September 9, 2010 • LRG Customers, Natural Horsemanship Trail Horses • Author: Julie • Comments: (0)
I’m always happy to “show off” my pony!! Her registered name is California Princess BL. Capri, for short. She’s 13.2 hh and 8 years old. She is a North American Sport Pony ~ www.americansportpony.com
NASP is affiliated with the North American Warmblood Society. Ponies are judged on gait, conformation and personality and their average score determines how they are rated. Capri’s average score was 7.3 so she was rated First Premium. Capri’s ancestry includes Welsh, Haflinger, Thoroughbred and Paint.
Capri was originally to be my competition carriage driving pony but I decided I wanted to ride her. We are planning to compete in some western events, like cattle work - she really tracks toys and people! I’ve also studied dressage with Eddo Hoekstra, riding in my Bob Marshall Treeless Trail saddle! She has beautiful movement.
I’ve also done quite a bit of Parelli Natural Horsemanship with her and we were invited to perform an online Spotlight at the Parelli Celebration in Ft Worth September 2009. That was a blast!
Tracy, it was a pleasure to work with you!!! …I’m glad to do business with you and will send my friends to you. –Anna Perkinson
August 26, 2010 • Gaited Horses, Inspirational, LRG Customers • Author: Julie • Comments: (0)
I discovered Long Riders Gear years ago when I learned that my Thoroughbred mare, Cara, loved trail riding more than dressage or jumping. She was my best girlfriend, and we had much fun on the trails. With her, I had my first Skito Pad, , Toklat Woolback Pads, Cashel Ankle Safe, and pommel pack. Tragically, she suffered a fatal fracture in a turnout accident at the age of 21. I was devastated. It was difficult to even think of another horse… but it was more difficult to think of not having a horse to share my life with. After having a horse that I could trust in all situations and who read my mind, that was going to be some big hooves to fill.
Joanne on Cara , her dearly missed Thoroughbred.
My search was complicated by the fact that I have scoliosis. At the age of 12, I had 8 vertebrae fused with bone. Once the healing was done, my doctors cleared me to ride (after several years of body casts, braces and physical therapy). Fast forward to the age of 50, after 38 years of physical activity and just plain age, the vertebrae beneath the original fusion were badly deteriorated. So 16 hours of surgery, over a pound of stainless steel and titanium, and “voila!”, I am cleared to ride again. However, I have limited flexibility and knew that I would need a small horse that I could get on and off, if needed, out in the middle of nowhere! Also, it would be nice if that horse had super smooth gaits. I studied several breeds, and determined that the Paso Fino would be a good choice. They do not rock side to side like the TWH and Missouri Fox Trotters, and have the baroque look that I love. There is only one big farm in New England, Paso Fino del Fuego Farm, so my husband and I made an appointment to go visit.
The owner, Bobby Yunits, first put me on their school horse, to assess my ability. The first ‘for sale’ horse they showed us took our breath away - a gorgeous golden dun - into the arena he corto’d with one of the trainers on board, his little feet going a mile a minute. I will say that my first ride on him was not so smooth, as I quickly learned that the cues trained into these horses are very different from my classical dressage training. I left the farm that day feeling that perhaps this breed was too hot and sensitive for my trail riding plans. I was discouraged. My husband and Bobby were both fabulous in encouraging me to give the breed a chance; to take lessons in how to ride these horses and to try other horses that were for sale. But the farm owner, who was not the owner of the dun, said for what I wanted, this little horse was the best trail horse he knew. Every time I would go for my lesson or to try another sale horse, Bobby would put me back on the dun, and after two months I realized he was right… that “Romeo de United” would be my perfect trail partner.
It has been four years since that time. Romeo and I have been to numerous organized pleasure trail rides, judged rides (winning one and always placing), gymkhanas, and the annual Paso Fino Fandango show in Massachusetts. We have over 500 hours in the “Paso’s For Pleasure” program offered by the Paso Fino Horse Association. This year, Romeo received his 250-mile award from the New England Horse and Trail Club, where miles are awarded at organized rides listed with the club.
I write a column for the Northeast Paso Fino Horse Association called “Where are We Going Next?”, because that is what I feel from my horse every time we go somewhere. He is eager for every and all adventures, ears pricked and ready to rock and roll. Not much scares him (other than ditches with water in them!) But dogs, coyote, deer, snowmobiles… bring ‘em on! He is extremely forward, and although his stride isn’t that long (after all, he is only 13.3 hands high), he can out-walk all of my riding friends’ horses and keeps pace with 17-hand Thoroughbreds, no problem. His gaits are smooth, and after 4+ hours on his back, I have no pain or complaints. To ensure that he can say the same, I have a Skito Pad on order for him. I have no give in my lower spine, and figure that I am harder on his back than a normal rider.
I have my new E-Z Ride Stirrups with the black leather covering, so that we are ‘styling’ in the ring. This year, instead of the A/O Pleasure Gelding class, we are trying the Trail class. I think it would be fun to do the Extreme Trail Challenge events that are becoming popular. We will spend the winter months practicing obstacles, some of which are of ‘concern’ to my horse. It will beat riding in circles in the indoor, and will keep both of our brains busy.
Oh, and did I say Romeo is barefoot? He hasn’t had shoes for 3+ years, and is comfortable in most all situations. For the extreme conditions, I do have a pair of Easyboot Edges, but rarely feel I need them.
So, Romeo is quite the horse, and I will admit that I am smitten with this “Golden Boy”. Although someone once said it was ‘bragging’, I do tell people that he is better on the inside than he is on the outside. And I mean it. –Joanne Cotter
August 2, 2010 • Arabians, Endurance, International Customers, TREC • Author: Julie • Comments: (2)
Hello. I send you a picture of Shawa, my young Shagya stallion. He is a marvelous horse, very full of energy, but gentle and comfortable. I ride him to organize my trip with clients in our very nice area… Best regards.
Valérie du Retail
Accompagnatrice en montagne
Guide de tourisme équestre
Hameau des Liotards
www.leva-neve.com
Valérie offers guided horseback tours in the mountains of France. Visit her website, www.leva-neve.com, for more details, and stunning ride images, as well as more pictures of Shawa.
Shawa is typed “Homozygous Black”, with prestigious origins because his lineage includes the standard XXXIX Dahoman 11 - 66 and III Koheilan Shogun. Shawa represented the breed in the Arab Shagya Fair Equitalyon along with the USKA Traclin. In 2009 Valérie and Shawa participated in training by Olivier Gradwohl TREC, TREC world champion. This enabled Shawa to work among other horses and the obstacles he did not know. A day of training at all levels!
“Shawa finishing his first endurance ride, 20 kms (about 12 1/2 miles) - 1st prime.”
“Shawa with his new Long Riders Gear equipment!”
–Shawa’s new endurance gear includes a Toklat CoolBack Saddle Pad, Toklat CoolBack Huntstyle Breastplate, Zilco Marathon Endurance Halter Bridle, and RJ Flat Trail Reins.
July 28, 2010 • Endurance, Gaited Horses, LRG Customers, Testimonials, Trail Gear Tips • Author: Julie • Comments: (0)
Lynda Zimmerman, and her Paso Fino mare, Zia, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, forge a river at the 2010 Wildcat Ride.
“One word: AMAZING! Well, I could add more adjectives: remarkable, significant, superb! The EZ Ride Stirrups and saddle tush cushion made a HUGE improvement for me (I also wore the new Ariat boots/riding shoes I mentioned).
My back was still a little tender the morning of the ride (after unloading and setting up our campsite Fri. night), and I wondered if I was going to be able to walk at the end of the day. Overnight we had a thunderstorm with heavy rain which turned the “pretty level trail terrain” into puddles, lakes, rivulets and submerged trails with tree roots, rocks and lots of mud. That turned the easy ride I was expecting into a jostling, dodge-the-obstacles, and trot whenever we can trek. We had a couple river crossings, and one was chest-high on many of the horses.
There were two holds for the 35 comp. ride, and each time I dismounted I felt twinges of pain. But, I tried to stay loose and relaxed in the saddle, and stretched my back some by leaning forward on my mare’s neck and reaching toward the sky with alternate arms. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but not feeling too bad. When we returned to camp, I stayed on my feet and kept moving around so I wouldn’t stiffen up…
The BIG difference came Sunday morning when I woke up with less back pain than Saturday morning pre-ride! Amazing! I’m sure the stirrups and tush cushion played a significant part in the improvement. We trotted a lot, walked only a very little - and that was through mud or water - and did almost no cantering. The back of my neck, arms and shoulders were tired from the exertion, but my back was GREAT! Thank you!
You probably can’t see the EasyCare Stirrups very well or the Cashel Tush Cushion at all, but they were there helping us get through the day. They made a significant difference for me!
…We took 3rd place.. and this was our first 35 mile distance! Yahoo! We have been very fortunate to place at each of the three rides we’ve completed this year, and we’ve completed all that we attempted. This is our Rookie year, so I have lots to learn, but it is going very well. I’m very relieved that I don’t have to worry about damaging my back anymore! In fact, I think we will try two 25 mile events back-to-back on the next ride, depending on how Zia does…
My husband, Bob, took pictures at the river crossing (by special Jeep trip and half-mile walk to get there). Thanks again for all your help and for making sure the items reached me in time! I feel like we can continue on with the competitions now!” 
~ Lynda
Lynda’s Paso Fino mare, Zia, sports other gear, including a royal blue Toklat CoolBack Pad, Zilco Tack, and a Stowaway Pommel Pack. Click on the thumbnails for beautiful ride photos by Lynda’s talented husband, Bob. Rides include the Wildcat Endurance Ride & the Mosquito Run, both put on by the Upper Midwest Endurance & Competitive Rides Assoc.
At the 2010 Wildcat Ride, photographer, Bob, gets a new hair style from a fellow rider's horse in camp.
July 17, 2010 • Arabians, Trail Gear Tips • Author: Julie • Comments: (1)
Attached are a few photos of my boy, as you can see he is wearing his Dr. Cooke’s Bitless Bridle, and loves it. I happened to see you sold them. He is so happy, he feels free - I would never use a bit again. My pony is Saeed Nabil. He is a purebred Arabian and only stands at 13.2 hands. He’s 14 years old. We were doing a 14-mile ride in aid of RDA, at Cranborne, Wiltshire, England. The photos are from DPI Photography. –Thanks again, Carole.
July 12, 2010 • Gaited Horses, LRG Customers, Trail Gear Tips • Author: Julie • Comments: (1)
Here is a picture of my sweet TWH mare, Destre. We went on vacation to The Big South Fork in Tennessee over Memorial Day week. I think she looks wonderful in her electric blue Zilco tack. She looks gorgeous in the burgundy and pink set, too. A black horse can wear just about any color. Destre likes having options, LOL!
Hubby let me ride his red chocolate Rocky Mountain mare, Mesa, that week. I decked her out in my pink and burgundy Zilco tack and I think she looked smashing in pink! I’m “allowed” to use the pink bling when I ride Mesa, but hubby is sticking with his black leather tack, at least for now. He did like the idea of hosing off everything after a long, sweaty ride though. He may come over to the Zilco side one day!
The last pic is of my Rocky Mountain mare, Gidget. The original “Pretty In Pink” girl! She struck a pose on the trail and hubby had the camera ready. Of course, Gidget has Burgundy Blitz Renegade hoof boots to complete her ensemble!
I love the ease of the Zilco halter/bridle and cleanup is a whiz. I’m so glad I purchased these sets!
–Lindsey
July 9, 2010 • Endurance, International Customers, LRG Customers, Trail Gear Tips • Author: Julie • Comments: (0)
Here is a picture of me and Candelita, my Arab cross mare. This was taken at or first competition together, last month. Where we achieved our Certificate of Capability (COC) for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Kentucky. I purchased Candelita with the hope to get the COC as she already had the experience and rides required, but when she arrived at our barn she had a couple of really bad back galls and was really sore. My team and I had to train taking great care of her.
We selected the Toklat Woolback Saddle Pad to use with her, and purchased one from Long Riders Gear. They were really professional in all aspects of service and assistance in the purchase. The pad arrived just in time for the event and we did not have much time to test it, but everybody on the team was very impressed with the quality and we decided to try it on the first loop (25 miles). At the vet stop Candelita´s back was in such great condition - she had absolutely no rubs and no pain. The product performed flawlessly, so we decided to keep it until the end. It was great to have such comfort for her, and to be able to take one worry of my mind during that very important ride.
Guatemala has completed the qualifying process to the WEG, proudly announcing that we have our 5 binomials qualified. They are: Jaime Mansilla on Candelita; Clarrissa de Wit on Ail; Robeto Hernandez on Mr. Ha; Laura Paiz on Ganador, and Fernando Paiz on Faraon.
So thanks to many people and especially to Long Riders Gear and Toklat…!
Thanks! –Jaime Mansilla, Guatemalan Rider
Below are some photos from Jaime’s most recent ride… we agree with him, the last photo is pretty funny as it looks like he’s riding in the pickup bed! (Click thumbnails for a larger view.)
July 2, 2010 • LRG Customers, Riding Vacations • Author: Julie • Comments: (0)
Dynomite is a 7 year old John mule that I have owned since he was a yearling. He is out of a 16.3 hand Thoroughbred mare and by a 14.1 hand jack. This month I hauled him from Albany, GA to Hernandez, NM, about 30 miles NW of Santa Fe. We rode in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (picture with snow), in the Jemez Mountains along the Continental Divide Trail, in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area, and in Copper Canyon. Cooper Canyon is near Abiquiu, the area made famous by Georgia O’Keefe, and where City Slickers was filmed. The trail elevations ranged from 5,500 to almost 12,000 feet. We rode 7 days and covered over 100 miles, all barefoot.
I left Dynomite in New Mexico and will go back to ride one or two more times this summer before I bring him back to Georgia. I used Debbie Spickerman of Equine Escapes as a guide on this trip and highly recommend her. Northern NM is a superb place to ride, and after you eat the local cuisine you will never eat Mexican food on the east coast again! –Allen
Allen’s Mule Dynomite is sporting Dr. Cooke’s Bitless Bridle the supple and popular RJ Yacht Rope Reins, and the Zilco Saddle Crupper.
June 29, 2010 • Arabians, Competitive Trail • Author: Julie • Comments: (0)
I am John Soper from Michigan and belong to the Great Lakes Distance Riders Association here in the Great Lakes area. I am 61 years old and ride with my 21 year old daughter Rachel who tries to keep up.
Here are a couple pics of me and my horses. The first is a painting of me and my 3 year old Arabian colt Roo. He will be started next year in CTR’s as a 4 year old. The second is Sabu, my Arabian gelding who had his first and second 25 mile CTR this year, taking Best Arabian and Best Conditioned horse on his first time out. –John Soper
June 23, 2010 • Gaited Horses, LRG Customers, Testimonials • Author: Julie • Comments: (1)
Tonka is a 7 year old Tennessee Walker gelding. I have had him for 2 years. I have only been riding for about 5 years and he has been the perfect horse for me. This pic was taken this past Sunday (June 13) at the end of the Michigan Shore to Shore ride - 230 miles in 10 days starting in Lake Huron and ending in Lake Michigan.
I purchased a JMS Endurance / Western Sheepskin Saddle Cushion from Long Riders Gear and received it just days before the ride. All I can say is WOW…I could not have finished the ride without it. Thank you Tracy at Long Riders Gear for your help making sure I had it before the ride.
