Shane Ledyard sent his book, “Horse Gone Silent,” to me recently, and I must say that it is an interesting look at the life of a show horse, as described by the horse itself.  The following information about the book is from Amazon:

“Inspired by a true story, ‘Horse Gone Silent’ delivers adventure, drama and life lessons in a perfectly tidy package that will speak to your heart like no horse story ever has before. Champion show jumping horse, ‘Calebo,’ gives a divinely critical message of hope in his inspirational tale of perseverance and courage. Calebo’s story follows him from his charmed youth, to the top of his sport, to finding himself moments from death by slaughter. Never sure of his ultimate fate, he relies on his faith, family, and friends to give him strength on his incredible journey. Written by professional horse trainer Shane Ledyard, “Horse Gone Silent” takes you right into the barn aisle and onto this fabled horse’s back for a great ride you’ll want to continue long after the last word is read. Go to www.HorseGoneSilent.com to learn more! 10% of the author’s net proceeds from the sale of ‘Horse Gone Silent’ will go directly to organizations helping children in need.”

Shane Ledyard, professional horseman & author

The fact that the horse is the protagonist and that its thought process is much like that of a human is what makes the book different and interesting.  Calebo details his relationship with his parents, friends, riders, and owners as he seeks to find security and kind treatment in his life.  The author knows so much about the horse business that the details are interesting to anyone who has been around show horses very much.  If interested, you can purchase “Horse Gone Silent” at Amazon or through the website www.HorseGoneSilent.com.

• March 31, 2016
• By Jennie Carleton

Anna Jane White-Mullin jumping the last jump at 1971 Maclay Finals. Photo by Budd.

There are great riders and great horses, but there’s a certain magic that happens when just the right combination is paired together. Anna Jane White-Mullin and her Thoroughbred horse, “Rivet,” are an excellent example of such a partnership. Their story is one of hard work, horsemanship, and the heart of a thoroughbred.

While most of the top junior riders competing in the equitation classes today have mounts specifically dedicated for that purpose, that was not the case decades ago. Riders often had one horse to show, and that horse would typically perform “double duty,” ridden in both the hunter and equitation classes, and sometimes in the jumpers as well. Rivet was no exception. Anna White-Mullin was kind enough to share her story with me so that I might share it with others. The following is her account of how she and Rivet came to be:

Anna & Rivet Riding Without Stirrups at Ox Ridge in 1971.

“We bought Rivet from the well-respected Hungarian horseman, Gabor Foltenyi, who was running a barn in Michigan at the time.  He was working to develop trust between himself and Rivet, who had been physically abused by a young male rider. Gabor’s stated philosophy was, ‘You get more from a horse by winning his confidence and allowing him to enjoy the sport, and then keeping him, at all times, under gentle but complete control.’  I watched Gabor quietly tack up the horse with flowing, gentle movements that made me realize he was trying to gain the horse’s trust.  Gabor was famous for his ability to develop a horse through flatwork, and this really showed when I tried out Rivet.  He was a beautiful mover and the most supple horse I’ve ever ridden, so we were pleased to be able to buy him.  We were told that he was suspicious of almost everything and had to be dealt with quietly to get the best from him; but it was still a surprise at the first horse show when my father went into the stall to feed him and Rivet sat down on his haunches in the corner, looking wide-eyed and panicked.

 

“Later that day, he had to be measured before we could compete in the junior division, and the steward said he measured as a Large Junior Hunter.  I tacked him up and showed in my first hunter class at the Ox Ridge Horse Show and was lucky enough to win it.  Afterwards, my coach, George Morris, said, ‘How did this horse get measured as a large?  He couldn’t be a large!’  So we had Rivet measured again, and he came up as a small.  I was then faced with the decision of whether to keep my points for the win in the Large Jr. Division and show as a large for the rest of the year, or to forfeit those points and show in the Small Jr. Division thereafter.  I decided to keep the points and continued to show him as a Large Jr. Hunter for the rest of my time with him.  After he was sold to Bradley Caine at Winter Place Farm in Maryland, he was measured again and shown as a Small Junior Hunter thereafter.

Anna & Rivet, 1971 Maclay Finals’ Presentation at the National Horse Show.

“Rivet turned out to be an interesting horse to show. He was easily spooked, so I had to longe him or give him a controlled gallop on the show grounds to work him down enough to score well in the early classes. He served as both my Equitation horse and Junior Hunter, and he usually came through for both.

“In 1971, he was the Large Junior Hunter Champion at the National Horse Show and carried me to a win in the ASPCA Maclay Finals that same year.  He also crossed into the realm of jumpers when competing over U.S.E.T. courses (now known as the U.S.E.F. Show Jumping Talent Search) and took me to a gold medal for 20 wins. Rivet was a wonderful partner, and I’m grateful to George Morris for finding him.  He searched a long time for not only the right horse, but also one that was affordable.  I feel so lucky to have had the opportunities afforded me by this multi-talented horse who overcame his fear and distrust to become a true champion.” 

Anna with her trainer, Ronnie Mutch, after winning the Maclay Final

“Rivet” on the cover of “The Chronicle Of The Horse,” Aug. 20, 1971

Article by: Jennie Carleton

Jennie is highly involved in the horse show community. As one of the founding members of the USHJA Wheeler Museum Committee, established to highlight and educate the membership and the public on the history of the Hunter/Jumper Sport, she has assisted in the formation and promotion of every exhibit. Having pursued an education in journalism, among other fields, Carleton has authored a number of articles and press releases for various equestrian publications and considers writing and horses her two greatest passions. Carleton also established and continues to manage several Facebook Groups dedicated to the history of the hunter/jumper sport and its preservation. This includes the USHJA Wheeler Museum Group, which was the brainchild of Carleton and her close friend and committee co-chair, Bill Rube. In 2015, Carleton began working for the National Horse Show as a social media coordinator, and she hopes to soon be assisting the USET Foundation as they prepare for the 2016 Olympic games.

George Morris’ new book, “Unrelenting,” just arrived, and it is a mammoth 436 pages long!  It comes with the following warning: “This book is a candid portrayal of my life.  Innocents and those faint of heart or closed of mind may wish to proceed no further!”

The book is presented in chronological order, starting with the 1940s, and takes the reader through George’s business and personal decisions as he worked his way to becoming the top coach of world-class jumper riders.  The narrative is relaxed and honest, interspersed with remembrances of other top equestrians who were part of the events at the time.  There are lots of pictures, too, to bring the story to life.  I can’t wait to read more!

You can order copies directly from the publisher, Trafalgar Square, at:

http://www.horseandriderbooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=H&Product_Code=UNRE&Category_Code=WNEW

The book is also available on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=unrelenting+by+george+morris&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aunrelenting+by+george+morris. 

The two most important factors in a relationship with any horse are trust and consistency.   Especially when a rider is approaching an obstacle to be jumped, the horse needs to feel that the rider is trustworthy—that is, the rider is presenting the horse at a reasonable take-off spot from which it can safely clear the fence.  If the horse knows from experience that the rider can be trusted, it will usually make every effort to obey, without being hindered by fear and anxiety.  If, however, the horse has found the rider’s judgement to be unreliable in the past, it will nervously try to figure out the situation and protect itself, sometimes chipping in or even stopping at the fence.

Trust is developed when the rider is consistent in his approach to the horse.  If you think about your relationships with other people, who do you trust?  Would it be the person who was supposed to pick you at the airport, but forgot?  Would it be the person who owed you money, but never paid?  Of course not! The people we trust are the ones who consistently come through for us, time and time again.  People are not perfect and can make honest mistakes; but you have to realize that for every mistake, even an honest one, you’ll have to work very hard to regain the trust of the person—or horse—affected by it.

To be a “benevolent rider,” your full attention has to be on your horse every minute you’re on its back. Your legs and hands should be giving the animal guidance and support so that it can relax into a relationship with you.  Without clear guidance, the horse is left guessing about what is coming next, and this causes a certain level of anxiety that is increasingly heightened as speed and obstacles come into play.  If you want compliance from your horse, prove to the animal you are trustworthy.  You build this trust by being reasonable in your demands, accurate with your aids, and constantly thinking ahead so that you can guide the horse calmly and securely through even the most difficult courses.

Ida and A.O. White, Jr.

The horse-show season is in full swing, and many parents are struggling with how to be helpful to their children involved in competitive sport during their formative years.  Having had a great deal of assistance from my parents and eventually reaching the pinnacle of my ambitions as a junior rider, I believe I have some insight on the do’s and don’ts of parental involvement.  First, my parents always made it clear to me that they were my support system, so that I could have the best chance of reaching the goals I had set for myself.  I saw other parents having ambitions for their children that were unrealistic, including expecting children that did not show an extraordinary ability or work ethic to have ambitions to reach the top of the sport.  Lots of kids just want to ride and show for the sake of being with their horses and enjoying the exciting atmosphere of the show ring.  They enjoy giving their horse a bath more than working thirty minutes each day without stirrups—i.e., their enjoyment comes from love of the animal, rather than competitive ambition.  As a parent, you have to size up the abilities and interests of your child and not expect him or her to have ambition just because you do.  It is the rare child that has a consistent competitive hunger, and even rarer is the child that has both the drive and ability to win.  A person’s physical build, mental acuity, coordination, and ability to “get along with a horse” all come into play.

The goal as a parent should be to see where your child fits in the whole scheme of things and dedicate yourself to the best interests of the child.  This includes being honest with yourself about the resources you can provide.  Buying a horse, tack, and riding clothes; paying for board, shoeing, and vet bills; and paying for lessons and horse shows can be a great expense that drains the family budget.  In my case, my mother was a stay-at-home mom of three, and my father a self-made man, who owned an engineering firm.  When he could see the cost of riding activities climbing as I reached the last few years of my junior career, he learned several languages so that he could work worldwide to afford the horse activities without jeopardizing the overall financial picture for our family.  I was fully dedicated to the sport, so he stepped up in an extraordinary way to help me.  At the same time, a friend of mine had an enthusiastic father who went greatly into debt and probably ended up in bankruptcy.  His emotions outweighed his common sense and, in the end, the entire family paid for it.  Making sure you are reasonable about finances is one of the best ways you can support a competitive child.  As a junior, I braided my horse’s mane and tail, even for the largest indoor shows.  Until I reached age 18, my family usually took the horse in our trailer, rather than paying a shipper; and I did the grooming, bathing, etc.   Doing these things helps a person become an all-around competent horseman and can defray a lot of expenses.  With both parent and child working together to make ends meet to accomplish a goal, a lasting bond can be formed.

Finally, support your children by supporting their coaches.  My parents put me with the best coaches available in the area, then encouraged me to listen to and respect them.  When things went wrong, for instance, my mother might say, “I’m sure if you keep trying to do what he’s saying, things will get better.”  She never took the stance that the coach was wrong and shouldn’t be picking on her little darling.  Parents who are always mad at somebody—the coach, the judge, other riders, etc.—are not helping, but instead are raising the child to be full of excuses.  One of the most important avenues to achieving success is having a realistic view of where you stand in relation to your competition.  If the child is convinced that “the coach is crazy,” “the judge robbed me,” and “I really should have gotten a ribbon instead of her,” there is little incentive for improvement.  One of the best ways to learn is to observe other people who are great in the sport and see what they are doing that makes them better than you.  First, you have to realize that they are better than you!

My parents helped in every way:

• holding horses in the hot sun and freezing cold at horse shows
• driving to feed the horse in the early morning at a show so that I could have a little extra time to get dressed and eat breakfast
• going thousands of miles through unfamiliar towns with a trailer in tow to reach a new showground
• never putting pressure on me to win, but encouraging me to always do the best that I could in any situation

My parents, A.O. and Ida White, passed away many years ago.  I still think about all they did for me and remember them with the greatest love and respect.  It isn’t because they spent a lot of money on me, but because they helped me do what I was trying so hard to do.  That is what your child really wants.

George Morris at Patsy Timmons' farm in Atlanta, GA, in 1968

When I was a teenager, George Morris, then age 28, sat at a table in my parents’ kitchen in Atlanta, GA, and talked about what he would like to accomplish in his lifetime.  “Someday, I would love to coach the American show jumping team,” he said; and so it was with great pleasure that I saw him reach his goal and become the chef d’equipe for the USEF Show Jumping Team in 2005.  Now, as 2012 draws to a close, George is retiring from this position, although I’m sure he will continue to be a force in shaping horse sports for years to come.  His impact upon hunter seat riding has been greater than any other trainer during the past 50 years, so I think it is important to reflect upon his career and what it has meant to riders in the United States and abroad.

First I should mention George’s extraordinary ability as a rider.  He grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut, and began riding as a child because a medical problem caused his legs to be weak, and it was thought that exercise would strengthen them.  As it turned out, he was a child prodigy in horse sports.  In 1952, at the age of 14, he won the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Finals and AHSA Hunt Seat Equitation Medal Finals on his horse, “Gamecock,” at Madison Square Garden, making him the youngest rider to do so.  After all of these years, that record has still not been broken.

He studied with the late Gordon Wright, a renowned horseman and teacher, who was involved in the formation of the first civilian Olympic Team in show jumping for the United States in 1956.  George was named to the U.S. Show Jumping Team and, in 1959, was part of the gold medal team in the Pan American Games. He was also on the silver medal team at the 1960 Rome Olympics and rode on eight winning Nations Cup teams between 1958 and 1960.  In 1963, he turned professional because he felt that he should financially stand on his own.  There were strict prohibitions against professionals in the Olympic Games at that time, so he had to make a choice.  Remarkably, George had coached seven winners of the ASPCA and AHSA Hunter Seat Finals by the time his now-famous book, “Hunter Seat Equitation,” was published in 1971.  Part of his success was his assemblage of capable riders one year apart in age, allowing him to have immediate winners, as well as a line of up-and-coming riders to fill their places once they had grown out of the junior division.

Early on, George used other people’s barns as his base, including Ann Yohai’s “Old Mill Farm” on Long Island and Amory Ripley’s beautiful estate in Millbrook, N.Y., but finally settled into his own operation, “Hunterdon,” in Pittstown, N.J. Throughout the 1970’s, his coaching concentrated on hunters and hunter seat equitation; but in the 1980’s, he turned to the jumper division, where he had success as both a coach and rider.  In 1988, he won the richest purse in show jumping, the Grand Prix of Calvary, Canada, on “Rio,” which he considers one of the greatest highlights of his equestrian career.  As for his stellar teaching record, his former students include top Grand Prix riders Leslie Burr Howard, Norman Dello Joio, the Leone brothers, Chris Kappler, Katie Prudent, Conrad Homfeld, Melanie Smith-Taylor, Lisa Jacquin, and Anne Kursinski, to name a few.  Since 1984, over ten Olympic medal-winning riders were his former students.

George was the first to assemble a team of highly-trained support personnel, including top vets, blacksmiths, stable managers, and grooms, to be a part of his operation.  He didn’t just concentrate on lessons, but knew the importance of everything being in place in order to achieve a winning result.  First and foremost, was the wellbeing of the horse:

“Love means attention, which means looking after the things we love. We call this stable management.” GEORGE H. MORRIS

In a July 10, 2010 article, “Four Showjumping Masters: Part 1 — George Morris,”  in the Australian online magazine, The Horse, George’s observations on what sets the American style of riding apart from all the rest is succinctly described:

“We learned to ride with neither too long nor too short a stirrup, the basic length being the stirrup’s tread touching the ankle bone. We learned to place the stirrup on the ball of the foot in order to more easily drive the heel down and to turn the toes out slightly, consequently flexing the ankles. Our contact with the horse is with the calf of the leg and the inner knee bone, not just with the knee. As a result, this constant, quiet, and very secure lower leg contact is effective yet less disturbing to the horse than a swinging or pivoting leg. We allow the seat to be deep, yet by the forward inclination of the upper body, light in the saddle, we provide flexibility of the upper body by positioning it differently for different gaits and speeds. We learned to keep our heads up and use our eyes positively. Last but not least, we maintained a line from the rider’s elbow to the horse’s mouth, thus establishing the most direct and elastic contact possible.” http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2010/07/four-showjumping-masters-%E2%80%93-part-1-george-morris/

Since 1978, George has been a USET director, the USET Vice President for Show Jumping, a member of the USET Executive and Show Jumping Committees, a member of the USEF National Jumper Committee and Planning Committee, the USEF chef d’ equipe at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and the President of the United States Show Jumping Hall of Fame.  He has acted as chef d’equipe for numerous winning teams, including the 2005 champions of the Samsung Super League.  He coached United States teams to individual and team Silver metals at the 2006 Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games; and in 2008, he was the coach of the Gold Medal Team at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, as well as of the team member who won the Individual Bronze Metal.

He has held a “Big R” judging license for many years and judged some of the most prestigious horse competitions in the United States.  A major advocate for the creation of the Hunter Derby—which harks back to earlier days when horses competed in open fields that simulated the foxhunting experience—he was chosen in 2010 to be one of the four judges for the $25,000 Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby.  The following is an excerpt from the announcement in The Chronicle of the Horse:

“One of the original supporters of high performance hunter classes, Morris is passionate about the evolving hunter derby program. Having hunter derbies allows the discipline to be in touch with its roots as it encourages riders to pick up a gallop and navigate an open field of natural, solid obstacles resembling those once found in fox hunting fields. As one of the Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby judges, Morris will be looking for the horse that best portrays the ideal hunter; a forward moving horse that moves well, jumps well, and wears a good expression around the course.”  https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/george-h-morris-announced-one-four-judges-25000-franktown-meadows-hunter-derby

For many years, George has educated the general public through his column, “Jumping Clinic,” in the monthly equestrian magazine, Practical Horseman, with critiques of the jumping position of riders in photos that were submitted by readers.  He also has had an impact on Olympic teams throughout the world.   At the invitation of various countries, he has taught around the globe and spread his methodology .  One of the most direct impacts was the training of the highly-successful rider, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who was his pupil before moving to Germany and competing on the German team.

In 2010, George helped launch the USHJA Trainer Certification Program, which offers clinics and symposiums aimed at educating trainers and certifying them so that their clients will know they are qualified to teach riding and take care of horses at their facilities. This is a huge step in raising the level of expertise nationwide.  Through this comprehensive approach, George and other knowledgable professionals are working to pass the baton of excellence to future generations.

From personal experience, I can say these things of George Morris:

• He is the most disciplined man I’ve ever met
• He loves horses and always puts their wellbeing first
• He constantly seeks to improve the sport of hunter-seat riding, with an emphasis on education and ethics
• He will stick with you through thick and thin, as long as you’re really trying

For all of his famous technical advice, his ultimate goal is to elevate the sport of hunter seat riding to an art:

“Think of riding as a science, but love it as an art.” GEORGE MORRIS

Whatever he chooses to do next, I wish him all the best!

George Morris with Teddi Ismond