News Events Competitions
Annual General Meeting is being held on Thursday January 26 at 7 pm at the Waegwoltic Club on Coburg Road. All are welcome and encouraged to come.Tax Receipts are issued by the office on request. If you need a receipt please email and we will mail you one.
It is with great saddness that I tell you that Remmington lost his battle with his hoof injury. He was put to sleep last week after X-rays determined that his injury could not get better and he would live in a great amount of chronic pain. He was truly a gentleman and will be missed by all of us who got to know him in the short time he was with us.
Show meeting will be held on February 28 at 6pm in the Mitchell Room. All riders who want to compete and their parents must attend. There will be a presentation of the Long Term Athlete Development Plan also.
COLD WEATHER and WATER PIPES
Now that cold weather is here for sure, we turn the water off in the barn at night. To do this, the water valve in the back storage room by the stairs to the Mitchell Room must be turned off. Then, all water taps must be turned on (opened) to drain the water from the lines. The reverse needs to happen in the mornings, first, close all taps, then turn on the water valve. If there is any question as to whether to drain pipes or not, please call Jill and I'll be happy to tell you! That is far preferable to frozen and broken pipes.
Rider Level program for 2011-12 posted on Riding Programs page under Rider Levels tab.
Did you know that you should always keep the receipt from the purchase of your helmet. Troxel, Charles Owens and GPS all have replacement deals with the retailers in the case of a crash in that helmet. Their percentages of replacement all vary but it is easy to deal with the local vendor. IRH and Tipperary have "crash" deals but you must deal with the manufacturer (sometimes not so easy). If your helmet and you survive a crash, the helmet needs to be replaced.
Well, show season is finally over! And a successful show season it was. Evan Phinney was bronze medallist at the canadian Championships, Nicole Osmond and Maddie West both competed at the Royal Winter fair in November. Both girls finished just out of the ribbons in each of their classes, so they accomplished their goals among pretty tough company. Closer to home, the NSEF awards are this weekend, the 20 of November and Meghan Siddle was Scotia Series 2'9 Champion on Pay it Forward. Emma McLean was 5th in the same division on Touche. All these riders worked very hard and spent countless hours practicing and preparing to reach their goals. Congratulations to all!
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SIGNING UP
FOR EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES #1. Be sure to check calendars etc BEFORE signing up. We take your name on this list as a commitment to attend the event. (If the event is deemed appropriate) #2. If you are not sure if an event is appropriate, contact Jill. If you have checked #1, and think the event may be appropriate, sign up. #3. If an event is not appropriate for you or if the horse choice is not appropriate, we will let you know. #4. Do not scratch out names after signing up unless you have talked to Jill first. #5. Payment for event is due before the event takes place. #6. NSEF memberships are needed to attend horse shows outside Lancers. #7. You must sign a competition contract to compete. Contact office. #8. Although we want everyone to be able to participate in extra curricular activities, we must remember that competing and taking horses out of Lancers is a privilege not a right. |
There is a calendar of events under the events tab of this page.
NEW HORSES
We have some new faces in the barn, pictures will soon be up on the horses page. Some of the new horses are here on trial, others belong to us. Remington is ours, as is Lucas. We'll keep you posted on the status of the others.
PAST HORSES
We have said good-bye to some very good friends this past month. Joey was euthanized after a painful bout of colic. Joey, (My Favorite Mistake) came to us in 2001 and certainly had his ups and downs. The past few years he became solid in the showring, and he always shone in the Musical Ride. He had a dedicated team of friends who miss him dearly. The whole city will miss the horse who played with the pylon!
Norman was euthanized on April 12. Norman, who came to Lancers in 1990, was a noble, magestic horse who could always bring a smile. Riding him was an honor. He was just as serious standing in the ingate, ready to carry a beginner over their first course as he was in his prime as a jumper.
Award Recipients 2010
Bill Henry Award - Terry Arnason
Kenny Irving Award - Nicole Osmond
Sarah Louise Smith - Evan Phinney
Much Improved Riders:
Ral Beilawski, Emma MacLean, Amelia Hatfield
Merit Awards:
Emma Frost, Alex Brisseau, Sarah Whittaker
Congratulations to All, especially the "Unsung" Award won by A1 and A3, who diligently and consistantly go beyond the call of duty in their care of the stable and horses!
Lockers are available. Please print off the application from the Downloads page (and include your email address) and drop it off with the payment. We will assign you a locker within 24 hours or so, we will put your lock on it, and email you the locker and combination numbers. This is necessary to alliviate the pile ups in the office during the first week. Please realize that little people will be assigned lower and middle lockers, taller people will be given upper lockers.
A reminder to all that you have all signed that you have read the Red Book. You should all now read the Red Book
Recently we have had to ticket cars parked in our lot. If members park there without prior arrangements or at least identification and contact information clearly visable, you will receive a ticket. There are times when deliveries are made and when the HALTR riders need priority parking. Also now warm weather is here, the sprinklers are in use during the day. One of the risks of parking there could be wet interiors, park at your own risk.
RECYCLABLES
We would like you to CONSIDER dropping off your recyclables directly to the following depot where we have an account set up in the name of ‘Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers” : TANNER’S ENVIRO-DEPOT, corner of Bayne & MacIntosh Streets (off Lady Hammond next to Rubber Duck Car Wash). Their hours are Monday – Saturday 8am – 5pm. The stuff does not have to be counted – simply drop them off and tell the staff they are for HJBL. This ongoing fund raiser goes toward the general running of the stables.
Note to all that the ride list will change on April 6 to accomodate
the new Three Month Beginner Course. It is suggested that you all read
the section on "Moving up" in the Red Book.
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THE RED BOOK
We strongly urge you to read the red book in regard to Lancer
operations. Especially the part about missed rides, the number of
makeups that can be used by a rider, your monthly fees.
DO YOU KNOW?
A bale of hay is costing us over $5.00 per bale?
A bag of bedding is approximately $5.00 per bag?
A set of clipper blades is about $50? A set of clippers is $200- $500 per set?
One pole that we use for jumping is $15.00 (over $20 for the plastic ones).
Our heating bill is $1200 - $1500 per month? (more when we get the big chill!)
That we do not get funding from any sources other than your ride fees?
PEOPLE OWNING THEIR OWN SADDLES. Lately it has become apparent that our younger riders are thinking that they should have their own saddles. This is not the case. Lancers has good quality tack for each of the horses and care is taken that the tack is fitted to that horse and that the saddle is balanced for both horse and rider. Some of the older riders who compete and who ride the same horse consistantly and have stopped growing, have purchased (with the consultation of the head instructor), their own saddles. A good quality saddle is a major expense and perhaps the monies would be better spent on other things. If riders are hoping to compete a bit this summer they will need their own fitted fleece saddle pads, water buckets, feed tubs, bathing supplies, braiding supplies, halters, maybe even a bridle. Before spending a lot of money you should check with your instructor.
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The Bill Henry Award - John Young
The Harold
Clowater Musical Ride Award - is given to the person (usually a rider,
but not always) who has made an exceptional contribution to the Musical
Ride.
Winner- Gretchen Phinney
Kenny Irving Award - is presented to the top junior rider.
Winner Merryl Black, Evan Phinney, Emily Clarke
Sarah Louise Smith Trophy - is presented to the junior rider who both
excells in their riding and who is a role model to the other riders.
Winner - Tessa Purcell
We also present "much improved rider" Ral Bielawski, Katerina
Dikaios,Melanie Hunt. awards to riders who have overcome some major
obstacales and we have "merit awards" Zrinka Vranjes, Susan Brisseau,
Lisa Lavers, Kellie Siddle, Margot Nickerson. for riders (or parents)
who deserve to be recognized for their consistent (a lot of times
behind the scenes) contributions to Lancers. These contributions are
what allows us to continue to offer the programs that we do in the
middle of a city!
A lot of emails are being returned to us. We are apparently on the junk
mail or block sender list of more than a few computers. Please check
your junk box to make sure we are not being diverted. We also need the
rider's emails - most are not on the application form. If you could
send us an email, we can get the lists current. hjbl@ns.sympatico.ca
Because the Lancers is a not for profit riding club, it differs from
other private establishments. This club serves its members and the
members form the club. All riders need to go the extra mile in caring
for the assets of the club which are really YOUR assets. Before joining
the Lancer membership, you must be willing to not only commit to your
weekly riding lessons, but to commit to the ongoing state of the
organization itself.
In this busy day and age, short cuts and “squeezing things in” have
become a way of life and a practicality. BUT horses only understand
what they understand. They do not understand that humans are
inconsistent. Horses are creatures of habit and they respond best when
their lives are kept the same, they like things that are familiar. This
means things like grooming in an efficient manner that will allow both
rider and horse to bond and become comfortable with each other.
Horses are herd animals and within even the smallest herd there is
order and discipline. There are dominant animals and there are
submissive animals. The dominant animal is not probably the one that a
novice rider wants to ride, as they are the boss. In nature, the
submissive animals are always looking to challenge and to raise their
status in the herd. When we domesticate horses and introduce them into
training for our sport, the trait to challenge is still there for a lot
of years. Here at Lancers we recognize that the horses, even well
trained ones must have their training refreshed on a regular basis in
order that they remain to be safe and pleasurable for our members. This
training of the horses is also training for the riders. We expect that
as riders gain more experience and move up the ride list, that they
will become a part of the training system of both the horses and of the
younger riders.
“Hanging out” at the barn is invaluable to riders who expect to be good
riders and horse people. Having said that, it is equally important that
time spent at the barn is spent in the company of the horses and in the
company of someone who has the knowledge you are trying to attain.
The sport of horses is full of complexities. The theory of riding and
the practical application and development of skills can be worlds
apart. Each time you master a skill on a certain horse, you meet
another horse! Horses have brains and while we can explain some of
their behavior in human logic, other actions and/or reactions of the
horse have more to do with the inherent fact that they are animals, not
humans. Horses are fascinating by their very nature and to have the
privilege to start to understand them is nothing short of a gift! Not
to mention the blessing of having them in the middle of the city.
“A horse without a rider is still a horse, but a rider without a horse
is only a man.” The horses are our biggest asset and they require us,
the membership to go the extra mile in educating ourselves so we can
serve them better so they can in turn serve us better.
Our equipment like saddles, bridles, jumps, girths, wheelbarrows,
clippers, boots for the horses, and shovels, are all expensive items
which are purchased from the ride fees. Hay, bedding, feed,
supplements, first aid kits, shoes, veterinary care are also purchased
from the fees you pay to ride. All of the above mentioned items need to
be cared for as if they belonged to you , the riders, personally. In
reality, you bought the items, and your ride fees will pay for the
replacement of the items.
Upcoming events
