Dear Rita,
It is that time of year again! I love Christmas for the lively cheer of the season, but the pressure of GIFT GIVING got too extreme for me decades ago, so I just did away with it. Yep. I declared a war on ALL GIFTS and demanded that my close friends take the time to meet for a glass of wine, tell stories and jokes and just be together in the holiday cheer without all that wrapping paper and stuff. Works wonders for me. Christmas! Bring it on!
So Happy Holidays to all my friends who read this blog. You won’t be getting a Christmas card, but I will be thinking of you and sending you good wishes!
For those of you who are still running around trying to find the right gift for the right someone, or perhaps still trying to drop a hint in the right place—these would be my picks for a SWEET CHRISTMAS GIFT! But don’t get any ideas, Rita, I already have all of the following:
1) Tickets to World Cup in Leipzig, Germany, April 27-May 1, 2010. The event will host the World Cup Finals in Dressage, Jumping and Driving—all at the same location.
2) A new saddle from Stuebben. I recommend the Genesis Special. Don’t forget the “Special” part. I worked together with Stuebben on this particular design, and I highly recommend it.
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3) Winter riding britches from Kentucky. Made from ski pant material—absolutely the best in comfort and warmth for frigid winter days.
4) The latest in winter jackets from Shockemoehle Sports. The down jacket, “Kaitlyn,” is my favorite!
My stable is winding down for the holidays. All the horses are sweating a little less, we are spending a lot of time shoveling snow and everyone is looking forward to a few days of light work, good food and our annual Christmas party at the Oldenburg Christmas Market!
I’m Catherine Haddad, and I’m saying it like it is from Vechta, Germany.
Training Tip of the Day: Cut your horse’s grain rations by at least 30 percent on rest days or during periods of lighter work. Only feed him the calories that he can burn in the next 24 hours.
