With all the craziness in my life these past several weeks, both professionally and personally, I’ve definitely not been able to keep up with Enlightened Equine postings. But I’ve got a number of them in the works, as they say, and I promise it’ll be worth the wait!
In the meantime, I received word the other day that I’ll be speaking at the Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio, on April 14th at 10AM, which I’m very excited about! I’ve been going to this show since it’s second offering (1995 or 1996 – I can’t remember), when it was only 2 or 3 days long and was held in Dayton, Ohio. And it’s always been an adventure! Over the years, I’ve heard some very interesting and informative presenters whose messages really resonated with me – Gene Ovnicek, Hilary Self, Don West, and Susan Harris come immediately to mind – as well as a number of true training legends like John Lyons and Monty Roberts.
And then there’s the shopping! If you’re looking for anything horse-related, regardless of the discipline or breed, you’ll probably find it there. I must admit that I really enjoy wandering the aisles of booths, seeing what’s new and talking with vendors and attendees alike. In fact, for many years, part of my annual pilgrimage to Columbus was to help out my friend Ana at the Equestrian Enterprise booth, folding T-shirts, restocking shelves, collecting money, and answering questions. And while it may seem like an odd way to spend my time, I really enjoyed the radical departure from my “usual” life.
But now I’ve got a real opportunity. My talk is on the importance of proper hoof care for youngsters: specifically, what can and cannot be accomplished “at the ground” with respect to less-than-optimal conformation in the young horse. And while I realize that if you’re reading this on my website, I’m probably already “preaching to the choir,” I’d certainly love to see and meet many of you whom I’ve never before encountered face-to-face. So please stop by and say “hello.” And, more importantly, bring your “horsey” friends so they can hopefully get their horses on the path to long-term comfort and soundness!
More soon…