Meet the Breed - The Arabian!

I am very pleased to feature the Arabian as the first breed of "It's Time To Ride!" The Arab is known to be the oldest and purest of breeds, and is thought by many to be the most beautiful equine animal in the world. Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Alexander The Great and George Washington owned Arabians, a breed known for endurance and lung capacity. Standing between 14.2 and 15.0 (although Aladdin is 15.2), they are easily spotted by their pointed ear tips and tails held naturally high (which is nice...no poopy tails...well, it's true!). The Arab is a quick mover, generally with a lot of suspension, and is intelligent and very kind. Thousands of years ago, nomads even shared their tents in the desert with their equine companion. And, as they are built for stamina, they usually enjoy a life with fewer injuries which may result in lameness.

I am very proud to have Aladdin ("Huntlea Attilla"); one of the most interesting things about him is that his bloodline includes his great great (?) grandfather, Raffles, born in 1926, and who was one of the best-known and most prolific sires in the development of the Arab breed in North America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffles_(horse)

Shown below: Emily Moritz and "Dreamboat Annie", an Arab X.

It's Time to Ride!

Welcome to our new adventure! Visit here to find out about what is going on in the show world in our area and surroundings, see what your friends and competitors are doing, trade riding tips and techniques, learn about ponies and horses and how to care for them, and just keep up to date! And, this blog wouldn't be complete without photos...lots of photos (shown here, Samantha Jones & Cleopatra)!

It's hard to think small when you have so many ideas, so check here to find out about other things I'd like to share...photography, places to go and things to do.

What do YOU want to do?

Equestrian Photography - Tip #2

This photo is a "keeper". Becca and Lucy are in midair, Becca is looking ahead to the next jump, Lucy's ears are cocked forward (almost evenly), knees are together and both Becca and Lucy look like they are having a great time. However, it doesn't end there.

Tip #2 - The photo doesn't end when you snap the shot. This is a great shot, but it could look better with a little tweaking. In this case (see below) I cropped a little tighter on the left to give both Lucy and Becca more "motion". I also added some clarity by adjusting the brightness and contrast. Some of you may wonder what takes so long to get photos posted. Unlike many other equestrian show photographers, I look at each and every photo and make adjustments so that the end result is the best it can be. When you take 700+ photos at each show, that's a LOT of photos, but I try to find something of interest in all of them (which narrows down the finals to just over 200 +/-) And while this is a great shot, I'm early by a fraction of a second.

A New Friend for Ashley!

Our friend, Ashley Clements, has a beautiful new addition to her family. "Allie" is an American Warmblood, she is ¼ Clydesdale, ¼ Thoroughbred & ½ Arabian. Ashley has been working with her, mostly on her own since the Clements got her in September and she is coming along nicely. She plans on bringing her to a few shows this year just to get her used to the idea and commotion that goes on at shows. She will not be showing her this year. (editor's note...I'll bet we see her showing in 2009!)

2007 Year End Awards!

Congratulations to everyone who participated during the 2007 show season! We've already seen some Champion and Reserve Champion awards winners, but there are some numbers still to be tallied. To see results from Amber Hill Farm, please visit http://www.amberhillfarm.com/.

Check back for news of year end points and 2007 show participants!