Take out that leopard, zebra or tiger print! It's just days away from the 2009 AHYA Convention. The entire board is so excited for this year's theme of AHYA On the Loose. We have an entire afternoon filled with voting for next year's Youth Executive Board, Committee feedback sessions, keynote addresses by Gordon Potts and Gene Holloway, icebreakers and FREE door prizes. Make sure to dress for the occasion!

Convention is open to all youth. Come to the Youth Hall at 1:00 p.m. to start the fun!

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.

Would you like to see your photos on the AHA website as part of the Daily Updates? Stop by the AHA booth at Youth Nationals in Lujan A to upload digital photos you take each day at the show. A Customer Service Representative will be there to assist you. Each day AHA will choose a few photos for publishing in the Daily Update. Don't forget to include your name and age with your photos. Thanks for sharing!

The Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman's Association will host their 5th Annual Youth Nationals Clinics on July 25, 2009 in the Horseman's Arena at Expo New Mexico from 2:00 -5:00 p.m. This year the clinicians are halter expert, Andrew Sellman, from 2:00- 3:30 p.m., followed by English/Country Pleasure expert, Vicki Humphrey, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Six youth may participate with their horses in each clinic and there is an unlimited availability for auditors. You can sign up as a participant at the Youth Nationals Show Office in Lujan B or by contacting Kathie Hart at vallejoiii@aol.com.

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.

1. Consider clipping horses with robust body condition, a heavy hair coat, and few visible veins on the skin before hard exercise.
2. Condition your horse for the intended exercise. Physical fitness is essential for coping with heat during exercise.
3. Allow your horse to acclimate to hot weather for 10 days to two weeks before riding long distances or training hard.
4. Be sure your horse stays well-hydrated. Provide two water buckets and 24-hour access to as much water as he wants.
5. Give a salt supplement if you are working your horse regularly during hot weather. Avoid supplements that have sugar (dextrose) as the first entry on the ingredient list.
6. If possible, allow your horse to drink during lulls in exercise.
7. Stay in the shade as much as possible to reduce radiant heat. Ride early or late in the day, when ambient temperatures and solar radiation tend to be lower, avoiding the hours between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
8. Reduce the workload commensurate with the weather. Ride shorter distances and reduce the intensity of training.
9. Make certain your horse recovers after exercise. Take his rectal temperature when you are finished riding, and monitor him for an hour or until the temperature is normal (less than 101°F). Know your horse's resting temperature (take it before riding). Observe how much water the horse drinks. Failure to drink might result in dangerous dehydration, particularly in horses that are exercising day after day in the heat.
10. If your horse is very hot, keep him in the shade, hose him with cool water, and immediately scrape the water off the coat. Wash water heats up on contact with the hot skin, and it rapidly loses its ability to conduct heat away from the horse. Avoid leaving wet towels on the horse; they act as insulators, retaining heat rather than facilitating its dissipation. Continue washing and scraping until the horse cools down.
11. If your horse is excessively fatigued or out of breath while you are riding, get off and get in the shade. Bathe with cool water immediately.
12. Seek veterinary advice if your horse remains listless, unwilling to move, develops colic, has a high heart rate, or has a persistently high rectal temperature.

July 24: AHYA Board of Directors Meeting
July 24: AHYA Convention
July 25 - Aug. 1: Youth National Championship Show
Sept 1: Youth of the Year applications are due