Feb March 2018 by Aiken Horse Productions

Volume 13 â&#x20AC;¢ Number 4

February-March 2018

Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, REALTOR®

803.640.4591

THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD Aiken, South Carolina — Southern Charm and Equestrian Sport 785 GRACE

• 10 Acres in Historic Horse District • 3 barns; 20 stalls, 20 paddocks • 2 grass training fields • Guest cottage

MLS # 71716

• Frontage on 3 clay roads • Easy access to The Woods • 4BR 3BA residence • $3,100,000

147 STAG DRIVE

525 LAURENS ST. SW

• Historic Hitchcock Stables • 11.5 acres adjoins The Woods • 27 12X12 stall barn

MLS # 97065

• 2 carriage houses • 3BR 2 BA bunk house • 8 large paddocks • $2,952,500

503 CHIME BELL CHURCH ROAD

• Ideal setting for equestrian barn & paddocks • 6327 sq. ft. main house, 4 bdrms, 3.5 baths

258 BECK ROAD

OLD TORY TRAIL

MLS # 99533

• 1972 sq. ft. GUEST/POOL house • Salt water pool & hot tub • 20 acres • $1,775,000

MLS # 92056

MLS # 99504

• 42 acres • Total of 10 stalls • Fenced jump field with excellent footing • 2 large fenced pastures with shade • 1932 sq. ft. Cape Cod 3BR 2.5 BA • 2BR 2 BA mobile home • Farm has excellent rental history • $495,500

• 10.16 Acres with 11 stall center aisle barn • 5 paddocks and large sand ring • 2BR 2BA well appointed mobile home • Groom’s or guest studio cottage • Turnkey sale including furniture, appliances, etc. • $179,000

103 TRENTON PLACE

LAND AVAILABLE

MLS # 96148

• MLS 101291 — $133,350 19 Acres — 1291 River Ridge Rd.

• MLS 100968 — $207,760 29.68 Acres — 0 Vintage Vale Rd. • 2086 sq. ft. 4BR 2.5 BA town home • Master bedroom 1st floor • 3 very spacious rooms up • Maintenance free living • $170,000

1064 GRAND PRIX DR

• 25 acres on the ridge overlooking the 302 Valley • Part of The Vista Training Center • Established coastal pasture • Level area for barn & residence

MLS # 73833

• 2BR 2BA 1730 sq. ft.owner’s residence • 8 stall European style cement block courtyard barn • Tack room; feed room • 4 large grass paddocks 20+ acres • Fox Hollow amenities $875,000

• Significant gentle rolling terrain for gallops • Buyer to survey; property may be subdivided once • $325,000

189 CROOKED CREEK

• Turnkey, private, gated farm on 15 plus acres • Mostly open grass with some shade trees • 5 stall Center aisle barn w/ spacious tack room & wash stall • 4 large grass, board fenced pastures, flat grass area to ride • Deluxe 1 BR 1 BA guest cottage (great rental)

• MLS 100133 — $322,920 24.8 acres — Lots 65 & 66 Fox Hollow on the Lake

MLS # 100888

• 4 BR 3 BA main residence, bamboo floors, granite counters, outdoor entertaining area, in ground pool • Near all 302 equestrian venues including Paradise Farm, Full Gallop, New Bridge Polo, Highfields, Etc. • $465,000

www.AikenSCProperties.com 2

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

PARADISE FARM

$1.2 MILLION

KILLARA

$1.29 MILLION

TWIN LANES FARM

$785,000

NEW Top class income producing event facility offered for the first time. 109+ acres, cross country course with water feature, 3 all purpose competition rings, 2 barns with 18 stalls & 2 story 4 bedroom home. Zoned RUD. Suitable for any equestrian discipline.

RISEN STAR

$387,000

Gated Horse District 4 BR/3.5 BA home built in 1996 on 5.35 acres w/3 car garage, inground pool, 3 paddocks & 10 stall barn w/apartment, wash stall, tack/feed room and lounge. Recent updates include new roof & HVAC. Easy hack to Hitchcock Woods on the clay roads of Aiken.

NEW BRIDGE POLO

$449,000

Turnkey equestrian property in gated Fox Hollow w/hardiplank 4 BR/3.5 BA two story home w/pine floors, 2 fireplaces & chef's kitchen. 3 stall barn w/wash stall & storage, 4 paddocks & in-ground pool. Amenities include cross country course, fabulous trails & irrigated show rings. HOA fees only $970.

BASSETT HILL

$729,000

REDUCED Working 30 acre horse farm perfect for the eventer, fox hunter or any professional. Lovely 4 bedroom home, extra mobile for help, 1/2 mile sand training track, 4 stall barn, 3 run-ins, 11 pastures & round pen. Mostly cleared with good pasture and fencing.

SUMMERDAY FARM

$625,000

Wonderful opportunity to own in security gated New Bridge across from community barn & new show ring. 9.85 acres of fenced pasture w/new custom 2 BR/2 BA frame & stone home w/open floor plan. Stone fireplace, exquisite kitchen w/pantry, screened porch, large master w/walk in closet & spa bath. Includes storage shed.

STOREYBOOK

$499,000

Fieldstone custom 3 BR/2 BA home privately situated on 42 acres w/Heider 4 stall center aisle barn w/heated tack room & indoor wash stall. 4 large pastures w/run-ins, 3 board fencing, dressage & jump schooling area. Gently rolling land w/access to Cedar Meadows trails & community show ring.

WILD OAKS

$1.37 MILLION

NEW

Horse farm w/lovely 3 BR Cape Cod on over 53 acres in Ridge Spring area just 15 minutes from downtown Aiken. Home has 2 car garage, hardwood floors, screened porch & fabulous deck w/dock leading to a 4 acre spring fed pond. Miles of riding trails, fabulous pastures, 3 stall barn & equipment shed.

Lovely 3 BR/3 BA brick & hardiplank home off South Boundary near the Horse District. Completely renovated within the last 5 years & additional recent updating includes new covered patio with stone walls, brick pavers & spa. New master walk-in closet with workout/storage room. Top of the line appliances & charm galore.

COLEMAN BRIDGE LAND $

399,000

81 ACRES

239,000

SADDLEBAG COTTAGE

Lewis Lane 62 A horse farm with 12 stall center aisle barn, 3 BR/2 BA apartment with granite & hardwood floors, paneled tack room with half bath & laundry. Gorgeous pasture dotted with live oaks & stick and ball/jumping field.Conveniently located close to downtown Aiken.

85,080

7 ACRES

FOX HOLLOW LOT 41

Fabulous land & lots available: Twin Silos Farms, Mt. Vintage, & Fox Hollow

803-215-0153 â&#x20AC;˘ www.AikenHorseRealty.com February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

your best friend in real-estate

Your online home for every Real-Estate need FineHomesOfAiken.com

THE BALCONY is the most prestigious equestrian

GAMEKEEPER’S LODGE is a luxurious

SNIPES POND is a renovated historic home on 46 acres of rolling land with board-fenced pastures and established forests. This 4000 sq.ft. home was lovingly restored to its original Southern charm. The top-quality renovation offers modern amenities: granite kitchen island, French country sink, walk-in closets, & security system. Three ventless gas-log fireplaces. Original features include high ceilings, wood floors, and many porches. 26x16 master bedroom has luxury bathroom and walk-in closet. $879,000

ADNAMA FARM is a 4238 sq. ft. French country estate in Chime Bell Chase. On a hilltop with superb views, this 18.83 acre property is designed around a lovely courtyard open to a 3-stall covered-aisle barn with tack room & wash station, a 3-door workshop with open interior, and a salt pool with cabana. This stylish 3 BR, 3 BA, 2 HB brick residence is all on one level. Wood, tile & stone floors. Architectural shingles. $1,250,000

SHELBORNE FARM is a gracious 4 BR 4.5 BA

HIGH COTTON FARM This equestrian estate has a 4 BR/4 BA residence and 4 or 5 stall barn with charming apartment, all on 12.47 acres. Located close to town, the farm has 5 fenced grass paddocks and an electric gate entrance. The home has: new roof, numerous upgrades, tankless water heater, and new interior colors. Gas heat, thermal-pane windows. Extra-large master suite downstairs. $925,000

BLACK RIVER FARM is a vibrant river-front horse farm in historic Barnwell County. Gorgeous contemporary 3 BR residence features wood floors, great room w/ fireplace, formal dining room and sunroom. Multiple garages. 2 BR guest house. 11-stall center-aisle barn. Fenced pastures with lush grass. Includes a large warehouse or parking facility. Lovely gardens, gated entrance, and serene privacy. $800,000

CHADBOURN FARM offers an idyllic equestrian

WOOD’S END is your only opportunity to build or purchase a new home adjacent to Hitchcock Woods. Lots 2, 3, 4, & 5 are available for purchase. Each lots is approximately 4 acres in size. Zoned for horses and conveniently close to downtown Aiken. The new home on Lot 1 (140 Wood’s End Way) is a spectacular contemporary residence with wood floors, 3 en suite bedrooms, fireplace in LR, 9’ ceilings throughout, and a 3-stall barn. This perfect equestrian property is available for $698,000.

estate in Aiken, a comfortable showplace in the heart of Aiken’s “Winter Colony.” Close to all equestrian venues, the 5.85-acre compound is a peaceful sanctuary within tall masonry walls. The elegant slate-roofed residence shows refined craftsmanship in every detail. Stately formal rooms. 6 ensuite bedrooms w/fireplaces. Kitchen, laundry, & utilities are all updated. Exquisite gardens & lawns. 20-stall stable, 3-BR cottage, swimming pool, large paddocks. $2,995,000

equestrian estate adjoining Hitchcock Woods’ 65 miles of trails in the beautiful Foxchase Equestrian subdivision. This 6447 sq.ft. 5BR 4.5BA classic brick home boasts wood-&-tile floors, fine woodwork, several fireplaces, & rich architectural details. Superb floor plan for family life & for gracious entertaining. Riders lounge poolside near the magnificent 1,664 sq. ft. European-style brick 7-stall stable. Saltwater pool. 3-car garage with apartment. $1,250,000

custom residence on 50 acres with magnificent views. Interior features are 5 fireplaces, granite counter tops, 2nd floor observation deck, wood floors, stunning 2-story great room, and a framed-in apartment over the garage. Six-stall barn with wash rack & feed room, dressage ring, 150x300 huinter-jumper ring. Board-fenced pastures. Three-car garage. $1,100,000

lifestyle. The 3000 sq.ft. 4 BR 3 BA residence was built in 2005 and extensively updated in 2017. Lightfilled interior. Great Room with fireplace. Formal dining room. Wood floors, hickory cabinets, & granite counter tops. Spacious master suite. 20 acres includes a 6-stall center-aisle barn with wash rack and tack room. Large fenced pastures, dressage arena, and 6.5 cleared acres for any equestrian use. $788,000

The finest farms in Aiken, South Carolina. Call 803-640-0123 for estates, farms, homes & land.

FineHomesOfAiken.com Meybohm

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

AUCTION

FEBRUARY 13 – 11:00 AM (ET) A I K E N ( WAG E N E R ) , S C

Designed by a Horseman – For a Horseman For the Discerning Equestrian Enthusiast, No Detail or Amenity Has Been Overlooked This pristine property offers a gorgeous main home, two beautiful cottages, staff quarters, exceptional barns, rolling pastures, paddocks, and many locations to school or train with superb footing and training surfaces. Unlimited Potential and an Opportunity Not To Be Missed!

375 ACRE PASTORAL PARADISE SUITABLE FOR ANY DISCIPLINE IN SOUTH CAROLINA’S HORSE COUNTRY

Videos, Photos & Auction Details Available Online

888-660-6448 | www.auctiondetails.net Real Estate: Larry Meares, BIC - Meares Land and Auction – J.P. King Auction Company Inc.; Auction Firm #2166

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

Aiken

The

Horse

Aiken’s Horse Publication

P.O. Box 332 • Montmorenci, SC 29839-0332 • 803.643.9960 •

www.TheAikenHorse.com • Editor@TheAikenHorse.com

Time Dated Material • Periodicals • Volume 13 • Number 4

The Aiken Horse

t’s February, the height of our winter equestrian season, and a fantastic time to be in Aiken. This is the time of year when our horse population swells with out-of-town riders. Our nights might be cold, but our days are almost always warm, the air is fresh, and it is a wonderful time to be doing things with horses. This issue of The Aiken Horse comes just in time for the majority of our winter eventing season, for the most active period of Aiken’s foxhunts and for the Aiken Triple Crown, three weekends of equestrian spectator sports that bring the community together. In the next two months, we will also have hunter/jumper shows, dressage shows, driving competitions, harness races, and, at the end of March, the 102nd annual Aiken Horse Show in the Woods. In addition to all of these activities that are a continuation of old Aiken traditions, we also have a growing population of serious western horsemen here. In our third section you will find a photo spread from the 39th annual Augusta Futurity, which is the largest cutting horse competition east of the Mississippi. This takes place across the river at the James Brown Arena, and is the most prestigious competition in our area for riders from western disciplines. Although we do not yet have many actual western competitions here in Aiken, there are some being added to the schedule, including western dressage at Stable View. (Read about that in Section Two.)

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Additionally, Aiken’s reputation is growing in the western world, especially on the Quarter Horse circuit. Jeffrey Pait, of Pait Show Horses based on the Southside, had a spectacular 2017, training and handling both the high point halter gelding in the country (Secret Agent) and the high point halter mare (Secretz Galore.) Galore was also the high point amateur mare in the country with her owner Ina Ginsberg, an Aiken resident. Both horses grew up in Aiken, and Secret Agent was bred and raised here. Meanwhile, USC Aiken has added a western riding team, which is coached by Jeff Temple in North Augusta. We have stories about all of this in Section Three. This is our first issue of 2018 and we are expecting this year to be an interesting one in the horse world. The new year often brings changes, and this year there seem to be a few more than usual. We have many new rules for competitions in various different disciplines, including some fairly big changes in USEF jumping disciplines, which have started requiring microchips for horses that compete. (You can read about microchips in our second section.) Meanwhile, just a few hours north, the Tryon International Equestrian Center is gearing up for the World Equestrian Games, which will bring eight international championships (and the best horse and rider combinations in the world) to our doorstep next September. We hope you enjoy this issue. As ever, if you have an idea for an article or there is anything we can help you with, drop us an email. We want to be your horse newspaper.

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pam Gleason

ART DIRECTOR Gary Knoll

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jean Berko Gleason

LAYOUT & DESIGN Gary Knoll

PHOTOGRAPHERS Pam Gleason Gary Knoll

ADVERTISING

803.643.9960 editor@theaikenhorse.com

Going Out Of Town? Don’t miss future issues of The Aiken Horse. We will send you a one year subscription (6 issues) for $24.00. Send check or CC # & your mailing address: P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 Or sign up on the web at www.TheAikenHorse. com

Aiken

The

Horse

Aiken’s Horse Publication

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

All contents Copyright 2018 The Aiken Horse The Aiken Horse Policies: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers, editors, or the policies of The Aiken Horse, LLC. The Aiken Horse is owned by The Aiken Horse, LLC.

February-March 2018

SECTION

10 12 20 28 30

Easter in the Woods News & Notes Aiken Training Track Carolina Cup What to Do in Aiken

Maddie Groover competes at the 2017 Aiken Horse Show in the Woods. She is riding Scoutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Honor, owned by Laura Hall of Ashbrook Equestrian. Read about the 2018 Aiken Horse Show on page 10. Photography by Gary Knoll

46 48 54 58 60 62

Secret Lives: John Henry Microchips in Horses Stable View Opener Stable View Western Feeding Senior Horses Ask the Judge

Dominique Carson aboard SCF Midnight Hunter at the Stable View Opener this January. See more pictures from Stable View in the center spread of Section Two. Photography by Gary Knoll

SECTION

The Augusta Futurity takes over the James Brown Arena each January. Find more pictures from the event in the center spread of Section Three. Photography by Gary Knoll

February-March 2018

71 72 74 76 80 84 87 90 91 97 98

Halter Success Jeff Temple Stretch Your Horse Back Pain in Horses Theresa Shahan Augusta Futurity Calendar Directory Classifieds Index Woodside Hounds The Aiken Horse

Easter in the Woods

The 102nd Aiken Horse Show by Pam Gleason

his year, the annual Aiken Horse Show in the Woods falls on Easter weekend and so the event will feature an Easter theme. Sunday there will be an Easter brunch, the ring will have Easter decorations, and there will be other activities related to the holiday. “So many people feel that the Woods is a spiritual place to begin with, we thought that celebrating Easter there would be completely

fitting,” says Dana Massey, who is the director of the show. “We haven’t decided on what activities we will offer – it might not be possible to have something like an Easter egg hunt in the ring – but the show will definitely be a beautiful place to spend the holiday with the family.” One thing that is always true about the 102-year-old show is that it is a celebration of spring. The show is held in the historic horse show ring surrounded by tall pines. The entire area is seeded with rye grass, so that by the time of the show it is bright green and inviting. The jumps in the ring are made of natural materials, and they are always decorated with flowers and blooming shrubs. The ringside Hitchcock Tent which shades the luncheon tables is festooned with green smilax – it takes 15 to 20 volunteers several hours to accomplish this, but the result is quite striking. By the end of March, it is certainly spring in Aiken, but the

little ring in the woods always looks a few weeks ahead of the rest of the area. Everything is in bloom, the colors are bright and the atmosphere is fresh. The Aiken Horse Show is one of the city’s most enduring equestrian traditions. It was started in 1916 and was conceived as a part of a grand finale to the winter season in Aiken. It featured classes tailored to members of the Winter Colony; jumping classes, as well as classes for children and young people. Until the early 1930s, there were also classes for polo ponies. From 1916 into the 1940s, the show grew and evolved. It started as a one-day affair with 17 classes, and eventually turned into a two day show with hundred of entries and competitions that started in the morning and lasted until evening, when it was almost too dark to see. The Hitchcock family, for whom the Woods are named, always featured prominently in the early years of the show, and their trademark chestnut Thoroughbreds often galloped off with many of the ribbons and championships. The show was frequently written up in the New York Times and there were features about it in Town and Country and Life magazine. These columns were generally in the society pages: the show was as almost as much about elaborate picnics and raising money for charity as it was about horses. As the show entered the modern age, it faced some challenges and suffered some growing pains. By the 1980s, Aiken had changed quite a bit, and many of the old families that sustained the horse show tradition had disappeared from Aiken or faded from the equestrian scene. Horse shows were changing, too. Once more or less society

events, they had become much more professional. Where in the past, a hunter show would be a show for horses that actually hunted, by the late 20th century, hunter shows had become entities unto themselves, created for horses that were specifically trained for the show ring rather than for the hunt field. In Aiken, the shows outside the Woods followed this trend while the Aiken Horse Show adhered to its traditional roots. But with fewer riders participating in Aiken’s hunts, there was also lower attendance at the Aiken Horse Show. There were some issues with the Hitchcock Woods as well. The

Woods occupies low ground in Aiken, and is naturally a place where storm water from the city runs off. With the growth of Aiken and increasing amounts of impermeable pavement, run off, erosion and flooding began to threaten the integrity of many trails and even the horse show ring itself. One year, there was so much flooding in the ring that the show had to be moved. The tradition was moving rapidly to the brink of extinction. \But then, in the late 1980s, a group of women associated with the Aiken Hounds committed themselves to saving the horse show and ensuring that it would continue. Many different people committed hundred of hours to breathing life back into the show, convinced that it was an important part of Aiken that needed to be preserved. Their hard work paid off, and the show soon reached, and then surpassed, its former glory. Today, it is a three-day long affair that is once again a celebration of spring, of horses, and of the Hitchcock Woods. It is still an oldfashioned hunter show, with many classes for horses that actually hunt, as well as crowd pleasing competitions: hunter teams, hunter pairs, a costume class for children and a family class. Not only is the show itself thriving, it also brings attention to the Hitchcock Woods, and is the main fundraiser for the Hitchcock Woods Foundation, which owns and manages the Woods. The Aiken Horse Show, like the Woods itself, is one of the things that makes Aiken, Aiken.

parking. If you are interested in reserving your own railside parking space, the cost is $300 for the weekend. There is limited availability and these go fast! You may also buy a table in the Hitchcock tent where there is a catered lunch each day. Luncheon sponsorships come at various levels and include tickets to the cocktail party on Thursday evening. Alternatively, you can buy a single ticket to the luncheon for $75 dollars per person ($25 for the “picnic lunch” on Friday.) In addition to the luncheon in the Hitchcock Tent, the show offers the Garden Bar outside the tent where you can purchase refreshments,

Important Details

Dates and Times: The Aiken Horse Show runs from Friday through Sunday, March 30-April 1. Classes start at 9:00 am each day. The show day is usually over by around 4 o’clock in the afternoon, but this will depend on the number of entries in the classes. Watching the Show: The Aiken Horse Show grounds are situated in the Hitchcock Woods about three quarters of a mile beyond Memorial

Gate, where the Aiken Hounds hold their annual opening meet. There is no fee to attend the show if you walk in from any of the seven public entrances to the Woods, although hikers are encouraged not to use the South Boundary entrance because there will be car traffic on those trails. The horse show is the only time when automobiles are allowed into the Woods. If you elect to drive in, there is $10 general admission

February-March 2018

and there is a concession truck. You may also bring in your own picnic. Exhibitor Information The Aiken Horse Show in the Woods is not a recognized show, but it does follow USEF horse show rules. Schooling is not permitted in the ring at any time, and no one is allowed to ride in the ring except during the show. Class lists are available around town or may be downloaded off the Hitchcock Woods Foundation website. Pre-enter by March 29: late entries may be accepted with a $30 late fee per horse. Trailers are not allowed in the Woods. Exhibitors are asked to park at the Stable on the Woods Parking lot, 2200 Dibble Road and to hack in. There is water for horses available at the show grounds Newcomers to the Aiken Horse Show who would like any advice or logistical support may call Gail King before the show: 803-640-9184. Those who have entered and would like to know how the schedule is running on the day of the show can call Mary Katherine Phillip at 803-221-5599. Support the Hitchcock Woods The Aiken Horse Show is the most important fundraiser of the year for the Hitchcock Woods Foundation. The foundation owns and manages the Woods and is supported entirely by donations. In addition to the sponsorship opportunities at the show, lovers of Aiken’s most iconic natural place can help maintain it for future generations through direct donations, or by purchasing items from the annual silent auction held in the Hitchcock Tent. This auction always has many wonderful items for sale, including rare books and prints related to Aiken history. Whether you are coming to the luncheon or not, it is always worth your while to visit to the tent to look over, and bid on, the beautiful items on display. Find out more about the Hitchcock Woods and how to support it by

The Aiken Horse

News and Notes by Pam Gleason

The Winter Season Heats Up

It’s February and the winter season is upon us. This means that Aiken’s equestrian population has swelled with an influx of riders from the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, all migrating to Aiken to avoid the worst of their weather, and enjoy the best of ours. Although there are horsemen from all disciplines here, in February, the eventers take center stage. From early January to mid March, some of the top riders in the nation and the world will be here to school and train their young horses, and tune up their more accomplished mounts for the season to come. Representatives from the United States Equestrian Federation will also be on hand to conduct winter training sessions for High Performance riders at Stable View. For about six weeks, Aiken will be one of the main centers of the sport in America. For the top riders, training will be especially intense and serious this year. After all, the World Equestrian Games are coming to Tryon, N.C. this coming September, and members of the U.S. Eventing Team are eager to put the United States back on the podium. Although Phillip Dutton (an Aiken winter resident) won the individual bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016, the U.S. team itself has been suffering from a severe medal shortage lately. In fact, the eventing team has not medaled on the WEG or the Olympic stage since they won the bronze in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In addition to the world class riders, Aiken is also seeing a large number of riders who are still aspiring to reach the upper echelons, as well as those with more modest goals. Aiken’s show and event facilities are more than ready to welcome them. Between February 1 and March 31, there are, by our count, no fewer than 50 competitions for event riders in Aiken or within an hour’s drive. This includes nine USEF/USEA recognized horse trials and myriad schooling shows. It does not include all the straight dressage shows, or the jumper shows, where event riders might want to cross enter to get more experience and miles in the ring. Aiken’s winter eventing season certainly is intense, and, if it is February or March, it is on!

Triple Crown

If February in Aiken is synonymous with eventing, then March means the Aiken Triple Crown. This is a series of three different events that take place on three consecutive Saturdays each spring. This year, it all starts March 17 with the 76th annual Aiken Trials, a day of racing for young Thoroughbreds that have been in training all winter at

the Aiken Training Track. The following Saturday, March 24, the action moves a block south to Bruce’s Field for the annual Aiken Steeplechase. This is, by all odds, the best attended equestrian event in the Aiken area, regularly attracting up to 30,000 spectators. The final jewel in the crown is an exhibition polo match, Pacers and Polo, held across the street from the steeplechase track at Aiken Polo Club’s Powderhouse Field on March 31. This match is the first spectator-oriented polo game of the spring season and it is a benefit for the USC Aiken baseball team, the Pacers. The Aiken Trials, designed primarily as a schooling opportunity for unraced 2-year-olds, also always includes a few races for 3-year-olds, as well as the final contest, the City of Aiken race, which is for horses that have won a race. The Trials can be quite competitive, despite the fact that the races have no purses, they do not count on the horse’s official record, and there is no betting . . . except among friends at the tailgate party, of course. Although originally the Trials were only open to horses training in Aiken, in recent years, stables from other Southern training centers have been invited, making the day even more festive and exciting. There will also be a new attraction at the Trials this year: pony races. These will not be part of the official Trials card, but instead will be the entertainment between the first races on the Trials card for 2-year-olds, and the later races for 3-year-olds and up. The 2-year-olds always run a quick quarter mile dash from the top of the stretch near the stables to the finish line in front of the clocker’s stand. Races for older horses are 4½ furlongs, requiring the starting gate to be moved and set up on the backstretch. While the gate is being moved, the Trials organizers traditionally hold some other entertainment for the spectators. There have been trick horses, pony horse races featuring trainers as jockeys, polo pony races with polo players as jockeys, and last year, foxhunting horses ridden by hunt followers. This year, it will be kids on ponies. The kids will not be Aiken locals itching to get out on the track in front of the crowd. Instead, they will be a group of experienced junior race riders who train under the auspices of U.S. Pony Racing, an organization based in Butler, Maryland. This association is devoted to junior racing, putting on pony races and conducting clinics to teach kids how to race (both on the flat and over fences) with an emphasis on safety and horsemanship. The junior racers have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills at various race meets and horse shows up and down the East Coast. Although ponies of all sizes can race, the organization is perhaps best known in the greater horse community for its Shetland races and steeplechases, which have been showcased in such prestigious venues as the Washington

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International Horse Show. (Find it on YouTube: you will be glad you did.) For more information about the Trials: www.aikentrainingtrack.com. For more information about pony racing: www. goponyracing.com

Harness Days

This year, like last year, there will be an unofficial fourth jewel in the crown: harness racing at McGhee’s Mile, which will take place on March 10, the week before the Aiken Trials. Like the Aiken Training Track, McGhee’s Mile is also a historic Aiken training center. It was constructed in 1936 by Dunbar Bostwick, brother of Pete Bostwick, Aiken’s famed jockey and polo player. Dunbar, who also played polo (he was 6 goals to his more famous brother’s 8) became a harness racing enthusiast in the mid-1930s. After he built the track, he shared his passion with other members of the old Aiken Winter Colony, many of whom joined him to practice their race driving and to hold formal meets and matches. Dunbar himself developed and drove a number of champion harness horses, and his track attracted some of the best horses of his day, including the hall of fame champion Adios and the immortal Greyhound, by all odds the most famous trotter of all time. Harness racing, once the third leg of the Aiken Triple Crown, was absent from the Aiken spring scene for over decade, but returned in 2015 when the McGhees put on a highly successful event. That got the ball rolling again, and the races seem to be back for good. In addition to the races, last year’s event included a carriage parade and a race for miniature horses that brought out the competitive instincts of some normally decorous members of the Aiken Driving Club. Those attractions will be back again this year, as will the announcing of Roger Huston, known as “The Voice” of harness racing. Janis McGhee, who owns the track along with her family, has even invited some of the top harness drivers in the business to come down for the day, so action is sure to be exciting. Tickets to the harness races go on sale February 1. You can buy them at Aiken Saddlery, Aiken County Farm Supply, the Aiken County Visitor’s Center or at McGhees Mile. General admission tickets are available on the day of the event or in advance. If you are interested in railside parking spaces, the hottest commodity, act fast. While there are possibly a few open as of this writing,that won’t last long: Janis is expecting to have a waiting list. For more information, www. mcgheesmile.com or call 803-617-8511.

EQUUS Film Festival

The EQUUS Film Festival is returning to Camden, SC on February 23-25, 2018. This is the third year that the festival will come to the city. There will be film showings in the vintage

February-March 2018

Little Theatre and student activities in various area schools and at the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County. There will also be equine art displays, book signings and a variety of activities on the Camden town green. Friday, February 23rd has been designated as Military Appreciation Day with special film screenings and events for active and retired military personnel. Saturday will include activities for young people on the town green during the “Marley Project Literary Round Up.” Sunday’s theme is “Best of the Fest,” with selected favorite films from past festivals, highlights from local Camden filmmakers and a new feature, the Spotlight Rescue Series. This 2017 series shines a light on rescue situations from across the country, with local stories about Heaven’s Gait Horse Sanctuary and Nature’s View, as well as a series of public service announcement videos. The series, produced by JA Media Productions, won the Best Documentary Series and Horse Heroes Awards at the 2017 EQUUS Film Festival in New York. During the Camden tour stop, Lisa Diersen, who is the EQUUS Film Festival founder and co-organizer will bring winning films from the New York event, including feature films, documentaries, shorts, videos and commercials. Diana DeRosa, another co-organizer and the EQUUS chief media director, will conduct panel discussions with visiting and local equestrian professionals (these discussions will be broadcast on the EQUUS VOD channel.) The Camden Tour Stop is hosted by The Marley Project, Inc., a local non-profit 501 (c)(3) dedicated to equine awareness, education and advocacy, with support from the City of Camden and Kershaw County Tourism Partnership. For information on the festival, updated schedules and ticket sales, visit www.equusfilmfestivalcamden.com. To purchase tickets in advance, visit www.equusfilmfestivalcamden.eventbrite.com. For updates, follow on Facebook at EquusFilmFestivalCamden. To volunteer or sponsor portions of the event, contact Julianne Neal at julianne@jamediaconnections.com or call (803)351-0223.

1984 8 Training for Horse and Rider 201

Eric Smiley at Meghan Perry Eventing:

What do equestrians in Aiken have in common with riders in Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom? An opportunity to attend a clinic with the renowned eventing rider, trainer and coach, Eric Smiley. Smiley, an Olympic medalist who was born in Ireland, is the former chef d’equipe of the Belgian Olympic team. He will be coming to Meghan Perry Eventing at Bridle Creek Farm in Aiken to conduct clinics from March 2-5 and March 13-20. Meghan, who is an accomplished upper-level competitor, says she began training with Eric in 2009. In June of that year, at a friend’s suggestion, she invited him to teach a clinic on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, her home base. “My first lesson with him was on my long-time partner, Nicos,” she says. “Eric stressed keeping things simple, correct, fun and educational. After about 20 minutes he said, ‘You have a willing and able horse, so what do you want to do with him?’ At the time, Nicos was going Training level. We were having fun, but it was easy for him, and I thought it would be cool to do more, so, after the clinic, I asked Eric for some homework and what he would look towards if he were in my position. He said that by year’s end, he’d aim at a one-star. In two months, I qualified and competed Nicos in our first CIC*.” “There are so many take-homes from working with Eric,” Meghan continues. “His insistence on making sure that the questions we ask our horses are clear and fair has always carried over to my own training. Because of my lessons with Eric, I try to think, ‘How will my horse interpret what I’m asking of him?’ Also, I try to be careful about accuracy, attention to detail and doing things correctly: a correct medium trot, a correct half-pass, a real walk across the diagonal. So another important bit of Eric wisdom is that starting and proceeding correctly will result in long-lasting improvement. “His lessons have always left me with a better understanding of what

Tanya Rennie and DeJure

Dressage in Aiken with Tanya Rennie Tanya Rennie is the Head Instructor and Trainer at Vienna Farm in Gorham, Maine, and will be teaching here in Aiken for February and March. She is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist. Centerline Scores has rated her a 5 Star Rider. Tanya has successfully competed up through the Grand Prix level on horses she has trained herself. She has helped a number of her students and their horses earn their USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals. Tanya enjoys working with a variety of riders: junior/young riders, adult amateurs, eventers, and fellow professionals; from those wishing to develop their basic lower level skills to FEI competitors. She is happy to come to your facility, or you may trailer-in to her.

FMI about lessons call or text 207-831-4263 tr@viennafarm.com www.viennafarm.com

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ViennaFarm

Continued on 32

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

aikenhorseLEFT2-18_aikenhorseLEFT 1/31/2018 10:00 AM Page 1

Courtney Conger Randy Wolcott

Lee Hedlund

Mike Hosang

Frank Starcher

Jack Roth

803.645.3308 803.507.1142 803.221.6831 803.270.6358 803.270.6623 803.341.8787 Alex Tyrteos

Suzan McHugh Thomas Bossard Brian Cavanaugh Jane Page Thompson Beth Owenby

203.249.3071 803.292.8525 803.640.2845 803.624.6072 803.215.8232 803.645.8558

.648.8660

www CarolinaHorseProperties com . 803

Willow Hill Farm . Historic 1910 farm recently updated features main residence with original woodwork, eat-in kitchen modernized in 2014, 5 bedrooms each with full bath. For guests or grooms, there is a brick 2-story home with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. For horses, there are 2 original barns with a total of 18 stalls and hay storage areas; and 8 fenced grassy paddocks, each with run-in shed. Rolling pastures and riding arena complete the 22.81 acre farm. Call Courtney Conger or Jane Page Thompson $1,150,000

Wit’s End Farm Emerald green hay fields roll gently to beautiful lake on over 140 acres of perimeter fenced woods & fields. Delightful 3,800 square foot residence includes great room with fireplace, state-of-the-art kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths, master wing, media room. Includes storage sheds, run-in shed, separate garage/workshop and expansive equipment building plumbed for apartment. Call Courtney Conger $995,000

Bass Pond Farm . This 38.49 acre farm located in Aiken’s

Equestrian Corridor offers it all! The 3 bedroom, 2 bath residence overlooks 3-acre spring-fed pond. Property includes 1BR, 1BA guest house, groom's cottage, and the 20-stall barn with tack & feed rooms, laundry and small apartment. Grand prix or stickand-ball field, exercise track, fenced sand arena and 3-board fenced paddocks complete this very private facility close to town. Call Alex Tyrteos $695,000

CEDAR

Meadows

Fire Tower Farm . Charming 4 bedroom

farm house with wood floors, open floor plan, fireplace and chef’s kitchen. For horses, farm includes 4-stall center aisle barn with unfinished loft space and over 8 acres of irrigated coastal pastures with water and 3-board fencing. Call Courtney Conger $499,000

Several equestrian lots available, ranging from 6.14 to 11.97 acres of established coastal Bermuda grass with beautiful views. Equestrian amenities include community riding ring and trails. Call Courtney Conger ~ pricing starts at just

$105,000

Hickory Hill Farm . Fabulous 21 acre horse farm in Chime Bell

Greener Pastures Located in the Highway 302 east side Horse Corridor, this turn key equestrian property offers over 41 acres of board fenced pasture & woods. Custom brick residence with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, 3-stall center aisle barn with hay storage and tack room, 8acre pasture with 4 feeding pens and run-in shed, 4 paddocks, 2 more runin sheds, and 40x50 Hoover work shop. Miles of riding on groomed trails and adjoining dirt roads! Call Courtney Conger $642,000

Polo Vista Cottage . Comfort and crafts-

Chase equestrian community includes custom 3 bedroom, 3 bath farm house, in ground pool with patio & pergola, 6-stall center aisle barn with tack room & wash area, and 3 large board fenced paddocks with run-in sheds for each. Call Thomas Bossard $699,000

manship are the hallmarks of this delightful cottage with 2929 square feet. Features include open floor plan with 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, cathedral ceilings, stone fireplace, wood floors and window walls overlooking one of New Bridge Polo’s beautifully maintained polo fields. Call Courtney Conger $499,000

Cedar Meadows . Fabulous horse property in completely private setting with beautiful landscaping. Beautifully maintained home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, gleaming hardwood floors throughout. Property is 7 acres fenced and cross fenced with access to miles of trails. Center aisle barn has 3 large stalls, large feed/ storage area and tack room. Call Suzan McHugh $549,000

New Bridge Polo Stables . This beautifully constructed center aisle

barn is in like new condition and offers 18 large, matted stalls on 22.47 acres overlooking polo field. Included are wash stall, spacious tack room/lounge combo, 2 bunk rooms, laundry room and full bath. There is also an 1800 square foot, insulated equipment shed and 13 four-board fenced paddocks and pastures. Amenities include riding trails, clubhouse and pool. May be purchased in conjunction with charming 4-bedroom residence across the polo field (see left). Call Courtney Conger $999,000

NEW BRIDGE

creage A Beautiful 27.82 acre parcel

Pottery Mill Place . Delightful residence on 12

wooded acres bordering a lovely lake. Home features 2100 square feet, wide rocking chair porches front & back and open floor plan. Formal living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen with breakfast bay, master bedroom with bath en suite. Attached 2-car garage with unfinished bonus room above. Call Courtney Conger $380,000

Three Runs Plantation . Turn key horse farm in

Aiken’s premier equestrian community has 3 bedroom, 3 bath home with custom details, mud room/laundry and 2-bay garage. Barn has 2 stalls with room for more, tack room and feed storage. Includes separate equipment building, fenced paddocks with established grass. Call Frank Starcher or Jack Roth $539,000

close to town and equestrian venues. Perfect for horses, with cleared pasture space plus timber. Level to gently rolling land with lovely home sites may be subdivided.

$165,000

Call MIKE HOSANG

Bridle Creek . New Phase II now open

at Bridle Creek! Lots range from 5 acres to 11.77 acres. Community amenities include miles of trails, gallop, stadium jumps, cross-country jump field, and dressage ring. New community green space added at the entrance of Phase II. Call Frank Starcher or Jack Roth $16,000 per acre

NEW BRIDGE

Polo Club

Solstice Meadow . Two partly cleared

tracts ready for you to have horses at home! Direct access to trail system with miles of dedicated trails, including the 61 acre Freeman preserve, which has a wonderful pond. Call Randy Wolcott and ask about owner financing! These 5-acre parcels offered at just $85,000 each parcel. Additional acreage available!

Hidden Field . Unseen from the entrance, this 21 acre tract offers approximately 12 acres of cleared pasture with the remainder in woods. Riding trails available in equestrian community. Call Courtney Conger $3,900 per acre

Exquisite 11.35 acre building site in a prime location at New Bridge Polo Club. Direct access to polo fields, clubhouse, tennis and swimming pool. Complete with plenty of fencing and 3HP well!

$217,000

Call JACK ROTH

Hutto Pond Acreage . Planted in loblolly and longleaf pine timber, this 265.97 acre tract offers opportunities for many uses including horses and hunting. Located off Wire Road in Aiken County, with creek, pond and 72 acres planted in 2 year old loblolly pines. Call Courtney Conger or Randy Wolcott $800,000

NEW BRIDGE

Oak Tree Farm . Country contemporary with 3 bed-

rooms and 3 full baths is nestled among live oaks on over 48 acres of board fenced pastures. Sunlit great room and master bedroom feature cathedral ceilings and window walls with sweeping views of coastal fields. Inground pool with new liner. Center aisle barn has 3 stalls with room for more, tack/feed room, run-in and storage space. Call Courtney Conger $699,000

Polo Club

Chime Bell Chase Gorgeous building lot with 19.67 acres of beautiful gently rolling pasture planted in well established coastal Bermuda grass. Equestrian community amenities include professionally designed cross country course, dressage arena, stadium jump arena and miles of shady riding trails. Call Thomas Bossard $245,000

The Aiken Horse

Large lot (8.71 acres) complete with fencing, well & septic across from endline of Field 2. World class polo community with polo fields, clubhouse, tennis & swimming pool. Well priced at

$115,000

Call MIKE HOSANG

Red Coat Cottage Adorable and affordable 2 bedroom huntbox on Old Tory Trail is open & airy with hardwood floors, 2 full baths, and 2 living areas. For horses, there is a 3-stall shed-row barn with tack & feed room and storage area, plus 3 large pastures on 2.78 fenced acres. Priced to sell! Call Lee Hedlund $249,900

February-March 2018

aikenhorseRIGHT2-18_aikenhorseRIGHT 1/31/2018 10:39 AM Page 1

Calvary Training Center . Picture-perfect property with a host of potential uses in Bluffton, SC includes 43+ acres, beautiful lake, Low Country home with 7 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, education center with offices and classrooms, and extensive infrastructure that could handle a 100-unit development. The world class equestrian facility includes 25 stalls, tack rooms, grooms’ lounge and baths, wash stalls, storage and 42,000 square foot covered arena. Call Mike Hosang or Brian Cavanaugh $4,900,000

Jumping Branch Farm . Aiken's premiere Eventing venue

Windsor Oaks . Stunning private country estate on 30 lovely acres with beautiful live oaks! Custom home features 5 bedrooms & 4 baths, wellappointed kitchen with granite counters, high ceilings and wood flooring throughout. Attached 4 car garage plus finished basement space. Property has 2 large enclosed metal buildings with 6420 & 4860 sq ft, with separate electrical service, plumbing & septic. Call Mike Hosang or Brian Cavanaugh $1,300,000

offers the opportunity to continue operating an established farm and business or enjoy your own private farm with fantastic amenities in sought after location. Four bedroom log home, 51 stalls, 5/8 mile galloping track, cross country jumps, large turnout fields, pond and producing hay fields. Call Mike Hosang or Brian Cavanaugh for information and pricing.

HATCHAWAY

Bridge Farms Stunning lots in one of Aiken's most beautiful equestrian communities! Open grassy hillside, select trees & pine grove. Walk to community Derby/Grand Prix jump field & Olympic-sized dressage arena.

Red Top Estate Historic Aiken estate with grand rooms for entertaining, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, and classic original architectural elements throughout. This Gilded Age residence with modern updates includes an apartment, formal gardens and carport on 1.22 acres. Additional parcels offered: 3 bedroom guest house for $365,000, and adjoining Carriage House parcel with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 5-stall barn and 2 paddocks for $745,000. Call Jane Page Thompson or Alex Tyrteos $1,600,000

Call JACK ROTH

Lot 5A 5.2 acres $78,000 Lot 5B 9.2 acres $138,000

Shellhouse Lake Farm .

Sportsman's retreat located in Aiken’s east side equestrian corridor less than 10 miles from downtown! Drive through the gated entrance and past grassy fenced pasture to the sparkling 11 acre lake. Parcel Two offers approximately 43 acres mostly cleared and grassed with Shaw's Creek at the back border. The brick 2 bedroom, 1 bath country cabin has spacious kitchen/family room, fireplace and full length porch, with wonderful views overlooking lake. Call Mike Hosang $595,000

Snaffle Bit Farm NEW custom built 3 bedroom home in Three Runs Plantation equestrian community on over 5 acres, this Southern style timber frame home features exposed posts & beams, cathedral ceilings, heart pine floors, gourmet kitchen with granite countertops & stainless steel appliances, fireplace, mud room and 2-car garage. NEW 2-stall barn & fencing! Call Frank Starcher or Jack Roth $545,000

THREE RUNS

Plantation

Woolworth House . Historic Winter

Colony cottage with stables in downtown Olde Aiken just steps from Hitchcock Woods! Delightful 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath home, updated in recent years, features high ceilings, wood floors, fireplace, and wall of windows overlooking patio & paddocks. For horses, there is a 3-stall shed row barn. Call Courtney Conger $790,000

Beautiful 9.68 acre lot in Phase II of Three Runs has established Bermuda grass. Fenced and cross-fenced and ready for your house and barn. The lot borders riding trail and has access to more than 30 miles of groomed trails, jump rings, dressage arenas and cross country fences. Other amenities include club house, pool and fitness center.

Three Runs Plantation . Beautiful home on

5 fenced acres with salt water pool features open floor plan with high ceilings, wood floors and custom millwork. Included are keeping room & living room with fireplaces, gourmet kitchen with granite, 4 bedrooms, theater room/5th bedroom, 5 baths, covered porch with fireplace, pool, 3-bay garage, finished bonus. Jack Roth or Frank Starcher $815,000

Call COURTNEY CONGER

$222,640

Indigo Cottage . Amazing brand new custom home on an acre in New Bridge Polo & Country Club features 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, large kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, luxurious main level master suite, fireplace, finished bonus room with bath, with oak & tile flooring throughout. Entertain outdoors with wrap-around porches and deck overlooking polo field. Call Jack Roth $489,000

EQUESTRIAN

Corridor

In the heart of Aiken’s east side Highway 302 horse country is this beautiful parcel with 34 acres of gently rolling pasture planted in well established grass, complete with fencing and gate. Adjoins Shellhouse Lake Farm (see above)

Three Runs Plantation . Beautiful prop-

Call MIKE HOSANG

ONLY $340,000

erty in Three Runs Plantation has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths on main floor, with bedroom and full bath upstairs. All 5 acres are fenced and gated. Two car garage, includes all appliances including refrigerator, dishwasher, oven etc, washer/ dryer. Quality oak hardwood, ceramic tile or carpet throughout. Call Jack Roth or Frank Starcher $549,000

Chukker Creek Farm . Convenient south side location for this neat and affordable horse farm with 3 bedroom, 2 bath manufactured home, 4-stall shed row barn with feed room and tack room, plus 3 fenced paddocks all on over 4 acres! Call Mike Hosang or Brian Cavanaugh $180,000

Downtown Cottage . Classic

Colonial home has direct access to Hitchcock Woods, and offers spacious living areas, large family room/kitchen combination and screened porch. Master suite and 3 additional bedrooms upstairs have magnificent views of landscaped yard in one of Aiken's most desirable neighborhoods! Call Alex Tyrteos or Jane Page Thompson $249,500

Two Lanterns Cottage . Renovated Old

Aiken cottage adjacent to Hitchcock Woods! Walk downtown from this spiffy 2 bedroom, 2 bath cottage with downstairs master, gourmet kitchen with granite counters, hardwood & tile floors throughout. Space for 3rd bedroom. Lovely private gardens and gated entrance. Call Randy Wolcott $425,000

Open Range Exquisite farm on almost 7 acres, conveniently close to Aiken and equestrian communities. Amenities include 3 bedroom, 2 bath farmhouse with open plan interior, high ceilings and quality finishes. The 6-stall center-aisle barn has tack room and horse wash. Other amenities include riding ring and paddocks with 3-board fencing. Call Alex Tyrteos $357,000

Steeplechase Equestrian . Classic

Southern home with open interior, 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, modern kitchen with granite counter tops, sunporch off greatroom with fireplace. Tiled keeping room, formal dining, bonus room, loft, attached garage with workshop. Two lots comprise 5.73 acres. Rear deck overlooks grassy area which could easily be fenced for horses. Call Jane Page Thompson $528,500

Three Runs Plantation Spectacular nearly new home with 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths on 6 perfect acres of grass, irrigated and fenced. The barn has room for 4 horses with heated and air conditioned tack room. The bonus room over the garage is roughed in for another bedroom or office and a full bath and a kitchen. Call Jack Roth or Frank Starcher $769,000

CHIME BELL

TIMSHEL

Chase

Gardens

Old Buckland Barn Historic training facility in Aiken’s downtown Horse District has spacious 2,787 square foot main residence, combining 2 original cottages with central great room. Cottage is delightfully renovated with wood floors, granite countertops and all appliances. There are 2 converted race barns with 15 expanded stalls total, board fenced paddocks, grooms’ apartment, dressage arena with mirror. Call Courtney Conger $1, 425,000

Level, partially cleared lots in developing equestrian area with easy access to Aiken, Edgefield and I-20. Riding rings and trails are underway, and homeowners with interests in eventing, hunter jumpers, driving and trail riding are in residence. Best of all, lots from 12.25 to over 14 acres are available for only $4,500 per acre!

Call COURTNEY CONGER

Courtney Conger Randy Wolcott

Lee Hedlund

Annie’s Inn . Meticulously maintained Bed & Breakfast built in the

1800s in Aiken’s Equestrian Corridor! A successful B&B for 38 years, this marvelous property includes 8185 elegant square feet main residence with 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths and 8 fireplaces. Includes 6 separate cottages with excellent rental history, in ground pool, greenhouse. Contents convey! Call Suzan McHugh $1,500,000

Mike Hosang

Frank Starcher

Beautiful 16.31 acre lot, already cleared, in a wonderful equestrian community that offers top notch amenities, including a dressage ring, hunter/jumper ring, and cross-country course.

Call MIKE HOSANG

$158,200

Jack Roth

803.645.3308 803.507.1142 803.221.6831 803.270.6358 803.270.6623 803.341.8787 Alex Tyrteos

Suzan McHugh Thomas Bossard Brian Cavanaugh Jane Page Thompson Beth Owenby

203.249.3071 803.292.8525 803.640.2845 803.624.6072 803.215.8232 803.645.8558

.648.8660

www CarolinaHorseProperties com . 803

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

Cissie Sullivan Tracey Turner Nan Campbell Betty Alexander

803-998-0198 SullivanTurnerTeam.com

Singular Setting in aiken’S HorSe DiStrict - 8.64 acreS

croSSwayS - HiStoric eState on 4.7 acreS

Private HorSe farm on 41+ acreS

1579 ceDar meaDowS rD – ceDar meaDowS equeStrian 4-Stall Barn, Savvy PaDDock layout, in-grounD Pool & low maintenance Home! 4 BeDroom | 3 BatHS | 4.47 acreS | mlS 100693 | $545,000

flatrock creek farm - 54+ acre ParaDiSe

827 DaSHer circle - tHree runS Plantation

two magnoliaS farm - SuPerB location

veSPerS farm - 24+ acre equeStrian eState

ronD Point HiStoric eState

tHiS williS irvin DeSigneD reSiDence offerS grace, Beauty & Privacy w/eStaBliSHeD garDenS, exPanSive lawn, terraceS, Stunning Pool. 5 Br | 6 full & 1 Half BatH | 6,640 Sf | 2.02 acreS | aPt | $1,395,000

Private 16+ acre farm - 768 oak leaf lane

461 imPlement - HoPelanD farmS

11 Private ac. w/acceSS to riDing trailS. renovateD & SoutHern cHarm! 3 BeDroomS | 2.5 BatHS | 11 acreS | mlS 100259 | $519,000

148 wire roaD – cloSe-in aiken location!

run-in & 3 lovely PaDDockS, in-grounD Pool & garDenS, Beautifully renovateD Home 4 BeDroom | 4.5 BatHS | 9.97 acreS | mlS 100647 | $785,000

The Aiken Horse

215 colBert BriDge -winDSor HorSe farm

center aiSle w/waSH Stall, feeD/utility & tack room, eStaBliSHeD PaStureS, Hay/equiPment BuilDing, & kennel BuilDing! 10 Stall Barn | 2 Br moBile | 10+ acreS | $175,000

February-March 2018

style [ˈstī(-ə)l] noun

1. A distinctive manner of expression. 2. A particular manner or technique by which something is done, created or performed.

THE DAYS OF ONE-TYPE-FITS-ALL HORSE FEEDS ARE OVER. Now there’s a feed for the stylish horse in your life Legends® CarbCare® Performance. Legends® CarbCare® Performance is a fixed ingredient formula specifically designed for mature horses in moderate to intense performance and show activities. This 10% high fat feed provides increased calories for horses considered hard keepers or those who require prolonged stamina and improved body condition during high performance conditions. Our Legends® CarbCare® Feeds are low carbohydrate formula feeds meeting the needs of horses who require a diet low in sugars and starches. Legends®. Redefining what horse feed should be. For more information or to find a dealer near you, visit: www.southernstates.com/legends.

Legends® Feeds are fortified with Kentucky Equine Research (KER) micronutrients to meet your horse’s individual needs. For feeding advice or to create a custom ration using Legends® Horse Feeds, visit microsteed.com/legends. Visit legends.equinews.com to subscribe to The Weekly Feed, an award-winning newsletter powered by KER. The Weekly Feed contains the latest in equine nutrition and health news, as well as updates and special offers directly from Legends® Horse Feeds. If you have questions or comments, please contact Customer Service at Southern_States_Feed_Questions@cargill.com.

Legends® and CarbCare® are registered trademarks of Cargill, Incorporated. Southern States® is a registered trademark of Southern States Cooperative, Incorporated. Kentucky Equine Research®, Equinews® and MicroSteedTM are trademarks of Kentucky Equine Research, Incorporated. ©2017 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

All in an Aiken Day: PSJ Horse Show and T

Thoroughbreds at the Aiken Training Track

Photography by Gary Knoll

“Breakfast at the Gallops” to benefit the

Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum

Aiken Training Track in Aiken, South Carolina Friday, March 16, 2018 8 a.m. Come and enjoy breakfast at the Aiken Training Track, meet the trainers and watch Aiken’s future racing stars work out!

$20 in advance* $25 at the gate*

Breakfast begins at 8 am Sponsored by: The Aiken Training Track  Mosaic Racing Stable  The Aiken Horse Larlee Construction  Suzy Haslup - Meybohm Realtors Aiken County Farm Supply  Folly

Tickets available at the Aiken Training Track Office, Odell Weeks Center, Meybohm Realty (downtown Aiken) Aiken Visitors Center & Train Museum (406 Park Avenue SE), Folly (downtown Aiken), and online at www.aikentrainingtrack.com.

For more information call 803-642-7631. 22

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

Back to Saturday the Track March 17th

RACING CHAMPIONS SINCE 1942

AikenTrainingTrack.com February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Deirdre Vaillancourt

VisitAikenSC.com

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, REALTOR®

803.640.4591

THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD Aiken, South Carolina — Southern Charm and Equestrian Sport

HOMESTEDT FARM 2209 TALLY HO DR.

• Exceptional turnkey horse farm with 2 entrances in Bridle Creek Equestrian • Home of multiple international Event riders including Phillip Dutton and Ryan Woods

• 28 acres. 6 14x14 stalls. Custom design courtyard barn with spacious furnished 1 bdrm apartment • Wash stall, grooming stall; separate laundry room, tack room / lounge

• 6 large grass paddocks, run-in sheds, large utility building for hay, bedding and vehicle storage • Grass Dressage arena and grass Jump Field • $695,000

www.AikenSCProperties.com February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

The Cup Runneth Over

Carolina Cup and Colonial Cup Join Forces by Lauren Allen

hat is 84 years old and promises to be richer, bigger and better than ever before? The Carolina Cup steeplechase in Camden, South Carolina! The Carolina Cup is already one of the most well-attended steeplechase races in the country. The 2018 meet on Saturday, March

31, promises to bring the richest single day of steeplechasing in Camden history to the Springdale Racecourse. People of all ages will wear their spring best and put on their fanciest hats in order to hang out with their friends, listen to great music, enjoy South Carolina’s premier tailgating event, and of course, watch magnificent horses fly over hurdles. More than $300,000 in prize money will be up for grabs because the Carolina Cup and the Marion DuPont Scott Colonial Cup have been combined into one momentous day of racing. The popular and fashionable Carolina Cup (inaugurated in March 1930) has traditionally been run in the spring, while her more serious younger sister, the prestigious Colonial Cup, was always contested in the fall. Established in 1970 as part of the state of South Carolina’s tricentennial, the $100,000 Colonial Cup was the richest race of its kind in the world. Now it carries a $150,000 dollar purse, which qualifies it as a “Grade One” race with the National Steeplechase Association. Marion DuPont Scott, a horse enthusiast and breeder, developed the Colonial Cup in order to encourage international level steeplechasing in Camden. Born in 1894, Mrs. DuPont Scott maintained a residence in Camden in addition to a stable of thoroughbred horses in training – one of them, Trouble Maker, won the Carolina Cup in 1932. An accomplished rider herself, she was also a generous supporter of equestrian pursuits. In the early 1950s, she acquired the Springdale racecourse (built by Ernest Woodward and Harry Kirkover, New Yorkers who had bought the land in 1928) and, upon her death in 1983, deeded the track to the state of South Carolina. She also left a generous endowment to be used for equestrian pursuits in perpetuity. Springdale Racecourse now also houses the National Steeplechase Museum, which is the only museum in the country dedicated to the sport of steeplechase racing.

The Aiken Horse

Scheduled in the fall at the end of the season, the Colonial Cup previously played an important role as the last major Grade One stakes race of the year, and often helped to determine year-end Eclipse awards for leading jockey, leading trainer and horse of the year. However, diminishing returns on the high cost of hosting the late season race drove the governing authority, the Carolina Cup Racing Association, to develop an innovative way to try to preserve the race by changing the schedule. Now that it will be run in the spring, the Colonial Cup will have an important new position as the first major Grade One race of the year. This spring, a strong field will be lining up, eager to get a jumpstart on the racing season. The two headline races should coexist nicely along with the other races of the day, since the $75,000 Carolina Cup is generally oriented to younger horses near the beginning of their steeplechase careers, while the Colonial Cup is contested by established ’chasers at the top of their game. According to the Director of the National Steeplechase Association, William Gallo, Jr., moving the Colonial Cup was a good decision, not only to save a major Grade One race but also because it will enhance the importance of the Carolina Cup race day meet. Despite the shrinking profitability of the Colonial Cup as a fall race, Gallo maintains that the general health of steeplechasing is excellent, and says that the sport is growing. He pointed out that the prize money has been increasing and two years ago hit the $6 million mark. Gallo emphasized the importance of sponsorships and attendance to growing purses. “I’m on my way now to the National Steeplechase Association annual meeting, and that is one of the things we are going to talk about—the ‘festivalization’ of steeplechase races, you could call it…The Carolina Cup is more than just a race, it is a major social event, and that is a great way to promote the sport to new audiences.” The 2018 Carolina Cup will be a festival, indeed, with essentially four simultaneous events unfolding in one. The audience of horse people primarily interested in the races themselves may be concentrated around the grandstand. This is where sponsor tents will be, and where horses can be seen in their parade to and from the paddock area. The infield will be dedicated to newly redesigned parking spaces, which have been expanded from nine to 11 feet in order to fit tailgating tents. There will also be a vendor village and family-friendly events such as Jack Russell Terrier races, and stickhorse races benefitting the local chapter of the Pony Club. Meanwhile along the backside of the racecourse, the college park area has many upgrades for the 2018 event. Two bands provided by The Music Farm of Columbia, S.C. are lined up to play. Additionally, this is where the “Worlds First Knockerball Steeplechase Tournament” will take place, featuring people attempting to jump a course of hurdles while wearing giant bubble ball suits. Good racing, good food, good friends and good times: these are the goals of the 2018 Carolina Cup. Tickets are $30 in advance or $45 at the gate. Various reserved parking spaces are still available with prices ranging from $125-$400. Gates open rain or shine at 9:00 and the first race will start at 1:30. For more information contact the Carolina Cup Office at 803 432-6513 or go online to carolina-cup.org. Profits from the race day are donated to the Kershaw Health Medical Center.

February-March 2018

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February-March 2018

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What To Do In Aiken A Visitors Guide by Pam Gleason

o you have come down to Aiken for the winter equestrian season. Your days are probably full of riding, training and competing. If you are like most horse people, in the evenings you may have sampled Aiken’s restaurants and possibly even spent more time than you normally might at various local watering holes. You might feel like you are making the most of your equestrian sojourn, and you could be right. The winter season here is so packed with competition, you and your horse can get as many show miles here in a month as you might normally expect to get in a year.

Hall of Fame, frequently recognized as one of South Carolina’s best attractions, is located in a renovated carriage house in Hopeland Gardens off Whiskey Road. The museum is dedicated to Aiken-trained Thoroughbred racehorses that have been recognized as national champions. It has 40 members, including Swale, who just missed winning the Triple Crown, and Blue Peter, a champion from the 1940s who is buried in the infield of the Aiken Training Track under Blue Peter’s Tree. Exhibits include racing silks, video clips, items of tack, and even a set of the legendary Kelso’s racing plates. There are also cases

If you have a little extra time, however, there is more to see in Aiken than the event or jumper courses (fantastic as they are) and there is more culture and history here than is immediately obvious. If you find yourself with a morning or an afternoon off, it is worth taking the time to explore some of Aiken’s other equestrian and cultural attractions. Here are ten things to do while you are in Aiken this winter. 1. Visit the new “Historic Horses” exhibit at the Stables at Rye Patch. Rye Patch is a magnificent Aiken Winter Colony home donated to the City of Aiken by Edmund Rogers and Dorothy Knox Goodyear Rogers. The original stable was recently restored, and now it houses 10 fiberglass horses representing iconic individuals from about a century of Aiken’s history. These start with Regret, the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 1915, and end with Mighty Nice who won the individual bronze medal in eventing under Phillip Dutton at the Rio Olympics in 2016. The life-size horses were painted by local artists and they hang their heads over the Dutch doors in their shed-row style stable looking for all the world like real horses waiting for their dinner. Stop by to see them and read their stories. The exhibit is self-guided and free to the public. 100 Berry Road, Aiken, 29801, off Whiskey Road. 2. Go to the Aiken Thoroughbred Hall of Fame and Museum. The

full of silver trophies, and, upstairs, an exhibit about Pete Bostwick, the famous steeplechase and flat jockey who played polo in Aiken for decades. After you tour the Hall of Fame, take a walk through Hopeland Gardens where there are exotic trees, pools with fountains and statuary, and a pond filled with immense colorful koi. Hopeland Gardens: 135 Dupree Place, Aiken 29801. Visit the website www. aikenracinghalloffame.com to find out about special exhibits. Entry is free. 3. Go to a museum: You can start at the Aiken County Historical Society on Newberry Street, near the Hitchcock Woods. This museum is housed in Banksia, another former Winter Colony home, and it has an interesting collection of pictures, exhibits and other items of interest to horse people. There are scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings about horse happenings in Aiken during the 1920s and 1930s, and a whole room upstairs devoted to equestrian history. 433 Newberry Street SW, Aiken 29801. 803-642-2015. Other small local museums worth a visit include the Aiken Train Museum on Park Avenue, and the Arts and Heritage Center in North Augusta. If you have an interest in Southern culture, drive across the

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February-March 2018

river to Augusta to the Morris Museum of Art. This winter, they are having a large exhibition of Southern art drawn from private collections from around the region. The exhibit opens February 3 and runs until April 29. Morris Museum of Art, 1 Tenth Street, Augusta GA 30901. 706-724-7501. 4. Ride in the Hitchcock Woods. The Hitchcock Woods are the heart of Aiken featuring 2,200 wooded acres with many sandy trails, perfect for a hack. The Woods were the original playground for members of the Aiken Winter Colony, and, on top of their natural beauty and tranquility, they are imbued with a sense of equestrian history. Some even say that the ghost of Louise Hitchcock, a main founder of the Aiken Winter Colony, rides by on occasion, mounted on one of her famous chestnut Thoroughbreds. The Woods are home territory for the Aiken Hounds, which hunts there on Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons, but at other times, you will often find dog walkers, hikers and trail riders. Park your trailer at the end of South Boundary Avenue near the Aiken County Historical Museum and hack in, or drive around to the other side of the forest to park in the lot off Dibble Road near the Stable on the Woods. If you are not riding with someone who is familiar with the trails, be sure to pick up a map at the trailhead and don’t forget to consult the GPS on your cell phone. You are not likely to get seriously lost, but it is quite possible to get turned around and end up going for a much longer ride than you intended. Don’t miss Cathedral Aisle and the Ridge Mile track, where Thomas Hitchcock once conditioned his steeplechase horses. There is no fee to ride in the Hitchcock Woods, but it is a private park owned and managed by the Hitchcock Woods Foundation, which is supported by donations. These are always appreciated and put to good use. The trails are open from dawn to dusk. www.hitchcockwoods.org. 5. Ride through the historic district. The downtown historic horse district is known for its red clay roads, which are horse and hoof friendly. You will find two polo fields off Mead Avenue. You can ride on Winthrop Field, the practice field on the north side of Mead, but Whitney Field, on the south side, is off limits. Ride past the historic Aiken Training Track and catch a glimpse of many historic downtown “winter cottages” built in the 1920s and 1930s, Aiken’s gilded age. If you combine a downtown ride with a trip to the Hitchcock Woods, you will have to cross Whiskey Road, which can be a little scary. On the plus side, it will give you a chance to use the equestrian crossing light at the Grace Avenue intersection, where there is a crossing button set at rider height. 6. Watch a morning work at the Aiken Training Track. Aiken is a fantastic place to condition young racehorses and there are several training operations based at the track all winter long. Sign up for a Backstretch Tour at the Aiken Thoroughbred Hall of Fame (February 10) or attend Breakfast at the Gallops (March 16.) If you can’t make those events, you might be able to find someone with a connection to the track to accompany you. It is best to go with a guide. The horses in training are young and very green, so trainers don’t want crowds of people who might frighten them or get in their way. Afterwards, go to the Track Kitchen on Mead Avenue across from Winthrop Field. It’s an Aiken institution where you will find horse people of all types. 7. Sample a different equestrian discipline. One of the most unique and attractive things about Aiken is that we have so many different disciplines going on at more or less the same time and quite close to one another. This gives horsemen an invaluable opportunity to observe and learn from those who might do things a little differently. If you are an event rider, watch a driving clinic or competition; if you do dressage, check out the jumpers. If you have the opportunity to try a different discipline yourself, so much the better. Although it is generally easier to watch a different discipline than to participate in one, there are ways to become more involved. For instance, although there is no tournament polo going in the winter in Aiken, there are practices, and you can book polo lessons with Tiger Kneece downtown (Polo Adventures on Facebook) or with

February-March 2018

Ken Cresswell out in the Wagener area. (www.flatoutfarm.com) 8. Look at the trees. Aiken is a beautiful city, and it is the trees that really make it distinctive. Start at South Boundary, where you might want to have your picture taken under the arches of the live oaks trees that line the road, making it one of the prettiest places in the city. These oaks were planted between 1877 and 1900 under the auspices of three different Aiken mayors, and are often credited to Henry Dibble, who was the president of the Bank of Aiken and was said to have had them planted to provide shade for his drive into the city from his home in the Vale of Montmorenci. The South Boundary Oaks are the most well-known of Aiken’s trees, but they are not really the most distinctive. In fact, downtown Aiken is essentially an arboretum, where many different rare and exotic species of tree have been planted over the last 130 years. There is even a twomile long designated Arboretum Trail that begins at the Aiken County Public Library on Chesterfield Street and goes down Colleton Avenue. The trees planted on the median there are labeled with plaques and numbers. You can use your mobile phone to access information about each specimen tree by dialing 803-295-5008 and then entering the number on the plaque. You will find California Incense Cedars (favored for making pencils), Tulip trees with large green and yellow flowers, Pindo palms from South America and much more. (There are brochures with the phone number and more information available at the trailhead and around town.) 9. Visit an animal shelters. Aiken is an animal loving place and has a number of facilities dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating critters that find themselves in need. For instance, Equine Rescue of Aiken on the Southside is one of the most respected horse rescues in the country. Although the rescue houses a number of sanctuary horses, many of the residents are highly adoptable sound and sane animals that just need a home and a job. There are usually quite a few off the track Thoroughbreds, including, recently, some that were rescued from a racetrack in Puerto Rico after Hurricame Maria. If you are shopping for a new competition partner and you like TBs, the rescue just might have what you are looking for. Even if you are not in the market for a new horse, it is still worth a visit. (www.aikenequinerescue.org) Aiken also has two new modern animal shelters for dogs and cats. The Aiken County Animal Shelter on Wire Road is the county’s open intake shelter. Working with Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) this shelter has dramatically improved the outcome for homeless animals in the area over the past few years. They have implemented innovative enrichment programs such as playgroups for sheltered dogs and have a very active transfer program to send dogs (and a few cats) up to the New England states where they quickly find their “forever” families. Animals are always available for adoption. (www.fotasaiken.org) The SPCA Albrecht Center on Willow Run Road is a 5-year-old state of-the-art facility that proves that animal shelters do not have to be depressing places. Tour the building, visit the animals, volunteer to help out, or adopt. Your new best friend might be waiting for you there. www.letlovelive.org. 10. Get out of town. Aiken makes a great place from which to visit other interesting parts of the South. Charleston, Charlotte, Savannah and Atlanta are all less than three hours away. If you don’t want to travel too far, but want to see something different, drive all the way down Silver Bluff Road until you get to the Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary which is a 3,400 acre woodland bordering the Savannah River in Jackson, S.C. There are organized trail rides and drives on the trails here twice a year: there is usually ine in March so check the Audubon website. On other dates, go without your horse, and be sure to stop and visit the feeding pools to your left as you enter the sanctuary. These are usually full of interesting species of birds, including egrets, herons and ibises. There are Bald Eagles at the sanctuary all year round, and you might even see an alligator. (www.scaudubon.org) Enjoy your stay in Aiken.

The Aiken Horse

News & Notes, from 13 is expected of my own work and have pushed me to give my horse the best ride that I can,” she continues. “Eric is the first to say: It all starts with good basics. He provides a fresh and clear approach to riding a horse that doesn’t rely on gimmicks. He has something to offer all levels of riders because horsemanship happens at all stages of riding.” Learn more at www.mpeventing.com or contact Meghan Perry at mpeventing@me.com.

Pony Champion

May-B-Tango (Gandalf ), a pony owned by Amber AsbellJackson, amassed enough points during the 2017 show season to secure the title of Small Green Pony Hunter of the Year. The 6-year-old Welsh pony, ridden by Liza Cram, began showing in January 2017 at the Aiken Winter Classic. Gandalf qualified for the Pony Finals the second week of that show. “May-B-Tango is a once-in-a-lifetime pony,” says Amber. “It’s incredible to think that he won the Small Green Pony title having never shown a class prior to last January.” After the Pony Finals, Liza and Gandalf went to a few more shows before Gandalf was leased to Sterling Malnik, a girl who rides with the trainer Charlie Moorcroft. Beginning their first year in the Small Pony division (“the regular smalls”), Sterling and Gandalf won the reserve championship in the first week of the holiday show at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Plans are for Sterling and Gandalf to continue their partnership at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) which runs from January 10 through April 1. “We miss Gandalf terribly; however, we felt it is worth it for him to have this wonderful opportunity to go to Wellington and show in such capable hands as Charlie’s,” says Amber

Joey Peace

The equestrian world in Aiken and beyond was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Joey Peace following a foxhunting accident on December 3. Joann Cramp Hill Peace, 66, was one of three joint Masters of the Aiken Hounds and an active and enthusiastic member of Aiken’s horse community. Born in Baltimore, Joey grew up on a horse farm in Towson, Maryland, later moving with her family to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She attended St. Paul’s School and the University of Maryland. As a young person, her world revolved around horses and hunting: her coming out party was even at the Green Spring Valley Hunt Club in Owings Mills. Joey was married to James Harris Peace in 1977 and the couple bought a farm in Chestertown, Md., where they established a successful nursery. In Aiken, Joey was well known for her horsemanship as well as for her devotion to foxhunting and the equestrian life. In addition to serving as MFH, she also volunteered with the Aiken Steeplechase Association, where she was a patrol judge. She had a passionate can-do spirit and a generous and kind personality that made her an invaluable member of the community. The Peace family has asked that donations be made in her name to a number of different organizations, including the Aiken Hounds, the Hitchcock Woods Foundation and the Humane Society of Kent County in Chestertown, Md.

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February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

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February-March 2018

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Secret Lives: John Henry Microchips Stable View Opener Western at Stable View Feeding Senior Horses Ask the Judge

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February-March 2018

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February-March 2018

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February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

Secret Lives of Horses John Henry

by Ragan Morehouse, Photography by Pam Gleason

ere in Aiken, it isn’t hard to find world-class event horses, H ‘A’ circuit hunters, and champion racehorses. It is, however, quite unusual to find a former National Park Service horse all

the way from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. But in December 2017, John Henry, a 20-year-old veteran of Yellowstone, arrived in a semi truck at the parking lot of Mercy Church on Whiskey Road. He calmly walked off that truck and then stepped into Chan Carman’s trailer for the last leg of his journey to the next phase of his life. Chan moved to Aiken in 2017 and purchased The Riding School, a 6-acre lesson facility off Chukker Creek Road. She and her family have strong ties to Yellowstone. Her father, Mark Carman, was appointed the Yellowstone federal judge in 2013. Chan’s parents live at the park from early spring through late fall and then migrate to Aiken to escape the brutal Wyoming winters. “Through his job, my dad met a ranger named Mike Ross who has agreed to take us on trips in remote areas of the park. My dad and I go on these trips every year,” says Chan. “We get to stay in the backcountry cabins that the rangers stay in and we need horses to get there.” And that is how Chan met John Henry, who was specifically bred to be a Yellowstone horse. In the 1990s, the Yellowstone horse management team established a breeding program using Quarter Horses, Morgans and Nokota horses, which are semiferal horses descended from the last surviving population of wild horses in North Dakota. Mares from these breeds were crossed with Percheron and Tennessee Walker stallions to produce strong, hardy, tractable mounts. The National Park Service in Yellowstone keeps about 100 horses and mules for search-and-rescue, to patrol remote areas and for use as pack lines for trail crews. The pack lines transport tools, lumber, electrical equipment and other supplies to areas of the park that are inaccessible by road. Yellowstone horses are also used to keep wildlife away from populated areas by ‘hazing’, a process in which an animal’s sense of security is disturbed to such an extent that it decides to leave its den and relocate. John Henry spent his early years at the park as a packhorse. Many of the park’s young horses are started on pack lines to accustom them to wildlife, suddenly erupting geysers, boiling mudpots, and rough country. “John Henry never let the line get tight,” says Mike Ross. This translates to high praise: many pack animals lag behind, requiring riders to constantly pull on their leads, thus making the line tight. Horses who keep up have nice, loose leadlines. Graduating from packhorse to ranger mount, John Henry next worked as a backcountry horse, spending several years in the popular Mammoth Hot Springs area. He became the chosen mount for official visitors and was used in several demonstration clinics thanks to his unflappable nature and responsive attitude. During the winter season, when most park horses are turned out, John Henry was enlisted to herd and haze the buffalo that roam the northern end of the park. Having broadened his resume with his herding experience, John Henry’s next job was at Yellowstone’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch. The historic ranch was created to preserve one of the last free-roaming American bison herds in the United States. Following the bison, John Henry and his rangers would log between 700 to 1000 miles each season. In early 2017, after 12 years at the Buffalo Ranch, John Henry,

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now 20, was moved to the canyon section of the park, where the terrain is not as rugged and the trails are shorter. In October, he was Chan's mount for her October trip with her father and Mike Ross. “At the beginning of the trip, Mike said to me, ‘John Henry is getting older. I don’t know how much longer they are going to keep him,’” says Chan. “I asked what do they do with them when they are done and he told me that they take them to auction. To give Mike credit, he places as many of them as he can with other park service families or rangers that they worked with for a long time, but a lot of them don’t have people waiting for them. I asked if anyone was set up for John Henry and he said no. That started me thinking.” The group rode about seven miles through an early snowfall to the backcountry cabin at Pelican Springs, an area located in the southeast quadrant of Yellowstone. “The ranger cabins have these journals going back for many years, back to the 60s and 70s,” says Chan. “There were many entries that listed John Henry, including one that described a time that he fell in a bog. They had to rope him and pull him out. After reading that, I said to myself, ‘Oh that makes sense because every time we come to a bog, he would really look at it before proceeding.’” The park service sends rangers on special missions to recover the journals when in danger of fire or floods. In many cases, the journals are the only history that the park has for these areas. “The second day we went through some rough country,” continues Chan. “We were off the trail, a little bit lost, and we were coming onto this shale hillside, picking our way over downed timber. All of a sudden, John Henry’s feet went out from under him. He was on his belly with me still on him; his legs splayed. We slid straight down the hill. When we stopped sliding, he didn’t move. He just lay there. He didn’t panic; he didn’t struggle. I jumped off, stunned at what just happened, and a moment later he hopped right up and shook it off. I really felt like his goal had been to keep me safe; to keep me on.’” As Chan rode back, she realized she had to save the horse that she believed had just saved her. By the time the trip was over, she had a plan: John Henry would be an excellent addition to her lesson program in Aiken and a perfect trail horse for her mother, Nancy. When the ride concluded, Chan learned that John Henry was slated to go to auction in a few weeks. Acting quickly, Nancy came to meet John Henry and she, too, felt a connection with him and agreed that they needed to rescue him. “There are currently plans to change that process to allow these hard working animals to be adopted into safe, appropriate homes or retirement facilities,” says Nancy. “Hopefully, John Henry will be the last of the Yellowstone horses to be taken to auction.” A few weeks later, the Carmans purchased John Henry at auction. After a brief stay in quarantine, he was shipped to Aiken and he easily settled into life at Chan’s barn; enjoying his first time in a stall, being groomed, and eating molasses cookies. Chan sends pictures to her parents of him lying flat out, sunning in a pile of leaves. “He would be in -10 degree weather with two feet of snow right now!” exclaims Chan. “I love seeing him lying out there.” John Henry’s official job as Nancy’s trail horse will begin when the Carmans come to Aiken for the winter in February. Until then, Chan will be introducing him into her lesson program at The Riding School. After his long career at Yellowstone National Park, he will spend his golden years enjoying Aiken’s milder climate and living an easier, more comfortable life. He certainly deserves it.

February-March 2018

Microchips; Here And Now: Giving Horses a Permanent ID by L.A. Sokolowski-Pomeroy

icrochips. For something as small as a grain of rice, the microchip has become a big topic in the horse industry today. On one end of the spectrum, we’ve watched catastrophic natural disasters separate terror-stricken animals from frantic owners, the only hope of their reuniting left to phone numbers written on the animals’ bodies with indelible markers. On the other end, since December 1, 2017, the United States Equestrian Federation has required the implantation of microchips in horses and ponies competing for points in classes that require U.S. Hunter Jumper Association registration. This begins to bring the USEF in line with the Federation Equestre International (FEI), which has required microchips for all horses registered with that organization from 2013 on. What is a microchip? A microchip is a kind of transponder. It is akin to your truck’s EZ-Pass; it is not a tracking device, and cannot be used to locate your horse. Like your highway pass transponder, microchips are read-only. They can’t operate as a GPS because, quite simply, there isn’t a battery small enough to operate inside a microchip, much less run infinitely without recharging. There is also, despite various urban legends, no evidence that microchips cause cancer. What microchips will do according to Cailin Monahan, the Datamars SA Northeast U.S. territory manager, is “Provide the silent voice we hope we never have to use,” in case of a tragedy or unexpected incident. Datamars is a global technology company that manufactures microchips used for companion animals and livestock. Microchips also provide a relatively foolproof way to identify competition horses.

A Brief Overview

Historically, the microchipping of pets and other animals in the U.S. has been mostly voluntary. However, in 1994, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) became the first organization to issue a regulation requiring permanent identification (via a brand, lip tattoo or electronic identification) of all horses tested for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). Many horses in Louisiana were then microchipped, and this would be important later. The next microchipping initiative for horses happened in 1997, when the Netherlands’ Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek (the Friesian studbook) started requiring electronic identification codes or microchips to ensure correct identification of registered Friesian horses. Fast forward to 2005, when microchips were a significant help in determining owners of horses displaced during Hurricane Katrina. That same year, language was inserted into the federal agriculture appropriations bill supporting the use of microchips in pets for identification purposes. As a result, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Plant Health and Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) to develop regulations for microchip identification. By July 2007, USDA-APHIS sent a report to Congress. But since the Animal Welfare Act (signed into law in 1966) could not authorize USDA-APHIS to regulate private pet ownership, the organization concluded it also could not mandate a national standard for animal microchips or scanners. Meanwhile, three years before Hurricane Katrina, a global study conducted by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association revealed that Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand had adopted and implemented microchip standards. Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Canada and South America were increasing the use of international standard (ISO) microchips; and only African countries and the U.S. lagged behind. By 2007, USDA-APHIS announced its support of microchip

Datamars is one of the microchip companies that makes chips that are compliant with new USEF regulations.

standards, although it remained neutral on specifics. At the same time, the European Union proposed regulations requiring foals to be microchipped before getting equine passports, primarily to avoid human consumption of horses that had received unapproved medications.

Microchipping Today

“For years, Europe required horses to have an ID passport and permanent identification,” says Jean Anne Mayhall, who is the president and owner of Microchip ID Systems in New Orleans. “Thus setting a backdrop for private organizations, registries and disaster teams to rely on their use. Rules put forth by the FEI and registries were not the big leap it has been here because EU horses were already chipped. The U.S. went about it from the other end: Equine user groups have begun to require ISO microchips for event participation.” “The U.S. has just begun embracing microchips,” adds Cailin Monahan. “In Europe it’s routine. A chip is implanted and a horse is issued a passport within six months of birth. The chip’s unique number is recorded in its passport and follows the horse throughout life, even in the event of a name change. “When microchipping becomes more commonplace here, I believe we will incorporate passports,” continues Monahan. “One benefit, if a horse ends up in an undesirable situation, will be that previous owners can be notified to intervene, and many do want their horse back. A passport will show where a horse has been, which is important, for example, in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.”

Microchips and Cancer

Speaking of disease, let’s address another proverbial elephant in the room: microchips and cancer. The trouble with an urban myth is that everyone can repeat it secondhand but few offer firsthand experience. Very few in this case: the chance of a microchip causing tumor formation is 0.000054 percent, according to a 13-year study conducted by The British Small Animal Veterinary Association. In this study of 3.7 million pets with microchips, only two tumors were reported. So whence the genesis of the cancer fallacy? Lab mice. In short, microchips were implanted for identification purposes in multiple strains of mice used for ongoing cancer studies. These mice were subjected to cancer causing agents to test tumor formation, and many mice did, indeed, get cancer. But microchips didn’t “cause” their cancer; the known carcinogens they were exposed to did. Furthermore, the microchips implanted in the mice were not the same as the microchips implanted into horses or companion animals. The conclusion, shared by many experts and veterinarians, is that the potential benefits of microchip implantation far outweigh any possible risks.

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February-March 2018

Operation Chip and the Unwanted Horse Coalition

Spurred by the potential of microchips to serve the equine greater good, the Unwanted Horse Coalition, based in Washington, D.C., has partnered with Microchip ID Systems to launch ‘Operation Chip.’ This is an initiative that will initially be linked to the UHC’s 8-year-old Operation Gelding program. Operation Gelding provides support to groups that want to hold low cost gelding clinics. Operation Chip will furnish microchips to the veterinarians performing the surgeries. “After Hurricane Katrina, 90% of the horses rescued were microchipped, which allowed almost all of them to be placed with their owners,” says Ashley Furst, who is the UHC director. “Part of the UHC mission is ‘Owning Responsibly’ so ensuring every horse a method of identification that is traceable is part of that.

microchip. Industry leaders chose the international standard, referred to as the ISO microchip, and many companies make them. Two, the USDA set up an extensive program for ‘vetting out’ microchip manufacturers for horses. Performance, reliability and design are all tested. If a manufacturer is USDA-certified they can make chips that start with the USA country code (840) if desired by the horse owner or their veterinarian.” And what about our veterinarians, who are ‘in the trenches’ as horse owners debate the decision, to chip or not to chip? “It’s a simple procedure,” says Sarah Thompson, DVM, the owner of Estrella Equine, LLC in Aiken. “It’s straightforward and really noninvasive.” Per USEF regulations, a microchip should be implanted in the nuchal ligament, halfway between the poll and the withers on the left side of the horse. Dr. Thompson uses microchips manufactured by Datamars and charges approximately $75 per horse. “I’ve only sedated one horse before the procedure, a large warmblood, and that was only by client preference. The most important thing is that people must remember to go to the USEF site, create a log-in account and register their chip.” Other veterinarians, such as Dr. Chad Davis of Davis Equine in Virginia, whose wife Stephanie is a three-day rider and veterinarian who winters in Aiken, have been offering ship-in clinics since 2016 where multiple horses and owners can converge for the service at a reduced rate.

Scanning Our Horizon

There tends to be a generation gap when it comes to embracing new technology. Acceptance of microchipping is no different. Younger riders who have grown up accustomed to smartphones,

Dr. Sarah Thompson of Estrella Equine implants a microchip. The procedure is quick and easy and generally does not require sedation or an anesthetic.

“While some rescues microchip their intakes, the majority of rescues, due to the cost, do not. By providing this product and its registration for free, we are ensuring horses can be identified from the moment they are rescued,” she continues. “Also, it’s one thing to insert a chip but ensuring registration is also crucial. By eliminating the cost of registering a chip and providing lifetime registration, we are hopefully eliminating any barriers.” Registration is done through Microchip ID Systems’ Equine Protection Registry; any chip, not just those provided by Operation Chip, can be registered there. According to Jeanne Anne Mayhall there is a critical similarity between a chipped horse and a chipped pet: “A chip cannot do its job unless its chip number is connected to an owner or entity in an accurate database.” The pet industry, after some growing pains, eventually developed a unifying service called the Pet Microchip Lookup tool. Foreseeing the need to unite equine databases in a similar way, in January 2017 Microchip ID Systems, Inc. launched the Equine Microchip Lookup tool (www.EquineMicrochipLookup.org). The EMLT is free to use and recognizes all chips. The goal is twofold: track a chipped horse to the registry where it is recorded and track a chip to its manufacturer. Owners who join the Equine Protection Registry, such as those participating in Operation Chip, will get a notation on their horse’s microchip number indicating that it has a registered owner.

Vetting Out

A tenet of good riding, not only for hunters and jumpers, but the horse industry as a whole, is not to rush your fences. The same principle has been applied to the use of microchips. “The equine industry, because it waited to fully embrace microchips, learned two lessons from the pet industry’s early missteps,” says Mayhall. “One, it immediately established a standard for the type of

February-March 2018

The scanner reads the microchip's number to positively identify the horse.

tablets and downloadable apps are the first to see technology as synonymous with convenience. It’s not the use of a microchip that they question, it’s why they can’t scan and read their horse's microchip for themselves off their smartphone. For them, there really are new tools just around the corner. For instance, there is the Microchip ID® Hero™, an advanced universal chip reader that will send the chip number you scan to any Bluetooth device, as well as display an entire chip number for up to 15 minutes. No more typing microchip numbers into a computer. Just scan the chip and it instantly goes to your device and appears on the screen up Embracing the use of microchips isn’t that different from introducing a new member to your barn family: it can take time to get acquainted. But in the big picture, that little microchip and you share one major thing in common: You’re both on the same side of the fence when it comes to caring about your horses and ensuring that there is always a silent voice ready to speak up when they might need it most.

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Going Western at Stable View New Programs for Dressage, Trails By Ragan Morehouse, Photography by Gary Knoll

table View, whose motto is ‘A Gathering Place,’ is gathering more people to its fold. Noting that the western disciplines are becoming more popular in the Aiken area, the farm’s owners, Barry and Cyndy Olliff, are adding both western dressage and western trail riding to the programs offered at their farm. “From what I am learning, there is a very large population of western riders in the area and there are not a lot of places locally that offer anything western related,” says Cyndy. “By offering programs tailored to them, our hope is that we will continue to draw more and more people of different walks of life to come out and enjoy their discipline no matter what it is.”

Western Dressage

The existing dressage program at Stable View, which includes both schooling and USEF/USDF recognized events, has been very popular. “We did not think the shows were going to be as large as they are,” remarks Amber Lee, the manager and secretary of Stable View’s dressage shows. “We are generally running two-ring all-day shows. We are even doing mid-week shows and we get a full day’s worth every Wednesday for those.” “We actually had a few of our dressage competitors reach out to us asking for western dressage,” Amber adds. “We started doing our research and decided that we want to add the western dressage to both our schooling and recognized shows.” The upcoming March 14 schooling dressage show will be the first Stable View show to offer classes recognized by the Western Dressage Association of America. The WDAA is an educational, non-profit organization that was founded in 2011 to promote the growing discipline of western dressage. Competitors will be judged by USEF ‘r’, ‘R’, or ‘S’ licensed dressage judges who are members of the WDAA. Competitors will ride western-specific tests provided by the WDAA that are judged on different criteria than are classical dressage tests. Any breed is welcome, including gaited horses. “The judging criteria is still evolving,” says Valerie Swygert, a USEF and WDAA registered judge. “I absolutely love judging their shows. They are a laid back group with laid back horses. I never use the word ‘tension’ in my test feedback. Their horses seem really happy.” Western dressage differs from USDF-style dressage in many ways. The most obvious difference is that western dressage tests are ridden in western tack. USEF, in conjunction with the WDAA, has specific guidelines as to which bits, cavessons, reins, and saddles are permitted. In addition to snaffle bits, western bits are allowed, but have some restrictions: shanks are limited to 8.5” and ports are limited to 3.5.” Bitless bridles, unacceptable under USEF rules, are A-OK with the WDAA. The origins and the goals of the two dressage disciplines are quite different, despite the fact that many of the movements and cues are similar. “Whereas USDF dressage came from the military, our dressage is based on ranch work,” explains Dini Swanson, the executive secretary of the WDAA. “As our website states, the purpose of western dressage training is to create a safe, pleasurable, versatile, and useful working horse.” Surprisingly, the American Quarter Horse Association, a typically western breed association, subscribes to USDF-style rather than western dressage. AQHA members earn points for year end awards performing USEF dressage tests judged by USEF judges. Stable View’s February 14 USEF/USDF ‘I Love Dressage’ show will be the first dressage show at Stable View to be recognized by the AQHA. “If we do get some interest from AQHA members, we would like

February-March 2018

to add the AQHA recognition to our other shows,” says Amber Lee. “We are just testing to see if there are dressage riders in the area that are interested in AQHA points.”

Trails and Tales

Whatever their background, horse lovers of all kinds enjoy trail riding. Although Aiken has one of the highest concentrations of horses and horse people anywhere, there are few places that provide riding opportunities for people who do not have their own horse. Cyndy Olliff has a plan to fill that niche by offering guided trail rides at Stable View. The new business venture will be called ‘Trails and Tales’ and is expected to debut in 2018. Horses and accommodations will be available. “My husband and I purchased 1000 acres which is protected under the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy. With conservation you are limited to what you can do with it,” says Cyndy. “Our plan is to use that land for trail riding. Our concentration on the trail riding business at this point is to get our ducks in a row, establish the trails, and get them marked; 1000 acres is a large area to cover. We also reached out to local hotels and have been doing our homework, asking if we do this, do you really think there are people who are going to want to come and we have received an overwhelmingly positive response.” Their other focus is finding the best horses for the job. So far, they have three in their trail string. “We have very special horses,” says Cyndy. “We are looking for a few more but we don’t want to rush in. Finding great, safe horses takes time.” Finally, Cyndy is devoted to learning as much about the land as she can. “Stable View is in a unique position geographically because it has both piedmont and coastal environments. The conserved land sits right on the line between the two. We will be able to say, ‘This is where you are. These are things that are typical for this region. Here is a completely different region and this is what is typical for it,’” explains Cyndy. “We have been working with a geologist from the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory because there have been several Native American artifacts found on the property. Our oldest piece is over 10,000 years old and it happens to be the most perfect arrowhead that I think I have ever seen. The geologist went out with us and showed us what to look for and where would be the best place to find more. On our that trip, he found another arrowhead which we pinged on a cell phone so that we would have the GPS coordinates of where it was discovered. The goal is to create a map of the property showing where the artifacts that we have recovered were located.” Another facet of the conserved land is its wildlife. Working with Birds and Butterflies, a nature-minded business in downtown Aiken, Cyndy has established a bluebird monitoring system. “They have helped teach us where to place the boxes and how to record and report on all of our fledglings,” she says. Stable View has 12 bluebird nesting boxes set up and four screech owl boxes. Cyndy plans to add more boxes as the project develops. The Olliffs also hope to use their new pavilion to host field trips and seminars to share their knowledge with the Aiken community. The pavilion is a gold-certified LEED (the most widely used green building rating system) construction project and it is expected to be ready for use in October 2018. “We want to tap into the school system,” explains Cyndy. “We want children to be able to come out and enjoy nature. We are conservation minded and also enjoy nature, so this project has been very exciting. ”

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Feeding The Senior Horse Proper Nutrition for Vibrant Health by Pam Gleason

“W

hat makes a horse a senior horse has to do with the integrity of his teeth and his hindgut,” says Anna Pesta, a nutritionist at Purina Animal Nutrition. Anna, who has lived in Aiken since 2016, is an eventing rider with a PhD in equine nutrition and considerable expertise in feeding horses of all types. “It’s all about the horse’s ability to digest fiber. Horses age at different rates: whether they are 15 or they’re 25, if they are no longer chewing and digesting long-stem forage effectively, then we have to start thinking about a way to supply that in their diet in a more digestible form.” According to Anna, if you have a horse that is starting to look old – dropping weight, losing his topline and starting to have the sagging, swaybacked look of a stereotypical old horse – the first step is to have him checked over by a vet. “The first thing the vet is probably going to do is look at his teeth – you have to eliminate dental issues first.” Although senior horses generally will not need to have their teeth floated as often as younger horses, they do need to have them checked frequently to make sure they don’t have any problems – loose, cracked or infected teeth –that might make it hard for them to chew. The most obvious signs that a horse is having trouble chewing his hay is if he is “quidding,” which means that instead of chewing and swallowing, he moves the hay around with his teeth and then spits it out in half-chewed balls called quids. Other signs are if he tips his head from side to side as he eats, and if he drools excessively, especially while eating grain. “Then you will need to make sure he doesn’t have some underlying health problem,” Anna continues. “Slow, chronic weight loss can be caused by cancer or liver and kidney disease, which can appear in older horses.” Additionally, PPID, or Cushing’s Disease can cause muscle atrophy and should be tested for in older horses that are losing condition. Another common problem in older horses is decreased efficiency in digesting and absorbing nutrients. This might be caused by changes in the bacteria that colonize the horse’s hindgut, or may simply be a natural part of aging. “The horse might be eating his hay, and it is disappearing from his stall or paddock, but he is just not getting all the nutrients out of it that he used to,” she says. “This tells us that the machinery in his cecum and large colon are not digesting fiber as well as they used to. “When it is clear that the horse is not able to digest forage, then we start to think about moving him to a senior feed,” she continues. “A true senior feed is designed to supply the horse with all of his nutritional needs. It is a complete feed, meaning that it can be used as a full or partial forage replacement. If the horse truly can’t eat hay at all, he could be maintained solely on that complete diet.” Senior feeds, which are normally in pelleted form, can be fed dry, or as a wet mash if the horse truly cannot chew at all. In addition to feeding a senior feed, people might consider adding additional fiber calories in the form of alfalfa or hay pellets or soaked beet pulp. This will give the horse something to graze on all day long, the way he would if he were out on pasture. Anna says that one thing that many people don’t understand is that a senior feed is not necessarily a higher calorie feed. In fact, because it is designed to be a complete hay and grain replacement, most senior feeds are actually lower calorie than feeds that are formulated to be fed along with grain. “Senior feeds are often fed incorrectly,” she says. “People don’t realize that there is a certain minimum amount that needs to be fed to make sure the horse is getting all his protein, vitamins and minerals. Most non-complete feeds, or concentrates, are formulated so that if you feed

February-March 2018

at least three pounds a day along with a good forage, you are going to meet all the horse’s protein, vitamin and mineral needs. If you need to add more calories to the diet you up the ration from there. A senior feed has all that good fiber in it, and that dilutes the concentration of those other nutrients. This is why it is meant to be fed at a higher rate. So with a senior feed, to meet all your protein, vitamin and mineral requirements, you often need to feed at least six pounds a day, rather than three. If you are feeding a true senior feed, it should be because you need to supply more fiber and fiber calories in the diet, not to raise the calorie content.” The result of this misunderstanding about true senior feeds is that many people end up underfeeding their old horses. “There so many horses out there eating a scoop of senior feed a day,” she says. “People think they are doing the right thing, but a lot of times they’re actually switching their thin horses to a higher fiber and lower calorie diet. When you start seeing an old horse losing muscle, a lot of time this is because the ration is not meeting their protein needs. If your horse can still eat hay and grass, a higher calorie, higher fat concentrated feed is often a better choice than a true senior feed. If you want your horse to gain weight, additional calories from a combination of sources (carbohydrates, fat, and fiber) are what you’re really after.” Underfeeding can also be the result of a misunderstanding about the nutritional needs of old horses. “People think, my horse is retired and he isn’t working any more so he doesn’t need as much feed as he did when he was younger, but the horse might actually need extra or a better feed to get the amount and quality of protein that he needs,” says Anna. “They also need good vitamin and mineral fortification in their diets because the absorptive capacity in their whole digestive tract starts to decrease. Owners sometimes don’t realize they have to feed an old retired horse just as carefully as they did when he was performance horse.” According to Anna, what often happens is that an old horse’s body condition starts to decline without his caretaker noticing. This happens particularly in the winter when the horse has a thick coat and might look perfectly fine until he sheds out in the spring, when it become obvious he has a problem. Once a horse starts to catabolize his muscles, it is very hard to get them back, especially if the horse is no longer working. Because of this, it is always a good idea to be proactive when feeding old horses, to make sure that they don’t lose weight in the first place. With better veterinary care, more horses are living longer than ever before. With their emerging status as parts of the family rather than as tools for work or pleasure, more people are keeping their retired horses until the end of their days. The horse feed industry has responded by creating an array high quality feeds that are designed for an old horse’s system. Most of the big companies, and even some of the small ones, will help you design a ration for your horse that will address any nutritional problems he might have. Many will even send a nutritionist to your farm, free of charge, to give you recommendations. Your vet might also be able to help you. “I think people often just assume an old horse is going to look ‘old,’ and it’s going to look bad, says Anna. While it is true that some old horses have medical or other conditions that make it very difficult to maintain body condition, many others can be maintained in top form well into their late 20s and early 30s. “It’s all about supplying them with a very good quality, very digestible ration with the right amount of digestible protein, energy, and fiber, and making sure they get enough of it,” she says. “Senior horses can look good.”

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Ask the Judge

Questions about Dressage With Amy McElroy

Amy McElroy is an FEI competitor, and a USEF S judge. She is qualified to officiate at any USEF recognized national show at all dressage levels. She rides, trains and teaches at Fair Lane Farm in Aiken and judges between 15 and 20 dressage shows and events each year. In her popular Ask the Judge column, she answers readers’ questions about dressage. Do you have a question for Amy? Send her an email at McElroyDRM@aol.com, or visit her website: www.amymcelroy.com.

Dear Amy, I know that the eventing dressage tests have changed this year, while the USDF tests are still the same. But I have heard that there are also changes that were introduced in the FEI tests. Can you tell me what they are?

Studying Dressage Dear Studying, You are absolutely correct. There is a big change in the scoring of the FEI tests. They have also introduced a new freestyle at the Intermediare A/B level. Let’s take a look at these modifications. In the FEI tests starting in 2018 (except young horse and freestyles) the existing four collective marks (paces, impulsion, submission and rider position) have been reduced to a single collective mark for the rider. The rationale for the elimination of the paces, submission and impulsion scores is that each of these factors are assessed in every movement of the test and reflected in each scoring box. Although there was considerable opposition to this change, it was voted on and approved at the FEI general assembly in Geneva in November 2017. From now on, at the bottom of your FEI tests, you will see a single box for rider position and seat, correctness and effect of the aids. This box will have a coefficient of two. The rules and the directives for awarding the rider mark remain the same as before. Judges will be taking into account the rider’s position and seat and the way in which he or she is able to influence the horse in order to produce an expressive, harmonious and fault-free performance. This score will be diminished if the test has many faults, there is obvious tension or resistance, there is discord between rider and horse, or there are other negative factors, such as the use of voice. Because the only collective mark is for the rider, this means your equitation is more important than ever. I encourage everyone to really work on developing a strong core so that you are able to have independent aids and an elegant, effective seat. The new Intermediare A/B freestyle is an exciting addition. This test is at a higher level than the Intermediare I freestyle, but not as advanced as the Grand Prix. For this test, horses must be at least 8 years old. The freestyle has a 5- to 5-minutes-and-30 second (5.30) time limit. The freestyle will include half passes right and left in the trot and canter, extended trot and extended canter, a minimum of five tempi changes every second stride and a minimum of five tempi changes every stride. There is a single canter pirouette right and left that has a coefficient of two (in the Grand Prix, double pirouettes are allowed, but at this level they are not.) There is a minimum of 12 meters of passage, also with a coefficient of two. There is a minimum of eight straight steps of piaffe – at this level the horse is allowed to move forward as much as

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two meters, whereas in the Grand Prix the horse should not travel and ideally performs on the spot. The freestyle also includes an extended walk and a collected walk. There are also separate scores for transitions into and out of the piaffe. These are the two main innovations on the FEI level this year. Here are some other things to consider, especially as we look forward to the World Equestrian Games, which will come to the Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina in September. From the USEF rulebook: “Intentionally taking the reins into one hand to produce impulsion or to promote applause from spectators will be considered a fault and reflected in that movement and in the collective for rider position.” It is, of course, still permitted and in fact mandatory, to take the reins in one hand when you salute the judge. All horses must wear a browband and a noseband. A competitor may not withdraw or scratch from a class after a final salute – some people might want to do this after a disappointing ride so that they would not get a bad score. If for some reason you feel you cannot continue your test, you must ask the judge at C to be excused, and he or she might grant your request. Another reminder: in the FEI tests, your first error is worth two percentage points off your final score, and your second error is elimination. This means that an error is much more serious at this level: at lower levels, an error is two points off your raw score and you are allowed two errors. You would be eliminated after a third error. Also, remember at all levels that you are not allowed to use your voice at all – no talking, whispering or clucking. There is a two-point deduction for each movement where you can be heard. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to explain some of the changes at the FEI level in 2018. I know there are many riders who are looking forward to competing in the new Intermediare A/B freestyle, which will give more opportunities to riders who are not quite at the Grand Prix level yet. From a judge’s point of view, it will be interesting to see how the new, single collective mark will affect the final percentage scores. This change may result in higher scores overall, and certainly will reward riders who take the time to work on their equitation. We shall see!

February-March 2018

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Forthcoming Events First Wednesday of Each Month Stable View Wednesday Jumpers - 10:00AM Start February 14 - USEF/USDF “I LOVE Dressage” Show February 24 - Eventing Academy Schooling Day February 25 - Eventing Academy Schooling HT February 28 - High Performance Training Session March 14 - Schooling Dressage Show March 20 & 21 - USEA “Spring Horse Trials” April 4 - Introducing Stable View Wednesday Hunters & Jumpers Schooling Show April 11 - USEF/USDF “Spring Fever” Dressage 117 Stable Drive, Aiken SC 29801 484.356.3173 info@stableviewfarm.com www.StableViewFarm.com

February-March 2018

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Secretz Galore Jeff Temple Stretch Your Horse Back Pain in Horses Theresa Shahan Augusta Futurity Calendar Directory Classifieds Index Woodside Hounds

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February-March 2018

Halter Champions

Jeffrey Pait & Ina Ginsberg with Secretz Galore

Secretz Galore & Secret Agent by Pam Gleason

he year 2017 turned out to be a very successful one for Pait Show Horses, based on Aiken’s Southside. This was especially true for the Pait’s client Ina Ginsberg, an Aiken resident. Jeffrey Pait, the stable’s owner and head trainer, specializes in developing and conditioning Quarter Horses for the halter ring. Ina, who is in her early 80s, is a dedicated and skillful competitor who shows her own horses in the amateur division while Jeffrey handles them in the open division. It is a partnership that has brought to both an enviable amount of success over the years, including a World Championship title, which Ina won with her gelding, Hez Packing Heat, at the AQHA Select Show in Amarillo, Texas in September 2015. In the summer of 2016, Ina acquired a new horse to show, a 2012 mare named Secretz Galore (Secretz by Kids Keeping Cool.) Ina and her new mare hit it off right away and soon began collecting ribbons and points on the halter circuit from Florida to Texas and everywhere in between. Their serious campaigning really began with the winter 2017 season, when they started off on the right foot at the Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Show, the first big show of the season. There, Secretz Galore was named the champion Aged Mare in both the open division with Jeffrey and the amateur division with Ina. It was a harbinger of what was to come. Ina and Jeffrey showed Galore around the country, traveling to Massachusetts, Kentucky, Georgia and Texas and most of the states between. Over the 2017 show season, Ina showed her mare in 90 separate competitions, winning 87 of them. Jeffery handled the mare in 87 competitions, winning 83. It should not be a surprise that Secretz Galore ended the 2017 as the high point open

February-March 2018

and amateur halter mare in the nation. According to Jeffrey, she took such a dominating lead in the standings that, after August, they did not go to all the shows they could, but just picked and chose among the most prestigious ones. “She’s a balanced and correct mare, everything fits on her,” says Jeffrey, explaining her success. “She’s very square made and she’s got a strong and sound structure. She’s also very, very good-minded, has an excellent disposition. She handles different environments very well, doesn’t ever get rattled or nervous. You couldn’t ask for a better minded horse.” Although Galore is looking at retirement and possibly becoming a broodmare as soon as this spring, she went south in January to capture the Florida Gold and Gulf Coast championships with both Ina and Jeffrey. For now, however, she is taking a bit of a break while Ina works with her new horse, Cant Touch These Guns. “Right now our plan with Galore is just to let her relax, take it easy and get a lot of turnout time, let her unwind,” says Jeffrey. “She’s already qualified for the World Championships – I’m not going to say we aren’t going to show her again. We’ll see.” Pait Show Horse’s other big success this year was with Secret Agent, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Tom Walker from Pennsylvania. Secret Agent, bred by the Paits and born in Aiken, had an equally stellar record, ending up the high point open gelding in the country. “It was a pretty neat achievement for us,” says Jeffrey. “Especially to raise one, like Secret Agent, it’s pretty special. Both of them are pretty special horses. It just worked out our way.” Follow Pait Show Horses in Facebook to keep up with all their news.

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February-March 2018

Jeff Temple Show Horses A Western Connection

By Ragan Morehouse, Photography by Gary Knoll

n the fall of 2015, Jeff Temple, a well-known name in the Quarter I Horse world, moved his operation, Jeff Temple Show Horses, to the stables at Mount Vintage Plantation in North Augusta, S.C. An

all-around trainer and a respected coach of youth and amateurs, Jeff has been in the Quarter Horse show world for most of his life. Currently, his barn is filled with his customers’ horses, a stallion prospect, and several young horses in training. He is a member of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Professional Horsemen’s Association and, he spends his time training, showing, instructing, as well as coaching the newly-formed intercollegiate Western riding team at University of South Carolina Aiken. Jeff began his Quarter Horse career as a youth, showing in the U.S. and Canada. After finishing college at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, he apprenticed with some of the biggest names in the business. “My mentorships took me to Chicago, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. I worked with Dianne Eppers, Troy Compton, and Kim Myers, to name a few,” explains Jeff. His goal was to become

looking for. The gracious red brick stable includes 20 stalls, an 80-foot lighted round pen, two large irrigated lighted arenas and 23 acres of Bermuda pasture. It was the perfect place for a professional operation. “Mount Vintage just checked off all the boxes,” Jeff says. “First of all, there seemed to be a need for an all-around trainer in this area. There are lots of high-quality opportunities for English riders, but not very many for Western. We just ran an ad in The Aiken Horse and the response from that was overwhelming. People are looking for Western. We want to be a Western connection.” “Secondly, the location is central to so many of our shows,” continues Jeff. “We have Conyers and Perry in Georgia, Camden just up the road, Raleigh, Murfreesboro, and it’s not too far to Florida and Ohio. A lot of our Maine customers followed us here because of the great weather and location. They fly back and forth and this has become their home base to show out of. That for us was a little bit of a surprise and we have great gratitude for them.” Shortly after Jeff and Keisha arrived in town, they were contacted

as well-rounded at possible. After his travels and a five year stint managing a 42-stall boarding and training barn in Nova Scotia, Jeff established Jeff Temple Show Horses. At this point, he realized that success in the show world would necessitate a move south to the United States. So, in 2012, he set up shop in Freeport, Maine where he met his wife, Keisha Capitola, and her daughter, Taiya. It was here that Jeff really made a name for himself. “You Light My Fire is probably the horse that catapulted me into the upper echelon of the show world,” says Jeff. “I purchased him as a 2-year-old, broke him out, trained him fully, and showed him exclusively. He has been in the top five at [the Quarter Horse] Congress with three different riders in three different categories. I am very proud of the horse and especially proud that one of the riders was our daughter, Taiya.” In 2015, tired of the Maine winters and of traveling long distances to shows, Jeff and Keisha began searching for a base in the Southeast. When they came across a real estate ad for the stables at Mount Vintage, they scheduled a trip to see the property. When they got to Aiken, tT=hey knew right away that they had found what they were

by USC Aiken about coaching the new Western Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team. Jeff and Keisha accepted the challenge and have enjoyed their time with the students. “It is something we did not have a lot of experience in and something that we have really liked learning about these last couple of years,” says Jeff. “The team members say that their lessons with Jeff are the highlights of their week,” reports Michelle Hodge, the USC Aiken staff advisor for the team. “Jeff is very supportive and our riders know that he is there to help them with thoughtful instruction and plenty of encouragement. Of course, the benefits of his coaching have been spectacular. The proof is in our ribbons.” Buoyed by their success with the USC Aiken team, Jeff and Keisha have plans to start an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Western team for middle and high-school students. “It’s just in the planning stages right now,” says Keisha. “Offering lessons is an area that we are really looking to expand on to the point that we just hired another instructor to teach beginners,” adds Jeff. “We have lesson horses. We aren’t just for show people; we welcome everyone.” Find Jeff Temple Show Horses on Facebook or 803-292-5874.

February-March 2018

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Stretch Your Horse Leg Yields at a Walk by Julie Ronning

ost horses can benefit from a stretching exercise. My favorite exercise to help my horse stretch and loosen his muscles is a leg yield at a walk, while facing a wall or a fence. I love this exercise because it is beneficial for horses of all ages and levels of training. When done properly, this exercise accomplishes several things while being low impact and easy on our horses’ bodies. It is a wonderful warmup tool to help horses loosen and stretch their bodies to prepare for work. It also teaches a horse coordination since he has to learn to cross and uncross both his front and his hind legs. Lastly, I find it very helpful in teaching young horses, or any horse for that matter, about bending.

How to do it

Begin with your horse facing a wall, fence or gate, about a meter away. You need to give him enough space so that he doesn’t feel trapped, but you don’t want to be so far away he is tempted to move forward. Then, keeping him nearly perpendicular to the wall and facing it, ask him to take a step or two sideways, to the right or left. Do this by applying your inside leg just slightly behind the girth while holding your horse’s head and neck straight. In this case the “inside” is the opposite of the direction in which your horse is yielding. So, for instance, if you are yielding away from your left leg, your left leg is your inside leg. Use your outside rein to support the horse’s front end. Sit up straight, but remember to stay weighted on your inside seat bone. After you get a step, or a few steps depending on his level of training, stop and praise him. Then try it again. Once you are satisfied with his progress going in one direction, ask him to yield to the other direction. Remember that changing directions makes this a completely new exercise for your horse. For greener or younger horses, it is sometimes a good idea to introduce this exercise in hand before doing it mounted. Position the horse facing the wall, then use a dressage whip to ask him to move a step sideways. I usually use the whip in a brushing motion against the horse’s flank, while steadying his head and neck with the outside rein. For some

Cazador is a 12-year-old Fourth level Andalusian cross gelding, owned by Jill and Carol Jackson. This picture illustrates hind leg crossing, although for a horse of his schooling, I could have asked for a deeper cross. He is, however, soft and relaxed and bending nicely. Note how I am sitting him squarely, but with a clearly weighted right seat bone.

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horses, I don’t have to touch them at all with the whip, because they will move away from it just from its motion. As soon as you get a step, stop and praise your horse before trying for more. Once you have your horse yielding easily to the right and left in hand, you are ready to introduce the exercise mounted. Again, remember to think of this as a new exercise and always stop and praise your horse when he tries to do what you ask.

Problems and Solutions

Ideally, your horse should readily move sideways away from your leg pressure, keeping his body nearly straight and his head and neck relaxed. Both his front and his rear legs should cross and uncross while he moves. He should neither move forward nor back, and he should perform the exercise equally in both directions. The main reason we use the wall is that when we introduce the leg yield (especially under saddle) horses have a tendency to rush forward, or to avoid the movement by turning their heads to the inside and “popping” the opposite shoulder to the outside. The wall provides a barrier that keeps the horse from moving forward, and it makes it easier for us to correct any tendency the horse might have to bulge his shoulder to the outside. The exercise should be done very slowly, with each walk step thoughtfully dictated. One problem many people and horses have is trying to go too fast. By performing this exercise slowly and deliberately, you can be sure that the horse’s movement is correct and that he will get the most benefit from it. With practice, you will find your horse will be able to deepen the crossing of the legs as well as reach farther to the side, which means increased flexibility in the shoulders and hips, leading to more expressive lateral movement. Julie Ronning is a dressage trainer, originally from Oregon, who recently relocated to Aiken. She is available for training, clinics and sales. Follow Julie Ronning Dressage on Facebook.

Harlow, my late 4-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. She was just learning the exercise in hand, but note how she was already beginning to bend through her ample ribcage, actively crossing her legs and increasing her shoulder flexibility.

February-March 2018

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Back Pain in Horses A Common Problem

by Susan Parry DVM, CVMT, CVA

ack pain is by far the most common reason that horse owners call a veterinarian who specializes in equine rehabilitation therapy. But what does the term “back pain” in a horse actually mean? It can refer to many different things. Most people use it to describe pain from the withers to the tail base, particularly under the area where a saddle sits. Here are some of the most common symptoms, sources of pain and treatments for these problems. Symptoms of back pain can range from the glaringly obvious to the extremely subtle. One obvious sign is if the horse drops its back, pins its ears, or steps sideways when someone approaches carrying a saddle. Sadly, some people think this is just a horse being grumpy or having bad habits. It is more likely, however, that the horse is trying to tell his rider that something is wrong. Horses with back pain often have training or behavior issues such as these: they may be hard to catch, dislike being groomed, or hard to blanket. Maybe they won’t stand at the mounting block, or they might rear, buck or bolt. Some horses simply lack impulsion under saddle; in fact many horses with back pain don’t act up in any violent way but simply appear very short-strided because they can’t step out freely with their tight, painful spines. Back pain can originate from many places: the skin, the muscles, the ligaments, the bones of the spine or the discs between the vertebrae. More than one type of tissue can be involved. Localizing the cause of the pain may involve only a thorough manual examination, or your vet may need to perform more extensive diagnostic tests such as x-rays, ultrasounds or bone scans. Pain that appears to be localized in the back can also originate from elsewhere in the body. A horse with poor hoof balance or “bad feet” will often stand and move in abnormal ways. This leads to strain throughout the entire spine. A horse with bad teeth will often carry his head in strange positions, which can also translate into neck and back pain. Occasionally, horses with stomach ulcers will also present with back pain, so stomach issues are another factor to rule out. Two of the most frequently overlooked causes of back pain are poor saddle fit and unbalanced hooves. One common contributor to poor saddle fit and back pain is, paradoxically, putting on too many saddle pads. Adding extra pads to a saddle that fits a horse well will often make it too tight. Think of how your favorite sneakers would fit if you added a pair of ski socks over your usual socks. Extra padding only works to make the saddle more comfortable for the horse if the saddle is too wide overall; usually it just makes things worse. “Your saddle doesn’t fit” is not news anyone wants to hear, but it is often true. How do poor feet contribute to back pain? Think of yourself standing, walking and running in shoes that are uneven or mismatched.

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Yes, you’ll likely have painful feet, but you will also probably find pain radiating throughout your body because your unbalanced shoes will give you bad posture. These effects are magnified by a horse’s greater mass. A 1200-pound horse standing even a little bit crooked all day to relieve his foot pain is going to transmit strain throughout his body. When in doubt, getting x-rays of the feet to check shoeing alignment can give you and your veterinarian a clear idea of whether the feet are conforming to the horse’s skeletal structure or not. You can treat a horse’s back indefinitely with little result if the base he stands on is not well-aligned. How is back pain treated? First, we need to get some idea of what tissues are painful. A horse whose back is painful because he has a surface skin infection needs far less diagnostics and treatment than a horse with deeper damage, or damage that is difficult to localize. Drug treatments for pain include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Equioxx (firocoxib), Banamine (Flunixin) or Phenylbutazone (Bute.) Some veterinarians will prescribe muscle relaxers such as Robaxin (methocarbamol) but there is little evidence to support its use. It does sedate horses so it may be covering up pain by making the horse less reactive to it. Non-drug treatments include rest, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic and spinal adjusting, therapeutic ultrasound and therapeutic laser. Sometimes shock wave therapy is recommended, but this method should be approached with caution. Shockwave can alleviate pain temporarily and allow the horse to go on working, only for the pain to return three to six months later. Any good rehabilitation program should also be addressing the horse’s habitual movement and posture pattern, trying to correct things that might be causing pain. Targeted exercises on the ground and under saddle are key in recovering good back function, reducing pain and preventing future problems. Finally, it should go without saying that a horse whose back pain stems from a poorlyfitted saddle needs a tack and equipment change. Although this may mean that you have to sell your saddle and purchase a new one, this is not necessarily the case. The science and practice of saddle fitting has entered the mainstream of horse care, and it is often possible for an expert saddle-fitter to restuff, reflock or rebalance your existing saddle so that fits your horse perfectly. The equine back is a large and a complex structure, and if you ride your horse, it is the main way you are connecting with him in your chosen sport. Making sure that connection is pain-free is the minimum first step in achieving harmony with your horse and starting down the path to athletic excellence. Susan Perry, DVM, CVMT, CVA is a veterinarian who focuses on rehabilitation therapy, pain management and performance therapies. Her treatments are a combination of acupuncture, spinal adjusting, therapeutic laser, electrical stimulation, soft tissue release and prescribed exercise. Visit her website at www.yourbalancedhorse.com or call her at 831-261-4436.

February-March 2018

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February-March 2018

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Harness Racing In Her Blood Theresa Shahan’s Judging Career by Diana Hunt, photography by Gary Knoll

s the first female presiding judge on a harness racing track in Delaware and Maryland, Theresa Shahan used to cause a bit of confusion, especially on the telephone. “I don’t understand why they keep putting me back to the switchboard operator,” out-of-state Standardbred owners would say in exasperation when she answered their calls. “I am trying to get ahold of the judge’s office.” “‘Yes,’ I would say, ‘this is the judge’s office, Judge Shahan speaking. How may I help you?’ I would get that all the time from owners and drivers who were not local,” Theresa Shahan said. That was in the 1980s; women who are harness racing judges are far more common today. Theresa was born with a love of horses and all animals. By the time she was 3 or 4 years old, she had ridden her rocking horse so much she broke its head off. Not long after that she got her first pony, a Shetland named Trigger. “I showed the pony in Western Pleasure classes in 4-H and I drove him in a little pony cart,” she said. “I still have the blue ribbon from my first barrel racing class I entered when I was 11. All my friends showed

English and I was always drawn to jumping, but I continued to show Western, even after my parents got me an Appaloosa mare when I was about 13 or 14 . . . “Some years ago I was cleaning out our family home after it was sold and I found a bank statement in the attic showing that my parents had borrowed $500 to buy me that mare for Christmas. It catches my heart so much that my parents understood my love of horses – I didn’t realize they didn’t have the money.” Harrington Raceway and Dover Downs harness tracks were close to Theresa’s childhood home so she grew up familiar with harness racing. “I had cousins who had racing ponies, so I raced the ponies with them from the time I was 10 or 11. Every Wednesday and Saturday we would go to the special pony tracks and drive for fun. There was a summer season in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania and we went to them all.” After graduating from high school, she answered a classified ad for a harness racing groom and went to work for Elmer Looney, a top harness trainer in the mid-Atlantic. After several years there, she left to work

for various racing barns including the legendary Jack D. Parker, Sr., a member of a multi-generational harness racing dynasty. Then, Theresa got her trainer’s license and started buying Standardbred horses herself and with clients, hoping to pursue a driving career. She ended up working with Jimmy Murray at James Murray Stables, and together Theresa and Jimmy bought several racehorses. “We drove and trained the horses every day,” she said. “The first time I felt the power – you know at the head of the stretch – I just remember it was an amazing feeling.” Murray had a large stable of horses that he would take to Johnson Park, a harness track in New Jersey, to train and race for the fair circuit. According to Shahan, every county in New Jersey has a fair and every fair has a harness track for trotters and pacers. The fair circuit starts in the spring and runs through the fall. For two or three years Shahan drove the matinee races at Johnson Park and at the different fairs on the New Jersey and Pennsylvania circuits. “I am a competitive person and when I start doing something, I like to take it as far as I can,” she said with a smile. But after a couple of years of racing, she started to realize driving wasn’t for her. “It was hard to make money. One day the horses would be good, the next day they were lame. Working seven days a week – it was very demanding,” she admitted. “I was at the age I wanted to move out of my parents’ house and have a life of my own. It just was not working out for me. “I was unloading hay one day where my Standardbreds were stabled and the presiding judge at Harrington Raceway was helping. The patrol judge at the track had called in sick and the judge asked me if I would be interested in filling in and I did. I loved it!” she said. That patrol judge never did come back to work, and so Theresa stayed on. “It was a steady paycheck; I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn when it was cold and snowing – it was a big change but it was a better fit for me. I could still be around horses and it was an avenue that I liked.” This started her on the path to becoming a presiding judge. According to Michele Kopiec, a United States Trotting Association (USTA) Licensing Assistant, there are four levels of harness track judges. “The patrol judge is the entry into the sport,” she explained. Three patrol judges are stationed around the racetrack in tall towers with sets of binoculars. They are the judge’s eyes, looking for infractions (excessive whipping or breaking gait, for instance.) The next step up is the paddock judge. This person is responsible for getting horses out on the track for the post parade, inspecting horses for changes in equipment or if the equipment is suitable to race in, checking horses in and out and acting as go-between if the judge needs to speak to a driver. Associate judges come next. These judges are looking for the same possible infractions of the rules and support the rules and regulations of the state racing commission. The presiding judge is at the top of the pyramid. “While the presiding judge is the ultimate authority,” said USTA’s Kopiec, “The two associate judges are there if there is an infraction, and all three of them vote on what the ruling should be.” “Part of my job as an associate judge was to collect fines,” Shahan recounted. “I would have to get after the drivers and tell them they couldn’t drive until they paid the fine. Grudgingly, they would pay it and then say ‘Now you can go get your nails and hair done’ and that would just set me off to no end. They wouldn’t say that to the other two judges – who were men – to go on a shopping spree.”

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February-March 2018

In order to become a presiding judge one has to have been an associate judge for two years, pass USTA tests and take the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) course. In 1987, Shahan was the only woman in her ROAP class. Things have gotten a bit more equal over the past 30 years: in the current USTA class, eight of the 26 participants are women. “Every race of every night was a challenge because we never knew what would occur,” said Shahan. “For the patrol judges all the way to the presiding judge, there were so many people who complained about so many things. You have to use your judgment based on the rules of the racing commission. People would appeal, and then we held hearings, whether it would be about a dead heat, a person whipping or kicking a horse, a horse making a break, use of drugs – whatever. The races were for a lot of money, sometimes a $100,000. The discussions could get difficult. But I had a great working relationship with all the judges. Most people from the community already knew me as a groom, as a trainer, as someone who had driven and who had owned racing horses, so they knew I had the background and the experience. I would not have gone from a paddock judge to a presiding judge without their support.” In the meantime Shahan was still riding and she evented at the Novice level. As a harness judge, she would go to the track from 8 a.m. until noon for paperwork – putting horses in the correct classes, proofreading the program and making sure the horses were eligible to race. At noon, there was a break and then she went back to work from 5 until midnight for the races themselves, or for other administrative work. She used the break in the middle of the day to ride. This was her schedule from Monday through Saturday. She would often get home at midnight on a Saturday and then get up at 5 o’clock on Sunday morning to compete. The Delaware harness racing circuit consisted of Harrington, Dover Downs and Brandywine raceways. After her time in Delaware, Shahan worked at Ocean Downs in Maryland for a season and then went on

to Rosecroft Raceway, also in Maryland, where she stayed for 16 years. She was the first woman paddock judge at Brandywine and Harrington and the first woman associate and presiding judge licensed in Delaware and Maryland. In 2008, she retired from the track and moved to Aiken along with her husband and her event horse. “I do miss harness racing,” Shahan said. “I often wish I could go back up to Maryland and work at Ocean Downs when they race June to September. What I miss most about racing is watching the young horses come along as 2-year-olds in the spring baby races and then watch them get their education and go on. For 25 years I got to watch them from the beginning until they retired at the end of their careers.” But you can’t go home again. Ocean Downs is now The Ocean Downs Casino, featuring live harness racing, simulcast racing, dining, slot machines and entertainment. Rosecroft Raceway, which went into bankruptcy in 1990 when the owner was arrested on a drug charge, was eventually resurrected under new ownership, and now has a spring and a fall meet, each four months long, with live racing just two days a week. Simulcasting from other tracks dominates the remainder of the schedule. The former Brandywine Raceway is now a housing development and shopping mall. Harrington Raceway became a racino in 1996 by adding a casino, slot machines, table games, simulcasting and sports betting. Live racing there is also divided into two seasons, with races just three nights a week. Dover Downs is now Dover Downs Gaming, Entertainment & Racing Complex with harness racing November to mid-April and motor racing on the surrounding Dover International Speedway May through October. Theresa Shahan harness judging career may only be a memory today, but her involvement with horses is ongoing. She is is still eventing aboard her Belgian/Morgan mare, and she is enjoying her life in Aiken.

Sybil Davis DVM: Rehab & Acupuncture Certified 307 Willow Run Rd. Aiken SC 29801 info@petfitnessandrehab.com

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February-March 2018

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39th Annual Augusta F

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Photography by Gary Knoll

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February-March 2018

Aiken Area Calendar of Events FEBRUARY

1 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 3 Just for Fun Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 3 USEF/USEA Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials I. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www.sportingdaysfarm.com 3 Brookwood III All-Breed Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 3-4 USEF/USEA Poplar Place Farm February H.T. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@ poplarplacefarm.com, www.poplarplacefarm.com 4 Volunteer XC Schooling. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol. com, www.sportingdaysfarm.com 6 Dressage Test-of-Choice Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 6 Tuesdays in the Park. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 6-8 Conrad Clinic. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@poplarplacefarm.com, www. poplarplacefarm.com 7 USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 7 Jumper Night. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www. stableviewfarm.com 7 Winter Schooling Days. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www.carolinahorsepark.com 7-11 WRFH Hunt Week. Aiken, SC. www.whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com 8-9 Apple Days 3 Phase. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www. sportingdaysfarm.com 8-11 Cupid Classic USEF HJ Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 9 WRFH Hunt Ball. Aiken, SC. www.whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com 9-11 USEF/USEA Pine Top Intermediate H.T. Pine Top Farm, 1432 Augusta Highway, Thomson, GA. pinetopeventing@gmail.com, www. pinetopfarm.com 10 Backstretch Experience: Behind the Scenes at the Aiken Training Track. $30. 8:45am. Rye Patch parking lot, 100 Berrie Road, Aiken, SC. 803.643.2121 or 803.642.7631, halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov, www. aikenracinghalloffame.com/Backstretch_Experience.html 10 CEC Springdale Stables HJ Show. Pine Tree Stables, Camden, SC. Candi Cocks, 803.432.2703 or 803.243.4417, www.camdenequinecircuit. com 10 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 10 Rolling Hills Saddle Club Horse Show. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 10 GDCTA Schooling Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, GA. Hugh Lochore, 770. 892.2117, chatthillseventing.com 12 Second Annual Chili Cookout And Bonfire. The Vista Schooling at Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken, SC. www.schoolthevista.com 12-18 Belle Meade Hounds Hunt Week. 3532 Wrightsboro Rd, Thomson, GA. 706.595.2525, www.bellemeadehounds.com 13 Tuesdays in the Park. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 14 Schooling Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com

February-March 2018

14 USEF/USDF “I Love Dressage” Show. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 15 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 15-18 Carolina Classic USEF HJ Show Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 16-18 USEF/USEA Paradise Farm HT. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail. com, www.paradisefarmaiken.com 16-18 Luxury Liberty Retreat. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 17 Belle Meade Hounds 50th Annual Hunt Ball & Silent Auction. 3532 Wrightsboro Rd, Thomson, GA. 706.595.2525, www.bellemeadehounds. com 17 Pipe Opener II CT. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www.carolinahorsepark.com 17-18 Dressage I&II Show. Bruce’s Field at Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. www.aikenhorsepark.org 17-18 Michael Page Clinic. The Vista Schooling at Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken, SC. www.schoolthevista.com 17-18 James Shaw: Ride from Within Clinic. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Martijn Stuurman, 508.560.1548, www. ridefromwithin.com 19 Whiskey Road Foxhounds Hunter Pace. Chime Bell Chase, Aiken, SC. www.whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com 20 Tuesdays in the Park. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 21 Jumping Branch Farm Derby Jump For Cash. Jumping Branch Farm, 179 Fox Pond Road, Aiken, SC. Julie Zapapas, 803.645.1098, zapapasJ@ bellsouth.net, jbfarm.com 22 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 22-25 USEF/USEA Pine Top Advanced H.T. Pine Top Farm, 1432 Augusta Highway, Thomson, GA. pinetopeventing@gmail.com, www. pinetopfarm.com 23-24 Old Ford Fire Department Rodeo. Sen Bob Martin Ag Center, 2900 Highway 125 S., Williamston, NC. www.ipra-rodeo.com 24 Schooling Horse Trials. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail.com, www. paradisefarmaiken.com 24 GDCTA Schooling Show. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@poplarplacefarm.com, www. poplarplacefarm.com 24 Rolling Hills Saddle Club Horse Show. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 24-25 Eventing Academy. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 24-25 Highfields Winter II USEF HJ Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 24-25 Low Country Dressage Classic I&II. Mullet Hall Equestrian Center, Mullet Hall Road, John’s Island, SC. www.carolinadressage.com/events 25 Combined Training Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 27 Tuesdays in the Park. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 27 Dressage Test-of-Choice Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 27 Saratoga Warhorse. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 28 High Performance Training Session. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 28 USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com

The Aiken Horse

MARCH

1 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 1 Saratoga Warhorse. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 1-4 March Madness I USEF HJ Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 2-3 Easy Bend IPRA World Championship Rodeo. T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena 1101 West Queen Street, Pendleton, SC. www.iprarodeo.com 2-4 Four Beats for Pleasure Gaited Horse Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Shannon Gibbs, 919.255.0429, shgibbsgmail.com 2-5 Eric Smiley Clinic at Meghan Perry Eventing. Bridle Creek Farm, Aiken. www.mpeventing.com. 3-4 USEF/USEA Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials II. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www.sportingdaysfarm.com 3-4 Ride Better Clinic. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail.com, www. paradisefarmaiken.com 3-4 Horseshow Ventures HJ Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 3-4 Cheryl & Co. HJ Show.. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 4 The Good Horseman Spring Dressage and CT Schooling Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 6 Tuesdays in the Park. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 7 Jumper Night. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www. stableviewfarm.com 7 CT & Dressage Show. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail.com, www. paradisefarmaiken.com 8-9 Apple Days 3 Phase. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www. sportingdaysfarm.com 8-11 March Madness II USEF HJ Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 9 Dressage Test-of-Choice Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 9-11 SCQHA Southern Gold. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Billy Prather, 803.669.1325, bpquarterhorse@bellsouth.net 9-11 Cheryl & Co. HJ Show.. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 10 Harness Races at McGhee’s Mile. Banks Mill Rd, Aiken. www. mcgheesmile.com. 803-617-8511. 10 Brookwood IV All-Breed Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 10 CEC Longcreek HJ Show. Long Creek Equestrian Centre, 2000 Longtown Road East, Blythewood, SC. 803.786.8400, www. camdenequinecircuit.com 10 GDCTA Schooling Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, GA. Hugh Lochore, 770. 892.2117, chatthillseventing.com 10-11 USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 10-11 USEF/USDF Poplar Place Farm Dressage Show. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@ poplarplacefarm.com, www.poplarplacefarm.com 10-11 USEF/USEA Southern Pines Horse Trials. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www.carolinahorsepark. com 10-11 H. J. Fox Spring Premier Classics I & II. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com

12 Derby Cross. The Vista Schooling at Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken, SC. www.schoolthevista.com 13 Tuesdays in the Park. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 13-20 Eric Smiley Clinic at Meghan Perry Eventing. Bridle Creek Farm, Aiken. www.mpeventing.com. 14 Schooling Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 14 Schooling Dressage Show. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 15 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 16 Breakfast at the Gallops, Aiken Training Track, Two Notch Road, Aiken. www.aikenracinghalloffame.com. 803-643-2121.16-18 Palmetto Paint Horse Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Anne Louise Miller, 803.900.1253, millawayranch@ windstream.net 16-18 USEF/USEA Pine Top March H.T. Pine Top Farm, 1432 Augusta Highway, Thomson, GA. pinetopeventing@gmail.com, www. pinetopfarm.com 17 76 Annual Aiken Trials. Aiken Training Track, Two Notch Road, Aiken. www.aikentrainingtrack.com 17 Jumping Branch Farm Derby Jump For Cash. Jumping Branch Farm, 179 Fox Pond Road, Aiken, SC. Julie Zapapas, 803.645.1098, zapapasJ@ bellsouth.net, jbfarm.com 17-18 USEF/USDF Southern Comfort Dressage Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. Kay Whitlock, 910.692.8467or 910.315.5959, www.carolinadressage.com 17-18 Newton County Saddle Club Open Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 17-18 Brownwood HJ Show.. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 18 Aiken Trained Horse of the Year Ceremony. Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame, Hopeland Gardens, DuPree Place. www. aikenracinghalloffame.com. 803-642-7631 18 Bombproofing Clinic. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 20 USEF/USEA Spring Horse Trials.Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 20 Saratoga Warhorse. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 21-25 USEA/USEF Carolina International CIC*** HT. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www. carolinahorsepark.com 22 Saratoga Warhorse. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 22-23 Apple Days 3 Phase. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www. sportingdaysfarm.com 22-25 Atlanta Spring Classic I ‘A’ HJ Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 23-25 Harmon Spring Classic. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Lewis Pack, harmonclassics@aol.com 23-25 USEF/USEA Poplar Place Farm March H.T. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@ poplarplacefarm.com, www.poplarplacefarm.com 24 52nd Aiken Spring Steeplechase. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. www.aikensteeplechase.com 24 Schooling Horse Trials. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail.com, www. paradisefarmaiken.com 24 Rolling Hills Saddle Club Horse Show. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 24-25 USEF/USDF The Good Horseman®/Massey Ferguson Spring Dressage Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, GA. Hugh Lochore, 770. 892.2117, chatthillseventing.com

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

25 Ride the Rail, Aiken Training Track, Two Notch Road, Aiken. Your chance to ride on the Aiken Training Track. 11am-2pm. www. aikentrainingtrack.com. 803-226-9105. 25 Schooling Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 25 Just for Fun Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 26 Hunter Pace to benefit Detroit Horse Power. Fox Nation, 735 Cedar Branch Road, Windsor SC. nancymarks233@gmail.com, www. detroithorsepower.org. 28-29 Ride Better Clinic. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail.com, www. paradisefarmaiken.com 28-31 Atlanta Spring Classic II ‘A’ HJ Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 29 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase Schooling Show. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, apltrefarm@aol.com, appletreefarm.homestead.com 30 Dressage Test-of-Choice Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 30-Apr Spring Fling Dressage. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Janet Hennessey, softwindsfarm@gmail.com 31 Hunter Pace. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, GA. Hugh Lochore, 770. 892.2117, chatthillseventing.com 31-Apr1 Elite Showjumping HJ Show.. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 31-Apr1 USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com

APRIL

4 HJ Schooling Show. .Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 4 CT & Dressage Show. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken@gmail.com, www. paradisefarmaiken.com 5-8 Camden Spring Classic USEF HJ Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@ gmail.com, www.psjshows.com 6-8 USEF/USEA Chatt Hills CIC*** HT. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, GA. Hugh Lochore, 770. 892.2117, chatthillseventing.com 7 Pacer & Polo. Whitney Field, Mead Avenue, Aiken, SC. www.aikenpolo. org 7 Backstretch Experience: Behind the Scenes at the Aiken Training Track. $30. 8:45am. Rye Patch parking lot, 100 Berrie Road, Aiken, SC. 803.643.2121 or 803.642.7631, halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov, www. aikenracinghalloffame.com/Backstretch_Experience.html 7 CEC Toopler Branch HJ Show. Toopler Branch Farm, 1035 Lee Lane, Lugoff, SC. 803.699.2282, www.camdenequinecircuit.com 7 Jumping Branch Farm Derby Jump For Cash. Jumping Branch Farm, 179 Fox Pond Road, Aiken, SC. Julie Zapapas, 803.645.1098, zapapasJ@ bellsouth.net, jbfarm.com 7-8 Cheryl & Co. HJ Show.. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 7-10 HQHA: The Stock Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 8 Combined Training Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com 11 USEF/USDF “Spring Fever” Dressage Show. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 12-15 Southern Pines CDE. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www.carolinahorsepark.com 12-15 Trick Training & Performance Liberty Immersion. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www. julierobins.com 13-15 PSJ Camden Spring Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail. com, www.psjshows.com

February-March 2018

13-22 Polo Museum Cup 2 Goal Tournament. Whitney Field, Mead Avenue, Aiken, SC. www.aikenpolo.org 14 GDCTA Schooling Show. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@poplarplacefarm.com, www. poplarplacefarm.com 14 Gwinnett 4-H Spring Open Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 14-15 Joe Fargis Clinic. Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road, Aiken, SC. 803.226.0121, info@aikenhorsepark.org, www.aikenhorsepark.org 14-15 Eventing Academy. Stable View Farm, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC. www.stableviewfarm.com 14-15 Brownwood HJ Show.. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 17 Saratoga Warhorse. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 18-22 Aiken Spring Classic Masters USEF HJ Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www. psjshows.com 18-29 USPA Congressional Cup 4 Goal Tournament. Whitney Field, Mead Avenue, Aiken, SC. www.aikenpolo.org 19 Saratoga Warhorse. Dragonfly Farm, 590 Implement Rd, Aiken, SC 29803. julierobinsinc@gmail.com, www.julierobins.com 20-22 Palmetto Paint Horse Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Anne Louise Miller, 803.900.1253, millawayranch@windstream.net 21 USEF/USEA Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials III. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken, SC. Joannah Hall Glass, 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www.sportingdaysfarm.com 21 CEC Southern Comfort HJ Show. Southern Comfort Farm, 53 Hickory Hill Road, Camden, SC. 803.432.0745, www.camdenequinecircuit.com 21 GDCTA Schooling Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, GA. Hugh Lochore, 770. 892.2117, chatthillseventing.com 21-22 USEF/USDF Poplar Place Farm Dressage Show. Poplar Place Farms, 8191 US Hwy 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.582.3742 x209, donna@ poplarplacefarm.com, www.poplarplacefarm.com 21-22 USEA/USEF Longleaf Pine HT. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www.carolinahorsepark.com 21-22 H. J. Fox Spring Premier Classics I & II. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 25-May 13 Members Cup 8 goal at New Bridge Polo Club. New Bridge Road, Aiken. www.newbridgepolo.com. Haley Bryan 803-215-3577. 25-29 Aiken Spring Classic Finale USEF HJ Show. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Rd, Aiken, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows@gmail.com, www. psjshows.com 27-28 3rd Annual American Hero Pro Rodeo. Columbia Coounty Fairgrounds, 562 Columbia Road, Grovetown, GA. www.ipra-rodeo.com 27-28 SCQHA Mini Circuit. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. Billy Prather, 803.669.1325, bpquarterhorse@bellsouth.net 27-May13 USPA Sportsmanship 6 Goal Tournament. Whitney Field, Mead Avenue, Aiken, SC. www.aikenpolo.org 28-29 Primetime Dressage Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, www.carolinahorsepark.com 28-29 GHF/Massey Ferguson Dressage at the Horse Park. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 28-29 Newton County Saddle Club Open Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 28-29 National Youth Polo Tournament. Whitney Field, Mead Avenue, Aiken, SC. www.aikenpolo.org 29 Combined Training Show. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken, SC. Lara Anderson, 803.215.6590, www.fullgallopfarm.com

The Aiken Horse

Directory of Services BARNS,CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING Cooper Home and Stable. For Equestrians by Equestrians. A unique design and build general contractor specializing in equestrian construction and farm development, architecturally designed custom homes, historic renovations, remodeling and additions. Contact J. D. Cooper, cell 502-417-2307, office 803335-3527, www.cooperhs.com. Joshua Jackson Builders. Building custom homes, barns, and estates in and around the Aiken area. Acreage available for sale. www.JoshuaJacksonBuilders.com 803642-2790 Larlee Construction, LLC. Fine Equestrian Facilities. 1096 Toolebeck Road, Aiken SC 29803. 803.642.9096. www.larleeconstruction.com. BLANKET CLEANING & REPAIR Aiken Horse Blanket. Servicing equestrians with high quality horse blanket repair, wash and waterproof. or your convenience, drop off locations are; Aiken Saddlery, 1044 E. Pine Log Rd, Aiken, 29803 or the 302 General Store, 4746 Wagener Rd. Wagener, 29164. www.aikenhorseblanket.com; on fb Aiken Horse Blanket Group. Contact Elisa @803-640-3211. BOARDING/TURNOUT/TRAINING/SALES Chime Ridge Stables. Stalls available, full, partial or self care. Fun, friendly, adult atmosphere. Convenient to town, South Aiken 803-508-3760. Du Lop Acres. Retirement/Rehab. The farm is based in one of the quietest areas of South Carolina and is ideal for any horse to retire or rehabilitate. A peaceful farm for horses offering personalized full care for your horse. www.dulopacres. com. 858-208-6027 The Stable On The Woods: Elite boarding & training facility and home to trainers Darrell and Melissa Vaughn. With access to Hitchcock Woods, our barn sits on 70 acres and boasts a full size dressage arena with mirrors, show jumping arena and high-quality grass pastures making this the ideal place for you and your horse. Training program to meet your needs, whether your discipline is Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, Jumpers or Foxhunting. www. thestableonthewoods.com 603.785.0435 Vaughn Equestrian: offering training, sales, and boarding. Professionalism is the guiding principle of owners Darrell and Melissa Vaughn in shaping every component of Vaughn Equestrian. Dressage, Jumpers, Eventing & Young Horses. training and sales. www.vaughnequestrian.com (603)-785-0435 COMPANION ANIMALS, CARE & SERVICES Palmetto Dog Club. Training classes, puppy socialization, obedience, rally & agility. 803-262-9686. www.palmettodogclub.org. Trinity Farms Terriers: Norfolk Terriers & Russell Terriers. Quality family dogs with proven calmer dispositions. Generations of great temperaments. Health/ dispositions guaranteed. Breeder of terriers for 30+ years. Donna Fitzpatrick. 803.648.3137. www.easyjacks.com & www.trinityfarmskennel.com & trinitynorfolkterriers.com. FEED, SUPPLEMENTS & SUPPLIES Aiken County Farm Supply. 1933 Park Ave., Aiken. 803.649.2987. Aiken Saddlery & Supply. Full service tack & feed store. 1044 E. Pine Log Rd., Aiken. 803.649.6583. www.aikensaddlery.com HAY Hoss Luva Hay! Exceptional quality Coastal Bermuda. Real fertilizer and lime to Clemson specs, not chicken litter. Never rained on. Square and round bales. Competitively priced. Can deliver state-wide. Fully enclosed truck. Satisfaction guaranteed. Jim McClain. 803.247.4803. HOME & FARM SERVICES Be Fly Free. Automatic fly systems for barns and sheds. No unpleasant odor, no synthetic insecticides, no petroleum distillates. Call Carlos: 803-645-0361. www.beflyfree.com; carlos@beflyfree.com. INSURANCE Betsy Minton, Dietrich Insurance Company, 803. 617. 8353. Providing competitive comprehensive insurance for horses and farms. Excellent professional and personal service always delivered with a smile. www. betsyminton.com. 800 942 4258 Hutson-Etherredge Company. Insuring Aiken farms since 1876. Your hometown independent insurance agency can customize your equine property coverage by choosing the best company to fit your needs. We are a full service insurance agency. Call Sandi Vogus for a quote! 803-649-5141

Aiken Horsemanship Academy. Your naturally inspired adult learning resource! Offering Clinics, Courses, Starting Young Horses, Evaluations, and Lessons. www.JulieRobins.com 803-641-4715. Hunter/Jumper Trainer with winners at WEF, Indoors and Big Eq Finals. Will come to you. Cindy Purcell. 803-649-0990. Jodi Hemry Eventing. Three-Star Eventer offering professional training, sales, boarding, instruction, horse shows, located in the heart of Aiken, SC. 803-6406691 JodiHemryEventing@gmail.com www.JodiHemryEventing.com Dressage in Aiken. Tanya Rennie will be teaching here in February and March, at her place or yours. She is a USDF Gold Medalist with a 5-Star rating from Centerline Scores. Training horses and riders for over 30 years. Students at Training Level through Grand Prix; AA, Jr/YR, and Professionals. Talk or text 207-831-4263. Complete bio at www.viennafarm.com Riding With Reason. Want to improve your riding position, balance & confidence and work in sync with your horse? Try a lesson on the Equi-simulator in our purpose built classroom here in Aiken or bring your own horse for a ridden lesson. Agent for Heather Moffett Soft tree saddles. Yvonne Brookes: info@ ridingwithreason.com; www.ridingwithreason.com. 803 842 3114 PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN SERVICES Gary Knoll Photography.com. Commercial, portrait, weddings, advertising. Pet portraits. Complete wide-format video service. 803.643.9960 410.812.4037. www.garyknollphotography.com REAL ESTATE/ RENTALS Aiken Fine Homes and Land. Specializing in selling or renting homes, farms, land & barns for short or long term leases. 28 years experience in helping people find the property of their dreams, even if it takes building it! Call Barbara Lawrence, 803-439-0778 for honest & realistic answers to your real estate questions. Aiken Luxury Rentals. Distinctive accommodations for horse & rider in beautiful Aiken, SC. Downtown fully furnished cottages, historic stables. Executive relocation; corporate housing. Short & long term. www. aikenluxuryrentals. com; info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. 803.648.2804. Carolina Real Estate Company. Fine homes, estates and horse properties in Aiken, South Carolina. Let us welcome you home to AIKEN, Home of Horses, History & Hospitality! www.carolinahorseproperties.com. (803) 648-8660 Black Sheep Farm. Unfurnished 3 Bed/ 2 bath cottages for long term rental and small furnished loft apartment, small guest house for short term 2 night to seasonal rental, charming pastoral setting yet proximate to downtown Aiken, and Hitchcock Woods. Horses and pets welcome. www.blacksheepfarmaiken. com. 904-234-9596 Magnolia Shadows Equestrian Retreat: Where European hospitality meets Southern charm. Offering horse boarding and bed & breakfast with the traveling horseman in mind. Charming 1895 plantation house, guest cottage, barn apartment, RV sites, matted stalls, 7 paddocks with run-in sheds, arena & riding trails for long- and short-term stays. 20 minutes from historic downtown Aiken in Ridge Spring. Dog boarding also available. www.magnoliashadows. com / 803-522-1226 / info@magnoliashadows.com. Sharer Dale, RE/MAX, Tattersall Group. “Where town meets country.” sharerdale@gmail.com. www.sharerdale.remax-carolina.com 803.522.3648. Suzy Haslup, Meybohm. “Your Aiken Horse Real Estate Specialist.” Buying or selling in the most celebrated equine community in the South. ww.aikenhorserealty.com; 803-215-0153 Tracey Kenworthy Turner, Meybohm. Specializing in marketing & selling Aiken’s horse country properties for 15+ years. www.southernhorsefarms.com. 803215-4734. TACK & TACK CLEANING/REPAIR Tack and harness cleaning and conditioning. Will come to your farm Reasonable rates, $15 per hour. Call Bernadette: 910-639-3115. The Saddle Doctor. Saddlery and harness repair. 538 Two Notch Rd. HollyMacSpencer@aol.com. 803.642.5166. YOGA/FITNESS Aiken Yoga. At Aiken Yoga we are passionate about sharing the benefits that regular Yoga practice has on one’s wellbeing, energy level and state of mind. In addition to Yoga classes, including Yoga for Equestrians, we offer Pilates, Barre and Teacher Certification. Sarah Acord, RN, 116B Pendleton St. Aiken. 803524-8833, sarah@aikenyoga.com; www.aikenyoga.com for schedule.

INSTRUCTION/LESSONS Amy McElroy. USDF Gold Medalist and USEF S judge. Instruction and training at all levels. Visit www.amymcelroy.com or call 803.640-4207.

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

Classifieds Antique Victorian Child’s Push Sleigh

Burgundy With Gold Pinstriping: Circa mid to late 1800’s. This replica of the full-size horse drawn sleighs is in original condition including paint, striping, tufted horse hair upholstery. The handle is removable. $575.00. Email for more pictures or information. redpony7250@gmail.com.

Land For Sale

10 ac off 78 in Aiken. Fenced, in grass and horse shelter. Karenphillis@yahoo.com 803 646-8606

803-645-7538.

Antique Farm House on 6.3 acres with fenced pasture stalls. 2 car garage-carport + pool. Potential for Apartment over barn/ garage pond view creek - Beautiful wood floors - Character detail. 7 minutes to Williston! Formerly the “Diamond Home” moved from Elko to Blackville by Mennonites. $200,000 Priscilla Denehy Meybohm RE 803-617-9706

1890’s Auto Surrey

Amish refurbished Padded Patent leather fenders and dash, convertible top and rubberized wheels. Paint and seat refurbished by antique auto restorer. Single and double shafts included.

$12,000

803-599-6605 BOARDING/TURNOUT Mill Race Farm, Aiken, SC. Warm weather luxury horse retirement, breaking, training, layups. 803-6401818 Chime Ridge Stables. Stalls available, full, partial or self care. Fun, friendly, adult atmosphere. Convenient to town, South Aiken 803-508-3760. Charming & Peaceful horse farm tucked away on 30 serene acres 20 mins from Aiken SC. Operated by top level hunter/jumper professional, we provide training, full & self care boarders. Close to all the major Aiken venues &hunt clubs. Barn offers large tack room w/ full kitchen, feed room, heated wash stall, large, open stalls, turn-out paddocks, grass arena, miles of picturesque trails. Professional lives on site. Highest level of lay-up care for your recovering or ailing horse. Three of Hearts Farm... where people want to ride and horses want to call home. Call Mary: 267-275-3351. BUILDING/REPAIRS/PAINT Building & Repair: Carpentry, Doors, Windows, Decks, Cabinets, Trim, Stairs, Railings, Gates, Wood Siding, Floors, Framing, Repairs. Licensed, bonded, insured. Contact

Paul Dyches. paul.t.dyches@gmail. com. 803-645-6645. HAY Top Quality Second Crop Alfalfa & second crop grass hay from Salem, Ohio, delivered. 330-692-5925. Round and Square Bales. Oakwood Farms: 3593 Silver Bluff Road, Aiken SC 29803. $60 per bale round hay bales. $70 per bale round bales kept inside. Square bales at $7.00 per bale. Will deliver for a small fee. Please call 706-830-2600 or 803827-0864. email garymcelmurray@ glmconstruction.net Hoss Luva Hay! Exceptional quality Coastal Bermuda. Real fertilizer and lime to Clemson specs, not chicken litter. Never rained on. Square and round bales. Competitively priced. Can deliver state-wide. Fully enclosed truck. Satisfaction guaranteed. Jim McClain. 803.247.4803. PETS&SERVICES Black Russian Terrier Puppies: Call Karen. Litter coming February. 803646-8606; karenphillis@yahoo.com Trinity Farms Terriers: Norfolk Terriers & Russell Terriers. Quality family dogs with proven calmer dispositions. Generations of great

temperaments. Health/dispositions guaranteed. Breeder of terriers for 30+ years. Donna Fitzpatrick. 803.648.3137. www.easyjacks.com & www.trinityfarmskennel.com & trinitynorfolkterriers.com. REAL ESTATE & RENTALS Black Sheep Farm. Unfurnished 3 bed/ 2 bath cottages for long term rental and small furnished loft apartment, small guest house for short term 2 night to seasonal rental, charming pastoral setting yet proximate to downtown Aiken, and Hitchcock Woods. Horses and pets welcome. www.blacksheepfarmaiken. com. 904-234-9596 Aiken, SC: Available: 2 six stall

barns & turnout. 3 BR. living quarters. Show ring & riding trails. 803-640-1818 For Rent: 10 acres, 10 stalls. 2-bedroom, 2-bath. Close-in to town. $2,000 per month. 803-474-5194 RIDING LESSONS Dressage in Aiken. Tanya Rennie will be teaching here in February and March, at her place or yours. She is a USDF Gold Medalist with a 5-Star rating from Centerline Scores. Training horses and riders for over 30 years. Students at Training Level through Grand Prix; AA, Jr/YR, and Professionals. Talk or text 207831-4263. Complete bio at www. viennafarm.com

Magnolia Shadows Equestrian Retreat Where European hospitality meets Southern charm. Offering Horse Boarding and Bed & Breakfast Services with the traveling horseman in mind. Charming 1895 plantation house, guest cottage, barn apartment, RV sites, matted stalls, 7 paddocks with run-in sheds, arena and riding trails for long- and short-term stays. 20 minutes from historic downtown Aiken in Ridge Spring. Dog boarding also available on the premises. www.magnoliashadows.com / 803-522-1226 / info@magnoliashadows.com.

Advertising in The Aiken Horse

CLASSIFIED ADS are $25 for the first 30 DIRECTORY LISTING ADS: $25 per issue words & 40 cents for every word or $90 for the year (6 issues.) thereafter. BUSINESS CARDS: $60 per issue or $240 PHOTO CLASSIFIEDS for horses: $35; for the year (6 issues.) Limit 30 words & one picture DISPLAY ADS are available in a range of PHOTO CLASSIFIEDS for real estate, etc. sizes. For a detailed rate sheet and $45; Limit 60 words & one picture. publication schedule, visit our website: BOXED CLASSIFIEDS: add $5 to your total www.TheAikenHorse.com

February-March 2018

MAILING ADDRESS: The Aiken Horse, P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 EMAIL: theAikenHorse@gmail.com We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

Advertise in the April/May issue! Deadline: March 16, 2018 Publication date: April 6 2018

Pay online: www.TheAikenHorse.com or call us: 803.643.9960

The Aiken Horse

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The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

Monetta Farrier Specialties

Now with Two Great Locations

SAME GREAT SERVICE AND BROAD RANGE OF QUALITY FARRIER SUPPLIES

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Serving Aiken year round

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20+ years experience

803.649.9343 home 610.960.2405 for immediate response

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

Mortality FarM liability Care/Custody/Control shawna dietriCh

800-942-4258

Louisville, KY â&#x20AC;˘ Aiken, SC

betsy Minton

803-617-8353

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The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

MalvernFederal.com

TheDalyGrind_TAH.qxp_Layout 1 4/14/17 1:34 PM Page 1

Skills: entity Visual Id g Brandin Design Cohesion e r Servic Custome creative services • graphic design • web design

www.karenadaly.com 803/215.1082 • karendaly70@gmail.com

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• residential

• equestrian • land

KAREN DALY REALTOR®

The Aiken Horse

803/649-8103 • kdaly@meybohm.com

February-March 2018

Index of Advertisers Advertiser

Page Section

Advertiser

Page Section

Adams Horse and Pet Supplies

Marrinson Stables

Aiken County Farm Supply

Matrix Corporate Park

Aiken Equine & Associates

Meybohm RE Haslup

Aiken Fine Homes and Land

Meybohm RE Vaillancourt

Aiken Horsemanship Academy

Meybohm RE Vaillancourt

Aiken Luxury Rentals

Meybohm Realtors (Turner)

Aiken Pet Fitness & Rehabilitation

Meybohm Realtors Stinson

Aiken Real Estate Company

Morton Buildings

Aiken Saddlery, Inc.

Oak Manor Saddlery

Aiken Tack Exchange

Optimum Equine LLC

Aiken Training Track

Pait Show Horses

Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue

Palmetto Feed Exchange

Apple Tree Farm

Paradise Farm

Auto Tech

Pat Blewett

Banks Mill Feeds

Patty Merli Saddles

Barnware

Pierce Buckingham

Be Fly Free

Polysols/GGT Footing

Breakfast at The Gallops

Progressive Show Jumping, Inc

Bridlewood Farm

Rancho Pampa

Carolina Cup Steeplechase

ReMax -S.Dale

Carolina Real Estate Company

ReMax -S.Dale

Carolina Real Estate Company

Ride The Rail

Clint Bertalan Farms LLC

Rose Hill Estate

Deceased Pet Care, inc.

Scribble Horse

DFG Stables

Shadow Trailer World Inc.

100

Epona

Shane Doyle

Equine Divine

Shelter Pet Project

Equine Rescue of Aiken

South Carolina Equine Park

Equine Ultrasound

Southern Equine Service

Equiterra Properties

Southern States Cooperative, Inc.

Equus Film Festival, Camden

SPCA

Estancia La Victoria

Sporting Days Farm

Estrella Equine

Stable View Farm, LLC

Fencing Solutions

Supreme Top Form

FOTAS Aiken

Sweet PDZ (PDZ Co. LLC)

Foy Insurance

The Tack Room

Gary Knoll Photography

The Willcox

Happily Ever After Dressage

Three Runs Plantation

Hitchcock Woods Foundation

Tod’s Hill/ReMax

UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Vienna Farm

Wagons to Wagener

Julia Kubicek

Warneke Cleaners

Keller Williams- Gutierrez

Whiskey Road Foxhounds Hunter Pace

Wolf Construction

Houndslake Realty Johnson’s Farm & Garden JP King Auctions

Larlee Construction Lightning Protection Systems

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

Mike Hosang, center, with a member of the staff and the Woodside Hounds. 1961.

Historic Aiken The Woodside Hounds

efore Aiken’s Woodside Plantation was a gated community, it was a private estate and hunting preserve owned by James A. and Elizabeth Leake Burden, who bought the 2,300 acre property from the Spaulding family in 1955. The Burdens named the property Woodside Plantation after the Burden home on Long Island and in Troy, New York. On his father’s side, James Burden was the great grandson of Henry Burden, who founded Burden Ironworks. Burden Ironworks was once the largest manufacturer of horseshoes and horseshoe nails in the country. On his mother’s side, he was the great grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. From the early 1960s until the early 1970s, Woodside Plantation provided territory for the Woodside Hounds, a private hunt for which Mrs. Burden served as joint Master of Foxhounds – her husband’s passion was shooting quail, not riding. The other joint master was Barry Leithead, who was the chairman of a company that made shirts and a golfing partner of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Johnny Hosang, one of Aiken’s most accomplished horsemen, worked for the Burdens. He managed and oversaw the property, trained the horses and the hunting dogs, and served as the huntsman. The plantation included about 300 acres of fields ideal for quail hunting as well as many hundreds of acres of producing timber. The entrance to the plantation was marked by a pair of stone pillars, surmounted by fox ornaments. Back in those days, red and grey foxes were still plentiful in the Aiken area – this was long before coyotes had extended their range into the

South, and foxes were the quarry of choice for the hunt. While the Aiken Hounds typically held a drag hunt in the Hitchcock Woods from Thanksgiving until March and hunted twice a week, the Woodside Hounds started their season in January and hunted three times a week. The hunt territory was immense, encompassing not just the 2,300 acres belonging to the Burdens, but also extending into Silver Bluff Farm, an adjoining property co-owned by Barry Leithead and Oliver Appleton, who served as the hunt’s honorary secretary. Woodside also leased about 20,000 additional acres of woods and fields in the surrounding countryside. The hunt, which generally had about 15 couple of hounds, never had a particularly large field, but it did have a dedicated one. They would typically set out at dawn and might hunt for as long as eight hours. Some years, Sherman Haight, who was the MFH of the Litchfield Hounds in Connecticut, would bring his pack down for the season and Woodside and Litchfield would hold joint meets. Members of the Aiken Hounds sometimes joined the field as well. In the early 1970s, the Woodside hunting tradition faded away. Barry Leithead died in 1974. Johnny Hosang retired. In the 1980s, Woodside was sold for development, and buyers eagerly lined up to purchase their parcels. A 1986 article in the Aiken Standard included an interview with then-76-year-old Johnny Hosang about the development, who admitted that it was a little hard for him to accept. But he was philosophical. “You can’t stand in the way of progress,” he said.

The Aiken Horse

February-March 2018

The Aiken Horse

TRAILER WORLD Shadow

the best deals New, Used, Consignments, Custom-Builts, and Trade-Ins! FIND YOUR NEAREST SHADOW DEALER LOCATION NOW:

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t f i r h T s p o h S 1557 Whiskey Rd. | 404 Richland Ave. E.

OPEN Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm

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100% of revenue goes to helping the animals in our care

Volunteers Needed!

Donation Pickup!

Even if you only have an hour or two per week to spare, you can help!

Ask about our FREE donation pick-up for larger items!

Call Director of Community Relations at (803) 648 - 6863 or email jessica@letlovelive.org

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The Dog & Hound

Call to schedule a pickup at (803) 648 - 6863

199 Willow Run Road, Aiken SC (803) 648-6863

Spring 2018

P.O. Box 332 • Montmorenci, SC 29839-0332 • 803.643.9960 •

www.TheDogAndHound.com • Editor@TheDogAndHound.com

Time Dated Material • Periodicals • Volume 7 • Number 1

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. The Chinese follow the lunar calendar so their new year actually starts on the next new moon, February 16. The Year of the Dog is the second to last year in the cycle, followed by the Year of the Pig. According to mythology, the order of the years was determined by a race to see which animal would pass through the Heavenly Gate first. The Dog actually arrived at the same time as the Rooster, but he was so polite he let the Rooster go first. There is no Year of the Cat because the Rat deceived him. Depending on which story you like better, the Rat tricked the Cat so that he missed the race, or he pushed him into the river where he drowned. And that is why, forever after, the Cat and the Rat have been mortal enemies. So what happens in the Year of the Dog? Chinese tradition holds that the dog symbolizes luck. Dogs are said to be honest, loyal and good at helping people solve their problems. People born during the Year of the Dog are considered to be trustworthy, courageous and hard working, but also to appear stubborn and opinionated. For most people, the Year of the Dog is said to bring good luck. But there is one exception. According to folklore, the year of one’s own zodiac sign is unlucky, with trouble and danger lurking in

every shadow. So if your zodiac sign is the dog (you were born in the years 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 and so on), this is a time to be especially careful. We certainly hope that the Year of the Dog will not be an unlucky one for actual dogs too! Our dogs deserve all the good luck they can get. They don’t always get it. In this unusually cold winter, there have been stories up and down the East Coast about outdoor dogs that have died because they were not provided with adequate shelter, and worse. These stories have been featured in the media, and they have provoked outrage and stirred controversy in many communities. There is a general consensus that some laws need to be strengthened to punish people who mistreat their dogs and that others should be modified to allow the authorities greater latitude when it comes to protecting dogs in danger. There will be various hearings and new regulations proposed here in Aiken and also on the state level in the coming months. On the other side of that coin, it is generally true that the people whose dogs are poorly cared for might change their ways if they were better educated about the needs of their animals and if they had a higher standard of living themselves. Some people in the greater community are offended by the passion with which dog lovers defend the mistreated dogs. These people think the dog lovers care more about dogs than about people, and feel the passion is misdirected. We disagree. Compassion is not a zero-sum game, and we don’t have a finite amount that must be divided between caring for animals and caring for other humans. We believe it is possible to do both. We hope you enjoy this issue and you and your pack are ready for the Year of the Dog. How will you be celebrating?

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

Winner of the Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers Association of America: Best Canine or All Animal Newspaper Spring 2018

The Dog and Hound EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pam Gleason ART DIRECTOR Gary Knoll ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jean Berko Gleason LAYOUT & DESIGN Gary Knoll ADVERTISING 803.643.9960 editor@thedogandhound.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Pam Gleason Gary Knoll

Going Out Of Town? Don’t miss future issues of The Dog and Hound. We will send you a one year subscription (3 issues) for $14.00. Just send us a check or credit card & your mailing address: P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 editor@thedogandhound.com Or sign up on the web at www.TheDogandHound.com

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Our cover shows a pair of Standard Schnauzers owned and bred by Shana Schnauzers of Aiken, S.C. Read about these dynamic dogs on page 12 Photography by Pam Gleason

The Dog and Hound Policies: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers, editors, or the policies of The Aiken Horse, LLC. The Dog and Hound is owned by The Aiken Horse, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Augusta Kennel Club Dog News Standard Schnauzers Silver Paws Saving the Chain Dogs Regional Calendar Too Many Dogs

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Spring 2018

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Augusta Kennel Club

New Facility for an Enduring Tradition by Pam Gleason

he Augusta Kennel Club, founded in 1946, is devoted to protecting and promoting all kinds of dogs and dog activities. Throughout its history, it has held shows, conducted clinics and seminars, offered dog training classes and helped to educate people in the community about responsible dog ownership. Although the organization has been around for a long time, one thing that it hasn’t had before is its own facility. But last winter, the club finalized the purchase of a new building in Appling, Ga., not far from downtown Augusta. With a new headquarters and indoor training facility, the club hopes to be able to offer more services to the dogloving public, and allow its members and guests to train and compete in comfort. “People think, we’re in the South, it should be nice to train dogs and hold competitions outside, but a lot of times the weather isn’t really conducive,” says Amy Jenkins, who is the club’s recording secretary. “It’s hard to train when it is 100 degrees out, or for that matter when it is 20 degrees out, and we get both extremes.” Amy, whose breed is Rottweilers, has been a member of the Augusta Kennel Club for about 10 years. She competes in obedience, and her dog Ike, who died in December at the age of 12, was one of the top Rottweiler obedience dogs in the country. The new facility has a large indoor training and competition space with a matted floor, where the club has been holding classes, seminars and competitions since last February. This January, they held a weekend-long rally obedience trial that attracted members and guest from the Central Savannah River Area and beyond. The judge drove in from Atlanta, as did a few of the competitors. One of them, Raychel Sullins, ran the course with her miniature American Eskimo dog Gatsby. Raychel, who has been competing in agility for about 15 years, is a newcomer to rally obedience, and she said she was very impressed with the club. “This is the nicest club,” she said. “This is my first time doing rally, and I was nervous. It makes a really big difference when people are nice.” Raychel also brought along her young rescue dog, Jete, who didn’t compete, but had a chance to come into the facility and get some experience being in a dog show arena. After the trial was over on Sunday afternoon, club members and trial participants had the chance to practice on the rally course. Rally obedience is one of the fastest growing dogs sports in America. From the outside, it looks like a cross between a standard obedience trial and an agility test. In obedience, dogs must perform a set of prescribed movements in the ring with their handlers. The atmosphere is strict and formal: handlers are not allowed to speak to the dog and they don’t usually display too much obvious enthusiasm. In agility, the dogs race through a course of obstacles, their handlers running along with them and shouting directions and encouragement along the way. In rally obedience, the dogs go through a course that has a series of

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different stations where they must perform certain movements. There are directions at each station so it does not become a memory test, and the handlers are permitted to talk to and praise their dogs. The tasks they must perform at each station are obedience-related instead of strictly athletic, and the dogs are scored on how well they perform, rather than on how fast they make it through the course. This makes it more fun for most people than straight obedience, and easier to do than agility, especially for people and dogs who are not up to lots of running. The Augusta Kennel Club has about 60 members and holds a meeting the first Wednesday of every month. Sometimes these meetings are strictly about club business, but they also might include guest speakers and presentations. In addition, there are training classes held at the club in both the mornings and the evenings. In February, there will be a weekend-long obedience seminar conducted by Jane Jackson who is one of the top obedience competitors and clinicians in the country. According to materials provided by the Augusta Kennel Club, her workshops are “different from ‘conventional’ obedience seminars that focus on teaching obedience exerciszes. I use a lot of play, games and tricks in training to keep my dogs focused and keep their attitudes up, and that is what I show in the workshop.” Jane Jackson will be teaching February 17 and 18 and the clinic is limited to 15. More information is available on the Augusta Kennel Club website. In addition to these activities, the club will have an obedience trial August 18 and 19. Their annual October show is their largest of the year. Held in North Augusta at the Riverview Park Activities Center, it is an all breed show that includes conformation obedience and rally obedience classes. “Last year we had about 800 entrants,” says Carol Cox, who is the president of the club. Carol, who shows and races Whippets, has been a member of the club since the early 1980s when she moved to the area from Greenville. Like Amy, she is excited about the new facility and looks forward to seeing the club grow. “Our monthly meetings are open to the public,” she says. “And we have plenty of training classes for novices if people want to try something new. We also do some other things in the community, such as responsible owners education day at the Richmond County Animal Shelter, and we sometimes donate to the University of Georgia vet school in Athens or to the humane society.” Carol and Amy agree that there has been a good amount of interest in dog activities in this area for a long time. The club has members from the Augusta area and about half of them are from across the river in Aiken. “We welcome anyone to come join us,” says Amy. “We’re a welcoming group.” For more information, visit www.augustakennelclub.org.

Spring 2018

Raychel Sullins and Gatsby with the trial judge Leslye Pinnell

Spring 2018

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Dog News

What’s Happening by Pam Gleason

Carolina Cup JRT Races

For 24 years, terrier racing has been a tradition at the Colonial Cup, Camden’s annual fall steeplechase. This year, the Colonial Cup will be held on March 31, on the same day as the Carolina Cup, the traditional spring race. The organizers decided to move the whole fall party to the spring, and so terrier racing will be at the spring steeplechase for the first time ever. “We are really excited to be starting something new. It’s almost like we get to start fresh,” says Deborah Fulton, who is organizing the races. “We don’t really know what to expect. We know there is more socializing at this event so we are making our day a little bit shorter. We want time to visit the vendors and enjoy the beautiful grounds too.” Deborah has been involved with the group that holds races at the steeplechase for 25 plus years. The group’s founder, Ken Baker, died four years ago and Deborah, with the help of family and close friends, has been continuing Ken’s legacy. “We are going to use Ken’s schedule from back in the 1990s at the Carolina Cup,” says Deborah. “There will be about 15 races including a “go-to-ground” and the Thunder Tunnel, which is a big crowd pleaser.” Most of the races will be set over hurdles, just like the steeplechase itself. There are larger hurdles for experienced dogs and smaller ones for novices and puppies. The go-to-ground races consist of a 30-foot aboveground tunnel which is shortened for young, inexperienced racers. The Thunder Tunnel is also an above ground tunnel but it has plexi-glass on one side so spectators can watch the dogs as they burrow their way to the other end. “The dogs love the Thunder Tunnel and the owners get so excited,” says Deborah. “We are really hoping it will get a great response this year. We want new people to join us. Most of us have been together for 25 years. We would love some new faces!” Any dog that can fit through a 9” hole is welcome to join the Ken Baker racers. In the past, they have had Dachshunds and mixed breeds along with the Jack Russells that dominate the sport. “We welcome anyone,” she adds. “We would love to teach new dogs how to race. We like to start when they are puppies but older dogs are certainly welcome as well.” The terrier races will be held on the infield of the Springdale Racecourse and will provide a more intimate spectator experience than the equestrian steeplechase, which is traditionally as much an excuse to have a party as it is a race meet. The day will also feature vendors, a live band and large crowds of spectators celebrating, the outdoors and spring.

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Dog Flu

This winter, the news has been full of stories about the most deadly influenza outbreak in the American (human) population in decades. People have been urged to get vaccinated, even though the vaccine that was created this year is estimated to be only about 10-30 percent effective. The theory is that even if you come down with the flu, if you are vaccinated you will probably get a milder case. With all the talk about human flu, dog owners have been wondering about their dogs. There is no evidence that dogs can catch the flu from humans, but dog do have their own strains of canine influenza, which, like its human counterpart, is highly contagious. There are two different influenza viruses that have been found in dogs. One, H3N8, first reported at a Greyhound track in 2004, is related to equine influenza and is thought to have mutated from that virus and “jumped” to dogs. The other, H3N2 seems to have come from Asia and was first seen in American dogs in 2015. This virus is closely related to an avian flu. Symptoms of the dog flu include coughing, sneezing, lack of appetite, lethargy and fever. Although canine flu is rarely fatal, dogs with symptoms should always be examined by a veterinarian. The Asian type of flu in particular can present in a severe form that carries the risk of pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. Your dog may need fluids if he is dehydrated, antibiotics if he is at risk of infection, and even oxygen or a nebulizer if he is very congested. If your dog is currently healthy but you are planning on taking him to a boarding facility or you frequent dog parks, doggy daycare or anywhere with large numbers of dogs, you may also elect get him vaccinated. The canine flu, unlike the human flu, is not seasonal, so your dog can get it at any time. The Asian strain of dog flu has been reported this year in parts of the Midwest from Ohio to Kentucky and Illinois and is fairly widespread in California. Dogs with flu-like symptoms have been tested all over the map, but most have come up negative. Whether or not to vaccinate your dog is a question for your veterinarian. People who go to dog shows are usually counseled to get the shot. In 2015, canine influenza struck the dog show world, causing panic. Shows were canceled and people kept their dogs home. Although there does not appear to be a serious outbreak of dog flu on the East coast, last June, the Charlotte Observer reported that two North Carolina show dogs died after they contracted influenza at shows in Florida and Georgia.

Spring 2018

Dog Owners Live Longer

Various scientific studies have suggested that dog owners are healthier than people of similar ages and backgrounds who do not own dogs. A new study out of Sweden published this fall indicates that owning a dog may be particularly beneficial for people who live alone. Dog ownership also seems to have some specific benefits for heart health. Since heart disease remains the number one cause of death in America, this may be especially significant. The Swedish study tracked 12 years of hospital records from 3.4 million Swedes between the ages of 40 and 80. Sweden was a particularly good country for this kind of study because medical records there have been recorded in a national database for decades. There are also databases that include dog ownership statistics. The study, which sought to determine what effect, if any, dog ownership has on cardiovascular health, linked those databases together to conduct a statistical survey. The conclusion was that the dog owners in the study had a lower risk of death and heart disease than the non-owners. Dogs were especially beneficial to the health of single people, as opposed to people living in multi-person households. Those who owned dogs originally bred for hunting saw the most benefit to their heart health. Researchers from the University of Uppsala who conducted the study cautioned that their results only show a correlation between dog ownership, better cardiovascular health and lower risk of death. This does not mean that they have figured out why this is the case. Healthier, more active people may be drawn to dogs, and the most active and healthiest of them all might gravitate to the hunting breeds, which generally require more exercise. The beneficial effect of dog ownership might be related to the regular exercise dog owners get in walks. It might come from lower stress levels, or even from simple companionship. There is also a theory floating around that living with dogs is beneficial for humans because dogs expose humans to various bacteria that are good for human health. It seems likely that the reasons dog owners are healthier are complex and multi-factorial. Whatever the reasons behind them, the results are pretty striking. In this study, single dog owners had a 33 percent reduction in the risk of death and an 11 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to their dog-less compatriots. This puts dog ownership in the same general category as taking an aspirin every day when it comes to preventive medicine and heart health.

New Museum Guard in Boston

According to the Boston Globe, a Weimaraner puppy named Riley has been recruited to sniff out insects in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Riley, who is owned by the head of the museum’s department of protective services, will be starting scent training soon with his owner. The plan is to teach him to detect moths, beetles and other pests that might inadvertently be lurking in new museum acquisitions. These pests, once introduced to the museum, have the potential to damage rare or ancient textiles or any object made of wood or other organic materials. After being identified by Riley, the insects would be dealt with by various means. Riley will work behind the scenes as a volunteer and his job is officially described as a pilot program. “If it is something that works, it’s something that other museums, or other libraries . . . could use,” Katie Getchell told the Globe. Getchell is the chief brand officer and deputy director of the museum. Using a dog’s sniffing ability to find bugs is not a new thing, of course. Over the past decade, bedbugs have become widespread in many American cities such as New York. If you have a serious infestation of bedbugs you will probably know it. If you suspect you have them but are not sure, your local pest control company might dispatch a team of bedbug sniffing Beagles to check it out. How accurate are they? It depends on the individual dog and on his training. The best bedbug dogs have been shown to have an accuracy rate of over 97 percent in finding bedbugs, with no false positives.

Spring 2018

Westminster 2018

About 3200 dogs are expected to descend on New York City for the 142nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, held from February 10-14. The schedule starts on Saturday, February 10, with “Meet & Compete.” This will feature the fifth annual Master’s Agility Championship from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with finals from 7-9 p.m. Meet the Breeds, which is like a trade show for dogs, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The third annual Masters Obedience Championship will take place on Monday, February 12, in conjunction with the first day of breed judging. Daytime sessions will be at Piers 92 and 94 on the West Side, with evening group judging at Madison Square Garden. Tuesday will feature the second day of breed judging, all culminating in the Best in Show class on Tuesday night, February 13. This year, the AKC has admitted two new breeds of dogs to the official roster of competitors. The first is the Nederlandse Kooikerhonde, a spaniel-like Dutch duck hunting dog that will compete in the sporting group. The second is the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, which will compete in the hound group. These dogs, from the Vendee region of France, have long bodies, short legs and shaggy coats. Bred to track everything from rabbits to wolves, they like to work together in packs and are said to be energetic, athletic and playful. Who will win Best in Show in 2018? The top dog in the country going into Westminster is a Giant Schnauzer named Ty. Ty is a 4-year-old black dog owned by Carol Mann of West Greenwich, R. I. and handled by Katie Bernardino of Chaplin, Conn. The second ranked dog is a Puli named Preston, who came into last year’s Westminster as the country’s top dog. Preston won his breed last year, but was beaten in the group competition by Rumor, a German Shepherd who had been favored to win the year before, and ended the evening as the Best in Show. Neither a Giant Schnauzer nor a Puli has ever been Best in Show at Westminster.

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Spring 2018

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Spring 2018

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Standard Schnauzers

Intelligence, Athleticism & a Mustache by Pam Gleason

chnauzers, whose name is derived from the German word for a muzzle, are attractive, athletic dogs with hypoallergenic wiry coats and a distinctive beard and mustache. This gives them an old-world appearance, making them look a bit like the subjects of a Rembrandt painting, or like photographs of Civil War generals. The have a peppy, humorous temperament, however, that belies their serious demeanor. Schnauzers may have a distinguished look, but they definitely like to have fun. Schnauzers were developed in the 19th century from an ancient type of wire-haired German dog that was used on farms to guard livestock, hunt rats and protect the home. Today’s dog is the result of crossing these original German working dogs with black poodles and grey Wolfspitzes. This helped produce the two recognized coat colors of today’s dog: black, and salt and pepper. It also helped create the Schnauzer’s trademark beard and mustache. Although Schnauzers resemble terrier type dogs, they do not exhibit terrier traits. Schnauzers today come in three distinct varieties: Miniature, Standard and Giant. Although the main difference among these dogs is their size, they are recognized as distinct breeds. The Standard Schnauzer, closest of the three to the original 19th century breed, is a medium-sized animal, with males ideally standing between 18.5 to 19.5 inches at the shoulder and weighing about 40 pounds. Females are slightly smaller at 17.5 to 18.5 inches. They are active, energetic and extremely smart. They make excellent family dogs, but are the kind of animal that needs a job, or they might get themselves into trouble. In addition to requiring attention, affection and exercise, Schnauzers need to be groomed. Show dogs in America are prepared for the ring from the time they are very little. Their tails are docked and their ears are cropped and trained to stand up. In other countries, standards differ, and it is, in fact, illegal in some countries to crop ears and tails on any dog. Although it would be very rare to see an American Schnauzer with a natural tail (it curls over their backs) there are some Schnauzers in this country with natural, dropped ears. It is possible to clip Schnauzers to keep their coats tidy, but the proper way to groom them is to hand strip them. This is especially important for salt and pepper colored dogs since each of their hairs is ticked with black and white.

Hand stripping preserves that distinctive coloring whereas clipping would ruin it. Schnauzers have been in America since around 1900, but the Schnauzer Club of America wasn’t formed until 1925. The breed has never been very popular in this country, although it does have devoted enthusiasts. Standard Schnauzers are considered part of the AKC working group and are ranked as the 85th most popular dogs in the country.

Shana Schnauzers

Shana Standard Schnauzers, based in Aiken, has had dogs that have won pretty much everything they could in the conformation ring. They have been to prestigious shows all over the country, won at Westminster and competed at the World Dog Show in Finland. LeAnn Shank started Shana Schnauzers with her husband Louis in Pennsylvania where they lived. LeAnn had a dog grooming shop, and she became interested in Schnauzers after coming in contact with them through her work. She got her first puppy in 1985 and started showing in 1987. That first dog was named Lana for short, and the kennel name “Shana” comes from a combination of that dog’s nickname and their last name. Shana Schnauzers relocated to Aiken through the Shank’s relationship with Dr. Cindy Brown of Aiken Animal Hospital. In the past, Dr. Brown had owned various different kinds of dogs, including Rottweilers and Welsh Cardigan Corgis. She says she had first noticed Schnauzers back in the 1970s. “I looked at them and I said, this is a fit, dynamic breed,” she says. “Then I had a client come into my practice with two salt and pepper Schnauzers. They were very typey and very strong with a nice brain to them, beautiful coats.” Dr. Brown was dogless at the time and she was intrigued. She started to do research on Schnauzers, visiting various websites to find out who was breeding the dogs and where she might be able to obtain one. There was one website she kept finding herself coming back to: Shana Schnauzers.

The next time her client with the Schnauzers came in, she asked him where she might find a responsible breeder with sound, healthy dogs. He told her she needed to call LeAnn. “That’s the website I have been looking at,” she said. Everything seemed to be falling into place. “Cindy contacted me and to be honest I hated to sell that far away,” says LeAnn. But after two years of waiting, Dr. Brown finally got her puppy. Then LeAnn started to come down to Aiken about once a month to help Cindy learn about grooming and everything to do with the breed. “One day Cindy called me and she said ‘The house next door to me is for sale and I’m buying it,’” continues LeAnn. “So I said to Louis, I’m going to live down in South Carolina in the winter, and he said ‘You’re not leaving me here.’” The Shanks soon sold their Pennsylvania home and relocated to Aiken. Today they live next door to Aiken Animal Hospital, and Dr. Brown is an integral part of the business. They own and breed dogs together, and they enjoy raising and training puppies to be well-socialized and happy members of the family as well as successful show ring competitors. Some dogs live with Dr. Brown, while others live with Louis and LeAnn. The Shanks have a big backyard where all the dogs can play, and LeAnn gives them extra exercise by riding around the yard on a scooter while they chase her. The fence around this property is six feet high and in excellent repair, but the barrier still needs to be reinforced with an electric dog wire because a few of the dogs will jump over it: that’s how athletic they are. Those dogs wear their electric fence collars with what looks like pride. Mere wood and wire fences are no match for them. “We’ve been in this business for a long time,” says LeAnn. “You see a lot of people getting into Schnauzers and think they want to breed them, but when they find out how much work it is and how expensive it is, they get out. I think the reason that we have lasted is that we do it because we really

love the dogs.” Dr. Brown and the Shanks agree that the one thing that distinguishes Schnauzers the most is that they are very intelligent. “They’re smarter than you,” says Dr. Brown. “You can’t sell them to people who aren’t smart.” “They do outsmart most people,” agrees LeAnn. “But I think the neatest thing about them is they have a great sense of humor. They talk you into doing something that you weren’t going to do, and then they sit back and almost laugh at you. They can also be very intense and serious about they are doing.” One of Shana Schnauzer’s most recent big champions, Parker, was the number one Standard Schnauzer in the country in 2015 and he went on to Westminster in 2016 where he won his breed class and had the opportunity to compete for Best Of Group. Another Shana standout, Giorgio, who, among her other honors was the Select Bitch at Westminster the following year, will likely head out on the road in the future to try to be the number one dog as well. But before she does that, she will be having a litter of puppies. “There is such a short window of time that you can breed them and show them,” says LeAnn, explaining that there is no conflict between motherhood and a dog show career. “They look fit again within six weeks of having a litter.” In addition to showing, LeAnn says that her dogs have done therapy work, agility and obedience and that she would like to make a lure coursing set up in her yard. Parker, who is not currently showing in the conformation ring, is going to be her rally obedience partner in the near future. Although both the Shanks and Dr. Brown have kennel set-ups for the dogs, for the most part, the Schnauzers live in the home as part of the family. They sleep in the bed and they love to play with tennis balls. “They’re dogs,” LeAnn says with a laugh. “They have fun.”

The Dog & Hound

Spring 2018

Silver Paws

The Golden Girls: Banshee, Snoopy & DB Story and Photography Pam Gleason

ary Lou Seymour says she and her three dogs, DB, Banshee and Snoopy, are growing old together. DB and Banshee are 12, while Snoopy is 13. Mary Lou, who is the co-founder of the rescue group Shelter Animals Advocates (based in North Augusta, S.C.) got all three dogs as rescues. In the past, they used to go to dog training classes together and take long walks in the Hitchcock Woods. Today, their favorite walk is Hopeland Gardens, which is a smaller area and more manageable. They also enjoy strolls through downtown Aiken, trips to the North Augusta Greenway and to various local dog stores and boutiques. They travel in Mary Lou’s van along with their younger packmate Lucky, each dog in her own private wire crate. DB and Banshee came to Mary Lou as puppies. At the time, she was living in the Midland Valley in Aiken County, but she had a big piece of land in nearby Edgefield County with nothing on it but a toolshed. One Sunday morning, she and her former husband went up to take a walk around the property. When they approached the toolshed, they heard a loud racket. “There were these terrible evil noises coming out from under it,” says Mary Lou. “Barking and growling and terrible sounds.” She cautiously bent down and peered beneath. There she saw two little puppies, about 10 weeks old. One had a fluffy dark brown brindle coat; the other was black and white with shorter hair. Both were little girls. The puppies came out, and Mary Lou knew she had to look after them. First she went around the neighborhood to see if she could discover who they belonged to. She learned that on Saturday night someone had dumped a litter of six puppies on the road. Two went to a neighbor’s house; two were hit by cars and killed, and the final two took refuge under the toolshed. In short order she built a pen (she could not keep dogs in her Midland Valley home) and within a few months she had moved to the Edgefield property, which she fenced in so her new dogs could run and play. Banshee, the fluffy coated one, was named for the terrible shrieking noises she would make when she was unhappy. DB, the black and white one, is short for an affectionate (yet unprintable) epithet that the puppy earned from her habit of stealing and hiding tools, jewelry, combs, hats, pencils and any other items she could get her paws on. Snoopy came into their lives a few years later. No one knows Snoopy’s entire history. All Mary Lou knows is that in January 2008, her former owner, an older man, put her in a crate and surrendered her to the Aiken SPCA. She was about 3 years old, and a pretty, caramel-colored, softcoated dog with gorgeous golden eyes. She was also terrified, traumatized and intractable. Not only was she scared, she was also fear aggressive and would snap and bite at anyone who approached her. Mary Lou was a volunteer at the SPCA at the time and, although the management did not think Snoopy’s prospects of ever becoming adoptable were good, Mary Lou convinced them to let her try. “The first day I just sat in her kennel for two hours,” says Mary Lou. “At the end of two hours, she came over to me, and I said to myself ‘This is worth it. She will come around.’” Mary Lou was working nearby at the time, and she would go visit Snoopy every day on her lunch hour. Snoopy refused to wear a collar (it made her panic), and so Mary Lou got her a harness so she could take her on walks and out on the town. “I went to a lot of adoption events with her,” says Mary Lou. “She would be all right as long as I was right there and she could see me, but if I had to step out for a minute, she would panic.” She even bit one of the other volunteers. It was clear that there was only one appropriate adoptive home for this terror-stricken dog: Mary Lou’s. And so Mary Lou adopted her and took her home right before Thanksgiving. At home with DB and Banshee, Snoopy quickly became a happy part of the pack. The dogs liked to run around on the property, sniffing and hunting for rats and moles that Banshee would expertly dispatch and bring to Mary Lou. (Then DB, the leader of the pack, would run off with them.) Snoopy became obsessed with playing fetch. One day, when Mary Lou was throwing a ball for her, she took a bad step and tore her ACL, a ligament in the hind leg that is very susceptible to damage in dogs that run and jump.

Spring 2018

The treatment of choice for a serious ACL injury such hers is surgery, but that was going to be difficult for Snoopy. “You couldn’t take her to the vet,” says Mary Lou. “Even just to get her shots, I would have to have the vet come out to the parking lot to meet us.” Instead, Snoopy went to Aiken Pet Fitness and Rehabilitation on Willow Run Road. There she learned to do exercises in an underwater treadmill, which she loved, and to balance on inflated rubber balls. Within about six months she was walking normally again, and within a year her injury was healed. This proved a turning point in her life. “It was the best thing that ever happened to her,” says Mary Lou. “When we first started going to rehab, I had to be there with her the whole time. But after a while she learned it was okay, and started letting other people handle her and touch her. It has been a tremendous help to her psychologically.” In the beginning, Dr. Sybil Davis, the owner of Aiken Pet Fitness and Rehab, couldn’t even wear her white coat when she worked with Snoopy. Today, Snoopy is far more relaxed and trusting. When she tore the ACL on her other leg a few years ago, she was even able to have the surgery she needed, although the vet did have to sedate her in the parking lot to bring her into the clinic. While DB and Snoopy are ladies of leisure, Banshee has a job. Long before the three dogs came into her life, Mary Lou made regular visits to people at nursing homes and senior care facilities. When she got the two puppies, other volunteers at the SPCA convinced her that she should train them to be therapy dogs so that they could help her with this work. She took both dogs to training classes and both earned their Canine Good Citizens certificates. DB was overly friendly and familiar (“It was hard to train her not to jump up on people,”) so she washed out. Banshee however, was a star, easily earning her certificate from the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. “People love Banshee. She stands perfectly still, and they can pat her and do anything to her.” She wears a special outfit to do her work that includes a harness that identifies her as a therapy dog and sometimes even a ruffle around her neck. This lets her know she is on the job and it makes her feel special. In addition to working with people in nursing homes, Banshee and Mary Lou also volunteer with an after-school program for children from disadvantaged homes. Banshee loves the children and they love her. This work also allows Mary Lou to spread the gospel of responsible pet ownership to an impressionable population. “They always ask me if she has had any babies, and I say no, because she has been spayed. And then I explain to them why that is important.” Mary Lou teaches the children how to treat a dog with respect, not to pull its tail or poke it in the eye. “I see a big difference in the way they treat her after that.” A few years ago, Lucky came into all of their lives. Lucky was a little black puppy abandoned in the parking lot of Mary Lou’s church. She took him home, and the three older dogs took responsibility for him right away. “I am too old for a puppy,” she says. “DB, Banshee and Snoopy raised him, housebroke him and did everything for him.” Today, Lucky, 3, is an integral part of the family. As they grow older, all three dogs are slowing down. Snoopy, who still goes to rehab on a regular basis, has her own ramp so that she doesn’t have to jump into the car. DB takes thyroid medicine. Otherwise, the three are relatively healthy and enjoying each day as it comes. Mary Lou says that she does too. “I try to think like a dog does,” she says. “I take each day for what it is and we’ll see what tomorrow brings. It is different having old dogs. You love them more as time goes on. I think when they are young, you think, I have these dogs and I have to train them. When they get to be old, it’s much easier because you have figured out what their personalities are, what their quirks are and what their potential is. You know what they are capable of, and if there is something wrong, they tell you what it is. There is nothing like having a bunch of dogs and growing old together. I know what it is like for them; I have arthritis too. We’re in this together.”

The Dog & Hound

Spring 2018

The Dog & Hound

Spring 2018

Saving the Chain Dogs Dog by Dog by Pam Gleason

t’s a mild day in January, the kind that makes you forget that it is really winter. It wasn’t warm a week ago, however. That was when an unusual cold front swept down from Canada, plunging the country and much of the deep South into the teens and single digits. Just ten days earlier, much of Aiken, S.C. was outraged by a story on the news about a pit bull dog that was found starving and shivering, chained up in a yard in the city, with only a plastic crate and a very thin sheet for warmth. The yard also had another plastic kennel in it. That one contained a puppy that had died and frozen solid. On this warm afternoon, Robin Mitchell meets her friend Angela Widener in the parking lot of the skate park that Robin runs with her son, Bo Mitchell. Angela has brought along her 10-year-old granddaughter Malia, and all three women climb into “Clara Barkon,” a repurposed ambulance that came from the dog rescue PAWS, which operated in Aiken County. The back of the ambulance is filled with dog houses, bales of straw, bags of dog food, new collars, tethers and dog bowls. It’s 4:30 in the afternoon, and the winter sun casts long shadows over the ground as we pull out of the parking lot. “We’re going to the ’hood,” says Robin. “We go places don’t nobody want to go,” Angela chimes in, laughing. Angela, who used to be a paramedic, drives the ambulance while Robin navigates. Malia, who sits in the back, peers out the window, scanning the neighborhood for dogs on chains. These women are the chief field officers of an animal rescue charity called Saving the Chain Dogs, which Robin started along with her husband Bryan Chavis in 2016. The purpose of Saving the Chain Dogs is to provide help and support for dogs living on chains in Aiken County. They distribute dog houses, straw, dog food, collars and tethers, all for free. They also give out information about low cost spay and neuter services, and will help people get their animals altered, again, all free. “Every once in a while, you will have some who are not happy to see us,” says Robin. “But when you say ‘free’ it helps.” “Free helps a whole lot,” Angela agrees. Back in March 2017, Aiken County passed a so-called “anti-tethering ordinance.” This law did not go as far as many people assume. It outlawed the practice of chaining a dog to an immoveable object, but it did not make it illegal to keep one tied up outside. According to the current law, dogs may be secured to an overhead trolley, or they may be attached to a 15-foot cable fastened to a stake in the ground with a swivel that prevents their tether from getting wrapped up and tangled. They are not allowed to be attached by a chain, or to a metal or a pinch collar. Meanwhile, the laws of the State of South Carolina require that dogs have access to food, water and adequate shelter. Many of the dogs we will see are being kept in violation of all of these rules. Robin explains that she and Angela try to work with Aiken County Animal Control, but they are not actually associated with them, or with any other agency. “Animal control is out here every day working this area,” she says, as we enter streets known for drugs and crime. “They tell me which dogs to check on. They try not to go in and be hard on everybody right away. So we go and try to help the people out first before animal control comes down and starts giving out tickets and fines. But if we come out and offer them help and they don’t abide by what we try to get them to do for free. animal control will go back out and fine them, or ticket them, or take the dogs. They do what they have to do.” Angela slows down as we approach a yard with a pit bull chained illegally to a tree. She gets out and goes to knock on the door while we hang back. No one is home, but a neighbor comes to talk to her. The owner of the dog is working the second shift and will be home in a few hours. She leaves a card, dog food and straw and we move on to the next house. Here, there are three pit bulls. The owner of the dogs comes out,

Spring 2018

and Angela talks to her, tells her that the way the dogs are chained is illegal, that if it doesn’t get fixed, she will get fined. “Could be a $1500 fine, sister,” she says. “Can’t nobody afford that!” Robin, Malia and Angela feed the dogs, give them water and fit them with new collars. They take away the chains that held them, replacing them with cable tie-outs. They stuff their dog houses with straw. The dogs, fierce looking, turn out to be friendly. They play in the straw. One of them gives Robin a hug as she fastens a wide red collar around his neck, removing the choke chain that he had been tied with, most likely for years. He has a wide smile. Before we go, Angela and Robin explain to the dog owner that she still needs to change the dogs’ situation to be compliant with the law. The dogs need overhead trolleys, or to be tied to stakes with swivels. They need better dog houses. “Let me give you my card, sister,” says Angela. “That way, you covered. If animal control comes out, you covered. You tell them you talked to us. You know what I’m sayin’ sister? That be a big fine. I can’t afford it. You can’t afford it.” Before we go, the dog owner thanks us all and shakes everyone’s hand. “You just gotta start talking fast,” says Angela as we head back to Clara Barkon. “You gotta talk to them on their level. Then they talk to you on yours.” By the time we arrive at the skate park about an hour and a half after we left, we have supplied five dogs with new collars, fed them, watered them and provided them with mounds of straw to keep them warmer if the temperature drops again. We have also handed over one county spay and neuter certificate to a young woman with a handsome Rottweiler that hasn’t been fixed yet, and we have driven into a neighborhood, where, just minutes before we arrived, there was apparently a big drug raid.

Angela and Robin, who grew up together in Aiken, say they have been friends since kindergarten. Both are deeply committed to helping animals, and both recognize that the fastest way to do this is to help the people who own them. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really care for the people, it’s the dogs I am worried about,” says Angela. “For some of these people, a dog is just a doorbell, something to tell you when someone comes near the house. But I know how to talk to them. We try to educate them.” “It’s a process,” agrees Robin. “We’re making maybe a little progress. Maybe.” Malia says she goes on most of these missions. It is an unusual education for a fifth-grader, but it is a cause that is as important to her as it is to Robin and Angela. She has dogs at home that she loves, and she feels strongly about making a difference for other dogs that aren’t so lucky. Does she like going on these excursions with her grandmother? She nods her head vigorously. “It’s my passion,” she says. Find @savingchaindogs on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram.

The Dog & Hound

Local Calendar of Events FEBRUARY 2-4

Circle of Friends Dog Agility. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www. georgiahorsepark.com 3 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 3 Puppy Bowl Tailgate party. 5:30pm. Graced Kennels, 1918 Colony Park Road, Augusta, GA. 7 Members’ Meeting Augusta Kennel Club, 7PM. 3970 East White Oak Rd, Appling Ga 30802. www.augustakennelclub. org. 9-11 Pointing Dog Retreat for Women. Sarahsetter Kennels, 7 Sarahsetter Trail, Aiken, SC. www.sarahsetter.com 10 For the Love of Pets. 2-3pm. Create a paw print keepsake for Valentine’s Day. PetSmart, 2527 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. 803.643.8626 10 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 17 Aiken Dog Lovers Walk: Tour of S. Boundary and Colleton. 11:30am. Meet at Library by playground. www. discoveraikencounty.com/event/aiken-dog-lovers-events-walks/ 17 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 17-18 Jane Jackson Obedience Workshop. Augusta Kennel Club, 7PM. 3970 East White Oak Rd, Appling Ga 30802. www. augustakennelclub.org. 17-18 International Dog Show: 2018 Peach State Winter Sieger. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com 17-18 GCOC Novice Obedience Only and Full Rally Trial. GCOC Training Facility, 947 S. Stadium Road, Columbia, SC. www. gcoc.net 24 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 27 SPAYghetti Dinner. SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. 803.648.6863, www.letlovelive.org

MARCH 2-4 3 5 7 7 10

4 PAW Agility Club - AKC Agility Trial. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. www.georgiahorsepark.com Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com Nosework: Foundation and Beginning Searches. GCOC Training Facility, 947 S. Stadium Road, Columbia, SC. www. gcoc.net Yappy Hour. 6-8pm. SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. 803.648.6863, www.letlovelive.org Members’ Meeting Augusta Kennel Club, 7PM. 3970 East White Oak Rd, Appling Ga 30802. www.augustakennelclub. org. Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com

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10-11 Shadow Dog Sports CDSP Trial. GCOC Training Facility, 947 S. Stadium Road, Columbia, SC. www.gcoc.net 12 Nosework: Foundation and Beginning Searches. GCOC Training Facility, 947 S. Stadium Road, Columbia, SC. www. gcoc.net 16-18 Canine Capers. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 17 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 18 Aiken Dog Lovers Walk: Tour of Hopeland Gardens. Noon. Meet at 135 Dupree Place. www.discoveraikencounty.com/ event/aiken-dog-lovers-events-walks/ 19 Nosework: Foundation and Beginning Searches. GCOC Training Facility, 947 S. Stadium Road, Columbia, SC. www. gcoc.net 24 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 26 Nosework: Foundation and Beginning Searches. GCOC Training Facility, 947 S. Stadium Road, Columbia, SC. www. gcoc.net 31 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 31 Terrier Races at the Carolina Cup Steeplechase. Carolina Cup Racing Association, 200 Knights Hill Road, Camden, SC. www.carolina-cup.org

APRIL 4

Yappy Hour. 6-8pm. SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. 803.648.6863, www.letlovelive.org 4 Members’ Meeting Augusta Kennel Club, 7PM. 3970 East White Oak Rd, Appling Ga 30802. www.augustakennelclub. org. 7 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 13-15 Sirius Dog Agility. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 13 Aiken Dog Lovers Walk: Tour of Rose Hill Estate and Stables. 6pm. Meet in lower stables parking lot. www. discoveraikencounty.com/event/aiken-dog-lovers-events-walks/ 14 Walk for Animals. 10-1pm. SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. 803.648.6863, www.letlovelive.org 14 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 20-22 Atlanta Obedience Club. Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road. Alpharetta, GA. 678.297.6120, www.willspark.com 21 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com 28 Saturday PetVet Clinic. 9:30-11am. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping, parasite control. Tractor Supply, 2655 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC. www.tractorsupply.com

Spring 2018

Classifieds ADOPTIONS/PUPPIES Black Russian Terrier Puppies now available. Good pedigree. 803-646-8606, karenphillis@ yahoo.com Trinity Farms Terriers: Quality family dogs with proven calmer dispositions. Generations of gre.at temperaments. Health/dispositions guaranteed. Breeders of terriers for 30+ years. Donna Fitzpatrick.

803.648.3137. www.easyjacks. com & trinityfarmskennel.com & trinitynorfolkterriers.com. Albrecht Aiken SPCA. Dogs, puppies, cats and kittens for adoption. 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. Hours of operation: MonSat. 11 am - 5 pm., Sat 10 am- 3 pm; Sun 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm. www. LetLoveLive.org 803.643.0564 Adopt a Shelter Dog or Cat from

the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Many beautiful, healthy, friendly animals to choose from. 333 Wire Road, Aiken. See the pets at www. fotasaiken.org. 803.642.1537. Pointers! Many beautiful purebred Pointers of all ages available for pets or hunting. www.pointerrescue.org TRAINING

30802. www.augustakennelclub. com. Palmetto Dog Club. Training classes, puppy socialization, obedience, rally & agility. Check out the website for class schedules and more information. Join us! 803-262-9686. www. palmettodogclub.org.

Augusta Kennel Club. 3970 East White Oak Rd, Appling Ga

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Spring 2018

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The Dog & Hound

Too Many Dogs by Pam Gleason

have a confession to make. We have too many dogs. It’s a common problem in areas where dogs just show up in the driveway, metaphorical suitcases in their furry paws, ready to move right in. In most places, there is no such thing as unintentional dog ownership. But if you live on a farm in the South Carolina countryside, it happens. It ought to be covered by homeowners’ insurance: accidental dogs. Gary and I started out with two canine companions: Scout, my perfect golden collie mix, and Chase, a dog of indeterminate parentage adopted from the Aiken SPCA. But one morning while we were out walking, a young blue heeler and a pit bull galloped down our dirt road. They sprinted past the driveway. As the pit bull raced on, oblivious, the heeler saw us, skidded to a stop then came barreling in our gate. We had a grand time together, the three dogs playing and exploring, instant comrades. That afternoon, a neighbor drove by in his pickup, looking for his hunting dog. He stopped to talk to us. “We didn’t see that dog, but do we have this one,” said Gary, pointing to the heeler. “That dog? That dog’s my cousin’s dog,” said the neighbor. When asked if he wanted to take the dog back, the neighbor hesitated at first, but finally said he would. “If your cousin ever doesn’t want him, we’ll take him,” said Gary as he handed the blue dog over. The neighbor put the pup in his truck and drove off. No more than ten minutes later, the pickup roared back up the dirt road, screeching to a stop in a cloud of red dust. “He’ll be much happier with y’all,” said the neighbor, tossing the surprised little dog over the fence. Then he rushed off again, afraid we would change our minds. And that is how we got Trouble. Dog number four was Coleman, a starving English Pointer we found on the side of the road one March. He was all sharp bones and acute angles, a smiling, tail-wagging skeleton in a tattered once-white coat. We tried to find his owner, but no luck. Was he lost or abandoned? We will never know. As winter turned to spring, he fattened up, started sleeping in the bed, and showed us how much he loved Frisbees. The four dogs ran and played, and we were an active, fast-moving pack. Tragedy struck one fog-bound morning after a thunderstorm when the dogs got out through a gate that had come open. There were only five cars a day that went past our house, but one of them hit Coleman and killed him instantly. In his honor, we wanted to save another English Pointer and so contacted Pointer Rescue Organization, a national group devoted to the breed. We were interviewed, vetted, home checked, evaluated and approved, so Wally came next. He was a liver and white purebred of 3 or 4 who had been living in shelter in Oklahoma. In his PetFinder video, which we watched again and again, he had lifted his leg and peed on his handler’s blue scrubs. He had been in that shelter for a year,

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and they wondered why he hadn’t found an adopter yet. “That’s my dog,” said Gary as he watched. Then Dominic flew in, also from Pointer Rescue. He was a 12-week old puppy, one of a litter raised in a foster home in Ohio. He was gleaming white with rich chocolate ears and a motor that wouldn’t stop. Our five dogs ran, wallowed in the mud, played with sticks and went on wild walks in all kinds of weather. They were always doing something to make you laugh. But it couldn’t last. Scout, perfect Scout, had contracted cancer at 12, and we had treated her successfully and at great expense. But the stealthy thief came creeping back and stole her from us. She was 14 and a half. Now the pack was broken and forlorn. “There’s something missing,” we thought. When we saw Ruby, a four-pound golden retriever mix puppy at the flea market (the flea market, it turned out, was well named) she came home with us. Six months later, Dora arrived. An 8-month old medium mutt, because she lost her home in a fire, she almost lost her life in an upstate shelter. Our pack was now six; three young dogs and three older ones. We roamed the farm with Wally, and Trouble chased his Kong, and Chase chased Trouble, and the three young dogs were intrepid canine Musketeers. Our pack was complete. Or so we thought. A pair of semi-feral puppies that were running down the road and they needed medical treatment, and so they stayed. Our relationship with Pointer Rescue deepened, but our first attempts to be foster parents failed. Those dogs were charming and we were weak; what’s one more? And even when we thought our family couldn’t get any bigger, there were abandoned puppies and feral puppies that had been hit by cars and needed veterinary care and rehabilitation. And that is how you end up with too many dogs. For certain there are drawbacks to living in a large dog pack. Your house is never clean, or not for long, and your vacuum cleaner breaks and your washing machine goes on strike. Your friends and relatives stop visiting you and it is impossible to go on vacation. It is expensive. Dogs take up a lot of room and sometimes they bark and they don’t always behave. People think you are crazy, and they might be right. But even when it seems like chaos, you are also strangely happy. When our dogs spill out across the farm, they are pure positive energy, always ready to do something, and there is always something to do. Living in their pack, you are imbued with that same enthusiasm. Every day really can be an adventure, and you can’t help but feel a little bit excited, looking forward to each fresh thing you will see, and perhaps run after. You start to think and feel a little like a dog. We are a pack, and our pack plays together. Oops. It’s time to go. I think I see a squirrel.

Spring 2018

The Dog & Hound

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