Environmental Award Offered

HARTFORD – The Horse Environmental Awareness Program (HEAP) is now accepting applications for its 2005 Horse Farms of Environmental Distinction award program.

This program honors those horse owners who own one or more horses and who take pride in being good stewards of the land and good neighbors to those who share our common water resources. Horse owners that qualify for the award are those who implement good manure, pasture and facility management practices. Practices such as covering manure piles, diverting rain water away from barnyards, installing fencing to keep horses out of ponds and streams, utilizing a sacrifice area, installing gutters on barns, and testing pasture soils.

Judges will review the practices being implemented on the farm and provide a score based on how these practices decrease or eliminate impacts to the environment. If a qualifying score is achieved, the horse owner will receive an attractive, aluminum Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction sign to proudly display at their farm.

Those that do not receive a qualifying score will receive recommendations on how to improve their horse keeping operation to help protect the environment with encouragement to re-apply the following year.

The HEAP program is a coalition of agencies, organizations and individuals focused on environmental education. It has no regulatory authority and its only interest is to protect the environment by educating horse owners on how to improve their horse management practices.

Deadline for applications is April 2. To learn more about the program contact carol.donzella@ct.usda.gov or call Mark Cummings at 203-284-3663.

Senior Horse Care Lecture

WATERBURY – The Equine Resources Committee at Post University in Waterbury will host the next two sessions of Quiz The Experts lecture series on Fridays, April 1 and 22, at 7:15 pm.

The April 1 lecture will be presented by Matthew Eliott, DVM, on digestive disorders and the April 22 lecture will be presented by Mike Scott on correct saddle fitting. To reserve seats, make checks payable to Post U-ERC and send to Carole Baker at Post University, P.O. Box 2540, Waterbury, CT 06723-2540.

Proceeds benefit equine scholarships and the equine program at Post. For further information, call 203-596-4631 or email CBaker@post.edu.

4-H Spring Benefit Horse Show

BETHEL – The annual 4-H Spring Benefit Horse Show will be held Sunday, May 15, at the Cooperative Extension System grounds on Stony Hill Road in Bethel.

The popular Open School show will feature divisions in English Equitation, Hunt Seat, Western and Trail. Most classes will be pinned through sixth place, with the first-place winner also receiving a trophy. Divisions will be awarded champion and reserve ribbons.

Interstate + Lakeland Lumber, Fairfield Equine, and Benedict Home and Garden will sponsor the 2005 show.

“The support of these companies greatly expands our fundraising efforts,” said show manager Jamie Wallace.

The high-point horse and rider combination from both the Spring Benefit and Fall Nutmeg shows will receive year-end awards in the following divisions: Open Beginner Hunter and Walk/Trot (Sunny Brook Farm of Newtown); Low Hunters (Clearview Farm of Sandy Hook); The Kentucky Hunter Classic (All The King’s Horses of Ridgefield); and Western Adult Walk/Job (Happy Trails Farm of Danbury).

Proof of a current rabies vaccination (within one year) will be checked at the gate for each animal.

Refreshments will be available on the grounds. 4-Hers will be offering “horse-side” service for food and drink and Bit O’ Tack will be offering horse products for sale. For a prize list, stop by the CES building on Stony Hill Road or call 1-203-207-8440.

Spring Riding Clinic

BETHEL – The Fairfield County 4-H Horse Committee is planning a spring riding clinic with Jim Pelton on Sunday, April 10, on the CES grounds. The clinic will be open to both English and Western riders, adult and youth.

Each class in the clinic will run 90 minutes and classes will be available for beginning and advanced riders. The cost for enrolled 4-H members is $5; the fee for non-members is $25. Class size is limited and entry deadline is April 1.

For further information, call Randi Santiso at 264-4493.

‘For The Horse’ Workshop

OLD LYME – High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., will present a two-day workshop entitled “For The Horse” on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, at High Hopes in Old Lyme.

Topics will be presented by veterinarians, farriers, and other specialists and will include Natural Horsemanship-Monty Roberts Method; Horse Behavior-Parelli Method; driving; vaulting; chiropractic and acupuncture; reproduction; hoof care; saddle fitting; animal communication; massage and trigger point myotherapy; and desensitizing the horse.

Call Kristin Pernal at High Hopes at 1-860-434-1974, ext. 18 for further information.