Horsemen's Corral December 2022

Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club

Avon Lake Saddle Club

Black Swamp Driving Club

Buckeye Equestrian Association

Central Ohio Saddle Club Association

Central Ohio Wagoneers

Classical Attraction Dressage Society

Colorado Ranger Horse Association

Creek Side Mounted Archery

District One National Show Horse

Dusty Boots Riding Club

Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc.

Geauga Horse & Pony Association

Great Lakes Appaloosa Horse Club

Hoosier Quarter Pony Association

Knox County Horse Park

Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros Massillon Saddle Club

Miami Valley Horse Show Association

Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc.

Mid-Eastern Farriers Association

Mid Ohio Dressage Association Mid-Ohio Marauders

National Pole Bending Association

Northern Ohio Dressage Association

Northern Kentucky Horse Network

Northern Ohio Miniature Horse Club

Northern Ohio Outlaws

Ohio Appaloosa Association O.H.I.O. EXCA

Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Assoc. Ohio Haflinger Association

Ohio High School Rodeo Association

Ohio Horseman’s Council

Ohio Gaited Horse Trailriders

Ohio Morgan Horse Association

Ohio Paint Horse Club

Ohio Quarter Horse Association

Ohio Ranch Horse Association

Ohio State Buckskin Association

Ohio Western Horse Association, Inc.

Ottawa County Horse Foundation

Ohio Valley Team Penning Association

Pinto Horse Association of Ohio

Premier Mount N Trail

Pure Gold Stables

Tri-County Trail Association Tri-State Rodeo Association

Wayne County Saddle Club

Western Reserve Carriage Association

The Corral Staff

Editor Bobbie Coalter

Advertising Sales & General Manager Joe Coalter email joe@thehorsemenscorral.com

Club Sales & Circulation Manager Art & Composition Director Michelle Ross email michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com

WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Features: Kelley Bitter, Rob & Tanya Corzatt, Robert Eversole Lisa Kiley, Nettie Liburt, Terry Myers, Sarah Vas Guest: Laura Stern

THE HORSEMEN’S CORRAL is published monthly by Horsemen’s Corral, 8283 Richman Road, Lodi, Ohio 44254. (ISSN 0164-6591). Published as Periodicals at the Lodi Post Office USPS 889-180 with additional entry points of Cleveland, OH 44101 and New Philadelphia, OH 44663. Periodicals postage paid at Lodi, Ohio, and additional entry offices. Subscriptions may only be purchased through Horsemen’s Corral member clubs. Single copies, $3.00 at select distributors. For subscriptions, address changes, and adjustments, write to: Horsemen’s Corral, P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254.

Manuscripts, drawings, and other material submitted must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope.

POSTMASTER: All subscription addresses are properly screened through CASS per USPS requirements. The Horsemen’s Corral will not accept returns of magazines deemed undeliverable for any reason. Please discard copy of any issue deemed as undeliverable.

The Horsemen’s Corral cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material.

MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE: P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254

OFFICE: 330/635-4145

Inside This Issue

Bulletin Board 49

Corral Calendar ...................................................................... 36

The Cowboy Perserverance Ranch 44

How to Keep Weight on Older Horses 46 The Last Ride 6

Ride In Sync 8

Tips for Feeding a Horse with Poor Dentition 20

Tips for Senior Horses Going into Winter 16 TrailMeister 28

View From the Cheap Seats................................................... 34 Western Dressage 42

Club News

Black Swamp Driving Club 31

Classical Attraction Dressage Society 48

Colorado Ranger Horse Association 10

Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc. 40

Geauga Horse and Pony Association 8

Knox County Horse Park 35

Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros 18

Miami Valley Horse Show Association 22

Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc. 24

Mid Ohio Dressage Association 43

Mid-Ohio Marauders 14

Northern Kentucky Horse Network 17

Northern Ohio Dressage Association 30

Ohio Gaited Horse Trailriders ................................................. 50

Ohio High School Rodeo Association 22

Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. 51

Ohio Paint Horse Club 50

Ohio Western Horse Association 48

Pinto Horse Association of Ohio 38

Premier Mount N Trail 14

Wayne County Saddle Club 38 Western Reserve Carriage Association .................................. 12

The

The Last Ride

make that last ride that is inevitable for us all to make, to that place up there, where

grass is green and lush and stirrup high, and the water runs cool, clear, and deep—You’ll tell us

ask.—Amen.”

LARRY J. YOUNG

Larry J. Young, 81, of Bucyrus, Ohio, was welcomed to his Heavenly home on Oct. 27, 2022 at Bucyrus Community Hospital following a recent decline in health.

Larry was born Aug. 18, 1941 in Bucyrus to the late James W. and Aldine B. (Beach) Young. He was a 1959 graduate of Holmes Liberty High School and was a proud member of their state finalist basketball team. Larry served in the Ohio National Guard from 1963 to 1969. On Aug. 21, 1998 he married Sandra (Fauser) Knowlton who survives and enjoyed his companionship.

As a young man, Larry’s father taught him the value of hard work and he carried this trait throughout life. He spent 33 years at Timken and retired in 1998 as a supervisor. He also enjoyed many years of helping area farmers and maintained a long work/friend relationship with Dick Leuthold.

His family referred to him as a ‘walking Swiss Army Knife’ as his knowledge consists of a multitude of tools and one could always turn to him for advice as well as depend on him to get a job done right. Home was his happy place and he spent many hours caring for their property; working his garden, as to produce the biggest and best tomatoes; and tending to their animals consisting of horses and cats that he loved. He cherished John Deere equipment and collected and was gifted with fine memorabilia. Larry and Sandy were members of

the Black Swamp Driving Club and enjoyed gathering with fellow horse and buggy enthusiasts for an area buggy ride and good food and fellowship. He attended both Woodlawn UMC and the Bucyrus Nazarene Church. Though not a man of many words, Larry’s presence proved his love and pride for his family and friends, and he will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him.

In addition to Sandy, his wife of 24 years. Larry is survived and appreciated by his three children, David Young and his two children, Seth Young and Luke Young; Lori Young and her three children, Brittany Howard, Austin (Tiffany) Howard and Holden Howard; and Darin (Angie) Young their two children, Brett Young and Adam Young; two stepsons, Kenn Knowlton and his three children, Kristy (Frankie) Walters, Jonn (Meghan) Knowlton and Marnie O’Connell; Kirk Knowlton and his five children, Andrew (Kayce) Knowlton, Claire Knowlton, Marshall Knowlton, Kelley Knowlton and Josh Smith; ten great grandchildren; sister, Marilyn (Mitch) Alban; sisterin-law, Nancy Fauser as well as many extended family members. Larry was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Lyle Fauser.

Larry’s family gathered with friends and shared memories of good times on Nov. 12, in the fellowship hall of Woodlawn United Methodist Church. He was privately laid to rest in Whetstone Cemetery.

JENIFER HREN GAFFNEY

Jenifer Hren Gaffney, 61, passed away peacefully on Nov. 15, after a long and hardfought battle with cancer. Jeni began her journey with cancer 15 years ago and lived her life to the fullest.

Jeni was born in Boulder, Colo., on Sept. 26, 1961. Her family then moved to Mount Vernon, Ohio. It was there she found a passion for all animals, especially horses. Jeni followed this passion to earn her Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine at The Ohio State University graduating at the top of her class in 1987.

Jeni met her husband, Sean Gaffney, through the United States Pony Clubs where their shared passion for horses sparked the beginning of their life together. After getting married in 1993 Jeni moved to Bath, Ohio, where she opened her veterinary practice, The Visiting Vet. She earned the respect of many and became well known within the community and beyond due to her compassionate care for animals.

Jeni volunteered her time for many events including the Bath Horse Show, The Bath Pony Club, Valley Riding, and other volunteer fundraisers. She loved reading and giving presentations to various groups educating individuals in equestrian sports and veterinary medicine. She always believed in helping others reach their full potential.

Jeni’s passion and drive in equestrian sports led her to compete at the top levels in dressage achieving her gold, silver, and bronze medals through the United States Dressage Federation. She reached this pinnacle in her sport after winning her first battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Robin Hren, and survived by her husband, Sean Gaffney; son, Colin Gaffney; her brother, Jeff Hren and sister-in-law, Wendy Hren, and their children, Casey Ellis, Wesley Hren, Taylor Hren, Christine Horrell, and Michael Brown.

Mass of the Christian Burial was held at Saint Victor Parish in Richfield, Ohio, on Nov. 21. In Lieu of flowers, please make donations to any of the following: The Dressage Foundation: George Williams Young Professional Fund, The Bath Pony Club or United States Pony Club, or Cleveland Clinic—Cancer Research.

Email submissions for The Last Ride to michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com

“So when we do

the

as we ride in that our entry fees have been paid. These things we

~Excerpt from ‘A Rodeo Cowboy’s Prayer’ by Clem McSpadden

Sing a Song to Relax

by Terry Myers

Last month we discussed the position of the rider’s hands, arms and shoulders. This month we will discuss the rider’s stomach or abdomen and back. The stomach is the primary shock absorber for the rider and makes the difference in the rider’s back. If the stomach is tense, then the low back will be locked up and stiffen. A relaxed stomach equals a relaxed back. Some riders confuse stiffness with a straight back. You can maintain a straight back without adding stiffness to the back. The stomach should move front to back in a relaxed manner with the horse’s movement. How is your horse affected by a tense stomach? A tense stomach area will result in the rider bouncing more on the horse’s back due to the stiff seat and back. The more the rider bounces, the more the horse tries to compensate by picking up his head and hollowing his back. The rider can feel the

horse becoming quicker and bouncier. This can become a difficult cycle to break because once the horse starts to hollow his back, the rider stiffens the stomach area even more.

You cannot ride with a relaxed stomach if you arch your back. Riding with an arched back creates several problems. It tips the pelvis forward, stiffens the entire upper torso and puts the riders leg in an incorrect position. Your stomach is your shock absorber. An arched back and stiff stomach will give you the shock absorber of a Mack truck on a bumpy road. Be a Cadillac, not a Mack truck.

To be discipline specific, below is what can be accomplished by riding with a relaxed stomach and sitting deeper in the saddle (slightly roll your pelvis to sit on your pockets):

• A western pleasure rider will sit quieter in the saddle and gain drive for the rear end.

• An English rider at the posting trot can ‘sit’ as they post rather than just touching the saddle, allowing the horse to drive from the back.

• A reiner has to sit deeply going into the sliding stop, which takes weight off the front end and helps the horse get deeper into the ground for the slide.

• A dressage rider can attain more extension by sitting deeper in their saddle.

Try this exercise, ride your horse at a walk relaxing to the point of encouraging front to back movement with your stomach while sitting deep in your saddle. Breathe in deeply from your abdomen then slowly exhale. Now pick up a trot or jog and continue to breathe deeply. In order to encourage deeper breathing, sing or hum your favorite song. Singing allows you to relax your stomach and to breathe deeper. Your horse will become softer because you are softer. Stop singing and see if you and your horse can stay soft. Once you start to feel a negative change, start singing again and have fun. Take this technique a step further, sing or hum a song that has the same rhythm as the

horse’s feet. Now slow your song and see if your horse slows the cadence of their feet.

So…sit deeply in your saddle, relax your stomach and sing a song!

Terry Myers is a national clinician and champion horse trainer with a depth of knowledge developed from over 50 years in the horse industry. Myers has been a popular clinician at multiple expos in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about Myers’ Ride-InSync methods as well as clinic and training services available, visit www.tmtrainingcenter.com or on Facebook.

Geauga Horse and Pony Association

Congratulations to GHPA High Point Winners

www.ghpa.us

by Debbie Schwartz

GHPA’s 2022 points have been calculated. The Walk Trot High point winner is Kaylin Marx with MNZ Sooo Good The Novice High Point winner is Zoie Sall with Zippinhot Investment. The Open High Point winner is Jeannette Baker with Gypsyland’s Prince of Clover The Ranch High Point winners are tied, Josselym Mumm with

Chex My Rooster along with Rachel Formica with One Last Good Thing. The Jumping High point is also awarded to Jeannete Baker with Gypsyland’s Prince of Clover. The Generation Gap Pair winners are Chelsea and Logan Workman with Alert the Press. As for our Friday night contesting shows, the Walk Trot High Point winner is Joselyn Olson with Rebel, the Youth High Point is Paker Warmington with Spice, and the Adult High Point winners tied with Jaimie Olson with Streaker and Hayley Knautz with Cat. Congratratulations to our High Point winners!

Thank you all for a fun season! The GHPA awards banquet will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

WEBSITE, www.coloradoranger.com EMAIL, riderangerhorse@yahoo.com

by Monica Doddato

The Colorado Ranger Horse Association’s (CRHA) 49th National Show was held Sept. 18 and 19, in Lock Haven, Pa. Congratulations to all the owners, exhibitors and amazing horses!

2022 CRHA NATIONAL SHOW PERFORMANCE CHAMPIONS

JOHN MORRIS MOST VERSATILE HORSE AWARD, Diamond Ginny Lane ridden by Zayda Moyle owned by Shelly Daggs

GRAND CHAMPION YOUTH WALK TROT, Farrah Stearns; Reserve Grand Champion Youth Walk Trot, Eli Ball

GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR YOUTH, Sophia Hazlet; Reserve Champion Junior Youth, Emma Snow.

GRAND CHAMPION SENIOR YOUTH, Zayda Moyle; Reserve Champion Senior Youth, Ayana Borland

48th National Show Results

GRAND CHAMPION GELDING, KK Leggs Diamond; Reserve Champion Gelding, Honey’s Red Star

GRAND CHAMPION MARE, Hollidazzle Lena; Reserve Champion Mare, Diamond Ginny Lane

GRAND CHAMPION STALLION, PRR Show Me the Cash; Reserve Champion Stallion, FR Brave Warrior. Reserve Champion Stallion, FR Memorial Day Wrangler.

GRAND CHAMPION GYMKHANA, Hollidazzle Lena; Reserve Champion Gymkhana, PRR Zip n Brite Eyes.

GRAND CHAMPION PLEASURE HORSE, Diamond Ginny Lane; Reserve Champion Pleasure, Honey’s Red Star.

GRAND CHAMPION ADULT WALK/ TROT, Jacquelin Wronek; Reserve Champion Walk/Trot, Carrie Ball.

2022 CRHA NATIONAL

SHOW HALTER CHAMPIONS

GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR STALLION, FR Brave Warrior owned by Frank Dean. Reserve Grand Champion Junior Stallion, FR Memorial Day Wrangler, owned by Frank Dean.

GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR MARE, PRR Bea My Guardian Angel owned by Kaydence Winkleman; Reserve Grand Champion Junior Mare, HHR Silver Sun Liberty owned by Mariclaire Stearns and Jackie Wronek.

GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR GELDING, PA Sterling Shade owned by Audrey Erat.

GRAND CHAMPION STALLION, PRR Show Me The Cash owned by Barbara Summerson.

GRAND CHAMPION GELDING, PRR Majestic Prince owned by Carrie Bell; Reserve Grand Champion Gelding, NL MamasayzImspecial owned by Vicky Borland.

GRAND CHAMPION MARE, BW’s Cash Hanna owned by Barbara Summerson; Reserve Grand Champion Mare, Hollidazzle Lena owned by Mariclaire Stearns.

Congratulations to all members who participated! As always a special thank you to the CRHA board, officers and the volunteers who helped make the show a success. We look forward to seeing new and returning members at the 50th Colorado Ranger Horse Association National Show!

PRESIDENT, Toni Lukavich; 1ST VICE PRESIDENT, Charmaine Wulff; SECRETARY, Barbara Summerson; TREASURER, Jane Montgomery.

Mariclaire Stearns and her daughter Farrah Stearns with Hollidazzle Lena. ‘Holli’ earned Grand Champion Youth Walk Trot with Farrah and was also named Grand Champion Performance Mare and Reserve Grand Champion Halter Mare at the 49th National CRHA Show.

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by Cathy Rhoades

This autumn weather has been wonderful for driving. We have had above average temperatures and one of the most spectacular leaf displays in years. We had two events scheduled in October. One was a brand new offering at Observatory Park in Geauga County. It was the best attended drive of the year with 25 attendees and around 12 turnouts. The trees were at peak and were a lovely backdrop for the park and trail drivers. Leaf covered trails lead through the woods. Members also had the opportunity to explore the Observatory if they wished. Ann Petersen hosted this drive.

The final scheduled event was

WRCA End of the Year Events

our End of the Year gathering held at Renee and Daral Jackwoods beautiful home and co-hosted by Shauna Brummet and Jeff Skinner. It was a marvelous day! Members brought delicious appetizers and desserts, BBQ meat and sides were provided by our hosts. There was lively conversation between long time members and new faces. Both hosts have lovely farms that many members took advantage of touring. We really appreciated their hospitality! Toward the end of the meal, WRCA had a door prize raffle. The door prizes were compliments of your points from shopping at Big Dee. Don’t forget to let them know at the checkout you are a WRCA member.

We are still looking for hosts and new venues for driving for next year. We will be communicating with other clubs in Ohio and Pennsylvania to try and prevent overlapping events when possible. Please contact one of the board members if you would like to host. We really just need a place with open fields or trails for carriages and trailer

parking. We can help with any questions. We can also pay for a permit or other needed expenses if submitted for approval prior to scheduling, think of local parks with equestrian trails, fairgrounds, or farms. As a reminder, only WRCA members may drive at our events. If you have a groom or passenger that is not a member, they need to sign a waiver before heading out to drive.

The beginning of the year will be our potluck and auction. This will be open to members, family and friends. This is our main fundraiser that is normally held every two years but has not

been held since 2018. WRCA is looking for donations for the auction. The item does not have to be horse related. A handmade item, gift certificate, a themed basket, tickets to an event or a unique antique are just some of the donations we could auction off. Contact any board member with the donation.

December is the month to vote on our open board positions. An email with a link to vote will be coming. Also in January watch your mail for membership renewal. Memberships sent in by March 1 will continue to receive the Corral

PRESIDENT, Jo Ann Murr VICE PRESIDENT, Ann Petersen TREASURER, Ann Petersen SECRETARY, Cathy Rhoades

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, Henry Rish. WEBSITE, www.wrcarriage.com

Horse Facility for Rent Canfield, Ohio

Farm Features

27 acres with adjacent 15 acres of fenced pasture that includes an outdoor shelter w/roof. 2 barns and riding arena all under one roof

Heated Barn #1 • (11) 12x12 stalls

• (2) 24x12 foaling stalls

• All automatic drink cups

• Tack room w/feed auger to outside bulk feeder

• Wash rack

• Breeding lab

• Hay loft/storage above stalls area • Bulk shavings storage

Riding Arena

• 64x120 foot indoor riding arena situated between the two heated barns

Heated Barn #2 • (14) 10x12 stalls

• Tack room

• Wash area

• Washer/dryer hook up

• Hay loft/storage above stall area

• All automatic drink cups

Outdoor • Fenced 145x225 foot sand footing outdoor riding area

• Unfenced 160x350 foot slag riding track

• 4 grass turnout paddocks with shelters

• 2 turnouts without shelters

• 50 foot round pen

• Equipment garage

• 3 pastures with walk up three sided shelter

Farm located in Mahoning County. $3000 per month with triple net lease (insurance, utilities, taxes, etc ) For more information/pictures contact Kristen Joseph 330 565 1783 • kristenjoseph1123@gmail com

Premier Mount N Trail

Thinking of Joining PMT for the 2023 Season?

PRESIDENT, Cynthia Bauman VICE PRESIDENT, Amanda Fowler SECRETARY, Heidi Daugherty TREASURER, Stephanie Tarr

HEAD JUDGE, Kelly Chapman

EMAIL, premiermountntrail@gmail.com

WEBSITE, www.premiermountntrail.com

Our goal is to give everyone the opportunity to build their partnership with their horses and have a little incentive along the way. All while having fun.

Competition

Bringing together top-notch facilities that host mountain trail obstacle courses and allowing you to earn more awards than ever before.

will take your best five shows if shown more.

• All 28 classes will receive first through sixth place year-end high point award.

• All awards given at annual banquet in January (third weekend).

• Each park offers a double PMT point day if you can’t make five.

• Top point earners for the season—Belt buckles given away.

you count your hours for yearend mile stone awards. You can be at home, on the trails, in an arena or at a show—anywhere!

• Count all hours you are working any horse (riding or ground work).

• Anyone can be apart of the program, even trainers.

• Also count volunteer hours at any PMT facility.

by Amanda Fowler

Thinking of joining us next year? You have two programs to choose from and earn rewards along the way. Here’s what Premier Mountain Trail (PMT) has to offer our members.

Mid-Ohio Marauders

• Five different mountain trail parks to earn points.

• 29 challenges to choose from.

• 28 classes at each show that earn PMT year-end awards. Each park has the opportunity to offer more classes.

• Only five shows needed, but

• Grand Champion in each division.

Saddle Program

Track all your riding and ground work hours for awards. Whether you are riding or doing ground work with your horse,

All hours are tallied under each rider. Hours will continue to tally year to year with a current membership.

You do not have to be a competitor to turn in hours.

Hours do not count when grooming or caring for your horse.*

AAQH Congress Shootout and CMSA World Championship

SECRETARY,

TREASURER,

PHONE, 740/206-7214

EMAIL, midohiomarauders@gmail.com

WEBSITE, www.midohiomarauders.com

by Steve Keech

Congratulations to Jan Corum on her 2022 SL4 World Championship and her move up to SL5! The Marauders hosted the AAQH Congress Shootout in October. Together with a lot of volunteer support it was a tremendous success. Congratulations to all the competitors, especially the class winners, and top cowgirls and cowboys.

AAQH CONGRESS SHOOTOUT RESULTS

LIMITED WRANGLER, Luke Gibson; OPEN WRANGLER, Skyler Rein Cooper; LIMITED CAVALRY, Amanda Hudson; OPEN CAVALRY, Drew Wallace; LIMITED RIFLE, Chris Sheridan; OPEN RIFLE, John Roach; LIMITED SHOTGUN, Joe Caffery; OPEN SHOTGUN, Braden Morey.

RESERVE SENIOR COWGIRL, Barb Miller; OVERALL SENIOR COWGIRL, Jan Corum; RESERVE SENIOR COWBOY, Steve Keech; OVERALL SENIOR COWBOY, David Mitchell; RESERVE COWGIRL, Tonya Cooper; RESERVE COWBOY, Chris McElyea; OVERALL COWGIRL, Kelle Winkle; OVERALL OVERALL, Garrett Cooper.

We also celebrated some moveups, Jan Corum from SL4 to SL5 which she earned at The World Championship in Amarillo, Sara Ann Almond from L2 to L3, Carson Feikert from M3 to M4. Some of the move-up dances were captured on video and shared on social media.

Check out the CMSA Website for complete results, https:// www.cmsaevents.com/events/ event.php?id=12174&show=po ints&group=Revolver&type=N ational. See you soon!

PRESIDENT, Tim Calvin

VICE PRESIDENT, Tom Byrne

Judy Foster

Laurie Maris

Congress 2022 ladies class winners.

Congress 2022 mens class winners.

Jan Corum, World Champion

Congress 2022 senior ladies class winners.

Congress 2022 senior mens class winners.

Senior horses are truly special creatures, often they have been the ones to help make our riding goals and dreams come true over the years. So, when the weather is colder, it only makes sense that we take extra care to make sure that they get through the harsher seasons comfortably. I had the chance to catch up with Dr. Nettie Liburt who is the Senior Equine Nutrition Manager at Mars Horsecare US/BUCKEYE

Nutrition and we talked about some of the things to think about when going into winter with the senior horse.

Understanding your horse as an individual is the basis for developing a healthy program for not just seniors, but horses across the lifespan. This means close monitoring, Dr. Liburt advised that knowing what your horse weighs should involve consistent use of a weight tape. Personally, she sets a notification in her phone to remind herself to weigh monthly, but even weighing every time the farrier comes to visit is a great start. The point is that this regular practice will clue you in on subtle changes that might go unnoticed if you rely on visual evaluation alone.

In addition to home monitoring, Dr. Liburt stressed the importance of regular wellness checks. A good relationship with your veterinarian is essential for maintaining your

by Lisa Kiley

horse’s health, but she also recommends that any abnormal change in weight or condition garner an appointment to assess what the root of the problem may be. There are several issues that can plague older horses, Dr. Liburt encourages checking teeth, and testing for metabolic and endocrine abnormalities can help with early diagnosis of aliments such as Cushing’s and allow for prompt and appropriate treatment.

Quality forage needs to be the cornerstone of any feeding program to keep horses healthy and increase their longevity. The other part of the horses feeding program should be based off what is needed to complete the horse’s nutritional needs, which may change as your horse gets older. Dr. Liburt recommends looking at calories in context of balancing what is needed based on what is expended, but reminds us that vitamin, mineral and protein requirements do not change just because a senior horse may not be in regular work. She recommends a high quality, commercial ration balancer to help meet these nutrient needs and if necessary, a fat supplement for extra calories. While noting that not all senior horses are insulin resistant, it is more likely to be an issue as they age. Dr. Liburt advises that weighing feed rations is critical for determining exactly how much the horse is getting.

As mentioned earlier, dental health checks are very important and especially so for senior horses as they may begin having issues that may affect how they eat. As a horse ages, they may have trouble chewing and therefore breaking down forage to get

adequate nutrition from it. Dr. Liburt suggest monitoring how much of the hay your horse is eating vs. what is wasted, which may be an indicator that the horse is unable to properly chew. In these cases, she recommends soaking the hay or enlisting soaked cubes or pellets so that the horse will be getting the quantity of forage they need to maintain weight. If the feed is more palatable, your horse will be able to more easily swallow and therefore digest the forage allowing for proper utilization of nutrients in the feed.

Another area of observation that Dr. Liburt recommends is how your senior horse is interacting with the herd. Even if the horse is in good general health and its teeth are regularly maintained, a horse can show signs of weight loss if they are run off their feed by pasture mates. As horses get older, they can fall in pecking order and get pushed around by those ranking higher in the group. In these cases, it is important to make sure that the senior horse can be separated from herd mates at mealtime and allowed to eat in peace. Senior horses may also take a little longer to eat, so having a stall or small corral where they can eat undisturbed is important for them to get their full ration.

While horses are often hardier than we give them credit for, senior horses may need some additional support as the weather gets colder.

Dr. Liburt explained that as a horse gets older, they often have a harder time regulating their body temperature. So, while a shelter from the elements may be enough for younger horses, senior horses often need a blanket to help them maintain body temperature to avoid unnecessary calorie expenditure just to

PRESIDENT, Trisha Kremer VICE PRESIDENT, Tracey Schoen SECRETARY, Susan Dickinson TREASURER, Monica Egger WEBSITE, www.nkhn.info EMAIL, nkhn@nkhn.info

by Nancy Kissinger

Happy Holidays! I hope you all have been blessed with a safe riding year and enjoy the holidays as you celebrate with family and friends.

As another year comes to an end, we can be thankful that 2022 was a better year than 2021. NKHN had another successful show season this year and our show committee is already making preparations for the 2023 show season.

We ended the year with our Horsemanship Clinic in November. It was an informative clinic on how to be ‘show’ ready for western, English, saddle seat, dressage, and carriage driving. It was a hands-on, educational event which proved to be very informative.

We kick off the new year with our Annual Membership Drive and Dinner. It will be held on Jan. 29, 2023 at the Boone

County Enrichment Center, Burlington, Ky. Our Board of Directors election will be held at this time. We welcome everyone to join with us as we strive to enrich the equine industry and community. The Northern Kentucky Horse Network has grown to include members from Kentucky, southern Ohio and southeastern Indiana. We are an ‘all-volunteer’ group and hope you will consider joining with us. Individual membership is $20/ year and family memberships are $30/year. Business memberships are also available for $35/year. If you’re interested in attending our annual dinner you can call the Boone County Enrichment Center at 859/586-6101 to make your reservation.

For additional information for membership or about any NKHN events, please visit our website at nkhn.info, follow us on Facebook or email us at nkhn@nkhn.info. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

UPCOMING EVENTS

JAN. 29, 2023: Annual Membership Dinner, Boone County Enrichment Center, Burlington, KY. FMI: Trisha Kremer, 859/743-0296, nkhn@ nkhn.info

Tips for Senior Horses

keep them warm. Blankets should fit well to prevent rubbing, be the right weight to provide warmth, but not so heavy that they sweat, and if the horse is outdoors, it should be waterproof. If you observe your horse shivering, action needs to be taken to help warm them.

In addition to proper food and shelter going into the winter, Dr. Liburt also urged that owners of senior horses keep them moving. Regular exercise is important to the horse’s health and wellbeing. She mentioned that just as the

(continued)

adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” can be applied to people, it goes for horses as well. Even if they are not able to maintain the level of work they once did, keeping them in a program that is suitable for their fitness level can improve longevity. Ample turnout is also important to keep them moving and is extremely beneficial.

Taking the proper steps to maintain your senior horse with a few of these simple steps can help ensure they will maintain their health for years to come.

Lisa Kiley is a lifelong horse enthusiast who has worked in the equine industry and shown horses for many years. She is a proud member of the Cashmans Horse Equipment Team. Cashmans Horse Equipment, located in Delaware, Ohio, has been providing top quality products to the equine and agricultural community for 40 years. They have a commitment to sourcing environmentally conscious merchandise and items made in the U.S.A. Cashmans strives to educate customers and provide products that put safety first so you can enjoy more time with the horses you love. www.cashmans.com

by Karen (Chilipepper) Davis

Our events are over. We had our club picnic on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Curt Myers place in Conneaut. The club would like to thank Curt for hosting the picnic, letting us ride in his arena and have a fun day with everyone. Everyone brought a covered dish to share and the club bought the meat. Thirteen showed up for the picnic. Some brought their horses and practiced in Curt’s indoor arena and had fun and laughing

2023 CMSA Approved Dates

at our President, R David Davis dragging an ass around trying to get it used to the gun fire and gun smoke. The mule belongs to one of our members, Katherine Ring. We had so much food to go around for everyone but, surprisingly no one brought a dessert. Last year we had more dessert than anything else. Curt went into his house and brought out some cupcakes he had. Everyone seemed to have a good time!

We are having our awards

banquet on Jan. 21, 2023 at the Lenox Community Center. We have been busy ordering awards and getting everything planned. The awards are almost all bought for the banquet. I will be glad when everything that we have ordred comes in for the banquet. CMSA approved our dates for the 2023 season! We are still waiting to hear from the Ashtabula County Fair Board. These are our 2023 dates that we are hoping to be approved:

JUNE 24-25: Stagecoach I & II

JULY 15-16: Homesman I & II

AUG. 19-20: Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken

SEPT. 9-10: Gone Are The Days I & II

We will be having movies again next season on Saturday nights with popcorn.

I want to thank Carmen and Nancy Virzi for hosting our October meeting.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Big Dee’s Vet and Tack Supply where you can get all your pet supplies and everything they need; CMSA; Lonesome Pine Ammo; Uncle Jimmy’s Brand Products for all your pet treats; The Corral; Stagecoach West; Park Side Trailer Sales and Services, Inc., new or used horse trailers or parts or service on the one you have; Siracki Realty, if you are looking for a new house, apartment or need a place to rent); Altmeyer’s Trailers Sales in Jefferson, Ohio, for new or used horse trailers, cargo trailers, car mate trailers, American Haulers; Rockin C Leather, Ben and Tammy Clark for all your leather needs and accessories (chaps, chinks, purses, spur straps, etc); Wendy Shaffer MMCP, Agile Equine Bodywork; Rocks Farm and Garden; Junction Buick, GMC in Chardon and Kiko Meats, Ron and Diane Kiko for great tasting roasts, burgers, steaks!

Club picnic

LEMV President dragging his ass.

by Dr. Nettie Liburt, PhD, PAS

As we all know, horses evolved consuming a forage-based diet. Fortunately, our ability to care for horses into their golden years has also improved dramatically over the years. Changes in dentition (the horse’s teeth) often accompany advancing age, and with those changes come the need to adjust how we provide nutrition for our seniors. Read on for tips on how to help your horse maintain their forage intake while minimizing the risks for things like choke, weight loss and more.

Horses’ Teeth Continually Erupt

A horse chews forage in a circular motion, with the lower jaw sliding along the upper teeth (See AAEP, Understanding Your Horse’s Teeth). This motion allows the breakdown of forage into smaller pieces, but also causes the teeth to wear. Horses have what’s called a ‘reserve crown’ below the gumline that erupt continually to make up for this wear. However, that reserve is not infinite, and often runs out around the age of 25 years (although each horse is different). A lifetime of good dental care can help track changes and indicate if and when feed management needs to be adjusted.

Weight Loss

Horse owners often reach out to a nutritionist with concerns that their older horse is losing weight. One of the first questions I ask is about the condition of the horse’s teeth, and if a veterinarian has recently examined the horse. Many times, the answer is that the horse “has no teeth left,” “the teeth aren’t that great” or something to that effect. Horse owners should check a horse’s feeding area for what are called hay quids, which look like wads of chewed up hay. Horses who cannot properly chew hay often ‘quid’ the hay, meaning they can’t actually chew, swallow and digest it, but rather roll it around in their mouth and drop it out of their mouths. In this case, the horse isn’t actually consuming the hay, nor are they getting the nutrients,

including fiber or calories, from it. When a horse can’t chew forage properly, it can put them at risk for choke (discussed below) as well. But when it comes to weight loss in these horses, it is fairly simple to replace the hay or forage source with something the horse is better able to consume. These forage substitutes can include soaked hay pellets, a true complete feed, soaked beet pulp, soaked hay cubes and bagged, chopped forage. A combination of these forage substitutes can be used as well, depending on the horse’s needs, product availability, cost and the management situation. An appropriate concentrate feed can also be fed, but it should also be soaked to an oatmeal-like consistency to ensure the horse can swallow it without really having to chew it. Softer forage may be preferable as well, for example early-cut grass or chopped forage products.

Choke

Choke in horses is not the same as it is in humans. Typically, if a horse experiences choke, a food bolus becomes lodged in the esophagus (not the trachea or windpipe as in human choke) and may start to drip out of the nose. Choke is a veterinary emergency and requires medical attention. According to the AAEP, choke is most commonly caused by a horse that consumed food too quickly, and/ or did not chew it properly. One of the key nutritional management strategies is to soak feed for horses prone to choke, to help the food soften and break down particles to ease swallowing. Other tactics include the use of slow feeders or barriers (i.e. large salt blocks) to help slow consumption of food.

References and Additional Reading

• American Association of Equine Practitioners, Understanding Choke in Horses, Online at: https://aaep.org/horsehealth/understanding-choke-horses

• American Association of Equine Practitioners, Understanding Your Horse’s Teeth, Online at: https://aaep.org/issue/understanding-your-horses-teeth

• Rahmani, et al., 2019. History, clinical findings and outcome of horses with equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis. The Veterinary Record. 185(23):730. doi: 10.1136/vr.105253

• University of Tennessee Center for Veterinary Medicine, Equine Odontoplasty, Online at: https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/UTCVM_ EquineOdontoplasty.pdf

EOTRH

EOTRH is an acronym for Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. EOTRH is progressive, generally affects the incisor teeth in the front of the horse’s mouth, and its cause is unknown (Rahmani et al., 2019). With this condition, the tooth is resorbed and excess cementum is produced, resulting in a painful mouth that is often treated by removing some or all of the incisors. Unfortunately, not much is known about EOTRH. But, horses dealing with the condition need to be provided with soft feed that they can comfortably pick up with the lips. Soaking feed and providing soaked forage (cubes, beet pulp, etc. described above) can provide the nutrition these horses need while making it comfortable for them to ingest.

Summary

As discussed, one of the easiest and most basic management practices to nutritionally support horses with poor dentition is to soak feed. Changes to forage type may be necessary and using slow feeders can help reduce bolting of feed. Always consult your veterinarian or

veterinary dentist to assess your horse’s dental health and contact a qualified equine nutritionist to help with any changes necessary to keep the horse’s diet balanced and healthy.

Dr. Nettie Liburt is the Senior Equine Nutrition Manager for MARS Horsecare US/BUCKEYE™ Nutrition, responsible for formulating and developing new products, research and education of the sales team, our dealers and our customers. Headquartered in Dalton, Ohio, BUCKEYE Nutrition has been manufacturing quality products since 1910. BUCKEYE Nutrition takes feed safety seriously, implementing many programs mandated in human food manufacturing facilities. With the backing of the WALTHAM® Petcare Science Center, a worldleading authority on pet care and widely renowned as an institution of the highest scientific caliber, our equine nutritionists provide scientifically-based equine nutritional solutions which guide our formulations and our BUCKEYE Nutrition brand promise of being the highest quality, fixed formula feeds available. BUCKEYE Nutrition is a 100 percent equine-focused company, 100 percent medicationfree facility, sourcing 100 percent traceable, pure ingredients for consistency. www.BuckeyeNutrition.com. 800/898-9467.

Ohio

School Rodeo Association

Buckeye Legacy Rodeo Results

NATIONAL DIRECTOR, Nikki McCarty PRESIDENT, Ryan Corzatt

VICE PRESIDENT, Clint Cummings SECRETARY, Tyler Stillion

PHONE, 419/566-5041

FACEBOOK, Ohio High School & Jr High Rodeo Association; WEBSITE, www.ohiohighschoolrodeo.org

by Tana Drew

This October over 250 high school and junior high rodeo contestants from nine different states came together in Columbiana, Ohio, for the third Buckeye Legacy Rodeo. This year the event almost doubled in the number of entries. There were nearly 1350 entries throughout the weekend. With two separate arenas running simultaneously throughout the weekend, it was an exciting and fast paced event for all.

Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia came to try and collect state points, but all contestants were given the opportunity to participate in Junior Patriot and

Following the rodeo on Saturday, contestants and parents enjoyed the Cinch After Party, complete with pizza, dummy roping, dancing and a live concert by the Bryan Lewis Band. Sunday morning kicked off with a Cowboy Church service with Doug Brenneman, followed by round two of the rodeo.

The competition was tough and the All-Around races were neck and neck through the entire weekend.

In the Junior High Division, Janelle Birone-Vidovich of Ohio and Taylor Reever of Pennsylvania

tied for the Girls All-Around. Seth Varner of Pennsylvania won the Boys All-Around.

In the High School Division, Jessica Bennett of Michigan and Susanna Manns of Pennsylvania tied for the Girls All-Around and Treg Huver of Michigan won the Boys All-Around.

HIGH SCHOOL EVENT CHAMPIONS

GIRLS ALL-AROUND: Jessica Bennett, MI and Susanna Manns, PA (tie)

BOYS ALL-AROUND: Treg Huver, MI

BAREBACK RIDING: Blayn Hughston, MI

STEER WRESTLING: Ayden White, OH SADDLE BRONC: Treg Hoover, MI

BREAKAWAY ROPING: Emma Wyant, OH

TIE-DOWN ROPING: Tate Ondrik, PA

BARREL RACING: Avery Roese, OH

POLE BENDING: Alona Mahnke, MI

TEAM ROPING: Sarah Varner, PA and

Clayton Drake, OH

GOAT TYING: Jessica Bennett, MI

BULL RIDING: Nathan Bayous, PA

JUNIOR HIGH EVENT CHAMPIONS

GIRLS ALL-AROUND: Taylor Reever, PA and Janelle Birone-Vidovich, OH (tie)

BOYS ALL-AROUND: Seth Varner, PA

BAREBACK STEER RIDING: Clay Brininger, PA

CHUTE DOGGING: Clay Brininger, PA

BOYS BREAKAWAY ROPING: Seth Varner, PA

GIRLS BREAKAWAY ROPING: Janelle Birone-Vidovich, OH

TIE-DOWN ROPING: Jacsen Fronty, PA

BARREL RACING: Kya Osborne, WV

POLE BENDING: Blake Anderson, OH

TEAM ROPING: Matthew East and Wesley Gardner, OH

RIBBON ROPING: Seth Varner and Taylor Reever, PA

BOYS GOAT TYING: Morgan Hartwig, IL

GIRLS GOAT TYING: Taylor Reever, PA BULL RIDING: Wesley Gardner, OH

Miami Valley Horse Show Association Planning Annual Banquet

PRESIDENT, Kenny Matthews VICE PRESIDENT, Beth Roosa SECRETARY, Rebekah Martindale TREASURER, Emily O’Daniel SHOW CHAIR, Betsie Moore EMAIL, bekahmartindale1133@ gmail.com WEBSITE, www.MVHSA.com

our 2022 show season—what a season it has been!

Over the next few months, we will begin to plan our annual banquet. Last March, we gave away $7,000 worth of prizes to those who earned year-end awards.

by Rebekah Martindale

The Miami Valley Horse Show Association (MVHSA) is winding down and finishing up

Our members are what make MVHSA the outstanding organization that it is. Ranging from youth to adult, we offer a family friendly showing environment that centers on the development of our youth. We are happy to meet you and hope that you attend one of our shows as an exhibitor or spectator to see our group in action.

WCYRA qualifiers, and compete for nearly $32,000 in cash and prizes!

Janelle Birone GT

Ayden White

Michigan champions.

Bring on the Brrrrrrr — Some Fun Ideas to Keep Riding During the Winter

by Kristen Humble

Wow, we have had a beautiful fall for riding! Although some of us are still enjoying some time on the trails, many trail riders are winterizing their trailers, packing up to head to their winter homes in Arizona or Florida, or maybe even a few of us are considering putting up their horses for the winter anticipating the cold months to come. The truth is, that it can be difficult to keep motivated to ride during Michigan winters, but here are some tricks and ideas that I’ve used to keep me motivated to ride in the cold.

1. Social media riding challenges: Try posting a challenge about riding with a group of friends. It’s amazing how competition can be a big motivator.

2. Obstacle work: Use the downtime in the winter to set up obstacles for your horse to build confidence with (tarps, gates, bridges, pool noodles, etc.). These pay off in the long run and will make next year’s trail season so rewarding.

3. Start a riding club: Have a group that meets on a regular basis and you might find a way

to meet new friends and keep yourself in the saddle.

4. Buy a new horse: Nothing like searching for the next perfect companion during the winter when you can really dig into your options and a new horse makes it very easy to go out in the cold to play.

5. Host a ‘ladies night’ at a local arena: I did this for years. We would set a training goal like ‘teaching a horse to sidepass’ and we would all help each other to reach our goals. Appetizers and beverages are a fun idea too!

6. Local shows: Even if you don’t have a show horse, it’s fun to try new things with your trail horse like team penning/sorting, pony club shows, pleasure shows, dressage or barrel racing. See what your community has to offer.

7. Do some shopping: If you buy something new, you’ll have to use it, right? Try buying a heated vest or maybe a wool riding skirt. It might inspire you to do some winter riding outside.

8. Find a parade: There are normally several Christmas parades in my area that love to have horses. If you sign up, you’ll be more motivated to ride.

9. Train: Do some lessons or Internet research about how to teach your horse something new. If your horse is already handy at the basic maneuvers, try training a cool new trick (picking up a hat, taking a bow, picking you up off the mounting block, etc…)

10. Join a new organization: If you have a chance to join MTRA or other local organizations in the winter it can be a motivator to keep your horse in shape as you anticipate the warmer weather. It’s also nice to get to know people during the winter that you might be able to ride with when the weather breaks.

Enjoy these ideas as we transition to the winter and the May Blossom ride will be here before you know it! There are so many great things always happening in the MTRA club. We hope that you come ride with us. Check out our website at www.mtra.org and our Facebook pages to keep up to date with all the happenings. Ride on!

PRESIDENT,

Prizes from a Social Media Riding Challenge.

MTRA friends meeting up to ride in the fall.

Kathy Duffy, Sand D’Hulster and Kristen Humble in the Lexington parade.

Getting Past the Spook

by Robert Eversole

We’ve all been there. We’re heading down the trail, and our mount suddenly decides to exit the area posthaste. How we responded to that event determined whether the ride was over or if it was no big deal. My best-est boy mule, Ruger, encountered a mule-eating stump on a recent trail ride. Now I’d love to think that Ruger was doing his level best to protect both of us from the imminent danger that waits within a stump. It’s similar to the dangers lurking in plastic bags, round bales, and mule-eating bears disguised as tiny white dogs. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Why Spooks Happen

Horses, and mules, are prey animals with an instinct to look for potential danger and flee when they find it. This ‘fright and flight’ response has kept equines of all flavors alive for millennia. Horses evolved in wide open spaces where animals that ran first and thought about it later lived long enough to reproduce and reinforce that behavior. One of the many reasons I’m partial to mules is that donkeys have less of a flight response than horses. Of course, you’ll have to figure out which half (horse or donkey) you’re riding that day. While these historical facts are interesting, I would argue that knowing the root cause of the spook doesn’t make riding one out any easier. Ruger certainly listened to his horse side when we encountered the terrifying stump and the tiny white bear.

Before the Spook

I’m a big fan of proactively controlling spooks. I think of every ride as an airplane flight where I’m the pilot. Pre-flight checks work for aviators and horsemen; they’ll save you from an accident. We can learn a lot about what kind of day our animals are having if we take the time to look and listen before we head down the trail. Ty Evans taught me an excellent pre-ride checklist I run through before every ride.

Pre-Ride Checklist

• Stand still to mount

• Lateral flexion

• Move the hinds

• Clear front

• On course/loose rein circles

• Roll the hinds and return to the circle

If we can’t complete these few simple items before the ride, it may be time to change our plans and work out whatever kinks are in the system while we’re still in a relatively safe area and not on a narrow mountain trail. Forging ahead without a solid handle is a sure route to an eventful ride.

Listening to our Animals Doesn’t Stop at the Trailhead

During a ride, watch for potential monsters that might spook your horse. I watch for pricked ears pointing at something of interest. Sometimes I can find the beast; usually, I can’t. To be honest, my seeing the monster is irrelevant. I don’t have the same perspective as my animal. Whether I understand or not, whatever he’s experiencing is very real to him. When I notice any indication of Ruger becoming overly concerned, I try to put him to work. I’ll run through that checklist and give him something else to think about besides the monster. Once he’s relaxed and listening again, we’ll continue down the trail.

The One Rein Stop

After two and half decades in the saddle, I’ve determined the following. Most people will wait until the horse is in a full-out run before they decide to do something. By then, it’s too late. Worse, after the dust has settled, they blame the one rein stop for the wreck. You must train and prepare yourself to react as soon as the beast

wants to take off, not once the critter hits 100 miles an hour. For the one rein stop to work, it must be an ingrained habit that is practiced and refined regularly. It is an area where simply knowing the theory won’t do. To me, the one rein stop is a fundamental tool everyone should have on their horse. Horses need to learn this emergency brake before being ridden outside the arena, and it can be a lifesaver. A side benefit of practicing the one rein stop is that when a spook does occur, you’ll be better prepared to sit deep and stay somewhat more relaxed instead of getting tight and hauling back on both reins, each of which only serves to make a bad situation worse.

Thank You for the Opportunity

After the spook has occurred and you’ve put the one rein stop to work, it’s time to address whatever monster you’ve encountered. You’ve been gifted a fabulous training opportunity, be sure to take advantage of it.

Early in my riding career, I would have pointed my horse at the scary monster and tried to convince him that all was well with lots of pats and consoling talk about how it was OK and that all would be well. I don’t think this approach worked then, and I don’t believe it works now. Here’s a better system that works for me. Once you’re back in control of the situation, put the horse’s feet to work. Using one rein, bend him. It’s much harder for a horse to return to the reactive side of his brain when he’s redirecting his feet. If you’re in a safe area, go back to Ty’s checklist; flex his head, move the hinds, and clear the fronts.

Please spend a few minutes getting him soft and relaxed again before you continue the ride. This will be time well spent, help bring him back to focus, and help ease your nerves. Be patient; after all, you’ve just avoided a dangerous stump full of gremlins.

Well, there you go, my thoughts on avoiding spooks in the first place and ideas on addressing them when they do occur. As horse and mule owners, we’re responsible for guiding and protecting our mounts. When our animals get scared, it’s our job to give them the appropriate guidance to keep them safe.

For more information on trail riding and horse camping, please visit us at www.TrailMeister.com. TrailMeister is the world’s most extensive guide to horse trails and camps and a resource for information to keep your rides enjoyable and safe. The best-selling book ‘The ABCs of Trail Riding and Horse Camping’ features 180 more topics for the active or aspiring trail rider. From how to train your horse for the trail to how to use a GPS. Get your copy on Amazon.

NODA Announces 2023 Education and Competition Events

Public Library at 17222 Snyder Road, Chagrin Falls, right up the road from Chagrin Valley Farms. $25 includes a boxed lunch, new test copy packet, and wonderful instruction from Margaret. This event is partially funded with a grant from the USDF GMO Education Initiative Fund. Registration opens Dec. 1 at www.nodarider.org

which is managed by Classical Attraction Dressage Society. This year’s camp will feature Dressage lessons—both traditional and western, working equitation, trail rides, a ride-a-test and lots of fun for the 16 attendees. Keep your eyes open for the 2023 registration form. NODA members have the opportunity to register first.

JUNE 25: NODA Summer Series Schooling Show, Rocky River Stables

JULY 23: NODA Summer Series Schooling Show, Chagrin Valley Farms

AUG. 20: ODA Summer Series Schooling Show, Rocky River Stables

by Danielle Menteer O’Donnell

Looking forward to 2023! NODA has a lot on the calendar and there is more yet to come. All of NODA’s board members and committees are working hard to bring you quality education and competition events.

Right after the new year, NODA’s Education Co-chairs Sally Burton and Patty Valencic have planned the New Dressage Test Seminar with Margaret Freeman, USEF “S” judge. This is an unmounted event which will take place Jan. 7, 2023, 9:30 a.m. at the Bainbridge

NODA’s USEF/USDF Recognized Shows, Dressage 2023 and Dressage 2023 Encore will take place May 13 and 14, 2023 at Chagrin Valley Farms. The Recognized Show Committee is already up and running with a new chair for 2023. Welcome Suzanne Sherbundy! Suzanne is already pulling together her committee and is seeking a volunteer coordinator for the 2023 show weekend.

June 8-11 will bring NODA’s Dressage and More Camp moving to a new location for 2023, Brecksville Stables,

The Dressage Professional Initiative will return in 2023 with Instructor, Olympian Jennifer Baumert. Baumert will provide instruction to USEF/ USDF dressage professionals who instruct students and train horses. She will also provide evening lectures for NODA’s general membership. You must be a member to participate. Details TBA.

The Summer Series Schooling Show dates for 2023 have been announced by Schooling Show Manager Suzanne Sherbundy. They are as follows. Look for additional information on www. nodarider.org.

MAY 28: NODA Summer Series Schooling Show, Chagrin Valley Farms

SEPT. 17: Summer Series Schooling Show, Chagrin Valley Farms

OCT. 7: Summer Series Schooling Show, Chagrin Valley Farms

OCT. 8: Summer Series Schooling Championships, Chagrin Valley Farms

NODA is also planning for a Youth Clinic at low cost to youth members and other educational events! So, it’s time to renew your NODA membership for 2023! The 2023 membership year runs from Dec. 1, 2022 through Nov. 30, 2023. You can renew online at www.nodarider.org. Have a wonderful holiday season, no matter what holidays you may celebrate. See you out and about in 2023!

PRESIDENT, Danielle Menteer VICE PRESIDENT, Kathy Kirchner TREASURER, Dee Liebenthal SECRETARY, Beth Scalabrino EMAIL, president@nodarider.org WEBSITE, www.nodarider.org

Black Swamp Driving Club

Black Swamp Driving Club Enjoys Hayride

Elliott had set up a grill on the house porch to keep the burgers and hotdogs tasty and dry. The hosts also provided welcome hot coffee and tea along with hot chocolate.

by Mary Thomas

Black Swamp Driving Club members are a hardy bunch. It was raining Oct. 24 for the annual hayride hosted by Mary Elliott and Linda Spear at their farm near Galion, Ohio. But no problem—the Percherons, wagons, and more than two dozen members and guests gathered for the fun and food. The potluck was spread out on tables in a spotless stall in the bank barn. Plenty of chairs were set up in the barn aisle for groups catching up on the latest.

A brief break in the rain gave time to prepare the teams for hitching. The covered wagons proved to be just what was needed as the rain picked up again. The relaxing (and dry) ride went along quiet back roads—with the welcome clop of hoofs and jingle of harness.

A photo of an Aussie puppy raised and sold by Peg Graham is gracing the cover of the recent issue of Readers Digest. The picture was taken by the dog’s owner and submitted to the magazine. It won earning the coveted cover spot.

BSDC members have had the chance to drive the well-groomed trails at the Carlisle Reservation

Equestrian Center. Each month four days are designated as ‘driving days,’ and members can spend time enjoying the meandering way through both wooded and prairie areas.

PRESIDENT, Sharon Hayhurst VICE PRESIDENT, Angela Hohenbrink SEC. & TREAS., Susan Murray WEBSITE, www.blackswampdrivingclub.com

Don’t get left and miss the hayride!

Black Swamp members enjoying wonderful potluck.

View From the Cheap Seats

by Sarah Vas

Ipromise this isn’t my usual ransom note of selfish excess and impossible wishes like always. I’d like to think of it more as a charitable list of wisdom and skills granted to others on my behalf. Maybe the elves would be receptive to granting a few of these Christmas miracles as retribution for every Polly Poops-Her-Pants they’ve ever packaged up over the years. Regardless, a plate of the finest artisanal baked goods and a pint of milky fresh spirits awaits you, oh Fat Man.

Dear Hot House Flower Princess—You are not in mortal danger when the sun reaches the horizon. Never have I, nor will I ever leave you and your pasture mates outside in the wide-open world beyond the last hints of dusk. Fence pacing, crowd stirring, and gate crowding are not necessary. The monsters

can’t get you. Calm the heck down, honey.

Dear Starving Horses—Loud pawing is futile. It neither precipitates nor speeds up the feeding process. It just makes me mad. Some of your stall habits are already vial. No need to further stir that pot with your daily custom. Banging buckets is also annoying, as is gnashing teeth on the bars of your stall. Never have I, nor will I ever skip your meals. You literally just ate three hours ago. We can quit with the prison riot several times a day.

Dear Eardrum Busting Bellower—Why? Why do you insist on whinnying at glassshattering volume? Yelling directly through my skull at your buddy is offensive. And while I don’t question your ability to tell time, loudly announcing my entrance to the building at routine moments of the day? You’re only ramping up the big dumb one. He starts pawing like he’s been on a

week-long fast. You gnash your teeth at the Princess. Everybody takes your hollering as a cue to pee. Simmer down, sister.

Dear Mice, Birds, Chipmunks and other Vermin—You are not welcome. You’re messy, smelly, loud, and disgusting. Your various living habits are highly intrusive and do not reflect the pristine nature of my barn environment. Stop dying in the walls and stinking up the joint. And stop drowning in the water troughs and pooping in the water buckets. Gross. I will never find you or your children either adorable or worth protecting or rehabilitating. Go next door and hole up with my neighbor’s nasty menagerie of farm animals living in squalor. You’ll fit right in. As a matter of fact, stop going all the way over there and bringing chicken feathers all the way back here just to stuff them into your little hovels and filthy nests. If I wanted to be stupid with poultry moltage, I’d tear open a feather pillow in my living room and call it square.

Dear Strangers—Please move along. I don’t need your assistance parking my trailer, loading my horses, changing my tire, or making that tight turn. Thank you but unless I waved you down, you’re just in the way. You don’t know what you’re doing anyway and I don’t have the time to fix what you’d break in the efforts. You aren’t even standing where I can see you in the mirrors back there. Just move. I know what I’m doing.

Dear Big Name Trainer— Could you not? Use the good manners momma taught you. Barreling around the rail like gangbusters daring everyone else to move or be moved is rude and dangerous. You know perfectly well that you’re warming up in a crowded ring full of amateur riders. If anything, your horses have practiced hours more than theirs and don’t really enjoy all this grandstanding about. And look up occasionally. What are you staring at? Don’t you know your diagonals by now? Can’t you tell if your park horse is on the correct lead? And after all this flailing about, why do you still hold up the gate with three more laps around the warm up ring before making your big entrance to the class? Could you also

contain your flock out there in the holding pen? Does your client really need help from Groom #1 to get on this now sweaty, heaving horse while Groom #2 grapples it by the bridle? Why is Groom #3 leaning on the off stirrup? Your barn brought a mounting block bigger than a Volkswagen bus. And do we really need this big of an entourage and the dog in the win photos?

Dear Hay Bales—Falling off the hay elevator before you reach the hay loft isn’t funny. Neither is busting open upon contact with the ground and flinging your flakes wide like a deployed 20-seater emergency life raft. Disguising yourself as a neatly tied bale only to slip one string sideways over the end flake or worse, pop loose a knot upon my lifting you, well, that’s also gotta stop. I’m not saving you next summer. No more retying you and carefully stacking you with the other good bales. No more setting you aside to feed you first. Shape up or you’re going straight out for the pasture pigs to stomp into the mud or worse, I’ll just toss you on the spreader. Good luck getting me to care by wrapping your pathetic flake selves around the spreader’s kicker fins. Go on, whipping your tufts of pricy forage in the spinning blades. I’m not going to pluck you from your prison this time. You can hang there all winter for all I care. Stop. Popping. Your. Strings!

Dear Youth—You slipped from my grasp so slowly that you were long gone before I realized how far away you’d faded. Your absence makes everything harder, makes everything take longer. I’m not even ‘as good once as I ever was’ anymore.

Good 2022 Season, Working on 2023

TREASURER,

SECRETARY,

CONTACT, dcline458@gmail.com

FACEBOOK,

by Donny Cline

Hello ya all! The season has ended for 2022. We finished the Halloween Show with a walk trot show. I believe that we had a good year after cancelling the first two shows because of rain.

I have a lot of people to thank for a successful year. Our officers Travis Ross, John Weekley, Debbie Cole, Pam Niner; Trustees: Claude Robertson, Ken Niner, Rannay Cline, John Weekley, Jeff Clawson, Misty McDonald, Sue Ross; and a ton of people behind the scenes Linda Robertson, Janet Weekley, Jason Hambleton, Jennifer Hambleton,

Dear Satan (Continued)

I realize now how badly I wasted you. Please come back.

I know this is a lot but...I’ve been extra good, I swear. Well, mostly good. Oh, who are we kidding? I’m driving the bus to Coal Town again, huh Santa?

Sarah Vas, a second-generation horsewoman, writes about her decades of adventure and mayhem among several breeds and disciplines, and countless equine educational endeavors both as student and teacher.

Sarah owns and operates a continuation of her parents’

and Madisyn Weekley. I probably missed some and I apologize if I have.

I want to thank everyone who came out and showed up for making a fun year. Congratulations to all the buckle winners. Only one class was a run away; the four others were close to the last day by one or two points.

With the upcoming year we are working on trying to have night shows. The trail challenge was a big hit so this will be on the show schedule for sure next year. Contesting classes is a hit too so we won’t forget them. We are also looking into some ranch classes if we can. Be sure to look for our schedule for next year.

Meetings will continue the

original business, Winfield Farm & Forge, Ltd., that which couldn’t currently exist without constant gratitude for Kevin, her very forgiving, ridiculously supportive husband. Together, they are quietly beginning to explore the Farm’s newest chapters, both in and out of the horse world. They are returning to Sarah’s family roots, this time as breeders of Arabian/Welsh Sport Ponies for dressage and carriage while husband and wife indulge their pent up creativity producing a variety of rustic décor and iron work.

second Monday of each month. The winter meetings will be at 411 Pittsburgh Avenue, Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

PRESIDENT, Donny Cline VICE PRESIDENTS, Travis Ross and John Weekley

Pam Niner

Debbie Cole

Knox County Horse Park Inc

DECEMBER 2022

DEC. 1-4 — The IKI Winter Circuit, C Bar C Arena, 253 W. Stardust Dr., Cloverdale, IN. FMI: 765-720-3251

DEC. 3 — Ohio 4-H Horse Program 4-H Horse Judges Clinic, Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Dr., Columbus, OH. FMI: Dr. Kimberly Cole, 614-292-2625, cole.436@osu.edu, www. horse.osu.edu

DEC. 3 — Pure Gold Stables Blizzard Classic Winter Jumper Series, 3325 State Route 45, Salem, OH. FMI: 814-7462664, puregoldstables1@gmail.com, wwwpuregoldequine.com

DEC. 3 — 33rd Annual Lebanon Horse Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (parades at 1 and 7 p.m.), Downtown Lebanon, OH. FMI: www. lebanonchamber.org/carriage-parade

DEC. 3 — Rockin R Ranch Youth Rodeo, Rodeo Run Arena, 11641 Alspach Rd. NW, Canal Winchester, OH. FMI: Raynelle Rickly, 740-538-1491, www.facebook.com/ rockinrranchyouthrodeoassociation

DEC. 3 — Tiedown and Breakaway Cold Calves Series, Cooper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. St. Rt. 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-287-6339, www.coppermareranch.com

DEC. 3 — Rodeo Action, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredericktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-692-1271, dttrainingcenter@gmail.com

DEC. 3 — Southern Kentucky Team Penning Association Show, WKU L.D. Brown Expo Center, 406 Elrod Rd., Bowling Green, KY. FMI: Greg, 270-646-8495

DEC. 3 — Oakland County Tack & Craft Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Springfield Oaks Activity Center, 12451 Andersonville Rd., Davisburg, MI. FMI: Debbie Morgan, 248347-3860 x279, morga194@anr.msu.edu

DEC. 3 — Christmas at the Barn, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 14755 St. Rt. 226, Albion, PA. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/ events/671484867736875?active_

tab=about

DEC. 3-4 — Champion Center Open Horse Show Series, 4122 Laybourne Road, Springfield, OH. FMI: 937-324-4353, www. championscenterarena.com

DEC. 3-4 — YEDA Show, Garwood Arena, Columbiana OH. FMI: Molly, 419-957-7379, www.showyeda.com

DEC. 3-4 — Foster Equine Boarding & Rescue Snowball Series, 60500 Patch Rd., New Concord, OH. FMI: 740-291-3556, fosterequinerescue@gmail.com, www. facebook.com/fosterequine

DEC. 4 — Cowboy Christmas Tack Swap, Shopping & Live Auction, 9 a.m., WB Ranch, 1640 Co. Rd. B, Swanton, OH. FMI: Jo, 419-356-1350, www.fcohc.com

DEC. 9 — Holiday Crossbred Sale, 3 p.m., Mt. Hope Auction, Mt. Hope, OH. FMI: 330674-6188, www.mthopeauction.com

DEC. 9-11 — On The Road with Dawn & Clea Half Baked Series, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: www. ontheroadwithdawnandclea.com

DEC. 10 — The Basics of Therapetuic Shoeing Clinic, Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds, 259 S. Tuscarawas Ave., Dover, OH. FMI: Lori McDade, 330-447-7534, https://www.facebook.com/Mid-EasternFarriers-Association-154249264686929

DEC. 10 — Pure Gold Stables Golden Winter Dressage Award Series, 3325 State Route 45, Salem, OH. FMI: 814746-2664, puregoldstables1@gmail.com, wwwpuregoldequine.com

DEC. 10 — Henderson’s Arena Buckle Series, Henderson’s Arena, Jackson, OH. FMI: Kelsie Bauerle, 937-728-9422

DEC. 10 — Mt. Hope Horse Sale, 8076 SR 241, Millersburg, OH. FMI: 330-674-6188, www.mthopeuaction.com

DEC. 10 — Crazy Woman Ranch IBRA Barrels, 6450 Lancaster-Circleville Rd. SW, Lancaster, OH. FMI: Joyce, 614-595-1850, joycehanes@att.net

DEC. 10 — Chilled Classic 2023, Sundance Arena, 310 Fredonia Rd., Fredonia, PA. FMI: Alicia Zygarowski, 724-679-0186

DEC. 10 — El Winter Bash IBRA Buckle/ Award Series, Edmiston Arena, 670 Carpenters Creek Rd., Hustonville, KY. FMI: Ashley, 859-779-0397

DEC. 10-11 — Blue Lakes Farm Winter Series Contest Show (10th) and Pleasure Show (11th), 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, https:// bluelakesfarm.wixsite.com/website, tomsnyder8@gmail.com

DEC. 10-11 — YEDA Show, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH. FMI: Molly Niese, 419957-7379, mniese@showyeda.com, www. showyeda.com

DEC. 11 — Breakaway Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredericktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-6921271, dttrainingcenter@gmail.com

DEC. 11-12 — Youth Equestrian Development Association Show, University of Findlay Western Farm, 14684 US-68, Findlay, OH. FMI: Molly Niese, 419-9577397, niesem72@gmail.com, www. showyeda.com

DEC. 16-17 — 8th Annual “Kiss”Mas Juvenile & Futurity, C Bar C Expo, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: Nathan Peoples, 859991-1699, www.kissstallions.com

DEC. 17 — Carhartt Classic Fuzzy Performance Show Series, Copper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. State Route 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-207-6339, coppermareranch@ gmail.com, www.coppermareranch.com DEC. 17 — CS Roping Series, 9918 Ridge Road SE, Uhichsville, OH. FMI: Cooper, 330340-2255

DEC. 18 — Brass Ring Holiday Horse Show, Wyndsor Farm, Elverson, PA. FMI: jackkate@aol.com

DEC. 30 — New Years Eve Special Sale, Sugarcreek Stockyards, 102 Buckeye Street, Sugarcreek, OH. FMI: 330-8311720, www.sugarcreekstockyard.com

DEC. 30-31 — Waynesburg Barrel Show “Racin’ To Midnight Show”, Garwood Arena, Columbiana, OH. FMI: Lora White, 412-956-3211

DEC. 31 — Casino Classic All Breed Horse Sale, Saddles 12 p.m., Horses 1 p.m., Oak Grove, 777 Winners Way, Oak Grove, KY. FMI: Scotty Nicks, 502-664-6561

DEC. 31 — Rodeo Action, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredericktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-6921271, dttrainingcenter@gmail.com

DEC. 31 — Henderson’s Arena Buckle Series, Henderson’s Arena, Jackson, OH. FMI: Kelsie Bauerle, 937-728-9422

DEC. 31 - JAN. 1 — Champions All Breed Association Show, Champions Center, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: 937324-4353, www.championscenterarena.com

JANUARY 2023

JAN. 6-8 — 2023 ARHA Judges Seminar, Center For Rural Development, 2292 US Hwy. 27, Somerset, KY. FMI: American Ranch Horse Association, 606-2712963, arhacontact@aol.com, www. americanranchhorse.net

JAN. 7 — Michigan Quarter Horse Association Service Sale, Okemos Convention Center, Okemos, MI. FMI: 616225-8211, mqha@hotmail.com, www. miquarterhorse.com

JAN. 7 — El Winter Bash IBRA Buckle/ Award Series, Edmiston Arena, 670 Carpenters Creek Rd., Hustonville, KY. FMI: Ashley, 859-779-0397

JAN. 7-8 — Blue Lakes Farm Winter Series Contest Show (7th) and Pleasure Show (8th), 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: 440564-7303, https://bluelakesfarm.wixsite. com/website, tomsnyder8@gmail.com

JAN. 7-8 — Foster Equine Boarding & Rescue Snowball Series, 60500 Patch Rd., New Concord, OH. FMI: 740-291-3556, fosterequinerescue@gmail.com, www. facebook.com/fosterequine

JAN. 8 — CS Roping Series, 9918 Ridge Road SE, Uhichsville, OH. FMI: Cooper, 330340-2255

JAN. 13-15 — 2022-2023 Youth Rodeo Series, Garwood Arena, 2538 Middleton Rd., Columbia, OH. FMI: 330-717-4329, www.garwoodarena.com

JAN. 14 — Pure Gold Stables Golden Winter Dressage Award Series, 3325 State Route 45, Salem, OH. FMI: 814746-2664, puregoldstables1@gmail.com, wwwpuregoldequine.com

JAN. 14 — Rockin R Ranch Youth Rodeo, Rodeo Run Arena, 11641 Alspach Rd. NW, Canal Winchester, OH. FMI: Raynelle Rickly, 740-538-1491, raynelle.rockinr@ outlook.com, www.facebook.com/ rockinrranchyouthrodeoassociation

JAN. 14 — Horse Sale, Mt. Hope Auction, Mt. Hope, OH. FMI: 330-674-6188, www. mthopeauction.com

JAN. 14 — Carhartt Classic Fuzzy Performance Show Series, Copper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. State Route 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-207-6339, coppermareranch@ gmail.com, www.coppermareranch.com

JAN. 14 — Chilled Classic 2023, Sundance Arena, 310 Fredonia Rd., Fredonia, PA. FMI: Alicia Zygarowski, 724-679-0186

JAN. 14-15 — YEDA Show, Lake Erie College, Painesville, OH. FMI: Molly Niese, 419-957-7379, mniese@showyeda.com, www.showyeda.com

JAN. 15 — Breakaway Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredericktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-6921271, dttrainingcenter@gmail.com

JAN. 21 — Henderson’s Arena Buckle Series, Henderson’s Arena, Jackson, OH. FMI: Kelsie Bauerle, 937-728-9422

JAN. 21 — Tack Sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Heart of a Warrior Farm, 6545 Beecher Rd., Granville, OH. FMI: 614-604-4565, heartofwarriorfarm@gmail.com, https:// www.facebook.com/HeartofaWarriorFarm

JAN. 21 — Tiedown and Breakaway Cold Calves Series, Cooper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. St. Rt. 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-287-6339, www.coppermareranch.com

JAN. 21-22 — YEDA Show, Garwood Arena, Columbiana, OH. FMI: Molly Niese, 419957-7379, www.showyeda.com

JAN. 22 — 1st Annual Wilmington College Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1535 Fife Ave., Wilmington, OH. FMI: Allie Pitt, 614832-6342 (text), doublertack@yahoo.com

JAN. 25-29 — Winner Circuit, C Bar C Arena, 253 W. Stardust Rd., Cloverdale, IN. FMI: Kathy Avolt, 765-714-4324, www. anequineproduction.com

JAN. 28 — 12th Annual Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club Tack Swap, Ashland County Fairgrounds Mozelle Hall and Green Building, 2042 Claremont Ave., Ashland, OH. FMI: Taylor Rebman, 419606-5164, taylor9377@gmail.com, www. ashlandpaintandplain.com

JAN. 28 — Pure Gold Stables Blizzard Classic Winter Jumper Series, 3325 State Route 45, Salem, OH. FMI: 814-7462664, puregoldstables1@gmail.com, wwwpuregoldequine.com

JAN. 28 — Henderson’s Arena Buckle Series, Henderson’s Arena, Jackson, OH.

FMI: Kelsie Bauerle, 937-728-9422

JAN. 28— Chilled Classic 2023, Sundance Arena, 310 Fredonia Rd., Fredonia, PA.

FMI: Alicia Zygarowski, 724-679-0186

JAN. 29 — Annual Membership Dinner, Boone County Enrichment Center, Burlington, KY. FMI: Trisha Kremer, 859743-0296, nkhn@nkhn.info

FEBRUARY 2023

FEB. 4 — Carhartt Classic Fuzzy Performance Show Series, Copper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. State Route 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-2076339, www.coppermareranch.com

FEB. 4 — MQHA 21st Annual New & Used Tack Sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: 616225-8211, mqha@hotmail.com, www. miquarterhorse.com

FEB. 4-5 — Foster Equine Boarding & Rescue Snowball Series, 60500 Patch Rd., New Concord, OH. FMI: 740-291-3556, fosterequinerescue@gmail.com, www. facebook.com/fosterequine

FEB. 4-5 — YEDA Show, Treharnes Arena, Negley, OH. FMI: Molly Niese, 419-9577379, www.showyeda.com

FEB. 10-12 — 2022-2023 Youth Rodeo Series, Garwood Arena, 2538 Middleton Rd., Columbia, OH. FMI: 330-717-4329, www.garwoodarena.com

FEB. 11 — Rockin R Ranch Youth Rodeo, Rodeo Run Arena, 11641 Alspach Rd. NW, Canal Winchester, OH. FMI: Raynelle Rickly, 740-538-1491, www.facebook.com/ rockinrranchyouthrodeoassociation

FEB. 11 — Horse Sale, Mt. Hope Auction, Mt. Hope, OH. FMI: 330-674-6188, www. mthopeauction.com

FEB. 11-12 — 4H Tack Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Champion Center, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: Colleen Martin, 614-374-6149

FEB. 11-12 — Champions All Breed Association Show, Champions Center, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: 937324-4353, www.championscenterarena.com

FEB. 12 — Pure Gold Stables Blizzard Classic Winter Jumper Series, 3325 State Route 45, Salem, OH. FMI: 814-7462664, puregoldstables1@gmail.com, wwwpuregoldequine.com

FEB. 12 — Breakaway Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredericktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-6921271, dttrainingcenter@gmail.com

FEB. 12 — Chilled Classic 2023, Sundance Arena, 310 Fredonia Rd., Fredonia, PA. FMI: Alicia Zygarowski, 724-679-0186

FEB. 18 — Tiedown and Breakaway Cold Calves Series, Cooper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. St. Rt. 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-287-6339, www.coppermareranch.com

FEB. 18-19 — Blue Lakes Farm Winter Series Contest Show (18th) and Pleasure Show (19th), 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, https://bluelakesfarm. wixsite.com/website, tomsnyder8@gmail. com

First, allow me to offer my prayers and best wishes for all of you throughout the coming ‘holiday season.’ The true spirit of Christmas can be lost during all the shopping, parties, gift buying and giving along with the financial burden many of us accrue this time of year. As you delve into all those, please try to remember the original reason for celebrating Christmas—the birth of Jesus. I don’t mean to preach but let me just say I wish you a Merry Christmas in the true spirit of this awesome Holy Day!

By the time you see this article Thanksgiving (and our ‘show season’) will be memories. 2022 was another excellent year for the Wayne County Saddle Club. I’ve talked about the great season

Looking Ahead to 2023

we had at the ‘Hollow.’ The point shows, the fun shows, the Roundup and the first season of ‘the Buckle Series,’ were all successes in their own right. It doesn’t happen by accident. Your officers and directors are already looking ahead to 2023. Many of our members take an active role in producing the events here. And, it’s all volunteer!

Congratulations to all our 2022 competitors. You are all winners in our book. Special congratulations to class winners and buckle series winners!

Thank you everyone who’s helped in any way and who will help next season!

One really cool transition between seasons is our annual banquet, election, business meeting and dance. This year it is once again at the Wooster American Legion on Jan. 14, 2023. Again a carry-in dinner, too. Please bring one hot and one cold dish. The club will provide tableware, coffee, lemonade, water and meat. The doors open at 5:30 p.m.; we eat at 6 p.m. The business meeting will start at 7 p.m. There will be a DJ.

Once again we plan to offer a ‘Chinese Auction.’ Donations are appreciated and you can let any officer or director know if you have something to donate.

The banquet comes a little while after the rush of the holidas! It’s a great time to leave the holiday blues behind, shake off the winter ‘cabin fever’ and get together for some friendly conversation. ‘Hope to see you there!

A couple of us have recently ridden beyond clear trails into storm decimated areas at the ‘Hollow.’ As we open more areas to ride safely caution is paramount. If you do ride at the Hollow, try to stay on marked trails and, above all, be careful always!

The woods will never be the same as it was before the storm, but eventually trails will be extensive again. Part of the beauty

of nature is it is ever changing to one extent or another. Of course this change was major. It’s still awesomely beautiful there.

The worship group will meet first and second Sundays through the winter at 11 a.m. All are welcome. Meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~Stan

Pinto Horse Association of Ohio Preparing for Exciting and Fun 2023 Show Season

PRESIDENT, Kaylee Clagett VICE PRESIDENT, Angie Wolfe SECRETARY, Leslie Watson TREASURER, Amy Leibold EMAIL, diamondkfarm20@gmail.com WEBSITE, www.ohiopinto.net

by Leslie Watson

Ohio Pinto officers and directors want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. With the new year comes new goals for our members and club to achieve. We recently held the election of officers for 2023. President will be Kaylee Claggett, Vice President will be Angie Wolfe, Secretary will be Leslie Watson, Treasurer will be Amy Leibold. Directors that were elected to a two year term were Jodie Ricks, Pete Thornton, Shannon Dillinger and Amber Madden.

The year end awards banquet will be Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 at the Thirsty Pony in Sandusky. Please get your reservations to

Emily Wolery. There will be an officers and directors meeting as well as a general membership meeting at 2 p.m. that day as well. Ohio Pinto officers and directors are working hard to prepare for an exciting and fun 2023 show season. We have been working on a new showbill with suggestions from members as well as other activities at the shows in 2023. We will publicize everything once we have the final approval from the Pinto Horse Association of America.

Please be sure to check the club website at ohiopinto.net and Facebook group at Pinto Horse Association of Ohio for the most up-to-date information and forms. Until next time may there be spots in the barn and warmth in your homes.

SHOW DATES FOR 2023

MARCH 31-APRIL 2: Garwood Arena

MAY 19-21: Wauseon

JULY 21-23: Findlay

JULY 29-30: Pinto Jubilee, New Castle, IN

AUG. 25-27: Champion Center, Springfield, OH

SEPT. 22-24: Garwood Arena

Happy Holidays from the Corral staff

PRESIDENT, Stan Bosler VICE PRESIDENT, Angie Didinger & Jaimie Horsky; SECRETARY, Tricia Crilow; TREASURER, Beth Eikleberry WEBSITE, www.waynecountysaddleclub.com

Buckle series championship buckle.

Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc.

The Importance of Recreational and Varied Activities for our Horses

VICE PRESIDENT,

by Heather Bonifas

Everyone’s heard of the old adage, “all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy”, or at least something close to that. Recreation is not just a luxury for the lazy, but a much needed time for variety and mental down time. Just as this is true for ourselves, it is likewise true for our equine friends. A couple of years ago, I was privileged to sit in on an educational training clinic at the Equine Affaire, Columbus. In the presentation, the clinician spoke about the importance of recreational and varied activities for our horses. She was a Grand Prix rider but did not always focus her ring work on particular movements nor her next test. She regularly worked cross training days with

that it made them much the better dressage horse for it. Some of her activities that she included in her training routine were western riding, jumping, and trail time outside of the arena. She said it kept them and her much happier to face the more challenging elements if they spent time away from the grind of monotonous training.

I could not have agreed with her more. Many horses (and people) get stuck in a rut, as it were, and lose the joy in the very thing they are pursuing. As such, I was happy to participate in a Flatlander’s Fun Day recently.

the activities planned out by our gracious host, Marylou Paxton. The weather happened to be just perfect for the two-part roster. Half of the plans included riding and working on tests in her outdoor arena while the other was set up in her large pasture containing multiple obstacles for the horses to navigate. The tests were self and peer evaluated and varied from lower level traditional, mid level western and an impressive upper-level test ridden on a pony! What a time we had together. Out in the pasture, people were weaving cones, crossing ground poles,

navigating through uprights with fluttering bags, walking across a tarp, and even over a couple of low jumps. Both people and horses looked to be having a wonderful day. Many of us were pleasantly surprised with our skills and those of our horses!

Of course, we shared a meal— this time was under Marylou’s shade trees. We carried in our own food, shared it amongst friends and lounged about until it was time to wander back home. Since this was such a roaring success, we are planning more enrichment (fun) days for the upcoming summer season.

PRESIDENT, Pat Boutwell

Jill Christopher TREASURER, Cynthia Klingler SECRETARY, Shelley Zwiebel WEBSITE, www.flatlandersdressage.com

The Halt

by Kelley Bitter

As I begin my journey as an apprentice western dressage judge I have gained a new perspective of the tests. Sometimes it seems the easiest looking maneuvers are the most difficult one to get the horse and rider to do correctly. The first movement in every test is enter at A at a gait, halt through the walk salute. Develop a working jog through the walk, proceed working jog (to C). Sounds easy peasy doesn’t it? I see many horses and riders struggle with this maneuver. Let’s talk about it.

First, I look at the directives of the maneuver. For this first movement, I should see a gait that is balanced and steady. The horse must move straight from A to X. I should not see A as the horse comes down center line. There should also be a smooth transition to a halt that is immobile and square. Then a smooth transition to a walk and the jog. See there is a lot to this first movement. What I see most riders do is enter

at A then veering left or right of the center line. The line should be ridden straight to the judge from A. In the transition, I want to see a horse that uses their hind end to halt, then stand still and square. The horse should move easily and quietly to the walk using the hind end. Then a smooth transition to the jog. This should look seamless and easy. I look for what I call the essence of each movement. In other words, what principle is the horse and rider accomplishing in the movement? To do this I think about the training wheel and the purpose of the test.

This first movement into the ring shows a lot about the horse and rider. There is a lot going on in that first maneuver. The essence of this first maneuver that I look for is two-fold. I look for a horse that responds to the rider’s aids softly and quietly. That tells me the horse is relaxed and there is harmony between the horse and rider. Then I look at geometry. Is the horse moving straight, are transitions smooth, is the halt relaxed and still. Notice all the

maneuvers require the rider to use aids effectively.

Let’s talk about some exercises you can do to practice this first movement. Coming down center line, it is important to look straight at your judge. If you look at the judge, you will tend to keep yourself straight; straight shoulder, straight hips, straight arms. Here is how I teach students to come down center line. Start on the wall at a walk. Use the corner, meaning take your horse into the corner using inside leg and outside rein. As soon as you begin the corner look at the judge. Halfway through the corner, usually, you need to start turning to center line. I say usually because every horse can turn differently. No horse can turn on a meter, so make sure you practice and see where to turn your horse to get in front of A. The turn should be about the middle of the corner. Now, you are in front of A. Look at the judge. Keep hands and legs still and straight. Use your seat to move the horse forward. Keeping straight here is easier when the horse is moving forward. So, if the walk works, start the jog. At first, I do not have my riders halt. I just have them turn at X and go back to the corner and up center line. A trick I also do here is stand about 5 feet in front of C. I should not see A as the horse comes up the center line. Now, riders always want to fuss with the reins and use their legs. Don’t. If the horse is moving forward and the rider is looking directly at me then I cannot see A. Guess what? They are straight. Let the horse move forward. Now if the horse drifts, I will ask them to put a leg on to push the horse back to center and keep moving forward. It may take a few times riding like this before the horse moves straight, but they will, especially if your seat is balanced and straight.

The transition to the walk and

back to the jog should be smooth. I want to feel the hind legs deep underneath my seat. That will result in a smooth transition. I work on this by riding a jog, then asking for a walk all on a loose rein. If I do not feel the hind end working, I stop and back 4-5 steps then off to the jog again. I ask for a walk and repeat until I feel the horse’s hind legs step deep under me. When this happens, the transition is smooth and feels very natural. I do this until the horse is also relaxed transitioning. Notice, I said I keep a loose rein. I use my seat and leg cues more then reins. This can take practice, but it is well worth it when you see a high score and have a relaxed horse to ride.

The question I get asked the most is,” How do I get my horse to halt squarely?” First, the halt is a movement that shows exactly how the horse responds to aids. The halt is important because it is not a true stop. Rather, the horse moves into both reins, halts, but should be able to move forward immediately when asked.

In the halt, the horse’s hind end should feel lower. This can take practice before you feel it. I watch the horse and tell the rider when the horse is square. The biggest mistake rider’s make is to pull on the reins. Instead, use your seat and leg aids to drive the horse into your hands and start half-halts. As your horse starts to halt, soften your hands, and allow the halt. At this point, you should feel the hind legs under your seat. The horse needs to be balanced and you, the rider, need to be straight and balanced as well. Make sure you do not use one leg more than another or one rein more than the other. That can throw your horse off the square halt.

To practice, I will ride a horse over poles to get the hind end engaged. A few feet before I want to stop, I will stop my seat

Kelley Bitter is the owner of Buckeye Performance Horse Center and The Winning Edge Mental Performance Coaching in Newbury Ohio. A second- generation horsewoman. Kelley began riding and showing at 4 years old. In her teens, she started riding Arabians in various discipline and won several Regional and USEF titles over the last 50 years. Kelley started riding Western Dressage in 2016. In 2018 Kelley attended the WDAA Train the Trainer program. She has won several titles including placing two of her Arabians in the WDAA World show in 2020 top 15. At the WDAA International Challenge 2021 she placed with her Quarter Horse, Arabians and her student received top ten in the Gaited Division. Kelley currently runs The Western Dressage Academy. Kelley also holds certifications as a Mental Performance Coach, Equine Massage Therapy, Equine Laser Therapy and Equine Nutrition. Kelley has also completed the WDAA Judges training and is currently working on her “r” status.

EMAIL, vickimilliron@hotmail.com WEBSITE, www.midohiodressage.org

Being connected to your horse mentally and physically is one of the greatest benefits of horse ownership. Winston Churchill said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” The bond and trust that

The Halt (continued)

from moving and use my leg aids to push the horse forward into my hands and a half halt. Once the horse stops, I relax my hands. If the horse is not square, I can use my leg or sometimes a dressage whip to move the legs into a squared position. I always move forward, not backwards.

Connected

is developed makes our human lives better. Sometimes that connection develops with daily riding or handling and sometimes that connection can be with our retired pasture horse.

If you follow the theory of the dressage training scale you know the Glossary of Judging Terms (provided by the United States Dressage Federation) defines Connection/Connected as follows: State in which there is no blockage, break, or slack in the circuit that joins horse and rider into a single, harmonious, elastic unit. A prerequisite for thoroughness.

That connection with the horse is developed though years of

thoughtful and fundamentally correct riding by the person, in conjunction with the hierarchy of training that reflects the levels of the training scale for the horse. This month’s article focuses on the connection between humans involved with horses. This connection though it may be with someone that you only meet face to face for the first and only time (such as with an icon in the horse world) or someone you see on a daily basis. Not all connections are positive and not all are lasting; but all were meant to be.

You have the people you connect with several times a year such as your veterinarian, your farrier, and your hay supplier. Three of the most important connections you will ever have with your horse. Without them your connection with your horse is compromised.

that you can connect with. People with similar interests, people that talk ‘horse’ in your language. These people, though you may not see them in person or even yearly, are the ones that when connected it is like no time has passed or the on-line connection is as if they are sitting at your kitchen table.

Remember, the horse should still be able to move easily forward from the halt. Using a side wall can also be helpful if the horse drifts to one side. Always check your seat and your balance. As always practice and be consistent with your horse.

Until next time. Enjoy the ride.

You have the people you connect with daily such as your spouse, child, or people at a boarding facility. Without positive support from them, the horse connection may not be as positive as possible.

Finally, you have a community

Mid-Ohio Dressage Association is here for you if you want to become involved in a community that helps you feel connected with the language of dressage. Our monthly membership Zoom meetings along with the huge amount of volunteer opportunities makes us a great place to ‘dip your toe’ into the waters of dressage and connect with others. We always need your help and we will help you learn to do volunteer positions. The benefit of course is that you become connected to others with the similar interest in dressage.

As the year wraps up and you are thinking of future goals, check out our website https:// www.midohiodressage.com. We hope to become connected with you in 2023.

PRESIDENT, Vicki Milliron VICE PRESIDENT, Jessica Miltimore SECRETARY, Anna Cluxton TREASURER, Beth Baryon

Ranch

The Gift That Keeps Giving

by Rob and Tanya Corzatt

At the time of writing this article, we had recently hosted a Halloween event here at CP Ranch that we call our Little Wrangler Trot and Treat. It provides an opportunity for completely green, young, horse crazy enthusiasts to experience horseback riding. Our volunteers, which happen to be our more advanced lesson kids, lead their Little Wranglers and their horses, while I instruct the kiddos how to do basic maneuvers. They participate in a couple games, decorate their horses and go on a candy hunt. The kids absolutely love the different activities, but to me the most important feature of their riding session is the devotional. When I ask the kids if they have ever heard of ghosts, goblins and spirits they all enthusiastically answer “Yes!” I proceed to discuss that there is only one

spirit we should worship and that it is a good spirit. I ask for them to yell out who that is and typically most of our Little Wranglers will reply “the Holy Spirit!” I love hearing that from them! This event, as well as our training horses, were the inspiration for this article.

We are now quickly approaching Christmas and will be starting the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, if you haven’t already. As you all know the celebration of Christmas is due to the birth of baby Jesus, the most wonderful gift that God could have given us! This is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Jesus was born, began his ministry, and then willingly gave his life on the cross for our sins. Through this selfless act, we were provided two more gifts for those who decided to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the gift of salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Both gifts are

equally important, but I love the power the Holy Spirit provides for our adventures in this world.

We currently have 21 horses here and their training levels range from totally green to those that are pretty advanced and just need refreshers. No matter the level of the horse, when working with them it can be viewed that the horse is the person and I am the Holy Spirit. This is not meant to be a bold or arrogant statement. In Isaiah 30:21, it states “Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Whether working with a horse from the ground or on their backs, that is what we are doing and a lot of it is a spiritual and mental growth.

The Holy Spirit can continually provide some incredible gifts for us. He can give us a power that will enable us to overcome experiences that would break the average person. He helps build our wisdom. Wisdom is not just about knowing what is good for you but applying that knowledge in your day to day life. It is a desire to judge things according to truth. Very closely related to wisdom is discernment. With discernment you possess wisdom, and are of good judgement. The Spirit gives you power to understand or know something and perceive the true character of people.

A couple horses that I am working with have a lot of anxiety. One in particular has had to be sedated when getting her hooves trimmed or when loading into a trailer. The owner believes in the ability for this horse to change, while other family members just want to get rid of her. I will admit that I was a bit apprehensive due to her issues. Romans 8:26 reminds us that “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” So I needed to watch and discern where her weaknesses were. During her first month here, I had taken things slowly to build her trust and confidence which had in turn helped her develop a better level of understanding. Within three weeks, she was standing without being tied and trusted me enough to pick her hooves and maneuver her legs similar to how a farrier would.

Corzatt

Shortly after that the farrier did come out and successfully trimmed all four hooves without her being sedated. She is slowly being transformed within.

Our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior provides a new spiritual birth. This new birth requires growth and it typically does not happen overnight. For the sake of analogy, this horse accepted the training, guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit (me) and gradually has made an incredible change. There is a lot more to work on with this horse, but she is more willing to accept her training which is helping her grow in positive ways.

Through His son, Jesus, God has given us an amazing gift that offers so much. He has a lifetime warranty. He is a one size fits all and looks great on everyone! He won’t fade or tear. He doesn’t wear out. He doesn’t weaken and can make everyone stronger. He is our GPS that works rain or shine. He’s always charged up. His price doesn’t go up no matter who’s in office. When you invest in him, there is guaranteed growth. Why would anyone turn down this once in a lifetime gift that just gets better with time?!

My friends, I pray that you have an amazingly blessed Christmas and allow the gift of the Holy Spirit to refresh and renew you into the new year and beyond. From our house to yours, Merry Christmas and may you be blessed on your ride!

The Corzatt family owns and operates the Cowboy Perseverance Ranch (CPR) in Marengo, Ohio. CPR is a faith based operation and our mission is to build a strong foundation and relationship with our training horses and students. We are blessed to be able to provide western horsemanship lessons infused with biblical scripture to students of all ages. One student has described her time here as “CPR for the soul!” Visit our website at www.cpranch. wixsite.com/home or follow us on Facebook.

Tanya and Rob

How to Keep Weight on Older Horses

by Laura Stern DVM, DABVT ASPCA® Animal Poison Control Center

Keeping weight on geriatric horses can be a challenge, but here are some tips to make it easier.

Make an appointment with your vet.

Senior horses can be more difficult to keep weight on but don’t assume that the weight loss or lack of condition is due to old age. There are many underlying conditions that can cause a horse to lose weight and treatment for those conditions can make putting weight back on much easier.

• Your vet may want to check your horse for parasites. A fecal egg count can tell you if your deworming program is effective or if you have resistance and you’re feeding the worms instead of your trusty companion.

• Additionally, chronic conditions can cause your horse to lose weight. Many older horses suffer from arthritis, which can make trips to the feeder or walking around the pasture uncomfortable. Treatment for arthritis is often multimodal and may consist of medications, therapy, and moving hay racks and nets to shoulder height.

• Chronic infections, gastric ulcers, metabolic disease, kidney or liver disease, or other diseases can make it difficult to keep weight on a senior. Be sure to observe your horse closely to see if you can pick up on any abnormal behaviors prior to your vet’s visit. Your vet might want to run blood work or do other diagnostic testing to rule out any of these conditions.

• Finally, dental issues can be a big issue for any horse, but especially older horses. Dropping food, bad breath, or unchewed grain in fecal piles can be signs that your horse needs dental attention. A good oral examination can spot any issues and issues can be corrected to decrease pain and help your horse eat like they should.

Look at how you are feeding your horse.

• How you are feeding your horse can be almost as important as what you are feeding your horse.

• Feed multiple small meals. For many older horses, they will consume more feed if it is broken up into six small meals per day.

• If you are soaking the feed, be sure to not feed more soaked feed than what they can consume in one meal.

• Is there competition at the feeders? As horses age, their position

in the herd may change. Is your horse being crowded out when they go to have a snack?

• Insects can be an issue as well. Are flies annoying your horse when they go to eat or graze? A comprehensive fly control program or providing a physical barrier (such as sheets or fly masks) may help your horse focus more on eating and less on annoying pests.

• Is there always fresh, clean water? Free access to clean water is important for body functions and to maintain a normal appetite and digestion. Special attention should be paid in the winter to make sure that the water is not only ice free, but also maintained at a warm temperature. Horses will drink less water in the winter if it is cold.

Look at what you are feeding your horse.

• Now that we’re feeding in the correct way and any underlying conditions have been ruled out, corrected, or long-term therapies have been started, it’s time to focus on the food.

• Make your vet and nutritionist a part of this conversation. Each senior horse is different and will have different needs. Work with your professionals and tailor a plan that is perfect for your senior.

• A high-quality forage may be important for some horses. Make sure that you are buying the best hay for them. A nutritional analysis of the hay will show that your geriatric horse is getting the best nutrition possible.

• Fat! Seniors are all about the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Senior feeds are often rich in fat to help boost calories. Rice bran, vegetable oil, and flax seed can be other good sources of fatty acids and help keep the weight on. Introduction of a fat source should be done slowly to give your horse time to adjust and prevent any unwanted side effects (such as greasy diarrhea).

As your horse gets older, more attentiveness may be required within their daily routines. Regular check-ups with your veterinarian and good dietary and exercise management are vital to your aging horse’s health and well-being. Pet insurance for horses can also help pay for veterinary costs. ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance programs offer the first stand-alone accident and illness coverage for veterinary expenses, with the ability to add preventive care coverage for an additional cost*. Learn more at www.ProtectYourHourse.com.

*Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Waiting periods, annual deductible, coinsurance, benefit limits and exclusions may apply. For all terms and conditions visit https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/more-info/sample-plans-for-horses/. Products, schedules, discounts, and rates may vary and are subject to change. More information available at checkout. Product not available in all states.

The ASPCA® is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. Products are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (NAIC #21113. Morristown, NJ), produced and administered by C&F Insurance Agency, Inc. (NPN #3974227), a Crum & Forster company. Through a licensing agreement, the ASPCA receives a royalty fee that is in exchange for use of the ASPCA’s marks and is not a charitable contribution. C&F and Crum & Forster are registered trademarks of United States Fire Insurance Company.

Classical Attraction Dressage Society

Events for 2023 Announced — Mark Your Calendars

EMAIL, cadsrider@gmail.com

WEBSITE, www.cadsdressage.org

by Cathy Suffecool

Once again, we made it through another weird year. If you’re like me, you think of all the things you want to do in the coming year. And here we sit, realizing that life got in the way again. I keep thinking, “One of these years….” Hopefully 2023 will be that year for all of us!

At CADS, 2022 was the most year. We had the most events in our history; seven schooling shows, two USAWE shows, our first WDAA Lite show. The most entries at all our events. The most riders in our championship classes. The most members in our club ever. We also gave out the most awards at our year-end banquet.

2023 is already shaping up to be an even more event-filled year! This is your invitation to come and join us. We’re an easy-going group that loves to ride, laugh, talk about horses and riding, find new ways to do things with our horses and are upbeat and cheerful. If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved with, join us! Check out our website at www. cadsdressage.org.

If your group is looking for a new location to host a clinic, show or other horse related event, you may want to contact us. We have a beautiful facility that is near several major highways. We are nestled in the Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks. We’re also near to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Our facility has indoor and outdoor arenas, 35 plus stalls, a round pen, a great viewing room and indoor restroom facilities. Contact us at cadsrider@gmail.com to find out more about holding your equine event with us.

Have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

CADS 2023 SCHEDULE

JAN. 21: CADS Annual Board/ Election Meeting, 2 p.m.

MARCH 25: Ride-A-Test with Sara Justice

APRIL 8: Brecksville CleanUp, 12-4 p.m.

APRIL 22: Schooling Show

MAY 13: Schooling Show

MAY 19-21: Tarrin Warren Clinic

MAY 26-29: Glamp Camp JUNE 3-4: USAWE Show, Carrie Schwartz

JUNE 17: Schooling Show, Pink Show

JULY 1: WDAA Lite Show, Joann Williams

JULY 2: Western Dressage Clinic, Joann Williams

JULY 15: Schooling Show

AUG. 5-6: USAWE Show, Polly Limond

AUG. 12: Schooling Show

SEPT. 16: Schooling Show/ Championship OCT. 21: Fall Fun Show

Ohio Western Horse Association

Preparing for 2023 Season —Fun, Friendly and Family Oriented

VICE PRESIDENTS,

Rudasill, Renee Liedel SECRETARY, Jonda Cole TREASURER, Eric Haudenschield WEBSITE, www.owha.org

with other organizations to expand and increase the number of pleasure shows for 2023. Final preparations for the banquet were discussed and decided on. This year’s theme is Rolling with the Best.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our Corral readers! December is finally here bringing with it all the festivities of the busy holiday season. Ohio Western Horse Association (OWHA) would like to send each and every one of you a very special blessing this holiday season. As many are still recovering from the 2022 show season and taking time to enjoy family and their equines, OWHA board members are working hard preparing for the 2023 show season. OWHA continues to strive to be a fun, friendly and family oriented organization for all levels of riders.

Ohio Western Horse Association held the November meeting on Nov. 3, at AM VETS in Kenton, Ohio. OWHA board members continued to discuss the Annual Fall Round up location. Attentively, the show will continue to be held in Urbana. OWHA is also reaching out and discussing

The Annual Awards Banquet was held on Nov. 19, at the Moose Lodge in Kenton, Ohio. Prior to the banquet and awards presentation, the annual meeting was held to discuss proposed rule changes and elect the 2023 officers. The results of elected officers and award recipients will be included in the January newsletter.

Youth in the news for OWHA! We would like to say congratulations to all the OWHA youth members who had a successful fall sports season, and good luck to those participating in winter sports. A special shout out and congrats to Taylor Arthur for receiving an Academic Letter of Excellence for her freshman year. We are very proud of all our youth’s academic achievements!

Again OWHA would like to wish all of our readers, members, family and friends a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season! And remember that if you still need a gift for that hard to buy for equine loving showman, OWHA memberships are a great way to go!

PRESIDENT, Cathy Suffecool VICE PRESIDENT, Stephanie Kame SECRETARY, Claudia Grimes TREASURER, David Crawford

PRESIDENT, Marc Beck

Loretta

Some Tentative 2023 Show Dates Announced

PRESIDENT, Tim Snapp VICE PRESIDENT, Luke Wadsworth TREASURER, Jill Krofft Davis SECRETARY, Heather Collins WEBSITE, www.ophc.org

by Hannah Dunn

Hello, Corral readers! The Ohio Paint Horse Club (OPHC) hopes that you are enjoying the frosty and festive month of December. Eat, drink, be merry, and ride a horse this holiday season (even if you have to lunge the ancestral, feral spirit out of your horse for an hour before it’s safe to get on). We received strict instructions from Santa that in order to stay on the nice list

this year, you have to ride at least twice this month, no exceptions.

The Zone 8 shows have drawn to a close for the 2022 season, and we are happy to report that the Michigan Paint Horse Club’s (MPHC) Fall Color Classic at the end of October was another huge success, especially for our OPHC members. Many OPHC members walked away with circuit championships, high-points, and great memories. Some highlights of the show include the massive numbers in the halter classes (the Performance Geldings almost took an entire pen!), and of course, the audiencefavorite Leadline class boasted 22 entries, all of which received Gist buckles. Thank you to all of the exhibitors, parents, and show supporters for a fantastic season!

For those of you that like to

show at all of the Zone 8 shows, the MPHC has published their tentative show schedule for 2023: Zone 8-O-Rama May 5-7 in Cloverdale, Ind.; MI/IN Breakout May 26-28 in Mason, Mich.; Back 2 Basics Aug. 12-13 in Cassopolis, Mich.; Fall Color Classic Oct. 19-22 in Cloverdale, Ind. Hang tight for the rest of Zone 8’s show schedules coming soon!

While the 2022 Paint Horse show season is not completely done, there are just a couple shows left, now would be a great time to check your year-end standings for clubs, the APHA Top exhibitors, Honor Rolls, etc. If you ended up where you wanted to on the high-point lists, congratulations! Your hard work has paid off, and hopefully you will have a great 2023 season as

well. If you did not end up where you wanted, remember that there will always be next year, and sometimes, the self-set goals and small victories we meet at each individual horse show can add up to a great year regardless of prizes. After all, showing the animals that we love is reward enough.

The OPHC wants to wish you all Happy Holidays and a fortuitous New Year. Again, we thank you for spending the year with us, whether that was at the shows, engaging in our social media posts, or reading our newsletters here. Without your support, we would not be able to put on shows for you and your beautiful Paint Horses. Please stay safe, love your horses, and don’t be a stranger. See you next year!

Ohio Gaited Horse Trailriders Trail Riding in the Allegheny National Forest

by Richard Anderson

We managed to get our annual ride in to the Big Elk

Lick Horse Camp at Bezette in Pennsylvania and as ususal, the trip was another great trail riding

adventure. We have been visiting there for over 13 years and it remains one of our favorite trail riding destinations. Candy Reis is now in charge of the facility, since her husband, Rick, has passed away, very much to everyone’s regret, since he was so well liked. But they have been exceptional hosts and Candy can be reached at 814/787-4656 for more information. Benezette is in the heart of the Elk County wilderness in the Pennsylvania Wilds, and consists of over two million acres of public land and is home to the largest herd of elk in northeastern united states.

The Elk Country Visitor Center was established in 2010 and is the premier location for experiencing elk in their natural habitat. We have found that the best times to see elk is in the hours near daybreak and in the hours before dark and many times have awakened to find them roaming around our encampment and in many cases even bugling. Elk were originally hunted to extinction in the late 1800s, when, during the early part of the 1900s a decision was made to bring an elk herd back from the Rocky Mountains to the area to be protected and maintained. This decision formed the background of the current elk herd that roams freely throughout the county and brings in millions of visitors from all over the east for elk viewing.

Our favorite trail ride is Thunder Mountain Equestrian Trail, a 26 mile loop, in the Moshannon State Forest just a few miles from the Big Elk Lick Horse Camp. It takes in parts of the abandoned Weedville to St Mary’s Stage Coach Line. Also along the stage coach line is the ‘Doctor Suisse’ cabin, which was a cabin used built by an old-timer who worked on the stage coach line, and looks very much like it was built by Doctor Susse and is perched high on the side of a mountain. Also, one of our favorite viewing sites is the Benezette Hotel, where we can order up a pitcher of beer and watch the elk grazing on lawns of the local residents. Horseback riding is only one way to experience the viewing of elk of the area. Bike riders and hikers can also view elk in many locations, especially from Winslow Hill just east of Benezette.

Our trip to the Moshannon Wilderness of Elk County in the Pennsylvania Wilds remains one of our top trail riding destinations and we will certainly be back next year and would recommend it to everyone.

As in the past, you are welcome to join us for trail riding in the outback by calling 614/5823202. You don’t need a gaited horse to ride with us as we explore the back country of the Midwest—we’re looking for fun.

Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc.

Member of American Horse Council ohconline.com

SECRETARY

Ranee Vititoe 740/505-2713 secretary@ohconline.com

County Lines

ASHTABULA

Greetings from Ashtabula County. I live in Ohio’s sharpest corner and the largest county in Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. It is a typical small town, but we have places to ride nearby and we’re not too far from the Allegheny mountains for a getaway camping trip and some great trails.

I have been a member of OHC for 20 plus years and have written for the Corral most of those years. I am passing my pen on to Kathryn Ring (Kat) in January, and I look forward to reading someone else’s news.

We had our November meeting on the first day of the month, so I have some current news. We have the same officers for next year except for vice president, and Kat Ring will be that person. We discussed our calendar for 2023 and will have a scavenger hunt, and the Dice ride. There will be three horse shows with points, and prizes will be presented at the end of the series. Last year they had beautiful belt buckles and some cash awarded, so watch the Corral calendar for the dates of these events and come and join us.

If you want to join our OHC chapter, contact Mallissa Vincent or go to the State website and download a membership form. We have a lot of fun, including excellent food. I think it’s a tie between the food and the trail rides. Meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in Pierpont at The Ducro Funeral Home. If you are a former member, come back and join the fun. Please bring your ideas. We are always willing to try new things.

The Christmas party was on Nov. 12 at Kay’s place this year. It was a fun-filled evening and included a ‘Dirty Santa’ and some great gifts.

‘Til next time, give thanks for the good things and give your horse a hug.

~ Pearl Ann

TREASURER

Jo Ellen Reikowski 330/806-3146 treasurer@ohconline.com

PRESIDENT Eric Estill 513/266-9823 president@ohconline.com

MEMBERSHIP

Catherine Estill 513/319-2517 membership@ohconline.com

VICE PRESIDENT Nancy Strayer 740/694-1007 vicepresident@ohconline.com

OHC COUNTY LINES EDITOR Martie Ackerman 713/553-9644 countylineeditor@ohconline.com

CLARK

Clark County had their fall campout the end of October. Thank you to all who contributed and made it a super fun weekend. Kids and adults enjoyed the obstacles that were set up on a short trail leaving from the campground. It was interesting to see which obstacle provided a challenge for each horse. For some it was walking over a twin size mattress or dragging a snake or even walking through mesh curtains. All riders were successful completing the course and the kids kept getting braver and began jumping the small ‘X’. The little daredevils will soon be running barrels or trying their mounts at eventing. There were lots of prizes for those that found a ghost along the trail and Jessie Macy won the drawing for a $50 Rod’s gift certificate. Chris Price made an ample pot of chili and others contributed sides and plenty of desserts. Chris also brought along a screen and DVD player. Those not enjoying the fire were treated to a showing of ‘Cowgirls and Angels’ along with popcorn. Mark your calendar for next years’ fall campout.

As of this writing it is too early to tell who won the quilt for the 50th anniversary bingo card. I hope everyone enjoyed the new challenges that bingo presented. I was able to get about 30 squares completed and the most fun for me was the obstacle course. My horses, Annie and Easy, were both terrified of the parachute but we will keep trying. The Renaissance Fair was my reenactment choice and I always

A future eventer.

enjoy the jousting as I get a glimpse into a knight’s life in romantic medievalism. Tempting as it is, I must also not get my friends to try that at home. Most surprising to me is that about 50 percent of the visitors are in full costume, so they’re actually participating in the re-enactment and not just observing. It was also impressive to see on Facebook how many people participated in the Bingo and actually completed most of the card. My goals are still to take an equine emergency course and learn to back up a bumper pull trailer.

Our first meeting of 2023 will be Wednesday, Jan. 14 at The Plattsburg UCC, 1715 S. Urbana Lisbon Road, S. Charleston at 5:30 p.m. Hope to see you there! Come ride with Clark County!

~Jonna

COLUMBIANA

Hello everyone, it has been a moment since Columbiana County OHC has posted anything even though there has been much going on. Mid-October we had our traditional Halloween event and what a success it was! The park was full, which I haven’t seen for a while. It reminded

me of maybe five or ten years ago, when we would fill the park every weekend. Some of the events at our Halloween event were the costume parade with many wonderful costumes, a dinner for all, with Tom Moore heading up a beautifully cooked roast beef, and an evening of trick or treat with a scary haunted trail headed up by Chad Rose and a Chinese auction. Of course, we don’t want to forget the person who organized the whole event, hats off to our own Casey Moore. Thank you Casey, you did a great job! Along with all the events of the day we had beautiful weather to enjoy our many trails and everyone had a great time.

Many improvements have been made on the equine trails at Beaver Creek. Improvements which include clearing of trails, repairing of bridges, planting of trees inside the equine camp site and the big one the re-build of a 100-foot trail on the yellow loop. This 100-foot section of trail was consistently muddy for years regardless of the time of year. I would like to thank Rick and Alice Haldiman, Dave Ward, Ted and Becky Todd, Tom Moore, Aaron Perkins and Eric Dow brought for hauling in tons of back fill and gravel which was used to build up and grade the trail so that the water would not lie standing. The improvements to the trails could not have been made without the hard work of these amazing folks. What a beautiful job they did indeed!

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, also I would like to encourage folks to visit and enjoy the wonderful equine trails we have at Beaver Creek!

~Doug Johnson

COSHOCTON

Hello December! It feels like a month ago I was writing about spring. We had a very good year and wrapped up our last

Mattress challenge.

Horseopoly

scheduled ride with our ride and roast on Nov. 5. We held a meeting following the ride as well as a cozy fire to sit around. We also voted on our officers for 2023.

Fallon had a very successful year and I would like to thank everyone who helped maintain the trails, helped with the hog roast, worked the Poker Ride, etc. Despite the attendance for the hog roast being a little less than years past we had a very good auction and made out just as well as the last several years.

We have a few places in mind for our Christmas party and we will not have it until January, but check out our Facebook page for details as we do not have anything booked yet.

Our club, even though very small, believes in giving back and supporting each other and other organizations. As a club, we once again donated a trophy for the Coshocton Fair back in October, donated to the Coshocton animal shelter and purchased a doe packet for the Wild Turkey Federation.

Just a reminder to all, the trails at Fallon close at the end of December for all equine activities.

I hope y’all had a great year and I look forward to seeing you on the trails and at our 2023 events.

~Gigi

CUYAHOGA

Next month many chapters will have new officers or committee heads. Fresh ideas and enthusiasm will recharge our dedication and activities. Let’s all join in that enthusiasm and be of great support and we will all have an exciting 2023.

New officers for Cuyahoga chapter will be President Kathy King, Vice President CJ Abood, Secretary Chris Slavik, and continuing Treasurer is Cathy Rutti. We wish this team of officers our very best! It should be a great year with new faces and new enthusiasm at the helm. I have enjoyed serving as president for so many years and plan to be involved and help as much as needed. I thank you all for the support and friendship you have shared with me.

The weekend events Nov. 5 and 6 were highlighted by the 50th OHC Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the Elks Club in Newark, Ohio, and what a great event it was. Organized and planned by Mary Alice Kuhn and a committee of 10 people, who worked together for a year or so, it was the place to be. There were gold accessories everywhere. Round tables covered with black tablecloths, gold napkins, a gold sprinkled centerpiece placemat with metal pumpkins adorned with twinkle lights and gold wrapped candies sprinkled around the centerpiece. The 50th anniversary banner that had traveled to most or all of the State rides, hung proudly from the balcony.

The beautiful quilt designed and handmade by Diane Joseph featured T-shirts donated by most of the county chapters. It was spectacular as horses were stitched into the quilting. This was truly a work of art lovingly put together. This was the major prize awarded to one of the many members who participated in the ‘Bingo 50 Try Something New’ in 2022. There were so many other prizes awarded it was hard to keep track. Weekend camping, Road to the Horse tickets, gift certificates from Schneiders Tack and Big D’s, Weaver Leather, beautiful handcrafted candle holders made by member Al Sidell and way too many others to mention all of them.

Dinner featured a delicious pasta buffet offering various choices along with salad and rolls and of course, two large cakes decorated with the celebration theme.

Then on to prize drawings throughout the evening and most everyone dancing to their favorite tunes be they rock and roll, romantic, line dancing or some other fun and crazy steps of electric slid or macarena. The singer who played guitar and was the DJ provided something for everyone. He read the crowd well and it was great fun. This was certainly an affair we will all remember fondly.

Of course, it was back to business on the sixth as the State meeting came to order. Many topics of interest were covered and some bylaw changes were approved. This was a well attended meeting, with many counties present, and a full report can probably be found online by the time you read this. These meetings give members from all over the state a great way to see the scope of OHC and learn all that the many committees work on and all they accomplish. If you have never attended one, you should try to attend the next one held again in Newark on March 11. I think you will be amazed how large and effective this group of dedicated horse enthusiasts is. You do not need to be an officer to attend as all members are encouraged to attend. Learn about the many committees that cover things such as trail mile tracking, membership, newsletters, promotions, awards, finance, grants, legal affairs, historical, state rides and so many others. These are all volunteers from all across the state who are dedicated to the success of the equine community. Check it out and take time to look at all that OHC has to offer by looking online at the state OHC website, www.ohconline. com, you will be amazed as you scroll around the site.

Please take time to join OHC or renew your membership. Hopefully online at the site above as that is the best way. But if signing up via computers is not to your liking, please look for the membership forms available on this site under find a chapter, or in your local chapter newsletter. Of course, I hope you join Cuyahoga Chapter as I said above 2023 is going to be an exciting year!

~Penny Passalacqua

DELAWARE

Holiday greetings from your friends in Delaware chapter!

As this year draws to a close, I’ve enjoyed reminiscing

Penny

Carole

about the many fun events and accomplishments that our members took part in and/or achieved this past year. Our chapter is blessed to have some of the most hard-working, dedicated, and fun-loving members any club could hope for!

For example, our trail maintenance volunteers, headed up by trail crew leader, Mary Chmielewski, continue their dedicated work of maintaining the bridle trails of our ‘adopted’ park, Alum Creek State Park. These folks strive to maintain, repair, and improve the trails to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all equestrians. Several major work projects were completed this year including our 2022 matching grant project that involved the re-decking of two high-traffic platforms along Winterhawk west trail. This trail also saw projects completed with the partnership of a landowner whose property borders Alum Creek trails and his company’s volunteer day. Eleven

Lunch break.

Spring ride.

Coshocton County OHC

Trail crew at Cocos Way.

with her Piper and Orion.

aboard her new horse Wrangler.

County Lines

of his employees spent their volunteer day working alongside our trail crew to accomplish some awesome trail improvements. We look forward to another productive year on behalf of our Alum Creek bridle trails. Why not consider joining us and lending a hand on a Tuesday morning helping maintain our Alum Creek bridle trails? Your participation is needed and much appreciated.

This past year, our chapter members had the opportunity to attend several guest speaker presentations held during our monthly chapter meetings. Topics including saddle fitting, horse trailer safety, and equine first aid. In addition, our chapter held its annual ‘Autumn at Alum’ trail ride and campout which was a resounding success. Black Swan Farm, Ostrander, Ohio, was the location of a ‘trail obstacle fun day’ and leisurely trail ride for members. Delaware members accomplished our chapter’s three community service projects of Adopt-A-Highway litter pickup along our ‘adopted’ stretch of SR 36/37.

Officer elections were held during our November meeting and a big congratulations is extended to our new 2023-chapter officers: Theresa Burke, President, Kim Vorbau, Vice President, Bobbi Arters, Secretary, and Alex Sydney, Treasurer. A sincere thank you is extended to Pat O’Connell, for his tenure serving as our chapter’s treasurer.

Our chapter’s Christmas party is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 2 beginning at 7 p.m. Join us for a potluck dinner and ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange. Wear your best ugly sweater for a chance to win a holiday surprise!

If you have not already turned in your 2022 trail mileage and saddle hours to Theresa, please do! Deadline for turning in your 2022 trail mileage and saddle hours is Dec. 31, 2022.

In closing, it is the goal of your newly elected chapter officers to support our Delaware chapter members in continuing the momentum of fun and enthusiasm, the spirit of volunteerism and the sense of responsibility as caretakers of the bridle trails at Alum Creek State Park. We enthusiastically welcome new members and encourage our fellow OHC friends to become secondary members of our chapter too. Now is the time to renew your membership in Delaware chapter

for 2023. Go to ohconline.com. Come join the fun with us!

Wishing everyone (including your four-legged companions) a blessed holiday! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~Theresa Burke

ERIE

Greetings from Erie County! Fall riding and driving has been superb. The end of October, Erie County OHC held a club campout at Edison Woods, Smokey Road trailhead. We had a great turnout with day riders and overnighters. A potluck and campfire were shared as the day transitioned to evening. There are a few new horses in our club and Edison Woods is a great place to introduce them to trail riding. Cheryl and Eric brought their new horse, Maverick to the day ride. Maverick is a beautiful, 13-year-old Tennessee Walker gelding. He was able to ride with many of the other more seasoned horses. I think he is beginning to like it! Lynn was pretty excited to bring home her 7-month-old Rocky Mountain filly. Her name is Moxie and she surely is a sweet thing. It was fun being around a little one again. She has such a beautiful face. I can’t wait to see her next spring!

Our ride planning meeting was at the beginning of November. We met at the D&D Winery in Norwalk. We had a fantastic turnout with some great ideas. A big thank you goes out to Beth for bringing pre-printed calendars for everyone to fill out! Great plans are being made for 2023 with some new places to camp. What a fun year we have planned. Our first ride of the year is Jan. 1. We will meet up on the Mason Road trailhead at 1 p.m. I can bring hot chocolate!

December 8 is our annual Christmas party. We will be

meeting at The Coupling for a potluck and other festivities. See you there!

Merry Christmas to everyone! May the New Year bring you good health, happiness and time for your horses. Life is better on the trail!

~Shelley

more spots if people had parked better at the riders’ center. Please keep that in mind too.

October was wonderful for camping! In addition to the planned trips to Elkins Creek, Van Buren, Hueston Woods and Reed Road, members threw together last-minute adventures at Reed Road and Alum Creek. The unusually warm weekends kept us going longer than expected and it was great. I heard rumors of even more in November. That’ll teach me to wait to take everything out of the camper until we are done for sure for the year! For the first time ever, I did it the day after our last planned trip and then there were more opportunities.

Darn it!

FULTON

Wow! Who would have thought that the last weekend of October would be so mild and wonderful for riding? We went to Oak Openings Sunday afternoon and the riders’ center was packed! We got the last available parking spot; thank goodness LeRoy pulled his big rig all the way forward in the center so we could park behind him. Otherwise, we would have had to do down around the corner to the staging area in the Maumee State Forest on Route 64. Keep that in mind if that ever happens to you. There is a trail from that staging area to the riders’ center. There could have been a couple

The trip to Hueston Woods was unique in that the Tri State Rocky Mountain Horse Club held their Family Fun Day Horseshow while we were there. They allowed all breeds to enter so my husband, Matt entered the trail obstacle class on his Quarter Horse Story Now, Story is ‘just a trail horse’ and had never been in the show ring that we know of and he placed second! It was fun watching the show and the club was a fun group of people. The campground was very nice and the trails were great. It was definitely a good time for our group.

We held our chapter elections in October and the current officers were re-elected. President Jack

Maverick and Cheryl

A Sunday ride.

Moxi and Lynn

Matt and Story the trail horse at Hueston Woods.

Dennis at Reed Road campout. LeRoy at Reed Road campout.

County Lines

Collins, Vice President Kathy Brown, Secretary Tammy Royer and Treasurer Jo Neeley were nominated to continue their offices in 2023 and ran unopposed. Lisa Line will continue to be our volunteer coordinator/reporter. Reservations are coming in daily for our Christmas tack swap, shopping and live auction at WB Ranch in Swanton on Dec. 4. We should have a good turnout and there will be some awesome raffle items. Come on out to see us and shop!

If you’d like to know what we’re up to in real time or want more information on our activities, check our website, fcohc.com, Facebook group Fulton County OHC or Facebook page Fulton County Ohio Horseman’s Council. Come see us at our chapter meetings which are usually on the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. and are currently held in the banquet room at The Bunker Bar in Holland. Anyone and everyone are always welcome.

We hope you all are well and safe and we look forward to seeing you on the trails or at our activities!

~Kathy

and announce any new committee members from the Nov. 8 chapter voting meeting.

A very special shout out to Ohio Horseman’s Council on celebrating 50 years. We are so proud to be a part of the largest volunteer equine organization in Ohio. Looking forward to what is in store for the future.

“For one to fly, one needs only to take the reins.” Melissa James ~Cec

GREENE

GEAUGA

Hello everyone! I hope you were able to enjoy some fall season riding this year. We could not have asked for a more perfect October day to have our regional ride. Over 20 riders were able to take in the beauty of the colors at West Woods and enjoy a delicious potluck dinner. Thanks for sharing good conversation and tasty cuisine.

The tour at Fieldstone Farms included informative discussion of the importance of engaging horses to help individuals, families and communities. What a great facility and it was wonderful meeting all the volunteers and of course the horses.

I am hoping to post some pictures in the next article to include the costume ride at Holbrook Hollows on Oct. 30

Construction of the campground at Caesar Ford has begun. Last month I mentioned that we’d need to park horse trailers at the main camp for the winter, as they were using the horse trailer parking for staging for the construction, and progress is reportedly going very well. I’m sure the fact that it’s been a dry fall has helped. The plan is to complete 12 pullthrough sites by spring, and if all goes well and it is well used, there will be more added. There is an additional field nearby for any primitive/overflow parking. It won’t be ready in time for 2023, but we’re hoping to move our State ride there in 2024.

Speaking of Caesar Ford, when they have their drive-through Christmas display up, the parking lot will be closed. There is an overflow field that has been mowed, and is available if dry. It’s on New Jasper Station Road (the other side of the park.) Dave has marked the entrance with tape and stakes. If the weather has been at all iffy, you may want to contact Dave, Jeannie, or Devin to make sure before you park there.

We have new officers for 2023! Well, two new ones, anyway. Suzie and I keep trying to give away our positions with no luck. But for next year, Jerry Smith will be our president and Jeannie Nicol will be our vice president. Herb will move to a new position of ‘ambassador’. This is a title created to recognize all of the work he’s done promoting the chapter over the years. Since he’s going to be out and about talking up OHC anyway; he may as well

be official while he does it. And he doesn’t need to worry about running the meetings and all of that paperwork anymore, which didn’t hurt his feelings at all!

On Oct. 9, we took six horses to the Dayton Avenue Baptist Church for their festival. An arena was marked off and we had three to four horses at a time in it giving rides to kids. The kids really enjoyed it, while it’s a bit of work for us walking for a couple hours, it’s worth it. Nancy also got a workout, even though she didn’t bring a horse, because my Cooper didn’t seem to like the double mounting block, where she was stationed. This was weird since I use various types of blocks when I get on since I don’t mount from the ground. But Nancy had to move one of them a bit every time we came around. Silly pony, but thankfully she was willing and able to do that. It was Cooper’s first time though and he did pretty well. If he does it again, however, I’m bringing his grazing muzzle, because keeping his head up out of the grass when we were standing still was hard on my shoulder. I’ll include photos from that event this month.

We’ll have our Christmas party Dec. 16, in place of our usual meeting. As I type this, the plan is to go to The Village in Waynesville, as we did last year. Check your newsletter to be sure, in case that would change for some reason.

Happy Holidays, and I hope to see you at the Christmas party.

~Mickie

GUERNSEY

Like I said last month, “The love just never ends!” Trees keep

falling and we keep working on the trails. At the moment, the Red Trail has a lot of downed trees on the trail and we are recommending that folks not ride it for the time being. Just a few weeks after you read this our Annual Trail Work will begin. Contact me on our Salt Fork Bridle Trails Facebook page, if you would like to help! We now have 550 members on the page. My wife Darla and I, along with two other couples in the club, Don and Marcy McIntyre and Bob and Lynn Weary went to Elkins Creek Horse Camp in Pedro, Ohio, in October. To say we had a blast would be an understatement. The weather was heaven sent; perfect for the horses and the riders! We rode all the trails. My favorite was the trail to Balancing Rock. The good folks of Elkins Creek were wonderful hosts and they took good care of us.

In the first photo, the one in front of the cave from left to right is; myself, Lynn and Don. On the camera behind the horse ears is Marcy! The camp had a wonderful campfire for us featuring a local band, and they were great. Front to back in the campfire photo; me, Don, Bob, Lynn, the camp’s neighbor; Dave Armstrong, then Darla and Marcy. Sunday morning, Bob, or rather Pastor Weary, a newly ordained chaplin in the Cowboy Church organization, brought the Sunday message with his wife

Regional ride.

Fieldstone Farm tour.

Herb Rider and Dee.

Todd Rider and Diva.

Elkins Creek

Lynn leading us in singing. A total of 17 were in attendance.

Speaking of Dave, he’s a really cool guy. He’s a Vietnam Vet and proud of his service (and Dave, so are we!) Dave and his wife spend their free time working on the trails at Elkins Creek.

On Saturday, Marcy’s horse was not feeling well, so Marcy and Don took a short ride, while Lynn and I headed for the picnic area at the one-mile marker on the Main Loop. A couple was leaving just as we rode in. Before we could set down for lunch, eight more riders rode in. They didn’t even get their horses tied up, when over ten more riders joined us. When Lynn and I headed down the trail there were about 25 horses at the picnic table.

PS: Dee Dee’s doing great. As of this writing we have 165 miles together. She’s making a great horse!

See you on the trail! Remember, I’ll be riding a tall black horse this time!

~Lee Randolph

HARRISON

Hello from Harrison County! The year is winding down and we will be starting a new year before we know it!

We had a lovely fall for riding and our members took advantage of the beautiful weather. Members took advantage of riding the nearby trails at Harrison State Forest and Salt Fork, and some just close to home.

Members were reminded to turn in their trail miles to Faye Verhovec and turn in any bingo cards that they have been working on. It will be interesting to see how far everyone came with these challenges!

The chapter met Oct. 22 at the Ranch to Table restaurant and finalized plans for the Second Annual ‘Dorothy’s Ride’. It was a beautiful day and lots of friends and family turned out to remember our dear friend and her love for riding. It was

a good day of riding and good fellowship that took place during an afternoon potluck meal.

The weather was great for riding this fall in Ohio, but one member had it even better. Faye Verhovec checked one off her bucket list when she went riding along the beach in Palm Coast, Fla. Congratulations to Faye, who made this happen while visiting friends on vacation.

October ended with lots of fun and scary characters. Some members joined in the fun while riding their equine partners at Sally Buffalo’s Trick or Treat at the Big Red Barn Oct. 29 in Cadiz, Ohio.

Penn Walt Equestrian also enjoyed a fun-filled evening at their barn with the kids at their annual Halloween party. Food, games and fellowship were enjoyed by all.

Our members have done so many different things this year with their equine partners, from mountain obstacles, fun shows, dressage shows, and trail rides. I would like to take a minute to mention Mikayla Westlake Nardo, our president’s daughter. Makayla did some awesome showing and hunter jumping at Brave Horse in Delaware, Ohio.

If you get a chance, check out her amazing accomplishments and the awesome pictures that her dad took of her. Mark and his wife, Cheri, not only do an awesome job with the Harrison County chapter, but they are also very dedicated parents.

Hope the weather continues

folks! But we all know the snow will be here soon. Stay warm and healthy and God Bless!

~Lori Mayher

HOCKING

Fall weather has been perfect this year, so many beautiful days and riding opportunities! Our members have not let grass grow under their feet.

On Oct. 15, The Vacation Vaquera along with Hocking Chapter OHC and Perry Chapter OHC organized and participated in a litter pick up ride at the Hocking State Forest. Donna Shade (The Vacation Vaquera) handed out trash bags and disposable gloves to all riders that were willing to pick up litter. Some of the riders were members of the Hocking and Perry OHC chapters. Other riders were folks who were parked at the State Horseman’s camp. Thank you to everyone who participated. Our hope is to make this an annual event.

October 20-23 was our chapters Halloween camp out. We had a good number of members show up for the weekend at Great Seal. During the weekend there were several contests including, costume, decorated campsite and best dessert. We had a potluck dinner on Saturday evening. The weather was beautiful and we rode every day. All the kids trick or treated including those at the camp who were not part of our group.

This is the time of the year for banquets and awards. Many of our youth received end of the year awards for all their activities throughout the summer through 4-H, FFA and other organizations. Congratulations to all!

Bingo! So many people scrambling at the last minute to get things checked off and submit the cards before the deadline. I think many of our club members really enjoyed this activity!

There is much excitement for the Logan Holiday Parade scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3. We expect a nice turn out by our members like we had last year. Everyone loves a parade!

The holiday party is the next big thing on the calendar. It is scheduled for Jan. 7 at the Union Hall. We will be having the event catered. Everyone is to bring a gift for the exchange. It is always a good way to break up the winter blahs.

There will be a slight change in our meeting routine. From here forward, we will be eating

upstairs and then head downstairs for the meeting. It is too difficult to hear each other speak due to the other dining patrons at the Olde Dutch. If you show up for a meeting at 7 p.m. and don’t see anyone, check downstairs.

Our club is very family friendly and meet at the Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus (Oak Room), in Logan, the third Sunday of every month at 7 p.m. Come in earlier for dinner and relaxed conversation prior to the meeting.

Watch our Facebook page for more information about our club and upcoming events!

~Donna Shade

HOLMES

First days of October felt like spring. Riding was great. The highlight for us was the weeklong camp at Pine Creek at Hocking Hills. Several of us from Holmes County camped with Wayne members and had a fabulous time. Many thanks to Trudy Schmitt who organized our

Dorothy’s Ride.

Faye at the beach.

The headless horseman.

Litter pick up ride at Hocking.

Halloween riding at Great Seal.

Riding at Hocking on the trail to Table Top.

meals and reservations, and to everyone else who contributed. We certainly ate like kings. Trails were the driest we have seen them for that time of year. Accommodations at Pine Creek were outstanding. Club members also attended the Cowboys for Jesus work weekend on Oct.28 and 29. Bob Pickleseimer puts on a great camp.

Mohican is especially beautiful despite the storm damaged areas. It is very important to respect the areas where the trails are closed. They are well marked. Failure to do so could result in fines and loss of volunteering privileges. Salvageable trees are being removed from the closed areas and they are not safe. A section of the blue trail is closed in the center. Portions of the North and South are still open but are not a complete circuit. Still great rides. Now the good news. The green is open and, hurray, the Orange is now open. The Orange trail is the trail to the Lodge. It is open to the tie-lines. Mohican will be closing for the winter from Nov. 28 to March 31. While this is not ideal, it will allow the Forestry Department to further address the damage and plan for next year.

Several members attended the Horseman’s Mission seminars and demos. Member Lisa Jamison brought her mule to the mule clinic there, and a very handsome mule he is.

The State meeting and the 50th anniversary party are now history. I would have liked to attend but had other things that had to be done.

We made several trips to Columbus to watch our son Doug show at Quarter Horse Congress. Bruce and his riding buddies squeezed in a short trip to Hocking and finished up the month with a trip to Benezette, Pa., to see the Elk. Member Wayne Yoder

also went. Despite some chilly mornings, they had I great time, and I guess it is never too cold for ice cream. We’ve had some very nice rides at Mohican, some with member Tom Ames and his good Colorado Ranger Horse. Paso and Bucky have coats like bears and we keep an eye on them when riding in this warm weather.

Wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

~Bev Hanna

KNOX

For humans, 50 years is a powerful long time. As I sit down to write this, we are about to go to OHC’s 50th year celebration. In my opinion, OHC is great organization to belong to. Any large group like OHC has diversity in its members, some call it drama, but this difference of opinion generates good idea’s if we listen. Like the horses we ride, some are fast, some are big, some are small, some don’t like other horses coming too close. But, the combined power of OHC gets things done! Ohio has more horse friendly parks and forests than most any other state to which OHC had a big hand in bringing to pass. Let’s all work together to make this last!

In the past month and throughout the summer, Knox County riders have been riding, a lot. If you watch Facebook, you see members in Benezette, Pa., Eminence, Mo., Shawnee, Hocking, Malabar, Mohican, Zaleski, basically all over. Hope you renew your membership so we can continue to ride the trails OHC has generated and I hope you all continue to help maintain our 50-year tradition. I have included a couple of pictures of Knox County’s most recent adventures.

The tie-line at the gas station in Kilbourne was down the last time we stopped there so Knox County OHC voted to provide a

replacement at our last meeting. We met Barbie Arter at Alum and relayed our intent to the Delaware chapter so as not to have duplicate effort.

Knox County OHC would like to thank Misty McDonald for stepping up and serving as our president for 2022 and we wish her the best as she seeks other options. We were disappointed when she announced she would not be seeking the office for 2023. We certainly thank the individuals who agreed to remain in office for 2023—Kathy Shoemaker, our very active and efficient secretary and Barbara Stevens, our treasurer, who has served for many years in a most responsible position. We are still begging our Trail Master Phil Rauch to continue to lead us in fun activities for 2023. Thank you Dava Bryant for stepping up to take the vice president position for 2023.

Debbie Cole will serve as Knox County OHC Trail Miles reporter for 2023. Reporting your trail miles is very important, please fill out your 2022 trail miles report and send it by Jan. 5, 2023 to Debbie Cole, 14293 Gilchrist Road, Mt. Vernon, OH 43050 or email to coledl@kenyon.edu. We look forwards to recognizing our top riders again this coming year at our annual Winter Bash.

Plans for activities for 2023 are already taking shape. Dava Bryant has secured the church activity center in Centerburg for our Jan. 14, 2023 Winter Bash.

This we do in place of a Christmas gathering as many have heavy schedules and travel during the traditional holiday season.

Terry Baker has secured the Martinsburg Activity Center for Feb. 25, 2023 where we will be having our annual tack auction. Details will follow at a later date. We are relying on our volunteers to step up as done in past years. We meet the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. currently at Donato’s Pizza on South Main in Mt. Vernon. Watch our Facebook site for any updates.

Come on over to Knox County where the gates are wide open, the grass is greener, the horses leaner, as we do ride them, and everyone is welcome.

~Terry L. Baker

LAKE

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Our Lake OHC members can ride through the holidays in snow, in sunshine, and in something called ‘grapple’. My horse, Hannah’s Halloween costume is right in line with holiday cheer.

In October we elected a new president, Barbara Jurgens. She says she is hoping for a really good year in 2023, and is planning new activities for our chapter. Our Vice President remains Donna Kautz, our Treasurer Rosemary Morgan, our Secretary Michelle Henderson. Barbara attended the 50th anniversary celebration along with Michelle Sheliga, Rosemary Morgan, and myself in Newark the weekend of Nov. 5 and 6.

December 3 we will be having our own OHC holiday celebration at The Firehouse Grille in Willoughby Hills at 1:15 p.m. We invite other OHC chapter members to attend. Please send your trail miles and saddle hours to Ricki Binkin before Jan. 1.

Happy holidays and happy riding to all!

~Rayneen

LICKING

Hello fellow horse people. As I’m writing this, I just got back from a fabulous trail ride in one of our local parks here in Licking County—Lobdell Reserve in Alexandria. It is so beautiful with its water crossings, wooded trails and open prairie views as well. You get about everything a rider can dream of there. We all love it and even have a volunteer group called the Trail Troopers to keep

Jenna Jamison and mule at the Horseman’s Mission Bruce Hanna, Tom Ames and I at Mohican on a beautiful day.

Alum

Tar Hollow

the trails clear and they are doing a great job. Thank you to the park district and our volunteers. A combined event between our chapter and the Licking County Park District will have happened already by the time you read this. The moonlight ride at Taft Reserve South on Nov. 6. If it was a success, and I’m sure it will have been, we might have more night rides like that next year.

Tomorrow I’m getting ready to head over to the 50th celebration of our Ohio Horseman’s Council and hope to see many of you there. But of course, by the time you read this we already know that. I’m sure, we all had a great time celebrating!

As of news from Licking County chapter I can report that we had our elections at our October meeting. All the positions remain the same. Everybody has agreed to serve another term. I think that means that we all did a good job and were on our best behavior or they may have not felt that way. Just a little joke on the side! I really think that our officers have done an amazing job to keep our chapter running. Officers are as follows: President Charlene Santee, Vice President Paul Wilson, Treasurer Sandy Belt, Secretary Terry Drummond. Thank you for serving another year. Also, the heads of our committees have done an outstanding job this past year! Let’s do it again in 2023!

I hope to see everybody at our Christmas party on Dec. 10. We’ll see how many of us are duped into wearing ugly sweaters by our beloved Deb Sheka this year (haha-ha) or in this case, I should say ho-ho-ho...Merry Christmas!

~Sigrid Batten

LOGAN

What a beautiful fall it has been. I hope everyone has been able to get out and take advantage of the

dry trails and spectacular foliage colors! I hosted my Logan County OHC chapter ride at our farm on Oct. 23. I had a great turnout this year, seven members and three guests showed up. We had a yummy potluck followed by a two-hour ride through the hills of Logan County.

Two Logan County OHC members, John and Becky Porter, and two Champaign County members, anet Roop and Pam Caudill, spent a week in Benezette, Pa. They enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage and shared the trails and campsites with some huge elk.

Linda Imke, a secondary member of Logan County OHC spent a week with a friend down at Big Salt Fork in Tennessee, her pictures were spectacular to say the least. It looks as though I might have to add this place to my bucket list.

Logan County OHC was well represented at both the 50th anniversary celebration and the Ohio Horse Council State meeting.

~Cynthia Orr

LORAIN

The wind is howling outside and the holidays are just around the corner. I’m thankful for our warm house. I’ll bet our horses are surely thankful for the shelter of their stalls, as well. Our December calendar sponsor is Dundee Automotive Inc. Lorain County OHC sincerely appreciates your sponsorship.

We had a fantastic turn-out for our Hocking Hills campout at

Pine Creek. The weather was spectacular with sunny blue skies and colorful leaves on the trees. Most of the trails were relatively dry with just a few exceptions. Our Saturday potluck dinner was so delicious and included a great variety of choices such that I, for one, had to fill up my plate multiple times. We’d like to thank Jim Wallace for organizing this ride.

The Halloween ride was quite fun with a ghost, pumpkins, a mummy, a clown and medieval royalty to name a few attending. Vince and Sue Mollica provided the refreshments afterwards and we thank you for your time.

Some of our members attended the Horseman’s Mission at the Holmes County Fairgrounds in October. This event was well attended.

This month we have no organized rides, it’s a perfect time to tally up your 2022 trail miles and send them to Brenda Lang as soon as you know you don’t plan to trail ride any more this year. Please do not combine your trail miles with other members in the same family and be sure to list the trail miles by location as listed on the back page of our calendar. You may either use the postal service or email them to Brenda Lang no later than Jan. 15, 2023. Brenda’s address is located on our December calendar page in red.

We have started our 2023 membership drive. Every 2022 primary member will have received a pre-filled 2023 membership form in the mail from State OHC. You can use this form or renew online at ohconline. com selecting the renew box on the home page. If joining for the first time, select the join box. Applications can be found at our website, loraincountyohc.net. Paper applications for primary and secondary memberships will also be available at the membership meetings. Costs for a 2023 membership to Lorain County OHC are as follows: The ‘basic’ membership (this is without Equine Excess Liability

Insurance): Individual (18 years and up) is $35; youth (under 18) is $2; and family (includes spouse/partner/other and/or dependents) is $45. The ‘Plus’ membership (includes the Equine Excess Liability Insurance): An individual (18 years and up) is $55; a family membership (includes spouse/partner/other and/or dependents) is $85. Secondary memberships: An individual is $13 and for a family is $15. The associate membership charge is $50. Lara Monyak suggested that, if possible, you should file your membership online for your local chapter, otherwise or you can send it with a check made out to ‘Lorain County OHC’ to her address. You will find her address on our Lorain County OHC website on the home page. It is advised, if you haven’t done so, to get your 2023 membership applications in before the end of the year so as not to interrupt your Liability Insurance (optional) and the Corral and State newsletter. Additionally, if you plan on putting your name in for the Hocking Hills Campout Lottery that is held at our January meeting you must be a current member of Lorain County OHC. If you already are an OHC member in another county, double your fun by becoming a Lorain County OHC secondary member by filling out a multiple chapter (secondary) application and send it with the application fee to Lara Monyak whose address is on our Lorain County OHC website page. We will welcome you with open arms! If you would like to join as a secondary member in another chapter, you will need to send your secondary membership form to the particular chapter you wish to join. Sandy Shudy will have all paid for membership packets that were not handed out at the Christmas party to distribute at the January meeting. After that they will be mailed out.

Please be aware that in December, our only scheduled

The best view on a beautiful fall day!

Logan County ride

Horseman’s Mission, Holmes County Fairgrounds.

Hocking Hills potluck, Pine Creek Horse Camp.

event is our Dec. 3 Christmas party for our LCOHC members. We will not be having a membership meeting Dec. 19.

We would like to recognize the following individuals who have volunteered their time and talent as our Lorain County OHC officers this year: President Jim Wallace, Vice President Sherry Hoover, Secretary Karen Norton and Treasurer Lara Monyak. Our Lorain Council members really appreciate all that you have done for the betterment of our chapter and we applaud your dedication, commitment and sincerely thank you! Our 2023 officers will include: President Jim Wallace, Vice President Karen Norton, Secretary Wendy Pugh and Treasurer Lara Monyak. We are very grateful for your willingness to accept these positions for next year! In addition, we would like to thank all of our 2022 committee members including: Laura Wallace 50/50 raffle, Kathy Duncan Corral Reporter, Cheryl Muhek Emails, Rachel Wheeler LCOHC Facebook, Ken Cornish Lorain County Metro-Parks Liaison, Sandy Shudy membership, Sue Mollica Refreshments, Jonathan Field and Laura Wallace Sunshine and Vince Mollica website and Karen Norton Parades. Last but not least, thank you to all who volunteered to help with trail maintenance, event contacts, and refreshments or in any other way not already mentioned. We are blessed to have an amazing chapter because of all of your contributions!

Our hope is that each of you may have wonderful holiday celebrations with your family and friends during his season of great joy, love and peace.

~Kathy Duncan

MADISON

Fall has been a weather blessing; temperate and dry, which makes for great riding of any sort without the pesky biting insects (but do still watch for ticks!) Madison County members have been enjoying the opportunities to get on the trails to ride and to complete the clearing of Deer Creek State Park. Please come and enjoy them with us! We have been chopping and mowing all summer long. We are also adding mounting blocks in the horse camping area to make life better for all. If you see something that needs to be addressed, please contact us via the Madison County link on the ohconline.com website. We can’t fix what we don’t know about!

Our Gymkhana series ended in October, with a great turnout of 65 participants. High point prizes were awarded in all age groups, with buckles for the first place winners. We look forward to offering this opportunity again in 2023 with five monthly events starting in May at the Madison County Fairgrounds in London, Ohio. Please come join us, even if you have never participated before. We welcome riders and horses of all abilities, and cheer you on as you increase confidence. We have classes for youth through 40-plus, so there is a place for you in this fun event. Come try something new!

The presentation at our October meeting was on pulsed electromagnetic therapy for horses (and humans.) This is said to stimulate cell metabolism, increase oxygenation, and reduce inflammation for improvement of health without side effects.

Jennifer Hunter brought her unit and did the demonstration for us. What an unusual and interesting concept that helped us all to learn about something new in the medical arena. Thanks to Jennifer for educating us!

November was our election of officers for 2023, and December will feature our annual Christmas party with a ‘keep it or steal it’ gift exchange along with a potluck of delicious food. We look forward to horsing around until it is too darned cold or snowy and also to planning for rides in the next year.

We welcome all to come to our meetings, which are held on the second Thursday at the West Jefferson Community Center in West Jefferson, Ohio, at 6:30

p.m. with a light supper at 6 p.m. Feel free to reach out to us at the Madison County link at ohconline.com. Happy trails, ~Lisa Reynolds

MEDINA

How the year has flown by! The days will grow shorter, but our intrepid riders will take any weather advantage to shake off the winter doldrums. We look forward to the coming year with some new officers and more fun events. Maureen Mizerak is our new president, Raydeen Ryden is our vice president, Amy O’Neil is our secretary, and Rosemary Young is treasurer-for-life.

We had a cozy meeting at the Hinckley and were joined by Cuyahoga and Summit Chapter members. Cuyahoga is our other sister chapter. We are so lucky to have a kind of extended family in the OHC. We help each other out with events and trail work and enjoy each other’s company. Here’s an example; Marietta Tromp from Summit chapter has been working with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Conservancy on the history of Medina’s commitment to the bridle trails in the park. Now she and other members are working on a short video of park visitor interaction with horses and their riders. How to approach a horse, what not to do (like wave your hiking stick, or tell Aunt Emma to take flash photography of you jumping in front of a horse.) Much is common sense, but necessary rules of equine etiquette that will keep you, the horse, and the rider safe. When completed it will be shown at the Visitors Center.

Plans are underway for our combined banquet with Summit Chapter on Jan. 21 at the Masonic lodge in beautiful downtown Richfield. No kidding, this is a beautiful old building with lots of room and fits us sister chapter to a tee. We had such a good time last year we decided to do a doover. Of course, there will be good food, awards, prizes and other fun stuff. Contact Rosemary Young (440/382-7980) or rosemary4medinaohc@gmail.com or Molly Eastwood (330/6030820 or mollyeastwood@aol.com) for information and reservations. Remember, we have no general membership meetings in January or February. The rest of the winter monthly meetings (March-May) will be will be

back at the Hinckley town hall at the SW corner of Ridge Road (SR3) and Route 303. Have a holly, jolly down-in-the-valley kind of Christmas!

~Rosemary

MORROW

Greetings from Morrow County OHC chapter where the green of summer is now faded to brown as most row crops have been sown and horses have consumed most of the pastures of remaining growth. To keep the herd happy, the stored winter hay has been tapped for distribution from a supply that is hopefully sufficient for the herd of 12 until May 2023. Other chapter members report adequate hay for the winter with chapter President Floyd having excess hay after a 50 percent herd reduction. He now has one mule after selling a recently acquired horse which proved to be an unsatisfactory mount for him. He is now searching for a bombproof trail horse but no success as of this writing. Floyd did ride his mule at Mohican as did Byron and Cheryl on their horses after improved health issues. Floyd also successfully completed an Alum Creek dayride with a friend also riding a long ear mount. Ted recently rode for the first time this year after health issues had kept him grounded for several months and rode with 33 other riders at the October Buckeye State Mounted Deputies fall ride/meeting.

Joe and Susan assisted their grandchildren with mounts to ride in the Delaware All Horse Parade to represent Morrow OHC while this writer canceled plans to ride due to rain forecast (as did some other groups.) However, rain never developed during the parade so will have to try again in 2023. Founding Morrow County chapter member Suzzane Allen did not participate in/attend the 2022 parade with her last ride being in 2017 at age 80 riding her 30-year-old paint gelding, Justin. Her longtime riding steed died the following winter, and she vowed it was her last ride although she did ride a 4-H cart in the parade for 2018. Our other remaining founding member, Karen Sharp, passed this fall after being confined to a care facility for several years due to broken bone complications from a fall in her home. Although Karen rode extensively during the first 24 years I knew her,

Holly, Holloween Ride.

she had not ridden a few years before her death. She served as a non-riding chapter president for several years before her fall.

Although no chapter members have ridden the Mount Gilead State Park trails, the park reports the massive summer storm damage to the trails has been cleared as of early October. Trail mats have been installed thanks to the OHC central region financial grant and chapter members have done some tree branch clipping to make the trails more visible.

Our annual chapter Christmas party is planned for Friday, Dec. 2 at the Edison Depot restaurant location. It will serve as our December regular meeting with winter weather doldrums nixing 2023 January/February regular monthly meeting until hopefully spring like weather arrives in March.

Although this report continues to sound like a stuck phonograph record (which younger readers may have never experienced), but repeating the words of encouragement from previous reports still remains true. Members who can navigate to the barn may enjoy the benefits of equine therapy without riding, via grooming and feeding plus whispering horse/ human conversations like Dr. Dolittle. The smell/touch/sounds associated with such equine activities can be a spirit lifter despite not being able to ride. It allows some of us senior citizens to visualize the dramatic sight of Ghost Riders in the Sky as sung by Frankie Lane.

Until the next report in 2023, keep your chin up and strive to provide the best care possible for your horses who will provide you the opportunity to enjoy some great riding. I wish happy trails to you. Also stay safe in the saddle/on your horse if you do have an opportunity to ride before the next report and I hope to see some readers on the trail in 2023.

~DOC

sis Brenda who showed up for a day ride at Hocking all wearing orange shirts. Now what are the chances of that happening? Then we have Jason Owings, who just had hand surgery days before the Great Seal campout with Hocking OHC, trying to get the campfire going. I just couldn’t resist sneaking in a photo as he was blowing smoke and might I add he did it quite well! Jason enjoyed some vacation time after that campout as his wife, Laura, traveled down to South Carolina to participate in the annual American Heart Association ride. And then Heather Stengle who bundled up on her best pal Buddy as we rode on a lovely fall weekend at Alum Creek. Everyone loved her beautiful poncho.

The club had a great turnout at the Hocking group camp in October just prior to Halloween. Dare I say the campfire smack talk was a bit scary, or perhaps, horrifying?! Almost a dozen folks camped and several others came out to day ride. We also participated in a trash pickup organized by Donna Shade and the Hocking club. Many of us are secondary members to each club. We also camped at Alum Creek and what a great time we had. The trails were in amazing shape, the views outstanding, and the trip to the brewery was lots of fun for all, except for

Ben, who had to depart early and ride back to camp solo because he kept getting called into work.

We checked out the trails at Strouds Run in Athens. They were in good shape as well. Other members rode there earlier in the season but it had been years since I been down there. It did not disappoint. Trails were marked better than I remembered and the rock formations were really pretty cool. Now that we understand the trails a little better, I’d like to go back and ride the long loop, for three hours of riding isn’t quite enough for this cowgirl.

We have new club T-shirts. Next issue I’ll preview one for all to see as they have not yet been distributed. I think we’ll be ordering some long-sleeved T-shirts and sweatshirts this winter assuming we’re happy with the new design.

Officers have not yet been elected for 2023, stay tuned for that although right now it looks like I don’t have any takers for the president’s spot.

Next month with rides for 2022 behind us I’ll take some space to look back on the year and showcase some plans for 2023 which looks like will include a change in meeting venues.

‘Til then, keep your horse warm and happy.

~Marianne Patton

SANDUSKY

PERRY

Riding season has pretty much ended, now onto the holiday stuff. But before we go there, let’s talk turkey (pardon the pun as I write this, we’re a few weeks out from Thanksgiving) about the fabulous fall riding weather! I’ve included a few pictures like the orange group which was myself, Brian and

Hello and Merry Christmas horse family and friends! I hope you are enjoying the season, and hopefully it comes with pretty snow. Maybe we’ll have some snow on Christmas morning? I bet many of the clubs including ours will be having a get together to celebrate the holiday season by sharing a meal together, a few gifts, and many laughs. I know our little club never has a shortage of laughs or food!

During this time of year, I like

to reflect back on the time I’ve shared with the club. Rides we’ve had, camp outs, work sessions, as well as a few mishaps that we never let the person live down. I think about how our club isn’t about riches or who has the best horse or truck, it’s about this little family helping and being there for each other no matter what the situation may be. Perhaps it’s lending a horse or riding with someone who is nervous. I seem to make a few new friends every year while riding or camping with other groups. I am by nature a very shy person until I get to know you and everyone is always so welcoming.

We had a great turn out at Creek Bend farm in October. We had some great horses and walkers giving people of all ages a short ride on a horse. It brings so many smiles every year that we love doing it for ODNR. Thank you to everyone who donated most of their Saturday walking in circles for hours! It might mean the world to someone who would otherwise never get a chance to ride a horse.

Blowing smoke.

Orange riders at Hocking.

Heather and Buddy.

Beautiful fall day at Alum Creek.

Hay rides for the kids.

Edison Woods besties.

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There was a great turn out at Bob and Sue’s party barn! It was a perfect night for eating, a short meeting, lawn mower rides for the kids, and a huge fire for s’mores! At our last meeting, we passed a motion to give Chuck a $100 gas card for mowing at our trails. It takes him a lot of valuable hours and gas to mow our trails, thanks, Chuck!

Our meetings are the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the First Brethren Church in Fremont. We usually meet for supper at 5:45 p.m. Visit our Facebook page under Sandusky County Horseman’s Council for up-to-date information. Check out the state web page, ohconline.com Give your beautiful four-legged partner a good scratch on the neck, a little Christmas carrot, life is good.

~Marla Sidell

STARK

Why are some people born with a love for horses and others aren’t? What makes us so special? I believe this special love has been bestowed on us for a reason. Having an equine as a part of our lives gives us a destination or purpose in our lives.

Ever since I was a young child I dreamed of horses. As I became older and began thinking about the rest of my life and what I wanted to accomplish, my goals became learning how to play the piano and owning a horse. The horse came first. I have found with horses the learning experience is never ending and you can never know enough. It is enjoyable to see and learn what the horse can teach you.

We are fortunate to have so many opportunities to learn more about our special love from rodeos, Equine Affaire, Road to the Horse, numerous clinics, etc.

One local event I attended in October was The Horseman’s Mission. This was my third year of attending and every year it has become a special event for me. Their mission is ‘Fulfilling our dream with God’s Creation, our Equine Friend, the horse.’ This event is held yearly at the Holmes County Fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge in Millersburg. In addition to the colt starting competition where three colts along with three trainers spend three days competing for wonderful prizes. Two evening performances featured performances that were very enjoyable and you never

know who will show up. This year it was Guy McLean plus several well-known trainers. You might want to plan on attending next year.

Best wishes for an enjoyable Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

~Jo Ellen

SUMMIT

By now you should be acclimated to the year-end scourge of ‘Fall Back’. Be home by dark now means by 4-5 p.m. It is the depressing climax to autumn’s spectacular scenery and the inevitability of trees going au natural until spring. The oaks win the modesty award for clinging to their last leaf until late February. An even dozen brave souls showed up to celebrate Ghouls’ Night out at Wolf Creek Winery in October. The tall pines swayed and moaned in the biting cold winds and darkness as we scurried in from parking in the foreboding back 40. Catharine Matonis was accompanied by Jack O’Lantern with his penetrating evil orange eyes, deceptive grin and spiky Mohawk of caramelized bacon strips protruding from his head. And we wonder why no guys come to these meetings. Severed hands down, Jack won the costume contest but it was a close call with all the rest of us all coming as ourselves. The food was plentiful and varied; thankfully no disgusting eyeball or appendage look-a-likes found their way in. However, a few really scary things actually did, like carefully disguised GMO’s, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, and sodium that slipped by the food police. Their sinister presence could have been the only explanation for all the cackling and general mayhem coming from our secluded corner. At least that’s our story and we are sticking to it.

Sonny the Wonder Horse managed to delight and entertain all the kids and kids at heart at the Trick or Treat event held at Richfield Heritage Preserve. Of course, Molly Eastwood and

Sonny’s entourage were there to hand out the goodies while he focused on being our equine good will ambassador. Mother Nature cooperated and seasonal weather brought out a large crowd of mini perspective OHC members of the future.

With all the nice weather, members made every effort to ride and/or camp with other OHC chapters. Very popular these last few months were Pleasant Hill, Malabar and Mohican where trails were cleared and deemed safe enough to ride after the tornado that struck the area this summer. All of us wish to thank all the volunteers who worked on our behalf to give us the opportunity to enjoy what we may have taken for granted.

It is that time again for our end of the year and awards banquet which is held normally in January. Enter Covid with cancellations and delays, pushing it back for what seemed forever. The Medina Chapter OHC members agreed to join us and co-celebrate the occasion. Everyone who attended last year’s soiree agreed we could declare a truce for one night if it was held on neutral ground and close to a police station. (Competition for members is really tough in this area.) The committee is already at work to make sure this event will be the talk of the town which wishes to remain anonymous at this writing.

Oh, for all of you waiting to come back to meetings again, the slate of officers has been filled by one brave volunteer for President, C. Matonis, and the rest of us who will probably collapse from old age and expire in our traces. Yes, that also means me writing this article for another year too.

~Joann Ulichney

TUSCARAWAS

Why do we push the envelope? Is it really greener on the other

side? Is it a character flaw wherein satisfaction appears to be short-lived or non-existent? In the ‘horse world’, every aspect of the realm related to equine oriented lives seems to be affected by new goals to achieve, and higher standards of credibility. We traveled to Quarter Horse Congress in October, often overwhelmed with the seduction of the industry and yet, six months later, return to wander the fairgrounds during the Equine Affaire’s extravaganza, awed by the demonstrations, exhibits, trade show and breed defined experiences. A yearning deep in our soul responds to ‘my kingdom for a horse’ and all of the tapestry relative to his existence.

I am a primitive camper, fortunately. My trailer and camping necessities are minimal. Although, warmth, safety and efficiency still produce searches for resources of improvement. Recently, a four-hour trek to Ben’s Happy Trails, prodded me to secure more comfortable sleeping accommodations. Mere days before our departure, Amazon became my targeted research process, with the knowledge that delivery would not be a hindrance. A hammock caught my eye. Easy to set up and with plenty of room to add a sleeping bag. I placed the order, and it arrived in a timely manner. As the hammock is a simple contraption, who would have guessed it would actually serve me more comfortably

A carrot for me.

The Ghouls Night Out

Run Lake White Sulpher Kentucky trails.

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than a queen-size foam mattress (queue memories from my former Fifth Wheel trailer.) Thus, when finally, the distant chatter of camp, along with the alluring bacon and coffee flavors wafted my way (disturbing the comfort of slumber,) I was horrified to discover...I had overslept!

Since the hammock was a success story, I chose to allow it another opportunity for success. October found my trusty steed, Zeke, and Rylan, my Aussie companion, bound for Kentucky again. Deep in the Kentucky wilderness, Alice and I chose to camp at White Sulpher’s primitive campground. Following Cave Run Lake’s pattern with sunshine and mild temperatures typical of Indian Summer blessed us with a leisurely afternoon ride. We returned to camp before dark and indulged ourselves with steak and potatoes carefully cooked within the depths of the red-hot coals. There is nothing more satisfying than relaxing around the campfire, following an exploration of scenic trailways, lulled by the contented munching of our weary equine treasures picketed nearby. As the temperature dropped, we huddled near the fire and shared hearty conversation and plenty of laughter. You can imagine my surprise the next morning, when frost peppered the ground. Yikes! Note to self, buy a new sleeping bag rated for below zero degrees. Plan your adventure, research the area, and just do it! Happiness is hitting the trails… go for it!

Tuscarawas County OHC meets the second Monday of the month for a dinner meeting. The venue may change. Contact a member or the undersigned for information. We welcome new members! Happy Trails, ~Holly Waldenmyer

UNION

Howdy, everyone. Sadly, the autumn riding season has come and gone like the leaves from the trees. Time to prepare

for winter and make plans for spring. Hopefully everyone had the chance to get in a few rides. My horses definitely enjoyed the warm autumn weather.

The Karen Getz-Holland Memorial Ride was held at Alum Creek State Park in October. We rode the Hunter’s Hollow trail, Karen’s favorite trail. It was a beautiful autumn day to celebrate Karen’s life. Thank you, Theresa Burke for organizing the ride.

By the time you read this the 50th Anniversary Celebration will have also come and gone. I completed 27 squares on my Bingo 50 Card and had a lot of fun doing it. Stay tuned, more details on the 50th Anniversary Celebration next month. Happy trails, ~Debbie Strayton

WARREN

The Over the Hill Gang has wrapped it up for the year. We had our last work day Nov. 2, as we knock off for the holidays. If trees come down, feel free to still report them to Roger, Harold, Paul, or me and we’ll try to get it taken care of if we can, but there won’t be anything formal until Jan. 4. We’ll start then if Mother Nature agrees. We have several projects already in the planning stages.

So you can plan ahead, we’ll again be hosting our New Year’s

Day ride at 1 p.m. at Caesar Creek horse camp. We usually have a good crowd, though of course the weather decides a lot of that.

As I type this, our plans are to have a post-holiday party at Miami Valley Gaming on Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. Watch your newsletter just in case there’s a change, but that’s the plan at the moment. This will be our normal winter Member Appreciation Dinner, which we have had previously at the Bell-Wood Country Club in February. The possibility of a Christmas party was raised, but it was decided that people tend to be busier at that time, so we opted for the Member Appreciation Dinner just being a bit earlier. We always have a good time, so hopefully we’ll see some new faces there.

I’m including photos this month from our State ride. Thanks to Ramona Auyeung for these. If anyone else has some from the event, feel free to send them to me. With little going on in the winter, it’s always nice to have extra photos to use.

WASHINGTON

Hello OHC friends and neighbors, it is great to be starting a new year. In Washington County we are really excited because of what is happening at the Kinderhook trailhead of Wayne National Forest. As you know, that is our home trail, and we do the maintenance and such in conjunction with Wayne National Forest management. This winter they are doing a complete renovation of the trail head and fixing a trail washout that has kept a portion of the trail closed for more than four years. We know there will be a new SST (sweet smelling toilet) and a separate parking area for non-horse folks such as hikers. We have long fought hikers’ blocking our tie lines and nonhorse campers making the horse areas completely inaccessible. We are hopeful that this renovation will solve these problems. We are confident that Ranger Reed understands the situation and will make sure to work it out for all those who wish to use these great facilities, while maintaining the integrity of the equine community that has helped design, build, and maintain the trailhead and trails for going on 40 years. We will let you know when it is good to come ride with us there!

We held the election of officers at our November meeting. Brent DeWees was elected for another year as president, Darrell McKay was elected as vice president, Melody Crawford was elected secretary, Debbie Johnson was elected treasurer, and Rita Schultheis was once again appointed to write the Corral reports for the new 2023 year. Darrell McKay volunteered to find someone willing to do a program at the January meeting, and Melody Crawford will arrange a speaker for the February meeting.

~Mickie

We have our elections the week after I’m submitting this, so I’ll report on that next month. Happy holidays!

As the new year begins, we are also excited about a new direction the club seems to be going. We have long been a riding club and have logged more miles than any other club for many years and we’ve had as many as six of the top 10 riders in the state upon occasion. As age is more of an issue with many of our members, we are now looking to do a few more social events in addition to riding. These are not new for us, but we have not pursued them much in the last few years and 2023 will mark a return. First, we are planning on participating in more parades. We have some

beautiful horses and would like to

Kentucky trails. Zoe and Bowie enjoying the autumn weather.

Debbie Strayton and Ray Smalley at Alum Creek State Park.

Riders on Helge Buflod obstacle course.

The Hitchhikers performing Friday night.

Harold getting ready to officiate at Cowboy Church.

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show them off to the community, this will also make us more visible to the horse community and hopefully drive new members to join. The second direction will be group trips. We can see several bus trips in our future to both equine and non-equine venues. Because of this travel, we will most probably begin to investigate fundraising opportunities again which will not only help finance our travels, but will also allow us to help fellow clubs and horse organizations as needs arise. After all, Horsemen Helping Horsemen is our motto! It has been several years since we have actively held fundraising activities, hopefully we will have good participation from all members!

Finally, we begin the year optimistic about the ability to get out and ride, socialize and carry-on like we did before the pandemic. Horses are an expensive and time-consuming habit, or obsession, as some might call it. An organization like OHC provides a wealth of knowledge when hard times and sickness hit our equine partners, it allows a common goal of working together to help the horse community, and it brings us together as friends and neighbors to share our lives together. Many friendships made in OHC last the lifetime! We are devoted to growing our club, supporting the State OHC, and racking up those trail miles as always!

~Rita V. Schultheis

WAYNE

What a great fall it has been! Heritage Days at Malabar Farms was beautiful. Our annual pony ride fundraiser was a great success. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped all weekend with side walking and bringing their horses. Although there were some high winds that blew over our canopy and caused some general excitement, for the most part the horses stood like champs while it was fixed. The look of joy on faces of the children as they get to ride makes it all worthwhile.

The club annual camp out at Pine Creek Horseman’s Camp the first week of October was a huge success. We had 20 plus rigs there from our club and Holmes County’s club. The trails were in great shape as it has been very dry there this fall. The food was amazing. Thanks to all the groups that helped with the suppers. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Wayne County camp out without our community

breakfast. Thanks to all who contributed. We did have a bit of excitement however, when Elsie Zuercher, fell backwards off her horse while ascending a very difficult trail. There were four emergency response teams on the scene to get her off the trail. It was very interesting to see how they were able to do that with their UTVs and a cot trailer. I am happy to say that except for some very painful muscle spasms, after an evening in the Licking Community ER, Elsie was discharged with a clean bill of health. Pretty impressive for a 72-year-old!

Malabar is completely open for trail riding and with Mohican still partially closed, it has been very busy. Many of our members took advantage of the trails up north in the Summit Metro Parks and Cuyahoga National Park system and rode Brecksville, Wetmore, Hinckley, and Silver Creek trails. They are all very well maintained and beautiful trails. Kim Scarborough has been taking advantage of the Marshallville section of the Wayne County Rails to Trails system that is near her home. It is a lovely seven-mile round trip out and back. They have opened the gate on the trails, so we don’t have to navigate the slippery hill around it and once your horse figures out that the buffalo on one of the farms next to the trail won’t bother them, it is clear sailing. Just a friendly reminder to park in the horse trailer parking area and pick up any manure your horse leaves in that area as a courtesy to others that use the trail.

Heather Kinney took her annual trip to Missouri for a weeklong trail ride with friends. We love her posts and live vicariously

through her pictures. Her young horse Gus did fantastic, especially coming off a stressful week at the Wayne County Fair where he and Taran had such success. Talk about an all-round horse!

Tom Ashby had his young horse Axel out on the trails at Mohican for Axel’s first trail ride. He did well and the picture is worth a thousand words as to how proud Tom is of this young horse’s progress. Speaking of new beginnings, we wish Pam Miller well in her new house in Doylestown. She and her horse Bubby have a lovely home and barn to start the new year. Marline and Dave Smalley also have a new beginning as they added a beautiful golden retriever puppy, Katie, to their family. Jim and I hope they will bring her camping next year so Reno can have a playmat to run with as Alina, Dave and Trudy’s dog had surgery on her leg and her activity remains restricted.

I am happy to say that just this week, Mohican Forest manager has opened the Green and Orange Trails all the way to the Lodge. Please remember that the trails are closed from Nov. 28, 2022, until April 1, 2023. Please let everyone, especially non OHC members, that they cannot ride there during this period even if they live adjacent to the forest. We must respect the forest management as they work on our trails during this period if we want to continue to have the privilege of riding in this beautiful forest. Not only that, but it is also dangerous to ride there when they are working and logging and during hunting season. Thank you everyone for your cooperation and for spreading the word.

We at Wayne County OHC wish everyone a Merry Christmas and blessed holiday season.

~Susan E. Baker

We are now down to day rides and weatherizing our trailers. It is a sad but good feeling as I love to camp. I’m looking forward to sitting in my warm house watching the snow fly.

At our November meeting we discussed 2023 ride prospects and planning the December Christmas party. Our December meeting will be included at the party, so more camping talk will resume at that time. Diane took count for the 2023 chapter calendar. All our officers volunteered for another year. You are much appreciated!

Don’t forget to renew your OHC membership, and in December get your ride miles and trail work hour’s tallied up to turn in at the January meeting. Wishing all Happy Holidays.

~Barb O.

WOOD

Pine Creek camp out.

Heather and Gus

Tom on Axel.

Nora on her buggy.

Tina

John and the dogs at Hobo Stew doggie parade.