Almost More on Twin Arabian Foals - Tommy Garland Anyone???

This picture is my Arabian stallion (horse), Scandalous Legacy, being ground driven by Tommy Garland at the Daffodil Arabian Horse clinic last Nov.



I wrote the next segment of the twin Arabian foals (horses) Scandalous Surprise and Scandalous Trouble, earlied today. The power went out just as I was getting ready to post it and I lost the whole darn thing. Now I'm having trouble getting myself back to doing it all over again so I think I'm going to tell a Tommy Garland story I heard last night instead.

I check my stats pretty regularly to see where people and coming from and what they are looking for when the get to my blog about Arabian horses. I've mentioned my respect for Tommy Garland and his work training Arabian horses but I have't devoted a whole blog to him yet. Despite that I find searches every day sending people looking for Tommy Garland to my Arabian horse (horses) blog. So it's seems obvious that people want to know more about Tommy Garland as a trainer of Arabian horses and probably as a person.

I had a board meeting for the Daffodil Arabian Horse Association last night. Many of the people there had been to the Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show that just got over about a week ago. Since our club just had Tommy out here in November, he is familiar with some of us and bumped into those folks at the show.

I imagine that Tommy Garland took a big string of Arabian horses and half-Arabian horses to the Scottsdale show. He's definitely a big name trainer in the Arabian horse industry. Tommy Garland is getting to be even more well know with his successful show on RFD-TV where he teaches his CPR method of training.

In today's Arabian horse market there are lots of amateurs showiing their own Arabian horses and you can bet that a big part of Tommy Garland's show string of Arabian horses is made up of amateur ridden horses. Tommy's amateurs always seem to take home a good portion of the ribbons. He does his job well and he takes it very seriously.

So now that I've given you the background, I'm going to try and set the stage. It's the championship finals for the Purebred Arabian Western Pleasure 40 & over AAOTR (adult amaateur owner to ride). Tommy has a rider in the finals and is making his way up into the stands to coach the rider. He's sitting back a couple of rows when he spots someone he recognizes from the Daffodil Arabian Horse club. There's an open seat next to the club members right on the rail. Tommy asks if he can sit in that seat.

As he moves into the closer seat his 40 and over rider comes jogging in through the gate on his Arabian horse. The people in the viewing box can tell that Tommy is riding the horse with his client. Without realizing it he's riding the chair with the rhythm of the jogging horse. When it's time to lope the Arabian western pleasure horses, Tommy's body automatically adjusts to the new gait and he's riding the lope with the client. As necessary,he coaches the client from the rail but he never stops riding. You can physically see him from head to toe riding the chair to the gait of the Arabian horse in the ring.

The Arabian horses come down to a walk and are asked to reverse and Tommy is mentally riding this class for his client. The announcer asks the Arabian horses to lope off and Tommy Garland is loping in the chair again. He's riding every stride. His head is rolling with the softness of the horse's lope. All is good.

They call for the horses to break down to the jog and the amateur brings his Arabian horse down nice and soft to the jog. Tommy made the transition, he's riding the jog in his chair. As the rider comes past Tommy he's told to very softly pick up his Arabian horse, just a little and softly release. The rider responds with a grab and throw-away and the Arabian horse breaks to the walk right in front of one of the judges.

Disappointed and frustration wash over Tommy Garland's face as his amateur's Top Ten ride just flushed down the toilet but he's still riding that jogging Arabian horse into the lineup as he sits on his chair on the rail. Once the Arabian horses are lined up, Tommy Garland begs his departure and heads off to greet his client as he exits the ring.

Knowing Tommy Garland, I really like this story. It tells you a lot about Tommy Garland, the man, as an Arabian horse trainer and as a person. He works hard. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does. He cares about his clients. He's invested in what he does. And most importantly, he's real!

There are lots of other things I could tell you about Tommy Garland but I think I'll end on this note. Tommy Garland is committed to and passionate about the Arabian horse. In my mind's eye I can see Tommy Garlard as he rides that Arabian horse around the ring from his chair on the rail. The thought of it makes me smile! After loosing the hours of work I put in earlier today writing about the Arabian twin foals (horses), the smile feels good. Thanks Tommy.........

For more of my thoughts on Tommy Garland

If you're needing a fix on the twins story,there's plenty already posted. The Saga starts here I'll try and get up the umph to rewrite my lost post for tomorrow.

Arabian horse Arabian horses horses horse twin foals Tommy Garland