14/ SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2021 THE RIDER


2021 Ontario Trail Riders Association Board of Directors


President Sonja Wyss 705-434-7947 info@barefoot-saddlecanada.ca


Secretary Laurie Panagiotou 905-807-2786 lauriep1@live.ca


Treasurer/Membership Elaine Wiesner 519-940-1710 elaine.a.wiesner@gmail.com


Website Development Tina Kerst 416-907-6051 tiamiadart@gmail.coma


Directors at Large Karen Plume, 519-604-4020, kp59ca@gmail.com Cathy Togeretz, 519-465-1758, cathytogeretz@sympatico.ca


Area Representative Elaine Wiesner 519-940-1710 elaine.a.wiesner@gmail.com


Sandra Kendall, 905-939-8356, rlsophia29@gmail.com Lana English, 519-658-3489, lanaenglish@sympatico.ca


9045 20 Sideroad, Tosorontio, Lisle, ON L0M 1M0 • www.ontariotrailriders.ca


OTRA and its members represent the equestrian trail user with Ontario Equestrian and Equestrian Canada. We welcome your membership to help support the voice of OTRA on your behalf. Visit our Facebook Page


The Ontario Trail Riders Association Inc, estab- lished in 1970, is an equestrian organization which promotes recreational trail riding and the creation, development, preservation and safe use of trails.


Requirements: If a non-mem- ber, please see ride organizer and pay day fee: all participants must sign a waiver and show proof of liability insurance.


Change of Season … or Autumn Melancholy! As I am sitting here at our


campfire in Quebec on a little camping getaway with hubby, lots of thoughts come to mind while enjoying the beauty around me. Having my very dependable and capable friend farm sitting and taking care of the horses,


milking my goats, and loving up our two shepherds and the barn cat allows me to REALLY relax and enjoy some non-equine time away from home. All this ‘free- dom’ brings about several real- izations, with the following two being my main ones:


One – Fall is just around the cor- ner, and seeing that first V-forma- tion of Canada geese is a sure sign of what’s to come. Some of the trees have begun changing to a little red… I guess, two more weeks, and we’ll see the gor- geous, full color spectrum. Fall


also brings with it the end of some ‘things’, cleaning up, and putting away. Keeping this topic somewhat ‘horsey’ here, our rid- ing partners may change to in- door board, and/or new location. Coming off the grass or pasture brings with it new nutrition re- quirements and restocking your feed room with your (or your horse’s!) favorite feeds and sup- plements. Hay should have ide- ally been stored by now but if you prefer to get small amounts as required, don’t wait for the muck season to starts. It is no fun getting and handling a truckload in wet or muddy conditions. Blankets for those rainy and sin- gle-digit days should have been cleaned and ready for use but if you have missed it, now is a good time to get it done. Buckets with heaters, or those heaters for water troughs should be checked and in working order, ready to be plugged in. Tack that has been lying around, waiting to be cleaned or fixed – time to do some ‘sorting’ and possible ‘purging’??? And then there are all the ‘play ground’ toys and ob-


stacles that need to come indoors, either for use or for storage. Tak- ing them in a few at a time might be less overwhelming.


Two – We horseback riders are more than just people who like to be with their horses! In my case, every aspect of my live involves horses somehow. However, this year in particular, and especially with all the restrictions and limi- tations we still had in place, gave me chance to do some things ‘other’ than trail riding, attend or organize equine related clinics, go horse camping, etc. Did I miss spending all that time with my horses? Yes, a lot. However, it also gave me a chance to come back to some activities I had not done in several years, and to try out and pursue some new interest and picking up new skills. A friend of mine for example real- ized how much she missed being in and on water and decided to take up paddleboarding… yeah! mine will be here, ready to meet up with her on a regular basis next year to enjoy! Another friend started enjoying pottery,


with another picking up her paintbrushes again. Hubby and I made time and started to join up with the neighbours and explore several new restaurants via mo- torbike. And yes, I am saying it, I am actually looking forward to the weekly snowshoeing with (yes!) some horsey friends, comes winter!


Riding is a lot of fun, and


my all my horses have a special place in my heart and my life. But we CAN and NEED to do some other things also, if for no other reason than balance. We are not getting any younger either, and live is too short to not try AND enjoy it all. Having said all that, as soon as I am back home I’ll be hooking up the trailer, pack food and water for myself and my horse, then head up for my first 3-day OTRA ride this year to Algonquin!


Happy Trails…


Submitted by Sonja Wyss, OTRA President 2021


Do you have a special occasion or announcement to make? Consider putting it in The Rider!


My partner Dave Aitchison and I operate Aitchison Show Horses and Hockley Hills School


of Horsemanship from our dream location in Orangeville, Ontario. We take great pleasure train- ing, breeding and showing Quarter Horses. Dave is a long- time trainer and has a keen eye for talented young horses and finding potential horses for his clients. I purchased the farm in 2014 as a non-revenue gener-


We also have training stalls/ boarding available!


ating business and in a short period of time have built it into a successful and respected riding & boarding academy here in Orangeville, offering lessons in both English and Western disciplines, preparing students to obtain different levels of certification and for the show ring. For these reasons, I am no stranger to hard work and accomplishing tasks under pressure. My 30 years of experience with horses, farm life, designing and building farms in the past has given me a great amount of knowledge in all aspects of owning and operating a farm and business. I pay extra attention to details and could even say I'm a little obsessive! My life experiences align well with the skills and character needed to be your partner in the process of selling or buying your home or business.


RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. BROKERAGE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED.


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