RJ on Cover of Saddle UP Magazine
Check out the latest article about Rex in Saddle Up Magazine
Tony the Tiger
Tony is coming to Windrock Farm in April. He is a 10 year old talented pony with a great personality and temperament. He is very smart and is very comfortable to ride.
New Dressage Tests for Eventing
Learn the new USEA dressage tests for eventing before the season begins. Practice at home and always train at a level above the one you plan to show. Be prepared. You will greatly improve your scores if you ride with confidence and determination. I highly recommend riding the test on several different horses to confirm that it is automatic in your head so that if you are distracted on the day by wind, unruly horses in the next arena or equipment failure, you will carry on like a pro. Study hard and have fun!
Real Horses Helped Create Avatar
Click here for the link to an interesting article about the making of Avatar. They used real horses to create realistic movements for the six legged equines in the film. The director, James Cameron, was determined to create as accurate a rendition as possible. This is one of the most successful films every released. It contains an important message and is a must see if you have not already done so.
Temple Grandin on HBO
Harbor Mist affectionally known as T, has a pivotal scene in the new HBO film, Temple Grandin. Don’t worry if you missed the premiere, just check the schedule on HBO for listings. Claire Danes gives a stellar performance as Temple Grandin. The story of this remarkable woman is fascinating and a must see for anyone interested in the humane treatment of animals. Rex worked with T on the film for a pivotal scene where the horse called “Chestnut” is wild and fights everyone until Temple meets him. Later in the script “Chestnut” dies and Temple is very upset when she sees him lying under a tarp. You can see him rear, fight and play dead. T lies absolutely still, fooling everyone on the set. T was discovered on the racetrack where he won three races in his career. He was cast as the lead horse in Dreamer. T is a remarkable Hollywood horse who always delivers a solid and convincing performance.
Trigger to be Auctioned off at Sothebys
Sadly, the Roy Rogers Museum has closed its doors and all of the memorabilia is to be auctioned off.
The ranks of fans of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Hollywood’s “King of the Cowboys” and “Queen of the West,” have shrunk to the point that the couple’s museum in Branson, Mo., closed in December, after ticket sales no longer covered its $33,000 monthly rent.
“Toward the end, sometimes we had only 40 people a day,” said Roy Rogers Jr., the actor’s oldest son, who helped run the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum in a sham Wild West storefront. He added that his father, who died in 1998, “always told us, ‘When the museum starts costing you money, y’all need to move on and get rid of it.’ ”
The Rogers family is now auctioning off the displays of taxidermied horses, rhinestone-studded costumes, Colt revolvers and licensed products including lunch boxes and comic books. The first sale, with about 20 pieces, will be held on Saturday in Mesa, Ariz.
The auction house, High Noon Western Americana, has placed estimates of $20,000 to $30,000 on a 1950s plastic saddle painted with roses and 1930s silver-plated spurs attached to boots inlaid with eagle patterns. Fringed shirts from “Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors” embroidered with thunderbirds and horseshoes; belts studded with rubies; and silver-heeled shoes (“in good, but probably not wearable, condition,” the catalog notes) are estimated at $1,000 to $10,000.
In July, Mr. Rogers said, Christie’s in New York will auction much of the rest of the museum contents, including the preserved palominos and a Pontiac Bonneville with six-shooters for door handles. Christie’s does have a recent track record for Rogers memorabilia: at a country music sale last month , it sold two dozen of the couple’s former possessions, like guitars, cowhide gloves and song typescripts, for about $180,000, four times the high estimate.
Now is your opportunity to own a part of the wild west including his favorite horse Trigger and Trigger Jr.
Prelim Horse For Sale
This is a lovely horse for someone looking to move up to Prelim or who wants a solid training level horse. Chloe is Dutch Warmblood, 15.2 hands, perfect for a young rider or adult wanting to be competitive. Chloe scores in the leaderboard in dressage and is an honest bold jumper.
Temple Grandin Feb 6 8pm HBO
I highly recommend a new film called Temple Grandin on HBO this Saturday at 8pm. The film is about the remarkable work Temple Grandin has done in the field of livestock behavior and humane slaughter. Rex worked on the film with Harbor Mist, also known as Mr. T has a pivotal scene in the film. Friends who have previewed the film say that it is very powerful on many levels and is worth watching. The film has an excellent cast with Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, with supporting roles played by Julia Ormond and David Strathairn.
One day of filming required Mr. T to play dead and lay perfectly still under a tarp. This would not have been easy on a quiet set and was especially difficult because the scene required Mr. T to lie absolutely still while Claire, as Temple, has a fit standing over him. As you know horses are highly sensitive to energy and it is remarkable how Rex was able to convince Mr. T to lay perfectly still during the sequence. This is the result of many hours of training and a tremendous trust between horse and trainer. Mr. T also has several other scenes where he has to fight and rear as well as being gentle with his co- star.
I also recommend you read the review about the film in the New York Times today.
Congratulations to Estella and Shadow!
Happy Birthday Estella, and congratulations on your new pony!!!
Is Your Horse Really Broke?
Does your horse stand quietly in the cross ties, does he wait patiently at the mounting block, does he step off only when you ask him, is he on your aids when you ask him to go, whoa, move laterally? If not, come to a clinic this Spring and learn how to teach your horse to be so obedient, even a monkey could ride him. Check the web site for dates and availability.