Showcases Rare Breed and Why They Are Your Next Perfect Horse!
The Canadian Horse Expo will be held October 13, 2018 (rain date 10/14) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Harwinton Fairground, 80 Locust Road, Harwinton, CT 06791. The day will consist of under saddle/harness demonstrations, equine-related seminars, presentations about the breed and a Breeder’s Barn featuring farms, horses for sale and stallions standing at stud from Canada and the US. There will also be vendors and food onsite. Entry is $5 for those 14 and over. For children under 14, there is a voluntary donation. For more information or to check on event updates, see our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/canadianhorseexpo
The little known Canadian Horse is the oldest distinct breed in N. America and is listed as critically endangered by both the Livestock Conservancy and the Equus Survival Trust. This horse was bred for versatility, athleticism, stamina and soundness. And they are beautiful! Often referred to as “the affordable Warmblood” (Canadians are warmblood eligible) or “the reasonably priced Friesian,” this breed has the looks and the power to perform at the highest levels of competition while still being “in your pocket” enough to be the family horse. Today, they are used for everything from dressage, eventing, working equitation and foxhunting to competitive trail riding, barrels/roping, driving – even Civil War re-enactment and ski joering!
The Canadian has a colorful history, starting at the stables of King Louis XIV through the founding of Canada to helping win the American Civil War. They have almost gone extinct twice in their 350+ year history and today the population hovers around 6500. The eighteenth century Canadian historian Etienne Faillon described the breed as “robust, hocks of steel, thick mane flowing in the wind, bright and lively eyes, pricking sensitive ears… going along day or night with the same courage, wide awake beneath its harness, spirited, good, gentle, affectionate, following his road with the finest instinct to come surely to his own stable.”
Today, the Livestock Conservancy (the US association for endangered livestock breeds) describes them as “solid and well-muscled, with a well-arched neck set high on a long, sloping shoulder. The overall impression is one of a round, sturdy and well-balanced horse [that is] energetic without being nervous.”
For more information on the history and breed standards, see https://tinyurl.com/Livestock-Conservancy or The Canadian Horse Breeders Association: www.lechevalcanadien.ca
The Expo is actively seeking vendors, sponsors, volunteers and participants. Contacts are:
- Vendors/Sponsors/Advertising: Susan Neal, [EMAIL="wiccawayfarm@aol.com"]wiccawayfarm@aol.com[/EMAIL], (607) 279-0403
- Media Inquiries/General Show Management and Questions: Margo Killoran, [EMAIL="threefoldfarm@comcast.net"]threefoldfarm@comcast.net[/EMAIL], 978-697-7910
- Show Participant Registration: Lise Krieger: [EMAIL="lisekrieger@comcast.net"]lisekrieger@comcast.net[/EMAIL], (203) 685-2308
- Volunteers: Melissa Larson, [EMAIL="rivermurph@gmail.com"]rivermurph@gmail.com[/EMAIL], (860) 309-5231
- Seminar Presenters: Liz Piacentini, [EMAIL="equestrianliz@comcast.net"]equestrianliz@comcast.net[/EMAIL], (413) 386-5600
