Affiliate News


Fort Worth Dressage Club News


The Fort Worth Dressage Club (FWDC) is a


club devoted to dressage and dressage activities for its members. We work throughout the year to provide educational opportunities and fun activi- ties for our members. FWDC holds monthly meetings at Szechuan


Chinese Restaurant off Bryant Irving the 4th Mon- day of every month at 6:30 PM. Everyone is wel- come. FWDC sends out a weekly group e-mail to its


members to keep them informed of club happen- ings and dressage activities in the area. Please let me know if you would like a dressage event added to our calendar and we would be happy to do so. And if you have a personal accomplishment let us know and we would love to recognize you! FWDC also sends out a twice a month


newsletter to members with member highlights, classifieds and club happenings.


Recognized Dressage Show held


Next up is our at


Somervell Expo in Glen Rose March 25 and 26. This show will count towards Championships held in October in Katy, TX. We will have a reception for participants and volunteers Friday night, our annual Wear Red for Wings of Hope donation, and the always exciting Freestyle classes. If you are interested in dressage, please stop by and watch and learn about this Olympic sport. Congratulations to FWDC member Mary


Group lesson to FWDC members


Gillis. Mary is now an Austin Dressage Unlimited graduate with honors. Mary had applied for the Bachelors program but did so well she was elevated


Gretchen Aycock


on Royal Jester


to the Masters level. Mary promotes gaited dres- sage in our area and established a new gaited dres- sage section for her Regional Breed show. FWDC is proud to have such an enthusiast in our club! Our 2016 membership application is on our


website www.fortworthdressageclub.com. Our site contains past newsletters, pictures of members at different events, as well as the latest happen- ings. Join FWDC to learn more about the won- derful sport of dressage! w


COMPETITIVE TRAIL NEWS IN THE SW OVERCOMING TROUBLES TRAILS PRIMED FOR SPRING COMPETITIONS


ON THE TRAIL March leads into the heart of the


spring competitive trail season in the southwest with trail organizations fea- turing competitions for equestrians of all types. The North American Trail Ride


Conference (NATRC) starts off with the Scamper at 7IL in Cat Springs, Texas on March 4-5. Ride manager Gayle Muench is pleased to offer the 2nd Annual 7IL Buckle Series which combines the points of the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) races of High Roller and the Texas Trail Challenge Club (TTCC) Royal Flush June 10-11. “We have introduced several


buckle series to encourage horse and rider teams to stretch themselves and try different distances and different speeds in trail competitions,” said Muench. “It seems the horses enjoy the variety too.” The Scamper is followed by


NATRC’s Raising the Bar on March 18-19 at C Bar Ranch in Valley Mills, Texas. This is a new venue for NATRC, but one which has offered


AERC and TTCC rides re- cently. AERC offers its Shang- hai Trails endurance races at Pierce Ranch in Wharton County, Texas on March 25-26. These trails parallel the Col- orado River and feature several wooden bridges. April brings NATRC’s


Pole Canyon CTR to Quitaque, Texas on April 8-9 where riders can enjoy the red rock canyons while traversing the river. AERC Racing Stripes will be held at Preifert Ranch, and the TTCC Peach Hill Promenade at High Gate Ranch in Dripping Springs also on April 8-9. Competitions re- turn to Tarrant Ranch in Bullard, Texas for two weekends with a TTCC on April 22-23 and a NATRC CTR on April 29-30. Additional information for


these events and more can be found on the organizations’ web- sites and Facebook pages, or by calling Elaine Swiss on 830-825- 3032. w


When you envision going on a


trail ride, you most likely imagine a relaxing outing with your horse, un- less your horse jigs, spooks, bolts, or insists on being the lead horse. Then your trail ride is stressful. And al- though you can resolve most trail troubles with lots of trail miles, you can help your horse along the way. If your horse insists on being the


lead horse, you can play leap frog to help him become more confident in other positions. Ask a buddy to assist you. Start with your horse in the lead position. As you walk along, slowly count to 10, and then allow the buddy’s horse to pass. Count to 10 again, and then swap places. Repeat


by Laurie Oehlerking


while gradually increasing the count number. When your horse is confident swapping positions with one horse, add another horse to the exercise and repeat. One of the best ways to help


an anxious horse is to simply ride. The more trail miles your horse ac- cumulates, the more confident he’ll become. If your weekend trail ride is the only time you ride each


week, or month, your horse’s trail skills won’t improve quickly. Com- mitting to practice with even short (20-30 minute) schooling session can have a big impact. If your horse is exceptionally anxious, or you are unsure how to help him overcome his trail troubles, consider engaging a professional instructor or trainer. To gain those needed trail miles,


consider participating in organized and/or competitive trail rides. With knowledgeable, certified judges, you’ll always go home with con- structive feedback that you can use to make schooling sessions more productive and trail rides more en- joyable. w


March 2017 SouthWest Horse Trader 33


Optical Harmonics


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