MHC’s Michigan Horse Expo, The Best Expo Ever! The Expo Committee, under Chair Ann Louise Budd, continues to confirm new information about the 2016 33rd Annual Michigan Horse Council's Michigan Horse Expo®, which will be held during March 11-13, 2016, at the MSU Livestock Pavilion, in East Lansing. Feature of the Saturday evening program will be a Freestyle Reining Invitational Competition, co-ordinated by Bill Thomas Jr., of Bill Thomas Performance Horses. The event will feature twelve riders, each presenting a reining program choreographed to music either with, or without, costumes. Since each presentation will be different, though each must perform certain reining maneuvers, this will be a thrilling program for both competitors and the audience. Exhibiting in the competition will be: Kaslin Guerne, Lisa Guerne, Bill Thomas Jr., Calla Thomas, Leslie Darrow, Jeanne Hugo, Beckey Worden, Gene Munger, Trevor Walton (with two horses), Amanda Bailey and Jarid Walton. Visit the Expo website, www.michiganhorseexpo.org, for photos and bios about each rider. Michigan Horse Expo Freestyle Reining jackets, sponsored by Tom's Western Store, will be presented to each competitor, and the added money purse will bring out the best competitors available. The event will be judged by Reined Cow Horse approved judge, Richard Winters, and placings and awards will be presented following the competition. Pick out your favorite and be prepared to cheer them on at the Expo! In addition to featured clinicians, Richard Winters and Jec Ballou, numerous Michigan clinicians and speakers will round out the Expo program. Other clinicians and programs recently confirmed include: Pegg Johnson, of Show Clothes Unlimited, who will present several programs devoted to “Sewing Your Own Show Clothes”, you can alslo follow Pegg's articles in Saddle Up! Magazine; Carrie Thorne, of Hands on Horse Care and Spectra Therapy, will discuss integrating the use of cold laser therapy in overall health and wellness care plans for horses. She will cover the uses of cold laser therapy in the rehabilitation from injuries, including wound healing, soft tissue injuries, etc., along with the treatment of chronic conditions. In addition, the presentation will discuss using cold laser therapy to improve
and maintain performance horses; and EAGALA, an organization devoted to equinebased psychotherapy. Chad Coppess will be with us again, joining Richard Winters in conducting the Sunday morning “Cowboy Church.” As founder of Cross Training Horsemanship, Chad travels around teaching healthy relationship principles and character development to audiences while training horses, and will present programs in the Main Arena (Lead the Horse Through the Haunches) and Round Pen (Leg Yields aren't Just for Dressage). Chad has also published numerous articles, has conducted various clinics, and presents at various conferences, workshops, and trade shows. Custer's Cowboys will demonstrate Cowboy Mounted Shooting during the Saturday evening program; and Lori Brock, and her trainers Melissa Ashcraft and Jordan Brasser, will entertain audiences with delightful programs featuring her “movie star” Friesian stallions. Her stallion Nitrous is the star of the soon-to-be released movie, The Enchanted Stallion! Jason will also present programs in the Main Arena and Round Pen, titled From Bridle to Bridleless and Advancing Your Equine Behavior Understanding. Other speakers include Angie Golnick, of Equine Essential Oils, who will discuss the use of essential oils for horses and pets. Steve Wilcox, of Datamars, will illustrate the use of micro chips in horses, how they work, universal controls and much more. The MSU Arabians will be featured in a special program on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately their 2015 Champion Sport Horse Mare will not be able to make an appearance, as she is about to foal! Paula Hitzler, MSU Horse Farm manager, assisted by students, will talk about, and demonstrate many of the disciplines that the MSU Arabians have shown in, including Sport Horse competitions. The MSU Arabian breeding program is the oldest, continuous Arabian breeding program in the United States, and has many, many championships and Top Tens in national shows to their credit….and all of the horses are exhibited by MSU students! Once again Friday evening will feature the Michigan High School Rodeo, and the popular Ranch Rodeo will return on Sunday afternoon. The Heritage Hill Farm six-horse Belgian hitch will appear each day in a
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thrilling display of the “big” horses. The hitch, along with owners the Micklatchers and Lovelands, will be in the draft horse area each day, so you can visit “up close and personal” with these gentle giants. Michigan Horseshoers will provide interesting and informative sessions on many aspects of hoof care; and Custer's Cowboys will present an exciting program of Cowboy Mounted Shooting as the grand finale of the Saturday evening program. New plans are in the works for both the Trails Area and the Youth Area, with more “handson” experiences planned for both. Any ideas and suggestions you have for these areas are welcome, and volunteers will be needed for both. Every effort is being made to improve these areas and provide more information, both for trail riders, and for youth…who are our future! News Flash! Popular celebrity, Jimmy the Skunk, will again appear in the Youth Area, accompanied by many of his friends from Northfork Outback Ranch! Be sure to make time to visit this photogenic little fellow and his many friends! Check the Expo website, www.michigan horseexpo.org for details on these clinicians and program, and updates on more as they are added to the schedule! Also be sure to “Like” the Expo on Facebook, and watch for chances to win free admission tickets!
Saddle Up! Magazine The staff of Saddle Up! Magazine will not only be attending the MHC’s Michigan Horse Expo, but we are also producing the event program for 2016, as we did last year. Deadline to advertise in both the March issue of Saddle Up! Magazine and the MHC MI Horse Expo Program is February 15, 2016. The March issue of Saddle Up! is not only our largest in page count of the year, we also print thousands of additional copies to bring with us to the Michigan Horse Expo!
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