Horse lovers will have a chance to touch up on their equine knowledge and horsemanship during the Equine Clinic Day this Saturday. The event will take place at the Boston’s Ace Hardware hay yard from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and participants may bring their horses. 

Prior to the event, all the rental equipment which is stored inside the hay yard will be moved out of the way. Inside the hay yard, participants will find three awnings. Under the first awning, Dr. Kevin Ballard, a veterinarian from Kanab, will be vaccinating horses. 

Under the second awning, participants will find George Hardeen, a local horseman, and two of his horses. Hardeen, working with his horses, will be teaching a class on the correct way to train your horse, which will include the proper way to us snaffle bits, lateral and vertical flexion, signaling to your horse with your legs while riding it and sequential groundwork exercises every horse should know. While Hardeen explains his methods he’ll also demonstrate them using his own horses.

“He’ll basically teach you about how to be in charge of your horse and not letting your horse be in charge of you,” said Dianne Shuler, Boston’s feed department manager.

Under the third awning, Yvette Connelly, a representative from Purina with 20 years’ experience, will be teaching proper horse nutrition and how to determine if your horse is at its proper weight. She’ll also have a question and answer period. For those who bring their horses with them, she’ll be happy to answer specific questions about your horse. 

The horse clinic was arranged by Dianne Schuler. Schuler has loved horses her entire life, she said. She had a horse growing up on her parent’s farm in South Dakota. Though she no longer owns a horse her passion for them still remains. 

She learned about the horse clinic from some horse books she was reading. 

She approached her boss, Doug Boston, about having Boston’s Ace Hardware host their own clinic and he told her to go for it. The event has been two months in the planning and execution, she said.    

“I think a lot of people in town could get a lot of value from this,” she said. “It’s been a really fun project for me, too.”

If Saturday’s horse clinic is successful, Boston’s plan to continue it in the future.

Purina will be giving away a $250 Visa gift card as well as two horse grooming kits and other prizes. 

The parking lot outside Boston’s hay yard will be roped off for horsemen and their horses.