Equestrian enthusiasts on the Central Coast have been lucky enough to experience a picture perfect start to spring, I for one am enjoying some warmer weather after quite the winter! It’s time to work on those biceps and grooming muscles as we finish extracting those final layers of shedding hair off our equine friends (which inevitably relocates directly into my eyeballs for the rest of the day!) There’s plenty of great local shows and events coming up this month so be sure to check some of them out. Now is a great time to head out and hit your local trails, most of which are starting to dry up a little so get out and enjoy the beautiful spring bloom in your area.

Meet the Central Coast of California Arabian Horse Association

The Central Coast of California Arabian Horse Association was formed by local Arabian Horse owners to further the enjoyment of the Arabian breed and increase the knowledge, care, and safe use of the Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse. The club is an avenue for members to share their common interests and celebrate diversity within the horse community. The club (which is affiliated with the national Arabian Horse Association of America) is open to Arabian and Half-Arabian horse owners, fans with horses of other breeds, and people who don’t own horses. The horse world is littered with people of many backgrounds: the young and those with more years, the very rich and those who save on other things to support a horse, those with thousands of acres and those with just one horse on an acre; together we share the same love of the horse.
The CCCAHA invites all to join in the enjoyment of life with horses. Many members take advantage of the trails and beaches for pleasure riding, either independently or throughout the year at organized events. Trail riders take part in competitive trail rides and even endurance rides between 25 and 100 miles. For many the motto is,”to finish is to win,” with the goal to finish in better condition or in a faster time than before. The CCCAHA provides local Open All Breed Horse Show series for exhibitors with a competitive spirit. These shows have open, all breed classes  for jumping, hunter, western, halter, driving, handling, trail, pony/very small equine, lead line, and Arabian classes.  Walk-trot classes are provided for all ages. For more information on this fun group and how to join visit www.cccaha.org or their Facebook pageant catch up on all the upcoming events including the May Trail Ride in Santa Margarita.

Cal Poly Performance Horse Sale and Preview

The upcoming Quarter Horse Enterprise Project and Sale is managed entirely by Cal Poly students. This year, 27 Cal Poly horses will be in the sale with 25 students in the class heading up the organisation of the sale in addition to presenting and preparing the horses. Students have on average spent the last 4-5 months training them for the sale, some of which have been bred by the program in addition to some donated horses. The goal is to produce a versatile, quiet and talented horse that can be used for a variety of equine activities. The proceeds from this sale will support the equine educational programs at the school. This is a fantastic opportunity to support our local students who strive to better the lives of these horses whilst learning skills ‘on the job’, ensuring these students graduate with the best opportunity to succeed in the super competitive horse industry.

May Calendar

May 5 Doreen and Kent Gilmore Memorial Dressage Show, hosted by CDS San Luis Obispo Chapter at Golden Hills Farm, Paso Robles. Traditional and Western Dressage classes offered, Judge Brent Hicks, 8- 5pm. Visit www.equestrianentries.com for on-line entries and www.slocds.org for the premium.
May 11 CCCAHA Spring Trail Ride, La Riata Ranch, Pozo Rd, Santa Margarita. Event starts at 9am contact Ashley Dillard at jadillard@live.com for more information.
May 11– 12 Spring Fling Schooling Show at the Paso Robles Horse Park. Great schooling experience and look out for added new Thoroughbred multi- show competitions. Visit www.pasorobleshorsepark.com for more information.
May 16- 19 Rosé in May (B rated show) Paso Robles Horse Park, enjoy watching Medal Finals and other great jumper classes as this B- Show series kicks off. Visit www.pasorobleshorsepark.com for more information.
May 19 Twin Rivers Ranch One Day Horse Trials, Combined Test and Schooling Rounds. Visit www.twinrivershorsepark.com for more information. 8715 N River Rd, Paso Robles.
May 24-26 Parkfield Rodeo, V6 Ranch Parkfield again hosts this fun event including branding, barrel racing, roping, steer stopping, team sorting and saddle bronc riding. Visit the Parkfield Rodeo Facebook page for more information.
May 31– June 1 Cal Poly Performance Horse Sale and Preview. Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. Meet and greet Saturday, Live auction Sunday. Visit their Facebook page for more information on the event. Saturday preview starts at 3.30pm with the Silent Auction and riding demos/clinic at 4:00pm. Sale Day is Sunday, Lunch 12:00pm, Preview 1:00-2:00pm, Silent auction closes 2:00pm, Auction Starts 2:30pm.
June 1, 10am-12pm Equus Coaching Demonstration with Master Facilitators Kasia Roether and Jutta Thoerner, in partnership with the Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching®, in Paso Robles, CA at  the Nacimiento Ranch. No previous horse experience (or riding) required. Please wear closed toe shoes to the event. Each Equus Demo Day event is designed to make the transformative power of Equus Coaching® not only affordable—but accessible—for all. It’s only $25. Invite your friends and family to join us for this fun, meaningful event. Have a question? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at info@equine-experience.com.  or call 805-975-5443.