This week’s TV show focuses on two horse rescues, one in the rural Appalachian foothills of Kentucky and one in the desert outside metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. Both are beneficiaries of the fund-raising efforts of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association, but it turns out they have more in common. At the helm of each is an exceptionally strong and visionary woman, and both organizations have expanded their good works to helping at-risk youth. Of course there’s nothing new about equine-assisted physical therapy or psychotherapy or personal development. The twist here is the reciprocal nature of the healing; the horses help the kids and the kids help the horses. Good-hearted people all over this great land donate their time, talents, and money to make programs like this work. In my book, they are modern-day saints. We offer our heartfelt thanks to each of them. Enjoy the program and have a very Merry Christmas!
Showing posts with label actha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label actha. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Rescuing more than horses
This week’s TV show focuses on two horse rescues, one in the rural Appalachian foothills of Kentucky and one in the desert outside metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. Both are beneficiaries of the fund-raising efforts of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association, but it turns out they have more in common. At the helm of each is an exceptionally strong and visionary woman, and both organizations have expanded their good works to helping at-risk youth. Of course there’s nothing new about equine-assisted physical therapy or psychotherapy or personal development. The twist here is the reciprocal nature of the healing; the horses help the kids and the kids help the horses. Good-hearted people all over this great land donate their time, talents, and money to make programs like this work. In my book, they are modern-day saints. We offer our heartfelt thanks to each of them. Enjoy the program and have a very Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Big brains. Big hearts.
This week my radio show features an interview with Carrie Scrima, founder of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association, the phenomenon that is breathing new life into trail riding. Armed with a clever organizational model and a noble mission - raising money for horses in need – ACTHA’s intent is clear: to make trail riding into a real sport accessible to all riders and all horses. And oh yeah, to have fun, lots of fun, doing it.
First, full disclosure: ACTHA is a sponsor of my TV and radio shows. However, during the past dozen years, dozens of companies have advertised on my shows. I don’t get excited about all of them.
I’m excited about ACTHA for several reasons, but let’s talk first about horsemanship. ACTHA gives a horse and rider team a job to do. In fact, six different jobs.
ACTHA has developed a series of 30-plus natural trail obstacles that challenge horse and rider to be their best. A typical ACTHA ride, which is called a Competitive Trail Challenge, features six of these obstacles, each with its own judge, spread out over a six-mile course. Obstacles might include crossing a stream or ditch, backing up a hill or around a tree, precise turning on the forehand or haunches, sidepassing down a pole, trotting over a series of logs or cantering over a small jump. There are gates and mailboxes to open and logs to drag. Mounting and dismounting are even treated as obstacles and are judged accordingly. Form and accuracy count.
A CTC is not your granddaddy’s trail ride, that’s for sure, but it’s not as tough as it might sound, either. Carrie calls it “casual” competition and folks can make as much or as little of the competition aspect as they want. It’s a great opportunity to show off your horse and to tune him up at the same time, while sharing some laughs with friends and family.
As horse industry companies begin to align themselves with ACTHA, more and more sponsor goodies are showing up at CTCs. The goal, which is in sight already, is for every rider to receive enough sponsor swag to more than cover the cost of entry. Riders in the open division can also win cold, hard cash at individual rides and their share of a $25,000 year-end pot.
I could go on and on about this, about how affiliation with ACTHA is a fundraising opportunity for local CTC organizers, about how family-friendly the rides are, about how gaited horses excel as do non-gaited horses, about how you are just as likely to see English riding tack and attire as you are to see cowboy hats and lariat ropes, about how ACTHA is a trail horse registry that certifies horses and tracks performance points, and on and on.
But I really want to get to the icing on the cake. Come year-end, ACTHA donates up to 50% of its profits to help horses in need. The beneficiaries of their largesse (horse rescues and other charities) must be legitimate non-profits in business for three years or more.
It seems the folks at ACTHA have big hearts as well as big brains. My kind of people. Check them out at ACTHA.us.
R
First, full disclosure: ACTHA is a sponsor of my TV and radio shows. However, during the past dozen years, dozens of companies have advertised on my shows. I don’t get excited about all of them.
I’m excited about ACTHA for several reasons, but let’s talk first about horsemanship. ACTHA gives a horse and rider team a job to do. In fact, six different jobs.
ACTHA has developed a series of 30-plus natural trail obstacles that challenge horse and rider to be their best. A typical ACTHA ride, which is called a Competitive Trail Challenge, features six of these obstacles, each with its own judge, spread out over a six-mile course. Obstacles might include crossing a stream or ditch, backing up a hill or around a tree, precise turning on the forehand or haunches, sidepassing down a pole, trotting over a series of logs or cantering over a small jump. There are gates and mailboxes to open and logs to drag. Mounting and dismounting are even treated as obstacles and are judged accordingly. Form and accuracy count.
A CTC is not your granddaddy’s trail ride, that’s for sure, but it’s not as tough as it might sound, either. Carrie calls it “casual” competition and folks can make as much or as little of the competition aspect as they want. It’s a great opportunity to show off your horse and to tune him up at the same time, while sharing some laughs with friends and family.
As horse industry companies begin to align themselves with ACTHA, more and more sponsor goodies are showing up at CTCs. The goal, which is in sight already, is for every rider to receive enough sponsor swag to more than cover the cost of entry. Riders in the open division can also win cold, hard cash at individual rides and their share of a $25,000 year-end pot.
I could go on and on about this, about how affiliation with ACTHA is a fundraising opportunity for local CTC organizers, about how family-friendly the rides are, about how gaited horses excel as do non-gaited horses, about how you are just as likely to see English riding tack and attire as you are to see cowboy hats and lariat ropes, about how ACTHA is a trail horse registry that certifies horses and tracks performance points, and on and on.
But I really want to get to the icing on the cake. Come year-end, ACTHA donates up to 50% of its profits to help horses in need. The beneficiaries of their largesse (horse rescues and other charities) must be legitimate non-profits in business for three years or more.
It seems the folks at ACTHA have big hearts as well as big brains. My kind of people. Check them out at ACTHA.us.
R
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Just a Trail Horse
How many times have you heard the words, "just a trail horse?" Fortunately, that low-horse-on-the-totem-pole image of the trail horse is on its way out and emerging in its place is that of a skilled and dependable partner, which, for most riders, is an ideal worth pursuing. Organizations such as the American Competitive Trail Horse Association have created ways to measure and document the development of trail horses. This gives structure to what in the past has been a largely unstructured leisure sport for horse owners. The unorganized, haphazard approach to trail riding is still perfectly legitimate and will appeal to some riders, but for those who want a bit more challenge, a bit more socializing with like-minded people, and a plan for adding tangible value to their horses, groups such as ACTHA may be the answer.
I rode in an ACTHA-sanctioned “Competitive Trail Challenge” recently with my mare, Candy. You can see the result on this week’s TV show. With virtually no preparation we aced two of the six trail obstacles on the six-mile course. I was stunned at how much better some of the other horse and rider teams were with these obstacles. Far from discouraging me, it gave me some new things to work on with my “trail horse.” Yes, ACTHA is a sponsor of my TV and radio shows but that only buys them commercials, not the personal opinion I express in my blogs. Bottom line, give it a try. See you on the trail!
R
I rode in an ACTHA-sanctioned “Competitive Trail Challenge” recently with my mare, Candy. You can see the result on this week’s TV show. With virtually no preparation we aced two of the six trail obstacles on the six-mile course. I was stunned at how much better some of the other horse and rider teams were with these obstacles. Far from discouraging me, it gave me some new things to work on with my “trail horse.” Yes, ACTHA is a sponsor of my TV and radio shows but that only buys them commercials, not the personal opinion I express in my blogs. Bottom line, give it a try. See you on the trail!
R
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)