Virginia Arabian Horse Association

01/16/2025

01/16/2025

Reality! 😂😂😂

If you can’t take a joke you should stay out of the barn 🤣🤣🤣🤣

01/14/2025

💸 Hey Youth! Start the New Year with Savings! 💸

Is saving money on your New Year’s resolution list? If not, it should be! 🎯 Check out the incredible scholarship opportunities available through AHA, USEF, the Arabian Horse Foundation, and even your own regions.

Secure your future and let your hard work with Arabian horses help fund your dreams!

👉 Explore scholarships here:https://www.arabianhorses.org/export/content.export/youth-docs/AHYA_Scholarships.pdf

Start 2025 strong—apply now and invest in your success!

01/14/2025

Region 15 is looking for volunteers to help man the Region 15 AHA booth at Horse Expo 2025. We need people to help run the booth as well as riders to bring horses to participate in the daily breed demos.

Please fill out the form(s) below if you are interested in helping out at this fun and exciting event!

Some benefits to volunteering:
1. Hours can be recorded, and volunteers can earn rewards at the end of the year through the Region 15 Volunteer Program (members 18 or older only).

2. Volunteers who ride their horses in breed demos can record their hours through the AHA ARRP Program which go towards achieving awards through riding hour milestone.

3. All volunteers, whether riding or not who are signed up for the We LOVE Arabian Horses ambassador contest, can submit points that go towards quarterly and year end awards.

4. Whether you are a trainer, Arabian lover, or just enjoy owning horses, this is a great event to network and expand contact through the horse industry as a whole.

5. Every year, all volunteers have a blast showing off their accomplishments as well as their horses to the equine community. This is a great time to really show off all your hard work to the public and encourage others to join in on the fun!

Please consider joining us for another great year at the PA Horse Expo!

Volunteer Form: https://forms.gle/E7bRfDcWgo5M4pJJ9

Rider Form: https://forms.gle/sZkCerBoPKrYyxUC7

If interested in both positions, please fill out each form.

01/13/2025

01/12/2025

Congratulations to the 2024 Distance Horse of the Year, Cheys Cocamoe Joe!

Cheys Cocamoe Joe, a 2005 purebred Arabian gelding, has become a legend in the endurance riding community, with over 11,600 miles logged to date. His exceptional stamina and agility have made him one of the top endurance horses in the sport. Some of his notable accomplishments include:

❄️ Virgin Outlaw XP Ride: Overcoming heavy snow and cold conditions, Cocamoe Joe demonstrated his resilience and determination.
🏆 Virginia City 100-miler: Completed his first 100-mile ride, showcasing his incredible endurance.
🏅 Tahoe Rim Endurance Ride: Conquered his home turf and took home the win, further cementing his status as an elite endurance horse.

Known for his agility, smooth gaits, and lightning-fast reflexes, Cheys Cocamoe Joe can navigate tight, rocky trails with ease. He’s also developed a fierce competitive spirit, especially when riding alongside other horses, which only drives him to push harder and faster.

Despite his competitive nature, his careful management and excellent care, including Select The Best supplements and Easy Boot protection, have kept him sound throughout his remarkable career. Cheys Cocamoe Joe isn’t just a talented athlete—he’s a true partner, with a loving personality that makes him a joy to ride and a beloved companion.

Here's to Cocamoe Joe’s incredible legacy and many more miles of success in the future!

01/11/2025

Do you know how your helmet is supposed to fit your head in order to protect it best? Here are some simple guidelines on how it should look, feel, and fit!

And remember, over time the protective materials your helmet is made of break down -be sure to replace your helmet every 3-5 years from the date of manufacture and immediately if your helmet takes the impact of a fall.

01/09/2025

The Effect of a Nervous Human.... one of my favorite studies!

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences looked at the effect of an increased heart rate in a human on the horse they were riding or handling.

Here's a link from the abstract... "Each horse–human pair walked or rode between points A and B (30 m) four times on each test occasion.

However, just before the fourth pass, participants were told that an umbrella⛱ would be opened as they rode, or led, the horse past the assistant.

The umbrella was not opened, so this pass was no different to the previous control occasions, but nevertheless there was an increase in HR for both the person AND the horse."

We affect our horses.

When looking at any training "issue", our first responsibility is to to know ourselves and explore if there's something we could do better.

Here's a link to the research article, unfortunately I couldn't find a full text version easily available online, but you can read the rest of the abstract here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S109002330900121X?via%3Dihub

01/09/2025

✨ The Arabian Horse Association believes in the power of YOU! ✨

We’re on a mission to amplify the Arabian breed and its vibrant community—and that starts with every one of you. We want to see how YOU enjoy your Arabian Horse and share your unique story with us. Whether it’s through training, trail riding, or simply spending time together, we want to highlight the moments that make your bond special.

By sharing your photos, you’re not only celebrating your horse, but you're also helping grow the community and ensuring the breed’s success for generations to come.

Every member plays a vital role in the success of the breed, and your involvement helps create a thriving, engaged community. Let’s work together to make our voices heard and inspire others with your passion.

Submit your favorite moments using the form below! We can’t wait to share your story with the world.

Share your story here 👉️ https://form.jotform.com/243247606664158

01/05/2025

FUN FACT FRIDAY!

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
•
Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

12/31/2024

VIRGINIA ARABIAN HORSE SHOW, MAY 30-JUNE 1, 2025