November/December 2010 Paddock Paper

Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association

 November Minutes and Announcements

7:00 p.m. – Meeting began with announcements:

  • Shelley – ACTHA ride announcement for December 12, 2010.
  • New members Mary Ann Menetrey and Keith Merryweather introduced themselves.
  • Alicia Nation – Asked for support for Cerrillos Horse Sanctuary. Need to write to Governor Richardson before he leaves office with a copy to the Board of Finance.
  • Betsy introduced tonight’s speakers.
9:15 Meeting ended


November Speaker(s)
The subject for this month was crime prevention and we had two guest speakers: City of Santa Fe Police Officer Ben Chavaria, and State Farm Insurance Agent Garrett Seawright.

Officer Ben Chavaria loves doing PR work in crime prevention. Most people encounter the police in a negative situation and this gives him the opportunity to speak to people before they become victims of crime. He also works with elementary age school kids to give them a positive interaction with police. He enjoys his job very much and can retire soon, but will stay on for another ten years. Having had his own flat bed trailer almost stolen four times, Officer Chavaria had a lot of good information:

  • Most stolen property is going to Mexico. Being close to the border makes it easy to transport stolen goods. Vehicles entering Mexico are not checked while vehicles entering the U.S. are.
  • When a vehicle is stolen, and a horse trailer is a vehicle, the VIN is entered into NCIC (National  Crime Information Center) database so all law enforcement agencies around the nation have access to that information.
  • A trailer lock made by Tuffy has a large strap across the top of the hinge and is very effective.
  • Same thing with locks on hitch where pin goes – need to get lock that when you slide it in doesn’t leave enough space to cut the lock. Masterlock makes a good one that is inexpensive as well.  Roybal’s U-Haul has them for a pretty good price.
  • Can also rig rebar and steel to lock wheels and prevent them from turning.
  • Wheel boots can work well but they have to be the ones that cannot be defeated by simply removing the wheel. They need to cover the lug nuts entirely.
  • Parking your trailer close to a wall in the rear can prevent persons from entering.
  • Mark your property with your driver’s license number, mixed up or backwards, in a hidden location. Never use your Social Security number.
  • Take pictures of your tack, preferably being used, to prove ownership for an insurance claim.
  • It’s important to know your neighbors; Officer Chavaria is a big proponent of Neighborhood Watch. If Neighborhood Watch signs are needed, call him and he will provide them. Don’t post them on telephone poles, however.
  • NNMHA membership could help each other out this way too. Members can keep tabs on other members homes to prevent crime.
  • If you own a firearm, know how to use it and when to use it, and keep it loaded and accessible.
  • Police officers treat everyone like they might have a gun. Don’t take it personally.
  • You can only use deadly force to defend yourself when you are afraid of losing your life. You cannot shoot someone for stealing property. You will be held responsible both in criminal and civil court, you will be arrested and treated like a criminal.
  • In New Mexico, a person can openly carry a gun anywhere except where liquor is served or bought, a school, a church, a financial institution, and a court.
  • You can legally carry a gun in your vehicle.
  • You cannot carry a gun hidden under your clothing unless you have a concealed carry permit. A permit or not, you cannot carry a firearm into a gas station that sells liquor. Carrying a hidden gun is a misdemeanor and the police will take possession of your firearm.
  • Out on the trail while riding your horse, you can have a firearm on your hip, or have a rifle on your saddle, as long as both are visible.
  • You do not need to register a gun in the State of New Mexico, either a hand gun or a rifle.
  • For safety’s sake, always ride in groups of two or more.

State Farm Agent Garrett Seawright talked about ways to cover our property. Generally, a homeowner’s policy will cover trailer contents; the trailer itself should have insurance purchased to specifically cover it, as it is considered a vehicle.

  • Actual cash value is the fair market value of your property, which means if you wanted to sell it, how much could you get for it. Replacement value means how much would it cost to buy a new version of what was lost.
  • The best insurance for horses and riders is a Personal Article (or “Floater”) Policy. A personal article policy is all peril, meaning it will pay regardless of what happened or whose fault it is, has no deductible, and has a limit of $5000.00 or less. Cost is approximately $20.00 per $1,000.00 coverage per year, or $100.00 for $5,000.00 coverage for one year.
  • Making a claim won’t raise your rates. Insurance companies don’t look at whether you made a claim, but how many claims you have made. It’s frequency that’s important. Most people will suffer a loss at some point. Frequently making claims raises your rates and raises other questions as well.
  • All horse owners should have homeowners liability insurance, whether you rent or own, and an excess liability umbrella policy, which covers any damages above and beyond homeowners liability.
  • You should have enough liability coverage to cover your net worth. Liability coverage is pretty inexpensive too, when you consider that without enough, you could lose everything you own.

Tonight’s meeting lasted well past the restaurant’s closing time because we all had so many questions about how to protect ourselves and our property.

—Phillip Bachicha

 

2010 Christmas Party

Twenty-four people attended our 2010 Christmas party on Saturday, December 4, held this year at the Sheriff’s Posse building on Rodeo Road, just up from the NNMHA grounds.

The party committee – Lisa Gordon, Sue Stevens, David Mead, and Howard Gershon – did a fabulous job decorating the tree, the walls, the tables – there was even a fireplace crackling on a television screen, set on top of the heater. The food was mouth-watering: turkey and gravy, ham with pineapple, dressing, lettuce salad, broccoli/grape salad, bean salad, potato salad, stuffed mushrooms, and luscious calorie-free deserts (yeah, right) on a table of their own.

After dinner came the gift grab – I forgot stealing could be so much fun! Several objects of desire passed through three owners, while others were discreetly held and went home with the person who opened them. Some trading even took place as the party was winding down. Everyone helped clean up, and I offer a special thank you to Shelley Folmer who manned the sink.

We’re horse people, not party animals; we started at 6:00 and finished up by 9:30. If you were not one of the 24, you missed a good time, but you can see pictures of the event here.

 

Calendar of NNMHA Events

January 26 – Trail riding with a GPS. Trish Hug will talk on basic GPS usage and special concerns when horseback riding, give tips on selecting a GPS model, and creating routes on a computer that can be printed and packed in your saddlebags.

February 23 – John Massengill, owner of Pojoaque Valley Equipment, will speak to us about trailer maintenance, safety and security. Come with questions – he’s the answer man!

March 30 – Shantel Sexton, a local trainer, will talk to us about her approach to horsemanship.

 

Ridge Riders

In the planning stages.

 

In The News


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Other Equine Activities

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