AQHA PUTS CONSERVATION FRONT AND CENTER AT QUARTERFEST

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America’s Horse, April 27, 2009 – Kermit the Frog used to say, “It’s not easy being green.” The American Quarter Horse Association has found it’s just the opposite if you’re a horse owner.

So, what is being green?

It means living easy on the Earth, helping rather than harming our environment to keep things going for future generations. For horse people, though, there’s an added element. We’re also striving to be good stewards of our animals and the land they live on and prosper in.

We’re putting these principles front and center at QuarterFest: A Celebration of the American Quarter Horse, May 1-3 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

If you’re “green,” then the QuarterFest conservation area, which is sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., is for you: help build a bridge, learn about trail and campground design and the National Park Service’s Tread Lightly program, and gather information on how to make your home and barn more environmentally friendly.

You can also learn more about AQHA’s STEP program (Stewards for Trails, Education and Partnershipswww.aqha.com/recreation/step/index.html). Information will be available about the Association’s new Greener Pastures Program, which allows AQHA members to track American Quarter Horses they have bred or previously owned and, if those horses ever become unwanted by their current owner, members can provide a home or assist in finding one for that horse.

Other items of interest in the QuarterFest conservation area include clinics on horse camping, negotiating trail obstacles, emergency first-aid and GPS geocaching. Plus, there will be a guided trail ride through the nearby Cedars of Lebanon State Park. Go towww.aqha.com/quarterfest to purchase your tickets.

QuarterFest conservation topics and speakers include:

  • Tread Lightly!: Mary Van Buren is the education and training manager for Tread Lightly!, a national organization whose mission is to proactively protect recreation access and opportunities through ethics, education and stewardship initiatives.

  • Trail and Campground Design: Jan Hancock, who is an equestrian and author in private practice in Phoenix. She specializes in the design of equestrian trails, trailheads and campgrounds, serving as a consultant for land managers/owners and architectural and engineering firms. Jan is the author of “Horse Trails in Arizona” and “Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads and Campgrounds,” a publication written for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C. She credits her American Quarter Horse gelding for always making the work of writing books about horses incredibly fun.

  • Equestrian Land Conservation Resource: Deb Balliet is the CEO of ELCR. Leading ELCR brings together two of Balliet’s passions: horses and open space. A recreational rider, Balliet is a member of AQHA, Fort Harrod Back Country Horsemen and the Eastern Mountain Ranch Horse Association. Balliet’s horse, registered as GMG Devilmademedoit and affectionately known as “Taz,” is an appendix American Quarter Horse.

  • Safety issues in Trail Maintenance: Ryan Spates, a mountain biker and hiker for more than 19 years, has ridden trails all over the United States and the world. Originally from the technology industry, Spates decided to pursue his hobby as a career many years ago. He was initially trained by some of the early Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews and spent many years as a volunteer trail steward in the Houston area. He has worked as a professional trail builder since 2003, working with the non-profit Texas Bicycle Coalition and currently is a co-owner of S&S Trail Services. Susan Stormer has been a mountain biker and hiker for over 14 years, and an avid equestrian for over 27 years. She is a doctor of clinical psychology who maintains her licensure to provide assessment and counseling services when she is not working with Spates building trails. Stormer began her volunteer trail work activities in west-central Florida in the mid-1990s. Stormer has been a professional trail builder since 2003, when she partnered with Spates to lead the BikeTexas Trail Doctors program.

QuarterFest is a three-day, education-packed celebration where AQHA members and horse enthusiasts from around the world will gather May 1-3 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for fun, entertainment and festivities to honor the world’s most versatile horse – the American Quarter Horse. Our sponsors – Tractor Supply, B&W Trailer Hitches, John Deere, Justin Boots, Merial, Nutrena, Professional’s Choice, Bank of America, Montana Silversmiths, Farnam, Breyer, La Cense Montana, Priefert Ranch Equipment and Wrangler – share our passion for horses and are an integral part of QuarterFest.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.