AHA Enews

AHYA Convention is just around the corner. In order to ROCK THE VOTE you need to be a delegate. Delegates represent their Region and help with making the decisions for AHYA. As a delegate, you get to vote for the next AHYA President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Contact your AHYA Youth Regional Director for more information on how to become a delegate for your Region by clicking here.

We want YOU to cover Youth Nationals Activities! Enter the 2009 Youth Journalism Contest by submitting a writing sample (details below). If you win, you will be one of several kids to become journalists covering Youth Nationals. Your work will be featured in official Youth Nationals coverage and on the AHA website. Wow!

Winning youth journalists will work with an AHA staff member to write accounts of activities, get interviews, and take fun photos. If you are interested, make sure you will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico for at least a few days during the upcoming Youth Nationals. Winners must be able to write their own stories and attend activities. Check Out the youth website for more details.

June 25: AHYA Convention delegate forms are due to AHA.
July 24: AHYA Board of Directors Meeting
July 24: AHYA Convention
July 25 - Aug. 1: Youth National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show

Get ready to rock! Mark your calendars and plan on stopping by Manual Lujan A Wednesday, July 29 in the afternoon for the new Guitar Hero Tournament Fundraiser. Guitar Hero is a rock guitar simulation game that gives you the opportunity to become music legends. $10 entry, single elimination tournament style, no experience necessary. Winners will receive CASH prizes and all proceeds benefit AHYA and Youth Programs.

Britches getting too small? Old show clothes collecting dust in the trailer? Work with AHYA to sell those old show clothes and maybe find some new digs while you are at it. Stop by the Youth Office in Manual Lujan C during the Youth National Show to place your items for sale. AHYA will work a 60/40 split on all items. The consignment sale is not limited to youth clothes so feel free to have your trainers clean out their dressing rooms as well.

"Here Little Piggy! Here Little Piggy! Sue-eeee!" They're Back! Purchase your little piggies for a chance to throw them at a target in center ring during Youth Nationals. If you hit the target, you win the jackpot! Pigs are $2 each or three for $5. Pigs will fly on Tuesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29. You can purchase your sounder of pigs from the AHA Booth or in the Youth Office at the show.

The AHYA Youth Board will be preparing Regional Gift Baskets to be auctioned off in a silent auction to benefit AHYA. The baskets will be on display all week near the Show and Youth Office. Each basket will contain unique items from each region. Come take a peek, pick your favorite, get a bid number from the Youth Office and bid for your basket.

AHYA is really enjoying all the stories about your involvement in 4-H with your Arabian horses. We are even posting these stories and photos in Modern Arabian Horse magazine! The AHYA would love to hear how you and your Arabian, Half-Arabian or Anglo-Arabian are making waves in your local 4-H program. Are you a member of AHA and also competing successfully in 4-H horse projects like Hippology, Horse Bowl, or on a Judging Team? Do you volunteer your horses for 4-H judging contests? We want to know about Arabians in 4-H. Send your stories and photos to youth@arabianhorses.org.

Are you a member of Girl Scouts of the USA or Boy Scouts of America? AHYA would like to hear about how your involvement with horses has played a roll in being a scout. Do you attend scout camps in the summer? We want to hear all about it! Send your stories and photos to youth@arabianhorses.org.

Your horse can swish them off, stomp them away or shake his head in defiance. But hoards of mosquitoes add up to a much bigger problem than simple annoyance. At least 30 species of mosquitoes have been found positive for West Nile Virus. And while you can't keep your horse locked in a stall all summer long, you can reduce the risk of exposure by following the four steps below.

Vaccinate. One of the most important things you can do is vaccinate against West Nile Virus.
Protect. You can help prevent that disease-transmitting bite from ever happening by using effective insect-control products on your horse. The key is to look for a product that not only kills, but also repels.
Turnout time. Choose your turnout time wisely. Mosquitoes are most active during dusk and dawn, so avoid turning your horse out at those times.
Daily mucking. Manure is the breeding ground for many types of flies. Removing it at least once a day can go a long way in reducing fly infestations.
Fans. Large fans placed throughout the barn, or a box fan attached to your horse's stall, can keep air - and insects - moving. If they can't land, they can't bite.
Doorway strips. You can hang pre-made commercial products or your own contraption of stiff netting at the entrance to run-in sheds and stall doors leading to paddocks. Horses can still come and go as they please, but insects will be discouraged from entering.
Lights. Mosquitoes are attracted to lights and heat, so try to keep the barn lights to a minimum at peak mosquito times, dusk and dawn.
Pesticides. Look for mosquitoes near the ceiling between cracks and crevices in the walls. You can spray mosquitoes to reduce the in-barn population.
Search out standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in the shallowest of water. Once you start looking around the barn, you'll notice there are a lot of potential breeding grounds. Simply turning open containers over can prevent water from accumulating. Or, drill holes in the bottoms of items such as inner tubes to let water drain. The most important thing is to not let water stagnate. Here's a list of items to watch out for:

Old tires
Unused buckets, feed tubs and water troughs
Abandoned wheelbarrows
Bird baths
Clogged gutters

Troughs. Making your pastured horse's water trough mosquito-unfriendly is easy to do. In addition to thoroughly cleaning the troughs monthly, just add a few drops of light mineral oil. It's safe for the horses and will make the water inhabitable to mosquito larvae. This method won't work if you keep fish in the trough to eat algae, as the oil will kill the fish.


June 2009
Be a Delegate and ROCK THE VOTE Get the Scoop Dates & Deadlines Guitar Hero Tournament Clothing Consignment Flying Pigs Taste of the Regions Arabians in 4-H Are you a Scout? Mosquitoes 101


Be a Delegate and ROCK THE VOTE AHYA Convention is just around the corner. In order to ROCK THE VOTE you need to be a delegate. Delegates represent their Region and help with making the decisions for AHYA. As a delegate, you get to vote for the next AHYA President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Contact your AHYA Youth Regional Director for more information on how to become a delegate for your Region by clicking here. Get the Scoop We want YOU to cover Youth Nationals Activities! Enter the 2009 Youth Journalism Contest by submitting a writing sample (details below). If you win, you will be one of several kids to become journalists covering Youth Nationals. Your work will be featured in official Youth Nationals coverage and on the AHA website. Wow! Winning youth journalists will work with an AHA staff member to write accounts of activities, get interviews, and take fun photos. If you are interested, make sure you will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico for at least a few days during the upcoming Youth Nationals. Winners must be able to write their own stories and attend activities. Check Out the youth website for more details. Dates & Deadlines June 25: AHYA Convention delegate forms are due to AHA. July 24: AHYA Board of Directors Meeting July 24: AHYA Convention July 25 - Aug. 1: Youth National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show


Guitar Hero Tournament Get ready to rock! Mark your calendars and plan on stopping by Manual Lujan A Wednesday, July 29 in the afternoon for the new Guitar Hero Tournament Fundraiser. Guitar Hero is a rock guitar simulation game that gives you the opportunity to become music legends. $10 entry, single elimination tournament style, no experience necessary. Winners will receive CASH prizes and all proceeds benefit AHYA and Youth Programs. Clothing Consignment Britches getting too small? Old show clothes collecting dust in the trailer? Work with AHYA to sell those old show clothes and maybe find some new digs while you are at it. Stop by the Youth Office in Manual Lujan C during the Youth National Show to place your items for sale. AHYA will work a 60/40 split on all items. The consignment sale is not limited to youth clothes so feel free to have your trainers clean out their dressing rooms as well. Flying Pigs "Here Little Piggy! Here Little Piggy! Sue-eeee!" They're Back! Purchase your little piggies for a chance to throw them at a target in center ring during Youth Nationals. If you hit the target, you win the jackpot! Pigs are $2 each or three for $5. Pigs will fly on Tuesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29. You can purchase your sounder of pigs from the AHA Booth or in the Youth Office at the show. Taste of the Regions The AHYA Youth Board will be preparing Regional Gift Baskets to be auctioned off in a silent auction to benefit AHYA. The baskets will be on display all week near the Show and Youth Office. Each basket will contain unique items from each region. Come take a peek, pick your favorite, get a bid number from the Youth Office and bid for your basket.


Arabians in 4-H AHYA is really enjoying all the stories about your involvement in 4-H with your Arabian horses. We are even posting these stories and photos in Modern Arabian Horse magazine! The AHYA would love to hear how you and your Arabian, Half-Arabian or Anglo-Arabian are making waves in your local 4-H program. Are you a member of AHA and also competing successfully in 4-H horse projects like Hippology, Horse Bowl, or on a Judging Team? Do you volunteer your horses for 4-H judging contests? We want to know about Arabians in 4-H. Send your stories and photos to youth@arabianhorses.org. Are you a Scout? Are you a member of Girl Scouts of the USA or Boy Scouts of America? AHYA would like to hear about how your involvement with horses has played a roll in being a scout. Do you attend scout camps in the summer? We want to hear all about it! Send your stories and photos to youth@arabianhorses.org.


Mosquitoes 101 Your horse can swish them off, stomp them away or shake his head in defiance. But hoards of mosquitoes add up to a much bigger problem than simple annoyance. At least 30 species of mosquitoes have been found positive for West Nile Virus. And while you can't keep your horse locked in a stall all summer long, you can reduce the risk of exposure by following the four steps below. *Vaccinate. One of the most important things you can do is vaccinate against West Nile Virus. Protect. You can help prevent that disease-transmitting bite from ever happening by using effective insect-control products on your horse. The key is to look for a product that not only kills, but also repels. Turnout time. Choose your turnout time wisely. Mosquitoes are most active during dusk and dawn, so avoid turning your horse out at those times. Daily mucking. Manure is the breeding ground for many types of flies. Removing it at least once a day can go a long way in reducing fly infestations. Fans. Large fans placed throughout the barn, or a box fan attached to your horse's stall, can keep air - and insects - moving. If they can't land, they can't bite. Doorway strips. You can hang pre-made commercial products or your own contraption of stiff netting at the entrance to run-in sheds and stall doors leading to paddocks. Horses can still come and go as they please, but insects will be discouraged from entering. Lights. Mosquitoes are attracted to lights and heat, so try to keep the barn lights to a minimum at peak mosquito times, dusk and dawn. Pesticides. Look for mosquitoes near the ceiling between cracks and crevices in the walls. You can spray mosquitoes to reduce the in-barn population. Search out standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in the shallowest of water. Once you start looking around the barn, you'll notice there are a lot of potential breeding grounds. Simply turning open containers over can prevent water from accumulating. Or, drill holes in the bottoms of items such as inner tubes to let water drain. The most important thing is to not let water stagnate. Here's a list of items to watch out for: Old tires Unused buckets, feed tubs and water troughs Abandoned wheelbarrows Bird baths Clogged gutters Troughs*. Making your pastured horse's water trough mosquito-unfriendly is easy to do. In addition to thoroughly cleaning the troughs monthly, just add a few drops of light mineral oil. It's safe for the horses and will make the water inhabitable to mosquito larvae. This method won't work if you keep fish in the trough to eat algae, as the oil will kill the fish.