Thursday, December 13, 2007

Holdidays vs. Horses

Is it just my schedule, or are the holidays positively THE WORST time of year to be a horse owner. Seems like there is never any time to get out to the barn, and when you are there you're thinking of 10,000 other things you're supposed to be doing instead of futzing around on your horse.

Last night I went out to the barn and rode. While I looked at Dobby's mane, grown out longer than I like it, I thought "No, his mane can wait until 2008" and put my pulling comb down.

Real life and horse life are hard to balance anyway without the extra burden of the holidays. When I get stressed, I want to be at the barn but when I'm there I'm not getting the other stuff taken care of. Maybe I should talk to Cheri about getting wi-fi at LEC so I can shop online while Dobby cools out!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Agriculture Census

Don't forget to make your Horses Count!

The American Horse Council (AHC) is reminding all members of the horse-owning community to participate in the 2007 Census of Agriculture being conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA census, taken every five years, is a count of U.S. farms, ranches and the people who operate them. A link to the census can be found on the front page of the AHC’s website at www.horsecouncil.org or at https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/cgi-bin/counts.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

USDF Convention: An Overview

Disney World in sunny Florida was the sight for the 2007 United States Dressage Federation Annual Convention. From November 28th through December 2nd the Coronado Resort was packed with horse people from all over the country.

This year I served as the delegate for NDA. It was an interesting job, I greatly enjoyed participating in the Board of Governors (BOG) and interacting with other leaders from GMO's in Region IV. The BOG is a body comprised of GMO delegates and participating member (PM) delegates from each region. It meets annually to discuss issues from all the committees in USDF.

A highlight for me was on Saturday when the BOG heard from David O'Connor, the president of USEF (and Olympian). He discussed the upcoming World Equestrian Games, and how USEF is preparing to host the event. From his testimony, it seems Kentucky is well on it's way to being ready for 2010. O'Connor was complimentary of USDF's commitment to working with USEF, he praised our organization for offering joint membership status checks online.

In addition to meetings, the convention also offered lectures. This year's focus was on horse health. Well respected farriers, and veterinarians spoke on all aspects of the horse. I attended a fascinating lecture on the structure of the hoof. Other lectures covered lameness, footing concerns, sport horses, and alternative therapies.

Not only is the convention packed with meetings and lectures, but there is also the annual awards banquet. Think NDA banquet on a MUCH larger Scale. If you have medaled or won Rider or horse awards through USDF you can pick them up in person. This year, Floriano, Steffen Peter's former mount won the coveted horse of the year title. Not a bad way to end a career together!

Of course, when speaking of the Convention, you can't leave out the trade fair. Over 40 different vendor's were on site. Everything from breeches to supplements, stationery, decorative items, pajamas, organic horse treats and every thing in between. Truly a budget buster!

In 2008 the USDF annual convention will be held in Denver, Colorado. Next year, in conjunction with the convention there will also be a Symposium. The USDF Symposium traditionally attracts the best of the best from US and international trainers, so mark your calendars! The Convention is open to all members and even non-members of USDF.