Ohio Horseman’s Council

Member of American Horse Council

www.ohconline.com

SECRETARY & MEMBERSHIP

Catherine Estill 513/899-2267 secretary@ohconline.com

TREASURER

Jo Ellen Reikowski 330/806-3146 treasurer@ohconline.com

PRESIDENT

Eric Estill 513/899-2267 president@ohconline.com

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Theresa Burke 614/329-7453 newsletter@ohconline.com vicepresident@ohconline.com

OHC COUNTY LINE EDITOR

Karen Ravndal-Emery, Chair countylineeditor@ohconline.com

Greetings From Your President

We have just had our first experience with Potomac Horse Fever (PHF). Our Mustang, Clyde, became infected while being leased to a riding instructor at a Cincinnati-area stable. He is now recovered and back on our home farm after treatment at Ohio State University’s (OSU’s) Galbreath Equine Center. Clyde had been vaccinated against PHF every year, but tests indicated that PHF is what he contracted. It seemed unusual that he had a fever for a couple days and then was normal for a week before the high fever returned and persisted. An Equus article published in May 2021 refers to this ‘two-stage fever’ with PHF.

The bacteria causing PHF is carried by aquatic insects (such as mayflies and caddisflies) that may land in pastures, hay fields and water troughs, where the horse can then ingest the insect. Flies are attracted to barn lights, so consider turning these off overnight. Some veterinarians feel that the PHF vaccine is outdated, having been developed for the earlier strains of the bacteria and not adequately updated for more recent variants.

One article on PHF claimed that 90 percent of cases are fatal if not treated. Properly treated, 70 percent recover. Treatment often requires hospitalization, as Clyde did. We’re still watching Clyde as laminitis can develop after the fever has resolved.

We are blessed in Ohio to have OSU’s Galbreath Equine Center available to us. The staff is knowledgeable and professional. Tools are available for advanced diagnostics and treatment. ~Eric Estill, President Ohio Horseman’s Council Eric Estill with Roger Pawsat and the Gibby Award, presented Aug. 7, 2021. In the September issue of the Horsemen’s Corral Mr. Pawsat’s last name was misspelled. We apologize for the error.

County Lines

ASHLAND

Ashland County hosted a chili cook-off at Mohican State Park in September with 47 reservations received. In all, 11 counties were represented. Getting big rigs into their spots is always a challenge and installing tie lines to trees is yet another challenge. This year we had really experienced campers and both challenges were handled with relatively little effort. A special thanks goes to all our members that provided hands on help during the event plus all the work that went on in the background getting water, food, wheel barrows, camper packets, raffle items, etc. Also, a big thanks to our officers for all their efforts.

We had beautiful weather all weekend and lots of miles were ridden on the trails. Jack Collins, of Fulton County, was the winner of our 50/50 raffle. The silent auction was well stocked Theresa Burke, winner of the chili cook-off.

this year and we thank all those who contributed items, especially Weaver Leather. Denny Costic built a custom western themed bird house that was auctioned off and we are very appreciative of his efforts. It was outstanding.

Theresa Burke, of Delaware County, was the winner of the chili cook-off. Connie Bauer, of Fulton County placed second and Mike Bogdan from Ashland County placed third. The chili entered from all the counties was excellent, so congratulations to all these great chefs for their tasty achievements.

We hope to see you down the trail and remember not to drink and ride. ~Dan and Jean Reynolds

ASHTABULA

Greetings from Ashtabula County. We have had some gorgeous days recently. Today is the beginning of several days of rain. I am keeping a positive thought that next Saturday is sunny and dry. I like spring, but love to ride in the fall. This chapter has had several in the gulf getting the trails ready for the ride on the 9th. I hope you can be there to ride with us. It is a beautiful ride. Not complicated and only 3 ½ or 4 miles. There will be good food with dessert. You can pay to participate in the dice ride or just ride and cheer a friend on to a winning hand.

Next month we will be voting for our new officers and having our Christmas party. It will be on Nov. 6. Watch the Facebook page for the details.

I don’t know where the time went. This month has flown past. I did have a couple of days in the hospital, not a choice that I planned on. I may pay closer attention to my body now. I thought I had some stray bug. It turned out to be kidney failure. I am still seeing the Nephrologist every two weeks and feeling a lot better.

November will be our last meeting of the year, with no meeting in December. We will see you all on the first Tuesday of January. We will be pretty busy until the holidays are over.

I sincerely hope Covid does not get any worse. I am looking to a riding season like we had pre-retirement. You know when you traveled to parts unknown

and went for a quick ride before dinner and sat around the fire and laughed until it hurt or your barn boots melted. I haven’t been able to do much of that for a while. It will never be quite the same for me, but I have some great memories, a lot of you were there to share them.

‘Til next time, Give thanks for all the good things and give your horse a horse a hug. ~Pearl Ann

CLARK

Yikes! Here come the holidays. I hope you were able to get some shopping done at Quarter Horse Congress this year. There were less merchants this year, but still lots of good stuff and hopefully a return to normal soon. It was the perfect opportunity to get together with like minded friends and watch, learn and shop. We are so fortunate to live close to this exciting event.

Clark County was able to help out at the ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink’ horse show this year. Polly Agle and Becky Petee sold raffle tickets and Anne Demmy helped at the silent auction tables. I did not realize when I volunteered to help with ribbons that I would be the only one that got to watch the show. It was a pleasure to watch so many talented riders and horses. We will be fighting over that job next year. This was our first year volunteering at this event and hopefully can encourage more to get involved next year. It was very rewarding to participate in such a worthwhile cause.

Preble County held their soup ride at Dillon State Park again this year. I just happened to be there camping with friends and other Clark County members. We enjoyed the beautiful weather for riding, delicious soup and meeting new friends. It was hard to pick a favorite soup as they were all very tasty. The trails were in good shape although we did ride into some ground bees more than once. Stephanee Petee won the rodeo that day! I must also mention that I won the ‘split the pot’ raffle and there were a lot of good deals at the auction they held to raise funds for their county.

Our December meeting will be a Christmas potluck at the Agle’s house. Keep your eyes peeled for details. Come ride with us! ~Jonna

CLINTON

Hello fellow horsemen/women. I hope your summer was amazing! Clinton County has had a great year so far, lots of camping, cleanup and a fun show. Clinton County sponsors the Clinton County 4-H horse group’s fun show every year, and this year we were able to participate. As you see from our photos it was a great day! Dave Krazl came in second place in the gaited horse class. Dave hasn’t shown in 10 years, he did amazing!

This was a long hot dusty day, these kids did great hanging in there riding their best, and demonstrating awesome team work. Not everyone went home with a ribbon, but they all were great sports, and congratulated the ones that did! I have to say I have seen some amazing kids in our horse group. Parents be proud!

Fall is upon us, the leaves are just starting to get a pretty orange yellow glow, which means riding season in Ohio is here! Get those miles in as you can, but wear your hunter orange. Hunting season is here also. For safety I wear Christmas bells; just a couple to make noise without being too loud as we go down Makayla Krazl, Zack Krazl and Casyn Lamb in the warm up area.

the trail. I have actually heard a hunter say he heard the bells before he ever saw us in orange!

Have a safe fall riding season, have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas! Take a kid riding and see the future, ~Susan (Sue) Lamb

COLUMBIANA

Can it possibly be November? I know for one I didn’t get enough riding in this season and I hope this month gives us more good weather for riding. Our Fallen Members Memorial Ride was very nice. It was a special day and evening for many of us, with family members of those honored some of whom we hadn’t seen in years. They came to honor their family member who was recognized as one of the founding members of our group. Past presidents shared stories about fallen members and fun times. There were a few tears, good stories and needed laughter. The surprise of the evening was past president, Brenda Harman, joined us to honor her husband, Woody Harman. Brenda drove many hours to attend and visit with old friends. When she said she was driving back that night members Robin and Dave Ward insisted she spend the night with them. I can only imagine the conversations they had reminiscing about the good ole days.

Election of officers will be held at the Nov. 3 meeting with last year’s officers running again for their positions. It’s great when this happens and is much easier moving into the next year. President Beth Whitmer, Vice President Rick Haldiman, Secretary Becky Todd, and Treasurer Ted Todd. Thank you for your past and continued service to CCC-OHC.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner it’s a good time to think of the last two years and be thankful for the gifts of good health, family and friends that we still have.

This brings up our annual Christmas party. I’m hoping we can hold it this year. The best times are when we can enjoy an evening visiting with each other. For more information, please check our OHC web page and Facebook pages.

Stay safe and happy trails. ~Sally Stamp

COSHOCTON

Hello fellow horse friends. I am writing this from Mammoth Cave horse camp as I forgot to send an article in before leaving on vacation.

We had a great day for our hog roast in September with a nice turnout. We thank everyone who helped, donated and supported our fundraiser. The food was delicious and the pork was perfect. John Bash does an awesome job preparing the hog! Thank you all so much no matter how big or small your role in helping out. We appreciate all of you.

Coshocton County OHC

CUYAHOGA

It has been said that the single most important thing you can do for yourself and your horse is to join a chapter of Ohio Horseman’s Council. For a nominal fee you join a network

of people who become friends, and are riders of all disciplines. New members from beginners to experienced are always warmly welcomed! We offer educational opportunities through speakers, clinics, seminars and networking with other knowledgeable equine enthusiasts. OHC offers a way to learn about miles of bridle trails locally and all over the state and you will have others to ride or camp with.

There is a one million dollar equine liability insurance plan, if you choose, at a very reasonable price. The Corral magazine is mailed every month and offers a wealth of articles and features events happening across the state and beyond. Most chapters also have a newsletter featuring all that is going on in the chapter and the surrounding area.

Some members don’t even own a horse right now, but another member may have an extra horse to share. You might find a member has the perfect horse, trailer, saddle or other tack for sale or better yet free. You are offered discounts at different equine establishments.

Together we have the power to expand and improve bridle trails throughout Ohio.

Of course we hope you will join Cuyahoga County OHC as we help to secure, maintain and expand the 100 miles of bridle trails and numerous trailheads in our beloved Cleveland Metroparks here in northeast Ohio. Join OHC and we will show you around. Visit www.cuyahogacountyohc. com or www.ohconline.com

If you were a member in 2021 you would have had the opportunity to join the Ride the Beach event put on by Cleveland Metroparks Mounted Police and ride the shores and into the waters of Lake Erie at Edgewater Beach. This was followed in October by our Halloween Costume Ride and Food Drive held in the beautiful Brecksville Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks. We have some great events and rides in the planning stages for 2022 so join today! You will start getting our newsletter soon after. ~Penny Passalacqua

DELAWARE

Happy November everyone! Wow! The end of the year is fast approaching. I hope everyone got to enjoy plenty of opportunities this fall to get outdoors to spend time with your equine partners. Hunter’s Hollow trail with Bobbi, Karen and Prada.

Our 2021 ‘Autumn at Alum— Trail ride and Campout’, held the weekend of Sept. 10-12 was a great success and we were blessed with ideal weather! We had approximately 12 overnight campers along with numerous riders coming for a day ride and still more joining us for our evening festivities both Friday and Saturday nights. Thanks to the team of auctioneer extraordinaire, Bob Sweeney, who together with the help of Lora Taylor and Lynn West conducted an entertaining and successful auction. Combined with revenue from our 50/50 raffle, silent auction and general cash donations, our chapter’s treasury has grown nicely. These funds will help us continue our mission to preserve and maintain the bridle trails at Alum Creek State Park.

This weekend event would certainly not have been possible without the help and support from so many of our chapter members. Thank you to all the members who contributed items for our live auction. A special thank you to member, Vanessa Norton, for her success in soliciting donations from several area businesses and to the donors themselves for their generosity. We also wish to acknowledge members, Judy St. Jean for acting as our ‘Welcome Greeter’ and distributing welcome packets to new arrivals; Doug Hopkins, for serving as our ‘Base Camp’ representative as well as ‘vehicle escort’. Driving his truck (hazard lights on) behind groups of riders helped ensure a safer crossing over the Howard Road bridge and SR 521. Treasurer Pat O’Connell for handling ticket sales and ‘bank’. No easy task! Lastly, I want to say thank you to all our guests who attended our event, making it a most enjoyable weekend! Hope to see you all again next year! Autumn at Alum.

The Delaware All-Horse Parade took place on Sept. 12. Our OHC organization especially the Central Region was well-represented. Member Mike Shott and Raz did a fine job representing our Delaware chapter in the parade!

The weekend following our ‘Autumn at Alum’, was the annual OHC State Ride and Chili Cook-off hosted by Ashland County at Mohican Memorial State Forest. Theresa represented Delaware chapter with her chili entry and won first place earning her a blue ribbon, a specially embroidered camping chair and a nifty chef’s hat and apron. Ashland County does a terrific job putting on this State ride. If you have never attended their State ride, you should consider doing so in 2022!

As of the writing of this article, our chapter’s Mohican Campout and Trail Ride scheduled for Oct. 15-17 had not yet occurred. I look forward to sharing highlights in next month’s issue.

October 1, 2021, marked the commencement of our OHC membership renewal drive. Existing members as well as interested guests are urged to renew and/or join online at www. ohconline.com, click ‘renew’ or ‘join’ as applicable and follow the prompts. The process is quick and easy and certainly streamlines the workload of our chapter treasurer as well as making it easier for members to print their own membership and insurance cards. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our chapter treasurer, Pat O’Connell, or any officer, for that matter, should you encounter any difficulties with the online renewal process. Delaware chapter members enjoyed many fun events and activities in 2021 and we hope to duplicate our efforts for the coming year. We would love to have you join us!

Speaking of upcoming events, our November chapter meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5. We will hold our chapter elections at this meeting so come prepared to nominate your candidate! In addition, our evening’s guest speaker will be local Delaware historian, Mr. Paul Clay, who will share with us his treasuretrove of vintage pictures and oral history of the Kilbourne and Alum Creek area long before the dam and reservoir were built. This month’s meeting location is still being finalized so stay-tuned to our Facebook page and/or your email for the latest information.

Mark your calendars to attend our first in-person OHC General Membership meeting since 2019, taking place on Nov. 7. Any OHC member is welcome and encouraged to attend. Lunch is provided for a nominal fee by pre-paid reservation. Please contact any Delaware officer for details and to sign-up for lunch. The November meeting is hosted by the chapters of our own Central Region with Delaware being responsible for menu coordination and lunch reservations. Please plan to attend and vote for your new State officers!

Lastly, we are hopeful that we will be able to hold our annual Christmas party on Dec. 3 beginning at 7 p.m. Details are being worked out regarding the chosen venue and of course, consideration given to the status of COVID-19 guidelines, staytuned for more details.

Wishing everyone along with their four-legged companions a very Happy Thanksgiving! ~Theresa Burke

ERIE

Greetings from Erie County! I have so much to share and I could only choose three photos. Lynn, Tim and Colleen went on the famous Red Rock Ride and loved it! Colleen shared some great videos that made you feel like you were there. The pictures were awesome. I am sure nothing could beat being there in person. Since I forgot to mention that Tim had gone with them last month, I am including a photo. Our Labor Day ride went well with one of our new members going on his first trail ride. Horses were great, and everyone had a great time riding at Oak Openings and camping in the great weather. There is nothing

Coming back in and still smiling!

Red Rock Ride, Lynn and Tim.

like sitting around a campfire! The laughter could be heard well into the evening.

All the hard work paid off as we finished Thornapple trail just in time for the annual poker ride at Edison Woods MetroPark. We set up the night before with a few members camping overnight. I heard a horse or two escaped off the highline to nibble on some midnight grass. Horses do make our lives exciting at times. We welcomed Saturday morning with cool temperatures, sunshine, coffee and donuts. The horse trailers started pulling in bright and early as registration opened at 9 a.m. Everyone was full of compliments on the condition of our trails as they rode in to turn in their poker chips and have lunch! They had fun choosing from the many door prizes available. Of course our DJ, Dan kept everyone updated with the drawings and the results. The music was great too! We had a lot of great sponsors this year. With their help it made the poker ride so much better. A big thank you goes out to: Tractor Supply, many locations, Collins Elevator, Tack n More, Liberty Ag., Timber Ridge Stables, Edgewater Custom Designs, H & B Farm, Scrubin on the Farm, DJ: Dan, Cindy Malcom, and Julie Novosielski. We had three division winners: Woman Annette Overmyer, Men Tom Tucholski, Youth Micayla Gordan. Congratulations to this year’s poker ride winners! Poker ride winners.

Beaver Creek welcomed us at the beginning of October with fall in the air. I didn’t get many pictures but we all had fun. Bennazette, Pa., was the destination for many after the Beaver Creek ride. Other members went to Pleasant Hill for great riding. No matter where we went, Life was better on the trail!

~Shelley

FAIRFIELD

I can see the end of 2021 and I have no clue where it went. It was a busy but very productive year. Fairfield County OHC built several new tie rails and benches at major rest areas on the equine trails at Hocking State Forest. We appreciate more improvements need to be made, but it all boils down to time and money. Hoping 2022 will be kind to us so we can tackle those projects. In addition to the improvement project, we donate several hours each year to assist with clearing the trails of downed trees. Some times it seems like a never ending job, but bare with us, we do try.

Our club hosted several rides which were for the most part well attended. New to this year’s schedule was Pleasant Hill Lake. This is a very nice campground. There are not a lot of trail miles at Pleasant Hill, but it offers easy access to the trails at Malabar Farms. The Malabar trails are exceptionally well maintained and pretty to ride. I hope to make it back again this fall.

One of our club’s favorite rides is at the Wayne National Forest, near Ironton Ohio. We stay at the Paddle Creek Campgrounds which is maintained by the Lawrence County OHC. It’s a pretty camp and centrally located in the park for easy access to all of the trail. If you have not tried it, check it out for your future riding plans.

The highlight of our summer Travis Brown

was hosting our annual state ride at Scioto Trails State Forest near Chillicothe. Every year this ride continues to grow. It offers up certain challenges requiring us to continually scratch our heads to up our game. This year we had 44 camping rigs plus a couple day riders each day. New this year we had a scavenger hunt. We had placed three yellow envelopes in the woods, each containing a note with a winning amount of money noted on it. The farther out you ventured, the higher the reward. Most seemed to enjoy this game, for sure it got the horses saddled up and out of camp. We have decided to increase the number of envelopes to five for next year and increase the reward a little. Our live entertainment on Saturday evening was Travis Brown. Travis is a local talent with a wide range of musical choices in his bag. On this night he provided us with three hours of non stop country and country rock music. In my opinion, he knocked it out of the park. A couple weeks after our concert, Travis headed to Nashville to record some music. I wish him the best, but at the same time I hope he will be available Labor Day weekend 2022 to visit with us.

On a personal note, in early September we took our granddaughter to Caesar’s Creek State Park for the the state 4-H competitive trail ride. This was a first for us as a family and greatly enjoyed. The sponsors were super professional and well organized. The participants were divided into Senior placements at the Caesars Creek 4-H ride.

two groups, junior and senior. The 4-H member was totally responsible for the care of their horse after entering the grounds. The kids were briefed at a meeting the night before the ride as to what to expect during the competition. During the actual competitive ride, it was just the 4-H member, their horse and a map. In addition to the trails to negotiate, three obstacles were on course for the riders to complete. If you have a 4-H member in your family or club, I strongly encourage you to look into this event for next year. My granddaughter, Brittnee, had a great day and placed third in the senior division. We are so proud of her.

Our election of officers is scheduled for our November meeting. After that meeting, I will post our new officers for 2022.

Our last activity for 2021 will be our Christmas party the first Sunday in December. It is always a well attended event, good food, gift exchange and good folks to visit with.

That’s all from my world. Be safe and enjoy the remainder of the fall riding season. ~Chris Streitenberger

FULTON

Fall has been a very active time for many of our members. Camping at Mohican, Van Buren, Reed Road, Ranglers, Hoosier Horse Camp and Ionia kept many busy. Planning and putting on our Oak-tober Fest and poker run was managed by a handful of hard-working individuals and attended by many, and some also attended the Harry Hughes Ride A Thon and the Mid States Final Rodeo at the WB Ranch the same weekend. Also, a few members participated in the National Drive event at Hoosier Horse Park.

The Mohican State Ride and Chili Cook off was attended by nine members. Connie Bauer represented our chapter in the chili cook off and placed second! Someone said she had the best

Riders on the FCOHC poker run led by President Jack.

costume ever! Reportedly, a good time was had by all.

Several members attended the NW Region State Ride at Van Buren State Park and reported back that they had a wonderful time and it was a great event. The food was outstanding, trails were good, the campground was nice and people were friendly and fun. It definitely sounds like something to put on the list for next year!

Our Oak-tober Fest event at Reed Road Ranglers was well attended with members from Fulton, Defiance, and Erie County OHC chapters, as well as guests, enjoying good food, friends, riding and mostly good weather (it rained a little). This was the third year for the event; there were 17 rigs camping and many day riders. Saturday evening 65 people came for the German dinner of brats, knockers, sausage and German potato salad prepared by Tammy Royer. After dinner we had a dessert auction where Dalton Collins auctioned off desserts provided by our members and guests. The high bid was $125 for Connie’s raspberry tiramisu. On Sunday many of the campers headed over to the Harry Hughes Youth Equestrian Center and participated in the Harry Hughes Ride A Thon which is their main fundraiser. There was also an FCOHC poker run organized by Connie Bauer. HHYEC is a facility run by a not-for-profit organization where they have horse shows, both pleasure and speed, clinics and other horserelated, mainly youth-oriented events. Trail riders sometimes park there to ride in the nearby Oak Openings Metropark. Money from our dessert auction and the poker run will be donated to the Harry Hughes facility where some major maintenance and improvements are needed. They are currently raising funds to repair or replace the announcer stand/office building.

As I write this, a few members are just settling in at the National Drive at Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh, Ind. It is a six day, noncompetitive, stand-alone recreational event for riders and drivers with lectures and demonstrations, a tack swap, drive at will opportunities on trails, cones and derby as well as planned driving activities and private lessons. Other members are camping in the area at Hoosier Horse Camp and may stop in to check it all out; it sure sounds like fun!

As November unfolds, we’ll slow down a bit, but we eagerly look forward to our upcoming year end events. Tammy Royer is hosting our Fat Saturday Ride on Nov. 27. For our Christmas party, the committee has everything under control; Bonnie Williams, Debbie Vaughan, Emily Collins, Jo Neeley, Tammie Royer, Nancy Wilson and Flo Hannum have planned a festive event on Dec. 3 at the Legion Hall in Grand Rapids with happy hour, dinner, games and activities. Our amazing photographer, Debbie Vaughan, takes fabulous staged photos of each couple, group or individual at the Christmas party, as well as general photos at most of our events. The following Sunday, Dec. 5, our Cowboy Christmas Tack Swap, Shopping and Live Auction event will be held at the WB Ranch in Swanton.

Our chapter meetings are the first Monday of the month, 7 p.m. and are currently held at Bunkers Bar and Grill. Members, potential members and guests are always welcome. We meet in the huge banquet room and the food is good. Keep up with us on our website, www.fcohc.com, Facebook page Fulton County Ohio Horseman’s Council or Facebook group Fulton County OHC.

I recently read that, according to Rebecca Carrol, “A pony is a childhood dream. A horse is an adulthood treasure.” I do agree.

Be well, be safe and happy trails! We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Dalton and Claire at the Harry Hughes Ride a thon and FCOHC poker run.

~Kathy Brown

GREENE

Happy fall! By the time you read this, we’ll be headed toward Thanksgiving. I can tell that it’s fall because I have all of my Halloween decorations up. I go big at Halloween and Christmas.

Remember that our November meeting is where we elect officers each year. I don’t expect our officers to change, as we have such a small number of active members. If anyone is interested in holding office, please come to the November meeting.

We had a good showing at the Delaware All Horse Parade. I have included a photo from that. The photo was taken by Jeannie Nicol. Cart horse is driven by Leeann Reigelsperger with Parker Sabin as passenger; Riders were Dave Goodbar, Beth Kreutzfeld, Herb Rider, Devin Nicol and Elizabeth Smith.

We also had a nice booth at the Xenia Old Timers Days. I don’t know if we sold much; I was only there for a bit on Friday. We certainly had quite a variety of items for sale. I’m including a photo from that also taken by Jerry Smith. I was there but didn’t get around to taking photos, thankfully Jerry had me covered.

Other than that, some of us have been riding, some of us have been too busy with other things. I really need to get on my horse one of these days. On the upside, I’m making up for all of the live music I missed last year, so that’s good at least.

That’s all of the information for this month. Happy Thanksgiving! ~Mickie

GUERNSEY

October is my favorite month to go trail riding! Salt Fork is a great place to do that. I happen to think the Purple Trail, between the 7-mile marker and 11-mile marker, is the prettiest place to catch the leaves of all of the trails. This is the section of trail that you ride along the canyon rim. It is my favorite spot in all of Salt Fork in the month of October.

We have club members riding all over this month. Some are headed to Beaver Creek State Park over in Columbiana County, some are headed to Mohican, and some are headed to Arkansas. Me, I’m not sure! Up to my neck in work on the farm.

I hate to say it, but colder months are coming and I hate winter, but I have ridden at Salt Fork in January before. It was 15 degrees Fahrenheit when we got there and 5 when we left. Let’s just say riding along the lake that day was a ride I’ll not soon forget. Anyway, any day on the horse is a good day and it sure beats a day in the office!

Remember to log those miles and hours worked! It really does matter. Hope to see you on the trail,

~Lee Randolph

HARRISON

Hello from Harrison County. I am not sure about anyone else, but it seems to me that summer just flew by! Hopefully, we will have a nice long Indian summer that will give us more time to ride and enjoy the great outdoors.

The club met on Aug. 19 and there were 11 members present. Most members had not ridden the trails at Harrison State Forest, but someone did report that there was a tree down on Green South that required the rider to dismount and walk around.

In new business, the club voted to sponsor the Hopedale Sportsman’s Club Bash with a

Dorothy Glover and Cody

donation of $60. The club is also trying to boost membership and we plan to put together an informational flyer to encourage more riders to get involved.

It was reported that The Gibby Ride was a great success and the equipment from Harrison County Ohio Horse Council was greatly appreciated.

The group met Sept. 16 at the home of Mark and Cheri Westlake. There were 11 members in attendance.

A great deal of work has been done to clear the trails at Harrison State Forest. The trails have been cleared but there is still a need to clear and cut overhanging brush. Mark Westlake, president, will send some emails to try and get some more members together to get more work done.

I apologize for not getting an article together for the Corral last month. Even though sometimes it seems there is not a great deal to report, our members are always busy doing something with their horses, their friends, and their community. As mentioned in the August Corral, some of our members have been struggling with health issues. We are so happy that Nancy Van Buren is doing wonderful and winning her battle against cancer!

On a sadder note, we lost our beloved friend and president, Dorothy Glover, on Aug. 24, 2021 to cancer. She was a strong brave friend, wife, mother, grandmother, and businesswoman and it will be close to impossible to fill her shoes. She was a very effective advocate when it came to getting things done at Harrison State Forest. Her persistence and involvement with the ODNR brought many improvements to the trails and camping area at Harrison State Forest. It was through her efforts that more tie lines were added, and the shelter was built. Dorothy was completely dedicated to the improvements at Harrison State Forest and to the club. Our greatest sympathies go out to her wonderful husband Bob of 53 years, who also does so much for the club and trails, her daughter Kim, her husband Ed and their children. Dorothy, you will be forever missed and remembered.

At the September meeting, it was decided to have a plaque and bench made and purchased in memory of Dorothy. The plaque will read, “Dorothy Glover Pavilion”. Cheri Westlake will be getting in contact with Sawdust Studios to purchase a bench.

The club had a ride in memory of Dorothy on Oct. 24, which was her birthday. There was a ride in the morning and a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. with a campfire. We dedicated the shelter to Dorothy the same day and placed the plaque in her honor. We all celebrated Dorothy’s wonderful life and her great life efforts.

Here’s to a beautiful fall, lots of quiet time in the saddle, and sincere contemplation of God’s great beauty. How fortunate we are to be able to experience these awesome gifts.

~Lori Mayher

HOLMES

A fence is just a fence unless the fence is this one!

On a beautiful October day and after a perfect ride, a horse named Stetson was being loaded into his horse trailer for his ride home. While not everything goes as planned and, on this night, it surely did not go as planned. You see Stetson got loose, panicked, The new fence at the Mohican Bridle Parking Area and some Holmes County OHC members who helped with the project.

and ran out onto the road where he was hit by a car and had to be tragically put down due to his injuries. This horse had never taken a wrong step and this step sadly became his last. He was owned by one of our members and our OHC group decided that we would do something in his memory to provide safety to other horses while they ride at the beautiful Mohican State Forest.

This has been a long-term project and we can now say that it was completed the last week in September 2021. I am so proud of our crew that helped with this project, we were a small group but worked great together. On Friday afternoon, we measured twice, planned, and marked placement and dug holes. Those present for the first day were five of our members. Ricki Mast, president OHC Holmes County and fellow members, Jon and Matt Herman, Jack, and Wendy Stetson. On the second day, we set posts and added the rails to the fence. Those present were Ricki Mast, Cheryl Schneider, Cindy Gray-Stanley, Sue Rhoads, Ron Kline Bruce Hanna, Logan Mast, Jack, and Wendy Stetson, and Vickie Zook. I would like to publicly thank this group of hard workers because when we all got there early in the morning, we all thought the same thing. There was no way we were going to get this done! However, no one said a word to anyone, we just worked until it was.

As we began the month of October, I can only think of the beautiful riding that we got to do in Holmes County! National Geographic voted Holmes County the third best place for Stetson

fall foliage in the world! To all reading, have a wonderful fall and a Happy Thanksgiving! ~Ricki Mast

KNOX

Where did the summer of 2021 go? In 2020, we canceled most everything because of COVID-19, enough said on that one. Hard to believe I am writing Corral comments for November 2021. Summer is gone and winter is coming on. We did have several fun times in September and a lot of riding in October. We rode at Lake Vesuvius, had a presence in the Delaware All Horse Parade and while not directly OHC related, many attending were there because of acquaintance through OHC. We attended a very beautiful outdoor western style wedding on a day rain was predicted. And yes, horses were involved.

To start October off right, we had a Halloween scavenger hunt at Thayer Ridge Park. We want to especially thank two ladies that put this one together, Cindy Cossin and Kathy Shoemaker. They had volunteers out, twice, clearing and improving several miles of trails to get ready for this event. Included is Wolf Man, one of the objects riders had to take note of. Here, I zoomed in so you too could find him. There were 32 items to be noted by participating riders diligently hidden along the trails. Personally, I found only 16. It was a beautiful fall day with many OHC activities in process that weekend so attendance was

Delaware All Horse Parade.

Sam and Misty’s wedding.

lower than hoped for, but, no one went home dissatisfied. It was a very fun day. I personally hope we have more such events in the future.

With this writing, our KCOHC 2021 schedule is mostly completed. The last entry is Nov. 7 at Hocking where we have for several years celebrated a couple of birthdays.

The OHC State General Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 7. I look forward to attending. OHC needs to get back on track after the pandemic year. Officer elections are on the agenda. We need some new and innovative ideas to increase our membership. We need younger members to pick up the work that OHC has been doing since 1972. Our core membership is finding it harder to swing that leg over the cantle. It appears to me that they have added weight to newer chain saws.

With this being November, I hope all have thought about renewing your 2022 OHC membership. Also, it is that time of year when we decide who will lead our chapter into 2022 as it is time to re-elect officers.

Come on over to Knox County where the gates are wide open, the grass is greener, the horses leaner, as we do ride them, and everyone is welcome. We meet the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Hopefully, we find a new meeting place soon or are allowed to return to the Long Branch Pizza in Centerburg.

Reporting for Knox County OHC, ~Terry L. Baker

LAWRENCE

Several members of the Lawrence County OHC turned out this evening to show and support the the Lawrence County Horseman’s Association. There was one tiny speck of rain showing on the radar. Of course, it dropped right on the show grounds. A little rain did not seem to dampen any enthusiasm and within a few minutes the rain passed and the show continued.

Congratulations to OHC members Gabby and Gracie on placing in the show. These two young riders have made great strides in horsemanship this year under the watchful eyes of OHC president Uncle James and Aunt Abby Maynard.

Congratulations also to the granddaughters of OHC members Betty and Richard Murray. K’Lee Murray and Madasyn Duncan have also had great show seasons. Other OHC members who were at the show were Kathy Hermansdorfer and her grandkids, Cordle, Brooklyn and Nathan McIntosh. These kids have a new horse and brought her to the show so they could all get some experience in the arena. It was a fun evening for everyone!

As the summer is quickly fading, the trails are beginning to burst out in full fall style. Ssaddle up and enjoy the beauty of nature. Everything looks so much better from the back of a horse.

As you are packing in your winter supply of hay remember to watch for any bales that may have milk weed in them. Even dry, this weed is toxic to horses. Fall also brings our equine companions a threat from wilting wild cherry trees, so be aware.

We hope everyone is well and having a great time riding this year. Plan a trip to Lawrence County, we don’t think you will be disappointed. The trails in the Lake Vesuvius area provide some of the best riding our great state has to offer.

As always, be safe, be happy and be on your horse.

~Betty

LICKING

Hello from Licking County. We had the best weather this fall for riding, I hope everyone got on the trails. Our members have been busy with the fun show, camping, trail rides and trail maintenance.

The September Fun Show was another good show, we even had a Lobdell group ride.

Deb Sheka, driving class.

Deb with her blue ribbon.

driving class, which I entered and got a blue ribbon. I was so proud of my pony. A big thanks to all the volunteers who help with the show, it takes a lot of volunteers.

We have had some one-day trail rides at the local parks and with good turn out; we even had some new riders show up to ride with us. Jan Dean, Mark and Debbie Stevens went camping in southern Ohio at The Best of American on Horseback trail ride. They had a good time, but the day after Jan got home she slipped and fell in her yard and broke her shoulder. What are we going to do with her; wrap her up in bubble wrap? Several members are out camping and enjoying the good weather.

At the last meeting we voted to have a Christmas party. The date and information will be announced later so keep an eye out for the details.

The OHC State Meeting is on Nov. 7, don’t forget to get your reservation in for lunch.

It’s getting close to the time to turn in your trail miles and hours. To make it more interesting I have permission from our president to raise the gift card limit to $50. Yes...if you turn in your report to me, Deborah Sheka, by Jan. 4, 2022 your name will be put in the box for the drawing of a $50 gift card. You say, but I only rode or drove, five miles, that is OK, send me your report. You can print the report form from the OHC state website.

To see more pictures of our fun times visit our Facebook page, there are a lot of pictures to view, our page is public.

Be safe on the trails, ~Deborah Sheka

LOGAN

The Logan County OHC had their September meeting at East Liberty Community Room, we had eight members present. We had discussions at this meeting on how to commemorate Christy Stanley. Becky Porter suggested a picnic table in her memory at Kiser Lake placed in the old camping area. Teri Elsass was put in charge of checking prices for the plastic composite tables. We had a meeting Oct. 23 to finalize plans for the Nov. 7 State Meeting. Logan County OHC does share responsibilities at the State Meeting

We had our Oct. 3, meeting at Marmon Valley Farms cafeteria, we had 18 members present. Logan County OHC bought the pizza, we got the pizza from Fire House Pizza and they gave us a 25 percent discount, which was nice. We all brought our cash and stuff to donate for the silent auction and our appetite. We ate first, then President Becky Porter brought the meeting to order. Terri Elsass reported on the picnic table prices she found, and the State did approve the picnic table as well. Becky talked to Champaign County and found out that the State had already put two picnic tables near where we were going to put ours and said they needed tie rails more now than a picnic table. A motion was made to investigate putting tie rails up instead of the picnic table. Before the next meeting Kim Roberts and Bobbie Shields are going to get with Lin Imke and find out what type of tie rails and measurements, then get with State Park to approve the tie rails. Allen Shields and Keith Roberts are then researching the prices of the tie rails.

Logan County OHC had eight of our members present at the State Chili Cook Off this year, John Porter made the chili.

At the State meeting on Nov. 7, our club is running the 50/50, we also need to donate something nice for prizes and

auction. Since the State meeting is Nov. 7, a motion was made to move our next Logan County OHC meeting from the 7th to Sunday, Nov. 14 at East Liberty Community Room. Keith Roberts made a motion to donate to a needy veteran for Thanksgiving, it passed, so at the Nov. 14 meeting we are to bring canned food or nonperishable food items. After the meeting was adjourned, the bids on the silent auction were collected. Everything I took was bought and I ended up with $10 worth of stuff I think I will use. Our treasurer will have the results totaled from the silent auction for us at the next meeting.

This is a wonderful time of year to get out on those trails, wishing everybody a safe and fun-filled fall riding season.

~Cynthia Orr

LORAIN

Dear Horse Friends, it’s that time of year to be thankful for all that we have been given. I for one am thankful for sunny crisp days with colorful leaves abounding, hot cider and turkey with stuffing; but especially for my family, friends and animals that have brought me so much joy over the years. We’d like to thank our November calendar sponsor Willow Creek Veterinary Service located in Medina. They offer compassionate, high quality full service veterinary care for horses, dogs and cats. You can visit them at www. willowcreekveterinary. com or reach them at 330/4104899. A correction to the October newsletter is that Sherry and Greg Miller of Endeavor Hot Air Balloon, LLC of Lorain County, Ohio, are the individuals that planned to volunteer their time, talent and balloon for tethered rides at our regional ride but due to the gusty weather were unable to do so. I apologize for the last name mix-up.

Jim, Dave and Laura at Pleasant Hill. Cheryl with her mini out for a cart ride.

The Pleasant Hill campout in September was really nice. We had good horseback riding weather, warm enough to get the kayaks out on the lake for an evening paddle and cool enough to enjoy sitting around the fire at night. The campgrounds were spruced up with new picnic tables and the lake was peaceful as not many boaters were out. The following weekend, roughly 24 people trucked down to the Chili Cook-Off hosted by Ashland OHC at Mohican State Forest for camping or at least to day ride. It was sunny, warm and lots of fun from what I heard. Lorain County got the ‘People’s Choice’ award for their chili which essentially means we cheered the loudest. Kudos to our chefs!

Our Lorain OHC Regional Ride at Charlemont Reservation with camping at nearby ClareMar Twin Lakes Resort was held the last weekend of September. Thank you to all for helping, participating and supporting our 2021 Regional Ride. In spite of the weather teasing us with dark clouds and a few sprinkles our 2021 LCOHC Regional Ride was a success! Many businesses and private individuals donated beautiful items or gift cards for the silent auction and door prizes and Harrison Ford and Trailers donated cash prices for the Poker Run. The Question Quest was full of fun and informative questions that tested our knowledge about horse related topics. Door prizes were given to all those who participated in this event. Our silent auction was new this year and it went very smoothly. Almost every item was bid on and it brought in a good amount of money. We are planning to continue to improve the trails at Charlemont with funds earned from our regional ride.

On Saturday, Nov. 6 we have a day ride planned at Wetmore in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We will ride out at 11 a.m. We are holding a membership meeting at the Carlisle Visitor Center in the Black River Room on Monday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Due to the ongoing pandemic, sadly, we have decided to cancel our Christmas party that was scheduled for Dec. 4. However, Wednesday, Dec. 15 we are planning to have our packets available at the Carlisle Visitor Center and enjoy the Christmas lights that will be set up as a drive- through event. At this time we plan to take donations for lunch for the Carlisle park crew. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! ~Kathy Duncan

Question Quest game at the Regional Ride.

MADISON

By the time of this printing our chapter will have completed another fun successful season of gymkhana. We have met a lot of new people this season and have welcomed back season competitors. Our chapter enjoys offering this event to the local equine community. Without the support of not only our dedicated sponsors and competitors these games would not be. Tremendous thanks to our 2021 sponsors; ASE Feed and Supply located in Plain City, Parsons and Son Equipment located in West Jefferson, Tuffy Automotive located in Columbus, Calvin Access Control located in Radnor and state representative Kyle Koehler. The cost of insurance, arena fees and awards, it adds up. We are grateful for the sport of our sponsors. Please when you have the need to purchase from any of them mention our gymkhana and let them know that you appreciate their support. Our gymkhana chairwoman, Susan Hunter is already working with the Madison County Fairgrounds to get our next season dates reserved. Once the dates are confirmed I’ll share so you can start making plans to come ride and have fun with us.

Our chapter still struggles with having meetings. We hope to get our required obligations in November, the voting of officers. We will get it accomplished.

Some members have enjoyed getting out on the trails. I have Tammy Whisler on Kay and Dee Elfrink on Patches.

been hoping they would like to share their experiences. I can share mine. Patches and I have enjoyed some clinics at Helge’s Horse training in Waynesville. We recently attended another Obstacle Clinic. Patches was a hot head, she was kind of mad. I think I know what was making her mad, I had to replace her curb chain, it was over 20 years old and worn out. Instead of replacing it with what she was already used to (chain) I got the full leather one. I think it was a bit snugger than what she is used to. I’ll get it replaced shortly, we had to delay our riding.

In August we took a ride in Hocking. Tammy Whisler and I hooked up with some girls from Hocking OHC. Donna Shade was our trail guide. The trails were quite muddy. We rode the silver trail to the orange trail to the picnic area before airplane rock. Tammy and I did not go to airplane rock, we stayed at the picnic area. We got 12 miles in. We stopped frequently. Patches and Tammy’s horse Kay were fabulous. They both handled everything—hikers, road crossing, vehicles. We stopped at a creek, and all the horses had a blast splashing. They acted like kids. A few times I thought Patches was going to take us swimming. She really loves the water. She got along really well with all the new horses. On the way back, Patches slipped in the mud and kind of fell. All I remember was seeing her feet slip. I am not exactly sure how or if she went down. I just remember reaching up to get my foot out of the stirrup, did not even feel myself hit the ground. When I got up and back on Patches, I just had a slight soreness on my side. By the time we got back to Cowboy Larry’s I was in a lot of pain. So my husband packed us up and home we went. I worked all week in pain thinking I had a bruised muscle. The following Saturday I sneezed and that was it, my husband made me go to the ER. Diagnosis was three

Madison County OHC

broken ribs. I’m fine and ready to get back to riding. For me October is a busy month. Patches and I are excited to explore the beautiful Ohio trails and meet and make friends.

On a non horse or OHC business, my family is excited to share with everyone that we are the proud great grandparents of a beautiful healthy great grandson, his name is Zedrik.

MEDINA

We have a new monthly meeting location! For the winter months of November and December, March through May we will be meeting at the Hinckley Town Hall at the SW corner of SR 303 and SR3 (Ridge Road). Parking is available. Join us Nov. 3 for our election of officers and other club issues.

Today’s watchword is ‘caution’. Yes, it’s pretty scary out there on the roads and two of our members are living (whew!) proof. Our Vice President Maureen Mizerak was involved in two accidents within a month. The second occurance damaging a car she just bought to replace the first one that was totaled. Karen Knuth was hit from behind and is now waiting on her replacement vehicle. What did that seargent on ‘Hill Steet Blues’ used to say? “Be careful out there!” We also want to extend our best wishes to Linda Weese, who has done so much for this chapter. She has had a stay in the hospital but is on the mend.

Many of our OHC friends had fun again this year with the Cleveland Metro Parks Mounted Unit at Edgewater Park for ‘Take Your Horse to the Beach Day’. No, it’s really called Cleveland Metro Parks Beach Ride. Another great way for this organization to raise funds and for our members and their rides to catch a few waves.

Now on the canine front, congratulations to Joyce Tretow and her lovely Keeshond, Ariel for winning several firsts in two dog shows this year. She (Ariel) won Open Bitch classes and Reserve Winners despite some stiff competition. Congratulations to both!

Our last scheduled work session with the park will be Nov. 13, weather permitting. All our work materials are staged for us, we just have to show up and flex our muscles. Based on conditions, we may also be leafblowing. Our trails are in great condition and we and our friends at Cuyahoga National Park are the reason. Join us at 9 a.m.; the meeting location will be available by one of our email blasts or contacting either Greg Monsanty (blackhorsebridge@aol.com or 330/658-3063) or Raydeen Ryden (reysden@att.net or 334/6637361) for information.

Lastly, because it’s November and a time of the year for thanks, let’s all take a moment to thank those who have helped us through another challenging year. Thanks for good judgement, caution (there’s that word again!) and respect for others. Thanks for the love of our equine friends and our trail workers. Being thankful down in the valley,

~Rosemary

MEIGS

September and October hold a very special place in the hearts of Meigs OHC chapter members. The St. Jude’s Trail Ride and the Festival of the Leaves are opportunities for members to have fun, socialize with other horsey people, and raise money for great causes!

Saddle Up for St. Jude was held at the Dill Farm on Sept. 18 and many members of our chapter went on the trail ride and donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Of note, members Carl and Linda Ball donated one gelding and three fillies to be auctioned off at the event and were recognized for raising the largest donation. Two of the donated horses were purchased by chapter members, Dave and Evelyn. In addition to these two excellent homes, the gelding, who was rescued and rehabilitated from the kill pen by Carl and Linda Ball was purchased for a teenage boy who was over the moon!

October 2 was the Festival of the Leaves ride, potluck, and other events held at the AEP horse The rescue, Curly, who was auctioned of for St. Jude’s.

camp. Proceeds from this event were donated to a one-year-old child from the area who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. We pray our donations help Gibson Weaver and his family as they fight and win against cancer!

So much work goes into keeping the horse camp nice and the trails rideable. Many members have contributed to this work including Paul Schuler, Kevin Meadows, Joe Maugans, and Keith. I apologize for leaving people out. I know there were more, but I did not manage to get names.

I can not believe fall is already here with its crisp air, crunchy leaves, and shorter days. Enjoy every moment with your friends, family, and horses!

~Tonya

MONTGOMERY

Happy November and Happy Thanksgiving. This is a time to reflect on all the things we give thanks for. There is always something! I personally am thankful for my health, my wonderful farm life, my family and friends, healthy animals and a new Gypsy filly, Toodaloo, born Oct. 3. I could watch and play with her full time!

November is also elections for officers. I have heard that Cindy B. is definitely not going to be president again. That leaves a big hole that needs filling. Might you want to take a turn at being president?

You should be getting a 2022 membership renewal letter from OHC. You can mail your membership form and dues to our treasurer, Charlene. We are asking for snail mail sign up so we don’t lose track of you, Cindy B. says. We want you to rejoin or join!

Stay tuned for where we will be holding our monthly meetings. They are held the first Tuesday of the month.

I hope you get out riding and enjoying the nice weather before winter arrives. Until next time, ~Jilleroo Karen

Momma Dixie and her mini me, Toodaloo.

PERRY

From trips out of state to our normal 80 mile radius, the Perry Club is out there making hoof prints and acquiring new members.

Over Labor Day several members participated in Fairfield County’s state ride at Scioto Trails. Again, this year that club did not disappoint. We had superb entertainment on Saturday night and what a potluck and auction on Sunday evening. Kudos to Chris and his team for putting on a wonderful event. The trails and campground were absolutely fantastic. Scioto Trails, nestled in southern Ohio, is famous for its views and hilly terrain. We always enjoy the trails there and this year they were in great condition. We also joined Coshocton County for their annual hog roast at AEP Conesville. As always it was a great time with good friends and good weather.

We had a representative from Burr Oak State Park at the September meeting. Though he was not manager in charge, the young man had worked for over 10 years at Hocking State Forest and was very in tune with our needs at Burr Oak, where he has just started his position. The big take away from talking to

Mike Smith

him was that they are more than willing to assist us in fixing the issues on the trails and expanding the trails especially in the Wild Cat Hollow area which was our top request. It was a good meeting of the minds and I sure hope something comes of it. He commented he has never ridden a horse so perhaps we can change that. I think they would have a better understanding if they were on horseback.

Our annual soup ride at Dillon the first weekend of October was another success with 37 in attendance and seven counties or at-large members. This year we gave away four Tractor Supply gift cards and our food included some delicious sloppy joe thanks to the efforts of Ben Stengle. Trails were in super shape thanks to the help of Craig and Charlene Santee, who are secondary members, but number one in our books! Craig and Charlene spend a lot of time clearing trails there and we appreciate them. Both days of riding were spectacular. Who can complain when you can stop for ice cream en route! The auction with Don Wagner also was a lot of fun. You never know what you’ll find. I can say next campout everyone needs to visit Craig because a whole lot of ‘bottles of fun’ were purchased by him and Charlene so I think they are expecting guests! It was great seeing Rick and Marsha Woofter attend with their squirrel dog, Sadie. Never have seen a dog tree a squirrel before but I guess that’s what a mountain cur does. She’s a cool dog especially with her little orange vest. The auction ended up a little wet when rains started right after the potluck, but we made do by squeezing into the shelter house. Thanks to Clark and Union OHC who were camping at Dillon during our ride. Not sure if they intended to do that again this year or not but hey, we’ll take it! Soup contest winners were Susie Reid, a new member for our club who made the ‘bestest’ shrimp chowder, Charlene Schnarr from Clark County got second place with butternut squash soup, and Brenda Lehman who received third place for her seven can soup. All soups were so different and so tasty! Thanks to all the cooks and to Susie who donated her earnings back to the club! TSC gift cards were won by Becky Petee, Marsha Woofter, Heather Stengle and Brian Vorhees. On a down side, the Stengles had to trailer their horse, Piper, to OSU for care. We’re all hoping she’s OK.

Plans are coming along for our annual after Christmas party. Looks like our date has been secured and room arrangements for $99 per night are set. Now to get the caterer lined up. I’m looking forward to all the new members joining us in January for this event.

We’re looking ahead to the state OHC meeting in Delaware in November. Here’s hoping for a fantastic fall chocked full of multicolored leaves and sunny, crisp rides. Happy trails! ~Marianne

Donk meets cat.

PIKE

October in Pike County brought a little more activity. I saw several trailers parked at the day parking area and have had several groups come riding through our property. Some of the members have been traveling across Ohio and Indiana to enjoy some great trail riding.

Our October meeting day was spent on trail maintenance. We decided to improve our tie rails to safely make room for at least six horses and to possibly make some mounting blocks. While riding a couple of weeks ago to check for downed trees, I came upon a most unusual trail blockage. Approximately three quarters of a mile from the trail head, sat a Dodge pickup truck stuck on a water bar. Oh, and it was burned to a crisp! Luckily, no one was injured and no one was still around, but it left quite a mess to be towed away. The Forest maintenance crew pulled it out with a bull dozer, then returned to the scene and repaired the damage to the trail. All is back to normal and the trail is draining again. I think I would rather meet a bow hunter than a burning truck on the trail. I encourage everyone to be cautious out on the trails and to ride with someone.

Fall is a beautiful time to stack up those trail miles. Happy riding.

Trail obstacle, the burned truck.

~Debby Sears

PREBLE

Where has this year gone? As you may know we held our State Ride on the first weekend in October this year as we do every year. Fortunately, this year we were holding it again but with no restriction! We want to thank everyone who came and participated. Believe it or not we had a packed campground for the weekend, all 49 sites were taken. Also thank you to all of those who donated items for our Chinese auction, especially Rural King of Greenville and Cox Saddlery of Hamilton. Many of our members made donations as well or went out and got donations for the Chinese auction, for that we are very grateful.

We want to take a moment to thank everyone for all of the prayers and get well wishes. I had not told too many folks about what was going on, but on Sept. 2, I had a stomach cancer lesion along with part of my stomach removed. They also removed 15 lymph nodes, out of the 15 they found one lymph node with cancer cells. I will start a chemo regimen on Oct. 11, for eight to 10 treatments through a port by an IV. Continued prayers are much appreciated. I thank Preble members Val and Debbie for the very nice throw.

I also would like for all to send prayers for one of our members Danny Witt. He has been battling cancer for quite some time and sure could use prayers and encouraging words.

Preble County OHC will hold their November meeting on the first Saturday in November. There will be the election of officers during that meeting. I’m not sure where the meeting will be held yet, but we will let everyone know by email and will post on the PCOHC Facebook page. I encourage everyone to take the time to rejoin or join our chapter for the 2022 year which is fast approaching, thank you in advance!

As more folks are getting vaccinated things will be getting to a better place. We want to invite all horseback riders to come and enjoy the trails and campground at Hueston Woods State Park. We have been working on keeping the trails clear of fallen trees and making sure they stay safe for all to enjoy.

John, Kela, Dennis, Donn, Eugene, Jill and I have worked on clearing trees on the trails. We also have been doing some work over on the C trail, diverting trails away from muddy spots to higher ground, markings on trees with orange rectangles, white arrows or blue arrows showing the way around those muddy areas. John and Dennis re-opened the trail at the dam that goes down toward the creek, makes a loop and comes back out up by lookout at dam.

We will be doing some work on C trail with the grant money we received from state OHC. This is a matching grant so the $2,000 we received, our chapter will have to match. There is the switch back on the Blue trail and the bad spot on the Orange (C Trail) on Loop Road side that is very bad. We need to get it fixed so it is safer for riders and horses. If you have some spare time and want to help improve the trails give Donn a shout or text at 937/417-4358 or email donnb@bright.net. Thank you in advance!

We have ordered gravel for the ‘C’ trail project and Donn and Dennis are working with a gentleman who hopefully will be able to help us with the equipment part of the project. We have gotten equipment to work on these fixes for a month

Great photos from 2021 State Ride for Preble County OHC. Tony always helping at White Star. Erie County poker ride at Edison Woods.

so hoping rain and weather will hold so this can be completed. The Hueston Woods DNR is helping out all that they can. We are keeping our fingers crossed, getting gravel back to where we need it on ‘C’ trail is a huge undertaking.

We do need to take a moment and thank those who are out there and volunteering their time to help out with any and all projects. With many we can accomplish so much more as this helps keep all trails rideable and fun. We are seeing more riders are coming back after we repaired the trails. This gives us hope that with the more folks who come camp and ride the trails that the state will continue to look at how effective our repairs have been for Hueston Woods bridle trails and campground.

Happy Veteran’s Day to all of our vets. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the fall weather and the dry trails. Remember to bring your cans and bottles out that you take in when riding trails! Help us keep greener and cleaner bridle trails! Stay safe and I hope to see you all soon at our trails.

~Becky

SANDUSKY

group of people that were once acquaintances, that then became friends and are now family. Sandusky County has the greatest group of horsemen which are truly the example of what OHC is all about. I am thankful we are a part of that! I hope this Thanksgiving you have much to be thankful for. I know I do!

We have been getting our riding in now that we missed the first part of summer. Who doesn’t like to ride in the fall! We had a great ride at Alum Creek where the trails are very nice and well maintained. I love all the options of trails there. You can go out for hours or just a couple of miles. You can be there for days and not head out on the same trail twice.

Quite a few club members rode at the Erie County Poker Ride at Edison Woods. Wow, have they been working hard on those trails too! I can’t imagine how many loads of stone was hauled in to make the trails there more rideable when wet. The trails were very visibly marked and easy to follow. They had great door prizes, a 50/50, a Chance auction, and of course, great food. It was well put together and we had a great time.

The yearly state ride, which was hosted by the NW Region ride was next, and even with the four inches of rain that came down just days before, it was a huge success and a beautiful weekend. We couldn’t take our horses due to Al having too much to do at the event and me working, but everyone said the trails were perfect. Friday night was hamburgers and hot dogs with a 50/50 and door prizes. Saturday started out with some sprinkles then sunshine for the rest of the day. We had the Allen Twp Volunteer Fire Department come and talk to the horsemen about how they get to the trails and how they have purchased special equipment to come haul us out of the woods in an emergency. They showed us how they stabilize someone and then put them on the ATV. Then they wanted us to help them understand a few things about equines and what to and not to do. The kids then got to climb around in the truck and practice carrying 40 pound oxygen tanks. After, the kids had a treasure hunt where they all won a prize and also got to enjoy trick or treating. I’m sure there were other things going on, but I was with a four year old, so that’s all of my personal experiences. We had chicken quarters, shredded beef and pork made by wonderful volunteers that spent their whole day making. We had a live auction which had some amazing items, a silent auction, and then a table with donated items that you just put some money in a jar for. There was something for everyone. Helping Al these last couple of years makes me proud of how many hard working people that are out there. This isn’t and couldn’t be done by just a few people. This is a huge undertaking and event that takes a lot of people to help it run smoothly and to go off without a hitch. I’m sure every year it will just get better! Think all of that for free other than your camp spot. Of course they wouldn’t have money for next year without the generous donations and the auction.

Our meetings are the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the First Brethren Church in Fremont. We meet usually for supper at 5:45 p.m. Visit our Facebook page under Sandusky County Horseman’s Council for up-to-date information. Also check out the state web page, www.ohconline.com

Give your furry friend a pumpkin spice treat for the enjoyment they give us, life is good.

~Marla Sidell

STARK

The last few weeks I was able to attend rides at several different chapter’s events. The weather was perfect and the riding great.

At Mosquito Lake with Trumbull County OHC we had to hunt for horseshoes hidden along the trail. This was an area where you learn to trust your horse on the trail. The area is really flat, but it is covered with fallen logs and limbs. If you watched the trail, you would miss all the horseshoes. Very nice prizes were awarded after the meal.

Coshocton County had a nice turn out for their pig roast and auction at Fallon Park. I ventured there on Friday afternoon and ran into the ‘road closed’ signs. It was quite interesting how my GPS directed me around the detour. At one point on a very curvy, narrow steep road, the GPS lost signal! I had no idea where I was but was able to get on higher ground and got my signal back. Returning home, the road was opened which made it easier. The dinner that evening was wonderful and the auction had a lot of good items to bid on.

After that it was off to Jefferson Lake State Park with Jefferson and Carroll Counties who held a joint ride. The trails were in great shape and the weather was perfect. It was so good to see riders I hadn’t seen in awhile and meet some new ones.

Take care and stay safe. Until next time, happy trails to you! ~Jo Ellen

SUMMIT

It’s the Fourth Quarter of 2021 already: can you believe it? COVID-19 and erratic weather patterns have made it difficult to find some semblance of normalcy this year. One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of leaves that will delight us with

New culvert at RHP.

their autumn color extravaganza or the litter they will leave before the snow flies. Activities are returning to normal for the most part. Camping weekends and/or trail riding day rides have most our members racking up miles again. Our chapter has not planned any out of state trips in a few years and would like to take any suggestions for possible destinations in 2022. Joy Scala will be making her fall pilgrimage to the Morgan Nationals again this year. Her prize winning horses out of a dynasty from her mare Diva whom she lost this year continue to dominate the park horse championships. We wish them every success.

Closer to home, we have had most of our activities at Richfield Heritage Preserve at the former Girl Scout Camp. During the warmer months we hold our meetings and fundraisers at the summer barn. In addition, Molly Eastwood and her crew of Marietta Tromp, Mark Eastwood, Pat Norris and Greg Monsanti installed a culvert to divert water in an especially wet area of the trails. Our thanks go out to everyone who put in the sweat equity to make this improvement.

In an effort to let the Richfield community be aware of our involvement at the park, SCOHC had an information desk at Kirby Days at RHP’s Gund Hall. Molly Eastwood, Carolyn Sullivan and Joy Scala were there with brochures and DVD slide shows to showcase our activities from 2007 to 2020. This was my first foray into creating the shows in Windows 10 and then burning them to DVDs using my extensive photo files. It is amazing how many great opportunities members have had to enjoy, so many horse related activities through the years.

The membership meeting was in October and was one of our most attended meetings since it is held at the Winery at Wolf Creek with guests and spouses Back in the saddle soon.

attending. There was plenty of good food, exceptional wines, and a howling good time. With the light of the full moon, all the revelry, and maybe a moment of sheer madness, someone might be overcome and volunteer to run for one of the chapter’s 2022 offices. In any case, the autumn leaves, forest setting overlooking the reservoir at dusk and moonlight were worth taking the risk.

Our thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Michelle Crew after a recent accident. More than one of us or our horses have had some lengthy injuries to overcome this year. It is my usual fall reminder that the deer are on the move. An eight point buck chasing three does at dusk narrowly missed hitting my truck this weekend. If you are out on the trails wear reflective or day glow clothing or make a little noise to let hunters know you are out there.

Stay safe and live to ride another year. ~Joann Ulichney

TRUMBULL

Happy Thanksgiving to all our OHC friends and family from the members of the Trumbull County chapter. The last few weeks I was able to attend rides at several different chapters events. The weather was perfect and the riding great.

As the riding season winds down we look back on the memories from this year; the many miles driven to the parks and forests and the miles of trails enjoyed by horseback.

The 2021 steak gry weekend was well attended! The camping area was full, we had 19 riders on Saturday and 20 riders on Sunday! The horseshoe scavenger hunt was won by Terry Otto, second place was Terri Mort and third place went to Tammy Gilkison. Other winners were Carrie Needs, Judy Miller, Theresa Helberg, Becky Hoagland, Alison McKinley, Jo Ellen Reikowski, and Dwayne Goodings.

We welcome new member Becky Hoagland and welcome Trumbull County OHC

back to Alison McKinley! We are all so very fortunate to be a part of a great organization designed for all aspects of the Ohio horse industry. Membership forms will soon be in the mail; please be mindful of the enormity of the duties in the membership office and submit your forms in a timely manner. Similar courtesy needs to be given to the trail miles reporter for your chapter. ~Kathryn Bartow

UNION

Happy fall! The changing colors of the trees have added dramatic beauty to our trail rides. Union County members joined Delaware and various other counties to celebrate Autumn at Alum. It was a great time with lots of riding, food, an auction, and a 50/50. If you have not ridden Alum Creek State Park in the autumn, now is the time to do so. Alum is one of the prettiest parks to ride in the fall, particularly the Maple Glen trail.

After a rough summer, Jim and Debbie are back in the saddle and plan on getting in some riding this autumn.

Jim’s trail horse, Joey, completed his gig as a 4-H horse project in September. He competed in the horse shows at the Richwood Independent Fair and the second 2021 Summer Series Open Horse Show. He excelled in the hunter and ranch classes. Jim and Debbie, participated in the Halloween Scavenger Hunt on Horseback at Thayer Ridge Park hosted by the Knox County Chapter. Although they did not find enough items to win, they enjoyed the trails and hanging out with the other riders. Thank you to Knox County OHC for hosting such a fun event.

September 14 marked our first in-person meeting since Covid began. We had kept up with Zoom meetings but there is nothing like getting together with food and friends.

Karen and Blue attended an Equine Trail Sports event in late September where they placed second and fourth in their events. Blue also earned his Copper Carrot Award and, Karen earned her Copper Star Award.

Union County hopes everyone has a safe and wonderful fall riding. Until next month, happy trails.

Equine Trail Sports awards.

Union County OHC members.

~Karen Holland

WARREN

Every year at our November meeting, we elect new officers for next year. We have several officers desiring to step down (pretty much everyone but our treasurer Diane, who thankfully is happy where she is). They will still be involved with the chapter, but prefer to do it as a ‘regular’ member rather than an officer. If you might be interested in serving, please contact an officer or trustee. Information will be in the newsletter. After that, we

Warren County OHC

don’t meet in December. We will resume meetings again in January.

Hopefully, next month I will have news from our Founders Day dinner. I wasn’t smart enough to contact someone to get photos and news before I wrote this. I usually go and take photos myself, but this year I ducked out to go to a concert. I really missed live music last year so I’m making up for lost time.

As usual, my news is otherwise mostly about the Over the Hill Gang, as that seems to be where I see people the most. We’ve been working mostly around camp, trying to fix a few mud holes on the beginning of Solidago and on Moonlight Vista. There are also a couple of nasty spots on Farmer’s Trace, just above the cut-through. They are slated for repair when time allows, but for now I would advise people to avoid that top end and use the cut through. We’re also still working on cutting brush back, especially on the parts of Farmer’s that we didn’t get to on the August work day. At least the growing season is about over now, so we might be able to make some headway.

As usual, I will remind anyone who wants to submit news and / or photos, I’m always looking for it. Photos this month are my trail markers for my endurance ride: Kris Green, Judy Bowman, Belinda Snell and Janet Burnett.

Happy Thanksgiving! ~Mickie

WASHINGTON

Howdy partners! Washington County OHC members are happy fall is in full swing with cooler weather, beautiful color on the trees, and lots of trail riding!

Our club enjoyed participating in a kid’s ride at Kinderhook in honor of National Public Land Days on Sept. 25. We had 63 children, plus several moms who jumped on for that first ride. Eleven OHC members, plus a couple of folks who saw the post and brought horses to share in the early ride and with the kid’s ride. We had nine horses in the rotation and each child could ride up to three times, do the math, that was a lot of walking for people who ride because they do not like to walk! This event has always been very enjoyable not only for the kids, but for us as well to see the smiles on their faces. We would also like to send a thank you to Janet and Chris from Wayne National Forest who were there and helped in a big way as well. All in all, it was a great day!

We would like to give special recognition to one of our members, Sharon Headley. Sharon participated in the Annual 30 Mile Ride at Hocking Hills. Sharon is the one person who rode and completed the trail all three years! Congratulations Sharon for promoting trail riding and our club.

Upcoming is our final club ride at Strouds Run State Park on Saturday, Nov. 6, to start at 11 a.m. We hope to see a lot of our members there to share this beautiful fall ride.

Remember, the Nov. 4 meeting is when we have our election of officers. Think about how you might be able to step up and serve our OHC group next year. As the saying goes “It takes a village.”

I hope everyone has an enjoyable time on the trails this fall and be sure to keep track of those miles. We will start collecting mileage records at the December meeting as well as renewing our membership for another year! Happy trails! ~ Debbie Johnson

WAYNE

Wayne County OHC members have certainly made the most of the beautiful fall weather this September. It started with a weeklong camp out at Pine Creek in Hocking Hills. There were 17 rigs and 24 campers in attendance. We also had five canine friends join us for the fun. The trails were muddy in spots, but spectacular in scenery. We broke into small groups of riders according to our speed, skill level and desired length of ride, which seemed to make for very safe fun rides for everyone. We joined together every evening for dinner in the pavilion. The owner was kind enough to let us take over the upper pavilion and it made a great gathering place for coffee in the morning to plan our rides and for dinner in the evening and campfire before turning in for the night. The meals were absolutely delicious. Trudy, our excellent organizer and hostess, split us into groups depending on when we were arriving at camp. Each night a different group made supper for everyone. It makes it so much easier to plan, pack and camp when you only have to cook supper one night! Although we focused on preparing easy meals, the food was all absolutely delicious and no one went away hungry. There was live entertainment Saturday night with a local musician which made a very nice ending to a great week. Two weeks later, we all gathered again at Malabar State Farm for Heritage Days and our annual pony ride fundraiser. Although we do it as a fundraiser, it is always amazing how many kids come back every year and request to ride the same horse. It is so satisfying to see those smiles. There were 37 adult volunteers and several kids helped out as well. Notably, Kennedy and Jet, helped fetch and run for anything needed and helped make sandwiches for lunches for the volunteers. Pam and Travis Miller brought their trailer down and set up near the ring with the

A dogs life at Pine Creek Horseman’s Camp.

Elsa on Ramey.

food and drink which offered some much needed respite from the work and sun during the day. Kudos to our officers, Marlene Smalley, Kim Scarbourgh, Leigh Litman and Trudy Schmidt who started planning this event in early summer. They were so organized, that the setup only took one and half hours and the tear down only 30 minutes. Malabar was kind enough to block the camp grounds for us so that anyone who wanted to camp with their horses could do so free of charge that weekend. We had a meeting and supper Saturday night with 25 in attendance. Thanks also goes out to Steve Wickersham and Bettie Miller for loaning us the kids favorite ponies, Casper and Cookie. They were a big hit with the littlest riders.

As the days get shorter, Tuesday night rides at Mohican were cancelled in early September. The trails are still in great shape thanks in great part to the work of Tom Bahl, Nancy Strayer and Marilyn Conley who are diligent beyond the call of duty in helping to clear downed trees off the trails. Please beware of the ground bees at Mohican this time of year. Unfortunately, they attacked riders on both the Yellow and South Blue trails.

Two of our members took amazing trips this month. Marlene Smalley met her college friend to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail. They have been doing this every year, since college and have almost completed the entire trail. I won’t say how many years they have been hiking. Nancy Strayer went on the amazing Red Rock ride in Utah. Her pictures were amazing and made me put it on my bucket list for sure!

As we head into late fall and the shoes come off our trail horses, please be safe and enjoy the remaining good weather. Happy Trails to you all.