JANUARY 2011 THE RIDER /41 Equine Canada’s


Recreational Trail Riders Gain National Voice


Ottawa, ON—Equine Canada is pleased to announce Jack de Wit has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Trails Federation, enhancing and strengthening Equine Canada’s voice for recreational trail riders across the country.


Mr. de Wit, who is an Equine Canada (EC) Board Mem- ber and Chair of the EC Recreation Council, has held Observer Status with the Canadian Trails Federa- tion (CTF) for two years. He was elected at a special meeting of the Canada Trails Federation, leading up to the first-ever National Trail Leadership Round Table recently held by The Trans Canada Trail. “It is a great honour to be the first-elected Director from Equine Canada to the Canadian Trails Federation,” states Mr. de Wit, who has been a volunteer with Equine Canada since 2002 and a leader in advocating eques- trian trail development in Ontario for over a decade.


“My new role means Equine Canada’s recreational trail riders will now have greater input into the decision-making process for equestrian trails across Canada,” reports Mr. de Wit.


“We are extremely proud of the work that Jack has done for recreational and trail riders across Canada. This is another example of his commitment to the Equine


Canada Recreation Division,” stat- ed Michael Gallagher, President of Equine Canada. “Equine Canada’s new membership fee has now finally put us in a position to be able to fund over $100,000 worth of recreational and trail projects in 2011 across Canada and Jack will play a key role in those new pro- jects.”


“It has been my pleasure to work with Jack for nearly five years,” stated Patrick Connor, Vice-President of Canadian Trails Federation. “Through his support of our work in Ontario, national horse and national trails have been well served, as Jack got the National Trails Coalition off the ground. I look forward to his involvement on the CTF Board. Now we can really roll-up our sleeves and get to work.”


Equine Canada was also proud to have Mr. de Wit represent its recreational trail riders at the National Trail Leadership Round Table in November. The session brought trail users, builders and stakeholders together to discuss the future of trails and to launch a national discussion for the devel- opment of a strategic vision for trails in Canada.


This initial collaboration will move the trail sector towards the eventual development of a national trails strategy, which will ensure that sustainable trails


Certification as a professional “stable manager” is now


available through the Equine Studies Institute


Demand for managers who know about equine health care, nutrition, equine safety, facility maintenance and the legal aspects of horse management is by far greater than the availability of qualified persons, said Don Blazer, president of www.horsecourseson- line.com, in announcing the newest series of online courses. HorseC- oursesOnline.com is the world’s leading provider of online equine study curriculum for college degree and professional certifica- tion.


A person with a professional certification will earn on average $25,000 more per year than those without academic credentials, according to the US Census Bureau. In addition, the Bureau reports that 95 per cent of the time an employer will chose a person with credentials over an applicant without.


Stable Management certifi- cation requires the student to com- plete a total of 12 online courses, including Behavior Modification, Equine Massage, Bits, Saddle Fit- ting and Hoof Balance and Prepa- ration for Competition. A list of the 10 core-courses, plus “elec- tives” from which two courses must be chosen can be found at www.equinestudiesinstitute.com “A person who wants to effectively and efficiently manage


a boarding facility today must have wide-ranging knowledge,” said Blazer. “Our faculty is made up of 17 award-winning instructors all with proven records of success in the fields they teach. When a stu- dent earns her stable management certification she is well versed in all the necessary facets of the horse industry,” Blazer said.


Students may enroll in any of the stable management courses at any time, take one course at a time or several, work at their own pace without completion deadlines and never be “locked out.” Stu- dents work when convenient for them, not having to be on the com- puter at any specific time. Course material, which includes text, pho- tographs and videos, can be down- loaded, saved to disc or studied on the computer.


Students work one-on-one with their instructors, getting assis- tance whenever needed. Exams and assignments go directly to the instructor for grading, comments and personal interaction.


Up to six of the stable man- agement courses can be transferred at no cost to the Breyer State Uni- versity Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies


( www.equinedegreeonline.com ) degree program.


remain a priority for governments and communities in the future. Equine Cana- da was proud to have been invited to the table and appreciative of the $300 bur- sary grant by Trans Canadian to offset the cost of its participation.


About Equine Canada’s Recreation Division


The Recreation Division, through its Recreation Council, is responsible for the supervision and co-ordination of all EC program services and activities relat- ing to non-competitive enjoyment of horses. This includes the recommenda- tion of national standards for public rid- ing stables, providing education pro- grams for the public, providing Learn To Ride programs for the public, recom- mending safety guidelines for riding sta- bles and riding programs, advocating for access to public lands and national parks and recommending standards and guide- lines for trail expansion and preserva- tion. The Division is composed of provincial equestrian federations and national recreation organizations. The Council is made up of a maximum of two representatives from each provincial equestrian federation and a maximum of two representatives from national recre- ation organizations, admitted to mem- bership in Equine Canada by the Board of Directors. The Council meets bi- monthly to oversee the above-listed activities, including National Horse Week, held in in the first week of June each year. For additional information about the Equine Canada Recreational Division, please e-mail recreation@equinecanada.ca.


About Equine Canada


For more information about Equine Canada, please visit www.equinecanada.ca.


Phone: (519) 268-2050 email: grantontrailers@execulink.com www.grantontrailers.com


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