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Story and Photos by Heidi Nyland
9 Equine-Expo
Follow this expert advice on how best to
plan, schedule, stay comfortable, and more,
when attending your next equine expo.
1 Plan early. Target
the expo you’d
like to attend, then
frequent its website,
and sign up for any
e-newsletters so you’ll
know when it’s time
to download and
print out a final seminar schedule. Then you
can start making your travel plans.
Equestrian Promotions, Inc., president Denise
Parsons notes that if you want to avoid
crowds and have time to talk personally with
trainers, you might want to go on a Thursday
and Friday (if the expo is open), rather
than waiting for the weekend.
2 Book your
room. If you’ll
be staying in a hotel,
book your room
early. Parsons says it’s
best to make hotel
reservations 60 days
in advance. “After 30 days in advance, you
might not be able to take advantage of discounted
rates, since hotels often have cut-off
dates or just sell out early,” she says.
Before you make your reservation, identify
the event’s host hotels. You might save big if
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the expo has arranged for special discounts
and early-bird prices.
3 Select the right
seminars. “With
more than 100 clinics,
demonstrations,
and seminars, it’s critical
that you plan in
advance,” says Equine
Extravaganza founder
Vicki O’Hara. “Carefully review the choices,
and choose the sessions most relevant or appealing
to you. First, look for clinicians that
you know and admire, then look at the topics
to see if something catches your eye.”
4 Ride your
own horse.
Many horse expos
allow you to “ride
with the stars.”
If you live close
enough to the
expo site to trailer
in, consider taking
your horse for a hands-on clinic. Check
the schedule for a clinician who you’d love
to work with, or a seminar title that clearly
describes an issue you have with your horse
(such as managing fear, trailer-loading, or
changing leads). Then contact the expo
to see whether riders are needed for that
demonstration.
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