Early Booking Discounts End Soon
Only a few weeks remain for breeders to book early for 2011.  Contracts must be submitted with booking fees paid in full before January 1, 2011.  Our early booking discount offers $150 off the stallion service fee.  Discounts can increase if your mare has a performance record or has scored premium at her inspections.  Breeders who bred to our stallions in 2010 and who sign new contracts for 2011 also receive deeper discounts.  To learn more about our stallions and to view our contracts, please visit our website by clicking here and then select your interest on our menu bar.  If you have questions not addressed on our site, please contact us! 

Open Schooling Days
One day last week, a “polar express” came through North Texas, plunging the lovely mid-fall weather more than ten degrees in a matter of minutes.  Welcome to winter!  Nice that you have a wonderful place to ride out of the cold and the wind in our cozy yet spacious indoor arena!  For details on booking some time during one of our twice-monthly open schooling days, visit our website calendar.  We look forward to seeing you!  The facility is available from 10:00am to 4:00pm on these days, and the price per horse is $45.  To get to our calendar, click www.octoberhill.com/calendar.php.   

Other News from Schleswig-Holstein
We are excited to report pregnancies for 2011 from some very interesting stallions!  Tyrah, the Contender mare who produced Limtender, is in foal to Quirado (Quidam de Revel x Corrado I).  Lady Levisto (Levisto x Calvin) is in foal to For Ever Jump (For Pleasure x Chambertin).  The mare Willa (Coriano x Contender ) is in foal once again to Calido.  Our young Casall mare from Lady Levisto is scheduled to go under saddle in anticipation of the upcoming mare test for 3 year olds.  While in Neumunster we were able to visit all the horses we have in Tornesch, including these mares as well as our other younger stock.  Updated photos of these horses have now been posted to our website.  You can visit them by clicking here.

BWP National Tour Results
In September we reported on the results of Dr. Tiffany Attebury’s Mezcalero filly, Konteza, at her BWP inspections.  The filly, from a daughter of Doncaster, received a high score and, it turns out now, is ranked in the top five fillies and in the top twelve overall foals of 2010 on the BWP tour!  Congratulations!  Other Mezcalero foals presented at BWP this year were Bannockburn Farm’s (Indiana) Kahuna B from the Simsalabim daughter Enchantment, as well as Iconic Bay Equestrian’s (Florida) Kinetic Bay from the mare Naivitie by Branco.  Congratulations, Dr. Attebury!

Texas Fall Classic at Las Colinas Equestrian Center
Over Halloween weekend, a small group of our horses and students made their way to Las Colinas for the Texas Fall Classic. Client Arden Terry rode her mares, Diva Valentina and Capeline, in the Limit and Modified Children’s Hunter classes and claimed some well-deserved ribbons in the Modified Children’s classes!  One of our newest clients, Tess Miller, gained great experience on her leased mare Baila in the Children’s Jumper division.  Isabelle Potts also joined us with her two mounts in the Jumper ring on Sunday after competing in the Fleur de Lis Classic the day before!

Tip of the Month:  Happy Haircut!
Winter has only just arrived and the horses have burst into full coats seemingly overnight.  Our staff is hard at work on the first body clips of the season, and due to their expertise, the horses always look great!  Though there are many tips we can offer for taking your horse from fuzzy to fabulous with a hip clip, you must first always make sure your blades are sharp and that your horse is clean.  A bath is the best way to eliminate dirt that can hamper your clipping chore, but a good curry and brushing will help as well.  New blades are recommended, but you can stretch your old ones out with a good sharpening.  Remember that dull blades make your clippers run hot and cause lines in the hair.  To keep the blades cool, clean them often with a dip in rubbing alcohol, and keep the motor and blades well oiled.  If your blades to get hot, stop and let them cool, and remember to brush excess hair off. 
If you are seeing lines in the clipped areas, make sure you clip against the direction of the hair growth.  You can also try crisscrossing the clippers over this line, as if making an “x” over it.  Make sure to finish your clipping duties by cleaning and storing your clippers properly.