Brett Thoms
Luskville April 29, 2023
The Association équestre du Pontiac held its annual tack sale and an equestrian day at the Luskville Community Centre last Saturday.
The event saw a saw of variety of horsemanship-related products, various presentations and events, and a mock horse archery session.
We had a great day with a lot of vendors, a lot of tack sales, a lot of products related to horsemanship”, said Victoria Mestres-Laurin, volunteer with Association équestre du Pontiac. “We had a presentation on ground pole work, a presentation on all the preceding for the process of purchasing a horse, a presentation about natural hemp bedding for farm animals, we have had games and colouring contests and draws every hour.”
Overall some 150 people came through the door.
“It is a great association,” said Mestres-Laurin. “It’s not only about community, it is about helping each other. There are a lot of horses without a vet. So what the association is doing and creating a lot of organizing a lot of clinics on first aid and prevention.”
Funds were raised at the event through a $50 booth charge for the event.
The horse archery game that concluded equestrian day was done by Horses of the Sun, a Vars-based farm that provides horsemanship training.
They brought electronic exercise horses, which are devices that mimic the movements one would experience on horseback. Participants then tried to shoot a bow and arrow at the target while moving. The gyrations of the device were adjusted to different speeds, making hitting the target harder.
“It’s moving, it’s shaking, it challenges them to increase their coordination,” said Uwe Schneider of Horses of the Sun. “It prepares them for shooting on a country horse. It’s quite a step, going from the ground, where everything is stable and solid onto something which moves.”
Schneider explained how horse archery can just be a recreational activity like it was that day or a fairly intense competitive sport.
On May 13, the Association équestre du Pontiac will hold a Cowboy Challenge Workshop.
Visit their Facebook page for more info.
