Royal Riders Pony Club Royal Riders News Volume 1, Issue 7 April 2009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Combined Driving Exhibition Upcoming Events 2 Testing 3-4 Driving Photos 5 Ponies for Sale 6 Saddle for Sale 6 New Member 6 Horse of the Month: Paso Fino 7 Paso Fino Puzzle 8 Did you know? Warmbloods are really a class although there are some breeds with the word "warmblood" in their name such as the Dutch Warmblood, and Swedish Warmblood. The term "warmblood" is relatively new (in the states, at least) and a warmblood is really just a cross between a cold blooded breed (draft horse, primarily) and a hot blooded breed (thoroughbred or arab) giving you a "warm" blooded horse. People were looking for the sturdyness and quiet mindedness of the cold blood but with the atleticism and endurance of the hot blooded horse (a blending of the best qualities of both). Most warmbloods are of European descent (Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Holsteiner etc...). The Royal Riders went to a Combined Driving Exhibition hosted by Ally s grandparents. First, we went into the house to watch a video on what Combined Driving is. Then, we went outside and Mr. Ashford showed us the different carts and buggys he had. He had even made one himself! He took out Kate, one of the driving ponies, and showed us how to tack her up and hitch her to the cart. Then we each got a turn to drive her. It was a great experience! More pictures on page 5... 1972-1980 Pics of the Month Mrs. Piferi s dog, Freckles on her horse, Billy when she was 10-18 before she went away to college. Teegan, Kristen, Katie, and Ally cuddle Patches before testing for their D2 rating Send in your cute or funny pictures of your horse or pony by e-mail to Kristen at: horseloverkristen@sbcglobal.net and maybe your picture will be nominated for Pic of the Month!
Upcoming Events April: May: Lessons every Monday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. April 4th Jumping Clinic McCoy s Equestrian Center Chino Hills 9-11am April 5th Dressage Show West Covina April 19th McCoy Show Chino Hills April 25th Trail Ride 9:00am Patch Program meeting at the Gross s 3-5pm Lessons every Monday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. June: July: May 15th-17th Mega Rally Moorpark May 23rd Volunteer at Mustard Seed Ranch Lessons every Monday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. June 25th Campout at the Dvoraks June 28th McCoy Show and Dressage Show Lessons every Monday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. July 12th-17th Summer Camp Page 2
Page 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7 Congratulations Pony Club Testers! Teegan riding Apollo, a 15 year-old Arabian Gelding. Teegan is now ranked a D2. Ally riding Cookie, a 9 year-old Welsh/Shetland Pony. Ally is now ranked a D2. Katie riding Sophie, an 18 year-old Welsh Pony. Katie is now ranked a D2. Rachel riding Liam, a Connemara Pony. Rachel is now ranked a D2. MORE ON NEXT PAGE...
Congratulations Pony Club Testers! (cont.) Hannah riding Starlight, a 16 year-old Quarter Horse mare. Hannah is now a D1. Ashlyn riding Apollo, a 15 yearold Arabian gelding. Ashlyn is now a D1. Kristen helps Cindy by writing all her comments down. The girls eat cookies and answer questions. Page 4 ROYAL RIDERS NEWS
Page 5 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7 Combined Driving Pictures
Tina- Grade Arab Mare. 14 hds, 9 yrs old. Evented at beg novice, trained up to novice eventing. Jumps 3'. Has done 2nd level dressage, trained up to 3rd and some 4th level dressage movements. Has flying lead changes. Awesome jumper. Leads on trail rides. Has paraded as well. Very safe just wants to go. $6,000. Ponies for Sale Sierra- reg Half-Welsh and Prem Sport Pony mare. Can be reg. quarter pony and pinto. 13.2 hds, 6 yrs old. Jumps 2'6", can easily jump 3' with smaller rider. Awesome hunter, very flashy. Just about has flying lead changes. Used by adv-beg riders in lessons. In your pocket kind of pony. Is a ball to jump. Very good confidence builder for jumping. Easy to handle. $7,000. Tom- Welsh Pony gelding, about 13 yrs old, bay. He does well at shows, is used for lessons from beginner to intermediate riders, quiet and easy, jumps 2 ft. He is very easy to work with, no bad habits. Teachs kids how to ride. $2,500 If you are interested in any of these ponies, contact Edward J Lestina at: elestina@sbcglobal.net FOR SALE: GREAT LITTLE KIDS SADDLE so light a child can carry it! A super value on a weatherproof, easy-care, durable saddle. Features a built-in handle for safety, a built-in knee roll to help young riders achieve correct position, and velcro panels to customize the fit. Black. For ages 3-8 and under 60 pounds. My daughter loved this saddle and it is treeless so fits any horse, perfect for kids Saddle for Sale who want to learn and has 2 sets of stirrup leathers, small and extra small and peacock stirrups and cute lamb saddle pad. For the very young and it s actually called a leadliner saddle. Asking $175 for everything but feel free to offer. Kashford@socal.rr.com or 714-633-5873 Karen for any questions. New Member! Hi! I am Ally and I am 9 years old. I have a Shetland pinto pony. Her name is Cookie. I got Cookie when I was 4. I have done many things with her: jumping, shows, western, English, and trail rides. Cookie is well mannered and cute. I love royal riders pony club! Page 6 ROYAL RIDERS NEWS
VOLUME 1, I SSUE 7 Page 7 The History of the Paso Fino Breed of the Month Paso Fino The Paso Fino's journey to the Americas began more than 500 years ago with the importation of Andalusians, Spanish Barbs from North Africa, and the smooth-gaited Spanish Jennets (which actually don't exist anymore as a breed) to the "New World" by Spanish Conquistadors. Bred for their stamina, smooth gait and beauty, "Los Caballos de Paso Fino", the horses with the "fine walk", served as the foundation stock for remount stations of the Conquistadors. Centuries of selective breeding by those who colonized the Caribbean and Latin America produced variations of the "Caballo de Criollo," among them the Paso Fino that flourished initially in Puerto Rico and Colombia, and later, in many other Latin American countries (primarily Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Venezuela). Awareness of the Paso Fino as we know it today did not spread outside of Latin America until after WWII, when American servicemen came into contact with the stunning Paso Fino horse while stationed in Puerto Rico. Americans began importing Paso Finos from Puerto Rico in the mid-1940s. Two decades later, many Paso Fino horses began to be imported from Colombia. For a while, there was some contention as to which country produced the "true" Paso Fino. Though there are still some self-professed "purists" who advocate for one or the other country, the American Paso Fino - true to our "melting pot" tradition - is often a blend of the best of Puerto Rican and Colombian bloodline. The Gait of the Paso Fino Horse The Paso Fino is born with a very unique gait, specific only to its breed, and the way the Paso Fino executes its gait shows that it somehow knows it must be executed with style, grace, power, and pride. The gait is a smooth, rhythmic, purposeful, straight, balanced in flexion and synchronous front to rear, resulting in unequalled comfort and smoothness for the rider. The Paso Fino is a graceful, agile and supple equine athlete that uses all four legs with precision and harmony. The gait is an evenly-spaced four-beat lateral gait with each foot contacting the ground independently in a regular sequence at precise intervals creating a rapid, unbroken rhythm. The gait looks its best when the horse accomplishes the four-beat lateral gait with rapid up and down motion of the feet, but very slow forward motion (which is called the Classic Fino, one of three different variants of the gait). When you hear the power and pounding of the hoofs but almost no forward motion, it may be one of the coolest things you see. The Description of the Three Different Forward Speeds of the Gait The Paso Fino gait is performed at three forward speeds and with varying degrees of collection. In all speeds of the gait, the rider should appear virtually motionless in the saddle, and there should be no perceptible up and down motion of the horse's croupe. Here is a description of each of the three. Classic Fino - Full collection, with very slow forward speed. The footfall is extremely rapid while the steps and extension are exceedingly short. Paso Corto - Forward speed is moderate, with full to moderate collection. Steps are groundcovering but unhurried, executed with medium extension and stride. Paso Largo - The fastest speed of the gait, executed with a longer extension and stride, and moderate to minimal collection. Forward speed varies with the individual horse, since each horse should attain its top speed in harmony with its own natural stride and cadence. The Paso Fino is capable of executing other gaits that are natural to horses, including the relaxed walk and lope or canter, and is known for its versatility. In PFHA( Paso Fino Horse Association) sponsored shows, Paso Finos compete in Western classes (Trail and Versatility), costume and pleasure driving, and performance. Paso Finos are also being seen in cow penning, trail riding and endurance competitions and are winning ribbons. http://www.yeawedo.com/pasofinohistory.htm
Royal Riders Page 8 Pony Club Comes to Yorba Linda Sharon Kaak 18207 Shook Lane Yorba Linda, CA 92886 Phone: 714-606-7136 Fax: 714-274-7136 E-mail: dskaak@sbcglobal.net O C P O N Y C L U B The Perfect Club for Pony Lovers North Orange County s very own Pony Club is here! Become a part of the Royal Riders Pony Club. Pony Club is an international club geared toward educating our youth and guiding them toward becoming better horse riders. Pony club will encourage our young horse lovers to become even better citizens in our already strong community of horse lovers. This year promises to be full of new experiences. Each month we will have an unmounted lesson and two (or more if you want) mounted lessons. In the last year, we have already hosted Pony Play Days for our members, represented our club in our local parades, made our own homemade horse treats, and participated in a Pony Club Rally and Camp. In 2009 we are hoping to participate in even more rallies and clinics, as well as to experience some local field trips. We welcome you to join us! To learn more go to: www.ocponyclub.org Our website is: www.ocponyclub.org Is there a horse breed you d like featured in the newsletter? If so, contact Kristen at: horseloverkristen@sbcglobal.net. Also, send your photos and ads to me. Paso Fino Puzzle Read the article on page 7 about Paso Finos to solve this word puzzle. Fill in the blanks. The letters circled will spell something. Americans started importing Paso Finos from in the mid-1940s. The Paso Fino breed came from, Spanish Barbs, and the smooth-gaited Spanish Jennet. The gait is a full collection, with very slow forward speed. Los Caballos de Paso Fino, means the with the fine walk. The Paso Largo gait is a speed with minimal to moderate collection. The Paso Corto gait is a moderate forward speed with full to moderate The gait is an evenly-spaced four-beat lateral gait with each foot the ground independently in a regular sequence at precise intervals creat- ing a rapid, unbroken rhythm. The Paso Fino is capable of executing other gaits that are natural to horses, including the relaxed walk and or canter, and is known for its versatility. Write the answer here. Suggestions, Comments, or Questions: Email Kristen Dvorak at: horseloverkristen@sbcglobal.net Newsletter Managing Editor: Kristen Dvorak, age 12