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December 2009                                   Newsletter Archive

Next Meeting: TUESDAY  January 18, 2009 7:00 PM

NEW MEETING LOCATION:

Foothills Community Foundation (FCF)Holland Community Center34250 N. 60th Street, Bldg. B Scottsdale, AZ 85266

Located on 60th Street, south Carefree Highway. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM from September through May (no meeting in December). All meetings will be held at the Foothills Community Foundation – Holland Community Center in their activities room unless otherwise noted.

FCF Holland Community Center

http://www.azfcf.org/



PRESIDENTS LETTER

The month of our holiday season has come and as I write this Thanksgiving has passed, as well as Black Friday. We're filling up December with it's many religious celebrations,  culinary treats, and for many, a little more time to spend with family and fur.. Yes, maybe a few extra minutes to mount up and see some country as you digest all those wonderful meals. 

Our fall start up brought several rides and we've enjoyed some very special programs.  The meetings so far this year have had great attendance and we look forward to that  as a continuing trend.  A special thank you to Sue Davis for her discussion of Equine Massage at November's meeting. 

December will bring our Christmas celebration at Saguaro Lake Ranch.  For those that haven't been to this wonderful location, you will enjoy this gorgeous historic site.  The sheer cliffs may even have a few hang gliders for entertainment.  We've been told that there's been a water release from the dam so no river crossing for the ride.  However, lunching by the river can be fun too.  Please join us for this annual event - riding or not, please come for the feast and friendship we will all enjoy.  Don't forget their is a voluntary gift game/exchange!  And - there is no regular meeting in December.

January will have a special program and we will be meeting at Horses Help.  More info with directions will be in January's newsletter.  The program will be Saddle Fitting and we will be working with a variety of therapy horses with different unique backs. 

Please hug your loved ones, both people and animals.  Take a minute to give thanks for their lives and the joys in your own.  

Wishing all a Happy Holiday Season and lots of great ideas for a New Year.

Cindy Ramsey

President


FROM OUR TRAIL COORDNIATOR

Hey all! Hope your Thanksgiving proved not only calorie filled but joy filled as well. I LOVE spending time with my grand-kids but can’t help think-- Yea!! One holiday down, two to go!

So… at November’s club meeting we discussed a trail issue I still felt unresolved and I continued to ponder… to that end, I considered the dynamics of the group rides I’ve attended and I did a little horse ‘mpg’ research online. I think I came up with a couple of reasonable statements: first, the larger the group, the less likely it CAN or will stay together—for example, the ASHA ride separated into two VERY distinct groups a minimum of six times (I counted four card stops, one loose saddle, one pee break—let me emphasize clearly that no one seemed to care); second, a horse/mule in average condition under average trail circumstances walks four to five miles per hour while fast paced and/or most gaited horses walk out easily at seven to eight miles per hour. At four OR eight mpg, a horse/mule in decent physical condition with no health or lameness issues and preferably with some form of foot protection (due to rocky AZ conditions) should be able to do three to four hours of reasonable trail riding—exceeding four hours may be asking too much of your horse/mule if any unfavorable circumstances exist, i.e. bare feet and excessive rocks, poor saddle fit, strenuous trail, age of animal, pre-existing conditions, etc.

So in an effort to make all rides safe and enjoyable for all horses and riders, on easier “strolls” (rides level 2 and under) I ask our gaited or plain old ‘move-out’ horses and mules to try and slow up just a tad and/or at least wait for ‘us’ once in a while, and on more challenging rides (levels 2+ and above) most average horses/mules should EXPECT to do an occasional section of ‘catch up’ trot (especially on hillier rides).

Anyone who rides with me on a regular basis knows safety is my number one consideration at ALL times, so taking the above into consideration and knowing that the larger the group the less likely all horse/riders can be accommodated OR will/can stay together, I’m initiating the following on ‘my’ rides: ALL horses are ABSOLUTELY welcome, in fact u rged, to attend ALL rides with the understanding some rides ARE strolls and some are not and as a group we should try to accommodate each other as graciously as/when possible; in addition, on longer rides, I will give a ‘heads-up’ at the 1.5 to two hour mark— you know your horses/ mules as well as your personal limits in a way I can’t (and if you don’t you should)-- if you need or just want to turn back for their (or your) sake, this would be the time. Electing NOT to turn back becomes the rider’s sole responsibility. Since most trails are easy to follow for most long time trail riders, I will gladly and consistently turn back with the returning group, allowing the faster movers to keep going as long you/they like—I travel prepared and Sis and I will happily relax and wait for you back at our trailers! I realize I cannot please all the people all the time—in fact, I can’t please all the people ANY time-- but I can make an effort to make all rides safe and enjoyable and occasionally that’s as simple as outlining expectations.

I am NOT suggesting we DO anything we are NOT ALREADY DOING as a group and virtually on every ride, but few of us are mind readers, so said aloud, there are the reasonable expectations. 


OFFICERS


President - Cindy Ramsey 480-488-8444

Vice President - Donna Russ  480-488-2125


Treasurer - Nancy Doerzbacher 480-575-1012

Secretary - Jean Anderson 602-390-6806

Trail Coordinator - Jeannie Forst  480-473-0378

Event Coordinator - Jan Blake 480-707-8211

Newsletter - Sandy Luedke 623-262-1623

Website - Andy Lunk 623-582-8717