Anything But Standard

FEATURE Product of the Month - Equilibrium!!

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:20:00 +0000

These days, with the amount of products on the market, it’s hard to find the ‘right’ product for you and your Standy …

We’ve been using Equilibrium for close to 5 years now and have loved it from day one!.. It’s economical, easy to administer into their feed, and it’s all in one … It covers all the basic needs of your Standy, without having to buy 4,000 other products and possibly end up ‘oversupplementing’ … (Visit the EQUILIBRIUM AUSTRALIA WEBSITE)

Developed by a Vet (Dr. Lex Wills), it covers all ages; from foals to geriatrics, ponies to drafts, paddock puffs to performance horses… If you’re anything like me, working fulltime with an hour commute each way –there’s just not enough hours in the daylight to ensure a separate andregimented supplementation program for 20+ horses of different ages and needs …Equilibrium covers everyone in my paddocks with glowing results, all in the one bag (oh joy, oh bliss!) …

We love them even more, because the wonderful folks at Equilibrium Australia provided ABS with not only a year’s supply of their B! Cool Mix, but 32 (that’s right, THIRTY TWO!!!) 500gram Sample Pots of Original and B1 Cool Mix… We are eternally grateful for their 2012 Sponsorship!!!

So.... What does that mean for you? Well if you happen to be one of the lucky owners of one of the next 32 ABS ponies – you and your lucky Standy will be leaving with your very own sample pot to try! … How cool is that!?

A HUGE thank you to the Equilbrium Team, from all the ABS Team!

For more information on Equilbrium, including composition,dosage rates and different products – please visit the EQUILIBRIUM AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ...

Tell em Red sent you!!

... Marching On Forward! ...

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:45:00 +0000

.. ABS will be moving away from Facebook, and centralising all "services" here! ...

The Blog will become a more prevalent feature, and new articles for The Information Stand are already in the pipelines! ... First up - In-hand work for the STB! ... This is something we're excited about, and feel strongly about as a beneficial training tool for ALL Standardbreds ...

ALSO! ... We have introduced The Higher Standards FORUM!!!! This is a work in progress, and we are designing it to be YOUR place to come and ask questions, seek advice, share your Standy woes and triumphs! ... It will be your direct line to help and advice ... If you want to see an article, have an idea, or just want to chinwag - feel free to drop us a line there!

And ummm; keep in mind, there's only ONE person manning all this, haha!! We will endeavour to reply to ALL posts, as soon as we can .... There will be NO right or wrong - all opinions can be discussed openly and honestly ... Rudeness will not be tolerated ... Only full members will be able to post - and any troublemakers will be deleted, permanently! ... If the Forum is used for anything other than intended, it too will go away; permanently ...

With that said, let's enjoy this new platform together!

... Onwards and Upwards! ...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

... Remember Bluey Mahoney?? Of course you do, he's been dominating the last few blog entries, hehe ... Let's take a look at how far he has come while here at ABS:

Looking pretty gooooood! ... ;o)

On the 23rd of March, he met his new mum and dad for the first time, very briefly, before we all went out for dinner ... On the 24th - he attended his very first show! It was also his new Dad's very first show too! ... Would you believe they stepped into the Ring like old pros?

3rd in Best Presented, 2nd in Led Gelding, Reserve Champion Led!!! Take a look at this SUPER SPUNKY boy .... He has a huge career ahead of him, with the best family I could ever imagine <3 ....

... A "Lucky" Update ...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:20:00 +0000

On the 21st of December, we picked up Bluey Mahoney and Go Lush from the Camden Saleyards (original blog entry: A Lucky Xmas For Some) ... We thought it was about time we put out on update on them :o)

Bluey Mahoney was in the worst shape.... Skinny, alot of rain scald, bit and kicked to hell with marks off everywhere ... He has since been chilling out in our spelling paddock, doing naught-all but being a horse and eating ... While he still has a way to go, he is getting much better!!! ... Here's a little pictorial of his progress ...

And Go Lush?

This amazing mare has attended her first show, and was nothing short of a champion (co-incidently, coming away with Champ Led STB) ....

This mare will likely stay on at ABS, and become part of the Show Team, replacing our beautiful Hawk Bay (who really doesnt enjoy it, and will be foaling later in the season as it is, hehe) ... Lushy has beautiful fluid and expressive movement, and we're a little excited about the prospect of her saddle career ....

Lushy is shoulder branded, as well as neckbranded .... A passer-by at the show, only noticing her nearside shoulder brand said "Beautiful Thoroughbred" .... We'll take that as a compliment ;o) .... Shame they'd have run a mile if they saw her other brand ... lol ...

A bit of a diamond, we think ;o) ...

.. To The Show We Go ..

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:40:00 +0000

Red (Red Ghost) and Hawk (Hawk Bay) attended the Bowral Show on Sunday the 8th of Feb .. We had a brilliant day, met some brilliant people, and their equally brilliant standies...

We met up with several other Standardbred owners, from the Stand Out facebook group (Stand Out Standardbred Social Network) ... If you want to talk STB's all day - you can find us there!

7 Standies in total attended, and the Ring Steward near fell over in surprise, as he said normally, they are lucky to get ONE ... Our gorgeous Standies were larger in turnout numbers than the QH's and Andalusians ...

Hawk earned herself 2nd in Led Mare - and Red took 1st Led Gelding, Reserve Led... 1st Ridden Gelding, Champ Ridden ....

Who Can?? The Standardbred Can!!!

... A Lucky Xmas for Some ...

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:50:00 +0000

ABS isn't a rescue - we have always gone by the mantra Race Retrain Ride ...

I suppose I knew it was coming though, when I had to go to Camden Sales on the 21st of December to pick up Bluey Mahoney, a 100k winner with a best winning mile rate of 1.54, who was picked up by a dogger at Moss Vale sales on the 12th of November ... He was 'lucky' enough to be picked up by Les Evans - I say lucky, because Les's partner Dianne and a lovely lady named Ali, are rehoming quite a few horses that would otherwise end up 'you know where' .... Les took him to Camden for me after I purchased him, and I picked him up on the day (he wasn't run through) ...

But when in Rome, as they say, I stayed to watch to sales .... Towards the end, I ended up bidding for a black/brown STB mare ... The only ones bidding on her, were me and the dogger ... He could have pushed me higher I suppose, so I appreciate that he stopped bidding and let the hammer fall (previous mare went for more than her) ... She was branded on her shoulder, as well as her neck ... Turns out she was a winner too, in 2.03 and is quite nicely bred ...

While we have racehorses, we wouldn't send one of ours through the sales ... In all honesty, a rifle on the property would be a much kinder end ... (Not that we'd do that either, before anyone freaks out, haha) .... We don't normally buy from doggers, but I felt an affinity for this gelding (his dam was just gifted to us, and we stood his Dad privately last year) ... That left a spare spot in the float in sales day ... Was always gonna happen, wasn't it? ;o) ... With the sacked pacers that come in from trainers, it's not like we needed to add to the numbers here - but who can say no?!

Finding the right homes for all these horses can sometimes be hard!! We're just about to buy another of our rehomes back - and that's fine by us .... We'd rather they come back here, than end up somewhere like Camden passed around like meat .... Finding the right owners who will do the right thing, and send them back when circumstances change is just as rewarding ... While dealing with people is often troublesome, we've met some fantastic people and made some great friends along the way!! ... The bad times upset us, the good keep us going!! ...

We've never asked for help - we're 100% self funded .... I am kicking around the idea of expanding the work ABS does, but best laid plans are the ones thought out carefully .... It's not easy to balance fulltime work, and fulltime ABS, hahaha ...

But.. For now, enjoy this piccy of what I guess would be the first 'rescues' to come to ABS!

... A Little Bit Arty ...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:55:00 +0000

... Sometimes, boredom sets in and I start fiddling with pictures in Photoshop ...

Today's entry: Trixie, our resident Jet Laag mare, posing like the true Diva she is!

... Stand Out on the Sand!!! ...

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Christmas is next month, can you believe it??!!

In conjuction with Stand Out - NSW Standardbred Social Network (find us all on Facebook Groups! Standies from ALL states welcome) a fantabulous BEACH RIDE at Nowra NSW is being organised for next month!!

Non-Standardbreds are more than welcome, however will be required to wear a "brand" for the day, in white zinc (nothing like a bit of STB Slip-Slop-Slap eh!!) ... You can make it hearts, stars, whatever - just gotta have a brand 8)

Prizes for the best dressed horse and rider, in xmas theme ofcourse! ... Keep the 10th of December FREE! ... |

Being responsible pony owners, please pack some heavy duty garbage bags and a stable rake into those floats, so we can clean up as much of our "mess" as possible...

... Hope to see as many STB's there as possible ...

Any questions, ask on the Facebook page, or email admin@anythingbutstandard.com

... Standardbreds on the WORLD Stage ...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:15:00 +0000

October 2010, and the World Equestrian Games (WEG) - No STB's there right?! ... WRONG!!!

8 Standies, and their amazing owners / riders / drivers attended WEG to show everyone just what WE already know - The Standardbred CAN!!!

CHECK OUT THIS WEBPAGE for full details and pictures!

Whiz Bang (1995 Mare) and Sea The Gray (unraced) were representing Dressage

Veruca Salt (1994 Mare) was representing Western Pleasure

Dreamy Starlet (1991 Mare) in Eventing

Jambalayabar Man (2002 Gelding) in Show Jumping

Road Kar (1991 Gelding) showing his stuff in Hunter Under Saddle, and;

Pro Gem (1996) and Draken (1992) gelding boys, showing off their Driving Skillz!!!

These Standardbred LEGENDS, are living proof that our fantastic breed to take it to others on the WORLD stage ....

With hard word, dedication and training - there's nothing we can't achieve with this fantastic breed! ... Go forth, and spread the word! hehehehe ...

... Spring Has Sprung ...

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:35:00 +0000

Ahhhhh daylight savings, how we love thee!!!

With these extra daylight hours of goodness, we are going to be accepting very limited numbers of outside Standies for training! ... All information is available BY VIEWING THIS LINK

In the last few weeks, we have rehomed 3 standies to wonderful homes, and will be picking up 2 new ones next weekend who very badly need new homes .... Never ends ;o) ...

Our beautiful girl Betsy (Dignity Miss) FINALLY arrived on the property ... She was bought as a broodmare, however after travelling 50kms to a friend's place in the Hunter, collapsed on arrival in extreme pain... She became a rehab case, with massage and movement therapy donated very very kindly by Misha Zemen of Equconnect ... Our personal thanks to the many people who helped her these past months, and we are super pleased she has now arrived home on a permanent basis!!! Here she is: trotting out in her new home for the first time:

Our big grey fellow, Huey, has come back into work .... He's not very impressed, hehe, but he is looking and feeling fabulous.... Few shows in the cards with him, and we are also booked in to attend a 5 day clinic with Marji Armstrong of Classical Horsemanship International ... The first clinic I attended, was a very eye opening experience - and it's a path I'd like to continue travelling in my training...