Horsemen's Corral January 2018 by Horsemen's Corral

THE

RATION BALANCER S I NCE 1983

Learn More at BuckeyeNutrition.com

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

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 District One National Show Horse Dusty Boots Riding Club Flatlanders Dressage & Combined Training Association, Inc. Geauga Horse & Pony Association Great Lakes Appaloosa Horse Club Indiana Mounted Regulators

Ohio Gaited Horse Riding Club Ohio Haflinger Association Ohio Horseman’s Council Ohio Morgan Horse Association Ohio Paint Horse Club 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 Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc. Mid-Eastern Farriers Association Mid Ohio Dressage Association

Tri-State Rodeo Association Wayne County Saddle Club Western Reserve Carriage Association

The Benefits of Moving to an Older FArm .....................................34 Corral Calendar .............................................................................14 Farrier Friendly ..............................................................................62 The Last Ride ..................................................................................8 Notes from Inside The Corral ..........................................................6 Ride For Real ................................................................................24 Ride In Sync ..................................................................................18 TrailMeister ....................................................................................26 View From the Cheap Seats..........................................................40 The Way of Horses ........................................................................38 Westfall Horsemanship..................................................................10

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: ....................Eleanor Blazer, Bobbie Coalter, Debbie Disbrow, ...................................... Robert Eversole, Brian Farcus, Steve Lantvit, ...............................Terry Myers, Lynn Palm, Sarah Vas, Stacy Westfall

OUR NEXT ISSUE

NUMBER 2 ............................................................................... FEBRUARY 2018 FEBRUARY 2018 DEADLINE ......................................... JANUARY 10, 2018

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. MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE: P.O. Box 32, Lodi, Ohio 44254 OFFICE: 419/742-3200 or 330/635-4145

Inside This Issue

Ohio Foundation Quarter Horse Association

Club News Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club ...............................................22 Black Swamp Driving Club ............................................................29 Central Ohio Saddle Club Association...........................................22 District One National Show Horse Association ..............................20 Dusty Boots Riding Club................................................................36 Geauga Horse and Pony Association ............................................30 Great Lakes Appaloosa Club .........................................................31 Knox County Horse Park ...............................................................15 Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros ........................................................43 Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc. ..........................................44 North East Ohio Arabian Horse Association ..................................30 Northern Kentucky Horse Network ................................................44 Ohio Appaloosa Association ..........................................................15 Ohio Arabian & All-Breed Trail Riding Society ...............................41 Ohio Haflinger Association ............................................................31 Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. ......................................................46 Ohio Morgan Horse Association ....................................................37 Ohio Paint Horse Club ...................................................................28 Ohio State Buckskin Association ...................................................12 Qhio Quarter Horse Association ....................................................12 Tri-County Trail Association ...........................................................44 Wayne County Saddle Club ..........................................................16 Western Reserve Carriage Association .........................................39

ABOUT THE COVER: Whispery Pines Percherons in Kingsville, Ohio, is owned by Sam and Kellie Rettinger. They are the proud owners of nine Percheron draft horses. The horses are primarily used for logging and carriage rides. Whispery Pines Percherons also travel around to many different state fairs, local fairs, and expositions showing in hitch classes all the way up to the six-horse hitch. Ace is a 15-year-old Percheron gelding. He is a wheel horse in the sixhorse hitch. Ace logs, does carriage rides, and also rides. He can even do the Electric Slide! He has been a long-time favorite at our barn, has a sweet temperament and a hard-working attitude. Learn more at www. whisperypines.com. Photo credit: Lori Spellman, Spellman Photography located in Dorset, Ohio.

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January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

Notes From Inside The Corral

New Year Resolutions A

s we enter into a new year, I was thinking about setting some resolutions for 2018. Of course, thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things. I was going to start with something about procrastination but then I thought I could get to that later. After all, Mark Twain said, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” I like that and let’s face it, Mark Twain was a pretty good writer! Why do we make New Year’s Resolutions when something like 90 percent of us fail at keeping them? Maybe the best resolution is to stop making resolutions! Or stop accepting failure as an option. I guess that list can go on and on, but the fact is, although the failure rate is quite

high, the success rate of those making common resolutions like weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking, etc. is much higher than those who don’t make a resolution at all. This is according to Norcross, JC, Mrykalo, MS, Blagys, MD, J. Clin. Psych. 58: 397-405. 2009. To answer my own question, it’s about setting goals. Although my personal resolutions may require a little more effort, I’d like to share some of the goals we have set for the Horsemen’s Corral in 2018, some of which we have already implemented. First and foremost it is our goal to deliver a ‘Best in Class’ magazine that showcases all we have to offer related to the equine industry in our region. This includes, but is not limited to clubs, writers, trainers, venues, businesses and shows. On this note, we are very

happy to welcome Stacy Westfall and Westfall Horsemanship back to Ohio and to the pages of the Corral. You can find her article on page 10 in this month’s issue. Secondly, we will remain competitive in advertising in order to provide our readers with exposure to the best products in the equine market. The Horsemen’s Corral has lowered advertising prices for 2018 thus affording smaller companies the opportunity to advertise and providing larger companies the ability to advertise more. This will allow you to look at options and be more knowledgeable about the products you are considering to purchase. Our third goal for 2018 is to offer more leadership and guidance to our Corral Clubs. Did you know the average value of our offering to a typical club is worth about $4000 a year?

Most clubs in our region face the same challenges and simply do not take full advantage of being a member of the Horsemen’s Corral. We believe we can help by bringing groups together, recognizing growth opportunities and developing sponsorship programs. As the Horsemen’s Corral enters her 49th year in 2018, we will remain “Your One Source for the Horse”. We’ve made a number of improvements and plan on announcing a few surprises in the coming months. I was going to announce them now but I figured, well... I could get to that later! Happy New Year!

SUNDAY MARCH 11

Cuyahoga Farm Bureau

11 A.M. - 4 P.M.

33rd Annual

Cuyahoga Fairgrounds, Home & Hobby Bldg.

Sunday, March 11, 2018 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Food & Beverages Available Pre-registration required for table/space Details at cuyahoga.ofbf.org

or call 440-877-0706 or cuyahoga@ofbf.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION www.greattackexchange.webs.com Judy Picklesimer 513-494-1417

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

RENTAL SPACE AVAILABLE: Call: 937-857-9598 DEALERS WELCOME!

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

The Last Ride “So when we do make that last ride that is inevitable for us all to make, to that place up there, where the grass is green and lush and stirrup high, and the water runs cool, clear, and deep— You’ll tell us as we ride in that our entry fees have been paid. These things we ask.—Amen.” ~Excerpt from ‘A Rodeo Cowboy’s Prayer’ by Clem McSpadden

NELSON R. MCNUTT Nelson R. McNutt, 86, of Ashland, passed away Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at Brethren Care Village from a lingering illness with his wife at his bedside. Born June 14, 1931 in Patterson, Ohio, he was the son of Archie and Mildred (Smith) McNutt. Nelson graduated from Dunkirk High School in 1948/49 being president of his class. After graduation he joined the United States Navy where his title was Fire Control Technician Third Class on a battle ship for four years during the Korean Conflict. Returning home Nelson wanted to further his education by going to The Ohio State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture

and continued his studies to earn a Bachelors in Education. In 1967 he began a teaching career at Lucas Middle School System as a math teacher then later years assumed the title of Dean of Students also. He retired after 34 years of teaching at the Lucas School System. As a young man growing up on a farm Nelson’s passion and first love was training and showing parade ponies as well as horses for the late Col. Leon Robinson of Dunkirk, Ohio. Together they traveled nationally attending the largest horse and pony shows in the country. The American Royal, Chicago International, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and the Ohio State Fairs were just a few attended annually. When Col. Robinson passed away in 1958 Nelson was named administrator to the estate. Nelson organized a dispersal sale which at the time was considered

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one of the largest pony sales in the United States. Ponies trained by Nelson brought in a record price for that day of $40,000. On Dec. 24, 1961 he married his childhood sweetheart Joy Sue Morrison. As a former young show ring competitors Nelson often made the remark, “if you can’t beat them marry them”. Together they formed one of the most successful husband/wife teams showing their Hackney, Shetland, Welsh, Saddlebred and Morgan ponies and horses across the country. Nelson was also a respected horse and pony show judge throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania. He was on the board of director’s of COSCA, Tri State Horse Show Association and the Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club, as well as president of the Paint & Plain Saddle Club for two years. He was inducted into The Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2015. Nelson loved classic country music and often entertained his friends with Ethel and The Mississippi Squirrel (Ray Stevens). He will always be remembered for his quick wit and wonderful sense of humor. He never knew a stranger. He was a member of the American Legion and the VFW. He enjoyed watching The Ohio State Buckeyes whether it be basketball or football as well as the Cavs basketball and Cleveland Indians baseball. Nelson was preceded in death by his mother Mildred and his father Archie McNutt; his son, Mitchell Lee McNutt; and brothers, Gerald, Bill and Richard McNutt. He leaves behind his loving wife of 55 years, Joy Sue McNutt; son Nicholas (Melody) McNutt; a sister, Marge Agin; brothers, Tom (Joan), Kenneth (Sue) and Dr. Ronald (Kay) McNutt of Tucson, Ariz.; two sisters-in-law, Betty of Millersburg and Lorain of Columbus; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services were held on July 15, 2017 at the funeral home conducted by Rev. Lonnie Qualls. Burial followed in Ashland Cemetery where full military services were conducted by the Ashland Veterans Honor Guard.

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NORA STANTON Nora Stanton’s love for family, friends, horses, dogs and the bridle trails of Geauga and Cuyahoga Counties was an inspiration to all who knew her. She was known for her efforts to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of abused or abandoned animals and, more often than not throughout the years, had a rescued mama dog with her litter of puppies tucked safely in the warmth of the barn till they were old enough to go to good homes. She always kept a stall ready for the next rescue call be it horse or dogs. Many horses found good homes because of her efforts and many of us enjoyed those horses, as we were their new homes. Nora owned and loved many horses in her life but her last horse, a rescued Mustang named Shoshone was a favorite who carried her miles on her beloved trails. Whether pulling the invasive garlic mustard, planting trees, picking up litter in the spring, scouting new trails or fundraising, she dedicated countless hours to improve the Geauga parks for all to enjoy. She also taught countless numbers of children to love, care for and ride horses. Nora battled MS for years but always had a smile and upbeat attitude that we all admired. A founding member and often officer of Geauga County OHC, she worked tirelessly to preserve land and trails for all of us to enjoy. She could be fierce in her determination to get something done, put something right or help someone in need and we were all well aware that it would get done. Nora will be missed by all of us, but mostly by Jack, her husband of 56 years, her seven grown children and grandchildren. Her inspiring work and friendship will live on in our hearts and we can picture her surrounded by the love of those horses and dogs, safely rescued, that went before her. Photo of Nora and her Mustang Shoshone courtesy of Geauga Parks. January 2018

January 2018

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Westfall Horsemanship

Welcome Home by Stacy Westfall Hello neighbor! If you could choose to live anywhere… where would you choose? I understand that asking this question in January can potentially skew your answers to a warmer location…Would it surprise you to learn that I chose Ohio? In February 2014 our family sold our home and went on a road trip. We packed the contents of our former home into a storage facility and headed for warmer weather in Texas. Along for the ride we had three teenage boys that we were home schooling…and six horses! Within a few months we moved into a 40-foot Fleetwood Discovery motor home, attached a three horse trailer, and set out to explore the country in search of the perfect place to live. We drove from Maine to California, and from Florida back to Ohio with many stops along the way. If you had asked me during the trip where we would end up I would have guessed either Colorado or Arizona. The adventures we had could fill a book. We were stranded in New Mexico for three weeks during a freak snow event, we learned a 40-foot motor home pulling a horse trailer doesn’t fit many places, and we got health papers as souvenirs from most of the states. We also learned how beautiful the snow in the desert is, how staying at horse motels also means that you are immediately surrounded by horse people, and that if you really want to know an area you should ask a local. There is a restaurant in the middle-of-nowhereNew-Mexico that has the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. And if you want to ride (really ride like an old cowboy) I can recommend a place in Camp Verde, Ariz., where a local took us on a ride not for the faint of heart. Several hours into the ride she mentioned that she had once gone up a butte so steep that it appeared a helicopter might be needed to extract her, her horse, and her dog. We paused during our ascend to let the horses catch their breath and I

looked back down towards where we had parked, the horse trailer barely visible… You may be wondering, “So how did you decide where to buy land after wandering the country?” I’m glad you asked. Years ago, when we lived in Mount Gilead, Ohio, if we wanted to go trail riding we would haul our horses to Mohican State Park for the day. Some of you who attended clinics at our place will remember the group of us hauling up to Mohican State Park on the last day of our clinics. We have loved riding there for years. For fun Jesse and I would drive around the outskirts of the state park land dreaming of living near the trails. Once when we were riding at the park we noticed a group of tourist trail riders (the sneakers, shorts, and guide gave them away) and we followed them home. On the back side of the park was a horse property that gave guided trail rides on the park. “Wouldn’t that be an amazing location?” we said. At the time we were newly married, had small children, had just bought our first house and were totally broke. But a couple can dream, right? Over the years we still rode at the park. A couple years after discovering this horse rental property it went up for sale. We were still broke. It sold. Life went on. But every time we were in the area we still drove by. Still dreamed. In 2015 we were invited to fly to Germany to teach horsemanship camps for almost a month. Just before we flew to Germany we went on another trail ride at Mohican. You might have watched the YouTube video that I posted of it. We were trail riding that day with a lady that we met when she attended a clinic several years ago. As we rode down the trail I told her the story about following the riders back to the property that bordered the park. Told her how it had sold years before but that we still drove by it, in fact we had just driven by it last week. Then I asked her, “Do you know the place?” And she replied, “Yes, I own it.” I was shocked. I made sure we were talking

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Stacy Westfall and family. about the same place and she was. I told her, “Jesse’s never going to believe this.” He was surprised too and then he asked, “What are you going to do with it?” To which she responded, “I don’t know, maybe sell it to you guys if you still want it.” Seriously? The land that we wanted over a decade ago was now being offered to us. We didn’t even have to talk about it. Yes! We would love it! Some people might call it a coincidence but I call it a God-incidence. We broke ground in June 2016 and now we live in a little cabin on a hill…with a huge indoor arena. If you ride the red or blue loop at the Mohican State Park and find yourself near the tepee you are 5 minutes from my house. We ride all of our horses out on the trails. You may find me ponying a yearling, riding a two year old or exploring a trail on the back of a highly decorated show horse. In future issues of the Corral I’ll be sharing with you why I think finding a balance between arena and trail work is important for both the horse and the rider. Have a particular subject you would like to see covered? Send an email to me, westfallhorsemanship@gmail.com. I choose to live here for the trails, the active horse community, and the special location. If you’re reading this we are within driving distance of each other…I hope to see you on the trails!

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

Ohio State Buckskin Association

Congratulations to the Top OSBA 2017 Winners PRESIDENT, Carmen KellenbargerPorter; VICE PRESIDENT, Ben Grandstaff; SECRETARY, Brianne Mathews; TREASURER, Meg Powell PHONE, 740/403-4551 WEBSITE, www.ohiobuckskins.org

by Carmen Kellenbarger-Porter 2017 OSBA Year End Awards Banquet will be Saturday, Jan. 6 at The Virtues Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio. The Directors meeting will be at 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m. General Membership meeting, 6 p.m. dinner followed by 2018 queen presentation and the awards. Please RSVP before Jan. 1 to Carmen, 740/877-1910. Hope to see everyone there! Kenzie Goddard will be crowned at the banquet. She is the new 2018 OSBA Queen. Special thanks to Margaret Kellenbarger and the late Lawrence Kellenbarger on donating the queens flowers, tiaras, sash, jewelry and goodie bag. Here are the top OSBA 2017 winners;

OPEN DIVISION IBHA DUN FACTOR: Sheza Royal Fleet/Maleah Nigg. IBHA 2YR OLD MARES: Im Good At This/Connie Lechleitner, Sassy Doodle/ Ashley Karg. IBHA 2 YR OLD LONGE LINE: Im Good At This/Connie Lechleitner, Sheza Royal Fleet/ Heather Nigg. IBHA 2 YR OLD IN HAND TRAIL: Im Good At This/Connie Lechleitner Amateur Divison. IBHA MARES: Im Good At This/ Connie Lechleitner, Sassy Doodle/ Ashley Karg. IBHA GELDINGS: Rockin The Potential/Amy Brockman. IBHA WESTERN SHOWMANSHIP: Rockin The Potential/Amy Brockman, Rawhides Reno/Emily Powell. IBHA ENGLISH SHOWMANSHIP: Rockin The Potential/Amy Brockman, Rawhides Reno/Emily Powell. IBHA HUNTER UNDER SADDLE: Rockin The Potential /Amy Brockman, Rawhides Reno/Emily Powell. IBHA HUNT SEAT EQUITATION: Rockin The Potential/Amy Brockman, Rawhides Reno/Emily Powell. IBHA WESTERN PLEASURE: Rockin The Potential/Amy Brockman, Rawhides Reno/Emily Powell. IBHA WESTERN HORSEMANSHIP: Rawhides Reno/Emily Powell, Rockin The Potential/Amy Brockman. IBHA AMATEUR SELECT DIVISION IBHA WESTERN SHOWMANSHIP: Handy Little Bug/Patricia Mckinley, CD Mr Legs/Brenda Alliman, Im Good At This/Connie Lechleitner.

IBHA ENGLISH SHOWMANSHIP: Handy Little Bug/Patricia Mckinley, CD Mr Legs/Brenda Alliman. IBHA HUNTER UNDER SADDLE: Handy Little Bug/Patricia Mckinley, CD Mr Legs/Brenda Alliman. IBHA HUNT SEAT EQUITATION: Handy Little Bug/Patricia Mckinley, CD Mr Legs/Brenda Alliman. IBHA WESTERN PLEASURE: Handy Little Bug/Patricia Mckinley, Ima Classic Asset/Nancy Heink, CD Mr Legs/Brenda Alliman. IBHA WESTERN HORSEMANSHIP: Handy Little Bug/Patricia Mckinley, CD Mr Legs/Brenda Alliman. IBHA MINIATURE DIVISION IBHA DUN FACTOR: Knapps Slated To Be Great/Norma Barnes Ernasti/Alma Iris Rivera, Bet On A Vegas Blue Moon/ Robert Beckel, Wayward Winds Upscale Showgirl/Jeffrey Showerman. IBHA MINI MARES: Stetson One Smokin Chic/Robert/Frann Beckel, Luckys Lil Miss Tinkerbell/Carmen KellenbargerPorter, Bet On A Vegas Blue Moon/ Robert Beckel, Wayward Winds Upscale Showgirl/Jeffrey Showerman. IBHA MINI GELDINGS: Little Kings Outta Cash/Frann Beckel/Jeffrey Showerman, Mr Kings Mr Cold Cash/ Frann Beckel, Knapps Slated To Be Great/Norma Barnes Ernasti/Alma Iris Rivera. MINI IN HAND TRAIL: Bet On A Vegas Blue Moon/Robert Beckel, Knapps Slated To Be Great/Norma Barnes Ernasti/Alma Iris Rivera, Stetson One Smokin Chic Robert/Frann Beckel, Little Kings Duke Dreamer/Frann Beckel,

Wayward Winds Upscale Showgirl/ Jeffrey Showerman, Little Kings Outta Cash Frann Beckel/Jeffrey Showerman, Mr Kings Mr Cold Cash/Frann Beckel. MINI PLEASURE DRIVING: Little Kings Duke Dreamer/Frann Beckel, Knapps Slated To Be Great/Norma Barnes Ernasti/Alma Iris Rivera, Wayward Winds Upscale Showgirl/Jeffrey Showerman. MINI JUMPING: Bet On A Vegas Blue Moon/Robert Beckel, Stetson One Smokin Chic Robert/Frann Beckel, Wayward Winds Upscale Showgirl/ Jeffrey Showerman, Mr Kings Mr Cold Cash/Frann Beckel, Little Kings Outta Cash/Frann Beckel/Jeffrey Showerman. MINI LIBERTY: Bet On A Vegas Blue Moon/Robet Beckel, Little Kings Duke Dreamer/Frann Beckel, Stetson One Smokin Chic Robert/Frann Beckel, Mr Kings Mr Cold Cash/Frann Beckel, Wayward Winds Upscale Showgirl/ Jeffrey Showerman, Little Kings Outta Cash Frann Beckel/Jeffrey Showerman. IBHA YOUTH DIVISION IBHA MARES: Hot Jezza Belle/Kenzie Goddard. IBHA WESTERN SHOWMANSHIP: Hot Jezza Belle/Kenzie Goddard. IBHA ENGLISH SHOWMANSHIP: Hot Jezza Belle/Kenzie Goddard. IBHA WESTERN TRAIL: Hot Jezza Belle/Kenzie Goddard. IBHA WESTERN PLEASURE: Hot Jezza Belle/Kenzie Goddard. IBHA WESTERN HORSEMANSHIP: Hot Jezza Belle/Kenzie Goddard.

Congratulations to all. Heres to 2018!

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. 12

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

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. January 2018

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

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”. 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: 440-564-7303, www. bluelakesfarm.net. JAN. 6-7 — Champions Center Open Show, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: championsexpoohio@gmail.com. JAN. 12-13 — Mid-Eastern Farrier Association Free Member Clinic & Meeting, Cleveland Equine Clinic, Ravenna, OH. FMI: Roger, 330-904-1489. JAN. 12-14 — MQHA Convention & Stallion Service Sale, Ramada Lansing Hotel & Conference Center, Lansing, MI. FMI: www. miquarterhorse.com. JAN. 13 — Wayne County Saddle Club Annual Banquet, 6-11 p.m., American Legion, Wooster, OH. FMI: www. waynecountysaddleclub.com. JAN. 13 — Showmanship Clinic, Bar W Equestrian Center, 11535 Old Troy Pike, Saint Paris, OH. FMI: 937-602-7625. JAN. 13 — Big Blanket Blowout!, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kentucky Equine Humane Center, Nicholasville, KY. FMI: www.kyehc.org. JAN. 13-14 — Youth Equestrian Development Association, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: www.showyeda.com. JAN. 13-14 — Michigan State University’s 2018 Horsemen’s Weekend, MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: risingma@msu.edu 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. 19 — Winter Team Sorting Series, Riverland Arena, Navarre, OH. FMI: Philip Mullet, 330-204-6012. JAN. 20 — OPHC Stallion Service Auction, Madison County Fairgrounds, London, OH. FMI: Tina, 937-303-3632, ellersheating@ hotmail.com, www.ophc.org. JAN. 20 — Introduction to Reining with Shannon Quinlan and Vincienzo Santo, Camouflage Stables, Salem, OH. FMI: 234567-4066, www.camouflagestables.com. JAN. 20-21 — Steve Colclasure Cutting/ Cow Horse Clinic hosted by Lazy L Ranch, 4330 Butterbridge Rd., North Lawrence, OH. FMI: Haley, 330-418-1096. JAN. 20-21 — OHC Mid Winter Planning Meeting, Deer Creek State Park Lodge, 22300 State Park Rd. #20, Mt. Sterling, OH. FMI: promotions@ohconline.com, www.ohconline.com.

JAN. 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. 26 — Indoor Children Fun Series, 6-8:30 p.m., Camouflage Stables, Salem, OH. FMI: www.camouflagestables.com. JAN. 26 — Winter Team Sorting Round Robin Buckle Series, Riverland Arena, Navarre, OH. FMI: Philip, 330-204-6012. 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. JAN. 27 — Mounted Shooting Clinic, Serenity Acres West, 8700 Canal Road, Frazeysburg, OH. FMI: 614-204-4100. JAN. 28 — Equine Ride For Awareness, 1-4 p.m., Gibsonburg Saddle Club, 961 N. Main St., Gibsonburg, OH. FMI: 419-450-2994. JAN. 28 — Winter Fun Show Series, Sapphire Sky Stables, 6810 Barrett Road, Geneva, OH. FMI: 440-813-9478. 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. to 2 p.m., Ashland County Fairgrounds, Ashland, OH. FMI: Ashley, 419606-8383, achristian386@gmail.com, www. ashlandpaintandplain.com. FEB. 3 — Annual NW PA Tack Swap, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Smith’s Country Garden, 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. 3 — Wayne County Horse & Pony 4H Tack Swap Meet, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wayne County 4H Fair, Richmond, IN. FMI: Britney Brandt, 765-969-9501. FEB. 8 — Premier Draft Horse Auction, 20933 Mulebarn Rd., Sheridan, IN. FMI: Carol, 317983-6569, carol@wlivestock.com. 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. 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, 236 Pennsylvania Ave., 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. 16 — Winter Team Sorting Series & Round Robin Buckle Series, Riverland Arena, Navarre, OH. FMI: 330-204-6012. FEB. 17-18 — Buckeye Reining Clinic, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: www.buckeyereiningseries.com. FEB. 18 — 35th Annual Great Lakes Appaloosa Swap Meet, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., University of Findlay Western Farm, 14700 US 68, Findlay, OH. FMI: Jason Moore, 937570-0701, glaphcswapmeet@gmail.com, www.glaphc.com. FEB. 22-25 — Mid Winter Fling, Cloverdale, IN. FMI: www.iqha.com. FEB. 23 — Indoor Children Fun Series, 6-8:30 p.m., Camouflage Stables, Salem, OH. FMI: www.camouflagestables.com. FEB. 24 — Knox County OHC Tack Auction, Martinsburg Activity Center, Martinsburg, OH. FMI: whistlemeup08@yahoo.com, www.ohconline.com. FEB. 24 — Winter 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. FEB. 25 — Equine Ride For Awareness, 1-4 p.m., Gibsonburg Saddle Club, 961 N. Main St., Gibsonburg, OH. FMI: 419-450-2994. FEB. 25 — Winter Fun Show Series, Sapphire Sky Stables, 6810 Barrett Road, Geneva, OH. FMI: 440-813-9478. MARCH 2018 MARCH 3-4 — SOQHA Spring Into Action Show, Champions Center, 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, 4122 Laybourne Rd., Springfield, OH. FMI: championsexpoohio@gmail.com. MARCH 11 — The 33rd Annual Great Tack Exchange, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Warren County Fairgrounds, State Route 48, Lebanon, OH. FMI: Judy, 513-494-1417, www.greattackexchange.webs.com. MARCH 11 — Cuyahoga Farm Bureau 15th Annual Used Tack Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Cuyahoga Fairgrounds Home & Hobby Bldg., Berea, OH. FMI: 440-877-0706, www.cuyahoga.ofbf.org. MARCH 11 — Definance County OHC Horse & More Sale, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Paulding County Fairgrounds, Paulding, OH. FMI: 260-445-4240, cogswell824@gmail.com.

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

MARCH 11 — Jack Frost Jubilee Winter Fun Show Series, Crescendo Training Centre, Elphrata, PA. FMI: Kriss, 717-475-3047, 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 16 — Square Dance Gibsonburg Saddle Club Fundraiser, 8 p.m., Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed, 1375 N SR 590, Gibsonburg, OH. FMI: Mary Heaps, 419-351-9715. MARCH 16 — Winter Team Sorting Series, Riverland Arena, Navarre, OH. FMI: Philip Mullet, 330-204-6012. MARCH 16-18 — On The Road with Dawn & Clea 2017/2018 Winter Half Baked Series, The Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: 330-592-5745, www. ontheroadwithdawnandclea.com. 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. MARCH 18 — Open Horse Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www.bluelakesfarm.net. MARCH 20-23 — Topeka Spring Draft Horse, Carriage & Equipment Sale, Topeka, IN. FMI: 260-593-2522. MARCH 23 — Indoor Children Fun Series, 6-8:30 p.m., Camouflage Stables, 3249 SR 45 S, Salem, OH. FMI: www. camouflagestables.com. JAN. 26 — Winter Team Sorting Round Robin Buckle Series, Riverland Arena, Navarre, OH. FMI: Philip, 330-204-6012. MARCH 23-24 — Ranch Trail Cleanup, Smoke Rise Ranch & Resort, Glouster, OH. FMI: 740767-2624, www.smokeriseranch.com. MARCH 23-25 — Blue Ribbon Springtime Classic, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: www.ohiosaddlebred.com. MARCH 23-25 — Road To The Horse, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY. FMI: 877-7725425, tammy@roadtothehorse.com. MARCH 24 — Horse Health Day, Alexandria Fairgrounds, Alexandria, KY. FMI: Jim Mayer, 859-496-4976, jimwmayer@yahoo.com, www.nkhn.info MARCH 24 — Winter Series Contest Show & “Beginners” Fun Show, Blue Lakes Farm, Newbury, OH. FMI: 440-564-7303, www. bluelakesfarm.net. MARCH 24 — Indiana Horse Council Queen Contest, Henry Co. Saddle Club, New Castle, IN. FMI: www.hcsaddleclub.com. MARCH 25 — Equine Ride For Awareness, 1-4 p.m., Gibsonburg Saddle Club, 961 N. Main St., Gibsonburg, OH. FMI: Pastor Robin, 419-450-2994. MARCH 25 — Winter Fun Show Series, Sapphire Sky Stables, 6810 Barrett Road, Geneva, OH. FMI: 440-813-9478. MARCH 28-APRIL 1 — MQHA Easter EggStravaganza, MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI. FMI: www.miquarterhorse.com. MARCH 29-APRIL 1 — Buckeye Reining Series Show, Champions Center, Springfield, OH. FMI: www.buckeyereiningseries.com. MARCH 30-31 — TrailMeister Clinic and TV Production, Smoke Rise Ranch & Resort, 6751 Hunterdon Rd., Glouster, OH. FMI: 740-767-2624, www.smokeriseranch.com.

Email your Equine Event to michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com to have it added to the Corral Calendar. January 2018

Ohio Appaloosa Association

Calendar of Events Updated on OAA Website PRESIDENT, Sarah Koss; VICE PRESIDENT, Kelly Engle Thompson; TREASURER, June Levy; SECRETARY, Denise Smith. PHONE, 937/725-4862 WEBSITE, www.appohio.com

by Denise Smith Happy New Year! Time flies and here it is 2018, winter and cold weather. Our club held its elections Nov. 19 at Fiesta Veracruz in Wilmington. Officers for 2018 are President Sarah Koss, Vice President Kelly EngleThompson, Treasurer June Levy, Secretary Denise Smith. Directors for 2018 are Ashley Murphy, Ralph Smithson, and

Gloria Wojotowicz. Alternate Directors for 2018 are Betsie Moore, Michael Smith, and Nancy Whittley. 2018 is going to be a busy year for OAA, committees have been established and chairs appointed. The club is working on firming up the 12th Dazzling Spots Horse show date (please check our website for date). The calendar of events has been updated with club meetings, tack sales, regional horse shows and banquets. On the fun side our calendar has two family outings: Feb. 24-26 Deer Creek State Park Lodge and in August a picnic at Lakeview Acres in Lebanon. We have several club campouts and trail rides planned: Pleasant Hill Lake Park, Spotted Horse Ranch and potentially Big South Fork, Tenn. This year we are looking at a

new fundraiser—a club calendar featuring members and their horses. So we are busy not only raising funds in support of our club and youth activities, we are going to have fun. If you are interested in our club our first 2018 club meeting is Sunday, Jan. 7 at TJ Chumps in Fairborn. Arrive at 1:30 p.m. to eat, meeting at 2 p.m. We have no regular meeting in February just our winter family outing. Then the next regular meeting is Sunday, March 11 at the Family Village Restaurant in Waynesville, eat at 2 p.m., meeting at 3 p.m. The youth will have a booth at the Great Tack Exchange put on by Warren County Ohio Horseman Council 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day. So go shop, come eat and stay for a meeting. If you are interested in

Indian Spirit Cochise a diverse club, we are it. Check out our Facebook page and website for current information. I am tickled to introduce my new trail horse Indian Spirit Cochise. We are both working on weight management and getting into shape, so I am looking forward to 2018 and hitting the trails. I would like to wish everyone a healthy, peaceful and Happy New Year!

Knox County Horse Park

2018 Show Schedule Announced PRESIDENT, Ken Niner VICE PRESIDENT, Travis Ross & Pete Ferris; TREASURER, Pam Niner SECRETARY, Courtney Letts PHONE, 740/973-3059; WEBSITE, www.knoxcountyhorsepark.com

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a very safe and Happy New Year! As I am writing this article the snow is falling and the wind is blowing. It is a good reminder that winter is here. With that I want to remind all of us that use heaters in our water tanks or heated buckets to check them often. We need to make sure that our equine friends are not playing with them and get hurt or that the wires have not began to crack and will cause an electrical fire. I know that all of us want to keep our animals and ourselves safe this winter. I am excited to announce that our 2018 show schedule has been completed and approved by our trustees. I now can release it for publication. MAY 12 — Fun Show, noon. The rain date will be May 19. JUNE 9 — Poker Run, noon. The rain date will be June 16. JULY 8 — Cowboy Challenge, noon. Rain date will be July 15. AUG. 4 — Cowboy vs Cowgirl Challenge, noon. AUG. 19 — Driving Day, noon. SEPT. 8 — Fredericktown Tomato Parade. SEPT. 9 — All Horse Parade. SEPT. 15 — Fun Show, the January 2018

time to still be determined. The rain date is Sept. 22. SEPT. 29 — Tortoise/Hare Event, noon. Rain date Sept. 30. OCT. 6 — Copper Horse Crusade, 10 a.m. Rain date Oct. 7. OCT. 20 — Halloween Fun Show, start time is still to be determined. Rain date Oct. 27. It is going to be another fun and busy year at the horse park. Please watch the Corral articles in the months to come and our webpage and Facebook page to see the showbills. If you have not renewed your membership for 2018 now is the time to do so. You can get a membership application at our business meetings or you can email me at kchpknoxcountyhorsepark@ yahoo.com and I will send you one. We are always welcoming new members to our club. If you would like to learn more about the horse park and where we are located please feel free to contact me, I would love to tell you more about us. We will still have our monthly meetings on the first Saturday of the month with a potluck at 6:30 p.m. and meeting to follow at 7 p.m. Please watch our Facebook page or your email to find the location of the meeting during the winter months. Just a reminder that our webpage is www.knoxcountyhorsepark. com, and our Facebook page is KCHP (Knox County Horse Park). You can also email me

with any questions or comments that you have. I look forward to seeing you all at our shows this year.

Remember to dress warm and keep your equine friends safe and warm this winter. ~Courtney Letts

Help Us Celebrate Our 35th Year!

presents

GREAT LAKES APPALOOSA HORSE CLUB SWAP MEET

University of Findlay Equestrian Center Western Farm South of Findlay at 14700 US 68, Findlay, Ohio 45840

ENTRANCE JUST SOUTH OF CO. RD. 40, RIGHT ON ST. RTE. 68

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2018 8 a.m to 2 p.m. Doors open to vendors at 6 a.m. & the general public at 8 a.m.

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Large Booth: $70 Small Booth: $35 Admission: $3

Prospective Exhibitors contact: Jason Moore at 937-570-0701 For details and registration form go to www.glaphc.com click on Swap Meet 15

Wayne County Saddle Club

Looking Forward to 2018 PRESIDENT, Rich Gortner; VICE PRESIDENTS, Rachael Adamson and Katy Amstutz; SECRETARY, Bobbi Jo Mackey; TREASURER, Beth Eikleberry; WEBSITE, waynecountysaddleclub.com

Future?! What will it hold for us? Everyone who writes for any periodical has to turn in his/ her story by a deadline. The Corral deadline is the 10th of the month previous to publication of this periodical. Other than the need to keep in mind we are writing this three to four weeks before you read it, not much else is required. As I write this, I wonder what the weather will be like when you read it early in January. Will it reach you before our annual banquet Jan. 13? Just in case it does, and just in case you don’t already know, the Wayne County Saddle Club Annual Banquet, election, awards presentation, and dance is Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Wooster American Legion. The doors open at 5:30 and we eat

Crawl thru the barrel 2017. at 6 p.m. Bring one hot and one cold dish along with beverage of your choice and dinnerware. We normally provide coffee, punch and plastic utensils. Members will be able to sign in and collect official ballots. Tickets will be on sale for raffle items. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and election of officers and new directors, and presentation of awards will follow, topped off by music for listening and dancing I don’t need a crystal ball to see into the future to know that the annual banquet is always an enjoyable time for those who attend. The ‘holidays’ are over and post-holiday doldrums and cabin fever may have set in, and the

Crawl thru the barrel at the Hollow c. 1965.

Barrels in 1965 (before the fence).

banquet gives everyone a chance to get out, get together, rehash last year, and look forward to next year. It’s a great way to ‘press on’ with enthusiasm into 2018.

We have always emerged on top, however. And, regardless of what 2018 brings the saddle club and its leadership will be ‘up’ for it. After all we haven’t gotten to be 79 years old by backing down from challenges. And we are dedicated to making your time at the ‘Hollow’ pleasant and fair. Here’s to an astounding year in 2018!

Obviously, my ‘crystal ball’ isn’t capable of telling you who the 2018 officers and directors will be—at least the ones that are new due to terms ending. But I am pretty sure I can say they will be intent on making it another excellent year at the ‘Hollow.’ In the 30-plus years I’ve written the newsletter for this organization, I can definitely say there have been ‘ups and downs’ throughout those years.

And one quick reminder: the worship group meets Sundays at 11. All are welcome. The future promises another great year at the ‘Hollow’. Why not join us?! ~Stan

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

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

Ride In Sync

Why Riding is Difficult by Terry Myers Last month we talked about how horses learn and that you need to build your horses’ skills by training in layers over time. The same can be said about building the skills of the rider. Think about your own schooling. You started in kindergarten with learning the alphabet and numbers and had big lined paper with fat pencils. With each successive year of school, you learned more and more. Depending on the occupation you decided to pursue, you may have had schooling well past the 13 primary grades. The result is an adult ready to earn a living wage (hopefully). Learning to ride well is the same. You have to learn to ride, building your skills one step at a time. The problem is, riding goes against your instincts. So not only do you need to learn the mechanics of riding a 1,000+ pound animal, but you need to reprogram your instincts to do it.

Confidence, to me, is the very first layer that must be built to reduce the instinct of fear. Fear can be paralyzing. Fear, as we discussed in the past, causes us to react instead of act, which takes us out of the leadership role with our horse. Fear usually causes a counter productive reaction and can send fear signals to your horse. If you are nervous or afraid, your horse may read that and become that way as well. By building your knowledge, you can control your instincts, reduce your fear and get the respect of your horse. Ground work is a great way to start. By learning how to do good ground work, you learn how to effectively control the horse and become their leader. This builds respect which will translate to the saddle. Once in the saddle, the learning curve starts all over again. The other instinctive reaction that must be overcome is regarding pressure. I call it the Push/Pull instinct. If you go up

to your horse and push on their shoulder with your hand, with solid pressure, chances are that your horse will brace against that pressure. They may brace to the point that when you take your hand away, your horse will actually move toward you. The same instincts apply when you are riding. Put solid pressure on the reins and your horse will lay on the bridle reins in your hand. The more you pull, the more you horse will brace or even pull back. With continually pulling on your horses’ mouth, your horse braces to your pull, they stiffen their neck, shoulder and possibly ribcage, taking away any ability for softness or lateral flexion. Without lateral flexion, you cannot have collection. In addition, a horse which stiffens their neck and shoulder can also bolt, rear and buck. The same theory can be applied to leg pressure. Squeeze with your legs and instead of yielding to the pressure, you may get stiffening. Also, when you squeeze with your legs, you stiffen your legs and lock your hips (I call is locking down your ‘seat bone’). With this type of rider body position, your horse can’t pick up their back to push off and move forward. When riders don’t get what they want from their horse, they apply more pressure. Horse doesn’t slow down when you pull on the reins, you pull harder. Am I right? The solution is counter to our instincts; a give and take approach or ‘less is more’ philosophy. Don’t take more pressure, give up and ask again. Instead of solid rein pressure, bounce the rein with your fingers. Take out the slack until you feel resistance, then bounce your rein by wiggling your fingers. That is NOT a jerk, but a gentle bump. When you feel a change, let go and reward your horse. Same applies to your legs. The last thing riders need to develop is the ability to see and feel the smallest change. Horses see things in minute detail, being herd animals. The better we can see in detail, the better we can read them, feel changes and improve

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Terry Myers their movement and performance. This all sounds simple, but it is not. To learn to work with your horse without fear, get results without excessive pressure and read/feel the smallest change requires a huge investment in building your knowledge in layers over time. I am a better horseman than I was 10 years ago. I hope to be even better in another 10 years. Time, patience and diligence will help you build the layers of great horsemanship. The point of this entire article is that good riding and horsemanship is hard and goes against our instincts. But that is why it is so interesting and worthwhile, particularly when you see the improvements, both in your horse and yourself. One final thing to remember… horses don’t make mistakes, people do. Investing in developing your own horsemanship skills over time will vastly improve your partnership with your horse. 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.

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

District One National Show Horse Association

Getting to Know DONSHA’s President 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 Happy New Year to everyone! As you plan your 2018 equine events please keep in mind that our club is planning a couple tune up clinics for early 2018. The shows have slowed and winter is here. We are focusing on the equine backgrounds for our officers and board members. This month our President, Jane Malmsberry will share her history with horses. From the time my family decided the horses had to go when my older sister went off to college, I knew horses would be part of my life again as soon as I could make it happen. When my

daughter was age 7 I convinced her father she needed a pony. Then of course a horse. Then I needed a horse to ride with her. Then we wanted to experience having a foal. Pretty much the way we all start this journey. My sister also followed this path when her kids got a little older but she bought a beautiful Arab mare. Then another and another...this is how I was introduced to the breed, which is how I became farm manager of a NSH facility. I was so fortunate to care for and eventually own the Saddlebred stud Spirit of the Eighties. I so enjoyed watching his babies in the show ring and the ultimate joy of seeing several go on to be National Champions. While at the NSH facility, we added Thoroughbreds to the mix. Within a couple years we were racing about 30 Thoroughbreds while still showing and breeding NSH. Two completely different venues. So many ups and downs but what a learning experience. I tried my darndest to get my kids to ride saddle seat but my daughter fell in love with

eventing. As soon as my son realized there was another way of competing where you could go fast and not be all dressed up, the saddle seat suit was put away. Bring on barrels, rodeo, Quarter Horses, and cows! I loved watching my kids ride and compete. Traveling to my daughters Intercollegiate events and hauling my son all over the country to rodeos was so rewarding. Throughout all these adventures, the volumes of wonderful people I now call friends is truly a blessing. Now my granddaughter is a Pony Clubber and I enjoy her competitions. All these life adventures has given me such a diverse background in horses. What is that phrase—something about master of none! I never had a strong desire to be in the show ring myself but put me on a horse on a crisp fall day in the middle of the woods somewhere and I am in Heaven. For the past 18 years I have opened my home and barn to any kid (or adult) that wanted to experience horses. My daughter and granddaughter have kept kids coming with no end in sight. I can’t tell you how many have gotten their start here and went on to become responsible horse owners making their own memories. It has been so rewarding watching these young people grow into adults continuing on with this passion we share. I still have a couple Spirit

Jane and Spirit. babies that will live out their life here and remind me of that special stallion. My dream is to travel to a new trail riding adventure several times a year but so far I’m not doing a very good job of scratching off locations. There always seems to be something here at home going on with the horses that I just can’t miss. A great deal of my time is spent heading up the Saddle Horse program for Mahoning County Fair. We put on as many as 10 shows a year plus banquets, symposiums, clinics and of course the fair. Once again, watching young people grow through their horse experience is so very satisfying. I enjoy road trips with Barb to see her horses show or helping at Buckeye Horse Park. I guess it’s fair to say, horses pretty much consume my time. Not a bad way to live!

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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

Central Ohio Saddle Club Association

Congratulations to Horse of the Year and Reserve Horse of the Year PRESIDENT, Mike Musto; VICE PRESIDENT, Phil Harstine; SECRETARY, Robin Hobdy; TREASURER, Theresa Whiteman; WEBSITE, www.coscaonline.com

by Mandy Dacek Happy New Year from all of us here at COSCA! As everyone makes their New Year’s resolutions, horse folks start making their goals for the upcoming show season. We hope our shows will be on your list of events to attend to reach those goals. We have open classes, youth and adult classes, as well as breed and ranch horse classes! Showbills will be added to our website as they are approved. Our website is a great place for many of the forms you will need. In addition to showbills, there are membership forms (which you will need so you can win some of the great awards in our high point awards program!) as well as sponsorship forms and links to some sponsors.

Horse of the Year — Got My Dress Sox On. Speaking of our great awards program, this month will shine the spotlight on our Horse of the Year and Reserve Horse of the Year. Thank you to our great friends and supporters at Valley Tack Shop for the generous donation of the Champion and Reserve Horse of the Year coolers. We sincerely appreciate your support! The 2017 Horse of the Year is Got My Dress Sox On. ‘Bobby’ as he is known to his family and friends, is a 7-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. He has been owned by Lauren Jeziorski Dennis since he was a green 5 year old, and after a challenging start, Bobby and his girls haven’t

looked back. Shown this year by Lauren, sister Adriana, daughter Lindsey and good friend Lee Milam, Got My Dress Sox On earned points in open, youth and adult classes, ranging from showmanship to lead line, hunter under saddle to western pleasure. Bobby is truly the ‘little horse that could.’ In addition to being a show ring superstar, Bobby keeps his family on their toes at home…he is known to unlatch a stall door and steal a lead rope or two! 2017 was a fun year for the Jeziorski/Dennis clan with all three ladies taking turns showing Bobby. Congratulations to the 2017 COSCA Horse of the Year Got My Dress Sox On! The 2017 Reserve Horse of the Year is JPC Walk The Line. ‘JR’ as his fans call him, is an

Reserve Horse of the Year — JPC Walk The Line. 11-year-old Morgan gelding. He and his best girl, Natalie Coduto, have been partners for five years. Natalie was only 9 years old when their partnership began, and she has done a fantastic job instilling her bay gelding with confidence to take on anything that the show ring throws their way. Over the course of their time together, Natalie and JR have tackled both hunt seat and western classes. JR has become a pattern machine, with equitation and horsemanship becoming two of the pair’s favorite classes. Natalie is under the guidance of Deb Kitzmiller Anicas. This is the second year in the row that the Reserve Horse of the Year is trained by Deb. Congratulations to the 2017 COSCA Reserve Horse of the Year, JPC Walk The Line!

Ashland Paint & Plain Saddle Club

2018 Schedule Dates PRESIDENT, Steven “Chunk” Watts; SECRETARY, Jean Yancer; TREASURER, Ashley Christian; WEBSITE, ashlandpaintandplain. com; EMAIL, paintandplaininfo@ yahoo.com

by Chesna Wertz Hi everyone! Wow, where did the year go? As I am writing this article, we are two weeks away from Christmas, and then just a short while away from the start of the new year. Everyone here at Ashland Paint and Plain hopes that you had a wonderful Christmas and a great start to the new year! Let’s made 2018 even better than 2017! Our 7th Annual Tack Swap is only a couple months away! Please join us on Feb. 3, 2018 22

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ashland County Fairgrounds. Admission is $1 per person, or two non expired canned goods per person. At this time, we still have spaces available to sell from! A 10x10 space is $20.(To reserve a space, or for more information, please contact Ashley Christian at 419/606-8383 or achristian386@ gmail.com. Our 2018 show dates are now available! The following will be our 2018 show dates at the Ashland County Fairgrounds: April 28-29, May 26-27, June 30-July 1, and August 11-12. We will be releasing our showbill and judges very soon. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for the up to the minute information! We have some new things in the works for 2018, and we hope you all will be excited for them. Hope to see everyone at the Tack Swap! January 2018

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Achieving Straightness by Steve Lantvit Getting our horses to perform better is a lifelong goal for most of us. We spend hours teaching our horses to flex and to become supple so to gain control over their body parts, head, neck, shoulders, ribcage, and hip. We lope for miles in circles engaging the hind end and lifting the shoulder. All this flexing and circles is done so that we could put this all together and travel in a straight line. A wonderful exercise that I have my students do to work on straightness is a simple square pattern. I start by placing four cones about fifty to sixty feet apart, forming a square with 90 degree corners. This exercise can be done in the arena, or just out in a field. Sometimes I prefer the field for a change of pace. I’ll start my student walking the horse around the outside of the cones in either direction. The purpose for walking once or twice around the square is to give the horse

an idea of what’s coming next. I would do this if it was the horse’s first time on this pattern, after a time or two the horse is aware of the pattern and this makes the work easier. Remember that this is a square pattern exercise and not a circle. I want to see four 90 degree corners and straight lines in between the cones. On the four straight lines I’m looking for even reins with a low and soft hand. Remember to keep the horse between your legs and your reins, looking ahead to give the horse direction and a destination. Remember, where the head goes the horse will follow. When coming to a cone where a 90 degree turn is needed, raise the inside rein slightly and help push the horse around the turn with your outside or supporting rein. The nose should be tipped in slightly to encourage the bend through the turn. Keep your inside leg aid at the girth and your outside leg back behind the girth to aid in impulsion. We are looking for the horse to bend

around the turn and continue in a straight line. So do not over bend the horse or he will migrate out of the turn. If this is happening you’re using too much inside rein. When the turn is completed, lower the inside rein and bring your outside leg forward, and send your horse straight ahead again. This exercise should be done in both directions to keep the horse balanced. Another great exercise to do is down and backs. When in the arena pick a point and ride straight to it. Start from a collected frame and trot collected. Make sure you’re square in the saddle, the reins are even, and you’re looking ahead. Trot far enough down the arena so that you have established a good straight line. When you’re far enough down the area exhale, sit deep and stop the horse. Keep the stop straight. When the horse is completely stopped, rock him back on his hindquarters and ask for a change of direction. The change of direction should take place using one of the hind feet as a pivot. Leave over the same tracks you came in on. Remember to ride out straight, looking ahead to give direction to the horse. Collection should be maintained as much as possible to encourage an engaged hindquarter. This maneuver should be first done at a trot and after successful then at a canter. Advancing to a canter prematurely will only diminish straightness, and lead to a lack of control. These are only a couple of exercises to help develop straightness. The better the horse goes straight the better he stops, jumps, ropes and does

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Steve Lantvit everything else. Ultimately, we are after more control of our equine partner. 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.

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

TrailMeister

10 Tips for Happier Trail Rides by Robert Eversole, TrailMeister.com It’s time to leave the arena behind and head for the trails. Before you go, review this list of tips to make every trail ride as safe and enjoyable as possible. Athleticism for Yourself – Horse riding is physically challenging. To be a rider requires muscle strength, balance, flexibility, agility and overall body awareness. To be a passenger requires much less. Don’t be a passenger. While it’s not necessary to be a body builder to ride, dealing with an animal many times larger than yourself does require some physical presence. Athleticism for Your Horse (or mule) – If your animal is out of shape please take the time to get it in condition for the trails. Any equine fitness program will start slowly then gradually increase either distance or speed, but never both at the same time. Bug Off - Before you leave the barn, fill a small spray bottle with insect repellent and stash it in a saddle bag. A quick spritz can help keep the bugs at bay and you and your horse more comfortable. Be Prepared - Being prepared is not just for boy scouts. Trail riders need to be prepared for mishaps that are certain to happen. Besides

a trail buddy there are a few essential items that belong on every trail ride in case you encounter trouble on the trail. To ensure you have what you need to enjoy any ride or trip to the fullest, here’s a comprehensive checklist that will give you a good start. Print it off and keep it with you. https://www.trailmeister.com/trail-riderchecklists/ Check the forecast – Get a weather forecast before your trip so you can properly outfit yourself and your horse. And have a plan for dealing with extreme weather conditions that may suddenly develop. TrailMeister.com uses a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) interface to generate five-day weather forecasts for precisely the area where I’ll be riding. These results are far more accurate than traditional forecasts for the nearest town, which could be miles away and thousands of feet lower than a trail. Communicate – Talk with your riding buddy. No riding companion? Then at least carry a tool that you can use to call for help in case of an emergency. Mobile phones are great but think about coverage areas. Much better devices include the Garmin InReach which can send messages via satellites. Collect – Get trail maps and other available information about the trail area before you load the trailer. Resist the temptation to depend on a buddy who knows the area. If an accident should occur you could be left alone and in a real predicament. You can find maps and data on thousands of horse trails and horse camps at www.TrailMeister.com. Drink it Up - Horses that are actively working and are hot and sweaty should be given water. A perfect example is a loaded pack horse on a hot mountain trail. That animal is losing vital water and body salts through their sweat. Your riding animal is no different. They will need water while out on the trail to prevent overheating and dehydration. When you reach a watering area, take turns and don’t crowd. Wait for everyone to finish before moving off. And remember your LNT (Leave No Trace) principles: don’t trample the banks so everyone can water at the same time. Stay Found - Getting lost on a ride is easy to do. A bit of fog, a path you thought was another trail, an engaging conversation – all can lead you astray. When (Yes, it happens to everyone) you become lost don’t panic. Instead remember the acronym STOP (Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan.) These four simple steps will help you stay on track and return to camp in time for dinner. Yes, giving your horse ‘his head’ may get you back to the trailer. We’ve all done it. Unfortunately, it may also get you even more lost than you were before or he may choose a route that is far too difficult for you to stay mounted. Consider those thoughts before you trust your horse to get you back to the trailer safely. Give it up - Give your horse some extra rein when going up or down slopes so he can use his head and neck to balance himself. As you go uphill, lean slightly forward and keep your legs aligned below your hips. This will help keep you balanced while freeing up the horse’s hindquarters. When going down a steep slope, lean back slightly and put your feet in front of you. One way to think of this is to keep your body parallel with the surrounding trees. This will prevent you from tumbling forward over your horse’s shoulders if he stumbles. For more of my thoughts on trail riding and the world’s largest guide to horse trail and camps visit www.TrailMeister.com. The 2018 TrailMeister clinic season is upon us! In January, I’ll be doing two clinics in Washington State then heading east to Tennessee for the Southern Equine Expo at the end of February! For more information on clinics visit https://www.trailmeister.com/speaking/ Robert ‘The TrailMeister’ Eversole owns and operates the largest horse trail and horse camp guide in the world, www.TrailMeister.com. When he’s not speaking with horse and mule riders at events across the US, writing regular feature columns in leading equine publications including the Horsemen’s Corral, Robert can be found riding and packing trail maintenance crews into wilderness areas throughout the Pacific Northwest.

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

January 2018

Sponsored by Horsemen’s Corral, OQHA, IMTCA & Schneiders

Facilities • Tie Lines available. Portable corrals allowed • Awesome Horse Trails • Primitive camping • Pavilion • Top of the line IMTCA Trail Challenge Course

Weekend Includes:

NEW VENUE! 3-Day Trail Challenge * High Point Belt Buckle * High Point Awards * IMTCA Certified IMTCA Judge Kelly Chapman

• 8 all you can eat home cooked meals • 2 Trail Rides on OQHA is donating Friday and Saturday $1000 Added Monies • Saturday evening for Saturday Challenge! entertainment All proceeds will go to • Silent Auction, Raffles, Ohio's Youth! 50/50’s (Awesome stuff you won’t want to miss!) • Free Giveaways Thursday Night and so much more! 2018 Jim

When: 3 RD June 14-17, 2018 WEEKEND IN JUNE Where: ! Creek Side Horse Park Battlesburg Road SW Waynesburg, Ohio Cost: $99 per person $180 per couple $25 Trail Challenge entry or $20 for 2 or more entries (same rider/same day) Contact: Cynthia Bauman 330-323-3559 CreeksideHorsePark@gmail.com Todd Salome, OQHA 740-485-8017 More Information & Reservation Forms: www.OQHA.com www.CreekSideHorsePark.com Pre-register by May 25 & Receive a FREE T-Shirt!

Wells Memorial Trail Challenge

Come join us for our Annual Trail Challenge on Saturday! Test you and your horses abilities and go through our challenging trail course. $1000 added monies! All types of horses are welcome to join our Trail Challenge. OQHA will be awarding High Point for all OQHA members for all 3 days of competing on top of the Creek Side Horse Park High Point.

ay 20 M s U n Joi t the u O k c e Ch cility! New Fa

MAY 20, 2018 • 9 A.M. IMTCA Trail Course Clinic with Kelly Chapman

Visit www.creeksidehorsepark.com for more details!

January 2018

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Ohio Paint Horse Club

Stallion Service Silent Auction, Show and Membership Information PRESIDENT, Mike Schwendeman; VICE PRESIDENT, Tim Snapp; TREASURER, Roxann Rohrl; SECRETARY, Holly Ebelberger; EMAIL, r_paints@msn. com; WEBSITE, www.ophc.org

by Roxann Rohrl Hope all our friends, members and Paint Horse owners had a great Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year. Bet those special spotted friends enjoyed their decorated stalls and most of all those peppermint candy canes. Here we are in another year. Looks like this 2018 year has brought much excitement, new ideas, new shows and incentives for new Paint Horse owners to join our membership and come show with us. The next OPHC Board Meeting is scheduled for the first Sunday in January (Jan. 7). It will again be held at the Willow Brook Christian Village, 100 Willow Brook Drive, South, Delaware, Ohio off Route 23. Any member is always welcome to attend. It will start at 12 p.m. Next is the 2017 Year End Awards Celebration. It is Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Coughlan Building Madison County Fairgrounds, 205 Elm Street, London, Ohio. It will be a potluck lunch at 12 p.m. Bring your favorite dish to share, meat will be provided by OPHC. Year End Awards Presentation will begin at 1 p.m. The SSA Stallion Service Silent Auction will be 12-3 p.m. Due to circumstances there will not be a band. Stallion Service Silent Auction Chair Tina Eller has presented us with the following information: If you are looking for a special stallion that is not on this list, please contact Tina, 937/303-3632 or email her at ellersheating@hotmail.com. Stallions to pick from (this list will continue to grow) as of Dec. 10 are: All Star Kid, Almighty, Attencion, A Good Zippo, Brrr, By Appointment Only, Caribbean

Touchdown, DC Legacy, Double Up Investment, DGS Replicated, Executive Imprint, FG Totally A Charmer, Frozen, FDF Hes Got The Assetts, Gentlemen Jacks Club, Hey How Ya Doin, Zipped From Heaven, Hottest Ck in Town, HBF Iron Man, Hes In Command, Impulsified, Invite The Artist, JBEZ Smokin Jo, Justifiable, JMS Scarlets Aris, JN Total Attraction, John Simon, KR Hes Xceptional, Lookinat the Sierras, Mr Redneck Romeo, PR Tells A Tale, RHF One Fancy Phantom, TD Amazing Kid, Totally Pizazzed, That’s a Cool Dude, Transcendence, Virtuous, Vigilanti. These stallions plus more will be held at a Silent Auction that day. Mare owners may purchase stallion services that have not been sold at the Silent Service Auction for 60 percent of the advertised/stated stud fee (40 percent off) until June 1 of the current year of the auction. At the Silent Service Auction, the bidding will start at one half (half the stud fee or $250, whichever is greater). Attend this Year End Awards Celebration and purchase your stallion through the SSA Silent Service Auction for half (50 percent) of the advertised stud fee. Wow, what a savings! Come join us for this fun event to celebrate our winners and socialize with Paint Horse friends and purchase your SSA stallion to breed that special mare you have! The General Membership Meeting was held Nov. 18. Our 2018 Officers and Directors were elected by 21 voters. Mike Schwendeman is President, Tim Snapp is Vice President, Secretary is Holly Ebelberger, Treasurer is Roxann Rohrl. Three Directors were elected for a two year period: Cindy Snapp, Dave Williamson, Geri Capretta. They join Sue Johnson, Heather Strobl, and Steve Sauder who have one term left. Past President is Tina Eller. President Schwendeman added a new chairman position; Heather Collins is our new Solid Paint Bred Representative. Welcome

Heather. Congratulations to all and welcome. Sue Johnson will greet you at the OPHC APHA Equine Affaire booth. The OPHC will have a promotional display at the Findlay Swap Meet. If you would like to work a few hours in the booth, let us know or stop buy and talk Paint Horses with these volunteers. DECEMBER 10 MEETING Are you interested or in need of a Harris Work Saddle? The OPHC Amateur Club is selling raffle tickets for this saddle. The drawing will be at the Labor Day Show, now known as Buckeye Bonanza Show, held at the World Equestrian Center, aka Roberts Arena. Get your tickets early. The OPHC Rule Book was reviewed with additions/ deletions completed and will be ready to forward to APHA Jan. 1. Secretary Holly should have it on the website soon. SHOW INFORMATION Our first show will be the Buckeye Extravaganza. Dates are May 3-5. It will be held at Champions Center, Springfield, Ohio. Again, this year will be joined with Premier Paint Sires show. Judges were approved and hired. Friday of the Buckeye will be a two judge Youth and Amateur Show. Judges will be Marty Jo Hays and Chris Arnold. Saturday and Sunday POR judges are John Boxell, Randy Wilson, April Devitt and Casey Devitt. Circuit awards for each class will be awarded. We will be looking for volunteers to work gates, help in the office, early mornings and afternoon on Sunday check out day and will need two scribes for Friday show and four scribes for Saturday and Sunday show. Please give Roxann a call of your availability. Tim Snapp will hold the Manager Position, Roxann Rohrl will serve as Co-Manager. If you have an interest in serving in any of these positions in the near future, please come to this show or any of our shows, and join us for training. The PPS is looking at having a special fun charity event again on Friday night. She is looking at Donkey Basketball. Wow, what a fun event! The next Ohio Show will be the Scholarship Show which will be held at Madison County Fairgrounds, London, Ohio, on June 2-3. A call was received from Michigan PHC and they are interested in sharing this date and show grounds for an Ohio

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Michigan Show. Possibly in 2019 the show could be moved to Wauseon and again be a shared show. There was a discussion of a two judge show each day, as well as other possibilities, a Friday clinic and possible open evening show. Gosh, I am so excited! Look for more information to follow. The next Ohio Show will be the OPHC Amateur Show again held at Madison County Fairgrounds Aug. 11-12 with two judges each day. Amateur Club has asked OPHC to go in with them with a piggy back show. The Amateurs are working on fun activities. The next Ohio Show will be the Labor Day Show, now named the Buckeye Bonanza, held at the World Equestrian Center, Wilmington, Ohio. This show will again be joined by the Premier Paint Sires on Sept. 1-2. It will be a POR and two judges have been hired; Bruce Army and Roger Landis. I am waiting to hear on two other judges. There was a discussion on promoting first time Showing Ohio Showman. Incentive ideas would be to offer an incentive for first timers to come to our shows. At the next meeting we’ll discuss more ideas. The Iron Horse Challenge has come up again. Bringing innovative ideas to our next meeting to draw more attendees and youth to OPHC. Fun events! We need your thoughts and ideas. Come to our meetings and share your ideas. MEMBERSHIP Lori Hershey is looking for your OPHC Membership. OPHC memberships run from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year. Get in on the membership incentive. Threeyear Individual membership $50. Three-year Family Membership $100. Wow, what great savings! This offer may not be offered much longer. If you have an email address Lori will send you an OPHC membership card. If you do not have an email address she will mail you a card. Please print clearly. Your membership also includes a subscription to the Horsemen’s Corral. Lori’s address is 2013 Heyl Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691. Check the OPHC Facebook and the www.ophc.org website. Any new news is posted daily or weekly. Exciting! Everyone working to bring the OPHC to the next level. Come join us. Happy New Year! January 2018

Black Swamp Driving Club

Winter Activities Keep Black Swamp Driving Club Busy PRESIDENT, Julie Emmons; VICE PRESIDENT, Greg Leidel; SECRETARY & TREASURER, Susan Murray. WEBSITE, www.blackswampdrivingclub.com

by Mary Thomas Winter meetings are set for Jan. 14, Feb. 11, and March 11 at the Good Hope Lutheran Church, Arlington, Ohio. A variety of topics will be discussed during the meetings set for 2 to 4 p.m. New board members will be seated and snacks will be served. One of the major items for discussion will be scheduling of club drives and events. Since several BSDC members belong to other driving clubs, an effort will be made to coordinate BSDC dates with other groups. Last year drives were hosted by the Emmons family, Sharon and Ron Hayhurst, Wayne and Ann Leightey, Roger and Sue Murray, Jeff and Mary Ann Tock, Jackie and Mike Minges, and Mary Thomas. Other events

included historical days and the Gillfillans’ picnic at Indian Lake. Angie Hohenbrink is planning a drive that will be held under the auspices of the Ohio Horse Council. Participants would have to be a member of OHC or one of the county affiliates of OHC. This event will point out to OHC that there is a need for trails around the state open to drivers. BSDC is an affiliate of the Carriage Association of America, and CAA is sponsoring a symposium in Williamburg, Va., Jan. 21-24. Experts from around the world will present talks about travel by carriage throughout history, and of course, those attending will have time to explore the restored historical area and walk around in the colonial atmosphere. Check www.caaonline.com for more information. Recent snow has BSDC members thinking about getting out the sleigh or bobsled. Several members have beautiful sleighs, robes, bells, footwarmers, fur coats and hats, etc. Nothing like dashing through the snow! Many renewed their memberships at the Holiday

Sue and Roger Murray enjoy sleighing. Banquet Nov. 11. Sue Murray will be sending out membership forms to those who still need 2018 memberships. Individual and family memberships are $25 for a year of driving fun. Check www.blackswampdrivingclub. com or the BSDC Facebook page for latest news.

Preliminary Pony Pair. The championship event, sponsored by the American Driving Society, was held at the Grand Oaks Resort, Weirsdale, Fla., Dec. 1-3. The ponies competed in dressage, cones, and a cross country marathon with the best combined score to win the event.

A Dartmoor mare, Bishop Field Terraza, bred by Mary Thomas is half of the National Champion

Dust off your sleigh and have a very Happy New Year!

OPHC Stallion Service Auction

www.ophc.org

Saturday, January 20, 2018 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Potlu

ck 12 p.m. * Awar ***** ds 1 p.m.

Madison County Fairgrounds * Coughlin Building * 205 Elm Street, London, Ohio

Early Consignors Include: All Star Kid Almighty Attencion A Good Zippo Brrr By Appointment Only Caribbean Touchdown DC Legacy Double UP Investment DGS Replicated

Execute Imprint FG Totally A Charmer Frozen FDF Hes Got The Assetts Gentleman Jacks Club Hey How Ya Doin Hottest CK in Town HBF Iron Man Hes In Command Impulsified

Invite The Artist JBEZ Smokin Jo Justifiable JMS Scarlets Aris JN Total Attraction John Simon KR Hes Xceptional Lookinat the Sierras Mr Redneck Romeo PR Tells A Tale

RHF One Fancy Phantom TD Amazing Kid Totally Pizazzed That’s a Cool Dude Transcendence Virtuous Vigilanti Zipped from Heaven

For More Information: Tina Eller * (937) 303-3632 * Fax: (419) 563-2114 ellersheating@hotmail.com * www.ophc.org January 2018

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Stallions taken up to sale date! 29

Geauga Horse and Pony Association

30th Annual Banquet Scheduled for March 10 PRESIDENT, Niki Barry; TREASURER, Shauna Gingrich; SECRETARY, Elaine Sonnie. WEBSITE, www. ghpa.us

by Paige Belew Happy New Year! Hopefully you were able to spend quality time with your horse and family during the holiday season. GHPA and its members gave back to the community this past holiday season by sponsoring a family. The family, a mother and her four children, would like to thank the GHPA membership for their generosity and kindness. Thank you so much to all who donated. The GHPA 30th Annual Banquet is March 10. Our 2018 show dates will be posted to the website soon! Look for new classes this season in the Open Ring. The end of the year points have been totaled up! The final year-end points can be found on the website. The high point champions are: Rayna Fritsch, Walk/Trot 9 & Under; Darcy Brandt, Walk/Trot 10-18; Paige

Belew, Novice; Jamie Sutter Olsen, Contesting; Ashlyn Pinkerton, Open Youth; Rachel Formica, Open Adult. The Walk-Trot-Novice Horse/Rider Champion: Paige Belew & PR Tattle Tale. Open Performance Horse of the Year: Ashlyn Pinkerton & Shez Sleepin Around. The Ranch Obstacle Challenge results have been totaled up. Open Division: Linda Bradshaw, first; Hilda Cook, second; Jamie Davis, third; Brenda Hanson, fourth; and Kendall Smith, fifth. Limited Division: Caroline Sabo, first; Sally Gingerich, second; Maclayne “Steve” Warner, third; Elise Kilmer, fourth; and Terri Schaefer, fifth. Youth Division: Caroline Sabo, first; Maclayne ‘Steve’ Warner, second; Elise Kilmer, third; and Lydia and Mabree Fabian, tied for fourth. Congratulations to everyone who showed the 2017 show season! YOUTH SPOTLIGHT Maclayne Warner rode in the Walk/Trot 9 and under classes in the 2017 show season and will be moving up to novice in 2018. Maclayne grew up riding on her horse farm, where her

Maclayne and The Brenda Be Nimble ‘Brenda’. parents got her into horses. Maclayne has been showing GHPA for six years, beginning with leadline when she was four. Maclayne shows her registered Quarter Horse mare The Brenda Be Nimble, or Brenda, in both English and western classes at the GHPA shows. She also competes with Brenda in Rich Bradshaw’s Obstacle Challenges. Maclayne was year-end high point for GHPA in 2016 and has won many daily highpoints throughout 2017. She loves to compete in GHPA, but she loves to hang out with her friends most of all. This year she can’t wait to see her friends again and move up to Novice. Good luck Maclayne! Check the GHPA website, www.

ghpa.us, for updates and clinics. You can also find membership forms, rules and links to horse related topics. Information on our two youth groups Silver Spurs and The Mane Attractions, is also located on the website. General membership meetings are 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. As always, GHPA would like to thank Big Dee’s Tack and Schneider’s Saddlery for their generous support of our organization.

North East Ohio Arabian Horse Association

Location of Annual Horse Show Decided PRESIDENT, Judy Demshar VICE PRESIDENT, Lorraine Linton; SECRETARY, Wendy Gruskiewicz; TREASURER, Patty Bittner-Floyd. FACEBOOK, www.facebook.com/ NEOAHA

by Judy Demshar Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday. For those of you who weren’t able to make it to the Christmas party, you missed a great time. Being the great gambler I am, I ended up 80 cents to the good. The people who won the gift cards from Big Dee’s fared much better. The winners were from left to right, Linda Hostetler, Nichole 30

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Skinner, Patty Floyd, Mike Kachurchak, Ralph Demshar, Peyton Floyd, Jessica Fisher, Alex Dolenc, Debbie Patterson White, and Philip Howell. It was decided at the November meeting that our annual horse show will once again be at SunBeau Valley Farm in Ravenna on Aug. 12. For right now, try and stay warm. January 2018

Ohio Haflinger Association

Saying Goodbye to Kelly PRESIDENT, Paul Sutton VICE PRESIDENT, Stan Norris TREASURER, Duane Stutzman SECRETARY, Judy Winkler EMAIL, info@ohiohaflinger.com WEBSITE, www.ohiohaflinger.com

by Mae Yoder Happy New Year! Hoping everyone had a safe and prosperous holiday season! Amazing how a year can go by so fast! Thinking back to my school days when a week seemed to go on and on forever, even a day went by at a crawl. Now as I’m older it seems like there is never enough time! As we keep marching through the winter month with only the memories of warm, sunny days to keep us going we prepare for the OHA Banquet and Meeting set for Jan. 20 at MCA in Fredericksburg, Ohio. All OHA members are welcome for a day of food and fellowship. Like last year we will again be having our Youth Cookie Bake-off

contest. This was a huge success in 2017 with quite a few bakers presenting some pretty delicious entries! Each youth wanting to participate is to bake 16 cookies of your choice, put 12 cookies in a clear plastic bag so you can see the cookies, the remaining four cookies are for the judges to sample. All participates will be divided into age groups and kids must bake their own cookies, parents may help with the younger children, but children must be involved. This competition will be judged exactly like a class at a horse show and the 2018 Champion Cookie Baker will be announced! Be sure to write down the recipe on a note card and provide it with your cookies. All the cookies will be auctioned off in the auction after the competition. Last year these were a pretty hot item in the auction, the prizes for the winning bakers were pretty cool as well! All the money from the cookies help support the OHA youth. Another highlight each year at the banquet is the stallion

Kelly (middle) with all her buddies. service fee that will be auctioned off, these are some of the best stallions the breed has to offer available to purchase and benefit the OHA. Everyone attending is asked to bring something to donate to the auction, as well as a hearty appetite! A few weeks ago we said goodbye to Kelly. At the golden age of 27 we decided due to some health problems, there was no need for her to bare yet another cold miserable winter. Kelly was a one of a kind horse, she taught

many many children how to ride and drive, she was always the horse we went to when someone with little experience wanted to go on a trail ride. She will be greatly missed but she had a wonderful and fulfilling 27 years! Would you like to submit something to the Corral? Please mail to 12315 Dover Road, Apple Creek, OH 44606 or send an email to maeyh@safecom. link.

Great Lakes Appaloosa Club

Annual Swap Meet Scheduled in February PRESIDENT, Todd Michael; VICE PRESIDENT, Patty McCartin; TREASURER, Patty Nye; SECRETARY, Melanie Dzek; CLUB WEBSITE, www.GLApHC.com

by Chuck Schroeder Happy New Year everyone! The GLApHC will be sponsoring the annual ‘Swap Meet’ on Sunday, Feb. 18 starting at 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the University of Findlay’s Western Horse Farm on Route 68 just south of Findlay. There is a lot of paved parking available and the arenas are heated. Plenty of excellent food at reasonable prices available. There will be venders with a large variety of new and used tack, show clothes, boots, horse related equipment and supplies. Several horse clubs will be represented with memberships and show January 2018

information. This will be a great place to shop and swap! More information and directions to the farm are on the GLApHC.com or look for the ad in the Corral. Club members are encouraged to come on Saturday afternoon on the 17th to help with the set up. See you there! Tom Springer, one of the charter members of our club, passed away on Nov. 9. He and his wife Betty, raised, showed and promoted the Appaloosa breed since the early 1950s on their Flying S Ranch near Wapakoneta, Ohio. Tom was also a charter member of the Ohio Appaloosa Horse Association which was one of the largest clubs for many years. Some of their horses were National and World Champions and futurity winners in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Fire Darter, Storyman and McDream were some of their well known stallions. He will be missed. HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

January 2018

HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORRAL

The Benefits of Moving to an Older Farm by Debbie Disbrow Once again we were moving from one home to another. I thought the last move was the ‘last move’ but this home, barn and property just seemed to have everything that we loved. Our family consists of not only children and grandchildren but also our six horses and nine hens—oh and one matriarch barn kitty. The new farm was located within our local Oak Openings Metro Park with more than 15 miles of horse trails. What horse owner could ever pass up an opportunity like this? Moving into a pre-existing barn can be a blessing or a lot of work. First impressions were a little scary. This barn had not been used for many years, yet the foundation and layout would work for us. This barn had a concrete block wall foundation with a hay mow above, plenty of storage but desperately in need of a lot of love. I have to be honest, I was apprehensive at first, but we could see the potential of a great barn. After a few more visits and brain storming, I felt reassured that we would have a working barn soon. We first had an electrician look over the electrical boxes and over head fixtures. Switches were repaired and replaced and new lighting installed making the dark barn light up. We decided to do lighting that simulates natural light in each stall and down the aisle. Things were already looking brighter and better! Cob webs needed to be removed and stalls were power washed. Dreaming of new grill work, stall fronts and new doors has been part of the fun in seeing the barn come together. The original barn stalls had heavy gauge grill work, however the bar spacing was large with even larger spacing between the door and the grill work when the door was closed—it allowed our notorious red hen to escape twice (the chickens have a temporary stall for their home until the coop is built). The grill work of choice will be 2 - 3/8” spacing with hidden welds avoiding any burs or sharp edges. The old stall doors had square tracks 34

which after many years were harder to open. We opted for round stall tracks and neoprene trolley’s that will float when you open and close the stall doors. No large spacing between the door and grill work when the door is closed. That will keep the red hen safely in the stall, but moreover, the closer spacing is safer for our horses. Older and thinner stall mats that had curled, cracked and shifted were replaced with 3/4” non skid, non curl stall mats that were fitted closely together. Many people do not realize the beauty of fitted stall mats in a stall. Bedding will not get trapped under the edges so picking is smooth and stall surfaces stay level making it easier on horses legs. As time goes on I look forward to installing Thurobed mattress systems. The stall mats were an improvement to the old curled mats, but in time, mattress systems are my favorite choice for my horses comfort. The one piece cover does not allow dampness to penetrate through so the stalls stay cleaner over time without having strong odors. Bedding costs are so much less because you use so much less in each stall. Horses actually lay down more often and get better rest because the mattress system is more comfortable. I cannot wait for these! Fortunately, we brought our insulated buckets with us from the last farm. I think that having buckets that don’t freeze in the cold weather is one of the nicest luxuries in the barn. Yes, I do have memories of breaking buckets full of ice (splashing cold water in the face) before we had these wonderful options. In the past, outdoor troughs would freeze and now we use heated waterers for our horses. In the back fields we installed two, that way the horses have water all day when they are turned out. We all know it’s so important that our horses get enough water through the winter. Without it, they cannot handle all of the inclement weather. The upstairs hay mow happens to be located over the stalls. We made sure the above ceiling in the stalls did not have gaps allowing dust to fall. In the mow ventilation is important and there are vents as well as doors that can be opened to allow fresh air HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

to circulate. Below in the barn at each end there are large doors that are opened daily with cross ventelation and an additional man door that allows air from the side of the barn. Ventilation is important at all times. Ceiling fans are an option for us when warmer weather arrives. For now the wind is doing its daily job. Fencing, oh my...we are like every other person that decides to fix up an older farm. The fencing at our farm was older split rail and we were moving our horses home soon after we were settled in the house. Most all of the rails were old, warped and broken. Our best option until spring was to install electric fence on the inside of the old existing split rail. So within two days we had installed Protek electric rope and had a working electric fence that the horses respect. Next spring we are looking forward to replacing all of the pastures in Flex (trademark) Fencing. Not only will it be strong, 4,200 lbs of break strength per rail, but it will change the look of the pastures and be a beautiful fence that never needs painting! Best of all, having the horses home, I can go out to the barn anytime and see my equine friends day or night. There is nothing sweeter than listening to your horses eat after a long day at work. Or cleaning stalls and getting warm enough that the layers you started with are not needed...simple pleasures are the best. So moving, even though it is a huge undertaking—the benefits are golden! Debbie Disbrow, owner of RAMM Stalls and Horse Fencing, has over 45 years experience with horses and equine-related businesses. She is a certified fence installer and has helped build fencing and stalls for horse facility owners across the USA as well as into Europe. Debbie is highly involved in horse ownership and riding. Visit her website at www.rammfence.com, or call 800/878-5644 for safer alternatives for your horses. January 2018

3 ACRES • BARN • POND

2627 Columbia, Valley City, OH 44256 Medina County Beautiful home and property, ready for new owners. Nothing to do but move right in! 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths. First floor laundry. Many special features, family room with black walnut flooring, coffered ceiling, ash paneling with sliders overlooking large deck and lake. Large eat-in kitchen with cherry cabinetry, LED lighting, sliders to deck. Formal living room and dining room. New carpet & dishwasher. C/A - 6/2017. Frig - 2015. Furnace, 90% efficient - 2014. Roof 10 years old with 40 year shingles. Basement access through garage or house with workshop area. 26 x 43 barn with city water (possible horse property). Other outbuilding currently used as an office. Country living with city conveniences! Tied in to city water and sewer. The pictures say it all! One year home warranty for new owners.

Official Member of KW Farm and Ranch Division

January 2018

Mary Vedda (440) 336-2796 maryveddahomes@gmail.com www.maryvedda.kw.com

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Dusty Boots Riding Club

New Things Happening in the Dusty Boots Riding Club 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 New for 2018 will be Advanced Lead Line, splitting Ranch classes into open and Non-Pro, more 40 and over classes, Open Walk Trot classes, and a line up of EWD classes (Equestrians With Disabilities) Forms for the EWD will be on the website soon. Also on the website are the scholarship forms and membership application. There is also a new Dusty Boots Youth group starting up. Lots and lots of new things happening at Dusty Boots. If you’re interested in having a Dusty Boots show contact Holly Carr for more information and available show dates, 440/858-7912.

Next generation of exhibitors. The banquet is scheduled for March 24, 2018 at Garden Brook Party Center in Cortland, Ohio. With 50/50 raffle, Schnedier’s raffle, good food, Chinese auction, photo booth, good friends, and a lot more. Be sure to contact Holly Carr for your reservations, place your ad in the program book or to make donations to the Chinese auction. This year’s Dusty Boots Christmas party was Dec. 6 at our favorite Chopp’s restaurant. Officers, directors, trustees and

royalty contestants and their families all enjoyed a great evening. Nadia and Holly Carr passed out raffle tickets and goodie bags to all. We also had a surprise visit from our youngest member, 4 week old Savannah Grace Allison. Savannah was born Nov. 6, 2017 at 2:13 a.m. weighing in at 7 lb.15 oz. Congratulations Brian and Dawn Koffel-Allison and sister Haely. Congratulations to Bonnie Blecher, owner of Lopin Like a Lady, placing 13th at the Quarter

Newest member Savanna Grace Allison attends the Christmas party. Horse Congress in AQHA Yearling Lungeline and 13th in the NSBA. Lopin Like a Lady was shown by Lindsey Jerek. She was also the winner of the Tri State Lungeline Futurity. We want to thank Schneider’s Saddlery and Big Dee’s for all their donations and support throughout the year.

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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

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Ohio Morgan Horse Association

New Morgan Horse Show Making Its Debut in 2018 PRESIDENT, Claudia Grimes; VICE PRESIDENT, Louise Fraser; SECRETARY, Lois Magisano; WEBSITE, www.ohiomorganhorse.com

by Susan Walker Welcome 2018! Happy New Year to all and Happy Birthday on Jan. 1 to all our registered Morgans. Looking back to last year, the 2017 Annual Meeting and High Point Awards Banquet took place on Nov. 9 at the Galaxy in Wadsworth. Following the social hour, President Claudia Grimes welcomed all present and a delicious dinner was served. After the dinner, Louise Frazier, Vice President and High Point Chairman, served as mistress of ceremonies. First the annual meeting portion was held, with a financial update from Treasurer, Elizabeth Burick and then a discussion and a vote on two procedural changes to the OMHA bylaws. These changes relate to the nomination and election of members of the

board of directors. The quorum present voted overwhelmingly to implement the new bylaws. The evening then transitioned into the awards presentations, where most of the award winners were present to receive their booty and get their picture taken in the spotlight of success. Interspersed between awards was the traditional pulling of the tickets for the Chinese auction. This year’s auction tables were heavily laden with all manner of treasures, from jewelry to holiday decorations to homemade apple dumplings. A separate ticket drawing was for a small Christmas tree covered with lottery tickets. The big winner for this coveted prize was Jim Taylor, proving that karma not always provides retribution, but she has a positive side as well. Jim and Jenny Taylor are always so generous in their sponsorships for the Buckeye Morgan Challenge, consistently paying for classes and parties, that it only seems fitting that fate would reward Jim with a scratch-off chance to win some of his donations back. Surely one or two of those tickets had to be winners!

Based on pictures and postings I saw on Facebook, lots of Morgan promotion took place at the end of 2017. The Morgan Horse Farm of Lebanon and the Brodhaven Farm of Wooster both participated in holiday parades with their Morgans sporting holiday decorations. Well done for getting Morgans out in front of the public in such a fun way. Now looking forward to 2018… good news on the horse show calendar. I recently learned of a new Morgan horse show on the horizon: the Indiana Spring Classic Morgan Horse Show. This new show is scheduled for April 5-7, 2018 and will be held at the new Michiana Event Center (The MEC). In November, husband Terry and I watched the webcast of the Superior Morgan Sale which was one of the first events held at this new facility, from what I understand. I remember thinking to myself, “this looks like a great place to hold a horse show.” Evidently, others had the same thought. If you are looking for an early show to make your debut in the new

year, you may want to keep this new opportunity in mind. We recently received a promotional brochure for the 2018 AMHA/WMF Stallion Service Auction. At our house, the copy gets dog-eared in a hurry, as we pour over the beautiful photos and study the pedigrees, daydreaming of all the possibilities those pages represent. But here is a fun fact— of the 43 stallions participating in the auction, six are either owned by or are standing at an Ohio address. That is not an insignificant percentage, considering that this is a nationally promoted event. One last thing, at the time I am writing this, the news is filled with reports of the devastating wildfires in California. Lots of sad stories are coming in about the animals swept up in the disaster and left behind as the humans are forced to evacuate. We heard the same cautionary tales when the hurricane season was in full force. We all know that we should have emergency plans in place; how many of us actually do? Maybe that should be one of our New Year’s resolutions?

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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

St. Henry, Ohio info@schockmanlumber.com 37

The Way of Horses

Horse Microchipping by Eleanor Blazer Many years ago Don sent a good race-bred Quarter Horse mare to a stallion for breeding. Unbeknownst to Don the owner of the stallion and his wife were going through a bitter divorce. One night the embittered wife had every horse on the property loaded up and taken to auction. By the time Don was informed (this was before the advent of cell phones and text messaging) the horses were gone. Don’s good mare was sorrel, with no white markings, no brand and no identifying scars. It was like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. The mare was never located. Identifying horses has always been a challenge. Physical description, branding and tattooing have been the common methods of horse identification, but each has its drawbacks. When identifying a horse based on color and markings a person could be talking about thousands of horses with the same description. Brands are generally not unique to each horse, can be difficult to read, or be altered. Lip tattoos are also difficult to read, can be altered and fading is a problem. A more reliable method of identification is microchipping. Microchips used for identifying dogs and cats have been around for years, and they are beginning to gain popularity with horse owners. Microchips used for identification emit a radio frequency signal which is activated when a scanner is passed over it. The scanner reads the unique code that the owner has registered with a database company. The database will have information leading to the person who registered the chip. MICROCHIPS ARE AVAILABLE IN THREE RADIO FREQUENCIES 1. 125 kHz – this frequency has been available in the United States for the longest and is the most common. Most scanners will read this frequency.

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2. 129 kHz – this frequency became available in 2007, and not all scanners will read the chip. 3. 134.2 kHz – this frequency meets the specifications mandated by the International Standards Organization (ISO 11784/11785). These chips use a 15-digit numeric code, with the first three digits designating either the country, or the manufacturer. The remaining numbers are unique to the horse in which the chip was implanted. Older scanners will not read the 134.2 kHz frequency. The range of frequencies available for identification is cause for concern—if the scanner used is not capable of picking up the frequency the chip will not be detected. No governing body in the United States has set a mandatory standard for microchip production. In 1996 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) voted to adopt the International Standards Organization’s specifications of the 134.2 kHz chip (ISO 11784/11785) as their recognized chip. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), World Small Animal Veterinary Medical Association (WSAVA), and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) endorse the use of electronic identification in animals and support the use of the ISO standard 11784/11785 in the U.S. Several equine organizations have implemented mandatory use of the ISO 11784/11785 microchip. The Jockey Club is mandating all 2017 and subsequent Thoroughbred foal crops are to be implanted. By 2019 all horses competing in United States Hunter Jumper Association competitions must be chipped with the ISO 11784/11785 chip. The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) requires all horses registered after January 2, 2013 to be implanted. Louisiana is the only state which requires mandatory identification of all horses receiving a Coggins test. The identification could be brands, tattoos or microchips. Chipping is the most used method. In 1994, when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, 363 out of the 364 lost horses were reunited with their owners. The microchip is relatively easy and inexpensive to implant. The chip is approximately the size of a grain of rice, which is inserted in the nuchal ligament between the poll and withers by a veterinarian. Most horses can be implanted without the use of a sedative, and adverse reactions are rare. The cost is about $75. Incorrect implantation of the microchip can cause severe and potentially life-threatening complications, and should only be inserted by a qualified veterinarian. Proper placement in the neck muscle will also lessen the chances of the chip migrating to a different location. Once the microchip is implanted, it must be registered. There is no centralized database in the United States. There are several independent registries, and owners are encouraged to register and update information at these, along with registering with the company who manufactured the microchip. In an attempt to bring order to the chaos, the American Animal Hospital Association operates the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool (www.petmicrochiplookup.org). Several of the independent registries have linked to the AAHA tool, but it is highly recommended to register on multiple databases, as not all manufacturers participate in every database. For example, AVID Pet Microchips does not participate in the AAHA lookup tool, but they operate their own database (https://avidid.com). AAHA will point you to the AVID website for information. Horse and pet owners should conduct research into the company providing the microchip before implanting the chip. There are five big companies, PetLink, Home Again, AKC Reunite, AVID and 24 Petwatch—each of these companies have been assigned source codes (the first three digits in the 15-digit number of the ISO 11784/11785 chip). This enables the person scanning the chip to identify the Please turn to page 39

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

January 2018

Western Reserve Carriage Association

Holiday Glow Ends WRCA Year PRESIDENT, Kim Stegh VICE PRESIDENT, Diana Beardsley TREASURER, Ann Petersen MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, Henry Rish. WEBSITE, www.wrcarriage.com

by Judy Clark The nostalgic end of one year and the lively anticipation of a new one—that was the mood at WRCA’s annual holiday luncheon which was held Dec. 3 at The Oaks Lakeside restaurant in Chippewa Lake, Ohio. There was a social hour for sipping libations and chatting with friends, old and new, then tables were formed, and conversations really got going. At my table, topics ranged from those who were going to get sleighs out of storage to those who were planning to spend a few weeks in Florida. A newbie asked for information about neck collars

and that spurred a helpful discussion about the pros and cons of neck collars vs breast collars (shaped and straight) vs European collars. And, since everyone now seems to have cell phones with cameras, Show and Tell of collars (and lots of other things) was readily available. The wealth of information that’s available from longtime members, just for the asking, continues to amaze, as does the commitment of WRCA to bringing newcomers safely into the sport of driving. And, opportunities to learn, to make new friends, and to participate in a wide variety of activities, continues to grow. That was another topic: recently announced plans for several much-loved events. The National Drive, under new leadership, will be relocated to Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh, Indiana. And, Charlie Poppe is working on bringing the

Carriage Round Up to a location in northern Kentucky. Locally, WRCA member, Stacey Giere, had just announced the schedule for GLADS (Great Lakes Arena Driving Series) which is so successful in teaching combined driving, pleasure driving, and other skills. And, WRCA officers will soon be mapping out the club’s pleasure drives and other events for 2018. Kudos to the staff (especially the cooks!) at The Oaks for an absolutely delicious, and beautifully presented meal. When the plates were cleared and coffee served, the party organizers, Kim Stegh, Nancy Roemer, Kay Rish, and Deb Svoboda, played Santa Claus with a twist. A drawing was held for goodies from Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies, the equine mega store in Streetsboro, Ohio. Everyone went home with a prize, with Henry Rish scoring the grand prize $100 gift certificate.

Plans were announced for a tack swap and social meeting sometime in January, date to be announced. So, do some spring cleaning (winter version) through your gear and other supplies for good, serviceable stuff you’ve outgrown, no longer use, gathering cobwebs, etc—and stay tuned for email or Facebook alerts. Worth noting again, that Deb Svoboda does a fantastic job of keeping us up-todate and posting items of interest on Facebook Western Reserve Carriage Association and www. wrcarriage.com. After a year of submitting WRCA articles for the Corral, I’m moving on to a big writing project that’s going to require my full attention. So, the position of reporter will be open. It’s been wonderful to reconnect with the club, renew old friendships and make new ones (and get to hang out with horses!) and whoever takes over, will enjoy it, too.

and identifying markings; copies of veterinary records and proof of payment. Metcalfe continues, “Put all those copies in an envelope and mail it to yourself. When you receive it, don’t open it, but place it in a safe place that’s easily accessible. That way, you will have proof of ownership with a clearly dated chain of custody. If you have microchipped your horse, that’s the extra piece that can make a difference if you ever become separated from your horse through theft, disaster, or your horse just gets loose and goes missing.” Visit www.netposse.com for more information about Stolen Horse International, Inc. (They also offer microchip kits for horses and pets at affordable prices.) After having your horse microchipped be sure to register your horse with the NetPosse Identification Program (NIP) Registry maintained by Stolen Horse International, Inc. https:// netposse.com. You can get a Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Studies or certification as a

Professional Horse Trainer or Riding Instructor online. Visit

www.horsecoursesonline.com for information.

Horse Microchipping Continued from page 38

company and access the registry, making the process of finding the owner more expedient. Smaller companies share assigned 900 numbers, which cannot be tracked to the specific company. There is also the risk of implanting inferior quality chips (made in China) when purchasing from small companies. In January 2017 the National Institute for Animal Agriculture held a forum discussing equine identification. The results can be viewed at www.animalagriculture.org/ proceedings/equineidforum Microchipping your horse may not guarantee the return of your horse if you and he should become separated, but it can increase the odds. Debi Metcalfe, of Stolen Horse International, Inc., recommends in addition to the microchip, every horse should have a packet which includes: a bill of sale; photos of your horse looking clean and dirty; photos of your horse (with you in the picture) that clearly show all markings; photos of brands, whorls, scars

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HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

View From the Cheap Seats

The Christmas Conundrum by Sarah Vas As a life-long Equestrian, my Santa’s Wish List makes as much sense to the average buying public as a Nasa Flight Ops checklist. Only horse people understand the wish lists of other horse people, let alone where to find the gifts. I remember when ‘Santa’ brought me my first ‘Brand-New, Not-A-HandMe-Down, No-One-Has-SatIn-This-Saddle’ saddle. While regular kids were basking in the afterglow of their Suzie Poops A Lot dolls and Tinker Toys, I was trotting off to the barn clutching the most prized possession of my life up to that point. It wasn’t fancy or expensive but it was new and it was mine. It meant I could ride my horse whenever I wanted without having to beg or borrow a beat-up saddle from the school horses. Over the years, I’ve received countless

amazing treasures from those understanding the importance of giving exactly the desired horse-related gift. But under every inch of tape and paper, the antithesis of useful, valuable, and treasured could be lurking. I don’t outwardly express my disappointment or mention the amount of money spent on this when I really wanted that. I always have feigning joy at the ready for eager gift givers looking on. I’m not bragging but I’ve pulled off some Academy Award performances. I do this because I truly am grateful for the intention behind any gift. Heck, I won’t even return something. I’ll wear that goofy horse sweater because someone took time out of their life to give me a gift. It’s good to be loved, appreciated, and respected! This is coming from a serious gift giver myself, don’t ya know! However… Please no more horse-themed

I asked Squirt about his New Year’s Resolution to workout. He said his favorite exercise so far was a cross between a Lunge and a Crunch...

It’s called Lunch. Happy New Rear, Everybody! Sarah Vas 330-242-3440

Owner/Trainer/Instructor

www.winfieldfarm.com

Winfield Farm & Forge 34342 Law Road Grafton, Ohio Coaching and Competition with the Arabian Sport Horse for the Intellectual Equestrian

home goods like throw blankets, hand towels, anything Breyerknockoff by several degrees, or worse yet...humorous decorative signs. Unless you’re replacing the sun-faded Farm sign at my driveway with a professionally constructed replacement, perfectly matched to farm colors and, let’s face it, designed by ME, I’m. Faking. It. That wrapping paper is doing little to disguise yet another mass-produced wooden placard beneath it. I’ll mentally guess the adornment: smeary silhouettes of luck-running-out, upsidedown horse shoes, rearing Black Beauties with clearly inflamed hocks, or conformationally crippled horses ridden by what can only be described as an androgynous human with apparently no nose. It’s brutal but I feel obligated to hang those things up out of respect to the giver. Unfortunately, that first sign on the wall, lamenting over chewing tobacco and found ropes, sent a louder message than the laughter intended. It labeled me a humorous sign collector or at least that’s what my barn wall says now, given that people then bought me another and another and another… And yes, I know, taking me along to try on, pick out, and order the ‘exact’ show coat I want does kill the Christmas morning suspense. My own road to perdition is the box containing riding pants with no belt loops and pockets. Where the heck am I supposed to put my stuff and how do I keep my pants up when my pockets are weighted down with my stuff!? And Nobody wants Anybody to buy gloves for them. It doesn’t matter their intended purpose, gloves are a very personal extension of Equestrians. We select our gloves with the same gravity swimmers shop for bathing suits, and not the pretty bikinis, the one-piece suit with the Holy Grail of bulletproof, anti-wedgie elastic unfazed by water park slides or ocean rip tides. Even tolerating your Equestrian barking over your shoulder while you finalize online orders for saddle pads with triple stitched, limitededition cherry blossom pink piping is a painless concession in exchange for avoiding awkward

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Sarah Vas gift-rejection under the tree in front of baby Jesus and all your in-laws. The most disheartening gift for me is a book I already own. While I am an avid book hoarder, let’s be real. I’ll croak long before I get to relax by the fire and read them all. Magazines, too. My favorites are unopened and piled everywhere so what a waste to get one I wouldn’t read. But thanks to Aunt Pixie, Horse Lovers Galore ‘with free poster in every issue’ still clogs my mailbox every month. Gift certificates are appreciated if it’s for the tack shop or the feed store. Restaurant gift cards, not so much. You think it’s a perfect way to encourage your hardworking trainer to enjoy a night off but seriously, unless you chaperon that excursion, it’s not happening. That card will hang on the fridge for months, begging for a glance every time I grab the milk until it’s unceremoniously shoved into next year’s holiday card to the farrier. He won’t get to use it either, I’m sure, but at least I checked the expiration date before re-gifting it. I’m not the only one faking it every holiday season. Let’s face it. Everybody wants EXACTLY what they ask for. If something’s on my list, I can assure you this. The item has EITHER earned my respect from use and needs replaced OR it thoroughly passed my pre-purchase vetting and graduated to the next level of testing in the presence of the Almighty Horse. Yeah, I know it’s all expensive. I’d ask other Equestrians for the stuff on my Wish List because they understand the high cost! But

S January 2018

Ohio Arabian & All-Breed Trail Riding Society

True Meaning of Endurance 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 On behalf of the members of OAATS we hope everyone’s holidays were joyous and the ponies got everything they needed for another successful endurance riding season! 2017’s season went out with the true meaning of ENDURANCE, Spook Run, wet and cold, Gobble Til’ You Wobble was freezing. The riders that rode these two rides have my utmost respect as Endurance riders. I have been in Ohio since I was 15 and I still hate the cold. It is going to take everything I have this winter to get out and condition Rio and I’m pretty sure he will wonder if his human has lost her mind. Spook Run always gives us great Halloween costumes worn by the riders to look forward and not to mention the costumes the ponies are jazzed up in. Despite the wet and cold conditions Spook Run had a great turnout. Between the 25’s and the 50’s on Friday 35 started. Cheryl Fenton never lets us down with her awesomeness, she rode in the 25 and came in

6th out of 22. Cheryl, thank you for all your hard work and dedication in helping some of our members in accomplishing their goals this year! Now, what’s crazier than riding 25 miles in such inclement weather, it’s riding a 50-mile ride in the same nasty weather! Not only is it wet and cold, but it’s early and dark when they head out. Spook Run had 13-start the 50. Amy Yatsko did a marvelous job finishing 2nd and Karri Wilson-Bruskotter came in 8th. Saturday proved to be just as cold if not colder but that doesn’t stop our riders. Mary Mast finished 6th out of 13 in the 25 and Karrie Wilson-Bruskotter was awesome in the 50 coming in 3rd. So, if the weather didn’t ‘spook’ the riders at Spook Run they were off to Gobble Til’ You Wobble. Mollie never lets anyone down at the clubs last ride of the year. Despite the 19 degree temperature, Gobble was a success. Mary Mast was 11th out of 27, last year’s Century Team, Mary Chmielewski and Silver came in 18th and the dynamic husband and wife team, Jinnifer and Robert Plummer came in 22nd and 23rd in the 25. All I have to say is that I am ashamed of myself for not putting on my big girl breeches to join the fun of what we call endurance riding in 19 degree weather….Not! Maybe next year. For those 20 riders that are hard-core, they chose to ride in

Water buckets were iced over at Gobble.

Kellie Moore-Fryman and Kristin Puett at Gobble Til’ You Wobble. Photo credit: Alex Uspenski

the 50. The following riders have been strong all year in 2017, Deb Shaffer finished 2nd, with Kelly Frank coming in behind her in 3rd, with a trio tying for 4th, Kellie Moore-Fryman, Alex Uspenski and Kristin Puett. My hat off to all these riders that endured what Mother Nature threw their way and completed the ride. Their dedication to this sport is truly amazing and encouraging to so many of us. I would like to thank all of

the ride managers, vets and volunteers for all of their hard work in 2017 ride season, in making each and every ride memorable and a huge success. I am so excited to announce the annual OAATS Awards Banquet is being held at Deer Creek Lodge and Conference Center this year on Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. Please make your reservations ASAP! If you should have any questions please contact me through the OAATS web page, OAATS.org.

View From The Cheap Seats Continued from page 40

if my Cheap Seats financial bracket doesn’t match my Wish List, it’s wasted breath asking for outlandishly priced footwear from a fellow barn mate as she applies layers of duct tape around the sole of her flopping Wellies before heading into a flooded loafing shed. Realistically, we know Santa isn’t bringing us the super comfy, richly tanned, Pendleton-sheepwool-flocking-licked-on-bykittens saddle. But if your trainer seemed overly enthusiastic upon opening the oversized coffee mug with a horse butt for a handle, he hasn’t been seen using it, yet the farrier just happened to show up with an identical mug,

make note. If you’re looking for holiday cheer, avoid the clearance aisle at your local farm supply store. It ain’t there… 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 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.

The Corral wishes you the best in 2018! January 2018

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January 2018

Lake Erie Mounted Vaqueros

Runnin’ and Gunnin’ in 2018 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 Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. Twenty one of us participated in the Jefferson Christmas parade. What fun, with decorated, lighted horses and happy people. The parade heralds in the Christmas season. The city of Jefferson goes all out for this parade. There are floats and fire trucks from surrounding communities throwing out candy to the kids. There are always a ton of people from all over. This was the most riders we’ve had. Thank you to all who rode. Our 2018 runnin’ and gunnin’ season is scheduled. We had a change in the schedule to help out one of the other clubs so our first shoot will be in June this year. Here is our schedule: JUNE 21-22 — 10 Year Anniversary of the Vaqueros I and II.

Colleen Kelly and Julie Joyner. JULY 21-22 — The Glory Guys I and II. AUG. 25-26 — The Wild Bunch I and II. SEPT. 29-30 — The Ellen Politzer Memorial Shoot I and II. Our banquet is Jan. 21 at the Lenox Center. It starts at 6 with doors opening at 5. We will be giving out great awards and having a Chinese auction. Gages will again be serving us their wonderful food. Gages provide our chow wagon at all our shoots. Great food at great prices. We will be putting on a demonstration July 28 for National Cowboy Day. It is going to be in Freedonia, Pa. It will be put on by the McCartney Feed Mill. We are putting together a

Dwayne and Julie Joyner

Colleen Kelly

camping/riding club trip to Love Valley, N.C. We are planning for June 22-23. If you are interested in going call Karen Davis at 330/719-3290. Thanks to all our great sponsors: Uncle Jimmy’s Horse Treats, Steele Rose Horseshoeing, Big

D’s Tack, Equine Bodyworks, KD Gowins Photography, Puebla Real Restaurant, Parkside Trailers, Trumbull Locker, Warren Family Farm and Home, The Corral and Lonesome Pines Ammunition. Hope to see you all runnin and gunnin this summer.

MOVING? TAKE THE CORRAL WITH YOU! Place Mailing Label Here (from last issue) New Address ________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State ____ Zip ___________ Mail to: Horsemen’s Corral, PO Box 32, Lodi, OH 44254 or email address change to: michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com

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Northern Kentucky Horse Network

NKHN Preparing for 2018 Events PRESIDENT, Trisha Kremer VICE PRESIDENT, Charles Poppe SECRETARY, Monica Egger TREASURER, Judy Arkenau; WEBSITE, www.nkhn.info EMAIL, nkhorsenetwork@gmail.com

by Jim Mayer The NKHN is getting ready for our upcoming events in 2018. We have our Annual Dinner coming up Jan. 28 at the Boone County Enrichment Center. We are going to be doing Educational Movie Nights in January,

February, and March at one of our UK Extension Offices. We will have our NKHN/ Campbell County 4-H Horse Health Day at the Alexandria Fairgrounds in Alexandria, Ky. We will have our Dressage Schooling Show, and our Enrichment Day, which will include free carriage driving lessons for NKHN members, given by Charles Poppe. We will also have a chiropractic, saddle fitting, equine massage, and saddle repair clinic also that day, at the Alexandria Fairgrounds. May will start out with our family trail ride and campout Derby Day weekend at Midwest Trail Ride

in Norman, Ind. Also in May we will have our International Drill Team Competition Show. Below are the dates for some of these events. I will also have these posted in the Horsemen’s Corral Calendar and also on the Horsemen’s Corral online calendar. UPCOMING EVENTS JAN. 28 — NKHN Annual Dinner, Boone County Enrichment Center, Burlington Ky. Doors open at 12 p.m. and the program will start at 1 p.m. Dinner at 1:30 p.m. We will have a trade show with our business vendors.

Movie Nights TBD. MARCH 24 — Horse Health Day, 9 a.m., Alexandria Fairgrounds. APRIL 21 — Dressage Schooling Show and Enrichment Day, 9 a.m., Alexandria Fairgrounds. MAY 4-6 — Family Trail Ride and Campout at Midwest Trail Ride in Norman, Ind. MAY 19 — International Drill Team Competition Show, 9:30 a.m., Alexandria Fairgrounds. For more information on these events feel free to contact Jim Mayer at jimwmayer@yahoo. com or call 859/496-4976. So Pardners, Happy Trails to you until we meet again!

Michigan Trail Riders Association, Inc.

Annual Banquet and Membership Meeting in March 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 Happy New Year, trail riders. Michigan experienced its first winter wind storm in December. Thirty mile per hour winds with 50 plus mile gusts blew across our trail in Northern Michigan for three days.

It is important to keep our May work bee dates in mind. May 4, 5 and 6 MTRA will be working on the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail. Any and all help is welcome. Stay tuned for details. Before we get to May and the work bee, MTRA is headed back to the Evergreen Resort in Cadillac, Mich., for the annual banquet and general membership meeting on March 24. Plans for a wonderful weekend are in the works. For details and reservations, check the December newsletter that is posted on our website at www.mtra.org or call the MTRA office at 989/7231425. Remember, your 2018

membership must be current to receive a ballot. MTRA will be electing five board members at the March 24 membership meeting. MTRA would again like to congratulate Renee Beesley and Connie Peterson. Renee completed her 50th trophy ride in September and Connie completed hers in June. These 50 rides add up to approximately 12,500 miles. That is a lot of wet saddle pads! Good luck to the MTRA riders who will be attempting their 50th trophy ride in 2018. As always, if you are interested in more information on any of the MTRA rides or activities and/

End of the double cross. or the Michigan Shore to Shore Riding and Hiking Trail, contact the MTRA Office at 989/7231425, Post Office Box 72, Ovid, Michigan 48866 or by email at mtra.office@gmail.com.

Tri-County Trail Association

Weekend Dates Set for 2018

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 Happy New Year! 2017 was a busy and rewarding year for Tri-Co. We hope that you were able to join us for some of our 2017 events and that you had such a good time you are anxious to start planning your return visit in 2018. Event weekend dates for 2018 are as follows: MAY 18-20 — Spring Ride Weekend. 44

JUNE 8-10 — Our obstacle ride for 2018 is renamed the Tri-Co Summer Bash Trail Challenge. JULY 12 — Chicken Bar-B-Q at the camp. AUG. 17-19 — Annual Raffle and Pig and Ox Roast weekend. SEPT. 21-23 — The Fall Ride. OCT. 12-14 — Halloween Weekend Ride.

We held our annual elections and Christmas dinner on Dec. 3, 2017. The 2018 officers are as follows: President Jim Mike, Vice President Leroy Wilson, Secretary Amy Crawford, Treasurer Chuck Stephens, Trail Master Ellen Van Pelt, Editor Cindy Krumm. Trustees: Roger Ring, Jasmine Sambroak, Elaine Kirk, Scott Shuman, Candy Werstler, Terry McCain.

2018 Tri-Co Officers (l to r): First row: Jasmine (Trustee) and Neva (Webmaster). Second row: Cindy (Editor), Candy, Scott, Elaine, Terry and Roger (all Trustees). Back row: Chuck (Trustee), Leroy (VP), Amy (Secretary) Klif (Past President), Jim (President). Not pictured: Ellen (trail master). Past President: Klif Crawford. Webmaster: Neva Gibson. I hope to see you when the

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

snow melts! Stay warm and have a great winter. January 2018

From a Walk, to a Trot, to a Canter Find the Best Gait for Your Chapter to Enjoy a Smooth Ride! x

Members operate at different speeds and have different interests. Learn how to recognize and work with those speeds and interests.

Create a trail map to guide your chapter and ensure everyone is in sync and ‘on the trail’!

Increase membership, engage members and address issues impacting your chapter’s success.

• Leadersh ip Guidanc e • How To Run an Effective M eeting • Promoti ng Your Chapter ’s E ffo Through W rts ords

OHC Chapter Officers and All Members Encouraged to Attend and Participate in this Meeting. Let’s make 2018 a Great Year to be part of Ohio Horseman’s Council! For more information, or if you’re not an OHC member or club but interested, send an email to promotions@ohconline.com. A complete agenda is posted at www.ohconline.com. January 2018

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc. Member of American Horse Council www.ohconline.com RECORDING SECRETARY Catherine Estill 513/899-2267 cnestill6@gmail.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 Greetings OHC friends and Happy New Year! I would like to begin my first message of the New Year with an invitation for all members to attend our Mid-Winter Planning Meeting scheduled for Jan. 2021 at Deer Creek State Park Lodge. The agenda has been created based on input from chapters and what they felt they needed help with. For example, sessions scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 21 include keynote speaker, Don Gibson, owner of LifePoint Planning and experienced leadership trainer, who will share ideas on how to grow, experience

success and prosper as a chapter all while maintaining enthusiasm and momentum. Another session will feature Joe Coalter, General Manager of the Horsemen’s Corral magazine, together with members of his publishing team and our own Corral Liaison, Becky Clifton, offering helpful hints and guidelines on how to write the best article for your chapter. In addition, your State treasurer, membership chair and secretary will cover the roles and responsibilities of these positions for your chapter officers. For a copy of the full meeting agenda, please go to ohconline.com. All chapter officers and members

are encouraged to attend and participate. I hope to see everyone there! Speaking of State meetings, don’t forget that this year’s Spring General Membership Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 10. Approved by the voting membership, the change of day is a departure from our usual Sunday. This year’s meeting is hosted by the chapters of the Central region. Mark your calendar to attend this year’s Equine Affaire scheduled April 12-15 at the Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio. Our OHC booth will again be located in the Bricker

Building. Volunteers are needed to help set up our booth on Wednesday April 11 and to serve as ‘greeters’ at our booth during the four-day event. A sign-up form is available online at ohconline.com. Lastly, looking ahead, the 2018 State Ride list is nearly finalized. This year features nine events around the State. As of now, the first State Ride of the year will be hosted by Greene County at Caesar Creek State Park on June 8, 9, and 10. Come join the fun! See you later this month at Deer Creek! ~Arden Sims OHC President

it was a club decision and the ‘elves’ made this small family’s Christmas a merry one. A generous heart is a happy heart. We hosted our chapter party in November at Scooter’s Restaurant and the banquet room was full. Our club has grown and improved on so many levels and the best way to tell is by the friendships that have developed. That was a fun party and no one had to do any work except Cathy Isenberg who shopped for and wrapped the very thoughtful gifts. We did the three penny gift exchange with lots of raucous trading and just a few sighs of disappointment. What the heck, it was in good humor and enjoyed by all. I must say we do get loud. We did not have a December meeting but will start back in January when we are expected to report our trail miles. It seems many of our members were very active throughout the summer months and I hope all are busily calculating their time. A special note of appreciation goes out to those who tirelessly supported our events with their time, energy and financial generosity and giving spirit.

Thank you, our dear horses, for enriching our lives in so many ways. Nothing would be possible without these sweet souls who teach us lessons, entertain us, fulfill our dreams and bring us together for their good, for our good and for the good of the community. And that’s what OHC is all about. Happy New Year and may all your trails be happy ones. Peace. ~Jenny Walsh

Fokes has been very generous in hosting these sessions as well as sharing her knowledge. Our regular meetings will continue to be the first Wednesday of every other month with the first meeting of 2018 being Jan. 3, at a location to be announced. Hope your holidays were merry and your new year will be happy! ~Stacia

ATHENS

Happy New Year from Butler County. David Krazl, his daughter Makayla and son Zach took part in the Lebanon, Ohio carriage parade that was held on Dec. 3. The Krazl’s rode in a cart pulled by a Shetland pony named Popcorn. Judy Sheard is happy to report that her month old Shetland pony foal who was born with fescue poisoning, is out of danger and on the road to recovery. She has had many sleepless nights as she has been hand raising this little one to give her the best advantage to grow into a beautiful pony. Michaela Ward brought a potential safety issue to the attention of the club and to Eric

County Lines ASHTABULA So here we are...winter is upon us. Our chapter has really had a terrific year. We have accomplished our goals in fine style: Maintenance of the Gulf, three horse shows, several trail riding events, work on the show grounds, trail blazing on Route 7, T-shirt sales, the spring dance and, of course, our informal get togethers where we continue to enjoy each other’s company in relaxed settings. It is such a warm feeling to know that fellow horse people are bonded in this way. Cathy Isenberg had her annual holiday party and we all enjoyed the food, gift exchange and the (not too) rowdy behavior. She really decorates, I think I counted 11 trees, all lit and sparkling in her adorable farm house. Thanks, Cathy. I had a great time. Kathy Braden shopped for our adoptive Christmas family...a grandmother and grandson who are truly deserving of an extra boost from Santa. I spoke to ‘Pat’ about gift ideas and she was overwhelmed with our generosity, thanking me several times for our help. Of course, 46

Several members went on a trail ride at Lake Snowden in Albany on ‘Black Friday’ as an alternative to shopping. A good time and leftovers were had by all who participated. The weather even cooperated making it a nice afternoon to ride. Jill Schermacher has been helping members and others who want to do liberty work with their horses. The sessions have been held on Fridays at Windy Hills Therapeutic Riding Center. Several games have been played such as ‘tic toc,’ ‘two-eyes’ and ‘follow my shoulders.’ Jill has been a patient teacher. Jackie

HORSEMEN’S CORRAL

BUTLER

January 2018

County Lines

Popcorn with Dave Krazyl.

Judy Sheard’s Snickerdoodle. Estill OHC Vice President and member of the Bylaws Committee, who was in attendance at our last meeting. There may be a discrepancy in the distance that Park Rangers are advising hunters to construct their deer stands, and the state park requirements for required distance from horse trails. Please be careful riding during hunting season as some of the State parks are also allowing hunting on Sundays. Happy Trails during the new year. ~Mary Pope CARROLL 2018 is shaping up to be a year of new beginnings in Carroll County. Ronald Wilson II will remain president with new officers Dixie Roe as vice president, and Kristin Davies as both secretary and treasurer. We’re excited to welcome a handful of new members with great new ideas as well! This is the time of year that we’re all talking about resolutions and my personal resolution is to focus on perseverance more. This is a trait that not only helps us immensely with our horsemanship but is valuable in recruiting new members to the OHC and also resolving the inevitable conflict that accompanies any large group of people. In the summer of 2016, I travelled to Illinois for a weekend to go to the farm of clinician and trainer, Mark Schwarm, with a 3-year-old colt of mine. Mark January 2018

CCOHC members rode in the Carrollton Christmas Parade on Nov. 25.

CCOHC members played the ‘Saran Wrap Ball’ game at our Christmas party on Dec. 3.

learned from the likes of Ray Hunt and Tom and Bill Dorrance so you can bet that I soaked up as much knowledge as I could from him. A year and a half later, I’m still mulling over some of his words of wisdom. One of these concepts was to have patience when teaching a horse a new concept. He said, “You only need to have a split second more patience than your horse. Just when you’re about to give up, your horse is about to give to the pressure so just keep holding.” It’s fascinating to watch the power of perseverance with not only my own horses but also with others and their horses. In the fall of 2016, Ron Wilson II started trying to recruit me to the CCOHC. Four months later, he finally convinced me to come to a meeting and he and Mary Alice Kuhn both made me instantly feel like I belonged. Ron told me to call if I needed help with anything and didn’t even make it home from the meeting before I called. My tank heater had stopped working and my water trough had frozen solid. When Ron came right over and fixed it, I knew that CCOHC members take ‘horsemen helping horsemen’ to heart. I sent my membership application in the next morning. We’re a great organization full of some amazing horsemen, so have patience and show them what the OHC is all about.

And finally, another arena of our lives that perseverance is crucial is when trying to resolve interpersonal conflicts. Us ‘horse people’ have a reputation for being exceptionally strong minded and opinionated. Often, this works in our favor when we all focus on achieving a goal together, like the cooperative effort this past year between Jefferson County OHC and Carroll County OHC to revive Jefferson Lake State Park and attract fellow equestrians to the beautiful trails and campground. Other times, as I’m sure other clubs can relate, this can cause conflict when people within the group disagree. CCOHC had their issues in 2017 but our officers and valuable members persevered. We took the time to sit down and talk through these issues in our November chapter meeting and are moving forward as a unified club. Perseverance pays off on so many levels, so have faith, stay strong, and when all else fails, go for a ride. You just need to have patience for a split second longer than your problems. Our Christmas party was held on Dec. 3 and was a wonderful time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Check out our website at carrollcountyohc. org or like us on Facebook to stay in touch. See you on the trail! ~Kristin Davies

2018 CCOHC officers (from front to back): Kristin Davies, Dixie Roe, and Ron Wilson II .

CHAMPAIGN On Saturday, Nov. 11, 13 members and three guests enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast prepared by our excellent cooks. Lori prepared the turkey donated by Steve and Cindy Glaser. Lori Long will fill in for Cindy this month since she is still in Stoney Springs for rehab after her left knee replacement surgery on Oct. 26 and can’t be at the meeting. Minutes were read and treasurer’s report given. We received a bill from Rumpke for the Port a Potty we had installed by the trails for the summer.

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Cindy will call them on Monday and confirm it is the last bill and amount due. Cindy is still having issues with her knee and needs extended rehab. We all are praying for her speedy recovery. We miss you and Steve. Kiser Lake trails are looking good according to Linda Imke (trail boss). She and several others have put in a lot of time on clearing the trails, Linda has been keeping track of the hours to report to the State. She has done a very good job organizing the cleanup crews and keeping track of all the necessary paperwork. Thank you Linda! We voted on our yearly donations to the following organizations: Caring Kitchen in Urbana and Special Wish Foundation, $25 to each organization. The State meeting is over and our packet came in the mail. In the packet was a certificate made out to Cindy for her dedication to the OHC organization and for her Corral reporting. This is her last year as secretary/ treasurer; we have been so lucky and blessed to have her as a member. She and her husband, Steve, have dedicated over 20 years to the Champaign County OHC Chapter as officers. We cannot thank them enough for their service. They are going to be traveling a lot next year and will remain members, but will not hold an office for the first time in a long time. Janet Roop has thrown her hat in the ring for the treasurer’s job, Linda Imke has volunteered for president, and Lori has volunteered for the VP spot. We just need a secretary. As the night draws to a close we look around the room and are thankful for the people that have assembled here tonight. I, (Lori) am especially thankful for those that have gathered here. I too had bi-lateral knee surgery in August. My friend Joyce Sadowski came down from Michigan and stayed three weeks taking care of me. Thank you Joyce. Many of you helped in the barn doing chores, prepared food, shopped for us and or came to visit. Thank you for your calls of encouragement, your cards and your prayers. I couldn’t have done it without you! All of you are very special to me and I cannot express my heartfelt gratitude for all that you did. I am walking pain free in my knees for the first time in years. God is truly good for he has blessed Dr. Dunaway with the knowledge and skill to heal. 47

County Lines Thanks again my friends you are all near and dear to my heart. Happy trails, ~Lori Long CLARK Our last meeting for 2017 was held Nov. 9 at Hustead Fire/EMS Station. We had 17 members in attendance. Topics included: Jodie Childs continues to chair the collection of Tribute Feed UPC’s. We are so appreciative of her work to help raise funds for the council. Members were encouraged to eat at Chipotle on Dec. 7 as proceeds benefited Autumn Trails Stable. Chris Price updated us on the metal board he is making for posting information at the Horseman’s Area. Members can earn money for the council by working the barrel racing event at the Champions Center Dec. 29-31. Contact Shelly Roberts for details. The council plans to participate in the annual 4-H tack sale in January at the fairgrounds. Bonnie Maxson and Kailene Wells will co-chair this event. Refer to our website for details. Please contact one of the co-chairs if you have items to donate for the council booth, volunteer help will also be needed at the event. Forms to tally your riding mileage and hours will be provided to members. Time spent volunteering for the council is needed also. Council officers for 2018 were elected at the November meeting. Todd McDowell is the president. Polly Agle, vice president. Shelly Roberts and MaryEllen Snider remained in the offices from last year as treasurer and secretary. Sunday, Dec. 3 was our council Christmas party. Polly Agle and her husband Bill were our gracious hosts. Their lovely historic farmhouse was the perfect setting for almost 30 members and guests to celebrate the holiday season. I apologize for the lack of pictures from the event. I was having such a good time socializing (and eating) that I didn’t think about pictures until I was driving home. Thanks to all who attended and especially Polly and Bill. Our first meeting for 2018 will be held on Thursday, Jan. 11, 6:30 p.m. at Hustead Fire/EMS Station. Looking forward to seeing everyone who can attend as we will be discussing and planning our calendar of events. Until next month, Happy Trails. ~MaryEllen 48

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Happy New Year! Clinton County OHC participated in the Wilmington Holidazzle Parade back in November. The weather was perfect and there was a great turnout for both participants and spectators. Our Treasurer Mary Beth Norton was the club organizer and everything turned out nicely. She rode her Unicorn horse Cricket along with our president Susan Lamb on Nakota, Marion Landis with her (becoming very popular) pony Popcorn pulling the wagon with the grandkids, our Secretary Hayley Hesler as one of our walker elves and some guest riders and walkers. Can’t forget the Krazl family for helping and Hope Francisco and Danielle Norman as our pooper scoopers! I had family commitments and couldn’t attend myself but looks like I missed a good time. The November election turned out with no changes with our officers: President Susan Lamb; Vice President Ann Elliott; Treasurer Mary Beth Norton; and Secretary Hayley Hesler. We all look forward to serving for another year and hope to have another successful year in 2018. Happy New Year...just think, only a few months until spring! ~Ann Elliott

Happy New Year fellow horsemen! The members of Columbiana County are eagerly anticipating an exciting year! Our activities committee has met and have started putting together the 2018 calendar of events. We’ll be revealing some new and exciting events in the coming months. We were blessed with unseasonably warm temperatures for the Lisbon Christmas Parade on the first Saturday of December. We had a great turnout and an awesome display of teamwork that helped us take home second place in the marching division! A special ‘thank you’ to Becky and Ted Todd for taking the lead and chairing this event. The theme was ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’. We dressed in oilskin slickers and were pulling a small tree to set the scene of cowboys who were coming in off the range to be home just in time for Christmas. Those members who were on foot carried saddlebags full of candy to distribute to the kids along the parade route. We had two adorable miniature horses and nine riders! We were led by two new members who carried our banner and a black 2018 Chevy dually high country edition from our loyal supporter, Huebner Chevrolet in Carrollton! As an added bonus, we met some folks who are interested in joining our club! After the parade, we enjoyed a great meal and some much-needed fellowship at The Shale Restaurant. Our annual Christmas party was a huge success and fun was had by all! Members in attendance enjoyed a delicious meal, the comradery of good friends and even won some prizes that were donated by Huebner Chevrolet. Some of our members participated in fun (and sometimes whacky) games. Thank you to Crystal Molocea for always going the extra mile to make things extra special for everyone! Oh, the laughs we shared! Memories were made and that’s what it’s all about. The 4th Annual Night at the Races is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3 at the VFW in Washingtonville. Our members have all shown great dedicated to this event by soliciting the sponsors we need to ensure its success. We’ve also got a great jump start on selling the individual horses for the races. The horses are going fast so buy

2017 Holidazzle Parade group.

Mary Beth and Susan with Cricket and Nakota.

Popcorn giving our elf a kiss.

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yours today! We’ve been blessed with a fabulous response to this event the past three years. We had a full house last year and it was standing room only. What a great problem to have! We received requests to add the option for guests to reserve a full table in advance so we introduced that this year and it’s been very well received. This event is always great fun! I hope you have the opportunity to join us! State OHC will be having a mid-winter meeting at Deer Creek Lodge on Jan. 20-21. Please consider attending. Year-end awards will be presented at the March meeting which will be on Wednesday, March 1 at Mark’s Landing at Guilford Lake. Meeting starts at 7 or come at 6 if you’d like to join us for supper. OHC is looking for volunteers to work the booth at the Equine Affaire this year. The dates are April 12-15. Get in touch with one of our officers if you’re interested and we’ll be happy to get you the contact information you will need. If you’re riding the trails at Beaver Creek this winter, please be aware that the park is open to hunters. We highly recommend that you wear orange and take any other precautions to keep you and your horse safe by making your presence known to area hunters. We have two large trail projects that need our attention as quickly as possible: tie lines and the ‘log trail’. If you enjoy riding these trails, please consider volunteering a few hours of your time to help us keep them open and safe for everyone. Any and all details for upcoming work days will be announced on our Facebook pages. ~Kim COSHOCTON Happy New Year! I have very little news for the January issue and probably the next several that will follow. We had a great 2017 and I hope 2018 will be just as awesome. I missed our last scheduled club ride due to work, but I stole a few pictures for the Corral County Lines and the ones who were able to make it had a fun time! The weather seemed nice and that is a switch from the usual cold, windy and rainy day when we have this ride. Just FYI the park is now closed January 2018

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Three ladies enjoying the ride and roast. to equines until April. Watch our Facebook page for updates. ~Gigi CUYAHOGA The horsemen who signed up to attempt the Emerald Necklace End to End 100 Mile Ride are about finished. Two hundred and forty six riders rode either on their own or in groups to celebrate Cleveland Metroparks One Hundredth Birthday! A banquet and auction will be held at Holiday Inn, Independence on Jan. 28, where we will find out who accomplished the 100 miles and celebrate their win with awards. Watch for the invitation in our newsletter or Facebook page. The Corral’s Joe Coalter will be in charge of a limited auction. Penny Passalacqua worked to develop maps, scheduled camp outs, group rides, meals, and marked trails all assisted by members of OHC from many counties. Ken Skoczen guided rides, parked rigs, shuttled trailers as he became familiar January 2018

with his awesome new Quarter Horse during the rides. Kathy King led makeup rides for riders who couldn’t make scheduled rides. Judy Loya rode and photographed. Sherry Miller took photos and videos as she rode new trails. Some members made videos as they rode over railroads and under freeways on great, great horses. Many photos and videos can be seen on Facebook, Emerald Necklace End to End 100 Mile Ride. Now an unbelievable number of riders are familiar with the continuous trails known as The Emerald Necklace in the suburbs that circle the city of Cleveland. It is possible to begin in Rocky River, ride through Mill Stream Run Reservation to Brecksville Reservation, ride up the Tow Path along the Ohio Canal in the Cuyahoga Valley, connect to the Bedford Reservation, which connects to the South Chagrin Reservation and end the trail at the Polo Field in Moreland Hills. It would take you about 16 hours. Of course that is far too much for a horse (or rider) in a day and much too fast to enjoy all that wonderful scenery. Most riders spread the ride out over several weekends enjoying picnics along the way. Many new friendships were made during this year. Let’s hope we can maintain contact via Facebook and meetings through the winter and be ready to again join up for another awesome year of trail riding in 2018. ~Margaret Wolfe DEFIANCE Hello from NW Ohio! The Defiance Chapter held their meeting on Nov. 19. Here are some upcoming events: A Christmas party is planned for Jan. 20. An ‘Everything Horse’ Tack Sale will be held March 11. There is a group driving day scheduled at Independence Dam on April 22. The Fun Show is slated for June 2. More

Joe and Deb at Sunrise Beach.

Christmas party buffet 2017.

Deb and Okie. 2018 events will be planned in February, so stand by. One of our members attended the American Heart Association Beach Ride in early November at Myrtle Beach. It was quite a drive with a stopover at Camp Creek State Park in W. Va. The weather was very nice for camping and riding at Myrtle Beach. The sunrises were fabulous. Defiance OHC sponsored part of her fundraising! There were over 1100 horses there and a lot of funds raised. Happy New Year! ~Deb DELAWARE Happy New Year OHC friends! Wow! As I prepare this month’s article, appreciating the sunny day with mild temperatures, it is hard to believe that it is early December. I can only hope that ‘ole man Winter’ won’t be too unkind to us come January! Congratulations to our 2018 chapter officers: President Dan Chambers, Vice President Theresa Burke, Treasurer Sherry Chambers and Secretary Bobbi Arters. Each of us is looking forward to helping our chapter grow and prosper and most of all, have fun! If you have any specific comments or suggestions or would like to help on a committee, please do not hesitate to contact any of your officers. Let’s work together to make 2018 the best year yet for Delaware Chapter! We want to encourage our horseback riding friends to visit our park, for even in wintertime, Alum Creek State Park, continues to provide hours of enjoyable riding, not to mention, beautiful scenery. Indeed, our hard-working and dedicated trail maintenance volunteers continue

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to work wonders on our trail system. For instance, a few of the more recent accomplishments include improvements to several culverts, creation of several reroutes to avoid muddy areas, re-establishment of a lost trail along Hunter’s Hollow Buckeye Loop and the construction of a new rest stop affording a beautiful view of the lake along the Maple Glen trail. Additional volunteers are always needed and much appreciated. Consider lending a helping hand by joining an awesome group of folks who are dedicated to making Alum Creek Bridle trails the best they can be. This fun group meets every Tuesday morning yearround, weather permitting, at the Horseman’s Campground on Howard Road. For more information, contact Mary Chmielewski at 614/935-1631. In other news, 30 members came together for an evening filled with delicious food, fun and fellowship at our annual Christmas party held last month. I must say that our ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange or ‘gift steal’ was hilariously funny! As in past years, there is always that one gift that gets ‘stolen’ repeatedly before ending up with its final owner. Congratulations goes to Drew Ann Baxter for winning the awesome gift basket filled with many horse-related items that was generously donated by President Dan and Sherry Chambers. Congratulations also goes to Theresa for winning the 50/50 raffle. Her squeal of delight when her number was called is likely still reverberating in Dan Heinlen’s ear! Lastly, members are encouraged to attend and participate in the OHC Mid-Winter Planning meeting scheduled for Jan. 20 and 21 at Deer Creek State Park lodge. Come network with fellow OHC members and hear what other chapters are planning for 2018. Learn interesting and fun ways to promote our chapter and grow our membership. Come for both days if you can, but if 49

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Friends visiting prior to dinner.

Intrepid members of trail crew 2017. Bill the lucky winner.

President Dan Chambers 2017. your schedule allows for just one day, choose Sunday for a day filled with helpful information for all OHC members. There is no fee for attending. For more information, contact Theresa at 614/329-7453. Until next month, give your equine partner(s) a big hug! Always remember how fortunate you are to have such a special companion! ~Theresa Burke ERIE Greetings from Erie County! Our November meeting was held at the Coupling, which is at our winter location (yes, I said winter). Pizza was on the menu instead of a potluck for the evening. Everyone must have thought it was a great idea because we had a full house. Our speaker for the evening discussed tack safety and the Hit Air Vest. Kim was an excellent speaker bringing up vital points of tack safety and what to look for. She stressed the importance of taking a few moments to double check tack before and after a ride. Those few moments you take could save your life! The introduction of the Hit Air Vest showed us a lightweight vest that would deploy in 0.09 seconds. This vest could be worn over a tank top to a heavy coat and comes in many styles and colors. It was nice to try on the vest for size. After the demonstration, a special drawing was held and Bill Dupont was the lucky winner. The park reported the closing of Edison Woods for two weeks 50

during deer hunting season. November brought a lot of rain and heavy wind to our area. A quick work session was set up to clear out some rusted wire and metal that surfaced along the Smokey Woods Trail. New officers were elected for 2018. Our new president will be Lynn Sparks, Vice President Julie Gwinner Novosielski, Treasurer Diane Fultz, Secretary Shelley Hayes. We are thankful for our past officers and the great job they did for our club. We look forward to a new year of fellowship, great trail riding, and new improvements at Edison Woods. JAN. 1 — New Year’s Day Ride, 1 p.m., Edison Woods. JAN. 11 — Monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., Coupling. JAN. 25 — Ride Planning Meeting, 7 p.m., Jims Pizza Box Milan. Bring calendars and important dates. All times and places are subject to change. Monthly meetings will give current information. Happy Trails, ~Shelley FAIRFIELD Today is Dec. 5 as I sit and write. Yesterday it got up to almost 50 so a few of us met at Hocking State Forest and logged a few saddle miles. I love riding this time of year. The woods take on a whole new look and you can see things that were previously hidden by the leaves earlier in the riding season. In the case of Hocking, the previously hidden rock formations, creeks, deep ravens and the vast rolling hills all now jump out at you. Our leader has suggested only the hardy camp this time of year. Not sure of that. The secret is the camp fire. It just takes a bigger fire in November than it does in August. The weekend of Nov. 10 13 of us called Wayne National Forest,

[Paddle Creek Camp] home. I’m always up for a ride at Paddle Creek. Wayne National Forest near Ironton is a huge block of woods with extremely well maintained trails. The main trails are wider which allows those riders on gaited horses to role on if that is their choice. At the same time a mixture of single horse trails wind you through the woods at a slower pace affording you the opportunity to appreciate rock formations and other scenery those of us in southern Ohio way too often take for granted. I’m 100 percent convinced southern Ohio can hold its own with any horse camp/forest in the lower 48. Our November OHC meeting was Nov. 12. Regional forest manager Dave Glass was our guest speaker. Dave brought us up to speed on the budget challenges he faces which relate to various projects in the state forest he manages. Obviously part of those issues relate to the horse trails at Hocking and other parks under his supervision. A major project is under way to GPS mark the sites of interest at Hocking so a more detailed map can be published. That project will also involve installing approximately 49 new signs throughout the park to assist those new to riding at Hocking. This is where our local OHC chapter comes into the picture. We have a bunch of free labor. Let’s put it another way. We are fortunate to have several members willing to donate their time to projects that benefit the park. Over the course of the winter we also hope to install the new signs plus mounting blocks

Mike Kempton, Silver Spur Award winner.

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Young at heart on Santa’s knees. at key locations and additional tie lines at well used rest stops. Thanksgiving weekend was another one of those: how can you pass it up to camp weekends. The sun was shining and the temps very moderate for late November. Hocking was well over half full with campers of the same mind set. A large number of day riders also came and went all weekend. Our little ban of the hardier type totaled a dozen. On Saturday we rode over to Grandma Faye’s for lunch plus logged 23 miles total for the day. One of my personal favorite rides of the year. December 3 our OHC chapter held our annual Christmas party. This year it was held at the Fairfield County Country Club. Forty-five reservations was turned in and from what I could see there were no empty seats. Supper included a choice of roast pork and grilled chicken with several side dishes and desserts. Following supper, our president, Anita Hoon, passed out gifts to several of us that assist her to make our club function. Thanks Anita, we’ve got your back. A few years back, a special award (Silver Spur Award) was created to recognize a member that consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty to assist the club. This year’s recipient was Mike Kempton. Mike is a member of our trail committee. Any time we call for a work day or need volunteers to assist with a club project, Mike is first in line. Congrats Mike and thanks for your unselfish donation of time and resources. Following a visit from Santa Claus which our youth and young at heart always look forward to, a gift exchange took place among those that chose to participate. That pretty much wraps up the 2017 riding year. Some of us are still hoping to ride a few more miles in 2017, but at some point the weather affects all of us and brings the fun of riding a horse to a screeching halt till spring. January 2018

County Lines Until next month, be safe in your travels. ~Chris FULTON My husband’s favorite chair is not at our house. I know, this sounds odd but it’s true. His favorite chair is at a friend’s house. He would never have met this wonderful OHC member (and her husband’s chair) without joining this organization. We have met so many fantastic, fun people through this club. It was because of this group of people that my husband decided to learn more about horses and learn to ride. I thank them all for that, and so does he. If you are reading this, you are interested in horses, too. And let me tell you, horses are a lot more fun when you’re also surrounded by great people who share your passion. Now I’m going to pick on you, Vikki. I met you a couple years ago when you were my dog trainer. You didn’t own your own horse yet but I believe you were taking lessons. I don’t remember the specifics, but I really talked up the OHC to you and then one day you met another Fulton County OHC member out on the trails who also talked us up. You went ahead and signed up and are now a member. Vikki, when you are not at a meeting

Annual banquet committee. Michelle and her nieces. or event, people always ask me, “where’s Vikki?” Let’s face it—people want to know where their friends are and how they’re doing. We’re all glad you joined the OHC, and it shows. I can’t talk us up enough. We have a great set of officers. Cheryl Zielinksi is president, Michelle Miller is vicepresident, Jo Neeley is treasurer, and Connie Bauer is secretary. We had a great Christmas party; there were about 50 members and guests. Congratulations, Connie Bauer, on having the ugliest Christmas sweater! Nice job on the decorating, ladies! Debbie Vaughn, our extremely talented photographer, took some really nice pictures. We had a successful tack swap meet on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the beautiful WB Ranch in Swanton. We had a good turn-out of vendors and lots of customers. We see this event getting bigger in the future too. We had a good turn-out for the Fat Saturday ride, which was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This was held at Tammy Royer’s place. I wasn’t there; I was down by Louisville that weekend, but my husband was there, rooting for Michigan (did I really marry a Michigan fan!), sitting in his favorite chair. I Face-Timed him to make sure all was well and there he was; he held the phone up so I could see everyone and everyone said, “hi!” That was awesome. That is our OHC. Our meetings are the first Monday of each month at ‘Route 64 Pub and Grub,’ the former ‘Papoo’s’ restaurant, on Route 64 in Whitehouse. Meetings start at 7 p.m. but come early to eat. Please come join us. We’d love to meet you and see you at our functions. My husband might even let you sit in his favorite chair. Happy Trails, ~Trina Houser GEAUGA

Connie’s winning sweater combination, front and back. January 2018

It is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to Nora Stanton,

Nora Stanton Geauga OHC founding member. Nora was the rock on which the Geauga OHC was founded and with her hard work and guidance she gave us a solid base. She worked with the Geauga Park District on improving and expanding the bridle trails so many of us enjoy riding today, and was instrumental in starting the Bridle Trail Fund. Nora helped the equine community in so many ways and touched the lives of many, many people. In honor of Nora’s memory the Mary Yoder ride will now be The Nora Stanton Memorial Ride. Nora Stanton you will be missed. The Geauga Park District Moonlight Ride led by Dottie Drockton who did a great job took place on Nov. 3. Seventeen horses and riders shared glimpses of the moon, calls of a barred owl, shadows of trees and great company on a chilly evening at Headwaters Park of the Geauga Park District. In what has become an annual event, glow sticks adorned some of the horses in the darkness to help navigate the trail using night vision and other nocturnal senses that take over in the absence of daylight. GOHC elections took place on election day. We met in Newbury at Mangia Mangia. Let’s give an applause to our new officers: Co-President Sue Mulhall, CoVice President-Kendall Smith, Membership Chairman Joy Keco, Newsletter Editor Julie Fredrickson, Website Designer Michelle Rossman, Corral Correspondent Linn Walker and Publicity Chairman Stella Grabelsek. A big thank you goes to Julie Fredrickson, Dee Craig, Lorraine Steiner, Kendall Smith and Jennifer Salo for doing a great job at the Blue Lakes Tack Sale.

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Rich Bradshaw Obstacle Course, November 2017. Kendall Smith organized and set up OHC volunteers and their horses to educate, give rides and take pictures at the Geauga Park District’s Wellness Day. This event was to provide an enjoyable day for the employees of the Geauga Parks and to provide them with information and hands on experience with horses and trail riding. Everyone had a wonderful time and thanked us over and over again. Our Obstacle Course practice with Rich Bradshaw took place on Nov. 11. It was enlightening and empowering. We braved the 18 degree weather and learned a lot and stepped out of our comfort zones. We bonded more with our horses and with our fellow GOHC clan. Baby pools are not Mickey’s and my friend. That’s all I have to say. Thank you Rich and Linda for all your help and knowledge. Thank you Sue Mulhall and all the committee members Lisa Manning Blotnick, Cecilia Hanish, Ann Poshedley, Stella Grabelsek, Dee Craig and Joy Keco who did a wonderful job in making our 2017 GOHC Annual Banquet such a success. And, way to go and thank you to everyone who donated an auction item and who got donations. Wow! Great food catered by Chow Down, great company and fun times! Ride more and worry less this year. Happy New Year. ~Linn Walker GREENE November saw our annual elections. I know I said last month that I anticipated things to stay the same, and I was mostly right. I had forgotten that we 51

County Lines would probably be changing Vice President. We thank Larry for his years of service, his life has just gotten crazy busy and that makes it difficult to get to meetings. Our new VP is Jerry Smith. Hhe is the wonderful saddle stand building man (and husband of our Treasurer Suzie, so that’s convenient). Sadly, I tried to give up my job as secretary (since I’m gone so many Fridays!) but they wouldn’t let me. I guess I’m stuck with it, and Suzie fills in when I’m gone. Several of our members worked the Lebanon Carriage Parades again this year. Herb always works both parades, and Nancy always works the evening one. They’re always in need of volunteers, if anyone is interested, please consider it for next year. The parades are always the first Saturday in December and there is one at 1 p.m. and a second at 7 p.m. You can work one or both. There is food before, during and after; you will definitely be well fed! And it’s a good way to have a bird’s eye view of the parade. The Chamber of Commerce loves having volunteers who are experienced around horses, since so much of the public watching is not. Most of them don’t realize just how their actions can affect a horse, or how unpredictable they can sometimes be. I know they especially need volunteers on the back streets, I actually like those better in the evening. If you have trouble walking too far, last year I brought my four-seat ATV to ferry people to and from their posts. This year I wasn’t able to attend, so Harold from Warren County came to get the ATV for someone to use for the same purpose. Any members, please send me photos! I don’t get to many events so most of mine tend to be of the same people, and the State Ride. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I know we have more members than I’ve been showing. Hopefully next month I’ll have some from the Christmas party, if I remember to take some. You’d think with a camera phone it would occur to me, especially since I bought the phone I did because it had a better camera…stay warm and Happy New Year! ~Mickie GUERNSEY Yeehaaw and howdy! Sorry I’ve been dormant the last couple of months but our ‘happening 52

This couple enjoying themselves after laboring trails.

Vicki and Tom Cable, silly wabbits, too much sun? galas’ came at inopportune times to coincide with the deadline for the Corral and me with not enough information to pass on to you. So, I will do my best to do that during this article. Our 2017 Poker Run was a great success! The weather was wonderful, spirits were high and some horses were on the run. All was well and a lot of fun both Saturday and Sunday. I left during the auction, but I do know there were a lot of great items available, door prizes and of course Poker Run payouts. We had sweat shirts, hoodies and T-shirts for sale and we have a few still available. If you’re interested, contact Don McIntyre at 740/680-1131 or 740/638-3010. It`s with a heavy heart that Mr. Lee passed away. Our condolences to his family. Our annual Christmas party held Dec. 9 was at Mr. Lee’s as always. We always have a good time. A few of us did attend Pete and Pat Hanson’s Christmas party, as always they are great hosts. Everyone brings a finger food resulting in good food, a friendly atmosphere and just an overall nice time. I especially love the choo choo train that travels around the Christmas tree. Thanks for the hospitality Pete and Pat! The weather has been great for riding, let’s hope it continues for the ride New Year’s Day. It’s a great way to start 2018. I missed the rides at both Beaver Creek and Hocking this year, two of my favorite places to ride. Work has been overwhelming. It put a damper on Beaver Creek and I had no transportation

Pete and Pat Hanson enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Christmas parade, Grinch.

available for Hocking. I’m planning on retiring in 16 months and will take care of the transportation issue. We want to send our condolences and heartfelt sympathy to Paula Duff for the loss of her husband and to Bob Oakley for the loss of his brother. May God bless you and keep you through the difficult days to come. I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and remember the old cowboy saying, “Don’t mess with something that ain’t bothering you.” Happy Trails to you until next month! ~Montana C

Christmas Parade, Tonka.

HAMILTON Hamilton County finished out 2017 with a big bang! Held on a beautiful, sunny and unseasonably warm evening, Harrison’s Christmas parade on Dec. 2 was a huge success! This special parade starts at 5 p.m. (early dusk) and ends in complete darkness. Decked out in festive holiday costumes and most members wearing battery powered holiday light strands, our 16 horses, four ponies, and a 30-member parade division was a site to see—we even had The Grinch riding with us! With banner carriers, horse and rider teams, cute as button ponies, a trusty decorated support truck and manure cleanup crew trailing the horses and side walkers distributing bags and bags and bags of candy to kids along the entire parade route,

Christmas parade, family.

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the HC-OHC parade division was a crowd favorite. And just when you thought it could not get any better; as we turned the last corner of the parade route we were greeted with a spectacular view of the December ‘Super Moon’ high in the sky. Wow! A good time was had by all and we are invited to return in 2018! On a clear and calm Tuesday night, Dec. 5, Karen Osborne graciously opened up her spectacular home to host HCOHC’s annual Christmas party. About 30 plus members enjoyed a delicious holiday turkey buffet dinner with all of the fixings, a stimulation swap/steal gift exchange and excellent fellowship. Friends, fun, fellowship and horses—that’s what it’s about. To close out the year, members took a moment to look back on our 2017 club activities and successes: three night rides; three day rides; four educational speaker programs; six community parades; six scholarships given out to deserving youths to attend summertime weekend horse camp; two tack swaps to raise funds for horse trails, youth scholarships and club activities; two horse trail cleanups; 18 newsletter advertisers; one OHC Mid-Winter Planning Meeting guest speaker presentation; two grants written to support OHC’s youth program; cash donations given to Great Parks Foundation’s Bridle Trail Fund to support public horse trails in Hamilton County and cash donations given to Hamilton County 4-H to purchase portable horse stalls for 4-H Summer Fair. Thank you, thank you, thank you members for supporting a January 2018

County Lines terrific 2017 and may we all look forward to more adventures for 2018! ~Ann Frederick

Best wishes for a good riding season this year. Ghost rider at Jefferson Lake, !Jo Ellen

JACKSON

LAWRENCE

Hello fellow OHC members, 2017 was a good year for our Jackson Chapter! We were able to add some much needed gravel to both parking lots. Trails were kept up meticulously by our trail maintenance crew. A big thank you goes out to Ron Warrens, Ralph Prater, Larry Prater, Vic Cole, Ed Wolford and Kenny Taylor. Despite the ‘Big Tractor Escapade’ they worked together to pull it off...’litterally’! We’ve gotten a lot of positive comments from riders traveling here from out of county and out of state. Seems our scenic trails are becoming more and more popular with trail riders. At our last meeting of the year we were treated to a very nice horse massage demonstration given by Cassie Grimes. Ed Wolford graciously allowed the use of his facility for this educational evening. It was a hands on learning experience. Very interesting! Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Theresa Burke and Becky Clifton for the Certificate of Appreciation that I received for ‘Outstanding dedication to Ohio Horseman’s Council and Corral reporting’. Thanks ladies! Ride safe, ~Margo

We had our annual Christmas party at the home of Angie’s mom. We had a fun time with all of the great food which was made by all of the members. The gift exchange topped it all off. Several of our members couldn’t make it this time. We missed Tim and Darla due to illness in the family and Nick and Cheryl due to plumbing problems (not caused by Nick this time). We welcome Jim Crowe back from his surgery. It was good to see him at the dinner looking well but he needs to listen to what the doctor told him to do and not do before Wanda kills him. We are looking forward to a new year of club rides, camping trips and of course cookouts. Tim is working on the work days with the local 4-H club to help us with the campground mowing. This will also help out the 4-H club as well. Hopefully we can get some more members from this venture. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy Trails, ~Susan

Jackson County OHC JEFFERSON Happy New Year everyone! Hard to believe we are beginning a new year already. Things are fairly quiet at this time of the year. Trail work is still going on at Jefferson Lake State Park. Hopefully, by riding time we will have the trails in good order. This is the month that trail miles need to be turned in. Please remember to do that so we can get a good count of the miles ridden at Jefferson Lake and other places. January 2018

LICKING Hello from Licking County OHC. Happy New Year to all. Our officers for 2018 are: President Charlene Santee, Vice President Paul Wilson, Secretary Terry Drummond and Treasure Craig Santee. Thank you Holli Wheatley for your passed years as secretary. Thank you to all the chairpersons of the committees and the members that volunteered for committees. Thank you Teresa McGregor for the monthly newsletter and Beth Webb for all the beautiful pictures. I would have to post our list of members to cover all the volunteers, so here’s a big ‘Thank you all’. The first of the year is always so busy with getting the committees set up, the chairpersons named, programs to be planned, trail rides to be schedule, and shows to get organized. This list grows as the year starts; trail maintenance to plan, help with park events, I’ll stop here. In the Licking County’s November newsletter it was reported by Craig Santee, our

club had put in 73 hours at Taft by 11 people. That’s a lot of hard work. Thank you for taking care of the trail Craig and work party. For 2018 our project to help Licking County Park District will be at Lobdel, time and dates for the work party will be posted later. To all riders, from Charlene, please report any problems on ODNR trails, their email address is forestry.comments@dnr.state. oh.us. Provide the park or forest name, name of trail, location, describe the problem, picture if you have it, date, your name and phone number. If you think other riders need to know forward an email to OHC Trail Committee. Ohio State Parks are allowing regular campers in horseman campgrounds. You may contact the parks to let them know what you think about this arrangement. Be aware there may be a lot of children running and playing around which don’t know a thing about horses, nor do their parents, so please be safe. The OHC State’s Mid-Winter Conference will be Jan. 20 and 21 at Deer Creek, I hear it’s going to be a busy weekend, mostly on Sunday, check the State OHC website for details. As you read this article, I will give you till Jan. 15 to turn in your mileage and hours report. I have to send the chapter’s report in by Jan. 31. Our March meeting is the awards meeting, so let’s see who earns a patch and or wins the $25 gift card. The patches are earned by different level of achievements; 200 miles, 500 miles, 1000 miles, 5000 miles, up to 25,000 miles; our chapter buys the patches to be awarded. During these long cold days I’m going to get on the Internet and look for new riding places, make a list of horse stuff I need or just want, a list for camping, a list for shows, and a list for lists. Or maybe I should restore my sleigh but it’s too cold in the garage so maybe this summer. You’re welcome to come to our meetings, last Monday of the month, 7 p.m., at the Brady Building, Infirmary Mound Park, at Granville. Go to our website for any contact information, events, newsletters, etc. Charlene has done a great job with the website. We are also on Facebook. So here’s to a new year, may we ride more, eat less, be happy and healthy. ~Deborah Sheka

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LOGAN Happy New Year! We had our annual Christmas party on Dec. 2 in East Liberty, Ohio. The potluck ham and turkey was enjoyed by 24 members and two guest, Jane and Brent Guiles. Leonard Mohl and John Eckley entertained the group with their songs while members enjoyed their annual gift exchange. Special thanks to Kim and Keith Roberts for taking the canned goods brought by members to a local veteran’s family and to Cynthia Orr for decorating the hall. From the pictures shared, it looked like fun was had by all ages. I hope you all had a great Christmas and a New Year filled with friends, family and horses. ~Diane

Barb and Jack Corwin.

2017 OHC Christmas party.

Chris Brennan and Marsha Earick. LORAIN Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a chance to walk the holiday light display at Carlisle as it was spectacular. Thank you to all who helped set up the LCOHC display in the midst of a rain shower. You deserve a big round of applause. 53

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60 for 60 Lorain County riders. Our Christmas party was a wonderful way to wrap up our 2017 OHC year. In the midst of the holiday business we had a great group of folks who were kind enough to volunteer to help with the shopping, set up, decorations, gift exchange and clean up. The gift exchange game was especially clever and was much fun. We had plenty of food and great friends to share the evening with. Please enjoy your 2018 calendars with all the photos from our 2017 activities. Sherry Hoover and Jim Wallace took much time to organize the photos and get them ready for printing. Our planning committee planned loads of fun for 2018. Thanks to all who helped with planning and for all who offered suggestions for this year as well. You will find them listed in your calendar, our Lorain Ohio Horse Council website, emails and in the Horsemen’s Corral. Additionally, OHC has many events you are welcome to around the state, we hope you find 2018 a fun year filled with many opportunities to take part in. Our January calendar sponsor is Town & Country located in both Grafton and Medina. They offer items for your backyard and barnyard so check them out. Please visit their site at www.tcretail.com for further details. I’d like to sincerely thank our 2017 Lorain County OHC officers for all their dedication and hard work including: President Jim Wallace, Vice President Nate Reader, Secretary Karen Norton and Treasurer Ron Hoover. Also, our 2017 committee members and parade coordinators including: Cheryl Muhek (emails), Brenda Lang (trail miles), Sue Mollica (50/50 raffle), Sandy Shudy (membership), Kathy Duncan (Corral reporter), Bob Budi (Lorain County Metro-Parks liaison), Sue Mollica (refreshment coordinator)and Vince Mollica (website manager), our parade coordinators Judy Budi, Brenda Lang Karen Norton and Carole 54

Kenyon. These folks kept things running smoothly and wellpolished. Once again, a heartfelt thank you and blessings to all of you who pitch in and help out throughout the year at our activities. Our new 2018 officers are as follows: Jim Wallace, president; Sherry Hoover, vice president; Karen Norton, secretary and Ron Hoover, treasurer. Thank you for your commitment for this upcoming year. I hope everyone tallied up their trail miles and turned them in to Brenda Lang so that our Ohio legislators will continue to support our riding efforts by keeping the trails up and running in our Ohio parks. If you did not, contact Brenda immediately. She has a deadline of Jan. 15. This is a valuable contribution everyone can make to help ensure ongoing funds for us in this ever changing economy. Please note the following events upcoming this January. The Christmas display removal is set for Saturday, Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. at Carlisle with Lee and Val Shaw as contacts. On Saturday, Jan. 13 we will ride at Hinckley Reservation, riding out at 1 p.m. Plan to meet at the Route 606 parking lot if you are able to attend. Jim Wallace is the contact for this ride. On Monday, Jan. 15 we will gather for our meeting at 7 p.m. at the Carlisle Visitor Center. It is soup night so come with a hearty appetite and your favorite soup or side dish to share. We will eat at 6:30. We will hold a lottery for the Hocking Hill’s campout held on Oct. 12-14. Due to space availability, a lottery for Three Reasons Horse Camp’s cabin and seven campsites are conducted at the January meeting. You must be a member. Only one entry per membership is permitted. Payment is due at this meeting. Campsites are $90 and include water and electric, fire rings, picnic tables and two horse stalls. You will have access to a community bathhouse with showers and flush toilets as well. The cabin is $250 and has a private flush toilet, shower, full kitchen, sleeps six (double occupancy) and your horses will share a large pasture as no stalls are included. The State OHC officer meeting and workshop will be held at Deer Creek State Park Jan. 20-21 beginning at noon. On Saturday, Jan. 27, the Northeast OHC Regional meeting will be held

in Fairlawn at 10:30 a.m. Jim Wallace will have full details for both of these meetings. Please be prepared to have a great year with your friends and horses in our OHC this year. ~Kathy Duncan MADISON Happy New Year to you all. 2017 was a very fulfilling year. I believe that 2018 will be just as fulfilling if not more so. I want to congratulate and introduce the Madison County new Executive Board. President Jeff Fultz, Vice President Jean Kritner, Secretary Cheryl Barlett and me Dee Elfrink as treasurer again. I’m looking forward to working with the new Executive Board. If you have ever been the slightest interested in mounted shooting please check out the Mid-Ohio Marauders website, www.midohiomarauders. com. All shoots will be at the Madison County Fairgrounds, London Ohio. They offer a ‘New Shooters’ Clinic on April 21. The schedule for the club shoots is as, follows; Jackpot Shoot is April 22, May 11-13, June 22-24, July 20-22, Aug. 24-26, Sept. 21-23. The Marauders are a great group of cowboys and cowgirls. If you watched the shooting at AQHA Congress you watched them compete. I don’t have much to share, we are working out the details for Gymkhana, Deer Creek is a work in progress. I want to take a moment to thank our retiring club President Marsha Pierce for her hard work and dedication to OHC. Marsha gave her all, she along with her husband John are inspirational. I personally thank you for all your advice and guidance. Now is the time to relax and just enjoy what you love to do and that’s trail riding.

Madison County OHC

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I am including a picture of my Banjo on one beautiful winter day. ~Dee MEDINA Happy New Year 32! Yes, Medina OHC is 32 years old and still kicking. We had a nice December meeting at Molly Eastwood’s cozy log cabin to end 2017. A great dinner was served with chili, mac and cheese, cheesy potatoes (you can never have enough cheese!) salad and more. We will be welcoming some new officers this coming year and are excited to get 2018 off to a great start. At this time of year the weather keeps us indoors a greater percentage of the time, but it’s a great time to catch up with old friends. It’s also a good time to get out that form and renew your membership! Our officers will be meeting to plan our upcoming events for 2018, keep your ears and computers peeled for details. Aside from our officers we have many members who devote countless hours of their time keeping our club running smoothly. We are so thankful for folks like Reuss Griffiths who has headed up our clambake for so many years as well as being our photographer. Members like Karen Knuth who has managed our banquets and is ever-ready with those trail lunches and Raydeen Ryden who has brought her whole family (even her mother!) to help out on trails and with the state ride. The Stein family, Jenny, Tim, Hannah and Chris have been there for us on trails, state and competitive rides, and every other event we have had in these many past years. Mike Andre is our go-to guy when it comes to heavy lifting and trail maintenance. Greg Monsanty is our great trail engineer. Wayne Crouse we thank for all his many, many hours on trails. We could not even begin to thank people like Louise Harting and Hugh Freeman for their tireless hard work on trails and all the cooking Louise has done at our events. How many times has she washed all those pots and pans? Another of our chapter members, Kathy Schmidt has been our competitive ride secretary (bless her!) and now does our newsletter. Patricia Vance has been on our trail committee, managed our competitive ride, January 2018

County Lines and worked so many hours with the park management to get our trails in excellent condition from almost the beginning. Kim McAninch for handling sunshine from her home in faraway Pennsylvana. Jonathan Hughes is always there to do whatever is needed from selling raffle tickets to picking up muck tubs. And I could not begin to sum up the work and morale boosting Jack and Linda Weese have done. We love and try to thank all our members for just being with us as we support the way of the horse and the horseman. Plans are underway for our annual banquet to occur on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Papa Joe’s in Akron. Karen Knuth will keep us updated on our first fun event of 2018. Stay tuned for more information in our newsletter and website. Hoping 2018 will bring you many happy trails. May the valley be with you, ~Rosemary Young MEIGS With the holidays behind us, we are now ready for the year 2018. The AEP camp is closed and will be opening up on May 1. Our chapter will be having their annual tack auction with Jerry Henderson providing the tack on Feb. 10. The auction will be held at the Wilkesville Community Building, Wilkesville, Ohio, from 12 to 4 p.m. Come on out and get some tack and something to eat. Our officers for 2018 are Paul L. McDaniel Jr, president; Charlie Mansfield, vice president; Dian McDaniel, secretary; and Susan Mansfield as our new treasurer, replacing Roger Swartz. Thank you Roger for a job well done as treasurer, he plans to do a lot of riding this year. We ended our year with a wonderful Christmas dinner and the gift exchange was a blast, even though I thought we were going to be there for quite a

Charlie Mansfield receiving first place trophy from Meigs County OHC President. Januaray 2018

Lauryn Mansfield with first place trophy. while. I forget what you call this gift exchange, but I call it steal a gift, because if you see a gift that someone else has and they call your name out to go get a gift and you want the other person’s gift, you just go steal it and it is yours and that person has to go get another gift. Believe me, some of those gifts were falling apart by the time they kept getting stolen. There was this horse that stood on its hind legs and that horse has several miles put on it that day before it even left the building. My gifts got stolen also, of course I stole some gifts myself. So much fun and the meal was great. While at the dinner the club voted to donate money to three kids so they could go Christmas shopping and have a nice dinner. Kenny Turley is the one who had the names of these kids and Cindy Speakman will be going with them also. This will be such a great thing to see those kids get something for their Christmas. I will be taking pictures of the kids and will put some in the next issue. Also at the dinner we gave out the prizes for the top five with the most points in the fun shows for adults and the youth. Receiving trophies for first place were Charlie Mansfield, adult and Lauryn Mansfield, youth. That is really great that father and daughter both got first place. They got different colored trophies so they wouldn’t fight over them. Receiving money for the remaining places were, second place adult was Cindy Speakman and youth was Victoria Wilson. Third place adult was Kelli Wilson and youth was Shayla Hysell. Fourth place adult was Kevin Meadows and youth was Pacey Messer. Fifth place adult was Laney Hankla and Kaelin Steele youth. Those adults were really competing against each other, it was funny to watch them. Congratulations to all. The remaining ten in the fun shows received participation

Dale and Darla Stanley at Christmas dinner. ribbons. Looking forward to the fun shows this year. I will let you know how the News Years ride went. I know I won’t be riding, my body doesn’t like the cold very well. I want to thank Cindy Speakman for doing the 2018 schedule for the chapter. I believe we are supposed to have a mild winter but stay warm and keep breaking the ice so the horses will have water. Happy Trails, ~Dian MIAMI Happy New Year from Miami County! Looking back at our club events for 2017, we did not do as much as we wanted too, but we sure increased our fundraisers, sponsorships and donations. The Preble County 4-H Tack Sale was a huge success as was the Raise Your Brush fundraiser. The 50/50 raffle at our meetings got a good response, too. In addition to sponsoring a 4-H horse club event at Lost Creek and the Miami County Fair, Sr. Trail Class, we collected many toys, games, and books for Dayton Children’s Hospital and we donated $90 to the Eagles Wings Therapeutic Riding Center in Piqua. We also started our OHC Connection Facebook page to increase communication. A big thank you goes out to Susan Basye for this endeavor. Looking forward, our club is planning in 2018 a trip to the Renaissance Festival, a moonlight ride at Englewood Metropark,

Valeria at Piqua Horse Parade.

Carla Brodgen and a trip to Anne Oakley Days in Greenville to watch the mounting shooting contest. As you try to stay warm and wish for more riding weather, look back at your 2017 horse memories. My favorites are the pictures from Valeria Manemann’s Obstacle Training Day in October and the December Christmas party! What is yours? Congratulations to our new 2018 officers: President Mick Retman; Vice President Susan Cavedo; Treasurer Jeff Furlong; and Secretary Shirley DeWinter. If you want to talk horses and visit with good horse people, come to the Jan. 13 Miami OHC meeting at Faye’s Dog Training Center in West Milton with a carry-in dinner at 7 p.m. and a meeting to follow. In place of our 50/50 raffle, we will hold a raffle for $50 worth of Valley Vet supplies of your choice. The price is $1 per ticket or six for $5. Regretfully as you get older, you get slower and I find myself not able to complete all my work. Therefore, this is my last ‘County Lines’. I am hopeful that another Miami County OHC member will pick up the monthly submissions. I do plan to stay on as the club secretary and a volunteer for the horse trails at Englewood and Carriage Hill Metroparks. Happy Trails, ~Shirley DeWinter MONROE

Mick back in the saddle.

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Monroe County OHC officers for the 2018 year is President Rick Magyar, Vice President Darrel Wiesend, Treasurer 55

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Lebanon Horse Parade.

Monroe County OHC Karen Murdock, and Secretary Breannon Hoff. We need trail names for four loops of our system. The trails are cut and are about ready for some trail riding. Monroe County OHC won’t be having any shows this winter. We are planning to have our first show of the 2018 year this upcoming spring. ~Bre MONTGOMERY Greetings from Montgomery County and a very Happy New Year! Hard to believe that another riding season is already vanished, boy how time does fly. On the bright side, with the New Year there will be lots of fun activities to plan for the upcoming riding season, and hopefully many new friends to meet along our journeys. Like all New Years there also comes changes, which is not always a bad thing. One of the changes this year is that unfortunately our Corral editor has resigned. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ann Bennett for all the wonderful Corral County Line articles that she has submitted for us the last few years. Other changes this year came with our election of officers on Nov. 14. Debbie Rose will continue as vice president, Charlene Harden will stay on as 56

treasurer. Maggie Williams will also continue as our recording secretary. Taronna Hinkle (myself) is the newly elected president. I would like to give super big thanks to everyone for continuing to help lead this chapter. I am looking forward to being the president of this awesome team, together we can do great things. After all there is no I in the word team. I decided a few months ago that I wanted to get more involved with the club. I have only recently realized what a great club we have, and the importance that the OHC clubs are to all of us horse lovers out here. I didn’t expect to jump straight into the deep, but hey there isn’t much fun just walking around in shallow water, is there? With the loss of Ann I will be stepping in to help with the Corral articles for a while. We would also like to take this opportunity to give thanks to Pam Barhorst for jumping in there and being our president for the past year. We all know how busy life can get and especially how hard it can be to take time from our family to help with the club. A few of us, Karen S., Cindy B. and myself, volunteered at the Lebanon Carriage Parade on Dec. 2. We couldn’t have asked for any nicer weather in December. Even though we were just a tiny group of three, we had a really big time. It was the first time for me to volunteer and what a wonderful experience it was. We volunteered for both of the parades, the first parade started at one in the afternoon and the second one started at

seven that evening. What a great opportunity to be able to watch the teams preparing for the day’s events. There were about 90 carriages in all, from super cute mini’s, to massive working horses. If I had to choose, I think I would have to go with the big guys, as you listen to the pounding those big fellows make, as their hooves hit the pavement beside your feet, you have to admire the horsemanship of the driver in charge of that big rig! Of course the night parade was the busiest, with about twice the amount of spectators, and as awesome as it was to watch all of the colorful lights coming down the road, I personally think I prefer the day parade; during the day you can get a better look at all the details that goes into making the horses and carriages look so great. We were also impressed, as to how thankful the coordinators of the parade and horsemen made us feel for helping out with their event, we were happy that we could help, and glad they had yet another successful year. We are also working on setting up an activities meeting this month, check your emails for a time and place. Until next time! ~Taronna MORROW Greetings from the Morrow County OHC chapter where the fall ‘roller coaster’ weather had continued to ‘continue’ since the last report. However, a polar express is promising to give some lower teen December nights plus below 32 F daytime highs which makes horse care more challenging. All our trusty steeds need adequate hay, fresh water, and appropriate shelter so they can give us great adventures in 2018. The planned annual chapter Christmas party in December would seem more festive with some snow cover. The Thanksgiving period did allow some riding by our visiting Iowa and Pennsylvania families with some of the outings on local fallow fields having five riders. The granddaughters did manage to ride nine of our 14 horses but the five not ridden were ‘disappointed’ and will have to wait until the next family visit. Byron and Cheryl did some Mohican State Forest exploring while Ted and family rode locally. Floyd was back on his

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mule for some riding/camping at Hocking with family and friends. Floyd did contact a ‘cold bug’ which kept him confined to the house for several days. Dave and Mary did some riding at Alum Creek while Gay substituted searching for venison instead of riding. Most chapter members have given/ will give their horses a break from being ridden until good weather returns. Many riders remove horseshoes for the winter months to allow the hooves to ‘rest’ plus reduce the possibility of ‘snowballs’ forming on steel shoes. As a ‘retiree’ that may choose to ride on any nice day, I keep some of my horses shod for road riding on any nice Ohio winter day. This requires no trailering which is OK since the trailer has been stored for the winter plus road conditions can be unsafe for truck/trailer/horse combo but not for a ‘four-legdrive’ mode of transportation. We have boarded a friend’s Spotted Saddle mare for over 16 years plus her 16-year-old daughter that was born at our farm. Mother/daughter was ridden by Ed and me on a daytime fallow field outing during the Ohio firearm deer season which was Ed’s first ride since extensive neck bone surgery six months earlier. He was wearing a rigid neck brace for the ride which was completed without neck trauma. The ride was an enjoyable celebration of his 77th December birthday and my 78th October birthday. However, it may have been the last ride for him until 2018 with upcoming carpal tunnel hand surgery possibly being a limiting factor. For me, visiting family during the Christmas holidays may get this ‘old man’ to ride some more before 2018. Hopefully all readers will be able to enjoy some more great riding of their trusty steeds with like-minded equine friends during the remainder of 2017 riding season and in 2018 before publication of this article. Until next month, let us continue to ride, ride, and ride while we can or at least have great dreams. Happy trails to you and stay safe in the saddle if you do have an opportunity to ride. ~DOC MUSKINGUM Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. Most of us January 2018

County Lines

Members riding at Mohican.

Brenda Lehman and her grandkids in The Logan Santa Parade.

Member Carol Stoughton at The Logan Santa Parade.

Christmas parades. have winterized our trailers, the horses are growing wooly and we are gearing up for winter time fun. The January meeting will be Jan. 8 at Tee Jayes Country Place in Zanesville, eating at 6 p.m. with meeting following at 7. Hope to see you all there! Please remember to get your membership renewals turned in to Chris as soon as possible for 2018. New this year you can also renew online through the State OHC website, ohconline.com. We have been discussing some planning committees for next year’s events, including but not limited to a fundraising committee and a trail/events committee. Please reach out to any of the officers with ideas for next year’s events, and we would welcome anyone who would like to assist with those committees. We will have further discussion at the January meeting. Until next time, ~Opal PERRY Hello from Perry County and Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a chance to be January 2018

on horseback this last month or so because Mother Nature was pretty kind to us this fall. I know some of our members have ridden in various places like Stone Church, Hocking and Dillon State Park. Couldn’t ask for better weather. By the time you read this the holidays will be over and we will be beginning the New Year. We had our election of officers at our November meeting. Our President is Roxanne Drake, Vice President is Marianne Hartley, Secretary is Connie King, and Treasurer is Carla Marshal. We are very excited about the upcoming year. We do have some exciting news, one of our members Meghan Kangas’ mare, Lakota, became a momma to a precious little filly on Oct. 17. Mom is a Quarter Horse and Dad was a Paso Fino. I will be waiting and anxious to see what kind of gait this little girl has. Some of our members started off their holiday season by participating in the Logan Santa Parade. They sure looked like they all had a great time. What a fun way to get in the holiday spirit. Our holiday party is scheduled to be on Jan. 6 at the Eagles in New Lexington. It should be a great time, cut throat gift

A reminiscent picture of the Ducky Derby. Debbie Sears and Paula Buser are retrieving ducks from the creek! Member Meghan Kangas’ newest member of her family born Oct. 17, 2017. exchange, square dancing, food and most importantly...friends. Can’t wait to give you a report in our February Corral. Perry County meets the second Tuesday of the month starting in February 2018 at the Top Hat Restaurant in Junction City. Eat at 6, meeting at 7. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a safe and Happy New Year! Happy Trails! ~Heather PIKE We hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season. Things should begin to slow down now after the first of the year. I’m sure everyone made their New Year’s resolutions. Stacy Westfall, a very talented clinician, had a funny New Year’s resolution on her horse blog. It stated, ‘What New Year’s Resolution do you wish your Horse would make.’ She wished her horse would not search humans for peppermints, would not dig holes when tied, would not pretend he was a cutting horse with his pasture friends, would not untie himself

Calvin Knipp riding on his 77th birthday at Hammertown Lake.

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Tricia and Riley Welch, riding at Hammertown Lake. when tied, and would not use his poop as a pillow! But I’m sure the horse won’t keep his resolutions either. Before the year ended, some club members had the opportunity to trail ride with the ‘Best of America by Horseback’ at Pike Lake and also attend a very nice tribute to Veterans which was in Bainbridge. Several members really enjoyed the weekend. This event will be filmed on RFD in 2018. Our last scheduled ride of the year was at Hammertown Lake in Jackson and the weather was remarkably warm. This was the 77th Birthday of Calvin Knipp, otherwise known as ‘trail boss’. Calvin has been a member of Pike OHC for several years. His brother Phil was also able to spend the day riding with him. The 2017 year ended with a club Christmas party. We had the election of new officers and some special awards were given out. All these results will be in our next newsletter. This event always proves to be a lot of fun and the food is amazing. Reminiscing our clubs’ 2017 highlights, shows us how productive we were throughout the year. Several days were spent for trail maintenance, there were eight club scheduled rides and 12 scheduled meetings with our annual Christmas party. We have also added some new memberships to our club for the upcoming year. Our benefit participation this year included the Relay for Life Cancer Ride at Scioto Trails, the 57

County Lines Shriners Ride at Paint Creek, and the Ben Cydrus Memorial Ride. Many members also donated their time to volunteer at the All American Youth Horse Show in Columbus, helped at Butler County’s Horse Daze event, and we had our own Pike Horse Daze Event. We are proud to have a new club flag and a kiosk at Pike Lake day parking area, which members made and donated. Trail maintenance has been very successful with members keeping trails in shape on a weekly basis. There’s a new and safe trail now behind the cabins at Pike Lake. Meetings with State Forestry Dept. in Chillicothe and with Ben Kelly from the Pike Forestry Dept., will hopefully allow a new trail to prevent riding the road in one certain area. We also updated and revised our Pike Lake trail map which is available on the State OHC website. This was our first year to have a booth at the Pike County Fair. Our youth made us proud with their accomplishments at the horse show and all the other horse events throughout the year. We had a fish fry in October. ‘Best of America by Horseback’ filmed by RFD came to Pike Lake for a trail ride in November. We can’t forget the Ducky Derby and the target shoot at the Sears’ farm too. What an eventful and fun year we have had! Thank you to every member for making all this possible. I may have forgot some other things that we have been involved in. We’ve had a very busy year. We hope everyone in 2018 has a very happy and prosperous year. Try to keep your New Year’s resolutions! Hopefully our trail miles will increase, which means more time spent in the saddle. That is always a good thing! God Bless, take care and stay warm. ~Teresa Wittkugle PORTAGE Thanks to everyone for all the support in 2017. It’s so exciting when plans begin to unfold and you can see hard work paying off. Our ‘Adopt a Trail at West Branch’ is working. Already we have five trails adopted. Stephanie and Jim Tarr were first to adopt, jumping onto Picket Point Trail with weed wacker, chain saw and leaf blower. They tweaked the trail a little bit here and there to get it out of the mud and it’s beautiful. Ray and Shannon Bard adopted the Purple 58

Portage OHC group at Blue Lake.

Susan and Susan Thanksgiving weekend. Peek-a-Boo trail and have plans to make it the best of the park. Just recently, Angie King and Laura Gibson adopted Blackberry Haven, Lee and Cathy took over Lottie’s Trail. Susan Croft and a friend will work Bear Ridge/ Bear Hollow. A few brave souls, Anjanelle Hennebert, Dave Kennedy and Susan Hillegas, are even going to tackle the lengthy Rock Spring Trail. They are recruiting family and friends and are talking about splitting it up, north side and south side to make it easier to maintain. We are hoping to a have all trails adopted by spring and additional members to each existing team, you know what they say, “Many hands makes light work.” Anjanelle Hennebert, Susan Hillegas, Ken and Lori Teleis, Andrea Murphy and probably a few other chapter members had a great time at Blue Lakes Fun Show in November. Anjanelle cleaned up the ribbons, modestly mentioning they weren’t ‘firsts’. A few of the club members rode out on a day ride to CVNP’s Wetmore trails on Thanksgiving weekend. The day was a balmy 50 degrees and the trails were beautiful as always. Maybe we can make it an annual event! Wishing you all a joyful and prosperous New Year! And an invitation to come with us and ‘Ride the WB!’ ~Lee PREBLE Wow here we are starting a brand new year and up until now the weather has been

Preble County OHC Christmas party. tolerable. Hoping everyone had a marvelous Christmas and a happy New Year! We had our chapter Christmas party on Dec. 9, which is after deadline, so I know we had a great time. We had approximately 50 adults and children and of course Santa. The food was great I am sure, always is, and hope everyone had a good time. Our next meeting will be Jan. 6 weather permitting, at the Hueston Room at the park office by the marina. We will have our carry-in and the meeting will start approximately 6:30 p.m. We will be trying to set up our schedule of events for the year so stay tuned for that information in February. We had considered changing our State Ride date as it is right in the middle of Quarter Horse Congress and we have quite a few who either work at Congress or have family participating in Congress. But when it came right down to it the weather is decent and it would take some time to train everyone about a date change, so we decided to leave it as is. Second weekend in October, Oct. 12-14 with lots of exciting things to get working on for State Ride so I will update everyone as the year progresses. We will have our chapter Fun Speed shows this spring and summer. We have adult and youth classes at all of our fun shows. Our May fun show will be Saturday, May 26, with a rain date of May 27, registration is at approximately 9 a.m. and show will begin at 10 a.m. Then we will have our July Independence fun show on July 4, with rain

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date to be Saturday, July 7. Then we move on to our September Fun speed show, Saturday Sept. 1 with the rain date being Sept. 2. We do have payback in all speed classes if we have at least eight participants in each class, Jackpot Barrels is the exception, we payback 50 percent if eight participants or less and 75 percent if nine or more participants register. Not much else to pass along for now but will get more information to everyone in February. Have a great start to your New Year by filling out and sending in your membership application or you can go online at ohconline.com/ membership then your chapter name. If you haven’t already turned in your trail miles and saddle hours do it soon so we can get the information to the State OHC and ODNR. Happy Trails, ~Becky ROSS From the Ross County Chapter we hope you had a great Christmas and A Happy New Year! As we all get settled back from the holidays it’s time to get down to business. We had new elections this year that took place in November and they will be starting to serve their term this month. Our President is Phillip Himelrick, Vice President Joyce Robinson, Secretary Della DeLong, Treasurer Nan Clary, Corral Reporter Danielle Miller. Our Trail Committee and Trail Boss consist of Jim Miller as Trail Boss and our Trail Committee consists of Karen Miller, Joyce Robinson, Helena Winegar and Dave Clary. Our Trail Committee and Trail Boss will meet soon to make a riding schedule for 2018. That’s all the business we have as of right now for January`s edition. Signing off, ~Danielle SANDUSKY Happy New Year club friends and family! Our little club really is just a big family! A family that helps each other out when needed, we have way too much fun, we eat a lot and we welcome newcomers with open arms! For many of us with the New Year comes resolutions. Is yours to spend more time with your equine partner? Maybe explore some new trails this year or just January 2018

County Lines

Yippee it’s the New Year! work less and have more fun. Whatever your resolution is, I hope you can stick to it better than I do every year! Our last meeting we met at Casa Fiesta for some good grub and met a few new members that are going to be joining in on the fun. We also spent time talking about Winter Wonder Land and our Christmas party being held in December. It was mentioned that we need to write ideas down on what food we are bringing because last year we had 10 dishes of cheesy potatoes… not seeing the problem in that! Dessert and cheesy potatoes sounds like the perfect dinner to me! In the next Corral, I will update everyone on how both of those went. With the New Year generally comes new officers. Seems at this time all our present officers want to stay right where they are and no new candidates stepped up. So I guess if it isn’t broke don’t fix it! Not much to report this month. I hope everyone has a wonderful 2018 filled with love and horses. 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 more information 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-todate 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 SCIOTO The Scioto County Chapter held their monthly meeting and January 2018

Christmas party Dec. 5, 2017 at Fred’s Pizza. Fun and food was had by all. Those in attendance were Trudy Uldrich, Georgette Rice, Dave Rice, Taylor, Kelly, and Clara Babcock, Sandy Adkins, Ray and Kathy Harris, Shelly Wilson. Weather permitting we will be having a trail ride on Jan. 1, 2018 at 11 a.m. We will be meeting at Shawnee State Park at the Mackletree Bridle trail off State Route 125. Our next meeting will be held on Jan. 2, 2018 at Arby’s in Portsmouth. We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ~Sandy STARK We are now beginning a new year, starting fresh again and hoping for a great year. Our officers for the year 2018 will be Ida Noel and Barbara Daymut sharing the office of president, JoEllen Reikowski serving as secretary and Gail Phares returning as treasurer. A planning meeting of the officers will be held this month to schedule our events for 2018 and with the help of our members, we plan to have fun! Until next time, happy trails to you! ~Jo Ellen SUMMIT It’s early December but our articles are due with another 26 days left before wrapping up 2017. The best news is that we still have time to accomplish a lot before then. Summit OHC has been very fortunate and appreciative for all the support from our members, OHC chapters, and local communities and organizations in our efforts to restore the horse trails at Richfield Heritage Preserve, a former girls scout camp. While somewhat small in stature, the area holds great potential as a link to connecting other existing parks and preserves. Workers gathered on Nov. 11 for a yearend leaf blowing event to clear the new trails. Word has it that they actually had to bring in equipment and rakes as all the hot air the members normally generate still could not get the job done. Our fall colors were not up to local standards this year but what followed is the same ritual of

Grabbing lunch at the Costic Food Truck.

2018 officers: Peggy, Karen, Roxanne and Joann.

cleaning up after Mother Nature tripped the light fantastic. These plucky volunteers were pining to leave home for a change of scenery to help spruce things up elsewhere. God knows they had no shortage of their own tree litter but they were lured by the promise of lunch prepared by our own Iron Chef, Peggy Costic and her sous chef, Roxanne Owens. After working up a healthy appetite, the crew was treated to a fiesta taco bar, dessert and of course, some hot beverages and lively conversation. Greg Monsanti was presented with a gift certificate and a custom made western bird house (compliments of the Michelangelo of bird houses, Denny Costic) in appreciation for all his efforts in making this project a reality. Our OHC members also have had the pleasure of riding the trail and inspecting their work which spanned many months. If you missed the opportunity to join us, don’t despair. There will be more opportunities next year. Speaking of which, the slate of officers for 2018 holds no surprises. Asking other members to consider trying their hand at running things keeps many from attending meetings until the process is all over. Deer in the headlights have nothing on this group when asking for some new blood. The prospect of holding office is rated somewhere between having a tooth abscess with accompanying root canal and duking it out with a truck salesman to purchase another vehicle. With that being said, here is the current list of officers

for 2018: President Roxanne Owens, Vice President Karen Beres, Treasurer Peggy Costic and SecretaryJoann Ulichney. Congratulations one and all; it’s a dirty job but someone has to do it. So put a smile on your lovely faces, grab the scrub buckets, Tidy Naps, and Oxi Clean, and let’s get ready to celebrate the sparkling New Year with anything it cares to send our way. To each and every one of our readers, we hope that you made the most of the other 26 days left in December because I can assure you we did. You can read about our exploits and adventures in your next issue of the Corral. Have a safe, happy and blessed New Year. ~Joann Ulichney

Horse shoes and spurs? Some tough old birds.

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TRUMBULL Happy New Year from the members of the Trumbull County Chapter! We have smiles in our hearts as we recall the fun and friendships of 2017 and we sure look forward to the adventures awaiting us in 2018! The December meeting preceded the annual Christmas party. Once again the food was fantastic, the fellowship rewarding and the festive décor a terrific kick off to the Christmas Season! It seems that even though there may be scheduling difficulties to attend meetings during the year; many members make it to the Christmas party. Reminiscing of riding in 2017 and ideas for the 2018 schedule solidify our dedication to trail riding…and of course talk about all the latest new gadgets we just might see on the trail this year. Dashing through the trails, on our majestic mares and steeds… laden with their apple treats and our new electronic needs...oh! Jingle bear bells, Jingle bear bells…Jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride the glory of the trails all day! Trail miles were turned in by many members to be included in the tabulations sent to the State OHC committee. Thank you to 59

County Lines all who have participated in this very important reporting of Trail usage. The location of the Veteran’s Day ride was changed from Beaver Creek State Park to Mosquito Lake State Park in accordance with the BCHA wishes that the trail conditions be given recovery time from the damaging rains of 2017. It was most unfortunate however, that the morning temperature on Nov. 11 was a mere 12 degrees. Several of our Veteran’s Day rides have had a little snow, but with the temperature so low, we cancelled for this year. Our next meeting will be held at the Fowler Township Hall Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. Preparations for the February month long awareness drive at Ponderosa Steak House will be finalized and the 2018 trail schedule will have preliminary input and discussion. Happy New Year! May your 2018 be healthy, happy, heartfelt and horsey! ~Kathryn Bartow UNION Happy New Year! Here’s to another year of great fun and adventures with our equine partners. Debbie Strayton attended the autumn OHC State meeting on Nov. 5 and Union County held officer elections on Nov. 19. Jim Strayton was re-elected president, Mike Belli is vice president, Debbie Strayton is secretary and Julie Belli is treasurer for 2018. Jim and Debbie have been busy getting their barn ready for winter. They installed solar panels in September and since then have added another stall, electric and hopefully by the time this is printed, lights. Becky and Stephanie Petee have been busy racking up the miles with over 400 to close out the year. Beth Miller attended the

Charlie’s last trail ride. 60

Hitching rail at beach. Photo credit Bob Cornwell. Solar panels on the Strayton’s barn. Urbana Holiday Horse Parade and decided that her New Year’s resolution is to get her mini horse, Samson trained to the cart so she can participate in the horse parade next year, Christmas lights included. Our secondary member, Theresa Burke has been riding locally and enjoying her time with her mare, Prada. Karen Holland had to retire her beloved American Saddlebred, Charlie. Age was catching up with him and making the trails that he loved so much difficult for him. Charlie is now enjoying the easy life of pasture and horse buddies. Karen is beginning the process of finding a new equine partner. Hopefully, the winter will stay mild for everyone to enjoy the trails and spring will be early. Until next month, be safe and happy trails. ~Karen Holland WARREN I hope everyone has their miles turned in to Nancy by now. If not, please get them to her as soon as possible. And if you didn’t log your miles in 2017, please do so for 2018. Every mile counts when showing usage. At our November meeting we held elections. Paul is again serving as president, and we thank him. Diane is remaining as treasurer (not that she had to worry about that too much, no one else wants the job so we’re very thankful she does!). Bill Smith is taking over as vice president. This means that the job of secretary is left open since Bill can’t be two people. We didn’t have any luck finding a member to take over at the meeting, if anyone is interested, please let one of your officers know. The duties are taking minutes at the monthly meetings and maintaining the binder with all minutes and communications. There has been much work done on the beach area at Caesar Creek. Last year a three-step

Paul presenting Nathan with certificate of appreciation.

Bonfire at the beach. mounting block was added, which is nice for those of us who would like to swim the horses but can’t mount from the ground (or simply prefer not to, as it’s better for the horses to use a block). Recently your Over the Hill Gang cleared the area of brush, cut down dead trees and built a bonfire. Roger even brought stuff for a weenie roast for us, which was fun. (Note to self: if we do that again, roast weenies at the beginning of the bonfire, because once it gets going, it’s hard to get close enough!) Then a couple weeks later another spur-of-the-moment work day led to more brush and trees being cut down, another bonfire, and a great new hitching rail. The last thing is submitted by Catherine via Bill: Nathan Steiner, the Caesar Creek State Park Manager in recent years, reported he has been transferred, and is now the new manager at Tar Hollow, Great Seal, and Scioto parks. At our November chapter business meeting Paul Ayres presented him with a nice Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the WC OHC. He has been a great asset at CCSP and did a wonderful job improving our trails. Nathan reported the trail improvements are now done and that he had spent nearly all of the $80,000 grant money. He purchased over 4,000 tons of gravel for the project. Scott Fletcher will be his immediate replacement. Clint Tellep is our Assistant Park Manager. Over the past several years, we have received more than $100,000 in grant money from the ODNR. We have replaced all overhead tie lines, installed a pressurized water system

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at both campgrounds, built a beautiful new shelter at the Group Camp, plus dozens of other smaller improvements. We now probably have the best trails in the state of Ohio, and Roger and his Over-the-Hill Gang continue to work tirelessly every month to improve the trails and campgrounds at CCSP. We should all take great pride in our achievements at CCSP. We will miss Nathan, but wish him the best and look forward to working with Scott and Clint. Stay warm! ~Mickie WASHINGTON Greeting from Washington County, the first county in Ohio, named for the then President, George! We continue to be busy as the year winds down. The Christmas meeting is always our largest of the year. The festivities include a potluck dinner, with the club supplying the meat, a steal it if you like it gift exchange, and a collection of toys for Toys for Tots! December 3 we lost a very dear member of our club whom many knew as Chicken Pugh. Our hearts all go out to his wife and longtime chapter member Dorothy. I know Chicken will be missed by the many friends he had in our group. May the memories he left us all with over the past years help us to continue on our life journeys and smile whenever we think of him and some of the pranks he loved to pull. Smile on. Our club will be attending the Rodeo and Neal McCoy concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus in January. We have chartered a bus and purchased the tickets! We will stop and eat dinner on the way and enjoy the outing with those who we share the common horse addiction! Looking back, it has been a good year for our club. We survived the lean years of turmoil January 2018

County Lines of a few years ago. There is a renewed spirit and strength in our membership and it is with great anticipation we look forward to 2018. Some of our goals, according to President Brent are to have a robust riding schedule, host a great event at Kinderhook to show off our home trails to the rest of the state, and to make our meetings ‘don’t miss events’. The first order of the New Year will be a membership drive to bolster our numbers. We have for many years been one of the top clubs in the State. Our dear friends in Hamilton County, however, are putting on an exhibition on how to build a club! We certainly congratulate them on a great job, but also state we will not be left behind! So, invite anyone you meet who loves horses to come join us, remember one does not even need to own a horse to join, and one may enjoy any type of horse activity to be welcome in our chapter, be it just the love of horses, showing horses, training and giving lessons, driving, relaxing or trail riding. Yes, it is going to be a great year! May we all share in the joy of loving horses with horse people like ourselves. Have a safe and Happy New Year! ~Rita V. Schultheis WAYNE To ride or not to ride? Is that even a question? With the warm fall days continuing into November, our club members took full advantage and rode the trails at Mohican, Malabar, Brecksville, Bedford, Hinckley and even the new Rails to Trails trail at Glenmont in Holmes County. We had our annual Black Friday ride the Friday after Thanksgiving. There were 15 riders in attendance. That is the biggest Black Friday ride we can remember! Of course the beautiful weather helped the turnout. We rode at Malabar Farm and the trails were in remarkably good shape even after that torrential rain the week before! Heather Kinney rode her new paint gelding Gus. He is only three and did a great job. Heather pronounced him a ‘keeper’ and we all agreed! Tom Bahl, the best trail maintenance man around, got a call during our ride at Malabar to tell him that there were three trees down on the Orange Trail January 2018

At Malabar Farms readying for our Black Friday ride.

horseman. Anyone can do it! So as we snuggle down for the winter months and ponder what horse equipment we just have to have for the next trail/camping season and plan the great trips we will take with our horses, let’s remember our motto: ‘Horsemen helping horsemen’. There will be lots to do when the weather breaks to get the camps and trails back in shape. Here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year. ~Susan E. Baker

Our everyday trips to the barn down the hill to the left.

WOOD

Suzi Ally at our Black Friday ride. in Mohican. Hopefully the forest service can get to them before spring! Tom and Nancy Strayer have already removed more than a couple dozen trees from the trails at Mohican. Nancy is trying to set up a chain saw training and certification class so more of us are able to safely use a chain saw and can help clear the larger trees off the trails. But now the shoes are off and it is time to give the horses a rest while we celebrate the holidays. Speaking of which, our Winter Bash will be held Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. at the Des Essenhaus Restaurant in Shreve. The cost of the dinner is $17.50 for a complete meal with salad bar and drink. Get your reservations into Trudy Schmidt as soon as possible so she can give the restaurant an accurate head count. Remember to bring a white elephant for a silent auction. It was a ton of fun last year with people ‘stealing’ each other’s gifts. You never know what you will end up taking home. We were proud to host Arden Sims at our November meeting. The state wanted to know how Wayne County keeps such an active and growing club. We explained it very clearly…we are a lot of fun! We are collaborative with other county chapters, especially Holmes and have a great time helping each other on our work days and attending camp outs together. It is all about the horse and the camaraderie of

Our scheduled rides have all been ridden, fun was had and we have been working on next year’s ride schedule. As soon as we finalize our dates I will get them into my article. Our ride at Mammoth Cave was a bucket ride for me and it did not disappoint. Every day the leaves changed a little so the scenery was even better than expected. On one of the rainy days we tripped over to the caves and took a tour, ate at a local restaurant and some of us went shopping on one of our days there. The trip home became stormy as we approached our home turf. Unloading in the rain was the norm for all of us I think. By next read we will have had our Christmas potluck and we will be tallying up our miles and getting ready for our banquet Feb. 10. Please get your miles into Diane Joseph or myself as soon as possible when you are done riding for the year. Our officers were all re-elected for another year. President Barb Oberhaus, Vice President Clara Pargeon, Treasurer/Membership Lisa Ley, and Secretary Barb

Matt is our newest rider and he did great. Jo was so proud of him.

The quick ferry ride to mammoth Cave and back. That was awesome! Recker. A big thanks to you folks. Please remember though, at some time others will have to take over. Happy New Year, and Happy Trails. ~Barb Oberhaus

Would you like the Horsemen’s Corral to be the official publicaaon for your horse club? Share your club news, photos, and events in our pages every month. For more informaaon contact Joe or Michelle joe@thehorsemenscorral.com michelle@thehorsemenscorral.com

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Farrier Friendly

Cold Weather Concerns by Bryan S. Farcus, MA, CJF

Wow, it feels cold out there…

Most of us can notice within minutes when the cold weather is too much to bear and it doesn’t take long to add a layer or two. However, when it comes to our horses it is not as simple. Determining your horse’s cold weather tolerance can be a challenge. Depending on the overall health and current living conditions, recognizing that critical low body temperature for your horse(s) can be tricky. Unfortunately, invoking the ‘survival-mode’ rule will not be good enough for horses that are currently in a poor body condition or maintained in a climate that is more extreme. In fact, several studies reveal that the cold weather tolerance for each horse is often not the same. From one horse to another, there could be as much as a 30 degree (Fahrenheit) difference in critical body temperature. Metabolism, diet and hair coat adaptation all play a role in how comfortable your horse may

actually feel. A previous study reported by Kathy Anderson, an Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Nebraska, reveals some interesting information about cold weather tolerance for horses and the effect it has on energy requirements needed to survive the bitter cold. It appears that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that certain horses may need help coping with severe cold. In short, this study can be helpful when attempting to determine the appropriate amount of ‘digestible fuel’ (various combinations of fibrous foods necessary to produce a sufficient amount of energy for heat) required to keep your horse’s body temperature at a comfortable level during the winter months. Subsequently, it is also that balance of ‘fuel’ and heat produced that will help a horse maintain the healthiest feet possible to survive such extremes. As a general rule, if your horse appears uncomfortable during a cold snap, increasing his fiber/ roughage is more helpful than an increase of grain.

Avoiding frozen toes?

During the winter months, one of the most commonly asked questions that I address is...“Can my horse experience frostbite in his feet?” Fortunately, horses are one of the most adaptable creatures known to man and with an appropriate level of care their transition to winter is normally effortless. Seasonal change tends to be gradual, which allows our horses time to adjust. Your horse’s coat and his hooves are a prime example. Hooves, in particular, are designed to withstand an amazing variety of extremes. Though it is true that horses, like most mammals, protect their vital organs against abnormally low temperatures by shunting blood supply from their extremities to aid in warmth, horses have a remarkable ability to shunt a great deal of blood from their hooves and still maintain normal function of their feet. For instance, a healthy hoof can accommodate moisture change, tolerate temperature shifts and adjust to various load requirements, all at the same time. To ensure that this process works as nature intended, it’s extremely important that all foot structures work in harmony and this is where your farrier comes in. Routine trimming to rebalance your horse’s feet can help them function at their best and remain resilient. In many situations, I recommend a break from horse shoes, whenever possible. However, in cases where shoes are being applied for therapeutic reasons, it’s important to avoid any possible injury to the horse by keeping snow from freezing to the inner edge of the metal shoe. This snowballing condition can create dangerous footing. The addition of special antisnowballing pads and/or applying non-stick, oily solutions (such as, Vaseline, cooking spray or WD40), directly to the bottom of a metal shoe can be very helpful. Also, during any wet, ‘packing’ type snowfalls, daily hoof picking is highly recommended.

It’s off-season, still not a good enough reason…

Contrary to common belief, most horses that are in the ‘off-season’ from their working routine, will still need routine farrier visits to maintain healthy hooves. Taking a break from riding during cold weather is reasonable but that 62

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Snowball shouldn’t include taking a break from routine hoof care. During the coldest months of the year, your horse may be at his highest risk for certain hoof problems. Hoof /sole bruising, frog thrush, hoof wall cracking, and whiteline distortion (an early indicator for certain types of Laminitis), are among the most common. The good news is that all of these issues can be avoided or easily treated, if discovered early. It will most likely be your farrier who spots a particular condition, simply due to the fact that he/she will be able to more effectively and efficiently remove any unnecessary superficial tissue (exfoliation) that can hide certain visual signs. By most accounts, the best advice for preventing any cold weather complication is to make sure he has access to enough drinkable water (contrary to popular belief, eating snow is not enough), keep him in an area that allows him to move around freely, offer an adequate amount of forage, and provide a shelter for a windbreak. As a general rule, the best advice for wintertime hoof care is that it should be a focus for horse owners, year around. Don’t wait until you notice the first signs of frost on that pumpkin. Be thinking about how healthy you can get your horse’s feet before the coldest temperatures hit—that way, you can sit back, relax and let it snow! REFERENCES & RESOURCES: • www.thehorse.com • msue.anr.msu.edu/topic/info/horses, Michigan State University Extension • www.grayson-jockeyclub.org • cvm.msu.edu, Robert Bowker VMD, PhD • www.extension.org/pages/25673/winter-care, Kathy Anderson PhD

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. January 2018