'June is Horse Month' celebrated at Eastern Branch Library in Shrewsbury

As part of the Monmouth County Library’s June is Horse Month programming, Tracy Brennan and her Thoroughbred horse, Runnin’ Robbo (a.k.a. Beau), visited the Eastern Branch Library in Shrewsbury on Saturday, June 8 to talk about the art of riding sidesaddle.

A crowd of about 90 library patrons of all ages gathered around Beau as Brennan, dressed in a 1920s woman’s riding habit, demonstrated her side saddle and spoke about the progression of women’s riding styles through the ages.

Brennan was introduced by Shrewsbury Mayor Don Burden, who reminded the crowd that the Eastern Branch Library property was once part of a large horse farm property, complete with windmill and polo grounds.

Brennan and Beau currently hold demonstrations at the Fosterfields Living History Farm in Morris County. Beau, or Runnin’ Robbo, as he was known on the track, had to be rehabbed after bowing a tendon during his last race. He is now 18 years old and is stabled in Colts Neck.

Along with Brennan’s talk at the Library, members of the Monmouth County Curry Combs (Freehold) and the Hearts and Horseshoes (Howell) 4-H Clubs were on hand to help spectators mount stationary saddles that were on display to illustrate different riding styles: English, Western, and Side Saddle. 

Each year, the Monmouth County Library celebrates June is Horse Month. This annual observance provides an opportunity to focus on New Jersey’s state animal as well as the recreational, economic, social, and therapeutic benefits provided by the equine industry.

The horse was proclaimed the state animal by the Legislature in 1977, and in May 1998 Governor Christine Todd Whitman proclaimed June as the Month of the Horse in New Jersey.

Join us at Library Headquarters in Manalapan on Monday, June 17 for another equine visit - Indy, a Standardbred Horse, will greet visitors beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by a panel discussion on the Standardbred Horse Industry at 7 p.m..

Panelists include:

-- Harriet Honigfeld, Administrator, Farmland Preservation Program, Monmouth County Planning Board

-- Sam Landy, Esq., President, Open Space Pace

-- Tom Luchento, President, Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey

-- Dr. Karyn Malinowski, Director, Equine Science Center, Rutgers University

The moderator of the event is: Dr. William Sciarappa, Rutgers University - NJ Agricultural Experiment Station.

Library Headquarters is located at 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan 07726. For more information on programming at the Monmouth County Library, please visit our webpage at www.monmouthcountylib.org