September 5, 2017

Preparing for a hurricane (specifically Irma): Equine edition

By Joscelyn Richards.

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Hurricane – a word that is synonymous with Florida – during my time living in FL (pretty much my whole life), I’ve encountered numerous hurricanes.

Just a year ago, Hurricane Hermine hit Tallahassee, which is where I currently live for college. I also keep my horse, Ariel, in this area. Even though the Hurricane was only a Cat. 1, Tallahassee suffered serious damage in some parts, and many were without power for over a week.

Roads were completely blocked after Hurricane Hermine in TLH. Photo Courtesy of Joscelyn Richards.

As Hurricane Irma, now a Cat. 5, looms in the Atlantic Ocean, I urge horse owners to start taking action sooner rather than later. While the direct path is still uncertain, a state of emergency has been declared by Governor Rick Scott for the entire state of Florida as of yesterday, Sept. 4, 2017. For the most recent hurricane advisory check the NOAA website here.

Hurricane Irma as of 8am Photo Credit; NOAA.

For those of us with equine partners, hurricanes are even more stressful. I have compiled a concise but thorough hurricane preparedness plan as a guide for equine owners in the event that a hurricane does hit.

(Important Disclaimer: This is just a guide, and The Legal Equestrian and its staff cannot be held liable for any action or inaction taken because of this guide.)

A barn in Redlands, Florida, after Hurricane Andrew Picture Credit: H.A.A.R.T. Foundation & John Ehmke Photography

Shelter

Finding a safe, hurricane-proof barn for your horse is a crucial thing to do. Or, you can evacuate your horse(s) from the hurricane, to higher ground, if needed. Most haulers won’t ship within 48 hours of a hurricane making landfall, so make preparations and arrangements as soon as you can. Check local equine Facebook groups, contact local officials, or even ask friends for references of places to which you can evacuate your horse. Here is a Google Doc containing some places or transportation companies for evacuation use. Remember if you plan to leave the area, too, one of the worst things you can do is leaving your pet(s) behind in your home.

Photo Credit: I.C.E. Products

Identification

In the event that the looming hurricane destroys the barn at which your horse is staying, your horse gets lose, or the area gets flooded, it is vital that your horses have proper identification on them. A lot of horse owners now have their horses microchipped now because of the new USEF rules. But, without proper tools, the microchip can’t be read by a rescuer. As an alternative, many equine owners will use luggage tags attached to the horses mane, halter, or even bridle, with the horse’s name, barn address, owner(‘s/s’) name with multiple phone numbers, vet information, and any other special requirements that the horse may have. As a FL resident that has to deal with hurricane threats often, I recently discovered I.C.E. horse products. The company makes mane and tail tags, halters, and clips. One note: Do not keep a Coggins test with your horse because there are some dishonest people out there who may try to steal your horse. As an alternative, make sure to keep all your horse’s/s’ identification papers such as bill of sale, Coggins, microchip information, pictures, etc. in a safe place.

Preparing your Barn for a hurricane

Even if your barn is hurricane-proof, there are still major hazards that could cause damage to your barn and severely injure your horses. As a precaution, store all outdoor items such as jumps and poles in a safe place, preferably indoors. Secure trailers, campers, and any other vehicles that could possibly be blown away. Make sure to remove items from the barn aisle, because they can easily turn into dangerous debris in the air. Additionally, flashlights should be available and should contain fresh batteries. Battery back-ups should be kept somewhere easily accessible yet safe, too. You should also have a battery-operated radio and turn off circuit breakers as to avoid a fire if there is a power surge. A good item to have is a generator. If you can get one to run electricity to your barn though, make sure you have plenty of fuel for it.

Preparing your horse(s) for a hurricane

As mentioned earlier try your absolute best to have your horse(s) in a hurricane-proof barn if you decide not to evacuate. Make sure you have up to a two-week supply of grain and hay for each horse in the barn. The food should be stored in a dry and safe place. The reason for two-weeks is because you really do not know exactly how bad the damage can be after the hurricane makes landfall and leaves. You don’t know how long it will be staying. As a result, you will be unsure where and when you can next get food either for yourself or your horse(s). Additionally, have between 12 and 20 gallons of drinking water per horse. The water should be stored away in the event that the water supply becomes undrinkable or cannot be retrieved safely/properly/at all due to power loss. Be on the lookout for water advisories after the hurricane for more exact details on if the water is safe, You should also make an emergency horse supply kit for each horse which includes all possible medication, ointments, and vet supplies that might be needed. Finally, put extra bedding in your horse(s’) stall so they will feel comfortable, and they can lay down if needed.

Hurricane Wilma in 2005, passing through my hometown Boca Raton. Photo Credit; NOAA.

During the hurricane

During the storm make sure the horses have hay and at least two (2) full water buckets (also known as 10 gallons) to drink from. This is because you do not know when you’ll be able to go to the barn next. DO NOT stay in the barn with the horses during the storm, as tempting as it may be. You, or someone else who wants to stay, could get severely injured or even killed. Nowadays, many barns have video surveillance. If your barn has this perk, you can monitor the horses that way. Also remember that horses have a natural survival instinct that will kick in, when necessary, so if you are the midst of worrying, the horses most likely know what to do and have done it.

After the hurricane has passed

After the hurricane has passed over the area there will most likely be downed trees and power lines. There will probably also be major flooding. Wait until you know that it is safe before going to the barn to check on the horses. (Side note: If you are a boarder, make sure to stay in contact with your barn manager/owner. The last thing they need is 20 worried horse owners/boarders showing up to the barn after a hurricane.) Also, if there is major flooding, do not drive through it as this is how most people end up dying after a natural disaster where major flooding is involved. When at the barn after the storm, be on the lookout for dangerous wild animals that might have sought refuge at the barn. Since it is Florida, we can include alligators as well as snakes. Avoid live electrical wires, and also avoid standing water. Make sure that all your horses (and others) are okay, check for and tend to any injuries, and assess if there are any immediate emergencies. You can and should also remove debris to clear a direct path to the barn from the road, if safe and possible.

In all the chaos of getting your horse ready for the hurricane, don’t forget to prepare yourself for the hurricane and take your own precautions as well! Remember price gouging is ILLEGAL, report it to your local authorities if you find any cases of this.

The best thing you can do is follow your own hurricane plan and stay safe.

Additional Resources for reference

http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/PDFS/CHAP02/D02-12.PDF

http://www.floridahorse.com/hurricane/hurricane.html

http://extension.vetmed.ufl.edu/files/2011/10/Hurricane-planning-for-horse-farms.pdf

ps. We are doing a silent auction to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Harvey which hit the Houston area last week. The auction runs until September 12th at 11:59 p.m. Please go here to check out the amazing items we have to offer and to make your bid to benefit organizations working to help those in need. Fifty percent of the profits will be going to the Houston Food Bank, and the other 50 percent will be going to the ASPCA.

July 28, 2016

Up & Coming Riders: Maya Nayyar, winner of this year’s Hunterdon Cup

Maya Nayyar & Connaro. Photo Credit: Lauren Baker.

Maya Nayyar took home top honors in this year’s Hunterdon Cup at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series on July 11. She ended her first round ride on her horse Connaro on an 89 to put her in first place. Her handy round scored her a 90, keeping her in the top spot. She was called back to test, along with four other riders – Emma Kurtz, Taylor St. Jacques, and Grace Boston.

Maya switched with Kurtz, who was riding Clearway, for the work-off where they were asked to canter to the first jump, counter-canter a bending line, and then do a few rollbacks to a sitting trot before exiting the ring.

Maya has competed in the Hunterdon Cup three years in a row, and this was her first year taking home top honors. She competed on her main Medal and Maclay horse, Connaro, that she has had for about three years. She said she has developed a “strong relationship” with him over the period of time she has owned him.

“He has a great temperament, huge stride, and an excellent jump so he makes competing in big classes a lot of fun,” she said.

Maya, who trains with Stacia Madden and her team at Beacon Hill Show Stables, said that she didn’t really do anything special to prepare for the Hunterdon Cup. However, she did say just coming off two weeks of showing at Lake Placid was “helpful” for her and Connaro.

Maya said that the first and second courses she rode had long lines that “really allowed [her] to ride forward and show confidence. She also said that going into the test she had a feeling she was going to switch onto Clearway.

“Clearway and Connaro are similar in the way they go; they both have big, slow strides so I really focused on riding forward,” she said.

When asked if she ever expected to win a major equitation final, Maya had some great advice that every rider should aim for.

“My objective is to do my best in every show. Yes, I want to win the big classes but it is not realistic to assume on any particular day that I will win,” she said.

Currently, Connaro is on break until indoors. However, Maya will be taking her other two equitation horses, Fox Z and Narco V A, as well as one of her jumpers, to Kentucky. In the fall, she will be competing in the big equitation finals.

Photo Credit: Jumper Nation.

Like most equitation riders, Maya would like to transition more into the jumpers and hopes to do so by the end of this year. She also will be a freshman at Columbia University, and she plans on continuing to ride while in college.

All this competing takes a lot out of a rider, so we asked Maya how she unwinds from riding and competing.

“I adopted a puppy earlier this year [at] WEF so playing with him helps me unwind,” she said.

Finally, we asked Maya if she had any advice for young riders looking to compete in the Big Eq classes and be competitive in National classes like the Hunterdon Cup. She gave top compliments to her trainers throughout the years.

“I would not be the rider I am without the trainers at Beacon Hill and Mario Deslauriers, so my advice is to surround yourself with great trainers and people who can instill confidence in you.”

Maya’s first round performance can be found below.

April 14, 2016

Q&A: Why didn’t you delete your Twitter?

I wanted to address something, which I’ve addressed many times on my Twitter account but seems to be missed by some.

A few weeks ago, I said I would be deleting my Twitter. This was for a number of reasons. I did delete my Twitter, but I noticed as soon as I did, my readership numbers went down greatly. I realized that Twitter, out of all the social media platforms I use, was the best social media promoter out there (right now), and even though I didn’t want to really deal with it on a daily basis, I needed it for my brand and business, so I decided to reactivate.

I have been accused of claiming to delete for attention. This is absolutely untrue, and I know some of you will still refuse to believe me – that is fine. But I wanted to write a post about it because it’s getting frustrating constantly addressing it in my ask. It was not for attention. Quite frankly, I was sick of the drama, sick of the bullying, and sick of the constant negativity that comes with that platform. I am quite a bit older than most of the people on Twitter, and as a result, I tend to get negative feedback from those who haven’t learned better or who just have nothing better to do than to bring people down. You’ll grow up one day and realize how stupid the whole thing was; of that, I’m sure.

To those of you that have seemed/seem to want me to delete my Twitter so badly, I say this to you lovingly and authentically: Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has bad days. If you’ve never made a mistake on Twitter, then you truly are perfection, and I bow to you. If you’ve never gotten involved in drama or a Twitter argument, you are a saint. If you wanted and still want me to delete that badly, please unfollow me. It will save you aggravation and you won’t have to waste your time rolling your eyes at whatever it is I do that bothers you. I say that with zero reservation.

Do I want to be on Twitter? No. It has gotten progressively worse since I started on eq anon island and since I started becoming more public with my life, but I need it for my brand and my business. And for those of you that don’t think you have a brand, you do if you use social media frequently and have a lot of followers.

There are a select few of you who get away with being a bully constantly and bringing others down. I salute you. Maybe you don’t care about your brand. Maybe you don’t care what others secretly think behind your back. Just like I’m not immune to hate; neither are you. But, what goes around comes around.

Maybe, one day, there will be another platform that promotes my blog better than Twitter. But for now, I need it to continue to up my numbers.

And, for the record, your negativity against others, whatever it may be, says more about you than it does about the other person.

April 8, 2016

From Junior to Pro: An interview with Kelli Cruciotti

Last year, Kelli Cruciotti clinched a win in the Pessoa/US Medal Finals. She has since gone pro and is fully focused on developing herself further in the jumpers with a huge ultimate goal for 6 years down the road. Kelli was kind enough to do an interview with The Legal Equestrian, and we caught up with her about riding, aging out, what she’s been up to since Medal Finals, and some non-horse-related things.

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Photo Credit: Peter Pham.

How long have you been riding?: Ever since I remember I have been riding, I believe I did my first leadline class in Indio when I was 3 years old.

How did you get started?: Since my mother … has always had a very large training stable, I have been involved [with] horses my entire life.

What drew you to the equitation?: My mother is a very strong supporter of the equitation and how it promotes the classic American style of riding and how it translates into the higher levels of the sport. Since I was very young I always loved to compete in the equitation in hopes to further my skills for the jumper ring.

What do you plan on doing now that you’ve aged out?: I am currently working for my mother at our stable Serenity Farm. I plan on further building our business while continuing to develop myself as a professional.

What was aging out like for you?: For me it was not difficult at all, I was taught that the equitation is a necessary stepping stone to other things, not just something you do for your junior career and then you have nothing after. This helped not put so much pressure on my “last junior year” as I was already thinking about what I would do next.

What was it like winning a major equitation final?: Winning a major equitation finals was a dream come true not only for me but also for my team. We all worked toward the goal of winning a final[] and for it to actually happen was a great credit to everyone around me and for all of their hard work.

How did you prepare for equitation finals this year?: I did not prepare for this equitation final[] any differently than I had any of the other[] years[.] [Y]ou want you and your horse to be ready for anything but you really don’t know exactly what will be asked of you on that particular day. The only thing that I had done differently was not ride Monterrey in the warm-up class before the finals. I always thought his best class was the first one he did, so I took a bit of a chance and thankfully it [paid] off!

With whom do you train?: For the equitation and the hunters I train with my mother, Cindy Cruciotti, and for the jumpers I train with Peter Lutz.

What are your must have equestrian products?: My Ariat Monaco stretch boots. With being so busy and being on your feet all day it is so nice to have a boot that is so functional and looks great. I could not go to a show without them!

What are your must have products for your horse?: My horses are very spoiled and cannot live without their treats after they come out of the arena.

Tell us about your horse(s).: At the moment I have some very exciting horses: I have Monterrey, my equitation horse. [We] won the finals and now compete[] in the International Hunter Derbies. Then I have Chamonix H, who is my most seasoned horse that I compete in the Grand Prix [classes with] and [the] Under 25 classes. I recently bought two very nice 9 yr old horses and a 7 yr old to develop for the future.

Are you going to college? If so, where?: No right now I am focusing completely on my riding and training career.

If not, do you plan on going professional?: Yes I turned professional as soon as I aged out, I am really looking forward to the future!

Kelli after winning Medal Finals. Photo Credit: The Chronicle of the Horse.

What has been your most memorable riding experience?: Getting to share the Medal Finals win with my family. We all work so hard and for everyone to get to share the moment together was something very special for me.

What has been your biggest riding accomplishment?: Winning the Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon with Chamonix. This was a class that I didn’t expect to place in, let alone win, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

What have you struggled with in riding?: Being brave, I have a very shy personality and sometimes that would translate into my riding. I had to learn to get a little tougher and be more outgoing.

What comes easy to you in riding?: I have always felt like I had a good connection with the horses, whether I am riding or taking care of them. I really just love being around them.

Kelli & Chamonix during the Devon Sapphire Grand Prix, which they won.

How do you unwind?: I love watching TV shows such as Criminal Minds and Law and Order to help me unwind from the busy days.

How often do you ride?: Six days a week.

What is your favorite band?: I don’t really have a favorite band, but I do really enjoy country music.

What is your favorite food?: I love Italian food, anything to do with bread and pasta I could eat everyday!

Dream person to clinic with?: I f I had to pick someone that I would like to clinic with I would say Hap Hansen. I have always admired his riding style and how effortless he makes everything appear.

Kelli’s dream horse to ride. Photo Credit: HorseAndCountry.tv

Dream horse to ride?: My dream horse to ride would be Glock’s London.

Ultimate goal for your riding.: My ultimate goal for my riding is to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games for the United States.

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Kelli can be found on Instagram.

April 4, 2016

Getting to know you… Senior Editor Liv Godfrey

pc: Liv Godfrey

How did you start riding?: My elementary school had a fall festival every year with pony rides, and after riding all 5 ponies, I decided I wanted to start taking riding lessons.

When did the horse bug bite?: I was 7 when I started seriously riding, 6 when I first fell in love.

She is from: Boca Raton, FL

She is: I’m a junior in high school. I work for a family with two kids, and I ride horses.

How often does she ride?: 5-6 days a week

What does she rider?: hunter/jumper

What divisions does she show in?: Last year I did a few hopeful hunters and special hunter classes with Lulu, but this year we plan on doing the jumpers and some equitation.

Tell us about your horse. Do you own him/her?: Own. My horse’s name is Lulu and she’s a 6 year old Chestnut OTTB mare. Lulu loves donuts, fruit loops, and oatmeal creme pies. I bought Lulu blind online from New Vocations Racehorse Adoption out of Ohio, and when I got her she had just turned 4. She was about 1500 pounds underweight, nervous, had terrible feet, and walked with a few laps of trot in her. I’m a lucky girl with a great horse, who now goes around like a pro and has a ton of scope. Lulu is my miracle horse!

Why TLE?: I always followed the blog and loved the idea of writing about horses. I am a huge advice giver and love raving about products that work really well to people at the barn. I also love writing about motivation, persevering, and patiences.

Favorite article: My article about necessary selfishness.

How do you get ideas for articles?: Before bed, in the shower, riding, at the barn; whenever they pop into my mind.

Goals: To win classes at A/AA circuit shows and become a more soft, confident, smooth, and consistent rider with my horse.

What does Liv look for in a guest writer?: Creativity! As the launcher of the submissions program and the Senior Editor, I see a lot of repetivity. Write about something we’ve never heard or seen before.

How does Liv spend time away from horses?: Friends and other things. Parties are fun too.

Future horse-related goals?: To run a successful boarding, rehab, and sale farm.

pc: Liv Godfrey

Favorite “famous” horse? Rothchild

Favorite “famous” rider?” Beezie Madden

Riding strengths and weaknesses?: My leg, upper body, and eye are my strengths; my weaknesses are my hands and arms.

Must have horse items: Equifit, Parlanti, Samshield, and Ecolicious Equestrian. I couldn’t pick 3.

Must have equestrian apparel?: Sporthorse Lifestyle, Personally Preppy, and Hunt Club.

Betsee Parker’s money or McLain’s eq?: Dr. Bestsee Parker’s money.

Rider Liv looks up to?: Beezie Madden because she’s a flawless rider, has a great head on her shoulders, fantastic horses, and a humane mindset. She puts the horses’ well-being, health, and comfort first and tests every product for months before signing a sponsorship. [She is] truly a model horsewoman.

Horse-related accomplishment: Bringing Lulu along.

Other pets: Yes. I have 2 dogs, Max who’s a mutt and Frankie who’s a pug.

Favorite riding weather?: Cool and sunny spring, fall, or summer days.

pc: Liv Godfrey

WEF or Ocala: WEF

Saddle brand?: CWD

Showing colors?: Subtle colors on EquiFit boots, show coats, and helmet monograms in the eq ring that look sharp (such as hunter green, maroon, navy, french blue, cream, etc).

Non-horse-related brands: Too Faced, Benefit, American Eagle, and Nordstrom.