Redbud Farm Equestrian

Redbud's 2011 Recap

2012-02-12T19:24:00.002-06:00

We have been a delinquent in our website duties this winter. Everyone at Redbud Farm, equine and human alike, has been enjoying a well deserved vacation. However, it is now well into February and unfortunately, vacations cannot last forever!

2011 was an exciting year for us all. We had some high highs and some very low lows. We are hoping that we have expended all our low moments so we will not dwell on them here. Instead, let's focus on all the wonderful things that happened at Redbud in 2011 because they were many!

We got rid of our old crumby trailer with tire and axel problems and got a big, fancy ride!

We got siding on the hay barn, at least the front which according to Bill is all that matters.

The barn apartment was finally finished.

We got two great sponsors: Rocking WH Ranch and Equine Lite Mat!

Claire had her first baby on April 15.

Elliot ran his first Preliminary.

Stephanie Aanstoos was our first student to complete a CIC*, and we are so proud of her for moving up from Novice to the one star in a single year!

And last but certainly not least, after a long hard fought season, Megill Imes won the USEA's Junior Novice division or year end points!

Lets hope 2012 brings as many milestones and excitement, of the good kind of course. We can do without the sad parts!

Please Don't Litter

2011-12-09T11:30:00.001-06:00

We had a pretty nasty incident at a neighbor's house this morning. Tess lives down the street from the farm, and she keeps rescue dogs. Mostly these are abused or stray dogs that others won't take in. This morning, two stray dogs (one a rottweiler) wandered up to her house to eat her chickens. Before she knew what was happening three of her dogs were out the door to protect their territory.

It wasn't the strays fault or Tess's dogs fault. They were all just acting on instinct, but the outcome was predictable and terrible. Tess's dogs were pretty badly injured and needed to be rushed to the vet. The stray was also torn up, and because of this as well as the displayed aggression, it was shot.

Strays are truly a problem all over the country, but especially here. It is one thing if you do not wanted to spay or neuter your pet, but then it is your responsibility to keep track it and not allow unwanted pregnancies. This is a responsibility many pet owners neglect. It is not your right to allow your unfixed dog or cat run wild, procreating as it feels fit.

So while I do not blame the dogs involved in this fight, I do blame all those who do not spay or neuter and then allow their animals to roam.

all images on this post from http://www.squidoo.com/free_animal_clipart

Baby's First Blanket

2011-12-07T17:35:00.004-06:00

Today was an exciting day out at Redbud Farm! Baby's First Blankets! Many thanks to Reagan Bugg and Sara Pettey Sandifer for the extra hands!

I know to many people this is a boring, known entity, but to the babies at Redbud, this was one heck of a day! To all the other professional horse owners out there, you know what I'm talking about...our horses get the back burner on education. They're the last to be ridden, last to be worked with, and first to be put off to another day. Client's horses...different story.

Just last week, it was 70 degrees...suddenly the low is 25...all I'm saying is "What the heck!!??" Okay, so time to learn to blanket...

Thankfully, I had good help (props to Reagan and SP) and good babies! Harrison (seen at right) and Collins were both quite well behaved.

Working with the young horses is always exciting- I think of my hopes for them-my dreams for them. I want them to be good, useful horses. I want them to be loved. I am thankful to have nice horses and good people in my life and look forward to the future!

The Party Never Ends!

2011-12-01T20:28:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking of ways to sum up our season, and I think this photo pretty much tells the story!

This season we've run 16 events in five months. We've had our first student compete in a CIC* and our first student campaigning for a national title. Kudos go out to Stephanie Aanstoos for finishing 5th in the Poplar Place CIC* aboard West Point, and also to Megill Imes for her many wins this season with her horses Claggan Imp and Coker Springs.

We're also so proud of our hunter transplant, Reagan Bugg, and her former short stirrup pony, Bulletproof, for joining the Redbud Farm Event Team. They finished 7th at Poplar Place Farm Horse Trials and are sure to continue on this Spring!

So, to the man with the trailer, you're right: The road goes on forever and the party never ends! I can't wait to see where the spring season takes us! Bon voyage!

Soccer of the Heart

2011-11-17T10:48:00.001-06:00

Betsy said this morning that 'doing horses' professionally is like playing soccer with your heart. It is so true. It gets ripped out of your chest and then kicked around for a while. The highs are very high, but the lows are particularly low.

This year Redbud Farm has been unlucky. We have had fat legs, ulcers, bad feet, swollen eyes, tendon injuries, punctured joint capsules, unexplained neurological conditions, and finally colic.

Yesterday afternoon Elliot had a very painful, rapid onset colic which brought us into the Mississippi State University vet school. It became clear fairly quickly that we were not going to be able to treat it medically, and so he was sent to surgery. He was under anesthesia for nearly three and a half hours during which time the team of vets and students had to untangle a huge knot involving his colon, small intestine, and cecum. He recovered well from the anesthesia and is resting for the next few days in the school. His prognosis is good ('knock-on-wood'). The gut did not have to be re-sectioned, and it looked healthy and had good motility throughout the surgery. This morning, he was alert and happy to go for a walk outside to munch some grass.

Although it may sound weird, we feel very, very lucky today. We are lucky that we live so close to the vet school. We are lucky we were at the farm when the colic started so we caught it very quickly. We are lucky that Dr. Cate Mochal and her team were so efficient and persistent during the surgery. And most of all we are lucky to have such wonderful friends, family, and clients in our life. Everyone has been very supportive and kind to us. We want to thank you all for the good wished and kind words.

And though we enjoy a good soccer match, we are very eager for the off season!

Eventing PhD

2011-11-07T12:49:00.000-06:00

We are very proud of Megill Imes for being ranked on the USEA junior Novice leader board. This is no easy feat. It is one of the largest competition groups in the USEA and there is a lot of tough competition.

Betsy and Megill (and her family) have been working very hard to reach the top spot. It means a very long, hard couple months of competing all over Area 3. As of last week, Megill was only 4 points behind the leader. Unfortunately, it was a rough weekend at River Glen Horse Trials in New Market, TN.

Neither of the horses were very relaxed in the dressage, and then Megill grabbed a rail on Ollie in the show jumping while Kipling pulled a shoe in the mud. That wasn't even the worst of it. On Sunday, Ollie left the box with a mission, which was great news since he can sometimes be a tricky ride across the country. However, on the back side of the course he peeked at something and hopped sideways, a move Megill wasn't expecting. As a result, she popped off, and though no harm done, got the Big E. Kipling, who is usually the XC machine, was very wound and had an uncharacteristic stop in the middle of the course. Whether it was the crisp air or just being tired from the hard competition schedule is unclear, but the result was the same: no points this weekend. Just a few more weeks boys then you can have a very well deserved and long awaited vacation!

Everyone was a little disappointed on the long ride home, but that is the way of the game. As Betsy said, 'Some weekends are for winning, and some weekends are for learning. This weekend we all got our PhDs in eventing'. And she's right. Now we got home and in the next week we practice balance. Lunge lessons without stirrups or reins. For all of us!

We are very lucky that Megill is such a good sport. We know she will learn from this and come away a better rider and horse person.

always my Plus One

2011-11-03T12:12:00.002-05:00

Most of you have heard by now, that we had to euthanize Addie, our four year old off the track, because she was presenting some very alarming neurological behavior.

Thinking back on her time with us, we can discern subtle neurological symptoms, but we chalked it up to being young, weak, very recently off the track, sore, or some combination thereof. On Thursday October 20, Addie was undeniably not right, and we scheduled an appointment with the MSU Vet School for a neuro exam. Unfortunately, over the weekend Addie's condition rapidly deteriorated. By Sunday she was having trouble holding her balance without the help of the stall walls. The decision was clear, though made with heavy hearts. It was the only fair and right thing to do for this young, sweet horse, and I take comfort knowing she lay down all on her own and went to sleep surrounded by love and being patted.

First, let me say that all her test results came back negative. She did not have West Nile, EPM, or Neurological Herpes. It would have been nice for some definitive cause of her symptoms, but it is certainly a relief that it was not something contagious.

In the absence of closure, we shall just have to remember the wonderful Addie. She tried very hard to do as you asked and she was never naughty, though now we realize how much she struggled physically. She was very kind. Kinder than I ever imagined, and we were very lucky to have had her in our lives even if for just a short time. I wish I had a good pictures of her, but I do not, and then a picture would not really do her justice anyway. She was lovely. The kind of lovely that went beyond just being a beautiful horse.

She is buried in the back of our field next to the gate out to her paddock below a sea of daffodils. A week ago I tried to write this, and it became very long and mostly cathartic. Now my head is a little clearer (so it is shorter and little less cathartic). I know Addie is in a better place without pain or confusion, and now it is just time for the hurt in our hearts to heal.

Fall Schooling Show

2011-10-14T10:13:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who came to our schooling show! It was a great success, especially considering is was a weeknight and the weather was a little suspect!

We had around 16 entries, which was just about perfect for a Wednesday evening because we fit all 12 classes in just before it got dark. Then we got the fire roaring and brought out everyone's favorite part, the hot dogs and s'mores!

12 October Open House

2011-10-05T09:43:00.006-05:00

Please stop by our open house on Wednesday evening! We are offering class from walk lead-line to 3'-3" jumpers ($10 per class). This is a casual opportunity for you to school young horses, get horses off the property, or just get in the show one more time, or just visit with friends! If you don't have a horse we have lesson horses available.

The evening will culminate in a festive bonfire complete with hot dogs and s'mores! Please contact Betsy Ball for more information 662.617.3831.

Poplar Place HT and CIC

2011-09-29T08:31:00.021-05:00

The weekend started off a little rocky. It rained very hard on Thursday night. We were lucky to be in permanent stabling because the temporary tents flooded and sagged with sitting water. Thanks to the Poplar Place crew who did a fabulous job cleaning up the driveways and courses so that the event ran as smooth as ever!

And the rain didn't seem to bother the Redbud horses much, especially Warren who did a lot of snoozing on his Equine Lite Mats.

Tucker's dressage was quite a pleasant surprise. Often he is tight... explosive even. This weekend he put in a very competitive test to finish right with the others. Then it was on to the cross country which is truly his forte. He rocked around making it look easy with a only time penalties on the tightly wheeled course, and he recovered very well in the box thanks to our great team! Show jumping was equally beautiful. Just one rail at the very last fence. Despite his small stature, Tucker looked like one of the more capable horses in the CIC*. We were all very proud of Stephanie and Tucker for finishing fifth, though Tucker seemed perhaps a little disappointed as the photographer could not make him 'smile' for his pictures!

Romeo was like an old pro even though it's only his third event. He put in a solid test on Friday and show jumped well Saturday, though perhaps a little quick for Reagan's taste. Sunday he was ready for action. Going out of the box we all thought, "He loves his new job!". He had a small hiccup at one fence early in the course, but was a rockstar everywhere else, including the water, which was the worry fence. Reagan is doing a wonderful job making the leap from the hunter ring to the eventing world. We know it's not always easy!

And what can we say about Warren except 'you win some, you loose some'. Though we know he is a very talented young star, it just wasn't his weekend!

American Eventing Championships

2011-09-21T09:53:00.047-05:00

American Eventing Championships is like 'Rolex' for all levels. You get all kind of goodies for entering and even more goodies if you win! Plus there is a great trade fair as well as beautiful facilities, proper championship courses, and lots of tough competition.

We were very lucky this year. The weather held out. It was warm, but not beastly hot. I think the horses especially appreciated it, though it certainly helped spectating too! Our horses were all in very fine form. Looking sleek, fit, and happy thanks to our wonderful alfalfa and brome hay provided by Rockin WH Ranch, which got lots of attention from other competitors.

Stephanie competed in the preliminary amateur division with little Tucker. Dressage was dressage as usual. Tuck has a tough time maintaining composure when he can see the cross country in the background, but he held his counter canter which was a BIG deal and he even pulled out a qualifying dressage score! Then the little grey cross-country machine ate up the course on Friday. He nailed the hard questions. Even the announcer couldn't help but comment that this was once of the nicest preliminary rounds... kiss of death. Unfortunately, Tuck fumbled a little coming up the bank at the sunken road questions and Steph lost her stirrup so she pulled him off the skinny out. No harm done really. She saved him for another day (especially important as her CIC* is around the corner). Show jumping was also beautiful. We are very proud that Steph and Tucker finished 12th, and we are so looking forward to her CIC* at poplar the last weekend of September!

Megill rode both her hoses, Ollie and Kipling, in the junior novice division. Kipling was WOUND in the dressage. Kudos to Megill for keeping him in the ring. Chatt Hills dressage has a lot going on, and on top of that horses are often running cross country in the background (not that Kipling needs much or an excuse to be silly these days). Ollie was much the opposite and put in a very competent test to put her in the top half of the nearly 60 person division. Both horses ran bold and clean on cross country (just a little speeding ticket for Kipling); they also rocked around the show jumping. However, Ollie was the star of the day to finish 17th of 57.

All in all a great weekend. We had time to visit with lots of friends from other areas that we do not get to see as much as we would like. As Betsy said, it is like a family reunion. You spend lots of time getting excited to see old friends and it is gone before you know it and you're left feeling a little sad. We are lucky to have such great extended horsey family!

Thank you Eleazer Davis Farm and Hoofclix.com for all the wonderful pictures!

Blackjack Cowboys

2011-08-31T20:59:00.014-05:00

We are located across the street from a cow pasture. A cow pasture with old, brittle fencing. So as you might expect, cows are out a lot... Sometimes their in the road, sometimes our driveway, and sometimes they're in Bill's yard. But this weekend they were in the no man's land between our property and the adjoining field. Way back there.

It was like a wild west show! A group of real live cowboys from the area came in on their ponies and rounded those cows right up.

Our horses are pretty brave out on the cross county course, but they don't hold a candle to these guys. They run full speed through all terrain and then just as quickly as they start, they stop and walk home calm as can be. We need to teach that to a couple of ours. We are especially considering it now that Elliot is rehabing after the summer off, and there is a lot of head tossing and general silliness going on.

We may need to call those Blackjack cowboys!

The highs and lows at a Full Gallop

2011-08-31T18:37:00.015-05:00

Betsy and Megill went off to Full Gallop this past weekend. As there often are, there were some highs and also some lows.

High #1: It was the first show with our new sponsor Equine Lite Mats They were easy to install and Warren really enjoyed his cushy digs.

High #2: Warren was a champ at his first novice. He stayed calm, cool, and collected all weekend and jumped around cross county like a champ. Another Redbud x-co machine? We think yes!

High #3: Kipling's feet remained on the ground except at the appropriate times, and his shoes remained on his feet. James Luttrell, you are our hero! This was all especially reassuring as AECs approaches. Perhaps he is finally settling in after a sort of rocky return to the eventing scene? Fingers crossed...

High #4: The best part of the weekend, however, was that the trailer made it there and back again with not flat tires! Thanks Gateway Tire for sticking with us!

Image: George Stojkovic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Low #1: We managed to escape any ill effects of Irene, except for one little black cloud that followed Ollie... He went out of the box on fire, and then caught a glimpse of Count Dracula in the woods and thought he should really put on the speed. Unfortunately, Megill did not get the memo and 'plop', popped right off. Everyone walked away from it unscathed except Megill's pride, which was a little black and blue.
Even though the low was a big one, the highs definitely won out so we count the weekend as a big success!

Poplar Place Schooling

2011-08-23T11:14:00.048-05:00

We all had a successful outing to Poplar Place. Ollie and Warren competed in the Novice and Beginner Novice combined test respectively. Kipling came for a dressage test. Everyone was good. Even Kipling, once he got tired of walking around on his hind feet (...Jessie tired of it long before he did).

But the fun part was schooling Poplar's wonderful cross country course.

Tucker was a star, as always.

And Warren learned some very important lessons.

Lesson One: Fences seem smaller from farther away. So you should look at it the entire approach not matter how serious that bush in the treeline may seem.

Lesson Two: Jumping out of stride is much easier than from a stand still.

Lesson three: Ditches are really very straight forward, and monsters do not live down there.

And finally...

Lesson four: Jumping into water is not as hard you you might think.

... this one took a little longer to sink in ...

...but it did eventually.

Thanks to Theo for all the great pictures!

Easter Bunny

2011-04-23T21:48:00.003-05:00

Today at the event, we had a visit from the Easter Bunny! Not only did the bunny ride around handing out goodies, but also show jumped!

Redbud had a good day, all in all. Jessie did a good job show jumping Emma, in spite of having ridden her only twice! Stephanie had a great cross-country ride on Tucker! (Of course!) Megill and her horses also put in very consistant show jumping rounds! I couldn't be more proud! Way to go Team Redbud!

Dressage-Tucker Style!

2011-04-22T22:08:00.002-05:00

Oh Tucker...if I had a dollar for every silly moment you had in the dressage ring today....well, I would have my fancy horse and you could retire! But alas, on to cross-country tomorrow where you will have your time to shine!
There is nothing quite like seeing your student and your horse coming down centerline, entering their test, only to spin and attempt to exit, stage right, at X. I would like to say Tucker regained composure, pulled himself together, and with his big boy pants on, put together a three-beat canter. This is not what happened.
What happened (as anyone can tell you who has seen Tucker's dressage can tell you) was a survival story good enough for any reality program. Stephanie did a beautiful job salvaging the test and keeping him in the ring. Oh Tucker, we live for tomorrow.
And tomorrow we also show Dexter, Emma, Ollie and Kipling! Beautiful weather and good horses...what more can we ask for?

Holly Hill Horse Trials!

2011-04-20T14:49:00.004-05:00

This weekend Team Redbud is setting off for Holly Hill Horse Trial in Louisiana. We are taking Tucker, Emma, Dexter, Ollie and Kipling! Looking forward to an exciting weekend of adventure! Fingers crossed!

Welcome!

2011-04-03T21:25:00.000-05:00