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Welcome to our online Classified SectionBelow are our Online Rates - Click here for all Bits & Pieces Ad Options. We have many packages that include print and web ads.Classified Ad – This offers a one-time newsletter appearance. It also includes a full year on the website (or until such time as your item is sold, where applicable) 70 words or fewer, text only on the newsletter. For the web site, you may add a small photo no bigger then 160 pixels on it's longest side. It must be sent as 72 DPI. Photos must have a release from the photographer. $15.Web Business Card Ads - 3.5 x2 $75 per year. Web AD - 3.5 x5 in. max size; V or H orinetation - Jpeg, PDF, Word. $125 per year. Sorry no Publisher files. Email Web ads to lakewebdesign@aol.com with Sonoma CDS ad in the subject line.. Emails with attachments not clearly indentifed this way will be deleted without opening them. |
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| HORSE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT over hay barn WITH LARGE DECK/TREE and lots of privacy, Seeking one OR two person tenancy for a quiet horseperson with or without a horse (horse board not included) who is willing to ranch-sit (very rarely) and help with feeding and cleaning (for pay at $16/hr) one or two days per week, 2-3hrs/day. Olympic size dresage/riding arena, ride directly to Annadel State Park trails. Owner will care for your pets while you are away. Located on a private, gated ranch off of Bennett Valley Rd between Glen Ellen and Santa Rosa. 15 min. drive to Santa Rosa Fairgrounds or to Sonoma. Call 707-833-4533, or cell phone 707-696-2033 (posted 12/07/07) |
| For Sale - Passier Grand Gilbert (Nicole) Saddle Black, 18" seat, medium wide tree, very good condition; Excellent dressage saddle and very comfortable; Does not fit current dressage horse. $1850.00 707-483-2950 (Kathy) (posted 12/14/07) |
After numerous requests to sell our tack WITH our horses, we decided to design, develop, and import saddles and bridles designed specifically for larger horses, such as our Friesians. We noticed over the years, some of our Friesians who we used normal saddles on, with a smaller tree size, were sometimes getting back and shoulder problems. The Black Sterling saddle is extremely comfortable for our horses, as well as their riders. This saddle is recommended by physiotherapists. With its special fit and 100% wool filled saddle panels, the Black Sterling Saddle offers extra support and minimal compressive stress on your horse’s back.
The saddle’s special design offers you the best possible support and a quiet leg position, allowing you to absorb the movements of your horse. The Black Sterling Saddle is your shortest way to success, both in the dressage arena, and out on the trail, or for pleasure riding! Visit our tack room with a large selection of different size saddles and bridles in the top of our barn at Black Sterling Friesians, 24120 Wine Country Ct in Sonoma, or get more info on our tack on our website at www.blacksterlingfriesians.com, or email janna@blacksterlingfriesians.com, or call janna at 415-461-5516 |
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Toast & Boast Returns Do you have a special horse & would like to share your story? Every two months the feartured story can change. Send your story and a photo to me. Email |
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 Melissa Rodgers & Marlow the Magnificent |
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| Marlow the Magnificent For the past six years I’ve had the privilege of being owned by a horse named Marlow, Marlow the Magnificent. Maybe you’ve seen us at a show or two, we show Grand Prix and generally have to back into the perimeter of the show arena before settling down to perform a stellar test. Sometimes after our test, he slips the halter and runs off visiting the other horses, an entertainment that only he could love. This year Marlow won the USDF Adult Amateur Grand Prix Award. He deserved it, he earned it, he spent the last five years teaching me what it is to really be a good rider. I thought I knew how to ride before Marlow came into my life. I’d started and trained up countless horses to second level, from mustangs to Swedish Warmbloods. I thought I knew what forward, through and straight was. Marlow taught me what it is to be a good rider, have a sense of humor, and even though we show at Grand Prix remain humble, ever so humble. After sitting in a stall for eighteen months unloading every potential buyer that came his way, Marlow determined I passed the test when I didn’t come off or even get off but continued to ride him. Of course I could barely get him around the arena and I certainly couldn’t get him to do anything I wanted, a minor detail. I knew that Jane Schwartz Ewer, instructor, trainer, coach, mentor and friend would get me through it. And so began Marlows’ little life lessons. Sit straight keep your leg in the right position and get him through One of the amazing talents Marlow has is to be able to kick me in the heel when my leg is in the wrong position or cueing him at the wrong time. He does this in perfect rhythm without missing a beat, trust me, I have the judges comments to prove it. I f you lean a bit too far forward he’ll drop his glorious neck and leave you reaching for his ears as you head face down to the ground. If you don’t get him through you’ll be lucky to ride a training level test. Note: Marlow prefers to gallop like a bat out of h*ll to get forward and warm up. If there is any possible way to embarrass and humiliate, Marlow will find it Have I mentioned that Marlow doesn’t enter the perimeter of the arena in the normal manner? I wasn’t kidding when I said I have to back in. I KNOW some of you have seen us do this and you think that horse must be ring sour. Then you see Marlow perform and you know he’s in his glory. He just backs in as a test to see if he can embarrass me. He has other tricks too, they include, dragging me all over the show grounds, refusing to be saddled, and clearing out the arena. The ring steward at last years championships remembered us and kept the warm up ring and the path to the show ring clear. She knew that if anyone was around Marlow would take it upon himself to try and find yet another clever way to humiliate and embarrass me as well as terrorize the other competitors. It’s all part of the fun you see. Four years ago, two people had to hang on to either side of the bridle to get him into the covered ring at Murietta. I was so embarrassed I almost died. Then I thought about it as he was passaging around, head held high and I just started laughing and I’ve never quit laughing when he carries on. He loves it, it’s his thing and I love it that he loves it, and don’t tell me that I’m anthropomorphizing either. Never use the curb except in extreme circumstances I learned very quickly to use the curb only in dire circumstances. I once rode a Prix St. George test with his chin at his knees. Other than that it was a pretty good ride. The judges comments were ‘Don’t use so much curb.’ Roger that, minimal curb, got it. For those of you keen on the curb I’d suggest less curb, you might be surprised at the results. The rider adapts to the horse, not the other way around Don’t fool yourself, the art of horsemanship is not making the horse adapt to you, but you adapting to the horse. Really, that’s the secret to good riding. Yes, you do need to teach the horse the aids, proper respect for them and respect for you as the alpha rider but after that you work with the horses quirks and emotions to encourage the best performance possible. Maybe it’s the ten minute warm up, the sugar cube, apple after the ride, the special saddle, whatever, figuring out what makes the horse the most happy and comfortable is the fastest way to a successful partnership. If I don’t follow Marlow’s routine I guarantee you I will have a crappy ride. Once, I warmed up for 22 minutes, not the standard 12 minutes, and half way through the test I excused myself. Marlow was supremely unhappy that I hadn’t followed the standard plan and he wasn’t about to do anything for me. You’d think reading this that Marlow actually came trained through Grand Prix, nope, PSG was all he ever shown and even then he didn’t break 60%. Marlow just knew what was correct and what was wrong and he would only tolerate correct riding. This was another important lesson he taught me, the better you ride the better the horse goes, any horse. Through all these lessons Marlow gave, I learned to be a good rider, have a large sense of humor, and be humble because at any time there is ample opportunity to be reminded that as good as I think I am there is always something more to learn or some new way to make me look like I can’t ride. As I mentioned at the beginning, Marlow did very, very well, this year. In typical Marlow fashion he didn’t just win the GP AA award; that would be too simple. He finished the bare minimum number of rides needed to qualify for USDF awards and then he went completely, absolutely, dead, lame. Many vet, chiropractor, and acupuncture bills later he’s still lame. I take him out and walk him weekly. He still tries to unload me, and if he tires of that, he tries to crush the dogs, all to let me know he’s still ‘The Man.’ I love that horse, he’s the horse of a lifetime. If I could wish one thing for all riders I’d wish that each of you find that perfect schoolmaster, they’ll change your life for the better, I promise you that.... Mellssa Rodgers |
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