Welcome to the Athens Area Horse Community (AAHC) April 2021 newsletter! The cold and rainy weather seems to have mostly passed us by, yellow pollen is coating every exposed outdoor surface, and show season is in full swing. Saddles are being cleaned/oiled and horse trailers are getting maintenance and repairs as we all search for new opportunities to trail ride or just enjoy the nice weather with our best friends – two and four legged! Scroll down to read about our new classifieds section, check out our member and organization features, upcoming events, and much more. Make sure you give some well deserved love to our newsletter sponsor – Clean Horse Blankets. Sponsor support is invaluable to us as we work to bring this service at no cost to you and the rest of the local community.
We did a poll in the AAHC Facebook group decided that “local horse community” would be defined as an hour or so drive from Athens.
Please help us grow by forwarding this newsletter to other local horse community members!
To sign up for future newsletters, please fill out the form at this link.
Upcoming Local Events
April is another busy month with lots of opportunities to ride outside of showing! Adding an event to our calendar is easy and we depend on people like you to help keep us in the know! Send us an email at athensareahorsecommunity@gmail.com. Visit the AAHC Upcoming Events page to learn how to add the calendar to your app or Gmail account.
New on the AAHC website this month
Classified Ads Section!
We are very excited about the new classifieds section of the website. It is currently free to list an ad. Click the link to learn more about how to submit an ad or to browse the local ads.
Ask a Pro – Nutrition and Hooves
This month the Ask-a-Pro question asked how nutrition is connected to hoof condition. Click to learn about changes you can make to your horse’s diet that may improve their hooves.
Coming soon – HIP-U classes!
The Horse Industry Professional University is designed to empower, elevate and educate professionals in the horse industry. They want to help everyone – from the new entrepreneurs to the seasoned pros thrive.
Our April Newsletter Sponsor – Clean Horse Blankets
Clean Horse Blankets is your local blanket wash, waterproofing, and repair service. Formerly Killian Branch Equine Laundry and Repair. Local pickup and delivery options. We are grateful to Clean Horse Blankets for sponsoring this newsletter, please show them some love for supporting us as we work to grow the community.
If you are interested in sponsoring a future newsletter, send an email to athensareahorsecommunity@gmail.com.
Member Feature – Karen Czarick
This month we are thrilled to feature community member Karen Czarick of Dancing Horse Farm. Click to read about this eventer and horse trainer, painter and professor at UGA.
We want to feature members of the community in every newsletter. If you want to submit someone for a feature, send us an email.
Organization Feature – Kel-mac Saddle Club
Kel-mac offers 4 all-breed shows per year, monthly meetings with educational topics, and an active trail riding group. Click to read more about this saddle club with a 45 year history.
We want to feature organizations serving the community in every newsletter. If you want to recommend an organization for a feature, send us an email!
Need a smile? Check out this gallery of photos from the local community.
We asked the AAHC Facebook group to share photos of their horses being silly in honor of April Fools Day. Our Facebook group is very active with multiple posts per day. If you are on FB, be sure to check out the AAHC page and group!
Visit AthensAreaHorseCommunity.com
Volunteer Opportunities
Follow this link to connect with local non-profits, shows, and intern opportunities.
Ride
Click to check out our map of local riding venues – from trails to covered arenas. Oh, and adding your venue is easy with Google Maps.
Local Merchants
We have compiled a list of local businesses to help you find the help you need in Athens.
Our community by the numbers
1037
AAHC Facebook Page followers
860
AAHC Facebook group members
57
signed up to get this newsletter via email
290
People read the March newsletter on the AAHC website
Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horsingaroundinAthens
With the third newsletter under my belt, I feel like I am just starting to get in the swing of things. I have barely uncovered the edge of what works and what does not work, lol. Because I have been reading answers to our FB group admission questions for nearly 10 years, I know that a lot of members in the Athens Area Horse Community keep their horses at home and ride mainly for pleasure. If you are one of those people, I would love to chat with you. How can the admins help you and your horses? What are you curious about? Do you ride english or western or not at all? Have an idea for us? You can reach me at athensareahorsecommunity@gmail.com.
See you at the barn! – Amanda McCoy