Jumper Derby Cross Course Open for Schooling

We had a great time at our June and July Jumper Derby Crosses but the heat and humidity went a bit beyond even our summer weather expectations. Because of this, we proactively moved our August derby to October 8th and details will be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, we’re keeping the July jumper derby course up so that you can come and school. (We will be resetting the course for the October event.)  It’s $40 per person and you can find release forms and other information on our cross-country page here. Call or text us at 603-548-1752 or PM us on Facebook to set up a session.

View of Equine Discovery Center's cross-country course from the bank jump.

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June Jumper Derby Cross

We had so much fun at our first Jumper Derby Cross on June 24th.  We loved showing off the Equine Discovery Center facilities, including our fabulous cross-country fields. Remember that we welcome outside trainers who would like to school cross-country with their students. Just call, text or email Tricia at tricia@equinediscoverycenter.com / 603-548-1752 for more information.

Don’t forget to join us in July and August! Visit our Events page for details.

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EDC Summer 2016 Jumping Derby Crosses!

Hi everyone! The EDC wants to put some fun in your summer Fridays with our monthly Jumping Derby Crosses!

What is a jumping derby cross, you ask? It’s a combination of natural stadium jumps and cross country jumps, and takes place in large fields with varying terrain. It’s a great way to practice different jumps, settle nerves, acquire new skills and have a great time in the process.

Each EDC jumping derby cross will feature pre-elementary, elementary, advanced elementary, beginner novice, and novice classes.

The derby crosses will take place on the following Fridays from 3pm to 8pm. Pre-date pricing is $45; post-date, add $10.

• June 24th Pre-entry by June 20th
• July 15th Pre-entry by July 11th
• August 5th Pre-entry by August 1st
• Ribbons and prizes awarded per class.

Visit the Events page for complete details, including jump heights, fees and entry forms.

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Equine Dentistry: Choose What’s Right for Your Horse

By Tricia Bridgeo

I preemptively apologize to all the wonderful dentists out there but, show of hands, how many of us like going to the dentist? (I don’t see many hands shooting up.) Loud noises in our heads and weird (sometimes painful) sensations on our teeth or gums can make for anxious moments.

Nerves aside for the moment: as humans, we can take comfort in knowing one absolute truth – that when we visit a dentist, that person is a medical doctor. The same is not true in the equine world, where a “dentist” may not be a veterinarian and where “certification” criteria can vary widely. If you are not having a DVM working on your horse’s teeth, do you know what credentials the person does have?

One of the most significant differences between a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in equine dentistry is the ability to use sedation. (Again show of hands, how many of us want teeth pulled, gums scaled, loud grinding noises without some form of medication?) Some horse “dentists” use the bold advertisement that they do not use sedation. Good thing, because they CANNOT by law.

As your horse’s advocate and caregiver, please research the person responsible for maintaining your horse’s mouth. The length of time it takes to properly align and file your horse’s teeth is not mere minutes. Could you calmly keep a speculum in your open mouth for 30 to 40 minutes while a dentist worked on your teeth?

The before photos below are pictures of horses mouths done by “dentists” – not vets. The owners truly felt they were giving proper care to their beloved pets. Sores ran along the whole sides of the horses’ mouths. Problems with bitting, behavioral issues while riding, and not maintaining weight led to a vet reviewing the dental care. The vet who worked on their mouths specializes in dentistry. He used a power float to smooth and align the teeth. The horses were sedated. One of the horses showed immediate improvement in moving more properly onto the bit and won a 3-phase event soon after.

Your horse can perform and live a longer life if they have a properly working mouth. Do your research, if your dentist is not a vet they CANNOT sedate – it is not a bragging point or indication of the quality of their “dentistry” skills.

If you have access to a vet specializing in equine dentistry, check them out and ask questions. If they use power floats, ask questions. If they sedate, ask questions. (Do you see a trend here?)

Remember, your dentist went to medical school and is a doctor for a reason – our horses’ mouths deserve the same expertise.

One final point – the cost you may save on a “dentist” is often much more costly in other ways: loss of weight, bad behavior, losing at shows and, most importantly, dangerous rides that could lead to injury.

Look at the pictures below for an idea of why horses’ teeth need to be looked after….

Here’s a picture of Horse 1 – note the sharp points on the teeth and resulting sores:

Horse-Mouth-1Here are ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of another horse:

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EDC’s Stadium Jumping – Join in the Fun!

View of outdoor arena through wildflowers

In June, we had a wonderful evening bringing together riders and trainers at the EDC to try out our new summer-themed jumps in our outdoor arena. Afterwards, we had a well-deserved cook-out and enjoyed the warm weather and great company.

At the EDC, we encourage outside trainers who are looking for a welcoming, low-key environment to use our facilities to school their riders. In addition to our outdoor and indoor arenas, we also feature a truly terrific cross-country course, which is receiving very nice reviews from area trainers.

Take a look at how we spent our summer evening and, remember, you can join in the fun, too! Just call, text or email Tricia at (603) 548-1752 / tricia@equinediscoverycenter.com to book your time at our stadium jumping or cross-country course.

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Summer Camps 2015: Ready for Registration

Group of girls with their horses at the Equine Discovery Center

Our 2015 summer camps are ready to roll. We’ll be having two camps this year — both will run twice. The first is our Youth Event Camp, running the weeks of June 29-July 3 and July 27-31.  This camp will feature stadium training and jumping, conditioning, gridwork, cross-country and more. A licensed judge and seasoned trainers will be on hand throughout the week. See below for more details.

Our second offering is “Intro to Horses” Camp, running July 20-24 and August 17-21. This camp is perfect if you have a child who is yearning to learn everything about horses! Each camper will have their “own” horse for the entire week and will end camp knowing exactly what it means to be responsible for a horse from grooming to feeding to basic first aid. Riding is included. See below for more details.

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What’s Happening at the EDC

The EDC has continued to evolve through the years but our foundation of education, training and fun has not changed. Our two primary areas of focus these days are our mobile classroom and our first class equine training facility.

We are continually adding new accommodations to our facility every year, most recently a large outdoor jump ring, indoor ring video system and a terrific cross country course. This is allowing us to expand our lesson program, add instructors and invite outside trainers to use our facilities. We’re excited about these, and future, developments and encourage you to contact us for more information!

Jump from Cross Country Field

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Summer is Here!

Stoneham Library 1Stoneham Library 2We’ve been having a wonderfully busy summer at the EDC! Last week, our mobile classroom spent a day at the Stoneham Public Library to help kick-off their summer programs. The kids had a great time meeting the different live animals, learning about natural environments, creating their own stories and building bird nests! We’d like to thank the NCECP for sponsoring this event and the library for hosting us, as well as providing volunteers for the day.

The EDC Mobile Classroom makes a great supplement to regular program activities. Give us a call or text us at 603-548-1752 for detailed information about a visit to your school, camp or youth organization.

 

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2014 Youth Event Camp Registration is Open

3_girls_jumpAttention young eventers – registration for the EDC Youth Event Camp is now open. The camp runs from July 7-11 and features an intense week of gridwork, conditioning, stadium training with a USEF Area 1 Technical Delegate, cross-country schooling, and Ride-Review-Ride with a Bronze Medalist L Judge. In addition, there will be a mock mini-event on the last day, as well as optional participation in July 12th show at Pipestave Hill, West Newbury, MA.

The EDC grounds feature indoor and outdoor arenas and cross-country jumps created by licensed course designer, Greg Schlappi.

For more details, download the 2014_Youth_Event_Camp. Space is limited – to reserve your spot, contact Tricia at 606-548-1752 or tricia@equinediscoverycenter.com.

The EDC is running other camps this summer as well. Click here for the full 2014_Summer_Camp schedule.  Register for these camps by downloading and completing this 2014_Camp_Form.

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2014 Summer Camps: Register Today!

Summer_Trail_CampThe schedule for the 2014 EDC summer camps is ready! This season, we will be having “theme” weeks, which will focus on different aspects of nature and horses, such as trail riding, horse health and showing. But no matter what the focus is, every camper will be experience the thrill of caring, interacting and riding their “own” horse for the week.

We’ll also be offering week-long “mini camps” for the younger set (ages 6-8), which will run on a half day schedule. Youngsters will enjoy chaperoned time in the saddle, along with craft and outdoor activities.

Click here for detailed information: 2014_Summer_Camp schedule.

To register, download the form: 2014_Camp_Form  or call (603) 548-1752.   Register by May 31st and receive $25 off full day camp tuition.

Checking out a crayfish

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