I myself was able to squeeze in some riding during free time at the camp.  At other times, I was supervising youth or helping with activies.  During one of my free time rides, the main ring was set up with barrels from the barrel racing instructor.  For fun, I decided that Kerry and I should try out a barrel pattern.  After a little coaching from an adult leader, we rode the pattern at a trot and then at a canter/gallop.  Not only was it fun, but I had Kerry’s complete attention with her thoughts of  “whoa…what are we doing??”   It was different and fun.  I felt it was good to be reminded to step outside of our comfort zones sometimes and don’t be afraid to try something different.  If you are a ring rider, take a trail ride sometime.  If you only trail rider, maybe take a lesson in a ring sometime.  We need to keep things different for our own benefit and for our horse’s sanity!  Below is a video of Cowboy Dressage.  I thought this was a fun video that clearly showed a mix of riding disciplines and the beauty to that mix.  If you are having a hum-drum summer…mix it up!

My Christmas “gift”  made me remember why I have spent the last month smashing ice, battling wind, toting buckets, and kicking frozen poop.  Thank you Santa for the best christmas present a horse girl can get .  I have included a christmas poem for all of you Dressage-y folk.  I hope each of you has the opportunity to enjoy the season, family and friends, and remember how lucky we are for our furry companions.

Our mini horse Gus is feeling the Holiday Cheer! Or is that just the amount of carrots he consumed while shooting this adorableness.

A Dressage Christmas!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the farm,
Only one horse was stirring, the brown one in the barn,
The only one to hang a stocking from his feed dish that night,
Hoping that Santa would come, and fill it just right.

The other horses were settled quietly in their stalls,
While their dreams were of horse treats, candy canes and riding halls,
And the cat in the hay barn and the dog on his mat,
Had just snuggled in for a long winter’s nap.

When out in the dressage ring there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the arena I flew like a flash,
Pulling on my boots and jacket in my mad dash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the luster of mid-day to the dressage letters below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But eight little elves riding eight tiny reindeer.

A small round man, dressed in red and white, looked just like Santa,
And called out to the reindeer, as an instructor might.
His shiny black boots reached up to his knees,
His pants looked like breeches and even had a full leather seat!

“Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen, come Comet and Cupid,
more forward Donner and Blitzen,
Keep the voltes round, elves ride those reindeer through,”
It was Christmas Eve reindeer dressage,
Under the moonlight in the snow so blue.

And then, in a twinkling I heard my horse come out,
He gave me a look as if to say, “What’s this all about?”
As I stood in the doorway and watched, my mouth agape,
Santa jumped on the horse and entered the gate.

He and the elves worked in teams,
four pairs of reindeer, evenly matched, working under the moonbeams.
Santa had paired with Rudolph, who was now leading the group,
He took them through maneuvers, making large loops.

Santa’s eyes twinkled, his breath came out fast,
As he rode round the arena he started teaching my horse half-pass!
His droll little mouth suddenly called out instructions,
“Half-halt, stay together, don’t forget to push them.”

He kept a pipe clenched tight in his teeth,
And as he rode the smoke circled his head like a wreath.
Although he was broad of face and had a round little belly,
He rode like Reiner Klimke, gloved hands quiet and steady.

Despite his chubby, plump body, the jolly old elf,
Sat the trot well, letting the horse move all by himself.
And I gasped as I watched while he continued to school,
First piaffe, then passage, one-tempis, way too cool.

Then Santa stopped riding, suddenly moving to his sleigh,
The brown went to the barn, and the reindeer began to play.
The elves disappeared, the ride was now done,
The reindeer took off pulling the sleigh, still full of run.

I ran to the barn, saw my horse was all wet,
This was no dream; he really was in a sweat.
The note on the saddle pad explained it all, “You wished for an FEI horse, now he’s all trained, have a ball,
Merry Christmas, peace be with you, and ride with good cheer,
Give the brown extra carrots, and have him ready next year!”

 - By Mary L. Brennan, DVM

I have slowly learned this task of attempting to break into the publishing industry is quite formal with a strict etiquette. If you would like to write for a publication, make sure to read submission guidelines.  Many publications, magazines in particular, like to you send a query letter about a topic of interest you have in writing for the publication.  This letter has its own guidelines for composition.  I have found everything related to writing  has a guideline. For example,  writers have their own style of resume which is different than the work experience based resumes many of us are accustomed to.   The query letter also has its own format.  An article from writing-world.com is excellent in capturing the necessary components while avoiding common mistakes.  After you send a query letter it may take from 4 weeks to 6 months to get a response.  My goodness, I would forget what I was planning to write by then!  Many publishers plan very far in advance to make sure publications are distributed in a timely manner.

I am always amazed at how much there is to learn about my new endeavours.  When I built this website, I couldn’t believe the volumes of information I had to absorb to put it together.  In my naivety, I thought writing should be fairly simple.  All I need are the words in my head and a computer program to allow those words to exist in the electronic world so they can be shared.  Once again… how silly of me.  Why should I think anything in this world is simple?  Give me a saddle and a horse, that is what I say!

If you know of an equine literary journal, magazine, or online publication you would like to share.  Please feel free!

Holy Cow! Are you kidding me? I was trying to be concise.  Hmmm…this isn’t good.  How long exactly is 250 words, like two sentences?  I don’t know if I can do this! After I got over my small huff, I thought to myself.  Alright,  this is excellent practice for yourself in learning how to condense. A wonderful exercise for me to maximize word usage without my story losing its message or meaning.  This is GOOD for me. I want to improve my writing…right?

So I began cutting…and cutting…changing wording…and cutting some more.  It was downright painful.  I felt like I was sitting in a chair with duct tape over my mouth and only a small hole in the center of it.  Through that small hole only every fifth word could be heard.  I had beautiful, descriptive words that I felt so bad erasing had to close my eyes when I did it.  This is so HARD I kept thinking! I wondered if this is what it was like to live in a third world country and have no freedom of speech. No, absolutely not… that was thousands of times worse.  That thought made me glad that I live in the U.S.A.  A privledge many of us take for granted everyday.  Not in every country could I have my own blog that I have the ability to spout off about absolutely anything I want to. I started to feel better and excited about my rather breif story.  After all of the cuts had been made and my writer’s figurative bleeding begun to clot, I checked my word count one last time… 270 words.  I couldn’t bear to do anymore and hoped they would accept the story as is, and off it went.

Here is the contact for the Virginia Horse Journal.  A different topic of interest is listed in each edition for the upcoming edition.  If you write one and it gets accepted, be sure to let me know so I can pick up a copy to read!

Virginia Horse Journal

So far, no word on the article I sent to the USDF Connection.  I sent a follow up email a little over a week later to make sure they received the article. No response.  One thing I have noticed in this day in age of technology and computers, is a bit of lack of respect for communication.  Send me a one word email that says, “received.”  Or a short email saying, “your article is terrible, please don’t send us anything else.” Some sort of response or acknowledgement of your existence might me nice. I like to know where I stand…silence is the worst to me. Maybe that’s why I have so much trouble condensing my writing.  FYI…this post is 605 words long .

Other than myself, my husband can receive editorial credit on many of the articles posted.  Now…neither of us are professional editors, as I’m sure many of you have noticed.  We do the best we can and my hope is as long as you enjoy reading and understand my point, my job is done.  Most of the articles I go back and catch a few things, are ones he doesn’t get the chance to read.  Since all of my articles are sent to his email via the subscribe option, I hear about everyone of those mistakes.   I have taking a basic editing course to bone up my skills as a writer on my “to do” list some time in the future.  Maybe it will help you grammar gurus out there from cringing when you see me misuse a semicolon or something.

My husband refused to let me put up a picture of him.  Honestly, if I were in his shoes, I don’t think I would let him put up my photo either.  I will say… he is pretty darn cute and intelligent most importantly for his decision to marry me.

The rest of the team…

Cody in his usual spot. I always have to watch the wheels on my chair. If you put down your feet, he lays on them too.

Cody is the primary supervisor of all AOD activities.  Although he tends to do much of his supervising with his eyes closed, you always know he is watching and better not take too many coffee or facebook breaks.  Such breaks or slacker-like activities may be tolerated only if a cookie is awarded before taking part.  He is a benevolent supervisor easily won over by food. Wouldn’t it be nice if all supervisors were so gracious and easy to please. Cody was originally my husband’s dog who I have carefully over time stolen away from him.  Possibly it is the fact that he prefers a quite spot in an air conditioned house over taking his chances with the noise and shower of sparks he finds outdoors attempting to sit next to my husband’s welder.  I like to think it’s really my irresistible company that keeps him coming back each evening.

Maya serves AOD primarily in a supportive role.  She encourages insightful prose with the frequent hand or leg lick.  Her talents can be expanded to  include the occasional toy squeak. Amazingly enough she has been able to master such toy squeaking in a rhythm allowing maximum thought provoking on behalf of the writer to take place.  This is quite a feat from a canine lacking in opposable thumbs.  Possibly, I have decided she  could be rented out as a muse to “real” writers and make millions.  Nope.. I don’t think that will work.  I would miss her too much.

Cute Maya is always close by when I am writing. Ready to give a few licks of encouragement if needed.

Little Maya came to us a rescue dog who selected us to be her family a little over a year ago.  She was rescued from an owner who kept her chained in the yard and only fed her the occasional food scrap.  Personally, I think anyone that treats an animal like that should have the roles reversed for awhile to see how well THEY handle it.

When we first got her, she was very thin with a dull coat and quite terrified of most everyone, especially men.    I went to see her at the rescue place after passing over a face too cute to resist on petfinder.com.  Yes, another guilty pleasure of mine.  I beleive after Maya, the mini horse, and oh wait… and the goats, I am officially banned from the site by my husband.   What is funny is between the two of us, I think he is even softer than I am.   I met Maya at the rescue and watched amazed as the little, scruffy, thin dog,  gathered up  the courage to come over and lick my hand. That was all it took.. in the car and home with me she went.  I can’t even start to express in words what joy that sweet, fuzzy dog  has brought to our lives since her arrival.

Oh and by the way, after a few months of good food and a loving family she is gorgeous!

Now you have met the entire AOD team. Hopefully you can fully appreciate the group effort to keep this blog at its best.   I’m sure many of you have a team of your own at home.  They support us and love us unconditionally.  Who could ask for a better team than that!

I found intriguing that most magazines will not take any previously published material and they retain all rights to the piece.  I can understand the previously published part, but it is a bit interesting that you write the article, but they have the rights.  Once accepted, you will have no rights to your own work?  Interesting…

I guess that is comparable to a novelist writing a novel and then submitting it to a publishing company and the publishing company gets the rights to the piece.  That is — unless –you are a really good novelist and have your own PR person that makes contracts to hash out the writer’s rights and the publishing company’s rights. Then the “rights” to the piece may be slightly different. I think that is how it all works.  Any writers out there, feel free to set me straight!

I’m running full steam ahead with my mission and submitted Article #1 TO….drum roll please… the USDF Connection.  Yes, I know that is not much of a stretch for a dressage rider and blogger, but it is a start and that is what I’m looking for.  I enjoy the USDF Connection and they make it a priority to have an amateur angle on stories included in the magazine.  I wrote a piece that I hoped would be a perfect fit for  ”The Tail End.”  That is the section which is on the last page of the magazine.

The last page section of  most magazines  happens to be my favorite part.  That section usually includes some witty, gem of a story that you don’t have to sit down and analyze the technical aspect of what the writer is trying to convey.  Those articles are just pure fun and I LIKE fun! Many times I will read the last page section first.  I know it seems like there should be something wrong with my reading pattern.  Sort of  like eating your dessert first.  Well… I do happen to have a taste for desserts… so maybe that is a perfect reason!

Listed below is the link to submitting a manuscript for the USDF Connection.  If I don’t have any luck… maybe you can!  If you do and write a piece for “The Tail End” you can take pleasure in knowing that I am at home reading your article first!

USDF Connection Contributing  Guidelines

http://www.usdf.org/connection/contributing-guidelines.asp

The Timeline: 10 Weeks

The Purpose:  Can I get published?

I have tasked myself with a new mission on behalf of  The Art of Dressage.  I am going to write one extra article a week for 10 weeks. I am going to submit each of these articles to an equine related magazine to see if they are interested in publishing it.  So you ask yourself ,”why are you doing this Elizabeth?”  My answer, “Why not?”   I love writing.  That is why I created the Art of Dressage in the first place, so I could write and my writing has a purpose.  Someone may actually be reading it!  That should be a good enough purpose…right?  The Art of Dressage provides me with a creative outlet.  My stream of consciousness thought pattern is actually productive. Instead of unleashing the power of my thought processes on my poor husband, who’s best expression when he experiences the full force  is –”huh?”  Now, I can create articles and stories that someone might just benefit from. That was my reasoning behind it and also because I wanted to see if  I could create my own website.

I decided that I wanted to push myself a little harder and see if what I write is not only worthy of the screen, but of the actual page.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn’ t.  Maybe I am just setting myself up for complete failure and everyone will think what I submit is junk.  Who knows?  I won’t know until I try, so here is me trying.   I plan to chronicle my journey with the publishing industry right here on The Art of Dressage.  What will this do for you readers?  Well it  may be quite interesting and it will also lay out a path for you to do the same if you so desire.  I have just begun researching how you get published in magazines.  Every magazine is different and seems to have a different process.  Another of my goals is to see exactly what kinds of magazines are out there.  I know about the big ones, Dressage Today, Horse and Rider, Equus, Practical Horseman, etc., but I’m sure there are many others out there I don’t even know about.  Some might be great, untapped resources that are filled with talent, but lack the name to get a lot of readers.  Who knows?  One thing is for sure, I will find out!

So I’m asking you, who should I submit articles to?  Any suggestions?  These don’t have to be “Dressage” magazines either.  I’m planning on picking a few that will stretch my skills a bit.  What do you like to read?

I decided that this would be be an excellent topic to post to get some of your help out there.  I’m sure each one of you is doing what you can to control the flies and bugs.  What kinds of fly method controls do you use?  I have thought about using the fly predators?  Is anyone using them and do they work?  What do you think are the best fly sprays?   Best Fly Masks?  What works for field horses and stabled horses?  Anyone using the feed through methods?

My mini and his fly mask. Possibly purple is not his color? The flopped ears add to the effect. He has tiny ears...hmmm...maybe that is why I can't keep a mask on him!