The girls at Bridle Up Hope gathering together on their new OTTO-ReiTex footing (Photo courtesy of Premier Equestrian).
Alpine, UT (September 21, 2018) – When Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian first heard of Bridle Up Hope, she was beyond enthusiastic about the chance to give their horses the best foundation to help their riders long term. When the challenge of providing the perfect footing for the facility’s new indoor arose, Zorn was up to the task of obtaining the right product. Zorn and the team at Premier Equestrian went a step further and came up with an exceptional footing from Germany and the resources to make it achievable to get the footing to Bridle Up Hope.
Premier Equestrian is the Official North American distributor for OTTO Sport, the makers of OTTO-ReiTex – a unique high-tech footing product that requires practically zero maintenance. “It actually brings tears to my eyes to see what they do for these young women. I myself was a wayward child, and if it wasn’t for horses my life may have been very different. Horses save a lot of people,” said Zorn as to why she is part of the team behind Bridle Up Hope.
Premier had provided their proprietary Athletex footing mix for the outdoor arenas at Bridle Up Hope; however, for Bridle Up Hope’s new indoor arena, which attaches to a barn, offices and yoga studio, they needed something that required as little maintenance as possible and had even less dust then any sand additive footing. OTTO-ReiTex was the perfect solution as it is a waterless footing that requires almost zero upkeep. “Being in Utah in the winter we can’t really water the arenas because it will freeze,” said Premier’s president Heidi Zorn, so OTTO-ReiTex makes the arenas functional all year long. “The biggest advantage is the lack of dust, especially since the arena is connected to the rest of the offices, and barn. It’s mostly inexperienced riders, so in case of a fall it offers a little more cushion for them,” said Steve Mills of S&S Barns, the builder for the new arena and barn at Bridle Up Hope. The team at Premier Equestrian and OTTO Sport were honored to be able to donate a portion of the cost to get this ideal footing from Germany to the Bridle Up Hope facility in Alpine, Utah.
Bridle Up Hope is a nonprofit organization focused on transforming the lives of girls, ages 12-25, who struggle with all variety of mental and emotional challenges. The program is 14 weeks of hands-on learning about horse care and riding, and developing life skills through The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which are naturally integrated throughout the riding lessons and serve as the foundation of the program curriculum. The majority of young women that come through the program lack connection, whether it be with family, siblings or friends, and through their newfound connection with the horses they re-connect with others and gain a new perspective on life. Once the girls complete the 14-week program they are celebrated and honored at an Advancement Ceremony, where they receive a professional photo shoot with their favorite horse, a digital photo book, videos of them on horseback, a Hawaiian lei, and a certificate honoring their hard work.
Just as riders study, practice, and perfect their skills in the saddle, Premier Equestrian takes no short cuts in creating world-class footing surfaces. Premier Equestrian prioritizes the health and safety of equine athletes and has been studying how arena surfaces impact equine biomechanics for over a decade. All Premier Equestrian’s premium-grade footing materials are expertly developed and thoroughly tested to assure consistency and superior quality. The company also offers free consultations and sand analysis reports so riders of all levels can create the perfect combination of materials for optimum riding surfaces. For more information on Premier Equestrian, or to request a free catalog, a free arena-footing sample or sand analysis, please call 800-611-6109 or-visit www.PremierEquestrian.com.
