TV, especially cable and satellite, will offer a variety of Preakness Week event coverage. NBC has the rights to air the live races on Friday and Saturday on both its “regular” network stations (your local NBC affiliate station) and cable channels.

Just so’s you know, races scheduled NBC Sports Network’s cable channel can show up on any NBC-owned cable channel, like MSNBC. So, as always, check your local listings.

Also, your cable and satellite providers that have HRTV will offer access to much in-depth programming. You can also buy an online subscription to HRTV.

PREAKNESS POST POSITION DRAW

Wednesday, May 16 – The post position draw will be online at ESPN360.c0m, plus on cable/satellite and online (paid access) HRTV from 5 to 6 pm EDT.

May 17 – 18

Other Preakness-related programming, including re-runs of Classic Preaknesses. Check this site and your local listings.

BLACK-EYED SUSAN DAY

Friday, May 18 – The Black Eyed Susan Stakes – from 5 to 6 pm EDT on the NBC Sports Network (cable)

PREAKNESS STAKES DAY

Saturday, May 19 – The Preakness Undercard – from 2:30 to 4:30 pm EDT on the NBC Sports Network (cable)

The Preakness Stakes from 4:30 pm EDT to 6:30 pm EDT on NBC (your local NBC affiliate)

Post time for the 2012 Preakness Stakes is 6:19 pm EDT

The Preakness Post-race show from 6:30 to 7:30 pm EDT on the NBC Sports Network (cable).

For more info on Preakness Traditions, see this post

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If you can’t see the above embedded video, the movie trailer of the animated film BRAVE, click here.

Joining Maximus of TANGLED among the Animated Noble Steeds Association is Angus of BRAVE. (Don’t bother to Google ANSA. I just made it up.)

I was watching the movie trailer for the first time, wondering about the setting – like a family-friendly cartoon version of GAME OF THRONES if the citizens of Westeros wore kilts and the ill-fated Starks had never left Winterfell– when I spotted the young girl protagonist and her the big black horse.

The horse has long white feathers on his legs and a Roman nose, so my first thought is “Shire,” but with all the scenic rugged terrain and rugged men wearing kilts, I’m also thinking Scotland, which suggests a Clydesdale.

In all honesty, I hadn’t thought right then about Option Number 3. Which we’ll get to soon.

Angus: Shire or Clyde?

Unlike the Budweiser Clydesdales, the cartoon horse is black. I’ve known a black Clyde, a boarder at the lesson barn where I used to help out. He was young, huge, still growing and a “kid magnet.” People would pull up to the parking lot next to him at his fence to pose for family photos.

So, I thought, this cartoon horse could be a Clyde. A Scottish setting? Definitely a Clyde. Interesting choice, though, not making him an “expected” bay Clyde.

But no – come to find out, Angus is based on an English Shire. Not a Clyde. Complicating matters is this Pixar Times blog post about the concept art in which the inspiration for Angus being a Clydesdale (scroll down to see it.)

With Horseman’s Myopia scrambling my brain, I decided to get to the bottom of this.  (I know. Some of you are bouncing around like Hermione in a classroom at Hogwarts. Hang in there.)

Turns out, Shires and Clydesdales share the same bloodlines. Very “common sense” when you think about it. Similar conformation, that feathering. Developed in an island nation.

Then again, could they be the same kind of heavy horse, really, just with different names?

“It’s the same horse, but we’ll call it something different.”

“Ours is bigger.”

Oy vey

The British/Scottish breeds were crosses developed from smaller local horses and imports of heavy war horse breeds from Europe, according to the Shire Horse Society.

My research isn’t showing separate breeds between the two until around the 1800s. Check out the ClydesdalesUSA page’s History section and the American Shire Horse Association’s history. Waaay after medieval times.

That I’m confused means I’m “in good company.” Check out these forum entries on the Shire Horse site. The differences are subtle. And perhaps a matter of opinion. A discussion on the Horse and Hound forum isn’t much more conclusive.

Hermione – chill! I know now why you’re waving your arm like you’re hailing rescue craft. Hang on. Soon.

The thing is, I’ve been next to Shires and Clydes at the Massachusetts Equine Affaire. The Shires were tall, much taller than the Clydes.

Okay, Hermione. NOW, let’s talk.

Scottish highlands = Ponyville

Back in the day, sort of in the “ballpark” that’s the setting of BRAVE, Scottish horses were ponies. Small. Hardy. Tough.

Think Highland ponies, said to be the oldest breed in Great Britain. The garron is a type of Highland Pony, the heavier kind found in the mountains and the mainland. The smaller and lighter Eriskay pony (scroll down after you click the link for the history) came from the Western Isles of Scotland.

 Story choice?

I’ve read that BRAVE is “a new fairy tale,” so I’m not so twitchy about maintaining historical accuracy. The London Guardian has an article about the movie.

Actually, I’m becoming less twitchy about equine accuracy as time goes by. I just want to see horses included in stories. If the result is stuff that would send the Chronicle of the Horse forum into a lather? So be it. Especially if somewhere out there, someone – child or adult – falls in love with horses, or even just the idea of horses.

So what if what the audience sees is incorrect? If the interest is strong, the interested will learn what’s correct.

Meanwhile, we can print out and color  a picture of Angus, who should make my old buddy the black Clyde more of a “kid magnet” than ever.

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If you can’t see the embedded video of 2012 Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another, back when he was only the winner of the 2012 Santa Anita Derby, click here.

My perfect Derby? At home, in front of the TV all day.  Yes, I’ve been there in the crowd. But you can see So Much More on TV, plus there’s no line to the bathroom.

Here are some thoughts now that I’ve come up for air:

• Big congrats to the connections of I’ll Have Another. Fantastic performance. Great race.
• Special big congrats – all the horses slated for the Derby made it to the gate.
• I want that cookie recipe associated with winner I’ll Have Another.
• After watching those blimp shots of the field walking over the track before the race, I believe you can see Hansen from space.
• Loved the idea of the helmet cam for Donna Brothers, but she’s too good a rider to use it without the occasional “swish pan.” Eyes up. Look where you’re going. Rig up a remote control so an operator can pan the camera 90 degrees for when she does those ride-up interviews.
• Mary J. Blige’s a capella rendition of The National Anthem was thrilling, soaring – and made me cry before “My Old Kentucky Home.”
• Jerry Bailey is the Sun Tzu of racing, especially when he does race analysis.
• Super Saver’s “wife” tapping her sleeping foal’s hip with the tip of her hoof to wake him up in the feature story.
• Jockey Joe Bravo’s charming after his winning ride on Little Mike in the Turf Classic. I bet he has lots of new fans outside Jersey and New York now.
• As wired and miserable and hot as Hansen was said to be, he put up a strong effort in the race.
• Horse trainer and recovering heart patient Bob Baffert making the walkover from the barns in the soupy heat while holding his young son Bodie’s hand.
• Later, the replay of his family watching the stretch run and gnashing their teeth while their “big horse” came in second, while Baffert wears a wistful smile. Like the old Mary J Blige song, I think Baffert’s new motto is “No More Drama.” Leave it all on the track.

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For example, the folks following my Kentucky Derby Party Board may not be interested in my Best Fictional Villains Board.

As with the other social media sites, I’m pretty much just a dabbler. I started a few boards on my account RhondaLaneStuff. Two of mine pertain to the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby Outfits has clothing, makeup and accessory ideas. FWIW, I’m also aware that Derby Day can turn out wet, cold and stormy, so selections on the Board reflects that possibility, too.

Kentucky Derby Party has food, decoration and party favors. You won’t gain weight while looking at it, but you might feel hungry.

I also began one of equestrian competition trophies. You’ll see photos of all of the American horse racing Triple Crown trophies.

The Huffington Post recently ran an article about how individuals and businesses can use Pinterest.

I never imagined how addictive and fun it might be. Ruh roh.

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Looks more like a jack-o-lantern than "moldy cheese." John Quidor's "The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane," oil, 26 7/8 x 33 7/8 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum.

It’s spring, not fall. Derby, not Halloween. (Yes, I consider Kentucky Derby Day a holiday. You can’t tell me you’re surprised.)

So why show Ichabod Crane and The Headless Horseman now?

Because there’s a connection with one of the Kentucky Derby horses.

While Dullahan was still just another 2012 Bluegrass Stakes contender dancing around on his toes in the Keeneland saddling area, TV announcers said the horse’s name came from Irish myth.

So who was Dullahan? Or, more specifically, what?

It’s going to sound familiar, even in American mythology.

The Dullahan is an all-black headless horseman who carries his head and uses it to see. The head is partially decomposed and said to resemble moldy cheese. He also uses a human spine for a whip. (Ed. Note: Whip in one hand, head in another … the Dullahan must be able to ride like a Comanche.)

Where the Dullahan stops, a human dies.

Still, I’ve seen conflicting reports. In one version of the myth, the horse is headless. The Dullahan’s visit may be the herald of death, but he’ll accept gold for a postponement of the inevitable, says this fun post on the Other World Mystery blog.

The Germans also have a couple of versions of the headless horseman. The Wild Huntsman rides a gray horse, not a black horse, so says Wikipedia, and may be accompanied by a pack of dogs.

Of course, the American version comes from old New York, thanks to Washington Irving’s story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

The current Dullahan, a fiery red horse, has already chased and overtaken a white horse – Hansen, who came in second in the Bluegrass Stakes.

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The movie WENT THE DAY WELL? combines message and entertainment in what’s presented as a look back in time at a quaint English village dealing with Nazi invaders.

Before you guys watch the excerpt –  especially you children who read this blog — know that WENT THE DAY WELL?  isn’t “dirty” or gory, but it’s violent. Ordinary people fight the enemy with great ruthlessness. Very sensitive folks may become upset, even if it IS a black-and-white movie made in 1942. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Click here to see some excerpts from WENT THE DAY WELL?

The movie is based on a story by Graham Greene, titled “The Lieutenant Died Last”  which had been published in a 1940 issue of COLLIER’S WEEKLY (To make reading the story easier, you can re-size the type in the article by changing the number in the PDF box to at least 10.)

Went the Day Well? is a line from an epitaph attributed to English classicist John Maxwell Edmonds:

Went the day well?
We died and never knew.
But, well or ill,
Freedom, we died for you.
Went the day well?

The British Film Institute restored and re-released the film in 2010 to critical acclaim.

You can watch the entire film for free at this link. Just pop some popcorn first.

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The main hall of the Arms and Armor galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY. Photo by Rhonda Lane

My travel buddy Sheryl and I went to the Arms and Armor galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The armor, at least on the first horse, was made by the noted armorer Kunz Lochner of Germany, according to The Met’s information.

Seeing armor up close made me think more about the horses – what they were like and what they were expected to do inside all that metal. To look at the form of the armor and wonder about the horse inside.

The armor on the horses suggests to me that they weren’t as big as we’d expect modern heavy horses to be.

I’m thinking that, even considering the platform, the horses may have only been about 16 hands high. If that. Because of the weight of all that steel, granted, those horses would have to be sturdy – but not Percheron or English Shire sturdy. Those medieval horses had to be smaller than modern-sized heavy horses.

The parade of knights in the central hall of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor exhibit. Photo by Rhonda Lane

Also note that some hindquarters plating allowed the tail freedom on some but others did not.

Leaving town for battle? Or returning all cleaned up in a victory parade? Rear view of the mounted knights display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Rhonda Lane

You probably noticed the armor on that last horse. Its hindquarters look well- protected, but also constrained. 

In the next picture, check out how the chest plates allow for animation or even climbing with the flared metal.

The armor flares in front so horses can raise their legs. Main gallery of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Rhonda Lane

In contrast, I couldn’t get a decent photo of the Turkish armor display which was behind glass in a dimly lit room. A guard had already scolded me twice for using the flash on my camera. (In my defense, I’d forgotten how to turn off the automatic flash. For the second occurrence, I’d thought I had turned it off. Oops.)

Anyway, I could tell that the horses were smaller, lighter -  well, Arabian horses. Yet they wore armor, too.

Here’s a picture from another museum and another website of Turkish armor of the same period as the European armor you see above. (You’ll have to scroll down to see it.) Notice how the armor is segmented.

Also, the chamfron – the plating covering the front of the horse’s face – has no ear protection.

Thoughts in summary

As I edited these photos, my husband was in another room watching re-runs of HBO’s fantasy series with a medieval flavor GAME OF THRONES. As I worked on these photos, I could hear the shouts of men and the ringing of drawn blades.

A premium cable drama, GAME OF THRONES and its big-budget “cousins” like THE BORGIAS and the SPARTACUS series pull no punches as to what a sharp heavy blade can do – unless the producers are minding their production budgets.

So we no longer enjoy any Robert Goulet’s CAMELOT illusions about what had to have been a dirty, brutal time for people and horses.

Granted, a lot of the armor on display is ceremonial. Or worn by someone who’d come out unscathed. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have survived to end up in a museum.

A knight had to protect his horse. A knight without a horse was a guy on foot. More than likely, a dead man walking.

More horses in the Middle Ages?

We’ve gone medieval a couple of times before here on The Horsey Set Net:

• Mystery author Jeri Westerson gives us a overview of horses in the Middle Ages
• Hollywood’s favorite go-to horse for the medieval lord

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© Ankevanwyk | Dreamstime.com

I can hear you saying, What?!? We can’t afford that!

And I say, look into it because you might get a pleasant surprise.

But that’s for rich people, you say.

And I say, don’t be so quick to dismiss the idea. After all, summer riding camp doesn’t have to be a sleep-away camp. Most aren’t anyway.

See? Getting cheaper all the time. Let’s take a closer look. You might be surprised at what’s out there for your horse-lovin’ child. Even if he or she doesn’t happen to make it to riding camp. Wait until you see the ideas I have for you. Keep reading to check it out.

Ask lesson barn owners. They’ve been adaptable because of the economy.

Just don’t rule out summer riding camp on principle, especially if you have a child who would love it and thrive there – as opposed to a camp focusing on swimming and crafts.

Simply call up the stable to find out what’s available. Or do a web search.

Or, if you drive past a stable, pull in, find a friendly face and ask. Even if that particular barn doesn’t offer a children’s summer camp, they might know who does.

And don’t forget the merchant who knows all the happenings in your local horse community, the local tack shop.

What’s riding camp like?

Well, you’re not in the saddle all day.

You ride a little, learn about horses, play, have a snack or a lunch. It doesn’t have to be all day long, either. It all depends upon the place.

Other questions to ask, in addition to “how much?” include:

• What’s a day at camp like? (How long? Lunch or snacks?)
• Will I need special equipment and attire? (Most barns keep helmets for borrowing. And all a growing rider really needs for footwear is some boot with an inch-high heel, available at your favorite Big Box Discount Store.)
• Can I come see the place? (Better yet, watch a lesson, especially when the rider’s a child. And chat with the child’s parent.)

IMO, especially for horse-crazy children, summer riding camp would beat playing dodgeball and singing Kumbaya. Actually, for horse-crazy children, “regular” summer camp might constitute unusual torture.

Outside “the box”

You may live near a college or school with an equestrian program in the animal sciences program. Sometimes, they offer summer programs to the public.

For example, the University of Connecticut, aka UCONN, offers summer riding lessons with basics and intermediate skills for hunt seat and western riders AND a chance to learn how to play arena polo (like the famous outdoor version, but indoors, inside an arena.)

Lessons just for the summer

Here’s another possibility. Summer vacation from school may last, maybe, ten weeks?

Pick a period during those ten weeks and send your child for weekly lessons. You could do the entire ten weeks if a Staycation is more your style. Or you could pick a number of those weeks.

Many stables offer a lesson package. X number of lessons for $XXX, sometimes even, for example, $120. It’s still a reduced price instead of paying for each lesson singly.

Not even that

I hear ya. Been there, done that, eaten the ramen.

This won’t cost you money but will cost you time in “foot-work.” Or Googling. Go to your local public library.

In addition to borrowing books – in this case, horse books – you can borrow DVDs. You can have Horse Movie Night.  Many libraries now offer internet access to checking their card catalogue. Or, if you’d rather have help, ask your friendly local librarian for suggestions.

Just be sure you return all borrowed materials on time. If you don’t, then it’s not “free.”

Another option that might cost a little more is to go to a local horse show in your area. Those people at those riding stables know when the shows are. Some shows even offer free admission, or only a nominal fee to park a car.

A truly horse-crazy child will just be happy to go.

Not too soon to think about it

As I post this story, it’s late March 2012. Some US schools dismiss in late May, others in late June.

Summers are special times in a child’s life and, frankly, we aren’t talking about a lot of summers. Plus, a child is only a particular age once. A great summer for a 5-year-old will not be a great summer for a 15-year-old.

Even though “horse habits” can get expensive, you don’t need a lot of money to make a special memory for a horse-crazy child. Seriously.

Did I forget anything? Now you’re sitting there with your arm up in the air like Hermione at Hogwarts? Spill! Leave a Reply or Comment below. I’ve got SEO mojo (Search Engine Optimization, aka Google Hoodoo) working so that people wondering what to do will land on this article. You could help make someone’s day!

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If you can’t see the link embedded above, click here.

Be sure to play the video several times, with liberal use of the “pause” button, to catch all the gags. Pay attention to the movie titles.

This video first came to my attention thanks to noted horse blogger Fran Jurga posted the video on her Facebook feed. Then, Mashable - the CNN of social media – posted it as a viral video. The video was made by Feed My Funny of BBC 3

That iPad must be new because there are only five books on it. Let alone movies. What do you think is missing?

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If you can’t see the video embedded above of Davy Jones’s winning ride on Digpast in 1996, click here.

The sudden passing of thoroughbred owner/trainer/amateur jockey David T. Jones, better known as Davy Jones of the Monkees, sent me looking all over the Internet for his time and work with horses.

What turned up are news reports, both old and new, along with fan-produced memoirs showing his kindness, generosity and willingness to work his own horses and schlep his own hay. Check it out:

• A basic obituary and a longer feature article in The Paulick Report, The BloodHorse and more of an article in the Thoroughbred Times.
• A couple of weeks before his death, the London Daily Mail ran an article about Jones and his mentor horse trainer Basil Foster and their lifelong connection.
• Fellow Monkee Mickey Dolenz shares his memories of Jones the horseman in the Newmarket Weekly News
• Jones’s website homepage features a photo of him leading a horse, maybe Indiantown Jones? (If you know, please leave a comment below.) Yes, the largest photo on his home page, plus there’s a page on his website showing him with his horses.
• He even won a race in 1996, as seen in the video above. on his daughter’s horse (before you click on the Manchester Cowboy site, brace yourselves for the onslaught of popups.  They’re worth it, but there are a lot of them.)
• A memorial page done by The Purple Flower Gang, a Monkees fan group, for Digpast, the horse on which Jones made his winning ride.
• His horse Indiantown Jones won by 13 lengths at Indiana Downs in 2005 and his horse Jessie Jones came in second at Calder Race Course, according to this radio station’s comprehensive bio of Jones.
• A Louisville Courier-Journal article about Jones working a horse at Churchill Downs while he was in town starring in “Grease” in 1994.
• Scroll down in this interview with Jones as a musician if you want to cut to the chase: “I get up at 5:50 … “
• A bit of Jones’s sense of humor, along with a photo of his horse Indiantown Jones
• A local news report of Jones’s work on community benefits and a photo of his farm
• Fans join Davy at the races.
• Jones as a hands-on horseman and neighbor
• Jones as seen in his Pennsylvania home, where he kept horses in the summer, from the Lehigh Valley newspaper
• Jones on his own blog with one of his new foals BazFoster, named after his friend and mentor trainer Basil Foster

Thank you, Sasscer, for the original tip, the Guardian article about Jones and Foster

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