Western Horse Association of PEI
March 2015
Inside this issue:
*2015 Event Schedule 1
*Meet the Board
*Featured Gold
Sponsor
2
*Our Featured Silver
Sponsors
3
*Training Tidbits
4-5
*Year End Highlights
6
*Member Rewards
Program
7
2015 Shows and Events
June 27 & 28— “Slide into Summer” Show WHA & IRHA combined show
Crapaud Agriplex
July 18 & 19 - “Summer Colors Show” - WHA & Maritime Paint Horse Association combined show
Crapaud Agriplex
August 23- 3rd Annual “Fun Show” - Venture Stables , Freetown
September 19 & 20 -”Fall Heritage Show ” WHA & IRHA combined show
Crapaud Agriplex
more events and clinics to be determined...
The Western Horse Association would again like to thank our past board members, Tina
Bernard-Arsenault, Helen Creswell and Jessie Dowe, for there commitment and hard work on
the 2014 Board of Directors and with our club. You will surely be missed!
A huge thank you goes out to our “new comers” for 2015; Heather Smith, Terry Mutch,
Debby MacDougall, Tina Taylor, Betty MacDonald and David Park. And of course a huge
thank you to our “seasoned” members; Alison Borghese, Melissa Larter, Kerri Anne Fraser, and
Tonia Adams for your continued commitment on the Board of Directors.
2015 Board of Directors
Executive Directors
President
Alison Borghese
[email protected]
Past President/Youth/IHC Rep
Melissa Larter
[email protected]
Vise President
Kerri Anne Fraser
[email protected]
Board Secretary
Betty MacDonald
[email protected]
Treasurer
Debby MacDougall
[email protected]
Directors at Large
Tina Ayers- Taylor
Show Secretary
[email protected]
Tonia Adams
Marketing/Fundraising
[email protected]
Heather Smith
[email protected]
David Park
[email protected]
Terry Mutch
[email protected]
WHA Newsletter
Page 2
Our Featured Gold Sponsor
Sherwood Styling Salon
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1989 and has been in the beauty industry for over 26 years. Sandra cultivates an environment in her salon that is both
family friendly and professional. All of our stylists are licensed and certified and keep updated on all the latest trends and
styles, attending classes twice a year.
Sherwood Styling Salon offers full-service styling, waxing and tanning as well as nail services. We also carry a great line of
high end shampoos, conditioners and other styling products. To schedule an appointment with one of our stylists or
estheticians, contact the salon today or just stop by!
We also specialize in doing hair for wedding and proms! Our large staff and facility can accommodate large groups.
Visit us today to see what we can do!
sherwoodstyling.ca
902-892-2334
WHA Newsletter
Page 3
Our Featured Silver Sponsors
Summertime Fun!!There's nothing like spending the entire day in the barn working
with horses and learning the many things to know about them. This summer Willow
Brook Ranch will be for the first time ever offering summer camps. There will be
different themes such as; Cowgirl Up Weekend, Rowdy Kids Age 6-12, Horsing
Around Age 13-18. Watch for publications on FB, Atlantic Rider, and on the Willow
Brook Ranch website page.willowbrookranch.com
Mid-Isle Electric Ltd., Kensington PEI - MidIsleElectric.Com - Electrical Contractors for All PEI.
Servicing Residential, Commercial, Agricultural and Industrial clients since 2007.
Service upgrades, Energy efficiency upgrades, Install Heat Pumps and Propane Generators
At Mid-Isle Electric we strive to provide the most honest, reliable and accurate service possible. We look to protect our
clients’ interests and give the best service, information and expertise to keep our customers satisfied.
Call on our Certified Electricians
Blake MacKay, Kevin Stewart or Chris Gallant today for all your Electrical
needs.
We are located at 10 Gerald McCarville Drive, Kensington, PEI or you can call our service line at
902-836-3018.
WHA Newsletter
Page 4
Training Tid-bits
Western Pleasure Calisthenics: Part I
These five simple exercises will ensure that your horse is
ready for show day.
By Tina Kaven in The American Quarter Horse Journal
A western pleasure horse must be in top physical shape to compete and win in today’s arenas. But
when it comes to conditioning a rail horse, there’s more to it than just walking, jogging and loping.
In a way, a show horse is like clay. You keep working and working clay, and eventually it becomes very
flat and moldable, and you can make anything you want out of it. But if you set the clay on the counter
and let it get cold again, it’s going to get stiff and be hard to shape.
What I want with my horses is that warm, soft, moldable piece of clay all the time. I don’t care how
finished a horse is or how long he has done western pleasure, he’ll go back to that stiff piece of clay if
he’s not worked. He needs calisthenics to keep him supple and allow him to do his job properly.
To prepare my western pleasure horses for the show ring, I use five simple exercises to enhance
movement, transitions, flexibility and balance. The exercises consist of long trotting, shoulder and hip
work, departures and transitions, loping squares and backing up.
Warming Up
Before I move into the exercises, I warm up the horse by lunging him and riding him lightly. I want to
make sure the horse is mentally with me.
When I lunge, I do not take the horse out there and just crack the whip and make him run around. I take
the horse out, and I try to get a feel for where he is mentally. Is he excited, or is he quiet and ready to
work? I don’t want the horse to come out with his tail over his back and run around like crazy on the
lunge line.
If that’s the case, then I will let him work himself down and maybe tie him up for a little while and let him
recoup before I ride him. I don’t like to ride right off a hard lunge, because then the horse is breathing
hard and is not really mentally open.
When I get on the horse, I walk him around and check his mental capacity again. If he’s pretty quiet,
then I’m going to do a little lifting exercise where I see if he is attentive. I will raise the reins and ask him
to lift his shoulders, head and neck.
Our Silver Sponsors
WHA Newsletter
Page 5
Training Tid-bits
If he answers correctly, then I will ask him to move into a jog and see if he continues to pay attention to me. I will then tap
him with my leg and ask him to move his body and see if he answers my cues. I also ask him to move into a lope and check
my leg and hand cues again. I will then check my brakes and maybe ask him to yield off my leg.
But if I feel he still has too much energy or isn’t paying attention to me, then I would not necessarily drill on the movements
and the calisthenics. Instead, I’m going to say, “What do we need to do to get your energy level down? Do you need to get
out and play? Do you need to go on the hot walker?”
If he is willing and listening to me, answering all my questions correctly, then I move into the calisthenics.
Western Pleasure Calisthenics: Part II
Learn how to use the long trot and shoulder and hip exercises in your horse’s calisthenics routine.
Long Trotting
This exercise is a medium working trot with the horse using a full stride. It is more than a jog but isn’t fast.
The purpose of this exercise is to emphasize balance, strength, complete extension of the legs and use of the back while
keeping it rounded. Although the horse is in a working trot, he is still expected to maintain a proper frame, which is a
show-ring frame with the horse’s head and neck as level as possible.
One of the most important things when long trotting is that the horse is responsive to my spur, leg and seat cues. So when
long trotting, I will check with the horse to see if he is listening to my cues. For example, I might vary by asking him to ease
his rhythm down a bit and do a slower extension, and then ask him to speed up to a faster extension.
This exercise is a real attention-getter and helps to harness the body and the mind as one. It really emphasizes obedience
in a greener horse who is not accustomed to going into a working trot without breaking into a lope or slowing down. This
exercise is a way to tell him, “You go the pace I ask you to go. No more. No less.”
Shoulder and Hip
In this exercise, I focus on a shoulder or hip. I will have him either pivot around or move in any direction I ask.
For the shoulder, I will place my outside leg a little forward and ask him to move his shoulder. For the hip, my leg is behind
the relaxed leg position. I usually do this exercise with two hands on the reins, and I am typically in the middle of the arena
or riding across it diagonally.
The purpose of this exercise is making sure the horse is obedient to my legs and my requests. If I find an area of
resistance, then I know I need to focus longer on that.
...Stay tuned for Part 3 & 4 in our next newsletter
WHA Newsletter
Page 6
2014 Year End Highlights
High Point Champion and Reserve - 2014 Season
Open Halter
Champion
385
Jessie Dowe
Krymsum In Color
Reserve
97
Krista Blackett
PF Big League
Youth
Champion
Reserve
117
N/A
Katie Bryson
Blazing In The Moonlight
Novice Youth
Champion
Reserve
66
91
Karlin Larter
Adrianna Groshko
Solely For Pleasure
Mui Doc Tivito
Sharon Churchill
Mr Blue Zippo
Green Horse/Green Rider
Champion
250
Reserve
N/A
Adult
Champion
Reserve
13
114
Alison Borghese
Anna Bryson
Ricochet
An Impulsive Creation
Novice
Champion
Reserve
64
122
Amber MacDonald
Alyssa Mutch
Ziprageous Rebel
Ona Lazy Impulse
Junior Horse
Champion
Reserve
385
114
Jessie Dowe
Anna Bryson
Krymsum In Color
An Impulsive Creation
Open
Champion
Reserve
N/A
N/A
The PEI Western Horse Association would like to thank everyone who came out to compete and enjoy our shows in 2014!
Congratulations to all Year End Award Winners! All of your hard work and training spent with your horse certainly shows!
WHA Newsletter
Page 7
New! Member Rewards Program
Our Bronze Sponsors
Running our WHA shows takes much time and resources, both human and financial ones. In
an effort to keep providing these shows for our Island riders , we are asking for support from all of our
WHA members, to help obtain sponsorships.
Each member that obtains any sponsors falling under any of the sponsorship levels, will be
eligible for the following rewards. Our request for sponsorship letter, which explains the different levels
of sponsorships and advertising we offer, can be found on the homepage of our website
www.peiwesternhorse.com .
Platinum Season Sponsor - $ 1000 and above
Members will receive a $100 WHA gift certificate redeemable towards any of our WHA Store items, or
$100 discount off of one show entry.
Gold Sponsor - $400 - $999
Members will receive a $50 WHA gift certificate redeemable towards any of our WHA Store items, or
$50 discount off of one show entry.
Silver Sponsor - $200
Members will receive a $20 WHA gift certificate redeemable towards any of our WHA Store items, or
$20 discount off of one show entry.
Bronze Sponsor - $100.00
Members will receive a $10 WHA gift certificate redeemable towards any of our WHA Store items, or
$10 discount off of one show entry.
Class Sponsor -$50.00
Members will receive a $5 WHA gift certificate redeemable towards any of our WHA Store items, $5
discount off of one show entry, $5 Tim Horton’s card, or one free non-divisional class in one show.
Donation of Products or Services
Members will receive a gift certificate for 10% of dollar value of product or service obtained for WHA
shows or clinics.
Records will be kept of members who obtain sponsorships, and members can combine their
“member rewards points” .
“Lend a helping hand and receive the rewards!”
Our Class Sponsors