News from the Headwaters Equine Leadership Group

HELG Committee Structure

HELG is pleased to announce new roles for two of our steering committee members.

Linda Pabst will be moving from her current seat as HELG Municipal Sub-Committee Chair to the vacant seat for industry at large from King Township.

Linda has been a Councillor in King Township 19 years. In that time, she has chaired and sat on numerous committees in King and York Region.

Linda has been involved in the equestrian world for over 44 years and is a proud horse show mother and grandmother.

Jim Boyd will be moving from his current seat as industry at large representative from Erin to the vacant seat as Policy and Government Relations Sub-Committee Chair. Jim will also Chair the Sustainability Sub-Committee for HELG.

Jim is President & CEO of the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation and a resident of Erin. He has extensive and varied experience in finance, politics and community involvement and a life-long passion for horses.

The following is a list of full HELG steering committee. Click here for more detail and biographies of committee members.

James Boyd - President & CEO, Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation
Elaine Capes - Councillor Town of Mono
Sandra Dolson - Economic Development Officer, Town of Caledon
Susan Fripp - Owner, Caledon Equestrian School
Michele Harris - Executive Director, Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association
Ross Millar (Chair) - President, Ross Millar Group
Linda Pabst - Councillor King Township
Theresa Sauren - Program Manager, Dufferin.biz
Jamie Smyth - Economic Development Officer, King Township
Stephany St.Louis - Hospital Manager, Caledon Equine Hospital

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Horse Country Event Assistant

Please join us is welcoming Nicole Chiasson to the Headwaters Horse Country team!

Nicole is currently studying Tourism Management and Travel Industry Services at the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto. She has a background in equestrian competition and worked for several years as a counsellor at one of the premier equestrian camps in Ontario.

In her new role, Nicole will be an ambassador for Headwaters Horse Country. She will share information about visiting, living and working in Horse Country and about the equine industry in the Headwaters region.

Look for the Horse Country booth and come meet Nicole at many events throughout the season!

IN THIS ISSUE

Pan Am Countdown

Equine Events and Happenings

Promote your Events in Headwaters Horse Country
New Horse Country Website
Breeds in Horse Country
Ultimate Horse Quiz
Feature your Horse Country Photos

Pan Am Countdown

The games begin July 10, 2015.

That's 407 days away!

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Pan American Games Facility "Best Ever": Equestrian Ian Millar praises Caledon Equestrian Park

Ten-time Olympian and nine-time Pan American Game's medallist, Ian Millar, says Caledon Equestrian Park "is the best Pan Am facility I've ever seen and the best that's ever been."

Millar made his comments during the 2014 opening competition at the Caledon Equestrian Park. "This is going to do so much for the development of the sport in Canada," said Millar.

Click here for a video of the full interview.

Equine Events and Happenings

Mark your calendar with these Horse Country events for June!

Date(s)	Event	Location
June 4-8	The Erin Welcome CSI**	Angelstone Tournaments
June 6-8	Spring Into Dressage & Pan Am Test	Caledon Equestrian Park
June 6-8	Caledon Agricultural Fair	Caledon Fairgrounds
June 10-15	Classic at Palgrave Phase 2	Caledon Equestrian Park
June 14	Caledon Day	Caledon Civic Campus
June 14	EQUI-FEST	OAS Event Centre
June 14-15	Caledon Horse Trials T, PT, E, PE	Caledon Riding Club
June17-22	Summer Classic	Caledon Equestrian Park
June 21-22	Summer Solstice Rides & Seminars	Dufferin Forest Main Tract
June 22	Tottenham Equestrians Show Series	OAS Event Centre
June 25-29	Caledon Premier 1	Caledon Equestrian Park
June 27	Bolton Truck & Tractor Pull	Albion/Bolton Fairgrounds
June 27-July 1	Quarter Horse Show - Summerama	OAS Event Centre
June 28-29	Wits End Horse Trials I, P, T, PT, E, PE	Wits End Farm

Click here for a full list of Horse Country events.

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Caring For Your Horse & Farm - Free Workshop

May 31, 2014

Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) and the Rural Clean Water Program (RCWP) are hosting a FREE Caring For Your Horse & Farm workshop from 9am to 3:30pm at the Nobleton Community Hall (19 Old King Road).

This workshop will discuss how to manage horse manure, improve pasture quality and protect natural features on your property such as ponds, wetlands and streams. Attendees will also discover programs that can assist technically and financially and tour two equine farms to see environmental improvement projects first hand. Lunch is included!

Click here for more details about this workshop.

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154th Caledon Agricultural Fair

June 6-8, 2014

The Caledon Agricultural Fair takes place at the Caledon Fairgrounds (Hwy 10 in Caledon Village). This year's theme is Cowbells and Carousels.

Here are just some of the exciting events each day!

Friday

Truck & Tractor pull

Saturday

Hunt Club Challenge Horse Show, Gaited Horse Show, Jumper Challenge, Lawn tractor pull, bbq dinner with live entertainment

Sunday

Cattle shows, Welsh Pony, Sport Pony and Open Driving shows, Heavy Horse Pull

Click here for more information about the Caledon Fair.

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Caledon Day June 14, 2014

Rock out to Canadian music, shop the vendor fair, enjoy great food, quality artisans and family fun!

Join the Town of Caledon for an amazing free Canadian outdoor concert, fair and fireworks finale to close the event. This year's headlining act will be BIG SUGAR!

Click here for more information about Caledon Day.

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Le TREC Clinic

June 28, 2014

Equine Canada and the Ontario Equestrian Federation are holding a Le TREC clinic at Cadogan Farm in Caledon, Ontario.

The internationally renowned TREC expert, Thierry Maurouard, will be the master clinician. Thierry is the technical delegate for the International Federation for Equestrian Tourism and TREC consultant for the French Equestrian Federation. He is the national coach for French and Canadian TREC teams. He has participated in many international TREC competitions and is TREC world champion mounted and driving.

Click here for more information.

Promoting your Events

If you have an event that you would like promoted through Headwaters Horse Country, please contact Vicki Sword at Vicki@thehillsofheadwaters.com.

NEW Horse Country Website

Headwaters Horse Country will be launching a new Horse Country website in June!

Stay tuned for details and information regarding how you can list your events and business information on the new site.

Breeds in Horse Country

This month we are highlighting the Icelandic horse breed!

Icelandic horses are one of the oldest breeds of horse in the world. The breed was developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. For 9 centuries, no other horses have been brought to Iceland. The Icelandic horse is one of the purest in the world.

Photo Courtesy of OnIce Horse Farm

Icelandic horses are hardy. They weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 lb) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 and 56 inches, 132 and 142 cm) high. The breed comes in many coat colors, including chestnut, dun, bay, black, gray, palomino, pinto and roan. These horses have well-proportioned heads, wide foreheads and a short, muscular neck that is broad at the base. The legs are strong and short, with relatively long cannon bones and short pasterns. The mane and tail are full, with coarse hair, and the tail is set low.

Photo Courtesy of OnIce Horse Farm

Icelandics may be 3,4,or 5 gaited , the majority having 4 gaits. The walk, trot and canter are common to every breed of horse. The fourth gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tolt. The tolt is extremely smooth to ride, but very powerful. The footfall is the same as at the walk, but much faster. The breed also performs a a two beat lateral gait called a flying pace. The horse moves the front and hind foot on the same side at the same time. It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 48km per hour.

Today the Icelandic horse breed is still used for traditional farm work, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.

~Sources: Wikipedia & icelandicHorse.org

The photos used in this section were submitted by the Horas Family at OnIce Horse Farm located at 16218 Albion Trail in Caledon Ontario (905-880-4002).

Are you ready for a horse trivia challenge?

Take the Ultimate Horse quiz from howstuffworks.com!

"He moved like a dancer, which is not surprising; a horse is a beautiful animal, but it is perhaps most remarkable because it moves as if it always hears music."

~Mark Helprin, Winter's Tale~

Featured Horse Country Image

Check out this adorable picture of Finally. The photo was submitted by Bridget Ryan of Equine Erin located within the rolling hills of Erin, Ontario.

Photo submissions should be emailed to Vicki@thehillsofheadwaters.com and include the photograph, your contact information and a brief description of the location or event.