Christmas Party Fun

Members enjoyed a Christmas celebration at the Woodard's Ranch in Middleburg. The weather was nice enough for some outdoor (in the barn) dining and festivies which included a gift exchange and a nice toasty bonfire. A wide variety of food included ham, turkey, all the trimmings and a full dessert table. Thanks to Paula for briging the beautiful LARA cake that was too pretty to eat! View some photos HERE

LARA Riders Participate in Christmas Parade!

LARA was well-represented by our members at the world-famous Green Cove Springs Christmas Parade. Young and old alike dressed in matching shirts and rode/led horses that were decked out in tinsel, ribbons, and other assorted holiday sparkles.

Thanks to everyone who participated! Such public events help get our name out there and shows folks the different types of events that make LARA a great club to belong to!

Lots of pictures of the parade are HERE

Camping Trip at 7 Bar L

Members enjoyed a fun three day camping trip at 7BarL in Live Oak, FL. Despite the cold weather, we managed to get in some good rides and of course some good food and fire side stories. Riders enjoyed exploring the beautiful ranch property as well as adventuring out on the banks of the Suwannee River.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure... PHOTOS

KID'S DAY AT THE ARENA

Saturday, November 6th was Kid's Day at the arena. There was a great turnout of some of our junior riders who enjoyed several hours of fun with their horses and ponies. Activities included musical horses, the spoon and potato race and there was even a mailbox with candy inside and a tarp crossing for the kids to challenge their skills on horseback. It's never too early to start that obstacle training! We finished the day with a "paint the pony" session where our little artists were allowed to apply their creativity with stencils and stamps and decorate the horses. The batteries in the camera died before the glitter paint was brought out but let's just say there were some shining and sparkling steeds by the end of the day!!All of the participants received a prize and a bag of horse treats to take home with them along the memories of a day spent riding tall in the saddle.Thanks to all of the parents and grandparents who came out to help and support our young LARA members and a special thank you to our newest member- Ernie Thomas for donating the horse treats and for all of his help with the event. Hard to say who had more fun- the adults or the kids! Click here to see pictures of this event!

SECOND ANNUAL POKER RIDE A GREAT SUCCESS!

Our Fall Poker Ride was held October 30th at Diamond D Ranch. The Griffin's graciously donated the use of the picnic grounds, where we set up our trail head under the shady oak trees. The picnic area was the perfect spot, because it provided restrooms, plenty of parking, a huge BBQ grill and a large area for the kids to run and play. Fifty five riders participated. The course was along the Three Bridges area of Jennings Forest, and the trail was marked with skeletons, ghosts and ghouls. Thanks to the volunteers who rode the course on Friday and got everything ready for Saturday's festivities.

Local businesses donated some raffle items, which we drew for after lunch. Lisa's chuck wagon provided the hungry crowd with hot dogs, chicken salad, and pulled pork. And yes also the locally famous Tater Salad! The winning poker hand netted $275 to Brenda Saunders. She told us that she would make good use of the money and was very appreciative to be this year's winner!

Again, thanks to the volunteers who spent a long fun day at Diamond D. We look forward to next year's ride, which promises to be bigger and better than this one!

Click here to see more pictures from the ride!

OCTOBER MEETING

Our October meeting was a great success. Jennings Forest Rangers Frank Burley and Beth Smith joined us and gave an educational presentation about the recreational opportunities at Jennings Forest. LARA members submitted volunteer applications so that we can participate in future trail development and maintaining and upgrading existing horse trails. We learned that two new trail heads are planned for Jennings Forest, one of which will be open by the end of this year. The rangers are working on getting our applications processed so that we can assist with the initial trail development at the first trail head.

To add fun to our meetings, we are giving away raffle items and selling 50/50 tickets. Carol Wells was the raffle winner and got a bottle of show sheen and Traci Woodard won the 50/50 pot. Everyone is excited about the cooler weather and we look forward to getting out and blazing new trails in Jennings. Stay tuned for more info on this project.

PARELLI PLAY DAY IN KEYSTONE

L.A.R.A. members converged on the Parelli Play Day held in Keystone. Handlers introduced their horses to the obstacles and then practiced navigating the obstacles. It was a beautiful day and was enjoyed by all. View pictures from the event here.

RIDING INSTRUCTION WITH KAREN

Members learned about centered riding and riding with an independent seat in the Karen’s riding clinic. It was a good confidence builder for some timid riders and a good reminder for how we all should ride. We look forward to the next segment of this program. Here are the pictures from the clinic.

FALL VET DAY

Thanks to the members who attended the Fall Vet Day. Dr. Tammy Jordan spent the morning at the LARA arena providing vaccinations for our horses. After medical needs were taken care of, several members enjoyed an afternoon trail ride. Click here for pictures of the day’s events.

Patriot's Day Roadside Cleanup

September 11th was Patriot’s Day AND LARA’s first community service day. Members met at Lisa’s and then took a short ride to our section of CR 218 to pick up roadside litter. We patrolled both sides of the one-mile stretch, which is from CR 739 to the elementary school. Lisa was originally thought to have the grand prize find of the day, when she found a $20 bill that had been shredded by the county mowing crew. Her discovery was quickly out-done when Rachel and Ginger spotted a black bear crossing the road. It was quite a thrill for all of us to know that we had such a close encounter. Now that you know what fun we have on these events, I know you will want to join us next time… remember, part of our charter is providing community service…. Roadside clean up is six times a year, so everyone can have a turn! Click here to see the clean up crew!

Diamond D Trail Ride

You missed a great ride if you didn’t join us for the adventure at Diamond D. Several members and friends gathered at the Diamond D power lines and headed out on a three hour adventure. Our purpose was to scout out the proposed route for our Second Annual Fall Poker Ride (Oct 30th.) We rode in the “three bridges” area of Jennings… everyone made it across all three bridges and survived the deer flies that are still hanging around waiting for attack. The first leg of our route went through a stand of pines, and all of the horses were stomping and swishing in an attempt to keep the bugs away. When we came to a nice wide sandy trail, Lisa’s horse Storm decided he had had enough and laid down to get the bugs off his belly. In her graceful style Lisa bailed off and then climbed back aboard for the rest of the adventure. We rode out on the Yellow Trail (originates at Live Oak Trail Head) and then looped back into the woods and came back over the bridges. There was a decent breeze most of the way and the sun was blocked by passing clouds, so all in all it was decent riding weather. We are definitely looking forward to cooler weather for the Poker Ride. Click here to see pictures of the ride! Click here to see more pictures!

Showmanship Clinic Well-Attended

We had a good turn out for the recent showmanship clinic. It was a mixture of members and guests and children and adults who learned alot at the clinic. After some exercises and discussion about proper form and position, the participants did some drills to polish their presentation. I know we will see all of these future showmanship stars at the next horse show! Click here to see pictures from the clinic!

Special thanks to Gayward Hendry and Robert Bond for donating their time and fuel to prepare the arena for the event. Also thanks for the time donated by our instructor!

August Meeting Stresses Safety

We had a great August meeting. Guest speaker, Capt. Jason Boree from Clay County Fire Rescue spoke with members about first aid for injured riders. Capt. Boree addressed the common injuries that he has seen during his years with the county. We should always have a plan and let someone know when we are going on a trail ride and when we expect to return. In the event of an injury, we learned some simple first aid procedures and stabilizing the injured person until the paramedics arrive. Click here to see pictures from the meeting!

We had a special prize drawing for a bag of horse treats and sold tickets for the 50/50 drawing. A good turn out made it an exciting evening and we look forward to all of the events for the new year!

July 4th Parade in Middleburg

LARA's parade unit made a great showing in the Middleburg July 4th parade. We had riders of all ages who proudly wore the red-white-and-blue. Carol Wells did a great job of organizing the parade and made the patriotic neck straps that the horses wore. Click here to see pictures from the parade!

July Membership Drive at Tractor Supply

July 4th weekend we had a membership drive at Tractor supply in Orange Park. Lisa and Traci set up a booth and shared info with Tractor Supply shoppers. We gained some membership and gave out lots of info about our club! click here to see pictures!

The following weekend the booth was set up at Tractor Supply in Starke. In addition to giving out information and free horse cookies, we sold hot dogs, drinks and chips and earned a little income for the club. Again, we met some new friends and generated alot of interest in our ever-expanding club. If you have any ideas for future membership drives, please bring it up at a meeting so we can make plans!

Proceed with Caution

Paula and Frank were in a head on collision recently. Luckily they had dropped off their horses and only had an empty trailer, so things could have been much worse. We wish them a speedy recovery from the bumps, bruises and sore muscles.

We never know how others will drive or what they are doing while driving... PLEASE use extreme caution on our crazy roads, especially over the July 4th holiday weekend!

Officers Elected

The overwhelming majority elected our officers for the new year. Lisa will continue to hold the position of president/treasurer, Traci is our vice president, Paula is secretary, Nancy is the publicity director and Rachel is the fund raising coordinator. There are still some vacant spots that can be filled if anyone wants to step up and help make things happen!

We have lots of exciting events planned for the new year and encourage participation from all. Invite your friends and neighbors and get involved! We need your support!

June Horsemanship Clinic

Our June Horsemanship clinic with Mike and Traci Woodard was a fun and rewarding day. Participants braved the heat, and started the session with ground work, focusing on flexing, yielding the hindquarters and the sending exercise. Mike explained how these basic elements are the foundation to good riding skills. After practicing these exercises, participants mounted up and did the flexing exercise. This progressed to the passenger/cruising lesson, where riders used the one rein stop method to develop more control of their horse. The session was finished up with some "natural" obstacles, such as a log crossing, brush to walk through and a water crossing. Riders who's horses wouldn't cross the obstacles dismounted and used the sending exercise to get their horse to do what they were asking. Delaney's young buckskin was not very sure of crossing the water but soon had enough confidence from the sending exercise that she bravely crossed it. All of the riders and horses did a great job and got some good ideas for things they can work at at home to improve their skills. Click here to see pictures from the clinic!

Special thanks to Paula for volunteering to sign in participants and sell lunches for the club. Also, we appreciate the hard work of Lisa's husband, David, for working so tirelessly in preparation for our event. Thanks to Robert and Traci for the tractor work!

The next clinic is eagerly awaited. Everyone do their homework and come back next time ready to learn some new skills!

Massage Clinic a Good Learning Experience!

Several members attended the equine massage clinic at the LARA arena on Saturday June 5th. We learned about therapeutic massage and stretching exercises to allow our equine friends to perform their best. Don't miss our next educational event... the Hurricane Preparedness seminar and micro chipping clinic is coming soon!

May Practice Day at the Arena

Several members took advantage of our LARA arena on Saturday. The round pen and arena offered a "controlled environment" so we could work on our horsemanship skills. Elaine and Katrina did some nice rail work, although Katrina's pony got tired fast and laid down with her twice. Ponies are so much fun! Lisa brought Storm out, who once again impressed us with his new-found "horse sense!" Thanks again to Jennice for the hard work that she put into Storm so he would become a good riding partner for Lisa! Karen and Taj worked on steering at the canter, and only slightly frightened Traci and Onyx when they thundered toward them! This was Onyx's first time at the arena and he did great! His owner Sharon even climbed aboard and enjoyed the ride! All smiles! A nice breeze allowed us to remain at the arena thru mid-day, then we enjoyed a nice picnic lunch in the shade! Click here to see some pictures of the practice day!

Poker Ride at McCulley Farms

We had a nice long weekend at McCulley Farms. Some of us drove there on Friday and got an early start on the weekend. It was really hot, but we had a great time. Lisa, Carol and Kim arrived a little later than planned on Friday, so they spent time setting up camp and getting their horses settled. Mike and Traci brought Onyx for his first camp out and the debut of his trail riding career. He is the Fresian who thinks he is a quarter horse, so as long as nobody tells him any different, life will be good!

Saturday we struck out on a three hour ride in the woods and along the Withlachoochie River. Again it was hot, but the scenery and fellow riders made it a great day. Lisa's horse Storm, who recently returned from 90 days of boot camp behaved very well, and so did Busta, who had 30 days of concentration camp under his belt. Nobody in our group had a good enough poker hand to win any money, but Mike did find a mystery card worth $10, which he spent on raffle tickets! It was all to support a good cause, so money well spent.

Saturday night we had a big dinner and got cooled off by a quick thunderstorm. After the rain passed we enjoyed a campfire and then turned in for the night. Sunday was a beautiful day... only about 50 degrees when we awoke. The early birds headed out at 8AM to get in a ride before we went home, and others struck out a little later. Everyone had a good time and we look forward to supporting the ride next year. Click here to see pictures of our weekend!

LARA Members Enjoy Walk About Tour with Clinton Anderson

Several members of LARA traveled to Kissimmee to watch and learn at Clinton Anderson's Walkabout Tour. After getting up VERY early and surviving the several hour drive, we spent all day at the Silver Spurs arena, soaking up all the training and fun we could handle. Of course there was plenty of shopping available and we didnt miss out on any of that! Lisa, Paula and Kim all joined the No Worries Club and are looking forward to learning even more. After a long day Saturday, we had a good dinner at Outback Steak House (where else?) and then turned in at the hotel to get some rest and get ready for the next day. Sunday was more of the same, and at the end of the day, we had soaked up all the knowledge that we could. We look forward to practicing all that we learned and re-living the memories of the fun weekend that we shared! For more pictures, click here!

CALLING ALL MEMBERS!!!

We are approaching the end of our first year of "re-birth!" During the April meeting, Lisa brought to light the fact that this is YOUR club! We need people to fill the "officers" positions... Lisa has done a great job over the past year doing a great majority of the work on her own. More people are needed for planning, organizing, and making things happen... there is something for everyone, ranging from concessions to arena management... money making to event planning.

Members will receive a survey to find out who is interested in filling the open positions. We also need your input for planning events for the coming year. Let's make this another exciting and fun filled year. Contact Lisa with any questions and please return your survey in a timely manner!

Parelli Pay Day a Big Success!

Lisa hosted a fabulous Parelli trail ride and play day recently. Many members from the Parelli group participated, as well as several LARA members. Participants enjoyed a nice trail ride at the Ravines and then met at Mike Buchanan's Farm to enjoy lunch and a beautiful assortment of obstacles. It was a great learning experience for all! Thanks Lisa for hosting this fun event and thanks to her wonderful husband David for all his carpenter skills! Click here for pictures from this event!

CLINIC & VET DAY

The vet day with Dr. Nauman was a welcome sign of spring. Many members showed up to get vaccinations and take care of other medical needs for their horses.


Following the doctor's visit, Jennice put on a clinic that was very helpful for all. Attendees were able to observe some natural horsemanship techniques and then practice them with their horses. Jennice has done an excellent job of introducing the techniques that she uses to train horses. Here are some pictures from the day's events.

ALTOONA OBSTACLE CHALLENGE

Mike and I competed in the annual Altoona Trail Riders Obstacle Challenge at Rocking Horse Ranch. Despite pulling a shoe Friday afternoon, Tucker navigated all 15 obstacles and received a perfect score for the course. This is his second year in a row for winning this event! Rusty decided he had never seen milk jugs on the trail, and refused to walk over them on one obstacle. He did all the other obstacles, but that one falter was enough to take him out of the ribbons. Keeping up the family competition, Mike vows that next year is his year to win! Click here if you would like to see pictures of all the competitors!

SPRING IS HERE - LET'S RIDE

Several noteworthy items to share.... As a testimony of Jennice's abilities, Lisa is thrilled with the progress that her Appy gelding, "Storm" has made during his training with Jennice. She got to ride him for the first time in two years and was amazed with the transformation that has taken place, thanks to Jennice's skills and determination. We look forward to seeing Lisa and Storm on the trails soon!

Also big news, Kim purchased a horse trailer that meets her needs perfectly, so we will be seeing alot more of Kim at the rides and club events.

Each of you is encouraged to participate in our club events... both as a participant and worker. We need all the help we can get to make things run smoothly. Your contributions are appreciated and rewarding.... pitch in and do something for and with YOUR club!

Mystery Map Ride

Several LARA members supported the SHADO Riders Mystery Map ride at Rodeheaver Boy's Ranch on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a 3 hour ride that stretched from the Boy's Ranch property, to Caravelle Ranch and back to the Greenways trails. The course had various obstacles along the way that were fairy tale themed, including the Mad Hatters Tea Party, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star, and the Three Little Pigs.

Following the ride there were drawings for many prizes and a great BBQ lunch. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to put on the event and thanks to all the riders who came out to support their efforts!

LARA Ride at San Felasco

Crummy weather on Saturday helped us decide to change our ride day to Sunday. It was a good choice, because we could not have asked for nicer weather. Ten riders enjoyed the varied scenery and terrain at San Felasco State Park. Half of the riders arrived around 10:30 to find that the others were running late. The first group went ahead and hit the trails, and ended up meeting up with the others at the lunch stop picnic table.

The meeting didn't last long, as there were some pony express riders who preferred the fast and furious pace, versus the geriatric riders who enjoyed a leisurely ride with no speed to blur the scenery. Our paths crossed in several places, and we all ended up at the parking area around the same time at the end of the day.

There were plenty of deer hanging out in the sunny spots, and there was evidence of lots of wild hogs in the area. This is a beautiful park and offers plenty of trails for exploration. Click here to see some of the pictures from our ride... Here are the rest of the pictures. and here are some more

Rewards of Ground Work

We had a BEAUTIFUL day for Saturday's Group Practice at the LARA Arena. Lisa and her young mare, Jewel, got in some good ground work in the morning, and then Lisa climbed aboard for the first time. Jewel was not afraid and didn't offer to buck. We led Lisa around the round pen several times and ended the session on a positive note. Before you know it, Miss Jewel will be on the trail!

Yard Sale Chilly but Fun!

Thanks to our brave members who came out in the cold and wind to check out the deals at the LARA yard sale at Lisa's house. We had some drive by customers who got some really good deals, but it appeared that most of the "wheeling and dealing" went on amongst club members.... remember... one man's junk is another man's treasure! Quite a few customers were interested in horsey items, so we hope to schedule another yard sale when the weather is better. Gather up all that stuff you don't use and we will let you know when the next sale will be held!

OBSTACLE CHALLENGE A HUGE SUCCESS!

If you missed our first Obstacle Challenge, you missed a lot of fun and learning! There were 23 participants with all different skills and backgrounds. The morning clinic was a valuable learning tool, and introduced some basic ground work that helped participants with controlling their horses and getting used to obstacles.

Thanks to Lisa's culinary talents, the particpants enjoyed some good cookin' and shared some social time before the big event.

After lunch, participants navigated through a course of 12 obstacles that challenged their riding skills and horse's confidence. The braveness and enthusiasm of each participant was well-noted! There were some really good riders and horses, and everyone seemed to have a fun day! Click here to see pictures.. you will wish you had been there to share in the fun! More Pictures Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4

... and the winners are...
Youth
1st- Dalaney Arabie on Diamond
2nd -Brooke Adams on Dooley

Adult
1st -Stephanie Stalvey on Gus
2nd -Lynn Pingel on Louie
3rd -Liz Ferguson on Monarch
4th -John Mc Coll on Andy

In Hand
1st -Catrina Willison with Simon
2nd -Sharron Cribbs with Countess
3rd - Dalaney Arabie with Diamond

OBSTACLE CHALLENGE PRIZES !







We have some great sponsors for the obstacle challenge prizes. Russell's Feed Store (Middleburg) and Tractor Supply (O.P.) donated the buckets, and RCM Graphics / McCulley Farms donated to custom decals. Pete Morris Enterprises donated the customization on the hay bags.

Entries have been coming in steadily, and we look forward to a good turn out for the competition and clinic. Please contact Lisa if you want to join in the fun, either as a competitor or a volunteer.

Come out and support this fun event!

LARA Obstacle Challenge

The Challenge is on... this is a public event and a great fund raiser for our club. Mike Woodard will hold a "mini clinic" from 10AM until noon. He will demonstrate some ground exercises that can help you get your horses more comfortable with the obstacles. The morning session will also include several obstacles for you to practice on before the competition.

At noon lunch will be available, then we will get started with the challenge at 1PM. There are GREAT prizes for the adult and youth divisions. Make sure you get your kids to come out and participate! We encourage youth (and all) riders to wear helmets! Some horses react unpredictably to simple obstacles. Make sure you bring your Current Negative Coggins test with you. It is required in order to attend LARA events!

For more info on the event, contact Lisa at khladyfish@comcast.net or view attached FLIER

January Meeting

Don't forget we have a meeting this Thursday, January 21st at 7PM at the Lake Asbury Civic Center. David Nistler (Agriculture/ Small Farm/ Natural Resource Agent) will make a presentation regarding forage management. This is an interesting and important topic for many of us "backyard horse owners." Learn how to take care of your horse's needs and pasture needs. Refreshments will be served and guests are always welcome.

We have important business to discuss, including scheduling a yard sale, a trail ride, and the upcoming obstacle challenge. Please support YOUR club!