GreatArticlesFrom:Chris Cox

Ken McNabbLynn PalmMonty BruceCraig CameronRyan GingerichJulie GoodnightJulie GoodnightDennis AuslamMary HamiltonJennifer Lindgrenand Many More!

H0rse DigestMarch 09

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Page 4 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest February 09

President Barack Obama has signed theEconomic Stimulus Act into law. The bill is intended toprovide a jump-start to the U.S. economy.

“The new law contains two important taxincentives that would allow a much bigger write-off for

horses and other depreciable property purchased and placed in service during 2009,” said JayHickey, President of the American Horse Council. “These provisions expired at the end of 2008,but their reinstatement should provide an additional incentive for people to purchase horses forracing, showing and breeding as part of their business activities.”

The first incentive continues the so-called $250,000 Section 179 expensing allowancefor horses purchased and placed in service in 2009. This allowance also applies to farmequipment and most other property with a depreciable life of less than 20 years. Once totalpurchases of horses and other eligible depreciable property reach $800,000, the expenseallowance goes down one dollar for each dollar spent on eligible property over $800,000.

“The horse industry almost lost the Section 179 expense deduction in 1996. TheHouse of Representatives passed legislation taking this deduction away from the horseindustry,” said Hickey. “But we were able to convince the Senate to remove this restriction beforepassing the final bill and the deduction was preserved. It was worth $17,500 then. Over theyears it has been increased and will be $250,000 for 2009. That is a real benefit to horseowners.”

To illustrate the expensing allowance, assume a horse business purchases $750,000of depreciable property in 2009, including $650,000 for horses. That business can write off$250,000 on its 2009 tax return and depreciate the balance. If instead, purchases were$900,000, the expense allowance would go down by $100,000.

In addition, bonus depreciation has also been reinstated for 2009 in the new StimulusBill. This second incentive allows a horse owner to take first-year bonus depreciation equal to50% of the cost of horses and most other depreciable property purchased and placed in serviceduring 2009. It does not apply to property that has a depreciation life of over 20 years.

As was the case last year and in 2003 and 2004 when bonus depreciation was firstinstituted, the property must be new, meaning that the original use of the horse or otherproperty must begin with the purchaser for the property to be eligible. “Original use” means thefirst use to which the property is put, whether or not that use corresponds to the use of theproperty by the purchaser. “There is no limit on the amount of bonus depreciation that can betaken, as there is with the expense deduction,” noted Hickey.

To illustrate bonus depreciation, assume that in 2009 a business pays $500,000 for acolt to be used for racing and $50,000 for other depreciable property, bringing total purchases to$550,000. The young colt had never been raced or used for any other purpose before thepurchase. The business would be able to expense $250,000, deduct another $150,000 of bonusdepreciation (50% of the $300,000 remaining balance), and take regular depreciation on the$150,000 balance.

“The Stimulus Bill includes several other changes that may benefit horse owners,including allowing taxpayers a deduction for state and local sales and excises taxes paid on thepurchase of new cars, light trucks, and recreational vehicles in 2009; a change in the netoperating loss carryback period to five years for small businesses; and a reduction for 2009 inthe required estimated tax payments for some small businesses,” said Hickey.

As the national association representing all segments of the horse industry inWashington, D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent equine interests andopportunities. Organized in 1969, the AHC promotes and protects the industry bycommunicating with Congress, federal agencies, the media and the industry on behalf of allhorse related interests each and every day.

The AHC is member supported by individuals and organizations representing virtually everyfacet of the horse world from owners, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, breed registries andhorsemen’s associations to horse shows, race tracks, rodeos, commercial suppliers and statehorse councils.

Benefits in theEconomic Stimulus

Act for Horse Industry

February 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 5

Page 6 March 09

About our cover -It is time to think positive

and to THINK SPRING. Warmweather is coming and it is time toplan to have fun with your horses

and enjoy life. Photo by KarenKennedy of Icon Studios Equine

Photography see page 25.We hope you enjoy

this issue of Midwest

Horse Digest!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!

4 Benefits for the Horse Industry in the Economic Stimulus Act

9 Ask The Vet : Colic

12 The World of Halter: Transitioning From Showmanship to the HalterPen By: Amy Warther

31 Laminitis is Not the End"The Rock and Roll Road to Recovery"

8 Back in the Saddle by Ken McNabb with Katherine Lindsey Meehan

10 Trailer Loading Simplified by Cynthia McFarland with Chris Cox

14 Showmanship at Halterby Jennifer Lindgren

18 Collection: Gaining Control of Your Horses Bodyby Monty Bruce

20 Rodeo Legend: Jim Sharp talks about Craig Cameronby Craig Cameron

22 Trail Etiquetteby Mary Hamilton

24 Meet Kickstart, the Wild Mustangby Dennis Auslam

26 Endurance rides are endurable!by Tracy Porter

28 Planning the Plan (part 2)by Ryan Gingerich

32 Women's Conection with Horsesby Julie Goodnight

34 Communicating with Your Aids...Keys to Success, Part 5”by Lynn Palm

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Special Sections30 Equine Central - NEW!37 Ready to Ride Guide38 Traders Corner39 Photo Classifieds40 Classifieds40 Real Estate41 Upcoming Events41 Advertisers Index

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 7

Page 8 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

W h e nyou have

been away fromriding for a while, it’s hard to know where tobegin when you want to start again. Maybeyou quit riding because of time constraints,maybe you had accident horseback.Whatever your situation, this month’s articlewill cover how to build your confidence andhow to choose the right horse to get you backin the saddle again.

When you are nervous and strug-gling with your confidence, I find it is alwaysbest to start working with your horse on theground. Keep working on the ground until youwant to ride again. Allow yourself all the timeyou need to build your confidence and yourrelationship with your horse. You’re ready toget on when you feel comfortable and believeyou can.

The first ground work exercise Iwant you to practice is a longeing exercise. Iuse this not as a way to tire my horse out until

he will behave, but as a wayto get his mind on me, and toget him in the habit ofresponding “yes” to myrequests. I like to use a ropehalter and a 12’ lead rope forthis exercise. Begin with thelead rope in both hands, yourright hand closest to yourhorse. Guide him off to theright with that hand, and withyour left hand swing the tail ofthe lead rope, asking him forforward motion. When hemoves off around you, step tothe side dramatically, blockinghis path, to stop him. Besure to step in a ways in front

of him, giving him time to notice you and stopbefore he runs you over. The reason I like tostop my horse immediately after he moved offfor the first time is as a reward. I’m letting himknow he got the right answer. Pet him, andthen send him off around you in the oppositedirection. Stop and change directions fre-quently. Remember, the point of this exerciseis not to tire your horse out, it is to get his mindon you and get him responsive to yourrequests. Your horse should be moving for-ward, but always thinking back to you. It isvery important that you stop your horse usingyour body position (stepping in front of him)rather than by pulling him to a stop. If you stepin front of him and he doesn’t stop, then youcan pull on the lead rope to explain to him whatyou wanted. But always ask for the stop withyour body first. Practice this exercise at leastuntil your horse longes around you withoutpulling on the lead rope, stops off just yourbody cues, and changes directions nicely.Practice until you just can’t wait to get into thesaddle, keeping in mind that your ultimategoal is to move beyond this exercise… so give

yourself time to get comfortable without lettingyourself get stuck here forever.

Once you are ready to ride, find abomb proof, safe, quiet horse. Especially ifyou had a wreck the last time you rode yourhorse, it’s important to give yourself the oppor-tunity to regain your balance and get comfort-able in the saddle on something that isn’tgoing to act up or do anything unexpected. Ialso like to have you practice the riding exer-cises you will do with your horse with a brokehorse first so you will have a feel of what youare looking for. Put your saddle and bridle onhim. Before you get on, practice two things onthe ground briefly. First, make sure he willsoften his face left and right off the bridle.What this means is when you pick up on onerein, your horse should bend his neck and tuckhis nose in towards the pull of the rein. Whenhe does, release the rein. Do this a few timeson each side, then get him soft and turn yourattention to his hind end. You want him to stepover with his inside hind foot, crossing over infront of the outside hind foot, while keeping hisface soft. When he does this, all forwardmotion with his front feet should stop. This iscalled disengaging the hindquarters, and it isyour emergency brake. When your horsecrosses over with his hind end, it takes awaythe power behind a buck, rear, or runaway.Because you are going to be using these exer-cises in the saddle, make sure your hand posi-tion on the ground mimics where your handswill be when you are riding as closely as pos-sible. Once you can disengage the hindquar-ters from both sides on the ground, you areready to ride. Practice disengaging thehindquarters at the walk and trot on the brokehorse until you know what it feels like and areconfortable giving the cue. Later on, youshould practice this from the lope and run aswell. At faster speeds you just have to becareful and slow your horse down with circlesbefore completely disengaging his hindquar-ters. When you are doing this from the saddle,in the beginning it will be helpful to look overyour shoulder at the top of your horse’s tail.This pushes your seat bone on one side down,giving him a cue from your seat, as well as therein, to step under. Remember to keep yourhand position correct throughout this exercise,hands near the saddle horn at all times.

When you are comfortable with thisexercise on the broke horse, teach it to yourhorse on the ground, then from the saddle.Knowing you have a way to stop your horse ifanything goes wrong is a huge confidenceboost.

Enjoy your horses as you workthrough these steps to build your confidenceand get yourself back in the saddle. Until nexttime, may God bless the trails you ride.

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

Back In The SaddleBy Ken McNabb with Katherine Lindsey Meehan

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 9

Has your horse ever experiencedcolic? If so, you know it is not a pleasant site orexperience. Pose your questions during themonth of August for Dr. Nancy Loving concern-ing the topic of equine colic and how you canhelp avoid this situation for reoccurring.

Question: I have a chronic colic andam looking to see if you have any additionaltips. To be as brief as possible she is a 20-year-old ApHC mare that has a 10 year historyof colics ... usually impactions. They havenever been surgical thus far. She colics any-where from 0 times in a month to four, but doesnot seem to be related to her heat cycle. I hadher up to our teaching hospital/universitywhere she was scoped for stomach ulcers(NR), had an abdominal x-ray to check forsand (NR), had an abdominal ultrasound (NR),and a abdominal tap (also NR). This pastspring she had episodes where she would onlyeat about 90 percent of her hay, not act painful,have a normal TPR, slightly diminished gutsounds and slightly lower manure production,but when we tubed her with water and mineraloil it would take 90 HOURS to pass, whichshocked both my vet and I since she had noreal clinical signs of pain. After a few go roundswith this she was set up on the following plan:pasture 12 to 14 hours/day (in at night),soaked hay cubes 2x daily (with 2.5 gallons ofwater each time), no grain, no dry hay,Succeed (she did have a positive fecal occultblood test at one point and elevated liverenzymes, which have since returned to nor-mal) and a 250 lb dose of Gastrogard. Shegets ridden lightly (WT) 5 days per week (sheis coming off of a coffin bone break in her LF,pulled suspensories (both done at separatetimes out in pasture) and has a history offoundering (not grass/grain-related)). She alsogets Adequan IM 1x/month, and CosequinASU and Accell LIfetime daily and 1oz/tablesalt BID (giving her electrolytes daily withGastrogard caused her potassium to go toohigh and she was having muscle twitches. Sheis confirmed HYPP N/N). She gets Sandclear1wk per month (and her manure is checkedregularly for it) and is floated for parasitesevery 4 to 6 weeks. This past summer she hashad 1 to 2 strongyle eggs come up per slide,which was resolved with a dose of ivermectin.She is by herself in her paddock. Occasionallyshe will get a little spunky, stocked up (allblood work including TP and albumin remainnormal), which makes us think there still mightbe "something" GI going on... Any thoughts orsuggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Answer: It sounds like you havebeen very thorough with having your horseevaluated for slow intestinal motility. Somehorses have such problems, sometimes relat-ed to intestinal adhesions due to parasite dam-age and/or chronic colic, or for unidentifiablereasons. In addition to the changes you havemade with your plan, I would suggest youreview your parasite control program with yourvet, and maybe consider daily dewormer fol-

lowing a purge of a Panacur Powerpak. Also,I’ve found some horses do well on beet pulp –it is a good fiber substitute and when soaked toa mash, provides additional water. On occa-sion, a horse may have colonic ulcers andneed a totally different diet approach usingcomplete feed pellets rather than forage likehay or pasture. You might consider revampingher entire feeding/turnout/exercise program. Ifshe has a history of founder, I also wonderabout her weight and how much she is fed. Ifshe is fed off the ground outside, move herfeeding area to a stall with bedding or mats, orsomething to keep the feed entirely off the dirt.At the same time, it may be that your new planis working and you haven’t yet had time to fullyassess the results.

Sometimes, just keeping things sim-ple is extremely helpful – provide good forageand/or dry pasture turnout, regular exercise,psyllium and good parasite control. Sometimesnothing you do (or don’t do) will make any dif-ference. Short of considerable managementchanges and trying a few of the things I sug-gested, your options are to a) treat her symp-tomatically when she has the small colicevents; b) repeat some of the referral hospitalworkups, including an abdominal u/s, at thetime of a colic crisis; or c) have exploratory sur-gery – a fairly invasive measure to look for aproblem.

Question: I have a 12-year-oldTrekehner that has experienced gas colic 4 to5 times in the last year. He also had a mild boutof grass lamanitis in April. He is now muzzledwhenever he is on grass, fed hay in his stalland a pound of ration balancer. Do you think Ishould take him to nearby vet school to bescoped for ulcers? He is very laid back, is notshown or trailered and is on a regular deworm-ing rotation.

Answer: There is really no harm tobe done by having your horse scoped forulcers, other than the trip to the clinic and thecost. The necessity of doing this proceduremight best be discussed with your veterinarian.Research findings have shown that even theseemingly most laid back horses or those that

don’t travel or compete are afflicted with gas-tric ulcers at a relatively high incidence consid-ering their low stress lifestyles. The risk of gas-tric ulcers is often related to feeding practicesas well as the demeanor and stress level of thehorse.

Question: In an answer to an earlierpost, it was mentioned that horses picking updirt while eating off the ground could be acause of colic. Is there a method to test for dirtsimilar to how manure is tested for sand inges-tion? Also, when horses are fed in stalls withhorse-quality shavings or straw bedding, arethere hazards if they eat the bedding material,either deliberately or while picking up hay fromthe floor?

Answer: These are good questions.There really isn’t a way to determine “dirt”accumulation vs. sand. Dirt does not seem toprecipitate out as readily into the lower areasof the digestive tract, so with ample fiber/for-age, it should move through readily. If youhave concerns, then you could take your horseto a referral hospital for abdominal radiographsand/or ultrasound, which might show up someaccumulated foreign material.

Feeding off shavings or straw doesprevent sand or dirt ingestion, for sure, partic-ularly if there are rubber mats beneath thebedding. However, over the years I have expe-rienced a few cases where horses have ingest-ed too many shavings or too much strawbecause they have been bored and gone afterthese materials when there hasn’t been suffi-cient hay to satisfy their urge to chew. Boththese materials, and particularly straw inges-tion, can cause a serious cecal impaction,which most times requires surgery to correct. Itis smart management to monitor your horsesfor those that might eat bedding material delib-erately and then modify the stall environmentaccordingly. Accidental ingestion of a smallamount of shavings or straw shouldn’t pose aproblem.American Association of Equine Practitioners4075 Iron Works Parkway | Lexington, KY40511. hone: 859-233-0147 | Fax: 859-233-1968 | e-mail: aaepoffice@aaep.org

Ask The Vet

Colic

Page 10 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Hop into a dark, small boxon wheels and head downthe highway? From a horse’spoint of view, you can seewhere the trailer can be intimidat-ing.

The good news is that trailer loadingdoesn’t have to be a terrifying, frustratingordeal for either you or your horse. The keylies in thoroughly preparing the horse beforeyou ever approach the trailer, and this is wheremany owners make mistakes. You can’texpect a horse to load quietly if he doesn’tunderstand basic ground control lessons.

“It’s the preparation you do prior to trailerloading that will give you success. There’s nosense in trying to load a horse that hasn’tlearned how to disengage his hindquarters

and direct and drive,” explains horse-man and clinician Chris Cox.“Preparation is the key and the onlyequipment you need is your halter andlead rope.”

In an area away from the trailer, takethe time to reinforce these two impor-tant lessons you learned in the previousarticles. When disengaging thehindquarters, remember to “go to thecorner,” not the horse’s shoulder, other-wise he may back up.The horse should pivot on his front feetas he disengages his hindquarters.Practice disengaging first, then directand drive. If you have a step-up trailer,

it helps to direct and drive over alog obstacle so the horse

picks his feet up. Be asassertive as neces-

sary so the horseunderstands whatyou are asking.

“Your horse mustbe solid on these

basic lessons wellbefore you approach

the trailer,” explainsChris. “We use direct and

drive for trailer loading insteadof leading the horse into the trailer becausethis method is not only safer, but it becomesthe horse’s idea to load, not something he’sforced to do.”Teach the Back Up

It’s much safer for both you and your horsefor him to back out of the trailer, rather thanturn around and walk out. Before you intro-duce the trailer, you need to teach him to backup on command.

Standing in front of the horse slightly to the

side (near the point of his shoulder), drive himbackwards by using your body language. Youshould assume a slight crouch and twirl yourlead rope as needed. As soon as the horsemoves his feet and starts backing up, stoptwirling. For safety’s sake, don’t move past thehorse’s nose as he is backing. Keep his headstraight while he is backing up.

In the beginning, don’t put any pressure onthe horse’s head with the lead rope. Simplydrive him back by twirling the lead rope. Oncethe horse catches on and starts backing, lethim catch his breath and “soak” for a few min-utes.

After the horse has learned how to back thisway, you are ready to introduce him to the trail-er.Approaching the Trailer

Make sure all trailer doors and dividers aresecured so they can’t swing and startle thehorse. Stand to the side of the trailer, not in thedoorway.

Pick up your direction hand and drive himforward toward the trailer. Keep his headstraight so he is facing the trailer. Stop twirlingyour rope as soon as the horse makes aneffort. Give him time to “soak” and relax bylowering your hands when he tries.

“In the beginning, make sure you build onevery try and progression the horse makes bygiving him relief,” says Chris.

Some horses will step up into the trailerwithin minutes. Others require a bit more time.Don’t fight with the horse to load, just directand drive him as you have been doing. In hismind, the lesson is direct and drive. The trailerjust happens to be the obstacle instead of thelog you introduced in the first lessons.In the Trailer & Out Again

“The way the horse learns to back out of thetrailer in the beginning is how he will always tryto do it in the future, so concentrate on havinghim back out slowly and relaxed,” Chris notes.

Once the horse gets in the trailer the firsttime, don’t let him turn around and walk out.Twirl your lead rope if necessary to encouragehim to stay inside.

Walk up into the trailer beside the horse,making sure he sees you and knows you arethere. Then standing at the horse’s shoulder,give him the cue to drive backwards as youtaught him earlier on the ground. Encouragehim to step all the way out and not jump backinto the trailer.

Ideally, you want the horse to stand insidethe trailer until you get in and ask him to backout. But if your horse wants to back right outafter loading the first few times, don’t force himto stay in the trailer. Instead, just keep reload-ing him until he realizes it’s less work for himjust to stay inside the trailer and wait for you toback him out.

During this first trailer loading session, loadyour horse several times.

Trailer Loading SimplifiedBy Cynthia McFarland with Chris Cox

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 11

First Trailer RideFor safety reasons, don’t tie the horse in the

trailer until you have latched the divider or gatebehind him.

Run your lead rope through the tie ring, butdon’t tie it at first. Hold the end of the lead ropein your hand, and hold onto it as you close thedivider. Drape the lead rope over the divideraway from the horse’s legs and go out to the

side of thetrailer. Tie aq u i c krelease knotinthe leadrope. Ties h o r tenough tokeep theh o r s e ’ shead up, butnot so shortthat he can’tmove a bitto keep hisbalance.

Once thehorse is tiedand stand-ing quietly,take him ona short

drive. Tenminutes or sois plenty thisfirst time.Then unload

the horse and put him up. “Take your time and make this first trailer

experience a positive one because it will staywith him forever,” says Chris Cox. “Successwith trailer loading depends on the groundworkfoundation you build before you ever get nearthe trailer.”

(These techniques are covered in detail inChris Cox’s “Trailer Loading” two-DVD set

available through www.chris-cox.com)

Up Close with Chris CoxBorn in Florida and ranch-raised in

Australia, Chris returned to the United Statesin 1986 to make a career of working with hors-es. Years of working horseback on the ranchnear Queensland gave Chris a healthy respectfor the horse's ability and intelligence, andhelped him develop his own methods of indi-vidualized training.

Active in the cutting horse world asboth a trainer and competitor, Chris hastrained a variety of breeds for different disci-plines. He travels the United States, Canada,South America and Australia appearing atexpos, conducting clinics and horsemanshipdemonstrations. His “Come Ride the Journey’tour takes him to cities across the U.S. eachyear. Chris offers week-long intensive horse-manship clinics at his Diamond Double CRanch in Mineral Wells, Texas.

In 2008, Western Horsemanreleased Ride the Journey, by Chris Cox withCynthia McFarland, a 225-page, full color bookthat details Chris’ practical methods and train-ing techniques. Packed with step-by-step exer-cises and color photos, the book will help youimprove your horsemanship skills, no matterwhat discipline or breed you ride.

Visit www.chris-cox.comor call Chris Cox Horsemanship Company at1-888-81-HORSE for information about theRide the Journey book, upcoming coursedates and appearances, equipment and train-ing DVDs.

Driving the horse into the trailer is much safer than leading him in. Youshould teach your horse how to direct and drive before attempting trailer

loading. Photo courtesy Chris Cox Horsemanship Co

Page 12 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

The World of Halter:

Transitioning From Showmanship to the Halter PenBy: Amy Warther

One night while watching the WorldSeries of Poker I heard the color commentatorrefer to the game of Texas Hold ‘Em as beingthe easiest game to learn but taking a lifetimeto master. It got me to thinking that there isanother game of “Hold ‘Em” that could verywell be described the same way...the game ofholding a horse in a halter class. As you lookout into the show pen you see what is happen-ing on the surface....lead a horse to thejudge...trot around a marker and get into a line-up. Then the judge walks aroundand looks at the horses andmakes up his mind which one helikes the best as set forth in therulebook he is using. Yep, that isexactly what the untrained eye sees. It lookseasy, anyone can do that!

Yes, indeed. Anyone who has anyability to move forward and then move a bitfaster CAN show halter. In fact, I’ve seen ayoung person use a motorized wheelchair toshow in the halter class. But, leading a horsearound a marker and standing in line is onlythe basic requirement of the class. It takes alifetime to learn how to show the horse to itsbest advantage and long before walking intothe show pen months of preparation take placebefore the first step ever happens for thosewho are successful.

As in any game, there are rules inHalter. Some are written in a rulebook, othersare unwritten. It are those that will beaddressed in this and future articles. But,please, before you step into that pen, makesure you have read and understand the appli-cation of the rules specific to your association.Most follow AQHA rules and those are theones that will be referred to.

In this first writing the differences

between showing halter and showmanship willbe explained. With the addition ofPerformance Halter many people have beenconfused about making the transition fromshowmanship to the regular halter class.

What, you as the exhibitor, need toremember is that they are indeed two separateand distinct classes. Just as in the perform-ance classes one changes riding position andrein length from Western Pleasure toHorsemanship, an exhibitor changes how they

show a horse differently in Showmanship andHalter.

In Showmanship the focus is on theexhibitor. The horse in this case is merely aprop. It doesn’t matter that the horse has con-formational flaws. What does matter are theaspects of the horse that the exhibitor has con-trol over—-proper grooming for both horse andexhibitor, appropriate body condition, andtraining.

However, in Halter the focus is onthe animal and the handler becomes invisibleto the judge until the handler gets in the way.In that case, the handler becomes a distractionand diverts attention away from the horsebeing judged. So, when handling a horse inhalter the exhibitor wants to be “beige” or notstanding out. The goal is a professional pres-entation of the animal.

“Standing out” in the judge’s eyecan happen for a variety of reasons. If theexhibitor is not clean, neat, and “professional”appearing, they may distract the judge. Butone the other end of the spectrum, if the

exhibitor is wearing too much Showmanship“bling” the judge may view it as the exhibitornot being serious about doing well in a halterclass because they are simply dressed for adifferent event.

So, a word of advice when choosingattire—-be neat and polished. Clean, starchedjeans not to low slung on the hips for ladies,boots cleaned and polished, hat clean and wellshaped, shirt starched, and hands clean.These are what should be taken as“proper” or

“beige.” If hair of out ofplace, if jeans are notfresh and sharp, or ifthere is mud on the boots,the picture presented is

no longer beige, it stands out as sloppy and istherefore, a negative distraction for the judge.Not a good thing.

A second clue that the judge may begiven that the exhibitor is not serious aboutshowing halter is the use of the “quarteringsystem.” The use of the quarter system, mov-ing around the horse, is a distraction. Judgesprefer that the exhibitor is out of their way andview of the animal. The way the exhibitor staysout of the judge’s way is by standing out fromthe animal between the eye and the nose at anangle, feet together pointing at the nose, bakstraight, and hand down off the chain, left armbent naturally holding the excess lead neatly ina single loop. The only time a true halterexhibitor will go to the right or “off” side of thehorse is if something on that side of the horseneeds to be fixed or if the judge is going upand down the lineup to profile the animals. Inthat case, the handler may go to the off side sothe judge has a clear view of the entire animal.

The items that have been coveredare very basic to the world of Halter. In thefuture more specific topics will be covered. Inthe meantime, you have homework to do.Read your rulebooks. Read your associationjournals and look closely at the successfulexhibitors and see how their horses are pre-sented. Look closely for grooming ideas, seekout other articles written by Halter profession-als either on-line or on paper, and even watchWorld Show classes on live web cam. Thinkabout what the successful showmen are doingand why. Then take what you’ve learned to thebarn and practice! Even though most folkshave been taught that “Practice makes per-fect,” I disagree. I feel “Practice make PERMA-NENT.” So, instead of practicing somethingthat is wrong, go take a lesson from a Halterprofessional so you are sure to get it right. Itdoes take time and energy to do this home-work. But if the process becomes tedious, justremember that you can’t ever stop learninghow to play this wonderful game they callHalter.?

As in any game, there are rules in Halter. Someare written in a rulebook, others are unwritten.

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 13

Rhonda Reese, General Managerof the Midwest Horse Fair® is excited toannounce the inaugural Midwest MustangChallenge now has the wild horses and train-ers matched up! 2009 Midwest Horse Fair®Midwest Mustang Challenge has invited horsetrainers from all over the country to come inand train Wild Nevada Mustangs in only 100days and compete for more than $10,000 inprize money. Trainers and their NevadaMustangs will be competing during one of themost prestigious horse events in the country.

These trainers and their Mustangshorses are part of the Midwest MustangMakeover, one of the featured events duringthe 2009 Midwest Horse Fair®, a premierthree-day equestrian event held in Madison,WI. Coming from nine different states aroundthe country, these horse trainers will be gather-ing April 17-19 at the Alliant Energy Center toshow off their training skills. Last April, thetrainers competed in front of a capacity crowdin the Coliseum for the first Midwest MustangChallenge. It quickly became one of the mostpopular events of the Midwest Horse Fair®,and the Makeover finals will again be featuredas a highlight of the “SuperHorse” Saturdaynight show. The Mustangs will be judged onconditioning, ground work, and a "HorseCourse" that requires maneuvers and includedobstacles found in trail and recreational ridingsituations. Several trainers who competed lastyear will be returning to demonstrate theirtraining skills with a different horse. (a partiallist of the trainers is at the end)

The Midwest Mustang Makeover,sponsored by the Mustang HeritageFoundation in cooperation with the Bureau ofLand Management, was created to highlightthe recognized value of mustangs through anational training competition. The public hasthe unique opportunity of seeing the results ofwild horses becoming trained mounts duringthe competition. After the competition, the pub-lic is invited to participate in a competitive bid-ding process to adopt one of these treasuredanimals. Congressional legislation protectsthese magnificent animals in their natural habi-tat, but as herds grow and natural resourcesdeplete, the BLM must gather excessMustangs from the range to ensure a healthyecological balance. The mission of theMustang Heritage Foundation and the goal ofthe Mustang Makeover event are to increasethe adoption of Mustangs across the country.The horses featured at the Midwest MustangMakeover will be available for adoption toqualified bidders.

Tickets for the Midwest MustangMakeover finals and the “SuperHorse”Saturday night show on Saturday, April 18, arenow available through all Ticketmaster outlets(www.ticketmaster.com)

For more information on theBLM Wild Horse and Burro Program andadoption requirements please visithttp://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or calltoll-free 866-4MUSTANGS.

The Midwest Horse Fair is ownedby the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. Allproceeds from the Fair are used to representand foster a unified equine industry inWisconsin, promote the equine through lead-ership, education, service and communication,and to take a proactive role in the future growthand development of the equine industry. Formore information on the Midwest MustangChallenge, please visit our websitemidwesthorsefair.com or call Rhonda Reese at920-623-5515.

The Mustang Heritage Foundationis a 501(c)(3) public, charitable, nonprofitorganization dedicated to facilitatingsuccessful adoptions for America’s excessmustangs and burros. Founded in 2001, itsmission is to help promote the Bureau of LandManagement’s National Wild Horse and BurroProgram and increase the number ofsuccessful adoptions. Adoption fees will beset by competitive oral bid with initial feesbeing determined by the level and qualityof training each horse has received.To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18,with no record of animal abuse. In addition,

adopters must have suitable facilitiesand can adopt no more than four animals.Adoption applications may be obtainedand approved on the spot by the BLM.Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than217,500 horses and burros into privatecare through adoption. For moreinformation on the Wild Horse andBurro Program, please visithttp://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/index.phpor call toll-free 866-4MUSTANGS.

The list of 2009 Midwest MustangMakeover trainers includes: Tracy Auch,Plymouth, WI.; Dennis Auslam, Morton, MN.;Rebecca Bishop, Germantown, WI.; AnitaBurnette and Mark Burnette, both of Williams,IN,; TJ Clibborn, Milton, WI.; Bobbie Coulter,Box Elder, S.D.; Ann Marie Cross and MichaelCross, both of Sidell, IL.; Travis Dittmer,Mineral Wells, TX; Chase Dodd, Soddy Daisy,TN.; Dustin Ellis, Freemont, MO.; Kristina Ellis,Pleasant Prairie, WI.; Lalo Govea, Kenosha,WI; Dan Grunewald, Jefferson, WI; WessHicks, Monticello, WI; Brian Jackson,Deerfield, WI; Robert Jansky, New London,WI, Jesus Jauregui, Bailey’s Harbor, WI; KirkJohnson, Baraboo, WI; Cody Keller, Numa,IA; Tonya Long, Oostburg, WI; TomasMartinez, Bristol, WI; Lenzy Mulcany,Springfield, IL.;S i o b h a nO’Connell, SpringValley, WI; BrianPogue, Antioch,IL.; Katie Smith,Redgranite, WI;and DebraV a n d e v e l d e ,Suring, WI

THE BEST TRAINERS, WILD HORSES, OVER $10,000 IN PRIZE MONEY UP FOR GRABS AT THE

2009 MIDWEST HORSE FAIR®!

Page 14 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

by: Jennifer Lindgren ©2009

Showmanship at Halter is an ‘In- Hand’class that tests the handler’s skills as both ahorseman and a showman. In addition to beingscored on a ‘pattern’, the Judge evaluates boththe grooming and conditioning of the horseand the performance and appearance of theHandler. This is one of my favorite classes forthree reasons; anyone can compete at a show(even if they are unable to ride), I can see howmuch groundwork has been completed withthe horse and I get a one-on-one opportunityto evaluate exhibitors.

The horse itself is a ‘prop’. Spectators oftenmisunderstand the Judge’s placing andbelieve that Judges consider the horse itselfwhen scoring. To be honest, experiencedhalter horses will have an advantage becausethey are extensively trained on their ground-work, perfectly conditioned and groomed, andaccustomed to the long waits outside the in-

gate. However, my greatest showman-ship exhibitors of all time were hardworking 4-H members that didn’t haveexpensive horses or fancy clothes! Theyw e r eincredi-b l es h o w -

man whospent a greatdeal of time ontheir horseand them-selves and itshowed.

The classhas two differ-ent formats;‘stay in thering’ or ‘exitthe ring’. Theformat useddepends onclass size, classlevel, and theweather. In a classof 10 or more, I usethe exit-ring proce-dure. If the kids areyoung and inexperienced, I keep them in.Make sure your horse is comfortable with both.

Practice standing for along time in the ring andwith leaving quietly.

Your pattern is thebiggest part of yourscore. An incorrect orincomplete pattern canresult in large deduc-tions which may pre-vent you from placing inthe class. No matter howgreat you and your horseare presented, if youdon’t meet the classrequirements, the Judgecannot place you.

Patterns intimidatealmost everybody. If youbreak them down, theyare easier to tackle. Thetests are relatively sim-ple: walk, trot, set-up,halt, back, circle at thewalk or trot, pivot (90°,180°, 270°, 360°) andpull turn. It isn’t themaneuvers that scares

exhibitors, it is the waythat Judges combine theminto a set pattern. Dissectthe pattern and you will seethe tests are relatively sim-

ple: straight lines ~ round circles ~ 3 secondset-up ~ quick back ~ a trot (not a jog) ~ briskwalk ~ correct pivot. Don’t be intimidated bypull turn. It is a simple pivot to the left where

you pull thehorse towardsyourself. It isnever morethan 90°.

TopShowmanshipcompetitors atthe World andNational levelknow thatthere is moreto winning thisclass than justc o r r e c t l yc o m p l e t i n gthe pattern. Asyou advance

to the tougherlevels of competitionwhere all contestantsexecute flawless pat-terns, you need toreally impress theJudge and stand out

as a superior showman. When Judges areconfronted with numerous exhibitors earninggreat pattern scores, they turn their focusto assessing the presentation style, appear-ance, and footwork of the showmanship team.Even good showmanship exhibitors fail atearning extra points in these simple areas.

Understand the Pattern, don’t just read it tomemorize it. Read ahead into the pattern toget an impression of the ‘flow’. Pretend youare the Judge and ask yourself, “What do Iwant to see in this maneuver? How do I wantto see the handler move his horse into the con-necting maneuvers?” Execute the pattern at asteady rate of speed. Don’t rush through a trotand then make a really slow pivot. A set-upshould take no more than three seconds to beimpressive.

Be a true horseman. In many All-Breedand 4-H shows, you can be asked questionsabout horse health, anatomy, care, andgrooming. My simple questions about inocula-tions, deworming, and stall cleaning are oftenmissed. Take pride in knowing details aboutyour horse and be prepared when the Judgeasks you a question.

Impress with your team work. I like to seehandlers in step with their horse at the walk,trot and during the turns. This takes anextreme amount of practice and doesn’t hap-pen by luck. I always stress teaching yourhorse to work off your your body movements,not your lead rope. Remember, your horse isnot really a prop, he is your Partner!

Showmanship at Halter

Josie Miller, age 13, draws more attention to her dark horse with a brightlycolored outfit, accented with a dark hat and dark trim. The jacket's crystals andsilver halter make this duo shine across the ring. The slack in her lead line and

her relaxed hand indicates that she has worked hard with this horse. Photocourtesy: JZT Quarter Horses.

Look at how Josie Miller and her partner Steal Version movetogether. They stay in-step even in the pivot. Her hat is

tucked neatly under her hat and her outfit creates a cleanline from hip to heel. Photo courtesy: JZT Quarter Horses.

Shown under the guidance of Zoe Miller.

Want to Win:

Mane, Tail, Halter, Hooves: These are fourareas that are likely to cost points. Is the bridlepath clear of dust and clipped to complementthe horse’s neck? Is the banding, braiding, orgrooming the best it can be? The tail shouldalso be immaculate from top to tip. Not evenone flake of shavings or visible tape (if you usean extension). How about the back of thehooves? I will inspect your hair trimming andpolish lines in areas where most groomers getlazy. Along with being super clean, the halterneeds to fit properly and complement thehorse’s features.

Outfits do matter! A great outfit will not hidea poor performance but it can make a differ-ence in your overall presentation and makeyou stand out as superior exhibitor. Pick a

color and a style that flat-ters both your horse andyourself. If you have aplain looking horse, grabattention with your showjacket. If your horse haslots of color (Paint, Pinto,Appaloosa) choose acolor that won’t clash ordetract from his appear-ance. For example, pur-ple has become popular,

but it doesn’t look goodwith a lot of horses. Yourpants and boots shouldmatch to create a clean linefrom hip to heel. Fancy up an

outfit with trim orstones, but don’toverdo it. A little blingis eye-catching, buta lot of bling is “blind-ing”. Your aim is todraw attention toyour strengths, notyour weaknesses. Inthe summer sun,rhinestones drawlots of attention somake sure they arestrategically placed.Outfits are mucheasier for the gentle-men. The basics area well fitted, heavilystarched shirt withtie, and starchedjeans (blue are fine,black or tan are bet-ter). Raise the bar bywearing a suit jacketand tie that flattersyour horse.Remember, your hat,not your outfit, isyour final touch. It

should fit properly, beimmaculately clean, andshaped in the current style.Your eyes should shine withpride beneath the brim.

Don’t underestimate thevalue of a Smile. Not aphony, grit your teeth, get meoutta here smile. A genuine, I

am proud of myself and my horse, I really lovegetting up at 5:00 in the morning for this Smile!Use it strategically, like when you’re perfectlyset-up for close inspection or after a difficultmaneuver.

Good Luck & Ride SafeJennifer Lindgren has been an All-BreedJudge since 1985. She is an experienced com-petitor who has earned Regional and nationalawards in Halter, Western Equitation andHunter. She loves all breeds of hroses andkeeps her private collection in Grant Park, Il.Contact: jenlind22@msn.comCopyright 2009 by Jennifer Lindgren

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 15

Both Kyle Cady and his horse Touch My Shadow look polished, prepared,and professional as they approach the ring. Young men have a much

easier time dressing for halter. A well starched shirt with color will drawthe Judge's eye everytime. Photo Courtesy: JZT Quarter Horses. Shown

under the guidance of Zoe Miller.

Amanda Sandmire with Iota Be Red Dee fromNorth Freedom, WI, displays the ideal showman-

ship pose. Her many hours of grooming have put ashine on this horse that will be seen from acrossthe ring. Expertly groomed hooves, halter, mane,forelock and tail add the final touches to a lovely

presentation. Photo courtesy: JZT Quarter Horses.Shown under the guidance of Zoe Miller.

Page 16 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Renowned equine artist andanatomy expert Susan Harris and reiningtrainer and competitor Stacy Westfall in theirfirst appearance at the Minnesota Horse Expowill he adline with Texas cowboy and RFDTVhost Craig Cameron and gaited clinician LizGraves. Scheduled for April 24-26, theMinnesota Horse Council sponsoredMinnesota Horse Expo continues to combine“big-name” speakers with over 600 vendorbooths and brings some 300 horses from over50 breeds and registries to the MinnesotaState Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Daily PRCArodeos featuring John S. Payne, the famed“One Arm Bandit” specialty act, the huge4-H managed Expo Tack and Clothing Sale,and free carriage, horse and pony ridesguarantee something of interest for everyoneat the 2009 Minnesota Horse Expo.

Susan E. Harris is an internationalclinician, equestrian author and artist fromCortland, New York. She has taught, trained,shown, and judged in many equestriandisciplines, including hunters, jumpers,equitation, dressage, eventing, westernpleasure and performance, and pleasure,gaited and versatility breeds. Susan has beenactive in teaching teachers and establishingcertification standards for American ridinginstructors since the l970’s. In 2004 she washonored as a Master Instructor by theAmerican Riding Instructor Association.

Susan worked with Sally Swift,founder of Centered Riding®, and is qualifiedas a Level IV Centered Riding clinician. Shetravels internationally to teach clinics in HorseGaits, Balance, and Movement, biomechanicsof horse and rider, Centered Riding &Centered Jumping for instructors, trainers,judges, and riders of all levels and riding inter-ests. Her unique demonstration, “Anatomy inMotion™/ The Visible Horse”, in which shepaints the bones and muscles on a live horse,has been a popular attraction at equine exposand clinics across North America and aroundthe world, including EquineAffaire, Equitana,expos in Australia and Europe and the GeorgeMorris Horsemastership Clinic in Wellington,FL.

Susan Harris is the author and illus-trator of popular horse books, including HorseGaits, Balance, and Movement, Grooming toWin (3rd edition, 2008) and the U.S. Pony ClubManuals of Horsemanship. With Peggy Brown,she has produced two DVDs: Anatomy inMotion™ I : The Visible Horse, and Anatomy inMotion II: the Visible Rider™. Susan alsodesigned the art and poster for the BreyerAnatomy in Motion model horse.

Susan’s study of equine and humananatomy and biomechanics as an artist andher experience as an instructor, rider and train-er, have given her a unique perspective onhow horses and riders work. Her teachinghelps riders discover how to use their bodiesbetter for improved balance and harmony

between horse and rider. Susan’s knowledgeof horse gaits and movement and experiencein various breeds and disciplines enable her tohelp all kinds of riders and horses improvetheir balance, comfort, movement andperformance. Her positive teaching style andvisual approach make learning clear,understandable, and enjoyable for riders of allages and levels, from instructors, trainers, andcompetitors to 4-H, Pony Club and pleasureriders. When not traveling, teaching or writing,Susan enjoys dressage, jumping, and trailriding on her Clydesdale/Paint gelding,Masquerade.

A Native Texan Craig Cameron, oneof the original clinicians, is on the road morethan 44 weeks a year covering 80,000 milesdemonstrating the style of horsemanship hehas perfected in the last 23 years. Called the“public defender of the horse,” Craig dedicateshimself to those who educate their horses byfirst educating themselves. At an age wheremost have long since retired the thought ofstarting colts, Craig Cameron known as “TheCowboy’s Clinician,” starts hundreds of horseseach year; plus his four-day clinics held at hisranches in Bluff Dale, TX and Lincoln, NMblend education with entertainment.

Clinic topics range from basic toadvanced horsemanship, colt starting, ranchand cattle work, problem-solving, reining andtrail obstacles. This year he plans toincorporate horse-camping and back-countryriding techniques into his lesson plans.

Craig has created a program thatbuilds confidence and trust between man andhorse. Rather than fight the animal, he offerspatience and understanding that leaves thehorse wanting to do what is asked of him. Inthe early 80’s Craig was fortunate to meet aman named Ray Hunt who opened his eyes tothe art of working through understanding whentraining horses. Building upon his experiences,Craig uses a philosophy of teaching that elim-inates rough handling of horses earning him awell-deserved international following. As arancher, working cowboy and horse trainer,Craig has just about done it all from cow-calf,stocker operations, custom hay-baling, or cap-turing wild cattle for fellow ranchers. Afteryears of bull riding on the professional rodeocircuit and successfully operating his cattlebusiness, Craig, decided that it was truly thehorse that attracted him. He soon discoveredhis aptitude for communicating with the horseand meticulously refined and nurtured this tal-ent. He wanted to give back something to thehorse. When he was ready, he began conduct-ing western horsemanship clinics and demon-strations to help riders increase theirknowledge and understanding of their horseand to keep the cowboy tradition alive.

Elizabeth Graves is a “natural gaitedhorse teacher”. Elizabeth prides herself ongetting the best out of a horse without anygimmicks. In being a biomechanics specialist,

she evaluates structure and works throughwhat nature gave the horse naturally. Elizabethalso has a classical background in horseman-ship, so good balanced equitation is first andforemost to her, to make it easy for a horse todo the job that we ask. Elizabeth has conduct-ed over 300 all breed gaited horses clinicsthroughout the USA, Canada and Europe.Graves has been an exhibitor of gaited horsessince 1978 with many championships at alllevels to her credit as well as non – gaitedbreeds since 1965. She has also worked forover 28 years as a multi-licensed breed judge.Her articles have appeared in many gaited andhorse publications, as well as related websites. In addition Graves is the force behindsuch videos, CD’s and DVD’s as Gathering ofGaits, Icelandic Horse Gathering, GaitedHorse Structure as it Relates to Gait and A bitAbout Bits.

Elizabeth is a native Minnesotanwhere she still resides and owns Shades ofOak Ranch in Spring Valley Minnesota.

Great insight and effective teachingstyle has made Stacy Westfall one of the mostsought-after clinicians in the industry. Shedeveloped her natural horsemanshiptechniques while advancing her horses forreining competition. Stacy is an AQHA andNRHA Freestyle Reining Champion.

Her goal in her training her reininghorses was to make the reins unnecessary —literally. And she succeeded, stunning the rein-ing world by going undefeated for two straightyears in major freestyle reining competitions.Stacy’s highlight was winning twice while ridingbridle-less AND bareback. Her famous 2006Freestyle Championship ride, seen by millionson the internet, also lead to her appearance onthe Ellen Degeneres show, in 2008.

Stacy is the only woman to havewon the Road to the Horse colt starting com-petition. Her training approach is proven, and itworks. As a wife, businesswoman and motherof three young boys she continues to be a toptraining clinician and a winning competitor.

In addition to the nationally knowclinicians, the Minnesota Horse Expo willpresent many more lectures and presentationincluding Saddle Function and Fit with DaveGenadek, Driving 101 with Steve Woods,Equine Economics – Caring for Horses Duringa Recession with Krishona Martinson,Poisonous Plants with Dr. Lynn Hovda, theUnwanted Horse with Dr. Tom Lenz to namejust a few. The three PRCA rodeos, over 600vendor booths, a huge consignment tack andclothing sale managed by the Minnesota 4-HHorse Association, Breed Demonstrations,Stallion Reviews and the daily at noon in theColiseum Parade of Breeds makes the Expo adraw for horse owners and enthusiasts alike.For Minnesota Horse Expo 2009 schedule,ticket, booth, volunteer information and morevisit www.mnhorseexpo.org or call877-462-8758.

Susan Harris, Stacy Susan Harris, Stacy WWestfall join Craig Camerestfall join Craig Cameron, Lizon, LizGraves at the 2009 Minnesota Horse Expo, Graves at the 2009 Minnesota Horse Expo, April 24-26April 24-26

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 17

Page 18 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Collection is something we mayhear a lot about, but what is it? What does itdo and how do we get it?There are two main parts in collection.

Most of us hear and think aboutphysical collection of a horse (which is impor-tant to performance and in executing maneu-vers, but we often overlook the other crucialpart of collection, mental collection (which waspointed out to me be my good friend CraigJohnson.

First, we will discuss physical

aspects of collection. Horses are uniquevertebrates because they possess a tho-racic lumbar vertebra that acts as a hingewhich allows them to pivot the hind quar-ters up under them. Other large animals,such as cattle, do not possess this trait.This trait not only gives us the ability, butis also the basis of physical collection.The majority of a horse’s natural bodyweight is in his front 1/3 of his body (hishead, neck and shoulders). With a hors-es natural movement this puts the major-ity of the weight on the front end of ahorse. The objective of physical collec-

tion is to move the weight, or point of balance,from the front of the horse to towards the rearend of a horse. Thus, creating a more cen-tered, balanced point.Why do we want physical collection?

With physical collection we obtainmore balance from the horse. Our horses aresofter and their movements are more free, byshifting the weight off a horse’s front end andmoving it to a more central point. With thehorse’s rear end up underneath them and theirweight shifted back to the center the horse can

stop harder, they can start faster, turn quicker,and travel smoother.If a horse is not collected or balanced theirweight is carried on their front end and theyare strung out with their rear end and legs outbehind them.Think of an uncollected horse moving. It issimilar to a semi tractor without any trailerbehind. If I take my trailor off my semi tractorand drive it around it’s like an uncollectedhorse. All the weight is on the front end andthe rear wheels are way out behind it with noweight over them. It rides terrible rough, I can’tstop fast, and I have no acceleration; becausethere is no traction. When I put the trailer on,this changes the balance point and puts theweight over the rear wheels, which causes it toride smoother, stop and accelerate quickerand handle much better.How do we achieve physical collection?

Collection is basically, gained bygaining control of the horses body and beingable to hold the front end through it’s face (pickup his back and drive his hind quarters underhim; packaging or framing him up). By timingand repetition we can teach a horse to holdthis frame longer and longer on his own. It doesn’t matter what type of horse, whetherit’s a pleasure, reining, gaming, English, ordressage horse; collection and balance isimportant to performance.The next aspect to collection is mental. We allknow if we don’t have the horses mind wehave nothing. We can have the most athletichorse but if we can’t gain control of his mindwe can’t get control of his body. As I have mentioned in previous articles, alarge part of our training is to teach our horsesto focus and to develop there attention span.By accomplishing this, it makes our trainingsessions much more productive and intense.There are simple exercises we can do to helpteach this. For example, trotting circles andteaching our horses to hold the circle withoutany help from us, teaching them to stayhooked and focused. Mental collection is a must in developing fin-ished horses and showing/competing with ourhorses.So as we are training our horses lets remem-ber the two parts of collection we want toachieve, and remember the only way to geteither one is Timing, Consistency, andRepetition.

Good luck and God bless,Monty BruceGood luck and God bless,

Monty Bruce

Visit our website at www.montybruce.com or ifyou have questions or need help feel free toemail us at mbtc02@msn.com

COLLECTION; GAININGCONTROL OF YOUR

HORSE’S BODYby Monty Bruce

O a k c r o f tTrunks &S t a b l eAccessories,a fine cus-tom trunkc o m p a n y ,took part in acelebrationof theA m e r i c a nSaddlebred

when they attended the recent AmericanSaddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) annual

convention. Oakcroft not only helped the asso-ciation members celebrate their passion for thebreed, but also held a raffle and awarded onelucky member with a free Oakcroft trunk.

“The trunk raffle was a huge hit andwe were really pleased to take part in theAmerican Saddlebred Horse Association con-vention,” said Naomi Despres, President ofOakcroft.

Mansfield Browne, of LeatherwoodStud in Kentucky, was the lucky winner of theOakcroft trunk. Browne was excited about hiswin and said, “Oakcroft is my favorite trunkmaker.”

Jay Hickey, President of theAmerican Horse Council, and John Nicholson,President of the Kentucky Horse Park, were onhand for the presentation of the free trunk.“Leatherwood Stud is one of the premiereSaddlebred establishments in Kentucky, andwe are thrilled that Browne won,” Despres

said.Oakcroft’s booth at the AHSA con-

vention gave attendees the chance to see thefine craftsmanship of Oakcroft trunks as wellas their enduring beauty. Located in WestMichigan, Oakcroft continues a third genera-tion family tradition of fine wood craftsmanshipwith a commitment to service and timeliness.

Oakcroft is made up of riders whoknow the conditions equipment is exposed toin the barn and away at shows. They alsounderstand that a well designed barn andbeautiful, hardworking equipment are key com-ponents for the successful day-to-day opera-tion of a stable, whether it be a small for-pleas-ure barn or a large training and breeding busi-ness such as Leatherwood Stud.

For more information on OakcroftTrunks, visit their website atwww.oakcroft.com.

T h eUniversity ofWisconsin’sVe t e r i n a r yM e d i c a lT e a c h i n gHospital willhold its firstopen house

in over six years on Sunday April 26, 2009 tointroduce the public to the many services avail-able through UW Veterinary Care.

The public can peek behind the scenes ofthe School of Veterinary Medicine’s UWVeterinary Care services from noon until 4:00pm. Admission is free.

The UW Veterinary Medical TeachingHospital is located at 2015 Linden Drive inMadison, Wis. Free parking is available inParking Lot 62 on the UW campus. (For amap, visit http://www.vip.wisc.edu/map.html).

Based on the theme “Big and Small, WeTreat Them All,” participants will learn how ani-mal patients are treated with the same special-ty care provided in human medicine. In addi-tion to guided tours of both the large and smallanimal hospitals, attendees will have access tointeractive hospital experiences including CPRdemonstrations, pet teeth brushing, and a liveechocardiogram of a dog.

Everyone can enjoy listening to a cow’sheart, meeting unusual animals and learningwhat it takes to get into veterinary medicalschool. Children are encouraged to bring theirfavorite stuffed animal for an x-ray of its“heart.” Surgeons will also be available tosuture or bandage any stuffed animal“injuries.”

Open 24/7, the hospital accepts emergen-cies at all times. The clinic is also open forgeneral and specialty care on an appointmentbasis. The School of Veterinary Medicine’sVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is agreat resource for veterinarians throughout theMidwest to refer cases to the school’s special-ists.

The UW Veterinary Care Open House is achance to view the veterinary hospital’s facili-ties and learn more about the variety of spe-cialty and general care services that areoffered at the hospital. All are welcome.

UW Veterinary Care toHold Open House

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 19

President of the American HorseCouncil Jay Hickey (left), and

President of the Kentucky HorsePark John Nicholson (right), helpOakcroft Trunks President NaomiDespres (center) with the Oakcroftfree trunk raffle. Mansfield Browneof Leatherwood Stud was the win-ner. (Photo by Gayle Strickroot of

Kentucky Images).

Oakcroft Trunk Celebrates American Saddlebred Convention With Free Trunk Raffle

Page 20 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Jim Sharp, Stephenville, Texas - RodeoLegend

A rodeo legend, Jim Sharp’s profes-sional career got off to an impressive start in1986 when he was named Pro Rodeo CowboyAssociation (PRCA) Rookie of the Year. Thenin 1988, he made PRCA history by becomingthe first bull rider to ride all 10 bulls at theNational Finals Rodeo (NFR). Jim went on toearn two PRCA world titles in bull riding.

I’ve had a horse since I was a littlekid, but what I did for twenty years has nothingat all to do with riding horses. Still, I thoughtthat would be my next hobby—riding horsesinstead of bulls. I had never taken training froma professional who really knew what he wasdoing, and I wanted to learn another way toride and train a horse. The opportunity camewhen I met Craig a few years ago through TyMurray. We were working cows, and Craigshowed up. Ty suggested going to one ofCraig’s clinics, and I thought it might be fun togo and see what he had to offer.

I took a young horse I had justbought to Craig’s clinic in Bluffdale, Texas,which is only about twenty miles from where Ilive. Craig teaches in a way that is easy tounderstand. Although I had ridden all my life, Ifound that I didn’t know how to ride a horsecorrectly. In fact, I learned more in three daysthan I probably had all my life about how toride—the way you use your hands and feet to

work with a horse.We were at the clinic for three days,

and it was one of the most fun three days Iever had. Craig is a great teacher, and hemakes it fun to learn and fun to ride. His clinicstudents don’t just stay in the arena; they alsoride on the trails and work obstacle courses,which is a lot of fun—especially with Craigalways making jokes.

Anything to do with a horse, he’llteach you. Along with riding, we learned how toload a horse and a lot of other things on theground. If a horse has a problem like sittingback on his lead rope when he’s tied to thefence, he’ll show you that also; whatever youhave a problem with, you take it to his schooland he’ll tell and show you what you need todo.

At the clinic, there were guys whohadn’t ridden very much and horses that didn’tlook teachable; so on the first day, I thought,“No way these guys or these horses are goingto make it!” But by the third day, they lookedlike different riders and different horses. Craiggives both the horse and the rider confidence.

I watch his shows on RFD farm andranch station. On some of these shows, Craigteaches how to do things like load a horse. Andsometimes they show his Extreme CowboyRace, which tests how good a horse and riderare. We did a miniature race like that, withobstacles, at Craig’s clinic.

To Craig, the horses are his friends.He’s patient with them until they figure outwhat to do. Once the horse figures it out,everything is smooth after that. I use the thingsI learned at Craig’s clinic all the time, and after-ward, I told everyone I talked to about it.

Though his students learn a lot, he makes theclinic fun—always happy and smiling. Whenyou’re with Craig, you’re going to have fun …but he’s a real cowboy, for sure. Better backing makes for a better horse!Good Luck & Ride SmartCraig CameronGet Graig’s book and DVD’s atwww.CraigCameron.com

Rodeo Legend -Jim Sharp

talks about Craig Cameron

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When vaccination time rolls around, do youknow what to expect after your horse’s immu-nizations? Every horse owner expects theirvaccinated horse to be protected from dis-ease, but some horse owners don’t expect tosee a reaction that may occur after a vaccina-tion.

“Vaccines can save time, money and mayeven save your horse’s life,” says AprilKnudson, DVM, manager, Veterinary Services,Merial. “Understanding the risk from vaccina-tion can probably save you a few hours of wor-rying, but it’s important to remember that thereaction to any vaccine is likely far less devas-tating than if your horse actually acquired thedisease you vaccinated for.”1Additional info:• What to Expect - Fact Sheet

Vaccines are designed to stimulate animmune response, notes Dr. Knudson. Eachhorse is unique — and a horse’s specificimmune response may be different from otherhorses.2

In particular, Dr. Knudson says that it’s fair-ly common for horses to experience mild, tem-porary side effects a few hours after intramus-cular vaccination, such as:3,4* Local muscle soreness or swelling * Fever* Loss of appetite* Lack of energy or alertness

“Even humans experience signs like thisfollowing vaccinations,” Dr. Knudson says.“What happens to the immune system aftervaccinations can’t always be seen, but thesetypes of clinical signs help demonstrate that animmune response has been stimulated –which is exactly what we want the vaccine todo.”

However, Dr. Knudson recommends con-tacting your veterinarian immediately if any ofthese signs persist for more than 24 hours or ifmore serious side effects, such as hives, diffi-culty breathing, collapse or colic occur. Thesemore serious side effects are rare.3,4

Getting your local veterinarian involved isthe best way to ensure horses are being vac-cinated for the area’s disease risks, and makecertain the vaccines themselves are handledand administered properly. Vaccines that arehandled improperly can become ineffective ormay actually increase the risk of sideeffects.2,5

In addition, vaccination time is a greatopportunity to make certain all aspects of anequine health care regimen are up-to-date withcurrent disease threats, Dr. Knudson recom-mends.

“Vaccinations are a vital part of any equinehealth program,” Dr. Knudson says. “A goodrule of thumb is to check with your veterinarianat least twice a year — usually in the springand fall — to make sure horses are receivingvaccinations in alignment with the region’s dis-ease risks and the horse’s travel schedule.Plus, it’s a good time to make sure nutritionaland dental needs are being met and deworm-ing programs are on track.

“Veterinarians are the best source for qual-ity vaccines and vaccination information, andchecking in a couple times a year helps makesure your horse is healthy year-round.”

1MacAllister C, Gilliam L. Equine vaccination pro-grams. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension ServicePublication VTMD-9119. Available at:http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2072/VTMD-9119web.pdf. AccessedDecember 5, 2008.2Merck Veterinary Manual. Ninth edition. 2005:2181.3Adverse reactions. American Association of EquinePractitioners. Available at:http://www.aaep.org/adverse_reactions.htm. AccessedDecember 5, 2008.4Povey RC and Carman PS (Martinod S). Technicalbasics of vaccination. In: Pastoret PP, Blancou J,Vannier P, Verschueren C, eds. Veterinary Vaccinology.New York: Elsevier; 1997;15:574-578.5Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health. Home edition.2007:561.8 ©2009 Merial Limited. Duluth, GA. All rightsreserved.

What to Expect When VaccinatingMarch 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 21

Ask Mary:Spring trail ridingis right aroundthe corner.Some riders at

my barn are careless about safety. What can Itell them about trail etiquette?

Not everyone is educated in trailsafety. But, it only takes one mishap to changeyour attitude. Let’s share some informationabout safety to ensure your ride isn’t spoiledby an accident.Suitable Horse Partner

Start by selecting a suitable mount.If your horse is nervous in an enclosed arenahe’s not yet ready to face the adventures of atrail ride. A seasoned trail horse that has beenexposed to rustling leaves, startled deer andthe occasional rabbit is invaluable. Be awareof your horse’s fitness level and don’t over doit. Choose a trail length that is appropriate tohis current conditioning.Preplan Your Ride

Check the weather and trail condi-tions ahead of time and prepare appropriately.Trails can be confusing or poorly marked.Bring a map, a compass or GPS unit so you’llknow where you are and how to get back.Pack the equipment necessary to deal with anemergency. This should include a halter, leadrope, water, hoof pick, first aid kit, flashlight,cell phone, leatherman type tool or wire cut-ters.

Let someone reliable know whereyou are going and when you will return.Consider posting a “sign out” sheet for trail rid-ers in your barn. Important items to post arenames, location of the ride, time departed,time due back and a cell phone contact num-ber. Leave an emergency contact number withyour barn manager or on the sign out sheet.This makes it clear for barn manager or afriend to know when and where to summonhelp for you.Safety During the Ride

One of the greatest safety conceptson the trail is courtesy to others. Start your ridesafely by requiring your horse to stand quietlyas you mount. Wait until everyone mounts upbefore riding down the trail. Horse’s instinctive-ly desire the security of the group. The lasthorse mounted may hurry to catch up with theherd making mounting more difficult.

Don’t crowd other horses on thetrail. Maintain at least a horse length of spacebetween horses. This can prevent kicks, bitesand other misbehaviors. Tie a ribbon on the tailof a horse that kicks and inform all other ridersof this tendency.

When you pass horses or changegaits always confer with the other riders inyour group to ensure all are confident andready for the change.

Immediately halt the group if a riderhas difficulty with a spooking horse or falls off.Never, ever leave a rider having difficulty

alone. Horses feelsafer in a group.Being left alone mayintensify the prob-lem. The same goesfor crossing a road.Wait for a largeenough gap in traffic

that all the horses can cross together. Be Alert and Aware

Pay attention to your surroundings.When the footing becomes treacherous findsome solid ground or turn around and goback. Inattentive riders can be surprised bytheir horse’s sudden reaction to a frighteningrabbit scampering in the woods. Never besimply a passenger on your ride. Be an activerider. Look ahead for hazards and things thatmay frighten your horse.

Suspicious people can be danger-ous too because you can’t predict what theymight do. When you see someone whoappears “Out of Place”, trust your instincts andleave quickly. You have horse power on yourside. Canter away to a safe distance and call“911” to report the suspicious activity.

Planning ahead, staying alert forhazards and keeping courtesy and safety inmind will make your trail riding adventuressafe as well as enjoyable.

Mary is a Mounted Police instruc-tor and a fully insured ARICP riding instruc-tor. She devotes her creative energy todeveloping customized training programs toimprove show ring perfomance, mount obe-dience and despooking trail horses utilizingtraining methods used in training policehorses. Visit her website at www.rider-selite.com or email your questions to Maryat:mary@riderselite.com

Mary Hamilton answers your training questions!

Page 22 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Morton, Illinois - The Classic Shetland StallionSweepstakes Auction, an annual event hostedby the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC),is the perfect way for Shetland Pony owners topromote their stallions, breed their mares andbe part of an ongoing effort to showcaseClassic Shetland Pony bloodlines. The auctionis held online and is open to all ASPC regis-tered stallions and mares.“We're looking forward to another great year ofoffering some of the industry’s most prizedstallions at stud,” said Carin Ponder, commit-

tee chair for the 2009 Classic ShetlandStallion Sweepstakes. “Last year the ClassicShetland Stallion Auction was a record break-er with 15 stallions bringing in over $6,000 inprize money. The resulting 2010 foal crop willhave the largest cash prize payout in the his-tory of the program.”

The 2009 auction opens June 1 and clos-es August 17, with a minimum opening bid of$200 for each stallion. Shetland mares will bebred in 2010 and the resulting foals will beshown at the 2011 ASPC National ShetlandCongress, where they will compete for topprize money.

“The auction gives mare owners the chanceto breed to stallions not offered at public studand a chance at the purse,” Ponder said,adding that the online format makes the auc-tion accessible to everyone. “Stallion ownersreceive an online page for their stallion, freefarm promotion through the auction and achance to win part of the purse also.” The American Shetland Pony Club was estab-lished in 1888 and recognizes four distincttypes of ponies: the Classic Shetland Pony,

the Modern Shetland Pony and two types ofpony crosses, the American Show Pony andthe National Show Pony. The ClassicAmerican Shetland Pony is a refined versionof their Scottish ancestors.

For complete details on participating in the2009 Classic Shetland Stallion Auction, visitwww.classicsweepstakes.com. Stallionnominations are due April 1. All bids will gothrough Carin Ponder, ponderingoakssta-bles@yahoo.com, (936) 443-0566.

The American Shetland Pony Club, theAmerican Show Pony Registry and TheAmerican Miniature Horse Registry are non-profit organizations established to preserveand refine the bloodlines of these smallequines and promote the enjoyment of smallequines. Recognized as the oldest and mostversatile registry in the United States, theAmerican Shetland Pony Club offer a varietyof programs for Shetland Pony and MiniatureHorse enthusiasts of all ages. Visit their web-site at www.shetlandminiature.com or 81-BEast Queenwood Road, Morton, IL 61550.

American Shetland Pony Club Holds Classic Stallion

Sweepstakes Auction Online

Classic Shetland Pony weanling Cross County SweetLil Sister (B&L's Rock "E" Bright Day X My Little Sox)

was bred by Belinda Bagby of Cross Country Farm andis owned by Jennifer Radoi of Sweet Opal Farm.(Photo courtesy of Jodie French Photography)

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 23

VISIT US ONLINE AT

www.horsedigests.com•Photo Classifieds•Training Videos•Articles •Events

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Page 24 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Meet Kickstart! My special friendand partner in the Extreme MustangMakeover. The climax for this partnership isthis spring at the Midwest Horse Fair with TheMidwest Mustang Makeover Trainer chal-lenge.

Kickstart is a three year old baymustang with a little white star between hereyes and she comes straight from the highdesert in Nevada.

I named her Kickstart and she cameby that name honestly. In fact, to name heranything else would have been unthinkable.

Due to the unruly, snowy Minnesotaweather, I was 2 weeks late picking her up.Another horse training friend of mine, who isalso working with a Mustang, was kind enough

to pick her upin SouthernIllinois and

haul her to his training facility in Wisconsin,where she stayed until I was able to shovel outof the snow and cold and get her picked up.

Our first meeting was a truechallenge. But having worked in the past withmustangs I expect-ed nothing less. Itconsisted of hercoming at me withteeth bared andears back. I didn’tsurrender myground, although Iwanted to. My heartand stomach werein my throat. We ranher out of the barnand into an openround pen, wheremy job began.

I was limited on time to work withher and I needed to get her in a trailer andhaul her home within a couple of days. Weworked together in the round pen for quite along time, to no avail... as her instincts werekicking in. Hence her name "Kickstart".

I finally had to resort to a hoolahandloop (back in the old cowboy ways), to get hercaught. At that point I started working her backand forth, with pressure and release, until sheunderstood what it was I was asking from her.I then asked her to move forward with pres-sure and release, until I could get a lead ropeon her. I had to start working on her confidencein me.

Her whole underside was cake with driedmud, and I knew I had to get her somewhatclean to get a saddle on her, so we startedworking on some desensitizing techniques. Bythe end of the first day, I was able to lead herback to her stall and brush her as far back asher front shoulder. By half way thru the 2ndday I was able to wave a flag around, get ablanket on her back, and brush the girth area(using great care). By the end of the secondday, I was on her back trotting circles in theround pen. The 3rd morning, I was in the openarena trotting circles and going over someobstacles. The late morning of the 3rd day Iwas able to walk her into my three horse slanttrailer, quietly and calmly.

I have worked with a few mustangs in Idaho.

in the past, and my experience has beenpretty much the same with these wild horses.They show their emotions and feelings honest-ly, there is no BS in these guys. It’s actually abreath of fresh air compared to some of todaysdomesticated horses.

Next month we will update you on Kickstartsprogress. I can say that she has won my heart

totally and is very intellegentand quick to try and please. Apleasure to teach.As we collect pictures ofKickstart we will be puttingthem up on our website soplease visit us and meet her.

You will also be able tomeet her at the Central MNHorse Fest in April and she andI just got back from the MidSouth Horse Fest in Tunica,MS. We entered a trail chal-lenge there and though we didnot win, Kickstart did extremely

well.Take Care and God Bless!Dennis Auslam

We invite you to visit our website,we always have an upcoming clinic that canhelp you perfect your horsemanship skills.This spring we are having a Confidence andSelf Defense on the Trail clinic where MaryHamilton and I will be working together. Formore info keep checking the website:www.redwoodstables.com

Dennis Auslam is the owner/operator ofRedwood Stables in Morton, MN. He trainsboth horse and rider through lessons andclinics and runs a regular schedule of clinics inConfidence Building, Horsemanship andCattle Work and has recently added aChallenge Trail Course to his facility. He is scheduled to be a clinician a number ofHorse Fairs and Expos around the country in2009, hosts clinics at his facility and also doesoutside clincs. If you are interested in hostinga clinic please contact us. I you are interestedin attending a clinic you can check out ourclinic schedule on the website.You can set up a clinic at your facility withDennis by contacting him at 507-430-0342 oremail him at redwoodstables@redred.com.We invite you to visit the website at www.redwoodstables.com for moreinformation.

Meet Kickstart,the WildMustang

by Dennis Auslam

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 25

The Board of Directors of theFriends of the University of WisconsinVeterinary Medical Teaching Program hasnamed Dr. Joseph J. Foerner to the new postof Director of the UW / Morrie Waud EquineCenter, located near Delavan, Wisconsin. In making the announcement, Dr. Dale E.Bjorling, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of the Friendsorganization stated, ”Dr. Foerner has been avaluable colleague of the University OfWisconsin School Of Veterinary Medicine formany years. His outstanding experience inequine medicine and surgery in the Midwestand the nation provides the clinic with excep-tional depth and experience, and we welcomehis guidance as the clinic grows.”

Dr. Foerner has been a consultant tothe UW / Morrie Waud Equine Center since itsinception. He was formerly a partner in theIllinois Equine Hospital & Clinic in Naperville,Illinois and a consultant to Merritt AssociatesEquine Hospital in Wauconda, Illinois. He is agraduate of the University of Illinois (B. S.1963, DVM 1965) and the University ofPennsylvania, where he completed his intern-ship in equine surgery.

Dr. Foerner is an internationally rec-ognized authority on equine arthroscopic sur-gery. He was one of the nation's first veterinar-ians to use arthroscopic surgery in equinepractice and has co-authored several books onthe topic. He serves as a consultant to theBrookfield and Lincoln Park Zoos, the SheddAquarium, and Arlington Park Racecourse inthe Chicago area, and the Ringling BrothersBarnum & Bailey Circus in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Foerner is a Diplomate of theAmerican College of Veterinary Surgeons andhas served as President, Chairman of theBoard and Regent of that Association. Heholds memberships in the AVMA and AAEP, aswell as the Illinois State Veterinary MedicalAssociation. He has shared his expertise atover seventy national and international confer-ences and seminars and has had numerousarticles published in peer-reviewed journalsrelated to equine surgery and wildlife medicine The UW / Morrie Waud Equine Center is affili-ated with the University of Wisconsin School ofVeterinary Medicine and offers complete andtechnologically advanced diagnostic, surgical,

and treatment facilities. The staffincludes four veterinary doctorsand certified technicians. It is sup-ported by the expertise of theequine specialists in the fields ofmedicine, surgery, radiology oph-thalmology, dentistry and anesthe-siology at the University ofWisconsin - Madison School ofVeterinary Medicine.

For more information,contact Bob Emery(Bob@EmeryMarketing.com) orAshley Goodin at the UW / MWECat 608-883-6895

Dr. Joe Foerner, DVM, DACVS, namedDirector of the UW/Morrie Waud

Equine Center

Page 26 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

The calendar says it’s time to getyou and your horse in shape for this year’sendurance and competitive rides. And nowthat the temperature has moderated a bit, itwill make those conditioning rides a bit moretolerable. Butfirst you needto get the iceand/or mudchipped offyour horse andmake a heroicattempt to getbrush and/ors h e d d i n gblade throughthat densewinter coat.Now that yourhorse is some-what presenta-ble and you’resweaty andwearing yourhorse’s haira n ddander…justthink of it as aharbinger ofwhat to expectat future rides.

N odoubt your tack like mine is clean, oiled andready to plop on your horse’s back (just kid-ding!) The tack you have will do just fine; how-ever, if you have a hundred thousand just lan-guishing in your checking account…any com-pany selling endurance gear will be more thanhappy to help you lose your balance or at leastdecrease it significantly. However, of utmostimportance is a saddle that fits yourhorse…don’t be one of those ninnies who thinkadding yet another pad will make everythingright…unless of course your horse is like theproverbial ‘princess and the pea’.

There just might be anendurance/competitive ride near your ownbackyard; many offer a novice ride of 12 to 15-miles. For a listing of ’09 rides visit the ‘UpperMidwest Endurance and Competitive RideAssociation’ website at UMECRA or DRAW for‘Distance Riders Association of Wisconsin’.No computer? Give me a call at The Farm inMilton 608/868-3039 and I’ll send you a

schedule. Call the ‘ride manager’ for specifics.

Most novice rides even start at a reasonabletime…not 4,5 6 or 7a.m. Now you know whymany distance riders suffer from somedegree of sleep deprivation and althoughwe may not beat the early bird to theworm, we most likely beat him into bed.Oh, and did I mention you’ll want to getup about 3a.m. to feed your horse?

But back to your first ride…youmight want to show up without a horse,ride management will be only too happyto let you get some hands on experi-ence…soaking in the whole ambiance ofcamping and horse confinement …scrib-ing for the ride vet, learning to take p

& r’s or just being agopher. And sincemisery loves compa-ny…think of findinganother aspiring dis-tance rider…andwhen gasoline/dieselsoars over four dol-lars a gallon onceagain, you’ll be gladyou did! And I mighteven ask you to trotout my horse…I’vebeen very hard on myligaments and haveexisted without ACL’S foryears but last year my 71-year old left medial collat-eral ligament protestedand I’ve yet to see if it’s fix-able. The only bone I’veever broken was thatfemur in 2002 (not horserelated) and unfortunately,the plate and screws madethe MRI unreadable.

W i t hcompetitive rides,you’ll want to aim fora speed somewherebetween 5 and 7-miles an hour. Notsure what this mightbe? If you’ve got anice quiet road (ortrail) measure out amile with your car’sodometer … checkyour watch and offyou go. Or if this isreally somethingyou’re determined topursue, Garmin hasa neat wrist GPS that will give youthis information in the blink of aneye. It also does lots of other neat things andapparently will even help you get unlost; how-ever, I’ve been too busy dealing with impor-

tant things like average speed, lapsed time,etc. to bother learning that.

And there are additional perks, yourhorse receives lots of mini-physicals; at the

‘vet in’; the ride veterinarian will check yourhorse’s pulse and respiration, capillary refill,skin tenting, gut sounds, etc. etc. - ascertainthat your horse is not lame and ‘is fit to go’.There’s another ‘vet check and trot out’ at themid-point of a 25-mile ride (additional vetchecks for 50’s and 100’s.) and a final at theend of the ride. The lucky six receive rib-bons…but unlike those 40-dollar ribbons athorse shows not subject to the vagaries of ajudge, you can be sure you and your horse

earned aw e l l -

deserved ribbon. And that’s not all … atendurance rides everyone who finishesreceives a ‘completion award’.

Endurance rides are endurable!by Tracy Porter

Palmyra ride - Tracy Porter & Thomas w/ Dr. Wes Elforddoing thevet check. When Dr. Wes isn't vetting

- he's riding 50's.

Endless Valley - 'vet check' w/ Dr. Marny Gamm

Susan Keating, Shirley May and Jim & Dawn Haas atEndless Valley

Washing your horse’s face can bechallenging, but there are no more worries withthe first and only “waterless” equine face washon the market. Audrey’s Solution to Dirty FacesWaterless Equine Face Wash is an innovative,wipe-on formula that can get any horse’s facespotless without turning on a hose. There areno more struggles to get dirt and sweat off yourhorse’s face, as you simply spray Audrey’sSolution to Dirty Faces onto a fresh towel andwipe your horse’s face clean. No need to rinsebefore or afterwards. And Audrey’s Solution toDirty Faces is hypoallergenic and non-irritat-ing, so cleaning eyes, ears and noses is abreeze.Also available from Audrey’s Solutions isAudrey’s Solution to Dirty Horses MedicatedShampoo and Audrey’s Solution to TroubledSkin Medicated Skin Spray. These medicatedproducts are antifungal and antibacterial, andthey make treating dermatitis and fungus easy.Even against rain rot, you will see the differ-ence as these products leave your horse’scoat and skin well conditioned and protected.Audrey’s Solutions grooming products do notcontain “cheap fillers”, such as DEA, phos-phates, bleach, soap, and harsh detergentsthat can be harmful to you, your horse and theenvironment. Audrey’s Solutions are innovative, unique andguaranteed to fulfill your grooming needs, notwork against them. We are certain that yourhorse will love these products as much as ourhorses do.Suggested Retail Price of all three products:$16.95Visit us at www.audreyssolutions.com

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 27

You might also want to check with your breedassociation for special awards or acknowl-edgemen t .My favoritemare, Ikeacopped highpoint inCompetitivein 2005 and2006 whenshe was 18and 19 andBert belong-ing to JoslynSeefeldt washigh point inL i m i t e dDistance for2006 withthe PasoFino HorseAssociationand alsoranked 3rd nationallyin mileage with AERC.

But you say “hey, I’ve never even

ridden 25-miles!” Not to worry…neither hadmy friend nor I, we survived and so did our

horses! But be forewarned –these rides maybe addictive. On February 28th, the AppaloosaHorse Association has an endurance clinic- abenefit for the SMILES handicapped-ridingprogram; for more information call Dawn Haasat 262/495-8105.

And for a ‘taste of endurance’ join usat The Farm on Saturday, May 2…proceeds

for the 5 and 10-mile rides like those itsfour predecessors will be used by theRock County Multi-Use Trails Group toimprove equestrian trails in the county.If there is sufficient interest, on Fridayafternoon, May 1st we will have a‘hands on’ clinic and ‘5-mile sampleride’. Meanwhile…think springTracy Porter/TJ Clibborn-Clinics,Expos, Lessons, Training9736 N. Serns RoadMilton, Wisconsin 53563Phone: 608-868-5432Phone: 765-729-1217

The Farm-BoardingShirley May, 9736 N. Serns Roadm,Milton, Wisconsin 53563Phone: 608-868-3039

Northern Kettle Ride - Pieta, Ikea & Bert anticipating the next day's ride.

NEVER STRUGGLE TO CLEAN YOUR

HORSE’S FACEAGAIN WASH

NEW PRODUCT - Audreys Solutions

Page 28 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

by Ryan Gingerich

Goals for the HumanThe other thing I do on a regular

basis is to write down what I’m going to do withmy horse. I sit down and write out steps 1, 2,3, 4, 5 of my plan. The lessons I write downdirectly relate to the goal for the day. That wayif you get interrupted (which is bound to hap-pen), you can refer back to your written plan,which will redirect you to where you were withthe horse. Trust me, this is easier than trying torely on your memory. (Anyone who knows mewill tell you that I have the worst memory onthe face of the earth!)

Having a lesson plan, writing itdown, making it attainable, making it simple,making it specific—all of these items are veryimportant in developing a plan for you andyour horse.Recognizing the Horse’s Innate Intelligence

When I first started training horses,I would get frustrated because I didn’t have adeep knowledge of horse psychology. And Icertainly didn’t have an understanding ofbehavioral rehabilitation. I would get very frus-trated very quickly, and didn’t get the results Iwanted. Every time I felt frustrated with myselfor with the horse, I would stop, get a drink ofwater or a soda, talk to someone, or just putthe horse away. Then I’d regroup by sittingdown that night and write in my notes: “Todaythis is what the horse did really bad, and this iswhat he did really good. These are the things Isaw as improvements. These are the things Iwant to do tomorrow.” I’d make a list and keepa log for every horse that I trained. The logallows me to see an improvement in the horseand keep a record of his progress. When thehorse improved, then I knew I didn’t have towork for hours on walking on the rail and stop-ping and backing; I already knew he wasimproving and I could go on to something

different.The Magic Numbers of Five, Six,Seven

Once a horse does the lesson cor-rectly for five, six or seven times consec-utively, then I basically stop at that pointand switch to another lesson. I wasinspired by reading about a scientist whoproved the theory that most mammalslearn best with five to seven repetitions. Ifyou drill the horse over and over and overagain, always attaining the rightresponse, eventually he’ll show you thewrong response. Then the horse will bepracticing the wrong thing! So having that

stopping point is very important: five to sevensuccessful repetitions.

Years and years ago I certifiedunder a trainer who believed that you had toperform thousands of repetitions with thesame response to get the horse to learn thatresponse. It was an important benchmark inmy life when I found this scientific study aboutanimals learning best with five to seven repeti-tions. I talked about this study with Dr. AndrewMcLean, one of my mentors. He was veryenthusiastic about the study, and totallysupported the concept. This information andvalidation made me recognize the intelligenceof the horse, and I started appreciating theseanimals much more and started working withthem in a new way. It was really enlightening towatch the horses’ responses without drillingthem with thousands of repetitions. However, itdoes take thousands of repetitions for alearned response, but that will take years toadd up to those numbers. For instance, mostof the top dressage horses are 12 to 15 yearsold, the reason being that it takes that manyyears to get the horse to where everything isan automatic response. There’s such a strongconnectivity between the cue and theresponse that it becomes ingrained in theirminds.What’s Enough?

Old timers frequently give theadvice to “stop on a good note with your horse;he’ll be there the next day.” Well, I honestlydon’t think that’s the case. I’ve seen a fewhorses that, if you stop on a good note, you’llmake progress the next day. But I’ve seen toomany horses where you stop on a good notethe first day and the next day the issue wasjust as bad as when you started. Having that inyour mind, coupled with knowing that you’regoing to have both good and bad days, andyou’ll develop a feel for knowing when to say“when.”

Not Getting theResults YouWant?

If I’ve beenworking with ahorse for a fewhours and I’m notgetting theresponse I’m look-ing for, then I stopand ask myself:What am I not

explaining to the horse that he needs in orderto give me the proper response?

Something that Dr. McLean used tosay to me, which was a home run idea in mymind, was that “the lesson needs to be clearerto the teacher than it is to the student.”

It can’t be equal—in other words,the lesson can’t be as clear to the student as itis to the teacher. And that’s where 90% of theriders end up. The rider takes a bit of some-one’s method here, a bit of another methodthere, and then mix in parts of another method.On one day they’ll work with the horse withone method, which is directly opposite of themethod they used the day before. The horsewinds up with mixed messages in crazyforeign languages and nothing ever makessense to them. It would be like me studyingChinese, French and Spanish and usingwords from each language in a sentence. Justtry to sort that out and make sense of it!

You have to go back and clarify tothe horse that this particular method is the oneyou’re going to use and these are the cuesyou’re going to teach consistently. And thenyou need to promise that these premises won’tchange! Find a training method you like andstick with it.

If you’re having problems, sit downand analyze exactly where you’re havingchallenges. Write down your thoughts—problems, successes, progress, concerns.Writing them down is a step-by-step, tediousprocess, and many people don’t want to do it.But it gives you a clear picture about yourhorse (and yourself). By writing down thesethings, you’ll visualize a successful image inyour mind and you’ll begin to see a pattern inyour training—maybe your cues aren’t clear,you don’t quite understand how to get thestops you’re after, maybe you don’t know whya certain leg needs to be the first in a depar-ture sequence. Maybe you’re not clear aboutthe Connection Clock, which is a tool used inmy Connection DVD to help evaluate andteach horse movement,and how the horse’sshoulder moves off. Whatever it is, it alwaysboils down to the fact that it’s always the rider’sfault, never the horse’s fault.

As always, Train Safe, Ride Safe, Have Fun!

For more information on RyanGingerich, his Connective Horsemanship pro-gram, and how you can improve the way youcommunicate with your horse, please visitwww.ryangingerich.com or simply call800.359.4090.

Analyzing your horse’s successes, challenges, and blooperswill point out how successful (or maybe not so successful!)you are as a trainer and rider

Planning the Plan(part 2)

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 29

Page 30 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

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Classifying Horses as Livestock, Definition Bill for MinnesotaHorses are Livestock, Definition Bill

for Minnesota

David Dayon of Wind-N-Wood Farm Ltd.,Saint Michael, MN, deserves the thanks andsupport of the Minnesota Horse Industry. Hehas spearheaded a bill to insure that horsesare defined as livestock in Minnesota statuteschapter 17 for the Department of Agriculture.Horses are defined as livestock in every otherarea of Minnesota’s legislation, but not definedin Chapter 17.

Why is this so important? Recently, there hasbeen a move in several States, includingMinnesota, to change the legal status of hors-es from that of livestock to companion animal,non-food animal, or other similar designations.

To clarify this in all areas of Minnesotastatutes, David, along with authorsRepresentative Tom Emmer and Senator AmyKoch have presented to their respectiveAgricultural committees the following bill. Ithas passed both the House ofRepresentatives and Senate committees andis headed to the respective floors for a finalvote.

The bill as presented states:

A bill for an act relating to agriculture; clarifyingthat horses and other equines are livestockand raising them is an agricultural pursuit; pro-posing coding for new law in MinnesotaStatutes, chapter 17. BE IT ENACTED BYTHE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MIN-NESOTA:

Section 1. [17.459] HORSES.Subdivision 1. Classification as livestock.Horses and other equines raised for the pur-poses of riding, driving, competition, racing,recreation, sale, or as breeding stock are live-stock. Horses and their products are livestockand farm products for purposes of financialtransactions and collateral.

Subd. 2. Agricultural pursuit. Raising horsesand other equines is agricultural productionand an agricultural pursuit. Horse breedingfarms, horse training farms, horse boardingfarms, or farms combining those purposes, arean intensive agricultural use that may beaccomplished on limited acreage. These inten-sive agricultural uses are necessary for horsesin order to control the feeding, safety, andoverall condition of the animals.

Some of the reasons this so is important to thehorse industry to have them remain classifiedas livestock and not simply companion ani-mals or pets are:A. State and Federal support andmonies. The care and regulation of horsesand horse related activities come under thepurview of the United States Department ofAgriculture on the national level.

B. Humane Laws. All 50 States haveanimal anti-cruelty laws. Some of these lawsare written specifically for livestock and othersare written specifically for non-livestock. SeeMN Statute 346.38 “Equines”C. Limited Liability Laws. Many Statesare now passing what are commonly referredto as “limited liability laws.” One of the purpos-es of these State laws is to provide stable own-ers, equine event organizers and trail rideorganizers protection from lawsuits that mayarise if an individual is injured while attendingor participating in such an event. Thoseinvolved in the horse industry realize the horseis a potentially dangerous animal, and areaware of the risks when dealing with them.See MN Statute 604A.12 Livestock activities;immunity from liability.D. Tax Issues. Currently, under feder-al tax law, commercial horse owners andbreeders are treated as farmers. This has cer-tain tax ramifications which could be changedif horses were not considered livestock. Inaddition, horse owners and breeders are treat-ed differently by state excise and sales taxesbecause horses are considered livestock.These advantages could be lost.

There are other ramifications of changing thestatus of horses from livestock to companionanimals. There are many that would like usand the general public to think otherwise. The

horse industry needs to remain solid and uni-fied in this matter, do your part to protect ourindustry and get involved with the laws that doand will govern us in the future.

I was present at the committee hearings tosupport this effort and know what is going on.You need to be informed and contact yourstate representatives to let them know that youare in the industry and want your voice to beheard.

Many do not know how large and important thehorse industry is for Minnesota and you.

Rahn Greimann

Please get involved and contact your repre-sentatives today! You can find their contactinformation here:

Minnesota House of Representativeshttp://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/housemembers.asp

Minnesota Senate Membershttp://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/

We ask that every one in the horse industryget involved with your state’s legislation toprotect our rights and viability.

Page 32 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

Question:How do youexplain the connection women have withhorses?Answer: Without question, there is a connec-tion between women and horses. This bondlures both young girls and older women into aweb of seduction. My humble beginnings withhorses has enlightened me not only to theways and wiles of horses, but also to a greaterunderstanding of how it is that women are soinextricably intertwined with them, for better orfor worse, and why horses are so powerfullyattractive to women.

Growing up on a small horse farm incentral Florida, my education of horses beganat an early age. I was fortunate to have theopportunity to develop and explore my passion

for horses, which was passed on to me frommy father. Being one of four siblings that allhad the same opportunities and exposures,I was the only one in my family that wascaught in the web. To say I had an interestin horses is a gross understatement, for if Ihad been able to transform myself into a

horse, I would have gone to live with the herdin a heartbeat.

As av very introverted child, mydays were spent hiding out in the pastures withthe horses. I was very shy and quiet in myyouth, but came to life with the horses. Someof my fondest childhood memories are of thehours and days spent in my fort in the hugetree out in the pasture. My sanctuary also pro-vided a refuge to our horses from the hotFlorida sun and we spent a lot of quality timethere, hidden in the shade of the huge oak.While my parents worried that I did not havemany friends, I found camaraderie with theherd. While my parents were concerned that Inever seemed to talk much, the dialogue withmy herd mates was never-ending. My infatua-tion turned to a lifetime passion.

It wasn't until I was a young adultthat I began to question where my connectionto horses came from and how I had gained theability to understand horses so well. How wasit that I knew the things I knew about horses

that no one hadever taughtme? Was itgenetic memo-ry? Was I bornwith some sortof sixth senseor mystical abil-ity that allowedme to commu-nicate withhorses in a waythat otherscouldn't grasp?I remember a

big brownThoroughbredthat belongedto a timid mid-dle-aged rider.They were abad match foreach other andtheir relation-ship was trou-bled, to say theleast. Both ofthem were anx-ious and strug-gling to commu-nicate. I wasdrawn into thist u m u l t u o u srelationship inan effort to helpboth of them. At

the age of 14, I was a very competent rider, butno one had ever taught me how to train ahorse. I knew how to jump big fences and Icould ride just about anything with four legs,but I had not been taught much about horsebehavior and training. As I worked with thebrown horse, I somehow I managed to con-nect with him and find the source of thehorse's anxiety and help them both find confi-dence in each other. Using my intuition, I wasable to provide the horse with an understand-ing of what was expected of him and give theowner a sense of how to relate to the horse.

Gradually, I came to realize that myunderstanding of horses -- my "horse sense" --- had come from the horses themselves andmy days spent loitering with the herd under thebig oak tree. By immersing myself in theirlives, I had learned their rules, and learned thecommunicative gestures and the variousbehaviors of the individuals. Armed with thisinvaluable but sub-conscious understanding, Ibegan my career with horses and started onthe infinite path toward greater insight.

Having spent the last 25 years as afemale horse trainer in a traditionally maleindustry, I have spent many hours thinkingabout how it is that women and men are differ-ent in their approach to horses. Having spentmost of my life as a trainer of horses and ateacher of people, I know that there are cleardifferences between the genders. For the mostpart, women possess qualities that enhancetheir relationship with horses, but some ofthese traits can get in our way. So what is itabout women and horses that can account forthe unique bond between the two?

In general, women are much moreintuitive than men and are more in tune toemotions. Since horses are largely non-verbalcommunicators and highly emotional animals,I think women have a leg-up on men when itcomes to being able to understand the horseand connect with and understand its emotions.Not only can women sense the emotionality inothers, but also we tend to take on those emo-tions more easily, thus making us more empa-thetic.

Women are nurturers by nature. Weare programmed to take care of our herd. Weare more inclined to function in family groupsand watch out for the greater good of thegroup. Like the boss mare in the horse herd,we are inclined to find food and shelter, pro-vide discipline and structure and guard againstthreats to the safety of those in our care. Inessence, we have a tendency to be herd-bound ourselves.

On a deeper level, I believe womencan connect with horses from a sharedunderstanding of what it is like to be a preyanimal. In spite of the fact that humansare considered to be predators and,in fact, the number one predator of horses formore than 150,000 years, women are moreaccustomed to being prey than being predator.

Building a Better Relationship

Women's Conection with Horsesby Julie Goodnight

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 33

Throughout history, women have beenoppressed and victimized by individual maleswho are physically stronger by nature.Throughout history society has oppressedwomen in many ways. Both women andhorses understand what it means to be vul-nerable and I think that as a result, the psy-ches of both horses and women areconnect-ed deep within as strong, spirited animalswith true vulnerabilities that lie just below thesurface. As women, we know what it is like tohave our rights infringed upon. We know whatit is like to fear for our own safety and survival.In some cases, we understand what it is like tobe captive and powerless to determine ourown fate.

I spent my college years working atthe racetrack and gaining a whole new per-spective than what I had learned on the showcircuit. I loved the riding; I loved the excitementof busting out of the starting gate and runninglike the wind. I loved the challenge of ridingyoung vigorous horses and staying with themthrough their transition from young gangly coltsto mature and resolute athletes. I loved thepower and the veracity that I felt riding race-horses. Yet walking through the back barns atthe track, I would cower from the catcalls andthe harassment emanating from the seedytrack workers. As a rider, I felt strong andempowered. As a woman, I felt vulnerable andfrightened.

When a horse feels frightened andtrapped, he sometimes forgets that he isstrong and powerful and capable of defendinghimself, because his nature is to run not con-front. Sometimes a horse will quietly accept hisfate and endure endless abuse, forgetting hehas the power to fight back. At the track, Icould handle the powerful and exuberant hors-es, but one pathetic and meaningless mancould make me run for cover.

Just as men tend to approach lifewith bravado, women tend to approach life withcunning and finesse. I believe this accounts forwhy horses relate differently to men andwomen, for better or for worse. Whether it is afact of biology or society, men tend to bestronger and more confident than women andtherefore tend to approach horses more fromthe perspective of muscling the horse or "con-quering the savage beast." While women, witha keener sense of survival and an understand-ing of vulnerability, and knowing that our bruteforce will not count for much against a thou-sand pound animal, tend to approach horseswith greater finesse and thoughtfulness.

I believe it is this very difference thataccounts for the fact that often horses are saidto be "afraid of men." I do not think that horsescan intellectually distinguish between the gen-ders of humans, but rather react to the bodylanguage, attitudes and intentions of men, whoare more imposing and intimidating in theirdemeanor. It has been my observation thathorses that are supposedly afraid of men willnot be frightened of men that are quiet, calmand humble in their approach to horses. Inother words, horses will not be frightened ofmen "in touch with their feminine sides."

Although women seem to connectwith horses through a shared sense of vulner-ability, this sense of vulnerability can also man-

ifest in a lack of confidence, which may inter-fere with a satisfactory relationship betweenthe two. As men tend to approach horses withconfidence and an air of leadership, womenoften approach horses with uncertainty andinsecurity. Horses are very quick to perceivethis difference and may take advantage of awoman more quickly than a man.

The structure of the horse herd is alinear hierarchy, which means that each andevery individual of the herd is either dominantover, or subordinate to, each and every otherindividual. In essence, if you and your horseform a herd of two, you are either dominant orsubordinate; you are either the leader or thefollower. I have found that women often havedifficulty stepping into the leadership role intheir herd of two. Women are nurturers and notaggressors; therefore it is easy for us to fallinto the subordinate role.

To earn respect and become theleader of the herd, a horse must control theresources of the herd (food, water, etc.) andcontrol the space and actions of the subordi-nates. In our roles as nurturers and caregivers,women have difficulty stepping up to this plate.Women may be quick to let horses, and others,push them around and control their space,which only serves to convince the horse thathe is, in fact, the alpha individual in the herd oftwo.

So while women have muchstrength that allows us to connect to horses ona deeper level, sometimes these strengths canbecome our greatest weaknesses. We are notas accustomed to defending our space andasking for what we want. We are more accus-tomed to giving of our selves to others.

It may be that the best lessonwomen can learn and apply to their relation-ship with horses is to remember that we sharemuch with horses, and can naturally relate tothem, but that our natural behaviors are poten-tially counter-productive to capable manage-ment of our horses. In other words, how wefeel -- our emotions and intuition -- are posi-tives; but how we react --- whether we are con-fident and direct, or less assertive and indirect--- can be negative. If women can learn to usetheir senses and feelings to understand and

bond with their horses, and also learn to actdirectly and confidently, they will develop anextraordinary bond and will catch the horse intheir web.

I have learned many things from mylifetime spent with horses and they will contin-ue to be my teachers throughout my life. I havelearned to be honest, forthright and clear in mycommunications with others. I have learned tofollow through with what I ask for, an assertive-ness that does not come naturally to womenwho are used to giving rather than taking. Ihave learned to feel confidant and act like theleader, even when deep down inside I do notreally feel that way. Sometimes, you just haveto fake it.

Above all else, horses have taughtme to be patient. I have learned to be persist-ent, to hold my ground and wait and let thehorse come to me. There is no greater satis-faction than to develop a relationship based ontrust and confidence with a horse. Perhaps thegreatest patience of all is the patience of know-ing that I will continue to learn about horses forthe rest of my life at the same rate that I waslearning as a child under the oak tree. The treefort has given way to my kitchen table, sippingcoffee in the early morning hours and studyingthe herd right outside my window. And no mat-ter how hard I try and no matter how long Iwork at it, there will always be another lessonto be learned from a horse.

Julie Goodnight has more than a quarter-cen-tury of horse training experience. Hervaried background ranges from dressageand jumping to racing, reining, colt-starting,and wilderness riding. She communicatesclearly with horses and riders inany discipline and travels coast-to-coast andbeyond to film her television show, HorseMaster, and to appear at horse expos, confer-ences and clinics.publications and websites.Visit www.JulieGoodnight.com.

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Page 34 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

In the last article, I discussed the importanceof the rider’s natural aids in communicatingwith the horse. I now would like to share withyou a simple exercise to help you improve theuse of your seat, leg, and hand aids. You willneed a large area, such as an arena or largepasture, to do this exercise. Since we are con-centrating on improving the rider, this exerciseshould be done using a horse that has basicunderstanding of the rider’s seat, leg, andhand aids.Circles-Within-A-Circle Exercise

The pattern for this exercise uses a large cir-cle and two smaller ones done within the largecircle. If you think of the large circle as a clockface, then the smaller circles we will do withinit will be done at the three and nine o’clockpositions. During the exercise, keep thehorse’s body positioned straight on these cir-cles. This means that his body is slightly bent

or arced to follow the circular track. A diagramof this pattern is shown in my “DressagePrinciples for the Western and English Horseand Rider, Aids Communications,” available atmy website listed at the end of this article.

With the horse properly tacked and warmedup, start by asking him to walk forward on alarge circle to the right. Communicate yourrequest for the horse to move forward by usingthe aids together in the proper sequence. Thefirst aid used is the seat. The rider’s shouldersare positioned slightly back so that her seatputs more weight in the saddle as her hipsfollow the horse’s movement. The leg aidsfollow with a light pressure to ask the horse tomove forward. Finally, the hands encourageforward movement as the fingers open slightlyon the reins to allow the horse the freedom ofmovement. The sequence is: seat-legs-hands.

Once youestablish a walk,continue on thelarge circle. Asyou arrive at thethree o’clockposition, make asmaller circle tothe right withinthe large circle.We will use thissmaller circleto prepare for atransition (achange from onegait to another orspeed within a

gait). As you complete the smaller circle andcome back to the large circle, prepare to makea transition to an extended walk. Do this byputting more weight in your seat, following themovement with the hips while lightly squeez-ing with the legs and opening the fingers to letthe horse increase his gait. Continue theextended walk on the large circle.

When you arrive at the nine o’clock positionon the large circle, prepare for a downwardtransition to a slower walk. Turning the horseonto the smaller circle will naturally tend toslow his speed. Ask for a downward transitionby decreasing the weight in your seat anddecreasing the movement of your hips follow-ing the horse’s movement and by decreasingand relaxing your leg aids. If necessary, slight-ly close the fingers on the reins. The horseshould slow his gait in reaction to this commu-nication.

As you complete the small circle andapproach the large circle again, prepare to askyour horse for an upward transition to a jog ortrot. Time the communication so that yourhorse will be jogging or trotting as he comesback onto the large circle. The aids communi-cations for this upward transition is the sameas we used for the transition from slow toextended walk: seat-legs-hands. While placingmore weight in your seat, move your hips for-ward to follow the horse’s movement as youlightly apply leg pressure. Remember to openthe fingers to allow the horse the freedom tomove forward. If you do not get a response,continue on a larger turn and repeat the aidssequence to ask for the upward transition.

Keep the horse jogging or trotting on thelarge circle. Change directions to track left. Wewill use this direction to work on downwardtransition. Continue the jog/trot around thecircle until you arrive at the three o’clock posi-tion. Once again follow the smaller circle andprepare for a downward transition to the walk.As you start to close the smaller circle, applymore weight in your seat, decrease hipmovement, keep legs on contact but notsqueezing, and lightly close your fingers onthe reins. The horse should respond by givingyou a downward transition to a walk.

Continue walking on the large circle.As you approach the nine o’clock position,enter the smaller circle at the walk.As you begin to close the circle, askfor an upward transition to an extendedwalk by applying more weight with theseat, following with the hips, squeezing

Communicating with Your Aids …Keys to Success, Part 5”

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 35

lightly with the legs, and opening the fingers.When you are on the larger circle again, con-tinue an extended walk to the three o’clockposition.Add Some Challenge

As you enter the small circle at three o’clock,prepare for a downward transition to a walk.Keep your seat working lighter, leg lighter inresponse, and let the horse come back to hisnatural walk within the small circle. This time,before returning to the large circle, ask for anupward transition within the small circle.Remember the aids sequence: 1) increaseweight in the seat, follow with the hips,2) lightly squeeze with the legs, and 3) openthe fingers to allow forward movement. Timeyour aids communication so that you are jog-ging or trotting by the time you are back on thelarge circle.

Jog/trot one entire large circle to the left.Gradually make a large, wide figure “8” turn sothat you are tracking to the right. On the largecircle, prepare to extend the jog by applyingmore weight in your seat. Continue followingthe motion with your hips. Be preparedbecause the increased speed will make thisgait more bouncy to follow. The legs still stayon contact with a light squeeze to support for-ward movement. Make at least one large circleat the extended jog/trot.

When you are ready, use one of the small-er circles to ask for a downward transition tothe walk. I will not repeat the sequence of aidsto use since we have already covered it.Reverse directions and repeat this part of theexercise.

As you do this exercise, you probably willdiscover that you need very little, if any, pres-sure on the reins. The seat and leg aids domost of the communicating. Ultimately, yourgoal should be that the reins become yourmost passive aids for all riding.

I really like using this exercise for severalreasons. The circle is a great pattern for train-ing the horse and the rider. The smaller circleshelp the horse with downward transitionsbecause he will naturally slow down on them.On the other hand, moving onto the larger cir-cle encourages forward movement. The circlesalso give the rider some markers to help timethe upward and downward transitions.

Sometimes a horse does not respond to therider’s seat and leg aids. If the horse does notrespond to a light leg squeeze, first try movingthe leg back slightly and reapply the aid, andthen give the horse a little bump with the leg toget his attention if necessary. When you get aresponse to a leg aid from the horse, keep thelegs on contact with the horse to maintain therequest for forward movement. Always strive touse the lightest of aids!

Another important aid to use to communi-cate with the horse is your voice. If you needmore response to a request for an upwardtransition, add your voice by giving a cluck. Avoice aid is sometimes all the extra communi-cation that is necessary.

In the next article we will add to this exer-cise. In the meantime learn more about PalmPartnership Training™ by going towww.lynnpalm.com or calling 800-503-2824.

The 2009Minnesota Horse Exposcheduled for April 24-26 at the Minnesota

State Fairgrounds in St. Paul welcomes Dr.Tom Lenz, chairman of the American HorseCouncil’s Unwanted Horse Coalition, for onepresentation on the Unwanted Horse,Saturday, April 25. Dr. Lenz will discuss thehistory of the unwanted horses and how itstarted, the types of horses that becomeunwanted, the approximate numbers andcauses for them becoming unwanted,euthanasia and carcass disposal options in

detaila n dbriefly review federal legislation that has beenintroduced to deal with the horse slaughterissue because many unwanted horses areprocessed for meat. He will finally discuss cur-rent options for unwanted horses and effortsby a number of organizations to deal with theissue. The results of the national unwantedhorse survey should be tabulated by then andwill be presented at Expo.

Active in the equine industry, Dr.Lenz is a Past President of the AmericanAssociation of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

He currently is a member of theAmerican Horse Council’s Horse

Welfare Committee, the Research Committeeof the American Quarter Horse Association(AQHA), and the Veterinary Advisory Board ofthe Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association.He is the chair of the AAEP’s WelfareCommittee, the American Horse Council’sUnwanted Horse Coalition and a member ofthe AAEP’s President’s Advisory Board andPublic Policy Committee. He writes a monthlyhorse health column for the Quarter HorseJournal.

The Minnesota Horse Expo issponsored by the Minnesota Horse Counciland ranks as one of the most popular andsuccessful Expos in the country. Over three

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Kankakee River State Park, Bourbonnais, IL.;815-933-1383

Lake Le-Aqua-Ne State Park, Bourbonnais, IL.;

815-369-4282 MatthiessenState Park, Utica, IL.;

815-667-4868Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area,

Collison, IL.; 217-442-4915Moraine View State Park, Leroy, IL.;

309-724-8043Newton Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area,

Newton, IL.; 618-783-3478Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, IL.;

618-786-2156 Rock Cut State Park, Loves Park, IL.;815-885-3311

Shawnee National Forest, Harrisburg, IL.; 618-253-7114Weinbrg-King State Park, Augusta, IL.; 217-392-2345

IOWA - Trail RidesAmana Trail Ride, Amana Colonies, Amana, IA.;

319-462-2206, www.amanatrailride.com

Overnight StablingAunt Reba’s Bed and Breakfast, Larchwood,

MN.; 712-478-4042 or 888-282-5349: www.auntrebas.com

Iowa Bunkhouse, Audubon, IA.; May-September: 712-773-2737

JM4 Rand, Arena, Horse Hotel, Bed andBreakfast, Crescent, IA.; 712-328-7593,www.JM4Ranch.com

Lewis Bottom Farms, Shellsburg, IA.;319-436-3323, www.lewisbottomsfarms.com

MINNESOTA - Trail RidesBush Wacker Trail Ride Club, Huntersville Fall

Trail Ride, Huntersville, MN.; 218-894-0056Outback Ranch, Inc., Houston, MN.;

507-896-5550, www.outbackranch.com

Overnight StablingOutback Ranch, Inc., Houston, MN.;

507-896-5550, www.outbackranch.com

Public LandsArrow Head State Park, Tower, MN.;

218-753-6256 Chippewa National Forest, Deer River, MN.;

218-246-2123

Page 36 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest February 09

RREEADY-TADY-TO-RO-RIDE GUIDEIDE GUIDE

Call 507-943-3355 and place

your ad for your facility

in the Ready to Ride Guide.

Special rates available!

Unwanted Horse Coalition Chair to Present Latest Info atMN Horse Expo April 24-26 at the Minnesota State

Fairgrounds in St. Paul

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 37

Heartland State Trail, Nevis, MN.; 218-652-4054

Lake Louise State Park, LeRoy, MN.; 507-324-5249

Maplewood State Park, Pelican Rapids, MN.;218-863-8383

North Shore State Trail, Two Harbors, MN.;218-834-5238Pillsbury State Forest, Brainerd, MN.;

218-828,2557Taconite State Trail, Tower, MN.;

218-753-2580 ext.250

NORTH DAKOTA - Trail RidesBadlands Trail Rides, Killdeer, ND.;

701-764-8000, www.badlandstrailrides.comTennessee Walking Horse Associaiton of North

Dakota Trail Ride, Grassy Butte/Turtle RiverState Park, 701-947-2190

Riding VacationsKnife River Ranch Vacations, Golden Valley,

ND.; 701-983-4290, www.kniferiverranch.com Little Knife Outfitters, Watford City, ND.; 701-

973-4331, www.littleknifeoutfitters.com

Public LandsFort Ransom State Park, Fort Ransom, ND.;

701-973-4331

SOUTH DAKOTA - Trail RidesBroken Arrow Horse Camp, Custer, SD: 605-

673-4471, www.brokenarrowcampground.com Hay Creek Ranch, Nemo, SD: 605-578-1142,

www.haycreekranch.net Krieger Cattle Company, Burke, SD:

605-775-2113

Riding VacationsBitter Sweet Ranch and Camp, HillCity, SD:

605-574-2324, wwwbitterseetranchcamp.comBroken Arrow Horse Camp, Custer,SD:

605-673-4471,www.brokenarrowcampground.com

Hay Creek Ranch, Nemo, SD: 605-578-1142,www.haycreekranch.net

Gunsel Horse Adventures, Rapic City, SD 605-343-7608,www.gusdelhorseadventures.com

Salt Camp Cabins and Bed and Breakfast,Rosebud, SD: 605-747-2206,saltcamp@gwtc.net

WISCONSIN - Trail RidesBremer Creek LLD, Mondovi, WI.;

608-323-3092, www.bremercreek.com

Riding VacationsBremer Creek LLD, Mondovi, WI.;

608-323-3092, www.bremercreek.comPalmquist Farm, Brantwood, WI.;

715-564-2558, www.palmquistfarm.comSpur of the Moment Ranch,LLC,Mountain,

WI.;800-644-8783. www.spurofthemomentranch.org

Public LandsBlack River State Park, Black River Falls, WI;715-284-4103 Brule River State Forest, Douglas County, WI.;715-372-4866 Castle Rock Trails, Arkdale, WI.;608-564-2233Governor Dodge State Park ,Dodgeville, WI.;608-935-2315Haymeadow Flowage, Chippewa Falls, WI.;715-726-7880Kerrle Moraine State Forest, Campbellsport WI.;262-626-2116; 262-594-6200 Lake Wissota State Park, Chippewa Falls;715-382-4574Token Creek County Park, Madison,WI.; 608-246-3896Wild Rock Park, Neilsville, WI.; 715-743-5140

million dollars has been turned over to theMinnesota Horse Council since the first Expo27 years ago.

This year’s Minnesota Horse Expooffers demonstrations by nationally known cli-nicians/trainers Stacy Westfall, CraigCameron, Susan Harris, Liz Graves as well aspresentations on Saddle Function and Fit withDave Genadek, Driving 101 with SteveWoods, Equine Economics – Caring forHorses During a Recession with KrishonaMartinson, and Poisonous Plants with Dr. LynnHovda to name just a few. Three PRCArodeos, over 600 vendor booths, a huge con-signment tack and clothing sale managed bythe Minnesota 4-H Horse Association, BreedDemonstrations, Stallion Reviews and thedaily at noon in the Coliseum Parade ofBreeds makes the Expo a draw for horse own-ers and enthusiasts alike. For MinnesotaHorse Expo 2009 schedule, ticket, booth, vol-unteer information and more visitwww.mnhorseexpo.org or call 877-462-8758.

The Minnesota Horse Expo Tack &Clothing Sale is managed by the Minnesota 4-H Horse Association. The profit is used to sup-port all areas and activities of the 4-H HorseProject like Winter Roundup (leaders’ training),Seminars and Clinics, the Memorial EquineLibrary (which anybody can borrow materialfrom), the State 4-H Horse Show and more.

In 2008 – for the first time - weaccepted plastic (debit/credit) cards. We willcontinue to take them in 2009.

Last year, 337 consignors con-signed 14,972 items. We sold 7,801 itemspriced from .50 to $25; 1,181 items priced from$26 - $50; 666 items $51 to $500 and 34 itemsover $500. We sold 277 saddles. There weresome very good items sold at a very reason-

able price. Not only do we offer good deals forpeople buying items, we also give people theopportunity to sell items they have out grownor no longer need.

Over 175 great and wonderful hardworking volunteers worked the sale including4-H’ers, parents, and friends and they had alot of fun doing it!

Check in times are Thursday, April23, from noon to 10pm, Friday and Saturday8:00am to noon on Underwood Street next tothe Dairy Building. All consignments are wel-come. Consignment fee is 20%. Check outtime is Sunday from 5:15pm to 7pm. For addi-tional information visit www.mnhorseexpo.organd click on Expo Tack and Clothing Sale orcontact Curt at 320-252-3542.

MN Horse Expo Tack & Clothing Sale Helps Buyers and Sellers!

WEB AND AD DESIGNHORSE COUNCILS

EQUINE HEALTH

Advertise in the Traders Corner for as little as 20.00 per

month call 507-943-3355

HORSE SUPPLIES

SADDLES AND TACK

Page 38 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest March 09

TRADERS CORNER

ClassifiedsEDUCATION Mare or Stallion Reproductive ManagementClasses. Learn Basics of AI at UW-Madison.Classes targeted for Breeders/Owners andVets. More Info:www.ansci.wisc.edu/equine.html

MAGAZINESFriesian Blood and Baroque HorseMagazine. The only full color magazine onFriesian's, Gypsy's, Drums, Andalusian's andthe Baroque Breeds. Fantastic articles, greattips, and beautiful pictures. See a sample athttp://issuu.com/bjohnson/docs/Apr_may_08or call 218-678-2477 409

PRODUCTSNew leather harness ,3rd generationbusiness. Team, work, complete with hames,collars extra. Draft $802.00. Qtr. horse$757.00. Show 3 hip-Draft $882.00. Qtr. horse$812.00. Buggy breast Qtr $220.00 Pony$140.00. Catalogue - St Paul Saddlery,953 w 7th St., St Paul, MN 55102 1209

Master Saddler offers complete saddleryrepairs. Trees replaced, complete reflocks,

new seats, billets, tree alterations on Kiefferand Prestige saddles. Appointments bookedfor quick turn around. Skilled repair of drivingharness and sidesaddles.Custom accessoriesfor side saddle competition. Bridles sewn in.Contact Michael at 847-776-6700 or e-mailmaster_saddler@saddlersrow.com Websitewww.saddlersrow.com 1209

FOR SALE

2009 Black,Bay or Black/Bay PurebredAndalusian Colt Sire/Dam NationalChampion. Sired by the US NationalChampion 3rd level DressageHorse"Legado"and out of the multiple NationalChampion AA Despierta. 262-249-8870selwoodp@idcnet.com

Four year old Bay Andalusian Mare Petiteand exquisite lots of mane and tail. Chispita byPiri Piri out of Chavella (Palido X Ciara) Bothparents US National Champions inPerformance. destined for victory in the ring262-249-8870 - selwoodp@idcnet.comRare Magnolia Bar Mare ~ Rumba is a 18years young registered AQHA Mare withMagnolia breeding. $1,800.00 651-402-8007- damarko1@mmm.com

Check The Clock Doc - 2005 AQHA Bay

Mare: Started Own Daughter of Dr Nick Bar!Barrel Futurity eligible. more information$9,000.00 - Rushford, Minnesota507-864-7252 - summitranch@hotmail.com

1/2 Andalusian Sport Horse Candidate,Posh is 1/2 Andalusian 1/4 Arabian 1/4Saddlebred Gelding. He is registered withIALHA, & can be registered with IberianWarmblood. Call - 586-784-4368, us@serenitystables.com

STALLIONS.Dakota Gambler Rare Black and WhitePintabian At Stud: Proven 99.6% PurebredArabian. Athletic, Correct, Beauty, Elegance,Kind disposition with awesome movement.Registration Numbers: 320-283-5933, spruchlo@gctel.com

Pure Friesian "ROEK" 2nd Premie Stallion.ROEK has a great pedigree, to match his greatintelligence, temperament, and CHARISMA.218-780-7064, dr.horseslave@yahoo.com.

WANTEDWilliam Woods University a private instituion,occasionally accepts show quality, trainedhorses over the age of 3. contact GaryMullen, gary.mullen@williamwoods.edu

Homozygous PintoLiver Chestnut andNSH & BS NominatedSire Pinto World ResChampion EnglishPleasure and 4th in theWorld Halter 605-582-6188GBArabians@aol.com

Imported nine year old Grey LusitanoGelding from Brazil UgoDos Pinhais beautiful nineyear old grey (almostwhite) imported LusitanoGelding262-249-8870selwoodp@idcnet.com

Huge Moving son ofTWO Imports!Carthusian bred,Tall,Fantastic Temperamentand an AMAZING Trot!!!Full siblings show stop-pers & this colt has all thebrio & pizzazz to go all the way! 972-746-1457vintageandalusians@hotmail.com

Black Bay Filly ByMediteraneo V. Black Baydaughter of 2007 IALHAGrand National Champion Sr.Stallion, Mediteraneo V!Fantastic Movement.Wonderful Mind. 972-746-1457vintageandalusians@hotmail.com

Fantastic Dressage ColtWith a round build, sweettemperament and a fan-tastic straight DressageMovement!, this lovely2YO colt is ready to starta new partnership!972-746-1457vintageandalusians@hotmail.com

Beautifully BredLeviton/Vasallo II BredFilly!ANCCE eligible forinscription.Offered at12,5oo with/ breeding toour newly imported PRE Black (EE aa)Carthusian stallion, Costalero XV. 972-746-1457vintageandalusians@hotmail.com

Registered Sonny Dee Bar Paint Pony -$850.00 -full brother to "MKK Crescents onFirst", who is consistentlywinning in MN Pinto -Potential heighth will be54-56 inches.507-485-3510

mknutson@rconnect.com

PHOTO CLASSIFIEDADS

20.00 per monthCall 507-943-3355 or email

peg@horsedigests.com

For Sale

Professional GraphicDesign and WebsiteDesign - Ad design,website design, cus-tome logos, brochures,newsletters, postcards..507-943-3355rosebudpro@bevcomm.net

Training the WholeHorse DVD Series I$79.95 Clinic HighlightsTraining the WholeHorseFive FundamentalsShop securely atwww.Shop.WHolisticHorsemanship.com or callfor your FREE catalog 1-866-821-0374

Introducing ImportedBlack PRE RevisedStallion for StallionService From Maipe Stud:Costalero XV This stallionwill add depth, bone andmovement to your next foal!972-746-1457Vintageandalsuians@hotmail.com

Multi Absolute ChampionStallions of Rancho DelLago. Magico VIII andSaltador ORO. Over 60Championships andMovement Awardsbetween them. 972-746-1457vintageandalusians@hotmail.com

3x National ChampionPRE (ANCCE) RevisedStallion Spokane! Thisyoung stallion will addsize, substance ANDMovement extraordinaireto your breeding pro-gram. 972-746-1457vintageandalusians@hotmail.com

Fiero LFA,PRE Black Andalusian Stallion.International Champion ofChampions internationalbloodlines, Proven producer,Proven Junior ChampionStallion and USDF DressageCompetitor. 817-205-9268maryclaeys@cdibb.com

Black Egyptian Related2008 Region Res.Champion NativeCostume in AOTR Big,black and gorgeous.. notonly in his looks but hisdisposition is incredible605-582-6188GBArabians@aol.com

Stallions and Stallion Auctions Services and Products

Place your photo classified here for $20.00 per month or for a limited time - place your ad online at www.horsedigests.com and receive one month in print FREE.call 507-943-3355 for more info.

Thumbnail Photo Classifieds

March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 39

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ADVERTISERS INDEXAce Taclk & Outfitters page 11AgMax/Wade Scott page 41ANPAC/Roger Berg page 35Arena Fenceline-Service Equipment page 18Arena Trailers page 43Ark Agency page 23Amador Clydesdales page 30Cannon Falls Trailer Sales page 2Central Minnesota Horse Fest page 3Chris Cox page 10Dennis Auslam - Redwood Stables page 24

EQUINE CENTRAL page 30Amador ClydesdalesCubby HoleHKL StablesHorse-O-Rama

Federated Coop page 31Gateway Ranch - HiQual page 25Horsedigests.com page 44Horse-O-Rama page 30KCB Equine Center page 38K-Fence page 19Icon Photography page 25I90 Expo Center page 23Julie Goodnight page 32J&B Western Store page 9Ken McNabb page 8Lazy L Tack & Trailers page 13Linda Kirsch - Real Estate page 40Lynn Palm page 34Midwest Cremation page 27Midwest Horse Digest - Subscription Form page 23Midwest Horse Fair page 7Minnesota Horse Council page 6, 38

MN Horse Expo page 17MN School Of Horse Shoeing page 15Northland Buildings page 21Palma Feed page 21Photo Classifieds page 39Pleasant Hills page 21

READY TO RIDE ADVERTISERS page 36, 37Outlaw Trail RidePlum Lake Dressafe Center & ResortThe Natural Gait

REAL ESTATE page 40Blackhillsmeadow.comLinda Kirch

Ritchie Waters - Carlson Wholesale page 19Ryan Gingerich page 29SBS page 21Shurshod page 33Simon Horse Sales page 43The Natural Gait page 36Thumbnail Ads page 39Thurk Chevrolet - Keiferbuilt page 25

TRADERS CORNER page 38Pleasant HillsMore Custom LeatherMinnesota Horse CouncilKCB Equine CenterRosebud ProductionsRT Duggan

Twin Cities Featherlite page 5United Vet Equine page 33UBRA page 42University of MN page 15Walter’s Buildings page 35Westwind Shelters page 12

January 09 to October 09: ISHR is hosting anONLINE PHOTO HORSE SHOW for any and allspotted equines. From Paints to Walkaloosa's.For more information contact: ishrppa@aol.comor call 866-201-3098. See information at:http://spottedhorses.tripod.com/online_show_1.html3/6/2009 7:00:00 PM - MN, Monticello-RopingFriday Night Ropings - (612) 817-63593/7/2009 - Cowboy & Cowgirl Gathering - Hayand Tack Auction & Expo - 2pm - HinckleyCommunity Center3/7/2009 - MN, Henderson - Barrel - UBRAHigh Island Arena 2009 Winter Barrel BuckleSeries-(507)964-2607highislandarena@hotmail.com3/7-3/8, 2009 - ND, Minot - Roping, TeamRoping- Wrangler Team Roping Champion-shipsExpo Arena ND State Fairgrounds - (701) 833-2505 - lisao@srt.com3/7/2009- WI, Red Horse Ranch ArenaTeam Penning, Memorial Team Penning - (218)731-38713/8/2009 - MN, Isanti - Barrel UBRA, HiCircle Vee Open Jackpot Barrel Race - (612)810-4010 - specks95@hotmail.com3/8/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping Roping Practice and Jackpot - (715) 262-4284:3/3/2009 - IA, Greenfield - Barrel Double B Productions -Spring POP UP BAR-RELS series! Open 3D Barrel Racing JackpotsExhibitions 7:30 pm ($3 each or 2/$5) Jackpot 8pm $20 ef (set of pop-up barrels to overall hi-point winner) Hooded sweatshirts to winners ofother 2 div for series. Cash only - no checks! -(641) 743-8223 -bolling@iowatelecom.net

3/12/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping- RopingPractice 7-9 pm - (715) 262-42843/14/2009 - MN, Monticello - Barrel, Futurity UBRA - Arrowhead Arena Barrel Race. Open4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763) 878-15543/14-3/15 - N ,Fremont - Barrel - Purina MillsSaddle Series - (712) 545-91523/14/2009 - ND, Minot - Barrel, Roping, TeamRoping - 2009 "The Heat Is On" Winter SeriesTeam Roping & Barrel Jackpots - (701) 833-2505- lisao@srt.com3/14/2009 -MN, Monticello - Barrel, Futurity UBRA - Arrowhead Arena Barrel Race. Open4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763) 878-15543/15/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping Roping Practice and Jackpot - (715) 262-42843/15/2009 - MN, Monticello - Barrel - MiN RodeoAssociation, UBRA - MRA Barrels & BreakawayFundraiser - (218) 368-01303/15/2009 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel, Futurity NBHA, UBRA Exhibitions at 10:30, runs at noon.Futurity sidepot, pole bending, speed dash,youth. - (218) 472-3402 - betsykuschel@hot-mail.com:3/3/2009 - IA, Greenfield - Barrel -Double BProductions - Spring POP UP BARRELS series!Open 3D Barrel Racing Jackpots Exhibitions7:30 pm ($3 each or 2/$5) Jackpot 8 pm $20 ef(set of pop-up barrels to overall hi-point winner)Hooded sweatshirts to winners of other 2 div forseries. Cash only - no checks! - (641) 743-8223- bolling@iowatelecom.net3/19/2009 - WI, Prescott -Roping -RopingPractice 7-9 pm - (715) 262-42843/21/09 - 10am-3pm - Peterson's farm home andgarden store in North Branch MN.Demo - fence,

vets, seed forpasture, farri-er, hoof care,

reps fromPurina, ADM, Hubbard, Nutrena and Big branch.Special - buy 4 get 1 free, Bedding special,Zimectrin special3/21/2009 - WI, Prescott Roping Spring Thaw Jackpot 12pm Start - (715) 262-42843/21-3/22 - NE, Fremont - Barrel- Purina MillsSaddle Series - (712) 545-91523/22/2009 - ND, Minot - Barrel, Roping, TeamRoping -2009 "The Heat Is On" Winter SeriesTeam Roping & Barrel Jackpots - (701) 833-2505- lisao@srt.com3/3/2009 IA, Greenfield - Barrel Double B Productions, Spring POP UP BAR-RELS series! Open 3D Barrel Racing JackpotsExhibitions 7:30 pm ($3 each or 2/$5) Jackpot 8pm $20 ef (set of pop-up barrels to overall hi-point winner) Hooded sweatshirts to winners ofother 2 div for series. Cash only - no checks! -(641) 743-8223 - bolling@iowatelecom.net3/26/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping - RopingPractice 7-9 pm - (715) 262-42843/27-3/29 - MN, Fergus Falls-Barrel - UBRARed Horse Ranch Arena Spring Fling - (218)736-3000 - Added Money: $1200 - olsoncandy@msn.com3/27-3/29 - MO, Columbia - Barrel Double B Productions - Cowgirl Tuff Barrel Bash$5000 added (deadline 2 weeks prior to event)(BBR) FMI DOUBLE B PRODUCTION - (641)745-5845 - bolling@iowatelecom.net3/28-3/29 - NE, Fremont - Barrel -Purina MillsSaddle Series - (712) 545-91523/28/2009 - WI, Balsam Lake- Barrel, GameShow UBRA “JJ Arena UBRA BarrelRace & Fun Show” FMI please visitwww.JJArena.com - (715) 857-5505 -julie@jjarena.com3/28/2009 - MN, Henderson - Barrel UBRA-High Island Arena 2009 Winter BarrelBuckle Series - (507) 964-2607 -highislandarena@hotmail.com

3/29-3/29 -WI, Balsam Lake Clinic “JJ Arena Barrel Racing & Gaming Clinic –Instructor: Julie Jones” 10AM-4PM Cost $65 perstudent. - (715) 857-5505 - Julie@JJArena.com3/31/2009 - IA, Greenfield - Barrel Double B Productions - Spring POP UP BAR-RELS series! Open 3D Barrel Racing JackpotsExhibitions 7:30 pm ($3 each or 2/$5) Jackpot 8pm $20 ef (set of pop-up barrels to overall hi-point winner) Hooded sweatshirts to winners ofother 2 div for series. Cash only - no checks! -(641) 743-8223 - bolling@iowatelecom.net4/2/2009 - WI, Balsam Lake Barrel, GameShow UBRA “JJ Arena UBRA BarrelRace & Fun Show” FMI please visitwww.JJArena.com - (715) 857-5505 -julie@jjarena.com4/2/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping Roping Practice 7-9 pm - (715) 262-42844/4/2009 - MN, Monticello - Barrel, FuturityUBRA - Arrowhead Arena Barrel Race. Open4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763) 878-15544/4/2009 - IA, Greenfield - Clinic, Roping Double B Productions - BB ARENA GREEN-FIELD IA TEAM ROPING SHOOL (Ryan Pratt) 9am – 6 pm (limit 5 headers & 5 heelers) - (641)414-7478 - stephensarena@hotmail.com4/4/2009 - ND, Minot -Barrel, Roping, TeamRoping - 2009 "The Heat Is On" Winter Series

Team Roping & Barrel Jackpots - (701) 833-2505- lisao@srt.com4/4/2009 - MN, North Branch Clinic-BarrelRacing & Gaming Clinic $85. This clinic is full.651)277-1095houckhorsecompany@yahoo.com4/5/2009 - MN, Isanti Barrel UBRA -HiCircle Vee Open Jackpot Barrel Race - (612)810-4010 - specks95@hotmail.com4/5/2009 - MN, North Branch Fun Show Fun Show 11am $20 for the entire day! WEATH-ERBEETA sheets to High Point Champions! -(651) 277-1095 -houckhorsecompany@yahoo.com4/5/2009 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel, Futurity NBHA, UBRA - Exhibitions at 10:30, runs atnoon. Futurity sidepot, pole bending, speeddash, youth. - (218) 472-3402 -betsykuschel@hotmail.com4/5/2009 - IA, Greenfield Roping Double B Productions -BB ARENA GREEN-FIELD IA Pick and Draw team roping jackpot -(641)414-7478 - stephensarena@hotmail.com4/5/2009 - WI, Prescott Roping Roping Practice and Jackpot - (715) 262-4284April 4-5, 2009 Horse-A-Rama "The World ofHorses" Manitowoc Expo Ctr Manitowoc, WI 8-5 PM www.horse-a-rama.org or 920-682-96694/5/09 4H TACK SALE, BRF Middle School1202 Pierce St. Black River Falls WI 715-964-21075/23-5/24 Saddle-Up trail ride fund raiser for

ST.JUDE Children's Hospital, (Memorial dayweekend). Dassel & Darwin Park Meeker Co.near Litchfield, MN gil@hutchtel.net for moreinformation.May 23, 24 & 25 -CUTTING CLINIC with JP Bell-Jordan, MN.- Dianne Churchill 952-492-6166,www.2bitquarterhorses.comJune 20 & 21-Horsemanship clinic with Ruby

Kennedy - Jordan, MN. - Dianne Churchill 952-492-6166, www.2bitquarterhorses.com 6/21/09 Open Pleasure Show, Jackson CountyFairgrounds HWY 54 Black River Falls WI 715-964-2107 WWHSA & WSHC approved show.

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March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 41

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March 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest Page 43

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