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2010 Horse Breeders and Owners Conference

January 22, 2010

Red Deer, AB --- This past weekend, the horse industry gathered in Red Deer, Alberta to take in the 28th annual Horse Breeders & Owners Conference. The exhibit hall hosted over 60 sponsoring businesses and organizations and 560 people were on-site for the socializing, seminars and networking opportunities afforded by this annual, mid-winter, equine educational event.

Friday night was the very popular "Open Barn" welcome reception hosted by Pfizer Animal Health’s Equine Division. The exhibitors had their first opportunity to speak with delegates, and delegates had the chance to catch up with old friends, make some new ones, and explore what's new and exciting in the horse industry.

Saturday’s sessions kicked off with the dynamic duo of conference favourite Bob Coleman, speaking on making the most of your feed inventory, a timely topic with Alberta’s current feed shortage, and well respected veterinarian and author, Terry Swanson, who recently released his Western Horseman book, Understanding Lameness. After the coffee break, generously sponsored by Western Horse Review, Horse Journals Inc. and the Olds Agricultural Society, lifetime yogi and horse enthusiast Janice Baxter shared her insights on yoga for equestrians; Alberta industry icons Muffy Knox and Ron Anderson discussed how to get the most enjoyment out of our time with horses; and Dennis Sigler delivered an excellent and very popular presentation on conditioning horses.

After lunch, the education continued with Quarter Horse News editor Katie Tims on our new industry reality and where the performance horse market has been, is and where it’s going; Chris Bell shared his research on sinus problems in the horse; and Dee Butterfield educated students and clinicians alike on how to create a successful clinic. Bonnie Buntain, of the University of Calgary, educated delegates on promoting and protecting horse and human health; Lindsay Grice offered coaching on stepping up to the next level; and conference favourite Lanier Cordell gave us the straight goods on making money in your horse business. Although an important aspect of the event, business topics are typically not the best attended sessions at the conference, but Lanier changed all that this year.

Saturday wrapped up with the always informative News Hour session, this year offering information on the proposed regulations for horses going into the food chain, presented by Les Burwash of Alberta Agriculture; an update on premise and equine identification presented by Rick Frederickson, also of Alberta Agriculture; information on current horse welfare projects presented by Jennifer Woods from the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada; and a presentation on Equine Canada’s national reform strategy, by Akaash Maharaj, the CEO of Equine Canada.

Saturday night offered something a little different this year with a “night at the races” sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta. “Capri Downs” was the place to be for the first ever HBOC Winter Classic, bringing “jockeys” from across the country representing many aspects of the industry. Jockeys riding in the Executive Pace, Veterinarian Stakes, Readers Derby, Aggie Sprint Classic, Trainer Stakes and Breeders Cup competed for prizes from Horse Racing Alberta and, of course, the glory. Race-goers had the opportunity to bet on their favourite competitor with the first three names out of the bucket with the winning horse receiving a prize. The evening also offered a host wine bar, desserts, and excellent music by Randi Boulton and Carl Stretton, all compliments of event sponsor Horse Racing Alberta.

For the early birds, Sunday morning at 7 offered a yoga class in the exhibit hall led by conference speaker Janice Baxter. 30 participants shook off the sandman to spend an hour stretching, balancing and learning how flexibility can impact our communication when riding.

Sunday’s first conference time slot was sponsored by Northlands and the Alberta Equestrian Federation and featured another pairing of excellent sessions with Bob Coleman presenting his second topic on nutrition, a look at why we feed what we feed; and Karen Scholl of Arizona sharing her thoughts on working with horses based on herd psychology. Later Sunday morning, researcher Stephanie Valberg presented on genetic diseases and their importance to responsible breeding; Wendy Pearson separated the “chalk from the cheese” in her session on natural supplements; and Lindsay Grice took us from the round pen to the show ring in her presentation on horse training.

Wrapping up the day with the very important SPCA Fred Pearce Memorial Lecture dedicated to the welfare of the horse, Dr. Derek Haley, now at the University of Guelph, Ontario, provided a balanced and sound argument on the topic of animal welfare and horses.

The Horse Industry Association of Alberta thanks all who attended, all who sponsored the event and the 20 presenters who brought their expertise and experience to Red Deer, Alberta. An observation made by a conference delegate, “We are so very fortunate to have an annual event of this calibre so easily accessible to Alberta's horse people."

The Horse Breeders and Owners Conference is an annual event organized by the Horse Industry Association of Alberta and sponsored by a generous group of equine organizations and businesses. For more information visit www.albertahorseindustry.ca

To hear more about sessions at the conference and listen to interviews with some speakers, tune in to the Equinely-Inclined! audio horse podcast.

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