Region 5
2020 Winter Region 3 Quarterly News
From Your Region Representative (Mary Jo Beckman) :
I have been so honored to be your representative for two years. The Regional Leadership Team has consisted of the following volunteers: State Chairs: Sherri Moore (North Carolina), Anja Cain (South Carolina), Anna Cramer (Virginia) and Erica White (West Virginia), and support team: Joanne Hart and Anna Koopman (Treasurers), Susan Hubbard (Communications), and Pebbles Turbeville who has grown the Region 3 Facebook into over 600 members. They have worked well as a team and I appreciate their dedication to PATH Intl. and Region 3.
I am thrilled to be turning over the reins to Sherri Moore. Her Region Leadership Team is coming together with the following positions filled:
Virginia State Chair – Brooke Waldron, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
North Carolina State Chair and Treasurer – Ashlyn Batten, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Communication Chair – Caroline Ferguson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Two positions are vacant: South Carolina State Chair and West Virginia State Chair. Please contact Sherri if you are interested. Her email is 
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I look forward to seeing everyone at the Region 3 Conference in March!
Calendar
January 23 – 26 - ESMHL Workshop and Skills Test, North Carolina Therapeutic Riding Center, Mebane, NC
February 6 – 9 – OSWC at Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Johns Island, SC
February 12 – 15 – ESMHL Workshop and Skills Test, DreamCatchers, Toano, Virginia
March 7/8 – Region 3 conference, North Carolina
May 28 – 30 – OSWC at North Carolina Therapeutic Riding Center, Mebane, NC
June 25 – 28 – ESMHL Workshop and Skills Test, On Eagles’ Wings Fairmont, WV
December 30 – Last day of Registered On-Site Workshop/Certifications (OSWC) offered.
2021
March – Region 3 conference, South Carolina
South Carolina (Anja Cain)
Celebrating 50 Years of PATH Intl.
The goal of every presenter at a professional conference is to inform and enrich the work of attendees, no matter if they are instructors, administrators, board members, volunteers or barn managers.
This goal was beautifully accomplished by everyone who represented Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding (CATR) at the PATH Intl. Annual Meeting and Conference in Denver, Colorado.
This year’s 50th Anniversary Conference boasted 750 attendees and 50 breakout sessions on hot topics in every aspect of the industry. Among the presenters were CATR Founder, Eileen McGuffie, CATR Instructors, Andrea Smith and Kimberly Gleason, and CATR student, Kimberly Taylor.
Eileen, Andrea and Kimberly G. worked together on a poster presentation entitled "Back to the Basics: A Guide to Evaluating Conformation in Program Equines." Their poster was one of five that was selected for display. The poster features two horses, Woodstock and Matchbox, and includes photos taken from all sides at the halt and in the walk. The photos are accompanied by an analysis of each horse's conformation including possible areas of weakness and ideas for targeted training. This information is tied in with a multi-pronged approach to determining individual weight limits for each program horse. The poster was well-received, and Eileen, Andrea and Kimberly are already planning an encore presentation at future conferences.
Kimberly Taylor gave her presentation, "Eyesight vs. Insight: Keys to Successful Lessons for Participants Who Are Blind" to a full room of 250 attendees. Her perspective as a therapeutic riding student with visual impairment is incredibly valuable for instructors in the field. This was apparent when the Q&A session opened and many in the audience had very thoughtful questions. Kimberly had to step out into the hallway to finish answering questions, and we have continued to get positive feedback after the conference! One fan wrote on Facebook, "I attended this session. This brave young lady gave an EXCELLENT presentation. She was confident, prepared, engaging and well informed. She gave examples of things that could be an issue in the arena, but also gave solutions. Great job! I definitely learned things I will take back to our facility and implement those suggestions."
CATR Founder, Meta Carter, CATR Executive Director, Murray Neale and CATR Education Coordinator, Anja Cain also attended the conference and were grateful for the learning experiences, the chance to connect with old and new friends, the amazing view of the Rocky Mountains and the opportunity to celebrate PATH Intl.'s 50th Anniversary! Congratulations to PATH for 50 great years of ensuring excellence and changing lives through equine assisted activities and therapies!
Caption: Kimberly Taylor, Anja Cain, Eileen McGuffie, Andrea Smith and Murray Neale in front of the poster presentation: "Back to the Basics: A Guide to Evaluating Conformation in Program Equines."
Caption: Kimberly Taylor beginning her presentation: "Eyesight vs. Insight: Keys to Successful Lessons for Participants Who Are Blind.”
Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs: South Carolina State Education Day and Annual Meeting, Special Olympics
On October 19th, Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs in Aiken, SC hosted the South Carolina State Education Day for over 20 current and aspiring PATH Instructors. Four guest speakers presented on topics from horse anatomy, handling, and equipment to strategies for developing a Hippotherapy program and practitioners provided resources for instructors. Additionally, guests got to observe a lesson about using gaited horses in our programs and generous door prizes were raffled off from Dover Saddlery in Aiken, SC.Great Oak represented Augusta, GA in Georgia's State Equestrian games in Gainesville, GA. Four athletes competed and brought home two gold medals, two silver medals, three bronze medals and one fourth place ribbon. It was the first time Augusta had been represented at the State Games after a partnership between Great Oak and the Augusta Stars was formed. This opportunity was made possible thanks to a grant from the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund.
Aiken will also be hosting South Carolina's State Special Olympics Equestrian Games on May 16th. We would love to see additional PATH centers in SC participate. Please contact Nicole Pioli at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Wendy Schonfeld at 
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Virginia (Anna Cramer)
Rainbow Riding, Haymarket VA
Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center is pleased to announce our new Executive Director, Tom Swanston.
As Executive Director Tom Swanston brings to Rainbow 28 years of successful non-profit executive management experience. This includes 18 years as the executive director of a non-profit that served people with disabilities in both Virginia and North Carolina. He has served on the boards of a number of organizations that support individuals with disabilities. He has a degree in psychology and a Masters of Business Administration.
Brook Hill Farm, Forest VA
"Winter Squirts"
By: Jo Anne Miller, Professor Equine Science, Randolph College
When days turn shorter and colder as the seasons change, horses can no longer rely on just pasture, they need to switch over to a full hay diet for the winter months. Now is when we notice that some of our older horses are getting the “winter squirts”. The first thing to do when tackling a problem of diarrhea is to consult with your veterinarian to rule out other health problems such as teeth, parasites, or chronic colitis due to other health issues. Once you have determined that your horse has a clean bill of health, you can start to evaluate other options.
What is Normal?
Horses normally pass manure about 8 to 12 times per day, but when it becomes watery, we get concerned. The large colon can be traumatized by the roughage component of a sudden change to an all hay diet and has difficulty in maintaining a healthy bacterial population. As a result, the feed is not properly digested and moves through the colon too quickly for water to be reabsorbed from it. When summer comes, much of the diet is composed of soft grass which they can tolerate more easily. “Winter squirts” is a problem because the horse is not gaining maximum benefit from his diet.
So what can we do?
Diet plays an important role in managing the loose manure. Testing our hay is a place to start. Hay is the foundation of the diet & provides 50-90% of the horse’s total nutrients, and digestible energy. Protein & fiber values vary widely by state, county, field and cutting, and it is important to balance our hay with the other feed and supplements we are using. Nutrena offers free hay testing (https://www.nutrenaworld.com/hay-testing-for-horses?gtr=area-1). Putting the horse on a combination of beet pulp, well soaked hay cubes, and a complete senior diet, and avoiding long-stem hay altogether can be helpful. However, many times treatment for chronic diarrhea is simply supportive in nature: keeping the horse hydrated, replacing nutrients that may be lost in the stool, and controlling pain and inflammation is what is important. Adding equine probiotics to your horse's feed will help to maintain a healthy gut and lessen the chances that he will suffer from diarrhea. At Brook Hill we give our horses yogurt with live bacterial culture, one container each day, added to their feed until there is a return to normal manure.
So Remember
Some horses respond very well to treatment while others stubbornly continue to squirt all winter despite our best efforts. On the bright side, the condition will probably improve with spring pasture! Until then, keep a bucket, and sponge handy to properly clean your horse for those frustrating days!
Further Reading
https://www.horsejournals.com/winter-diarrhea-horses
Wisconsin Equine Clinic. www.wisconsinequineclinic.com
Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, Clifton VA
NVTRP is very excited to announce that our very own Happy was named a co-recipient of the 2019 WIHS Honor and Service Award presented by EQUUS Foundation at the Washington International Horse Show!
The WIHS Honor and Service Award was created in 2013 following the induction of Klinger into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame in 2013. Klinger, a member of the Caisson platoon of the 3d United States Infantry (The Old Guard), was the inspiration for the award and its first recipient. The Honor & Service Award recognizes a horse, individual, or organization that best demonstrates the values of honor and service as embodied by Klinger.
Happy's impact on NVTRP is felt by countless riders, volunteers and staff who are continually amazed by her dedication to her job and the lives she helps improve on a daily basis. She was recognized in center ring during the annual Military Night at the Washington International Horse Show on Friday, October 25, 2019. Many friends of NVTRP were in attendance to celebrate her great achievement!
North Carolina (Sherri Moore)
Rocking Horse Ranch Therapeutic Riding Program was generously awarded a driving carriage through the final LexLin Gypsy Gift program. They are hoping to get a therapeutic driving program up and running at their center.
NCTRC will be hosting an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Workshop/Certification in January, as well as a On-Site Workshop/Certification in May.
Coastal Therapeutic Riding Program celebrated their 20th year in 2019!
Freedom Steps Equine Services is building an exciting new sensory trail!
West Virginia (Erica Ringle)
Beyond Wishes Therapeutic Riding program participated in the Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV) horse show in Lexington, Virginia on October 19. This is the third year Beyond Wishes has come to Virginia for the show. Toni and her daughter, Mareelyn McQuaig, brought three riders who did extremely well. Their horse, True Gem, won the hearts of the judges and other programs and was voted as the horse that best represented a therapeutic riding horse.