April 2020 Issue

Choose a one time charge of $20 to be added permanently to the mailing list, for an ongoing subscription via third class mail. OR have each issue sent to you first class for an annual fee of $30. You can pay by check, Visa, Mastercard or Discover. Simply complete and mail this form with payment to: East Coast Equestrian, P. O. Box 8412, Lancaster, PA 17604-8412 or order online at eastcoastequestrian.net  I would like an ongoing subscription via third class mail for $20.  Please send each issue first class for $30 per year.  Check for $________ is enclosed  Please bill my Visa/Mastercard/Discover Acct. #________________________________ Exp. Date ____________________ Name ______________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City ________________________________ State ___________ Zip ___________ Email ______________________________________________________________ Get East Coast Equestrian at home! EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN March 2020 Page 35 East Coast Equestrian P.O. Box 8412, Lancaster, PA 17604-8412 (717) 509-9800 E-mail: PAEquest@aol.com www.eastcoastequestrian.net Published by Pennsylvania Equestrian, LLC Stephanie Shertzer Lawson, Editor and Publisher Contributors Marcella Peyre-Ferry, Suzy Lucine, Suzanne Bush, Kimberly French, Crystal Bucks, Sylvia Sidesaddle Advertising Manager Debbie Reid Advertising Sales Manager Phyllis Hurdleston Published 11 times a year. Submissions of articles, events and photos are welcome and should be received by the 10th of the month preceding publication. Please call (717) 509-9800 for advertising rates or visit www.pennsylvaniaequestrian.com. We cannot accept copyrighted photos without permission from owner. You must have permission before reprinting anything from East Coast Equestrian. For permission please call (717) 509-9800 or email steph@eastcoastequestrian.net A release from Neil Agate, President and Carrie Hull, Ex- ecutive Director of the Maryland Horse Council on March 18 offered advice for regional horse owners navigating the Corona virus pandemic: Equine Related Injuries - ERs & Hospitals During this time, please exercise extreme caution in your own equine activities. Think twice about doing anything that might increase your risk of injury. The state continues to face shortages in the medical community including reduced inpatient beds, availabil- ity of doctors, and sterile medical environments free of possible COVID-19 contamination. Trips to the ER increase your risk of con- tracting disease, and you may also be taking up medical resources that are needed by very sick people. Social Distancing for Stables - Best Practices The CDC and WHO also suggest the practice of social distancing. This should apply to all activities including equestrian activities at your farms, barns, MHC Advice for Navigating COVID-19 Pandemic and other agricultural buildings. Please ensure: 1. Aminimum space barrier of 6 feet between yourself and other people at all times. (e.g. no giving leg ups, no riding side by side, etc.) 2. No more than 10 people in an area or present at an activity at one time. 3. Sanitization of all common surfaces, supplies, and other items. IMPORTANT NOTE : A person CAN contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it. The virus can survive from several hours up to a week or more on surfaces, depending on the type of surface, and the temperature and humidity. These objects found in and around your farms include but are not limited to: 1. Tack and Apparel- Bri- dles, Saddles, Girths, Saddle Pads, Wraps, Helmets, Boots, and all other Leather and Cloth items. 2. Communal Barn Sup- plies- Pitch forks, Wheelbarrows, Hoses, Grooming equipment, etc. 3. Rest room, tack room, feed room door knobs, light switches, etc. Pony racing kicked off the spring season Saturday, March 14th at the Aiken Trials in Aiken, South Carolina. But first, a pony racing clinic was hosted the prior evening, March 13th, at the Whit- ney Polo Field in Aiken to ensure all participants knew the drill. The Temple Gwathmey Steeple- chase Foundation sponsored the educational event that focused on safety, strategy, and race riding basics. Led by Hall of Fame trainer Janet Elliot and National Steeplechase Association trainer Allison Fulmer, approximately 30 juniors gathered for the expe- rience. Clinic attendance was required for all new pony/rider combinations who have not raced in a U.S. Pony Racing event be- fore. The group was treated to a BBQ dinner hosted by the Aiken Trials. On Saturday, 34 pony and young rider entries headed to the Pony Racing Season Kicked Off March 14 Before Season Halted start for the 3rd running of the Aiken Pony Derby. “This is the third year the Trials have offered pony races, which has added greatly to our event,” said pony race chair and Aiken resident, Wendy Gutfarb. “The pony races have been a spectator favorite and something you hear folks talk about out and about in town. We are very excited to work with U.S. Pony Racing to bring pony racing to the South.” The day opened with three lead line trot divisions and Christopher McElyea aboard Wellington, Emmo Graf Grote aboard Simply Too Cute, and Cameron Cary Nuese aboard Kula Kai took home their first trophy. Next, Taylor Kingsley rode her first winner of the day in the large pony flat race in a nine pony field. Noelle Railey captured the small and Shetland pony divisions aboard Funsize and Carroway Tuesday. Jock- ey Taylor Smith also broke his maiden aboard Kiss My Sass in the medium pony flat against four other entries. And Kingsley closed out the Trials with her sec- ond win on the day aboard retired NSA campaigner Odi Et Amo in the young rider flat. “The Aiken pony races have grown exponentially since their inception in 2018. Entries in the first running were largely from the mid-Atlantic area, but this year only seven entries shipped in from the north. U.S. Pony Racing is excited to be a part of helping popularize pony racing in the southern region and we hope for an even bigger response next year. We could not have done this without the help of Jenna Is- ennock and Alison Fulmer. And the Aiken Trials get huge kudos for being very welcoming to the young riders,” said U.S. Pony Racing founder and director, Regina Welsh. Amidst the COVID-19 situation... USPR hopes to hold the Chasin' for Children races at Pimlico on May 23, but there is no official stance on this as of yet. Everything else prior to that has been canceled. The Potomac Hunt Races, which feature pony races, also have not canceled their race meet as of March 19. Movin’ on Up…. Check out 17 year old former pony racer Charlie Marquez! Three wins on one day at Laurel Racetrack, and this isn’t his first hat trick! Marquez was a regular on the pony racing circuit before tak- ing out his flat license. Marquez rode his last pony race last spring for owner/trainer Elizabeth Mc- Cue and now with $512,494 in purse earnings is currently sitting in third place for Laurel’s winter meet with 24 victories from 132 mounts, right behind meet leader Trevor McCarthy (38) and Alex Cintron (26). We strongly advise you con- sider this when making decisions to continue your lesson programs and invite individuals including boarders to your facilities. Business Insurance - Loss of Income Clauses If you own a business and are or expect to suffer a significant loss of revenue, we encourage you to check your business insurance policy for loss of income clauses and any recourse during a declared national or state of emergency. Horse Care & Welfare - Available Resources Finally, all members of the Maryland equestrian commu- nity should start thinking about how we can be prepared to help our fellow equestrians and their horses as the economic impact of the pandemic widens and is felt locally. If owners can no longer afford to care for their horses, the Maryland Horse Council, METS, and The Equiery along with the Maryland Fund for Horses can help with suggestions and options, before horses become abandoned or go without hay or feed. Taylor Kingsley on Miss Chit Chat (leading) won the Large Pony Flat Race at the Aiken Trials the weekend of March 14. Tia Gay on Ace of Spades (second in photo) finished third. Also shown is Brody Durr on Seth. The Trials were preceded by a pony racing clinic for all first time participants. Photo credit: A.P. (Tony) Gouge, AP Gouge Photography