Trail Riders Update

Here is a recent update to make note of:

“BSFTA Trail riders, The Lost Trail Ride scheduled for 7/31 has been moved to Coyote Coulie off Lost Horse Creek Road south of Hamilton.

Donna and I spent most of Tuesday up at Lost Trail and the horse and deer flies were in clouds around us and our horses. It was just not any fun. The weather was great the trails were great, but the flies were just unbearable. We had our horses well sprayed but the flies worried them to death and after the ride we just could not stay any longer because of the clouds of flies buzzing around us. The flies were even able to bite poor Frank through his fly spray. Those big old flies don’t put much stock in fly spray I guess.

So, we will ride at Coyote Coulie starting at 9am to ride before the heat gets too bad. The ride will be around 3 hours and a lot of you know the trails there are really very easy and quite well marked. Bring a lunch and we will have some fellowship and a trail tip demo after the ride.

I am sorry to have to reschedule this ride so late, but we will ride up at Lost Trail in September when the first freeze has settled the bugs.

If you need better directions call me.

Take hwy 93 south out of Hamilton. Watch for the big Rocky Mountain Log Home business on the right. @1/2 mile past there Lost Horse Creek Road is on the right at the top of the hill. Be ready to turn as it is not visible as you go up the hill. Take Lost Horse Creek Road until you see the forest service sign for Coyote Coulie trail head.

Mark Goss”

A Reminder

The registration deadline is July 31st! If you are planning on showing you better get the required information turned in real soon. Click here to get your copy of the pdf file.

BHBFTA 2010 Show

The show/registration form is now available! Be sure to download your copy and register as soon as possible!  The registration deadline is July 31st.  This year it is being held in Thermopolis at the Fairgrounds.  The dates are Thursday August 12th, Friday August 13th, and Saturday August 14th.

Here is a good reason to register right away:  If you are arriving before Wednesday, August 11, 2010, you must make prior arrangements with Robynn Gabel, 307-349-2049 for stalls and/or campsites. Do not check in at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds office. All stalls and campsites are being handled through BHBFTA. All stalls and campsites are on a first come – first serve basis and will be assigned in the order of entry receipt. Please note there are limited (5) campsites with electricity. The camping lot to the east is dry camping only.

This year’s show Judge will be Mr. Elmer Scott.

It’ll be a lot of fun!  Click here to get your copy of the pdf file.

About the President of BHBFTA

Craig Dansie is the President for the club this year.  This is what he wrote up to share:

“I have been involved with horses most of my life. I have always loved being around them. I have had Quarter horses and Arabs and some grade horses.

In 1978 my family went to a foxtrotter auction with a friend. We just wanted to see the horses and what they were like and had no intention of buying one. Near the end of the auction a beautiful 2 year old sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail came out and they could not get a bid. I thought I would get it started so I made the opening bid and it was also the closing bid and we owned our first foxtrotter. He was just green broke but very easy to get along with so after 2 rides the wife and kids took over and I was back on the Arab. I decided I needed to get a gaited horse for me as I was tired of getting beat up on the trail rides. I bought another foxtrotter and everyone else rode him. I decided it was time to get rid of all of the square trotting horses and only have foxtrotters. This was in 1979 and we have enjoyed foxtrotters since that time.

We decided to start raising some of our own foals and I began looking for really good mares. I had been informed by several knowledgeable people that the mares were 60% of the equation. I have had the privilege of owning several world champion and reserve world champion mares and geldings. This past year, my mare Frank’s Praire Belle D won the open championship 4 year and older 3 gaited class at the year Old Futurity. She also won the 3 gait championship at the Utah Grand and the Great Western Celebration and the BHBFTA Show. She was also the 2 gait champion at our show. Belle was the high point Amateur 3 gait champion for the MFTHBA as well as the high point men’s 2 gait champion for 2009.

My daughter Michelle won the high point Amateur Ladies on our gelding Frank’s Hotshot D. I had another mare, Frank’s Nice N Easy, that was the 3 year old reserve champion mare and took 3rd place in the Championship. She was also Reserve World Champion 3 year old Mare and 3rd place in the WGC class in 2009. My other mare, Knight’s Shooting Star was the Reserve Champion 3 year old at the Breeders Cup in 2009.

I have been involved with the BHBFTA for about 15 years and have been the Secretary, Treasurer and President. I got involved with Foxtrotters because of my love of trail riding. They are the Cadillac of the trails. My first love is the trail riding even though I don’t get to do as much as I would like because of the shows.

My wife and I went on a great trail ride to Monument Valley with the Navajo Indians as our hosts and guides. It was really great place. I have enclosed a picture.”  (see below)



Straighten Up and Fly Right

This ARTICLE is by Jane Zubia of Satin Gaits (also Vice-President of our club) who has been kind enough to share this with us.

“For years I have listened to horsemen I respect speak about a really broke horse traveling straight. These horsemen come from many different disciplines, so straightness is a common trait that all riders should be working towards.

I am amazed how some small thing will make a big difference to the horse’s performance. Not too long ago I was working with a rider who had a very inconsistent gaited horse. She told me her horse only did his really nice gait sometimes when heading towards home while the rest of the ride he usually paced. She was hoping I could help her regain the consistently smooth gait he had when she brought him.

As I watched the horse and rider pace around the arena, I noticed that this horse was very interested in his surroundings and the other participant’s horses. He wasn’t scared or nervous just curious and enjoyed checking everything out. I talked to the rider and asked her to take notice of how much her horse was looking around. Next I asked her to bring her horse back into alignment anytime he looked away. I encouraged her to relax but stay focused so she could take care of any deviation from straightness as soon as she noticed it occurring.  I also had her ride between some lines drawn in the arena dirt to help her notice when her horse deviated from straight. In less than 3 hours her horse was beginning to gait more like he had when she first purchased him. Because of better alignment, both horse and rider were enjoying their ride and due to an improved positioning the horse was able to fly right again!

Every day I am with a horse, I observe in order to notice the minute things that might make a huge difference to the horse’s performance. I have proven to myself that straightness immensely helps gaited horses gait better and more consistently.

Remember, straighten up and let your horse fly right!

Wyoming’s Horse Whisperette, Jane Zubia, is a traveling gaited horse trainer whose passion is encouraging better horse and rider relationships. Jane can be reached at www.janezubia.com or 307-254-0666.”

Information about the Vice-President of BHBFTA

Jane Zubia is the Vice president for the club this year.  This is what she wrote up to share with you on the blog.  Thanks Jane.

“Hi my name is Jane Zubia and I am the Vice-President of the BHBFTA for 2010. I have been working with horses for over 30 years having apprenticed in 1965-1967 in CA. I became involved with gaited horses when I moved with my daughter in 1990 to Powell, WY and have been training and instructing gaited horses and their riders since then.

Since gaited owners are spread out all over the US, I decided in 2003 to start traveling to the horse and rider to help them with their personal issues. It has been very rewarding for me to see the progress each horse and rider make during a session and because I have clients that I see more than once a year, to see the progress made from session to session.

I have shown at some of the BHBFTA shows besides Colorado, Montana, Utah and Washington. I have also shown several times at the Missouri Fox Trotter Celebration held each fall at Ava, Missouri in Performance and Versatility. Over the years, the horses I have ridden have come out of their class with one of the primary colors or another color of the rainbow. The past two years I have assisted the BHBFTA show chairman, Robynn Gabel, and it has been fun to give back to this club and also understand more of what goes into having a horse show.

I have also started to write short articles that I hope will help owners to become aware of something that will be of a benefit to them and their horse.

I am always ready to help someone with their gaited horse so call me 307-254-0666 or visit my website www.satingaits.com for more information.”

One of Jane’s articles will be posted on the blog tomorrow.

BSFTA Annual National Trail Ride

The Big Sky Fox Trotter Association will be hosting the Annual National Trail Ride for August 27 and 28, 2010. It will be held at Lost Horse Lodge (losthorselodge.com) in the Bitter Root Valley of western Montana. This ride will be in the Bitter Root National Forest, an area that is really exceptional.

This ride is for every level of rider and horse. There is no need for living quarter trailers or RVs as the lodge has some exceptional cabins if you need them. The club will also be utilizing National Forest Service campsites for living quarter trailers and RV’s or anyone else at no charge.

This National Trail Ride is shared with the BHBFTA and we encourage our members to attend for a great ride and good memories. If you need any information please contact Mark Goss.

About being a Member of BHBFTA

This information is included with the Registration found here.  It is written by the club’s Show Chairman (Robynn Gabel).

“First and foremost your membership gives you a discount to the ever growing BHBFTA Fox Trotter Show.   A new location this year’s BHBFTA Show in Thermopolis, WY affords you a chance for more Performance classes, a new Versatility Pleasure category, a BHBFTA All Around High Point winner, and the ever favorite Natural Trail course for our trail riders. Also you will have a chance to participate in the workshop being presented Thursday morning on Ranch Horse Cutting and Working Cow before the show starts.

Even if you are not a show person, this show gives you an opportunity to meet with other Missouri Fox Trotter owners, search out answers to questions, search for breeders and sales, watch fine Fox Trotters perform and meet up with old friends. In between show events Thermopolis has a cornucopia of activities including the Thermopolis Dinosaur Museum, historical landmarks and the famous Mineral Hot Pools for swimming, playing and soaking.

Being a member of this affiliate gives you access to the Association website with information on club activities. If you are a breeder or need to sell and wish to advertise this website is just another place you can do that as part of your membership. The website gives updates and current information on other clubs and upcoming trail rides including Wyoming’s and Montana’s yearly Fall Gather.  A bi-yearly update in the Journal, as well as club news is also a membership perk giving you information on what is going on in not only Wyoming but in the breed.

It is also a goal of this Association to ever promote this intelligent, hard working, family oriented breed. There are so many Fox Trotter owners in Wyoming that are part of the National Association, but it is the local state club that can get you in touch with others with the same needs as you.

We strive to keep membership dues low in this time of economic struggle, but also to keep in step for the value you will receive. We are working towards getting more for the membership such as organizing a Stallion Handbook, History of the Breed in Wyoming, better communication and membership discounts.”

Registration Forms Available Online

If you haven’t registered yet as a member of the Big Horn Basin Foxtrotter Association for 2010 then you can now download the pdf form, print it out, fill it out, and mail it in with your money to register.  You can download the form from here. The site has been updated and will be updated more in the next coming weeks.  Click here to visit the Web site.

BHBFTA Show News

BHBFTA Show will be held in Thermopolis, WY  Aug 12-15, 2010.  Judge will be Elmer Scott.  Thursday morning we will be having a Cow Schooling Show with instruction given by Susan Chrisitansen.  She is a professional cutting/working cow handler and performer.