Tennessee Equestrian Real Estate : The Farm at Tralee : Knoxville Farm Land in Strawberry Plain, Knox County, TN

Fall is a great time to ride. The weather is cooler, the bugs are fading away, and this time of year also brings reflections on training goals that have been pursued throughout the year. I think fall is a great time to show, and I can't think of a better local venue than River Glen Equestrian Park. River Glen is hosting their fall "A" Hunter/Jumper show from October 2-5, and again on October 9-12. This is an amazing opportunity to show what you and your horse have been working on throughout the summer. If you aren't able to show, then simply watching can really be of benefit. There are many great classes to watch, and don't forget the warm-up ring--a great place to watch trainers fine tune their clients before the big class. I particularly enjoy watching the hunter divisions and practicing my judging. I bring a piece of paper and pen, and a list of shorthand symbols that represent different flaws or problems that can occur on course. I judge and place the class, and then see how my placings compare to the actual judge. This is a great way to tune your eye. A good resource for folks interested in doing this is a DVD called "The Judges Eye".

Fall is also a great time to set new goals for training over the upcoming winter. I love attending clinics because a new perspective can really rejuvenate your riding. One clinician that has been coming to Knoxville lately is acclaimed dressage trainer Kate Poulin, daughter of the famous U.S. Bronze Medalist Michael Poulin. Kate is a USDFand NAYR Gold Medalist, among other achievements. She has trained horses of many breeds from basic ground work all the way up to Grand Prix. She follows a classically based training program, which appeals to me greatly as I believe in the power of classical riding principals. Her clinics are graciously hosted by Teresa Shafer at her farm in West Knoxville. The upcoming clinic dates are November 8-9. I will be riding my new young horse in the clinic, and two Tralee students will be riding their horses as well. Contact Teresa if you are interested in riding or auditing. Her email is teresaandandy /a/ comcast.net, and her phone number is 865-207-4733. We hope to see you there!
 

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I have basically known that this day would come...the dreaded day when one of my "babies" needed to be sold. I am many things, but a horse-seller I am not. I tend to collect, and eventually bury, the horses I have known. I am what you call a "lifer". But there are times when selling a horse is not only a very legitimate choice, but the best choice, for both the seller and the horse. Such is the case with Archer. He belongs to Tralee, but he is loved by all. A total character and a barn favorite, he has been a blessing to the many riders in his life that he has taught. Like many talented horses, Archer has moved around a lot from show barn to show barn. He eventually ended up at Tralee to be rehabilitated after an injury. He recovered, and moreover he has taught many riders here a thing or two about riding. However, his size (18h.!) made him an awkward fit for most students. It was often the case that his talents were wasted away and he was only worked a day or two every week. I knew he deserved a real mommy, one who was devoted to only him. At Tralee, he was underused and taking up much needed space in our barn. I decided to sell him with much sadness. But the story gets interesting here...

Going through his file, I found an old letter from his former owner's mom. The mom was writing to a trainer buying Archer, who used to be known by the name Jake. In the letter she expressed how her teenaged daughter was terribly distressed that they had to sell "Jake" and hoped that they could stay in touch with him as he ages, and even purchase him back some day when life was more settled and the time was right. She mentioned how her daughter found a soul mate in "Archer". 

Well, I called the number on the letter and left a detailed message. A day later I got a phone call from his former owner Sarah. She was hysterical with joy to locate him, as the name change combined with serveral successive homes had caused her to lose track. She expressed her heartbreak over losing him, and as a successful career woman in her 20's, how she still felt like the loss of him had left an empty hole in her life. She came to see him here in Knoxville and brought him his favorite treat, Skittles--who knew! Archer is moving to Miami to live the rest of his life with Sarah in October. He is finally going home to be with his mom again, and while I am so incredibly sad to lose him I can't think of a better ending to his story. Congratulations to Sarah and Archer...or should I say Jake!

 

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Caren and her mare Tarny have been together many years, and have done many things together. But while her "past life" included some polo, some jumping, some trail riding, and more, her current days are filled with work and family. It has been several years since Caren last jumped. She has been working hard on her equitation since coming to Tralee, and the work has shown. Her communication is more clear and smooth with her horse, and this is a direct result of her body being more stable and controlled. So it was no surprise when she mentioned jumping in her last lesson. We agreed to take it slowly, but this lesson we did a few crossrails for the first time in our lessons. Tarny and Caren looked great, without a bobble or awkward moment between them. Not bad for a "several year" hiatus! It was all smiles this Sunday, but I chose to post this photo because I love the look of calm focus on both of their faces as they canter away from the jump. This look says volumes to someone who rides...it is the epitome of that place that we all go to when we ride. A place so focused and peaceful, that the whole world just melts away, and it is just you, your horse, and the wind in your face.

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We have some new faces--both horse and human--at the farm! Elizabeth and her Trakehner mare Maddie came to us last month from Newport, Tennessee. Elizabeth is going to be a freshman at UT this fall, and is planning on going to vet school. She and Maddie are currently shopping for a new saddle, which I'm sure many of you know is not easy to do! Saddle shopping is one of those things--the more you know, the more overwhelming and daunting it becomes. Still, knowledge is power, and the best hope you have for finding a saddle that fits both you and your horse is to educate yourself. A book that I really recommend for this job is titled "The Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book" by Dr. Joyce Harman.



Another new pair hails from New York. Clarice and her uber-gentleman Trakehner gelding Baron are resettling here in Tennessee. Clarice bought a farm and is designing her own private barn not far from Tralee. While construction occurs, we get the pleasure of Baron's sweet face every day. Clarice and Baron competed in the Adult Amateur hunter division, and are veterans of the HITS circuit in New York, so Clarice has seen many beautiful and functional barns in her life to prepare her for this design project. I can't wait to see the results!


   
Lastly, Caren and her husband Tom purchased a new horse--Tom's first! Thunder is a Shire/Irish Sport Horse cross. He is a whopping 18h and is the sweetest thing around. Tom and Thunder are planning on pleasure riding and trail riding, and maybe down the road a little fox hunting may happen. In the meantime, they have had to grin and bear it while us girls oooh and aaah over Thunder's big chocolatey eyes and long flowing mane. He looks like a fairy tale horse, and Caren summed it up as her daughters stared gleefully up at the new boy: "I have a feeling there is going to be some glitter in that mane some day". Sorry Tom! The least we can do is use a masculine colored glitter...

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This winter was filled with hard work and training for Gracie, and I decided it was time to test her skills at her first Eventing competition. I signed up for the spring Horse Trials at River Glen Equestrian Park, and I entered her in the beginner novice division for green horses. My student Kim has been riding Gracie a lot while her mare is laid up, so it was only fitting that Kim got to compete in her first event too!



We were both a bit out of our element, and joked the entire weekend about being Hunter/Jumpers without a clue...but Gracie was all business, as usual, set out to claim her place at the top. She knows when the show has begun, and she really turns on her "show pony" game face.



Her dressage was good enough to put her 4th out of 17, and we were more than happy about that. But her jumping is where she really excels, and after a double clear stadium jumping round and a clear cross country round, Gracie ended the weekend as she expected...in first place! I am so proud of her and Kim, and we all had a great time. Gracie is owned by The Farm at Tralee and she is currently for sale, ideally to a good eventer who wants a little horse with tons of heart. Check out our Sales and Leases page for more information.


 
The weekend after River Glen, a group of us went up to Lexington, KY to watch the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event--the pinnacle of eventing competition. It was an amazing display of athleticism and bravery, and we all had a great time. The highlight was watching Karen O'Connor compete on the famous "Teddy", a 14.2 hand pony! Teddy is the first pony to ever compete at Rolex, and he took 3rd last year, and 6th this year. He is the true definition of "pony power".

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This week, Tralee student Susan and I chose to take advantage of the decidedly spring weather and go lesson in the field. The best field for riding is a large stretch of hilltop that overlooks the pond and pavilion, and due to its shape we riders call it “The Big L” field. The “L” is community space at Tralee, open for riding, picnicking, bird-watching…and most of all, for the simple serenity of gazing at vast stretches of rolling meadowland.



It’s a great place to pull all your riding skills together, because open space riding really requires an effective, confident, accurate, secure rider who can use her aids well. Susan was up to the task, and Gracie enjoyed the break from the arena as they practiced hand galloping over the rolling terrain and jumping the single fence I had brought out to the field. I personally always feel bolder jumping in the field, as if somehow the fences magically shrink against the blue horizon. I think this comes from that naturally more forward pace that most horses have in the open spaces, or maybe just because the tall grass makes the fence height look smaller.



Either way, the field can be a fun place for an experienced rider to get some confidence-boosting mileage over slightly bigger fences. By the end of the lesson, I dropped the 3’6” vertical down to 2’9” for one last jump, and Susan remarked that it looked positively puny at that point. This picture captures that happy moment, after a mind-opening lesson such as we had this day, where 2’9” will never look quite the same again!

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My husband bought a new digital camera that promises to take better action shots—a must for horse sports. The first day out of the box, he went out the front door to give it a test run. As he walked toward the mare field, Gracie the mooch started walking toward him. She is such an attention hound, and the look on her face generally demands to know what could be cuter or more important than her. He got a series of pictures as she approached and then nosed out to sniff the camera, which was clearly occupying Mark’s precious attention. This shot says it all…”icky camera”!

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One of the advantages of being in Tennessee is that we have relatively easy access to many major horse events in the southeast. Whether you want to watch jumpers in Florida, eventers in South Carolina, or thoroughbreds in Kentucky…it is never more than a day’s drive at most! Like most horse people, I love to watch competitions. So, today I am going to talk about some competitions in the area that might inspire you to get a group together and go watch the horses put on their best.

First, I can’t go much farther without mentioning the recent Nation’s Cup competition in Wellington. The U.S. team won the prestigious competition for the first time since 2003—go USA! A record number of countries were represented in this year’s competition, which is a great sign that show jumping is a sport that is continuing to grow and spread. Additionally, a locally owned horse “Utopia” took home 3rd place individually in the class, with Irish rider Edward Doyle on board. She is truly an incredible mare, owned by GK Performance Horses in Norris, TN. They are poised to produce some fabulous jumpers out of their barn, and I can’t wait to see what their bright future holds.

Some upcoming events are equally sure to be exciting. A group of us are making the annual pilgrimage to watch Rolex this year. It is one of only three 4-star rated event in the world (the other two are in the UK!). It is a spectacle not to be missed, and the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is such a fabulous venue that it alone is worth the trip. In fact, the Horse Park was deemed worthy of hosting the first ever World Equestrian Games outside of Europe! In 2010, Lexington, KY will make history, and no doubt make us proud. Of course, Kentucky is truly most famous for whiskey and horse races, and you can get a good dose of both at the Kentucky Derby on May 3rd in Lousiville. Bring your hat, ladies…this event is all about tradition, from “The Song” to the Mint Julep, you’ve got to immerse yourself in the whole experience at the Run for the Roses.

Lastly, our own local show venue River Glen will host their spring Horse Trials on April 19-20. Tralee student Kim will be taking Gracie, so look for us there!

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At the end of January, Tralee student Kim and I went to Florida to watch a clinic taught by a living legend in the horse world, USET show jumping coach George Morris.



Mr. Morris was teaching the second annual “Horsemastership Training Session”, in which a group of eight top young riders attend a week-long course that includes not only riding but hands-on horse care. Top riders, trainers, grooms, and vets came to offer their expertise in the clinic, which is intended to develop our future top riders into true horsemen. However, the clinic was not held behind closed doors. The public had free access to watch all the riding sessions, as well as most of the guest speakers. Kim and I could not pass up an opportunity like that! Thanks to Allegiant Air, we were able to get a cheap direct flight to Fort Lauderdale and drive a short distance to the show grounds in Wellington. The next four days were immensely informative and enjoyable. Mr. Morris is an incredible teacher, and I was soaking it all up like a star struck kid. The clinic was sponsored in part by Practical Horseman magazine, so instead of trying to cover it all here I suggest that if you want to read more go to their website and read the daily updates filed by their journalist.

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We have some new equine faces on the farm this week—Little Bit and Tarny are settling in to their new home. Tom and Caren are Knoxville locals who are going to be building a weekend home at Tralee, and Caren is a lifelong horsewoman.



Her black Quarter Horse mare Tarny has been in her life for many years, and a partner for her pleasure riding and jumping.



Little Bit is a Shetland/miniature horse cross that their children ride. His mere size, combined with his snowy cream coat and chocolaty eyes, have made him a main attraction for all the barn folks lately. Now if only he were a Little Bit bigger……

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Well, the best laid plans of mice and men can’t compare to those of women and their horses! Kim and I planned to ride in the Opening Hunt this year, but it fell through for both of us. I got the flu days before Thanksgiving and was not well enough to ride, but my husband Mark and I went to watch the blessing of the hounds and see the riders off.



It was a gorgeous day, and all the horses and riders looked terrific. The hounds made music as they trailed across the hillsides, and it made me so depressed that I was not following them on horseback. Maybe another time!

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The other day I got a real treat: a ride on a Rocky Mountain Horse. These unique little horses are the perfect horse for trail rides: sturdy and smooth. Which gets me to my ride: a student of mine is a trail riding guide at the exclusive and internationally renowned Blackberry Farm resort near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The resort uses Rocky Mountain Horses because they are gaited, which means that instead of the traditional walk, trot and canter, these horses have additional gaits. Like the Tennessee Walking horse, Rockies have what is know as a running walk˜a super smooth and fast four-beat gait that replaces the trot. Needless to say, gaited horses are scarce in the H/J scene, so it was a rare experience for me. Thanks to the girls at Blackberry for letting me ride such a beautiful mare-it was a blast!

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We had our annual visit from the equine dentist this week. Dale Craig is an ACEqD, which stands for “Advanced Certified Equine Dentist” for all you non-horse people out there. He drove to us from his home in North Carolina for a long day of hard work balancing teeth. Equine dentistry is one of those jobs that is more difficult and nuanced than it looks, and the horse really can suffer greatly from a lack of dentistry or poor dentistry. In fact, many performance and/or behavior problems are actually dental problems in disguise. Think about it—having a bit in your mouth alone can be a source of great pain if it comes into contact with a wolf tooth. If you’re a horse, the only way you can express this discomfort is through resistance. A horse who tosses his head when ridden, avoids taking contact with the bit, is stiff to one side, or has a poor hair coat or body condition is likely a horse that is desperately needing a dentist. I like to talk about good horse care, and I hope that this blog will help horse people in Tennessee find the services that they need. So, here goes another shameful plug: visit www.equinedentistry.com to find a certified practitioner in your area.

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This past weekend several of us went to a local combined test held at Cedar Valley Farm. It was a crazy weekend, and it seemed like everything leading up to the show went wrong for us, including the biggest fiasco of all on the day of the show: a lost dog! Kim’s dog Amelia did not like being locked in the tackroom while we drove off to the show, and she made her getaway while we were gone. Nobody could catch her as she ran terrified, looking for Kim. Within minutes she was gone altogether, and we got the phone call at the show saying that they feared she was off the farm and lost. Of course, Amelia decided to pull this stunt on the day of Kim’s first show with her horse Decadence. Kim was devastated to miss the show, but she had to drive the hour back to Tralee to find Amelia. Meanwhile, Nikki on Cadbury and Susan on Alabama stayed and tried to make the best of things. And they certainly succeeded! Both were entered in the same division, and Nikki took home first place, with Susan scoring the 3rd place ribbon. We were thrilled! Then, to make things even more hectic, Kim found Amelia waiting for her at the driveway to the farm, as if to say “What took you so long?”. She decided to turn back around, this time with dog in tow, to try and make it back in time for her round. She arrived with 15 minutes before her scheduled dressage time. We could only laugh as she warmed up her Hunter (complete with D-ring snaffle, close contact saddle, square blue pad, and stirrups on the short side…) for their first show together—not to mention their first dressage class. Kim was a bit frazzled, but she managed to pull off a beautiful test. The judge awarded her the 3rd best dressage score in their division, but alas all the stress and confusion of the day caused Kim to forget one of her jumps on course, and she was out of the ribbons. But on the bright side, we now know that Amelia has severe separation anxiety, and Deca can “play” dressage for a day. Susan went to show in another division later in the day, where she an Al had the best dressage score of the entire show. Susan won her division and took home a special “High Score” prize-a comfy folding chair for future horse shows. It even has cup holders. Her husband Brent was pleased…

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Happy Birthday to our good friend and “barn fly” Kim! Kim and her horse Decadence have been working like crazy to get ready for some upcoming shows this fall. This will be Kim’s first time showing Deca, and they are a bit behind schedule because Deca was off for quite a while this past spring. Once the problem was resolved, training resumed and to our surprise nothing seemed to have been lost. Deca picked right back up where she left off, and Kim began to think that maybe the show season was not a complete wash after all.




The one major hurdle for them is flying changes. Deca has decent changes, but Kim is green when is comes to asking for a change…and Deca certainly needs to be asked, as she does not just volunteer them! We have avoided the change issue in favor of building flat work basics and improving communication. We wanted the building blocks there in place before asking. Well, sure enough, that strategy worked! It seemed like all of a sudden one day it clicked with the two of them. Deca started swapping from right to left perfectly, but with a little bit of trouble going left to right. It turned out to be the best birthday present Kim got! We celebrated birthdays for Kim and another student Lauren down at the pavilion on Sunday. The guys grilled burgers, Lauren brought a cake, and we all ate, swam, talked horses, caught fish, released fish, caught more fish, and had a great time. Afterwards, we went up to the barn and cantered around, swapping leads. Best birthday present ever…


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With the remains of last year’s hay taking up a small corner of the loft, I knew it was that time of year again: hay time! Ordering hay is not my favorite chore, because the prospect of spending an entire summer’s day in a sweltering loft bucking hay bales just isn’t as fun as it sounds. Still, the process is made a bit better by having a good hay vendor who can make it all go smoothly. We buy our hay from a premium horse hay company called Production Acres, located in Lancing, Tennessee. Production Acres is a family farm that grows top quality horse hay and also brings in hay from other growers all over the country for distribution in the southeast. The owner Calvin is a very busy man, especially this year.

The drought in Tennessee and all over the southeast has severely reduced the hay crop this year. Of course, those same drought conditions mean that farm managers have to start feeding hay much earlier in the year, and more of it. Needless to say this makes for a limited supply, and I was worried. However, Calvin was not, and sure enough he delivered 16 tons of very nice second cutting orchard grass. Now the only problem was getting it into the loft! Luckily, the delivery man Lloyd brought superb forklift driving skills. Joan and I ended up spending most of the day in the air-conditioned tackroom, watching Llyod slide bundle after bundle of hay smoothly up into the loft. Success! Thanks to Production Acres, and here’s hoping next year brings more rain

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This summer I have been thinking a lot about the 14 years I have spent with my horse Burke. It seems like a long time, with a million memories to show for each and every year. But at the same time it has raced by, and as he ages I can’t help but feel anxious wondering how many more great memories will we create? It was in this reflective mood that I started browsing through old pictures. I realized that even though we’ve been together for so long there were surprisingly few photographs to cherish. So, I decided to hire an equine photographer to come to the farm and take some portraits of my boy. I have to say it was one of the best things I have ever done!



After some searching I found a photographer who does equestrian work on the local East Tennessee Hunter/Jumper circuit. Julie Poole is a Knoxville resident who specializes in horse and dog photography. She really captures the spirit of the animal, be it a head shot of your prized stallion or a photo finish of your racing whippet! She had a spring special going on that waived the farm call fee if there were three or more participants, so I just had to get boarders Nikki and Kim to join in.



The scheduled day arrived. After much horse bathing and clipping, we three girls finally headed down to the house to shower and get ready. The afternoon was hot and hazy, worsened by the drought this summer. Sure enough, as we prepped for the shoot a thunderstorm rolled in and rained like crazy. When Julie called to reschedule we were forlorn. It turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise, because the very next day we proceeded with the shoot under a brilliant, freshly washed blue sky.



The day was perfect. Julie started the afternoon with head shots under the leafy trees. Then we moved on to riding and jumping in the ring. Since Julie was able to enter the arena (unlike at a horse show), she was able to get some really unique artistic shots. She used various lenses to get wide angle effects, and she was even game enough to crouch next to the landing side of a 3’6” vertical to capture Kim and Gracie landing in grand prix style. That shot will make Gracie’s sale ad for sure!



The grand finale was held in the rolling Tralee fields at sunset. As we loped bareback into the sunset and lolled across our horses sun-kissed necks, Julie captured what we all agree are our favorite moments. I am so glad to have the photos of my boy. His golden chestnut coat and chocolate eye sparkling in the sun shows that horse that I love—one that has a frosting of grey hairs to mark the years we have spent together. Even better, Kim and Nikki got to avoid the mistake I made. They now have top quality photos of themselves and their horses, young and in their prime, which I am sure they will treasure as the years go by. To see all the images from that day, go to www.juliepoole.com, and click on “The Farm at Tralee” in the gallery link.

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There are several other options for equestrians in Knoxville beyond what I’ve already mentioned. Believe it or not, Knoxville has a local polo club called the Sassafras Polo Club. They practice and play tournaments in the summers, and it is a thrilling game to watch.



Knoxville also boasts a local foxhunting club, the Tennessee Valley Hunt Club. Not only do we have great coverts in east Tennessee, but we are also located within a day’s drive of some of America’s most famous hunt country in Virginia. For children, nothing quite compares to the United States Pony Club, an organization that encourages young riders to grow as horsepeople.

The Pony Club has different levels that a rider advances through by taking tests. The tests involve not only mounted skills, but general horse care and barn management skills. Plus, the camaraderie and friendships are hard to beat. Once you are over the age of 18, pony clubs are not an option. However, riders going to college often choose to attend a school that hosts an Intercollegiate Equestrian Team. Regional schools that have an equestrian team include the University of Tennessee, Maryville College, University of the South, and more.  For those of you who prefer to be out of the arena, Knoxville and the surrounding areas also have a community of trail riders, competitive trail riders, and endurance riders. Last but not least, there many horse lovers who are no longer riding, perhaps because of time, convenience, or an old injury. For riders and non-riders alike, volunteering with local horse organizations provides a way to share your knowledge and spend quality time with wonderful equines and people.

Non-profit organizations like Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding, or STAR, offer a tremendous service to our community by providing a unique therapy opportunity for disabled children. Horse Haven of Tennessee (www.horsehavenoftn.com) is a non-profit dedicated to rescuing neglected or abused equines. These organizations need support from our community to keep up their good work.

With so much to do in east Tennessee, it’s a wonder the stalls ever get cleaned! And to think that I’ve only scratched the surface…after all, there is a whole other “Western” world out there.

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Beyond Hunter/Jumpers, there are other disciplines that riders at Tralee enjoy. Primarily, 3-Day Eventing (or just Eventing for short) is a fascinating sport that is best compared to an equestrian triathlon. At the most advanced levels, Events take place over the course of 3 days, where each day a different discipline is displayed. A horse and rider have to be very versatile and connected as a team to excel in this sport. Day 1 is a test of precision, obedience, grace, harmony, and athletic skill as horse and rider complete what is known as a dressage test. Dressage is a sport all its own, and it is ridden in an arena without any jumps involved. Dressage is like dancing with your horse—a display of different gaits, patterns, and movements meant to show the judge the natural beauty and ability of the horse. Horses playing together in a field can display breathtaking grace and energy, trotting powerfully with their back legs engaging deeply under their bodies, their front legs seemingly skimming the ground, their necks arched high and their backs round and supple. This comes natural to the horse! However, it can take a lifetime or longer to achieve the communication with your horse such that he can produce these qualities on command. Dressage is a French word that literally translates as “training”, and many riders would agree that dressage is without doubt the foundation of all other riding.

However, the task does not end there for Eventers! Instead, the same pair that showed delicate grace on day 1 now has to complete the tasks of day 2: the cross country course. Cross country jumping is the heart and soul of Eventing. Riders gallop full speed across fields and through woods, jumping solid and natural type obstacles. The stakes are high—if your horse hangs a leg on a fence, it does not fall down as in Jumpers…instead you are the one who might fall. Horses must splash through water, plunge down vertical banks, and jump over uneven terrain at high speeds. Once again, the successful pairs will do all this with no refusals or falls, and do so within a prescribed time.

On day 3, the often tired and achy pair must again show obedience, precision, and athleticism over a Jumper course in the arena, designed to test how well the horse listens to the rider and provides its best effort after a trying cross country course the day before.

Eventing is thrilling to compete in, and also thrilling to watch. At the highest levels, it is truly incredible to observe such multi-talented riders and horses. Tralee is a fortunate place for Eventers for two reasons. First, many Events are held close by, including at River Glen Equestrian Park a mere 20 minutes away. Moreover, we are a couple hours from the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Events are ranked in difficulty based on a star system, with 4 stars being the highest level. There are only three 4 star Event in the world, two in England and one (the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event) in Lexington (www.rk3de.org). We usually gather up a group and make an annual trip to watch Rolex at the end of April. If you have a chance to go, it is a spectacle to behold!

Well, Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, and Jumpers are the disciplines I love. However, there is even more to do in Knoxville, and I will wrap up this thread with my last installment on some other English disciplines to enjoy in this area.

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To say you are a rider is like saying you are a dancer: it tells only a small bit about what you actually do. Just as there are many different styles of dance, the same is true with riding. Two major categories of riding come to mind, English and Western, and there are many different disciplines and branches in each. Since I am an English rider, I will try to explain a bit more about this type of riding that by definition uses English tack and equipment. For all you non-horsey people, this is your English Riding 101 course!

As many of you already know, The Farm at Tralee Equestrian Center specializes in the English riding discipline known as Hunter/Jumpers. Hunters and jumpers are similar in that both involve jumping the horse over a course of obstacles, and thus many riders enjoy and practice both disciplines (hence the combined term “hunter/jumper”). However, the disciplines also have many differences. Hunter competitions are modeled after the sport of fox hunting. A hunter class is meant to demonstrate the suitability of a horse to jumping over a course of naturalistic obstacles such as coops, brush boxes, gates, and fences. A good foxhunter is a horse that travels over such jumps with a smooth, rhythmic, forward canter that is comfortable to ride. Such a horse will jump willingly, cleanly, and efficiently, pulling his knees high and folding his legs tightly while curving his body in a smooth arc (or “bascule) over the fence. This is important because jumps in the hunt field are solid and days are long and tiring, and it was necessary to have a horse that conserved energy and jumped clean and safe. Therefore, you can see that hunters are judged on the horse and not the rider. The rider’s job is to ride so that the horse is displayed to the best of his abilities, all while making it look effortless. Modern day Hunters is all about style, from the actual ride to the clothes and tack you use!

Jumpers are not about style at all. In fact, the only thing the judge does in a Jumper class is to operate the timing device! This is because the point of Jumpers is to jump a course of obstacles as fast as you can without knocking any rails down. Horse and rider pairs accrue faults (or get eliminated) for knocking down rails, refusing a jump, falling off (which we prefer to call an “involuntary dismount”!), or going over the time allowed. Jumps are often bigger, more colorful, and artificial looking compared to Hunters. Also, the courses tend to be longer, and instead of the long gently curving lines and easy turns of a Hunter course, Jumper courses are tight turns, complex series of jumps in a row (called “combinations”), and jumps placed at awkward distances from one another. This calls for a greater degree of communication between horse and rider, with riders making split second decisions and often doing whatever it takes to “get the job done”.

Residents at Tralee that enjoy Hunter/Jumpers will find many show venues in the area to choose from. Our local club is the East Tennessee Hunter/Jumper Association, and we also have many regional shows that are recognized by the United States Equestrian Federation. To learn more, visit www.thefarmattralee.com/equestrian_center/equestrian_links.html.

There are many other disciplines in English riding, and many people practice more than one discipline. Check back to learn about other disciplines practiced at Tralee in the next installment.

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East Tennessee is blessed with one of the best farriers in the country. Frank Cifaldi is a master at his craft. For him, shoeing horses began in high school when he apprenticed himself to a farrier in Florida for a school project on the various carriers to be had. Frank had always been involved with horses, but like most of us, he had never tried his hand at shoeing until that fateful day. He had a natural talent for working with his hands, crafting a horse hoof with precision. His apprenticeship continued after the project was complete, and his educational journey had really just begun. Years of working on racetracks and broodmare farms gave him the volume of experience that he eventually began to apply to some to the top performance horses on the east coast. Frank works with all types of performance horses, but many of his clients are Hunter/Jumpers and Dressage horses. His skill at correcting faulty shoeing and less-than-perfect hooves have given him such a dedicated following that when he gave up life on the road for a home-based shoeing business, his clientele never wavered. Frank is known as a perfectionist that always strives to better himself. He has won every shoeing competition in the southeast at least once, and one year he won them all. Frank has worked wonders on my horse Burke, who had severely contracted heels and a diagnosis of navicular. He is still going strong, thanks to my vets and my farrier. Thank you Frank!

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We have missed seeing Sarah at the farm lately. Sarah is one of the “regulars”, but lately she has been having sinus headaches that just won’t go away! She has had to take a break from riding and stay out of this nasty weather, but hopefully she’ll be better soon. Here is a beautiful picture of Sarah and Gracie this fall…they are sooo cute together it should be criminal!

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Last week, Kim, Nikki, and I joined my friend Buff Cavender for a trial ride at Big South Fork. It was a first for Kim and Decadence, and for Cadbury as well. All went well and the horses were great. The day started off freezing, but it warmed up nicely throughout the 17 mile ride. Buff is a trail riding expert. She knows all the trails in the area, and Big South Fork is one of her favorite destinations.

Knoxville is literally in the heart of trail riding paradise, with Big South Fork, Great Smoky MountainsNational Park , Cumberland Gap, and all the national forests and state parks. Big South Fork is especially famous for its geography. A sandstone base makes for smooth sandy riding with lots of opportunities to trot and canter. The sandstone also erodes to form some of the most breathtaking creek canyons and bluffs.

Decadence is new to crossing water, but the trail offered many confidence-building opportunities to cross some small inviting creeks. Soon she was a pro, and by the time we descended down to the river gorge and met up with dozens of huge iced puddles she was happily crunching her way across them. At one point Nikki took the lead in this area, and she too crunched through the puddles. Then we decided to take advantage of this long flat stretch, and Nikki took up to a canter. Kim and I were right behind, and had a great view as Nikki rounded the corner and approached a large puddle with a large branch arcing across the top of in, smack in the middle of the trail. She and Cadbury just sailed over it, and Kim and I gave each other one quizzical look before it was too late…we all said afterward that it was a bona fide “training moment” and now Nikki can say she has done her first “water complex” with Caddy. River Glen Horse Park, here we come!

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We have a new boarder! Nikki and her gelding Cadbury have joined our barn, and we couldn’t be more pleased. Cadbury is a complete sweetie, and Nikki is a sunny presence to brighten up our wintertime barn. Nikki is very good friends with Kim, who owns Decadence. I call them the Twinkies, because Nikki and Kim for some odd reason tend to wear matching clothes (something about buy-one-get-one-half-off sales). To make things worse, their horses both have the same sire and therefore look very similar as well. They make for a cute set, and we are hard at work imagining up ridiculous pas de deux routines for them to perform. Nikki plans to compete Cadbury in 3-day events, and they are training to get ready for the upcoming competition season. Cadbury is a fast learner, and Nikki has taught him many things in their relatively brief time together…including how to kiss on command. It is our new favorite trick. If you stand in front of him and say “kiss kiss” then you better be ready with a pucker, because he is going to plant one square on your lips. Then, if you don’t give him a treat, he looks at you like you are one lousy date!

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Snow at The Farm at Tralee. An opportunity to plug in the electric kettle and sit in the tack room with hot cocoa, graham crackers, and friends. The horses don’t seem to mind the snow, but the wind and rain can be miserable. We try to ride on days like today, but sometimes even the most diehard equestrian takes a day off. It’s a good time to catch up on grooming chores (Gracie looks like a wooly mammoth!), clean some tack (if the oil is not frozen!), or…maybe…not…

Did I mention the electric kettle?

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Every barn has strapped a pair of fuzzy antlers on an obliging horse and taken a Christmas photo. It is tradition. It must be done. This year, we tried the Santa hat on Burke, and he looked sort of silly, but when we plopped it over Archer’s ear, it looked hysterical. He just had the right comic personality to go with it, I guess. He acted like he knew he was the center of attention, and he gleefully soaked up all the affection and treats. We all kept laughing and laughing because every time he pricked his ears forward in anticipation of a cookie or pat, the fuzzy white ball on the end of the cap would come flinging forward and bop him on the forehead. He would then cock his head up and to the side and look up as if to say “where did that come from?” Needless to say, it took several takes to get 2 people and a handful of horses to stand still and look normal. We ended up with a picture where all the “kids” look mildly distracted and perhaps a bit annoyed, but that is the hallmark of every family Christmas photo, isn’t it?

 

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On Sunday, one of my students took Al to a local dressage clinic. Susan is a very experienced rider who wants to broaden her skills to include jumping and dressage, and Tralee is perfect for riders like her. We work on basic dressage here at the farm, but mostly our focus in lessons here is on jumping.

Because of her advanced skill level, I suggested she might be interested in a clinic with a dressage trainer that I have ridden with in the past. A clinic is when a trainer who is not local comes to an area and is hosted by a barn for a day or two in order to teach a series of lessons. Usually, the trainer is very well established and advanced in their field. The clinician’s name is Jim Koford, and he comes to Maryville once a month. Susan and Al both seemed to really benefit from the intensive and specialized instruction, and we all enjoyed watching the other riders in their sessions as well. My philosophy as an instructor is that it is often very beneficial for riders to get another, respected opinion on their performance. I am here to assist my clients towards their goals, and I am dedicated to using all the resources available to achieve those goals. If you are interested in participating in or viewing area clinics, contact me (865-577-7392) for more information on the clinicians that I have found most useful in the past.

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Well, wintertime has arrived, and the horses are bundled up in their blankets. The grass is dormant, but we have some pastures that were not grazed this summer, and they still have quite a bit of grass--albeit sad looking grass!  For the time being, the grazing is still pretty good.  Winter’s early sunset has been a difficult adjustment, and I have had to do some riding under the arena lights. It is so odd to be riding at 5:30 in the dark and have every fiber of your body screaming that it is NIGHT TIME. We should be eating dinner, reading, and going to bed soon, yet in the summer, I think nothing of riding at 7:30pm! Winter also makes it hard for students who are in school to get out to the barn and ride before dark, and we are all looking forward to days that stay bright a little longer.

Nevertheless, winter riding can be very enjoyable in several ways.  Riders do not to feel the cold much because of all the exercise that we get. Also, trail rides are nice this time of year because you can really see through the woods and get great mountain views and wildlife sightings (if you can spot them! I rode right past a turkey the other day and didn’t see her until we almost stepped on her).  Winter riding gives you time to focus on your riding goals and make improvements in preparation for the upcoming show season.

One of the challenges of winter riding is that your horse will often get really sweaty under a full winter coat of hair, and then they get chilled once the ride is over. The solution is to body clip your horse. Body clipping shortens the hair so that the sweat evaporates and your horse stays clean and dry. It is very convenient, but you must blanket a clipped horse. There are several styles of body clipping. Burke has a full clip, in which all but his leg hair is clipped off. Al has a trace clip, which removes the lower half of his body hair and allows him to stay dry without being totally bare. Tralee offers a body clipping service for $130.00, or we are happy to show you how to use your clippers to achieve a professional looking job!

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Yesterday, Sarah, Kim and I took Gracie, Burke, and Decadence to school out at River Glen. River Glen is the main competition venue for east Tennessee, and it is only 15 minutes from Tralee! We love it out there, mostly because they have a course of cross-country jumps.  Sarah and I took Gracie and Decadence to school them over the cross-country jumps because they have never been exposed to those types of fences before. Cross-country jumps are solid, natural-style objects that get jumped in the fields and woods. A lot of times water obstacles are involved too—very scary for young horses! Both the young horses did well, especially Decadence. She really made me proud because she never refused to jump anything, even though she swore that each jump harbored some monster lurking behind it. Even better, our friend Kim (another Maryville College rider) took Burke “The Schoolmaster” and got her first taste of cross-country. She did so well it was amazing…it was perfection. She and Burke just got along so well and were having so much fun. The funny thing about Kim (and Burke too) is that neither of them will say no to a challenge, and they did so well that I just kept pointing at bigger and bigger jumps, and Kim took everything flawlessly, with a big smile and a warm “Good Boy!!” after every jump. I think we have a new 3-Day eventing convert.

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The last two horses are Tish and Burke. Titian (Tish for short) belongs to my friend Sarah. Sarah and Tish used to do 3-Day Eventing and Sarah also rode for the Maryville College Equestrian Team. Tish has had some problems with arthritis in the past couple years and her riding career has slowed down. However, it came to a screeching halt in August, when Tish decided to jump a fence at the Maryville College barn in order to continue the chase of a balloon that had drifted into and out of her field and caught her attention (no joke). She is a great jumper, but it was a big fence. The fence won, and Tish suffered a strain to her suspensory ligament in her front left leg. Sarah brought her to Tralee to recover, and now Tish is going to stay here on the farm even after she gets better. She is going back to UT vet school on Friday for a check-up, and we are hoping for good news. I will post the news when we get it.

Lastly, we have Burke. Burke is my baby…my 19 year old baby. He is TB/QH cross, and I’ve had him since he was 6. We are like two halves of a whole, and he will literally do anything I ask him to. I am spoiled with Burke, although it didn’t start that way. When Burke was young, he dumped me many times and did all sorts of crazy things, so I just try to keep that in mind when The Pony does silly pony things. Burke is one of the best lesson horses I could ask for, and I can see a long future for him here, teaching riders all the things he knows and giving them the confidence to try something for the first time.

 

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On to the next two horses in our barn, “the girls”. The girls are both owned by The Farm at Tralee and they are here to be trained and eventually sold. In fact, Decadence is currently for sale, but Gracie, the pony, is still too green and needs more training before she can be sold.

Decadence is a beautiful Oldenburg mare, and she has been my main ride lately. She is a blast to ride because she is soft, supple and forward, and her jump is really a kick in the pants! I have really enjoyed riding her and I am trying hard not to get too attached.



Gracie is a Welsh pony who is only 6 years old. She is the most beautiful dark bay color. She is really fairly inexperienced and it has been a fun challenge to ride a young horse and remember how far we’ve come with all the other horses in our lives and how often we take their knowledge for granted. Gracie tends to get quick and want to rush the jumps, so we often demote her to walking over tiny little fences in order to teach her that she can be slow and relaxed about jumping. Good for her, but boring for the rider. Speaking of rider…my petite friend Sarah has been put on pony training duty, but I’ll tell you more about Sarah later.

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The Farm at Tralee currently has a pretty 6-stall barn on the property, and I am happy to say we have 6 beautiful horses to fill each stall.  Each horse has a unique story.  Today, I would like tell you about the two lesson horses owned by Tralee.  Archer and Al are two of the best lesson horses I could anticipate. Both are very experienced and intelligent, but other than that they differ completely.



Archer is a huge bay Holsteiner gelding.  He came to us after he suffered a femur injury in a pasture, and his owners knew that this horse that was once so valuable and talented now faced an uncertain future.  They wanted to find a good home for him, and Tralee took a chance and bought him hoping he would recover from his injury and be rideable again.  In May, Archer went back to the University of Tennessee vet school for his final bone scan, and it showed that he was completely healed!  We were so happy for Archer, because he is still young and has a lot of life in him.  Now, Archer is back to normal again, and he is a pleasure to ride.  Archer has an adorable personality…a bit lazy under saddle, a bit of a ham in the crossties, and a bit demanding about having his itchy places scratched for the full duration of his itchiness.

Al is a 19 year old thoroughbred that is very educated and fun to ride.  He has a funny personality—sometimes sensitive and makes little grunts of annoyance if things are not going his way (i.e. if he’s getting into trouble and thinks he might be close to getting spanked…the dreaded spanking!). Al sees dead people…in the bushes, behind the trailer, in the wash stall.  He is one of my favorites because he is so funny and is great for teaching many different riders.

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Well, this is my first entry for The Farm at Tralee--so far, so good. I have to admit that I am not a big “blogger”, but if there is one thing that can get me to post, it is the excitement that I have for Tralee. I sometimes have to pinch myself because I can’t believe that I am lucky enough to wake up every morning to views of my beloved Smokies, see the horses cropping at grass in the sunrise, and walk out the door to ride every day on acres and acres of our very own farm. Tralee is such a special place to live, but of course I’m biased…having horses in my backyard tends to do that to me! My job as the Trainer and Manager of the equestrian center at Tralee has given me the rarest opportunity to work with horses, earn income, and interact with some of the nicest people out there—people who happen to love horses! I anticipate many of my blog entries will be about the horses and people at Tralee that I love so much. I hope you enjoy getting to know everybody as much as I have.

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A great deal of thought has gone into making Tralee a beautiful place to come home to, starting with this graceful entrance constructed of limestone and brick with gates crafted from Honduran mahogany.  Imagine watching these gates swing open and knowing you are home.

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Holrob Investments, LLC joint venture with veteran builder Paul Smiddy at The Farm at Tralee enters its final stages of completion.  Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and located in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee [view map], the Farm at Tralee provides breathtaking views that include a snow-capped Mount Le Conte to the south and the distinctive contours of House and Clinch Mountains to the north.

Each of the forty homesites has been painstakingly selected to capture the most exquisite views and to assure maximum privacy, and the number of homesites has been purposefully limited to allow the space, privacy and serenity that only a low-density, secure community can provide. Strict architectural guidelines will maintain the integrity of this unique community and, with a character reminiscent of an English country retreat, natural materials and soft palettes will define these charming cottage-style homes. In addition to their homesites, residents will own an undivided interest in more than one hundred acres of common area which include premier equestrian facilities, a three-acre lake for fishing, and a swimming pool with cabana.

The Farm at Tralee offers over 188 acres of fine living only minutes from either downtown Knoxville or downtown Sevierville. Equipped with horse riding trails, a stocked pond, and over 100 acres of common lands in the shadows of serene mountain views, The Farm at Tralee will set a new standard in residential development in the Knoxville area.

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