March 2023 Issue

Page 46 March 2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN demonstrations at many events in Maryland. He became a volunteer at Days End Farm Horse Rescue at just four years old. Every day Jimmy tries to learn something new. See Jimmy Wagner at the Eldorado Farm booth 227. Bud & Gwen Wills Hitting the Trail & Riding Smart (Sat., 6 pm, Seminar Hall B) Become a Trail Rider; Trail Riding Basics & Safety (Sun., 1 pm, Seminar Hall B) The Wills trail ride mules and use their mules for education and to pack materials for trail maintenance. Bud is PA Equine Council State Trail Chair and Gwen is Trail Stewardship Pro- gram Director. Both are Leave No Trace masters and presenters. They developed the PEC’s Trail Stewardship Program that is helping to keep public lands open to horses. They train volunteers and agency personnel and present trail user programs. See Bud & Gwen Wills at the Pennsylvania Equine Council booth 212-214, 235-237. Lauren Zagnit New Starts for Retired Racehorses (Thurs., 2 pm, Seminar Hall B) The executive director of the Pennsylvania HBPA New Start re-homing program, Lauren was the youngest thoroughbred trainer in PA when she took out her license in 1974. She trained in Ohio, New Hampshire, Massa- chusetts, Louisiana, and Florida. She was the former farm man- ager of Regal Heir Farm, one of Pennsylvania’s leading breeding and foaling farms. Lauren was named to her New Start position in 2013 and has since re-homed over 1100 thoroughbreds retired from racing at Penn National. By developing a network of foster farms that re-train and re-home the horses, the program is one of the most successful in plac- ing retirees in the best possible situation. John Zanella Horses Helping Heroes (Fri., I pm, Seminar Hall B) John, the founder and direc- tor of Victory Therapeutic Horse- manship, is a PATH International instructor, retired Army Sergeant First Class with multiple combat tours and a long history of horse experience. Non-profit Victory Therapeutic Horsemanship is one of the few therapeutic riding pro- grams serving veterans exclusive- ly and at no cost. Studies have shown that therapeutic riding is effective for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Trau- matic Brain Injuries, and coping with physical injuries. Visit John Zanella at the Penn State Univ. booth 623, 624. (Continued from page 41)