Gmail - SEPTEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER

Sarah Flynn <sflynn1000@gmail.com>

SEPTEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER

Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club <wmvsaddleclub@gmail.com>

Sun, Oct 1, 2017 at 12:03 PM

Reply-To: wmvsaddleclub@gmail.com

To: sflynn1000@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER

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WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY SADDLE CLUB MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Non-Profit Equine Organization

Message from the President...

Greetings to all members

Please try to attend the November 6th Membership Meeting. It is also our Thank you Dinner for our Rodeo Sponsors and Saddle Club Volunteers!

Also, the club will vote on members to The Board of Directors for 2018.

If you are at all interested in becoming a Board Member please be prepared to stand in front of the members and board and present what expertise you could bring to the club.

If you can't be at the meeting, please forward a Bio to Annie so it can be read at the meeting.

There are 9 Members of The Board and they are all up for election each year.

Thank you to Sarah Flynn who has volunteered to fill the vacancy seat for remainder of 2017!

Those seeking to become The Junior Board Member, or an Alternate Board Member, should also be prepared to speak.

I'm looking forward to a great turn out for the November Meeting!

Your President,

George

Monday, November 6th, 6pm

Membership Meeting/2018 Board of Directors Vote

Sponsorship/Volunteer Appreciation

Thanksgiving Feast!

We will provide all the Turkey!

Saddle Club Members; If you would like to provide all the fixins' for our feast ie: mashed potatoes, stuffing, sides, or deserts please call Annie at 719-371-2503

WE WILL NEED RSVP's FOR THIS SPECIAL DINNER

PLEASE RSVP TO ANNIE BY OCTOBER 30TH!!!

We will be having other themed potlucks for future meetings, so keep an eye out in the newsletter to see what the upcoming themes will be!

THANK YOU,

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Membership Meetings

Please note that all membership meetings will now take place every other

month through the winter months due to popular request from our members.

The next scheduled member meetings will be as follows:

November 6th, 6pm

January 8th,2018 6pm

March 5th, 2018 6pm

Board Meetings

October 23rd, 6pm

November 20th, 6pm

January 22nd, 6pm - 2018 Budget Meeting

February 19th, 6pm

March 19th, 6pm

If you have any questions, please contact
Annie Moran at 719-371-2503
or
George Koons at 719-371-3853

Please watch your emails for any updates of events scheduled or notices from the Saddle Club!

Thank you,
Annie Moran, Exec. Director
719-371-2503

If you have any questions, please contact Annie Moran at 719-371-2503

George Koons at 719-371-3853

Please watch your emails for any updates of events scheduled or notices from the Saddle Club!

Thank you,

Annie Moran, Exec. Director

719-371-2503

If you would like to join our Board of Directors or nominate someone, please do so by

October 30th

Email

-

wmvsaddleclub@gmail.com

Voting will take place on November 6th

2018 Saddle Club Board of Directors

Current Nominations

Board of Directors- 9 Positions

George Koons - 783-2149 / georgekoonswestcliffe@gmail.com

Steve Case- 783-0973 / peggy-case@hughes.net

Pat Kerns- 783-2886 / lileagle@centurylink.net

Dorothy Nepa- 783-0513 / goldenbreeze2@yahoo.com

Steve Allen- 719-942-3519 / sjjr2allen@yahoo.com

Sarah Flynn- 719-783-0808 / sflynn1000@gmail.com

Alternates- 2 Positions

Bob & Holly VanDuys (719) 783-0920 hollyihardin@aol.com

Junior Board of Directors 16yrs-19yrs old- 1 Position

Megan Frahm(303) 944-3350

Click Here for Junior Board Member Application

ALL persons nominated must be prepared to stand up and present a short

1-2 minute introduction about themselves, stating why they would like to be a member of our board, and how they can help our Saddle Club remain an integral member of our community; promoting our mission, and bringing growth to our club and to Custer County!

ALL persons nominated that WILL NOT be able to attend the Nov 6th meeting must submit a short 2 paragraph essay stating the same.

Please submit your short essay as an email attachment on/before Oct 30th to:

wmvsaddleclub@gmail.com

You may also choose to do both!

Essays will be emailed to the membership

on Nov 2nd, assisting members in making an informed choice on Nov 6th!

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE:

Staying in compliance with our bylaws, it is the responsibility of Board of Directors to appoint the officers. Membership will only be voting on Board Members, Alternate Board Members, and the Jr. Board Member.

Click Here to View WMVSC BYLAWS

If you have any questions, please call George Koons, President

719-371-3853

Thank you!

2017 Schedule of Events

Please keep in mind that more events will be added and some event schedules may vary.

Keep an eye out for updates!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SCHEDULE

MONTHLY SADDLE CLUB FUNDRAISER!

Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club

90 CR 241, Westcliffe, CO

PLEASE NOTE THAT BINGO WILL RESUME AGAIN ON:

NOVEMBER 17TH 6:30PM

For more information, please call Annie Moran 719-371-2503

EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING FOR GRADES 6-12

The Country Strong Teens administrators and facilitators invite you

to recommend youth who will benefit from Equine Assisted Learning Activities

Custer County has a new program for youth in grades 6 through 12. The program leaders use activities with horses to improve communication and life skills. It is called County Strong Teens and is sponsored by the Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club and the Koons Foundation.

The Country Strong Teens Program works with students in the Equine Assisted Learning and Activities Method. The equine activities are designed to empower students to learn and develop coping skills; creating emotionally and socially healthy young adults.

The equine activities model has proven to be an effective method for helping teens overcome defiance, anger, low-self esteem and mood disorders. It is a focused and intentional approach, producing marked positive results. We have carefully designed group and individual activities with horses to target issues youth may be facing every day. The exercises are designed to bring about positive changes.

Each activity ends with a processing circle where the students gather with the facilitation team to share something about the experience of the activity. The student is asked to describe from the "I" point of view what they may have observed or felt while participating in the activity.

Activities with the horses take place on the ground; the program is not about riding or training. The horses used int he program are professionally trained for this method; they are respectful and well-mannered. Safety is one of our main concerns in all EEAL activities.

Sessions: Participants meet each Friday for a six consecutive weeks, with a one or two week break between sessions. This is a year round program and students are welcome to join the program at anytime.

Time: 11:00 am to 1:30 pm (Healthy snacks and drinks are provided at each session)

Location: Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club, Westcliffe, outdoor arenas. In cases of inclement weather, the program is held at the Painted View Ranch indoor arena on Hermit Road, Westcliffe.

Transportation: Wet Mountain Valley Rotary Club provides a van driven by trained and certified drivers to transport students. The parent or guardian of students must verify their pick up and return locations. Forms for transportation are provided to the parent or guardian to complete and return.

Fee: There is NO fee to participate in the Country Strong Teens Program. CST is funded through grants, foundations, and fund raising. This is a referral based program: participants are referred by a school counselor, social worker, therapist, parent, and/or community health services. This is a volunteer program for participants and they can continue at will. We understand that a student may miss a session. They are welcome to return as soon as they are willing and able.

Country Strong Teens meet on Fridays at 11:00, at the WMV Saddle Club

For more information or to register, please contact
Annie Moran, Executive Director, 719-371-2503
Betsy Banks, Lead Facilitator, 719-330-7127
Kim Seng, PATH Certified Instructor, 719-989-0466

2017 MEMBERSHIP FORMS

It is our members and our volunteers who keep this organization moving forward!

Thank you to all who have donated your time & talents.

We hope to continue our success and increase memberships and volunteerism in 2017!

Click Here to Download 2017 Membership Form

Click Here to Download Waiver

Thank you for your interest in upholding our promise to the community, our youth, and our members in the struggle to maintain common interests and goals!

ROYALTY UPDATE

2017 Westcliffe Stampede Queen

Miss Katlyn Freeburg

2017 Westcliffe Stampede Queen's Attendant

Miss Megan Frahm

2017 Westcliffe Miss Stampede

Miss Brooke Flynn

2017 Westcliffe Stampede Princess

Miss Skyler Rose Smith

2018 ROYALTY PAGEANT RESULTS ANNOUNCED ON JULY 16TH  

AT SUNDAY'S RODEO FINALS:

2018 Queen: Megan Frahm

2018 Queen Attendant: Grace Flynn

2018 Miss Stampede: Brooke Flynn

2018 Princess: Paige Lorenzen

Royalty Director

Sarah Flynn

719-783-0808

sflynn1000@gmail.com

2017 Royalty Sponsorships

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

  

If you would like to place a tax deductible donation, please contact:
Royalty Director
Sarah Flynn
719-783-0808

sflynn1000@gmail.com

DAY RIDE SCHEDULES

Cyn Williams has stepped up to coordinate our Saddle Club Day Rides.

This year, the Saddle Club plans to organize day rides for members who want to hit the trails. We also are considering adding horse camping opportunities to this riding season. We would appreciate if you could fill out the survey so that we can better plan the day rides and horse camping.

Thank you....and rides will soon be scheduled.

SURVEY

Thank you,

Cyn

Email cynwilliams60@gmail.com for more info

Visit Website

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BACK COUNTRY HORSEMAN

Click Here for Facebook Page

INFORMATIONAL & EDUCATIONAL

VIDEOS & READING TOPICS

How to have confidence in the Saddle, By Carson James

Click Here to Read Article

Tips on getting your horse to stand still when mounting

http://lp.carsonjames.com/respect-test-video

Tips To Keep Your Horses Healthy During Weekend Events

The History of Rodeo

Your Horse's Heart

The Equine Heart: Power Plant

10 Essential Items for An Equine First Aid Kit

Horse Problem - Horse Aggressive at Feeding time

Preventing aggression at feeding time - Video

10 Winter Health Care Mistakes to Avoid

Healthy Horse Grooming Tips for Winter

The Most Important Lesson I Ever Learned From A Horse

MSU Study on Aromatherapy for Horses

Latest News from the

Colorado Horse Council

Click Here!

Colorado Horse Council Equine Insurance Info

JULIE GOODNIGHT

Top Five Concerns for Winterizing Your Horse

Published

September 27, 2017

I grew up in Florida, where the main riding season is the winter. Our main chore to get ready for winter was body clipping the horses, to get rid of the winter coat they were not going to need. For the last 30+ years, I've lived in the mountains of Colorado, at an altitude of 8000 feet, where the winters are long and cold and preparing your horse and barn for the winter comes with some important concerns.

Depending on your climate, your barn and the facilities you have to work with, preparing for winter may mean a lot of work! We all have unique challenges in the winter that may vary from dealing with ten-foot snow drifts to dealing with eight inches of mud, but my first concern is always making sure my horses will be comfortable for the long winter ahead.

While winters here in the mountains are long and hard, with temperatures well below zero at times, it's not that bad everywhere (and much worse some places). Whether your winters are mild or wild, you might find a few things to think about, as you prepare your horses for winter. My biggest concerns to prepare my horses for winter are transitioning the horses' diets, winterizing their water sources, preparing their hooves, checking their parasite status, and organizing blankets.

The Grass is not Greener

My horses have free-choice access to hay and/or grass 24/7, but late in the summer as the grass starts losing its nutritional value, the horses start transitioning themselves to more of a hay diet. Since Fall comes early here, by mid-August, the horses start eating more hay and less green grass, all on their own. Since we offer both hay and green grass to the horses in the late summer, they will slowly transition themselves to an all-hay diet by the time the grass goes dormant.

Unlike the Spring, when we must be very careful transitioning the horses from an all-hay diet to an all-grass diet, in the fall the transition is easier. However it's done at your place, it is important to make any change in diet gradually. Whenever we are changing a horse's diet, we always put them on a pre/pro-biotic like Proviable throughout the transition period, to aid in digestion.

After over thirty years in the horse business, I've learned many hard lessons about buying hay. First, I always buy a year's worth of hay in the fall. I will not take the chance of running out of hay in the spring when hay can be very scarce and expensive. I will not buy hay right out of the field. It's not fully cured until it's been in the stack for 30 days. Some hay can look absolutely beautiful for a few weeks after it's baled but can turn bad in the stack thirty days later if it was baled with too much moisture.

For my horses, I buy straight grass hay, top-quality, no rain on it. We buy large bales, which are a challenge to move around, but the cost savings is significant. I'll also buy a few tons of small bales so that when I travel with my horses, I have some hay to take on the road.

I've found that hay prices are lowest and most stable in the fall and I can usually find the best quality then too. An uncomplicated way to budget your hay is to plan on using 1/3 a ton per horse per month; so, three horses are going to consume about one ton a month. I like to buy 10 months' worth of hay in September; that should take me through July, when the new crop comes in and when the grass is in full swing. If you may have spoilage, add 10%. If your herd numbers fluctuate, overbuy your hay. If it's well stored, hay will retain its nutritional value for up to a couple years after it's baled. So I'd rather have extra hay in the Spring (when hay is the most expensive)-I'll be sure to use it up first before I start feeding the next year's crop.

Winterizing Water Sources

Frozen water sources can be one of the biggest challenges in winter horse keeping. Just like us, it's easy for a horse to get dehydrated because he is not drinking enough water when he is cold. Dehydration is a huge factor in colic, so I do everything I can to make sure my horses are adequately hydrated all winter long, including heating their water and adding an equine drink mix like Rein Water, which encourages drinking.

As the nighttime temps drop below freezing, we hang heated water buckets in the stalls. I prefer not to have automatic waterers in their stalls, so I know exactly how much water each horse consumed overnight. For the horses that stay outside, we have heated water sources too, but there's no way to monitor individual consumption. Since the heated water sources are covered, it's important that someone checks it twice a day to make sure it is not frozen or malfunctioning another way (like having an electric current running through the water).

If you are using stock tanks and tank heaters, make sure the heaters and wires are all functional and protected so that the horses will not break anything. Horses can be a real nuisance when it comes to fiddling with wiring and contraptions, especially on a water tank. They tend to hang out at the water source and can easily get bored or frustrated and start playing with the heater. If your winters are mellow, with little freezing at night. Then maybe all you need to do is break a little ice in the morning. Just keep in mind that the colder the water, the less your horse will drink, so consider heating some water for your horse.

Finally, all the hoses, the wash rack and implements must be thoroughly drained and put away for the winter. If you must use hoses in the winter to fill water tanks, it's a huge chore in cold climates. Hoses must be drained twice to make sure they are usable the next time. Without fail, someone will mess up and you'll end up with frozen hoses sometime during the winter. If so, just coil the hose and dump the whole thing in your heated stock tank. In no time, it will be thawed and you can drain it (much faster than dragging it in your house).

To Shoe or Not to Shoe?

Right behind food and water, I have a huge concern about getting the horse's feet ready for winter. This can be complicated because each horse has unique needs and will be used differently over the winter. Without question, it is better if horses can be kept unshod, especially in the winter. Their hooves are healthier when unshod and they are less likely to slip on the ice or develop snowballs on their feet.

In cold climates like ours, we must be very careful with hooves as we transition from fall to winter. Some of our horses are shod in the summer, because of the demands of hard riding on rocky terrain. If you wait until the last minute to pull their shoes for the winter, their feet are very tender when the ground freezes hard and the horses can get dangerously footsore, even slightly laminitic. I want to pull their shoes well before the hard freeze, so their feet have time to toughen up before the ground gets rock hard. This is always a difficult choice for some riders who really enjoy trail riding in the fall and want to leave shoes on as long as possible. I prefer to pull shoes early if I can and use hoof boots on the trails so that the horse's feet toughen up before the ground is frozen hard.

My first choice is to leave all the horses barefoot over the winter and for as long as I can. Most of my horses will go at least five months without shoes. However, some of our horses have therapeutic or corrective shoeing and they will stay shod, with special shoes and pads, usually on the fronts only. Sometimes we have horses that are in performance training and will wear sliders on the hinds, so we'll leave them bare in the front and shod on the hinds. If horses are shod during the winter, we use snow pads on them to prevent the hard ice-balls from forming on their feet.

Does Your Horse Need a Blanket?

The short answer is, probably not. Horses are unbelievably adaptable animals and are well-equipped to deal with almost any climate. Did you ever hear of the cartoon, "South Park?" It's a real place, not too far from where I live, and there are few places in the lower 48 that have a harsher winter. 25-30 below zero for weeks on end, deep snow and howling winds. Yet all winter long, you can drive through that valley and see hundreds of horses, unblanketed, doing just fine. If they have food and water and a windbreak, they are happy. For the most part, horses do not need blankets, but there are some situations when it's a good idea.

First, in extreme weather, we always cover our geriatric horses (or any horses that are unhealthy or skinny). Horses need to eat more in the winter because they expend a lot of energy to stay warm. When a horse is barely keeping his weight without the cold, he may need some blanketing help in the coldest weather.

Keep in mind that when you blanket a horse and compress his haircoat, he loses some insulation value. Once you start blanketing a horse, you may need to continue. If you are flexible enough to only put the rug on just during inclement weather and leave him uncovered in the better weather, his winter coat may stay fluffy. But if you leave that blanket on for days or weeks on end, his coat will compress so much that you'll need to leave him blanketed. Often, it's best to leave it to nature and let the horse's winter coat do its job.

Some of my horses stay blanketed all winter long. But make no mistake about it, this is entirely for human convenience, not because the horses need it. We ride our horses year-round, but from November through April, we are generally riding inside. For ease of use and for aesthetic reasons, we like to keep the winter coats as short as we can, so we keep them blanketed, starting early in the fall. Riding inside, in a warm indoor arena, horses with a full winter coat will get soaking wet and it's impossible to get them dry before nightfall. Sometimes we trace clip the hair coat to manage the sweating and keep our horses dry when we ride. Blanketing and keeping their hair coats short, helps us manage the winter riding (and keeps them looking good for photo shoots too!).

Most horses don't need blanketing, no matter how cold it is. However, it's nice to have the choice, so we keep a good heavy, waterproof rug for each horse (we actually have sheets, mid-weights and heavy weights for each horse). I've bought hundreds, maybe more than a thousand horse blankets in my lifetime and I've learned through experience that you get what you pay for. Spending a few hundred dollars on a top-quality blanket is money well spent. Keep in mind that your horse will do its best to destroy the blanket; you'll go through 3-4 cheap blankets before you replace one high-quality rug. I also want a winter blanket that wicks moisture, has a turtleneck and utilizes high-tech materials. We can usually get 3-4 years or more of use out of one heavyweight rug.

Check for Parasites

I do not de-worm my horses unless they need it. We do fecal egg counts in the Spring and Fall. If the report comes back negative for worms, we do not give them a de-wormer. If a horse shows a positive result, we will de-worm that individual accordingly. The fecal egg count is easy and no more expensive than the cost of a de-wormer if you send it to a lab. I do not want to give my horses any chemicals or medications they do not need, so the fecal egg count is a wonderful way to go.

You can do the egg count yourself (find instructions online) or you can order a testing kit and send it off to a lab. There are many sources available now, so just google it and figure out the best option for you and your horses. If horses are kept in very sanitary conditions and de-wormed as needed, you'll find you have far fewer parasites to deal with.

If I did not do fecal egg counts, I would de-worm all my horses with ivermectin after the first hard frost. By waiting for the hard frost, your hope is to take care of the last of the parasites before the winter kill. If I only de-wormed once a year, I'd do it in the fall after the first hard frost. But honestly, it's been a few years since any of our horses have been de-wormed because the reports come back clean.

Around here, winters are long and hard, and horse keeping can be a real challenge! Being prepared around the barn and getting your horse ready ahead of time will help a lot. Every climate and every facility has its own set of challenges in winter and summer and as the years pass by, we learn how to manage it better. If you're new to horses, it pays to ask more experienced horse owners in your area what they do to get ready for the seasons. It helps to get ideas from others but it's up to you to make the decisions on what's best for you and your horses.

Does Your Horse Like You?

Making Time For Horses

Click Here

How to Keep your Horse Hydrated

Trust is a Two Way Street

Ride in a Julie Goodnight Clinic & Clinic Cantering Tips

March 2016 - Sharing Your Passion for Horses with Kids

February - It's About Time!

January - How Saddle Fits Change Over Time

December Issue - First Aid for Horses

Horse Behavior: Aggression At Feeding Time

Julie Goodnight: Live from a clinic; how fear memories relate to horses and riders

Website:

Click Here!

Volunteer Time Sheets

To help you keep track of the time that you volunteer with the Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club, we have created a time sheet.

Please note that a Board of Directors member will need to approve your time with a signature. Below you will find a sample of the time sheet.

Click Here

WMVSC MEMBERSHIP SATISFACTION SURVEY

Dear Saddle Club Members,

This year the Saddle Club would like to reach out to our members for your feedback. The Saddle Club Board of Directors will address specific concerns that you may have as a member.

Below you will find a survey for you to complete and return either via email to anniekerns@centurylink.net, or if you wish to remain anonymous, please return at the next membership meeting.

As we move forward together as a club, an important goal for success is increased involvement from our membership. Current studies show an average of 40 members out of over 100 attending monthly meetings. The average number of volunteers is 10%.

We value our members and realize that your talents and ideas are vital to the growth of the Saddle Club.

Click Here

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Your input is very much appreciated!