Castlemaine & District Adult Riding Club in Castlemaine, Victoria | Sport & recreation

Castlemaine & District Adult Riding Club

Locality: Castlemaine, Victoria

Address: Wattle Flat Reserve 3450 Castlemaine, VIC, Australia

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• Education

25.01.2022 Lots of great exercises

24.01.2022 Dressage Protocol Day Juravon Park Equestrian Centre is proud to Sponsor a Dressage Protocol Day on Monday March 12th in conjunction with Lauriston Park and Grand Prix Dressage Judge Chris Sievers. This is a great opportunity to get positive feedback in led up to DWTS and the Vic State Interschool Champs. Or bring your young horses out for a familiarisation and test with a small show like atmosphere. ... Chris, along with C Level Judge Judy Quinn will judge the tests. Depending on numbers we can employ more judges as necessary. Any test is available to be Ridden from EA preparatory to GP; any current Young Horse tests : Pas de deux as well as all levels of HRCAV and Pony Club. All Tests will be on ridden outdoor arenas. Each test will be given a 30 minute time slot which includes test ride , talk with the judge and then re ride. You will receive verbal feedback as well as both your test sheet ,just like a competition. Sunday evening BBQ and a Trivia Quizz night hosted by the master of quizz Matty Sievers Costs 30 minute time slot is $25( this includes test sheets ; facility fee, use of day yard and tea/coffee etc.) Facilities Large Parking area and day yards available. Round yard for lunging and horse wash. Camping and stables available through Juravon Park Free Self serve Tea / coffee and snacks will be available in the kitchen area. Conditions Start time is 9.30am.( unless special requests for earlier) *To guarantee a time slot you will need to pre pay for your tests and you can choose your times, if not already taken. *You may ride more than one test and more than one horse. *Plaiting and bandages are allowed. There will be prizes for best presented and the most improved test. *Two riders can share the same horse * Sigh a waiver upon arrival *BYO lunch To secure your test time please contact Chris on 0414708006 ( text is preferred due to limited service) with the following information. Riders Name Tests Preferred time Contact phone no

23.01.2022 UPDATE: RALLY CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER **DECEMBER RALLY** December rally is on Saturday 15th December will be our annual Novelty Day!... A small obstacle course will be set up for riders to take their horses through. This is a very relaxed casual day and suitable for all levels. Attached is a copy of the course that will be set up The rally will be a 10:00am start until approximately 2:00pm. Lunch will be finger food and we ask everyone to bring a plate to share This rally is open to all current HRCAV members at no cost (please ensure you bring your current membership card). The course can be completed either mounted or unmounted. So if you have a green horse you'd like to bring, you're welcome to walk the course with them. It is not a race of fastest time wins, so no pressure to go fast!

23.01.2022 Just a reminder, if you haven’t RSVP’d, make sure you do by this Saturday!

22.01.2022 Don’t forget to contact Justine if you’d like a lesson!

22.01.2022 Dont forget to contact Justine if youd like a lesson!

22.01.2022 January rally details!! Everyone welcome!

22.01.2022 Always a good clinic!

21.01.2022 **APRIL RALLY** Hi everyone, April rally date has been changed to Saturday 13th April. This will be a come and ride rally with no instructor booked. Just come along, and have a ride at your own leisure, from 10am. ... Lunch will not be provided this rally so please BYO. Any questions, please contact Alysha on 0407 273 507.

20.01.2022 **MARCH RALLY** Date: Saturday 16th March Instructor: Lauren Gretgrix (dressage/jumping) Cost: $35 shared lesson, $60 private (non Castlemaine members required to pay $5 facility fee) For those of you who don't know Lauren, feel free to check out her Facebook page Gretgrix Equestrian. She is also available for Level Assessments for those of you looking to be assessed!... Lunch will be available at no cost to members and $5 to non members. Please ensure you advise if you will be having lunch, along with dietary requirements as we will be catering to numbers and not able to provide extra on the day. For lessons, level assessment and lunch, please RSVP to Justine by Tuesday 12th March. Justine can be contacted on 0457 412 274 or [email protected] See more

20.01.2022 JUNE RALLY Saturday 16th June Our June rally will be a trail ride from our grounds. The ride will commence approximately 10am. The grounds will also be open for members to bring their horses if they would like to attend but not come on the ride. (You can practice some of the skills learnt from our last lesson at Affinity!)... Lunch will be provided to members, and available to non-members for $5. (Must RSVP) Please RSVP by Wednesday 13th by commenting below or message Alysha on 0407 273 507.

18.01.2022 So much good information

18.01.2022 Hi everyone! Just letting you know there will be no rally this Saturday 17th November due to being Equitana weekend. However if you are a current member, the grounds will be available for use. Please PM me if you plan on using the grounds this day so we can ensure they are unlocked Happy riding

17.01.2022 CHRISTMAS IN JULY DINNER Saturday 20th July, 7pm at The Stables Malmsbury Members and non-members are welcome! Booking is required so please RSVP by Saturday 13th July. Hope to see you all there :)

17.01.2022 RIDING IN THE HEAT. Some information if you are considering riding in very hot and or humid conditions. Who is more likely to overheat - you or your horse?... It might surprise you to know that your horse gets hotter, much faster than you and is more susceptible to the negative effects of heat stress. "It only takes 17 minutes of moderate intensity exercise in hot, humid weather to raise a horse's temperature to dangerous levels. That's three to 10 times faster than in humans. Horses feel the heat much worse than we do." And the effects can be serious. If a horse's body temperature shoots up from the normal 37 to 38C to 41C temperatures within working muscles may be as high as 43C, a temperature at which proteins in muscle begin to denature (COOK!). Horses suffering excessive heat stress may experience HYPOTENSION, COLIC AND RENAL FAILURE!! Horses are more susceptible to heat for several reasons. First, they are larger and have a higher percentage of active muscle than people do during exercise. When muscles are being used, they produce a lot of heat. Horses also rely to a significant extent on sweating to cool them off. They can sweat 15 to 20 litres per hour in cool, dry conditions and up to 30 litres per hour in hot, humid conditions, but only 25-30% of the sweat produced is effective in cooling the horse by evaporation. "Because so much more sweat is produced than can be evaporated, the rest just drips off the horse's body," "By comparison, up to 50% of the sweat people produce is evaporated from our bodies during exercise and helps to cool us." The salts in horse sweat are also four times as concentrated as in human sweat. "Those salts have to be replaced," he adds. "Just giving the horse water will not rehydrate a dehydrated horse. When horses drink plain water, it dilutes their body fluids, and their bodies respond by trying to get rid of more water and more electrolytes." Horses also pant to dissipate heat, but this is only effective if the air is at least five degrees cooler than the horse's body temperature. FOOD FOR THOUGHT WHEN CONSIDERING RIDING IN THE HEAT. Some exerts from: Michael Lindinger, PhD, MSc, an animal and exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph

15.01.2022 Always wear a helmet

14.01.2022 Just a reminder, if you havent RSVPd, make sure you do by this Saturday!

13.01.2022 **FEBRUARY RALLY** Date: Saturday 16th February Instructor: Lauren Gretgrix (dressage/jumping) Cost: $35 shared lesson, $60 private (non Castlemaine members required to pay $5 facility fee) ... For those of you who don't know Lauren, feel free to check out her Facebook page Gretgrix Equestrian. She is also available for Level Assessments for those of you looking to be assessed! Lunch will be available at no cost to members and $5 to non members. Please ensure you advise if you will be having lunch, along with dietary requirements as we will be catering to numbers and not able to provide extra on the day. For lessons, level assessment and lunch, please RSVP to Justine by Tuesday 12th February. Justine can be contacted on 0457 412 274 or [email protected]

13.01.2022 Something different!

13.01.2022 Our next committee meeting will be held at 7pm, this Thursday 22nd November at Wattle Flat Clubrooms. Everyone is welcome so please come along, enjoy some fish and chips for dinner, and sign up to part of our wonderful club! Hope to see you all there!

12.01.2022 Important information for all horse and pony owners

10.01.2022 Which type is your horse?

10.01.2022 Hello everyone! It’s been a long time between posts. We’ve had some issues with our Facebook page over the past couple of months but it seems like we’re back up... and running. We are now taking memberships for the new financial year. If you’d like to join a small, friendly club please get in contact!

10.01.2022 A great rally today with instructor Lauren Gretgrix, and a delicious lunch from Goldfields track cafe.

09.01.2022 Thank you to Bill and Lyn for stting up a great day of challenging obstacles, and welcome to our new members! Apologies for not getting photographs of all riders.

09.01.2022 October is here and that means were coming to the end of our 18-19 financial year. Our final rally for the year will be Saturday 19th October which will also be our AGM. Unfortunately our club has reached a point where our membership is low and the current committee is looking for new people to take over the reins and move the club forward and onto bigger and better things. We are a wonderful club, with lovely grounds that have capacity to hold a wide range of rallies and e...vents. If youre interested in being a part of our club, please come along to our final rally for the financial year. We will be there with our horses from 10am and the AGM will be held at midday. If you dont want to be a part of the committee, but would still like to be involved, we will be ready to take all new memberships from 1 November. Finally, thank you to all of the members and volunteers we have had over the past year. We wouldnt have a club without you Happy riding

09.01.2022 A Bridlepath less travelled. Several years ago my Dad introduced me to M Scott Pecks book, A Road Less Travelled. The immortal first line, Life is difficult... resonated strongly - life was quite difficult. However, once you accept that fact and stop wishing it wasnt so, things become considerably easier to bear. Its a bit of a mind bender, but as I understand it, so much of why we find things difficult is because we believe they shouldnt be. One of the things I have learned during my life with or without horses is that no one promised you things were going to be easy. There is no law that says if you plan something it should happen. Its why I hate all of that manifesting using positive thinking rubbish. I believe that we can take what turns up and try to make the best of it. Its probably a whole lot better than what many other people are dealing with. When it comes to horses and horsemanship a lot of people I teach really struggle with how flipping difficult the whole thing is. And I agree, it is. Being mentally present is hard. Learning new things is really hard. Recognising your many, many mistakes is a challenge. Trying to understand the needs of this prey animal youre working with is tough. Managing your body and emotions is never easy. Getting your head around biomechanics; discovering how it feels when your horse is in balance and when hes not, well thats not something that happens over night. But who on earth told you it was going to be easy?!! Did you think that you could learn how to ride a shoulder-in without hours or practice? Did your horse come with a certificate that says hell never get worried, or tired, or wish he could hang out with his mates? I think many of us as teachers really want to give our students a good time, so well tell them what theyre doing is correct, just so they feel OK. I understand the desire to do this. I can only apologise to my students that the path were on doesnt really allow for this. I also understand the longing for things to be different or better than they are now. Why do you think tack shops are full of draw reins, and harsh bits, and spurs and other paraphernalia? It is undoubtedly much easier to use these things than it is to learn how to use your legs, hands, body and mind properly. I get it. I read a brilliant blog once about how the author envied a famous rider who used rolkur (hyperflexion, or as its now called, low deep and round). How much easier it is to hold your horses head and neck in place with physical traction (and pain) than it is to learn how to develop things with a really clear understanding of how your horse feels, moves and thinks. Which in turn allows your mistakes to show up, and for the horse to demonstrate his lack of balance, or uncertainty or misunderstandings. Its much, much easier to hold his head on his chest and not see any of this. Almost everyone I teach thinks they have the worst luck with horses. Why is it harder for me or my horse? Why does my horse have physical problems? Why does my body do this weird thing I dont want it to do? Why is it raining so much? Why am I skint, knackered, struggling so much with learning, poulticing my horses foot again etc. etc. etc? Because, my friends, youre part of a very special community who are trying to do something really hard. Congratulations on that. And neither you or your horse are factory fresh. Its hard for every single one of us. All of our horses have some physical challenge. All of us have something which we dont find so easy. Life is difficult, and in acknowledging that, maybe we can actually find things much easier. Learning requires failure, thats built into the deal. To get better there is only one route, and thats purposeful practice. That involves many hours which might take you down some blind allies that youll have to navigate your way back out of. See you there. You dont have bad luck with horses - you have horses. If you want to see some of the things which Des has listed on his vets records (which include getting a stick stuck between his teeth, twice, in one year) Im happy to share. There will certainly be bad days, and some good days - theyre all actually just days. Sometimes your horse is lame, sometimes hes sound. The reason I can keep horses sounder now than I once could, and know what to do more quickly when trouble shows up, is because Ive had so many disasters en route. I didnt gain this knowledge by everything going swimmingly. I hope you have an enjoyable day with your horse, but whatever happens I hope you are able to remember that while life may be difficult, on the whole where horses are involved, its rarely boring. P.s The photo is one of my many dedicated students. P.p.s I made myself laugh with the title of this.

09.01.2022 The significance of the sacroiliac joint (and the risk of prematurely training collection). The sacroiliac joint is the intersection of sacrum, (section of the ...spine that underlies the croup), and the ilium (the largest of the bones that make up the pelvis). The sacrum is made up of five vertebrae, which only fully solidify around the age of 5 in a horse, and only then is it able to fully load bear. This small joint is extremely sensitive. It is kept together only by ligaments there is no directly connected muscular structure in this area. In terms of its function, the sacroiliac joint is the connection of the hindquarters to the rest of the body, and plays a major role in enabling the use of the power and strength created by the hindquarters. So, the sacroiliac joint is highly sensitive, but at the same time must be very mobile to transfer the strength and power generated by the hindquarter to the back and the forehand. Why this mechanism may block.... Blockages and problems in the sacroiliac joint can be created by trauma (e.g. a fall), overstraining, or wrong training. This can significantly affect the structural integrity of the joint, which will show itself through deficiently pronounced muscles, in particular in the hindquarters. ‘Dents’ in the side of the hindquarters as well as a sharp, steeply ascending/descending croup are signs that the muscles are underdeveloped, and should not be ignored or viewed as the horse having an athletic shape. In riding horses these signs tend to point toward a way of riding that is heavy on the forehand. In young horses it often points to a lack of exercise. As previously mentioned, the sacroiliac joint is responsible for the transfer of power and therefore also plays a huge role in the horse’s ability to collect. What are the symptoms of a blockage in the sacroiliac joint? Some signs there may be a blockage in the sacroiliac joint include: - Less ‘go’ / less of a ‘push’ forward - Shortened stride - Problems in maintaining rhythm in the stride, up to the point where we would consider the horse lame - Spinal problems - The horse cannot collect - Problems when walking backwards - Problems in the canter In many cases these blockages result in a tilted sacroiliac joint, which disturbs the entire mechanics and movement of the horse - e.g. being higher on one side than on the other or a hunters bump. Because of this one-sided change in the positioning of the pelvis, the thigh bone is also moved into an unnatural position, which forces the entire hindquarter into a wrong and unnatural position. This has to be corrected by the rest of the body, which means other areas are working in ways they are not supposed to, thus overloading these areas. If you suspect your horse may have problems in the sacroiliac joint, you should consult a knowledgeable vet or equine therapist with expertise in this area. They will be able to help you get rid of these blockages, and get the joint back to working how it should. With any blockages in the sacroiliac joint, you must pay careful attention to the muscles surrounding the joint (i.e. the muscles through the hindquarters, particularly on the sides and around the croup). These muscle groups will also require care and possible physio therapy to repair damage and tension created by the blockage in the joint. Otherwise, any work your therapist has done to repair the blockage in the sacroiliac joint will be quickly undone. It should be noted that tension and or damage in the muscle groups around the sacroiliac joint can in itself create blockages in the joint, for example when the pull on the joint is uneven (one side is strongly favoured). Preventing problems You can prevent problems to the sensitive structure of the sacroiliac joint through responsible riding, targeting the correct building of muscles in the hindquarters, with special attention to the muscles in the inner pelvis region. A well pronounced and functional hind, in terms of its ability to collect and its load bearing capacity, will always look round through the steady build-up of muscle you should never see ‘dents’ or anything that ‘sticks out’ or looks ‘bony’. The importance of working the horse in a way that considers the integrity of its anatomical structure cannot be stressed enough. Further, muscles must be built up evenly, to counter the natural favouring of one side and evenness and straightness throughout the body. An uneven horse will not only overstrain its entire body, but the hindquarters load bearing abilities will also be diminished. A healthy, strong, and well-built muscular system can prevent many problems within the skeletal system, particularly in joints like the sacroiliac. www.sonovet-equine-therapy.com

08.01.2022 Huge congratulations to our member Lyn Plumridge!

08.01.2022 October is here and that means we’re coming to the end of our 18-19 financial year. Our final rally for the year will be Saturday 19th October which will also be our AGM. Unfortunately our club has reached a point where our membership is low and the current committee is looking for new people to take over the reins and move the club forward and onto bigger and better things. We are a wonderful club, with lovely grounds that have capacity to hold a wide range of rallies and e...vents. If you’re interested in being a part of our club, please come along to our final rally for the financial year. We will be there with our horses from 10am and the AGM will be held at midday. If you don’t want to be a part of the committee, but would still like to be involved, we will be ready to take all new memberships from 1 November. Finally, thank you to all of the members and volunteers we have had over the past year. We wouldn’t have a club without you Happy riding

08.01.2022 A Bridlepath less travelled. Several years ago my Dad introduced me to M Scott Peck’s book, ‘A Road Less Travelled’. The immortal first line, ‘Life is difficult...’ resonated strongly - life was quite difficult. However, once you accept that fact and stop wishing it wasn’t so, things become considerably easier to bear. It’s a bit of a mind bender, but as I understand it, so much of why we find things difficult is because we believe they shouldn’t be. One of the things I have learned during my life with or without horses is that no one promised you things were going to be easy. There is no law that says if you plan something it should happen. It’s why I hate all of that manifesting using positive thinking rubbish. I believe that we can take what turns up and try to make the best of it. It’s probably a whole lot better than what many other people are dealing with. When it comes to horses and horsemanship a lot of people I teach really struggle with how flipping difficult the whole thing is. And I agree, it is. Being mentally present is hard. Learning new things is really hard. Recognising your many, many mistakes is a challenge. Trying to understand the needs of this prey animal you’re working with is tough. Managing your body and emotions is never easy. Getting your head around biomechanics; discovering how it feels when your horse is in balance and when he’s not, well that’s not something that happens over night. But who on earth told you it was going to be easy?!! Did you think that you could learn how to ride a shoulder-in without hours or practice? Did your horse come with a certificate that says he’ll never get worried, or tired, or wish he could hang out with his mates? I think many of us as teachers really want to give our students a ‘good time’, so we’ll tell them what they’re doing is correct, just so they feel OK. I understand the desire to do this. I can only apologise to my students that the path we’re on doesn’t really allow for this. I also understand the longing for things to be different or better than they are now. Why do you think tack shops are full of draw reins, and harsh bits, and spurs and other paraphernalia? It is undoubtedly much easier to use these things than it is to learn how to use your legs, hands, body and mind properly. I get it. I read a brilliant blog once about how the author envied a famous rider who used rolkur (hyperflexion, or as its now called, low deep and round). How much easier it is to hold your horses head and neck in place with physical traction (and pain) than it is to learn how to develop things with a really clear understanding of how your horse feels, moves and thinks. Which in turn allows your mistakes to show up, and for the horse to demonstrate his lack of balance, or uncertainty or misunderstandings. It’s much, much easier to hold his head on his chest and not see any of this. Almost everyone I teach thinks they have the worst luck with horses. Why is it harder for me or my horse? Why does my horse have physical problems? Why does my body do this weird thing I don’t want it to do? Why is it raining so much? Why am I skint, knackered, struggling so much with learning, poulticing my horses foot again etc. etc. etc? Because, my friends, you’re part of a very special community who are trying to do something really hard. Congratulations on that. And neither you or your horse are factory fresh. It’s hard for every single one of us. All of our horses have some physical challenge. All of us have something which we don’t find so easy. Life is difficult, and in acknowledging that, maybe we can actually find things much easier. Learning requires failure, that’s built into the deal. To get better there is only one route, and that’s purposeful practice. That involves many hours which might take you down some blind allies that you’ll have to navigate your way back out of. See you there. You don’t have bad luck with horses - you have horses. If you want to see some of the things which Des has listed on his vets records (which include getting a stick stuck between his teeth, twice, in one year) I’m happy to share. There will certainly be bad days, and some good days - they’re all actually just days. Sometimes your horse is lame, sometimes he’s sound. The reason I can keep horses sounder now than I once could, and know what to do more quickly when trouble shows up, is because I’ve had so many disasters en route. I didn’t gain this knowledge by everything going swimmingly. I hope you have an enjoyable day with your horse, but whatever happens I hope you are able to remember that while life may be difficult, on the whole where horses are involved, it’s rarely boring. P.s The photo is one of my many dedicated students. P.p.s I made myself laugh with the title of this.

08.01.2022 Lots of wise words here

06.01.2022 CDARC June Committee Meeting will be held 7pm Thursday 21st June at our clubrooms. A Wattle Flat Committee Meeting will follow at approximately 7:30pm. All welcome to attend!!

05.01.2022 NOVEMBER RALLY Saturday 21st November Casual ride at Wattle Flat Reserve You must be a current full or associate member to ride. (Once off day membership option available for those who have not been a member before and would like to come and try ). ... Due to current COVID restrictions we do have to monitor numbers, so please let us know if you’d like to attend!

04.01.2022 November Rally - Saturday 16th November Trail ride from Wattle Flat grounds - BYO lunch Ride will leave approx 10am. Please RSVP if you will be attending so we know when everyone arrives Reminder: You will only be able to ride if you have a current 2019/2020 membership. Membership forms will be available on the day and payment is required before riding.

04.01.2022 Our Table Awaits! Please respond by Wednesday 13th January if you would like to attend the BDFEG Guildford Winery ride on Saturday 3rd February. $45pp Ride & L...unch. Approx. 11:00/11.30am departure from Guildford SC Grounds :) Please comment below if you are a Yes, number of people for lunch and advise when payment is made to BDFEG (by 13/01/18). See more

04.01.2022 Castlemaine Adult Riding Club Christmas Dinner 7pm, Saturday 21st December Harcourt General Store Meals must be ordered by 8pm Please RSVP to Lyn Ace by Saturday 14th December on 0418 787 336

03.01.2022 A great article about the relationship between the rider's seat and the horse's movement

02.01.2022 Even fans of feeding flax may not realize all its benefits. It's a very healthful supplemental feed item for horses of all ages, classes and uses. People usual...ly feed flax for its high omega-3 fatty acid content. There are two classes of fatty acids (the building blocks of fats) that must be in the diet, omega-3 and omega-6. Both are essential for peak immune function and the omega-3s contribute to normal homeostatic balancing of inflammatory reactions. [ 545 more words ] https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com//the-benefits-of-feed/

02.01.2022 OCTOBER RALLY & AGM Saturday 20th October Please come along to our last rally for the financial year. Bring your horses, have a ride around our grounds and join us for lunch. ... We will also be holding our Annual General Meeting at 1pm. Everyone is more than welcome to attend

01.01.2022 1st November means the new HRCAV financial year is upon us and memberships are now due! If you are interested in joining our club please PM our page, or email [email protected] for more information. We are also pleased to advise our committee for the 2018-2019 year is as follows; ... President: Bill Quirk Secretary: Alysha Mawson Treasurer: Mark Ware Happy Riding