A Letter from the Adirondack Miniature Horse Club President

 Dear Miniature Horse Fans,

 The Adirondack Miniature Horse Club had a spectacular first year in 2005.  The phrase I keep saying, to myself or to anyone else nearby, is, “We did it!”  We affiliated with the World Class Miniature Horse Registry,  wrote bylaws to guide us, got the word out about the club through a mailing donated by Dave Eglin of Diamond D Miniatures, got sponsors and printed a beautiful class list/brochure thanks to Dan Kirk, held a spring clinic led by Cristal Wheeler, got our feet wet (yes, literally as well as figuratively) at our May schooling show judged by Cristal Wheeler, marched in a parade for Lexington Center, held a first ever show at Summer Field Farm, participated in a benefit show for Lynn Cross’s Little Brook Farm, as well as a Halloween show at Clover Ridge Farm.

 Getting this club up and running was a big task in itself.  Add to that the fact that this was the first time in the show ring for many, if not most, of us—horses and handlers.  Wow-we did it!  There I go again….  I am so proud of all who put in so many hours of hard work, who went outside their comfort zone, who dared to try something new, who contributed resources. 

  Most of all, we had a good time, we had fun.  Yes, we have show ribbons and year-end High Point awards, but they are only symbols of friendships strengthened or created, laughter and smiles during all the hard work, plans and ideas shared and brought to life.  And we owe our good times to our horses—they were always forgiving of our mistakes, ready to show the results of our hours of training, giving us thrills and lessons whether we had expected them or not.  I believe that the good times only happened because we were with our miniatures.  They are so personable, funny, smart, and tuned-in to people. 

 The horses were the reason the club came to be, of course.  Shows were too far away and we mostly had “backyard” minis, not large farms.  In fact, locally, the number of people owning minis had increased recently. We needed local opportunities for learning and practice.  We needed a way to get our minis out of the backyard without mortgaging the property.  So, we did it! 

 All the members contributed in so many ways, but I especially want to thank the other officers, Cristal Wheeler as Vice-President, Julie Kirk as Secretary, Lisa Duesler as Treasurer, and Wendy O’Shea as Public Relations.  They put in hours and hours in their roles and always did so willingly.  They are terrific people to work with.

  We are already making plans for our second season with more informal gatherings, drives, and clinics as well as shows.  Whoopee, I can’t wait!  If you are thinking you want to learn more about minis, do more activities with them, and have more fun with them and with other like-minded people, consider joining the Adirondack Miniature Horse Club.  You will be glad to be able to say, “I did it!”

 Warmest Regards,

Becky Montano