Equine Affaire - April 2-5, 2009 Columbus, OH

[Connie Ballard]

Thought I'd post a list of miniature horse related events happening at the Equine Affaire this coming Thursday - Sunday, April 2-5 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, OH. If you have never been to Equine Affaire, it is really interesting and fun for horse lovers of all breeds and disciplines.

You will see everything from miniature horses to draft horses. There are demonstrations to showcase each breed, clinics by world famouse clinicians, trainers covering everything from fitting tack to health care, stabling, farm management, etc. Lots of shopping...wait...SHOPPING...lol and food booths. Clubs, breed organizations, feed representatives will have booths to offer information and talk with you about your interests/needs.

Here are a few of the things that I know are happening...if you know of others...please post them here so we don't miss anyone or anything. You can check the website for the exact location of each event

Miniature Horse Breed Demonstration, Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. The Mid-America Miniature Horse Club will be exhibiting different disciplines with a variety of miniature horses.

You'll see horses from Misty Rose Farm, Paul & Libby Rosen, IONA Farm-Gordon & Bonnie Harris, Versatility Farm & Training Center-Ashley Harris, Stonehaven Farm - Jody Hoch and Judy Stradtlander, ....I'm taking one of Ashley's horses in the ring since I'm not taking horses this year...but am participating!!! (thanks Ashley) and Buckeye WCF - Les & Getitia Matheney. AND...AND....... The Bluegrass Club will have 8 members of their drill team doing patterns (different from their Fantasia Presentation on Fri/Sat nights). SOooooooooo....Look for all of us!

Fantasia - The Bluegrass Club has a precision drill team made up of 14 (FOURTEEN!!!!) driving horses!

They will be performing patterns both evenings. It is Friday & Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:30)

Youth Pavillion and Collegiate Horse Judging Contest - Thursday, April 2, 2009. The Bluegrass Club will have 4 halter horses in the contest.

Mid-America Miniature Horse Club will have a booth in the Breed Pavillion

Admission to Equine Affaire is $14/adults $8/children, parking on the Ohio State Fairgrounds I think is usually $5. Tickets for the evening performances of Fantasia are sold separately available at the Information Booth in the Bricker Building.

Here is a link to Equine Affaire

Equine Affaire - OHIO

 

[TN Belle]

We went last year, from Tennessee, and it was well worth the trip. AWESOME!! We shopped a ton but didn't buy much as we could buy most ofthe same stuff at home at prices weren't that different. There were a couple of vendors we got information from and have become customers of. The breed pavillion was the best and most people were friendly. Out in the barns, I didn't get the impression of any kind of organization at all. I wish they would group the breeds together so you would know where you wanted to go as there was so many empty stalls that you were wandering around everywhere.

The Fanatsia show was really cool to see, but had some slow parts to it that wasn't anything I had seen before. A couple of my favorites was when the reacted "Phanom of the Opera" on horse back and then the Amish Haflinger drill team that had a dozen going at once in speed.

I would definitelly reccomend it!!

 

[mydaddysjag]

I'll be out there on Friday. It's a few hour drive for me, and I couldn't convince hubby to drive out in saturdays traffic. If anyone wants to meet up and get a coke, let me know and we can make arrangements.

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

I won't get to stop out until Sunday, too much other stuff going on Friday and Saturday.. Mainly go for the shopping anyway so hopefully will get some shopping in Sunday

 

[sfmini]

I will be there Saturday, well of course since one of our horses is in the demo. It will be AMHA World Champion AOTE Country Pleasure Driving and AMHR reserve national champion senior stallion SF Mahogany Bay.

We also have tickets to the Fantasia for that evening. I missed it last year, watching a pregnant mare who very kindly went into labor just as the others got home that night.

Oh, there is now also a canine expo with some very interesting looking demos and clinics. They are not allowing folks to bring dogs to participate, I asked because I would have jumped at the chance to do the conformation handling clinic. Oh well, depending on interest, they may add that next year.

 

[ionafarm]

We will have horses in stalls 1 and 2 in the Gilligan building so I will be there Thursday through Sunday. So stop by and say hello and lets connect some more faces with screen names.

 

[Leeana]

We will be there Friday ...leaving here around 6:30 am ...so should be there around 8-9 ish ...i work midnight friday so will have to head home around 6pm but if anyone wants to meet up my cell is 419-603-1366 (Leeana).

 

[TripleDstables]

I should be there on one of the days... Not sure which though. (I have to go to my friend's barrel race this weekend too)

 

[LisaL]

Thanks Connie for adding the information concerning Equine Affaire. Our Bluegrass Miniature Horse Drill Team is looking forward to performing. This will be the first time for most of us to attend the Ohio Equine Affaire.

 

[trickhorses]

We will be there with our miniature horses and gypsy vanners. We have stalls 3-5 next to Iona in the gilligan. The weather is going to be nice this year!

 

[Leeana]

I just got back a bit ago, went for the morning just a few hours since i do have to work tonight and did some shopping - Equine Affaire is ALWAYS fun. I did not notice as many miniatures there this year, also AMHR/ASPC did not have a booth in the breed pavilion. Was great shopping.

 

[kaykay]

I just got home. Leeanna where were ya?? LOL. Had a great time but the weather was not very good. I couldnt find the ASPC/AMHR booth either. Did they not do it this year??

Did get to see Connie, getitia, Christine and star lake tack

You sure couldnt tell the economy was bad. People were buying like crazy!

 

[Leeana]

I left at 2:00 so i could get home and sleep some before work (which...i should be doing right now), would have been nice to stay longer but got in plenty of shopping (PLENTY of time at star lake tack!).

AMHA had a booth but could not find AMHR/ASPC....i looked on the schedule for each day and could not find a shetland breed demo so im guessing they opted out this year?

 

[Christina_M]

I just got home from the Equine Affaire! I had so much fun! It was great to see everyone, KayKay, Connie and Tim Ballard, Denise Hardesty, Star Lake Tack, and the Bluegrass Miniature Horse Drill Team!!! I am really impressed with The Bluegrass Miniature Horse Drill Team in tonight’s Phantasia! They were AWESOME!

The shopping was fun! I tried to buy just the things I needed though..it was hard, but I did pretty good at sticking to it. Connie & Tim Ballard have a really neat etching thing going. I've never seen this before, but it is really neat! They can actually take a silhouette of your horse and etch it onto anything and write names, dates, etc. on it. They did one of Buckeye WCF Miss Ohio on a mirror. It is so cool! I'm thinking of looking through my pictures and having one made. They put Buckeye WCF Lightening on a license plate for his owner...it's like a stall name tag. I guess Lightening is making a the miniature horse look good in a dressage barn. I went to a few of the horse demo's Craig Cameron and Monty Roberts...I learned some new things to try on my spooky riding mare. She's so much fun when she makes things challenging. I also attended a couple dog demo's and learned a few things to train my new Border Collie, or maybe it was to train me that they will take time and have lots of energy. Anyway, I had a GREAT TIME! Can't wait til next year!! It was GREAT to see everyone!

 

[mydaddysjag]

I was there all day friday, but forgot my cell phone. If anyone is going tomarrow, hit up Big Dee's for clipper blades, they have osters all sizes for $21, and for each blade you get a bottle of oster blade wash free. They also have vet wrap for $1. The stall dry "vendor" is giving away 5 lb samples. There is someone selling lunge whips for $6, Cashman supply has 3/4" 4x6 stall mats for $24

 

[Dona]

John & I were there all day Saturday. Stopped by the Mid America booth & helped so Getitia could have a break. Stopped by All Star Farm's stalls to see Danielle (Trickhorse) & Judy. Their Gypsy "Queen" is simply stunning....she has the longest, waviest mane I think I've ever seen on a Gypsy...it easily reaches her fetlocks...maybe even the ground! I also got to see their cute little filly by "Kickapoo's Tickle My Fancy". Fancy is a lovely b/w CockRobin daughter they got from me a few years ago. She is the sweet mare that my grandaughter grew up riding on, until she outgrew her.

This is also the first year that I have been able to go to Fantasia.....it was AWESOME, and the perfect way to end the perfect day!!!!! The Bluegrass Club's driving drill team presentation was VERY impressive! I enjoyed every minute of my day.....horses, shopping, horses, Phantasia, horses, food, horses....what could be better!?

 

[LisaL]

Thank you for all the comments concerning our Bluegrass Miniature Horse Drill Team. We really enjoyed each night performing in the Fantasia. I would also like to thank Mid America Miniature Horse Club for asking us to perform during the Saturday demo with them. We have a great group that doesn't mind putting lots of time and travel to perform for others to show what the Miniatures can do.

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Thanks mydaddysjag for the heads up on the clipper blades!! Bought a few today, headed to Cashman's later in the week for stall mats since I need to pick up feed too, and stocked up on tail wrap for the upcoming foalings

Have to say I was a little disappointed that there were so few breeders/exhibitors there.. That's always one of my favorite parts is seeing all the different breeds under one barn, and this year there were mostly Gypsy Vanners and Friesans

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE both breeds but so would have loved to see so many more too.. Think I'll look into prices for stalls etc. and maybe take at least Doc next year, think it would be fun to meet a bunch of people..

 

[kaykay]

Have to say I was a little disappointed that there were so few breeders/exhibitors there.

We were going to get a stall and do a breeder exhibit there but wow when I got the info and prices I quickly changed my mind. the stall was 150.00 plus you have to pay admission to get in and pay parking everyday. You do not get an exhibitors pass like the outside booths do. You also have to show them a minimum ins policy to insure you while your there. It all adds up pretty fast! I was going to split it with another farm to reduce the costs (and time being up there) but then they told me that is not allowed.

 

[sfmini]

We used to do it every year, but stopped last year. It just didn't pay and the workload is horrid, LONG hours hearing how everybody has a dog bigger than that, oh, aren't they cute. Yada Yada. Last time I did it my knees were in terrible pain from the concrete, that is actually what convinced me it was time for the replacement of the right knee. It was also cold, cold, cold, and being pretty immobile, it was total misery, lots of money, no sold horses. We did entertian the idea this year since we have all the mares and fillies so cheap, but thought better of it. We also spent a load of money on mulch, flowers, a fountain, even put out some weeping cherry trees. Those were young trees and in bloom, and they are now planted here. It was pretty, but oh, the money and the work for no reward. When they contacted me last year asking if I was coming (it was after their closing date) I just said we asked that important question, WIIFM (what's in it for me) and came up empty.

We do help by bringing a horse for the breed demo, and help in the booth, only on the day of the demo and that is better. I am so out of shape it was all I could do to get through just the one day, gave up my Fantasia ticket because home and bed sounded much better, and that was taking Darvocet every 4 hours.

I do have to say, I thought I had heard it all but one person at Equine Affaire topped it all. She started off normally enough, asking registration questions, can she register a foal out of an unregistered mare, by a registered stallion, well no, not directly, but she could hardship the mare and then progeny hardship the foal, oh, she said, too much money, but what a waste, she is just so perfect. 10" tall and 2 pounds!

Just perfectly proportioned. Whoa, what do you say to that, I was really searching fast to come up with something. Finally, kindly as I could told her that something that small was just unheard of, and even if it did appear normal, chances are very good that dwarf characteristics will appear as she grows. Boy, she sure didn't want to hear it, so we just kind of smiled and said something to the effect that we hope for the best for her.... I just couldn't stop thinking, what in the heck was she measuring? I am pretty sure she was guessing, and has no concept of measurement.