LOSING MY NOBLE AND GREAT HORSE!

In my fantasy series, "The Mist Trilogy," I made up a story about the noble and great horses who are chosen to be unicorns when they die.

I now have sent a second "noble and great" horse to Celestia, the unicorn kingdom in the afterlife.

On Sunday, Oct. 15th, my beautiful Kit left this earth life. Kit was an amazing horse that I had the privilege of owning for twenty-two years. He was almost twenty-nine when he died which is old for a thoroughbred. His health was not great. He had already lived through a surgery to remove a tumor around his optic nerve. He also had to have daily medication for cushings. Cushings is a common desease in older horses though it has been diagnosed on rare occasions in younger horses. The symptoms include: 1. Excessive thirst and urination. Normally, a horse drinks 5 to 8 gallons of water a day. A horse with cushings drinks 20 gallons of water a day. 2. His coat gets long and doesn't shed in the summer. 3. He looses muscle tone and weight and his eyes get dull. They often develop a hay belly. 

Your vet can do a blood test to determine if your horse has cushings. It can not be cured but can be managed with medication. I was giving Kit daily Prascend pills by hand. They made a world of difference.

However, even with the best of care that I was giving Kit, I can't stop time.

Kit was the leader of my band of horses at my house. Yet he was always the gentleman. The other horses respected him and deferred to him but he was never unkind to any of them. I called him my "benevolent dictator!"

Kit was the RMDS Dressage Champion at First Level and First Level Freestyle. He was also the cover boy for all my trail guide books titled: "Riding Colorado." I bought him as an untrained six year old and trained him to compete in Dressage and ride the trails in the Colorado mountains. We shared some amazing adventures together.

I am so grateful that I had the privileged of owning and loving this amazing horse.

Here is a beautiful poem that a friend sent to me. Maybe it will make you feel better if you've lost a horse, too.

Don't Cry For The Horses by Brenda Riley-Seymore

Don't cry for the horses that life has set free.
A million white horses, forever to be.
Don't cry for the horses now in God's hands.
As they dance and prance to a heavenly band.

They were ours as a gift, but never to keep
As they close their eyes, forever to sleep.
Their spirits unbound, forever to fly.
A million white horses, against the blue sky.

Look up into Heaven. You will see them above.
The horse we lost, the horse we loved.
Manes and tails flying, they gallop through time.
They were never yours, they were never mine.

Don't cry for the horses, they will be back someday.
When our time has come, they will show us the way.
Do you hear that soft nicker close to your ear?
Don't cry for the horses, love the ones that are here.

If you would like an autographed copy of "The Mist Trilogy," go to the website: 

www.dancinghorsepress.com

The series is also available in print and ebook wherever books are sold.

What is an American Warmblood?

Those of you who follow my blog know how heartbroken I was when my dressage horse, Jazz, died from a tear in his heart. I was devastated. It took me a couple of months to feel like I could even look at another horse as a prospective new partner. Well, yesterday, May 23rd, I brought home a beautiful little mare. She is eight inches shorter than Jazz and a girl to boot. I have never had a mare. I've always been attracted to boy horses and girl dogs!

As I said, I brought home this sweet girl and am already in love with her. She is an American Warmblood. Jazz was a Hanoverian, a warmblood breed developed in Germany. But America is developing their own warmbloods.

American Warmbloods are a warmblood type horse developed for the sports of Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, and Driving. They are approved and registered by the American Warmblood Society.  The horse must be suitable for the above sports and born in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. While almost any breed is possible for acceptance, they must meet the strict criteria set forth by the society. Therefore, the American Warmblood is more of a "Type" than a "Breed" at this point.

Typically, they are solid in color and between 15 and 17 hands tall.

I have named my new horse "Amara" because she is so feminine in appearance. She is very responsive and as supple as a rope of licorice. She is amazingly calm for just an 8-year-old.

I am planning to work up the levels in dressage with her, but I also love to trail ride and jump so she is going to get to do a little bit of everything. 

Right now I don't have any plans to feature her in a book like I did Jazz in "Behind the Mist," but you never know....

HAPPY DECEMBER!

Happy December! That means it is almost Christmas...YAY! I love Christmas. My husband is crazy about Christmas, too. He says the best thing, and maybe the only good thing, about having a horse-crazy wife is that it is easy to shop for Christmas gifts. All he has to do is get a gift card from the Dover Saddle Shop in our town of Parker, Colorado.

Here is my Christmas wish list:
1. Warm winter riding boots
2. Warm winter riding socks
3. Warm winter riding breeches
4. Warm winter riding jacket
5. Warm winter riding gloves

Do you see a pattern here?

If you need a gift idea for a horse-crazy kid or adult, pick an award-winning book from my website. I will autograph it and send it to you.  Click here: www.dancinghorsepress.com

May I suggest The Mist Trilogy for fantasy lovers ages 9 and up. You can buy the complete set for just $30 including shipping and handling! This is the story of the noble and great horses who are chosen to become unicorns when they die and the first boy who is allowed into their kingdom and trained to become a unicorn rider. As with all classic fantasy tales, central to the story is the struggle between good and evil. The evil takes the form of a power-hungry unicorn who no longer wants to serve the animals on earth. Rather, he wants to control and rule them. You'll love reading about the adventures and struggles.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN UNICORN STYLE

Happy Halloween from unicorn Jazz!

(Jazz is the star of The Mist Trilogy)

SPRINTER SACRE - Champion Steeplechaser

Are any of you steeplechase fans? If so, I'm sure you have heard of Sprinter Sacre. This fabulous horse is a dark bay thoroughbred gelding from France. He made his first racing appearance in 2010 at Ascot where he won by a nose. This was over a flat course. His first appearance in a Steeplechase (over jumps) was in December of 2011 at Doncaster and he won by 24 lengths!

Earlier in the month of March, 2016, Sprinter Sacre came back to win the 2016 prestigious running of the Cheltenham festival's Queen Mother race. He was the "come back kid" having won the race in 2013. But then, he spent two years recovering from heart problems. There was great celebration when he returned to the winner's circle!

Two miles galloping over fences can really take its toll as a horse ages. Sprinter Sacre was fouled on April 23, 2006. That makes the bay almost 10. But his owner, Caroline Mould, is still a believer in her horse and hasn't talked about retiring him. His jockey and trainer say he still has the fire in him.

Here is a short video of Sprinter Sacre winning the Queen Mother Race a couple of weeks ago:

 https://youtu.be/SHbZD15zaAQ

About Steeplechases: Generally, a steeplechase is a cross country race (though now they are run on tracks) that includes jumps, though there are some that are called flat races and, as the name suggests, do not include jumps. Steeplechases began in Ireland in the 18th century. It got its name because the horses and riders would race from church steeple to church steeple across country and would jump whatever hedges, rock walls or water ditches that got in their way.

Steeplechases are the most popular in Ireland and Britain. The most famous race is the Grand National held in Liverpool England and made famous for Americans in the movie staring Elizabeth Taylor titled "National Velvet."

There are Steeplechases held in other countries as well, including France, Czech Republic, Australia and the United States.  

Ready to read a wonderful fantasy for horse-lovers:

Read the award-winning THE MIST TRILOGY:

Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and The Rising Mist.

Available on its website and wherever books are sold.

www.themisttrilogy.com

ADIOS-THE FASTEST PACER IN CELESTIA!

When my husband and I were newly weds, we drove across the country from Oregon, where we were married, to New Haven, CT where Tom was a student at Yale and I was going to start my teaching career at North Haven High School. We had taken the long route through Canada before cutting down into upstate New York. It was late at night and without even a moon to light the way, all was dark as we drove across the farm lands. Eventually, the sky up ahead was glowing with bright lights. When we arrived at the source of the light, we discovered that they were illuminating a horse racing track. Going around the oval were Standardbreds, pulling sulkies. Having never seen a harness race before, we pulled off and went to watch. It was fascinating and so fun.

I have mentioned before that, as a child, my favorite books were anything written by Marguerite Henry. She wrote one book about harness racing titled "Born to Trot". That was my only exposure to harness racing.

So, today, I decided to go back to my usual theme of "Noble and Great Horses" and write about one of the greatest harness racers: the great champion and outstanding sire, ADIOS!

 Adios was born on January 3, 1940, the son of Hal Dale and the mare Adioo Volo. He was born at Two Gaits Farm in Carmel, Indiana. He was trained and driven by Frank Ervin. For a while, he was owned by Harry Warner of the Warner Brothers film studio. During his racing career, he won multiple world championships. His pacing record at the Shelbyville Indiana fair stood for 43 years!

In 1948, Adios was bought by harness racing driver Delvin Miller. Miller brought him to his Meadow Lands farm near Washington, PA, where he stood at stud. While he was a great racer, Adios was even a better stud and is considered by many to be the greatest sire in harness racing history. He sired eight "Little Brown Jug" winners and his sons, Adios Butler and Bret Hanover, both became winners of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. Before he died, Adios had sired 589 offspring. His name is found on consumer products and harness horse equipment. He even has a golf club in Florida named after him!

The Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers are:
Cane Pace, held at Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY
Little Brown Jug, held at the Delaware County Fair in Delaware, Ohio
Messenger Stakes, held at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, NY

There is a different Triple Crown for Trotters.

All North American Harness races are restricted to Standard Bred Horses.  But the races are divided into two specific gaits: a trot or a pace.

 There is a big difference between pacers and trotters. A trot is a two beat diagonal gait, like my Hanoverian, Jazz, does and that we English riders ride either posting (rising up and down) or sitting. The trot of a standard bred is faster than the gallop of the average non-race horse and has been clocked at over 30 miles per hour.

The pace, on the other hand is a lateral two-beat gait. In the pace, the two legs on the same side of the horse move forward together. Some horse naturally prefer to pace. This gait is generally not comfortable to ride as the rider is thrown from side to side. The pace of the Icelandic Horse is one exception. But the pace is even faster than the trot in a harness racing horse.

This famous set of pictures shows that there is a moment in the pace (as well as the trot) when all four of the horse's feet are off the ground.

READ THE AWARD WINNING FANTASY 

"THE MIST TRILOGY"

BEHIND THE MIST, MISTS OF DARKNESS AND THE RISING MIST

Autographed copies available on the website:

www.themisttrilogy.com

Also available wherever books and ebooks are sold.

AT LAST! A TRIPLE CROWN WINNER: AMERICAN PHAROAH

HE DID IT!

THE NEW TRIPLE CROWN WINNER: AMERICAN PHAROAH

I posted earlier that I am always hoping for a triple crown winner. Finally, after 37 long, dry years, American Pharoah became only the twelfth horse to earn the title. Twenty-three horses have won the first two races: The Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but only a dozen have won all three!

Here is the list of the 12 Triple Crown Winners:
1919: Sir Barton
1930: Gallant Fox
1935: Omaha
1937: War Admiral
1941: Whirlaway
1943: Count Fleet
1946: Assault
1948: Citation
1973:Secretariat
1977: Seattle Slew
1978: Affirmed
2015: American Pharoah!!!!!


During the 1970's, as you can see from the above list, there were three triple crown winners and I had come to expect that every few years there would be one. WRONG! Thirty seven years is a LONG time to wait for a new one, especially when, every year, I am hoping for it to happen.

American Pharoah's name, including the misspelling, came from his sire: Pioneerof the Nile, and his Dam's sire: Yankee Gentleman as well as his owner/breeder's Egyptian heritage. He was born on Groundhogs Day, Feb. 2, 2012 at Stockplace Farm near Winchester, Kentucky.  He was bred and is owned by Ahmed Zayat.

American Pharoah is described as a people-lover. He is gentle and calm for a race horse. His two most outstanding characteristics are his long smooth stride, seen in this picture,

 and his short tail! Apparently, a stable mate chewed it off!

He is a beautiful bay with only a tiny hint of a star and no other white markings. You can see the star in this picture. (Jazz, the star of Behind the Mist also has a tiny white star! Perhaps American Pharoah will become a unicorn someday, too!)

Now, I must add my plea to the Thoroughbred Racing business to please stop racing these horses so young and intentionally breeding for legs that are too thin to carry their own weight! My joy at American Pharoah's victory is greatly tempered by my sadness at the loss of yet another beautiful horse on the same day at the same track in a different race. Behind a curtain out on the track, just three hours before American Pharoah raced and won, Helwan ran his last race. On the back stretch, this beautiful thoroughbred "broke down" as they call it. That means, in this case, his left front cannon bone snapped. A curtain went up and he was euthanized where the crown didn't have to see it. "Broke Down?" Really? These aren't just cars or trucks! They are living,feeling creatures. And the racing industry has caused this by its breeding practices and training and racing these horses WAY too young!

Rare? you ask. NO! Since January, 43 horses have died in training or racing...just in the state of New York!

I don't know what to do about this!

So, with a bit of an ache in my heart, I guess I'll go back to writing my latest book.

Need something great to read for the summer?
Get the Gold Medal winning trilogy: Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and The Rising Mist:
On the website: www.themisttrilogy.com or wherever books or ebooks are sold. 

A TRIBUTE TO SKIP

One purpose of this blog is to memorialize the noble and great horses in our lives...not just the famous ones! Here is a beautiful tribute sent in from Colorado:

A very sad yet joyful day today!!! My daughter Nicole Janitell's horse Skip went to the Rainbow Bridge. We are very sad to lose a member of our family but he is in a better place. Thank you God for all the great memories and a GREAT horse. He will live forever in our memories as our Grumpy Old Man with a huge heart!

Thank you Skip for taking care of my Nicki and giving her the love and nurturing and teaching her so many things.We will miss you and will always love you.

Send me a tribute to your special horse at: mjevansbtm@gmail.com

and I will include it on a future blog post. 

THE MIST TRILOGY HONORED WITH NATIONAL AWARD

 I received fabulous news! The Mist Trilogy: Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and The Rising Mist were selected to receive the Mom's Choice Gold Medal Award.

I am especially honored to receive this award because of the stringent evaluation that the books had to go through to be chosen. The Mom's Choice Award judges follow a strict evaluation process. Entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost. The judges look for books that help families grow emotionally, physically or spiritually: are morally sound and promote good will; and are inspirational and uplifting. (according to their website: www.momschoiceawards.com.

The gold medal is awarded to the books or products that receive the highest scores. I am so grateful that the panel of judges felt that my work adds something good to the world.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN HORSE STYLE!

Last summer I was invited to sign books (specifically Behind the Mist) at a horse camp because the theme was fantasy and the director was giving each camper a copy of Behind the Mist. So, for fun, I decided to dress Jazz (the star of Behind the Mist) up as a unicorn and sign books from his back. It was really fun and he looked gorgeous!

So, in honor of Halloween, I decided to search out photos of creative costumes for horses. Here are some of my favorites!

Aren't people creative and aren't horses patient with us?  Since standard poodles are my favorite dogs (they really aren't dogs, they are in a class by themselves!) I had to put in two pictures of poodles. I adored those 3 little kings! And Harry Potter is great! 

 I also discovered that there is a company that makes horse costumes so you don't even have to be creative. Here is their website: http://www.thehorsetailor.com/costumes-catalog.html

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

And remember: Don't work your horse...dance with your horse...play with your horse...have fun with your horse!

Read The Mist Trilogy: Autographed copies available here:  www.behindthemist.com

YEAH FOR JAZZ-THE STAR OF THE MIST TRILOGY!

Saturday, Sept. 20th, Jazz and I competed in the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society Championships in the Level III class. Jazz was wonderful and we were excited to place third. Now it is back to work to get even better and work toward next year's show season!

Here is a picture of my wonderful husband of 42 years who always supports my horse addiction. He is the ultimate "Horse Husband!"

With show season over, it's time to read. If you need a good book, read Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness or The Rising Mist from The Mist Trilogy, or North Mystic. They are all 
available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and everywhere else. But the Best place is on the website where you can get the books autographed!
Click here: www.mjevansbooks.com

THE RISING MIST GIVE AWAY!

IT'S HERE! THE MIST TRILOGY IS COMPLETE! 

I am so excited. So, I decided that it's time to celebrate! The best way to celebrate is a give-away! Go to the Behind the Mist Facebook page. "Like" it and leave a comment with your email address. We will have a drawing on August 19, the official release date, and the winner will get a FREE copy of The Rising Mist-The Final Book of The Mist Trilogy. Easy as pie, or as they say now: Easy Peasy. Here is the link to the Behind The Mist Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheMist

U.S. PONY CLUBS BUILD HORSEMEN AND WOMEN (AND FUTURE UNICORN RIDERS!)

I was a horse person born to non-horse parents. While they didn't understand my obsession (for that is what is was and still is!) they did everything they could to support me. This included two riding lessons a week. In those days, group lessons were $2 each. Now, that may not sound like much to you but, to my parents, it was a big sacrifice. As I became more and more accomplished as a rider, my teacher, Johnny Johnson at Highlands Hunt Club in Portland, Oregon (it isn't there anymore) started "encouraging" my parents to get me my own horse. This was something they could not afford so for a year, all of 7th grade, they pulled me out of riding.

By 8th grade, God intervened and provide me with a young, untrained, beautiful dapple-gray Arabian. (see my very first post!) I trained Tai and he took care of me. But my greatest resource for my training and horse care knowledge came from my involvement in Lake Oswego Pony Club. Every Saturday morning, I rode across Lake Oswego, something you probably couldn't do today, and rode with Pony Club. In the summers we would compete as a team at the Pony Club Rallies and take our tests to move up the levels. We competed over 4 days against teams from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The first day we had to take a written test on horse knowledge. The second day we competed in Dressage. The third day we competed over the cross-country course. The fourth day we competed in Stadium Jumping. Each day, we were also judged on horsemanship by "secret" judges that watched us care for the horses. I loved those rallies! And I learned so much! By the time I graduated from High School, I had received my "B" rating. At that point, I went off to college and didn't have time to get my "A." But Pony Club never left me and it is because of my exposure to dressage in Pony Club that I am competing in it today!

Since I was supporting my horse myself, I didn't have money for a trainer. If it hadn't been for Pony Club, I would have been lost. At that time, all of the coaches donated their time to us. It was so wonderful.

I loved Pony Club so much that I included a character in my book,"Mists of Darkness,"

that was a Pony Club member! She gets injured when one of the evil unicorn Hasbadana's mists of darkness descends upon the Rolex Three-Day Event. She is healed by Nick and his unicorn, Lazari.

Pony Club's Values are:
Horsemanship with respect to healthcare, nutrition, stable management, handling and riding a mount safely, correctly and with confidence.
Organized teamwork including cooperation, communication, responsibility, leadership, mentoring, teaching and fostering a supportive yet competitive environment.
Respect of the horse and self through horsemanship; for land through land conservation; and for others through service and teamwork.
Service by providing an opportunity for members, parents and others to support the pony club locally, regionally and nationally through volunteerism.
Education at an individual pace to achieve personal goals and expand knowledge through teaching others.

U.S Pony Club wrote a blog post about my writing. You can read it here: http://blog.ponyclub.org/2014/05/30/665/

To learn more about Pony Club or to find a Pony Club in your area go to their website: http://www.ponyclub.org/

Need a fun book to read? Read The Mist Trilogy: Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and the soon-to-be-released The Rising Mist. You can get them on the website, amazon or wherever books are sold. www.behindthemist.com

SPOILING YOUR FUTURE UNICORN!

If you are a true horse-lover, you will be able to relate to me and my life. In fact, if you were born a horse, you would wish you had been purchased by ME! My horses are loved, pampered and spoiled to the core! This cartoon makes me laugh as I think about how my horses are treated:

 If you are like me, this is your life:

1. Your horse gets new shoes every 8 weeks...you haven't had a new pair of shoes for two years.

2. Your horse's "clothing," blankets, saddle pads, etc., are all newer than anything hanging in your closet.

3. Your horse gets regular check-ups from the vet, including teeth exams...you don't even know your doctor or dentist's names.

4. You sit in your old, junker car while your horse rides in his fancy new, padded trailer with extra matting on the floor.

5. Your horse eats the finest feeds and supplements while you dine on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

6. Your horse's stall is fresh and clean with sweet smelling shavings...who has time to wash your bed linens?

7. Your horse's coat shines like a new penny from hours of brushing...how long has it been since you have been to a beauty parlor. (What's a beauty parlor?)

So, when other people say we are "Horse Crazy," I think they are emphasizing the "Crazy" part. I also think they are right! But we have to laugh at ourselves. Right?

Contact me at my website: www.behindthemist.com and tell me the crazy things you do for your horse!

RIDING COLORADO III--Day AND Overnight Trips With Your Horse

ANNOUNCING! ANNOUNCING!! 

I have just released my third equestrian trail guide book for Colorado. What's different and unique about this book? This book is perfect for you even if you aren't lucky enough to live in Colorado. If you have a  horse and a horse trailer and a dream to ride in the beautiful Colorado mountains, then you need this book. It has 17 destinations throughout the mountains where you can go and bring your own horse. Whether your tastes lean toward the cozy comfort of a Bed & Breakfast, the variety found at a resort, or camping in the rustic wilderness, Colorado's mountains have a place for you and your horse! I made a careful evaluation of both the human and the horse accommodations as well as descriptions of some of the trails found in the area that you might want to explore.

The cover picture was taken of me on my thoroughbred (future unicorn) Kit. He is now 23 years old and has been my constant companion since he was six. I love that guy, as I have said in previous posts. In this picture, we are seen riding in the Dolores River Canyon in the southwest corner of Colorado.

 Here we are at a resort in the northern area of Colorado called Beaver Meadows.

Here is one of my test riders, Tia on her horse Rain, in Big Meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Here is Larry, another test rider, and me on Kit, at Fooses Creek in the middle of the state. 

So, no matter what part of the state you go to, you will have a fabulous time!!!

It will be available on the website soon. If you can't wait, email me at:

mjevansbtm@gmail.com and I can arrange to have one mailed to you.

Just $19.95!

While you are driving to Colorado with your horse, listen to the audio version of Behind the Mist! 

It is fabulous!

 Available NOW on the website or on Amazon:
www.behindthemist.com