Horse Breeders and Owners Conference

The 32nd Annual Horse Breeders and Owners Conference takes place January 10-12, 2014, in Red Deer, Alberta, at the Sheraton. Presented by the non-profit organization, Horse Industry Association of Alberta, the conference is a must-attend event for horse breeders, owners and riders with topics of interest for every horse enthusiast.

The Horse Breeders and Owners Conference welcomes delegates at 7pm on January 10th with an \”Open Barn\” reception in the Exhibit Hall. Due to popular demand, the “Open Barn” reception is once again open to the public free of charge to attend, socialize, network and shop around the equine trade show of over 50 sponsor booths. Industry Outreach Director from Colorado State University, Gary Carpenter, will kick off Saturday morning’s session at 8:40 am. Saturday evening provides a chance to network and socialize with wine, dessert and live entertainment provided this year by local singer/songwriter Randi Boulton. The conference continues until Sunday afternoon, with the Fred Pearce Memorial Lecture delivered this year by Dr. Camie Heleski.

Internationally recognized speakers are coming from all over Canada and the United States:

Lauren Barwick (British Columbia) – Overcoming Adversity to the Podium in the Para-Dressage

Gary Carpenter (Colorado) – Where is the Horse Industry Going?

Dr. Camie Heleski (Michigan) – Stereotypies: Why Does My Horse Do That?

Dr. Claudia Klein (Alberta) – Managing Reproduction with the Problem Mare

Dr. Katharina Lohmann (Saskatchewan) – Heaves: Is Your Horse At Risk?

Dr. Nancy Loving (Colorado) – Colic: Recognition, Myths, and Prevention and Conditioning the Equine Athlete

Clay Maier (Kentucky) – How to Drive Your Horse and Long Lining Benefits for All Disciplines

Curt Pate (Montana) – Ranch Horsemanship

Tammy Pate (Montana) – Yoga and Horsemanship

Jochen Schleese (Ontario) – Saddle Fit for Male and Female Riders

Dr. Mike Scott (Alberta) – Managing Osteoarthritis in Horses

Dr. Stephen O’Grady (Virginia) – Barefoot vs. Shoeing and How to Evaluate the Equine Hoof

Dr. Lori Warren (Florida) – Environmentally-Friendly Feeding and How Feeding Practices can Modify Behaviour

Tickets for the Horse Breeders and Owners Conference are $105, $90 for additional registrants when pre-registering. Registration is online at www.albertahorseindustry.ca. Registrations will also be accepted at the door for $105 a person.

The Stable Owners Seminar begins before the Horse Breeders and Owners Conference at 1:00 on January 10th and it is an afternoon of education specifically geared towards the stable industry. The seminar is free to attend and will also include a forum to discuss the Standards of Operations Manual for Stables and the future of the Alberta Stables Initiative.