Keystone Dressage & Combined Training Association

Recipies

Person of the month: Oct 07  Aug 07; July 07; April 07; March 07; Feb 07 ; Jan 07 ; Dec 06; Nov 06

Erin Locke - My love for animals started from as far back as I can remember.  My first favorite animal was a giraffe–similar to horses.  After I figured out that there was no riding a giraffe, I turned to horses.  I was your typical horse infatuated child collecting pictures, stuffed animals and model horses.  Unfortunately for my parents, the infatuation only grew.  For a few summers I attended horse camp and later took private lessons.  When I was 16 and everyone else was hoping for a car, I was hoping for horse.  Little did I realize then that keeping a horse in the suburbs isn’t as easy as buying a horse and fencing in your backyard.

After high school and college, the real world got in the way of all things horsey.  Fast forward 10 years from high school to when I met my future husband, Adam.  We met, dated and got engaged in six short months.  Six months after that we were married and Pepper (my cat) and I moved in with him and Odyssey (Adam’s dog).  The next change was the move from NOVA (Chantilly, VA) to the center of Pennsylvania.  It was exciting moving somewhere new since I’d lived in VA my entire life. 

So not much at this point has much to do with horses anymore right?  I had given up thinking I’d ever own my own horse because, lets face it, going from life in the suburbs to being a horse owner is a BIG change.  I didn’t know enough about horses to just go out and buy one and not only that, but you have to plan for boarding too.

December 25, 2000 was when things really changed.   It was the second best day of my life (second only to the day I met Adam).  We got in the car and drove to a stable.  With the carrots I figured we were going to see horses (which for me was really cool anyway).  We’re standing in front of a black horse and Adam’s explaining that this is an Arabian horse and he was neglected.  I was happy just to get the chance to be around horses when he says, “…and he’s yours if you want him.”  <complete shock>

It was the ideal situation because he was already boarded and I could come out to see him anytime I wanted and if we didn’t get along we weren’t obligated to purchase him.  We had some growing pains because he had to get used to trusting people again since he had been abused for who knows how long.  We learned to ride together since he was pretty green and I hadn’t ridden in more than 10 years.  It was a challenge but nothing good comes easy. 

Today, he’s my big puppy dog.  You’d never guess that he was the same horse who would barely turn toward you in the stall and had two speeds–fast and faster.  Magic has a best buddy now named Willy.  He’s an Arabian QH cross who’s about as docile as Magic which is good.  It was a real challenge to find another horse that wouldn’t beat Magic up in the pasture.  Even though he’s a stallion, his upbringing caused his self confidence to be extremely low so Willy was another great find.  We also have two more dogs (Mardi and Yuengling) and a barn cat (Cotton) in addition to Odyssey and Pepper.  Mardi is one of Odyssey’s three puppies and Yuengling is the granddaughter of Odyssey and niece of Mardi.  We’re all at home at Black Horse Acres, named for the founder–of course.

Lynne Sprinsky teaches riders and their horses from her base at Elysian Fields Equestrian Center in Montoursville, PA.  She is a graduate of the BALIMO™ Equestrian Degree Program, based on the work of German Ph.D. kinesthesiologist Eckart Meyners, which addresses the Whole Rider in the learning process. This approach is particularly effective for ‘mature’ or stiff/inflexible riders, but works for everyone who has reached the point where they realize that they are their horse’s biggest problem.  Lynne has also studied with Walter Zettl, Erik Herbermann, Karl Mikolka, and Egon von Neindorff, so she has a classical approach to the development of horses, but feels her strength lies in helping students achieve a good, adhesive, following, well-balanced seat so that they are more pleasant partners to their horses.  She has recently acquired an ancient and venerable schoolmaster, “Angelo,” whom she is bringing back into condition to be used as a lesson horse. 

She presently has students from Shickshinny to Millerstown.  Her business name is TRINITY DRESSAGE and she can be reached at (570) 433-4377 or 974-6024 (cell).

Click here to read about Emily, our Vice President

Amy Romaniec, renouned sculptress and local "queen of the ponies" Click the link to read a pictoral based bio

Amy's Bio

Alice Kelsey & her fine horse Goblin have been KDCTA members since 2005, and enjoy the comradery and well-rounded horsemanship emphasized in this group. Alice grew up in the heart of horse country in Chester County, PA, began riding lessons at age 8, and relentlessly pestered her parents until she received her first pony at age 9.  Continuing through high school, she cared for her own ponies at home, and enjoyed foxhunting and local hunter trials and shows, in addition to roaming the countryside on trails. After several horse-less years during college and medical school, Alice welcomed two young ponies (Goblin & Jackson) to their small farm near Warriors Mark, and worked with them to be ready for her two daughters (Julia 14, Emma 12) to ride.  Both ponies and daughters have competed regularly in the KDCTA shows, in the hunter and dressage sections, and enjoy ‘camping out’ at the show grounds.

Alice enjoys learning more about dressage with her talented, fun, and brave half-mustang (Goblin). They also explore the woods, fields, and trails together, and see many special places which grow into paintings and very good times together. Alice is now a full-time artist, and focuses on landscape paintings in oil and pastel www.alicekelsey.com  We are also looking forward to warmer weather, and lots more fun & learning with the KDCTA!

Hi. I am Belinda Giardine. I have always loved horses. I went to Wilson College and studied equine Management after which I worked for 7 years doing ground training with foals and young horses. Then I decided to switch hobby and career and went back to school this time at Penn State studying Computer Science. I now work as a computer programmer. I live in Huntingdon with my husband Dale, 4 horses and 5 cats.

My horses are all very spoiled. I don’t get much time to ride anymore but when I do I enjoy trail rides and the occasional schooling show. My favorite horse show class is costume, which JJ and I have done for years. Many of the costumes were designed for my niece and nephew to show. They have lost interest so now it is just JJ and I. We tried something new this year and went in the Huntingdon Halloween parade in costume. It was lots of fun. JJ is a solid colored Appaloosa. I have trained him since the day he was born. He will turn 17 years old on March 5, 2007.

 He will of course expect his favorite birthday cake made from sweet feed, bran, molasses and apples on his birthday.

Meet Kilian Brech

Well, you asked for it,  no one has a Bio for Jan for me to post, sooo…. Meet the new Pres.

I started riding at about age 8 years – English mostly, but also showed western with the 4H. I had a great little QR mare that I could tear around out Fox Hunting, then go back to pole bending and western pleasure.    

Then College (go Lions), Med School (go Owls), Residency training (go Tar Heals, and East Carolina)…. Not being sure where to settle down, and a reasonable offer from the Air Force came along to go to Alaska for 3 years, so off we went. 

Next came an offer to go to Germany – spent 6 years there.  I worked in Pediatrics then as a Flight Surgeon (Doc for a F-16 fighter squadron), so I trained, flew, and deployed with them all over creation.

What came next was my wife’s fault.  She was taking Dressage lessons with a breeder right next to our Base, they ganged up on me and talked me into taking a lesson.  Well, needless to say I spent a lot of time at the barn, watching, riding, etc.  When deployed to Saudi Arabia, I got a call or e-mail – about this mare my wife fell in love with.  Long story made short, we now have experience importing a horse.  After 2 beautiful foals, again as too often happens, my mare, Fleur, unexpectedly died when the younger was 3 months old.

Mostly since getting back to the States – I’ve been driving trailers, grooming etc.  Well, again thrust back into the riding arena and started lessons again last year.  

So, here I am. Now 44, working as a “simple country pediatrician”, riding Dressage, with a TB we have been re-educating (after several yearson the track), a 2 and 3 year old Warmblood to bring along, a new horse for the wife (QH/Arab cross pony). Kids are off to college and one now married – so what else would we do with our time?

Meet Kat and Her Furry Family

Hi!

I’m Kat Bartges.

I have loved horses since I was a small child.  When I was about 4, the pony man came to our neighborhood. For a fee he would take a picture of your child on his pony. As soon as I saw that pony, I knew I wanted one no matter what. The fact that you can not keep a pony in a mobile home park did not deter me in the least.  My first horse was a palomino American Saddlebred named Nellie (the farmer we got her from thought it would be fun to yell “Whoa Nellie”) I as 13 and Nellie was 2. There have been several horses since including a gaited mule named Elvis. Elvis was a “surprise package” from my new Paso Fino mare Nadine.  I was without an equine friend for many years, when three years ago, I saw a paint horse named Jake on equine.com. It was love at first sight. My husband thinks I am crazy. Jake is a rescue horse and an ex-barrel racer. He is 27 this year, almost blind in one eye, head shy, and has more scars and boo boos than a prize fighter. He also has more personality than any horse I have ever known. Jake retired from riding this spring and is now a pasture pony. He spends his days hangin’ out with his buds in the gelding field and flirtin’ with the fillies over the fence. Jake’s new sister is Delta Gold a beautiful palomino foundation quarter horse type Paint (no spots). She is only 8 years old, so we will have lots of time together. We go trail riding and enter the occasional costume class at the schooling show. Delta may do the mommy track in a few years. She has beautiful babies (just ask Melissa Deines).

In addition to my horse kids I have three dogs: Sophie a 7yr old Great Dane, Sandy a 7yr old Boxer, and Pete a 3yr old Boxer-mastiff mix One cat: Spot 6/7yrs old all white with one black spot and a black tail Spot thinks he is a dog. He lies on his back for tummy rubs and drinks out of the toilet. One parakeet: Madeline who was “on sale” (Mom! We love her. Can we have her? She is on sale!) And now lives in a deluxe duplex cage that cost many times more than her original purchase price. And last but certainly not least my wonderful understanding husband Ray who puts up with me and my animals.

Meet Caroline Anne Gibson and her horse, Rudy!

Rudy and Anne

About 4 years ago I started taking riding lessons from Stephanie Dobiss in anticipation of a mule trip into the Grand Canyon.  The mule trip got cancelled but I continued with my riding lessons.  After 3 years I decided it was time for me to have a horse of my own – so the search for the “perfect horse” began.  There was the horse that only reared “a little” when you first got on, the horse with no brakes or steering that tried to scrape you off on the arena walls, the permanently lame horse and the share board prospect that dropped dead 24 hours after I rode her.  I finally settled on a 16 year old bay Arab mare that “anyone could ride”.  It only took her 3 months to figure out I was not the confident assertive rider she needed so she went back to her previous owner.  Meanwhile a friend had found what he thought was the perfect horse for me.  Bill dropped off a little quarter horse gelding he called Rudy at the barn on my 41^st wedding anniversary.  It was not love at first sight!!!  Rudy (registered name Mickey’s Doc Zan Man) was only 8 years old and had very little training.  His teenage owner got bored with him after owning him about 6 weeks and he had spent the last 2 years living in a pasture with some sheep.  It was amazing what a difference a little TLC can make not just in appearance but also in attitude.  It didn’t take him long to figure out that life with me could be pretty good.  I’ve only owned Rudy 4 months but our partnership is growing stronger day by day.    Since Rudy’s only claim to fame was trail riding and being “bomb proof”, we’ve been working hard on getting him more flexible and getting used to be ridden in an arena setting.  My goals for Rudy and me are to go to a horse show, maybe English pleasure or an entry level dressage test, and to join the local drill team.  Rudy’s goals are lots of treats, brushing and massages.  Many thanks to all the folks who have helped and encouraged me along this journey – especially Stephanie – I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her.

Members Favorite Recipes

Horse Treats by Erin Locke

Apples, finely chopped* (about 1 - 1 1/2 cups)

Carrots, finely chopped* (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)

Quaker Oats (2 - 4 cups)

Molasses (1/2 - 1 cup)

Flax Seed (optional) (1 - 2 tablespoons)

Mix all the ingredients together with hands and wokr into a thick mash.  Add more/less oats and molasses to get the right consistency of gooey dough.  The ingredients need to be sticky enough to form into balls and stay together while baking.  Preheat oven to very low temp (175).  Roll misture into balls.  Place on floured cookie sheet and press down to form cooked shape (doesn't need to be too thin).  Bake in oven for apporximately 2 hours or until they are dried out.  Leave out to cool and harden then keep in a ziplock bag.  Feed daily to keep horses happy!  (Good for people, too!)

*I use a Pampered Chef hand chopper but a food processor would work also.

Belinda's Tailgait Special!

Fast fixin' chocolate chip cake

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding (4 serving size)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour oil into a 9x13x2 inch pan.
Tilt pan until bottom is covered with oil.  Put remaining ingredients
into pan; stir with fork or spoon until blended (about 2 minutes).
Scrape sides and spread batter evenly in pan.  Bake for 35-45
minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cooled cake may be sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Store loosely covered.

Horse Cake, to pamper that special Equine.

6 cups sweet feed
4 cups bran
1 cup molasses
2 cups chopped apples or carrots
1 1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in bowl mix well.  Spray pam on a 9x13x2
inch pan and press batter firmly into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for
30 to 40 minutes.  Serve at room temperature, garnish with apples
or carrots.
This recipe is flexible and I often use the full bag of bran and jar of
molasses.  What would be left is not enough for another cake and I
don't like to store little bits of leftovers.

Frosted Chicken Salad - Very Yummy!

2 cups diced unpeeled red apples (I used Fuji, and rinsed in water with
fruit fresh)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups diced cooked chicken
3/4 cup salad dressing (miracle whip)
1 1/2 cup sliced seedless green grapes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Frosting:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salad dressing

Garnish:
Lettuce leaves
sliced grapes and apples

Line a 1 1/2 quart bowl (whatever shape you want your salad to be) with
plastic wrap.  Combine all salad ingredients and gently press into lined
bowl.  Cover; chill several hours.  Carefully unmold onto plate lined
with a bed of lettuce leaves.  Combine cream cheese with salad dressing;
frost salad.  Garnish with apples and grapes.  Chill for several hours. 
Yield: 6 servings.