Spring Down Low Down Newsletter
The newsletter of Spring Down Equestrian Center
Vol.4, Issue 1
Spring/Summer 2007
Welcome
The summer season is fast approaching, and along with summer comes many wonderful, exciting events at Spring Down. The season will kick off with our June 3rd Open Horse Show, to which everyone in the Spring Down community is invited. Come and show your favorite horse, or if you’re not quite ready to actually be in the show ring, we always need many people of all ages to be helping out behind the scenes.
Our summer camp starts on June 18th, so don’t miss out on the Spring Down Summer Camp experience. Some of our sessions are already full because camp is so popular, but please check with the office to see which camps still have available spots. And, remember, our camps are not just for kids - we have adults who also participate in our summer camp. It is a very complete and comprehensive introduction to horseback riding and horsemanship, and it can be a great experience for all ages.
Please check out the calendar of events to see what other events will be coming up this summer. Everything from vaulting competitions, to Hunter/Jumper clinics, Safety Clinics, and Spring Down Anniversary Parties will be filling our season, so come and join us for as many events as you can!!
Helpful Reminders
- Please use a stud chain when walking your horse anywhere on Spring Down property.
- Please put a halter on your horse, and tie to the twine in their stall/paddock with a quick release knot when tacking up or untacking.
- Please wear a helmet at all times when mounted, whether riding on Spring Down property or out on the trails.
Horse Show News
Our March Show turned out to be a beautiful, spring day, so we were able to have the competition outside in our two major arenas. As usual, the day was a great success, with all of our competitors learning a lot about the workings of a horse show. Whether they came away with a ribbon or not, all of our exhibitors were winners because they got to spend a beautiful day with their horses and learn different things about horsemanship than a riding lesson can teach you.
The SD Rhythm ‘n Blues Drill Team gave a terrific performance, with both teams performing this time. Despite some small excitement with the Sunday team, all the riders gave an exemplary performance. The audience had a wonderful time swingin’ to the beat - and we all look forward to the next time we can see SD Rhythm ‘n Blues perform.
That next time will be June 3rd at our Open Horse Show. We plan to have a very exciting day! Not only will we have some new, fun, and challenging classes, but we will also be offering 3 highpoint awards. There will be a Beginner division, an Advanced Junior division, and an Advanced Senior division, with a highpoint award given for each division. Please see the new show premium for more details.
Also at this show, we plan to have two fundraising events. One will be a bake sale from which the proceeds will go to “the guys”. Please see page 8 for more details about this worthwhile project.
We will also be having a “2nd Chance Rummage Sale, proceeds from which will go to the groom’s fund for the grooms who were involved in the tragic car accident on April 1st. Also page 8 for more details about the sale.
Barn Rules
Please see the bulletin board for a complete list of the new and revised barn rules. These rules apply to boarders and lesson customers alike, although some of them are primarily applicable to boarders. Here are some of the important highlights:
- No smoking anywhere on SD property.
- No jumping without instructor present in that arena for individuals under 18 years of age (boarders only).
- Speed limit on SD property is 5 MPH. Don’t spook the horses.
- Hard hats must be worn at all times whenever mounted. Closed-toed shoes are required when handling horses.
- All riders are responsible for cleaning up after their horses when outside of their stalls.
- All horses must have a stud chain in place when outside of stall unless wearing a bridle. If at any time you are found with no stud chain in place, you may be fined $10.
- Boarders need to know that lessons have priority and you may be asked to leave if the arena is too crowded or your horse is behaving in a manner that may disrupt the lesson. Please check with instructor before entering the arena.
- All horses must be tacked and untacked in the stall, with halter on and lead rope tied or looped if horse does not tie.
- No bareback riding at any time unless inside an arena (boarders only), and no riding on asphalt.
Welcome to New Horses at Spring Down
- Sassy
- Smoothie
- Smokey
- Cleo
Welcome to New Horse Friends and their Owners!!!
- Melinda Adkins and Skip
- Beatrice Infante and Wonderous
- Christina Gray and Creggan
Christmas Gift to Grooms
In tribute to all of the hardworking grooms who work behind the scenes at Spring Down, we came together as a community to give them a gift during the holiday season. Every one of the guys is dedicated to keeping our equestrian center running smoothly, and our wonderful and caring Spring Down community raised $5,000.00 to show them just how much we all appreciate them. This is tangible evidence of how highly we think of our Spring Down grooms, and how much we care about each and every one of them.
A Heart Felt Tribute and Farewell to these Wonderful Horses...
- Cc, owned by Maureen Early
- Lady, owned by Julia Caruana
- Red, owned by Saylor Gibbs
Nacho Update
Nacho is doing well, and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the Spring Down community for their outpouring of help and support.
Please, everyone, remember how important it is to stay in contact with Nacho at this time. His spirits can be kept up if he is reminded often by letters, pictures, and cards just how much we love him and care about him. If anyone has an interest in visiting Nacho, please contact Leslie Norton, as she is arranging his visits so that everyone gets a chance to see him. It is best to email her at sdecsupportgroup@gmail.com.
Eduardo is home now with his family, and he is healing well. His medical care is being coordinated by Spring Down’s own Linda Barman. Thank you to Linda for helping with this effort. Eduardo has made a couple of visits to Spring Down, and he seems always happy to be able to come back and visit.
To everyone who has helped out in this situation, a huge thank you for all of your efforts! Please see the article in a later section of this newsletter about how you can continue to help out with our fundraiser coming up in the beginning of June!!
Tack-up Lessons
Spring Down will be continuing to offer group tack-up lessons on a monthly basis. The lessons are scheduled every Sunday, at noon, for one hour.
“Why take this lesson?,” you may ask. At Spring Down, we teach comprehensive horsemanship, not just horseback riding. A very important component of horsemanship is understanding the equipment you are using on any given horse: both how it is put on, and how and why it works. The group tack-up lessons will allow time both for demonstration of the equipment that we use, and hands on practice with someone standing by for instruction and assistance.
General grooming and equipment used for grooming will also be taught in the tack-up lesson. And, of course, as we are very safety conscious here at Spring Down, techniques for keeping both you and your horse safe will be taught so that everyone is safe and comfortable during the grooming and tacking-up procedures.
Please see the office to schedule yourself into one of these tack up lessons. If you are unable to make the group lessons, a private lesson may be arranged. The group lessons are preferable, because the hour will allow you to become familiar with more different types of equipment and also allows for more time to practice. A private lesson is the next best thing, however, if that is what your schedule will allow.
Horse Slaughter News
On September 7th, 2006, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503 was passed in the House of Representatives. The Senate, however, failed to pass it’s version of the bill, S. 1915 by not allowing to come to a vote in that calendar year.
Once again, in January of 2007, these bills have been reintroduced in the House (H.R.503) and the Senate (now S. 311), and we need to continue to be active in seeing that these bills pass this year! Please see www.equineadvocates.org as a source of both information and where to write to your government leaders to get action on these bills THIS YEAR!! We can wait no longer to eliminate this tragic practice.
News From the Office
As we get into summer schedules, please remember that Spring Down has a strict 24 hour cancellation policy. If you do not cancel with 24 hours notice, you will be charged for your lesson. This policy exists because we have reserved your teacher’s time for you, your horse’s time for you, and very often the horse has been tacked up by one of our grooms.
Please officially welcome some new faces in the office. Our office manager is now Michelle Christian, who many of you recognize as a wonderful teacher and trainer. She has been doing an exemplary job as our office manager,using her creativity and ingenuity to make our office run more smoothly.
Donna Stillwell is our newest office assistant, and the degree of efficiency in our office has increased dramatically since she has joined our staff. She and Michelle have a wonderful rapport and working relationship, and it is fun to be in the office working with them.
Of course, our wonderful Dianne Garcia continues to keep the barn running smoothly every Monday, and boy, is it a challenging job on the first day of the week! Kudos to Dianne!
And, our two newest office helpers are Gina Foti, and Natalie Feirman. These two young ladies assist with all kinds of office tasks each and every weekend. A very big thank you for all of their efforts!
Horse Show Dates:
- June 3rd, 2007
- August 26th, 2007
- October 21st, 2007
- December 2nd, 2007
Summer Camp is Coming!!! Immediate Openings for:
- July 2nd - July 13th
- July 16th - July 27th
- July 30th - August 10th
- August 13th - August 24th
Intermediate/Advanced Camp: July 9th - July 13th
There are only 10 spots open in this camp in its entirety, so sign up now to secure your spot!!
Carol’s Famous Safety Clinic: Please let the office know if there is interest in another safety clinic... and Carol will schedule one!
Spring Down Anniversary Celebration!!! September 2nd, 2007
Are you ready to join a group lesson?
A frequently asked question is “When will I (or my child) be able to join a group?” There is no one answer to that question, because every person, no matter how young or old, learns skills at a different rate. According to most experienced instructors, the time may vary from just a few months, to over a year or more. But, there are a few key criteria from which we instructors judge whether or not joining a group is feasible:
- Can you get your horse out of the stall to the arena, and back again after the lesson SAFELY AND CORRECTLY? Parents, a hint to expedite this process for your smaller child is to learn how to do this too so that you can assist your child. There can sometimes be 6 or 7 folks in a group, and one instructor can not help everyone in the group to and from the stall.
- You must be able to check and tighten your girth, and also adjust your stirrups MOSTLY BY YOURSELF. This does not mean that your instructor will not help you at all, but it DOES mean that must make a good effort to get as much done by yourself as you can.
- You must have good skills at mounting the horse safely.
- You must be able to do a posting trot ON THE RAIL BY YOURSELF WITHOUT MUCH ASSISTANCE. This includes being able to start, stop, and steer by yourself.
- Do you know how close you can safely get to the horse in front of you? Do you know what to do if you think you will get too close, i.e. pass safely, cut across the arena, or circle safely? Your instructors can assist with your refining these skills, but the basic knowledge and ability must be there.
- A basic understanding of posting diagonals is necessary. Of course, your instructor will continue to help you with this skill, but it must be understood by the rider.
- Do you know how to dismount safely by yourself? Your instructor can not assist everyone in a group without taking too much time away from the lesson.
"Riding is simple... it’s just not easy."
- Anonymous |
There are, to recap, lots of requirements for being able to join a group. The bottom line for the necessity of these requirements is to ensure the safety of all the riders. Remember, there is only one instructor in a group, so each rider must possess the basic riding skills to ride responsibly and safely.
Fundraising Updates
Thanks to everyone, kids and adults alike, for your dozens of very creative, great ideas for fundraising efforts to help “the guys.” We will host over the June horse show weekend -Saturday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 3rd - our fundraiser called “A Second Chance”: a combined tack sale, rummage sale, and a grand finale to the spectacular bake sales that have already raised quite a bit of money toward this cause. This sale will give a “second chance” for this merchandise and, more importantly, for “the guys” as they heal and move forward in their changed lives. How can you help? We need you to sign up on the bulletin boards located in the lower barn so that this will be a successful event. Sign up for baking a homemade item for the bake sale, to clean out that cluttered garage during your spring cleaning...and to donate your items for our sale. Additionally, we’d love your help in distributing flyers and communicating the details to friends and family, who can also help out with items for our sale. Every effort is worth it to save a life, giving it all for a “second chance”.
Contacts:
Folger Estate Stable Project
The historic Folger Estate Stable, located in Wunderlich Park, is slowly deteriorating. As there are no public funds available to preserve the main building and surrounding areas, the Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Park Committee are leading a private fundraising effort so future generations can enjoy its unique architecture and history. Once restored, “the Friends” will manage the stable’s educational and recreational programs, host events, continue the tradition of horse boarding, and help the County maintain the buildings in exemplary condition. Loss of this community stable could also result in the loss of miles of the most shady, beautiful trails open to horses where no bikes are currently allowed.
The Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks Committee have a vision and plan to restore the stable starting October 1st. They are 300K away from the goal for Phase I. Spring Down has generously donated a large sum to support the restoration, and in the end subsidizing a vision of Carol and Stan’s to educate children and less fortunate of the power of the horse and the life long bond that can be achieved. To help in the effort, we are having a silent auction kicking off on the June Horse show weekend. Carol is asking for all of the SD community to come together and offer your donations for our concerted effort toward this important endeavor. Carol and Stan will open their invitation to the “Friends” committee and donors to their Anniversary party on Sunday, September 2nd, 2007. Final silent auction bids and live auction items will be offered during the party starting at @ 1:30 to 7:00. There will be food, a live band, dancing and other events. Mark your calendars!!
Please sign up on the Fundraiser News Bulletin Board in the lower barn if you or someone you know can generously donate anything - time, or an item for our silent auction Contact Lisa Bailey at (408) 871 - 1474 at home, or (408) 309-5028 cell for more information.
"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is a beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is life, fight for it!"
- Mother Theresa |
Spring Down Letters
Dear Carol Goodstein,
I had the best day of my life yesterday. I wouldn’t care if I had to spend a week in bed, it would be worth it! The whole “mirror” debacle was awesome! My favorite part was when you told me to “go stand in the corner and don’t come near me”. Oh, Carol, I have so much fun! I enjoy how you are with me, what you say and what you do. What I hate is that it took soooo long to find you, all those wasted years and all along you were right up the street - it breaks my heart for both myself and for Lexi. She needed you too...All those years...
I have been crying and crying, this has been the worst year I can ever remember in 53 of them and I mean that. It started Jan. 1st and has had more death and trouble than I can handle. I cried in Lexi’s stall yesterday. I seem to have tears at the ready all day long...but I sure didn’t expect to have tears for CANTERING! Boy,were those terrific tears! I was shaking again, too, but happy tremors!
So through all the heartache I am feeling these days I just break in with canter canter canter! I think I’m going to make a sign and hang it up in the house - just the word:
CANTER
I could probably write you a letter a day and you still couldn’t fully know what you have done for me. I think it might take Heaven to prove my point! My whole world turned around yesterday. Even if it was just for that one day, it felt so good to have some relief. I find it amazing actually.
I love Lexi completely. If she needed body parts and I had any that were any good I swear I would give them to her! I would do anything I can for her. And I wouldn’t have Lexi if it wasn’t for - you.
Thank you so much for everything - I owe you so much.
Sharon Barlow
Read the previous issue of the Spring Down Low Down: Vol. 3, Issue 2 - Fall/Winter 2006
Read the latest issue of the Spring Down Low Down
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