SLEIGH RALLIES

 

JANUARY 14: The Connecticut Valley Driving Club will hold a sleigh rally on Sunday, January 14, at Allegra Farm on Route 82 in East Haddam. Classes for light and draft horses will be available. Call Sue Miller at 1-860-301-3224.

JANUARY 21: The Bethany Horse Council will hold a sleigh rally on Sunday, January 21, at the Old Airport on Route 63 in Bethany. Classes for ponies, light horses and draft horses to be shown in the ring. Sleighs only. Starts at 10 am. Call Judith Smith at 1-203-393-1590.

FEBRUARY 4: The Newtown Bridle Lands Association and the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard will hold a sleigh rally on Sunday, February 4, at the Guard’s grounds at Fairfield Hills. It will be a point-to-point sleigh drive and obstacle course for ponies, light horses, or draft horses. Sleighs or wheels. Starts at 10 am. Call Toby Tamblyn at 270-6813.

FEBRUARY 11: The Northwest Connecticut Draft Horse Association sleigh rally will be held Sunday, February 11, at the Harwinton Fairgrounds on Locust Road, off Route 4, in Harwinton. Classes for ponies, light horses, and draft horses to be shown in the ring. Sleighs or wheels. Starts at 11 am. Call Bill Bluys at 1-860-485-1821.

FEBRUARY 25: The Eastern Connecticut Draft Horse Association sleigh rally will be held Sunday, February 25, at the University of Connecticut north campus on Route 195 in Storrs. Classes for light and draft horses will be available. Call Joe Koren at 1-860-749-4058 or Tory McDonald at 1-860-649-1653.

Helpful Hints For

Sleigh Rallies

Everyone’s objective is to have fun and be safe. SAFETY FIRST for people and horses. Here are some things to consider before you come to the sleigh rally:

- Hard hats are recommended for drivers AND passengers.

- Consider the total weight of sleigh and contents. Add the weight of the sleigh, passengers, and ALL the winter gear. A conditioned and correctly-shod horse may be able to pull its weight, but few horses are conditioned that well or experienced enough to handle a heavy load. So plan for a light load.

- Condition your horse physically and intellectually to the sleigh – and especially the bells – before the rally.

- Your horse needs to be shod with studs or caulks to handle any load on ice.

- Certificates for a negative Coggins test and rabies vaccinations (within a year of the event) are REQUIRED.

- Plan on a slow, leisurely and fun pace – horses are not as fit as they are in the summer and now have heavier winter coats.

- Walk your horse up and down hills. Don’t count on traction for horse or vehicle. Passengers can get out and walk.

- Bring extra horse blankets and wraps for hot horses at the end of the rally. They probably will be wet and will be VERY cold, VERY quickly.

- Use a pace suitable for the conditions and your horse.

- Bridles with blinders are recommended and a horse hitched to a sleigh must NOT have its bridle removed.

- Horses tied or hitched to a vehicle must NOT be left unattended.