December 2017
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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The Horsemen’s Corral is the official publication for the following clubs: Adams County Horsemans Association
North East Ohio Arabian Horse Association
Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club
Northern Ohio Dressage Association
Avon Lake Saddle Club
Northern Kentucky Horse Network
Black Swamp Driving Club
Northern Ohio Miniature Horse Club
Buckeye Western Dressage
Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Association
Classical Attraction Dressage Society
Ohio Appaloosa Association
Central Ohio Saddle Club Association
Ohio Arabian & All-Breed Trail Riding Society
Colorado Ranger Horse Association
Inside This Issue
Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Association
District One National Show Horse Dusty Boots Riding Club
Ohio Gaited Horse Riding Club
Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc.
Ohio Haflinger Association Ohio Horseman’s Council
Geauga Horse & Pony Association
Ohio Morgan Horse Association
Great Lakes Appaloosa Horse Club
Ohio Paint Horse Club
Indiana Mounted Regulators
Ohio Quarter Horse Association
Kentucky Horse Council
Ohio State Buckskin Association
Keystone Saddle Club
Ottawa County Horse Foundation
Knox County Horse Park
Pinto Horse Association of Ohio
Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros
Tri-County Trail Association
Massillon Saddle Club
Tri-State Rodeo Association
Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc. Mid-Eastern Farriers Association
Wayne County Saddle Club Western Reserve Carriage Association
Mid Ohio Dressage Association
West Virginia Miniature Horse Championship
Mid-Ohio Marauders
The Corral Staff Editor .............................................................................................Bobbie Coalter Advertising Sales & General Manager .....................................Joe Coalter email ............................................................... joe@thehorsemenscorral.com Club Sales & Circulation Manager Art & Composition Director .....................................................Michelle Ross email ......................................................michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com Advertising Consultant ................................................................. Mary Vedda email ............................................................ mary@thehorsemenscorral.com
WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Features: ............................. Don Blazer, Eleanor Blazer, Bobbie Coalter, ...................................... Robert Eversole, Brian Farcus, Steve Lantvit, .........................................................Terry Myers, Lynn Palm, Sarah Vas
GUESTS
Features: ...................................Addison Nalle-Icenhour, Mikayla Conklin
OUR NEXT ISSUE
NUMBER 1 .................................................................................. JANUARY 2018 JANUARY 2018 DEADLINE ........................................ DECEMBER 10, 2017
DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO HORSE AND HORSEMEN since 1969 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 Cleveland, OH 44101; Williamsport, PA 17701-9998 and Madison, WI 53714. Periodicals postage paid at Lodi, Ohio, and additional entry offices. Subscriptions: One Year for $30; Two Years for $50; Three Years for $65. Single copies, $3.00. For subscriptions, address changes, and adjustments, write to: Horsemen’s Corral, P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the 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. The Horsemen’s Corral cannot be responsible for unsolicited material.
A Horse, Of Course .......................................................................44 Corral Calendar .............................................................................10 Farrier Friendly ..............................................................................34 Fast Horses, Police Lights and Traffic Jams .................................22 Independent Tack Stores Across the Country Unite to Offer Special Discounts ........................................................................8 Notes from Inside The Corral ..........................................................6 Notes from Julie.............................................................................24 Nutrition and Hoof Health ..............................................................18 Palm Partnership Training .............................................................41 Ride For Real ................................................................................20 Ride In Sync ..................................................................................30 Roytalty — Under The Crown........................................................14 View From the Cheap Seats..........................................................38 The Way of Horses ........................................................................36
Club News Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club ...............................................16 Black Swamp Driving Club ............................................................28 Central Ohio Saddle Club Association...........................................31 Colorado Ranger Horse Association .............................................37 District One National Show Horse Association ..............................12 Dusty Boots Riding Club................................................................40 Geauga Horse and Pony Association ............................................44 Great Lakes Appaloosa Club .........................................................36 Knox County Horse Park ...............................................................21 Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros ........................................................40 Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc. ..........................................43 Northern Kentucky Horse Network ................................................12 Northern Ohio Miniature Horse Club .............................................34 Ohio Appaloosa Association ..........................................................29 Ohio Arabian & All-Breed Trail Riding Society ...............................39 Ohio Gaited Horse Trailriders ........................................................29 Ohio Haflinger Association ............................................................17 Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. ......................................................46 Ohio Morgan Horse Association ....................................................31 Ohio Paint Horse Club ...................................................................26 Qhio Quarter Horse Association ......................................................8 Pinto Horse Association of Ohio ....................................................18 Tri-County Trail Association ...........................................................21 Wayne County Saddle Club ..........................................................16 Western Reserve Carriage Association .........................................28
MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE: P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254 OFFICE: 419/742-3200 or 330/635-4145
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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
December 2017
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December 2017
MDBARNSGREATLAKES.COM
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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Notes From Inside The Corral All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth (because my horse knocked them out)!
“A
ll I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” is a novelty Christmas song written by Donald Yetter Gardner in 1944. Apparently Mr. Gardner was a teacher and asked his second grade class what they wanted for Christmas. He noticed that almost all of the students had at least one front tooth missing and their answers came with a lisp. In my title this Christmas, I’ve added “because my horse knocked them out” because I know far too many people who have had accidents this year. Now I don’t mean to make light of those who have sustained injury due to some form of equine mishap, God knows I’ve had my share. In fact this may be the first in the last five years that I did
not make a trip to the emergency room because my horse and I had a ‘failure to communicate’. But, as I sit here on a blustery day, with my computer on my lap and the television on with commercial after commercial of big bows tied to cars, I wonder what some of my equine friends may want for Christmas this year. I started with my equine friends who, well, are Equine. Cotton, wants to be ridden more. Country would like his owner to lose a few pounds and do some clinics. Morning Star wants treats like carrots and apples. Special Ed would like his owner to learn about leg cues and balance. Moose wants more time with humans. Lilly Langtree wants to learn to drive. Pearl Hart wants to be groomed more often. Miss
Have the CORRAL delivered to your mailbox each month!
Kitty would like to be in a show. Belle Star would like to learn some tricks besides escaping from every enclosure she has ever been in. Maybe we are just lucky, but when I look at our horses and the different personalities in the barn, I realize they all seem to want that human connection, they want jobs and frankly, they enjoy learning new things. There may be some commonality in what our horses want and what we humans want. Sure, we may lean a bit towards material things. You can always tie that big red bow on a manure spreader, a cart, a truck, trailer, hay hut, muck rakes, etc. and give it to me but deep down, don’t we all want to spend more time with our equine friends? Wouldn’t you love to take your horse to a clinic for something new? Maybe Obstacle Challenges, Mounted Shooting, Sorting, Penning, Trail, Ranch, Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, etc. What about spending a weekend with Terry Myers, Steve Lantvit, Robert Eversole,
Sarah Vas, Julie Goodnight or Stacey Westfall? Wouldn’t that be great? Ronald Reagan said, “I’ve often said there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” If you are feeling a little overwhelmed on the inside this Christmas, perhaps it is time you thought about giving your horse that special present of your time. The gift you give them may just be the greatest blessing you’ll receive and let’s face it, the more time and training you and your horse have together, the less likely it is that you will be saying “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” On behalf of everyone here at the Horsemen’s Corral...Merry Christmas!
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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
December 2017
December 2017
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Independent Tack Stores Across the Country Unite To Offer Special Discounts Across the country, horse lovers are getting excited for the third semi-annual Support Your Indie Tack Store event on Dec. 8-10. Valley Tack Shop, Inc. will be taking part in this national event offering raffles, discounts, and a chance to win more than $37,500 in prizes nationwide from 15 top equestrian brands, including: Ariat, English Riding Supply, KL Select, Professional’s Choice, RJ Classics, Toklat, and Tory Leather. In the era of big box stores and Amazon seemingly taking over the retail shopping experience, we often forget that it is the
smaller independent stores that can offer the most value to their customers. This value comes in ways the big retailers can’t offer. When you can walk into a store and see and feel the quality of a product, no photo or video can replace that. You’ll also find the store owners and employees generally know more about the products they are selling because each product is hand selected for their customers. “Independent tack stores across the nation are run by friends and members of the community,” said Indie Tack Store organizer Brenda Wilson. “We wanted to
create an event that would bring the horse community into the local tack stores.” “We want to bring customers back into local stores by offering exclusive giveaways and prizes,” said Tiffany Maat. “Shopping local is a win-win. Customers get better service, and our neighborhoods grow stronger. We’re proud to support many local clubs and organizations that our customers are involved in, and because of our customers’ support, we’re able to continue to sponsor and donate.” No purchase is necessary to
participate, just show up and you will receive a free entry into the drawings. For additional information, visit or call Valley Tack Shop, Inc. at 330/483-3366. ABOUT VALLEY TACK SHOP, INC. Valley Tack Shop, Inc. has been part of the community since 1963. For further information on Valley Tack Shop, Inc. please visit valleytackshopinc. com. You can also follow Valley Tack Shop, Inc. on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ ValleyTackShopInc/ or on Instagram @valleytackshop.
Ohio Quarter Horse Association
Looking Forward to 2018 CEO, Dr. Scott Myers PRESIDENT, Chris Cecil Darnell EMAIL, media@oqha.com WEBSITE, www.oqha.com www. quarterhorsecongress.com
The Ohio Quarter Horse Association is busy wrapping
up 2017 and looking forward to a successful 2018. While the staff is busy unpacking its new headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, ballots for the 2018 Director positions are being sent out, next year’s All American Quarter Horse Congress is being planned and membership benefits are being updated! New team members have joined the staff at OQHA with new ideas and new benefits for a valuable membership experience for the upcoming year. All current members will be receiving their applications for membership renewal in the coming month. However, the application is also online at OQHA.com. Don’t forget that in order for any Ohio points to count in the system, membership is required prior to the show weekend. The Ohio Quarter Horse Association offers two types of
memberships: annual and life. The following is a breakdown of membership categories and costs: • Adult Annual Membership $25 per year (Amateur status is optional on an adult membership for no additional charge) • Youth Annual Membership $15 per year (must be 18 years or younger) • Family Annual Membership $60 per year (includes spouses and all youths in household, 18 years and younger) • Life Membership (Adult and Youth) $250 one-time payment (Amateur status is optional on adult life memberships at no additional charge) Have questions on what you’ll get for this minimal member price? Send an email to LTitus@ oqha.com or call 614/505-7200.
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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
December 2017
December 2017
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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”. DECEMBER 2017 DEC. 1-3 — Barrel Racing Trailer & Saddle Series, Diamond 7 Ranch & Arena, Dillsburg, PA. FMI: 717-309-7143, www. diamond7arena.com. DEC. 2 — Annual Geauga County OHC Banquet, 6 p.m., Huntsburg Community Center, 12406 Madison Rd., Huntsburg, OH. FMI: Sue Mulhull, rmulhall@ windstream.net. DEC. 2 — 2017 Lebanon Horse-Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m., 212 Broadway St., Lebanon, OH. FMI: www.lebanonchamber.org. DEC. 2 — Southern KY Team Penning, Bowling Green, KY. FMI: Dee Daniels, 270792-3868. DEC. 2 — Angela Moore Clinic, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Hickory Run Farms, Alexandria, KY. FMI: 614-989-9029. DEC. 2 — Jackpot Sorting, Porchview Stables & Arena, 406 Meteor Rd., Acme, PA. FMI: Melissa Moore, 724-640-6087.
DEC. 2-3 — Christmas at the Ranch, 1-6 p.m., Buckin’ Ohio, 8154 Garman Road, Burbank, OH. FMI: 330-624-7205, www. buckinohio.com. DEC. 2-3 — Lesson Day (2nd) and Ride with Tom Pompei/Tournaments (3rd), H and P Equestrian Farm, Centerville, OH. FMI: www.tompompei.com. DEC. 2-3 — Champions Center Fall Open Horse Show, 9 a.m., 4122 Layborne Road, Springfield, OH. FMI: Judy Peters, 614-4021260, www.championscenterexpo.com. DEC. 3 — Fulton County OHC First Annual Winter Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., WB Ranch & Arena, 1640 County Rd. B, Swanton, OH. FMI: Cheryl, 419-270-8916. DEC. 3 — Open Horse Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www.bluelakesfarm.net. DEC. 6 — 2017 Barrel/Pole IBRA/NPBA Fall Series, Crazy Woman Ranch, 6450 Lancaster Circleville Rd., Lancaster, OH. FMI: 614-595-1850. DEC. 7-10 — USEF Rated A Horse Show, Chagrin Valley Farms, 9250 Washington St., Chagrin Falls, OH. FMI: 440-543-7233, www.chagrinvalleyfarms.com. DEC. 8-9 — Tack & Horse Sale, Mt. Hope Auction, 8076 SR 241, Millersburg, OH. FMI: 330-674-6188, www.mthopeauction.com. DEC. 8-10 — On The Road with Dawn & Clea 2017/2018 Winter Half Baked Series, The Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: 330-592-5745, www. ontheroadwithdawnandclea.com. DEC. 9 — IBRA, Cowtown Arena, Williamstown, KY. FMI: Jessica Fox, 859991-2151.
DEC. 9 — IBRA/NPBA Series, 12 p.m., Smoke Rise Ranch & Resort, 6751 Hunterdon Rd., Glouster, OH. FMI: 740-767-2624, www. smokeriseranch.com. DEC. 9-10 — Jack Frost Jubilee Winter Fun Show Series, Crescendo Training Centre, Elphrata, PA. FMI: Kriss, 717-475-3047, www.crescendotrainingcentre.com. DEC. 9-10 — Snowball Series Mounted Games, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY. FMI: Lbcaddel@aol.com, www. mountedgames.org. DEC. 10 — Cowboy Mounted Shooting Practice, Michigan Event Center, 455 E. Farver, Shipshewana, IN. FMI: Terry, 260499-1814, tmartin441@gmail.com. DEC. 15-16 — IBRA-NPBA, Bill Cherry Expo Center, 2101 College Farm Rd., Murray, KY. FMI: Bailey Jo Angelo, 724-415-8319. DEC. 15-17 — ShoMe Holiday ShoDown, MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: Ericka Utz, 248-212-8890, showmeshowoffice@ yahoo.com. DEC. 16 — Maple Crest Farm Open House, 1-5 p.m., 6530 Miller Road, Brecksville, OH. FMI: Stacey, 440-292-7198, staceygiere@ gmail.com. DEC. 16 — SEBRA Extreme Bulls & Barrels, 7 p.m., Garwood Arena, 2538 Middleton Road, Columbiana, OH. FMI: Randy Moore, 330-503-3924, www.gosebra.com. DEC. 16 — Winer Series Contest Show & “Beginners” Fun Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www. bluelakesfarm.net. DEC. 16 — IBRA & NPBA, Porchview Stables & Arena LLC, 406 Meteor Rd., Acme, PA. FMI: Melissa Moore, 724-640-6087.
DEC. 16 — Snowbird Dressage, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY. FMI: www. kentuckydressageassociation.com. DEC. 16-17 — Horsin In The Holidays, Champions Center, 4122 Layborne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: Kathy, 937-206-3945. DEC. 17 — Christmas Fun Show, 10 a.m., Sapphire Sky Stables, 6810 Barrett Rd., Geneva, OH. FMI: 440-813-9478. DEC. 27-28 — Holiday Show, Norristown, PA. FMI: Katherine Benson, 908-534-8833. DEC. 27-29 — Dutch Cross Classic Christmas Sale, Topeka Livestock Auction, Topeka, IN. FMI: James Yoder, 260-593-3210. DEC. 29-31 — New Year Barrel Bash, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: championsexpoohio@gmail.com. DEC. 31 — New Years Eve Fun Show, 10 a.m., Sapphire Sky Stables, 6810 Barrett Rd., Geneva, OH. FMI: 440-813-9478. DEC. 31 — New Year, No Fear Speed Show, C Bar C Expo Center, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: www.cbarcexpo.com. JANUARY 2018 JAN. 5-6 — IBRA-NPBA, Bill Cherry Expo Center, 2101 College Farm Rd., Murray, KY. FMI: Bailey Jo Angelo, 724-415-8319. JAN. 6 — Winter Series Contest Show & “Beginners” Fun Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: www.bluelakesfarm.net. JAN. 6-17 — Champions Center Open Show, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: championsexpoohio@gmail.com. JAN. 12-13 — Mid-Eastern Farrier Association Member Clinic & Meeting, Cleveland Equine Clinic, Ravenna, OH. FMI: Roger, 330-904-1489.
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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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Corral Calendar JAN. 13 — Wayne County Saddle Club Annual Banquet, American Legion, Wooster, OH. FMI: www. waynecountysaddleclub.com. JAN. 13-14 — Youth Equestrian Development Association, Champions Center, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: www.showyeda.com. JAN. 14 — Open Horse Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www.bluelakesfarm.net. JAN. 14 — Cowboy Mounted Shooting Practice, Michigan Event Center, 455 E. Farver, Shipshewana, IN. FMI: Terry, 260499-1814, tmartin441@gmail.com. JAN. 16-17 — Pennsylvania Draft Horse Sale, 2300 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, PA. FMI: Dale, 717-940-4412, www. thepadrafthorsesale.com. JAN. 20-21 — Jack Frost Jubilee Winter Fun Show Series, Crescendo Training Centre, Elphrata, PA. FMI: Kriss, 717-475-3047, www.crescendotrainingcentre.com. JAN. 21 — Cowboy Mounted Shooting Practice, Michigan Event Center, 455 E. Farver, Shipshewana, IN. FMI: Terry, 260499-1814, tmartin441@gmail.com. JAN. 25-28 — Winner Circuit Show, C Bar C Arena, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: www. AnEquineProduction.com. JAN. 27 — Crawford County Horse Council and 4-H Tack Swap & Silent Auction, Crawford County Fairgrounds, Bucyrus, OH. FMI: Trisha, 419-563-5170, trisha96_00@yahoo.com.
FEBRUARY 2018 FEB. 2-4 — On The Road with Dawn & Clea 2017/2018 Winter Half Baked Series, The Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: www.ontheroadwithdawnandclea.com. FEB. 3 — 7th Annual Ashland Paint & Plain Swap Meet, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Ashland County Fairgrounds, Ashland, OH. FMI: Ashley, 419-606-8383, achristian386@gmail.com, www.ashlandpaintandplain.com. FEB. 3 — Annual NW PA Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Smith’s Country Garden, 14289 Highway 198, Guys Mill, PA. FMI: Amy Snyder, 440-479-8503. FEB. 3 — MQHA 16th Annual New & Used Tack Sale, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: 616-2258211, mqha@hotmail.com. FEB. 8 — Premier Draft Horse Auction, 20933 Mulebarn Rd., Sheridan, IN. FMI: Carol, 317-983-6569. FEB. 10 — Pinto Horse Association of Ohio Awards Banquet, Quality Inn & Suites Rainwater Park Hotel, Sandusky, OH. FMI: www.ohiopinto.com. FEB. 10 — Sweetheart Speed Show, C Bar C Expo Center, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: www. cbarcexpo.com. FEB. 10-11 — Champions Center Open Show, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: championsexpoohio@gmail.com. FEB. 10-11 — Jack Frost Jubilee Winter Fun Show Series, Crescendo Training Centre, Elphrata, PA. FMI: Kriss, 717-475-3047, www.crescendotrainingcentre.com.
FEB. 11 — Open Horse Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www.bluelakesfarm.net. FEB. 11 — Cowboy Mounted Shooting Practice, Michigan Event Center, 455 E. Farver, Shipshewana, IN. FMI: Terry, 260499-1814, tmartin441@gmail.com. FEB. 12-13 — Winter Speed Sale, Delaware County Fairgrounds, Delaware, OH. FMI: www.bloodedhorse.com. FEB. 16 — IBRA-NPBA, Bill Cherry Expo Center, 2101 College Farm Rd., Murray, KY. FMI: Bailey Jo Angelo, 724-415-8319. FEB. 17-18 — Buckeye Reining Clinic, Champions Center, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: www. buckeyereiningseries.com. FEB. 18 — 35th Annual Great Lakes Appaloosa Swap Meet, University of Findlay Western Farm, Findlay, OH. FMI: 937-570-0701, www.glaphc.com. FEB. 22-25 — Mid Winter Fling, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: www.iqha.com. FEB. 24 — Knox County OHC Tack Auction, Martinsburg Activity Center, Martinsburg, OH. FMI: whistlemeup08@yahoo.com, www.ohconline.com. FEB. 24 — Winer Series Contest Show & “Beginners” Fun Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www. bluelakesfarm.net. FEB. 25 — ShoMe Moore Show, MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: www. shomeshows.com.
FEB. 25 — Cowboy Mounted Shooting Practice, Michigan Event Center, 455 E. Farver, Shipshewana, IN. FMI: Terry, 260499-1814, tmartin441@gmail.com. MARCH 2018 MARCH 3-4 — Southern Ohio Quarter Horse Spring Into Action Show, Champions Center, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: www.facebook.com/SOQHA MARCH 8-11 — Shamrock Shuffle, C Bar C Arena, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: www.iqha.com. MARCH 9-10 — IBRA-NPBA, Bill Cherry Expo Center, 2101 College Farm Rd., Murray, KY. FMI: 724-415-8319. MARCH 9-11 — 2018 Michigan Horse Expo, MSU Pavilion, 4301 Farm Lane, East Lansing, MI. FMI: Marilyn Graff, 231-8212487, m.marilyngraff@frontier.com, www. michiganhorseexpo.org. MARCH 9-11 — Ranch Sorting Competition, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: championsexpoohio@gmail.com. MARCH 10-11 — Jack Frost Jubilee Winter Fun Show Series, Crescendo Training Centre, Elphrata, PA. FMI: Kriss, 717-4753047, www.crescendotrainingcentre.com. MARCH 13-14 — 1st Annual Keystone Draft Horse Sale, Centre Co. Grange Fair, Centre Hall, PA. FMI: Elmer, 717-989-8260. MARCH 17 — 3rd Annual Old Fashion Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield, OH. FMI: Tammy, 567-560-4457, www. customconchosandtack.com.
Email your Equine Event to michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com and we’ll add it to the calendar for free!
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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
St. Henry, Ohio info@schockmanlumber.com 11
District One National Show Horse Association
Clinics Being Planned for 2018 PRESIDENT, Jane Malmsberry; VICE PRESIDENT, Jan Passell; SECRETARY, Kristin Detwiler; TREASURER, Barb Wright; EMAIL, barbwright4100@gmail.com. FACEBOOK, www. facebook.com/ DONSHA
by Barb Wright Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a New Year filled with happiness. For many this is a time to start planning for 2018. This may involve selling horses, finding new horses, attending clinics, visiting other stables to see how they work horses or discovering a new venue with your horse. When we age and our horses get up in years we begin to look for other avenues to keep us and our horses active and healthy. Trying alternatives such as dressage, mounted shooting, ranch classes, trail and obstacle challenges or even new places to trail ride and
camp. The horse in the picture picked his new job. Last month our board met to discuss what types of clinics we would like to co-sponsor in 2018. We are going to do another Spring Tune Up Clinic most likely in May. The club is also planning to do a clinic focused on barrel racing. Any group interested in helping with this type of clinic please contact Jane Malmsberry at jmalmsberry@ neo.rr.com. We do have an indoor facility available to rent for a barrel racing clinic. Another possible topic was dressage. At our November meeting we discussed our fundraiser with the Hudson F.O.P. We did a Night At The Races for them earlier this year. They were so pleased with the money generated and the fun they had that we are doing another one for them on March 10, 2018. If any other clubs or teams etc. are interested in having such a fundraiser please contact Jane Malmsberry at jmalmsberry@neo.rr.com. Some nominations for officers and board members were made
AUCTION
23.48 ACRE HORSE FARM
Offered in 3 Parcels w/Indoor Arena - Stable Pond - Mostly All Fenced - Free Gas To Home Brimfield Twp. - Portage County
This HA/NSH has found a new job. Owned by Barb Wright. at our last meeting. Nominations remain open until our February meeting when we vote. Memberships expire December 31. If you wold like to help our club continue to co-sponsor clinics please send us feed tags from any
Northern Kentucky Horse Network
Save The Date For Our Annual Dinner PRESIDENT, Trisha Kremer VICE PRESIDENT, Charles Poppe SECRETARY, Monica Egger TREASURER, Judy Arkenau; WEBSITE, www.nkhn.info EMAIL, nkhorsenetwork@gmail.com
by Nancy Kissinger
Absolute auction, sells to the highest bidder(s) on location: 344 Old Forge Road, Kent, OH 44240. Directions: From I-76 east of Akron, take Rt. 532 (exit 29), then south to Newton St. and left to Old Forge Road then right to auction. Watch for KIKO signs.
Saturday, December 9, 2017 — 10:30 a.m. Auctioneer’s Note: The property will be open auction day at 9 AM for inspection or by appointment only. Check out our website at www. kikoauctions.com for more information or call John Slagle 330-418-4963.
Auction By Order Of: Dennis Walsh Trustees for the Norman E. Walsh Irrevocable Trust Auctioneer/Realtor: John W. Slagle
KIKO Auctioneers • (330) 455-9357 • www.kikoauctions.com 12
Nutrena feed for any animal. We also collect the proof of purchase off bags of Tribute (not the paper tags). Give these to any board member or send to Barb Wright at 4100 W. Middletown Road, Canfield, Ohio 44406.
Where has 2017 gone? As the year comes to an end, we can reflect back on the successful and fun year our Network has had: the election of our new Board members at the Annual Dinner in January, the annual Drill Team Competition, the Enrichment Day, the Annual All Breeds Horse Show, the Annual Ride, and the Northern Kentucky Equine Conference. Thank you to our many sponsors for your generous support to us. Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers (too numerous to name here) who stepped up to do whatever had to be done. Thank you to our Board of Directors for your many hours of work to the Network. Board
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members are Trisha Kremer, Charles Poppe, Monica Egger, Judy Arkenau, Tina Caldwell, Jackie Holland, Aaron Linkugel, Tracey Schoen and Mark Voet. Thank you to the Boone County, Campbell County, and Kenton County extension agents Jerry Brown, Don Sorrell and Dan Allen for your support and aid to bettering the Northern Kentucky Horse Network. And, thank you Jim Mayer for the millions of hours you devote to the Network. None of this would have been possible without all of you and we thank everyone for being there for us. Save the date for our annual dinner on Jan. 28, 2018. We will have the election for some new Board members as the term will be ending for some of the current Board members. It’s a time to also recognize all of our members for their dedication to the Northern Kentucky Horse Network, and our equine friends. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you in 2018. December 2017
December 2017
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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Royalty — Under The Crown by Addison Nalle-Icenhour Many Queens have influenced me. Over the years, I’ve learned that the interview, horsemanship/ showmanship, and written test are all items one has to master to be under the crown. It was the October of 2014 when mom took me to my first Congress. I quickly found the Congress Hall where the Queens booth was set up with amazing decorations and prizes. As I stopped in amazement, Carly Kidner, the 2014 Congress Queen, asked me what kind of horse I rode. It was Congress; the home of all things American Quarter Horse. My mom looked at me and encouraged me to tell her about Ace, my Paint/Pinto gelding. “Be proud,” mom said. “I have a Pinto/Paint named Ace and he is the best horse ever!” Even though he wasn’t a Quarter Horse, Carly and I talked about showing our horses and she was so nice. I met Carly again almost a year later at Tough Enough to Wear Pink in Wilmington, Ohio. She handed me my medallion as I rode Ace to the center of the ring.
The feeling was amazing. I knew how nice she was from meeting her the year before. With each riding lesson I take, I appreciate the commitment required to ride at the top level and what hard work it takes to be under the crown. As I started showing, Sena Jodine is a name I regularly heard over the loud speaker at numerous Pinto shows. I thought to myself: “Wow, she is a great rider and her horse is so pretty.” Now I appreciate the hard work she’s put into her showing career. Sena has won National Pinto All Around awards. She was crowned Pinto
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Horse Association of Ohio Queen at the 2017 banquet. I was crowned Pinto Horse Association of Ohio Sweetheart in February 2017. The interview, show pen, and written test are all items to master to be under the crown. I have traveled to different places to represent Pinto Horse Association of Ohio. It has given me the opportunity to meet some amazing people, all of whom want to see each other prosper and willing to help me on my path. Kelsey Dorka is the 2017 Ohio Quarter Horse Association Queen. She invited me to attend the All American Youth Horse Show in Columbus with her. It was great to meet exhibitors and present their awards. Kelsey is so sweet. She shared the professional part of royalty with me. I got to see examples of her press packet. The packet contains letters asking for sponsorship, thank you cards, and biography examples. She handwrites each thank you card and personalizes them to each person she meets. That means she takes the time to learn a little something about everyone she meets in her royal travels. Kelsey was the second Runner Up in the All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen Contest. Sincere kindness is what is under Kelsey’s crown. I first met, Ohio-MichiganIndiana Quarter Horse Queen, Kate Clapp this past April at Equine Affaire. Her queen wardrobe is designed by Britz Glitz. I’m blessed to have Britz Giltz design my outfits this year too. I was able to use this fact to break the ice and strike up a conversation about fashion. Kate won the Interview Section of the All American Quarter Horse
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Congress Queen Contest. That is amazing because, I feel interview is the hardest section of being under the crown. She gave me some great advice for interview preparation and tips. “Practice and practice again, just like going into the show pen, you make a plan and execute it,” she told me. Her plan was to have a practice team with trainers, friends, and family. Her team would ask questions in person and text questions when they were apart. She thought of questions and then formed answers herself. Practice to gain confidence and always be yourself. An amazing public speaker is under her crown. Sara Laughlin is the 2017 Quarter Horse Congress Queen. She took her time to be in my Quarter Horse Congress pictures this year after completing my classes. See, I have some horses with ‘spots’ and some horses with ‘no spots’. Life can take you in many directions! Sara even took time out of her busy schedule to be in my Quarter Horse Congress pictures this year after completing my Small Fry classes with Quarter Horse, LuLu. I’ve always looked up to the Congress Queen, and to have one in my picture was a dream come true. Sara showed me the time element of being Queen, and taking time for others is always important. I have met a lot of Royalty Ladies this year. They have all been so kind and took the time to invest in me. An amazing experience and growing as a person is what The Pinto Horse Association of Ohio Sweetheart instilled under my crown. Thank you Pinto Horse Association of Ohio for the opportunities wearing the crown provided me in 2017.
December 2017
December 2017
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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Wayne County Saddle Club
Annual Banquet Scheduled for January 2018 PRESIDENT, Rich Gortner; VICE PRESIDENTS, Rachael Adamson and Katy Amstutz; SECRETARY, Bobbi Jo Mackey; TREASURER, Beth Eikleberry; WEBSITE, waynecountysaddleclub.com
I’m write’n this on the first really cold we’ve had this Fall. The temperature is supposed to top out at 29 degrees and there are still skiffs of snow here and there from last night. That’s a serious change from the trail ride Charli and I took a week or so ago and didn’t even need jackets. Oh well, it is November in Ohio. About all I have to do this time is convey thanks to all: President Rich, Vice Presidents Rachael, and Katie, Secretary Bobbi Jo, Treasurer Beth, Directors Caroline, Charlene, Craig, Jerry, Leanne, and Susie (and posthumously, Jim); families, friends, contestants, and audiences. Thank you all! This year has, indeed, been another great year. Events were well produced and attended. As
A few photos from the free fun show. far as I can tell everyone who came to the ‘Hollow’ this year enjoyed themselves. Of course, a few could have been happier with their ‘runs’ but that’s just part of it all. If you’re ever satisfied with how well you’re doing you’re not gonna get much better, are you? That’s not to say we shouldn’t have fulfilment by means of going to great shows and having some pretty good performances. In fact, every one of you who show, or make it possible for somebody to show, should take pride in your efforts. Not just anybody can/will do it. I reckon we all need to be grateful we can do the things that make our time at the ‘Hollow’ so good. One more reminder. The annual
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As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, the ‘Holidays’ are upon us. There is extra time off for kids and adults. A lot of running and fretting, and spending, to get the absolute best presents for everyone on your list(s); some festive get-togethers; plenty of food and drink; and, oh yeah, some time to think of the real ‘reason for the season.’ We pray you all have the very best of times for Christmas and New Year’s. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~Stan
Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club
Annual Tack Swap Scheduled for February 3 PRESIDENT, Steven “Chunk” Watts; SECRETARY, Jean Yancer; TREASURER, Ashley Christian; WEBSITE, ashlandpaintandplain. com; EMAIL, paintandplaininfo@ yahoo.com
by Chesna Wertz
Come check out our Home Decor!
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banquet, year-end awards, and election of officers and directors are Saturday, Jan. 13 at the American Legion in Wooster. We eat at 6 p.m. with everything else following. Bring one hot and one cold dish and beverage of your choice, utensils (plastic dinnerware is normally provided as are coffee and punch) and, of course, plan to enjoy a great evening of companionship with your friends from the Saddle Club. If you have questions simply call your favorite officer or director. ‘Hope you’ll join us.
Hi everyone! Wow, where did the year ago? Just seems like yesterday that 2017 started, and now we are in its final months. As I write this article, the weathermen are calling for possibly our first snowfall of the season. Even though things are winding down in the horse show world, now is the time to start thinking and working towards next year’s goals. The AP&P board is busily getting ready for the 2018 season. We’ve got some new things that we will be doing next year, so stay tuned! We will be announcing details soon. A big thank you to everyone who supported us this year! On Nov. 4, we held our annual general meeting at The Mill
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Restaurant in Ashland. Along with going over our 2018 show plan, we also elected two new directors. Please welcome Judy Lipscomb and Susie Weber to the board! We also elected our 2018 director’s positions: President Steven ‘Chunk’ Watts, Vice President Emily Schramm Scott, Treasurer Ashley Christian, Secretary Jean Yancer, Corral Reporter: Chesna Wertz. Mark your calendars for our Annual Tack Swap on Feb. 3, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Ashland County Fairgrounds. This is a great swap to sell things that you don’t need anymore, or shop for a new show wardrobe for the 2018 season! Booths are $20 a space (does not include tables). Admission is a $1 per person, or two canned goods per person (canned goods will be donated to the Ashland Food Bank). Forms will be available on the Facebook page, or contact Ashley Christian, 419/606-8383 (text) or achristian386@gmail.com. Until next month, all of us at AP&P hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a great start to the New Year! December 2017
Ohio Haflinger Association
Ohio Haflinger Meeting in January PRESIDENT, Paul Sutton VICE PRESIDENT, Stan Norris TREASURER, Duane Stutzman SECRETARY, Judy Winkler EMAIL, info@ohiohaflinger.com WEBSITE, www.ohiohaflinger.com
by Mae Yoder As I am writing this (Nov. 10) the first signs of winter are upon us, it’s snowing! Ready or not old man winter is coming. Hope ya’ll had a wonderful Thanksgiving! The OHA meeting will be held Jan. 20, 2018 at MCA in Frederickburg. OHA members are welcome to come enjoy a day of food and fellowship. The fall Mid Ohio horse sale was held the week of Oct. 10 in Mt. Hope, Ohio. The Haflinger Sale was held Wednesday evening, there were approximately 60 Haflingers consigned. If they were well prepped and well trained they sold well otherwise it was a pretty tough go. We
bought 8 year old gelding Aniha GGHF that we feel will be a ‘diamond in the rough’ story, hopefully he will be consigned to the American Haflinger Registry Sale in May 2018. With the show season over and most other horse events winding down for the winter the girls at Walnut Ridge Farm are spending time at local Hunter Paces with their Haffies. They are hard to miss being that they are usually traveling as a herd of up to 12! At the Bath Pony Club Haunted Halloween Hunter Pace this year you might have mistaken them for a herd of traffic cones, in honor of one of the members of this clan, Kelly Cooper! Please, feel free to send me any summer accomplishments or events that you conquered with your Haflingers over the summer. We would love to hear about it! Would you like to submit something to the Corral? Please mail to 12315 Dover Road Apple Creek, Ohio 44606 or send an email to maeyh@safecom.link. Wishing everyone a safe and blessed Holiday Season!
Walnut Ridge Gang
Megan Szymczak riding Excellence Defined HOF aka Belle.
Megan Szymczak riding Excellence Defined HOF and Kelly Cooper riding Arlen NHH.
Ashland Paint and Plain Saddle Club
7 TH ANNUAL SWAP MEET FEBRUARY 3, 2018 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ASHLAND COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS Green Merchants Building, Ashland, Ohio
• OVER 80 booths to shop from! • New and Used Tack will be available • Food Booth on grounds.
Admission Fee: $1 or 2 NON-Expired Can Goods
For more information or reserve a booth contact: Ashley Christian (419) 606-8383 call/text or email: achristian386@gmail.com
www.ashlandpaintandplain.com
December 2017
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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Nutrition and Hoof Health by Dr. Stephen Duren & Dr. Tania Cubitt Performance Horse Nutrition
acids, macrominerals including calcium, microminerals like zinc and iodine, and vitamins, most notably biotin.
he influence of modern confinement systems and demand for maximum production have been shown to negatively impact hoof horn quality in cattle and swine. In these animals, hoof quality has been reported to deteriorate to the point that animals become lame and production ultimately suffers. Horses also experience hoof difficulties. Common problems reported include cracking or crumbling hooves, inability of the horse to ‘hold’ shoes and, ultimately, lameness which decreases performance and hampers production. The serious economic impact of hoof problems in horses is summarized in the old adage ‘no hoof, no horse.’ Just like skin, the appearance and integrity of the hoof is a mirror of the health, environment and nutritional state of the horse. It is not difficult to visualize how a horse in poor health could suffer from hoof problems. Likewise, animals which are confined to a small area, such as a stall, can develop low quality hooves which may be a result of poor environmental conditions. Manure and moisture can act together to break down the intracellular cementing substances which ultimately hold the hoof together.
AMINO ACIDS Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, including keratin, the primary protein associated with the equine hoof. Keratin is unique in that it contains an abundance of sulfur. Sulfur to sulfur (disulfide) bonds are responsible for the cross-linking of keratin protein s within the hoof. These bonds afford the hoof much of its strength. If sulfurcontaining amino acids are limited in the diet, in complete cross-linking can occur, reducing the strength of the hoof.
T
ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOR HOOF GROWTH The importance of a balanced diet for sound hoof growth has only recently been recognized. Several nutrients are essential for proper keratinization, the process that builds hoof horn. To date, the nutrients which are known to be essential for hoof growth include amino acids (especially sulfur-containing amino acids such as methionine), fatty
FATTY ACIDS Fatty acids are components of complex lipids which form the intercellular cement that binds the individual cells of the hoof. In addition, lipid material is responsible for forming the extracellular permeability barrier. This permeability barrier controls the hydration state of the hoof and, ultimately, its hardness. MINERALS Calcium is required for normal hoof growth. It is involved with a number of calciumdependent transglutaminase enzymes. These enzymes are necessary to cross-link protein s which form the protective layer of the hoof. A significant portion of the body’s zinc is found in the epidermal tissues including skin, hair, and hoof. Zinc deficiency in farm animals has long been associated with parakeratosis. This disease is characterized by a dermatitis resulting in a rough, dry hair coat. Zinc is involved in a number of enzymatic reactions controlling protein metabolism. All animals require iodine in their diets. Iodine functions within the body in the synthesis of thyroid
hormones, which in turn control growth and development of all tissues. BIOTIN The best-known function of biotin is as a prosthetic group in enzymes con trolling gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis. Biotin has also been proposed to act as a hormone in the activation of protein (keratin) synthesis. EQUINE RESEARCH Several studies have been conducted to determine the value of supplementing equine diets with specific nutrients in the hope of positively impacting hoof soundness. One such study, conducted by Linden and coworkers, supplemented biotin in a study to 42 Lipizzaner stallions. In this study, 26 stallions were fed 20 mg of biotin per horse per day for 2.5 years. A control group of 16 stallions were fed a placebo. After 14 months of supplementation, hoof condition was determined to be 30 percent better in the biotin-supplemented horses compared with the horses receiving the placebo. Research has also been conducted with the organic (chelated) form of zinc. It was reported that hoof growth was greater in yearlings fed an organic form of zinc compared with those fed inorganic zinc. Further, research found weak hoof horn contained less zinc than strong, healthy horn. dac® Vitamins and Minerals hoof supplement—Foundation Formula contains chelated forms of zinc as well as concentrated levels of Biotin and Vitamin A. Check out the dac Facebook page for weekly brainteasers and other tips, www.facebook. com/dacvitamins. Visit our website for more information about our feeds, www.feeddac. com. Contact us if you have any questions regarding any of our products, 800/9219121.
Pinto Horse Association of Ohio
President’s Pen PRESIDENT, Megan Herner; VICE PRESIDENT, Amy Leibold; SECRETARY, Nancy Bredemeier; TREASURER, Patti Wittensoldner; EMAIL, herner7@yahoo.com; WEBSITE, www.ohiopinto.com FACEBOOK, PtHAO-Pinto Horse Association of Ohio
by Megan Herner The key to the success of our club rests in all of you. As we finish our work and say goodbye to another successful year with grateful hearts, we want to thank all of you for your support and dedication to our great Ohio Pinto family. 18
As 2017 ends and we head into the season of thanks and family, I reflect on all the great memories I had the opportunity to create throughout this year. I feel very fortunate to serve in the role of President for Pinto Horse Association of Ohio. I know you hear me joke in saying; “I QUIT!” Please know that I truly love this organization and every single person involved, from our paid staff at our shows, our officers and directors, our exhibitors, the judges, grounds management and every single person involved! There are far too many for me to thank individually, just know that you are all appreciated. Words cannot express how much we appreciate all you do!
We have been hard at work looking ahead to 2018. The Board and Officers have reviewed the 2017 show season, discussed requests submitted for consideration and reviewed the showbill, dates and locations. We can’t officially publicize and advertise our show dates until it is approved by the National office, but we expect to be able to publish everything soon! Please mark your calendars and plan to join us in celebrating the 2017 show season at our Year-End Awards Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 at the Thirsty Pony/Quality Inn and Suites in Sandusky, Ohio. Watch your mail and our website for more information.
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
PtHAO President Megan Herner I look forward to spotting you down the road and at our shows in 2018! Have a safe and happy holiday season! December 2017
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Ride For Real
The Hierarchy of Aids by Steve Lantvit When instructing horse and rider teams it is important for the rider to understand that there is a logical progression of what to do. I like to think of the riders learning progress as a series of plateaus. First the basic understanding of riding, then the direct rein, then understanding leg cues and hopefully then the understanding of the outside rein. Once the basics of this is understood then the rider needs to learn when and how much to use to convey the message. I call this the understanding of the escalation of aids and the hierarchy of aids. The hierarchy of aids is the sequence of what has to happen first and in order for the maneuver to be successful and correct. Like with real-estate where location, location, location is important, in riding, it’s all about position, position, position. The horse needs to be in the correct position to perform the task that is asked
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of him; relaxed in the pole and in a collected frame, level top-line, an elevated shoulder, a rounded back, and an engaged hind end. It is the responsibility of the rider to position the horse so that the maneuver is successful. The rider is constantly making minor adjustment to correct the position of the horse. There are four natural aids; hands, legs, seat and voice, all of which need to be applied at different times and in different ways. When instructing students I always want the rider to learn to minimize the use of their hands. A great exercise for a student to fully understand the importance of hierarchy of aids is leg yield drills. For example, when schooling the horse and rider in lateral work exercises, have the rider position the horse in the correct collected frame. Have the rider tip the horse’s nose slightly to one side without altering the direction of which the horse is heading. Wait a second and see what happens. If the horse is
pulled off course, the rider has applied too much hand. We are trying to achieve a position in the horses’ frame that makes success possible. Remember that the quiet and responsive horse is what we are after. Then, have the rider shift their weight slightly to the same side and apply a little inside leg at the girth. Remember that the cue is to last no more than one second at a time. The outside leg needs to be removed from the side of the horse as well as the outside rein. This will give the horse a release and a place to go. Ask the student how the horse feels underneath them. For example, if the horse feels like he is charging through then the outside leg might have been left on to long when the inside leg was applied, or, the rider never shifted weight to the inside seat bone. Have the student help critique their ride. As they understand what needs to happen and when for each maneuver, they will gain the knowledge of hierarchy of aids and thereby truly own the knowledge. The hierarchy of aids is as simple as this. However, this simple exercise can quickly go wrong if certain aids were applied before others. If the horse was not in the collected frame with an elevated shoulder and the rider started pulling on the reins, the horses head would most likely rise and go further out of position. If the rider applied leg and did not remove the other in this exercise the horse would end up rushing through the bit, thus resulting in the rider hanging on his face. The secret to good horsemanship is having the understanding that there is a time and a place and a sequence when applying aids. Just like when learning a new language certain words come before others, the same applies in horses. It is the riders’ responsibility to communicate effectively to the horse and make the cues easy to understand. The next time you are riding and schooling your horse pay attention to the aids that you are using and make sure they make sense to your horse. Pay attention to common faults such as closing one door and not opening the
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Steve Lantvit other as this may cause the horse to feel claustrophobic and tense. Think about pushing a ball on the table, if the other hand is in the way the ball stops traveling or you have to push harder to move the ball and your hand. Our goal should be that of a light and willing horse, that is responsive to the slightest touch. When riding remember to be an effective communicator so you build the relationship that your horse deserves. There is an order of aids that makes it easier for the horse to understand what the rider wants. But it all starts with position, position, position. Award-winning trainer/instructor/ clinician, Steve Lantvit, holds multiple World Champion and Reserve titles in Ranch Horse competitions. Steve believes in training versatile, well-rounded, capable horses and riders through confidence, mutual respect, and solid communication. He promotes versatility through cross-training and a variety of experiences to improve both performance and attitude in the show pen or out on the trail. Steve provides training, instruction, and conducts clinics year round at his facility in LaPorte Indiana and other locations across the US. Steve’s knowledge and expertise is shared nationwide, on his TV show, ‘Steve Lantvit, Sure in the Saddle’ on RFD-TV, Thursdays at 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST. Visit SteveLantvit.com for more information.
December 2017
Tri-County Trail Association
Finalizing the 2018 Event Schedule PRESIDENT, Jim Mike; VICE PRESIDENT, Leroy Wilson; SECRETARY, Neva Gibson; TREASURER, Sally Roush. EMAIL, ckrumm1958@gmail.com WEBSITE, www.tri-cotrails.org
by Cindy Krumm Merry Christmas to all! It is really hard to believe that we are at the end of the year 2017. It was a fun and amazing year. TriCo had many successful events in 2017 and have many more planned for 2018. The month of December is the month that we elect our 2018 officers. If you have been
a member of Tri-Co for one year, you are eligible to run for offices. If you have been a member for six months, you are eligible to vote for officers. The elections will be held at our Dec. 3 general meeting at the East Sparta Community Building located at 9516 Chestnut Avenue SE, East Sparta, Ohio.
Halloween at Tri-Co.
We will have a potluck Christmas dinner before the elections. The 2018 schedule of events will be finalized and presented at this meeting also. The meeting is to start an hour earlier than usual, at 5 p.m., so we have time for the dinner and the elections. We hope to see as many of our members at this meeting as possible. Bring your
favorite dish to share and come be a part of this important annual meeting. The month of October kept us busy with our annual Halloween weekend, another Paint-n-Sip event and even a potluck dinner. In addition we were able to make several repairs throughout our camp. It was a great month. I have included a couple of photos
Halloween at Tri-Co. from the costume classes at the Halloween weekend. We have buttoned up camp for the winter. Stay warm! Watch for our calendar for 2018 and put our events on your calendar!
Knox County Horse Park
Show Schedule for 2018 Being Finalized PRESIDENT, Linda House VICE PRESIDENT, Ken Niner TREASURER, Pam Niner SECRETARY, Courtney Letts PHONE, 740/973-3059; WEBSITE, www.knoxcountyhorsepark.com
I cannot believe that it is already December and the year 2017 is almost over. I know that the snow has already begun to fall here in Ohio, although we have not had any accumulation just yet, it will be here before we know it. Please remember to keep yourself and your animals safe this winter. I would like to thank everyone who chaired one of our shows this year. A special thanks to those of you that came out and kept the park maintained this year. Thank you to Linda Robertson who ran the concession stand and those who helped her. Keep in mind that we will need lots of help next year for all of our shows. If you would like to help and do not know what needs done please feel free to come to one of our meetings and ask or you can email me and I will let you know what we are needing. On December 2, 2017 we will be having our annual Christmas Party at the Morgan Center Grange. It will be at 6 p.m. We will be having our gift exchange again this year. The gift exchange is always interesting to see what everyone brings. The food and the fellowship is always a good time. I want to thank everyone who came out to the park to support December 2017
the Copper Horse Crusade. Susan Ferrris and Kathy White did an amazing job organizing this event. We had a large amount of people come out and support this wonderful organization. I was informed that the event raised $1720 and was able to save four horses from the kill pen. So again a big thank you to everyone who came out and participated and helped run the show. If you were unable to attend this years event for the Copper Horse Crusade no worries, we will again next year be having a show for them. Please watch here in the Corral and our webpage to find out the date. Our 2018 show schedule is being set and finalized. As soon as the Trustees approve the events I will be updating our webpage. Please watch closely to the Corral article and schedule of events and keep an eye out on our webpage and Facebook page for more information. Our monthly meetings during the winter months are not held at our shelter house, watch our Facebook page to see where they will be located. Also the meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month with a potluck at 6:30 p.m. and meeting at 7 p.m. If you are not a member of the Horse Park and would like to join you can get a membership application at one of our meetings or send an email to me and I will send you one. Our webpage address is www. knoxcountyhorsepark.com. Our Facebook is KCHP(Knox County
Horse Park) and our email is kchpknoxcountyhorsepark@ yahoo.com . I hope that all of you had a
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wonderful Thanksgiving and that you have a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. ~Courtney Letts
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Fast Horses, Police Lights and Traffic Jams Editorial Note: As a professional equine and rodeo announcer, I have witnessed a number of amazing animal and human athletes make their way through the arena with some incredible performances. But it is the human athlete that must perform in the arena of life and in a time when we see far too many athletes on television failing in that arena, it is good to know there are some who truly are champions. One of these, is a young lady from Delaware, Ohio, who now resides in Kentucky; her name is Mikayla Conklin. She is 23 years old, fresh out of college, works, and is a Barrel Racer competing in the International Barrel Racing Association (IBRA), Better Barrel races (BBR), Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA) and Barrel Futurities of America (BFA). I’ve watched Mikayla grow up the last several years and have had the opportunity to call several of her winning times over the microphone. Moreover, I am fortunate to be able to share a story from Mikayla in this December (Christmas) issue of the Horsemen’s Corral. I believe this story exemplifies Luke 2:14 (KJV) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Thank you Mikayla and Merry Christmas. ~ Joe Coalter
M
by Mikayla Conklin
y horse Flipper Ta Fame (Flipper) never ceases to amaze me. She accomplished what I thought would be impossible, but so cool if we could accomplish it, so we just went for it! Flipper held on for 10th in the American Qualifier in Fletcher, N.C., and gets to join her stable mate at the RFD-TV semi-finals in Ft. Worth, Texas, in February of 2018. You pray to God that you get one special horse in your lifetime. One that takes you to new levels in competition, but to have two talented mares at once feels so surreal. What an incredible year Flipper and Bloodymaryinatincan (Mary) have given me. Mary qualified for the American earlier this year. Flipper stayed consistent all week in Fletcher finishing 11th in the first round, staying in the 1D in round two and holding on to the finals out of 853 horses! As if that were not enough, I had hauled a 4-year-old horse along, Fire Chasin Fame, and she finished 8th in the 2D in round one qualifying her for the finals as well. I was happy she ran a half second off the top dogs. I missed having Mary on the trailer but she stayed home enjoying a much deserved break! Overall it was a great weekend! I can’t thank my wonderful family, friends and sponsors enough for their support in standing behind me. Sponsors like Tim Billman from Equipride and Kentucky Equine Research. Also, I’m excited to announce I am teaming up with Mandy Cambra of Mandy’s Custom Tack! Thank you all! As exciting as that weekend was, all of it was minor compared to what I got to be a part of and experience on my drive home. After just getting through Knoxville, Tenn., I was pulled over. I’m thinking to myself, I know I wasn’t speeding, so I wasn’t sure what I did wrong. The officer asked me, “ma’am I got a silly question, I noticed you have Kentucky plates. Do you live there and is that where you are headed?” I said, “yes I am.” He said, “I noticed you have a big trailer, would you happen to have room for two horses?” I told him I did since I was only hauling two at the time and had three spots open. He proceeded to tell me how there was a family five miles up the road, that their truck broke down and they had been stranded for hours on the highway. He asked if I would be interested in hauling their horses home for them as they live outside of Lexington. I instantly said yes, but told him I would have to unload my horses on the highway to move them up to the front of the trailer and move stuff around to open up those front stalls. I also told him I was very nervous about unloading my horses on the highway (I’ve heard too many horror stories). He then said, “I will go up the road and shut the interstate down!” I said, “well if you would do that, then we all can feel safe about it, so let’s get to it!” We got all the horses situated on the trailer and thankfully got them home safely. It added two hours to my trip but that wasn’t the point. The point was my heart broke for 22
those people and I wanted to help out in any way possible, I couldn’t imagine ever being in their shoes and I just hope that if I was in their position some person would come along to my rescue and be just as generous. Plus, I had a travel partner for most the way home and made a new friend, so it was a win-win. To the officer who helped these folks and watched for trailers going down the interstate to pull over to see if they had room and then SHUTTING I-75 down, thank you, thank you, thank you! I didn’t even know they could or would do that! Moral of the story is please be kind to one another, help another out, this world is a cruel place and it’s just wonderful to know there are still good people out there!
Mikayla and Flipper Ta Fame running in Fletcher, N.C.
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December 2017
December 2017
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Photo credit to Megan Fischer
Top Five Concerns for Winterizing Your Horse I grew up in Florida, where the main riding season is the winter. Our main chore to get ready for winter was body clipping the horses, to get rid of the winter coat they were not going to need. For the last 30+ years, I’ve lived in the mountains of Colorado, at an altitude of 8000 feet, where the winters are long and cold and preparing your horse and barn for the winter comes with some important concerns. Depending on your climate,
your barn and the facilities you have to work with, preparing for winter may mean a lot of work! We all have unique challenges in the winter that may vary from dealing with ten-foot snow drifts to dealing with eight inches of mud, but my first concern is always making sure my horses will be comfortable for the long winter ahead. While winters here in the mountains are long and hard, with temperatures well below
zero at times, it’s not that bad everywhere (and much worse some places). Whether your winters are mild or wild, you might find a few things to think about, as you prepare your horses for winter. My biggest concerns to prepare my horses for winter are transitioning the horses’ diets, winterizing their water sources, preparing their hooves, checking their parasite status, and organizing blankets.
The Grass is not Greener
My horses have free-choice access to hay and/or grass 24/7, but late in the summer as the grass starts losing its nutritional value, the horses start transitioning themselves to more of a hay diet. Since fall comes early here, by midAugust, the horses start eating more hay and less green grass, all on their own. Since we offer both hay and green grass to the horses in the late summer, they will slowly transition themselves to an all-hay diet by the time the grass goes dormant. Unlike the spring, when we must be very careful transitioning the horses from an all-hay diet to an all-grass diet, in the fall the transition is easier. However it’s done at your place, it is important to make any change in diet gradually. Whenever we are changing a horse’s diet, we always put them on a pre/probiotic like Proviable throughout the transition period, to aid in digestion. After over 30 years in the horse business, I’ve learned many hard lessons about buying hay. First, I always buy a year’s worth of hay in the fall. I will not take the chance of running out of hay in the spring when hay can be very scarce and expensive. I will not buy hay right out of the field. 24
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It’s not fully cured until it’s been in the stack for 30 days. Some hay can look absolutely beautiful for a few weeks after it’s baled but can turn bad in the stack 30 days later if it was baled with too much moisture. For my horses, I buy straight grass hay, top-quality, no rain on it. We buy large bales, which are a challenge to move around, but the cost savings is significant. I’ll also buy a few tons of small bales so that when I travel with my horses, I have some hay to take on the road. I’ve found that hay prices are lowest and most stable in the fall and I can usually find the best quality then too. An uncomplicated way to budget your hay is to plan on using 1/3 a ton per horse per month; so, three horses are going to consume about one ton a month. I like to buy 10 months’ worth of hay in September; that should take me through July, when the new crop comes in and when the grass is in full swing. If you may have spoilage, add 10 percent. If your herd numbers fluctuate, overbuy your hay. If it’s well stored, hay will retain its nutritional value for up to a couple years after it’s baled. So I’d rather have extra hay in the spring (when hay is the most expensive)—I’ll be sure to use it up first before I start feeding the next year’s crop.
Winterizing Water Sources
Frozen water sources can be one of the biggest challenges in winter horse keeping. Just like us, it’s easy for a horse to get dehydrated because he is not drinking enough water when he is cold. Dehydration is a huge factor in colic, so I do everything I can to make sure my horses are adequately hydrated all December 2017
winter long, including heating their water and adding an equine drink mix like Rein Water, which encourages drinking. As the nighttime temps drop below freezing, we hang heated water buckets in the stalls. I prefer not to have automatic waterers in their stalls, so I know exactly how much water each horse consumed overnight. For the horses that stay outside, we have heated water sources too, but there’s no way to monitor individual consumption. Since the heated water sources are covered, it’s important that someone checks it twice a day to make sure it is not frozen or malfunctioning another way (like having an electric current running through the water). If you are using stock tanks and tank heaters, make sure the heaters and wires are all functional and protected so that the horses will not break anything. Horses can be a real nuisance when it comes to fiddling with wiring and contraptions, especially on a water tank. They tend to hang out at the water source and can easily get bored or frustrated and start playing with the heater. If your winters are mellow, with little freezing at night. Then maybe all you need to do is break a little ice in the morning. Just keep in mind that the colder the water, the less your horse will drink, so consider heating some water for your horse. Finally, all the hoses, the wash rack and implements must be thoroughly drained and put away for the winter. If you must use hoses in the winter to fill water tanks, it’s a huge chore in cold climates. Hoses must be drained twice to make sure they are usable the next time. Without fail, someone will mess up and you’ll end up with frozen hoses sometime during the winter. If so, just coil the hose and dump the whole thing in your heated stock tank. In no time, it will be thawed and you can drain it (much faster than dragging it in your house).
To Shoe or Not to Shoe?
Right behind food and water, I have a huge concern about getting the horse’s feet ready for winter. This can be complicated because each horse has unique needs and will be used differently over the winter. Without question, it is better if horses can be kept unshod, especially in the winter. Their hooves are healthier when unshod and they are less likely to slip on the ice or develop snowballs on their feet. December 2017
In cold climates like ours, we must be very careful with hooves as we transition from fall to winter. Some of our horses are shod in the summer, because of the demands of hard riding on rocky terrain. If you wait until the last minute to pull their shoes for the winter, their feet are very tender when the ground freezes hard and the horses can get dangerously footsore, even slightly laminitic. I want to pull their shoes well before the hard freeze, so their feet have time to toughen up before the ground gets rock hard. This is always a difficult choice for some riders who really enjoy trail riding in the fall and want to leave shoes on as long as possible. I prefer to pull shoes early if I can and use hoof boots on the trails so that the horse’s feet toughen up before the ground is frozen hard. My first choice is to leave all the horses barefoot over the winter and for as long as I can. Most of my horses will go at least five months without shoes. However, some of our horses have therapeutic or corrective shoeing and they will stay shod, with special shoes and pads, usually on the fronts only. Sometimes we have horses that are in performance training and will wear sliders on the hinds, so we’ll leave them bare in the front and shod on the hinds. If horses are shod during the winter, we use snow pads on them to prevent the hard iceballs from forming on their feet.
Does Your Horse Need a Blanket?
The short answer is, probably not. Horses are unbelievably adaptable animals and are wellequipped to deal with almost any climate. Did you ever hear of the cartoon, ‘South Park?’ It’s a real place, not too far from where I live, and there are few places in the lower 48 that have a harsher winter—25-30 below zero for weeks on end, deep snow and howling winds. Yet all winter long, you can drive through that valley and see hundreds of horses, unblanketed, doing just fine. If they have food and water and a windbreak, they are happy. For the most part, horses do not need blankets, but there are some situations when it’s a good idea. First, in extreme weather, we always cover our geriatric horses (or any horses that are unhealthy or skinny). Horses need to eat more in the winter because they expend a lot of energy to stay warm. When a horse is barely keeping his weight without the cold, he may need some blanketing help in the
coldest weather. Keep in mind that when you blanket a horse and compress his haircoat, he loses some insulation value. Once you start blanketing a horse, you may need to continue. If you are flexible enough to only put the rug on just during inclement weather and leave him uncovered in the better weather, his winter coat may stay fluffy. But if you leave that blanket on for days or weeks on end, his coat will compress so much that you’ll need to leave him blanketed. Often, it’s best to leave it to nature and let the horse’s winter coat do its job. Some of my horses stay blanketed all winter long. But make no mistake about it, this is entirely for human convenience, not because the horses need it. We ride our horses year-round, but from November through April, we are generally riding inside. For ease of use and for aesthetic reasons, we like to keep the winter coats as short as we can, so we keep them blanketed, starting early in the fall. Riding inside, in a warm indoor arena, horses with a full winter coat will get soaking wet and it’s impossible to get them dry before nightfall. Sometimes we trace clip the hair coat to manage the sweating and keep our horses dry when we ride. Blanketing and keeping their hair coats short, helps us manage the winter riding (and keeps them looking good for photo shoots too!). Most horses don’t need blanketing, no matter how cold it is. However, it’s nice to have the choice, so we keep a good heavy, waterproof rug for each horse (we actually have sheets, mid-weights and heavy weights for each horse). I’ve bought hundreds, maybe more than a thousand horse blankets in my lifetime and I’ve learned through experience that you get what you pay for. Spending a few hundred dollars on a top-quality blanket is money well spent. Keep in mind that your horse will do its best to destroy the blanket; you’ll go through three to four cheap blankets before you replace one high-quality rug. I also want a winter blanket that wicks moisture, has a turtleneck and utilizes high-tech materials. We can usually get three to four years or more of use out of one heavyweight rug.
Check for Parasites
I do not de-worm my horses unless they need it. We do fecal egg counts in the spring and fall. If the report comes back negative for worms, we do not
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give them a de-wormer. If a horse shows a positive result, we will de-worm that individual accordingly. The fecal egg count is easy and no more expensive than the cost of a de-wormer if you send it to a lab. I do not want to give my horses any chemicals or medications they do not need, so the fecal egg count is a wonderful way to go. You can do the egg count yourself (find instructions online) or you can order a testing kit and send it off to a lab. There are many sources available now, just google it and figure out the best option for you and your horses. If horses are kept in very sanitary conditions and de-wormed as needed, you’ll find you have far fewer parasites to deal with. If I did not do fecal egg counts, I would de-worm all my horses with ivermectin after the first hard frost. By waiting for the hard frost, your hope is to take care of the last of the parasites before the winter kill. If I only de-wormed once a year, I’d do it in the fall after the first hard frost. But honestly, it’s been a few years since any of our horses have been de-wormed because the reports come back clean. Around here, winters are long and hard, and horse keeping can be a real challenge! Being prepared around the barn and getting your horse ready ahead of time will help a lot. Every climate and every facility has its own set of challenges in winter and summer and as the years pass by, we learn how to manage it better. If you’re new to horses, it pays to ask more experienced horse owners in your area what they do to get ready for the seasons. It helps to get ideas from others but it’s up to you to make the decisions on what’s best for you and your horses. Enjoy the ride! —Julie Goodnight Trainer and Clinician Goodnight is the popular RFDTV host of Horse Master airing Monday nights. Goodnight travels the USA sharing her nononsense horsemanship training with riders of all disciplines. Goodnight has ridden in many different saddles—she’s experienced in dressage and jumping, racing, reining, cow horse, colt-starting, and wilderness riding. Goodnight grew up on the hunter-jumper circuits in Florida, but is now at home in the West. She and her husband, Rich Moorhead, live in the mountains in Salida, Colo. Both love versatility ranch horse competitions and riding cow-horses. 25
Ohio Paint Horse Club
Awards Banquet Information PRESIDENT, Tina Eller; VICE PRESIDENT, Mike Schwendeman; TREASURER, Roxann Rohrl; SECRETARY, Jill Davis; EMAIL, r_paints@msn.com; WEBSITE, www. ophc.org
by Roxann Rohrl A huge happy holiday to everyone in Corral land, OPHC members, Paint Horse owners and friends! Please place our OPHC awards banquet on your to do list. It will be held at the Coughlin Center, Madison County Fairgrounds, London, Ohio. Last month I spoke of the many things that are planned for that special day. I have heard rumors for lots of good stuff and fun. Again, Jan. 20, 2018, plan on attending to honor our 2017 award winners. Festivities will be carry in dinner, bring your favorite dish to share, 2017 awards, revolving trophies, SSA Auction, silent auctions plus a band. This event is open to all OPHC current members, OPHC past members, friends and Paint Horse owners. Please join us for an afternoon of fellowship, fun, conversation and the love of the American Paint Horse. Check the OPHC Facebook, more information will be streaming out to you. If you do not have a computer or Facebook, please feel free to give me or any officer or director a call. My number is 440/458-5022 or 440/281-7675. All are welcome to attend! Tina Eller is the Chair of the 2018 SSA Futurity. Another event that will be held at the banquet, The SSA Auction. Tina is always able to bring us the top halter and performance stallions to breed that special mare to for a 2019 special painted bundle of joy. If there is a stallion you are interested in breeding to, contact Tina, 937/303-3632 or ellersheating@hotmail.com. Live bidding will begin at the yearly banquet. If you are unable to attend, mail-in or phone-in bidding will be accepted. Bidding will start at one half (1/2) the stud fee or $250, whichever is greater. Stud fee must be the usual, advertised fee. If advertised at private treaty, the stallion owner retains the right to stipulate the starting bid which shall be treated for the purpose of this auction as 50 percent of the stallion fee. Donate that great stallion service or purchase a breeding! Tina is 26
now accepting stallion contracts. You can pull all the information for the OPHC Stallion Service Auction off the OPHC 2017 OPHC Rule Book from the OPHC website. www.ophc.org. Come on, let’s find that pretty gal in your barn a mate! Hey trail riders. If you’re an OPHC member remember to get your 2017 hours into Chair Suzanne Allen on or before Dec. 31. These awards will be given out at our OPHC Annual Awards Banquet. Suzanne can be reached at rideohiopaints@yahoo.com or mail them to 4239 TR 99, Mt. Gilead, Ohio 43338 or 740/2442727. There is a Ride Ohio Registration Form for Ride Ohio riding hours log on page 26 of the OPHC Rule Book on our website. With 2018 right around the corner it is again time for your 2018 OPHC membership. Lori Hershey is the Membership Chair. Her address is 2013 Heyl Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691. There is a membership form in the 2017 OPHC Rule Book. We ask you to please print clearly your email address on these forms. All 2018 members will have a membership card emailed to you. If you do not have a computer, Lori will mail one to you. It is very important to have your email address correctly printed. There is a Membership Special Offer! Purchase a three year membership for an individual for $50 or a family three year membership for $100. You will also receive the Horsemen’s Corral along with your membership plus an OPHC Membership Card. This Membership Special may not last long, get it early...Save, Save, Save! Memberships run from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018. Three OPHC representatives attended the final Zone 8 meeting for 2017 and first meeting for Zone 8, 2018 in Indiana. Meeting started at 10 a.m. Sue Johnson, Mike Schwendeman and Roxann Rohrl attended. Indiana had two representatives, Michigan had one, also N. Michigan had one present. It was approved that the same officers will serve again for 2018. The 2017 Zone By Laws were reviewed, amended, voted on and approved with a few changes. As soon as we receive the revisions I will let you know. It appears we really have just about everything completed. Robin Robinett will be purchasing the awards. We voted to hire the announcer we had last year along with the office personnel. Robin will also be hiring the judges for
this show. Every state club, if committed, will have to supply two workers to work at the show. Gates, ring, helping with trail obstacle’s and game obstacle’s, scribes, along with other show duties. Heather will again be taking the stall reservations and serve as show manager. It was decided not to have prepaid stall reservations. Jeff Race will supply the trail pattern and set up trail decorations. Vanessa will again be taking sponsorships. The showbill was approved with classes and fees. Longe Line and 2 year old classes will be added this year. Everything seems to be set up for the 2018 Zone 8 (Great 8) show to be held again at C Bar C. The Zone Show will be held May 18, 19, 20, 2018. The Indiana Paint Horse Club will again join the Zone 8 a day or two before the Zone 8 Show. Minutes were read and approved. Roxann presented the financial with $1150.04 in the 2018 show account and $8833.95 in the Zone savings account. The APHA Zone Championship Show was talked about. Michigan in 2017 had a Ranch Horse Clinic and an Open Show along with a Paint Show. It was offered to Ohio with first right of refusal…if APHA is again offering this to Zone clubs again for 2018. Roxann will contact APHA regarding this. Check in to the Zone 8 website or Zone Facebook often for the latest! 2018 OPHC Shows: The OPHC Scholarship Show is scheduled for June 30 and July 1, 2018. The Amateur Show is scheduled for Aug. 11-12, Labor Day Weekend Show is scheduled for Sept. 1-2 at Madison County Agricultural Society, Coughlan Arena, 205 Elm Street, London, Ohio. The Buckeye Extravaganza and Premier Paint Sires POR will be held May 4-6 at Champions Center, Springfield, Ohio. Clair Binkowski, of the Premier Paint Sires has approached us regarding having a show before the APHA World Show this fall. An email vote had been sent out to OPHC officers and directors and it was approved. We are currently looking for a place to hold this show. We are currently looking for the weekend before Labor Day or Aug. 25 or 26. I am still hoping that we do have a show over Labor Day because we are grandfathered into that date. The SSA Futurity and the OPHC Halter and Performance Stakes had great entries in 2017 and we really need to build with them.
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Since our director’s meeting is not until Nov. 18, I should have some plans and answers for you for next month.
2017 APHA OHIO ZONE 8 WINNERS CLASSIC AMATEUR: #1 Cory Mathia and Can I Get Your Number, #2 Connie Runkle and So Blazin In Blue; #7, Connie Runkle and Strike N it Big; #14, Destiny Clagg and Jealous Yet; Tie #14 Gretchen Jackson and Ill Be Awesome. MASTERS AMATEUR: #3, Jennifer Heucker with Bigger Yet; #5 Tim Snapp with Scenery; #9 Holly Ebelberger with Good Directions, Tie #9, John Brashear with Starandstripesglory; #10, Tammy Meeks with Imprinted By Allsar; #12, Cindy Snapp with Lean Machine; #13 Mike Schwendeman with SS One Hot Angel; #17 Patricia Wilson with MM Mighty Commander; #20 Kathleen Azzarello with The Easy Invitation. NOVICE AMATEUR: #3, Lisa K Walter with My Lucky Hour; 7th Kathleen Azzarello with The Easy Invitation; #8 Holly Ebelberger with Good Directions; #10 Lauren Johnson with Color Me Blonde; #11 Autumn Salyers with Sheakesdouble shots; #12 Geri Capretta with Seek It all; #16, Emily Caplinger with Paintme Longstockings. OPEN: #8 Tammy Meeks with Imprinted By Allstar; #9 Michael Schwendeman; tie #9 John Brashear with Starsandstripesglory; #12, Andrea Kegley with LX Just Call Me fancy; #19, Connie Runkle with So Blazin In Blue. YOUTH 14-18: #10, Katelyn Armstrong with Fourteenkaretelegance; #13, Violet Romanak with Stylish Zippo. AMATEUR WALK TROT: #5, Misty Mack with Shetakesdoubleshots; #8 Janet Niese with IB The Man In White; #9 Sharon Sue Johnson with MSP Just A Dixie Star, #14 Michael Woolsteen with Heza Good Zippo; #15, Christine Steele with Got An Impulse. NOVICE YOUTH: # 4 Mary Troy with Contender Unreal; #10 Violet Romanek with Stylisyh Zippo; #14 Reba Runkle with Beyond Impulse; #17 Lydia Korikian with Kiss My Zipen Assets. YOUTH WALK TROT: #3 Addison Nalle Icenhour with Scratch This Odds; #6, Landon Siefker with Color Me Blonde. APHA MASTERS AMATEUR UNDER SADDLE HONOR ROLL: #1 Jennifer Heucker with Bigger Yet; #4 Cindy Snapp with Lean Machine. AMATEUR MASTERS HONOR ROLL: #1 Tim Snapp with Scenery. NOVICE AMATEUR HUNTER UNDER SADDLE HONOR ROLL: #3 Lisa K. Walters with My Lucky Hour. OPEN HALTER ALL AGE; #33 Tim & Cindy Snapp with Scenery. PERFORMANCE HALTER MARES HONOR ROLL: #2 Scenery with Tim & Cindy Snapp. 3 YEAR OLD MARES HONOR ROLL: #6 Michael Schwendeman with SS One Hot Angel; #7 John Brashears with Starsanstripesglory. 4 YEAR OLD & OLDER MARES: #3 Scenery with Tim & Cindy Snapp. OPEN JR PERFORMANCE HUNTER UNDER SADDLE HONOR ROLL: #5 Jennifer Heucker with Biggger Yet, #11 Tracy Hull with Too Sexy For My Time.
Always check the OPHC Facebook daily or weekly, this is the fastest way to keep up on our latest news. Heather Strobl is our Facebook Chair. Jill Davis will keep up with the latest on our website, www.ophc.org. Have a grand holiday. See you at the awards banquet. December 2017
December 2017
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Black Swamp Driving Club
Year-End Activities for Black Swamp Driving Club driven dressage test, and how to dress for success when showing. Several vendors were on site offering new carriages, harness, all kinds of driving necessities, bits, beautiful hats and outfits, and all kinds of equine related gifts.
PRESIDENT, Julie Emmons; VICE PRESIDENT, Greg Leidel; SECRETARY & TREASURER, Susan Murray. WEBSITE, www.blackswampdrivingclub.com
by Mary Thomas Perfect weather for driving graced the 2017 edition of the National Drive held Oct. 10-15 at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky. Enjoying the event were Jackie and Mike Minges, Angie and Al Hohenbrink, Bobbe and Hank Polvony, and Mary Thomas. Daily clinics covered all aspects of driving including safety, successfully negotiating a cones/ obstacle course, competing at the World Championships, what to see at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in England, surviving a
Each day drivers had the option of driving two marked courses or finding their own route around the 1200 plus acre park. Three of the world class marathon obstacles and a competition type cones course were available for drivers to test their skill. The dog class drew many spectators and some very well dressed canines. Scattered around the park were trivia questions, challenging drivers about their equine knowledge. Saturday’s Mimosa Drive drew almost all those in attendance. Evenings were spent socializing at the wine and cheese parties.
The best attended BSDC event is always the annual year-end banquet, held this year Nov. 11 at Good Hope Lutheran Church, Arlington, Ohio. More than four dozen members and guests enjoyed the beautifully decorated hall, complete with an antique sleigh provided by Mark Newman. President Julie Emmons called a brief meeting to order to announce that nominations were needed for the 2018 board. She recognized drive hosts for 2017 including the Emmons family, Ron and Sharon Hayhurst, Jeff and Mary Ann Tock, Mary Thomas, Ann and Wayne Leightey, and Sue and Roger Murray. Treasurer Sue Murray gave her report, mentioning that the Corral has a new printer and would hopefully be delivered on time. She will also continue to email and snail mail
announcements to members. Four large tables were set up for both the Chinese auction and the silent auction. For $5, a six foot strip of tickets could be purchased for the Chinese auction. Tickets were placed in bags set beside each item offered. When tickets were drawn, Roger Higgins, Sr., Al Hohenbrink, and Mary Thomas emerged as the big winners. Silent auction offerings drew lots of bids, adding funds to the club treasury. The door prize, a beautiful sleigh model, was won by Travis Emmons. The sleigh was made by students at Tri Rivers Vocational School, Marion, Ohio. Julie Emmons contacted teacher David Willey whose students then designed and built the model. Emmons announced that the students would be glad to make sleighs for anyone wanting one.
Western Reserve Carriage Association
Love, Marriage, Horse, Carriage—Dog PRESIDENT, Kim Stegh VICE PRESIDENT, Diana Beardsley TREASURER, Ann Petersen MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, Henry Rish. WEBSITE, www.wrcarriage.com
by Judy Clark Who better to seek advice about choosing and training a carriage dog than Michelle Whipple? The WRCA alumni is an accomplished whip, who has trained and driven Morgans, Friesians, and her home bred Vanner/Friesian crosses. She also has 30 years experience with all kinds of dogs as the owner of Michelle’s Grooming Emporium and boarding kennel in Clinton, Ohio, and as a breeder and trainer of quality Border Collies. Given the extent of Michelle’s knowledge, we can only scratch the surface of this topic. But, we’ll start with choosing a candidate. Among purebred dogs, Michelle believes the herding and working groups, which are bred to work closely with humans, are a good place to start. Whereas, the hunting and sporting groups, owing to the instinct to spot and give chase to prey, is less likely to be compatible with carriage 28
driving. (We could anticipate a problem driving in open country with a sight hound!) Mutts, mixed breeds, and pound puppies can also be adapted, but may need extra time to learn basic commands and good dog behavior. Of course, the size of the dog and the size of your carriage come into play. (Michelle has driven with a bull mastiff in her marathon carriage!) But, most people favor smaller dogs as carriage companions. And, four-wheeled vehicles and easy entry carts usually work best. A split-seat Meadowbrook probably poses the most difficulty for the driver and the dog to enter and exit. Currently popular breeds of carriage dogs are small to medium breeds like Corgis, French bulldogs, Yorkies, King Charles Spaniels etc, which have a few things in common: Low center of gravity and good balance that helps them learn to adjust their body positions through turns and the up-and-down motion of the carriage. And, desire to be with humans and a bit of couch potatoish temperment. Michelle notes that dogs prone to car sickness probably won’t be able to adjust. The time to start training is immediately. Most puppies are not available until eight weeks
old, when they can be weaned and leave Mom. But, Michelle points out that 6-16 weeks of age is the most intense period of canine learning. Mother dog and littermates have been instilling dog behavior and passing on instinctual behavior from the moment of birth. So, there’s no need to wait until your new acquisition is two or three years old. But, older dogs can also learn, using the same techniques of praise, reinforcing good behavior, encouraging relaxation and calmness, and selective use of eye contact, that they should be familiar with from basic training. One way to start the newbie carriage dog is by placing small treats on the carriage to indicate how you want the dog to enter the vehicle. (Like a trail of bread crumbs!) Spend time in the carriage with the dog (doesn’t need to be hitched at this stage) with one hand on the dog to transfer calm, positive energy. Michelle also has the dog leashed at this point. At some point, add the horse to the carriage (a nonspooky one!) perhaps in the cross ties, so the dog-in-training gets used to that view. Rocking the carriage for motion and sounds can occur at this point, keeping a hand on the leash to keep the dog
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in place should it get alarmed. When the dog seems comfortable with that stage, it’s time to get moving. Michelle recommends driving with one hand, Achenbach style, so as to keep the other hand on the dog, while also sitting on the leash. After a couple rides at the walk, a dog that’s responding well is ready for the trot and eventually moving on to cross country excursions. Michelle says the dogs will start looking ahead at the terrain and bracing themselves and adjusting position in anticipation. At the conclusion of each drive/training session, stop and dismount at a new location, so the carriage dog (and horse) don’t develop their own expectations about what and when things are supposed to happen. Additionally, enlist friends or family members to walk around the carriage while you and the dog are in it. Because of a dog’s territorial and protection instincts, it will, in time, consider the carriage its property and want to defend it. Familiarity with strangers moving around will prepare the carriage dog for a class where judges may be assessing your vehicle and carriage companion. No growling or nipping is definitely a plus! December 2017
Ohio Gaited Horse Trailriders
The Blessing of the Hounds on St. Hubert’s Day by Richard Anderson “Remember, remember, the fifth of November...” commonly referred to as Guy Fawkes Day in Great Britain, when in 1605 a group of Catholic dissenters tried, in a failed gunpowder plot, to blow up the English Parliament. The first Saturday of November is also known for another tradition: the ‘Blessing of the Hounds’, which is celebrated around the English-speaking world as the opening day of the hunt. It is a celebration to kick off the hunt season that begins when the crops are out of the field, and the Master of the Hunt takes his fellow land holders along with their hounds to rid the land of pests, as a favor to their tenant farmers, in order that they may be able to continue to pay their rent. Quite obviously, this is no longer the purpose of the hunt, and it is now largely symbolic of this ancient tradition. But it has become an annual tradition for a religious ceremony to be held on or about Nov. 4, or St. Hubert’s Day, and it is a custom that has survived since medieval times, with its
origin in the belief that, by this blessing, the hounds, riders and their mounts would be protected from disease and petulance. St. Hubert, the patron saint of the hunt, or chase, was born in the middle of the seventh century. His early life was given to pleasures and worldly vanities, and his chief passion was the hunt. At the age of 27 on Good Friday morning, when all of the faithful had repaired to church, Hubert, in open defiance of pious customs, went forth on the hunt. As he was pursuing a stag, the animal turned, and between its antlers was seen to Hubert a crucifix. Shaken by this event, Hubert renounced all of his honors and rank and gave all of his personal wealth to the poor and entered the priesthood. And since his canonization, St. Hubert has been the patron saint of archers, forest workers, hunting, hunters, and hounds. It is also the kick off to the formal fox hunting season (foxes are never killed), which continues until mid-March of each following year. The riders are led by a bagpiper to the blessing field, and during the
Ohio Appaloosa Association
Show Season is Finished PRESIDENT, Kelly Engle Thompson; VICE PRESIDENT, Sarah Koss; TREASURER, June Levy; SECRETARY, Denise Smith. PHONE, 937/725-4862 WEBSITE, www.appohio.com
by Denise Smith The summer months have flown and the club hosted its 11th Annual Dazzling Spots Horse Show at the World Equestrian Center on Sept. 9. I can’t list all the classes and each of the winners so I selected two of my favorites. Jennifer Scholle on Page Me
Phenomenol (aka Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf) placed first in the Costume Class and Jenny LeVan on Zips Graceful Chip placed first in the SSGT Matt Maupin $100 Walk/ Trot Pleasure Class. Although most shows are done it is fall and for us trail riders it’s been perfect. Our club is attentively scheduling a campout and ride Nov. 10-12 at the Spotted Horse Ranch in Laurelville. I’m hoping that we will have good weather through the end of November to get more trail rides and camping in. If you would like to join us, contact us through Facebook Ohio Appaloosa Association. Happy Trails everyone!
Joan Proman receiving a blessing on bended knee from Reverend Margaret LeidheiserStoddard along with a St. Christopher medallion Blessing, each rider dismounts, and on bended knee, receives a personal blessing from a local pastor as well as a St. Christopher medallion to wear around the neck, and is offered a ‘Stirrup Cup’, a centuries old tradition intended to bolster the spirit of the hunt. Following the Blessing, the Master of the Hunt (MFH) takes the hounds, along with the ‘Whipper’s In’, whose job it is to keep the hounds together in pursuit of their quarry. And, following ancient tradition, each hunt is capped
Our Master of the Hunt ,Sally Crane Cox (MFH) preparing to lead the hounds and the hunt into the field following the blessing of the hounds. off by a celebration called ‘High Tea’, where all riders gather together to discuss the hunt and imbibe in libations of their own choice, which to my knowledge has never actually included tea. It is a fun tradition, and one we look forward to every year, and while it marks the end of our trail riding adventures here in the Midwest, it also marks the beginning of the fox hunt season. It is also an opportunity to begin plans for next year’s exciting trail riding adventures.
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Ride In Sync
Training In Layers by Terry Myers If you have ever taken on the task of painting a room that badly needed painted and you are painting over a really loud color, you know that the task is more than just slapping on one coat of paint. To paint a room, you must start with finding and patching the holes and smoothing imperfections. Then you sand, maybe apply more spackle, sand again, prime, and then finally paint a few coats in an exact and even manner. I know this not because I have done it, but because I have watched my wife do it. A paint brush doesn’t seem to fit in my hand nearly as well as a pair of bridle reins (I’m awful at painting). Training a horse is much like painting a room, except it takes a lot longer. To train a horse, things must be done in a logical order, you have to know where your holes are and then train in layers. Like we have talked about in
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past articles, the horse training process starts on the ground. Good ground work starts the learning process and the horse’s understanding that they need to listen to you, as their leader. Like a kid getting on the school bus for the first time to go to school, the horse has to learn to listen and respond. Ground work also builds the foundation of respect and the ability to give to pressure. It prepares them to get ready to ride. I do ground work with all horses that come in for training, regardless of age and experience. Once I am riding a horse and have it willingly moving forward, I ask for small things and then reward the slightest try. The ‘slightest try’ is rewarding the horse for even the smallest gesture or movement that you are asking for. I have heard it said that if you reward the slightest try, you will only get the slightest try. I disagree. Once I get a little ‘try’ from the horse, then I ask for a little more. The progress
may seem small and slow, but this is where training in small layers starts. For example; to teach the horse to start to give to bit pressure, it is not about pulling the horse around, it is about rewarding and releasing the slightest give to pressure. Once they have that idea, you ask for more and more. Eventually you can lightly pick up one rein and the horse will give his face all the way to his side if you want it. I take this approach for all gaits. For example, if you are asking the horse to slow down in the trot or lope, you pick them up and push them into frame. When you feel the rhythm of the feet change and soften, you let them go. Do that a few hundred times and the horse gets the idea. Then you ask them to hold that slow collected gait for more strides, then reward by letting go. Soon you are going around the arena with that light, rhythmic movement you are looking for. All of this illustrates that horses, like people learn in layers. It’s like going on a diet. If you diet for a week and loose a few pounds it is probably not a reason to celebrate. But if you work at it over time, get off the couch to do some exercise, give up the half dozen doughnuts and eat properly, you progress pound by pound, reach your goals and fit into your high school jeans. This happens over time; some weeks you lose many pounds and other weeks you don’t. Horses learn in layers and build their skills over time. Sometimes a horse will seem to learn quickly and then their progress slows as you start to ask for more. I have had horses go a few months without much obvious progress and then all the sudden everything falls into place, like a light turned on. Age and past experiences may determine how a horse learns. In other words, how much do they need to unlearn versus how much do they need to learn. Baggage, bad habits and fear must be replaced with skills and confidence. The bad habits don’t go away, but they are replaced with good habits. The bad habits and fear are still in the horses’ memory, which is why it is easy to slip back into the bad habits (like wanting to eat the half dozen doughnuts). With both people and horses, it is harder
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Terry Myers to forget the bad habits than it is to learn new ones. It takes a lot longer to undo issues and retrain. The point is, horses learn in layers or increments. Sometimes the increments are so small they are barely noticeable. But with patience, time and consistency, the horse’s abilities get better and better. You may only notice how far your horse has come when you look back over many months (or years). Set your expectations in terms of small steps. Think about this, kids go to school for 13 years to graduate from high school and be able to go to work. Or they go on to add 2, 4 or 8 more years of education to become a productive adult. Don’t expect your 2-year-old horse to be trained in a matter of months. Don’t expect your older horse that was never properly trained to unlearn their bad habits in 30 days. One final thing to remember… horses don’t make mistakes, people do. Don’t make the mistake of not truly developing a relationship with your horse. Ranch disciplines are a great way to do that. The effort you put in will be returned many times over. 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 45 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 Myers at www.tmtrainingcenter.com or on Facebook. December 2017
Ohio Morgan Horse Association
Renew Your OMHA Membership Today PRESIDENT, Claudia Grimes; VICE PRESIDENT, Louise Fraser; SECRETARY, Lois Magisano; WEBSITE, www.ohiomorganhorse.com
by Susan Walker December? How did that happen? Did 2017 fly by or what? Of course, I am fudging a bit, because it’s still November as I write this. But Thanksgiving is really
on the doorstep, and Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus, Druid winter solstice rites—all the December holidays, are coming up the front walk right behind turkey day and Black Friday. This morning on my drive to work, the first dusting of snow was clinging to the rooftops and snow flurries were starting to fall again. Winter is coming; ready or not. As for me, definitely NOT ready. Last year was a mild weather winter for the most part. I suppose a second winter of higher than average temperatures and lower than
Central Ohio Saddle Club Association
Congratulations to the 2017 Breed High Point Winners PRESIDENT, Mike Musto; VICE PRESIDENT, Phil Harstine; SECRETARY, Robin Hobdy; TREASURER, Theresa Whiteman; WEBSITE, www.coscaonline.com
by Mandy Dacek Show season has come to an end, and we here at COSCA have already turned our sights to 2018. We have rule proposals for the 2018 COSCA Rule Book both in the most recent issue of the e-news as well as on our website. Please look them over and let a director know your thoughts on them. Those proposals will not become rules until they are voted on at our January meeting. Contact information for our officers is listed here in the Corral and a complete listing of officers, directors and committees is on our website. We will also be working on getting our showbills done soon, so make sure to keep an eye out for those early in the New Year. We will have spotlights on our 2017 award winners in the coming months, but this month I would like to spotlight the many different breeds that compete on the COSCA circuit. We are
an ‘all breed club’ which means we have classes specific to a wide variety of breeds, as well as open, adult and youth classes. During our awards ceremony at our Championship Show, we celebrate the many breeds that are shown on our circuit with breed High Point awards. Some breeds have a rotating trophy that is also awarded, but even without a trophy, all breed high points are honored. Our 2017 Breed High Point winners are (in alphabetical order):
average snowfall is too much to ask for? And I realize that all you skiers, snowboarders, sledding enthusiasts and sleigh owners are wishing for just the opposite. I guess it is up to Mother Nature and Old Man Winter to decide. I unintentionally fibbed in my last column when I promised to write about the annual meeting and banquet this month. If I had looked at a calendar, I would have realized that my deadline was one day too early for that to be true. Next month, I promise I’ll report on the agenda of the meeting, the festivities and the high point awards. Since I’m a bit short of news for this column, I’m going to include a public service announcement. As the year is ending, I’m going to remind you to renew your OMHA membership (and other yearly memberships such as AMHA, USEF, UPHA) sooner rather than later. I know it can be difficult to consider these things in the middle of holiday preparations and that budgets can be stretched at the end of the year. But I’ve also been in the situation where entries for the
first horse show of the year are due, I need to provide copies of membership cards only to realize that all are expired. If you put it on your ‘to do’ list now, or make a resolution to do it during the first weeks of 2018, it will already have been handled. Along with your OMHA membership, go ahead and enroll your horses and equestrians in the club’s 2018 high point program, that way you will be ready to start collecting points from your very first show. I just thought of another PSA… December and January are great months to stock up on peppermints. They are plentiful and can be found in many forms, including candy canes. There are also bargains to be found once Christmas is passed. Happy holidays to you and yours and your animal friends!
APPALOOSA: Heza Star Hunter shown by Mandy Dacek. ARABIAN: Rocks N Rhythm shown by Ryleigh Balan. AMERICAN SADDLEBRED: Extra Classic shown by Teri Shaw. HALF ARABIAN: Orans Dante shown by Griffen Balan and Marge Conner. MORGAN: JPC Walk The Line shown by Natalie Coduto. PAINT/PINTO: Twizted Indigo Effect shown by Jennifer Lowther. QUARTER HORSE: Is He Radical shown by Hope Askew.
Thank you to JEM Photography for the pictures from the Championship Show! We here at COSCA would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. We are thankful that so many exhibitors choose to attend our shows each season! Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year!
2017 breed high point winners. December 2017
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December 2017
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Farrier Friendly
Miniature Horse Hoof Care: Prepare’em, Don’t Scare’em by Bryan S. Farcus, MA, CJF
Training vs. restraining…
Don’t let their size fool you. Many novice miniature horse owners often underestimate the strength and flexibility of their ‘pint sized’ pets. On average, a healthy miniature horse can pull nearly three times its own body weight, display a great range of kick in proportion to their body size and have just as quick, if not quicker, reaction when compared to their full size relatives. When considering goals for your miniature, this should always be foremost in your mind. It seems as though one area of training that is often underestimated or completely overlooked is that of handling for the farrier. Due to a miniature’s small stature it is tempting to assume that a minor restraint will be all that is needed for a quick and easy hoof trimming. However, quite the contrary is true. An ‘old school’ approach to vertical restraint (where the animal is forced into a sit down position with his legs extended out in front of his body, similar to the trimming of sheep) has been passed down as the standard. Unfortunately, history has been proven wrong in this case, as
many miniature horses have often suffered injury with such failed attempts to restrain. Back in the day, many would reconcile the damage or loss of their stock from such procedures as a cost of doing business and usually a replacement animal was easily acquired. By today’s standards, cruelty to any animal is unethical and in many cases considered a criminal offense. Since the maintenance of a miniature’s hooves is not just a one-time deal, it becomes imperative that the method of trimming is safe and farrier friendly for both the horse and human. Taking the extra time to train your miniature to accept the handling process and stand for the farrier can be a win-win for everyone. It is an investment that will pay-off.
Helping him succeed…
A successful first time farrier’s visit for your miniature is important and can set the tone for a lifetime of positive hoof care experiences. Here’s a few tips: • Avoid that ‘get’er done’ attitude. It’s extremely important to allow enough time for the experience. It’s been my experience that the more hurried you are, the more trouble you can get into. Often times, people
have the right lesson but at the wrong time. Plan for practicing leading, standing and picking up feet for a few months, as opposed to a few minutes, before your miniature’s first farrier’s visit. • Harsh restraint, equals unforgettable pain. More often than not, forcing the first time hoof trimming with complete restraint will not always guarantee that he’ll be easy the next time. In fact, it usually serves as an obstacle to overcome, as any pain will override any learning opportunity and all that is recalled by the horse is the incidence of pain. • Be regular, not random. A farrier’s visit should be a regular occurrence in your horse’s life. All horses, regardless of their size, should have a farrier call on them at least every eight weeks. Some may benefit from a monthly visit if they have any hoof issues. • Establish a comfortable work space. This rule is one that will be appreciated by both your horse and the farrier. If the work environment is safe by making sure that it is clear of clutter and free of distractions (dogs or children ‘under foot’, being neither safe nor relaxing), your miniature and your farrier will actually look forward to the next visit.
• Less cost in the long run. It’s always tempting to skip a farrier visit on the basis that you would like to save a little money that month. But, consider the risk and the potential cost of a veterinary visit if your miniature should suffer from any hoof disease that could have been prevented or at the very least detected early by your farrier. Hoof bruising, sole abscesses, or chronic laminitis are a few of the most popular and preventable hoof problems.
Strive for lasting results…
Replacing any quick tactics of restraint with a methodical training technique for handling your miniature will ultimately lead to less risk of injury and that always equals lasting results that you can count on. REFERENCES & RESOURCES: • www.min-horse.org • www.theminiaturehorse.com
Check out Bryan’s new FARRIER-FRIENDLY™ Horse Owner Guides. They will give you a great start to learning more about your horse, his feet and the farrier world. Available at www.amazon.com. ‘Like’ Farrier Friendly on Facebook.
Northern Ohio Miniature Horse Club
A Stormy November Meeting PRESIDENT, Sharon Substanley; VICE PRESIDENT, Karen Taylor; TREASURER, Pam Fritz; SECRETARY, Sharon Schreiner. EMAIL, sharonsubstanley@yahoo.com PHONE, 440/839-9023
by Sharon Substanley Our NOMHC meeting at Georgetta and Steve Meyer’s home near Castalia had us all a little uneasy, as there were severe storm warnings in the area for the afternoon and evening hours. However, we enjoyed our potluck lunch sitting at Georgetta’s tables, beautifully decorated for the fall season. We were pleased to have two guests at our gathering: Julie Thompson and her friend, Don. We always welcome guests at our meetings. 34
Pam Fritz reported that all preliminary work for our 2018 horse show is complete. The revised showbill was distributed to members for a sneak peek. (Thanks to Doug Substanley for the creative and accurate work he does on our showbills). Mark June 3 on your 2018 calendars for our 21st annual show in Wellington. Officers for the new year remain the same with the exception of the job of secretary, which will be taken over by Sharon Schreiner. Thanks to Tiffany Fritz for having been our secretary several times over the years. Pam Fritz remains as our treasurer, Karen Taylor, vice president, and Sharon Substanley, president. The next meeting will be at my house near Wakeman on March 4. Due to unpredictable winter weather, we will not meet for the next three months. I am glad that
Georgetta’s granddaughter, Evie, on Topaz on a summer day. all of the members who attended the November meeting made it home safe and sound. It was a bit dangerous driving in the northern Ohio area due to extremely high winds, which took down trees, poles, and power lines, as well as tearing off roofs. An unusual
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Evie and Shadow on Halloween morning. November day! Hopefully, March will be sunny and mild, but who knows? December 2017
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The Way of Horses
What’s Up, Doc? by Eleanor Blazer Just like Bugs Bunny, many horses love carrots. Luckily carrots are very nutritious and make a great treat. The one thing carrots are famous for is improving sight. This theory got started during World War II. Britain’s Royal Air Force pilots supposedly ate large amounts of carrots. It was said this diet allowed them to see German bombers. But, the truth was the British had a new radar system. The rumor about the carrots was spread to protect the secrecy of the new detection system and explain why the British pilots were suddenly so successful at detecting the German bombers. Despite this early rumor about carrots improving the eyesight of British pilots, they do contain large amounts of beta-carotene, so the story was somewhat based on fact. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which means the body converts it to vitamin A during digestion. Vitamin A is needed for healthy
eyes, mucus membranes, normal bone growth, healthy skin and hair. Horses get most of their needed vitamin A from fresh pasture and top quality alfalfa hay. Grass hay does not contain enough vitamin A to maintain normal levels throughout the winter. Commercial grains are fortified with vitamin A (manufacturers add it to the ration). Carrots will not improve eyesight of a horse that is not deficient in vitamin A. The National Research Council’s (2007) recommendations state a horse, at maintenance activity level, requires 30 IU (International Units) of vitamin A per each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight per day. This means a 1,000 pound horse requires around 13,635 I.U.’s of vitamin A each day. One pound of carrots contains 30,000 I.U.’s of vitamin A. Vitamin A can be toxic if over-supplemented. The NRC has determined the approximate upper safe limit of vitamin A at 16,000 IU/kg DM. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and is not flushed out
Learn More, Earn More, Be More
Babe eating carrot slices. within the digestive system must be allowed to adjust to the new feed. A half of a carrot sliced thin twice a day is a good start. Then gradually work up to several carrots over a period of two weeks. So, if you have a 1,000-pound rabbit in your barn that likes carrots, don’t worry…they are good for him—and you. Proper nutrition and management practices can prevent many problems associated with caring for horses. You can learn how to provide your horse with a better life-style by taking the online course ‘How to Feed for Maximum Performance’ taught by Eleanor Blazer. Visit www. horsecoursesonline.com for more information.
Great Lakes Appaloosa Club
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Annual Swap Meet Coming Up PRESIDENT, Todd Michael; VICE PRESIDENT, Patty McCartin; TREASURER, Patty Nye; SECRETARY, Melanie Dzek; CLUB WEBSITE, www.GLApHC.com
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of the system. The natural beta-carotene found in alfalfa hay, pasture and carrots has not been found to be toxic. The use of commercial supplements that contain vitamin A must be monitored to insure oversupplementation does not occur. Carrots are high in sugar. It is recommended horses with Cushing’s syndrome (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction), insulin resistance or equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSM) avoid being fed large amounts of carrots…or any other treat containing high levels of soluble carbohydrates (sugar). Be careful when feeding carrots so choke is not caused. Slicing the carrots into long thin slivers will prevent a large chunk from becoming lodged in the esophagus of the horse. There have been a few isolated cases of horses acquiring a slight change of coat color when being fed large amounts of carrots… people who over-indulge in carrots can also acquire an orange tint. Once the carrot consumption is decreased the color will revert to the natural shade. As always, when introducing a new feed to a horse, make the addition gradually and over a period of time. The microbes
by Chuck Schroeder Happy Holidays everyone! Many of our members are placing very well at the Appaloosa World Championship Show! I will have a list of World Champions and Reserve World Champions as well as the top ten placings in the January newsletter, as of this writing the show is just finishing. The placings are on the Appaloosa Horse Club website, so check to see how your favorite horse or rider have placed. Congratulations to all who have won Championships and top ten finishes! Looking ahead to 2018, the
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annual Swap Meet will be held at the University of Findlay’s Western Farm on Feb. 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservation forms and complete details are on the GLApHC.com website. This is one of the largest tack swaps in the Midwest. You don’t want to miss it! The annual Quad-A-Rama Appaloosa Show will be held on May 19 and 20, 2018 at the University of Findlay Western Farm. This is always a great place to show your Appaloosa horses in a wide variety of classes for Youth, Non-Pro and Open competitors. The facilities are excellent and it is one of biggest shows in the Midwest. Plan to be there for a fun weekend! Check the website for details. Check the website for year-end point standings. Date and time for the year-end awards banquet and meeting will in the next newsletter. December 2017
Colorado Ranger Horse Association
National Show, Open Shows, Members, Horses and Judges Wanted PRESIDENT, Toni Lukavich; 1ST VICE PRESIDENT, Charmaine Wulff; SECRETARY, Barbara Summerson; TREASURER, Jane Montgomery. WEBSITE, www.coloradoranger.com EMAIL, riderangerhorse@yahoo.com
by Monica Doddato Plans are underway for the Colorado Ranger Horse Association’s 45th National Show which will be held Sept. 15 and 16, 2018 in Lock Haven, Pa. The show offers two days of classes for CRHA horses offering good times for members-riders and non-riders alike. There’s a reunion feel and warm welcome to all newcomers as we enjoy the annual events including the show, dinner and auction. Open
shows for 2018 are also in the works to be held at the Mercer County 4-H Park in Mercer, Pa. For more information as it becomes available, visit our website, www.coloradoranger. com, or find our group on Facebook: Colorado Ranger. Now is the time to join or renew and while you are at it, check your barn for lost Ranger Horses! If you have an Appaloosa then now is a great time to complete the free ‘Rangerbred Treasure Hunt’ form available to download on our website. Submit the form and find out if your Appaloosa can be registered with CRHA. If you’re not participating in our programs—Open Show Points, Distance Riding, Logging and Youth—then you’re missing out on awards and recognition for your Rangerbred. Information and applications for these programs can be found on
Charmaine Wulff and PRR Zip N Brite Eyes earned the Most Versatile Horse-John Morris Award at the 2017 CRHA National Show in Lock Haven, Pa. the Colorado Ranger Association website.
Horse
Finally, all shows CRHA hosts are judged by judges holding a CRHA Judge’s Card and we
are looking for new judges! The CRHA Judge’s Card applications are available on the website as well, please tell your favorite judges so we can add them to our lists.
Add your 2018 Equine Events to the Corral Calendar! Email your information to michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com and put Calendar Listing in the subject line.
December 2017
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View From the Cheap Seats
I’m Going to Cancel Christmas If You Kids Can’t Behave! by Sarah Vas Have you and your siblings ever behaved so badly, your parents threatened to cancel Christmas? I’m about to throw that card on the table with our herd. Mother Nature and Lady Luck gifted us with a delightful summer rolling seamlessly into a mild start to fall. Our herds got spoiled by several weeks of 10 to 12 hours of daily turnout. Absent were the usual late summer fly infestations, scorching mid-day temps, or autumn rainfall and shoe-sucking mud. I thought Ohio was having an identity crisis but she came to and showed up bringing her drab, cloudy, sopping wet, winter gloom after all. We begrudgingly shortened the daily routine but this year, the herd scuttlebutts have occurred at greater intensity than years’ past. Maybe the
gang is especially rattled by the abrupt ending to their recordbreaking run of bucolic pasture freedom. This inevitable loss of unstructured recess time has certainly ramped up undesirable behaviors on the playground. Perhaps I can paint you a mental picture of the highlights? The Mike Tyson—This horse acts on impulse and his teeth are the calling card! He lashes out swiftly without so much as a pinned ear warning. If a herd mate tries to share a hay rack, he bites. If a fellow horse crowds him at the water trough, he bites. If buddies play anywhere near him, he bites. Sometimes, he chomps with no provocation! Every herd mate is subject to his unnecessary nastiness. Hairless bite marks pepper the tops and sides of several herd mates’ hindquarters. It’s obvious the
Christmas — The only holiday that lets you create a Gift Registry for your pony and nobody thinks that’s weird.
Sarah Vas 330-242-3440
Owner/Trainer/Instructor
www.winfieldfarm.com
38
Winfield Farm & Forge 34342 Law Road Grafton, Ohio Coaching and Competition with the Arabian Sport Horse for the Intellectual Equestrian
victims aren’t retaliating because he never has a mark on him. He truly is not liked by any herd mates. He parts the group like a trolling shark through a school of fish. I’ve heard he only gets invited to birthday parties because his mom calls their moms. The Dirty Donkey—There’s an art to heading backwards at full throttle across great distances while raining donkey kicks down on scrambling herd mates. The only thing missing from this scene is the ear-splitting beepbeep-beep sound of a cargo truck in reverse. The exact opposite tactic as the Biter, it’s hard to misinterpret several long seconds of steamroll kicking at machine gun velocity. There’s often spastic squealing involved. If the victim miscalculates how much yardage the attacker can cover while using only the rear-view mirror, the target endures a rapid fire round two of ruthless blows. It’s not a good idea to allow the Biter and the Dirty Donkey to duke it out. The Siamese Twins— This bonded pair don’t truly understand that they can be separated for longer than five seconds. Ideally, they prefer to eat, breathe, and sleep in unison so don’t ignore their primal need to travel to and fro In Sync, In Unison, Like Little Ducklings. Breaking this Golden Rule of Siamese-Ness instigates a herd-wide frenzy of bellowing, scrambling, and the Biter going at it with the Dirty Donkey. Yelling obscenities at the whole bunch only makes me feel better. The Magical Pig—This horse’s single focus in life is to cover the entirety of one’s self with thick, cement-like layers of muck and manure. There is no anatomy safe from his wallowing expertise and his efforts increase exponentially based on my attempts to clothe him against the elements. Thus, his magic trick whereby he manages to smear filth completely UNDER his blankets! Removing his halter requires a large blunt object, three different screw drivers, and a pocket knife as every buckle and clip are entombed in fist-
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
Sarah Vas sized clumps of kiln-fired clay. Grooming is fruitless. The Wrastlers—Yes, I said that with a hillbilly twang. Wrastlin’ is our way of identifying Halter Taggers. Their halters are always chewed, torn, and bedraggled. Fly masks don’t stand a chance. Heads are peppered with nipped patches of hair and they stop eating frequently to start another rousing round of ‘Gotcher Face’. It’s all fun and games ‘till somebody pokes out an eye. I’m kidding. That’s never happened but I have doctored a few shiners, though. The Bull’s Eye—Poor thing, this herd member is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. He just can’t stay out of the line of fire. He’s oblivious to oncoming attacks, too slow to get out of the way, or too stupid to learn from his last crash. Some direct hits are his fault, like when he barrels blindly into the Biter’s bubble. Post-turnout, he’s frequently taken straight to the nurse’s office for today’s unfortunate playground scrape. The Nudist—It’s bad enough slogging through sloppy, mucky, waterlogged paddocks to retrieve stubborn horses. It’s a whole ‘nother kind of annoying searching for dispatched head gear, flung off leg straps, or the alienabducted horse shoes. Nudists stubbornly reject all manner of civilized living by ditching at least one expensive article of your choosing out there somewhere in the pockmarked mess. Especially frustrating is when other horses ASSIST the Nudist in dismantling carefully chosen wardrobe items!
S
December 2017
Ohio Arabian & All-Breed Trail Riding Society
New Endurance Ride — The Twisted Witch PRESIDENT, Mollie Krumlaw-Smith; VICE PRESIDENT, Mickie Newnam; SECRETARY, Maureen Fehrs, DVM; TREASURER, Jo Murray; EMAIL, mkrumlaw@webcincy.com; WEBSITE, www.oaats.org
by Tina S. Ponder I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday with their families, friends and their ponies. Christmas is right around the corner, can’t believe how time flies when we’re having fun running ‘over the river and through the woods, trot fast my dapple gray!’ As the song goes. Cheryl Fenton and Noelle Snyder may not be on dapple grays but they were running through the woods in Michigan at Oak Leaf Run and demonstrating what ‘Endure’ means in ‘Endurance riding’. Saturday, Cheryl started her 50 with dry skies, about an hour later Noelle on Jordan headed out to do 30 and much to Noelle’s chagrin the skies let lose. Noelle said, “it rained and it rained, by the second loop water had started to pool, the trails were sand so they didn’t have to deal with mud.”
Soaked to the bone, “Jordan and I finished our 30 and I won’t lie, I was happy to be done!” They finished in 7th place out of nine. Cheryl came in a soggy 3rd in her ride…Great job Cheryl! Noelle’s clothes and Jordan’s blankets were completely soaked and she just wanted to be done for the weekend. Although she had committed to herself and to the ride manager that she would be riding again on Sunday. Noelle set a goal to achieve 300 miles this year and if she chose to go home now with only 30 miles to go to reach that goal she would regret it. Funny thing is Cheryl and Noelle went to the ride together and honestly, I don’t think Cheryl would have allowed Noelle to come home without completing her miles! Sunday morning came and, “with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, Jordan and I set out to do another 30. About an hour into her first loop the rain started again but now the temperatures were dropping.” Soaked and starting to chill, “Jordan and I hit the last two miles, he put his head down and cranked the whole way back to camp!” When Noelle and Jordan pulsed in they were in 4th
place and they did it...they met the 300-mile goal for the year! Had it not been for a wonderful friendship between Noelle and Leah Palestrant it may have taken longer to reach her goal. Jordan and Noelle have really connected this year, their hard work and the endurance to ‘weather’ through storms has paid off to say the least. Noelle and Jordan, in the words of Kellie Moore-Fryman, “Tally Ho”. Karrie Bruskotter managed and orchestrated her very own ride for the first time and I will have to say she picked a perfect name for this ride, ‘The Twisted Witch’. Karrie couldn’t have asked for a better turn out for her first ride, there were over 80 entries. East Fork offered some challenging trails making it a witch of a ride for some. Karrie did an amazing job even though there were times I’m sure she had rather been on her horse riding. In the 25 on Saturday Mary Chmielewski came in 4th and I came in 6th out of 34 riders. In the 50, Kelly Frank was 3rd and Kristin Puett came in 5th out of 16 riders. Deb Shaffer and Alex Uspenski tied for 2nd in the 75. Two entered Sunday’s 50, Morgan Loomis was 1st and
Noelle Snyder and Jordan, Oak Leaf Run. Photo credit: Kristen Warning, Kristen Warning Photography. winning BC. Shannon Loomis came in 2nd. Thank you, Karrie, for the new ride and hope it’s on the calendar again next year! Please mark your calendars for Feb. 10, 2018 for our Annual Awards Banquet, time and location will be announced when available. Merry Christmas and Happy Trails!
View From The Cheap Seats Continued from page 38
Exhaustive searches are continued on principle until the lost item is located. If it’s a shoe that’s never recovered, we play 1-2-3-Not-It on who’s breaking the news to the farrier. Black Friday—It’s time to come in before dark, now 5 p.m. The herd anxiously circles the drain. For horses complaining about reduced turnout time caused by all things Ohio, they’re sure in a hurry to come back in! There’s always that one horse churning
up a riot mentality about it, too. They’re all clumped angrily together against the glass and I’m that sacrificial employee nominated to unlock the doors for this sea of crazed shoppers jacked up and ready to rumble. I have to throw out my own Dirty Donkey threats or risk becoming a Bull’s Eye. And, so it goes as Ohio cycles through its 17 seasons per year. Boy, you’d think these horses would all behave better this time of year, what with The Fat Guy
In Red coming soon. Be good or you’re all getting clothes for Christmas! Sarah Vas, second generation horsewoman, owns and operates Winfield Farm & Forge in Grafton, Ohio. Even as a selfdescribed Little Guy trainer, her depth of knowledge and list of accomplishments have gained
Would you like the Horsemen’s Corral to be the official publicaaon for your horse club?
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December 2017
the respect of many prominent professionals in the industry. She has quietly worked her heart out finding a niche in the Arabian ring as well as a multitude of other breeds and disciplines. Keep up with Sarah’s schedule, clinic dates, and innovative educational programs via Facebook.
For more informaaon contact Joe or Michelle joe@thehorsemenscorral.com michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
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Dusty Boots Riding Club
Congratulations to Dusty Boots Members PRESIDENT, Holly Carr; 1ST VICE PRESIDENT, Ruth Stimburys; TREASURER, Donna Rohrer; SECRETARY, Deb Koffel; EMAIL, dustyboots@dustybootsridingclub.com WEBSITE, www. dustybootsridingclub.com
by Deb Koffel Dusty Boots would like to congratulate our members on their performances at the 2017 All American Quarter Horse Congress in October. Darlene Morrison from Chargin Falls, Ohio, competed in the EWD Competition (Equestrians With Disabilities). Showing her horse, Delux Little Lena in Showanship, placing 4th overall and 3rd in NSBA. Darlene also showed Shez Leavin Lopin in Western Pleasure, placing 8th overall and 6th in NSBA. Darlene started riding horses when she was 2 years old. She showed 4-H, Open and when her daughter was old enough she hauled her all over the country showing horses. Darlene purchased Lena for herself, until her untimely rare
diagnosis of cancer in Lena’s back. Lena underwent chemo and therapy at the same time Darlene found herself suffering from arthritis. Darlene also recently had a knee replacement. As we girls say, “It takes a lot to keep us girls down,” and this woman did not quit. With encouragements from her daughters, family and friends Darlene competed at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in the EWD competition and also at the Western Pennsylvania Quarter Horses Association shows this year. Congratulations to Darlene and her trainers Carrie Morrison and Jim Hale. Sara Karowick is a new member to Dusty Boots. Sara is from Masury, Ohio, where she lives with her parents, Kelly and Kara Karowick and brother, Koal. They own and operate Gerlock Acres, a boarding and training stable. Sara exhibited Socks Gone Wild owned by Tabitha Sargent from Windham, Ohio. Sara and Cooper exhibited in the EWD Showmanship, placing 3rd overall and 3rd in the NSBA, Hunter Under Saddle, placing 6th overall and 4th in the NSBA, and Champion Equitation
Sara Karowick and Socks Gone Wild, Congress Champion EWD English Equitation. Level 3, placing 1st overall and 1st NSBA. The next thing Sara accomplished was receiving her Congress Champion jacket. Sara was first diagnosed with Touretts when she was 5 years old and it has been an uphill battle. Sara has been riding horses for only 2 years. This spring the family found their current trainer Dawn Koffel Allison, who has made a huge difference in Sara’s life with a positive outlook to her passion of horses. Sara was approved by the American Quarter Horse Association to be an EWD exhibitor. She began exhibiting at the All American Youth horse show where she won both of her classes, Western Pennsylvania Quarter Horse
Darlene Morrison Top 5 and Top 10 showing EWD at Quarter Horse Congress. Association and finally at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Congratulations Sara and Cooper! Congratulations AQHA, OQHA, WPQHA, AAYHA on these fine equestrian programs. Watch next month to see how other members competed at the Congress and also the APHA World show. Dusty Boots Riding Club is working on a lot of new programs for the 2018 show season. Be sure to keep in touch with us to see the new happenings. Check us out on Facebook and also our web page. We would also like to thanks our sponsors Big Dee’s and Schneider’s Saddlery for their never ending support.
Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros
Meet a Valuable Member of the Vaqueros PRESIDENT, R David Davis; VICE PRESIDENT, Brian (Doc) Hric; SECRETARY, Karen Davis; TREASURER, Nancy Virzi. EMAIL, ddranch2@windstream.net WEBSITE, www.lakeerievaqueros.com
by Nancy ‘Go Forward’ Virzi This month I would like to introduce you to a man from our club who most of you know but don’t realize what he actually does. He is my husband Carmen Virzi. Carmen doesn’t ride horses, except when on an excursion on a cruise. He doesn’t shoot guns, but he is a very valuable member of the Vaqueros and my number one fan. He is at the fairgrounds on Thursday night before a shoot right along with Dave, Karen and myself setting things up for the shoot. That includes putting up 40
the exit panels unloading office equipment, sawdust and anything else that needs to be done. On Saturday he gets our horses set up before he starts picking up our Amish balloon setters, starting at 8:30 a.m. He then spends the day at the shoot helping with whatever needs to be done. When the shoot ends he loads up the Amish boys and drives them all home. He goes home and feeds our horses and if it’s not too late he comes back up to the fairgrounds to have dinner and to mingle with friends. Sundays he does stalls at our farm then comes up to the shoot and helps break down equipment and load the club trailer. He does all this and at 76 still works a full time job. Carmen has been a club director for a number of years. He has come up with solutions to a number of problems, one of which is the water trailer that we use to water the arena when it gets too dusty. As my number one fan
he never criticizes my shooting mistakes and always helps me to better my performance, all of which makes me a happy camper. You will see him blowing up balloons for our Friday night fun shoots as well as for our practices and clinics. He is really a very special guy so when you see him tell him thank you. Our elections are over and the results are: President R David Davis, Vice President Brian ‘Doc’ Hric, Secretary Karen Davis,
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
Treasurer Nancy Virzi, Board of Directors: Carmen Virzi, Carissa and Shaun Broennle, John Truman, and Curt Meyers. I want to thank our great sponsors: Uncle Jimmy’s Horse Treats, Steele Rose Horseshoeing, Big D’s Tack Store, Equine Bodyworks, KD Gowins Photography, Puebla Real Restaurant, Parkside Trailers, Trumbull Locker, Warren Family Farm and Home, The Corral, and Lonesome Pines Ammunition. December 2017
Palm Partnership TrainingE
Aids Communication: The Bending Aids by Lynn Palm I have been reflecting on the importance of the turning aids compared to the bending aids a rider uses. This issue is so important, I would like to revisit our discussion of these aids and add some clarification. To review, the turning aids are the outside leg and outside indirect rein, supported by the inside leg and inside rein. Bending is when the horse arcs his body, from the poll (top of the head), through his spine, to the dock (top of the tail). The bending aids are inside leg and inside open rein, supported by the outside leg and outside rein. The inside leg is the bending aid curving the spine from the withers to the dock. The open rein flexes the head inward and curves the spine from the poll to the wither. It is very important for the horse to have the correct body position on straight lines and curves. This puts the horse on his best balance. The rider keeps
her horse straight between her leg and hand aids. The rapport between her leg and hand aids is critical! The aid sequence for bending is: 1) the inside leg just behind the girth, 2) inside open rein, (An ‘open rein’ is applied by turning your hand as if you are ‘turning a key’ to open a door or start a car. Then the hand is moved forward and sideways. Your fingernails should point to the sky, as an exaggerated position to get this correct. Later you will need to exaggerate this as much), 3) the outside leg to support the horse’s hips from swinging out, and 4) the outside rein to control the head and neck from not bending or flexing too far and to keep the shoulder in line of the bend.
Your Next Step…
Let me give you an exercise to practice using the bending aids to keep the horse in proper position on a curve and back to a straight line. It uses an elongated ‘figure 8’ pattern made up of two half-
circles on each end connected by long, diagonal straight lines. Let’s start with learning the aids sequence used when going from a straight line to a turn and returning to the straight line: 1. Start the figure on one of the pattern’s straight lines using even leg aids and rein aids to keep the horse straight. 2. BEFORE the turn use the bending aids (the inside leg, and open inside rein) supporting the bend with the outside leg and outside indirect rein against the neck, 3. As you get to the turn use the turning aids (the outside leg and outside indirect rein) to direct the horse through the turn, 4. BEFORE going straight again use the straightening aids (the inside leg to stop the bending and bring the horse to your outside open rein) 5. As you back get the point of going on a straight line again, evenly apply both leg aids and rein aids as to keep the horse forward and straight.
Lynn Palm The process starts over again before the next turn. Do this exercise at the walk to get the coordination of aids, have more time to do the figure, and give yourself more time to feel the horse’s reactions in response to your aids. When you perfect this at the walk, then repeat the exercise at the trot. As you progress, this figure will be great to advance to the canter with a simple change of lead in the middle of the straight line. Until then, follow your dreams…
TIME T RENEW
Your equine relies on you throughout the year to insure hooves are trimmed or worn shoes replaced. Likewise, OHC relies on you, too. Not for trims or shoes, but membership. Now is the time to renew, or if you’re not a member, join. You are important to Ohio’s bridle trails and the equine programs OHC sponsors through their chapters around the state. Membership runs January to December along with the competitively priced equine liability insurance many members purchase. For your convenience, use the form in this issue of The Horsemen’s Corral or go to ohconline.com to sign up or renew. December 2017
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
41
THE BULLETIN BOARD ANNOUNCER
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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
December 2017
Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc.
Changed Format for the Spring Blossom Ride PRESIDENT, Chuck Fanslow; 1st VICE PRESIDENT, Al Davis; SECRETARY, Kathleen Moss; TREASURER, Mindy Ellis; WEBSITE, www.mtra. org; EMAIL, mtra.office@gmail.com; PHONE, 989/723-1425
by Jan Wolfin September, October and November brought some spectacular riding in Michigan. The weather gave us many days of sunshine, along with a few much needed rainy ones—and the color was beautiful. As we begin our winter riding season, please remember there is often ice under the snow, so be careful on the trail. It is that time of year again, 2018 MTRA memberships are due. Just a reminder, according to our bylaws, a family membership is defined as family members living in the same household, and be comprised of father/mother/son/daughter, and excludes children over the age of 18 or married. If you want to bring your grandchildren on a ride, they are not covered under your membership and will
need for their parents to have a membership. FYI, memberships make wonderful Christmas gifts for grandchildren who love our rides. You will find a membership application form on our website at www.mtra.org. MTRA is busy making plans for our annual meeting at the Evergreen Resort in Cadillac the weekend of March 24-25, 2018. If you are planning to attend, be sure to call the hotel and get your room reservation in. A banquet reservation form is on the web at www.mtra.org. Work bees are on the minds of our MTRA Board of Directors. Until we get to spring and can take an inventory of winter damage, the Board cannot set a destination and project. However, they have set the date for our spring work bee. Please put May 4, 5 and 6, 2018 on your calendar in ink and plan to attend our spring work bee. Details will be announced when available. Our featured ride this month is our annual Spring Blossom Ride. The Board has listened to our members and have changed the format of this ride for 2018. It is not going to be a destination ride (camp to camp). Instead,
The beach at Lake Huron. MTRA has proposed that we spend five days (May 17-21, 2018) at the Luzerne Trail Camp. Please remember that these ride dates have been proposed to the MDNR and USFS but have not been approved yet. Ride dates and locations are subject to change until approved. Approval usually comes after mid March. Many of our riders and their horses are not ready for 25 mile camp to camp rides in May, so this ride will give riders and horses an opportunity to do shorter circle rides to get in shape for the June Shore to Shore rides. Luzerne offers many choices of 5, 10, 15 and 20 mile circle rides. Social activities (such as potluck dinners, pancake breakfasts, games—both with and without your horse, shopping trips to the Amish bakery and Amish stores in Mio) will be planned. Mark from the Luzerne Express
The beach at Lake Michigan. has indicated that the store will be open and will have canoe, kayak and tube trips available plus 4-wheelers and side by sides will be available for rent if our riders want to spend a couple hours exploring the ORV trails in the area. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the social activities for the May ride, please call the MTRA office. Remember, if you are unable to attend all five days, you can pop in on the ride for whatever days your schedule allows. Just be sure your 2018 membership is current. Let’s start the 2018 riding season with a bang by attending the May Blossom Ride. If you have any questions concerning MTRA please contact the office by email at mtra. office@gmail.com or by phone at 989/723-1425.
THE BULLETIN BOARD RIDING INSTRUCTION Yvonne Rodman-Sopata 330-242-3081
• Hunt • Western • Saddle Seat • Driving
www.RodmanStables.com
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December 2017
Winfield Farm & Forge
for your Equine events!
Coaching and Competition with the Arabian Sport Horse for the Intellectual Equestrian.
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PLACE YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE! For more information (419) 742-3200 info@thehorsemenscorral.com 43
A Horse, of Course
Christmas Gifts by Don Blazer Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh; out to buy presents, on the very last day! It’s almost Christmas time, and horse time, and present time. Whenever I think of Christmas I think of the horse that first pulled Santa’s sleigh—after all, Santa started with a horse long before he switched to reindeer. The first horse driven by Santa Claus was probably a Friesian of the Netherlands. I come to that conclusion because Santa Claus is really Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra, whose feast day, December 6, is a holiday for Dutch children. The Dutch called him Saint Nicholas, but in the 1800s New Yorkers got into the holiday spirit, and changed his name to Santa Claus. With that in mind, I always picture Santa Claus driving a
one-horse sleigh pulled by a Dutch Friesian. And the scene makes quite a picture. There’s Santa in his red suit, with his long white beard, and his red cap, and the snow bright all around. And, there’s the Friesian horse, solid black, as all Friesians are. The Friesian and Santa are a well matched pair; both known for being of admirable character, docile, willing, and of cheerful temperament. Now there they go—dashing through the snow delivering presents to all the good little horse-owners of the world. And when they are done, Santa will give his horse Christmas day off, so he can romp and play in the snowy field. A couple of chopped apples, or a few carrots, plus plenty of fresh water and good hay, will make the horse’s holiday a
special treat. But, that still leaves a gift list for the horse lover in your life. Practical gifts which cost $20 or less include brushes, lead ropes, grooming totes, buckets, books, and bottled grooming products. A subscription to a horse magazine, an equine calendar, equine art, gloves and other horse attire could be added to the gift list. Personal gifts may be monogramed halters, tack bags or horse blankets. For the really special person in your life—a new saddle, a pair of chaps, a complete show outfit, or a new truck to pull the new horse trailer! Of course, there’s always the gift card or certificate from a favorite tack store. Sometimes the best presents are thoughtful gifts you can make or do for the horse lover. A scrapbook of ribbons and other mementos that were gathered
through the year is always a cherished surprise. A ‘gift certificate’ for stall cleaning and help around the stable is another gift idea. For the non-horse spouse or family member, who has supported the horse and horse lover all year, a kiss and a promise that they won’t have to attend every horse show next year may be a most welcomed gift! Here’s hoping the man in the red suit and his magnificent Friesian-pulled sleigh bring you and your horses all your Christmas wishes! Visit www.horsecoursesonline. com to earn certification as a horse trainer, riding instructor or stable manager, or work toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Studies. All courses online.
Geauga Horse and Pony Association
Thirty Years of Amazing Riders and Horses PRESIDENT, Niki Barry; TREASURER, Shauna Gingrich; SECRETARY, Elaine Sonnie. WEBSITE, www. ghpa.us
by Paige Belew Winter has officially arrived along with the cold weather and snow. The holidays are coming up quickly so be sure to get your horse something special this year! We are nearing the New Year which means GHPA is gearing up for the annual banquet. This year we are celebrating 30 years of amazing riders and their horses. YOUTH SPOTLIGHT Darcy Brandt rides in the Walk/ Trot ring in the walk/trot classes. She has been riding since she was very little and just started showing three years ago. She grew up with her mom’s horse Trixie and horses have always been a very big part of her life. She shows her horse A Sudden Ovation, or Delaney, in both English and western classes. Delaney is an American Quarter Horse and Darcy loves the bond she has with her. Darcy started 44
out with showmanship her first year and then added English her second year. She currently shows in all of the classes GHPA offers and can’t wait to move up to novice this year. At home she also does a little bit of jumping on her sister’s welsh pony. Darcy loves the feeling of being able to control such a large animal confidently. It makes her feel as if she can conquer anything. She loves showing GHPA because she gets to see all her friends. She loves to stand outside the ring and cheer them on then hear them cheer her on. The first award she ever won was the Sportsmanship Award from GHPA in 2015. This year she won many daily high points and the Walk/Trot 10-18 high point for the year. Last year Darcy won a belt buckle with her name and A Sudden Ovation on it. She can’t wait for next year so she can build an even more solid relationship with Delaney. Good luck as a novice rider, Darcy! Every year GHPA members support families and individuals in need during the holiday season. Please check the website and your email for requested items or donations for this year’s families or individuals.
Darcy Brandt and A Sudden Ovation. As always, GHPA would like to thank Big Dee’s Tack and Schneider’s Saddlery for their generous support of our organization. We really appreciate all that both of these fine companies provide for us. Check the GHPA website, www.ghpa.us, for final show points and updates. You can also find membership forms, rules and links to horse related topics. Information on our two youth groups is also located on the website. The Silver Spurs youth group is run by Natalie Knop.
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The newly formed The Mane Attractions is headed by Melanie Young. If you are interested in joining either of these groups the contact information is available in the scholarship/youth groups section of the website. Join us for general membership meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Geauga County Fairgrounds Education Building. Other ways to follow GHPA—like us on Facebook, Geauga Horse & Pony Assoc.; Twitter: @GHPAhorseshows; Instagram: GHPAhorseshows. December 2017
December 2017
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Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. Member of American Horse Council www.ohconline.com RECORDING SECRETARY Barb Gerard 330/262-4537 secretary@ohconline.com
MEMBERSHIP Del Stanbeck 216/392-5577 dstnback@yahoo.com
PRESIDENT Arden Sims 740/350-2339 president@ohconline.com
TREASURER Jo Ellen Reikowski 330/806-3146 treasurer@ohconline.com
VICE PRESIDENT Eric Estill 513/899-2267 vicepresident@ohconline.com
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Theresa Burke 614/329-7453 newsletter@ohconline.com
OHC CORRAL NEWS Becky Clifton 937/417-4359 ohc.corral.editor@gmail.com corraleditor@ohconline.com
Greetings From Your President I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who attended our General Membership meeting held last month in Delaware, Ohio. We had a very informative and productive meeting. It was very enjoyable for Claudia and myself to see and greet our fellow OHC members some of whom we have not seen since last year. Thank you also to the chapters within the Southeast Region for coordinating a delicious dessert buffet and successful raffle and silent auction. Some highlights from this meeting included a presentation by Penny Passalacqua, Cuyahoga County, on the 100-mile Emerald Necklace End to End Trail Ride, held in celebration of the Cleveland Metro Parks centennial year. Over 225 riders participated in this event. Penny shared with the audience some of the behind-the-scenes planning and cooperative efforts between the OHC chapters of the Northeast region and the land managers.
What a tremendous success! In addition to her presentation, Penny was also the recipient of two prestigious awards. Join me in congratulating Penny on being this year’s recipient of the OHC Merit Award for her tireless efforts in promoting the goals of the OHC. Moreover, Penny is also amongst a select group of OHC trail riders who have been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award for 25,000 miles of trails ridden. Congratulations Penny! In other meeting news, the membership voted to approve specific expenditure to further develop our online membership and upgrade and enhance our data base system following a very informative presentation by Vice President, Eric Estill. Eric along with webmaster, Donn Buckingham and others of the Online Membership Development special committee will continue to keep the membership informed as new enhancements are made.
Join me in extending a warm welcome and congratulations to Catherine Estill for being elected our new State Recording Secretary and to Del Stanback for being appointed State Membership Chair. Both Catherine and Del bring a wealth of knowledge and talent to their positions. I look forward to working with you both in the coming year. In addition, Rick Patterson has accepted the position of Merit Award Chair taking over for Kris Green. On behalf of all OHC members, I would like to say, “Thank you” to both Barb Gerard, our outgoing Recording Secretary and Membership Chair, and Kris Green for their many years of exceptional work and dedication to the OHC organization. Best wishes to you both as you get to enjoy many more hours spent with family and friends! Lastly, I would like to encourage all members to attend our Mid-Winter Planning Meeting scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at
Deer Creek State Park Lodge. The meeting agenda will feature sessions on various topics of interest to chapters such as how to run a successful meeting, how to recruit and retain members, a review of chapter officer position duties for newly appointed chapter officers and much more. In addition, Don Wagner, Trail Committee Chair, along with ODNR representatives will share their OTP presentation with the attendees. A more detailed schedule will be forthcoming soon. Make reservations by Dec. 1, if you wish to reserve a room and attend both days as each day will contain different content. We look forward to seeing you. In closing, thank you for your continued support in my role as your president and I look forward to a productive and funfilled 2018. Claudia and I would like to wish each of you a joyful and blessed holiday. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! ~Arden Sims
as vice president. Ann Pearson will stay on as treasurer...she does such a great job. Cathy Isenberg declined nomination for secretary and Mariah Hicks was elected instead. Our work will continue for another year as these very capable women lead us along new and familiar paths. Congratulations to all! Our end of the year party is scheduled for Nov. 11 at Scooter’s in Andover. We are expecting 39 diners and have purchased a Christmas gift for all. There will be a buffet and an open bar and everyone can relax with nothing to do but attend and enjoy. Hopefully, we will also decide about the family we will adopt on Santa’s behalf. We do this every year which reminds
me again of how generous our chapter is and how much we contribute to our community. While we promote safe trail riding in the county, we are also civic minded people with really good hearts. The work on the Hatches Corners Park is moving along and several volunteers have put in many hours of effort to make the project a success. Thank you to Ruth Howell for organizing the work committee who are making horse friendly changes to the landscape. Most recently, several poles have been set with helpful information for riders navigating the terrain. This team has come out in good weather and in bad to refurbish the landscape for riders to enjoy. This is a longtime dream
in the works, especially for those who live close to the park and will really benefit from its completion. We are all very happy about the progress and the future of this ‘happy trails’ endeavor. I will close with that sentiment till we meet again next month. ~Jenny Walsh
County Lines ASHTABULA Where did the riding season go? I know it was just here and now it appears to have vanished... for most of us. Of course, we are looking forward to next year and forming plans for that transition. We are already discussing the spring dance and tossing around names of possible bands to entertain club members, guests and local participants. This is always such a fun event especially because it signals that winter is drawing to a close. Gotta love St. Patrick’s Day. We had the election of officers on Nov. 1 at our regularly scheduled meeting. Kathy Braden will remain as president and Pam Champlin will continue 46
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ATHENS The Athens County Chapter of OHC had a potluck and meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at Red Bird Ranch aka Lackey’s Party Barn in Guysville. There was a lot of good food, including turkey, noodles, potatoes, cranberry chutney, rolls and desserts. There were some possibly healthier sides of roasted vegetables and quinoa December 2017
County Lines spend time with their horses. Our first meeting of the New Year will be on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at a location yet to be determined. Members should check their email for details. Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~Stacia
Dancing at November meeting.
Gerry Hilferty and Wayne Boyd at Stroud’s Run. casserole, too. There was music playing in the background. A younger member, Stella Rose and her friend, danced. Some of the older folks joined in for some line dancing. We managed to renew memberships and hold an election of officers when not eating or dancing. At least one guest, Kathy Gilmore, became a member. The results of the election for 2018 officers were as follows: President Bonnie Lackey, Vice President Una Gilfert, Treasurer Jackie Fokes and Secretaries Jenny Lance and Lisa Nelson. Jane Jacobs and Angie Pyle will be our meeting and event planners. I will continue as Corral Reporter. I assume Robbie Shields will continue as election chair. We will still need a member to coordinate trail rides. On Oct. 14, several members including Lisa, Angie, Jackie, Gerry Hilferty, and I participated in a fundraising trail ride at Zaleski State Forest in support of a local renewal levy to provide services for people with developmental disabilities. We were asked to make a minimum donation of $10. The ride was organized by Tami Harter and her husband, Heath. About 30 people and horses enjoyed a two-hour ride. We were treated to soup beans and cornbread afterwards. Approximately $500 was raised. Some members have been working on clearing the Pete Smith Trail at Stroud’s Run State Park. Jerry and Wayne Boyd from the Meigs Chapter spent quite a bit of time and effort removing a large fallen tree from the trail. In addition to clearing trails, members continue to attend clinics, practice drills, attend shows, camp and just December 2017
CARROLL The end of October turned out to be a beautiful time for riding. Some of us spent nearly a week at Hocking Group camp. It rained at some point almost every day with the heaviest rains coming at night. We rode rain or shine. Actually, I was happy for the chance to try out my new raingear and it works great! Others rode at Jefferson Lake, Beaver Creek and Harrison. The leaves were turning at Harrison and it was very pretty. Kathy and Terry Ross were camping at Harrison for two weeks. Terry did some hunting and then Terry and Kathy worked clipping trails and enjoyed trail riding. Four of the Ross grandchildren spent the weekend happily riding the horses and riding their various pedal toys on the oval blacktop. It was a great carefree weekend. Carroll County should have its officers elected for 2018 and the annual holiday party will have been held Dec. 2 by the time this newsletter arrives. Mary Borland with the help of Theresa Hepner, planned the affair. Past experience with Mary and her committee indicate the party was great. As Corral reporter, I encourage members to share news, interesting trips, new animal information, interesting vacations, travel horror stories, advice, horse related pictures, stories about how members became interested in owning a horse and anything else of interest. This month Kristen Davies sent me pictures of her new horse Hondo and her story of just how she acquired him. I am sharing the story pretty much as Kristen wrote it. ‘In mid-August, I had gotten my fill of excitement riding colts and decided it was time to go find an old broke horse to replace the two young ones I had just sold. My first horse was a grade Paint horse named Hollywood. He was the perfect horse for me. I bought him when he was 15 years old and lost him to cancer when he was 25. In the 7 years since he passed away, I have been through quite
Hondo with JT. a few horses looking for one that I really clicked with that had the conformation I like, and would put up with all my attention. When it got too hard to find Paint horses I was interested in, I transitioned to Quarter Horses since there are just so many more of them to choose from. I was at the point where I was done settling. I had my heart set on a stocky, dependable, teenage Paint Horse gelding. I searched and searched local ads, online and in papers and asked all the horse people I knew. Nothing. All I could find, within a reasonable four hour drive, were too young or green or too fine-boned even with looking up to $3500. Naturally I started expanding my search. I even recruited my boyfriend to help in the search. The next night he sent me a Craigslist ad for a Paint Horse that seemed perfect. I read and re-read the ad looking for a detail I missed that would rule him out. Then I saw the location was Oak Grove, Missouri, approximately 800 miles from home in Carroll County. My friend said “Well, we are both off work the next few days. That’s not that long of a drive.” I texted the seller. She was refreshingly honest and up front about his quirks. “Sometimes he’s not too sure about water and he doesn’t back up under saddle.” While she was talking about him, I realized he was exactly what I was looking for and his quirks weren’t deal breakers at all for me. The seller sent a few more pictures to give me a better idea of his conformation. On only five pictures, a bunch of text messages and a gut feeling, I told her we would be out the next day to take a look at the horse. We hooked up the trailer and hit the road early the next morning. When I test rode the horse, he didn’t even make it five steps before I knew he was the one. Wanting to be absolutely sure and not seem like too eager a buyer, I rode him around for about 15 minutes. His trot was the smoothest I’d ever ridden,
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Hondo in the pond. even smoother than the handful of gaited horses that I’ve known. I was in love. He was friendly, smart, willing, and responsive exactly what the seller had described and he was gorgeous! After a night’s sleep, we went back to the seller’s and picked up my new horse. He had not been hauled much before but he hauled like a champ for several hours. We got him home and settled in my barn. His registered name is RS Hanky Panky but I’ve given him the barn name of Hondo. Hondo has started getting the hang of backing up under saddle and he absolutely loves water. My favorite thing about him is that he still meets me at the gate every time, even right after a long ride. I think I’ve found a keeper.’ Thank you, Kristen, for sharing Hondo’s story. When I was a child, I prayed for a black horse every year for Christmas. I always went to the barn full of anticipation, but it never happened. I have since learned the color is not really important. In my 60s, I had a black horse. However, I still say if you only have one horse, it is nice if you like its color but the overall horse as a partner is the most important thing. I love my little bay Morgan! Merry Christmas to everyone. ~Ronda Urbank CLARK Holiday Greetings from Clark County. At our October meeting we planned the Christmas party that will be at Polly’s home. Thank you Polly for being so kind to invite us. December 3 is the day of the gala. The council will provide meat, lasagna and beverages. The rest of the bountiful meal will be brought by members. We decided to use Perfectpotluck.com again. A gift exchange and time to visit will round out our evening. Election of officers took place at the November meeting. Results 47
County Lines COLUMBIANA
Grandkids Day.
Working Pork Chop booth at Clark County Fair. will be in the January 2018 issue of Horsemen’s Corral. Pictures from the fun day spent working in the pork chop booth at the Clark County Fair were not included in the October issue. I submitted them again so you can see the happy volunteers and hungry fairgoers. We have received OHC membership applications for 2018. We encourage our current members to continue being a part of our great group and to invite new horse people to join. The first meeting of 2018 will take place on Thursday, Jan. 11, 6:30 p.m. at Hustead Fire/ EMS Station. Besides announcing the council officers, we will start planning our calendar for rides, camping weekends, trail maintenance as well as other projects we hope to complete. It’s a cold rainy evening as I write this. I had to turn on the furnace so my 20 pound dog is comfortable. Three weeks until Thanksgiving and seven until Christmas. These anticipated events will be here sooner than I can imagine. Until next month, warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Clark County OHC. ~MaryEllen CLINTON Hard to believe that we are already writing for the last month of the year. It’s been such a mild 48
Popcorn and kids. fall and we really don’t want to think about the cold winter months ahead. Be sure to be prepared for our equine friends when the temperature starts to drop below freezing. Horses drink a lot of water when it is cold and it is imperative to their health and wellbeing to have ample amount of fresh drinking water at all times. Many don’t use the heated buckets but just check the buckets twice a day to make sure they haven’t frozen over. This is a simple task that keeps the vet away. Clinton County OHC will be participating in the Wilmington Holidazzle Parade on Nov. 26. We try to do this annually as long as the weather permits us. Not very safe to ride on wet pavement so although it is a fun event, safety takes priority. I hope we can provide pictures in next month’s article. We had one last group campout/ ride back in October and included the grandkids. There was a lot of smiles when Marion Landis brought out her pony Popcorn to take all the kiddies for rides on the cart around the campground at Caesar Creek. The weather was awesome and a good time was had by all. Like all chapters, November is election time for us so we wish everyone success in obtaining your choice of officers. I have had the pleasure of being an officer for Clinton County for three years now and have enjoyed it. I encourage anyone who has the desire and devotion to make a difference for your chapter to run for office. I hope everyone has a very merry holiday season! Happy trails! ~Ann Elliott
We’re counting our blessings in Columbiana County! The Halloween Weekend/ Membership Drive was a huge success! We couldn’t have ordered better weather than what we had. This played a major role in the phenomenal turnout we enjoyed this year. This event has never been meant to serve as a fundraiser; however, the hard work of our faithful members knocked it out of the park this year and the generosity of our appreciative guests was overwhelming! The final numbers aren’t in quite yet but it looks like we quadrupled what was reported last year! The new Haunted Forest walk was tons of fun and received rave reviews! We want to extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to every single volunteer who played a part in ensuring the success of this event and also to everyone who attended in support of our club. An event this large requires our volunteers to dedicate countless hours in the days and weeks leading up to it and then another full day at the event. I know that I personally started that day being delirious from weeks of sleep deprivation and was so busy setting up that morning that I never even got the opportunity to go back to the trailer to change my clothes or brush my hair! I apologize to anyone who visited the membership drive tent. Thankfully I brushed my teeth before I left the trailer that morning! Being that busy is a great problem to have! On a more serious note, we are extremely fortunate to have a fantastic group of members who are willing to jump in wherever they are needed and who realize that no one job is any more important than another. It takes a team regardless of the projectat-hand and I’m proud to say that I’m a part of this team here at Beaver Creek! Upon my return from the Halloween weekend, my energies were immediately shifted to begin ramping up for our annual fundraising event which easily requires the same amount of time and planning as the Halloween event. At some point between now and then I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to catch up on a little sleep. I’m writing this article at 2:45 a.m., and at this point am merely trying to convince myself that sleep is overrated. Just for
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the record, I haven’t bought into that theory yet! On behalf of our trail committee, I scheduled and attended a meeting with Ken, Ed Trushel and Karl from the main park office on Oct. 28. We met at the horse camp to discuss the upcoming repair and/ or replacement of the tie lines in the horse camp. The cable and hardware for this project have already been purchased and we requested and obtained written quotes to have the dozer work performed to allow proper drainage from under the tie lines. Karl indicated that he has worked with the Harrison and Carroll County Chapters on similar projects and, based on that experience, highly suggested that we use slag for the footing under the tie lines. Ed and Ken measured and determined a materials list and Ken has a price quote for the purchase and delivery of 160 tons of slag to be used under the south and east tie lines. It was at that meeting Karl surprised us with the announcement that the park office has committed to providing the footing material for the reserved tie line. We are extremely grateful for this unexpected act of generosity. The work to perform this maintenance is scheduled to be performed sometime late winter or early spring. Be on the lookout for us to announce the work dates and more details. This is a very large project that will require equipment rental so we plan to schedule it as an entire weekend project (both Saturday and Sunday) and we’ll need as many volunteers as we can get. We’re hopeful that this will serve as the perfect opportunity to accommodate the schedules of those who cannot typically participate in workdays due to Saturday obligations and allow them to participate and/or contribute as they desire. We are very excited about this project and hope you are too! We will continue the longstanding tradition of participating in the Lisbon Parade which is Saturday, Dec. 2 this year. We have confirmed interest of riders and horse-drawn carts that will be proudly representing our club. We always enjoy this event but ask that you please join us in prayer for mild temperatures (and also that the coordinators remember to place us away from ambulance, firetruck and other entries with sirens). December 2017
County Lines Save the Date: The 4th Annual Night at the Races is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at the VFW in Washingtonville. Please make plans to join us for what is always a great evening of fun! We’re currently seeking race sponsors and the horses are on sale now! We added two extra races last year to accommodate the demand we had for horses; however, we found that it works better if we stick to the suggested 10 races. Please keep in mind that there will be a reduced number of horses for sale this year and be sure to act quickly and get yours before they’re gone. More details will be announced as the time gets closer. ~Kim COSHOCTON Howdy fellow horsemen, the dreaded old man winter is fast approaching and I’m not a fan or it. To all club members—it’s time to start tallying up those miles and maintenance hours and get them turned in. I missed the last club meeting due to being on vacation at Mammoth Cave horse camp so I have no information on a time and place for our Christmas party. Hopefully if anything was decided on it will be in our newsletter. Along with the winter season
Last year’s ride and roast. December 2017
comes the closing of our trails. We close the park to equines on Dec. 31 and we do not re-open them until April. Hurry up and get a few last rides in before the gates close. ~Gigi CUYAHOGA The seven Cleveland Metroparks Reservations that contain Bridle Trails were overwhelmed with horses and riders….over 246 riders this summer attempting to ride 100 miles to celebrate the Metroparks 100th Anniversary! The park managers and their crews had put forth every effort to make the trails and parking areas ready for them. New friendships were formed as riders rode with members offering to guide them on any unfamiliar trails. Organized rides were also held. It is possible to ride from Rocky River through Berea, North Royalton on up to Brecksville. Then down into the Cuyahoga Valley and ride the Tow Path along the Ohio Canal until just upstream from the Wilson’s Feed Mill where it connects to the Bedford Reservation following up Sagamore Creek. Many riders parked and camped at Jack’s Place (named after the park crew member who mowed it) to ride the Loop of the River or rode on to Richmond Road where the trail connects to the South Chagrin Reservation. A new horse trailer parking area on Richmond Road opened in time for the three day event held at the Polo Field in October. Every November we look forward to our meeting at Look About Lodge in South Chagrin Reservation. The lodge is the ultimate meeting place as it is a log cabin…a really neat cabin in the woods. We enjoy a potluck dinner and bring a dozen or so cookies for our park cookie appreciation day. Check out our Cuyahoga County OHC website for details of future events. No meetings in December so our members can enjoy family. Be sure to renew your membership now! This also makes a great gift for your friends—just be sure they sign the form. Plan to join us for our Emerald Necklace End to End Ride Award Dinner at noon on Jan. 28, 2018. Reservations required. More information to follow but save the date! ~Margaret Wolfe
DEFIANCE Hi everyone, I hope you all are enjoying this cold damp fall weather (just kidding of course). John and I went down to North Carolina, and were basking in the sunshine and the 80 degrees weather. We were also babysitting three young grandchildren, and the oldest had just turned 7. Oh my, he thought that made him a big boy. I was sending pictures back on Facebook, letting everyone know how nice and warm it was. The only kicker was I had to get up at 6:30 a.m. to get the kids ready for school. Now anyone who knows me knows that getting up at 9 a.m. is early for me. But you know I enjoyed every minute of it, and it broke my heart to say goodbye. As we were coming back home driving through the mountains all the trees were showing off their fall colors. Now I know there is a scientific reason for all of it, but seeing the mountains, and the valleys, and everything, it just made me thank God for all the beauty. Here it is, the last month of the year and the last article I am writing. John and I have decided to cut back on our commitments, meaning we will still be members, and hoping we can do more with the council this coming year. I welcome Deb Hubbard as our new Corral writer, and I am sure she will do a fine job. I am going to start part time at the place I work, and I hope we can find more time to enjoy our horses, and each other. I am excited with this new adventure, who knows, maybe you will see me on the trails this coming year when the weather gets nice. We have a member of our council who I admire very much. It does not matter what
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River Ride.
October Salt Fork Ride. the weather is, if she can she is going riding. Her name is Teresa Roughton, and her and her husband Kirk did a fall ride at Salt Fork. She said the trails are well marked, and this might just be a good place for our council to do a summer or fall ride. Our council will once again participate in the Christmas Cruise Thru. If you’re not busy the Dec. 9 come on down to the Hicksville Fairgrounds and cruise through and look at all the Christmas lights. I don’t know who gets more excited over the Christmas lights, the kids or the grandparents. Michelle will bring her pony and we are planning on selling baked goods. We want to congratulate Nancy Schroeder and Bridget Russell on receiving their 1000 mile park and trail patches, Vicki Solly on receiving her 1000 mile and John Colley on his 200 miles. Way to go all of you. In closing, I want to wish all of you a Blessed Christmas and a Healthy New Year. See ya on the trails. ~Connie Hasch DELAWARE Happy December everyone! Wow! I can hardly believe that 2017 is almost over. It has certainly been a very funfilled and satisfying year for our chapter. For instance, this year saw our intrepid trail maintenance crew working on several major trail improvements on each of the four main trails at Alum Creek State Park. Using the money awarded to our chapter through the OHC Matching Grant program along with the generous contribution from our business sponsor, Cashman’s Feed of Delaware, our trail crew accomplished the much-needed improvement of the Winterhawk West trailhead. Another business sponsor, Champion Feed & Pet Supply, donated funds towards improvements along Maple Glen trail. We are also looking forward 49
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Trail maintenance crew, 2017.
2017 Champion Feeds sponsorship sign.
Frank Baxter at Soggy Bottom Trail repair, 2017. to continuing our collaboration with local Delaware Boy Scout troops, specifically Eagle Scout candidates, in the coming year. As of the writing of this article, one last project for 2017 along Maple Glen trail is awaiting completion by Eagle Scout candidate, Brayden Creasap. Highlights of additional club activities throughout this year include mention of our two chapter rides, one held an early spring event at ‘The Flats’ and the other, a three-day event, ‘August at Alum-Chapter Ride and Potluck’. The August ride and campout was made extraspecial by the contribution of our resident auctioneer, Bob Sweeney, who helped to make an already fun Saturday evenings auction a resounding success for our treasury as well. In addition, club members and guests also got to enjoy the festivities under the nearly completed shelter pavilion at the equestrian campground. Two trail obstacle and fun day events were held at the home of Dan and Sherry Chambers in June and October. Members got to 50
enjoy a day of learning as riders schooled their equine partners through a variety of obstacles with Dan’s help and guidance. This summer also saw several members take part in a cutting horse demonstration clinic. Members got the opportunity to experience working a mechanical cow aboard a finished cutting horse courtesy of professional cutting horse trainer, Jack McDonald. Community outreach and service projects were also accomplished this year. For example, several members volunteered their time on four separate occasions to complete our club’s community trash pickup along our adopted mile of SR 36/37. In addition, Mike Schott and Ruth Kimpel shared their equine partners in a ‘meet and greet’ with the public at the family-fun day event, ‘TouchA-Truck’, hosted by Alum Creek State Park. Of course, our members did find the time to get out and enjoy the trails either riding or driving. As we near year’s end, several members have accumulated quite an impressive tally for the number of trail miles ridden. Places ridden range from close to home locations such as Alum Creek State Park or Prairie Oaks Metro Park to as far away as Iceland! In current news, several members including all of the officers, attended the November General Membership meeting held at the Eagles Lodge in Delaware. Highlights from this meeting will be featured in next month’s article. Speaking of meetings, don’t forget to mark your calendars to attend the OHC Mid-Winter Planning Meeting scheduled for Jan. 20-21 at Deer Creek State Lodge. Sessions pertinent for chapter officers and all members will be featured including several guest speaker presentations. For more information about this event and how to make overnight reservations, visit ohconline.com. As you can see, members of the Delaware Chapter sure are a funloving, friendly and hard-working group of horse enthusiasts. Come join us at one of our monthly meetings or ride with us at Alum Creek State Park. Like us on Facebook at Delaware County, Ohio Horseman’s Council.
ERIE Greetings from Erie County! Our October schedule started out with the second largest club event of the year. Erie Metroparks host an annual Harvest Festival for the community. In cooperation with the Metro Parks, our OHC chapter puts together a petting zoo. We share our horses, mules, donkeys, goats, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, mini horses and babies. The favorite part of the petting zoo is the horse and mule rides. This is no small feat, as it takes seven people per horse to accomplish this safely. From the walkers to the helmet fitters, our club makes a lot of children smile over two days. This year we figure about 720 children were smiling, as many were riding their very first horse or mule. The next weekend a campout was scheduled at Beaver Creek. This is one of my favorite riding spots especially in the fall. I love the trails, the hills, and the many river crossings. This is the first time I have missed this ride. But I heard everyone had a great ride. Lynn and Tim left Beaver Creek Sunday to continue on to Brown County. What a great time of the year with perfect riding weather and fall colors. I bet Sparky thought he was on an endurance ride! Members shared a day ride together at Hinckley the following weekend. The Ohio weather brought out more fall colors to enjoy. Our last campout at Edison Woods was rained out the weekend before Halloween. But a few members decided to still celebrate with a pot full of chili and an evening of great fellowship. As you read this it is hard to believe it is December already. Trail miles have been turned in and new officers have been elected. Plans have been made
Until next month, wishing everyone and their equine partners a blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~Theresa Burke and Prada HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
Beaver Creek.
Harvest happenings.
Hinckley ride. already for our annual Christmas party! We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Be ready to ride New Year’s Day! Happy Trails, ~Shelley FAIRFIELD It is Nov. 1 as I sit reflecting back on my summer and looking forward to the unavoidable winter ahead. October can be an awesome month to ride and camp with it’s cool evenings and warm afternoons. It can also be cold, wet and gray. We have had both this fall with very little time to adjust between the two extremes. First weekend in October a few of our group headed south to the Knott County Kentucky ride. They were joined by 3000 of their closest friends. If you can ride it or drive it, I’m told it was there. Good riding I’m also told once you find your way out of camp, but the best part of the week was people watching. I was supposed to go, but a small hiccup with my truck kept me home. It is definitely on my list of things to do next year. The week of Oct. 9 was the Fairfield County Fair; the last fair in Ohio. Several of our members had grandkids participate at the fair in a wide range of activities. From what I observed, they took home more than their fair share of ribbons and trophies. Congratulations to all! Fair week was not one of those awesome weather weeks. December 2017
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Barb and Phil.
Spirit of Halloween by Diana Burton. Rain and mud were not in short supply. However, being the good neighbors we are in Fairfield County, we took one for the team so to speak so our neighbors at Circleville could have a beautiful week for their pumpkin show. You see the theory is, we have a good weather week for the fair and they have a bad week for the pumpkin show or vice versa. I hate to say it, but it generally seems to works that way. Moving on. On Oct. 14, I personally headed west to south central Kansas. I was given the privilege of judging the GSPCA National Amateur Gun Dog stake event. The original AKC trials were originally for foot handlers. In 1966 the AKC regulations were amended to allow horseback handling. This was such a popular decision that participation in AKC Pointing Breed Field Trials soon doubled. These German Shorthair Pointer bird dogs are handled from horse back for this amazing field trial event. The weather was perfect and the dogs outstanding to watch. Here is a number that might make some pucker. Over the course of six days I rode 190 miles and enjoyed every minute of it. Worst part of the week, the drive home. The same week I was in Kansas, several of our members and their friends headed to the ‘Land Between the Lakes’ in western Kentucky. I have only limited feedback, but knowing this bunch they had a great time. Remember the pumpkin show? I hear Laura McGuire (who stayed home) had a great week with almost perfect weather. Riding in the fall is prime time to watch the leaves change color. December 2017
Popular chimney Halloween ride.
log
at
This fall may not have been the best color show we ever had, but it was still much better than sitting on the sofa watching TV reruns. Several of our members spent time at Hocking, Zaleski and other parks in southern Ohio soaking up the annual fall event. Our last official OHC ride took place at Hocking State Forest over the Halloween weekend. Thursday and Friday were great days to ride. Then it turned cold and rained. Camp fires became the main focus of activity on Saturday. After the traditional potluck supper on Saturday evening, everyone gathered around a large chimney log fire. June Streitenberger had hand crafted Halloween related gifts for everyone in camp which were distributed by way of a lottery ticket drawing. Several opted to head home early from the Hocking ride and by noon on Sunday the camp became a ghost town. Get it, Halloween/Ghost Town. Guess you had to be there. Our OHC only has one more event scheduled for 2017. That is our Christmas party on Dec. 3. I’ll get pictures and bring you more information in the January issue of the Corral. We also held our election of officers at our November meeting. I’ll bring you the results also in the January issue. It has been a wonderful summer but it went way too fast. I’ve enjoyed sharing my memories with everyone that reads this column. Be safe and enjoy the holidays. ~Chris FULTON The rain, the mud, the wind; yup, it’s fall here in Northwest Ohio. The leaves are changing but it’s been so wet and rainy that it’s been hard to get out and enjoy them. Does scooping them out of the water trough count? Start thinking about how you’ll decorate your entry for the Best Decorated Christmas Stocking
Model horses have their own horse shows. Contest at the annual Christmas party! The party is at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 at the PFA located at 2675 Shadel Road in Whitehouse. Also, dig out your ugly Christmas sweater and wear it. Is this a custom borrowed from the Brits? Are we all going to look as good as the Royal Family? Emily, you bring your Corgi and I’ll bring mine and we’ll put ugly sweaters on them, too! That first weekend in December is busy; rest up on Saturday everyone, as that Sunday, Dec. 3 is our first annual Tack and Swap Meet at the WB Ranch on County Road B near Swanton. It’s time to clean out your tack room so your stuff can go into someone else’s tack room. That’s how this works, right? Check out the Fulton County OHC’s website, fcohc.com, for more information and booth rental. It’s a heated arena so come on out! The annual New Year’s Day ride will be on Feb. 24. No, wait; that’s a joke! The New Year’s Day ride will be on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2018, of course! Just seeing if you’re paying attention. Once again, bring food, ride out of Tammy Royer’s at noon, come back in a couple hours, and then eat the food. That’s how that works! One thing I think I forgot last month—congratulations Tammy on winning the Mohican Chili Cook-off back in September! Today was the State meeting; I decided to stay on my couch instead of trekking down to Delaware. I know, I know. But I’m glad I didn’t have to drive down in the rain. I know some of our brave members did that;
John at a horse show.
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Mohican chili cookoff winner. we’ll hear what they had to say at the monthly meeting. That’ll be for next month. Until then, Happy Trails! ~Trina GEAUGA Now we are at the end of the year with thoughts of the holidays to come. To one and all the Geauga OHC wishes everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! What a great day for a regional ride; Oct. 14 dawned bright and clear to welcome 23 riders to the Geauga OHC Regional Ride held at The West Woods. You couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. We even had riders from Lake and Medina County. Everyone had a great time and were joined by others to make 30 people at a wonderful lunch of Bratwursts and corn on the cob cooked over a fire, and with lots of carrots and apples (supplied by Lisa White and Sue Lundstrum) for our four-legged friends. Thank you to photographer Michelle Householder for taking pictures. There was a raffle for a picture portrait of rider and horse which was won by Cathy Vella, and it just happened to be her birthday. A big applause to Cec Hanish for organizing and implementing this event, and deciding not to have the usual pizza for lunch. A job well done. A big thank you also goes to our Chefs John Hanish and Jim Blotnick. Thanks also to Sue Mulhall, Dee Craig, Linda Dion, and Catherine Ullman for helping to set up and take down at the end of the day. And thank you to all who brought side dishes to share. We have had the pleasure of having a great website designer with lots of computer knowledge, but due to conflicts she has decided to step down. Thank you Cindy Wynne for the wonderful job you have done for Geauga OHC, your expertise will be sorely missed. We would like to extend our 51
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Geauga OHC Regional Ride deep gratitude to all Cuyahoga OHC for hosting The State Ride an outstanding event at the Polo Fields South Chagrin Reservation and to the Cleveland Mounted Rangers, Rich Bradshaw, and one awesome lady Penny Passalacqua. Thank you to the other Geauga OHC volunteers and supporters Linda Golding, Kendall Smith, Joy Keco, Lisa White and Ann Poshedley (sorry if I missed anyone). People helped from many different chapters. It was a special event for State OHC and Emerald Necklace Riders. It included a Ranger obstacle course with flares and smoke, a cookout, more fun activities, music and laughs. Way to go to all of you and your horses who got out there, didn’t give up, helped each other and gave it your best shot. I have enjoyed writing the Geauga articles for the Corral for the last seven years, but it is now time to hand the reins over to someone else and that is Linn Walker who will do a great job. I want to thank those who have helped me through the years, not just with the Corral, but in my life, thank you. So I leave you with my last thought: “We love our horses, we shelter them, we feed them and in return they give us freedom.” (Catherine Ullman) ~Linn Walker and Catherine Ullman 52
Not too much has been going on. Our Old Timers Days presence looked good, as in the photos Jerry sent last time. But attendance was down this year. The weather was pretty hot too, which may have contributed. Our Christmas party will again be at the Beavercreek Golden Corral, on Dec. 15. We will have our usual gift exchange. Men bring a man’s gift, women bring a woman’s gift ($15 range). It’s optional so you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, but we do have fun with it. We like Golden Corral, though if anyone knows of someplace good with a party room, feel free to suggest it for next year. Many places are getting away from having party rooms. Remember to send your mileage to Herb, as soon as you can after Jan. 1. Or if you know earlier that you’re finished riding for the year, you can send it before the first. I’ll admit that between the rain and trying to get other things done, I didn’t get as much riding in as I’d like, but I’ll turn in what I do have. It’s important to show usage, since with various user groups all vying for funds and space, the powers that be don’t know we are out there unless we can prove it. Also remember to renew your membership by Dec. 1 to assure continuity. And to assure there is no break in your insurance coverage if you buy the insurance. Next month I’ll have information on our officer
elections, not that I anticipate anything changing. I’ve tried to give up the secretarial job since I’m absent for half the meetings, but will end up getting drafted anyway I think. It works, thanks to Suzie usually filling in when I’m absent. Hopefully everyone gets some more riding in yet this year, and have a great holiday season! ~Mickie
Veteran’s Day Parade.
HAMILTON Yee Haa! Go Baby Go! Have we been busy having a bunch of fun at Hamilton County! October 7 was the last of our three Moonlight Rides at Miami Whitewater Forest Shaker Trace Trail. It was raining, rain clouds were everywhere and it was scary! Desperate means call for desperate measures so we made ‘The Call’. Our unnamed friend at Unnamed Airlines Network Operations Control Center said we had a two-hour window of good weather! All the stock horse riders hustled back on their trailers and out sprang the magnificent gaited and endurance horses—who saved the Moonlight ride and covered the 9-mile trail in a smoking fast 1.25 hours. Next up was the always fun Chili Ride on Oct. 22 at Miami Whitewater Forest’s wooded horse trail! Beautiful fall weather, excellent food, colorful leaves, riders enjoying the trails and lots of friendship! Thank you, Nance Forte for organizing this fun ride! November 2 brings us to our regularly scheduled monthly meeting where we had a packed house of 60+ people present to hear agronomist, forage specialist and guest speaker Mr. Greg Downing, from CISCO Seed (Indianapolis, Ind.) give a powerful presentation on Equine Pasture Management; browse
Greg Downing Cisco Seeds with cake. CISCO Seed dealer Wm. E Fagaly and Son’s table which was chock full of pasture management information; eat cake; win raffle prizes and elect our 2018 officers and committee chairs! Thank you, Greg Downing, CISCO Seeds and Fagaly and Sons, for providing everyone with their very own, full color, 100-page Forage Guide reference book! Mr. Downing will be back to visit us in the spring of 2018. November 5, HC-OHC parade division rocked the Cheviot Veteran’s Day parade and won the ‘Mayor’s Choice’ award for best parade division! Congratulations to all! You want to have fun? Join HC-OHC for Harrison’s Christmas Parade on Dec. 2; Club Christmas party at Karen Osborne’s house on Dec. 5 and kick off 2018 with our back by popular demand ‘Ask the Veterinarian’ Program on Jan. 4, 2018! ~Ann HARRISON
2017 State Ride HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
Moonlight Ride.
Merry Christmas! This is the season for celebrating the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. At this time of year we count our blessings and give to others. I was on the receiving end of blessings and giving from our angels here on Earth. I had surgery to remove a cancerous kidney the end of October. Everyone, neighbors, family, friends and especially the Harrison OHC were taking care of our farm, bringing food and encouragement to me and my December 2017
County Lines family. I have never been more touched by their giving. I will forever be thankful and grateful for the wonderful people that comprise the Harrison OHC. I am on the mend. Our Christmas dinner will be held Dec. 21 at the Mine Restaurant in Cadiz, Ohio. They will be serving family style, we need to have a head count at least by Dec. 15. There will be a gift exchange with lots of stealing. Justin DellaPenna had a two day clinic Nov. 11 and 12 at Bob Gentile’s Arena. It was a clinic on equine maneuverability and titled power-steering for your pony. Highlights and pictures will appear in the January Corral. I received an email from Barbara Harding, president of Buckeye Trail Riders. Justin Law of the Forestry Division of ODNR attended their meeting to discuss horse trailer parking improvements, fixing bridges and discussing the possibility of a permanent pavilion at Harrison State Forest. More specifics will be discussed after meeting with BTR and Carroll County OHC. Sounds like a busy 2018. It is time for membership renewals for 2018. Anyone interested in joining can download the membership application from the State website, click on Harrison County Chapter and download the form or contact any Harrison OHC member. Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Harrison OHC. God Bless and be safe, ~Dorothy Glover HOLMES We have had two beautiful weekends in a row. Lots of riding, camping and fellowship. Sorry I missed last month, these days go by so darn fast! Let’s talk a little about our Octoberfest. What a great time
Shar and Jamie. December 2017
Elk country.
Tammy Miller and Tequila.
Ivy and Amelia.
everyone had! The weather was beautiful with plenty of activities for the kids of all ages! First, we painted rocks and will use these for our new Facebook page that I am developing so we can track our rocks and see how far they travel. Kids painted and decorated pumpkins and played games. We had piñata’s and a parade where all kids and adults dressed up. We had a photo background for all the parade entries. Each one or group stopped and got their picture taken. The imagination of our members always amazes me. We had the ‘Grinch’ and ‘Cindy Lu Who’, a buffalo (horse) and Indian, three princesses, iron man, a raging bull, a barrel racer, a pony dressed up like a mamma sheep with a baby lamb and Little Bo Peep, the wizard of Oz group including Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man and their pony was a lion, a pair of beautiful butterflies plus many more. After all that each camper had candy to hand out to the trick or treaters. Each one participating received a nice necklace with a jack o lantern. The kids also took some of our camp fire lumber and built their own fort and hiding place. Our potluck was very good with a lot of variety. We had a couple guests that camped with us and they got toilet papered but only a little bit due to a shortage! We hope that they become members soon. For our workday, we got rid of as much burdock weed as we could, we moved the mounting block to a more dedicated space, and we finished up cleaning out a culvert and replacing the straw bales. I am sure there was a tree or two that had to be cut up. We still have tickets available for a saddle give away. This is a Weaver saddle that was donated to us as a fundraiser. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. You can send money to me and I will assure tickets get put in. I need name and phone number only, I
will write on ticket and put them in jar. Picture is posted on our Facebook page. The drawing will be held at our Winterfest banquet in January. We have had a wonderful summer with lots of trail miles and camping. Happy Trails, ~Ricki
Beavercreek.
KNOX October 26, 2017, 29 degrees and the first heavy frost of the coming winter season. A group of us, 15 riders, just returned this past weekend from a wonderful trip to Benezette, Pa., where the Elk Foundation established a herd of elk some years past. You might get up one morning your rig rocking, not because you got lucky, but because a cow elk is rubbing her head on your rigs bumper. For some of us, this was a return trip while others were excited by their first. Glad we got to complete a long weeks ride before winter over takes us. Riders from KCOHC are well traveled. We rode up Rocky Top Mountain near Gatlinburg, Tenn., earlier this summer which could not compare to the fantastic mountain views offered in the Pennsylvania Mountains around Benezette. We had a good presence at Beaver Creek our final KCOHC scheduled ride for 2017. Recent retirees purchased walking sticks at the annual Pioneer Days. We will still be riding throughout the winter, shorter day rides, weather permitting. Hope you are into the modern age of electronic media as that is where you’ll find notices regarding possible rides. Today, we just got back from a ride on the Mohican Valley Trail where you find the Bridge of Dreams while I see on Facebook others are at Hocking. Where ever you ride, be safe. We have a scheduled Tack Auction Feb. 24, 2018 at the Martinsburg Activity
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Alum Creek KCOHC riders. Center, which is on Ohio 62 in Martinsburg, Ohio. Easy to find. We will provide food service and be set up to create brass halter tag ID’s again this year. We will post our 2018 officers next month. Don’t forget to renew your OHC membership for 2018, especially if you buy the insurance as it expires Jan. 1. When asked why I should join OHC, I simply reply, “To meet nice people like you with like interests in horses.” While we do create and maintain equestrian trails across the state of Ohio, that was not my reason for first joining. While I will help you with trail building, hopefully in the off riding season, I joined to ride those trails. And ride we have. It is hard to believe it is December already. Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas will soon be here. I always look forward to New Years as that signals winter is passing. We usually have a New Year’s Day ride. The past several years New Year’s Day has greeted us with sunshine though cold, no sleet or rain or icy roads. Hope that’s true again this year and we can get together for a ride followed with hot soup. And with that being said, I would like to wish all of you, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Come on over to Knox County OHC where the gates are wide 53
County Lines open, the grass is greener, the horses leaner, because we do ride them, and everyone is welcome. KCOHC meets at 7 p.m. the third Monday of the month at the Long Branch Pizza in Centerburg. See you on the trail, Terry L. Baker LAKE General meetings for Lake County OHC are held on the second Wednesday each month (excluding January and December) at 7:15 p.m. Meetings are held in the auditorium or arena of Lake Farm Park on Route 6 in Kirtland, Ohio, except Ride/Meetings in June, July, August and September. Members, prospective members and visitors are welcome. At our October meeting we were treated to very helpful and useful explanations of equine dental care and treatment by Doctor Gargiulo, equine dentist, as the guest speaker. Thank you doctor for a most informative presentation. It was a gorgeous day for the riders and their horses on our annual regional trail ride at Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glenn on Aug. 26. A fun time was had by all riders and attending helpers. Sunny skies and cool breezes accompanied the riders as they rode through streams and fields, up and down hills and through ravines, over rocks and logs. We had a scrumptious lunch set up by Michelle, Riki, Rosemary, and Rayneen, while we shared many stories of our ponies, gaited horses, mustangs, paint drafts, or just plain horses. Thanks to Lake Metroparks staff at Penitentiary Glenn for maintaining and improving the varied horse trails. Thanks also to Lake Metroparks staff at Chapin Forest for maintaining a wonderful picnic area and lighting for night meetings. Our September meeting was at Chapin Forest, where we had a tack exchange. We exchanged traded, or sold tack that had been sitting around since forever. Some of the proceeds went to our chapter. Saddles, saddle pads, bits, bridles, blankets, helmets and assorted horse items were displayed. Kudos to Don and Ken for cooking hot dogs and brats for eating as we paired them with other goodies brought by various members. ~Don Runo
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LAWRENCE This fall has been great for riding and camping. Our club finished up our grant money projects before bad weather set in. The campground was mowed and trimmed up one last time for the year. The hitching post at the water hole was installed and is now good to go. A big thank you to Anthony Cremeans for all of your help on this project. It looks so good that we might have to add a couple more in the spring. We also have our final total for the St. Jude Ride. We collected a total of $5,260.50. This is the most we have raised for the kids and hope to do more next year. Remember to look for things that would make great auction items throughout the year and also handmade crafts are a big hit. Our club Christmas party will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Angie’s moms place. Our new officers for the 2018 year is President Jim Crowe, Vice President Vallery Hill, Treasurer Wanda Crowe and Secretary Cheryl Strow. Sargent of Arms is Roger White. Happy Trails, ~Susan
Anthony Cremeans with our newly installed tie stall. LICKING When you read this it will be December, can you believe it? The horses are getting their winter hair and the electric buckets are hanging. Sounds like a Christmas song. So bring on winter and let’s get it over, I’m already planning on some new locations to trail ride in 2018.
Beth Webb and Deb.
Enjoying the fire.
Dick, Lucy and Mark. We had our Fall Party in October and it was a big success. Thank you Debbie Stevens and all her helpers. It was so nice just to sit around the fire and talk and of course eat. I did try my hand at playing cornhole; I think that is what they called it. When my corn bag went in the hole I yield touchdown, I was told that wasn’t what it was called, OK so what is it, corn in the hole? It was so much fun I believe I’m hooked. Thank you Beth Webb for bringing the game and showing me how to play. There was also horseshoes but by the time I talked and ate it was too dark for me to try my hand at horseshoes. We had a beautiful night for the fire, too bad we couldn’t camp at the park. We did discover, if you put a hedge apple in the fire and poke holes in it; white creamy liquid comes out when it gets hot; interesting, no we did not try to eat the hedge apple. One more thing, my team Mark Stevens and I, won the cornhole game. I hope everyone enjoyed the Quarter Horse Congress; how many got new horse trailers? They sure had some nice ones. At our October meeting Sandy Belt told us of the new house her husband, Jim, built for a new family; ducks that is, she just loves them. I think ducks are cute and very entertaining to watch, Sandy needs to send me a picture to post. Here is your friendly reminder to get your 2018 OHC Licking County membership in so you can be included in the drawing for a free membership, also your trail miles and hours for the $25 gift card drawing.
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This year our group worked hard maintaining trails, putting on a defensive riding clinic, two horse shows, and a park event. We also donated money to the local food pantry, and sponsored children for OHC youth camp. Not only Licking County OHC but all OHC County Chapters helped to keep the trails in Ohio open. When you are out on the trails try to remember to thank OHC. Please check our website and our Facebook page for dates of meetings, photos, newsletters, forms, and contact information. www.lickingcountyohc.org. From Licking County OHC members; “We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” ~Deb LOGAN Our November meeting was very well attended with all tables filled, including the auction tables. Yes, it was our pizza party and silent auction. Which leaves you wondering, did they come for the auction or the pizza? I say, doesn’t matter. They came and we had a great meeting. The Urbana horse parade was discussed again. It sounds like several Logan members will ride in the parade again this year. It was also mentioned that Madison County OHC may ride in the parade. President Becky Porter reported on the meeting in Delaware earlier that day. She reported on the changes that have been and are in the process of being made and reminded everyone to renew their memberships before the end of the year. She also asked that anyone interested in attending the midwinter workshop to let her know. Each year our club gives a food basket to a Veteran at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year the motion did not get
Columbus Mounted Police riot gear. December 2017
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Big Elk Lick. Mounted Search and Rescue at Columbus Mounted Police. made at the October meeting for the Thanksgiving basket, so Kim and Keith Roberts offered to do all the shopping for the basket and deliver it to the Veteran’s office. Canned goods will be brought to the December meeting for the Christmas basket with the club donating a turkey and the potatoes. Our next meeting will also be our Christmas party. The club provides the ham and turkey and members bring covered dishes. This year our gift exchange will have a $15 limit and we are hoping to have the same entertainment as last year. Sarah Relyea and several others reported on MSAR’s (Mounted Search and Rescue) trip to visit the Columbus Mounted Police. Several of our OHC members are also MSAR members. While there we got to meet some of the personnel and the horses. Their trainer talked about how the horses are obtained, evaluated and trained. The group then gave us a demonstration and answered our many questions. One interesting fact they shared is that horses are not affected by tear gas like humans are. They may sneeze a little, but it does not affect their eyes and lungs like it does us. They then demonstrated the riot gear that the horses wear and we discussed how that would be a good addition when doing search and rescue. Until next month, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. ~Diana Kenne LORAIN It’s the most wonderful time of the year for gathering with friends and family alike; especially since Old Man Winter is showing his face again here in northeast Ohio. Our December calendar sponsor is Dundee Automotive Inc. located in Dundee, Ohio. They specialize in trucks, SUVs and 4x4’s, new and used, take December 2017
off beds and aftermarket sheet metal. If you are in the market, stop in and take a look. We sure had some really good times in October. Every weekend was packed. Some were at Oak Opening riding on sand trails that were especially fun for ‘moving out’ on. If you went to Big Elk Lick in Pennsylvania in October, you may have had the joy of seeing the Bull Elk saunter through our campgrounds or drinking in the river. Others heard them bugling in the distance. Char and Ric were great tour guides, as they knew how to wind through the mountain roads to unique cabins built right into the rock; one of which was coined the ‘Dr. Seuss’ home for its crooked chimney. Our Hocking Hills campout was loads of fun. The weather was spectacular and exploring the caves and rock formations was really awesome. Others rode the Emerald Necklace End to End ride. Dress up for Halloween was a bit nippy out but those who ventured out enjoyed hot drinks, sloppy joes and plenty of donuts to satisfy their appetites. Sherry Hoover (top pick) was dressed as the wicked witch while her horse was the good witch; we had two Zorro’s, Ron Hoover and Laura Wallace, a couple of medieval dress costumes (Dave and Kathy Duncan) and a pirate (Sue Mollica). At our October meeting, the following officers were elected for next year including: Jim Wallace, president; Sherry Hoover, vice president; Ron Hoover, treasurer and Karen Norton, secretary. We are very thankful for your acceptance to these respective offices. Saturday, Dec. 2 is our annual Christmas party. It will be held at the LaGrange United Methodist Church located at 105 W. Main Street in LaGrange. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. with appetizers followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a half dozen cookies to donate to the Lorain County Park employees. Cheryl Muhek is the chairperson for the party.
Dave at Big Elk Lick campout.
Good witch and bad witch. Please be sure to tally up your trail miles, saddle hours and volunteer hours and send them to Brenda Lang this month so she can review them and get them into the State. This is the one single most important thing we can each do to demonstrate to our state officials that the bridle trails are well utilized by horse riders and carriages. State budgets are getting tighter and tighter so it is up to us to show that we value our bridle trails. This will help assure that money will be allocated to the ongoing development and maintenance of our existing trails plus to help make sure they stay open for us. The 2018 membership forms are in. Please don’t delay filling them out and giving them to Ron Hoover. A delay beyond the end of the year could result in a lapse in your horse insurance as well as a delay in your Corral magazine. During the month of December, take time to enjoy the holiday lights at Carlisle at the visitor center area. Thank you Val and Lee Shaw and to all the elves who helped set up our display this year. Here’s hoping that you and your families have a wonderful holiday season filled with many blessings in the coming year! ~Kathy Duncan
such a spectacular organization. I applaud all the people who have dedicated so much of their time and talents for this organization. One of our Madison County Chapter Youth OHC members participated in a contest offered by the OHC State Youth Program. Congratulations Joy Fetherolf for winning the Senior Award. Great start for her college fund. I’ve written many times about the kids who participate in our Gymkhana. Joy and her family, like several competitors, have joined our club to take advantage of the savings opportunity we offer through our Gymkhana events. Many kids run and compete all year long. They travel to many venues plus they compete in horse shows all over while also being active in 4-H. We try to help these kids when we can. Joy is a senior this year. She plans on attending college to get a degree in Equine Management. In addition to her school responsibilities she is taking some advance classes at Clark State University and she works at Break Away Stables in Mt. Sterling. I believe Joy is going to be successful with whatever she partakes in. I can’t stress enough to all the youth to get online and review the OHC Youth Program. There is a lot of opportunity for young equestrians members. I had mentioned about me not having anything important or interesting to share with you. I almost had a member take writing this monthly article over for me. Unfortunately her horse is having issues with his eye. She feels she needs to get him better. I totally agree with her. So until someone gets tired of reading my articles and volunteers to relieve me of this duty, you’re stuck with me. Last month I wrote about my
MADISON Marsha, John Pierce, Michelle Wilhoit, Chris, Joy Fetherolf, Scott Elfrink and myself of the Madison County Chapter attended the State meeting at the Eagles Club in Delaware, Ohio. Attending these events offers us so much information. For me it makes me happy that I’m a part of
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Congratulations Joy Fetherolf for winning the Senior Award from OHCYP Scholarship. 55
County Lines block from Lady’s passing. I’ve had several friends talk to me as they didn’t know we had put Lady down last June. I appreciate all your kindness, your kind words. ~Dee MEDINA The votes are in and counted! We have some new officers for 2018. Dianna Weaver and Mike Andrea will share duties as copresidents, Molly Eastwood is our vice president, Rosemary Young is our continuing treasurer and Kathy Schmidt is our secretary. Our long-time serving President, Jack Weese is taking a much needed sabbatical from public office. We thank him (and Linda) for dedicating their time and efforts to Medina OHC. We would not be what we are without them. Next year promises to be a great one. We are 32 years and counting! Be sure to renew your membership and be counted with us! A big round of applause goes out to our members who completed the challenge of riding 100 miles in the Cleveland Metro Parks as part of their 100 year celebration. These riders include Molly Eastwood (who did at least 200!), Martha Ross, Jan Spellacy, Roxanne Jancsik, Kim Matteson, and Roxanne Owens. If I left anyone out, let me know and I will honor you next month. Plans are underway for our annual banquet slated to occur in February. Karen Knuth will keep us updated on our first fun event of 2018. Stay tuned for more information in our newsletter and website. Our work sessions are over (maybe) for the year and will resume in March. Stay tuned for impromptu parties to clear away leaves and clean out culverts. At this time we thank all the members who braved the heat, cold, wet or muddy conditions to continue to keep our trails in such great shape. Three cheers for our trail committee, Patricia Vance, Mike Andrea and Jack Weese whose leadership and great relationship with the staff of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park have made us proud. Also thanks to Karen Knuth for her culinary skills and budgetbuying abilities that fed us on those hot, cold, wet, muddy days. If you helped us during our state ride or clambake, give yourself a hardy pat on the back. Our members are the best when it comes to pitching in to make 56
our events the kind people want to come back to. And now that our work is drawing to a close, we can take time to reflect on those that we can be thankful for. These are the folks who lend us a hand when we need one. The friend that lets us ride their horse or trailers us to some event. The friends and relations who come to all our shows and cheer us on, even when we lose. That person who lends an ear or a shoulder to cry on. The people that clean our barns (even if that is us!). Take a moment to extend a thank you; in a season of giving sometimes it’s the best kind of gift. Merry Christmas to all and until next year, may the valley be with you. ~Rosemary Young MEIGS My husband and brother in law decided to take a horse ride at the AEP camp, I went outside to watch them leave as it was 70 degrees on this November day and I was attacked by lady bugs, they were everywhere. The horses were shaking their heads as the bugs landed on them and so was I. I would like to meet the person who decided we needed these bugs in our life, I got along fine without them. This was my brother in law’s first ride since his accident with the tree falling on him two years ago. He enjoyed the ride. About 18 members of Meigs OHC decided to go camping at Elkins Creek for the weekend. We were met at the entrance and they took us to our camping area and helped with the parking. We had electric and they had a shower we could use. There was a tack shop that had a little bit of everything, even bags of ice. We cooked our own food, but they also served meals for those who wanted to eat there. A bluegrass band played on Saturday night. Even though I don’t ride I really enjoyed the weekend and I know everyone had a good time riding the trails.
Beginning of food line.
Bruce and Teresa McKelvey riding at AEP.
Lavada, Roger and Marlene Swartz. The hospitality was wonderful. I know we will be going back. Our festival of the Leaves Ride went really well, about 45 members rode out on the poker ride. When they returned we had a feast. The food was so great. Prizes were given to the winners who had their tickets drawn for Groom the Pony. The winner of the poker run was Rick Hensler. I bet his wife, Carlotta, will get some of that, I know I would want part of that if my husband won. Way to go Rick. Winner of the 50/50 drawing was Jennifer Smathers and she donated it back to the club. Of course, the members work hard to make this event a great success. About 17 members showed up to mow, plant flowers, trim the trails, weed eating at the camp so it would look nice for this event. Before the ride Susan Mansfield said a prayer and a remembrance of the fallen riders. It’s that time to be adding up your miles of riding and saddle hours. It will be interesting to see how many miles the members have ridden this year, some have ridden just about every weekend. Our AEP camp will be closed on Dec. 1 and will reopen on May 1, 2018. We will open it on Jan. 1, 2018 to have our annual New Year’s ride, weather permitting. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy Trails, ~Dian MONTGOMERY Howdy from Montgomery County! As we close out the year, we have some awesome opportunities lined up for you. On Dec. 2, come help us with
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Lebanon Christmas parade elves.
2014 Christmas elves. crowd/horse control at the annual Lebanon Christmas Carriage Parade either at 1 p.m. or 7 p.m. or do both! We always have so much fun before, after and during our on-duty time. Check with our misstootoo, Cindy for a selection of Christmas hats or bring your own. We wear green vests to identify ourselves as Santa’s helpers and enjoy a good lunch after the first parade at one of the local churches. On Dec. 13, we will meet for our annual Christmas party at Spaghetti Warehouse in Dayton. We will be gathering in the Caboose Room—since we always have so much fun, a room to ourselves will be great. No gift exchange this year but I can’t promise there might not be Cindy’s silly games! Cindy is our unofficial Party Trail Boss for this event—too much fun. We are not only a trail riding club, we enjoy our lunch and dinner get-togethers and carry-in dinners before or after our trail rides, campouts and meetings. Come and invite a friend to join us as we look forward to the New Year. Jerry B. has given us a list of when the hunting activities are taking place this season at our home base Sycamore State Park near Trotwood. The general thing you need to remember is to wear orange and be extra careful on the weekends, as Sunday hunting is now permitted. The east side of the park is a non-hunting area with plenty of trails for you to use. The hunting season will run through Feb. 28, contact Jerry if you want more specifics. As we wrap up this year, I would like to add that I will be December 2017
County Lines resigning as your Corral editor. I feel like it is time for new blood and a fresh perspective. I am hoping someone will step up to this challenge. Special thanks to Becky Clifton our State Corral editor, who has edited, and straightened out my mistakes. She is a great resource for the new writer and I will be happy to assist for a couple months. I also want to thank Ransae for her help with sending out messages or correcting any errors and Cindy for helping get me started with what I needed to know. I have enjoyed taking pictures of various events and trying to keep our membership up to date on upcoming activities, and being part of it all, so now I will sign off. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year’s and Happy Trails to you! ~Ann MORROW Greetings from the Morrow County OHC chapter where the fall ‘roller coaster’ weather continues since the last report with some excellent days for riding by us ‘retirees’ with ‘24/7 freedom to saddle-up’. I participated in the late October Knox County Horse Park Fun Show in short sleeve type weather while observing one farmer square baling some excellent looking hay that day. Only a few days later did the first 2017 fall ‘killing frost’ occur with some light snow which was then followed by what some would call ‘Indian Summer conditions’ complete with early November thunder storms. Besides good riding weather, another plus has been timely rains which has maintained green grazing pastures for the horses which has reduced the normally needed late fall supplemental hay. Ted and Gerald did participate in the annual Fall Buckeye State Mounted Deputies mid-October ride along with 36 other riders at Wills Creek on the excellent trail system developed/maintained by the Coshocton OHC Chapter on AEP lands. Byron and Sheryl rode several weekends at Mohican State Forest before some early November knee surgery for Byron ‘grounded’ him until probably early December when winter like weather can also be a limiting factor. Gay also rode some with Byron and Cheryl plus some additional weekday outings with retired friends while she continues to investigate potential December 2017
opportunities to ‘re-enter the 9-5 work force’. Floyd and several friends enjoyed a multiply day riding vacation at Hocking Hills as part of a repeating annual experience although they are considering some other Ohio locations for 2018. Floyd has not yet replaced the mule on which he suffered a broken foot at Tri Co. in June but has tested several prospects. Dave and Mary camped/rode at Malabar State Park and did some day riding at Alum Creek State Park. Floyd, Ted, and Gerald attended the Fall State OHC meeting held in Delaware where equine fellowship plus a smoothly conducted meeting made for an enjoyable day. Gerald anticipates several days of riding at Thanksgiving with visiting Iowa and Pennsylvania family members when five or six horses will simultaneously be ridden by daughters plus granddaughters on the local trails/fallow fields. Hopefully all readers will be able to enjoy some more great riding of their trusty steeds with like-minded equine friends during the remaining 2017 riding season. Until next month, let us continue to ride while we can or at least have great dreams. Happy trails to you and stay safe in the saddle/on your horse if you do have an opportunity to ride. ~DOC MUSKINGUM Hello! Trail riding season is winding down with the leaves turning colors and the horses growing hair. The holiday season is here and we hope everyone has an opportunity to join us for some upcoming events. The November meeting was held at TeeJaye’s Restaurant in Zanesville, Ohio. The 2018 officers were elected; Randy Nolan President, Gary Ewing
Sam and Randy riding at Benezette, Pa.
Please remember to RSVP to any of the officers by Dec. 2 so we can plan accordingly. Until next time, ~Opal PERRY
Rhonda and Louie riding at Hocking Hills.
Kira Schmidlin riding at Hocking. Vice President, Chris Bunting Treasurer and Opal Perry Secretary. Thank you to all the members who attended, there is no club without your participation! If you haven’t already renewed for 2018, Chris has 2018 membership forms available. New this year, you can also join online through the state OHC website. There will be no December meeting due to the Christmas party and our tack auction. The next meeting will be Jan. 8, 2018 since the first Monday is the holiday. Location to be determined, please watch Facebook or contact any of the officers with questions. Muskingum County OHC will host a Tack Auction Dec. 9 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Sale Barn in Zanesville. Randy Newsom will be the auctioneer, with Julie Fluharty providing the tack. There will be something for everyone, including toys, gifts and various tack. The club will be providing a food booth, volunteers are needed to work the food booth and assist in handing out tack, etc. If there is something in particular you’d like included in the auction please reach out to Julie at 740/6078073 or on Facebook. Our Christmas party will be held Dec. 23 at the VFW in Frazeysburg beginning at 7 p.m. The club will provide the ham and table settings. We request that members bring a covered dish, any beverages you like and a gift to share ($10 maximum).
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Hello from Perry County! We apologize for not having any updates the last few months. Over the summer we rode Elkins Creek, Beavercreek, Gibby ride (which was so much fun), Pleasant Hill, Salt Fork and Conesville for Coshocton Counties Hog Roast. It’s always fun to support other clubs events. Fall is one of the prettiest times of the year to ride our four-legged friends. We had our soup ride on Oct. 14 at Burr Oak and had a very nice turn out. We had three soups to taste and vote on and a spread of wonderful desserts. They were all delicious and our winner for the soup contest was Ben Stengle. Following dinner came the auction which had a wide selection of items donated by our members. Thanks to everyone for their participation, it was a lot of fun. Our last scheduled ride/camp
Perry County members at Shawnee State Forest aka ‘Ohio’s Little Smokies’.
Members enjoying the Burr Oak soup ride.
The views at Shawnee from the back of my rescue horse Buddy. 57
County Lines out was Oct. 20 at Shawnee State Park. The trails and sights were beautiful. Just something special about seeing it from the back of your horse. We had a lot of laughs sharing stories around the fire...a great time was had by all. At our meeting on Nov. 14, we voted in our new officers for 2018 and finalized our Christmas party plans. Please come join us the second Tuesday of every month at the Top Hat Restaurant in Junction City, eat at 6 p.m. and meeting at 7 p.m. Even though the scheduled rides are over for the year if you’re anything like us you will be out on the trails. Remember to log those miles, the end of the year is approaching quickly. Be safe and happy trails! ~Heather PIKE The busy holiday season is upon us now but we’ve had some very good riding this fall. Our club has been enjoying the trails at Pike Lake and many other parks and horse camps too. Hocking Hills, Tar Hollow, Elkin’s Creek, White Sulphur, Hang Em’ High and Bear Creek horse camps are a few of the trails they’ve enjoyed. Our scheduled club ride was at the Hammertown Lake in Jackson, Ohio. It’s always a cold day for this ride but the fellowship and the good ride outweighs the cold. Besides riding, several club members were also able to visit Mt. Hope for the annual horse and tack sale. While others had the opportunity to attend the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus. The ‘Best of America by Horseback’, filmed by RFD came to Pike Lake for a trail ride prior to the ‘Tribute to the Veterans’ show at the Paxton’s Theatre in Bainbridge, Ohio. Taking care of trails has also
Paul Ewing having a good ride on his new horse, Jake. 58
Jim and Sharon Forman donated and constructed a new kiosk.
Dave and Mack Robinson, father and son, enjoying a club ride at Pike Lake.
kept everyone busy. Recently several from our club did a considerable amount of work on the trail behind the cabins at Pike Lake Park. The wet spots have been eliminated and the trail is much safer now. They did an awesome job! We now have a kiosk in our day parking area too. Jim and Sharon Forman donated the materials to build the kiosk and Jim did the construction. Thanks so much Jim and Sharon! They will also be putting a large map on the kiosk and some individual maps will be available there, too. The large and small maps will be so helpful to visitors and newcomers riding our trails. The club has a lot of pride in keeping the trails safe and marked well. For another one of our club rides, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and had a very nice ride at the Sears’ Painted Hill Farm. We also enjoyed riding with Paul Ewing on his new horse, Jake. There were 17 riders, including adults and young adults. Saturday after the ride, Randy Wittkugle fried fish and we had other goodies to eat. Good cooks must be a prerequisite for trail riding because we do have very good cooks. The day ended around the campfire! Several club members also camped the entire weekend. It was just perfect riding weather! We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. This is the holiday season and it makes us more aware of our many blessings. Everyone who has a horse is aware that horses are just good for your soul. When we count our blessings, we count our horse twice! Neal Maxwell also stated, “we should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” I am very thankful for our club and all the good times that we have. December is always a hectic month with all the holiday shopping and festivities but our club always has an annual Christmas party to celebrate
the season. Once again it’s good food, fellowship and a gift exchange which allows each of us to snatch a gift from another member if it seems more appealing. This always gets interesting! Lots of fun! From the Pike OHC, may your Christmas be filled with happy moments with the ones you love and may you have a safe and happy holiday. Merry Christmas! ~Teresa Wittkugle PORTAGE Wow, the things you learn around the campfire! Did you know that horses poop tetanus? This conversation at the last campfire of the season spurred me to immediately pull out my phone and ‘Google’ it. Yep, they do. That’s why it’s so important to vaccinate yourself and your horses. Admittedly most of our campfire talk involves sharing stories, great new food recipes or general horse issues, but every once in a while the talk gets a little more ‘interesting.’ For example, did you know that dried horse manure makes good fuel? You probably may not want to roast marshmallows over it, but it has been used as a heating fuel. On to our club news, we had a very good season. Our club enjoyed many hours this past summer season sprucing up our trails at West Branch State Park. We completed three of our main trails and rerouted them to be mud free and scenic. Our plan was to direct trails into wooded
Sprinting up the hill.
Portage County OHC areas away from briars and grassy weeds so that the trails could be easily maintained. We also re-marked the trails and erected signs that direct riders back to parking or on to another trail. The results are trails that are easy to maneuver with scenic views of the lake and beautiful ridges along ravines. Next season we plan on tackling at least two more trails The club started a new trail work plan where a group of two to four members can adopt a trail to maintain for the season. This would include branch pickup and leaf blowing the leaves off the trail twice a season and calling the Trail VIP if a log needs removed. Our goal is to have five to seven teams ready to go by spring. Then the competition for the best trail at the WB can begin! Many thanks to all the good people who gave their time and energy to strengthen our club this year. We gained several new members and welcomed back several who have been missing for a while. Our club officers did an excellent job of keeping us on track and we sincerely hope they all decide to keep their positions at this year’s election. Merry Christmas to everyone! We are all looking forward to next season to ride the WB! ~Lee Hendrickson PREBLE
Post hole digging crew.
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Winter is fast approaching and the rain and weather last Sunday, Nov. 5 was quite the storm. But as they say welcome to Ohio. With that we are wishing December 2017
County Lines exchanges are a gift either man or woman would want. The chapter will furnish the meat and one side (scalloped potatoes) as well as drinks, we ask members to bring a covered side dish or dessert to share. I hope all of our members will take the opportunity to come and share this special evening with us. Don’t forget to RSVP us about your little ones for Santa to bring them a gift. All of us here at PCOHC want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Till next time stay safe and be sure to get your trail miles and saddle hours turned in by the end of the year! ~Becky
2017 October State Ride. everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Our State Ride is over for 2017 and we had a good time. A lot of people attended and most seemed to have a good time. The Chinese Auction was well received and many went home with a special item that they wanted. The band Silvertones did a fantastic job entertaining us. We did have a campfire but it was warm so didn’t make it too big. Need to say a special ‘Thank You’ to all of our volunteers who made this event such a success, without you this would not have been possible! All in all it was a great weekend. We had our 2018 election of officers and the members voted to keep all positions the same, Donn Buckingham, President; Charlie Garnett, Vice President; Mo Kamm, Secretary; Becky Clifton, Treasurer; Trustees are Joe Allison, Chuck Kamm and Deb Witt. Thank you everyone for continuing to help lead this chapter to bigger and better things for 2018. We do need to finish up our work on the arena before the end of the year. More to come on that next month. We have some of our schedule of events figured out but will polish those up at the January meeting. We also will be having our Christmas party on Dec. 9, at the Hueston Room at the park office. We will eat at 6:30 p.m., and then we will have our gift exchange afterward. Santa will be coming by to give our younger folks a present or maybe coal. For the rest of us bring a $10 to $15 gift and if it is gender oriented please mark it as such. Most of the time our gift December 2017
SANDUSKY Am I really saying Merry Christmas!? It is December so like it or not here comes Santa! Hope the holidays don’t stress you out too much and you remember the true meaning of Christmas! This is about the time we really start getting ready for winter. Tank heaters in place, wood cut and carried up to the house, chicken house ready, pet waterers plugged in, hats and gloves dug out! That’s about all you can do, remember it’s Ohio and we choose to live here so might as well embrace it and have fun in the snow! I want to mention the state ride that was at Oak Openings. I think for the first one for this group of people in our area it was a huge success! We had a beautiful weekend and chilly nights! Saturday night there was a pig roast and it was fantastic. Everyone brought side dishes that made Al go up for four plates…yes I said four! The prizes were definitely something to talk about. Our wonderful little group had some really nice gifts and I was proud to be part of that! To see pictures of what everyone made and or donated check out our Facebook page. A huge thank you to everyone who helped! They had a big warm fire going which felt great to sit
Roman and Lilly. around and chat while we ate. We also had a big laugh that our club seemed to win back most of the items we donated! I hope next year is as great as this one was. We made it to Van Buren for their yearly Hobo stew weekend…once again another perfect weekend. It rained a little Saturday night but was pretty dry in the morning. Always a fun time! Creek Bend wasn’t as much of a success. We had on our positive pants, but the rain got the best of us and we had to load horses back up and call it a day with only giving about three rides. Everyone were real troopers and tried to make it work, the weather just was having none of it! Lilly didn’t seem to care much; she stood at the trailer eating hay then was loaded back up and taken home without doing a thing…her kind of day! We are gearing up for giving kids rides at Winter Wonderland Dec. 8-9 and Dec. 15-16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It’s held every year at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds; donation is a canned item. It is a drivethrough Christmas display with a couple of buildings open and one having Santa in it. We are needing walkers and horses so if you are free and can help please let us know. Our meetings are the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the First Brethren Church in Fremont. This month we will meet at 6 p.m. for our Christmas dinner and party! For information about Sandusky County OHC give one of our members a holler, we would love to see you! Visit our website at sanduskycountyohc.com and our Facebook page under Sandusky County Horseman’s Council for up-to-date information. Give your fuzzy horse a hug, sneak your fingers under that warm mane and give them a kiss. Horse life is good! ~Marla Sidell STARK
Awesome gifts for state ride!
It is so hard to believe the year is almost over. Where did it go?
HORSEMEN’S CORRAL
The fall months were beautiful for riding and enjoying the outdoors. At least we were not getting all the rain our area had during the summer and several weeks of dry weather. At least the pastures were able to turn green again before the snow comes. Many of our members joined other chapters’ functions and had a great time. Several went to the Poker Ride that Guernsey Chapter puts on every year. Others attended Columbiana County’s Halloween ride at Beaver Creek. Besides the great food there were several fundraisers you could partake in such as 50/50 raffles, meat raffles, Chinese auctions, grab bags were among the many. One of our members, Barbara Harding walked away with lots of the items in the Chinese auction at Beaver Creek. It seemed like her name was pulled about every other time a drawing was made. It was well worth her while to attend! The items donated and given away were especially nice. Reports from those attending other rides were all so positive. Many thanks needs to go to all volunteers and what you do for your chapter and for OHC. Your work is really appreciated. At our October meeting Mary Alice and Steve Kuhn showed us pictures of their trip to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana this past summer. They ventured on a week long ride and camping trip into the wilderness with one of the many outfitters in that area. It was very interesting and they are looking forward to doing it again the near future. Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year in 2018. Until next time, happy trails to you! ~Jo Ellen SUMMIT Thank you to all of those local and other state OHC members, community members and organizations who joined us Sept. 16 and 17 to work restoring the horse trails at the former Girl Scout camp renamed Richfield Heritage Center. It was especially rewarding to see the young members of Girl Scout Troop 90094 from Ellet who worked so hard Saturday on the section from the horse corral to the gas cut. Your service hours were invested wisely in the community and your enthusiasm inspired us all. Chapter members were rewarded on Oct. 22 with an opportunity to ride the trail. 59
County Lines
Troop 90094 at RHC Work Day.
Cooling off Brecksville.
ETE
Ride
They were impressed with everyone’s work clearing brush and debris, raking leaves and cutting logs on the four mile trail. A leaf blowing session was scheduled at the RHC Nov. 11. Many of the same riders joined the Medina Chapter on Oct. 21 for a fantastic ride at Brecksville and the tailgate party afterwards. Our October meeting and fall social event was held at the Wolf Creek Winery in Norton. The weather for the evening was perfect and only added to the enjoyment of the food, wine, stunning scenery, and great camaraderie. Since most of us did not receive the August Corral, I hated to see a good yarn go unspun. Carolyn Sullivan, Molly Eastwood and Nancy Bedellion were off to the Carolinas camping with their horses. They were joined by Jack, Rosemary and Diane from Medina Chapter. Of course a trip of this stature takes some planning and preparation. A few hours behind schedule, the horses were loaded and the crew of three was off. Based on Carolyn’s precise calculations, current fuel range was 319 miles and first service plaza on WV Turnpike 246 miles for fill up. However, they managed to squeak into the only service plaza on the south side with mere fumes in the tank. Molly could not determine if the engine was wheezing or Carolyn hyperventilating. After a brief meal the plucky crew set off on the next 120 miles to their destination. Of course there were a few unexpected surprises like a one60
Trail cut at RHC Work Day. lane bridge under repair (Bridge width 9’; trailer width 8’6”). It was a tight fit. Only a rutted gravel road, hairpin turn, and scaling the summit of Everest in a downpour remained. There were a lot of happy faces when they arrived, inside and outside of the truck. Carolyn’s supplies always include a complementary box of Clairol for all those grey hairs acquired enroute. After dinner, drivers compared notes on various routes. Nancy had opted for the most vertical climb. Things definitely looked better after the rain stopped and a good night’s sleep with weather in the 70’s. After planning an easy ride to a special lookout, the six riders headed off. The group admired the lovely vistas and some waterfalls actually crossing the trails. There was an afternoon stop in a picturesque meadow to rest the horses and snack. Next day, Carolyn, Nancy, Rosemary and Molly conferred with the locals and agreed on a ride to a massive boulder gap, along an old rail bed grade and a steep jeep trail to the Light Bulb trail. They crossed streams, more waterfalls to the rock formation and up to the Scales area. It earned the name as the point cattle were weighed so they retained more weight before being shipped elsewhere. The group was rewarded with panoramic views in all direction at Scales. The Appalachia Trail crossed the meadow. Molly walked a small section which had always been her dream to hike one day. They met a group of riders following the Virginia Horse Trail which also traverses the area. Our riders were told they were at the edge of the best riding in Grayson Highlands and the rest of Mount Rodgers. They also told them about the Three Peaks Trail section for a different ride back to the main trail. Heading back, they were rewarded with riding through a heard of wild ponies and a herd of long horn steers experiencing a page out of the old west.
Nancy did some trick sliding and resaddling on the side of a steep trail while everyone remained calm, very calm. Throughout the week, Romeo became an old pro at pushing open gates; we just hope he does not get any big ideas once he gets back home or worse, teach Puzzle. With more rain coming in Molly, Carolyn and Nancy decided to leave a day early. At 11 a.m., Jack, Rosemary and Diane escorted them down the rutted road and said goodbye. With multiple gas stops and lunch, it was definitely a more leisurely drive home. They arrived safely with all hands accounted for at 7 p.m. that evening. ~Joann Ulichney TRUMBULL Merry Christmas from the members of the Trumbull County Chapter! We hope your holidays with family and friends are filled with joy and merriment. Our annual Veteran’s Day ride location was moved to Mosquito Lake State Park this year. Past rides have been held at Beaver Creek State Park; however this year in awareness of the need for the beautiful trails at Beaver Creek to recover from a devastating summer, we supported the BCHA in their efforts to minimize usage of the trails and therefore had our ride at the Mosquito Lake State Park trail head. I will have photos and more news of the ride in next month’s article. Election of the 2018 officers was held Nov. 5. Dave Gibbs, Dave Shook, Debbie Navarra and Nancy Shook remain in their seats. A big thanks to all of you for retaining your positions. The riding season of 2017 has
Riding at WBSP, October 2017.
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come to a close. Please remember to turn in your trail miles to the designated member of your chapter! Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year! ~Kathryn Bartow TUSCARAWAS The Tuscarawas County OHC made it to Tanglewood Oct. 2022. As per Erin Stephan, it was the best riding weather she’s ever experienced for October. Joining Erin were Jerry Blake, Kendall and Rayna Garrett, Wes and Gina Hayes, Kathy and Kevin Wallar, Mick Aukamp, Barb Williams and daughter Kelly Winters. And as we enter into the winter season, we once again face the never-ending question of whether or not to blanket our horses. There are many schools of thought, so I’ve consulted the expertise of Katherine Blocksdorf, (About. com: Horses). Katherine believes that, “chances are if the weather is ‘wintery’ but not windy or wet, your horse probably doesn’t need a blanket. As long as your horse has access to good quality hay and fresh water the heat generated by its digestive system and the natural protection of a thick winter hair coat will probably keep it comfortable in weather that would send you running for a down jacket. Although some maintain that you should never blanket a horse, Ms. Blocksdorf feels that, “there are some situations where it may be a good idea. Older horses or horses that may have trouble keeping weight on in good weather will burn a lot of calories to keep warm.” She believes that, “these horses will benefit from extra feed and the extra protection of a wind and waterproof horse blanket. All horses will benefit if there is some sort of windbreak or runin shelter available to escape the direct brunt of the wind, rain or snow.” There are also some hazards to blanketing. “Poorly fitting winter blankets can severely chafe or cut a horse’s skin. If winter blankets aren’t made of breathable fabrics, the horse can sweat underneath and become uncomfortably wet. Likewise, horses left blanketed when the weather turns mild will be uncomfortable. Some blankets are made with layers that can be used separately. These are convenient but could be a problem if the layers shift. If you often deal with wet weather, December 2017
County Lines it might be handy to have two blankets. If one blanket becomes saturated, you’ll have an extra for your horse while the other dries out. Wearing a wet blanket is as bad as wearing no blanket.” ~Patti
photos from the summer. Stay warm! ~Mickie WASHINGTON
UNION Autumn has been busy for Union County. We had some great chapter rides along with cookouts at Glacier Ridge in August, Prairie Oaks in September and Buck Creek in October. The latter was cut a bit short by rain but since when did a little rain ever dampen a trail ride? Karen Holland and secondary member, Theresa Burke went to the Northwest Regional State Ride at Oak Openings in late September. What a great time. Oak Openings must be Ohio’s best kept trail riding secret. It is hard to believe it is a metro park with all the miles of trails that it has. The Northwest Regional Ride was well attended with over 40 people at Saturday evening’s potluck. The Northwest counties had some awesome items in their silent auction and raffles along with some great door prizes as well. State President, Arden Sims and his wife, Claudia were in attendance for the weekend festivities with a drive of approximately five hours to get to Oak Openings. Karen and Theresa teamed up once again to enjoy a weekend on horseback to celebrate their birthdays. They spent three days in Northeast Ohio riding Pleasant Hill Lake, Mohican State Forest and Malabar Farm while staying at a bed and breakfast for the
Chapter Ride at Prairie Oaks.
Evening festivities at Oak Openings. December 2017
Debbie and Zoe at Glacier Ridge. weekend. There is no other way to celebrate a birthday than on horseback. Everyone in Union County has taken advantage of the great autumn weather with this October being unseasonably warm. Becky and Stephanie Petee have been racking up the miles at Buck Creek. Becky will be ready to hit the hills next year. Jim, Debbie and Katrina Strayton have been hitting the trails along with our other members to enjoy the wonderful weather. I can’t wait to see the trail mile totals at the end of this year. So much fun, so little time. Until next month be safe and happy trails. ~Karen Holland WARREN Merry Christmas! As I’m writing this, we’re having thunderstorms and tornado watches (my dog Journey is not amused), but I’m guessing by the time you read this we’ll be seeing slightly more seasonable weather. Of course, Mother Nature is pretty insane when it comes to this area, so anything is possible. Of course warmer weather for the first Saturday in December is never a bad thing, since the Lebanon Carriage Parades are that day. For those of you who have never volunteered there, please consider it. The parades are at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Lebanon, and experienced horse people are always needed to work crowd control. Most of the crowd are not horse people and don’t realize the dangers with many rigs passing by. Even the best-trained horse can have a moment, and we want to make sure people are safe. I usually help, when I’m not riding or driving, though this year I’ll be at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra show at the Nutter Center and won’t be able to. If this reaches
Warren County OHC you in time to volunteer, contact one of your officers or watch the Facebook page for more information. If it doesn’t, please consider it for next year. They especially need people who don’t mind working the back half of the parade route; so many choose a close space that the back is sparsely manned. Personally I like the back section; the lights are more brilliant there at night. Our Halloween campout was unfortunately cancelled this year. Forecast was for cold rain and storms overnight Friday night (and for a change it was right!). It’s one thing to have a horse standing out in a warm storm, but quite another to make them stand out in a cold, driving rain with temperatures dropping. It turned out to be better weather on Saturday afternoon than predicted, but not enough to balance it out. Hopefully next year will be better. Condolences to Roger and Chris on the loss of their Quarab mare Spirit. She was well-loved and will be missed. There’s not a lot else going on this year. Remember to turn your mileage in to Nancy as soon after Jan. 1 as you can. Usage translates into funds, and that’s important if we want to keep places to ride. I’ll leave you with some parade
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Horse Apple Bingo was a great success! Our one fundraiser was part of the Fall Foliage tour in Washington County. It was a great weather day, even if the foliage was lacking. The event was made possible by a few of our club making extreme efforts! Rita Schultheis was the organizer and kept the troops focused and on task. We began with the raising of the 20x40 tent donated by Bosley Rental. None of our group had ever done such a thing before, but with some careful reading of instructions and a little team work it was up, functional and did not fall down! It was just one more example of our OHC motto of ‘Horsemen helping horsemen’ in action! But more than that it is a testimony to the benefits of teamwork. The tent was not a one-person job, no matter who the one person may have been. But by working together success was shared by all! That in fact is the theme of this article! Saturday began with several of the club members arriving early to set up tables and chairs and begin organizing the food. Kathy Cline, Melody Crawford and Barbara Hoover spent the day serving many travelers with great food including some great homecooked chicken and noodles, (Thanks to Greg and Carrie Johnson and were a big hit selling out in record time) hotdogs, sauce, taco salads and such. Space limits the listing of all of the names of those who contributed, but there were many and the goods were wonderful. The highlight of the day should have been the waiting of the horse apples, but the auction with Auctioneer Bill Hoover stole the spot light from the business of the horses, although it was eventually concluded! The first place winner was Theresa Sandy and second place winner was Brian Casto. With lots of teamwork the tent came down, food was cleaned up and the tables and chairs loaded up for a satisfying conclusion to the day. Thanks to all who helped, bought tickets and visited! Reports are coming in of members traveling far and wide keeping the trails clean and the road hot with riding all around 61
County Lines This event will be held at the Christ United Methodist Church, 301 Wooster Street, Marietta. Hope to see you there. Safe and Happy Holidays to everyone. ~Rita V. Schultheis WAYNE
Dorothy Pugh in her Halloween costume at our dance.
Youth stick horse contestants at our Horse Apple Bingo day. the state, several traveling to West Virginia for great riding as well! However, the news of the month is the completion of the A, B and C trails at the Kinderhook Trailhead of Wayne National Forest in Newport, Ohio. It is approaching 30 years we have been working with Wayne National Forest to get horse trails in this portion of the forest, with various degrees of cooperation and success. Last year the State OHC provided to Washington County two grants, one direct on matching funds, to work with Wayne to finish our trails. We have had trails, but many were on township roads and were unacceptable to many of our members. With the grants, lots of work on the trails by our members, led by Darrell McKay, and an extraordinary effort by Wayne employees our trails are finished! They are beautiful! The trails are beyond my wildest imagination, I can’t wait to ride them again and again! You should make an effort to come ride with us. Our official opening of trail will be April 25, 2018 when the trails open for the summer! Our other good news is our meeting place will remain the same. The church had indicated a major rent increase we could not afford so we were ready to move. They relented and we are staying! We had a great turnout for our
Halloween dance. Between 40 and 50 members attended the dance hosted at the Jackson farm, Thank you Dick and Debbie for a wonderful time. The food as always was great and the music and dancing were fun to watch and join in. The turn-out of guests and ghouls was delightful in variety. It was a lot of fun to guess who was who of those who chose to dress in costume. Our election of officers for 2018 are President Brent DeWees, Vice President Darrell McKay, Secretary Greg Johnson, Treasurer Terri Pickens, Corral Reporter Rita Schultheis. Bethany Rohr reported on the groom and clean state competition she and some friends competed in and the learning experience it provided for them while they represented Washington County Chapter. Thank you Bethany. A bus trip to the World Toughest Rodeo Jan. 20 has been voted and approved by the chapter members. Anyone interested in going should contact Brent DeWees, 304/3771493. The bus can hold 56 passengers and was half full at our November meeting. All seats need to be reserved and paid for at our upcoming Christmas potluck dinner Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m. meeting. We will hold our (unwrapped) Toys for Tots drive that evening along with a Chinese gift exchange for anyone who wishes to participate. The gifts must cost no less than $15 but no more than $20. Wrap the gift and mark it man or woman. Bring a covered dish or dessert to share. The club will provide a ham, table ware, and drinks.
Chri tm , my chi d, i o i ctio . ry tim w gi , it' Chri tm . ~ 62
We didn’t quite get that cool, crisp October weather I was looking forward to but we did get something better! The weather was warm and dry and perfect for late season camping and trail riding. Nancy Strayer, Tom Bahl, Pam and Travis Miller and Mike and Charlotte Enders camped at Dillon State Park. There are bike trails there so Charlotte’s husband Mike got to ride his bike while she rode her horse. The trails both go past the marina and as chance would have it they all met up for lunch and ice cream. A group also camped at Malabar from Oct. 10-13. The weather was great and the trails were nice and dry. Some members even trailered in for day rides. We joined the Holmes County club the weekend of Oct. 20-22 for their annual work weekend and Halloween ride. After the ‘weed hunting’ and camp cleanup there was a lot of fun. There were goblins, games, food and a beautiful night for a campfire. The costume parade was great with kids and adults alike participating. Of course it was not a great ending to the weekend for me. My Arabian, Roy, decided to ‘tango’ with the high line pole which resulted in a laceration to his face and a fractured sinus bone and a deep muscle bruise to his left hip. The motto of ‘Horsemen helping horsemen’ couldn’t have been truer as so many people jumped in to help us pack up the trailer while Jim walked Roy to keep him from going into shock. God Bless Vicki Zook who walked our granddaughter on her mini horse to keep her calm and give her at least a little ride time. A flying trip to the Orrville Vet Clinic followed with Dr. Wenger doing a super job digging out bone chips and suturing the sinus and facial laceration. I am happy to say that with some TLC and Bute, Roy is making a good recovery. Even so, I think I will be riding my husband’s Rocky Mountain horse, Rocky, the rest of the season. On a happier note, Pam Miller got a new Haflinger mare. I
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Dolly
Cy and Roy at the Halloween Trail.
Cohen Adams riding on the Halloween Trail. bet Pete is saying “Well hello Dolly!” Hopefully she and Pete will make a nice pair to pull the wagon. We are all looking forward to seeing her on the trails next summer. Cowboys for Jesus closed up horse camp at Mohican the last weekend in October. It is finally cooling off and those two things signal the coming close of horse camping season. Hopefully there will be enough good weather left that some of us hearty souls will still be able to get out on the trails for day rides. There was to be one at Wetmore Nov. 11. I will update you all on that next month. The ‘Black Friday’ Ride was scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving at Malabar. It is time now for the shoes to come off and our horses get a welldeserved rest for a few months. Remember to turn in your trail miles before the end of the year. Miles equal funding for the parks we all enjoy. Give the club secretaries a break and get those miles turned in early so they don’t have to deal with that paperwork during the holiday season. ~Susan E. Baker December 2017