P H
ublisher’s Welcome
Not Every Good Deed is Punished
ow many of us have stepped out on a limb and done something completely unplanned, arguably borderline crazy, when it comes to horses? I would hazard a guess that you, like me, have at least a couple of those gems hidden in your past. Even with the best intentions, sometimes our good deeds backfire. Other times, however, the outcome is so rewarding it overshadows the hassle and expense you found yourself committed to.
One of my don’t-think-about-it-just-do-it moments was in the form of a four-year-old Arab-cross, who stood about 14.2 and was unbroken, underweight and appeared neglected living alone in a local farmer’s cow pasture. Every time I rode by and saw him completely covered head to tail with stable flies as he ate poor-quality hay, my heart ached. Now I stand about six feet tall, I owned two horses at the time and I had absolutely no use for this little guy, but I had one vacant stall. (Ohhh, those empty stalls can be hazardous!) I inquired with the farmer as to his story. Turned out the farmer had agreed to let a local woman put the horse there, but he had caught her stealing his cow hay and she hadn’t been paying her pasture board bill. Te next day I met her at the farm, handed her a $1,000 check and the horse was mine. Second guessing my decision as I trailered him home, I couldn’t look back. For the next six months I did the usual: cleaned him up, wormed him, trimmed his feet, gave him inoculations, fed him well and eventually started him under saddle. He was downright adorable by the time I was finished with him. I sold him easily the following year to a wonderful home as a trail horse. Sure, not every good deed will have a happy ending like this one, but you never know until you try.
In this issue we have two stories where people—admirably—went out on a limb and followed their intuition. Te story of the mare Suki, who suffered terrible burns, is gut wrenching as you study the photos and learn about her long road to recovery. But clearly her owner Frances did everything possible to make her mare comfortable and, in an unexpected twist, Suki has “paid it forward” to other burn victims. Uro’s story is another sad reminder that when performance horses end up in the wrong hands, things can go downhill quickly. Gratefully, a good Samaritan was there at the right time to save him. We also share with you Sharon White’s story—a remarkable event rider who doesn’t let serious falls and setbacks stop her from pursuing her riding and training goals. And in the special breed section we present the Holsteiner horse, its proud history and interesting viewpoints from a slew of their dedicated breeders. Also inside this issue is a great overview of crooked legs in foals—something I, as a non-breeder, assumed some foals were simply born with but learned it’s a condition that they can develop as they grow. I also enjoyed the interesting observations that Judy Wardrope presents when it comes to selecting Toroughbreds for breeding for sport. And of course we have our regular columns that are informative and fun. Our goal with every edition of Warmbloods Today is to both inspire and educate you in a variety of ways with a variety of topics. I sincerely hope this issue accomplishes that. And if you’re in the market for a new horse, you won’t be disappointed with what our breeders and advertisers are offering. Be safe and enjoy the summer with your horses as you train, compete, breed or ride for the sheer pleasure. And as you do, keep one eye open for those don’t-think-about-it-just-do-it opportunities; you might fill that empty stall aſter all, and its new resident will thank you for it.
Liz Cornell, Publisher
editor@warmbloodstoday.com
Our Mission: Warmbloods Today is the leading magazine in North America focused on the entire spectrum of Warmblood breeds. It’s a place where people from all aspects of the sport horse community can come together: amateurs, owners, trainers and breeders. Each issue contains interesting, informative and often heart-warming stories of peoples’ experiences with their horses, along with thought- provoking opinions from various professionals and amateurs. We cover all horses from European descent bred for the sports of jumping, dressage, eventing and driving including the Iberian breeds and American Warmbloods.
10 July/August 2013
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