bond together There is a strong bond between horse owners and their horses; you might say that they are a special breed. Horse owners in this community believe that these special animals become their treasured companions, and they show their enthusiasm through special clubs, community service, educational clinics and trail riding. The camaraderie and sense of belonging to a "family" keep these clubs thriving. One such club is the Clarkson Horseman's Association. The association meets monthly on the third Thursday of every month at the Clarkson Town Hall on Route 19. They participate in parades, including Max's Mardi Gras parade in Brockport, and the Lilac Parade in Rochester. The association presents judged horse competitions at various venues. They also volunteer their time and horses at the SUNY Brockport Abilities Camp. This camp is for special education and handicapped children. They give horseback rides to all the camp participants as well as their aides. Pat Tooley, president of the association of over 45 members, organizes trail rides every month, starting in May. Most of the trail rides are at Northampton or Mendon Ponds parks. They often get together with other associations for trail rides. He states that "riding horseback in Mendon Ponds Park is just like trailing the Adirondack Park. The hills and water crossing are very much the same." Their first trail ride is scheduled for May 17 at 10 a.m. at Northampton Park. Family membership in the association is $25 per year. Members participate in indoor and outdoor riding as well as barrel racing. They also have guest speakers at their meetings. "A great time is had by all at every meeting and practice," according to Tooley. "We invite you to join us anytime." Contact Pat Tooley, 637-5209, for details. The Orleans County Boots and Saddle Club holds meetings on the club grounds, located at the corner of Hulberton and Powerline Roads in Clarendon on the third Thursday of every month during the summer months. Family membership is $20 and single membership is $15. Their mission is to develop good sportsmanship and interest in horses and encourage junior and youth riders. They extend an open invitation to any horse lover interested in joining their organization. They already have over one hundred members and have been operating for over 40 years. This association has monthly trail rides during good weather, and barrel racing every other Tuesday night starting in May. Their annual auction is on March 23 at the South Byron Recreation Hall. In addition, the group offers clinics and schooling nights for insight on horse topics. For information, contact president Nancy Wickman at 638-7375. Bobbie Lipka of Churchville grew up riding horses and was looking for business opportunities with her husband 20 years ago. Their love of horses and an opportunity that seemed to be in demand has since grown into a long list of credentials in the equestrian field. Lipka is now certified as a trainer, judge and riding instructor. Her facility has over 12 acres and is equipped for 24 horses. She boards, breeds, and trains horses, using the dressage method. The dressage method is a holistic way of riding horses, Lipka said. "The horse and rider form a bond. This way, the horse does not show any signs of nervousness during competition. It's classical horsemanship; there is no coercion used and the horse is never beat or made unhappy." She feels that there is a lot of diversity in horse owners and equates the amount of money to own a horse on a yearly basis about the same as a year of downhill skiing or golf. Lipka has a group of dedicated riders who have been training a "quadrill." It is a patterned ride usually set to music where the horses and riders walk and trot in unison. This drill actually dates back to the time of Caesar and the format is taken from the Cooks Cavalry Manual from the Civil War. This team has been practicing for about three months; the ultimate goal is to go to state competition. Team members are all women who range in age from 14 to 40+; they have a great time learning all of the commands and enjoy each other's company as well as time spent with their horse. The Equine Extra has a great source of horse knowledge, including information on breeds, clubs, club calendars, shows and classified ads for horses as well as horse equipment. This on-line publication gives information on all aspects of owning, buying, breeding and showing a horse. It provides links to many area associations, breeders and products dedicated to horse owners. It can be accessed at www.equineextra.com. The Northampton Driving Society is similar to the old horse and buggy method - teaching a horse to drive a cart with emotion and style. Tara Defendorf is the president and meetings are held the first of the month at the Colby House (Museum) in Ogden. They drive the trails at Northampton Park and have a show on June 1 of skill and accuracy. For information, call Defendorf at 392-3786. Marilyn Munzert of Albion runs the Wild Rose U.S. Pony Club, Inc. in Orleans County. This is a national organization for children up to age 21. Their mission is to develop horsemanship skills and focuses on three Olympic events - dressage, cross country and jumping. They compete in all types of equestrian events. For information, contact Munzert at 589-9181. The Genesee Valley Equine Clinic, located in Scottsville, offers veterinary service to the five surrounding county areas. Their staff makes on site calls to area farms and is also equipped for inpatient services. They regularly hold informative seminars and classes on horse health care and horsemanship. They can be reached at 889-1170; to see their upcoming class events, log onto www.gvequine.net. Supply sources The shop that provides all kinds of feed and supplies for farm animals is also a meeting ground. Everyone who walks in seems to know everyone else, and soon the place is bubbling with conversation. They are the biggest supplier of feed in the area. Besides feed and supplies, they actually manufacture and sell their own bird seed. The store is located on Union Street in North Chili. Another supplier of equine products is Petsmart (RC Steele Wholesale Pet Supplies - their name changed in January), located in Brockport. They carry western and English style tack, horse blankets, pelt products, and training supplies. They also carry John Lyons brand of feed. Horse lovers Trail riders love the camaraderie of their fellow riders. As Ilze Bullwinkle, employee of Higbie Farm Supplies, puts it, "I finally get to bond with adults after all the years of being with children." The cost of horseback riding lessons vary, but the average is between $25 to $35 for a half hour. There are two main styles of riding - western and English. Western saddles have a horn on them to use to tie a rope to or to lasso cattle. Riders hold the reins in one hand and the horse is taught to walk backwards so that the rider can see what is going on. The English saddle has no horn and is used for social riding. Because the English style is used for jumping, the rider holds one rein in each hand for controlling the horse. Trail riding is available at many local state parks including Mendon Ponds, Black Creek Park, Northampton Park and Genesee Valley. Jan Miller sums up how "horse people" feel: "I have always had a love for horses but never thought that in my 40s I would own one. I took riding lessons through adult continuing education. Then I had a chance to lease Laser and when an opportunity came for me to buy him I did (how could I not?). Laser has been an unexpected source of therapy for my soul. It is extremely hard to describe; however, true horse people can relate."
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