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ACTHA Monthly |March 2015 |22
Hoofbeats held an ACTHA ride at the VA horse Center which I consider one of the best organized of any rides I have been to yet. The prizes were outstanding as was the food. Bristol, TN is also one of my favorite rides due to the awesome scenery. I keep watching the 2015 ACTHA schedule for rides to appear in that area!
Penny and Joe Most's rides in
Due to my business I can not camp, so I have to make all the rides a day trip, traveling 200 miles one way is pushing it, but I do. I have enjoyed many ACTHA events that are close to me; Pipestem State Park and Lake Stephens are pretty rides and have very nice obstacles and are within an hour’s drive of my home.
I trail ride 7 days a week year around, I have more than one horse so I can alternate riding and working. I like to keep riding fun for myself and my horses, so I am changing up all the time which trails we take and how the obstacles are approached. I am careful to not burn them out on any aspect of riding.
Having extra horses also makes it nice for guests and friends who do not have their own horses to be able to ride with me, both for fun and competition. Currently I have 3 registered Paso Finos, 2 registered Rocky Mountain Horses, and a Kentucky Mountain Horse. All of my horses have already been competing in ACTHA with myself or friends riding them.
Ivanhoe, VA always keep me on my toes. They use a lot of imagination when it comes to obstacles that really test the trust between horse and rider.
Riding with ACTHA has changed the qualities I look for in horses as well as allowing me to compete in a trail riding environment and win awards for doing what I enjoy most; trail riding. Although I do show in the ring as well, I much prefer to be on the trail.
Don't be afraid to give it a try, it is casual, fun competition!
Very Successful ACTHA AOC. JB and Laura (center) first with a perfect score in Open, Ramona Davis and Smokey (right) perfect in pleasure and first, Apache's first ever ACTHA and got second in pleasure with Jennifer Reed!