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Heads Up!
June 2011
6/27-7/1...Junior Invitational
6/27-7/1...Half-Day Camp
6/29-7/3...NCHJA Annual A
7/4...Independence Day
7/6-10...4-H State Show
7/11-15...Half-Day Camp
7/12-17...Culpeper AA
7/18-22...Full-Day Camp
7/25-29...Half-Day Camp
7/25-19...Full Day Camp
7/27-31...Blowing Rock AA
7/29-31...Raleigh C
MCA calendar
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the Word from the Herd
Mounting Up
Me again. For July I have some words to the wise about mounting. If you want to start off your ride by letting me know you will be a considerate rider, mounting is the place to start. You may think a mounting block is for your convenience but it's actually for my comfort. You won't unbalance me or pull my saddle to one side so much if you use it.
So, girth is snug (see June's Word from the Herd if you've forgotten about girths), stirrups are both down, you are on the mounting block with my saddle directly in front of you. What now?
Gather the reins in your left hand & also a handful of mane. Right hand reaches over the saddle either to the pommel or the front edge. Remember if there is any pulling to be done, do it with your left hand. Put your left foot in the stirrup. As you start to put weight in your stirrup, try to look over my right shoulder. Lean forward so your belly button is over my withers while swinging your right leg over. That puts my center of gravity and yours as much in alignment as we can manage while mounting.
As you swing over, face where I'm facing. Your right knee should contact my right side before anything else does. That way you can grip with your knee while you find your right stirrup & ease down or you can ease down & then find your right stirrup. Whichever way you do it, please do not mistake my back for a sofa. No plopping down like a bag of rocks!
Instead of making me "UMPH!" when you sit in the saddle, aim for, "Oh, there you are! I barely noticed!"
That's the start to a good ride.
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 MacNair's Country Acres is proud to acknowledge its 2011 Horse Show Sponsors Apex Veterinary Hospital Equine www.apexequinevet.com Aquatise www.aquatise.com Bartlett Tree Experts www.bartlett.com Baxter Johnson Contracting, Inc. www.baxterjohnson.com Commercial Pine Straw www.commercialpinestraw.com Dover Farm LLC Earthwise www.earthwiselife.com Edward Jones www.edwardjones.com Linda & Rufus Edmisten Logic Limo www.logiclimo.com M & M Tack Shop www.mmtackshop.com M Theresa Brown Portraits www.mtheresabrown.com MacNair-Petty & Womble Realty Group www.legacyfarmsandranchesnc.com MacNair's 4-H Club Paraklete Financial, Inc www.parakletefinancial.com Pendleton Financial Consulting, Inc www.pendletonfinancial.com Ragsdale Liggett PLLC www.rl-law.com Sperandeo Hoof Care Triangle Farms Horse Show Management www.trianglefarms.com Wheels 4 Hope www.wheels4hope.org WJH Property Management hasselljohnny8@gmail.com show sponsor information |
Did you know?
Horses have the largest eye of any land mammal.
The better to see you with, my dear.
Q: What horse is this?
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Triangle Jumper Show June 25
what people are saying on Facebook...
Kate: "The Jumper Show was a lot of fun! Great experience to get out & see new jumps. We will definitely be back." Mary Pope: "Daniel [her horse] really enjoyed himself at the Jumper Show!"
 | | Daniel & Mary Pope |
Michele: "The Jumper Show was fun - the jumps were beautiful & the courses rode well!"
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Enjoying the day...
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photo by Dottie Burch
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Dottie & Zipper on a trail ride
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MacNair's PhotoSite
you are welcome to download photos to print
(registration is easy & free) |
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Dear Friends of MacNair's,
Camp Cheval 2011 began 6/13 & will run till 8/12. If your child has yet to attend a week of horse camp, please call the office. During the first session of Half-Day Camp, some of the campers had never been on a horse before & ended the week trotting around the ring & [sort of] posting. Luckily, giggling doesn't bother the ponies. Cam Womble has not only started teaching lessons but riding. If the creeks don't rise (although we could use the rain) we will try to get Frampton to a show this summer. Big green horse + first show = make popcorn. The NC Annual Horse Show starts 6/29 & runs through 7/3. Four horses from MacNair's will be competing. The MacNair's 4-H Club has quite a few riders at the State 4-H show 7/6-10. Hope you can come out to cheer for them at the Hunt Center! On 6/25 we had our first show of the Triangle Jumper Series - there will be a total of six, three at each facility. The next one here will be 8/6.The day after the Jumper Show, 6/26, was a NCDCTA Show & a good time was had by all. Our next NCDCTA Show is 8/7. MacNair's will have a Hunter Pace or two this fall. If you have never done one of these, prepare to have a lot of fun! More details (& dates) will follow. Watch for information on Fall Registration for the Riding School to come out mid- July. Nancy
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Showtime
June results
 | photo by Ann Redwine
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EHA Show - Williamston - 6/11-13
Ann Redwine had "a great time!!" That was probably at least partly due to the fact that Sammy got Reserve Champion (Novice) with Oly on Sunday! This pair could also win a blue ribbon for Cuteness.
Kara & Noir had a very good show, too, placing in all their classes & doing particularly well in Equitation. Also, they got a fourth in the Hunter Derby!
Haley, Ruth, Kyler, Lizzie, Laura, and Sam showed, too.
NCHJA C Show - MCA - 6/5
What a nice show! Congratulations to our riders: Alexis, Amelia, Charlotte, Emma, Haley, Hannah, Jessica, Julia, Kara, Katie, Kelsey, Kyler, Lauren, Mackenzie H, Mackenzie M, Margo, MaryAnne, Megan, Ruth, Samantha R, Samantha W, Sarah B, Sarah N, Thomas, & Torey.
NCHJA C results
NCHJA photos
Triangle Jumper Series Show - MCA - 6/25
MacNair's and Summit Hill each have had one show so far in this series of six. Approximately thirty horses competed. We had a lot of new faces here & a lot of fun! The next show here will be 8/6.
Triangle Jumper Series
6/25 results
NCDCTA - MCA - 6/26
Another beautiful day for jumping & dressage!
NCDCTA results
NCDCTA photos
advice for horse show parents
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A Couple Reminders...
for July
Independence Day: On July 4th, Country Acres will close at 5:00 PM.
Camp Cheval: Camp has started! If it started without you, you don't have to miss the fun - there are some spaces still available. Please check on the week you want by calling the office: 919-851-1118
camp photos from June
Camp information
Camp registration
End of the Year Survey: If you were enrolled in the Riding School last year you should have received our survey in your email. We value your opinions! If you would like to share them but did not get a survey please email us & we'll send you one. All responses are anonymous. Those of you who have already taken the survey, thanks so much for your time!
And speaking of lessons...
Summer lessons:
Summer Community Lesson Info
Summer Pony School Info
It's that water bottle time of year: Please be smart & careful now that the weather is warm. If you feel thirsty, it's too late - you are already de-hydrated. Start sipping before you get in the car to come to the barn. Water is your best choice. And please don't ignore feeling weak, dizzy or short of breath. Any of those mean it's time to pull up & go find some shade. Take your water bottle with you! It's for you: Cell phones are great, aren't they? They are particularly great during an emergency to call for help. The rest of the time while riding, not so much. Incoming calls should be ignored. We strongly recommend, for safety's sake, that you not chat on your phone while mounted. Watch out for Bambi: The spring crop of fawns has arrived. If a deer crosses the road in front of you, please wait a minute to see if she will be followed by her slower (but cuter) babies. They are still tiny & harder to see than the adults. 
Rails on the ground: So if you are only supposed to go over single rails when not in a lesson, how far apart do they have to be, so two rails are each considered a single rail? Good question. Give up? Answer: 84' apart. Now go forth & cavaletti. |
4-H News 
for July
4-H State Show is at the Hunt Center here in Raleigh, 7/6-10. The Show Team has worked very hard to get this far & this is the big one! No pressure though. If you can, please come to the show and support our 4-H'ers. Good luck, everybody & remember - deep slow breaths help keep your horse relaxed! At the end of May, the 4-H Horse Art Party raised almost $300 for the Club. Theresa Brown, one of our Horse Show Sponsors and a portrait artist, guided the 4-H'ers through painting their equine partners from a photo. The portraits turned out spectacularly!  | | photo by Theresa Brown |
Come mid-June, it was fun & games for everyone at the 4-H Pool Party! Food, too!  | | photo by Mary Copeland Cain |
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Giving back
to the community
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Wildlife Watch
Dragonflies
Although they are kind of scary looking & have an imposing name, dragonflies don't sting people. They do, however, eat mosquitoes & that makes them our friends.
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Quote of the Month
"He knew men...He understood that men were there to serve him and that, in exchange, he was to concede them the indulgence of minor whims. They got on his back and most often he let them stay. They rubbed his body and did things to his hooves, none of which was really unpleasant. He judged them by their smells and the way they touched him. He did not like a hand with a tremor, or a hand that was hard, or one that moved too quickly. He did not trust the smell of a man that had nothing of the earth in it nor any sweat in it. Men's voices were bad, but there were some not too loud that came to his ears slowly, without insistence, and those he could hear."
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We love hearing from you. If you have a suggestion, an idea, or something we should be aware of, well, that's what the End-of-the-Year Survey is all about. Please take a few minutes to tell us what you think.
If you have an item (or picture) that everyone should see or hear about, please post on our Facebook page! (It may show up here, too.)
Sincerely,
the Staff at MacNair's Country Acres
A: That's Tucker's handsome face.
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