Good Morning from East Tennessee
As the sun gently kisses the western side of the model home, East Tennessee awakes!
Training Horses in East Tennessee: Spring Brings Confidence for Jumping
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!
Hay Day: Feeding the Horses in Drought Conditions
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
Master Farrier: Frank Cifaldi Shoeing Horses
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!
Tralee Regulars: Come Back Sarah
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!
East Tennessee Trail Ride: Taking the Horses to Big South Fork
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
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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.
Why East Tennessee is the Best Place to Retire: No Income Tax
No State Income Tax East Tennessee has some of the lowest taxes in the country with no income tax, moderate sales tax, and low property tax. The state only taxes dividends and interest income, and it fairly taxes gasoline and tobacco. There is a statewide sales tax rate of 7%. As you see at this post, the property taxes on a million dollar home in Tralee are just $4,150 making Sevier county the lowest tax rate in the area.
East Tennessee Climate: Experiencing Four Seasons
Although it snows in the valley less than I would prefer, we live in a protected climate. In East Tennessee, we experience all four seasons, albeit mild doses of each. This site lists some very interesting statistics detailing temperature, precipitation, and percentage of sunshine. For example, see the Average Temperature Table Below.
Light snow February 1, 2007
Average Temperatures in Knoxville, TN.
| Month | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.9°F | 46.3°F |
| Feb | 31.8°F | 51.7°F |
| Mar | 39.1°F | 60.3°F |
| Apr | 46.6°F | 69.0°F |
| May | 55.6°F | 76.3°F |
| Jun | 63.9°F | 83.6°F |
| Jul | 68.5°F | 86.9°F |
| Aug | 67.3°F | 86.4°F |
| Sept | 60.8°F | 80.7°F |
| Oct | 47.7°F | 69.9°F |
| Nov | 38.9°F | 59.0°F |
| Dec | 31.9°F | 49.8°F |
