by Rhianne Weghnnar

Awards were presented to nine of the Alberta Equestrian Federation’s (AEF) most ambitious young riders for their participation in the AEF’s Live Outside the Box Program. The awards were presented in conjunction with the AEF’s Annual General Meeting held in Red Deer, AB, on March 17.

The Live Outside the Box Program was designed to encourage AEF youth members to engage in a more active lifestyle by spending less time in front of the computer and television, said Pat Barriage, AEF executive director. The program is promoted by the AEF with funding from the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
continue reading "Living Outside the Box: Program Rewards Alberta’s Riding Youth"

by Nancy S. Loving, DVM

In this excerpt from “The Eyes: A Horse’s View of the World” in the new book All Horse Systems Go: The Horse Owner’s Full-Color Veterinary Care and Conditioning Resource for Modern Performance, Sport and Pleasure Horses, Nancy S. Loving, DVM, explains how your horse’s eye works, and how that knowledge can help you understand your horse’s behaviour.

Spooky Behaviour

How many times have you chided a horse for spooking at an innocuous rock, or for balking at an obstacle for no apparent reason? A horse exhibits such behaviours for the same reasons that he startles when someone walks quietly up behind him in the field and he doesn’t notice until the last moment.

Just as it seems his fleeing form will vanish to the far end of the pasture, he turns, blows, and stares from a safe distance, smelling and looking to see what monster alarmed him.
continue reading "Monsters & Bogeymen: A Horse’s View of the World"

by Sheryl Hilton

Little S Ranch sits atop some light rolling hills five km northeast of Carstairs, AB. While the facility is visible from Highway 2, it isn’t obvious to the eye what actually goes on inside the 90 x 110 ft building.

Through the doors of this huge establishment are two rows of box stalls on either side of a long, narrow pool – yes, a pool as in an “equine treadmill pool.” Behind the box stalls is a sand ring with a hot walker and the area is further edged with larger, more open stalls.

Stacie Chisholm, owner and operator of Little S Ranch, is the only entrepreneur to offer a public equine treadmill pool in Canada. Chisholm learned of the system while she was attending school in Texas on a rodeo scholarship.

The equine treadmill was recommended to her when one of her best barrel racing horses went lame. After her horse swam for two weeks at the U.S. facility, Chisholm was amazed at the results and she also realized that there was no such method available to the public in her home country of Canada. With this in mind, her vision to build such a place began.
continue reading "Healing Waters: First Canadian Equine Treadmill Pool Open to the public"

The Canadian 4-H Council is pleased to announce that the Sears Young Futures 4-H Club Grants Program will once again provide $30,000 directly to 4-H clubs to help them grow.

Individual 4-H clubs, associations, districts, and regional 4-H councils are eligible to receive grants of up to $1,000 each to support programs that provide opportunities for youth to have fun while learning and developing leadership, citizenship, and life skills.

Applications must be received at Canadian 4-H Council no later than November 14, 2007. Full grant program details and on-line application forms are available at www.4-h-canada.ca.
continue reading "Grant Program Helps 4-H Clubs Grow"

by Tammy Meadows

The Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association has begun hosting a series of educational clinics for the 2007 season. One of the first clinics, held February 24 in Red Deer, was with Ron Anderson, who gave a very informative and entertaining look at the function and history of the hackamore and bridle bits.

Although Ron only had one day with the 20 cow horse enthusiasts who attended, he was able to touch on a rich 400-year history of the Vaquero hackamore and bridle bits. (Vaquero is Spanish for “cowboy” and is pronounced paquero.)
continue reading "Hackamores and Bridle Bits Clinic"

by Charles Mann

Just in time for the show season, Horses All offers the following excerpt from Photographing and Videoing Horses Explained—Digital Film: The Horse Owner’s Manual for Improved Portraits, Schooling Tools, Sales and Promotions.

The horse is one of nature’s most beautiful animals, so it is surprising that so many photographers—both amateur and professional—fail to portray the horse well.
continue reading "Equine Photography 101: 5 of the Most Common Problems – solved!"

Deadline for submissions for post-secondary students applying for the Canadian Western Agribition Scholarship Program is July 1.

The $1,000 scholarships are to cover expenses associated with the second or subsequent years of post-secondary education at a recognized institution in Canada or the United States.

In order to be eligible for an Agribition scholarship, a student must be enrolled in a program with a minimum two years duration at a recognized institution.
continue reading "Agribition scholarship deadline approaching"