Local riders and their mounts earn trail honors

Delta County Independent - full article
March 30,2011

photo: Juleen Feazell and Sixes Peppy Lady
At the North American Trail Ride Conference, NATRC 2010 National convention in Nashville Tenn., Brandy Ferganchick of Eckert and her Norwegian fjord Fawn Creek Thor (aka: Dodger) received the high average horse-grand champion award.

This award is the total of the average scores of the horse compared with the winner's score at each of nine rides for the whole year.

It is one of the top awards for the nation and was an amazing win as Norwegian fjords are not normally considered distance riding animals.

photo: Judy Mason and Cedar Mesa Rushai
Norwegian fjords are small horses from the mountainous regions of Norway where they are used as a light draft and farm work horse. Dodger also received a national championship (accumulation of necessary points and wins in a region).

Brandy was second in the nation for open lightweight horsemanship, and Dodger was second in the nation for open lightweight horse. Brandy and Dodger also received the high point, open, lightweight regional team, horse and rider award.

Juleen Feazell of Cedaredge and her horse Sixes Peppy Lady (aka: Cookie) a lovely paint mare, won the novice, lightweight, regional team award for this region which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Judy Mason of Cedar Mesa also received a national championship and third place light weight regional open team awards on her home bred and raised Cedar Mesa Rushai, a charming grey Arabian.

photo: Brandy Ferganchick and Fawn Creek ThorJudy was also honored at the 50th anniversary walk of fame for many previous years competing in NATRC, including 10,000 miles of competition, and for the "wonder horse" Woody who is in the NATRC Hall of Fame for his many achievements.

At the regional convention in Pueblo, Brandy and Dodger also won the region's high average horsemanship award, as well as first place open lightweight horse and first place open rider in the region.

Juleen won the high point novice horse and high point novice lightweight horsemanship awards, as well as the regional novice team award.

NATRC encourages the selection, training, riding and care of horses for long distance trail riding. The competitions are typically two days long over well marked and beautiful trails.

Novice riders cover a total distance of about 40 miles in two days at about four mph. Open riders travel 50 to 60 miles at 5 to six mph. The riders are in camp each evening for judging and map briefing for the next day's ride. Horses are judged in camp and on the trail by a veterinarian judge for condition, soundness, and manners. Riders are judged by approved horsemanship judges on balance, position, care of horse on trail, and in camp and safety.

There is a clinic for competitive trail riding on April 30. Brandy, Juleen, Judy, and others will be coaching. For information and reservations contact Mason at 856-7022 or masonranch@aol.com.

Color Country Endurance Ride

Ride manager Marian Parker and her family would like to invite riders to join them at their upcoming Color Country Endurance Ride that will be held April 7, 8, 9, and 10, 2011, in Toquerville, Utah.

Dave Nicholson is the head vet, and Stacie Devereaux is the trail master.

"Stacie and her crew work very hard to give the 50 milers, and the 25 milers a variety of trails each day," Parker says. "Since she knows endurance she knows how to mark trail and hopefully they are enjoyable for everyone.  Just remember it is your responsibility to take care of yourself and best friend, your horse. We are high desert, with hills, washes, climbs, sand, cactus, beautiful scenery, and dinosaur tracks, and she will have water on the trail."

For ride entry forms or more information, send inquiries to mparker_931@msn.com

Whiting: He's Such a Horse's Brain

OCRegister.com - Full Article

BY DAVID WHITING
COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
dwhiting@ocregister.com

Windy runs under me as we jet up rocky, rutted hills so steep no 600-pound animal should be able to walk them, let alone fly.

The sweat on the horse's red-brown coat glistens like dew in the sun. Her massive lungs work in conjunction with her powerful legs. Hooves find footing where – seemingly – there is no solid ground.

We crest the hill. Massive boulders narrow the trail to a foot. On two legs, it would take all my concentration to avoid a stumble. With four legs churning, Windy twists one way and the other. At the same time.

She clears the passage.

I'm in the middle of a race called "Ride and Tie." Teams of two people and one horse make their way through rugged backcountry, the humans tying horses to bushes or trees and trading off on riding and running.

My only goal is not to kill anyone, including Windy and myself.

Only four weeks ago, riding like this was sheer terror. On this day, it is a harmonic convergence of human and horse...

See photos and read more here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-293507--.html

Endurance Horse Ride Returns to Whiskeytown

Anewscafe.com - Full Article

By Paul Shigley March 24, 2011

The Whiskeytown Chaser endurance ride is scheduled to return on April 9 with new event organizers and courses.

The long-distance equestrian event has evolved a great deal over the past two decades. It has earned a reputation as a great early season training ride for the prestigious Tevis Cup 100-mile ride over the Sierra Nevada, and as a difficult ride in its own right.

After the Chaser was canceled last year, longtime participants Jennifer Powell and Kris Wright took over as organizers from Bonnie Sterling, who successfully managed the event for years. Powell and Wright are trying to pump new enthusiasm into the 50- and 25-mile rides, and they have modified the courses considerably with the inclusion of 11 miles of trail in the Bureau of Land Management’s Swasey recreation area, which lies adjacent to Whiskeytown...

Read more here:
http://anewscafe.com/2011/03/24/endurance-horse-ride-returns-to-whiskeytown/

ACTH Announces New Reality Series With HRTV

13 One-Hour Shows Allows America to Vote for Their Favorite Trail Horse

Dateline -- The American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) announced today an agreement reached with HRTV® to air a new reality series -- "America’s Favorite Trail Horse." HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, will air the series beginning in mid-summer of 2011 and complete it with final votes in and awards made before year's end.

Karen VanGetson, co-founder of ACTHA stated, "We couldn’t be more thrilled. To have HRTV viewers everywhere enjoy these great unsung heroes is what it’s all about for us. As more and more see the fun we have on trail, more and more horses will get adopted from the rescue holding areas. We hope to give all horses back their rightful jobs and value…this is a great start!"

"This is a natural for us at HRTV, where our commitment to ‘horse sports’ is unparalleled," said Jim Bates, Executive Vice President and General Manager, for HRTV. "We have seen ACTHA’s explosive growth and when we learned about this opportunity we quickly pursued it. We hope we can use our platform to bring recognition and enjoyment of the Great American Trail Horse."

About the series…"America’s Favorite Trail Horse" will feature 100 finalists after more than 1,000 audition throughout the USA from April 9-23. At the auditions, horse and rider will be asked to complete four basic trail maneuvers and have the elective of a fifth element to freestyle any particular skill set of their horse as it relates to trail.

Conducted in Texas, the 100 finalists will be showing off for the cameras and waiting for America to vote. Over the 13 weeks, $100,000 will be awarded to America’s Favorite Trail Horses.

For further information, please go to www.actha.us for full details.

About HRTV
HRTV is a 24-hour, television-based multimedia network dedicated to horseracing which features racing action from the world’s greatest racetracks. HRTV also features other forms of equestrian competition, as well as original programming and award-winning documentaries covering a variety of racing and general equestrian topics. The live stream of HRTV is available on a subscription basis to high-speed Internet users worldwide at www.hrtvlive.com. The HRTV television network is presently available via cable, telco video and satellite in approximately 19 million U.S. homes through distribution partners including DISH Network (ch. 404), AT&T U-verse (ch.672), Verizon FiOS (ch.316) and a variety of cable outlets.

　　

ACTHA thanks its many sponsors and thousands of members and affiliates for making this possible and for believing in ACTHA and the Cause. Our special thanks to Cavallo Horse and Rider for co-sponsoring the show with ACTHA.

Our mission...

To create an enjoyable venue showcasing the wonderful attributes of the great American trail horse and granting them the recognition they so richly deserve.

To create a registry open to all breeds and a point designation system which will stay with each horse for its lifetime, thereby adding to their value and distinction.

To create and enable humane treatment options for horses in need.

Endurance Riders Hold Equine Dynamics Clinic in Idaho

March 20 2011

An Equine Dynamics Clinic will be held on the Zapped Ranch in Parma, Idaho on Saturday April 2 from 8:30 - 5 PM, to educate riders on maintaining the balanced athlete.

Featured clinicians are Naomi Preston, TTeam Practitioner, and Karen Bumgarner, Certified ESMT. Both are experienced endurance riders, with Naomi having logged over 9700 miles, many of those with her 2001 AERC Hall of Fame horse, Mustang Lady, and Karen Bumgarner, with over 21,000 endurance miles.

"The program includes painted horse for 'muscle in motion' visual aid - you will never look at a horse the same again. Lots of hands on practice will be available," says Karen Bumgarner. "We also have added a second day of Connected Riding by Naomi Preston (www.tteamforendurance.com), limited to 10 riders."

Naomi Preston, a TTEAM Practioner since 1990, says the non-invasive techniques she will be teaching can keep your horse at the top of his game. TTEAM, The Tellington-Ttouch Method, is a horse training approach that encourages optimum performance and health, as well as offering solutions to common physical and behavioral problems.

A few benefits of massage:
*Enhance muscle tone and range of motion.
*Reduce inflammation and swelling in the joints, thereby alleviating pain.
*Promote the healing process by increasing the flow of nutrients to the muscles, and aiding in carrying away excessive fluids and toxins.
*Creates a positive effect on the contractual and release process of the muscles...releasing tension...relaxing muscles.
*Helps to maintain the whole body in better physical condition.

Why TTEAM for your Endurance/Performance Horse?

*TTEAM is useful in all aspects of working with your endurance horse, from training to competition.
*Improve your horse's self-carriage & hindquarter engagement
*Increase range of motion & stride length
*Improve coordination & balance
*Discover sore or sensitive areas
*Speed recovery from injuries
*Overcome fear or resistance

On Day 2, Naomi will teach an Introduction to Connected Riding, developed by Peggy Cummings. "I will teach the balanced seat, as well as techniques for engaging the horse's hindquarters," says Naomi, "and the 'power leg,' which helps to provide a more stable seat."

Register by March 26 - $75/day or $125 total for both days, by email with Karen at zap6000@gmail.com or with Naomi at mustanglady80@gmail.com . Send payment to Karen Bumgarner, 26111 Doi Lane, Parma, ID 83660

If you are from out of the area and need overnight facilities please let Naomi or Karen know.

For more information on this clinic, or if you are interested in holding a clinic in your area, contact Karen at zap6000@gmail.com or with Naomi at mustanglady80@gmail.com

2011 Foxcatcher Endurance Ride and Ride N Tie

March 20 2011

The 2011 Foxcatcher 25 and 50 mile Endurance Rides will be held April 16 at Fair Hill Natural Resources Center in Elkton, Maryland.

The ride is AERC, ECTRA, and AHA sanctioned. Entries may be limited to 100 riders, so enter early. The ride is held on state property. Terrain is rolling hills, gravel/dirt roads, and numerous water crossings.

In conjunction with the 25 and 50 mile endurance rides, a 25 mile and 10 mile Ride and Tie will be held.

Entries and more information can be found at
http://www.fairhillinternational.com/foxcatcher/, or contact Ride Manager Barbara Bateman at bbbbateman@comcast.net , or secretary Louisa Emerick at LouisaEm@comcast.net .

Tevis Trail March 19 Work Day Cancelled

Friday March 18 2011

Western States Trail Joint Management Team

Due to the past week's rains and predicted storms for tomorrow and the weekend, we have reluctantly decided to cancel Saturday's WS trail work day.  The trails and access roads in the Foresthill area are already saturated and muddy and creeks will be running very high, with predicted localized flooding.

Please look for an upcoming e-mail announcing a rescheduled trail day in April.  Also, don't forget our next scheduled work day on April 30.

Event #4
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Project: Deadwood to Michigan Bluff
 
Meet: 8:30 am - Foresthill Joe's Coffee Shop.  Main Street at Gold Street (near Subway Sandwich Shop) off Foresthill Road
in Foresthill.
 
Directions: From I-80, take the Foresthill Exit in Auburn. Head East on Foresthill Road - 18 miles to Foresthill.  Continue past Mosquito Ridge Road.  Coffee Shop is on right.
 
Please RSVP by April 23 to trails@ws100.com
 
This is the final event that can be applied to 2011 Run volunteer requirement.
Event #5
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Project: Dusty Corners to Devil's Thumb
 
Meet: 8:30 am - Foresthill Joe's Coffee Shop.  Main Street at Gold Street (near Subway Sandwich Shop) off Foresthill Road in Foresthill.
 
Directions: From I-80, take Foresthill Exit in Auburn. Head East on Foresthill Road - 18 miles to Foresthill. Continue past Mosquito Ridge Road.  Coffee Shop is on the right.
 
 
Please RSVP by May 7 to trails@ws100.com
 
 
This event can be applied to 2012 Run volunteer requirement.
  
Event #6
Friday and Saturday, June 17-18, 2011
Project: High Country 
 
Weekend Campout, Robinson Flat Campground 
  
Meet: Friday afternoon arrival
 
 
Directions: From I-80, take the Foresthill Exit in Auburn.  Head East on Foresthill Road - 38 miles to the Robinson Flat Campground
 
   
Bring: Camping gear
 
 
Please RSVP by June 10 to trails@ws100.com
 

Thank you, 
 
Donn Zea                         
WS Trail Manager    
           
Mike Shackelford
Tevis Trail Manager

Emerging Issues in Equine Land Protection

Discoverhorses.com - Full Article

By: Deb Balliet, CEO Equestrian Land Conservation Resource

Just outside of Boston (MA), neighbors challenged a property owner’s plans to build a private, 22-stall training stable with an indoor arena and paddocks. They alleged the plans would jeopardize the public water supply, adjacent conservation land, and present a significant fire hazard to the neighborhood. The neighbors were vocal, well-funded and “lawyered up.”

The property owner spent in excess of $70,000 to defend their plans. At this writing, the facility was approved by the Conservation Commission, Planning Board and Board of Health but with over 76 special conditions to be met, including a sprinkler system with an estimated cost of $100,000 for the barn. Many of the conditions are onerous and costly; some are conflicting.

This situation is not as rare as you would expect.

An Increasingly Urban Citizenry

Increasingly, the roots of our fellow citizens are urban or suburban, not rural. People are fearful of horses because of their size, a lack of information, and unfamiliarity with the animal. These fears include the spread of disease and physical harm. However, in some cases, they are not actually afraid; they are exploiting and exaggerating isolated negative events in typical “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) behavior. NIMBY is often simple reluctance to accept change and an attempt to maintain the status quo in a community by manipulating individuals through fear. NIMBY is usually encountered in planning for projects such as hazardous waste facilities or “halfway” houses. However, we are finding that equestrian facilities fall in the same category as these other projects as horses and their environment is more distant and less familiar to most people.

Education is part of the solution...

Read more here:
http://www.discoverhorses.com/emerging-issues-equine-land-protection.html

Salt Squares - Skode's Horse Treats. Press release.

The premiere of the world’s first equine “Salt Square” now ensures that horses can receive their daily doses of salt in the form of highly palatable, no-fuss treat.

Created by the specialty low sugar/starch company, Skode’s Horse Treats, a serving size of these whole-food based nutrition bars delivers a full tablespoon of the critical electrolyte, sodium chloride.

When exercised intensely in hot, humid weather, a horse may lose up to four gallons of sweat per hour, according to recent research. In those four gallons, a total of 30 teaspoons of body salts may be lost.

“Many horse care providers struggle with making sure their horses – especially hard working horses -- consume enough salt,” says Lori Yearwood, president of Skode’s. “Now there is a healthy, easy way to do just that.”

Formulated in conjunction with Equine Naturopath and Master Herbalist Cassie Schuster of Texas, Skode’s “Salt Squares” are made from a guaranteed low sugar and starch combination of 100 percent natural, human-grade whole foods and Certified Organic herbs. They are then topped with a salt crust made of ancient, mineral-rich sea salt.

“I took the “Salt Squares” to the barn to feed Elvis,” says horse owner Betsy Novotny of Maryland. “He says they’re ‘Lip smackin’ good!’ ”
To learn more, visit Skode’s website at: www.skodeshorsetreats.com

Contact: Lori Teresa Yearwood For Immediate Release
Company Phone: 951 572-0709
Cell Phone: 951-722-0508

Equine insulin doping control: detection of different insulin species for new test

Insulin doping
Spectroscopy Now journal

With the 2012 Olympic Games on the horizon, the thoughts of the administrators will be turning to drug testing, in an attempt to ensure that all medals are won on a fair and equal footing. This seems to become more difficult year-on-year, with the illicit use of peptides and proteins adding to the burden of the testing labs.

One of the more popular performance enhancers is the hormone insulin, a small protein which can increase muscle size and improve endurance. Insulins have been banned by the IOC and WADA for more than ten years.

The effects of insulin are the same in horses as in humans, with the result that insulin has also been banned by the international horseracing authorities. However, policing the ban is no trivial matter. There are no equine insulin products on the market so those unscrupulous operators have to resort to insulin from other species.

There are some human insulin analogues, such as Humalog and Novolog, which are attractive to the doper because they are fast-acting and are excreted rapidly. Bovine and porcine insulin are also doping candidates, because they are structurally very similar to equine insulin with only 1-3 amino acid residues different. The Hong Kong Jockey Club are very active in equine doping research and scientists there recently published a method for the detection of insulin analogues in equine plasma. Now, they have developed a parallel procedure for insulins in equine urine, the most common biological matrix used for doping research.

The method, published by Emmie Ho, Terence Wan, April Wong, Kenneth Lam and Brian Stewart, is the first reported for the analysis of human or animal urine for foreign insulins following covert administration.
Insulins from different species distinguished by MS

The team selected five insulins for analysis, as well as endogenous equine insulin. Human, porcine and bovine insulin were included, along with Humalog and Novolog, all of which differ from equine insulin by up to four amino acid residues at the most.

Equine urine was spiked with a mixture of the five exogenous insulins which were subsequently isolated by immunoaffinity purification, using anti-human insulin antibodies bound to magnetic beads. Following elution from the beads, they were analysed intact by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using electrospray ionisation.

For speed of analysis and to reduce possible losses during processing, the researchers chose not to employ enzymatic digestion, or even reduction of the two disulphide bonds which link the A and B peptide chains of insulin. As it happened, the retention times and tandem mass spectra showed sufficient variations to allow the six insulins to be differentiated, even though they are structurally very closely related.

All six insulins eluted within 31-33 minutes. The multicharged molecules at [M+5H]5+ were chosen for fragmentation and every insulin produced a common product ion at m/z 136.3, corresponding to the same tyrosine immonium ion. These transitions were selected for screening, with several other characteristic transitions plus the retention times used for unambiguous identification of each insulin.

Human insulin and Humalog have identical molecular masses, the only structural differences being the switching of lysine and proline residues between two adjacent positions in chain B. Nevertheless, they were distinguished due to different retention times and markedly different product-ion spectra.

The detection limits of the technique were around 8.6 fmol/µL, which is equivalent to less than 0.05 ng/mL.

The method was used to screen equine urine following the administration of human insulin, at a dose equivalent to that typically used by human abusers. Even at this low level (10 IU), it was clearly detected and confirmed, illustrating the applicability of the method.

The researchers also carried out some metabolic studies of the five exogenous insulins in horse liver microsomes. All of the metabolites identified corresponded to compounds with intact disulphide bonds and truncated B chains of various lengths.

The immuoaffinity extraction procedure succeeded in trapping all of the metabolites, so they all constitute additional potential targets for screening methods. However, with the low insulin dose used in these studies, the metabolites could not be detected.

Any doping of horses with insulin will have to use products from other species, as there are no equine insulin preparations. This research is the first published report that exogenous insulin can be detected in equine urine following administration and demonstrates that urine testing would be an appropriate route for insulin doping tests in horses.

Robin Hood - American Mustang

A 2010 BLM newsletter, but worth reading again. posted by Steph Teeter, Endurance.Net:

BLM newsletter - full article
America's wild horses have long been praised by their owners for their toughness, intelligence and endurance.

Now, two Northern California wild horses, and their owners and riders, have received national recognition from the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Wild Horse and Burro Foundation for their excellence in endurance competition.

"Sir Kai" and Ray Bailey"BLM 2003 Endurance Wild Horse of the Year" awards were presented to Lincoln resident Ray Bailey and his horse "Sir Kai," and to Santa Cruz resident Dr. Philip Ottinger and his mount, "Robin Hood." Additionally, AERC honored Dr. Ottinger and Robin Hood for finishing first in the organization's West Region Featherweight Division in 2003.

The honors were presented Saturday, Feb. 28, during the American Endurance Ride Conference's annual awards banquet held in Reno.

Dr. Ottinger said time, patience and understanding in training have been the keys to his success in using wild horses in endurance competition.

"Once a wild horse connects with you, there is nothing he won't do for you," Ottinger said. "You have to take the time to understand how he thinks and to understand his physiology. You have to be open and clear about what you want."

Robin Hood, owned by Dr. Ottinger and currently ridden by Lincoln veterinarian Dr. Vicki Giles, was honored in the AERC's featherweight division. Dr. Ottinger adopted Robin Hood from the BLM in 1993, when he was just a yearling. Robin Hood finished 46th in his first endurance race in 1996. The following spring, he placed 10th in the 50-mile "Shine and Shine Only" race, and has continued to excel since then.

"Robin Hood" and Vicki GilesAs of this February, Robin Hood has completed nearly 4,000 miles in endurance ride competition and placed in the top 10 in the majority of 78 endurance rides. He has received 14 "Best Condition" awards. Ridden by Dr. Giles, he ended the 2003 competition season as points champion in the AERC West Region Featherweight Division.

Sir Kai, currently ridden by Lincoln's Ray Bailey, also was originally adopted by Dr. Ottinger. Bailey acquired the titled three-year-old from Dr. Ottinger in 1997. Sir Kai placed ninth in his first limited-distance ride, the "Death Valley 25," in 1999. He followed that performance with a third place and best condition award in the Lake Oroville Vista LD ride. During the 2003 AERC National Championship Ride, Sir Kai and Bailey placed first in the heavyweight division of the 50-mile ride.

They placed eighth in their first 100-mile ride this February. Sir Kai has now completed more than 1,300 miles in endurance competition.

The BLM, AERC and the National Wild Horse Foundation joined as partners this year to sponsor endurance awards for wild horses.

The BLM is the federal agency responsible for managing wild horse and burro herds on public lands. Some wild horses are periodically removed from the range to control wild populations, and are made available for adoption by the public.

Supporting the adoption program is the National Wild Horse and Burro Foundation, a private, non-profit organization. It helps the BLM with promotion of the adoption program, to increase successful placement of wild horses in adoptive homes.

The AERC is the official sanctioning body for horse endurance competition in the United States.

The Pacific Crest Endurance Ride near Ashland, Oregon in August

NWHorsesource.com

The Pacific Crest Endurance Ride will be held August 27 at Lily Glen Horse Camp near Ashland, OR

CONTACT:
Diana Aldridge
1551 Wagon Trail Drive
Jacksonville, OR 97530
(541) 899-8351

diana.aldridge1551@gmail.com

http://www.doublejoy.com/erol/Calendar/RideDetails.asp?rideID=5342

The Rogue Riders endurance club's annual Pacific Crest Endurance Ride will be held on August 27.

The event features a 50 mile and a 25 mile course, both sanctioned by The American Endurance Ride

Conference (AERC), the national governing body for long distance riding. Also offered is a 10 mile Fun Ride, a great opportunity for new riders to get an introduction to endurance riding or to just enjoy the beautiful trails.

Endurance riding is a sport that has many levels of appeal. For some it is a highly competitive and challenging athletic endeavor. For others it is a recreational activity combining a camping trip with a trail ride. For yet others it involves a search to experience our American heritage, to discover the country as our forefathers once did--from the back of a horse. Because endurance riders recognize the prime importance of finishing the event on a sound and healthy horse, the motto of the association is "To finish is to win."

Additionally, a 30 mile and a 10 mile Ride and Tie course will be held, sponsored by the national Ride and Tie Organization. For Ride and Tie information contact Annette Parsons (aparsons@apbb.net)

Lily Glen horse camp is located in the Howard Prairie recreational area operated by the

Jackson County Park system. Camp is reserved for the Pacific Crest Ride event starting friday, august 26. Awards meeting and a breakfast for all participants will be on sunday, august 28.

Come enjoy a weekend of wonderful horse camping, a variety of scenic trails and the camaraderie of fellow horsemen. All ages are welcome, special recognition for junior riders. Proceeds from the ride will be donated to Charitable Equine Programs.

For more information/entry forms contact Diana Aldridge, ride manager.