Midwest Horse Digest January 2010

www.horsedigests.com

2 MIDWEST HORSE DIGESTMIDWEST HORSE DIGESTJanuary/February 2010

http://www.horsedigests.com

http://www.cannonfallstrailers.com

3MIDWEST HORSE DIGESTMIDWEST HORSE DIGEST January/February 2010



NEWS5 ARHA Ranch Horse VersatilityExpands with More Charter-level Awards5 HEROES WANTED! Volunteers Still Neededfor 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games7 Unwanted Horse Coalition Releases BestPractices Handbook9 Expert on equine disaster situations to speakat UW24 American Quarter Horse AssociationEstablishes Dressage as an Approved Event29 Extreme Cowboy Association Crowns 2009World ChampionsLAW11 In Tough Financial Times – Why It isImportant to Understand LiabilityHEALTH28 Five Rules to Follow to Avoid a HoofSoaking Disaster

Of InterestOf Interest

midwestmidwest

HHorseorseDDigestigest

30 Equine Central 33 Advertisers Index35 Classifieds36 Photo Classifieds37 Upcoming Events38 Real Estate and Traders Corner

Special SectionsSpecial Sections

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!VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWWVISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW .HORSEDIGESTS.COM.HORSEDIGESTS.COM

Contents

PPerer ffoorr mm ancance He Hoorrsese

EqEquine VIPuine VIP

WWeesstterer n Pn Pleleaa susurree

TTrrainainining wig witth Th Toodd ayay’’s Ts Toop Tp Trrainerainerss

DD rreesssage - Esage - Ennglisglishh

6 Three Great Training Tipsby Clinton Anderson

8 Ground Tyingby Ken McNabb

10 Fix it Sooner Rather Than Laterby Craig Cameron

12 Regaining Confidence and the Ability to Enjoy Riding Again!by Lois Boerboom with Dennis Auslam

14 Sidepassing The Poleby Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard

16 Beating the Winter Bluesby Jennifer Lindgren

17 Being Competitive in Western Horsemanshipby Dan Grunewald

18 Should You Be Using a Training Fork?by Tommy Garland

22 Ask Mary: How do I know if my riding helmet fits?by Mary Hamilton

23 Golden Rules of Ground Training, continued...by Lynn Palm

26 Turn-arounds, spins and more body control on your horseby Monty Bruce

January/February 2010

TTrraiai l Hl Hoorrsese32 Distracted Herd-bound Horse

by Julie Goodnight

34 The extraordinay drill team “Painted Ladies” talks to Equine VIPby Susan Ashbrooke

On The Cover: Lynn Palms’ horseRugged Painted Lark is by the world-famous

2-time Superhorse, Rugged Lark, and out of Prissy Companion, an APHA

Palomino/Tobiano mare.


The 2010 Alltech FEI World EquestrianGames needs Heroes! Thousands of volunteersare stilled needed to work hundreds of differentjobs during the 16 days of the Games, which willbe held for the first time in American fromSeptember 25-October 10, 2010 at the KentuckyHorse Park.

“We need volunteers who can lend theirexpertise to help make these Games a success,no matter their professional skill level,” saidMelissa Gamble, Volunteer Manager for theWorld Games 2010 Foundation. “You mightwork as a ticket-taker, an usher, work at a visitorinformation desk, or help with transportation orevent services, but each is a very important partof how these Games work every day.”

Volunteer positions for competition-specificduties are currently being selected, butthousands of General Volunteers are stillneeded. Volunteers can still register theirinterest at www.alltechfeigames.com/volunteer.

In addition, there is still time to reconfirm yourinterest as a volunteer if you signed up withinthe past two years. To reconfirm interest oradjust current contact information [email protected].

All volunteers will receive an official Ariatuniform and a volunteer credential, which willprovide General Admission entry to the grounds

of the park forall 16 days ofthe Games. Inaddition, mealvouchers will beprovided foreach volunteer

during their shift. According to current volunteers, the benefits

of volunteering extend far beyond the uniform.“The opportunity to assist with an internation-

al sporting event is something that many of us willnever again experience,” said Carolyn Greene,who volunteered during each of the 2009 TestEvent competitions for the Games and is nowvolunteering full-time at the World Games 2010Foundation office. “Volunteering is part of whoI am and what I do, and I am having a blasthere.”

Martin Klotz volunteers his time as part ofthe Games’ Speakers Bureau. After participatingin a training program with staff members, Klotzcarries the story of the Games to communitygroups throughout the Louisville area.

“After each presentation, I have come awaywith the feeling that I had created an awarenessof the Games in those who had not thoughtmuch about them and enhanced the interest inthose who had,” said Klotz, who has also workedas an usher at the 2009 Test Events. “Of course,I hope I will continue to have the opportunity tohelp ‘spread the word’ about this monumentalevent.”

It is not too late to experience the Gamesas a volunteer. For more information, visitwww.alltechfeigames.com/volunteer or call 859-244-2996.

ARHA Ranch Horse Versatility Expands withMore Charter-level Awards

The American Ranch Horse Associationdeveloped the 100-percent payback RanchHorse Versatility Program in 2009 and is nowoffering more recognition at each show hostingthe program. In addition to 50 percent of theVersatility entry fees awarded at local competi-tions, in 2010, each show’s Versatility winner willreceive a custom-made Skyline Vaquero buckle.A minimum of five Versatility Program entries atthe show are necessary for the buckle to beawarded.

The first Skyline Vaquero buckle will beoffered at the South Kentucky Ranch HorseAssociation show, January 23 and 24, 2010, inBowling Green, Ky. The next show to offer thebuckle is the Volunteer Ranch Horse Associationshow, February 6 and 7 in Murfreesboro,Tenn. Find additional shows online atwww.americanranchhorse.net/eventscalendar.htm.

The new buckle will be showcased at theARHA National Convention on February 20 at theCrowne Plaza Hotel in Lexington, Ky.

T h eA R H AR a n c h

Horse Versatility compe-tition comprises fiveevents—ranch riding,ranch trail, ranch cutting,

working ranch horse and ranch conformation—that are held and placed individually, but overallperformance is considered in the competitionprogram. In addition to the buckle and payback atthe local level, 50 percent of Versatility entry feesare awarded year-end top-10 overall nationalwinners. Earnings reports will also be recordedby the equine statistical service Equi-Stat and willbe promoted in industry publications to furtherpromote the American ranch horse and ARHAcompetitors. Horses competing in the VersatilityProgram must also participate in their respectiveregular ARHA classes, and they are eligible forARHA points in those classes.

Formed in 2004, the American Ranch HorseAssociation promotes the abilities of the all-around versatile working horse in a positiveatmosphere where western tradition is genuinelyhonored. Rapidly growing with more than 7,000members, ARHA hosts competitions, clinics andeducational events throughout the year.

For complete information about the ARHARanch Horse Versatility Program, visitwww.americanranchhorse.net or call 606-271-2963.


Midwest Horse Rahn Greimann, Publisher,

Owner and Editor© 2008 Greimann Industries

35418 90th StreetBlue Earth, MN 56013

507-526-5943Fax 507-526-2629

Advertising ContactsMark Bahls Peg Bahls

507-943-3355 /Fax [email protected]@horsedigests.com

Julie and Rick Vinsand877-205-7261

[email protected]@horsedigests.com

Andrea Jo Kroening952-237-5311

[email protected]

Midwest Horse Digest is distributed FREE at equine-related businesses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa,Northern Illinois and North and South Dakota. Nomaterial from this publication may be copied or in anyway reproduced without written permission from thepublisher. Neither the advertisers nor GreimannIndustries are responsible for any errors in the editorialcopy.. Greimann Industries reserves the right to refuseany advertising which we deem unsuitable for ourpublication. No liability is assumed for errors in oromissions of advertisers in this publication. Opinionsand views expressed in articles and advertisements arenot necessarily those of the publisher, editors oremployees, nor does publication of any opinion orstatement in Midwest Horse Digest constitute anendorsement of the views, opinions, goods or servicesmentioned. While every possible effort is made to makeour publication accurate and timely, Midwest HorseDigest does not warrant the accuracy of materialcontained in any article or the quality of goods orservices contained in any advertisement.

TO ALL OF OUR ADVERTISERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND READERS -

WE THANK YOU!

Pick up Midwest Horse Digest every month at over 850feed stores, tack shops, veterinarians, farriers andequestrian centers across the Upper Midwest. If yourlocation does not get Midwest Horse Digest call us at507-526-5943 or email [email protected]

Please direct all editorial and correspondence, as wellas change of address to:[email protected] or call 507-526-5943

NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS

ARHA Ranch Horse VersatilityExpands with MoreCharter-level Awards

Volunteers Still Needed for2010 Alltech FEI WorldEquestrian Games

http://www.alltechfeigames.com/volunteer

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.alltechfeigames.com/volunteer

http://www.americanranchhorse.net/eventscalendar.htm

http://www.americanranchhorse.net









World renowned clinicianClinton Anderson shares three

great training tips from hisDownunder Horsemanship

Method.

Fix the cause, not the symptoms. The major-ity of horse “problems” aren’t really problems atall, they are really just symptoms of a cause.Seventy to eighty percent of all the problems you

will ever have to deal with asa horse owner will fix them-selves if you do the ground-work and earn your horse’srespect. Most people thinkthat their horse’s problem(biting, bucking, rearing,pawing, etc.) is the realissue, but it’s not. Whatmost people think is a prob-lem is nothing more than asymptom of a cause. Butpeople get so focused onthe horse’s bad behaviorthat they can’t see what isactually causing it. It’s like aweed growing in the ground.You can chop it off with aweed whacker, but twoweeks later it will grow rightback because the root sys-tem is still intact. If you real-ly want to kill the weed, youneed to pour weed killer onit to kill the root system.When you kill the roots, theweed will die. It’s the same

thing when training horses. Any problem that ahorse could possibly have comes from either alack of respect or fear, or in some cases, both.

Train both sides of the horse. Horses havetwo sides to their brains: the left brain and theright brain. Each side of your horse’s brain is likea completely separate horse. You’ve got Leftyand you’ve got Righty. Horses hear, smell, thinkand react differently on each side of their brain.Whatever you do on one side of the horse, youhave to do on the other. Just because you desen-sitize or sensitize your horse to pressure on one

side of his body, it doesn’t mean that he will auto-matically understand what to do when you moveto his other side. In order to have a well-balancedresponsive horse, you have to act like you owntwo separate horses.

Balance out your training. To balance yourhorse so that both sides of his body are equallyrelaxed and responsive, you’ll spend two-thirds ofyour time working on his bad side (the side that isstiffer, pushier or more reactive), and one-third ofyour time working on his good side. If your horseis spookier on his right side, then you’ll want tospend two-thirds of your time desensitizing thatside of his body. Or, if your horse is really stiffwhen you ask him to flex his head and neck to theleft, you’ll want to spend two-thirds of your timepracticing the exercise on the left side of his body.Eventually, both sides will even out so that you’llhave a calm and respectful horse whether you’restanding on the right side or left side. You’ll findthat the horse’s good side and bad side willswitch on and off. Once you have him desensi-tized well on the right side, he might be worse onhis left side and vice versa. It’s always going to bea bit of a balancing act.

Learn more about DownunderHorsemanship, Clinton Anderson and hisMethod. For more information, please visitwww.downunderhorsemanship.com or call(888)287-7432 to learn about Clinton AndersonWalkabout Tours, Clinics and more!


Clinton AndersonShares Three GreatTraining Tips


http://www.downunderhorsemanship.com

http://www.tcvhvet.com


Unwanted HorseCoalition Releases

Best PracticesHandbook

The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) haspublished a handbook entitled Best Practices:How Your Organization Can Help Unwanted

Horses. The handbook ispart of the UHC’s continuingeffort to get the horsecommunity more involved insolving the problem ofunwanted horses. If thehorse community is tosucceed in lessening theproblem of unwanted horses,more organizations and

more events, large and small, regardless oftheir breed or discipline, must institute activitiesand programs to deal with their horses after theiractive lives are over or when their owners areno longer able to care for them.

Many equine organizations, events andservice providers have already instituted pro-grams to help ensure that no horse becomesunwanted. The Best Practices Handbook listsmany of these activities and other initiatives thatthose in the horse industry can undertake.including sections on administration, continuingeducation, fundraising, support of equine carefacilities, matchmaking, direct assistance,breeding control, and euthanasia.

The Best Practices Handbook outlinesvarious examples of successful programs andactivities already in place with other organiza-tions.There are thousands of associations,events, activities, service providers, commercialsuppliers, meetings, trail rides, etc. in the horsecommunity. Regardless of whether you areinvolved with a large organization, a small show,a racetrack, or a veterinary clinic, there areideas in this booklet that can be adopted andput into place.

“The more educated our industry becomesin regard to unwanted horses and the more effortthat we put into it, the more we can do to help ourhorses,” said UHC Chairman, Dr. Tom Lenz. “Wehope the Best Practices Handbook will giveeveryone some ideas to pursue. If each organi-zation gets involved, even with a singleactivity, the industry can go a long way towardsolving this problem.”

The UHC is distributing its Best PracticesHandbook to organizations and facilities aroundthe country and available for download on theUHC’s website: www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org.

For more information please contactEricka Caslin, UHC Director, by calling 202-296-4031 or emaling [email protected] TheUnwanted Horse Coalition

The mission of the Unwanted Horse Coalitionis to reduce the number of unwanted horses andimprove their welfare through education and theefforts of organizations committed to the health,safety and responsible care and disposition ofthese horses.

http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org


http://www.grostrong.com

Would you liketo be able to drop the

lead rope, walk away, and have your horse standwhere you put him? This month, we will coverhow to teach an exercise called ground tying.This exercise builds on the ground work that wehave covered in the previous month’s articles,especially the longeing and leading exercises.For this exercise all you need is a halter and leadrope. Practice in an enclosed arena or pen whereyou can catch your horse easily until he knows

the exercise well.Have you ever noticed

how well a ranch horse willstand after a hard day ofwork? How about the Amishhorses, who plow all day? Inthese situations, the horse hasbeen worked until he is tiredand is thankful for the chanceto rest. But most of us don’tride fifty miles, or plow twentyacres with our horse in a day.We don’t have the time tomake them tired enough tostand. Instead, we need tocreate the desire to stand intheir head.

Begin this exercise bylongeing your horse in a circlearound you at the trot. Byasking him to move his feetyou will begin to create thedesire to stand still. Changedirections frequently, and tryto engage your horse’s mindand get him focused on you.After you have worked yourhorse for a while, offer himthe chance to stand. Pet him,and let him know that heis doing the right thing.BEFORE he gets bored with

standing, send him off to work again. It is veryimportant that you anticipate him getting restlessand make the decision to have him movebefore he makes it himself. Send him off while heis still focused on wanting to stand. Repeat thisexercise a few times, letting your horse stand fora little longer each time. Keep in mind that yourgoal here is not to make your horse sweat andtire him out. Your goal is to improve on the groundwork exercises that you have already taught, and

engage your horse’s mind. Now, you are ready to move on to the next

step. First, pick a verbal cue that you will useevery time you want your horse to stand withoutmoving. Many people like to use “stand”. I fre-quently use “stay”. The important thing is thatyou pick something that works for you, and useit every time. Now, drop the lead rope on theground, tell your horse to “stay”, and back oneor two steps away from him. If he stands, wait for15 to 30 seconds. Then go back and pet him,reward him, and let him know that he did exactlywhat you wanted. You don’t want to stay awayfor so long that he decides to move on his own.

If he tries to follow you or move when youfirst back away from him, move him back towhere he was before and try again. If he triesto move more than once or twice, just put himback to work longeing for a while and thenoffer him another chance to stand. Once yourhorse stands for you once and you reward him,put him back to work around you again. This isnot a punishment, but rather a way to furtherreinforce the desire to stand that you arecreating in your horse.

Repeat this exercise, asking your horse tostand for longer and longer periods of time, andmoving farther and farther away from him.Always try to anticipate when he is going tomove off, and go back to him and reward himbefore he does. You want to set this up so yourhorse can win again and again. With that inmind, start in an area with as little distractionas possible, and gradually move to areas withmore and more distractions. If you are in anarena with other horses on one side of it, askyour horse to stop and stand facing away fromthem at first. You don’t want to set him up forfailure by making it too tempting to walktowards the other horses. As he understands theexercise better, you can add more challenges. When my horse is ground tying, I allow him toput his head down to smell the ground oreven graze, as long as his feet don’t move. Onesituation where I will let my horse move his feetis if he has stopped crooked. Then he is allowedto move enough to square up so he can standeasily and comfortably, but no more than that.

Once your horse seems to understand thisexercise, you will need to give them theopportunity to make mistakes. As you go fartherand farther away, and leave for longer periodsof time, your horse may move. If this happens,just go back to him and return to the longeingexercise, then ask him to ground tie again.

This is a fun exercise to teach and it is veryuseful on the trail when you stop for lunch, oreven when you just need to open a gate. It canbe used when you are grooming and saddling ifyou don’t have a place to tie your horse. It is alsoa great way to impress your friends!

Enjoy your horse and until next time, mayGod bless the trails you ride.

For more information on Ken McNabb’sprograms call us at 307-645-3149 or go towww.kenmcnabb.com.



Ground TyingBy Ken McNabb with Katherine Lindsey Meehan

http://www.kenmcnabb.com


http://www.kenmcnabb.com


Expert on equine disaster situations

to speak at UWMADISON –The University of Wisconsin

School of Veterinary Medicine ContinuingEducation program will host the 21st annualseminar “Horse Emergencies: Being PreparedDuring Disaster Situations” on Saturday,February 20, 2010. The morning session will beheld in the Ebling Symposium Auditorium locatedwithin the Microbial Science building, 1550Linden Dr., Madison. The afternoon demonstra-tions will be at the UW Stock Pavilion, 1675Linden Dr., Madison.

Expert Eric Thompson, chief animal controlofficer for the Overland Park Police Department,Kan., will cover what to do if a horse is stuck inthe mud, stranded on ice, trapped in a burningbarn or involved in other emergency situations.He will show participants how to perform basicrescue techniques using anything commonlyfound around the ranch, including the “kitchensink”. Thompson is a national responder andinstructor for Code 3 Associates and isOperations Manager for the Emergency EquineResponse Unit. He is certified in water, mud,rock, ice, fire and trailer rescue of animals, andhe has received 25 certificates of achievementfrom FEMA in disaster planning.

Participants will be given the opportunity torevisit current emergency plans and network withlocal resources to develop new ones. Thompsonwill provide demonstrations and show how pre-planning can go a long way in equine emergencysituations. A special demonstration by the UWMounted Police will round out the day.

Advance registration for this seminar is $45per person (or $39 per person for groups of fiveor more) on or before February 5, 2010. Afterthat date, admission becomes $60 per person.

For more information contact Karl Olson(608) 890-1774, [email protected] visit www.vetmed.wisc.edu/ce/horse_owner

If the world was truly a rational place, menwould ride sidesaddle.~Rita Mae Brown

When you're young and you fall off ahorse, you may break something. Whenyou're my age, you splatter.~Roy Rogers

There is just as much horse sense as ever,but the horses have most of it. ~AuthorUnknown

The daughter who won't lift a finger in thehouse is the same child who cycles madlyoff in the pouring rain to spend all morningmucking out a stable.~Samanth Armstrong


http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/ce/horse_owner

http://www.sundbystrailersales.com

http://www.abitoftackmn.com

http://www.randjhorsesales.com

At one ofmy clinics, apart icipanthad a horsethat turnedaway fromher in theround pen,p i n n e dback bothears andran back-ward atthe han-dler.

I thought this wasa problem that could be corrected with some

help. And the horse owner was at the rightplace to get some help. It took a little disciplineto correct the horse. It didn’t take much, but Ihad to be firm with that horse to get her toyield her head laterally and give in the hind-quarters. With a little time and patience, I did fixthe horse’s dangerous problem.

Another participant, who didn’t even own thehorse, thought I was being too hard on the horse.She felt sorry for a horse who was trying to hurtor kill someone. I couldn’t understand that. Iasked her if she’d ever seen anyone who’d beenkicked in the head or chest by a horse? Whatabout someone crippled or, worse, turned into avegetable or even killed by a horse, instantly?So the owner needed to fix the problem or sellthe horse, one of the two, because if she didn’t,

her horse would seriously hurt her someday.The moral of this story is that if your horse is

giving you a dangerous problem, you eitherhandle it yourself immediately, ask a pro to helpyou, or get rid of the horse. Don’t feel sorry forthe horse because the horse will never feel sorryfor you. Either you help the horse make thechange or you get rid of him. There are too manygood horses out there to put up with an outlaw.If the horse can’t or won’t be fixed, then he mightvery well hurt someone someday and end up atthe slaughterhouse anyway.

It’s like having a bad kid. Either you disciplinehim yourself or the police will.



True Story:

Fix it SoonerRather Than

Laterby Craig Cameron

Craig Cameron -

A Better Way,Smart Riding

Many horse owners claim their horsesbuck every morning. Generally, the problemis that the horse is just fresh and feels good.The solution is simple. Warm up your horseby moving him around in both directions at aconsistent gait either in the round pen or ona longe line. Spend some time moving yourhorse in both directions. Put your horse towork in one direction at a time. Move him asmany as 10 to 20 times before changingdirections.

This simple approach takes the freshand the fear out of your horse, which allowshim to relax. This process protects you andyour horse. It’s no good if either of you gethurt.

When a horse turns loose mentally, herelaxes physically and, when he relaxesphysically, he turns loose mentally. This com-mon sense is what I call “smart riding” and itcomplements one of my favorite horseman-ship philosophies, “Smart riding is makingsure you can ride again tomorrow.”

Ride Smart—Craig CameronExcerpt with permission out of Craig’s

book, Ride Smart, by Craig Cameron withKathy Swan. Photos by John Brasseaux.

You can order Craig’s book and DVD’s atwww..CraigCameron.com


http://www.federatedcoops.com

Questions for an Equine Law Practitioner

In Tough FinancialTimes –Why It is Important toUnderstand Liabilityby Julie I. Fershtman, Attorney at Law(C) 2009, Julie I. Fershtman. All rights reserved.www.equinelaw.net

On November 19, 2009, I gave a keynotespeech at American Riding InstructorsAssociation Annual Convention in Naples,Florida. Let me share with you some of myremarks.

The Importance of UnderstandingLiability

In these difficult financial times, people needto remain focused in their emphasis on safety.An injured person might be motivated to file alawsuit against stables, professionals, and horseowners, especially if medical bills are highand theinjury keeps the person off work for considerabletime. I sincerely believe that people who havea general understanding of liability are wellpositioned to avoid it.

Liability, GenerallyWhen someone brings a claim or suit arising

from injuries sustained in an equine-relatedactivity, the theories of liability tend to be thefollowing:

Equine Activity Liability ActsAs of November 2009, 46 states (all but

California, Maryland, Nevada, and New York)have some form of an Equine Activity LiabilityAct. All of these laws differ but many sharecommon characteristics. For example, the lawsusually state that a “participant” who is injuredwhile “engaging in an equine activity” cannotseek legal recourse from an “equine activityprofessional,” “equine activity sponsor,” or“another person” if the injury resulted from an“inherent risk of an equine activity.” The lawsusually have several exceptions, however, thatcan form the basis of a claim or suit againsthorse owners, professionals, or horse facilities.The most common exceptions are: (1) providing“faulty tack or equipment”; (2) providing anequine and “failing to make reasonable andprudent efforts to determine the ability of theparticipant to safely engage in the equineactivity”; (3) having land or facilities with adangerous latent condition for which no conspic-uous warning sign was posted; (4) engaging inwillful and wanton misconduct or grossnegligence; and (5) committing intentionalwrongdoing. A small number of laws include anexception of negligence.

NegligenceIn the four states without an equine activity

liability law (New York, California, Maryland, andNevada), the legal standard for liability isnegligence. Negligence is essentially conductthat is unreasonable. Through a negligenceclaim, the injured person would assert that thehorse owner, professional, facility, or showmanagement failed to act in a reasonablyprudent manner, which caused the injury. Myarticles and books over the years have explainedthe types of negligence claims people have

brought as well as several possible defenses.Avoiding LiabilityBelow are some of the suggestions for a

voiding liability that I offered in my recent speech.Liability Waivers/releasesCourts in most states have shown a

willingness to enforce liability releases. However,these documents stand a serious risk of failureif they are improperly worded, improperlysigned, or the applicable state law refuses toenforce them. For the best protection, haveyour documents drafted or reviewed by aknowledgeable attorney.

EquipmentMost equine activity liability acts include an

exception for “faulty tack or equipment.” Beforeyou provide equipment to others, such as asaddled and bridled horse for a lesson or trailride, check the equipment.

Sign PostingMany state equine activity liability acts

require “equine professionals” and sometimes“equine activity sponsors” to post warning signswith language provided in the statute. Statesdiffer on the language, size of the signs,placement of the signs, and even color of thesigns. Check your state law to see if theserequirements affect you.

Contract LanguageMost equine activity liability acts require

“equine professionals” and sometimes “equineactivity sponsors” to include certain languagewithin their contracts and releases. Requirementsdiffer, and the mandated language for contracts isnot always the same as the “warning” languagefor signs. Check the state laws where you live ordo business.

Avoid Myths

Everyone, it seems, has opinions regardingliability in the equine industry. Some call equineliability laws “zero liability laws.” Some insist thatliability releases are worthless. These are myths.In your efforts to learn more about liability, seekinformation from reliable sources.

-- Julie Fershtman, Attorney at LawThis article does not constitute legal advice.

When questions arise based on specific situa-tions, direct them to a knowledgeable attorney.

About the AuthorA lawyer for 23 years, Julie Fershtman is one

of the nation’s most experienced Equine Lawpractitioners, has successfully tried equine casesbefore juries in four states, has drafted hundredsof equine industry contracts, and is a Fellow ofthe American College of Equine Attorneys. Formore information, visit www.equinelaw.net orwww.equinelaw.info

Julie Fershtman’s books, MORE EquineLaw & Horse Sense and Equine Law & HorsSense, help people avoid disputes. Orderboth for $42.90, first class shipping included.To order, call Horses & The Law Publishing at866-5-EQUINE. Or, send check or moneyorder to Horses & The Law Publishing, P.O.Box 250696, Franklin, MI 48025-0696.

Attention Lawyers and Paralegals: This yearthe American Bar Association published Julie’snew book on Litigating Animal Law Disputes. Thebook covers a wide variety of legal issuesinvolving horses and other animals and includessample court filings. Horses & The LawPublishing sells the book for a large discount offthe ABA’s $130 cover price. Contact Ms.Fershtman directly for information


http://www.equinelaw.net

http://www.equinelaw.net

http://www.equinelaw.info

http://www.bigbalebuddy.com

http://www.phsaddle.com

I had heard of persons loosing their confi-dence and developing a fear of horseback riding,but I have to admit I never thought it wouldhappen to me. Nothing terrible happened, Isimply had a horse spook on a very windy dayand when I went to bring him around the saddleslid, so I just kicked free and fell to the ground.This is what started my problem. I felt I had nobalance and would start shaking and be scaredto death when I attempted to ride. It wasn’t justwith the horse that I came off of; it was with allmy horses. I fought this myself for close to a yearand came very close to giving up all together.

Horses have been a part of my life formany years and I have always enjoyed workingwith them and learning how and what I coulddo better. This was why, when I saw an advertise-ment for a saddle fitting clinic, I decided to checkit out.

As part of the clinic there was a trainer fromRedwood Falls answering questions regardingtraining and working with horses. I have to admitI was skeptical, as I had heard this trainer wasinto roping and cattle work, and from what I hadheard more of a rodeo type. I spent some timetalking with him and he told me about thewomens clinics that he held to help womenregain their confidence and be more effectiveriders. I was intrigued, but hadn’t bought intoit yet. I asked if I could watch or audit a clinicto see what it was all about. I was toldABSOLUTELY…come on out.

The first thing that I really appreciated wasthe friendliness and welcome I received. I wasnever given the impression I was stupid or thatbecause I had developed this fear I was lookeddown upon.

Safety and respect from the horse were thekey points. These were demonstrated and eachhorse and handler went through the processindividually before they were to work on theirown. In addition, there were other helpers thereready to assist in working through any toughspots that either the horse or handler wereexperiencing.

Class size was small and Dennis madecertain he was giving praise at accomplishmentsand prompting on how to make things better.One point that Dennis made, and I have seenfollowed through more than once is, “I will tell itlike it is”. If a horse is not a good partner for aperson, he will say so. It is then up to the personto decide what they want to do. But on the otherhand if a horse and handler do have potential,he doesn’t hesitate to tell them that and makesuggestions as to what they can do to improve.

After watching a clinic, I decided to give it atry with my horse. I had a lot of apprehension andasked a ton of questions. I have been veryimpressed with the way Dennis is able to commu-nicate with a wide variety of people as well ashorses. My first clinic went very well, but Iremained fearful when it came to the riding. Icouldn’t handle the riding around cattle forvery long before I became anxious and had to getoff. I was not made to feel a failure over this andwas encouraged to just walk my horse aroundand do what I was comfortable with.

Dennis worked with my horse and, at times,when my horse was not able to understand whatI wanted, he rode him. This helped me to seethat my horse was able to do what was beingasked, I just needed to communicate better withhim.

Since Jan/Feb of 2009, when I came to myfirst clinic to watch, I can not believe how far Ihave progressed. I have hauled my horse backand done lessons on the trail course and insidearena. Dennis allowed me to proceed at the paceI felt comfortable with. He is good at encouragingand helping a person to feel confident in whatthey are attempting to accomplish. I am findingmy horse is developing more of a partnershipwith me and accepting me as the leader. Timeand patience has been the key.

I would be the first to admit that had I beenmade to feel stupid, or that this was not some-thing I could overcome, I wouldn’t have gone

back. I have attended several clinics since, andeach time gained more confidence in my own, aswell as my horse’s ability. This would not havehappened if Dennis had not kept encouraging meand pointing out the progress I was making andthe successes I was having, even when I didn’tsee them. He was very good at breaking downproblems into steps that were obtainable.

He definitely is a clinician, as well as atrainer. In my own case, time and persistencehas been the key. I have moved along slowly andit has taken a lot of persistence to get where I amtoday. Dennis has been very willing to work withme and take the time that it has taken and I high-ly recommend him for the training of horses, aswell as their riders.

Over the course of the summer I saw horsesof all types come in for training. The points thathave been repeated consistently are fairness,reward or praise, and consistency. I haveasked questions about problems and how hewould deal with them and he never hesitated toexplain how and why he would follow a certainplan.

Lois Boerboom

A word from Dennis - I appreciate Lois’ highpraise. We asked Lois if we could submit this forprint so that other women who might be goingthrough something similar could be encouragedand let them know that with work they can gainconfidence in their horse and their riding ability. Ienjoy helping people be the horse person theylong to be and helping them develop a partner-ship with their horse.

What Lois experienced is not uncommon andI admire the persistance of these women. Theycould eaisly decide to hang it up and quit, but thepassion to want to ride and ride well, and tohave confidence when riding drives them on. Itdoes take commitment and desire, it also takesan open mind to learn new habits. When thesewomen, as well as men, develop the correcthabits, are riding the right horse and gain theneeded confidence, they find that the horsesthey are riding have confidence in them and itbecomes a win, win situation for both horse andrider.

We are hoping that everyone has a greatyear in 2010 and remember, you are alwaystraining your horse, think about what you aredoingl and stay safe!

Dennis Auslam of Redwood Stables inMorton, MN, trains both the horse and the riderthrough lessons and clinics. He runs a regularschedule of clinics for Confidence Building,Horsemanship and Cattle Work, including RopingClinics and has recently added a Challenge TrailCourse to his facility.

Call 507-430-0342 or email him [email protected]

You can visit his website atwww.redwoodstables.com for more information.



Regaining Confidence and theAbility to Enjoy Riding Again!by Lois Boerboom with Dennis Auslam


http://www.redwoodstables.com


http://www.blairviewsaddle.com


Nancy Koch, Executive Director of CANTERNational, will be honored as the first recipient ofThe EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Awardpresented by The United States EquestrianFederation (USEF). The inaugural presentationwill take place on January 16, 2010, at theUSEF Pegasus Awards Dinner during theFederation’s Annual Meeting.

The EQUUS Foundation HumanitarianAward (presented by the United StatesEquestrian Federation) is a celebration of thehumanitarian achievements made by a memberof the equestrian world. Specifically, the goalof this humanitarian honor is to spotlight andexalt the selfless dedication one individual or agroup of individuals has made, whether on aregional or national scale. From improving thehealth and welfare of the horse to promotingand expanding the general public’s appreciation

and respect of the diverse role of horses, therecipient of this award will be someone who hasdevoted considerable personal time to makethe lives and quality of life of our equinepartners paramount.

Nancy Koch has devoted countless hours toimproving the health and welfare of youngThoroughbred racehorses who no longer ableto race competitively. Koch started TheCommunication Alliance to NetworkThoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) to findnew careers for these horses. The web-basedprogram “caught on” and now, there are all-volunteer CANTER affiliates across the country.

In learning that she was selected for theaward, Nancy said, “I am honored to accept thisaward on behalf of all the CANTER volunteers”.

For more information, contact Melissa Davisat [email protected].

About The EQUUS Foundation, Inc.The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., established in

August 2002, as a 501(c)(3) national charitablefoundation, seeks to raise public awareness ofthe value of the horse in society througheducation and the awarding of grants to charitiesthat use the horse to benefit the public, promotethe health and welfare of horses, and elevate theequestrian sport as a whole.

The Foundation is governed by a Board ofDirectors, which is responsible for the selection ofthe grant recipients. The Board includes: JennyBelknap Kees, Chairman, Catherine Herman,Vice Chairman, David T. Goodwin,Secretary/Treasurer, Lynn Coakley, President,David Distler, Gray Fadden, Richard MitchellDVM, Clea Newman Soderlund, and VisseWedell.

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, TheEQUUS Foundation helps thousands of peopleand horses each year. Over $1.3 million in grantshave been awarded since the first awards in2003. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullextent of the law. Contact The EQUUSFoundation, Inc., at 168 Long Lots Road,Westport, CT 06880, Tele: (203) 259-1550,Email: [email protected], website:http://www.equusfoundation.org

Nancy Koch of CANTER Selected as USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian

Award Recipient



http://www.equusfoundation.org

http://centralmnhorsefest.com/



Hopefully you and your horses are all nowopening gates and passing through calmly, ringjousting, javelin throwing, riding slow and fastsymmetrical circles and crossing bridges effort-lessly. This month we’ll concentrate on teachingyou how to sidepass over a pole.

To begin your horse must sidepass in bothdirections; if he doesn’t, teach this first in anarena without the pole. Gain control of his frontfeet so that you can move his right front footdirectly to the right (imagine standing on a clockfacing 12:00, with your back to 6:00 a clock…move his foot to 3:00), or his left front footdirectly to the left ( towards 9:00). You must alsoteach your horse to move his hindquarters overto either direction as well. Be sure to train yourhorse to move one step at a time so he doesn’trush or over anticipate, and so he’ll moveexactly as many steps as you ask for. Then usingyour reins to move the front end while simultane-ously using your legs to move the hindquarters,take both ends directly to the side. When youcan do this easily in either direction you’ll beready for the pole.

Your goal will be to sidepass the full length ofthe pole without stepping forward or backward,

keeping the pole under his bellythroughout the movement, andcrossing the outside legs in frontof the inside legs.

We’ll begin by desensitizingthe horse to the pole by walkingand subsequently trotting over ituntil he’s comfortable with it.Once this is accomplished, askyour horse to step over the poleat the pole’s extreme right endand stop with it directly under hisbelly, just behind where your leg

normally hangs in the stirrup. Ask him tonow sidepass to the right (you should beoff the pole with only one step to theside). Praise your horse, approach thepole again and step over it, stopping withthe pole under your stirrup again, but thistime about six inches from the right end. Relaxand sidepass off the pole (this time it should taketwo steps to clear it). Continue this exercise byadding six inches at a time until youreach two feet from the end. Then youcan add one foot at a time to the distancethe horse must sidepass. Finally, you’llbe able to approach and stop on theextreme left side of the pole, continuingto sidepass to the right over the entirelength of the pole and off. Once you’vemastered this movement to the right,start the lesson over again going to theleft.

Remember to keep the horse “think-ing forward” so that he crosses over cor-rectly (if sidepassing to the right, his leftlegs should cross over in front off his rightlegs, and vice versa), and also to avoidallowing him to back up. Also be sure tomix up this exercise with just stopping

over the pole and then walking forward.Otherwise he may start to anticipate the move-ment and immediately start to sidepass when youstop him over the pole.

If you’re ready to advance to sidepassing twopoles set at a 90 degree angle, here’s a tip – setyour horse up so that, when you get to the cornerwhere the two poles meet, your horse’s hind endis on the outside and you’re facing in. you’ll needto hold the front feet still while you move thehorse’s hindquarters over to make the turn, andsince the horse carries more weight on his fore-hand, his hindquarters are easier to move!

Until next time, ride safe!Bob Jeffreys and Suzanne Sheppard travel

nationwide teaching people how to bring out thebest in their horses. Their homebase is Bob’sTwo as One Ranch in Middletown, NY. For infoabout Bob & Suzanne’s Wind Rider Challenge,private horse training lessons, riding lessons,clinics, DVDs, books, Horsemanship Ed Coursesand ProTrack™ Trainer Certification Programsplease visit TwoasOneHorsemanship.com or call845-692-7478.

© Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard 12-09.

Versatility Training Part 5:

Sidepassing the PoleBy Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard


http://www.twoasonehorsemanship.com

At the last Pegasus Certification trainingsome of the participants decided that they did notwant to utilize their last day of training at ourarena using each other as participants, butwanted instead to develop their own seminarsand have me observe and provide feedback tothem at their arena with their own seminar. Theyeach decided on their client group, their goalsand objectives specific to that client group, whichhorse-human activities that they would use, andmarketed their seminar.

Mary Severson and Mariah Wedig, both fromthe Madison,Wisconsin area, decided to teamup and offer a mother-daughter relationshipbuilding event. Both are fine horsewomen in thetraditional sense, both showing themselves andsupporting their children in that venue.Theydecided to take the Pegasus Certification trainingin order to learn about EAL and how thisapproach could help them develop new clientbases. Both women are excellent examples ofthe Pegasus view that many horse people havean understanding of the horse-human connectionand the healing power of horses that, with a lit-tle training, could be channeled into helpingothers who have a variety of human developmentneeds.

Mary had already been working with specialneeds children using the horses in a fairlytraditional therapeutic riding format. Mariah knewthat this was an area she wanted to expand intoand had some ideas about the client group shewould be able to serve. Both are mothers, bothhad a keen sense of how horses had enrichedboth their life and their children's lives andwanted to share this with others.

To market the event they contacted severalsocial service areas, talked to people they knew,and distributed fliers. A small postcard was sentout outlining the goals of the seminar: improvedcommunication, a deeper connection, a sharedexperience and new ways of dealing with conflict.

My own work with Pegasus primarilyinvolves team and leadership development withcorporate groups and especially Women's lead-ership development; however, for sometime Ihad been thinking about a mother-daughterleadership program. The mother-daughter rela-tionship sets the stage for the daughter's adultdevelopment as a woman, as a leader, and as acitizen. At the same time mothers are highlyinfluenced by the innate wisdom of theirdaughters as they grow and develop.

I was very excited to see what the pair haddeveloped and how it would play out in the arenawith the horses and the mother-daughter teams.

They had three horses moving freely in thearena and started by letting everyone get com-fortable with the horses.They explained that thehorses would be doing the "teaching" by provid-ing behavioral feedback to the participants andthat part of the participants job was to watcheach other and the horses. They then proceededwith challenges that required that the mother-daughter teams work together. One activityinvolved moving the horse through a sort ofobstacle course that had many distractions forthe horse such as feed, narrow passages, and

small jumps. The teams were not allowed totouch the horse or use any sort of lead line.Another activity involved the daughters beingtaken aside and given a few props, like a spoolof thread, and directions as to what the motherswere to accomplish with the horses. However,the daughters could not communicate verballywith the mothers and the mothers had to makeassumptions about what they were to do and tocheck that assumption with the daughter.

There was much laughter and warmth in thatarena. In the processing, I was particularly takenby the daughters protectiveness of the mothers.In one case, one mother was not seeing that shewas not really hearing her daughter and justmoved ahead with what she thought she shoulddo. As we gently prodded the mother to see thisbehavior, the daughter became increasinglymore protective both verbally and physically -moving close to her mother and justifying herbehavior. This genuine caring was so evident thateventually some tears were shed at the sheertenderness of the moment.

I was excited and humbled by this event.Though I was there to observe and provide feed-back I became a participant-observer. I realizedthat some of the mother-daughter conflict issuesthat played out in the arena were my own issueswith my own daughter. I came back with changedbehavior - to the benefit of my daughter andmyself.

No mother-daughter relationship is perfect atall times; however this shared experience, aquiet time to reflect and change behavior didaccomplish a self-awareness in the participantsof their own strengths and needs as well as thestrengths and needs of the other. It was EAL atits finest and I want to thank Mary and Mariah forthis opportunity and for the important work thatthey will continue to do.Janet W. Hagen, Ph.D. - Pegasus LeadershipConsultants, LLC - [email protected]


Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL): Mother - DaughterRelationship Building



http://www.mnhorsecouncil.org

Winter has set in hard here in the Midwest.Brutal cold along with ice and snow makestraveling to the barn difficult for many. Once weget there, we aren't much warmer because fewof us can afford to heat a barn or an arena.Even true horsemen get discouraged on thesedamp cold days. Now is not the time to stay onthe couch or to leave your horse in the stallbundled under blanket. Abandoning our mountsuntil the snow melts is bad for both horse andrider. Exercise, crucial to maintaining propercirculation, respiration, and digestion, is morecritical to horses in the winter months than in thesummer. Horses can get the winterblues too. Give them much neededattention and boost your own spiritsby spending time out of the house.And if you plan on wearing lastyear chaps, you only have a fewmonths to work off those holidayindulgences. Still not motivated? Doyou think your competition is sittingon the couch?

You don't want to bring your horseto a sweat when it is brutally cold,but you must get them out of thestall and moving. Remove blanketsto brush the horse down and checktheir coat for blanket rubs orfungus patches. Monitor your horse'swater intake. Some horses dislike cold water.Encourage drinking with loose salt fed eitherby hand or sprinkled in feed. If you bring yourhorses outside, clean snow packed hooves priorto stalling.

Take extra time for your warm-ups and cool

downs. Warm-ups canbe in hand or undersaddle. If you have anarena that is hazardfree, let your horseloose to let off somesteam. Enjoy watchinghim run, spin, danceand snort. Let him bea horse! If he is lazy,encourage him with alonge whip. This free

time is good for both his mind and body. If youcan't turn out indoors, longeing is agood alternative. But, avoid standingin a circle with the horse movingmindlessly around you. Use thewhole arena and move along withyour horse, turning a boring longeexercise into a team workout. Muchmore fun than a health club.

Be creative under saddle. Ridingthe rail is best left for the show ring.Spirals, serpentines, squares, and

diagonals are great ways to strengthen yourhorse's hindquarters and they spice up yourworkout. Start the spiral with a large fast circle,moving inward as you slowly decrease speedand circle size. Try to make four circles priorto spiraling back outward. Spiral in both direc-tions. A serpentine is a series of half circles withchange of direction. Your goal is to have eachhalf circle match in size and speed. The numberof loops in the serpentine will depend upon yourarena length. If you have trouble with the loops,set out cones to mark the change points. Ridinga square involves 4 straight lines with 90º piv-ots on the haunches at each corner. The pivotswill help to strengthen and engage your horse'shindquarters. Diagonal work focuses on control-ling your horse's speed through your bodylanguage. Set cones in the corners of the arena,

riding diagonally between them. Maintain hisspeed until you approach the cone, then sitdeep in your seat, relax and ask for the halt. Hewill catch on quickly. Next, try to ride a straightline and halt with your eyes closed.

Focus on getting your horse to change speedwithin the gait, on demand. Remember, youshould have three speeds at the walk, trot (jog),and canter (lope). If you have access to barrelsor poles, set them in various patterns and see ifyou can bend your horse around them, handsfree. Have you ever ridden the alphabet? Lowercase letters work best. First, picture the letter in

your mind, planning in the arena where you willneed to stop, turn, or back. Start with “a” at thewalk and move to the jog or trot as soon as youfeel confident enough. Don't get discouraged,this is very tough. At first your letters will looklike a preschooler learning to write. By the endof the month, you should be loping the alphabetwith ease.

Cool downs are best done bareback. Pulling offthat saddle not only helps you feel your horsebetter, it will improve your balance and timing. Asyou walk around the arena, get in sync with hisrhythm, memorizing his footfall. Don't worryabout a headset or collection, let him relax andenjoy the ride too!

Jennifer Lindgren has been an All-BreedJudge since 1985. She is an experiencedcompetitor who has earned Regional andNational awards in Halter, Western Equitationand Hunter. She loves all breeds of horses andkeeps her private collection in Grant Park, IL.contact: jenlind22msn.com



West

ern

Plea

sure

Beating theWinter BluesBeating the

Winter Blues

Snow or Shine, horses need to get out of their stalls tomaintain proper circulation, digestion, and mentalhealth. Blankets, great to keep them dry and warm,

should be removed and checked daily. photo courtesy:Al Breyer, Breyer Patch Morgans.

Want to Win Western Pleasure

by Jennifer Lindgren © 2010


http://www.thebootlady.com


Have you ever wondered what you aredoing in the show ring? Do you often wonderwhy you continue to get that lower placing in thehorsemanship class at the horse show. Today, Iwould like to offer some advice to help youunderstand what it takes to be competitive inWestern Horsemanship.

I have been involved in the horse industryfor approx. 30 years. I have been judging forapproximately the last 15 years and have hadthe opportunity to judge many different typesof shows - from the State Finals to the Futurities,to the open shows and county fairs, and mylatest endeavor is judging some ranch horseshows. Now that you have my credentials, let’sgo ahead and get started.

Western Horsemanship is like baking a cake,if you don’t follow the recipe as indicated, it maynot turn out the way that you intended.There aretwo very important things, as an exhibitor, thatyou need to remember: First Impression andConfidence. First impression to me does notstart at cone 1 or at the gate, it should start in theholding pen. Why do I say this? Mentally, as anexhibitor, you need to have both your horse andyourself prepared to win the class. I always tellmy students if they are ready in the holding penwhen they approach cone 1, they are ready towin that class. Once at cone 1I like to see theexhibitor positioned a little behind the cone, justin case there is a trot off at cone 1. By giving yourhorse a little room it will ensure that you will betrotting off by the cone as the pattern requests.Not only is the positioning important, but makesure that you are in a great horsemanship ridingposture.

Confidence…I define confidence as believ-ing in yourself, having the drive to be great andnever giving up. As a judge I often see exhibitorsexecuting their patterns and their horse or ponywill make a mistake, the exhibitor gets frustratedand that causes anxiety in their horse as well.Mistakes happen, but you need to remainconfident in yourself and your horse, maintainyour composure, and continue forward as if you

just executed a flawless pattern. Theremay still be other components in thatpattern to make up the lost penaltypoints. Keep in mind that even if yourpattern was not as you had planned,other exhibitors may make the samemistake or one that could be morecritical than yours.

To me the Horsemanship class, orany pattern class, has always been ateam effort between horse and rider.This team effort must exhibit confidenceand make that great first impression.The judge, after a pattern class, mayhave the option to bring back theexhibitors for rail work. Here is anotheropportunity for you to come out and

make up some points. Again,you may have tripped a littlein the pattern, but you need tokeep your chin up, exhibit thatconfidence, and forget themistake. Get yourself andyour horse on your game, goout onto that rail and be seen.

When the judge calls forthe reverse during the railwork, this is when the judgestarts to make up the placingsfor the class. Continue onconfident…after the finaldirection, the judge will askthe exhibitors to line up.Here is a helpful tip for mak-ing that great last impressionas the class is completed.Wait that extra few seconds, ifpossible, to get past the judgeone more time as you line up,and be the last one there.Don’t be in a hurry, you areconfident and you can wait foryour blue ribbon an extrasecond or two. When thejudge calculates his\her final placings and handsthem to the ring steward and the class is called…whether its your day for the blue or you were afew places below… make sure you acknowledgethe judge and thank them, remember goodsportsmanship goes a long way.

Being in the horse business for over 30years, I have obtained a vast amount ofknowledge through personal experience. It ismy hope that this article has conveyed someof that information.and you will be able totake away at least one piece of helpful informa-tion. I highly recommend to both youth andadults alike, that you find a judge in your areathat will allow you to be an apprentice andjudge with them for the day. This is a wonderfulopportunity for you to learn about the scoringssystem and how penalties\credits are given.I am confident that an apprenticeship will

provide you with a better understanding ofwestern horsemanship and give you thatcompetitive edge you need.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you forthe opportunity to help you score more pointsin your next Western Horsemanship class. GoodLuck to all of you in 2010, see you down the rail!

For information on hiring Dan Grunewald asyour next judge, clinician or trainer, visit us on theweb at www.dangrunewald.com. You may alsoreach him via phone at 262-593-8014 or via emailat [email protected]

Meet Your JudgeDan Grunewald has been involved in the

horse industry his entire life. He offers a vastamount of knowledge and expertise in theshow world, whether it has been through hisexperience as an exhibitor, clinician, or judge.

Dan has been a hugeadvocate for gettingour future horsemenand women involved inthe horse industry andhe puts to use all ofhis energy, experi-ence, knowledge andlove of the industryinto all of his clinics,judging jobs, and intraining his clients’horses. He has beena three time top tenfinisher in the ExtremeMustang MakeoverChallenge, has beenchosen to be afeatured clinician atthe 2010 Alltech WorldEquestrian Games inLexington, Kentuckyand was named 2008WSHC Judge of theYear.

He also won the2009 WSHC Special

Achievement Award for his work in founding theWisconsin Interscholastic HorsemanshipAssociation (WIHA). Dan holds ABRA, ARHA andWSHC judges cards and has trained and shown

several Local, State,National and WorldChampion horsesthroughout his career.

Being Competitive in Western Horsemanship

Being Competitive in Western Horsemanship

by Dan Grunewald

http://www.dangrunewald.com




I answer thousands of questions regardingtack at clinics, expos and shows and one of themost frequent questions Iget revolves around the useof a training fork. Beforeyou begin using it youneed to understand thepurpose behind using atraining fork, so let’s start atthe beginning!

A training fork is usedprimarily to allow you tocapture your horses noseand control where theirhead is, plain and simple.One of the first things I tellriders is that you cannotcontrol your horse if youdon’t have control of theirnose.

A good training forkshould be made of goodquality leather that is suppleand soft and has plentyof flexibility for adjustment. Idon’t recommend buying or using a trainingfork that is made of stretchy tubing material.Horses have so much strength in their headand necks; the rubber acts like rubber bandsand is not restrictive enough if your horse putstheir head up.

Before you begin using a training fork, it’simportant to determine where you want yourhorse’s head to be. Think of an imaginary boxthat is the ideal position you want your horseshead to be in. As you ride with a training fork,if your horse lifts his head, the training forkallows you to get control and get his head backdown.

It will take a little practice and patience butit’s an important element because horsesbalance themselves through their head, so once

you determine where your horses head needs tobe, the training fork can be a great tool in helpingyour horse keep it there.

How to properlyadjust the training fork.Run your reins throughthe ring of the forkwhile you’re on theground imagining theideal position youwant your horses headto be in. Imaginewhere you want yourhands to be. Ideallythey should be in frontof the saddle and aswide apart as yourhorses shoulders. Ifyour hands are in theright position, you

should be able to draw a straight linefrom your hand to the bit and the trainingfork should be loose.

If your horse lifts his head 2”, thetraining fork should capture your reinand allow you to bring your horseshead back down. Repeating this processover and over, combined with yourhorse’s muscle memory, will help yourhorse learn where to carry his head.

It’s important to remember that thisprocess will not happen in a day ortwo, it will take some time. Repetition isan ongoing process and importantcomponent in training. Remember yourhorse has a mind of his own and youwill always have to be training yourhorse. Many people think once a horselearns something they will remember itforever, but that’s not necessarily thecase. Horses do remember things, butonly partially, so you will always improve

their memory and training process with practiceand repetition.

As you ride your horse with the trainingfork, he will learn how to give to pressure.The exercise I do is a lot of figure 8’s andcircles in my arena. Find two reference pointsin your arena and focus on those for thenext exercise. I personally like to use barrels,but you can use whatever you’d like. Moveyour horse forward in circles and figure 8’s ,around these reference points, in circles thatare no bigger than 6’ in diameter. You willnotice as you change directions, your horsewill have a tendency to want to put his noseup and he will also want to stop in the middleof the direction change. In both cases, it’simportant to keep your horse moving forwardand feeling the bit. Over time, your horse willget softer left to right and eventually he’llbecome softer going forward. This is the begin-ning process of vertical flexion and the trainingfork helps greatly in developing this.

Should You Be Using a TrainingFork?by Tommy Garland



Too many times people ride around andlose sight of the problem they’re trying to solveand that can become frustrating and confusing

for both you and your horse. Try to focus andconcentrate on one issue at a time and workon it, resolve it and then go on to the next issueand exercise. You might do the exercises I’veoutlined here 30-45 minutes a day for 7 daysin a row, which might be overkill, but youand your horse will learn and improve throughrepetition.

Persistence will pay off in the end andremember, Confidence, Patience and Respect(CPR) is an important element in any trainingroutine.

About Tommy Garland: Tommy Garland has ridden horses all his

life and credits his trainer father, also namedTommy with teaching him much of what helearned early on about horsemanship. Tommyhas spent the past 30 years training not onlyArabians and Half-Arabians but Quarter Horses,Tennessee Walking Horses, Paints and Mulesas well. His techniques have been universallyaccepted, respected and utilized by horseowners of all breeds & disciplines.

In addition to his popular TV show, “CPR ForThe Horse & Rider” which aired on RFD TV forseveral years, Tommy regularly participates atclinics, expos and other equestrian eventsthroughout the United States, Canada andBrazil. Tommy is a regular contributor to severalpopular equine publications and his online clinicsand training DVD’s are valuable resources foranyone who loves horses!

Tommy resides in Virginia with his wifeDawn and children, Samantha, Katie andTBird (Tommy Jr.).

For additional information Tommy’s prod-ucts, training aids and DVDs and clinic and exposchedule, please visit www.tommygarland.comor email us at [email protected].

Horse owner’s looking for medical advicecan now get it straight from the horse’s mouth –or better yet straight from a renowned veterinari-an. The Equilite website gives animals lovers thechance to ask questions to Dr. Judith M.Shoemaker on their “Ask the Expert” page andhave them answered, free of charge.

Equilite, the makers of the award-winningSore No More products and Botanical AnimalFlower Essences, is thrilled to partner withDr. Shoemaker, a 1980 graduate of the Universityof Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.Dr. Shoemaker’s integrative practice utilizesmultiple complementary medicine and therapymodalities including chiropractic, acupuncture,and other alternative techniques.

“Dr. Shoemaker’s patients include all breedsand all disciplines including Thoroughbred andStandardbred racehorses, pleasure horses,draft and gaited horses, top-level competitionhorses in dressage, open jumping, endurance,Western sports, and combined training,” saidStacey Small of Equilite. “She is licensed topractice in 17 states including most of the stateson the East coast as well as Colorado,Kentucky, Indiana, and Alabama.”

Dr. Shoemaker maintains a largecomplementary medicine and therapy mixedveterinary practice in Nottingham, Pennsylvania.Since 1995, she has been affiliated withseveral premiere equine sports therapy centersproviding comprehensive maintenance,therapeutic management, and consultation toequestrian competitors in the United States andinternationally.

“Our ‘Ask the Expert’ page is a greatresource for horse owners who are looking forgeneral information about animal health care,”Small said. “It’s a wonderful resource for peoplewho visit our website and it gives them a chanceto ask Dr. Shoemaker about our products aswell.”

Dr. Shoemaker will be joining Equiliteveterinarian Dr. Bill Ormston on the “Ask theExpert” panel. Dr. Ormston, who has been partof the “Ask the Expert” panel for the past year,graduated from Iowa State University Collegeof Veterinary Medicine in 1988. After attendingOptions For Animals in 1998 he received certifi-cation from the American Veterinary ChiropracticAssociation (AVCA) and began using chiropracticto treat his animal patients.

Dr. Ormston received his Doctor ofVeterinary Homeopathy from the British Institutein 2002. Jubilee Animal Health is a mobilemixed animal practice in the Dallas TX areawhere he cares for pets and horses usingmostly alternative methods. He is one of thefounding instructors of the postgraduate coursein Animal Chiropractic at Parker ChiropracticCollege in Dallas. Dr.”O” has lectured bothnationally and internationally on AnimalChiropractic and Biomechanics and GaitAnalysis in the quadruped.

Equilite, which offers a line of award-winningholistic animal health and herbal blends that help

manage a horse’s attitude and natural lifestyle,is pleased to bring both veterinarians to their“Ask the Expert” panel. Equilite’s herbal horseliniments, holistic herbal supplement blendsand botanical flower essences are non-irritatingand safe for horses, horse owners and theenvironment. They contain no sugars, no fillersand no chemicals and are proudly made withhuman grade ingredients in the USA. Equilite isan environmentally conscious company.

For more information on Equilite, part of theArenus family of products, or to ask Dr.Shoemaker or Dr. Ormston a question, visit theirwebsite at www.equilite.com or call 1-800-942-5483

About EquiliteEquilite is part of the Arenus family of prod-

ucts. Arenus is a premier provider of innovativehealth and nutrition products for pets and hors-es. A growing division within Novus NutritionBrands LLC., a global company dedicated to ani-mal performance, health and longevity.

Equilite Website Lets Horse Owners AskQuestions To Renowned Veterinarian

at “Ask The Expert”

Renowned veterinarian Dr. Judith M.Shoemaker, a graduate of the University

of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine,is available to answer questions at Equilite’s

“Ask the Expert” page on the Equilite website.Equilite, makers awarding winning Sore NoMore and Botanical Blends, offers the service

free of charge. (Photo courtesy of Equilite)

http://www.tommygarland.com


http://www.equilite.com




http://www.arenatrailers.com


http://www.arenatrailers.com


22 January/February 2010 MIDWEST HORSE DIGESTMIDWEST HORSE DIGEST

Dre

ssage

- En

glish

Ask Mary: How do I know if my ridinghelmet fits?

I often am asked how to select a good ridinghelmet and how to tell if it fits. Here is someinformation to help you find a safe helmet that fitsproperly. Today riding helmets are adjustable,light weight and well ventilated so there is noreason not to wear one

Look for an ASTM/SEI Certified-ridinghelmet.

Certified riding helmets are speciallydesigned and constructed to protect your headin the event you fall from a horse. Bicyclehelmets or helmets that do not have thiscertification are not adequate head protectionfrom a fall from a horse. Check the inside of yourhelmet. It should have a label marked,”ASTM/SEIapproved” inside. If it doesn’t, it is consideredapparel and won’t provide the protection of acertified helmet.

FeaturesIf your riding discipline requires a specific

style of helmet, like dressage choose that style of

helmet. Check the helmet for venting that willallow airflow. The better the ventilation system inthe helmet the cooler it will keep your head.Look for an adjustable safety harness withchinstrap to secure the helmet comfortably toyour head. Washable, removable liners keepyour helmet fresher, especially in a warmerclimate.

Fitting your HelmetFit is the ultimate deciding factor when

choosing a helmet. A helmet that doesn’t fit youwon’t protect your head as well as one thatdoes fit. Helmets come in a variety of sizesand shapes. Is your head shape oval or is itround? The best way to choose a helmet thatfits your particular head shape is to try onvarious sizes and styles of helmets.

The helmet should sit level on your headabout one inch above your eyebrows. Look atyour visor. Is it tipped forward or back? It shouldbe even and straight. Adjust your side harnessstraps to meet just below and in front of yourear lobes. The chinstrap should be snug to holdthe helmet in place upon the impact of a fall.If you ride with the chinstrap dangling or loose,your helmet won’t stay in place (to protect yourhead) during a fall. Move the helmet forwardand backward on your head. The skin on yourforehead and eyebrows should move with thehelmet. In a properly fitted helmet your headdoes not slide around inside. It should feel snugbut not tight enough to give you a headache.Some helmets come with an adjustable fitsystem. This can be useful if several peopleshare the same helmet but it doesn’t provide the

same protection as a helmet that form actuallyfits you.

When to ReplaceHelmets do have a life span. The exterior

plastic shell and the shock absorbing plasticfoam inside degrade and provide less protectionas they age. Most helmet manufacturers recom-mend replacing helmets every five years andafter any fall or impact where the helmet receivesa blow. Some companies offer helmet replace-ment programs where riders can send in theirdamaged helmets for a replacement at a lowercost.

I bought a new riding helmet the other day.The one that fit the best was the most expensiveone at the tack shop, of course. As I debatedthe purchase of a cheaper model, my usually(price – sensitive) husband surprised me bycommenting, “Well, How much is your headworth?” I bought the more expensive helmet, myhead’s worth it.

The definition of smart headgear is anASTM/SEI certified riding helmet that fits and achinstrap that is snug and buckled. Your head isworth it.

Mary is a Mounted Police instructor and afully insured ARICP riding instructor. She devotesher creative energy to developing customizedtraining programs to improve show ring perform-ance, mount obedience and despooking trailhorses utilizing training methods used in trainingpolice horses. Visit her website atwww.riderselite.com or email your questions toMary at: [email protected] visit www.riderselite.com

MMaarryy HHaammiillttoonn aannsswweerrss yyoouurr

ttrraaiinniinngg qquueessttiioonnss!!AA sk Msk Marar yy

The Sport Horse Nationals PaybackProgram celebrated its second year anniversaryin November, having raised a grand total of over$119,000 for exhibitors in these first two years.Funds were raised through the sales of donatedstallion breeding services sold to the public athalf-price. All money raised goes into payouts asno revenues are utilized for administration.

Included in the offered services are world

class Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians,Anglo-Arabians, Saddlebreds, Welsh, Friesians,Hackneys and others. Many are National orWorld Champions, or have sired Champions.Total number of stallions enrolled for 2010 cur-rently exceeds three hundred so far.

The money raised in 2010 will be paid out atthe Sport Horse National Championships inSeptember, 2010, with 10% of the total going tothe top two Payback sires of the show. There isalso a special award for the high point Paybackstallion competing at the show.

All offspring of enrolled stallions are eligiblefor the cash payouts in the designated Paybackclasses throughout their lifetime. Classes areincluded from Working Hunter, Sport Horse InHand, Dressage, Driving, Jumper, Sport HorseUnder Saddle and Hunter Hack.

New for the 2010 season is the PaybackYoung Sport Horse Futurity, a prize moneyprogram for yearlings and two-year-olds of anybreed sired by enrolled Payback stallions.Horses show at their local recognized competi-tions and accumulate points towards a cashaward at year’s end. Details are on the Paybackwebsite.Enrollment of stallions may be made for 2010by visiting the SHN PAYBACK website anddownloading a donation form. Stallions mustmeet eligibility requirements to be enrolled.There is no cost for enrollment.

Learn more about Payback at www.shnpayback.com or call (410) 823-5579.SHN Payback Inc. is a 501c5 non-profit organization.

SHN PAYBACK STARTS THIRD YEAR WITH A NEW WAY TO WIN CASH


http://www.riderselite.com


http://www.riderselite.com

http://www.shnpayback.com


I now want to add the final two “GoldenRules” of Ground Training to “Respect YourPosition” and “Make Straightness a Goal,” thetwo that you learned in the last article.

Golden Rules #3: Do Not PullOne of the best ways to avoid getting into a

pulling competition with a horse, a competitionyou will never win, is to keep the longe line loosein your hands while working on ground training. Ioften see handlers trying to steer, stop, and getthe horse to go forward by pulling or pushing thehorse’s head from the bottom of the halter. Thisviolates all of the Golden Rules! The more youpull on the lead, the more the horse will learn tolean against it. This desensitizes him andincreases the physical and mental stress on bothof you because you get less response from thehorse.

A loose lead allows your horse to beindependent. The more the horse learns to keephis own space, the more he will be able toconcentrate and obey your commands becausehe will not have anything to lean on or resistagainst.

If your horse gets too close to you whileteaching ground training maneuvers, push hishead away with your hand on the side of hishead rather than pushing it away from beneaththe halter. Another way to get him to moveaway is to shake the longe line toward him toencourage him to maintain the desired space.If, however, the horse resists coming towardsyou, put a slight tension on the lead, but releaseit the instant the horse moves closer to you.

Try not to lag behind your horse’s move-ments when teaching ground training maneu-vers. Do not pull to slow down his naturalmovements. When the horse is first learningto respond to you, you should stay up withhis speed. Once the horse is responsive,keeping his space, and leading without pulling,you can increase the difficulty by asking thehorse to perform the maneuver at differentspeeds.

I use voice commands, in addition to myposition, to reinforce what I am asking my horse

to do. A deep vocal tone tells a horse to “do itnow” or “respond and react to me.” A mellow toneis rewarding and soothing. I also introduce thecluck as a signal that means “move.”

Golden Rule #4: Reward ProgressThis may be the most important rule of them

all for success in building a partnership withyour horse. Ground training takes time so bepatient. You may need to spend several days orweeks on one lesson. Make your sessions shortto keep your horse’s attention, and find a wayto end each session on a positive note so thatyou can praise your horse. Remember thatrushed or impatient handling now will affect yourfuture training sessions.

Ground training is not mentally or physicallyfatiguing for a horse so it is something you cando every day as long as you keep the lessonsshort and interesting. This is a must for young

horses. For older horses,ground training offers varietyto your schooling, and it isanother opportunity to spendtime together. Every minuteyou spend with your horse isa learning situation so do notlet your guard down and lethim get away with such badbehavior as rubbing on youor invading your space inany way you do not wish.Your horse will rememberany lapse!

Reward any progressyour horse makes no matterhow small. Praise him with

your voice and with touch. If your horse is notused to being petted, start by gently touchinghim. Once he accepts a touch, try stroking him onhis neck, then along his back in the direction thathis hair grows. Horses usually love being strokedon their foreheads, but some horses are headshy so go slowly. A treat of carrots or apples anda good brushing after the lesson will encourageyour horse to look forward to the next lesson.

No matter what the age of your horse,investing the time in thorough ground trainingwill make him a more responsive and obedientpartner. In the next article, I will start the trainingcommands. Until then, my Longevity TrainingVisual Series and Longevity Training Book willenhance these lessons. To learn more aboutthese and other fine training products as wellas information on our courses, go towww.lynnpalm.com.

Be the Rider Your Horse Deserves

Golden Rules ofGround Training,Continued.....PALM PARTNERSHIP TRAINING™™

By Lynn Palm

http://www.lynnpalm.com



The American Quarter Horse Association(AQHA) has been researching and studying thesport of dressage for the past nine years.Through the efforts of countless individuals,including input from staff at the United StatesDressage Federation (USDF) and the UnitedStates Equestrian Federation (USEF), dressagewill become an AQHA-approved event beginningJanuary 1, 2010.

AQHA-registered horses, shown byexhibitors who are current individual membersof AQHA, will be eligible to earn points atUSEF/USDF dressage competitions. AQHA hascreated a high-point recognition program for theAQHA open, amateur and youth divisions for firstthrough 10th place in each division and thehighest award to be given to the highest-point-earning registered American Quarter Horse ineach division, including points earned in TrainingLevel 4 through Grand Prix.

The following link to the AQHA websitecontains additional information, including a FAQpage, information on hosting a dressage event,

and the competition license for the horse:www.aqha.com/showing/guidetoshowing/dres-sage.html.

There are certain requirements of theUSEF/USDF competitions before exhibitors canearn points with AQHA. Competitions will com-plete a short application and pay a fee of $50per competition for approval from AQHA. Thismust be received by AQHA at least 60 days inadvance of the competition. USEF dressagejudges must have an AQHA membership in orderfor the points earned by the competitor to count(See AQHA rule 438). Each competition, withthe name of the judge(s), will appear in theShow Calendar of at least one issue of theAmerican Quarter Horse Journal. The UnitedStates Equestrian Federation is excited aboutthis new AQHA program.

If you have any questions, please contactValerie Smith, AQHA Competition Department at(806) 376-4811 or [email protected].

American Quarter Horse AssociationEstablishes Dressage as an Approved Event

Hearts &Hearts &Horses DanceHorses Danceat the Houseat the House

on the on the Rock ResortRock Resort

On February 13, 2010 Wisconsin StateHorse Council is pleased to host the Hearts& Horses dance at The House on the RockResort - Wintergreen Lodge, 5328 CountyHwy C, Spring Green Wiscosnsin. Hearts& Horses, a black tie optional dance is a funway to support WSHC Equine Foundation.This is an opportunity for horse lovers toenjoy the Howard Schneider Variety Band,bid on the auction items, eat tasty horsd'oeurves and hopefully have a littleromance on Valentine weekend.

If you mention Hearts & Horses and theWSHC Equine Foundation you will recievereduced rates at The House on the RockResort.

Ticket prices for Hearts & Horses are$40 each or two for $75 which includes horsd'oeurves, the dance, an opportunity to bidon some great items, and the knowledge thatyou have helped the equestrian community.Cocktails (cash bar) begin at 5 pm, dance 7-11 pm, and auction at 8:30pm.

Wisconsin State Horse Council EquineFoundation was created to better serveWisconsin's growing equestrian communityand to help that community realize its fullestpotential. The Foundation is a tax exempt501(c)(3) organization and as such allowsindividuals to make tax-deductible contribu-tions to support Wisconsin equine projects.

The mission of the WSHC EquineFoundation is to support Wisconsin'sexpanding equestrian community by funding:educational initiatives, equine research, traildevelopment, youth scholarship and partici-pation.

We continue to seek and accept dona-tions of cash or items for our auction. Formore information or to purchase tickets con-tact: Corky Smith (608)697-6888Sue Piper (920)386-2912Diane Sackett (920)689-2625Margo Miller (608)745-1218For more information visithttp://www.wshcef.org


http://www.aqha.com/showing/guidetoshowing/dres-sage.html




http://www.wshcef.org

http://www.mnschoolofhorseshoeing.com

http://www.mcsofmn.com


A new book on small equines is celebrating the smallbut mighty Shetland Ponies and Miniature Horses in a bigway! The Big Book of Small Equines, A Celebration ofMiniature Horses and Shetland Ponies, by Johnny Robband Jan Westmark (Skyhorse Publishing, $29.95Hardcover) is now available and being embraced byhorse enthusiasts everywhere.

Filled with colorful stories of small equines, as well asbeautiful full-page color photographs from some of thecountry’s most recognized equine photographers, thebook embraces America’s love affair with small equines.New York Times Bestselling author Tami Hoag pennedthe foreward for the book, detailing her own love of aShetland Pony named Dan that began her life-long loveof horses

Hoag writes in the foreward that Dan was the dreampony that every horse crazy kid imagines. “My very firsthorse show was with Dan. I drove him in a homemadecart with wheels salvaged from a Model-A car. We placedfifth out of five, but I got a big pink ribbon and neverlooked back.”

The Big Book of Small Equines also takes a look atseveral well-known equestrians who all started theirriding careers on small equines. International dressagecompetitor George Williams, who represented the United States in theWorld Cup in Sweden and in Germany, is featured in a story about hisShetland Pony Mitzi “I would use a ladder to climb up her rump and get on

her,” George fondly recalled.Television star and style guru Carson

Kressley, known for his showsQueer Eye for the Straight Guyand How to Look Good Naked,also began his career onShetland Ponies and MiniatureHorses. Today, in addition tobeing a fashion and design expertKressley is a ChampionSaddlebred rider but says he willalways have a soft spot for smallequines.

The Big Book of SmallEquines, A Celebration ofMiniature Horses and ShetlandPonies, captures the charmand delight that small equineshave brought to so many riders.The book is available onlineat Skyhorse Publishing,amazon.com and barnesandno-ble.com. It is also available inbookstores throughout thecountry and through the AmericanShetland Pony Club AmericanMiniature Horse Registry websiteat www.shetlandminiature.com orcall (309) 263-4044.

Photo: A new book on smallequines celebrates the small butmighty breeds in a big way. “The

Big Book of Small Equines, A Celebration of Miniature Horses and ShetlandPonies,” by Johnny Robb and Jan Westmark, is now available online and inbookstores.

New Book On Small Equines CelebratesMiniature Horses andShetland Ponies

http://www.shetlandminiature.com

http://www.squaremealfeeds.com

In past training articles, we discussed start-ing the turn-arounds or spins on our young horseand starting them on cattle. In this article I amgoing to wriye more on controling the body partson our horse. Learning to develop and controlevery part of the horse’s body is essential, nomatter what disciplines you train or show in,even if you just want a good broke, responsiveriding and trail horse. We work to gain completecontrol and softness of the horse’s body, byadding motivation and control, while directingmovement into any maneuver we want. Thenwith repetition and consistency we can makethem solid at each maneuver.

I like to break the horse into four differentbody parts for training. This helps to simplify andto give you specific goals to work toward.Many times in horse training, and with life ingeneral, if we have no plan or specific goals inplace, we never get where we want to go. Ourplan is to have a finished performance horse. Ourgoals are to be able to spin, do sliding stops,

and lead changes, as wellas work a cow. But ourfirst goal is to gain com-plete control of the horse’sbody.

By dividing the horseinto four parts it giveseasier and more obtain-able steps to reach ourgoals. With time, repeti-tion and consistency wecan accomplish our plan.

Remember that training must be broken downinto a step-by-step process. We build a solidfoundation and continually build from it.

The four regions of the horse we want tobreak and gain control of are: the mouth, faceand poll, the shoulders, the ribs or mid sectionof a horse and finally the hips and rear end.By gaining control of these four parts of thebody you develop tools to train with and it feelslike you have put automatic buttons on yourhorse. With these you can train your horse to doany maneuver.

The first part of the horse’s body we want togain control of is the mouth, face and pole. Wehave discussed this portion in detail in previousarticles. Next, we want to gain control of themid-section or ribs which teaches the horse tomove off our leg. We accomplish this by teachingthe horse to side pass, which we also havediscussed in earlier articles. Next, we move to theshoulders and introduce an exercise we call thecounter arc. If I want to counter arc to the left, Itake my right rein and tip the horse’s nose to the

right, then bringing my hand across his neckpushing his shoulders over at the same time. Itake my left leg off of my horse and apply pres-sure with my right leg pushing his body to theleft. This enables you to gain control and isolatethe shoulders. If you have any trouble, refer backto the previous step which was the sidepass, getting your horse to move off your leg.

The next part we want to gain control of is thehip. Your goal is to teach your horse to takethat correct step. The easiest way to start gainingcontrol of the hip is to ride parallel to a fence orwall. If I am moving the hip to the right I willhave the wall on my left side as a barrier on myleft, and to block forward motion once I startpushing his hip around. I then want to take myleft leg off the horse, showing him the way out,which is like opening the door for him. Then,reach back behind the back cinch and press withyour left leg while holding his head and shouldersin place with the reins. I will press until I get astep, even if it is only one. I can build on that onestep, then another. Once I get the horse quiet andconsistent with this I will bring him out into themiddle and ask him to move off my leg.

If it takes six months to gain control of thesebody parts or put the automatic buttons on yourhorse, where he is willing and relaxed, soft andfluid as he moves, you have done a great job.Nothing good comes easily, but the results arewell worth it. With this accomplished, you are thatmuch closer to your goals and plans for yourhorse.

Until next time, good luck and God blessMonty Bruce

Monty Bruce Training Center is a full serviceequine facility specializing in the ‘PerformanceHorse”. Monty Bruce Training center thrives forproviding superior care and training for all yourequine needs. Monty has a low pressure style oftraining that focuses on ‘teaching the horse, notforcing the horse.’ Monty also works with teach-ing the rider with motivational tips, theories, andgoal setting to not only accomplish the resultsthey want but also to maintain a long lasting rela-tionship.

Expect Success. We Do.

If you have any questions or would like moreinformation, log onto Monty’s website atwww.montybruce.com



Turn-arounds,spins and more body control on your horseBy Monty Bruce

Perfo

rman

ce H

orses

http://www.montybruce.com


http://www.stomachsoother.com




Five Rules to Follow to Avoid a Hoof Soaking Disaster

Although soaking can be an effective way oftreating the hoof against disease, there can beserious consequences if done carelessly.Experts have collaborated to recommend fiverules that can help you avoid a hoof soakingdisaster.

Why Hoof Soaking can be Dangerous Submerging the hoof in any liquid for an

extended period of time can wash away thenatural protective coating provided throughtranspiration. Over time soaking can weakenthe entire hoof structure and leave healthy hooftissue subject to damage. Since many commer-cial preparations and harsh household productsmay work well on hard surfaces by burningpathogens to death, they can also do seriousharm to new hoof tissue. Keep in mind that ahealthy hoof will grow out an astonishing rate of3/8” a month. Damaged cells will prevent thisnormal hoof growth.

Conservative Approach to SoakingHoof infections are difficult to treat because

they are hard to reach. There are many nooksand crannies for pathogens to hide, and youcannot easily detect their presence behind thehoof wall. Another issue is that the infection maybe a particularly aggressive form of fungus oranaerobic and aerobic bacteria, or any combina-tion of them. How do you kill the broad spectrumof pathogens by soaking them without harmingsensitive hoof tissue? How often and how long atime period is it safe to soak? How much soak isrequired to be effective? How do you preventwaste or spilling of the soak? To find out answersto these questions we asked the researchers whohave worked on these issues.

During the last decade there was a worldwide epidemic called white-line disease. Twocompanies collaborated to develop a new deliv-ery system for treating the disease and otherhoof infections. They recognized that soakingthe hoof could be a simple and effective way oftreating the hoof against infections, if donecorrectly. They recognized too, that there maybe serious consquences if the soaking wasdone incorrectly. Several months later bothcompanies developed products that would workin harmony with the others. Even after ten years,both products are still being used togetheras a successful treatment option.

It is amazing the hear so may horror storiesabout horse owners who have inadvertentlydamaged the feet by over soaking, not realizingthat safer options may exist. It appears thatcontrolled soaking may the answer. There areseveral companies that make soaking products.

We are just focusing our attention on the two withover ten years of experience with soaking.

The researchers at SBS Equine Productsdeveloped a unique product called Sav-A-HoofSoak. The product contains a powerful fungicideas well as broad spectrum bactericide that isvery effective and long lasting. This longercontact time allows for a more conservativemethod of treatment. Another company, DavisManufacturing, were successful at molding theDavis Horse Boot. The product is a one piece,high top, medical boot that was engineeredspecifically for soaking the hoof, not as a ridingboot.

Another breakthrough component was thedevelopment by SBS and Davis of a fiber matrix-pad which is included inside the boot. The pad iswashable and reusable. It’s purpose is to holdthe Soak in place. The pad reduces evaporationand helps to prevent the liquid from sloshingaround and spilling out. The fibers also wick thekey ingredients to the affected areas of thefeet. This reduces the danger of over soakingbecause only the pad needs to be saturated withthe Soak, not the entire hoof.

A few years ago SBS came up with a non-liquid soaking material called Sav-A-HoofMed-i-sole. It is a gel. When the pad is saturatedwith the gel, it makes the chances of over soak-ing almost impossible. (The product is not to beconfused with Sav-A-Hoof Gel, which is aconcentrated gel product made for voids andcracks.)

Five Rules to Avoid DisasterHoof Soaking is a simple concept for treating

deeply rooted infections, yet a risky one. Thismethod is recommended only when other lessinvasive methods have been tried first. We mustnever forget that soaking has the potential tocause irreversible cell damage to the hoof ifdone incorrectly.

Hoof soaking is not an exact sciencebecause every situation is different. We askedthe experts to share their best recommendationson hoof soaking with us. The rules selectedare designed primarily to keep us from getting

into trouble andgive us the bestchance of suc-cess.

Rule 1. ClearDebris from Voids

Use a hoofpick and brushbefore washingthe hoof to clear

trapped debris from voids. This helps to open upblocked passageways for the Soak to work better.

Rule 2. Wash Hoof before SoakingThoroughly

wash off hardsurface dirt withsoapy waterbefore eachsoaking ses-sion. This willhelp preventcontaminationof the soakingmaterial.

Rule 3. Use Boots Made for SoakingRule 4. Use Commercial Soaking PreparationSoaking boots are injection molded in one

piece construction, and produced in many sizes.They are made of a flexible plastic to make iteasier to slip on or off the hoof. The resin used tomake the boots should be compatible with thechemicals used to treat the hoof. Form fittingsoaking boots require much less volume of Soakthan would a bucket. This is a good thing. Lookfor boots with a closure top that is well above thehairline. This helps prevent the liquid contentsfrom spilling out. Use only commercially productsthat are specifically recommended for hoofsoaking. Read the labels to make sure theingredients are not harmful to hoof tissue. Theyshould also be effective against both fungus andbacteria. Never use household products forsoaking. They can cause irreversible damage thehoof. Products that bind to hoof protein workbest.

Rule 5. Limit Soaking TimeLimit soaking contact time to 30 minutes, and

no more than twice a day. Stop soaking if the hoofbecomes soft and punchy. A longer contact timemay be permitted when doing a controlled soak;that is, if the boot has a soaking pad inside withjust a few ounces of Soak in it. For more inform-ative articles go to sbsequine.com/articles

For more information concerning this articlecontact: Ray Tricca, SBS Equine Products, 3888Mannix Dr, Unit 303 , Naples, FL 34114ph 239-354-3361 or [email protected]

This recent photo of a damaged hoof was takenafter six month of aggressive treatment. Is it astrain of a new killer hoof fungus, or the result

of the treatment?




In a competition befitting its name, theExtreme Cowboy Association held its WorldChampionship competition November 13-15 atthe Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kansas. Over100 contestants , from 23 states battled it outwith each giving their best effort to be crownedthe World Champion within their Division.Extreme Cowboy Association Founder and TexasCowboy Hall of Fame member, Craig Cameronprovide his colorful and educational commentaryon every rider throughout the competition thatstretched into the earlymorning hours.

When the dust hadsettled, it was Lee hartfrom Gardner, Kansas onhis horse, Buster takinghome the honors as WorldChampion in the ProDivision. Kelly LeBlancfrom Riga, Michigan ridinghis horse Peppy’s ClasssyKing took the honors asReserve World Championin the Pro Division. TheNon-Pro World Champion-ship went to Tracy Pinsonfrom Bushnell, Florida.Tracy was atop herTennessee Walking stal-lion, Skyjacker’s MountainHigh. The Non-Pro Re-serve World Champion-ship went to Scott Nowlinfrom Spring Hill, Kansasriding Bullseye. In the RideSmart Division for ridersage 55 and over, Jm Bestfrom Waukegan, Illinoistook the honors on hisAQHA gelding, Little BackSkids. The Ride SmartReserve World Champion-ship went to Texan,

Frances Jones on her APHA gelding, BigCowboy.

In the Novice Division, Susan Morrisfrom Louisiana won the WorldChampionship on her black AQHA stallion,Cajun, while Californian Lisa Rehbergerwon the Reserve title on Trinket. TheYouth Title went to Jake Glidewell fromMissouri and the Youth Reserve WorldChampionship went to Obbie Schlomfrom California on her Mule, Eli. The YoungGuns (ages 7-11) World title went toSamantha Lebbin fromMichigan and the Young GunsReserve title went to AlyshaHardy from Massachusetts.

The Championship endedon Sunday with a tremendousshow of camaraderie and

sportsmanship with all of the com-petitors, family, friends, trainers,judges and EXCA members invited tothe center of the arena to take part inthe closing ceremonies and awardspresentations that included prizemoney, trophy buckles from MaynardBuckles in Thoreau, New Mexico,Colt pistols, boots, chaps, saddleracks, bridles and halters. Craig

Cameron offered congratulations to all of thecontestants for their accomplishments in the2009 season.

The event was filmed for RFD-TV with seg-ments scheduled tobe shown on CraigCameron’s Ride Smart TV show. The TVschedule will be announced on the EXCAwebsite, www.extremecowboyassociation.comand on Craig Cameron’s website,www.craigcameron.com.

Photo credits go to Marilyn Merrick,www.merrickstudios.com.

Extreme CowboyAssociation Crowns 2009

World Champions

http://www.extremecowboyassociation.com

http://www.craigcameron.com

http://www.merrickstudios.com



Horse QuotesAh, steeds, steeds, what steeds! Has the whirlwind a home in your manes? Is there asensitive ear, alert as a flame, in your every fiber? Hearing the familiar song from above,all in one accord you strain your bronze chests and, hooves barely touching the ground,turn into straight lines cleaving the air, and all inspired by God it rushes on! ~Nikolai V. Gogol, Dead Souls, 1842, translated from Russian (above is combination oftranslations by Bernard Guildert Guerney, Richard Peaver, and Larisa Voloklonsky)

EquineThe perfect place to advertise your Stable,

Training Facility, Events, Stallions and more...

Great Value, Great Exposure...both in print and online!

Call Mark or Peg at 507-943-3355

[email protected]@horsedigests.com




Central


http://www.i90expocenter.com

Question: Dear Julie,I was at your clinics last year at the Equine

Affair Massachusetts. I tell you, you were thegreatest trainer there! My horse, Rufus (an 8 yearold large pony trained by my 14-year-old self withmy trainer, after being abused for six years) wasnot trained until he was 6 years old. He isn't whatyou'd expect from a rushed horse, he's doinggreat and we compete a lot in eventing.

Since he was thrown in a field with otherhorses until he was 6, he is very social. We don'thave another horse, but when we go to shows orI trail ride with my friends, he goes nuts. He won't

pay attention to me at all, and is con-stantly neighing to others, especiallymares (he did try to breed mares in hisold field, and he's a gelding, we can'tride him if there's a mare in heat in thearea, he goes CRAZY).

How can I make Rufus behave ontrails and at shows? It's not really inthe nature of the breed to be thishyper and, for lack of better term,nuts! (He’s a small quarter horse)When I go to shows, I constantly schoolhim, trying to get him to pay attention,but at times it's dangerous (like the

time he broke the hitching posts to get toanother horse). What else can I do? My parentsare talking about getting another horse, but sinceRufus is still in training, I really don't think heneeds that distraction, since he's already a bitbarn sour and I believe that we should wait untilRufus can listen to ME around other equines...amI correct in this thinking? Well, please get back tome!Gennie and Rufus

Answer: Gennie,Your horse's prob-

lem is from a lack ofdiscipline and a factor ofnot starting his traininguntil later in life. When ahorse has not beentaught certain rules ofbehavior by the time heis six or older, he hascome to believe that hislife ought to be a certainway- and that way is theway it has been for hiswhole life out in theherd where he couldinteract with horses ashe pleased and beimpulsive in his behav-ior.

The solution to thisbad behavior is ground-work, so that your horselearns that you arein fact in charge ofevery movement andaction he makes. Myvideo series on ground-work explains thisprocess in great detailand gives you specificexercises to do to helpbuild a solid relationshipwith your horse andteach him ground man-ners. Through ground-

work a horse learns that you are in charge, youmake the decisions and you dictate the actionshe makes—you become his central focus, ratherthan all the other horses. Horses must learn thatwhen they are around humans, there are certainrules that must be followed, just like there areexpected rules of behavior out in the herd.

There are many articles in my TrainingLibrary about doing ground work with horses toteach ground manners, obedience, fundamentalrules of behavior and to develop the leader-fol-lower relationship with your horse.The mostimportant thing you need to work on with yourhorse is getting control of his nose. If you cancontrol his nose, both from the ground and fromthe saddle, you can prevent the problems youare having. Read up on nose-control from theTraining Library on my website and get somehelp doing ground work with your horse.

Horses must learn at some age (the soonerthe better) that they cannot act out their impulsiveherd behaviors when they are in a workingsituation or around humans. Even a stallion thatis bred a lot can easily learn when that behavioris acceptable and when it is not. Never let yourhorse fraternize or interact with other horseswhen you are handling him or riding him. Thisjust should not be allowed; it is not safe and itis not good for herd health, when the horsesare from different herds.

In a situations like you describe, it is best touse the training theory known as “replacementtraining.” This means that when a horse displaysundesirable behavior, rather than punish thebad behavior, replace it with another moredesirable behavior. In the instance of your horselosing his focus, it might work to put him towork doing something else. I would start immedi-ately working the horse, not in a harsh, quickor punishing way, but just making him dosomething that would probably involve changingdirections again and again. So I might put him tothe trot, ask him to turn right, then go straight,then go left, then go straight, then go right, etc.

Throw in some transitions so that the horsehas to listen to you. When the horse focuseson you, let him rest, but away from the otherhorses. Do not let him come back to the “herd”until he is quiet, obedient and relaxed. Take himaway and put him to work as soon as hebecomes distracted again.

From the incidents you describe and theherd-bound behavior you are dealing with, itsounds like your horse is emotionally needy. Hisherd-bound behavior will only get worse as heages if you don’t keep a handle on it. Find oppor-tunities to keep him by himself—tied at the traileralone, in a turn out pen by himself, riding byyourself, etc. This will help him gain independ-ence and also make him more eager to bearound you for company.



ISSUES IN THE SADDLE

Distracted Herd-bound Horse by Julie Goodnight

Trai

l Hor

ses


When you are handling him—riding orgroundwork-- his focus should be totally on you.If he looks around or is noncompliant, put himto work, take command, get inside his mind anddraw his focus back to you. Start with thisprocess while you are riding alone and theninsist on the same level of obedience when youare with others. With a real needy or reallyherd-bound horse, I would have a zero-tolerancepolicy—focus stays on me at all times.

Examine your relationship with this horse.Chances are there are little things that you aredoing that you may not even be aware of thatare eroding your authority with him. He needsstronger leadership from you. Does he evercontrol your actions? Does he invade yourspace at times; eat grass while you areleading him; ignore your cues? Does he goexactly where you point him and maintain asteady speed that you dictate when you areriding? Has he trained you to feed him treats? Ifyou examine it closely, you’ll probably findsome holes in your authority that are not

instilling confidence in your horse about yourleadership ability.

I’ve said this many times before, there’s onlyone conversation to have with your horse and itgoes like this: “Horse, this is your Captain speak-ing.” Everything else that follows is a direct order.The horse is your first mate and his job is to carryout your orders—not to ignore orders, suggestalternatives or argue about your decision. If he’sa good first mate he will be the apple of theCaptain’s eye and have many privileges, but ifhe’s not, he’ll be fired and made to walk theplank. This is the kind of relationship your horseknows and seeks—acceptance into the herd ofa strong and fair leader and banishment if hecannot abide by the rules. Once he accepts youas that strong and benevolent leader, then theother horses won’t matter so much to him.

I think that if you invest some time in ground-work so that you learn to control your horse'snose, feet, shoulder and hip, and you gain controlover his impulsive actions; you will no longerhave the problems you describe. However, I am

not disagreeing with your parents, as far asyou getting another horse, because if you weremy daughter, I would prefer that you have awell-trained, obedient and therefore safer horsethat was ready for you to go out and enjoy andaccomplish your personal competitive goals.

Good luck and be careful., Julie Goodnight,Clinician and Trainer

Julie Goodnight has more than a quarter-cen-tury of horse training experience. Her variedbackground ranges from dressage and jumpingto racing, reining, colt-starting, and wildernessriding. She teaches "Classic Skills for a NaturalRide" and travels coast-to-coast and beyond tofilm her award-winning television show, HorseMaster, as well as to appear at horse expos, con-ferences and clinics. Her training and teachingtechniques are frequent features of Horse &Rider, The Trail Rider and America's Horse. In2008 she was named Equine Affaire'sExceptional Equestrian Educator--one of onlythree awards ever given. Visit www.juliegood-night.com.


Advertiser IndexA Bit of Tack page 9Ace Tack & Outfitters page 13 ADM page 7American Way Realty page 38American Wood Fibers page 3 Arena Fenceline page 15Arena Trailer Sales page 20 - 21Bale Buddy page 11Blairview page 12Bloomquist Law Firm page 38Cannon Falls Trailer Sales page 2Central MN Horse Fest page 13Classified Form page 23Conway Arabians page 30Custom Panel Doors page 38Donn’s Leather Works page 38DunHaven Horsey Headwear page 38Federated Coop page 10

I90 Expo Center page 31Julie Goodnight page 30KCB Equine Center page 37Ken McNabb page 8Krebsbach Perf. Horses page 28Lynn Palm page 23Midwest Cremation page 24Mid-Minnesota Tack Swap page 31Mimbach Fleet Supply page 37Minnesota Horse Council page 15, 38MN School Of HorseShoeing page 24Montana Horse Ranch page 16More Custom Leather page 38 Natural Plan Stomach Soother page 26 Orchard Rangers page 31Pegasus Leadership page 31Photo Classifieds page 36Pleasant Hills Saddle Shop page 11, 38

R & J Horse Sales, Inc. page38R.T. Duggan page 37Simon Horse Sales page 39Square Meal Feeds page 25Sundbys Trailers page 9SBS page 28Tak Shak .page 38The Boot Lady page 16The Natural Gait page 33Town and Country Vet. page 6Triple Cross Design page 38Twin Cities Featherlite page 38Two as One Horsemanship page 14UBRA page 37 UW Horse Emergencies page 30Wind -N -Wood page 30WSHC Equine Foundation page 31

http://www.juliegood-night.com



http://www.thenaturalgait.com

Equine VIP caught up with theextraordinary drill team the “PaintedLadies” practicing for their 4thappearance at the prestigiousPasadena Tournament of RosesParade. The parade is viewed bymillions of people and these ladieswith their stunning paint horses makequite a sight. The American PaintHorse’s combination of color andconfirmation has made the AmericanPaint Horse Association (APHA) thesecond-largest breed registry in theUnited States. The team has been a crowdfavorite at the Folsom Pro Rodeo for over 17years and has appeared at other events such asBMX Racing, baseball games and the TV Show“The Mentalist”.

1.CAN YOU GIVEUS A BRIEF HISTORYABOUT HOW THE“PAINTED LADIES”GOT STARTED?

We started whenfour matching paintedhorses went to theCow Palace. That'swhen paints werebecoming popular in therodeo and show horseworld.

2. THE “PAINTEDLADIES” (inc) AREN’TAN ORDINARY DRILLTEAM. CAN YOU TELLUS WHAT MAKESYOUR TEAM SOSPECIAL?

We are entertain-ers. We do trick riding,trick roping, fireworkson top of horses, pinkribbons, we have hadsung the NationalAnthem on top ofhorses. We get the crowd started!

3. YOU PERFORM ALL OVER THE COUN-TRY – IS THERE ANY PLACE THAT STOODOUT FOR THE TEAM?

The Tournament of Roses Parade stands outthe most, it's a once in a life time experience.Folsom Pro Rodeo is our hometown favorite.

4. THE TEAM IS SO BUSY, HOW DO YOUFIND TIME TO PRACTICE?

We all have 40 hour work weeks but do findtime to put on our spurs and pull up our chapsonce a week to practice at the Sacramento

Horseman's Association.5. HOW DO YOU SELECT WHICH

RIDERS/ HORSES WILL BE A PART OF THETEAM? IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED INAUDITIONING, HOW DO THEY GO ABOUTTHAT?

Most horses learn the drill before the rider.

Safety first and decision on a rider/horse combocomes later. If anyone is interested to be a partof “Painted Ladies” and owns a paint horse, theycan contact us through our web site.

6. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT MUSICAND ROUTINES YOU WILL PERFORM?

It depends on the event and the crowd forwhat music or routine we use.

7. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURHORSE(S) AND ARE ANY SPECIAL…ANDWHY?

Each of our horses are special, no two

paints are the same. They are smart and willing.All of them are hams not horses and love theirpictures taken.

8. THE TEAM PLAYED A ROLE IN THE TVSERIES “THE MENTALIST”. HOW DID THATHAPPEN?

We were on the west steps of the StateCapitol of California in Sacramento for aphoto shoot. The Mentalist was doing ashoot as well and asked us to be in theirshoot.

9. YOUR COSTUMES ARE SOCOLORFUL AND FUN, ARE THEYCUSTOM DESIGNED FOR THE TEAM?

Yes, they are all hand sewn for theteam by myself including the chaps andchinks.

10. DO YOU LOOK FOR SPON-SORS TO HELP COVER THE COSTSOF TRAVELING AND PERFORMING?IF SO, HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INTOUCH WITH YOU?

With today's economy, we arealways looking for sponsors. For moreinformation on us and how to contactus, go to our web site www.paintedladiesrodeo.com

Equine VIP is written byProducer/Host Susan Ashbrook who isalso developing a TV series based oninterviews with celebrities and topequestrians. For more information go towww.equineVIP.com

Equine VIP interviews celebrities and eques-trian VIPs because “If It’s About Horses, WeCover It”.



Equi

ne V

IP The extraordinay drill team“Painted Ladies”talks to Equine VIPby Susan Ashbrook, owner Equine VIP

http://www.paintedladiesrodeo.com

http://www.equineVIP.com



ClassifiedsBUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Horse Lovers! Would you like to own your own-business helping horses, working your ownhours and make about $75 an hour plusexcellent sales commissions? 7 Year old compa-ny needs reps for US, Europe, Australia, etc. Oursuccess rate is amazing, and we can show youwhat to do and how to do it. No pushy salespeople, please. Ifyou love horses, PLEASE visitthe THERAPY page at www.sumereltraining.comto learn more. In 2 weeks you could be in anew career. Part or full time. $5,000 covers allequipment. Exclusive territories and excellentcompany support. If you already work withhorses, this could help you as well. 540-384-6220

ASSOICATIONS

International Spotted Horse Registry for Equinesof Color. Miniature to Draft, Grade to Pureblood,Sabino to Pintaloosa. 866-201-3098,[email protected]

EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS

16 Inch Brown Leather English Saddle, like newpurple pad included. $250. 630/564-2884.

10 box stalls,- 1-x1- - Brand new, nowood.$13,000. Choose your color. Contact507-527-2914. Will sell individually. New leather harness, 3rd generation business.Team, work, complete with hames, collars extra.Draft $802.00. Qtr. horse $757.00. Show 3hip - Draft $882.00. Qtr. horse $812.00. Buggybreast Qtr $220.00, Pony $140.00. (651) 222-5616. Website - stpaulsaddlery.com Catalogue -St Paul Saddlery, 953 W 7th St., St Paul, MN55102

Master Saddler offers complete saddleryrepairs.Trees replaced, complete reflocks, newseats,billets, tree alterations on Kieffer andPrestigesaddles. Appointments booked for quickturnaround. Skilled repair of driving harness and-sidesaddles. Custom accessories for side saddlecompetition. Bridles sewn in. Contact Michael -847-776-6700 or email [email protected] Website www.saddlersrow.com

HORSES FOR SALE

Registerable 2+year old paint quarter horse studand green broke 6 year old gelding, 218-243-3321

2007 Buckskin gelding, cow bred, good disposi-tion and 100% foundation. 2008 Bay Stallion,Poco Bueno, Martin's Jessie and HollywoodGold. Stud Prospect.2008 Buckskin Stallion, 34%Poco Bueno, 22% King, 100% foundation. StudProspect. 620-378-3152 2/10

Beautiful Buttermilk buckskin Mare!! Smart, will-ing, and really sweet, broke to ride outside or inan arena. Needs a intermedite ridder!! She isbuilt for speed but could be just a nice trail orranch horse if someone is willing to put time intoher, up to date on shots, worming, and trimming920-566-0241 .

Here is your chance to have a horse owned andtrained by Ken McNabb! You may have seenFlash on TV! He is a STUNNING 16.1 hand, sor-rel overo 7 y old gelding. Sonny Dee Bar and theIntimidator on his papers. He is a rock solid trailhorse and very gentle. Purchased at Ken's geld-ing sale last summer..so was recently with Ken.You will be the talk of the trails! $4800.

Pony, brown and white, 7 year old gelding.Gentle for anyone to ride. Also, Pony or horsecart. Phone- 952-467-9603 209

Athletic, Flashy 8 YO TB Gelding, 16.1H beauti-ful gaits, upper level eventing potential. $12,000.SE Wisc. - 847/924-9089.

2008 Drum Horse Filly – English or Dressageprospect. Beautiful thick body and loves people.269/944-3459.

Foundation AQHA horses, mares, geldings andyearlings. King, Driftwood and Gunsmoke breed-ing. Bays, Grays and Duns. 608-526-3970or(cell) 608-792-3519 2/09

Andalusion/Quarter Horse - 4 year old, Black BayGelding, 30 days training, pleasure & trail riding-so far, very athletic, excellent disposition. IALHAregistered 605-272-5623 or [email protected]

2/09Andalusian/Quarter Horse - 2 yr. old bay filly &yearling black bay colt, very athletic, excellentdisposition, lead, trailer, load, stand for farrier,eligible for IAHLA registry. [email protected] 2/09

2007 Bay Overo English Prospect, startedunder saddle and still in training. Good looking,

big bodied, nice stride, good minded and greatmanners.15.2 and still growing. Asking $9500.815/238-8462.

For Sale: 16 Yr. Buckskin Paint Gelding. Needsexperienced rider. 815/943-7031 evenings.Appaloosa Reg. Mares. 3 Yr+ Gentle, pretty,friendly. Will be great under saddle. Reasonablypriced. 815/814-1803.

Looking for Good Home for Loveable Chestnutgelding. No fee for right person. 312/307-9411.Black Stallion TB & Paint 16 Hds, 3 Yrs. TBMare,12 yrs, 16.3 Grdaughter Mr. Prospector.100 yr. Old coal wagon. Priced reasonably.815/528-0259.

STALLIONS

Dakota Gambler Rare Black and White PintabianAt Stud: Proven 99.6% Purebred Arabian.Athletic, Correct, Beauty, Elegance, Kind disposi-tion with awesome movement. RegistrationNumbers: 320-283-5933, [email protected]

Pure Friesian "ROEK" 2nd Premie Stallion.ROEK has a great pedigree, to match his greatintelligence, temperament, and CHARISMA.218-780-7064, [email protected].

VACATIONS

The first Montana High Country Cattle Drive of2010 will be a singles drive. If you are into hors-es and romance, please visit our website atwww.montanacattledrive.com. or call 1-800-345-9423 for more information.

CLASSIFIEDS WORK!$10.00 per month for 20 words, $.15 foreach word over 20. Send your classified

in with your check or credit card to:

Midwest Horse Digest, Attention: Peg (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:_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

http://www.sumereltraining.com



http://www.saddlersrow.com





http://www.montanacattledrive.com



8 YR. MARE, Gorgeous,Beginners Dream Horse!Barrel racing and trail.$4,000 Pinto-Beginners,young or old, this is thehorse for you. Gentle,smooth, and a nice bar-rel horse, great on trailstoo. Call [email protected]

BEAUTIFUL HALF-ANDALU-SIAN, EXCELLENT DRES-SAGE, EVENTINGPROSPECT-$6,000- gor-geous half-Andalusian filly,nicely started under saddle,ready for show, trail, or put-ting fabulous sport babies onthe ground. 715-822-392

[email protected]

AA PRITI PRITI, 2005 BAY ANDALUSIAN FILLY, (PiriPiri x AA Despierta)$12,000.00 US National Top FiveFuturity Filly in hand2008 Just startedunder saddle262-249-8870

[email protected]

6 YR. AQHA BARRELRACING Mare, what abeauty! $8,000 Great littlebarrel mare, perfect turns,gentle and well man-nered. Makes barrel rac-ing super fun. [email protected]

Very Tall, Huge Moving Son ofHeroe Mac!Extra tall yearling AndalusianColt. (Azteca)Lovely forward movement anda quiet mind.

972-746-1457 or

[email protected]

AA DESPIERTA, EliteWinner of the GANADORTrophy, (Despierto xArdorosa del Greco)$15,000 Andalusian Infoal to US NationalChampion 3rd level dres-sage horse "Legado".Sheis carrying a "sexed" male foal.Available in utero for$10,000 262-249-8870 [email protected]

URGEL III. PROVENPRODUCER OFMOVEMENT! ANCCERevised, 16.1 hands (DanesIII by Maja VII). His foals areof consistent quality and havehis conformation, power,movement, kindness, andlove for people. 940-686-0910 [email protected]

For Sale

6 ACRES 30 MILESWEST OF DEKALB,IL.House/6 acres 30miles west of Dekalb, ILnext to Franklin CreekState Park/miles oftrails. Call Mike [email protected]

The Elite Fleet by 3BarLTransport 1*800*982*2208Horse Transportation Short Description: Affordable- Experienced - Reliable --Specialized [email protected]

Trailers with or without liv-ing quarters, gooseneckand bumper pull, KeiferBuilt and Universal Trailers

[email protected]

Fiero LFA,PRE Black AndalusianStallion. International Champion ofChampions international blood-lines, Proven producer, ProvenJunior Champion Stallion andUSDF Dressage Competitor. [email protected]

Gold N Rio - Dble. reg.purebred Arabian &Pinto Stallion, AHASweepstake Sire; SCIDClear - $1,000 CooledShipped Semen - $750Live Cover; $7.50 DailyMare Care - LimitedBreedings Available. www.heartnsoularabians.com 507-438-9335

Famous EchoHomozygous! WorldChamp. Halter stallion!direct son of The Color ofFame.2004 Pinto Horse ofthe Year and the 2004Pinto World ChampionHalter [email protected]

Stallions and Stallion Auctions

Equipment

Place your photo classified here for $20.00 per

month just call 507-943-3355 for more infoPlus you can also place your ad online at

www.HorseDigests.com

Thumbnail Photo Classifieds

Discount prices on thefull lines of ThinLine,Skito, and SnugPaxproducts. Also highest-quality rhythm beads andhorsehair items. 207-951-0526

Amazing Buckskin 1/2Andalusian Filly (Azteca) Firstfoal from Flamenco D!Stunning and RARE SOLIDBUCKSKIN 2008 AndalusianFilly (Azteca)

972-746-1457 [email protected]

3X NATIONAL CHAMPIONPRE (ANCCE) REVISEDSTALLION SPOKANE!Royally bred with RockstarMovement recognized byAmerican & Spanishjudges, add size, sub-stance & movement toyour breeding program.972-746-1457 [email protected]

ZINNIA BA ANDALUSIANMARE (Despierto xZinnia) US ReserveNational ChampionAndalusian Mare$15,000. Well startedunder saddle, GreatBroodmare, ProvenShow Horse [email protected]

Call us Today at Midwest Horse Digest

for more information on in-print and online photo

classifieds! 507-943-3355

Services and Products


http://www.HorseDigests.com









http://www.heartnsoularabians.com









Upcoming Events1/9-1/10 - MN, Fergus Falls - Team Penning -Central Minnesota AQHA Team Penning and RanchSort - (218) 736-3000 - [email protected]

1/9/2010 - MN, Lindstrom - Barrel , UBRA, FalconRidge Barrel Burners, UBRA Winter Series BarrelRace Series starting at 12:30am. - (651) 462-2129 [email protected]

1/10/2010 - Open Hunter/Jumper Show Indoors -Fields & Fences Heated 100' x 300' Arena - 36550N. Hunt Club Rd., Gurnee, IL 60031, Contact AnitaSchadeck 847-244-4121 or [email protected]

1/10/2010 - Laura Amandis Clinic to include ademonstration with Acierto the Dancing AndalusionStallion, Sunflower Farm, Bristol, WI. Contact262/857-8555 or visit www.SunflowerFarms.com orwww.lauraamandis.com

1/10/2010 - Milwaukee County 4-H Horse &Horseless Project, Youth and Open Model HorseShows. Oak Creek, WI 53154 Contact: CharleneEhlert 414-315-0169.

1/16/2010 - Team Sorting Practice, Chism TrailRanch. 6 pm. Merrill, WI 54452. Contact: chismtrail-ranch.com or call 715-432-7444.

1/16/2010-MN, Monticello, Barrel , UBRA -Arrowhead Arena - Winter UBRA Series BarrelRace. Open 4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763)878-1554

1/16 - MN, Rush City - Cutting, Clinic Cutting Clinic for Beginners - $150 -- includes lunchand cattle charges - (612) 760-5123 [email protected]

1/17/2010 - 17 Academic Equitation. HermitageDressage. Winchester, WI 54557. 4pm-6pm.Contact: 715-686-2047.

1/17/2010 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel - UBRA - LDRanch Winter UBRA Series - (701) 425-2820 [email protected]

1/23/2010 - 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. - CentralWranglers 4-H Tack Sale - Drop off Consignments:1/22/10 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.1/23/10 8:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. - Kane CountyFairgrounds, St. Charles, IL 60175, Jerry Parisek847-507-3911 - [email protected]

1/24/2010 - 1/24/2010 - Jefferson County Horse andPony Project Tack Sale. Jefferson CountyFairgrounds, Jefferson, WI 53549.

1/23/2010 - MN, Lindstrom - Barrel - UBRA -Falcon Ridge Barrel Burners - UBRA Winter SeriesBarrel Race Series starting at 12:30am. - (651) 462-2129 - [email protected]

anuary 22-24, 2010 – Motokazie, Red Horse RanchArena, Fergus Falls, MN 218-736-3000,[email protected], www.RedHorseRanchArena.com

January 30 & 31, 2010USEF/USDF Recognized Dressage Show - Fields &Fences - Heated 100' x 300' Arena - 36550 N. HuntClub Rd., Gurnee, IL 60031 - Contact AnitaSchadeck 847-244-4121 or [email protected]

2/5-2/6 - MN, Verndale, Bull Riding, Barrel - Bulls &Barrels - Barrel Racing - $70.00 entry fee whichincludes: Admission to Bulls & Barrels performance& stall 70% Payback - Knock Barrel – 5 sec penaltyExhibitions 8am–9am ($4/run) Slack: 9am, Top 12times will be in performance - (218) 445-5849 [email protected]

2/6/2010 - MN, Lindstrom - Barrel, UBRA - FalconRidge Barrel Burners - UBRA Winter Series BarrelRace Series starting at 12:30am. - (651) 462-2129 [email protected]

2/6/2010 –University of Illinois College of VeterinaryMedicine Horseman’s Clinic, Urbana, IL. Contact217/333-2907or vetmed.illinois.edu/ope/horseclinic/

February 6-7, 2010 – Central Minnesota AQHATeam Penning and Ranch Sort, Red Horse RanchArena, Fergus Falls, MN, 218-736-3000,[email protected], www.RedHorseRanchArena.com

2/6-2/7 - MN, Fergus Falls - Team Penning - CentralMinnesota AQHA Team Penning and Ranch Sort -(218) 736-3000 - [email protected]

2/7/2010 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel - NBHA, UBRA - LDRanch Winter UBRA Series & NBHA MN04 - (701)425-2820 - [email protected]

February 12 - 14, 2010 - NIHJA Show Indoors -Fields & Fences Heated 100' x 300' Arena - 36550N. Hunt Club Rd., Gurnee, IL 60031 - Contact AnitaSchadeck - 847-244-4121 or [email protected]

2/1/3/2010 - Hearts and Horses Dance - WSHCEquine Foundation Fundraiser. The House on theRock Resort, 5320 Cty Hwy C, Spring Green, WI,for more info visit our website at /www.wshcef.orgCorky Smith (608) 697?6888 - Lorraine Ruck (608)369?2878 - Suzanne Lois (262) 210?0989 - SuePiper (920) 386?2912

2/13/2010 - WI, Balsam Lake - Barrel, Fun Show,Game Show - UBRA - J Arena Saddle Club OPENFun Show & Barrel Race - (715) 857-6343 [email protected]

2/13/2010 - MN, Monticello - Barrel - UBRA -Arrowhead Arena Winter UBRA Series Barrel Race.Open 4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763) 878-1554

February 20 - Horse Emergencies: Being PreparedDuring Disaster Situations - 9:00 a.m. until 3:45 p.m.UW Madison Campus - Madison, WI 53706 -Contact Karl Olson - 608-265-5206 [email protected]

2/20/2010 - MN, Lindstrom - Barrel - UBRA FalconRidge Barrel Burners UBRA Winter Series BarrelRace Series starting at 12:30am. - (651) 462-2129 [email protected]

2/21/2010 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel - NBHA, UBRA -LD Ranch Winter UBRA Series & NBHA MN04 -(701) 425-2820 - [email protected]

2/26-2/28 - IL, Sterling - Barrel D o u b l e - BProductions - Fuzzy Wuzzy Barrel Race ONE PAY-OUT ON SUNDAY. $2000 added. Enter up to 4times max. Also Open 2D slo - (641) 745-5845 [email protected]

2/ 27/2010 – Roberts, WI – Willow River RidersSaddle Club 7th Annual Tack Swap and Sale – St.Croix Central Elementary School; 202 S. Division

St., Roberts, WI; 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. New & usedtack & clothing, feeds, crafts, jewelry, plus a varietyof other equine related items. For more informationabout vendor spots or consignments, contact DebHagen at 715-549-5416.

February 27 & 28, 2010 - USEF/USDF RecognizedDressage Show - Fields & Fences Heated 100' x300' Arena - 36550 N. Hunt Club Rd., Gurnee, IL60031 - Contact Anita Schadeck - 847-244-4121or email [email protected]

MARCH 5-7 - Illinois Horse Fair, Illinois StateFairgrounds, Springfield, IL. Visitwww.horsemenscouncil.org/HF2010

3/6/2010 - MN, Lindstrom - Barrel - UBRA - FalconRidge Barrel Burners UBRA Winter Series BarrelRace Series starting at 12:30am. - (651) 462-2129 [email protected]

3/6-3/7 - MN, Fergus Falls, Team Penning - CentralMinnesota AQHA Team Penning and Ranch Sort -(218) 736-3000 - [email protected]

3/7/2010 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel NBHA, UBRA - LDRanch Winter - UBRA Series & NBHA MN04 - (701)425-2820 - [email protected]

March 7, 2010 - Lake County Mounted PosseAnnual Tack Sale - 9 AM - 2:30PM - Antioch VFW -75 North Ave. Antioch, IL 60002 - Contact:Mariefrance Mason 847 872-1402 - www.lcmp.info

3/12-3/14 - MN, Fergus Falls, Cutting - SpringCutting - (218) 736-3000 - [email protected]

3/13/2010 - MN, Monticello - Barrel - UBRAArrowhead Arena Winter UBRA Series Barrel Race.Open 4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763) 878-1554

3/13-3/14 - NE, FREMONT - Barrel - PURINAMILLS SADDLE SERIES - (402) 419-0191

Minnesota Pinto Horse AssociationShow ScheduleMay 29-31- 3 days, 4 Judges - MN EquestrianCenter, Winona - *WIN A KENSINGTON BAG SET*President - Cris Stetler - 763-478-8842 - ShowManager - Kam Duncanson - 763-355-9541

July 9-11- 3 days, 4 Judges - Red Horse Ranch,Fergus Falls - *WIN A KENSINGTON BAG SET*Field Representatives - Mahlon Bauman - 612-508-6832 & On Site PtHA Abby Duncanson - 612-877-0338 - Registrations Mary Noonan - 402-920-0455

August 6-8 - Jubilee of Color Show - MN EquestrianCenter, Winona *CO-PRODUCED WITH MIN-I-KOTA PINTO* - Jubilee Show Committee ChristinePeterson 320-493-3435 - * Special Awards * 3FULL DAYS * 3 judges * 4 sets of points * GreatVariety of Classes & Fun Activities

September 11 & 12 2 days, 4 Judges - Red HorseRanch, Fergus Falls - *WIN A MIKE BRAY SAD-DLERY MIRROR* Stabling Ron & Karen Clark- 763-682-5324 - Show Office Manager - Ed Neu 763-477-5027 - Visit our website www.minnesotapinto.com

Please email your event lisitings [email protected]




http://www.SunflowerFarms.com

http://www.lauraamandis.com






http://www.RedHorseRanchArena.com





http://www.RedHorseRanchArena.com




http://www.wshcef.org







http://www.horsemenscouncil.org/HF2010




http://www.lcmp.info


http://www.minnesotapinto.com




Website and Ad Design

Equine Health

Equine Lawyers

Saddles , Tack & Gear

Associations

Advertise in Traders Corner for as little as $20 per month. Call today for informationon advertising with us - 507-943-3355

REAL ESTATE

Traders Corner


http://www.creativewoodcarvings.com


http://www.featherlitetrailers.com


Documents

Midwest Horse Digest January 2010