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

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 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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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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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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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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The Farm at Tralee announced today that it proudly welcomes Anita and David Hasbury-Snogles of England to ride its trails March 12-14, 2007—one stop during their cross-country trek deemed Horse Quest USA. After liquidating their assets for this cross country adventure, their visit to Tralee is one of the couple’s only stops in East Tennessee.

Through sponsorships and the proceeds from the sale of their house, Anita and David have arranged to spend one year riding from sea to sea, even to Hawaii, riding trails in each state. Along the way, their adventures are being captured in HDTV for broadcast Horse and Country TV, RFDTV, and Best of America by Horseback.  

In addition, Anita and David will be raising money for three of their favorite charities: The British Horse Society, International League for the Protection of Horses, and Brooke Hospital For Animals. The couple will both track their progress and accept donations to their charities at their website: www.horsquestusa.com.

During the couple’s short visit, they will begin by riding through the lush pastures at Tralee, and they will also ride a variety of East Tennessee’s trails. Tralee’s resident horse trainer, Katie Settlage, will direct them through their journey through the area’s horse trails.

The Farm at Tralee, developed by Holrob-Smiddy partnership, represents East Tennessee’s premier gated equestrian community located in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. The planned community was designed to preserve the area’s lush beauty with more than 100 acres of common area in the 200 acre community. With a premier equestrian center, concierge service, and luxurious details, The Farm at Tralee is home to a privileged few.

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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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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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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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