Life's a Beach in Louisiana

That's right, we do have a sandy white beach that you can ride your horse on in Louisiana! That's me, Ginger Schouest, on my horse Valentino at Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton, LA on THAT beach! I was attending a Christmas Trail Ride sponsored by the Louisiana Equine Council and coordinated by Friends of Bogue Chitto. They did an amazing job. Everything was perfectly planned out from the Cast Iron Cookers who cooked in the Pavilion that day for lunch down to the DJ and evening band, the PoBoys. (Shout out to Patsy Frazier, Dona Nugent and Lisa Bell) The entrance to the park is very nicely done and the ranger on duty was super friendly, helpful, and courteous. We skipped the main trail ride that day and did our own private exploration. This was my first time at Bogue Chitto National Park and I was on a mission to find that sandy beach I had heard about. The equestrian trails in the park in general are extremely well marked, however on this particular jaunt in search of the beach, it was a bit obscure and off the beaten path. We had to cross a long wooden bridge, about 250 feet long, which was a fun and challenging obstacle for my horse and once across, we rode about 1000 more yards on open grassland to discover the hidden cove nestled among the trees. My horse's surprise matched mine as he studied the rather largish, meandering body of water which is the Bogue Chitto River. Rumor has it that eventually the equine trail to the beach will be more transparent with the beach itself receiving an upgrade of some sort to better accommodate equestrians. To me, that pristine beach and the Zen feeling that surrounded it is horsey perfect as is. The park itself consists of about 14 miles of horse trails, 1800 acres, and is a blend of high and low ridges and quite a few crystal clear, sandy bottomed streams. They range in depth from very shallow up to about 3 or 4 feet, reaching up to your horses knees in some places, making it ideal for basic water obstacle challenges with your horse. The general horse trails were well manicured but maintained that natural habitat feel to them. The Equestrian park has been open for about twelve years now and has a nice pavilion and equine wash station. It is currently a day ride park and is only open for over night camping at special events however, that is changing. A comfort station was recently constructed with bathrooms, showers and laundromat areas. The Park has recently broken ground on ten nicely sized trailer slots which will include water and electricity and picnic tables and there is a dump station on park grounds so over night camping is on the very near horizon with even more camping spots in future plans. Keep up the good work Bogue Chitto! Louisiana Equestrians appreciate your efforts and the Louisiana Equine Council salutes you!

Nominations Now Open for the LEC Hall of Fame

The Louisiana Equine Council (LEC) is excited to announce the opening of

nominations for the 2023 Hall of Fame Award.

Anyone may nominate a candidate for this award. A candidate must have had a

great and favorable impact on the Louisiana equine industry. Membership in the

Louisiana Equine Council Hall of Fame is a means of honoring those whose

efforts have been valuable and integral to the Louisiana equine industry while

being unselfish in the nature of their actions. This award is not merely to

congratulate people for being successful competitors, breeders, etc.

Criteria:

 Nominee must have made outstanding and significant contributions to the

Louisiana equine industry over a significant period of years as a breeder,

educator, competitor, researcher, and/or trainer, etc.

 The contributions must have been influential to and supportive of the

growth of the equine industry.

 The nominee must be known to practice fair and humane treatment of

animals at all times.

 This award may be given posthumously.

If you would like to apply for this award or nominate another person, please go

the Louisiana Equine Council web site About Us/LEC Hall of Fame section for

information and a Nomination Form. www.laequinecouncil.com

Nominations should be submitted by November 15 to Lisa Bell at 11382 Robert

Willie Road, Folsom, LA 70437.

The Nominee will then be contacted to complete a Nominee Acceptance and

Professional History form. Nominee information packets should be received no

later than December 5 th for review and voting.

The recipient of this award will be announced at the Annual Meeting in January

2023.

Bayou State is most at risk for hurricanes in August, September, and October.

The Following Information has been provided by LSART.

Hurricane season is here. What can we do to prepare?

Make sure horses are up to date on vaccinations and have current negative Coggins test. Make sure your horses are acclimated to loading in a trailer and traveling in a trailer.

Suggested vaccines - tetanus and the encephalitis viruses (rabies, Eastern and

Western equine encephalitis, and West Nile). Make sure your horses are identified ideally with a permanent form of id such as a microchip, tattoo, or brand and add a temporary form of identification such as halter, tag, neck collars, leg band, brand, mane clip, luggage tag braided into tail or mane, clipper-shaved information in the animal's hair, livestock marking crayon, non-toxic, non-water-soluble spray paint, or non-water-soluble markers to write on the animals side, permanent marker to mark hooves. Have pictures of you and your horses.

Have a plan- To shelter in place and evacuate out of the area if necessary.

AAEP and AVMA have good resources for this AVMA has a free downloadable

resource titled SAVING THE WHOLE FAMILY that has great information for preparing

for disasters and includes multiple species such as dogs, cats, and exotic pets as well as

equine and livestock species. This Resource is available on the Louisiana Equine Council Website. Louisiana Equine Council |Horses In The Storm (laequinecouncil.com)

For Equine shelter in place plans make sure you have enough food and water for

each animal and person for 10-14 days. Make sure you have local contact information for office of emergency preparedness and the agency in charge of emergency response for horses in your parish usually animal control or sheriff’s office. Get to know your neighbors to identify local resources for disasters and check on each other after the disaster.

Fill water troughs have plastic trash cans filled with water. Make sure hay and feed are

stored in a dry location, Waterproof tarps on pallets for hay and watertight containers for

feed. Prepare for 12-20 gals per horse per day

Have First aid kits for horses any other animals you are caring for and a human first aid

kit. Have an emergency farm kit containing a chain saw and fuel, hammer(s), saw, nails,

screws, and fencing materials such as portable panels for fence repair. The choice of keeping your horse in a barn or an open field is up to you. Use common sense, taking into consideration barn structure, trees, power lines, condition of surrounding properties, and the likelihood of the property and structure to flood. Horseso n farms subject to storm surge or flash flooding should be turned out so they don’t become trapped or drown.

For Equine evacuation plans

Do you have two locations identified where you can take your horse if evacuation is required?

Evacuate early especially for hurricanes at least 72 hours before expected landfall so

you are not on the road during the storm. Have copies of Coggins papers vaccine records and if evacuating out of state a health certificates. Have pictures of you and your horses.

It is ideal to have a second copy of important documents with family or friends out of the

area.

To summarize: Make sure your truck and trailer are well maintained and road worthy. Make sure you have transportation for the animals that require evacuation. If you do not have enough trailer space for the animals in your care, network with neighbors to identify empty trailer space. You may need to prioritize which horses will be evacuated first. Two evacuation

trips may be possible if your evacuation site is close to your farm. Make sure your horses know how to load in a trailer. Bring food, water supplies first aid kits and paperwork.