HORSE KEEPING
SHIPPING WITH THE PROS
Do you have a long haul coming up? Or simply a quick jaunt to a local show? If so, here are some great pieces of shipping advice from the experts! B Y J E N N W E B ST E R
There are numerous considerations to keep in mind when hitting the highway with horses in tow. From planning on how much hay to bring with you, to knowing where fuel stations are along your journey, there are many things to plan ahead to help ensure your horses reach their destination safely and ready to compete. We enlisted the help of three Alberta trainers who regularly haul to events, for both long and short distances and asked their advice about everything from protective equine shipping equipment, to electrolytes and layovers. MEET THE EXPERTS Ronda Cann of High River, AB, has been a hunter/jumper trainer for over 30 years. She grew up in the United States and travelled with some high-end horse barns before relocating to Canada. This included working for John and Beezie Madden in Cazenovia, New York and other Grand Prix trainers in the New England area. Cann moved to Canada 20 years ago and continued her business in Alberta. She helps to rehabilitate both horses and riders and approaches training with positive reinforcement and a wholistic approach. Her combined experiences have seen Cann on long hauls to Florida and California and shorter hauls throughout the province of Alberta. Involvement in horses started for Alberta dressage trainer Patty Hambling as many young girls do – begging their parents 18
ALBERTA BITS I FALL/WINTER 2021
for a pony. At first, show jumping and eventing were Hambling’s main interests, but through the guidance and example of some influential trainers, her passion for dressage was ignited. She gained experience and knowledge at different barns in the area, achieving her B.Sc and B.Ed as well as her Competition Coach Specialist designation during this time. Recently she attained her Recognized Equine Canada Coaching Licence and received an Alberta Dressage Association Lifetime Achievement award. Hambling now has the pleasure of running the beautiful stable, Pon Equus, belonging to one of her longtime clients. Pon Equus is a smaller private barn that focuses on quality long term relationships. Hambling mostly has personal experience with shorter hauls, but arriving to the destination safely and with relaxed equines is just as important to her, as anyone else. Rita Condon owns her own show jumping facility near DeWinton, AB, and is a well-respected coach and judge with more than 40 years in the industry. She specializes in the coaching and training of elite equine athletes and their riders. Condon knows firsthand, the effort and preparation it takes to bring a hunter mount to the competition ring. Through her operation, C-Horse Equestrian, Condon also regularly hauls her client’s horses to Vancouver, Ontario, California, Arizona – or wherever the show circuit may take them.
