September/October 2008 Paddock Paper
Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association
President’s Message
I was setting on my “Flea Bitten Gray” at the end of the arena just watching the games go on. I found myself wondering where I was 60 years age this September day. It came to me I was a young 15 year old kid (Boy Scout) working at the Boy Scout Camp in Colorado. It don’t seem that long ago but the Horseman’s Association has sure seen a great group of members and supporters come and go. The games that Karen put together had something for everyone. The course will be up in the arena till Friday when we start getting the arena ready for the Show. If you want to use it do so before Friday. The food at the party was top of the line. Corn bread to melt in your mouth. We fed 55 hungry riders and guests. So great to see some of our past officers and board members come out to wish us well. I am looking forward to being one of them. I want to send a personal invite to the Ridge Riders ride Oct. 18 up at Aspen Vista. This is a great ride and the timing could not be better. Lunch at the top with one of the best views in New Mexico! See you there. Matt has led great rides this year and we look forward to more next year. The Fall weather is my time of year! Best to all.Eldon
August Meeting Minutes and Announcements
Eldon reported the August 16th trail ride was good even though there were only two participants
The August horse show was one of the biggest shows we’ve had. Everyone seemed to have a good time. The only problem was there were too many cars and rigs for our space.
Mary Sexton reported on the Mud Pony Riders which is a 4H group of 9–19 year olds; most members are between 9 & 12. They meet every other Saturday at the NNMHA arena. She needs volunteers and horses. Mary asks that everyone consider volunteering one Saturday per season. They also need youth saddles. Please call her at 204-5046 to volunteer or if you have a saddle they can use.
Lori Daggett reported there will be a clinic by Juanita Hayes at the NNMHA arena on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 & 28
Eldon reported the State High School Rodeo will be Sept 5, 6 & 7. We already have reservations for 65 stalls with more expected. Eldon needs help with stall rental on Friday and Saturday.
Eldon and Karen will be manning the booth at the State Fair on September 10th. On Sept 16th, Back Country Horsemen will be manning the booth.
The Ridge Riders trail ride takes place on Sept 13th in the Rio Grande Gorge. Meet at the NNMHA grounds at 9:00
On Sept 16th there will be a trail ride with the Trails Association
Our 60th anniversary celebration will be held on Saturday, September 27th. We will start with a horse play day from 2:00-5:00 and end the day with a BBQ dinner at 5:30. Food will be provided by the Association and all members and previous members are welcome. Contact Betsy for reservations. Betsy will also be sending out invitations to current members and others.
There will be no regular meeting in September, the play day/BBQ will take its place
There have been two promotions of our 60th anniversary. Eldon was interviewed on the radio and there is an article in Horseman’s Voice
Board Meetings are open to the general membership and are the second Wednesday of the month at the Plaza Southside Cafe.Board Meetings are open to the general membership and are the second Wednesday of the month at the Plaza Southside Cafe.
August Speaker
Our speaker was Lynn Clifford, her topic – Emotional Centering in the Saddle. Lynn has been teaching and training with horses for over 20 years and follows in the footsteps of her mother and grandfather who were also “horse people”. She gives instruction in holistic horsemanship. Lynn advised the group to check-in with yourself physically, mentally and emotionally for preparation before riding. She provided copies to the group of an excellent article she wrote on Emotional Centering and elaborated on the article for us; she has given us permission to reprint her article (Emotional Centering). Lynn can be reached at 505-424-1530 or lynn@lynnclifford.com http://www.lynnclifford.com
Ridge Riders
Our last ride of the season will be on October 18 to Aspen Vista. We usually leave the NNMHA grounds at 9:00 a.m. and caravan to our destination. For more information, contact Matt Guenther at guenthmn@yahoo.com 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.
October 29 – Doug Thal, DVM – Conformation basics as they relate to function – Dr. Thal will discuss the basics of conformation as it relates to lameness and performance. Many breed characteristics have deviated from what is most functional and compatible with soundness. It is important to recognize the basics of sound conformation.
November 26 – Shelley Green – Shelley is a 2nd year competitor in NATRC, National American Trail Ride Conference. She will discuss what it takes to compete: gear, riding ability & conditioning of the horse. She likens NATRC to a two-night campout with 30 – 40 of your horse friends. They have social time as well as a group pot luck. Oh yes, they ride a few miles over two days!!!!! Come see what the fun is all about.December – Christmas party
January 28, 2009 – Stephanie Lockhart – trainer, and director of the Baca Horse Conservancy in Belen, NM will share the fascinating history and current information on the rare Colonial Spanish horses. The Baca Horse Conservancy was recently formed to secure the future of this strain which is unique to New Mexico. Stephanie will have a short documentary to view, photographs, literature about the horses, and information on how people can get involved in the preservation efforts, followed by a question and answer period.
February 25, 2009 – 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.