Giddy-Up! BCRA Monthly Newsletter - October 2022
It's Getting Spooky at the Barn!
Boo! We are kicking off the Halloween season, barn-style, with two fun events coming up: Boo! At the Barn this Sunday, Oct 2 from 11 AM - 2 PM and Barn Owls (& Bats & Cats) on Saturday, October 8th from 5:30 - 9:00 PM! See details below!
The theme for this month is Spooky Safety! With dusk falling earlier and our crepuscular and nocturnal animal neighbors venturing out more often, October is a month for mindfulness and extra care - horses spook all the time, even when it’s not Halloween! From squirrels, to scary branches, to shadows or a pole that wasn’t there yesterday, it will happen when you least expect it, so it’s important to go over how to ride through these moments. Building off of Safety September, you will learn about the different kinds of spooks that can happen and how to ride through and manage each one if it ever happens. You will get to have an open conversation with trainers about their experiences and your own and how to be as prepared as possible. We will continue to address and revisit tools of safety: whether it is to practice emergency dismounting, or going over the different kinds of obstacles a rider might face while in the saddle when a deer jumps out, the goal will be brush up on any and all spooks you may encounter, ghostly or not!
Upcoming October classes and opportunities for Academy students:
Events
Sunday, October 2nd, 11 AM - 2 PM: Boo at the Barn
Kick off the Spooky Season with our second annual Halloween horse parade. See all the details here. We are excited for the horse costume parade - thank you to the families working on their costumes!
We need more volunteers for the other activities including the horse shoe art table and mimosa station: please text the Academy if you can help for a bit!
Saturday, September 10th, 5:30 - 9 PM: Barn Owls
Treat yourself to a little Saturday night out, and drop off your equestrians for a Halloween themed night at the barn! Click here for more information: www.bellcanyonequestriancenter.com/barnowls. Spaces are limited, so sign up soon!
Classes
10/8, 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Horse Anatomy I: Rerun
This class covers parts of the body and basic anatomy, such as shoulder, point of shoulder, whither, hock, knee, ribs, dock, girth, stifle, poll, croup, stifle, point of buttock, haunch, etc.
10/15, 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Course Design II
Students will learn the basics of designing a simple course and why courses are designed in certain ways. They will work with a trainer to create something functional and get the opportunity to ride through it during the their next lesson.
10/22, 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Tacking I
Learn the basics of tacking solo or hone your tacking skills in this class exclusively for practicing and building the muscle memory to make you better, more effective, and more efficient at tacking. Students will learn how to apply different kinds of equipment and how to handle behavioral issues that might come up during the process.
Opportunities
10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26
Wednesday Barn Rats with Katrina Available to Academy Students Only*
*No non-Academy siblings or friends; non-students are instead welcome to join us during Barn Owls nights. There is no charge for Barn Rats.
Immerse yourself in all things horses every Wednesday evening, 4:30 - 6:00 PM.
Our "Barn Rats" will be learning about all the responsibilities of horse care and barn maintenance in a fun way! Each week, our Rats will be working on an array of barn chores like tack cleaning, washing horses, washing saddle pads, making supplement buckets, cleaning up barn aisle ways, and more. If your student is enrolled in the Bell Canyon Riding Academy, they are encouraged to join us for extra grooming, tacking, or learning opportunities. Barn Rats also have the opportunity to hang in the club house and meet other riders or help with jump crew in the arena at the end of lessons.
For classes and activities, sign up sheets will be on the board next to the Hitching Post (our clubhouse room).
Reminder: Proper Barn Attire
Please make sure to have your Equestrians wear their riding attire and bring their own helmets, paddock boots, etc. Ask your instructor if you need help deciding what to get! BCEC helmets will only be offered for new students for the first few lessons.
Reminder: Tuition Payments Go to Tara
Please remit payment directly to Tara in the Baymare Room. If the room is closed, there is a secure drop off slot for payments. Payments are DUE by your child’s first lesson of each month, so in order to make sure there is no disruption in your child’s schedule, please make sure to remit your payment on time! Please include your child’s name on the memo line. If you would like to set up automatic Square payments for tuition, please see Tara. Thank you!
Riding Academy Curriculum
We love to see all of our Equestrians bringing their journals to their lessons and taking their instructor’s written advice! If you still need a journal or a lanyard, please make sure you talk with your instructor about the Riding Academy binders and lanyards. Dakota will also continue to reach out to parents for our remaining conferences. Be on the lookout for texts from her to talk about your young rider and their goals and dreams!
Fall Lessons
We will be moving to more semi-private and group lessons over the semester. Talk with your instructor if you are interested.
Thank you for your continued support of the Bell Canyon Riding Academy and Equestrian Center Community as we move into this frightfully fun time of year!
Happy riding,
The BCRA Team