The Canada West dressage team claimed the gold medal at the CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC) that took place in Lexington, VA, on August 2, 2006.

Despite the 102 degree weather that hung over the first day of competition, the Canada West Team’s performances were hotter, with the combined tests of Pia Fortmuller of DeWinton, AB, Gabrielle Anderson of Bentley, AB, Alexandra Duncan of West Vancouver, BC, and Tara Dougans of Vancouver, BC, earning a total score of 202.489.

“We are really excited about winning the gold medal; it was amazing,” said Fortmuller. “It really was a team effort; everyone worked together and did their best.”
continue reading "Canada West brings home gold at NAJYRC"

by Cindy Mark

The riders have been chosen, the horses schooled, and the strategies honed. Yes, it’s that time of year again when teams composed of different horse breeds battle it out at Spruce Meadows to decide which should be crowned champion of the TELUS Battle of the Breeds.

This year, there are 14 teams vying for the title, with the events taking place from September 6 to 10, 2006 on the Meadows on the Green, the All Canada sand ring, and the North American ring.
continue reading "Bring it on! Breeds Prepare for Battle…2006"

Time spent in the company of our horses takes much needed pressure off our other roles as a wife, husband, mother, father, friend, and neighbour, and makes us more human to other humans. We learn many of life’s lessons by groundwork with a horse, as well as atop its strong back.

Perhaps part of the magic is that this large and powerful animal responds to the gentlest of touches and gives back kindness and trust when treated with the same.

Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover’s Soul: II allows us to not only laugh, cry and remember our own uniquely special experiences with horses, but to also celebrate the special bond each of us shares with our horses and which connects us to one another.

Authors: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marty Becker DVM, Teresa Becker, Peter Vegso, and Theresa Peluso
Publisher: Health Communications Inc.
ISBN: 0-7573-0402-8
Price: $19.95 CAD / Soft cover / 269 pages
To order: Phone: (954) 360-0909, write to Health Communications at 3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442-8190 U.S.A., or visit hcibooks.com or
chickensoup.com

This Step by Step DVD is a revolution in audiovisual horse instruction, and a must for any horse lover. It offers full insight into the successful Sapergia philosophy and program, and is easy to follow and understand.

It is based on Vern’s original “ABC” program with updates included. In 17 chapters – from the groundwork with young horses and the warm-up to circles and reining maneuvers – every aspect is elaborated in logical sequence.

Sylvie and Vern explain the philosophy of their legendary program: “Our goal is to get the best out of each horse. We don’t whisper to the horse; we listen to it closely.

“We put the basics of our program on every horse, whether a green two-year-old or an older horse. The ‘ABC’ is the central thread of our program, and the secret of its success.”

Price: $75 CAD plus shipping.
To order: write to Brenda Sapergia at Box 2176, Warman, Saskatchewan S0K 4S0, call (306) 290-9652, visit www.sr-horse-training.com or email: bls@sasktel.net or
shawna@sapergiareiners.com.

By: Bob Goddard

The job of trailering horses has all the leisurely qualities of a paratroop drop in combat. The number of things that can go wrong is limited only by the amount of time you spend on the road … or off the road, as the case may be.

I’m sure my pessimism is the result of a bad first impression. The first three times I trailered a horse, it ended in some form of calamity. On our maiden trip, the trailer brakes locked up when I turned on the truck’s headlights while we were going 80 km/h. Someone please explain this to me.
continue reading "The Paranoia of Trailering"

by Nicholas Arroyo

Securing club sponsorships and donations can be a daunting task, but do you realize that if you follow a few, simple steps you can secure some lucrative sponsorships and donations for your club on an ongoing basis? That’s right, and you can do it year after year with very little effort!
continue reading "Will you Sponsor our club? A Guide to Securing Donations"

by Roxanne Sapergia

In parts one and two of this article series, world-renowned cow horse trainer Lyn Anderson gave us advice on staying safe and thinking throughout our runs in both the boxing and fence portions.

With advice on positioning, speed, correct turns, and control, all of you cow horse enthusiasts out there should now be able to easily pull off marks of 73 or 74!

However, the circling maneuver, is where a great run can start to loose some of its content and quickly lower your score. So, in this month’s final article, Anderson shares her thoughts on circling up and improving that score.
continue reading "Circling up with Lyn Anderson: Part III"