Largest US Gathering of This Rare Horse Showcases Breed Versatility and Its Role in History
The Canadian Horse Expo will be held October 13, 2018 (rain date 10/14) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Harwinton Fairground, 80 Locust Road, Harwinton, CT 06791. The day will consist of under-saddle/in-harness demonstrations, clinics, equine-related presentations and a Breeder’s Barn featuring farms, horses for sale and stallions standing at stud from Canada and the US. There will also be vendors and food onsite. Entry is $5 for those 14 and over. For children under 14, there is a voluntary donation. For more information or to check on event updates, see our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/canadianhorseexpo
This is expected to be the largest gathering of this breed ever in the United States, providing a rare opportunity for people to not only learn about the breed, but about how horses have influenced the history and culture of N. America. The Expo already has participants from Canada, south to Virginia and west to Colorado, bringing an international and multistate contingent to CT.
The little known Canadian Horse is the oldest distinct breed in N. America and is listed as critically endangered by both the Livestock Conservancy and the Equus Survival Trust. The breed’s colorful history began at the famed stables of King Louis XIV and includes the founding of Canada and helping the Union win the American Civil War. Their lineage contributed to other US breeds like the Morgan, Standardbred and Tennessee Walker. They have almost gone extinct twice in their 350+ year history and today the population hovers around 6500 worldwide.
Bred for versatility, athleticism, stamina and soundness, the breed now competes in everything from dressage, eventing, working equitation and foxhunting to competitive trail riding, barrels/roping, driving and obstacles/extreme cowboy -- even Civil War/Renaissance re-enactment and ski joering! The Expo will give attendees a rare opportunity to see these horses perform in many of these disciplines.
- Endangered or rare breeds
- The history of the horse in N. America
- Battle horses of N. America
- New sport horse breeds
- Affordable alternatives to warmbloods and European breeds
- Bringing equine power back to the farm (many off-gridders and sustainable farmers are going back to using horses over machinery, including the Canadian)
- Alternative equine sports: we have members who compete or teach mounted archery, ski joering, Civil War re-enactment, working equitation, obstacles/extreme cowboy and TREC (a relatively new three-day event popular in Europe that involves orienteering, obstacles and a paced endurance ride)
For more information on the history and breed standards, see https://tinyurl.com/Livestock-Conservancy or The Canadian Horse Breeders Association: www.lechevalcanadien.ca.
If you are interested in writing an article or covering the Expo, please contact Margo Killoran, threefoldfarm@comcast.net, 978-697-7910.