e-Rider 19 December 2001

Welcome to e-Rider, the newsletter for AtlanticRider.com. AtlanticRider.com is Atlantic Canada's most comprehensive resource for the horse enthusiast.

Kerri-Ellen Chalmers & Love Lighter have been partners for eleven years in the Hunter Division up to Grand Prix Jumper. Kerri-Ellen is from Fredericton, NB. Love Lighter is a sixteen-year old Holsteiner gelding who was recently sold to Arizona. Kerri-Ellen has been competing for twenty-four years and coaching for seventeen years. She is living in Orangeville, Ontario until early 2002. Her family owns and operates Meadow View Stables where she will return to continue teaching and training. Rider of the Week.

We would love to have your suggestions for Rider of the Week. Please submit a photo and a description of the team you are nominating. This can be done by mail to: PO Box 7305, Riverview NB E1B 4T9 or by email: donna@AtlanticRider.com

Nova Scotia Junior CADORA now has it's own website! The site features photos and information on each of the club's members, a chat room, and a NS CADORA Junior of the Month. Congrats on a useful site for Junior riders!

The Cormack Christmas Parade was held on December 15th and was a great success. Leah Halfyard and her sister dressed as elves and rode her Quarter Horse Lee alongside Shelly Hoyles who walked her 6 month old filly Willow. Both horses looked great dressed as reindeer and handled the commotion without a problem. Especially Willow who seemed bored by the whole thing. The children were delighted to see the horses and we're all looking forward to next year!

The Question:
Hey dressage riders! I currently own a 4 year old ex-racer thoroughbred gelding with a wonderful disposition and a great mind, but unfortunately his movement is not stellar for dressage... Any suggestions?

A few of the answers:
... In hunters, jumpers, hack, penning, eventing, it’s all about doing better than the other guy. In dressage, it’s all about how close you can get to that elusive 100% perfection; how much your training has improved since last time....
...I’m worried you’re overlooking a diamond because it’s got a little coal on it and you’ve got the reflection off the trophies in your eyes....
... You can't expect any horse (especially a "baby" 4 year old) to become an expert winner after only 6 months. Especially dressage, this takes years to perfect. You need to give him (and yourself) a fair chance...

As many of you have noticed, we are experiencing technical problems with the classified portion of the site. We are working with our service provider to correct the problem and hope to have the 'missing' ads restored soon. In the meantime, please feel free to post your ads again and re-register, if necessary. We apologize for the inconvenience.

January 2-4: Wild Wind Equestrian Centre Holiday Horse Camp, Wild Wind Equestrian Centre, Sherbrooke, PEI. Camps run 8:30 - 3:30 daily and include daily lessons, classroom lectures and stable management sessions. Space is limited. Contact Jana Hemphill: 902-436-7251.

January 7: Valley Reiners Horse Association Annual General Meeting. 8:00 pm at Sky Valley Farm, Nictaux. Contact Norma: 902-825-6605.

January 13: Appaloosa Horse Club of Nova Scotia General Meeting, 1:00 pm at the Grizzly Bar & Steak House (next door to the Holmestead Restaurant) in Granville Ferry.

January 26: Ever wanted to drive your own "One Horse Open Sleigh"? Now is the time to learn! There will be a Hooking and Harnessing clinic with Jean Northrup, President of the Hampton Driving Club, at Galbraiths Stables (Browns Flat, NB) from 12-3:00. Fee is $20. Contact Donna Lee Cole 468-2098 or jdc@nb.sympatico.ca Space is limited so register early.

January 26-27: PEI CADORA Judges clinic with Sue Rothgeb. Contact Cindy Matheson: 902-892-8537 or Ron Stewart: 902-569-2827.

We're happy to promote your Atlantic Canada horse event by listing in e-Rider and on our events page. Simply email the information to: donna@atlanticrider.com or phone 1-800-431-5888.

Experienced riders are not prone to brag. And usually newcomers, if they start out being boastful, end up modest.
~ C.J.J. Mullen

There are lots of great horse books available from the front page of AtlanticRider.com! Order yours today!

It apparently required more than three hundred horses to make the current movie hit, Lord of the Rings. In spite of the 'horsey' nature of the film one of the movie's stars, Liv Tyler, isn't enamored of our favorite four-legged friends! "A stunt double and a placid horse were needed during filming for The Lord of the Rings because Tyler wanted to avoid being on a horse as much as possible. Tyler, who plays Elfin princess Arwen, had riding lessons to build her equestrian confidence. Stunt double, Jane Abbott of Te Horo said Tyler was 'lovely, bubbly and fun.' " Abbott developed a strong bond with the stallion she rode during the movie and, in a happy ending of it's own, a friend purchased the horse for her when the movie horses were auctioned off. Read more...