NEWS&VIEWS continued...
city and this state. A legacy of progress, a legacy of opportunity, a legacy of growth and a legacy of leaving no one behind.” First Lady Moore, Christian Johansson,
Belinda Stronach, David Rubenstein, and Michael Hankin will serve as the festival’s co- chairs. Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson, Maryland Depart- ment of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks, and Baltimore City First Lady Hana Scott will serve as honorary festival chairs.
Commander Speaks Book Review
by Tracy McKenna Former Mary- lander Jody Jaff e’s latest novel is a fast paced gallop through the (not so) glamorous A horse show cir- cuit. Commander Speaks,
by Boomerverse Books,
published explores
10 | JANUARY 2025 | THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION
horse abuse and the sexual preda- tion of minors on the show circuit. Fans of Jaff e’s work (like me) have been begging for a new mystery in the manner of her other works (Horse of a Diff erent Killer; Chestnut Mare, Beware; and In Colt Blood) that featured reporter Natalie Gold, who juggled horses and her career. While Commander Speaks is not technically a Natalie Gold mystery, Jaff e throws in enough Easter egg hints to make the leap, but it is not necessary to have read her ear- lier works to enjoy this latest off ering. With her journalist’s knack for jumping in and engaging the reader, within moments Jaff e has introduced Ronny Mancuse, the trainer everyone hates and future murder victim, and a talking horse with a personality that won’t quit. Well, he doesn’t actually speak. T e titu- lar character, Commander, is a fancy, expensive, imported German warmblood recently pur- chased by Mrs. Abernathy, a former journal- ist who made a fortune when her novels were turned into a hit series by a network streaming service, and now has all the money in the world to spend on her expensive hobby. Mrs. A purchased Commander, a former 1.45 meter jumper, so that she could be success- ful in the 2’6” Special Adult Hunter ring, but Commander has taken to biting Mrs. A. Af- ter spending another fortune on vetting treat- ments to make sure that there is nothing wrong with Commander, someone suggests that Mrs. A should hire animal communicator Izzie Isaac to have a word and see if she can get to the heart of the problem. Mrs. A. Is not convinced but decides to give it a try. Commander is more than eager to talk, pre-
senting a laundry list of things that need to change for him to stop biting, such as moving his stall, changing his groom, having Mrs. A stop eating onions, and using unscented de- tergent when washing his saddle pads. He also mentions that he would prefer to go by his Ger- man name, Kommandant, but if that is too hard for the Americans to pronounce, he will respond to Dante. He doesn’t stop there and he tells
Izzie about Ronny Mancuse’s habit of groom- ing the teenage girls who train with him, and his habit of drugging horses to get them to perform. Dante shares with Izzie that Madison, a former rider at the farm, developed an eating disorder and died because of Mancuse’s behavior, and now it looks as if he’s found a new target, and something needs to be done to stop him.
continued...
CARRIAGE DRIVING TRAINING TIPS FROM CLAIRE LACEY T is month's Training Tip comes from Maryland Horse Council board member and carriage
driver Claire Lacey. Lacey has many years of experience as a carriage driving trainer and instruc- tor, and she is certifi ed by T e Carriage Association of America. She has won several National Championships in Combined Driving as well as Championships in Pleasure Driving. Lacey is the current president of My Lady's Manor Driving Club. For more information about driving, or to contact Lacey with additional questions about the sport, see
MLMDC.org.
Driving Safety Basics Driving is a parallel uni-
verse of equestrian sport fi lled with diff erent ver- sions of many things we do under saddle: Recreational Driving, Driven Dressage (there’s a medal program), Combined Driving Event (modeled on Eventing), Combined Tests, Reins- manship, and Pleasure Classes, to name a few. T ere is something for just about everyone. It is natu- rally adaptive and inclusive of everyone, even those who don’t ride at all! Many breeds can drive and many horses will enjoy it, fi nding it easier to pull than carry. T ey
Claire Lacey is a longtime driving competitor and trainer.
can easily pull 1 to 1 ½ times their weight, but equipment needs to fi t. Carts (2 wheel), Carriages (4 wheel), and harnesses all come in diff erent weights and sizes. Driving is as much fun as riding but less forgiving if something goes amiss, so we avoid that
as much as possible. A loose horse is just that, but a loose horse with a vehicle has the potential to damage, injure, and scare itself, others, and property. Training to drive is an incremental process that starts with long lining, which is a great win-
ter activity, and the fi rst step to acclimate the horse to being directed and controlled from the ground while in work. It is critically important to gradually and incrementally introduce the horse to the equipment and to driving concepts, such as use of the specifi c aids. A few essential safety rules make it much safer.
• If you are shopping for a driving horse, insist on seeing it being driven. It may be a long time since it was driven and may not actually do so anymore. • Don’t attach anything to a horse without knowing if the horse will be ok with it. Consult a professional or knowledgeable driver to evaluate and set up. • Never leave a horse that is attached to a vehicle unsupervised, even for a moment to take a photo, even if tied to a trailer etc. • Never hitch without the bridle and reins being on the horse. • T e driver (a.k.a. Whip) is always fi rst on and last off the vehicle. No exceptions! • It is recommended to wear a helmet. • It is safest to have someone able to help you any time you drive. Drivers know that and help each other out, so it’s a great community to be part of.
You spoke and we listened! Based on feedback from the 2024 Maryland Horse Forum requesting more content geared towards training tips for various equestrian sports Maryland has to off er, we now bring to you T e Equiery's newest column "Training Tips."
800-244-9580 |
www.equiery.com
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