Connecticut Horse May/June 2018

C O N N E C T IC U T

HORSE

RIDING FORWARD TOGETHER THE OLDEST EQUESTRIAN CLUBS IN THE NUTMEG STATE

TUNXIS STATE FOREST TRAIL GUIDE

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Richard Killian

courtesy of Greenwich Riding and Trails Association

contents

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8

16

20

24

features 8

Riding Forward Together

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Dr. Erin Trawick-Smith Passion to Profession

22

20

Horseperson Feature

Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue

Nonpayment Boarders in Arrears?

Farm Feature

The Oldest Equestrian Clubs in the Nutmeg State

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Rendez-Vous Farm

Caroline Mercier Stanton

Above the Bar

24

Tunxis State Forest Trail Guide

Bringing Unwanted Horses to Responsible Homes Lend a Hoof

in every issue 5

From the Publisher

30

Partners

39

The Neighborhood

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Your Letters

34

Nutmeg State Events Calendar

42

Is This Your Horse?

Overherd: News in Our Community

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This Olde Horse

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May/June 2018

From the Publisher

I

n this issue we feature the oldest

trian community, and we’re always look-

talent. Interested in writing for us?

equestrian clubs in the Nutmeg

ing to add to our stable of wonderful

Email samples of your writing and a bit

State. I grew up at Briggs Stable in

about yourself to steph@connhorse.com.

Hanover, Massachusetts, where I was a

Photography more your thing? Visit

member of the Hanover Hunt and

connhorse.com/submissions to learn

Riding Club. I competed and volun-

how to submit photos for our covers.

teered at the annual June Show and the

(You’ll also find our writer guidelines

summer Wednesday night Mini Shows.

there.)

Being part of a riding club in my youth,

Keep an eye out for our wonderful

having hard-working equestrians as my

reporters — Kelly, Linda, Sally, and

role models, and a family-inspired work

Sarah — at upcoming competitions

ethic have been some of the positive

and clinics. (Find their contact infor-

influences in my life. Enjoy the lead fea-

mation on page 6.) You’ll also see me

ture starting on page 8 and join a riding

at various events . . . look for the bright

or driving club in your neck of the woods!

The writers and reporters whose work you read in these pages are all members of the Nutmeg State eques-

yellow cargo van with Connecticut Horse

Please join us in welcoming our newest team member, Lara Rudowski of Glastonbury. Lara grew up riding in signs and do stop by and say hi. I may Connecticut and now rides at Beacon Woods Stables. just have Miniature Horse Peanut in She’s passionate about photography and enjoys meeting fellow equestrians. Lara’s taking on public relations the back! and advertising sales for Connecticut Horse. See page 6 for her contact information.

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HORSE vol. 3, no. 6 May/June 2018

ISSN 2378-5721

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feature writers Andrea Bugbee, Krista Chandler, Sally L. Feuerberg Sean T. Hogan, Esq., Ann Jamieson, Alessandra Mele, Stacey Stearns

contributors Patti Crowther, Allison Forsyth, Sarah Griffin, Sarah Grote Sally L. Feuerberg, Raymond Hill

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reporters Sally L. Feuerberg . sally@connhorse.com . (203) 339-0357 Sarah Griffin . sarah@connhorse.com . (203) 560-4419 Kelly McKenna . kelly@connhorse.com . (860) 480-3944 Linda Morton . linda@connhorse.com . (860) 822-3006

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Cover art by Katie Upton, katieupton.com.

Owned by Michelle Silvas-Kirkelie.

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the fine print

Celebrating 20

years and more than 196,000 surgeries!

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The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Connecticut Horse staff or independent contractors, nor can they be held accountable. Connecticut Horse will not be held responsible for any misrepresentations or any copyright infringement on the part of advertisers. Connecticut Horse will not be held responsible for typing errors other than a correction in the following issue. All letters addressed to Connecticut Horse, its publisher, editor, and staff are assumed for publication. Photos, stories (verbal or printed), notifications, news items, and all other material that is submitted, including all materials and photos not specifically solicited by Connecticut Horse, are assumed to be legally released by the submitter for publication. Connecticut Horse assumes no responsibility for damage to or loss of material submitted for publication. Reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety and return of all materials.

Your Letters To the Editor:

To the Editor:

We were so excited to be included in the latest issue of Connecticut Horse! [Dr. Candace Benyei: Full Speed Ahead, March/April 2018]

The UConn Morgan Drill Team thanks Connecticut Horse for its support. We appreciate the generous contribution toward making our team great!

Dr. Candace Benyei, Whimsy Brook Farm, Redding

UConn Morgan Drill Team, Storrs

To the Editor: Please pass along a huge thank you to Kelly McKenna for grabbing a fantastic picture of Dakotah and her super stubborn Haflinger mare at the Shallowbrook Equestrian Center’s Cabin Fever Show on March 11 in Somers! The day was long and a bit chilly, but your great photographer stuck around until the very end with the jumpers.

Heather Smith, Springfield, Massachusetts

To the Editor: Thank you Connecticut Horse for choosing us as your farm feature! Great people to work with!

Jill Curtis, Larimar Show Stables, Deep River

To the Editor: Wow, what a review! [Dust & Determination: A History of UConn Polo, March/April 2018] Thank you Toni Leland and Connecticut Horse, you made my year! Feeling the love!

Send your letters to editor@connhorse.com or Connecticut Horse, 99 Bissell Road, Williamsburg, MA 01096.

Helen Scanlon, Hampton

Connecticut Horse

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Riding Forward Together The Oldest Equestrian Clubs in the Nutmeg State

Alice Fisher’s family at the Greenwich Riding and Trails Association 1959 A Day in the Country Horse Show Family Class.

by Sally L. Feuerberg

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f you own, ride, drive, train, raise, or just simply enjoy horses in the Nutmeg State, you’re probably a member of a club, and quite possibly more than one. Some of us join for the chance to socialize and form lifelong friendships while for others it might be to become better educated and skilled.

And some of us join to fight in numbers not only for the rights of equestrians, but also for the health and welfare of the animals we hold so dear.

A few clubs can trace their origins to the turn of the twentieth century while others have been in existence long enough for founding members to recall vivid childhood memories of riding with friends on trails for hours, competing in annual horse shows, or simply camping with their horse under the stars for the first time.

The common thread among all these groups is the members who share a deep devotion to preserving the rich history, a fervent dedication to a continuing mission, and a heartfelt hope to pass on their enthusiasm and allegiance to future generations.

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Fairfield Bridle Trails Association “The Fairfield Bridle Trails Association (FBTA) was incorporated in 1938 by a large group of riders and landowners loosely related to or in the environs of the Fairfield County Hunt Club,” says FBTA president Ariane Mermod. “Many of its initial members were fox hunters with the Fairfield County Hounds, which rode out of the Fairfield County Hunt Club (FCHC) at the time. The FBTA maintained relationships with various landowners and employed staff to maintain the trails, which ran from the FCHC through various estates that bordered the northern edge of Fairfield and Westport, where the Merritt Parkway now runs, and beyond. When the parkway was put in, the hunt moved further north and the trails were divided. Currently we have roughly 22 miles of trails spanning private land, town open space, Aspetuck Land Trust, and Audubon Preserve.

“I was taught the trail network by my long-time riding friend who was also one of my sponsors to join the FCHC,” Ariane says, smiling. “For months she would lead me out on the trails and I had absolutely no idea where I was

going. I later discovered that to keep things interesting she never took the same route twice. I was amazed how long you could stay out when you did the whole loop backward and forward and sideways!”

The FBTA has worked to save and maintain trails in the face of increasing development. It has also assumed an educational role in the horse community as a source of information on responsible horse ownership, horse care, and safe riding. The club serves as an advocacy group within the community when issues involving horses, riders, and zoning or open space issues arise, and thanks to the committed involvement of its officers, members, and benefactors, it’s become a proactive force in the movement to save what’s left of the beautiful countryside the FBTA founders enjoyed in years gone by.

“Our club’s ongoing mission is to protect and maintain the bridle trail network,” Ariane says. “We also offer educational lectures and clinics related to horsemanship, as well as social and trail riding events.” Group rides are planned as well as field trips and parties.

“I love the camaraderie of sharing

region’s bridle trails for horseback riding. Its members work tirelessly to uphold, upgrade, and maintain existing trail systems. The MBLA extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Larkin Family and the many generous landowners who grant them the honor and privilege of riding on their land.

Greenwich Riding and Trails Association

Middlebury Hunt member Kathryn “Kae” Hotchkiss Fenn riding Brownie in 1958.

experiences the club offers with similarly minded horse friends,” says Ariane, sincerely and simply.

Middlebury Bridle Land Association Rob Fenn’s mother, Kathryn “Kae” Hotchkiss Fenn, once told her son, “I’d rather be on a horse than anywhere else in the world.” This is just one of the treasured memories that Rob shares when he reminisced about his mom, the beginnings of the Middlebury Hunt, and its later transition into the present-day Middlebury Bridle Land Association (MBLA).

“Richard ‘Dick’ Gilyard started the Middlebury Hunt in 1945, almost immediately after his return home at the end of World War II,” says Rob. “Dick was not only a veteran, he was our veterinarian for the family’s dairy farm in Middlebury. At every farm visit he would say to my mother, ‘You have to join the hunt, Kae!’ Back then, the club held traditional hunter paces and hunter trials. Mom had always been a superb rider and jumper, and at that time she was riding one of her favorite horses, a Thoroughbred named Topper. Through his persistence, Dick finally convinced her to join the hunt!”

“My dad even built an outside course in our hay field for my mom,” he says. “I remember that we could ride for hours in the hills and on the dirt roads of Middlebury.”

“The biggest hunt was held on Thanksgiving and members would continue to hunt until the snow got too deep and into early spring,” Rob says.

There were usually more than 50 riders participating. I remember as a child sitting at my back door in 1952, on a bright sunny day. I saw Clarence, the hunt’s whip, come around the corner.

We exchanged hellos and I noticed that Clarence’s face was bruised and bloodied. I asked him what happened and he explained, ‘Well I went over the jump, but my horse didn’t!’ ” Rob laughed as he recounted this vivid memory as if it were yesterday. Rob can only be described as a valued and trusted guardian of a bygone, though cherished, equestrian era.

By 1996, the hunt had evolved into the MBLA, but it has continued to hold the tradition of a hunter pace. This year’s pace will be held on Sunday, September 16.

MBLA’s mission is dedicated to the preservation and protection of the

Greenwich Riding and Trails Association (GRTA) historian and director Alice Fisher’s family has been involved with the GRTA for three generations. If that wasn’t amazing enough, there are also many other members who can claim a deep ancestral connection with this organization that traces its roots back to 1914. These families, along with the organization’s presentday membership, have one thing in common — an undisputed passion and dedication to instill in riders, landowners, and the community a respect for the long tradition of horses and trails in Greenwich. This devotion has not diminished with age; it’s flourished, strengthened, and withstood the passage of time.

GRTA’s rich heritage began at the turn of the twentieth century when landowners and riders formed an alliance with developers in the town of Greenwich to establish, maintain, and preserve trails in the area — some of which had originally been created by Native Americans and early settlers.

Seven of these landowners joined forces to form the Greenwich Trail Association. Among them were Carl B. Ely, James Perkins, Charles Lanier, Emerson Root Newell, Raynal Bolling, Roger S. Baldwin, and Alice Fisher’s grandfather, Henry J. Fisher. In 1953, the organization officially became the GRTA, a chartered nonprofit.

“My grandfather was one of the founders of GRTA, and my father was Bennett Fisher, who knew how to ride but preferred sailing,” Alice says.

“Granddaddy kept his horse GreyFox on our family’s Sabine Farm in Greenwich, and rode the trails behind our property, which he created. We now run GRTA’s annual Dogwood Ride on these trails.” There’s a tangible sense of both admiration and affection as she shares her fond recollections of Granddaddy and her childhood. “For many years at [GRTA’s] fall A Day in the Country Show, the Fisher family would win the Family Class, says Alice.

“We had three generations participating Connecticut Horse

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Connecticut Horse Shows Association Cynthia Jensen is president emeritus of the Connecticut Horse Show Association (CHSA). She started in 1979 and has been with this group for 39 years.

She’s been part of the history of the CHSA and has seen a lot of progress and changes in her tenure.

“CHSA was established in the late 1920s and is recognized as the oldest established state organization of its type in the country,” Cynthia says. “Its ongoing purpose is to encourage and promote interest in Connecticut horse shows, and to work toward a better understanding among show committees, exhibitors, judges, and others who are interested in horse shows.”

Cynthia’s knowledge and understanding of the CHSA is exceptional, and the founding principles and guidelines of the club are second nature to 10

May/June 2018

Bob Foster

and were all mounted on gray horses.

I’ve wonderful memories of riding all over Greenwich as a child!”

These cherished trails of the GRTA are interwoven across private properties, town roads, open spaces, and town parks, and currently exceed 150 miles in length. The Nichols Nature Preserve, which was donated to the organization in 2004 by Herbert J. Nichols, Jr. and others as open conservation land, is a 94-acre property replete with meadows, forests, ponds, and swamps. This diverse and beautiful property is open to all nature enthusiasts for walking, horseback riding, fishing, jogging, bird watching, cross-country skiing, and peaceful picnicking beside its ponds.

The members organize several events throughout the year to support the ongoing GRTA mission to preserve, protect, and promote historic trails, open spaces, and the tradition of horseback riding, and its legacy continues with enduring energy today. On May 12, GRTA will hold its annual Dogwood Ride and Country Luncheon, a day members are invited to ride with friends along the many miles of trails they work year-round to maintain. On June 10, the club will hold its 97th annual Greenwich Horse Show with the Elegant Country Luncheon and Silent Auction. This classic event is also one of Connecticut’s oldest and longest-running horse shows! September 30 will mark the 64th anniversary of A Day in the Country Horse Show, followed by the much-anticipated GRTA Hunter Pace on October 7.

Liberty Bell and Greg Best, Connecticut Horse Show Association 1976 Medium Pony Hunter Champions.

her. “Another objective of our association is to make and enforce rules governing holding horse shows, exhibitors, and judges,” she says.

Regarding the club’s beginnings and ongoing mission, Cynthia says, “CHSA, throughout its existence, has always worked to stimulate involvement and participation in Connecticut horse shows, whether they were spotlighting the most popular breeds, hunters, jumpers, dressage, driving, English and western pleasure, or any of the equitation seats. The majority of the CHSA shows today, however, are of the hunter, jumper, and pleasure disciplines.”

CHSA has approximately 90 affiliated shows each year that enable riders and horses to compete for more than 100 CHSA year-end awards. The organization held its 85th awards banquet this past March to celebrate those achievements.

Nearly 300 people gathered to honor the winners as trophies, ribbons, and medals were presented to competitors.

“CHSA has also established a scholarship program that offers financial aid to one or more members pursuing higher education,” says Cynthia. “We’ve given out more than $40,000 in scholarships,” Between Friday, August 24, and Sunday, August 26, the club will hold the CHSA Finals at the Westbrook Hunt Club in Westbrook. “Under the able

leadership of board member Larry Schwartz, the CHSA Finals were brought to life in 2007 and have been held at member farms around the state,” says Cynthia. “This year we’ll be celebrating the twelfth annual CHSA Finals and we will hold our most popular classes and divisions. The best part is that any of the surplus funds generated by the finals benefit the Scholarship Fund.”

Connecticut Trail Rides Association Ruth Strontzer and her sister Lynn Gogolya have both been involved with the Connecticut Trail Rides Association (CTRA) for 52 years, and if you talk with either one of them, their enthusiasm and commitment to the organization are still as fresh as the day they joined in 1966 as children.

Lynn is CTRA’s president and Ruth is the treasurer and membership chairperson. The club has been true to its mission since its inception in 1940 and describes itself as a family-oriented trailing riding club that enjoys riding and camping, as well as promoting the sport of trail riding.

“Things have changed quite a bit since we first became members,” says Ruth. “A lot of us were backyard horse owners with station wagons pulling one and two horse trailers. We were hauling

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grade horses with second hand tack.

When camping, you slept outside in the open or in a tent. A homemade camper was something to show off. We had a wonderful time with great people. Now it’s diesel trucks with four-horse trailers and living quarters that haul registered horses and new tack. The one thing that still stays the same and keeps me involved is the great people and all the wonderful time we as members share together. That hasn’t changed.”

Multiple-day rides, ranging from a few days to an entire week, and some covering 25 miles and more, are documented in the association’s earliest records. Lynn remembers some of the club’s early history and says, “Rides have shortened up because of the development throughout the state. You really can’t do a two- or three-day ride right now, but on the plus side, in the past we didn’t do beach rides, which we do now and that’s great!”

The CTRA’s agenda for the year includes beach rides and rides through Connecticut State Parks, camping-withyour-horse excursions, poker rides, moonlight rides, and barbecues for its members that run from early spring right through the fall.

“What I enjoy the most is riding dif-

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Connecticut Trail Rides Association members crossing the Connecticut River on the Rocky Hill Ferry in 1946.

ferent areas of the state, going on new trails, and seeing new scenery,” says Lynn. “Each area vice-president puts a

ride on in their part of the state so you get to ride a trail you might never have been on before. I enjoy meeting new

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people who share my interest in trail riding and camping. I’d never really camped with my horse before joining the CTRA.” Ruth agrees with Lynn.“Trail riding and camping with my horse is top on my list and the members at camp are a great bunch of people,” she says. “We love the outdoors and trail riding. The Connecticut Trail Rides Association brings the best of both together for us!”

at members’ farms), which incorporate educational programs and social events.

Activities have now expanded to include trail maintenance and development work parties.

Lower Connecticut River Valley Horsemen’s Club and Bridle Path Conservancy Many impressive characteristics stand out when you read about the Lower Connecticut River Valley Horsemen’s Club (LCRVHC) and the resilience of its 56-year history. Among these remarkable attributes are the varieties of disciplines that comprise its membership.

There are also the continuing diverse educational opportunities offered to its members, the majestic locations of their almost-monthly, members-only rides, and the lasting friendships that have become a hallmark of the club. The most notable aspect, however, is the LCRVHC’s willingness to restructure its organization for the optimal preservation and protection of their trail system.

Its beginnings were simple. The LCRVHC was incorporated in 1962 by a small group of friends united by their love of horses, their interest in taking care of local trails, and of course, riding together on weekends. They would meet in each other’s living rooms and exchange horse stories and escapades while tackling club business. A similar tradition is still carried on today at the club’s evening monthly meetings (some

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May/June 2018

trail systems and the interests of equine accessibility throughout Connecticut.

Melissa Evarts is the president of the LCRVHC and has been a member of the club for more than 30 years.

When asked what drew her to the club and why she’s remained so active in it, she says, “I love trail riding. I joined to learn the local trail systems, find friends to ride with, and connect with folks with common interests. Back then there weren’t as many resources and no internet, so I learned a lot from the educational programs LCRVHC offered.

Today I still enjoy trail riding with my posse, introducing new people to the trails, and passing along my love for this culture. I really love trail maintenance work and feeling like our horse community is having a positive role in the future of our state forests and trails.

Horse people are the best!”

Connecticut Horse Council

Jane Samuels and friend at the lunch stop on the 1989 Lower Connecticut River Valley Horsemen’s Club 25-Mile Ride.

The annual Fall Hunter Pace, which started more than 25 years ago, will be held Sunday, October 28, is open to the public, and serves as a club fundraiser. A Progressive Ride takes place annually, where several members host one course of a meal at their homes along the trail ride. At the end of many of the club’s trail rides, members often gather at the trailhead to share a potluck picnic.

By 2004, the club’s concerns over the considerable development taking place in their area and the possible loss of the trails that members had ridden for decades became significant. After much research, a decision was made to form a separate, nonprofit sister club, the Bridle Path Conservancy (BPC), a group dedicated to the preservation, enhancement, and acquisition of multipurpose, passive-use recreational trails on public and private land in the Nutmeg State and across southern New England.

Today, the LCRVHC and the BPC work tirelessly to defend endangered

The Connecticut Horse Council’s vision statement and mission are clear. Its continuing objective is to be recognized as a leader in all issues concerning the Connecticut horse industry, and it’s dedicated to serving all aspects of equestrian commerce in our state.

Since CHC’s formation in 1971, its members have fought for and stood by the fundamental principle that every Connecticut horseperson, and those who serve the industry need to be represented when decisions are made regarding the future of Connecticut’s horse industry.

Carol Birdsey serves as the CHC’s recording and membership secretary and has been with the club since 1983.

“We’re made up of individuals, businesses, organizations, and affiliates. We continually lobby at the local, state, and federal levels to promote equine-related issues, and to defend the industry from any negative legislation, zoning, and regulation. We also serve as an educational resource as needed.”

“Dick Woolam, a past president, Chairman of the Board, and an integral part of the CHC, was one of the original members,” says Carol. “He helped get many bills passed to benefit the horse owners of Connecticut and he worked tirelessly with the CHC until his passing in 2005.”

The accomplishments of the CHC are numerous and include preventing anti-horse zoning regulations in various towns and working against excessive state legislation, such as mandatory licensing, increased taxes, and prohibit-

Connecticut Valley Driving Club member Cynthia Bliven with her Morgan Jet.

ing the use of bits. The CHC has also helped introduce and promote prohorse legislation, including bills relating to access for horses to trails and required education for animal control officers. “We’ve also actively supported legislation relating to farmland preservation, the creation of an equine liability law, and a repeal of the equine property tax,” Carol says.

CHC is a partner organization with the State Animal Response Team (SART), which was established to deal with animals during times of emergency or disaster. Additionally, a firefighter training program to familiarize fire departments with how to handle horses in an emergency has been established.

The CHC collaborated with the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in 2003 to create the Volunteer Horse Patrol to ride and serve in Connecticut’s state parks and forests. Members from clubs throughout the state participate in the patrol.

“I admire our members and officers who love horses, want what’s good for them, and ride the trails,” says Carol. “I stay active in CHC because it’s an important organization to the horse people, whether it is your own horse or a business related to the horse industry. Every horse owner should be a member.”

aspects of driving. “It was founded in 1976, and we welcome any kind of equine and any kind of vehicle, with our primary emphasis on pleasure driving and self-improvement,” says Marguerite.

“You don’t have to know how to drive to belong, nor even own a horse. It’s a friendly atmosphere and a fun way to meet others with the same interests.”

“I joined the club during its revival period in the early 1990s,” she says.

“When I retired, I bought a Morgan horse that had been trained to drive. I was very active in the ten horse driving trials that we held each year. The trials showed me what was possible in driving.

Watching the contestants at close range encouraged me to reach further and try harder to raise my skill levels, and therefore, enjoy my horse and my passion even more.”

Long-time CVDC members Dick and Nancy Mangino remember when the picnic drives included 12 or 18 car-

riages. “One couple drove a grey donkey, while another couple brought along a pet raccoon to drive with them. We even have an early photo of a young woman who ground drove her young horse with the group and ran behind that horse for the entire drive. In the past 38 years, Nancy and I have also made many great and lasting friendships.”

“We sponsor a club pleasure drive almost every month, culminating with our famous Turkey Trot, which will be held on November 18 at Cynthia Bliven’s Woodland Farm in Lyme,” says Marguerite. “Cynthia’s a professional horsewoman who gives lessons in driving, and has been a longtime member, as well as a past president. We also drive in the Arcadia Management Area in Escoheag, Rhode Island, the Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, and at the Lord Creek Conservation Area in Lyme.”

“We’re holding a Spring Clinic with Robin Groves on June 17 at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding in Old Lyme and a Driving Derby on August 12 at the Mitchell Farm Equine Retirement in Salem,” she says. “A new event has been added this year that I hope becomes a standard. It’s a driving clinic for young people sponsored by our club and held at Woodland Farm on May 12.

It will be free to the six students [in the clinic] and funded either by grants or members’ generosity.”

WANT TO GET more involved in your equestrian community? Join one or more of these organizations that keep our trails open and offer fun and interesting events with a group of likeminded friends.

Sally L. Feuerberg is the president of the Middlebury Bridle Land Association and a longtime resident of Newtown. Trail riding and continuing her lesson programs are her passions, along with the care of her family, horses, and farm.

Connecticut Valley Driving Club Marguerite Hayber, president of the Connecticut Valley Driving Club (CVDC), describes the organization as an open club designed to encompass all Connecticut Horse

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Ashford

Ann Jamieson

Farm Feature

Rendez-Vous Farm Caroline Mercier Stanton

aroline Mercier Stanton, owner of Rendez-Vous Farm in Ashford, was seven years old when her mother thought it would be a good idea to send her to summer camp. At the camp, Caroline took her first riding lesson. That’s all she needed. “After that first lesson,” she says, “I just couldn’t stop. I was hooked! I had to take the second session of camp. I started taking lessons on school horses, then on to my first pony.”

C

right team of vet, farrier, barn manager, groom, and trainer, you have a happy horse. And with a happy horse, you can win. It takes a village!”

At age 16, Caroline moved to the States and became a working student in Florida, where she had the opportunity to ride with George Morris. From there, she traveled north to Connecticut and began riding with Peter Leone at Lionshare Farm in Stamford. Caroline rode and worked with Peter for almost

barely broke four-year-old wild card. I went for the four-year-old.”

“Needless to say, it took me two years to ride that darn horse,” says Caroline.

“Cosette challenged me every day. She was spicy, opinionated, and so darn talented. And, poor Peter spent endless hours teaching me how to train her.”

“I rode and showed quite a few other horses during that time but I had it in my head that this little mare was ‘the one,’ ” says Caroline. “After a cou-

Caroline’s first horse, Teddy, was a Quarter Horse cross. “He was safe and fun, and I could do everything on him,” says Caroline. “You could do back flips off his back and he didn’t care.” Living in Canada at the time, Caroline began riding with Kim Kirton, who’d been a Canadian team rider. “She’s an exceptional horsewoman,” Caroline says.

Kim’s junior students lived with her on the weekends and showed with her all the time.

When Caroline was 14, she got her first junior jumper, Warsaw, a cheeky eight-year-old Polish warmblood stallion. Caroline put a lot of time into his training and her hard work paid off.

“Warsaw turned out to be one of my best horses,” says Caroline. “We competed all over North America from Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Canada, to Wellington, Florida.”

“Kim taught me how to have a happy horse,” says Caroline. “You may not be the best rider, but if you have the

10 years, importing, buying, and selling young horses.

“Peter challenged me with horses that I didn’t think I could ride,” says Caroline. “He pushed me way beyond what I thought I could do and really taught me how to ride a horse.”

When Caroline was 19, one horse in particular challenged her the most and ended up having the biggest influence on her career. “I’d just come back from looking at some really top horses in Europe with my father and Peter,” says Caroline. “We were talking about the next stage of my career and where I wanted to go with it. We’d narrowed down the search to a few top horses and we had the FEI North American Childrens/Junior/Young Rider Championships in mind as a goal plus the high amateur/owner jumpers and some Grand Prix. I had the choice between a super made-up eleven-yearold Grand Prix horse, an up-and-coming seven-year-old top jumper, or a

ple of years of hard work, everything came together and I won more classes on her than I’d ever won.

“Cosette was my biggest challenge as a rider. She taught me so much about who I was as a person and what my strengths were as a rider and horsewoman. Developing horses is my passion and developing each horse and rider as a whole is what I teach and what we’re all about here at Rendez-Vous Farm.”

Caroline is grateful that she’s been able to work with so many top horse people. She admits that the horse business is hard work, and she adds, “You also have to have luck and a lot of support.”

Caroline built Rendez-Vous Farm in order to continue the work she was doing at Lionshare Farm with Peter.

However, once the doors were open, she sold her top show jumpers so she could focus on her students and the boarding and training aspect of the business. Caroline discovered that her

16

May/June 2018

love of coaching is just as strong as her love of riding.

Rendez-Vous Farm was nothing but a cornfield when Caroline and her parents discovered the 60-acre piece of heaven in Ashford. They’d been looking for land for years and rumor had it that the property might be coming up for sale. Knowing how hard it was to find such an idyllic piece of land in Connecticut, they made an offer on it and bought it before it even went on the market.

“I wanted a lot of land for the horses so they could be out and be able to move,” says Caroline. They contacted Georgia Hickey of King Barns, who, Caroline says, “With great skill and experience, helped us create our vision.

We love the barn! I don’t think there’s anything we would change.”

“The creation of Rendez-Vous spanned two years,” says Georgia. “The four of us spent many nights around the dining room table as we fine-tuned the facility. From the beginning, the Merciers had a vision and a mission, and it was my task to create a layout that would meet all of the criteria, including the comfort and safety of the horses, optimum use of the land, a convenient and efficient work flow, and amenities for the customers. RendezVous is a beautiful, modern facility that’s met and exceeded those goals.”

The farm is everything Caroline wanted, with more than 55 acres of open fields, 15 large grass paddocks, 100' x 200' indoor and outdoor arenas, a Grand Prix field, and 26 roomy stalls.

The farm’s focus is on the development of top hunter and jumper horses and riders. With the help of Caroline’s husband Patrick Stanton, a lifelong horseman, professional rider, and farrier, Caroline manages and trains a great group of horses and riders both at home and on the road.

Caroline and Patrick met at the farm. “He was touring farms in the area and preparing to go to Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, the oldest and most selective farrier school in the country to pursue his farrier career,” says Caroline. “We shared the same passion and love for horses and it bonded us and the rest is history!”

Patrick’s horse experience is vastly different from Caroline’s. A world traveler who’s trained horses around the globe, Patrick’s adventurous spirit took him to a cattle station in Australia, to New Zealand, England, and a horse safari outfit he started in Africa, called

Ride Kenya. One day while out on tour in Kenya, a lion leapt onto the back of the horse he was riding. Both horse and rider survived.

Kaitlyn Boggio is Caroline’s assistant trainer. “Kaitlyn is fantastic!” says Caroline. “We couldn’t do it without her.” Kaitlyn earned her animal science degree from the University of Connecticut, trained under Scott Stewart and Ken Berkley, and worked for Missy Clark and John Brennan.

For those who like to focus on dressage, USDF bronze medalist Gretchen Geromin is available for lessons and training at Rendez-vous.

Caroline is grateful to Kim and Peter for teaching her the skills to create a winning barn and riders. Although both trainers contributed greatly to her education, Peter pushed her to become the rider that she is, while Kim thoroughly indoctrinated her about horse care. The combination, she feels, is what makes Rendez-Vous so successful.

“I love the technique of bringing nice horses along,” Caroline says. “I also like understanding them and making them happy.”

Caroline’s students reap the benefit of her extensive education.

“The facility is like the Ritz-Carlton for horses,” says Kathy LeBlanc, who boards two horses at Rendez-Vous and her daughter Dani rides with Caroline.

“Everything about it is top notch. The care is impeccable with the highest standards I’ve seen. I can leave my horses and know that they’re in the very best hands.”

“Caroline is an exceptional trainer,” Kathy says. “She’s knowledgeable and skilled. She’s been a coach and a mentor for my daughter.

Caroline pushes her riders to the limit and encourages them to succeed. I’ve watched all of Caroline’s riders flourish under her watchful eye. She exemplifies horsemanship and good sportsmanship. We feel lucky to be part of the RVF family!”

“Caroline’s a real horse woman,” says student Claire Herendeen, “which means she cares about each and every animal in her barn. Boarding at Rendez-Vous means that my horses get the best possible care for both their mental and physical health. Training with Caroline is unlike any experience I’ve ever had before. She tailors each lesson to my horses and my individual needs, while coming up with new ways to challenge and teach us. There’s never a boring day at Rendez-Vous!”

Dawn Bonin Horsemanship

Natural Horsemanship Lessons . Training . Boarding . Sales/Leases Two Outdoor Rings . Indoor Arena Miles of Trails . Versatility Course

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Coventry, Connecticut 860-742-2667 (barn) . 860-985-7611 (cell)

DawnBonin.com . BabcockHill.com Caroline and Patrick held RendezVous’ first Schooling Jumper Show April 21 with prize money in every division and classes from Cross Rails to 1.20M Jumper (3'11").

When asked about her long-term goals, Caroline says, “I want to continue doing what I’m doing. It’s a lot of work and I love it! I love working with the horses, watching them learn and transform into amazing athletes, teaching riders how to work with the horse, how to ‘feel,’ how to balance, how to understand and ride in such a way that they get the best out of each horse.”

The end result is the happy and successful horses and riders at RendezVous Farm. “I love what I do!” she says.

“My clients are like family.”

Ann Jamieson is a USEF “r” judge in hunters, jumpers, and equitation and a freelance writer specializing in horses and travel. She’s shown her off-the-track Thoroughbred Fred Astaire to yearend awards in both hunters and dressage, and has also competed in reining on a friend’s Quarter Horse. Ann’s the author of the book series For the Love of the Horse, collections of true stories about horses.

Connecticut Horse

17

Horseperson Feature

East Haddam

by Krista Chandler

Dr. Erin Trawick-Smith Passion to Profession

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probably one of the only large animal vets that has ever come out of there!”

Erin immersed herself in city life and pursued a liberal arts education, but still made time to ride for Barnard’s equestrian team. “In my mind, and in reality, you don’t need to do a pre-vet program,” Erin says. “I went with the idea that I was going to have a life experience, and not focus on being horsey all the time. I didn’t necessarily know one hundred percent that I wanted to be a horse vet. You really just have to try

describing these horse-crazy kids whose only desire was to be at the barn with the horses] every weekend, I was definitely that kind of kid,” Erin says, laughing. “I cleaned a lot of stalls.”

Erin recalls how her past experiences helped set her sights for the future. “I had a horse in high school that was a train wreck,” she says. “And then a barn friend’s horse had a tragic injury; she broke her back. I will always remember that night as a little bit of a reality check.”

different bits and see what sticks.” For Erin, volunteering at the Bronx Zoo’s animal hospital was one such adventure.

about being with horses,” she says.

“There’s something about just having the opportunity to hang out with horses.”

It’s about balance. When Erin isn’t diagnosing event horses and gelding donkeys, she’s restoring her 1700s-era home, riding, and enjoying her three cats and mini Pyrenees, Scarlett.

Beyond the Mark Armed with an arsenal of education and experience, and fortified by her

Andrew Heist

Katherine Jaffin Gibson

or horse-crazy “barn rats,” many childhood dreams revolve around horses, but in adulthood many of those dreams are set aside. This wasn’t the case for Erin Trawick-Smith, DVM — she made certain her dream of becoming a veterinarian became a reality.

Erin grew up in the Connecticut countryside and has been riding since the fifth grade. Taking lessons and bonding with barn friends connected her to a like-minded community. “I was dumped off [a term jokingly used when

Finding Her Way When it was time to go to college, Erin chose to use her undergraduate years as a time for exploration, a way to firm up her goals. Her journey started at Barnard College in the concrete jungles of New York City. “I wanted to have a different experience,” she says. “I’m 18

May/June 2018

Horse of Course After graduating from Barnard, Erin landed a job as research technician at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she worked in laboratory medicine cancer research before continuing on to Tufts University. Erin also worked at the SmartPak store at this time.

While at first blush the idea of combining your profession and your avocation sounds like a perfect marriage, the reality of long hours and hard, sometimes heartbreaking, work soon settles in.

Time spent on the road adds up and the heartbreak of every bad case leaves a dent. But, hard work and heartbreak aside, Erin remains passionate about her work. “There’s something

dedication to help care for the animals she loves, little gets past Erin. “As a veterinarian, you start looking around you and every animal you see, you notice its broken bits,” Erin says. “It creates panic in you. ‘Don’t do that! You’re going to break that!’ But then again, I feel like the more you worry about them, the more they get hurt.” Clearly, there is no way to separate the horse girl from the doctor.

One of the most valuable qualities Erin brings to her practice is her holistic approach to medicine. Her years at Tufts were followed by lectures and conferences, rounded out by certification for acupuncture by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. She feels strongly about advocating for whole-horse care.

“I’ve had so many wonderful experiences with Erin,” says Danielle Fowler

of Cheshire. “My ten-year-old daughter has a cute little rescue pony for whom we have no medical history. This normally saintly pony was becoming extremely girthy, to the point she was becoming unrideable and didn’t even like to be brushed. After ruling out all of the usual suspects, (ulcers, saddle fit, back pain, etc.), Erin pulled out all the stops and applied her characteristic holistic approach. She examined the pony’s diet, environment, and stressors.

She walked around the paddocks with us to look for any suspect plants. She made time to watch us tack up and ride so that she could observe the pony’s behavior and discomfort throughout the process. She reached out to her expansive network and connected us with an equine gastroenterologist and an equine nutritionist. Finally, after a few months working through a prescribed elimination diet and with the addition of a hind gut supplement, our pony made a wonderful recovery and is once again a fantastic partner to my daughter.”

“I recommend Erin to horse owners because of her holistic approach to veterinary medicine that enables her to tailor treatment to each horse and owner team,” says Danielle. “Erin factors in the horse’s lifestyle, the owner’s expectations, diet, environment, herd dynamics, owner finances, and more when making recommendations. She has a large network of equine experts all over the country at her disposal, and she’s always willing to reach out for a specialist’s opinion on an unusual case.

Before any exam takes place, Erin begins her non-emergency visits to my farm with questions like, ‘What are your goals for this horse this year?’ so that she can perform her exam and make recommendations with our goals in mind.”

Home Sweet Home Erin likes to keep active in her own community, and you can occasionally find her at the local town hub, Two Wrasslin’ Cats Coffee House. When she’s not caring for clients’ horses or renovating her home, you might find Erin curled up reading a book. And, of course, she makes sure she gets to spend time with Kristin Elliot’s Hesten, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred/Hanoverian homebred gelding who lives at Equine Insights in Westbrook.

“I love him madly and I’m very protective of him,” Erin says. “We do very

easy dressage and tiny jumps. He’s a teenager, but very green. Our goal is to successfully do walk, trot, canter tests.

We’re probably a bad combination.

He’s a nervous wreck and he loves to go, and I love him because he loves to go. I kind of laugh and hang on sometimes. We might be scary if set free!”

Erin pauses for a moment, then adds, “I wish I had a horse [of my own] right now — a big bay is my cup of tea — but it doesn’t make sense for me. It’s hard to be all over the place and try to then have something you care about be in one place.”

Branching Out Millington Equine, Erin’s solo venture launched in 2017, is where she keeps busy serving Connecticut’s southeastern region. Going out on her own was a difficult decision; it not only impacts her own life, but her family’s as well.

With no sick days and little time for vacation, every aspect of the practice comes her way — emergency calls, billing issues, spring shots, pharmacy orders, and an endless list of phone calls and emails. There’s certainly is no rest for a vet in a solo practice.

Erin’s mission is to ensure that horses get the care they need. Her innovative business plan addresses this issue by offering horse owners care programs with monthly payment options.

Millington Equine clients can sign up for a wellness subscription, which includes annual preventative care and one free medical appointment to use at the owner’s discretion. Erin’s practice also offers a concierge service, a customized monthly service program that gives the owners access to 24/7 ondemand care.

“I strive to treat every patient as an individual and work with families to identify treatments that are effective and budget-sensitive,” says Erin. “I believe that from both training and medical perspectives, there are often many paths to the same result. I maintain an open dialogue with owners and other care providers, working collaboratively to make the best decisions for each horse.”

Millington Equine offers acupuncture for wellness and injury, performance and lameness care, pre-purchase exams, senior patient consulting, breeding and reproduction services, preventative care and vaccinations, dentistry, digital imaging, and allergy evaluations and airway testing.

Above and Beyond For Erin’s many loyal clients, there’s nothing that keeps her away. Emergencies can come up quickly, day or night, and her clients find it reassuring to know that she’s only a phone call away.

Going forward, Erin hopes to get more involved with hippotherapy (the use of horses as a therapeutic or rehabilitative treatment) and to engage with a rescue for senior horses. Her special love is for donkeys.

“In the coming years I’d like to develop an acupuncture clientele, be partnering or mentoring another veterinarian, and be involved in Equitarian Initiative programs,” says Erin. (The Equitarian Initiative prepares volunteer veterinarians worldwide to deliver health care and education to improve the health, nutrition, productivity, and welfare of horses, donkeys, and mules, and to empower their care providers for sustainable change.)

“In ten years I’ll be maintaining a steady equine practice with help allowing me to develop my own equine nonprofit in addition to helping elsewhere with donkeys and horses in need.”

Krista Chandler is a third-generation horsewoman and recent graduate from the University of Connecticut’s English program,She writes from the hills of Connecticut where she resides with her faithful equine and canine companions, Holly and Penny.

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Connecticut Horse

19

North Stonington

Lend a Hoof

Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue

by Andrea Bugbee

Bringing Unwanted Horses to Responsible Homes

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wo mules, one dun, the other palomino, huddle in the corner of the quarantine paddock at Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue.

They’re trying to get as far away from humans as possible. Less than 24 hours before, the pair was in a kill pen at the Cranbury Sale Barn Horse Auction in New Jersey. Beech Brook’s volunteers have decided to let their newest rescues settle in before trying to remove their

hip numbers, which stick to their hindquarters like bar codes on packages of meat.

“They’re so attached they move exactly together, like synchronized swimmers,” says Beech Brook Rescue Farm’s barn manager Sharon Gordon.

Sharon and board of directors member Jeanne Martin were waiting the night before when the shipper delivered the mules. “They were petrified,” Sharon says. “To give you an idea of what they went through, they actually have [rope] burn marks on their necks. At the auction, to catch them, they lassoed them.”

“They’re not dangerous. They’re very sweet, I can tell,” Sharon says.

“They’re just really scared. It’s going to be a long road to find a home for them.”

Fortunately, the Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue volunteers know what they’re doing. In the last decade, they’ve saved 154 horses, mules, donkeys, and Miniature Horses. Teaching animals to trust is just part of the process for them. Within hours, a volunteer had named the darker mule Cinnamon and the lighter one Sugar, 20

May/June 2018

and these North Stonington horse rescuers had already begun the patient process of sitting in the paddock with treats, quietly waiting for the wonderful day these mistreated mules feel safe enough to approach.

“Our goal is to save horses from neglect, slaughter situations, and abuse situa-

“Before I knew it, sometimes we’d have 20 or 25 horses on our property,” Deborah says. The rescue first focused on gaited horses out of love for the handsome Tennessee Walker Deborah used to own. Named Delight’s Midnight Lightning, this sleek, black gelding had a jagged blaze that made everyone call him the Harry Potter horse. Later, the rescue added Miniature Horses, donkeys, and mules to their menagerie,

tions,” says Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue president Deborah Finco. It was she, together with her daughter Ariel, who founded Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue in 2007. This mother–daughter team based their rescue at their own, 14acre farm in Mystic.

Deborah is tall, slim, and reserved, though she gives each animal a doting, personal greeting as she pauses at the turnouts. She has a generous heart, an exacting mind, and a proclivity for planning and efficiency. As a result, nothing about this equine rescue has been willynilly. The farm is immaculate. Inquiries are answered within the day. Protocols are followed.

“Deborah is the perfect combination of kindness and business,” Jeanne says.

With Deborah leading, Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue took off, well, like a herd of horses. By 2009, it had gained full, 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Since its first year, it’s operated with a board of directors that meets monthly, a carefully considered long-range plan, amazing volunteers, and responsible (albeit tight) fiscal accountability.

finding that these easy keepers make popular companion animals.

Though some of Beech Brook’s rescues come from bad situations locally, most arrive like Cinnamon and Sugar did — straight from the Cranbury Horse Auction. With the help of Facebook and a network of rescuers, Beech Brook identifies potentially slaughter-bound equines unlikely to be purchased by private buyers. Next, they fundraise to pay that horse’s base price, as well as its shipping fee. The often long process of rehabilitating the animal comes next. Finally, rescuers pair it with a new owner and home.

That’s the part that Jeanne Martin describes as, “happy sad.”

“Last week one of our mins, Jet, was adopted,” says Jeanne. “It’s hard to see them go because we fall in love with them but, at the same time, he went to a wonderful woman.”

According to Jeanne, Jet had come to Beech Brook a year ago with another Miniature Horse named Peanut. Both were stallions that had been actively used to cover mares. Beech Brook, of

A Balance of Kindness and Business

course, immediately had the studs gelded. However, says Jeanne, “Jet was pretty fired up when he came. You could tell he’d been handled in a mean way because he was very shy with his back end. We spent a lot of time handling him, just getting him used to a gentle touch. That’s how we work through a lot of the animals that are with us.”

This Rescue’s Forever Home Once Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue was solidly running, the inevitable happened: Ariel grew up and moved away. Suddenly, it was Deborah who was going to need to be rescued if she didn’t get space from managing the farm while working full time as a microbiologist and immunologist. Beech Brook’s board of directors began searching for a farm to make into this rescue’s forever home. In October of 2016, they found it in North Stonington.

Today, Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue sits on a four-acre spread cunningly organized for maximum use. The little farm affords two large grazing paddocks, two small turnout paddocks, a round pen, and a quarantine paddock for new arrivals. Each paddock has a comfortable shelter. There’s also a threestall barn so new it still smells of pine.

Built with a donation from Deborah’s father, Delmar Finco, it gives the farm a hayloft, tack storage, a feed room, and a wide, safe aisle. A removable wall separates two of the stalls to become a broodmare’s stall when needed.

And the broodmare’s stall is needed now!

Two of Beech Brook’s recued mares arrived with hormone levels, “highly indicative of pregnancy,” Deborah says. One of the mares, Princess Leia, is a powdery gray Jennie donkey with soft, dark eyes and lusciously long ears. “We’d paid to rescue two Jennies, but one was a gelding, and this one was pregnant,” Deborah says, scratching a sweet spot on the bowl-bellied donkey’s neck. It had taken weeks for volunteers to coax this mama-to-be into accepting any human contact.

Across the way, an adorable gray and white pinto Miniature Horse named Saphira munches on hay. She’s almost as wide as she is tall. Both Saphira and Leia are due this spring.

“It’s just sad how many people send pregnant horses to auction,” Deborah says. “So many of the horses we get, you don’t know what happened to them in

the past. A lot of times, we’re trying to fix what humans did to them.”

Adopt!

Beech Brook Farm’s rescue horses may have uncertain pasts, but Deborah and her volunteers make sure their futures are indelibly clear.

“We’re very committed to the horse’s well-being for life,” Deborah says. “If something happens and someone can no longer keep the horse, we take it back.” One such horse is Rocky, a chestnut Rocky Mountain Trail Horse who came back to the rescue this year.

According to Deborah, life changed for Rocky’s adopter, who’d been caring for him since 2009.

“He’s got nice, lovely gaits,” says Deborah. “He does suck air, but he’d be great for a little kid’s pony. He’s a calm horse, but he wouldn’t do well being stuck in a barn.”

If you’re in the market for a kid’s pony and Rocky doesn’t suit, Nagi (who makes Deborah grin as she calls him “a chunky little pony”) is suitable for all sorts of fun. There’s also a Hackney pony in foster care. Other Beech Brook rescue animals, such as Bella and Faith, aren’t suitable for riding — but they’d make great companions.

Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue’s adoption fees are modest; considerably less than the price of rescuing a horse and caring for it until it meets its new owner. “We never do rock bottom prices because if people can’t afford to adopt, they can’t afford to keep the animal,” Deborah says. “If it’s a rideable horse, the fee is about $600. It goes down from there. We’re not trying to make money, and we present the horse exactly as it is.

Our approach is total, full disclosure.”

In other words, this rescue wants you to know what you’re getting, both good and not so good.

All Beech Brook adopters must sign a contract agreeing to provide suitable accommodations for the horse with a shelter, turnout, and no barbed wire.

For three years, adopters must send proof that the horse has received its vaccinations. Also for three years, they must send pictures of the horse. As it turns out, these happy photos are one of the highlights of the rescue volunteers’ job.

“We’re all passionate about this, but we do make sacrifices,” Deborah says.

On those days when happily-ever-after photos arrive, she says, “It makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Subscribe Today! connhorse.com How to Lend a Hoof By now you probably want to become a link in the chain of humans who save, rather than slaughter, horses. If so, and if you can, donate! Tax-deductible gifts can be made through PayPal at beechbrookfarm.com, or mailed to BBFER, 101 Prospect Hill Road, Groton, CT 06340. Non-monetary gifts such as hay, grain, tack, and machinery are also welcome. Just call (860) 705-8456 to arrange a drop-off or pick-up.

If time is what you have, Beech Brook can use that, too. People handy with fundraising, finances, and social media are just as valuable as those able to pick out paddocks, scrub water buckets, groom, and be kind to an animal.

According to Jeanne, there are two, final ways to help: “When you get a horse, you get them for life. Enjoy that part of it. You owe the horse that,” Jeanne says. “And when you go to buy a horse, consider a rescue. There are some amazing animals out there.”

Andrea Bugbee is a Pony Club mom, an IEA mom, and a backyard horse enthusiast. She does most of her writing while she waits for her daughter in the parking lots of numerous wonderful stables scattered throughout western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.

Connecticut Horse

21

Above the Bar

by Sean T. Hogan, Esq.

Nonpayment Boarders in Arrears

This article is for educational purposes only, so as to give the reader a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. No attorney-client relationship exists between the reader and the author of this article. This article should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.

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wning and keeping a horse is an expensive prospect, and sometimes a boarder may fall behind in paying her boarding and training bills owed to her trainers. This is one of the most common inquiries I receive from trainers and boarding stables — what are my options for a boarder who hasn’t paid her bills? In an attempt to resolve these matters that arise between a trainer and her boarder, I would like to outline four options that are available, both practical and via protections afforded under Connecticut statute.

Agister’s Lien Second, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-70(a), states, “when a special agreement has been made between the owner of any animal . . . and any person who keeps or feeds such animals, regarding the price of such keeping, such animals shall be subject to a lien, for the price

agister’s lien, it will often be necessary to seek judicial intervention to secure the lien rights to keep the horse on the stable operator’s farm. A trainer or boarding stable should include the agister’s lien language verbatim from the statute in her boarding agreement.

Including the agister’s lien language in

Limit the Arrears First, on a practical note, when faced with a boarder who does not pay, despite any assurances from the boarder that payment is forthcoming, a stable operator should attempt to limit the arrears as quickly as possible and not let it progress longer than a month.

Although no one may want to immediately ask a client to leave, as that client represents potential future income from boarding and training, the fact is that if a non-paying boarder remains, this will cost a trainer and stable owner money in lost revenue for the services one continues to provide and in attorney’s fees if the matter progresses to litigation. If the farm offers training, the boarder should be refused training until any arrearages are paid in full, as training fees are not protected under the agister’s lien discussed below. (An agister’s lien is a hold upon an animal provided by contract or statute as a security for fees of a person who has fed or cared for the animal.) Further, by addressing the matter immediately, it helps to prevent a boarder from getting deeper in debt. And, if unresolved, it allows the stable operator to request the horse be removed, if necessary, to prevent the incurring of additional overhead costs and expenses on the stable operator’s behalf.

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of such keeping, in favor of the person keeping same; and such person so keeping such animals may detain the same until such debt is paid; and if it is not paid within thirty days after it is due, he may sell such animals . . . at public auction, upon giving written notice to the owner of the time and place of such sale at least six days before such sale, and apply the proceeds to the payment of such debts, returning the surplus, if any, to such owner.”

Connecticut’s Agister’s Lien statute gives the trainer or boarding operation a lien on the horse of a non-payer automatically. However, it’s worth noting that this lien is possessory, meaning that the horse must be under the control of the trainer. So as to enforce the

a boarding agreement does not satisfy the notice requirements of the statute but will serve to inform any potential delinquent boarders of the rights one has as a stable operator.

Payment Plans Third, regardless of whether or not one allows a non-paying boarder to remain at the stable, often it may be easier for someone to pay her outstanding charges in a payment plan. The creation of a payment plan should be put in writing via the creation of a promissory note. In the promissory note the boarder (debtor) promises to make payments at certain installments to the farm/stable (creditor), and this becomes a contract between the two parties. In the event the debtor fails to

make one of the required payments, the creditor may then use this document as evidence of the debt and seek to have a judgment entered in court against the debtor for the amount unpaid.

Board Agreements Finally, when faced with a non-paying boarder, a trainer or stable operator should make sure there is a fully executed board agreement in place. This will be necessary in the event of litigation to enforce the trainer/stable operator’s rights for payment. Although a farm can still be successful should it not be in possession of an executed boarding agreement, being able to show a court that the trainer/stable owner agreed to provide services that the boarder acknowledged her intent to pay for, in writing, and that the trainer/stabler owner provided those services, will greatly assist the case. Litigation should be the last resort in trying to attempt to resolve issues of non-payment, and the amount of the debt should be weighed against the potential costs of litigation.

Thus, a board agreement should include a provision that in the event the board agreement is breached for nonpayment the breaching party shall be responsible for the non-breaching party’s reasonable attorney’s fees.

Boarders become friends and horses like family at one’s farm, and it’s understandable that the trainer or stable operator may not want to become adversarial with a non-paying client when the client may be verbally promising to make payments. However, allowing arrearages to accrue could have impacts on one’s business. Attempting to limit the arrears before it becomes out of control, ensuring that the client is aware of the trainer/stable owner’s rights under Connecticut’s agister’s lien, seeking to enter into a payment plan (evidenced by a promissory note), and ensuring that one has a fully executed board agreement will all help to assist in preserving and enforcing one’s rights for payment.

Sean T. Hogan is an attorney living in Westport and is licensed in New York and Connecticut, where his practice focuses on estate planning and assisting trainers, owners, and investors in equine-related transactions and litigation in Connecticut, New York, and before the United States Equestrian Federation. He’s a governor of the Fairfield County Hunt Club and co-chairs the Fairfield County Hunt Club June Benefit Horse Show.

Connecticut Horse

23

Trail Guide

Barkhamsted

by xx Stearns

by Stacey Stearns

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Tunxis State Forest

here’s a stone gatehouse at Saville Dam on the Barkhamsted Reservoir that looks like it came out of Europe. The large wooden doors were obviously created by a craftsman.

The reservoir is surrounded by forest, and gives the feeling that you’re miles away from civilization. I’ve always wondered about the forest when driving through the area, and began asking questions of my fellow equestrians.

Tunxis State Forest, located in the towns of Granby, Barkhamsted, and Hartland, is one of the least visited state forests in Connecticut. The forest is divided into four sections surrounding Barkhamsted Reservoir. Unlike many state forests and parks, Tunxis was heavily forested when it was purchased by the state in 1923, and is now an old growth forest. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) manages the forest.

Carolyn Rogers of Granby is a lifelong equestrian. She and her daughters are active in the horse community. “I

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rode in Tunxis when I was a kid through probably my mid-twenties,” Carolyn says. “I loved exploring the woods in there.”

Tunxis State Forest is a place where you can experience the forest with all of its majestic beauty. Old growth forests are enchanting. Huge trees here have survived for a hundred years (or more).

They tell part of the forest’s story. In Tunxis the babbling brooks cascade down rocks and form small waterfalls.

There’s something new to see around every bend in the trail.

Tunxis borders Granville State Forest in Massachusetts, the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), and other Connecticut state forests. The MDC land is immediately around the reservoir, which is a water supply for Hartford. This vast, unbroken area of forest is home to an abundant wildlife population, including moose and black bears.

There are a number of reasons why there aren’t many trail users. The trails

in Tunxis aren’t well marked and there aren’t many maps, and parking is a big challenge for equestrians. With a little extra effort, however, you can enjoy a ride, and have the 9,152-acre state forest mostly to yourself.

A Leg Up Granby borders the notch between Connecticut and the town of Southwick, Massachusetts. Hartland and Barkhamsted are west of Granby, with Hartland along the state line. MDC owns 3,000 acres. The MDC land surrounding Tunxis State Forest is not open to any trail users and is marked with yellow no trespassing signs. MDC has security that enforces the no trespassing areas. By riding the Hartland section of Tunxis you can avoid MDC land.

Tunxis State Forest is remote.

There are no public restrooms or amenities. Cell phone service is sparse.

Access points are located on or near Route 20 (Morrison Hill Road) and Route 179 (Granville Road).

another with the Roaring Brook area (Barkhamsted).

One parking option is Morrison Hill Road in West Hartland, where you can pull off the side of the road.

There’s room for 10 cars at Howell Pond on Dish Mill Road, but I couldn’t find any trails once I arrived there, just some cool trees and a beautiful 14.3acre pond. Other parking options are on Hurricane Brook Road, Balance Rock Road, and Pell Road.

Diane Morton of North Granby

For a ride with little chance of getting lost, you can make a loop on the dirt roads and a few trails. From the pull-off on North Lost Acres Road, ride down to Fuller Road, and turn right. Riding west, you’ll cross Granville Road (Route 179). Then you ride the unmarked trail

lives across the street from one of the sections of Tunxis State Forest. “Parking is tricky,” she says. “Many of the trails are also blue-blazed trails, and that means no horses. The gate to the ski area is locked, but if you call DEEP and ask to use the ski lodge area to park, they’ll give you the code, and you let yourself in and out, locking the gate back up behind you. You can fit a couple of horse trailers in there and still have room to turn around. North Lost Acres Road has a pull-off where the school buses turn around, you can fit three horse trailers there, and then ride the eighth of a mile down to Fuller Road.”

The roads are quiet, with little traffic, and I was comfortable riding and parking on them. People in these towns drive slow, and there’s a quieter pace.

The 9.8-miles of blue-blazed Tunxis Trail is managed by Connecticut Forest and Park Association and is for hiking only, except where the trail runs on woods- and fire roads. Other trails cross the forest, although there isn’t a good map. Install an app such as All Trails on your phone to track your progress. In the worst-case scenario, you can backtrack to your trailer using the app. I found two maps on the DEEP website under the camping areas (click on Backpack Camping), one showing the Hurricane Brook area (Hartland), and

through the woods over to Pell Road. A right on Pell road leads you north toward the Massachusetts border. Take a right at the intersection of East Pell Road. This intersects with Granville Road, and you’ll need to ride south down Granville Road for a short distance before picking up North Lost Acres Road on the left. Follow this back to Fuller Road, and then take the right on Fuller Road back to your trailer. The loop is approximately five miles.

Diane said the ride could be lengthened by taking the unmarked trail through the woods from Pell Road to Hurricane Brook Road for an out and back, although there is some private property in this section. Once at Hurricane Brook Road, you take a right to ride up the road, following the brook. You’ll cross the Tunxis Trail as it heads north at the V intersection on Hurricane Brook Road. You’ll bear left at this intersection and head west for a short distance longer, before needing to turn around and go back. I’m coming back to try this when the Mountain Laurel is blooming and there’s no snow.

Diane and I want to work with Connecticut Horse Council volunteers to make the trails more accessible for equestrians, and we’re going to mark this section in the spring so that riders stay on public land and don’t get lost.

Out Riding It

“In all of the times we’ve ridden in Tunxis State Forest we’ve never seen a hiker,” Diane says. “Except once, when we were on the Hurricane Brook Road trail, and he told us how to ride into Granville State Forest from there, but it isn’t marked. These trails aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re rugged and technical, but it’s a nice place to ride.” Hoof protection is recommended for this ride.

Another way to make this a longer ride is to park in an area on West Hartland Road, an unpaved road. The parking area is for Granville State Forest, but is in Tunxis State Forest, on the state line. This is another one I’m going to explore in the summer, and try and connect both forests as the hiker suggested. You’ll need to download a map of Granville State Forest at dcr.gov prior to trying this option.

On my visit to Tunxis State Forest, I used the circular parking area on West Hartland Road in Massachusetts, north of the Granville forest headquarters. It’s well maintained and easy to pull a horse trailer through, and leave room for other vehicles. It’s across the street from the J & D Hewitt Trail, but I rode north along the road to the next parking area, a pull-off, and followed Ore Hill Trail south and then back east to West Hartland Road.

Both Tunxis and Granville are definitely worth a return trip and the effort to find a parking place. Stay tuned as we work to make Tunxis more equestrian friendly this spring. This is one forest that needs to be shared.

Happy trails!

Stacey Stearns, a lifelong equestrian from Connecticut, enjoys trail riding and endurance with her Morgan horses.

Connecticut Horse

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Overherd

News in Our Community Fox Crossing Equestrian Show Fox Crossing Equestrian held a President’s Day CHJAand CHSA-rated show on February 19 in the small farmland town of Morris.

While blanket-covered horses peacefully enjoyed their morning hay rations in snowcovered paddocks, the Fox Crossing in-house family, along with friends from the neighboring Pendleton Farm and Halcyon Equestrian Center, readied their horses for the day’s event.

The relaxed, amiable atmosphere was the perfect environment for riders of all ages and levels to prepare their mounts for the upcoming show season. A spirit of cooperation was evident throughout the day as participants and supporters alike encouraged each other during the show’s varied contests, which included medal, equitation, and hunter classes.

Richard Luckhardt officiated as judge and Deb Krawitz was the steward.

Cindy Italiaander, owner of Fox Crossing Equestrian, was the show secretary.

n Sally L. Feuerberg

Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue Fundraiser Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue (CDHR) recently held its largest fundraising event, Denim, Diamonds, and Drafts, at Saint Clements Castle in Portland. This was an especially important event as CDHR has been building the new farm, Autumn Ridge, from the ground up since April 2017. Denim, Diamonds, and Drafts attendees included CDHR volunteers, adopters, fosters, farriers, local business owners, Facebook fans, and sup26

May/June 2018

porters. Everyone enjoyed the delicious food, the unique and amazing live auction items, dozens of silent auction items, beautiful raffle prizes, and dancing.

Money raised from this event goes toward operating

been added to this year’s plans, including the Cut-athon, the Thunderpants 5K, extending the art show to three days, bake sales, yard sales, and more. It’s so rewarding to raise money knowing that it all goes to

with both her practice’s clients and CDHR. Because of her dream and leadership CDHR has rescued more than 80 horses and has found forever homes for most of them. CDHR is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization that relies on the generosity of its supporters. One hundred percent of the monies raised go directly to the horses. All of the fundraising is done without the help of an outside agency. Everyone at CDHR is proud of that!

To learn more about the rescue and how you can lend a hoof, visit ctdraftrescue.com and follow us on Facebook.

n Sarah Grote

Magnolia Run Equestrian Center Relocates

Eleven-year-old Lola Roy of Suffield won the Connecticut Horse Youth Award at the March 11 Shallowbrook Equestrian Center Cabin Fever Show in Somers.

“Thank you so much!” Lola says. “One day I’ll be in your magazine wearing an Olympic medal for the United States!” Congratulations, Lola! (Want a free Youth Award for your upcoming Nutmeg State equestrian competition? Visit connhorse.com/youth-awards.)

expenses and CDHR’s capital campaign. The first two phases of CDHR’s Capital Campaign are now complete, effectively paying for the move, land clearing, paddocks, small infrastructures, and the hay storage building.

Even during this transition full of Herculean tasks, CDHR remained true to its mission — rescuing four horses and finding forever homes for seven horses in 2017.

In March, both Elvis the Shire and Sandy the Percheron found forever homes and CDHR rescued Hank, Noah, and Willy McWhinnypants from New Holland Auction. Several new fundraising events have

the horses. CDHR is grateful to the East Hampton community that’s been so welcoming.

CDHR is now in the third phase of the capital campaign. One-third of the $85,000 needed for the deposit on the land has been raised. Once this phase is complete, CDHR will be on to its fourth and final phase — raising money for the barn. What a milestone for this rescue’s legacy!

CDHR was founded by Dr. Stacey Golub in 2011.

Stacey is one of the most respected, highly sought after, and dynamic veterinarians in the state. Her talent, intensity, love, dedication, and intelligence are shared

“At Magnolia Run Equestrian Center we’re devoted to meeting all of the individual needs of our clients and horses,” says head trainer Kathy Gorsky. “As instructors, our primary goal is to guide equestrians of all ages to effective and positive horsemanship. We seek to create a peaceful and funfilled environment in which our students can flourish.”

“We’re thrilled to be purchasing and moving to our new permanent location in Willington!” says Kathy. “We moved the horses in April from the Columbia property.

All programs, trainers, and barn management staff will be joining us on this new adventure.”

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turnouts, a hunt field, and access to on site and local trails.

Magnolia Run Equestrian Center is the home of the Eastern Connecticut Interscholastic Equestrian Association Team.

attendees and doctors the perfect opportunity to chat, mingle, and catch up with the latest equestrian news from clients and friends from farms and stables throughout the area.

Dr. Choquette and Dr. Kremberg who discussed the most up-to-date information on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of equine gastric ulcers, accompanied by an informative slideshow pres-

Grand Prix Equine and Willow Lane Equine Host Seminar Doctors Mark Baus, Johanna Kremberg, and Ellie Wahlberg of Grand Prix Equine, and Dr. Kaela Choquette of Willow Lane Equine, along with their support teams, hosted an Eat, Drink, and Learn seminar at Hotel Zero Degrees, located in Danbury, on Monday, February 26. It was dedicated to the discussion of equine gastric ulcers and sponsored

by Boehringer Ingelheim.

The event began with an informal and relaxed happy hour offering a choice of beverages and abundant hors d’oeuvres. This gave the

Amelia Luetjen won the Connecticut Horse Youth Award at the April 8 Shallowbrook Equestrian Center Cabin Fever Show in Somers. Congratulations, Amelia! (Want a free Youth Award for your upcoming Nutmeg State equestrian competition? Visit connhorse.com/youth-awards.)

As the guests settled into the classroom portion of the forum, Dr. Baus introduced

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entation. Also featured was the new digital, portable endoscope that will enable veterinarians to come to their client’s location for equine gastroscopic exams.

The doctors answered questions during and after the educational seminar, and Christine Donnelly of Boehringer Ingelheim reviewed treatment and prevention medications for equine stomach ulcers. The evening ended with raffles of assorted equestrian supplies, samples, and a Yeti soft cooler.

n Sally L. Feuerberg

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May/June 2018

On Sunday, March 11, Hayes Equestrian Center in Southington hosted a Cathy Drumm Clinic. Cathy’s clinic focused on English and western dressage. Cathy teaches gentle bending to open the shoulders and allow the horse to become balanced and carry themselves correctly, which allows the horse to form a proper frame.

Focusing on bending also causes the horse to be more responsive and focused on

the rider and their leg cues.

The riders and horses were of all different ages and disciplines; some were looking to change disciplines, while others wanted to improve their horse’s skills. Some of the riders have ridden with Cathy before and have made great progress with their horses, from behavioral issues to selfcarriage problems.

Cathy stresses that the rider’s first aids should be their legs, hips, and shoulders; their hands should be secondary aids.

Cathy was very hands on with each student, explaining what she would like to see, what she would like the rider to do and why. Cathy also explained that when the gait changes, the tempo of the horse should not. Every rider saw positive change during the clinic.

n Sarah Griffin

Connecticut Horse Contributor Receives Writing Honor With more than 35 years of experience as a writer, photographer, editor, and video producer, Connecticut Horse contributor Suzy Lucine recently received the Morgan Horse Industry Honors 2017 Favorite Writer/Show Reporter Award, as voted by her peers in the Morgan horse industry.

“It truly is an honor to be nominated and voted the best by my peers,” says Suzy.

“Every assignment is a new adventure, with the opportunity to get to know someone better or to meet new people.

We all share a common interest in horses, but everyone’s background is so different.”

“My life continues to be enriched because of these assignments,” Suzy says. “I look forward to many more years of writing about people and their horses, and taking photographs along the way.”

Horse Handling Clinics On May 6 and May 27, Rebecca Hathaway will offer

a Learn ESL Clinic at Sandy Hook Equestrian Center in Newtown from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Equine as a Second Language (ESL) allows you to experience and explore basic and natural horsemanship as well as positive reinforcement. Want to increase safety and confidence when handling horses? This clinic is for you.

“In our series one clinic, we covered making a good first impression with your horse and covered many basic forms of equine etiquette,” says Rebecca. “We also did exercises with leading and leadership skills. In series two, we’ll review these concepts and begin to ‘play chess’ with our horses more proactively — learning the basic yields horses use in their own culture to establish true leadership. These basic yields and principles will help you and your horse feel more confident and relaxed.”

Rebecca’s trained horses and taught riding for more than 25 years. She’s taught, coached, and competed in English performance sports including hunters/equitation, eventing, and dressage. Rebecca’s a graduate member of the U.S. Pony Club and an instructor and examiner for clubs in the region. “I integrate natural horsemanship and positive reinforcement clicker training techniques into a system of training for my own and clients’ horses,” says Rebecca.

“Research shows that with these training methods, animals learn faster, retain longer, and bond stronger with the handler.”

Sessions are open to the public and also serve as training for volunteers for nonprofits serving children and adults with developmental and/or psycho-social issues.

You can bring your own horse.

The cost is $25 per person. To learn more, visit rebecca-hathaway.com. To sign up, text (203) 313-6389!

Arabian Horse Club 45th Annual Show Has Open Breed Classes The Arabian Horse Club of Connecticut (AHCC) is excited to put on its annual show May 25 to 27 in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

“In recent years, we’ve introduced open breed classes into the schedule and are excited to be doing so again with an expanded class list this year,” says Victoria Herbst, owner of Herbst Arabians in Wallingford and show committee member.

“Highlights of the show include Arabian and halfArabian classes in multiple disciplines, more sport horse classes than in previous years, Open Breed Western Dressage, Open Breed Hunter/Jumper classes held in the indoor arena, and ACT classes,” says Victoria.

“The Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman’s Association Arabian Community Tournament (ACT) classes are similar to Academy classes. Plus, Kristen Whittaker will be holding a western dressage clinic on site. The show is AHA, USEF, and USDF approved and is a qualifier for the Region 16 Arabian Horse Association Championships and U.S. Arabian Horse Association Nationals.

In addition, there will be exhibitor parties, a silent auction, and much more.”

To learn more, download a class list, and enter online, visit ahcofct.org.

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Partners Our goal is to foster connections within the horse community throughout the Nutmeg State, and one of the ways we do this is with our Partners Program. Connecticut organizations that partner with us receive a free one-year subscription for each member; space in the magazine for news, events, and photographs; and a link from connhorse.com to its website.

Interested? To learn more, email partners@connhorse.com.

Riders Youth Group from Wild Wind Stables designed.

The group was also selling tickets for a raffle to benefit the Forever Morgan Horse Rescue. Between horse demonstrations, trivia questions were asked and

classes for Morgans, Saddlebreds, Friesians, and Hackneys. The Therapeutic Lead Line class is open to any breed and riders from a therapeutic riding program.

The club also has grants available to help defray the costs of competing for riders in this class. Entries close May 9. We hope to see you at the show!

horses were allowed on the beach until fall, and we certainly made the most of it.

This is a new club tradition on the last Saturday in March — join us on March 30, 2019!

The next few months will be busy for our members

n Stacey Stearns

Connecticut Renegades Cowboy Mounted Shooters

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May/June 2018

Lauren Tyner Photography

March was a busy month for the Connecticut Morgan Horse Association, starting with the annual awards banquet on Saturday, March 10.

In addition to our year-end award winners, Nicole Bobbi received the Eileen Hunter Youth Scholarship and Kristina Vine received Person of the Year.

On Saturday, March 24, we held Equine Wellness Day at Wild Wind Stables in Northford. The day included an equine massage clinic in the morning with Wendy Rivers and Linda Papp, followed by a nutrition talk from Meriden Feed, and a breed demonstration in the afternoon. Fifty people attended; many of them were non-horse people and nonMorgan owners.

The breed demonstration included hunt seat, saddle seat, jumping, western, dressage (Prix St. George), and in-hand. A meet and greet session with the horses and riders followed the demonstration. Horses were owned and/or shown by, Kristina Vine, Jerome Parker, Shannon Santoro, Lauren Santoro, Kerry Wolfe, and Renee Suprenant. We had a professional photographer throughout the day taking photos. There were several vendors as well as an information booth about the Morgan horse that the Wild

Sandi Kelly

Connecticut Morgan Horse Association

(Top) Riders enjoying the March 31 Hammonasset Beach State Park at the Connecticut Morgan Horse Association Hot Chocolate Ride open to all breeds. (Bottom) The March 24 CMHA Equine Wellness Day at Wild Wind Stables in Northford included a breed demonstration.

answered for prizes. It was a lot of fun.

On Saturday, March 31, we headed to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison for the Hot Chocolate Ride.

Twenty-eight horse and rider pairs representing many breeds had perfect weather to enjoy the sand and surf.

This was the last day that

as well. We’re selling Redmond Rock on a Rope as a club fundraiser. To learn more, email connecticutmorgan@gmail.com, visit our Facebook page, or ctmorgans.org.

The Connecticut Morgan Open Show is June 6 to 9 in West Springfield, Massachusetts. The show has

The Connecticut Renegades will be hosting their annual New Horse and Rider Clinic on Saturday, April 28, at the Old Bethany Airport.

Members look forward to this clinic and the opportunity to meet the new riders interested in the sport members have grown to love. The Renegades donate their time, equipment, and sometimes their horses to help bring on new shooters.

The clinic will start at 9:30 a.m. and will run until at least noon. Following the clinic, members will hold a practice session to refresh their skills after the long, cold winter. Many riders start strengthening the path to their goals for the season during this first event.

Getting feedback and coaching from fellow members during these practice sessions help to make this sport great.

The first competition of the year will be Smokin’ Guns in Bethany on Saturday, May 12. Riders from all over the Northeast will attend this match, diving into the competition season.

And two weeks later the annual Border Wars competition will be held with the Northeast Six Shooters on Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, Memorial Day weekend. This fun weekend is full of friendly com-

petive banter between the two clubs.

As the season begins, the Renegades wish to thank their faithful mounts and ask that they take us safely through another successful year. None us take for granted how fortunate we are to compete in this sport in today’s world and we don’t for a moment overlook our hard-working equine partners.

Our steeds graciously put up with all that is involved on match day — perhaps an earlier breakfast than normal, a groggy walk into the trailer, and a lot of hanging around while riders work to set up for the day. Riders come back for some quick grooming and saddling and hope for a reasonable amount of warm-up time. Horses wait patiently until it’s time to compete. These mares and geldings of various ages give us everything they’ve got for less time than it takes to fix a cup of coffee, then it’s more hanging around and waiting.

But these horses are up to the task and persevere.

We can’t imagine a better way to spend our weekends. Please join us at any of our events to learn more about this sport and meet this great group of horses and riders. To learn more about our club, visit ctrenegades.com.

n Allison Forsyth

Connecticut Trail Rides Association On March 25, area vice-president Debbie Sommers hosted CTRA’s first ride for 2018 at Hammonasett State Park. Twenty-eight riders hit the beach for the last Sunday horses would be allowed on the beach until fall.

Approximately 10 to 15 photographers from the Facebook page Shutter Buds came to the beach and took photographs of the riders. Visit CTRA’s Facebook page to see the great selection. The temperature was in the low 40s and it was cloudy with a stiff breeze off the water.

Due to insurance regulations, effective April 1, CTRA’s trail rides will be open to members only. However, the insurance regulations allow us to have have five rides per year that a nonmember will be able to attend. Please be sure to check with the ride host before coming. Every ride host will have membership applications and will accept new memberships before a ride. To stay informed, visit Conn Trail Rides AssocCTRA on Facebook.

On May 5, vice-president Christel Maturo and area vice-president Cathy Clouse are hosting a CTRA ride with the Cheshire Horse Council’s Blessing

of the Mounts Ride. This ride begins with a blessing of the horses, followed by a trail ride through the Cheshire trails that include the DeDominicus property. The ride will finish with a barbecue lunch supplied by the Cheshire Horse Council at the Barry Farm. The rain date is May 19. For more information, contact Cathy at (203) 507-7360.

CTRA camp director Pat Gogolya is hosting a ride at White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield on May 6. To learn more about this ride, contact Pat at (860) 425-9092. On May 20, area vice-presidents Peggy Robinson and Stacey Dionne are hosting a ride at the Upper Salmon River, starting from the bridge in East Hampton. Reach out to Peggy at (860) 309-0673 for details.

Memorial Day Weekend will be celebrated at Camp Boardman May 26 to 28. On Saturday there will be a general membership meeting in the pavilion.

June 10, treasurer Ruth Strontzer will host a ride at the George Dudley Seymour State Park in East Hampton.

To learn more, contact Ruth at (860) 502-5623. Area vice-president Vevette Greenberg will host a ride from the Lost Silvermine Horse Camp in Natchaug State Forest on June 24.

There are always open sites to camp

Connecticut Horse

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n Patti Crowther

A hound show consists of classes where hounds are judged at various levels depending on experience.

belts). Plus, there are couples (pairs) that are judged. There are pack classes where five couples of hounds are judged

Jeanne Lewis Images

overnight with your horse plus solar toilets, picnic tables, and a handicapmounting ramp that the Connecticut Horse Council installed. To learn more, call Vevette at (203) 506-1183.

June 29 to July 8 is the official CTRA Fourth of July Week at Camp Boardman. On Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m.

Danniel Rowland will host a potluck dinner at the pavilion. President Lynn Gogolya and area vice-presidents Peggy Robinson and Stacey Dionne will be preparing breakfast Sunday morning.

Let’s hope our spring and summer weather brings many great days to enjoy our horses and Camp Boardman.

Happy trails to all!

Connecticut Renegades Cowboy Mounted Shooters member Christine Boudreau on Drifter.

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May/June 2018

On March 25, Connecticut Trail Rides Association held a ride at Hammonasett State Park for 28 riders.

n Raymond Hill

Does your organization Deb Pollard

Although it’s been a tough winter and at times bizarre weather — snow the second of April — the Tanheath Hunt Club is gearing up for another active season. The hound puppies are growing like weeds and members are working with them on a weekly basis, getting them used to people and the other hounds.

Our annual meeting, held at Hank’s Restaurant in Brooklyn, was a chance for members old and new to meet and discuss the upcoming season and renew memberships. It’s always nice seeing all the members, some of whom we haven’t seen since the Masters Dinner in December.

Members have been working with the adult hounds throughout the winter to prepare for the upcoming season.

Additionally, we will be participating with the hounds at the May 9 New England Hound Show, sponsored by Norfolk Hunt Club in Dover, Massachusetts. This event rotates among the various hunt clubs in New England; last year it was in Vermont.

Jeanne Lewis Images

Tanheath Hunt Club

Emma Devlon on Harley (left) and Meghan Dreysdale on Harry won the Hunter Division at the 2017 Tanheath Hunt Club Spring Hunter Pace.

For example young, unneutered hounds (never hunted), older entered hounds who have hunted, and veterans (who have six seasons or more under their

on the ability to respond to commands from the huntsman. (The huntsman is responsible for the care and training of the hounds, maintenance of the kennel, and

directing the hounds in the hunt field.) The huntsman carries a horn to communicate to the hounds. As the hounds are working animals, each is judged on conformation and movement.

Adults and junior (under 21 years of age) hunt members participate in the show. Last year, Tanheath’s hounds and handlers won several awards. We’re very proud of our team! This is a great event to watch even if you don’t ride, foxhunt, or have dogs.

Next up is the May 13 Tanheath Spring Hunter Pace in the Department of Conservation and Recreation Douglas State Forest in Douglas, Massachusetts.

There are four competitive divisions with ribbons awarded. For those who want a relaxed trail ride, there’s the pleasure ride option that’s not timed and no ribbons are awarded.

The club’s Summer Hunter Pace will be at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret on June 10 with the same divisions as the spring pace.

To learn more, visit tanheathhunt.com and our Facebook page, Tanheath Events.

want to partner with

Connecticut Horse?

To learn more, visit connhorse.com/partners.

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Connecticut

May

4 CHJA SHOW, Halcyon Equestrian, Morris. halcyonequestrian.com.

Events

4 – 5 CROSS COUNTRY DERBY, Horse Power Farm, Canterbury. horsepowerfarm.info.

5 FAIRFIELD COUNTY HUNT CLUB SHOW, Westport. huntclubonline.org.

5 CTRA BLESSING OF THE MOUNTS, Cheshire. cttrailridesassoc.org.

5 CHJA SHOW, Morris.foxcrossingequestrian.com.

5 RRRC BLESSING OF THE MOUNTS, Stafford Springs. reddingtonrockridingclub.org.

5 SPRING SELF-RENEWAL AND LIBERTY WORKSHOP, Ashford. narniastables.com.

5 CDA SCHOOLING DRESSAGE SHOW, Sperry View Farm, Bethany. ctdressage.com.

5 NEATO CINCO DEMAYO RIDE, Cockaponset State Forest, Chester. orgsites.com/ct/neato.

5 PHTA TAG SALE, Meadow Rock Farm, Pomfret Center. pomfrethorseandtrail.com.

34

May/June 2018

6 GRANBY PONY CLUB OPEN SHOW, West Suffield. granby.ponyclub.org.

6 USEA COMBINED TEST, Riga Meadow Equestrian Center, Salisbury. rigameadow.com.

5 GYMKHANA SERIES, SaddleView Farm, Bethany. (203) 996-9504.

12 NEPHA SHOW, Oneco. fallscreekfarm.com.

6 HUNT SEAT SCHOOLING SHOW, Gales Ferry. mysticvalleyhuntclub.com.

12 GRTA DOGWOOD RIDE AND COUNTRY LUNCHEON, Greenwich. thegrta.org.

6 ADVANCED HORSE HANDLING CLINIC, Sandy Hook Equestrian Center, Newtown. rebecca-hathaway.com.

12 SHOW, Ridgefield. steppingstonefarmct.com.

6 CCBA OPEN SHOW, Glastonbury Hunt Club, Glastonbury. connecticutcolorbreed.com.

6 CHJA, CHSA, NEHC, M&S RATED SHOW, Folly Farm, Simsbury. follyfarm.us.

6 CTRA WHITE MEMORIAL RIDE, Litchfield. cttrailridesassoc.org.

6 LEVEL 1 RECOGNIZED DRESSAGE SHOW, Bethany. sperryviewfarm.com.

12 JEAN-PAUL MAGNEN DRESSAGE CLINIC, KB Equine, Meriden. kbequine.com.

12 CT RENEGADES SMOKIN’ GUNS MEET, Bethany. ctrenegades.com.

12 – 13 USDF REGION 8 JR/YR CLINIC, Lebanon. usdf.org/education/clinics/jryr.

13 SCHOOLING HUNTER JUMPER EQUITATION SHOW, Manchester. fullcirclefarmct.com.

13 CDCTA SCHOOLING SHOW, Westbrook Hunt Club, Westbrook. cdctaonline.com.

13 USHJA SHOW, Suffield. endofhunt.com.

19 DRESSAGE AND COMBINED TRAINING SCHOOLING SHOW, Salem. treasurehillfarm.com.

19 CHJA SHOW, Hebron. windcrestfarmct.com.

19 GYMKHANA, Quarter H Farm, Sterling.

(860) 779-1699 19 CT RENEGADES PRACTICE, Bronco Billy’s, Granby. ctrenegades.com.

We have your horse.

Always a nice selection of horses and ponies for sale.

Watch videos and view photos at HeritageFarmEasthampton.com.

19 VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION, Middletown. hfsc.org/manes-motions.

20 SUMMER SERIES SHOW, Shallowbrook Equestrian Center, Somers.shallowbrook.com.

see Call us to s and new horse s! ponie

20 FAIRFIELD COUNTY 4-H BENEFIT SHOW, UConn Extension Grounds, Bethel. fairfieldcounty4H.edu.

20 MYSTIC SPRING II HUNT SEAT SHOW, Gales Ferry. mysticvalleyhuntclub.com.

20 CTRA UPPER SALMON RIVER RIDE, East Hampton. cttrailridesassoc.org.

20 KENT SCHOOL SPRING HORSE TRIALS, Kent. onthebitevents.com.

20 BLUE RIBBON VENTURES SPRING CLASSIC, Fair Hill Farm, Easton. bhcmanagement.info.

20 PHTA CROSS TOWN RIDE, Tyrone Farm, Pomfret. pomfrethorseandtrail.com.

20 VERSATILITY CLINIC, Babcock Hill Horses Naturally, Coventry. dawnbonin.com.

20 CGA GYMKHANA, Bristol. ctgymkhana.com.

25 – 27 ANN HALLER CLINIC, Sperry View Farm, Bethany. sperryviewfarm.com.

WNEPHA Hunter Shows July 15 & Sept. 30 Summer Wrap-Up Auction Aug. 19 English & Western Lessons, Clinics, Training

Open to buy, sell, and trade horses 7 days a week, by appointment.

Nice Horses for Nice People.

The R aucher Family 30 Florence Rd., Easthampton, MA (413) 527-1612 HeritageFarmEasthampton.com

26 WESTBROOK HUNT CLUB SHOW, Westbrook. bhcmanagement.info.

26 USEA/USEF HORSE TRIALS, Gales Ferry. mysticvalleyhuntclub.com.

25 CHJA SHOW, Morris. halcyonequestrian.com.

25 – 27 NEATO CAMPOVER, Natchaug State Forest, Eastford. orgsites.com/ct/neato.

26 – 27 CT RENEGADES BORDER WARS MEET, Bethany. ctrenegades.com.

26 – 28 CTRA MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CAMPOUT, Goshen. cttrailridesassoc.org.

27 CAROUSEL FARM SHOW, Falls Creek Farm, Oneco. carouselhorsefarm.org.

27 ADVANCED HORSE HANDLING CLINIC, Sandy Hook Equestrian Center, Newtown. rebecca-hathaway.com.

State Auctioneer license # AU450

27 CHJA SHOW, Clinton. chja.net.

27 CHJA SHOW, Avon. avonvalleyshowstables.com.

2 UCONN RIDING CAMP HORSEMANSHIP SAFETY CLINIC, University of Connecticut Storrs Campus. animalscience.uconn.edu/equineextension-events.php.

28 SHOW, Ridgefield. steppingstonefarmct.com.

28 CHJA SHOW, Oak Meadow Farm, East Windsor. rideoakmeadow.com.

2 DEB MURPHY CENTERED RIDING CLINIC, Coventry. dawnbonin.com.

June

2 – 3 FWPHA SHOW, Westbrook. fwpha.com.

1 PATRICK KING HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC, KB Equine, Meriden. kbequine.com.

3 CEC DRESSAGE SHOW, Coventry. connecticutequestriancenter.com.

1 – 2 GEORGES MALLERONI DRESSAGE CLINIC, Grand View StableColumbia. (860) 228-5047.

3 CHSA CHJA SHOW, Mystic Valley Hunt Club, Gales Ferry. mysticvalleyhuntclub.com.

2 CHJA, CHSA, NEHC, M&S RATED SHOW, Folly Farm, Simsbury. follyfarm.us.

3 CCBA OPEN SHOW, Glastonbury Hunt Club, Glastonbury. connecticutcolorbreed.com.

Connecticut Horse

35

Freedom Ride

to benefit Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center

Join us for a scenic trail ride or walk at the beautiful Treasure Hill Farm in Salem.

Sunday, June 10 check-in: 9:30 a.m., trails open: 10:00 a.m.

Marked 4 to 8 mile

loop of logging roads through scenic woodlands and fields. Plus, a walking loop for those without a horse.

3 POLO MATCH, Farmington Polo Club. farmingtonpologrounds.com.

3 VERSATILITY CLINIC, Babcock Hill Horses Naturally, Coventry. dawnbonin.com.

3 BETHANY HORSE SHOW, Old Bethany Airport. Bethany. bethanyhorseshow.org.

5 CHC MEETING, Northeast Utilities Building, Berlin. cthorsecouncil.org.

7 – 10 SHALLOWBROOK CHARITY SHOW, Union Agricultural Society, Somers. bhcmanagement.info.

8 – 10 TSHA OPEN SHOW, Falls Creek Farm, Oneco. tristatehorsemen.com.

8 – 10 RATED DRESSAGE SHOW, Gales Ferry. mysticvalleyhuntclub.com.

To participate, riders and walkers collect a minimum of $75 in sponsorships.

Lunch is included.

For information, to make a donation, and to register, call 860.685.0008 or email manesandmotions@hfsc.org.

Fourth Annual

Cross-Town Ride with Tyrone Farm and Pomfret Horse & Trail Association

Sunday, May 20, 2018 Tyrone Farm, Pomfret 8 a.m. check-in opens; 10 a.m. last rider out Brick oven pizza lunch by the Rolling Tomato

9 WILBUR J. TALLEY MEMORIAL AND CHARITY SHOW, Hartford. ebonyhorsewomen.us.

10 GRTA ANNUAL SHOW, Greenwich. thegrta.org.

10 MANES AND MOTIONS FREEDOM RIDE, Treasure Hill Farm, Salem. (860) 685-0008.

10 CHJA SHOW, Fox Crossing Equestrian, Morris.foxcrossingequestrian.com.

10 TANHEATH HUNT SUMMER HUNTER PACE, Tyrone Farm, Pomfret Center. tanheathhunt.com.

12 – 17 OX RIDGE CHARITY HORSE SHOW, Darien. oxridge.com.

16 NWCDHA DRAFT HORSE CLINIC, Bethlehem. northweestctdrafthorse.com.

16 POLO MATCH, Simsbury Polo Club. simsburypolo.com.

16 GYMKHANA, Quarter H Farm, Sterling.

(860) 779-1699 16 NBLA TRAIL RIDE, Newtown. nblact.com.

9 GHC SHARE THE ROAD EVENT, location TBA. granbyhorsecouncilct.com.

16 – 17 CDHA ANNUAL SPRING PULL, Chester Fairgrounds. (860) 208-2690.

9 SHOW, Ridgefield. steppingstonefarmct.com.

9 VERSATILITY COMPETITION, Babcock Hill Horses Naturally, Coventry. dawnbonin.com.

9 POLO MATCH, Simsbury Polo Club. simsburypolo.com.

9 GYMKHANA SERIES, SaddleView Farm, Bethany. (203) 996-9504.

10 POLO MATCH, Greenwich Polo Club. greenwichpoloclub.com.

10 CTRA GEORGE SEYMOUR LAUREL RIDE, East Hampton. cttrailridesassoc.org.

17 POLO MATCH, Greenwich Polo Club. greenwichpoloclub.com.

17 ABACUS EVENTS DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, R Folly Farm, Morris. rfollyfarm.com.

17 POLO MATCH, Farmington Polo Club. farmingtonpologrounds.com.

17 SCHOOLING SHOW, Hayes Equestrian Center, Plantsville. hayesequestrian.com.

17 TSHA DRESSAGE SHOW, Falls Creek Farm, Oneco. tristatehorsemen.com.

17 CHJA SHOW, Simsbury. wellawayfarmct.com.

10 POLO MATCH, Farmington Polo Club. farmingtonpologrounds.com.

19 – 23 FAIRFIELD COUNTY HUNT CLUB JUNE BENEFIT SHOW, Westport. huntclubonline.org.

20 DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Fox Ledge Farm, East Haddam. (860) 873-8108.

20 TWILIGHT JUMPER SERIES I, Oakendale Farm, Harwinton. oakendalefarmct.com.

Serving Central & Southern Connecticut

21 VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION, Middletown. hfsc.org/manes-motions.

22 – 24 STRAIGHTNESS TRAINING MASTERY CLINIC, Ashford. narniastables.com.

22 – 24 POLO TOURNAMENT, Farmington Polo Club. farmingtonpologrounds.com.

23 POLO MATCH, Simsbury Polo Club. simsburypolo.com.

Register at:

pomfrethorseandtrail.com 36

May/June 2018

Erin Trawick-Smith, DVM (860) 615-9335 millingtonequine.com

23 CT RENEGADES AMITY ROAD MAYHEM MEET, Bethany. ctrenegades.com.

23 CHJA, CHSA, NEHC, M&S RATED SHOW, Folly Farm, Simsbury. follyfarm.us.

24 CDA SCHOOLING DRESSAGE SHOW, Grand View Stable, Columbia. ctdressage.com.

1 POLO MATCH, Farmington Polo Club. farmingtonpologrounds.com.

23 – 24 JANE SAVOIE DRESSAGE CLINIC, Shallowbrook Equestrian Center, Somers. shallowbrook.com.

24 SCHOOLING COMBINED TEST AND CROSSCOUNTRY SCHOOLING DAY, Lakeville. townhillfarm.com.

1 SSF SHOW, Stepping Stone Farm, Ridgefield. steppingstonefarmct.com.

24 SCHOOLING HUNTER/JUMPER SHOW, Manchester. fullcirclefarmct.com.

28 CHJA SHOW, Avon Valley Show Stables, Avon. avonvalleyshowstables.com.

24 RRRC VERSATILITY CLINIC, Stafford Springs. reddingtonrockridingclub.org.

29 CHJA SHOW, Watch Hill Farm, Ridgefield. watchillfarmllc.com.

24 CHJA SHOW, Clinton. chja.net.

29 – July 8 CTRA FOURTH OF JULY CAMPOUT WEEK, Goshen. cttrailridesassoc.org.

24 SCHOOLING SHOW, White Birch Farm, Portland. (860) 581-0307.

1 TSHA DRESSAGE SHOW, Falls Creek Farm, Oneco. tristatehorsemen.com.

1 CCBA OPEN SHOW, Glastonbury Hunt Club, Glastonbury. connecticutcolorbreed.com.

5 – 8, SHORELINE I SHOW, Westbrook Hunt Club, Westbrook. westbrookhuntclub.com.

30 RECOGNIZED SPRING DRESSAGE SHOW, R Folly Farm, Morris. rfollyfarm.com.

24 CAROUSEL FARM SHOW, Falls Creek Farm, Oneco. carouselhorsefarm.org.

6 – 7 CROSS COUNTRY DERBY, Horse Power Farm, Canterbury. horsepowerfarm.info.

30 CHJA SHOW, Windcrest Farm, Hebron. windcrestfarmct.com.

24 CHJA SHOW, Oak Meadow Farm, East Windsor. rideoakmeadow.com.

30 SHOW, Ridgefield. steppingstonefarmct.com.

24 CTRA NATCHAUG STATE FOREST RIDE, Eastford. cttrailridesassoc.org.

30 WESTERN DRESSAGE CLINIC, Babcock Hill Horses Naturally, Coventry. dawnbonin.com.

24 POLO MATCH, Greenwich Polo Club. greenwichpoloclub.com.

30 GYMKHANA SERIES, SaddleView Farm, Bethany. (203) 996-9504.

7 POLO MATCH, Simsbury. simsburypolo.com.

24 SCHOOLING JUMPER SHOW, Treasure Hill Farm, Salem. treasurehillfarm.com.

24 CGA GYMKHANA, Bristol. ctgymkhana.com.

Lessons

Leasing

Trails

Indoor Arena

Covered Round Pen

7 – 8 BILL LEVETT JUMPING CLINIC, Town Hill Farm, Lakeville. townhillfarm.com.

1 USHJA, CHSA SHOW, End of Hunt Equestrian Center, Suffield. endofhunt.com.

Training

7 SUMMER SERIES SHOW, Shallowbrook Equestrian Center, Somers. shallowbrook.com.

8 POLO MATCH, Farmington Polo Club. farmingtonpologrounds.com.

July

Boarding

2 Outdoor Arenas

1 CHJA SHOW, Westbrook Hunt Club, Westbrook. westbrookhuntclub.com.

Clinics

Parties

Group Lessons

8 ABACUS EVENTS DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, R Folly Farm, Morris. rfollyfarm.com.

Join us!

We are a small but dedicated group, passionate about horses and hounds, friendly and helpful to newcomers. We sponsor Hunter Paces, Rides, Intro to Foxhunting Clinics, and more. Fall Foxhunting every Sunday and Thursday from kennels. We offer Main, Hilltopper, and Tally Slo (walk trot only) Fields.

Show Coaching

239 Sand Hill Rd., Portland, CT 06480 (860) 581-0307 wbfllcct@gmail.com

Dressage is our Specialty Board . Lessons . Training All Breeds Welcome (especially Morgans)

May 13 - Hunter Pace, Douglas, MA June 10 - Hunter Pace, Pomfret, CT

Sept. 8 - Intro to Foxhunting, Pomfret, CT

Gretchen Geromin, trainer USDF certified instructor . USDF bronze medalist . British Horse Society certified

Mansfield Center, CT . Just 10 minutes from UConn foxfirestables.net . (860) 543-1399

Sept. 9 - Hunter Pace, Eastford, CT

Oct. 6 Blessing of the Hounds Foxhunt

Nov. 17 - Hunter Trials, Gales Ferry, CT

www.TanheathHunt.com Follow us on Facebook: Tanheath Events

Cathy Leinert, MFH (860) 867-7063 . Bill Wentworth, MFH (860) 625-6173 Ray Hill, VP (401) 741-8185

Connecticut Horse

37

This Olde Horse

Mohawk Distribution Quality Equine Products

Connecticut Trail Rides Association first president Howard Wilcox on Tony winning first place at the Stock Horse Show at the 1939 Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

Western Stirrup Heart Necklace

Have a photo for This Olde Horse? Email

editor@connhorse.com.

925 sterling silver available in gold 1� tall, 18� chain

Dennis R. Paulhus, owner Ellington, CT . (860) 490-7509 MohawkDistributionCT@gmail.com mohawkdistributionct.com

How about a nice massage?

For your horse!

Ridgefield, CT (203) 297-3008 kathy.curran@snet.net

Brooklyn-Canterbury Large Animal Clinic Equines, Farm Animals & Camelids Serving Eastern CT & RI 24-hour Mobile Veterinary Emergency Service

Alice V. Ennis, DVM : B-C Large Animal Clinic, LLC

132 Westminster Road Canterbury, CT

860.546.6998 . BCLargeAnimal.com 38

May/June 2018

BOARDING • LESSONS • LEASING TEAM ROPING • BARRELS • GYMKHANAS

erH Farm t r a Qu

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Brad Herman, 440 Saw Mill Hill Rd., Sterling, CT (781) 249-9979 or (860) 779-1699 QuarterH Farm

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Boarding Lessons

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Sales Leases

Owned and Operated by the Ross Family Trainer: Jennifer Braiden 1125 Essex Rd., Westbrook, CT (860) 399-5000 . (860) 304-5848

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Containerized Manure Removal Le May, Inc. Farmers of Natural Resources Fred LeMay . Newtown, Connecticut 203-426-2497 . 203-948-1586 (cell)

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BOARDING AND TRAINING

PORTRAITS BY SHAWNALEE Middlebury, CT, (203) 598-0065 shawnalee.com Charcoals, oils painted by hand.

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THE CARRIAGE SHED (800) 441-6057, carriageshed.com Custom-built barns, shed rows, arenas, run-in sheds, Amish crafted.

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KING BARNS (888) 354-4740, kingbarns.com Custom barns, arenas, outbuildings, living quarters, complete design services, fine Amish craftmanship.

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FOXFIRE STABLES Mansfield Center, CT, (860) 543-1399 foxfirestables.net Dressage specialty, board, lessons, training, all breeds welcome.

FOX LEDGE FARM, ANN GUPTILL East Haddam, CT, (860) 873-8108 eqarts@snet.net Quality dressage instruction and training; beginner to Grand Prix.

SHALLOW BROOK FARM Bridgewater, CT, (203) 788-2122 shallow-brook.com Event, hunting, and pleasure horses; boarding, lessons, sales; 4,000 acres of trails, cross-country fences.

Connecticut Horse

39

SPERRY VIEW FARM Bethany, CT, (203) 915-8293 sperryviewfarm.com Dressage, eventing, boarding, professional training, shows, clinics.

SPRING VALLEY FARM Westbrook, CT, (860) 399-5000 Hunter, jumper, boarding, lessons.

WHITE BIRCH FARM Portland, CT, (860) 581-0307 wbfllcct@gmail.com Boarding, training, trails, lessons, leasing, clinics, indoor arena.

WHIMSY BROOK FARM Redding, CT, (203) 938-3760 whimsybrookfarm.com Boarding, lessons, training, equine therapies, Pony Club.

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BRAIDEEZ BRAIDING WIRE braideez.com Makes braiding so easy! See videos and lessons at braideez.com.

EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY

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MANES & MOTIONS Middletown, CT, (860) 223-2761 manesandmotions.com Therapeutic riding for body, mind, soul.

EQUINE MASSAGE

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EQUINE MASSAGE BY KATHLEEN Ridgefield, CT, (203) 297-3008 kathy.curran@snet.net A nice massage, for your horse!

EQUISSAGE NE/NY CT, MA, RI, (860) 564-7759 equisportmt@sbcglobal.net Integrated body work for performance horses: reiki, Masterson Method, sports and therapeutic massage, myofascial release, cranio sacral therapy.

LITCHFIELD BLUE SEAL STORE Litchfield, (860) 482-7116 LOCK, STOCK & BARREL (203) 393-0002 lsbfarmsupply.com Large-animal feed and pet food. Tack, farm supplies, and power equipment.

Blue Seal and Purina.

NORWICH AGWAY Norwich, (860) 889-2344 norwichagway.com SHAGBARK LUMBER & FARM SUPPLY East Haddam, (860) 873-1946 shagbarklumber.com VALLEY HOME & GARDEN CENTER Simsbury, (860) 651-5646 valleyhomeandgarden.com HAY AND SHAVINGS

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MANURE REMOVAL,

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ASSOCIATED REFUSE HAULERS Newtown, CT, (203) 426-8870 associatedrefuse.com Containerized manure removal in southwestern Connecticut.

PAUL CONGELOSEI TRAILER SALES Montgomery, NY, (888) 310-2246 congelositrailersales.com Finding just the right trailer? At Congelosi Trailer Sales, it’s easy!

LE MAY, INC. Newtown, CT, (203) 347-2531 We buy manure.

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PENDERGAST HAULING AND BARN SERVICES New Fairfield, CT, (203) 948-9493 Manure removal, arena-footing restoration, excavation service.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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JEANNE LEWIS IMAGES Wallingford, CT, jeannelewisimages.com Western events, barn shoots, portraits. Serving New England.

IMPERIAL HAY TRANSPORT Royalton, VT, (802) 234-2141 imperialhaytransport.com Quality New York and Canadian hay; shavings. Maine to Florida.

SARAH GROTE PHOTOGRAPHY Cromwell, CT, (860) 301-6647

PLEASANT VIEW FARMS Somers, CT, (860) 803-2777 pleasantviewfarmsinc.com Quality hay, straw, and non-GMO grain.

REAL ESTATE

HORSES FOR SALE

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HERITAGE FARM Easthampton, MA, (413) 527-1612 farmheritage.com Open to buy, sell, or trade horses seven days a week, by appointment.

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WILLIAM RAVEIS EQUESTRIAN raveis.com Specializing in equestrian lifestyle real estate.

RETIREMENT SANCTUARIES

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MITCHELL FARM Salem, CT, (860) 303-8705 mitchellfarm.org Permanent sanctuary for senior horses.

STRAIN FAMILY HORSE FARM Granby, CT, (860) 653-3275 strainfamilyhorsefarm.com New England’s largest quality sales stable celebrating 50 years.

TAYLOR FARM New Hartford, CT, (860) 482-8725 taylorfarmct.com Horse retirement is all we do!

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INSURANCE

TACK

HORSE LOGIC horse-logic.com What is your horse trying to tell you?

Tuning in to your companion.

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DON RAY INSURANCE (781) 837-6550 donrayinsurance.com Competitive rates, great service, farm packages, event insurance, liability, mortality and major medical.

ARBITRAGE TACK Oakville, CT, (860) 417-2608 arbitragetack.com Equipment you need at prices you can afford. We keep you riding.

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FARRIER

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MATT LEWIS Colchester, CT, (860) 575-2455 foxglovefarm.com Professional horseshoeing for the performance horse.

SEAN T. HOGAN, ESQ. Westport, CT, (203) 221-3250 seanhoganlaw.com Assisting owners, riders, and trainers with equine litigation, equine taxation, land use, ownerships, sales, leases, and USEF and FEI hearings.

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BENEDICT’S HOME & GARDEN Monroe, CT, (203) 268-2537 benedictsgarden.com G.M. THOMPSON & SONS Mansfield Depot, (860) 429-9377 gmthompson.net H. H. STONE & SONS Southbury, (203) 264-6501 hhstoneandsons.benmoorepaints.com

40

May/June 2018

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FARM CREDIT EAST (800) 946-0506 farmcrediteast.com Loans for equestrian facilities, farms, bare land. Equipment loans, leases.

Payroll services, farm business consulting, record keeping, appraisals.

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MOHAWK DISTRIBUTION Ellington, CT, (860) 490-7509 mohawkdistributionct.com Repping Designs by Loriece, Garroutte Products, and La Victoria Performance.

SMITH-WORTHINGTON SADDLERY Hartford, CT, (860) 527-9117 smithworthington.com Fine English saddlery and tack.

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MIDSTATE TRACTOR AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY Middletown, CT, (860) 347-2531 midstatetractor.com Kubota, John Deere, Scag Power Equipment, Stihl, Honda.

VACATION

MOUNTAIN TOP INN AND RESORT Chittenden, VT, (802) 483-2311 mountaintopinn.com Vermont’s premier equestrian resort with miles of trails through woods and meadows, cross-country course, outdoor arenas, luxurious accommodations, creative cuisine, spa, salon, private beach. A short drive from home but a world away!

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BROOKLYN-CANTERBURY LARGE ANIMAL CLINIC Canterbury, CT, (860) 546-6998 bclargeanimal.com Serving eastern CT and RI. Equines, farm animals, and camelids.

GRAND PRIX EQUINE Hawleyville, CT, (203) 733-0789 grandprixequine.com Focused care for the performance horse. Johanna Kremberg, DVM, Mark R. Baus, DVM. CARA KNESER, DVM Bozrah, CT, (860) 823-8951 kneserveterinary.com Mobile 24/7 equine veterinary service.

TWIN PINES EQUINE VETERINARY SERVICES Griswold, CT, (860) 376-4373 twinpinesequine.com Quality, compassionate care.

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Benedict’s Home & Garden 480 Purdy Hill Rd., Monroe (203) 268-2537 . benedictsgarden.com

Litchfield Blue Seal Store 99 Thomaston Rd., Litchfield (860) 482-7116 . blueseal.com

Shagbark Lumber & Farm Supply 21 Mt. Parnassus Rd., E. Haddam (860) 873-1946 . shagbarklumber.com

G. M. Thompson & Sons 54 Middle Turnpike Mansfield Depot (860) 429-9377 . gmthompson.net

Lock, Stock & Barrel 770 Amity Rd., Bethany (203) 393-0002 . lsbfarmsupply.com

Valley Home & Garden Centre 16 Railroad St., Simsbury (860) 651-5646 . valleyhomeandgarden.com

H. H. Stone & Sons 168 Main St. S., Southbury (203) 264-6501 hhstoneandsons.benmoorepaints.com

Norwich Agway 217 Otrobando Ave., Norwich (860) 889-2344 . norwichagway.com

Connecticut Horse

41

South Glastonbury

Is This Your Horse?

Connecticut’s own Smith-Worthington Saddlery is the proud sponsor of Is This Your Horse?

275 Homestead Ave. Hartford, Connecticut 860 . 527 . 9117 smithworthington.com

42

May/June 2018

Kelly McKenna

Crafting fine English saddlery and tack since 1794.

Available at fine tack shops throughout the U.S.

Is this your horse?

This photo was taken at the March 30 and 31 The Pines USEF CHSA CHJA Show in South Glastonbury.

If this is your horse, contact us at win@connhorse.com for a Smith-Worthington Saddlery leather halter and a two-year subscription to Connecticut Horse!

Connecticut Horse

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