Equine Niagara News

From the Horse's Mouth

Equine Niagara News Sold to The Rider

Equine Niagara News (ENN) is pleased to announce the sale of the Niagara-based magazine to Barry Finn and The Rider.

This sale marks a turning point for the three-year-old on-line magazine for the betterment of the horse community in the Niagara Region. With the added depth of The Rider, a 40 year-strong Ontario based equestrian print publication, the horse enthusiasts can only benefit from the articles and information this will bring to the area. Read more:

More from the Equine Expo
Article by Brenda Robson & Photos from Krista Mills of 2012 Equine Expo
Read more:

Equine Expo Huge Success this Year
Canada's Outdoor Equine Expo took place this weekend with fantastic clinics, great competitions and tons to see and do. Above Jennifer Postma is shown as the winner of the Extreme Cowboy Race, one of the main attractions to the event this weekend. Read more

Weekly:
Fox Lair Stables: Games night - every Tuesday, sorting every Friday night
Lil-Bit Ranch - Roping practice Wednesday nights, sorting every Friday night.Roping Sunday's at 1
Monthly:
Upper Canada Equestrian Association Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of each month

Weekly:
Fox Lair Stables: Games night - every Tuesday, sorting every Friday night
Lil-Bit Ranch - Roping practice Wednesday nights, Sunday at 1pm sorting every Friday night.

Monthly:
Upper Canada Equestrian Association Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of each month
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Niagara Cup Series - Sherwood Farms May 19-20th
2012 NCS Entry forms available HERE (pdf)
2012 Series Program available HERE(pdf)
Memberships are now added to entry forms.
Bertie Willoughby Saddle Club Show - May 20th
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Upper Canada Equestrian Welland Canal Ride - May 20th
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B'N'R Stables Wild West Day - May 21st
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Dressage Niagara Show - May 27th
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Dunnville Saddle Club Show - May 27th
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Upper Canada Equestrian Annual Nicky Aitken Memorial Trail Ride for Breast Cancer - June 3rd.
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Cedar Ridge Jumper Show - June 3rd
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UCEAs Annual Nicky Aitken Trail Ride for Breast Cancer - June 3rd
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Equine Expo - June 8-10th
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Understand Your Horse Clinic Series with Tom Shields - June 9th
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Dressage Niagara Show - June 10th
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Briarwood Hunter Show - June 10th
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PLEASE SEND YOUR EVENTS TO editor@equineniagaranews.com to be included in From the Horse's Mouth and in our Calendar of Events. Listings in the magazine are limited to 2 issues from date of event.
Thank you!

Greenhawk Beamsville Presents
What Not to Wear in the Show Ring
Join us for an evening of equine fashion!
This interactive seminar will feature the latest & greatest show apparel from greenhawk!
We'll talk about correct attire presentation for a variety of different disciplines including Hunter, Jumper, Dressage & Cross Country.

Plus - stay to shop and get a 15% discount - on all supplies THAT NIGHT ONLY!

Refreshments provided!
* off the regular price. Discount valid only to participants of the seminar.
May 2nd, 6-8pm at Greenhawk Beamsville

participants $75 auditors $25 learn
Understand Your Horse Clinic Series

An animal which has confidence in the understanding and good will of it’s rider will more effectively respond to the commands or its rider.

The “Understand Your Horse” clinics are being offered for any one wanting to learn more deeply how horses communicate with each other and how we can be better communicators for our horses. We will explore the body language of the horse and how our body language effects the horses we handle and ride. This will be done using ground work tools like leading, lunging and long lining. These same principals will also be transferred to the saddle for riding for participants wishing to ride.
People don’t know what they don’t know. This clinic series will help expand your base of knowledge of the horse’s communication style and how we can“get what we want” while the horses “get what they need”. Knowledge is power when working with horses … so the more you know … the more you can achieve while making it a “win win” for you and your horse.
Tom will start the day with a theory session including a demo of the principals and then two participants will work in the ring at a time for 1 1/2 hour sessions. There will be a maximum of 8 participants per clinic. You are welcome to bring your horse or use one provided by the facility owners.
Participants …………… $75.00 (1 1/2 hour session, semi private)
Auditors ……………….. $25.00 per day
Register at … 905-701-8271 or email tom@ironhorseec.ca
Clinic dates and locations (2012)

Saturday, May 5th … Stone Crest Farm 893 Haldimand Rd. 9 Hagersville, Ont.

Cedar Ridge Hunter Classic - May 6th

DUNNVILLE SADDLE CLUB - SPRING CLINIC
Date: SUNDAY MAY 6th, 2012
Location: Windhurst Riding & Training Centre
Clinician: Brenda Robson EC1, NCCP3
We invite you to enjoy this special DSC Club clinic rate, as an opportunity to expand your riding education by learning from Brenda’s training and experience as an Equine Canada/NCCP certified coach.
*** 6 Participant positions for the Day *** Auditors Welcome
Cost: Participants $45 (hst included) Auditors $5 members (no hst)
Auditor Fees will be collected directly by the club executive at the clinic.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED for all participants, DEADLINE May 1, 2012
Register by contacting: windhurstwnflt@hotmail.com
For your convenience e-mail transfers are accepted - simply include a “secret” question and answer so that the transaction may be completed securely.

Upper Canada Equestrian Association INFORMATION NIGHT featuring guest speaker Wayne Reynolds of the Ministry of Transportation - April 11th at the Bertie Clinton Insurance office 6:30 pm all welcome. Find out what you need to know for your truck and trailer when hauling your horse.

Just a reminder that Equi-Bow Unit One is coming up fast on April 14 and April 15.
I will send out a newsletter shortly with more details on a variety of courses, but wanted to give those of you dedicated to your horse, his comfort and performance, a chance to register before the end of February.
For those of you who have completed Unit One and are anxious to learn about important new protocols, Unit Two is coming up May 5, 6 and 26. Please register by early April. We see astonishing results every day in horses who have experienced Equi-Bow. We invite you to learn this user friendly technique to help to optimize your horse's life! We are happy to answer any of your questions. Warm regards, Cheryl Gibson & Simone Usselman-Tod
Equi-Bow Canada:
www.equi-bowcanada.com

Upper Canada Equestrian Association Spring Fling - April 14th, Royal Canadian Legion, Hwy 20. 8:00 pm dance, silent auction, potluck, door prizes and a guest appearance by Snowflake - try out your roping skills. www.uppercanadaequestrian.com

DRY LAKE SADDLE CLUB TACK SWAP MEET,CRAFT AND BAKE SALE
SATURDAY APRIL 7 from 10am to 3 pm
Hosted by DIAMOND B QUARTER HORSES
94 Concession 4 Road, Fisherville, ON
Cost of tables is $10 per table. They must be booked and paid for by April 1, 2012. Proceeds from the table sales will go to the Dry Lake Saddle Club Youth.
The youth will be on hand to BBQ hot dogs for lunch, and we will be selling coffee, hot chocolate and cold drinks. We will have RICKY RAMEY there to shape and clean your straw or felt hat. Cost is $15 per hat. He will also have product from his tack shop, BIGREKKRODEO.COM. Jen Small from JEN'S VINYL DECALS AND CUSTOM EMBRODIERY will also be there with samples of her custom embroidery and a selection of decals to purchase. Dr. Ruth Pugh will be on-hand to give an EQUINE CHIROPATIC DEMONSTRATION and to answer any questions you may have regarding the benefits of chiropractics and your equine partner. For more information or to book a table, contact Lorraine Black (905) 962-0359 or Amber Hyde (519)443-5019.

2012 EC Judges Clinic - Hunter, Hack and Hunt Seat Equitation - April 7, 2012
2012 EC Judges Clinic - Jumper - April 8, 2012
2012 EC Course Design Clinic - April 13-15, 2012

BIOSECURITY E-SESSION - APRIL 16-29
Beat the Bugs with BioSecurity
Protect your horse from infectious diseases • Identify risks of infectious disease in your barn • apply practical ways to reduce your risks of disease • reduce the chances of sickness in your horse. Don't miss out - registr before April 10 for this two week e-session $75 plus GST. For more information about Equine Guelph's biosecurity program visit www.equineguelph.ca/biosecurity.php

The 4th annual Centre Wellington Equine Trade Show, Tack Swap & Seminars.
The "Mane" event offering new & used horse products for people of all ages and disciplines.
Sunday April 29, 2012 at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex 550 Belsyde Ave. in Fergus. 9am - 3pm.
This is one of the largest shows in Southern Ontario. There are over 125 vendor spaces available and close to 1000 people attended in 2011. This show has new and used tack as well as many businesses selling their products.
There are also equine seminars held throughout the day.
Tables start at $20.00 for used tack and 10' x 10' booths start at $80.00
you can book a spot through our website www.cwequinetradeshow.com

Cedar Ridge Jumper Series - May 6th

Finesse to Power at Canada's Outdoor Equine Expo

Heavy horse enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that Jim Poole, the recently retired manager of the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, will be leading clinics on heavy horses and hitches. » Learn more

Equimania:

Be a part of Equine Guelph's team at the Can-Am All Breeds Equine Emporium!

EquiManiacs have a lot of fun every year at Can-Am, teaching visitors to play safe around horses. If you would like to volunteer and participate in Equine Guelph's safety initiative please email your contact information and availability to:

eqmania@uoguelph.ca

REACH Huron is pleased to present Olivia Wentworth-Stanley's Dressage Clinic

Date: May 6 - 8, 2011

Olivia is currently in California training with Olympic and WEG medalist Steffan Peters. REACH Huron is proud to be hosting her first clinic after her return to Ontario in the spring.

To register: print and send in the registration form provided here, or call 519 606 1480.

01/20/10
Brock and Juno:
ENN mistakenly used the term "awarded" Brock and Juno to the two police officers in the last issue of ENN, when in fact, the horses were sold to them. We apologize. Our sources couldn't reveal the circumstances surrounding how the horses were able to stay with the two officers. See related article:

Upcoming Events:

WHAO

Awards banquet and general meeting is booked. The date is February 20,2011 at the Mohawk Inn. There will be a buffet starting at 11:00 am and our general meeting and awards will follow. Please book you tickets thru Marsha Tarbutt, Louise Harris or Don Stauffer as soon as possible for the final count. Tickets are $17.00 each and children under 10 eat free. Hope to see you there for lunch, awards and the general meeting. Some of the topics for the meeting include lowering the membership prices for 2011. Dont miss your chance to have an opinion or run for the board. All help is appreciated

Bertie Willougby Saddle Club Swap Meet - March 12, 2010 - see poster

Rusty Rider Clinic with Scott Carmichael - March 12th

Can Am Equine - March 18th-20th

ENNs 2011 Media Package is now available on-line. Check it out! A price range for everyone!

Liability Insurance - Should You Have It?
Definitely! For your own protection as well as others.

In the December 24th issue of Equine Niagara News we received a letter to the editor over a young girl's concerns that yet another cost had been added to showing - a cost that she felt was making it harder for her to attend the shows she wanted to attend. We promised to investigate further into which shows require liability insurance and which do not. To find out more and the benefits of an OEF Membership in this regard, click here...

Good News for Fort Erie and all that Make Their Living at Fort Erie Racetrack

"Very good news:)", says Cindy Mustoe a local horse enthusiast that works with the race horses at Fort Erie Racetrack.

The last few years have been up and down for thoroughbred owners, trainers, grooms and others that earn a living from the local racetrack and slots. The future of the track has been in turmoil for years, and with last week's announcement of a press conference regarding the future of the track, many feared the worst.

Equine Niagara News spoke to many of the people that work at the track or with the horses to try and learn what the press conference was about. Surprisingly, we found that very few even knew about it taking place. But, all had the same thought -- "it must be more bad news".

Ultimately as it turned out, it wasn't bad news at all, but great news for a change. More....

Horse Rescued on Busy 401 Highway
by Susan Pennell-Sebekos

Last night, the 401 was a cold, frightening place for a loose mare. Winds whipping at 70 kph, blowing snow, darkening skies, traffic whizzing by, and a frightened large white pony not knowing where to go. Ellie Ross never knows what will happen in a day. Known as the ‘Thoroughbred Lady’, Ellie Ross of Ayr, Ontario, has rescued many horses over her life, but last night was a different call for help.

A staff member heard a radio report of a loose horse on the 401 half way between Hwy 2 and Oxford Rd.29 (Drumbo Road). The OPP were desperate to keep her from being hit. She said, “Ellie, we know if anyone would help get it done it it’s you so.”

They were right. Read on...

HU Being Reformed

With all the bad publicity over the past year or two at Horses Unlimited, Kellie Parlee and her husband Ryan Collins have their work cut out for them. The two have taken over the challenge of rebuilding the business at this facility to what it once was. The facility is now called Kellie's Equestrian Centre. More...

Update: Pleasant Ridge Saddlery Break-In
List of Saddle Models Taken.....

Fun and Awards at the Royal
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is fun for one and all, regardless of whether you live the country-life or just visit it now and then. But for those that show their horses all year in hope to have their grand-finale at the Royal, it's more than fun - it's work. First showing all season at the A's to qualify, then the preparation for the big event and probably the most work of all, dealing with the nerves from showing at the Royal.

Niagara boasts a great talent in the riders and the horses themselves. We had the pleasure of attending the Royal ourselves with Tori Pennell doing the Wind Rider Challenge demonstration as part of the OEF's Spirit of the Horse display - of course we covered that story in the last issue, but here is more of what others did at this year's event. For more about the Royal and Vandenbrink Warmbloods, the entries of Avanwhit Stables and Victoria Wickabrod and Meagan Sentineal's championships, click here...

Lil-Bit Ranch Ropes the Awards

Saturday, November 21st was a great day for a parade. The temperatures were great and attendance huge for the Fort Erie Santa Claus Parade. In attendance at the parade this year were the standard set of floats from the "Maid of the Mist" and so many more. But this year, Lil-Bit Ranch and their friends put together what turned out to be the award winning float for the parade. Not once, but twice. More...

After the Fire

Friday, October 02, 2009

8:04 AM

Bilyea's Starting To Get Their Farm and Life Back To Normal

For Kathy and Nelson Bilyea, Saturday, April 18th was a day of devastation. On a day they were extremely busy with their spring horse sale, they learned their barn was on fire and left the sale immediately for home. The barn was fully engulfed with horses running everywhere. In the end, thirteen horses died including Nelson's stallion Ginnin Cowboy and Kathy's mare, Bailey.

Now, almost six months later, a new smaller barn has been built, but the property is still in disarray. Initially, the fire department said the cause of the fire was electrical, but after some investigation on Kathy and Nelson's part, they were able to convince authorities to take another look. Read more...

Tornados make a mess of Royal Canadian Riding Academy
by Shannon McGee

Here is my experience of the tornado from Thursday, August 20th.

I was in the arena lunging my horse at my barn only 2 kilometers from Royal Canadian Riding Academy (RCRA) while the storm was brewing, the rain was so loud that my horse could no longer hear my voice and I decided to call it quits and put him back in his field. Sure enough, I got to his field and stood with him for a minute through some intense lightening strikes nearby. The cracks were deafening and the light made the sky look white! I looked directly to the west of my barn and saw what looked like smoke coming up from the ground. I thought maybe lightening had struck the nearby hay field? As I continued to watch, I noticed that the base of the "smoke" was moving and then it clicked! It was a tornado! Read more, see photos....

St. Catharines Youth Sets Her Sights for the Dressage Championships in Kentucky

In a press released dated June 12, 2009, Dressage Canada announced that 39 Canadian Youth and Junior riders have set their sights on the FEI North American Junior & Young Rider's Championships (NAJYRC) to be held in Lexington, Kentucky July 21-26th.

"I am impressed with the number of Juniors and Young Riders striving to achieve a team position for the NAJYRC in 2009. Our past success with the Youth Programs in Canada continues to establish a high standard of excellence in both horses and riders," remarked Ali Buchanan, Dressage Canada Youth High Performance Chair. "I wish all the declared riders the best of luck in achieving their goals for the NAJYRC.

One of those Junior riders is Stefanie Krysiak, a 16 year-old from St. Catharines, Ontario on her mount Nabucco, (aka Nico) - a 12 year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Jane McClure. Stefanie's story...

Where Can You Legally Ride Your Horse?
Downtown St. Catharines? Sure!
Ok, so you have your horse tacked and ready to go, off on a journey to heaven knows where? But now you're wondering just where you can legally go with your horse? Click here to find out...

Dirty Laundry
None of us enjoy doing laundry at the best of times, but what do you do about all those stinky, dusty, dirty and quite often muddy horse blankets and saddle pads? Put them in your washing machine? I don’t think so? Take them to a Laundromat? Maybe. Powerwash them yourself? Maybe. Find where to get these items cleaned....

New Major Equine Facility In The Works: Equine Niagara News has also discovered the possibility of a major equine facility being built in the Niagara Region. While we have absolutely no details, we do know a survey is being conducted here in Niagara to determine whether the Niagara Region equine industry can support a large facility for multi-purpose use. No land has been purchased as of yet, like we said, this is in the early planning stages. Let us know your thoughts on this one! Editor's Note: While Equine Niagara News' survey is not over until the end of the month, those that have completed it have asked for such a facility to house more clinics and day camps for children. Interesting!