The final verdict for Ace and I? Exactly three weeks.

This past Monday, May 7, I climbed aboard Ace for the first time in 28 weeks and 4 days. It was exactly three weeks and 15 minutes since I had given birth to my first son, Isaac.

The night before was one of the worst Isaac and I had had yet. The baby and I were up almost all night. He wouldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t eat. His diaper was clean. He wasn’t screaming – but he was constantly fussing. My best guess is that he had gotten overtired and/or was gassy from his late night feeding. At best, I was exhausted and irritable come daylight.

So what do I do to get out of my mental slump? I decide to go try riding my horse. Finally. I figured riding is my go-to recovery/reward to get beyond any other bad day, so why not this one?

Post-Partum Recovery

I had recovered very quickly after giving birth to Isaac. He was born at 2pm on Monday and the next morning I was up and moving around the hospital room – washing up, getting dressed, and straightening up my stuff. The OB who delivered Isaac caught me in the act and was quite impressed that I was up and moving already – and wearing normal clothes.

A week after giving birth I started taking Isaac out for walks around our neighborhood. I felt pretty good, but wasn’t quite able to take normal-sized steps yet.

By two weeks post-partum I was feeling almost completely normal. At 2 week and 2 days, I made my first solo trip to the barn and brushed and longed Ace. It felt absolutely amazing to have my normal energy levels and to feel so good even just grooming him! I was pretty tired, however, after my hour at the barn. I started contemplating getting back in the saddle during that visit.  But I decided to give myself a few extra days just to make sure my episiotomy was healed enough (sorry if that’s TMI for most of you – want to do it justice for all those other pregnant and post-partum moms who are wondering when they’ll ride again). Didn’t want to jump the gun and cause myself any set-backs that would delay my recovery.

By three weeks, I was feeling ready to give it a shot. I polished my boots and pulled out my favorite purple and lime green saddle pad in honor of the occcassion.

Back in the Saddle at Three Weeks Post-Partum

I arrived at the barn and pulled Ace off grass and out of the rain. Since his back was a bit wet, my grooming time consisted of toweling him dry and picking his feet. In less than 20 minutes he was saddled up and ready to go.

Swinging up onto Ace’s back and settling into my uber-comfy saddle was a sweet, sweet feeling.

My typically lazy horse must have known it was a big day – and known that it was his mom back in the saddle. He was rarin’ to go and the slightest leg to wake up his walk would send him into a trot. We did some serpentines and circles to test his bending and suppleness and getting him listening to my seat and leg. It was like I hadn’t even stopped riding. We trotted a bit in both directions and even tried a bit of canter (in two-point!). After all his time off and getting used to another rider, he was still my horse. He was heavy on the forehand trot and canter and as a result not collecting well – but we can work on that!

Note to other post-partum riders: posting trot and two-point cantering are much more comfortable than walking!

I called it quits after about 15-minutes of riding. I wanted to make sure I still felt good once my feet hit the ground and again the next the day. Several days later, I call this first ride a success! All the parts of me involved in growing and delivering a baby still felt good after that 15-minute ride. My inner thighs were a tad sore, but that’s to be expected after posting a thoroughbred trot after such a long time out of the saddle.

Now that I know I can comfortably ride again, I plan to get in the saddle 2-3 times a week and work on building myself back up physically. Ace has been ridden consistently during my time off – but mostly walking out on trails. He’ll need some time to build up his topline again and get reconditioned for my more challenging rides. And it’s a perfect time of year to hack out occasionally as well, with the beautiful spring weather and greenery all around.

For all you fellow pregnant moms who are currently not riding – happy pregnancies, deliveries, early weeks with baby, and first rides to you! Our two-legged and our four-legged babies are more than worth all of it.

Happy riding!

As the average horse enthusiast, I like to look for trainers I like, the prettiest horses, the best movement, and the most creative names. Not that any of that necessarily makes for a winner (well, except perhaps the trainer) – but it’s what attracts the horse lover in me. So without further ado, here’s the quick listing of 2012′s Kentucky Derby contenders, a few important things to know, and my top picks.

2012 Kentucky Derby Horses

Here’s the quick listing of horses and people. Click the horses’ names for the full details on each horse and his people from the official Kentucky Derby site.

Alpha

Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Jockey: Alan Garcia

Bodemeister

Owner: Zayat Stables
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith

Creative Cause

Owner: Heinz Steinmann
Trainer: Mike Harrington
Jockey: Joel Rosario

Daddy Long Legs

Owner: Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Jockey: Colm O’Donoghue

Daddy Nose Best

Owner: Cathy and Bob Zollars
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Garrett Gomez

Done Talking

Owner: Skeedattle Stables
Trainer: Hamilton Smith
Jockey: Sheldon Russell

Dullahan

Owner: Donegal Racing
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux

El Padrino

Owner: Let’s Go Stable
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano

Gemologist

Owner: WinStar Farm LLC.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Javier Castellano

Hansen

Owner: Dr. Kendall Hansen & Sky Chai Racing
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Ramon Dominguez

I’ll Have Another

Owner: J. Paul Reddam
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez

Liaison

Owner: Arnold Zetcher
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Martin Garcia

My Adonis

Owner: George and Lori Hall

Trainer: Kelly Breen

Optimizer

Owner: Bluegrass Hall LLC
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Jon Court

Prospective

Owner: John C. Oxley
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Luis Contreras

Rousing Sermon

Owner: Larry and Marianne Williams, Tree Top Ranches
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Jockey: Jose Lezcano

Sabercat

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Corey Nakatani

Take Charge Indy

Owner: Chuck & Maribeth Sandford
Trainer: Patrick Byrne
Jockey: Calvin Borel

Trinniberg

Owner: Shivananda Racing
Trainer: Bisnath Parboo
Jockey: Willie Martinez

Union Rags

Owner: Chadds Ford Stable
Trainer: Michael Matz
Jockey: Julien Leparoux

Went The Day Well

Owner: Team Valor International
Trainer: H. Graham Motion
Jockey: John Velazquez

What You Should Know About the Kentucky Derby Horses

The current favorite: Gemologist

Gemologist is currently the bettors’ favorite, at 7-1 odds. Union Rags and Bodemeister are close behind, both at 9-2.

The long-shot: Done Talking

Done Talking currently sits at 50-1, followed by Trinniberg at 45-1. Liason and My Adonis are also long-shots at 40-1

Expert Picks: Union Rags, Creative Cause, I’ll Have Another

KentuckyDerby.com Power Rankings by their horse racing experts put these three horses at the top, followed by Dullahan and Bodemeister.

Top Jockeys: Calvin Borel and Julien Leparoux

Calvin Borel (Take Charge Indy) has won the Derby a bajillion times (or so), with wins in 2007, 2009, and 2010 including on long-shot Mine That Bird. I never rule out a horse with Calvin in the saddle. Julien Leparoux (Union Rags) is an up-and-coming star, with 5 Breeder’s Cup wins and 2 Eclipse Awards since coming to the States in 2003.

Top Trainers: Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen

Both have several Derby winners under their belts and always have horses to watch out for.

Regarding Horses’ Kentucky Derby Picks

Here are the less serious, but more fun horses and people to watch out for during the 2012 Kentucky Derby.

Favorite Trainer: Michael Matz

This hunter/jumper rider will always, always root for former Olympic medal-winning show-jumper-turned-race-trainer, Michael Matz. Besides the fact that he trained the beloved Derby winner Barbaro, I’m always a fan of this atraditional trainer.

Prettiest Face: Bodemeister

This pretty bay has a gorgeous face, with a kind eye and striking blaze extending down just over his left nostril. Always love the good coloring with the fancy markings. Check out his first photo on the Kentucky Derby site … can’t you just see him cantering happily to a jump with this look?

Cutest Face: I’ll Have Another

This chestnut is simply adorable. I love his wide forehead, interested eyes, and fluffy mane that was recently in braids.

Overall Prettiest Horse: Take Charge Indy

What horse woman isn’t a sucker for the big, striking black horse with a pedigree to die for?

The Pretty Grays: Creative Cause and Hansen

Anyone who has ever owned a gray horse tends to always look for the fellow grays. I’m having a hard time picking which one is my favorite. I’m leaning towards Creative Cause, but I’ll let you decide.

Best Name: Went the Day Well

I just like it. Creative, catchy, positive, and optimistic for a good run.

Worst Name: Hansen

Lame. Enough said.

Favorite Long-Shot: Rousing Sermon

Besides having a great name, this long-legged chestnut wins me over with his big feet and big bones. He looks a tad uncoordinated, but that doesn’t always mean much in horse racing.

Top Picks: Union Rags and Take Charge Indy

I like to root for horses with good people, decent records, and who are generally favored to do well. Union Rags has trainer Michael Matz, for whom I automatically root. Take Charge Indy has Calvin Borel in the saddle and amazing breeding on his side. I also like that he’s coming off a Grade 1 win in the Florida Derby, in which Union Rags ran third.

Watch the 2012 Kentucky Derby on NBC

Tune in to NBC on your television for all the 2012 Kentucky Derby Coverage

• Red Carpet Special: 4-5pm EST
• Race Coverage: 5-7pm EST
• Post time: 6:24pm EST

The 2013 Derby is only a few days away, but it’s not too early to start planning next year’s trip to the Kentucky Derby! Check out 2013 Kentucky Derby travel packages or Kentucky Derby tickets online.

(PS – be impressed that I have already mastered the art of one-handed blogging – bouncing the 2-week-old baby with one hand and typing with the other!)

Isaac was born on Monday, April 16 at 2:00 in the afternoon. He was 19.5 inches long and 6 Ibs 12 oz. Labor and delivery went as well as it could (serious ouch!) and both Isaac and I came through in good health. He did develop a bad case of jaundice and had to go back to the hospital for 24-hours, but fortunately that is super treatable and he’s doing fine now.

I am recovering very quickly and feel pretty much back to normal other than some healing left from a small episiotomy – the only thing keeping me out of the saddle at this point.

I went into labor just before 11 pm on that Sunday – which just happened to be Ace’s 12th birthday. I’m so glad I had taken the time to stop out and visit Ace that afternoon, giving him a good brushing, and lavishing him with cookies on his big day. He’s been doing just fine in my extended absence. His leasee Melissa has taken good care of him, my mom stopped out and brushed him and checked him over for me, and my trainer friend at the barn has been keeping a close eye on him since I can’t.

I’m not allowed to drive yet, so I haven’t been out yet to spend any time with Ace. However, I did talk the hubby into stopping in for a quick visit on our way home from the pediatrician’s on Friday. I got to say hi to my big mud covered boy while my little 2-legged one stayed in the car. But hey, at least Isaac has already had his first visit to the barn!

Hubby, Isaac, and I are all adjusting to our new lives quite well. And I fully expect to spend some more of these quiet afternoons while I’m on maternity leave and Isaac’s sleeping on writing for the blog.

In addition to my first days back in the saddle after six months off, expect lots of Olympics coverage coming your way!

So here I am sitting at home, hoping that all of you are enjoying my favorite equestrian event for me.

After several years of attending Equine Affaire Ohio, I have the system down to a science. Here are a few tips from what I’ve learned over the years:

• Do your shopping on Thursday. It’s the least busy day in the vendor areas, and you’ll have the best selection.
• Shop at Big Dee’s for the best deals on basic necessities like grooming tools, de-wormer, Himalayan salt licks, and treats.
• If you purchase any large, heavy, or awkward items from one of the larger vendors, you can usually get them to give you a ride to your vehicle in one of their golf carts. (Thank you Big Dee’s for not making me carry jump blocks to my car)
• Pick 2-3 clinics each day, and wander and shop (and eat!) in between.
• Attend with a good friend (or your mom), who will pick apart the clinics and take copious notes with you.
• Pfizer Fantasia is always worthwhile.
• Meet up with all kinds of horsey friends from around the region. Last year I got to see Glenn and Jenn from Horse Radio Network who came up from Kentucky!

Since I can’t go to Equine Affaire this year, here are some of the things I’d like to enjoy vicariously through you. Be sure to stop in and tell me your favorite experiences from Equine Affaire Ohio 2012!

Equine Affaire 2012 Clinicians I Wouldn’t Miss

My favorite part of Equine Affaire is the clinics. I take lots of notes, and then come home and practice on Ace. It’s my refresher course that gets me motivated to take his training and our relationship to the next level. Here’s who I wouldn’t miss this year:

Guy McLean: General

Guy McLean has had my heart since I got to hang with him as a relative unknown at the World Equestrian Games in 2010. Now he’s a sensation here in the US as well as his home country of Australia after winning the Road to the Horse in February. No matter what else his stuff overlapped with, even my beloved jumping and dressage, you would find me in Guy’s clinics. He’s an amazing horseman with a deep love and appreciation for the horses, and he’s talented, funny, and entertaining to boot. Please wave “Hello” to his amazing Australian Stock Horse Spinabbey for me and clap for his Man-From-Snowy-River-esque bush poetry.

Aaron Ralston: Ranch and Trail

Be still my heart! I loved this cowboy when he performed in his lime green cowboy boots at in the Fantasia show at Equine Affaire several years ago, and then loved him even more when I saw him do a clinic at the World Equestrian Games. I got to meet Aaron Ralston later at the Horse Radio Network booth (thanks Glenn for embarassing me!). He and his little cowhorse Buddy rock. Plus, I’m all for cross discipline work and I think some fun new ranch horse and trail tricks would be fun to try out with Ace.

Todd Flettrich: Dressage

I never miss out on catching a dressage clinic at Equine Affaire, and it’s always interesting to see what some of our top FEI level riders are like as teachers. If you attend, please come fill me in on the highlights from Todd’s sessions!

Peter Leone: Hunters/Jumpers

I am only vaguely familiar with this name, but I never miss out on a jumping clinic. Some of the sessions are great and I learn tons. If the clinician isn’t that great, I always enjoy picking apart the horses and riders since this is the discipline I know best.

Pfizer Fantasia: Guy McLean and Cavalia

Again, can I say Guy McLean? I was so disappointed last year that the Equine Affaire folks hadn’t quite discovered Guy’s awesomeness and had him and his horses perform in the show. At least they are making up for it this year – even if I can’t be there to watch. Here’s what the Equine Affaire website has to say about this year’s show:

The highlights of the show will be three very special and very different liberty performances presented by Australia’s own Guy McLean, Double Dan Horsemanship, and the incomparable Sylvia Zerbini—fresh from Cavalia.  Be prepared not only to be entertained, but to be truly amazed as these three equestrian artists present their various horses at liberty—in presentations that will run the gamut from humorous to dramatic—and remind us just how intelligent our equine companions are . . . and how special our relationships with them can be.

Between Guy and Sylvia from Cavalia, I think this will be one of the best Fantasia shows in years. Please go. And sneak some video for me.

Note: I just looked and the website says that tickets for the Pfizer Fantasia are already sold out! That’s definitely a first. (Too bad, I was totally just contemplating calling my mom for an impromptu trip to Columbus tomorrow night to see the show – barring any signs of impending labor of course.)

Drink Wild Bill’s Old Fashioned Soda Pop

Yum! Wild Bill’s sells these sweet pewter mugs that are good for free refills all day on his Old Fashioned Soda Pop. I’m especially partial to the Sarsparilla Six Shooter, Birch, and Orange Creme. Please try all three for me (since I’m not supposed to have caffeine anyway).

Ride Frankie and Sandy’s Equicizers

Always take a moment to stop by the Equicizer booth in the Celeste Center and go for a ride on jockey Frankie Lovato’s Equicizers. Be sure to give my favorite Equicizer Bob a special pat from me. And be sure to give the miniature lassos a try while you cantering on Bob (and buy one to support Sandy’s Stampede of Dreams Therapeutic Riding Center). If Frankie has the race saddle, have him give you a jockey lesson. That is some seriously hard work!

Fun note: Toby Macguire rode an Equicizer in the bed of a truck when filming Seabiscuit!

Those are the things I will miss the most as I sit at home this year, and hope you will enjoy in my absence. I think I’ll placate myself with a little bit of baby retail therapy tonight. I have a diaper bag to return (I’ve been given the same one three times now), and think I’ll exchange it for a rockin’ activity mat with toys, lights, and music. And I will stop by the barn and love on Ace – because I do always miss him like crazy when I’m at Equine Affaire!

But tomorrow baby boy and I hit the 34th week of pregnancy, which puts our April 28 due date just 6 weeks away – if we make it that long. Suddenly, not riding seems much more manageable with the bulk of the time behind me. It’s a good thing too – with the early spring weather, removal of the winter blankets, and green grass starting to poke through – I don’t think I could handle being grounded for much longer.

Some of my barn buddies were teasing me last night that I’d be showing up still in my hospital gown to go for a ride on my horse. While that makes for a funny picture, I figure with what my body is about to go through I’ll probably need a couple weeks to recover before I will even want to get up in a saddle.

For those of you who’ve been there done that, how long did it take you to get back in the saddle after delivering your baby?

I realize that you and the boys tend to get a little rowdy when you are turned out all day together. I also realize that you may be trying some new tactics to get my attention. But seriously – you HAVE to stop getting cut up on your lower legs because in a few weeks I’m not going to be physically capable of bending over to take care of you.

A few weeks ago Ace cut the inside of his hock. It got a bit infected and was swollen and hot for a few days. I spent lots of time with cold compresses and clean water (wash stall is out of commission for winter) to reduce the swelling and encourage healing. Yesterday I discovered a lovely cut on his right front leg above his pastern. It looked like one of his play buddies had come down on it with his hoof, taking out a chunk of hair and skin and scraping down his fetlock. It wasn’t terrible, but it was a little sore and swollen. So I did my cold compresses, cleaned it out, treated it, and wrapped it overnight to reduce the swelling. (PS Glenn and Jennifer – Well-Horse really is amazing stuff!)

At 28 weeks pregnant with my first, I’m fortunately not overly large in the belly yet (but I’m getting there fast!). I do, however, find myself modifying how I have to perform basic tasks around the barn – from treating leg wounds (or just cleaning off the excessive mud thanks to this non-winter) to filling the grain bin to getting brushes out of the grooming box.

With slight issues with balance starting to kick in, a lower back that gets sore fast if I bend over, and a bulging belly that gets in the way, I’m quickly finding new ways of doing things when I’m at the barn. Fortunately, with a few modifications (and a special helper) I haven’t had to give up my feed nights yet that help reduce my board costs.

Here are 5 basic modifications I’ve discovered that keep me active around the barn well into my pregnancy.

My Top 5 Tips for Modifying Barn Work While Pregnant

5. Carry stuff (yeah, I mean hay bales) low or to the side and use your hip if needed.

I found out real fast that I apparently have a habit of lifting with my arms and bracing hay bales against my stomach when I carry them. I never noticed I did it until a little bit of a baby bump made it super uncomfortable when I would lift a hay bale, and push it into the wheelbarrow with my belly. My modification? I carry the hay bale low against my thighs, lift with my arms, and use the side of my hip if I need to push it around. Large stacks of grain buckets are a little more awkward, but still manageable off to the side instead of the front of my upper body where I used to brace them.

4. Rest your horse’s hoof on your knee for hoof picking.

It’s amazing (read:pathetic) how out of breath I get these days just cleaning Ace’s feet. And with the amount of mud we’ve had, it’s an essential and sometimes lengthy process. Bending over is about the most uncomfortable thing in the whole world right now, which literally made hoof picking a royal pain. Modification? Partially squat keeping my back straight to ask Ace to lift his hoof, then stand part way up and have him rest his hoof on my knee for cleaning. Both are significantly easier on the back and the belly.

3. Use those arms to avoid twisting.

Any kind of movement where I twist in my core is uncomfortable and is sure to leave my poor stretched out abdominal muscles quite sore after I head home from the barn. It is also rough on the lower back. Pay attention to how you clean stalls or sweep out the barn aisle, and you’ll discover real fast that there’s a lot of twisting. The modification is using lots of arms, keeping your core straight, and moving your feet more often to get facing in the right direction. It feels awkward at first, but is much better than the alternative.

2. Always squat, never bend.

Mixing up grain buckets and bending over to scoop supplements, bending to the grooming box for brushes, bending to clean hoofs (and treat wounds), bending for flakes of hay – sense a trend? All that bending makes for a very sore lower back (and is just plain uncomfortable when your baby belly gets in the way). The modification? Always squat, never bend. It felt weird at first, but now I don’t have to think about it. And bonus? Squats are supposed to be a good pregnancy exercise in preparation for delivery.

1. Recruit a helper, preferably a pre-teen girl.

The very best trick for staying active in the barn late into pregnancy – making friends with a 12-year-old girl who is willing to do the heavy lifting and handle the misbehaved horses. Shout-out to mine – Hannah – who has been coming with me to the barn on feeds nights for nearly two years. We play with our horses together and then she helps me bring in and does most of the heavy lifting (read hay bales and grain bags) on our feed nights. She gets a ride weekly ride to the barn when her parents are tied up, the occasional English lesson on Ace, and valuable experience caring for the horses. It’s a win-win for both of us!

What other tips do you have for modifying your activity around the barn to accommodate for pregnancy? Comment below to share your best tips.

It’s a boy!

Now that the official stuff is over, please lament with me that I couldn’t convince my husband to let me go with a cowboy-themed nursery. Granted, it had nothing to do with the cowboys or the ponies at all all – and everything to do with the fact that he just didn’t want any kind of theme, period. Fortunately I generally agreed with him and didn’t have any interest myself is the typical overly-done themed nursery bedding and decor. But some of these little cowboy sets still captured my heart!

I saw this cowboy bedding from Montana Silversmiths several years ago while visiting my sister in Oklahoma. I might have fought a little harder for this one, if it hadn’t been discontinued.

The JoJo Designs Wild West Collection is one of my favorites, and is the only one carried by BabiesRUs where we did our registry. I like the simple horsey motif with the stars, paisley, and cow prints.

This is the CoCoLa Round Em Up baby bedding. It has a little more of the babyish style to it if that’s your thing – and a nice mix of neutral colors.

I particularly love the cactus on the Bananafish Round Up baby bedding. The pony is pretty cute too.

I like the balance of colors in this one, and particularly the cow and wire prints on the diaper stacker. This is the Boutique Horse Western Cowboy bedding from Geeny. (if you didn’t notice, this is the same pony from the CoCoLa set above)

And last but not least, here’s the not-at-all-horsey but completely perfect nursery bedding we picked out:

It’s the Skip Hop Treetop Friends crib bedding. We love the colors, the simple and understated design, and the lovely detailing. Just what we had in mind! And we can use it again in a few years if we need something appropriate for a little cowgirl too.

If you didn’t tune in to Horses In the Morning yesterday, hop over and take a listen to their fun version of announcing the Eclipse Awards winners that were released on Monday night. Glenn, Jamie, and our good friend Frankie Lovato -  an Eclipse award-winning jockey and founder of Jockey World – shared their picks for each of the Eclipse Awards, and then Jennifer played a sound file of the official announcement for each award.

But just what is the big deal about the annual Eclipse Awards anyways?

History of the Eclipse Awards

Prior to 1971, the Daily Racing Form and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association each had their own yearly awards. “Horse of the Year” awarded to well-known greats like War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Citation, and Bold Ruler was given by the Daily Racing Form. In 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Association got in on the action and starting offering awards of their own – but picking all the same winners.

So in 1971, these two organizations along with National Turf Writer’s Association decided to team up and sponsor one set of awards. That year the official Eclipse Awards for thoroughbred racing were born, named after the great racehorse and sire Eclipse. In the mid-18th century Eclipse began racing as a 5-year-old, had 18 undefeated starts, and his foals won 344 races.

Eclipse Awards Categories

The Eclipse Awards recognize horses and people in all facets of thoroughbred racing – from the horses (of course!) to the jockey, trainers, and even the sports writers. While the “Horse of the Year” category is of course the most prestigious, horses can also earn recognition in each of these categories as well:

• 2-year-old male
• 2-year-old filly
• 3-year-old male
• 3-year-old female
• older male
• older female
• male sprinter
• female sprinter
• male turf horse
• female turf horse
• steeplechase horse

The humans involved can win:

• outstanding owner
• outstanding breeder
• outstanding trainer
• outstanding jockey
• outstanding apprentice jockey (Frankie won this one!)
• special award (to honor outstanding achievements in TB racing)

There’s also a whole section of “Media Eclipse Awards” for photography, writing, television, and audio/multi-media/internet.

How are Eclipse Award Winners Selected?

Eclipse Award members are selected by a majority vote by members of the three sponsoring organizations (Daily Racing Form, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers Association). The only criteria is the horse had to have one start on American soil. Other than that – it’s fair game.

Here’s an interesting (read:funny) article on Forbes by one of the voters on selecting Eclipse Awards winners.

The award winners are announced in a big ceremony (which was streamed live online this year) in the middle of January.

Follow the Eclipse Awards

• Winners prior to 1971
• Current Eclipse Award winners

Additionally, you can easily follow potential Eclipse award winners throughout the year through various channels online. Most major racetracks post their races on YouTube and have blog and article coverage, or you can check out the many sportsbook review websites out there (even if you’re not into gambling, they do tend to have very good coverage of the races and top horses).

Fortunately, he’s moved beyond the #2 Anger stage, where he undoubtedly spent a few weeks recently.

I think Ace must have thought that aliens abducted me and replaced me with a boring and significantly less demanding version when I suddenly quit riding cold turkey. We went from riding multiple days a week, constantly learning something new, and challenging his brain and body to lovey-dovey grooming sessions and walks around the indoor.

And he started acting out. He was hanging his head out his window and biting other horses who went past -  as well as the dogs. And he even tried nibbling on me a few times! He didn’t chomp down, but grabbed my sleeve delicately in his front teeth and pulled as if to say “Who are you and what did you do with my mom?” When I got him out to do groundwork, he gave me his old man grumpy face with annoyed eyes, wrinkled nose, and laid back disinterested ears. Ace was undoubtedly sending me a  message.

So one day I decided to get his attention.

I put him in rope halter with 15 foot lead and started working his little hiney from the ground. Instead of the correct but leisurely responses to my cues he’d been offering, I started demanding big and immediate movements. I sent him backing at a speed to rival a reiner. I sent him to the left, stopped him, and immediately sent him around to the right. He had to jump into it and trot. I got him to walk to me, petted him, and sent him back out again.

And in just a few minutes, I had a horse whose entire attention was on me. Head up, ears pointed, interested, and keeping his eyes on me. It was the Ace of old, from our early training days, to whom everything was new and thus life was always challenging.

It was like he was looking at me and saying “Oh! There you are!”

And while he still has a habit of biting the other horse and the dogs, he hasn’t done it to me again. And rather than sticking his head in a corner to pout, he’s happy to see me, and excited to get out of his stall and play.

I don’t think it’s that he really missed working hard (he’s generally a bit lazy by nature) – but I think he missed the me he had come to understand and love. I suppose it’s all about being consistent, whether it’s from the saddle or from the ground.

At 24 weeks pregnant and unable to ride, I’ve discovered that skipping barn nights comes much more easily. Perhaps I’m a little tired, or I threw out my back (like I did this week), or I’m busy getting my life and house in order before it’s taken over by a baby. I suppose it’s good preparation for both Ace and I for when the baby actually comes and my barn time is much more limited.

I’ve got less than 16 weeks until my due date, and probably a few more to recover before I can actually sit in a saddle – but the days when I can ride again are suddenly starting to feel a little closer!

I’ve read articles for years about riding while pregnant, which all pretty much boil down to doctors saying not to ride at all, and horse women saying to keep it up if you feel comfortable and are careful. I wasn’t sure which way I would lean until the day I found out that I was indeed expecting.

And I knew there was absolutely no way I could give up riding right then cold turkey. I felt fine, I didn’t look or feel pregnant, and the baby was smaller than an ant.

I did however scale back immediately. I quit jumping, and didn’t head out on the trails where we could meet unexpected deer and small critters to eat my big pansy thoroughbred. We stuck to light rides in the arena on the soft sand where Ace was comfortable.

Doctors Say No Horseback Riding During Pregnancy

I researched some more during those early weeks to decide how safe it was to ride and for how long. At my early prenatal appointments, I sat mute when the nurse practitioner asked if I had any questions, because I didn’t want her opinion on if it was OK to ride knowing I probably wouldn’t like what she had to say. On every list of high-risk sports to avoid while pregnant, horseback riding was near the top. They talked about the risk of falling off and the damage it could do. They talked about potential problems caused by the jostling. Across the board, non-horsey medical professionals said no riding under circumstances.

Horse Women (Some Also Doctors) Say To Ride, Carefully

Then there are the horseback riding women themselves, and doctors who are also riders who tend to be more understanding of the deep-seated NEED to ride. Many of them say that if your body is accustomed to riding at a certain level, the physical effects of riding aren’t going to cause problems (same goes for many other types of heavier exercise like running or weight lifting). Many agree that as long as you feel comfortable in the saddle and your balance isn’t compromised, keep riding!

They do all, of course, caution about the risk of falling off. Most say to avoid jumping, hot/spooky horses, and situations that could stress your horse. Stick to trust worthy horses you know well who are unlikely to have an issue.

Make Your Own Choice On Riding While Pregnant

I was feeling encouraged by the doctors who are also horse women and their advocacy of riding with some basic precautions. Then I came across an interesting tidbit in an article by one of these doctors. It explained that up until 12 weeks, the developing baby is very very small and is well protected by the pelvic bone. Even at that point, a fall is less likely to do any significant damage to the baby because of that protection.

However, at 12 weeks, the baby is bigger and moves forward and up to where it is no longer protected by the pelvic bone. At this point, falling off a horse is very likely to do considerable damage.

I set my stop riding date for the Saturday in October when I hit 12 weeks.

For me, the risk of falling off and hurting my baby is too great to ignore. As badly as I want to get on every single horse I see right now, there’s nothing that would make me get back up in that saddle.

After my second to last ride with Ace during my 11th week, I went home and cried because I was so upset about giving it up. I raged at my husband ant told him it was no fair that I had to give up my riding, and my figure, and my energy, and then push this baby out, and he didn’t have to give up anything (pregnancy hormones at their finest!).

Two days later I climbed aboard Ace for what was to be my last ride. I wanted it to be amazing, and a ride to remember.

It wasn’t. Ace was stiff, unenthusiastic, and neither of us felt our best. The whole time, all I could think about was the fact that if I fell off, my husband would never forgive me – and neither would I forgive myself. I got off after 20 minutes mentally at peace with my decision.

I know that come April when I have both a beautiful healthy baby in my arms and a horse to ride, it will all be worth it.

Your Turn!

Whether or not to keep riding while pregnant is a personal choice. I know that this was the exact right decision for me. However, for someone with a higher-risk pregnancy it may be prudent to stop immediately. Or for a trainer who makes her living riding horses, there’s also great risk to stopping too soon.

If you’ve been pregnant, did you keep riding and why or why not? If you might be pregnant someday, what do you think you will do? And if, like me, you did stop riding for most of your pregnancy, please share some tips on how you survived!

(PS – I DID ask my doctor if it was ok to lift hay bales and grain bags – no worries if I had to give that up! Of course, she said as long as I was used to doing it and my body felt fine, it was no problem.)