Horse Digest August 2010

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Contents

WE WEL COME B ARBRA SCHULTE , CUTTIN TRAINER G HORSE AND AAR ON RALS TO OUR L TON IST OF PR OFESSIO NAL CONTRIB UTORS.

Train in g wi t h To d ay’s To p Trainer s 6 Colt Starting, part 2 by Ken McNabb 8

Leading Your Foal to Pasture by Clinton Anderson

10 The Same Old Story by Dennis Auslam 12 Mechanics of the Horse by Craig Cameron 14 Tips for Trouble Free Trailering by Lynn Palm 16 Instructional Videos - A Survivor’s Guide & Should We Go To Clinics

by Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard

Per f o r m anc e Ho r se 18 Are You Ready for a Horsemanship Clinic? by Richard Winters 20 This Will Make Your Head Turn As You Ride Your Cutting Horse

by Barbra Schulte 22 Participating at the RSNC in Ardmore, Oklahoma by Aaron Ralston

We s t er n P le a su r e 24 Avoid the 7 Biggest Training Mistakes by Jennifer Lindgren

Horse Digest Of Interest NEWS 11 Minnesota Equifest plans Rodeo, Extreme Cowboy Challenge, Mounted Shooters, Richard Shrake and more... October 16-17, 2010 15 A Search for the World’s Most Beautiful Horse - Midwest Horse Fair EQUINE NUTRITION 21 Forage or Pasture Quality Impact on Horse Body Condition Score 25 Dr. Juliet Getty Warns That Piles of Grass Clippings Are Not Safe

Special Sections 28 30 40 40 42 43 44 45

Equine Central Ready to Ride Guide Advertisers Index Real Estate Traders Corner Upcoming Events Photo Classifieds Classifieds

26 The Lope Departure by Tommy Garland

Trai l Ho r se 32 How do you stop a horse when he's running backwards?

Featured on the Cover: Makenzie Greimann Caine, www.MakenzieCaine.com, at home with her horse Valero.

Photo by Rahn Greimann.

by Julie Goodnight 34 It’ll Be Fine! Part VI by Doug Lindgren 36 I ride my horse along the road occasionally. How do I do this safely?

by Mary Hamilton

Eq uine VIP 38 Darley Newman talks with Equine VIP by Susan Ashbrooke We hope you enjoy this issue!

We are proud to be able to publish it for you, our readers, and ask that you support the advertisers that support this magazine.

Thank you!

You will find our archive of back issues online in flip-page format, plus other articles and videos as well~

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW .HORSEDIGESTS.COM

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Midwest Horse Digest Rahn Greimann, Publisher, Owner and Editor Š 2008 Greimann Industries 35418 90th Street Blue Earth, MN 56013 507-526-5943 Fax 507-526-2629

The past several months I have been trying to get pictures of myself with the many professional friends that I have been fortunate to make in the horse industry. These associations, friendships and networks that we have built over the years are, and always will be, valuable. I am always thrilled to be able to spend time with them, but nothing compares to spending time with and taking photos of my family.

This summer I have been blessed to be able to keep our family traditions with our horses alive and well . I am trying to do my part to keep the love of family and horses alive, today and well into the future.

When my daughters, Makenzie and Brianna, are home, along with Brianna's children, all is well in Zion.

Especially after almost losing my grandaughter, Clarine, last summer to the dreaded H1N1 virus. Every minute with her on a horse is pure heavan on earth. Wesley's picture here is his first official ride.Wesley is my grandson.

Makenzie lives and works in New York City and is living proof that you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.

May you all be as fortunate as I was this summer to be able to slow down and spend quality time with your family, friends, special people, and of course your horses.

Take care and God bless, Rahn

Advertising Contacts Mark Bahls Peg Bahls 507-943-3355 mark@horsedigests.com peg@horsedigests.com Midwest Horse Digest is distributed FREE at equinerelated businesses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Northern Illinois and North and South Dakota. No material from this publication may be copied or in any way reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Neither the advertisers nor Greimann Industries are responsible for any errors in the editorial copy.. Greimann Industries reserves the right to refuse any advertising which we deem unsuitable for our publication. No liability is assumed for errors in or omissions of advertisers in this publication. Opinions and views expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or employees, nor does publication of any opinion or statement in Midwest Horse Digest constitute an endorsement of the views, opinions, goods or services mentioned. While every possible effort is made to make our publication accurate and timely, Midwest Horse Digest does not warrant the accuracy of material contained in any article or the quality of goods or services contained in any advertisement.

TO ALL OF OUR ADVERTISERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND READERS WE THANK YOU! Pick up Midwest Horse Digest every month at over 850 feed stores, tack shops, veterinarians, farriers and equestrian centers across the Upper Midwest. If your location does not get Midwest Horse Digest call us at 507-526-5943 or email rahn@horsedigests.com You can also view Midwest Horse Digest online each month or back issues in our online archive.

Just go to www.HorseDigests.com Please direct all editorial and correspondence, as well as change of address to: rahn@horsedigests.com or call 507-526-5943

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Today’s Top Trainers

Colt Starting -

by Ken McNabb with Katherine Lindsey Meehan

This month, we will continue our series on how to start a colt under saddle. Before you start this month’s exercises, review last month’s round pen training to make sure your horse remembers everything and is listening to you.

For the exercises we will cover today, you will need support boots for your horse’s legs, a rope halter with a 12’ lead rope, a Navajo type saddle blanket that can be folded and unfolded easily, whatever saddle pad you like to ride in, and your saddle and anything you normally ride with, such as a back cinch or breast collar.

Bring your horse to the round pen, make sure he is wearing his support boots, and review the exercises from last month. Then put on the halter and lead rope. The halter should be tight enough that the noseband sits just above the soft cartilage of the nose, so it doesn’t cut off your horse’s air. Sack your horse out with the lead rope, starting at his head and working back over his entire body. Rub it gently but firmly along his head, over his ears, down his neck, over his back, down all four legs, and put the rope around his belly and tighten it gently like it was a front cinch

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and back cinch. Don’t use the halter to hold your horse still. If he does move off or spook, just work him a little on the lead rope, but don’t make a big deal of it, then go back to what you were doing.

After your horse is completely comfortable with the lead rope being all over his body, you are ready to move on to sacking him out with the saddle blanket. Start with the blanket folded up small, and gradually unfold it larger and larger as your horse gets used to it. Repeat the process you did with the lead rope, rubbing the blanket all over his body. I want to mention a few core principles of sacking out here. First, when you are training you may hear “I don’t want to make my horse bored with this”. That is true for some things, but this is one area where I want to do it until my horse is completely bored. When he is bored, that tells me that he is truly not concerned or feeling any fear around what we are doing.

Next, for this part of the training, your goal is for your horse to keep his feet still through all the exercises It’s your job to try and anticipate if he is getting scared enough that he is about to move off, and if you sense that is about to happen, stop the exercise and give him a break BEFORE he moves. But, if he moves off before you can do that, don’t stop what you are doing.

Stay with him until his feet are still again, THEN release the pressure and give him a little break.

Last, when you are sacking out, everything you do to one side of the horse must be repeated on the other side. So work each of these steps from both the right and left.

Once your horse is comfortable with the saddle blanket completely unfolded being draped all over him and swung up on him, you can move on to sacking him out with the saddle pad that you are actually going to put under your saddle. Put it up on him and take it off a bunch of times from each side. Let him feel the weight and pat the pad so he can hear any noises it makes.

Remember to take the pad off as a release regularly, and pet your horse to reassure him through

Part 2

all of this. The next step is the saddle itself. Take the saddle and swing it smoothly on to your horse’s back. Don’t try to sneak it up there. Just saddle him as you would any horse. Leave the saddle on his back for only a few seconds and take it off again. After you have swung the saddle up on him enough that he doesn’t seem to mind any more, let down your cinches. Stand in front of the shoulder as you reach under his belly for the cinches the first few times so you are out of the way if he does anything unexpected. Tighten the front cinch a little, and let it drop away. When you are at this point, be careful not to end up in a place where your saddle is cinched up very loosely. Either have it so you can drop the cinch and let the saddle slip off if your horse takes off, or have it cinched up tight enough that it will stay on his back if he moves. What you want to avoid is having your horse take off and end up with the saddle hanging around his belly.

Once you have let your horse feel the cinch and released it a few time, tighten it up and put on any other accessories you have on your saddle like a back cinch or breast collar. When everything is hooked up and tight, ask your horse to move off on the lead rope around you. Make sure you watch him closely and stay in a place where you will be safe if he suddenly jumps forward. If he moves off without caring about the saddle, that’s great. If he starts bucking, you don’t want to make it into a huge deal, but you do want him to know that’s not good behavior. Bump the lead rope and keep asking him to go forward until he stops bucking. Let him move around and get used to the feel of the saddle on his back. Once he is moving forward smoothly in both directions, stop him and let him stand again. Sack him out with the saddle by snapping the stirrup leathers, slapping the seat of the saddle with your hands, and anything else you can think of. Once your horse is comfortable with that, take off the halter and send him off around the pen. Ask him to move forward in both directions at all three gaits.

If he starts to buck at any point, turn him immediately. Once you have smooth, relaxed movement at all three gaits, you are at a great stopping point. Take off the saddle and put your horse away.

We have covered a lot of material, and although you can do all of these steps in one session, you surely don’t have to. The more time you spend on this process, the better. Progress at whatever speed you are comfortable with and break these exercises into as many sessions as you want.

The point of all the exercises we covered today is to make your first ride safe and successful. I have found that if a horse bucks on the first ride, it is usually caused by a mistake or omission in this part of the training. So take your time with this process and make sure it is done very thoroughly. When you go to get on your horse’s back for the first time, you will be glad you did!

Enjoy your horses and until next time, may God bless the trails you ride.

For more information on Ken McNabb’s programs call us at 307-645-3149 or go to www.kenmcnabb.com.

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Today’s Top Trainers

Leading Your Foal to Pasture

by Clinton Anderson

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By this stage in the foal’s training, he should be halter broke and leading well. As soon as you make a suggestion for him to come forward, he readily respects the pressure from the halter and lead rope and responds. Now that you have his respect and can control the movement of his feet forwards, backwards, left and right, you can begin working with him outside which includes leading him to pasture.

When you first take your foal outside, it’ll be like you’re introducing him to a whole new world filled with lots of unfamiliar objects that move and make a noise. Remember, horses hate objects that move and make a noise. What is an object? An object is anything that doesn’t live in your foal’s stall or pasture.

If it lives in his stall or pasture, it’s no longer an object because he’s gotten used to it.

When you take him outside, he isn’t going to have his full attention on you - he’s going to be looking at the other horses in the pasture, your truck parked in the drive, etc. But if you’ve done your homework with him, as soon as you move his feet forwards, backwards, left and right, he’ll start using the thinking side of his brain and pay attention to you. Then he will calm down and relax. The key to getting a horse to use the thinking side of his brain and respect you is to make his feet move forwards, backwards, left and right and to always reward the slightest try.

However, if you haven’t taken the time to teach your foal all the lessons up to this point, and you don’t have his respect and can’t move his feet, then he’s going to be worse outside.

Once you have earned his respect and can control his feet, I recommend leading him to pasture and working with him outside. The more you can get your foal out of the same old boring arena or roundpen, the more interested in his work he’ll be. You’ll need an assistant to help you with this exercise. As they lead the mare out to the pasture, you’ll be free to follow with the foal.

Halter the foal and attach a long line to the base of the halter.

The 23-foot long line will give you a little bit more room to work with the foal in case he panics and tries to get away from you. If he does, you’ll be able to let some of the rope slide through your hand without making him feel as trapped and claustrophobic as you would if you had the 14-foot lead rope on him.

Following behind the mare, lead the foal forward by picking up the long line and applying steady pressure. As soon as he walks forward, release the pressure. As long as the foal keeps moving forward, keep your hands in a neutral position down by your sides.

By this stage, the foal should readily lead forward as soon as he feels pressure behind his ears. As long as he is walking forward, your hands should be in a neutral position not applying any pressure. If you continue to pull on the lead rope even when the foal is walking forward, you’ll be nagging him and teaching him to ignore the pressure.

If the foal stops moving forward or slows down, pick up on the long line and apply steady pressure to the halter to signal him to go forward.

If he stops, you’ll let him commit to the mistake and then pick up on the long line and remind him to go forward. Resist the temptation to pull aggressively on the long line and drag the foal forward. Even though he may be relatively little and you can make him go where you’d like, remember that you’re trying to teach him how to be a respectful horse. That includes teaching him to be responsible for his own feet. He’ll never learn to be responsible for his own feet if you constantly babysit him or try to drag him off his feet.

Ask him to move forward by picking up on the long line and applying pressure. As soon as he steps forward, stop applying pressure and drop

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your hands down to your sides in the neutral position. If he slows down or stops, let him commit to the mistake and then correct him.

Anytime the foal gets ahead of you, yield his hindquarters and then walk off again. When you get the foal outside, it’s likely that he’ll want to kick up his heels and have a little fun. You need to remind him that even though he’s outside, he still needs to listen to you. By yielding his hindquarters, you’ll shut down his forward momentum and put him back in position next to you. If you yield the foal’s hindquarters every time he gets ahead of you, with repetition, he’ll realize that he might as well just stay beside you because every time he races off, you shut down his forward momentum by yielding his hindquarters.

Once you reach the pasture, don’t just turn the foal loose. Instead, move his feet by practicing the Sending Exercise or Turn and Draw.

A lot of horses develop bad habits when being turned out because they know that as soon as they reach the gate, their owner is going to pull their halter off and let them go. As soon as they feel the halter coming off, that’s their cue to kick up their heels and tear across the pasture to play with their buddies. Pretty soon, the horse half drags their owner to the pasture because he’s anticipating being turned out. Don’t let your foal develop that habit. Instead, prove to him that even though you’re taking him out to pasture, you can still control his feet and he needs to respect you.

After you’ve moved his feet, spend a few minutes flexing his head and neck. Then take the halter off and turn him loose.

Every single time you catch your foal or turn him loose, spend a few minutes flexing his head and neck from side to side. You can never flex a horse too much. The softer you can get your foal laterally, the softer he’ll be when you start riding him and ask him to collect vertically.

About Clinton Anderson Clinton Anderson is America’s favorite horseman. An Australian native, he began his quest to become the best horseman he could be by apprenticing under top Australian trainers Gordon McKinlay and Ian Francis. In 1996 Clinton moved to America to continue training horses and apprenticed under Al Dunning, winner of multiple AQHA World Championships, before beginning to train under his own name. Clinton loves training reiners and cow horses and has been successful in both competitive arenas. Clinton is the host of Downunder Horsemanship TV, the number one rated RFD TV program that airs at 10 and 12 pm Eastern Standard Time on Tuesdays and 3 pm on Sundays.

Find out more about Clinton www.downunderhorsemanship.com

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The Same Old Story

by Dennis Auslam If your goal in purchasing a horse is to ride, and you are either new to the horse world or haven’t had horses since you were a kid, then here it is, point blank - get professional help. I don’t know how I can say it any plainer and I am not just trying to drum up business for myself or any other professional trainer. I am talking about learning the things you need to know BEFORE you get to far past the thought of getting a horse and way before your actually purchase a horse.

I know I have talked about the subject of this article more than once, but I feel that I have

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to hit it again. In fact, you will probably hear me talk about this many more times in the future, as I deal with the problems that arise from the lack of knowledge, and the ensuing horse issues caused by that, on an everyday basis.

I see it at all levels of the horse industry too, and so much heartache could be avoided if we would just smarten up when it comes to horses.

My goal here is to keep people in the horse world and the only way I can accomplish that is to try and educate you, the horse owner.

In just the last week I have dealt with four different horses brought in for evaluation. Two of the horses were there for pre-purchase evaluations from individuals who I am working with who listened and took my advice. They are about to save a lot of money, anguish, and heartache, because they are doing this.

Two of the horses were already purchased horses, but the horse owners were having problems. In this instance, the horses were pretty good, but with one there was a definite saddle fitting problem, possibly teeth problems and some lack of knowledge on the owners part.

Now, because of the saddle fitting issue, the horse has developed some behavioral issues.

I hope we can work through this, but it might come down to having to sell the horse and get a different horse. What started out as a fun idea, “let’s get a horse, or horses”, has now started to get expensive. All of this could be avoided by starting the right way. Learn first, from a professional, and buy second, with professional help.

The horror stories in this profession are endless and it doesn't have to be that way.

We need to change the way we think when it comes to horses. You take drivers education before you get a license to drive, and then you still have to pass both a written test and a drivers test to accomplish that. Most people today don’t buy a used car without taking it to a mechanic to have it checked over. When you buy a house you have it inspected by a professional and in many cases it is required by the lender. Why should it be any different with the horse?

The adage in the horse industry is still “buyer beware” and a cheap horse is, in almost every case, going to end up costing you more than you bargained for - and without exaggeration- it could cost you your life.

Do I sound hard here? I probably do, but it is my hearts desire to see people enjoy horses and be safe on them. There are to many people

that are more than happy to dump there problem horses on the unsuspecting public. You think you have bought this great deal and two days later the drugs wear off and you have a navicular horse. That cute, well-broke pony that was such a great bargain just threw your granddaughter and when the ambulance arrived she was still unconscious and your sitting in the emergency room now, wringing your hands, full of guilt, waiting to see if she will be okay.

I have lost track of the number of times that people have brought horses to me to work with and I have found out that this a problem horse, you got took, and now you are going to have to spend a lot of money to try and fix it, plus there i s no guarantee that it is fixable. If it is not fixable I often watch brokenhearted people walk away totally disillusioned. Sad to say, those nice people who sold you that horse probably knew there was a problem, and though tears may have been shed as you loaded up your new purchase, because they hated to see it go, it could just as easily have been tears of joy that they just got rid of their problem and are cash ahead.

Occasionally you can get lucky at horse sales, but you have to know what you are doing and you have to be an educated buyer. The operative term here is lucky and it is probably not the place to buy your granddaughter her first horse, not if you really love her.

There have been many times when people have come to me and after working with them and their horses I have given them the advice to get rid of the horse. It does not usually make people happy in the beginning, but I do have clients that have listened and now they have what they wanted all along.

Another part of the problem in the horse industry is that many people bring emotions into the picture and it clouds up good judgment. Like the analogy earlier about car buying or home buying, you would not get into a car to drive down the curvy mountain road knowing it had faulty brakes. In fact, if it was a strange car you would probably give the brakes and steering a good testing before you drove it on any type of road. The same thing has to apply to horses, it doesn’t matter that the horse is exactly the color you wanted, or is great looking, or the owner rode it so well the day we looked at it, or it was so cheap and the breeding is so good, because, unfortunately, there are people willing to unload their problems onto others and some do it as a daily routine. It might not be that they are bad people, it is just the way the horse world is and not much thought about whether it is right is being applied here.

Another common occurrence I see is overbuying for your needs or your riding level. The horse may have more training than the riders ability or to much get up and go for the riders ability. The fact is riding a horse is not something you are born knowing and to often the average horse owner, or prospective horse owner, doesn’t even understand that they don’t know what it is that they don’t know. That is why you need to get educated beforehand and why it is cheaper to

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do that than it is to go to the school of hard knocks. It is also so much safer.

Do not ever buy a horse that you can’t ride on the initial inspection. Get in your vehicle and get out of there as fast as you can.

The other fallacy is that you are going to make money in the horse world by buying and selling horses. If you are not a professional trainer and have to have a trainer break and train the horse, you are looking at months of training to make a decent horse. One month is not going to do it. If you are not going to be one of those people we just talked about, and add to the problems in the horse world, then you are looking at more than just a month of training with a trainer and many more months of riding daily to make it into a good horse you would be proud to sell. So now, no matter how great a deal the horse was, and if you didn’t just buy someones problem horse, you still just lost money.

Horse Evaluation is not that expensive for what it could save you. The other thing you must do is get a vet check. What you would spend for professional help and a vet check is a lot less than what a hefty hospital bill would cost you or worse. As you can tell I am trying hard to pound this home here. It is not that a trainers judgement is infallible or that a vet will catch everything, but chances are, by enlisting professional help you will end up saving alot of money and being a happy horse rider.

Stay safe and happy trails! Dennis Auslam Dennis Auslam of Redwood Stables in Morton, MN, trains both the horse and the rider through lessons and clinics. He runs a regular schedule of clinics for Confidence Building, Horsemanship and Cattle Work, including Roping Clinics and has recently added a Challenge Trail Course to his facility.

Call Dennis at 507-430-0342 or email him at redwoodstables@mvtvwireless.com with questions on training. - You can check his clinic and event schedule by visiting his website at www.redwoodstables.com or call 507-525-6691

Minnesota Equifest plans Rodeo, Extreme Cowboy Challenge, Mounted Shooters, Richard Shrake and more...

October 16-17 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

You’re not going to want to miss the Minnesota EquiFest, held October 16-17, 2010 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

There will be lots to do this year including the return of the Extreme Cowboy Challenge This is a timed event where competitors run a course with their horse through a series of obstacles.

Werner Thiedemann will return offering lessens to horse people. Take one class or all four from Werner. BYOH (Bring your own Horse) and participate!

Driving is becoming a very popular discipline and will be highlighted at the EquiFest. Each day driving demonstrations will be offered where horse and rider can participate. Lectures and driving demonstrations will be given by Mary Ruth Parks of Wisconsin. Mary Ruth is a registered judge with the American Driving Society.

Mary Ruth bring boundless enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge to all of her horse endeavors.

Renowned speaker, Richard Skrake, will return offering several demonstrations daily.

Other scheduled speakers are Mari Monda Zdunic, Dennis Auslam, Tracy Porter, Karen Lee, Dr. Tom Tweeten and Dana Boyd of Andis Clippers.

Be sure to take in the Cowboy Style Dressage being demonstrated by Mari Monda Zdunic and Dennis Auslam, while Karen Lee will put music to Dressage and Zdunic will demonstrate American Dressage.

Each day a parade of breeds will be presented as well as discipline demonstrations. The

Minnesota Saddlebred Association will highlight their breed demonstrating English riding, Western riding and driving as well as other highlights of the breed. Be sure to check out the different breeds in the horse barn.

And of course you will want to plan to attend the Rodeo on both Saturday and Sunday. This will entertain even the youngest of horse people.

There will be bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing and more. Free calf roping for the kids!

Watch the action by the Minnesota Mounted Shooters who will be performing each day Lectures will be presented by Cleary Veterinary Clinic, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Farriers Association. Many of these lectures will be on “winterizing your horse”.

Equine Touch will be demonstrated by Renee Marie Hogendorf.

There will be shopping available with local vendors, plan your Christmas shopping now.

Check out the bargains at the Tack Sale sponsored by the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue.

A schedule of events will be posted on our website www.MinnesotaEquifest.com.

For vendor or horse stall information please contact the Minnesota EquiFest office at 763421-5750. The Minnesota EuqiFest is coordinated by Duggan Companies, owners of the Minnesota School of Horseshoeing and Duggan Farrier Supply, who have supported the equine business for over 35 years.

You’ll find Dennis Auslam at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ which are being held Sept. 25 - October 10, 2010 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

Dennis will be working with JP Giacomini, together they will be demonstrating the art of Endotapping, a calming technique used to facilitate the horses learning process.

If you are at the games look him up under JP Giacomini.

Having The World Equestrian Games , the Olympics of the horse world, here in the United States is a once in a lifetime event and it may never be here again, so if it is not in your vacation plans you might want to think about adding it. If you do make sure to stop and say hi!

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Mechanics of the horse

by Craig Cameron

When choosing a correct horse for the job that you want to do, it is very important that you know if he is mechanically right for the job. To do this you need to Watch a Horse Move.

One of the best places to watch a horse move is in a round pen, where you can observe his gaits closely. Standing in the middle of the pen offers you the best vantage point. You also learn a lot about how he moves naturally without a rider’s interference.

Walk: At the walk, see how far the horse reaches up underneath himself with his hind legs.

That will tell how much propulsion or drive from behind the horse has naturally. With any type of performance you want a horse that drives deeply underneath itself for maximum power.

Trot: At the trot, observe the horse’s knee action. Do the knees move up and down like pistons or barely break at the knee joint at all?

Most western performance riders refer to the latter as a “flat-kneed horse,” one who keeps his legs close to the ground. They prefer this type of efficient motion for the sports they do — reining, cutting, barrel racing, western pleasure, etc. Most flat-kneed horses appear to have a level top line

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when they move, which also is a desirable characteristic in the show pen. It presents a pretty picture to the judge, one that says a horse is smooth and comfortable to ride.

However, in some horse show events, such as Arabian or Morgan park-horse classes, horses with high knee action are rewarded. The higher, the better. Neither one is right or wrong; it’s just whatever you want to do with your horse. As I said before, choose the breed or type of horse that best suits your style of riding.

Canter or lope: When you ask a horse to canter or lope, see if he picks up the correct lead naturally. In other words, when traveling to the left, he should pick up the left lead and when t raveling to the right, the right lead. Ask him to change directions and he should also change leads.

Ask him to stop (by stepping in close to his front end) and see if he stops on his hindquarters. Or does he stop hard on his front end? What you’re looking for in an athlete or performance horse is one that stops naturally on his hindquarters.

Be Aware The more you are aware of your horse’s movement, the more you’ll be in rhythm with your horse. Awareness is the beginning of all learning.

It’s the ability to see, hear, sense and feel all the little things that are around you all the time. A horse is constantly aware. You need to be aware of what your horse is doing, so you can go with him or correct him.

The more you’re aware of the mechanics of the horse, the better horseman you’ll be.

True Story: Old Jim I used to rope wild cattle for a living and my

favorite horse for that job was a thick-made, squatty little horsenamed Jim. The other cowboys used to laugh at old Jim because of the way he was made. But they didn’t laugh long when they saw the way he could hold and drag big, tough cattle. Heck, he was just made for that job. His conformation and low center of gravity made it easy for him to handle those cattle. To this day, if I have a tough cow to work, I still think about old Jim. Find a horse that suits your needs and goals and remember, pretty is as pretty does.

—Craig Cameron, Horseman You can order Craig’s book and DVD’s at www.CraigCameron.com

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by Lynn Palm

There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to load or unload a horse. Knowing how to safely trailer a horse opens up a new world of places to see and enjoy with your equine partner. It is a must for a horse to learn if you plan on competing. Learning trailer loading and unloading builds on the basic training commands of “come to me,” “move away from me,” “whoa,” and “back.” If your horse is not solid on these maneuvers, review them before moving onto this lesson.

Set the Stage for Success Outfit your horse with leg protection and with a properly fitting halter with a lead line attached.

Park the trailer in an enclosed paddock or small field. I prefer using a trailer with a ramp, but the same procedures apply to a step-up trailer.

Back up the trailer so it is close to and alongside a fence. This creates a barrier on one side of

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PALM PARTNERSHIP TRAINING‘ - Be the Rider Your Horse Deserves

Tips for Trouble Free Trailering the trailer, and it helps to focus the horse’s concentration on the trailer. Keep the trailer hooked to the tow vehicle for stability, and set the brakes for safety.

Open all of the trailer’s doors and windows.

Horses fear going into dark, confined areas—like a closed up trailer! Try to make the inside of the trailer look as much like the outdoors as possible.

If the trailer is a “walk through,” drop the chest bar down.

Steps for Teaching Safe Trailer Loading: • Let the horse sniff and investigate the trailer. • Position the horse at the end of the trailer’s ramp, keeping his body and head straight. • Stand part way up the ramp facing the horse. • Give the “come to me” command to get him to come toward you. Never pull on the lead to force him into the trailer as that will teach him to lean against the lead. Be patient with this step.

• As he moves inside, back up so that you are entering the trailer in front of and facing him. In this position you can see his reactions and keep his body straight. • Once in the trailer, run the lead rope through the hay bag to give him the feeling of being tied, but do not tie him yet.

Fasten the chest bar. As he concentrates on eating, step out of the trailer and walk around to the back. For safety, always stand off to one side of the trailer in case your horse kicks or moves backwards. Pet and reassure him as you fasten the butt bar. • Return to his head and tie the lead to a stall ring or other secure spot so he can stand comfortably without any tension on his head or the lead. There should be just a little slack in the lead when it is tied so he cannot get his head down too far and get into trouble. I like using a quickrelease safety knot with the lead passed through it. Let your horse stand awhile in the trailer and get accustomed to it.

Do Not Forget To Teach Him Unloading J u s t because the horse has loaded into a trailer, does not mean he knows how to safely unload.

You also must teach him this skill.

For teaching unloading, it is best to have a fence line a short distance behind the

trailer as well as one beside the trailer. The horse is now inside the trailer either tied by his lead line or his lead is threaded through the hay bag.

No Need for Speed If his lead is tied, untie it and thread it through the hay bag. Go around to the back of the trailer and stand off to the horse’s side. Do not stand directly behind him in case he kicks or backs out quickly. Talk to him and pet his hip to reassure him and to let him know that you are back there.

Slowly unfasten the butt bar and lower it.

Move back to his head, unthread the lead from the hay bag, and gather it in your hand.

Unfasten the chest bar. Standing off to the side of the horse’s shoulder, give him the command to “back.” If you need reinforcement, gently push on the point of his shoulder as you move with him and repeat the voice command.

Back him out of the trailer as slowly as possible. Rushing this step only teaches the horse that it is acceptable to back out quickly. The fence behind the trailer will remind him not to run out backwards.

As he backs, follow him and use the lead to keep him straight. If the trailer has a ramp, a horse typically will have an easier time unloading because of its gentle incline. If it is a step-up trailer, be prepared for him to be surprised the first time he steps back and down to the ground. He may be startled and come right back into the trailer. If he does this, make no big deal about it. Ask him to back out again until he accepts stepping down.

Safe Trailer Tying Tips A young or green horse can be startled when first learning to stand and ride in the trailer.

If tied, he may pull back and react in fear at being restrained. Rather than tying inexperienced horses, I often just loop the lead line through the hay bag. This gives them the feeling of being tied without the constraint.

The horse should be tied only when he is comfortable with trailering. Select a secure tying point above the horse’s head and as close as possible to him. Tie him with enough of a slack in the line so he has the freedom of movement to touch the butt bar with his rump. This will give him security plus a place to balance himself against while the trailer is moving.

There is a lot more to trailer loading that I would like to share with you. Get more tips for teaching your horse trouble-free trailering in my Longevity Visual Series, Part 2—“Advanced Ground Training.” On the DVD, I demonstrate stress free step-by-step methods to teach trailer loading, and I give important trailer safety advice.

Learn more about the video and other educational products at www.lynnpalm.com.

Need more help learning how to teach your horse to accept bathing? Let me show you how in my DVD “Advancing Basic Training.” Bring the popcorn because this 90-minute visual is packed full of training techniques to help you teach your horse how to accept ground tying, bathing, clipping, brushing, and trailer loading. You can order this and other educational products or inquire about our courses by calling 800-503-2824 or visiting us online at www.lynnpalm.com.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

A Search for the World’s Most Beautiful Horse Does your horse have what it takes to be named the World’s Most Beautiful Horse? The Midwest Horse Fair®, one of the nation’s premier horse expos, and trainer Dennis Auslam, have teamed up and are sending out a casting call in their search for the World’s Most Beautiful Horse. This contest will be based on beauty and the graceful movement of the horse.

The World’s Most Beautiful Horse contest is open to all breeds of horses and all horse owners worldwide. While the search initially will begin with a photo contest and public votes via the Internet, the semi-finalists will be invited to the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®, April 15-17, 2011 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. The red carpet will be rolled out at the 2011 event with the theme of “StarGrazing.” The stars of the horse world will shine with the many highquality clinicians, exhibitors, and events that are planned for the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®.

To be a part of this inaugural event, horse owners can submit a photo of their most beautiful horse along with an application and a $25 entry fee. Applications need to be received by the December 1, 2010 deadline. The maximum number of horses that may be entered by any owner is 10.

Photos will be posted online, and the public will be able to vote for their favorite entries. A panel of judges will also hold equal weight in selecting the semi-finalists in the World’s Most Beautiful Horse contest. The number of contestants invited to the Midwest Horse Fair® event will be based on the number of entries received.

Online judging ends February 1, 2011.

The semi-finals will be held during the Midwest Horse Fair®, and there will be an additional $50 fee for any horse chosen to compete.

This fee will include stall space and two weekend admission passes. Each applicant must agree to be available during the Midwest Horse Fair® to provide interviews, and photo opportunities.

This second stage in the contest will be based exclusively on the parameters of beauty and graceful movement during the arena competition. A distinguished panel of judges and electronic text message voting from the audience will select the top six finalists.

These top six finalists will compete in a fiveminute freestyle championship performance.

Finalists must supply their own music and props.

The winner, who will be chosen by a distinguished panel of judges and electronic text message voting from the audience, will be named the World’s Most Beautiful Horse. Cash and product prizes will be given to the top three horses including a minimum of $3,500 grand prize, $1,000 reserve and $500 third place. These cash prizes may increase based on the number of entries received.

So, do you still think your horse has the “right stuff?” Applications for the World’s Most Beautiful Horse are available online at www.midwesthorsefair.com. Entries can be submitted online or by mail. Take a walk down the red car-

pet and show the world that your horse has celebrity status.

The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All proceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHC and are used to represent and foster a unified equine industry in Wisconsin, promote the equine through leadership, education, service and communication, and to take a proactive role in the future growth and development of the equine industry.

For additional information, visit www.midwesthorsefair.com or contact the Midwest Horse Fair® by phone at (920) 623-5515 or e-mail press@midwesthorsefair.com.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

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Todays Top Trainers

Instructional Videos - A Survivor’s Guide and Should We Go To Clinics

By Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard Bob and Suzanne give you the straight answers on these two topics instructional training videos and going to clinics.

INSTURCIONAL VIDEOS Most people who love horses want to learn as much as they can about riding or training. One way to go about gaining this knowledge is by watching video tapes offered by famous trainers, clinicians or riding instructors. There are certainly many worthwhile productions on the market and it is not our intention to downplay the information contained therein. Our purpose in writing this particular article is simply to clarify and emphasize that the performers in the video are professionals. They tend to make things look easy because they are very good at what they do. When we try to duplicate their actions we might find things are often much more difficult than they first appear and could even dangerous!

Horses, on average, weigh about one thousand pounds, are ten times stronger and move at least ten time more quickly that we do. Our failure to remember these facts when working with these magnificent animals could result in severe injury or even worse. We need to be careful when entering a round pen with an “unbroke” horse, when trying to load one into a trailer or when attempting to teach any other lesson that might be dangerous. If you are an experienced horseperson you can often see the extremely subtle changes in the performer’s attitude, body position, or their recognition of and reaction to a horse’s intention before the action itself even occurs. For example, a trainer senses that a horse is about to bite or charge and will discourage that negative thought before it becomes an action.

You may also be able to see the difference between what is being “said” versus what is being “done”. If so, you can benefit greatly from the information presented. Even if you don’t agree completely, you may wish to adapt a portion of it to your own particular style of training.

However, if you’re just beginning to train or attempting to do something unfamiliar, then you’re more than likely to miss some of these nuances. That little tidbit you miss might get you into a world of trouble. Most videotapes are pre-

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sented as finished products which have been edited to eliminate some boring footage or perhaps a mishap that might have occurred along the way. You may be shown one horse at the beginning, a different horse in the middle and yet another horse at the end of the tape. This should be a tip off that you won’t be able to complete the training of your own horse in the 45 – 90 minute time frame allotted in the video. If what you’re trying to do deals with something relatively simple and safe, by all means, try it. When attempting more dangerous lessons, you’d be well advised to watch the video and then seek professional advice to help “fill in the blanks” for you.

SHOULD WE GO TO CLINICS The simple answer is yes! The reasons we go may vary, but one thing is certain; if we attend a clinic we shall learn something. You may learn you didn’t really like the clinic but we’ll bet you still learned something of value while you were there.

Sometimes we can learn what to do in various situations, and sometimes we learn what not to do.

We think this latter statement is at least as important as the former. (Above all, we should always remember that riding and time spent with our horse is supposed to be fun. That’s why we bought the horse in the first place.) Good clinicians are not there to try to embarrass you or show how much they know; but rather to help you have more fun with your horse. The advice, wisdom and tips on training are offered to try to make your horse a safer, happier partner for you.

When you learn to have more control, your safety becomes more assured and you can have more fun. If you ride and teach your horse in a horse friendly manner, the session or clinic can be fun for him or her too!

Obviously you can have a more enjoyable time attending a clinic when you pick one that is suited to what you need or what you want. Check out what the clinic will teach and how it will be taught before you load Trigger into the trailer. If your sole purpose in life revolves around a 30 foot sliding stop, you might be disappointed at a clinic that doesn’t address reining. Then again

you might learn something new that you never suspected you would find useful. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know until you learn it.

If it’s a riding clinic, be prepared to ride (bring your horse, lead, halter, bridle, saddle, pads, helmet, reins, weather protection for you and your horse, etc.) or to take notes if it’s a demonstration. Have a good idea of how much time you will be “in the saddle” or “on the ground” or “in the chair”. If the clinic is held outdoors, don’t forget your shades and sunscreen.

Be open to what the clinician is saying, and, at least while you’re there, try to do what they’re asking you to. If you don’t agree with some particular point that they’re making, try it anyway; often the point isn’t clear until they put it together near the end of the clinic and then you might regret not giving the earlier moments your best.

Take what you want from the clinic and incorporate it into your own special style.

Going to a clinic can also be a new or exciting time to meet other equestrians and for sharing stories or experiences. Folks at our clinics have formed ongoing friendships and now make a date to hook up each year for the clinics.

Remember to bring that “plastic” as there are usually vendors selling their wares, tack being sold often at great prices and the entire atmosphere is usually festive. Try to go to as many different clinics as you can for the sheer knowledge and fun of it.

Until next time, ride safe!

Bob Jeffreys and Suzanne Sheppard travel nationwide teaching people how to bring out the best in their horses. Their homebase is Bob’s Two as One Ranch in Middletown, NY. For info about Bob & Suzanne’s Wind Rider Challenge, private horse training lessons, riding lessons, clinics, DVDs, books, Horsemanship Ed Courses and ProTrack™ Trainer Certification Programs please visit TwoasOneHorsemanship.com or call 845-6927478. Free horse training downloads, too! ©Two as One, LLC 8/07

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Performance Horses

Are You Ready For A Horsemanship Clinic?

with Richard Winters Over the last twenty years, Horsemanship Clinics have become very popular with horse enthusiasts. You would be hard pressed to find one of your horse loving friends who haven’t been to some type of clinic in hopes of improving their horsemanship skills. Clinics are a great venue to give the average horse owner access to professional’s who otherwise might not be available unless you had your horse in full training with that individual. Below are a few things to consider that might help your next clinic be a positive experience.

Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into Contact the clinic host (or clinician, if possible) and discuss what will be covered at the clinic. Do the areas covered coincide with your goals? If you want to improve your riding seat, then a clinic that consists of solely ground work would not meet your needs. You wouldn’t want to take an unstarted colt to a horsemanship clinic where everyone is expected to ride. If you want to focus on reining, attending a reined cow horse clinic might side-line you for half of the clinic while participants work on the cow work portion of that discipline. Your time is important and your money is precious. Make sure you’re signed up for the right clinic to meet your objectives.

Be Aware Of Extra Fees Most clinics have a basic fee that the clinician charges. There might be also fees for things like: arena day use, cattle charge, over-night horse board, catered lunch, etc… Inquire ahead so there are no surprises.

You And Your Horse Should Be Physically Prepared Riding in a clinic might mean being in the saddle from four to eight hours during the day. If you and your horse are only used to riding three to four hours a week, this can be physically taxing. (Don’t forget the Motrin!) Having a horse that has been sitting in the pasture for six months and then hauled off to a clinic might keep you from taking full advantage of the clinics activities. Start getting you and your horse physically and mentally “legged-up” before the clinic date rolls

18 August 2010

around. If the clinic encompasses ground rounded by a lot of new horses. Each of these work, then you know that part of the day will horses are being handled by riders of varying be spent being physically active - practicing degrees of experience. Paying attention to your these ground games. Being physically fit immediate surroundings can help keep you and and prepared will help you glean the most others safe. Not every equine mishap can be from your clinic experience. avoided. However, yielding some space to a less Make Sure Your Trailer Is Well competent rider is the best policy in avoiding a Maintained And Your Horse Loads Well wreck. If your horse is becoming more than you If your trailer has been sitting dormant feel comfortable dealing with, you should immefor months, it’s probably time for some diately bring this to the attention of the clinician. inspection and maintenance. It’s possible Let them help you de-fuse the volatile situations. that your horse hasn’t been loaded for a Perhaps they’ll coach you through the problem. while or perhaps you don’t know his trailer- Or they might suggest you allow them or their ing history. Check things out a week or two assistant to work the horse through a “sticky” before the clinic so you don’t run into prob- spot. Either way, you and your horse will benefit lems the morning you try to leave. It may and stay safer. sound obvious, yet I have had occasions Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure throughout the years that a clinic participant was When they ask for a volunteer, be the first to a “no-show.” Later we heard that they attempted step up! Be the “guinea pig.” Let the clinician use to load their horse the morning of the clinic and you and your horse for every example possible. couldn’t get the horse to walk in to the trailer!

Sometimes you’ll look like a star. Other times Don’t Be A “Wall Flower” you’ll feel like you’ve flunked. Yet every time You’ve taken a weekend from your busy you’ll learn something and be gaining valuable schedule. You’ve paid a substantial amount to experience. participate in the clinic. Why would you want to Spectating Can Be A Great Learning disappear in the crowd of horses and riders and Experience not be noticed? Ask questions. If you’re strugI’ve learned a tremendous amount from great gling with a particular exercise, ask for help. Ask horsemen when I’ve had the opportunity to audit for clarification if you didn’t quite understand the one of their clinics. Without the pressure and instructions. Ask the clinician to observe your responsibility of my own horse, I was able to maneuver and critique your performance. Unless grasp more concepts and see more techniques you’re obnoxious, or rude, most clinicians appre- played out on multiple horses. Just because you ciate riders who are hungry for knowledge and can’t financially or logistically ride in a clinic, a lot want to learn. can be gained while sitting on the bleachers.

Try It The Teachers Way Next time the horseman, or woman, comes Unless you feel that something is unsafe or to town; grab your bottled water, sunscreen, harmful, you should try to follow the clinicians’ aspirin, and an open mind! With a little foredirection as closely as possible. That’s why you thought and a plan the next horsemanship clinic came! You wanted to learn the techniques of this can be an invaluable experience. particular equine professional. You probably For more information about Richard won’t understand the subtle reasons behind Winters Horsemanship please go to every exercise, yet while you’re there, you should www.wintersranch.com. do your best to do things the teachers way.

After you get home you can sort things out and decide what works best for you and which things possibly don’t fit your particular program.

Be Aware You’re in a brand new place surThis couple receive instruction on proper cattle handling

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Performance Horses

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Performance Horse - Cutting

T his W il l Make Your Hea d Tur n As You Ride Your Cutt ing Horse

by Barbra Schulte

Make This One Little Change and You Just Might Sit Quietly In the Turn I have a story to tell you about learning to sit still on your cutting horse.

I came across a very powerful new way to help you sit quiet in the turn ... and not lean ... and not twitch your body ... and gain better timing with your feet.

The tips I’m about to share are novel ... at least to me. They evolved because of my own need to be more quiet in the saddle.

Before I tell you the tips, I want to let you know how this came about.

I went to a cutting a few weeks ago and videoed my runs.

As I studied three different runs, I noticed an intermittent stiffness in my right side and right shoulder as my horses initiated the right turn. “Hmmm ... that #$@%^s. That has GOT TO GO!” Those were my soft-spoken, positive, self-talk remarks.

But how? (Old dog/new trick concept went through my head!)

Bear with me here as I digress and go back a little further in time. Since my Dad first taught me to ride a cutting horse as a little girl, I have heard trainers try to correct all forms of aberrations of the desired cutter’s quiet, deep seat, with shoulders squarely over the hips during a cutting turn.

As you probably already know, a quiet upper body deeply anchored in the saddle, with soft eyes on the cow during the turn, allows a cutting horse to turn in correct form and rhythm with the cow ... without interference from the rider.

This is one of the absolutely toughest skills for a cutter to master.

Poor execution afflictions range from slight shoulder stiffness, to shoulder dipping, to upper body leaning, to complete body writhing!

These behaviors are often accompanied by poor to catastrophic feet errors, wrinkled foreheads, clenched teeth, and little beady eyes not watching the cow ... or intermittently staring off in space somewhere in the dirt near the vicinity of the cow.

Okay, I’m back now to my original story.

A few days after the show, I happened to revisit

20 August 2010

an educational manual written for ski instructors. This book was a gift to me from Ed Forner, a Canadian ski instructor. He sent it to me after reading one of these newsletter articles.

Ed shared it because many of the concepts for skiing instruction are similar to cutting coaching. The manual is interesting, and helpful. Thanks

2.) I suggest you try the following exercise first on a flag. Then, you can put it to work on a cow. If you don’t have a flag, just go for it with a cow.

again, Ed. I opened it by chance to a page that describes how to help someone maintain correct form and technique for a ski turn. The text recommends that a skier should allow his shoulders to remain squarely over his upper body and face the same direction ... now this point is the key idea ... at the same time his

4a.) Before you move the flag in the opposite direction, consciously soften the inside of your body (your shoulder, ribs and waist on the side nearest the flag). I’m not talking about leaning down toward the flag. I’m talking about sitting squarely over your hips and just releasing tension. You will be amazed at the stiffness on this side of your body. Release it. Breathe into it.

Soften. Take whatever time you need on the flag to do this. Don’t move until you do this part. Don’t rush. Breathe.

3.) Travel with the flag and do all the normal stuff you do ... stop straight in the correct position and shift your horse’s weight to his hindquarters.

4b.) Then, before you move the flag in the opposite direction, VISUALIZE sitting squarely over your hips with the inside of your body soft, and ALLOWING your head to turn to follow the flag with your eyes. Also visualize ALLOWING your upper body to “be delayed” as it naturally stays softly over your horse as your head turns.

5.) Move the flag. Let your head turn as your eyes watch the flag. Let your body follow. Experience this feeling. head turns to look in the direction of an impending turn.

It also discusses “delayed direction change”.

I started thinking about how this might apply to cutting. At the same time, I also started watching people ride. I noticed that when people make the errors I described above, some form of rigidity always occurs on the cow-side part of the upper body.

Long story short ... all this data caused me to experiment with some new ideas to help eliminate these errors and help all of us consistently feel that gorgeous, smooth cutting turn.

I practiced these tips myself and continue to do so. I also used them to coach some of my amateurs. I love the results.

So, here are the new ideas. See if they help you remain deep, and soft, and quiet as you allow your horse to turn.

1.) In cutting we are always coached to “watch the cow”. I am all over that idea.

Absolutely necessary. But, no one ever suggested that we can watch the cow softly by turning our head to follow the movement of the cow with our eyes.

6.) Stop the flag. Do whatever “normal stuff” you need to do with your horse. Then repeat the above steps again.

Remember, you have to practice many, many times slowly at first to make anything a habit. Slow down.

I hope these ideas help you find an improved feeling of allowing your cutting horse to move like silk beneath you.

No matter what, these tips will be fun for you to try!

About the Author Barbra Schulte is a personal performance coach for all riders, a cutting horse trainer, author, speaker, and clinician. Visit her Blog and signup to receive her FREE monthly email newsletter, “News From Barbra”. You will also receive the high performance secrets of great riders, inspiration, cutting strategies, news, and much more. In addition, you will also receive via email Barbra’s special FREE report: “Five of the Most Important Skills of Riding”. Go now to http://BarbraSchulte.com

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

EQUINE NUTRITION

Forage or Pasture Quality Impact on Horse Body Condition Score

By Roy A. Johnson Drought conditions, like what much of the Midwest experienced in 2007, create pasture shortages and wide variations in hay quality and availability. Horses grazing the same pastures or being fed the same amount of hay per day may not maintain the same body condition as they did in previous years.

Body Condition Score (BCS) is a measure of the amount of fat a horse is carrying on its frame. This system was developed by Dr. Don Henneke et al at Texas A&M University in 1983 to standardize how body condition was evaluated. The system uses a scoring range from 1 to 9.

A Condition Score of 1 is poor, which means a horse is extremely emaciated, where you can see every rib and all bones are prominent.

A Condition Score of 9 is extremely fat, with a deep crease down the back and bulges.

A desired BCS for most horses is 5 to 6, which corresponds to “Moderate” to “Moderately Fleshy” where you cannot see the ribs, but can find them and the horse appears smooth with a healthy amount of fat. The back is level or there may be just a slight crease down the spine.

Body Condition scoring requires both looking at the horse and feeling the key areas of the body—particularly when horses have long hair coats.

Pasture and forage quality can have a major impact on how a horse maintains body condition.

Poor-quality pasture or poor-quality hay contains fewer calories per pound as well as lower protein levels. For example, immature grass hay may contain 900 calories (Kcal) per pound and be 15.1% crude protein. Mature grass hay may contain 780 calories per pound and be 9.0% crude protein.

For a horse eating 4 flakes or 16 pounds (4 pounds per flake) of hay per day, that is a difference of about 1,920 calories per day. This can easily be the difference between maintaining body condition and losing weight, thereby decreasing the body condition score. The lower protein level, with fewer essential amino acids, may also result in poor hair coat and hoof quality.

With extremely poor-quality forage sources such as corn stalks (650 calories per pound, 4.1% crude protein) or very mature or drought condition pasture, it may not be possible for the horse to physically eat enough to maintain body condition. This is a particular problem during cold weather, when more calories are required to maintain body temperature.

Supplemental feeding to make up for lowquality hay or pasture is essential for many horses to maintain a healthy body condition. If hay is scarce, complete feeds can be added to the diet. Horses should be fed about 1% of bodyweight in long-stem forage to maintain gut

health and prevent boredom. Salt and clean water should be available at all times, including during cold weather. Horses that do not have access to salt and water may lose weight rapidly.

Monitoring body condition is an important way to determine if horses are getting enough energy (calories) from forage or pasture, and it can provide useful information to help decide if additional feed is necessary.

About the author: Roy A. Johnson is a technology deployment manager for Cargill, the producer of Nutrena®-branded equine feeds.

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Performance Horses

Participating at the RSNC in Ardmore, Oklahoma

by Aaron Ralston

As a first time participant at the Ranch Sorting National Championships, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew the sport was gaining popularity, the regional events I had been too were very successful, but... the association is only four years old, the finals were to be held in Ardmore Oklahoma in July (hot), and more than a couple of major horse events were being held at the same time.

First of all, the air conditioned Hardy Murphy coliseum was the perfect venue and was just big enough to handle the record four thousand plus teams that competed throughout the week. Cattle trucks were in and out delivering the 900+ head to accommodate the competitors, while the camp grounds were full of families, friends, and grills. I was very surprised at the turn out and also at the acceptance of “new blood”. Maybe its because I didn’t win much, but the Ranch Sorters allowed me into their world with open arms and

plenty of support.

My week started off with some mechanical cow clinics that ran well into the night as I would have to lope off to quickly compete and return to see everyone patiently waiting to finish their sessions. During these sessions I met riders from Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Florida, and every state in between. Just about everyone rode good horses and wanted to learn something new.

Throughout the week I continued to do group and privates lessons as well as compete. As a competitor in a cattle event it is very hard to acquire much of an ego. Sometimes I felt like a hero and other times like a zero, but was always welcomed out of the pen by my new found friends who “com-

pletely understood”. There’s a level of understanding that can only come from participating. You may have all the answers while your sitting in the stands, but you don’t “know” until you win some and lose some.

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By the time we got to our celebrity charity Ranch sorting, I had a good feeling that we would be able to raise a respectable amount of money for the Western Wishes foundation.

Joined by horsemen such as Dick Pieper, Shawn Hays, Jeff Petska, Gerald Cosby, Benton Bland, Robert Chown, Rusty Dare and ranches like the W.T Waggoner Ranch, the Circle Y, Carol Rose Quarter Horses, Babcock Ranch, and companies like Sweet Pro, Pro Panel, Morinda, and we Calcutted 16 teams and held a tournament style Ranch Sorting. When the dust settled, Dick Pieper took the title of champion celebrity sorter, while Cowhorse Productions and the RSNC raised a pile of dough for the Western W i s h e s Foundation.

I now know what to expect at the Ranch Sorting Finals, and I expect to be back next year to visit my new friends and try to get my own piece of the pie.

Stay tuned, sit back, and hold on for the ride.

Aaron Ralston Aaron Ralston was born and raised on his family’s ranch in Western Colorado. Horses have influenced his life from his early rodeo career to his accomplishments in reining and working cow horse competitions all over the world. Aaron was the 2004 AQHA Sr. Reining Reserve World Champion and in 2006, he was part of Team USA at the World Equestrian Games, held in Aachen, Germany. Riding Smart Paul Olena, Aaron led the Team to a Team Gold Medal and took the Bronze medal in the Individual Reining Competition. Aaron is also the host of “The Ride” which airs every Monday on RFD TV. Visit www.cowhorseproductions.com for info on clinics, “The Ride” tv show and more.....

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Western Pleasure

www.horsedigests.com

Avoid the 7 Biggest Training Mistakes

by Jennifer Lindgren

I was once told by a self proclaimed horse trainer that not everyone could train a horse. I completely disagree. Every time you handle a horse, you are training it, whether you intend to or not. Most of the bad habits acquired by horses are the direct result of well intentioned behavior by their owners. It doesn't matter whether you keep your horses with a professional trainer or work them yourself, you can improve your relationship with your horse by eliminating the 7 biggest training mistakes.

1. Misunderstanding how horses think,

react, and learn. Horses do not think like we do. Their life is based upon a few simple principles: a full belly, avoiding discomfort, and seeking pleasure. The predator/prey mentality that governs the herd causes them to react, not reason. Understanding their nature can help eliminate a lot of human error.

The more you learn, the easier your job will become. The Midwest Horse Digest is full of great articles every month, take the time to read them.

2. Lack of Patience. Proper training takes lots of time, flexibility, and a sense of humor.

Shortcuts always backfire and end up costing more in time than they save. No single technique works on every horse. The fine tuning needed to win in the show ring may require 20 different approaches before your horse “gets it”. Horses learn by repetition and if you don't have the patience to repeat the same exercise a minimum of 100 times, buy a ready made winner and leave the hard work to the true horseman.

3. Inconsistency: Your cues, timing and temperament all have to be rock steady.

Professional trainers are more successful at teaching than you are because they have perfected their technique. A horse interprets your cue in three ways: timing, location, and intensity. Be consistent and be fair. Make it easy for your horse to understand what you want, ask for the same thing, in the same way, every time. Most importantly, reward them with a

release of pressure every time they show compliance.

4. Over or Under reactions: Horses live in a world of action and reaction. Horses have no idea what we want from them, they figure it out from our reactions to their behavior. Under-reactions are just as harmful as over-reactions. If you horse nips you and you don't send a strong message that it is unacceptable, he begins to think that nipping is allowed and you soon fall beneath him in the pecking order. A good rule of thumb is to base your reaction on the severity of the behavior, starting with the least amount of pressure (punishment) that it takes to alter the behavior. If you are having a bad day, relax your frustrations by cleaning a stall or polishing your silver. Over reactions such as harsh punishments, harsh bits and rough hands will create a horse who expects extreme pressure and painful treatment. In the ring, these horses are easy to spot because they are always unhappy.

5. Unrealistic Expectations: Focus on what your goal truly is. Do you want your horse to excel at what is right for him or do you want to win in a particular division? Your horse may not be physically and mentally capable of performing the job you have chosen for him. If you continually struggle to reach your goals, have a specialist in your discipline evaluate the partnership between you and your horse.

6. Treating a Horse Like a House Pet: Treating a horse like a dog or a cat is dangerous.

Whenever I see an ad that says “Follows you around like a puppy dog”, I shudder. A horse should know the difference between his space and yours. Do not feed him by hand, let him rub on you, or chase you around. If he leans against you to be scratched, push him off quickly and yell “no”. A 1,000 lb. horse can easily pin you against a wall or throw you off balance, leading to serious injury.

7. Too Much food, Too Many Supplements: Maintaining your horses health is a top priority. A fat horse is not a fit horse. Too much energy in feed and supplements can lead to health problems. Get veterinary advice prior to adding a supplement. Many add unneeded energy and lead to behavioral problems. Overweight horses are rarely good movers because the extra weight on joints can cause arthritis and lameness.

Good Luck and Ride Safe.

Jennifer Lindgren has been an All-Breed Judge since 1985. She is an experienced competitor who has earned Regional and National awards in Halter, Western Equitation and Hunter. She loves all breeds of horses and keeps her private collection in Grant Park, IL. contact: jenlind22msn.com

24 August 2010

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

NEWS

New Association Lets Riders Show and Ride Locally To Win Year-End Awards A newly formed association, The National Ride And Show Association (NRSA), is a revolutionary idea in riding and showing that allows its members to show what they want to show throughout the year and still be eligible for year-end awards including Top Ten Circuit awards and trophy buckles.

“The idea is for members to pick and choose what and when they want to show, and to encourage time in the saddle similar to some of the Ride programs other associations offer,” says NRSA founder Laurie Cerny. “It’s allows people to more casually compete throughout the year and ride their horses recreationally, and at the same time still be eligible for some nice year-end awards.”

Cerny, who is the publisher of Green Horsekeeping Magazine and owner of One Horse Press, has shown open and breed and discipline approved shows throughout her 35 years of horse ownership. She hopes NRSA will help to support local horse shows and activities.

“In the Midwest we’ve seen several longstanding show circuits fold because of low numbers at their horse shows,” Cerny said. “Gone are the days when the average horse owner, who wants to show, can commit to showing a dozen horse shows during the summer in order to be eligible for year-end awards.”

NRSA offers two annual circuits. The NRSA Regular Circuit requires members to show in three shows of their choosing (anything from open and 4-H to breed and A-rated shows) and to log at least 300 hours of riding time in the saddle.

If these two requirements are met a 2010 NRSA Completion Award plaque is earned.

NRSA members who want additional competition can sign up for the NRSA Top Ten Circuit. – where the results from their best five horse shows will rank them nationally in one of five age categories (13-Under, 14-20, 21-39, and 40over). Five hundred hours in the saddle are also required for the top ten circuit. The top ten in each age division receives a special NRSA Top Ten Circuit Award plaque and will have the option o purchasing an award buckle.

Cerny says it’s not too late to join NRSA for 2010. Shows and riding hours will be accepted retroactive upon membership. The deadline for turning in show results and saddle time is December 31.

Annual membership in NRSA is $35. For more information go to http://rideandshowassociation.club.officelive.com, or email nrsassociation@aol.com. You can also call: (269) 6573842.

Lights, Camera, Action: Midwest Horse Fair® announces 2011 theme The Midwest Horse Fair®, one of the nation’s top three-day equestrian events, will be rolling out the red carpet in 2011. This annual equine expo, now in its 32nd year, will be held April 15, 16 and 17, 2011 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. The theme for the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair® will be: “StarGrazing.”

Each year the Midwest Horse Fair® brings in an incredible array of top clinicians and exhibitors from all over the country, and 2011 will be another opportunity to let the stars of the horse industry shine. The limelight will be on everything and anything to do with those magnificent horses.

“Our “StarGrazing” theme for the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®, has to do with Hollywood and movie stars,” said Rhonda Reese, General Manager of the Midwest Horse Fair®. “We are planning to bring a bit of the red carpet glamour to the Midwest. This theme allows us to shine the spotlight on the many high-quality clinicians, exhibitors, and events that are planned for the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair®.”

Started in 1979, the Midwest Horse Fair® has been continuously growing, with a strong focus on education and high-quality entertainment for individual horse owners, families, and

those who just love horses. The attendance in 2010 set an all-time record of 56,000 people during the three-day event. Over 500 exhibitors offer unique shopping and educational opportunities.

Demonstrations and ongoing entertainment, along with hundreds of clinics, seminars, and events throughout the weekend offers something for everyone.

The best way to stay up to date with all the happenings planned for the 2011 Midwest Horse Fair® is to visit their website at www.midwesthorsefair.com. Visit often as new events and clinicians are added on a regular basis. Come join the Midwest Horse Fair® as they begin “StarGrazing”…it will be the event where the stars will shine.

The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All proceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHC and are used to represent and foster a unified equine industry in Wisconsin, promote the equine through leadership, education, service and communication, and to take a proactive role in the future growth and development of the equine industry.

For additional information, visit www.midwesthorsefair.com or contact the Midwest Horse Fair® by phone at (920) 623-5515 or e-mail mpress@midwesthorsefair.com.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Dr. Juliet Getty Warns That Piles of Grass Clippings Are Not Safe Are you tempted to cut your grass, then rake it into soft, fragrant, tasty piles of clippings for your horse to nibble? According to equine nutrition expert, Dr. Juliet Getty, this should be the last thing you encourage your horse to eat. It has to do with that extra step: raking. Grass clippings that stay on the pasture after mowing, where they can dry in small amounts, are generally not a problem. But never gather them into piles to feed them to your horse. It’s partly because clippings are too easy to over-consume, and eating large amounts at one time can lead to excess fermentation in the hind gut, potentially causing colic and laminitis. Piles of clippings can rapidly invite mold to form (especially prevalent in hot, humid environments), which can lead to colic.

Finally, because there is no air inside a dense pile, botulism can develop, which turns this “treat” absolutely deadly.

This tip comes from Dr. Juliet Getty, a consultant and speaker on all aspects of equine nutrition. She has been published internationally and is the author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse, a comprehensive resource. Her website, www.gettyequinenutrition.com, offers access to articles, newsletters, a retail store and more. She is also available for individual consultations.

Contact Dr. Getty at drgetty@gettyequinenutrition.biz or (970) 884-7187. Dr. Getty is pleased to offer monthly tips, and requests that you credit her in any use.

The AHP Newsgroup is a benefit of membership and provides members with press releases and newsworthy items. On approval, submissions are sent from the AHP administrative office to the AHP-LIST of AHP member e-mail addresses. Submissions must contain information about an AHP member. Messages should be sent as text only in an e-mail message to ahorsepubs@aol.com. Attached files, such as PDF and images, will not be used. Messages may contain links, but please use the www or http:// that precedes the URL address. Images, logos or attached files will not be included or distributed. Members are urged to include contact information on image availability. Members are limited to two press releases per month. These news releases are also listed online at www.americanhorsepubs.org under AHP Newsgroup for easy reference.

August 2010 25

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Western Pleasure

The Lope Departure

By Tommy Garland

When you get ready to lope, the one important thing that most people don’t concentrate on is the departure and that can regulate the whole lope. If your horse trots or runs into the lope, you wind up pulling on him, trying to slow him down.

If you can get him to go slowly into it—like when

you ask him and he steps into it—then he is going to start off more slowly and be more controlled, so that the rest of your lope will be more controlled and at a slower speed.

26 August 2010

Before you can get a slow, controlled lope departure, you need to have a slow jog. The lope can be a little harder for amateurs because it has more speed, and usually the amateur is not as balanced a rider as a professional, so when they go faster, they lose a little balance and control. One helpful trick you can use is to walk to the fence around your ring or wherever you are working, not straight, but at an angle. If it helps to maintain the angle, put cones out as reference points. Set them up to mark off a triangular area next to the fence, narrowing the area until, if you kept going straight, you would bump into the fence.

Leave an opening so that when you get to the fence, instead of your having to pull your horse around to guide him, the fence will turn him. You don’t have to pull on his face. As you’re walking there, ask for the canter or the lope.

Say you’re going to lope to the left, you ask with the right leg.

When you get there, you slide your right leg back a little bit, kiss and ask the horse to lope off. The reason for using the fence is that the horse can’t run off and go fast. He’s got to slow down or he’ll run into the fence, so he’s going to turn.

You’ve probably seen people who pull their rein to the outside and turn their horse’s head around so that he’s looking outside the fence, and he drops his inside shoulder and goes toward the center as he kind of canters. I do just the opposite. As I come up to the fence, I used my left lead, pick up my left hand and use my right leg to ask my horse to lope or canter off. I’ll lope to the other side of the ring and when I get about to the middle, stop, walk up and ask him to lope off. So I’m going to use each side of my arena or lot or

whatever you have, and I’m going to use that fence every time I ask for the lope off.

What will happen is that your horse will start anticipating going into the lope. He knows that

every time you do that, you’re going to ask him to canter off. So your leg cue can become lighter and lighter, and he’ll start understanding that when you touch him with your leg and he hears the kiss, he’s going to lope off. Once more, repetition is the way your horse learns. The more you repeat the maneuver the same way, the more he thinks “ahhh”… he touches me with his right leg and I take the left lead”. As your horse gets better with it, he’ll go right into the lead. His head might not be perfect right then, but you can start asking him to set his head more. Start adding a little more pressure to the bit; when you ask with the leg, he understands how to go into the lead, so he’ll lope off.

So many times what I find is that when amateurs are asking a horse to lope, the horse doesn’t really understand the signal so he trots a few strides and finally goes into the canter. If he understands that when you touch his ribs with your right leg right there, that means he’s going into the canter, he starts getting the idea.

He becomes more responsive and the more responsive he is, the more you can add a little more pressure on the bit with your hands, because you’ve done your exercises with the circles and he knows to be soft. - And he’ll just roll his nose in and understand to lope off.

You’ll find tune this technique as you go and you’ll get better and better with it. I tell everyone to keep a booklet of exercises they’re going to do each day. Figure on doing one thing today, with the idea that you’re not changing until the end of that session, you think, ‘ boy my horse was perfect today and he’s been perfect for two or three days in a row.’ Then you go to the next step.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Always refer to your book of notes. If you’re thinking, “yesterday, my horse kind of ran into it, really didn’t want to turn, started going fast.’

Then work more on going into the lead, until you can see that progress has been made. The booklet will give you a reference point of what to work on, because, frankly, most people don’t remember exactly what they did yesterday or the day before.

As you are asking for this lope and getting your horse to go into his lead, it’s going to be ugly at first. But as you do it for a couple of weeks, you’ll see a change. Pretty soon you’ll be able to walk up to a fence at that angle, squeeze, set your hands and wiggle the bit a little bit—so that you start checking your horse back a little, collecting him—then ask with your leg and he’s going to go right into it. He’s going to think. “I’ve done this a thousand times! I know what she wants to do. I’m going to do it for him/her!” Once he understands that, you don’t have to go to the wall all the time. You can be walking along, wiggle your bit a little, check, and he’ll know something is getting ready to happen. He’ll feel your leg moving, hear the kiss, and think “Oh, that means I’m supposed to lope.” And he’ll lope.

So lope a lap and stop, then lope two laps and stop. Repetition reinforces this lesson.

The key is that you have to be very regimented. When you ask your horse to lope off, don’t let him trot. Once you move away from the wall and he understands it well, and you’re out in the open, you set your hands and use your leg to collect his body up. You don’t want to allow him to trot off. At first he may get a little nervous about it, but ask him to canter off, and once he goes into that canter, release your reins and let him canter forward. If he trots, say “Whoa”, walk forward and start again. Do that until he gets the idea that he’s not allowed to trot; he’s just allowed to canter off. At that point, a correct lope departure will be part of his routine.

About Tommy Garland Tommy Garland has ridden horses all his life and credits his trainer father, also named Tommy with teaching him much of what he learned early on about horsemanship. Tommy has spent the past 30 years training, not only Arabians and Half-Arabians but Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walking Horses, Paints and Mules as well. His techniques have been universally accepted, respected and utilized by horse owners of all breeds and disciplines.

Tommy regularly holds clinics throughout the United States, contributes to several well-known equine publications and is still actively training and competing. In addition, he just released a new series of training DVDs and his new TV show will be appearing late summer or early fall 2010.

Tommy resides in Virginia with his wife Dawn and children, Samantha, Katie and TBird (Tommy Jr.). For additional information on Tommy’s products, training aids, DVDs, clinics and expo schedules, please visit www.tommygarland.com or email us at info@tommygarland.com.

www.HorseDigests.com More articles, more news, photo classifieds, online magazine!

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Legislative Victory!

Agrigultural Classification for Horse Boarding is Now the Law

by Mark Ward, MHC President The Minnesota Horse Council-sponsored bill to ensure agricultural tax classification for horse boarding properties is now officially Minnesota law. These changes are effective for the assessment year 2010 for taxes payable in 2011.

If your horse boarding property is 10 acres or more, and includes pasture for horses, it is considered agricultural for property tax classification. That is true even if horse training and riding lessons are included in your operation.

A year ago, numerous reports of property tax increases for horse properties were making the news. County assessors were interpreting existing law to say that pasture for horses was not an agricultural product and that horse training and riding instruction excluded a business from agri-

28 August 2010

cultural status all together. Property taxes for many Minnesota horse boarding operations were about to be reclassified as commercial, resulting in some tripling of taxes and threatening to put many out of business.

Quick action was needed. The Minnesota Horse Council responded by hiring a lobbyist, Allison Ecklund, who helped us clearly articulate all the reasons it is crucial to the health of the state’s horse industry to treat horse-boarding properties as agricultural. The Department of Revenue responded positively to our input via meetings, emails and phone calls and in the end helped us prepare and guide Senate File 2685 and House File 3107 through the lengthy legislative process. Sen. Ray Vandeveer and Rep. Bob Dettmer carried our bills in the Senate and House.

Minn. Stat. 272.12 Subd. 23(i) is now amended to read (3) The commercial boarding of horses, which may include related horse training and riding instruction, if the boarding is done on property that is also used for raising pasture to graze horses or raising or cultivating other agricultural products as defined in clause)(1).

This means that many horse businesses which were threatened with having their agricultural status changed to commercial will now be able to keep their agricultural status. (However, this bill does not affect Green Acres status).

For more details about the Horse Councilsponsored bills and the teamwork it took to have them passed see Allison Eklunds’s website at http://eklund-law.blogspot.com/

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Digest.

You can subscribe online or mail in the form in the ad on page 46. Evey issue is packed full with training tips and equine information!

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August 2010 29

Trail Horse

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30 August 2010

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READY-TO-RIDE GUIDE River Valley Horsecamp, Farmington, 319-8783888, www.rivervalleyhorsecamp.com, info@rivervalleyhorsecamp.com MINNESOTA - Trail Rides Bush Wacker Trail Ride Club, Huntersville Fall Trail Ride, Huntersville, MN.; 218-894-0056 Outback Ranch, Inc., Houston, MN.; 507-896-5550, www.outbackranch.com Overnight Stabling Outback Ranch, Inc., Houston, MN.; 507-896-5550, www.outbackranch.com Public Lands Arrow Head State Park, Tower, MN.; 218-753-6256 Chippewa National Forest, Deer River, MN.; 218-246-2123 Heartland State Trail, Nevis, MN.; 218-652-4054 Lake Louise State Park, LeRoy, MN.; 507-324-5249 Maplewood State Park, Pelican Rapids, MN.; 218-863-8383 North Shore State Trail, Two Harbors, MN.; 218-834-5238 Pillsbury State Forest, Brainerd, MN.; 218-828,2557 Taconite State Trail, Tower, MN.; 218-753-2580 ext.250 NORTH DAKOTA - Trail Rides Badlands Trail Rides, Killdeer, ND.; 701-764-8000, www.badlandstrailrides.com

Tennessee Walking Horse Associaiton of North Dakota Trail Ride, Grassy Butte/Turtle River State Park, 701-947-2190 Riding Vacations Knife River Ranch Vacations, Golden Valley, ND.; 701-983-4290, www.kniferiverranch.com Little Knife Outfitters, Watford City, ND.; 701973-4331, www.littleknifeoutfitters.com Public Lands Fort Ransom State Park, Fort Ransom, ND.; 701-973-4331 SOUTH DAKOTA - Trail Rides Blue Sky Ranches, Custer State Park, 520824-1660, www.blueskyranches.com Broken Arrow Horse Camp, Custer, SD: 605673-4471, www.brokenarrowcampground.com Hay Creek Ranch, Nemo, SD: 605-578-1142, www.haycreekranch.net Krieger Cattle Company, Burke, SD: 605-775-2113 Riding Vacations Bitter Sweet Ranch and Camp, HillCity, SD: 605-574-2324, wwwbitterseetranchcamp.com Broken Arrow Horse Camp, Custer,SD: 605-673-4471, www.brokenarrowcampground.com Hay Creek Ranch, Nemo, SD: 605-578-1142, www.haycreekranch.net Gunsel Horse Adventures, Rapic City, SD 605-343-7608, www.gusdelhorseadventures.com

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Salt Camp Cabins and Bed and Breakfast, Rosebud, SD: 605-747-2206, saltcamp@gwtc.net WISCONSIN - Trail Rides Bremer Creek LLD, Mondovi, WI.; 608-323-3092, www.bremercreek.com Riding Vacations Bremer Creek LLD, Mondovi, WI.; 608-323-3092, www.bremercreek.com Palmquist Farm, Brantwood, WI.; 715-564-2558, www.palmquistfarm.com Spur of the Moment Ranch,LLC,Mountain, WI.;800-644-8783. www.spurofthemomentranch.org Public Lands Black River State Park, Black River Falls, WI; 715-284-4103 Brule River State Forest, Douglas County, WI.; 715-372-4866 Castle Rock Trails, Arkdale, WI.; 608-564-2233 Governor Dodge State Park ,Dodgeville, WI.; 608-935-2315 Haymeadow Flowage, Chippewa Falls, WI.; 715-726-7880 Kerrle Moraine State Forest, Campbellsport WI.; 262-626-2116; 262-594-6200 Lake Wissota State Park, Chippewa Falls; 715-382-4574 Token Creek County Park, Madison,WI.; 608-246-3896 Wild Rock Park, Neilsville, WI.; 715-743-5140

August 2010 31

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Trail Horse

How do y ou st op a h o r se wh e n h e's r u n ni n g bac k w ar ds ?

by Julie Goodnight Question: How do you stop a horse when he's running backwards?

I was trail riding over the weekend, and my horse took a dislike to the horse behind him. I saw the symptoms (making faces) and tried to get his attention on me, but he would have none of it! That awful equine behind him clearly needed to be taught a lesson (he must have been sev-

32 August 2010

eral feet back). So my horse (an appaloosa) RAN backwards!

I wasn't very effective in stopping him - just tried to kick & push him with my legs into forward, and he finally did stop without a catastrophe.

But how could I have handled this? Pulling back - as one instinctively does to stop - is obviously counter-productive.

It seems to me that pulling his head around with one rein might cause him to fall. Does clasping the rein tightly at the neck work in this instance?

Thanks! This situation might not arise again, but I like to be prepared. Janet Answer: Janet, You’re right!

Pulling back on the reins when your horse is running backwards is not a good idea and will probably make the horse backup faster or rear. While forward motion is what you’d like to ask for, in this instance, because the horse is threatening to kick someone, it is more important to stop the backward movement immediately by disengaging the hindquarters.

There is a lot of information about disengagement and rein aids on my website; it is executed with the indirect rein behind the withers (a rein of opposition), by lifting the rein up and back toward your belly button or opposite shoulder. It will move the hip away from the rein aid and cause the horse to cross his hind legs and stop his impulsion.

Although you might not want to use this technique if a horse were running forward and bolting, it is unlikely to make him fall or even stumble while backing.

When a horse is

threatening to kick, the best solution is to turn the horse’s head toward the horse he wants to kick. When you turn toward, it makes the horse’s hip move away from whatever he is aiming at.

So your solution is to disengage the horse’s hindquarter, in order to stop the horse’s impulsion, while turning the horse toward his intended target. When two horses threaten to go butt to butt, always bring their noses together.

Your horse is extremely disobedient to act that way while being ridden. Horses need to be taught, in no uncertain terms, from day one of their interactions with humans, that when they are in-hand or under-saddle, they are absolutely forbidden from displaying any herd behaviors, especially acts of aggression. Toward this end, horses should never be allowed to fraternize or even move a nose in the direction of another horse when being ridden together. They are perfectly capable of understanding this rule, when it is strictly enforced.

In punishment for such a disobedient act, once I got him under control, I would have immediately taken him away form the group and tried to work the shoes right off his feet (hissing, spitting and growling at him all the while). My goal is for my horse to associate being ostracized from the herd and having to work hard with his aggressive actions. Like all training, timing is critical to get the horse to make the right association.

My guess is that you need to work on your horse’s manners both on the ground and in the saddle. Again, there are scores of articles on my website that will help you with all of these things.

Good luck! Julie Goodnight Julie Goodnight has more than a quartercentury of horse training experience. Her varied background ranges from dressage and jumping to racing, reining, colt-starting, and wilderness riding. She teaches "Classic Skills for a Natural Ride" and travels coast-to-coast and beyond to film her award-winning television show, Horse Master, as well as to appear at horse expos, conferences and clinics. In 2008 she was named Equine Affaire's Exceptional Equestrian Educator--one of only three awards ever given.

Visit www.juliegoodnight.com.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Cookies with a Clue - Indulge Your Horse to a Healthier Diet Providing your “easy keeper” horse with the best nutrition is hard enough, especially with the millions of products out on the market. Yet, what are you to do if your horse is not an “easy keeper” or if your “easy keeper” suddenly surprises you with a bout of colic or some other ailment.

The answer is to just give him some “Cookies with a Clue.” There are five types of cookies to choose from and all you have to do is choose the best fit for your horse. And since the trusted nutritionists at KAM were the masterminds behind these cookies, you can be assured they are 100% natural.

KAM, which was started by talented nutritionist, Gabriele Sutton, specializes in equine nutrition and using all natural products. They believe

that every equine problem can be helped or solved with the use of a natural nutritional diet.

Their mission is to help customers implement a specific well-balanced diet using high quality natural feeds. KAM’s staff of equine professionals - including veterinarians, researchers and nutritionists - are knowledgeable in all disciplines and have helped people design healthier diets for horses of all breeds. KAM offers guidance through their website, emails, phone calls and even in person visits if necessary.

“Cookies with a Clue” give a fresh and simpler approach to nutrition. Each of the five different types of cookies has its own use.

Belly Bites- Give great nutritional support to the gut. They promote healthy digestion and nutrient absorption along with reducing the risk of stomach problems such as ulcers, gas and colic.

Booster Bites- Provide a boost of vitamins and minerals in a way that your horse will actually enjoy eating, without the extra unwanted energy.

Chubbies- Offer a safe, delectable tasting way to encourage endocrine balance and healthy insulin production. Since these cookies have no sugars they are ideal for overweight horses that still deserve to be pampered, even those with EMS and IR. Owchees- Present achy horses with an

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

appetizing alternative to nasty-tasting drugs or medicine. They relieve horses of pain or discomfort from inflammation without harmful side effects or stress on the digestive tract.

Stress Busters- Grant tranquility to nervous and anxious horses. The special nutrients and homeopathic remedies in these cookies calm the nerves of scared horses and give them a boost of confidence.

KAM also provides the “Survivor Kit” which has one of each, so you can be equipped for any situation.

“Cookies with a Clue” take the worry out of supplementing your horse. Since they are all natural and do not contain any fillers, additives, chemicals or sugars, no harm can be done. Feed these treats whenever and wherever, either one kind of cookie or a variety.

Unlike most equine health products, “Cookies with a Clue” are completely legal in the show ring, making it absolutely acceptable to sneak a quick treat to your partner before the next class. These cookies can only benefit your horse, by making them feel healthier and spoiled at the same time.

For more information on these one-of-a-kind cookies and other helpful aids from KAM Animal Services, call 519-463-9640 or go to www.kamanimalservices.com.

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Trail Horse

IT’LL BE FINE!

mean something; doing what ever you need to do to make your point to your horse is a must.

Your horse will likely try

by Doug Lindgren you again, so each time this happens you must be ready and the correction needs to be messages to you on a continuous basis, so keep your receiver turned on. The biggest prob- stronger each time it happens. He will get the lem I see is too many folks become passengers point as long as you don’t give up and let him on their horses and forget to be riders. When become the leader. It is at this point you become people are just passengers they get into situa- a better horseman and your horse becomes a tions that can cause harm to themselves and better safer horse.

If you are dealing with an aggressive horse their mounts.

When you ride in front of others your horse is that wants to charge and bite other horses the constantly watching the activity behind him. By same advice works for them too. Your horse watching his ears and eyes you can tell how tells you far in advance they are going to do close the horse behind is and on which side. If something unacceptable, so be prepared to let this situation is causing your horse irritation you him know there is a price to be paid for being will see it in his ears and eyes first, and then bad. If your horse charges other horses ask him over his back and hip. The ears will tell you the to back up with a firm hand and then turn him side the irritation is on and he will probably look away from the other horse with a heavy heel or back with his eye, often times he will have a dis- spur to your horses side. Again ,you have to be turbed look on his face, too. He is telling the the leader and you must make the point to your horse behind to back off with this body language horse, bad behavior is unacceptable.

Many incidents can be avoided by being and he is telling you all of the same information.

This is when you need to be ready to make cor- smart around other horses in a group. Don’t rections, to let your horse know he has nothing follow too close, always be far enough behind to fear from the horse behind him and that you the horse in front of you that you can see its rear are not going to allow him to do anything but feet. By doing so you will have enough room continue to walk down the trail. This is the lead- between horses that the one in front of you will ership you are responsible to provide for your not feel threatened and you will be a safe horse. If you fail to provide leadership your distance away so if the horse does kick, it won’t horse will take on that role, and more than likely reach you or your horse. When you stop on the you are setting up the opportunity for your horse trail always move your horse’s hip off of the trail. to kick the horse behind him because his ”space” By using leg pressure on one side you can move your horse right or left. You and your horse will be is being invaded.

When your horse tells you he is going to wind able to see up and down the trail and your horse up and kick the horse behind him you can correct will be more at ease while you wait to move on. him by moving his hip away from the horse that is You are also taking away any chance for another too close. When your horse has an ear and eye horse to get too close, eliminating any reason for back on the right side he is telling you the horse your horse to kick.

When folks are assembling for a ride there on the right is going to get it. At that moment you should aggressively put significant pressure on can be a lot of time waiting for everyone to get his right side to move that hip away from the ready. Many times this waiting becomes a chalhorse behind him. You should also bring your lenge for riders and horses. Avoid bringing horshorse’s head around to the right, helping you to es together to touch noses, sniff and socialize. move the hip away from the horse behind you This can cause trouble because the horses are and taking away his ability to kick. When you are determining who should be the leader of the correcting your horse you have to make it known herd. It only takes a few seconds for one horse the act of kicking is not acceptable by making to make known his dominance over the others sure the punishment is equal to the infraction. and some times it is not friendly. Keep some The horse has to realize “Wow, that was a big distance and “It’ll Be Fine”.

Use the time to move your horse’s hips mistake and I will not do that again!” The words I used earlier, AGGRESSIVE and SIGNIFICANT, side to side. Move the shoulders side to side and keep him soft by flexing his neck. The best thing you can do is find a spot where you are safe and just ask your horse to be STILL. Sounds simple, but I see a lot of horses that have a very difficult time being still and quiet. It is good when you reach the point when your horse will just stand still. A still quiet horse is a relaxed, safe, enjoyable ride you can take anywhere.

If you use the tips I have talked about, you will have a horse that has no need for a ribbon in his tail, plus you and your horse will be better and safer trail partners for everyone that rides with you.

Doug and Jody Lindgren own and operate Hay Creek Ranch near Nemo, SD. Doug rides 2-10 hours every day, spring, summer and fall, training horses to be great trail horses.

You can visit their website at www.haycreekranch.net

Article VI

Let’s talk about red ribbons. I like red and I like ribbons. At the county fair they reward you for second place in an event or race with a red ribbon. Some folks think red ribbons have a place out on the trail too. I’ve heard that red ribbons are for special horses that KICK. It has been my experience over some fifty years ALL horses kick. So I guess I need to have a box full of red ribbons at camp for every ride for ALL of the special horses.

I sound pretty sarcastic, although I really do think it’s pretty ridiculous to believe a red ribbon has any place on the trail. The ribbons on the trail hold only one purpose, which is to tell other riders there is a horse on the ride whose owner accepts bad behavior. Or, the owner simply does not know what to do to correct the problem.

With sound leadership and horsemanship all riders can make their horses realize attempting to kick another horse is unacceptable behavior and there is a severe price to be paid for that bad behavior.

Good horsemanship will help keep you and your horse safe on trail rides. Start by always paying attention to your horse. Watch the ears, eyes, and feel the movement of the back, shoulders and hips. Your horse is telegraphing

34 August 2010

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Cargill to manufacture and distribute Triple Crown® horse feed products Cargill announced today that it will manufacture and distribute Triple Crown® horse feed products through its Nutrena®, ACCO® and Agway® dealer networks in 31 states throughout the country (see complete state listing below). In these states, Cargill will replace Triple Crown’s current manufacturing and distribution agreements with Kent®, Blue Seal®, Evergreen®, Ranchway®, and Kalmbach®. ”Cargill’s manufacturing expertise and vast dealer network made it an obvious choice for us,” said Rob Daugherty, president of Triple Crown Nutrition Inc. “This agreement allows us to wrap the family of Triple Crown® ultra premium feeds with Cargill’s premier nutritional offerings.”

“We are excited to offer the Triple Crown product line-up to our current Nutrena®, ACCO® and Agway® dealers,” said Brian Parham, director of marketing for Cargill Animal Nutrition-North America. “We believe consumers will also appreciate the increased access to Triple Crown® products through our dealer network.”

Cargill will initially manufacture and distribute eight products from the Triple Crown®portfolio: Triple Crown® Performance 14%, Senior Formula, Complete Formula, Growth, Low Starch Formula, Lite Formula, Training Formula and Triple Crown® 30% Supplement.

Cargill will distribute but not manufacture the following products: Triple Crown® Alfalfa Forage, Grass Forage, Safe Starch Forage, Rice Bran Oil Plus, Timothy Balance Cubes, Fish Oil Powder and Triple Crown® Horse Treats.

Cargill will begin manufacturing and distributing Triple Crown® products on August 1st 2010 in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

About Triple Crown® Products: Triple Crown® Nutrition is a privately owned company, based in Wayzata Minnesota, whose sole focus is on the development and marketing of premium equine feeds. Known for its use of cutting edge technology and innovative formulas, horse owners rely on Triple Crown Nutrition to provide solutions for the enhancement of their horse’s health.

For more information, visit www.triplecrownnutrition.com.

About Cargill: Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 138,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.

Chicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo set for November 20-21 Organizers ask horsemen to tell them what they want to learn Organizers of the third annual Chicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo & Holiday Market (November 20-21, 2010 at the Lake County Expo Center, Grayslake, IL) are asking people from all segments of the horse industry for suggestions on programming.

“We want to hear from competitors, professionals and those who make their living in the business of horses, as well as recreational riders and those just getting into horses,” said Joy Meierhans, who manages Expo for Horsemen’s Council of Illinois.

“HCI wants to build on the 50 different presentations offered over the two days of last year’s Expo,” Meierhans said, “which covered such wide-ranging topics as ‘What genomics can tell us about health and disease’ and ‘Nutritional product claims vs. fact-based research’ to ‘Overcoming fear by building confidence’ and ‘Equestrian travel – discovering the world upon a horse.’”

“As always, Expo will not have horses on site, but it will feature leading trainers, nutritionists, animal scientists, veterinary specialists and researchers in the forefront of equine understanding,” Meierhans said.

To see a complete list of last year’s programming, representative of the type of programming Expo will continue to offer in 2010 and in years to

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

come, go to www.horsemenscouncil.org/Expo09/ and find the programming plus a list of participating vendors.

Steve Kenyon, communications specialist for the University of Wisconsin’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, called last year’s Expo “the best equestrian education opportunity,” he’d ever seen. Kenyon and his wife participated in a hands-on session learning about leg wraps, “Different wraps for different reasons.”

Suggestions for Expo speakers and topics may be submitted online at www.horsemenscouncil.org/expo. The web site also has a place to sign up for “Updates” to be emailed as Expo nears.

In addition to its extraordinary educational emphasis, Expo offers shopping for “all things equestrian” across the new building’s 65,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Sponsored by Purina, hours for the all-breed Chicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo & Holiday Market are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be available online or at the door: Daily $8, Weekend $14.

Parking is free at the Lake County Expo Center, located west of I-94 at the intersection of Peterson & Midlothian Roads in Grayslake.

As speakers and programming are finalized, information will be placed on the Expo web site accessed through www.horsemenscouncil.org/expo.

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Trail Horse

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ry a M k s A

Mary Hamilton answers your training questions!

Ask Mary: I ride my horse along the road occasionally. How do I do this safely?

Even in rural areas there is no question traffic levels are increasing. Worse yet, people are often distracted from their driving by cell phones, texting and a hectic lifestyle. Most motorists are not educated about horses. Driver’s have blow their horn, released their air brakes with a loud “psssttt” and even shot my police horse with a slingshot as they drove past. Clearly these drivers had no idea how dangerous this was for the horse and rider. How can you increase your safety while road riding? These three safety concepts, “be seen”, “be safe”and “be aware” help you prevent an accident.

Be Seen Bright reflective clothing for the rider is a must when road riding. Reflective leg wraps, brow bands, breast collars and stirrup bars make

your horse visible from all four sides. I highly recommend attaching a LED safety light to your saddle or person. These inexpensive blinking red lights are designed for bicyclists but work well for the rider too. The intermittent flash of the light attracts a driver’s attention. These items make you more visible to drivers.

Be Safe Before venturing out onto a roadway, ask yourself, “Am I ready?” Are you a competent rider capable of handling a problem on the road?

Evaluate your horse. “Is he reliable and road ready?” Has he been desensitized to the noise and movement of traffic? If not, invest in his education. Find the time, a trainer or a clinic to help prepare you both for road readiness.

When riding with friends, consider the readiness of their horses to adapt to the challenges that may happen on the road. Fear and nervousness can be transferable from horse to horse.

When crossing a roadway select a safe spot to cross. View every bend in the road, intersection, crest of a hill or construction zone as a hazard. Choose an area to cross where approaching cars are easily seen and heard.

Stop… before crossing the road. Get your horse’s focus and full attention before asking him to cross. Use all your senses. Be aware of everything going on around you. If you are riding in a group, wait until everyone is ready.

Then cross as a unit, walking single file. Keep the “herd” intact for safety. Never try to stop traffic to cross.

HILLARY DOBBS BECOMES YOUNGEST RIDER IN HISTORY TO HIT MILLION DOLLAR MARK IN GRAND PRIX WINNINGS Within hours of winning her 23rd career grand prix on Sunday (July 18), the $30,000 Vermont Battenkill Grand Prix, show jumping phenom Hillary Dobbs learned she had surpassed an historic milestone in the sport, becoming the youngest rider in history to win one million dollars in grand prix prize money. The 22 year old Harvard graduate broke the previous mark set by two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward at the age of 23 in 1999.

It was her second place ribbon in the $30,000 Lake Placid Horse “Hillary Dobbs and Marengo won the Show Grand Prix on July 2 that jumped her into the lead. "There's no $30,000 Battenkill world class grand prix rider I admire or respect more than McLain Ward,” says Dobbs, “and I'm working very hard to follow his trail. I honestly had Grand Prix at the no idea I was even approaching his record!"

Vermont Summer Dobbs broke another record set by Ward in 2008, when she became Festival.” the youngest rider to win the $200,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix at the age of 20. It was then that she was approached by CAVALOR, the world Photo credit David Mullinix leader in equine nutrition for high performance horses, to become their first US sponsored show jumping rider and their first “Young Champion.

Photography.

"All of us at Cavalor offer our congratulations to Hillary Dobbs on her becoming the youngest show jumping rider to break the $1 million mark in career winnings," said Cavalor President Philippe Collard. "We identified Hillary as a worldclass rider early on and are thrilled to have her on our team as a Cavalor-sponsored rider. I have no doubt that she will continue as one of the world's top riders for many years to come."

36 August 2010

Look… all ways. Check both directions for oncoming traffic. Check in front to what’s ahead and behind for any potential hazards. Look at the road surface to assess its footing. Things like mailboxes, flags or garbage tossed in ditches could startle your horse. Evaluate what you see to determine whether this is a good location for you to cross.

Listen… for approaching cars. Engine sounds give you clues on what type of vehicle is approaching and the speed it is traveling. Pay attention to where your horse is listening. They use their ears to focus on sounds and may hear something before you do.

Be Aware Awareness begins by knowing the laws in your state regarding riding on the roadway.

Check with your state motor vehicle office for rules regulating where you can ride and whether you ride with traffic or against it.

When safe to do so, I prefer riding against the flow of traffic. This gives me a better picture of oncoming traffic. Your horse is less likely to startle if he can see the traffic next to him as opposed to cars zipping up directly behind him.

Rider tension and nervousness is transmitted to your horse. If you anticipate a problem and tense up every time a vehicle approaches, your horse will too. Relax and stay cool, calm and centered for your horse’s benefit. He looks to you for confidence and leadership.

Be aware of road surface dangers. Asphalt roads can be very slippery especially when wet.

Gravel roads with large stones can cause “stone bruises”, tender footedness or your horse to stumble. Riding on these road surfaces require special shoeing considerations.

When you choose to ride along a roadway, select one with minimum traffic levels, lower speed limits, good solid footing and a wide shoulder. This gives you maximum response time and room to maneuver when you need to. To make your ride as safe as possible, remember to “be seen”, “be safe” and “be aware”.

About Mary Mary is a Mounted Police instructor and a fully insured ARICP riding instructor. She devotes her creative energy to developing customized training programs to improve show ring performance, mount obedience and despooking trail horses utilizing training methods used in training police horses.

Mary does Horsemanship Clinics, Trail Safety Clinics and also Mounted Patrol Clinics, She also does indiviual instruction and has interactive DVD and Interactive CD-Rom training available. Visit her Website at www.riderselite.com or email your questions to mary@riderselite.com If you have a specific question you would like her to answer in her column please email her at mary@riderselite.com

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

New Products and Programs

Featherlite’s Model 8527 horse trailer gives horses more room by foregoing tack area Some horse owners don’t need a dressing room in their horse trailer. For these owners, Featherlite Trailers created its Model 8527 gooseneck horse trailer, which forgoes a dressing room and rear tack.

“By making a standard horse trailer without a dressing room, customers don’t have to customize an existing model to eliminate it,” Randy Lewis, Featherlite’s National Sales Manager, said. “This is a huge advantage to all our customers who just need a horse trailer to haul horses.”

By eliminating the dressing room and rear tack area, owners give their horses a more open area. The open area between the front stall and the gooseneck also serves as an all-purpose storage space.

Other features of the Model 8527 include a full width rear ramp with double doors above.

Horse Fly Net® inroduces the Hay-Shade™ Horse Fly Net® has introduced a brand new product to the market, the Hay-Shade™. The Hay-Shade™ provides that needed protection from the elements for your valuable hay.

It is made of the same sturdy fabric as our barn nets, so it will last and last, and it is breathable and washable, but flexible enough to be pulled to one side when working in the hay barn. It also has the added feature of reinforced hems to add even more durability. It's reflective color of sandstone and grommets placed every foot make it easy to work with and easy to look at too.

Now you can protect your hay from the sun, wind and snow, as well as birds, on the open sided barn by simply installing the Hay-Shade™.

Each shade is custom made for any size opening you need.

Proudly made in the USA. For information contact Karleen Hubley at 493-931-0121 or visit www.horseflynet.com

Inside, the first stall contains a removable divider on the bottom, and a telescoping rear divider gives added versatility.

The Model 8527 also benefits from new features that Featherlite has added to all their horse trailers. Larger windows behind the horses are now standard on slant load models, increasing the light and airflow in the trailer. New nylon bushings on horse dividers reduce vibration for a quieter ride. And new stall divider options increase airflow and look sleeker in the bargain.

The Model 8527 also offers new rounded LED clearance lights. These are smaller, brighter and easier to replace.

All 2011 horse trailers are available for order at any one of Featherlite’s 180 dealerships. For more information about all of Featherlite’s 2011 products and features, visit Featherlite online at www.fthr.com or call 1-800800-1230.

About Featherlite Featherlite Trailers, located in Cresco, Iowa, is the nation’s leading aluminum specialty trailer manufacturer with highly diversified product lines offering horse, livestock, car, utility and recreational trailers through an extensive dealer network in the U.S. and Canada. Featherlite is a sponsor of many organizations, including AQHA and is a part of the Universal Trailer Corporation’s family of brands.

HORSEWARE® IRELAND TRADE-IN PROGRAM Confident about their turnouts about the new additions to their signature Rambo® line, Horseware® Ireland has modified their successful Rambo® trade-in program to give every turnout owner a chance to upgrade to a new Rambo®.

Last year Horseware® introduced a trade-in program that gave customers the opportunity to turn in used Rambo® turnouts for a credit towards the purchase of a new Rambo®.

This year the program has been expanded to include any brand of turnout, no matter what condition it is in. From Oct.1st to Nov. 30th customers can bring in their used, washed, blankets to participating dealers and in return receive a $50 voucher towards the purchase of any new Rambo® turnout.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

The used blankets will be offered to local charities and organizations as long as they are in usable condition. “Horseware’s trade-in program is a perfect opportunity to upgrade your blankets but also help local equine charities and organizations in need of warm horse clothing” Good for Horses, good for the Planet and good for the Community.

Over 25 years ago Rambo® became the blanket of choice for horse owners worldwide and today are still considered to be the best there is, and with new features added at their customer’s request the best just got better.

New features include: •Removable Belly Surcingles •PVC Covered Elasticated Tail Cord •New Color Range •Chest Trigger Clips with Patented ‘V’ Front Closure •Anti-Bacterial Lining Notable features that haven’t changed are: 1000 Denier Ballistic Nylon outer shell, Patented Leg Arches™ and their famous great fit.

For further Trade-Program details and a list of participating dealers please visit www.horseware.com or call 800-887-6688.

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www.horsedigests.com

Equine VIP

Darley Newman talks with Equine VIP

by Susan Ashbrook, owner Equine VIP

Equitrekking® is the first travel television series to explore the globe on horseback.

When/how did you realize you could combine your passion for horses with travel to create Equitrekking?

Many years ago while living in New York City of all places! I was working in television and wanted to combine my passion for horses and travel, do those things I love on a daily basis, and Equitrekking just evolved naturally from there.

As a traveler, horses allow me to get to places that are often inaccessible by other means. I share each travel journey with a new equine friend. It’s a very special way to see the world and experience life.

You along with Equitrekking have traveled the world to some amazing places! Do you have any favorite locations you’d like to revisit?

I was just able to go back to Ireland, which is a perennial favorite. There are so many wonderful Irish horses and destinations with beaches, mountains, castles, countryside, awesome people and pubs for the end of the day pint! I’d like to go back to Costa Rica. The places you can travel on horseback in Costa Rica are exotic and beautiful and the horses were just awesome. I know that horses can’t be totally bombproof, but my horse Pinata was just about there. I’d like to go back and ride to more hot springs and just have a good soak, maybe beside spewing Arenal Volcano again at sunset, where you see a Technicolor lights show from the lava flow.

My list could go on and on. The world is filled with wonderful riding destinations. There’s not enough time in life!

You ride different horses and all types of riding styles on your show. Do you have a favorite breed of horse or riding discipline?

I’ve really enjoyed riding all of these different breeds in their native settings. The Icelandics are a lot of fun to ride, especially over Iceland’s lava fields. They can tölt, which is similar to a running walk, so they are very smooth. Plus, they’re so darn cute! Highland Ponies are another fun ride—faster than I thought they could go— and they are necessary in the Highlands, where the beautiful heather sometimes hides treacherous

38 August 2010

bogs. Each horse’s per- my book, Equitrekking: Travel Adventures on sonality is a lot of fun to Horseback, serve as a resource for travelers. discover when I’m travel- We help match travelers with a vacation or horse ing. I was recently in ride and because we’ve been there, we know Jordan. Arabians are all about it! known to be spirited, and You were featured in the book How’d You my Arabian in the desert of Score That Gig (a look at the coolest careers for Jordan was spirited, but twenty and thirty-somethings). Do you still think also so patient. He was you have the coolest career? forward going, but listened I sure do. Every trip that I take feels like a really well, and once in a lifetime adventure. I was so I went working in television and did Equitrekking t o enjoy that because I was is an Emmy-Award-winning learning something new equestrian travel series hosted by everyday, but I didn’t travel expert Darley Newman. The new, fifth Jordan feeling a little love being in an season episodes on PBS this October take viewnervous to ride with office. As the busiers on horseback riding adventures in Uruguay, the Bedouin in the ness owner as Jordan, Alberta, Turkey and the some National Parks open desert on an well as the host in the USA. The popular travel series broadcasts in over Arabian horse and and producer of 35 countries and features exciting locations in Belize, left with new conEquitrekking, I Costa Rica, Southern Quebec, Vermont, the Carolinas, fidence and a still have to do the Georgia Coast, Wyoming, Colorado, Spain, Iceland, future horse to “business” stuff Ireland, Hawaii’s Big Island, Maui, Virginia Hunt import from the and office work, Country, California Wine Country, Alaska, Wales, Middle East. but it’s all worth it Scotland, Southern Spain, Quebec City & Beyond Equitrekking is to be able to ride and Central Turkey. Equine VIP caught up with broadcast on PBS horses, travel the Producer/Host Darley Newman to learn stations across the world and then share more about her world travels. nation, as well as, on the adventure with othinternational networks in ers through Equitrekking over 40 countries including Italy, on TV, Equitrekking.com and France, Japan, Russia, Turkey and my writing. beyond. Are you still surprised at how many Last year Equitrekking was honored with countries follow your travels? an Emmy win for Outstanding Photography, and I am surprised, but also not. Horses have a you were nominated again this year for a universal appeal to which all cultures can relate. Daytime Emmy at the 37th Annual Daytime Plus, in each episode I travel on horseback with Creative Arts and Entertainment Emmy Awards. the locals, the true stars of Equitrekking. It’s the Did you convince any of the celebrities to take a locals who tell us the best natural areas to ride, trip with you? best food and sights on and off the trail. If you live Just attending the Emmys was very cool. So in a place, you might not want to watch a travel many people and yes, lots of celebrities love show about that area, unless the show is horses. We may reveal a few in some upcoming Equitrekking. We find those hidden gems that seasons. even many locals don’t know about, because we Where can we follow your travels and learn get off the beaten path and travel on horseback! more?

Through the local people, we showcase insiders Equitrekking’s new season starts on PBS in information on the best places to travel mixed October with episodes from Uruguay, Jordan (2 with beautiful horses in stunning places. Who parts), Alberta, Turkey and two specials on can’t enjoy that!

“Great National Parks” and “Great North Besides hosting and Producing Equitrekking American Ranches.” Visit us at Equitrekking.com you wrote Equitrekking: Travel Adventures on to learn more about the new season, watch Horseback and founded EquitrekkingTravel.com videos and read travel articles and my blog. You Is Equitrekking just for experienced riders or can can learn about equestrian vacations you can beginners explore the world on horseback? experience at EquitrekkingTravel.com.

The great thing about Equitrekking is that anyone, whether you’ve never ridden before or Equine VIP is written by Producer/Host are an expert, can enjoy it. On Equitrekking, we Susan Ashbrook who is also developing a TV work to find the best horses and riding destina- series based on her interviews with celebrities tions that are open to the public, so if you’re and top equestrians. For more information go to traveling in Hawaii and want to ride for a day, www.equineVIP.com we’ve showcased the best ranches and stables, Equine VIP interviews celebrities and equeswhere a local guide will take you out. trian VIPs because “If It’s About Horses, We Equitrekking.com, EquitrekkingTravel.com and Cover It”.

MIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Martha Gale of Pine Ridge Farm in Michigan donated a four-year-old solid black American Miniature Horse to the Kentucky Horse Park’s Black Stallion Literacy Program. Now named “Little Black,” the 34” gelding, who is registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry, will help children learn to love reading. NightCap stands outside the Kentucky Horse Park Hall of Fame as he settles into his new home and new role as “Little Black”.

(Photo courtesy of Martha Gale)

A four-year-old American Miniature Horse named NightCap has moved from his home in Michigan to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, where he will become a representative of the character “Little Black” in the horse park’s Black Stallion Literacy program.

The 34” miniature horse is registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) and was donated by AMHR member Martha Gale of Pine Ridge Farm in Michigan in concert with the AMHR registry.

“He is a sweet little guy and won Grand Champion Gelding at the Ohio State Fair, AMHR show last year,” Gale said. “My mother and I are both educators, I am a district administrator and my mother is a retired reading specialist and children’s book author. Miniature horses captured

American Miniature Horse Becomes The New “Little Black” at The Kentucky Horse Park my heart ten years ago and I started Pine Ridge Farm Miniatures. I wanted to donate NightCap to this program because it is a great opportunity to promote two things I love: miniature horses and education.”

NightCap, who is now called Little Black, arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park and immediately settled into his role of being adored by lots of children. “He is really cute and personable,” said Shelli Wright, of the Kentucky Horse Park.

“Soon he will start training for his role as Little Black. He already seems wonderful and will be a star with the kids.”

The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation has helped motivate hundreds of thousands of children to enjoy reading by connecting the magic of live horses with a classic hardcover book. The program is named after "The Black Stallion" books, written by Walter Farley. Once Little Black is trained and comfortable with his role, he will interact with children as the character “Little Black” from one of Farley’s endearing children’s books. Kentucky's first year in the Black Stallion Literacy Program was the largest ever in the programs history, with 4700 children participating.

NightCap will surely be well loved and adored by Kentucky's children "The Black Stallion Literacy Program is amazing. I am really pleased that the American Miniature Horse Registry was able to coordinate

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Provide an Experience for the Entire Family The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will take place in Lexington, Ky., from September 25th – October 10th. The World Equestrian Games are held every four years like the Olympics and are the world championships for eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

Despite being the pinnacle of equestrian competition, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are not just about horses. During the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Horse Park’s 1224 acres will be blanketed by a world’s fair-style celebration with five major destination points including the Alltech Experience Pavilion, the Equine Village, the Kentucky Experience, a Trade Fair with nearly 300 booths, and a French Pavilion dedicated to the 2014 Games.

There’s something for everyone at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and children ages 12 and under receive free admission with a paying adult.

So what can a kid see for free while attending the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games?

The Alltech Experience Pavilion will provide fun and educational experiences through which children will learn about farming, food, and the environment from Alltech, the title sponsor of the Games. Alltech is a worldwide leader in animal nutrition, health, and performance and works to develop natural feed supplements that help raise healthy animals while also being safe for the

environment. The Alltech Experience Pavilion will have many activities for kids: * Kidzone will allow children to learn about living on a farm and where their food comes from in an interactive exhibit. * The Newport Aquarium will bring along penguins and petting sharks for a hands-on meet and greet! * Dippin’ Dots, the famous Kentucky company known for its tiny beads of delicious ice cream, will be offering samples to spectators of all ages and showing how this frozen phenomenon is made. Not many people know that it was actually invented at Alltech!

Everything equestrian will be celebrated in The Equine Village. This space will include entertainers from around the world, demonstrations, and special exhibits that are sure to educate everyone on the equestrian world! Children will especially love “Kids Zone”, which will include: * The opportunity to braid a horse’s tail and dig for bones * A meeting with Semore and Quattro, two life-sized horse models that are used to educate children on the anatomy of the horse * Rides on the NCHA mechanical cutting horse and cow * A pony petting and grooming area * A real-life showcase of a Native American Village with actual teepees, drummers, storytellers, and an original stagecoach from the 1800s * An appearance by a championship sandcastle builder and an invitation to build with him in the Equine Village’s giant sandbox The Kentucky Experience will be the premiere place to learn more about the culture of the

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the donation of a solid black miniature horse to the literacy foundation. NightCap looks just like the pony Little Black from the Walter Farley books. Little Black will have a positive impact on so many children who visit the Kentucky Horse Park because after they meet him they will definitely want to read the book about him," said Johnny Robb, Marketing Director for the AMHR. “The new Little Black is not the first ambassador our organization has provided to the literacy program. With the help of former director, Bruce Becker, we were able to donate a black Shetland pony to the Black Stallion Literacy program at Arabian Nights in Orlando, Florida.

These little ambassadors help children get excited about reading and introduce them to the wonderful world of the small equine,” Robb added.

For more information on American Miniature Horses, visit their website at www.shetlandminiature.com or call 309-243-4044.

The American Shetland Pony Club, the American Show Pony Registry and The American Miniature Horse Registry are non-profit organizations established to preserve and refine the bloodlines of these small equines and promote the enjoyment of small equines. Recognized as the oldest and most versatile registry in the United States, the American Shetland Pony Club offer a variety of programs for Shetland Pony and Miniature Horse enthusiasts of all ages. Visit their website at www.shetlandminiature.com or 81-B East Queenwood Road, Morton, IL 61550.

Bluegrass State. Besides being known as the horse capital of the world, Kentucky has a lot to offer in the areas of food, art, music, and so much more! Kids will have a great time venturing through exhibits representing the natural wonders of Kentucky, sampling Kentucky food, and dancing to the music of local entertainers. They will be amazed by the sights of The Kentucky Experience, from crafts to Corvettes to caves!

The whole family will have an opportunity to enjoy an incredible shopping experience at the Trade Fair. Exhibitors will offer a variety of gifts, collectibles, artwork, apparel, tack, jewelry, and other unique merchandise. Several of the vendors will have products that all kids will like, including Alphabet Art, däv, the Kentucky Horse Park gift shop, Zoubaby, and many more!

The French Pavilion will invite all guests to rendez-vous in Normandy in 2014 for the next World Equestrian Games. Here spectators will enjoy a taste of France – literally – as Normandy representatives offer free samples of fine French cheeses, chocolates, and apple ciders among other products. And, the culinary experience doesn’t end with the tastings. There will also be cooking demonstrations by French chefs!

Children and the entire family alike do not want to miss out on the chance to witness the greatest equestrian event in the world! Access to all destinations will be available with a Grounds Pass or competition ticket. Grounds Pass tickets are still available and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-888934-2010, or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Please visit www.alltechfeigames.com for more detailed information.

August 2010 39

Real Estate

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Twister Trailers Signs World Champion Roper Patrick Smith In May of 2010 Twister Trailers proudly announced the signing of Patrick Smith, a World Champion roper (heeling) with over $800,000 in career earnings, to their roster of champions.

Smith, a six time WNFR qualifier, knows a little bit about being on the road.

"Winning in rodeo takes a lot of hauling” says Patrick, "and I needed a trailer that I could count on to be the best trailer out there, for my horses,

Adertiser Index 33 Ranch and Outfitters Ace Tack & Outfitters Alpha Buildings Arena Fenceline Arena Trailers Auto Body Art Bakko Industries - The Jug Bale Buddy Blairview Bloomquist Law Firm Cannon Falls Trailer Sales Carlson Wholesale - Ritchie Classifieds & form Clinton Anderson Conway Arabians Donn’s Leather Works Email Campaigns Equi-Spot Farnam Federated Coop Haycreek Ranch HoofHaulers

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and for my family. That’s why it was easy to work with Twister Trailer; they are without a doubt the best built, nicest trailer on the market.”

Twister Trailers is the premier trailer company in the equine industry, offering built to order trailers to suit every horseman’s needs. Superior in quality, features and style, Twister Trailers are pulled by top horsemen in many disciplines: Craig Cameron, Charmayne James, Patrick Smith, Russell Dilday, Teddy Robinson, Tuf Cooper, Todd Martin and Brent Wright.

Twister Trailers: custom built for champions and custom built for you.

For more information about Twister Trailers vist the website at www.twistertlr.com

Holistic Horse Fair Horse Fly Net I90 Expo Center Horse Portraits Julie Goodnight KCB Equine Center Ken McNabb K Fence Laser Sheen Farnam Lincoln Sales Lynn Palm Midwest Cremation Minnesota Equifest Minnesota Horse Council MN Hooved Animal Rescue MN School Of HorseShoeing More Custom Leather Northland Buildings Nutrena Pleasant Hills Saddle Shop Photo Classifieds Ralco Nutrition

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Real Estate St. Croix River Valley West Kentucky Real Estate

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R.J. Horse Sales page 33 R.T. Duggan page 42 Square Meal Feeds page 31 Subscription Form page 46 Tak Shak page 42 The Boot Lady page 24 The Corral Trailer Sales page 27 The Natural Gait page 30 Thurk Chev page 35 Total Equine Supplement page 42 Triple Cross Design page 42 Twin Cities Featherlite page 19 Twin Cities Horse Sales page 13 UBRA page 23 Wehrs page 37 West 20 page 27 Wisconsin St Horse Council page 29 www.HorseDigests.com page 48

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TRADERS CORNER

Equine Lawyers

Associations

Online Equine

Equine Health

Saddles, Tack & Gear

Website and Ad Design

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42 August 2010

Advertise in Traders Corner for as little as $20 per month.

Call today for information on advertising in Traders Corner, Let people know about your business!

507-943-3355 Your ad is here in print and in our online magazine too!

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Upcoming Events Remember, call before your dirve August 14, 2010 - Belvidere Championship Rodeo 4:00 PM until 6:30 PM & 8:00 PM until 10:30 PM Boone Co Fairgrounds, 8847 Hwy 76, Belvidere, IL Big Hat Rodeo Co - Lenora 815/648-1957 or bighatrodeo@aol.com 8/15/2010 - Lazy LArena - Mondovi, WI - WI03 NBHA Jackpot - Exhibition: 9:00-10:15 2D Poles NBHA 10:30 Open 4D Stalling available - Kris Loomis - 715-9265309 8/15/2010 - Loman MN - Dancing Sky Ranch - UBRA Summer Series, Barrel Race, UBRA - Shana Wright swright_2@hotmail.com , 763-567-9169 August 15 - August 17 - Iowa State Fair Belgian Show, Des Moines, IA: 515-262-3111, info@iowastatefair.org, www.iowastatefair/fair.php.com August 15 - August 17 - Illinois State Fair Draft Horse Show, Springfield, IL: 217-782-6661, agr.StateFair@illinois.gov, www.agr.state.il.us/isf 8/16/2010 6:00 PM - Carson IA - Barrel Buckle Series Barrel Race - Lorri Knorr - lknorr@teamjsales.com 402-639-9503 August 19 - August 21 - Iowa State Fair Percheron/Clydesdale/Shire Show, Des Moines, IA: 515-262-3111, info@iowastatefair.org, www.iowastatefair/fair.php.com August 20-22, 2010 - Michael Richardson Clinic Bridlewood Equestrian Center, Lake Geneva, WI Contact Donna Manfredi - 847/989-4248 or dlmanfredi@hotmail.com 8/20 - 22/2010- Sterling, IL - Cowgirl Tuff Barrel Bash Double B Productions - bolling@iowatelecom.net 641-745-5845 8/20/2010 - Balsam Lake, WI - JJ Arena Saddle Club OPEN Fun Show & UBRA Barrel Race julie@jjarena.com - 715-857-5505 Aug 21, 2010 - West Central Round-Up St. Croix County Fairgrounds, Glenwood City, WI Come watch Extreme Cowboy Racing, Mounted Shooting, Jousting, Mutton Bustin', Ranch Versatility, Team Sorting and more! www.stcroixcofair.com for more information contact Chris@3S-Ranch.com or call 715-9280816.

8/20-22/2010 - Verndale MN -R & J Arena R & J Hosted AQHA Breed Show - Ron Sundby - jms@wcta.net - 218-445-5849 Aug. 21 2010 from 9:00 AM–6:00 PM - OutWest Ranch Horse Show - OutWest Arena, 6069 County Road 33 SE, Buffalo, MN - 763-4776629 August 21-22, 2010 - Great Midwest Pro Rodeo 8:00 PM until 10:30 PM & 2:00 PM until 4:30 PM, Walworth Co Fairgrounds, 411 E. Court St Elkhorn, WI - Big Hat Rodeo Co Lenora 815/648-1957 or bighatrodeo@aol.com

Aug. 26 2010 at 9:00 AM–Aug. 29 2010 at 12:00 PM - Royal Flush Cutting - The Red Horse Ranch Arena - 22671 County Highway 10 Fergus Falls, MN - 218.736.3000 - info@mncutting.com 8/26-29/2010 - WI NBHA State Finals at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI. August 27 - August 30 - Minnesota State Fair Draft Horse Show, St. Paul, MN: 651-288-4417, competition@mnstatefair.org, www.mnstatefair.org Aug. 28 2010 from 10:00 AM–7:00 PM FUN-draiser Horse Show - Shamineau Ranch PO Box 244, 2345 Ridge Rd, Motley, MN ranch@shamineau.org or 218-575-2240 Aug 28-29UMBHA-IBHA SHOW - Jackson County Fairgrounds, Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Contact Michele Giraud 608 3435690.

9/1-12 - Nevis, Minnesota NVRHA clinic & competition, Strait Rail Ranch, clinician: Mike Major contact: Terry & Shirley Lund, 218-389-6069 moosehornranch@msn.com, Susan Heyvaert, 763479-1895, heyvaert@frontier.net September 3 - September 5 - Britt Draft Horse Show, Britt, IA: (641) 843-4181, www.brittdrafthorseshow.com/draft/ September 4 - September 6 - Central Wisconsin State Fair Draft Horse Show, Marshfield, WI: 715-387-1261, cwsf@tznet.com, www.centralwisconsinstatefair.com 9/9/2010 - 9/12/2010 - Rainer Ranch, Huntsville, MO 14th annual AQHA charity ride event hosted by Robbie & Tesia Rainer. Open to all breeds and disciplines with several levels of trails to suit every rider. Fun for the entire family. There will be live entertainment, an auction, door prizes, cowboy poker ride and seminars. You must pre-register to attend.For more information visit http://www.missvalley.com/rainertrailride/index.htm Sept 10-12 - 17th Annual Barrel Blitz, Showtime Arena, Deerfield, WI - 608-764-5555 or 608-692-5050 www.showtimearena.com showtimear@aol.com 9/11/2010 - 9/12/2010 - Rocky Mountain Iberian Horse Show - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Douglas County Fairgrounds - 500 Fairgrounds Rd., Castle Rock, CO 80109 - Regional 4 National IAHLA qualifying show.

We will offer all IAHLA qualifying classes plus some fun classes, such as Hunter Hack, Working Equitation, Dollar Ride and more - For more information visit http://www.rmihc.org September 11, 2010 - Belvidere Fall Championship Rodeo - 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM - Boone Co Fairgrounds, 8847 Hwy 76, Belvidere, IL, Big Hat Rodeo Co - Lenora 815/648-1957 or bighatrodeo@aol.com September 15 - September 18 - Central Wisconsin Horse Sale, Clark County Fairgrounds, Neillsville, WI: Randy Reineck, 715-238-8088, rrhorsesale@gmail.com, www.centralwihorsesale.net October 2-3 - UMBHA-IBHA show - Jackson County Fairgrounds, Black River Falls Wisconsin. AQHA

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Special Events, Reining, Heading and Heeling.

Contact Michele Giraud 608 343-5690 10/9/2010 - 10/11/2010 - Illinois State Buckskin Association Heartland Holiday Circuit Shows - 8:00 am - 5:00 pm - Rawlings Arena, Hwy 155 at exit 15, Delavan, IL 61734 - Contact Dan Vincent 815-5629552. Open classes offered for non-IBHA horses. PAC Approved. For more information visit http://www.freewebs.com/illinoisbuckskin 10/25/2010 - 10/30/2010 - World Percheron Congress - 9:00AM - Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50317 - For more information visit http://www.2010worldpercheroncongress.com/ Wazee Riders Horse Club 2010 Game Show dates - Sunday Game/Fun shows Noon on Sept 19 - Game shows 5:30 pm Thursday afternoons: J Aug 5 & 19, Sept 2 & 16 All shows held at Jackson County Fairgrounds, Hwy 54 West, Black River Falls WI Rain or Shine, We have indoor and outdoor arena, Information: wazeeriders@hotmail.com or 715-284-7004 Minnesota Pinto Horse Association Show Schedule August 6-8 - Jubilee of Color Show - MN Equestrian Center, Winona *CO-PRODUCED WITH MIN-I-KOTA PINTO* - Jubilee Show Committee Christine Peterson 320-493-3435 - * Special Awards * 3 FULL DAYS * 3 judges * 4 sets of points September 11 & 12 2 days, 4 Judges - Red Horse Ranch, Fergus Falls - *WIN A MIKE BRAY SADDLERY MIRROR* Stabling Ron & Karen Clark - 763-682-5324 - Show Office Manager - Ed Neu 763-477-5027 - Visit our website www.minnesotapinto.com OCTOBER 9 American Competitive Trail Horse Association Ride (as seen on RFD TV). El Rancho Manana, Richmond, MN. Sponsored by Friends of Sherburne County Mounted Patrol. Entries close October 7 Details www.actha.us. Frieda Bruck 612.481.3567 October 16th-17th. - Series **BBR pending - Barrel Racing and Pole Bending Jackpot - Showtime Arena, 3845 Oak Park Road Deerfield, WI, 608-764-5555 or 608-692-5050 www.showtimearena.com • showtimear@aol.com November 27th-28th - Series **BBR pending Barrel Racing and Pole Bending Jackpot Showtime Arena, 3845 Oak Park Road Deerfield, WI, 608-764-5555 or 608-692-5050 www.showtimearena.com • showtimear@aol.com January 1-2, 2011Series **BBR pending - Barrel Racing and Pole Bending Jackpot - Showtime Arena, 3845 Oak Park Road Deerfield, WI, 608-764-5555 or 608-692-5050 www.showtimearena.com • showtimear@aol.com Feb. 19-20, 2011 Series **BBR pending - Barrel Racing and Pole Bending Jackpot - Showtime Arena, 3845 Oak Park Road Deerfield, WI, 608-764-5555 or 608-692-5050 www.showtimearena.com • showtimear@aol.com Please email your event listing - typed into the body of your email or a word document.

Email to Mark@horsedigests.com

August 2010 43

www.horsedigests.com Place your photo classified here for $20.00 per

Thumbnail Photo Classifieds month just call 507-943-3355 for more info Plus you can also place your ad online at

www.HorseDigests.com For Sale 8 YR. MARE, Gorgeous, Beginners Dream Horse!

Barrel racing and trail. $4,000 Pinto-Beginners, young or old, this is the horse for you. Gentle, smooth, and a nice barrel horse, great on trails too.

Call 605-670-9098 harttraining@hcinet.net

8 YR. MARE, Gorgeous, Beginners Dream Horse!

Barrel racing and trail. $4,000 Pinto-Beginners, young or old, this is the horse for you. Gentle, smooth, and a nice barrel horse, great on trails too. Call 605-670-9098 harttraining@hcinet.net

Big Sturdy Boy, Nice Mover Freisian Quarter Horse Cross This is a nice horse. 15.1 hands, soft eye, gorgeous color, big boned, Moves off leg pressure, trail ridden you have to see this big boy! 507-430-0342 redwoodstables@mvtvwireless.com

Peruvian Paso - Ready to take your child to Championships safely, or a great trail horse for a amateur rider, black, 14 hands, with good brio and a smooth, natural gait.

817-594-1597 raintreetack@yahoo.com

RARE THREE QUARTER PINTO ANDALUSIAN STALLION ORLANDO SGREGISTERED PART BRED ANDALUSIAN,BHS AND PHR MULTI CHAMPION BAY AND WHITE TOBIANO PINTO STALLION, SIX YEARS OLD. 262-325-0283 SELWOODP@IDCNET.COM

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE: BAILADOR DG. GREY SON OF SANTENO KDW Lots of action in the front and push from behind. This is a colt with substantial bone and an upright neck.

Perfect for Dressage 972-746-1457 vintageandalusians@hotmail.com Weanling to 5 year old, registerable Spanish Mustangs - Appaloosa, dun, grulla, white, buckskin, 13-14.5 hands, out of one stallion Great Mystery's Blueprint and four foundation mares.

608-583-3045 threefawnmeadows@me.com

Stallions FAMOUS ECHO SCA - 2001 Bay Tobiano American Saddlebred Champion Stallion, direct son of Saddlebred stallion, The Color of Fame.16 HH, Tested Homozygous, Double registered ASHA and PtHA .

715-210-5371 clearcreekarabians@yahoo.com

SELWOODP@IDCNET.COM

URGEL III. PROVEN PRODUCER OF MOVEMENT! ANCCE Revised, 16.1 hands (Danes III by Maja VII). His foals are of consistent quality and have his conformation, power, movement, kindness, and love for people. 940-6860910 ranchoandalucia@earthlink.net

WISH UPON A STARR- HALF ARABIAN, IOWA GOLD STAR AUCTION NOMINATED - Sir Spattson x Greta Starrbo TM (GG Bask Starr) Extremely nice mare, lively, well-mannered!

BLACK with 4 whites!

Pprofessionally trained. Shown in Halter and Western Pleasure.

816-678-5807, smc1776@embarqmail.com

SPOTZ SENSATION, Homozygous! Exotic, Tall & stretchy! Only known grandson of both Hot August Nite & Chubasco!

Great motion, fantastic temperament, Multi Championship Winner.

715-210-5371 clearcreekarabians@yahoo.com

ANDALUSIAN SHORT DESCRIPTION: BUCKSKIN SPANISH/PORTUGUESE 2010 COLT BY SAPHIRO (LEADING CREMELLO STALLION) OUT OF AA DESPIERTA BY DESPIERTO. 262-325-0283

44 August 2010

Equipment 2011 TRAIL RIDER EXPRESS 10' LQ W/SLIDE OUT, Fireplace, Power Jack & Stereo, loaded $32,795.00 Payment Terms: 10% down, balance on completion 719-269-3749 rlmillerco@wildblue

2011 TRAIL RIDER ROYAL CUSTOM - 17' LQ, 3H, 12' Slide out, flat screen tv's, Cust. cherry interior, DirecTV satellite, loading ramp,Onan generator, outside grill, electric awning, sofa/ dinette, cook top w/oven, stainless 7.0 refrigerator w/ice maker, enclosed front LP cover, horse fans, ceiling fans, forced air, dual power jack, drop down windows, fireplace, hay pod Loaded! 8 yr warranty 719-269-3749 rlmillerco@wildblue.net

Services and Products ORIGINAL HORSE PAINTINGS Artist Lisa Kosmo 218-834-3482 or lslkosmo@usfamily.net Each painting is drawn directly on canvas then painted with acrylics.

Real Estate RARE OPPORTUNITY! 67 acre dream property, just west of Alexandria, MN. Commercial horse stable.

Possibilities- horse stable,camp ground, mixed use development. $499,000 218-943-9180 Mn. Lakes Realty of Alexandria http://www.flexmls.com/link.html?req94qdfymp,4,1

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Classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Horse Lovers! Would you like to own your ownbusiness helping horses, working your own hours and make about $75 an hour plus excellent sales commissions? 7 Year old company needs reps for US, Europe, Australia, etc. Our success rate is amazing, and we can show you what to do and how to do it. No pushy sales people, please. Ifyou love horses, PLEASE visit the THERAPY page at www.sumereltraining.com to learn more. In 2 weeks you could be in a new career. Part or full time. $5,000 covers all equipment. Exclusive territories and excellent company support. If you already work with horses, this could help you as well. 540-384-6220 ASSOICATIONS International Spotted Horse Registry Association.

Color registry for horses of color patterns. Drafts to Miniatures, Grade to Pureblood, Sponsoring 2010 Online Photo Horse of Color Show! 300 different classes. January to November 1st.

866-201-3098 ISHRPPA@AOL.COM BOARDING www.sunsetridgeranch.com: Heated/cooled indoor - outdoor - roundpen: pasture/boxstall board-training and lessons. Clearwater, MN 320-558-2980.

10/10 EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS Carts, Buggies, Carriages & Sleighs for sale.

Horse, pony & mini sizes. All prices, all in good condition. Also driving horses, ponies & harness.

847/360-9313.

Top quality Animal gifts and collectibles. Vintage style kitchen linen. Equine office decor. Figurines galore! Something for everyone. www.1000figurines.com New leather harness, 3rd generation business.

Team, work, complete with hames, collars extra.

Draft $802.00. Qtr. horse $757.00. w 3 hip - Draft $882.00. Qtr. horse $812.00. Buggy breast Qtr $220.00, Pony $140.00. (651) 222-5616. Website - stpaulsaddlery.com Catalogue - St Paul Saddlery, 953 W 7th St., St Paul, MN 55102 Horse breeds book - Horses of Distinction - Oneof-a-kind reference. Mysteries now revealed by the best informed professionals - North American breed organizations. Descriptions, histories and official standards of some of the most exciting and unique pleasure breeds. Practical guide to registering and showing. Surprising facts and interesting insights. 31 color photos. 91 pages.

10" x 8 1/2". Softbound. 715-265-4226 Fran333@centurytel.net EVENTS 3 Day Equine-Assisted Learning Clinic - Oct 22 & 23, Nov 6. Certification available. $569 includes

lunch each day and all materials. Appleton WI area. pegasusleaders.com. Contact: Dr. Janet Hagen 920 420 3825 or pegasusleaders@yahoo.com 10/10 GRAPHIC/WEBSITE Custom website design, ad design, banners, newsletters, business cards, logos and business promotion. Call for info. 507-525-6691

TRAILERS New & Used. Horse • Stock & Flatbeds.

Steel/Alum. Bumper/Goose. Slant, Walk-Thru, Custom. Trailet, Exiss, Corn Pro & more! Full Service. Trades & consignments taken.

Helenville, WI 920/699-8048. www.thecorralinc.com

HORSES FOR SALE Iowa Gold Star 2010 Half-Arabian Nominated Auction Filly! She is very fancy, with a sweet personality. CR Blonde Bombshell Half-Arabian filly Vanilla Hot Shot (Cremello ASB) x Kismet May Wine (Aladdin-breeding) - 816-678-5807 • 816-665-7030 - smc1776@embarqmail.com

1987 Trail-et GN 7’X18’X7’ SST Jetstar 3H, Dress Rm, Sidetack, Alum Skin, Fiberglas Roof, Finished 4’ Paneled & Insulated Dress Rm, Lg GN Windows, Carpeted GN - Drop & Flr, Dress Rm Dr w/Window, Finished Side Tack Paneled, 3 Saddle Rks, Bridle Hks, Dr w/Window, 3 Swing Out Feed Drs w/Windows - $6,500.00 Cannon Falls Trailer Sales - 888-263-7212 Cannon Falls, MN www.CannonFallsTrailers.com

SERVICES Affordable Website Design & Hosting. Stallion listings, Banner ads, classifieds, Country Kitchen, Rural Singles. www.stallionstation.com 952.472.1438

2010 BLUE RIBBON 3-H GN W/8’ Shortwall shell, - Hoofhaulers, Inc. 612-810-7550 Shakopee, MN - hoofhaulers@att.net www.HoofHaulers.com

REAL ESTATE Southern WI Horse Property. 6.38 Acre Country Home, Horse/Hobby Newer 6 stall pole barn, auto waterers, heated tack room, 80 X 150 outdoor sand arena, and three fenced pastures all with Centaur Fencing! Blooming tree arbor leads to private stream and woods with paths!

Beautiful 2105 sq. ft., 2/3 bedroom, 3 bath home, gleaming hardwood, vaulted living room with brick fireplace and 1st floor laundry. $369,900.

See: www.WIHomes.com, MLS 1546170 for pictures.

Call/email for more info.: AsiaVoight@aol.com, 608-225-1925.

2005 Integrity 3H slant load LQ trailer w/10’ short wall - couch, lrg fridge/freezer (6cu), microwave, t.v., sink, lots of cabinets/closet space! Bthrm has sink, radius shower, toilet, lots of cabinets, walk-thru dr! Feed mangers, drop down windows at horses head, sliding bus windows at hip, dbl back drs w/rear tack compartment! Awning, manual jack! (#9701) Arena Trailer Sales, 507-263-4488 Cannon Falls MN sales@arenatrailers.com www.arenatrailers.com

CLASSIFIEDS WORK! $10.00 per month for 20 words, $.15 for each word over 20. Send your classified in with your check or credit card to: Midwest Horse Digest, Attention: Mark (classified) 40694 30th Street, Elmore, MN 56027 or call 507-943-3355 Name:______________________________________ 20 Words = $10.00 Address:____________________________________ # Extra Words ___x $.15 = ______ City:________________________St:_____Zip:_________ Sub-Total: ______ Credit Card#____________________________________ # of months to Run x: ______ Type:________Exp. Date:_________3 Digit Code:______ Total: ______ Phone:_______________Email:______________________ Number of Months to Run:______ AD Category:_________________ Classfied:_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

FRIESIANS,FRIESIANS,FRIESIANS www.excaliburbreeding.com 218-678-4125

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