Pony Club Newsletter - April 2009

Royal Riders
Pony Club
Royal Riders
News
Volume 1, Issue 7
April 2009
Combined Driving Exhibition
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events
Testing
2
3-4
Driving Photos
5
Ponies for Sale
6
Saddle for Sale
6
New Member
6
Horse of the Month:
Paso Fino
7
Paso Fino Puzzle
8
Did you know?
Warmbloods are really a class although there are some breeds with
the word "warmblood" in their
name such as the Dutch Warmblood, and Swedish Warmblood. The term "warmblood" is
relatively new (in the states, at
least) and a warmblood is really just
a cross between a cold blooded
breed (draft horse, primarily) and a
hot blooded breed (thoroughbred
or arab) giving you a "warm"
blooded horse. People were looking for the sturdyness and quiet
mindedness of the cold blood but
with the atleticism and endurance
of the hot blooded horse (a blending of the best qualities of
both). Most warmbloods are of
European descent (Hanoverian,
Oldenburg, Holsteiner etc...).
The Royal Riders went to a Combined Driving Exhibition hosted by Ally’s grandparents. First, we went
into the house to watch a video on what Combined Driving is. Then, we went outside and Mr. Ashford
showed us the different carts and buggys he had. He had even made one himself! He took out Kate, one
of the driving ponies, and showed us how to tack her up and hitch her to the cart. Then we each got a
turn to drive her. It was a great experience!
More pictures on page 5...
Pics of the Month
1972-1980
Mrs. Piferi’s dog, Freckles on her horse, Billy
when she was 10-18 before
she went away to college.
Teegan, Kristen, Katie,
and Ally cuddle Patches
before testing for their D2
rating
Send in your cute or funny pictures of your horse or pony by e-mail to Kristen at:
horseloverkristen@sbcglobal.net and maybe your picture will be nominated for Pic
of the Month!
Upcoming
Events
April:


Lessons every Monday and Friday
at 4:30 p.m.
April 4th—Jumping Clinic—
McCoy’s Equestrian Center—
Chino Hills—9-11am

April 5th—Dressage Show—West
Covina

April 19th—McCoy Show—Chino
Hills

April 25th—Trail Ride—9:00am—
Patch Program meeting at the
Gross’s—3-5pm
May:

Page 2
Lessons every Monday and Friday
at 4:30 p.m.

May 15th-17th—Mega Rally—
Moorpark

May 23rd—Volunteer at Mustard
Seed Ranch
June:

Lessons every Monday and Friday
at 4:30 p.m.

June 25th—Campout at the
Dvoraks

June 28th—McCoy Show and
Dressage Show
July:

Lessons every Monday and Friday
at 4:30 p.m.

July 12th-17th—Summer Camp
Page 3
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7
Congratulations Pony Club Testers!
Teegan riding Apollo, a
15 year-old Arabian
Gelding.
Teegan is now ranked a
D2.
Ally riding Cookie, a 9
year-old Welsh/Shetland
Pony.
Ally is now ranked a D2.
Katie riding Sophie, an 18
year-old Welsh Pony.
Katie is now ranked a
D2.
Rachel riding Liam, a
Connemara Pony.
Rachel is now ranked a
D2.
MORE ON NEXT PAGE...
Congratulations Pony Club Testers!
(cont.)
Hannah riding Starlight, a 16 year-old
Quarter Horse mare.
Hannah is now a D1.
Ashlyn riding Apollo, a 15 yearold Arabian gelding.
Ashlyn is now a D1.
Kristen helps
Cindy by writing
all her comments
down.
The girls eat cookies and answer questions.
Page 4
R O Y A L R I DE R S NE W S
Page 5
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7
Combined Driving Pictures
Ponies for Sale
Tina- Grade Arab Mare. 14 hds, 9
yrs old. Evented at beg novice,
trained up to novice eventing.
Jumps 3'. Has done 2nd level dressage, trained up to 3rd and some
4th level dressage movements. Has
flying lead changes. Awesome
jumper. Leads on trail rides. Has
paraded as well. Very safe just
wants to go. $6,000.
Sierra- reg Half-Welsh and Prem
Sport Pony mare. Can be reg. quarter pony and pinto. 13.2 hds, 6 yrs
old. Jumps 2'6", can easily jump 3'
with smaller rider. Awesome hunter,
very flashy. Just about has flying
lead changes. Used by adv-beg riders in lessons. In your pocket kind of
pony. Is a ball to jump. Very good
confidence builder for jumping. Easy
to handle. $7,000.
Tom- Welsh Pony gelding, about
13 yrs old, bay. He does well at
shows, is used for lessons from
beginner to intermediate riders,
quiet and easy, jumps 2 ft. He is
very easy to work with, no bad habits. Teachs kids how to ride. $2,500
If you are interested in any of these ponies, contact Edward J Lestina at: elestina@sbcglobal.net
Saddle for Sale
FOR SALE: GREAT LITTLE KIDS
SADDLE so light a child can
carry it! A super value on
a weatherproof, easy-care,
durable saddle. Features a
built-in handle for safety,
a built-in knee roll to
help young riders achieve
correct position, and velcro panels to customize the
fit. Black. For ages 3-8
and under 60 pounds. My
daughter loved this saddle
and it is treeless so fits
any horse, perfect for kids
who want to learn and has
2 sets of stirrup leathers,
small and extra small and
peacock stirrups and cute
lamb saddle pad. For the
very young and it’s actually called a leadliner
saddle. Asking $175 for
everything but feel free to
offer.
Kashford@socal.rr.com or
714-633-5873 Karen for any
questions.
New Member!
Hi! I am Ally and I am 9 years old. I have a Shetland
pinto pony. Her name is Cookie. I got Cookie when I
was 4. I have done many things with her: jumping,
shows, western, English, and trail rides. Cookie is well
mannered and cute. I love royal riders pony club!
Page 6
R O Y A L R I DE R S NE W S
Page 7
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7
Breed of the Month
Paso Fino
The History of the Paso Fino
The Paso Fino's journey to the Americas began more than 500 years ago with the importation
of Andalusians, Spanish Barbs from North Africa, and the smooth-gaited Spanish Jennets
(which actually don't exist anymore as a breed) to the "New World" by Spanish Conquistadors.
Bred for their stamina, smooth gait and beauty, "Los Caballos de Paso Fino", the horses with
the "fine walk", served as the foundation stock for remount stations of the Conquistadors.
Centuries of selective breeding by those who colonized the Caribbean and Latin America produced variations of the "Caballo de Criollo," among them the Paso Fino that flourished initially
in Puerto Rico and Colombia, and later, in many other Latin American countries (primarily
Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Venezuela).
Awareness of the Paso Fino as we know it today did not spread outside of Latin America until
after WWII, when American servicemen came into contact with the stunning Paso Fino horse
while stationed in Puerto Rico. Americans began importing Paso Finos from Puerto Rico in the
mid-1940s. Two decades later, many Paso Fino horses began to be imported from Colombia.
For a while, there was some contention as to which country produced the "true" Paso Fino.
Though there are still some self-professed "purists" who advocate for one or the other country, the American Paso Fino - true to our "melting pot" tradition - is often a blend of the best
of Puerto Rican and Colombian bloodline.
The Gait of the Paso Fino Horse
The Paso Fino is born with a very unique gait, specific only to its breed, and the way the Paso
Fino executes its gait shows that it somehow knows it must be executed with style, grace,
power, and pride. The gait is a smooth, rhythmic, purposeful, straight, balanced in flexion and
synchronous front to rear, resulting in unequalled comfort and smoothness for the rider. The
Paso Fino is a graceful, agile and supple equine athlete that uses all four legs with precision
and harmony.
The gait is an evenly-spaced four-beat lateral gait with each foot contacting the ground independently in a regular sequence at precise intervals creating a rapid, unbroken rhythm. The
gait looks its best when the horse accomplishes the four-beat lateral gait with rapid up and
down motion of the feet, but very slow forward motion (which is called the Classic Fino, one of
three different variants of the gait). When you hear the power and pounding of the hoofs but
almost no forward motion, it may be one of the coolest things you see.
The Description of the Three Different Forward Speeds of the Gait
The Paso Fino gait is performed at three forward speeds and with varying degrees of collection. In all speeds of the gait, the rider should appear virtually motionless in the saddle, and
there should be no perceptible up and down motion of the horse's croupe. Here is a description of each of the three.
Classic Fino - Full collection, with very slow forward speed. The footfall is extremely rapid
while the steps and extension are exceedingly short.
Paso Corto - Forward speed is moderate, with full to moderate collection. Steps are groundcovering but unhurried, executed with medium extension and stride.
Paso Largo - The fastest speed of the gait, executed with a longer extension and stride, and
moderate to minimal collection. Forward speed varies with the individual horse, since each
horse should attain its top speed in harmony with its own natural stride and cadence.
The Paso Fino is capable of executing other gaits that are natural to horses, including the relaxed walk and lope or canter, and is known for its versatility. In PFHA( Paso Fino Horse Association) sponsored shows, Paso Finos compete in Western classes (Trail and Versatility), costume and pleasure driving, and performance. Paso Finos are also being seen in cow penning,
trail riding and endurance competitions and are winning ribbons.
http://www.yeawedo.com/pasofinohistory.htm
Royal Riders
Page 8
Pony Club Comes to Yorba Linda
North Orange County’s very own Pony Club is here! Become
a part of the Royal Riders Pony Club. Pony Club is an international club geared toward educating our youth and guiding them toward becom-
Sharon Kaak
18207 Shook Lane
Yorba Linda, CA
92886
ing better horse riders. Pony club will encourage our young horse lovers to become
Phone: 714-606-7136
Fax: 714-274-7136
E-mail: dskaak@sbcglobal.net
even better citizens in our already strong community of horse lovers.
This year promises to be full of new experiences. Each month we will have an
unmounted lesson and two (or more if you want) mounted lessons. In the last
OC PONY CLUB
year, we have already hosted Pony Play Days for our members, represented our
club in our local parades, made our own homemade horse treats, and participated in a Pony Club Rally and Camp. In 2009 we are hoping to participate in
The Perfect Club for Pony Lovers
even more rallies and clinics, as well as to experience some local field trips. We
welcome you to join us! To learn more go to: www.ocponyclub.org
Our website is:
www.ocponyclub.org
Is there a horse breed you’d like featured in the newsletter? If so, contact Kristen
at: horseloverkristen@sbcglobal.net. Also, send your photos and ads to me.
Paso Fino Puzzle
Read the article on page 7 about Paso Finos to solve this word puzzle. Fill in
the blanks. The letters circled will spell something.
Americans started importing Paso Finos from
mid-1940s.
The Paso Fino breed came from
smooth-gaited Spanish Jennet.
The
speed.
“Los Caballos de Paso Fino”, means “the
The Paso Largo gait is a
in the
, Spanish Barbs, and the
gait is a full collection, with very slow forward
with the fine walk”.
speed with minimal to moderate collection.
The Paso Corto gait is a moderate forward speed with full to moderate
The gait is an evenly-spaced four-beat lateral gait with each foot
the ground independently in a regular sequence at precise intervals creat-
ing a rapid, unbroken rhythm.
The Paso Fino is capable of executing other gaits that are natural to horses, including the relaxed
walk and
or canter, and is known for its versatility.
Write the answer here.
Suggestions, Comments, or Questions: Email Kristen Dvorak at: horseloverkristen@sbcglobal.net
Newsletter Managing Editor: Kristen Dvorak, age 12