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Blazing Beryl (AKA Emmie)

So, I guess I'm really doing this, folks. Miss Blazing Beryl (also known as Emmie) has been on our farm for just over two weeks, getting groceries, grooming, carrots, and love. I'm not sure why I think I think I have time for another horse, but I definitely wanted to do the Retired Racehorse Project because I think it's such a cool idea!

There are so many of us out there who take cheap and sometimes free discarded OTTBs and make them into champions of a new sport. Emmie is the newest of just three OTTBs on our farm full of homebred Holsteiners and various crosses. She joins my mother's main hunt horse, Marshall (JC Assemble), and my own personal little hunt horse, Angel (JC Empress Lisa). Marshall was not a very successful racehorse, and time wasn't wasted on him. He is a big and gangly 17 hands! I evented him a few years ago up to Novice and his big stride was difficult to fit in the dressage arena! Angel was a pretty darn quick little gal at 15.3. A fiery red-head who raced 32 times and won over $60,000. And the funniest thing is, she doesn't care to race anymore and foxhunts delightfully on the buckle, rating herself the entire time. She is one of the most wonderful hunt horses I've ever ridden!

Marshall and Angel

I will be honest, for a long time I was not a big off-the-track thoroughbred person. When I was a kid, I was out hunting my parents' awesome little OTTB red mare, Amber, who I had rarely ever ridden. Something spooked her, and she took off like a rocket, dragging me under a low branch and leaving me on the ground below it. I couldn't tell you if that specifically is the reason for my former aversion to OTTBs, but I wouldn't be surprised. However, now I would choose an OTTB over a non-raced TB any day, and here's why: Horses who have spent time on the track may come with quirks and/or vices (cribbing, weaving, funny tongue antics), but they usually come with an experienced show record. They've traveled and they've worked hard. They've essentially been there - done that. One would hope that they can handle whatever it is that their new person wants to throw at them.

VA bred flat race at Loudoun P2P April 2014 - Liz Callar photo

Emmie was born and raised in northern Virginia. She was owned her whole life by one woman, Margaret R. White, until my good friend Lindsey got her. She was trained by Dougie Fout, brother of Nina Fout, a fellow Foxcroft Alum! She was started correctly, taken on trail rides and ridden over logs out on the trail. And was raced on the flat, and over hurdles and timber in my favorite races to watch, Point-to-Points! She even managed to win one or two!

1st place at Blue Ridge P2P in Sept 2014 - Liz Callar photo

She was seen by my amazing chiropractor, Dr. Jim Yanchunis, the day after she arrived on the farm. Her hind end was sore (but that is to be expected considering it is the engine that propels the horse.), and her poll and neck were in rough shape. I have had babies with sore polls who were very difficult to catch, because they assumed I was the one making them feel hurt. A sore poll can result from several things, but the most common I see is pulling back. And if the horse gets a sore head from pulling back, it can easily manifest into way more pain than the horse bargained for. For Emmie, she is very head shy. If I am leading her, and I turn my body to look at her, she might throw her face straight up in the air like I am hurting her. She is a bit of a worrier, so she might think I am going to yank on the lead and put pressure on her poll. So who really knows what is going on in her head, but we are doing the best we can to fix it all! We are treating her for a 3 out of 5 pain in ulcers. With the ulcer meds, she also gets magnesium to help her brain decompress and stop thinking about what makes her so worried. I’m hoping that will help with her random head shyness.

I have faith that her brain will settle and she will realize that I am here to make her feel good and get strong. I get the feeling that she has self preservation, which is key in competitive riding. I don’t like riding dullards! Emmie picks up all four feet, she stands to be groomed, she is diligent about her carrot stretches, she EATS ALL HER FOOD, and is generally just an adorable pleasure to be around. So here’s to the next 30 weeks!! See y’all in Kentucky!!!

Getting a good face scratch