Canadian Horse Journal - EAST - Spring 2024

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ ROLF DANNENBERG

SPECIAL FEATURES

12 Horse Community Heroes: Stella French

French is the founder and head coach of Victoria, BC-based Manestream Vaulters, which promotes teamwork, inclusion, and fun!

16 How to Accurately Feed a Forage-Based Diet

Key considerations go into accurately feeding a forage-based diet to optimize the horse’s nutritional well-being.

28 New Tech Saddlery

New innovations in an old profession continue to improve saddlery options and equestrian performance.

34 Geographically Challenged

Riders struggle with Canadian-specific challenges in their pursuit of horse sport excellence.

60 The Cowboy Way

Icons of the North American Wild West, cowboys still ride the range, and their lifestyle and culture lives on in Canada’s Western provinces.

70 Bucking Horses

These unsung athletes of the rodeo world are purpose-bred for their specific talent that can make or break a cowboy’s career.

76 Women’s Breakaway Roping

Breakaway roping is the fastest rodeo sport on the planet with winning times of less than two seconds.

80 South Algonquin Equestrian Trails

Ride through a piece of precious wilderness on an expansive trail system with spectacular views in the oldest provincial park in Canada.

ON THE COVER:

I stand at the gate of the paddock watching you run in an ecstasy of freedom, knowing you will return to stand quietly, loyally, beside me.

IN THIS ISSUE SPRING 2024

RIDING & HORSEMANSHIP

24 Therapeutic vs Conditioning Exercises

When a horse’s comfort and performance decline, here are three ways to keep him moving until functionality returns.

40 Crossing Poles in Stride Ground rails, trail pattern poles, obstacle course logs — here’s how to take poles in stride.

46 Remain Calm and Ride On Improve connection, confidence, and communication with your horse by tuning in to your internal state.

50 Is Desensitization Helpful? Thoughts on creating a confident horse by supporting connection and trust in challenging situations.

56 Exercises to Improve the Rider’s Seat and Confidence Core strength, coordination, and flexibility are essential components of a secure seat and refined aids. DEPARTMENTS

Straight From The Horse’s Mouth

Poll Identifies Horse Welfare Concerns and Educational Needs in Canada’s Horse Industry

Our most popular Online Poll and related Tough Question to date asked respondents: What are the top three issues facing the horse industry in Canada? And what solutions do you propose?

Tania Millen summarized the responses we received, and we’re pleased to share them with you here.

Eighty percent of respondents to an online poll conducted by Horse Community Journals Inc. in 2023 identified horse welfare, unwanted horses, irresponsible owners and breeding, and the cost of horse activities as the top issues facing Canada’s horse industry. The other 20 percent of respondents were concerned about the aging demographics of industry participants and loss of mentors; lack of new people entering the industry; and loss of equestrian land and trails. The poll garnered 729 responses.

Here are the key issues highlighted by respondents:

1. Horse welfare concerns: There is growing awareness that horse welfare must be of paramount concern when riding and training horses, plus during the “other 23 hours” when horses are not interacting with humans. However, lack of knowledge about horse welfare remains. Additionally, application of newfound knowledge about horse welfare through action and altered behaviour is required. There are also wideranging concerns about outdated practices and how those practices and a lack of understanding about horse ethology affect the horse industry’s social licence to operate.

2. Increased cost and loss of knowledge: Rising costs of hay, coaching, boarding, and participation threaten the accessibility of horse ownership and the ability to participate in equestrian activities. Urban sprawl threatens the availability of land and facilities for horse-related activities, impacting accessibility and affordability. Closure of riding schools and diminishing availability of professionals exacerbate this issue. Diminishing mentorship and an aging participant base

also pose challenges for the transfer of knowledge and skills within the industry.

3. Lack of support for non-competitors: The primary focus of equestrian governing bodies has been on high-performance equestrianism and “sport,” which may discourage newcomers and noncompetitors from entering the horse industry or continuing to enjoy horses. This “sport” focus also may perpetuate the perception that equine activities are only available to the wealthy or elite. Solutions proposed by poll respondents to ensure continued equine activities in Canada included the following:

1. Educate about horse welfare: Utilize current science to educate horse industry participants and address outdated practices surrounding proper horse care, handling, training, and competing. Enforce regulations and minimum standards for horse care and living conditions. Increase education about euthanasia as a solution to end suffering.

2. Promote inclusive participation: Encourage participation in the horse industry by diverse groups and individuals. Form partnerships between organizations offering entry-level programming. Develop initiatives to expose youth to horserelated activities and mentorship programs to support newcomers. Advocate for financial support and incentives from provincial and national bodies. Provide financial assistance to organizations offering safe, educational programs.

3. Advocacy and awareness: Advocate for horse welfare. Build public awareness of horse welfare practices within equine sport and non-competitive horse activities. Advocate for the use of lands and trails by horses. Increase engagement between equine and nonequine recreational groups.

These broad issues that challenge Canada’s horse industry require solutions that promote understanding of the extent and importance of horses and the horse industry. By identifying these concerns and potential solutions, respondents were expressing their desire for change. Poll respondents were also clear that multifaceted solutions, which ensure positive horse welfare and engage organizations and disparate communities, are imperative to the industry’s continued success.

Kathy Smith, Tania Millen

Letters to the Editor are always welcome. Kindly include your full name, address, telephone number, and email address.

Biosecurity For Horses

WHY IT MATTERS

Across Canada, owners, riders, farms, and horses continue to struggle with strangles, equine influenza, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy. Not only can these diseases be detrimental to horses’ health, but managing ill horses can stretch finances, shut down commercial operations, and be an emotional roller coaster for those involved.

In December 2023, Toronto Equestrian, which operates a riding school from the Horse Palace Building at Exhibition Grounds in Toronto, Ontario, closed their operations due to a strangles outbreak.

“We made the decision to shut the riding school down completely, isolate the horses that were sick, and protect the remainder of the herd,” says Sue Iwan, one of the owners of Toronto Equestrian. That shutdown has cost the operation over $100,000 in lost income, staff wages, and multiple $200 tests for 30 horses.

Strangles is prevalent across Canada but it’s not reportable and often remains under the radar.

“It’s famous for being a bit of a dirty secret. Nobody talks about it,” says Iwan.

“We don’t know where our strangles came from, but we know it doesn’t just happen and we’re not the only strangles outbreak in the province or country,” says Iwan, who believes that communication within the horse industry is needed. “We need to talk about it. Be open and transparent about it.”

Other diseases, such as equine infectious anemia (EIA), equine piroplasmosis, rabies, and vesicular stomatitis, must be reported to Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). A positive identification of EIA by Coggins test requires that the horse be destroyed. This occurred in British Columbia in 2023. So, preventing these devastating illnesses is imperative. Biosecurity is key.

We’re all familiar with washing our hands, covering our mouths, and wearing masks to help prevent the spread of diseases such as COVID-19. Horses and stables need similar protection measures. Biosecurity means following policies that reduce the risk of disease by minimizing

disease transmission and reducing the frequency and severity of diseases.

“Implementing strict biosecurity measures at active equine facilities, as well as competitions, is the best way to protect the health and welfare of Canada’s national herd from infectious disease,” states the Equestrian Canada (EC) website.

Biosecurity runs the gamut from having policies in place that protect individual horses to protecting a stable of horses via farm-specific policies. To assist, EC, CFIA, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada developed the National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector which is available online. Measures to consider include the following:

Farm biosecurity plan. This includes identifying and creating management practices for horses arriving from elsewhere, plus daily care and management practices to reduce the spread of diseases, such as limiting nose-to-nose contact with new arrivals and separating horses by disease susceptibility.

Herd health management. This includes vaccination and deworming requirements before a horse moves to the facility and everyday disinfection practices.

Individual horse health. This includes regular veterinary care, recommended vaccinations, observing and responding to health changes, plus preventing unnecessary nose-to-nose meetings at horse events.

Every farm, barn, and individual horse owner should consider how best to incorporate biosecurity into everyday equine management. Plans, policies, and

actions all work together to protect horses from preventable diseases and unnecessary downtime.

“All of our horses are vaccinated against strangles and we think that’s one of the reasons that we have not seen it run so rapidly,” says Iwan. “The vaccine will not prevent strangles but when they come into contact with it, they fight the disease more effectively or recover more quickly.”

Unfortunately, Sarah Davidson, a trail rider near Pincher Creek, Alberta is having a different experience. She decided not to vaccinate her two horses for strangles and when a visitor came to her farm from another barn that had a strangles case, her horses caught the disease. One of her horses has been under veterinary care for two months, has had two abscesses lanced, and is still receiving antibiotics. Fortunately, Davidson’s horses are expected to recover. But their illness has been costly financially, emotionally, and in time spent doctoring.

“Some hardships can be avoided through diligence and communication,” says Mike King, Director for Equine Insurance and Partner at Acera Insurance. Incorporating biosecurity measures plus sharing information about outbreaks within regional and provincial horse communities can help prevent disease and outbreaks from spreading.

“Insurers expect to lose horses to disease but it’s frustrating when horses become ill from controllable diseases,” says King. b

www.CapriCMW.ca/equine

PHOTO: ISTOCK/JULIA SIOMUHA

Poll Unveils Startling Insights About Riding Accidents

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

An online poll conducted by Horse Community Journals Inc. about the prevalence of riding accidents sheds light on the startling frequency of injuries among equestrians.

The poll garnered responses from 930 equestrians of which a mere three percent of respondents advised they had “never parted ways with their horse” while 44 percent shared they had suffered serious or major injuries that required prolonged recovery or absence from riding. Results underscore the importance of adopting protective measures to mitigate the risk of injury.

The poll asked: Have you ever had a riding accident where you fell off your horse, or the horse fell on you? Equestrians responded as follows. No Injuries, but Close Calls: 22 percent (202 votes) of respondents reported having experienced a riding accident without sustaining injuries.

Minor Injuries and Swift Recovery: 29 percent (272 votes) shared that they suffered minor injuries but were able to resume riding within a few days.

Serious Injuries and Prolonged Recovery: A concerning 35 percent (321 votes) disclosed suffering serious injuries that hindered their ability to ride for several weeks or even months.

Major Injuries and Prolonged Absence: 9 percent (86 votes) faced major injuries, enduring an extended hiatus from riding exceeding a year.

Psychological Impact: 2 percent (20 votes) admitted to losing their nerve post-accident and never riding again, revealing the profound psychological toll that riding accidents can inflict.

Unscathed Riders: 3 percent (29 votes) asserted they have never parted ways with their horse.

The findings underscore the inherent risks associated with

enjoying horse sport and highlight the imperative for riders to prioritize safety measures. These could include:

1 Enlisting the guidance of certified riding instructors to enhance skills and promote safe practices.

2 Enjoying horses aligned with your skill level.

3 Utilizing protective gear, such as helmets and vests, to minimize the impact of potential falls.

The equestrian community is urged to reflect on these findings and take proactive steps to ensure the safety of both riders and horses. b

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

POLL RESULTS Have you ever had a riding accident where you fell off your horse, or the horse fell on you?

NO INJURIES, BUT CLOSE CALLS — 22%

MINOR INJURIES AND SWIFT RECOVERY — 29%

SERIOUS INJURIES AND PROLONGED RECOVERY — 35%

MAJOR INJURIES AND PROLONGED ABSENCE — 9%

PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT — 2%

UNSCATHED RIDERS — 3%

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/DARIUSH M

Stella French

Providing opportunities for all abilities

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

My passion is not just enabling but pushing individuals — with or without disabilities — just that little bit past what they think they can do, and see their face light up when they do it.

“Stella helps disabled people live an authentic life,” says Nicole Bengtsson whose teenaged son has autism and is coached by French. “She provides a safe and inclusive space where disabled

Stella French operates Manestream Vaulters and Manestream Equestrian near Victoria, British Columbia (BC).

STELLA FRENCH

Stella French with Sam I Am.

A 15-year-old Clydesdale gelding, Sam I Am is the main vaulting horse used for all levels.

PHOTO: JANE STONE

PHOTO: NICOLE BENGTSSON

athletes can be themselves and do things they never thought they could do — like gymnastics on horseback. My son had trouble climbing ladders on the playground when he was younger. He’s placed second at the BC vaulting provincial championships competing against non-disabled athletes, because of Stella’s coaching.”

Right after high school, French knew that coaching would be her vocation. She was exposed to vaulting when working at a summer camp and was fascinated by the idea that she could coach numerous riders with just one horse. French also realized that vaulting provided a way for new riders to achieve success much faster than occurs during beginner riding lessons. Accordingly, when the first BC-based pilot project to certify vaulting coaches was offered, she got her certification.

French is now a certified coach with Equestrian Vaulting Association of BC, Certified Horsemanship Association, Equestrian Canada, and Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association. She founded Manestream Vaulters in 2004, which is operated by a committee of parents whose children are involved in vaulting activities.

Then about 12 years ago, French noticed a gap in the opportunities available to riders who had outgrown therapeutic programs. There simply wasn’t a place for them to continue riding and learning about horses. Since French was already coaching vaulting, she

over 20 years

started integrating opportunities for disabled riders into the Manestream Vaulting program, plus began her Manestream Equestrian coaching business.

“People who aren’t able-bodied are human beings, too,” says French. “If

PHOTO: MANESTREAM VAULTERS

someone has Down Syndrome or their legs are short, that doesn’t mean they can’t stand on a horse. It just means they might need to do it differently or on a different timeline.

“I’ve got many clients with disabilities who don’t fit into a traditional therapeutic riding program any more,”

Stella with Zachary LeHay riding Princess Leena, a 13.2 HH Haflinger mare.

Stella French with Tyler Woolley riding Island Queen at the BC Summer Games.

PHOTO: KIM SCOTT

PHOTO: KIM SCOTT

says French. “Most of them started there, but they’ve outgrown the program, or there are no competitive opportunities, or the size of the horses isn’t appropriate.”

French’s Manestream programs are about inclusivity — supporting people where they’re at and helping bring out their best. The emphasis isn’t necessarily on being the best rider or vaulter, but on being the best human being.

“When you join Manestream you’re first seen as a person,” says Bengtsson. “There are handlers and riders who have a variety of disabilities: autism, mental health issues, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and probably other diagnoses. Stella has created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for disabled athletes to push themselves beyond what they think they can do.”

French also provides leadership opportunities.

“My son is autistic and wasn’t comfortable being in a group,” says Bengtsson. “He had trouble looking people in the eyes, difficulties with communication, and social anxiety. Stella selected him to be a junior coach at age 11. Nobody else ever recognized him as having any kind of leadership qualities.

“These children are learning skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives: self-awareness, healthy communication, and working as a team,” says Bengtsson. “I haven’t seen friendships develop anywhere else the way they do at Manestream between disabled and non-disabled people.”

French is clearly filling a gap in the horse industry but thinks that a shift in perspective is needed in the larger equestrian community.

“I look around the industry and don’t see others doing what I do,” says French. So, part of her current work is encouraging future coaches to include all athletes in their programming.

“It’s not that big a step to take someone with a disability into a mainstream riding program,” says French. “I’ve got so many riders who just need elastics on their stirrups and knobby reins to ride independently. And then they’re riding better than your average beginner kid in the school string. I’ve taken vaulters and para-riders to the BC Summer Games for many years.”

Her message to other coaches is: “Be a little bit brave, give them what they need and let them try.” b

To learn more visit

> www.ManeStream-Vaulters.com

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

Manestream Vaulters

PHOTO: NICOLE BENGTSSON

How to Accurately Feed a Forage-Based Diet

By Madeline Boast, MSc. Equine Nutrition

Most horses are maintained on a forage-based diet, meaning that the primary component of their daily ration is hay or pasture. In the equine nutrition world, the term “forage-first” has gained popularity. This feeding practice provides a multitude of clearlyreported health benefits, such as reduced risk of gastric ulceration and stereotypical behaviours. However, simply allowing your horse to have free choice access to hay or pasture is not enough to ensure optimal nutrition. Additional nutrients are required, and there are some key considerations that go into accurately feeding a forage-based diet to optimize the horse’s nutritional well-being.

When considering a forage-based diet for your horse, or if your horse is already consuming one, understanding the why is important. Horses are herbivores that have evolved as trickle feeders, meaning their digestive tract is most effective when consuming small amounts of feed frequently. In the wild, horses are freerange on grasslands. This has resulted in horses being adapted to large amounts of high-fibre roughages or forages. When given the choice, a horse will graze for upwards of 18 hours per day.

Anatomy

If we dive into the equine gastrointestinal (GI) anatomy, even starting at

Simply allowing your horse to have free choice access to hay or pasture is not enough to ensure optimal nutrition.

the mouth, there are clear anatomical features that support a forage-based diet. Did you know that unlike humans, horses do not salivate in anticipation of a meal? If you know your favourite meal is almost ready, you may salivate in anticipation of consuming it. Not so with horses; their salivation only occurs during chewing.

It is well-known that saliva is important for moistening the feed, but it is also a gastric buffer, which means it plays a role in buffering the acidic environment. Long-stem fibre, such as hay, has a longer chewing time than concentrates and grains. Therefore, when you feed products that require less chew time, saliva

production is decreased, which can result in an increased gastric pH.

Another key anatomical feature is the small size of the horse’s stomach in relation to body size. In fact, it is only about 10 percent of the equine GI tract. This anatomical feature favours continuous movement of feed. Therefore, a horse eating in a similar pattern to a human (three large meals daily) would negatively impact its GI tract, which has anatomically evolved to consume small meals frequently.

In addition to its small size, the equine stomach constantly secretes hydrochloric acid. Since horses are grazers and meant to spend most of their day eating, they have

constant acid production. Therefore, when the stomach is empty and no forage is present, the pH will drop, resulting in a very acidic environment. This can lead to an increased risk of developing gastric ulcers. The hindgut of the horse (cecum and colon) is the largest portion of the GI tract. Horses are hindgut fermenters, so the health of the hindgut is critical to their well-being. In the hindgut of the horse, there is a diverse population of microbes including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. These microbes require a stable ecosystem and are sensitive to environmental changes, such as a drop in pH.

It has been documented that when a horse is maintained on a forage-based

Horses evolved as trickle feeders and are meant to consume small meals frequently.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ ALEXIA KHRUSCHEVA

PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK/KIMBERLEY

diet, the microbial population in their hindgut is more stable. When large grain meals are fed, or when the passage rate of grains or concentrates is too quick, too much starch will reach the hindgut. This is a situation in which the pH will drop

due to overproduction of lactic acid. The resulting condition is termed hindgut acidosis. This digestive upset is often due to lack of forage and the overconsumption of grain.

When domestic horses are fed in a way

that is supportive of their digestive anatomy, there are clearly reported health benefits. Multiple studies have evaluated forage-based diets and their impact on gastrointestinal well-being. The commonly reported benefits include a more stable microbial environment in the hindgut, longer chew time for forages vs grains, a reduced risk of stereotypical behaviour, and a reduced risk of gastric ulcers. Lack of forage in the diet also increases the risk of colic.

Evidence supports how imperative a forage-based diet is for horses. So, how did the pattern of feeding large grain meals even start?

Historically, a primarily forage-based diet was inadequate in meeting the energy requirements of working horses because of two contributing factors — the hay being produced was often of lesser nutritional quality than the hay available today; and, horses had different job descriptions than most of today’s horses. For example, in days past horses were primarily used as work animals, but many horses now live a more leisurely lifestyle.

The issue of forage being unable to meet the animal’s energy requirements resulted in feeding energy-dense grains. However, our knowledge and management of forages has improved, and now there is a plethora of highquality forage products available. Therefore, moving away from large grain meals is recommended.

Considerations for Accuracy

Forage-based nutrition is crucial to equine health; however, horse owners also must understand how to feed these nutrition programs accurately. Nutritional deficiencies are common. The numerous potential health issues may take years to detect and can be detrimental. Being able to accurately feed your horse a forage-based diet that is balanced to meet all their nutrient requirements can truly level-up their nutritional well-being.

NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS

Horses require six key classes of nutrients: water, carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. A forageonly diet will not meet all these requirements. Often, the hay will meet the carbohydrates, protein, and fat requirements — especially for those easy keepers — but the vitamins and minerals will need to be supplemented.

For example, vitamin E is not stable in

IMAGE: HORSE COMMUNITY

dry hay. Therefore, if your horse is being maintained on dry hay and not supplemented with vitamin E, he will likely be deficient. Trace minerals are another common deficiency when the diet is forage-only. Trace mineral content in the hay will often reflect what is in the soil. For example, many geographical areas in Canada (e.g., Ontario) have soils that are known to be deficient in selenium. This results in the forage, either hay or pasture, having very low levels of selenium.

By simply looking at your hay it is impossible to know what nutrients are lacking. Therefore, to accurately feed a forage-based diet, the crucial first step must always be a hay analysis.

HAY ANALYSIS

When you walk into a feed store to choose a product to feed your horse, you likely read the tag or label first. Maybe you specifically look at the protein content. Or does the energy content lead to your decision? There are a variety of factors that can assist the horse owner in choosing a product they deem suitable.

Now, imagine walking into a feed store to choose a product for your horse, only to find the nutritional information not

Using a hay probe to obtain a hay sample. A hay analysis is the only reliable way to determine the nutritional value of forage.

PHOTO: DOSWELL CREATIVE

available. This would make choosing the right product an extremely challenging task, and it’s unlikely you would feel confident in choosing what is best. If that situation sounds scary, why do we do this with hay?

If hay comprises the majority of the horse’s diet, it is logical to want to know the nutritional value of that forage. There is no reliable way to predict accurate nutritional

information without a hay analysis.

The good news is that you can easily obtain a hay analysis yourself. I recommended asking your local feed store or equine nutritionist for the use of a hay probe to take your sample. These tools drill a core out of the bale to improve the accuracy of the sample.

If you do not have access to a hay probe, there are other ways to take and submit a

sample. All you need is access to multiple hay bales, a pair of scissors, and a Ziplock® bag. (FIGURE 1)

Then follow these steps:

1 Have multiple bales available from which to take handfuls of hay. Open each bale and take a handful. A minimum of 10 bales should be used to ensure that your sample is representative of the batch of hay.

2 Within each bale, vary the location your sample is taken from. Most of the grab samples can be taken from the interior of the bale.

3 Trim the ends of the handful to emulate a “core.” The handfuls should be trimmed to about three inches in length.

4 During this process be careful not to crush any leaf matter as it is nutritionally important.

5 Put all trimmed handfuls into one labelled Ziplock® bag and mix well. Prior to shipping the sample to your nearest lab, attach the laboratory’s sample submission form to the bag.

In Canada there are many different labs. Ensure that you are sending your sample for an equine analysis. For example, Ontario’s SGS Laboratory in Guelph and A&L Canada Laboratory in London both have equine-specific analyses. But if this task seems daunting, reach out to a qualified equine nutritionist in your area. They will be equipped with a forage probe to take an accurate hay sample and ship it to the nearest laboratory for you.

IDEAL FORAGE AMOUNT

Most horses will consume between 1.52.5 percent of their bodyweight in forage.

If your horse easily maintains body condition and becomes over-conditioned, it is recommended to decrease the forage intake to closer to the 1.5 percent. However, if your horse is not overweight, or has a difficult time maintaining weight, closer to the 2.5 percent is preferable. If your horse is not overweight, providing free-choice access

to forage is ideal. Following an equine body condition score system to ensure accuracy in evaluating your horse’s condition is recommended.

If the horse spends part of its day in a stall, a common practice is to provide a couple of flakes of hay at night check. Unfortunately, in these situations, horses will often consume their hay quickly and be left without any forage for hours, which is far from ideal. Therefore, by calculating the amount of hay your horse needs to maintain an optimal body condition and employing various management tactics, such as slow feeders or additional feedings as they are required, you can take better care of your horse through optimally supporting their gastrointestinal health.

Interpreting Your Hay Analysis

When you are equipped with the detailed information from a hay analysis, you have a base upon which to build your horse’s optimal and accurate forage-based diet. A hay analysis provides you with specific nutritional information, such as energy content and crude protein percentage. It can be overwhelming if this is the first time you have had access

Estimate the weight of your horse using a weight tape by taking a measurement of the heart girth from about two inches behind the elbow, over the highest point of the withers, and hold it snugly straight up and down.

PHOTOS: DOSWELL CREATIVE

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

to the results a hay analysis provides. However, if you stick to looking at the few key areas discussed below, you’ll quickly improve your understanding and move on to accurately feeding forage-first.

ADF, NDF AND LIGNIN

Acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) provide insight into the fibre components and digestibility of the hay. ADF measures cellulose and lignin. NDF measures cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. When these values are higher, it indicates a greater content of indigestible fibre as lignin is not digestible for the horse. On average, about 30-40 percent is normal for ADF, and 40-60 percent for NDF.

DIGESTIBLE ENERGY (DE)

The ADF and NDF values will relate to the digestible energy content. As a general rule, when there is a great proportion of indigestible fibre in the hay, the amount of energy is lower. For easy keepers it would be preferable to have hay that is approximately 40 percent ADF and 55 percent NDF. However, for horses that struggle to maintain weight it is ideal to have ADF below 40 percent and NDF below 55 percent. The DE content of the hay will be given in Mcal/kg, which can be used to calculate how many calories

If your horse is an easy keeper or his energy needs are being met by forage, a simple ration balancer may be all that’s needed.

that forage is providing to your horse.

CRUDE PROTEIN (CP)

CP is an estimate of the total protein content of the hay. The average horse requires about 8 percent crude protein in their diet. This requirement will increase for horses in work or involved in breeding, such as broodmares.

SUGARS & STARCHES

Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESC), and starch will be included in the hay analysis. This is important for horses with metabolic disorders or at risk of developing laminitis.

A hay scale helps you to accurately determine the horse’s forage intake.

PHOTOS: DOSWELL CREATIVE

WSC includes both simple sugars and fructans (complex sugars) whereas ESC is only the simple sugars. For metabolic horses, it is recommended that the combined ESC and starch content not exceed a maximum of 10 percent.

MINERALS

Hay will not meet all of your horse’s mineral requirements, but it is still important to look at these values to ensure there are no serious imbalances. For example, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio should ideally be between 1.5:1 and 4:1. In most equine hay analyses this value will be calculated for you by the laboratory and provided on the analysis.

Supplementing Hay for Balanced Nutrition

Since it is well known that a forageonly diet will not meet a horse’s vitamin and mineral requirements, it is important to choose the correct product to supplement your hay. The Nutrient Requirements of Horses, Sixth Revised Edition (2007), published by the National Research Council (NRC), provides nutrient requirements for various weight classes of horses, as well as how their nutrient requirements change with workload. You can use your hay analysis to calculate if it is meeting your horse’s requirements as outlined by the NRC. If your hay matches your horse’s needs well, then adding a simple ration balancer will be adequate.

Ration balancers are concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, and sometimes protein as well. They do not provide a significant source of digestible energy and are therefore ideal for easy keepers and horses that have their energy needs met by their forage.

If the hay is not adequately meeting your horse’s energy and protein requirements you may have to opt for a performance feed. However, for most horses, it is easy to meet their additional energy requirements with products such as alfalfa cubes or beet pulp. Oils have also gained popularity for caloric supplementation.

To summarize, feeding your horse a forage-based diet is important for their health. And taking steps to ensure that you are accurately feeding the forage can level-up your horse’s nutritional wellbeing. A hay analysis is always the crucial first step. If you have additional questions about hay testing, or your horse’s diet, consider consulting a qualified equine nutritionist. b

We humans are a peculiar bunch. As creatures of habit (and not always good habits), we frequently engage in behaviours that we think are good for us. For instance, I take a daily multivitamin without really knowing if or how they actually work.

In the horse world, probiotic supplements are vibrant examples of this. Horse owners enthusiastically spend around $250 per year per horse on probiotics, blindly faithful to the concept with almost no definitive evidence that they do anything useful at all.

Herbs for Horses is about to change all that. Their combination probiotic/prebiotic supplement, ProbioPLUS™, has undergone more than two years of extensive study at the University of Guelph to better understand its effect on the equine digestive tract. And now the results are in!

As part of her PhD research, Dr. Jennifer MacNicol created an in vitro model of the equine cecum using anaerobic chambers and specialized equipment called “chemostat” machines. These chambers were filled with equine cecal fluid and incubated with or without ProbioPLUS. Results showed that ProbioPLUS strongly increased microbial production of short chain fatty acids (especially acetate), which is evidence for the ability of ProbioPLUS to support healthy growth and metabolism of “good bugs” in the horse’s cecum.

In a separate study, MSc student Maria Lagounova fed ProbioPLUS for 28 days to a group of actively racing Standardbreds, some of which were receiving 10 days of antiobiotic treatment, and evaluated the fecal microbial population over the 28-day duration. While there were limited effects of ProbioPLUS on the fecal microbiome, ProbioPLUS supplementation increased

the diversity of microbial populations over the 28-day period, while promoting a softening of feces during the latter part of the supplementation period. Taken together these two studies provide evidence that ProbioPLUS supports the equine gastrointestinal tract primarily in a prebiotic manner (i.e., supports the microbiome that is already there, rather than influencing its composition). The increase in short-chain fatty acids following probiotic supplementation has been reported previously in horses* and may offer significant benefit to athletic horses by providing an energetic alternative to glycogen, reducing lactate accumulation in muscles following exercise. This means your horse may be able to exercise longer and at higher intensity prior to the onset of fatigue.

There is still much to be learned about how probiotic supplementation can help support overall health and wellness in your horse. But this extensive research into ProbioPLUS can help us make supplement choices based more on objective evidence and less on blind faith.

Contact Ralph at Herbs for Horses for reading list or product samples (text: 519-8377898) or email ralph@horseherbs.com. *LAGOUNOVA

Therapeutic Conditioning EXERCISES

By Jec A. Ballou

When an injury occurs, it is prudent to inactivate the horse for a short period. In less defined scenarios, however, we owe it to our horses to understand that movement itself is therapy, or at least certain types of movement can be. Exercise is not always something that reduces or diminishes a horse’s well-being. More often, it improves overall welfare, and for this reason eliminating exercise must be reserved for only extreme scenarios.

When a horse’s performance and comfort seem to decline from physical causes such as muscle soreness or imbalance, “kissing spine” (overriding dorsal spinous processes), ulcers, stiffness, or reasons that are hard to define, it is logical to change his current exercise plan to allow the body to repair. Change, however, is not the same as elimination. Rather than assuming all movement will worsen any underlying discomfort, the question should be: How to modify the current routine to keep the horse moving daily?

It is worth noting that modification

does not mean just doing a shorter version of the horse’s normal activities. It means finding ways to move the horse’s body without complexity and intensity. For instance, if your dressage horse’s gaits have been irregular but the vet cannot find an injury or explanation, do not cease activity entirely. Nor should you proceed by shortening your daily ride and hoping for the best. Instead of your sameold arena sessions, find exercise that is a lot less taxing and that your horse can perform for approximately 30 minutes.

Generally, it helps to consider the three points outlined in this article. Remember, your goal is to discover what movement your horse can do comfortably while you wait for him to regain 100 percent functionality. Maybe you discover he feels stiff and cranky in the arena when you ride circles and ask for a working trot with rounded topline, but he will meander comfortably down the trail on loose reins. Or you notice that he gets irregular when you sit the trot as normal but travels sound if you post the trot or ride two-point position. Perhaps you

determine the horse can walk beautifully and perform all kinds of manoeuvres, but any gaits faster than that look vaguely lame. Or maybe you decide the horse is only capable of multiple short bouts of stretches and hand-walks throughout the day. The point is to commit to what he can do until you solve the larger issue.

1 Modify the Dominant Gait or Speed

Muscle imbalance, hypertension, and soreness — not to mention faulty muscle activation — can cause a surprising number of gait irregularities. This is especially true for horses that spend most of their working time in a particular gait. Many Western performance disciplines, for example, spend the majority of their

When it’s necessary to avoid weight on the horse’s back, therapy can still be provided through easy, rhythmic movement by groundwork or leading for at least 25 minutes a day in simple straight lines and without restrictive gear.

schooling time each day loping. In several cases when one of these horses begins showing irregularity — tail swishing, poor posture and rhythm, refusal — the trot will remain smooth, comfortable, and willing.

Likewise, many horses eventually diagnosed with “kissing spine” will willingly trot but become grumpy and reactive cantering. It is worth exploring all gaits when there seems to be a problem. When a horse gives a clear indication of discomfort in one gait, it does not mean all gaits should be avoided. If you discover one or two gaits where the horse finds steady rhythm, with or without a rider, embrace those gaits while you work on solving the larger issue. Sometimes, it is only a matter of

If the horse shows discomfort in one gait, keep him moving by finding one or two gaits where he can comfortably maintain a steady rhythm. Slowing the gait may also stop triggering the source of aggravation until the larger issue is resolved.

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ROLF DANNENBERG

PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/STOCKPH

Movement is therapy. Discover the movement your horse can do in comfort while he returns to full functionality, even if it’s several short hand-walks throughout the day, or a quiet trail ride on loose reins.

slowing down. Instead of an energetic trot that produces irregularity, a slow jog might be needed for the next month or so. The larger issue often disappears when we stop triggering the source of its aggravation.

2 Use Varied Groundwork

In cases where it is necessary to avoid weight on the horse’s back, daily groundwork can maintain fitness. The keys are to make it purposeful and to avoid repetitive circling. This often means mindfully interspersing plenty of straight lines when exercising a horse on the lunge line. Horses grappling with physical discomfort rarely improve when lunged too much. Due to ground reaction forces, body asymmetries, and the strain of repetitive circles, excessive lunging is generally counter-productive for an ailing body.

There is plenty of benefit, however, from simple straight lines. Purposeful groundwork needs to encompass a minimum of 25 minutes daily and prioritize the horse moving freely and comfortably. This means not using restrictive gear like sidereins and not practicing complex manoeuvres like lateral movements. Remember, the goal is to offer the horse’s body therapy through rhythmic, easy movement.

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3 Walk to Wellness

Most horses, even those with minor injuries, can walk without limitations. While long periods of walking might not be the most thrilling time with our horses, it can prove immensely useful for repairing dysfunctional movement. Many horses can maintain decent fitness levels and training by walking 40 to 60 minutes a day. This becomes crucial during the sometimeslong process of arriving at a diagnosis for what is otherwise bothering them, whether it be ulcers, allergies, tack impairment, and so on.

To support this final point, I offer the following walking routines from my book 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses. It gives riders a productive way to fill a walk-only session when walking is the only thing their horse can currently do. The goal, remember, is to embrace what exercise your horse can do rather than eliminate all exercise.

Walk Routine

For 25-minutes, cycle through the following tasks:

Speed changes: Ride various figures in the arena while changing the speed of your walk. Aim for four distinct speeds (super

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

FIGURE 2: WAVY LINES

slow, slow, medium, and quick), and spend 20 strides at each gait.

Cornerstone transitions: Ride transitions to halt every 10 strides. At every other halt transition, ask the horse to back up six steps, then carry on. (FIGURE 1)

Wavy lines: Ride a scalloped edge around the track of your arena. Maintaining a brisk, lively walk tempo, ride a wavy serpentine with approximately threemetre loops back and forth from left to right to left to right. (FIGURE 2) b

> Jec A. Ballou is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

FIGURE 1: Cornerstone Transitions

PHOTO: JEC BALLOU

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ROLF DANNENBERG

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY HAMER

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/M.E. HURREN

Old Profession, New Innovations

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

Historical records show that horseback riders first used cloth saddles in approximately 700 – 400 BC. It wasn’t until about 200 BC, that rigid saddle trees were invented. Since then, Reconstruction of one of the earliest solid-treed saddles, the four-horn Roman military saddle without stirrups, used as early as 200 BC.

When horses went off to war, their tack was customized to prevent saddle sores which could slow down an army. Soldiers riding for long days in all types of weather required differently shaped saddles than cowboys roping cattle, foxhunters jumping hedges, or polo players whacking balls around.

Customization has been a big part of the industry, and yet, the basic saddle design — leather and wool sewn to a wooden tree — hasn’t changed much in the last 300 years.

“The basic philosophy of a saddle is fine,” says Christian Lowe, a saddler in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario who works for Lim Group, one of the largest saddlery companies in the world. “The horse hasn’t changed or evolved so dramatically that something that’s worked for hundreds of years has to be reinvented. But it’s been the nature of the saddlery and harness industries to tinker and evolve.

“Companies that have deep enough pockets for research and development will always be innovating and developing new concepts,” says Lowe. “The reward for getting it right is very high because the horse world is happy to try new products. Companies like CWD, for example, are very technology-driven.” Computerization is one of the big technological changes. In years past, a leather cutter would hand-cut every piece of leather from a hide using a knife.

“Now the cutter identifies where each scar or weak point or flawed material is in a hide, then tells the computer about the bits that they don’t want in the end product,” explains Lowe. “The computer maps it all out and cuts around the flaws to maximize hide use.

“Leather tanning has changed, too,” says Lowe. “It’s way more environmentally friendly now, plus some companies are using non-leather products. Composite plastic and carbon fibre trees are common.”

Today’s market offers colourful leather and non-leather products which provide endless options for customizing saddles and tack. Meanwhile, customized and adjustable trees, changeable gullets, air bags and shims, plus developments in stirrups, stirrup leathers and girths, are ongoing.

But it’s important to remember that

the basic premise of new technologies is to improve the fit of saddles for horses and riders.

“I think riders should aim to buy a saddle within their budget, have it professionally fitted, then regularly refitted as their horse changes,” says Kelsey Hamer, a Qualified Saddle Fitter and owner of Four Winds Saddle Services Ltd in Grande Prairie, Alberta. These new technologies help saddlers do just that.

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Customized Trees

“Forty years ago, there were limited saddle seat sizes available,” says Hamer. “Most saddle companies just built saddles that fit the majority of horses and riders, and called that good. Now, when you go through a tree catalogue, companies are making very specific trees.”

Since Warmbloods have begun dominating English horse sports, there’s been a shift toward trees that accommodate their shape. However, for horses that don’t fit the mold — literally — there are custom options.

Anola, MB

Kindersley, SK

May 30-June 2....Kaslo, BC

June 6-9

June 13-16

June 20-23

June 27-30

July 4-7

July 11-14

Winlaw, BC

Langley, BC

Courtenay, BC

Squamish, BC

Kamloops, BC

Fort St. John, BC

July 18-21 .............Grande Prairie, AB

July 25-28

August 1-4

August 8-11

Olds, AB

Langdon, AB

Balgonie, SK

Both English and Western saddlers offer customized trees. Before building a custom tree, saddlers measure the horse’s back. There’s no standard methodology. Some saddlers have saddle fitters and representatives who take measurements along the horse’s back and submit them to the saddler for tree design. Other saddlers mail fibreglass trees to customers to try on their horse’s back, take photographs and videos, then determine the best fit and adjustments in conversation with the horse’s owner. Regardless of the method, the saddler then constructs a tree from scratch or tweaks a tree already in stock to purpose-build a saddle for the specific horse.

Adjustable Trees

There are other options. Not everyone can afford to buy a saddle with a custom tree or necessarily wants to invest in one for a horse they may not keep for many years. For this reason, some saddles — both English and Western — have adjustable gullets.

“The Allen key system has been around for about 30 years,” says Hamer. “Saddle companies keep coming out with slightly modified systems, but they all essentially do the same thing.”

In English saddles, the gullet has a hinge near the pommel and the Allen key widens or narrows the gullet via that hinge. In Western saddles, the wooden tree itself is not adjusted but a screw can be used to narrow or widen the gullet space by adjusting the leather padding located between the tree and the horse. Additionally, some English saddle gullets can be adjusted slightly wider or narrower by a professional saddler using a press.

Kelsey Hamer of Four Winds Saddle Services Ltd. recommends that riders buy a saddle within their budget, have it professionally fitted, and have it refitted regularly as the horse’s shape changes.

A beautifully customized cantle.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELSEY HAMER

Several types of safety stirrups are available, and coloured stirrups are growing in popularity.

Changeable Gullets

Changeable gullets offer another way to alter the width of English saddles which offer this technology. Riders can use the brand-supplied measurement tool to determine the shape of their horse’s wither and then select the gullet that best matches their horse’s shape. Installing the gullet plate in the saddle is simple for riders, providing an easy way to alter the width of the saddle at the pommel.

Airbags, Shims and Other Innovations

Historically, English saddle panels were flocked (filled) with wool. Many still are. But in efforts to fit saddles to different horses, both English and Western saddle companies have experimented with airbags, other high-tech materials, and shims.

The saddlery industry is slowly evolving and some companies are very technology driven. Of the companies doing research to develop new concepts, saddler Christian Lowe (pictured) says, “The reward for getting it right is very high because the horse world is happy to try new products.”

Sealed airbags are being used in some English saddle panels while adjustable airbags — where air can be added or removed — are installed in some English and Western saddles. However, the properties of wool, such as its ability to be rejuvenated when it becomes densely packed, breathability, and ease of adjustment, prescribe that new materials have to surpass the benefits of wool.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN LOWE

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY HAMER

stirrup leathers (called fenders) have been adjustable near the stirrup. The common adjustment point for English stirrup leathers has been high up under the rider’s leg. Newly designed English stirrup leathers now have adjustments low down and are often wider than previous leathers, thereby decreasing friction and interference with the rider’s leg.

In efforts to improve horse comfort, movement, and performance, saddlers have designed and patented new styles of English girths and Western cinches that reduce interference with the horse’s elbows, shoulders, and breathing.

For example, panels that combine both wool and foam have become common.

“Foam technology is evolving all the time,” says Lowe, explaining that the density, compressibility, and rebound of foam are all being tested and improved.

Other English and Western saddles have panels that can be adjusted with shims (thin pieces of foam or felt) to customize saddle fit on different horses or make alterations when horses change shape.

Stirrups, Leathers, Girths and Cinches

It’s not just saddles that are changing. There’s been significant innovation in rider comfort and ways to hold saddles in place on the horse.

About 40 years ago, English safety stirrups were the norm in lesson barns. They had elastic bands on the outside of the stirrup which allowed a child’s foot to pop out of the stirrup sideways. However, they fell out of fashion and were never particularly acceptable in adult competitions.

Recently, they’ve made a comeback. In efforts to improve safety, many different types of safety stirrups are now available, and they’ve been embraced by top-level competitors. Coloured stirrups have also grown in popularity as riders customize their saddles.

English stirrup leathers have evolved, too. For more than 50 years, Western

For example, Jeremy Rudge Saddlery based in the UK recently patented a girth that was independently field-tested and assessed with biomechanical analysis software. It’s been found to increase the horse’s comfort, way of going, and cadence of movement. Other saddlery companies have experimented with shaped girths and cinches.

All these technologies offer riders choice and the ability to potentially find something that fits their horse better or customize their tack. However, keeping up with technological changes can be expensive.

“I wouldn’t jump on the newest thing, thinking you’re doing the best by your horse,” says Hamer. “Doing the best by your horse is buying a saddle tree that fits their shape and having regular fittings and adjustments, replacing the flocking as needed.”

That means finding a professional saddler to help keep you and your horse performing well. Yet the number of professional saddlers is declining.

“There are only a handful of Englishtype saddlers working in Canada,” says Lowe. “There are many more who are building and selling Western saddles. But I worry about who is going to be maintaining, fixing, and repairing saddles in the future.”

It’s a valid concern. Saddlers are imperative for helping riders navigate changing saddlery technologies. Hopefully, they’ll continue to be available to help riders make the best choices for their horses. Meanwhile, saddlery companies will undoubtedly persevere, innovating to improve saddlery options and equestrian performance. b

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

An adjustable gullet near the pommel allows this saddle to be widened or narrowed.

Christian Lowe measures a horse to ensure accurate saddle fit.

An English saddle being repaired. With the number of professional English saddlers in Canada on the decline, Christian Lowe worries about who will maintain and repair saddles in the future.

Some English saddles offer the option of changing the gullet plate to alter the width.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN LOWE

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN LOWE

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY HAMERPHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY HAMER

Riders making tough choices

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

Canada is a massive country, with large distances between equine competitions and a relatively small number of upper-level equestrians. Hence, Canadian riders who want to be competitive at upper levels struggle to find enough higher-level competitions to advance their riding careers. Canada also has winter weather that precludes many riders from training outside for half the year. This can limit advancement and horse fitness. For example, three-day event riders can’t school cross-country jumps or get their gallop training in when fields are drifted with snow, nor can endurance riders do long rides on varied terrain.

To address these challenges, some riders choose to travel to the United States (US) or overseas to train and compete. Others may move to the US or Europe for all or part of the year. But those decisions have their own challenges. I spoke with three riders who’ve struggled with these choices to understand the Canadian-specific challenges of those wanting to pursue horse sport excellence.

Traveling is Mandatory

Kendal Lehari is a Canadian three-day eventing rider based in Uxbridge, Ontario and considers travelling outside of Canada to train and compete a necessity.

Due to Canada’s long winters, Lehari explains that it’s difficult to get horses fit enough for higher level competition without travelling south of the border.

“If we have winter until mid-April, riders have to go south for at least a little bit to get their upper-level horses fit for spring events,” she says.

“You can stay in Canada to train and compete at two-star level,” says Lehari. “At three-star level it depends on which event you’re aiming for. It’s a little easier to prepare for a fall three-star when based in Canada, but if you’re aiming for a spring three-star you really have to be based in the United States.

“Plus, you can’t qualify for a CCI**** in Canada anymore, so you have to go to the US for that,” says Lehari.

However, even in the US, the number of upper-level competitions is limited. Riders from Canada may have to travel significant distances, such as to Florida or California, to event at high levels.

“It’s pretty difficult for Canadian eventers,” Lehari says.

In August, 2023 Lehari was a member

Kengal Lehari with Audacious at Will O’Wind Horse Trials in Mono, Ontario.

Kendal Lehari and Mitchell on cross-country. She says competing in the US and Europe against so many good riders is both intimidating and inspiring. “It lights a fire under you to train a bit harder.”

PHOTO: TERESA MAE FINNERTY

PHOTO: CEALY TETLEY

of Canada’s Nation’s Cup Three-Day Eventing Team that competed in Arville, Belgium. She then chose to stay in England to train and compete before returning to Canada in the fall.

“In North America a 60-rider class is huge,” says Lehari. “In England, they’ll have one division with two or three groups of 100 to 200 riders. There are just so many horses and riders that are really good.”

Lehari also explained that in England, there are nearby competitions every weekend, so riders don’t have to take a week off work, drive hundreds of kilometres, and deal with an international border crossing just to go to an upper-level event.

“There’s a lot on the line every time Canadians go to a competition in the US,” says Lehari.

If something goes wrong, whether it’s rider error or a horse mishap, rerouting to another big event isn’t easy in North America. Riders may have to wait months to attend a similar-level event, which can be costly in time, money, and the ability to develop horses up the levels.

For these reasons, riding in Europe is valuable for Canadian event riders wanting to advance.

“It’s easy to think you’re very good if you only compete in Canada,” says Lehari. “But when you go to your first US event you get a little star-struck. It’s the same overseas. All the people you’ve seen on TV — riders who have won the Olympics and five-stars — are all warming up around you. It’s good to see what you’re up against.”

That can be intimidating but also inspiring.

“It lights a fire under you to train a bit harder,” she says. “You learn what you’re

training towards.”

However, traveling internationally with horses is expensive, whether it’s to the US or to Europe.

“To pack up and leave for four months every year or leave for one week every month to go to the US? It’s a huge financial burden and is hard on your family,” says Lehari.

It cost well over $50,000 for Lehari to fly two horses to Europe in 2023, pay commercial trailering fees between events, and compete and train there for a few months.

“There’s a certain point where — as a professional or an amateur — you have to decide if that travel is worth it,” says Lehari. “If you have the right horse, maybe it’s the right time to make a commitment and train somewhere else for a bit.

“You have to be realistic,” she adds, explaining that sometimes riders are better off choosing to be happy where they’re at and pursue eventing as a fun hobby.

Lehari is part of Canada’s 2024 Eventing High Performance Squad and is a certified Equestrian Canada high performance coach. She has no plans to leave Canada, but says her 2023 overseas experience was really valuable.

“I’d like to go back to Europe for a month or so to compete at a couple of events, then do a big four- or five-star,” says Lehari. “But Ocala, Florida is wellsuited for training in the winter. So, I’ll probably be sticking to that route while my bank account recovers.”

Staying Home, For Now

Cost is one of the reasons Tracy Vollman is staying home in Shelburne, Saskatchewan this year. She was the

Kendal Lehari and Mitchell show jumping. If you want to advance, travelling outside of Canada to train and compete is a necessity, she says.

PHOTO: CEALY TETLEY

Endurance rider Tracy Vollman believes to be competitive at the upper levels, riders have no choice but to travel to the US to train and compete, as she did for many years.

alternate for Canada’s World Equestrian Games Endurance Team in 2018 and has spent many years travelling to the US to train and compete.

“If you’re going to ride at upper levels now, you have no choice but to travel,” says Vollman.

Endurance riders and horses have to complete a certain number of competitions over specific distances to qualify for the next distance category. The longest races are 160 kilometres or 100 miles, and training for that length of race is a year-round endeavour.

“If you stay in Canada in winter, you’re not ready for the distance,” says Vollman. “We used to go to Florida in November and come back in the spring.”

The lack of competitions available in Canada is a problem, too.

“Since COVID, we don’t have any 100-mile FEI [International Equestrian Federation] endurance races in Canada,” says Vollman.

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PHOTO: BECKY PEARMAN

Saskatchewan’s Tracy Vollman will not be competing outside of Canada this year, largely due to cost.

travel to, or be based in, the US or Europe.

“In order to get those qualifications, you have to go south,” says Vollman. “Montana used to have an FEI ride but 2023 was their last year. So, now the closest FEI rides are in California, South Carolina, or Florida.

“That’s why we don’t often have a Canadian endurance team,” explains Vollman. “It’s too hard to keep the horses going over the winter unless you go south, and that gets really costly.

“If there were more FEI rides in Canada, I would definitely still be competing at that level,” says Vollman. “It just doesn’t make financial sense right now.”

Playing in a Bigger Pond

For some, it makes more sense to move away from Canada, permanently.

Jim Greendyk grew up in Canada and spent over 20 years operating Jim Greendyk Performance Horses, starting young horses, developing reining horses, and coaching riders in British Columbia and Alberta. He’s originally American and moving back to the US was never far from his mind.

“It was always clear to me that if I was going to challenge myself against the best guys in the world, I’d have to move south at some point, to one of the hotbeds of horse training,” says Greendyk.

In 2023, he did just that, choosing to purchase property and settle in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“It was always my goal to own the property that I worked on,” says Greendyk. However, the high prices of properties in Canada’s horse communities was limiting. There are places in Canada where land is cheaper, but those areas aren’t generally conducive to developing a high-end horse training and coaching business.

“It became inevitable that we were going to move someplace where there were more business opportunities, the weather was conducive to training year-round, and we were closer to shows,” says Greendyk.

Although lots of people are happy being a big fish in a small pond, Greendyk feels differently.

“If you’re a small fish in a big pond, you can have a small place and specialize in one portion of the market,” explains Greendyk. “Plus, you can work for someone else if you decide you don’t want to do it on your own.”

After moving his family and business to Arizona, Greendyk says he’s had multiple client referrals from neighbouring trainers in his first five weeks of operating.

“There’s real camaraderie between trainers, families, and riders,” says Greendyk. “It’s a tight-knit community. Within a 15-kilometre radius you can find hundreds of top-end cutters and reiners.”

Due to the prevalence of top riders, it’s easy for Greendyk to get help with his own riding and training. The high calibre of riders also means there are high expectations, and that’s encouraging Greendyk to step up his game.

“Who you hang around and what you see every day make a big difference,” says Greendyk, “and these are the best guys in the industry.

“I didn’t leave Canada because it was a difficult life,” adds Greendyk. “I just have this incessant desire to grow and develop and learn and keep going. I’ve got a lot of things I want to do and a fire to keep going.

“You have to be really careful that you don’t get comfortable with your comfort zone,” he explains. “I want to be the best version of myself. That’s what I keep chasing.”

For Greendyk, that meant a permanent move to the US.

Every rider — whether professional or amateur — has to make their own decisions about how best to pursue their sport.

PHOTO: BECKY PEARMAN

Already a successful reining trainer, coach, and competitor for 20 years, in 2023 Jim Greendyk relocated from Chilliwack, BC to Scottsdale, Arizona in a quest to keep challenging himself against the highestcalibre riders. “You have to be really careful that you don’t get comfortable with your comfort zone,” he says.

make their own decisions about how best to pursue their sport. It’s clear that training and competing in upper-level horse sports from Canada is challenging. Some riders will decide to move, some to travel regularly, and others may decide to stay home and forego the expense of upper-level competitions elsewhere. b

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

Now surrounded by some of the best riders in the world, Greendyk is encouraged to step up his game. “I want to be the best version of myself. That’s what I keep chasing.”

PHOTO: KRISTINA LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: GK PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

Crossing Poles IN STRIDE

By Lindsay Grice, Equestrian Canada coach and judge

Ground rails, trail pattern poles, or obstacle course logs — these low-lying obstacles are a regular feature in the equestrian experience. We walk, trot, and canter over them in straight paths, serpentines, or pinwheels.

There are more commonalities than differences in pole crossing styles between riding disciplines. I’ll cover the shared essential ingredients for English and Western riders in this article. But first, let’s start with some differences worth noting.

Western riders cross poles set at shorter distances and in quieter striding, working toward patterns of poles in tighter formations. Competitors in trail, ranch trail, ranch riding, and Western riding classes navigate poles at the jog and lope. Precision is prized. There are assigned penalties for hitting poles, even for a slight tick in trail classes. Adding or subtracting a stride between the rails earns penalties, too. In walk-overs, two hooves in the same space or no hooves (skipping) a space costs a one-point deduction.

Moreover, style and consistency are scored. The horse should cross each pole without a change in cadence or topline or even changing his pleasant expression.

English riders use ground rails as a training tool rather than an element in competition. Riding over poles on the ground is an excellent way to work on stride adjustability for the horse and for the rider. Poles can encourage buoyancy in the stride, teaching your horse by trial and error to rebalance and “define” his step. Ground rails can prepare horse and rider to answer the questions asked in jumper and equitation courses without actually jumping.

Regardless of your riding style, the principles and the ingredients are the same in order to take poles in stride.

Pole Crossing Principles

TWO BIG IDEAS

1 Master fundamentals before including poles. Don’t skip training steps. Nothing shakes a horse’s confidence like getting his feet tangled as he leaps over

and lands on the rails. And no wonder — for a prey animal to have trapped feet is big trouble.

A good math teacher communicates the basic concepts, rehearsing adding and subtracting before teaching equations and problem-solving. As a rider, it’s your responsibility not to pose questions with poles your horse isn’t ready to answer.

Trotting over a row of multiple poles is overwhelming to a horse that hasn’t mastered crossing two poles. Misjudge the spacing on the first two poles and by mid-row, his legs are scrambling like Fred Flintstone’s feet as he rushes to the end of the line.

Loping over a pinwheel of four poles starts with consistently rating the stride between two poles and then three on a shallow curve, before tackling the tighter turns between pinwheel spokes. Misjudge the distance to the first pole and it’s tricky to recover your rhythm and carry on without a big move. And big moves scare green horses.

Building your horse’s skill and confidence over poles begins with laying

Western riders cross poles set at shorter distances, and with quieter striding.

English riders use ground poles to work on adjustability and encourage buoyancy in the stride.

PHOTO: PAM MACKENZIE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: PAM MACKENZIE PHOTOGRAPHY

The horse should approach the pole with his focus attentive, his body aligned straight, and in the right length and quality of stride.

A Western rider lopes over poles in a Trail class.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/OLGARU79

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

a solid foundation. As with jumping, the three building blocks of successful rail crossing are stride adjustment, straightness, and suppleness.

Jumping is fun. Competitive trail is fun. Fundamentals and flat work… less so. Perhaps being a fan of fundamentals makes me a “less fun” coach at times, but having to exit the show ring because your horse got flustered over a trail course of poles for which he wasn’t prepared is not fun for you and not fair to your horse.

2 Slower is faster. A logical progression requires a slower pace. Slow down a horse’s legs to slow down his thinking. Trot the rails first, before loping or cantering. This is especially important for novice riders still developing their balance and their “eye.” Rider error can incite horses to hurry through ground rails and trail obstacles.

As a younger rider, I didn’t question the notion that rushing is eagerness. In fact, rushing is a horse’s automatic response triggered by fear. With every mistake confidence erodes, and a horse’s flight instinct takes over. Horses that have learned to distrust the judgement of their riders just want to get it over with! Rushing will rattle a rider’s confidence, too.

To summarize the two big ideas: You know you’re ready to progress by adding poles, pace, or more complex configurations when your horse is crossing one or two rails without changing rhythm or composure. Slow and steady is the best insurance policy.

Three-Point Checklist

Use this three-point checklist on the approach to every obstacle: Basically, as long as you get your horse to the pole straight, in the right length and quality of stride, and focused on his job, the rest is your horse’s responsibility. Do you have the tools available to set the approach and make any needed adjustments on that approach?

1 Straightness. Is your horse laterally responsive, guiding easily from your leg and a subtle direct or neck rein? To cross the pole cleanly, your horse’s spine should be aligned straight from nose to tail, with front and back feet straddling the line of travel. So, curved path or straight, no train car should drift off the track. Having the ability to control the head, shoulders, and haunches so they individually follow the line of the track is the essence of straightness. As a judge, I wince to see a competitor who hasn’t trained their horse past the “head steering” stage before entering a show. Without confirmed lateral skills they’re unable to override

the equine inclination to drift out of the trail obstacle or to funnel a wiggly horse forward and over the fence. Leg yields, and turns on the forehand and haunches, are the basic ingredients needed to approach a pole straight, steer straight, or curve to the next one. (FIGURE 1)

2 Stride adjustment. You should be able to adjust your horse’s trot or lope as evenly and smoothly as an elastic band. Trail courses are built on an average three-foot trot and six-foot lope stride. Jumping courses are set on an average twelve-foot stride. Extend and collect the trot between posting and sitting. Stretch and shrink your lope between six, ten, and twelve feet. Train yourself to feel what your horse’s sixfoot stride feels like and keep it the same, stride after stride. Maintain your rhythm like a metronome. When riding, I have a steady drum beat in my head, with the goal to match every stride to the beat.

To modify the stride, you’ll need some skills. Does your horse have a reliable “go” button? Your resisting hand regulates the energy you create with your leg. Is there any resistance when you hold to slow down? Does your horse get excited or quick when you lengthen, or fall out of gait when you shorten? Polish your stride adjustment without the rails until it becomes elastic.

3 Suppleness. The quality and outline of the stride is the final ingredient. Elasticity and responsiveness, laterally and front-toback, equal a supple horse. With suspension or “bounce to the ounce” in the gait, the

CUSHION FROG PADS

SMALL: 6 1/2” x 5 7/8” x 1/16”

LARGE: 8” x 7 1/2” x 1/8”

TWO DEGREE: 6 1/2” x 5 7/8” x 5/16”

TWO DEGREE LARGE: 8” x 8” x 5/16”

EGG BAR PADS

SMALL: 6” x 6 1/2” x 1/8”

LARGE: 7 3/8” x 7 7/8” x 1/8”

TWO DEGREE: 6” x 6 1/2” x 5/16”

PERFORMANCE PADS

#4: 6 3/8” x 5 3/4” x 3/16”

#5: 7 1/4” x 6 5/8” x 3/16”

#4: 6 3/8” x 5 3/4” x 1/4”

#5: 7 1/4” x 6 5/8” x 1/4”

IMPAK PADS

#8 IMPAK ABSORBER: 5 1/8” x 4 3/4” x 3/16”

#8L IMPAK LARGE ABSORBER:

6 5/8” x 6” x

FIGURE 1

The Horse’s Field Of Vision

The horse’s line of binocular vision is along the plane of his face. Lateral eye placement results in 65 degrees of binocular overlap and a monocular field of 146 degrees. Blind spots exist directly behind the head, in the forehead region, and directly under the body to about four feet in front of the legs. Using binocular vision, the horse raises its head to focus on distance objects, and with the head held vertically can focus on objects near its feet.

With his head in the air, the horse is not able to see the pole on the ground or the jump ahead. Before attempting poles, make sure you have the tools to set the approach and make adjustments on that approach. Ensure your horse has mastered the foundational skills of straightness, adjustability of stride, and suppleness laterally and front-to-back.

65 degrees

146 degrees146 degrees

horse has enough energy to adjust, making even an awkward approach or take-off spot work out. With your horse’s frame extendable and his head-level adjustable, your arms can allow him to stretch and look down at the pole in the dirt. A horse’s line of binocular vision is along the plane of his face. If his head is in the air, he’s going to hit the rails.

Does your horse melt into your hand when you take contact of his mouth? If he ignores or braces against your hand you’ve lost your telephone connection. It’s tough to pilot an inattentive horse.

More Pole Crossing Pointers

• Develop your eye. To cross poles cleanly, your eye, trained to locate the take-off spot, is your greatest tool. For example, when loping rhythmically to an obstacle, you’ll sense whether you need to shorten or lengthen the stride a shade in order to meet the obstacle smoothly.

Your eye also needs to evaluate the measurements between poles arranged at assorted angles to plan your crossing points. Walkover logs may be set in a zigzag or curve. Can you spot and pick your way through the two-foot gaps? A fan or pinwheel is wider toward the outer limit. With a horse responsive to your lateral aids, you can place each hoof on the perfect path to trot, lope, or canter through the obstacle to best suit his particular stride.

I encourage riders to be decisive with their eyes, identifying the crossing points on the rails and on the line of travel, without wavering. Where you look you will go! When I get “soft” with my eyes, I start to make mistakes.

• Count strides. Start with cantering single poles, scattered around your arena, at distances far enough away from each other that you have time to think in between. Approach each pole on a perpendicular path, at the stride length you determine, with your horse’s body aligned straight and his focus attentive.

See if you can count three strides before each pole. If you miscalculate, ask yourself if you should have lengthened or shortened the stride, and file that information into your mental computer for the next ground rail. After loping dozens of poles, your brain will start to make automatic decisions, just like it learned to do when driving a car. (FIGURE 2)

• Hands off zone. Spotting the take-off distance several strides away enables you to make small adjustments to each stride preceding the ground rail, avoiding the last minute, hair-raising, chip-in or “big lurch.” Generally, leave your horse alone and allow him to balance within at least two strides before the pole.

• Put it together. When your eye is correctly finding the striding to single poles, add more! When coaching English riders, I’ll vary

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

the distance between related ground rails, having them add and subtract, stretch and collect their strides. They’re learning to handily execute the tasks between the jumps — bending lines and rollback turns.

Western riders graduate to trotting and loping multiple poles in a row, through boxes and geometric shapes limited only by one’s imagination. I like to set up a grid for my students, combining ground rails in squares, rectangles, and chutes in three-, six-, and twelve-foot spacings. These grids can be approached from any direction, lengthwise and crossways. Build your grid out gradually, adding one pole at a time so as not to overwhelm your horse.

• Measure carefully. Use a measuring tape and ensure the distance is doable for your horse. For example, walking over poles spaced for jogging will only encourage your horse to hit rails and be careless. Crossing obstacles measured inaccurately is facing your horse with an unfair question, rattling his confidence.

Use poles that go clunk when you hit them. Lightweight and PVC poles do not instil carefulness in horses.

As a schooling exercise or element of competition, many riders find crossing ground rails more fun than flat work and less risky than jumping. Build your foundation systematically and before long, you’ll be taking poles in stride. b

> Lindsay Grice is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

FIGURE 2

Remain Calm & Ride On

By

Tuning In To Your Internal State

By Annika McGivern, MSc, Sport and Exercise Psychology

All riders are familiar with the joy and challenge associated with mastering the dance of connection and communication between horse and rider. However, fewer riders are familiar with the role which regulating our nervous system plays in this intricate ballet. We can all picture the ideal of equestrian connection and communication: seamlessly guiding our mount with subtle cues, both attuned to each other’s energy and intention, lightness and ease exuding from every step. We can likely also picture the many obstacles that get in the way of achieving this ideal, such as fear, tension, frustration, and confusion.

Achieving such a level of harmony requires more than just physical skill; it demands that we tune in to what’s happening within us, and how that internal state impacts the horse. In this article, we will look at the fascinating impact of nervous system regulation on horse and rider communication, exploring why mastering this skill is not only beneficial but essential for riders seeking to enhance their bond with their equine partners, manage their own stress and fear, and achieve peak performance.

What is Nervous System Regulation?

Let’s start with understanding the nervous system. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) governs our physiological responses to stress and relaxation. This system has two branches. When we feel safe, the parasympathetic branch directs our thinking and behaviour. When faced with fear or stress the sympathetic branch takes over and triggers the “fight or flight” response, designed to help us survive in the face of a threat.

To self-regulate our nervous system simply means to practice being aware of whether you are in a parasympathetic (regulated) state, or a sympathetic (dysregulated) state, and to intentionally use tools and techniques to maintain, or bring yourself back into, a parasympathetic state when needed. The knowledge of how

to do this and the practical application of these skills is the process of selfregulating the nervous system.

Problems Created by a Dysregulated Nervous System While Riding

Due to the dynamic and risky nature of equestrian sport, riders commonly experience the physical symptoms of an activated fight-or-flight response: tension, increased heart rate, anxiety, feeling frozen, struggling to think clearly or make decisions, and/or shaking. When we get stuck here and are unable to bring ourselves back to calm, our nervous system is dysregulated. A dysregulated nervous system can lead to heightened emotions and a breakdown in communication between horse and rider. Here are some examples of how a dysregulated nervous system can interfere with communication and effectiveness in the saddle.

1 Interpreting what’s happening in an emotional rather than logical way. For example, a rider in fight-or-flight is more likely to assume their horse is intentionally ignoring them and respond with frustration, rather than become curious about why the horse isn’t responding and attempt to problem solve. This can create unnecessary negative experiences while riding.

2 Unclear signals to the horse. A dysregulated nervous system creates tension which muddies the precision of our aides. For example, a rider in fight-orflight may be unintentionally telling the horse to slow down without meaning to. The rider may experience this as resistance from the horse when in fact the issue is coming from the rider.

3 Heightened fear and nerves. A dysregulated nervous system starts to anticipate danger everywhere and can respond disproportionally to what’s happening. For example, a rider in fightor-flight may feel their horse is taking off with them or is out of control, when in fact they still have control, and the horse is not moving as quickly as they think it is.

Benefits of a Regulated Nervous System While Riding

When in our parasympathetic or “calm” nervous system we experience a host of benefits including clearer thinking, better decision-making, enhanced empathy, open-mindedness,

easier access to positive emotions, and even better memory. As a result, a rider who can skilfully regulate their own nervous system and bring themselves back to a parasympathetic state will experience the following benefits:

1 Improved emotional consistency. In other words, you’ll be able to stay in a calmer, more positive and open-minded place emotionally, even during challenging rides.

2 Self-regulation helps you stay in, or come back to, the calm and grounded state of your para-sympathetic nervous system. This means you will be able to transmit cues to your horse with greater awareness, precision, and clarity. You will also have an enhanced ability to read and respond to the horse’s signals accurately and compassionately.

3 Accurately assessing risk. Being able to self-regulate allows us to better assess risk and understand when we are in danger vs experiencing a challenging moment. We are able to think more clearly and apply our knowledge and skills according to what’s happening to us.

The heightened emotions and anxiety of a dysregulated nervous system can create tension leading to frustration and a communication breakdown between rider and horse.

How and When to Regulate Your Nervous System

These tools are useful while riding, but I also encourage you to consider the value of taking a moment to regulate yourself before you enter your horse’s space. This might be before you get out of the car at the barn, or in the barn before you get your horse from her paddock. This small step can help set the tone for your ride and ensure you aren’t starting from a place of fight or flight because of a stressful day.

1 Breathing exercises. A breathing exercise is simply breathing in an intentional and focused manner for a short period of time. Try this simple breathing exercise to get started.

a Breathe in through your nose for a count of four. Let the air come into your lungs slowly and imagine your rib cage expanding forwards and backwards as your lungs fill.

b Hold your breath for a count of two.

c Exhale through pursed lips (like you’re blowing out candles on a cake) for a count of six. Imagine your ribs contracting and pushing the air out. Allow every drop of air to leave your lungs.

d Repeat five to ten times.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ROLF DANNENBERG

2 Visualisation. Check in with what you’re picturing inside your head. Are you creating an internal movie of the worst-case scenario? This will trigger your fight or flight response because you are anticipating a threat or a problem. Instead, work on creating an internal movie of what you want to have happen and challenge yourself to consider the best-case scenario. We are always more

Taking a few moments to check in with yourself before catching your horse will help to create a safer and more positive experience for both of you.

capable than we think. If you find yourself struggling to shift your focus, ask yourself questions to help prompt a new line of thought. For example: What do I want to accomplish right now and how can I make that happen? or, How can I make this just a little bit better?

3 Slow down. After a sudden stressful event (for example, the barn cat leaps unexpectedly from the arena window)

After an unexpected stressful event, slow down and tune in to yourself and your horse to ensure that both of you are calm before going forward again.

both your nervous system and that of your horse need a minute to allow the ripple (or wave) of reactive stress to settle and pass. We often make the mistake of rushing forward instead of taking a breath and allowing both ourselves and our horse some time to regulate before moving on. Take a couple of breaths, visualise what you want to do next, and check in with your horse for signs of calmness before moving on.

Below are three examples of selfregulation techniques, but keep in mind that there are many more. In essence, selfregulation is helping yourself connect to the present moment and feel safe, so feel free to be creative about how you achieve that. I have clients who hum tunes in difficult moments, speak out loud to the horse about what they’re going to do next, and repeat key phrases to remind themselves how capable they are. All these techniques help these riders connect to the present moment and feel safer and more grounded while they are riding.

Taking Responsibility for Our Internal State

One final thought: I believe we owe it to our horses to become more skilful at self-regulation. Horses have a positive regulating effect on our nervous systems. Most riders will have noticed they feel calmer, more grounded, and more present around their horses. This is due to an almost magical phenomenon called coregulation in which two nervous systems close to one another are influenced by each other. However, coregulation works both ways and it’s important to remember that our horses are also influenced by our internal state. By taking responsibility for our internal state, we create a calmer, more positive, safer experience for our horses, and make it easier for them to be around us.

As always, I encourage you to think about what you found interesting in this article and turn it into action. What aspect of nervous system regulation will you start to pay attention to and practice in your next ride? If you want to improve connection, confidence, and communication in your riding then make this your next step. b

> Annika McGivern is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ROLF DANNENBERG

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/NICOLE CISCATO

PHOTO: ISTOCK/JOHNNY GREIG

IS Desensitization HELPFUL?

A closer look at the troubling physiology behind this common practice and how to support curiosity and courage in our horses instead.

By Alexa Linton, Equine Sports Therapist

Now that I’m celebrating my 20th year with my mare, Diva, when I look back at our horsemanship journey, I feel guilt and shame over some of my actions. On reflection, many of those actions related to the belief that Diva needed to be “desensitized” to things in the human world, and to the way I went about doing this.

“Desensitization” is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as: to make emotionally insensitive or callous; specifically: to extinguish an emotional response (as of fear, anxiety, or guilt) to stimuli that formerly induced it.

I’ve done a lot of inner work and self-forgiveness around what I see now through a more informed lens as hyperstimulating, forceful, and often abusive treatment in the name of making my horse do all the things I wanted. I know that acclimatizing our horses to the human world is important, but there are ways to achieve this goal that prioritize connection and relationship above all. This article describes my shift in perspective and way of training, and I dedicate it to Diva and her infinite patience with this slow-tolearn human.

I consider Diva to be a sensitive

horse, which is not surprising because I’m her person. Since she arrived in my life at age four, she has been worried about new, novel, weird-sounding, and weird-looking things. Whether cars, bicycles, dirt bikes, tractors, leaves, flags or tarps, her instinct is to go away from the stimulus and not engage — and in the case of what she considers very scary things, to flee. Unfortunately for her, I wanted to explore and do lots of stuff, which meant facing those scary things and in addition, I was about as patient as a gnat and expected her to be on my often-rushed schedule.

For a long time, my answer to her sensitivity was what many of us have been taught — desensitization in the form of forcing her to deal with the scary thing or making her “get over it” through whatever means necessary. The means often involved no choice or time for integration on her part. As with many things with horses, I expected her to be on my schedule. I recall spending hours walking her around an excavator or tractor to “desensitize” her, despite how stressed she was and how much she wanted to leave. Or crossing a creek time and time again, even though she wasn’t

PHOTO: ORY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK/MARK J BARRETT

As prey animals, when a threat is perceived flight is the primary defence mechanism and the natural response of horses.

relaxed or happy about it. At the time, I was part of a trail riding club, and my goal was to keep up and not get injured in the process. This meant exposure to many scary things and rarely enough time to allow Diva to process and fully integrate. Ironically, at the time I thought I was building trust and connection. Now I understand that I was in fact forcing her to resort to any means necessary to cope. It makes me feel slightly ill to share this, but it feels important to open up. I was doing what I had been taught and what I thought was helpful. Now I am thankful to know better.

Too often, desensitization is based on pressure and impatience of the human, all while not paying close attention to

If you want a horse that truly takes care of you when the rubber hits the road, you need both connection and confidence.

the state of the horse or attempts on the horse’s part to say no or express concern. We often perceive stress behaviours as disobedience or evasion rather than anxiety or fear, and use escalating pressure when what is really needed is empathy, presence, and time. It makes sense in some ways as many humans use this same tactic when anxious or scared, forcing themselves into a scenario that doesn’t feel safe or being pressured into something because saying no doesn’t seem to be an option. In reality, relaxation and curiosity cannot be created through these methods, and over time they can shut down the horse’s nervous system and the horse will be traumatized, or more challenged rather than less, by external stimuli.

I remember when this knowledge sunk in several years ago after some extensive work on my own nervous system. I was watching a trainer work with a horse over an obstacle, and I felt and plainly saw that the horse was scared. When the increasingly stressed horse finally went over the obstacle, which required a high level of pressure, it did not seem more relaxed about the achievement. Instead, the horse displayed increasingly frequent calming signals like licking and chewing, shaking and blowing. These, I had started to understand (thanks to the work of Rachaël Draaisma, author of Language Signs & Calming Signals of Horses), were not a sign of comprehension and learning, but of the horse attempting to communicate its very real level of distress and desire to be free from the situation.

When considering how the mammalian autonomic nervous systems work, the way many of us desensitize horses is a recipe for stress and disconnection, whether that manifests internally as a digestive or a structural issue, or externally as a flight response as it did in Diva. There are a few concepts that are essential to understanding the nervous system and if you’d like to learn more, I highly recommend the work of Sarah Schlote.

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First, traditional desensitization is based on the psychological concept of flooding, or adding a certain fearful stimuli in high and frequent doses. The horse cannot escape through flight, fight, or freeze so they eventually move into a state of relative calmness. We can think of the outcome of flooding as learned helplessness, defined as “a state that occurs after a person (or horse) has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly. They believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try, even when opportunities for change are available.” In short, it is a trauma response. The physiological state is akin to when a prey animal is captured by a predator and exhausts all options for escape — the resulting calm state is a physiological strategy found in all mammals for reducing pain and suffering during their dying process. The term “broke horse” historically refers to this state and trainers routinely used tying up and laying down in their initial training, because it mimics the dying process and elicits this physiological response. The heartbreaking truth about this kind of training is that your connection to your horse and their trust in you, and even their spirit, is sacrificed for the outcome of a “calm” and “bomb-proof” horse.

This curious horse is learning about plastic bags — on his own terms.

PHOTO: ISTOCK/NASTJAPUNGRACIC

Here’s the good news — it’s absolutely possible to have a horse that is well-acclimatized to and even curious about “scary” things in their environment and has a great relationship with the humans in their lives. In fact, if you want a horse that truly takes care of you when the rubber hits the road, you need both connection and confidence. Enter my horse, Raven.

Raven goes towards new things. She is deeply curious and wants to smell and touch everything. Take a tractor into her field and she immediately goes up to it and starts exploring. She entered my life when I was changing my training style and had begun incorporating clicker training, target work, and Freedom Based Training (with Elsa Sinclair). She was also started slowly by someone who incorporated play and adventure into her training style. From her lineage, I know that her sire is as chill a fellow as you can find. However, if I add too much too soon, flooding her system with something new and scary, Raven still has a natural and understandable fear response because she is a prey animal. Just like all horses and all humans, titrating, or adding only as much as the system is able to process without showing signs of distress, allows the horse to stay in a state of learning and curiosity during the acclimatization process.

Watching my two mares and their very different ways of moving through the world, I got to thinking about nature versus nurture. How much of Diva’s way of approaching stimuli is her nature, and how much is her training and the way her nervous system has been molded by her experiences in the human world? It’s hard to know, but as someone with a nervous system recovering from chronic stress and trauma, I do know that it is possible to change our state and rewire our nervous system.

How do we help our horses do the same? Curiosity and play can be keys to rewiring the nervous system. In fact, play has been proven to create new neural pathways, enhance relational skills, improve brain function, and support learning. This, along with slowing way down to your unique horse’s pace and allowing ample time and space to figure things out, can be essential to the rewiring process. One example would be when I put our trailer on blocks in my field and hung a hay net inside. This allowed my mares to choose when they would enter and how long they would stay inside, and trailer loading became part of their enrichment routine. The eventual outcome, with a little empathy, patience, and presence, is braver and more playful horses that know how to stay regulated and connected to their human in challenging situations.

A patient, no-pressure approach to walking over a tarp allows the horse to stay in a state of curiosity and learning.

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

The other day I was inspired by a video from friend and trainer, Lucie Klaassen. It showed how she worked with her horse when he was nervous about passing a big truck parked on the road. At the first sign of his stress, she dismounted and walked beside him. So many of us think of this as a sign of failure, but here’s a different perspective: getting off shows your horse that you are on the same team, working together. It also allows you to put yourself between your horse and the scary thing, an act that develops trust and shows you’ve got their back. After dismounting,

Lucie observed her horse for signs of release and relaxation, waiting for these signs before asking gently to move forward. She allowed the horse to stop when needed with a loose lead line and waited each time for a softening and release, and a willingness to move forward. It took about ten minutes to pass the truck together on the ground with relaxation, and the horse even exercised his curiosity by moving toward the truck to smell it. I am willing to bet next time it will take less time, because true trust was being built by taking the time and the

Asking the driver to slow down and pass wide, this rider gives her confident horse the opportunity to remain calm and curious as he observes the approaching truck.

This rider has dismounted to show her horse that this scary-looking creature is harmless.

space to address the horse’s concern. I’ve learned from my friend Lockie Phillips of Emotional Horsemanship that good training often looks boring and slow because it is focused on connection and healthy relationships above all else.

I am grateful for all the excellent trainers out there who are teaching variations on this theme: Felicity Davies, Josh Nichol, Shannon Beahen, Hannah Weston, Heather Nelson, Elsa Sinclair, Lockie Phillips, Celeste Lazaris, and Tara Davis to name a few. I would recommend every one of them and many offer online training and lessons. I would also recommend listening to my Whole Horse Podcast episode with Rachaël Draaisma on scentwork and calming signals for some great ideas on how to work with your horse in a new way. Even though Diva is now 25, I am excited to support both of us to continue to rewire our own nervous systems for curiosity, play, and adventure. After all, we really are never too old to shift our perspective or try something new! b

> Alexa Linton is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/CHELLE129

Mounted Exercises to Improve Rider Seat & Effectiveness

By Sandra Verda-Zanatta, Level 3 High Performance Coach

Rider fitness is fundamental to achieving a harmonious partnership with your horse and improving overall performance together. Regardless of the equestrian discipline, physical condition directly influences the rider’s ability to stay balanced in the saddle and communicate effectively with the horse. Core strength, coordination and flexibility are the pivotal components contributing to a secure seat and refined aids. Whether it be the precision of dressage, the agility of jumping, or the endurance required for eventing or trail riding, every equestrian discipline requires varying levels of physical exertion and skill. A tailored fitness program ensures that riders can meet the specific demands of each sport.

Horses are incredibly perceptive animals, capable of sensing even the subtlest shifts in their rider’s weight, posture, and contact. A well-balanced rider provides a dynamically stable platform, allowing the horse to move freely with expression and fluidity. Conversely, an unbalanced rider can create confusion and discomfort for the horse, hindering its ability to use its body with ease and efficiency. The influence of a rider’s posture and position on the horse is critical, directly shaping the communication system. A rider’s posture serves as a language that conveys cues and commands to the horse, dictating direction, speed, and level of engagement. A balanced and aligned posture creates an independent seat and allows for correct leg placement and subtle rein aids, fostering confidence and a sense of security for both horse and rider, while significantly influencing the horse’s movement, steadiness in the contact, and self-carriage. A well-positioned rider encourages the horse to engage its hindquarters, achieve proper collection, and execute manoeuvres with precision.

In order to maintain a correctly aligned, secure body position, engaging the core muscles is paramount. They provide a stable foundation aiding in the absorption of the horse’s movement. The deep abdominal muscles, the transverse abdominis, and pelvic floor work to support the rider’s spine, while the obliques assist in lateral stability. The muscles of the back, particularly the erector spinae, play a crucial role in maintaining an upright posture and allowing subtle communication with the horse through the seat. Leg muscles, such as the adductors and quadriceps, need to be firm and supple to provide effective aids with varying intensity and maintain proper alignment. The rider’s ability to finely tune and coordinate these muscle groups is essential for progressive training and positive performance results.

Mounted exercises offer a variety of benefits for riders, encompassing both physical and skill-related advantages and significantly contributing to rider stability and balance. They can build strength, improve coordination, and teach riders to isolate parts of their body independently, while targeting muscles necessary to maintain correct posture and alignment. As riders practice the exercises in this article, they gain body awareness and learn how to engage their core, the first step of many to developing a solid and centered seat.

Mounted lunge lessons play a crucial role in improving a rider’s position, as they provide an opportunity to focus entirely on their own body alignment and balance, without having to train or control their horse. It enables them to develop a deep, independent

seat, refine their balance, and become more attuned to the subtle nuances of their body’s movements in harmony with the horse. It is important to use safe, reliable, well-trained horses for mounted lunge lessons and the handler/lunger should be experienced and skilled in the safety aspects of correct lunging practices.

The journey of a rider in any discipline transcends technical proficiency; it is a dynamic and ongoing evolution that demands an open mind and holistic approach to training. Beyond mastering specific exercises, I encourage all riders to recognize the interconnectedness of their fitness, posture, communication, and unique bond with their horse, by embracing a training approach that not only enhances their individual skills but encourages a partnership characterized by respect, trust, understanding, and teamwork. It is imperative for riders to view their development as an ongoing process. Just as our equine partners continuously adapt and learn, so too must riders remain committed to refining their skills. The pursuit of excellence in equestrianism is challenging and marked by dedication to continual improvement. So, let every stride be an opportunity for growth, every mounted exercise a chance to build your partnership, and every challenge a stepping stone towards becoming the accomplished rider you strive to be!

EXERCISE 1

Arm press forward — band around waist

• Hold band and press the hands forward towards the horse’s neck just in front of the withers, maintaining upright posture and a seat deep in the saddle — you will feel a slight contraction of your core as you resist;

• Hold for five strides and then relax arms back to neutral position keeping slight tension on the band — repeat 10 times each direction;

• Progress to pressing one hand forward at a time.

EXERCISE NOTES:

• Flex bands – use light to medium strength.

• All of these exercises promote body awareness and improve riders’ ability to use abdominal muscles to develop a core connection, resulting in a more stable position in the saddle.

• Flex bands improve the riders’ hand and arm position to develop feel and elasticity, resulting in more consistent contact through the reins to the horse’s mouth.

• Flex bands encourage soft, steady arms and hands with elbows slightly in front of hips, teaching the rider to feel what the rest of their body is doing and the influence it has over the horse.

• Forward thinking arm/hand position encourages horses to seek the contact and move fluidly though their body, decreasing tension, and promoting relaxation.

• Flex bands teach riders the ability to give the reins forward without collapsing or falling forward with the upper body, therefore helping the horse maintain correct balance and self-carriage.

• The exercises can be practiced while riding on the flat or in a mounted lunge lesson on a safe, reliable horse with an experienced handler/lunger.

• Riders can hold reins for all exercises and can progress from halt – walk – trot – canter as skill level improves and it is safely appropriate.

EXERCISE 2

Arm press forward — band under seat bones

• Sitting on the band, repeat Exercise 1 — you will feel a deeper core contraction;

• This exercise also encourages the rider to become more aware of seat bones and connectedness in the saddle.

Hands forward — band through D-rings

• Keep slight forward, continuous pressure on the band throughout your ride — this gives the rider’s hands stability in the correct position on either side of the horse’s withers;

• This exercise teaches riders not to pull backwards and balance on the reins, but to develop balance in the body and feel elasticity in the elbows and symmetry in contact — both sides equal.

Correct hand position — flex band around wrists

• Another way to improve hand position and arm alignment is to keep hands level and encourage the upper arm out from the shoulder to create a line from elbow to forearm to rein to bit;

• This exercise helps riders learn to use the rest of their body in conjunction with subtle rein aids and promotes symmetry and steadiness of contact. Just put it on and start riding!

Horses are incredibly perceptive animals, capable of sensing even the subtlest shifts in their rider’s weight,

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Photos are courtesy of Sandra Verda-Zanatta.

> Sandra Verda-Zanatta is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

The Cowboy Way

SEASONS of CHANGE

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

Cowboys are icons of the North American Wild West, and the cowboy culture continues to dominate Canada’s Western provinces.

“There’s something about being out in the hills by yourself with just a horse and a dog for company,” says Mack Burke, a 21-year-old cowboy who works full-time at the Gang Ranch in central British Columbia (BC) west of Williams Lake.

Founded in 1863, the Gang Ranch was purchased in 2022 by Douglas Lake Ranch located south of Kamloops, BC. It remains a throwback to earlier times. With over one million acres of grazing rights that extend west into the gnarly Chilcotin Mountains where bears, cougars, and wolves roam, Gang Ranch cowboys still live and work as their predecessors did over 100 years ago.

“The Gang Ranch has a lot of old school methods,” says Burke. But it’s unusual. Most cowboys live a different existence today.

“Cowboys nowadays have a lot more

options,” says Terry Grant of “Mantracker” fame. He’s a director of Friends of the Bar U Ranch, a society which works with Parks Canada to promote ranching history through education and activities at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site near Longview, Alberta (AB).

“Back in the 1880s, cowboys moved around a lot,” says Grant. “They owned a horse, a saddle, chaps, a sleeping bag, and would work for one or two years at a ranch, then move on to the next ranch.

“Ninety-eight percent of the job was looking after cattle,” he says. “Moving cattle as they ate the grass down, calving, weaning, checking on them. The wintertime was a lot less work because a lot of the big ranches didn’t [hay] their cows in winter. They had a lot more land for grazing.”

“Herd Quitter,” a 1897 oil painting by C.M. Russell, Montana Historical Society MacKay Collection, Helena, MT.

Formerly a community for working cowboys’ families, with several services including a store, schoolhouse, and post office, the Gang home ranch is still home to the ranch’s cowboys.

PHOTO: ISTOCK/CG BALDAUF

PHOTO COURTESY OF GANG RANCH

After branding, cattle and calves are sorted at the Gang Ranch, which runs approximately 2,000 cow-calf pairs.

The cowboy lifestyle calls for long hours of physical work in all weather, with only a horse and a dog for company.

Today’s Western Canadian cowboys work on ranches, in feedlots, on community pastures, and are hired fulltime year-round or seasonally from spring calving to autumn weaning.

“If you call yourself a cowboy and you work on a ranch, you’re pretty good on a horse, can recognize a sick cow, and have the skills and knowledge to treat it out in the field in a very humane way,” says Grant.

Every season has its own rhythm, and each ranch operates slightly differently. Those who choose to cowboy embrace the lifestyle and challenging working conditions: long hours doing physical work in all weather. The job requires a hardy skill set, survival mindset, and desire for your own company. Cowboying can be hard on relationships and while permanent positions often include onsite accommodation and horsepower, the pay may be only $40,000 to $50,000 per year.

Some ranches also hire day riders during calving, branding, fall gathering, or when cows escape. Day riders need to be handy, capable, and provide their own gear and horses. They earn about $200 to $250 per day. Feedlot riders are also in demand. They’re paid hourly to check cattle in vast dry lots where calves are fattened for market or sale.

Some cowboys are hired by word-ofmouth, but Burke submitted his resume to the Gang Ranch, had a phone interview, and was hired sight unseen. He provides

PHOTO: RINUS BAAK

PHOTO COURTESY OF GANG RANCH

his own tack, chaps, and rope while the ranch provides horses, farrier equipment, and accommodation. Every cowboy is assigned a “string” of horses to train and use, plus they have to do all their own shoeing. Burke has eight or nine horses in his string, and often rides the tougher horses that others prefer not to.

The Gang Ranch crew includes six cowboys, a Cow Boss, and a slew of working dogs owned by the cowboys. It’s a men-only crew — not because cowgirls aren’t keen to work there — but because of the remote camp setups.

“Women are just as tough as men, but we’ve got tent camps and line camps with cabins where it’s just one big open room,” says Burke, “There’s no privacy.

“We live in log cabins with wood stoves,” says Burke. “It’s about as backwoods as you can get — like what you see in cowboy movies.”

The cabins were built decades ago by cutting down trees, peeling logs, and stacking them to create the cabins which stand today.

“When you’ve got no power and use wood stoves, you get pretty good at lighting fires,” says Burke. “That’s how you stay alive. It don’t get much more cowboy than that.”

Horsepower

“I think the horses have changed,” says Grant. “They used to be a little longerlegged because they might travel 20 miles

PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK/CARRIE

Working dogs help cowboys move the cattle and keep the herd together.

Thoroughbreds, but they could handle a rope like any other horse. Today’s horses are more the Quarter Horse type with shorter legs. They’re not built for making miles, they’re bred for sport. But they’re smarter around cows and easier to work with, too.”

The Gang Ranch used to breed their own horses — generally Hancock Quarter Horse lines that are known for big bone, solid feet, and their ability to travel rough country day after day. Now, Douglas Lake Ranch is providing the Gang Ranch with horses, and every cowboy starts a few young horses each year to add to their string.

“Usually they’re started when they’re two-year-olds and then turned out until they’re three or four,” says Burke. Then the cowboys give them exposure at the home ranch or during shorter days and overnight trips to surrounding cabins.

“They need to be physically mature enough for the job,” he says, explaining that the youngsters need to be brought along slowly so they’re not injured by too much work too soon.

“We do 40- to 50-kilometre days in spring and summer,” says Burke. “Once they’re on the payroll, they have to withstand those kinds of miles.”

On other ranches, cowboys can choose whether to ride ranch horses or bring their own.

“Some big ranches say you have to have your own horses,” says Sue Jensen, a former cowboy at Deseret Ranches near Raymond, AB. “So, there are a lot of cowboys that ride colts all winter. They start them and then turn around and sell them in the spring.”

Calving and Branding

Depending on ranch operations, calving season can start as early as January and continue well into May. Much like Thoroughbred breeding farms, ranches that raise purebred cattle may prefer calves born in January so they’re more mature for their age. However, calving that early can be risky. Cowboys may struggle to keep newborns alive during -40 degree Celcius weather.

Calving at the Gang Ranch is more a matter of letting nature take its course. The ranch runs approximately 2,000 cow-calf pairs of certified Black Angus cattle and the cattle graze and calve in pastures near the home ranch, with minimal interference. On a typical day the cowboys wake up and saddle their horse, have breakfast at 6:30 am, then ride out to check fences or cattle. They help cows calve, doctor sick ones, and rotate them through pastures.

For other cowboys, calving can mean high stress, lack of sleep,

With a string of eight or nine horses, Mack Burke often rides the tougher horses that others prefer not to.

Cow camp at the Gang Ranch.

PHOTOS: MACK BURKE

and lots of 12-plus hour days.

“The first year I was cowboying we were calving 7,000 head in a snowstorm in April,” says Jensen. In preparation for calving season, they spread straw in two big barns and set up separate little pens. The cows were fed hay in nearby fields and the cowboys worked 12-hour day-and-night shifts, riding through the herds and watching for cows whose water had broken. The cow was then herded into the barn, where she’d calve. Once the calf was nursing, it was tagged and the pair were either left in a small pen or sent to a new herd of cow-calf pairs. If a cow calved in the field, a cowboy would lift the calf onto a plastic sled and drag it into the barn

Mack Burke says cowboys are “bovine relocation specialists” as they frequently move the cattle to fresh pastures or bring them home at calving time.

PHOTO: DENIS SCHALZ

PHOTO: ISTOCK/LIFE JOURNEYS

A Black Angus cow and her newborn calf in the freezing temperatures of winter. Cowboys are responsible for the well-being of the herd and sometimes struggle to keep newborn calves alive in bitterly cold weather.

PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/PIX569

behind a horse with the mother cow following along.

After calving season, which generally takes between two and six weeks depending on the ranch, it’s time for branding, which is a favourite time of year for many cowboys.

“We wait for good weather for branding,” says Jensen, explaining that day riders are often hired to help out. The calves are roped, dragged to a fire where steel branding irons are waiting, vaccinated, branded, and — if they’re male and not suitable for breeding — castrated.

“It’s a really good time,” says Jensen. “The neighbours come and there’s a big dinner afterwards.”

On large operations, branding may take weeks.

“We were doing 600 to 700 calves per day,” says Jensen. “And then the next day you have to go and check all the calves to

make sure they’re alright. The following day we’d have another branding.”

Summer Miles

Once all the calves are branded, the Gang Ranch cowboy crew trail cattle to new pastures. The cowboys move with them, settling into cabins at “cow camps.”

“We’re bovine relocation specialists,” says Burke. “We’re just moving cows around. That’s pretty much all we do.”

As summer progresses and the Gang Ranch cows eat down the grass around camp, Burke and other cowboys move the herds even farther to remote “summer camps.”

They use “branding traps” — post-and-rail corrals — to reorganize the cattle into groups of approximately 250 animals, which are then trailed to new pastures.

“We move the cows from our springtime country to our summertime country,” says Burke.

Cowboys fix fence, build fence, and check on their herds every couple of days.

“We’re in big, big fields and have to check there’s feed,” says Jensen. “Last year there was drought, so the cowboys were moving the cattle a lot sooner. They might only be in one field for two weeks.”

July and August are breeding time. The Gang Ranch and many smaller operators leave that to nature, simply running bulls with the cows. Other ranches artificially inseminate their cows a few days after injecting them with hormones to ensure they come into heat. A few months later, those same cows will be checked by ultrasound to ensure they’re pregnant. Those that haven’t caught will be sold.

Meanwhile, the Gang Ranch cowboys are riding west into the Chilcotin Mountains, trailing about 1,000 cows. Two to four

Gang Ranch cowboys still use many old school methods, and live and work much as cowboys did more than 100 years ago. This photo shows cattle being branded on Sandy McCarthy’s ranch on Bear Creek, east of Maple Creek Saskatchewan, in 1897.

PHOTO: ISTOCK/CGBALDAUF

cowboys live together at remote camps with names like “Hungry” and “Relay,” which the ranch has built and operated for decades. Supplies are packed in by horse, ATV, or truck every few weeks depending on camp access. Day after day, the cowboys chop wood, cook for themselves, bathe in creeks, wrangle their horses, keep predators at bay, and track their cattle.

“There are lots of times when you’re just out there riding by yourself,” says Burke. “Basically, you just start in the morning and get back by dark. But sometimes in the summer we’ll start riding at 2 am just to beat the heat.”

The cow camps are so remote and difficult to get in and out of that Gang Ranch cowboys work 11 days on, then have three days off at the home ranch. They use a handheld inReach® satellite device to communicate with the Cow Boss and arrange supplies.

“There’s a lot of freedom and you have to do a lot of critical thinking, just figuring things out on your own,” says Burke.

Gathering

As summer changes to autumn through September and October, instinct drives the Gang Ranch cattle out of the mountains and toward the home ranch.

“They know when it’s time to come home,” says Burke. Often, the bulls aren’t so keen, so the Gang cowboys put in long days searching for stragglers and bulls that haven’t come out of the mountains, cajoling and driving stubborn stock.

“It’s a lot of roping,” says Burke explaining that the bulls can be particularly uncooperative.

As the cows mosey towards home, the cowboys hold them on new range from November onwards to wean the calves from their mothers.

“We keep the cows there, keep cows alive, keep predators away,

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and when the Cow Boss orders you to bring the cows home, you take them back to the home ranch,” says Burke.

For cowboys on other ranches, autumn can look quite different.

In September and October, two cowboys will round up herds of cow-calf pairs and wean the calves from their mothers. Deciding which calves to cull and which to keep depends on the goals of each ranch and their carrying capacity. Purebred operations may have fewer calves to sell as they try to improve their stock, while operations breeding for the beef market, or which have milkproducing cows, likely have more.

“They start early in the morning and will have the calves

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weighed, loaded on the trucks, and shipped off-site all in one day,” says Jensen.

Average-sized steers (young castrated males) and heifers (young female cows which haven’t been pregnant) between six and twelve months old are trucked to a feedlot that’s either on the ranch or off-site. Smaller calves may be fed up on the ranch before being sold, while large calves are immediately sold at local auction. Some ranchers maintain ownership of their calves but send them to feedlots to gain weight. Others sell them directly to the feedlot.

Feedlot Riding

Feedlots are animal feeding operations with cow populations ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 cattle, all of which have to be fed, watered, and health-checked every day in all weather. Enter the cowboy.

“We ride about five hours every day,” says Everett Fairlie, a farrier who cowboys part-time at a feedlot north of Lethbridge, AB.

Full-time feedlot riders generally work 11 days on and three days off, have at least two of their own horses living in pens on-site, and work from 7 am to 4 pm every day or until the work is done.

“Every morning we ride through all the cattle,” says Fairlie. “There’s three of us, and there’s 17,000 cattle in 97 pens so we check them all, see if any are sick, or there’s anything wrong with them.

“If any need help we take them to a treatment barn and doctor them,” he says. “We just herd them over there with the help of our Border Collies.

“I like reading the cattle,” says Fairlie. “There’s no flag that goes up if one’s sick. You just have to figure it out. It’s an art, reading cattle.”

Survival

In November and December, southern Alberta cattle are often still grazing or eating full stalk oats that were cut and left on the ground as cattle feed. By January, winter snows mean cattle need hay, silage, pellets, and minerals, so cowboys spend their days feeding cattle, ensuring automatic watering systems aren’t frozen, and riding herd to check cattle health.

When Gang Ranch cattle finally return to the range around the home ranch, the cowboys have a brief respite before calving begins. The home ranch was formerly a community for working cowboys’ families and boasted a store, post office, school house,

Cowboys and their horses at Douglas Lake Ranch ready for winter work.

cook house, washhouse, housing, mechanics shop, barns, office, and manager’s residence. Some of it’s gone now, but the home ranch is still home to the Gang Ranch cowboys.

“The cowboy way of life has changed,” says Jensen, explaining that living out in cabins on large swaths of pasture just isn’t part of cowboy life on prairie ranches anymore. Nowadays, cowboys live elsewhere and trailer their horses to each pasture to check the cows, then load their horse up again and haul to the next pasture rather than riding all day.

The poor pay and potential for injury doesn’t jibe with today’s lifestyle, either.

“A lot of cowboys do it when they’re younger but then they go into the oil fields or the mines to make more money,” says Jensen. With money in the bank and regular days off, they can compete at ranch rodeos, afford better horses and gear, plus have a family.

“It’s a hard life and you have to love the livestock and lifestyle to keep cowboying,” says Jensen.

Regardless of the hardships, there are still cowboys out riding the range and caring for cattle every day, in all weather.

The cowboy way lives on.

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

PHOTO: DOUGLAS LAKE RANCH

PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK/CARRIE

Bucking Horses

Unsung athletes of the rodeo world

Most riders don’t want a horse that bucks. But for bareback and saddle bronc riders competing at rodeos across North America, that’s exactly what they want — horses that buck and buck well for eight seconds.

Not every horse wants to buck or has the necessary athleticism to do it. Just as dressage movement, jumping skill, and cow sense have been selected by breeders, so has the innate ability and desire to buck. Bucking horses

are purpose-bred, registered, and trained to do their job, just like other performance horses. Larger draft crosses are preferred because they have increased longevity, maintain their soundness, are stronger, and can handle the weight of

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

cowboys on their back while maintaining their bucking style. They’re also bought and sold by breeders looking for new bloodlines and are transported to rodeos across North America where they make their living dumping riders and entertaining fans. And, just like other horse sports, bucking horses can make or break the careers of the bronc riders assigned to ride them.

PHOTO: WILDWOOD IMAGERY

Making Broncs

“I’m one of the smaller producers,” says Austin Siklenka, the 2023 Canadian Bucking Stock Contractor of the Year from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. He’s been breeding bucking horses for six years and has about 40 head of stock on his 1,600-acre operation. “We’re going for quality over quantity.”

As every horse breeder knows, developing horses with specific talents is a long game. Not every stallion and mare match-up will produce the expected talent, whether that’s a winning racehorse or a consistent bucking horse. Plus, it takes years to find out whether the match works.

“The horses start at the bottom and work their way up,” says Siklenka. “We take the two- and three-year-olds, and strap on a surcingle that has a small box attached to it called a ‘dummy.’ The box has a remote connection to an electronic device so that after the horse leaves the chute and bucks a few times, the trainer can push a button to release the cinch and bucking strap, and the whole dummy contraption falls off. That way the horse learns to enter the chute, get fitted with a surcingle and bucking (flank) strap, then leave the chute and buck, all without a rider.

“The horses are learning how to handle themselves,” says Siklenka. “They’re thinking and everything’s controlled. It’s like an athlete in training.

“A good bucker is consistent, userfriendly, gets high in the air, and kicks high over their head,” says Siklenka. Since professional riders are trying to make a living riding broncs, they don’t want horses that make quick changes of direction or funky dance moves. Just like other equestrians, bronc riders are looking for consistent horses that they can score well on.

As the two- and three-year-olds train and develop, they’re entered in futurity contests where they’re ridden by the “dummies” and judged for their skill. They aren’t ridden by humans until they’re at least age four.

“When the horses come up through the ranks with the dummy, we watch them and try to determine how good they’re going to be,” says Siklenka. “Sometimes they just keep getting better and better and end up being ridden by the open level riders; sometimes they don’t.”

A typical rodeo might need 30 to 40 head of bucking stock, which is generally supplied by a large stock contractor. Top horses produce top rides, so it behooves

The horse and the contestant are each scored out of 50 points, for a total possible score of 100 points for a qualified ride. Very good scores are in the 80s; exceptional scores are in the 90s.

PHOTO: WILDWOOD IMAGERY

PHOTO: AUSTIN SKILENKA

Mares and foals on Austin Siklenka’s farm in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan.

Grate Expectations

BY MONIQUE NOBLE

There is a deafening silence when a living legend becomes a legend.

The roar of fandom becomes an echo and the anticipation of a show that only they can deliver will never again radiate through the crowd.

Such a silence was heard when rodeo icon Grated Coconut — arguably the greatest bareback horse of all time — was laid to rest at his home on the Stampede Ranch in Alberta in January 2024.

A highly anticipated cross between bucking stock royalty, Grated Coconut was foaled in 1997 as part of the Calgary Stampede’s Born to Buck program.

Grated Coconut made it clear from the start that he would follow in his parents’ mighty hoofprints. The huge bay stallion with power and grit to spare achieved incredible accolades throughout his career.

“Grated,” as he was fondly known, is the most celebrated bareback horse in North America, receiving the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bareback

Horse of the Year award six times. He is also the Leading Bareback Horse in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association as a six-time winner of Bareback Horse of the Year. Among other awards, Grated has been inducted into three Rodeo Halls of Fame — the Canadian Pro Rodeo, The Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

A champion that created champions, of Grated’s 114 times out of the chute, 25 bareback riders placed first including Davey Shields Jr. Shields had a world record setting a 95-point ride on Grated in 2005, a record that would not be matched for another 18 years.

Shields fondly remembers his 2005 ride and the horse that made him a world record holder. “When he bucked and kicked, his butt would hit you in the back and want to send you over the front.

When I was sitting on him waiting for my turn, he stood there like an old cow not

rodeos to hire the best horses available. At larger rodeos such as the Calgary Stampede, different stock contractors often supply horses for each day. Large contractors may also run smaller contractors’ horses under their name so that good quality horses owned by smaller contractors can still be used. That means individual contractors might only have a few horses at the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) or National Finals Rodeo (NFR), not their whole herd of available horses. Also, to ensure that top horses appear at the final rodeos, prior to the CFR and NFR, riders can vote on which horses they want at that rodeo.

“The horses only work eight seconds at a time maybe 10 times a year,” says Siklenka. “That’s under two minutes of work per year.

“When they get older, they get a little slower and they’re not strong enough for the open guys anymore,” Siklenka explains. “So they move back down into the novice rider competitions. They teach the novice riders as much as anybody else because they’ve been doing it so long.”

Purpose-Bred Buckers

Some producers (breeders) and contractors have up to 100 breeding mares. For example, Calgary Stampede Ranch has been breeding “CS” branded horses since 1961 and has approximately 500 horses pastured on their 22,000-acre ranch near Hanna, AB.

But bucking horses weren’t always purpose-bred.

In 1915, a Thoroughbred-PercheronMorgan colt named Midnight was born near Fort Macleod in southern Alberta. He became a legendary bucking horse and the first animal inducted into the Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame. Broke as a saddle horse, he dumped his rider so often that at eight years old, he was taken to the local rodeo for cowboys to try their luck riding him. At that time, cowboys used their own ranch-riding saddles and had to stay on for ten seconds. But nobody could ride Midnight. In 1924, he was the champion bucking horse of Western Canada at the Calgary Stampede and when he was retired in 1933, only nine cowboys had ever ridden him in over 500 attempts.

Around the time Midnight retired, an American character named Feek Tooke, who was hosting rodeos in Montana, was struggling to find enough bucking horses. There simply weren’t enough wild horses to round up or rank unrideable ranch continues on page 74

Grated Coconut and Davey Shields Jr. in their world record 95-point ride at the 2005 Calgary Stampede.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CALGARY STAMPEDE

horses for bronc riders to compete on.

Horsemen of the day didn’t believe that bucking was a trait that could be bred — it was simply considered an outburst by horses that didn’t want to be ridden. Tooke wasn’t convinced. He decided to try breeding horses that would buck for eight seconds with power and athleticism. He started by breeding an ornery Shire stud to hot Arabian mares, and the resulting offspring gained fame as consistent buckers. Soon, rodeo riders wanted to draw Tooke-bred horses, knowing they’d have great rides which would earn better competition scores. As demand for his consistent buckers increased and former naysayers started changing their minds about the possibility of breeding a buck into horses, Tooke sold breeding stock to others keen to develop their own bucking lines.

Some of those breeders were Canadian. For example, the Keslers bred bucking horses for over 70 years in southern Alberta and Montana, and contracted stock to Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) and Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) rodeos in the United States (US) and Canada. Gene and Joy Allen bred and raised bucking horses for 37 years in Kispiox, BC before retiring and dispersing their horses in 2010.

Today, there are over 20 bucking stock breeders in Canada and some of their horses are registered with the Bucking Horse Breeders Association (BHBA), based in Utah, US. The breed registry began in 2016 to record and preserve

bucking horse pedigrees across North America.

“Bucking horses aren’t just a group of ‘brumbies’ anymore,” says Siklenka. “Breeding buckers is a really in-depth, serious activity. It might take 40 years to breed a superstar.”

That’s how the great bay bucking stallion Grated Coconut was produced. He was the star of the Calgary Stampede’s breeding program. Between 2003 and 2009 he won Bareback Horse of the Year six times from both the PRCA and CPRA. Grated Coconut had 114 outings and a

reputation for scoring well, helping 25 riders win. If riders could stay on him, they made money. His bloodlines were in high demand when he retired to stud. (See sidebar Grate Expectations.)

The Bronc Market

There’s a healthy market for bucking horses. On November 3, 2023, Canadian Made Bucking Horses (CMBH) held a bucking horse auction at CFR49 in Red Deer, AB.

“Eighty percent of the horses that we sell go to US buyers,” says Buck Peters,

PHOTOS: WILDWOOD IMAGERY

Broncs bucking with dummies at a Canadian Made Bucking Horse Futurity in January 2023 in Ponoka, Alberta.

in 2010. He went on to sire over 45 foals that continue in his hoofprints including 2023 CPRA Saddle Bronc Horse Of The Year, Xplosive Skies.

continued from page 72

moving, [but] when it became my turn I slid up to my rigging and it was almost like it was a switch for him to say ‘Let’s go!’ He leaves the chute real fast and kicks hard at the start. He was a special horse.”

A horse who knew his job, Grated did not waste energy in the chute or the arena, and once that flank strap was removed he knew his job was over and he became a gentleman. Polite to handle with industry professionals and children alike, his intelligence and amiability set him apart. Grated had an innate love of people and was an impossible ham, always happy to charm fans and pose for the camera.

Grated Coconut spent his last years of retirement not far from Stampede Ranch Manager Tyler Kraft’s house, grazing and enjoying pampering from Tyler’s children. At 27 years old, the stallion passed away peacefully where he was born, having fulfilled his destiny. He forever improved the Born to Buck program and left a lasting legacy of prolific award-winning progeny that will continue to excite rodeo contestants and enthusiasts well into the future.

Kraft is emphatic about Grated

Coconut’s place in Stampede history. “I just don’t think there’s a way you could even measure the gratefulness we have for that stallion, not just with his success in the arena, but the lasting impact that he’s going to have on the Calgary Stampede Born to Buck program. It’s just immeasurable.”

organizer of the non-profit CMBH and a bucking horse breeder. CMBH began during COVID-19 when stock contractors didn’t have any way to sell their horses and now offers seven competitions to showcase Canada’s bucking stock. In 2023, over 400 broncs competed in those competitions and the top 35 horses were eligible for the November auction.

This year, buyers in Texas, Utah and Wyoming purchased the top three horses for $15,000 to $22,000. In 2022, the top selling bronc at the CMBH fall auction went for $60,000 with another selling for $41,000.

Peters explains that high selling horses are usually aged seven to 10, and 80 percent of their value is in their ability to produce consistent rides.

“It’s hard to find professional calibre horses that are ready to travel to rodeos right away,” says Peters. “Those are the ones that get top prices.

“There’s always space for more producers because only about 10 percent of colts that are born become successful buckers,” says Peters. “Probably six out of 10 are going to dummy well. Then two or three out of those six will make it as bucking horses, and probably one will make it to the higher levels.”

For horses that don’t want to buck, there are other markets. Draft crosses are in demand by outfitters, teamsters, ranchers, and even performance riders looking for their next athlete.

“They’re big boned and well-muscled, so there’s always other places for them to go to work,” says Siklenka.

“A lot of guys are selling them for riding horses,” says Peters. “We have two riders that come to our ranch, and they’ll take anything that doesn’t want to buck.”

A gentle giant, Grated Coconut spent his final days at his home right by the main house at the Calgary Stampede Ranch. He is pictured with ranch manager Tyler Kraft’s daughter, Riata Kraft.

Horse Welfare

Aside from training, travelling, and competing, bucking horses generally enjoy the “three f’s” of friends, freedom, and forage in greater quantities than some other equine athletes. Most bucking horses live in a natural state during “the other 23 hours” in family groups on large pastures. They have their feet trimmed, get vaccinated, and are handled regularly.

When bucking horses arrive at a rodeo, they’re checked to ensure they’re healthy.

“We inspect every horse upon arrival,” says Lane Peterson, the Lead Official at CFR49. “I work with a representative of the stock contractors, and we look for any issues that might affect a horse’s health or performance.”

Grated Coconut at his NFR retirement ceremony

PHOTO COURTESY OF PCRA

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER KRAFT

Peterson isn’t a veterinarian but notes that every day a designated veterinarian walks through all the horse pens and checks every horse for signs of injury or distress.

“There can be an injury, muscle soreness, that kind of thing,” says Peterson. “We make the best decision for the horses based on what we observe. Contractors do their absolute best to help their animals perform at their highest level.”

In an effort to understand how bucking horses feel about performance, Temple Grandin and two others conducted a three-year study at the Calgary Stampede into the effect of rodeo procedures on the behaviour of bucking horses. They evaluated 116 horses in the Bareback, Novice Bareback, Saddle Bronc, and Novice Saddle Bronc events, recording the behaviour of humans and horses while the horses were loaded into and held in the chutes prior to their performance. The study results, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science¹ in 2021, found that horses with greater numbers of rodeo experiences balked less when entering the chutes and were less likely to display “vigorous behaviours” prior to the rodeo performance. Additionally, “vigorous behaviour” prior to the rodeo was not

related to better or worse bucking performance scores by judges. Importantly, the report stated: “The results of the role of experience and potential performance-related anticipatory behaviours is likely indicative of horses’ habituation to rodeo versus learned helplessness.” In other words, bucking horses learn to become calmer from a greater number of rodeo experiences and are not simply “giving up.”

Although more research is needed, this study and the support of the Calgary Stampede indicates there’s interest in doing what’s best for bucking horses.

Making Careers

Positive horse welfare means good performances by horses and good rides can make or break a rider’s career.

“The ideal bareback horse stays in one spot underneath you and really gets in the air, kicking its heels overhead every jump,” says Chad Siemens who, at age 18, won the Novice Bareback competition at CFR49. He’s at college in Casper, Wyoming and trains in the gym, on a mechanical bronc, and on live horses every week.

“The horse you draw is a big part of it,” says Siemens. “Four or five days before

the rodeo, or sometimes on the day, you find out what horse you’ve drawn. I try to ask a few people, sometimes the stock contractor, what kind of horse it is.

“I have a buddy that helps set my rigging in the chute and the stock contractor usually tightens the flank strap,” Siemens explains. He went to over 60 rodeos in 2023 and plans to try the open competitions in 2024 with a view to getting his professional card and making a living riding broncs.

“Riding bucking horses takes hard work and determination but the biggest thing is to just keep getting on,” says Siemens. “I’ve always been told that a teaspoon of try beats a cupful of talent.”

Maybe that goes for bucking horses, too, and why bucking horse producers hang in there year after year, hoping to produce the next Midnight or Grated Coconut. The next great talent could be grazing in someone’s pasture right now. b

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

¹ Effect of animal’s experience and rodeo procedures on behaviour of bucking horses at a large commercial rodeo in Canada, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Vol 234, January 2021, 105199, Temple Grandin, Christy Goldhawk, Ed Pajor. www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0168159120302872

Women’s BREAKAWAY Roping

THE FASTEST SPORT IN RODEO

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

Breakaway roping is the fastest rodeo sport on the planet right now. Winning times are less than two seconds. Yes, you read that right — less than two seconds can garner professional breakaway ropers thousands of dollars in winnings.

And it’s a sport just for women.

“Breakaway roping is a career path for women nowadays, where it was never even considered before,” says Margo Fitzpatrick, the organizer of Canadian Finals Breakaway in Claresholm, AB, which provides the biggest one-day event

Shaya Biever

PHOTOS: WILDWOOD IMAGERY

payout in Canada of almost $40,000. She’s been organizing local breakaway roping events in Alberta for more than 20 years, but it’s only since 2019 that the sport has taken off.

In 2019, RFD-TV’s The American oneday rodeo event in Texas, United States (US) included breakaway roping for the first time. Nearly 500 women qualified for the inaugural event, chasing a piece of the rodeo’s $2 million in prize money. The winning breakaway rider took home an astonishing $110,000 USD and that single event put breakaway roping on the map.

“Breakaway going mainstream in 2019 changed my life,” says Lakota Bird from Nanton, AB, who was fourth in the average at Canadian Finals Rodeo 49 (CFR) in November, 2023. Now age 27, Bird has been roping since she was 7, and is the breakaway roping director for the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA). “I rodeo professionally pretty much full-time. But if it wasn’t for breakaway roping becoming an event at professional rodeos, I probably would have just stopped roping after college. There was nowhere for me to go.”

Here’s how breakaway works: A calf is

held in a chute at one end of the arena. A roper enters the “start box” to the calf’s right. When the roper nods her head, the calf is released and starts running down the arena. Then a rope across the front of the roping box releases, allowing the roper to gallop after, and rope, her calf.

“For most rodeo associations, the bell collar catch is the only legal catch,” says Fitzpatrick. “That means the rope passes over the calf’s head, comes tight on its neck behind the ears, and it can’t include any other parts of his body like a leg or a tail.”

The non-roping end of the lariat is tied to the rider’s saddle horn with a thin string. After the rope is around the calf’s neck, the rider stops her horse, breaking

the string attaching the tail of her rope to the saddle horn. The clock stops when the rope is pulled off the saddle horn, which for winning professionals, is less than two seconds.

“Prior to 2019, breakaway roping was part of high school rodeos but it wasn’t considered an event by amateur or professional rodeo associations,” explains Fitzpatrick. That meant as soon as the high school rodeo gal who was competing in barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway graduated from high school, the only rodeo event she could carry on with was barrel racing. Boys compete in breakaway roping at the junior level, too, but once they reach age 14 to 16, they’re no longer eligible. However, they can

Shaya Biever won her first CFR championship in 2023.

“Breakaway going mainstream in 2019 changed my life,” says Lakota Bird, pictured.

compete in calf roping or team roping events at mainstream rodeos.

Enthusiasm for the sport is growing. At jackpots — pop-up shows that anyone can enter — there are usually 30 to 40 competitors of all ages. Breakaway is one of the few horse sports where pregnancy and having children doesn’t end a woman’s career. Several top professionals have competed while pregnant and returned to the sport within a few months of having their babies.

A good breakaway horse is quickfooted, has speed, a big stop, and can handle the pressure of the start box. A lot of breakaway horses come from cow horse sports such as cutting and reined cow horse, because they require similar skills. The prices of breakaway horses currently range from $20,000 to $50,000, so parents of teens who want to get into high school rodeo — a precursor to the professional rodeo leagues — are struggling to buy horses.

“I think it’s one of the risks to the horse industry as a whole,” says Fitzpatrick. “It’s going to become unaffordable.”

Surprisingly, breakaway is manually timed and is a two-person job.

“A flagger drops his flag when he sees the rope break away from the saddle horn, which is why there’s a colourful flag tied to the end of the rope,” says Fitzpatrick. “Then the timer stops the time when the flag drops. Some events have an automatic start, but in most cases there’s a timer manually starting and stopping the time. Usually there are two timers and they average the time to one or two decimal places. If you only time to one decimal place, it’s common to have ties.”

Breakaway roping was included at 42 regular Canadian rodeos in 2023 — close to 75 percent of them.

“I’m hoping a few more rodeos will add it in 2024,” says Bird who, as a CPRA director, advocates for rule changes, collects sponsorship, and helps raise prize money for the Canadian finals. Unlike other rodeo events, breakaway is considered a major optional event at the CFR. That means there are fewer breakaway runs during the CFR than the mainstream events, and prize money is lower.

“We [breakaway supporters] raise all our prize money, pay for our stock, and pay pretty much all of the breakaway expenses at the CFR,” she says, explaining that the CPRA pays those fees for other sports.

In 2023, Shaya Biever of Claresholm, AB won $32,441 and her first CFR championship with an aggregate time of

Shelby Boisjoli is one of only two Canadians who qualified for the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping.

PHOTOS: WILDWOOD IMAGERY

7.6 seconds over three runs. Biever’s payout was less than half that of the winning barrel racer, who won $72,831, but that didn’t dampen her day.

“It’s my biggest win to date,” says Biever. “I had a heck of a year and things were really going my way.”

Now age 23, Biever says she started roping “as soon as I could swing a rope” and won the dummy roping at the CFR at five years old. She gets roping help from her dad and a former college rodeo coach but says her mental game has been the biggest challenge.

“I was able to change my mindset this year and that helped me a lot compared to last year,” says Biever. “I figured out how to take the highs with the lows and work through everything.”

One constant is her horse.

“We got Bullet [CQ Badgers Thor] when he was a three-year-old and now he’s 16,” says Biever. “I’ve literally grown up with him. He’s at the top of his game and we’re nowhere near done yet.”

Another Canadian making her mark in breakaway is Shelby Boisjoli from Langdon, AB, who now lives in Stephenville, Texas. In 2023, she set a record for regular season rodeo earnings, winning almost $165,000. She’s also one of only two Canadians who qualified for the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping, which was held in Las Vegas, US, in December, 2023 and has a $250,000 payout.

Arguably one of the top breakaway professionals is American Jackie Crawford whose career earnings exceeded $800,000 in 2023. She’s also won 23 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world titles, including three in breakaway roping. (The others are in tie-down roping and team roping). In 2019, Crawford was third at the inaugural The American event and in 2022, she won it, earning $100,000 USD. In 2023, she won a staggering $600,000 at The American, by far the highest-earning day for a woman in roping’s history.

However, breakaway has a way to go before it’s on equal footing with other rodeo events.

to be entering,” she says. “But the same women were winning all the time, because they were just that much better. So, riders realized they were never going to beat the pro girls and that gets old after a while.”

To encourage participation, breakaway competitions started offering an amateur incentive in 2023.

“That was a game changer because it provided an opportunity for amateur riders to compete against their peers rather than the pros,” says Fitzpatrick. That means everyone can enjoy the sport and potentially win their class without competing against some of the best in the world.

Although not a regular event at every rodeo, breakaway has come a long way in a few short years and made a significant difference in the lives of women who want to pursue rodeo careers outside barrel racing.

“The events have become faster, there are women doing breakaway full-time and making a living off it, the horses are better, and there’s unbelievable prize money,” says Fitzpatrick. “It’s a great opportunity for women.”

“I think it’s going to continue to grow,” Fitzpatrick says. “I don’t think we’re anywhere near where it has the potential to be. But I think for breakaway to get as large as barrel racing or team roping there’s going to have to be some kind of equalization format or handicapping that you see in both those events.”

“Five years ago, everybody was excited

> Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

South Algonquin EQUESTRIAN TRAILS

Autumn in Ontario is my favourite time of year, when Mother Nature paints the trees spectacular arrays of reds, yellows, and oranges, and rural roadsides are bordered with the brightly coloured seasonal decor. Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario’s southeastern region, is a popular spot to take it all in. Located approximately 250 km north of Toronto and 260 km west of Ottawa, the natural area spans 7,630 km² — larger than Prince Edward Island at approximately 5,684 km². Accessible from the large urban centres of Toronto and Ottawa, every year nearly one million visitors come to hike,

bike, bird watch, canoe, camp, and if lucky spot a deer or a moose.

In 1999, the South Algonquin Equestrian Trails horse facility opened its gates in a newly accessible part of the park’s southern tip, allowing visitors to explore from the saddle the vast array of fresh trails leading to lookouts, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

Tammy Donaldson, owner of South Algonquin Trails, saw an opportunity to add horse owners to their visitor roster and built the first equine-friendly campsite on the property in 2018. Thanks to a growing demand they have now expanded to 13 horse-friendly camping areas, one with

By Shawn Hamilton

an electrical hookup, and three cabins available for rent. These sites, which are easy to manoeuvre horse trailers in and out of, come equipped with a fire pit, picnic table, and covered stalls, as well as shovel and wheelbarrel. Horse owners can enjoy the trails on their own mounts at their desired pace or hire a guide to show them around. Riders who find themselves horseless can join their friends on one of the facility’s 45 horses, accompanied by a guide. The campsites also provide a comfortable location for participants of the many clinics hosted on the property. From first-time rider to advanced trail enthusiast

One of South Algonquin Equestrian Trails’ 13 equine-friendly campsites in Algonquin Provincial Park.

A pony, groomed and tacked up, waits patiently for the day’s work to begin.

PHOTOS: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

One of many spectacular fall views on the way up to South Algonquin Equestrian Trails.

Adam stops to let Baloo take a drink along the trail.

PHOTOS: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK

The name “Algonquin” refers to the area’s indigenous inhabitants, the Algonquin peoples. Small, scattered family groups of Indigenous peoples had for centuries used the area now known as Algonquin Provincial Park to hunt, fish, and pick berries.

In the 1800s, loggers came from the Ottawa Valley to fell the giant white pine and red pine, used to produce lumber for the domestic market, and for export. The logs were floated down swollen rivers in the spring to the Ottawa River and beyond. A small number of homesteaders and farmers followed.

Algonquin National Park was originally established in 1893 to create a wildlife sanctuary and protect the headwaters of five major rivers which flow from the park. The park soon earned a reputation with sports fishermen, inspired artists such as the renowned Tom Thomson and The Group of Seven, and over the years gained a worldwide reputation among its many visitors who came to appreciate its natural, recreational, and cultural values.

The park’s name was changed to Algonquin Provincial Park in 1913 when it became Ontario’s first provincial park. The oldest provincial park in Canada, it has since expanded to twice its original size and is highly regarded as a cornerstone of our cultural and national heritage. Within the park there are more than 2,400 lakes and 1,200 km of streams and rivers. Lying in an area of transition between northern coniferous forest and southern deciduous forest, a unique mixture of forest types and a diverse range of plant and animal species are found within it due to its wide variety of environments. The park is home to 53 species of mammals including moose,

on their own horse, South Algonquin Equestrian Trails has covered all the bases.

My friends Anne and Adam were heading up to the park in the fall of 2023 and invited me to join them. Having experienced a wonderful ride the year before on a gentle and willing buckskin gelding named Milo, and lunching alongside a lake, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. A quick call to South Algonquin Equestrian Trails confirmed they could spare a horse and guide for the afternoon.

It was the peak of the season. The drive to the farm, north of Harcourt and west of Maynooth, passed through brightly coloured forests reflected in the small lakes next to the road. Pulling into the driveway of South Algonquin Equestrian Trails, I spotted a paddock of various-sized horses munching on a large pile of hay. Tammy greeted me and invited me to join a group of clinic participants enjoying a morning coffee with Jason Irwin, who was conducting a Working at Liberty clinic. With time to spare before my friends arrived with their trailer, I followed the group to the large outdoor arena to watch Jason introduce the art of liberty work to clinic participants. A beautiful draft-cross gelding named Rory came along the rail to introduce himself to me.

Next, I headed to the office to sign my waiver before meeting my mount for the afternoon. Perusing the brochure, I was amazed to see the long list of riding opportunities offered, from full- and part-day rides to family picnics. Riders under age five are accompanied by two staff, one to lead the pony and the other to walk alongside. Families can enjoy a ride to a small waterfall for a picnic, others having the option of joining on foot.

“We call it the Family Picnic Ride,” explained Donna, a staff member. “We have had anniversaries, engagements, and even a

Winter 1914-15 in Algonquin Park, painting by Tom Thomson.

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black bear, beaver, and the Eastern wolf; 272 species of birds; 31 species of reptiles and amphibians; 54 species of fish; about 7000 species of insects; more than 1,000 species of plants; and more than 1,000 species of fungi. Hundreds of studies done on its protected flora and fauna have established Algonquin as the most important place in Canada for biological and environmental research.

Algonquin Provincial Park was named a National Historic Site in 1992, to recognize its role in the development of park management; pioneering visitor interpretation programs, which were later adopted by national and provincial parks across Canada; and many historic structures including lodges, hotels, a railway station, among others.

For more information, visit: > www.ontarioparks.com > www.algonquinpark.on.ca

wedding at that little waterfall.”

Half-day summer camps are also available with up to a dozen students per week. Ages range from six to 74, allowing older siblings, parents, and/or grandparents to join in the learning experience.

In their extremely well-organized tack room, I spotted one of their many helpers tacking up a pony. Others were busy grooming and picking out feet. A young boy, led by his father, headed to the mounting block to get on a pony for the first time, grinning in his cute blue rubber boots and Tipperary helmet. An abundance of ponies and horses groomed, tacked, and ready for the day’s work stood quietly. In the high season of July and August close to a dozen staff take out up to 50 riders per day.

Jocelyn, Tammy’s daughter, introduced me to my mount, Avery, a cute 15.1-HH Appaloosa mare. Jocelyn has ridden since she was two years old and has competed in various disciplines including Mounted Games, where she represented Canada at the Open Worlds Team Championships in Ireland. She is a full-time financial planner but does her fair share of grooming, tacking-up, running camps, teaching lessons, and leading rides. After

Four riders share a memorable experience in beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park.

A young boy rides a pony for the very first time at South Algonquin Equestrian Trails.

stashing my lunch in the saddle bags, Jocelyn and I mount up.

On our way to the trailer parking area to meet our trail mates, we passed some of the campsite areas. These feature beautiful covered stalls, pull-in areas for horse trailers, flat spots for tents, and a fire pit and picnic table. When I buy my next horse, I will most definitely come here to camp.

We arrived at the parking area to find Anne and Adam just finished tacking-up, and we all hit the trails. A beautiful day, with the blue sky a perfect backdrop for the bright autumn colours, we headed for Lookout Ridge, one of Anne’s favourites. It’s been some time since Adam rode but Anne’s 13-year-old registered Paint gelding, Baloo, took great care of him, with no hesitations on the various water crossings. Avery knows her job well and carried me smoothly across the bridge, through the creeks, and up the hills. On a flat spot we tried a little trot, then a nice long canter through the forest. It was heaven! Arriving at Lookout Ridge,

PHOTO: SOUTH ALGONQUIN EQUESTRIAN TRAILS

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

The Family Pony Picnic Ride is a guided scenic ride to Serenity Falls where families enjoy a picnic lunch.

A staff member prepares a pony for a trail ride.

we tied the horses and found a spot overlooking the vast valley to enjoy our lunches while we took in one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces of seasonal colours. Anne and Ghost, her off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding, posed for a picture before we wound back to the farm on an alternate but equally beautiful route. I reluctantly handed Avery’s reins back to a staff member and went to find Tammy to learn some history of the property.

Tammy had been running a trail riding business in the nearby Town of Harcourt when she heard from her municipal council and her neighbour, Tom Coghlan, that Algonquin Provincial Park was going to allow horseback riding in the south end. He and Tammy both knew that she was the one for the job.

“We started with 80 acres of bush. There wasn’t even a driveway, no hydro and no

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: SOUTH ALGONQUIN EQUESTRIAN TRAILS

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Not long after my trip to South Algonquin Equestrian Trails, I found Tammy and her helpers at Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November, 2023. They had a

booth featuring their horse-riding simulators, which Tammy imported from England. Named Argento, from the Gladiator movie, and Magneto, from the X-men movie, I had to give them a try, and was very surprised at how realistic they felt.

“They are great for training and camps. If you pull on the reins they will stop or slow down, helping to teach riders to not balance on the horse’s mouth,” explained Tammy.

The more I squeezed with my legs, the faster Argento and Magneto went. I tried to keep my post in tune during the trot, and the canter was very realistic. What a fun and safe way to learn to ride, and much less stressful for the horse.

PHOTOS: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

Anne and Ghost at Lookout Ridge. PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

water, no fencing, just trees,” she said.

Their initial herd was small, just 12 horses, but hauling water in buckets twice a day from a neighbour’s property did not seem so insignificant at the time. As they grew, they built more fencing for paddocks, a storage barn for hay, an office, and campsites with stalls. Having accommodations for horses-and-owners clinics became more popular. They’ve hosted an emergency first aid clinic as well as various other clinicians including Lindsay Partridge. More clinics are in the works for 2024, including Jason Irwin returning, and Tammy is organizing a fun Poker Run throughout the season that anyone who arrives with their own horse can participate in.

“We are always expanding,” said Tammy. “There is constantly so much to do, and I am very thankful for my awesome support team that turns ideas into reality.”

The nearby Algonquin Eco Lodge has hosted many of South Algonquin Equestrian Trails’ guests, and now with the luxury Nomi Resort and Spa just down the road, the possibilities are endless. Tammy is hoping to host more

international guests who can come to the Spa for a holiday and add horseback riding to their daily activities.

Tammy has come a long way since her days of delivering newspapers on her pony. Her love of, and devotion to, both the horses and the business have given countless people the opportunity to see a piece of Canada’s precious wilderness from the back of a horse. The campground will continue to grow along with the expansion of the trail system. I urge you to reserve a ride on your own horse, or on one of the many safe and sure-footed horses at South Algonquin Equestrian Trails, to experience for yourself Mother Nature’s art in all seasons in Algonquin Provincial Park. Happy Trails! b

For more information, visit:

South Algonquin Trails

> www.southalgonquintrails.com

Nomi Resort and Spa

> www.nomiresort.com

Algonquin Eco Lodge

> www.algonquinecolodge.com

> Shawn Hamilton is a frequent contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 94.

More than 50 km of beautiful trails await you and your horse at South Algonquin Equestrian Trails. This is the view from the saddle of Milo, a buckskin gelding, in late fall.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/SONYA ETCHISON

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

NOTES FROM THE OFFICE

BY RHIANNON KING

2024 HCBC MEMBERSHIP RATES

2024 Adult Membership: $67.00 + tax = $70.35/member (19 or over as of January 1, 2024)

2024 Youth Associate: $49.00 + tax = $51.45/member (18 or under as of January 1, 2024)

2024 Family Enrollment: $158.00 + tax = $165.90/family*

*Family Enrollment: Minimum of three people defined as parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and their minor children residing at the same address. Maximum two seniors per family. Each member will receive their own number and card.

New for 2024

HCBC is going green! All HCBC Membership cards will be sent digitally. Printed cards will be available for purchase for $5.60 each — just check the box to indicate that you would like to receive the printed version.

BC PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

HCBC will be tracking points from multiple disciplines at designated Provincially Sanctioned Competitions and Bronze Equestrian Canada Competitions as well as results from the 55+ Games and BC Summer Games counting for double points in three age categories:

• Junior 14 to 18 years

• Adults 19 to 54 years

• Masters 55 years and over Awards will be given in each separate discipline with the year-end Champion and Reserve Champions announced at the end of show season.

HCBC ONLINE STORE

Shop our latest merchandise at the HCBC Online Store for everything from hoodies to trailer decals. There is something for everyone, whether you need competition numbers for your next outing, or a toque to keep your head warm in the winter. We also occasionally offer gift cards as prizes through our app Horseplay, so be sure to sign up for a chance to win!

HCBC ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH CAN-AM

HCBC is pleased to announce their partnership with the Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo, coming to Chilliwack Heritage Park, April 12 – 14, 2024.

All HCBC member clubs are invited to join the show to promote their club or breed, and Can Am Equine will discount 50 percent off the cost of their booth space!

The Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo is Canada’s premier equine event bringing together thousands of horse lovers and industry partners all under one roof for a great weekend. There’s something for all

H OW TO REACH US

horse lovers, from the seasoned horse person to the weekend rider and everyone in between.

The Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo features three exciting days of international clinicians, family-fun entertainment, performances, equine breed showcases, all indoor shopping, and kid-friendly interactive attractions.

Can-Am Equine is committed to creating awareness of the equine industry and to making horses a vital part of the community.

HCBC is excited to be a part of this great event and looks forward to seeing you at the show!

For more information on how your Club or Breed Organization can participate, please contact Sandy at

> development@hcbc.ca

For more information on clinics or vendor opportunities, please contact

> sunderwood@rmillargroup.com

> www.canamequine.com

administration@hcbc.ca

AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY: industry@hcbc.ca

MEMBERSHIP: membership@hcbc.ca

COACHING & EDUCATION: coaching@hcbc.ca

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: communication@hcbc.ca

RECREATION & TRAILS: recreation@hcbc.ca

COMPETITION: competition@hcbc.ca

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: development@hcbc.ca

HCBC BOOKSTORE: bookstore@hcbc.ca

FINANCE & GRANT FUNDING: finance@hcbc.ca

BC SUMMER GAMES 2024

THE 2024 BC SUMMER GAMES WILL BE HELD AT THE MAPLE RIDGE EQUI SPORT CENTRE JULY 18-21, 2024.

NEW TECHNICAL PACKAGE, ATHLETE DECLARATION FORMS, AND COMPETITION RESULT SUBMISSION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

WWW.HCBC.CA

By Laurie Haughton, Chair, CQHA Media, Marketing & Communications Committee

AQHA’s Professional Horsemen Academy

Canadians played a major role in a new program designed by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) to support their Professional Horsemen Association, which was facilitated over two days in person in a workshop format hosted at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 16 to 18, 2024.

The event was open to all members of the AQHA Professional Horsemen Association and other industry professionals to participate in the collaborative learning experience hosted by expert instructors. It provided an opportunity for horsemen and women to learn game-changing business tips on financial success, effective customer communications, conflict resolution, marketing strategies, legal liability, risk management, animal welfare, and much more.

Craig Cunningham, CPA, CA, MBA, an AQHA amateur competitor from Toronto, Ontario, led the instruction on day one, taking the group through lessons on financial fitness strategies for equine business that reached beyond the fundamentals of business management. The session included exercises drawn from the unique and intrinsically personal and multifaceted relationships horse trainers often have with their horse owners and clients. From tips on being financially sound to identifying your brand and staying true to it, Cunningham — having spent years showing in the Quarter Horse industry — was able to draw from personal experience showing on both sides of the border. He worked with both Canadian and American professional horse trainers and

coaches to really narrow in on some of the pain points common to most equine businesses, and to offer solutions to mitigate situations which can be financially taxing and take an emotional toll due to the unique nature of horse sport.

Day two saw AQHA pro horseman and Canadian-born Robin Frid take to the stage. As the past chair of both the AQHA Pro Horsemen Association and the current chair of the AQHA Animal Welfare Commission, Frid talked about the reason why we were all there: the love of the Quarter Horse breed and doing our best by the horse. The audience was given a chance to work in groups to look at case studies and solve for issues concerning professional ethics, animal welfare, and resource management, all in an effort to help bring the lessons learned to reality. There is no doubt that the horse industry is complex. Those who dedicate their lives to being professionals within equine sport know it is both physically and emotionally demanding, and not a

business to be in if you are looking for a nine-to-five gig with excellent job security. This is the reason why AQHA will be supporting those in attendance with six months of online interactive learning, gamification, and live Q&As through their new online learning platform designed specifically to support professionals in the Quarter Horse industry.

The Canadian Quarter Horse Association (CQHA) was pleased to be represented by members from four provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Going forward, this experience will provide an excellent opportunity for CQHA’s officials and professional development committee to network with those in attendance to brainstorm ideas for programs that can be developed to support Canadian professionals. b

To learn more about the AQHA Professional Horsemen Association please go to > www.aqha.com/disciplines/showing/ programs/aqha-professional-horseman

For more information about the Canadian Quarter Horse Association please visit > www.CQHA.ca or email > info@cqha.ca. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @cndquarterhorseassoc, and on Twitter @CndQuarterHorse.

Craig Cunningham

Robin Frid

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURIE HAUGHTON

CANADIAN THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION

The Magic of Horses

A parent’s perspective

BY ANN CAINE, CANTRA ADVISORY COUNCIL

Cora Spencer, who began riding in 2013, was chosen to be featured in an episode of the Discovery Channel series, Collar of Duty, which aired in 2017. This series explored the role that animals play in the lives of children and adults with special needs. We are delighted that Cora was on national television as an ambassador for Canadian therapeutic riding!

Cora was born in New Brunswick and has multiple diagnoses, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), having a stroke in the womb, and being on the autism spectrum. She lived in a loving foster home from birth, and in her young life she was surrounded by chickens, cows, sheep, llamas, and HORSES.

At the time when Cora was in foster care, her “forever parents,” Andy and Daphne Spencer, were part of a group of parents taking a course in preparation for becoming either foster or adoptive parents. The Spencers already had three boys of their own, one of whom had special needs, so they were well aware of the additional challenges involved in raising an exceptional child.

During the course, different scenarios were discussed regarding specific children’s cases and situations, and the challenges to be addressed. They learned of one child for whom there had been two adoption opportunities which did not materialize due to the nature of the child’s multiple needs.

It is usual for parents to finish the course before being put on the waiting list for a child to foster or adopt. However, in the case of Andy and Daphne, they were asked to consider adopting a two-and-ahalf year old girl before the course had finished. This little girl was Cora, and they were told that she would never be toilet trained, walk, or talk, and would have no social skills. This was a pretty daunting prognosis for any parents. Andy and Daphne decided to seize this opportunity, having overcome so many obstacles and

Cora riding Max, with instructors Katlyn (left) and Tiffany (right) on film day for TV.

An excited (and face-painted) Cora shows off her ribbon and certificate on her last day of summer camp.

proven the world wrong with their oldest son. This would be a new chapter in their lives that they were prepared to embrace.

The Spencer family moved from New Brunswick to Ontario with Andy’s new job. Cora was referred to therapeutic riding through KidsAbility, in order to help develop her fine and gross motor skills, core strength, and balance. Cora’s passion for horses was reignited and she blossomed socially at the local therapeutic riding centre while also working on all the other goals.

Remember, this is a child who was never supposed to walk or talk!

Cora calls riding at the farm her “Happy Place.” Andy reflects that Cora is suffering

bullying at school and therapeutic riding provides a special anchor in her life. If she has had a challenging day at school, as soon as she arrives at the farm her whole demeanor changes.

Cora is passionate about horses, and through therapeutic riding and the summer camp program she has developed confidence and social skills. Cora has become a social butterfly — never underestimate the power of HORSES! b

For more information or to find a centre near you please contact our Head Office at ctra@golden.net. Follow us on Facebook @Cantra. ACET and visit > www.Cantra.ca or donate at > www.CanadaHelps.org.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CANTRA

Tania Millen

Tania Millen is an awardwinning freelance writer and author with a Master’s in Journalism and a BSc in Environmental Science.

She’s written four books, including Go Horse Camping and Pack’em Up, Ride’em Out: Classic Horse Pack Trips in BC and Alberta. A former 3-day event rider, she now enjoys mountain pack trips.

www.TaniaMillen.com

Shawn Hamilton

Shawn Hamilton is a freelance equine photojournalist based in Ontario. She has operated Clix Photography since 1984, offering a full range of photography services for editorial and commercial use from health to Olympic sports. Her photography can be found on the covers and inside numerous magazines in Canada and the US, including Canadian Horse Journal. Shawn has co-authored four non-fiction children’s books published by Scholastic Canada. Her written articles specialize in equestrian travel. www.ClixPhoto.com

Madeline Boast

Madeline Boast is an independent equine nutritionist based in Ontario. Upon completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Equine Management and Master’s Degree in Equine Nutrition, she launched Balanced Bay, a full service and independent equine nutrition consulting company.

Through Balanced Bay she works with horses across North America, from competing Thoroughbreds to companion ponies and everything in between. Her primary focus is to create optimal and personalized forage-based nutrition plans as well as educate horse owners on equine nutrition.

www.balancedbay.ca

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES

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• Renew your subscription?

• Give a gift subscription?

• Change your address?

• Report a delivery problem?

• Ask a question?

subscriptions@horsejournals.com

www.horsejournals.com

1-800-299-3799

Jec Aristotle Ballou

Jec Aristotle Ballou trains in Santa Cruz, CA, when not giving clinics around the United States. She is the author of 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider, Equine Fitness, and 101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider. For further resources on the above topics, she recommends Beyond Horse Massage by Jim Masterson. Jec’s newly published book, 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses, helps resolve chronic postural imbalances and challenges that inhibit many performance horses. www.JecBallou.com

Sandra Verda-Zanatta

Sandra is a Licensed High Performance Dressage Coach, FEI grand prix rider, Equestrian Canada Coach Developer/Evaluator, and Certified Pilates Instructor.

She has over 25 years of experience working with riders of all levels to improve position and overall effectiveness in the saddle. Sandra has extensive experience coaching internationally and conducts clinics and workshops in dressage, rider crosstraining, and instructor development.

Sandra operates her dressage training business SVZ Dressage and Fit To Ride (F2R) Pilates for Equestrians in Langley, BC.

She is currently working towards her Master’s degree in High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership at the University of British Columbia.

www.fit2ride.ca

Alexa Linton

Annika McGivern

Annika McGivern is a Mental Performance Consultant who grew up as a Three-Day-Event rider in British Columbia. Her passion for eventing took her to Ireland, Australia, and America as a working student to world class riders, where she developed a keen interest in the psychological side of sport and performance.

Annika has a BA in Psychology, an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and seven years experience as a certified Equestrian Canada Competition Coach. Annika works with athletes and coaches, in person and online, to help them find enjoyment and satisfaction in their sport through achieving their best possible results and outcomes.

www.annikamcgivern.com

Lindsay Grice

“Is it me or my horse?”

Horse show judge, coach, trainer, and specialist in equine behaviour, Lindsay Grice helps riders solve their “horse puzzles,” sharing keys from the science and research of how horses think and learn. She holds judging certifications in multiple disciplines — Western, hunter/jumper, dressage and obstacle events. Lindsay has taught classes and seminars in Equitation Science for provincial equine associations, therapeutic riding facilities, and courses offered by the University of Guelph. She regularly conducts clinics for horse clubs and private farms. www.LindsayGriceRidingCoach.com

Alexa Linton is known for lighting up her world with her infectious personality, bold facilitation style, and often irreverent, tongue-in-cheek writing, and for her menagerie of a therapeutic practice. The latter combines her degree in Kinesiology, diploma in Osteopathy Manual Practice, and over a decade of training in BodyTalk and animal communication. From over 14 years of working with horses as an Equine Sport Therapist, and helping thousands of animals and people, Alexa has developed a therapeutic style that is intuitive and highly collaborative. She is the co-founder of the Cowgirl Re-union, the creator of the Whole Horse Apprenticeship and Podcast, and author of Death Sucks: A Straight-Up Guide to Navigating Your Pet’s Final Transition. She resides in the Cowichan Valley, unceded territory of the Cowichan and Coast Salish Peoples, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with her horses Diva and Raven, dogs Reilly and Solo, and cat Parker. www.AlexaLinton.com

• (250) 655-8883 How

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Acera Insurance (formerly CapriCMW) .9, 25

AFAB Industries . . . . . . . . .73

Angel’s Animals . . . . . . . . .13

Anvil Brand . . . . . . . . . .13

Arenus Animal Health .1, 29, Outside Back Cover, Insert

Asmara Stables .98

Bale Buddy 65

BC Appaloosa Centre .99

Bear Valley Rescue . . . . . . .103

Canadian Horse Journal . . . . . . . .2, 53

Castle Plastics . . . . . . . . . . 27

CF Fence . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Circle F Horse Rescue . . . . . . .103

Cockx, Mason R ./ReMax . . . . . . . .97

Copper Pony Poles

Country Homes & Acreages

CURT Manufacturing

Denco Storage Sheds Inc . .

43

Double M Stables ‘N’ Tack .98

Dynamint Equine . .

Eaglewood Equestrian Supplies .98

EcoNets

Equestrian Nova Scotia .96

Equestrian Online Media 93

Equiade Inc . . .

THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT SOCIETY

Finding Permanent, Loving Homes for Retired Racehorses.

Do you have room in your heart and home for a new friend?

See our web page for horses available for adoption.

Volunteers are always welcome!

Donate Today – Help a Retired Racehorse!

Cowboy: American Icon

By Daniel Pruitt

Firefly Books, 2023

ISBN 9780228104490

240 pages, hardcover

Reviewed by Tania Millen

The cowboy was not born in a vacuum; he was molded by the fusion of Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and Anglo cultures, as Daniel Pruitt explains in his glossy, photo-rich book Cowboy: American Icon. A Short History of Wild West Culture

Breathing life into the myths and realities that define the cowboy mystique, Pruitt’s narrative stampedes across the vast plains of cowboy culture. From early vaquero days to the Hollywood glitz of John Wayne, he captures the grit, glory, and gallantry of these American icons. Meticulous research is evident in the blend of historical facts and anecdotal gems. Whether he’s narrating the evolution of the cowboy hat or dissecting the art of cattle rustling, Pruitt paints a vivid picture of the Old West. He explains how the cattle drive was a ballet of chaos,

vividly describing the cacophony of hooves, dust, and restless cattle under the vast Western sky.

What sets this book apart is its dexterity in avoiding Hollywood clichés and cowboy tropes. Pruitt notes that the cowboy is a mirror reflecting the complexities of the American frontier and prompts readers to confront the multifaceted legacy of these American horsemen. He delves into the complex origins and multicultural influences that

Skijordue Riding and Sliding

In March 2024, Skijor Canada will once again hold Skijordue — a skijoring event billed as “a blistering blend of snow, speed, style, and cheese with gritty cowboys, gnarly free-riders, fur, fringe, and fashionista.”

John Swales

First Canadian Rider to Join the NRCHA Million Dollar Club

John Swales is the first Canadian rider to win over $1 million in lifetime earnings in National Reined Cow Horse Association classes and join the prestigious NRCHA Million Dollar Club. He’s only the 27th rider to achieve the feat.

shaped the cowboy persona and doesn’t shy away from controversies surrounding the cowboy image. Pruitt skillfully navigates the murky waters of cultural appropriation, acknowledging the complexities of a symbol that embodies both rugged individualism and a dark history of dispossession.

Although well-described as a “short history,” a touch more exploration into the modern cowboy could add a contemporary layer to the tale. The concluding chapters feel like the dust settling after a thunderous cattle drive, leaving the reader yearning for a glimpse into how the cowboy spirit persists today. Perhaps a peek into the lives of current rodeo stars or ranchers would have added to an already stellar narrative.

Regardless, Pruitt’s commitment to authenticity and his knack for unraveling cowboy mythology make Cowboy: American Icon a must-read for Western enthusiasts. The photos and graphics alone are worth the price of admission for those hankering to take a riveting ride through Wild West culture. b

Equine Industry Symposium Offers Stable Solutions

Canada’s Horse Industry Has Endless Job Opportunities

In November 2023, students in the Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management, Equine Management program at the University of Guelph in Ontario hosted their eighth annual Equine Industry Symposium. The theme of the free virtual event was “Stable Solutions” and the symposium addressed labour gaps and business fundamentals

PHOTOS

PHOTOS

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ACCEPTPHOTO

HEALING WITH HORSE POWER

ADVANCED CARE FOR ORTHOPEDIC INJURIES, POWERED BY THE HORSE'S OWN BODY.

THREE ADVANCED DEVICES THAT USE A HORSE'S OWN BLOOD OR BONE MARROW FOR HEALING.

With these devices, you can help reduce inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis, heal wounds, repair soft tissue injuries, repair fractures and more.1, 2, 3

With these devices, you can help reduce inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis, heal wounds, repair soft tissue injuries, repair fractures and more.1, 2, 3

Platelet Concentration Kit

Platelet Concentration Kit

Consistently maximizes platelet recovery and concentration regardless of hematocrit.

Consistently maximizes platelet recovery and concentration regardless of hematocrit.

Autologous Protein Solution System

Autologous Protein Solution System

Produces concentrated solution of cells, platelets, growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Produces concentrated solution of cells, platelets, growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Bone Marrow Aspirate Kit

Bone Marrow Aspirate Kit

Creates a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells and other progenitor cells.

Creates a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells and other progenitor cells.

PORTABLE STALL OR HORSE SIDE FAST <20-MINUTE PROCESSING CONVENIENT EASY TO USE NO INCUBATION REQUIRED