Horse Country 4-14

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Sally Dale

A Bit of History – Manitoba Welsh Pony and Cob Association Equine Herpes Virus – Is it just a runny nose?

ISSUE 4•2014 Display until August

DESPOOKING – Part #1 CWHA Celebrating 50 Years

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VAULTING

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SPACE IS LIMITED July 21-25 Beginner Rider Day Camp – Sign Up August 18-22 Intermediate Rider Day Camp – Sign Up

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TARA REIMER 204-392-6308

September 26-30 CHA Standard Instructor Certification Clinic – Sign Up June 10 deadline to register for Summer lessons that begin the week of July 7th for 8 weeks.

August 17 deadline to register for Fall lessons that begin the week of September 15th for 10 weeks.

AT CLOUD 9 RANCH, we’re all about the horse so our teaching and training reflect a deep love and respect for this powerful animal. Whether you are a beginner, wish to brush-up on a few skills, or want to take your riding to the next level, we have a well-rounded program to fit your interests and goals.

Tara Reimer, CHA, EC CERTIFIED, 2013 CHA INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR CLOUD 9 RANCH, STEINBACH, MB

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Marketing & Editorial Manager: Tara Reimer

Advertising Art: Dana Jensen

Hello fellow horse enthusiasts!

Is it just a runny nose?

By Patrick Collins

By Tara Reimer, Cloud 9 Ranch

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person. ~ T. Roosevelt

By Tara Reimer

By Donna Hunter, Kenview Farm

By Karen Ross

Health & Training

16 Despooking – Part #1 18 Hold Your Horses 20 Dressage from the Group Up

By Jennifer Mack

By Chris Irwin

By Elaine Banfield

NEWS & DEPARTMENTS 23 Good Guys Wear White? ~ with Diamond Doug Keith 33 Upcoming Events 34 Index to Advertisers 34 Subscription Information

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On the cover: Manitoba Welsh Pony and Cob Association.

Photo courtesy of Sally Dale.

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Features 4 Welcome with Tara Reimer 8 Equine Herpes Virus 11 Never Too Old 12 Safe, Effective & Fun 14 Youth Enjoying Their Horses 24 PBR Bull Roper Extraordinaire 25 A Canadian’s Journey to the World Equestrian Games 28 Manitoba Welsh Pony and Cob Association 31 CWHA – Celebrating 50 Years 1964-2014

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Hello fellow horse enthusiasts!

Have you ever thought of how we go through life starting with the learning stages – Stage 1: not knowing what we don’t know, then Stage 2: KNOWING what we don’t know, and finally Stage 3: knowing what we know. This is why ignorance is bliss, because we don’t know what we don’t know!

Having a passion for horses and surrounding myself with them and the people that love and enjoy them, I am continuously amazed each time I learn what I didn’t previously know about horses. Then I feel compelled, almost obligated, to learn more so that I know enough about that aspect of the equine world in order to teach it to someone else. In my opinion, to really know something is to be able to teach it.

In this issue, learn more about the EHV-1 virus and how it is most commonly transferred by horses touching one another, and how the virus is seen as a cold or mild respiratory infection, yet causes abortion. The “Despooking” article clearly defines how to use desensitization and habituation to help horses through their instinctive fears.

I agree with Elaine Banfield and like how she describes “old” or “natural” horsemanship so those who weren’t aware of their body language, hopefully will be after reading this article.

Chris Irwin uses the great analogy of riding a horse like riding a surf board, controlling with our core from the back, not steering and pulling at the front.

Read the exciting histories of several associations that are celebrating milestones of 40 and 50 years. I am intrigued at how many associations and major events began about 50 years ago, along with Boston Pizza and Tim Horton’s!

For the associations, a lot of volunteer hours and dedicated people kept these associations going, mostly just for the pleasure of spending time with our horses!

Horses really are a disease – they’re in our blood! I say this in a very good way. Other horse people have the contagious disease and will travel across the ocean to ride in new surroundings. Jessica Manness brings us along www.horsecountry.ca

how badly I would love to join each person on their adventure, it does tell me that I will never be an equine expert.

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with her on her endurance riding journey to the World Equestrian Games. As fascinating as all the stories are, and

For the horse’s sake,

Tara Reimer

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The disciplines, breeds, events, and horses, are so vast in our industry that a lifetime is not long enough to learn it all.

Therefore, I know what I don’t know, but still strive to know more!

If you feel the same, enjoy this issue and let’s continue learning together! (And if you already know it, start teaching it to those who don’t know it yet!)

Editor and Marketing Manager y

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Hackney Pony CONFORMATION

By Mitchell Eastley So, you’re at a one-day small town country fair and you’ve been tasked with having to place a class of Hackney ponies. While it might seem intimidating to begin with, you need to take a step back and realize that the same principles for judging other horse breeds also apply to Hackney ponies when judging conformation.

The key for a side profile is the overall balance, where you break the horse up into three sections: the head, the back, and the hip.

Another area that is critical is looking at both the front and rear profile of the horse, paying specific attention to their legs. You want a horse that is straight in all the legs, where you can draw an imaginary straight line from the toes of the foot and work your way up towards the limb. Examples to look for in judging the conformation in the legs is signs of toe-in or toe-out, base-wide or base-narrow, and narrow in front or narrow behind.

The process for judging Hackney ponies in a halter class is scored as two segments determined by the American Hackney Horse Society and adopted by the Canadian Hackney Society.

The first segment being the conformation portion of the line class, it counts towards 50 percent of the total score. The remaining 50% percent is judged looking at the performance, manners, disposition, and way of going. How this is done is a term that is referred to as “working on the rail”. What this involves is putting

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each individual entry on the rail, where you have the horse in

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between the rail and the handler. What I like to do is use the curved portion of the arena, if room permits (if no room permits use the longest rail). I have the horse go both in a counterclockwise direction, stop, reverse, then go in a clockwise direction while you, the judge, are standing in the same spot – where ideally you’re the same distance from the rail. For this portion of the segment, you want to look for that extreme front and hind action that the Hackney pony is known for. You also want to see the horse’s head set up and be tucked.

Picture 1 is the Black Hackney Pony, picture 2 is the Brown Hackney Pony and picture 3 is the Chestnut Hackney Pony. I placed this class 3 - 1 - 2.For the purpose of this article, all three Hackney ponies scored the same on the rail.

From a conformation standpoint, the chestnut Hackney pony is an example of proper balance. He’s straight in the legs all around, a nice long neck that is refined, and if you poured a small amount of water on his back he wouldn’t spill a drop showing that his front legs are even in proportion with his back legs in terms of length.

The black Hackney pony is very similar to the chestnut Hackney pony, despite being smaller in size, in that he’s also balanced with a nice long neck. Nice long back which you want, but when you move to the hip area you see that his hind legs will show that his back feet are toed-out slightly.

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The brown Hackney pony is shorter in the neck compared to the other two. He’s also short in the back. The rear profile shows that he is straight in the front legs but he’s a little tight in the hocks on the rear legs, referred to as cow-hocked. If you also looked at the side profile, he has the appearance as if he’s standing downhill where his hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs.

Mitchell Eastley operates MTM Stables, based in Nesbitt, Manitoba, and has been showing Hackney ponies since 1992.

Eastley has shown at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair for 20 years, as well as participated in numerous shows with his ponies across Manitoba during that span and the Minnesota State Fair. o

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The Case Amber Bone Equestrian Folding Clip Point Knife w/ Hook Pick.

This Folding Pocket Knife from Case is made with Tru-Sharp Surgical Steel.

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? e s o n y n n u r a t Is it jus

By Dr. Chris Bell With the recent announcement of a positive neurological case of equine herpes virus in Winnipeg, it seems a fitting time to discuss this disease in more detail. Equine herpes virus (EHV) – also known as rhino or rhinopneuminitis – usually causes a mild upper respiratory tract infection that generally doesn’t cause any major issues for the horse. Unfortunately, in rare cases, the virus has the potential to also attack the neurological system of the horse.

When this happens, it can be a life and death struggle for your horse.

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Equine herpes viruses have been found in horses for hundreds of years. This is not a new virus by any means. There are several different forms of the virus and they tend to be known scientifically via a numbering system. The important subtypes are EHV-1, which has the potential for respiratory and neurological infection as well as being able to cause abortion during the second and third trimesters; EHV-3, which causes a reproductive associated condition in mares; and EHV-4, which causes a respiratory infection in young unvaccinated horses. There are several other known types of EHV but their importance is less, given the rarity that they cause significant disease.

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The focus here will be on EHV-1 and the diseases that can manifest from infection. The primary disease caused by EHV-1 is actually abortion. This form of the virus gained notoriety for causing mares to abort within the last four months of gestation.

Since the virus can be spread rapidly through small droplets on the breath, the virus quickly infects adjacent horses and can cause large groups of mares to abort all within a brief period of time. This is also referred to as an abortion storm. During the height of the PMU industry, abortion storms from EHV-1 infections occurred almost yearly. The other common outcome of infection that came with these abortions was the frequent upper respiratory tract infection. These horses would develop a low-grade respiratory tract infection like the common cold in humans, and then two weeks later the abortions would begin.

When you really dig into the numbers of those infected, we also

find that occasionally there were a couple horses that developed a neurological problem as well. Going back many years in history, there are records of the occasional horse that developed neurological symptoms following or during a mild upper respiratory tract infection.

One of the unique things about the herpes virus family is the ability of the virus to infect the horse and cause disease, but then go into hiding within the cells of the body until a later date. This is the same mechanism that human herpes simplex virus uses that causes people to develop recurrent cold sores. This crafty mechanism also makes the virus very difficult for the horse’s body to fully eradicate. There is a very complex interaction of the immune system with the virus, but essentially if the virus can hide inside certain cells, the horse’s immune system cannot touch it.

The long-term consequence of this being that the virus has the potential to be carried around for many years before coming out again when the opportunity presents.

Almost all horses will be exposed to the herpes virus at some point in their early life. Most horses (70 percent) that are tested for the virus will have the virus in their body. The usual course of infection results in a mild upper respiratory tract infection that clears in about two to three weeks. The typical signs are a fever (>38.5OC), runny nose, off feed, and mildly depressed. Most of the time the horse easily handles the virus and no ill effects are noted. This form of the virus is very common! This is also why testing for the virus can be very complicated – but that will be discussed later.

The virus is spread during the incubation period and for about seven to nine days after the clinical signs begin. The incubation period can be anywhere from two to seven days and sometimes longer. The transmission is via the small water droplets from the breath. This means that nose-to-nose contact is a very effective means to spread the virus. The virus can also live on inanimate objects like pails, buckets, brushes, blankets, clothing, footwear, and vehicles. This secondary means of transmission can be very

D HEALTH w concerning. The virus cannot infect humans but can be carried on our clothing between horses.

The neurological form of EHV-1 is also called equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). EMH is the result of a mutation in the EHV-1 DNA that allows for the virus to enter the central nervous system. Once it enters the spinal cord and brain, the virus causes small blood clots to form in the blood vessels that supply those tissues. The resulting spinal cord and brain damage gives the additional neurological deficits that we see.

These include depression, complete lack of appetite, difficulty urinating or unable to urinate, increasing fever (>38.5OC or 101OF) and uncoordinated movement of the hind limbs (and possibly forelimbs). These horses will be stumbling with their back legs and in some cases will fall down. Once they fall, they may not be able to rise again. The reason the DNA mutation occurs or why certain horses can become infected with the neurological strain and yet not become infected is unknown.

Once neurological damage has begun, the treatment for the disease is supportive care. Maintaining good hydration and nutrition, decrease inflammation with anti-inflammatory drugs, monitoring for urinary issues and placing urinary catheters as needed, are all the primary things that are done medically.

There are anti-viral drugs that can be used, but at great expense.

Horses that go down as a result of the damage do not have a good prognosis. Horses that are able to maintain balance on their feet will usually recover, but some do not ever recover fully or functionally.

Testing horses for the virus is complicated by the fact that 70 percent of horses already carry it in their cells. So positive tests without any signs of disease are very hard to interpret without some reference, such as if the horse tested was standing next to a horse that was infected – in that case, it is likely that the tested horse is shedding the same virus. Testing is reserved for horses that have clinical signs of infection with the neurological form.

The test can differentiate between the respiratory form and the neurological form which is very helpful, however, approximately 15 to 20 percent of the horse herd in North America carries the neurological form of EHV-1 yet are unaffected. These horses only shed the virus and are otherwise healthy. Identifying them is only possible if they are actively shedding the virus (as the virus hides inside the cells otherwise). Shedding typically occurs when the horse becomes stressed such as entering training, other illness, new herd mates, long trailer rides, etc.

Prevention is the key to limiting the spread of this virus. This begins with vaccination against EHV-1. Almost all the vaccine companies have a product that will protect against EHV-1. The

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Equine Herpes Virus continued... way they work is by providing the immune system with a means to rapidly recognize the EHV-1 when it gets into the body and quickly eradicate it before it can enter the cells. The vaccine is not always a 100 percent effective and depends on a large number of factors, however, it is the best means we have to protect our young horses and limit the shedding from our older horses. In addition, there are a couple vaccines specifically for EHV-1 alone that provide an additional booster. These are used to pump up the immune response and are given either on their own or as a booster to provide additional protection.

Biosecurity is a buzzword used when talking about preventing the spread of virus and infection. The best protection for your horses are the practices taken by you, the owner, in maintaining a clean, hygienic, isolated herd or horse. That doesn’t sound like much fun but with some common sense the general goals of biosecurity can be accomplished. When it comes to EHV-1, we know that nose-to-nose contact is a main mechanism of spread so you want to limit that contact between your horse and other horses that you may meet with an unknown background for disease. When you are at a show, rodeo, or event, and you have your horse tied by the trailer or stables on the ground, limit the number of unknown horses nearby and limit the nose contact with unfamiliar horses. When new horses come to your stable or herd, if possible, give them a two-week isolation from your group of horses until you are sure they have not developed any signs of infection. When at an event, don’t share buckets or feed pail between horses. This virus is killed by detergents followed by bleach so cleaning your clothes regularly and disinfecting boots, trailers, tires, etc., can be easily accomplished. Since humans can

spread this virus easily without knowing, limit the people going from horse to horse petting them or feeding them treats from a common source. Ensure your vets and farriers are practicing good hygiene.

When facing an outbreak or potential for outbreak, increase the stringency of these guidelines to limit horse movement on and off a farm for two weeks at least, and limit people movement on and off the farm for the same time period. Vaccinate the herd with an EHV-1 specific booster vaccine. Take the temperature of all horses twice a day (as the fever can be high in the morning and normal in the evening or the opposite with this disease). Any fever should be reported to your veterinarian for an examination and if warranted, isolating and EHV-1 swab testing.

This virus is not going to go be eliminated from all horses anytime soon. It has been within the horse population for hundreds of years. As an industry, we need to recognize the potential for problems from this virus – but not panic or over-react when we hear of its presence. This virus can be controlled through some fairly simple practices and common sense. There is strength in knowledge. As with any viral or bacterial infection out there, some horses will get sick and a few will die but we can minimize the spread and number of horses affected with our own horsemanship and hygienic practices. There are a number of very good resources for reading online through the AAEP and many university veterinary hospitals (UCDavis). There are also links to these resources through our practice website and other veterinary websites. If you need further information about EHV-1, contact your veterinarian and they can direct you to the resources that best suit your needs. 8

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Visit us along Highway #12 just North of Steinbach, across from the Museum.

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By Patrick Collins

Hélène and I are retired grandparents who moved from Winnipeg nearly 20 years ago. We have a 145-acre property in the Ste. Anne, Manitoba, municipality. Hélène isn’t quite a senior citizen as she was born in the ‘50s, but I am from the ‘40s and thus “way older”.

Hélène was a nurse in community healthcare, and I was an engineer. We have three adult sons, four grandchildren, two dogs, between six and eight cats and, every summer, about 200 chickens. We are particularly fond of the grandchildren, but our sons are nice, too.

She cooks, quilts, gardens and reads. I start to do things, but then I get distracted so putter and read. Oh yeah, I also do the vacuuming and dusting. I’m not entirely useless.

guy. Better still, from my point of view, he was happy to take any unclear signal as a command to stop. Along with that was the absolute enchantment of what Hélène was experiencing, and her enthusiasm about being able to share that with me. Pleasure shared is pleasure multiplied, I guess.

At the same time as all of this, I read two articles about old guys. One was an 80-year-old man leaving Nova Scotia for only the second time in his life in order to present his PhD thesis in France. The other man was still roping at age 98. That last guy said he had to continue riding because he was too old to walk.

With them in mind, I could hardly say I was too old to take up riding.

Entering the world of horses as retirees has been quite the experience! I became involved with horses due to love and arthritis. Hélène has wanted to have a horse to ride since she was a little girl. When we moved out here, I gave her a lead rope and halter as a type of commitment that someday, somehow... well, you know. After a while it disappeared into the back of a closet.

Hélène and I had sort of talked about getting a horse (well, two

Three years ago, newly retired, she decided that now was the time for lessons. Devoted husband that I am, I said I would take lessons too. I kind of assumed that, yeah, I would take lessons, but more for moral support. I had no particular enthusiasm about risking my life on the back of a huge animal. I figured once we had a few lessons, she would ride, I would sit there with a book and sort of watch, and everyone would be happy. But...

gelding. Hélène rides Clover, a 14-year-old Tennessee Walker

idea until the following winter when I seized up for three months with the arthritis that I mentioned earlier. We took that as a hint that we weren’t immortal; and so for the last 16 months we have been the proud owners of a pair of horses. I ride, a term I use very loosely, Bo (Irish for cow*) a 13-year-old registered Paint mare. They are wonderful. No, wait. Hélène insists that I say

Before letting you go, I should also mention that the halter (remember the halter) fit Bo perfectly. Funny how things work out.

Take care, all. *I’ll explain that another day. l

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“more than wonderful”.

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I found myself being very interested in the process of riding, and more importantly, very drawn to the particular horse to whom I was assigned. He was a large, very experienced, and a patient

actually, because “one will get lonely”, she said). That was a vague

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Safe, Effective &

By Tara Reimer, Cloud 9 Ranch

In order to keep people, especially youth, involved with horses, we need to reduce the risk to keep people safe, we need to educate so that time spent with horses is effective and we need to keep it fun! Each issue we will provide a safety tip with pictures, an educational piece and pictures of youth enjoying their horses.

SAFETY TIP

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Safety Tip #1 –

Never wrap or tie yourself to your horse in any way. Doing so may result in you being dragged or hurting your body.

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Too often, people grab their lead rope or reins and coil them without thinking of the consequences. Horses are flight animals and can spook or shy away quicker than we can respond. A lead rope or reins can tighten quickly around your hand and cause injury. I have seen horses innocently lift their head to see far away, thus tightening the lead around a child’s hand and pulling the child off the ground! People have injured fingers while loading horses, etc., with lead ropes wrapped instead of looped.

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Loop the lead rope this way to prevent any chance of injury.

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August 1, 2 & 3, 2014 - Carolyn Resnick Method Clinic Instructor: Linda Salinas – www.lindajsalinas.com Liberty training at its finest! Learn the REAL Language of horses and connect on a deeper level.

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1 Properly Fitting Your Western Cinch It is spring time and time to properly fit your tack to your horse.

As your horse has likely changed weight and perhaps height over winter, instead of assuming the tack will fit the same, learn these quick ways to properly fit your cinch on every ride. The wrong sized cinch could cause a sore or gal in the girth area due to pinching or rubbing.

First measure your horse’s girth area by placing your pad and saddle on your horse and then measuring from the metal rigging ring on one side, then under your horse’s belly, and up to the rigging ring on the opposite side. See photo 1. Then subtract 16 inches. There should be about eight inches of latigo between the saddle and the cinch buckle on either side. The horse shown has a measurement of 55 inches, so we need a 38- or 40-inch cinch. Measurements are approximate as you have to take into consideration the thickness of your saddle pad (if you change pads), your horse’s length of coat (winter hair is coarser) and fluctuations in your horse’s weight. The size of the saddle being used makes a difference as well since a child’s saddle is smaller, meaning a longer cinch is necessary.

check for cinch tightness, slip your finger between the horse and cinch underneath the horse where the small dee rings are, not on the side. Depending on your horse’s frame and build, the cinch may be tight at the bottom and never on the side, yet still safe to ride with. Check for cinch tightness under the horse on the side near the horse’s belly rather than the front near the chest. I snug the cinch with one hand, just after saddling, just enough to keep the saddle from slipping if the horse moves. After bridling, or within two minutes, I snug the cinch again and the last time is once I have walked the horse and before I mount up. When using saddle pads that condense under pressure, be sure to tighten the cinch enough to compensate for your weight once seated. Have someone check your cinch once mounted just to be sure. And always check your cinch before loping or jumping.

It is also important to ensure that the cinch does not rub against your horse’s elbow. This can happen if the cinch is either too short overall or uneven. The heavy metal cinch ring where the latigos attach should be above your horse’s elbow and allow plenty of freedom for movement. If not, your horse could end up with a painful abrasion that could take weeks to heal. Every time you tack up, take a moment to check the fit of your cinch. See photo 3.

For more safety tips and educational pieces you can watch these youtube videos from CHA, Certified Horsemanship Association http://cha-ahse.org/store/pages/212/CHA-HorsemanshipVideos.html. y

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Always take your time when cinching a horse up so that nothing

time to breathe, otherwise the horse may become cinch sour. To

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The fit of the western cinch does have adjustment through the long latigo and short latigo/off-billet. Most cinches feature small metal dee rings where you could attach a breastcollar or tiedown. These rings must be lined up between your horse’s front legs. See photo 2 above. SEF Remember that when tightening the cinch, the rings and cinch will be pulled more to the near side/ horse’s left side so take that into account when standing on the off side and adjusting the length of the short latigo.

pinches, the latigos and cinch are laying flat, and the horse has

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Youth enjoying

their horses

Please email pictures of your youth having fun with their horses to tara@ cloud9ranch.ca and include a brief description including name of youth and horse, breed of horse and where they are from.

“The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person.”

~T. Roosevelt

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1) Emma Walc and her POA gelding Taco having a chuckle near West St. Paul, Manitoba. 2) Shandy Loewen playing soccer on AQHA mare, ‘Quila’ Zippos Kool Kitten, near Steinbach, Manitoba. 3) Chloe Lanouette on her pony Oreo pulling friends at her birthday party in Richer, Manitoba. 4) Siblings from Glenboro, Manitoba, Milagh Sattler on Dixon and Mikaela Sattler on Pense.

We are giving away a $5,700 Butet saddle at the end of September, 2014.

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Westgates Horse & Country 5421 Portage Avenue Headingley MB R4H 1H8 Ph: 204-897-0740 Fax: 204-897-0741 Visit us on Facebook and see the La sellerie BUTET. The BUTET SADDLERY video.

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Officer Bender and Officer Wells habituating their horses while on patrol.

Despooking Part #1

By Jennifer Mack

Is your horse fearful at times? Does he seem to have irrational panic? Do you feel like you ought to get him a little better help about coping with his fears, but are unsure how to do it? Have you ever been curious how to desensitize your horse to help him become more confident as you head down the trail or off to an event?

I have put together a series of three articles that might answer some of your questions and help get you motivated to help your horse become brave. Of course, this is a short overview and there are a lot of things to consider, so please attempt these lessons with caution and get assistance from a professional if needed. Safety is paramount and risk should be scrupulously balanced with common sense. In this first article I will explain the reason you would use desensitization and the difference between

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desensitization and habituation.

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Everyone seems to have an idea of what their horses like and do not like.

• My horse is frightened of rain on the roof; I have to use earplugs on her; • My horse refuses to be clipped, runs backwards and rears, so I don’t bother trying to clip anymore; • My horse thinks anything plastic is a carnivorous, horse eating monster; • I have an amazing trail horse, as long as I do not have to cross water.

At times, it seems prudent to avoid the cause of the problem.

After all, you bought the horse so you could enjoy yourself, right?

You do not want to spend all of your precious time debugging your horse. On the other hand, avoiding the cause of discomfort usually creates a multitude of other issues. Now you cannot risk going to a show if it is raining in case it is loud on the roof. You are not able to clip your horse when he is injured. Plus you have been missing out on that trail ride with your friends. Additionally, and lets be honest here, we cannot control the surroundings that we are riding in all the time. So if something pops up, it should not be the end of the universe.

Some people feel they don’t need to desensitize their horses to a noise or object. They would not want to purposely scare their horse or cause him to lose trust in them. This is understandable.

When you begin training a horse to better cope with something, the horse can give some strong adverse reactions. This can be uncomfortable or even downright dangerous. Additionally, if it is done improperly it may generate more apprehensive behavior in the future.

Conversely, if your horse is properly introduced to stimuli in a controlled environment, he is less likely to give a strong reaction in the future. There are some horses that are really touchy, and a rider would want to be careful in how they present anything to that type of horse. The ability to interpret a precursor to a flight response is very crucial for safety of horse and rider. The process of desensitization helps prepare the rider to recognize

M TRAINING N Desensitization session with police horse Major. He is getting used to things wrapped around his legs, which he was not fond of at first.

be easier to handle in novel situations. Habituation is reinforced at a high level of repetition, to the point that accepting it becomes a habit. This is why horses that are raised in a busy, loud boarding barn are easier to acclimate to a show ground than a wild horse taken off the range. Since the noises are familiar the horse does not pay any attention to them. Specific things may still bother the horse but overall it has a calmer experience. This is also how a police horse becomes confident in very unnatural environments such as demonstrations or busy nightclub areas.

the early warning signs a horse exhibits prior to a spook or shy.

If the horse is not trained to obey your aids well enough or if he has a vice like bucking, rearing, bolting or spinning, you would want a professional to help you through this. However, if you are confident in yourself and know your horse pretty well, most people can be successful with this as long as you follow some general guidelines.

Desensitization: Desensitization is a focused session that helps a horse to understand not to be afraid of something specific. It is extremely important in the life of a young horse to teach them to handle their emotions. A person needs to keep in mind that the sessions must go in a positive direction. Otherwise the horse will associate a negative connotation to the stimulus and the session. We all desensitize our horses. In fact, the first saddling is a lesson in desensitization. We just don’t always plan it out or label it as such.

Individuals gain insight into their horse’s tendencies and behaviors in response to different things by using desensitizing techniques.

Desensitization is helpful to the individual as well as the horse because it gives a snapshot of how the horse is most likely to react to something novel.

Habituation:

It is imperative that you learn a few exercises, both on the ground and or under saddle, that help regain control of your horse in any situation. This is something that I will not go into too much detail in these articles, since it is too in-depth to quickly cover. Your trainer can help you learn some exercises that are individual to your horse’s needs and your riding level. If the horse is not wellconditioned to your cues, the horse will learn to flee from the stimuli instead of accepting it. The horse wants to create distance from the perceived negative stimuli – so if you are too close for his comfort, his reactions will reflect what he is feeling. It is also important never to tie your horse or create a situation where he feels trapped. This would only increase his fear level.

In the next article, I will discuss types of stimuli and how to identify what your favourite horses are most sensitive to.

Jennifer Mack trains and instructs for Portland Mounted Patrol in Portland, Oregon. She can be reached at hiddencedarfarm@yahoo.com. s

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Once you are confident you have enough control through groundwork to move the horses’ legs in any direction and stop them from moving in any direction, it is time to begin to desensitize your horse through a series of lessons. Keep in mind at all times, that the horse is simply responding to the world as he perceives it in the only way he knows how. It is really up to us to find out how to help him through his cautionary fears.

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The most basic way to teach a horse to live in our world is through habituation. As a horse explores the world, his opinion of it may be enhanced negatively or positively depending on the experience he had. If the particular situation does not impress a positive or negative feeling, the horse becomes habituated to it.

For example, if a horse is guided past a parked tractor everyday, and everyday there are no issues with it, he becomes habituated to the tractor being parked there. If the tractor is moved to a new place the horse will want to check it out in the new place, but pretty soon he gets used to seeing a tractor no matter where it is parked. If a horse is well habituated to his surroundings he will

To clarify the difference between these two concepts further, I will use clipping as an example. If you had a session with a young horse you might start first by allowing the horse to hear the noise only. Once the horse accepts that, you can move onto feeling the vibrations plus continuing to hear the noise. Lastly, the horse will feel the clipping on his skin. Slowly you can teach a horse to be less sensitive to clippers anywhere on his body.

This is desensitization. If you repeated that same session with your horse every single day for two months you would have also habituated it to the clippers. You would no longer need to go through all of the steps you did the first session and in a short time he would not react at all to the clippers.

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HOLD YOUR HORSES!

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We’ve all heard the two polar-opposite sayings, “Hold your horses,” as opposed to “free rein”. Yet, there is absolutely no ancient wisdom that tells us to pull on our horses.

It is “natural” for riders to want to use their hands to steer the horse just like we turn the steering wheel in our cars. But horses are not cars; they are much more like boats. When we want a boat to turn right we do not pull the bow of the boat into the right, we push the back of the boat out to the left. When we ski, surf, or skateboard, we do not pull the front of our boards into turns.

Instead, we use our body language into the central core of the board and we push it out of the turn.

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My point? Humans stand upright and walk on a vertical body with two legs. But horses have a horizontal body with four legs that are designed to move like we move our horizontal boards in other sports. Imagine a surfer, skateboarder, or skier tying ropes to the front of their boards and trying to turn by pulling the tips of the boards into turns. They’d crash in an instant! Yet, our instinct is to do this with horses and it is the leading cause of most performance and behavioural issues with horses.

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If we pull the reins to steer the horse then his or her nose is the first thing into the turn and it throws them off balance. Like our skis, skateboards, and surfboards, we need to turn the horse from our core into their core, their barrel, and use our hands not to steer, but instead to hold or block, to prevent the neck and head of the horse from coming into the turn before the body of the horse has been moved out.

In photo 1, I am showing a rider who wanted to steer with her hands what to do instead. Notice that the zipper on her jacket, the visual line of her spinal column, is perfectly aligned down the poll and directly between the horse’s ears. The horse and rider are perfectly centred together with what I call “spine on spine”. Also notice that the mare’s nose is perfectly aligned with the centre of her chest.

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Now from the perfectly balanced centre of spine of spine, the job of the left rein is never to pull left but rather to HOLD, or block, to disallow the nose from going to the right of centre. The job of the right rein is never to pull right, but rather to block unwanted left. The hands are only to hold or block the horse from coming out of balance while we steer with our bodies into their bodies!

We do not want a horse looking left while we turn right because that would be like piloting the motorcycle and turning right while a passenger in back is leaning left. Not a good feeling!

In photo 2, we see a rider turning left on a grey gelding.

We can see that his neck is too far to the inside. His nose is going into the turn ahead of the rider’s centre (navel).

This is why you hear coaches telling their students “more outside rein”. Her right rein, the outside rein, did not hold the horse soon enough to keep him balanced in this turn.

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In photo 3, the same rider has done her job of “aiding” the horse with the “support” of the outside rein. Now his spine is perfectly balanced in his body from tail to nose.

Notice that his breast collar is perfectly centred between his chest and his nostrils. This is beautifully balanced and we can see how light the contact is on the inside rein, clearly indicating that he was not pulled in – but has been bent from her leg and turned from her core while her hands held him centred.

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In photo 4 we see “self carriage” that allows for “free rein”.

The trainer has done such an excellent job with his hands holding his mare consistently that she is fully mesmerized by the flow of energy she feels through her own spinal column and she is holding herself centred in her body.

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So, when do we give the horse a free rein? When the horse

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consistently stays between the boundaries of the holding hands

Please remember, be kind and hold your horse gently while you

without trying to go right or left of the riders centre, then the

turn their core from your core.

horse is truly ready for the “liberty” of the “free rein”.

Happy trails and may your horses always be in good hands. 2

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Dressage from the ground up

By Elaine Banfield

What’s New?

A suggestion…

We often hear the term “horse whispering”, a term seemingly connected to the natural horsemanship trainers that have become increasingly popular in this day and age. I think it’s wonderful that people look for an understanding for the horses they are associated with, whether they are schooling for competition or riding for personal pleasure. However, I disagree that it is a “new” concept; to me it is simply good “old” horsemanship skills that seem to be resurfacing as something “new”.

So, if I may, suggest to you as a reader that we first and foremost

Perhaps it is due to our ever-increasing awareness that, we as humans should perhaps revisit good old practices of things “natural” as opposed to our modern versions of revised, improvised, and modified. We are in an era, thankfully, now that is beginning to realize the value of old, natural, clean and simple and that perhaps it is better than more, easier and quicker.

Perhaps collectively society is realizing the lack of purity in the new, modern, and often less healthy methods that have been imposed on the world that we live in. Perhaps we are paying for the greed of more, better, faster, not only our personal stressful lives, but as this article will refer to, also in our equestrian lives.

The concept of more, better, faster, may have taken us away from purity and the natural enjoyment of slowing down and actually being “present” in the process of our association with our equine partners.

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The time factor…

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Many of us have several horses to get worked in a day; others come to the barn with a schedule to get a ride in before they have to get home or to work to accomplish the many other tasks that the day demands. Many are fortunate to have a horse at home and can simply step out the door to see their horse. However, they are often so busy maintaining the facilities to care for that horse, as well as hold down a job to pay for that horse’s needs, that they have little time left to enjoy that horse!

Where has the time gone for the pure enjoyment of being connected with these wonderful creatures? After all, isn’t that why we got involved with horses in the first place?

learn to connect with our horse and enjoy, with all our senses, its inherent beauty and dignity. And, oh yes, as I mentioned earlier, what I have learned though horses about life in general. Isn’t that how we should all notice and treat the people around us?

Appreciating their beauty, accepting and understanding them for who they are, without judgment about WHAT they are.

So back in training, rather than refer to good basic training as “horse whispering”, I prefer to call it “horse listening”. I feel it’s important to slow down, and “listen” to what is going on with our four legged friends as we interact with them. Use all your senses, perhaps the term “horse sense” comes from those that are aware in this way.

Attitude First, a few questions: 1) W hen you go to get your horse, are you strutting to his paddock or stall, in a hurry because you only have a certain amount of time to get your ride in?

2) Are you staring at the ground as you walk towards him thinking about all the other things you need to get done that day or about some of the other problems in your life that are bothering you?

If so, then no wonder on those days you can’t catch your horse, or he pins his ears at you, or he reluctantly drags along behind you as you lead him. Horses can feel tension from you, that sense of distraction, the lack of awareness, the distance. They don’t want to be around that energy. Horses live in the present, the here and now. Humans tend to live excessively in their heads.

Thinking of this and that, judging themselves, others, life, you’re really not present. Horses show obvious signs of frustration when around that kind of negative energy. They do not appreciate the lack of connection and acknowledgment.

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b Perhaps it is due to our ever-increasing awareness that, we as humans should perhaps revisit good old practices of things “natural” as opposed to our modern versions of revised, improvised, and modified.

b Can you relate?

Think about it, if you were not terribly comfortable with going to a dentist. The dentist marches in all business like, no acknowledgment of you as anything other than a client, no hello or friendly conversation. He then begins working on you, insisting you open wide as he begins digging around in your mouth. Would you feel relaxed? I don’t think so. Yet, this is what often happens to our horses. We grab the horse from his stall or pasture and without so much as an acknowledging pat or kind word we begin to work on him and make demands of him.

No wonder so many horses seem annoyed with the tacking, grooming and riding process. Remember, they are a living being with a need to be recognized, respected and reassured.

Horses are basically timid animals. When they feel threatened or uncomfortable, they react with fight or flight instincts. So they may get aggressive when they are frustrated with your negative energy. They many pin their ears, ring their tail in an aggressive manner, nip at you, stomp their feet, refuse to lead or go forward when being ridden, toss their head and fight the halter or bit or any other slight more determined sign of frustration to what they either do not understand or do not want to be part of.

Horses require two things when you are working with them, confidence and respect. Some need more work on confidence, some more on the respect. We will go into that further in a future article. For now, let’s talk some “horse sense”, i.e. using your senses.

The sense of smell Of course to a horse person, horses smell great, so inhale, get a good whiff. Not only do they smell great, but this gets you breathing. So many people these days are shallow breathers.

This shallow breathing causes tension and vice versa. Your horse reads body language as his “first” language and he is a master of it. If you are breathing shallow, he reads that tension and has cause to wonder. This means, “be careful”, in his world.

Something is wrong when breathing is not deep and relaxed and your horse is constantly reading you and everything else around him. That is how he stays alive in his world, as he is still and always will have primitive instincts intact. Horses hold their breath when they are concerned, so why wouldn’t you. So breathe, smell, and sing a lot around him and you will find him imitating the same relaxing pattern. Studies in human psychology promote breathing deeply to relax tension prior to or during a stressful situation. Yoga promotes breathing deep to relax and become more self aware. So much is written these days on the benefits of proper use of your breath.

The sense of sight When we slow down and actually look at things we can actually take in and appreciate a lot of the beauty that surrounds us. By

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So as I write the article on dressage training, I think that before you train, which is what you are either doing or undoing every time you are with your horse, you must first work on your attitude around horses. It’s quite simply not going to be a pleasant

Two things

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You, like the scary dentist, would gain wonderful reassuring brownie points if before initiating your demands upon the horse, first established some form of recognition and reassurance.

Perhaps a pat or some words spoken in a friendly manner.

Some sort of bond and attempt to help the horse understand as opposed to immediately imposing your will upon them.

process for either of you. Your horse would like you to be grounded and present when working with them.

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Dressage from the ground up continued... slowing down and looking along the way, notice also that your breathing becomes relaxed and deeper. Hmmm, interesting.

Also, notice visual difference in his behavior while grooming, tacking, mounting and riding. Be aware visually.

Horses notice everything, don’t they? Like that wheelbarrow wasn’t in that spot yesterday! Again, an instinct that protects them in their world from a potential predator. I doubt they’re walking around thinking about how beautiful things are! However, if you approach your horse in a mono focused fashion, staring at them or at one thing, like the ground, you present an “I am going to get you”, on a mission, predator-like attitude. Approaching your horse while noticing and appreciating the view along the way puts you into a softer, friendlier body language. Less aggressive, more meandering, more horse friendly.

The vet

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Also on the topic of our sense of sight it is important to notice if he is responding to your approach in a normal fashion. Is he alert, is he watching you? Is he being his “normal” unresponsive self that is more interested in his hay then in acknowledging your approach? Is he cranky? Is he unusually unresponsive or unobservant to what’s going on? Not only should his behavior be noted, also physically notice if he is standing and moving normally. Is he looking stiff, sore, or lame? Do a once over with your eyes of his entire body, especially all four legs, checking for any bleeding or swelling. Also check his surroundings. If he is in a stall, is his normal amount of hay eaten, has he consumed the usual amount of water? Does his bedding have a normal “lived in” look or is it extra wet from urine? Are there more or less droppings than usual? Or is the bedding all pulled up (from pawing) into the middle of the stall? If so, it can indicate discomfort, such as colic. Does his bedding appear to be pushed to the walls from him rolling, which again can indicate intestinal discomfort and perhaps some colic (in this case, if he had been rolling excessively, notice if he is covered with bedding on his body, mane and tail, more so than from him simply laying down for a rest).

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I talked a few years ago, to a well-respected vet from B.C at Horse 3 in Brandon. She was giving a lecture on horse behavior from her perspective as a vet. She told her story of being a busy equine vet who would get upset working on ill mannered horses, annoyed with the owners for not training their horses better to stand still. She had a lot to get done in a day and these bad mannered horses did not make her day any easier or faster.

She then told a story on how she begrudgingly took a course on equine assisted personal development. The horse that was loose in the arena greeted all the ladies at the course in a friendly manner. They, not being horse women, were all thrilled at this big friendly animal coming to greet them so gently. The vet thought to herself, I don’t belong here, this is so stupid, what am “I” going to learn about horses or anything else “here”? The horse came over to her and instead of greeting her in the same friendly manner, turned its tail to her, and swatted her in the face. She got the message! Since then, when she works on horses, she purposely changes her attitude to a softer, less rushed demeanor. She greets them all, and gives them a reassuring rub before working on them. She also said that she mentally keeps the thought in mind of helping them while working on them as opposed to only doing her job. The moral of her story she says, is that since she has changed her attitude and approach, all her client horses are very trusting and relaxed as she works on them.

We can get to the more “dressage-y” things in the future articles, but the right attitude and body language build into success in any style of riding. In any endeavor in life a good attitude will take you further.

Let’s look into the other senses, in our “horse sense” journey in the next article. See you then, Elaine. s

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Good Guys

Wear White?

Copyright Diamond Doug Keith, 2014

Remember back to not that long ago When cowboys rode the big screen Black and white images seared lil’ minds With action like they’d never seen Galloping horses, smoking pistols & pretty women Kept them glued to the edge of their seat The jingle of spurs across the saloon floor Signaled a bad guy was facing defeat

Well I guess I’d be forced to play a villain Though it kills me to say Because I grew up believing that Good guys are the cowboy way I love those old cowboy heroes of mine And I cheer for them still Yet I definitely would dress in black Cause I just can’t afford the laundry bill!

With those heroes like Hopalong, Gene & Roy Everyone knew that night after night Those horse thieving, land stealing, bad guys would wear black And the good guys would always wear white!

They were larger than life in ten-gallon hats Bright white and perfect as they rode And folks knew the bad guys by moustache and scowl As written in the cowboy code

Diamond Doug Keith is a cowboy poet and western artist from Domain, Manitoba. Visit www.diamonddougkeith.com.

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You see I once rode in brilliant white Yes starched, creased and such Yet ended up covered in horse sweat & manure More spots and stains with every touch I definitely wasn’t close to camera ready And I didn’t take on a bad guy Yet there were my heroes mounted tall Glowing white and spotless as they rode by

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But as I sit and ponder those simpler days When good and bad was clear How did they keep those clothes so white With shoot outs and brawls in dust and beer There never was a spot, spill or scuff Least not none I’ve ever seen Upon those vintage cow punching duds …They always appeared Tide clean!

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PBR Bull Roper

Extraordinaire

By Tara Reimer

Thank you Blade and Little Big Ears for saving my life!

I met up with bull roper extraordinaire, Blade Young of Tyvan, Saskatchewan, during the Winnipeg PBR Touring Pro Division Event at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 12th.

Blade has rode bulls for years so is quite familiar with the sport.

Since being married and having three children, Blade wanted less miles and a safer career, thus he became a pick-up man for CCA and Pro Rodeos. A pick-up man at a PBR event doesn’t actually pick anyone up, they rope bulls to get them out of the arena, therefore they are bull ropers! Blade works the arena at about 10 PBR events in Canada each year.

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Blade is a real working cowboy on the family’s ranch that calves out 3,500 cows each year. The horses that he works rodeos and PBRs with on weekends are the same horses that work the cattle during the week. That takes a special horse to go to work in different environments.

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As Blade groomed and tacked his horses underneath the stands of the MTS Centre, crammed between the trailers to haul the bulls and his own trailer that drove in from Saskatchewan, standing on concrete with no hopes of a warm up before the event begins, he talks of the special type of horse it takes for this job. “The horse needs to be bred with speed yet with a good enough mind to put up with the action of the fireworks or a hooky bull. We need to deal with the bull, sometimes pulling a dead drag, then go back to the corner and stand there waiting. These horses need to be very athletic and be able to take a lot of pressure!”

Being in the spotlight, Blade wants a horse with eye appeal. Then he looks for them to measure between 15.1 and 16 HH, any taller usually means they won’t be athletic enough, unless they are crossbred.

The quality of bulls that night was fabulous with only eight eightsecond rides in the long go and one in the short go by Colby Reilly of Washington State for the win. Most bulls that need to be roped and dragged out are the young ones – but most knew where the out gate was that night. However, there were a couple that had anger issues and took it out on the panels at my end of the arena!

Blade explained that “Most bulls will hook a man, but respect a horse. I will try to come in sideways to the bull so I give the horse an exit.” I was pleased to hear that Blade has never hurt a horse during his duties, even as I saw a few bulls take a run for him.

Of the five horses that Blade regular picks up off of, four were problem horses for someone else. They were either too high a powered barrel horse, fed too much, ridden too little, etc. If his bay gelding Little Big Ears was an indication, Blade’s work and play routine fits these horses just right. This routine has even given two of Blade’s horses the opportunity to work with other pick-up men making their way into the NFR. Thank you bull ropers and pick-up men for keeping the riders, and photographers, safe while keeping the show rolling, we appreciate your talents and love of the sport! h

A Canadian’s Journey

to the World Equestrian Games France 2014 – Update 7 to May 19, 2014 In the last article I wrote, which was published in February in Horse Country magazine, I left you in a moment of suspense; departing for far away adventures and aspiring to achieve the last challenges required to qualify for the World Equestrian Games (WEG), which will be held in Normandy, France, in August 2014. My primary horse, Greater Glide (Glider), was in the best shape of his life. The two points-earning horses, Wendy Carnegie’s Autumn and my mare Justess were strong and ready to help out too. My daughter, Abby; friend, Wendy; and I had been training the horses all winter, and we were all excited to pack up and head out for the southern break.

We planned to attend two competitions in the south, and I would ride as often as I could to earn as many points as possible. Our first competition was in South Carolina, at Broxton Bridge at the end of January and into early February. There, I entered Glider in the FEI 2* 75 mile, and entered Autumn and Justess in the FEI 1* 50 mile. Justess and Autumn had to finish this 1* event in order to qualify for any FEI 2* 75 mile events. For the WEG qualifications, only 2* 75 mile or 3* 100 mile events could be used as qualifying/points earning rides. With the importance of the rides in mind, we departed from Manitoba more than a week before the ride date. We wanted to ensure that the horses would have plenty of rest and time to become accustomed to the temperature before the races.

The next morning, we woke up to the sound of freezing rain, sleet, and drizzle. When we went to collect our freshly aired horse blankets, we found that they had all been rained on and were not going to be usable on this day. We were very worried, because the blankets would be needed for warming and gently

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After caring for the horses and laying out our supplies for the next day’s races, we hung-out the horse blankets that we had used and hoped that they would be dry by morning. Abby, Wendy, and I were exhausted and hit the bed as soon as we could.

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Well, along the way down to South Carolina and even upon arrival, the weather did not cooperate. We hit blizzard after blizzard, then snowstorms, and finally an ice storm that set everything to a grinding halt. Luckily, by the time the ice storm hit, we were camped at the race site. We set up the awning and blanketed the horses, but could not completely shelter them from the freezing rain. For three days, the horses stood fairly immobile and tried to shake off the ice while waiting it out in the small pens we constructed. Although we walked and exercised them as much as we could, we found it difficult to keep even ourselves warm and sheltered from the brutal weather. After all, we had packed for the south and had not anticipated we would be camping in freezing temperatures.

On Friday, the day of Glider’s big race, we finally got a break from the falling snow and ice, and the trails began to melt in the sun. It was still below freezing, but after training through the Manitoba winter, Glider was well accustomed to the conditions and galloped down the icy trails. Glider and I easily navigated over the frozen puddles and through the mud. I was so focussed on navigating the technical course that I lost track of the other competitors. At 60 miles into the race, Wendy enlightened me to the fact that we were leading by quite a bit and could maybe slow down. The trails were starting to disintegrate as well, so I cut back the pace and cantered into the finish after seven and a quarter hours of ride time.

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Fun in the Sun event because we arrived only two days before the first race. At this event, I would be riding Justess in the FEI 2* 75 on Thursday, Wendy was riding the FEI 1* 50 on Friday, and I was riding Glider in the FEI 3* 100 mile event on Saturday.

I needed to complete the 75 and the 100 to fulfill my WEG qualifications.

cooling the horses on this cold day. We needed a new plan, and mulled this over while saddling the horses.

For this competition day, Wendy was riding Autumn, I was riding Justess, and Abby was at the camp crewing. Oblivious to the crummy weather, the mares felt strong and eager. We had to fight against them hard – but managed to hold them at a reasonable pace.

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With the addition of the rain from the night before, the rough trails were now even sloppier than the day before. With every step, the horses had to struggle to lift their feet out of the muddy holes. Moreover, the constant drizzle and freezing temperature was affecting their muscles, and we had a hard time keeping them warm while exercising. Within the first 20 miles, we realized something was wrong with Autumn. Her back quarter had tightened up into a deep spasm, otherwise known as a tie-up. At the vet check, we realized Autumn would not be able to continue and would need special care and heat to recover. We had nothing dry to warm her up, except for a tarp. On a normal day, the mare wouldn’t tolerate the tarp, but on this day, she knew we were helping. We wrapped the tarp around her body and only left her face exposed. Justess was managing alright, so I decided to head back out on the trail now that Autumn was alright.

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Knowing I didn’t have any blankets, the trails were hazardous, and completion was essential, I decided to keep the pace slow.

Justess excels on a technical course, and proved her ability.

When Justess finished the competition looking fresher than she started, I knew she was ready to race 75 miles the next time.

Because we were worried about Autumn and Justess completing and had limited time to prepare, we primarily focused on the mares. This care paid off for Autumn and Justess, who both completed with very strong performances. Unfortunately, Glider, who needs constant retraining to maintain focus, was not mentally prepared for the race. When I dropped my weight into the saddle on the morning of his race, it took two helpers to hold him down for me. I tried to settle him by riding a long quiet warm up, but could barely stop him from running out from under me.

As the race commenced, I realized that I could not hold Glider back, as he had gotten stronger and bolder during his time off in Florida. During the race I would try to hold him behind another, slower horse, but that horse would become agitated or scoot to the side to let him pass. Eventually we were leading, with only the occasional front-runner joining us for a duration. I decided to hold him at a pace just less than a gallop, which was about 14 miles an hour. After 50 miles, my arms and back were tired and I was having a hard time staying focused. Glider fought against me every mile, and sped up whenever my stronghold relaxed. During the mandatory rest stops he refused to eat and was continually looking for the next opportunity to run. Eventually, his unruly attitude cost us the race, because at 86 miles his metabolic condition had deteriorated. He was not fit to continue and I took him for IV treatment to get him back on track metabolically. Thank goodness for my friends and daughter, who helped take care of him that evening and through the night. By the next day, however, he was eating, drinking, and acting like his normal excited self.

After the races, we transported the horses home, and hoped that we would be blessed with a warm March. Unfortunately, we found that it had continued to snow, and now many of the trails were impassible. We shifted our training to the indoor arena and the roads, which were our last resort. Mostly, the horses got lots of time off.

The next day, we transported the horses to Florida, where we kept them with our friend, Trish Marino. Wendy, Abby, and I flew back to Winnipeg, and then returned three weeks later. The horses had rested comfortably in Trish’s paddocks, where we hoped that the lack of exercise would not intervene with their training.

The next opportunity to race Glider came quick enough. This one was in Manitoba’s own Spruce Woods Provincial Park on May 4th, my birthday. I tried to cover off all potential problems and did things such as ensure I had enough friends there to help me as crew, pre-loaded Glider with vitamins and minerals, spent many hours working on Glider’s discipline, and planned a race strategy.

Completing this FEI 3* 100 mile event was the last qualification that I needed for the WEG.

We didn’t have much time to prepare for the races at Florida’s

All of the preparation paid off, because on race day he was ready

– physically and mentally this time. The course was tough and as usual, and the weather did not cooperate. Again, we were struggling to keep warm and abate the chance of hypothermia as the temperature hovered around freezing. I set the pace very slow, and planned to complete at the maximum allotted time of 11 hours. During the day, Glider proved to us that he was an athlete worthy of representing Canada at the World Equestrian Games.

He listened to me out on the race course; he comfortably pulsed down in minutes without require any cooling; he ate his meals like a champion; AND he took care of himself. Throughout the race, I was able to reserve his energy so we both finished feeling strong. I was so proud to see him perform like a champion, and so thankful that my friends and Abby were there to help me overcome this milestone.

Now, Glider and I have completely fulfilled the requirements to make the Canadian team for the WEG. The final selection will be occurring in June, but I know with our current number-one

Looking spry at Florida’s Fun in the Sun 2014.

PHOTO BY WENDY CARNEGIE.

ranking in Canada and 30th in the world, we have a very good chance of being selected. In this last phase leading up to the games, I am turning my attention to maintaining my horse’s condition and seriously fundraising. Glider’s flight to France will cost more than $30,000, so I am saving every dollar and looking for opportunities for sponsorship. After only a few weeks of fundraising, I am one-tenth of the way to reaching this goal. If you would like to donate towards Glider’s plane ticket or follow our progress, please like my Facebook page: A Canadian’s Journey to the World Equestrian Games – France 2014. h

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A Bit of History

Lascaux Harlow - Section C owned by Marcia Carter.

Manitoba Welsh Pony and Cob Association

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By Donna Hunter of Kenview Farm

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In the year 2014 the Manitoba Welsh Pony and Cob Association (MWP&CA) will celebrate their 40th All Welsh Pony Show.

This is a great milestone for us. As I write this I realize I have “sort of” forgotten the fact that associations just don’t happen, we did have our struggles, conflicts, and changes, ups and downs, and many challenges. Maybe while reading this you will understand why we are so proud and protective of this association and it’s members.

An account of the MWP&CA wouldn’t be complete without mention of the previous years and conditions before the association was formed. In 1975 most Manitoba horse and pony people had never seen or heard of a Welsh pony.

Oh yes, people had Welsh ponies; they were anything bigger than a Shetland and smaller than a horse! One man assured me he had a Welsh pony, but when I asked its breeding, he replied, “... he is POA and a small quarter horse”.

Education was desperately needed. I soon discovered we had no information available, for there wasn’t a Canadian Welsh society. The closest information was from USA or Wales.

Lets go back one more step. During the “Shetland and Hackney” boom in the ‘50s, there were very few purebred Welsh ponies in Manitoba. They were rare, very expensive, and difficult to obtain.

In the early ‘50s “Monarch Tip Top” was

owned and shown by KT MacPherson of Brandon. He appeared in the show ring shown with heavy shoes, braided and stretched, so most people thought he was a Shetland or a Hackney pony.

Although my brother-in-law Hope Turner remembered Topper in the ring and gave me names to contact, I never could find out what happened to him or where he went.

A little later, H. Everett of Winnipeg brought a few Chamcook ponies into the province.

Doug Catto, also of Winnipeg, purchased Ardmore Sequin for his daughter Janet, from the Rockwells in Ontario. I remember seeing Ardmore Sequin shown under saddle at Brandon Fair.

MAR JON DIME 2013 Section B foal owned by Marg Allen.

In the early ‘60s the need for a good-sized Welsh pony in the show ring was obvious, not a Shetland or a Hackney. A pony that didn’t need or require heavy shoes, chains on their legs, or false tails. A pony that was easy to prepare and train for the show ring, that amateurs (like myself), could present.

Before going any farther into our Manitoba Welsh story, I should explain the situation in the show ring and the local fairs at this time. The classes were open, usually 11.2 HH and under, under or over 12.2 HH, or perhaps just 14.2 HH and under. Hackney, Shetland, cross bred or just grade ponies were the major competition, so when I started showing Welsh ponies, if you got a second or a third you felt lucky.

After a few years, with the new Manitoba

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I just about wept right there, thinking of the hours I spent washing those white ponies, cleaning them up – I was insulted! I was determined to show my ponies like Welsh, not Hackney or Shetlands just to win. I do believe the poor judge got a “They are Welsh ponies!” lecture. I wasn’t always popular.

HUGE

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Most judges had never seen a Welsh pony and the fact they weren’t shod, braided, clipped, or stretched was a little confusing for the judge. One judge said to me after the show, “I liked your pony, but I didn’t know what to do with her.” Another said, “If she had been shod, I would have placed her,” while yet another judge said, “If you had just cleaned her up a little”, (meaning if I trimmed out her ears, bridle path, and legs).

Windsmore Bracken, aged 20.

Owned by Sally and Garry Dale. Handled by Kaili Dale.

Presenter is Donna Jack. Supreme Champion 2004.

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Welsh Association behind us, we created a Welsh pony handbook (using the American rules as a guide), describing Welsh ponies and the rules they were shown under.

We gave them out to judges or anyone that would take one, hoping they would be read. I remember giving one to a well-known judge, he took it, looked at it, threw it on the ground and said, ”What, do you think I don’t know a good pony?” (My answer today would have been NO, but I wasn’t very brave or as verbal in those days.)

By now there were a few more Welsh ponies around. Little by little we were gaining ground. We persuaded people to sponsor Welsh classes at fairs, or even “pleasure ponies”. Asking that heavily shod ponies be discounted, but still the judges could not, or would not, put our ponies up over the Hackneys. Great was the victory if some judge put our ponies up, but it didn’t happen often. Later just by shear numbers our Welsh began to win.

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In 1965, Ted Chiswell, Margaret Sparrow, and Edith Lowe, showed ponies at the Manitoba Light Horse and Pony Association All Breed Show adding to our numbers. By 1971, 14 owners, 30 ponies (some part-breds) could be found in Manitoba. After many weeks of writing letters, inquiries, and with the help of a friend that typed and owned a Gestetner, I compiled a list of Welsh owners and their ponies to produce the first Manitoba Welsh Year Book. It cost $12.00 for printing and stamps, the best $12.00 I ever spent!

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By 1972, the lists were longer, the letters glowing with accounts of Welsh ponies.

The yearbook grew bigger and bigger (my typist referred to it as the Eaton’s catalogue in size). With the help of generous donations we produced the yearbook for the next four years. People were so enthusiastic that soon it wasn’t just Manitobans, but all the provinces, and the USA, and even a few from Wales. All sharing that common bond of WELSH PONIES. In 1975, a group of energetic Welsh pony

owners decided we should try a show of our own. Oak Lake Agriculture Fair was selected for our show site. They agreed to let us have our show in the morning and use their judge free of charge! So with seven classes, a 50-cent entry fee, handmade ribbons, and seven small trophies, we put on our first show. We had 17 purebred ponies, a great beginning.

After the show, 12 people sat down in the grass and all consented the time was right to organize an association. It would be known as the Manitoba Welsh Pony Association. Richard Murphy was our first president, Donna Hunter was secretary/ treasurer, and directors at large were Margaret Sparrow, Doreen Lawlor, Pearle Brown, and Roy Mensforth. Membership fees were $5.00.

This association was born out of love and respect for Welsh ponies and their people, and somehow we bloomed and survived. Promoting this unknown breed was high on our list and promote we did. The members worked hard printing free literature, Welsh pins, and writing paper with our brand new logo, pictures and albums. Oh I remember the dreaded display board that members dragged to the fairs. We had no money so we had raffles, anything from a velvet painting to a Christmas turkey, a foal was donated by the Browns one year, and remember the money doll that Doreen made? So our bank account expanded.

We had such fun at our annual picnics, the driving clinics, and five or six meetings a year. One year Rosemary Philipson Stowe gave us a very successful clinic.

Our memberships grew, as did our show attendance. In 1979, we had 56 members and 30 ponies at our show. We added a newsletter instead of the yearbook, a member/breeder book, a futurity, and a stallion sweepstake. One year we had 21 mares nominated in our futurity.

Our show became more sophisticated, with sound systems, announcers, photographers, a paid judge, and a ringmaster. Over the years we added

CRYSTAL SPRINGS CLASSIC CHARM – 2005 Section A mare owned by Hayley Moats.

section Bs and cobs, as our first ponies were all section A. We were proud to be part of the NEW Canadian Society, with two representatives on the board, a voice in the decisions and rules made across Canada. Finally, there was information available to new Welsh pony owners and interested people. We have helped make sure Welsh ponies and cobs are here to stay. We have many quality Manitoba ponies and cobs that can and do take part in high caliber shows across Canada.

Our members are hard working, creative, dedicated people that we are proud of.

Thank you to the many people, ponies and incidents that helped us survive all these years.

Over our 40 years we’ve have had our ups and downs, and right now in the year 2014 we are struggling a bit with finances and fewer members, something that many organizations are faced with. However, we are excited to be celebrating our 40th show in 2014. We have great plans and hope you will come and celebrate with us.

HURRAH FOR WELSH PONIES! The above article is MY memories of the last 40 some years. As factual as I could remember and perhaps not how others saw the era. I apologize to the Hackney and Shetland people; I meant no offence, only an illustration of the times in the show ring. w

CWHA

Celebrating 50 Years 1964-2014 Submitted by Karen Ross Yvon Charbonneau of Lockport, Manitoba carries the CWHA colours into Morris arena during the grand entry ceremonies for the CWHA final show in 1970.

This summer celebrates the 50th continuous year of one of the best horse associations in Manitoba, the Canadian Western Horse Association (CWHA).

CWHA has been a part of the lives of many horse lovers over the years. It is a foundation club that was started in 1964 by some of the most committed horse men and women, many of whom are still going strong.

CWHA is a horse show club. This year, as in the past 50, there will be at least six shows each made up of approximately 40 classes. When asked about her memories, Donna Reimer, a top CWHA senior competitor in the 1980s, said what comes to mind is the word VERSATILITY. Showing in CWHA was often one horse, fast tack changes, with fellow competitors encouraging and making the competition fun. CWHA has been an open club in every way. It is open to all horses, to all ages of people, and all riding abilities. CWHA has been the tie that binds the new horse lovers to the old experienced ones. In this club a green horse can become a seasoned campaigner. It is a family club where friendships are made so that each show has the feeling of a reunion.

– Glen Brown A visit with Glen Brown, founding member, MCHA member and Canadian Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame inductee, and conversations with Laverne Allum, let me relive the exciting time when so many people came together just wanting to do more with their horses – mostly wanting to do that crazy thing – GO TO A HORSE SHOW! In the early 1960s there were many meeting places where get-togethers were held, sometimes with judges. Those judges each held the mystery of how to show a Western horse in their head, (leads?, stretched or square?, one hand or two?). There were no rules, just judges’ decisions.

What is this Western horsemanship?

The Big Meeting In 1962 a big meeting was called to try to solve this Western dilemma. Over one hundred people showed up. Jim Miller ran the meeting and it was established that Robert’s Rules of Order would guide.

American Horse Show Rules, Pony Club Rulebook and Gymkhana Rules were sourced and integrated. In 1963 a club emerged that has also lasted to this day. It is called the Manitoba Gymkhana Rodeo Association (MGRA), with the first president being Glen Brown and vicepresident Bill Jefferies.

But there was still some wrangling to be done. A lady named Ann Brownlee had some other ideas and she created a split or breakaway club in 1964 that was to be named the Canadian Western Horse Association. Ann Brownlee was the first president and Ken Patterson was the third. Glen Brown said that CWHA was the kid sister to MGRA. He also said that in that short time Western horsemanship in

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Events in the early 1960s were hosted by riding stables and home ranches.

Places like Chuck and Eve Gordon’s near The Spud Stop/Notts Auto on Highway #59 held shows. Long trail rides went from Buster and Daphne Allum’s at the Perimeter and Highway #59 to what is now Bird’s Hill Park. Parade, speed events, and games were the order of the day.

Some people involved in the foundation of the CWHA include the Allum family (Laverne), Denny Jowett, Ann Brownlee, Bill Jefferies, Ken Patterson, Gene Gyselinck family, Barb Barshel (Langton), Siefert family (Brenda Airth), Darlene LaFreniere, Kirton family of Oakville, Doug Cauto, Len Carol, Howard Lyon family, and of course Glen Brown, and many more.

Everybody knew what was missing.

Rules!

Working cowboys defined the demanding high abilities of the horse and rider – but there was no set of rules that actually told the Western rider how things were supposed to be. What was correct and proper in the show ring? Glen Brown kept me spellbound as the story continued.

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The lasting strength of the club is no accident. It has been run by a volunteerelected board that is open to its membership. There is an established show format, but most importantly, CWHA is guided by a strong and clear set of horse show rules. Today we take this for granted – but this was all just a vision, just a hope of the people in 1964 whose hard work and commitment built this club. How this all came about is a fascinating story.

“To the best I can recall.”

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CWHA Queen of 1969 was Miss Sharon Watters, daughter to Jean Atamanchuk. At 18 years old she won over several other girls during a three-phase contest of poise and personality, riding ability and concluding at the Queen Contest Dance for regal bearing. As queen she rode her mare Poco Spider Star in the Red River Valley Winter Horse Show in Crookston, Minnesota, along with other queens.

Manitoba made rapid advances as CWHA had a hand in the rule making. MGRA was the lead association – but CWHA polished the heck out of it.

So there you have it. Early shows were held at places like Stonewall and the Velodrome at the Red River Ex (once going till 3:00 a.m.), but home base became Bird’s Hill Park. Most recently Selkirk Fair, Grunthal Fair, and Steinbach’s Southern Tour are show locations.

Over the years some things have come and gone and come again. There have been years of plenty, 1966 and 2010, when saddles were awarded. More common was a payout. Some years it was based on a percentage of the number competing in a class so $2.00 to $6.00 was big money!

Often the club was strapped and folks just showed for the pleasure of it all. There were hard years too when membership was down and funds were small. Sincere thanks goes to the people who sat on the board during those times and kept the flickering flame alive.

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Fun Anyone?

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Over the years CWHA held some unforgettable social events. For years there was a Queen Competition and dance that included a tea, sash and a tiara. These young women were expected to be talented horse women, positive spokeswomen, and fierce fundraisers.

Each year the CWHA queen was to represent our club at the Crookston, North Dakota Horse Show. The last queen contest in the late ‘80s was more of a

fun event when contestant queens were ‘Queen of the Nile’ and ‘Queen of England’, a more mature group needless to say.

Who can forget the Jive Dance Contest?

Hot contestants were Graham and Marnie Somers (she in a poodle skirt), the Butterfields, Amy Brown and her brother (she wanted a ringer), but smoothly shutting them all down were Adel and Ken Patterson of the famous Patterson’s Ranch House. The trophy was glorious.

Looking back through old newsletters we found that in 1968 the CWHA Queen was Sandi Woods (Dr. Jeanine Woods’ sister), and she was crowned by the 1967 Centennial Year Queen, Doreen Kendrick (married MacKenzie). CWHA meetings were held in the Winnipeg Free Press building in downtown Winnipeg and dances were at the Monterey Dance Pavilion in Headingley (which has since burned down), and on the river boat. Many shows were held in conjunction with quarter horse shows and the Teulon and Glenboro were apparently great shows!

And it says that Ken Patterson was a barrel racer!

One of the most lasting aspects of CWHA is that it was and is a real family affair.

Parents, teens, right down to the youngest rider show and work hard together. The love of a horse has no age limit. There has been so much fun over the years because there have been those people who stepped up and did the work happily. Joan Lenfesty once said “if only people knew how many pies had to be baked to keep this club going”, that is figurative of course.

Left: Swynar siblings from Pansy started CWHA in early 1990s and are still involved. Left to right: Stephanie, Tim, Kelly, Tara (not shown) rode Reed And Weep, My Sweet Performer and Thunder in the early years.

Jody Heidinger, Joan’s daughter, is doing her part for CWHA as a board member and creating our website www.cwha.ca.

How could the club have survived without people like Charlotte McInnes and Louise Evaschesen, neither of whom ever rode a horse, but volunteered tirelessly for so many years. And that tradition continues.

2013-14 president Brian Sinkarsin, his wife Naomi, and daughter Christen, are all on the board doing so much to put on the shows so we all may ride and see each other again.

YOU ARE INVITED! On July 26th at Birds Hill Park, along with the Manitoba Cutting Horse Association also celebrating 50 years in 2014, we are hosting a fun show followed by a social evening, open to all past and present members! Classes are halter, Western pleasure, trail and barrel racing. There is no official judge and this is not a point show. Participants do not pay a fee and do not require a membership.

This is our reunion and we want you to be a part of it. Bring a horse, or not, wear what you want, enjoy the park and the visiting and take in the sanctioned cutting show as well. There is a steak supper to follow. Tracy McClintock, a past CWHA and current MCHA member, catered the 25th anniversary event and will also cater this meal and our Year End Awards Banquet November 21st at Giroux Hall. A $15 Steak and Spud for July 26th needs to be booked by July 15th to Linda Lamoureux papoun@xplornet.com (204) 320-2746. e Jacqueline and Donna Lee Evaschesen many years ago.

UPCOMING

EVENTS DON’T MISS OUT

AERC - American Endurance Ride Conference BHP – Birds Hill Park CWHA – Canadian Western Horse Association KeyC - Keystone Centre MCHA – MB Cutting Horse Association MQHA – MB Quarter Horse Association MTRC – MB Trail Riding Club

July 25-28 MHJA The Marcy Schweizer Memorial Derby Show, Silver.

RREX, Winnipeg. www.manitobahunterjumper.com or www.horseshowtime.com July 26 CWHA & MCHA Shows celebrating “100 years of horses” at BHP. 50 year celebration. Spud & Steak BBQ $15/person. Rena Scott 204-422-9585 or 204-998-9235(cell) or renajscott@yahoo.ca July 26-27 Draft Horse Show *Prize Money with no entry fee *Driving and Line classes in Virden. Jack Chisholm 204-722-2371 July 26-27 MCHA show at BHP. Rena Scott 204-422-9585 or 204-998-9235(cell) or renajscott@yahoo.ca July 26-27 CLINIC on General Horsemanship with Jeff Spencer www. spencertraining.com. In Oakbank. Open to all levels/disciplines. $350/2 days, limit of 10 riders. $25/day to audit. To book/deposit text/ call Amelia Herrmann at (778) 999-3383 July 30-August 3 MHJA Heart of the Continent, Gold. RREX, Winnipeg www.manitobahunterjumper.com or www.horseshowtime.com August 2 MTRC at Spruce Woods 15/25/40, Janine Thompson 204-344-6002 or C: 204-228-2609 hrisjanfarms@mymts.net August 2-3 DRM ride, Spruce Woods 15/25/50 miles. Maura Leahy 204-795-1915 or Maura.Leahy@live.ca August 3 NISC Show in Eriksdale August 8-9 MCHA show at Richer Rodeo in Richer. Rena Scott, 204-422-9585 or 204-998-9235 or renajscott@yahoo.ca August 15-17 Hanover Fair in Grunthal www.hanoverag.com August 15 CWHA Show at Hanover Fair in Grunthal. nsinkarsin@mymts.net or Karen Ross 204-224-4427 or call/fax 204-878-9673 August 15-17 MHJA Summer in the City & Manitoba Pony Club Regional Dressage & Show Jumping Championships, Bronze. RREX, Winnipeg. www.manitobahunterjumper.com or www.horseshowtime.com August 16-17 CCRHA PineRidge Summer Sizzler. PREP in Oakbank. www.ccrha.com or ccrhashowdirector@ccrha.com August 22-24 MHJA Fall Harvest, Bronze. BHP. www.manitobahunterjumper.com or www.horseshowtime.com August 22-24 MLHA All Breed and Challenge Show, KeyC in Brandon.

Jodi Anderson 204-720-4108 or jjmj@inetlink.ca or Roberta McLaughlin 204-720-2916 August 22-25 Peter Campbell Horsemanship Clinic at Murdock Stables in Winnipeg. FH, H1,CS. 204-222-6295 or gailcornock@yahoo.ca August 23 MTRC at Lavenham 15/25/40. Wendy Carnegie 204-963-9015 optionsweet@hotmail.com August 23 NISC Show in Ashern August 23-24 MCHA show at Meadowview Ranch in Anola. Rena Scott 204-422-9585 or 204-998-9235 renajscott@yahoo.ca August 29-31 Northern Lights Barrel Futurity and Derby, KeyC in Brandon. www.nlfuturity August 30-31 DRM ride, Souris Bend 15/25/50 miles. Myra Cryderman 204-534-2390 or myna@goinet.ca August 30-Sept 1 CWHA Steinbach Southern Tour at Tara Reimer’s, Saskia Reutter’s and Patrick Enns’. Full light horse class list with prize money.

Tara Reimer 204-392-6308 or tara@cloud9ranch.ca or Steinbach Southern Tour FB group

SASKATCHEWAN June 14 SK Long Riders Midnight Madness LD ride, 25 mile ride SHF sanctioned, in St. Denis. Trisha trisha.dowling@usask.ca or 306-222-0219 June 14-15 SRCHA show at Creekside Arena in Melfort.

June 14-15 SPHC Loud & Proud APHA Show & SHF Heritage Show, Saskatoon. www.reinedcowhorse.net June 15 Priddy Farm Hunter Pace & Trail Ride Series, Saskatoon. de.priddy@asktel.net or find us on FB June 20-23 Peter Campbell Horsemanship. Livelong Community Arena, Livelong. H1,RR. 306-845-7480 or laststandranch@excite.com June 27-28 SRCHA show at Swift Current Ex in Swift Current.

July 4-6 SCD Eitan Beth-Halachmy Cowbot Dressage Clinic, Moose Jaw. skcowboydressage@gmail.com July 5 Twin Valley Riding Club’s Eastside Heritage Horse Show at Lee’s Rodeo Grounds in Esterhazy. ManSask & SHF Heritage Approved. Ellen Thompson-Frick 306-793-2880 contact.us@sabrequarterhorses.com www.twinvalleyridingclub.ca July 5-6 SPHC Trail Ride & Outdoor Trail Challenge. Trail End Guest Ranch.

Aylesbury July 10-13 SQHA Summer Slide N Celebration Quarter Horse Show, Golden Mile Arena, Moose Jaw. Nikki Darroch 306-641-4106 or info@darrochperformancehorses.com or www.sqha.org July 13 Priddy Farm Hunter Pace & Trail Ride Series, Saskatoon. de.priddy@asktel.net or find us on FB July 19 SLR Moose Mountain Rendezvous in Moose Mtn. Prov. Park.

Diane Trundle altair.arabians@gmail.com or 306-771-4566 July 26-27 SRCHA show at Creekside Arena in Melfort August TBA SLR Old Wives Trails endurance ride around Old Wives Lake August 3 Priddy Farm Hunter Pace & Trail Ride Series, Saskatoon. de.priddy@asktel.net or find us on FB August 9-10 SRCHA, Maple Creek. www.reinedcowhorse.net August 9-12 Peter Campbell Horsemanship, High Country Quarter Horses, Eastend. CS, H1, RR. 306-295-3844 August 14-17 Peter Campbell Horsemanship, Orchard Ranch, Jansen.

CS,H1. 306-364-4735 or aorchard@live.ca August 23-24 Twin Valley Riding Club’s Bullarama & Rodeo at Lee’s Rodeo Grounds in Esterhazy www.twinvalleyridingclub.ca August 30-31 SPHC Harvest of colours/SQHA All Novice Quarter Horse Show. Prairieland Park, Saskatoon. Ronnie Nordal infor@saskpainthorseclub.com or www.saskpainthorseclub.com August 30-31 Saskatchewan Cowboy Dressage. Lyn Ringrose-Moe Cowboy Dressage Clinic, Moose Jaw. skcowboydressage@gmail.com ALBERTA June 6-8 Peter Campbell Horsemanship. Olds. CW,RR. 403-556-1195.

Eagle Hill Equine (sundre). eaglehillequine@live.ca June 13-16 Peter Campbell Horsemanship. Blazin’J Arena. Peace River. CS, H1 RR. 7780-835-1167. rtcshaw@hotmail.com June 21-22 Wild Rose Welsh & Open Pony Show at Westerner Park, Red Deer. Karen Podolski 780.850.1101; e: piper_p13@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/WildRoseShow August 1-3 Wild Rose Welsh & Open Pony Show at Westerner Park, Red Deer. Karen Podolski 780.850.1101; e: piper_p13@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/WildRoseShow November 1-4 Peter Campbell Horsemanship. Cochrane Ag Society Arena, Cochrane. FH,H1. 403-246-6205 or sharoncrawford@shaw.ca INTERNATIONAL August 23-September 7 World Equestrian Games, Normandy, France.

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ONTARIO July 4-6 NSQHA Northern Lights Classic Quarter Horse Show at Dryden Fairgrounds. Jan Halvorsen 807-274-9002 janhalvorsen@bell.net www.nsqha.com August 8-10 Borderland Quarter Horse Show at Emo Fairgrounds.

Jan Halvorsen 807-274-9002 janhalvorsen@bell.net www.nsqha.com August 15-16 Rainy River Valley Agriculture Fall Fair Horse Show at Emo Fairgrounds. Jan Halvorsen 807-274-9002 janhalvorsen@bell.net www.emofair.com

NAERIC – North American Equine Ranching Information Council NISC – North Interlake Show Circuit PREP – Pine Ridge Equine Park RREX – Red River Ex SHF - SK Horse Federation SLR – SK Long Riders SRCHA – SK Reined Cow Horse Association

Issue 4•2014 |

MANITOBA June 13-14 NISC show at Lundar Fair. www.lundarfair.com June 13-15 CCRHA Wheat City Reining Derby at KeyC in Brandon. www.ccrha.com or ccrhashowdirector@ccrha.com June 13-15 MHJA RRX Ride of Rides, TBD, RREX, Winnipeg. www.manitobahunterjumper.com or www.horseshowtime.com June 14 Horse Sale at Grunthal Auction Mart 204-434-6519 June 14-15 MCHA show Meadowview Ranch in Anola. Rena Scott 204-422-9585 or 204-995-9235(cell) or renajscott@yahoo.ca June 20-22 MHJA Summer Smiles Bronze Show at BHP. www.horseshowtime.com or www.manitobahunterjumper.com June 21 MTRC Solstice Moonlight Charity Ride at BHP. Wendy Carnegie 204-963-9015 optionsweet@hotmail.com June 22 MTRC at BHP 15/25/40. Wendy Carnegie 204-963-9015 optionsweet@hotmail.com June 24-27 North West Round Up in Swan River. Colleen Immerkar 204-734-3718 chamberofcommerce@chamber8.ca June 27-29 Peter Campbell Horsemanship Clinic at Witty Ranch in Russell.

CS, H1 204-773-3371 or rvfarms@mac.com June 28 MacGregor Fair. Joanne Rossnagel 204-685-2321 or macgregorfair@hotmail.com June 28 Miami Fair Horse Show. **NAERIC APPROVED** Halter, English, Western and Gymkana events including Walk/Trot classes.

Judy Elliott 204-435-2840 martyjudyelliott@msn.com.

June 28-29 DRM ride in Turtle Mtn 15/25/50 miles.

Myra Cryderman 204-534-2390 June 28-29 Manitoba Arabian Spring Fling Show at KeyC in Brandon.

Val Batt, valabatt@gmail.com or arabianspringflingshow.webs.com/ June 28-29 Winnipeg Dressage show at BHP June 28-29 Paul Unrau Ranch Horse Clinic at Chalanchuk Acres, 15 mins SE of Brandon. Flag/ranch work and live cattle. $230 Shannon shannon@shallako.com or 204-761-2147 www.shallako.com/clinic.htm July 3-6 MHJA Beach Party, Silver. RREX, Winnipeg. www.manitobahunterjumper.com or www.horseshowtime.com July 5 NISC Show at Teulon. interlakeridingclub@live.ca www.interlakeridingclub.com July 5-6 Manitoba Welsh Pony and Cob Association celebrating their 40th All Welsh Pony Show in Virden. Full slate of classes. Marg Allen 204-352-4324 or Donna Hunter kenview@intehome.ca July 5-6 Clearview Classic Hackney Show at KeyC in Brandon.

Lloyd Mennie 204-725-1220 lloydmennie@hotmail.com July 11-12 CWHA Show at Triple S Fair in Selkirk. nsinkarsin@mymts.net or Karen Ross 204-224-4427 or call/fax 204-878-9673 July 11-13 Triple S Fair and Rodeo in Selkirk July 12 Carman Country Fair July 12-13 Souris Ag Society Fair. ManSask and MGRA sanctioned horse show and Heartland rodeo. Donna McKay 204-761-7452 or Kristen Kolynchuk 204-725-9951 July 12-13 Westman Dressage Lemonade Daze, EC bronze Dressage show at KeyC in Brandon. 204-824-3447 tammy_mckenzie@hotmail.com July 18-19 MCHA show at Morris Stampede. Rena Scott, 204-422-9585 or 204-998-9235 or renajscott@yahoo.ca July 18-20 Campbell’s Beat the Heat Schooling Show, outdoor ring, KeyC in Brandon. Bonnie Campbell, bm.campbell@hotmail.com July 18-20 Arborg Ag. Society Fair & Rodeo. Speed Events on 18th, NISC Horse show on 19th, Heartland Rodeo 19-20th www.agsociety.net Monique Smith 1-294-376-5959 July 19-20 CCRHA Rudko Summer Slide at PREP in Oakbank. www.ccrha.com or ccrhashowdirector@ccrha.com

Abbreviations:

33

INDEX TO advertisers

Here’s the line up of advertisers for this issue.

Biovalco Innovative Products Inc.............................................. 27

Landmark Feeds Inc..................................................................15

Canvasback Pet Supplies.........................................................22

Miracle Ranch Equipment........................................................ 29

Chrysler Canada.......................................................................... 5

N.A.G. Bags.................................................................................15

Cloud 9 Ranch...........................................................................IFC

One Insurance.......................................................................... IBC

Diamond Doug Keith................................................................. 23

Penner Farm Service............................................................... 27

Diamond Shelters...................................................................OBC

Poco-Razz Farm.........................................................................15

Double “R” Farm Equipment Ltd.............................................10

Prairie Truss Ltd. / Wizer...........................................................9

Eddies Sharpening................................................................7, 22

Precious Pet Cremation......................................................... IBC

Elder’s Equine Veterinary Service (2012)...............................7

Sea Life Sea Plants.................................................................... 6

Fort Distributors Ltd....................................................................9

Seasons Ranch...........................................................................12

Greenhawk (Winnipeg)............................................................... 6

Stone Creek Western Shop......................................................12

Horsepower Productions / Chris Irwin.................................19

Westgates Horse & Country....................................................15

Welcome to the new Horse Country; your all-breed, all-activity publication from the heart of Canada.

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They give us so much and ask so little...

You have provided a lifetime of loving care for your horse, now we would be honoured to provide the dignified and respectful aftercare that your horse deserves.

Please contact us to arrange for cremation. For more information on our new facility, which houses the only agricultural capability sized crematoriums in Canada.

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