Summer Fun

The summer heat has done nothing to dissuade the Horseketeers from their riding and learning. In addition to the regular mounted meetings, the Horseketeers hosted two very special guests during their recent unmounted meetings.


On May 28, accomplished dressage rider and trainer Betsy Labelle gave a fascinating dressage talk about the biomechanics of the horse and rider. Her charts and explanations gave the Horseketeers a new understanding of the basics of dressage. When you understand how the muscle groups and bone structures connect, riding takes on a whole new dimension, as the Horseketeers discovered!

Besides being a veteran FEI level rider, Ms. Labelle is a Pony Club B graduate. She inspired the Horseketeers with stories of how her involvement in Pony Club as a youngster led to a lifetime of enjoyment and success with horses.


On June 18, Samantha Keeran (who is going for her B rating this fall!) gave the Horseketeers the inside scoop on special tips and tricks to make both horse and rider shine at Formal Inspection. Thanks to her magic grooming tools and special techniques, the Horseketeers should be ready to bring some extra-special spit and polish into the rally season.

Rally veterans know that the initial Horse Management inspection of tack, ponies and riders is often the deciding factor in the final rally scores. Thanks to Sam’s secrets, they’ll be ready to sparkle and shine!


On July 23, the Horseketeers made homemade horse treats and tested them on a four-legged "focus group" at the Red Horse Ranch.  After approximately 6 seconds of testing, the treats were declared a success by everyone present:  not a crumb remained! 

Fortunately, some treats had been reserved to go home with the members for the snacking pleasure of their own ponies.

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