2009.11.10 13:19:12

ili

 

Got this from a friend and just had to share it with you all. So true!

Only horse people...

 

• ...believe in the 11th Commandment: Inside leg to outside rein.
• ...know that all topical medications come in either indelible blue or neon yellow.
• ...think nothing of eating a sandwich after mucking out stables.
• ...know why a thermometer has a yard of yarn attached to one end of it.
• ...are banned from Laundromats.
• ...can magically lower their voices five octaves to bellow at a pawing horse.
• ...have a language all their own ("If he pops his shoulder, I have to close that hand and keep pushing with my seat in case he sucks back".)
• ...will end relationships over their hobby.
• ...cluck to their cars to help them up hills.
• ...insure their horses for more than their cars.
• ...will give you 20 names and reasons for that bump on your horse.
• ...know more about their horse's nutrition than their own.
• ...have neatsfoot oil stains on the carpet right next to the TV.
• ...have a vocabulary that can make a sailor blush.
• ...have less wardrobe than their horse.
• ...engage in a hobby that is more work than their day job.
• ...know that mucking stalls is better then Zoloft any day.

 

 

horses | fun | horse people

2009.09.07 18:53:05

alanmaz

AUSTIN FOOD (edit/delete)

Each City has its own flavor and favorites when it comes to food. So what can you find in Austin Texas to eat?

Austin has an eclectic collection of wonderful foods. Go downtown and you can experience a world of different kinds of food; Indian, Mexican, Italian, American, just about every kind of food you can imagine.

 

If you are visiting Austin soon... here are some recommendations for fun and fine dining.

Moonshine Grill! Great food! www.moonshinegrill.com

Hut's Hamburgers. Fun and great burgers. http://www.hutsfrankandangies.com/

The Salt lick is a great place to sample Texas BBQ. http://saltlickbbq.com/

WHILE YOUR HERE WHY NOT LOOK AT REAL ESTATE IN AUSTIN? email me at alanmaz1@earthlink.net

2009.08.27 11:22:51

ili

Hey guys,

we finally got some rain! Unfortunately with a big thunderstorm.

I live in the Wells Branch area (North Austin by Mopac where the toll road starts).

When I was driving home last night in the rain I saw a dog on the site of the road. She was walking on the site walk. Since it was poring and just an awful Thunderstorm I turned around to look for her. At that time she was on the other side of the road and came to my car when I stopped. I tried to open the car door to get her in.

 

By the time I had the passenger door open she was already on the drivers site looking at me. I opened that door and she jumped immediately in the back of the car!

She was so scared that by the time I was at my house she was sitting on my lab!!

We had our 3 dogs in the house so we were just going to put her in the garage.

When we got her in the garage we tried to read the tag on her color. Unfortunately no owners number but at least it was the rabies tag with the vets info.

While looking at that we saw that she was bleeding. I bet you anything the car right behind me, which was driving in the right lane must have hit her!!!!! I cannot believe that these people didnt stop! What in the world were they thinking????

I think she lost at least her right bottom k9. At that point we also saw that she was limbing and her legs were bleeding.

She must have been in so much pain! I can't believe how sweet she was to us under those circumstances!!! When we saw that she was injured we got her in the house, and I started calling our vet and the vet on the tag. By the time I had talked to a vet, was laying on a towel in our living rooms, legs in the having my husband pet her belly. She is as sweet as you can possibly imagine.

She was also not completely soaked from the rain so I am pretty sure she must have gotten away from a house very close to Wells Branch elementary school.

We brought her to the emergency vet in North Austin. She nearly jumped in the car again with hurting legs, just to be not left behind I think. At the vets office she was not going to go to the back with them, but followed my husband to the back of the office without problems.

They checked her out and said that it seems as if she has no severe injuries, broken bones etc.

They kept her there over night and will bring her to Townlake Animal Shelter this morning.

She had a color and seems way too well taken care off and friendly not to have somebody out there that will already terribly miss her!!!!

She is probably a year or so, has a tag from the Metric animal hospital, tan coat, approximately 30-40 lbs. Pink collar. My husband and I are not agreeing on the breed. I think she looks like a mini pit bull mix with a little longer coat than a pit.

PLEASE forward this email to everybody you know here in the N-Austin area. I are really sure that somebody must miss her!

THANKS! Iliane

lost & found | dog

2009.08.02 00:22:42

ili

I just recently started reading Leo Babauta's blog ZenHabits and really enjoy what he has to say. One of his latest blogs is “Two Questions to help you gain perspective”. He talks about how we often get stuck with busy work that lets us feel as if we are busy but doesn't really help us accomplish our goals.

He mentions Twitter, checking emails and spending lots of time on Facebook as examples for those time wasters.

I understand that for some people those activities are essential to keep their business running, however many of us spend hours checking out photos of people we don't even know, reading the newest Hollywood rumors, chatting with friends or getting upset about little things. Tony Robbins calls it “the majority of people is majoring in minor things”.

His blog is written for business but I think the questions he is asking are also very valid for the horse community.

Question 1: If someone had a video tape of your typical day, what would they see?

He is not looking for the small bad habits that we all have, but talking about how we spend our active hours. Like described above, would that person see you waste time chatting with people in the stall about the newest rumors, or are you spending your day at the stable with productive work?

Question 2: Based on your current actions and behaviors, where do you expect to be in five years?

Leo states that this does NOT mean, where would you LIKE to be. BUT where will you be if you keep doing what you are doing right now. So if you currently get to the barn chat for a while, then get the horse ready and ride a couple of rounds and get him back in stall, that will probably not win you the next competition and probably also not a competition 5 years down the road! But if you have a plan on what you are trying to accomplish, what small shows you are working towards in the near future, what little goals you need to accomplish each time in training and how you need to improve to reach your goals 5 years down the road, then you are probably going to reach those goals!

What are your answers to those 2 questions?

Thanks for reading!

Iliane 

goals | Training

2009.07.31 19:50:38

ili

fun | story | horse | friends

2009.07.28 17:32:26

ili

Sunday evening was an awesome event organized by Austin Dressage Unlimited (ADU). Dinner & a Movie.

About 30 horse enthusiasts and riders met at Suzy Remmert's house to watch “If Horses could Speak” by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann who also wrote “Tug of War Classical Versus Modern Dressage”

The film talks about the biomechanics of the horse and how the rider and training can influence those biomechanics positively or negatively. Since horses don't make a specific noise when they are in pain, the trainer, rider and audience needs to use other signals to understand their state of health.

The film uses 3D animations as well as footage from competitions and training to show well and badly trained horses.

The film talks about training techniques that influence the horses' movement in a way that a clean gate is not possible for the horse anymore. These techniques can damage the horses' body permanently. It also mentions, that a study in the Netherland shows that up to 17% of horses have to be euthanized by age 8 due to improper training. I was not able to find the source of this statement.

Featured are big names of the riding industry, that all agree with Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, like Chief Rider Johann Riegler of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Professor Heinz Meyer, Peter Kreinberg, and David de Wispelaere, with introduction and epilogue by equestrian historian Hans-Heinrich Isenbart (author of The Kingdom of the Horse and The Imperial Horse: The Saga of the Lipizzaners).

It is stated that many riders showing bad training in tests are still ranked with top scores. The film is intended to make people rethink their riding techniques and to appeal to judges and the system to keep the horse in mind when scoring competitions. Classical dressage training with the horse's mental and physical health as main concern should be the goal for all of us.

Today I checked out Dr. Heuschmann's website and interestingly enough I found the following statement on his website http://www.gerdheuschmann.com/film.html :

„Per Antrag einer einstweiligen gerichtlichen Verfügung vom 22.5.09 auf Betreiben einer Dressurreiterin ist es dem Wu Wei Verlag nur noch auf UNBESTIMMTE Zeit erlaubt, den Film „Stimmen der Pferde“ zu vertreiben. Da wir noch nicht wissen, ob es überhaupt eine einstweilige Verfügung geben wird oder „nur“ eine Klage (die wird in jedem Fall durchgefochten werden müssen), wissen wir per heute auch nicht, wie lange der Original-Film noch vertrieben werden darf. Es kann jeden Tag der vorerst letzte sein… Selbstverständlich werden wir Zeit, Mühen und Kosten nicht scheuen, im meinungsfreien Gebiet Deutschland, den "Stimmen der Pferde", die Stimme zu erhalten. Zumal im Film nicht Reiter diffamiert werden, sondern lediglich die von Ihnen vorgestellten Pferde werden gezeigt - schlimm genug, dass diese Reiter weiterhin darauf beharren, taktunrein, im Pass, in Rollkur, in Spann- und Schwebetritten reiten zu dürfen. Was diese Reiterei für die Pferde physisch und psychisch bedeutet, interessiert die klagende Reiterin nicht - was sie interessiert ist ausschließlich ihre Reputation.“

 

The note on the website (and above) states, if I understand it right, that a (or several) dressage riders are suing him and that the publisher can only sell the original of the movie for an unknown amount of time.  They will fight for their right to be able to keep distributing the film. It sounds as if the rider sued for libel (think that is the right term).  Heuschmann states that the film is not displaying any riders, just horses presented by those riders and disagrees again with them insisting on the practice of Rollkur etc.

They are suing in Germany so I am not sure if that will influence the ability to purchase the video in the US.

I thought this was an interesting turn of events. Go watch the video and post your comments. Would love to hear what you have to say!

You can find the video on Amazon: If Horses Could Speak: How Incorrect "Modern" Riding Negatively Affects Horses' Health

Thanks for reading!
Iliane

Update: The rider suing Dr Heuschmann is Austrian former Olympian rider Sissy Max-Theurer for negative footage displayed in film. You can read more here 

Hans-Heinrich Isenbart | Johann Riegler | Training | Dr. Gerd Heuschmann | video | Dressage

2009.07.25 21:22:55

ili

For the first time ever will 3 finals of the Worldcup be in one city. The FN (Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung) already new that the Worldcup finals for Show Jumping and Eventing in 2011 are going to be held in Leipzig, today they were informed that also the Dressage final will be held there.

This is the 3 rd time for Leipzig to host the Worldcup finals after 2002 and 2008. Leipzig is excited and the horse community can look forward to an excellent show in one of Germany's fascinating cities.

 Source: click here 

competition | jumping | Dressage | Eventing | 2001 | Germany | worldcup

2009.07.19 00:35:07

ili

I had met Kim Snyder of Bit By Bit Farms for the first time about 5 years ago through a mutual friend. Shortly after we met she moved Bit By Bit Farms to a new fabulous location in Elgin.

Elgin is about 30 minutes East of Austin. A quick drive that is so worth it. Ones you are out there it feels you are in a different world. The noise of the ever growing city with cars and construction is gone, all you can hear are birds, snorting of horses, the occasional tractor and Kim and Debbie teaching lessons.

Kim Snyder has about 100 acres of rolling hills on sandy loam ideal for horses. She has been working with horses since the mid 80s and is not only running a successful breeding program that constantly produces talented young hunter horses, but also training horses, and riders and is keeping her boarders happy. Kim has also awesome horses for sale for all age and training levels.

The facility is stunning. When you first come in you will probably be greeted by a few friendly dogs. One might bark at you if you are not going to throw his Frisbee. You will immediately see the large jumping arena and behind it several barns followed by rolling hills.

Kim Snyder is always looking for more children to teach. Her schooling horses are super friendly and kids safe. Bit by Bit Farms has organizes several summer camps and has one more coming up in this season. With a newly build club house, 100 acres to do fun things, great horses and instructors like Kim and Debbie the summer camp is a blast for all participants.

I will sure head over there soon again.

Check out Bit By Bit Farms in our Stable Listings .

tx | austin | Farms | Jumper | Hunter

2009.07.19 00:11:54

ili

Some great news from the Dallas Morning News: The Lone Star State has managed to gain small businesses despite the recession, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. As the number of self-employed workers fell 2 percent nationwide to 15.9 million last year, Texas figures rose nearly 2 percent to 1.1 million. The Small Business Economy report indicated a 1.4 percent rise in the number of Texas employer firms, to 449,681. Meanwhile, the number of U.S. employer firms remained flat at 6.1 million. Nearly 90 percent of those businesses are estimated to employ fewer than 20 people. And check out this video:

 

 

Find more information on the Texas Real Estate Market at Texas Capital Real Estate

Real Estate | austin | tx

2009.07.19 00:10:35

ili

My Grandparents celebrated their Diamant wedding anniversary yesterday. 60 years! Can you imagine that? The pastor was briefly speaking. He had a story prepared that summed up what they believe is the secret to 60 years of marriage. There once as a couple.... He like red wine, she liked white wine. When they got married they only drank rose (pink) wine and neither one like rose! My grand parents secret is don't go for the pink wine! Don't sacrifice yourself but be individually happy while being happy with the other person. Give and get a little!

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