Member Christmas Party:

The Oaks Equestrian Center hosted the annual Member Christmas Party on December 12th. There was great food, games, karaoke, and crafts for the kids. The "white-elephant" gift-giving exchange brought some smiles, and we look forward to many more gatherings.

Pictured above (L-R): Jon, Crissa, and Lockland Gillette; Linsday Brown, Santa, and Rhonda Gailey; several children working on the craft station.

The Oaks Equestrian Pony Club Riding Center:

The Oaks Equestrian Pony Club Riding Center is off to a great start, with several new members signing up for the New Year. We held our first semi-annual rating on Saturday, December 12th, where "A" Graduate Pony Clubber Rebecca Willner came to perform the rating for a couple of club members. We look forward to many events planned for the 2010 calendar year, as well as adding new members to the program. Congratulations to Sarah Dicks, who earned her D-1, and Rylee Gailey who achieved her D-3! (pictured below)

The Oaks Students Travel Out-of-State to Show at 3-Phase Show:

Several of The Oaks students traveled to Poplar Place farm in Hamilton, Georgia, located just outside of Columbus, on Saturday, December 19th. The students braved the frigid conditions to compete in a 3-phase schooling show. Delightfully, they were met by the Budweiser Clydesdales and a fun-filled weekend. They were coached by General Manager Rhonda Gailey and Jr. Team Member Lindsay Brown. A great appreciation was found by the parents, who realized that it literally “takes the perfect storm” to get all 3 phases right in one day, on one horse. That’s right, Dad… That, and a lot of “stuff”. Congrats to the girls on their placing!

The Oaks of Lake city welcomes Mr. & Mrs. Primosch, who purchased homesite #39. They write:

"Although we are not equestrians, we love the serenity and beauty of the community. The amenities are all state-of-the art and done in a first-class fashion. Thank you for offering your current incentive program. It prompted us to make a decision and take advantage of your generous offer. We are proud to be owners and part of The Oaks of Lake City."

- Tom and Martha Primosch

There are several new Pony Club members as well - check out the Kids' Connection area.

Rhonda's Round Pen-Training Tips:

Get Them Off the Forehand
Flatwork, also known as Dressage, should be the basic foundation for all riding. Some horses’ conformation can be higher behind than in front, thus making them naturally on the forehand. An unfit horse with little back-end muscling can also contribute, therefore requiring him to plug along in front-wheel drive, with no hind-end gears. There are a number of simple exercises one can use to help get the horse to engage his hindquarters, so that he lifts up through his wither. This is difficult for our equine partners, because they don't have a collarbone like us, so it's physically much more difficult for them to lift themselves up in front.

8 Steps for Lift:

1. Half Halts: Asking your horse to shorten the trot or canter steps are simple ways to get lift at the front, as he engages throughout his hindquarters. These should be done on a straight line, before asking to do them on a circle.
2. Transitions: This is the easiest and number-one exercise to get horses to engage their hindquarters and lift through their withers. Remember to focus on the halt, because it's just as important as the transition itself.
3. Pole Work: Including pole work with measure distances helps the whole horse come up under the rider.
4. Deep and Round: When working a horse deep and round, the rider's influence should be forward from the seat and the leg. It's extremely important that the contact is SOFT, and to help the horse lift up through the withers and not confuse this by being "long and low".
5. Turn on the Forehand: This is where we ask the horse's inside hind to move forward and across, to help loosen the back. You must ride softly forward into this movement as well, or they could step backwards, putting them on the forehand again.
6. Turn on the Forehand with an Upward: This is a half-turn on the forehand, with a transition to canter. This encourages even more lift-up in front.
7. Lengthening and Shortening: Not only will this fix the forehand problem, but it will also make your horse much more adjustable. Having adjustability within your gates makes your horse more rideable and safer. You can easily lengthen in the trot or the canter.
8. Give a Little: Giving and staying soft on the inside rein teaches the horse to have self-carriage. When riding on a 20-meter circle at a trot or canter, take time to give with your inside rein. Then, when your horse loses his balance, retake the rein and start over. This sounds easy, but for some beginners, this can be the hardest to achieve. It takes patience and trust from the rider. Once this is accomplished, you can work toward giving with both reins, and the horse MUST carry himself.

Rhonda Gailey
General Manager/Riding Director

Manager's Corner:

A New Decade & Year in Review

Christmas Day marked one year for me as General Manager for The Oaks Equestrian Center. In reflection, the year has been educational, eventful, and inspiring. The facility achieved three major accolades, of which we are extremely proud, and our current staff is some of the best in the industry. In addition, we successfully held several major events and clinics and launched our first annual summer camps, Hunter Pace and Pony Club. I look forward to 2010 and the new decade with bright eyes and all sorts of ideas and goals. We strive for only the best, and I feel proud to be part of history in the making. My door is always open for anyone that might want to share comments or suggestions about how you feel The Oaks has grown last year, and could continue in the future.

Rhonda Gailey,
General Manager/Riding Director & Instructor

Equestrian Services:

We are proud to have The Oaks at Lake City featured as setting a "standard for sustainability" in the "Where the Grass Really is Greener" article from Florida Green Building's Fall 2009 issue. Read it here!

Dicks Realty:

HURRY - ONLY 12 weeks left!

SIGNATURE DAYS - new sales incentives launched!

The Oaks is offering a fourth-quarter incentive package to round out a great year for this growing lifestyle community. The following discounts are available for homesites that are purchased between October 1, 2009 and January 15, 2010.

• Receive $10,000 off the list price of any home site between one and three acres.
• Receive $20,000 off the list price of any home site between four and six acres.

Additional Incentives:

For a limited time, The Oaks of Lake City will invest in your new home by giving you $20,000 towards its construction. Please contact us for full details.

Now is the time to buy and start living your dream.”Life as it should be!”

Home sites from $54,900.00, Homes from $275,000.00

Other News:

• More new website updates @ www.theoakslakecity.com,with interactive maps and virtual tours - Coming Soon!
• Annual HOA Meeting: Thursday, January 28, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.
• Dicks Realty and The Oaks of Lake City will be attending the Maryland Horse Expo from January 21-24th.
• Dicks Realty and The Oaks of Lake City will also be attending the Pennsylvania World Horse Expo, from February 25th-28th.

Arthur Rutenberg Homes:

The new Arthur Rutenberg model home is under contract, and in the drywall phase of construction. We are looking at an early spring completion date, at which time AR will hold an open house and officially open the fully-furnished model home as the new sales center.

In addition, there are currently two additional commitments to build; both are lot owners taking advantage of the new building incentive packages.

For more information, contact Missy Zecher @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

David & Karen O'Connor:

David O’Connor inducted into USEA Hall of Fame!

David O’Connor and his beloved horse, Custom Made, were inducted into the United States Equestrian Federation’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony and gala dinner held during the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, in Northern Virginia on December 5, 2009.

David O’Connor, one of America’s most successful international riders, was a member of almost every U.S. eventing team for 20 years. His highlights include: wins at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** and Badminton, a team silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, and an individual gold at the Sydney Olympic Games. O’Connor, now retired from international competition, trains riders and horses, has launched O’Connor Signature Equestrian Centers, and serves as the current President of the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

Custom Made, a 17.2-hand dark bay Thoroughbred gelding owned by Joseph Zada, is best known for his individual gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games with O’Connor. The pair also won the 1995 Rolex Kentucky CCI****, placed fifth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and took top honors at Badminton. Custom Made is now retired and enjoying life at the O’Connor’s Farm in The Plains, Virginia.

O’Connor Signature Equestrian Centers are expanding worldwide, with multiple projects developing through Asia.


Further Reading:

http://www.oconnoreventteam.com/ocet/OCET_People/David_Accomplishments/David_and_Custom_Made.aspx

http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2009/12/21/middleburg_life/news/mb20c.txt

Excerpt from Letter from the President - Kevin Baumgardner ... The Next Fifty Years: (http://useventing.com/aboutus.php?id=2205)

"... It was great to see David O’Connor surrounded by family members — Sally, Brian, and Karen — who have themselves given so much to our sport. One of the many qualities I admire in David, and indeed in all of the O’Connor clan, is their work ethic. As Jim Wolf noted in his witty and moving introduction, David did not become one of the most celebrated riders in Eventing history because he was a “natural”; instead, he achieved greatness because he worked at it. Isn’t that what Eventing is all about? The constant hard work, the simple rewards of spending time with our horses, the incremental victories, the courage and fortitude to stay the course through the inevitable disappointments. In short, the long haul — the journey as much as the destination. What a shocking concept in this era of the two-second attention span: that you really do need to work long and hard to achieve something worth getting — that, as Sir Edmund Hillary put it, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. In that sense, Eventing is about integrity. David’s integrity is so evident that several years ago, when the AHSA and the USET finally ended their protracted legal fight, the one non-negotiable demand by both sides was that David be the first president of the new, merged organization — the United States Equestrian Federation — that rose from the ashes of that Stalingrad-like battle. And in that position, David has given freely of his time for the last six years. I hope our sport’s future leaders take note of, and emulate, David’s example."

For more on David and Karen O’Connor, visit their website @ www.oconnoreventteam.com.

Kids' Connection:

The Oaks Pony Club Riding Center Winter Session begins in January. See below for the OEPC Winter/Spring Pony Club calendar of events.

THE OEPC WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS:
SYDNEY CADRAIN 
ASHTON BALLANCE
SHELBY DUBOSE

The Oaks Equestrian Pony Club Riding Center - 2010 Proposed Calendar

January - Winter Session:

• 19th - Parent/Member Meeting,  6-8pm
• 23rd - D-Day/HM Seminar @ Canterbury
• 24th - Quiz Rally @ Canterbury
• 27th-31st - USPC Annual Meeting, Houston, TX
• Thursdays – Unmounted lesson,  5-6pm (starting Jan. 7th)
• Saturdays -  Mounted riding sessions, 11-12:30am (starting Jan. 9th)

February - Winter Session:

• 23rd -  Parent/Member Meeting, 6-8pm
• Thursdays - Unmounted lesson, 5-6pm
• Saturdays -  Mounted riding sessions, 11-12:30am

March - Winter Session:

• 6th - Regional Instructor’s Clinic (Teaching and Testing) @ Fannin Hill Farm
• 12-14th - Qualifying Eventing Rally (in conjunction w/recognized event). Rally packet due Jan 19th.
• 23rd - Parent/Member Meeting, 6-8pm
• Thursdays - Unmounted lesson, 5-6pm
• Saturdays - Mounted riding sessions, 11-12:30am

April – Winter/Spring Session (Spring Session is April – June):

• 3rd - Last mounted session for winter
• 9th-11th – Show-Jumping Rally @ Canterbury. Rally packet due Feb 15th.
• 17th - first day for mounted session of Spring
• 20th - Parent/Member Meeting, 6-8pm
• Thursdays - Unmounted lesson, 5-6pm
• Saturdays - Mounted riding sessions, 11-12:30am

Please call or e-mail to learn more about our children lessons or Pony Club. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 386-755-1488.