Welcome!!!!!!!!! Welcome one and all to Issue 15 of HoofBeat, for the month of November! This is HorsePower's 11th month and we are still going strong. Thanks for your continued membership in our club! I would like to ask that you all take a few moments to think about HorsePower this month; no matter how long you have been a member. Please send any comments or other contributions to Dulcimare@aol.com for next month's anniversary edition! If everyone sent in one little thing, Issue 16 would be the best! If you haven't been to the HorsePower message board in a while, you may be suprised at the new format! But don't be afraid, it's actually more fun that you think! (I admit I hated it the first time I used it). You can add links to posts, create a way cool signature, and post in color! Sound like fun? Well, here is how to get there: (These instructions are for those with AOL 3.0) 1) Click on the following link: HorsePower Club. 2) A window should come up that has all the most recent posts since your last visit to the board. (For those of you who haven't been there in awhile, or have never been there, you will notice a LOT of posts) 3) Click once on the Heart in the upper, right-hand corner. Another window should open up with three options, click on the one that says "Add to My Favorite Places." 4) Close all the windows. 5) Next time you want to go to the message board and read the most recent posts, simply open up your Favorite Places menu (on the toolbar) and double-click on the link you made! If it works correctly, like it does on my computer, then the only window that comes up is the window with the most recent posts!!! If you can think of some creative, horsie names to replace the old ones in this newsletter, PLEASE send them to Dulcimare@aol.com by November 20th!!! Part 1 Index : **MailBox** **Buy/Sell/Trade** **Horse Sports** **Dancing Horses** Mail Box In this column, you will find comments from members. If you can think of a more creative name for this article, please email Dulcimare@aol.com. Also send any and all comments to Dulcimare. Any comment received by any officer may be used in this column unless otherwise specified. Thank you to TeddyHorse, MUSTANG423. ** TeddyHorse noticed our club's message board and had this to say about us "....this [club] is doing really well.... no fights for a long time down the list :) Excellent review guys :)))))))) Keep up the good work and besides that you guys are a fun club for horsey people like me :) . --TeddyHorse@aol.com-- ** HorsePower is a terrific club!!!! I love the newsletters! I like how organized they are, not just scribbled down!!! The newsletters give me something to do when I don't have any E-MAIL!!! --MUSTANG423@aol.com-- Buy/Sell/Trade This column is dedicated to the buying, selling, trading, and other advertising of horse related equipment and services. HorsePower is not responsible for any bad experiences related to any ad in this newsletter. Remember to talk to your parents (if you are still a kid, like most of us) before giving out any information on yourself to someone you don't know. If you can think of a more creative name for this column, email Dulcimare@aol.com. Also send your ads to Dulcimare. Thank you to RoxDene@aol.com for ads this week. --> For Sale: Zone Champion- Fancy large A pony- TB cross. Gorgeous dark bay. Has beaten such Champions as Magic Notion (Megan Risco) and Hillcrest Blue Wishes (Carrie Jacobson), among tons more and has taken such Championships on the A's as Waterloo, Ledges, Kentucky, Equifest and TONS more! Gorgeous mare! Changes are a bit rough, but besides that you tell her what to do and she'll give it her all. Incredibly sweet mare. For more info e-mail Rox Dene@aol.com. Horse Sports HorseyJB writes this column, featuring a different horse sport each month! This week is Steeplechasing. Have a suggestion for this article? Write HorseyJB@aol.com. Steeplechasing is popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland more than in any other countries. This may be due to the fact that this horse sport originated there. Steeplechasing is based on a combination of hunting and flat racing. The result is somewhat like a race over a cross-country course. The world's most famous steeplechase is the Grand National, held annually at Aintree, located in Liverpool, England. The first official National was run in 1839 and won by a bay horse named Lottery. In addition to being the most famous steeplechase, the Grand National is also considered to be one of the most difficult. It is run over 4 miles (856 yards), and includes 30 large, challenging fences. Steeplechasing is not extremely popular in the United States, although more people are being attracted to the sport each year. The best known US steeplechase is the Maryland Hunt Cup, which is run over open country and post-and-rail fences. -HorseyJB@aol.com- Dancing Horses This is our Dressage column, written by Kate983@aol.com. Send any questions on Dressage to Kate! Hey all! Today, I would like to profile a top dressage trainer and rider. His name is Robert Dover. This article is out of the book Horses and Horsemanship written by Paula Rodenas. "I've been involved with dressage since I was thirteen. I started my riding career in a dressage barn - Trakehnen Farm in Toronto. Then I moved to the Bahamas and joined Pony Club. Elizabeth Lewis, a dressage rider, was my first teacher, and through her I met the late Colonel Bengt Ljungquist of Sweden and studied with him." "I've always been a self-disciplined kind of person. I like to have every little detail perfect. Although I was an "A" Pony Clubber and did some eventing, I always had a special love for dressage." "There are a few individuals who gravitate toward dressage at an early age, although, of course, it's healthy to go a lot of things with riding. With a special child you can begin to work in dressage right away. With others you have to feel them out to see if they have the right discipline and concentration for it." I thought you would like this because it shows a top Olympic rider's point of view. It really inspired me. Just because you didn't start riding at a very young age doesn't me you can't be the best. It takes time, devotion, love, and the help of a great trainer to get to the top! -Kate983@aol.com- Part 2: Index **Tip Corner** **Horses A-Z** **Track Talk** **Horses "411"** **Can You Help??** **Plastic Place** **Past Through Future** **Horse Sense** **High Steppin'** **Stud Book** Tip Corner This article is reserved for time- and money-saving horsie tips. Send them to Dulcimare@aol.com. Thank you to SunnyFilly for tips this week! I have a tip that I read in a recent EQUUS magazine: When you are traveling on the road with your horse, you might have experienced difficulty with your horse drinking the water from a strange place. This is a very common problem and although there are simple ways to overcome this with most horses like "flavoring" their water all the time with cinnamon or other flavorings, here is a money-and-time-saving-tip! Line a bucket (large or small depending on the length of the trip) with a plastic garbage bag. Fill it with water at your barn/stable. Pull up the sides of the garbage bag and twist tie securely and you have water to go! When you need it to give to your horse, just put the bag in a bucket, un-twist-tie, roll the sides of the bag over the bucket, and SERVE! : ) -SunnyFilly@aol.com- Horses "A-Z" Each momth, SunnyFilly introduces you to a new breed. If you have a breed you want featured here, e-mail SunnyFilly@aol.com. This month's breed is the Friesian. This month I'm going to introduce all you horse-lovers out there to the Friesian. A breed that is one of the oldest domesticated breeds in Europe, it is native to the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands, which is where it has adopted its name. Friesian horses have the lucky characteristic of a beautifully long mane and tail. They are never cut and reach the ground. The breed also has abundant feather and long leg hair reaching from the middle of the leg. Most Friesians are black, a white star on the forehead is the only permissible marking. A Friesian's neck is carried rather vertically and is low-set, which helps the breed to carry their head quite high and show off their expressive faces. Most horses belonging to this breed stand 15 hands high and have an excellent disposition! Dating all the way from the Middle Ages, as mentioned above, they originated in Friesland. In World War 1, the breed almost died out, but has been brought back for use as a fine carriage horse. Currently, the horses are being exported to other countries and its popularity is definitely growing across the nation! A peculiar thing about the Friesian is that it is unknown exactly when the breed originated. They have been seen in paintings from the Middle Ages, but they still could have existed before then. Also, their use has been humanely altered throughout centuries. First, it was used to carry heavy weight under saddle. But because it has a splendid trot action, it was bred to be lighter in weight. By doing so, the Friesian was limited to purely agricultural use and led to its decline in the early 1900s. All together, the Friesian was originally influenced by the Friesland Stock, the Andalusian, the Arab, the Barb, and the Oldenburg. To see a picture of this breed, go to the web address: http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/friesian/fresian.jpg -SunnyFilly@aol.com- Track Talk This column, written by Secrtariat@aol.com, is dedicated to Thoroughbred racing. If you have a question about Thoroughbred racing, send it in for this column! Hello, everyone! Hope you liked last issue's Track Talk! Due to the large amount of content this time around, I'll just briefly list all race results in columns, and then I'll tell you of any other racing news. Enjoy! :) Race Winner Length of Win Second Third G1 Vosbourgh S.-Victor Cooley by 1-1/2 lengths over Score A Birdie and Tale of the Cat G2 Arlington-WA Lassie-Silver Maiden by 3/4 lengths over Arctic Lady and So Generous G1 Super Derby-Duputy Commander by 3 lengths over Precocity and Blazing Sword G1 Queen Elizabeth II-Ryafan by 1-1/2 lengths over Auntie Mame and Golden Challenge Cup Stakes Arches (FR). G1 Flower Bowl Invit. H.-Yashmak by 1/2 head over Maxzene and Memories of Silver G2 Cotillion H.-Snit by 3/4 lengths over Proud Run and Salt It. G2 All Along S.-Beyrouth by 3/4 lengths over Hero's Pride (FR*) and Palliser Bay G2 Arlington-WA Fut-Cowboy Dan by 3/4 lengths over Captain Maestri and Flamma G2 Las Palmas H.-Real Connection by a head over Toda Una Dama (ARG**) and Luna Wells (IRE***). Real Connection is a one-eyed mare. G2 Goodwood BC H.-Benchmark by 1-3/4 lengths over Score Quick and Hesabull G2 Alciabades S.-Countess Diana by 2-3/4 lengths over Lily O'Gold and BeautifulPleasure G1 Spinster S.-Clear Mandate by a neck over Feasibility Study and Naskra Colors. G1 Oak Tree Turf Ch. S.-Rainbow Dancer (FR) by 1 length over Lord Jain (ARG) and Sandpit (BRZ). And now for some racing news! :) Arlington International Racecourse closed on October 10th. This racetrack, located in a suburb of Chicago, will not be open for the 1998 racing season, and perhaps will never open again. Free House will not race again this year and he will pass up the Breeders' Cup. He bled in the Super Derby through Lasix.**** Look for him again early next year. Free House won 3 of 10 starts in 1997, and placed in all three Triple Crown Races. Fred Hooper, noted owner and breeder, celebrated his 100th birthday on October 6th. He is/was the owner of such horses as Hoop, Jr. (Kentucky Derby winner in 1945), and Diplomatic Jet.. Pulpit, who raced in stakes earlier this year, was retired after his foot bruised late in September. He has not raced since the Kentucky Derby this May, where he finished fourth. He retires with four victories from six starts. Alex Trebek, host of the TV show "Jeopardy", has purchased a 750-acre farm in California for $4-million. So far, he has renovated the training facility and purchased a half-interest in a broodmare. Marlin, best noted for winning this year's Arlington Million, was retired. He had a mishap in his last race and came up lame. Also just retired is this year's Epsom Derby winner, Benny the Dip. Both of these horses will be sent to stud. Benny the Dip to Claiborne, and Marlin to Stonehedge. Silver Maiden and Gentleman will be out of the Breeders' Cup. Silver Maiden, who was to be entered in the Juvenile Fillies, came down with a virus the Saturday before the race; Gentleman, a Classic entrant, is recovering from a cold and is skipping the Classic. This year's Breeders' Cup is plagued with several horses missing because of injuries and illness earlier, such as Free House, Silver Charm, Silver Maiden, Gentleman, Marlin, etc. And many horses will not be in any Breeders' Cup races because their owners declined to pay their supplemental fees. Horses whose sires are not paid to these races must put up a supplemental fee if they want to run. *** Breeder's Cup - November 8, on Channel NBC *** And DON'T FORGET to watch the Breeder's Cup races on November 8th! If you've never watched racing on TV, or are a racing fan, you cannot miss these 7 races, featuring some of the best individuals in the sport. It airs on NBC, check local listings for times (10:30-3:00PM Pacific Time). * France ** Argentina *** Ireland **** Some horses bleed from the lungs when they race. Many take a legal drug called Lasix, which stops the bleeding. Sara's Breeders' Cup Picks: Breeders' Cup Classic-Behrens. Breeders' Cup Distaff-Twice the Vice. Breeders' Cup Turf-Chief Bearhart. Breeders' Cup Sprint-Richter Scale. Breeders' Cup Mile-Honor Glide. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Colts-Souvenir Copy. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies-Beautiful Pleasure. Well, that's about it, folks! I want to put a little word in for the newsletter for the Deluxe Edition, make sure you send in all your contributions for any column, and help make our first anniversary a huge success! :) ~~~Sara -Secrtariat@aol.com- Horses 411 We enrich your equine vocabulary and knowledge of disciplines each month in this column. If you come across an unfamiliar horse term, e-mail SunnyFilly@aol.com and she will put it in this column! Hey There!!! This month in Horsey Lingo, you will learn five new words that will help you survive in the horse world! And in Short & Simple Explanations, I will give you a quick overview of Horse Racing! Horsey Lingo: Collect - To pull a schooled horse together by creating impulsion with the legs and containing it with the hands. As a result, the horse brings its hind legs more under its body. Colostrum- The first milk, containing vital antibodies, that a foal drinks from its dam. Colt- Term used to describe a young male horse under 4 years old. Combined Training- A dressage and Show Jumping Competition, possibly including a cross country test, as in the 3-Day Event. Condylartha- Primitive mammal that lived 75 million years ago; the horse's earliest ancestor. Short & Simple Explanations: Horse Racing is probably a common term for most horse lovers. It's appeal to most is to the thrill that one gets as they watch this spectacular event. Not only is the adrenaline rushing in the horses out on the track, but also in those that observe the race. The most common horses to race around racing tracks are Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. Arabian Racing is on the rise as well these days. Horses can reach the incredible speed of up to 40 MPH! Out on the track, jockeys are those that ride the horses throughout the race. If you are interested in this sport that lies in a class all of it's own, then check your local listings on stations such as ESPN and ESPN 2 for horse racing! : ) -SunnyFilly@aol.com- §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ Can You Help?? Ever have a question about your riding, or some other aspect of horses that you wish you knew? Well, send it to Dulcimare@aol.com and she will relay it to a staff of members that can help you. Remember that the advice here is NOT professional and you should always consult someone you trust before following advice in this column. Thank you to SunnyFilly@aol.com for her question this month! Dear Can You Help Staff, I haven't ridden in over 4 months now because I have moved recently and haven't gotten around to getting a barn as quickly as I had hoped. I know that I am extremely out of shape for riding again and I'm afraid that once I get back up on a horse I will barely be able to get it to walk!!! Do you have any suggestions for ways I can get back in shape or at least raise my confidence level? Thanks! -Erica/SunnyFilly- --> For physical shape, do the basic thing that would get you into shape for any physical activity. Jogging, aerobics tapes, light weight-lifting, stomach crunches, jumping jacks, etc. For mental conditioning, visualize riding well. Just BE POSITIVE! That's the main thing. Also, if you were pretty proficient before your absence, it shouldn't take too much to get back to normal in your riding. It's almost like knowing how to ride a bike, you never forget! -RBirgells@aol.com- --> There are many exercises you can do to help get you back in shape! You can do simple aerobic exercises that will make you a stronger rider and make you look great!! You could swim, rollerblade, jog, walk etc.. You could go into major training, but that's not neccessary. As far as not being able to get the horse to walk, that's just silly. Riding a horse is like riding a bike, once you get the hang of it, you always have the basic feel of a horse. Although you might be a little sore after you start riding I think you will be pleasantly suprised at how well you'll do! Good luck!! -EquineChik@aol.com- §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ Plastic Place This column is dedicated to those beloved model horses, Breyers. Send your questions regarding identification and appraisals to APPY7781@aol.com. Thank you to Cassihorse and Dulcimare for questions this week. I have a limited edition Olympic model dun thoroughbred, (I think). He is in a running position and has a USA colored ribbons in his mane and USA decorated tack. I recieved him for $60. He was from 1996 Olympics and he's out of the box. How much do you think he's worth? I also have a honey-dun filly in a standing upright position and I was wondering if you could identify her? Thanks! -Cassi Cassi, The LE (limited edition) horse you have wasn't exactly made for the Olympics, but the saddle pad he came with did have the Olympic rings on it. His name is First Competitor, and was a half year release in 1996. First Competitor is in the later version of Gem Twist (the earlier version of Gem Twist had a band-like braided mane, the later version has more realistic-looking braids), and he's not worth much more than the $60 that you got him for. If you kept the box (even if you took him out) then he's worth about $70, but if you threw out the box then he's worth about $60-$65. The honey-dun filly you speak of could be a few different Breyers, maybe you could be a little more specific about how she looks, and the way her mold looks? Thanks for your questions!!! ~Lisa~ Lisa- Do you know what was the FIRST Breyer ever made? When was the first Breyer made? ~*rachel*~ Rachel, Breyer's very first model, was #57 Western Horse (which came with reins and a removable plastic saddle), produced to be mounted on a clock made by Master-crafter Clock Company in the 1950s. When the clock company was unable to pay for the models, Breyer took the rights to the mold, and made a free-standing toy horse for about $4. Back then #57 was in both palomino and white (or Alabaster colors). Today, if complete with saddle and reins, #57 can be worth about $40 to collectors. Thanks for the questions!!! ~Lisa~ Horse Sense Test your equine knowledge in this column, written by SunnyFilly@aol.com. ** Horse Sense has changed it's theme and format! ** Now, not only is Horse Sense a fun way to test your knowledge, but it is an on-going game of points! There are many different ways to get points in Horse Sense now, and the member with the most points at the end of 5 issues of HoofBeat gets a very special prize!!! Also, like I said above, the format has changed too! Now, there isn't just one question, but a paragraph of fill-in-the-blank questions pertaining to a different subject each month! Here are the following ways that YOU can earn points in Horse Sense! 1) Just by sending in your answer to the monthly question, you get 2 points!!! 2) For each blank you fill in and answer correctly, you get 5 points! 3) If you fill in more then 3 blanks and get all of them right, then you get the 5 points for each blank AS WELL AS an extra 10 bonus points!!! 4) If you can answer the special BONUS question each month correctly, you get 20 extra bonus points!!! Before we get into this month's first question with the new system, here is the answer to last week's question: Q: How many spinal vertebraes does the horse have? A: The correct answer was 29!!! Congrats to those that got it right! (Jumpercn, GWToiChamp, Kaelinhrse, and DianaZoe2!) (Unfortunatly, the game did not start with that question, so those people will not be receiving points.) And now, the moment we have all been waiting for! Here is the first Horse Sense Fill In the Blank Questions!!! This month, the subject is the Falabella, a breed. The Falabella is the (1)______ horse in the world! It stands up to (2)____ hh!!! But, it is considered more of a horse-type rather then a pony-type because of it's (3)_________ and (4)_________. It's luxurious, thick tail and mane shows the Falabella's relation to the (5)________. Look for the answers next week and the first scores!!! If you questions about the new system, please e-mail me at SunnyFilly@aol.com! : ) -SunnyFilly@aol.com- -APPY7781@aol.com- Past-Future Horses That Hold a Place in our Hearts Each month a different race horse is featured in this column, written by SunnyFilly. Email SunnyFilly@aol.com if you would like her to write a biography on a certain race horse. This month you will all meet a spectacular race horse from the mid 1970's that took the racing scene away with his brillance. We are all aware of Secretariat, but another foal in the same crop was Forego. (His full name is Mrs. Marth Gerry's Forego.) Forego developed slowly, which was well worth the wait because he was a sight to behold when he finally came into his own. He was the son of Forli and was foaled at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. As a foal, he had a roguish temperament. That fact combined with his massive size led to his gelding very early. Forego is mentioned with Secretariat frequently not just because of their birth relationship, but because when Forego first raced, he placed fourth behind Secretariat. But coincidentally, while Secretariat's career as a racer was winding down, Forego's was just beginning. Throughout Forego's career, he faced many soundness problems. The most known injury was a painful, enlarged left fore ankle. But he was nursed back to health and overcame these difficulties. Forego won the title of Horse of the Year 3 times, at age four, five, and six! Three consectuive years! He won 24 stakes races from seven furlongs to two miles! He was very versatile! The moment that set this horse apart from the rest was in 1976, at the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park, when he ran down champion Honest Pleasure in a heart-stopping finish. Another amazining accomplishment was his winning at both the Woodward and Brooklyn Handicaps, each won three times! In 1977, at the age of 26, Forego was retired to the Kentucky Horse Park, where thousands of visitors and fans paid their respects to him each year until his death in late August of this year. For a complete web article about his tragic death, go here to this web address: http://foxnews.com/sports/082897/horseobit.sml. If you would just like to see a picture of this magnificant horse and spare yourself the sadness of reading that article, LOL, then go to this web address: http://www.bloodhorse.com/graphics/photos/horses/forego20910.jpg -SunnyFilly@aol.com- High Steppin' This article is written by JennyCG1@aol.com about saddle seat. Send any questions about saddle seat to JennyCG1@aol.com This month's article is sort of an editorial. I am a horse show junkie. I admit it to the world: I LOVE HORSE SHOWS! I would be happy to spend every waking hour at horse shows. It doesn't matter how early I have to get up, how late I have to go to sleep, how much sleep I miss out on, how messed up my hair gets, how stinky, dirty and unattractive I become at them. I have been known to go to sleep at 1am and wake up at 4:30 am after three weeks of four hours of sleep a night to pick up and haul a horse that's more grumpy than I to the show grounds. I then spend the next 12 hours there working my tail off. What for? I am not entirely sure, but I do know that whatever the force is that drives me to do this, I am most definitley at it's mercy. I love the feeling of horse shows. I love the excitement in the air, the hustle and bustle, the sounds of horses being bathed in the early morning light, the competitors chatting, the PA system being checked, the people, and most of all, the horses. Now here comes the truly strange part: I prefer to groom at shows than to ride. Well, that's not entirely true. Given the chance to groom or show, I would obviously show, but I definitely have more fun grooming. Why? Well, for starters, I am involved with horses because I love horses. They are not vehicles, they are companions. The day I stop loving horses is the day I will quit riding. I could spend hours and hours working on turnout. I love working with the horses, and riding them, but showing in class after class has never truly floated my boat. I do show, though, and love it. I think I am one of the few people who can honestly say that ribbons mean not a thing to me. Sure, I love to place, and love to do well, and gain some recognition. But a piece of satin is not what I am striving for at all. I have gone into the show ring and won blue ribbons yet come out quite unhappy, because we weren't our best. I have also come out without a ribbon at all and felt like dancing. And that's okay. In fact, it's right, in my opinion. After all, has the judge worked every night until 10:30 to make it this far? Has s/he ridden the bucking bronco you have turned into a show horse? Nope. As long as we do well, and are not totally cheated, then why care where you place? So, what are judges there for, you ask?? Why, to run over of course!!!! -JennyCG1@aol.com- Stud Book Welcome to the Stud Book, where different racehorse stallions will be biographed each issue. :) This issue's featured stallion is A.P. Indy. A.P. Indy is a great stallion who currently stands at Lane's End in Kentucky. His stud fee for 1998 is $75,000, and he is a popular stallion with mare owners. A.P. Indy's sire is Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. His dam is Weekend Surprise, whose sire is Triple Crown winner Sercretariat. Weekend Surprise was Broodmare of the Year in 1992, and she is also the dam of millionaire and multiple grade 1 stakes winner Summer Squall, among others. A.P. Indy has had just 2 crops of foals, 85 foals in total, to date. He is the sire of 9 stakes winners, including Grade 1 stakes winning filly Tomisue's Delight, G1 Stakes winner Runup the Colors, G1 Stakes winner Royal Indy, recent retiree Pulpit, as well as stakes winners Accelerator, Parade Queen, General Royal, P.T. Indy, and Hishi Nile. At age 2, A.P. Indy won the G1 Hollywood Futurity, an allowance race, and a maiden race. At age 3, A.P. Indy won the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Santa Anita Derby, the Peter Pan Stakes, the San Rafael Stakes, and he was named Champion 3-year-old colt and Horse of the Year for his 3-year-old year. Age Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earned 243(1) $357,255375 (5)01(1) $2,622,560 Totals 118(6)01(1) $2,979,815. And that's A.P. Indy! If you have a certain Thoroughbred stallion that you would like me to bio in the next issue, please send me his name! Thanks very much, hope you enjoyed! :) ~~~Sara -Secrtariat@aol.com-