2011 Oktoberfest Open Horse Show 
All Breeds!

October 29, 2011

9am Rain or Shine!

Equinox Farm - Hartland Township

855 Hickory Ridge Rd

Download the SHOWBILL and ENTRY form.

All-Day FUN!

X-Treme Cowboy Race Event, Pig Roast, Costume Contest, Trailer Trick-or-Treating!, Stall Decorating, Spooky Hay Rides, Haunted House

X-Treme Cowboy Race

Presented by

Enchanted Acres, Equinox Farm & ShoMe Horse Shows

ENTRY APPLICATION

Thank you to the 2011 Oakland County Fair ~ July Sponsor of Horse Sense!

The annual fair will be held at the Davisburg fairgrounds starting tomorrow!

As one of the oldest fairs in the nation, the Oakland County Fair has been an educational and entertaining event for Oakland County families since 1880. This year, the fair will offer a variety of different family-oriented events, such as:

Small & Large Animal Auctions, Family Fun Day, Free Circus-3 shows daily, Globe of Death, Racing Pigs, Show Me Petting Zoo, 4-H Farmer for a day, Farmer John, Kids Contests, Bike Giveaway, Animal Exhibits and much more!

The fair also features horse shows in a variety of disciplines:

• Hunt Seat
• Saddleseat
• Western
• Pole Bending
• Dressage
• Reining
• Halter
• Driving
• & More! 

Check out the Oakland County 4H Council website for the

 full 2011 horse show schedule.

And don't forget to check out the Oakland County Fair website for discounted tickets! 

Next Wednesday evening thehorse.com will be hosting a free Q&A webinar discussing "Unwanted Horses".

Wednesday, June 22

8-9 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

Register for the webinar here and submit your questions in advance.

And in case you missed 'em, check out a couple of my previous posts on unwanted horses:

• Knowing When to Say When
• For Free or Not For Free - That is the Question!

Sheath Cleaning!


It's that time of year again! After yesterday's evening hose-down, I finally forced myself to perform my least favorite equine activity. Despite the uncomfortable and unpleasant (is it just me, or do all horse sheaths have that same distinct scent?) nature of sheath cleaning, it is a very important part of your horses' health. 

Check out this great article for more information (and diagrams) on

 how to clean your horse's sheath!

Or, if you would prefer a visual aid, check out this video from Rick Gore of ThinkLikeaHorse.org (Warning: It's kind of graphic)

At least 7 horses this month have been killed or euthanized due to the outbreak of EHV-1, Equine Herpesvirus. The outbreak started in Utah (it is believed to have started at the NCHA Western Regional Championships) and quickly spread across many of the Western States. EHV-1 is highly contagious to horses, and though it does not affect humans, it can be spread from humans to horses. It is a neurological disease and symptoms include lack of coordination, gait abnormalities and a temperature above 102F.

For more information on the virus, it's symptoms, and how to protect your horses, check out this resource guide from the Center for Equine Health UC Davis.

Also, TheHorse.com will be hosting a webinar tonight from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. According to their website, this webinar will "provide horse owners with an update on the status of the EHV-1 outbreak and timely information on EHV-1 disease, testing, how to monitor your horse for disease, and how you can prevent EHV-1 spread with optimal horse management, hygiene, and biosecurity measures. Following the presentation, our panelists will answer your questions on EHV-1 for another 30 minutes."

For more information or to reserve your spot, check out their website.

"Take a Bow" was the first (and only) trick I ever got around to teaching my pony George. He does it so well, in fact, that sometimes he'll bow without command to see if he can scam a treat!  

As far as horse tricks go, it is probably one of the easiest to teach, and it's a fun one to pull out to impress a new visitor.

Check out this video from Rick Gore of thinklikeahorse.org to learn how to teach your horse to bow!

Mr. Ed is an 18 year old Chestnut Appaloosa with a spotted blanket. He was shown at appy world in Western Pleasure and Halter. He is kid safe, very calm on the ground and in the saddle. He will make a great learning horse for a young child. Mr. Ed was injured about a year ago and probably won't be able to show again. However, he is doing much better and would make the perfect horse for someone looking for that special horse for their younger kids to learn on. Everyone who meets Mr. Ed absolutely adores him. He is UTD on Medical and Farrier.

For more information or to meet Mr. Ed, call 269-965-2117 or Email EARTH Services.

Or for information on some of the other adoptable horses that EARTH Services has to offer, check them out on Petfinder.com!

A great BIG thank you to our new Horse Sense sponsor - Arizona Saddlery of Clarkston!

Arizona Saddlery has been family owned and operated for over 30 years, offering a huge selection of supplies for all equestrians, including:

• English Tack
• Western Tack
• Horse Grooming Supplies
• New & Used Saddles
• Western Home Decor
• Gifts for Horse Lovers
• Riding Apparel - Schooling & Show Clothes
• And much more!

Arizona Saddlery of Clarkston offers horse tack and equestrian apparel from top manufacturers, such as Ariat, Justin Boots, Levi, Dan Post, Chippewa, and much more! If you don't see it in store, ask a sales associate about special orders!

Arizona Saddlery

6525 Dixie Hwy # A
Village of Clarkston, MI 48346-3499

248-620-4708