Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc.
Geauga Horse & Pony Association
Great Lakes Appaloosa Horse Club
Hoosier Quarter Pony Association
Knox County Horse Park
Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros
Massillon Saddle Club
Miami Valley Horse Show Association
Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc.
Mid-Eastern Farriers Association
Mid Ohio Dressage Association
Mid-Ohio Marauders
National Pole Bending Association
Northern Ohio Dressage Association
Northern Kentucky Horse Network
Northern Ohio Miniature Horse Club
Northern Ohio Outlaws
Ohio Appaloosa Association
O.H.I.O. EXCA
Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Assoc.
Ohio Haflinger Association
Ohio High School Rodeo Association
Ohio Horseman’s Council
Ohio Gaited Horse Trailriders
Ohio Morgan Horse Association
Ohio Paint Horse Club
Ohio Quarter Horse Association
Ohio Ranch Horse Association
Ohio State Buckskin Association
Ohio Western Horse Association, Inc.
Ottawa County Horse Foundation
Ohio Valley Team Penning Association
Pinto Horse Association of Ohio
Premier Mount N Trail
Pure Gold Stables
Tri-County Trail Association
Tri-State Rodeo Association
Wayne County Saddle Club
Western Reserve Carriage Association
The Corral Staff
Editor Bobbie Coalter
Advertising Sales & General Manager Joe Coalter email joe@thehorsemenscorral.com
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
Ride In Sync
A ‘Bit’ of Philosophy
by Terry Myers
We had a request from a person to do an article about bits. This is a big topic and one that I feel very passionate about. So much so, that I am working with a bit maker to make a line of bits, based on my experience and seeing what works with training horses.
There are a maximum of seven different pressure points on a bridle. They are the bars of the mouth, each corner of the mouth, the tongue, the roof of the mouth, the chin groove, over the nose, and the poll. Different bits engage some or all of these pressure points. Take a look at your bridle and think about what pressure points your horse feels. There are as many types of bit as there are opinions on bits! I am going to talk about two types of bits: snaffle bits and shank bits. Let’s begin with the snaffle bit. A snaffle bit, when used properly, is the least severe bit.
The snaffle has either an O ring, egg-butt or D ring check piece and never has a shank or any means of leverage. There are many different types and diameters of mouth pieces. According to most breed associations, the mouth piece must have a minimum diameter of 5/16” or 8 mm in the area that is an inch from the ring. If your mouth piece has a smaller diameter than that and you want to show with it, check your association guidelines. The mouth piece of a snaffle can be jointed in one or two places (as in the case of the ‘dog bone’ snaffle). Regardless of the mouth piece, the center of it must lie flat on the tongue.
There are is a very large variety of snaffle mouth pieces, some are legal in the show ring and many are not. I prefer to use a smooth snaffle when starting a colt in a bit. Always use a leather chin strap on a snaffle bit,
positioned in front of the reins. The purpose is not for leverage but to keep the bit from pulling through the horse’s mouth.
A snaffle bit is not a pulling bit. It is meant to be used by working the bit laterally, sliding across the bars of the horse’s mouth. Pulling on this bit will only encourage your horse to pull back. You never hang on a snaffle, you simply work is laterally by working your fingers. When you feel you horse give even the slightest, you reward them my releasing the pressure (hence I’m always hollering “Let Go!”). The great thing about a snaffle bit, you can give instant relief from pressure. For this reason, it is my number one training tool. I use it, along with my leg pressure and position of my body to teach a horse to bend and give all parts of their body.
A shank bit in one with shank side pieces that extend down below the mouth piece. When rein pressure is applied, it engages several of the pressure points mentioned above. There are a huge variety of mouth pieces and styles of shanks, each with their own purpose. The shank on the bit, to be legal in most stock horse breed associations, can be no longer than 8.5 inches (from the top of the top ring to the middle of the bottom ring on the shank where the rein attaches). In other breeds such as gaited breeds, a longer shank is permissible. The bit diameter requirements are the same at those for the snaffle. The mouth piece of the shank can be jointed in one or two places or is can be a solid piece. The amount and variety of the mouth pieces is amazing, with ports (that curved middle piece), spoons, frogs, mullen mouth, A frames, spades, half breeds and mouth pieces that have rollers, crickets, just to name a few. Most mouth pieces are sweet iron, sometimes with copper inlays, which encourages the horse to salivate and keep a moist mouth. The position of the mouthpiece on the shank dictates how much leverage the bit will create. The more space on the shank piece that is above the mouth piece, the more leverage the bit will have.
As I said, I always start a horse in an O or D ring snaffle. I may
move to a large twist on my mouth piece if I need to create more friction on the tongue. When I get an older horse in for training that is having trouble giving to the bit, I treat them like a colt and start at the beginning with a snaffle bit. When I have the horse giving well to pressure, I move them to a shank bit, usually one with a jointed mouth piece. With most stock breed associations, a horse that is 6 years or older is expected to be trained enough to be shown in a shank bit.
A snaffle bit is a training device to teach a horse to give to the bit. The most complex of shank bits, say a spade bit, is used only as a signal bit, with the movement of the riders hand barely perceivable. To me, a horse graduates to a bit based on the accomplishments during their training. The most severe bits are only severe if the rider and horse are not properly trained to use them. Look at it this way, a gun is deadly only when used with deadly force. A bit is only as severe as the hands that are applying the pressure. So much can be written on bits, that it is the subject of entire books. We are thankful that the Horsemen’s Corral gives us this column space, but we are pretty sure they don’t want me to take up the entire issue, talking about bits. But if you only remember one thing from this article, if you are having problems, more bit is not the solution. Problems are resolved by training and learning, not by force.
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-In-Sync methods as well as clinic and training services available, visit www. tmtrainingcenter.com or on Facebook.
Mid-Ohio Marauders
Mid-Ohio Marauders 2024 Mid-West Regional Shoot
PRESIDENT, Tim Calvin
VICE PRESIDENT, Missy DeForest
SECRETARY, Judy Foster
TREASURER, Laurie Maris
PHONE, 740/206-7214
EMAIL, midohiomarauders@gmail.com
WEBSITE, www.midohiomarauders.com
by Steve Keech
The Mid-Ohio Marauders once again hosted the MidWest Regional Shoot, attracting shooters from as far away as Montana for some great competition!
MID-WEST REGIONAL 2024 RESULTS
LIMITED WRANGLER, Laeken Jester
OPEN WRANGLER, Kaylee Syring
LIMITED RIFLE, Melissa Shaner
OPEN RIFLE, JD Hughes
LIMITED SHOTGUN, Anthony Pinto
OPEN SHOTGUN, John Roach
LIMITED CAVALRY, Melissa Shaner
OPEN CAVALRY, JD Hughes
RESERVE SENIOR COWGIRL, Joyce Nelson
SENIOR COWGIRL, Marcy Lutrell
RESERVE SENIOR COWBOY, JD Hughes
RESERVE COWBOY, Anthony Pinto
OVERALL COWBOY, Terry Martin
RESERVE COWGIRL, Jen Casey
OVERALL OVERALL, Keelyn McGiboney
We also celebrated several move ups. Congratulations to Kaylee Syring moving to a L1 and Trevor Peters to a M1! Congratulations to Ann Smith moving from SL3
to SL4! Look for the move-up dances on social media. Check out the CMSA website for complete results, https://cmsaevents.com/ events/event.php?id=13342&sho w=points&group=Revolver&ty pe=Overall
As always, if you are interested in joining the Mid-Ohio Marauders, the central Ohio club for CMSA, please visit us at Midohiomarauders.com or on Facebook at Mid-Ohio Marauders.
See you next season!
Mid West Regional Wranglers
MidWest Regional Top 10
Trick & Fancy Rider
Show Schedule Set for 2025, Scholarship Information
and date at Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio. Climate controlled and all under one roof!
The Ohio Paint Horse Club (OPHC) Trail Ride October 1113 at Mohican State Forest had 17 horses and riders. It was a beautiful weekend, and they can’t wait for the next one!
The show schedule is set for 2025!
APRIL 26-27: Buckeye Extravaganza POR—new location
JUNE 7-8: Summer Jam, 2 judge, new location and date at Bullen Covered Arena, Preble County Fairgrounds, Eaton, Ohio.
JULY 26-27: Buckeye Bonanza POR at World Equestrian Center Wilmington, Ohio.
SEPT. 6-7: Amateur Show— new location but the same date at Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio.
The general membership meeting will be held November 9 at TJ Chumps banquet room, 7050 Executive Blvd., Huber Heights, Ohio 43424. Any rule changes will be voted on. We are
looking for volunteers to run for officers and directors for 2025. Please let us know if you or someone you know is interested in running. These positions will be elected at this meeting. Plan to come!
Scholarship applications can be downloaded on the ophc.org website and will be on Facebook. You must be an OPHC member and high school senior enrolled in a 2- or 4-year program and up to 23 years old. Deadline is December 31.
A date and facility for the OPHC MPHC and the Midwest Series banquet is TBD. The board voted to have them all in
one location in lower Michigan, hopefully near Dundee at a waterpark. More to come!
The final standings for the Midwest Series and final OPHC award standing should be posted soon.
Please keep Tim and Suzie Dawson (our OPHC VP) in your prayers as he is recovering at home from a spinal injury. He is making remarkable progress but has a long way to go. Keep up the fight Tim!
See the ophc.org website or Facebook to stay up to date and for more information!
Hello everyone! Just a few months ago, the 2024 show season was barely underway. It seems hard to believe that the year-end award banquet and election of 2025 officers/trustees is November 7 at Nickajack Farms. This year’s award banquet has some amazing awards. The show
committee members were able to find uniquely wonderful items. In addition to the year-end awards, the evening also will include various raffles such as a 50/50 drawing, the $1 ticket bag raffles, the silent auction items, as well as the culmination of the raffle of the handgun. Tickets for the handgun are $10 each, or, six tickets for $50. Tickets will be sold up until the drawing at the banquet.
Donations for the banquet raffles will be accepted until November 6. Donations do not need to be ‘horse’ related. All donations are accepted and range from a ‘family movie night’ with microwave popcorn, snacks, and movies. If you would like to give
a gift certificate or a discount coupon for your business, whether it be a catering business, salon, or gift cards.
The show season may be over for 2024, but there are still more activities for Massillon Saddle Club. Please watch the Massillon Saddle Club Facebook page for event dates and times.
Some of the events planned are family holiday portraits at the show grounds. Would you like to have holiday pictures taken with your full family (human, canine, equine, and any other pet)? There are more photography time slots available this year, than last year.
There may also be additional dates for cow penning at Circle Y arena. Dates are being confirmed at this time.
MSC is still collecting the proof of purchase labels from Tribute products. MSC earns $0.25 per proof of purchase, or, $10 per pallet proof of purchase.
Plans for the 2025 show season started in October...if you have any suggestions to improve the shows, or, the showbills, please let us know. Any and all
suggestions are welcome and help us to determine what you would like to see.
Possible suggestions for 2025 are a Tack Swap (currently attempting to negotiate a space), a stand alone show (more information to follow as details are confirmed), Circle Y Arena events, an information evening with local experts (feed dealers, grooming experts, etc), as well as a few more ideas not yet confirmed. If you would like to head an event, please let us know.
Please watch the MSC Facebook page and website for updates on upcoming events. The 2024 show season may have ended, but there are still events being planned for the year.
And, if you have any suggestions for the 2025 show season, please let us know. The current trustees and officers has already started working on 2025 events. What would you like to see at MSC?
We hope everyone has a wonderful November. Until the next show or event, MSC hopes that you have good rides and amazing adventures in November.
FRY’S EQUINE INSURANCE AGENCY
Board of Directors Busy Planning 2025 Show 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
Fall is upon us. The temperatures have begun to drop and we know before long the grips of winter will be upon us. Ohio Pinto has recently ended our 2024 show season with five
great shows. We had members from several different states join us for all of our shows. Our shows were enjoyed by all and are still among some of the best attended shows in the country for PtHA. That being said, the year-end awards banquet for the 2024 show season will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at Cedar Corners in Sandusky, Ohio. See the Facebook page for more information.
Looking forward to 2025, the Board of Directors are busy planning shows and the annual year-end awards banquet. We are finalizing the showbill and show locations. All information will be available to everyone
Ohio Western Horse Association
on the Ohio Pinto website and Facebook page. Ohio Pinto offers classes for all types (stock, hunter, pleasure, and saddle) and sizes of pintos (horse, pony, miniature) and will continue to in 2025. We as an association strive to provide our members with fun, and equitable shows and we look forward to continuing to do so in the future.
Ohio Pinto welcomes member participation at all general membership meetings and be on the look out for meeting information to be posted on the Facebook page.
Good luck to all Pinto Horse Association members showing at the Color Breed Congress in
Tulsa, Okla. May you have safe travels and good rides.
Ohio Pinto would like to thank all of its members, exhibitors, judges, show committee, officers, directors and sponsors for a successful year. Without all of you Ohio Pinto could not offer the activities or prizes that we currently have.
We are looking forward to another fun-filled year of showing our spotted friends. We will be posting new information on our Facebook page, PtHAO-Pinto Horse Association of Ohio, as well as the website, www. ohiopinto.net.
We look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Banquet Information to be Posted on Facebook
PRESIDENT, Jonda Cole
VICE PRESIDENTS, Marc Beck, Cinda Bame
SECRETARY, Jenna Duvall
TREASURER, Eric Haudenschield WEBSITE, www.owha.org
Hello Corral readers! And just like that, November is here and the holiday season is right around the corner. Remember to take the time to be grateful and thankful. We as horsemen and horsewomen get to experience all the joys of loving, caring and paying for our equines. Also, remember to give thanks to all the family and friends that support you in all your ‘horsing around’ adventures!
Ohio Western Horse Association (OWHA) held the October meeting on October 3 at Ada Memorial Park in Ada, Ohio. The officers in attendance discussed details of our annual Fall Round Up held at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in Findlay, Ohio. The weather was great and those who attended were even better! Also, the club started discussing the end of the year banquet plans. The annual awards banquet is a great time to meet the officers and other members. We are always looking for new members to come and get involved. Details will be posted on our Facebook page. Please come and enjoy food and fellowship.
Many youth look forward to the Annual Fall Round Up for our Youth Team Tournament.
The team consists of three youth/ horse or pony members. The teams compete in pleasure and speed events. Many of these youth step out of their comfort zones and compete in events they may not normally ride in just to try to earn points and have fun. The team placings are as follows.
In addition to our Team Tournament winners, OWHA recognized our Adult High Point winners in contesting and pleasure. Kade Stump was our High Point winner for contesting and Krita Beck was our winner for pleasure.
OWHA would also like to say a big congratulations to Ariel and Adam Miller on the birth of their son Wyatt Reed Miller on September 24, 2024. We are sure that Grandma Kim and Grandpa Ed Bonnette are over-filled with joy and love. And little Wyatt will be driving the famous MacGyver in no time. Welcome to the OWHA family Wyatt. OWHA would like to say a big thank you to all those who came out and supported the Annual Fall Round Up and all our shows this 2024 season. It’s the dedicated and helpful people of this association that makes it such a fun and family-oriented association to be a part of. OWHA is grateful and thankful for all its members and supporters.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association,
The Key to a Good Relationship — Communication
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
How can a miniature horse be a valuable tool to teach others key points to riding dressage? Well, let me introduce you to my dear mini of 22 years, Zoe. She and I go way back; in fact her entire life (starting with bucket feeding at 10 days old). Over the years she and I have learned much from each other. However, I am going to focus on the subject we covered at our last meeting that was held at my home—communication. The key to any good relationship is communication. Haven’t we heard that before somewhere? Of course! Relationships between humans require both parties to
communicate their wishes and expectations clearly and with charity. You cannot expect a person to read your mind. Being clear and charitable with each other will avoid misunderstandings and lead to a fulfilling experience. Regarding communication, the same concept applies to the horse/human relationship. Horses are not mind readers, although they do read body signals very, very well because that’s how they communicate their wishes with other horses. They do not speak our language, but they do learn quickly through positive and negative feedback they receive from their human handlers. Regarding my mini, Zoe, she and I have developed a system over the years of communication that employs both physical and verbal cues. Now I can circle back to my initial proposal of how a miniature horse can help remind/educate people to ride dressage. As I put Zoe through a driven trail course in my barnyard (cones, back in box, driving line, and even a wooden bridge) we demonstrated
our ability to communicate clearly with each other. She is keen on my subtle hand movements when asking for turns, backing and the halt. I keep a constant but gentle connection with her through the reins to a free moving, three part bit. She also is trained to listen carefully to my voice for verbal cues. Verbal commands are meant to lessen the need for using my hands. “Gee”, “Haw”, “Whoa”, “Turn”, and “Back” are sounds that she recognizes as cues to do certain movements with her body. Keeping my body balanced in the cart and the sparing tap with the long, driving whip on the shoulder (since I do not have the use of leg aids) are other ways to charitably communicate with Zoe Can you see now how Zoe helped us ride better? Charitable connections, as well as being consistent, will help any rider/
horse communicate better. They learn from us; we learn what to do and how to ask the questions; after all they aren’t mind readers! After the demonstration, we went to the house to eat, warm up with some hot apple cider and have our business meeting. It was decided to fast-track our meeting due to several members on a time crunch. Treasurer’s report, old and new business and talk of the upcoming meeting’s location that may include a trail ride, drill type riding, and election of officers next month were all quickly discussed. Thank you to all the members that helped make the evening fun. See y’all next month. If you would like in on the fun, check out our Facebook page for updates.
Western Reserve Carriage Association Fall Gathering and
Our Fall Gathering is scheduled for November 3 in the Brushwood Lodge at Furnace Run Park, 4955 Townsend Road, Richfield, Ohio. Doors open at 11 a.m. with our meal at noon. Bring a covered
Elections
dish for our potluck and join in an afternoon with fellow members. Another fall activity is election time for our Board. Anyone interested in serving can contact JoAnn Murr.
Check our website for more information about Western Reserve Carriage Association (WRCA) drives and other driving events.
Westernreservecarriage.com
WRCA EVENTS
NOV. 3: Fall Gathering at Brushwood Lodge, Furnace Run Park, Richfield, Ohio
Driving hands.
Zoe, bridge.
PRESIDENT, Kelly Chapman
VICE PRESIDENT, Stephanie Tarr
SECRETARY, Justin Miller
TREASURER, Susan Croft
EMAIL, premiermountntrail@gmail.com
WEBSITE, www.premiermountntrail.com
Premier Mount N Trail (PMT) is heading into the homestretch as the 2024 competition year comes to a close. What a great year it has been and the growth we have seen in our members and their equine partners has been amazing! We cannot wait to celebrate you all and your accomplishments at our yearend banquet in January, details coming soon.
Do you own a park or mountain trail course and would like something special to offer your competitors? We would love to add you as one of our Premier Mount N Trail parks. We are on the hunt for beautiful top-
Happy Fall PMT Members
notch courses to add to our already amazing list of parks. Currently we have parks in Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania and we are looking to broaden our reach even further and grow the sport of mountain trail. To find out more on how to become a PMT park please contact us at premiermountntrail@gmail.com.
PMT is running a spooktacular deal for our existing members starting Halloween weekend on October 31 and running until November 29, 2024. Any current member that renews their
membership during these dates will receive $5 off your 2025 membership! This is PMT’s way of giving back during the month of thanks to all of our wonderful members. Thank you for making Premier Mount N Trail a wonderful organization to be a part of.
Knox County Horse Park
Thankful for 2024 Show Competitors
PRESIDENT, Donny Cline
VICE PRESIDENTS, Travis Ross and Claude Robinson
TREASURER, Pam Niner
SECRETARY, Madisyn Weekley
CONTACT, KCHP.mtv.ohio@gmail.com
FACEBOOK, Knox County Horse Park Inc
Hello Cowgirls and Cowboys! November is here and the season is over. I can’t thank everyone who came out for the shows this year. This year brought out our pleasure shows, ranch classes and halter classes. Trophies are awarded for these classes. We saw lots of new faces and I hope they show again next year. Next year we are hoping for more competitors, not that we didn’t have numbers but we would like to see more!
With the morning show being the pleasure show and having a break between classes, it also made for a break for the arena crew and Claude announcing. The barrels are always a big event for the contestants so we were pleased to see some pleasure horses do something different than be on best their behavior. The ages will probably be the same next year. Poles, flags, keyhole and stakes will stay the same.
The lights are still a positive thing for the club. We are lacking man hours. We have to do this in our spare time as most work, and if you are like most people there isn’t much of that. They will get up in time.
Thanks to all the officers and trustees for another good year... see you in 2025 for another great year!
~Donny
Holland Western Horse Park
Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Association
Planning for 2025 Has Begun
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
The Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Association shows may have wrapped up for the year but we are in full swing planning for 2025. We welcome members and new faces to our monthly meetings on the first Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. Members will be able to join via Zoom and posted locations, information for each meeting will be posted on ohfqha.com. Members that have
agenda items to discuss may email ofqhashows@gmail.com to have them added to the agenda. If you are considering showing or looking for a new series we would love for you to show with us. Our family friendly ranch atmosphere offers a wide variety of classes such as Boxing, Roping, Cutting, Reining, Trail, Ranchmanship, and Equestrians with Disabilities.
Thanks to all our members for making 2024 amazing. We’re looking forward to seeing you back in 2025!
Colorado Ranger Horse Association
Youth High Point Winners
PRESIDENT, Toni Lukavich; 1ST VICE PRESIDENT, Charmaine Wulff; SECRETARY, Barbara Summerson; TREASURER, Jane Montgomery. WEBSITE, www.coloradoranger.com
EMAIL, prranger@verizon.net
by Cathy Martens-Nitschke
The Colorado Ranger Horse (“The Using Horse of the High Plains”) is one that is registered with the Colorado Ranger Horse Association, Inc. (CRHA), which is one of the oldest of the western horse breed registries still in existence in the United States.
The 51st Colorado Ranger Horse National Show was held on September 21-22. The show was at Clinton County Fairgrounds, 96 Racetrack Road, Mill Hall, Pa. On Saturday after showing there was a banquet with members. Afterwards we
ended with a rousing auction with all kinds of ‘goods’. The weather was just spectacular for the weekend.
Toni Lukavich has been working on awards for the National Show in September. All the money raised from the bingo goes to the CRHA’s gift bags at the National Show. At the National, we also have a 50/50 raffle.
Don’t forget to send in your Youth Point Program applications and fees for 2025 to Cathy Martens Nitschke. The form is on the website, www. coloradoranger.com. Check all
other programs for the upcoming year, too.
Youth High Points from the CRHA National are:
YA SR HIGH POINT (14-18): Ayana Borland riding Cashed in my Spots
YA SR RESERVE HIGH POINT (1418): Emma Snow riding Splash All Mighty
YA LEADLINE HIGH POINT (6 & UNDER): Hayden Smith on Plaudit Navajo Scout
YA LEADLINE RESERVE HIGH POINT (6 & UNDER): Kaia Wikman on Belles Legacy
Buckeye Equestrian Association
Successful Ruta Mazelis Clinic and Halloween Combined Test
PRESIDENT, Patricia Andio
VICE PRESIDENT, Susan Smith-Gordan SECRETARY, Jennifer Milliner TREASURER, Sally Kish FACEBOOK, Buckeye Equestrian Association
We have had our clinic with Ruta Mazelis. It was very interesting. There were eight horses participating. Rita is very personable and exhibited several ways to communicate with horses. All the horses responded in a positive way. I have included a photograph of Jennifer Milliner and Ruta working with Jennifer’s horse. The picture tells all you need to know about Ruta’s communication with horses. And again thank you to Pure Gold Stables, Salem, Ohio, for making their facility available for horse lovers to learn and grow. The Halloween Combined
Test at Hackamore Farm was a success. First of all it was a beautiful, sunny, fall day. Hackamore Farm was decorated for Halloween from the entrance to the creative jumps. Many riders and horses dressed up for the event. If you missed it, keep it in mind for next year. It is an annual event in North Jackson, Ohio. For the love of horses and riders.
~Sally Kish
Haden Smith
Kaia Wikman
Ayana Borland
Emma Snow
Ohio High School Rodeo Association
Check Us Out on our TikTok Page
NATIONAL DIRECTOR, Nikki McCarty
PRESIDENT, Brian Corsi
SECRETARY, Holly Rowe
PHONE, 614-432-0177
WEBSITE, www.ohiohighschoolrodeo.org
by Hannah Boyes
Finally, after getting our feet wet at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, we’ve settled into our rodeo season with our second Ohio High School Rodeo at the Champaign County Fairgrounds. It was definitely a cold weekend! This rodeo spanned two days, taking place on both Saturday and Sunday, where each contestant competed in their event once each day, giving them two runs per event by the end of the weekend. Without a doubt, the competition was fierce, and our contestants showed up ready to perform. The champions of the weekend are as follows: Henry Pinnick in bull riding; Brody Crass in chute
dogging; Clay Wines in steer wrestling; Sydney Green, Brody Crass, Hannah Boyes, and Lexi Saint in breakaway roping; Wyatt Asbury in tie-down roping; Brody Crass, Sawyer Vandyne, Gracie Asbury, and Sydney Green in ribbon roping; Trent Hedrick and Henry Pinnick in heading; Cooper Rickly and Elvis Bishop in heeling; Payson Whittington, Trent Hedrick, Noah Ashbaugh, Josslynne Thornhill, and Gabrielle Nussbaum in goat tying; Kinley Bell, Kynlie Anthony, Brooke Bates, and Lola Stillion in pole bending; and last but not least, Kaila Slaughter, Brenna
Shepherd, and Lola Stillion in barrel racing.
On September 7, we also held our shooting events, with Jessica Hall and Ella Binkiewicz taking first place in Junior High and High School Light Rifle.
Our next rodeo is a multi-state event in Swanton, Ohio. It will feature a Halloween barrel race, where contestants can dress up in costumes and compete for the best costume award!
If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Ohio High School or Junior High School Rodeo Association, it’s not too late! Check us out at ohiohighschoolrodeo.org or our Facebook page, Ohio High School & JR High Rodeo Association. You can even check us out on our new TikTok page, @ohsra.rodeo.
of this weekend were taken by Lindsay Hoyt. Thank you for your amazing photographs!
November is here and so is the colder weather! What a wonderful riding season it’s been here at TriCounty Trails. The events were all wonderful with delicious food and plenty of sunshine and dry weather for riding and camping. The campground license from the Ohio Department of Health was re-instated and camping returned to normal after a year and a half of getting the camp updated with the new rules and regulations that had been put in place. The campground looks amazing, and
there are plenty of open camping spots for all our events. It was very exciting to see all the updates that the campground put in place! November also brings Thanksgiving, and this year at TriCo there is much to celebrate! We are very thankful for all the great visitors and members that have made our club great. All our long-time members are so wonderful about showing our friends and visitors the trails and answering questions about camp and events. There is much to be thankful for! TriCo is very thankful to all of you, our readers and visitors who have come to see us and enjoy the campground whether at events or just to come to camp for a day ride. We are looking forward to next season and all the new and returning members!
Have a very happy holiday season from Tri-County Trail Association!
Photos
Rodeo team.
Caroline Rowe
Carley Corsi
WHY BUY FROM HARRISON TRAILERS
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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”.
NOVEMBER 2024
NOV. 1-3 — Breakaway From Cancer Charity Barrels and Breakaway Bash, Garwood Arena, 2538 Middleton Rd., Columbiana, OH. FMI: Lora White, 412-956-3211
NOV. 2 — Premier Mount N Trail Winter Series, Shenanigans Stables, 7310 Abbey Rd. NE, Carrollton, OH. FMI: www. shenanigansstables.com
NOV. 2 — Gobble til’ You Wobble, Elkins Creek Horse Camp, 223 Twp. Rd. 245 E., Pedro, OH. FMI: Mollie Krumlaw-Smith, 513-315-5907, mkrumlaw@webcincy.com,
NOV. 9 — Ranch Horse Association of Kentucky 3rd Annual Kentucky Cowhorse Cup, Lakeside Arena, Frankfort, KY. FMI: https://www.facebook. com/p/Ranch-Horse-Association-ofKentucky-100075521394201
NOV. 10 — Blue Lakes Farm 2024-2025 Winter Series Pleasure Show, 14037 Auburn Road, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440564-7303, https://bluelakesfarm.wixsite. com/website
NOV. 15-16 — The Mane Event Superior Morgan Horse Sale, Michiana Event Center, 455 E. Farver St., Shipshewana, IN. FMI: Dennis Fry, 574-364-0851, www. superiormorganhorsesale.com
NOV. 16 — Blue Lakes Farm 2024-2025 Winter Series Contest Show, 14037 Auburn Road, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440564-7303, https://bluelakesfarm.wixsite. com/website
NOV. 29-DEC. 1 — Thanksgiving Weekend Preferred IBRA Show, Oak Grove Equestrian Center, Oak Grove, KY. FMI: 502-239-4000, shane@ibra.us, ibra.us
NOV. 30 — Early Christmas Auction Buckeye, Mini Horse, Donkey, Pony & Horse Mixed Sale, Wayne County Fairgrounds, 199 Vanover St., Wooster, OH. FMI: Daniel Schrock, 330-763-0905, schrockauctioneering@gmail.com
NOV. 30 — Blessing of the Hounds, 9-10 am., Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, 3501 Lexington Rd., Harrodsburg, KY. FMI: 859734-5411, info@shakervillageky.org, www. shakervillageky.org
DECEMBER 2024
DEC. 6-7 — National Breeders Showcase Annual Auction, Michiana Event Center, 455 E. Farver St., Shipshewana, IN. FMI: https://tockify.com/kuhnekt/pinboard
DEC. 6-8 — Rodeo 419 Show, THE Show Arena, 1540 CR B, Swanton, OH. FMI: 419290-3700, www.theshowarena.com
DEC. 7 — Premier Mount N Trail Winter Series, Shenanigans Stables, 7310 Abbey Rd. NE, Carrollton, OH. FMI: www. shenanigansstables.com
DEC. 31 — New Year’s Eve Timed Event Challenge, The Show Arena, 1640 CR B, Swanton, OH. FMI: Joe, 419-290-3700
For more equine events visit our website www.thehorsemenscorral.com
View From the Cheap Seats
Well… Would You?
by Sarah Vas
We’re headed into the long, dark hours of winter, folks. This translates into pre-dawn and way-past-dusk time in the barn. Feeding by flashlight. Picking stalls by the glow of dim lightbulbs. Chilly workouts under the buzz of blinking fluorescent tubes, the likes of which always leave that far corner dangerously spooky. It can be difficult to keep up your enthusiasm regarding equine ownership under these conditions. Despite so much about the Horse that we all love and live for, there’s an unbelievable number of aspects to this animal that are utterly ridiculous! And how can we keep our minds occupied while toiling like trolls in the coal mines until that rodent pops up again in February and dashes all hope of an early spring? How about a fun round for the Equestrian-ly Insane…Would You Rather?
…have a Horse that uses its poop for a pillow OR its water bucket for a toilet?
…have a Horse that is impossible to catch OR pulls away before you unclip the lead?
…have a Horse that never stands for the vet OR never stands for the farrier?
…have a Horse that hates clippers OR hates baths?
…have a Horse that puts everything in its mouth OR is chronically head-shy?
…have a Horse that chews down stall walls like an angry beaver OR violently kicks the stall walls all day in response to unavoidable daily tasks such as feeding time, turnout, because the dog walked by, you name it?
Now, these are certainly not behaviors that they all develop but for those of us who’ve been doin’ this a while, eventually a Horse shows up with one of
these annoying habits. But is it a deal breaker? How much are you willing to put up with from a stellar beast that is perfect in every other way? Would You Rather?
…have one that’s cold-backed for every ride OR gets humped up when it decides the ride is over?
…have one that takes forever to load up OR one that spends the whole trip rocking the trailer like you’re transporting a rabid gorilla?
…have one that’s severely barn sour OR impossibly buddy sour?
…have one that’s a picky hay eater OR a picky water drinker?
…have one that refuses to wear blankets, destroying every one of them within days OR is so temperature sensitive, it requires wardrobe swaps with every 10-degree temperature change?
Have I got you questioning your life choices yet!? I think we all can agree. There’s no such thing as the perfect horse. Even your Steady Eddies out there probably have one or two high maintenance quirks if you really think about it long enough. And remember, the rule of the game is that you have to pick one or the other, basically resigning yourself to a lifetime of managing an annoying quirk or unfortunate flaw. That’s what really shows us where our true limits lie. And believe me, we all have limits. For example, Would You Rather?
…have a Horse with horribly brittle, thin-soled hooves OR the world’s most sensitive digestive system?
…have a Horse that’s completely blind OR completely deaf?
…have a Horse that cribs OR weaves?
…have a Horse with a very mild mystery lameness that no diagnostic test can accurately pinpoint OR a lameness issue that’s treatable but incredibly high-maintenance and costly?
…have a Horse that slowly develops a strange phobia over a long period of time, leaving you with the uncertainty that your mount will ever be consistently brave again OR one that has a ‘freak accident’ that immediately causes it to be highly phobic, leaving you with the uncertainty
that your mount will ever be consistently brave again?
I think you see where I’m headed with this game. Horses are like no other activity or hobby. Sure, they’re considered livestock in many scenarios yet we ask them to live and interact and perform with us like no other barnyard animal. Unlike any gas-powered sports, they have a mind of their own and the ability to blow a head gasket that no mechanic can simply replace. They are incredibly smart yet so often, their athletic prowess is dependent on the skill level and commitment of their human partner. A Horse that is well above the skill range of a beginner often falls perfectly into sync with a seasoned equestrian. Perhaps that’s why some can stand to have an amazing athlete with a stellar show record but a few high-maintenance quirks over the lesser able mount with perfect health. They can be reactive, injure us without malice, and yet, they’ve proven to be adaptable and willing. And there’s the rub. They test our commitment, our patience, understanding, forgiveness. How willing are we to consider the whole Horse when faced with one or two sticky traits? How adaptable are we? A green Horse that takes years to finish. A seasoned mount that breaks down just a year into new ownership. A gorgeous well-bred animal that’s impossibly difficult but when its on, its unbeatable. A jug-headed, ugly nob of a thing that never sets a foot wrong, a dream to
Geauga Horse and Pony Association
Booming Business at Geauga County Fair Food Booth
PRESIDENT, Lisa Formica
1st VICE PRESIDENT, Rachel Formica
2nd VICE PRESIDENT, Dustin Sutter
TREASURER, Shauna Gingrich
SECRETARY, Kelli Burns
WEBSITE, www.ghpa.us
by Hannah Muellner and Nancy Burroughs
The leaves are turning color, the horses are shedding like crazy and starting to grow their fuzzy winter coats, and there’s a nip in the air. While it is still fall in Northeast Ohio, Geauga Horse and Pony Association (GHPA) is actively planning for our 2025 season. The show committee will be announcing our show dates shortly and are working hard updating the showbills. Our two youth groups are actively signing up members for next year. If you’re interested in being part of one of these clubs, please contact either Jaimie Olson, Frank Muellner, or Kelli Burns, the club advisors.
Congratulations to our 2024 year-end High Point Champions.
Open: Morgan Csontos & Shepherd’s Grace Millenium Force
Likewise, we’re thrilled to announce our Reserve HighPoint Champions:
W/T: Paige Parr & Dynamiks Lucky Dollar
NOVICE: Kennedy Lester & Gypsyland’s Meia Bella
OPEN: Laila Raico & Rumm On The Rocks
RANCH: Tiffany Holloway & My Irons Be Platinum
CONTESTING WT: Norah Bell & American Kestrel
YOUTH: Laila Raico & Whata
Sugarfoot Gal
ADULT: Char Mahovlic & Cici
Save the date! March 15, 2025, will be our year-end awards (and
more) banquet. As we get closer, we’ll share more information and invitations to this reservation required event!
Congratulations to both of our 2024-25 scholarship recipients: Marley Grandini and Laila Raico. We’re very excited to help support your continuing higher education.
GHPA’s regular membership meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month, at 7 p.m. in the Education Building at the Geauga County Fairgrounds. If you’re interested in getting involved, please join us for a meeting.
Everyone who attended the Geauga County Fair this year had a great time, and the weather cooperated. Lots of ribbons and trophies were won, new friendships were made, paths crossed with friends we haven’t seen in a long time, and of course, everyone enjoyed eating lots of fair food. As always, GHPA’s food booth did a booming business, especially with selling everyone’s breakfast favorite, a fair sandwich (bacon/ sausage, egg, and cheese, served on a bagel.) The chickens were kept busy laying all of the eggs
that we needed! Special thanks to Brad and Dale for working so hard and overseeing the booth, along with all of the volunteers. The profits of this booth are so important to our club and support many of the events that we offer. It also allows us to keep the price of showing with us reasonable. And special thanks to Kelli Burns for being the go-to person for all of the youth stabling with GHPA at the fair. We appreciate the timeless hours you put into assigning the stalls, creating the fair packets, and overseeing the work hour shifts.
A new addition to the fair this year was the Schnieder’s booth in the merchant building. It provided a convenient shop for anyone needing supplies while showing at the fair.
While it wasn’t a GHPA show, many of our members attended the Tough Enough To Wear Pink horse show in Springfield, Ohio. It was so nice of Big Dee’s to be one of the main sponsors of this event. This is a charity show supporting patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Happy Thanksgiving to each one of you. We are grateful for all of you being part of GHPA.
View From the Cheap Seats
(continued from page 32)
ride but couldn’t win a one-horse class on its looks. A treasured family member of an animal living well into its senior years but achingly so, such that you have to beg the question of ‘when is it time’ OR that same wellloved senior that is the picture of health until suddenly, that time is chosen for you without warning. Horses are proof that there aren’t necessarily better or worse choices. Only choices, each with its own individually perceived Benefit-To-Cost ratio sitting on a scale of measure that can always be moved.
Horses constantly offer us the opportunity to be our better selves. True equestrians just sign on the dotted line, always
ready to work at living with and growing from the consequences. Horses provide us the chance to stretch our limits, not to fear them. And if you were asked, which would you rather?
Sarah Vas, a second-generation horse woman, writes about her decades of adventure and mayhem in the equine industry. Her experience encompasses multiple breeds and disciplines. A humble storyteller and educator at heart, her Cheap Seats column is often infused with the spirit of her two favorite philosophies. Laughter is the Breath of Life and Poverty is the Real Mother of Invention.
PRESIDENT, Dwayne Joyner
VICE PRESIDENT, Tony Ruper
SECRETARY, Janessa Hill
TREASURER, Mark Maxwell
NOO Helps Fairgrounds Prepare for Winter
EMAIL, northernohiooutlawsinfo@ gmail.com
WEBSITE, www.nooutlaws.com
The Northern Ohio Outlaws held their last shoot of the season sponsored by Custom Conchos Tack on September 28 and 29 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Congratulations to our Wrangler class move-ups from the weekend! Sophia Richards is moving from an Open Wrangler to a Ladies 1. Kamille Huff is moving from a Limited Wrangler to an Open Wrangler. Congratulations to all the winners from the weekend:
SATURDAY WINNERS
OVERALL COWBOY: John Roach
OVERALL COWGIRL: Audrey McHugh
CLASS WINNERS: L1 Kirra Hoisington, L2 Lisa Bushmire, L3 Olivia Navratil, L4 Dora Psiakis, L5 Audrey McHugh,
Jordan Tschiegg, M5 Ralphie Soehnlen, SL3 Sherry Whitehead, SL4 Cheri Stady, SL5 Nola Haupert-Keill, SL6 Tammy Angeletti, SM2 Mark Maxwell, SM3
Steve Tschiegg, SM4 Todd Shaffer, SM5
Robert Koniak, SM6 Ron Kiko.
WRANGLER: Kamille Huff
WRANGLER OPEN: Riley Weisel
Our fantastic arena crew, in partnership with the Wayne
County Fair staff, spent a day preparing the arenas for the winter. The dirt was pulled back into the arenas, leveled, and then crowned for proper drainage. Thank you for your time and equipment.
Check out our website at nooutlaws.com for more information about our club or check out our Facebook page at Northern Ohio Outlaws CMSA.
Hope to see you all soon!
Country Living Close to City Amenities
24481 Barrett, Olmsted Township, Ohio 44138
Welcome to a meticulously maintained horse facility, enhanced with careful attention to every detail since its purchase. Located in Olmsted Township. Walking distance to wonderful MetroPark bridle trails. Some of the updates done by the sellers... Equestrian Features: 16-Stall Barn with 800 hay storage in loft plus another 150 in a hay stall. Wiring updated, LED lighting, extra plugs, and stall fans. New roof on both barn and arena includes light panels in roof ridge providing natural lighting. Indoor and outdoor arenas for versatile riding/training options. Ample pasture, round pens, and turnouts. Wash rack equipped with both hot and cold running water. All essential equipment is provided with the sale, including a tractor and implements. Main House: 1748 sq ft. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Gas fireplace, woodburner, newly renovated kitchen, carpet, and bathrooms. Guest House: 690 sq ft. 1 bedroom, living room, kitchen. New kitchen and updated bath. This private property is accessible by appointment only. A scheduled showing with a real estate agent is required. Do not enter the property without an agent. Pre-approval / proof of funds required before viewing the property.
For more information and pictures visit https://now.mlsmatrix.com/matrix/shared/T5vkZT6Wg0c/24481BarrettRoad
Western Dressage
The Slow Lope
by Kelley Bitter
First and foremost, congratulations to all those who participated in the WDAA World show. It was so exciting to see so many riders there! Congrats to all the winners and to all those who participated.
Mastering the Slow Lope in Western Dressage
Ah, the lope—a gait that can make or break your western dressage performance, and one that often leaves us equestrians scratching our heads in bewilderment. It’s a dance of balance and grace, with an emphasis on the art of slowing down. But why is the slow lope so crucial in western dressage, and how can you achieve it? Let’s saddle up and explore this together.
Why Slow the Lope?
In western dressage, the lope isn’t just about speed—it’s about rhythm, cadence, and control. Judges seek a harmonious partnership between horse and rider, and a slow, balanced lope showcases this beautifully. It allows the horse to move with poise and elegance, demonstrating the rider’s ability to maintain control while enhancing the horse’s natural athleticism. Plus, a steady, controlled pace allows the judge to better assess the horse’s gaits and overall performance.
The Judge’s Viewpoint
Picture this: You’re in the arena, heart pounding, rider’s hat snug on your head. The judges are watching, pens poised. They’re looking for a lope that’s relaxed yet purposeful, with the horse using its hindquarters
effectively for balance. A slow lope allows the rider to highlight the horse’s suppleness, ensuring each step is deliberate and precise. It’s like watching a well-choreographed dance where every movement tells a story of trust and understanding. So, don’t underestimate the power of a slow lope—it can make all the difference in your overall score.
Insights from the Judges’ Table
Now, let’s shimmy over to the judges’ table and try to see the world from their vantage point. Think of them as the watchdogs of western dressage, where every flick of the ear and step of the hoof is under microscopic scrutiny! What truly catches their eye is how you, the rider, manage to transform the lope into a sublime spectacle of grace and control. They’re not just observing your impressive cowboy hat or the sheen of your saddle; they’re dialed in on the consistency of your horse’s rhythm and the smoothness of its stride.
In every stride of that slow lope, they want to see a horse that moves like it’s effortlessly marrying a dance and a symphony. For the judges, this is not just a demonstration of skill, it’s an expression of harmony between rider and horse—a silent movie showing mutual respect and understanding in each stride. If you manage to paint this picture, not only do you earn nods of approval but also warm fuzzies in the judges’ hearts. Rest assured, mastering this art can turn those serious judge faces into subtly impressed smiles (or as close to a smile as a serious judge dares to wear!).
The Art of Working the Horse
Before we jump into the exercises, it’s important to understand the essence of working with your horse. It’s a partnership built on communication and respect. You’re not just teaching your horse to slow down—you’re teaching him to listen, respond, and trust your cues. Imagine your horse as your dance partner; together, you choreograph a routine that relies on subtle cues and innate understanding. The moment you enter the arena, it’s just you and your equine buddy against the world—or at least against the meticulous gazes of the judges. Every whisper of a cue from you assures your horse that you’re both in sync, like the equestrian version of a buddy cop movie, but with less popcorn and more hay. Your job is to be patient and observant, coaxing your horse into confidence. This relationship isn’t built overnight; it takes time, treats, and perhaps a few casual pep talks. Yet, when the horse starts to sense that you’ve got its back, that’s when the real magic happens. As they say, a horse will lend you its strength for a while, but it’s the understanding and affection that creates the magic that dazzles at the dressage show.
Balance and Point
Balance is the name of the game. A balanced horse can engage its hindquarters, lift its forehand, and move effortlessly through transitions. This balance comes from the rider’s ability to maintain a steady seat, soft hands, and clear, consistent cues—what I like to call ‘the holy trinity’ of riding.
Achieving perfect balance with your horse is like perfecting the ultimate yoga pose, minus the embarrassing falls. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where you and your horse move as one seamless entity rather than two clumsy companions trying to share the same pair of pants. For the rider, maintaining a centered seat is crucial— imagine yourself as a human gyroscope, always adjusting and aligning with every turn, transition, and trot. Meanwhile, your hands need the finesse of a pastry chef icing a delicate cake, guiding softly and deliberately. Your legs, the unsung heroes in this balancing act, must offer gentle encouragement without giving your horse the feeling you’re perpetually tiptoeing around. Remember, balance isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential. When both horse and rider achieve harmony,
Dusty Boots Riding Club
New Directors Announced for 2025
PRESIDENT, Jason Brown
1st VICE PRESIDENT, Jacki Davis
TREASURER, Tonya Stenger
SECRETARY, Dana Johnson
EMAIL, dustyboots@dustybootsridingclub.com
WEBSITE, dustybootsridingclub.com
by Josie Nicholas
The end of our show season is upon us! We had quite a
successful year. During our last show, we hosted our annual Ride for the Cure class. We have been hosting this class every year since 2012. This year we had 29 entries, and a donation of $870 to Hilltop Hero’s and Horses won by Heather Graft.
Recently, our Dusty Boots youth team and royal court rode in the Geneva Grape Jamboree parade! Their float won first place in the youth division. Since then, we have elected club members to the directors board. Introducing the 2025 Directors:
The Slow Lope (continued)
you’re not just completing a course or clinching a clean transition— you’re mastering an art form. And hey, if all else fails, there’s always carrot bribes for your four-legged partner-in-crime!
Exercises to Slow the Lope
Now that we’ve tackled theory, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work with some practical exercises:
The Half-Halt. Think of the half-halt as the gentle whisper of riding cues—a way to communicate ‘slow down’ without shouting. Use your
Carrie Morrison, Dana Johnson, Sarah Fabian, Caitlyn Mosier, Harley Buckley, Chip Ashcraft, Darlene Morrison, Kim Brewster, Holly Carr and Josie Nicholas.
The directors will be meeting next month to make amendments to the rule book, finalize the class schedule, and choose show stewards. General meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month at Pizza Joes in Jefferson, Ohio. Meetings are called to order at 7 p.m.
The show dates for 2025 are currently being decided on,
and will be announced soon! NEOHA would like to thank all who supported our shows this past season, and a huge thank you to our sponsors for making this show season possible. If you don’t already, be sure to follow our Facebook page for the most up to date news. (Facebook: NEOHA)
NEOHA would like to thank everyone who supports our club and a big special thank you to Big Dee’s and Schneiders Saddlery for helping make it all possible.
core to sit deeper in the saddle, apply slight pressure with your reins, and release when you feel the horse respond. Practice this at different spots in the arena to keep your horse attuned to your cues.
Circles and Spirals. Circles are your best friend when it comes to building balance and control. Start with a 20-meter circle at the lope, gradually spiraling inward to a 10-meter circle. This exercise encourages your horse to engage its hindquarters while maintaining a steady rhythm. Remember to breathe and keep a consistent tempo; otherwise, you might find yourself doing the involuntary rodeo spin!
Transitions. Walk, trot, lope, repeat. Transitions are a fantastic way to keep your horse focused and responsive. Practice transitioning between gaits, making sure to ask for a slower lope after each trot. This will help your horse associate the lope with a calmer state of mind.
Serpentines. Serpentines offer a wonderful opportunity to practice bending and balance. Ride a series of S-shaped curves across the arena, focusing on maintaining an even pace throughout. These gentle curves require your horse to shift weight and balance, making it easier to achieve a slower lope.
Cavaletti Work. Set up a line of cavaletti poles on the ground, spaced to encourage a steady lope stride. Riding over these poles helps your horse focus on foot placement and rhythm, naturally slowing down to maintain balance.
Cooling Down with Purpose. Even your cooldown can be an opportunity to practice the slow lope. After completing your exercises, allow your horse to lope at a relaxed pace around the arena. This reinforces the idea that slowing down is part of the process, not just a directive.
Conclusion
Slowing the lope in western dressage requires patience, practice, and a deep connection with your horse. It’s about finding that sweet spot where both horse and rider move as one, creating a picture of grace and elegance that leaves the judges—and you—breathless. Ready to take your lope to the next level? Get out there, practice these exercises, and remember that every ride is an opportunity to learn and grow together. Happy riding, and may your lope always be slow and steady!
Don’t forget to check us out at www.eaglesnestequestrian.com. We offer lessons and sport psychology sessions. Let us help you get to the winner’s circle.
Contact us at Eagles Nest Equestrian Center in Shalersville, Ohio. We are on Facebook and our website is www.Eaglesnestequestrian.com. Offering lessons in western dressage, horsemanship, showmanship, and contesting. Check out my blog at www.theconfidenthorseman.com.
Welcome fall; The Hollow has the best color around in autumn. With the dry weather I am sure it will be spectacular. Trail riding at The Hollow is available anytime of the year. The trees have been lumbered and the trails are open.
The annual Fall Round Up was held October 5 and 6 at The Hollow. Saturday was the free
horse show, placing 10 with ribbons. Dale Powers, Mike White and Dylan Stoltz sang in the evening. A worship service was held on Sunday with more fun show classes following.
The horse show at the 175th anniversary of the Wayne County Fair was a success. The committee of President Keith Holcomb, Sheena Holcomb, and Leann Louive worked double time to organized a show like only the Saddle Club can do. It will be on the books for next year. This evening show was new for us this year. Traditionally the W.C.S.C. was held on Saturday mornings. Changing the time came with new problems to work out to make it a success and to make it all work.
Remember all hands on deck make light work. We encourage all members to help and learn. We
Black Swamp Driving Club
PRESIDENT, Sharon Hayhurst
will teach you. We need to support our club and the members.
The pleasure shows wrapped up with our biggest show all year. Points are being tallied and results will be posted soon.
Thank you everyone who came
and supported these shows. Thank you Micheal Geiger for making trophies for the leadliners and walk trotter’s.
Happy Trails!
Last Event for 2024—The Annual Banquet
VICE PRESIDENT, Angela Hohenbrink
TREASURER, Ann Bell FACEBOOK, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/121257701223196
by Roger Higgins Jr.
Happy Autumn to everyone— how time flies by! How can the 2024 Black Swamp Driving Club (BSDC) driving season be complete already? We have one event left for 2024. The annual banquet will be held at the Good Hope Lutheran Church in Arlington, Ohio. Here are the details from President Hayhurst: The 2024 last gathering scheduled for the year is November 9, starting at 4:30 p.m. for a potluck dinner. All are invited to bring several dishes to share. Activities to follow dinner. Bring friends and join in the fun!
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code) dated October 1, 2023 of The Horsemen’s Corral, published monthly at 8283 Richman Road, Medina County, Lodi, Ohio 44254. The names and addresses of the Publisher, Editor, and Business Manager of The Horsemen’s Corral are: Publisher: Horsemen’s Corral, LLC, 8283 Richman Road, Medina County, Lodi, Ohio 44254. Editor: Roberta L. Coalter, P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254. Business Manager: L. Joe Coalter, P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254. Shareholders of more than 1 percent are Larry J. Coalter, Jr. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders, owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. The average number of copies of each issue this publication sold or distributed through the mails or
The club has enjoyed this year’s events. It has been a very successful season and the events were enjoyed by all of us that attended them. We enjoyed the fellowship with each other, conversations of past years, and of course the potlucks are always great! A big thank you to all who hosted the events. It takes a lot of work and organizing to put these events together. Great job to our hosts! Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to plan
otherwise paid subscribers during the (12) months preceding the date shown is 5,000.
39 W.S.C. 3626 provides in pertinent: “No person who would have been entitled to mail matter under former section 4359 of this title shall mail such matter at the rates provided under this sub-section unless he files annually with the Postal Service a written request for permission to mail matter at such rates.” In accordance with the provisions of this statute, I hereby request permission to mail the publication named at the reduced postal rates presently authorized by 39 W.S.C. 3626. Horsemen’s Corral, LLC, Publisher I certify to the best of my knowledge and believe this is a true statement of ownership, management, etc. of aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption required by the Act of August 21, 1970 embodied in Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code. L. Joe Coalter, G.M. October 1, 2024
the clubs awesome events. We are in the process of planning 2025. I hope to have meeting dates and times for the next issue. We will be starting those meetings in January unless otherwise decided by the board. Please watch for that information in the Corral or our Facebook page. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. We all have a lot to be thankful for, and many blessings that we have received. Happy Holidays!
Sunday fun show, Rachael Adamson.
Oldest competitive rider, Gene Schaaf.
Jackie and John from Wooster, Ohio. Julie, Mary Ann, and Travis Emmons.
Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros
Annual Awards Banquet Slated for January 2025
PRESIDENT, R. David Davis
VICE PRESIDENT, Mike Sheets
SECRETARY/TREASURER, Karen
Foley; PHONE, 330-719-3290
EMAIL, karenld0819@gmail.com
WEBSITE, www.lakeerievaqueros.net
by Karen (Chilipepper) Foley
The last event of the season is now over and we’re getting ready for our annual awards which will be on January 18, 2025. We had a nice turn out and it was a beautiful weekend. I want to thank our announcer John Truman for the great announcing he does and being there for the whole season. If you need an announcer for an event get in touch with him! I also want to that our wonderful balloon setters Bekah and Cooper, who run their behinds off at every event and have been with us for some time now!
SATURDAY WINNERS
OVERALL CHAMPION & OVERALL
COWBOY: George Hampe
OVERALL COWGIRL: Marcy Gruchalak
OVERALL SR COWBOY: Charlie Brown
OVERALL SR. COWGIRL: Rhonda Brown
OVERALL RESERVE: Charlie Brown
RESERVE COWBOY: Austin Spackman
RESERVE COWGIRL: Carla Spackman
RESERVE SR. COWBOY: Bob Koniak
RESERVE SR COWGIRL: Anjanelle Hennebert
CLASS WINNERS: L1 Lily Farnsworth, L2 Maria Haefner, L3 Emily Hric, L5
Marcy Gruchalak, L6 Carla Spackman, M2 Ed Haefner, M3 Sylvio Pellegrino, M4 Austin Spackman, M6 George Hampen, SL1 Terri Robb, SL3 Nancy Virzi, SL4 Anjanelle Hennebert, SL5 Rhonda Brown, SM1 Denis Cooper, SM4 Greg Durnell, SM5 Charlie Brown
WRANGLERS: WRL Kamille Huff, WRO Kylee Kitzmiller
RIFLE: Bob Koniak
SHOTGUN: Limited Emily Hric
SHOTGUN OPEN: Bob Koniak
SUNDAY WINNERS
OVERALL CHAMPION & OVERALL
COWBOY: Austin Spackman
OVERALL COWGIRL: Marcy Gruchalak
OVERALL SR COWBOY: Bob Koniak
OVERALL SR COWGIRL: Cheri Stady
OVERALL RESERVE: Marcy Gruchalak
RESERVE COWBOY: Sylvio Pellegrino
RESERVE COWGIRL: Carla Spackman
RESERVE SR. COWBOY: Tom Hockran
RESERVE SR COWGIRL: Dawn Wojtowicz
CLASS WINNERS: L1 Lily Farnsworth, L2 Maria Haefner, L3 Emily Hric, L5
We want to congratulate all of our winners and thank them for coming out to our 4th event of the season and hope to see everyone at our annual awards banquet!
Our meetings are always the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. Anyone interested in coming are more than welcome. Visit our web page, lakeeriemountedvaqueros. net, and you will see where the meetings are going to be held.
Feel free to call me at 330/7193290 for any information regarding our club or about cowboy mounted shooting.
I want to thank Mike and Jessica Sheets for hosting our October meeting.
Our special thanks to our sponsors: Big Dee’s Vet and Tack Supply, CMSA, Lonesome Pine Ammo and Curly’s Ammo, The Horsemen’s Corral, Stagecoach West, Park Side Trailer Sales and Services, Inc., Siracki Realty, Altmeyer’s Trailer Sales, Wendy Shaffer, MMCP, Agile Equine Bodywork, Junction Buick GMC, Kiko Meats, and Jefferson Milling.
THE BULLETIN BOARD
Announcer, John Truman.
Balloon setters Bekah and Cooper.
Mr. Thomas, my high school band director, was notorious for his temper. He’d hurl his baton at students when they didn’t follow his instructions. I was terrified of him. Despite our rocky relationship, he instilled a few lessons in me that have stuck with me to this day. Picture a large man bellowing these commands at you as you struggle to hit the right note:
1. You’re rushing!
2. More air! More air!
These two commands still echo in my mind, even as I’ve transitioned from music to training my horses and mules. They’ve remained part of my internal dialogue during every training session in and out of the arena.
You’re Rushing!
Managing your own pace is one of the biggest challenges
You’re Rushing
by Robert Eversole
in training animals. Just like in music, the line between a successful and disastrous session often hinges on whether you’re rushing.
The urge to push ahead in horse training can be overwhelming, especially when you’re eager to see progress, or worse under a self-imposed deadline. But rushing can unravel everything. If you move too quickly, you’ll overlook the subtle cues your horse is giving you, such as a shift in body language or a change in breathing, leading to misunderstandings and setbacks or, worse, a scared horse. The best trainers I know are patient. They might spend hours on a single aspect of a maneuver, ensuring the horse fully understands before moving on. This patience is critical to building a solid foundation. It might take longer initially,
but the payoff is a well-trained animal that responds reliably. When you’re rushing, it can be because you feel the pressure to produce quick results. But that’s a trap. Speed in training doesn’t come from pushing harder; it comes from building skill and understanding over time. Like in cinch-making, mule training, or playing an instrument, proficiency allows you to work faster without sacrificing quality. But when you rush—especially if you’re unaware of it—you start making mistakes. You might push the animal too far or too fast, leading to confusion or fear. Before you know it, your training session is spiraling out of control, just like those notes that went awry in the Talawanda H.S. band room.
More Air!
slipping away, remember Mr. Thomas’s voice. Slow down, breathe, and bring your entire focus to the task. Whether at work, in the shop, on the trail, or in the arena, these lessons still guide me—and they might help you, too.
Slow is Smooth
Fast forward to another chapter of my life. In the Marine Corps, I learned a mantra underpinning my approach to most situations: “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” This attitude emphasizes that efficiency and speed come from deliberate actions.
This command might seem out of place in the arena, but it’s just as relevant here as it was in the band room. When Mr. Thomas shouted, “More air!” he demanded more effort, focus, and presence. In horse training, ‘More Air’ means more than just breathing, it’s a reminder to fully commit to what you’re doing, to be in the moment. It’s not just about going through the motions; it’s about putting in the necessary energy and attention to connect with the horse and communicate clearly.
In horse training, this translates to being fully engaged with the animal. It’s not just about going through the motions; it’s about putting in the necessary energy and attention to connect with the horse and communicate clearly. If you’re half-hearted, the critter will pick up on it, and the session will be less effective.
So, when you feel things
In a military context, rushing can lead to mistakes and injury. So, we practice movements slowly at first, perfecting our form before adding speed. This approach helps Marines build muscle memory for optimal efficiency. It’s not about being the fastest out of the gate but sustaining peak performance over long periods. This same approach also works when we’re working with our animals.
The idea is simple: by taking our time to get things right initially, we’re able to execute movements more smoothly—and eventually, faster. This principle can be the difference between achieving success or failing. So, take your time, be deliberate, and don’t yell, (Mr. Thomas was working with kids, not training horses).
For more thoughts on trail riding and camping with horses, you can pick up a copy of my best-selling book, The ABCs of Trail Riding and Horse Camping, from Amazon. You can also find more of my insights and the world’s most extensive guide to horse trails and camps at www. TrailMeister.com.
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.
TREASURER Margaret Hite 740/407-6986 treasurer@ohconline.com
Greetings From Your President
I hope you achieved everything you wanted this year regarding your equine partner, friends, family, and OHC county chapter. I watch Facebook closely and see many volunteers working on trails, obstacle courses, and campgrounds to name a few, to improve everyone’s riding experience in Ohio. During September, I learned about dozens of volunteers taking on the job of ‘Ground Bee Manager.’ Many of us know what it’s like to
County Lines
ATHENS
Hello from Athens County! Our chapter recently held a wonderful community event in partnership with the Meigs County OHC chapter. Our chapters worked together to host a horse and pony riding event at the annual Paw Paw Festival at Lake Snowden in Albany. We had lots of volunteers from each chapter as well as volunteers from the local community who showed up and assisted in event set up and horse handling.
During the event we provided horse and pony rides to 138 children. The event was a great success and we were so happy
be attacked by the bees, so hats off and appreciation to volunteers who prioritized taking care of riders and their horses when bees were around.
Every year, we provide public land management agencies such as ODNR parks and forests, Metroparks, national parks, county park districts, and others with the miles we ride to show our usage of Ohio’s bridle trails and a report on the amount of time and resources spent maintaining
to have the opportunity to get involved in the local community at such a great venue. We would like to thank the Meigs County OHC chapter for all of their support in setting up and running the event and the Paw Paw Festival committee for working with our chapter and allowing us to be part of the festival. Also, a huge thank you to all of the volunteers who showed up to
PRESIDENT Mary Alice Kuhn 330/413-6589 president@ohconline.com
those same bridle trails. The files for tracking your time in the saddle or working on the trails are found at ohconline.com under the ‘Documents’ tab and can be downloaded. Since they are Excel files, just put the number in the cell, and it all adds up! At the start of each new year, please send your documentation to your chapter secretary or designee so they can add everyone together and send in the final numbers for your chapter and members. If
VICE PRESIDENT Nancy Strayer 740/694-1007 vicepresident@ohconline.com
OHC COUNTY LINES EDITOR Martie Ackerman 713/553-9644 countylineeditor@ohconline.com
support our two chapters. If you want more information about our local trails or group events, please follow our Facebook page Athens County Ohio Horseman’s Council.
~Rob Maggard
BELMONT
Aside from several organized rides through Barkcamp which were fun, several of our members traveled to Cleveland Metroparks for their annual Medina, Summit and Cuyahoga OHC event with good food, an obstacle course and miles of wide, groomed trails. The event was open to members of OHC statewide.
~Rebecca Herndon
CLARK
Clark County held our fall cleanup at Buck Creek in September. The trails were in good shape thanks to Buck Creek Park staff and some additional mowing done by member Greg Hamm. Anne Demmy and Anne Hunter rode off in a gator to work on the loops and overhanging branches on the trails. Chris Price and Max Anderson went off on ATV’s to help with chainsaw work and Brenda Anderson, Polly Age and myself
you were a ‘bee manager,’ count your time marking the locations and convincing the bees to move elsewhere. If you need help or have questions, contact Bobbi Arters, Trail Work Chair, at trailhours@ohconline.com or Anne Lindimore Saddle Hours and Trail mileage at trailmiles@ ohconline.com.
Ride Ohio!
~Mary Alice Kuhn
worked on holes and trimming at the shelter house area. It wasn’t long before Bill Agle appeared to help maneuver the trailer and fill in holes.
Our fall campout this year was a super fun weekend and we appreciate all who attended. When we arrived at Buck Creek we were greeted by a large group of seventh graders from Stem Academy in Springfield. They were a very polite and curious group of children. Some of them had never been exposed to horses. Anne Hunter and Lisa Reynolds patiently told them about horses and allowed them to pet and get close to these beautiful animals for the first time in their life. We partnered with Madison County for a fun obstacle day which we hope to make an annual event and increase obstacles and activities next year. There were oddities on the trail to photograph, side passing, cone weaving and more. I found one of the most fun activities involved the ‘what3words’ app. You needed to download the app before arrival to the park and once you reached a certain spot on the trail you would mark it and send it to Anne Hunter. Once Anne received your spot, she would send you another location for you to find using the app.
Athens County OHC
Athens County OHC
Athens County OHC
County Lines
We enjoyed a tasty spaghetti dinner compliments of Chris Price and lots of sides and desserts were provided by members. As usual no one went hungry and there were lots of left overs. The night concluded with the showing of ‘50 to 1’ on a big screen. Once again Chris Methany and Meredith Rosier provided the big screen for the event and we are very grateful. It’s like being at a drive in theater. There was a fire ban so no fire but, fortunately it was a beautiful evening.
Come ride with Clark County!
~Jonna Ledyard
CLERMONT
Hello all, the gang from Clermont County sure hope you all are enjoying the trails! We have had some great rides over the last couple of months. We have been in drought conditions like most of Ohio. The trails have been dusty and the bees are not very friendly but we are grateful for our trail system at East Fork State Park.
Our September camp and ride was a huge success! Thanks to Fairfield County Chapter for sharing the Tim Applegate Horseman’s Area with us. We had a packed house with lots of food and great rides. The trails were used all weekend by riders from all over. Along with our two chapters of riders, there was an additional party of at least 3040 riders. It was great to see the trails so busy.
Some upcoming events are: November camp and ride November 8-11 with a Veterans observance TBA. Watch for details on our Facebook page.
Non OHC event but I know may be of interest to some riders. On November 2, Ride Around
the Lake (33 miles) in one day, starts at the Posse Grounds, then ride around East Fork State Park Lake and end at the Posse Grounds. Details will be available on our Facebook page. Happy Trails,
~Bev Hanna
CUYAHOGA
The very best thing a horse person can do for themselves and their horses is to join a chapter of Ohio Horseman’s Council. Why you ask? Because the benefits are awesome. OHC works to protect, expand and improve the trails you ride in every county in Ohio. You have the opportunity to obtain liability insurance in case your horse causes an accident and it is very reasonably priced. A network of friends awaits you and educational opportunities, social gatherings, and expanded chances to find the answers to all the questions you may have about your equine partner from where to find hay to saddle fitting to training are available via the clinics and programs that chapters schedule.
You don’t even need a horse but you may find a member who has an extra that needs a rider. You just have to have that love of horses to participate. There are chapters in most all counties in Ohio and equine businesses often offer discounts or other perks to OHC members. October begins our membership drive so go to www.ohconline.com and click on Find a Chapter and you start on a great new adventure of friendship and fun. You don’t have to live in the county of your chapter of choice and once you join you can participate in all the other chapters activities. Come on and give us a chance to welcome you! The last trail rides and activities of the year are all in the works. Here in Cuyahoga, we have the Beach Ride coming up. This fundraiser for the Cleveland Metroparks Mounted Police as usual sold out so quickly. Riders love the chance to ride the Edgewater Reservation and the shores of Lake Erie guided by a mounted officer. Watch for pictures on Facebook. Our last meeting of the year will be on the last Sunday in November at the beautiful Look About Lodge in the South Chagrin Reservation 1-4 p.m. if you want to come see what we are all about come join us as all chapters and visitors are welcome. Just let us know so
we can see that there is plenty of food and bring a store bought pre wrapped snack type item for our park appreciation baskets. These will be distributed to all the management centers of reservations that have horse trails as a thank you for all they do for the equine community. Contact mdessoffy@sbcglobal.net to RSVP or for more information on this fun wrap up of activities. Enjoy your rides, no matter what discipline be it English or western, dressage or cow sorting. Life is short, health is not guaranteed, yours or your horses. Be good to other trail users as we need their friendship and support. Stay on trail and help all others be it a kind word or just a smile. Remember horses are intimidating and many users may have never seen a horse before. Times are changing and we have to be sure the change is for the good for all. Lastly, buy that horse you want, it needs you as much as you need it. I did! Now saddle up!
~Penny Passalaqua
DELAWARE
Hello fellow horse enthusiasts! I hope everyone is finding the time to be outdoors with their equine partners and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. The bridle trails at our ‘adopted’ Alum Creek State Park, are in great shape, thanks to the efforts of our dedicated trail maintenance team. Whichever trail you choose to ride, you are sure to be delighted by the colorful fall foliage.
I am proud to report that our annual ‘fun-fund’ raiser, Autumn at Alum, was a huge success. Held the first full weekend of September, we were blessed with good weather.
New this year, we consolidated all our big festivities to Friday night, leaving Saturday and Sunday open for a full day of riding and All-Horse parade participation. Thanks to my fellow officers, Bobbi Arters, Kim Vorbau, and Alex Sydney, and a host of dedicated and hard-working volunteers, our fundraising efforts were successful with the proceeds going towards future trail maintenance projects. A special thank you to our auctioneer extraordinaire and club member, Bob Sweeney. His entertaining and light-hearted banter generated smiles on everyone’s faces as well as loosening some ‘purse strings’, as the saying goes! In addition
to the numerous club members who graciously donated items for our silent and live auctions, our chapter would also like to extend a thank you to our business sponsors, Champion Feeds and Henmick Brewery, for their generous contributions.
Last month’s meeting saw us welcome Mr. Jim Strayton for his presentation entitled, Barn Fire Prevention and Safety. Jim, retired Battalion Chief and paramedic with the Marysville Fire Department, gave a very informative seminar full of many tips on ways to make our barns a safer environment against fires.
For this month’s meeting, scheduled for Friday, November 1, we will be welcoming Pam Lillie as our guest speaker. Come and enjoy a casual evening with friends as Pam shares stories and pictures of her adventure out West when she and her horse embarked on a solo trip of a lifetime this past summer! Light refreshments will be available. Our meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Kilbourne United Methodist Church on SR 521. Guests are always welcome! Following Pam’s presentation, our business meeting will focus on our chapter’s election of officers for 2025. Nominations for chapter officers are welcomed at any time in advance and up until the actual voting occurs. For more information regarding job descriptions, responsibilities, and time commitment, etc., please reach out to any current officer.
Clermont County OHC
Laura Bretlingers new gelding Larado.
Donna Potteiger is aboard her new gelding Chili.
County Lines
Mark your calendar to attend our OHC State General Membership meeting, to be held at the Delaware Eagles Lodge, on Saturday November 9 beginning at 10:30 a.m. sharp. Don’t forget to bring along your piggy bank as there is sure to be many awesome silent auction items! Attendance is free. Lunch is available via prepaid reservations only.
Lastly, last month we kicked off our official OHC membership drive for 2025. I am pleased to see that several individuals have already renewed their Delaware membership! Come join our friendly, supportive, and funloving group of horse enthusiasts! You won’t be disappointed! Renewing online is fast and easy, but if you prefer a paper form, we have those too!
Until next month and our Christmas party, Happy trails to all!
~Theresa Burke ERIE
Greetings from Erie County. So much has been going on! The leaves are changing and it is November already. Our muchanticipated Poker Ride arrived with a bang. Campers came into Edison Woods at Smokey Road Trailhead in Berlin Heights on Friday this year. Thanks to great planning by Fred, it filled up pretty fast and worked out great. The parking committee did a great job, and fit everyone in, no matter what day they arrived. After hardly no rain this summer, it rained a whopping six inches Friday! Horsemen are a hardy bunch, slickers and rain sheets came out of hiding. The water disappeared quickly into the dry ground and the weekend continued as planned. DJ Dan was back this year with music and announcements throughout Saturday. Winners of the best hands went to John Mikalacki in the Men’s Division. Sue Mollica won the Women’s Division and Ayden Arnold won The Children’s Division. Auctions, 50/50 tickets, and great door prizes added to the entertainment after a fantastic lunch when everyone got back from their ride. It truly takes a whole club to put on this big event and we are grateful for all the time and hard work put in by our members. I am very proud to be a member of the ECOHC, it is truly a great group. Our 50/50 raffle was pretty big this year! Marianne
Streb was the lucky winner and so was the club as she donated most of it back! Thank you, Marianne! Speaking of announcements, as the afternoon wound down and tents were being put away Dan called one of our members up to the announcement booth. We were all very surprised to see Caleb walk up to the front and drop down on one knee in front of Rebecca. She said yes! What an epic Poker Ride, camping, riding, good food, fellowship and now a marriage proposal!
Fall Fest was a success at Osboune Park as the new Nature Center had its grand opening. We put on a petting zoo, and the favorite Paint the Pony activity which was loved by many. Thank you to all that helped as this was a very busy weekend. The N.W. Regional Ride was held at Edison Woods this year as Van Buren was still closed for improvements. Everyone got to ride and I heard there was an awesome potluck Saturday night. September was a very busy month. Lynn and Tim took off to Brown County for the week. Can’t wait to hear about their adventures. Dan and Ed had quite an adventure also. I heard Dan was looking at a horse for
sale and was invited to come down to Fredericksburg to check it out. The Amish were putting on a benefit trail ride and invited him to ride with them. Ed went with him to ride Dan’s horse. I understand there were over 400 riders that attended. What a once in a lifetime opportunity. The food is always good after a long day on the trail.
The days are getting shorter so on meeting night you will find us at the Coupling Metropark on SR13 now. Our meetings are always the second Thursday at 7 p.m. Potluck starts at 6:30 p.m.
Have a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy your family and your fourlegged friends. Say some prayers for the southern states and people affected by the Hurricane. Life is better on the trail.
~Shelley Hayes
FULTON
With the falling temperatures of autumn, we are seeing more people riding on the trails, more camping trips and more campfires. It’s about time! In September, members traveled to Edison Woods, some for the poker run, some for camping with the NW region folks in lieu of the region state ride that was canceled. The NW Region state ride was canceled due to renovations at Van Buren where the campground had been closed. It has since reopened and looks fantastic! Many members are scrambling to get a camping trip there this year. Some members also went to Kensington and
Pleasant Hill Lake Park and, of course, there was activity at Reed Road. Besides camping, several members spent a couple of weekends there sprucing up the place cleaning and splitting wood. LeRoy Williams, Connie Bauer, Jerry and Jill Gentry, Tim and Lisa Line and Jerry Heaps did an amazing job and the rest of us will get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Our Oaktoberfest event, October 4-6, was well attended. It was a beautiful fall weekend. In addition to riding, 65 members and guests enjoyed our Saturday night dinner of beef and noodles and baked potato bar provided by our food committee Polly Alvarez and Tammy Rockwell. After dinner, we had our October chapter meeting. We continued to work on plans for our soup-or-rides on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and on New Year’s Day. Planning continued for our Cowboy Christmas Tack Swap and Christmas shopping event on December 1 at The Show Arena, previously known as WB Ranch, in Swanton.
We also held our election of 2025 officers. Incumbents President Jack Collins, Vice President Kathy Brown and Treasurer Jo Neeley were unopposed and volunteer Lisa Line replaced our secretary who resigned. To end the events of the evening, we had our dessert auction. The proceeds from the dessert auction go to local charities during the holiday season for food.
Many of our members attended the Harry Hughes Youth Equestrian Center (HHYEC) Ride a Thon which was October 6. HHYEC is situated on the edge of the Maumee State Forest so participants could ride in the state forest, Oak Openings Metropark or both. This is the major fundraiser for HHYEC providing funds to run and maintain the facility where horse shows, clinics and other outdoor events are held. Our meetings are usually on the first Tuesday of the month and have been held, during the
Erie County Storm Riders.
The Proposal.
Poker Ride winners.
Oaktoberfest riders.
Splitting firewood at RRR.
And more firewood.
County Lines
spring and summer, at Reed Road Ranglers at 7 p.m. We will be moving indoors starting in November, back to Bunkers Bar and Grill in Holland. Check our website www.fcohc.com, our Facebook page Fulton County Ohio Horseman’s Council or our Facebook group Fulton County OHC to see what we’re up to in real time. We also try to keep our page on the OHC state website up to date. Happy trails!
~Kathy Fulton
GEAUGA
I cannot believe we are winding down the fall season and heading towards our winter months. It has been a great fall for Geauga Ohio Horseman’s Council members. The regional ride included approximately 15 riders and the weather was more than perfect. A delicious lunch was enjoyed by all. Thank you goes out to everyone who brought a dish to pass.
Are you keeping track of your trail miles? Trail miles are the measure of our enthusiasm for the sport of horseback riding. This is the pathway to sustained support of equine activities at both the county and state levels. Don’t forget to include any saddle hours. Join us as a member of GOHC. You will enjoy fellowship, knowledge from riders old and new, new trails and historic trails, arena events and sharing a passion held by many. Please watch out for more exciting events this coming year. We welcome all new members and hope to meet you soon.
“Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls. They give us hope!”— Toni
Robinson
~Cecilia Hanish
GREENE
Our Southwest Regional Ride at Caesar Ford was a fun and hot event. The morning began sort of cool, and then it got hot. We had about 13 trailers and around 18 riders for our event. The after ride gathering was fun and festive. It was a great day to show off our park and the multiuse trails. One of our young members sang karaoke and did a fabulous job. It is fall and the rides are great. The trails are crunchy with the fallen leaves. We are looking forward to more rides throughout
the fall and winter. Caesar Ford trails are looking great, and much work has been done on the muddy areas. Culverts, rocks, and gravel have been put in place to alleviate the mud and runoff.
We are adding buggy trails with markers at Caesar Ford. This is a great location to go out for a buggy or cart drive with your horse or pony.
The Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy rides have been a hit with our trail riders. We have had as many as 13 riders on a couple of trail rides, and as little as two at another trail ride. Our average number of riders is six. The ride dates are available on our Greene County Facebook page.
Check out the rest of the year’s rides, maybe we’ll see you at a trail ride at one of Southwest Ohio’s fabulous parks.
Many of our members are attending the spectacular Caney Mountain mule ride in Arkansas. They are truly extreme riders! More to come later.
Renewal for local chapters is upon us. Be sure to sign up for a local chapter or become a secondary member of nearby chapters. Happy trails!
~Cindra Phillips
GUERNSEY
Hay, friends! Welcome to
wonderful fall weather! I can’t wait to ride through the leaves in October. We are planning a week at Salt Fork then we also plan to ride Hocking Hills in November.
Lynn and Bob rode at Elkins Creek in September. It was Bob’s annual Cowboy’s for Christ ride. They got rained on, but had an awesome time.
Dee Dee and I got to ride with Erin and JB over at JB’s place. The weather was wonderful, so was the ride! I had no idea they had that many miles of trail, right out of JB’s backdoor! It was their monthly Tuscarawas County OHC ride. Awesome meal after the ride and some great tall tales told, too! At Salt Fork we are happy to report the picnic table is now at the three-mile marker of the Red Trail, which is the halfway point of the trail. We hope to soon have the hitching rail in place! (There are plenty of places to tie, until then.) We will soon put a picnic table and hitching rail at the three-mile marker of the White Trail – B Loop, which also is the half-way point of the trail. A tie line or hitching rail, is going to be added to the picnic area of the Orange Trail, located near the eight-mile marker, on the peninsula of the lake. A 24 inch culvert will soon be installed on the Purple Trail, by the Salt Fork State Park, on top of the hill, right next to the four-mile marker, in the pines. Here’s a picture of Debby and her friend’s horses at the picnic area, on the Purple Trail. The next picture is a sad tribute to some horsemen. They left a lot of manure and hay under the tie lines, on a recent stay, at Salt Fork. Maybe they forgot their manure fork, I’ll spot them one for that. However, there were other horsemen in camp. I’m sure one of them would have loaned them a manure fork, to clean up, before they left camp. So, Don and Marcy took it upon themselves to clean up the mess. In this case, it was; Horsemen Helping
Irresponsible Horsemen! Come on folks, please do your part! Now, wash your eyes out with this! Here’s what some horsemen had to say about Salt Fork Bridle Trails: Marla; “…loved our stay at Salt Fork!” Tawni; “I love riding at Salt Fork!” Melissa; “I love the White Trail and the new cave on the A Loop (Ten Horse Cave).” Jennifer; “The trails are so well marked! I appreciate all the hard work!” Lisa; “…best marked trails I’ve ridden.” Rachel; “Rode the Purple Trail yesterday, absolutely amazing….” Beverly; “Great rides at Salt Fork the last couple of days. Trails are in excellent condition.” Barbie; “Great week at camp! Thanks for the amazing trail work.” Raylin; “Rode the Purple Trail yesterday. You all done a great job, the camp is awesome.”
Dee Dee and I hope to see you on the trail!
~Lee Randolph
HAMILTON
Hello readers and welcome to November, the month of giving thanks. We are thankful for the wonderful weather we have had for all of our 2024 Moonlight rides. Our fourth and last Moonlight ride of the year, we were once again blessed with an unseasonally warm, cloudy, evening. The one hitch? No visible moon. Our smaller than usual group, Steve Bleser plus Mike, Ann and Kristin Frederick, strangely enjoyed the somewhat disorienting, pitch black, beautifully quiet evening. The nights’ theme became, “Hey, anybody can ride the Shaker Trace trail during the day”. Yes, it’s always fun to share new experiences with friends. We are thankful for Great Parks of Hamilton County and club member Mike Frederick’s ongoing efforts maintaining our three primary horse trails located within Great Parks, the Miami Whitewater Forest and the Winton Woods Forest.
SW Regional ride trailers.
SW Regional trail riders.
SW Regional ride, Livi.
Salt Fork Horse Camp, horse poop.
Salt Fork Debby on Purple.
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We are thankful to our wholly volunteer club officers, committee leaders and club members. Without these fine people, there would be no club rides, activities, educational experiences, communications and people to enjoy the fruits of the work. Finally, we are thankful to Horsemen’s Corral magazine and OHC editor, Martie Ackerman for providing and facilitating our club a means to have a written, public voice through the magazines ‘County Lines’ section.
To close, dear readers, I implore you to become a member of OHC to share you and your talents. OHC is a good organization, does good work and at $25/year individual and $35/year family an equestrian world bargain. Live in Southwest Ohio? I invite you to join our club to share you and your talents with us. We would love to have you. Online membership applications for 2025 (which, for new members, also includes membership for the remainder of our 2024 events) can be found online. To access, please go online to the OHC website at ohconline.com. Once there, go to ‘find chapter’ and then select or type in ‘Hamilton County’ in the search bar. There you can access our membership application link and view our event calendar. For up to the moment information, follow us on Facebook at ‘Ohio Horseman’s Council Hamilton County Chapter’. HC-OHC upcoming events include our club meeting and election of 2025 club officers on November 7, and Harrison Christmas parade on December 7.
~Ann Frederick
HOCKING
The days are getting shorter and the holidays are about to begin! But, before we get too far along, it’s always fun to reflect on fall activities such as fairs, rides and campouts.
Our youth members Quincy, Gunner and Hudson, were very active during the Hocking County Fair. Many brought home ribbons for their performances and stall decorating activities! A few members entered more than one livestock project, which kept their family running from arena to arena. I’m sure they were exhausted, but proud of their children. It is always fun watching the next generation come up in the ranks.
In September a small group of
OHC members from Hocking County, Perry County and one rider from Medina County joined up to ride the little used horse trail, which runs from Old Man’s Cave, to Ash Cave at Hocking, and back. It was a small unorganized ride, because trail boss, Donna Shade, wasn’t sure that she could accurately figure out the trail, which she had only ridden once, a year ago. One of the riders was thrown before we even started the ride. Luckily her husband was there and transported her to the hospital. I am sure by the time this article is printed; she will still be recovering. Prayers to her and her family.
John Boley started a yearly ride from The Hocking State Horseman’s camp to Ash Cave, several years ago. The goal is to teach more people about this trail and have it ridden more frequently. If we don’t use them, we will lose them! It is a wonderful trail, but it is longer than you think. From State Camp and back, it is a 30-plus mile ride. From Three Reasons and back it is 21.5 miles. In other words, a full, long day. With continued usage, it will become easier to follow. If you want a long ride, all day, seeing things that you might not have seen before this is the trail that you want to take!
The holiday parades are coming up, as well as holiday parties. Don’t forget to take time to
renew your yearly membership. Don’t have a membership? Well, what are you waiting for? Come join all the cool kids at Hocking! Our club is very family friendly and meet at the Home Tavern in Logan the third Sunday of every month at 7 p.m. Come in earlier for dinner and relaxed conversation prior to the meeting. Watch our Facebook page for more information about our club and upcoming events!
~Donna Shade
HOLMES
I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather. I am writing the article on the back porch resting up after a great ride at Mohican with Bruce, Wayne Yoder, Tom Ames, and Tim Guthrie. We are very grateful for the rain and the end of the hot dry weather we had been having. Our hearts go out to those suffering in North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and everywhere else affected by storm Hellene. Holmes County had a work day and camped for the weekend at Mohican September 20. A potluck soup supper was enjoyed by all. Thank you to Vickie Zook and Bob Picklesimer for organizing it. Some members will have camped at Pine Creek and ridden at Hocking with Wayne County by now. Here’s hoping for a nice Indian Summer with just the right amount of rain. I hope everyone was able to submit an opinion on the presence of e-bikes in close proximity to bridle trails to ODNR. I believe
the decision was already made, but it is good to have as many voices as we can on record if we ever hope to change this ruling. Happy Trails.
~Bev Hanna KNOX
Happy trails and greetings from Knox County! Fall is here and the weather is great for riding. Our members have been busy, starting with a camp out at Hocking Hills. Nine members plus some of their family attended and I’m told there was a spirited card game for high stakes (quarters). Knox County was well represented at the Delaware All Horse Parade as part of the OHC Central Region group with six riders and four others cheering them on. Prior to the parade, everyone enjoyed a potluck and catching up with friends. Four members attended the Cuyahoga, Medina, Summit County OHC state ride in Cleveland, camping at the Chagrin polo field. And finally, members enjoyed camping at Paint Hill farm, privately owned by Debbie Sears and we thank her for her hospitality.
After many years wearing our current club T-shirt’s, we have
Ash Cave
Hudson
Elsie’s good horse Diva riding during the work weekend.
Camp and soup at the work weekend.
Bruce and Wayne Yoder at Mohican.
Kathy and Indigo enjoying a beautiful fall ride.
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just got new shirts with a new logo. More on that next issue. We still meet the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. but will now be meeting at Longbranch Pizza in Centerburg. Come join us for a meeting, an event or riding down Ohio’s beautiful trails!
~Cindy Cossin
LICKING
Hello everybody from Licking County, I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. We are well into fall right now with Thanksgiving right around the corner and then Christmas shopping begins if you haven’t already started. But if you are a procrastinator like me then you better get a move on.
Before we think about all that we still have our History Ride at Lobdell planned on November 4. I hope you get this in time to come ride with us, if not I hope you already had it in your calendar and we had a really great time. Our chapter Christmas party will be held on December 8 at the Bradley Building at Infirmary Mound Park. We will send out an email with the details. Feel free to wear your ugly sweaters. We might have some extra prizes for the ones that do. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of you there.
If you are reading this and you are not a member, please feel free to come and meet us anytime at one of our meetings or come to the rides or parties. We would love to meet you! Happy trails and Happy Thanksgiving!
~Sigrid Batten
LORAIN
Hello fellow horse riders. The wind is brisk and is really whirling the fallen leaves around lately here in northeast Ohio. Sadly, our horse camping season has come to an end this year for Lorain County OHC. We had some fantastic trips with great horse buddies. This is a good time to winterize your camping trailers if you haven’t done so already.
We’d like to say thank you to Willow Creek Veterinary Service in Medina for being our calendar sponsor this month. We are fortunate to have full service veterinary care for horses, dogs and cats near to us.
Here’s a recap of our September activities. Many of us traveled to Mohican State Forest for the Chili Cook-Off hosted by Ashland County OHC. It was
a great weekend for riding and camping. Our council entered the chili competition and placed third in the contest for our chili and first for the popular vote which is determined by how much the county whoops and hollers when they announce the county. We’d like to extend a big round of applause to Billy and Cheryl G. for their delicious chili, as well as to Dean, Sue and Vince for their help with setup, serving and take down. Additionally, we had a potluck so the spread of food was amazing. There were very nice door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and many items to bid on for the auction. The money raised helps to improve our riding trails and campgrounds in the area. A special guest stopped by for a taste of the chili, a Sasquatch! Many of us had fun getting our photo taken with it. We thank you Ashland County for putting on another great event. The same weekend, others in our council opted to attend the Spur for the Cure Benefit Horseback Trail Ride and remarked as to what a worthwhile ride this was.
At our September meeting, Sherry and Ron H. gave a very interesting slide show and presentation about their Iceland Trek Ride that they took over the summer. Thanks Ron and Sherry for sharing your trip highlights with us. Karen N. and Monica H. took a spectacular trip to Yellowstone with lots of beautiful riding included in their package. We have our November membership meeting at the
Carlisle Visitor Center in the Black River Room beginning at 7 p.m. Our annual Turkey Trot Day ride will be held at the Wellington Reservation on November 30 beginning at 11 a.m. We have much to be thankful for. I, for one, am thankful to be able to own my own horse. Banjo is such an easy-going horse that is content no matter where he is in line on the trail which I am very grateful for. One last thing, our council has a sit-down catered meal planned to celebrate Christmas on December 7. At this evening event without our horses, we enjoy each other’s company as we reminisce about all the activities we’ve attended this past year. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
~Kathy Duncan
MADISON
Madison County has been busy in the last months. One of our highlights was a partnership with Clark County and At-Large for a Buck Creek Fun Day in late September. We had 10 challenges (obstacles or things to do) for riders to complete as well as some hidden items to find and photograph. We thought the skeleton riding his old bicycle next to the trail would be one of the scariest for the horses, but it turns out that a three-step mounting block on the trail was the monster for some (one of the challenges was to pick out four feet and get back on). Ann Hunter even carried the darned thing on her horse to place it on the trail—what was she thinking? We also had a weekend campout and potluck in conjunction with the Fun Day, and it was a blast! We will do it again, now that we know a bit more about what we want to add to it. We hope to partner more with other adjacent chapters for other activities so we continue to meet great new friends and expand what we can do collectively to promote horsemanship. We highly recommend doing this to spread the word and add to the fellowship!
When we arrived to set up the Fun Day on Friday, we were surprised to find three bus loads of 12-year-olds from the STEM school at the horseman’s area for a field trip (fishing and finding things in the woods, along with hot dogs roasted on a fire), and they were able to pet our horses and learn about them. Some had never seen or touched a horse
Members at the All Horse Parade.
Sue and Barb and Phil with Debbie Sears at Painted Hill.
Playing bingo at Mohican.
Fun at our Mohican campout.
My husband Dustin at Mohican on his horse, Cass.
Chili cook-off.
Kathy and Dave at Mohican.
Vince and Sasquatch.
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before and were very proud of themselves when they did it! Many of the children hugged the horses and just couldn’t stop touching the velvet noses. We talked about horses as prey animals to help them understand why they could be fearful of the footballs being thrown around, and why they can be alarmed when approached from behind without warning. The teachers were thrilled that these kids had the opportunity to spend as long as they wanted with our horses, and several kids said that this was the best field trip ever. Mission accomplished! Our hearts were full.
September was perfect riding weather, and members traveled to Dillon, Buck Creek, Caesar’s Creek, Hocking, Deer Creek, and three went as far as Wyoming to ride for a week at the dude ranch R Lazy S (and swear they returned five pounds heavier from the great food). It was hot, but not humid, early in the day to start out was the watchword, and making sure to provide as much water as horses want was critical. With fall, we should be relieved of the concerns about overheating both us and our horse friends.
Our Gymkhana series has come to an end, and was quite successful even after cancelling our June event because of the extreme heat. We decided to stop by every contestant’s rig with
an information sheet about what OHC is and what we do, and have in-person conversations with them. We were stunned to find that not one of the 50 contestants and families knew what we did, but were very interested in learning more and many considered joining. They were amazed that insurance is one of the benefits of membership. Be sure to talk about OHC wherever there are horses! We listed all of the activities our members pursue and stressed the importance of combining saddle hours of our membership to amplify our voice in the state legislature. I’d be happy to share our information sheet if other chapters are interested in trying the direct approach in recruitment, especially with 4-H groups. We also have printed business cards with OHC information that we carry when on the trail to give to those who want to learn more. We put personalized name/phone number stickers on them so we can be reached. I always keep mine with me. It’s a great way to engage those who ride our trails and wonder how they are maintained
Our September presentation was by our member, Jim Glier, who is a nurse and served in the Army. He did a great job of showing us what to use for various on-trail injuries, and coached us on the difference between a dressing and a bandage (a dressing covers the wound, and the bandage holds it is place). This was very helpful information, and we hope to make it an annual refresher. For October, we concentrated on knot tying, and practice how to securely but safely tie our horse so we can release it quickly in an emergency. October is also our nominations for chapter officers, with the vote in November.
For our community service news, Deer Creek trail clearing is a constant every Wednesday by our awesome trail crew.
When we ride there, we just send a What3Words message to identify an area with a downed tree or other hazard (multiflora!), and the valiant trail warriors zip right to it. The trails are great and we appreciate Jean Kritner, Marsha Pierce, and Deb Knott for all that they do! We will see if storms decide to create pickup-sticks for us. Our chapter donated 10 culverts to Deer Creek (20” by 20’) to be used for mud mitigation projects over the fall and into winter.
We have identified with our great partner, Maintenance Supervisor Bob Kruse, areas that need work, and he will work with his crews to place culverts to help with drainage. We appreciate having an amazing working relationship with Bob. John and Marsha Pierce made new contest poles for the Madison County Fairgrounds. During our Gymkhanas, they noticed old poles in a shed that were broken and no longer usable, so they stepped up and made new ones for anyone to use at the fairgrounds. Thanks for your generosity and ingenuity, John and Marsha!
Love on your ponies, hug your loved ones, get out and enjoy our beautiful land, and spread the word about OHC!
~Lisa Reynolds
MEDINA
They called him The Enforcer. Sounds like something out of a Clint Eastwood movie. But Hugh Freeman was our enforcer for trails in the Cuyahoga Valley. Along with George Windate (the politician), they moved mountains figuratively and tons of dirt literally and gave Medina OHC its legacy. He and our other charter members spent hundreds of hours building trails one bucket of trail mix at a time. Heavy machinery was not allowed on the trails at that time and the work was done by hand. We are infinitely proud of this heritage and the love of these labors that people like Hugh and George instilled in Medina members. Now they are together again, negotiating some deal on a higher plain. We will miss Hugh’s gruff demeanor and get ‘er done attitude. Our sincerest love and condolences to Louise Harting and his family.
One thing you could say about our latest state ride, it made you realize just how good rain water is for your hair. Despite the
somewhat soggy conditions, the crowd of over 80 people from eight counties, at-large, and guests had a very enjoyable time. Rain did not stop the obstacle course put on by the Cleveland Metroparks Mounted Police Unit. Sergeant Jessica McNally Schantz and her squad put our contestants through some interesting situations. It may be just dragging a dummy from one barrel to the next, but in a real-life situation you may need to transport an injured trail mate to safety.
We also had an informative presentation by DAC representative Everett Troyer. Then topped off the weekend with a very lively live auction with Medina’s own Mike Carano as auctioneer and his lovely wife, Pattie who served as his assistant. We had lots of wood, but the rain dampened our camp fires. Many thanks to the numerous volunteers who made this occasion a success: Lou and Chris Slavik, Theresa Heger, Raydeen Ryden, Lee Hendrickson, Sandy Bauer, Louise Harting, and of course our state ride committee: Joani, Carolyn, Carole, Molly, Megan, Maureen, Penny, Rosemary, Karen, and of course, Cathy, Kathy and Kathy.
Thanksgiving is coming, a time of reflection, and well, thankfulness for all the good things in our life. We thank the powers to be for the leadership and friendship of our members current and past. If you are a member and can no longer join us at a meeting or event, we want you to know that we still think about you and include you in our conversations about all fun,
Ann Hunter carrying mounting block for Fun Day.
Fun Day at Buck Creek contestant.
New poles for Madison County Fairgrounds.
Tables of treasures.
Obstacle course.
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hard work, and sometimes scary situations in Medina’s past 38 years.
December 4 is our last meeting of the year and we will end it celebrating with Ray and Jan Dalton who have graciously offered their home for the get together. We plan a bring-yourfavorite-dish/appetizer soiree. More information in email blasts and our newsletter. Especially about what a ‘soiree’ is.
Our last work session is November 9. It’s leaf-blowing time boys and girls! Contact one of our trail bosses (Raydeen Ryden (raysden2@gmail.com or 334/663-7361) or Greg Monsanty (330/352-5737 or blackhorsebridge@aol.com) for details on where to meet and time. Being thankful down the valley,
~Rosemary Young
MEIGS
The Meigs Chapter assisted the Athens Chapter to provide pony rides at the PawPaw Festival held at Lake Snowden on September 21. This is an annual event held over a three-day weekend with several thousand attending from all over the state. It was quite a day for the horses and handlers offering many children the opportunity to ride. For some of the kids it was their first up-close experience with a horse or pony.
On September 28 the Meigs Chapter held a pony ride at the Gallipolis Tractor Supply Store. Again, many children were introduced to sitting on a horse or pony for the first time. Events like this help build a community spirit and we appreciate the merchants who partner with our chapter to offer these opportunities.
The Meigs Chapter held its annual Festival of the Leaves Memorial Ride at the AEP Southern Recreational Areal on October 5. This event is both a tribute to those OHC Meigs members who have passed away but also a fundraiser for the club to help maintain the camp and trails in their memory. Vice President Beka Setzer spoke in front of the group of riders gathered around the memorial and read the names engraved on it. Beka then offered a prayer in honor of those members who have passed away. The riders then started onto the trail and rode for about two hours then returning to the camp to enjoy a lunch of pulled pork, hot dogs, and yummy side dishes followed by numerous desserts.
The weather was perfect for the ride but by late afternoon the sun was making itself known. A hot contest of cornhole was conducted with Cobee Dill winning the youth class and Cassidy Runyon the adult group. Several games were enjoyed by all and it was just a great opportunity for everyone to have a relaxing kick back. Joining the Meigs Chapter at the AEP rec area were OHC members from the Athens, Perry, and Washington Chapters and one At Large member. It is always such a delight when other chapters get together and trade horse and trail stories.
Our fun shows continued in October. A Halloween costume class was added for that fun show and places will count towards the overall points. At this time point leaders are Kevin Sheppard in the adult class and Dixie Pyles in the youth class. The winners are recognized and receive awards at our Christmas dinner.
The Meigs Chapter currently has 136 members. Our meetings are the third Tuesday of each month with the exception of December. Meetings are held at Fox’s Pizza Den on Main Street in Pomeroy. Visitors and prospective members are always welcome.
~Marlene Swartz
PIKE
Salutations, hope this finds you all well and in the saddle. The hard-working folks of the Pike County chapter have had a full summer. A picnic table was added to the beautiful orchard trail break area; that, along with a round of mowing and weed eating was just what this idyllic spot needed. Then came the southwest regional club ride in June. Thanks to all who helped with the event, it took a village, and a special thank you to Doug, Debby, and camp host, Luke. The weather was perfect, the trails were in excellent shape, but the company, entertainment, food, and accommodations, were off the hook! Multiple chapters were represented and all those who attended are eager to come again next year, stay tuned for more details. It’s an event you don’t want to miss twice.
In July, we celebrated Christmas, doesn’t everyone?
During Covid times we postponed our Christmas party until July, and everyone enjoyed not having to worry about snow storms or being slammed by other Christmas obligations so much that it became a club tradition. We do it up right with a full holiday meal, a fun gift exchange, the whole works. Later that month, it was back to work, with club members completing a much needed clean up at the Anderson Cemetery. If you haven’t been to Pike State Forest and visited the 1800’s era cemeteries that are along the horse trails it should be on your Ohio trail riding bucket list. There are break areas at both cemeteries, and are somber, yet peaceful and beautiful places to rest your horses and your mind. Along with all the positives it seems we have to have some negatives to make us appreciate the good times even more. We have had several club members
that have overcome some significant injuries, illness, and surgeries this year. The key word is ‘overcome’, most all are back in the saddle or at least definitely on the mend and doing better. Throughout the riding season various club members, in conjunction with the forestry service, work to ensure the trails at Pike are in good shape and safe, so after Helene came knocking, I’m sure trail maintenance will be a big topic of discussion at our upcoming meeting.
Until next time, ride on! ~Penny Cooper
PREBLE
Preble County OHC has worked hard cleaning up after hurricane Helene. We have had quite a few trees down, but our volunteers have worked long hours clearing. Trails are open and cleared. Thank you to all our volunteers. We would also like to thank everyone for coming out and joining us for our State ride. We had a good turnout.
We want to thank Bob Well Horse Equipment, Osborne Tack, Cox Saddlery for all their donations. We also had great music and would like to thank Mike McIntosh. We would like for everyone to enjoy our beautiful trails we have many more beautiful days ahead of us. We are always look for new members if you would like to join the Preble County OHC please come out to our meetings the first Saturday of each month starting at 7 p.m. During nice weather meetings are held at Hueston Woods Horseman’s
Meigs memorial service.
September fun show.
Cowboy at PawPaw Festival.
Pike County Cowgals Paula, Sharon, Betsy, Penny, Debby and Fern.
Pike County picnic table gang Doug, Debby, Sharon, Jim, Paul, Fern, Paula and Renee.
Southwest Regional Ride at Pike.
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Camp. Contact us on Facebook for location of meetings during the cold months.
~Nichole Johnson ROSS
Fall is here, and I hope you all have had some good rides in lately. I haven’t been able to ride much over the last month or so, but some of our group was able to get out to the Hideaway ride and back down to Knott County. The Scioto Trails ride was rescheduled for the weekend of September 28. It ended up raining that Friday pretty good, so all of our group didn’t end up going, which was a bummer. Hopefully, whoever showed up was able to get some riding in that weekend. The rest of the weekend didn’t seem too awful. A few of us were able to go to the memorial ride at Bear Lake. That was a fun time! There ended up being quite a few people there for it. A couple of us were able to get a ride in at Tar Hollow the first weekend of October, and man, was it a mess. Trees down everywhere!
A couple of things we do have coming up; our final scheduled ride November 1-3 at Hocking and our Christmas party December 14 at Schrader Road party barn. Make sure to bring a side dish. Hope you all can make it to both! Until next month, everyone ride safe!
~Whitney Stires
SANDUSKY
Autumn has sure been off to a great riding season! After all the rain and heat of the summer, Sandusky has been out and about on horse camps and trail rides together! Some ventured out to Alum Creek (see photo this issue). Some made it to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new camping upgrades at Van Buren State Park. Many showed up in support of the Harry Hughes Ride-A-Thon. I personally rode out of Harry Hughes into Oak Openings for the first time back in September with Louanne. What a great place! The grounds are well maintained and there’s plenty of room for parking. I was happy to meet some new people at the ride-a-thon, even though I was horseless that day. Everyone was very welcoming! There’s talk of our club joining up with the Gibsonburg Saddle Club to host a horse-and-driver obstacle course and/or horse-
and-rider obstacle course in the spring. Wouldn’t that be fun? Another great opportunity for horse people to get together! We’ll be researching that idea over the winter months. If you have any ideas, please share them with the club. We’d love to hear from you!
Want to join up with a fantastic group of horsemen? Join us at our monthly meetings held at the Sandusky Township Fire Hall, 2207 Oak Harbor Road, Fremont, Ohio. We also ride at White Star Bridle Trails on the first Sunday of the month. Please check our Facebook page for updates. See you on the trails!
~Donna McHaffie
STARK
Fall is winding down. Some very good organized rides are planned and hopefully you can get out and enjoy them. Remember to submit your dues for OHC before the end of the year. What about your trail miles and maintenance hours for this year? These reports are so valuable and needed by OHC to report to ODNR to help us keep our trails in the State parks and forests. Did you submit your feelings about e-bikes being allowed in the State Parks and maybe forests?
Attached are some pictures of places in or near Stark County where you can ride.
Best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving! Hope to see you at the OHC State meeting on November 9. Prayers to those affected by the storm caused by Helene this last month and all the devastation it caused.
~Jo Ellen Reikowski
TUSCARAWAS
When the time comes, how do we prepare? Often there is no preparation, as an unexpected accident prevents the luxury of making strategic plans to offer the benefit of a sensitive, comfortable euthanasia. It is a dark cloud that invades our everyday existence, once the deterioration of our beloved horse cannot be ignored. One of our OHC members has struggled with this concept. She has concluded that a harsh winter ahead may diminish her aging horse’s health to the point of a lingering illness, failing body functions, increased suffering from lack of digestive nutrients, and penetrating effects from the elements. No one comes to this realization with ease. My friend struggled with the decision however she is a realist. She has many years of horse related experience. Yet, she has done her due diligence to arrange for a suitable burial site, a qualified veterinarian to administer the euthanizing drugs, and an immediate burial by a competent excavator. Why is this method any less humane than the final preparations most responsible individuals provide for family members? It is a very controversial subject. Death is so final! Despite failing health, many gentle souls are unable to face, accept, or act upon the awareness they live with every day. The inevitable loss of a beloved horse becomes abhorrent to contemplate. The subtle diminishing of their health, a persistent vision, we choose to ignore. In my mind, there is no correct answer to this dilemma. It becomes a personal trial, the outcome of which we must forever live.
The Tuscarawas County OHC meets monthly for an animated discussion, dinner, and of course, OHC related topics. We welcome new members. Please contact the undersigned for details, as we vary our dinner locations.
~Waldenmyer, 340/432-5164
UNION
Howdy, everyone. We finally received a little relief from the drought and enough rain to bring the grass out of dormancy. My horses were excited about the green grass and being let out to graze in the pasture again. Hopefully, rainfall will return to normal.
Jim and I attended the Autumn at Alum potluck in September. We had a good time as always. Thank you Delaware County for an awesome event. In addition, the Tuesday maintenance crew at Alum Creek State Park has continued to work on the trails. The trails are in great shape and ready to ride. Jim gave his barn fire and barn fire safety presentation at the Delaware County chapter meeting in October. Great discussion and a lot of good questions. Again, thank you Delaware County for the invite.
Fall is my favorite time of year to ride and I hope everyone has had the opportunity to hit the trails and ride. Happy trails.
~Debbie Strayton
WARREN
I’m getting ready for my endurance ride, and my computer isn’t playing nice, so this will be short and sweet today.
Those of you who have ridden the Moonlight Vista trail in recent months have noticed a couple of bad spots. Hopefully, by the time you read this, they’ll both be fixed. One bog is scheduled to have a new culvert put in to replace the bad one
Chuck and Wilma at Alum Creek.
Walborn ride.
Rainbow at our ride.
Debbie Strayton with her loppers at Alum Creek State Park.
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currently there. Their other bog is scheduled for a re-route. Rick and Karen Johnson, Ramona Auyeung and I scoped it out one day and decided that rather than try to fix it with Geo-Tech and gravel, which would take a huge amount of time and materials, it would be easier to re-route. Both projects were supposed to be fixed before this article but Mother Nature didn’t cooperate. Mother Nature hasn’t been very nice to us trying to do trail work this year! We realize there’s a lot of overgrowth as well, and we’re trying our best to get a handle on it. But this year has apparently been the perfect combination of heat and rain to make lots of foliage just go crazy. Any help is appreciated, even if it’s just clipping or breaking some branches as you ride by. Every little bit helps!
I thought I took photos of the Otterbein parade, but must not have. And since the projects I mentioned weren’t done before I wrote this, I have nothing from that either. So, I’m going to just include a few random older photos. Happy riding!
~Mickie Newnam
WAYNE
Fall has arrived here in Wayne County and along with it some great trail riding and camping weather. The club has also been very busy with fundraising. We manned a ticket booth at the Wayne County Fair. For most of us, the fair is the place we see people once a year that we have known for many years! Thanks to all who helped out and learned the new technology of e-tickets, a first for the Wayne County Fair. The club also sponsored two trophies for the 4-H horse show. Wayne County has the largest Junior Fair in the state, so competition is tough in those classes. Congratulations to Taran Tate. Taran rode in his first ever Ranch Riding class and did well despite Gus’s little tantrum. Julia placed third out of 13 in Versatility. Heather and Taran then left for a weeklong trip to Eminence, Mo., for a week of riding and camping. Kim Scarborough hosted a camp out at Beaver Creek. The weather was great and the trails challenging. The Tuesday rides continued with one cancellation for heat. The evening rides are now over, and the rest of the rides will continue to be held on Tuesdays at noon. Turn out has been good with the warm dry weather. We even had nine riders on September 30 after four days of rain. The trails are still not muddy, and the water crossings are not high. We held our annual Pony Ride fundraiser at Heritage Days at Malabar Farm September 28. The weather was cool and lovely Saturday, but we cancelled Sunday because of impending rain and wind. Thanks to everyone who helped and brought their horses. We even had a reenactment participant dressed as a Native American Indian ride. The only crying from little children was when they had
to get off the horses. Their smiles when they got on were what makes all the work worthwhile. A big thank you to Betty Miller for loaning us her pony Cookie and to Leroy Yoder of Rocking Pines Stable in Orrville for loaning us his children’s pony Twinkie. They along with Charlene Schnarr’s pony Rocky were a big hit. They worked hard and ‘rebelled’ on the picket line in camp, escaping to run through the briars giving the adults in camp a run for their money!
Until next month Happy Trails to you.
~Susan Baker
WOOD
We are proud to inform everyone our Van Buren State Park Campground horse and family camp is now open for business! Grand opening was September 30 and several of us were able to attend and camp. The new grass is still very soft so try hard to stay on the black top. We now have water and electric on every site. They replaced all the picket line poles with new ones. All the site numbers are differed though but all the sites are the same dimension where the trailer goes, 45 foot long I believe. The family camp was close to full and we had two in our camp so reserve early! There is also a dump station as you drive out and was used by most as they left.
Brenda’s new barn just came in as I write this and she is so very excited to get her horses home. She is so appreciative of all the help she has received and thanks everyone so much!
Many have been coming to our day area to try out our new obstacle course on horseback. It is set up just east of the day area drive beside the trail there and the rubber tire hill is at the end of the corral south of the trail. There is a teeter totter, rock path, stair steps up and down and many more. Still have a swinging bridge to go. It is a must see. I will get pictures for the next article. It is already a success. Our campground will be open year around and we stoned a lot more across the creek. Come and see, I think you will like it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, ~Barb Oberhaus
Elaine, Barb, Belinda and Sherry.
Elaine and Gypsy.
Kim Scarbrough at Beaver Creek.
Pony rides at Malabar.
Brenda’s future barn.
Our Van Buren State Park Campground is now open.
Celebrating Octoberfest with Fulton County at Oak Openings.
