Kerrits Sale

This unassuming little red building out in the Gorge holds some of the most coveted apparel for the equestrian, Kerrits brand clothing. To our delight, once a year they have a WAREHOUSE SALE!!!I went with two friends, Tammy and Nicole. We made the trek out to Hood River, visions of breeches, jackets, and fleeces dancing in our heads. The strategy...get there early and you are more likely to find samples and irregulars and cheap, cheap, cheap prices. We got there so early, we had to kill some time with coffee. We finally headed over and started our power shopping. Walking into that warehouse...you almost hear angels sing! My stack contained 2 jackets, 2 fleece, 4 breeches, 6 shirts, two hats, and two socks. My bargain of the day...my "Coach's Coat" normally $229 retail for a mere $39. That was the one things I really wanted and they had an irregular in my size sitting right on the table waiting for me to plop it in my bag.

For Tammy and Nicole, it was their first time at the sale. I was thrilled that they enjoyed it as much as I and both had comparable stacks. For Nicole, she was excited about her half chap find and some Christmas gifts she found for her mom. Tammy found some awesome breeches samples ($29!) made from fabrics that were soft and looked like denim and a really cool belted black pair that were really hip. Tammy is the sample size (medium) so she scored some killer deals on coats as well. Tammy brought her SUV...we filled it and headed off to lunch at the aptly named "Big Horse Brewery" to refuel after our exciting morning of bargains.

Legendary Art

There was an open artist studio in Portland today that I went to check out. Near the back I spotted them....a whole herd of beautiful sculpted stoneware horses. The artist is Jan Rentenaar. You can see more examples of her work here. She says, "What you see here is myth made reality by the hand of a sculptor." My IPhone pics don't do them justice. These horses are stunning and as you stand back and look, you see characteristics in each one that resemble the horses we know. I ended up getting a beautiful green one that reminded me of Maddy. It had a floppy mane and big cheeks. It would seem I handed Jan a photo of Maddy and said "Make this horse!"

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy your friends, family, and food.

Shrinking Equus

I just got my December issue of Equus Magazine. I have been getting it for years because I enjoy the fresh information. I think even on the web, you can google horse related topics and it is very limited. Especially if you want to learn about equine science. Equus is always forward thinking in their publishing of studies and research on horse health and advancements in care. Sometimes the content available online seems as arcane as some of the training methods that are out there. Just in this issue, an article about a new strangles vaccine and a study about gender affecting trainability. I am not writing this to sell subscriptions, but instead to mourn the loss of pages over the last couple months. My favorite magazine is shrinking. I set a nickel down next to it and it is the same thickness, a mere 72 pages. Coming from someone who works in news, I have watched the steadily decline in print over the last couple years and now I am seeing the bottom drop out. Print is gasping for breath and I think within the next two years we will witness its death. That means newspapers, magazines, and eventually books. Yes books. Have you seen the Kindle or the app on the IPhone that just lets you download books? Everything will be online, electronic information. So today I am going to kick back and enjoy turning my pages...even if it is only 72.

Lucky Friday the 13th

I promised a story from "The Mane Event" about survival, well here it is. This is a story about luck on this Friday the 13th. On December 4, 2008, the SPCA in Frasier Valley received a call about a pack of abandoned dogs. Upon arriving on the scene of the abandoned property, they heard a noise coming from a dilapidated shed. They entered and saw a shape huddled in the corner. It was an abandoned horse, surviving in this barn for possibly 5 months. He ate wood and his own feces and licked the condensation off stacks of tin. They suspected he was a yearling, his growth stunted from starvation. As they led him outside into the sun, he shook violently and was little more than a walking skeleton. It was a long road of rehab and recovery. A year later his adopter brought him to "The Mane Event" to participate in some of the Jonathan Field demonstrations. This little guy seemed to be in good hands, a caring owner that hopefully made this pact. "In exchange for your trust, I promise to never allow anything like that to happen to you again."

Love this

Isn't this a beautiful painting? I love it. I saw it on a first Thursday Artwalk in Portland, Oregon a couple weeks ago. For a mere $600, it could be mine. (Gasp!) It is big, like 5x5. I have always been drawn to circus books, pictures, and paintings. Maybe in another life, I ran off and joined one. I don't enjoy going to them. I find myself feeling sorry for the animals, but the images and the lifestyle have always been intriguing. Maybe I just love those beautiful white horses. Oh, I love this painting...a girl can dream right? The artist can be found at www.bantampainter.com

Weston

I realize he is not wearing a helmet and lots of people will be upset by that...but I had to post this pic anyway. My brother just sent me this photo. It is my little nephew Weston sitting on "Jessie". I love seeing him up on a horse. My brother and I grew up on the backs of ponies, so I hope Weston has the same kind of childhood. My sister-in-law doesn't like horses, so I think his only opportunity for riding will be when he comes to visit his aunt Julie or visits grandpa.