FHANA Recreational use program award

We hope everyone is enjoying their Friesians this year.  Did you know that FHANA has a recreational use program award for riding and/or driving your horse?  If you are in the saddle and/or on the box keep a record of your minutes/hours.  Show events do not qualify as they are rewarded in our performance awards, but any activity such as parades, riding/driving lessons, trail riding, training, clinics etc. certainly do.  If you are in the saddle or driving you can log your time to go towards the recreational use program.

The “FHANA Recreational Use” page, under the “Awards” menu on the FHANA website has a link to print a recording form, so you can keep an accurate record of your hours. We recommend keeping it in your tack room and filling it out after each recreational use. Once you achieve one of the milestone levels and submit your paperwork to the office, you will get a lapel pin for the milestone hours reached and also asked for a photo and write up to appear in the Friesian magazine, as well as notice on the FHANA website, in our E-News, and on our social media pages.

We currently have milestones set at 250 hours, 500 hours, 750 hours and 1000 hours.  These are cumulative hours not per year and can be submitted at any time during the year once you reach a milestone. From a recommendation by the membership committee, the sports committee is discussing expanding the program to include 50 and 100 hour milestones as well, so please keep an eye out on social media and the website award menu for news regarding changes to the program.

Article submitted by Sports Committee member Teresa Guest of Midlothian, TX

Picture 1:This is Sharon O’Lexey Bechler trail riding her 17 year old Ster Mare Tara J at Yosemite National Park.

Picture 2: Here is Rachel Kafka-Oberweis getting ready to drive a team of Friesians around Mackinac Island sight seeing with her boss.  Photo courtesy of Debbie Kafka