John Freeman's Page

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From: Barnmice Equestrian Social Community <mail@barnmice.com>
To: Christopher Hyams <cbhyams@sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wed, October 26, 2011 3:50:28 PM
Subject: John Freeman added a comment to your profile on Barnmice Equestrian Social Community

John Freeman added a comment to your profile on Barnmice Equestrian Social Community

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Hi Chris,
I am also glad we are in touch and I apologize that this message has been so long in coming. We just had my brother and his wife visiting from the UK so its been very hectic. Neither of them drives! No, not ever so they are completely dependent on us when they are here. It was a little easier when we lived in the city as they could take themselves out and about.

 Actually, I don;t blame them. When I'm in England, I won't drive, sure that I'd be ticketed or killed on the wrong side of the road. But I must tell you that I, too, have been doing a bit of motoring about. I logged 310 miles in order to ride and instruct at 3 locations since 4:30am yesterday. Which did permit me to avoid the Baseball madness transpiring 40 blocks from my house here in St Louis City. WHen I arrived home, my neighbors told me they were awake all night, not participating in, but listening to the street celebrations that continued after the game until dawn. Although I did sleep well, in a client's guest room 90 mile north, pretty well whooped at this moment. But already looking forward to tomorrow's rides.
The best day of their visit (for me) was when I took them with me to visit the stud farm where my horse was born. The farm is in a beautiful area and so the drive itself was quite lovely, and the farm is spectacular - gorgeous pastures and the largest barn I've ever been in. They breed Hanoverians and Standardbreds and we met a group of absolutely gorgeous yearlings, one of which is sold to the UK and soon be be shipped there. Hmmmm, I wonder what you would get by crossing a trotting Standardbred with Hanoverian with a recent dose of Thoroughbred? Seems that if you really knew both gene pools well, you could nick one amazing dressage horse. Or, more likely a complete dud. Another, who is most likely UK bound also was the richest possible liver chestnut - a colour I've never seen on a Standardbred. 60 years ago Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds were bred in the Foxhunting country in which I was raised. And the breeders would hunt both the Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds after racing them. The country had lots of "cut and come agains" (giant multiflora rose hedges that were pruned and tied to make thick, thorny walls. Before I rode, I used to bicycle out to"hilltop" during school holiddays. It was an amazing spectacle!The owners were very welcoming, toured us around and then invited us into the house for coffee and apple fritters. My brother was super impressed as such a visit would not have been so warm in the UK...oh, maybe times and manners have changed in England, but when, on the way to Badminton in the late 80's, I had my driver stop at Goodwood that I might glimpse the Dressage Courts and Racecourse, her stable worker put me on the phone to Lady March, who instructed her Course Keeper to open the gate for me, and to then direct me to her office for tea! It was as if I had simply arrived at the appointed time of an invitation previously accepted. You bet I took another couple of hours to see Goodwood! I am next to raid my refrigerator, and don a cassock for a costume cocktail party which precedes the outbreak of Halloween street party tonight. Costume judging accompanied by live bands on a stage spanning an intersection two blocks from here.

OH, frm Nancy's I posted to DressageUnderground this morning. Let me know what you think about it, if you will, John.
More later, Chris - duty calls...
John

Hi, John.

You have opened many topics we may discuss, and while I have a few minutes between rides, start in.

It actually does surprise me that of 256 members of barnmice, only 7 joined your Men's group. But I am even more surprised that barnmice, an offshoot of Eurodressage, which touts a MILLION hits a day, has only 256 members. I would have thought more like 10% of that MILLION (if that is a real number) would be barnmice, and that 10% of barnmice would join a men's group. But I am also noticing that communication among my friends through other social networking channels has diminished recently. Instead they are simply posting photos, or GPS through those channels. Maybe they are texting each other, I am not, and I hope they are not. (Inspired by Steve Jobs, I am actually practicing my handwriting.)

I understand your frustration with being an only male in a 'barn aisle culture.' The stable in which my schoolmaster is kept has a barn aisle culture so offputting to me, I simply do not participate. I tend and exercise the horse daily, am focused on his well-being only, get in and out quickly. Visiting my clients as their instructor/rider/trainer at private and commercial equestrian facilities in this area, I arrive on time, provide services, and leave. No socializing. If someone wants to book my time, they can open an account.

I am not interested or involved local horse shows, in any way. My riding clients are adults, who like you, enjoy mature relationships with their horses and are rewarded by knowing they are progressing their own skills and horses' developments. We don't need ribbons, or the accompanying bullshit to know we are accomplished and are continuing to learn.  If my clients have competitive urges, I encourage them to be subjected only to highly qualified judges at venues of commensurate quality...which is to spend a LOT of money beyond a horses needs and an engaging training program for horse and rider.  You would probably think me, too, unfriendly, and unapproachable at a horse show. I am there only to earn my salt by serving my clients, that they achieve the highest possible test scores.

I envy you that you have time for trail riding. It is a pleasure, I agree. And I have been promising my schoolmaster a trailride soon. One morning I'll put him on the lorry and take him to a park. Unfortunately the yard in which he lives has no adjoining trails. He lives there because it is the nearest to my house in the city, and there is always good enough footing someplace onsite, either indoors or outdoors, so that I can exercise him before or after servicing a client site. He is an aged thoroughbred, whom I bought from his breeder after his racing phase, schooled for a year before showing him a short season of AA shows as a green hunter, then took another year to develop his dressage and cross-country abilities before completing 8 USEF Novice Horse Trials. And am now riding him only on the flat, and loving it. And he does, too, I am sure.

Gotta get going...rider ready for my attention. Glad we are in touch, Chris