The Arena. A newsletter dedicated to keeping NWRDC members in the know about club business, news, history, events, and equine issues.

Transcription

1 The Arena A newsletter dedicated to keeping NWRDC members in the know about club business, news, history, events, and equine issues. Editor: Maureen Hoague July 2012 Inside This Issue: President's Corner 1 Club News 2 Committee Updates 3 Equine Wellness 4 Contact Information 5 Robin & Commander Hey Every One. Happy 4 th of July. We still have a lot going on at the club. A proposal has been made to the club and the Board of Directors to help with the survey. The Board of Directors is looking at the proposal. I have talked to Mark Day from TDH Survey and he is still going to honor the proposal he made last winter so that we can proceed with the survey. I m not sure if everyone has heard but Jim Sullivan has had surgery and has had some complications, plus his Father just passed away. Our prayers and thoughts go out to Jim and his family. President s Corner I received a phone call from another member who suggested that the club get together and cut the hay and get it baled for Jim. He has not been able to process hay yet due to being under the weather. I m looking for help with this project as I can get it ready to bale but I only have a round baler. Jim uses square bales. We would also need haulers to get the hay to Jim s house in Swanton. If anyone could help, please call me ASAP, All the committees are working hard behind the scenes to make this another successful season. If you have any questions or suggestions for them be sure to contact the committee chair person. Even better, come to the monthly meetings!! Sorry for the short update, please attend a meeting as we continue to move forward. We are only able to move forward if everyone helps!! Have chores that need attention, see ya soon! Robin Rousseau President of NWRDC

2 Club News The YMCA of Burlington has contracted the club to see if we could help out with their camp theme this year which is Wild, Wild West. They would like to bring 50 kids for about 2 hours to learn about horses. This will be held during the week of July 30th to August 3rd. Tracy Webb has agreed to organize this. If you would like to help out or have ideas for the event please contact Tracy. By Mariah Graphics Several contractors have looked at the electrical service in the concession stand in the hopes of bring the electric up to code. It was noted that currently none of the buildings have fire extinguishers. A motion was made and passed to have both electric and grease fire extinguishers purchased for the concession stand. There will be a VHSA horse show at the club grounds on August 12th. They are renting the grounds from us and will run the whole show. The St. Jude Gymkhana Committee is looking for silent auction items for this years St. Jude Gymkhana which is August 5th. Yo Hemmingway donated a beautiful quilt for this great cause and raffle tickets are already being sold. Contact Linda Wood or By Mariah Graphics Shirley Langlois for more details. 2

3 First open horse show was June 3rd. We had a great show with 75 riders, thank you to those that help us. Adult Champion - Jessica Guenther with Partner In Crime Adult Reserve - Jen Oliver with Preferred Moments Senior Champion - Hillary Fay with Starry Nite O Dreams Senior Reserve - Kira Clokey with Rennos Pretty Penny Junior Champion - Alexis Walker with Time To Be Steppin Junior Reserve - Connor Jenney with Jimmy's Smart Chic Horse Show June 3 June 24 July 22 August 19 September 9 Beginner Champion - Jenna Rogers with Hilfiger I'm Dazzling Beginner Reserve - Hannah Martel with Daddy Said No Green Horse Champion - Jolene Fontaine with Angels Easter Okie Green Horse Reserve - Amy Parent with Its Good To Be Back Novice/Green Rider Champion - Florence Atherton with Summers Eternal Star Novice/Green Rider Reserve - Stacy Bennett with Bonanzas Smoothie Mini Champion - Morgan Quimby with Candy Meadows Snickers Mini Reserve - Haley Castine with Boomer Lead Line winner was Bella Jolly with Harlequin High Point winner was Kira Clokey with Rennos Pretty Penny B y Mariah Graphics 3

4 Results from June 2 Gymkhana: Gymkhana June 2 June 23 July 21 August 5 - St. Jude August 18 September 15 September 29 Youth Champion Brittnay Rousseau & Coco Youth Reserve Paige Superneau & Magic Youth Open Champion Ashley Rae Smith & Secoya Youth Open Reserve Cassidy Superneau & Beethoven Novice Champion Amy Nicaisse & Amigo Novice Reserve Kim Sylvester & Sam Intermediate Champion Candice Bricker & Centa Our next gymkhana will be on July 21, 2012 start time 9 AM. Ron Hoague was at both gymkhanas taking pictures. Please visit his website and check out the pictures. The fundraising continues, we still have Beef Tickets for sale. The drawing will be done on September 29, after the last gymkhana. Stage one is done on the sand ring, stage two will begin later this fall after the events for 2012 are completed. Respectfully submitted, Tracy Webb NWRDC Gymkhana Chairperson Intermediate Reserve Corey McNeil & Ace Adult Open Champion Amanda Hoss & Harley Adult Open Reserve Shannon Lonergan & CornBread The 50/50 winner was Maureen Hoague winning $30.50! Congrats to all! Here are the results of the June 23 gymkhana: Youth Champion-Brittnay Rousseau & Coco Youth Reserve-Paige Superneau & Magic Youth Open Champion-Ashley Rae Smith & Secoya Youth Open Reserve-Sierra Benoit & Maxx Novice Champion-Ursula Ovitt & Jake Novice Reserve-Kim Sylvester & Sam Intermediate Champion-Corey McNeil & Ace Intermediate Reserve-Lorraine Jerome & Ace Adult Open Champion-Lynn Benoit & Ransom Adult Open Reserve-Shannon Lonergan & Chevaz Congratulations to all! We had a beautiful day, the ring was a bit dusty. Veronica Williams won the 50/50. 4

5 Pee Wee Gymkhana results from May 19. We had a great start for the pee wee season, pee wee committee donated all snacks and drinks for the day. Thank you Ray Hatin for the homemade cookies. Pee Wee Gymkhana May 19 June 16 July 14 August 11 August 25 Rain Date Sept. 16 Lead Line Champion - Aiyana Albu with Independence Day Lead Line Reserve - Hunter Rousseau with Coco Non Lead Line Champion - Ben Depatie with Clouds First Bonanza ( Lucy ) Non Lead Line Reserve - Braylen Parent with Cam All champion and reserve gifts were donated by Benjamin and Patricia LaFar. The second Pee Wee Gymkhana was on June 16. Had a great day and thank you to those that helped out and donated snacks and drink to the children. Pee wee champion and reserve champion gifts were donated by Stacy and Dan Bennett. Lead Line Champion - Aiyana Albu with Independence Day Lead line Reserve - Hunter Rousseau with Coco Non lead line Champion - Ben Depatie with Lucy Non lead line Reserve - Jenna Bennett with Shenandoah ~The Pee Wee Committee The Extreme Cowboy Race Committee had a great turnout for the introduction to extreme cowboy day on June 30. Participants got to practice the obstacle with the help of committee members Maureen Hoague, Diane Kane, Vicky Hepburn, Marta Merrick, and from club member Joe Sprano. In the afternoon we held a mock race. We received quite a bit of positive feedback from this event and we hope to see all who participated at future races! Extreme Cowboy Race June 30 Introduction to Extreme Cowboy July 29 Extreme Cowboy Race August 26 Extreme Cowboy Race September 8 Partner Game Day September 30 Rain Date October 6 Extreme Cowboy Race Date TBD Extreme Camp Out and Trail Ride still use a couple more members so if anyone is interested please let Vicky or Maureen know. Our next race is July 29 and the theme is Under Construction! We hope to have the pony track work completed by this race which will give a nice backdrop for our theme. Course maps can be found on the clubs website. Hope to see you at the first race of the year! Vicky Hepburn and Maureen Hoague are now co -chairs of the committee. Our committee could ~The Extreme Cowboy Committee 5

6 SUMMERTIME SKIN DISEASES N O R T H W E S T E R N R I D I N G & D R I V I N G C L U B Summertime has a tendency to bring sunshine, heat, humidity and insects to your horse barn. These three things can be hard on your horse s skin and may lead to the development of several common diseases. Sunburn Increased day length and a hotter sun can spell trouble for horses lacking pigment on their face, nose and ears. Intense sunlight can cause redness, swelling and increased sensitivity. It can be unsightly and is no doubt painful for the horse. Certain plants such as ragwort, St. John s wart and buckwheat contain chemicals, which cause horses to be unusually sensitive to the sun. Medications like tetracycline also can make horses more photosensitive. If your horse is showing signs of sunburn, the first and most logical step is to limit exposure to the most intense hours of sunlight by stabling during these times. Sunscreen or zinc oxide is effective for horses and may be used in the affected areas of the nose and face. Many grooming products and fly-sprays may have sunscreen already added. Eliminating photosensitizing plants from the horse s pasture or hay, and awareness of possible side-effects of your horse s medications also may solve the problem. Insect Allergies Besides being responsible for the transmission of many infectious diseases, insect bites can result in serious skin disease in some horses. Many horses develop allergies to the saliva of biting gnats and flies. These often appear as itchy, raised lesions along the back or belly of the horse. It also may involve the mane and tail with hair loss resulting from the intense itching. In more serious cases, bacterial skin infections can result because the horse is scratching and causing trauma to the skin. The most commonly documented culprit is the biting midge (Culicoides sp). Others include blackflies, horn flies and mosquitos. Allergies to these insects can be a frustrating occurrence, but there are several counteractive measures that may be taken. The most effective therapy is avoiding or minimizing Equine Wellness your horse s contact with the insects. Stabling horses from dusk until after dawn is important since dusk and dawn are prime feeding times for biting insects. Fans may need to be installed while your horse is in the stall to reduce the number of flying insects in the building. Using permethrin based fly control products one to three times a week also may make a difference. In addition to these management changes, medications prescribed by your veterinarian such as glucocorticoid anti-inflammatories can be quite effective. Some studies also have shown promising results from immunotherapy or allergy shots specific to the insect causing the problem. Dermatophilosis or Rain Scald Horses exposed to hot, humid or rainy conditions are at risk for development of rain scald. Rain scald (rain rot, dermatophilosis or streptothricosis) is a summertime skin disease caused by the organism Dermatophilus congolensis. It is an organism with properties of bacteria that infects the hair follicles. Because there is damage to the hair follicle and shaft, the hair will pull out easily in small clumps leaving pink skin. The lesions also may become scabbed over or contain pus. It is most common over the back, rump, fetlock and cannon bone. The organism is contagious and may be spread by tack, equipment or insects. Keeping horses clean and dry is effective for both prevention and treatment. It is also important to disinfect all tack and equipment to prevent spread. Antibacterial shampoos and rinses containing agents like chlorhexidine are effective for both equipment and animals. It is not advised to use ointments as they tend to hold moisture in while the goal of treatment is to keep these lesions dry. Summer conditions can make for an excellent time to enjoy your horse, but they can be harmful in extreme cases. Please remember this and remember that avoidance of the extreme summer elements is the key to preventing skin problems. Reprinted from AAEP.org 6

7 Club Contact Information Club Officers: President: Robin Rousseau, , Interim Vice President: Ursula Ovitt, , Secretary: Barbara Rousseau, , Treasurer: Sandra Hatin, , N O R T H W E S T E R N R I D I N G & D R I V I N G C L U B Present your NWRDC membership card to receive the following: Walker s In St. Albans: 10% discount except on grain, pet & bird food, and sale items Tack Box: 10% discount storewide Board of Directors: Christina Carnes, ccsvizion@yahoo.com Raymond Hatin, , sanrayracing@yahoo.com Shirley Langlois, , mariah1@wildblue.net Jim Sullivan, , jsstables@hotmail.com Guy s Farm and Yard: 10% discount on horse items only Oliver Seed In Milton: 10% discount except on grain, pet & bird food, and sale items Tracy Webb, whitedove_6@yahoo.com Committee Chairs: Horse Show: Sandy Hatin, sanrayracing@yahoo.com or Sue Sullivan, jsstables@hotmail.com Gymkhana: Tracy Webb, Whitedove_6@yahoo.com Pee Wee: Patricia Lafar, or Sue Sullivan, jsstables@hotmail.com Extreme Cowboy Race: Maureen Hoague, , maureen.hoague@gmail.com or Vicky Hepburn, vlouise4@yahoo.com Webmaster: Maureen Hoague, Maureen.hoague@gmail.com Newsletter Editors: Maureen Hoague, Maureen.hoague@gmail.com 7

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