard at something they simply didn't have the mind or body to do. Like in any discipline, there is bad and good. The bad just seems to get more publicized than the good, and people judge the whole sport by just what they hear. I don't hate it because of the bad, because if I did I could really find something to hate in any discipline–the people who want to win more than they care about the animal. It's there in dressage, in jumping, and pretty much every other discipline. It doesn't mean I should hate the discipline as a whole based on those actions. In summary, I really enjoy racing and appreciate it as a unique discipline, just like dressage or jumping. The stories we hear may well have truth to them, and 'm sure they do, but I also know that there are perhaps just as many trainers out there who put the horse first.

I think as an institution it's fine, but any time large amounts of money is involved that many animals were suffer. The reality seems to be a lot of track people are in it because they love horses and the sport, because most are not getting rich.

Thank you again for all of your responses. When I first decided to do this survey, I had a theory that most equestrians (as opposed to the general public) would be able to see the good and bad of the sport or realize that it's hard to say without experiencing the scenes behind the curtain. For the most part, that proved to be true.

What's Your Opinion?: Horse Racing (answers) Part One

Thank you to everyone that shared their thoughts on the horse racing industry! Whether you think that racing is good, bad, or you are indifferent, I appreciate you taking the time to participate. I received more of a response than I expected, so I will post the answers in two different posts.

I had a theory that most equestrians would have the ability to differentiate between the good and the bad of the sport. For the most part, that seemed to prove true. The people that are against racing gave reasonable answers as to why and I don't necessarily disagree with most of their reasons. However, my opinion isn't what this is about and I'll keep it to myself for now. So, we'll get straight to the responses:

I worry about too many horses being bred and then discarded because the don't win. How many breeders actually place these horses in homes for a productive future. Also the young age these horses are started is concerning. In general I disapprove of the breeding and racing practices. But I still read your blog, to read about your riding.

Thank you for still reading my blog!

Exploitation of the horse for the entertainment of the wealthy and greed of the gamblers. The horse is used as an expendable commodity in a society that provides poor management for the multitude of horses that don't make it to the upper performance tiers, break down at an early age, or outlive their usefulness. Because the big ticket races are for 3-yr-olds, the breeding pressure is to produce early-maturing colts with no thought for longevity. Who cares if the horse can stay sound after 5 yrs old in order to be successful in other careers? What is done with all the broken down, unwanted horses since the slaughter houses have been shut down in the U.S.? The wealthy don't care that the horse market is perpetually depressed due to their narrow-focused breeding programs.


I love going to the track, and love all the good things about it (horses that love their jobs, get great care, and have a purpose, nice way for non horsey people to see horses and have an afternoon out) Hate all the downsides to it and any other competitive horse sport (bad care, cheating, tired horse, drugs), wish they'd stop racing babies so much, and unhappy about the amount of horses not given a new career or retirement when they're done.

Honestly? Fun, mysterious, and expensive. I really don't know much about it except the one time I horse shopped in the stall area at the track. Seemed like a mix of people trying to make money with no real care for the horses and folks that really care...no different than any other horse profession. At the end of the day, it is a business and cheating, shitty behavior happens. Again, this happens in any competitive sport.



I am pretty indifferent. There are bad eggs in every horse group and it really isn't fair to judge the whole group by the few. But I do worry about all the stress being put on the young bodies, and I worry about the "quick fixes" (like drugs) that are available to mask the havoc that that stress causes. I know this problem isn't exclusive to the racing world, but there seems to be a lot more money involved in racing (which seems to be the big driving force of masking problems).


I've always been fascinated by racing from a very early age. It's actually what made me fall in love with horses and I have made a lifelong career in a different equestrian discipline. Horses can be abused in any horse sport, so I don't condemn racing for the injuries & deaths that can occur. I do think there is a need for rules, procedures, and monitoring to ensure the horses' welfare is a priority, just as is the case in any type of horse sport.

There is good and bad in every sport, from horse racing to little league, from show jumping to football, from dressage to golf, etc etc. I think that the fact that there is so much (public) betting is what really gets peoples knickers in a twist about it. If there wasn't so much money involved it would not have so much of a spot light on the bad things. I believe that bad things are an exception, I avoid the trainers where the 'bad' things occur. That said, no matter how careful someone is tragedy can strike during a race, but you know what else? Tragedy can strike in turnout, on a trail ride, in an arena, in the trailer, over jumps. I feel that the more common outcome from the track are amazing horses, horses who have seen it all and learn not to spook,horses that trailer, horses that know how to stand for grooming and bath time. Horses with a true work ethic. I would like to see some changes in regards to allowed drugs and the 'goodolboysclub' but I would also like to see some changes in eventing, that doesn't make either of them 'evil.' I don't see people getting in an uproar about the hunter/jumper shows, is it because they are supposedly more classy than the racetrack? In many circles horses that are not sound enough for dressage or eventing are sold on to the hunter/jumper world because they are allowed to use and do things of questionable nature to keep the horse sound or calm. Does this mean that I dislike that world? No it just means that there is some room for change and improvement. My biggest issue in this day and age is that people want to scream and yell about problems and stir the pot and generally cause strife, but what if instead we worked to bring about change. Real change, productive change. Instead of working to shut down a sport and make people into villains (PETA) why don't we work to create opportunities for people to do better. Work on new or better rules, safer environments, more education. I will wrap this up now, my apologies for being so long winded. In a nut shell I love horse racing, it produces incredible horses, yes there is room for change, but there is in every sport. Let all of us step up to the plate, let us be the change.



I watch the Triple Crown every year and Eight Belles. It's hard not to focus on the syringes and the broken legs. However, if you study horses and look at the list of horse sports, flat track racing and endurance are the two sports that seem to match the horse's natural behavior the closest. I believe if horses could choose their sport, they'd pick one of those, because horses truly love to cover ground in a group. The sport I believe no horse would choose is barrel racing. since I was a kid. When I was twelve the only thing I ever wanted was to be a jockey. That said, I think there are a lot of things wrong with anything we do that is involved with that much money.



I wish they didn't race them so young. I don't know a whole lot about racing but I do wish they could grow up a bit more before competing.

I love watching it, especially in person, but I think - like so many things that are taken to extremes - the pursuit of it often obscures the health of so many involved, from the jockeys to the horses. I have watched the video of Secretariat's Belmont dozens of times, and cry every time I do, but I watch so many races through my fingers now because of the breakdowns.



Mixed emotions. Hate the early breaking that lames so many, and that the breeders aren't breeding for long term soundness. However, an awful lot of people have a really nice horse as a result of someone with $$$$$ taking a loss on what they bought/produced. OTTB can be great sport horses for people who can't afford to import a warmblood. I like to watch racing, the horses are beautiful, but the chemical dosing to get "one more race" is shameful. In it's heyday, racing was the #1 spectator sport in the US. Anything that gets horses into people's awareness has a benefit. But then there is the dark side. Ugh.



Ok, so I used to LOVE horse racing. I read Bloodhorse and DRF obsessively. I had two tracks practically in my backyard - Belmont and Aqueduct. I saw some of the greatest racehorses of the last decade run some of the biggest races, live. Curlin, Rags to Riches, Saint Liam, Afleet Alex, Gio Ponti, Folklore, so many. I think there are some of the world's greatest horsemen and women at the racetrack. I think some of the most cutting edge technology in horse medicine derived from racing. I also think horses can be treated as commodities.What really turned me off, after a lifetime of being a horses racing fan, is the commercial breeding market. The turn racing has taken from being a mostly breed to race industry to a breed to sell industry is what has ruined racing, in my opinion. The race to the breeding shed, breeding to the 'hot sire', breeding babies for the sales ring, the two-year old in training sales, that is what soured me on racing and why I think the thoroughbred of today is a lesser creature than the thoroughbred of yesteryear. Its a money grab.



While I enjoy the sport from a distance, I honestly know little about the day to day work of the horses. I have had the displeasure of meeting several below average trainers whose techniques I didn't agree with. But that said, any sport has those "bad apples" and I take that with a grain of salt. Really any sport which emphasizes the beauty and power of my favorite animal is a winner in my books.

I think the horse racing industry is a lot like the rest of the horse industry: fraught with good and bad. While in racing there might be more public abuses (over breeding, drugging, the ephemeral "milkshakes" that you hear about), crazy shit happens in all disciplines at all levels. Horses are ridden and worked long-term on drugs that essentially sedate them and that they can, eventually, no longer function without. Horses are drugged up to their eyeballs so 50 pound six year olds with four inch spurs can kick them along in a halter class! If those aren't things to be just as disgusted by as the racing industry, I don't know what is.



I love horse racing, its what piqued my interest in horses. It has its problem, but what sport doesn't? People who think racing is the only sport with a problem are exceptionally naive.



A pretty open question and leaves a lot to be discussed, mostly because I do and I don't have a problem with horse racing. I don't have a problem with performance race horses and them racing - what I do have a problem with is the useage of drugs, cheating, horses being raced until they break down, etc. Basically, all the shady crap that goes on in the background. I will admit I don't know firsthand a lot of stuff about the racing industry, but the abuse/cruelty/neglect that goes on is NOT okay (as with other equestrian sports). Race the horse you have - not the one you want.

Love it! I worked for a steeplechase trainer in college and really learned a lot. I do feel like there are bad trainers out there, but it shouldn't ruin the sport for everyone.

What's Your Opinion?: Horse Racing (anonymous survey)

I think that we all know that horse racing isn't always the glamorous Sport of Kings that it's portrayed to be. There is a lot wrong with the industry.

For the most part, through this blog, I've found the majority of equestrians either enjoy racing or tolerate it. I guess that those who don't probably aren't reading this blog or wouldn't state their opinion openly for fear of the backlash it would bring.

There is a lot said about racing that is very true and a lot that is overdramatized. The exceptions are made out to be the rule quite often.

A few months back, Lauren at She Moved To Texas did an anonymous survey (link here) about what people would say if they could say it without everyone knowing who they were. I found the results very interesting. A little surprising too.

Inspired by that, I would really like to know what your thoughts are on the horse racing industry. The survey is completely anonymous and no IP Addresses will be saved. I won't know who you are and neither will anyone else.

What is your opinion of horse racing? (survey link)

Yes, I realize that I am opening myself up for a lot of criticism here. That's okay, I've heard it before and I'm not going to get offended by the responses. It'd be really stupid to ask for opinions and then get mad when they are given. I do ask that you try to keep your comments about the entire industry and don't name anyone that you may single out. You get to stay anonymous, give them that privledge too. I won't publish any answers attacking a person that is named. The poll is open until 12:00 am MST Tuesday, February 17th. I will publish the responses then.

*I am considering doing a What's Your Opinion series, if this goes well. What do you guys think? I'm also in need of more blogs for my New Blogger series, so if you're a new blogger that would like to be featured, please email me at jodiperkins1984@gmail.com.