January/February 2009 Paddock Paper
Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association
President’s Message
The presentation at the last meeting was outstanding. To learn more about the Baca Horse Conservancy was educational and inspiring. It is wonderful to see the Baca family horses receiving the protection and recognition they deserve. Stephanie Lockhart, conservancy manager, presented a powerful story of these Colonial Spanish Horses through education, awareness, and promotion. I know we will hear more from the Conservancy. I want to thank all the members for the support through out the 2008 season and for stepping up to support us in 2009. The Shows will go on thanks to the Show Committee. We all look forward to a great year. I thank all the members and the board of directors for the time and effort they have put in. It speaks to the wonderful Equine Community here in Northern New Mexico. Stay tuned for more to come.Eldon
January Meeting Minutes and Announcements
We had a BIG group (40+) at the meeting on January 28th so Eldon welcomed our new members and guests and asked everyone to introduce themselves. There were a few announcements by new members and guests regarding events and businesses of interest to the membership.
- Show dates have been set for June 6, August 15 and October 3.
- We have five volunteers for the Show Committee. They are Mary Sexton, Karen Pai, Patricia Vincent, Karen Evans, and Alicia Nation. Betsy thanked these members for volunteering to serve on the Show Committee.
- Jinita Hayes will be holding Parelli clinics in the NNMHA arena on the following dates: May 2–10, July 10–12, Aug 7–9 and Oct 8–11.
- The Santa Fe Rodeo will be held the last week of June. We will need volunteers for stall rental.
- Shelley Green announced there will be a NATRC ride in the Santa Fe area in the fall. Participants are welcome and volunteers are needed. Shelley will provide more information in future meetings.
- Board Meetings are open to the general membership and are the second Wednesday of the month at the Plaza Southside Cafe.
January Speaker
Our speaker was Stephanie Lockhart, the conservancy manager and trainer for Baca Horse Conservancy. The Conservancy was founded by Joty and Virginia Baca to preserve the Baca strain of Colonial Spanish Horses through education, awareness, and promotion.There are only 3000 Spanish Colonial horses in existence world-wide; they are now extinct in Spain. Spanish Colonial horses have been bred for desert and mountain hardiness, making them ideal for New Mexico. They are descendents of horses brought to the New World by the Spaniards. Their history includes use as Indian ponies and Pony Express horses. Eventually the government exterminated the stallions to promote the larger European horses. Spanish Colonial horses are ancestors to most modern breeds. Today’s mustangs originated from them but have very little Spanish Colonial blood now, although some do have the traits normally associated with them. There are many strains that have been developed with particular traits for different parts of the country. Spanish Colonial horses have equal measurements which make them extremely well balanced and easy to ride.
The Baca strain has been developed for over 60 years by the Baca family. The original horses, two stallions and five mares, came from the wild in the Tejeras area. Mr Baca is determined to keep the strain pure and he believes that these horses can do anything. The Baca horses have not been tested for DNA but they have been certified by Dr. Phillip Sponenberg who is an equine geneticist. The Baca horses are very versatile and can be used for trail riding, jumping, as ranch horses, for driving or dressage, and for endurance. They have a very high level of self-preservation and are very calm. They are agile and flexible and less prone to injury. They offer a smooth ride and are excellent in rocky areas.
The Baca Horse Conservancy is pending its 501c3 non-profit status. Until they acquire additional land on which to retire the horses, they are only breeding two mares because there are too many horses for their current location. In addition to teaching natural horsemanship, Stephanie starts the young horses and sells them to conservation-minded people who want to help with development and continuation of the breed. The Conservancy is located in Belen and there are 29 horses on the property. They are looking for additional property to be able to divide the herd to protect it from illness. Currently there are five horses in foster homes. Additional volunteers are needed to provide foster homes. Qualifications for fostering include the ability to give the horses good care, having safe fencing and a place for the horses to run and play. Foster families must also have an interest in conservation of the breed.
Visitors to the Conservancy are welcome by appointment only by contacting Stephanie Lockhart at 505-861-7008 or 505-340-8376. Visit their website at www.bacahorseconservancy.com. Donations to the Baca Horse Conservancy are used for feed, veterinarian care, operational expenses, and educational programs which foster an appreciation of the Baca Colonial Spanish horse. Watch PBS programming for a show on the Baca Conservancy to be aired in 2009.
Ridge Riders
No more rides till Spring. If you have suggestions for new rides, please give them to Matt Guenther at guenthmn@yahoo.com or 424-0148
Calendar of Events
Monthly meetings are held the last Wednesday of the month (excluding September and December) at the Plaza South Side Café, 3011 Cerrillos Rd. at 7 p.m. Speaker begins at 7:30 p.m. Good idea to get there by 6:30 if having dinner. For more info contact Eldon or Betsy.
February 25 – Amy Gloman – Equestars - A non-profit dedicated to providing the proven benefits of therapeutic riding and equine-related activities to those with special physical, emotional and cognitive needs. We are currently looking for people to help volunteer in our lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays. We also need help with implementing our new program Horses for Heroes (helping veterans). And of course we always welcome any riders that would like to receive lessons from us.
March 25 – Jacqui Present & Doug Thal – Jacqui is a body worker/masseuse who has focused on working with riders and ranchers for many years. She will be joined by Doug Thal who will address aspects of the horse and fitness care that he feels are beneficial to understand and utilize. Jacqui will do the same with the human body. They will both link the information to how such understanding and practices can enrich the in-sync connection to the horse and the rider.
April 29 – Dr. Andy Cameron: Equine Dental Care – The importance of maintaining the health of your horse’s mouth.
May 27 – we are working out details of a special visit to Dr. Mark Meddleton’s new facility in Algodones. We’ll get our own NNMHA personalized tour!
June – Rodeo – No meeting
July 29 – NNMHA member, Clover Cochran, will talk to us about her experience competing side-saddle.
In The News
Read about the latest awards received by NNMHA members – In The News.NNMHA Open Shows
Show dates have been set for June 6, August 15 and October 3.Other Equine Activities
Be sure to check out the Other Activities Around Town webpage for more fun events to attend.