Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i Horse & Rider

Cream of the Crop Find out which awe-inspiring, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud-worthy moments of 2015 made the cut for our “Best Of” feature, beginning on page 35, and then relive many of the events by watching the videos and reading the stories online. Saddle Sour If your horse acts out at saddle time, it could be a cry for help. Solve the behavior with help from Whole Horse this month, and then review “7 Signs of Saddle-Fit Trouble” at the website. Tickle or Trouble? Control cough-causing allergens with strategies from this month’s Horsekeeping, page 21, and then go online to find out if his chronic cough is more than a tickle in “Horse Heaves Symptoms and Treatment.” Join the Herd! We love hearing from you! Send all high-resolution images for Conformation…

Q Lately my 13-year-old National Show Horse gelding starts to lie down when I put him in crossties and attempt to saddle him. I’m worried he’ll hurt himself or my saddle. He’s used to being ridden, and he doesn’t try to lie down as I saddle him tied in the round pen—though he does pull away. Where might this sudden cinchiness come from, and how can I correct it? DANIELLE STANDAGE, Arizona A The sudden onset of your horse’s reaction could mean it’s a medical problem. Have your veterinarian thoroughly check your gelding for a physical issue. A sore back or withers can definitely cause cinchiness. One method of checking for pain is administering an oral dose of phenylbutazone about an hour before trying to saddle him. If he then…

Mustang Event Hat Trick In September, Tom Hagwood snagged his third win and a $20,000 prize at the Fort Worth, Texas, Extreme Mustang Makeover. His mount this time was Tiny, a 5-year-old gelding gathered from the Jackies Butte, Oregon, BLM herd management area. Prior wins for the Torrington, Wyoming, rancher and horseman came in 2014 with Early Times, and in 2013 with Merv. The goal of the makeover events, where wild horses receive 100 days of gentling and training, is to increase the adoption of mustangs across the country (mustangheritagefoundation.org). Pretty Pedigrees Something snazzy: A custom, colorful four-generation pedigree chart for your horse, from Equine Office Solutions. You provide the photo of your horse and select a border (right). Handy for: Framing and hanging, featuring on Web sites, adding to…

Don Beard Beard of Cheyenne, Wyoming, is a carded judge with the Paint, Appaloosa, Pinto, American Standardbred, and Pony of the Americas breed associations, as well as with the World Conformation Horse and National Snaffle Bit associations. He’s judged the Paint, Pinto, and Appaloosa world championships as well as other premier events. He’s been an APHA director/alternate for the past 25 years and is the current chairperson of the association’s Long Range Planning committee. He’s spent over 20 years as the president of the Wyoming Paint Horse Club. As a trainer of halter and all-around horses, he’s been involved with, trained, and/or shown world and local futurity champions. The first thing I look for in a horse is balance. He should flow together, rather than have each third of his…

“Walk with a purpose!” chided youth exhibitor Avery Mortman of Spring, Texas. Her no-nonsense showmanship lesson given to RODEOHOUSTON Unplugged personality (and non-horseman) Mark O’Shea had everyone in our office in hysterics. The video, posted to the event’s Facebook page, was viewed almost 100,000 times and shared more than 1,000 times—and that’s just on the RODEOHOUSTON page. O’Shea gamely went along with Mortman’s advice while leading the young rider’s mare, named Grace. Mortman coached O’Shea through walking and trotting on the lead, as well as pivots. Her well-trained mare took good care of O’Shea, as he practiced “walking on eggshells” to quiet his footfalls and “carrying a tray” on his arms to keep them square and steady. We think we need to find Mortman for an upcoming installment of Private…

In a move to give slower-maturing reining horses a high-stakes event to showcase their talents, the concept of “red-shirt futurities” for 4-year-olds is gaining steam. One high-profile example is the Wild Card Reining Challenge, which is being produced by Brumley Management Group and will take place May 25–29, 2016, in Las Vegas at the South Point Event and Equestrian center. Horses shown at this event can’t have competed at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity in December (for 3-year-olds). “The purpose is to establish longevity,” says Brumley Management Group president Amanda Brumley. “We can level the playing field for these horses and allow them to progress in their training rather than pushing them to be ready in December for the big futurity. We see it as a benefit to all…

BEAT THE HEAT Model: Equine leg wrap. Maker: Equi Cool Down. Why buy: Apply the wrap to alleviate leg heat or inflammation; add water and it becomes 22 degrees cooler than outside temperatures. Cool feature: The reusable, washable wrap is sold in pairs and is hyper-evaporative, so there’s no mess. More info: (863) 703-2665; equicooldown.com. Price: $39.99 KEEP IT CURRENT Model: MagnaCU mesh blanket. Maker: PHT Magnetics. Why buy: Magnets inside the blanket target acupuncture points to alleviate soreness, and copper ions transfer heat and encourage quick healing. Cool feature: Magnet-with-copper and magnet-only options are available for other areas of the body. More info: (806) 418-5641; phtproducts.com. Price: $515 MANAGE MUSCLES Model: Thumper equine pro. Maker: Thumper Massager Inc. Why buy: The light and easy-to-wield massager allows you to relieve…

IT’S FUNNY HOW WHEN YOU FOCUS ON POSITIVE occurrences, you find more of them than you thought possible. The H&R editorial team spent the better part of this year curating instances of good in the horse world to put together for the “Best of 2015” feature, beginning on page 35. We’re proud to share with you all the good we found. And, as we wrap up another editorial year and put the finishing touches on that feature, I can’t help but continue to look for more “bests.” Even a cynical editor can become a positivity junkie! The ‘Best’ in My Horse Life My job allows me to experience a lot of headline-making best moments, but my personal “bests” come at my own barn, with my boys and their gelding, Old…

All I ever wanted was to be a confident rider. During the eight years I was stuck in fear, no one seemed to understand my plight. Friends told me to “cowgirl up.” Trainers couldn’t understand why I failed to improve. The poor horses I rode kept going sour. It was as if all other riders “got it” but me. What did they have that I lacked? If horsemanship is a learned skill, why couldn’t I grasp it? As a child, I begged in vain for my parents to buy me a horse. So after college, marriage, and raising my three boys, I finally fulfilled my dream and bought myself one. As I fumbled with my mare, the reality of the situation unfolded. I knew I was in over my head.…

Mix ’N Match Choose the breast collar, the headstall, or both from Heritage Brand’s Envy collection for a look that’ll get you noticed. The black embossed gator-hide base with copper finishes is an attractive combination for any coat color, and the Swarovski crystals add some sparkle. More info: $195 for the headstall, $240 for the breast collar; (855) 389-9889; heritagebrand.com. Glam-Girl Gifts What it is: Kids’ rodeo belt. Why we like it: The sassy-yet-adorable floral belt from Rodeo Quincy can doll up any outfit with its bright colors and bold metallic whipstitch edge. Bonus: Pick one up for the little cowgirl in the family, then find an adult version for yourself. More info: $99; rodeoquincy.com. Ostrich for Him Just when you’d almost lost hope in finding a gift for him…

A well-trained horse will respond to a bit while keeping his mouth closed. If he doesn’t, a cavesson may be used as a training tool to increase your horse’s acceptance of the bit and encourage better response. Placed beneath your bridle, a cavesson consists of a hanger and noseband, and provides just enough space for your horse to open his mouth, but not so much that he can avoid your riding signals. This teaches him to keep his mouth closed as he responds. He’ll learn to be more receptive to your signals, which will result in improved performance and an enhanced relationship between you and your horse. Remember, though, a cavesson is a training aid, and soft hands and sound horsemanship should precede its use. Here you’ll learn how to…

H&R’s July-issue Your Stories department featured Mary Homicz, the plucky youngster who, at age 12, is already a veteran of Northern California endurance rides and state horsemanship and royalty contests. A note at the end of her story revealed Mary had just been diagnosed with bone cancer; her mother said letters from fellow equestrians would cheer her during treatment. Well—did you ever respond! Mary received a flood of cards, letters, and gift s. “I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to her,” reported her mother at press time. Mary’s treatments are ongoing, and though she’s been “an incredible trouper” so far, boredom—because she can’t yet ride—continues to be a problem. So feel free to keep the encouragement flowing her way: Mary Homicz, P.O. Box 581, Weaverville, CA 96093. (Find…

Smokey the Pony, aka the Buckskin Bodyguard, almost eclipsed his racetrack charge, American Pharoah, in terms of media coverage during the 2015 Triple Crown season. In person and via TV and computer screens across the country, horse enthusiasts old and new couldn’t wait to get a glimpse of the good-looking gelding. Registered with AQHA as This Whiz Shines, the former reiner now serves as a favorite pony horse for Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert. During the spring’s racetrack media blitz, Baffert commented that the 6-year-old gelding is a favorite of his, and he even rubs the horse’s forelock for good luck. Smokey’s own Facebook page documented his public appearances, trips from one race to the next aboard Air Horse One, and antics around the barn. He even had his own…

One year ago, riders competing on NCAA collegiate equestrian teams didn’t know if they’d lose their programs, not to mention scholarships. After tireless work on behalf of the talented riders, the NCAA agreed to abandon their motion to remove women’s equestrian programs and will continue to research the sport’s viability as an emerging sport within the NCAA. Sponsor Pick: ADM Nutrition Best Event to Look Forward to in 2016: Anderson Returns to Road to the Horse Two-time champion Clinton Anderson, Stephenville, Texas, will return to the Road to the Horse competitors’ list in 2016, taking on first-timer Nick Dowers and past champ and event commentator Richard Winters, both from Nevada. Anderson’s first win, in 2003, came under the event moniker of El Camino Del Caballo in Fort Worth, where Anderson…

LETTER OF THE MONTH Ushering in a New Generation I’m writing in response to “Bye-Bye, Boomers” (From the Editor, November 2015). As a Baby Boomer, it’s true that I often don’t feel like going to a show or competition where my older mare’s and my “stiff and somewhat creaky” performance will be marked down by the judge, but I do some local trail riding. The barn where I board is inhabited with many older folks and horses, and we invite younger people in to ride. A couple of years ago, a friend and I hauled our two horses into downtown Omaha to the Hope Center for Kids. The two horses gave rides to 60 children that day who’d never been near an animal that big before! I got to see…

Details: 2008 ApHC mare by One Hot Krymsun and out of Misty Monroe, by Zippos Mr Misty. Barn name: Olive. Owned and shown by: Lauren Benringer of Seattle, Washington. Mare with medals: Benringer and her mare Olive compete in all-around events, including Western riding and pleasure, trail, showmanship, and hunter under saddle. Olive’s earned accolades in trail, Western pleasure, and horsemanship. Last season, Benringer won Novice Western Horsemanship 18 & Under at the Appaloosa Youth World Show and finished well in trail. Trail boss: When asked which event Olive enjoys most, Benringer had an immediate answer. “She loves trail!” Benringer exclaims. “She’s an honest horse to show in general and loves her job, but in trail she always has her ears forward. She just gets so excited.” ‘Princess Olivia’: “She’s…

I commonly see two related misconceptions about extended gaits, both as a judge and a trainer: Extensions equate with going faster, and they’re only needed if you want to add speed to your horse’s repertoire. Those two ideas couldn’t be farther from the truth. First, a gait extension is a lengthening of the stride. Sure, your horse winds up traveling a bit faster in the process, but the longer stride is key. Adding speed could simply mean a bunch of fast, jarring steps; whereas an extended gait has long, sweeping strides, whether at the walk, trot, or lope. Second, the ability to extend your horse’s stride is just as crucial as a lead change or backing up—it’s a core skill for your horse to possess both in and out of…

WHAT’S GOOD IN THE HORSE WORLD? We hear so much about the negative, but there are many positive things happening for horse owners and the horses themselves. It’s time to celebrate the industry-shaping, can’t-stop-laughing (or crying), unforgettable moments, movements, and milestones. Here we present our top picks, five categories that you voted on via Facebook, and sponsor picks—all to recognize what’s going right and anticipate what’s to come for our horse lives.…

There’s little that’s more “Western” than the iconic reined cow horse. The treasured process of taking a horse from a snaffle to a hackamore to a two-rein setup and finally into the bridle requires a skilled horseman who truly understands the art that goes into making one of these “iron horses.” All of that tradition, history, and horsemanship is being documented in the film “Down the Fence” (downthefencemovie.com). Produced by MJ Isakson, the documentary is a labor of love that’s close to her heart after she spent six years immersing herself in the cow horse community. The movie chronicles a year in the life of horsemen preparing their mounts for the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity, as well as documenting the sport’s history and community. “I don’t…