We hope you all have a safe and fun Thanksgiving, because here comes Christmas! Please take a minute to check out the fun events below.
Christmas caroling Tuesday, December 6
Come get in the holiday spirit with the Gallatin Equestrian Partnership! GallEP will be Christmas caroling on horseback on Tuesday, December 6, between 12:15 and 12:45 at the Senior Center, located at 807 North Tracy. Weather permitting, we will ride down North Tracy and carol to residents of Mountain View Care Center at 205 North Tracy. We are advising the public to “pass wide and slow” if they encounter horses on roads or trails. To join us you must have either participated in our Preparation for Urban Riding Safety Clinic or you and your horse must have parade experience, and feel confident and comfortable riding in an urban environment. We will meet at the fairgrounds indoor arena by 10 to warm up, decorate our horses and practice carols (music provided). Please RSVP to Marianne at gallepmt@yahoo.com or call 406-920-0888.
Msu event Horse show
MSU's Equestrian Team is hosting an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, or IHSA competition at the Bob Miller Pavilion in Bozeman on December 3 and 4. The students of MSU need your help. The IHSA competitors do not compete on their own horses. The hosting college is responsible for providing enough horses for all of the competitors to ride for the entire weekend. The students draw a horse name out of a hat a few minutes prior to their class and must compete on that horse without first practicing on it. It is an incredible competition that truly represents the riders' equitation skills. They are in need of 40-50 horses to use for the weekend and also in need of volunteers to fill in as horse handlers, warm-up riders, or manure scoopers. If you or your horse is available, please contact Amy Morgan at (406) 539-5624 as soon as possible. The students are under constant supervision from coaches from all of the competing colleges, and horse treatment is very closely monitored.
Christmas gifts!
GallEP still has beautiful and functional tshirts available! The short-sleeved shirt is designed to increase safety while riding on the road. It is a light, comfy, cool and breathable green fabric with orange lettering alerting drivers to “please pass wide and slow.” It is pictured on our home page at www.gallepmt.org. The long-sleeved shirt is a light blue, warm cotton-blend with the message “Trails for Horses Too!” to help educate other trail users about equestrian needs. Both are twenty dollars. Order by emailing or calling Marianne at gallepmt@yahoo.com , 406-920-0888.
let’s ride!
October 2011
What a gorgeous fall!
We sure hope you are out enjoying the leaves on horseback.
We’ve held off on updates for quite awhile, but wanted to let you know about a fun Gallatin Saddle and Harness Club event this Saturday, October 29th, the Halloween Play day. See attached flyer for class descriptions and entry information. This is a fun day of games on horseback, including poles, barrels, water races, costume competitions and more. Fun for the entire family! Join them for a festive day of ghoulish good times! For more information call Connie Lien 586-2885 or Rosi Slater 581-8371. A few GallEP members have done this before and it’s a blast!
Below are short recaps of GallEP’s summer events that we posted on our website rather than add to your inbox clutter with GallEP’s enews,. Pictures of these are on the web, www.gallepmt.org. Happy fall!
Trail Horse Challenge (August 20th)
What a fun day! Thanks so much to our judges Sandy Kypfer and Spencer Dominick (Daleandspencer@aol.com) who each volunteered their time to benefit our relationships with our horses. Also Jean MacInnes and Bohart Ranch were the best hosts ever. We had Ann Malabre, and Perrin Dominick helping all day as well. 13 people came out for a beautiful relaxed day of fun trails and challenging obstacles. We began with a 2 mile warm up ride, came back to the lodge for five judged obstacles, went out for a 6 mile ride and returned for five more obstacles. This design was functional and fun and allowed for everyone to watch eachother. Results were sent to participants. Only 5 horses made time in both areas. Congrats to Maggie and Lain in addition to our winners Jo, Karen and Ruth.
After the event, everyone stayed for pulled pork and conversation with fellow competitors, judges and volunteers.
Here's the link to the photos compiled into a youtube video with music. The music may take a day or two to show up as it's an audio swap (free) through youtube.Finally thank you to our prize donors Bridger Feeds, GallEP, and Jenni Lowe-Anker and Northface.
Thanks everyone and let's do it again!
Sweet Pea Parade (August 6)
We had five riders and two poop patrol this year. Many thanks to both for braving the crowds! The parade theme was Hop on Board. We opted for rabbit ears for our helmets, and decorated the Chariot (the jogger we put the poop in) with signs encouraging Bozeman to “Hop on Board and Help Keep Bozeman Clean.” (we did our part by cleaning up our poo!) The poop scoopers stole the show as usual. For some reason the crowd loves it!
This was the first year that Sweet Pea parade organizers really stepped up the safety/crowd control. They did a great job of keeping people off the street, especially on east Main.
Ride to the Fair (July 23rd)
Eight people joined GallEP this year for the Ride to the Fair. It was a bright beautiful morning and a gorgeous ride, mostly on dedicated trails. We donned our new safety tshirts (these are available to view/purchase throught the web!) and began the ride at a spur trail in the Sourdough Ridge subdivision. This led us to the beautiful Painted Hills subdivision trail, Cherry/Holly Loop and Pete’s Hill segment, delivering us to within two blocks of Main street! The views were breathtaking and we had the trails mostly to ourselves. Nancy Creel led us as trail boss, and Sabrina Hannan brought up the rear, making the ride organized and safe. This year’s ride was on Saturday, which we thought might lead to crowded roads and trails. We were delighted and surprised to find less traffic and trail congestion! KTVM met us on Main street and fairgrounds, providing good media exposure, along with Chronicle announcements and a Fair pullout section write up. We entered the fairgrounds on Tamarack, made our way to the stalls and enjoyed lunch and a few hours at the fair. Check out our photos on the web, and consider joining us next year!
Preparation for Urban Riding Safety Clinic (July 10)
On a dry, warm day in July, horses and riders joined GallEP and Spencer Dominick to prepare for urban riding. Whether it is riding roadside or in parades, the unexpected is inevitable in urban conditions. In preparation for upcoming events like “Ride to the Fair” on Saturday July 23rd, or for someone’s own personal improvement, GallEP offered a free Safety Clinic conducted by local trainer, Spencer Dominick. Spencer worked with a variety of breeds and disciplines at Saturday’s packed clinic. First attendees established groundwork methods to gain control and respect. They then used those tools to drive horses over tarps and mattresses or drag bags of cans. Riders graduated from the ground to saddle to continue exposing their horses to the unexpected. A jogging stroller with balloons was pushed through the ring. Loud horns and machines such as four wheelers were driven throughout while riders followed on horseback. These tactics were designed to desensitize horses to noises and sights they will encounter when amongst crowds and vehicles. Spencer did a fantastic job at working with horse and rider to overcome any obstacles they faced as well as broadening everyone’s knowledge base. Those who attended were very happy with the clinic. It gave riders a chance to gauge how their horses performed in an unpredictable environment. GallEP looks forward to hosting future events that contribute to the Gallatin Valley equine community!
let’s ride!
July 2011
Hooray for summer! Hope everyone is enjoying this incredible weather…please see below for news about our clinic and Ride to the Fair
Clinic
We just wanted to let everyone know that we have one more spot in the morning and one in the afternoon for our upcoming Urban Riding Safety clinic to be held on Sunday, July 10th. The clinic is free and will be taught by Spencer Dominick. It will be held in a beautiful setting with a large mowed field to free-ride in afterwards. Feel free to bring lunch. Water and snacks are provided. Call Jen Mohler (388-5668) to RSVP and to get directions. Proof of current negative coggins is required at all GallEP events.
Ride to the Fair
We’ve finalized a beautiful new course this year, moved the ride to a Saturday so more people can participate, and changed it to a one-way ride to avoid the afternoon thunder/hail storms!! We average about 10 riders per year, and are hoping for more! If you and your horse have parade experience, please consider joining us.
We will begin where the Painted Hills trail meets the Sourdough Ridge Subdivision, ride dedicated trails to the Cherry/Holly trail loop, come down Pete’s hill and then cross Main at Wallace and enter the fairgrounds at Tamarack. We estimate the ride to be about 5 miles. You will need to team up or have a support person who can drop horses off at the start, and leave trailers at the fairgrounds or pick you and horse up. You should bring portable buckets to give your horses water at the fairgrounds. There will be stalls available for our horses for the day.
We are ordering new elbow length technical t-shirts that further our education and safety goals by having lettering on the back that says “please pass wide and slow.” For any of you that ride on roads, these will help improve your safety! T-shirts will be around $15 and will be mandatory. RSVP to Jen Mohler 388-5668.
That’s all for now, hope to see you at the clinic or the ride to town!
Let’s ride!
June 2011
Wow! What a fabulous weekend that was, hope we get another one!!
We are excited to share our experience of Montana Horses’ Ultimate Horse Course with you…Four GallEP members came out for a day of horse play with superb guidance from owners Kail and Renee. They really rolled out the red carpet, from hours on the course to cold drinks and a chat on their cool, shady porch after our first round through.
The course has just about every obstacle a person could dream up: multiple footings and types of water crossings, bridges, jumps, patterns, dense brush, piles of fallen deadwood to walk through, various objects to drag, loud noises, bright colors. Every obstacle is numbered, but can be avoided and/or observed. We took our time the first time through the 25 obstacles and completed it within 2.5 hours. We were surprised to learn an accomplished competitive team could do it in .5 hours (and they do hold regular competitions).
The 40 acre course is open every weekend, however, they would prefer you call ahead (285-3541) so they can be ready to get you started. They are holding a trail clinic June 18th, and their Challenge dates are July 16th, August 20th and September 10th.
For those of you worried about infectious diseases, they get their entire herd Coggins tested every year, and their clientele aren’t the “showy” types.
That’s all from GallEP this month. We hope your horses continue to enjoy good health and you are out enjoying the weather when it is cooperating!
Let’s ride!
May 2011
Just a little news to share this month plus one fun event.. Since there are no confirmed cases of EHV-1 in Montana (confirmed by a phone call to MDOL), we are going ahead with the event below.
Event
Please join GallEP’s board and members for a fun play day at Montana Horses Ultimate Horse Course on Sunday, June 5. They have reserved the course exclusively for GallEP members. The course features 30 permanent trail obstacles carefully designed and placed over 30 acres to mimic natural and man-made challenges found on the trail. They are giving us a discounted rate of $30 per person. Check it out at: http://www.montanahorses.com/html/Ultimate_Horse_Course.html. Proof of negative Coggins is required at all GallEP events.
News
We had to cancel our Urban Riding safety clinic due to the EHV-1 virus outbreak. Luckily our clinician is available to try again on Sunday July 10th. It was nearly full, so please call Jen Mohler and let her know if you can make it, or get on a waiting list: 388-5668. Negative Coggins is required. She’ll let you know the location.
Did anyone see KTVM’s news coverage of the EHV-1 virus on Monday, June 23rd? They called a GallEP board member and asked to interview them to learn about how this virus is affecting the local horse community. This is evidence that GallEP is fulfilling many of its organizational values such as: taking a leadership role, establishing a collective voice, safeguarding our western heritage, and being caring stewards. Our complete values statement is:
We believe in the basic value of the partnership between horses and humankind. In promoting this, our organization seeks to:
Take leadership roles
Invite diversity
Generate and engage in dialogue
Establish a collective voice
In order to:
Safeguard our western heritage
Be caring stewards
Enrich our community
Create opportunities for learning and education
Be safe and have fun
In another effort to further our mission, we are asking the community for volunteers to be part of an Equestrian Park Planning Committee. Many people at our public meeting indicated that they would like to help with this task. Please contact Jennifer at: Jennifer Mohler jen.mohler@gmail.com.
We hope your horses continue to enjoy good health and that we get to see you soon at Montana Horses!
Let’s ride!
April 2011
We have a several exciting announcements this April.
We are pleased to announce that our Sunday, May 22nd Urban Riding Safety Clinic will be held at Saddle Peak arena. See details below.
We have a new board member and she’s dynamite! Read about Rebecca Piersol under News.
If you haven’t heard about Back Country Horseman’s free annual Safety Clinic scheduled for Saturday, May 5/14 at Circle L, please see below under Events. Also their flyer is attached.
Our final Calendar of events, including the date (Saturday, August 20) of our Trail Horse Challenge, is attached!
See News below for our annual meeting summary and membership info.
Events
Please spread the word and RSVP to our Preparation for Urban Riding Safety Clinic on Sunday, May 22nd. The clinic is required for anyone wanting to participate in the Ride to the Fair, Sweet Pea Parade and Christmas Caroling events. The clinic will be at Saddle Peak arena in two sessions 9-12 and 1-3. Each session is limited to 10 riders! RSVP to Jen Mohler at 388-5668. Plan on arriving ½ hour early. Please see/distribute attached flier.
Please also spread the word and consider attending Back Country Horseman’s free annual Safety Clinic scheduled for Saturday, May 5/14 at Circle L. This event is jammed-packed with useful info. on packing, tacking, first aid on the trail and more. RSVP to Janice Cartwright at 579-3445. For more details, see attached flier.
We’ve set the date (Saturday, August 20) and location (Bohart) of our Trail Horse Challenge. The format has changed for this year. The event will begin with a self-guided trail ride and end with the judged obstacle course. This will make it easier on the judges, make potential injuries easier to deal with and make inclement weather easier to handle. More information will follow as we get closer. For our complete calendar of events, see attached.
Equine Boosters of M.S.U. are presenting The Top of The West Performance Horse Sale and Derby Celebration on May 7th hosted by Copper Spring Ranch. This was very well attended last year and a lot of fun.
After being raised on a rural Pennsylvania horse farm, Rebecca Piersol has a love for both the outdoors and horses! During her childhood, she competed in 4H and circuit horse shows from age 8 to 18. In addition, her parents raised Warmbloods and Quarter Horses exposing her to a variety of equestrian disciplines. After working in corporate America for 5+ years, Rebecca moved to Colorado and became a ski instructor for a season then relocated to Bozeman to attend MSU to earn her Masters in Public Administration. In the twilight of her program she hopes to eventually work in the nonprofit sector or city or county government. She enjoys riding her horses (Pepper & Gringo) in the back-country with her fiancée, Jack!
Welcome Rebecca!
GallEP’s Annual Meeting summary:
GallEP held its 2nd annual meeting, an Equine Club summit on Tuesday March 29th, 2011. The meeting was packed with information about MSU’s Equine Science program, equine park survey results, efforts to start an area horse trail guide and featured speakers from 12 local horse clubs. It was refreshing to hear that in this economy, the horse industry is alive and well.
Andi Shockley of MSU shared that MSU’s Equine Science enrollment is at an all time high. However, she stated that the continued success of the program will depend on community support. She shared her hope that MSU and the horse-enthusiast community can work together. She related that all classes in the program are open to the public and the Bob Miller pavilion can be rented out. Conversely, she is hoping the public can help through attending events and helping with fundraising.
GallEP presented results of a web-based survey done over that last year. The survey showed that there is overwhelming support for an equestrian park large enough to hold cross-country riding and harness events. GallEP will continue working toward this goal, along with several other interested horse clubs. GallEP will also be partnering with The Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen to create a local horse trail guide.
Also presenting at the meeting were members from 12 local horse clubs, representing hundreds of horse owners. The clubs were: GallEP, Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen, Bozeman Dressage and Combined Training Club, Gallatin Saddle and Harness Club, Three Forks Saddle Club, Eagle Mount, Cowboy Mounted Shooting, MSU Polo Team, Cowboy Polo Club, Kountz Arena, Bozeman Saddle-ites, 4-H Saddle Stars, and Big Sky Horse Resource. Each club member introduced their club, activities and events. Between all the clubs there are countless events including, trail rides, campouts, schooling shows, hunter paces, roping, sorting, mounted shooting , O Mok See, polo, play days, parades, drill team, competitive trail horse challenges, volunteer opportunities at Eagle Mount and clinics. They reported that memberships are holding steady, despite the economy. Participation in most events is at an all-time high.
The meeting was a fantastic opportunity for making connections and learning how to support each other. For more information on these clubs go to www.gallepmt.org, or go to www.bigskyhorseresource.com for a regional calendar.
GallEP Membership: GallEP currently has 11 members, 6 of which are on the board. Consider joining! (It’s easy, go to www.gallepmt.org)
let’s ride!
2011 Public Meeting Summary
GallEP held its 2nd annual meeting, an Equine Club summit on Tuesday March 29th, 2011. The meeting was packed with information about MSU’s Equine Science program, equine park survey results, efforts to start an area horse trail guide and featured speakers from 12 local horse clubs. It was refreshing to hear that in this economy, the horse industry is alive and well.
Andi Shockley of MSU shared that MSU’s Equine Science enrollment is at an all time high. However, she stated that the continued success of the program will depend on community support. She shared her hope that MSU and the horse-enthusiast community can work together. She related that all classes in the program are open to the public and the Bob Miller pavilion can be rented out.
Conversely, she is hoping the public can help through attending events and helping with fundraising.
GallEP presented results of a web-based survey done over that last year. The survey showed that there is overwhelming support for an equestrian park large enough to hold cross-country riding and harness events. GallEP will continue working toward this goal, along with several other interested horse clubs. GallEP will also be partnering with The Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen to create a local horse trail guide.
Also presenting at the meeting were members from 12 local horse clubs, representing hundreds of horse owners. The clubs were: GallEP, Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen, Bozeman Dressage and Combined Training Club, Gallatin Saddle and Harness Club, Three Forks Saddle Club, Eagle Mount, Cowboy Mounted Shooting, MSU Polo Team, Cowboy Polo Club, Kountz Arena, Bozeman Saddle-ites, 4-H Saddle Stars, and Big Sky Horse Resource. Each club member introduced their club, activities and events. Between all the clubs there are countless events including, trail rides, campouts, schooling shows, hunter paces, roping, sorting, mounted shooting , O Mok See, polo, play days, parades, drill team, competitive trail horse challenges, and clinics. They reported that memberships are holding steady, despite the economy. Participation in most events is at an all-time high.
The meeting was a fantastic opportunity for making connections and learning how to support each other. For more information on these clubs go to www.gallepmt.org., or go to www.bigskyhorseresource.com for a regional calendar.
March 2011
Feels like Spring is on the way! Hope everyone can get outside a little on such a beautiful day..In case you can’t break away, read on about some exciting news and events!
News
1. We would like to invite you, your club members and your friends to our 3rd Annual meeting, an “Equine Club Summit” on Tuesday, March 29th from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the Bozeman Public library large conference room. At the meeting you can:
Hear from Andi Shockley about what's happening with their equine program and the future of MSU's horse-related programs.
Find out the results of GallEP’s equestrian park survey and learn about efforts to create a local trail guide.
Meet local equine club representatives who will give an overview of their clubs and participate in a roundtable discussion covering topics such as common challenges and goals.
This will be a great opportunity for clubs to get to know each other, and for the public to find out about what's available. Please feel free to bring information about your club, organization, or your services to display. We hope to see you there. For more information, please call Marianne at 920-0888.
2. If you haven’t checked out GallEP on Facebook, please do! All you have to do is search for GallEP on the Facebook website, and click “like.” Then you’ll get news/events updates from member Suzanna Peters. Link
3. It’s that time of year…time to renew or activate your GallEP membership! Memberships run April to March. You can sign up many ways: go to www.gallepmt.org, click on the membership tab, print the form and mail it to the address listed; call Marianne at 920-0888; or register at the meeting on March 29th. We hope to hear from you soon!
4. The MSU Equine Conference was well-attended. Thank you to Jen Mohler and Rosi Slater for manning a booth and keeping a local club presence at another important regional event.
Events
1. We are pleased to announce that Spencer Dominick will again lead our Preparation for Urban Riding Safety Clinic on Sunday, May 22nd. The clinic is required for anyone wanting to participate in the Ride to the Fair, Sweet Pea Parade and Christmas Caroling events. Time and location TBD, but mark your calendars now!
We are considering moving the Ride to the Fair to Saturday July 23rd from Wednesday July 20th. Email Marianne at gallepmt@yahoo.com if you like this idea and would be interested in riding. We are also considering making it a one-way trip to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms and allow us to stay and enjoy Fair events.
The Sweet Pea parade will be on Saturday, August 6th this year.
2. Equine Boosters of M.S.U. are presenting The Top of The West Performance Horse Sale and Derby Celebration on May 7th hosted by Copper Spring Ranch. This was very well attended last year and a lot of fun. We are still interested in partnering for a booth!
let’s ride!
January 2011
Happy New Year to all of you. Hope you enjoyed the holidays!
December News:
As some of you already know, the caroling in December went well. A group of preschoolers was there, and you should have seen their faces. The horses looked great with all their decorations. All attendees are hoping we will do it again next year! Both KTVM and KBZK as well as the Chronicle covered it.
The great news, other than we completed the event alive, is that our message for drivers to pass wide and slow when encountering riders on the road was on the radio for days, on the previous night's news, in the This Week section of the Chronicle, and followed up with a segment on the nightly news and pictured in Chronicle the next day!!
Thank you to Janice Cartwright, Nancy Creel, Sandy Kypfer, Kristin Zetzer, Tamar Goltz and Helen Houbaugh for braving the icy conditions, decorating and making this a successful event.
Some ideas for next year are to try to have it on a weekend so that more people can participate, and to try to organize a parade through the Northeast Neighborhood so that we can have some wagons/hay rides…let us know your thoughts!
January News:
GallEP had its annual retreat. We elected officers: Marianne Amsden, President/Secretary (someone else feel free to jump in!!); Maire O’Neill, Vice President; Jen Mohler, Treasurer. Most of the retreat was devoted to how to save the Bozeman Dressage &Combined Training Club. For those of you who don’t know, Wendy Cochran, who has almost single-handedly run the club, is moving away. Only one person has volunteered for their board, which means without more support, the club will dissolve.
We dearly value this club and recognize its incredible contribution to the community. As such, two of our five board members (Jen Mohler and Sandy Kypfer )have agreed to assist BD&CT’s new President Allison Quigley with putting on events, keeping the newsletter and calendar going, handling supplies and files, the post office box, keeping the name registered with the state, and maintaining membership. Furthermore, GallEP will work towards putting on one Hunter/Pace type event. Helping BD&CT is in keeping with GallEP’s organizational mission, vision, values and goals of enhancing opportunities in the Gallatin valley for equestrian activities, fostering partnerships within the equine community, safeguarding our western heritage, being caring stewards, and establishing an equestrian park. We want to thank Wendy Cochran for her years of hard work and dedication and hope others will be as inspired by her efforts, as we have been.
The board will meet again January 31st at 2:00 at Sola to set our calendar of events and discuss 2011 goals. Please let us know if you have suggestions by emailing gallepmt@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Upcoming Events/Resources
Battle of the Breeds
Two preliminarys: Sat. 2/5 and Sun. 2/13, 9am-5pm, Limited Entries
Finals: Sat. Feb. 19th 6pm-7pm, during the Wild West Winter Fest
The Battle of the Breeds is an exciting trail challenge this year with various obstacles followed by a single man ranch sorting. Expect to throw, drag, and jump while maintaining excellent horsemanship to wow our judge.
For more information, call the Gallatin County Fairgrounds Office at 406-582-327 or go to www.wildwestwinterfest.org.
MSU Equine Conference: Date is March 5 at GranTree Inn. Contact Julie Hager @ 994-7953
Equine Boosters of M.S.U. are presenting The Top of The West Performance Horse Sale and Derby Celebration on May 7th hosted by Copper Spring Ranch. This was very well attended last year and a lot of fun.
On-line directory: Judy Smaaland of 4 Cat Ranch has started a new on-line resource: www.montanaequinedirectory.com. It features a statewide calendar of events and also has club info—check it out!
