10/ DECEMBER 2021 THE RIDER
Pro and Non-Pro Reiner Article Series Insiders Guide: Horse Diagnostics
J&J Reining Inc, Jen Jonas and Sharon Jones
Sharon: We don’t think twice about taking our motors in for a check-up. Mechanics
have a
process they go through, to make sure your vehicle is tickety-boo. How often do we do
this with our horses? Maybe this particular 4- legged vehicle with aro- matic emissions may need some tweaking to perform optimally. Now it’s winter we
can check in with our horse. Is Mr (or Mrs) Ed quite as broke as they should be? Does my horse fully and truly have a solid foundation? My horse is 5 and
not the most talented in the world, she’s also part squirrel. I need to know if I have her focus before we get anything accom- plished. Once we’ve lunged
and we’re ready to ride, I get on and ask for her head to one direction. Is she resisting the bit? I hold until she gives find- ing her release point, then I release. Now, does she want
to boot off into the dis- tance or is she waiting for me to give her the green light? Could I send an email when sitting on her back? She’s great at this as we do it all the time. I pick up the reins
and squeeze with my calves signalling her to move ahead. How much pressure do I need to apply to get a response? Is she waiting for me to tell her which way to go or is she wandering
around like a drunk per- son at a party? I pick up my hand to
see if her chin is soft, if it is I put my hand down, and I now want to test my indicators. Going to the left I pick up my hand slightly and put the rein against her neck – how does she respond? Is there a time lag or is she pushing on that rein? I do the same to the right. I then pick up the jog and do the same thing, testing my indicators. Now it’s time for the brakes. Does she respond to each cue separately (seat, voice, reins), if not then we work on those. Then we move into this exercise from Jen.
Jen: I start with transi- tions in all three gaits. This is where you can tell if your horse is listening to your body. Start at the walk to
trot – they should be soft in their face as they go from the upward transi- tion (trot) to the down- ward transition (walk). In this exercise you want to keep them moving for- ward up into the bridle with the feeling of their energy going forward not leaking out their sides (leaning on your leg ei- ther with rib or hip). I will work on this
until I feel them soften- ing in my hand and re- sponding to the transition just with my seat. Next, I bend my
horse in a circle to see if they are soft in the flex- ion, and moving forward in a rhythmic gait. I will change the direction of the circle and keep my flexion, so if I was cir- cling to the right I would change to the left circle and keep the right flexion – this is counter flex. I go back and forth in my
circles with flexing and counter flexing until I feel the transition is seamless and the horse is soft in my hand with no resistance, and nice ca- dence. When first starting
this exercise make your circles large so your horse can adjust to what you are asking of them. As they begin to under- stand and get soft in this exercise, you can make your circles smaller to challenge the flexion. By doing this until you get a light feel in your hands it will make any maneuver easier for your horse. I love this exercise - it makes a horse that much nicer to ride!
———- Pro and Non-Pro
articles written by Jen Jonas of Jonas Perform- ance Horses (Pro) and Sharon Jones of Be A Better You (Non-Pro). Together, they are J&J Reining Inc. Both
Jen you’re not growing.
OFA board of directors re-elect Peggy Brekveld and Executive to lead organization for another year
GUELPH, ON [November 22, 2021] – The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) Board of Directors gave Peggy Brekveld and the entire Executive Com- mittee a vote of confidence as the leadership group was re-elected for a second con- secutive term. “I appreciate the support
and confidence the board has instilled in our leader- ship group and I’m proud to represent this organization alongside our dedicated, passionate Executive for an- other year,” said Brekveld, OFA President. “I’m look- ing forward to continuing our work and collaborating with industry partners as we
Secretary: Kit Bartle Kelly Lehman
Melanie Gray Shari Irwin
2021 Judges Committee (519) 372-2527
(519) 440-5941 (519) 807-2660 (519) 732-0263
aim to better connect with Ontarians and advocate for issues and priorities that protect Farms and Food Forever.” This is the second year
the President and Executive Committee has been elected by the board of directors following a bylaw ratifica- tion which was voted in by the delegates at the 2020 an- nual meeting. Brekveld, a dairy farmer
email:
melaniegraylifecoach@gmail.com email:
shari_irwin@hotmail.com email:
maddavery@gmail.com email:
drumbolady@hotmail.ca
2021 Sr. Judges
Cally Jo Fritz 21 Taylor Blvd., Elliot Lake, ON P5A 3H5 H: (226) 289-8563, C: (519) 280-8169 Email:
callygene@gmail.com
Melanie Gray 49 White Road, Lakeville, NB E7K 1Y2 (519) 372-2527,
melaniegraylifecoach@gmail.com
Shari Irwin 166 Gleasons Corner Road, Castleton, ON K0K 1M0. (905) 349-1092, Cell (905) 440-5941
shari_irwin@hotmail.com
Jamie Kuhl 899 10th St. W., Owen Sound, ON N4K 3S3 H: (226) 909-1447. C: (647) 290-6093 jamie@archlines .ca
Website:
www.whao.org Celebrating 69 Years! Jr. Judges
Kelly Lehman 895893 Oxford Rd. 3,, Drumbo, ON N0J 1G0 C: (519) 807-2660. E:
maddavery@gmail.com
Anne Marinacci 65 Swayze Court, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0 905-957-5619
Kris Simpson 711 Middletown Rd., RR #2, Waterdown, ON L8B 1P7 (519) 831-7922
richlandshowhorses@gmail.com
Don Stauffer 9626 Wellington Rd. 14, P.O. Box 16, Conn, ON N0G 1N0 (226) 258-9206, Cell (519) 604-8864
thestauffers48@gmail.com
Robyn Storey 6-120 Dudhope Ave., Cambridge, ON N1R 4T7 (519) 620-9015, Cell: (519) 841-3934,
gatorrocks@hotmail.com
Brenda Thompson 284 Whitmore Dr., Waterloo, ON N2K 2N5 (519) 884-4050, Cell (519) 577-7320
bmctearnen@yahoo.ca
Mike Tucker 1581 Maple St. N., R.R. #4, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 (905) 892-5610, Cell (905) 984-1581
m.tucker@hotmail.ca
Inactive Judges John Ward
Dave Black 36 Woodhouse Ave., Port Dover, ON N0A 1G0 C: 905 921 0359 Email:
diamondbquarterhorses@gmail.com
Lorie Duff H; 613 867-0776, C: 613 867 0776 Email:
dufflorie@yahoo.com
Erin Fawcett 9 Strong Court,Brantford, ON N3R 7Y4 C: (519) 754-3526, H: (519) 753-0757 Email:
efawcett78@hotmail.com
Erin O’Drowsky 253 James St. N., St. Mary’s, ON N4X 1A5 H: (519) 284-0684, C: (226) 377-0244 Email:
eodrowsk@gmail.com
with her family near Thun- der Bay, enters her second one-year term as President of the organization. She also serves in the position of Di- rector-at-Large. Along with her current role, Brekveld holds the position of Presi- dent of President’s Council, Vice President of Canlead Solutions and a Director with the Agricultural Adap- tation Council. In 2020, Brekveld recog-
nized was one of six Influ- ential Women in Canadian Agriculture. She has proven to be a strong female role model for the organization and has passionately advo- cated for diversity, equity and inclusion, farmland preservation, broadband ex- pansion, mental health and promoting a strong food value chain for Ontarians.
OFA is also proud to an-
nounce that Mark Reusser has been re-elected as Vice President. Reusser, a turkey farmer near New Dundee, fills the role for his sixth one-year term. Also elected as Vice President is Drew Spoelstra. Spoelstra, who farms with his family in Binbrook, will hold the po- sition for a second one-year term. Rounding out the Ex- ecutive Committee
is
Crispin Colvin, who will re- turn for his second consecu- tive term as Executive Member. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organi- zation in Ontario, represent- ing 38,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organi- zation based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research,
lobby efforts,
community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of
the
farmer. For more informa- tion, visit
www.ofa.on.ca.
and
Sharon are believers in continual learning – if you’re not
learning
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