Absatz
The Chestnut Hanoverian Stallion Absatz (Abglanz/Landmoor/Landdeck);1960; 16 h; was noted for endowing his foals with light, free action, superb conformation and an unparalleled disposition, which made them extremely easy to train. His sire, the Trakehner Abglanz (Termit/Abendluft/Poiseidon), was the founder of new bloodlines in Hannover. His infusion of Trakehner lightness and 'blood' can be clearly seen in today's modern Hannoverian horse and is credited with bringing about great improvement in the head and neck of the Hanoverian horses.

1998
I first saw Tarzan as a three-week-old colt when I was helping Mo take mares and foals to an inspection in 1998. He was a July foal and very small, but spunky and I just fell in love with him. AHS Mare & Stallion Committee Chair Suzanne Quarles, who was judging at the inspection that day, said the three-week-old colt looked like a “newborn foal, but had very lofty movement.” I bought him, feverently hoping that he would at least make 16-hands when mature.

1999
I took him to some breed shows as a yearling and did well despite his immaturity, including a placing of Reserve Champion Colt/Gelding at the 1999 ESDCTA show in New Jersey.

2003
Then things started to happen. Between two and three he really started to grow and was very gangly, so I held off on sending him for backing until late fall of his three-year-old year. I was pregnant with the twins and because of complications could not ride, so he wasn’t seriously restarted until he was five. I rode him from May until July, and six weeks before Dressage at Devon in September, we decided on a lark to see if he could be ready for the Materiale and Suitability classes. I let Mo Swanson’s rider take over to prepare Tarzan for Devon. He won the 2003 Four/Five-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Materiale class with a score of 74.3% out of 19 entries and placed fourth in the Suitability out of 17 entries after picking up the wrong lead for a step in front of judge Hilda Gurney during the final canter.

2004
Things were going great now and in 2004, I showed Tarzan myself at First Level in three recognized shows. We earned scores up to 70.88% and twice were First Level Champions as well as the overall High Score of the show.

2005
In 2005, we had to slow down on showing as we were very involved with building an indoor arena here at Copper Bay Farm and the property was a general construction mess. We planned to start showing again in the fall. Then disaster struck.

In late August, I returned from a vacation to find him somewhat scraped up from some sort of pasture accident but otherwise looking okay. But it soon became apparent he was not right. Our local vet could not determine the cause, so we took him to Dr. Martin at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. By this point he had heat and swelling in his back over the right loin and the muscle was in spasm. The area was so hot it would steam and melt through ice packs in no time… his whole hind end would buckle if anyone approached him within ten feet on the right side. I knew it was bad when Dr. Martin got his camera out and asked if he could take photos – he had never seen this type of injury in a warmblood before, only racehorses working at high speed. The diagnosis upon ultrasound was a severe strain of the supraspinous ligament which runs along the spine and the prognosis was at least eight months for recovery, including six weeks of initial stall rest with hand walking followed by very controlled turnout, There was some doubt as to whether he would be able to handle the collection of dressage work in the future.

2006
Between the severe pain and confinement, my normally goofy but good natured horse turned into a very big, very angry, very unhappy patient. Basically it hurt to move any part of his body – just lifting his head up or stepping out of the stall was painful. Even with a healthy dose of tranquilizer, I needed a helmet, whip and chain over his nose to hand walk him. It was scary and I dreaded taking him out of the stall every day. But we both survived and the now 17-hand Tarzan progressed so that six months after the injury I was able to start walking him under saddle. (Talk about taking your life into your hands!) We spent the rest of 2006 slowly building him back up, but it wasn’t until the winter of 2007 that “things started to click and I felt my old partner coming back and feeling good.

2007
It’s been a long road, but our efforts have paid off. In addition to working with Mo, we started taking bi-monthly lessons with Scott Hassler, and in May we made their debut at Second Level at Bucks County Horse Park placing third in Test 2 with 64.324% and second in Test 3 (a BLM qualifier) with 64.884%. Then in June we won Second Level Test 3 with 63.721% and Test 4 with 62.857%. Our scores gave them Champion and Reserve Champion High Score at Second Level. I have my sights set on earning the Third Level scores for her USDF Bronze Medal with Tarzan if things continue to go well. Showing in 2008 just wasn't in the cards due to other commitments but I enjoy every ride we have together.