“Each man and horse dissect the drainage, riding separate ridges, and push the horses we find down.  Always down toward the creek.  This is a wilderness area.  There are no fences.  When we are out of fresh track and can hear the faint ringing of bells only behind us, below us, we start back, gathering horses, gathering momentum, always coming down.  To do this thing will require of Mud a shaman’s dance.  Every morning.  The trails we ride are made by elk and deer.  He will shift his shape in ways that flatland horses never learn.  He will uncoil through a maze of tumbled downtimber with the grace of a snake, and do it fast.  He will plummet down a slope of scree, his ears laid back along his skull, as perpendicular to our angle of fall as his momentum will tolerate, and catch in a patch of loam to turn against his force of weight so drastically, and magically, that I have this summer, and last, twice been left sitting in the air.” Where Rivers Change Direction, Mark Spragg, Riverhead Books, 1999.

   The New Mexico Horse Council has had a year of successes, and in the process has tired out some of our most faithful members.  Our Foundation is at last ready to hit the ground running.  Our Horse Fair was wonderful enough that we are convinced of its worth and ready to make it bigger and better in 2004.  The web site is vastly improved.  We can again offer the Liability signs.  Although NMHC did not sponsor a trail ride in 2003, many of our member organizations had very successful rides.  Other members presented successful horse shows (or circuits, or series of shows).  They had cross country events, western cattle events, hunted hounds.  We attended countless meetings and reminded everyone to remember horses and riders when zoning, building trails, spending tourist and visitor dollars.  A milestone:  NMHC is now properly insured – for the Horse Fair, State Fair booth, trail rides, flea market, and meetings.  (No mean feat in these days of liability anxiety.)  Our membership held steady.  We continued membership in the American Horse Council and participated in the success of the State Horse Councils Advisory Committee.  However, we lost several directors this year – to overwork.  All of our projects are valuable, and if we can break them up into small chunks and distribute them among the membership, no one’s back will be broken.  We would appreciate your support – in membership, persuade someone to join the Council.  Attend a meeting.  Talk to your legislator (few do, so the impact is great).  Find a vendor for the 2004 Fair.  Join, or form, a committee.  Find a sponsor.  Attend the Horse Fair, the Flea Market, the State Fair.  Watch this space for trail rides.  Pay your dues.  Buy a really big coloring book for a child.  Ride your horse.

   Meanwhile, I know we must say “much-needed” in front of “rain”, but I hate it!  On our clay, just three tenths of an inch makes a greasy lake.  I need it to dry up – even to fugitive dust, so I can ride!

   We have selected Gardunos On The Green in Balloon Fiesta Park, Albuquerque, as the site of our annual meeting.  The date is Monday, December 8.  For a cost of just $12.00 per person, you are invited to take part in a complete buffet dinner beginning at 6:00 PM.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM; we will review the events of 2003, elect five Board members, and honor the recipients of our Certificates of Appreciation.  Last but not least, we will announce the winner of the second annual Horse Person Of The Year award.

   Bring money; in addition to the buffet, we will offer Equine Liability Signs (they’re back!) for $16.00 each; Really Big Coloring Books for $7.00 each, Horse Rescue Videos (simulated rescues) for $7.00 each, and Dues forms for 2004.  Join early, avoid the rush!

   Under the current Bylaws, the fifteen-member Board of Directors governs the Horse Council, with five of the three-year terms ending each year.  Directors whose terms end in 2003 are:  Nancy Gage (current president), Laura Burton (current vice president), Robin Strauser (current treasurer), Eliza Stewart, and a fifth position not filled.  Also, current secretary Mary Jo Wallen (term due to end in 2004) has recently resigned due to the extreme success of the small business owned by the Wallens.  It’s clear that NMHC needs some people to step up and enjoy a directorship!  The bylaws state that directors are elected by those present at the annual meeting; individual members may cast one vote, and each club member may designate two delegates.  Each commercial member is also entitled to one vote.  The Board generally meets monthly, and all Board meetings are open.

   We certainly hope to see many of you at the Annual Meeting!  Please RSVP to the NMHC message telephone, 345-8959, with the number of people you will be bringing.  To reach Garduno’s on the Green, here are directions from Fourth Street And Alameda Boulevard:  East on Alameda to Balloon Fiesta Road, the first street east of the traffic light at Horizon.  From I-25 and Alameda Road:  West on Alameda to Balloon Fiesta Road, second road west of traffic light at Jefferson.  Turn north on Balloon Fiesta Road, go 0.5 miles to a stop sign, turn left (west) (this is the only possible turn), go through fence marked “Gate 10” and proceed 0.3 miles to restaurant.

   The deadline for the HorsePerson of the Year nominations has been extended to November 26.  Write a letter with a brief bio, explaining how this person has been of outstanding service to the New Mexico horse community.  Fax  to 565-3222 or e-mail to nancygage@horsemensvoice.com.  You need not be a member of NMHC to nominate or be nominated; any adult resident of the state is eligible except current members of the NMHC Board, who are serving as the selection committee.

   Yes, we do have a new source for the 16” x 20” metal signs.  Dr. Sherry Perry has moved to Oregon and requested that we take over manufacturing and supplying the signs.  She gave us her files, and after a nationwide search her suppliers are the lowest price for the quality we desire.  However, in the years since Sherry purchased her final shipment, the price of the aluminum blanks has increased almost threefold (the screen-printing has only gone up around 10%).  Therefore, we will be charging $16.00 per sign for the first shipment and assessing the situation after that.  The metal signs are far more durable than the plastic version also available locally; in any case, all horse owners should post a sign.  Click here for order information.

   However, please do not assume that posting a sign protects horse owners from all lawsuits.  Recently, the New Mexico Supreme Court invalidated a release signed by a rider who was injured at a commercial stable.  In Berlangieri vs. Running Elk Corporation, the lower court found for the stable (citing the Equine Liability Act).  The Court of Appeals invalidated all recreational releases.  When the case was appealed to the Supreme Court, many recreational providers testified – obviously, they could not offer such activities unless protected from lawsuits.  The Supreme Court  reinstated the concept of legal liability releases, but said operators were not protected if negligent; the case was sent back to the lower court for determination.  We are planning to put the Supreme Court decision on Berlangieri on the NMHC web site, www.nmhorsecouncil.org.

   Have you checked out the web site lately?  The Board is delighted with its selection of NMHC member Rusty Cook and her Carousel Designs as our new web page guru.  She has begun redesigning the site and only awaits official approval to put up lots more good material and some links.  At the recent meeting of the State Horse Councils Advisory Committee in Amarillo, one member said he had checked out 26 state horse council web sites and only two were up to date – guess what one of them was?  We have good plans but welcome suggestions as well.

   Over a year ago, the head of the Really Big Coloring Book Company approached the American Horse Council about a horse coloring book, and was referred to the State Horse Council Advisory Committee.  His company produces, prints and sells books under contract (to schools, other organizations).  They in turn resell the books as fundraising and educational projects. The SHCAC was rapidly educated on the possibilities of producing a book about horses; the company was going to publish one, and was looking for the necessary funding for research, artwork and the initial run.  None of the Councils had the required $15,000 lying around, but several formed the State Horse Councils Alliance to provide the initial funding.  (In return, they get a tiny percentage of the price of every book sold.)  The book was introduced this summer, and is in its second printing and heading for a third.  It really is big (17” x 22”) and amazingly accurate for all the fun it will provide.  NMHC is selling the books for $7.00 each, just in time for the holidays.  Click here for an order form.

   According to the subcommittee, for sheer excitement you cannot beat revising Bylaws.  NMHC’s, last revised in 1982, were showing their age.  The update is finished and posted on the web site.  We will give everyone a chance to request a mailed copy as well; in the Spring we will call a special meeting for discussion, possible new changes, and approval.

   NMHC is proud to be a member of the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource.  This national organization, dedicated to preserving land and trails for riders, has several good publications and a helpful web site, www.elcr.org. 

   A summary of the year’s happenings in NM trails and land use will be available at the Annual Meeting and published in the next newsletter.  One topic covered recently was the attempt to save Otero Canyon trails and protest the Kirtland Air Force Base proposal to build a fence preventing trail use.  A public meeting attracted some 600 people; most recently the base personnel say they are “still digesting the public comment”.  Although the land is clearly under AFB control, users have enjoyed the land and trails for over fifty years, and found the claim of possible unexploded ordnance specious.

   The Serna Trucking Company property, in Albuquerque’s near South Valley, was acquired by the County Open Space for a neighborhood park also accommodating several Little League fields.  Since this property allows access to the irrigation ditch network, NMHC members held a series of meetings to request permission for rider access.  As a result, riders will be allowed to park trailers in the parking lot when game practice is not being held, and use a soft surface trail along the perimeter to reach the main ditch trail.

   The City of Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Unification Charter was soundly defeated in a recent vote.  Many were concerned about the effect of unification on zoning and land use – but in the end, the “pass the basic plan, we’ll work on the details later” just didn’t pass muster.  Under the constitutional amendment, we’ll get another committee and another proposed charter in a year -–and another two years after that.  Last year’s extraterritorial zoning was moot when the charter committee was activated; there is no news on whether it will be revived.

  Vista Sandia equestrian park, in northeast Albuquerque, is having its ups and downs.  This year, the County found the funds to improve the dressage arena, even bringing in a laser leveller.  Unfortunately, multiple use means just that – the new surface was irresistible to a pack of people on four-wheelers, and it is now badly damaged.

   The Racing Commission finally decided which of four competing proposals to accept for a new race track in Hobbs, New Mexico.  The winning team is Zia Partners, headed by R.D. Hubbard, who owns Ruidoso Downs.  The Hobbs track will be the fifth track/casino in New Mexico.

   Last, but certainly not least, we are indebted to Jay Koch and many others in the horse community who alerted us to fugitive dust.  Although Albuquerque and Bernalillo County are not formally unified, they have had a joint Air Quality Control Board for many years.  This summer, prodded (in that heavy-handed governmental way) by the Federal EPA, they proposed regulations and fees to control fugitive dust (that which escapes your property) in the name of improving health and quality of life.  One target was horse owners – particularly commercial operations – and we do know that our playful buddies do kick dust up.  (Yes, this is a desert; yes, we are in the middle of a drought; yes, sprinkling is prohibitively expensive and possibly illegal….)  Dan Warren of the Air Quality Board gave many presentations, including one to the NMHC directors.  One sticking point was the proposed fees, which many if not all horse owners saw as unfair.  In addition to the entities getting a “pass” –county roads, irrigation ditches, Indian land – the $300 basic registration applied to each horse owner, but the same $300 would be assessed to the entire Albuquerque Public School system.  The bottom line was that if Albuquerque was found to be in “noncompliance” by the Environmental Protection Agency, they would come in and impose their rules for a minimum of 25 years – and we were guaranteed not to like it.  Intense meetings followed.  Jay Koch remained theNMHC “point man” on this, and reports that the original filing fee was $300 per property, per year, plus $10 to $90 per acre depending on dust control measures. The current proposal has NO filing fee, but the per acre fee is $13 - $117 per acre depending on mitigations.  The Board did listen, and horse owners certainly spoke.  The fee structure will be finalized early next year.

   In October, the State Fair Commission traveled to Santa Fe for meetings exploring the possibility of shortening the Fair from seventeen to twelve days.  Instead, they decided to expand the 2004 Fair to eighteen days, and move the starting date to the Thursday before Labor Day.  Next year’s Fair will therefore begin September 2 and end September 19.  This has some implications for exhibitors, although the effect on the horse shows (except for the need to reapply with the various associations for show approvals) is not yet known.  (The Colorado State Fair may change its dates as well.)  Our Commissioners will probably put the junior livestock show in the second week of the 2004 Fair, and rodeos will probably be broken into two four-day blocks with the first block beginning September 8.  Live horse racing at the Expo New Mexico grounds will be held September 8 – 19 and 22 – 26.  (Since two other New Mexico tracks, in Ruidoso and Farmington, will be holding live racing over Labor Day, the State Fair cannot race that weekend.)

   The 2003 Fair went well, with just one day showing truly horrible weather.  All shows were up a bit or steady, with one or two exceptions.  The crowds in the arena were large, especially during the rainstorm and on dollar day.  We hope that we educated some of the fairgoers  in some of the fun to be found with horses.

   According to Laura Burton, the NMHC booth and tent was well visited.  Juan Tomas Hounds, with not just a huge picture display but also some drop-dead-cute hound puppies, drew many.  The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse collected some unsolicited donations for the NMHC Foundation.  and “Hoss” the horse, the reclaimed part-draft bucking horse that is now Jay Koch’s personal riding companion, made many new friends.  This booth is still underutilized; each horse group should be up there spreading the word.

   The next month (October), the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Show visited the Expo New Mexico grounds, possibly for the final time.  This show has been alternating between Louisville, Kentucky and Albuquerque, but the association is extremely dissatisfied with the Louisville facility.  They are being courted by Tulsa, Oklahoma, which wants the Arabian show every year.  A local ad hoc group, ABQ for Arabs, worked first to energize both the City and State to work for the show, and second to persuade the Arabian Horse  Association and exhibitors that Albuquerque was superior.  The economic impact of the show is in the many millions.  After sounding the alarm, the group tried to present jointly with Louisville but did not receive much encouragement from them.  Many if not most of the exhibitors prefer the Albuquerque facility, but the Arabian Horse Association will make the final decision and the bottom line (which is the more expensive) may well be the deciding factor.  The US Youth National Arabian Show does intend to return to Albuquerque in July 2004, 2005 and 2006.

   We have jumped through the final hoop created by the IRS and have received the coveted 501 (c) 3 [provisional] designation.  This means that the NMHC Foundation may operate, since we already have an address (P.O. Box 10513, Albuquerque, NM 87184), a bank account, and NM non-profit designation.  We have also received our first contributions and disbursed our first “grant” – hay for those evacuated to the Fairgrounds during the Bosque fires.  We have a Board of Directors, but some of the initial members want to be replaced.  (The IRS wants an arms-length relationship between NMHC and the Foundation, so common directors are only temporary.)  We have also received our first request for a grant.  Melanie Scholer has agreed to design our stationery, so we are good to go.  The Foundation was formed to establish an endowment from which funds could be disbursed to other 501 (c) organizations benefiting horses and “horse people”.  Other State Horse Council Foundations have funded projects involving second careers for performance horses, equine medical research, therapeutic riding programs, or courses of equine study for scholarship students.  We’re excited (and exhausted) at the completion of the “creation”.

   In this season of giving, please consider the following charities – all members of the Horse Council, and all benefiting the horse community:

WALKIN N CIRCLES RANCH, INC. (Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation) – Colleen Novotny, P.O. Box 626, Edgewood, NM 87015. (505) 286-0779, www.wncr.org.  In continuing efforts to support horses in need, the ranch sponsored a fantastic trail ride this fall.  They also have 2004 calendars for sale, and invite visits and contributions.

THE HORSE SHELTER.  Jan Bandler, 100 AB Old Cash Ranch Road, Cerrillos, NM 87010.  (505) 984-3235, tesuquebrooks@juno.com.  In addition to a fundraising trail ride with an outstanding gourmet luncheon, the Horse Shelter has embarked on a public relations campaign to acquaint New Mexico with horse welfare problems.  Their donated PAINTED PONY, Secretariat, will be raffled December 18.

CLOUD DANCERS OF THE SOUTHWEST.  Virginia Schitoskey, 5104 Tilman Ave. NW, Albquerque, NM 87114.  792-2869, c-dsw@att.net.  Cloud Dancers offers the benefits of therapeutic riding and maintains its own horses.  They always need volunteers to help with the programs and their other projects.

BOMAR EQUINE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION CENTER.  Marguerite Bowers, P.O. Box 1038, Belen, NM 87002.  861-0659, blbowers@compuserve.com.  Bomar was unfortunate to lose a barn this year to a fire of undetermined origin.  They were able to raffle a bronze equine sculpture donated by Carole Baker, but always need contributions for their work with older equines.  Marguerite has also needed to schedule court appearances for seizures of abused animals.

ALLIANCE AGAINST ANIMAL ABUSE.  Barbara Tellier, P.O. Box 90601, Albuquerque, NM 87199.  821-0393.  In addition to equines, the Alliance has helped other livestock, dogs, and cats, and embarked on a wide-ranging educational campaign for government officials.  Ongoing spay-neuter program:  Motto:  it only takes two months to create another litter!”

In the organizations listed above, the only “order of preference” is reverse alphabetical order.

   Once again, we take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors – without them, we would not have cleared enough to plan a Horse Fair for 2004.

   RICHARD SHRAKE and “Resistance-Free Training” ? to headline the 2004 New Mexico Horse Fair!  Dates have been reserved at Expo New Mexico:  April 30 and May 1 & 2, 2004.  Other featured clinicians and speakers are:  Natural Horseman Ken McNabb, Clicker Training with Shawna Karrasch, and Thinking In Pictures author Temple Grandin.  We’ll again feature “New Mexico’s Own” best trainers, and Educational Seminars by the New Mexico State University, Extension Service, and other area professionals.  Wayne Williams will join us from Wisconsin as master of ceremonies of the evening entertainment, and offer a seminar on drill teams as well.  We are extremely lucky to have Lisa Miller heading up the Silent Auction.  We listened to – and heeded – your comments about the 2003 Fair.  Our admission price in 2004 is $5.00 per day for adults, children 10 and under free, Friday evening free. 

   We have made every effort to attract scads of vendors, and several have already signed up.  Commercial Vendors:  $200 (but just $175 if booked AND PAID by December 31, 2003).  Artists and Craftsmen:  $100 ($75 if booked and paid by 12/31/03).  Associations and Clubs:  $100 ($75 if booked and paid by 12/31/03).  Thes fees cover a 10 x 10 space; electricity is estimated to cost an extra $25.  Pipe, drape, table provided and ready for set up midday Friday.  Gates for spectators will open late afternoon Friday.

   Sponsorship Opportunities abound.  We need sponsors, and a lot of them, or we might as well all stay home.  Categories:

GOLD.  $2500.00.  •  Ride in the opening ceremony of Saturday’s evening entertainment, along with your family and/or employees and company banner; •Full-page ad in the free Horse Fair Program and your logo on the cover; • Two commercial booth spaces; • Three of your banners hung prominently in the exhibit area;  •  25 weekend tickets; • Your name and logo on the back of the Horse Fair T-shirt;  • Logo and link on the NMHC web site;  • 2004 Membership (individual or commercial) in the New Mexico Horse Council.

SILVER.  $1,500.00.  •  Half-page program ad; • One Commercial Booth Space; •  Two of your banners prominently hung in exhibit area; •  10 weekend tickets; • Name & Logo on back of the Horse Fair T-shirt; • Logo & Link on the NMHC web site; •  2004 Membership (individual or commercial) in the NM Horse Council.

BRONZE.  $500.00. •  Quarter-page ad in the Horse Fair Program; •  One commercial booth space; •  One of your banners prominently hung in the exhibit area;  •  Five weekend tickets;  •  2004 Membership (individual or commercial) in the NM Horse Council.

GRASSROOTS (Commercial).  $200.00.  •  Quarter page ad in the Horse Fair Program.  •5 weekend tickets.  • 2004 Commercial membership in the New Mexico Horse Council.

GRASSROOTS (Individual).  $100.00.  •  Business card sized ad in the Horse Fair Program (with your message).  •  2 weekend tickets.  •  2004 Individual membership in the NM Horse Council.

   Packets are available from most Board members or by calling 345-8959, the Council message number.  Quoting President Nancy Gage’s letter,

“The Fair has several objectives:  to increase the visibility of the New Mexico equine community; to bring New Mexico horsemen and horsewomen together in a common cause; to raise money for the New Mexico Horse Council Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization which supports charitable and educational equine projects; to expose the New Mexico horse community to new products, teachers, and ideas; to educate the public about the opportunities and responsibilities of horse ownership; to encourage a new generation of horsemen and horsewomen; to celebrate our equine culture; and to have some fun, too!

We have crafted our show to appeal to a range of equine enthusiasts, from the professional trainer to the backyard horse owner to the urban horse lover.  The New Mexico Horse Fair is the place to be if you love horses – regardless of your breed, discipline, or your level of participation in the equine world.”

   I Two Step Too is in residence at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he appears several times a day as “Seabiscuit”.

   Triple Digit Cash, the “trick Biscuit”and the only Biscuit that is not a Thoroughbred, is now owned by the movie’s head wrangler and teaching a friend’s son to ride.

   Dream Of Alleged is now (allegedly) racing in New Mexico, having finished away down the track in two races at Hoosier Park.

   Rich In Dallas has also returned to the track, finishing 5th in a race at Los Alamitos (CA) in August.

   Rhythm ‘N Sand, the “lie-down” Biscuit, went to one of the wranglers in the picture and is roping steers on the junior rodeo circuit.

   Finder’s Key,  the rearing Biscuit, went to another of the wranglers.  He is beginning a career as a jumper.

   Fighting Furrari,, who became bombproof and did most of the close up camera work, is now a trail horse on a ranch in Telluride, CO owned by producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.

  Fire ‘N Smoke, one of the “blow-by” (with a burst of speed) Biscuits, is now a pleasure horse owned by a friend of Frank Marshall.

  Mountain Skier, a “racing Biscuit” is also a pleasure horse, living in Southern California.

   Several NMHC members made the trek to Amarillo for the SHCAC Advisory Committee meeting, graciously hosted by the American Quarter Horse Association.  Nancy Gage, Jay Koch, Deb Swalby, Deb Platt, and Randy and Valerie Cole all attended; Blair Darnell unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute.

   The meeting began with a Friday evening reception at the Holiday Inn, hosted by various state horse councils (including New Mexico).  This is a chance to see the perpetual delegates, meet the new delegates, and see what everyone is up to in an informal setting. 

   Saturday morning’s session began with a seminar, “The Organizational Structure of State Horse Councils”.  I did “Forming a State Horse Council”, which in a sense was preaching to the choir (except that Texas was in the process of converting the Greater Houston Horse Council to a statewide Council).  Jerry Walker of Indiana, chair of the SHCAC, then reviewed “Strategic Planning and Organizational Structure”; Lisa Derby Oden of New Hampshire followed with a survey of several Councils.  One interesting note:  many Councils have one-year terms for directors.  It’s easy, they say, for someone to commit to just one year and then be persuaded to stay on.  Saturday afternoon began with concurrent sessions of the SHCAC Subcommittees, Communications, Fairs and Expos, Issues, Marketing and Trails; in midafternoon Cindy Schonholtz of the Animal Welfare Council spoke, followed by the State Horse Councils Alliance.  In the evening, AQHA hosted a memorable chuckwagon cookout at the AQHA museum.  Sunday morning was the SHCAC business meeting; including packets and talks from Jay Hickey of the American Horse Council.  It adjourned as scheduled at noon.  We’ll give full details in the next newsletter, but suffice it to say that we all had a very good time (even those of us who cut class and went shopping) and learned lots.
 
 
 

The New Mexico Horse Council has appreciated your support in 2003 and is looking forward to seeing you next year – and also, we hope, at the Annual Meeting!

NMHC member AHANM – The Arabian Horse Association of NM – informs us that they are seeking – and will pay – a Youth Camp director.  For further information, contact Jim Porcher at jsporch@comcast.net.

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“In a phrase applied to some men, these cow ponies of Spanish blood would do to ride the river with.  Whether ridden by Indian, cowboy or ranger they would stay – stay till hell froze over and a little while on the ice.  This quality is good to remember out of times when it was the absolute for men who lived not only on but by their horses.”  J. Frank Dobie, The Mustangs, Curtis Publishing Co., 1934.
 
 

On Tuesday, June 24 and Wednesday, June 25 the predictions all came true.  Allegedly set by juveniles with fireworks (Tuesday) and accidental or an arsonist (Wednesday), fires raged through the middle of Albuquerque from south of I-40 to Paseo del Norte.  Not enough can be said to praise the local, state and national firefighters.  Although several hundred acres of the Bosque are now ashes, few structures were damaged and injuries were minor. 

The entire horse community as well as many others pulled together.  It would be absolutely impossible to mention everyone, but all of us living in and cherishing the North Valley thank:  1) All the people with horse trailers lining Rio Grande Boulevard, waiting to help evacuate our livestock. 2) Nancy Gage and Jay Koch, who have been working with State Police on an evacuation plan for a year.  They coordinated transport with Emergency Services.  3) Expo New Mexico and manager Michael Cerletti for opening Fairgrounds gates to some seventy head of livestock free of charge.  Employee Kaylene Graham rose from a sickbed to go over and sort them all out, and made the rounds with Carlos Sigala to make sure all were watered.   4)  Lee Wharton of Bosque Farms.  After contacting Expo New Mexico officials, she called the TV and radio stations to put the Fairgrounds on the “crawl” as a destination, then delivered a load of grass hay and alfalfa from her barn and those of neighbors Steve and Sherry Wright and Larry and Sharon Eastman for the evacuees. 5)  The staff at the Albuquerque Marriott assembled a huge spread of food and beverages and took it over to the Fairgrounds.  [The Sheraton Old Town hosted people and pets.]  6) Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Posse opened the Posse grounds on North Second for livestock.  7)  All the rest of you who called and offered or provided refuge and transport.  8) New Mexico Horse Council also put a stack of hay at the Fairgrounds for the evacuees.

The IRS continues to ask for many details of exactly what we intend to do one, two, ten years hence before it will issue that magic number.  Nancy Gage and other Board members continue to wade through the verbiage.  To repeat, the Foundation is set up with the state of New Mexico, has a post office box, bank account,directors, and is ready to go.  Regarding directors, the IRS wants an arms-length relationship between the Council and the Foundation.  If you would consider being an NMHC Foundation director, please call Nancy Gage at 565-3222.  You do not need to be a member of the Horse Council.

August 16 is the date of our annual Flea Market and Tack Swap, this year to be held at Dan’s Boots and Saddles, 6903 4th Street NW in the North Valley.  Time: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. .  The price is still just $10.00 for the usual ten foot table space size.  Bring your table to put in it.  Larry Christensen says they will try to have their small canopy repaired in time for the Flea Market, but suggests you bring your own umbrellas and shade in case the parts cannot be found.  The Horse Council does not collect anything except the table space fee.  (Traditionally, this income helps defray the cost of the tent and stall at the State Fair.)  You do not have to have “horsey” stuff for sale although that is what most customers are seeking.  We have several spaces spoken for, by sellers, crafts people, and clubs.  We know one person is bringing horseshoe art and another has horse prints.  Sell things to make room so you can buy things.  Extra parking available at Northwest Auto, just across Bledsoe street from Dan’s.  NMHC will have literature and other material to display.  Also, Bomar Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation will sell tickets for Carole Baker’s “Clearing the Mesa” equine sculpture, and select the winning ticket that day.  For space reservations, call NMHC at 345-8959, or Horsemen’s Voice at 565-3222 and leave a message.

August 16 is also the date for the big blowout at Sandia Trailer Sales.  Morey Liebling of Sandia was THE major sponsor of the 2003 NMHC Horse Fair, and the reason we are able to go ahead with the 2004 Fair.  His ad is full of half tones and won’t reproduce well, but here are the essentials:

When:  Saturday, August 16, all day
Where:  Sandia Trailer Sales, 1435 Route 66, Edgewood.  281-9860, 800-832-0603.
Who:  Richard Shrake, world renowned horse trainer, to demonstrate his Resistance Free Horse Training; and
Dynamite Dave Copher, our favorite rodeo clown, and 
The sales staff at Sandia, ready to sell you…
What:  Introducing the Sundowner Stampede SL, value priced at $11,595 – a three horse gooseneck with standard features including a dressing room, padded solid head and shoulder dividers, saddle racks and floor mats.  Lots of other horse limos will be available at clearance prices, and they’ll feed you, too.

The NMHC Board voted to contract with Rusty Cook to redesign and maintain the NMHC web site, www.nmhorsecouncil.org.  Rusty is a long time NMHC member and a USA Equestrian steward.  She also is prominent in the Arabian industry in New Mexico.  Look for a new look when Rusty is finished with the Arabian Youth Nationals.

Sherry Perry, who produced the metal liability signs the Council sold, has moved to Portland, Oregon and asked the Council to take over producing the signs.  We had intended to have them ready for the Flea Market, but there have been some delays in getting the new blanks.  Sherry last ordered them several years ago (she had a large supply) and the manufacturer assumed the cost would be comparable.  Unfortunately it is not.  He is doing a nationwide search for another source.  The screening source is in place, and ready to change the “citation” line as it is now different from the original.

In the previous newsletter, we mentioned Melanie Scholer and the Ditch Pony Promenade.  Melanie put together a coalition of sponsors, helpers and the Village of Corrales to offer this event with zero entry fees to area riders.  The Top Form Arena in Corrales was the location; the village made it part of their recreational calendar (solving the insurance problem), all prizes were donated, Dan’s Boots and Saddles donated ribbons, Peggy Jo Dietmeier judged, and a very good time was had by all.  The show lasted HOURS later than original projections, but when over twenty entries appear for “Moldy Oldy Leadline” things take time.  Melanie reports that the atmosphere was wonderful, with entrants attempting new things and the other contestants applauding everyone’s efforts.  Is a tradition being established?

The second annual Lefty Converse Senior Horse Show, presented by Dan’s, was also a success.  There are two horse age divisions, 15 – 21 and older than that.  The costume class was memorable, with one tolerant horse dressed as a pinata.

The Land of Enchantment Miniature Horse Club has adopted a program promoting geldings to reduce the number of back yard breeders and increase the number of geldings available for youth and other owners.  The Board has authorized a fund to partially defray the costs of gelding for LEMHC members with horses registered with the American Miniature Horse Association.  After the initial fund is exhausted, the program will be reviewed.  Remember the old saying, “a good stallion makes a great gelding!”

Expo New Mexico is the renamed State Fairgrounds, and the State Fair Commission hopes the new name reflects the many events taking place each week.  Those of us up for horse shows know we can also attend craft fairs, the flea market, a gun and knife show, a dog show or a concert – an average of fifteen to twenty events on any given weekend.  Still, it’s hard not to call it the Fairgrounds.

The 2003 State Fair is fast approaching.  We, of course, are interested in pages 21 through 58 of the 230 page premium book, although the quilts, gems, onions, antique cars, llamas, art, and cakes can be fascinating.  The Horse Shows begin September 4 at 8:00 AM with Hunter/Jumper warm ups; the official show begins at 12:15.  All other shows begin at 8:00 AM unless otherwise noted below.

The New Mexico Horse Council Booth and Tent (in front of the Horse Arena during the entire Fair) will once again be sponsored by NMHC as a service to the different organized horse breeds and activities.  Laura Burton, NMHC Vice President, will again be coordinating and can be reached at 891-9564 or by e-mail at burtonranch@yahoo.com.  This is a priceless way to showcase your breed or horse activity, and it is free.  There is a stall, and having a horse in the stall is an incredible draw to people attending the Fair.  You may hand out literature, promote your activity and generally subversively drag the general public into “our” world.  The weekend days in particular do go fast, so call Laura to set up a day or a shared day.  We will as always have NMHC material to hand out as well.

Live pari-mutuel Horse Racing will be held every day during the Fair, Sept. 5 – 21.  For Horse Racing Post Times, please call 265-1791.

PRCA Rodeo is always a Fair tradition.  Dates this year are:  September 10 – 14 and 18 – 20, with Bull Riding September 21.

The Annual State Fair Parade is also a good place to see horses of all kinds.  This year, the parade will begin Saturday, September 6 at 8:45 AM.

The world famous Budweiser Clydesdales will be in residence during the entire Fair.

Horse Event managers have always been told that a national event can “bump” a regional event, or a regional bump a local, even if the local horse show has long-established dates at the Fairgrounds/Expo New Mexico.  The New Mexico Hunter Jumper Association was bumped from its July dates when the Arabian Junior Nationals booked in, and we all support national horse events.  However, in 2004 their traditional March show will be bumped by…a motor coach convention?  According to the Events department, this is a huge undertaking which will use every square inch of the Fairgrounds and then some.  It never comes to the same place twice, so this is once-in-a-lifetime.  NMHJA’s show is sanctioned by USA Equestrian, which has the well known “mileage rule” to prevent nearby competition for established shows.  Should a show give up its established dates due to a “local condition”, and should someone else register a nearby show, that “someone” would have priority the next year.  However, show manager Isabelle Marino believes that will not be a problem for NMHJA in 2004, and says she is satisfied with the efforts of Expo New Mexico to find an alternate date for her.  Next Spring, the NMHJA March show will actually be a weekend later than its traditional date, and they will play nicely with the Quarter Horses.

The Arabian Junior Nationals are now under way at Expo New Mexico, and the US Nationals will be held here in October.  However, that may be the last time we see that show here, and the loss of its $10 million DIRECT economic impact will be felt.  The show has alternated between New Mexico and Kentucky, so exhibitors can travel shorter distances in alternate years.  The problem is not (mainly) with Albuquerque and Expo New Mexico, although many feel the City has become complacent because few show facilities have the stabling to handle the expected number of horses.  The exhibitors and association have become increasingly dissatisfied with the facilities at Louisville, Kentucky.

Enter the businessmen and women of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who can see the economic benefits and want to welcome both the Junior Nationals and the US Nationals – every year.  Tulsa has upgraded its Expo Square facilities through sales taxes, excise taxes and bond issues.  In addition, they have offered between $650,000 and $1 million in sponsorships, which would mean the facility is essentially free.  A necessary bond issue will be voted on in September, but every other one has passed handily.  Problems with Louisville may have precipitated this move, but once Albuquerque loses the show it will be gone forever.

Susan Seligman (smseligman@aol.com) is one of a group trying to obtain sponsorships and other commitments to keep the US Nationals, at least, returning to Albuquerque every other year.  And manager Michael Cerlette says Expo New Mexico is doing its best to build new barns and other enhancements as quickly as possible (several are already finished).  Let us remember that Expo New Mexico is delighted to host the horsemen and will go the extra mile to keep them here; however, they are not really (in current jargon) a “stakeholder”.  The national Arabian Horse Association negotiated a good contract for the Expo facilities.  The direct economic impact, estimated at $125/day for food and lodging only, x 3.5 people per horse, x number of show days – that will go largely to Albuquerque merchants. 

Recently, I listened to Gary Dearth of Pine Ridge Arabians, vice president of the national Arabian Horse Association, speaking with Larry Ahrens on radio station KKOB. Dearth outlined the situation very well; Expo New Mexico is upgrading facilities and the age of the fairgrounds is both a liability and an asset.  It’s a liability because ideally several barns should have been replaced already, and an asset because it was originally built for horse events and is more suitable than the multi-purpose facilities being constructed today.  He quoted e-mail from Mayor Martin Chavez to a constituent stating that the reason the national show was looking elsewhere was the aging fairgrounds.  Perhaps the mayor has not been up to see the new barns.  It is to be hoped that, even if Mayor Chavez personally would like to see the fairgrounds move elsewhere, he will enthusiastically promote retaining the US Nationals.  Albuquerque would feel the loss.

Horse people have not done a good job educating others on the economic impact of horsekeeping.  We would all rather hit the trails or the rings and ride!  When you raise community awareness (and if you know a million dollar sponsor hiding in the wings, let Susan Seligman or NMHC know) please give them these figures:  We produce $25.3 billion annually in goods and services with a total impact of $112.1 billion on the US gross domestic product – more, for instance, than the motion picture industry.  When you stop using a horse for a while, it cannot be parked in the garage or boathouse.  It continues to need bed and board, training, attention from the veterinarian and farrier, and possibly a ride in a nice horse RV.  Tell people what it cost the last time you filled the tanks on your tow vehicle.  Let them know what a new saddle, bridle, corral set you back.  Although more than half of us use our horses for recreational and trail riding, competition costs big bucks.  And these figures are several years old.

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District recently held an election.  Did anyone come?  (The MRGCD owns the irrigation ditch network and the ditch trails we all enjoy.)  The turnout was only 3 % of the eligible voters, and the three incumbents (Lawrence Troncosa of San Felipe Pueblo, Jose U. Otero of Peralta, and Hector Gonzales of Albuquerque’s South Valley) were all returned.  They all are on record as supporting recreational use of the ditch trail network (particularly Mr. Gonzales), although for liability reasons the MRGCD posts “No Trespassing” signs.

Rio Grande Bosque.  Since the Bosque fires in June, fingers have been pointed in all directions.  It is interesting to see at the “summits” that the rest of the world now understands the problems Bosque Restoration Committees have been considering for at least twenty years.  Perhaps some funding will now be available, and some creative cooperation among the controlling agencies will appear.  The land generally called the river bosque is really the Rio Grande Valley State Park, and the levee trails are now open.  (However, they were never designed for the weight of some of the fire fighting vehicles, so some repair will be necessary.)  To report problems encountered in the Bosque, call Open Space Dispatch at 873-6632.  Jodi Hedderig of the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division may soon be setting up another class to train Open Space Trail Watch volunteers.  If interested, call her at 452-5210.

Horse evacuations from the North Valley showed, once again, the need for a system for removing livestock.  NMHC and Board President Nancy Gage have been working with the State Police for over a year on a plan, and NMHC Director Eldon Reyer is trying to get a working document in Santa Fe County.  It seems that when an emergency occurs, any such plans disappear as other agencies take over.  It is truly good luck and the good will of all the helpers that horses were removed so handily.  Many reported that they were not allowed to get in to their horses, and the “summit” the next week (to which we were not invited) said that livestock evacuations had to be improved.  It is discouraging to think a plan is in place and find out the fire boss hasn’t heard of it and is not going to listen.

Otero Mesa.  This land, near Tijeras and Kirtland Air Force Base, was withdrawn from public use over sixty years ago.  When the Forest Service proposed limited use in 1996, the Air Force Base stated that “unexploded ordnance” posed a danger.  However, Kirtland has made a limited effort to close the land and its trail system; according to them, the “No Trespassing” signs disappeared as soon as they were put up.  Recently, the base proposed a major fence “so that anyone on the wrong side was clearly in the wrong”.  The land and trails have been a popular recreation area for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders; no unexploded ordnance has ever been found.

With the intervention of Congresswoman Heather Wilson, the public comment period was extended.  Concerned users formed an advocacy group with a website, www.saveotero.org.  They urged surrounding communities to extend support, and the Village of Tijeras passed a resolution supporting a fence location that leaves much of the trails network public.  Albuquerque City Council asked the base to work with the public to keep access.  Although no NMHC members asked for support, when others said that horse trailers were often parked at trail access points the Board authorized a letter asking that the trails be kept open.  Check the web site above for developments. 

West Side Equestrian Center.  Land for an Equestrian Center on Albuquerque’s West Side was granted a Special Use Zoning designation many years ago.  However, when the Center’s lease was up they were unable to find funds to purchase the land, and the owner sold it for development.  The horse people fought the rezoning and won (the City Council voting to retain the SU-Equestrian Center zoning), and the owner sued the City of Albuquerque.  A year later, the City has “settled” the lawsuit.  The earlier vote is nullified, and a new vote scheduled for August 11.  The Councilor for the area, Michael Cadigan, will not be allowed to vote.  Kathy Falter (ppb@falter.com) keeps us updated on this issue and could use some help.  Her group has worked extremely hard to promote this as a unique community equestrian center, the only one on Albuquerque’s West Side.

COLTPAC sounds “horsey” but it stands for the Santa Fe County Open Space, Land and Trails Planning Advisory Committee.  If funding can be put together, and additional trails can be mapped, a trailhead with a fenced parking area, restrooms and corrals could be constructed on 30 acres adjacent to Wildlife West in Edgewood.  Long range plans envision a possible connection to Section 32, 700 acres owned by the State and currently leased for grazing.  When the grazing lease runs out, the town of Edgewood is considering leasing the property to retain as open space rather than seeing the state Land Office lease it to a developer, which they see as the “highest and best” use.

Farmington BLM District.  Recently, this district, which comprises 1.2 million acres and produces 8% of all natural gas in the country, revised its management plan.  Bill and Judy Cumberworth have been involved on behalf of the many recreational riders and official trail rides, and Bill informs us that the proposed new rules do not restrict any of the present access for horses.  In fact, the Chokecherry ride will be officially designated as an allowed use.  They will, however, limit some off road motorized vehicle use.  The acreage will be divided into 13 “travel units” and each one will be individually evaluated.  The BLM plan is to continue to facilitate the production of oil and gas, but the increased recreational use needs to be more intensely managed. 

TEA-3 (SAFETEA) – Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003.  The American Horse Council has worked closely with the federal highway administration in successive iterations of this act.
The original act did not specifically mention horseback riders (although they were not prohibited; it was an oversight) but some federal managers unfriendly to the horse industry have used the language to prohibit horses.  In the recently released reauthorization of TEA-21, section 1611 redefines “Shared Use Path” as:

 A multiple use trail or other path, physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier, either within a highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way, and usable for transportation purposed.  Shared use paths may be used by pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, equestrians and other nonmotorized users.

Final language will be developed by Congress.  If you contact the NM delegation, request that the definition of “shared use path” contains riders.

Tea-21 Enhancements were, however, zeroed out for the fiscal year beginning October 1 by a House subcommittee on July 11.  This funding needs to be restored, as it is the largest source of federal funding for trails.  Again, contact Representatives Udall, Wilson and/or Pearce.

Health Insurance for the Recreational Rider – H.R. 1749.  When HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, was signed in 1996, employers were prohibited from denying health care coverage based on a worker’s pre-existing conditions or participation in legal recreational activities.  However, the final rules and regulations adopted in 2001 permitted health insurers to exclude coverage for injuries resulting from horseback riding and other forms of “dangerous” recreation.  Representative Scott McInnis (R-CO), in the above bill, specifically states that benefits cannot be denied for treatment of an injury solely because the enrollee was involved in an activity such as horseback riding, motorcycling, snowmobiling, all-terrain vehicle riding, skiing or other similar legal activity.  The bill has nearly one hundred co-sponsors, but none of the NM delegation members has signed on.

Right-To-Ride on Public Lands Act.  We are informed by Back Country Horsemen and SHCAC that California Congressman George Radanovich is soliciting co-sponsors and is about to introduce a bill “to preserve the recreational use of pack and saddle stock animals on public lands, including wilderness areas, administered by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Forest Service where there is a historical tradition of such use, and for other purposes.” We will be watching this one.

UTAP – Universal Trail Assessment Procedure.  At Trails conferences during the late Spring and early summer, this was a hot topic.  UTAP was originally created to describe trails as being suitable for handicap access under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  It was value-neutral, because the disabled didn’t want other people deciding which trails they could handle.  A company named Beneficial Designs developed software under an NIH grant to describe ALL trails.  The intent is for land managers to inventory, describe, and decide on user group access to their trails.  When conferees realized that examples provided with the software encouraged managers to make policy decisions as soon as data are entered on a particular trail, the e-mails started flying.  One illustration showed managers how to make “No Horses” signs.

The Director of Beneficial Designs, Peter Axelson, has now issued a clarification.  He states that when managers realized the many benefits realized from accurate trails inventories, they asked that the software be made universal and this upgrade is called UTAP Trailware 2000.  It is solely a measurement system and does not advocate for or against trail use by any particular user group.  Rather, it generates several different report formats to be selected by land managers, and includes graphics for permitted and prohibited uses for many user groups.  They suggest reading  information posted on their web site at www.beneficialdesigns.com/trails/newspring03.pdf.

Judge declares “roadless rule” illegal.  In 2001, the State of Wyoming filed a complaint requesting a declaratory judgement against the US Department of Agriculture (overseer of the Forest Service).  They asked that the “roadless rule” adopted at the end of the Clinton administration be set aside, on the grounds that it created “de facto” wilderness areas where all development was banned.  At the beginning of his 100 page ruling issued July 15, 2003, permanently setting aside the roadless rule, federal judge Clarence Brimmer wrote “the court considers the legality of the 58.5 million acres of roadless area that the United States Forest Service drove through the administrative process in a vehicle smelling of political prestidigitation.”.  The Biodiversity Conservation Alliance will appeal.

Equestrian Land Conservation Resource.  The New Mexico Horse Council is now a member of this group, formed in 1997 to combat the loss of open land available for equestrian use.  We had already purchased several of their publications, and the Board also decided to support the group with a membership.  They consider the three million acres annually lost to riders as the greatest 
threat to the future of all equestrian sport and recreation.  See more at their web site, www.elcr.org. 

In many parts of the state, mosquito numbers are down due to the drought.  However, the spread of West Nile virus across the country is assured, and an effective horse vaccine is available.  Fort Dodge’s West Nile-Innovator vaccine was granted a full USDA license in November 2002.  It is given in two initial doses with an annual booster.  After a story appeared in the May 30 Denver Post questioning the safety of the vaccine for pregnant mares, questions flew around the Internet.  Fort Dodge responds that in their safety trials of 649 horses, including 32 pregnant mares, one 22-year-old mare was found to be ‘open’ after two doses of the vaccine.  The official veterinary report declared that this early embryonic death was ‘unrelated to the vaccination’.  Albuquerque’s Stephen Derwelis, DVM, a director of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, hopes that everyone has had their horses vaccinated this year.  The first equine death is already reported in Sierra County near Elephant Butte.  Pragmatically, even if the Internet rumors had some basis, losing one reproductive year is better than a one-in-three chance of losing the horse.

APHIS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture, has distributed a survey of the 2002 Economic Impact Of West Nile Virus On The Colorado And Nebraska Equine Industries.  Laboratory confirmed cases in Colorado totaled 378 (equine population 145,000) and in Nebraska 1100 (equine population 75,000).  Considered were: value of lost animals; cost of treating the disease; loss of use during illness and recovery, and cost of disease prevention. 

 • Value of the 423 horses in both states that died or were euthanized (29% death rate) totaled $600,060.

 • The average number of “lost-use” days in horses that recovered was 22 days, for a lost-use value of $163,659.

 • Veterinarians estimated cost of treatment at $200 for mild cases, $400 for moderate cases, and $250 for severe cases (often euthanized before significant treatment costs could accrue).  Total cost of treatment was $490,844.

 • Vaccination costs must be considered an economic impact on horse owners, and at a 47% reported rate in the two states, owners spent $2.75 million vaccinating their horses.

An article in the July 2003 issue of Smithsonian, “On The Trail Of The West Nile Virus”, is packed with disturbing facts.  For instance, the transmission cycle depends on many factors, including temperature; at 70? F, it takes more than three weeks for the virus to multiply throughout the body of a mosquito, and only 10% will be able to transmit disease.  At 90? F, the time shortens to one week, and 75% can transmit disease.  In St. Louis Encephalitis, host birds can contain up to 100,000 viral particles per milliliter of blood.  Birds with West Nile virus can show a trillion to ten trillion particles per ml.  They also cite a Soviet study where rhesus monkeys were infected with WNV.  “Whether the infected animals developed encephalitis, or merely fevers, or no evident disease at all, post-mortem examination found that the animal brains had undergone an inflammatory-degenerative process.”  The implication is that infected people, with no outward signs of illness, could suffer long-term neurological effects.  So clean up those mosquito breeding places; vaccinate your horses (like humans, they are “essentially innocent bystanders” that get between birds and mosquitoes) and cheer the work towards a vaccine for humans.

Laura Hillenbrand’s best seller, Seabiscuit, has, according to reviews, been made into an excellent movie.  It will open nationwide July 25, and NMHC will have a booth in Albuquerque at the Cottonwood Mall.

More than 45 horses were used in the filming, including eight “Seabiscuits” and four “War Admirals”.  One of the Seabiscuits, Two Step Too, is a “pretty good racehorse” and was donated by jockeys Gary Stevens and Chris McCarron to the Race for Education, which provides scholarships to thoroughbred racing’s employees and their relatives.  The others have been placed with good homes, with one becoming a show horse for one of the actor-jockeys.  They commented that the “Seabiscuit” chosen for his ability to rear was somewhat unlovable, while the lethargic one was fun and the main closeup “Seabiscuit”, Fighting Furrari, became bombproof around the movie set.  One of the “War Admirals”, Cobra Flight, didn’t like the script and insisted on winning two takes of the famous match race.  In 1938, the nation turned to the Seabiscuit story for relief from the world’s problems; in numbers of column inches in newspapers, he was number one, followed by FDR and Stalin.

Two other horse movies are scheduled for release in 2003.  “Hidalgo” purportedly relates the story of Frank T. Hopkins and his pinto mustang stallion taking part in a three thousand mile endurance race across the Arabian desert in 1890.  An American mustang racing against desert-bred Arabians in the “Ocean of Fire”, and ridden by “Lord of the Rings” star Viggo Mortenson, should be a good story.  It will open nationwide October 3.  Another Walt Disney movie, “The Young Black Stallion”, is scheduled for a Christmas release.  It is meant to be a “prequel” to the famous Black Stallion, and tells the story of a girl who becomes separated from her family in the desert.  She meets a wild colt, Shetan, returns to her family and eventually participates in a horse race.  Unfortunately for New Mexico, the movie is in the IMAX format.  They are thin on the ground in New Mexico.  (When the film “Majestic White Horses” was released in 2001 in IMAX format, the Council contacted the Natural History Museum in Albuquerque to try to schedule a week.  They were not interested in the least.)  Other films under consideration in the future are “Monkeyface”, a racetrack con movie, and “Mr. Ed.”  A horse is a horse…..

Utah Pioneer, born June 10, joined Idaho Gem, born May 4, as the first two cloned equines.  A third is expected in August.  Researchers at the University of Idaho and Utah State were partially funded by Don Jacklin, owner of Taz, a champion racing mule.  The scientists bred Taz’s parents (as with all mules, a horse mare and a donkey stallion) to produce a fetus for a source of DNA.  Eggs were harvested from mares and the nuclei removed, then DNA from the fetal skin culture was implanted.  Out of 307 attempts, 21 pregnancies resulted and three carried to term.  Thus the mule clones are siblings (but not clones) of Taz.  Principal researcher Graham Woods described the technique, which was eventually successful, as carefully regulating the levels of intracellular calcium.  He hopes that the research will eventually help with controlling human cancers.  With the exception of melanomas in light colored animals, horses rarely develop cancer; prostate cancer in a stallion has never been found.  In humans, calcium levels are high in growing cancers as well as in general, and humans are more susceptible to cancers than other large animals.  Meanwhile, the baby mules frolic happily.

Five saddlebred horses at the Double D farm owned by Dena and Dave Lopez in Kentucky were found on June 30 with their left front legs “swollen to the shoulder”.  The horses had all been injected in the back of the pastern with a caustic substance, so far unidentified.  Two have since been euthanized in spite of heroic medical treatment.  One, 11 year old Wild Eyed and Wicked, was a multiple national champion owned by Sally and Joe Jackson; the other, Meet Prince Charming, a two-year-old gelding owned by the Lopez family.  Three others, the 6 year old gelding Cats Don’t Dance, four year old mare Kiss Me, and three year old mare Sassational, may recover.  A reward for arrest and conviction of the attacker now tops $100,000 and is being administered by the AHSA Foundation.  Kentucky police are investigating but have made no arrests, and the saddlebred community is in shock.  New Mexicans will remember Dena Lopez, who rode for Michelle MacFarlane’s Scripps Miramar farm when Scripps brought over thirty horses each year for the State Fair Saddlebred show.

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“The horse, the noblest, bravest, proudest, most courageous, and certainly the most perverse and infuriating animal that humans ever domesticated.”  Anne McCaffrey, The Lady, Ballantine Books, 1987.
 
 

Come to the Fairgrounds the first weekend in May and find a huge variety of horse activities in one place – well, three places.  The Horse Fair clinicians will be in the Dairy Barn, as will the seminar tent, the commercial vendors, the horse club booths, the silent auction and the kids corral.  You will see AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse clinics and classes, and working cow horse classes, in the Horse Arena.  The Friday evening open barrel race and the Saturday evening entertainment will also be held in the horse arena.  To balance the activities, the Rio Grande Horse Association will hold their Spring Hunter/Jumper show in the outside arena.  A few select stallions will be in stallion row (AKA the beef barns) and hunters and jumpers will be stabled in the Palomino barns; horses participating in the Fair and AQHA classes will be in Barn 14, the first barn west of the west warmup arena.  Look both ways before going anywhere – there will probably be a horse close by.

I have written about our main clinicians in the previous newsletter, and a Horse Fair brochure is enclosed with information.  But there’s more!  Mitchell Baker  will lecture on the “Legalities of managing your Boarding or Training Facility” on Saturday at 9:00 AM.  He will also have a booth and be available.  We know about at least two people (because they told us) who successfully chose an equine partner after seeing Liz Edmunds speak on the qualities to look for in your first horse.  Liz returns at 5:00 PM Saturday.  Many in this area wouldn’t think of starting a colt or beginning to form a partnership with a new horse without reading Randall Davis’s articles in Today’s Horse Trader.  You can see him Saturday at 1:00 PM with “Colt Work – The First Step” and Sunday at 9:30 AM with “Colt Work – The Second Ride and Beyond”.  Many niggling problems with stiffness or personality quirks are due to a poor saddle fit.  Melanie Scholer will talk about “Proper Saddle Fitting” on Sunday at 9:30 AM.  Wayne Williams is traveling from Whitewater, Wisconsin (how alliterative) to announce the Saturday evening entertainment and generally help the Horse Fair be a success.  He has even joined the New Mexico Horse Council!  Having been involved with many riding drill teams over the years, he will speak on “Introduction to Drill Team Riding” at 9:00 AM on Saturday.  The Back Country Horsemen are incredibly active in this state, with six chapters so far.  See their Tom Bryant speak about “Packing With Your Horse” on Saturday at 3:00 PM.  The NM Farrier’s Association is expanding its membership and becoming more active; they will present a “Hoof Care Clinic” on Sunday at 3:00 PM.  No foot, no horse!  There will be a West Nile Virus update on Saturday at 1:00 PM.  This disease appeared in New Mexico last summer and is surely here to stay.  Holly Dietz, DVM speaks on Equine Breeding Sunday at 11:30 AM.  And to go to a different discipline, Howard Paulsen will tell you “What To Look For In A Carriage” for your driving activities – at 1:00 PM on Sunday.

Add all these to the clinicians profiled in the brochure and you have a value in the hundreds of dollars for the rock-bottom prices the committee has set.  Friday night (barrel race in the Horse Arena at 5 PM, Josh Lyons with a demo, “Speed Control – How To Rate Your Horse” at 6:30 PM in the Dairy Barn) – is free!  Tickets for the weekend are $20 (Saturday/Sunday) or $12.00 for one day.  Kids 10 to 16 are just half of that, and kids 9 and under are free all weekend.  So – do attend the Horse Fair, and bring all your friends!

Smokey Torres, “Cowboy Balladeer”, will be at the Horse Fair for several hours each day.  He will be at the Kid’s Corral (time to be posted) and will also be near the front of the Dairy Barn building.  Smokey has quite a following at the Downs of Albuquerque Jockey Club, where he sings several times a month; he has also performed with the Grand Ol Opry, the JW Eaves Movie Ranch, El Rancho de los Golondrinas, the Old Timers Days in Magdalena….the list goes on.  He will tell the kids about the real history and present life of the cowboy, and entertain the rest of us with classic cowboy and western music.  You’ll be able to buy his CD’s either from his company, ljt productions, or bid on them at the silent auction.  For more about Smokey, see geocities.com/ljtproductions/SmokeyTorres.html.

Horse people have been extremely generous in donating items to the silent auction.  Carol Solsrud (mcsolsrud @aol.com or 281-3811) and Sue Clark-Sorger (sorgers@aol.com, 281-6318) have collected a great amount of art, jewelry, books and other items both big and small.  A few of the more intriguing:

Dick and Sarah Rochester have donated a weekend at their Rancho Nambe bed-and-breakfast, located in a historic adobe near Pojoaque.  I have stayed there, and the fact that Pajarito Arabians is just down the hill, and can be visited, is a real plus.

KHFM, the Albuquerque classical music radio station, offers a chance to program your own two hours of classical music.  Ever wanted a listener request line to take two or more – many more?  NMHC director Bob Bishop, who announces from 3 PM to 6 PM daily, was instrumental in obtaining this donation.

Everyone has heard of Breyer model horses, but Peter Stone is also famous for his limited-run models of specific horses.  “Clint”, real name “Make My Day”, is an Ideal Stock Horse Pinto produced in a run of 480.  Unsigned, these models are selling for $80 on E-Bay; the one donated to us is signed by both Peter Stone and the owner.

Alpha Russell of Corrales produces stick horses that are custom works of art.  She takes orders at the Appaloosa World Show for as many as she cares to make, for fistfuls of dollars.  She has donated two Stick Horse Creations, labeled “Horse Fair 2003”, to the silent auction.

Lessons.  It’s a way to try a different style of riding, begin riding, gift a friend…riding lessons have been donated by Las Campanas Equestrian Center (Caroline Invicta Stevenson), Reinbow Riding (Liz Edmunds), Top Notch Farm (Laurie Mauderley-Segarra), Del Sol Equestrian Center (Elsie Anne Shollenbarger) and Little Hills Ranch (Ron Morris).  See the bid sheets for conditions – and there may be more by Fair time.

I could go on and on.  But visit the silent auction often, protect your bids, and be there for the close early Sunday afternoon.

Unhappily, the state of the economy has reduced the number of sponsors we hoped for.  We’ll thank our larger sponsors in the next newsletter, but I wanted to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our Grass Roots Sponsors.  This category was designed to appeal to those who supported the Council and the Horse Fair, appreciated a membership and could use the tickets.  We fantasized that 200 grass roots sponsors could make our budget.  We didn’t have nearly that many, but thanks go to:

Mike Riegger.  Without his early efforts with the original horse fair format, NMHC would not be preparing to take over the north end of the Fairgrounds the first weekend in May.

Dan and Jane Geist/Greg and Paige Lopour
Linnet Thompson, farrier
Rob Atchley (and Dee, Denny and Rylee)
Donna Fagley, RCF Construction Company
Jim Manning, Manning Florist
Debara Swalby, Equine Massage
Frank and Virginia Schitoskey, Cloud Dancers
Gary Dearth, Pine Ridge Arabians
Dick and Mary Jo Wallen, NMT Logistics
Sharon Kettwich, Scheherezade Arabians
Al Saiz, Saiz Lipizzans and Andalusians
Robin Riegor, Realtor
Ann Mulhern, Mulhern Advertising
Sunrise Veterinary Clinic
Donny McDougall, Los Lunas Animal Clinic
Robert Auge, Auge Boys
Randy McKee family (Randy, Linda, Kristen)

Kids Corral

We’ll have the following at various times (a schedule will be posted at the Corral):  a horse clown (actually a person in a horse suit), a cowboy balladeer, an officer from the APD Mounted Unit with his equine partner.  We’ll also have Blackie (the NMSF fiberglas horse) staying with us.  We can’t ride him, but he can be used to point out parts of the horse and show how a saddle goes on.  Harry the Haybale steer head will be there, along with a “little kid” rope and a “big kid” rope.  We’re hoping for a vaulting barrel, sock horses to make and horseshoes to decorate.

RGHA has been around forever (well over 30 years that I know of) and their spring hunter-jumper show is a long-standing tradition.  From the schedule (times in H/J are never exact) it appears that hunter classes will be held Friday and Saturday during the early part of the day and Sunday afternoon.  Jumper classes:  Friday and Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning.

This event came to be when ranchers, owning excellent quarter horses, campaigned for an opportunity to show without the time constraints necessary for a show horse to travel the circuit.  Clinics will be held Saturday morning, and AQHA Working Cow Horse Classes Saturday afternoon.  Sunday, the actual sections comprising the Versatility Ranch Horse competition will be held beginning around 9:00 AM.  Ranch Pleasure will be first, followed by Ranch Working Cow Horse, Ranch Trail, Ranch Cutting and Ranch Halter.  I’m told the horses are brought for halter judging (conformation, or the way the horse is balanced and put together according to the quarter horse standard) as is from the working classes, not cleaned, trimmed, manicured and polished.

There will be a heartwarming ceremony at the Ranch Horse arena (the Horse Arena) around noon on Saturday.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation tells us that “Tom”, aged 13 and visiting from the United Kingdom with his best friend Jack, has expressed a wish to “meet real cowboys”.  We’ll do our best then to see that he does meet some, and perhaps Smokey can sing a song.  On Sunday, Western Warehouse will outfit Tom in cowboy clothes, and he will participate in the Gunfight at the Old Town Corral.

Have you seen our commercial running on Channel 4?  David Lewiecki assisted producer Carl Ackerman to make a very nice spot.  That’s Josh Armstrong in the sepia background doing his freestyle reining on Fuerte Suerte.  We also have radio spots running on KRST, and of course the posters and brochures designed by David and Yvonne Lewiecki of Today’s Horse Trader, and all the ads in the Trader and The Horsemen’s Voice.  This Sunday at 7 AM (on KHFM, 95.5) and at 6 AM (on Big Oldies, 98.5; Radio Lobo, 97.7; Wild 106; Radio Sol, 106.7; KKIM AM 1000, and KARS Radio, 860 AM) you can hear Bob Bishop’s 15-minute program, an interview with David Lewiecki and me about the Horse Fair and the Horse Council.

Frank and Virginia Schitoskey (792-2869, fskey@spinn.net) are handling volunteers for the Horse Fair.  They have quite a list, but do call them if this is your interest.

Since the enclosed brochure was printed, minor changes in the schedule have occurred.  Saturday at 9:00 it will be the Introduction to Drill Team Riding in Dairy Barn 2.  Saturday at 1 PM in the seminar tent you will hear the West Nile Virus update.  Sunday in Dairy Barn 2, Chris Fleming is scheduled at 11:30 with “Evaluating Problem Behavior in Horses”.  And Sunday at 1:00 PM in Dairy Barn 1, you will see Howard Paulsen’s “Driving – What To Look For In A Carriage”.  This schedule can be downloaded as a PDF file from www.todayshorsetrader.com.

Vendors – we have vendors – we have stacks and stacks of vendors….(that’s from the old Perry Como hour).  I see Horse Rescue Groups: Walkn N Circles Ranch, The Horse Shelter, PMU Foal Rescue.  Horse Necessities: Purina Mills, Wagon Mound Ranch Supply, NM Professional Horseshoers, Ranchway/Triple Crown Feeds.  Horse Limousines:  Sandia Trailer Sales, Spears Trailers, Action RV.  Get A Horse:  The Rescue groups above, Bureau of Land Management Mustangs, the following partial list of clubs:  Arabian Horse Association of NM, NM Quarter Horse Association, Land of Enchantment Miniature Horse Club, Rocky Mountain Haflinger Association, Mount Taylor Mustangs, Conquistador Caballos de Colores.  Our two beloved State Horse Magazines:  The Horsemen’s Voice and Today’s Horse Trader.  Things we gotta have:  Snow Dance Pottery, Trnka Loose Shoe Embroidery & Custom Cut Metal Silhouettes, Circle J Forge Ornamental Iron Work Large & Small, Sissie & Me Jewelry, Photonic Therapy, Marathon Massage, Mountain View Tractor and others.  Then there’s Excel Powered By Vartec.  We’ll find out.  And this is an incomplete list – many of our clinicians have booths, and late entries are arriving at the gate.

Thanks so much to all of you who have sent in your dues.  Because of weight restrictions, I have not included dues forms and envelopes here; if you value the NMHC and its aims, please dig them out of your stack and get them to us.  Also, if you requested an e-mail newsletter, that will happen next time; we needed to include the Horse Fair brochure here.

I should have a report on their annual convention, but the AHC postponed/cancelled it when so many attendees expressed concern about traveling to Washington, D.C. early in April.  The number of registrants dropped below economic feasibility.  They are talking about rescheduling in June or September but we have no firm news yet.

Representative Scott McInnis (R-CO) has introduced H.R. 1749, a bill to promote health care coverage parity for individuals participating in horseback riding or other legal recreational activities.

As you know from previous articles, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was intended to protect an individual’s right to change occupation by prohibiting employers from denying health care coverage based upon a worker’s pre-existing medical conditions or participation in legal activities including recreation.  However, as interpreted the employers were required to offer health care coverage but were permitted to deny benefits for injuries sustained in connection with recreational activities.  The McInnis bill restates the original intent of HIPAA, specifically stating that benefits cannot be denied for the treatment of an injury solely because the enrollee was involved in an activity such as horseback riding, motorcycling, snowmobiling, all-terrain vehicle riding, skiing or other similar legal activity.  This bill has 50 co-sponsors, and the American Horse Council will closely monitor its progress.

As state horse councils formed to protect the interests of horse owners, they saw a need to fund charity projects involving horse rehabilitation and second careers, therapeutic riding, and scholarships.  Many larger states now have Council Foundations, 501-C-3 entities that have built endowments and pass through grants to other 501-C organizations. 

NMHC is presently forming a Foundation, the beneficiary of the Horse Fair.  It’s not a trivial process.  We have the state paperwork complete, are proceeding with the federal, and YOU can help make it a success by supporting the 2003 Fair.  Please thank David Lewiecki and our Board by buying tickets, bringing friends, and supporting our clubs, vendors and clinicians.

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“Kinley was bursting with pride when I pulled him up, learning at once that he’d done right, that the many pats I gave him were approval, that the applause greeting his arrival in the winners’ enclosure was the curtain call for a smash hit.  Heady stuff for a novice; and I reckoned that because of that day he would run his guts out to win all his life.”  Break In, Dick Francis, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1986
 

December’s NMHC Annual Meeting was the best attended ever!  There were seven nominees for the very first Horse Person Of The Year.  Tes Balcomb, Jan Bandler, Val Cole, Liz Edmunds, David Lewiecki, Karen Reyer and Donna Smith, as invited guests, were given engraved pens and certificates.  Then, with Rob Atchley’s comments on the extreme difficulty of selecting just one winner, we cheered Karen Reyer.  We also awarded Certificates of Appreciation, left the dues structure unchanged and elected five Board members (Bob Bishop, Sue Clark-Sorger, Deb Platt, Lynne Pomeranz, and Eldon Reyer).  A review of the NMHC year showed improvements and increased enthusiasm in some areas; others need work in the coming year.

At the January Board meeting, directors elected their 2003 officers.  Our President is Nancy Gage (Editor of the Horsemen’s Voice). Other officers: Vice-President Laura Burton (long-time prime mover for the State Fair booth); Secretary Mary Jo Wallen (creator and trail boss of the first ever NMHC trail ride) and Treasurer Robin Strauser, who rides with the Back Country Horsemen when not up all night with his new baby daughter.  David Lewiecki, chair of the 2002 Horse Fair, proposed a structure for the 2003 Fair and offered to chair if he received significant assistance from NMHC members in terms of time and sponsorships.  The Board agreed to commit fully to the project; beneficiary will be the NMHC Foundation.

New Mexicans know this is the term applied to the State Capitol building while the legislature is meeting.  2003 is a “long” or sixty day session.  Some 1800 bills have been introduced, from tax cuts (from our new Democrat governor!) to grinding out speed humps if they slow you down.  We were alerted early to House Bill 19, the Companion Animal Hoarding Act.  Its intentions purported to be good – providing legal means to counter the “collectors” who have 46 cats in two rooms.  However, the definition of a companion animal was “a dog, cat, horse or any animal the owner considers a companion.”  Other objectionable sections of the bill included a poorly written section requiring psychological counseling for convicted hoarders and a limitation of 15 total companion animals. 

Representative Joe Thompson, who introduced the bill at the behest of Animal Protection of New Mexico, quickly removed “horses” from the definition and stated it included only animals that lived in your house.  The psychological counseling section was also removed.  However, several members of the Horse Council, also involved with various dog rescue groups, point out that the number limitation could be used by disgruntled neighbors when pet owners very temporarily exceed the “quota” in the course of their rescue work. They feel the animal hoarding problem, while real and tragic, can be addressed under current ordinances.

Horses are livestock under New Mexico law and horse owners are advised to preserve this legal status.  They are not adopted children, domestic pets, hobbies, or recreational vehicles no matter how we feel about them. 

House Bill 253 is also worth your attention.  Under the guise of Homeland Security, it gives various emergency personnel the means to legally order your evacuation from your property, with or without your horses.  Of course, everyone should have a disaster plan, particularly since the water forecast for this year is measures in millimeters.  But as one horse owner told me several years ago, the sheriff’s suggestion that he turn his six stallions loose in the mountains because the sheriff wanted to close the road was unacceptable. 

As always, your legislators need to hear from you.  The easiest way to find them is to access their web site, www.legis.state.nm.us.  Their pictures, home addresses, telephone and e-mail are all there.  Remember, one comment represents many voters to a legislator.

In his general purge of Boards and Commissions, Governor Richardson excused all current NMSF Commissioners, with thanks.  The manager also left.  New Commissioners have a steep learning curve, but most have some agricultural background.  They include:  Chairwoman Carol Cloer of Bloomfield, NMSU administrator and professor.  Her family grows alfalfa in San Juan County, and she said at the first meeting her style is MBWA, “management by walking around”. Sandy Jones of Truth or Consecquences, the vice-chairman, has a construction business and is a sheep rancher.  Terry Cone of Portales is secretary-treasurer, a CPA with a farm/ranch history who has been a 4-H leader and involved with Junior Livestock for many years. Bob Frost of Quay County is past president of the Cattle Growers’ Association and “has ridden a lot of horses, but not in shows.”  Frank Tabet of Belen is a retired businessman.  Luke Otero of Santa Fe is a lobbyist and consultant, and has been involved in lobbying for the dairy industry.  Rena Salazar of San Juan Pueblo is an educational consultant with the State Department of Education. 

At their first meeting, the new Commissioners were addressed by former members Lauren Nunn, John Ortega and Lela Kaskalla.  All offered to help in any way, and said they always remembered that the State Fair belonged to the citizens of New Mexico.  Kaskalla reviewed the accomplishments of the Commission and said they were very proud of the progress they had made. 

The new Commission and Manager (Michael Cerletti, former director of tourism under Gov. Bruce King) do seem committed to improvements in the north (agricultural) end of the Fairgrounds.  New horse barns are going up and old ones are coming down.  However, theAlbuquerque City Council and Mayor Martin Chavez want a committee formed to discuss moving the Fairgrounds to the proposed Mesa del Sol development near the airport.

The US Department of Agriculture has recently issued a full license to Fort Dodge Animal Health for their West Nile-Innovator™ vaccine.  This vaccine previously had a conditional license while efficacy studies were conducted.  According to the study summary, 95% of the horses vaccinated, when challenged with live virus after twelve months, were free from viremia.  82% of the non-vaccinated horses developed active WNV infection, as evidenced by recovery of the virus from blood samples.  Fort Dodge states that vaccine reactions involved fewer than 0.01% of the estimated doses used.

West Nile Virus reached the US in 1999, quickly beginning to spread from New York State.  In 2001, 738 clinical cases were reported in horses (which are a dead end host).  In 2002, this number increased to 14,717 with 30% to 40% of infected horses either dying or being euthanized.  It reached New Mexico fairly late in a very dry season, with about 60 clinical cases of which a third died.

As before, the vaccine will be available only from licensed veterinarians, where a legitimate doctor-client-patient relationship exists.  The initial vaccination consists of two injections given three to six weeks apart; booster shots should be administered as directed by your veterinarian.

Note:  the Chronicle Of The Horse reported on Jan. 31 that corticosteroids (such as Azium) can inhibit the effectiveness of the WNV vaccine.  Dr. Kent Allen, author of a new USA Equestrian rule establishing a threshold blood-plasma concentration for dexamethasone in show horses, said that he has seen numerous horses who were properly vaccinated against West Nile virus contract the disease because they were also administered heavy doses of corticosteroids shortly after their vaccinations.

USDA Farm and Ranch Census.  There is still time for owners and operators of farm and ranch facilities with horses and other livestock to participate in the USDA’s agricultural census.  It is not intended to count all livestock facilites, and there is no precise definition of “horse farm”.  It seems that an operation with five or more horses would qualify IF it has other agricultural activities such as crops or hay.  The deadline is extended through March, so please fill out the survey if you received one.  If you qualify and did not receive a survey form, call 1-888-424-7828 and request one. This census, produced every five years, is considered a comprehensive source of data on the nation’s agricultural production.

The Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee is an active group that meets monthly, on the third Tuesday, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM.  The committee consists of one walker, one off-road bicyclist, one runner, one equestrian, one “active elderly”, one physically challenged person and two county representatives.  I succeeded Lynne Scott as equestrian representative, but my second (and final, under the ordinance) term ended in February 2003.  Although I can serve until replaced, the committee is looking for an equestrian living within the city limits of Albuquerque who is committed to trails issues.  Call Theresa Baca at 768-5359 if you would like to apply.  The appointment requires approval by the City Council and the Mayor.  Jackie Bouker of NM Horseways is one of the county representatives and the second is also a horse owner; NMHC member Maura Lewiecki attends meetings as a representative of the Open Space Advisory Board.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued its final regulations advising users of public lands how to obtain Special Recreation Permits for commercial recreation activities, organized group activities and events, and individual recreational use of a special area.  Organizers of equine events that fall into the affected categories should familiarize themselves with the final requirements and allow sufficient time to secure the necessary permits.  Apply six months in advance if the answer to any of the following questions about your event is a “yes”:  (1) Are you charging a fee? (2) Will there be a competition? (3) Will you advertise? (4) Will you mark a course? (5) Will you be expecting vehicles at your event? (6) Will your event involve public lands?  The Recreational Trails Committee of the American Horse Council was involved in testimony regarding these rules, and is monitoring their enforcement.  Some groups are concerned that the BLM will “nickel and dime” them with fees to increase revenue to cover public use.

A “SCORP” is not a member of Albuquerque’s hockey team.  Instead, it is the “State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan”, required to be updated every five years in order to receive continued funding from the National Recreational Trails Fund and the Land and Water  Conservation Fund.  In 2003, the University of New Mexico was asked to conduct invitation-only focus groups to determine needs for state lands.  A friend of a member of the Council e-mailed us that horse people were not involved in the first several meetings around the state.  One wonders how UNM decided on its contacts.  We have requested invitations for subsequent meetings, and NMHC President Nancy Gage will represent horse groups at the Albuquerque meeting at the end of March.

Water and Fire.  The drought will increase the fire danger in the State as the weather warms.  It will also reduce the amount of water available for irrigated crops – we have heard that the Socorro area, where much of the horse alfalfa is produced, may only receive water through June.  Hay prices won’t go down!.  The most recent court decision on the Rio Grande stated that the endangered silvery minnow had the right to a wet river bed except for the four stretches of river running through Pueblo lands.  Forest Service representatives tell us that landowners are preparing for an anticipated increase in fires by removing brush, creating firebreaks and fireproofing buildings.  Horse owners in remote areas should also be preparing an evacuation plan for livestock.  The NM State Police have contacted NMHC about a proposed structure for calling in civilians to aid in horse rescue in case of a disaster.  Talks are proceeding, but at the NMHC Board meeting Eldon Reyer described a procedure followed in Santa Fe County.  Willing horsemen and horsewomen are trained in rescue and put on a call list, and allowed into closed areas when needed by emergency personnel.

Do you recall last year flooding hearings with horse owners protesting the proposed Bernalillo County extraterritorial zoning regulations?  Eventually, the Land Use and Planning Committee decided to form a subcommittee, then tabled the idea pending the November elections.  The proposed constitutional amendment passed, allowing City/County Unification to proceed, and there is a group working on a charter.  What do you suppose the zoning would be?  Could it be exactly like Albuquerque zoning?  The group is working on other issues now, but be on the watch for the zoning topic and offer your input.  In the amendment, city voters would be permitted to overwhelm county opposition, but a bill pending in the legislative session could change that.

This is the time of year we beg you to send in dues so that the Board of Directors can all vacation in Hawaii……they wish.  The dues structure was retained as is at the annual meeting.  Dues are still $15.00 per calendar year for individuals and $30.00 per year for businesses or clubs.  Thanks to all of you who have already sent them in!  The proposed Bylaws allow for a lifetime membership as well, and we have received four anticipating the new Bylaws.  In the next section of the newsletter, you will also see how to receive a 2003 membership with a sponsor commitment to the Horse Fair.  Our Board has suggested that some of you might like to receive the NMHC newsletter as a Word attachment to e-mail.  It would not have the logo or any graphics, and would not mean a price break in the dues, but it WOULD save NMHC postage and envelopes.  If this fits your lifestyle, there is a box to check on the dues form.  We are enclosing an NMHC brochure with this newsletter; please give it to a potential member.  We would love to double our membership this year!

The 2003 Convention will be held April 4 – 8 in Washington, D.C. at the Hyatt Regency, Capitol Hill.  The State Horse Council Advisory Committee will hold seminars and subcommittee meetings on Saturday, followed by an all-day meeting Sunday.  (All other standing committees of the American Horse Council also meet Sunday.)  Monday morning has issue reviews, followed by the awards luncheon.  Monday afternoon has concurrent sessions on animal transport, west nile virus, and recreation issues.  Monday evening features a Congressional reception and dinner, and on Tuesday delegates are urged to visit their representatives on Capitol Hill.  The American Horse Council is the national organization concerned with lobbying elected officials and “interfacing” with government departments on all issues affecting horse owners.

*David Lewiecki of Today’s Horse Trader is again chairing a committee to create this year’s Horse Fair. 

*For a number of good reasons, we have changed the dates.  May 2 – 4 will be cooler for horses and spectators, and we hope you will all attend and bring all your friends.  The structure will be similar to the 2002 Fair.  Friday evening (called “FREE FRIDAY” this year) will feature an exciting barrel race competition and a Josh Lyon clinic; you will also be able to purchase a ticket for the rest of the weekend at a reduced price. 

*Saturday and Sunday will feature clinics and seminars all day.  Saturday evening entertainment, with Wayne Williams as master of ceremonies, will show you the history of the horse in New Mexico, and the many horse activities today.

*But wait, there’s more!  Horses galore will visit the Fairgrounds that weekend.  The outside arena will host the annual Rio Grande Horse Association hunter/jumper show.  The Horse Arena will fill with quarter horses competing for the Versatility Ranch Horse award.  In addition to the clinics and seminars, the Dairy Barn will have vendor and club booths, a kids corral and live exhibits.  Cowboy balladeer Smokey Torres will entertain with historic songs. 

*The New Mexico Horse Council Foundation will be the beneficiary.  It does not have a large enough endowment to fund any projects as yet, but ideas for the near future include grants for therapeutic riding, second careers for retired performance horses, and other worthy horse and rider needs.

*Admission fees are exceptionally affordable.  The weekend pass costs only $20.00, with children 10 – 16 half price and nine and under free.  Friday evening is free and a discounted weekend pass can be purchased then.  Daily admission Saturday or Sunday for adults is $12.—

*Clinicians are bound to be exciting – we have a mix of nationally known and our own New Mexico talent. 

Josh Lyons is our featured clinician this year.  He has been traveling with his father, John Lyons, since he could walk and has spent years perfecting his knowledge and skills.  Says his father, “Josh has surpassed me in his ability to work with both people and horses.”  To find out more about his philosophy that “knowledge and patience are the only tools you need to bring into your barn”, see www.johnlyons.com.

Jose Luis Perez Soto, now located in the Albuquerque area, was a member of two different Mexican Olympic teams.  He now trains and competes horses in Dressage and Show Jumping, earning a USDF Silver Medal at the Prix St. George level in 2000.  He is featured in an article in the February 2003 Horsemen’s Voice.

Mary Midkiff is the creator of the “Women & Horses” fitness program.  She has traveled nationally and internationally for speaking engagements and clinics, and has trained horses and instructed riders for over 25 years.  She has received awards from the American Medical Equestrian Association and the American Youth Horse Council.  Her first book, Fitness, Performance and the Female Equestrian, is now considered a definitive resource.  For more, visit her web site www.womenandhorses.com.

Gary Clay has spent years working with all kinds of horses and people, although his name has been associated with Arabians and Thoroughbreds for more than four decades in Arizona.  His innovative style built the well-regarded Del Camino Equestrian Academy, and their show team has won more than one hundred national titles.  Visit his web site at www.cdiamondc.com for more.

Christina (Chris) Fleming was extremely popular last year at the 2002 Fair.  She is now based in Cerrillos, NM instructing students.   She believes we must learn to communicate our requests to the horse in a language he can understand, and also to provide the structure and guidance of the herd we have taken away.  Learn more at her site, www.newmexicohorsetrainer.com.

J. P. Giacomini of Houston, TX has trained many successful horses for Eventing, Dressage, Show Jumping and Combined Driving.  He has developed a method he calls “Essential Horsemanship” and stands five Lusitano stallions, which he trains, in high school classical dressage.  Visit J.P. and his horses at www.equus.net.

We are also bringing back some of our best seminars from last year.  Mitch Baker on Equine Law, Liz Edmunds on getting your first horse, and well known local trainer  Randall Davis will be joined by Melanie Scholer on saddle fitting, Wayne and Pat Williams on drill teams, and Colorado State University on equine breeding.  Or join the Back Country Horsemen for a packing clinic – and we mean an equine, not a package to mail.

Top Ten Ways to horse fair success:

10. Be an admission-paying spectator.  Don’t sneak in!
 9. Volunteer at the event.  We need many!
 8. Donate an item or service to the silent auction.
 7. Horse Clubs, take a booth and promote your horse activity!  Non-profits cost only $100.
 6. Commercial vendors, take a booth and display your products!  Cost, just $250.
 5. Bring your friends and their horse-crazy offspring!  We must expand the population of horse people, and this is a great way to do it.
 4. We’re at sixty days and counting…Help distribute posters and brochures!  They are now at the printer.
 3. If you have a historical connection to horses in New Mexico, or can illustrate the diversity of horses in New Mexico, participate in the Saturday Evening entertainment!  We must ask “demo” people to assume the cost of stalls at the Fairgrounds.
 2. Bring your stallion to stallion row.  Think of the great dates he might find!
 1. And the number one thing you can do to help the 2003 Horse Fair:  Get a sponsor for us or buy a sponsorship yourself!  A grass roots sponsorship costs a mere $100 and you get a 2003 individual NMHC membership as well as a business card size ad in the program plus 2 tickets.  We do need your money to hold the event. It will be great for horses, horse owners and the horse community of New Mexico.

The Ditch Pony Promenade, created by Melanie Scholer (former NMHC President and current Councillor in Corrales) will be held Sunday, April 27, at the Corrales Top Form Arena.  Major sponsors are Dan’s Boots and Saddles (get premiums there) and the Village, and world famous P.J. Dietmeier has agreed to judge.  Classes look like fun, and include “Moldy Oldie Leadline” with the kids leading the parents.

To the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association and the New Mexico Horse Breeders.  Tired of being mentioned only as “Etc.” on the sports pages of the major newspapers, they have put in full page ads that truly outline the scope of horse racing in New Mexico.  It is significant revenue for the state.  Gaming taxes increased from $23 million in 2001 to $32 million in 2002, and purses have nearly tripled since 1998.

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