May 2009 Paddock Paper
Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association
President’s Message
Rodeo de Santa Fe is upon us. I need help renting the stalls. We need people to be in the Office when the contestants come in. The process is easy. (1) they fill out a form, (2) an empty stall is assigned, (3) the stall is recorded on the master sheet, (4) the runner takes the golf cart and escorts the cowboy and his rig to the stall, (5) stall is unlocked and the cowboy’s tag is stapled to the stall. Please call me if you can help out during the day or be there later in the evening and most of all all night. We get arrivals all night. I must have help then. We will start renting on Tuesday the 23rd. We will finish up on Saturday the 27th. During the day we have stalls vacated and we do a clean “rake out” so the stall can be rerented. We must must stay on top of the stalls being vacated and get them locked up or someone moves in. Thus we need to have three to four people there. Please call me – 466-6280.Eldon
April Meeting Minutes and Announcements
This meeting was well attended – again! It’s great to see so many folks coming to get together on this monthly basis. And, of course, always fun to welcome newcomers, too. The announcements were:
- A reminder that our first show date has been moved up from early June to May 30th.
- The show committee still needs volunteers to help out, whether it be for the whole day or just an hour. Mary Sexton let us know that her co-committee member, Patricia Vincent, will be calling members who have marked show tasks on their volunteer list. So don’t be surprised when you see her name on your caller ID!
- The Rodeo this year is from June 24th – 28th. As always, this is our biggest money raising event, as we rent stalls to the participants. Eldon reminded the group that we need volunteers to make this happen. No matter how much or little time you may have on those days, please call or email Betsy (466-1038) or Eldon (466-6280) to let us know your availability.
- Lori reminded us that we are still hoping for scholarship applicants. May is usually the month we award that and the time is drawing close. Any high-school student who has been accepted into a college or a university who has a horse-related background can apply. Just go to the NNMHA website and click the scholarship link in the menu on the left side of the page to get the application.
- Shelley Green will be offering a “Trail Clinic” for those folks who might be interested in the upcoming NATRC ride in September. Come have fun camping with your horse and learn the ins and outs of what will be expected of you for the competition. 10:00 on June 13th
- Shelley also let us know that the NATRC ride will double as an endurance ride. So you long-distance riders, get ready!
- Betsy reminded the group that this is our last meeting in the restaurant for a couple of months. Our May meeting will be a members-only meeting at Dr. Mark Meddleton’s new facility in Algodones. Betsy will be emailing directions to everyone and also asking for replies from those who wish to have sandwiches, chips, etc. supplied as their “brown bag” dinner and what that will cost per person.
- There is no general meeting in June, due to the conflict of dates with the Rodeo.
- Our next general meeting in Santa Fe will be the last Wednesday of July.
- Board Meetings are open to the general membership and are the second Wednesday of the month at the Plaza Southside Cafe.
April Speaker
We all enjoyed a great presentation by Dr. Andy Cameron on the subject of equine dentistry. Andy did a great job explaining how and why a horse’s teeth wear down in some spots and not others, necessitating the floating process. He talked about how horses’ teeth grow as they are youngsters and then adults, what the various teeth are in the horse’s mouth, what to look for if you think your horse might be experiencing soreness, how to feel for trouble spots, etc. Then he explained what he, as a veterinarian, looks for when he examines a horse’s to determine if floating is needed and if so, what special things he might need to take into consideration. It was a really informative talk, we all learned new things and we thank you, Andy!
Ridge Riders
We do not have a trail ride leader this season. Matt's horse was badly injured and he is unable to ride for now. Therefore, there are no organized Ridge Riders rides at this time. If anyone is able to step up to the plate and set up some rides, please contact Eldon, Betsy, or Trish.
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.
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.August 26 – Joanne L. Belasco, Esq., President of Tapestry Institute and Director of the Horse-Human Relationship Program – Tapestry Institute’s Horse-Human Relationship Program explores the different ways we know, learn about, and respond to horses. Jo will talk about different ways of knowing (intellectual, experiential, spiritual, mythic, and integrated) and will show us how these ways not only impact our riding and our relationship with our horses, but how they influence and impact our life away from horses. A link for the program is: http://www.tapestryinstitute.org/horsehuman.html
In The News
Read about the latest awards received by NNMHA members – In The News.NNMHA Open Shows
Show dates have been set for May 30, 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.