Announcing

the 2011 NVCEO

Community Guide

"One Book"

Available in March 2011

Click Here for more details or to Advertise in theCommunity Guide 

Fairfax4Horses will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, Feb. 27th from 2 PM until 4 PM at the Frying Pan Park Visitor Center, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon, VA.  Join Fairfax4Horses to hear about successes this year and future plans.  Hear about last Spring's pilot riding lesson program at Frying Pan Park.  The Park Authority has expanded its riding lesson program from one location to four.  This includes the first park-sponsored public riding lessons in Fairfax County in ten years!  Meet the people who made this happen.  Get an update on progress at Laurel Hill Equestrian Center and join the new Friends of Laurel Hill Equestrian Center.  Learn about the Equestrian Task Force that is being established by the Fairfax Board of Supervisors to determine how to handle equestrian concerns in the county.  For more information about Fairfax4Horses go to www.Fairfax4Horses.org

Other activities that the club has been involved in (past and present) include; parades, partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to build or improve trails and to upgrade access to existing trails, an annual competitive trail ride, the Shenandoah 25 which was sanctioned by ECTRA, club sponsored horse shows, trips to other equine events of interest to our members, working with local and state legislators on any legislation that directly affects trail riding or other horse-related activities in the state, Spring and Fall Judged Trail Rides, assisting other horse-related non-profit organizations with donations, and an annual St. Jude's Children's Hospital benefit ride. 

The Annual Meeting of the STRHA will be at 7pm County Government Center in Woodstock, VA.  For more information go to www.strha.org or call the STRHA HORSELINE at 540-984-7297

The NHS 10th Annual Tack Swap will be held Saturday, March 5th at the Manassas Southern States.  Table/spaces are still available if you are interested in renting table/space to sell your used equine related items.  If you are interested in buying, come out to the tack swap to take advantage of both the great deals on used tack, and great specials throughout Southern States.  Anyone who joins or renews their NHS membership at the event will get a free bag of equine feed.  All the details, including applications for Tack Swap table/spaces are available at the NHS website at www.NokesvilleHorseSociety.org.  If you don't have enough items to rent your own table contact Jeff Shoup at jeffshoup@comcast.net to share a table or place your sale items on the consignment table.

The NHS has announced the 2011 Calendar of Events, which will again include Gymkhanas, Monthly Trail Rides, Camping Events, Schooling Shows (English, Western & Jumpers), Parades, Crystal Crown Judged Pleasure Trail Ride, Trail Work Days, and more.  The NHS would also like to hear from you!  A survey of equestrian events is now available on the NHS website.  Tell us what events you would like to see in 2011.  Go to www.NokesvilleHorseSociety.org, then click on "2011 Events Survey" from the homepage.

The Clifton Horse Society Annual Meeting will be Sunday, March 6 at the Clifton Town Meeting Hall.  CHS's highly coveted Proteus Awards will be presented, a salute the 2010 Board of Directors and election of the 2011 Board!  Everyone is invited to bring a dish for the pot luck, especially you gourmet cooks.  Bring your best entree, side dish, or dessert to share! 

CHS will be announcing their 2011 Calendar of Events, to include "Chicken Jumping", "Schooling JPR", Bluebell Ride, Crystal Crown Judged Pleasure Ride and more.

For more information and to confirm events go to

www.CliftonHorseSociety.org

United States Trail Ride was founded in 1987 as an annual endurance ride and Club.  Today, USTR is focused on the pleasure rider, offering monthly trail rides. USTR is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to preserving and creating trails for riding fun and pleasure. The organization also presents a variety of educational programs throughout the year that are open to the public and that promote the equestrian industry.  Our meetings are held in Leesburg, VA the first Friday of every month.  We are working hard to support the development of public riding facilities and trails in Loudoun County.  USTR has announced their 2011 Calendar of Events, which includes the April 9^th Neersville Trail Ride.  You can find out more at www.ustrailride.org  

April 9

OD No Frills 30/55 Mile Endurance Ride - & - 30/55 Mile Ride-and-Tie

The Old Dominion Endurance Rides, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1973 to promote and sponsor the equestrian sport of endurance riding. The "OD" annually hosts several endurance clinics and endurance rides in Northern Virginia including: The "No Frills", "The Old Dominion" - one of the premier 100 mile endurance rides in the United States, and "The Fort Valley".

The Old Dominion Endurance Ride, Inc hosts three AERC sanctioned endurance rides (50 to 100 miles) and Limited Distance rides (25 to 35 miles) each year, plus Ride and Tie competition.  The first events of the season will be the "No Frills 20/55 Endurance Ride and the 30/55 Ride & Tie.  For more information go to www.OldDominionRides.org .

Mounted Games Across America, Inc. (MGAA) is an independent  501(c)3 tax-exempt, non-profit, all-volunteer group of equestrians devoted to playing national and international mounted games and encouraging and supporting others who want to play equestrian mounted games.  MGAA welcomes all riders, all ages, and all skill levels.  MGAA offers competitions and clinics for those who already love games and for those who want to learn more about games. 

Mounted Games Across America, Inc. (MGAA) was incorporated on January 2, 2004 by a group of games-crazy people to promote the sport of equestrian mounted games across America.

         MGAA is open to equestrians who would like to play mounted games with others who share the love of the sport.  Equestrians of all ages and skills are welcome to join the most fun you can have on horseback.  Check out MGAA membership details and join today!  If you would like to know more MGAA or would like to find a competition near you, please check out our calendar at their website.  If you would like a competition or clinic in your area or would like more information about mounted games, please visit www.mountedgames.org or contact mgaainfo@mountedgames.org .

The Loudoun County Hunt Club was established in 1894 and recognized by NSHA (Natl. Steeplechase and Hunt Assoc.) in 1905.  The National Steeplechase and Hunt Association sanctioned many of the hunts prior to the birth of the MFHA in 1907 and continued to sanction activities after the inauguration of the MFHA.  Many of the hunts had steeplechase meets and it may have been these hunt race meets that were being sanctioned primarily.  From 1906 to 1908 the Hunt Kennels were located at Westmoreland Davis's Morven Park.  In 1929 the Hunt was recorded by Master of Fox Hounds Association.  The Kennels were located two miles south of Leesburg.

The Loudoun Hunt has become a new Member Organization of the No. VA Coalition of Equestrian Organizations, and will be participating as a new host of one of the NVCEO Crystal Crown Series Judged Pleasure Trail Rides in 2011.  For more information about the Loudoun Hunt go to www.loudounhunt.com .

February 15, 2011 -- A WORD TO HORSE OWNERS: REGULATIONS REQUIRE A COGGINS TEST FOR ALL EVENTS WHERE HORSES GATHER

Contact:  Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686 - Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced today that effective March 2, 2011, an updated regulation will take effect regarding the Coggins test for equine infectious anemia. The updated regulation specifies that "all horses assembled at a show, fair, race meet or other such function or participating in any activity on properties where horses belonging to different owners may come into contact with each other in Virginia must be accompanied by a report of an official negative test for equine infectious anemia."  For years horse owners have been required to have a valid Coggins test when horses are assembled, and the updated regulation clarifies this. Assembly of horses for a trail ride on public property such as a state park is an example of an activity requiring horse owners to have a valid Coggins report with them.

Starting March 2, rangers in state and national parks may check for Coggins papers, and owners without valid test reports could be charged with a Class I Misdemeanor and asked to leave the park. As is currently the case under existing regulations, owners presenting fraudulent paperwork can be charged with civil penalties as well.

"Equine Infectious Anemia is a serious disease" said Dr. Richard Wilkes, VDACS State Veterinarian. "It affects all members of the equine species and is found in nearly every country of the world. All infected horses, even those that are asymptomatic, become carriers and are infectious for life. Infected animals must either be destroyed or remain permanently isolated from other equines to prevent transmission. The change in regulation is not drastic, but it is important and horse owners need to take seriously the need for a valid Coggins test each year prior to any assemblage with other equines."  Wilkes says that horse owners may get a Coggins test by contacting their local large animal veterinarian. They routinely pull blood samples and submit them for Coggins testing

For more information, horse owners should contact their veterinarian or VDAC'S Office of Veterinary Services at 804.786.2483 or go to www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/releases-b/021511eiareg.shtml 

TLAER Returns to the M.A.R.E. Center

The VA Tech M.A.R.E Center is holding the TLAER (Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue) training again this May16-18, 2011.  This 3-day continuing education program for first responders provides technical training to our local first responders (fire, ambulance, rescue) in the critical procedures of how to handle large animal rescue.  This training is sponsored in part by the Virginia Horse Council (VHC).

The TLAER program teaches emergency responders and other people interested in the horse industry how to use the latest concepts and equipment in emergencies and disasters involving horses.  It also teaches emergency responders how to augment the equipment they already have to solve TLAER incidents, and how to interact with other resources that may already exist in a given community. 

The primary source of information to educate yourself about the TLAER program is the trainers' website at www.tlaer.org.  These folks are the virtual inventors of the Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue training program and leaders in this type of training.  They travel the country and the world providing this training.  They will be the ones who do the training at the MARE Center for our local first responders. 

How can the Member Organizations of the NVCEO support this valuable educational program?  Through one or more of the following:

·         Get the word out to our local fire and rescue departments about this training and let them know how valuable it is to our horse community.

·         Offer to provide scholarship funding for members of our local fire and rescue squads to attend this training as hopefully as participants, if not auditors.

·         Individuals from our horse community may audit the program.  We should save "participant" spots for the first responders.

·         Sponsorship of the training program.

Virginia Cooperative Extension would like to extend to the NVCEO member organizations and the Northern Virginia equine community the opportunity to support this program as a sponsor. Any donation will be acknowledged in the written proceedings and during announcements made throughout the program. Sponsorships of $350.00 or more will also receive admission for one (1) auditor, a table for a display during the event, be listed on tee-shirts that will be distributed to participants and rights to hang banners around the event site.  As program literature and material are being finalized, it is important that you contact the sponsorship coordinator as soon as possible if you want your organization's sponsorship to be recognized on all printed materials.  For more information go to www.arec.vaes.vt.edu/middleburg or contact MARE Center Superintendent, Dr. Shea Porr at cporr@vt.eduor 540-687-3521 ext 27.