Horsemen's Corral March 2024

The Horsemen’s Corral is the official publication for the following clubs:

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

The Corral Staff

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

Lucky Charms of the Horse Barn

by Lisa Kiley

ith the beginning of spring approaching soon, March is the month to start getting in gear for our spring and summer activities. With St. Paddy’s Day just around the corner, some may even think of this time of year as a little bit magical. We are well into foaling season, there are some warmer days to ride, and we just might still have one more big snow before it’s all over. March is definitely a special time of year. In taking a cue from a friendly leprechaun, this month we are going to explore some lucky charms of the horse barn that may just make you feel like you found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

If you are looking to add a little color to your life after a drab winter of cold and snow, why not update your buckets? Soon it will be time to put the heated buckets away for the season and what better way to welcome spring than to get a new set of brightly colored buckets. Maybe each horse will have a color of their own, or you might want to unify the barn with one distinct color. Toss those old buckets that are faded or cracked and grab fresh clean buckets for the barn and trailer. Lighter color buckets can make it easier to determine if they are clean and unique colors stand out when traveling so it makes it easier to spot your bucket and remember to take it home.

Red Balloon Charm. If you are bringing your horse back after a winter break or getting started with a young horse for the first time, you might want to do a little groundwork before throwing a leg over. March can often bring some windy days that provide opportunity for spooky conditions. Enrichment toys are not just for keeping boredom at bay, they can also be great to help desensitize horses and promote play which can be used to get their attention. Starting working sessions by getting a little energy out in a round pen and engaging your horse with a new activity is a great way to promote partnership and safety.

tearing up the ground and leaving it in poor condition for grass growth later in the season. Fortunately, there is a solution—adding Mud Grids around gate areas, feeding areas, and sacrifice spaces, will keep your horses precious horseshoes out of the mud. The grids can be placed on existing mud and provide a safe, stable ground cover.

Blue Moon Charm.

summer pastures. Utilizing turnout and rotational grazing models is good for your land and your horses. By the time summer rolls around, turning horses out at night when it is cooler and there are less pesky flies and bugs is a great way to manage your horses grazing time. If you want your horses to be able to safely go outside overnight and graze by the light of the moon, it is important to have horse safe fencing that you can trust. Braided electric fencing is a great way to keep horses contained, providing a visible and durable barrier that can be easily installed.

Clover Charm. While hay season is right around the corner, March and April can be the time of year that you look at your hay supply and wonder if you should have paid closer attention in math class. While you might not be able to make more hay magically appear, you can make sure that the hay you have is protected from waste, so your horses are eating it rather than trampling it into the ground. An All-Weather Hay Feeder can help protect both round and square bales from going to waste. Adding a slow feed hay net will help reduce waste even more than with the feeder alone, keeping your horses fed until the first green grasses of spring appear and keeping that extra gold in your pocket.

Horseshoe Charm. This time of year is known for being mud season. There seems to be an endless cycle of freeze and thaw, snow and rain, which can make you feel like the ground will never fully dry out. The worst part is wanting to turn your horse out but knowing that they will be in ankle deep mud (or worse) possibly

Star Charm. While this particular charm might not shine as bright as a star, if you have one, you understand how it can be the star of the barn. A wellmade manure spreader that is the appropriate size for the number of horses that you have is an integral part of keeping the barn clean and helping to turn a waste product into solid gold. Using the spreader to haul manure out of stalls and then composting it before spreading on fields, creates a rich fertilizer for soils. If you have questions about starting a composting program at your barn or when it is safe to spread manure on fields, contact your local extension office for more details.

Heart Charm. At the end of the day, it is the community of people that love horses that are really at the heart of the equine industry. Without our care and passion for these animals we wouldn’t be able to keep the tradition or horse-related activities alive. There are so many fun things that we can do with our horses, sometimes it feels they are not just ordinary, but actual Unicorn Charms living among us. We are very lucky to have horses in our lives and it is our responsibility to continually educate ourselves on the best ways to take care of them. Don’t forget, early spring is a great time to get a vet check and make sure that your horse is in optimum health.

If you have any questions about lucky charms that can help make your barn safer or more efficient, contact Cashmans Horse Equipment at www.cashmans.com today.

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

Ride In Sync

Collection Basics for all Horses

by Terry Myers

We asked our Facebook friends what they would like to read about and we received a lot of great suggestions. In coming months we will try to write about many of the topics that people requested. By far, the most requested topic was regarding collection; what it is and what it isn’t, how to achieve collection, how do you know when you do achieve collection with your horse. We will try to address many of questions in this article regarding collection basics.

The following is my description of a collected horse. Collection starts in the hind quarters of the horse. The horse must round their body from the poll to their tail and propel themselves from the back, not drag themselves along from the front. In order to do this, the horse must be able to elevate their shoulders, which allows them to pick up their back and make room for the hind

quarters to reach deeper and achieve the drive. If you could come up with one word to describe collection, it would be elevation.

The height of the horse’s head does not indicate collection. When I do clinics and ask my riders for their description of collection they usually say it is when a horse puts their head down. No! Not true. A horse travelling with their head down, if they don’t have their shoulders elevated and back lifted, will be forehand heavy. This means the horse is pulling themselves with their front end rather than pushing themselves with their backend. If you see a horse loping on level ground but they look like they are traveling downhill, they are probably forehand heavy and therefore not collected. This type of movement contributes to much of the lameness that is prevalent in our pleasure horses today.

A horse’s head height when they are moving depends on the confirmation of the horse. Most dressage horses have a neck that comes out of their shoulder higher than a western horse. As a result, a dressage horse will carry their head higher, with their poll being the highest point of their body. A stock type horse’s neck comes out of their shoulders lower, which allows them to have a naturally lower head carriage. This helps them excel with working cattle and general ranch work.

In looking at the movement of the horse, regardless of the breed, an easy way to tell if a horse is moving with collection is to look at the movement of their back legs. If the stride of their back legs puts their hocks out into their tail and they do not reach up under them self, the horse cannot achieve the drive with their hind end. Hocks in the tail = no collection and a horse which is forehand heavy.

Another key to collection is rhythm. A horse which is collected moves with a regular rhythm or cadence to their feet, similar to the beat of a metronome (one of those gadgets that your piano teacher put on the piano that goes tick-tick-tick). A horse that is not collected will have an uneven foot fall and will even make a heavier sound when their front feet hit the ground.

We have spent much of this article describing collection and what I feel collection looks like. Achieving collection is a topic that entire books are written about. Many of my articles in the Horsemen’s Corral deal with some aspect of collection. Collection starts with the rider’s body position. If the rider is out of balance, the horse will be out of balance and therefore cannot move in a collected manner. So collection starts with you! The characteristics a horse needs to have to achieve collection: the

horse must be soft and light in the bridle with both lateral and vertical flexion, they must stand up in the shoulders as they move, they need to be able to bend in the rib cage when asked, and the rider must be able to push hip/ haunches in. Much of this relies on the rider’s proper use of the outside (not the inside) rein to help keep the horse balanced as I discussed in last month’s article. Collection for a horse takes time to achieve, both mentally and physically. You will not get this accomplished in 30 or 60 days. It takes time to develop the mental skills in the horse as well as the physical conditioning. Collection is a mental and physical development for both the horse and the rider, but well worth the time and work it takes to achieve it!

Questions about this or any of our articles can be emailed to us at myers5000@aol.com.

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.

Western Reserve Carriage Association New Website Coming Soon

PRESIDENT, Jo Ann Murr VICE PRESIDENT, Duke Shipman TREASURER, Ann Petersen SECRETARY, Janet Yousay FACEBOOK, WRCarriage/

by Ann Petersen

Fieldstone Farm in Chagrin Falls was our first meeting for the year held Feb. 4. A tack swap was followed by a generous potluck. John Stallard, Research Librarian at the Carriage Association of America, gave a presentation on researching antique vehicles.

Officers for 2024 were approved. The Board thanks Cathy Rhoades for her service on the board in a variety of positions and Henry Rish for his years of work as membership secretary. Shellie Kwikowski has taken the position of membership secretary. Members are also working on organizing our popular potluck drives for the year. Carlisle Equestrian Center in LaGrange is open to driving March 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15.

May 10-12 will be our Driver Proficencey program and Sporting Day of Traditional Driving held at Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland, Ohio. The CAA Driver Proficiency Program is an evaluation-based system designed to build skills based on safety and correctness for carriage driving. Participants review the syllabus and schedule a time with the evaluator to demonstrate their understanding of common sense horsemanship as it relates to carriage driving. Participants need to supply their own turn out and make arrangements with the CAA office and Western Reserve Carriage Association (WRCA). Any member interested in hosting a drive can reach out to a board member for further information.

COMING SOON

A WRCA website! Shellie Kwikowski has volunteered to get our website up and running. Details to follow! We will continue to provide information on our Facebook page.

Pinto Horse Association of Ohio

Three Different Showbills Throughout 2024 Season

PRESIDENT, Kaylee Clagett

VICE PRESIDENT, Angie Wolfe SECRETARY, Leslie Watson TREASURER, Jodie Ricks EMAIL, diamondkfarm20@gmail.com WEBSITE, www.ohiopinto.net

by Leslie Watson

The Pinto Horse Association of Ohio recently celebrated the 2023 show season with their annual banquet on Feb. 10 at Cedar Corners in Sandusky, Ohio. Good food, fellowship and reflection time was had by all. We also crowned the 2024 Royalty: Queen Jordan Melegari, Prince Wyatt Wolery, Jr. Prince Hunter Wolery, Princess Kim Bowers, Sweetheart Mihaela Petric. They look forward to representing Ohio Pinto this year at various events. If you have not yet contacted Emily Wolery to arrange pick up for 2023 awards or show buck please do so as soon as possible. The evening

started with dinner and a silent auction that led into awards, then the real fun began with laser tag and bowling for all in attendance. Looking ahead to the 2024 show season Ohio Pinto will be offering five shows. Four shows will have a three day format starting on Friday including April 5-8 at Garwood Arena, May 1719 University of Findlay Western Farm, July 26-28 University of Findlay Western Farm, and Oct. 18-20 at Garwood Arena. The remaining two shows will have a two day format in 2024. Ohio Pinto will be having a joint show with Tri-State Pinto on Sept. 1-2 at Champion Center. We also are

a part of the East Central Pinto Jubilee on Aug. 3-4 in New Castle, Ind.

For those who may not be as familiar with our show format in 2024 we will be offering classes for both colored and solid pintos of all sizes and types from miniature horses to ponies to horses. We also offer all four types of pinto classes, stock, hunter, pleasure, and saddle type. We will be offering three different showbills throughout the 2024 show season so please be sure you have the correct showbill for each show.

We will be offering a full slate of ranch classes at both of the Garwood Arena shows in 2024. Ohio Pinto strives to continue to be one of the strongest charters in the Pinto Horse Association of America and we look forward to seeing all of our members and their spotted friends. For more information and forms please see the Pinto Horse Association of Ohio website at https://www.ohiopinto.net/ or our group Facebook page. We look forward to seeing everyone at a show soon.

Members at the 2024 banquet.

2024 Royalty

Black Swamp Driving Club

Several Events Planned for 2024

PRESIDENT, Sharon Hayhurst VICE PRESIDENT, Angela Hohenbrink TREASURER, Ann Bell FACEBOOK, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/121257701223196

by Roger Higgins Jr.

Hi everyone, I have new information from the Black Swamp Driving Club. We held our first meeting of 2024, on Feb. 11. Our January meeting was canceled due to the weather and extreme cold. We have scheduled several events and are excited to get them started! Here is the list so far:

MAY 27 — Event hosted by Sharon and Ron Hayhurst in Bowling Green, Ohio. More details in the next article.

JULY 6 — Wyandot County Historical Society Ice Cream Social. This is held at the museum in Upper Sandusky, Ohio

JULY 20 — Owen’s Station, Marion, Ohio

SEPT. 21 — Hites Log Cabin Drive, Kenton, Ohio

OCT. 5 — Parker Bridge Drive, Upper Sandusky, Ohio

OCT. 26 — Halloween party at France Lake, Kenton, Ohio

Please note, I will have more details to the events in the next issue of the Corral

This is the list so far, there will probably be more to add as we progress through the driving season. Our next meeting will be held on April 14 at the Good Hope Lutheran Church in Arlington, Ohio, from 2 to 4 p.m.

We added one new board member to the group. Mark Newman has agreed to a two year tour. Thanks Mark for your assistance.

This is a good time to dust off the horse-drawn vehicles and clean the harness in preparation for the upcoming season.

After the meeting was adjourned, we had a potluck. Prayer was given by Ron Hayhurst. We seem to always have a great potluck!

Well friends, this will wrap up this article. Open invitation to check us out at our meetings, or on Facebook. Please let us know if you have any questions for us.

Premier Mount N Trail Great Turn-Out at our Yearly Awards Banquet

PRESIDENT, Kelly Chapman

VICE PRESIDENT, Stephanie Tarr

SECRETARY, Heidi Daugherty

TREASURER, Kerry Elliott

EMAIL, premiermountntrail@gmail.com

WEBSITE, www.premiermountntrail.com

Premier Mount N Trail (PMT) members enjoyed an incredible dinner and beautiful atmosphere at La Pizzeria in Canton, Ohio, this year. PMT members received awards, reunited with old friends and enjoyed an absolutely fabulous meal. Bobbi Jo Baumberger, with the help of other board members, once again created an incredible theme for the banquet. She had a photo wall for members to take fun photos and created a lovely back-drop for members to receive their awards. It was such a fun day for all involved, we’re already looking forward to next

year’s banquet.

2024 has started off strong with a winter show series at Shenanigans Stables and the excitement of warmer weather ahead. Don’t forget to keep logging all of your trail hours so you can work towards our awesome trail ride awards.

Make sure you’ve got some PMT shows on your calendar for

the upcoming season. You can check show dates and location by visiting our website at www.

premiermountntrail.com or Facebook at Premier Mount N Trail Association.

TrailMeister Mastering the Art of Ponying: Enhancing Trail Riding Skills and Partnerships

by Robert Eversole

Let’s talk about the skill of ponying and why every horse rider should be able to do it. Have you ever led another horse from yours? And is your horse comfortable being led by another horse? If not, it’s time to change that! Ponying isn’t just for packers; it’s essential for all trail riders.

Ponying is simply the act of leading a horse from the one you’re riding. It may sound

straightforward, but it’s a multitasking job that requires riding your horse while observing the other horse. Picture yourself holding the reins in one hand and a lead rope in the other, all while maintaining balance and control.

Now, why would anyone want to pony? Let me give you a few reasons:

Firstly, ponying allows you to introduce a new horse to the trail. It’s a great way to build

their confidence while providing guidance and reassurance.

Secondly, ponying a pack horse behind your riding horse can be a game-changer when you need extra supplies or equipment on the trail or in camp. You’ll significantly increase your carrying capacity and make your adventures more convenient.

Next, prepare your riding horse. Before attempting to lead another horse:

1. Make sure your horse is comfortable with having a rope around them.

2. Start by introducing the lead rope to different parts of their body—neck, hips, legs, etc.

Additionally, ponying can be helpful when you need to assist another rider. Imagine being able to lend a helping hand to a fellow rider who may be having difficulties. It’s a fantastic way to support each other on the trail.

Last but not least, ponying is an excellent training tool for conditioning both young and older horses. It helps them build strength, stamina, and mental agility. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone: you can exercise your riding horse while providing valuable training to the ponied horse.

But here’s the catch: ponying requires proper knowledge and technique to keep everyone safe. Let’s go over some essential points:

First, you need to prepare yourself. Get comfortable riding one-handed, and practice rein control with both hands while holding a lead rope. Switching hands smoothly from one side to the other should become second nature to you.

Of course, the horse you plan to lead also needs preparation. Begin with groundwork before attempting to lead it from horseback. Ensure it has excellent ground manners, responds well to cues, and remains light and attentive on the lead rope. Work on these exercises until your horse consistently performs well, even from a distance. This groundwork prepares them for ponying and improves their overall behavior and respectfulness as your partner.

Regarding equipment, ensure you have a functional saddle with a solid tree. Flexible tree saddles or treeless saddles can cause discomfort and uneven pressure distribution, leading to problems for your horse. Use a rope halter for the horse being led, as it effectively reinforces your cues. A 12-foot lead rope usually works best, allowing sufficient distance between the horses. And remember to protect your hands with gloves to avoid rope burn.

Here’s an important tip: avoid tying your lead rope to the saddle

S Please turn to page 22

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 that GPS. Get your copy on Amazon.

Northern Ohio Outlaws

Important Dates to Add to Your Calendar

PRESIDENT, Dwayne Joyner VICE

PRESIDENT,

Tony Ruper SECRETARY, Janessa Hill TREASURER, Mark Maxwell EMAIL, northernohiooutlawsinfo@ gmail.com

WEBSITE, www.nooutlaws.com

The Northern Ohio Outlaws are gearing up for another fun season. Here are some important dates to put on your calendars!

The annual awards banquet will be held on Feb. 24 at the Amish Door Restaurant in Wilmot, Ohio. The spring New Shooter Clinic is scheduled for April 20 at Ruggles Arena in Cardington, Ohio. Check out our webpage for more information and signup forms. We would love to have you come and learn what this sport is about!

The 2024 Northern Ohio Outlaw shoot schedule weekends are April 27-28, June 8-9, July 5-7 (Ohio State Shoot), Aug. 3-4 and Sept. 28-29. All events are held at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, in Wooster, Ohio. Nominations were taken and votes were counted for 2024 Officers and Directors. Officers: President Dwayne Joyner; Vice President Tony Ruper; Secretary Janessa Hill; Treasurer Mark Maxwell.

Directors: New Directors Travis Gibson, Steve Tschiegg, Jim Bussel, and Ralphie Sohenlen. Returning Directors: Jayne Maxwell, Ron Kiko, Deb Harris, Stacie Tschiegg, and Rodney Massie.

Check out our website at nooutlaws.com for more information about our club or check out our Facebook page at Northern Ohio Outlaws CMSA.

Mastering the Art of Ponying

Continued from page 20

horn. Instead, use the horn for holding items like lunch. In the event of any unexpected situations, while ponying, such as the ponied horse losing its footing, you want to be able to release all connections instantly. It’s much safer to dismount and pick up the lead rope than to be tied to an unstable animal and risk being dragged off the side of a mountain.

Remember, successful ponying depends on the groundwork, response, and respect you establish with your horse on the ground. If your horse behaves well and responds to cues when handled on a halter rope from the

ground, these qualities will shine through when you pony them. Take the time to develop these skills, as they are essential for safe and effective ponying.

So, are you ready to take on the art of ponying? Embrace this valuable skill and open up a world of possibilities on the trail!

To learn more about ponying, check out Chapter “P” in The ABCs of Trail Riding and Horse Camping. For more information on trail riding and camping with horses, check out www.TrailMeister.com. It’s an excellent resource for all things related to horseback adventures.

Laminitis in Horses

by Shannon Wilkens

Abstract

Laminitis is a painful inflammatory condition that affects the feet of horses of all breeds. It is often caused by excess grain or sugar intake, but it can also occur due to injury or other conditions such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID or Equine Cushing’s Disease), or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Typical signs of laminitis are reluctance to move, altered gait, and lameness in extreme cases. Diagnosis by a veterinarian is usually done through observation of clinical signs and evaluation of horse’s history; more severe cases may require X-rays. Inflammation causes permanent damage, which makes early intervention critical. To treat laminitis, the underlying cause must first be determined and managed. Then most treatment involves supportive care, measures to limit progression of the disease, and pain management. Cannabidiol (CBD) has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that could potentially make it useful in supportive therapies for laminitis.

Laminitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the laminae, which are tissue projections that anchor the coffin bone to the hoof wall in a horse’s foot.1-3 Inflammation causes the connection between the hoof and bone to weaken, which can be painful and debilitating. Laminitis is most frequently seen in the two front feet but can occur in any or all feet. It occurs in all breeds of horses.

The most common cause of laminitis is excess grain or sugar intake. It can also occur when a horse ingests toxic plants or when a horse favors a limb due to injury of another limb. Laminitis can also be a symptom of other conditions or diseases such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID or Equine Cushing’s Disease), or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

The term ‘founder’ often comes up when discussing laminitis. Founder refers to the rotation of the coffin bone inside the hoof capsule; it can occur in severe cases of laminitis but is not necessarily present in all cases.1 Founder is often the result of chronic laminitis.

Signs of laminitis are a reluctance to move or exercise, altered stance to minimize weight placed on affected foot or feet, and slow, short-striding gait.1-3 In acute cases, the affected hoof or hooves may be warm to the touch, and digital arteries near the hoof or hooves may notably strong pulsations.1-3 Heart and respiratory rates are often elevated, usually due to pain. Lameness may become apparent in more severe cases.

Diagnosis is often done by observation of clinical signs and evaluation of the horse’s history.3 The veterinarian will take into account any previous diagnoses (i.e. EMS or PPID), recent limb injury, typical diet, and recent intake of excessive carbohydrates or potentially toxic substances. In more complex or severe cases, X-rays may be used to visualize possible displacement or rotation of the coffin bone.

Because laminitis causes permanent damage due to inflammation, early intervention is critical. Identifying and treating the underlying cause is the first step, but it cannot reverse damage that has already occurred. In cases with PPID or EMS, diets must be adjusted to limit intake of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs). In cases with exposure to a toxic substance, the source of the toxin must be removed, and the proper remedy for the toxin must be given. In cases with widespread,

systemic inflammation (i.e. SIRS or septicemia), the cause of the inflammation and/or infection must be identified and treated.

Once underlying causes are addressed, most treatment involves supportive care, measures to minimize progression, and pain management. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often administered to reduce pain and inflammation.1-3 Cold therapy, specially-fitted shoes, regular farrier care, and adequate rest are all helpful strategies for managing laminitis in horses and improving their quality of life.1-3 Surgical options for intervention do exist for more extreme cases.3

As a potent anti-inflammatory, cannabidiol (CBD) can potentially be a useful tool for pain management in horses with laminitis. Early research has demonstrated CBD’s ability to notably reduce pain for horses suffering from laminitis when administered in conjunction with other supportive therapies.4 it also seemed to play a role in the horses’ improved ability to walk after suffering a laminitic episode and was well-tolerated by the horses, even at high doses.4 Though not quantifiable, veterinarians noted improved mental state and appetite after CBD was added to other supportive therapies.4

Brave Horse line of products gives horse owners multiple options for easily administering CBD to horses suffering from painful and debilitating laminitis. CBD oil and Kelso’s Cubes are great options for giving a horse a tasty, precisely measured dose of CBD. For horses that have PPID, EMS, or insulin resistance and must adhere to a low-NSC diet horses that have also developed insulin resistance, check out Bo’s OatBites. They are made without any added sugar, and each treat contains just one carbohydrate. This allows horses with insulin resistance to benefit from the antiinflammatory effects and analgesic properties of CBD without consuming excessive sugar or starch. And they’re great for

REFERENCES:

1. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Laminitis: Prevention & Treatment | AAEP. aaep.org. https:// aaep.org/horsehealth/laminitis-prevention-treatment.

2. Laminitis in Horses - Musculoskeletal System. Merck Veterinary Manual. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/ musculoskeletal-system/lameness-in-horses/laminitis-in-horses.

3. Young, A. Laminitis. School of Veterinary Medicine. https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/laminitis.

4. Luedke, C.; Wilhelm, T. Cannabinoids in Equine Medicine. Cannabis Therapy in Veterinary Medicine 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68317-7_12.

A Game Changer for Hoof Care Professionals

by Ida Hammer

As Hoof Care practitioners, we are often called in to help horses that have been foundered because of a bout or bouts of laminitis. There are always new findings and research of what helps horses become more comfortable and often times get back to a fully functional life. As a rule, myself along with my grads and students follow Dr. Kellon’s DDT+E. Diagnosis, Diet, Trim and Exercise.

We have collectively helped numerous horses return to their jobs following this protocol. What many of us have found that during the rehabilitation process, horses are often painful, so we look for ways to help them to be more comfortable and our jobs easier. Awhile back I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Brave Horse CBD (CBG) cookies. I tried them on many horses for many reasons. Some to help relax them because they may have had PTSD from other farriers, some that were arthritic and were just uncomfortable to stand on 3 legs while being trimmed, other times to help them

be more comfortable and relaxed recovering from laminitis. So, anyone that knows me, knows I need to study to the enth degree about anything new I try. In these studies, I have found articles in Pub Med about how CBD works on the inflammatory process of the cytokine system https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36682327/

In my mind if there is a possibility of helping the horse in anyway using these products, it is a win. Many of my clients use them on their horses every day, to help with arthritic pain and such. We actually have 2 of our own horses on them, one because he is a worry wart, and the other for hock and stifle issues. It would not be unreasonable to think it could help with hoof pain associated with laminitis. My point is, always do your research. If you find something good and it works, great. When the research supports it better yet! Just so you know that laminitis and founder isn’t always a death sentence, here are a couple of examples of rehabbed founders:

Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Association Join Us at our Family Friendly All Breed Shows

PRESIDENT, Donnie Uffner

VICE PRESIDENT, Eric Erwin

TREASURER, Rick Learn

SECRETARY, Leann Bauer

PHONE, 740/877-7993

EMAIL, ofqhashows@gmail.com

WEBSITE, http://ohfqha.com

by Lisa Betts

Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Association hosts five shows per year focused on preserving the western lifestyle and promoting ranch style riding. While our name implies we love showing

off the foundation quarter horse we are a family friendly all breed show.

Our showbill consists of an even mix of cow and dry classes in open, green and youth divisions.

We offer Friday evening cattle practice as well as camping and stalls.

We look forward to seeing you in 2024! Visit ohfqha.com for more information.

2024 SHOW SCHEDULE

May 4, June 1, July 6, Aug.

3, Aug. 31. All shows are held at the Guernsey County Fairgrounds, 335 Old National Road, Lore City, Ohio 43755.

Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc.

New Season Fast Approaching

PRESIDENT, Beth Metzer

VICE PRESIDENT, Mary Lou Paxton

TREASURER, Lisa Gross

SECRETARY, Jill Christopher

EMAIL, fdcta@aol.com

FACEBOOK, www.facebook.com/ groups/FDCTA

by Heather Bonifas

It’s already half finished. That is a terrible way to think of some things, like your favorite dessert, but a really great way to think about other things, like winter. Well, I like to think positively, so let’s look forward to all the plans we have made for this riding season since winter is fading fast.

As the new season approaches, our officers have passed the torch of responsibilities associated with the club to other members. As with every new endeavor, the new officers will have a period of learning before we get all the wrinkles ironed out, but we are up for the challenge.

Speaking of a new year, it’s likely you have heard the saying, “New Year, new you”.

Personally, I think that can be kind of silly. If a few days on the calendar truly made any difference in our reality, we would all be approaching personal perfection with all the New Year’s resolutions we make. We all know that isn’t accurate. What can be done? Let me make another assertion before I answer that question.

Practice makes perfect; now there’s another old saying that you have likely heard. Again, I am not convinced this to be true, either. If one does the same old things over and over again, just like you always have done, one should not expect any real change or improvement. That actually is a way to define insanity; doing the same things, but expecting a different outcome. Now I have heard of a similar saying that does make a great deal more sense; “perfect practice, makes perfect”. I can really get behind this one. What do I mean? Practicing whatever skills you intend on developing with the aid of more experienced, more talented, and the more educated help will achieve something closer to perfect. Gleaning off of trainers,

books, clinics and even more time-tested friends are great ways to truly improve your skill set. After you have acquired the new knowledge from said resources, then practice like you mean it. Develop new muscle memory and new habits through ‘perfect practice’. It’s all about learning.

The Flatlanders club is doing just that! We have already been filling our calendars with dates for clinics, in-house programs presented by members, and opportunities to participate with or audit widely known trainers. How exciting! Within the club this year, we are planning three to four ‘Fun Days’, of which I have previously described at length in past articles.

At our last meeting, we discussed the calendar, our 2024 budget and something new; show and tell. Each of the members were encouraged to share something they felt beneficial to the club during our regular meetings. To start out the year, our new president, Beth Metzger shared a lovely book written and published by her personal friend. Beyond Riding, written by Lisa Finch, covers how her faith in the Lord

has played out in her dealings with horses and people in relation to them. It is an enticing read, with the stunning cover art painted by the author herself, as she is not only a published author, but an extremely talented artist. Check it out. Thank you, Beth, for getting us started on a good foot.

If you are interested in learning and making a ‘new Year, new you’ with us, contact the club to join us. Check out our Facebook page for a peek into our fun we have together.

View From the Cheap Seats

It’s Almost Lead Line Season!

by Sarah Vas

You’re either someone who thinks Lead Line classes are adorable or you’re a serial killer. I said what I said. What’s more adorable than a class full of wee ones in miniature equestrian get ups and every adult in the vicinity bracing for a ‘dumb horse’ blow up? The tiny boots, the giant helmets strapped to beaming baby faces, the stirrups run all the way up, tiny feet awkwardly wedged sideways into the gaping holes. And the horses and ponies all plodding along head to tail, any one of them capable of ruining it for everybody.

Hey guys, grab a bingo card and play along! Have we spied any Bobble Heads yet? This kid is barely able to sit up unassisted, let alone hold the reins. More than likely, both arms are locked out on the pommel while legs splay in a painfully awkward split. There’s a helmet but

the sheer weight of it triggers drunken study hall nodding of a blank face, the kid too confused to even cry. Were it not for the handler having a death grip on the toddler, this competitor would most definitely go facefirst into the mane before rolling out of the saddle like a game of Plinko. This competitor will have no recollection of the days events.

That leads me to the Cryer. This child is old enough to know exactly what’s going on and is terrified, overstimulated, or angry about not getting the right color ribbon. Perhaps no one had the forethought to actually practice plopping poor Polly in the saddle before heading to the ring. Perhaps it’s stage fright. Or maybe Instructor Mom’s preshow instructions got too intense and this little kid broke due to performance anxiety. Cryers can have tears rolling from the get go

or maybe the dam broke when the judge spoke to them in the lineup. And when sobs happen because of the wrong ribbon color, rarely is blue the preferred one. Speaking of blue ribbons…

The Overachiever has come ready to crush it. They sit up too tall. They hold the reins too stiff. They smile like pageant queens and acknowledge the judge with authority. Their person holds the horse on a loose lead, letting this cutie have the stage. And while I like a good ‘Everyone Wins’ finale, I love when this rider actually wins a pinned class instead of the rightfully cute but less skilled kids. They understand the assignment so, A for effort.

There’s the kid that’s neither excited or offended at the prospect of showing. That’s a Class Filler. It’s usually an overenthused adult in the combo pushing their equine obsession on the youngster. The Class Filler has accepted fate, phones in a marginal participation performance, and goes right back to hanging out at the trailer unsupervised for the rest of the show. Odds are, the adult has a full day of classes ahead on a seasoned show horse gunning for Year-end High Point. I had my own equally uninterested kid. Only he was what I call a Soloist. This rider makes exactly one lead line debut before retiring from competition forever. My kid thought practicing was boring. And he’d already started growing out of his little green western chaps by the time the horse show rolled around. I even sent his dad in to lead so as not to pressure him. But I could tell he wasn’t into it. One and done.

the show to present a kid that still fits in the outfit.

Ever see a Specialist in real life? You can’t miss this delicious gem. A Saddle Seat rider in a tiny day coat and derby, double bridle reins correctly addressed. Or the Arabian Costume entry with the handler and rider in coordinated desert sheik garb. How about the rare Sidesaddle entry? Specialists are most likely seen at high end events, where Lead Line is hotly contested and the Leader outfits are on par with spectators dressing for the Kentucky Derby. And those perfectly groomed ponies. Er Mer Gerd, I just can’t! Big event or local club show, any lead line competitor could become an official Photo Op but only if a certain number of non-horse relatives are standing on the rail. Grandparents and other obliging relatives are the most common bystanders. And only once will non-horse family members spend an entire day in the sweltering heat and mindnumbing confusion of a boring horse show just to capture exactly 4 minutes and 17 seconds of time spent snapping pics of said kid on a horse. There’s a lot of whining, glaring, tongue biting, and impatient kinfolk stepping in poop or walking into a horse’s bumper. The Photo Op is hard earned and often incredibly underwhelming.

Anyone love a good Match-y Match-y? This combo sports custom-ordered, coordinated, trendy, class A show quality outfits. These top shelf turnouts are harder to discern amongst the English discipline entries but the western get-ups are easy to spot. The rider is a miniature replica of said adult, right down to the Swarovski crystal drenched top and color dyed 12X felt hat from a Congress vendor. This is not to say that I don’t like this combo. I do! I just wonder how in the world did they time it just right, the custom order, fittings, alterations, all close enough to

What the industry will always need are more Naturals. At first glance, they can be mistaken for the Overachiever but no. This budding equestrian is just doing time until the real world of Walk Trot classes. The only thing keeping this kid stuck in the lead line division is a cake sporting the right number of candles. But trust me, the Natural has long been sneaking off to the barn to ride a horse in nothing but baling twine reins tied to the halter. Just like the Bobble Head, the Natural doesn’t remember their pivotal first ride either. I’d say that’s a Blue Ribbon win.

Wayne County Saddle Club

Officers and Directors Announced for 2024

by Angela Bonewitz

Hello Wayne County Saddle Club members and friends. I will be your new representative writer for the newsletter in the Horsemen’s Corral. I am also Vice President of the Pleasure Shows for 2024. After our first official meeting, I would like to tell you this year we will bring the fun! We have a lot of shows, events, and family oriented days planned. Be sure to check in your Corral and on W.C.S.C. Facebook page for timely updates.

The flier for the Tack Swap to be held at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster on March 30 is posted on Facebook. Our Pleasure Shows now have a full roster of classes, something

for most everyone. The Friday Night Fun Shows and The Buckle Series are a huge hit. Who doesn’t want to win a buckle?

Our Contest Point Shows are great for the Small Frys to the Fast Riding Barrel Racers. You and your horse can earn points toward year-end awards at our annual banquet in January.

Our Youth Director, Candance Hornsky, has her own shows in the planning stages. Possibly a clinic or two.

Sunday Traditional Fun Shows have been added this year. These will be fun!

W.C.S.C. has so much to offer families that love horses. Families that want a day out to see horses or just come to a show to enjoy The Hollow. It really is a gem in Wayne County that

everyone can enjoy. Members can ride at The Hollow anytime. If you ride the trails please be aware of the marked boundaries as we share borders with neighbors that would like us to stay on W.C.S.C. property. Ride in the arena, get those horses ready to show or just enjoy the beauty around The Hollow. We offer camp outs and guided trail rides and fun shows in the spring and the fall.

Sponsorships are always welcome. If you would like to be a sponsor contact any of our directors or members, we will be happy to have you help us out.

So for now, as my Favorite Cowboy always said, “Happy trails to you until we meet again.”

SHOW DATES

Contest Point Shows: May 11, June 1, June 29, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 21. Contact Randi Pearson, 330/201-3710.

Pleasure Show Dates: April 20, May 18, June 15, July 13, July 27, Aug. 24. Contact Angela Bonewitz, 330/465-8386.

Friday Night Buckle Series: April 26, May 10, May 31, June 7, June 28, July 12, Aug.

9, Aug. 23, Sept. 6. Finals Sept. 27. Contact Leanne Louive, 330/844-4041.

Sunday Traditional Fun Shows: May 19, June 9, July 28, Aug. 25, Oct. 13. Contact Rachael Adamson, 419/606-9712.

Spring Cleanup: March 23 and April 13 at 10 a.m.

Spring Camp Out: May 3-5. Contact Shenea Holcombe, 330/600-0284.

Easter Tack Swap hosted at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, 199 Vanover Street, Wooster, Ohio is March 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Randi Pearson, 330/2013710, Leanne Louive, 330/8444041 or Shenea Holcombe, 330/600-0284.

Award banquet.

Angela Bonewitz

Tri-County Trail Association

Tri-Co Begins Preps for Upcoming 2024 Events

PRESIDENT, Adam Brewer VICE PRESIDENT, Harley Miller SECRETARY, Cindy Krumm TREASURER, Beverly Mills WEBSITE, www.tri-cotrails.com

by Kelly Jo Heffner

It’s the time of year when we clean and mow and get everything

ready to kick off the 2024 season! April 1 the campground opens which means cleaning the winter debris, taking down the window protectors, cleaning the pavilion, mowing, pulling weeds, and all the other activities associated with opening the campground. The 2024 season is arriving in less than a month, and everyone is excited to begin the riding season! During our spring ride event this year, there will also be the ‘Saddle up for St. Jude’ ride. There will

be many opportunities to sign up to ride or if you would like to donate, the money collected will go directly to St. Jude to help fund cancer research and assist the families of children with cancer. The link to donate is on our Facebook page. If you would like to donate with or without sponsoring a rider, the QR code included with this article will take you directly to the St. Jude site for donations for Tri-County Trail Association fundraiser. Our Facebook page also has the link where you can sign up to participate or for sponsoring someone that is riding!

It’s never too early to get pre-registered for one of our upcoming events! The Summer Bash and Obstacle Challenge will be in June and the flyer will be available soon! Our new web

page is coming soon, with the ability to pre-register for events, as well as reserve your camp spot for the events. We will announce on our Facebook page when the new webpage is up and running!

There are many events planned this year. Be sure to mark your calendars for those events and get pre-registered to join in the fun this year.

Happy spring everyone, and we can’t wait to see you all at TriCounty Trails!

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Ohio Western Horse Association

Finalizing Shows for 2024 Season

PRESIDENT, Jonda Cole

VICE PRESIDENTS, Marc Beck, Cinda Bame

SECRETARY, Jenna Duvall

TREASURER, Eric Haudenschield WEBSITE, www.owha.org

Hello to all our Corral readers. March is here or as some like to refer to it as the official start of mud season! So, pull on those muck boots and let’s get through it because before we know it, the air will be warm and the ground will be dry and that will mean show season is finally here! Follow Ohio Western Horse Association (OWHA) Facebook and website for an updated show schedule, as the association is still adding shows!

OWHA would also like to take the time to introduce our 2024 Board members that were elected from the annual meeting in January. The Board members are listed below along with their office: President Jonda Cole, First Vice President Marc Beck, Second

Vice President Cinda Bame, Treasurer Eric Haundenschield, Points and Membership Krista Beck, Secretary Jenna Duvall, Newsletter Editor Debbie Wilmuth, Youth Advisor Ashley Haundenschield.

Youth President Lexi McGue, Youth Vice President Bella Conyers, Youth Secretary Maddie Gossard, Youth Advisor Assistant Maddie Duvall and Machaela Haundenschield.

Trustees include Roger Fritz, Wendy Hooker, Gale Davis and Savannah Babcock.

Ohio Western Horse Association held the February meeting on Feb. 1 at the War Memorial Park in Ada, Ohio. The OWHA Board continues to finalize shows for the 2024 show season. Currently, the Annual Fall Round Up location is to be determined. OWHA strives to put on horse shows that will benefit those who are new and learning to those who are advanced and competitive.

As always, our OWHA youth are very busy in and out of the show arena. OWHA would like to congratulate all those youth playing a winter sport on a great season. And good

luck to all those youth members participating in spring sports. Again, we are very proud of our OWHA youth in all their hard work and dedication to sports, academics and various clubs they are involved in. The OWHA Youth Club would like to send a big thank you to all those who supported their bake sale at the GLApHC Swap Meet in Findlay!

TIt is greatly appreciated and the donations will go towards Youth Team Tournament awards. OWHA would like to thank all those who continue to support our club and participate in our shows. We hope to see lots of new faces this year! And please continue to check our Facebook page with new and updated information.

Northern Kentucky Horse Network Thank You Volunteers

PRESIDENT, Trisha Kremer VICE PRESIDENT, Jackie Holland SECRETARY, Annette Schonabaum TREASURER, Mindy Burke WEBSITE, www.nkhn.info EMAIL, nkhn@nkhn.info

by Nancy Kissinger

Last month we held our annual dinner meeting for Northern Kentucky Horse

Network (NKHN) members. Extension agents Michelle Simon, Campbell County; Dan Allen, Kenton County; and Gary Stockton, Boone County hosted the evening at the Boone County Extension Office. We are so very grateful for their support and guidance to NKHN. After dinner Vice President Jackie Holland called the meeting to order. She recapped the events of 2023 and what is ahead for 2024. Recognition was given to our business sponsors. We are so

Please turn to page 40

Ohio Paint Horse Club

First Time Showman Form Receives a Nice Discount

PRESIDENT, Tim Snapp VICE PRESIDENT, Deb Schroeder TREASURER, Jill Davis SECRETARY, Heather Collins WEBSITE, www.ophc.org

by Tim Snapp

We would like to get you up to speed with what is happening the next couple months with the Ohio Paint Horse Club (OPHC). We held our annual membership meeting and election of officers and director’s. They are as follows: President Tim Snapp, Vice President Tim Dawson, Secretary Heather Collins, Treasurer Jill Davis, Past President: Mike Schwendeman. Directors (2024): Kathleen Azzarello, Austin Rush, Roxann Rohrl and (2024 & 2025) Cindy Snapp, Sue Johnson, Rachel Russell.

The APHA Leadership Gathering and Membership meeting is March 1-3 in Fort Worth. This event is open to anyone. It will be attended by our State Directors. Informative

sessions and rule change proposals will be up for discussion and voted electronically after the directors arrive home and had time to decide how to vote for them.

The 2023 OPHC Awards Banquet is March 16 at the Courtyard By Marriott, 100 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield, Ohio 45502. Happy Hour is at 5 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6 p.m. The awards presentation will be at 7 p.m. featuring APHA Board of Director Rachel Kooiker! She will give an update on APHA and the convention. There will be a silent auction of cool baskets (accepting donations) it will be a great night! See the OPHC Facebook page or OPHC website for hotel and meal link and information on other items!

SHOW NEWS!

If you haven’t ever shown with OPHC (or it has been a few years) look for the ‘First Time Showman’ form to get a nice discount at your first show!

Both Zone 8 and OPHC were awarded matching $5000 Chrome Cash funds to help our exhibitors with $10,000 at the two shows below. This is awarded in several

classes and divisions!

Don’t forget to support the Midwest Connection Series Shows at the Indiana Early Bird show in New Castle, Ind., Zone Show at C Bar C in Cloverdale, Ind., Memorial Day Show in Mason, Mich., and the Buckeye Bonanza Bash Show at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio. Saddles and other amazing awards will be given at the end of the series!

MAY 3-5: Great 8 Zone-ORama, Cloverdale, Ind. Six judge ZOR $10k Chrome Cash.

MAY 18-19: Buckeye Extravaganza, Wauseon, Ohio. All breed and $$ classes. Four judge POR.

JULY 13-14: Summer Jam, Wooster, Ohio. All Breed and $$ classes. Two judge split combined.

JULY 27-28: Buckeye Bonanza Bash, Wilmington, Ohio. Four judge POR and $10k Chrome Cash.

SEPT. 7-8: Amateur Club Show, Eaton, Ohio. All breed classes, Four judge POR.

Thanks to all of our volunteers and members for all you do! We are always looking for new members, volunteers, and board members for next year. Come join us!

Keep up-to-date on the OPHC Facebook page and ophc.org!

Northern Kentucky Horse Network

(continued from page 38)

very grateful for their donations and support throughout the year. Election for our 2024 Board of Directors was held and we are pleased to announce the following members were elected to the NKHN Board of Directors: One new member was elected to the Board, Annette Schonabaum. Jessica Bloom and Nicole Kmetz were re-elected to the Board. Congratulations and thank you all for stepping up. This is an all-volunteer Board. Board members are elected to a two-year term and make a big commitment to the organization. We are so very appreciative

of them. Recognition was also given to Susan Dickinson who retired from the Board this year, Recognition was given to all our volunteers who support us all year, as this organization depends on them for its success. Thank you everyone for a successful 2023 and we look forward to 2024. Our 2024 events have been posted to the Corral Calendar. We hope you will think about joining us this year.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of NKHN or if you have any questions, please contact us.

Tim Dawson, Mike Schwendeman, Sue Johnson and Cindy Snapp, Tim Snapp, Rachel Russell and Kathleen Azzarello, Heather Collins, Shari Love. Not pictured: Jill Davis, Roxann Rohrl and Austin Rush.

NKHN Board: Donnie Orth, Annette Schonabaum, Pam Davis, Mindy Burke, Jackie Holland, Nicole Kmetz, Jessica Bloom. Not pictured: Trisha Kremer and Katie Lauer.

Massillon Saddle Club

Clinics, Shows, Tack Swaps, More Classes in 2024

PRESIDENT, Leanne; VICE PRESIDENT (CONTEST), Shae. VICE PRESIDENT (PLEASURE), Jeff; SECRETARY, Francine; TREASURER, Kathy EMAIL, massillonsaddleclub@gmail.com WEBSITE, www.massillonsaddleclub.org

Happy spring! 2024 for Massillon Saddle Club (MSC) will have dozens of choices for clinics, jackpot/exhibitions, shows, and, a few more classes. Please see the MSC website (www.massillonsaddleclub. org/), or the Massillon Saddle Club Facebook page for the showbills and forms.

Showgrounds cleanup days are March 24 and April 7 at 11 a.m. (dates and time could change if the showgrounds are too soft to support vehicles.). You can fulfill your volunteer hours prior to the show season by helping to prepare the showgrounds for the 2024 season. One of the projects is removing a fallen tree. A tree came down on the playground area over the winter and landed on a few of the plastic ‘houses’.

There are also several dead trees on the golf course side of the property line that need to be removed. MSC will talk to the golf course about having them removed. If you have a chainsaw, please feel free to bring it. If the wood is usable, you may haul it home. (Please coordinate with Leanne if you would be willing to help remove the trees.) Please watch the MSC Facebook page for possible work tasks.

MSC has a full schedule of events and show dates, this year. Here are the planned events/ shows at this time. (Cattle sorting at Circle Y dates and a few ‘fun’ events are pending.):

Pleasure show dates: May 19, June 9, June 23, Aug. 4, Aug. 18, Sept. 15. If there is a rain cancellation, the Sept. 15 show will be a double point show.

Contest shows: June 2, June 30, July 14, Aug. 11, Aug. 25, Sept. 1.

Fun shows: April 21 and 28, Sept. 8, Oct. 20. There will be a Super Fun Show Sept. 22 (separate showbill for this special show.)

Jackpot Shows (PeeWee Barrels, Open 3D Barrels, Open

FRY’S

614-875-3711

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3D Poles, and barrels and poles exhibition runs) are June 15, July 13, Aug. 10. The shows begin at 1 p.m. with barrel exhibitions beginning at 11 a.m.; pole exhibitions will begin after the barrel jackpots (PeeWee barrels and Open 3D barrels).

Tack Swaps are the same dates as the Jackpot shows.

There are a few additions to the showbills this year: the contest showbill includes additional barrel and pole classes, with the barrel classes immediately following the walk/trot classes. The pleasure showbill has more point classes: all of the jackpot classes are now point classes. (Jackpot classes will have a monetary payout only; there will be no ribbons or medallions.)

There are several pleasure clinics planned for May 11: Ranch, English/western, and, possibly a halter or showmanship clinic.

MSC has an updated sponsorship incentive. Please see the MSC Facebook and website for specifics. Earn an MSC patch, jacket or hoodie with a sponsorship. Deadline is May 31 for sponsorships to appear in the

sponsorship book, but sponsorships can be obtained at any time throughout the year.

The 2024 MSC fundraiser this year is a handgun raffle. Tickets are $10 each, with the winning ticket being determined at the November year-end awards banquet (winner need not be present to win. The gun will be held at Fin, Feather, and Fur.)

New this year is a free class for members as a birthday gift from MSC. The class can be used at any time during the show season for any regular contest or pleasure class, but is not transferable.

If you use Tribute products, MSC is collecting the proof of purchase labels and can earn 25 cents per proof of purchase, or $10 per pallet if you purchase in bulk.

MSC will again have a random draw for a free show day for members. There will be approximately 50 slots available at $5 per slot: you choose any random number (or as many numbers/chances as you would like), with the winning number chosen in a random drawing at the beginning of the show season.

Buckeye Equestrian Association

Continuing Our Mission

PRESIDENT, Patricia Andio VICE PRESIDENT, Susan Smith-Gordan SECRETARY, Jennifer Milliner TREASURER, Sally Kish FACEBOOK, Buckeye Equestrian Association

by Sally Kish

We are continuing our mission to educate and entertain young horse lovers. In addition to our purchase of 50 ‘Queen Dolly’ books, we are also purchasing 50 ‘My Sunshine Space’ by Mariellen Rich. See information about this book below. These books will be donated to children’s hospital wings. Both of our authors

generously signed these books.

MY SUNSHINE SPACE

Come take a little adventure with Lydia as she struggles with her rainy days .She creates a way to bring surprise and sparkle to this particular day in her Sunshine Space. The words are melodious and seem to dance across the

pages. The illustrations will warm any heart and awaken the imagination of anyone reading it or simply looking at the pages. Since being with horses has always been my sunshine space, a portion of the profits goes to the Camelot Center for Equine Therapy in Southington, Ohio. This book has been reviewed by many social workers, case workers, therapists, teachers and parents. One review says: My Sunshine Space is perfect for children who may be struggling emotionally. This book is engaging and animated to help kids use their imagination to identify their own ‘Sunshine Space’. It is practical and can be realistically implemented within any situation. For more information go to Angelwhispers4you2.com.

Corral Calendar

DISCLAIMER: The Horsemen’s Corral has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information provided on this calendar of events. However, the information is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The Corral does not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained herein. Where possible, event contact information is provided. Please “Call before you haul”.

MARCH 2024

MARCH 1-2 — Lolli Livestock Catalog Horse Sale, 9 a.m., Highway 63, Macon, MO. FMI: 660-385-2516, https://www. facebook.com/lollibroslivestock

MARCH 2 — Blue Lakes Farm Winter Series Contest Show, 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, bluelakesfarm. wixsite.com/website

MARCH 2 — Gymkhana Freeze Out Series, Cooper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. St. Rt. 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-207-6339, coppermareranch@gmail.com

MARCH 2 — Kentucky Cowtown Arena Fast & Frosty Winter Series, 12:15 p.m., 210 Wainscott Rd., Williamstown, KY. FMI: 859307-9276

MARCH 2-3 — Champions Center All Breed 2024 Show, 8:30 a.m., 4122 Layborne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: 937-324-4353, www. championscenterarena.com

MARCH 3 — Carroll County OHC Fun Show, Shenanigans Stables Indoor Arena, 10 a.m., 7310 Abbey Rd. NE, Carrollton, OH. FMI: Kristin, 330-323-1705

MARCH 3 — Sandusky County 4-H Horse Committee 2024 Equine Event, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sandusky County Fairgrounds Flower Building, Fremont, OH. FMI: Candy Rosenberger, 419-307-4774

MARCH 4-9 — 45th Annual Spring MidOhio Draft Horse & Carriage Sale, Mt. Hope Auction, Mt. Hope, OH. FMI: 330674-6188, www.mthopeauction.com

MARCH 6-10 — Indiana Quarter Horse Association Shamrock Shuffle, C Bar C Arena, 253 W. Stardust Rd., Cloverdale, IN. FMI: Kathy Avolt, 765-714-4324

MARCH 7 — Hamilton County OHC “Ask The Veterinarian Night”, 6-9 p.m., Crosby Township Community Center, 8910 Willey Road, Harrison, OH. FMI: 513-353-4744, https://ohconline.com/event/ask-theveterinarian

MARCH 8-9 — Waugh Livestock Sales LLC Spring Catalog Sale, Derrickson Agricultural Complex, 25 MSU Farm Drive, Morehead, KY. FMI: Jonathon Waugh, 606-748-9721, www.facebook.com/WLSMuleSale

MARCH 8-10 — Michigan Horse Expo, MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: www.mihorseexpo.com

MARCH 9 — Premier Mount N Trail Obstacle Competition, Shenanigans Stables, 7310 Abbey Rd. NE, Carrollton, OH. FMI: www.premiermountntrail.com

MARCH 9 — OHC Meigs Chapter Tack Auction, 12 p.m., Community Center, 164 Main St., Wilkesville, OH. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ OHCMEIGSCHAPTER

MARCH 9 — Carhartt Classic, Copper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. St. Rt. 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-207-6339

MARCH 9 — Hometown Barrel Squad

Winter Buckle Series, Circle Bar C Ranch, 1424 Bluegrass Pwky., Lagrange, KY. FMI: Leslie Vincent, 502-220-1872

MARCH 10 — Blue Lakes Farm Winter Series Pleasure Show, 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, bluelakesfarm.wixsite.com/website

MARCH 10 — Brown County Tack Exchange, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Brown County Fairgrounds Rhonemus Hall, Georgetown, OH. FMI: 513-824-5650

MARCH 10 — Bluegrass Horse Show, Shelby County Fairgrounds, Shelbyville, KY. FMI: 502-550-5631, www.facebook. com/groups/265180196893029/ user/100089486596943

MARCH 11-15 — Lyons Legacy 5-Day Trainers Clinic, Western Kentucky University L.D. Brown Ag Expo Center, Bowling Green, KY. FMI: Lyons Legacy, 615379-1056, www.joshlyons.com

MARCH 13 — Winter Wednesday Barrel Jackpot Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredricktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-692-1271

MARCH 15-17 — Half Baked Series, Garwood Arena, Columbiana, OH. FMI: On The Road With Dawn & Clea, 330-7713205, ontheroadwithdawnandclea.com

MARCH 15-30 — Shamrocks & Stuff Virtual Open Horse Show. FMI: Victoria Hill, 812878-0216, hoosierquarterponyassociation@ gmail.com

MARCH 16 — Foster Equine Boarding Rescue Winter Series Showdown, 10 a.m., Stonegate Equine Facility, 26236 Smith Rd., Coolville, OH. FMI: 740-291-3556, facebook.com/fosterequine

MARCH 16 — Trumbull Career & Technical Center Equestrian Studies & Trumbull County 4H Saddlehorse Tack Swap & Symposium, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Truble Career & Technical Center, Warren, OH. FMI: Ashley Wells, 330-469-1174

MARCH 16 — Huntington County 4-H Horse & Pony Tack Swap & Auction, Huntington County Fairgrounds First Merchants Building, 631 E. Taylor St., Huntington, IN. FMI: Angie Sunday, 260-228-1878

MARCH 16 — Twistn B Ranch Show, 3435 S. Pleasant Ridge Rd., Scottsburg, IN. FMI: Penny Barth, 812-406-8512

MARCH 16 — 1st Annual Eastern Elite Select Sale, 5194 Ewing Rd., Ewing, KY. FMI: Jodey Ramey, 606-782-0488

MARCH 16-17 — Spring Fling Open Horse Show, Champions Center Indoor Arena, Springfield, OH. FMI: 740-610-4129, www. buckeyeequestrianevents.com

MARCH 17 — The 38th Annual Great Tack Exchange, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Greene County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, 120 Fairgrounds Rd., Xenia, OH. FMI: 513-4091344, http://greattackexchange.wixsite. com/gte1

MARCH 21-24 — Road To The Horse, Alltech Arena, 4046 John Henry Ln., Lexington, KY. FMI: www.roadtothehorse.com

MARCH 22-24 — AQHA/KYQHA Special Event Poles & Barrels, Briken Hill Arena, 1509 Red House Road, Richmond, KY. FMI: Kay Kass, 859-229-2416

MARCH 23 — Winter Series, Win-Seek Fallen Pines Equestrian Center (Indoor), 5022 Everette Hull Rd., Cortland, OH. FMI: 330-638-2255, win-seek.com

Geauga Horse & Pony Association 2024 OPEN HORSE SHOWS

Geauga County Fairgrounds — Burton, Ohio

Regular Class Entry Fee: $6 per class

Jackpot Classes: $12 entry fee with 80% payback + $100 (**class must have 5 entries to qualify for payback)

Open, W/T, Ranch and Novice Awards

Grounds and Office Fee: $12 per exhibitor

Visit www.ghpa.us for rules, regulations, and how to qualify for year-end awards.

21. W/T Hunter Under Saddle

22. Novice (18 & U) Hunter Under Saddle

23. Open Hunter Under Saddle

1. W/T Ranch Riding Pattern

2. Limited Ranch Riding Pattern

3. Open Ranch Riding Pattern

4. $100 added Jackpot Ranch Riding Pattern (all shows)

5. W/T Ranch Horse Rail

6. Limited Ranch Horse Rail

7. Open Ranch Horse Rail

8. Stock Horse Halter (W/T, Novice, Open)

9. Non-Stock Horse Halter (W/T, Novice, Open)

10. Ranch Halter

11. W/T Showmanship (E or W)

12. Novice Showmanship (18 & U) (E or W)

13. Open Showmanship (E or W)

14. $100 added Showmanship (E or W) (all shows)

15. SPECIAL CLASS: SHANKLESS SHOWMANSHIP (6/16 SHOW)

16. Leadline (6 & U) & EWD Riders

• INTERMISSION — 30 MINUTES •

17. W/T English Equitation

18. Novice (18 & U) English Equitation

19. Open English Equitation

20. $100 Added Jackpot English Equitation (5/26 & 7/14 shows)

24. $100 added Jackpot W/T HUS (5/26 & 7/14 shows)

25. $100 added Jackpot Hunter Under Saddle (6/16 & 8/11 shows)

26. Generation Gap (**see description)

• INTERMISSION •

27. SPECIAL CLASS (5/26, 7/14 & 8/11 shows ONLY)

28. W/T Discipline Rail (E or W)

29. Novice Discipline Rail (18 & U) (E or W)

30. Open Discipline Rail (E or W)

31. W/T Western Horsemanship

32. Novice (18 & U) Western Horsemanship

33. Open Western Horsemanship

34. $100 added Jackpot Western Horsemanship (6/16 & 8/11 shows)

35. W/T Western Pleasure

36. Novice (18 & U) Western Pleasure

37. Open Western Pleasure

38. $100 added Jackpot W/T Western Pleasure (6/16 & 8/11 shows)

39. $100 added Jackpot Western Pleasure (5/26 & 7/14 shows)

**Classes 40-45 will run concurrently in the Small Grandstand from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SPECIAL CLASSES

See GHPA Show Rules & Regulations for specific class rules

5/26 Class 27 - Bareback Equitation (E or W)

6/16 Class 15 - Shankless Showmanship

7/14 Class 27 - Surprise Equitation (E or W)

8/6 Class 27 - Barrels

Special Awards for these classes!

Generation Gap Class — Class 26

Entire Class is W/T — Open to Any Pair with required minimum 10-year age difference in riders.

See GHPA Show Rules

5/26 Showmanship (E or W)

6/16 Western Horsemanship

7/14 English Equitation (formal attire not required, see rules)

8/11 Barrels

Year-End Award for Champion Generation Gap Pair!

A list of classes counting toward year-end high point will be posted and available in entry booth.

W/T classes are open to all ages, including youth & adults new to riding as well as adults who are showing an inexperienced horse.

**TRAINERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOW IN ANY W/T CLASS INCLUDING JACKPOT** Contesting

Jackpot Classes: $12 entry fee with 80% payback + $100 (**class must have 5 entries for payback)

W/T Awards

Youth and Adult Class Paybacks: 80% payback per class (**class must have 5 entries to qualify for payback)

Grounds and Office Fee: $12 per exhibitor

A list of classes counting toward year-end highpoint will be posted and available in entry booth. Check our website, www.ghpa.us for all rules, regulations, and how to qualify for year-end awards!

Continued from page 44

MARCH 23 — Rodeo, Garwood Arena, 2538 Middleton Rd., Columbiana, OH. FMI: garwoodarena.com

MARCH 23 — 16th Annual Stark County Tack-Livestock and Pet Expo, Stark County Fairgrounds Expo Hall, Canton, OH. FMI: Bryttanie Zimmerman, 330-933-9608

MARCH 23 — Silver Spurs 4-H Club Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cass County Fairgrounds, 590 N. O’Keefe St., Cassoplis, MI. FMI: wellsvargo@aol.com

MARCH 23 — Northern Kentucky Horse Network Horse Health Day, Alexandria Fairgrounds, Alexandria, KY. FMI: Katie Lauer, 859-444-0204, nkhn@nkhn.info

MARCH 24 — Wood County Horse & Pony Clubs Horseman’s Flea Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wood County Fairgrounds Junior Fair Building, 13800 W. Poe Road, Bowling Green, OH. FMI: Conni, 419-276-3532, cmgrames@gmail.com

MARCH 24 — 28th Annual Darke Co. Tack Sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Darke Co. Fairgrounds, 800 Sweitzer St., Greenville, OH. FMI: 937-564-7250 (text preferred)

MARCH 24 — Norma Agnew Memorial Hairy Horse Show, 8:30 a.m., MSU Pavilion, 4301 Farm Lane, East Lansing, MI. FMI: CarlaM@msu.edu

MARCH 27 — Winter Wednesday Barrel Jackpot Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredricktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-692-1271,

MARCH 29-31 — Ohio Half Arabian Horse Association Spring Show, World Equestrian Center, Wilmington, OH. FMI: Cindy Clinton, 937-935-1753, cindy@ cindyclinton.com

MARCH 29-31 — 4th Annual Indiana Equine Roundup, C Bar C Cowpokes Arena, 253 Stardust Rd., Cloverdale, IN. FMI: briceatcbarc@gmail.com, cbarcexpo. com/IER

MARCH 30 — Buckeye Mini Horse & Donkey Auction, Wayne County Fairgrounds, 199 Vanover Street, Wooster, OH. FMI: Daniel Schrock, 330-763-0905, schrocksauctioneering@gmail.com

MARCH 30 — Easter Tack Swap hosted by Wayne County Saddle Club, Wayne County Faigrounds FFA Building, 199 Vanover Street, Wooster, OH. FMI: Shenea, 330600-0284

MARCH 30 — Kentucky Cowtown Arena Winter Buckle Series, 1:15 p.m., 210 Wainscott Rd., Williamstown, KY. FMI: 859307-9276

APRIL 2024

APRIL 5-7 — Kim Thomas Barrel Racing Clinic, Blue Lakes Farm, 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: www.cowgirlup73@ hotmail.com

APRIL 6 — Ruggles Arena Speed Show, 2651 Township Road 155, Cardington, OH. FMI: Gary Ruggles, 419-210-6952

APRIL 6 — Southern Ohio Horse Sale, Henderson’s Arena, Jackson, OH. FMI: 740710-1515, www.hendersonswesternstore. com

APRIL 6 — Northern Kentucky Saddle Club Ranch Show Series, 1986 Poplar Ridge Rd., Melbourne, KY. FMI: 859-635-6918

APRIL 6 — Mick Farm Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 12447 Lovell Rd., Corry, PA. FMI: Sarah Maracci, 814-323-5882

APRIL 6-7 — Kim Thomas Barrel Racing Clinic, Blue Lakes Farm, 14037 Auburn Rd., Newbury, OH. FMI: Amy Snyder, 440-4798503, cowgirlup73@hotmail.com

APRIL 6-7 — Kentucky Paint Horse Club Spring Paint-O-Rama, 8 a.m., Lakeside Arena, 1385 Duncan Rd., Frankfort, KY. FMI: Jeff, 859-338-3526, www.kyphc.org

APRIL 7 — Carroll County OHC Fun Show, Shenanigans Stables Indoor Arena, 10 a.m., 7310 Abbey Rd. NE, Carrollton, OH. FMI: Kristin, 330-323-1705

APRIL 7 — Twistn B Ranch Show, 3435 S. Pleasant Ridge Rd., Scottsburg, IN. FMI: Penny Barth, 812-406-8512

APRIL 10 — Winter Wednesday Barrel Jackpot Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredricktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-692-1271

APRIL 10-14 — Indiana Quarter Horse Youth Association Show, C Bar C Arena, 253 W. Stardust Rd., Cloverdale, IN. FMI: Kathy Avolt, 765-714-4324

APRIL 11-14 — Equine Affaire 2024, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, OH. FMI: 740845-0085, www.equineaffaire.com

APRIL 12-14 — NYRCHA Sanctioned Show, Garwood Arena, Columbiana, OH. FMI: https://newyorkrcha.com

APRIL 12-14 — AQHA/KYQHA Special Event Poles & Barrels, Briken Hill Arena, 1509 Red House Road, Richmond, KY. FMI: Kay Kass, 859-229-2416, kyhorseshowsec@gmail.com

APRIL 12-28 — April Showers Virtual Open Horse Show. FMI: Victoria, 812-878-0216, hoosierquarterponyassociation@gmail.com

APRIL 13 — Premier Mount N Trail Obstacle Competition, Shenanigans Stables, 7310 Abbey Rd. NE, Carrollton, OH. FMI: www.premiermountntrail.com

APRIL 13 — Carhartt Classic, Copper Mare Ranch, 6090 N. St. Rt. 53, Tiffin, OH. FMI: 567-207-6339

APRIL 13 — Open Fuzzy Spring Horse Show, 9 a.m., Rodeo Run Stables Indoor Arena, 11641 Alspach Rd. NW, Canal Winchester, OH. FMI: 740-590-7267, www.soqpa.com

APRIL 13 — 606 Sales & Events Spring Spectacular, 5194 Ewings Rd., Ewing, KY. FMI: Chad Bowling, 606-782-6360, https://www.606salesevents.com/

APRIL 13-14 — Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club Show, Ashland County Fairgrounds, 2042 Claremont Ave., Ashland, OH. FMI: 419-632-1533, www. ashlandpaintandplain.com

APRIL 13-14 — Lower Michigan Horse Association Show, Ingham County Fairgrounds, 700 East Ash St., Mason, MI. FMI: lmhastalls@gmail.com, https://www. facebook.com/LMHAHorseShows

APRIL 14 — Spartan Spring Warm-Up Show, 8 a.m., MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: spartanwarmupshow@outlook.com

APRIL 18-20 — The Panty Raid Futurity, The Champion Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: On The Road With Dawn & Clea, 330-7713205, ontheroadwithdawnandclea.com

APRIL 20 — Northern Ohio Outlaws New Shooter Clinic, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ruggles Arena, Cardington, OH. FMI: Janessa Hill, 330-201-2447, www. northernohiooutlaws.com

APRIL 20 — Classical Attraction Dressage Society Schooling Show, Brecksville Stables, 11921 Parkview Dr., Brecksville, OH. FMI: cadsrider@gmail.com, www. cadsdressage.org

APRIL 20 — Harry Hughes Speed Series, Harry Hughes Youth Equestrian Center, 5563 Waterville-Swanton Rd., Swanton, OH. FMI: Brandy Dotson, 419-764-6359

APRIL 20 — 2nd Annual Tack Sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1790 Packard Highway, Charlotte, MI. FMI: Julie Childs, 517-977-5058, www. eatonresa.org

APRIL 20-21 — Bluegrass Horse Show, Stonehurst Riding Center, Louisville, KY. FMI: 502-550-5631, www.facebook. com/groups/265180196893029/ user/100089486596943/

APRIL 20-21 — Blue Skies Horsemanship Horse Starting Clinic, 1725 Priceville Rd., Bonnieville, KY. FMI: Blue Skies Horsemanship, 859-913-6667

APRIL 21 — Massillon Saddle Club Fun Show, 12680 Sally St. SW, Massillon, OH. FMI: Leanne Louive, 330-8444041, massillonsaddleclub@gmail.com, rideatmsc.weebly.com

APRIL 21 — Twistn B Ranch Show, 3435 S. Pleasant Ridge Rd., Scottsburg, IN. FMI: Penny Barth, 812-406-8512

APRIL 24 — Winter Wednesday Barrel Jackpot Series, Treharne’s Training Center, 49053 Fredricktown Clarkson Rd., Negley, OH. FMI: 330-692-1271, dtttrainingcenter@gmail.com

APRIL 24-27 — 78th River Ridge All Breed Open Horse Show, Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, OH. FMI: Barbara Dunham, 740-352-8562, www.riverridgehs.org

APRIL 26 — Wayne County Saddle Club Friday Night Buckle Series, 4200 Overton Rd., Wooster, OH. FMI: Leanne Louive, 330844-4041, waynecountysaddleclub.com

APRIL 26-28 — Ohio Ranch Horse Association Show, Henderson’s Arena, 739 Van Fossen Rd., Jackson, OH. FMI: Amy Roberts, 740-819-8446, amyshd@yahoo. com, www.ohioranchhorseassociation.com

APRIL 26-28 — Northern Kentucky Horse Network Weekend Ride, Elkins Creek, Pedro, OH. FMI: Donnie Orth, 859-3937012, nkhn@nkhn.info

APRIL 27 — Winter Series, Win-Seek Fallen Pines Equestrian Center (Indoor), 5022 Everette Hull Rd., Cortland, OH. FMI: 330638-2255, win-seek.com

APRIL 27 — Gibsonburg Saddle Club Tack Sale/Expo Show, 961 N. Main St., Gibsonburg, OH. FMI: www. gibsonburgsaddleclub.org

APRIL 27 — 5th Annual Mega Swap, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Crooked Creek Horse Park, Ford City, PA. FMI: 724-954-7658, crookedcreekmegaswap@yahoo.com

APRIL 19-21 — Mid Ohio Marauders Club Shoot, Madison County Fairgrounds, 205 Elm St., London, OH. FMI: 740-206-7214, midohiomarauders@gmail.com, www. midohiomarauders.com

APRIL 19-21 — Michigan Foundation Quarter Horse Registry Show, Midland County Fairgrounds, Midland, MI. FMI: 517-331-6085, michigan-fqhr.com

APRIL 20 — Lawrence County Horseman’s Association Show, 475 Commerce Drive, Ironton, OH. FMI: 304-360-0013

APRIL 27 — Northern Kentucky Horse Network Dressage Show, Alexandria Fairgrounds, Alexandria, KY. FMI: Jackie Holland, 859-816-1095, nkhn@nkhn.info

APRIL 27 — Easter Trail Show, Kentucky Cowtown Arena, Williamstown, KY. FMI: Amy Lent, 859-536-0287

APRIL 27-28 — Northern Ohio Outlaws Shoot, Wayne County Fairgrounds, Wooster, OH. FMI: www. northernohiooutlaws.com

Knox County Horse Park Sponsor a Show in 2024

PRESIDENT, Donny Cline

VICE PRESIDENTS, Travis Ross and Claude Robinson

TREASURER, Pam Niner

SECRETARY, Madisyn Weekley

CONTACT, dcline458@gmail.com

FACEBOOK, Knox County Horse Park Inc

Hello, thank you for reading! I hope everyone is well and happy with the winter weather and had a good family Christmas. Without the snow we usually get, it has made for a lot of extra riding— that is if you’re not a fair weather rider. I know personally I didn’t get as much riding that I would have liked.

I’ve been working on the schedule for the year and it looks like the third Saturday is when we are going to put on our shows. As for the classes I haven’t got anything to write about. I don’t think we are going to have an arena trail challenge like in the past. With that said the open weekends are available for you and yours to sponsor a show,

Corral Calendar

APRIL 27-28 — Champions Center All Breed 2024 Show, 8:30 a.m., 4122 Layborne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: 937-324-4353, www. championscenterarena.com

APRIL 27-28 — Eastern KY Horse Expo, Boyd Co. Extension Education Center, 1740 Addington Rd., Ashland, KY. FMI: www. facebook.com/groups/296933253669231/ user/1481734998

Continued from page 46

APRIL 28 — Massillon Saddle Club Fun Show, 12680 Sally St. SW, Massillon, OH. FMI: Leanne Louive, 330-8444041, massillonsaddleclub@gmail.com, rideatmsc.weebly.com

APRIL 28 — Roc-N-Horse Stables Show, 1 p.m., 4731 110th Ave., Pullman, MI. FMI: Roxanne Fox, 269-377-4732

if you are interested in that our meetings are the second Monday of the month.

We would like to have more interest in show sponsors. Each sponsor shows have to be

APRIL 28 — Open Fun Show, 9 a.m., Kentucky Cowtown Arena, Williamstown, KY. FMI: Amy Lent, 859-536-0287

MAY 2024

MAY 2-5 — Michigan Reining Horse Association Delta Classic, Midland County Fairgrounds, 6905 Eastman Ave., Midland, MI. FMI: www.mrha.org

approved by the trustees so that is why we would like for you to attend the meeting. Look for our show schedule next month and on Facebook.

~Donny

MAY 2-12 — The Maddness presented by SOQHA, World Equestrian Center, Wilmington, OH. FMI: 765-714-4324, www.anequineproduction.com

Find more equine events on our website, www.thehorsemenscorral.com

Western Dressage Unleash Your Winning Edge — Part Three A Three-Month Mini-Series on Mental Performance for Equestrians

by Kelley Bitter

Riding is a sport; it’s like a beautiful waltz between you and your horse, where the rhythm of confidence is the music that guides your dance. The best riders aren’t just skilled in technique, they’re masters of their own minds. But how can you cultivate this kind of self-assuredness that can turn the tide in such a complex and challenging sport?

In the third installment of our Mental Performance series, we’ll dive into handy strategies to help you boost your confidence while on horseback. These tips are gleaned from psychological experts and the inspiring stories of accomplished riders. Whether you’re gearing up for a big competition or simply looking to enhance your daily practice, these nuggets of wisdom will help you jump over mental obstacles with as much elegance as you do physical ones.

Before we start building your confidence, let’s take a moment to understand what we’re dealing with. Confidence in riding isn’t about being audacious; it’s a symphony of trust and understanding between you and your horse. Let’s delve into the psychology of confidence and see how it can either be your unseen ally or a quiet underminer in your equestrian journey.

Confidence in horse riding is a delicate equilibrium that extends beyond just believing in yourself. It calls for a deep comprehension of your horse, a respect for the sport, and a harmonious bond between you and your equine partner. This confidence can either be your invisible cheerleader, propelling you towards victory, or a stealthy underminer, subtly hindering your progress.

The Winning Edge Mental Performance Coach

—Vince

The psychology behind confidence in equestrian sports is layered. At its heart, it’s about self-efficacy—the faith in one’s ability to succeed in particular situations. When it comes to riding, this means trusting in your skills to influence and steer the horse, make snap decisions, and react effectively to unforeseen circumstances.

But there’s another layer to confidence in riding—trust in your horse. Horses are incredibly intuitive creatures, adept at picking up their rider’s emotions. If you’re anxious or uncertain, your horse will pick up on it, which can lead to miscommunication and potential mishaps. Hence, boosting your confidence also means fostering trust in your horse’s capabilities and instincts.

The mental facet of confidence is intimately connected to the physical. A rider who feels physically secure and balanced in the saddle is more likely to feel confident. This is why strength training, flexibility workouts, and regular practice are vital elements in building confidence in riding.

Consider the story of Charlotte Dujardin, who, with her horse Valegro, broke world records and won Olympic Gold. She approached each competition with an unwavering belief, not only in her abilities but also in the extraordinary rapport she developed with Valegro. From Charlotte and Valegro, we learn the significance of connection and trust between horse and rider—a bond that serves as the true backbone of confidence. Spend quality time forging this bond with your horse by understanding its movement and behaviors.

But beware, confidence can also be a quiet underminer. Overconfidence can breed complacency and careless errors. On the other hand, a lack of confidence can generate needless fear and anxiety, hindering a rider from performing at their best. It’s a delicate balance that demands constant adjustment and self-awareness.

Understanding the psychology behind confidence is the first step towards enhancing it. It’s about acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, nurturing a strong bond with your horse, and striving for continual improvement. Remember, confidence doesn’t just spring up overnight. It’s a journey, and every ride is a step towards becoming a more self-assured rider. We do this through self-awareness.

Self-awareness is crucial in understanding and improving your confidence as a rider. Take a moment to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and actions when riding. Identify when you feel most confident and what factors contribute to that feeling. Similarly, pinpoint moments where your confidence wanes and try to determine the causes or triggers. By being self-aware, you can actively work towards boosting your confidence in those areas.

Discover rituals and routines that can prepare your mind before the hoofbeats begin. From meditation practices to routine exercises, these strategies can help soothe nerves and sharpen focus. Visualization techniques have been proven beneficial by many sports psychologists and can be incorporated into your pre-ride prep. By mentally rehearsing a successful and confident ride, you can prime your mind for success.

Another crucial aspect of building confidence is setting achievable goals. Start with small, attainable goals that are specific and measurable. As you achieve these objectives, set new ones that push you out of your comfort zone but are still within reach. By consistently challenging yourself, you build confidence in your abilities and overcome self-doubt.

Building a strong relationship with your horse is also essential for rider confidence. Communicate effectively with your equine partner and work on building trust and understanding. Take the time to get to know your horse’s personality, likes, and dislikes. This will not only improve your riding but also boost your confidence knowing that you have a solid partnership with your horse.

Additionally, it is crucial to surround yourself with a supportive and positive riding community. Find

Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros

Congratulations to Award Winners

PRESIDENT, R. David Davis

VICE PRESIDENT, Mike Sheets

SECRETARY/TREASURER, Karen Davis; PHONE, 330-719-3290

EMAIL, karenld0819@gmail.com

WEBSITE, www.lakeerievaqueros.net

by Karen (Chilipepper) Davis

Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros had their 16th annual awards banquet. I was not able to be there so only got pictures when Mike and Jessica Sheets and I set up on Friday night. I understand the food was delicious as always from Tim Gage and everything went well. I hope everyone had a good time! Our winners were:

OVERALL CHAMPION: Carla Spackman

OVERALL COWBOY: James Chambers

OVERALL COWGIRL: Carla Spackman

OVERALL SR. COWBOY: Bob Koniak

OVERALL SR. COWGIRL: Rhonda Brown

RESERVE COWBOY: George Hampe

RESERVE COWGIRL: Marcy Gruchalak

RESERVE SR. COWBOY: Matt Miller

RESERVE SR. COWGIRL: Colleen Kelly

Setting up for the annual banquet.

TOP 5: Carla Spackman, James Chambers, George Hampe, Rhonda Brown, Bob Koniak

SHOTGUN: Matt Miller

RIFLE: Bob Koniak

WRANGLERS: LIMITED: Kamille Huff, Wyatt Berry, Arder Sloan. OPEN: Ellis Sloan, Lily Farnsworth

CLASS WINNERS: L2 Christy Burdick, L3 DeAnn Sloan, L4 Marcy Gruchalak, L5 Karla Durnell, L6 Carla Spackman, M2 Ed Haefner, M3 Mike Sheets, M4 James Chambers, M6 George Hampe, SL3 Dawn Wojtowicz, SL4 Sue Wolski, SL5 Rhonda Brown, SM3 Greg Durnell, SM4 Bob Koniak, SM5 Matt Miller.

RIFLE: Bob Koniak

SHOTGUN: Matt Miller

We had several people who could not hold on to their guns: DeAnn Sloan, June Schmidt,

Mike Sheets and Nancy Virzi. We had a couple that tried to shoot with no ammo in their guns: Karla Durnell and Nancy Virzi and two members that unfortunately came of their horses and one hurt her leg really bad and didn’t shoot for most of the season, Diane Schmidt and Katherine Ring.

Special thank you to our balloon setters who really hustled all season for the club: Bekah Dawson, Cooper Cole and Wade Jones.

Our meetings are the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. Anyone interested in coming are more than welcome to come and see what we are all about. Visit our web page, lakeeriemountedvaqueros.net and you will see where the meetings are going to be held or feel free to

call me at 330/719-3290 for any information regarding our club or about cowboy mounted shooting. I want to thank Carmen and Nancy Virzi for hosting our January meeting.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Big Dee’s Vet and Tack Supply, CMSA, Lonesome Pine Ammo and Curly’s Ammo; Uncle Jimmy’s Brand Products, The Corral, Stagecoach West, Park Side Trailer Sales and Service, Siracki Realty, Altmeyer’s Trailer Sales, Rockin C Leather, Ben and Tammy Clark, Wendy Shaffer, Rocks Farm and Garden, Junction Buick GMC and Kiko Meats.

like-minded individuals who share the same passion for horses and riding. Join a local riding club or take lessons from an instructor who fosters a positive learning environment. Being around others who lift you up and encourage you can have a huge impact on your confidence as a rider.

Always remember that every rider’s journey is unique and there is no right or wrong way to become a confident rider. Don’t compare yourself to others and focus on your own progress and growth. With dedication, patience, and a positive mindset, you can conquer any fears or doubts and become the best rider you can be. So keep riding with confidence and enjoy the beautiful bond and connection that comes with being a rider.

Finally, remember to be patient and kind to yourself. Building confidence takes time and effort, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Instead of being too hard on yourself, focus on

your progress and celebrate even the smallest achievements. With dedication and perseverance, you can overcome any fears or doubts and become a confident rider.

In conclusion, building confidence as a rider is essential for both your safety and enjoyment. It takes a combination of setting achievable goals, building a strong relationship with your horse, surrounding yourself with a supportive community, and being patient with yourself. By following these tips, you can overcome any obstacles and become the confident rider you’ve always wanted to be. So, make sure to continue putting in the effort and time towards building your confidence as a rider. Remember that it is a journey, and every step counts towards reaching your goals.

If you want help in developing your confidence look for The Winning Edge Mental Performance Coach at www. theconfidencerider.com.

Balloon setters Bekah Dawson and Cooper Cole.

Corrals:

Ohio High School Rodeo Association

Spring Season Right Around the Corner

NATIONAL DIRECTOR, Nikki McCarty

PRESIDENT, Ryan Corzatt

VICE PRESIDENT, Brian Corsi

SECRETARY, Craig Houin

PHONE, 419/552-1646

WEBSITE, www.ohiohighschoolrodeo.org

by Kahlen Burns

On Feb. 3, OHSRA members and their guests attended the annual Cowboy Prom to kick off our spring season. It was an exciting night and it was great to see everyone all cleaned up. We also held the mid-winter meeting that day for directors and officers to make any changes necessary for the following rodeos. Thank

you to the Queen for hosting Cowboy Prom every year! We also owe a huge thank you to the directors, sponsors, and parents who help coordinate and fund our rodeos. We are a small association yet we are able to do

so much for our members and we are very thankful for that! Every parent who has stood in the arena setting up barrels and poles, holding a goat, or tearing down roughstock panels has helped our rodeos run smoothly and quickly and we appreciate each and every one of them!

We will be heading down to Winfield, W.Va., to compete against the WVHSRA in the Mountaineer Stampede for our first rodeo of the spring season. There are four more rodeos until Nationals, competitors are getting serious and putting their winter practice sessions to use.

It is not too late to become a member. A Permit membership is also available if you want to come rodeo with us for a weekend before becoming a member. For more information, visit ohiohighschoolrodeo.org

SPRING SCHEDULE

MARCH 22-24: Winfield, WV

APRIL 13-14: Edinburgh, IN

APRIL 19-21: Bloomsburg, PA (Keystone Legacy Rodeo Invitational)

MAY 4-5: Lancaster, OH (Junior High State Finals)

JUNE 7-9: Negley, OH (High School State Finals)

Farrier Friendly

Seeing is Believing—A Better Hoof Balance

How We See, What We See (Part 1 of 3)

by Kirk Underschultz CJF,AFA and Bryan S. Farcus CJF, BWFA

A2024 Farrier-Friendly™ series

Conformation and Posture

What we see in our horses is oftentimes a matter of perception and that perception is often influenced by tradition and sometimes even folklore. We are often attracted to certain attributes in horses which may not have anything to do with the general health and condition of these horses. It’s human nature to look at a horse and appreciate a particular color or markings. However, when it comes to judging if our horse is in good body condition and in the best possible balance, a different metric should be used. Understanding how we see our horses and gaining a better awareness of what we should be looking for is a good place to start.

Part of a farrier’s job is to ask lots of questions. Often owners will say they know nothing about trimming or shoeing, and they drop the ball in the farrier’s lap. While their statement may be true, owners know their horses intimately, daily, all year long. Farriers need to ask the right questions to pull-out the needed information. Conversely, owners should be directing lots of questions at their farriers, vets and trainers. When we all share our perspectives, we find ourselves set up for success, and as a result our horses receive much better care.

Let’s begin with a comparison of conformation and posture. Conformation is bone structure; how the bones meet and interface at each joint. We think of conformation in terms of legs, but it is much more than that. Look at a side view of the entire horse. The top line, the shape of the rump, the slope of the shoulder, the set of the tail, how the neck ties in, and of course, the angles and shape of each limb. Keep in mind, with few exceptions, farriers cannot ‘reconfigure’ conformation.

Consider Our Own Body

Let’s consider our own body. Using high heeled shoes will tip us forward, causing us to arch our back, move our shoulders back and tip our head forward. It doesn’t take long before we hurt. Similarly, if you ever tried wearing long toed, clown shoes and had to perform your normal tasks, you would begin to compensate by leaning forward at the waist, throwing our shoulders back and lifting our chin high. It’s not long before you begin to feel the pain. Our horses are affected in a similar way. As we both will change posture in an effort to avoid pain. Now, let’s compare photos one and two. In photo one, taken before the feet were trimmed, the yellow line is the slope of the pastern. The blue line is centered on the cannon bone and intersects the ground

well behind heels of the foot, giving little support to the leg and upper body. Turning to photo two, after a rebalancing trim, you can see the hoof is closer to the blue line and is more underneath the leg, resulting in a more supportive stance and comfort for the horse.

Recourses and References:

PBM A Diary of Lameness, A.Z. Gonzales Shoeing In Your Right Mind D. Butler

Viewing a horse in this way and taking note of how horses stand is posture. As you view photo three and compare it to photo four, once again, you will notice in photo four that this paint mare’s posture is more comfortable throughout her entire body without any leaning forward of her front end (indicated by the vertical yellow line). It becomes obvious that posture is a big indicator of comfort level. Using ourselves as an example, if we are exhausted and completely worn-out, we will tend to hang our heads, slump our shoulders, move slowly and often drag our feet. And, of course, let’s not overlook that a long term impact may likely lead to mental depression. Think how differently you may begin to move and stand. Ask yourself, how would all that discomfort make you feel? Distracted? Or perhaps a little grumpy? The same can happen to our horses.

As we become more cognizant of how and what we are witnessing, we start to recognize more and that will lead us in a better decision-

Photo two

Photo credit: CC Courtney.

Photo one Photo credit: CC Courtney.

Photo three

Photo credit: CC Courtney.

Photo four

Photo credit: CC Courtney.

Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club

Mark Your Calendars with 2024 Show Dates

PRESIDENT, Emily Scott VICE PRESIDENT, Brett Hammesmith SECRETARY, Amy Cluse TREASURER, Terri Rafeld EMAIL, paintandplaininfo@yahoo.com WEBSITE, www. ashlandpaintandplain.com

by Chesna Wertz

Hi everyone! I hope this article finds you all well after surviving the holiday season, and looking forward to an even more exciting time—show season! As of this writing, it is early February, and prep for the early spring shows is in full swing.

On Jan. 13 we held our high point awards banquet at the Ashland Eagles Club. It has been a few years since we held a year end banquet, and a big thank you to everyone who came out and supported it! It was a fun evening of catching up with friends, celebrating the 2023

season wins, and getting excited for 2024. Congratulations to all of our season high point and high point reserve winners! Your 2023 Horse of the Year went to Coy Little Frosty, and Reserve Horse of the Year to Your The Won. A special congratulations to our very first sportsmanship award winner, Billy Bogus. Billy had been around the Paint and Plain shows for many years, both as a fantastic ring steward and showing his own horse. He is always willing to lend a helping hand, an encouraging word, and congratulations to everyone. We couldn’t think of a more deserving person for this award; congratulations again Billy!

We also drew tickets for the Steve Flick saddle raffle, and the lucky winner was Amanda Goodman. Congratulations!

On Jan. 27 we held our annual tack swap, in a bit of a different location, at the Richland County Fairgrounds. The swap was well attended with both vendors and buyers, with many deals to be had. It was also a great day

Farrier Friendly (continued)

making direction, regarding our horse’s care.

A good farrier can have a huge impact on the posture of your horse, which directly relates to his long term comfort. That being said, do all you can to improve your observation skills, in order to enhance your communication with your farrier—trust me, your horse will appreciate it.

In part two of this series, we will discuss the importance of a better, more complete hoof balance that is essential, whether your horse is shod or barefoot.

Kirk Underschultz CJF, AFA:

Starting his horseshoeing career in 1979, Kirk brings nearly 40 years of experience to the table. From the very beginning, he recognized the importance of developing good relationships with fellow veterinarians. He connected with several vets that helped direct him in a path towards specializing in lameness and movement issues, which included many breeds and riding styles. He was an instructor at Meredith Manor Equestrian Center for 6 years. He developed the Farrier program at Hocking College and instructed there for 6 years. In 2010, Kirk was chosen to be one of the attending farriers at the World Equestrian Games. Kirk currently works with horses and their owners in Ohio. You

can visit him on Facebook: Kirk Underschultz Farrier Service Amanda, Ohio.

Bryan S. Farcus MA, CJF:

For more than 30 years, Bryan has been combining the skills of horseshoeing, teaching, and riding. He is a Certified Journeyman Farrier through the Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association (BWFA) and also holds a certification in Equine Massage Therapy. Bryan’s other accomplishments include both a Master of Arts degree with a specialization in equine education and a Bachelor of Science degree in business. Over the years, Bryan has been an instructor of Farrier Science programs at two equestrian colleges and a guest instructor for others, as well. These days, he continues his teaching by offering various ‘horsemanship for horseshoeing’ programs. Upon invitation, Bryan presents demonstrations and group discussions on basic hoof care and horsemanship, to promote the advancement of equine education. Bryan is also the creator of a select line of ‘Farrier-Friendly™’ products and currently authors a series of ‘Farrier-Friendly™’ articles that appear in horse magazines and websites throughout the U.S. Bryan currently works with horses and their owners in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. You can visit him at www.farrierfriendly.com or on Facebook: Farrier-Friendly by Bryan Farcus.

to catch up and see horse show friends, and get excited for the 2024 season. A big thank you to all who came out and supported the swap! We also had some giveaways during the day, the winners for those were:

• The AP&P Show Package (one free horse stall, one free tack stall and five class fees): Hadley Duran

• Free tacks stalls: Christine Jones, Kelly Mosholder, Rob Duran

• HoldIt! Magnetic Number Holders Gift Cards: Baylor Shaw, Dan Pierce, Lindsay Duran

We are busily preparing for the 2024 show season. Our 2024 show dates and judges are as follows:

APRIL 13-14: Judge Mike Bednarek

JUNE 1-2: Judge Alexandria Bryner

JULY 6-7: Judge Charlene

Carter

AUG. 10-11: Judge Roger Altman

Please note the date changes on the June and July shows! We had several suggestions of not having shows over holiday weekends, and we are excited to have been able to make this change. Shows will also now start at 8:30 a.m.

Another exciting addition we have added is we are now a NOHSA World Show Medal HMS qualifying show! Exhibitors to enter the qualifying class, and place first or second, will be invited to show in the special Medal HMS class at the NOHSA World Show in September. For more information on this class, and how it works, please visit https://www.nohsa.net/

Our 2024 showbill, membership, and sponsorship forms are now available on our website at https:// ashlandpaintandplain.com/ as well as on our Facebook page. Remember, in order to be eligible for high point awards at the end of the year, you must be a member. Individual membership is $20, and a family membership is $25. Hope to see everyone soon!

The Cowboy Perseverance Ranch

The Devil Made Me Do It!

by Rob and Tanya Corzatt

Occasionally I work with kids on liberty lunging horses in order to teach them one of the ways for a horse to join up. I was working with a young girl and decided to make this experience a little more challenging for the horse by adding a temptation. The young girl was very skeptical that we would be able to get the horse to totally focus on us so I asked her if we could make a little wager. We began liberty lunging a 6-year-old Andalusian cross. He is a very ornery and spunky fella who has had a difficult time focusing on his handler, so this was very good exercise for him. I hung a hay bag in the arena where we were lunging him. We would ask him to turn and face us in an area of the arena away from the hay bag. We would then proceed to have him follow us at liberty and we walked along

the wall towards the hay bag. Once we got to the hay bag we kept walking, however, Mr. Eli couldn’t resist the temptation to begin snacking. We immediately sent him off and tried it again.

We sent Eli the same direction for a few laps and asked him again to turn and face us. When he came to us, we began walking again and headed on the same course to the hay bag on the wall. As we approached it, the young girl and I kept walking but once again Eli could not resist the temptation to grab another snack. Once again we sent him off to repeat the process yet again. The young girl looked at me and said, “you are never going to get him to not eat the hay when we walk by.” I jokingly replied, “You wanna bet!” She looked up at me and grinned when I said, “I will bet you 10 bucks we will get him to walk by that temptation.”

We started the procedure again, had Eli turn and face us then

once again proceeded to walk by the hay bag. This time Eli followed us past the hay bag. As we got a fair distance away from it we stopped and rubbed him. I looked at the young girl, grinned, paused then said, “You owe me $10!”

When we did this exercise with Eli we allowed him to be in a situation where he would have to choose between right and wrong and where his obligation was. James 1:13-14 states “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” Testing examines our heart and mind to see if we are true to God. The first recorded biblical temptation began with Eve in Genesis 3:14. The serpent got Eve to doubt God’s goodness by enticing her to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. Eve forgot all she had been given and focused on the one thing that she and Adam couldn’t have. Focusing on the things we don’t have instead of what we do have can lead to trouble.

Eve was given a direction like a child would get from their parents. Matthew 4:1-11 shows that contrary to Eve, Jesus was able to resist the devil’s temptations. He was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Satan was a fallen angel and had a keen way of tempting and challenging in order to entice Jesus to prove that he is the Son of God. Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights and was very hungry, weak, tired, alone and very vulnerable. He did not use his divine power to satisfy his human desire to stop his uncomfortable situation. Satan was aware of Jesus’ weakened state and tried to force his hand with many temptations. Jesus was able to resist the devil because he not only knew scripture, but he obeyed it. Satan knew scripture, however he refused to obey it.

In both of these situations it was not God who presented the temptations. but He did allow them to happen. Satan tempts us when we are in a vulnerable

and weakened state. However, it is not only when we are in uncertain circumstances that he may attack us but also through our strengths. When we wrongly use our strengths, we can become self-reliant and trust in our own power and that can lead to us having little need for God. Our strengths are gifts from God and our responsibility is to glorify him with what has been given to us. God has given us desires that are normal and good but we are not to use them in the wrong way. We need to put on the armor of God. Ephesians 6:17 says that God’s word is the sword of the Spirit. It is a given that temptations will come our way so in order to combat them we need to be ready and alert. My friends, may you remember and pray those wonderful words in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

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 Corzatt

Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc.

Member of American Horse Council ohconline.com

SECRETARY

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

TREASURER

Margaret Hite 740/407-6986 treasurer@ohconline.com

Greetings From Your President

Vice President Nancy Strayer and I completed several trips around the state in February meeting with county chapter officers at their regional meetings. From Cambridge to Columbus to Wilmington and up to Bowling Green, we had a wonderful opportunity to spend time with them and the regional representative to understand how the state leadership can

continue to provide opportunities for officers to be successful. We have one more stop in the NE to be scheduled. The regional reps did a fabulous job putting together the educational and informative sessions we attended. I think we even found a friendly challenge between regions related to recruiting new members! It started with Mark Westlake, SE regional rep

County Lines

ASHTABULA

Greetings from Ashtabula! As our club has been busy planning events for the year, some thoughts came to mind. How often do we think of the OHC as a trail riding group? This seems to be a common misunderstanding amongst others who are not part of a local OHC group and even to some who are. Trail riders deftly make up a huge portion of the equestrians involved in this council. However, in reality, OHC is so much more. Ohio Horseman’s Council is the largest Ohio non-profit equine organization representing all ages of riders, all riding disciplines and all equine breeds. It doesn’t get much more inclusive than that! If you are reading this and thought OHC wasn’t for you think again! If you live in Ohio, enjoy horses and building friendships then please look into joining a local chapter near you. Our dates are set for the Ashtabula Chapter Gaming Buckle Series. Mark your calendars for May 25, June 22, and July 13. This series includes walk/trot and peewee classes as well as junior and adult. Don’t forget the jackpot poles and barrels. An official showbill will be posted soon. We are also trying to organize a dice ride

for October but are struggling with finding enough volunteers. Unfortunately, if more members don’t step up to help this event it will have to be postponed. The sad reality is often it’s the same core people who freely give their time. We need help and participation from all members to keep this ship sailing! Don’t hesitate to see how you could help! Remember, all ages, all disciplines, and all abilities. It is so important we all do what we can so the OHC can be enjoyed by the next and further future generations.

Speaking of all disciplines, a few of our members are also active in the mounted shooting community. They have been hard at work keeping their equine partners in tip top shape and competing through the winter and what many of us would consider

PRESIDENT

Mary Alice Kuhn 330/413-6589 president@ohconline.com

MEMBERSHIP

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

challenging his chapter officers to a recruiting competition. I can’t let a great idea slip by, so the challenge is now state-wide between chapters within a region and region vs region. I can’t wait to see who wins! No big prizes, just some big bragging rights to be won!

Next up is a state membership meeting on March 9 at the Elks Lodge in Newark and after that

VICE PRESIDENT

Nancy Strayer

740/694-1007 vicepresident@ohconline.com

OHC COUNTY LINES EDITOR

Martie Ackerman

713/553-9644

countylineeditor@ohconline.com

Legislative Caucus Day at the statehouse on April 10. Equine Affaire is April 11-14. Get signed up to join the fun working the booth and enjoying games of ‘Horse Toss’ with the little ones who stop by with parents and grandparents. Watch Facebook and website for sign up.

~Mary Alice Kuhn

the off season. Some have been busy breaking out some recently required youngsters. Other members have been hauling and enjoying the use of a local indoor arena. On occasion when schedule and weather allow, some have still been out enjoying the trails. It is a pleasure to be a part of such a diverse group. If you are in our area and ever want to learn more about who we are and what we do please reach out to us. Our Facebook page is a fantastic way to contact us. Just search Ohio Horseman’s Council Ashtabula Chapter. Another option is to attend a meeting. We have our meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

Give your horse an extra cookie or two from me!

~Kat Ring

CLARK

Clark County will have a spring and fall campout again this year. There is a poll on Facebook to determine the final dates and they will be announced next month. It is the only opportunity to camp with horses at Buck Creek State Park and as we all know a great trail for spring conditioning.

Anne Demmy and I attended the Mid-Winter meeting in Newark on Jan. 13. The 2023 grant recipients were announced and they discussed how they spent the money and all the work that was done at their respective parks. The Stark County chapter gave a presentation on all the improvements at Camp Tuscazoar. This is a park we should definitely visit. The Van Buren Chapter spent money and a lot of man hours repairing ravines in some pretty tricky areas to access. These repairs took a lot of planning and foresight. The Cuyahoga County chapter put in five beautiful new mounting blocks at the Cleveland Metro parks. These accomplishments with photos are all on the OHC website under documents and Mid-Winter

Taking a moment to meditate on life. The rider was perfectly fine.

A few horses who attended indoor mounted shooting practice.

County Lines

meeting. I encourage you to take a look and marvel at all their hard work. The 2024 spring state meeting is March 9 in Newark.

Polly Agle and myself accompanied Anne Hunter who is the chair of the At Large group to the 4-H meeting in Columbus on Jan. 27. Anne spoke to the group about all the benefits of being an OHC member and how important it is to have their support. Many people do not realize that we, as volunteers, maintain the trail systems in most of the parks in Ohio. It is our hope to keep young people interested and involved as they age out of 4-H and let them know there are ways to continue supporting Ohio equestrians. The crowd was engaged and genuinely interested in what Anne had to say. Thanks Anne.

Equine Affaire is just around the corner. There are lots of opportunities to volunteer your time and fun things to watch and learn. This event never disappoints and there is something for everyone. Tack sale season is also underway. Look to Facebook for upcoming dates.

The next meeting is scheduled for March 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the VFW in Enon located at 5075 Enon-Xenia Road in Fairborn (actually Enon). Food purchase optional.

Come ride with Clark County!

~Jonna Ledyard

CLERMONT

Greetings from Clermont County. We hope the winter weather hasn’t been too bad for all. Unfortunately, due to our lovely weather the brick project is not yet completed. The bricks are finished, have been picked up, just need to be installed. We will be looking for some help to complete the chore when the weather improves. Watch our Facebook page for updates on when the work can be scheduled at East Fork.

Clermont County will be a proud supporter for the Wounded Warrior Ride. This year is the fourth annual ride to support our wounded warriors. WW4 will be at the Applegate Horseman Area at East Fork on April 2528. Camping will be primitive so generators are welcome. Everyone is welcome. Camping fee is $25 each (18 and under free) for the entire weekend, which will offset the cost of event expenses such as the band, event insurance, Port-A-Let, etc. The event will have the Dillon Band for live entertainment Saturday night between 6:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday’s ride will leave around noon after the opening ceremony. We hope to have a naturalist with an owl and an American eagle. Gold fish races, poker ride Saturday, raffle items (speaker tumblers, many gift baskets, cooler raffle), food trucks will be available on site for meals Friday through Saturday evening (so you don’t have to cook if you don’t want to). Pizza will be provided for those arriving on Thursday. A limited amount of event T-shirts, hoodies and tank shirts will be available to purchase. Water will be provided for the horses. Come out and support the WW4 ride, and have a great time with horse friends.

Our calendar of rides will be posted on our Facebook page and OHC calendar soon. We are excited to utilize the Applegate Horseman Area. With the $750 grant awarded to CC, additional improvements to the area will include replacing and additional highline poles and gravel. East Fork State Park will dedicate the area to honor Tim Applegate as Clermont County will continue his legacy of maintaining our riding trails to benefit the park.

The Applegate Horseman Area is open and will be available for events. Contact the park office at 513/734-2730 to inquire for availability and to reserve the area for your events. The park does charge a small fee for the use of the area. New maps are in the works, waiting for updates based on some new trails that have been changed. The kiosk area (where the bricks are now) will be improved, with benches added to the area.

Stewardship of our East Fork trails: We will also be planning some weekend work days after the weather improves, and the mud dries up a bit. We ask that riders continue to report areas needing attention such as trees that have fallen, and excessively muddy areas on our Facebook page. We will be needing help on the trail maintenance, so collect your able-bodied friends and come out prepared to work to maintain our trails. Please be respectful of trail conditions, don’t bypass muddy areas as the tracks only make the area worse. The park has the option of closing the trails if they become too wet to ride. If the park should close the trails due to muddy conditions, we will post on our Facebook page.

Until April, when we might get to ride, stay safe.

~LaWana Bogard

CLINTON

Hello fellow horseman and woman. It has been a crazy beginning of the year weather wise. From eight degrees one week to 50’s the next week! I personally got a ride in, a little muddy but great to be in the saddle (see photo of Nakota). Enjoy the photo of my granddaughter Riley, staying warm helping me with barn chores on one of our very cold days. The third photo is Abby Fox and Neo in Jasper, Fla., which when I talked to her the weather was in the high 50’s just a bit warmer than here at home! She’s staying at McCully Farm family owned since the 1800’s and turned into a horse camp right by the Withlacoochee River they butt up to Twin Rivers State Park with 3500 acres of trails. Abby stated everyone has been really nice and welcoming, trails are clean and sandy! If you’re heading south for some trail riding fun check it out!

With this warmer February

weather, I’m ready to camp!!! Have an amazing month! Take a kid riding and see the future!

~Susan (Sue) Lamb

COLUMBIANA

Greetings fellow OHC members! Winter has been really pleasant this year. I hope the remainder of the winter season is as nice. With winter season here there isn’t a lot going on except making plans for the year. Two of the plans that have dates to them is our Summer Bash on July 22, and our Halloween ride on Oct. 14. Both great rides with lots of fun, all going to a great cause, which is to help with the maintenance of our trails. If everyone could set a side those dates, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Besides continued trail maintenance being discussed for this year at Beaver Creek, one of our topics is our new water well. It has been a few years since the state installed a new

Clark County OHC

Additional bricks to be added to the kiosk area.

Nakota

Riley helping with barn chores.

Abby Fox and Neo

County Lines

water well system for the equine park at Beaver Creek. Though, the state’s intentions were good, the water well after a few years is still producing a dirty mud type water. Even with our addressed concerns to the state and to one of our representatives, this issue still had not been addressed. I am hoping this wonderful gift to our park gets the corrections needed this year to make it a viable asset in which it was intended.

Finally, I have sad news to share. The president of our OHC here in Columbiana Tom Moore has passed away, due to complications of cancer. Tom Moore was a man who greeted everyone with a smile and good advice. Even though Mr. Moore didn’t ride, he was there to support his wife and family who are horsemen. Mr. Moore put countless hours into trail maintenance and trail reconstruction at Beaver Creek. For you folks who have seen the improvements to our trails the past few years, Tom Moore was there. Words cannot express the loss we have sustained with the passing of Tom Moore. Hats off to our OHC president and friend Tom Moore.

~Doug Johnson

CUYAHOGA

Cuyahoga’s Feb. 11 dinner and auction at Holiday Inn Independence was a huge success. We had 67 who attended, the food and service were great, and many who attended wore pearls. Did you know you can look great in pearls and blue jeans? What will Kathy suggest next year?

We had some celebrity guests join us. Mary Alice Kuhn our State OHC President gave a short and informative, impromptu talk about the wonders of being a OHC member and all we have to look forward to. Jessica McNally Shantz our Cleveland Metroparks Mounted Unit Sergeant talked briefly about the wonderful support and friendship we enjoy with the unit and the many things they have been able to do or buy with our donations. She also reminded us of the Ride the Beach event in October. There were many members from other chapters in attendance and our mutual support and friendships were evident. Seen were Lake, Medina, Geauga and Summit County members who were all ready to bid on the many auction items available.

The famous Joe Coalter, his

wife Bobbie and daughter Kelsie, added frosting to the cake. (Joe and Bobbie are owners of the Corral magazine.) Bobbie as always bid successfully on many things, Kelsie went home with a big picture of a ballerina, and Joe was his usual entertaining auction host. Blue ribbon goes to Bobbie as she is always the recipient of his good-natured ribbing. Joe kept us laughing as we were bidding and he brought the best price for the many goods offered. I went home with a great saddle pad, bidding a bit more than cost but what a great cause to support the chapter. Besides, Joe will not take no for an answer.

Many members stepped up to help. Cathy Rutti managed the welcome and sign in table with her usual smile. Cathy was honored later by the chapter for her many years of service as club treasurer. She had stepped down at the end of the year. Cathy kept perfect records and reports were always available. She well deserves the time off.

President Kathy King was her usual entertaining fun-loving self as she worked as our leader, she kept the event moving along and running smoothly all with a smile and laugh. Hubby Al sold 50/50 tickets and as always was at the ready to lend a hand. Kat Slavik and Pat Makselan hawked the auction items and Kathy made a perfect model for many. Diane Archacki, our Brecksville Reservation Representative, kept track of the bidding, items, and sold price. County Line Editor and member Marti Ackerman and husband Roger went home with some great auction gems, including a red basket with tissue paper. (Just ask!)

Newsletter Editor Mary Kay Dessoffy took the chance to let members know we have Constance E. Hausman Ph.D. Senior Conservation Science Manager and Cleveland Metroparks representative coming March 25, to the Brecksville Library to tell us the reasons for and benefits of the Forest Management Plan to take place in Brecksville Reservation near the stables. Some trails will be closed for a time when the work begins. Gather and join us at 6 p.m. with the talk at 6:30 p.m. to be followed by Q & A and then our general meeting. (I hear snacks are involved.)

Back to the auction. There were the usual tables laden with goods, all at a bargain price of $5, and we saw members heading home

with new treasures that other members had donated during spring cleaning. This was a win for both. Chris (our secretary) and Lou Slavik (our trail mile chair) take care of these tables every year and many times, offer even better pricing.

VP Christa Abood was not able to be with us. She was a major organizer of the event, auction and more. She had to fly out to be with family at the last minute.

Many more members pitched in and that is the hard part about mentioning names. The fear of leaving a hard working someone out. So, if I missed you, please forgive me and thank you all for your help and for joining us. What I can say is the 2024 team pulled off a spectacular successful event. Many cheers to all, named or not.

~Penny Passalacqua

DELAWARE

Your friends in Delaware chapter want to invite you to ‘come join our fun!’ Entertaining and informative guest speakers, educational demonstrations, and a variety of social outings are just a few examples of the fun activities that our Delaware chapter members can look forward to this year.

Such fun and fellowship began in February when 33 members met for our first inperson chapter meeting of the year. While enjoying a chapterfurnished pizza dinner, members welcomed Ms. Bri McDonnell, who shared her mission/purpose of her Equine Haven, LLC. A licensed mental health therapist, Bri created her equine assisted mental health therapy in 2017. In her words, “a beautiful symbiotic relationship was born in which rescued horses were matched with children recovering from emotional damage and together, they helped each other heal.”

Thank you, Bri!

Mark your calendar to join us for our Friday, March 1 meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at Kilbourne United Methodist Church. Member Mike Shott will share his knowledge and expertise with us introducing the Parelli Natural horsemanship training method. Mike’s presentation comes at an ideal time leading up to Pat Parelli’s appearance at this year’s Equine Affaire. Light refreshments will be available and all are welcome.

All OHC members are

Enjoying a winter day ride with Prada.

encouraged to attend the upcoming State spring membership meeting on Saturday, March 9 beginning at 10:30 a.m. The chapters belonging to the OHC Central Region, (includes Delaware), are hosting this event at the Newark Elks Lodge. Lunch reservations and payment are required in advance and were due by Feb. 25. There is no charge to attend this meeting. Come and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow horse enthusiasts! Learn about new developments, enhancements, and goals of our organization. Share your ideas and suggestions with State leadership, enjoy shopping at the silent auction and partaking from a delicious dessert buffet! Hope to see you there!

At the time of writing this column, two tickets remain available for Equine Affaire’s Fantasia performance set for Thursday, April 11. Join your fellow Delaware Chapter members for a special evening enjoying a spectacular display of horses and horsemanship. To purchase tickets, please contact our treasurer, Alex Sydney.

Looking ahead, our April chapter meeting, scheduled for Friday, April 5, will feature a ‘Meet and Greet’ and presentation by ODNR Natural Resources Investigator, Shaun Lentini. Shaun will share stories of historical events and his own interesting experiences while patrolling Alum Creek State Park. Light refreshments will be available.

Additional volunteers are always welcome and much appreciated to lend a helping hand with bridle trail maintenance at Alum Creek State Park. Our dedicated volunteers, lead by Bobbi Arters, meet every Tuesday morning, weather permitting, to accomplish needed repairs and/or improvements along the trails at Alum. If you have a few hours to spare on Tuesday mornings, we would love to have your help! Contact Bobbi for more information.

I hope everyone gets the

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opportunity to go outdoors and enjoy time with their equine partners! Longer days and warmer weather will soon be here! Wishing you a very Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and a blessed Easter.

~Theresa Burke

ERIE

Greetings from Erie County! March is finally here and the first day of spring falls on the 19th. I am looking forward to seeing the sun more and the mud less!

Twenty people attended the vision meeting in January. New and old ideas were discussed. Our member appreciation night was a hit last year. Looks like it will be in April again on a Thursday. Time, date and place to be announced.

We had 98 percent of our club turn in their miles. Thank you Eric for collecting and tallying up our club miles. You did a great job. I can’t wait to announce this year’s top mileage riders.

There was interest in having a speaker at one or more of our regular meeting nights. Committee lists were sent around to everyone, sounds like we will have lots of help this year.

Beth did a great job putting our 2024 calendar and our 2024 state ride calendar together. It sure helps to start planning early. We are planning a Memorial weekend campout again this year. We are looking forward to great riding and campfire cooking! We were able to get Mohican this year also. Our weekend is May 31 to June 2. Two fun weekends in a row, I can’t wait!

We did qualify for a matching grant to work on the Thornapple trail. Our trail committee is ready and by now the supplies have been ordered.

Our club ride this month falls on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday the 17. We will meet up on Mason

Road at 1 p.m. (7805 Mason Road, Berlin Heights 44814)

Wow, what a month! By the way, Happy Easter everyone! Life is better on the trail!

~Shelley Hayes

FULTON

We started off the new year with our party at Otsego Park. Sandy, Michelle and Cheryl did a fantastic job in all respects; the decorations, food, games and prizes were superb and we had over 60 members and guests attend. There was also a slide show presented in the background all evening with over 1100 photos, most taken by our wonderful gifted photographer Debbie Vaughan, some dating back to 2009. It was a wonderful fun-filled evening.

The reminder of January was quiet. A number of members planned to attend the OHC midwinter meeting and seminars and I think one of us made it. We can always count on Jack to represent us. The nasty weather was a major deterrent for the rest of us.

Speaking of weather, we’re on a rollercoaster ride in NW Ohio. Frigid cold, then rain and warmer temperatures resulted in mud and standing water everywhere. I’ve heard that our park trails are not as bad as one would expect. We are lucky it is so sandy. But we have been cautioned to delay riding if the trails are muddy and there is a lot of logging going on

so large areas are inaccessible. And then there’s February. What can we say? The above normal temperatures have been great, except for the rain and mud. The horses have been shedding already and the heat wave with highs in the 50’s made it even more interesting. I couldn’t wait until it got cold again— not! Horsekeeping this year has certainly been a challenge.

Our chapter calendar should have been filled in at our February chapter meeting at Bunkers. We typically have Winter Blues breakfasts in February and March.

Check out our website, www. fcohc.com, our Facebook page Fulton County Ohio Horseman’s Council or join our Facebook group Fulton County OHC to see what we’re up to. We also try to keep our page on the OHC state website up to date.

GUERNSEY

Winter trail work began three weeks ago. We started with the White Trail—A Loop. Our number one goal this year is to record accurate mileage rates for all the trails. The A Loop’s official mileage is 8-miles, not the 12-miles we read on the maps. We measured the miles with the odometer of my four-wheeler, which I ride exactly where the horse steps. None of the satellite systems account for every hooffall of the horse. Those systems operate on waypoints and also do not account for elevation changes. The odometer operates on the actual trail surface. As we work, we are immediately moving the current signs to the correct locations. Sadly, we have to get several new signs, because some of them are missing. I’m not sure what happened to them! That worthless bug, the Emerald Ash Borer, continues to wreak havoc at the park. This year, I’ve

already dropped several dead ash trees standing right beside the trail! On top of that; trees keep blowing over. My theory about that is the fact that the woods are extremely wet. Basically, it’s rained for the last 10 years and the woods never have the chance to fully dry out. We’ve not only removed trees from the trail, but laid up stones in places where the force of the water eroded the trail away. We typically work every Thursday. Schedules are posted on our Facebook Page; Salt Fork Bridle Trails. If you want to join us, go to the page for instructions and simply show up. All you need is a lunch, something to drink and a good pair of work gloves. PS: Do us a large. Tell your horse friends about our page. We keep you informed about the trails there.

I’m hoping to post more miles ridden this year! Dee Dee’s doing a great job of carrying me around the trails and I hope to see you there!

~Lee Randolph

HAMILTON

Happy March to you! For inquiring minds, March is named after Mars, the Roman God of

Getting a ride with Grandpa.

Dan and Gus

Someone likes the water.

Brian and Valerian at Oak Openings.

Salt Fork White Trail.

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war as it was in March when the military campaigning season got underway after the long hard winter. Sound familiar? Marching on, a stalwart group of 12 gathered for our January meeting to do the hard work of exploring, identifying, and then ultimately describing, their personal why to the question, “Why am I a HCOHC member?” The results? Seventeen totally different why statements. Very interesting. Two members from the initial 12 volunteered to soldier on, did the mental calisthenics to find the golden thread of commonality among the 17 why statements, and then, after many drafts, went on to create HC-OHC’s Why, Vision and Mission statements. Here are the results.

Why join Hamilton County OHC? “We engage equestrians in equine activities so that we enrich the human-equine relationship.”

Hamilton County OHC’s Vision?

“We believe in connecting all types of people to equines to promote and enhance the humanequine relationship.” Hamilton County OHC’s Mission?

“Hamilton County OHC engages all types of equestrians to promote the education, conservation, recreation and advocacy of equine activities and ownership.”

What are we currently doing to support our mission? Confirmed scheduled events include: monthly club meetings; an educational speaker program featuring Miamitown Equine Veterinary Services answering questions all evening for ‘Ask the Veterinarian’ (March 7); booth space at The Great Tack Exchange with proceeds marked for the Miami Whitewater horse trails (March 17); two Memorial Day parades, (May 26, Crosby, May 27, Cheviot); and pending Great Parks approval, four Moonlight rides on the Miami Whitewater Forest’s Shaker Trace Trail (May 11, June 15, July 20 and Sept. 21)

In the planning process are: weekly scheduled day rides; two,

on the weekend, themed, potluck, day rides; horse trail work days; an equestrian theme book club; a fall ride for Hamilton County 4-H club members; and a reconnaissance mission to assess the Mt. Airy horse trails. Yes, members are putting our heads together to create a terrific slate of 2024 events where we hope every member of HC-OHC can find some activity to enjoy. So, let the equine campaigning begin!

Lastly, if you believe what we believe, we would love to have you join our club! You can find more information about HCOHC, our event calendar, and membership application link online at ohconline.com, toolbar ‘find chapter’ and then select/ type ‘Hamilton County’ in the search bar. Lastly, for additional and up to the moment HC-OHC information, visit us on Facebook at ‘Ohio Horseman’s Council Hamilton County Chapter’.

~Ann Fredrick

HOCKING

February riddle answer is, “because it isn’t raining”. Fun party highlights for our chapter. Many of our youth won awards for mileage turned in. Santa also was present for youth and as you

can see from the photos adults made wishes as well.

March riddle, A rancher has 13 cattle and all but seven escape their pen. How many are still penned?

Welcome new Hocking members for 2024—Terry and Tracey Hoffman!

~Laura Owings

HOLMES

Yeah, March! By the end of this month, it will be spring. We are hoping to be ready.

January was a long, cold, grey month. We are right in the middle of a nice February warm up right now. Bruce and I made it out to Malabar yesterday. Trails were a little sticky with some wet spots but not too bad. Malabar also has many sections of their bridle paths that are black top or chip and seal. Some of these are shared with vehicles visiting the park and others are not. This makes it possible to get a nice ride in without setting foot on a wet trail. Our furry equines enjoyed a nice walk through the woods as much as we did. We hope to get out again before we have to go back to winter.

It certainly got me in riding mode. I scheduled a tooth float and farrier visit for later this month. Don’t forget, Mohican opens on April first.

The club is planning our spring banquet for April 6 at Farmstead Restaurant in Berlin, Ohio. A flyer will be sent by email soon.

Plans are being made for the first work weekend and dates for the Elkins ride in June.

Ohio lost a well-known horseman in Allan Potts in December 2023. He was a past president of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association and a founding member of Quarter Horse Congress. Bruce knew him a little from team roping. Members Tom Ames, Leroy Duncan, and past member Larry Grey went with Bruce to pay their respects. Those two were friends with Allan from way back.

Of course, Equine Affaire is

happening in April. The OHC booth is always a busy place there. Some club members have found other ways to stay busy this winter. We saw several at the Ashland Paint and Plain Swap Meet in January. Ricky Mast and President Vicki Zook have been attending Ricky’s granddaughter’s Malone College basketball games regularly. Bruce and his trail buddies have been getting together for some rabbit hunting and the occasional breakfast. Leroy Duncan has his nice young Paint Horse colt home from the trainers now. Diane Tankred sadly lost a nice Golden Retriever but soon welcomed in a great pup named Tank. We wish Diane and her family the best with her new puppy. Bruce and I lost our beloved Chihuahua last fall and also did not make it long without jumping back into it. I have put off saddle cleaning this winter due to having a pup in the house, But Millie is now 5 months and doing well, so the saddles will be in here soon. It’s been a long three months with Millie the Miniature Poodle, who is a very good puppy but still a puppy. I have, on occasion called her a curly coated terrorist, but

The Why Team, Hamilton County OHC meeting on Jan. 4.

Steve and Denise Bleser with Mike Frederick.

Santa makes wishes come true.

Youth members with their mileage certificates.

Holiday party with Santa.

The Old Guy’s riding group.

Leroy Duncan’s nice 3-yearold Sonny.

Riding Malabar in February.

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she is, again, doing well. We hope to have her camper ready for spring.

~Bev Hanna KNOX

Happy trails and greetings from Knox County! We kicked off 2024 with our annual ‘after the holidays party’ starting with games, then great food, then a gift exchange. President Terry Baker acknowledged and thanked our past and new officers and all our members who volunteered their time and energy with events and trail maintenance.

In appreciation for being our president last year, Terry and Mary were presented with a personalized blanket with pictures of family and horses. Thank you to Kathy Shoemaker for putting this together on behalf of the club!

Gaynor Pfeffer gave us the results of a survey she conducted that gave us insight into what our members enjoyed doing with their horses and where they would like to ride and camp. A drawing for a gift card for those who completed the survey was done and congratulations to the winner Kim Cortright. A big thank you to Gaynor for organizing the survey and compiling the information!

We had a second drawing for all those who turned in their trail miles and congrats to Deb Reeder for being our winner.

January hasn’t been a very busy month but most of us are getting out and riding when weather permits, sticking mainly to the dirt back roads in our area. February has some planned club events so I will have more to report next time.

Our 2024 trail ride and activity

Riding back roads in January.

schedule has been set for February through October and we are all eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled year. We meet the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m. at Donato’s Pizza in Mt. Vernon. Come join us at a meeting, an event or ride with us down Ohio’s beautiful trails!

~Cindy Cossin

LAKE

It’s been cold in Northeast Ohio. Even my elder dog, a Dalmatian, has been wearing a dog coat outside. New blankets from Big D’s were in order for my horse, Hannah, who promptly rolled in the mud with them on. Our Lake chapter has not been riding much this winter, so we happily welcome spring.

Barbara J. has been watching YouTube training videos on groundwork for your horse, and has seen a difference in her horse since viewing the lessons. She highly recommends watching various YouTube presentations for learning about yourself and your horse.

Our trail miles have been sent to Ricki B. for several different years, but will now be sent to Rosemary Morgan. Thank you, Ricki, for all your years of reminding us to ‘send in our miles.”

Barb J. and Colleen T. attended the January State meeting. There they learned the comings and goings of other Ohio chapters. Keeping track of trail miles is extremely important, so the State

knows how its money is used by members and on which trails. Also grant money can be used by various chapters to improve their county’s trails. Penny P. from Cuyahoga County told of mounting platforms erected in their parks. Geauga County will be using grant money for making mounting platforms at West Woods. Teresa Roughton of Defiance, told of using backyard obstacles, one at a time, for working with your horse.

Our next meeting for Lake County OHC will be Thursday, March 14, at the Chardon library meeting room. Time is 7 p.m. Please bring snacks. We will be discussing and setting up our event schedule. Enjoy your journey.

~Rayneen Tisovic

LICKING

Hello and hopefully welcome spring with blue skies and long trail rides for all of us very soon.

Our trail ride team in Licking County has been very busy and has come up with another funfilled year of cool rides and a few more campouts that our members really don’t want to miss. Our Dillon ride last year was such a great success that we can’t wait to

do it again. The winter has been dragging on too long. We’ve made the best of it by attending some of the other chapter’s functions they put on to make the time go by faster. Knox County chapter’s annual Tack Auction in Martinsburg is only one of those events I always look forward to and it was as always, a great time to see all the people we’ve been missing during winter. But even our own chapter has not been idle. We’ve had a great guest speaker at our January meeting. Mitzi Gerber organized the only board-certified Equine Dentist in the state of Ohio, Dr. Jeff Reiswig, to speak and teach us about why and how often to check your horses teeth amongst other important things. It was very informative for sure.

And of course, we want you to get to know one of our longtime members a little bit better this month. Mrs. Deborah Sheka. Deborah has been a very active member in our chapter for about 12 years. During that time, she has volunteered in various positions within the organization and is still doing so to this day. Retired from AEP after 27 years she finally can dedicate a lot more of her time to her beloved horses; her trail horse Ben Open Fire, her driving Hackney and her old miniature horse Firecracker, who is now 28 years old and started Deb’s passion for carriage driving. After a riding accident in the early 80’s, that left her nervous to get back on, Deb decided that driving would be a great alternative and has been hooked on it ever since. Her favorite places to ride are of course our Licking County parks and she also loves to ride at beautiful Mohican State Forest. We are so fortunate to have Deb as a member of our chapter. She keeps us all on our toes. And I mean that with the utmost affection. We would not nearly

Welcome new member Rachel Carbetta and King.

Terry and Mary Baker

Barb, Penny and Martie.

Barb and Colleen.

Savannah and Horse.

Deb Sheka on her trail horse, Ben.

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have as good a time without her. Thank you, Deb, for choosing us!

Come and meet Deb and everybody else at one of our rides or meetings and you’ll see for yourself how much fun we always have! Can’t wait to meet you!

~Sigrid Batten LOGAN

Logan County OHC had their first meeting of 2024 on Feb. 4 at the East Liberty Community Room. We had 12 members present, had a yummy potluck and we welcomed our two guests Craig and Charlene Santee, our Central Region representatives. He invited all Logan County OHC members to the Central Region meeting Feb. 17 to finalize what counties will be volunteering to help with what jobs that are needed at the State meeting March 9. Due to having two lines of food this year there will be a need for more servers! As in the past there will be a silent auction, all checks will be made to Central Region OHC instead of each county.

The Central Region Ride is July 19-21 at Falon Park, hoping for as good of turnout as in years past.

The Logan County March meeting is going to be held at Marmon Valley Farm, where along with our meeting we will get an in depth tour of the farm. Marmon Valley Farm is celebrating 60 years this year!

Our next fundraiser will be the April 28 concessions at the Marmon Valley Farm horse show. Bobbi Shields has stepped up to organize this fundraiser.

The Logan County OHC voted to donate trophies and ribbons for three classes at the 4-H Logan County Fair this year and donated a check to Perry Township for our use of the East Liberty Community Room.

Logan County logged 2,968 trail miles in 2023, wow! Janice Speicher high mileage with 846 miles logged, second place high milage Becky Porter with 574 miles logged. Deb Hubbard earned high saddle hours with 228 total saddle hours; second place saddle hours was Teri Elsass with 170 saddle hours. We did something totally different this year, hoping to get more members to report their miles and saddle hours, every member who turned in hours/miles got their name in a random drawing.

Family Farm and Home in Bellefontaine donated a lot of gift cards and nice gift bags, so thank you to them for helping us out. Out of the hat with a $50 gift card each was Lynette Rostorfer and John Porter, $25 gift card was won by Janice Speicher and two awesome trail bags filled up with all kinds of gadgets and things that are very useful went to Larry Howell and Bill Forsyth. Then we gave a gift card to recognize Barb Corwin for meeting attendance, a very productive and fun-filled night!

~Cynthia Orr

LORAIN

Hello all! The Lorain County OHC has survived the long, dark winter months and is looking forward to the new signs of spring life just around the corner. It puzzles me that dandelions can pop up in the winter months when all other signs of growth have frozen in time. This month our calendar sponsor is Equine Essentials in Avon Lake, Ohio.

There is a state OHC meeting set for Saturday, March 9 at the Elks Lodge in Newark, Ohio. Please call Jim Wallace if you want more information about this meeting.

We have a St. Patrick’s Day ride on Saturday, March 16 at Hinckley Reservation. The ride will begin at 1 p.m. Park at the Ledge Road parking lot. Feel free to dress in green and be ready to do the Leprechaun jig down the trail with your favorite lucky horse. Bill Musolf is the contact for this ride.

Our next membership meeting will occur on Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Carlisle Visitor Center, Black River Room. We did not hold a membership meeting in February so hopefully you will be able to come and catch up with past and future activities and

information and to enjoy visiting with your horse buddies that you may not have seen over the past few months that have been in hibernation mode.

As an added bonus, we will be riding at Wellington Reservation for a day ride on Saturday, March 23. We will be heading down the trail at 1 p.m. Plan to park in the back parking lot located at 535 Jones Road.

Saturday, April 6 we will be riding at Edison Woods, no fooling! We will plan to ride at 1 p.m. On Monday, April 8 look to the skies for a full eclipse from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. but remember to follow protective eye wear recommendations. Happy trails to all!

~Kathy Duncan

MADISON

We write these articles a month prior to publication, so this finds me in early February—the month of mud and unsettled weather. On the brightest side, Buckeye Chuck did not see his shadow, so we shall have an early spring! The geese are gathering, and horses are beginning their shed, so there is hope in the air, but it is really only hope right now. It is also the ‘meh’ month. We want to ride! It’s muddy and terrible footing. We want to ride! Now it’s freezing and terrible footing. We all know this annual Ohio song. So, what to do? Well, we can certainly work on conditioning both our horses and ourselves mentally

and physically. There is nothing wrong with working on ground manners and reestablishing relationship through just leading our horse, having them follow us (and please do try to trick them a bit with direction changes), stop when we stop, turn with us, and back up nicely. They get steps, and we get steps. A win for us both! Try a rails-to-trails horse trail to have solid footing so you can get some miles in without tearing up park trails and adding to erosion problems. The state forest trails are all closed until April to let the trails rest and avoid erosion, but the state park trails are not. Please be mindful of footing and mud, keeping our trail systems in good shape as you think about where to ride. Let’s not add to trail maintenance headaches for other chapters.

Madison County had our Christmas party in January with good food, friends, great games, and our annual gift exchange. I hear there is planning already underway for next year’s extravaganza!

The program committee is working on interesting speakers and topics for the year, and we are working on a ride schedule and ‘events’, like a fun poker run or a repeat scavenger hunt. Stay tuned for more. We do have our annual Gymkhana series scheduled for the year, so please take a look at the Madison County Gymkhana Facebook page to see all of the events and

Sue, Kathy, Dave and Lynn at Carlisle.

Sue and Jackie at Carlisle.

Char and Chris in Arnet Canyon, Superior, Ariz.

Jan Maki in Arizona.

Judy Chambers in Arizona.

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to register. We have a great time with this, and generate the funds to maintain the Deer Creek trails. Everybody is happy.

We are riding, with many hours spent in arenas, paddocks, and driveways as we prepare for the better weather. Two of our members, Judy Chambers and Jan Maki, rode for a week in Patagonia, Ariz., enjoying warmth and sun on excellent ranch horses. They do this each winter, and said that this year they were able to ride some great new-to-them trails that only added to the adventure. We will all be able to share more riding stories as the year progresses.

All are welcome to our meetings on the second Thursday of the month at the West Jefferson Community Center. Simple supper at 6 p.m., with meeting at 6:30 p.m. Happy trails!

~Lisa Reynolds

MEDINA

Our combined banquet with Summit chapter on January 27 at Richfield Masonic Hall was a nice break from the gloomy weather. Thanks to Cathy Matonis and her husband, Rich for all the set-up and tear-down work. Debbie Donner provided another one of her fabulous horseshoe cakes. Good times were had sharing the year’s experiences and looking forward to new ones this year. Mother Nature waited until later to send the rain.

Well, winter will soon be over (we hope!) and the promise of spring and muddy hooves await! Hose down that trailer and pump up those tires! Riding season will be upon us in no time flat and we are working on our schedules now. Actual dates of our scheduled rides and work sessions will be out soon, if not already. Our executive meeting was February 7 and dates will be in our newsletter and at ohconline.com/Medina.

Our “maiden” venture cohosting a state ride with Cuyahoga and Summits chapters is maiden no more, ‘cause we’re doing it again! Mark your calendars for the weekend of September 2729 at the Polo Fields of South Chagrin Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks. More camping! More fun! Last year’s event was a great success and we received lots of good reviews and some even better suggestions which we are incorporating into the ride. Come camp with us at

one of northeast Ohio’s finest parks.

The Cleveland Metroparks staff went out of their way to help us showcase a true gem of the “Emerald Necklace” (what the Metroparks was formerly called.) More information to come so hold on to your hats! Getting ready to “spring” into action down in the valley!

~Rosemary Young

MEIGS

The Meigs Chapter is busy working on the upcoming tack auction to be held on March 9. We always have a good turnout for this event which has become a social event as well as the opportunity to pick up some tack for the coming riding season. You may not have your Corral before the auction but we hope those who were able to make it had some fun and picked up some bargains. Our apologies to the state OHC officers because the date coincided with the State meeting. We originally had this event scheduled for March 16 but due to a conflict in the vendor’s schedule, we had to move the auction date to March 9.

Ed Turley is hoping that all members will be available to help with maintenance in March as the equine trails will need to be cleared of winter debris before they open on April 1 for riding. The club has also decided that hikers can use those same trails as long as they adhere to all of the rules and courtesy. Dogs and horses do not always do well together so it is advised that if you plan to hike one horse paths that you leave your canines at home. Dogs are allowed in the camp and arena area but only if they are on a leash. Please be considerate and do not allow your dogs on the trails as that could result in injury to both

humans and animals. Also, no ATVs are permitted on the trails.

Two of our members are going to be youth ambassadors for our club. Emmalee Setzer have the bright idea that she and her sister Annalyn would be willing to advocated for our club to encourage more youth to join our club and participate in activities. Meigs chapter is like many of the other OHC chapters as most members are older and we want would love to see some younger persons join. Emmalee and Annalyn will be speaking with their peers at school, at horse shows, and even at parades where horses participate. Promoting OHC to the kids will hopefully encourage the parents to become involved, also. Emmalee is an awesome speaker for an 11-year-old and can easily hold her own fielding questions and concerns. Annalyn is the spark plug of the duo and brings energy and excitement to everything she undertakes. The club has endorsed this venture and will assist with this project in any way that we can. Thank you, Emma and Anna, for volunteering for this new endeavor.

John Krawsczyn, DVM, of the Meigs Vet Clinic will be administering vaccines and Coggins testing at the AEP Southeastern Ohio Recreational Area, 30225 SR 124, Langsville, Ohio, on April 6 beginning at

1 p.m. This clinic event is for equine animals only. Dr. John said that if there was enough interest that he would consider floating teeth, also. If you might be interested in having your horse’s teeth floated, please PM us on our Facebook page (see link below).

Meigs Chapter meets every third Tuesday of the month (excluding December) at Fox Pizza in Pomeroy on Main Street beginning at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend and to discover more about OHC and the advantages of becoming a member. Please check us out on our Facebook page for upcoming events and chapter news: https:// www.facebook.com/groups/ OHCMeigsChapter

~Marlene Swartz

PERRY

Spring is around the corner and the Perry OHC chapter is poised to ride with a robust schedule. The year started on the right foot with our January kickoff meeting that included guest speaker Blake Offenberg. Of Blake’s many ventures, which includes hosting area horse shows, one of the most unique is a trail obstacle course she designed and has opened at her New Lexington boarding facility. Blake explained how the idea originated and the types of obstacles that are set up. It was very interesting and something members will be checking out come drier weather.

For our annual winter party in February a few gals got together and had a paint party. Several enjoyable hours were spent painting horses and other western designs on vases, jars and other glassware as well as fabric totes. These were being used as door prizes for our Winterfest party.

An unorganized organized trail maintenance day was held at Burr Oak in early February with three helpers; Brian, myself and Tom. The four-wheeler and chain saw was definitely needed on the Red Trail which is now mostly cleared. Thanks to Tom for your assistance and for others who offered to help as your help will be needed at the next work date. Don Wagner reports that a new trail has finally been established there as well so look for more details and trail conditions in next month’s report.

Plans are in the works for a Memorial Day campout at AEP McConnelsville, which will

Meigs Youth ambassadors.

Stony

Lizzie Jones New Years Ride at AEP.

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reopen in May. Many of us have not ridden there in years so it will be exciting to check out all the improvements that Don and all the volunteers have been working on. We also are in the midst of making plans for an out of state ride to East Fork Campgrounds in Durbin, W. Va., and will be joining Hocking OHC at Mohican this year in June.

I acquired a new horse, Buck. Buck already has undergone a name change to Huck since another member already has a horse of that name. Should be an interesting mouthful since my riding partners have horses named Hawk and Hank. I foresee a few excellent adventures ahead!

As we creep closer to good weather, get ready for the fur to fly during shedding season and keep reaching for the stars.

~Marianne Patton

STARK

Congratulations to Laura Ramey and Carla Ross for tying for first place at Camp Tuscazoar ‘Sign-In Contest’ in 2023. They both signed in 15 times and Campbell Oil Company provided them with a $50 Bell stores gift certificate. We track all horse riders who sign in and last year we had 631 riders use the trails at Camp Tuscazoar.

Winners of Stark Parks ‘Get Out and Ride’ program: first place was Theresa Hepner, second place Greg Monsanty and third place Ron Smith. PBS Animal Health in Massillon sponsored their awards.

The Bridle Trails Mileage for 2023 at Stark Parks were: Waynesburg Sandy Valley 161.7 miles; Whitacre Greer 108 miles; Sippo Valley 85 miles; Crowl Street 74 miles; Ralph Regula (includes Old Muskingum) 65

miles; Walborn 46.6 miles and Quail Hollow 20 miles.

The weather lately has provided some beautiful days for riding. Make sure you are not destroying the trails if you go out. But it is a good time to get started on getting your trail mails in and some Vitamin D while the sun is out! Happy Trails!

~Jo Ellen Reikowsky

UNION

Howdy, everyone. Here we are at winter’s end. The ground hog did not see his shadow and spring is on its way. It is time to start planning for the trail riding season, which should include attending a few tack sales, maybe Equine Affaire, and attending the OHC general membership meeting.

I hope everyone survived the extreme winter weather in January. I always seem to spend more time in the barn when it gets brutally cold, monitoring the horses, cleaning stalls, spreading bedding and keeping an eye on the water trough heaters and heated buckets. The snow at the end of it was a treat because all of my horses enjoy the snow and the temperatures had begun to moderate.

For a number of reasons, I did not make the OHC midwinter meeting in January. However, from the photographs circulating of the event, it looks like everyone had a great time. Maybe next year. Happy Trails.

~Debbie Strayton

WARREN

I don’t have a lot to report this month. As it’s the middle of winter, there isn’t a lot going on. I’ll include a few more photos from the New Year’s Day ride.

By the time you read this, hopefully the bridge on Farmer’s Trace that’s been slated for

replacement will be finished. At least that’s the game plan as I write this. Mother Nature has a habit of changing our plans, but so far, the forecast for the first work day in February seems to be favorable. So, we can hope.

Don’t forget that in March we again hold our Great Tack Exchange. This is our main fundraiser for all of the trail work (and anything else) we do, so everything we can do to make it a success is great. As usual, we’re always looking for volunteers. I volunteer every year and really enjoy it. We always need door guards, and the regulars in the food booth wouldn’t mind a break now and then, and there are lots of other jobs as well. You don’t need to commit to the entire day; we work in shifts. If you’d like to volunteer, contact Belinda Snell at buckrund@peoplepc. com or 937/302-6226 as she is coordinating all of the volunteers. Come join us; you’ll have fun!

I always welcome other news and photos. You can send them to akela83@att.net.

~Mickie Newnam

WASHINGTON

Greetings from Washington County, Ohio’s first county! We

are anxious to get on the trails and ride. It will not be long until the State and National Forest trails open. Let’s be mindful that riding on really muddy trails has detrimental effects on our trails and sometimes we would be better served to wait until it dries up a little. That being said, we are beginning our preparation of the Kinderhook trail. We’re hopeful the new re-route will be finished on opening day of the trail. Our club will clear the rest of the trail from downed trees and perhaps do some drainage, so the trails are in good shape that first day. We were happy at the end of the season last year, other than the wash out, our trails were the best they have ever been. We are looking forward to a repeat this year!

We appreciate all of our trail workers, especially the chainsaw crew. In Wayne you must be certified by the forest to use a saw, we have five such folks in our club. Without the saws our trails would continually be closed since it seems trees fall weekly!

In other news, our ride schedule is finished and published to our members. We would be happy to share and do invite you to come ride with us anytime! Our first ride is scheduled for Kinderhook in Newport Ohio on April 20, 10 a.m. ride out. Vice President Darrell has conditioned our members to know 10 a.m. ride out means 10 a.m. ride out. Not 10:01, 10:02 etc. It is a matter of respect to other riders to show up and be ready on time. We have delayed in case of emergency and circumstances beyond a person’s control, but in general we ride out at the posted time.

We have been working on having a guest speaker for all our meetings and so far, that is going well, at least in the planning stages. Farrier A.P. Nelson was the speaker in February. Just as our rides are always open so are our meetings and you should feel free to attend. Our April program speaker will be Neree Thacker. She does saddle repairs and leather crafts. We will have our awards dinner in May.

We know we are down in our total mileage this year but, still have several folks with awards for miles. Of course, the award for hitting the ground in an unplanned and ungraceful way will continue to bring shame to those who have fallen off and joy to those who watch, as long as no one is hurt!

Quick reminder that Dick and

Theresa Hepner

Ron Smith

Photos from New Years Day ride.

County Lines

Debbie Jackson will once again sponsor the annual shot clinic at their farm April 6, 9 a.m. to noon or when all have been attended.

We are anticipating a great year in Washington County OHC as we ride with each other and some of you as well. Let’s remember to help one another, speak kindly to one another and enjoy our blessings of friends and horses!

~Rita V. Schultheis

WAYNE

Our Winter Bash was held Jan. 20 at Des Essenhaus in Shreve. There were 35 people in attendance. The food was delicious and the company even better. We had some very interesting White Elephant gifts and as always, the stealing was entertaining. It was a fun break from the cold, cloudy weather we’ve had this January.

By the time this article is published we will have held our trail planning meeting on Feb. 10 with a potluck (of course!). If you want a copy of our schedule, just contact our secretary, Leigh

Litman. Or better yet, join us as a secondary member and come enjoy the trail riding and camping friends you will make.

Not all of our members have been hibernating this winter.

Tom Bahl and his great mare, Glory have been practicing hauling firewood. We are looking forward to seeing her in action this spring and summer. She already has a great reputation as a trail maintenance horse.

Thank you to everyone who completed a survey that was done by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. There are big plans underway for the former Brandywine Golf Course property. I know many of us in northern Wayne County ride at Wetmore and it is important that we let our voices be heard.

Congratulations to everyone who turned in their trail miles on time. The 2023 Saddle Up winners were chosen from those who turned their trail and driving miles as well as saddle hours in on time. The winners are: Dave Guenther, most improved from last year; Jody Shaw, most places

ridden; Pam Bachman, Leigh Litman, Lauren McClung, Sheila Haury (drawn from those who turned their miles in on time). Additional winners drawn were: Cindy Funk, worked at least one work weekend; Heather Kinney, attended at least one meeting; Taren Tate and Zoey Neitzelt, Youth awards.

We had 10,696 total trail mileage and 420 total saddle hours. The trail mileage was up 2,521 from last year.

Congratulations to youth members Taran Tate and Brianna Ramsier who were both elected to the Wayne County Junior Fair Board for the 2024 Wayne County Jr. Fair. It is an honor and responsibility, but we know these young people are up to

the task. They both juggle a full sports schedule and 4-H projects and leadership very well and are a great representation of the horsemen and women of tomorrow.

We are looking forward to seeing all our friends from other clubs on the trails soon. Happy trails to you until April.

~Susan Baker

Miss Glory hauling firewood.

Wayne County Winter Bash.