Photo Caption Contest
It’s time to put on your thinking caps and get creative. Leave your best caption for the photo above in the comments link below. (It’s small so you might have to look hard.) The winner AND runner-up, for the MOST CREATIVE caption, will receive their choice of a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble or Starbucks—their choice.
At the end of the week three finalists will be chosen by Nicker and then voted on by you!
Thanks for participating!
A Dude Ranch of a Different Color!
In the Nicker of Time! is excited to introduce to you, Ike and Cheri Bunny, owners of Slide Mountain Ranch (SMR)located in the beautiful and remote town of Tuolumne, California. 
Combination breeding operation of fine Quarter and Paint Cutting horses and dude ranch, the operation offers the experienced and non-experienced a horsey vacation they will never forget!!
I met Ike and Cheri years ago when they called me to come take pictures of their paint stallion, Too Much Pepper. I was moved 
by the beauty of their land and when I had my first gimps of the bunkhouse 
I just had to ask, “When can I stay?”
Since then I’ve vacationed many times with Ike and Cheri, some with my horses and other times with theirs. Everyone who goes, returns. Why, you might ask? Not only is it beautiful, not only does the darling wooden bunkhouse transports you back in time, you actually get to ride a “REAL” cutting horse, 
AND cut the mechanical cow. But, be warned, I won’t be responsible when after your first visit you sell everything to invest in owning a cutting horse. They are addicting….
Q. With knowing that you are speaking with writers, give one funny story about guests that have stayed and an usual thing that happened.
A. We’ve had several people come to Slide Mountain Ranch for their honeymoon and a few had cowboy style weddings here. One evening one of our newly wed couples was sitting around the old campfire site enjoying a glass of wine, the beautiful fire, and starry sky when the husband decided to take a photo of themselves. He placed the camera on the fence post for an automatic shot, the camera fell off the back of the post. Without looking in the dark he jumped over the fence to get the camera and rolled down a steep hill into the mud. He was not injured just disappeared from his bride. Look before you leap! We all got a good laugh together when they told the story.
Q. What is the most difficult aspect of running a dude ranch?
A. Making sure that everyone is having fun but at the same time insuring their safety. Also, you never know when guest will book or how much income you will have, so you have to be very flexible. Starting a business like this takes risk.
Q. Most rewarding?
A. Running a livestock operation does not allow for many vacations, so meeting people from around the country is interesting and fun. It was very rewarding to be successful in this adventure, we never really knew if it would work out. We just jumped in and went for it. Each time someone offered us an opportunity we took it and ran.
Q. What are some of the magazines that have featured SMR?
A. Slide Mountain Ranch has been so blessed with media attention. Our first big story was published in Western Horsemen Magazine in the mid 90s. Kathy Kadash wrote a wonderful story about us with great photography. That booked the ranch full for over one year. After that we made the cover of the Paint Horse Journal as a result of traveling to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the Paint Horse world show in the cutting classes. Our daughter won the world on our mare Snowpepper in the amature division and Ike was 7th on Cals Eclispe in the open.
We also had a very small student rider with us showing Cals Eclispe their photo made the cover along with a very nice story about our ranch , thanks to our friend Darrell Dodds. Darrell’s photos of our cutting horses are still used by the APHA on their web site. We feel thankful for these write ups and appreciate each one. Stories like this are essential to a small family owned business. Not only is it hard to find the time to market but also very expensive and easy to make mistakes with our advertising dollars.
Q. You have an upcoming TV special about the ranch. When and where will that air?
A. Public Broadcasting Station, KVIE will air our show on California Heartland on November 17, Monday at 7:30pm.
Q. You’ve had visitors from around the world. What are some of the countries that have stayed at your ranch?
A. England, Ireland, Austria, Hong Kong, Germany, 
Japan, Australia and New Zealand. I stopped counting at 13.
Q. What is your ultimate dream for your ranch?
A. If you would have asked me if we would do two television shows this year I would have laughed. Turns out we did a German TV reality show. It was really fun it aired to 1.7 million Germans on travel station. I guess the dream is to keep this business alive. With the changing world economy we will have to have new ideas and keep this next generation excited about horses and the outdoor lifestyle. Ag tourism has become very popular in recent years. We plan to ad a large garden so our guest can harvest food for their meals and make a connection to the origin of their food. This will be so good for families. In some ways I look back over the last 18 years and feel that is the ultimate dream happening and now I am truly thankful my family and I are experiencing it.
Cheri, thanks so much for spending time here and answering some questions for our guests. Do you have anything you’d like to ask them?
Yes, I do. I’d like to know what it is they look for in an outdoor adventure vacation? How often they go? Have they ever been to a dude/guest ranch?
Don’t miss your oppertunity to ask Cheri about dude ranches, the reality of reality shows, paint horses and cutting. Your name will go into the weekly drawing from which a grand prize winner will be chosen in September of 2009–our one year anniversary! Click on the tiny link below….
Guest Expert~~Pamela Britton
We’re very excited to welcome Pamela Britton-Baer here today. Pamela is a multi-published author with eighteen novels under her belt, over a million copies of her books in print, and tons of awards. She’s written historical, cowboy series, single title and has carved out a new genre in the NASCAR industry, with lots of authors in hot pursuit. 
In addition, she’s chasing points on the American Quarter Horse show circuit with her chestnut gelding Bippidy Boppin Along, in the hunter under saddle and showmanship classes. If you are familiar with the American Quarter Horse Journal, you’ve most likely seen her bi-monthly column about her switch from the open Hunter/Jumper shows to the Quarter Horse circuit, something that’s been—according to Pamela—both hysterical and wonderful and, um…confusing. (To the amusement of many.)
She’s married to a real life cowboy and lives on a working California ranch with their daughter and horses. Thanks, Pamela for taking the time out of your busy day to stop by and answer some questions for our equine, historical and now NASCAR racing fans!
Q: First, were you a horse person before meeting your future husband?
I was a horse person before HIM. Yes, it’s true. Michael had only ever ridden bulls when we first met so I guess you could say I’ve taught him everything he knows. I’ve been riding horses since I was ten, and showing them since I was thirteen. Over the past thirty-plus years, I’ve worked with some of the best hunter/jumper trainers in the nation. I’ve been show champion at some of California’s most prestigious hunter/jumper shows, and state champion three times now. 
Not that I’m bragging or nothin’, just that a lot of people don’t realize just how into horses I’ve been all my life.
Q: Is your place primarily a horse ranch or do you run cattle too?
We raise Quarter Horses and cattle, but we have a very small operation compared to many of our friends who own hundreds of head of cattle and thousands of acres. We have five horses at the ranch right now, and only a few head of cattle. But those numbers change as we buy and sell throughout the year.
Q: Best moment in the show ring?
Absolutely, hands down, winning the state championship this year on a horse that I purchased as a baby (six months old) and that I raised and trained for the show ring myself. 
That was just the neatest thing in the WORLD!
Q: Best moment involving writing?
Walking into a store at the Daytona Speedway and realizing that the line around the store were people who’d come to see me. Apparently, I signed more autographs that day than Jeff Gordon. 
Q: How did you get involved with the Quarter Horse Journal? How long have you been there?
That was one of those things that just kind of happened. I’d competed on the open Hunter/Jumper circuit for my entire life, but I recently made a switch to the Quarter Horse circuit. I was making so many mistakes, and having such a good time, that I thought people might enjoy reading about it. So I wrote a couple of sample articles, sent them off to the JQURNAL and the rest, as they say, is history. I’ve been doing it for about a year now and still LOVE it. I hope they keep me on. So far, they’re still publishing me.
Q: What are your dreams and aspirations regarding publishing? Showing?
Showing’s easy, so I’ll take that one first. I want to win a World Championship. I just won the state and so that’s my next goal.
As far as writing, five years ago I would have said I want to write books about NASCAR, but I’ve accomplished that goal. So I guess I would say I want to continue to write about car racing and cowboys for as long as the publishing industry will have me.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for your NASCAR book series…?
I’ve actually been a NASCAR insider since the early nineties. By that I mean I got to know the crews and their families through a friend of mine, Doug Richert, and his wife, Robin. He’s a long-time NASCAR crew chief and so it was a natural fit to want to write about a sport I’d gotten to know from the inside out. Unfortunately, it took me awhile to convince New York that it was a good idea. But I’m glad they finally came around because I so enjoy my little race car books.
Don’t miss your oppertunity to ask Pam about showing, writing, cowboys or Nascar. Your name will go into the weekly drawing from which a grand prize winner will be chosen in September of 2009–our one year anniversary!
Joys and Sorrows
I was unable to have a guest interview this week like I promised you all a couple of weeks ago. You see, on the 15th of this month my father-in-law, Boyd Fyffe, passed away. Up until four months ago he was a healthy 75 year old, doing for others, as well as himself. He will be greatly missed by our whole family, town and I’m sure many, many others. He was very well loved.
Two days prior to his passing, on October 13th, I sold my first book!!! Leah Hultenschmidt, of Dorchester Publishing, called and left a message on my cell, (I was away visiting in Kentucky at the time and had missed her call at my home!) from which I almost fainted when I heard her name…
Destiny can change in a blink of an eye~~~when least expected.
So you see, joys and sorrows seem to go hand in hand. 
Without one, the other would lack some of its sweetness.
Please check back next week for our guest interview. I have someone really fun and fascinating lined up from whom you can ask lots of writing and riding questions.
Happy writing!
Hugs,
Caroline
Where The Wind Blows, Dorchester 2009
Would you like to comment? The link is right below.
Guest Expert Joel B. Turner
In the Nicker of Time is thrilled to introduce to you, Joel B. Turner, our guest expert for this week. No, I’ll say right now, he’s not the beat boxer from down under—but he’s better than that. He’s an attorney for Frost Brown Todd LLC in Louisville, Kentucky and has stopped by to answer any equine legal questions related to your manuscript, racehorse industry questions, or other question you may have for him. He’s been practicing law for 25 years and his expertise lies in horse related fields such as equine law, syndication of stallions, putting together stallion breeding packages, and the like. In addition to running a breeding farm he is an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville Equine Administration Program. He’s a busy man and knows his stuff. Please help me give a warm welcome to our guest expert, Joel B. Turner.
Joel, first and foremost, what drew you to horses?
My family always had a connection with horses, primarily my father who worked fro Keene Daingerfield at the old Thoroughbred Record in Lexington Kentucky in 1948-1950 after he returned from the Pacific Theatre after World War II concluded. He trained horses at Keeneland during this period, bet the down payment on the house on a sure thing (and lost) and ended up working a “real” job for General Electric and other defense contractors thereafter. All the while the horses would not let him go and we had them around us always whether at our farm in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, rented stables in Scottsdale, Arizona or Santa Barbara California. We often had lay ups form the track so I was hands on cleaning stalls and riding from a very early age.
Please give a brief rundown of your day, beginning with feeding.
I am usually up well before dawn to exercise for about thirty minutes (running or rowing) then off to the barn to feed the ten horses on the farm, turn out the mares and babies clean a few stalls and off to work by about 8:30 a.m…. Breakfast is an in the car event (fruit and grain…) then at my computer on the 28th floor of the Aegon Center in Downtown Louisville by about 9:10 a.m.
When do you find time for your own riding?
Finding time for enough riding can be a challenge, particularly in the winter months when the days are short. Scheduling my weekends around getting on one or two horses each day, and making it a priority, is key. In the spring summer and fall, early morning or after work in the late evening is always an option. We have a number of instructors in the area with indoor arenas so if we really get jammed, we schedule lessons in the indoor so we keep some continuity even in foul weather (with frozen ground etc.) The horses deserve to get out regularly, and it is such a pleasure to ride, we always seem to make the time. Sometimes it is in the cold, the heat,the rain, the snow (some of the best rides…focus focus focus…and it is quiet) or the dark, but we do ride whenever we can!
Knowing that you’re speaking mostly to writers, please give an example of a mysterious case, and what you had to do to figure it out.
There was a situation involving a horse purchased for a half a million dollars who developed a severe (could not be shown) case of headshaking (caused by the excitement of the nerve controlling the eyes by sunlight, or so the theory is) two weeks after purchased by an unsuspecting owner. It was a beautiful horse and would have been well worth the money, if he could have been shown. The horse was probably medicated before the purchase to mask the condition. We were able to find an old video of the horse at a show in which he exhibited the very early signs of headshaking while being ridden by the seller, who, by the way, had spent a considerable amount of money importing the horse from Europe. Rather than take his lumps (he was probably the victim of the European seller), he passed the horse off to the next owner as suitable for showing.. The horse ended up being donated to the University for research to find a cure for the affliction it suffered. With medication the horse could be ridden sometimes somewhat normally, but could not be shown because the medication needed to treat his condition is prohibited by the USEF/FEI medication rules.
Some legal horse terms and brief definition.
One of the oddest legal terms used around the horse business is the reference to the Agister…
An Agister is a stable keeper and it is usually used in the context of an Agister’s Lien for the care of the animals in the stable. If the board is not paid, the Agister can file a lien and keep possession of the horses until paid or sell the horses at auction or privately and use the proceeds to pay the board. It varies from state to state as there are different statutes orviding this protection to Agisters. It is a common form of a statutory lien like a mechanic’s or vendor’s lien.
Where do you see the race industry going in the next ten to twenty years?
I hope it does not go anywhere!!!! I do see it downsizing and consolidating. There will likely be fewer tracks, bigger events and quality over quantity. I also see it on your hand held devices, with streaming video and gambling content available at your fingertips.
Tell how a trainer gets a jockey for his mount.
There are Jock’s Agents who book mounts for riders. Trainers call when the condidtion books come out (which offer a variety of “book” races and “extras” for each day of the meet. Trainers try to get the Agents to commit to a “call” for a particular rider on a particular horse for a particular race. The big outfits usually have a rider who rides everything “first call” as Johnny Velasquez did for Todd Pletcher for many years (not so much anymore) and the smaller trainers have to lobby for what other riders are available. Of course if you have a CURLIN or a BIG BROWN, every jock agent in town is calling to back up the existing rider ( at the moment Robby Albarado and Kent Desormeaux, respectively) should a rider get hurt or otherwise have to miss the mount. (Riders get suspended, miss planes, etc.) Top riders can usually have a chioice of the allowance and claiming horses on the card, but the top horses are tough to come by as riders will travel to keep the mount on a top horse.
How are jockeys paid?
Jockeys get paid 10% of winnings, 5% of second and third place earnings, or a flat fee (varies from track to track, usually from $40 per mount at the lesser tracks to $100 at the best tracks), whichever is greater. Some Jockeys even get a Lifetime Breeding right (the right to breed one mare per breeding season to the horse for the life of the Stallion) if they ride a really top horse and can negotiate that form of additional compensation with the owner. For instance, Kent Desormeax got one LTBR to BIG BROWN for riding him to win the Kentucky Derby in 2008.
Do you know of a case where a jockey threw a race?
It happens.
The outcome?
Horses lose that shouldn’t. The integrity of racing is under constant scrutiny, but if a rider decides to go down the dark path to ignominy, it would be hard to prevent. Riders get caught from time to time and usually take a very long vacation. Suspensions for this conduct can effectively end a rider’s career, if not his reputation.
Most remembered race and why?
My first win as a trainer…A horse, curiously named (not by me) J.B. Turner at Turfway park about 22 years ago…Big hearted horse with big physical limitations, but he won like my life depended on it, or like he knew I had bet for all my extended family!
I saw Cary Back win the Derby from the infield when I was seven years old. He was a little horse with a “come from the clouds” running style. I saw Affirmed win the Santa Anita Derby before he won the Triple Crown. Lafitte Pincay rode him that day (Cauthen was on suspension) and he won by 8 lengths. He never won by such a large margin again. Lafitte was the strongest rider I have ever seen finish on a horse.
What are the options for retired racehorses?
Retired racehorses often find a second career as broodmares, stallions, show horses, polo ponies, field hunters and pleasure horses. Unfortunately, some retired race horses are injured and cannot be used except for breeding or as companion animals. There are many organizations working very hard to make sure that every retired racehorse has an opportunity for a second career. Unfortunately, not all are able to be retrained (some have severe temperament issues and bad vices and are either turned out with large groups of horses at retirement farms or, in extreme cases, after veterinary consultation, may be humanely euthanized). Horse slaughter is a reality much feared by many in the racing industry and many, many watchdog charitable organizations have risen to the challenge to save unwanted horses from slaughter, which is now outlawed (if for human consumption) in the US.
Joel, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by, In The Nicker Of Time! and answer a few questions for us.
Being my brother-in-law, I know your days are typically very demanding and I appreciate you dedicating a whole day to pop in and out to answer our questions….
There will be a drawing from the names of everyone leaving a comment or question throughout the week for Joel. From the winners of each weekly Guest Expert Interviews drawing (names will be posted), a grand prize drawing will be held on In The Nicker Of Time!’s one-year anniversary.
Designed for writers who want to use their precious time writing, instead of researching.
Guest Expert
Jennifer Forsberg Meyer
Jennifer Forsberg Meyer, the editorial director at Horse&Rider magazine, is
with us today! As a longtime journalist in the equine field, she has lots of experience explaining horse-related info to a variety of audiences, so please get your questions ready. Jenny, a lifelong horse lover herself, has shown both in English and Western events, and along the way she’s ridden Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, warmbloods, and even Tennessee Walkers.
Jenny has published equine coffee-table books with noted photographers David R. Stoecklein and Darrell Dodds, and recently collaborated with world champion horsewoman Sandy Collier on a training book–for which I provided the photos (Jenny’s also my sister!). 
The book, Reining Essentials: How to Excel in Western’s Hottest Sport, is just out now as we speak. As if that weren’t enough, you can find her bi-monthly column, “The Rural Life,” in Placerville’s Mountain Democrat newspaper, which serves El Dorado County and surrounding areas.
Jenny’s daughter Sophie , 14, participates in Pony Club on her Arabian/Mustang-cross pony and enjoys jumping, dressage, and plain old trail riding.
~~~
Jenny, just reading your bio makes my head spin. You are so busy! With your editorial position with Horse&Rider magazine, and everything else, how do you still find time to ride? How do you fit everything in?
Often I don’t, actually. I think often of what dressage star Rachel Saavedra once said, and that’s that you have to take the long view of balance in your life. In other words, if you’re a busy person, you’re probably not going to be able balance every day of your life (or even every week and sometimes not even every month) evenly among all your interests/responsibilities—work, family, fitness, avocations such as riding, piano, whatever. But if you can arrange it so that your life balances out over the course of, say, several months (and sometimes even years), then that’s about the best you can do. 
When I can’t ride or do other things I love to do (because, of course, family and work tend to take precedence), I think about the long view and try to be patient. Right now I’m helping my daughter keep her large pony schooled and exercised, and that helps me keep involved with horses at a manageable level.
Knowing that you’re speaking mostly to writers who are looking for accurate, detailed information to put in their books, please give a description of something a real rider thinks about in the saddle.
I’d love to. In the movies, you see so much awful horsemanship. A real rider, someone who understands and loves his/her horse, and someone who wants to get the best from that horse and keep him happy and healthy…that rider doesn’t jab the horse’s sides with spurs or jerk on the reins or otherwise treat the horse harshly. The best riders, and I’ve had the opportunity to watch and talk to a lot of them, always use the most subtle rein and leg pressure possible to get the response they want; this keeps the horse light and willing—and happy. These riders also make use of their weight in the saddle—in other words, how they press their seatbones into the right or left side of the horse’s back. A horse is extremely sensitive—he can feel a fly land anywhere on his body, so he can feel these subtle cues given him by an accomplished rider, though no one else can even see them. That’s why the best riders almost look as if they’re doing nothing, and the horse seems to be reading their minds.
Jenny’s picture from her column, The Riding Family,
in Horse and Rider magazine.
I guess a lot depends on how well the horse and rider work together, and that can be influenced on how long they’ve been together. I know you’ve owned a variety of horses over different time periods; what’s been your most-loved mount, and why?
I suppose that would still have to be my first horse, the Thoroughbred mare Tigress. I grew up on her back, and as a result we had an incredible bond. I could just think “canter,” and off she’d go, light as a feather. But I’ve enjoyed every horse I’ve owned—more than a dozen–over the years, and each has taught me something. That last sounds clichéd, I know, but it’s true. Many of the top horsemen and women, of any time period, have credited their horses as their most influential “teachers.” And I’m no “top rider,” so the horses have even more to teach me!
Leave a Comment for Jenny
There will be a drawing from the names of everyone leaving a comment throughout the week for Jenny. From the winners of each weekly Guest Expert Interviews drawing (names will be posted), a grand prize drawing will be held on In The Nicker Of Time!’s one-year anniversary!!
Designed for writers who want to use their precious time writing, instead of researching.
Wouldn’t you rather be writing than trudging through endless books and web sites looking for information for your horse-related scenes? If so, In the Nicker of Time! is for you. We’ll share stories about horses, make general horse keeping information easy to find, and dispel possible myths.
Question?
Do you know the difference between a stocking, a sock, a pastern or coronet? 
A a buckskin, blood bay or dun? How about a pelham bit or western spade? 
Would your hero saddle his horse from the left side, or the right?
And, what would your heroine 
feed her orphaned filly?
I invite you to saddle up and mosey on over. We’ll have guests from every aspect of the horse industry, and more, to answer your questions. It’s going to be a whole lot of fun.
Don’t be shy. Ask away…..
