Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

M A S S AC H U S E T T S

HORSE

PADDOCK PARADISE MOVE, MOVE, MOVE

NASHUA RIVER RAIL TRAIL TRAIL GUIDE

YES, YOUR WORDS MATTER! HORSE LOGIC

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LEND A HOOF

JASMINE SASSER HORSEPERSON

BRADFORD EQUESTRIAN CENTER FARM

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contents

June/July 2019

columns 14 Rising Hope Farm A Farm for All Lend a Hoof

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8

20 Yes, Your Words Matter!

Horse Logic

32 Events Calendar

Stacey Stearns

Massachusetts Only

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12

features 8 Paddock Paradise Move, Move, Move Lead Feature

in every issue 16

Bradford Equestrian Center Farm Feature

5 From the Publisher 7 Your Letters 22 Partners 30 Overherd

12 Nashua River Rail Trail Trail Guide

39 This Olde Horse

18 Jasmine Sasser

40 The Neighborhood

JDS Equine Services

42 Is This Your Horse?

Horseperson Feature

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FARMFAMILY. COM

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Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

From the Publisher

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Jake Corbett

locations in the state. Join us on October 27 for a Halloween s we start our 18th year of providing the Bay State Scavenger Hunt in Wilbraham. To learn more, see page 41. equestrian community with a publication covering We support Bay State equestrian clubs and associates with everything horse related, I’d like to tell you about our free Partners’ Program that our other milestones. offers each member a free online We’ve donated more than 2,250 subscription to the magazine.

Massachusetts Horse Junior In every issue we focus on a Horsemanship Awards to competilocal nonprofit with our Lend a tions in the Bay State. Why? I want Hoof feature. Highlighting the to acknowledge and reward the nonprofits in our community youth who are not winning and are helps you know how to lend a exhibiting excellent horsemanship hoof and get involved. and sportsmanship. Many of our Additionally, we provide free junior riders and drivers don’t have magazines to 4-H clubs, Pony their own horse or a horse that’s Clubs, Interscholastic Equestrian going to be able to win. Yet, I see Association teams, public libraries, them and I want them to continue nonprofit horse programs, and learning, trying, and putting their Stephanie Sanders, publisher, and Alessandra Mele, feature equine rescue volunteers. horse first. writer, invite you to the Massachusetts Horse Benefit at the Mele I work with a fantastic group For 14 years I’ve managed the Family’s farm in Wilbraham on October 27 for a Halloween of horsewomen who help put Massachusetts Horse Benefit raising Scavenger Hunt. together each and every issue with talent and dedication. more than $71,000 for horse-related nonprofits in our community. Through the years this event has been an open show, How lucky am I? Here’s to another 18 years! hunter pace, and adventure trail (hunter pace, timed obstacle course, and horsemanship knowledge quiz) at various

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HORSE vol. 18, no. 1 June/July 2019

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the fine print The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Massachusetts Horse staff or independent contractors, nor can they be held accountable. Massachusetts Horse will not be held responsible for any misrepresentations or any copyright infringement on the part of advertisers. Massachusetts Horse will not be held responsible for typing errors other than a correction in the following issue. All letters addressed to Massachusetts Horse, its publisher, editor, and staff are assumed for publication. Photos, stories (verbal or printed), notifications, news items, and all other material that is submitted, including all materials and photos not specifically solicited by Massachusetts Horse, are assumed to be legally released by the submitter for publication. Massachusetts Horse assumes no responsibility for damage to or loss of material submitted for publication. Reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety and return of all materials.

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To the editor: I won the Massachusetts Horse Junior Horsemanship Award recently and it’s such an honor to be recognized for my horsemanship and sportsmanship. I’ve been working with Spud for more than a year and this was our first dressage show. We were both nervous. Our first test was all over the place and our nervous energy was at fault. When we exited the ring, we went for a long walk all around the grounds until I felt we were both breathing normally and connecting. Our second test was a complete success, almost as well as we do it at home!

Being recognized by the show manager for my patience and perserverance was unexpected and wonderful. Thank you for sponsoring these awards for Bay State riders.

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40' loafing area place along track: water hay stations herb garden shade trees salt/mineral block sandy rolling area

shade trees

run-in shed

use this area for: riding ring obstacle course pasture for periodic grazing

pebble bridge

Paddock Paradise Move, Move, Move

by Andrea Bugbee

20' track

The Hoof Behind the Theory Just about three years ago, horse owner Ann White paid for what turned out to be a horrific nightmare. She hired a highly recommended barefoot trimmer to work on her Haflinger mares, Lottie and Lydia. All went well — the first time.

“With the second trim, she destroyed all four hooves,” says Anne.

“Every single hoof was in abscess, and the soles of their hooves were blood bruised. She cut live sole. She just butchered their hooves. One horse couldn’t walk; one couldn’t get up.”

Passionate about her horses and unwilling to surrender her mares to a lifetime of lameness, Ann began a long regimen of heartache, money spent, and hours researching. Ultimately, her efforts paid off. She found help in homeopathy, a new (this time, excellent) barefoot trimmer, and a tenaciously resourceful vet. She also followed the ideas put forth by California hoofcare professional and natural horse care advocate Jaime Jackson.

Jaime conceived his approach to hoof care and equine husbandry from 1982 to 1986, when he studied and lived amid herds of wild horses in the Great 8

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

Basin of the western United States.

While there, he set about to solve the puzzle of why wild horses often have fewer soundness issues than do domestic horses.

From his years studying horses that live by the rules of nature rather than by the rules of humans, Jaime drafted his guiding principles of natural hoof care.

But this isn’t an article about natural hoof care; it’s about Jaime’s ideas about horse keeping, which are aimed at improving the equine hoof, muscle, and mind. His ideas were born miles from any box stalls, and are based on the natural patterns of horse behavior. The result is the Paddock Paradise, a turnout system that looks downright weird to the uninitiated. But Ann, who was open to trying anything that might improve the prognosis for her mares, has been pleasantly surprised with its results.

Paddock Paradise What if someone told you to redesign that beautiful open, rectangular pasture you turn your horses onto day after day?

That’s exactly what Jaime advocates, and it’s exactly what Ann did.

Prior to that, Ann had a five-acre hayfield fenced into four, square paddocks used for rotating turnout.

Following the principles of Jaime’s book, Paddock Paradise: A Guide to Natural Horse Boarding (Star Ridge Publishing, 2006), she decided to change her setup by using 62 T-posts and green, Horse Guard electric fencing to build a 22-foot-wide “track” around the perimeter of the paddocks.

She then added a center corridor with gated access to the inner paddocks.

Today, it’s on those narrow, outer tracks that Ann usually turns out her horses.

Seriously.

According to Jaime, the tracks of a Paddock Paradise mimic the paths that wild horses traverse day after day as they move, forage, and rest over the varied terrain of each band’s territory. It’s the motion and diversity of this life that Jaime theorizes helps wild horses to remain fit, sound, and without boredom vices such as cribbing and weaving. Out in the wild, rocky spots naturally “trim” wild hooves, mud baths screen bugs, and sandy areas lend luster to hoof and hair.

Other areas yield moderate forage,

POP Photography

Miniature horse Peanut on the Paddock Paradise at Pocketful of Ponies Farm in Goshen.

water, and mineral patches, all of which assist digestive health. Meanwhile, other herds, predators, and the search for food keep the separate bands of horses moving throughout the day.

The result, says Jaime, is satisfied horses strong in limb, hoof, and mind.

If You Build It, They Will Move Jaime later examined a herd of 100 domestic horses allowed to roam freely over a 30-square-mile ranch. He expected these horses to mirror the health and soundness of wild horses — but, seemingly paradoxically, they didn’t.

Because these horses were fed plentifully at the same feeding stations day after day, they had no reason to roam very far. From this observation, Jaime argues that natural movement is the key to equine soundness and health.

Look at it this way. Let’s say you want to encourage a sedentary spouse to get more exercise. You buy a treadmill and place it in the playroom, next to a big-screen TV and a cozy couch.

You bring your spouse’s meals directly to the playroom. You keep a blanket on the back of the couch for your spouse’s comfort while napping as the TV drones on. Of course, the treadmill

never gets used. Your spouse has no reason to get up and move; meanwhile, diabetes and high blood pressure set in.

Horses, fed and bedded in a single space with all their needs immediately met, are the same way. There’s no reason to keep moving around a two-acre pasture if the hay, grass, and water are all plentifully in one place for the taking.

Interestingly, it happens that dividing your horses’ hay into three or four piles and strategically placing them in different areas of a square paddock won’t always work, either. The horses are accustomed to being cared for, so they may not visit the next hay pile. We then worry the horses aren’t getting enough hay so we give them more, and, in the end, the distant hay piles never get touched.

That’s where Jaime’s “tracks” come in.

Paddock Paradise tracks are narrow, grassless, and en route to interesting and necessary components of equine survival. Shelter is in one place, water in another, mineral licks in another, and so on. To get to each place, horses must move. Certified Paddock Paradise consultant and hoof-care practitioner Holly Moffat explains that it takes a little psychology and more than one horse to make this happen.

“Horses do require movement to heal,” says Holly. “What I found most effective is to have some areas in the track that are much narrower than others. It forms a sort of bottleneck and keeps them moving.”

The horses’ personalities will affect movement, too, says Holly. As in the wild, an alpha will direct the band, nipping and pushing and bossing the others along. In a track, the only place for the betas to move is ahead, so motion ends up occurring, as it does in the wild, throughout the day.

If you want a Paddock Paradise but have just one horse, no need to buy another. “Add a boarder,” Holly suggests, “or a pony or mini companion.”

“My two Miniature geldings tend to gain weight easily and the blind one, Little Rasta Man, will just hang out in the run-in shed all day,” says Stephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse publisher and owner of Pocketful of Ponies Farm in Goshen. “Eventually, he began to look like a pregnant gelding!”

Stephanie wanted her horses to move more to maintain a healthy weight to avoid future potential complications such as insulin resistance. She wanted her horses to have more enrichMassachusetts Horse June/July 2019

9

ment in their days. She converted one of her hilly pastures into a Paddock Paradise.

“Since the Paddock Paradise is for Miniature horses, it’s only eight feet wide in most places with a twelve-footwide section in one area and a twentyfour by thirty-six paddock in front of the main run-in shed,” Stephanie says.

“The paddock connects to the pasture through my backyard which is quite fun as the horses are always trekking through the backyard and looking in the sliding doors. (Miniature horses are so small they don’t create as much mud so this is possible without ruining my backyard.)”

“I’ve not measured the track but I believe it’s about a half mile,” she says.

“For the nine months where there’s no snow on the ground, the boys are always moving to nibble on little bits of grass on the track. They get their fresh water and daily snack (a ration balancer) in the run-in shed. They also have a bedded area and rubber mat area here for napping. The free-choice salt is along the track a good 300 yards from the shed and when hay is provided, it’s also placed far from the water and shed to encourage more movement.”

“In just the first year, the boys are at a much healthier weight and play more,” says Stephanie. “Adding one more Miniature gelding to the herd of two will create even more movement and its something I’m considering.”

The Variations Are Endless There is no blueprint to building a Paddock Paradise. In fact, Jaime himself says, “Paddock Paradise is new, with limited experimentation. What I hope to accomplish at this stage is simply to give horse owners a basic, workable model to start with. In other words, Paddock Paradise is, and probably always will be, a work in progress.”

Because every group of horses is different and the layout of every boarding situation is different, it follows that every Paddock Paradise will be different, too. That said, here are some of the basic elements Jaime says a Paddock Paradise should have: at least one acre of land, more than one horse, a track, a watering hole, dispersed forage, freewill shelter from heat and cold, salt and mineral licks, a camping (napping) area, varied terrain, and areas of textured footing such as stone, sand, or woodland debris.

Typing “Paddock Paradise” into either Facebook or YouTube will empty 10

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

a silo of ideas onto your screen, but to make sure you get the principles correct, read the book first. Go directly to Jaime’s website, paddockparadise.com.

There, if you click on Natural Boarding Consultants, then on the link to Holly Moffat, you’ll be able to see a slide show of the Paddock Paradise Holly built.

Two smart tips she offers are to at least initially build tracks out of movable electric fencing so changes will be easy and to keep the track at least as wide as your tractor.

Ann advocates pea stone for textured footing areas, saying it’s wonderful for gentle self-trimming. Lay the stone in an area the horses will pass over often, and, for economy’s sake,

“My horses are a lot healthier now; I’m not calling the vet all the time. I really believe in the Paddock Paradise system because it’s worked very well for my horses and for other people who use it — and it doesn’t have to be expensive.”

y Holly Moffat

frame with boards or plastic to limit dispersal. Ann also has a sand paddock around her run-in shed, again so the horses are sure to step in it.

If you use slow hay feeders for forage, be sure to have several, so you don’t inadvertently negate the purpose of the tracks by encouraging your horses to stand at the slow feeder all day. Instead, both Holly and Ann scatter their horses’ hay along the track.

This keeps the animals moving, and it gets them to stretch their heads down for the food, which Jaime says is good for musculature. Jaime also suggests adding a handful of oats to the hay for interest and variation.

Among other track ideas are wooded pathways and leaving in place obstacles such as stumps, rocks, hills, and stone walls. Planting tufts of equine-friendly homeopathic herbs make a welcome, track-side “pharmacy,” and a heavy plastic feeder turned upside down with a bit of grain dropped over the gridded bottom makes a great slow-grain challenge.

Jaime suggests shallowly burying salts and minerals so horses will paw them

up, as they would in the wild. This activity affords exercise, hoof wear, and nutrition all in one.

In short, Jaime’s theory is that soundness and hoof care are integrally linked to a horse’s natural behavior and environment; therefore, any Paddock Paradise is successful if it stimulates the active and varied herd life natural to horses.

Life on the Track “One of my horses is older. He was out in a green pasture and I was always feeding him supplements,” Holly recalls. “When I built the Paddock Paradise, he was off grass and he was moving. He’s moving better now than he ever was. My horses are a lot healthier now; I’m not calling the vet all the time. I really believe in the Paddock Paradise system because it’s worked very well for my horses and for other people who use it — and it doesn’t have to be expensive.”

Ann White agrees. “It’s like a road to nowhere, but the horses don’t really know it,” she says, laughing. “It’s amazing how it works. They move more on the track. They’re continuously in motion. When they were in the pasture, they were just grazing, but when they’re on the track, they’re moving. They actually gained conditioning on this, and they self-exercise.”

According to Jaime, horses naturally must be free to move constantly, and everything depends on this for their mental and physical well-being and soundness.

Paddock Paradise is one man’s idea, and it’s a relatively new and experimental idea at that. Naysayers question whether horses move more on a track than in a field, and there are myriad individual challenges each horse owner must consider, such as time and financial investment, meeting nutritional needs of a beta constantly pushed ahead of food by an alpha, and the bumps and bruises inevitably incurred through the mere presence of extra fencing, intentional terrain changes, and so on.

In the end, however, Ann agrees with Jaime’s notion that the Paddock Paradise concept will flex to fit the resources, needs, and natural environment of each situation. “There are many things you can do with this,” she says. “People are so creative.” But, she counsels, “you do really have to know your horses.”

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Trail Guide

Ayer

by Stacey Stearns

Nashua River Rail Trail

I

n 1848, the Worcester and Nashua Railroad line began service on the Hollis Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad. Ayer was a major railway junction for trains traveling east and west, as well as north and south.

The line was extended to Portland, Maine, in 1874. It was a passenger railway until 1934, and was used for freight service until 1982. Today, the only section open to trains is between Worcester and Ayer.

A Leg Up There are four parking options available. The Ayer Center lot is at the commuter train station, and is a large, paved parking lot. This is where the trail begins. Groton Center is a small and paved parking lot; Groton Sand Hill Road is a small, gravel parking lot; and the Dunstable parking lot at the state line is small and gravel. The parking lot in Ayer is closed for construction, so you’ll want to choose one of the other

Our ride didn’t start in Ayer, but since it’s a linear trail it makes the most sense

However, the old railway bed from Ayer to Nashua, New Hampshire, became the 12.3-mile Nashua River Rail Trail in 2002, a popular destination for cyclists, runners, and walkers in the Bay State. The paved trail is also open to equestrians, dog walkers, fishermen/ women, and cross-country skiers. Only 1.3 miles of the trail are in New Hampshire and 11 miles are in the Bay State.

Nashua River Rail Trail starts in Ayer, and traverses through Groton, Pepperell, and Dunstable before reaching the state line and Nashua. The trail takes its name from the Nashua River whose path it follows, although you only ride alongside the river on a short stretch just before Pepperell.

We headed up to Ayer during the soggy month of April when many other trails were too wet to use. Although it’s a popular trail, on a Sunday afternoon we encountered fewer trail users than expected. There were many cyclists, a few walkers and runners, and a couple of people fishing.

parking lots, or park your horse trailer in J. Harry Rich State Forest and connect to the rail trail from those trails.

We chose the Groton Sand Hill Road parking lot. It’s a sharp left turn to get into the lot, so rather than attempt the turn, I backed into the parking lot, along the fence and parallel to the road. I was able to back far enough in that I didn’t block the cars that were already parked. Sand Hill Road is quiet enough that no other cars came along while I was backing into the parking lot.

The trail is open from dawn to dusk.

On rail trails you should stay to the right, except to pass. We ended up using the left side of the trail while headed south, and then the right side while headed north, since there was a gravel shoulder we could ride on, instead of taking the horses on the pavement. The footing was excellent on the shoulder even with all of the rain we’ve had.

Use caution at all road crossings.

Halt at the stop signs, and check for vehicles before proceeding. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) manages the

to explain it in a linear fashion. We rode from the Sand Hill Road parking lot in Groton toward Ayer. Then we turned around and headed back toward Groton. When we arrived back at Sand Hill Road, we kept riding north toward New Hampshire for a bit. Watch out for a rowdy flock of chickens just past Sand Hill Road. They frequently wander onto the trail. We didn’t ride the entire trail, as that would have been a 24-mile ride for us, but we spent quite a few hours exploring.

Look for the granite railway markers as you ride. The “P” is for the number of miles to Portland, and the “W” is for the number of miles to Worcester. The first marker you will see if you start out on Main Street in Ayer is P118/W29, meaning you are 118 miles from Portland, Maine, and 29 miles from Worcester.

In Ayer, the trail is wooded and you pass through many marshy areas. If you were to start in Ayer, after crossing Smith Street, nearly two miles from Main Street in Ayer, there’s a large marsh and a beaver lodge on the left. A little further up the trail is a windmill over some orchards on the right. There

Massachusetts portion of the Nashua River Rail Trail, and New Hampshire maintains its section. Information is available on the DCR website. The link to the map didn’t work, although I didn’t really need a map for this ride.

DCR requests that cyclists and equestrians wear protective headgear.

Stacey Stearns

Out Riding It

12

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

are tunnels under Peabody Street and Pleasant Street in the Ayer section.

You’ll see an old stone abutment at the four-mile point from the parking lot on Main Street in Ayer.

The trail near Groton School Pond offers views of forests and farmland.

You have to cross an old iron railroad bridge over Route 111 at RR Mile Marker P113/W34. This is 4.5-miles from Ayer.

In East Pepperell, the trail opens into a trailside plaza that has a bike maintenance station and signage for Colonel William Prescott, a Revolutionary War Hero and town resident who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. In the summer months there’s an ice cream stand adjacent to the trail in Pepperell.

Pepperell Pond, referred to as a lake by many people, is located about seven miles into the rail trail, where the Nashua River was dammed. After a wet spring, we could hear the water gushing over the dam as we approached.

Fishing is popular at the pond and Pepperell Dam, and the area hosts annual fishing tournaments. It’s known for the largemouth and smallmouth bass that are caught there.

Continuing north, you’ll find a

granite railway marker on the left with a “G” and a “P” carved on it, letting you know that you’re leaving Groton and entering Pepperell. The trail borders J. Harry Rich State Forest in this section, and can be accessed off Sand Hill/Nod Road near the Sand Hill parking area for the Nashua River Rail Trail. As you ride through this section, between the dam and Sand Hill Road, you’ll see multiple access points into J. Harry Rich State Forest. You can choose to extend your ride by exploring these trails. Print a map of the forest from the DCR website before leaving home.

A fork in the trail at the 11.2-mile point will take you to New Hampshire by going straight, or access the Dunstable parking area by going right.

If you ride all the way into New

Hampshire, you’ll see some horses in a pasture on the right, and a vending machine and a bench a resident has installed on their property for trail users. This is also on your right as you’re traveling north.

The trail is known for its foliage in the fall, and welcoming shade in the spring and summer months. Turtles, birds, including herons and swans, and other wildlife are frequently viewed from the rail trail. We didn’t see any wildlife but heard several birds calling in the distance.

Nashua River Rail Trail is a treasure for equestrians that can be enjoyed in any season. Happy trails!

Stacey Stearns, a lifelong equestrian from Connecticut, enjoys trail riding and endurance with her Morgan horses.

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Lend a Hoof North Attleboro

by Lara Rudowski

Rising Hope Farm A Farm for All

A

smile is the simplest thing. It can come from the kindness of strangers and grow with shared moments of friendship. If you know where to look, that joy can be found close to home, in a little corner of the state that holds a big heart. Ginny Brennan and her husband, Kevin, lease out five stalls at The Big Red Barn in North Attleboro to run Rising Hope Farm, a nonprofit, inclusion program offering traditional English riding les-

Hours of observation of horses through the lens of clinician and behaviorist during Eliza’s riding lessons over the past several years led Ginny to the conclusion that horses would be the key to leveling the social and emotional landscape for children with any challenges as well as provide the physical strengthening, balance, coordination, and memory and processing skill enhancements many require. “Horses just felt like the perfect match,” says Ginny. “I

definitely in our summer program, our lessons, and among our volunteers,” says Ginny.

“There isn’t a disability I haven’t seen,” she says. “They all have their commonalities, which are the loneliness, isolation, and not feeling valued.

When clients come here, that’s our job, to help relieve the loneliness and isolation and to increase the client’s selfvalue. Our program spans from traditional [riding] lessons to the

Instructor Eliza Brennan and Gunner.

Student Meghan Horrillo and Patch.

Instructor Brianna Pollock and Cooper.

sons, equine-assisted learning and therapy, equine encounters, instructional lead line, and volunteer opportunities for children and adults.

It takes the right person to initiate and understand the unique foundation for establishing an accepting environment focused on children with limited opportunities. As an educational advocate and clinician who’s worked with children with disabilities for much of her life, Ginny has a deep understanding of their needs. And, she recognized the need for a place where children with disabilities could have fun and learn in an environment free of judgment and exclusion. She took the initiative and started Rising Hope Farm.

Ginny and Kevin have raised six children. Their understanding of children with disabilities was deepened by their personal experience raising children with disabilities alongside children who are neurotypical. When one of their daughters, Eliza, became passionate about riding, she introduced and immersed Ginny into the horse world.

said, ‘It makes total sense, and so I should do this.’ ” “I spent a year with the UMass/ Shriver Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship Program,” Ginny says. “I used the time to better understand public policy, public health, nonprofit management, and efficacy studies with humans and animals.

“Our program started the year I finished. Currently, the program is small by design. The equestrian program is intended to be the cornerstone of a much larger program that someday I hope will emerge. That vision is a fully inclusive living, learning, and working community — a gated community if you will — with all the offerings of the larger landscape with complete acceptance and universal design.”

Ginny established the program in 2013 and Rising Hope Farm is now celebrating its third year at this location.

“Our whole premise is based on universal design and we try to incorporate kids with and without disabilities,

equine-assisted programs. It’s not just about riding, it’s about building a relationship and having a place to come where people care about you. The riding is a fixture. Some of [the kids] become very good riders, but that isn’t our only goal. Our program is about the horse-human relationship.

“As horse people who practice natural horsemanship, we teach an appreciation of the predator-prey interaction which fosters respect, trust, boundaries, perspective taking, and self-awareness of one’s feelings and behaviors, patience, love, understanding (especially of the non-verbal communication), gratitude, and reaping the rewards that come from the time spent developing a rapport with a horse,” says Ginny. “Many individuals with challenges never get to experience a genuine, honest and truly accepting relationship such as this. We also do a ton of ground work with the students and the horses because that’s a true relationship test — if you can gain respect and cooperation on the ground you are less likely to struggle in the saddle.”

14 Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

“We work with individuals with a range of challenges including anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome, medical illnesses, and some physical limitations,” says Ginny.

“Horses are just very forgiving and very intuitive,” says Ginny. “It’s like they know which are the clients that struggle.”

Happiness begins at the welcoming front gates of the farm, where the sound of rolling gravel under tires is quickly followed by the sounds of excitement to see the horses. Rising Hope Farm currently provides lessons to 12 students, and 8 dedicated volunteers spend hours helping Ginny and Kevin. (Eliza does the bulk of the barn chores when she’s home from college.)

The volunteers find their own special ways to interact with the five wonderful horses that work in the program.

Some of them have never been around horses, but quickly acclimate to the upbeat environment and love the reward of making a four-legged friend.

Volunteers are welcome to ride the horses, assist with lessons, and help with daily barn tasks, of which there are always many.

Students who are in the program are as involved in the horses’ care as they are in the saddle. Ginny sees the importance of allowing the children to make decisions and complete many tasks independently. The children begin with the basics of caring for a horse and Ginny pairs riders to horses that click best with them. Everything in the program is designed for a positive experience.

The simplest, friendly responses from the horses, be it a turn of the ear when they hear their name or a nicker for treats in the cross ties, mean everything to the children. Their faces light up and they reciprocate in kind with affection.

“We have a color-coded system for our kids and volunteers,” Ginny says.

“The horses’ blankets, halter, lead, grooming tools, and buckets are all one color per horse to help the kids be as independent as possible.”

Lessons typically run for an hour, with the rider partaking in every step from grooming and tacking up to their time in the ring, where they build confidence, learn decision-making skills and teamwork with the help of the horse.

“Equine-assisted lessons focus on reading and math, memory and balancing tasks, anxiety scales, and mini goals

with a before and after check in,” says Ginny.

Manuel Horrillo brings his tenyear-old daughter Meghan every week for an opportunity for her to put away any worries and enjoy time with the horses. Meghan is a little shy, but all smiles and excited to share her favorite part of every ride.

“Trotting!” Meghan says, enthusiastically. “I’ve been riding for about a year. My favorite horse is Patch.”

Meghan’s dad is happy to see her personality shine.

“As horse people who practice natural horsemanship, we teach an appreciation of the predatorprey interaction which fosters respect, trust, boundaries, perspective taking, and selfawareness of one’s feelings and behaviors, patience, love, understanding (especially of the nonverbal communication), gratitude, and reaping the rewards that come from the time spent developing a rapport with a horse,” says Ginny.

“We like this place,” says Manuel.

“It’s a nice training location and it’s working for the kids!”

The family of instructors, volunteers, and clients that’s grown out of love for Rising Hope Farm is one that the children look up to and put their trust in. Volunteer, lifelong equestrian, and Riding Hope’s holistic health facilitator Dawna Chapin can regularly be found on the farm and participates in lessons as a side walker with a mindful approach. Dawna’s forte is teaching the students to breathe, an especially useful and simple relaxation technique for riders struggling with anxiety.

“Dawna provides our horses with energy work, red light therapy, and essential oils to help with both routine care and issues that come up from cuts to colic, sore muscles or lameness,” says Ginny. “Thanks to Dawna, I’ve become a master class level Reiki practitioner and together we set up treatment programs to maintain optimal health for our horses. We’re almost completely chemical free. Along with all that she

sometimes works in the arena teaching breathing and mindfulness and working with riders on positive affirmations.”

Ginny and Dawna often do the equine-assisted lessons with a mental health focus.

“When the kids start breathing, they automatically loosen up,” Dawna says, exhaling herself. “I tell them, ‘just breathe and then the horses feel it.’ A lot of the kids do this with their shoulders. [Dawna demonstrates a tense posture.] I like to say, ‘armpits to the ground.’ It’s a whole new ride and they feel so much better.”

Helping the Rising Hope program meet its mission are two incredible young women — Eliza Brennan and Brianna Pollock — who, through instruction, encouragement, and reassurance bring students just past their comfort zone to expand their learning.

Eliza’s teaching style comes from her heart. She continues to grow through her passion of teaching, both at the barn and in her college studies.

Eliza is mature beyond her years and the amount of caring and love she has for the students in the program is immeasurable. She’s patient and eager to teach every rider on an individual level. The connection between her and every child is inspiring to watch.

“It’s my life and also my hobby,” Eliza says, simply.

“Eliza is a natural born teacher and she combines that with more than thirteen years of riding lessons,” says Ginny.

“Eliza also named the program!”

Nothing can wipe the smile off the face of instructor Brianna Pollock.

She’s often so immersed in lessons that she forgets to grab lunch! Brianna enjoys eventing, boards three horses at the barn, and had watched the program from the sidelines when Ginny and and Kevin moved Rising Hope to the Big Red Barn. She jumped on board volunteering for the nonprofit at her first opportunity.

“When they were looking for an instructor, I said, ‘I’m here!’ ” Brianna says, laughing. Her paper training certificate doesn’t capture the bright, exuberant personality she possesses or her values. “The horse and rider have to be able to bond and have trust in one another. [The students] have to learn to connect with their horse on the ground because that’s where the horse connects with them. We keep it nice and slow.”

“Each lesson is individualized for continued on page 41 . . .

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Haverhill

Farm Feature

Bradford Equestrian Center

by Holly Jacobson

B

radford Equestrian Center in Haverhill is a beautifully maintained facility offering boarding and driving and dressage lessons and training. Although, like many horse properties these days, housing has encroached around the 23-acre farm the Bradford Ski Hill, directly across from the farm, preserves a wooded view and provides a mosaic of glorious colors in the fall. Additional landscaping of willows and firs screen a side field, and

took some lessons at two barns a friend suggested. She met Keith at one of these barns.

“Keith was by far the best instructor,” Lynda says, and before long riding lessons evolved into leasing a horse and then assisting Keith. Their first official date was attending a Sally Swift clinic.

Life pretty much revolved around horse activities from then on.

Growing out of a leased barn in Andover, a client of Keith’s tipped them

Kaylee Angstadt driving Orbit and Vinny at the Green Mountain Horse Association in May; navigator Laurie Hall.

flowering shrubs border the outdoor dressage ring making it pretty and inviting for the schooling show series held annually.

Keith and Lynda Angstadt have owned and operated Bradford Equestrian Center (BEC) since 1992.

The Angstadts pride themselves on offering the amenities of indoor and outdoor arenas noted for good footing, board with daily turnout, and a wealth of training and instruction in a casual atmosphere with reasonable rates.

Growing a Farm and Family Originally from Chicago, Keith was recruited as a riding instructor by threeday eventer Tad Coffin to join the thriving horse community in Hamilton at Flying Horse Farm in the late 70s.

Around that same time, Lynda was working full-time as a research chemist and wanted to return to riding, so she 16

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

and exit. In winter, with the barn doors closed, it usually stays warm enough inside so that the water buckets don’t freeze, and the horses do not need to be “overblanketed.”

The indoor arena connects to the main barn off a short aisle so you don’t have to walk outside in bad weather.

Each boarder gets a locker for tack and supplies.

Susan Elam, a Chicago Pony Club friend of Keith’s from high school, relo-

Keith Angstadt riding Donnertanz.

off about a former Morgan breeding farm for sale in Bradford.

Now married and expecting, they needed their own place. Lynda, just finishing her MBA, drew up a business plan. They purchased the property and took up residence in February 1992. To their pleasant surprise, all of Keith’s boarders and clients came with them.

Many kind friends helped with the transition.

It was a rush to upgrade the indoor arena with new lights, improve the footing, and create a converted viewing room. With a nine-month-old baby, Keith also worked nonstop to make their living quarters above the barn comfortable for the family.

The Facilities The barn, laid out in an H-shape, has two long aisles that allow the breeze to flow through, with many doors to enter

cated to Bradford Equestrian Center in 1994. “After my trainer retired,” says Susan, “I thought, ‘hmmm, the right culture, good trainer, nice place, and a better area than Chicago for software jobs.’ So I moved!”

Susan’s still there today with her two horses — 25-year-old Brownie, an Irish Thoroughbred on the hunt race registry, and 11-year-old Eddie, an Irish Sport Horse.

“The team at BEC takes care of my two horses as I would at home,” says Molly Main Lister, a long-time boarder and friend. “I’ve been riding, showing, leasing, and boarding at BEC off and on for more than 20 years. Keith and Lynda have created a peaceful, professional, safe, and enjoyable place.”

Molly boards two horses, semiretired, 24-year-old Arabian Scorpi and 14-year-old Welsh cross Justin.

“It’s comforting to have the owners

living on site,” says Diana Lane, who has boarded at BEC for six years and appreciates the low-key but professional atmosphere. “It’s a nice mix of young and mature riders, of serious riders and people who just love their horses and want the best for them.”

Sue and Chris McQuade are neighbors who board at Bradford Equestrian Center. “We abut the BEC facility, so it’s wonderful to see our horses out of our kitchen window,” says Sue. Sue’s eight-year-old Thoroughbred was an outrider’s horse at the track.

“Keith is doing a wonderful job training Junior for his new job as a pleasure and dressage horse,” says Sue. Her husband, Chris, has a 22-yearold Trakehner mare, Tempest, being retrained to dressage from show jumping (to protect her legs).

“Between my husband and me, we’ve been with Keith and Lynda for more than a decade,” Sue says. “The staff is professional and knowledgeable.

We like the diverse array of boarders, all ages and all disciplines.”

Sue notes that one of BEC’s biggest strengths is that they are continually improving the property and facility. “It’s no easy task and we truly appreciate it, especially maintaining great footing,” she says.

Dressage for All Dressage is the ongoing focus at the center, no matter the breed or background of the horse.

BEC’s program boasts boarders ranging from a light-on-her-hooves Percheron to off-the-track Thoroughbreds, Paints, and Connemara crosses to more dressage-purposed Andalusians and warmbloods.

Keith has had great success developing and campaigning Thor, a Spanish Norman owned by Sandi Austin, from Training level to Prix St. George. Keith has competed in dressage through FEI levels, evented through Preliminary, and competes in combined driving through American Driving Society Advanced/FEI**.

Students also benefit from Keith’s keen judge’s eye on how to ride a test well and polish the details. He’s a rated judge for both USEF dressage and combined driving, and USEA competitions.

Individual lessons are taught by Keith and Lynda and they offer group jumping for those interested. Many clients, both riders and drivers, trailer in for lessons and Keith and Lynda will coach students at shows and events.

Molly’s work with Justin had become a bit inconsistent, so riding with Lynda over the winter was productive. “Lynda has put us back on track,” Molly says. “Her teaching methods are very straightforward and clear. She gives constructive criticism in a positive manner, using analogies that are easy to grasp. She’s kind and forgiving, but never wavers from proper training and precise timing of aids.”

Bradford Equestrian Center also hosts the annual Merrimack Valley Dressage Schooling Series. In addition to the stunningly landscaped dressage ring, there’s a scenic mowed field or the indoor arena for warm-ups. The calm setting is a friendly venue for green horses, novice riders, and anyone wanting to refresh their dressage in front of USEF-rated judges and get feedback. Even western dressage riders are attending.

The BEC calendar stays busy. Robin Groves, a two-time U.S. National Singles Driving champion, has come for years to conduct monthly clinics for both riders and drivers. In April, Janet Briggs, USEF dressage judge and eventing judge, conducted a Ride-Review-Ride that was well attended.

BEC also offers many flexible arrangements for working students and paid internships with opportunities for training, lessons, or board on either their own horse or on other available horses at the farm.

The Next Generation While their son, Kyle, rode a bit, he preferred the support role of landscaping, maintenance, building fences, unloading hay, and overall support. Now a systems analyst finishing his masters degree, he comes to help when he can.

Daughter Kaylee was born with the passion for horses and has been riding since she was three years old. Her first pony, a rescue named Zippity, was too green to ride so they started long lining him to begin training him to drive. Too “zippy” for a first pony, Zippity moved on to a knowledgeable home.

Around this time, Keith’s vet, Dr. Helen Noble, introduced him to Morgan trainer Pat Tataronis, who had a lovely Morgan mare that drove. That mare became Keith’s first combined driving competition horse.

Driving soon became a great family and father-daughter bonding activity.

“At four years old, Kaylee loved being in carriage,” Keith says.

“He called Kaylee his good luck

charm,” says Lynda. Keith and Kaylee often competed at sleigh rallies and dressed in costume for the Wassail parades in Vermont.

When a four-year-old, 12.2 hand gray Welsh powerhouse pony named Orbit became then eight-year-old Kaylee’s iconic partner she announced she wanted to drive so she could keep Orbit when she outgrew him for riding.

While Kaylee became a B dressage Pony Club graduate, rode dressage on several other horses with numerous national and regional championship awards through Second level, she and Orbit competed up to the Single Pony FEI ***level.

Kaylee spent this past winter on groundwork with another pony to pair with Orbit while working toward a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International certification after completing her college degree in psychology and business.

Experience Brings Wisdom “We’ve slowly evolved,” Lynda says, reflecting on the time spent building their business. “We hayed property in the early days and drove down the road to the sawmill for shavings, but not anymore,” she says, laughing. She likens the atmosphere at BEC as more progressive than competitive in outlook.

Molly agrees about the grounding effects of time, horses, people, and place. She counts the Angstadts as longtime friends and Lynda as a mentor.

“The morning sun hits the farm and starts the day in bright light,” Molly says. “When I go to ride and visit with my friends, it truly is a nice time. When I ride at night after work, I feel safe. My horses are very happy there and are in great shape. All of this makes me happy.”

“This business has taught us that it’s more than being a manager, trainer, or instructor,” Lynda says. “The horse world really creates a network; the horses are part of your story, but so are the people. We’ve made lifelong friends through former boarders, students, and our own mentors.”

Holly Jacobson, a freelance writer, lives in Essex County, teaching her retired Quarter Horse tricks while she pursues new goals in para dressage and para reining.

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Horseperson Feature

Charlton

by Alessandra Mele

Jasmine Sasser JDS Equine Services

atching Jasmine Sasser ride, the confidence she exudes is powerful, and there’s no doubt her horse can feel it. Confidence is exactly what this horse needs; the label “problem horse” hasn’t made him so sure of himself or of his riders lately.

Problems or no problems, Jasmine patiently guides him through her aids, quietly asking, listening, and respond-

W

four, though, and right after my fourth birthday I was down at the barn ready to ride.” She began her riding career at Canterbury Acres in Spencer, and she can still be seen riding there today.

Finding the right discipline was a challenge, because Jasmine wanted to try it all. She started with dressage, giving her a great foundation in the basics.

Around age eight she gave hunt seat

“I dedicated a full year to really training Sassy, and we developed a bond,” Jasmine says. “Once she was confident, we began showing at Camp Marshall in Spencer and she routinely did very well, whether it was the hunters, jumpers, or equitation. In 2015, we had a stellar season and she ended up placing as a year-end champion in all three divisions. What made

ing with intuition far beyond her years.

Jasmine is just 20 years old, and is riding and training horses for a living in central Massachusetts through her business, JDS Equine Services. “The biggest thing I struggle with is my youth,” she says, “I’m still pretty young and people sometimes have a hard time taking that leap of faith and trusting me to train their horse. But once they do, they see progress and are happy with the results.”

Any skepticism prospective clients and others may have is quickly replaced by awe when they see Jasmine in the saddle, and is all but forgotten once she takes a horse from “problem” to “solution.” Too young? Nope — time is on Jasmine’s side.

and jumping a try, and became interested in western sports as well. When she was ten years old, she decided to try her hand at vaulting, and found she loved it.

“I started riding and vaulting at Mesa Farm in Rutland, and became a performer in the Dale Perkins Horse Show,” she says. “We did vaulting demonstrations at fairs, bareback riding, Roman riding, and drill team. It was a lot of fun!”

Such a variety of riding experiences also helped Jasmine become a remarkably versatile and brave horsewoman.

She found herself riding lots of different horses, many of which were considered “problem” horses that others found challenging. She enjoyed a good challenge, and found if she continued to ride with confidence, her horse would find that that confidence as well.

When Jasmine was about 14, her interest turned to hunt seat riding again, and she entered in schooling shows here and there. She started working with a green Quarter Horse named Sassy her sister had adopted, and found great fulfillment in teaching the mare new skills.

me even happier was that she placed with my sister and a friend of ours as well, so it was great to see that Sassy could take what she had learned with me and perform well with someone else in the saddle. She’s such a good girl!”

The success Jasmine experienced with Sassy gave her the training bug.

Jasmine loved the instances when she felt a horse fully understanding what was being asked of them, and knew she wanted to focus on achieving those moments of progress.

“I swore I didn’t want to train horses for a living, but I soon found myself doing it, and loving it,” Jasmine says. “People would ask me to ride their horses and help them work through an issue, and I would make a little money in return. I embraced it, realizing I could do what I love for a living.”

Jasmine established JDS Equine Services when she was 16, and hasn’t looked back.

An Early Start It helps that Jasmine got started with horses at a very young age; she’s been riding since she was four years old and would have started sooner if she’d had her way. “My older sister started taking riding lessons when I was a toddler, so I would go and watch her and groom the horses, and I fell in love,” says Jasmine.

“I begged my parents to let me take lessons too. They made me wait until I was 18

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

Training Thor Back at Canterbury Acres, owner Carol Kurland, Jasmine’s very first instructor and trainer, had taken notice of Jasmine’s confidence and training abilities. Carol

had a big gray horse named Thor who had spent most of his life in a pasture, and she knew he needed a job. At age 18, that would certainly take some convincing. She asked Jasmine to start working with him, and Jasmine didn’t think twice about the project.

Jasmine started with the basics, focusing on Thor’s ground manners for nearly a full year. “Thor was very head shy, difficult to lead, and very attached to his pasture mate,” Jasmine says. “I completely restarted him, teaching him how to walk appropriately from the pasture to the barn, how to stand for a grooming, and eventually how to longe and wear tack. About a year later I started working with him under saddle.”

A few pleasant initial rides soon gave way to challenges. “Thor developed a rearing tendency, going up on his hind legs when I’d ask him to do something he didn’t really want to do,” Jasmine says. “We worked through it. If I felt he was about to rear, I would push him forward or turn a circle to get his attention, and if he did rear, I simply didn’t make a big deal out of it.”

After about three months of consistent work, Jasmine had helped Thor get beyond his nasty rearing habit, and was able to start focusing on productive training like working in a collected frame.

“I began showing Thor, and he even won year-end champion in the Green Horse Walk Trot Canter division!” Jasmine says. “I went on to work with him for several years. He’s been riding on the beach, goes out on the trail, and has continued to do well in the show ring. Even more important, he’s healthier, fitter, and happier now that he has a purpose.”

Meanwhile, Carol was pleased with Thor’s transformation, and even more pleased with Jasmine’s approach to training. “I’ve known Jasmine since she was three years old, and always saw a focus in her that I knew would take her far,” Carol says. “What she accomplished with Thor was nothing short of impressive. She took him from an old horse that had never been off the farm to a champion in the show ring; they won all sorts of classes together. Her training is very good and it was impressive to see her make such progress with this particularly challenging case. I can trust her completely.”

A Labor of Love Providing horses the skills they need to achieve purpose in life is what Jasmine

has built her business around, and she genuinely enjoys helping people and horses find that purpose.

“I really flourish when I’m working with a horse to figure out what other people have had trouble discovering,” Jasmine says. “I love figuring out how a horse’s mind works, learning what the issue is deep down, and how we can best address it. I love to take what a horse doesn’t know, show him the right path, and help him take his first steps in a graceful way.”

Jasmine has built a steady client base on this principle, and regularly travels to farms all over the state to work with challenging horses.

“I work with horses of all levels and abilities, and depending on the horse’s needs and the owner’s needs, develop a program that best suits what we are all trying to achieve,” says Jasmine. Clients appreciate this personal approach, and the horses certainly benefit from it.

Jasmine’s process starts with an initial evaluation, which involves both horse and owner so Jasmine can get a full picture of the challenges the pair is experiencing.

“During this first consultation, we’ll talk in depth about what they are struggling with, what they’ve done so far to help solve the issues, and how we can best move forward,” Jasmine says.

“Then I’ll either watch the horse work with his owner, or work with him myself.

This is the point where I can really start assessing the issues, and get a sense of what is going on in the horse’s mind.”

Then the real work begins. “I usually recommend six sessions from there, in which I am working directly with the horse moving toward clear goals,” Jasmine says. “This usually includes a fair amount of groundwork, because I’m a big believer in starting with that strong foundation, and then I translate those skills into work under saddle and solving underlying issues.” This is the approach she took with Thor and with countless other horses, and she finds the results to be routinely positive.

While she’s brought many horses to success, Jasmine has also brought herself much success as her business has grown and developed.

“This fall with be my fourth year in business, and in the last year things have grown substantially,” Jasmine says.

“As I’ve gained more experience, word has really gone around, and I’ve received a lot of business just from word of mouth. I’ve also started advertising more and would love to have a booth at

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Equine Affaire to help spread the word.”

Jasmine’s goals don’t stop there though. Ultimately, she would like to have her own barn where clients can board their horses so she can provide a full-service training program. “I would love to start renting my own facility in the near future, as I have a fair amount of people contacting me wanting to send their horse to me for training, but I can’t accommodate them right now,” Jasmine says.

With goals like these, it’s no hindrance being 20 years old. Jasmine’s success in training horses and in business is the result of a lot of hard work and passion, and the success energizes her to keep moving forward and helping more horses. Meanwhile, she’s just happy to be doing what she loves.

“I still can’t believe it’s my job to ride horses every day!” Jasmine says, laughing. “I wouldn’t have believed it when I was just a kid, but I’m more than happy to be where I am and to keep working on where I want to be.

Alessandra Mele is a freelance writer and designer in Wilbraham. She enjoys spending time with the horses on her family’s farm, especially riding her Quarter Horse, JoJo. To see more of her work, visit thehomegrownstudio.com.

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Horse Logic

Yes, Your Words Matter!

by Nicole Birkholzer

I

n the past, I’ve written about how our words — negative words in particular — can affect our horses. How calling our horse a rescue five years after we adopted him can keep that horse stuck in the energy of a horse in need when in reality he now has a caring person and enough food, water, and shelter.

Negative words can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Using words such as “she can be bitchy” or “he is such a grump” to describe your horse are labels that can stick and can affect the horse for the rest of his life.

In this issue, I want to share some ideas on how you can use words to communicate with your horse in fun and often highly effective ways.

I first realized the power of using verbal communication with an animal after getting our current dog. Scout is a mixed-breed. We believe he’s part Australian shepherd or border collie with a tinge of Irish setter and probably a few other unidentifiable DNA strands. Scout’s willingness to help us out around the farm makes me think he’s definitely a working dog with the desire to have a “job.”

As a writer, I spend a lot of time with my laptop on my knees, and whenever Scout thought it was time to go out and do some “work” he would poke his wet nose into my hand to get me up and moving. Initially, I would try to ignore him, and if that didn’t work I would tell Scout to “Stop it.” My short command usually brought on a look of disappointment on Scout’s face. And, it didn’t help him settle.

Then one day, when his eager furry face kept staring me down, I blurted, “I’ve got to finish this paragraph, and after that, we’ll go out.” Scout’s response was remarkably different. He turned around and lay back down . . .

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Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

until I hit the SEND button. The moment I hit SEND, he once again stood in front of me, tail wagging, ready for me to fulfill my promise, which, of course, I did.

Since that day, I’ve expanded my communication repertoire not only with Scout but also with my other ani-

front of the gate where I was standing, so I called over to her, “Do you want to come out through the other gate?”

Sammy took one breath and then moseyed over . . . you guessed it . . . to the other gate.

This little interaction may seem simple but it’s incredibly effective. No stress, no goat wrestling, we simply figured it out by being in dialogue with each other.

Ask for What You Need

mals. And, the positive results I’ve seen makes me believe that communicating verbally with your horse is the most underappreciated tool you have in your toolbox.

Many of us have learned to use only the most basic words when we speak with our animals: sit, come, heel, whoa, walk on. I’ve learned that by limiting our communication with our animals to one- or two-word commands we’re short-changing ourselves and our animals.

Being in Dialogue Just the other night, I went out to feed our horses and had to separate Sammy, our goat, from the horses so she wouldn’t dive into their feed buckets. There are two gates she can use to exit the pasture. I stood at one gate with Sammy’s feed bucket in my hand calling her to come through. Sammy took a moment to survey the situation and then looked down the fence line toward the other gate. I saw her dilemma. She didn’t want to walk through the muddy spot in

Last spring, I allowed Cutter, my Quarter Horse, to step into the hay shed to snack on some of the leftover hay that had collected on the shed floor while I was mucking his run-in shed. When I was done, I walked over to the hay shed to see Cutter’s front half had disappeared into the building.

How was I going to get him to back out?

A common practice is to get in front of the horse and push on the face or chest to get the horse to back up. But in this situation, it would have been challenging for me to squeeze past him through the opening to get into the shed. Plus, if he felt panicked as I squeezed by, he could have flattened me against the doorway.

Short of any better solution, I said, “Cutter, please back up,” and then took a breath and watched for a moment.

Cutter lifted his head, swiveled his ear toward me, and I repeated, “Cutter, please back up.” After one more breath, his left front foot lifted and moved backward, and step-by-step Cutter slowly made his way out of the shed.

The stakes were a little higher later in the fall when I was in North Dakota meeting the semi-feral Nokota Horses.

That day, I was standing out in the vast prairie, interested in connecting with a particular red roan whose seemingly gentle nature had piqued my

interest. The roan was standing with two other herd members, a black horse that grazed off to the side, and a strawberry pinto that seemed to be in charge of the trio. While I breathed deeply, grounding myself amongst the white sage and prairie grasses, I was able to get close enough to almost touch the red roan. He was handsome, had a gentle, soft eye, but seemed ever so shy, hiding next to the strawberry pinto.

It was challenging to make any direct contact with the roan without the pinto interfering — he continuously stepped in between the roan and myself, which kept us from starting any kind of conversation. I used my body to communicate with the pinto, asked him to move away, which he did, only to come right back when I took the pressure off him. We played this game a few times, but I realized I was spending more time playing around with that horse than the one I really wanted to meet.

I stopped and observed the three horses for a moment. There had to be a better way. The black horse was not interested in our interaction, he was still grazing nearby. Then I realized that the pinto, as the leader, was merely taking care of the roan by shielding him

from me. That made so much sense; he needed to check me out and engage with me to see if I was safe.

I had to make him feel ok about me being there. So, I looked at the pinto and said, “Hi, I appreciate you helping your buddy out, but I’m here to connect with him. Can you please give us some space so we can meet?” I took a deep breath and waited. The pinto took a breath himself and then turned away from me and the roan and began to graze. Holy horse! It had worked again.

Amazed that this semi-feral horse has responded so well, I realized that I’d fallen into an old pattern using body language when instead I could just explain what I wanted and ask the horse to help me make it happen. Out here in the prairie where there were no fences to create a boundary, I was thrilled to know that stating my intention and communicating verbally was the perfect way to connect with these horses too.

We’re only limited by the limitations we put on ourselves and our animals. I invite you to give this a try.

Speak directly to your animal, ask for what you need, and be amazed by the results and the connection you can achieve.

Nicole Birkholzer is an equine behavior and communication specialist, originally from Germany, who works with horses and riders across the globe.

Nicole helps people create mindful connections with their horses by attuning to and communicating with horses in meaningful and effective ways. Her focus is to understand the logic behind horses’ behaviors and the wisdom in their expression.

Interested in building a meaningful, mindful relationship with your horse, check out Nicole’s webinar series Horse Logic at mindful-connections.com/ online-learning. Nicole also offers private barn calls, phone consultations, and workshops.

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Partners Our goal is to foster connections within the horse community throughout the Bay State, and one of the ways we do this is with our Partners Program. Massachusetts organizations that partner with us receive a free one-year subscription for each member and space in the magazine for news, photos, and event listings.

participate in the NTD fundraiser. One option is to simply pay the registration fee. Another option is to collect donations for the ride, in addition to the registration fee. Participants who collect $100 or more can

To learn more, visit bstra.org.

See you on the trails!

7 Annamaria Paul

Scavenger Hunt, sponsored

by New England Drywall, in Carver. The Poker Run, sponsored by Tourbillon Trailers, is June 30 in Mendon.

Five rides are planned for July. July 13 is a joint ride with the New England

Granby Regional Horse Council

BSTRA’s Patriotism Benefit Ride, sponsored by Azreal Acres, was held May 11 in Douglas State Forest. The weather was perfect! After several rainy, early spring days, it was wonderful to get out on the trails. Riders were decked out in red, white, and blue to honor our nation.

Everyone’s fun attire amused bikers and hikers we met along the way!

The seven-plus mile route featured a new bridge and trail made possible by BSTRA members’ support.

The bridge features rubber mats for safety. As always in Douglas State Forest, there were stretches for going fast as well as some winding paths through the woods — something for everyone’s tastes.

Lunch was followed by a generous raffle. Many of the prizes were red, white, and, blue, in keeping with the day’s theme. We thank all who attended this event, especially the BSTRA volunteers who made the Patriotism Benefit Ride such a success!

BSTRA’s largest fundraiser of the year, the National Trails Day (NTD) Ride, sponsored by Yered Trailers, will be June 8. We’re excited that this ride will be at Great Brook Farm State Forest in Carlisle. It’s a beautiful venue and we’re confident you will enjoy the trails.

The ride is New England Horse and Trail affiliated.

After the ride, attendees will enjoy an Italian buffet lunch.

A big raffle will follow.

There are three ways to 22

Lynn Paresky

Bay State Trail Riders Association

Riders returning after the Bay State Trail Riders Association’s Patriotism Benefit Ride held May 11 in the Douglas State Forest.

Shaina Masters Humphrey and riders heading out on the Granby Regional Horse Council’s April 14 Spring Trail Pace in Granby

elect to have their registration fee refunded. The third option is for nonriders who want to help the BSTRA by collecting donations.

The first 50 riders to sign up will received a free NTD gift bag. The top eight participants who bring in the most donations will win a prize package! Registration and NTD Ride sponsor papers are available at bstra.org.

There are more rides on the docket for June and July.

June 23 is the Fergus

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

Equestrian Center of Athol, sponsored by Yucc’ It Up, followed by the Domnarski Farm Pleasure Ride, sponsored by Quissett Hill Farm on the 14th. July 20 is the Goddard Park Pleasure ride, and July 21 the Lea MacInnis Judged Ride, with trail obstacles, sponsored by Bellingham Animal Hospital, will be held at Pell Farm in Grafton.

The month wraps up with the Luau Ride in Upton, sponsored by J & D Revell & Sons Tree Services, and is sure to be a fun time.

GRHC had some great events this spring. On April 14, we hosted our Trail Pace in Granby. It was a great turnout with a mix of new and longtime members and friends who came to say hello. It was good to see so many people. Thanks to Joan Dittmer for helping at the registration desk and being our timekeeper. Special thanks go to Carol and Lindsey Nobes for choosing and marking the route. To see the results, go to granbyregionalhorse.org.

GRHC has hosted some wonderful guest speakers this spring. On April 22, Jessie Sugrue, DVM, of Mill Valley Veterinary Clinic gave a talk on Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis that was well attended. On May 13, Caroline Barstow, DVM, from Hess-McWilliams Veterinary Clinic gave a talk entitled Horse Nutrition for Any Age. Caroline gave us much needed information on the many different types of grains available today, such as low-carb and new senior feeds. She also discussed hay quality and supplements, as well as the practice of feeding no grain.

The GRHC has some wonderful events planned for the summer. On Sunday, June 9, we’ll host a special Basic Horsemanship Clinic with local horseman Jay Quinlan at Moonlit Farm in Belchertown. Jay loves teaching people basic skills that can make their riding experience safer and more enjoyable. He’s a judge for the American Ranch Horse Association and is a 2A judge with the National Reined Cow Horse Association. The

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

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clinic will focus on skills needed for many types of riding from reining to cow work to English and trail riding. It will also touch on working through problems. The cost is $100 per horse and rider and $15 to audit. Please register by June 3 as riding space is limited.

Our 25th Anniversary Open Horse Show will be held on Sunday, June 23, at Dufresne Park in Granby.

This year we will have two 4-H divisions and six special classes to celebrate the 25th anniversary. There will be two Jackpot classes and special trophies too. The entire class list will be posted on our website.

The GRHC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public and equestrians about horse care and other issues related to horses, promote trail conservation, and host social and competitive events for equestrians of all ages. To become a member, go to

granbyregionalhorse.org or email grhc@charter.net. All registration and entry forms can be downloaded from our website. GRHC is also on Twitter.

7 Diane Godek

areas for camping horses to graze, set up our woodland obstacle course, and cleaned up winter debris. We even had a volunteer from a 4-H oxen club who spent the day with his oxen team clearing

Riders on the trail at the 2018 Hampshire County Riding Club Chesterfield Gorge Ride. This year’s ride is planned for June 23.

Hampshire County Riding Club Our club grounds are in great shape thanks to the efforts of HCRC members and 4-H volunteers who replaced boards and posts in our warm-up ring, fenced in

debris from our wooded trails. We’re prepared for a busy riding season at our club.

For starters, we’re looking forward to hosting our second annual full-day clinic at our club grounds with

Peter and Philip Whitmore on Sunday, June 9. During the morning session, Philip will provide hands-on instruction on teaching your horse the skills required to be receptive to your aids on the ground. After lunch, Peter will lead the versatility and obstacle training to work on skills required to guide your horse through a variety of obstacles of varying difficulty.

Our woodland obstacle course will be open for practice. Participation in the clinic is open to members and the public. To learn more, visit hampshire countyridingclub.org.

On the following weekend, June 15 and 16, we’re holding a HCRC members and guests camping weekend at our club grounds. On Saturday, join us for a Games and Fun Day, rescheduled from May, for kids and adults that’s just $25 for the day per rider. Riders can also join a trail ride or ride on the club grounds where trails and

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Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

Year-End Clinic with Sarah Geike

crdressage.org Charles River Dressage Association

rings will be available with gymkhana equipment and obstacles. Plus, there will be a equine-related tag sale! Join us, with or without your horse, for an evening potluck and campfire cooking or just sitting around the campfire on a (hopefully) starry night.

It’s a perfect opportunity to learn about horse camping.

Plan for a club ride on Sunday, June 23, at the Chesterfield Gorge. We’ll park at the Four Seasons Club for a 10:30 a.m. ride through the Gorge to the Indian Hollow Campground for a trail lunch and return. Bring snacks to share following the ride. The ride is open to HCRC members and their guests.

July’s activities are ushered in by the Chesterfield July 4th parade. Join the festivities. Members and their guests may ride, lead, or drive their horses or walk with our banner. The historic parade is followed by a chicken barbecue and firemen’s muster in the town center.

Our July 17, club meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Westhampton Library. Our presenter, Liz Piacentini, will speak on Equestrian Mental Fitness, which will be followed by refreshments and a short meeting.

On Saturday, July 20, we are hosting a TREC clinic by Burnshirt Hill Equestrian Facility at our club grounds.

TREC is a trail/obstacle sport originating in Europe that includes phases on special obstacles, pace control, and orienteering. At our clinic riders will concentrate on the obstacles used at TREC events and the Control of Paces segment of the competition. This clinic is open to members and the public. To learn more, visit hampshirecountyriding club.org. A clinic to introduce the Orienteering segment of TREC will be held locally later this summer. To learn more about this exciting new sport, visit, trec-usa.org.

On the weekend of July 26 to 28, HCRC members and

their guests will be camping at the Wagon Wheel Campground in Warwick. It’s an excellent introduction to horse camping with on-site stalls, campsite water and electricity, campfires, and restrooms with showers.

There’s even an in-ground swimming pool. Most of the riding is in the nearby Erving State Forest. To learn more and register, visit thewagon wheelcampground.com.

To join the HCRC and learn more about our clinics and events, visit hampshire countyridingclub.org and follow us on Facebook.

7 Diane Merritt

Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council MHC-affiliated shows are in full swing and we’re all enjoying the beautiful weather, happy to be outside with the horses.

As riders accumulate points toward the 2019 championships, planning for the 2019 awards banquet is underway. This year MHC and the New England Horsemen’s Council (NEHC) are combining banquets. This means that exhibitors, friends, and families can attend one banquet and celebrate their achievements from both MHC and NEHC competitions. We’re excited to be able to offer this new event. In the past, both banquets were held at the same location with a similar format and many of the same attendees. By combining resources we hope to be able to offer more to our membership while reducing the costs.

The 2019 awards banquet will be held February 8, 2020, at the Regency Ballroom, Doubletree by Hilton in Milford. Save the date! We look forward to seeing you there.

7 Paulajean O’Neill

Massachusetts Morgan Horse Association The Massachusetts Morgan Horse Association (MMHA) Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

25

held its annual meeting and awards banquet on March 30 at the Wachusett Country Club in West Boylston. Board member and banquet chair Melissa Morrell says there were 80 members, family, and friends in attendance.

This year’s recipient of the Massachusetts Morgan Horse of the Year, Miles of Fortune GCH, is a perfect example of the ultimate combination of brilliance, power, and manners coupled with a stand-out color combination of light chestnut and chrome.

This stunning 11-year-old gelding, owned by Lou and Nancy Andreano, loves his job and takes pride in owning the ring every time Nancy takes the reins and her favorite seat behind him.

A crowd pleaser to the last step out of the gate, Miles of Fortune GCH embodies the perfect Morgan, especially in the eyes of Lou and Nancy. He has proven himself time and

time again. MMHA celebrates the victories of this wonderful Morgan, honoring him with the 2018 Massachusetts Morgan Horse of the Year award.

The MMHA volunteers have brought some amazing, hard-working individuals to the forefront to ensure the breed’s success and the MMHA Horse Show’s ability to continue year after year.

This club exists because Morgan devotees love their horses fiercely and completely.

Each year we celebrate one of these volunteers with our Distinguished Service Award.

This year’s recipient of the MMHA Distinguished Service Award is Carla Ferro of Ludlow. Carla has been a lifelong owner of Morgan horses and has competed for most of her life. Horses are her way to enjoy free time and escape the rigors of a demanding job. One can tell

by Carla’s relaxed nature and happy personality that she

loves the horse show atmosphere. These traits have been invaluable to the MMHA and Carla’s done so much to aid the Association.

Carla began her journey with MMHA in conjunction with her family’s involvement. While her father, Ray Ferro, was MMHA’s successful horse show manager, Carla took on countless tasks and assisted him in carrying out the completion of essential checklists that were crucial to managing a show.

Carla also managed the trophy booth for several years. Her organizational skills ensured that trophies and ribbons were awarded accurately and promptly. The trophy booth is an extremely demanding job, especially when there are 300-plus entries at the show. Carla managed all of the duties in the booth, fielded numerous questions, and accomplished other miscellaneous feats.

Carla has been the

MMHA recording and membership secretary this past year. She always has great ideas for the club and carries out tasks effectively. She was instrumental in the success of the Clinic, Academy Show, and Youth Contest held September 8. She generously offered to be the Academy Show secretary, a position she had no experience with, and managed it flawlessly.

MMHA is fortunate to have the benefit of Carla’s commitment and talent, and congratulates her on receiving this prestigious award.

7 Suzy Lucine

Massachusetts Quarter Horse Association Our 2019 show season is well underway. It seems we wait through very long winters to get to this exciting part of the year and then it’s over before you know it! But, don’t worry, we have several shows left on the calendar.

Our April Novice and

Tack Shop & Consignment Area

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Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

New England Equestrian Center of Athol We’re now in full swing for the summer season at NEECA. If you have yet to check us out and join in the fun, now is the time! Our full

clinic with Susan Bartfay who runs To Fur With Love Animal Communication and Blue Ribbon Equine Massage. Susan’s clinic will include two sessions, each about two hours. The first

NEECA Facebook page

Open Show was a success. We had a large number of entries, welcoming new and returning exhibitors. This was a great show to see what we are about — demonstrating the versatility of the American Quarter Horse.

Our next pointed shows will be the Connecticut Quarter Horse Show June 13 to 16, followed in July by the Region Six/Super Six at the Eastern States Fairgrounds in West Springfield. Our final pointed show for the show season will be in Deerfield, New Hampshire. This is a New Hampshire Quarter Horse Association Show being held August 23 to 25.

It’s a beautiful time to visit northern New England if you have not done so.

With the pleasant days ahead, we wish you happy rides and special moments with your horses, even if you don’t show. Make every stride count!

7 Lori Mahassel

Lise Krieger of New England Saddle Fit gave a Saddle Fitting Clinic on April 20 to New England Equestrian Center of Athol members and guests.

lineup of events can be viewed at neeca.org. Be sure to click on the CALENDAR tab.

We have added two new events this year. On July 20, NEECA will be hosting a

session will be an animal communication class. This is a sit-down learning experience where participants will bring in a hard copy photo of their animal. Working in

Keith Angstadt

pairs, Susan will demonstrate and use exercises to teach others how to tune into telepathic communication with their beloved animal(s).

Susan is a certified equine massage therapist and also provides Reiki for animals including horses.

Her second session will be a demonstration of equine massage. Massage can be very helpful for horses that suffer from saddle fit issues, tight muscles, circulation issues, soreness, neck/back pain, and it can expand their range of motion under saddle. Susan will work with individual horses, and both the handler and viewers will learn about a multitude of issues in a horse’s movement, such as unequal distribution of tightness, signs of discomfort, tightness, and uneven/ asymmetrical areas. She will then work hands-on with the horses and help participants identify tight spots in their horses. Stay tuned for fur-

ew ting N Accep rses o H ts & Studen ining for Tra ent g Stud Workin on Positi

Dressage Training & Instruction Keith Angstadt

USEF Dressage Judge USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist ADS Driving Dressage Judge

• Full Care Facility • Individualized Programs • Excellent Footing • Indoor & Outdoor Arenas • Ample Turnout

Lynda Angstadt

USDF L Graduate USDF Bronze Medalist • Reasonable Rates • Truck-ins Always Welcome • PVC Paddocks • Onsite Competitions & Clinics

Excellent Location – minutes from Routes 495, 95, and 93

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Merrimack Valley Dressage Shows April 28 - Ride Review Ride May 5 . July 7 . August 18

Intro to 4th and above; fabulous footing and judges.

Offering USEA event tests and western dressage tests!

High-score awards; discount for Pony Club.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

27

ther details on this clinic on the NEECA Facebook page.

On September 21, there will be a judged trail event at the park. Obstacles will be set up on the 2.5 miles of trails at the equestrian park, and participants will follow the course through the woods where they will be judged at each obstacle based on horsemanship and time. This event follows NEECA’s August 10 Libby Lyman Versatility Clinic so it’s an ideal time to get out in the woods and test your skills. Prizes will be awarded to the winners and we expect this to be a fun event.

We are currently looking for volunteer judges (little experience needed) for this event. Contact Anne at ajuckins@gmail.com or at (978) 257-7381 to sign up for either of these events or if you would like to help.

Enjoy the summer riding season!

7 Anne Marie Zukowski

North Shore Horsemen’s Association The first show of the NSHA’s season will be June 2, at BobLyn Stables in Amesbury. We have an exciting prize list and new food booth this year.

We’re also excited about being A-, B-, and C-rated with the New England Horsemen’s Council (NEHC) and the Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council (MHC).

We have lots of new classes for all ages of walk trot riders including a Walk Trot Pattern classes for those under 10 years of age, a Walk Trot Hunter Under Saddle 11 & Over, and a Walk Trot Ladies Pleasure 18 & Over.

We’ll be holding all NEHC Medal classes and have added Bareback Equitation and a Masters division.

This year we are reinstating our Classic division. At each show, there will be a Classic; the first one is the Hunter Pleasure Classic in June, followed in July by the

Open Walk Trot Classic. and September will be the Open Junior Exhibitor Classic. This class will be held in Ring 1 after the lunch break and will be double-judged. We’ll pin six places with neck sashes!

There will be new prizes this year and there are several items to choose from.

There will also be money classes that will be put toward your day-end show bill.

If you have questions or would like a prize list, contact JoAnn Hamson at twinhills56@yahoo.com and follow us on Facebook We hope that everyone comes to the beautiful grounds of Bob-Lyn Stables and has a great time!

7 Jo-Ann Hamson

West Newbury Riding and Driving Club On April 13, WNRDC held its annual Potluck Dinner at the West Newbury Annex. The western hoedown theme was back by popular demand!

Kathy from Aurora Ballroom Dance lead some vigorous line dancing, which helped burn off the fabulous barbecue, sides, and desserts that were consumed. Prizes were awarded to Best Cowboy and Cowgirl costumes as well as Best Belt Buckle. Guests enjoyed a much needed night of fun, food, and drink after the long New England winter.

WNRDC hosted a May 12 Versatility Clinic at Pipestave Hill in West Newbury with the popular trainer Peter Whitmore of It’s a Pleasure Training in Orange. Peter is known for his success with the Extreme Mustang Makeover and many other accomplishments. Peter’s clinic was well attended by both participants (it sold out quickly) and auditors. It was helpful in preparing horses and their riders for the Memorial Day West Newbury Bicentennial Parade. Several of the WNRDC Members

Supporting our horse community since 2001.

Donating more than 2,250 Massachusetts Horse Junior Horsemanship Awards to Bay State competitions.

Raising more than $71,000 for horse-related nonprofits through the Massachusetts Horse Benefit.

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Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

Providing free subscriptions to the members of 32 organizations and clubs.

Starting our 18th year of news, photos, and event coverage.

participated in the parade.

July 7 is the date for the WNRDC Pipestave Hill Horse Trials, Two-phase, Dressage, and Western Dressage Show.

for Thoroughbred Incentive Program Awards and the Area 1 Schooling Horse Trials Championship. We are always in need of volunteers

87 Annual th

June Show Saturday • June 8

Outside Course Warm-ups 6:30 to 8 A .M. Trailer Parking Starts at 6 A .M.

2'9" 2'6" & rby r De Hunte ions!

Divis

Patrick Condon

Briggs Stable • Route 139, Hanover Centre, MA

Deb Hamilton riding in the West Newbury Riding and Driving Club’s Versatility Clinic on May 12 at Pipestave Hill in West Newbury.

We offer inviting courses at the lovely, rolling Pipestave Hill with five new cross-country jumps added last year and several new stadium jumps.

It’s a low-pressure, friendly environment and offers PreElementary through Modified Novice divisions.

This is a great schooling show for horses and/or riders new to the sport of eventing or looking for an opportunity to gain experience and mileage.

It’s also an opportunity to win great prizes and qualify

to judge the cross-country fences. You do not need to be a rider or a horse person to volunteer, and it’s a great way to see the cross-country action and learn about the sport. For more information, visit wnrdc.com.

7 Barbra Hill Is your club based in Massachusetts and for equestrians? Join our free Partners Program to receive a free digital subscription for your membership and have space in every issue for your organization’s news!

Affiliated with NEHC, MHC, and SSHC MHC, NEHC, and SSHC Medal Classes

Show Manager: John Dougherty (781) 826-3191

Program may be downloaded at www.briggsstable.com.

Briggs Stable

Mini Shows Wednesday evenings starting at 6 P.M. June 19 to August 28 No show July 3!

Camp Nashoba Day

• Boys and girls ages 5 to 15 • 2, 3 ,4, and 8 week summer sessions • Hunt seat riding lesson daily • Sail, waterski, wakeboard, windsurf, row, canoe, kayak, and fish • Art, pottery, dance, woodshop, candle shop, basketmaking shop • Tennis, softball, soccer, basketball, dodge ball, kick ball, mini golf, volleyball, tetherball, and archery

campnashobaday.com • 978-486-8088 • campnashoba@gmail.com

Members of the Hanover Hunt & Riding Club are eligible for year-end awards.

Lead Line . Therapeutic . Walk Trot . Games Jumping . Equitation . Pleasure Great food and drinks available at the Hanover Hunt & Riding Club food booth.

Briggs Stable • 623 Hanover St., Hanover Centre, MA (781) 826-3191 Class lists may be downloaded at www.briggsstable.com.

Visit Briggs Tack Shop, a full service shop, while at the show!

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

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Overherd

News in Our Community Suffolk Downs will run six live dates in 2019 after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved the track’s schedule and its corresponding request for purse funding of $3.8 million for those dates from the state’s Racehorse Development Fund.

The final two of the three festival weekends, scheduled for June 8–9 and June 29–30, will be the last days of Thoroughbred racing held at the historic East Boston facility. Sterling Suffolk Racecourse (SSR), the company that operates racing and simulcasting at Suffolk Downs, sold the property in East Boston and Revere to the HYM Investment Group, a Bostonbased real estate developer, in 2017.

In conjunction with the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NEHBPA) and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, SSR announced plans last year to refurbish and return live racing to the Great Barrington Fairgrounds and to continue simulcasting operations in Boston. The track operator has renewed its option on the 55-acre Great Barrington property and is pursuing legislation in the current session in Massachusetts that would facilitate its proposal.

The average daily purse distribution for each festival weekend, including participation incentives to encourage horsemen to ship in from other circuits, will be in excess of $600,000 per day.

“We’re looking forward to celebrating the rich tradition of Suffolk Downs with 30

racing fans for one final season here as we pursue the plan to preserve Thoroughbred racing and its associated agribusiness and economic benefits in the Commonwealth by restoring the racing facility at Great Barrington,” said Chip Tuttle, the chief operating officer at Suffolk Downs.

were either foaled in Massachusetts or sired by a Massachusetts-based stallion.

Each offers a purse of $50,000 and is a showcase for the Massachusetts Thoroughbred.

In addition to live racing, the track will be hosting a food truck festival each weekend featuring food trucks from a variety of local ven-

AP Photo

Suffolk Downs’ Final Season of Live Racing

Seabiscuit, wearing the victory flower garland, is shown with jockey Johnny “Red” Pollard after winning the $51,780 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs on August 7, 1937. Suffolk Downs closes after its final two festival weekends in June.

“We appreciate Sterling Suffolk’s dedication to preserving live Thoroughbred racing in the Commonwealth and the livelihoods of our members, the small businesses, and family farms that depend on it,” said Anthony Spadea, president of the NEHBPA. In 2018, the track conducted four weekends of live racing with an average daily purse in excess of $500,000, including incentives.

The $100,000 James B. Moseley Stakes at five furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares will highlight the racing program of June 29.

Over the course of each weekend, there will be stakes races restricted to horses that

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

dors, craft beer, live music, and family fun activities.

Built by 3,000 workers in just 62 days when the Bay State authorized pari-mutuel wagering in 1935, the historic track has been a showcase for some of the most famous names in Thoroughbred racing history, including Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, John Henry, Cigar, and Skip Away.

n Jessica Paquette

Mesa Farm to Host 5K City to Saddle will be hosting a Farm Trot 5K Field Run/Walk on Saturday, June 22 at 9 a.m. at Mesa Farm in Rutland. The event is rain or shine and the first 60 registrants receive a free T-shirt.

The 3.1-mile course travels through rolling hayfields and pastures (so watch your step) next to woodlands, stonewalls, and the lightly traveled Muschopauge Road.

Official timing for the event will be provided by the Central Mass Striders Running Club. Registration is $25 prior to June 20; $30 after June 20.

Wear your sneakers (or farm boots), pet a lamb, see the horses, enjoy a familyfriendly experience, and raise funds for underserved youth to participate in horsemanship activities through City to Saddle.

City to Saddle, a grassroots, Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization run by a devoted group of volunteers, engages children in the inspiring and transformational experience of horsemanship activities. It underscores a mission of providing equestrian opportunities for underserved children — programs that enrich the lives of boys and girls in so many ways — fostering confidence, self-fulfillment, and joy.

To learn more and register, visit citytosaddle.org or call (800) 354–6324.

n Dale Perkins

Equine Safety and Ambulance Training On November 3, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Nevins Farm in Methuen is holding an Equine Safety and Ambulance Training Seminar. Class size is limited to 40 people so each attendee has the opportunity to participant in hands-on sessions.

To learn more and register, visit mspca.org.

Massachusetts Horse Benefit Adventure Trail

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

$5,000 n a h t e r Mo wards, a n u f , s e in priz ent auction, l raffle, si food! and

What’s a Scavenger Hunt?

There will be 12 “items” hidden out on the miles of beautiful woodland trails. The winner in each division finds all 12 in the shortest time.

Team Walk Trot . Team Novice . Team Open Solo Walk Trot . Solo Novice . Solo Open Prizes and ribbons first to sixth place!

Costumes

You and your team can go all out with costumes and there’ll be lots of great prizes!

Or, not — do your thing however you want.

Alessandra Mele

mahorse.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/MassachusettsHorseBenefit

Alessandra Mele

All proceeds to benefit:

Alessandra Mele

Learn more at

Divisions

Karen Morang Photography

October 27, Sunday (rain date November 3) Exclusive access to private trails in Wilbraham!

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

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events Massachusetts

June 1 NEECA SPRING TRAIL RIDE, Lake Dennison Recreation Area, Winchendon. neeca.org.

2 MHC HUNTER SHOW, Century Mill Stables, Bolton. centurymillstables.com.

1 POLO MATCH, Georgetown. bostonpolo.org.

2 MHC, NEHC, DOWNEAST MEDAL SHOW, Back Bay Farm, Ipswich. backbayfarm.com.

1 OPEN SHOW, Orange. crimsonacres.org.

1 BLUE RIDER HIPPITYHOP CIRCUS, South Egremont. bluerider.org.

1 SOUTHEAST HUNTER SHOW, Saddle Rowe, Medway. southeasthunter.com.

1 NEDA SPRING DRESSAGE COMPETITION I, Marshfield. neda.org.

2 SPRING USEF ONE-DAY SHOW, Grazing Fields, Buzzards Bay. grazingfields.com.

2 NSHA SHOW, Bob-Lyn Stables, Amesbury. northshorehorsemens.org.

8 NEECA EQUESTRIAN SHOWCASE, Athol. neeca.org.

8 BSTRA NATIONAL TRAILS DAY RIDE, Great Brook Farm, Carlisle. bstra.org.

8 SPRING SCHOOLING HORSE TRIALS, Course Brook Farm, Sherborn. coursebrookfarm.com.

8 POLO MATCH, Georgetown. bostonpolo.org.

2 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Harmony Hill Farm, Great Barrington. wnepha.com.

8 HHRC JUNE SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

2 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

5 SOUTH COAST SERIES JUMPER SHOW, Valinor Farm, Plymouth. southcoastseries.com.

8 LUCINDA GREEN MASTER CLASS SYMPOSIUM, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

2 NEDA SPRING DRESSAGE COMPETITION II, Marshfield. neda.org.

6 – 9 CONNECTICUT MORGAN AND OPEN SHOW, Northampton. ctmorgans.org.

8 – 9 ELISA WALLACE CLINIC, Azrael Acres, Uxbridge. azrael acres.com.

2 DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Independence Stable, Belchertown.independencestablellc.com.

32

2 CRDA DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. crdressage.org.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

8 – 9 ANIMAL COMMUNICATION DAWN ALLEN WORKSHOP, S. Egremont. bluerider.org.

9 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Bellwether Stables, Richmond. wnepha.com.

15 HCRC MEMBERS TRAIL RIDE, Goshen. hampshirecountyridingclub.org.

9 DRESSAGE SHOW, Hatfield. rerponies.com.

9 HRC TRAIL RIDE, Myles Standish State Forest, Carver. hansonridingclub.org.

15 – 16 BUCK DAVIDSON CLINIC, Course Brook Farm, Sherborn. coursebrookfarm.com.

9 USEF SHOW, Holliston. rideaugustfarm.com.

15 – 16 HCRC CAMPOUT WEEKEND, Goshen. hampshirecountyridingclub.org.

9 NEHC MHC HUNTER SHOW, Cornerstone Farm, Haverhill. ridecornerstone.com.

9 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

9 OPEN SHOW, Haskins Farm, Berkley. sunflowermeadowsequestrian.weebly.com.

9 GRHC JAY QUINLAN BASIC HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC, Moonlit Farm, Belchertown. granbyregionalhorse.org.

9 GAMES NIGHT, Grafton. hillside-meadows.com.

9 SCHOOLING DRESSAGE SHOW, Beland Stables, Lakeville. belandstables.com.

9 SPRING USEF ONE-DAY SHOW, Grazing Fields, Buzzards Bay. grazingfields.com.

16 HUNTER SHOW, Medway. saddlerowe.com.

9 – 10 LUCINDA GREEN MASTER CLASSES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

16 HORSE TRIALS AND DRESSAGE SERIES, Azrael Acres, Uxbridge. azrael acres.com.

12 WESTERN DRESSAGE LESSON SERIES, South Hadley. cathydrumm.com.

16 WRC TRAIL RIDE, Otis Sate Forest. westfieldridingclub.org.

12 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

16 SSHC SHOW, Raynham. sshconeline.org.

16 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

13 – 15 SUMMER KICK OFF OPEN SHOW, Northampton. vtspringclassic@aol.com.

9 ADULT DRESSAGE SCRIMMAGE, Baile HIll Farm, Sutton. (978) 875-2036.

13 – 16 CQHA CLASSIC, West Springfield. cqha.com.

9 WRC SPRING OPEN AND 4-H SHOW, Westfield. westfieldridingclub.org.

14 – 16 ERIC SMILEY CLINIC, Black Oak Stables, Hamilton. blackoakstables.com.

9 HCRC OBSTACLES AND TRICK TRAINING CLINIC, Goshen. hampshirecountyridingclub.org.

15 SUNRISE PLEASURE SHOW, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. mhcriding.com.

9 SUMMER CLASSIC, Groton House Farm, Hamilton. grotonhousefarm.com.

15 CAPE COD HUNTER SHOW, Rozena’s Field, Raynham. capecodhunter.com.

16 CMHSS GOLD NUGGET OPEN SHOW, Camp Marshall, Spencer. cmhss.net.

16 USEA HORSE TRIALS, Valinor Farm, Plymouth. valinorfarm.com.

16 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, White Horse Hill, Richmond. wnepha.com.

16 SCHOOLING TWO-PHASE AND DRESSAGE SHOW, Cutter Farm, Dracut. cutterfarm.com.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

33

WNEPHA JOIN US! The Western New England chapter of the Professional Horsemen’s Association of America has a full schedule of shows planned for 2019!

HUNTER/JUMPER EQUITATION SHOWS

18 NIALL QUIRK CLINIC, JH Eventing, Sutton.

(978) 875-2036.

23 DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Briggs Stable, Hanover. heritage-dressage.org.

19 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

23 HCRC CHESTERFIELD GORGE RIDE, Chesterfield. hampshirecountyridingclub.org.

19 SOUTH COAST SERIES JUMPER SHOW, Valinor Farm, Plymouth. southcoastseries.com.

23 BSTRA SCAVENGER HUNT RIDE, Carver. bstra.org.

19 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

23 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

19 – 23 PLYMOUTH ROCK HUNTER JUMPER CLASSIC, Halifax. fieldstoneshowpark.com.

23 BRDC CNEER OPEN SHOW, Felton Field, Barre. barreridingdrivingclub.com.

21 GAMES NIGHT, Orange. crimsonacres.org.

23 DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Xenophon Farm, Montague. xenophonshows@gmail.com.

June 2

Harmony Hill Farm

22 POLO MATCH, Georgetown. bostonpolo.org.

June 9

Bellwether Stables

22 WESTERN DRESSAGE AND WORKING EQUITATION OBSTACLE SERIES, Windy Woods Stable, Westfield. cathydrumm.com.

June 16 White Horse Hill Farm June 23 Grindstone Mountain Farm June 30 Bonnie Lea Farm July 7

Bellwether Stables

July 14

Heritage Farm

July 20

Harmony Hill Farm

July 21

Muddybrook Farm

July 26

Emerald Glen

July 28

Bonnie Lea Farm (jumpers)

Aug. 4

Grindstone Mountain Farm

22 – 23 NEMHS MINIATURE HORSE SHOW, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. nemhs.org.

23 GRHC OPEN SHOW, Dufresne Park, Granby. granbyregionalhorse.org.

23 SUMMER SCHOOLING EVENT I, Berlin. orchardhillequestriancenter.com.

23 OPEN SHOW, Uxbridge. azrael acres.com.

23 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Grindstone Mountain Farm, Southampton. wnepha.com.

24 – 25 SMARTPAK SUMMER SALE, Natick Retail Store. smartpak.com/retailstore.

25 ROBERT COSTELLO CLINIC, JH Eventing, Sutton. (978) 875-2036.

26 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

26 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

26 – 27 SUMMER DRESSAGE SHOW, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. mhcriding.com.

23 NEECA GYMKHANA, Athol. neeca.org.

Aug. 18 White Horse Hill Farm Aug. 25 Berkshire Equestrian Center

DRESSAGE SHOWS English and Western Tests

June 2

Higher Ground Farm

June 9

Emerald Glen

July 21 Stockade Aug. 25 Emerald Glen

Open Shows . Horse Trials . Clinics Open Show Series May 19 . June 23 July 28 . August 25

Champion & Reserve in all Divisions!

Year-end awards in many divisions.

Full schedule can be found at

34

Clinic

Elisa Wallace - June 8 & 9

Horse Trials & Dressage June 15 . July 6 August 3 . September 28 Pre-Elementary through Novice!

Summer Camp Sessions July 15 to July 19

July 29 to August 2

WNEPHA.com

Azrael Acres, 144 Williams St., Uxbridge, MA (508) 234-2678

An organization for horsemen, by horsemen.

Visit azraelacres.com for class lists, registrations, and more.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

30 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

27 – 30 PATRIOT REINING CLASSIC, Northampton. patriotreining.com.

30 BSTRA POKER RUN, Mendon. bstra.org.

28 MHC SHOW, Pembroke. herringbrookfarm.com.

28 – 30 USEF USEA HORSE TRIALS, Groton House Farm, Hamilton. grotonhousefarm.com.

3 – 7 NHHJ SUMMER SHOW, Fieldstone, Halifax. nhhja.com.

29 VERA KESSELS CLINIC, Stony Brook Farm, Norfolk. jodipearsonkeating.com.

29 MHC SHOW, Southampton. (413) 636-2326.

5 – 7 REGIONAL 4-H SHOW, Northampton. kellimarie43@yahoo.com.

30 CCEA JUDGED SHOW, South Yarmouth. ccequineassoc.com.

Family owned for 42 years!

“A happy horse rides in a Yered Trailer.”

7 WNRDC HORSE TRIALS, Pipestave Hill, West Newbury. wnrdc.com.

30 SOUTH COAST SERIES HUNTER SHOW, Buzzards Bay. southcoastseries.com.

7 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

7 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Bellwether Stables, Richmond. wnepha.com.

30 NEHC “C” RATED, MHC “C” RATED SHOW, Grafton. hillside-meadows.com.

Many more brands and models online at yeredtrailers.com!

7 MERRIMACK VALLEY DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Haverhill. (978) 374-0008.

30 SUMMER SCHOOLING DRESSAGE SHOW, Sherborn. coursebrookfarm.com.

30 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Bonnie Lea Farm, Williamstown. wnepha.com.

June 8 - Learn by watching USEA Area 1 professionals ride and ask Lucinda questions.

June 9 & 10 - Succeed Master Classes with Lucinda

The Northeast’s Premier Trailer Dealer

6 SCHOOLING EVENT II, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield. sbschool.org.

30 WESTERN DRESSAGE SHOW, Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley. mhcriding.com.

Presented by North Bridge Equine

4 MARION FOURTH OF JULY SHOW, Washburn Memorial Park, Marion. marionhorseshow.com.

4 – 7 BSTRA CAMPOUT, Douglas. bstra.org.

29 NEECA STEPHANIE HAYES WORKING EQUITATION CLINIC, Athol. neeca.org.

Succeed Professional Master Class Symposium with Lucinda Green

July

7 WRC TRAIL RIDE, Blandford Ski Area. westfieldridingclub.org.

11 West Mill Street, Medfield, Mass.

(508) 359-7300 YeredTrailers.com

25 Forest Lane, Millis, MA ~ (508) 376-2564

North Bridge Equine Jumper Challenge Series June 12, 19, and 26 July 10, 17, 24, and 31 August 7, 14, 21, and 28 September 4 and 11 Finale

Miguel Anacoreta Soares Classical Dressage Clinic June 14 to 17

USEA Area I Schooling Miniature Horse Shows Horse Trials Championships June 22 & 23 . Aug. 11 - nemhs.org August 18

New England Dressage

USEA Horse Trials September 21

Beginner Novice, Novice, and Training levels.

Halloween Hunter Pace October 27

Marilyn Heath “L” Clinic - October 6 Lois Yukins “L” Clinic - November 24

CRDA Dressage Shows

June 2 . Aug. 4 . Sept. 29 - crdressage.org

Prize lists and entry forms at:

appleknoll.com. Check the website often as new events are added!

© Aryta Anny Photography

Lucky Finn Photography

Training with Adrienne Iorio Three-Day Eventing Competitor and Trainer . Millis, Mass. & Winter Training in Aiken, South Carolina Show Jumps For Sale . Horses and Ponies For Sale/Lease

Rent our facilities for horse shows, clinics, and other equine activities. Our cross-country course is open for schooling by appointment, weather permitting.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

35

Dressage Schooling Show Series

May 19 - Kathryn Hitzig “L” judge June 23 - Karen Roberts “L” judge July 21 - Crystal Taylor “L” judge September 8 - Krystal Wilt “L” judge October 6 - Ann Gupthill “L” judge For more information, reach out to Suzanne at xenophonshows@gmail.com.

8 MHC SHOW, Bolton. centurymillstables.com.

10 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

17 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

10 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

10 – 11 DOM SCHRAMM CLINIC, Course Brook Farm, Sherborn. coursebrookfarm.com.

12 MARK RASHID AND CRISSI MACDONALD CLINIC, North Dartmouth. ridinginspired.com.

12 JUMPER SHOW, Hillside Meadows Equestrian Center, Grafton. hillside-meadows.com.

13 USEF SHOW, Holliston. rideaugustfarm.com.

17 SOUTH COAST SERIES JUMPER SHOW, Valinor Farm, Plymouth. southcoastseries.com.

17 WESTERN DRESSAGE LESSON SERIES, South Hadley. cathydrumm.com.

19 GAMES NIGHT, Orange. crimsonacres.org.

20 HUNTER SHOW, Medway. saddlerowe.com.

20 TREC CLINIC OBSTACLES AND CONTROL OF PACE, Goshen. hampshirecountyridingclub.org.

Dressage Clinics

Bill McMullin & Verne Batchelder

13 OPEN SHOW, Orange. crimsonacres.org.

Like us on Facebook to see who’s coming!

13 BSTRA/NEECA JOINT BENEFIT PLEASURE RIDE, Felton Field, Barre. neeca.org.

20 NEECA GYMKHANA SERIES, Athol. neeca.org.

Xenophon Farm

14 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Heritage Farm, Easthampton. wnepha.com.

20 NEECA SUSAN BARTFAY CLINIC, Athol. neeca.org.

Janice & Elaine Kachavos

14 NSHA PLEASURE SHOW, Bob-Lyn Stables, Amesbury. northshorehorsemens.org.

21 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

More than 35 years of outstanding clinics, lectures, and competitions!

80 Sunderland Rd., Montague, Mass.

413.367.9828 XenophonFarm@aol.com

14 SCHOOLING HORSE TRIALS, Valinor Farm, Plymouth. valinorfarm.com.

14 BRDC NEECA OPEN SHOW, Felton Field, Barre. barreridingdrivingclub.com.

14 MHC SHOW, Haverhill. ridecornerstone.com.

Cape Community Equestrian Association

SHOW SERIES in South Yarmouth

June 9 - Jeryl Davis judge June 30 - Michelle Hunting judge July 21 - Paige Benson judge August 11 - Tammy Johnson judge September 29 - Betsy Kupic judge Divisions and Classes

m

ity un

Equestria nA

c sso

iation

eC Cap om

Hunter Over Fences & Under Saddle . Short Stirrup Beginner Equitation . Lead Line . Walk Trot Novice . Open . Hunt Seat Equitation Junior . Senior . Open Jumper . Equitation Pleasure . Horsemanship . Discipline Rail

ccequineassoc.com Find a prizelist and details at

36

17 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

14 SCHOOLING DRESSAGE SHOW, Beland Stables, Lakeville. belandstables.com.

14 BSTRA RIDE, Domnarksi Farm, Palmer. bstra.org.

20 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Harmony Hill Farm. Great Barrington. wnepha.com.

21 OPEN SHOW, Haskins Farm, Berkley. sunflowermeadowsequestrian.weebly.com.

21 SCHOOLING TWO-PHASE AND DRESSAGE SHOW, Cutter Farm, Dracut. cutterfarm.com.

21 HORSE TRIALS AND DRESSAGE SERIES, Azrael Acres, Uxbridge. azrael acres.com.

21 GAMES NIGHT, Grafton. hillside-meadows.com.

21 CCEA JUDGED SHOW, South Yarmouth. ccequineassoc.com.

21 HRC SHOW, Hanover. hansonridingclub.org.

14 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

14 NEHC “C” RATED, MHC “C” RATED SHOW, Grafton. hillside-meadows.com.

14 SOUTH COAST SERIES HUNTER SHOW, Buzzards Bay. southcoastseries.com.

21 DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Xenophon Farm, Montague. xenophonshows@gmail.com.

21 LEA MACINNIS JUDGED PLEASURE RIDE, Grafton. bstra.org.

Are you and your horse having problems?

Would you like your horse started under saddle and/or in harness?

Peter specializes in starting young horses correctly. 100% customer satisfaction using natural horsemanship techniques. More than 20 years experience starting horses as well as fixing existing problems. References available. The cost of the one-month training is $1,200, including board.

It’s a Pleasure Training with Peter Whitmore (978) 652-2231 . ItsaPleasureTraining.com

21 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Muddybrook Farm, Amherst. wnepha.com.

22 – 26 USHJA EMERGING ATHLETES PROGRAM CLINIC, South Hadley. mhcriding.com.

23 MEDAL DAY, Grazing Fields, Buzzards Bay. grazingfields.com.

23 – 27 NEW ENGLAND MORGAN SHOW, Northampton. nemha.com.

24 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

24 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

24 – 28 HEAD OF THE BAY CLASSIC, Grazing Fields, Buzzards Bay. grazingfields.com.

26 JUMPER SHOW, Hillside Meadows Equestrian Center, Grafton. hillside-meadows.com.

26 – 28 HCRC CAMPING WITH YOUR HORSE, Warwick. hampshirecountyridingclub.org.

26 – 28 YANKEE COLOR CLASSIC, West Springfield. westernmassapp.weebly.com.

27 POLO MATCH, Georgetown. bostonpolo.org.

27 GRANBY SADDLE CLUB SHOW, Dufresne Park, Granby. luckyhorsefarm.com.

27 WESTERN DRESSAGE AND WORKING EQUITATION OBSTACLES SERIES, Windy Wood Stable, Westfield. cathydrumm.com.

27 – 28 VERA KESSELS CLINIC, Stony Brook Farm, Norfolk. jodipearsonkeating.com.

28 OPEN SHOW SERIES, Azrael Acres, Uxbridge. azrael acres.com.

28 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

28 TWO-PHASE AND DRESSAGE SHOW, Red Mare Farm, Hatfield. redmarefarm.com.

28 SUMMER THREE-PHASE EVENT, Course Brook Farm, Sherborn. coursebrookfarm.com.

28 JUMPER AND DERBY CROSS, JH Eventing, Sutton. (978) 875-2036.

Country Corral 35 Main St., rear, Rte. 9, Williamsburg, MA (413) 268-0180 countrycorral@aol.com M-F 9:30AM - 5:30PM, Sat 9:30AM - 4:00PM Right behind A-1 Hilltown Pizza in Williamsburg center.

SMALL ANIMALS EXOTICS ACUPUNCTURE CHIROPRACTIC HOMEOPATHY PHYSICAL THERAPY

28 WNEPHA JUMPER SHOW, Bonnie Lea Farm, Williamstown. wnepha.com.

30 MEDAL DAY, Grazing Fields, Buzzards Bay. grazingfields.com.

31 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

31 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

31 – August 3 UPHA 14 SUMMER CLASSIC, Northampton. uphaonline.com/chapter-14.

Independence Stable

HOUSE CALLS FULL-SERVICE SMALL-ANIMAL HOSPITAL GROOMING PET SUPPLIES

2019 Dressage Schooling Shows

FAMILY

Traditional & Western Dressage Tests

VETERINARY CENTER

Brands we carry Abady Alpo Poulin Blue Seal Precise Canidae Pro Plan Diamond Purina Eukanuba Purina Mills Friskies Science Diet Iams Sensible Choice Kaytee Solid Gold Merrick Triple Crown Natural Balance Triumph Nature’s Recipe Wellness Neura Whiskas Nutrena Nutro Wild and caged bird Wysong and small animal feed.

Old Mother Hubbard Kakadu Oilskin Coats.

Pedigree Pinnacle

HORSES

May 5 June 2 August 4 September 8 Check our Facebook page for updates!

404 S. Washington St. Belchertown, Mass.

(413) 284-0371 independencestablellc.com

BUD ALLEN, M.S., D.V.M. ROBIN KARLIN ALLEN, D.V.M. 99 MAIN ST. (RTE. 9) HAYDENVILLE, MA (413) 268-VETS FAMVETS.COM

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

37

31 – August 4 HEAD OF THE BAY CLASSIC, Grazing Fields, Buzzards Bay. grazingfields.com.

August 3 HUNTER SHOW, Medway. saddlerowe.com.

3 POLO MATCH, Georgetown. bostonpolo.org.

3 – 4 USDF DRESSAGE SHOWS I AND II, Bear Spot Farm, Concord. bearspotfarm.com.

4 CRDA DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. crdressage.org.

4 DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Independence Stable, Belchertown.independencestablellc.com.

4 BRDC SCHOLARSHIP OPEN SHOW, Felton Field, Barre. barreridingdrivingclub.com.

4 SCHOOLING HORSE TRIALS, Palmer River Equestrian Center, Rehoboth. (508) 252-6347.

Linda Parmenter

4 SUMMER SCHOOLING EVENT II, Berlin. orchardhillequestriancenter.com.

USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist USDF “L” Judge Instruction . Training . Clinics . Sales

4 POLO MATCH, S. Hamilton. myopiapolo.org.

4 HRC SHOW, Middleboro. hansonridingclub.org.

Hanover Equine Dental 91 Lombard Rd., Hubbardston (978) 928-5492 pinehaven@charter.net parmenterdressage.com

Barefoot Hoof Care Rehabilitation of Laminitis/Founder & Other Hoof Pathologies Transitions from Shod to Barefoot Maintenance Trims

Diet & Nutrition Analysis Total Body Health

Natural Horsemanship Training Connection & Communication

Achaina

Classical Dressage & Work-In-Hand Balance, Strength, & Agility

Holistic Equine Services . Kathleen Ladendecker

(413) 310-4692 . Achaina.com kathy@achaina.com

38

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

4 BSTRA LAKE DENNISON PLEASURE RIDE, Royalston. bstra.org.

4 WRC TRAIL RIDE,October Mountain State Park, Washington. westfieldridingclub.org.

Terry Paul

4 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Grindstone Mountain Farm, Southampton. wnepha.com.

Performance floating for all disciplines.

Serving all of southern New England.

5 SYMPOSIUM WITH GARY ROCKWELL, Bear Spot Farm, Concord. bearspotfarm.com.

Graduate of the American School of Equine Dentistry

eqdent1@verizon.net . (781) 630-0741

Tack Repairs & Restoration

saddles . chaps belts . halters bridles . reins harnesses dog collars & leashes

Blue Dog Leather 64 South Shore Dr., Orange, Mass.

978.544.2681 bluedogleather.com Open by appointment, please call ahead.

7 SOUTH COAST SERIES JUMPER SHOW, Valinor Farm, Plymouth. southcoastseries.com.

7 JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES, Apple Knoll Farm, Millis. appleknoll.com.

7 HHRC MINI SHOW, Hanover. briggsstable.com.

8 MHC SHOW, Herring Brook Farm, Pembroke. herringbrookfarm.com.

8 – 11 USEF NORTHAMPTON HUNTER JUMPER SHOW, Northampton. airshowjumping.com.

8 – 11 CCDS PLEASURE DRIVING SHOW, Orleton Farm, Stockbridge. colonialcarriage.org.

10 CCH SHOW, Raynham. capecodhunter.com.

10 NEECA YOUTH DAY, Athol. neeca.org.

10 WRC GAMES DAY, Westfield. westfieldridingclub.org.

10 UMASS BREED SHOW I, UMass Hadley Equine Center, Hadley. neda.org.

This Olde Horse

Susan Rainville

DRESSAGE

Easthampton

Dressage Training, Groundwork & Response Training for a more confident partnership.

USDF bronze & silver medalist Dressage Schooling Show Series Weekly Lessons Affordable Training & Boarding Off-farm Clinics Adult Camp Competition Camps

White Spruce Farms Central Massachusetts (978) 257-4666 whitesprucefarms.com

Easthampton Police Chief James Campbell in 1935.

Lise Krieger

Certified Saddle Fitter saddle assessments fitting evaluations flocking . repairs consignments . sales

newenglandsaddlefit.com newenglandsaddlefit@comcast.net 203 . 685 . 2308

Got Manure?

Lessons 5 Training Clinics 5 Drill Team Horse Shows Games Nights Summer Camps

MANURE REMOVAL FOR LARGE & SMALL FARMS

Roll-off containers 10 to 30 yards on call or scheduled service. Full stock pile removals.

Recovery . Maintenance . Performance Therapeutic Massage . Bodywork . Reiki

(413) 320-7690 jobunny@comcast.net

978-425-6181 MitranoRemoval.com Proud sponsor of Bear Spot Musical Freestyle and Oakrise Farm Shows.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

39

the

neighborhood

ASSOCIATIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BAY STATE TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION bstra.org Keeping trails open for equestrian use; organized trail rides; volunteer opportunities for trail clearing and maintenance.

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY RIDING CLUB Goshen, MA, (413) 268-3372 hampshirecounty ridingclub.org Monthly trail rides, woodland obstacle course, scavenger hunt, and clinics.

BARN CATS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• PAWS WATCH P.O. Box 7005, Warwick, RI 02887 cats@pawswatch.org, pawswatch.org Barn cats need homes! Healthy, fixed, vaccinated barn cats provide rodent control. Delivered!

Your Everything Equine “white pages”

NORTHEAST EQUINE VETERINARY DENTAL SERVICES LEAH LIMONE, DVM, DAVDC/EQ Topsfield, MA, (978) 500-9293 nevds.com Board certified in equine veterinary dentistry. Routine preventive care, maintenance, diagnostics, extractions.

EQUINE ENTERTAINMENT •••••••••••••••••••••••••• DALE PERKINS/MESA FARM Rutland, MA, (508) 886-6898 daleperkinshorseshow.com Trick riding and much more.

EQUINE MASSAGE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• HORSEBACK AND BODY Northampton, MA, (413) 320-7690 jobunny@comcast.net Massage therapy for horses, humans.

BARN BUILDERS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• CARRIAGE SHED Serving the Northeast, (800) 441-6057 carriageshed.com Barns, arenas, shed rows, custom buildings.

EQUINE THERAPY •••••••••••••••••••••••••• HIGH HORSE HILL THERAPEUTIC HORSEMANSHIP Middlefield, MA, (413) 961-9311 highhorsehill.com Therapeutic horsemanship for all ages.

DRESSAGE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BRADFORD EQUESTRIAN CENTER Haverhill, MA, (978) 374-0008 Dressage for all disciplines and driving.

Keith Angstadt, USEF dressage judge.

FINANCING, LOANS, TAX PREP •••••••••••••••••••••••••• FARM CREDIT EAST (800) 562-2235, farmcrediteast.com Financing, loans, tax preparation, business consulting, financial planning.

CATHY DRUMM Pittsfield, MA, (413) 441-5278 cathydrumm.com Clinics, lessons, training, western and English dressage, hunter/jumper.

HAFLINGERS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• SOMMER HILL FARM Adams, MA, (413) 743-9301 sommerhaflingers@yahoo.com One Haflinger is never enough.

FAIRFIELD FARM Rochester, MA, (508) 763-8038 dressageatfairfieldfarm.com Boarding, instruction, training, indoor.

LINDA PARMENTER Hubbardston, MA, (978) 928-5492 parmenterdressage.com USDF bronze and silver medalist, USDF “L” judge; instruction, clinics, training.

WHITE SPRUCE FARMS New Braintree, MA, (978) 257-4666 whitesprucefarms.com Dressage shows, instruction, all levels/ages.

XENOPHON FARM Montague, (413) 367-9828 xenophonfarm@aol.com Dressage schooling shows, clinics, lessons, boarding, training, trails, owners on site.

EQUINE DENTISTRY •••••••••••••••••••••••••• WENDY BRYANT, EQDT Northampton, MA, (413) 237-8887 wbryantnatrualbalancedentistry.com Natural balance equine dentistry.

Improved topline, maximized performance, increased flexion. Serving New England.

40

HOOF CARE • • • • • • •••••••••••••••••• ACHAINA (413) 310-4692, achaina.com Barefoot hoof care; rehabilitation, transitions from shod to barefoot, maintenance.

STRAIN FAMILY HORSE FARM Granby, CT, (860) 653-3275 strainfamilyhorsefarm.com New England’s largest quality sales stable.

Forty family, trail, and show horses to choose from. New loads every week. We buy horses, take trade-ins, and consignment horses. Great three-week exchange guarantee. Find us on Facebook.

INSTRUCTION/TRAINING •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BACK BAY FARM Ipswich, MA, (978) 356-0730 backbayfarm.com Lessons, boarding, training, and sales.

INSURANCE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• DON RAY INSURANCE Marshfield, MA, (781) 837-6550 donrayinsurance.com Farm, mortality, major medical and surgical, clubs, shows, instructors.

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

FARM FAMILY INSURANCE farmfamily.com Boxborough: (978) 467-1001 Carver: (508) 866-9150 Centerville: (508) 428-0440 Easthampton: (413) 203-5180 Great Barrington: (413) 528-1710 Marlborough: (508) 485-3800 Middleborough: (508) 747-8181 Northborough: (508) 393-9327 Southwick: (413) 569-2307 Wilbraham: (413) 887-8817 Williamstown: (413) 458-5584 Worcester: (508) 752-3300 JUDGES •••••••••••••••••••••••••• ED GOLEMBESKI Gill, MA, (413) 863-2313 riker119@comcast.net 4-H, open shows, clinics, lessons.

NORWEGIAN FJORDS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BLUE HERON FARM Charlemont, MA, (413) 339-4045 blueheronfarm.com Quality, purebred registered Fjords.

REAL ESTATE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• ALTHEA BRAMHALL HOMETOWN REALTORS North Quabbin region, (617) 678-9300 althearealtor@gmail.com Real estate is more fun with horse people!

EQUINE HOMES REAL ESTATE LLC MA and NH, (800) 859-2745, ext. 704 equinehomes.com. sally@equinehomes.com Sally Mann, Realtor, MA and NH. STABLES, FARMS, BOARDING •••••••••••••••••••••••••• APPLE KNOLL FARM Millis, MA, (508) 376-2564 appleknoll.com Eventing training, lessons, schooling trials, clinics; facilities available for events.

CARRIER’S FARM Southampton, MA, (413) 527-0333 rcarrier0333@gmail.com Indoor, outdoor arenas, round pens, fields.

GLENCROFT FARM Southampton, MA, (413) 527-8026 kraymond24@hotmail.com Boarding, pastures, ring, trails, fields.

STRAIN FAMILY EQUESTRIAN CENTER LLC Southwick, MA, (413) 569-5797 strainfamilyequestrian.com Boarding, lessons, training, sales, therapeutic riding.

TACK •••••••••••••••••••••••••• CHESHIRE HORSE Swanzey, NH, (877) 358-3001 cheshirehorse.com English, western, feed, supplies, trailers.

SMARTPAK RETAIL STORE Natick, MA, (508) 651-0045 smartpak.com/retailstore Tack, equipment, supplements, blankets, apparel, gear, gifts, clearance outlet.

TRANSPORTATION •••••••••••••••••••••••••• J.R. HUDSON HORSE TRANSPORTATION West Bridgewater, MA, (508) 427-9333 jrhudsonhorsetrans.com Serving the lower 48 states and Canada.

VETERINARIANS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• FAMILY VETERINARY CENTER Haydenville, MA, (413) 268-8387 famvets.com Traditional and alternative care for dogs, cats, exotics, and horses.

SOUTH DEERFIELD VETERINARY CLINIC DR. ROBERT P. SCHMITT S. Deerfield, MA, (413) 665-3626 sdvc@aol.com Equine medicine, surgery since 1969.

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. . . Lend a Hoof continued from page 15

each horse and rider,” Brianna says.

“This isn’t a boxed program that we’re doing. We make sure that each rider and each horse get what they need.”

Brianna just adores working with the kids. “It’s awesome!” she says.

“They’re all really good, very happy, and put their best foot forward!”

“Brianna enjoys horse training and is a natural at it,” says Ginny. “We were at the barn before Brianna arrived. We had a couple of instructors who came and left because they were not a match for our program and during that time Brianna was working toward her license. We always saw her as someone we’d want on our team.”

Ginny is excited for every new family that reaches out to Rising Hope Farm and for the opportunities it will bring them. She sits with loving mom Cara Raulerson, who has brought her daughter Cailey for her first lesson with the program. While Kevin leads the horse, Eliza calmly instructs Cailey to complete a few exercises. Winston, Cailey’s kind and patient mount, knows

Want to lend a hoof? Visit ridinghopefarm.org and facebook.com/RisingHopeFarm.

exactly how big a role he plays in this moment. Cailey looks ahead as they walk over a set of brightly-colored ground poles.

“She’s so excited!” says Cara, watching her focused daughter from behind the viewing room glass. “She’ll be talking about this for a long time.”

Cailey smiles sweetly when she pats Winston at the end of her lesson. He’s earning her trust and his way into her heart.

There’s an emotional moment in the viewing room.

“You see, this is what makes it worth it,” Ginny says, choked up, as she glances at Cailey’s proud mom and then back out into the ring at Cailey and Winston. “This is what makes it worth it.”

It’s no wonder that ‘A Farm for All’ is written on the painted horseshoe logo of Rising Hope Farm. Everyone, no matter the challenges they face, is welcome and certain to leave a better person, with a smile, a lasting memory, and renewed hope that there really is so much good in this world.

Singer/songwriter Lara Rudowski enjoys performing, spending hours at her piano composing, and writing stories and spoken-word poetry. Inspired by travel and the everyday details of life, she can often be found, camera in hand, at equestrian events capturing her love of horses and riding since childhood.

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Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

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Norfolk

Is This Your Horse?

Large and Small Animal Medicine & Surgery Serving the North Shore since 1951 Helen Noble, VMD Robert Orcutt, DVM Elizabeth Lordan, DVM Nicole Syngajewski, DVM 295 High St, Ipswich, Mass.

978-356-1119 (ph) . 978-356-5758 (f)

©2019 JBK Photography

srhvets.com

Is this your horse?

This photo was taken at the National Barrel Horse Association MA01 District competition at Run and Gun Ranch in Norfolk on May 11. If this is your horse, contact us at win@mahorse.com for a $50 gift certificate from the Bay State’s very own SmartPak, smartpakequine.com, and a two-year subscription to Massachusetts Horse.

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RERponies.com . rerponies@gmail.com 42

Massachusetts Horse June/July 2019

Farm & Equine . Equine Mortality . Horse Owners Liability Our agents have been serving the equine community for a combined 50+ years.

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978-399-0025 | ABInsGroup.com Richard@abinsgroup.com Wendy@abinsgroup.com . John@abinsgroup.com Licensed in MA, NH, VT, ME, CT & RI

Amherst Farmer’s Supply 320 South Pleasant St., Amherst (413) 253-3436 amherstfarmerssupply.com

Bridgewater Farm Supply 1000 Plymouth St., Bridgewater (508) 697-0357 bridgewaterfarm.com

Essex County Co-op 146 S. Main St., Topsfield (978) 887-2309 essexcountycoop.net

Hoosac Valley Coal and Grain 2 Gavin Ave., Adams (413) 743-0163 hoosacvalleycoalandgrain.com

A.W. Brown Pet & Garden Center 144 Shaker Rd., E. Longmeadow (413) 525-2115 awbrown.com

Country Corral 35 Main St., Williamsburg (413) 268-0180 countrycorralonline.com

Greenfield Farmers Co-op Exchange 269 High St., Greenfield (413) 773-9639 greenfieldfarmerscoop.com

Sweet Meadow Feed & Grain 111 Coolidge St., Sherborn (508) 650-2926 sweetmeadowfeedandgrain.com

Brattleboro Agway 1277 Putney Rd., Brattleboro, VT (802) 254-8757 achilleagway.com

Dodge Grain Company 59 N. Broadway, Salem, NH (603) 893-3739 dodgegrain.biz

Hardwick Farmers Co-op Exchange Rte. 32, Gilbertville (413) 477-6913 hardwickfarmers.net Massachusetts Horse

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRIDGEPORT, CT PERMIT

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