August 2023 Issue

Page 30 August 2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Go ahead... Ask da Mare EVENTS HORSES FARMS MISC. FREE Print subscribers get FREE classifieds! Print subscribers get FREE non-commercial classified ads! Just email your non-commercial (events, horses/trailers/tack for sale, boarding/lessons/ training etc.) classified, 35 words or less to steph@eastcoastequestrian.net . Be sure to include your name and mailing address as it appears on your sub- scription label. (Not a print subscriber? Sign up online at eastcoastequestri- an.net .) Classifieds can run in more than one issue but must be resubmitted each month. Deadline is the 12th of the month before publication. Riding Friend Becomes a Scold By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… I’m in a group of equestrians who have been riding together for nearly 10 years. We get together on the weekends and together we trail ride near the farm or haul our horses to the mountains for a different riding experience. We’re friends who have horses in com- mon and our chatter while we’re riding revolves around our horses and the silly things they do. They do a lot of silly things! One of the women in our group has a “se- nior” horse that has had a number of health issues in the past year. The vet says that being out on the trails is good for the horse’s health and the activities help keep him in shape. We all look out for this friend and her horse, and watch the horse carefully for any sign that he might be having trouble on the trails. Lately one of the people in our group has become quite vocal about animal welfare. Not a problem! We all want the best for our horses. But this person’s view of animal welfare is veering off the trails we’ve all been taking together. During the pandemic she lost her mother and then a few months ago, her beloved dog died suddenly. She seemed very lost and alone, and we’ve tried to boost her feelings. But she has begun sending us emails with graphic articles detailing horses being abused. She has said that she’s not going to ride with us anymore, in fact, she said that we should all stop riding, because it’s immoral to, as she describes it “treat the horse as if it has no mind of its own.” She has begun posting flyers on the bulletin board in the barn, with grisly pictures of injured horses. We’re stunned by this radical change in her behavior. Beyond that, we’re worried about the new friends she has brought out to the barn. These people walk around with cameras taking pictures of what they brazenly call “evidence.” I’m worried about my horse, and the people who work in the barn. This woman hasn’t done anything overt, but do we have to wait for that? What do you think we should do? -Nervous Dear Nervous… So much agita packed into your question! I was kind of lulled into a gauzy world of glorious trail rides and mountain trails, then star- tled by the sudden realization that one of your friends has chosen a different—very odd—trail. You’ve described your equestrian group as friends who have enjoyed hors- es and riding together for years. You’re now in a situation that has unnerved you, and presumably your other friends as well. Let’s start by breaking this dilemma into more manageable pieces. To begin, you are friends. That means something, yes? At some point, you and your friends had your love of riding in common. Now all that seems to have evaporated. Did the “senior” horse’s health challenges cause something to change in your friend’s world view? How did she go from a happy trail rider to a scold who is agitating for every- one to free their horses? Does she really believe what she is saying? So many questions, and the only way you can answer them is to talk to your friend. Not at the barn, but maybe over coffee—without her group of photographers looking for evidence. Talk about what she is seeing now that she didn’t see before—not in a condescending or argumentative way, but with the compassion your friend deserves. Ask her about her horse, and about her life—her job, her family, her health, changes that she’s going through. Ask her when she started thinking that riding horses is cruel. (Continued on page 31) Making Strides HJ shows at Breezy Run Farm in Church Hill, MD. Out- reach USHJA, TIP, Dover Jumper Classics. September 30, Oct 28. FB: MakingStridesShowSeries, web:www.breezyrunfarm.com September 16...SADDLIN' UP for BREAST CANCER trail ride, lunch, raffles, prizes and All Pinked Out Parade & Contest. Camping avail- able. Benefit the Red Devils. Tuckahoe Equestrian Center, Queen Ann, MD. jacquiecowan@ comcast.net or https://www.tuckahoe equestriancenter.com/events FOR RENT: 8 Stall Barn with finished loft in Pike County, PA. Easy highway access. Ideal for PA breeding or retirement activities. Phone/wifi included, you pay electric. Ample trailer parking. Please call (570) 906-1909. Courtesy Stable, Philadelphia PA. Boarding available. Lessons. Direct access to 50 miles of beautiful trails in the Wissahickon Valley, Fairmount Park. New turnouts. barnmanager@courtesystable.org HORSES Omega Horse Rescue located in Airville, PA has a variety of horses and ponies ready for their forever homes! Please visit our website to see pictures, videos and how you can help! www.omegahorserescue.com. Better than right off the track! The PTHA's Turning for Home, Inc. al- ways has OTTBs that are properly rehabbed, retrained and ready for their new carteers. Find your next horse at www.turningforhome.org or call 215-808-7562. Join the Wilmington Hobby Horse Club! We’re a fun-loving group that mimics the movements of horseback riding. jumping and dressage with stick horses! We do birthday parties too! Follow us on Instagram WHHCDE and Facebook. ?s WHHCDE@GMAIL.COM Carriage For Sale: 1997 Mill Run Sporting Phaeton Single Horse Dressage/Cones $4,000 OBO. Located in Chesapeake City, MD. Unicorn6855@yahoo.com, 410-755-6855 CATS: Barn homes in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties, PA. are needed to give rescued strays a chance at life. Cats are neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated; delivered and acclimated. Fill out an application to adopt at StrayCatBlues.org or call 215-631-1851. Barn cats looking for jobs! Fully vetted, no fee, hard working cats. We deliver—PA, MD, DE, NJ. Contact us! (215) 219-8148 or info@forgottencats.org . Don't Miss the HUGE September issue of East Coast Equestrian! Mailed to the proprietary Dressage at Devon list of competitors and ticket buyers and distributed on the show grounds. Plus! Bonus distribution at the Plantation Field International 3-Day event, the Devon Fall Classic, Ludwig's Corner Horse Show, Princeton Show Jumping events, Swan Lake events and more! Also, our Real Estate Showcase feature! Call today to reserve your space! (717) 509-9800  www.eastcoastequestrian.net The Dressage at Devon Preview! No other publication reaches this elite audience at home!