December 2008 Paddock Paper

Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association

President’s Message
What a great and wonderful Christmas party to kick off the Season. Sue Stevens was a most gracious host and her home was decked out so lovely for the season. I know we had fun cause we laughed till it hurt! (See 2008 Christmas Party for more photos.) What a great group of people we have in this "club." I cannot say enough about this past year. It was truly one of the best and it is due to the dedication of so many. I predict 2009 to be a great year also. The group that will take us through 2009 are:

President Eldon Reyer, Vice President Betsy Walker, Treasurer Lori Daggett, Secretary Charlotte Dykes, Board Member Ron Dykes, News Chairman Patricia Hug, and Show Chairman Donna Wells, and all of you that step up to help out. We thank you all in advance. Even though things look down at this time in our history I am reminded of the good neighbors I have and so I send along this thought:

Neighbors
A neighbor may live a mile away
then again, he may live ten.
You sure don't see him every day
but you know he's there – a friend.
 
If mankind could all be neighbors
like the ones here on this range
The world would be quite different –
you'd see a mighty change.

The best of the season to one and all.

Eldon

 

November Meeting Minutes and Announcements

  • The Christmas Party is Saturday, December 6th. At the party the nominating committee will present a slate of officers and we will take nominations from the floor.  

  • We need a Show Chairman for the 2009 horse shows. (We now have one!)

  • Betsy needs help with the membership mailing on Sunday evening (11/30)

  • No more trail rides until March or possibly February if conditions are right

  • Board Meetings are open to the general membership and are the second Wednesday of the month at the Plaza Southside Cafe.

 

November Speaker
Our Speaker for the evening was Shelley Green a competitor in the North America Trail Ride Conference (NATRC). She began her presentation with a humorous self-composed song to the tune of Gilligan’s Island that told the story of a typical ride. For competitive trail riding you need a horse, truck & trailer and saddle & bridle. Rides are normally  38 – 42 miles with 18 – 24 miles the first day. 90% of the ride is at a walk. You are allowed to use easy boots on your horse but nothing above the coronet band. Competition is limited to a maximum of 50 riders. It’s ok to stop and get off when you want or need to, but you have to be on your horse when moving, you can’t lead. You can ride with a buddy or not, depending on your horse’s personality.

Volunteers along the course check your horse’s pulse and respiration. If your horse doesn’t pass you must drop out to protect the health of your animal. Judges also check your campsite at night to be sure that your horse has proper water, feed, etc. Volunteers are very important to the success of the competition.

Competitors are broken into three categories: Novice, Competitive Pleasure and Open. There is even a youth category. All ages, sizes and shapes of horses and riders can compete. All types of animals compete including horses, mules and donkeys. Competitions last for two days with horses tied to the trailer at night and riders camping. It’s important to start the ride with a clean horse to avoid chafing. There is a vet check for lameness, sore muscles, etc on Friday night before the ride, during the ride, and at the end of the ride. There are two judges: Veterinary Judge and Show­man­ship Judge. In addition to judging you on the trail, some of the factors judged by the Showman­ship Judge are a lunge exercise and mounts and dismounts.  The rides are timed: 3 ½ – 4 ½ mph for Novice and Competitive Pleasure and 4 – 6 mph for Open level. The Judges choose obstacles that are usually naturally occurring but can also be man-made such as construction items if found in the area. Horses can be given electrolytes if the horse will take it without being forced. Riders should drink every time the horses drink, even if they’re not thirsty. Judges can hide to watch or can be visible.

At the two mile marker from camp at the end of the ride you must maintain forward motion because the ride is timed. Trails are well marked and cleared. Drag riders follow the competitors to be sure everyone checks in.  If not they go to look for the missing riders. Riders have a lot of fun and also receive valuable education from the judges and from the other riders. The goal is to make your horse use his mind while he is getting great exercise.

There is an annual convention each winter where you can learn from experts on various topics such as nutrition and hoof care. Membership fees are Standard and Platinum and include liability coverage for anyone hurt in horse activities on your property. You can see videos from competitions on You Tube under NATRC. If you don’t want to compete you can still participate by being a volunteer. Volunteers mark the trails, haul water, keep records for judges, provide transportation for judges, check pulse and respiration, etc. You can also compete in a distance-only ride which does not have obstacles. You don’t have to be a NATRC member to participate but members pay less in entry fees.

 

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.

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.

March 25, 2009 – 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.

May 27, 2009 – 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!

 

In The News
Read about the latest awards received by NNMHA members – In The News.


NNMHA Open Shows
Check out the photos from our June 15 Open Show


Other Equine Activities
Be sure to check out the Other Activities Around Town webpage for more fun events to attend.

 

Classifieds
Check out our Classifieds page for boarding opportunities, tack, horses and services.