Dianne Ciano of the Connecticut Horse Council, Inc., was the featured speaker at the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, Inc. (NBLA) annual Spring Dinner on Tuesday, April 20, at the Newtown Meeting House.
Dianne Ciano of the Connecticut Horse Council, Inc., was the featured speaker at the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, Inc. (NBLA) annual Spring Dinner on Tuesday, April 20, at the Newtown Meeting House.
Some 25 NBLA members listened as Ms Ciana spoke about the Connecticut Horse Patrol, a pilot program set up in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in which trained volunteers on horseback monitor activities in State Forests.
Certified in First Aid and CPR, the volunteers document recreational uses of selected state forests for informational purposes. This is a non-policing activity. The program, which now operates on state-owned property, may be expanded in the future to include other tracts of land open to the public.
For more information on the Connecticut Horse Patrol, please call Dianne Ciano at (203) 757-1904.
On Saturday, May 22, the NBLA will present its second annual Country Dance and Supper at the Edmond Town Hall. Music will be by Wild Notes, with Bill Fischer calling. The dance will feature squares, contras and couples dances (no experience is necessary because all dances will be taught). Supper will be at 6 pm, with dancing from 8 to 10:30 pm. Admission is $20 per person in advance, and $25 at the door.
Proceeds from the dance go to the NBLA equine scholarship fund that benefits college students majoring in veterinary medicine, equine studies, or environmental science. For more information and/or tickets, please contact the NBLA at (203) 791-4853.
Also, the annual Spring Into Summer Hunter Pace will be held on Sunday, June 6, at Fairfield Hills. This is a conditioning pace held by the NBLA and the Second Company Governorâs Horse Guard and will feature four divisions: Hunt, Western, Junior and Pleasure. Depending on the division, the ride will take roughly one and one-half hours, and will go all through Fairfield Hills, with jumps and water crossings. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each division.
The pace is open to teams of two or three riders; the cost is $35 for NBLA members and $45 for non-members. An a la carte lunch will be available. Rabies and Cogginâs tests are required for all horses and helmets are required for all riders.
For information and/or entry forms, please call (203) 791-4853 or (203) 262-6503, or e-mail the NBLA at NBLA2003@aol.com.