Meet Angelia Almos

Today we have a guest post from one of our regular readers - Angelia Almos. She formed a lifelong passion for horses at the age of five when she talked her parents into riding lessons. Horses often play a prominent role in her young adult fantasy books. She also write horsey nonfiction and space opera. She lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, two cats, and one pony (she often thinks of bumping that number up to two).

Angelia has a brand new book out called Unicorn Keep, and it's billed as young adult fantasy.

 To learn more about it, you can visit her website: www.angeliaalmos.com

 

Horsey Characters
by Angelia Almos
 
One of the cool things about writing young adult fantasy and horsey fiction is getting to put some of my beloved horses into the stories I’m telling.

My first young adult fantasy, Horse Charmer, featured my show horse from my teenage years. Kristy and I probably had the strongest relationship and bond out of all of the horses who have been a part of my life. I changed her name for the book, but the way she looked and behaved was exactly how I would have imagined Kristy if she could talk as Kali in Horse Charmer can.

My upcoming romantic suspense novel under my Angie Derek pen name will feature a cameo from the very first horse I took lessons on when I was five years old. Old Ben snuck into the book without me consciously choosing for him to be there, but once I remembered I had named him the same as that gentle bay gelding who started me on my path of horsiness, I knew the name was perfect. Made me want to give him a bigger part in the book.

When I came up with the idea for Unicorn Keep, I wanted to include another one of the many horses who had touched my life. Ginger, my family’s Shetland pony, had to be put down earlier in the year. She had been a part of my life off and on since I was fourteen years old, and we later purchased her for my own daughter. After her passing, she was in my thoughts a lot so it only seemed natural to put a spunky and sassy pony into Unicorn Keep. She kept her name, but I made Ginger larger than her true ten hands since my heroine was a teenager and needed to ride her through most of the book. Ginger got to shoot up two hands to the average Welsh pony height which I think she would have liked. Ginger’s personality was always bigger than her size.

Some of my favorite horse books growing up were the ones where the horses were just as much a main character as the hero/heroine. Battlecry in Battlecry Forever and Flame in the Island Stallion series come to mind when I think of a horse as being a major character. But horse stars aren’t limited to the printed page. The Black was popular enough to have two movies and a TV show made about him. Maximus from Tangled is probably one of the funniest horses on screen. I could go on and on naming horse after horse, but I’ll stop there.

Who are some of your favorite horse characters in print and on screen?

Confession

                                                           by Laura Crum

            You know how I posted last time that I was going on vacation? And then Alison Hart very kindly asked me to post photos so she could enjoy my vacation vicariously? Uhmm…I am going to admit that I sort of flinched when I read Alison’s comment. Because this was not a vacation I wanted to brag about, or post photos of. No. This was a vacation I intended to say nothing further about. But…

            Here’s the story. Normally when we go on vacation its to somewhere fairly remote and interesting. We go to the desert and the mountains. We take horse packing trips to high country meadows and camper trips to the Four Corners to look at petroglyphs and Anasazi ruins. We raft on whitewater rivers in Colorado and swim in the lakes of Michigan. We once took a summer to travel around Europe. All trips I remember fondly and am happy to wax lyrical about. The photos are lovely. This last vacation…uhmm….well, I guess you can see I’m having a hard time admitting it. But yes, just like the rest of suburban America, we went to Disneyland.

            What’s so bad about going to Disneyland I can hear you saying (or rather some of you—others are groaning in sympathy). Everybody goes to Disneyland. And that’s just the problem. My husband and I are not ones for the well trodden path and we tend to avoid any sort of “popular” vacation spot. We don’t do cruises or resorts—we try to go where the crowds aren’t. And we very firmly declared, as we became parents, that the one thing we were NOT going to do was take our child to Disneyland. Right.

            Some of our friends thought we were cruel. The wiser ones just smiled. And we remained smug in our ignorance. While our child was young our approach worked just fine. We never mentioned D-land and he didn’t know it existed. We sort of whisked him away from any conversations where it was mentioned. End of problem.

            But…kids grow up. And as our kid got older and had friends and read magazines and such, he inevitably learned of the existence of Disneyland. And he slowly but surely became determined to go there. Until finally the day came when he announced that his one wish for his birthday was a trip to Disneyland. And he refused to be swayed by offers and bribes. He didn’t want a party, complete with bouncy house (been there, done that); he didn’t want the largest Lego kit to be found at Toys R Them (another place we tried to hide the existence of, but he eventually discovered). The only thing in the world he wanted was to go to Disneyland.

            What are you gonna do? It wasn’t an unreasonable request. To make a long story short, we agreed to go. And thus I, who hate crowds and lines and big cities, just spent the last week driving the Los Angeles freeways and walking endless miles of bleak concrete surrounded by hordes of people to wait in forty minute lines for attractions that were described by the knowledgeable employees (known as “cast members”) as not at all crowded today. In fact the whole park was supposedly not at all crowded—and all I can say is that if it wasn’t crowded, than I NEVER want to see it when it is.

            Anyway, to look on the bright side, we stayed at a nice hotel with excellent food and drink, though every single thing cost about twice what it would anywhere else. And we rode just about every ride in the park, with the exception of the three my kid deemed the scariest. My husband and I took this in turns, as I can’t stand heights and he doesn’t like spinny things. I don’t mind being spun as long as its at ground level. So my husband rode the tall things and I rode the spinning teacups…etc.

            Below you see my husband and son on one of these rides that would give me vertigo.

            And, of course, my son and I had to ride horses.

            I can’t say it was my favorite vacation ever, but the joy on my kid’s face made it worthwhile. For him, it really was magical. So what if my husband and I constantly felt rather as if we were in the midst of a herd of lemmings, dashing madly towards something we didn’t really want to do.

            And then there is the “fake” factor. Nothing in Disneyland is real—its all ersatz. Even my kid noticed this. As we were embarking on the whitewater ride (Grizzly River Run) we heard some people saying how much they loved river rafting here. Now we had actually rafted a whitewater river (the Poudre River in Colorado) last summer. My son turned to me and said quietly. “These people don’t understand that this isn’t really river rafting. When you raft a real river, you have to paddle. And if you time it wrong the raft might flip. They think this is real, but it isn’t.” And that pretty much sums up everything in Disneyland. Its modeled on real things—interesting and delightful things—but all of it is an expensive fake.

            The hotel we stayed in (The Grand Californian), for instance, is modeled on the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Park. Now I’ve stayed in the Ahwahnee, and though I certainly noticed the similarities, what was most obvious to me were the differences. The Ahwahnee has a gravitas that Disney’s imitation just doesn’t begin to approach. And at the Ahwahnee, the giant boulders forming the fireplace are boulders, and the huge pillars are redwood and Doug fir. At the Grand Californian both boulders and pillars are concrete—made to look like stone and wood (which my husband found out with his pocket knife). The overall impression is just fake. It’s a nice hotel in many ways --probably costs as much to stay there as it does at the “real” Ahwahnee, though.

            So, in conclusion, sure we had many fun moments on our trip, but truly, people, if you want to stay at a grand arts and crafts style hotel, go stay at the Ahwahnee and enjoy the real awesome things to be seen in Yosemite. If you want to raft a river, raft the Poudre, or some other lovely whitewater river. I’m here to tell you your money will be better spent than at Disney’s clever imitation world.

            And now we’re back home—and I’m so happy. Here’s my little house, looking very jolly.

            Here’s my porch, full of blooming plants.

            Here’s my cute little yellow horse, turned loose to graze in the spring greenness.

            And look what happened the day after I got home? Baby chicks.

            Why would I want to leave?

            Those of you who have done the obligatory Disneyland trip, feel free to leave your comments concerning how you feel about it—for better or worse. And for those of you, like me (I’m not mentioning any names here), who swear they are never going to Disneyland, I warn you, it IS inevitable. At least if you have a kid. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.

            

Mixed Feelings

By Terri Rocovich

Like millions of people on Saturday, I watched every minute of the Kentucky Derby coverage. Although I must admit I watched on Saturday evening on my DVR because Saturday for me is a day filled with riding, teaching lessons and Pony Club. The other advantage to not watching it live is that I could skip forward or delete it if anything bad happened. Hence my mixed feelings about having Derby, and Triple Crown fever.

I was what was known as a “racetrack brat” my entire childhood. My father’s avocation and passion for owning and breeding race horses was part of me as well and I eagerly tagged along to the racetrack whenever I could. At one point I dreamed of being a jockey until a growth spurt in high school made that impossible. None the less, I loved nearly everything about the racetrack. The early mornings, the routine, the horses (of course), the promise of each new foal, the excitement of each workout or race; all of it consumed many weekend mornings and most school vacations. While most families document the passing years through posed family portraits, ours was documented through posed winning circle photos.

When the horses were racing at local tracks, nearly every Friday and Saturday my entire family would spend our afternoons or evenings at the races. We would eat at the Turf Club or hang out in our owner’s box watching the races and our horses run. We would be elated when they won and would hopefully look to the next one when they did not. My sisters loved the social side of our racetrack life, but going back track, the management and care of the horses and the breeding and foaling; that was my Dad’s and my thing. It was a passion that we shared until his passing in 1992 and sadly after that we could not afford to keep our racing interests active. But oh the wonderful memories I have.

I also have some sad memories associated with the racing world of trainers and owners with no respect for the horses and who would do anything to win; and of gambling spectators who failed to recognize that these were giving, feeling animals who simply loved to run. On one particularly sad occasion we had a horse racing, named Corkie Woollen, who was the favorite in a high graded stakes race. Corkie bowed a tendon and broke down in the race and people in the stands actually booed as the horse ambulance passed the grandstand driving him back to the barn. Even though Corkie’s injuries were career ending he lived out his days as a beloved pet on our farm, far from the greedy, uncaring gamblers or ignorant booing spectators.

It also seems that racing over the past decade has changed and not all for the better. Although part of me is still a fan, I am having a hard time remaining loyal because of the epidemic of catastrophic injuries plaguing the sport as well as the cruel injustices paid to these magnificent creatures after their careers are over. Several years ago I privately boycotted the sport when the news hit that Ferdinand, an amazing stallion who had won the Belmont Stakes had been sent to the killers after he was no longer useful to his Japanese owners as a breeding stallion. But still I am drawn back when the big races come around. Exactly why, I am not sure. Perhaps I am a delusional romantic who knows how much these horses love to run or perhaps because it keeps me close to memories of my bond with my father. I am not sure.

I was relieved on Saturday that the Derby went off cleanly and without incident. I loved the background stories of Union Rags and Michael Matz’s quest for a derby after the tragic loss of Barbaro, and the story of Bob Baffert surviving a heart attack just 6 weeks prior and racing the colt, Bodemeister, named for his son. And the story of the winner, I’ll Have Another, named by the owner for the love of his wife’s chocolate chip cookies. All of it is better than fiction and the makings of a great novel. But as hundreds of other races go on every week that never reach a TV screen, at what cost to the horses does all of this add up too. Is it all worth it and is it right? I, for one, am not sure. How about you? What are your thoughts?

It was a thrilling race and as always the horses did not disappoint and I do plan to watch the Preakness, but it will be with mixed feelings.

Equestrian Ink's Horse Tips for Young Riders

A couple weeks ago, I posted a Horse Care Checklist for Young Riders from the "Flicka" people. A couple you you had some comments/editions to the list, which gave me a great idea. I think we should come up our own tips for young riders. Of course, these would most likely apply to any rider, but we'll target young riders specifically. I'm thinking of three categories:
Before your ride
During your ride
After your ride

Here are a few of our readers' comments on the Flicka list:

Dreaming said...I love the poster, but I was disappointed that they said to 'brush your horse with a curry comb'.I discovered a book that sounds very interesting. It's "Writing Horses, The Fine Art of Getting It Right" by Judith Tarr. I haven't read the book, yet. I tried to use the library's electronic version and I could only access the first page. Perhaps the poster people should read it!
whitehorsepilgrim said...
It's a nice idea - but a pity that the girl pictured is riding with taut reins. How about adding the advice "keep off your horse's mouth".

My Comment: Always wear a helment
So give us your best tips for young riders!

Below is the original horse care checklist:

Four Days and Counting - Kentucky Derby #138

by Linda Benson

I start to get twitchy with excitement this time of year. It's almost time for the Kentucky Derby (May 5, 2012) and after that the Preakness, and then the Belmont Stakes. These are the three races that make up America's Triple Crown, although we haven't had a winner of all three races in 34 years (not since Affirmed in 1978.)

This Saturday marks the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, and the long tradition, the venue under the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and the many years I've watched this race make me look forward to it every year.

In fact, whenever I get my weekly planner for the new year, I automatically turn to the First Saturday in May and scribble "Kentucky Derby." Then I count two weeks after that and write "Preakness," and then turn to three weeks later and enter "Belmont Stakes." I want to make sure I'll be by a television set in order to watch those races.

Probably the long coverage of the sport by network television is what got me hooked on horse racing in the first place. Now, I get lots of channels on my TV, and I can also watch horseracing on TVG and HRTV. But when I was growing up, the Kentucky Derby was the only horse race that I ever remember being broadcast. And when the horses are led out onto the track, and the band starts playing "My Old Kentucky Home," and every one stands and sings along, tears come to my eyes and my heart starts fluttering in excitement. Every. Single. Time.

I know that horse racing has been getting some bad press recently. There have been expose articles published recently in the New York Times about drug use in horse racing (which some in the industry are trying to abolish.) And the lack of proper homes for Thoroughbreds when their racetrack careers are over is still an issue (tackled by one of our own here - Natalie Keller Reinert - see her Retired Racehorse Blog.) For me personally though, I cannot stand to watch horses jump. I used to watch show jumping, but now wince when those fragile legs hit the ground abruptly on the far side of a huge jump. At least in horse racing, horses are doing something that many of them naturally love to do - run fast.

If you also love to watch horse racing, here's the official list of this year's horses, and if you click on each horse you can read more: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses

If you are on Twitter (I am @LinBenson) you can get up-to-the-minute news by following the hashtag #KyDerby (lower case, upper case, doesn't matter.)

If you'd like to check the televised times on NBC and NBC Sports network (which will include the draw for post position on Wed. May 2nd, The Kentucky Oaks for fillies on May 4th and the Kentucky Derby on May 5th) here's a link: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/04/30/nbc-sports-group-presents-14-and-a-half-hours-of-kentucky-derby-coverage/131432/

As for me - I'll be glued to a television somewhere, watching the twenty-horse field load into the gate, praying for the safety of the horses and jockeys, and as my heart begins pounding faster and faster, wait for the words "and they're off . . ."

Horse Care Checklist for Young Riders

The Flicka people sent this checklist to me, and I thought you would be interested for the young riders in your barns.

A printable version is available here:

Printable Version of Horse Care Checklist

Winners of the Flicka DVDs

I posted this in the comment section of the Flicka post. Since I didn't get a response, I thought I'd better make it more obvious.

Wendy and Mare, you've won a copy of Flicka. Sent me your snail mail addresses to: jamidavenport@hotmail.com and I'll see that you get a copy!! Congratulations!

If you did email me, please send another message as I didn't receive it.