Midwest Equine 0 1 0 Online Nov 2
Articles: -Mike Branch -Dr Susanne Myers -Wazee Riders -Amateur Racehorse Reps. Of WI -Midwest Arabian Breeders Club
Contact: Rhonda Reese, General Manager Or Jill Schroeder, Event Coordinator Midwest Horse Fair® 920.623.5515 press@midwesthorsefair.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rough and Tough Rodeo Returns to Midwest Horse Fair®
MADISON, WI, October 7, 2010 - The stars of the rodeo world will be shining at the John Deere Coliseum during the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®. The Friday night rodeo, which has been a Midwest Horse Fair® favorite for many years, will again play a big part of the 2011 event, which runs April 15-17, in Madison, Wis. The theme for the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair® is“StarGrazing,” and this extreme cowboy competition will roll out the red carpet for the celebrities of the rodeo world as they use their strength, speed and skill to work their way towards the National Finals Rodeo. With over 60 years experience in the rodeo arena, Barnes PRCA Rodeo will be bringing back their worldclass events for a second year. Barnes PRCA Rodeo, the longest family run rodeo business in the U.S., will present the seven standard competitions at a PRCA rodeo, including saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping and barrel racing. The first three events - saddle bronc riding, bareback riding and bull riding - are considered "roughstock" events. The cowboy's score is equally dependent on not only his performance, but also the animal's performance. The other competitions are timed events, which means the cowboy (or cowgirl, for the barrel racing) compete against the clock, as well as each other.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the governing body of rodeo in North America, will sanction The Midwest Horse Fair® Rodeo, presented by Mills Fleet Farm &Science Diet. Over 600 PRCA rodeos are held each year. Mills Fleet Farm, sponsor of the Midwest Horse Fair® PRCA rodeo presented by Mills Fleet Farm & Science Diet, has been proudly serving the Upper Midwest since 1955 with high quality merchandise you won’t find anywhere else. They are your fullservice supplier for life, work, home and recreation – combining wide-ranging products, convenient services and friendly, knowledgeable personnel all under one roof. After over 50 years in business, Mills Fleet Farm has become the region’s most trusted name in retail with 31 locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota. Now in theirthird generation of family ownership, they remain committed to the founding values: honesty, integrity, hard work, service and loyalty to their customers and partners. Reserved-seat tickets for the Midwest Horse Fair® evening entertainment are required in addition to general admission. The Coliseum will be cleared each night and spectators must have a ticket to re-enter for the Friday night rodeo. Tickets for the evening shows will be available to the general public January 24, 2011 at 10:00 am, and are only available through Ticketmaster. In addition to the Friday night rodeo, The Midwest Horse Fair®, offers a full weekend of events for both professional and new horse owners, as well as those who just love horses. This equine expo is one of the nation’s top three-day equestrian events. There are demonstrations, speakers, shopping opportunities, and plenty of entertainment. For more information on the Midwest Horse Fair® visit www.midwesthorsefair.com. The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All proceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHC and are used to represent and foster a unified equine industry in Wisconsin, promote the equine through leadership, education, service and communication, and to take a proactive role in the future growth and development of the equine industry. For additional information, visit www.midwesthorsefair.com or contact the Midwest Horse Fair by phone at (920) 623-5515 or e-mail press@midwesthorsefair.com.
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### Media Notes: Contact Rhonda Reese or Jill Schroeder at 920.623.5515 to schedule interviews or photo opportunities Visit www.midwesthorsefair.com Visit www.barnesprcarodeo.com Visit www.fleetfarm.com
Dr. Suz' Says...
'The TRICKS of the Trade'
W e all have our own way of doing things which makes us unique as individuals. But sometimes, many times, we get stuck in a rut in our way of thinking or doing. We all know people that we consider to be very narrow minded about how and why things should be done a certain way and we're all guilty of being that way on some level. We get comfortable doing things a certain way because our friends do it that way, its favored by the majority, or it's just the way we've always done it. Sometimes we aren't aware of alternative approaches to take or don't look for them because we don't see a need to do so. Sometimes, we're just too 'focused' to see or think outside the box, or perhaps we think that change is far too cumbersome to contemplate.
But many times change is good.
In fact it can be what sparks innovation, revives the senses and brings new and improved direction to our lives. Most of the people or companies you know that are successful are so in large part because they have sought out change. Yes, they are driven, focused at some level, likely competitive, but always aware of the need for diversity in their approach to things and the undeniable truth that survival in business and industry or the maintenance of one's sanity depends on the ability to adapt to change. Successful people realize the limitations, frustrations, and stagnation that comes from being closed minded and instead make it a priority to evaluate the current status of things and the effect that change will have on them or their business. Successful businesses and individuals "roll with the changes" and often initiate them. At Next Level HorsemanshipTM we make it a priority to keep our training program fresh. We're progressive in our approach to training so that we can incorporate the most effective techniques in our protocols to maximize partnership and performance with our horses. As with any business there are core principles by which we stay true but we evaluate, mold, and redefine our program as we develop new techniques or as new information becomes available to us.
Lauren Ross assistant trainer for NHL
One of the things we believe strongly in is coaching our horses to think outside of the box as well. And, one of the best ways we've found to do that is by teaching them high school maneuvers, often referred to as 'tricks'. I think far too often people get stuck in a training rut with their horses. They get involved in specific disciplines and train just for those disciplines without incorporating diversity into their horses programs. This can very often lead to a plateau in your horses training and leave him feeling frustrated and dull. Cross disciplinary approaches to
training and in particular, teaching high school maneuvers is a great way to diversify your training program, heighten your horse's sense of awareness, develop a newfound relationship between you and your horse, and take you and your horse to the Next Level in horsemanship.
T rick training can have extremely beneficial results to your horse’s response to training overall and will never take away or distract from traditional training methods or interfere with specific training goals. By contrast, trick training will enhance your horse’s ability to learn in other areas of training by teaching submissiveness, politeness and promoting both mental and physical coordination. Often horses are more willing to learn, learn more efficiently, and are safer following trick training. Additionally, handlers become more confident and are empowered by the realization of what is possible to accomplish with their horses after experiencing trick training maneuvers with their horses. Specific techniques that can be added to your horses training include but are not limited to the lay down, the kneel, the bow, the sitdown, hobbling, liberty work etc. Indeed our program has saved many horses and the relationships between horses and their owners by incorporating trick training or high school maneuvers into their specialized training protocols. The lay down in particular is a technique we use often to diversify a horses program but also to make astonishing breakthroughs in basic training with horses that have fear based issues prohibitive to establishing a relationship initially.
Many of the high school maneuvers are beneficial to handlers with confidence issues with their horses or to handicapped riders. Again, the lay down and kneel are maneuvers that can be taught to horses and in doing so can open entirely new worlds for people who previously were limited in what they thought was possible with their horse. Teaching a horse to lay down makes mounting or grooming from a wheel chair much more doable. The whole relationship changes for both the horse and the rider/handler. Bareback riding is much less intimidating if you know you can ask your horse to bow or lay down to get back on if
you're on trail and have to dismount, but can't mount without a mounting block or saddle.
T his alternative approach or addition to your training program, trick training, has other benefits as well. It helps to develop suppleness and athleticism in your horse. It teaches him to wait on you, wait on your cue and not to anticipate and rush maneuvers. But even more than that, it puts his focus back on you. When often times we find our horses wanting to escape their normal routine because they are bored and caught up in the monotony of it all, trick training can turn their way of thinking around and give them an outlet to develop their minds along with their physical prowess.
W e would never think of limiting our children's ability to learn.
Daily we send them to school and encourage them to excel in both their education and in sports and other extracurricular activities. With dogs, and other pets we train them to do just about anything we think they are capable of learning. Think outside the box now with horses - it should be no different with them. They are a magnificent species and also capable of so much that has yet to be determined and their capacity to learn, as with other animals is likely limited only by our ability to teach.
I would encourage everyone to incorporate some level of high school maneuvers into their training program no matter what discipline you focus on. Broaden your scope, stay on top of your game, and excel with the added benefits trick training can provide in your training program. Remember, closed mindedness can limit our experiences and the opportunities which may otherwise be open to us - it can lead to stagnation and frustration in our lives and in our horses' lives. People and horses need routines, consistency and repetition in our training programs and
specific objectives to focus on, yet sometimes to maximize our productivity or to rejuvenate ourselves, we need to think outside of the box. Consider the incorporation of high school maneuvers into your horses training regimen and reap the benefits and rewards of a newfound relationship and heightened performance in your discipline of choice. Look for our new Tricks of the Trade video coming out this fall. Next Level Horsemanship Improve Your Horse. Improve Your Life ! Author's Note: Suzanne Myers, M.S., PhD. owns and operates Next Level HorsemanshipTM (NLH) training company in Pennsylvania and is the producer of a most unique equestrian challenge, the Equine TM Masters Championship . Suzanne has extensive experience in equine research and diagnostics at the Pennsylvania State University and conducts professional seminars and equine clinics nationally. Suzanne's lifetime experience training horses includes the track, colt starting, showing, driving, and nearly every breed. NLH was recognized recently for their work with gentling wild mustangs in association with the Bureau of Land Management when Suzanne became the first woman to win the Mustang Heritage Foundation sponsored Midwest Mustang Challenge in Madison WI in 2008 and her 3 assistant trainers took top 10 placings in a similar event in Tennessee in 2009. Suzanne accepts horses for training from across the United States. Contact her at Suzanne@NextLevelHorsemanship.com , or through her website, www.NextLevelHorsemanship.com.
Suzanne Myers, M.S., PhD TM
Next Level Horsemanship 790 Shady Dell Road, Port Matilda, PA 16870
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And there off!!! We had three great races back to back at the Richland County Fair again this year on September 10th. What a great time we had! Although we are open to all breeds including grade horses, it turned out this year that we had a Purebred Arabian race with 4 entries, and a Junior Open race with 2 entries, followed by our sister club’s futurity race (Midwest Arabian Breeders Club). Because we had a Purebred Arabian race to start we thought we would put on a small breed demonstration with a beautiful young gelding dressed in full formal Arabian costume….it was bea utiful and interesting to see and hear about the heritage of that foundation breed. That race, race #1, was an exciting time, we weren’t sure who was going to win until the very end. They all were fighting for 1st place of course, but in the end a horse named RFR Silver Crescent took the win with a time of 58.4 seconds! Crescent is a 6 year old grey stallion owned and trained by Pamela Fullerton of Resolute Farms Racing in Athens, WI, he was ridden by one of our jockey veterans Malinda Zielke, a fantastic and talented rider indeed! Crescent ran against 3 time ARROW race winner Czarming Gallant, who came in a great second, and two of his very own stable mates, RFR Polar Reign and half brother RFR The Iceman, who took a decent third. It was so awesome to hear the crowd cheer for their favorites. Before each race we call the horses to the post to parade in front of the crowd an announce who each horse is, along with jockeys and the owner and trainer information. It is really fun to try to pick your winner. We also had a lot of neat door prizes to give away and choose from, and the people who picked the winning horse were drawn from a box to see who won a prize. We did this with each race and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. I found the Junior Open race to be really exciting too. This was the first year running these races and unfortunately we were placed in the Fair schedule on a Friday (the week after school started by the way), BUT we had two fantastic riders on two fantastic horses come and run. Moira Walker (age 16) and Becky Elliott (age 15) ran a super race! They thundered around that track just like professionals. I remember how fearless I was at their age…it was all about SPEED! Moira and her beautiful horse “Watermelon” came in first with a time of 59 seconds flat! I remember her father saying something like “Wow, the excitement of being on the homecoming court probably won’t be anything after this!” She had a blast and took home a beautiful trophy and ribbon to boast her win. Becky and her beautiful mare “Grace” weren’t far behind either, they really both are fantastic riders. So much fun…. I hope both girls and many other younger riders will come and join us next year. We are going to be requesting a Sunday time slot just for this purpose, hopefully we will get it. The MABC Futurity race was a match race with two of Pamela Fullertons’ horses again. RFR The Iceman and RFR Polar Reign. Pamela told us this was a grudge match! The two boys at home in practice races win back and forth against each other. It was a good race too. “Reigner” took a good lead and was looking really strong until the last turn, you could tell “Iceman” w anted to win this one! And guess what, he did. He passed “Reigner” up in the final turn and never looked back! This race too was a 59 second flat race and great fun to watch. We would love to host any purebred breed race next year, my goodness, everyone know this is Quarter horse country!!! Where are all the barrel racers? When I used to run barrels, this would have been so much fun to compete in. We most likely will have an open race next year and definitely one or maybe two junior races, so get ready for 2011, try it, I guarantee it is an adrenaline pumping fantastic time with a lot of really great people! Visit www.arrowrace.com for more information. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
Pictures left to right: Moira Walker on “Watermon”; Becky Elliott on “Grace” with friend Joseph Kirsch; and Malinda Zielke on RFR Silver Crescent with owner accepting, Pamela Fullerton.
Contact: Rhonda Reese, General Manager Or Jill Schroeder, Event Coordinator Midwest Horse Fair速 920.623.5515 press@midwesthorsefair.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Communicating with the animals at the Midwest Horse Fair速 As an internationally known Animal Communicator, teacher, and speaker, Asia Voight has worked with over 40,000 animals in the last 12 years. She has been featured in news programs seen on ABC, NBC, and Fox TV. Speaking in front of thousands of animal lovers as a keynote speaker for events like the Midwest Horse Fair速 held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., Voight amazes audiences with her on-the-spot personal readings. She will return once again to the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair速, April 15-17, 2011. Voight's voice has been heard throughout the United States supporting animal wisdom on many radio interviews like the Rick Lamb Show and dressage rider Jane Savoie's tele-seminar. Readers of numerous newsprint publications (the covers of Brava and Women Magazine, the front pages of the Wisconsin State Journal and the Fitchburg Star) have been inspired by her uplifting and healing Animal Communication work. Voight has a published chapter in Crossing the Rubicon: Celebrating the Human-Animal Bond in Life and Death. Voight passes on her impressive experience and teaches workshops gently and step-by-step on how to connect with one's own animal companions. An enthusiastic health and body-aware person all of her life (especially after a life-altering car accident), she brings 20 years of training in yoga and meditation to her class itinerary.
Voight's home includes four horses: two Paints, a Morgan and a Mini. She has been studying Natural Horsemanship, and Connected Riding in the arena and on the trail for 18 years. Voight's journey continues with her trips to Bimini, Bahamas, where she facilitates week-long swims with wild dolphins. Soon she will be adding worldwide whale, turtle and horseback riding adventures to this already impressive list. The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All proceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHC and are used to represent and foster a unified equine industry in Wisconsin, promote the equine through leadership, education, service and communication, and to take a proactive role in the future growth and development of the equine industry. For additional information, visit www.midwesthorsefair.com or contact the Midwest Horse Fair® by phone at (920) 623-5515 or e-mail press@midwesthorsefair.com ### Media Notes: Contact Rhonda Reese or Jill Schroeder at 920.623.5515 to schedule interviews or photo opportunities Visit www.midwesthorsefair.com
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Contact: Rhonda Reese, General Manager Or Jill Schroeder, Event Coordinator Midwest Horse Fair® 920.623.5515 press@midwesthorsefair.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Paso Fino professional and Cowboy Mounted Shooting specialist Rick Meyer, president and owner of Royal Oak Ranch, Troy, Ill., will be a presenter at the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®. Each year this equine expo, held April 15-17 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., brings in an incredible array of top clinicians and exhibitors from all over the country. Meyer started working with Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses and Polo Ponies in the early 1970s. He has trained Walking Horses, Appaloosas, Paints, Quarter Horses, Morgans, Arabians, Icelandics, Peruvian Pasos and Fox Trotters, and in 1978, started training and breeding Paso Finos. Meyer won his first National and Grand National Championship at the 1979 Paso Fino Nationals. During the early 1980s, he became a Senior Certified Judge and Steward. Meyer co-authored the first “step by step” training book for Paso Finos, “Horse Sense inTraining,” which is now in its fifth printing. In 1986, Meyer won his first World Cup Championship at the Mundial in Puerto Rico. He helped organize the Professional TrainersAssociation and was the first president of that organization. Meyer has conducted numerous training clinics around the country, and managed the largest Paso Fino herd, of over 250, in North America during the late 1980s. To date, Meyer has won over 150 National Championships in Bellas Formas, Classic Fino, performance, pleasure and specialty classes. He was voted the 1993 Trainer of the Year by his peers, and judged the 1997 World Cup in Cali, Colombia.
Recently, Meyer has been co-founder and past president of the St. Louis Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association and the Illinois Renegades. He was a 2003 National Top Ten Cowboy, placed fourth at the 2006 World Cowboy Mounted Shooting Championship, and won the 2008 Mid-Eastern CMSA Championship as a Senior Men’s 4. As owner and operator of the well-known Royal Oak Ranch, Meyer currently spends his time doing clinics and appraisals, training Paso Fino horses and Cowboy Mounted Shooting horses, and enjoying his two grandsons. Started in 1979, the Midwest Horse Fair® has been continuously growing, with a strong focus on education and high-quality entertainment for individual horse owners, families, and those who just love horses. Over 500 exhibitors offer unique shopping and educational opportunities. Demonstrations and ongoing entertainment, along with hundreds of clinics, seminars, and events throughout the weekend, offers something for everyone. The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All proceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHC and are used to represent and foster a unified equine industry in Wisconsin, promote the equine through leadership, education, service and communication, and to take a proactive role in the future growth and development of the equine industry. For additional information, visit www.midwesthorsefair.com or contact the Midwest Horse Fair® by phone at (920) 623-5515 or e-mail press@midwesthorsefair.com. ### Media Notes: Contact Rhonda Reese or Jill Schroeder at 920.623.5515 to schedule interviews or photo opportunities Visit www.midwesthorsefair.com ******************************************************************************
WANTED Good looking pictures for our annual photo contest Ending soon..... Send them to info@midwestequineonline.com See page 23 for more details! *****************************************************************************
Contact: Rhonda Reese, General Manager Or Jill Schroeder, Event Coordinator Midwest Horse Fair® 920.623.5515 press@midwesthorsefair.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nutrena® $40,000 Grand Prix returns for a second round
MADISON, WI, October 15, 2010 - After a successful inaugural event in 2010, the Nutrena® $40,000 Grand Prix will be returning to the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®. This event, which spotlights one of the most exciting equestrian sports, will be held Saturday evening, April 16, 2011 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. The Midwest Horse Fair®, which will be held April 15-17, is one of the nation’s premier horse expos. A sold-out crowd filled the Coliseum during the first grand prix in Midwest Horse Fair® history. The appreciative crowd watched as 38 horse and rider teams tackled the challenging course designed by Puerto Rico's Hector Loyola in collaboration with Pat Boyle, whose company Showplace Productions managed the event. “The riders and owners had an incredible time,” said Boyle. “They enjoyed themselves immensely and were so impressed with the educated and responsive crowd. From our side it was a great event and we are looking forward to 2011, the competition should be even more exciting.” While five horses competed in the jump-off, it was Wilhelm Genn from Ohio and the chestnut mare Happy Z who won the 2010 Nutrena® $40,000 Grand Prix. Laura Linback and As di Villagana, finished a close second. "It was a great event, Hector and Pat built a very nice course, and the audience was the best I have ever experienced; they were supportive, electrifying, generous even,” said Genn of the 2010 event. “When you had some rails they made you feel like you were still doing somethingspecial."
Show jumping is all about getting through a jump course without accumulating any faults from knocking down rails or refusing a jump. Each horse and rider combination is timed, and speed is a critical factor in show jumping. The horse must be bold, brave and fast, while the rider needs to keep the horse under control and balanced, all while looking ahead and planning the strategy for the next jump. The 2011 $40,000 Nutrena® Grand Prix is an invitational event and will draw entries from all over the Midwest. There will be junior and amateur riders competing against the seasoned professionals. No matter what their age or division though, when they enter the arena, they will all be riding to win their share of the $40,000 prize money. After the jump-off in 2010, the audience was invited into the arena to view the obstacles first hand, and for a meet and greet with the riders. Allowing access to the daunting jumps was another way for the crowd to gain an appreciation of the scope and strength needed by these horses. Boyle added that this meet and greet will again be held in 2011. Showplace Productions, a professional equestrian event management company that producesshow jumping events in the Midwest, will again be organizing the event. “We are really glad to be coming back,” Boyle said. “The event was above and beyond everyone’s expectations and we were all overwhelmed with the venue and the response of the crowd.” Nutrena® is the sponsor of the evening’s competition. Nutrena® offers a complete line of feeds and supplements designed to provide optimum nutrition throughout all phases of an animal’s life. Using the highest quality ingredients and the most advanced nutritional technology, Nutrena® helps assure the health and well-being of horses, livestock, pets and more. Started in 1979, the Midwest Horse Fair® has been growing and going strong for over 30 years. This three-day equine expo offers something for everyone. Over 500 exhibitors offer unique shopping and educational opportunities for horse lovers and owners. Additionally, there areclinics, seminars, and events that feature top horse professionals from all over the country.Demonstrations and ongoing entertainment appeal to both horse owners and those who just love horses. Tickets for the Nutrena® $40,000 Prix will go on sale through all Ticketmaster outlets January 24, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Watch the Midwest Horse Fair® website (www.midwesthorsefair.com) for more information and announcements. The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All proceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHC and are used to represent and foster a unified equine industry in Wisconsin, promote the equine through leadership, education, service and communication, and to take a proactive role in the future growth and development of the equine industry.
For additional information, visit www.midwesthorsefair.com or contact the Midwest Horse Fair速 by phone at (920) 623-5515 or e-mail press@midwesthorsefair.com. ### Media Notes: Contact Rhonda Reese or Jill Schroeder at 920.623.5515 to schedule interviews or photo opportunities Visit www.midwesthorsefair.com Contact Pat Boyle, Showplace Productions, 847.274.6834
Chicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo Becoming known as “Best Educational Opportunity” An expanded list of keynote speakers and presenters has been announced for the 3rd annual Chicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo & Holiday Market November 20-21 at the Lake County Fairground’s Expo Center, Grayslake, IL. Keynoters include three-time Olympic coach Jane Savoie of Wellington, FL; Jeannine Berger, DVM, of Sacramento, CA, the only board-certified veterinary behaviorist specializing in horses in the United States; Richard Shrake of Sun River, OR, master educator, trainer and world-class horse show judge; and Randel Raub, PhD, head of equine research at Purina Mills’ 1,100-acre 75-horse research farm. Expo is produced by Horsemen’s Council of Illinois and sponsored by Purina Mills. The 65,000-square-foot Expo Center accommodates commercial booths, seminar areas and classrooms, but not horses, hence Expo’s strong focus on education and “All Things Equestrian” shopping. New this year is a unique in-the-saddle training experience from EQ Equisense Systems, developed in association with Savoie. The revolutionary equestrian training system was introduced this fall at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. Sensors in the device’s saddle and reins wirelessly transmit data to a monitor where a certified instructor can check the rider’s balance. Attendees will be able to mount a demonstration unit at Expo and experience diagnosing, evaluating and improving their riding skills. In practice, the EQ Enhanced Tack is used on a rider’s actual horse and the instructor can analyze the nuanced positioning of a rider’s balance and correct his use of aids in realtime. Also new this year will be an educational track specifically for equestrian facility managers, offering sessions on the business aspects of running the facility as well as dealing with various types of customers. These sessions all will be on Sunday. Expo also offers other unusual and useful hands-on learning sessions, such as how to analyze a fecal ball for parasites – bring your own fresh sample; microscope and instruction provided by the Southern Illinois University Equine Science Program. Sevie Kenyon, communications specialist for the University of Wisconsin’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, called last year’s Expo “the best equestrian education opportunity,” he’d ever se en, commenting on the 50 presentations given over the twoday event. Program details for all topics, presenters and times will be available at the Expo website www.HorsemensCouncil.org. Check it often for updates. “Whether you’re looking for feed, tack, togs, a barn to house them – or just a good time learning more about horses and every aspect of the equestrian lifestyle – you’ll find it at the Equestrian Lifestyle Expo,” according to Joy Meierhans, Expo manager. Vendors will offer English and Western tack, clothing for all breeds and disciplines; feed, supplements, health care products; facilities, equipment and stable supplies (barns, stalls, fencing, waterers), trailers and vehicles. Holiday gift items will include jewelry, paintings, prints, sculpture, books, videos, stationery, home/barn/lounge accessories – even chocolates in the shape of horse heads. Savoie will help attendees understand techniques such as (1) “Taking the ‘ Rigor’ Out of the ‘Mortis’” – learning three simple techniques to loosen and relax your horse’s body and calm his mind; (2) “Whoa & Go” – learning to “ whisper” with your aids and expect
your horse to “shout” his answer…not the other way around; (3) “Your Attit ude Determines Your Altitude” – changing from negative to positive emotions in a heartbeat with two easy exercises; and (4) “The Secret to Reprogramming Yourself for Success” – two powerful tools that change the software in your “mental computer” so you automatically reach your goals. Savoie knows whereof she speaks. She was the 2004 and 1996 dressage coach for the Canadian 3-Day Event Team in Atlanta and Athens. She also coached several top dressage and 3-Day Event riders for the 2000 Olympics, and while in Sydney she helped U.S. rider Susan Blinks win Bronze for the U.S. team. A member of the U.S. Equestrian Team since 1991, Savoie has represented the United States in competition in Germany, Holland, France, Belgium and Canada. She was the reserve rider for the bronze medal-winning Olympic dressage team in Barcelona in 1992. Savoie has written five books and collaborated on eight additional titles. Her books have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Polish. Dr. Berger practices behavior medicine in her private practice, Sacramento Veterinary Behavior Service. Before she became staff veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, she worked at the University of Zurich in Switzerland where she completed her thesis in large animal reproduction. She worked in Clinical Animal Behavior at UC Davis until earlier this year. She currently works with problem horses, starts young horses and teaches owners how to conduct behavior modification, which improves the horse-human relationship. A former trainer and competitor, Dr. Berger currently has three horses she rides for recreation. At Expo she will help attendees understand (1) “My horse is telling me what?!” – how horses learn and tell us what they think, (2) “My ho rse has coping mechanisms?!” – what stresses a horse and how does he cope, (3) “Mind games for highly competitive horses,” – mentally preparing them for competition, isolation, artificial environments, and (4) “Unspoiling the spoiled horse,” Can it be done? Can you do it? Shrake is the originator of the Resistance Free Riding and Training methods. He is an approved horse show judge for seven breeds and has judged more than 16 world and national championship shows. Among subjects Shrake will present are (1) “Training Your Horse to Use Both Sides” – how to get the same ride in both directions; (2) “Selecting the Horse for You” – understanding your needs, questions to ask seller; and (3) “Twelve Step Training Blueprint” – body position, leg and hand control. Dr. Raub is Director of Equine Business Development and Technical Service for Purina Mills. He received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the University of Illinois, and his Doctorate from the University of Kentucky where he focused on the effects of nutrition and exercise on growth physiology. Before joining Purina, he was the horse teaching and research specialist at Kansas State University for 12 years. He and his family are active in the breeding and training of ranch and western performance horses. Part of Expo’s programming format will be roundtables – literally – where attendees can spend 15 minutes at a table with an expert before moving on to the next table, topic and expert. Think of it as speed dating with the pros. The Lake County Fairgrounds Expo Center is north of Chicago in Grayslake, IL – west of I-94 and south of Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America. It is at the intersection of
Peterson and Midlothian Roads, located ½ mile west of US 45 and ½ mile east of IL 83. There is ample free parking in paved areas in front of the Expo Center. One-day tickets are $8; two-day $14. They may be purchased on the web site with a credit card or at the door. For information on Expo visit www.HorsemensCouncil.org and click on the Expo icon or call toll free 1-866-384-9161. For information on exhibiting, contact Joy Meierhans at (630) 557-2575 or JM@TheMeierhans.com . For attendees who wish to extend their weekend, Chicagoland has lots to see and do. Expo has arranged excellent rates at host hotels in the area. Horsemen’s Council of Illinois, voice of the horse industry in Illinois, is affiliated with the American Horse Council and is the statewide association of equine organizations and individuals working to provide centralized leadership for Illinois’ horses and horse owners, and its multi-billion-dollar industry.
Jane Savoie EQ Equisense Systems A revolutionary Equestrian training system developed in association with Savoie Available on demonstration for attendees of the Expo