House Mountain Horse Show - VHC - May 25-26

The House Mountain Hunter Jumper Horse show will take place at the VHC in Lexington, VA on May 25-26. SWVHJA and VHSA Associate Member Shows

This is a two day regional schooling horse show for hunger and jumper riders located in the East Complex of the VHC. Judge: Glenn Moody, Charlottesville, VA. Course Designer: L.M. "Sandy" Gerald, Roanoke, VA


Click her for more info and to view the prize list. 

SWVDA - Green Hill Park Equestrian Center - May 25

The Southwest Virginia Dressage Association will be holding their Spring Show on May 25, 2013 at the Green Hill Park Equestrian Center in Salem, Virginia

Entries are now being accepted for the May 25, SWVDA Show at GHPEC. For more information click here to go to the www.swvada.org

Lexington Spring Dressage Rosenburg Events

The Lexington Spring Dressage Rosinburg Events show will be held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA on 5/18-5/19

Location: Anderson Coliseum
Contact: Janine Malone at 919-269-7307
Website: www.rosinburg-events.com

Virginia Horse Trials Preliminary Three Day Event - VHC

The Virginia Horse Trials Preliminary Three Day Event will take place 5/24-5/26 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA.

This is an International three-day event featuring riders from the United States, Canada and Europe including Olympic medalists and US Equestrian Team members competing in dressage, cross country, jumping and show jumping.

Location: Cross Country Course, Dressage Rings and the Anderson Coliseum

For more info email: vht@cfw.com
or go to the website at www.vahorsetrials.com

Virginia Barrel Classic

Category: Barrel Racing 5/31/2013 - 6/2/2013
1st time ever combined NBHA Sanctioned and NBHA Super Show May 31-June 2, 2013 - Virginia Horse Center.

 24 Wildcards and $7,000 added!
 Contact: Carlton Tomlin 434.941.4893
Click here to view the prize list.
 Email: tbarrels@aol.com

Unbridled Grace - Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Home Horse Show Series

The 2013 Unbridled Grace Annual Spring Horse Show will be held May 18, 2013 at the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Home at 1039 Brookneal Highway in Rustburg, VA 24588. Phone: 434-332-1650,

This Spring Horse Show is sanctioned by the BRHF. Gates open at 8:00am. Official start time 8:30am.

This show offers Hunter, English Equitation, Trail, Leadline, Showmanship, Model, Costume, Coached, Western Riding, and Gymkhana just to name a few.

For specific direction and information as well as the show flyer, please click here. 

The New River Valley Horse Show May 23-25, 2013

The 2013 New River Valley Horse Show will take place May 23-25 at the New River Valley Fairgrounds in Dublin, VA.

This horse show has something for just about every riding division.

Affiliations

American Saddlebred Association of the Carolinas      Appalachian Horse Show Association              ASHB Futurity of West Virginia      American Saddlebred Horse Association of Virginia East Tennessee Saddlebred Association          Blue Ridge Horse Force          Paint Alternative Competition        NRV Horse Show is a qualifying competition for the KY State Fair and ASHA High Point Awards

To view the show flyer for this awesome horse show, please click here. 

Click on this link to go to the NRVFair.com

Stone Bridge and Keswick 2013 Show Dates Announced

Planning for the Stone Bridge 2013 Horse Show Series, and Keswick 2013 Summer Show, is underway! All shows are VHSA Associate and SWVHJA sanctioned; Keswick Show is also BHSA sanctioned. Visit Stone Bridge Horse Shows FB page, vhsa.com or swvhja.org for prize lists and info. This year's dates include:

May 18, 2013, at Stone Bridge Equestrian, Natural Bridge Judges: Judy Spitzer, Danielle Russ

June 1, 2013, at Stone Bridge Equestrian Judges: Brooke Kemper, Zach Parks

July 27, 2013, at Keswick Hunt Club, featuring $500 Hunter Classic and post-show Exhibitors' Party! Judge: Michael Rooks

August 24, 2013 Judges: Glenn Moody, Matt Payne

September 21, 2013 Judges: Clyde Poarch, Michelle Poarch

November 2, 2013, featuring $500 Invitational Hunter Classic, and $300 Pony Hunter Classic! Judges: Gegi Winslett, Robin Wood

How to survive springtime with horses

By Cassie Astle, Special to the BDN Posted March 22, 2013, at 2:03 p.m.

Photo by: Horseva.com - Kelly Warden Schulz on her horse Woody.

Horses are shedding, and unless they've been body clipped and blanketed all winter, that means clouds of two-inch long hair billowing around and sticking to every surface. Not only does the hair weave itself into fabric, but it clings to smooth surfaces like a balloon you rubbed on your brother’s head and then stuck to the wall. That means don’t wear polar fleece, chew gum or use chap-stick (or rub your horse on your brother’s head) otherwise you will be wearing horse hair, chewing horse hair and looking like an entrant in a “best mustache” contest.

Some horse people will body clip their horses once they start shedding to minimize the hair maelstrom. That does not reduce shedding, but it reduces the length of the hair being shed. Horses start shedding as soon as the daylight starts to increase, which means some horses start shedding as early as January. An interesting phenomenon is that horses with white hair will shed first. Not the horses that have turned white because of a graying gene, but horses that have white markings like paints and Appaloosas will shed the white hair before the darker colored hair. Even a horse with a blaze face will start shedding the white stripe before the rest of the coat.

To read the full article on bangordailynews.com, please click here. 

Richmond Police to ditch cars for horses to take on property crimes

Story from www.nbc12.com - Richmond VA By: Chris Thomas

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Richmond police say property crimes are on the rise. They are getting "creative" to try and tackle a problem that is only set to increase in the spring and summer months.

We were there as officers lined up for roll call and got their marching orders from the police chief himself in Richmond's Bellevue community. The idea is to tackle the recent crime reports that constantly features a long list of property thefts. Police Chief Ray Tarasovic says he wants more police visibility. "Whether that visibility be all of these guys out here for roll call or the chief of police showing up to say hello," said Chief Tarasovic. "It helps. It all helps."

The busy West Broad Street is the latest target of crooks. A kayak was taken right off the top of a vehicle. "What we can do is continue to inform...continue to educate," said Tarasovic. "We try to catch the bad guys, but it's difficult."

Police insist they have a plan to fight back. They are planning to staff two man car units, and they want to bring in the mounted units in some of the more high crime areas to focus solely property theft. "It started a little bit early for me in sector 4-12," said Lt. Chris Gleasen. "I have had an increase in property crime."

To read the full article on nbc12.com, please click here. 

Mane Pulling, Banding and Braiding Clinic - March 16, Autumn Hill Farm

Join the folks at Autumn Hill Farm in Bedford this upcoming Saturday March 16 for a Mane Pulling and Braiding Clinic from 1P - 5P given by Jac Jones.

Jac Jones is a professional in the American Quarter Horse Association. She started out in the Hunters as a child and is familiar in both worlds. Jac does training and instruction from her farm in Covington, Va and she also judges in the Open Horse Show Circuit.

Jac started out doing manes at a young age and has been able to work under some well known trainers with grooming. Her skills are top notch. She has done manes for hunter shows and weekend Quarter Horse Shows up to AQHA Congress top ten horses.

Many of the top riders have paid Jac to do their horses manes because she is one of the best groomers out there in the industry. She is blessed with talent of teaching her skills and she makes it very easy to understand Jac truly believes anyone who takes her clinic and puts what she teaches to practice can be great too!

The Clinic has several options to choose from:
Do you just want your horse to get a good mane pulling that you can keep up yourself afterwards throughout the year?
Or maybe you want to just watch a demo of a pulling, braiding or banding? She will offer all three to watch. OR bring your own horse to get pulling,braiding, and or banding. Jac will teach you one on one with your horse or just watch a demo with one of ours!

Jac has decided to also do a leg wrapping demo! THIS IS FREE! If you feel like you are wrapping your horse's legs wrong then you could be putting your horse in danger! She will teach how to do this correct, safe, and neat.
Prices are as follows: Watching any demo is $15.00 Bring your horse for a mane pulling lesson is $30.00 (you will have the chance to set up close with her and learn). Bring your horse for a pulling, banding or braiding lesson just $45.00 (up close lesson with Jac).
You can also have the option of bringing your horse for banding or braiding or just a braiding lesson (horses mane comes pulled before lesson) $35.00.
 Jac has her own set of tools. If you would rather her use yours tools then that is fine as well.

Please provide what ever color yarn you want for braiding, bands for banding.

Autumn Hill Farm is located at 2673 Timber Ridge Rd Bedford Va 24523
YOU MUST BRING and PROVIDE A CURRENT COGGINS *
Please RSVP by March 13! Contact Danielle Toms for more information. 540-874-0377 or danielletoms80@gmail.com
To see the event page and to RSVP on FB, please click here. 

Burns Wild Horse Corral helps match horses, burros with new homes

By: Terry Richard, The Oregonian

Some of the residents at the Burns wild Horse Corral (Photo by Terry Richard/The Oregonian)

The BLM Wild Horse Corral outside Burns was a lot bigger than I expected.

For one, it is called a "corral." That's singular. In actuality, there are many corrals to separate the residents by age and gender. 

The facility opened in 1976 and has prepared more than 16,700 animals for the Adopt-A-Horse Program. Burros are also available for adoption.

The animals, horses and burros, are rounded up on the range. They have either been born in the wild, or turned loose by their owner. They get a vet check and vaccinations soon after arrival.

Visitors are welcome to drive into the facility when it is open, then drive around the corrals. Anyone interested in a formal tour or thinking about adopting a wild horse or burro should make an appointment with the BLM staff.

To read the full story, click here to go to The Oregonlive.com

Save The Horses! Three Lawmakers Will Try to Ban Slaughter for Food

by: Chris Good for The Note - abcnews.com

A trio of U.S. lawmakers is saying “no” to horse meat.

Photo by: Christina Lee for HorseVA.com

The U.S. is set to begin slaughtering horses again for the first time in six years, and recent news of Ikea sausages and British Taco Bell beef containing small amounts of horse has raised horse-meat alarm bells among the meat-consuming public.

Congress originally banned horse slaughter in 2006 by defunding USDA’s horse-meat inspectors. But after the ban lapsed in 2011, a lawsuit and industry pressure has forced USDA to start inspecting again, and a company says it expects to open the first slaughterhouse in Roswell, N.M., within the next month and a half.

“These companies must still complete necessary technical requirements and FSIS [the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service] must still complete its inspector training, but at that point, the Department will legally have no choice but to go forward with inspections, which is why we urge Congress to reinstate the ban,” a USDA spokesperson told ABC News.

Enter Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. The three will introduce a bill on Wednesday that would put a stop to the pending horse slaughter.

The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, as the House version is dubbed, would not only ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. but would also prohibit shipping horses outside the U.S. for food slaughter. Unlike the appropriations rider that had prevented horse slaughter until now, the statutory ban would not expire.

Click here to read the rest of the article on The Note-abcnews.go.com/blog

Show Horses Quarantined in Marion County, FL

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Hundreds of show horses are quarantined in Marion County. The horses and their riders are in central Florida for a multimillion dollar tournament.

Photo from Ocala Horse Show

 One horse tested positive with what can be a dangerous virus. That means none of the horses can leave the county. They jump fences for big money, but the horses' riders may have to plan an extended stay in Marion

County because their horses are not allowed to leave. "This stuff happens. There's no way of predicting it," said horse owner Janet Cowley.

The State Department of Agriculture has quarantined nearly 1,300 animals at the horse shows in the Sun Tournament because one of the horses tested positive for equine herpes. Horses can compete but they cannot be taken off the grounds until the state allows them to leave.

To read the full story click HERE.

2013 Budweiser Super Bowl Ad

Here is a sneak peak of the 2013 Budweiser Super Bowl Ad - The Clydesdales" "Brotherhood"

Help name this baby on Twitter. Tweet them names using the  hashtag # CLYDESDALES

Boarding Available at Mount Regis Stables in Salem, VA

Attention Riders! There is now boarding available at the beautiful Mount Regis Stables. Just think you can ride, take lessons and see your horse whenever you want because Mount Regis Stables is right in the heart of Salem, Virginia.

Mount Regis is also a great location and opportunity for a trainer who is looking for a quiet place to train, teach, and have a full service facility (ask Shannon Simms for details). Mount Regis is owned and operated by the Simm's family who take pride in running a family owned Equestrian Facility and farm. With full board, Mount Regis offers two riding rings, a round pen, an enclosed tack room, and ample turn out for your horses. Can you imagine riding around on your horse on 68 beautiful acres of rolling hills with incredible mountain views?

The Simms family of Mount Regis Stables welcomes their clients private trainers with proof of insurance, and they also offer discounts for families with multiple horses.

For more information on how you can become a part of Mount Regis stables, please check out their website, and feel free to contact Shannon with any of your questions!

Call: Shannon Simms, 540-389-9209 or www.mountregisstables.com

Mount Regis Stables, LLC

155 Diamond Road

Salem, VA 24153

540-389-9209 office

540-389-0708 barn