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The Arabian - True Versatility
The Arabian:
True Versatility
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by Jessica Gilker and Megan Gilker Thomas
Photo above: Jessica Gilker and JAG Royal Knight. Photo right: Megan Gilker Thomas and JAG Khalahari.
There is an Arabian horse for every discipline, experience level and age. Young equestrians are vital as they are the next generation of horse owners, sponsors, horse trainers, mentors, and coaches.
J.A.G. Arabian Sport Horses’ owner and breeder, Kathy Gilker, got her first horse at nine years old. Her family supported her love even though they were not horse people. During Kathy’s 40 years with Arabian Horses, she has bred and developed Arabians and Half-Arabians with the goal of producing versatile, athletic performance and family horses. Thanks to her breeding program Kathy’s twin daughters, Megan and Jessica, had the opportunity to grow up and enjoy Arabian Horses and with Kathy’s support, achieved success in many disciplines with their Arabian Horses.
Finding your Arabian Horse Arabians are the perfect fit for young riders with their average height usually between 14.2h and 15.2h. Experience and temperament are important factors to consider in the selection of your Arabian Horse. A senior horse with a long career, no matter the discipline, may require some joint maintenance, but can be a safe, confidence builder for a youth rider. Pony Club recommends that a horse and rider’s age should equal at least 20 years old, but even adult amateurs find a teenage or senior horse is a great match if the horse is still happy in its work. Leasing a horse is a wonderful option prior to the long term commitment of purchasing as it allows youth riders and their parents to experience a higher level of responsibility and learn to properly care for a horse.
Creating a
Connection In building one’s partnership with an Arabian Horse, it is important to take advantage of instruction by well trained, positive and supportive mentors
and coaches as well as additional resources such as clinics, webinars, and books. Proper ground work, in-hand work, and a solid relationship with the horse translates to better communication and teamwork between a young equestrian and their Arabian Horse while riding. Groundwork is an important part of being an equestrian - not only for training and physical conditioning - but for getting to know the horse one-on-one by learning the horse’s individual character and natural way of going.
A young equestrian should understand and participate in the care and maintenance of their horse: grooming, bathing, applying basic first aid, feeding, stall cleaning, tack cleaning, etc. is part of understanding good horsemanship. Finally, cross training and learning different disciplines helps to create a foundation for a well-rounded equestrian.
Sharing the Arabian Horse The Gilkers have received many awards and honors over the years, including Regional and National titles. Kathy Gilker’s JAG Royal Knight is the 2017 Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Open Competition Award winner for his lifetime of achievements on the open circuit against all breeds with all youth riders. JAG Lady Pegasus+/ was the 2018 AHA Ambassador Award winner for being a positive Arabian horse ambassador to the community through Girl Scouts, 4-H, and mentoring new riders.
As adult amateurs, Megan and Jessica share their passion by volunteering within their equestrian community. They participated in the 2019 BreyerFest and the 2021 Georgia Horse Fair where they were able to introduce the Arabian Horse to thousands of individuals. Jessica is currently working towards her United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Bronze Medal with the family’s Arabians and Half-Arabians. In 2020 Jessica was the Georgia Arabian Horse Association President and received the AHA Club Level Volunteer Award. Under Jessica’s leadership in 2020, the Georgia Arabian Horse Association (GAHA) received the AHA Club of the Year Award with a clean sweep in all club project categories.
In 2017, Megan Gilker Thomas was AHA’s eighth nationally ranked Adult Amateur. In 2018, she received the GAHA President’s Award Recipient for her volunteer work and received her USDF Bronze Medal - all on Arabians owned by Kathy. GAHA and received a 2019 Arabian Horse Association Volunteer Service Club Level Award. At JAG Arabian Sport Horses, visitors are welcome by appointment.
Kathy, Jessica and Megan Gilker Milton, Georgia Website: http://www.jagarabians.com/
Email: jagarabiansporthorses@gmail.com
Need a Performance Horse? Try a Race-bred Arabian
by Kathy Smoke
“Performance is the name of the game for MoKee Arabians. Breed a performance horse with racing bloodlines, and I can guarantee there will be multiple after-racing disciplines for a second career.” Kathy Smoke
Spin Doctor 2007 (Falina des Fabries x Smokey Rose). Spin was a multi-race winner and graded stakes-placed runner. Spin Doctor has proven very successful in the Sport Horse arena, and he is a National and Regional Dressage Champion (2017). He is now in a Para-dressage program for physically disabled riders.
Historical Note In a class of 50 horses, Spin Doctor won the title in the 2015 US Arabian National Sport Horse Champion Training Level Dressage. He also went Top Ten In-Hand Hunter Type Stallions in his first time out in the Sport Horse National Show in North Carolina.
Owned by Paul and Kathy Smoke, Spin Doctor was trained and ridden by Ryan Yap.
Yap explains the classes at the Sport Horse Show: “The Arabian Sport Horse division is where horses are shown in-hand individually on a triangular pattern and evaluated on conformation and movement at the walk and trot, under saddle, and in traditional rail classes. The more advanced Sport Horse Show Hack is a rail class similar to the English Division’s Show Hack.”
The flashy chestnut is well suited to dressage according to Yap: “He is very athletic and trainable with correct gaits.” Yapp is based in Elgin, Illinois, from April through November, then moves his base to Wellington, Florida, from December through March. Bred as an athlete, Spin Doctor is from the last crop of French bred stallion, Falina des Fabries. He earned over $53,000 in 3 years of racing. According to Kathy Smoke, “His record is 3/13(6-1-1-1)0-1. He ran sec ond in the Grade 2 Bob Magness Memorial Derby at Delaware Park, and fourth in the Grade 1 UAE Presidents Cup at Churchill Downs, with maternal brother, Smoke House, in third place.
Mizz Skarlett (pictured above), 2007 (Makzan x Ima Poka Dot) Skarlett has training in jumping, reining, barrel racing and trail riding. She never got quite tall enough to race but is bringing smiles and help to many disabled children in a therapeutic riding program in Michigan. They love her. Opus Two, 2014 (Thoroughbred x ES Ornetta, by Monarch AH). Opus Two thought racing was boring but fell in love with fox hunting, jumping and endurance. He also played around with cattle penning.
“Many others have gone into the endurance world and one became a very competitive barrel racer,” said Smoke.
Kathy Smoke was the Arabian Jockey Club President from 2007 to 2017 and was awarded the AJC Tent of Honor Award in 2017.
Mokee Arabians webpage: mokeearabians.com
The Fun of Long Miles with Your Horse
By Heather Reynolds
Have you ever had the desire to ride your horse through remote and scenic landscapes, or go on an organized marked trail with veterinary assistance, while also being able to be competitive without being judged, or just being a part of a like-minded group on trail with your horse? If you answered yes to any of these, then you might want to look into endurance riding.
Endurance riding has many things to offer. There are intro level rides of 10-15 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, 75 miles and even 100 mile rides. There is no age limit for the rider, and it’s one of the only sports where a 5-year-old and an 80-year-old can compete side-byside. It’s a true family sport and it’s not uncommon to see three generations of family riding side by side down the trail.
The sport is a zero drug tolerance competition between horse and rider teams. You have six hours to complete a 25 mile ride, 12 hours to complete a 50 and 24 hours to complete a 100 mile ride. There are mandatory veterinary check points with timed stops to rest and eat. At these points, your horse must be “fit to continue” by veterinary standards, including no lameness for you to be allowed to continue. This also applies after you cross the finish line to receive your completion status.
to have additional signage for concerns along the way. The sport is open to all breeds of horses, mules and even zorse. At the event, camping is a fun part of the weekend. It is common to see living quarters trailers, cab-over campers on top of trucks or tents. The horses might be tied to the trailer, put in a portable pen, electric corral (not all rides allow this) or high-lined. It is a very fun thing to go be a part of. The day before the ride you have to have the ride veterinarian “vet your horse in.” This is where they will examine your horse and ask you to trot the horse in hand to make sure your horse is not lame before being allowed to start. Also, the night before the event there is a riders briefing and this will go over the trail markings and loop distances as well as how long your “hold times” will be at your vet stops.
A typical training schedule for a new endurance horse, (but not new to riding) would be Tuesday/ Thursday, 6 to 8 miles, then Saturday OR Sunday 10-15 miles. This would be done at the walk and trot with a small amount of canter. As your horse gets more fit, they will eventually be able to do the longer mileage option of the two numbers I listed, and they would be able to trot the majority of the time. It takes many years (3-4) to train a horse to do a 100mile event safely. Most riding horses that are sound and not too young can easily go to an intro ride with very little extra preparation. If you are interested in finding out more on the sport and possibly going to an endurance ride to watch, volunteer or ride, you can contact the American Endurance Ride Conference, aka AERC at AERC.org or 530-823-2260. Jeremy and Heather Reynolds had shipped the racebred Treasure Moments to Pisa, Italy in early May 2021, as he was chosen as part of the U.S. competition Team for the 2021 World Endurance Championship. Due to one of the U.S. team horses showing a fever in the offsite stabling before the race, the entire team decided to withdraw for safety sake; truly a disappointment for all. When the team was then invited to compete in the 29 May, Italian Endurance Championship, they went. Treasured Moments (DA Adios x Hidden Treasure) and Jeremy won the160 km CEI 3*, also the WEG Test Event for 2022.
Jeremy and Treasured Moments, who was a winner on the racetrack before becoming an endrance horse, followed that with a win in the 100-mile Tevis Cup. By DA Adios+/ out of Hidden Treasure, by RD Five Star, she was bred by Cre Run Farms and has amassed 1,650 miles, 27 rides, 24 completions and 3 best condition in U.S. races.
Jeremy and Heather Reynolds coach endurance riders and take horses for endurance training. The can be found June to October in Greenwood, CA, and November to May near Ocala, FL.
Heather Reynolds, Reynolds Racing Email: HReynoldsRacing@gmail.com Reynoldsracing.us 408-687-7082
