Hi Everyone:
We get a lot of very cool new members and most of them get a spotlight on the front page of our website. Here are some WOMEN YOU SHOULD KNOW IN THE HORSE INDUSTRY. Please check them out!
Uschi Wiprächtiger
Rancho Las Cascadas is owned and managed by Uschi Wiprächtiger. Uschi is originally from Switzerland but has lived over 20 years in Mexico and has taken Mexican citizenship. On her own, in this typically ‘macho’ country, she built the ranch from a field of rocks and cactus. The design and decoration of the ranch are all her own ideas and have provided an artistic outlet for this originally financially educated woman. The ranch has been open and running for 7 years and has hosted guests form all over the world. Each year success is growing, with numbers of guests increasing all the time. Guest feedback and reviews on Tripadvisor.com have been amazing and a great encouragement to keep going, even in difficult times. What is offered at the ranch is the perfect cocktail of unsurpassed riding, luxury and genuine hospitality to international guests of all riding abilities, from beginner to expert. The riding here is unrivalled, in that there are no gates, fences or boundaries to limit the riding experience and a variety of terrain and panoramic vistas to leave unforgettable memories. Currently Uschi has 24 horses, 5 dogs and a great staff that help to make the place the success it is. Alongside the horse-back riding, the ranch also offers mountain bikes, great hiking, Mexican cooking classes, deep tissue and hot stone massage and exquisite dining. The ranch can also be booked for special occasions, family gatherings, weddings and business meetings. Its facilities and 14 beautiful guest rooms can be booked exclusively if required. The ranch’s location is 90 minutes North of Mexico City’s International Airport, high in the mountains on a plateau. This ensures that the daily temperature is around 23 °C/mid 70s °F, perfect for rider and horse and great for relaxing on the sun terrace or in the hot tub over-looking the natural waterfalls that border the ranch. As well as offering amazing riding and horses, Uschi says, ‘I take a great deal of pride in delivering a first class service and hospitality, creating a seamless combination of style, comfort and Mexican flair’. You can find her under RANCH/ RESORTS in our member directory.
Caroline Maffry – Associate Producer, Equitrekking
Caroline began riding at the age of four. Her passion for horses has been a constant throughout her life. She is equally passionate about travel. Growing up the daughter of a diplomat, she spent her childhood living in Poland, Italy, France, and the Philippines and rode ponies and horses most of those years. She owned two ponies while living in Rome from age 9 to 12 and competed in local Italian pony shows. Currently living in Washington, DC, Caroline teaches children and adults about horsemanship and how to ride at a barn in Maryland where she also keeps her Hanoverian cross. Her 12 year old daughter is also an accomplished rider. Together mother and daughter have spent several years competing in area Hunter/Jumper. Caroline spent several years operating her own travel company specializing in cultural tours for students and is now using that experience to produce episodes for Equitrekking. She is currently planning several episodes to film for season six, set to broadcast in 2011. The episodes will air around the world, including the United States some fifty-six other countries. Caroline has also assisted in Equitrekking’s recently launched Equitrekking Travel, a full service t ravel agency. This new enterprise allows individuals and groups to enjoy in person the horse riding vacations they could previously only see on the popular television series. The riding vacations take place at featured locations and many are led by the same guides who have appeared on Equitrekking’s programs. Now viewers of Equitrekking who have dreamed of riding horses in locations where Equitrekking has gone will be able to actually experience what they have seen on the show. Riders may participate in unique adventures like riding with the Bedouin in the desert in Jordan, cattle round-ups at a working ranch in New Mexico, cross country training in Ireland, a pack trip in the Canadian Rockies or Alaska, natural horsemanship at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, trail riding America’s National Parks in Utah and more. These new travel offerings include visiting magical Petra, exclusive access to Jordan’s Royal Stables, sightseeing in bustling Istanbul, fly-fishing in Wyoming, golf at Mount Juliet and castle tours in Ireland and Wales. You can find her under TV PROGRAMS in our member directory.
Leslie Davis – Texas Haynets
My name is Leslie Davis and after 30 years, I sold my Real Estate Company 4 years ago to pursue my real passion: helping horses. My husband and I have been supporters and a foster home for of 70 horses in the past 10 years. Many horses have come to us through organized horse rescues. I have specialized in equine hoof rehabilitation for the past 8 years. Because many of the hoof issues are laminitis and founder issues, that has been my main focus. 90% of these cases are diet related. I could give you a whole book on the “why” our domestic horses have these diet issues, but to simplify the problem, I can tell you to remove sugar and starch from your horse’s diet. This is very hard to do with a main diet of grass or cut grass hay. You can soak the hay (this removes a lot of sugars and starches) but it also removes some of the good stuff too, like vitamins and minerals. The ideal way to feed cut grass hay is to put it in haynets with small holes (less than 2″ square). This gives the horse some resistance (like grazing) which encourages more mastication which provides more saliva. The saliva has enzymes that start breaking the cellulose down and preparing the hay for digestion. With large amounts of hay stuffed in their mouth, this process with the saliva is compromised. If the hay reaches the stomach unprepared for digestion, the whole digestive process is compromised and the horse does not receive all the nutrients from the hay. This research is now being coined as “slow feeding”. Because of this research and haynets, my life at the hoof rehab center has become much easier! The most economical way to feed cut grass hay is to feed with large round bales and since there was no such thing as a haynet for a round bale, I had to create one, hence the birth of “Texas Haynet” company. No longer to horse owners have to cringe at the sight of one third of their $80 round bale laying on the ground outside the hay ring all soiled to the point the horses will not eat it. The Texas Haynet reduces waste while it is providing a more healthy way for the horses to consume their hay. It is a win-win situation. Fat horses get thin, thin horses get fat, the herd is generally more laid back and calmer, less fighting and the horses have more energy and brighter eyes, etc. It is a bit like taking our small children off of sugar at bedtime and reducing sugar intake on adults with joint issues, etc. We are all healthier without so much sugar! You can find her under PRODUCTS in our member directory.
If you are a member of the WHIA and would like us to spotlight you, please send your info to us and we’ll do it.
You can check out all of our cool MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS by visiting our website at WOMEN’S HORSE INDUSTRY.
Catherine Masters
Executive Director
(615) 730-7833
Tags: equestrian community, Women's Horse Industry
