Equine Directory Online Blog for El Dorado County

NorCal Extreme Cowboy and Cowgirl Challenge - 2 Day Event

2010-02-26T23:01:30Z

Day One: March 20, 2010 all day - Howard Park, Ione. This event will be a two part event. We will be having a sanctioned ExCA event on Saturday the 20th we will offer all divisions on one day. On Sunday we will have our judges available for answers to your questions and Bill Cameron will present a clinic on what ExCA judges are looking for. He will help each individual participant, one on one with what they need help with. Click here for more details and entry form.

Day Two: March 21, 2010, 9am - 5pm - Howard Park, Ione. We are pleased to have Bill Cameron judging this event. He will also be offering a clinic, to key us in on what exactly the ExCA is looking for as far as what the horse and rider look like while going through the obstacles and how they would like to see each obstacle done. If you're getting serious about ExCA, if you've had questions about how to do a certain obstacle, or would like to know what to do in certain situations, this is a great opportunity to ask one of the best in the Association. Bill Cameron was our regional champion last year, and has competed and done very well in the bigger challenges. He knows what is expected and what to do to get there. The fees for the clinic are $100 as a participant with your horse or $20 for auditing

Safe Haven Horse Rescue Fundraising

2010-02-26T22:46:25Z

You could win a barn! Or $5,000 cash. How? By purchasing a rafffle ticket for just $10. See flyer for details.

2 Mini Horses Need a Good Home

2010-02-26T22:41:02Z

2 minis that have reached pony size need a good home. They are older (10 & 15), not broke to ride/carts and just spoiled pets. I have them boarded at a private residence and I am finding I really do not have enough time to spend with them. They deserve something better than what I am providing. They are healthy and just received their vet exam and shots this past Monday. One is a mare (sorrel) and the other is a gelding (palomino color). The mare cannot be on pasture as she has foundered.

If you are or know of anyone that would be interested in keeping them as pets, please let me know: Janet at jdavidson@wongelectric.com

Fuzzy Wuzzy Horse Show

2010-02-10T11:49:41Z

Fuzzy Wuzzy Horse Show Open To El Dorado County 4-H and FFA Members.

Sunday, February 21st at 9:00am, rain or shine, Placerville Fairgrounds.

Class fee: $4.00 per class or $20.00 for the day. Half off for each additional family member. No cost for games at end of rail classes but please bring a prize for the prize bucket. Keep cost under $5.00 dollars ( ideas- brushes, shampoo, candy,socks, markers)

Entries can be found at the El Dorado County 4-H Horse Project web site.

Jumping will start with warm up from 8:30 to 9:00, classes start at 9:00. Western rail classes not to start before 11:00am.

Jumping classes: offer two height divisions. Please pick the appropate height for you and your horses ability. Those in the 2 foot division may enter the 18 inch division as a pratice ride and will not be judged. Those in the 18 inch division may enter the ground poles low cross bars division as a pratice ride and will not be judged. CLASS FEES Will APPLY. We will run all classes in a height division before moving to the higher division.

Green Horses Are W/T only. For horses in there 1st or second year of showing. Ground poles and low crossbars Walk/Trot and Green Horse.

List Your Horses for Sale Here

2010-02-10T11:23:54Z

NEW service for those of you wanting to sell your horse or those of you in need of a horse. List your horse for sale on our Horses for Sale page. We recieve inquiries about horses for sale from viewers looking for
many different breeds of horses and disciplines of training. Send us information about the horse, plus a picture. And all for just $15! Contact us and we'll get your horse for sale listed soon.

Castle County Riders Gymkhana at Howard Park Covered Arena in Ione, California

2010-01-21T22:41:34Z

Castle Country Riders is a dedicated gymkhana group in Ione, California that is active District 27 of the California Gymkhana Association. Gymkhana is an action packed sport consisting of timed skill and speed events on horseback. We run bi-monthly shows, rain or shine, consisting of a rotating schedule of 13 different events at the Howard Park covered arena in Ione, California. We operate a snack bar, serving breakfast to specialty menus of excellent fare and beverages, in a family atmosphere and with vendors attending shows. All participants are welcome with special emphasis by district members available to help new riders to the sport. Our show season runs from November through April, primarily during the inclement weather months of the year when you can't ride anywhere else outdoors. We give out daily prizes to 1st through 5th place and High Point and Reserve awards in all 7 horse and pony divisions in addition to Lead-Liners and you may accumulate points toward our year end standings. Thousands of dollars are spent on super prizes for riders each season. Points are also sent to the CGA for year end awards on a statewide level. Gymkhana divisions are designed to allow any rider from beginner to hall of famer to participate and win. During the season we run our Annual Castle Country Challenge Buckle Series where riders compete for Custom Trophy Buckles and other specialty series awards. Come on out to ride or just come to watch the action. Spectators and parking are always free. Visit us at www.cga27.com for information, show schedules, pictures, and contact information.

FREE! Thoroughbred Horses in need of HOME, please pass this along!

2010-01-18T23:12:01Z

We were recently sent this information on these two horses and wanted to pass it along. The current owner wants them to have a good home, so she is giving them away. Please respond to her directly, see info below.

The info below is from the current owner:

Sailor: Registered TB Gelding, hunter jumper training. 16.1hh, approx 10yrs old. Very sweet and smart, requires intermediate rider. I worked him for a year on confidence with jumping and is jumping 3-4 ft and loving it. He still needs work on his lines and pacing up to jumps. He is more high strung/ energetic, but has a very good heart. He has had a lot of time on trails, and has only spooked a few times in all the time on trails.

Bentley: Registered TB Gelding, great on trails, mello disposition, will need front shoes. 6 yrs old this year, Registered as Clever Commander (sold for almost half a million as a yearling), 16.3hh. Very mellow and sweet disposition. He has had a lot of time on trails as well and has never spooked. He has had a lot of basic and ground manner training. He his a good eventing horse prospect, but will require shoes.

I would really like them to go to a home together where they could be used to their full potential. I have put a lot of training into them and hate seeing it go to waste. These were both racetrack rescues from the kill buyers and I want to make sure they never get put in that situation again. If I were not in a position to have to get rid of them I would not, but at this point I just want them in a loving home. I am giving them away, as long as it's a good home.

Jessica Roth
530-503-9098
530-957-5381
jpuppie@hotmail.com

Horses, Inside and Out - Painted Horses for Anatomy Students

2010-01-03T20:52:30Z

With 205 bones and 700 muscles the horse is a challenging animal for anatomy students to study.

That was until champion rider Gillian Higgins came up with the novel idea of showing people how it all works. Rather than bog them down with dusty diagrams and skeletal sketches, she hit upon the idea of painting the inner workings of the horse on the beast itself.

Now veterinary students, race horse trainers, eventers, pony club members and dressage judges are flocking to her lectures to see the horse painting in action. Ms Higgins uses water-based hypoallergenic paints which are easy to wash off afterwards. She takes four hours to apply the equine make-up - painting the skeletal structure on one side and the multi-coloured musculature on the other.

'"Painting the skeleton and musculature on the side of the horse really helps to bring the subject to life," she says, "You can discover how to get the best out of your horse by seeing exactly what happens as it moves."

Gillian, 27, a sports remedial therapist, from Nottingham, England, first hit on the idea three years ago after completing a degree in equine business management at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

She said, "I realized that many riders and trainers could benefit from a better understanding of how the horse works. With all those bones and muscles with incredibly long names, it can be a bit much to take it all in. I'm trying to show the anatomy and how the horse works in an interesting and easy to understand way. I started gradually with a bit of paint but then became more and more in demand. Now I go all over the country from Cornwall to Inverness and I'm soon flying off to South Africa to give a demonstration there."

Normally her models are her 12 year old eventer Freddie Fox or six year old Henry - although if she travels further afield from home she relies on schools and colleges to provide a steed for her. Greys are best because the colours show up more clearly.

Gillian, who won a gold medal at the student riders nations cup in 2006, said, "Freddie Fox is the best model because he has just the right temperament and loves to be the centre of attention at the demonstrations. Being painted isn't much different for them as being groomed or handled. They don't mind at all. The worst thing that has ever happened was when a horse that had not minded being painted in the slightest, then had to go into an arena in front of 150 people. He got a bit spooked up by the crowd and was jumping around and became a little bit too much."

For more information and details of Gillian's book, How Your Horse Moves, visit Horses Inside and Out.

Christmas Shop Feed Stores for the Horse Enthusiast

2009-12-13T09:08:26Z

If you haven't visited your local feed store lately, you'll be surprised that many of them sell more than just hay and grain. Many of our local feed stores have great gift items for the horse enthusiast. From Breyer Horses, books, boots, jackets, purses, wallets, to a variety of decorations for the home; you'll be sure to find something for everyone. So this year, when you don't want to travel to a mall, or buy the "usual" gift item, go to the feed store and check it out. Don't forget gifts for the doggies and kitties in your life too.

Click here to see our listings for feed stores in the Placerville and surrounding areas. (Be sure to tell them you saw their ad on the Equine Directory Online website.)

Santa Claus is coming to Pony Town! Saturday, December 12th.

2009-12-05T05:53:02Z

Come out and get in the holiday spirit and support The Grace Foundation with a Cowboy Christmas. Click on the graphic below for complete information.

Cowboy Christmas at Grace Foundation