Spruce Creek Trails Association, Inc. February - March 2008 Newsletter www.sprucecreektrails.com

Dues are due in January

Membership runs from January to January.  Please send in your Application and money to Roy Sillman (listed in Officers, last page).  Applications can be downloaded from web site for contact Roy Sillman.

E-mailed newsletters and dues are $20.00.  If your newsletter is mailed the dues are now $24.00 which covers the extra cost of copying, postage, and envelopes.  So, if you do have an e-mail address and have not used it for receiving the newsletters please include it on the Membership Form.

 No Newsletter next time……

If you do not have a current membership for the year 2008 you will not be getting an April-May 2008 Newsletter.

 New Trail Map

National Geographic has a new edition of their BSF Trails Illustrated Map.  It has the new Troxel-Wood Trailhead listed as well as the Yellow Cliff Trail (the trail we have been calling Yellowface).  I purchased my map at Horse Stuff.  It’s very well done and has several trails that I haven’t heard of and is on slick paper which should shed some trail dust and is waterproof.

New Item from HorsnAround

www.justnorsnaround.com

Hydrate your horse no matter where you are! Multi purpose cart can be used to carry a hay bale or grain bags. Transport your gardening supplies all around your yard while planting. The ATB is equipped with 16” pneumatic wheels to make is easy to roll over mud, sand, snow, and rocks.

Other products available include:  Tool Caddy, Cart, Saddle rack, Just Stuff It bag, and Mane & Tail Brush.

 She is offering $20 off to Spruce Creek Trail Assn. Members.  Ask for this discount when you order.

Spruce Creek Scrabble

A new item has been added to the newsletter and it’s called Spruce Creek Scrabble.  The letters to play with this time are:  T R A I L R I D E R

 In case you are wondering, 244 possible word combinations can be made from these letters!!  The answers are on the last page, but give it a try before you peek. 

Product Review

Are you riding with a knit hat stuffed under your helmet?  Running Bear has a great cozy winter riding helmet cover for $26 that covers the helmet, neck and ears, and fastens with Velcro.

1-800-533-BEAR

www.runningbear.com

Running Bear has been in business for 28 years and has an online catalog.  If you phone them they probably have a catalog they can send you.

 Tom and I used to order bridles and breast collars from them many years ago when we were young and did our competitive and endurance riding.

Prof. Jesse Beery

 Below is a biography of Prof. Jesse Beery.

“Prof Jesse Beery was the world's greatest horse trainer and breaker of all time. That was because he could train any horse and stop its bad behavior immediately.

His parents ran a farm. Jesse Beery worked with horses and soon discovered ways to get a horse to do exactly what he wanted. Beery soon became an authority on horse training.

Jesse Beery had a natural gift for controlling horses. He traveled to fairs and shows all over the country to demonstrate his methods.  Beery's horse training methods solved many problems with horses that before seemed unsolvable. Beery could train any horse – horses that ran away – horses that pulled too hard – horses that were spooked too easily – horses that refused to be shod. Whatever the problem, Beery knew how to fix it.

After becoming extremely successful in horse training he decided to set up a horse training school to teach others his simple training techniques.

And later wrote a Horse Training program that shows the exact steps on how he trained any horse with bad habits. Unfortunately very few copies of this horse training program exist today and those that do may be hard to read due to the poor condition of these very old books.”

If you are lucky you might find Beery's book in old book stores and if you do find one of Beery books you better prepare yourself to pay a lot for it.

I purchased a download of his horse training books 1-8 on e-Bay for $8.95.  His web site is www.horsetrainingresources.com

For those of you who don’t have a computer you can go to your local library and they will help you find this site or others listed in this newsletter.

Karen Scholl-Horsemanship for Women

RFD-TV featured a program on Karen Scholl who specializes in horsemanship for women.  Her program is based on the three key concepts of leadership, confidence and trust.  Karen has given permission to reprint her article on Trail Riding.  I think you will enjoy this.

Karen holds a degree in Equine Science, has studied from many clinicians and is a former 3-Star Parelli Instructor.

 “We all buy our first horse with visions of riding off happily into the sunset, right?  How long did it take you to feel like this happens only in the movies…when your horse spooked hard enough to give you whiplash from the big scary bunny in the bushes?!

 At the beginning of a course, I like to ask participants what they enjoy doing with their horse.  The most common response is, “Oh, I only trail ride,” as if trail riding is some less-challenging pursuit as compared to something competitive. 

 There are not many dogs barking suddenly through fences at the dressage arena or coveys of quail waiting until you get close enough to flush out of the brush at a reining competition.  Sure, horses in competition are extremely challenged to attain a high level of performance, but the amount of unpredictable challenges is far exceeded when we’re just trail riding!!

 Some breed characteristics are faulted for making trail riding miserable, others blame it on the character of the horse.  We’re then told that problems can be remedied by using a stronger bit or by tying the head down.  Almost everyone I know has been through this scenario, and these devices may help…for a time.

 I’ve used all the devices well-meaning folks advised me to try, but my very sweet, quiet palomino quarter horse still maintained three gaits, walk, trot and  ROCKET-BLASTER!!  The stronger bits gave me more leverage to control her, but they could not change her mind  about running off at top speed when all I wanted was to relax and enjoy our ride.

 She used even the slightest spook to launch her into something with a G-force, so I kept her mostly at a walk or maybe a trot, and if there was nothing in sight that would startle her, then maybe we’d try and lope.

 We went “happily” down the trail until I attended a ‘Horse Psychology 101’ class at the local college where I got my first glimpse into the horse’s mind.  Being a pretty animal, I discovered that horses view the world very differently from humans and other predator species.

 Because we’re predators and horses are prey animals, we humans wake up wondering ‘what’s for breakfast’ while our horses wake up wondering if they are breakfast!

 So when something startles a horse, they instantly check with their perceived leader for direction.  This is why riding with someone on a confident horse can help calm a flighty horse.  If the rider also gets frightened, legs squeeze and reins tighten, which can further scare the horse as now the primary survival strategy of flight is restricted.

 To calm and control a scared horse, use one rein to teach your horse to bend laterally from a halt, walk, trot and eventually a canter.  The hindquarters is the engine for the horse and teaching a horse to bend down to a stop can be very effective in reestablishing leadership and control while allowing the horse to ‘drift’ minimizing panic from feeling restricted.

Start in an open area and bend your horse laterally with one rein until they relax, then release completely.  Bend the other way to be sure to teach this equally on both sides.  Teach this first on the ground with your halter, then while riding.  It’s normal for a horse to circle, just drift with them until they stop all four feet and relax, then release.

 If your bit has a shank on it, keep in mind that there is much more pressure in the mouth than you feel in your hands.  So, be as light as possible when teaching this.  A snaffle bit is designed for lateral movement and your pressure ration is equal without a shank.

 Now don’t wait until you’re in a scary situation to teach this to your horse?  There are other considerations (narrow trail, hills, etc.) to keep in mind, but just have this concept that one rein controls the horse, then adjust to fit the situation.

 When this new pattern of leadership is established both on the ground and while riding, most horses become much more confident and relaxed on the trail.  Why wouldn’t they…their leader’s ready for anything!

 So the next time someone asks you what you like to do with horses, you can now confidently say, “I love the challenges of trail riding!”

 Karen gives clinics and participates in Expos throughout the nation.  She will participating April 4-6 at the Hoosier Horse Fair, Indianapolis, IN.

 I think you will enjoy her website at:  www.karenschool.com.  She has many articles on her website.  You can also phone her at 888-238-3447.  Karen makes her home in Arizona.

Best Chili in Fentress County

A Chili Cook-off was held on December 1 in Jamestown as part of the Christmas parade festivities.  According to one Spruce Creeker the Cherokee Trails chili was the best, although it didn’t win.  Call for information on their Friday “Steak Night," which  includes salad, wonderful rolls, FABULOUS homemade Cheddar-Potato soup (or an alternate choice), big ole' baked potato and either a NY Strip or Ribeye....for $9.95. People need to mark their calendars (every other Friday) as this is the best deal in town!

Keep an “old style phone” plugged in

On November 29, 2007 Spruce Creek had a power outage from 2:30 P.M. until 5:30 P.M.  We have a portable telephone and one of the old-fashioned phones that plug into the phone receptacle in the wall.  The portable telephone did not work, of course, because it required electricity. 

So, you might want to pick up one of these phones for under $10 and plug it in.  In case of an emergency the Reverse 911 System will be able to phone your home and give you important information.

 Holistic Horse Magazine

RFD-TV featured an ad on Holistic Horse Magazine.  The web site is:  holistichorse.com.  You can download a free issue. There are many interesting articles to read about the holistic approach to horse care.  There are two other holistic horse magazines that I know of.  They are:  Equine Wellness and Natural Horse.

 Trade/Sell/Rent/Work Done

Mobile Home for Rent 2BR mobile home available for month to month rental.   Horses welcome.   Doreen Mendola.  (931) 752 8201.

 Bush hogging, post holes dug and light grading.  Tom Jancek. (931) 879-8660.

 Barns, buildings and garages built, bobcat work.  Brian Matchette.  (931)  879-5312.

 Pet Adoption – Donna Drochak is a volunteer for Best Friends Sanctuary and fosters dogs.  If you are looking for a new pet, phone Donna at (931) 752-8388 and tell her what you have in mind.

 Sewing by Joan. Turn your favorite photo into an embroidery design.  Custom slipcovers, cushion covers, pillows, draperies, etc.  Unique bathroom and horse trailer interior designs.  (931) 752-7643.

 Mulching machine/forester & manure disposal

Cabin for Rent - Sleeps 6-10, fully equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, fireplace, Jacuzzi, etc. www.kickingbackcabin.

 Answers to Spruce Creek Scrabble

You could have made 244 words out of Trail Rider:

ad, adit, ae, ai, aid, aide, aider, ail, ailed, air, aired, airer, airier, airt, airted, ait, al, alder, ale, alert, alit, alt, alter, ar, are, arid, arider, ariel, aril, ariled, art, artel, artier, at, ate, da, dal, dale, dare, darer, dart, darter, dartle, date, dater, de, deair, deal, dealt, dear, dei, deil, del, deli, deliria, delt, delta, derail, derat, detail, dial, dialer, die, diel, diet, dilate, dilater, dire, direr, dirl, dirt, dirtier, dit, dita, dite, drail, drat, drear, drier, ear, earl, eat, edit, el, eld, er, era, err, et, eta, id, idea, ideal, idle, idler, ilea, ilia, iliad, irade, irate, irater, ire, ired, irid, irreal, it, la, lad, lade, lader, laid, lair, laird, laired, lar, lard, larder, lardier, lari, lat, late, lated, later, lati, lea, lead, lear, led, lei, let, li, liar, liard, lid, lidar, lie, lied, lier, lira, lire, lit, litai, liter, litre, rad, radii, rai, raid, raider, rail, railed, railer, rale, rare, rared, rarer, rat, rate, rated, ratel, rater, re, read, real, rear, red, redia, redial, rei, relaid, relit, ret, retail, retard, retia, retial, retral, retrial, ria, rial, rid, ride, rider, riel, rile, riled, ritard, rite, ta, tad, tae, tael, tail, tailed, tailer, tale, taler, tali, tar, tardier, tare, tared, tarre, tarred, tarried, tarrier, tea, teal, tear, ted, teiid, tel, tela, telia, terai, terra, ti, tidal, tide, tidier, tie, tied, tier, til, tilde, tile, tiled, tiler, tirade, tire, tired, tirl, tirled, trad, trade, trader, trail, trailed, trailer, tread, triad, trial, tried, trier

Spruce Creek Trail Association