FW: [RC] horse boarding in Tripoli, Libya? - Kristen A Fisher
Look what was just published by The
Horse:
Resource Helps
Military Families with Horses Make their Move
by: Marsha Hayes August 28 2008, Article # 12587
In March 2008, horse owner Valerie Van der Veer launched a Web site to help
military families locate on-base stables when they experience a Permanent Change
of Station (PCS).
"It tends to be very difficult to find a stable on base when relocating" she
noted. "It's almost like they are hidden."
Van der Veer should know. The daughter of a Navy Chief and the spouse of an
Air Force Colonel, she has owned horses since 1973. She created her Web site to
help others overcome the problems of moving to a new base with horses.
The growing site lists contact information for 70
different on-base stables. Averaging about 2,000 hits per month, Van der Veer
said the page is gathering great reviews from military horse owners.
Even with the inconvenience of frequent PCS moves (which can occur every 1-5
years) the military can offer advantages to horse owners on the move. "Because
of our many duty stations, I've ridden trails in Utah, jumped horses in Hawaii,
played polo in Rhode Island, and soon plan to fox hunt," said Van der Veer from
her Shaw AFB home near Sumter, S.C.
Plans for the Web site include the addition of shipping contacts. "Not
everyone owns a trailer," notes Van der Veer. And sometimes a trailer just won't
get the job done. "I have friends who have shipped horses from bases in England,
Germany, and Hawaii," she noted.
Military families make many sacrifices, but giving up their horses shouldn't
have to be one of them, Van der Veer said.
