Royal Riders Pony Club Royal Riders
News Volume 1, Issue 8
May 2009
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Inside: Pg. 5
Horse of the Upcoming Events 2 Month:
Ticket on the tail? 2 Pg. 2
Horsemasters 3 Norwegian FjordWhy does McCoy Horse Show 4 Liam have a
Horse of the Month 5 Ticket Tied to Horsemasters is Coming histo RRPC!Tail? About Pony Club 6
Happy Birthday! 6 It’s Pony Club for Adults! Happy Birthday Royal Riders! Be sure to see pg. 6!
There is a rule when rid- ing in an arena with other horses. Usually it will be Pg. 3 called: “left shoulder to left shoulder”. This Photos from means that your left shoulder should be on The McCoy Show the inside when passing In Chino Hills another horse. For exam- Pg. April 19th! ple: if you were going 4 right, and there was a horse coming at you in the other direction, you Pic of the Month! should move toward the Starlight rolls on a sunny day. inside and go around them instead of them going around you. If you were going left, you have the right to stay on the rail. This rule helps avoid horses crashing into each other.
Pictures by, Katie Dvorak Upcoming Events
May: June 28th—McCoy Show and Lessons every Monday and Friday Dressage Show at 4:30 p.m. July: May 3rd—Rolex 3-day Event on Lessons every Monday and Friday TV—Endressen’s house at 4:30 p.m. May 23—Conformation Clinic July 12th-17th—Summer Camp May 15th-17th—Mega Rally— August: Moorpark Lessons every Monday and Friday May 30th—Cross-Country Clinic at 4:30 p.m. June: Aug. 2nd—Dressage Show Lessons every Monday and Friday Aug. 16th—McCoy Show at 4:30 p.m.
June 20th—3:00pm Patch Pro- gram—Campout at the Dvoraks
Why does Liam have red tickets tied to his tail?
A) Because Rachel decided to raffle him off. B) To warn others that he is prone to kicking. C) He was going to the movies.
If you answered “B”, then you are correct! Liam got a little angry at another pony at the horse show at McCoy’s and he tried to kick that pony which could have hurt the other pony or the other rider, or both. So, we were asked to tie a red ribbon to his tail to warn others not to come up behind him. Guess what? We didn’t have any red rib- bon with us! The only red item we could find were those tickets, and he had to go through the rest of the show with them tied to his tail. We thought it was kind of funny, but next time we will have red ribbon tied in his tail whenever we take him to a show or event or trail ride.
So if you see a red ribbon tied in a horse’s tail, use caution! It is probably not there to look cute. And if you have a horse or pony that kicks, don’t forget to tie a red ribbon in its tail to help prevent problems.
By,
Rachel Endresen
Page 2 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8 Page 3
Horsemasters is Coming to RRPC!
Our pony club is such a great opportunity to learn about horses and to take riding lessons that are all geared toward the ratings within a fantastic equestrian curricu- lum, to make friends who share an interest in horses, to go off to clinics, summer horse camp and shows together, and much more. Our kids are having a blast while improving their knowledge and riding skills at the same time.
We adults have been so thrilled to see our kids get so much out of the club, but we have to admit that we became just a little jealous! One day last year I was on the phone with the national USPC office in Kentucky, and I said, “I wish there was an adult version of pony club.” And to my surprise the voice on the other end of the phone said, “There is, and it’s called Horsemasters.” It turns out that we were not the first group of adults to get a little jealous, and a few years back the USPC devel- oped the Horsemasters program for adults. This program offers Bronze and Silver awards that are similar to the ratings the kids have been earning, but it has a little more flexibility for us “rusty stirrup” types. We had an information meeting earlier in April and we are getting our first group of members signed up by the end of April so we can start with a lesson program and monthly unmounted get-togethers and field trips. We have lots of hopes and visions for our new group, some of which in- clude organizing a “Fun with Dressage” freestyle exhibition, an adults-only riding get- away weekend, riding-video night and more. We might even let the kids join in on some of it…if they’re nice. J
Membership is $90 per year and the forms are on our club website. McCoy Show
Ally, Mckenna, Rachel, and Kristen competed at the IEHJA horse show held at McCoy’s Equestrian Center on Apr.19th.
Page 4 ROYAL RIDERS NEWS VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8 Page 5 Horse of the Month: Norwegian Fjord
The Fjord horse or Norwegian Fjord Horse (known in Norway as a Fjording or Fjordhest) is a rather short but very strong breed of horse from the mountainous regions of western Norway. It ranges from 135 to 150 centimetres (approximately 13.1 to 14.3 hands) in height and weighs from 400 to 550 kilograms (about 880 to 1210 lb). Though some individuals may fall under the traditional cutoff between horses and ponies, it is always con- sidered a horse, regardless of height.
It is one of the world’s oldest breeds, and has a long recorded history of pure-breeding without crossbreeding from other sources. It is believed that the ancestors of the Fjord horse migrated to Norway and were domesticated over 3,000 years ago. Archeological excavations at Viking burial sites indicate the Fjord horse has been selectively bred for 2,000 years. The Fjord horse has its own unique conformation, which is a blend of draft horse muscling and bone, with smaller size and greater agility. It has a strong, arched neck, good feet, and a compact, muscular body. Despite its small size, it is fully capable of carrying an adult human and pulling heavy loads. The hair coat is smooth and shiny in summer, but longer and furry in winter. The mane is long, thick, and heavy, but is usually clipped to between five to ten centimeters (two to four inches) so that it stands straight up, making grooming easier and ac- centuating the horse's strong neck and full-length dorsal stripe. There is some "feathering" on the legs.
All Fjord horses are one of five shade variations of dun in color, having a body color that is a diluted cream, gold or tan shade with a darker shade (usually black or dark brown) on the legs, plus "primitive markings," - a dark dorsal stripe, and, less often, dark horizontal stripes on the legs, especially the forelegs, and rarely, one or more dark transverse stripes over the withers. In addition to traditional dun characteristics, Fjords also have small brown marks over the eyes and on the checks and thighs. The ears have dark outlines and tips. Most have a black or dark stripe in the mane, tail and forelock, with lighter hairs on the outside, giving a two-toned look that is not usually seen in other breeds of horse. Fjord horses have quiet personalities. They like their partners and usually try their best to please you. They are very quiet and calm even as colts. They are great horses for children because of their personalities.
The Fjord horse and its ancestors have been used for hundreds of years as farm animals in western Norway. The horse is strong enough for heavy work, such as plowing the fields or pulling timber, yet light and fast enough to be a good riding and driving horse. Today, the fjord horse is a favorite at Norwegian riding and therapeutic schools, as its generally mild temperament and small size make it suitable for children and disabled individuals. It has also been used as a sport horse. Its ability to handle difficult terrain has led to achievement in show jumping and dressage where they have reached the highest levels. They are considered very good driving horses, and are commonly used in everything from competitions to tourist transport in Norway. Fjord horses were used in mountainous terrain during WWII.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fjord_horse Royal Riders Page 6
Pony Club Comes to Yorba Linda
North Orange County’s very own Pony Club is here! Become a part of the Royal Riders Pony Club. Pony Club is an inter- national club geared toward educating our youth and guiding them toward becom- Sharon Kaak 18207 Shook Lane Yorba Linda, CA ing better horse riders. Pony club will encourage our young horse lovers to become 92886 even better citizens in our already strong community of horse lovers. Phone: 714-606-7136 Fax: 714-274-7136 E-mail: [email protected] This year promises to be full of new experiences. Each month we will have an unmounted lesson and two (or more if you want) mounted lessons. In the last year, we have already hosted Pony Play Days for our members, represented our OC PONY CLUB club in our local parades, made our own homemade horse treats, and partici- pated in a Pony Club Rally and Camp. In 2009 we are hoping to participate in
The Perfect Club for Pony Lovers even more rallies and clinics, as well as to experience some local field trips. We welcome you to join us! To learn more go to: www.ocponyclub.org
Our website is:
www.ocponyclub.org Is there a horse breed you’d like featured in the newsletter? If so, contact Kristen at: [email protected]. Also, send your photos and ads to me. Happy Birthday!
Amy Phantom Ann Teegan 15 on May 3rd May 7th May 14th 11 on May 13th
Sophie 19 on May 2nd
Suggestions, Comments, or Questions: Email Kristen Dvorak at: [email protected] Newsletter Managing Editor: Kristen Dvorak, age 12