VA Horse Center News
From January 3 - March 1, 2011 Winter Schooling is available at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington. Continue training during the winter months with winter schooling at the Horse Center. Day, Weekend, and Week Schooling packages are offered. The cost is $20.00 per horse per schooling session. Stalls are available at $20.00 per stall for day or overnight stabling, regardless of stall cleanout. The location will be at the various facilities as they are available. Call ahead for further information and arrangements (540-464-2966) or e-mail stableoffice@horsecenter.org.

The VHC will also offer a new Polar Bear Horse Show Schooling Series January and February. This winter, hunter schooling shows will be held indoors. Bring your young horse, your novice riders, and those just wanting to tune up for the spring shows. This series is low budget, low key and will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Classes include pleasure (flat classes) up to 3'0. Stabling is available, and schooling will be permitted on Friday evening before each show.
Shows will be held in the East Complex. For further information, contact Chris Kelly at ckelly@horsecenter.org or Ann Turnicky at aturnicky@horsecenter.org.

The Century Club
Caroline County’s Barbara Ellis has joined an exclusive group in the horse world: the Century Club of the Dressage Foundation (www.dressagefoundation.org/The_Century_Club.htm). Formed in 1996 at the Dressage Foundation, the Century Club recognizes Dressage riders and horses whose combined age totals 100 years or more. Horse and rider perform a Dressage test of any level at a Dressage show or event and are scored by a Dressage judge or professional. The Century Club ride has evolved into a serious endeavor that encourages and rewards senior riders. The rider need not show everything at their level of ride, but it is important to show that rider and horse work well together.

On November 7, Ellis, 73, rode Probable Cause, a 28-years-old Thoroughbred-Quarterhorse cross owned by Rachel Sigler. She rode at the Chestnut Oaks Dressage Schooling Show, riding Training Level Test 4 in front of Judge Nancy Lowey. Barbara says the test went well and she felt privileged for the opportunity to have such a nice horse offered. Barbara has been around horses since she was 7, and she showed hunters before changing disciplines after deciding she no longer wanted to jump. For the past 23 years, she and her husband have owned and operated Broadview Farm, where they board horses for others and have two of their own. For both horse and rider, “it takes a lot of dedication to keep riding as we get older,” says Barbara.

Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center Tuesday Talks
The Tuesday Talks series of free lectures is designed to provide veterinarians, horse owners, and horse professionals with valuable insight and practical advice related to a wide array of equine health care topics. This year, faculty from the equine medical center and the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension (MARE) Center will discuss the most recent developments in regenerative medicine, lameness, performance, and dentistry. Scheduled talks are as follows:
January 11, 2011 - “The Curse of Foot Lamenesses” presented by Dr. Nat White, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, and Jean Ellen Shehan, professor and director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center;
February 8, 2011 - “Breeding to Win: The Genetics of Equine Performance” presented by Rebecca Splan, Ph.D, MS, and associate professor of equine science at the MARE Center; and
March 8, 2011 - “Performance Horse Dentistry: New Concepts in Oral Equilibration” presented by Dr. James Brown, BVSc, MS, Dipl. ACT, and clinical assistant professor in equine surgery and emergency care at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.
All Tuesday Talk lectures will be held at 7pm in the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center’s library. No fee is charged for attending, but seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, e-mail Amy Troppmann at aht1@vt.edu or call (703) 771-6843. Additional information regarding the center and its services is available online at www.vetmed.vt.edu/emc.