Letter From President

Good morning all.

This Saturday's (April 9th) Demonstration & lessons at Meadowlark Bluff Farms (my farm) is cancelled due to the weather forecast. So far they are saying that the rain will continue until late morning. I cannot take the chance of anyone getting injured on property, and really want everyone to enjoy watching our members in the lesson. We have re-scheduled the Presentation for the Daughters of Norway for Saturday, May 14th @ 11:00am. We also need to reschedule our lessons. FSS has lost 3 lesson days already this year due to the weather. Rider safety is of utmost importance, and footing of the arenas is a part of being safe.

Our horse show is on for May 1st, and starts @ 9:00am. We will ride the Saturday before the lesson, and can help members who are interested how to prep their horse/themselves for a horse show if they would like. I have heard from most of you about helping with the horse show. Tell all of your horsey friends about our show & help make it a busy one. We have had the best turnout from the students of Great Oaks High School, and other members of our local community that are interested in helping the day of the show. Our judge is booked ($350.00), and we need to order the ribbons ASAP. Premiums are being printed up tomorrow.

Some donations have come into FSS, and are available for purchase. I have English & Western items at my place. These have been solicited by lots of hours of texting, and monitoring local trade publications. If you know anyone who wants to donate any items to FSS have them call me or email me. We do provide a tax write off to approved donations.

Please monitor our web site. Gayle Lawrence has been doing a great job keeping it fresh. If you have any items you would like to put for sale please contact Gayle. Her email is listed on this email. If you are a member of FSS you get to advertise for FREE!

Oh, we have started our "VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH" award. For the month of February LISA HASLER is our VOTM! She lives in Fallbrook, and took the time to help out our little non-profit. Oh, Lisa is in love with one of our minis "Moe". She has groomed, and walked him all over the neighborhood here. He was a wild man, and was a stallion when we received him. Now he is gelded, and is calm while being groomed and led. (Moe still likes the ladies though...and still thinks he is a stallion!)

I feel 2011 is the year our little non-profit gets back on its feet. Thank you for caring and helping.

Respectfully,

Jayne Woellhof-Olson

Letter from the President

Good morning FSS members & friends,

It looks like Saturday's lesson is a wash out. No pun intended! The forecast is for heavy rain at times, gusty wind, and cold. Not a good combination for lessons, and with the amount of rain we may get the footing at the field is probably "iffy".

We could hold a meeting at 10:00am to discuss what FSS has planned for the year, and would love to brain storm some other ideas that you may have. Does this sound like something you would like to do? Please let me know.

Oh, I've had a cute Paint mare at my home for a week. Surfir Girl is an awesome mare, and hopefully by the weekend will have a forever home. Funds from horse placement go to help pay for our summer camp (new date to be announced when I hear from the board at Rider's Field), horse shows, insurance for the year, and other events we may have coming up in the future.

Jayne
(760)685-6635


Oh, Dr. Daniel Grove (vet)...is offering 10% discount on his services if you are a FSS member. How cool is that?

Letter from the President

Good morning Fallbrook Silver Spurs members, and friends. It has been a busy beginning of the year. FSS has hit the ground, and is off and running to a great start for 2011!

First of all FSS will be holding a meeting at my home (1020 N. Stage Coach Ln., Fallbrook, CA) this Tuesday night (February 8th), at 6:30pm. It is hard to get everyone on the same page for meetings. Please let me know if you can attend. We will be discussing the goals for FSS for '11, and how to reach them. We will also be discussing the new membership application, and payment for lesson plan.

FSS has been driving all over San Diego Co., and Riverside Co., looking at possible donation horses. If you or your friends and family have a "wish list" for a horse...PLEASE LET US KNOW! It has been raining horses as of late. We have looked at some nice horses, and have found a great home for a beautiful Dutch Warmblood already this year. Yesterday, I looked at a sweet Paint mare who would make a super trail horse, and gymkhana horse.

FSS has lots of good ideas for '11, but also would appreciate your input on what you would like to see this year. Our summer camp has to be rescheduled due to school conflicts, and whether or not we hold a Spring Show is up to the membership. Remember, this is your club, and it is as good as you help make it. :)

Humbly,
Jayne Woellhof-Olson

Ry Ry Cover Girl for Catalog

Okay friends & family!!!! For those of you who don't know Ry Ry (Anika Reidun) is the cover girl for the 2011 Hodges Badge Company's Catalog. Chelsea U., a young girl who rode her at a FSS show sent this picture in to the Hodges Badge photo contest & this won!!!!! So happy, and thrilled that a fjord is featured for the year of 2011!!!! Oh, and no I didn't trim the mane.
Jayne Woellhof-Olson
President, Fallbrook Silver Spurs
Meadowlark Bluff Farms - owner
1020 N. Stage Coach Ln.
Fallbrook, CA 92028

Letter From Fallbrook Silver Spurs President

Good evening FSS members and friends! Sorry it has taken me so long to get to all of you, but due to a bout with being "out of it" (gone several weeks out of town, and then Pneumonia) for the past month I am hopefully on the mend, and back to the reality of life.

First, FSS isn't going to hold their Fall Open Schooling Show. Finances are not on our side, and I feel it isn't worth the gamble to put on the show. We are not guaranteed a big turnout, and the ribbons will cost at least $400.00. The judge costs $350.00, and that doesn't include other expenses, field preparation, registration booth, etc.... I am just starting to feel a little better, and don't want to get sick again. We need to plan for next year's shows. Fallbrook Rider's Field is holding a scheduling meeting in November, and I have to give them our intended summer camp, horse show, and lessons dates.

We still are having lessons at the field. Coming in November we are having a lesson at the Grand Opening of Avante Hill Farm in Bonsall. They are getting their property ready for us to ride in their nice arenas & Dressage court. Kristie Bigham will be teaching the lesson there on November 6th. We haven't worked out a time yet, but that will be forthcoming. Once again, I need to know if we will have a big turnout so that I can book the lessons appropriately. I have to have the proper level of rider with the number of riders per lesson organized. This determines whether or not I have a second trainer show up. If you are a member of FSS, but not a member of Fallbrook Rider's Field you still may attend this ride. You just have to sign a release for Avante Hill Farm. Maybe we can have a potluck for the group...Any suggestions?

Our Annual Holiday Party & Award Party is scheduled for December 11th (Saturday). We haven't decided where to hold the party yet, but if you have an extra big room you would like to share with the group for this event let me know. Once again please let me know how many are attending, and the dinner is potluck. FSS provides the main meat dishes, and we have a blast with the Award Ceremony. FSS usually likes to have a talent show at our party, so if you have some special talent/skill let me know. You wouldn't believe how talented our group is!

Oh, on Saturday, December 4th if the Fallbrook Parade. This is a nighttime parade. Does FSS want to participate??? Richard has a long flatbed trailer that we can pull behind my truck. He also has a small generator to use for electricity for X-mas lights. FSS has a red barn in our storage unit @ Rider's Field. We could put together a really cute float & let the families ride on it for the parade. Any suggestions???

See a lot going on with FSS. If you know of any families that want to join with us and ride I only have to say "The more the merrier". Any questions you have for me feel free to call or email me.

Respectfully,

Jayne Woellhof-Olson

mbffjords@gmail.com

(760)685-6635

fallbrooksilverspurs.org

P.S.

For those of you who missed the year end meeting of Fallbrook Rider's Field...you missed "something else". We had a great representation with Cheri Bell, Mallory Thompson, Gayle Lawrence, Richard Williamson, Felicia Anderson, Rob Williamson (Felicia's honey), Nelda Leon, Clint (Dr. Dawn's honey), and myself. We had more representation than any other sub-set of FRInc. Thank you for being there to show the Board that this is a community field that we care about.

P.S.S....

If any of you have any of my books/video/DVD's from my private equine library I truly would appreciate them returned. We do have some new membership that are really interested in learning more about riding, and horse care. Thanx. :)

P.P.S.S....

Please take a look at our new web site: fallbrooksilverspurs.org. Gayle Lawrence has spent a lot of time on this, and it looks great. Did you know as a member of FSS you can use the classified ad section for free? Also we have a blog, and would love to have our membership tell us more about how they got into horses, and a little more about their mounts/skills. FSS also has a facebook page.

Fallbrook Silver Spurs: The Beginning

A little bit of insight from Fallbrook Silver Spurs President, Jayne Olson:

"In 1996 I was in the middle of a bad custody battle
with my ex-husband. I had just purchased an old
California ranch home on three acres in Fallbrook,
CA. My daughter was turning ten, and was in love
with playing with toy horses. She saw an open area
with some fencing on the property, and said
"Mommy, we could get some horses." For her
birthday I got her a private lesson to learn how to
ride. After the lesson I could tell something was
different about her. She was her bubbly, happy self
for the first time in a long time. For over a year the
divorce was hard on everyone, but my daughter
seemed to have the hardest time adjusting. She was
carrying a burden of some sort, and I didn't know
what it was. After the lesson she was herself again.
We signed up for group riding lessons after seeing
this change. When she was brushing the ponies she
would talk to them. One day I walked close by, and
heard her telling the pony her secrets. It was about
how she was feeling about the divorce, and things
she thought she couldn't tell me. She could tell the
pony. Sad as this was, I realized how therapeutic
this was for her. From then on out I found a way to
finance my daughter's lessons.



In December of 2001 I purchased my first fjord,
and it only took several weeks to figure out how
unique this breed is. Katrine (aka Katy) came to me
by strange circumstance. I won't go into that now.
That is another story! I really didn't know what a
fjord was, but thought I had seen one at a Pony Club
Rally earlier in the year. My horse breed book was
pulled off of the shelf, and I tried to find the Fjord
Horse. I found Fjord in the Pony section. After
doing some fast reading and research I decided to


jump in and buy Katrine. Katy was seven and a half
years old, barely halter broke, and worse of all was a
"pet". She did jump into my trailer without
hesitation. Within three months she was attending
Open Shows with my trainer riding her in walk/trot,
Halter, and walk/jog. I had owned every breed of
horse before purchasing Katy, and was very
impressed with her. Yes, she is stubborn, and the
alpha over my other five fjords, but she is worth her
weight in gold when it comes to working with
children.

A friend of mine had started a new equestrian
non-profit in 2001 that catered to youth, and
affordable instruction. Our daughter's rode together
in the local Pony Club. She talked me into being the
Secretary, and my new husband into being the
Treasurer. My friend then had some issues in her
life, and quit doing the work as the President, as well
as her husband quit being the Vice President, and
another friend who was the Board Member at Large
also never showed up or assisted the club. So it was
my husband and I running the non-profit, and
the "friend" what was the absentee President
wouldn't let us put anyone else in office. One of the
trainers was quite the organizer, and helped
tremendously with fundraising, and
hosting Schooling Shows. We had drummed up over
40 families in the Fallbrook area to ride in the lesson
program of this group. This went on for several
years, and in 2004 a new non-profit was started
called "Fallbrook Silver Spurs". Lessons cost $25.00
per month for two lessons. "A" circuit instructors
teach the group, several Schooling Shows are hosted
yearly, as well as a three day summer camp, and
educational clinics.

What I am most proud of with Fallbrook Silver
Spurs is the sponsoring of children for our
Scholarship Program. The children who have
qualified in the past have had terrible things happen
to them. They may have had cancer, or their parents
are in prison or may be dead, and their grandparents
are raising them. Some parents have had many
surgeries, lost their jobs, or just are disabled, and do
not have the finances to have their child ride. There
are lots of sad stories that go along with the
Scholarship children. This is where my fjords come
in. Katy, Ry Ry, (Anika Reidun), MBF Kisha, and
OH Stors are lesson/camp veterans. Katy is the
consummate professional. She is now 16, and for
the past six years has helped more than 30 children
and adults achieve their dreams of riding and
showing in English, Western, Trail, showing Halter,
Cross Country, Trail, and low Hunter jumping.

On May 16th, 2010 Katy and Ry Ry had three
girls show them in English, and Western at the
Spring Open Schooling Show that was co-sponsored
by Fallbrook Silver Spurs and Sundance Hills
Equestrian Center. This was the first show for two
of them, and a second show for another. They faired
well without much coaching (I was stuck in the
announcer's booth all day), and let the fjords do what
they do best. Many ribbons are now lining the walls
of their rooms. Katy did Halter, English, Western,
and Trail with two of the girls. Ry Ry did Western
classes with another. Ry Ry did win "Naked Trail".
Ask me later...ha, ha!! My proudest moment at the
show was watching one of the girls assist the other
girls, students, care for the fjords, show Katy, and
helped take down the show. She had a smile on her
face the whole time. Felicia was my first
Scholarship child. She has come in and out of my
life for over six years, and here she is at 19 years of
age helping the other younger girls. She was giving
back without me asking her to. Her life hasn't been
an easy one, and seeing her take charge of the
younger girls to help them made my heart swell with
pride.

This June 17, 18, and 19th is Fallbrook Silver
Spur's Summer Camp. Adults as well as children are
encouraged to attend. Camp costs only $25.00 for
two lessons a day. This year Vaulting has been
added to the agenda as well as English, Western,
Dressage, and low jumping. A trail course will be
set up with a deep water crossing for attendees to
practice on. You will see Katy, Ry Ry, MBF Kisha,
and OH Stors there. I think Katy is going to become
a Vaulting horse this year! Fallbrook Silver Spurs is
sponsoring two little girls from the Boys and Girls
Club of North County San Diego for camp. Who
knows ....maybe there will be other fjords attending
this year! If you would like information about camp
email me @: mbffjords@gmail.com or call
(760)731-3268."


(From the "Spring 2010 Vestlandshest Newsletter")

O.H. Stors

O.H. Stors just showed up at Meadowlark Bluff Farms quite unexpectedly. He had been a young breeding stallion (MVF Erlend X Braggen) in Ramona, CA area, was gelded, and sold to a nice family in Rancho Santa Fe. While in Rancho Santa Fe he went from barely being under saddle to training Second Level Dressage in eight months.

In September of 2005 Vestlandshest USA sponsored a NFHR evaluation at Fallbrook Riders Field. O.H. Stors had been with MBF less that half a year. He took an 83 (blue) in Conformation and Movement. The next day he took a 74 (red) in his Introductory Riding Test - English. Stors was ridden by my 18 year old daughter Tauryn Herber. At the 2009 Vestlandshest USA NFHR evaluation in Fallbrook Stors took an 82 (blue) in his Introductory Riding Test - Western. When he came to our barn he had to be restarted in training. Stors is a very sensitive fjord, and is definitely an Intermediate plus horse. He requires a strong, well trained rider. Stors does have beautiful ground manners, and that makes up for his "energetic disposition" in the ring. He is very forward, and his great action makes him unbelievable at dressage, and pleasure.

O.H. Stors was signed up for the Register of Excellence Program in 2005. This award is given to Fjord horses who have accumulated 100 points in halter, and performance classes. A year after we signed him into the program he had 70 points. Due to the lack of fjord shows in So. California we started O.H. Stors in Open Shows. Our trainers would show him like an Arab horse in halter classes. This allows the judges to see his beautiful movement. He also places well in Pleasure Classes, and would win many English Country Pleasure Classes. Some of my proudest show moments with Stors was in Winona, MN at the Silver Anniversary in 2006. Tauryn showed him under saddle against other fjords from all over the North American Continent. Stors took a first in his Training Level Dressage Test, and took Reserve Champion over all scores ridden in Dressage. He also took a second place in Halter in the 4year and up Geldings. There were 19 entries in this class. In 2009 O.H. Stors received his Register of Excellence Award. This award will be indicated by means of an "E" after the horse's name on his registration papers. Winners of the award receive a certificate and a trophy, and are permanently listed by the NFHR.

The NFHR has more information on the Register of Excellence Award on it's web site: