Jotunheimens Staller

AKA My Life With Too Many Mares

2012-01-10T09:47:00.008-05:00

There are times when I feel like a mare wrangler. Now, I put myself in this position, given my affinity for the fairer sex of the equine world. Most of the horses I've ridden and trained have been mares, and currently, with the exception of Sublime, my competition horses are female (although there are times when I wonder if Sublime is a woman trapped in a man's body, particularly when he squeals when offended). I owe my career, everything I know, to mares.

Since we made our move to Florida, things have gotten out of hand, however. The estrogen levels are higher than normal, particularly with the re-arrival of Nicolbria. She was stationed at Hilltop Farm, as she is in foal to Bugatti Hilltop, but I decided to bring her to Wellington with me as a companion for Nikita and Sister Hazel. You'd think being pregnant, she would be too fat, too lazy, too entranced by her maternal glow, or some other such pregnancy-related cliche, to cause much trouble.

Yet here I stand, wrangling 3 very different mares, and it's Round 10 of the Fight for Boss Mare. Nicolbria and Nikita have been going at it nonstop, gleefully, as this is their "Mean Girls" past time. There days when I've left, leaving Nicolbria and Sister Hazel turned out together, only to find them in different paddocks upon my return. I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained about the unending dinosaur sounds that emanate from my stalls. Sister Hazel, usually the silent-silent partner, has begun uttering her opinions. I'm certain she thinks the other two are nuts. Now I know how Mr. Bennett felt.

Still, as I look at potential sale horses, I notice they all have one thing in common: They're mares.

Getting Ready for Wellington!

2011-11-22T08:58:00.010-05:00

It's unbelievable that I leave in a week for Wellington. I'm the World's Laziest Packer, which means I leave everything until the last minute, when I throw a bunch of unnecessary items in a suitcase. The last time I travelled to Istanbul, I packed that morning, and ended up with a single pair of pants for the entire trip. (Enjoy this ancient picture, left, of me on my first Grand Prix mount, whom I met in the mountains on the outskirts of Konya, Turkey. Our piaffe left something to be desired.)

And I'm the lightest traveler ever. In fact, when I went to Wellington to scout properties, I went with my check card, a toothbrush, and 3 pairs of underwear. (No, Sulin, I wore clothes as well.) Needless to say, I've spent the past week looking like I'm scrambling, but really just watching episodes of The Big Bang Theory and screwing around on the Gator. I'm certain once I arrive, there will be quite a few "D'oh!" moments (but that's what wallets and ATM cards are for, right?). Like my passport, the only thing I'm concerned about forgetting are my horses, which would make for an interesting winter (but that's what wallets and ATM cards are for, right?).

The horses are going down courtesy of Horse Jitney, because I'm too faint of heart to drive that distance with my FEI horses and a pregnant broodmare. This is interesting, because you'd think as a card-counting, camel-riding, chicken-playing-with-the-Gator adventurer, a 19 hour drive to the Sunshine State with my horses might be a cake walk. However, I'm on a solo mission to bring our hay and alfalfa the 1,000 miles, and that's about all the excitement with a rig that my free-wheeling self can handle. And it's not as if I can exactly throw Nikita into a suitcase last minute.

Top 5 Things I Love

2011-11-17T06:55:00.006-05:00

1. My 5.5 horses! (The unborn foal counts as 1/2 a horse, right?) Where would I be without Nikita, Sublime, Sister Hazel, little Chamonix SSH, and Big Mama Nicolbria (and her as-yet-unnamed baby)?

2. My barn manager, Colleen. I think she rocks.

3. My new Gator. I spent half of our rainy yesterday off roading. And leaving barn chores for Colleen.

4. My new trailer! Yes, I bit the bullet and got one, because, let's face it, Nikita deserves it! It's shiny and bright, and I can't wait for the decals to be put on it. The Gator will get decals too!

5. My job! What other job lets you go off roading on both a horse and a 4-wheeler? And then piaffe wearing a top hat???

New Sponsorship with Southern States!

2011-11-08T17:53:00.004-05:00

I’m very pleased to announce my FEI horses are now sponsored by Southern States! I’ve always believed in Southern States products, and my performance horses have flourished on their feeds and good advice.

Nikita’s been doing quite well on Legends Performance textured, and with the advice of Southern States nutritionists, I’ve added Triple Crown Complete to her diet, to ensure she’s receiving a complete diet for a competing Grand Prix horse. She’s a hard keeper, and must expend a lot of energy, so it’s a comfort to know she’s getting a balanced diet.

With the advice of the Southern States representative Jessica Morton and nutritionist Dr. Marty Adams, Sublime, when he arrived into the USA from Europe, was started on Safe Start Forage, then transitioned onto the same Legends Performance textured and Triple Crown Complete mixture. I received a ton of information and advice from Jessica and Marty to ensure Sublime was transitioned safely onto American feed, and I was very happy to have their guidance.

Sister Hazel, whose talent and intelligence mean she’s rather hot, gets Triple Crown Complete. She gets a balanced diet, and is able to focus her talent on performance!

All three horses are healthy, and ready for an exciting winter show season!! Starting in November, Nicolbria, my Prix St. George horse-come-broodmare, will join me again, and I look forward to consulting with Southern States to make sure big mama and her baby receive the best diet possible!

Winter in Wellington!

2011-11-03T06:57:00.002-04:00

It's officially official: The team is going south for the winter. I signed a lease on a fantastic property in Wellington, which means Nikita and I don't have to freeze our butts off this winter (ok, well, I'll be freezing half the time, since I will still be in Maryland 3 days a week, but at least the horses will be sipping margaritas poolside the whole winter), and I get to wear flip flops year round again, which has been a personal goal ever since I left California 10 years ago.

I’m looking forward to the regulation-sized dressage arena, grass turnout paddocks, and access to a pool! The stalls also have connected, private turnout paddocks, in which Nikita, Sublime, Sister Hazel, and Big Mama Nicolbria will luxuriate. And although I'm sure Sister Hazel will miss her best friend Lexus, I'm certain my competition string will be happy to be in warm weather again!

The Wellington location has become full quickly, and I have only 2 spots left for horses, either in training or for sale. Call me at 240-479-5435 or email info@jsdressage.com if you’re interested in spending the winter by the beach. Be sure to check back often for photos and updates from our adventures in the Sunshine State!

Top 5 Things I Forgot About New Jersey

2011-09-03T21:37:00.004-04:00

During 2001, I lived and worked in the New York/New Jersey border (which means, yes, I was in NYC on Sept. 11). I went back to the area to look at an awesome FEI sales prospect, and was reminded of all those idiosyncrasies that make New Jersey New Jersey.

Here's 5 things about New Jersey I forgot about completely:

1. You can't pump your own gas. Which meant I white-knuckled it until I was back in Delaware.

2. You can't walk into said gas station wearing riding boots without getting stares, and when a guy asks you to "do a little favor for him," you have to remind him you don't run an S&M den.

3. They have these stupid tolls where you have to throw change into a bucket. Which meant I had to scrounge for 10 minutes to find $0.70, while on my cell phone, with cars behind me, praying the 7 dimes made it into the frickin' bucket after I tossed them, all because New Jersey can't get with the times, and accept debit cards at their tolls. Really, who carries around change for toll booths (and why didn't I just run the toll)?

4. The "gold chains and baseball hat" look is still de rigueur. Particularly in South Jersey.

5. New Jersey residents require a lot of personal space when standing in line. Or perhaps they moved away from me because, well, I smelled like a horse.

Good night everybody!

We've Opened More Stalls & Started Our Field Care Program!

2011-08-31T20:29:00.012-04:00

Training Stable

Team JS is thrilled to announce we’ve opened 4 more stalls for horses in training. In matters of competition and style, preparation is key. Horses in full training receive 6 days of training, grooming sessions twice daily to maintain coat quality, and lots of love.

Our roomy 12’ x 14’ stalls provide ample space for large warmbloods, and horses are fed up to 3 times a day. We're onsite 24/7 to treat your horse like royalty, and our knowledgeable staff includes an onsite masseuse and a physical therapist to accommodate the equine athlete. This is an amazing opportunity to become part of an up-and-coming international dressage team.

Stalls will be available September 1st, and we expect them to fill quickly, so call or text us at +1 (240) 479-5435 or email info@jsdressage.com to schedule a visit!

Field Care Program

By request, we’ve started our Field Care Program, and opened 2 fields to accommodate both geldings and mares. Let your riding horse, retiree, or open broodmare live in style in our lush fields! Our spacious pastures boast huge 15’ x 40’ run-ins, PVC fencing for your horse’s safety, and terrain designed to promote muscle growth! Your horse will be fed twice a day, and we inspect the horses twice a day.

Riders will enjoy our large indoor with new footing, our beautifully-groomed dressage arena, and 2 outdoor jumping arenas, with jump courses professionally set up for your convenience. This is an ideal situation for your horse, and horses on field care are given the same love and attention as our international FEI horses! Learn more here!

We expect these openings to fill fast, so call or text us at +1 (240) 479-5435 or email info@jsdressage.com to schedule a visit!

Heath Ryan Clinic Days 3 & 4

2011-08-25T08:03:00.003-04:00

Nikita and I continued our week-long session with Olympian Heath Ryan by working on perfecting our passage-piaffe-passage transitions, and trying to tidy up the tempis. We achieved a softer passage, which Heath said should score an 8 or 9, and he said our piaffe is a 9! Heath gave us some more hints for how to ride the Grand Prix test professionally to score as many points as possible, and we received lots of career advice. We worked on our tempis on a circle, which will come in very handy for the musical freestyles. Here's some video from Days 3 & 4!

Clinic with Heath Ryan, Days 1 & 2

2011-08-22T20:38:00.002-04:00

Nikita and I are half way through our week-long training session with Olympian Heath Ryan. For those who don't know, Heath went to the Bejing Olympics for Australia, so it's pretty neat we get almost a whole week with him.

We've focused on the Grand Prix test, and Heath said we should practice it daily. He likened it to a total body work out, and said doing each movement daily will help Nikita to build muscle and stamina without stressing her joints, ligaments, or lungs. The nice thing about working on the Grand Prix with someone who's done it in the Olympics is we've gotten these clever hints about how to ride the test with more polish and presentation. These are the kind of things I wouldn't figure out myself (then again, as my wonderful groom Stephanie knows, that top hat is still a mystery to me)!

Heath said the work we're doing is getting closer to international caliber, and believes Nikita will be an awesome international Grand Prix horse, once we have more experience under our belts!

Good Times at Hilltop Farm

2011-08-17T09:15:00.007-04:00

Nikita and I had a great time working with Chris Hickey at Hilltop Farm this week! Nikita thought it was funny to roll in her own pee right before my lessons, and clearly wasn't as concerned about making a good impression as I was!

Chris had a lot of great things to say about our work, and gave some awesome hints to improve our half passes, pirouettes (which are already a show stopper!), piaffe, and piaffe/passage transitions. He helped make our tempis more expressive and collected, which hopefully will bring us from a 7 to an 8 on the tempis!

I got to watch Chris ride some horses, and learned all kinds of valuable information from just watching. I also saw a preview of his I-1 freestyle, which he will perform at the Saugerties CDI this weekend!

Nikita and I can't wait to go back in September, and get some more feedback!

Our 5 Year Anniversary

2011-08-11T20:13:00.003-04:00

Today marks my 5 year anniversary with Nicolbria. I bought her in August 2006 from Barbara Eberly of Sweet Effort Farm. Nicolbria was fat, out of shape, and uber-green. And I can't forget to mention she was crazy, which only came to light after she lost the weight!

She's the first horse I trained to Prix St. George, and her foals will be the next generation of horses I take to the FEI level! I certainly wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for her, so let's take a moment to appreciate Big Red!

News about Chamonix SSH and Nicolbria

2011-08-09T10:48:00.007-04:00

I saw Chamonix SSH and Nicolbria for the first time since May. It also was my first time seeing Nicolbria since she's been in foal to Bugatti Hilltop. I visited to check on the gang, and find out the gender of Nicolbria's baby.

Unfortunately, the baby was hiding, and although I saw some legs of the future "Bugabria," we couldn't see enough to determine the gender. Here's some photos of Nicolbria!

2011-08-04T09:47:00.003-04:00

Up next: EEMI Summer Fling in Leesburg, VA!

Wish us luck - we're doing Intermediare I!

Ride times are 7:57 AM and 9:12 AM!

2011-08-04T09:27:00.002-04:00

Nikita and I had another lesson with Bent this week. He praised our extended trots and tempis, and said our canter half-passes were much better. We were lucky, and the storms didn't start until after our lesson. Here's some video, taken before the torrential downpour started!

Thanks, Jeanette, for letting us come again to your lovely farm! Look forward to seeing you again later this month!

2011-07-23T19:55:00.006-04:00

Nikita and I qualified for the BLM Championships at Intermediare I in New Jersey this fall. Our score of 62% at Dressage at Lexington was high enough to qualify us. That's also one gold medal score down for me. Just one more needed at Intermediare, and then it's on to Grand Prix! Here are some photos from Dressage at Lexington:

News about Chamonix SSH and Nicolbria

2011-07-11T18:04:00.004-04:00

I received some news from Hilltop about Chamonix SSH and Nicolbria. Nicolbria had a checkup at 33 days, and is still in foal! They said everything looked great. Next up, sexing the foal! I can't wait another 10 months to find out the gender; blame it on being of the MTV generation.

Chamonix SSH has gotten his first abscess, which came out of his coronary band. This is good news, because he was having some quirky lameness issues, and finding out it's only an abscess is definitely a good thing! The little stinker likes to play too hard.

Thanks to Megan at Hilltop for providing the updates!

2011-07-10T21:59:00.000-04:00

Watch Nikita enjoy her molasses treat! And in the background, you can see her neighbor enjoying a nosh on my Hennig saddle (which I didn't realize until much later)!

Nikita gets into the carrots

2011-07-08T21:50:00.003-04:00

Nikita got into 2 lbs of carrots! I left the room for a grand total of 5 minutes, and I come back to this. She dumped the carrots on the floor, unwrapped the plastic bag, and tore through the shrinkwrap around the carrots! Smart girl!

Photo Session with Heather Pettit

2011-07-01T22:23:00.009-04:00

We had a great photo session with photographer Heather Pettit, who made Nikita look fabulous! I made the mistake of putting Nicolbria's KWPN logo pad on Nikita; I should have used a Holsteiner logo pad, but live and learn. I especially love the background on the photos. Enjoy the "cream of the crop" from our session, below:

2011-06-25T20:34:00.002-04:00

After a 7 week haitus, Nikita is back in training. First order of business: The Shannon Dueck clinic at GoodNess Ridge Farm. We had a great time during the 2 days we got to work with Shannon, and this was an awesome opportunity to take advantage of Shannon's knowledge to safely get Nikita back in shape.

Shannon had a lot of excellent things to say about us, and was thrilled with Nikita's talent for piaffe and passage!

Nicolbria's in foal!

2011-06-23T20:00:00.003-04:00

It's official! Nicolbria is in foal to Bugatti Hilltop! I'm super excited, since this is my first try at breeding. I've learned a lot from Lisa and David, and can't wait to see what the kiddo will look like. The foal will be registered KWPN-NA, and will have the supreme bloodlines of Bergamon, Rubenstein, Donnerhall, Ulft, and Doruto. This is an elegant match, and I'm sure the foal will be talented with a kind disposition. Thank you to the Hilltop team for taking such great care of Nicolbria!

June 13, 2011

2011-06-13T06:54:00.001-04:00

Congrats to new parents Lisa and David O'Brien of Seguin Sporthorses on the birth of their son!

June 11, 2011

2011-06-11T16:38:00.005-04:00

Nicolbria has been bred to Bugatti Hilltop!

Keep your fingers crossed until her first ultrasound in 14 days!

The foal from this elegant match will be offered in utero. Specifics to come soon!

Highlights from Maat & Nikita's last show

2011-06-04T17:41:00.000-04:00

Maat & Nikita take 2nd place at VADA/NOVA Spring Dressage Show!

2011-04-10T20:37:00.003-04:00

On April 9, 2011, Maat and Nikita won 2nd place in their first competition together at Intermediare I! Nikita enjoyed the electric atmosphere and showing off for the crowds!

2011-03-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

Nicolbria and her herd enjoy the sun (and apparently, a mud bath)!

2011-03-05T13:42:00.004-05:00

We have to give a BIG Thank You! to Alexis Gallati for her help with our accounting needs. Alexis is our superstar accountant, and we depend on her expertise to keep our business thriving.

Alexis sponsored Team JS in 2010 and has renewed her services for 2011. This year she finally agreed to let us thank her publicly!

A horsewoman herself, Alexis understands horse businesses, and without her expertise, we'd be lost. Alexis has been a champion many times on the hunter/jumper circuit with her Thoroughbred, Nondeductible, and is pictured left, with her husband, Dr. Chris Gallati, MD.

2011-03-02T10:11:00.002-05:00

Pregnant Mamma Victoria's Secret keeping Chamonix SSH in line!

A good lesson for a colt to learn!

2011-01-31T21:34:00.002-05:00

What possible splendors await behind the door?

Arrghh, it's just the farrier...

November 30, 2011

2011-01-26T12:20:00.005-05:00

Team JS welcomes our newest member, the premium Holsteiner colt, Chamonix SSH!

Chamonix SSH comes to us from our newest sponsor, Seguin Sporthorses, a premiere Holsteiner breeder based in Seguin, TX! Chamonix SSH will live at Hilltop Farm, where he will grow and learn until he's ready for undersaddle work. Watch for him in 2011 breed classes!

Thank you, Lisa and Dave, for breeding such a fine fellow!

October 13, 2010

2010-10-13T18:05:00.003-04:00

Team JS is proud to announce our newest team member: Roderigo the Chow Chow puppy!

A rescue from the Montgomery County Humane Society, Roderigo has one very important job: to look cute and keep us smiling when we're not riding!

March 7, 2010

2010-03-07T07:31:00.001-05:00

Best wishes on a speedy recovery to Courtney King-Dye! It's sad news - everyone be sure to wear your helmet.

Next Clinic: March 13, 2010

2010-03-02T08:08:00.002-05:00

Marat's next clinic will be on March 13, 2010 at SSH Dressage in Street, MD. Lessons start at 2pm. As always, auditors are welcome. Please email info@jotunheimensstaller.com or call 240-422-0600 (mobile phone) for more information.

JS Nicolbria in March Equiery!

2010-03-02T08:03:00.003-05:00

Exciting news!

JS Nicolbria is featured in the March edition of The Equiery (page 37) as part of the "Snowmageddon 2010!" article, along with her buddy, Ruben! Besides being an awesome FEI dressage horse, JS Nicolbria also acts as Ruben's "seeing eye horse" since Ruben, age 31, is blind.

(Note: the article erroneously states that JS Nicolbria is at Taylormade Stables, but JS is currently located at Good News Farm in Barnesville, MD.)

2010-02-11T19:17:00.002-05:00

Marat and Team JS were interviewed today by Stable Management magazine!

Our training facility and world-class stable management practices will be featured in an upcoming article about high-level trainers who choose to lease barns instead of owning a property. We feel lucky to lease stalls because 100% of our energy is focused on training the JS horses.

Look for the article in an upcoming issue!

2010-02-09T07:34:00.007-05:00

Photos of Nicolbria and friend playing in 2 feet of snow!

February 2, 2010

2010-02-03T09:40:00.004-05:00

Welcome to our newest sponsor:

Thank you for your support!

January 8, 2010

2010-01-08T21:21:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year from Team JS!

Nikita got a new cooler today, thanks to our friends at The Surrey who had the perfect cooler in stock for our big-barreled mare! She seems very happy to have a warm fleece cooler to put under her blanket since the temps have dropped below freezing.

The JS horses are getting a break and lots of hot bran mash while the temperature has been so low. We're ready for spring!

December 21, 2009

2009-12-21T12:55:00.002-05:00

A big THANK YOU to the awesome staff at Good News Farm who made sure the JS horses were warm and comfortable during the Blizzard of 2009! Roads to the barn were inaccessible during the storm, but Maribelle and Jesus (who take care of the JS horses) were hard at work checking to make sure our horses stayed warm. The stable driveway was plowed better than the main roads!

December 7, 2009

2009-12-07T09:05:00.002-05:00

First snow of the year! The horses had a great time playing outside and under saddle. They had a great time spooking at the snow-covered muck bins, which we're sure you know like to eat horses! Apparently snow tastes good too, because Nicolbria had a stomach full.

November 29, 2009

2009-11-29T19:18:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness for the warmer weather today! We left the fleece riding pants at home today & the horses were happy for the break in the cold (although they were just as fresh as they tend to be in cold weather) :-) We love it when the mares are ready to play!

Current video of Nikita's training!

2009-11-06T08:55:00.004-05:00

Way to go Erika!

2009-10-28T08:34:00.003-04:00

Congrats to our friend, Erika, on her awesome placement at Waredaca's Training 3-Day Event on her superstar horse, Copper Dancer!

Way to go Erika and Copper!!

Welcome to Patricia!

2009-10-04T12:59:00.001-04:00

JS welcomes our newest client, Patricia. Welcome Patricia!

Wanted: A Spectacular Working Student to Join the JS Team!

2009-10-03T11:21:00.009-04:00

JS is looking for a working student. Here are the details:

6 days/week except Wednesday, approx. 2 hours a day, probably varying between the hours of 2-6pm, but we're flexible and might be able to work within the schedule of the right person. Compensation is 1 Grand Prix schoolmaster lesson a week ($13.33/hr value) and the daily opportunity to observe FEI training. Duties are light and include grooming, tacking horses, and simple office work such as returning phone calls. Good opportunity for a young rider or adult rider looking to increase their exposure to FEI dressage.

Email info@jotunheimensstaller.com (preferred) or call 240.367.2876 and leave a message.

September 27, 2009

2009-09-27T10:40:00.002-04:00

Our condolences to Janna Dyer Bakhramov, who lost her father, Barend Toerien, on September 4, 2009.

September 24, 2009

2009-09-24T06:24:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Ruth, who won the bidding for a schoolmaster lesson on Nikita at the 1st annual USEA Area II Auction!

September 10, 2009

2009-09-10T07:17:00.000-04:00

Good luck to our friend, Caroline Jordan of Good News Farm, and her horse, Cottage's Courageous, competing this weekend at VADA/Nova's Autumn I Dressage show. Good luck Caroline!

September 2, 2009

2009-09-02T11:39:00.000-04:00

In support of the Area II eventers, we've added our name to the list of trainers donating lessons to the 1st annual USEA Area II Auction! The lucky winner receives a lesson on Nikita, our Grand Prix schoolmaster extraordinaire who has received recent scores in the 70's at Grand Prix!

Since dressage, more and more, is becoming the deciding factor in the final scores in eventing, we feel this is an excellent opportunity for the eventer who wants to improve their dressage score and an excellent opportunity to support a worthy cause!

Happy bidding and Go Area II Eventers!!

February 28, 2009

2009-02-26T21:34:00.000-05:00

The date for the clinic has been set!

On March 28, 2009, Jotunheimens Staller and TaylorMade Stables will be hosting a clinic with Marat. The schedule is filling up fast!!

If you would like to ride, please email info@jotunheimensstaller.com or call us at 301.675.7978 to reserve your spot. The fee to ride is $120 for non-boarders and $100 if you board at TaylorMade. There is no auditing fee, and refreshments will be provided.

See you there!

February 11, 2009

2009-02-11T04:28:00.000-05:00

Our first advertisement has been a big hit, and we've had a ton of inquiries and appointments made for training with Marat (and some before the ad even ran!) Marat's schedule is filling up fast!

As always, we are looking for new JS horses to train to FEI for our personal use. We are currently looking at several exciting prospects. Check back for updates on our new additions and their progress.

We are planning a "get to know you" clinic for this February. This is to give you a chance to meet with Marat and watch him train. If you are interested in auditing or maybe bringing your horse to the clinic, please contact us for availability and information. We will post the date for this as soon as it has been set.

January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T12:21:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the official Jotunheimens Staller blog! Come back often - we plan to update this page so you can keep current on the exciting events at the center.

Right now we are busy improving the official JS website and, of course, training the horses. We welcome riders of all levels, and our focus is to train our clients, client horses, and our personal horses to FEI levels. Training a horse to compete FEI is a difficult but exciting adventure!

Thanks for stopping by, and we look forward to seeing you around the stable!