AUGUST 2021 THE RIDER /15


Equine Guelph Partners with Best Horse Practices for 4th Annual Summit


Guelph, ON - July 21, 2021 - Equine Guelph has announced its support of the fourth annual Best Horse Practices Sum- mit (BHP) taking place at Spy Coast Farm, Lexington, KY, on October 29-31, 2021. “While we will not be among the lucky 200 registrants


at this live event, we are happy to be sponsoring one of the presenters, accomplished author, clinician and Equine Guelph Alumni, Jec Ballou,” says Equine Guelph director, Gayle Ecker. The BHP summit aims to strengthen links between


equine research and horsemanship circles by highlighting the practical and academic strategies that make horses’ lives better. Presenters at the BHP summit include equine body


worker, Jim Masterson, parasitologist Dr. Martin Nielsen, anatomy specialist, Jon Zahourek, and popular clinicians: Dr. Sheryl King, Amy Skinner, Wade Black, Katrin Silva, Warwick Schiller, Susan Kauffmann, Christine Cline and Jec Ballou. Equine Guelph will be sponsoring Sunday’s presenta-


tions with Jec Ballou on cross training and versatility. Once a student of Equine Guelph’s Online Exercise Physiology course, Jec continues to share her passion for the subject showing people how to help horses use their bodies with ease, strength, and balance through varied work and cross- disciplinary exercises. She will highlight the pitfalls of training specificity and repetitive movements and her class- room presentation will be followed by arena demos. Want to see how past BHP summits have focused on


horse-human partnerships in their demonstrations? You can stream all the videos at a discounted price during the COVID19 pandemic. “Equine Guelph shares the mission of separating myth


from science so horse owners can make informed decisions regarding their horse’s health and welfare,” says Equine Guelph director, Gayle Ecker. “We hope participants keen to keep learning from their homes after the summit will take a look at our globally recognized, award-winning, online learning programs and pursue their passion for helping horses for life.” Conference attendees will have the opportunity to


enter a raffle for a chance to win one of our short online courses on TheHorsePortal.ca. Register for the Best Horse Practices Summit in Lex-


OTRA News Continued from Page 14


Henry decided he would have no part of that cute horse leaving. It was all of the incentive he needed. We made into Lower Quarry right about 4 am, met by the most amazing volunteers. I’ve volunteered there


three times in the past. The folks there on Sunday morn- ing showed me what a truly amazing volunteer is. They all worked incredibly hard to get each of us out and on the trail to the finish. Thank you to everyone that was there and made that fast getaway possible. Six miles. Six fast miles my friend, we can do this! We both know this trail well, let’s go! Mr. Henry was agreeable to picking up the pace along the Quarry Road, but only at about six-ish miles per hour. I thought, we’ll make this work, some- how.


With another rider


coming from behind, trotting fast, once again, Mr. Henry dug deep into his reserves and kept up with that fast lit- tle Arab. We hung onto them across No Hands, across the wooden bridge at Canyon Creek, and on up the road until we made the final right turn onto the single track that takes you to the Overlook. That’s when Mr. Henry let me know what our pace would be. We walked at the pace he was willing to give me.


By now, I’d learned


what it took to get him to move and I tried all the tricks I’d figured out. Nope, this is


our pace and that’s that. We stopped at the spring with the water trough and he took several long, long drinks. Other horses came by and I hoped that he’d have re- newed enthusiasm to stay with them. No thank you, I’ll just finish my drink. So, con- tinued up the hill toward Auburn, me pleading, re- minding him that his mom was waiting there with all sorts of groceries, and of course by now we were on a first name basis, John, let’s just do this. Whatever pace you want is fine, let’s just get there! Once again, his re- sponse to my request was “I’ve got this, you just sit tight, we’ll get there, don’t worry.” WE DID CROSS THE


FINISH LINE to cheers, hugs and tears being shed, not only by me. It was 24 minutes past 5:15. We may not have achieved that 6th buckle, or broken that long standing record, but HE DID go the distance. He went the 100 miles at 21 years old, after a five-year sabbatical from Tevis, and most impor- tantly, from recovering from that horrific injury only two years before. Mr. Henry is an amazing spirit. He is a cham- pion and a warrior. He went the 100 miles, giving me all that I asked for and more. I am so proud and honored that I got to ride him. I know that he’ll be back stronger than ever and is a force to be reckoned with.


(Written by Jenny Seames Gomez, Greenwood Califor- nia – slightly edited to fit and submitted by OTRA Presi- dent Sonja Wyss)


ington, KY, October 29-31, 2021 at: https://www.besthorsepractices- summit.org/registration/ About Equine Guelph: Equine Guelph is the horse


owners’ and care givers’ Centre at the University of Guelph in Canada. It is a unique partnership dedicated to the health and well-being of horses, supported and overseen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epicentre for acade- mia, industry and government - for


the good of the equine industry as a whole. For further information, visit www.equineguelph.ca. Story by: Jackie Bellamy-


Zions, Equine Guelph Photo at Right: BHP presenter Jec


Ballou talks about her connection as an Equine Guelph Alumnus and her career journey. Jec Ballou talks about her ex-


perience with an Equine Guelph on- line


course https://youtu.be/ipTX6yn0794 -


1-877-TRYAVIA (519) 264-2354


RR #1, 8782 Longwoods Road, Mt. Brydges, ON N0L 1W0


www.viatrailers.ca


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