HAT Chat Articles – April 2005

 

 

A word from our President

 

The rain seems to finally be letting up, the days are finally longer than the nights, and the temperatures are mild – it must be springtime in Texoma.  We all know this won’t last for very long…soon we’ll have 100-degree-plus days and no rain in sight.  Best be enjoying this time while it’s here!

 

We had a really great turnout for our Mare and Foal Clinic at the end of February.  Dr. Hayes and Billy Powers both gave excellent presentations, Mark Arnold served up a delicious meal, and the silent auction was a lot of fun to watch and to participate in.  We’re looking forward to putting together more of these kinds of programs throughout the year.

 

HAT’s first show of the year is coming up on the 17th …are you ready?  Our Shows and Events Committee has made some changes to the show format this year that should make it run much smoother than before.  A list of the changes and a copy of the new showbill are printed in this issue.  If you’ve never been to a HAT show before, I invite you to grab your horse and come on out.  You’re sure to meet a lot of friendly folks, have some fun, and maybe even take home a ribbon or two!  If you don’t own a horse, come on out anyway and watch…we won’t hold that against you!

 

Roger Dougan

HAT President

 

 

It’s Show Time!

 

It’s finally here - HAT’s first open horse show of 2005 is coming up on Sunday, April 17th at Loy Lake Park in Denison.  This show will be held in the open-air Sheriff’s Posse Arena at the park.  Registration opens at 9am, and the first class will show at 10am.

 

As another reminder, please be aware of the following schedule changes from last year’s shows:

·                    There will be no speed events at this show (i.e. no Barrel Racing and no Pole Bending).  These were removed because of low turnout in past shows.

·                    The Horsemanship (Western or English) classes have been divided into separate Western Horsemanship and English Equitation classes.  This change was made at the request of several of our regular show participants.

·                    The order of classes has been changed to be more in line with other area shows, and a scheduled break is now included between the Western and English classes to allow for tack changes.  These were also made at the request of several regular show participants.

 

An updated showbill is included in this issue.

 

We’ll see you there!

 

 

Mare and Foal Clinic a Great Success

 

More than seventy people of all ages attended the Mare & Foal and Breeding/Stallion Management Clinic sponsored by HAT and the Grayson County Extension Office on February 28th.  They had a chance to listen to informative presentations by Dr. Katie Hayes and Billy Powers ranging from preparing a mare for breeding and newborn foal care to promoting your stallion, various breeding options, and managing the environment of your stallion.

 

In addition to a silent auction of horse equipment, equine art, stallion services (including a donated breeding to a miniature spotted jack) and an Equine Touch session, attendees enjoyed dinner prepared by Mark Arnold, Grayson County Extension Agent.  Two non-HAT-member attendee names were drawn for a free one year membership in HAT.  They were Sheila Johnson and John & DeeDee Messersmith.

 

Thanks to the devoted efforts of Sally Thomason and Jenni Dougan, this event was a great way to start off the year!

 

 

 

Association News

 

Stallion Service Auction Entries Still Available

 

A stallion service silent auction was held during the Mare & Foal Clinic on February 28th.  At auction were stallion services that had been donated to HAT, and the starting bids were one-half of each stallion’s listed fee.

 

The following stallion services were offered during the auction:

 

  • Hollywood Tradition (2001 Buckskin AQHA)

Fee $350/Auction $175 (SOLD)

  • Mahan’s Michael The Great (Miniature Donkey)

Fee $150/Auction $75

  • RD’s Max Impulsions (2002 Palomino AQHA)

Fee $500/Auction $250 (SOLD)

  • Royal Heritage CR (2000 ApHC)

Fee $500/Auction $250

  • Too Brite Nugget (1977 ApHC)

Fee $500/Auction $250

 

Three stallion services are still available at the auction price, and are offered to all on a first-come, first-serve basis.  All proceeds from the sales of these services go to HAT to support and expand its activities.

 

If you are interested in purchasing any of the remaining services, please contact Sally Thomason at (903) 463-6463 or the HAT office at the numbers listed below under “How to Contact HAT”.

 

 

Show Volunteers Still Needed

 

HAT is still looking for a few more volunteers to help with the Open Show on April 17th.

 

A lot of effort goes into putting on a horse show, and we couldn’t do it without the help we receive from volunteers.

 

There are many different jobs to do at a horse show.  Our volunteers often have an opportunity to work in more than one area in a single day.  No prior experience is needed – just a desire to help and we’ll show you the rest!

 

This year, HAT is also offering “show bucks” credits to our volunteers based on how long they work.  These credits can be used to pay for class fees at future HAT shows.

 

If you are planning to be at the show and have some spare time, please consider sharing some of that time with HAT as a volunteer.  For more information, contact Sally Thomason at (903) 463-6463 or come by the registration desk at the show

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

May Shows at Rose Hill

 

Rose Hill Stables in Anna has announced two shows for the weekend of May 14-15.

 

The events begin on Saturday, May 14th with a Schooling Jumper Show.  Classes will be offered at heights from 18” crossed rails through 3’ 6”.

 

The weekend continues on Sunday, May 15th with a Combined Test and Schooling Dressage Show.  CT classes will be offered to suit any level of experience through Training Level, as well as separate schooling and even a lead line class for the little ones.

 

Entry forms for these events are printed in this issue.  Entries are also accepted by e-mail or phone.  For more information or to enter, contact Rose Hill by calling (972) 924-2549 or send an e-mail to felicia@rosehillstables.com.  You can also visit their web site at www.rosehillstables.com.

 

 

“Hannah Sue’s Day in the Country” Coming in June

 

Hannah’s Horseshoes of Hope – Triple H Equitherapy is holding a fundraising event called “Hannah Sue’s Day in the Country”.  This is a tour of homes, ranches, and gardens in Bonham and the surrounding area that will take place on June 4th.

 

Hannah’s Horseshoes of Hope – Triple H Equitherapy is a riding therapy program that serves the Red River region including Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, and surrounding counties.  Its founder, Janice Mills, started Triple H with a mission to “provide equine-assisted therapy and rehabilitation for children and adults with physical, mental, emotional, and learning disabilities”.  It is named after Mrs. Mills’ granddaughter, Hannah Sue Mills, who was born with Down’s Syndrome.  Triple H is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a member of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA), with its instructors certified to teach riding therapy.

 

“Hannah Sue’s Day in the Country” will begin at 10am on June 4th in the Bonham High School parking lot and conclude at 5pm.  Tickets are $10 each, and may be purchased in advance at Mary’s Boutique or Fannin Bank in Bonham, or on the day of the tour at the high school and any of the homes.  For more information about this event or about Triple H, call Janice at (903) 664-3062.

 

 

 

Extension Service News

 

by Eddie Baggs, CEA-Agriculture

Denton County Cooperative Extension

 

Control Grazing Horses

 

Most horse ranches could benefit from some type of controlled grazing system.  Permanent pastures are starting to come out of dormancy, making this an excellent time to establish a grazing plan.  High quality forage is a healthy and important part of nutrition for horses.  It is advisable to control spot grazing or overgrazing by dividing large areas into smaller grazing cells.  Forage that is over-grazed, not only invites weed problems in the pasture, but can affect forage intake of the horse as well as diminishing forage production.  Horses also have a selective grazing instinct.  This instinct may result in some “new growth” areas being over-grazed while mature forages grow past the point of palatability as well as quality.  Allowing for rest periods from grazing can increase total forage production and help sustain higher stocking rates.  Removing horses from pastures part of the day or rotating horses from one pasture to another are practices that will provide rest periods.  The nutrient content and digestibility of bermudagrass pasture will be optimal if grazed at a height of 4-6 inches.  Scheduling access to pastures can be implemented around other ranch routines, such as morning or evening feedings.  This would allow horses to graze for 10-12 hours between feedings.  Shorter grazing periods would be required in times when forage supply and production are limiting factors.

 

Rotational grazing plans require the use of more than one pasture.  Many farms using continuous grazing as the only grazing system can easily divide large pastures into two or more grazing cells by the use of temporary fencing.  Typical fencing alternatives include multi-wire fencing, electric fencing or electrified poly-tape.  Horses placed behind temporary fencing must be adapted to it.  Use of temporary fencing in large areas will allow horses to become accustomed to it before being confined to smaller grazing cells.  Improving the visibility of temporary fencing by tying ribbons on wires and posts, or by using such products as poly-tape, will help ensure safety.  It should be remembered that horses cannot be stocked as densely as other species of livestock because of their high level of aggressive behavior toward one another.  Thus, the use of small grazing cells for large numbers of horses has its limitations.

 

Educational programs conducted by the Texas Cooperative Extension serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

 

 

 

This Month’s Recipe

 

Mediterranean-Style Baked Chicken                                                                                                     Serves 8

 

1/2 cup                      salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip®)

1/4 cup                      chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup                      lemon juice

2 tbsp                        dry white wine

2 tsp                          dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp                       salt

1/2 tsp                       black pepper

2                               cloves of garlic, minced

3 lbs                          bone-in skinless chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or breasts)

 

·        Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large bowl.  Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to marinate (overnight if possible).

·        Preheat oven to 375° F.  Remove chicken from bowl and place in a shallow baking pan.  Discard marinade.

·        Bake for 50-55 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.