NHS Educational Programs
&
Monthly Meeting Schedule

Education is a primary focus of the NHS. If you are new to horses or a seasoned horse person, there is something to be gained from participation in the NHS. Each month the NHS hosts an open Monthly Meeting featuring a guest speaker addressing a significant topic of interest to the horse person. The NHS monthly meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month and details for each month are found in our Calendar of Events. In addition to our monthly meetings, the NHS regularly provides educational seminars, clinics and other educational programs throughout the year. 

Below is the tentative schedule of our 2009 educational programs. To stay informed of all our events and activities, join our email distribution list at Yahoo Groups. 

Our "social time", begins at 7:00 PM, with a potluck.  Although it is not required, feel free to bring your favorite dish to share. Our meeting follows the social time and begins at 7:30 PM.
2009 Monthly Membership Meetings will be held at Marsteller Middle School 14000 Sudley Manor Dr. Bristow, VA 20136 (Google Maps), except during summer months when the school is closed.  (See meeting agendas below for summer month locatons.)

January Meeting (Jan. 14)
"Ask The Vet" is back.  Guest Speaker, Dr. Katy Cilinski of Haymarket Vet Service will be our January guest speaker. 

February Meeting (Feb. 11)
Topic: The NHS Schooling Show Series
Although it is not required, feel free to bring a side dish to share. (Inclement Weather Policy: If Prince William County Schools Evening Activities are closed the NHS monthly meeting is cancelled.)

"Cabin Fever" Event - "Ask the Expert" Forum
March 7, 2009 Click Here for Details

March Meeting (Wednesday, March 11)
Topic: "Jump Into Spring".  Guest Speaker, Dave Tubach, Point To Point Builders.  Point To Point specializes in barns, arenas, and riding rings.  For more information about Point To Point visit their website at www.pt2pt.net.

April Meeting (Wednesday, April 8)
Guest Speaker - Elaine Yankey, President - Prince William/Fairfax chapter of the Virginia Farm Bureau, will be discussing benefits and value of being a VA Farm Bureau member.  For more information about the VA Farm Bureau go to www.vafb.com 

May Meeting (Wednesday, May 13)
Guest Speaker - Dr. Rachel Cezar, US Dept. of Agriculture National Horse Protection Coordinator
      The U.S Department of Agriculture enforces the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The HPA is a Federal law that prohibits horses subjected to cruelty.  Dr. Cezar will give an overview of the enforcement provided by the USDA for the Horse Protection Program and answer questions to the audience about all aspects concerning welfare of horses.
     Dr. Cezar is responsible for enforcing the Horse Protection Act. Upon joining the Horse Protection Program in late 2007, she first served as an USDA Veterinary Medical Officer and Wild Horse and Burro Compliance Officer in Michigan. After receiving her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University in 2002, she fulfilled a fellowship in Lexington, KY at the Hagyard-Davidson McGee Equine Hospital and an internship in the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai Equine Hospital. Currently, Dr. Cezar also serves in the Air National Guard for 113th Wing at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC as a Public Health Officer.
     For more information: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/hp 
Disclaimer: NHS, in no way, implies that that everyone who "shows" is using these cruel practices as that is not the case. This event is about education and knowledge.

June Meeting (Wednesday, June 10)
Guest Speaker - Zoe Vitter, President, Prince William Trails & Streams, will discuss partnership opportunities to further trail expansion in our area.  For more information about Prince William Trails & Streams go to www.pwtrailsandstreams.com 

July Meeting (Wednesday, July 8) - Location:
Note:  Our July and August meetings will NOT be held at Marsteller Middle School.  The school is closed during the summer months and not available to us for our meetings.  July and August meetings will be at alternate locations.
Guest Speaker - Kate Norris, Prince William Soil & Water Conservation (PWSWCD)
Location: Oakwood Farm
Times: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Address: 4540 Sudley Road, Gainesville, VA
(Corner of Sudley/Route 234 and Catharpin Roads)
Special Instructions: PLEASE ENTER USING DRIVEWAY ON SUDLEY/RT. 234*
(Click Here for Google Maps & Directions)
    Our July meeting topic will be a presentation by the PWSWCD of their "Chesapeake Bay-Friendly Horse Farm" project in Gainesville. This is a grant project to turn a privately owned farm that had some environmental challenges (mud, manure, and eroding pastures) into a model. Membership will be able to see several types of fencing, a stream side buffer, two auto troughs that do not require electricity, two new sacrifice area paddocks with gravel dust, two pastures that were renovated this March, the current state of the yet to be renovated pastures, and potentially some wildlife habitat improvements and the manure storage bins
PWSWCD will be providing refreshments.
For more information and details: Click Here (Please turn off pop up blockers.  A new window will open with a pdf document).

August Meeting (Wednesday, August 12)
Guest Speaker - Dr. Joyce Harman - Saddle Fitting Demonstration
Location: Home of Karen Basala
11991 Memory Ln
Nokesville, VA (Click Here for Google Maps & Directions)
     Dr. Joyce Harman graduated from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984 with an interest in acupuncture and alternative medicine. She went to England, the Ireland to study equine exercise physiology and sports medicine, always looking for a better, safer way to treat and train horses.
     Dr. Harman became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist in 1990. She moved to Virginia in 1990 and opened Harmany Equine Clinic. In 1994 she became a Certified Veterinary Chiropractor and also completed an advanced homeopathic course for veterinarians.
     Dr. Harman finds the best approach for the horse is a team approach involving veterinarians, therapists, farriers, dentists, riding instructors and saddle experts. She has become the first veterinarian to acquire a computerized saddle-fitting device, the Pliance unit. This  equipment gives a color scan of the pressure points under as saddle while the horse is being ridden at all gaits.
     She has “written the book” on saddle fitting, with two volumes, The Horse’s Pain Free Back and Saddle Fit Book for western and English horses. She also has a booklet to help introduce people to homeopathy for horses, The First Aid Guide to Homeopathy for Horses.
     Dr. Harman has published over forty articles in professional journals and more than that in lay magazines. A number of equine magazines have also featured her work and she is a regular contributor to “ask the vet” on www.equisearch.com . She was president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association in 1998 and 1999, the president of the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association from 2006-2008.
     For more information about Dr. Harman and her practice go to www.harmanyequine.com
Our "social time", begins at 7:00 PM, with a potluck.  Although it is not required, feel free to bring your favorite dish to share. Our meeting follows the social time and begins at 7:30 PM.

September Meeting (Wednesday, September 9)
Special Location: Homestead Farm
Guest Speaker/Demonstrator - Debbie Marriott
Location: Homestead Farm, 8382 Burwell Rd., Catlett, VA (Click Here for Google Maps & Directions)
Topic: Dressage demonstration and discussion.  Debbie will be talking about the dressage and how everyone can apply it to their horses. We will have a dressage demonstration and explanation of the aids. A discussion also on how different saddles cause riders to be put into different positions and how that affects the aids given to the horse.
Our "social time", begins at 7:00 PM, with a potluck.  Although it is not required, feel free to bring your favorite dish to share. Our meeting follows the social time and begins at 7:30 PM.

October Meeting (Wednesday, October 14)
Annual Business Meeting, Election of 2010 Officers and Board of Directors
Our "social time", begins at 7:00 PM, with a potluck.  Although it is not required, feel free to bring your favorite dish to share. Our meeting follows the social time and begins at 7:30 PM.
Our October meeting will be at Marsteller Middle School 14000 Sudley Manor Dr. Bristow, VA 20136 (Google Maps)
Our October meeting is where we get a jump start on the upcoming year. This is the time we need new volunteers to step forward to join the Mission of the NHS. At our October meeting, Wednesday, October 14 we will be voting on our 2010 Board of Directors. The new Directors will take office in January 2010. Our vote at the October meeting gives the new Board a few months to get prepared for the upcoming year. If you have ever thought about joining the board of the NHS, now is the time. Simply come out to the NHS Monthly Meeting on October 14 and express your interest in joining the Board.  For information about Board member duties and responsibilities contact any of the current NHS Board members. Visit our Contact Us page for contact information for current Board members.

November Meeting (Wednesday, November 11)
Guest Speaker - Dr. Melinda Freckleton, DVM (Haymarket Vet Service)
Topic: "Ask The Vet" 
Our "social time", begins at 7:00 PM, with a potluck.  Although it is not required, feel free to bring your favorite dish to share. Our meeting follows the social time and begins at 7:30 PM.
Our November meeting will be at Marsteller Middle School 14000 Sudley Manor Dr. Bristow, VA 20136 (Google Maps)

December Monthly Meeting (Wednesday, December 9)
Annual "Meet the NHS"/Christmas Party
Join NHS members as we share the Holiday spirit. 
Please bring a main dish or dessert to share.  
The party will start at 7:00 PM. 
(NHS Inclement Weather Policy: If Prince William County Schools Evening Activities are closed the NHS monthly meeting is cancelled.)

January 2010
Guest Speaker - Virginia State Police Representative
Topic: Rules, regulations and laws regarding trailering in Virginia. 
Our "social time", begins at 7:00 PM, with a potluck.  Although it is not required, feel free to bring your favorite dish to share. Our meeting follows the social time and begins at 7:30 PM.
Our November meeting will be at Marsteller Middle School 14000 Sudley Manor Dr. Bristow, VA 20136 (Google Maps)

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