If Peru Can Do It, Kentucky Can Too

I just returned from an 11 day visit to Peru.

Why Peru?  Well, visiting Machu Picchu was on my bucket list, so that was reason #1.
Reason #2 was that my daughter and I have been going on equestrian vacations and we decided that a ride in the Andes mountains would be fun.

We booked a 6 day, 5 night equestrian vacation with Perol Chico, a well managed, private ranch which offers 5 to 12 day rides on their homebred Peruvian Pasos.  I won't tell you how much it cost, but it was expensive.... but we were willing to pay to have this once in a lifetime adventure.

The trip was wonderful, great horses, lots of personal attention, good food, great views, and were able to still return to a nice hotel at the end of the day to rest up. (At 10,000 to 14,000 feet altitude, resting was required to recover from lack of oxygen.)

One thought that kept coming into my head as we rode though was --- Kentucky should be doing this!  the market is there -- us old babyboomers who now have time to get away , who love to ride and who have some extra money to spend on a riding vacation before we kick the bucket.

Kentucky has such beautiful and unique scenery, and with the right offerings, we too could have people from all around the country -- and the WORLD -- coming to ride here.  We also have the added benefit of our interesting culture:  from the mining towns to historic bourbon distilleries to the country music highway to the world famous thoroughbred farms.  What an experience we could weave for those visitors.... everything within a few hours drive, hospitality and good horsemen to take care of them.

So what stops us?  I think it is lack of vision and confidence.  Lack of confidence that what we have to offer will really draw those vacationers.  Lack of confidence that the high prices that I paid to Ride Peru, that other people will pay to Ride Kentucky.  Lack of vision in those that have to start the businesses, that they can actually do it... get good steady horses, arrange for transportation, lodging and plan other cultural/tourist activities.

I left Peru with a sense of admiration for their horses, their country and their entrepreneur spirit.  The trip made me want to return to see more of their country, from the southern desert beaches to the Amazon jungle.

We need this in Kentucky.  We can capitalize on our natural resources, our excellent horsemen and our unique culture... and in the effort, create jobs and economic growth. What's good for Peru can be great for Kentucky.

Day 2, Alltech National Horse Show

It was true! It was true!

The school kids came.... and came.... and came to the NHS Educational area. At least 1000, maybe more (how to count them all?) Middle school age - think Malcolm in at the Middle - girls all in one cluster, giggling..boys looking lost wandering around in twos and threes.

They loved the water testing stand! I'm shocked! Our KHC volunteers proved to be natural teachers,explaining it without talking down to the students. By the time they left our booth, they knew why Kentucky horses have such good bones.

Then there was the kid that thought that you should lick the water test strip as part of the experiment. Hope it didn't contain any carcinogens. I'm not sure our liability covers giving a life-threatening disease to 13-year old.

Oh, did I mention that that there were some horses jumping in the Allrech arena while this was all going on? At least that is what I was told...no,actually I did watch a few rounds. They all looked perfect to me.

At the end of the day, when the kids had left and it was really quiet, I scouted out the vendors that line the concourse. One place I encourage you to go when you are at the show is "Clear Rounds for Clear Water". this is the brainchild of JoJo White, an equestrian who wanted to give back, formed a partnership with Rotary International, and trades cool products for donations--- and all the donations go to provide clean drinking water around the globe.

So if you are in the giving mood - please stop and make a small donation (or large!) They've got a great T-shirt design, wine glasses, wine,jewelry...all for a wonderful cause.

Day 1, National Horse Show

Wednesday, first day of the Alltech National Horse Show. And the Kentucky Horse Council (along with a bunch of other equine associations with educational goals) moved into the Exhibit Wing (Educational Area) of the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.

I think someone cleverly named it "Horse Play" area.

If you've never had the pleasure of setting up an exhibit, let me know and TRUST ME I'll give you a call next time. Setting up is a royal pain in the derriere... packing, copying handouts, making signs, ordering brochures, digging out the tables and covers, gathering boxes of publications.... WHEW.

But I found a way to make sure someone else did all of the work... a good friend and colleague died suddenly over the weekend, and his funeral was at noon today. So I left Dawn and three dependable volunteers to drag all that stuff to the Horse Park.

It's not very nice to use a funeral to get out of work.. Sorry David. The funeral was very touching and seriously, we will miss you tremendously.

So I arrived on site at 4:00, just in time to drag boxes around and re-arrange our area. I must say it looks pretty good considering we aren't trade show specialists. Although I can thank Dawn for that. She worries about all these details like colors and balance and... you know, all that stuff.

Now the scary part, as if Halloween was not enough: in the next two days, rumor has it that 2,000 school kids are being bused in to tour the National Horse Show (remember going on a field trip? A time to get wild...)

So I had to get up some defenses against the hordes..and I thought of the perfect answer: At the KY Horse Council booth the kids have to do a SCIENCE EXPERIMENT. Now who's scared? HA! SCIENCE!

OK, so here's what we have them do: You all know (of course, having earned A's in your High School chemistry class) that calcium builds strong bones for people AND horses. We've got four bowls of liquids: Creek water, milk, tap water, and distilled water. Which has the highest calcium levels?

(The creek water is from East Hickman creek that runs behind my house and the tap water is out of my kitchen sink. Milk is compliments of Kroger, and the distilled water is from Highbridge Springs. No product endorsements intended.)

I'm not telling the calcium answer. You have to stop by our exhibit area to find out. We've got hardness testers and a color chart; you can pretend you are back in Chemistry again. But don't blow up the lab.

Oh and one more thing.. if you come, you also may be able to play horse shoes. We've got the posts & the horse shoes, now all we need is a place to toss them. Workin' on that.

Did I mention there are some horses jumping fences somewhere here too? I keep forgetting that part. Actually sometimes they don't jump, they walk and trot and canter..but they are VERY VERY good.

Til tomorrow.

Morning Dew and other Natural Disasters

Hallelujah! That's all I could think of as I kicked off my soaking barn boots and peeled off my wet socks. The water on my feet was just heavy morning dew that comes after a hot day... rather than water that is a result of a never-ending rain that seems to have hit Kentucky this spring.

This holiday weekend was blessed in weather terms. Yes, too hot! Yes, dry. But hallelujah, no rain! I hope the hay farmers got their crop cut and baled. I wonder if it is too late for corn, or if corn farmers were able to mud in their seeds earlier this spring.

I actually saw puffs of dust in my paddock as the horses played around. Rather than potholes of mud and slippery tracks where one slid trying to come to a stop.

I worry about what we have seen in the U.S. this spring, because according to the climatologists, global warming will gradually cause more of the unusual weather patterns.

If you live in a suburb and go to an office or school to work, the strange patterns of weather may depress your spirits, but it does not stop your income or your activities.

If, however, you are involved in an agricultural enterprise, whether raising crops, cattle or horses, the weather effects are much more devastating, more income-disruptive, more lifestyle changing.

When farmers had diverse farms with animals, row crops, fruit, vegetable gardens... they had much more of a chance of survival. Each of the farm products on a diverse farm are timed so that a wet spring may affect one but not so much the others. But now that we are all so specialized - if you raise JUST livestock (including horses), or JUST corn.. the weather can make you or break you at any time of year.

I'm not an agricultural specialist,but when you live on a small farm, you learn these lessons in miniature. The lettuce in the garden loved the rain but needed more sun to really grow. When it went from 50 degrees to 90 degrees overnight, from constant rain to sunny and hot, the lettuce growth exploded, but we have a limited window to harvest and eat it before it turns bitter from the sudden heat. (Salads every meal at the Grulke house).

What is the future for agriculture if weather patterns continue to be strange? Floods, droughts, hurricanes and tornadoes, ice storms, bitter winters, blistering summers.

If it happens occasionally, it's inconvenient, just Mother Nature showing us that we don't control the world (like Americans seem to think we do...).

If it happens routinely...gosh, I don't know what we will do. Hay will become very expensive because the supply will become unpredictable. Similarly for grain and sweet feed. At the same time, if pastures are soaked or flooded, the horse owner will need MORE hay and grain. It will become a challenge to get a horse ready for showing without an all-weather arena.

But for now, the sun is shining and summer has come to Kentucky. I watch my horses slowly swish their tails in the shade, and meander over to the water trough. A slight summer haze covers the distant ridge, and the grass in the shadows is deep emerald green. Birds flit overhead and a squirrel balances on a fence board.

It is hard to think of natural disasters, or temperamental weather when this beautiful and lazy Kentucky scene is laid out before your eyes. Pray for a good summer, crisp fall, and good times with our animals.

Ride #2 on the new gaited mare

I still don't know what to expect when I get on my new gaited mare. For those who don't know, a few weeks ago I bought my first gaited horse, after a lifetime of riding those "trotters" (and I still have three Morgans in my barn so I am not giving up trotting)

But to keep up with the Jones, who are "gaiting out" down the trail and look like they could be holding a glass of wine (beer?) without spilling a drop.... well, I thought I'd give it a try. I mean the gaiting, not the wine.

So Callie and I rode in Mt. Sterling last weekend on an 800 acre farm belonging to friend Edith. Callie was totally nervous for the first 10 minutes, showing me some side passes and complicated dressage moves I didn't know she had. HA! As nervous as she was, she was happier out front than in back. "DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND" was what her body language was saying. The other horses pretty much ignored her.

The first challenge was a creek crossing. I found out on ride #1 that she doesn't like crossing running water (puddles are OK). This creek crossing required a drop down a small bank and into the water. Her brakes went on. Edith came back (on her trusty mule) and Callie followed his butt down the bank and across the water.

Next, I learned lesson #1 about gaiting. It's smooth for a while then gets bumpy. I understand these gaited horses have a sweet spot where they are smooth as silk, but just as quickly they can fall into a rough spot, if they are going too fast, or if you don't have enough handle on their mouth. It's a touch you have to learn - hold back while putting on the leg.

Callie didn't need much leg on this ride. She was out ahead, gaiting when I'd let her, and seemed to be looking for something ahead. Was she just trying to find the way back ot the trailer, so the old lady could get off her back? Or was she just curious about what was over the next hill?

We had about four creek crossings on that ride, and the good news is that by the end of the ride, she was just a bit hesitant but not resisting badly. A little encouragement and she was stepping into the water like a pro. My pasture at home has a big creek in it (REALLY BIG with the rain we just had..) so Callie will get lots of chances to get her feet wet.

It was a gorgeous day, we watched two herds of deer bound away across the fields, a gaggle of wild turkeys, a few squirrels, and birds swooping overhead. Sun overhead, wildlife around, good friends and their horses... and my new gaited mare. What could be better?

Is It Just the Economy, Stupid?

There has been an on-going discussion among all of the equine experts (ie all of us, all horse people are experts, right?) whether or not the dismal state of the horse economy is just a matter of the national economy rub-off.

Those in racing know it is more than that, with the lack of competitiveness with other states due to no gaming in Kentucky.

But putting the gaming issue aside, the question is: When the economy recovers in the U.S. (and abroad), will the horse industry bounce back to former levels?

Two schools of thought:
1. YES. Horses take money (as do all forms of recreation), therefore more jobs = more money = more horse buyers and riders= more customers for equine professionals (and increased prices for horses)

2. NO. Horses have been on a slow downward slide as a recreational pursuit even prior to the recession, and will continue that downward slide unless something is done.

Honestly, I would prefer the first answer. If it was just a matter of the economy, that would take some of the responsibility off of all of our shoulders, wouldn't it. It would require just a "grin and bear it" attitude, waiting out the economy, and hoping someone somewhere (Washington DC? Frankfort KY? Hong Kong?) would solve the fiscal problems on behalf of all of the world's citizens, and then - bingo - we are back in business with horses.

But honestly, I am afraid the answer might be #2. I'm not a pessimist but a realist. So the question is: What can we do to ensure that "horses as recreation and business opportunities" bounce back when the economy comes back? Whatever it is we do, we need to work on it now, so we are ready to hit the road running.

I have always liked that phrase "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps." Where are our bootstraps, and can we work together on getting them pulled?

What does the horse community need to do for itself....to capitalize on the fact that most people are attracted to the beauty and power of a horse?

Appalachian Spring

I spent last weekend in Appalachia. Appalachia is beautiful all year round, but in the spring, there is nothing to compare to it. I found out that this time of year is called Service (pronouced Sarviss) Winter, which is when the Redbud trees burst into splashes of bright pink among the grey-brown forests in the mountains. Next will be Dogwood Winter (you can guess what is happening then in the forests), and the Blackberry Winter.

If you ride horses, Appalachia is a goldmine in our backyard. It has inspired poets and musicians, theologians and philosophers.

Ironically, when I returned home the Sunday Lexington Herald-Leader had a review of the Lexington Philharmonic's performance of Copland's "Appalachian Spring". The reviewer was saying the pictures of horses grazing in pasture should have been of horses frolicking in pastures. And I am thinking, "Those pictures were probably horses in the BLUEGRASS, not in APPALACHIA." Ah, how we in the Bluegrass seem to think we are the center of the world....

As we rode in SE Kentucky, my new horse struggled up the steep hillsides, and I was sure to give her lots of resting time between climbs. But when we got to the top, the scenery was spectacular, viewing mountain top after mountaintop, most of which have a name known only to the locals.

Coal mining was a source of long discussions. The challenge of coal as a single source of industry. The necessity of strip mining. The coal property owners who live in other states and make decisions about Kentucky's Appalachian hills while flying 30,000 feet over the area in a plane. The viability of alternative energy sources. The future of the region if coal jobs went away.

(Well, OK, and then there was the UK Final Four Game wedged in there between the discussions... OMG, a nail biter!!)

But back to the SE KY economy. Here is where trail riding comes in. It can be the basis for a healthy adventure tourism economy for Appalachia in Kentucky. There are many counties working on new trails right now... not just in Appalachia but across the state. Horsemen are coming together to do the work necessary to get this effort going. We plan to make "Horse Capital of the World" mean something beyond the Bluegrass. Man, it is so rewarding to see this happen! Racing may be struggling but trail people keep on going... and keep working despite the economics of 2011. It will happen.