Michigan Foxtrotting Horse Association

Hello December! Time is sure flying!!

Marilyn Mannino

is nothing like the expectation of a well-bred foal!

Marilyn Mannino

Hello April! Spring is upon us! People are out Fox Trotting and enjoying the weather. Many are accumulating points in the Versatility Challenges that we are offering.

At our November meeting we elected some new officers for 2021. Congratulations go out to Bob Howell elected as the new MFTA President, Kathy Kruch is now VP, Marilyn is still Secretary/Treasurer, Char Ostrom is the new 2-year Director and Miranda Mannino is now the 1-year Director.

We have resources and people available for you to learn from and breeders to refer you to if you want to buy a young one to train or if you want to further the training with your present horse.

We are accepting membership renewals and new memberships for 2021 now. Youth are encouraged to join too! Go to www.michiganfox trotters.com to print off the form. You will learn alot from our members about the history of Fox Trotters,their uses and availability and be able to network with those of us who camp,train and show them. Our association is blessed to have skilled trainers,breeders and a farrier to learn from. We love promoting this breed as they have great personalities,are so versatile and come in many sizes and different coat colors. A benefit to joining is that we can offer clinics at a reduced price to our members. Due to Covid we are meeting remotely each month. Michigan is a big state and this is a good way to easily see and talk with each other within and outside of MI. Come join the fun!

Sign up now for the popular Versatility Challenge for 2021. Print off the enrollment form from our website. There are may areas in which you can accumulate points-even in the non-rideable months.

Registration is still open for all three Versatility Challenges (Under Saddle Challenge, Not Under Saddle Challenge and Ultimate Horseman Challenge). This program is designed to show how versatile the Missouri Fox Trotter is. Registered and grade MFTs are allowed. All handicapped and regular youth through adults are welcome. Every imaginable activity and category is included from in hand work to Dressage, short distance trail riding to endurance competitions and everything in-between (cow work, driving, extreme trail, 4H and open showing, parades, reining, trail maintenance and more!). We also included a competition for the most ambitious member who demonstrates their horsemanship skills in a wide variety of categories. Quarterly and year-end awards will be given. Go to www.michiganfoxtrotters.com to read the rules and print off the forms to join in on the friendly competition and fun.

More Fox Trotters are slowly becoming available to purchase but they are selling fast. There is a good video on the correct Fox Trot gait posted on our Face Book site to refer to when you are considering an MFT to buy. Be sure to bring a knowledgeable person with you,too, when you narrow down your search. Breeders, Chuck Fanslow (riverflatranch.com) and Gale Gunders (989-534-1207), have well-gaited young stock available. They also have quality studs to breed to if you have a mare you want bred. Chuck has a Buckskin stallion and a palomino stallion(both sons of Cotton Eyed Joe). Gale has a spotted stallion who will throw color to your foal. Both are located in Gladwin,MI. Contact them if you want to have your mare bred. There

Dimensions: 72” x 78” x 76” a Regional hosted by Amber passionate Missouri Fox Trotting Horse owners seeking a posi

Weight: 230 lbs.

I have a good feeling about this year. Excited actually. I may finally get out on the trails again. Let me give you some back story. Our very first Fox Trotter gelding (Bud) who carried our son in 4-H proud equestrian classes and our daughter in her 4-H and Mason High School equestrian team classes passed away about six years ago. That was a major blow to our family. He was a beloved black gelding who would do anything that we asked of him with no complaints. He had a calm demeanor and the patience of a saint. His death left us with no trustworthy horse to ride and to spend lazy afternoons hanging out with. The young Fox Trotter mare that we were concur rently raising was not saddle trained yet. She has since been sent off to a trustworthy trainer to further her education. For the first time in over 20 years, we had no horses in our barn or grazing in our pasture. A very strange and empty feeling indeed. By chance, I visited a horsey neighbor who I had not seen in a number of years. She has a collection of equines of various breeds. This neighbor offered me a gelding (Sam) to keep my mare company when she returns. She had saved this gelding from euthanasia and worked on improving his quality of life. Sam is an older foundation bred registered Missouri Fox Trotter with lots of trail experience who didn't mind carrying around timid riders. Jackpot! Of course, I couldn't pass him up! So, now I have one seasoned Missouri Fox Trotter to share with my family. I needed another one already trained. I spent the next two and a half years searching for just the right one to add to our family. Reasonably priced Missouri Fox Trotters are hard to come by in Michigan. Everybody hangs on to their good ones. Earlier this spring I came across a registered 17-year-old Fox Trotter mare (registered name Little Billie) also with trail experience whose owners were not able to continue caring for her. She was located a couple of hours away. My trainer and I made an appointment to go check her out. She was pleasant, gaited well and had the trail experience that I needed. The transaction was made, I was handed her registration papers and she willingly loaded into my trailer. Hallelujah! My search was over! Now I have my small band of Fox Trotters. We have been doing groundwork with them and some riding in my arena since the weather has warmed up. We can once again join our friends on the trails. Reasonably priced Fox Trotters are out there. It takes patience and dedicated searching to find them.

Don't forget to transfer your newly-bought horse's registration papers into your name with the MFTHBA,too. We are growing! New member welcomes go out to Naomi Haas, equine dentist Kris Modreske and Harry Struble all of MI. Naomi rides a sorrel sabino gelding (Dexter) and a black mare (Hank's Serenity Liberty Bell B). Kris rides a black and white gelding (Radar's Spotted Prior). And congratulations go out to Harry Struble on his purchase of Joe's Golden Chip, a handsome buckskin gelding, from Chuck Fanslow. All these members are riding quality Fox Trotters!!!

The MFTHBA needs registered members to fill their committees for 2021. I just agreed to help out on the Trail Committee again. Surely you can,too! Various committees need members(younger ones too) for their input and advice to increase affiliate numbers,think of ways to make the shows better,to improve and okay National Trail Ride applications,give ideas on clinics (let's get more closer to our state),getting more versatility riders interested,give ideas on training and picking judges, plus more. Many positions can be supported remotely. Also, this is a great way to meet those from other areas of the USA who raise,train and ride MFTs. I have made new friends this way who I would not have otherwise. Contact the MO Fox Trotting Horse Breeding Association via www.mfthba.com to become a member and for more information tive impact on the growth and sustainability of our beloved breed. Each board member is a Missouri Fox Trotting horse owner or rider. Their personal enjoyment of the breed varies, but their passion is the same. The RFTHF, a 501c3 charity organization, was started “for the love of our breed.” Amber will interview Susan Williams, Chuck Fanslow and myself. We will discuss Fox Trotters in Michigan, our association and the different activities that we offer. The Zoom link will be posted on our website for interested viewers to click on so that comments and questions can be posted in the chat section during the session.

New members are always welcome! Go to www.michiganfoxtrotters.com to print off the membership form. We meet virtually so all members are able to meet without having to drive long distances.

Also, PLEASE send in your MFTA dues and your MFTHBA dues

Wishing everyone a blessed and safe Christmas!

I invite you to come ride with us July 7 through July 9 on the Great Lakes National Trail Ride which will start out from the Horsemen's Camp at Waterloo Recreation Area led by two of our members. Camping is available at the Horseman's Equestrian Campground if you reserve your spot via www.dnrreservations.com. You may also trailer in for the day and park in the day use area. There is a $10 MFTHBA ride fee. Bring a dish to pass for the popular ing with you! A point will be awarded to those enrolled in the

Our Event Committee is busy planning the next clinic. It will be a Gaited Western Dressage Clinic at the end of May. More details will be available next month. The clinician is top-notch!

Respectfully submitted, Marilyn Mannino

A little history on our breed: The present-day Missouri Fox Trotter evolved from Morgans in New England being crossed with Arabians, Plantation Horses, American Saddlebreds, TWHs and pacing Standardbreds. The genetic mix of square-trotting horses and pacing horses created the comfortable fox trot gait! Missouri Fox Trotting horses have been used by farmers in Missouri and surrounding states to ride long distances to check their fencing and work cows, pull buggies, by US Forest Service workers, by mounted police and now people across the United States and Europe use them for recreation (showing, trail riding, Dressage,reining, 4H and Equestrian Team, Hippotherapy,etc.). They are truly versatile and also can be found in all colors and sizes! Try one out and find out why everyone loves them so!

Some lucky members found new Fox Trotters. Marilyn now old gelding Ramblin' Racy's Shotgun (Chinook), Bonnie Lane bought spotted Pippin from Nancy, Chuck Fanslow bought a mare called Misty Royale Sensation. Congratulations on your

We have a couple of new members. Tim Marshall and Julia Blair are from Ionia, Michigan and Dawn Mannor is from Jonesville, Michigan. Dawn is a renewing member from many come. Go to michiganfoxtrottinghorse.com to print off the ber of the Michigan Foxtrotting Horse Association and join our versatility program. You can earn points by completing many different activities. Go to the activities page on our website to read the rules and find the registration form. Prizes are awarded periodically and at year end. Learn how versatile your Missouri Fox Trotter is! We also offer a number of different clinics and

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