Horsemanship 101:

Showmanship

MApHA 2014 Banquet Information and Year End Awards

Become a memberBecome a memberBecome a member TODAY!TODAY!TODAY!

On the Cover Horsemanship 101……….………………………………..15

Become A Member TODAY!......................................3

MApHA Banquet…………………………………………...14

In This Issue Newsletter…………………………...…………………………2

Raffle Gelding………………………………………………….2 Meet A Member: Bobbie Best………………..………..5

Meeting Minutes…………………………………………….8

Current 2014 Board of Directors………………………18

Issue Contents

Greetings and Happy New Year! This year brings a lot of excitement for the board of directors. We are busy mak-ing final preparations for banquet and the 2014 Show Season.

As you may have noticed the “newsletter” has gotten a major over-haul. As a board we have decided to take a trial leave from our SaddleUp subscription. This has spurred us to explore alternate options for adver-tisement. Issu is an online collection of magazines that allows us to post our publication free for everyone to view. While we haven’t decided on hard copy print, that topic is currently in discussion. If you would like to con-tinue to receive a “printer friendly” of the newsletter and meeting minutes, that option is still available.

There are several institutions coming

to you in this online magazine. You will meet a member of our MApHA family and we encourage you to do the same in real time! The magazine will also be featuring area profession-als and their suggestions that you can use to better your relationship with your Appy! Occasionally, I will be calling on you to be apart of this growing online publication. As always we’ll continue to share show related news and ways you can support our club and it’s members and continue to get all general information that you as a member (or potential mem-ber) need to know.

Please take a moment and share this issue and the following issues on all of your social media sites! Get the word out there and support your lo-cal Appaloosa!

If you have anything you’d like to sub-mit, please contact Dustin Boehmer at 269-420-1242 or e-mail at boehmer3@msu.edu.

Until next month,

Newsletter

2013 MApHA Raffle Gelding

Raffle tickets are $2.00 each or 3 tickets for $5.00

Tickets are available from MApHA Board members

The drawing to be held Sunday, March 9 at 4:00 p.m. at the MApHA booth during the Michigan Horse Council Stallion Expo & Trade Show

(Winner may choose gelding or $500.00)

Become a Member Today Why? MApHA offers a unique opportunity for those owners and enthusiast to engage in relationships and competition with fellow members of similar interests. For years MApHA has been considered a great family organization and though we may not be related by blood we do share a undeniable common interest in the horses that we care for dearly.

Aside from the companionship gained from our wonder-ful organization are many other opportunities. Annually we award our top showmen at the MApHA Banquet, held in conjunction with our friends at WMAR. MApHA provides it’s youth members the chance at a yearly scholarship for educational purposes and provides youth

with many other unique opportunities to grow relationships and responsibility.

While we remain proud of our Michigan residents, competitors come nation wide to enjoy the professionalism and proficiency of our shows. Time and time again, we here that we have some of the best shows and our national stand-ings annually only prove the satisfaction rate!

We also engage in community events to help grow friendships and interest by attending tack sales, encouraging open shows via an annual high point award and supporting other organizations such as the Michigan Horse Council. At the Stallion Expo & Trade show MApHA hosts an infor-mation booth and raffles off a gelding to help promote the breed, engage the public and grow our organization.

Whatever reason you choose, we hope that you choose MApHA and all the wonderful people that make us great. Thank your for your consideration. We hope to be having a great 2014 with you, whether it be in or outside the show pen!

Become a Member Today

Bobbie Best As our first installment of Meet a Member we sat down with Bobbi Best, MApHA president and long time member.

Thank you for taking the time to sit down and answer my questions!

What originated your love for the breed? How did you get started with Appaloosas, the national and affiliate associa-tions? How did you become involved with the MApHA board? I married into the breed. I was raising and showing Quarter Horses when I married Dave Best. He was my farrier. He was raising Appaloosas and that was back in the 60’s when the Appaloosas had become very popular again. My husband had been on the board for many years. Then when he decided to quit I was asked to run for the board. How are you involved with Appaloosas, the national organization and affiliate associations outside your responsibili-ties as President of MApHA? I am a national judge. I will be receiving my 40 year pin in January 2014 at the Color Breed Council Judges Seminar in Tulsa Oklahoma. What do you consider is your greatest achievement in the industry? As far as the Appaloosa industry, I would say owning great horses like Star Diver, Star Divers Best, Zero Sky Diver and Impulsive Zipper. These stallions have been great producers in their day. I would also say producing some of the great show horses of the past few years. Dave and I are very proud of what we have produced and what they have accomplished. Considering you have been with the breed and it’s organizations for a substantial amount of time, what do you con-sider the biggest difference in the industry from your earliest involvement to current day? The biggest different I’ve witnessed is the improvement of the Appaloosa horse and a decline in the members of the club at all levels; not just our horses but horses in general. The MApHA use to have over 600 members when I first got into the club. I can remember meeting at the Civic Center, you could not get a seat because of so many members being at a meeting. There is so much more going on for youth to be involved with and horses are expen-sive and hard work. Horse racing used to be the only legal way to bet but now we have casinos therefore there is a decline in the interest in racing. Look at the summer sports that are available to people that cost a whole lot less than keeping a horse. While, I'm not sure anything can be done to turn the interest around, I think we can try to improve what we have to keep our existing member who are still interested with incentive programs. What most fuels your desire to continue to support MApHA? The people and the love for the Appaloosa breed. The MApHA has some of the greatest, caring people you could call friends.

What are your plans to continue to keep the board productive and innovative as our industry changes in 2014 and continues to change after your term has ended? The MApHA has a great board of directors, we have some board members that have been in the business for many years that give this board stability and a solid foundation. We have some young board members that bring new ideas and energy to the board. We have business people that will keep this board finan-cially solid. We have national show level competitors that will help us stay current with what is going on in the show pen and that will keep our shows up to date. I just need to keep them organized and let them do their jobs. There has been a certain amount of animosity that stigmatized the board and it’s directors in the past. What are you reactions, concerns and potential solutions to this branding of our organiza-tion? The past is the past. There have been situations off and on in the history of this club that have caused some upsets but the club has been able to work through them and stay an important asset to the Appaloosa industry. Things are not going to change, there will be quiet times and there will be problem times and the club will deal with them as they come along. What are you most excited about in 2014? Spring is coming!! I am excited about the new incentive ideas that Bob Clark has come up with. I want to see the incentive program that Jim Hollis came up with grow. We need these kinds of ideas to improve our shows. This could be industry related or not. Who is the most influential person of your lifetime? My mom and dad, they made me the person I am. They were never interested in horses but I was and they saw to it that I had a pony, they saw to it that I could show horses when I wanted to do that. They were older parents, my dad was 50 when I was born and my mother was 45 but they never held me back because of their age. They supported me in everything I wanted to try. They worked hard on the farm to see that I could graduate from MSU in education. Would you like to add anything in closing? I think the MApHA and WMAR are great clubs and I am so happy to be a part of them. I am looking forward to a

good year for both clubs.

The Board of Directors

meeting was held at the Michigan

State University Pavilion beginning at

9:30 AM on Saturday, November 9,

2013. Those present were: Bobbi

Best, Dean Wintjen, Frannie Wintjen,

Cathy Wood, Amy Zeigler, Kay Bowen,

Amy Schweiger, Bob Clark, Jennifer

Schulte, Lee Fischhaber and Dustin

Boehmer. Absent were: Kari Klein.

Also present were: Judy Biber, Terry

Shelhammer, Sharon Clark, Jamie

Clark, Jackson Fitzgerald, Kris Fitzger-

ald.

Agenda – Requested additions to the

Agenda included ribbons and awards

and to discuss the list of members

who want to receive Club communi-

cation via e-mail.

Minutes – Minutes for the October

12, 2013 meeting were presented.

Correction was requested to clarify

that Judy Biber is not responsible for

hiring the photographer. Frannie

Wintjen made a motion that the

minutes be approved as amended,

seconded by Jennifer Schulte. The

motion carried by a majority vote.

Scholarship Candidates – Two of the

scholarship applicants were present-

ed for individual interviews.

Jaimee Clark has been accepted into

the Baker College Vet Tech program.

She is currently in the first term of the

program and will have five more to

complete. The last term is an intern-

ship requirement. Currently she

works as a Vet Assistant and when

she completes the education, she will

be able to do blood draws and injec-

tions. She works primarily on dogs

and cats but once education is com-

pleted she hopes to do more with

large animals. She hopes to show her

gaming horse in the upcoming season

but is also going to work so that she

won’t have to take out as many loans.

Jackson Fitzgerald graduated from

Fruitport High School and is a fresh-

man at the Muskegon Community

College. She is interested in educa-

tion, primarily in theater and English

but still trying to figure it out. She

showed Appaloosa in 8th grade and

Junior year but hasn’t been recently

active because of financial situation.

She is currently the Muskegon County

4-H Queen and works at Wesco. She

goes to school four days of the week

and works the other days. She ex-

plained that her horse, Dusty, has

continued to be used in 4H and school

equestrian programs. After commu-

nity college she is looking at Western

State University or MSU. She is will-

ing to volunteer to work at the shows

if needed.

Both candidates were advised that

they would notified of the Boards de-

cision at a later date.

Treasurer’s Report - The Treasurer’s

report was deferred to the General

Membership Meeting at 1:00 PM, No-

vember 9, 2013.

Correspondence – President, Bobbi

Best, explained that she had received

two resignations. She explained that

she did not distribute these resigna-

tions because she felt it wasn’t some-

thing that should be handed out for

general distribution. Bobbi read the

resignations from Julie Townsend and

Denise DeVolder so that Board would

know how these two former Board

members felt about the Board.

Judges – Bobbie Best reported that

she had hired all but three judges for

the 2014 show season. Judy Biber

needs to send out the contracts. She

tried to hire judges based on their ex-

pertise in the riding disciplines and

the horses that are shown. The

cheapest airfares are for individuals

coming from Texas. She has made a

concerted effort to keep expenses as

low as possible.

Non Pro – Amy Zeigler reported that

awards have been ordered. The

NonPro will be having a Board

meeting in December. There are

open positions on the Board and elec-

tions will be held in January. The

Non Pro will be participating in the

February tack sale if anyone wants to

donate. They will also have a con-

signment option available but fees

have not yet been decided. They

would also like the Board’s approval

to hold the Mexican Fiesta and the

calcutta at the Sizzler Show. Frannie

Wintjen made a motion to approve

Non Pro holding their Calcutta and

Mexican Fiesta events at the Sizzler

Show. Lee seconded the motion and

the motion carried by a majority vote

November Minutes

of the Board.

Youth – Cathy Wood reported that

the awards have been ordered. The

Youth are still collecting proof of pur-

chase forms for Tribute feeds and can

be turned in any time. They will

have a Youth meeting at the Banquet

with the usual 50/50 raffle. They will

be providing free pizza for the youth

who attend the Youth meeting at Ban-

quet.

Games – No report given.

Banquet – Kay Bowen reported that

she had been working with a caterer

to provide deli sandwiches, soup, sal-

ad, and cookies for lunch. Dinner

would be a chicken and beef or pork

with potatoes and gravy, vegetable,

salad and pie. Aiming for a per din-

ner cost of $10-12 dollars. Nothing

finalized yet but will have details at

next meeting. Frannie reported that

she had made contact with two DJ’s—

one for $400 and one for $500. She

was leaning towards the $500 DJ be-

cause he offered edited music selec-

tions that would be “kid-friendly”.

Open Awards –Amy Zeigler reported

that the open awards have been or-

dered She is waiting for the recipi-

ents to decide which High Point

award they want, i.e. trophy, belt

bucket or cash.

Website – Bobbi Best asked if there

were any suggestions or complaints

about the website. There were none.

Member Services – Frannie Wintjen

reported that she hasn’t started any-

thing yet but if anyone wants to put

things in the membership packets,

they should bring 200 copies of the

information to the January Board

meeting.

Show approval – Frannie Wintjen

stated there was nothing to report at

this time.

OLD BUSINESS

Ingham County Fairgrounds – Bob

and Sharon Clark talked with the

Ingham Country Fair director. They

have a new contract and new pricing

plan. There will no longer be per stall

charges and this will help us in the

long run. We will have the two big

barns south of the arena included in

the facility fee and if we need more

stalls, we will pay a barn fee ($200-

$300 depending on the barn needed).

They hope to have a new covered

practice pen built in the in-field track

area by Spring Show 2014. It will be

75’ X 144’ and we might be able to

use it for practice trail to help speed

up the show. To rent this arena, it

would cost $1,000 for the weekend.

We don’t have to let them know until

the week of the show whether we

way to use it. Would only take an

increase of $5 per stall to cover the

new arena cost. Contracts need to

be signed.

Expo – 2014 Gelding Bob Clark has

found a gelding. Judy Biber has the

raffle license and needs to buy tickets.

Bob Clark suggested that we purchase

2500 tickets. Sharon Clark will coor-

dinate our Expo exhibit as usual but

requested whether the Club would

consider purchasing a digital photo

frame to display our current photo

album. This will be explored and a

purchase decision will be made at

next meeting.

NSF Check – Judy Biber had been

holding a check since Classic Show at

the request of a participant and that

issue has been resolved at this point

in time.

Ribbons – Lee Fischhaber reported

that she had ordered ribbons in 2013

but only for one year. Lee has taken

an inventory and we may need to or-

der more for 2014. There was discus-

sion and Cathy Wood moved that we

only order Grand and Reserve rib-

bons, postponing ordering of the oth-

er ribbons until Spring Show is over.

Frannie Wintjen seconded the motion

and it carried by a majority vote of

the Board, with one opposing vote.

Awards – There was discussion about

the complaints that had been re-

ceived about the Spring Show high

point awards. It was decided that the

show committee needs to do the best

they can to satisfy the exhibitors but

have to realize you can’t satisfy every-

one.

NEW BUSINESS

E-mail List - Jill Baker called about the

check box on the membership form

where members can be added to the

list to receive copies of the newsletter

November Minutes

and Board minutes. She wanted to

know who was going to see that those

things continued to be e-mailed.

There was discussion and it was de-

cided that the membership form

would be modified to ask whether the

member wanted to receive Club info

via e-mail. Dustin Boehmer will see

that all Club info is forwarded to

those who have elected to receive e-

mail.

Requested Show Changes – Presi-

dent, Bobbi Best, asked the Board to

consider dropping the FPD halter clas-

ses and replacing it with a Perfor-

mance halter class. There hasn’t

been much interest in the FPD classes

and a performance horse class might

generate more interest. The horse

would have to participate in a perfor-

mance class in addition to the halter

class. Yearling could participate be-

cause of the yearling lunge line class

being offered and we might have to

consider a two year old lunge line

class for those two year olds who are

not ready for a riding class. Bobbi

also asked that the Board consider a

Ranch pleasure horse. Would ride in

working saddles/equipment and no

glitzy attire. The judge would be

looking for the horse that would be

used to check the fences on your

farm.

Lee Fischhaber asked if the Board

would consider a Novice Non Pro Trail

and a Green Trail class for the inexpe-

rienced or young trail horses.

Amy Zeigler brought up that there

were families who bring ponies for

their little ones to ride during show

weekends. She asked that the Board

consider an “all breed Pony class”

that would be free and just give the

little ones a chance to strut their stuff.

She volunteered to buy the awards.

Bob Clark presented an idea to offer

added money classes at the Spring

Show. He suggested that there be no

additional fee to the participant to

have an opportunity to earn pay back

money. It would encourage participa-

tion and be a way to pay back to the

members. The Club would put in

$100 for each of six or eight classes

and pay out that money to the top

four places. The Non Pro and Youth

could consider adding money for the

top placing Non-Pro or Youth partici-

pant. He suggested that there be

stipulations for the Non Pro

or Youth added money,

such as requiring at least

three Non-Pro or three

Youth participate in the

class, or the added money

would not be paid. Frannie

Wintjen made a motion

that we give incentive dol-

lars ($100 per class) for

eight classes—junior and senior west-

ern pleasure, junior and senior hunter

under saddle, open stakes and

stumps, aged geldings and aged

mares—at all three of our shows—

Spring, Sizzler and Classic—and that

participants must be members of the

MApHA to be eligible to receive any

of the payback monies. The motion

was seconded by Jennifer Schulte and

carried by a majority vote of the

Board.

Lee Fischhaber asked to have three

classes added to the showbill for Clas-

sic. Her request was to add Weanling

Fillies, Weanling Geldings and Wean-

ling Colts.

Dustin Boehmer talked with Grand

Lakes Buckskin Association to deter-

mine if they had any interest in a joint

show. They are interested but the

dates for the Sizzler Show fall at the

same time as their World Show. The

Classic Show dates fall right between

their ABHA and GLBA shows. They

are willing to set up a committee to

discuss it more. Cathy Wood pointed

out that the Paints don’t have any

shows in August and maybe we could

work with them. Because the Paint

November Minutes

worlds were going on, Cathy was not

able to make contact with anyone to

determine interest. She will do that

before the December Board meeting.

Bobbi Best will also contact the POAs

about this to see if they have interest.

Because we have three days reserved

for Classic, there should be time avail-

able to run another circuit.

Classic Show – There was additional

discussion about whether we should

run the Classic Show as a three day or

a two day show. There were issues

this year because of youth conflicts

with Equestrian Teams etc. Lee

Fischhaber made a motion that we

schedule the Western Riding & Rein-

ing, Trail, Keyhole and Figure 8 classes

on Friday after 5:00 PM. The practice

trail would run at 3:00 PM. Dean

Wintjen seconded the motion and it

carried by a majority vote of the

Board. The decision was that all

breed classes would not be offered.

Show Bill Fees Discussion

Spring Show - Dean Wintjen made a

motion to raise the price of all stalls

by $5 at Spring Show. Amy Schwei-

ger seconded the motion. Discus-

sion clarified that stalls would be

priced at $50 per stall if prepaid and if

not reserved and paid in advance,

stalls would be $60 per stall. The

Ingham County Fairgrounds will not

allow trailer-ins—all horses must be

stalled, just like MSU. The motion

carried by a majority vote of the

Board.

Because of the change in fees charged

by the Fairgrounds, Lee Fischhaber

made a motion to charge $25 per

night for Spring Show. Dean Wintjen

seconded the motion and it carried by

a majority vote of the Board.

Dean Wintjen made a motion that we

raise our blanket fee to $100, up from

the 2013 fee of $90. Cathy Wood

seconded the motion and it carried by

a majority vote of the Board. There

was one vote opposed. Bob Clark

stated that he thought we were in-

creasing too much too quick. Amy

Schweiger asked Judy Biber whether

she knew how many blanket fees we

had at each of the shows. Judy has

the information but not with her.

Cathy Wood suggested that at $100,

the blanket fee is still cheaper than

anywhere else. After much discus-

sion, Dean Wintjen made another mo-

tion to rescind the blanket fee motion

and leave the blanket fee for 2014 at

$90. Amy Schweiger seconded the

motion. A show of hands vote found

nine votes in favor and one vote op-

posed. Motion carried by a majority

vote

Sizzler Show – Amy Schweiger made a

motion to raise the weekend stall fee

from $45 to $50 per stall. Frannie

Wintjen seconded the motion and it

carried by a majority vote of the

Board.

Cathy Wood made a motion to raise

camping fees to $25 per night. Fran-

nie Wintjen seconded the motion and

it carried by a majority vote of the

Board.

The Blanket fee will remain at $90,

one horse or one rider.

Classic Show – The Blanket fee will

remain at $90, one horse or one rider.

Lee Fischhaber made a motion to

leave the stall fee at $50 for Classic,

seconded by Amy Schweiger. Voice

vote was not by majority vote so a

show of hands vote found four in fa-

November Minutes

vor of the motion and five opposed to

the motion. The motion failed.

After more discussion about having

the same stall fee for a two day show

as opposed to a three day show,

Cathy Wood made a motion to in-

crease the Classic Show stall fee to

$55 per stall. Frannie Wintjen se-

conded the motion. A show of hands

vote found five in favor of the motion

and three opposed. The motion car-

ried.

Cathy Wood made a motion that

camping fees be $25/night, as op-

posed to the $45/weekend. Amy

Schweger seconded the motion and

the motion carried by a majority vote

of the Board.

Show Bill Revisions

Spring Show – After discussion, the

decision was to take out FPD classes

but not offer Performance Halter class

until Sizzler and Classic. No “All breed

Pony class” until the Sizzler and Clas-

sic Shows. No Novice Non Pro Trail or

Green Trail to be offered.

Sizzler Show – All breed Pony class

will be offered free of charge to any-

one six and under. We will insert it

after lunge line on Sunday and before

the stakes classes. There will be no

FPD classes but we will add the per-

formance halter class, requiring par-

ticipation in at least one other perfor-

mance class. A 2-Yr Longe Line class

will be added in order to attract those

two year olds who aren’t ready for

riding classes. Bob Clark offered to

put added money in for the Yearling

Longe Line class.

Classic Show – Trail, Western Riding

and Reining (Classes 40-49), Keyhole

(Classes 59-62) and Figure 8 Stakes

(Classes 102-105) will start after 5

PM. Trail practice will start at 3 PM.

The FPD classes will be replaced with

the performance halter class. The 2-

Yr Old Longe Line class will be added.

The weanling halter classes for Fillies,

Geldings and Colts will be added and

Bob Clark will find added money for

the yearling Longe Line class.

Adjournment

Dean Wintjen made a motion to ad-

journ, seconded by Dustin Boehmer

and the motions carried. The

meeting adjourned at 12:35 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kay Bowen, Recording Secretary

November Minutes

Bobbie Best—President 25401 Dunning St Cassopolis, MI 49031 Home: 269-445-3357 Cell: 269-214-0097 Email: Best Farms Term Expires: 2016 Cathy Wood—Vice President/Youth Advisor PO Box 173 Mason, MI 48854 Cell: 5172566548 Email: cwoodshowhorses@aol.com Term Expires: 2016 Kay Bowen—Banquet/Minutes Keeper 9245 N Wyman Rd Barryton, MI 49305 Home: 989-382-8952 Cell: 231-3577366 Email: c4amile@dishmail.net Term Expires 2016 Kari Klein—Youth Advisor/Website 415 N Gould St Owosso, MI 48867 Cell: 989-382-8138 Email: Kariklein@hotmail.com Term Expires: 2015 Amy Zeigler—Open Awards/Show Bill 10327 W Grass Lake Rd Barryton, MI 49305 Home: 989-382-8138 Cell: 989-600-9922 Email: Appy_pharm06@hotmail.com Term Expires: 2015 Judy Biber—Executive Secretary/Treasurer 28328 Dixboro Rd South Lyon, MI 48178 Home: 248-486-0695 Email: Judybiber@comcast.net Term Expires: 2016

Dustin Boehmer—Newsletter/Summer Sizzler 6466 McCue Rd Holt, MI 48842 Cell: 269-420-1242 Email: boehmer3@msu.edu Term Expires: 2014 Frannie Wintjen—Classic Show/Show Approval 3234 Moyer Rd Williamston, MI 48895 Cell: 517-719-8941 Email: dsfancy499@aol.com Term Expires: 2014 Bob Clark—Spring Show 2776 Bellevue Road Leslie, MI 49251 Home: 517-589-9711 Email: clarkappaloosas@yahoo.com Term Expires: 2014 Jennifer Schulte—Classic Show 1760 Ranch Drive NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Cell: 616-826-8004 Email: jennifer.schulte3@gmail.com Term Expires: 2016 Lee Fischhaber—Summer Sizzlwer/Trail Coordinator 22341 M Drive N Marshall, MI 49065 Home: 269-781-3453 Cell: 616-403-1073 Email: Jlee4140@gmail.com Term Expires: 2014 Dean Wintjen 3234 Moryer Rd Williamston, MI 48895 Home: 517-655-2763 Email: deano327@aol.com Term Expires: 2016

Board of Directors

In every aspect of life, it’s very

important to have clear objectives

and well thought out plans. There is

no doubt that this preparedness al-

lows us to accomplish our goals and

face adversity when it arises. At no

other point during your show day are

you as closely scrutinized as you are

when you walk into the pen for show-

manship. That is why this mindset is

immensely important for this class

When picking your attire, it’s best to

understand and evaluate the arena

that you’ll be showing in. The All-

American Quarter Horse Congress re-

quires different appointments than

your local open horse show. A blazer,

button down shirt, pressed slacks, a

sharp creased, cleaned hat and pol-

ished boots in conservative colors are

a great look for any venue! However,

if you’re on a fixed income and

attending 4-H or schooling shows, you

can make do with less. Regardless of

the venue, fit and cleanliness are a

must. I would much rather see simple

and fitted as opposed to loud and

baggy. Ill fit, always comes off as un-

kempt no matter how much bling is

covering it. If you are having a hard

time finding the perfect fit, purchase

your clothing a size larger and have

them altered to match your body

type. After all, you just spent months

perfecting your pattern work. Do you

really want the judge’s comments to

read, “at Cone A - messy and neglect-

ed”?

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, espe-

cially in the showmanship arena. As

someone who is in the pen a lot, I feel

as if this information should go with-

out saying, but a bathed and properly

clipped horse with clean trimmed

hooves make all the difference in the

world. Furthermore muzzles, ears,

and legs should be trimmed short to

match the existing hair coat. Oil can

be placed around the muzzle, eyes

and ears to create a polished look.

Bands in the mane should be less than

an inch in width and even in their

placement on the neckline. Tails, with

or without extensions, should be no

longer than the horses fetlock joints.

The halter, preferably leather (oiled

and clean), should fit snug to the

horse’s face. Lastly, the chain, ran un-

der the chin, should meet the lead

with approximately five links from the

halter.

Equally as important and the last por-

tion of the equation your horse’s ma-

Horsemanship 101: Showmanship

neuverability. Before you begin your

training process, you should first eval-

uate you and your horse’s abilities.

Any showmanship exhibitor should

have the following maneuvers in their

repertoire. Your horse should be able

to walk, trot, and back straight lines

(in all combinations). Your horse

should be able to pivot with its body

in a straight line from the hip, through

the shoulder, to poll. The set up

should be timely and the inspection

executed without exaggerated move-

ment from you or the horse. Your de-

parture to any combination of these

maneuvers should be crisp, but not

quick, with as little visible guidance

from the exhibitor as possible. A fin-

ished team should “close” every ele-

ment before beginning the next. This

helps to reduce harshness in handling

and execution, as it creates a clean,

even, consistent picture for those

who are evaluating your performance.

To achieve this suppleness you must

begin by teaching your horse to move

away from the pressure of the shank.

I believe this to be best achieved at

the walk. Having forward motion give

something for both of you to think

about and focus on. Once you’ve

found a comfortable pace with your

horse, increase your stride length, but

do not change any other aspect of

your form. While some horses will

naturally respond to this and increase

their pace, you will find that most

horses will continue at the same pace

created originally. Very quickly there

will be pressure on the lead between

your hand and the horse’s face. Once

a solid connection is made and there

is a substantial amount of pressure, as

if you are pulling your horse, hold

your pace. As soon as your horse de-

cides to “catch up” to your longer

stride and release the pressure on the

lead, you settle back to the original

walk, a release in pressure is created

and everyone relaxes. On this release

of pressure it is especially important

to maintain a constant body position.

You are teaching the horse to move

with your body, not your hand. Also

be prepared when creating the con-

nection with the lengthening of stride

at the walk that some horses will

jump forward on the first couple of

attempts. Remain solid and unchang-

ing with your body position, let him

hop forward without creating a nega-

tive reaction and TRY AGAIN! Quiet

repetition, though daunting at times,

is the best solution to any task. This

understanding that you’re creating

between you and your horse to move

forward will be the building block to

every showmanship maneuver.

Once you’ve spent some time as-

sessing your strengths and weakness-

es, you can begin planning toward

perfecting your game. Under ideal

circumstances, working your horse

three to four times a week over the

course of two months, an exhibitor

could take a green horse and develop

the maneuvers necessary to complete

a basic showmanship pattern. Under-

standing that not all of us are starting

from scratch, you can use this time

frame to attain a new skill while pol-

ishing your current knowledge base. It

is also important to understand your

horses’ threshold for training. Once

you’ve hit a road block, come back to

something simple, but keep working.

You want your horse to develop a

positive mindset towards working and

using that prior knowledge base, his

comfort zone, is just the trick to keep

him focused and happy.

Though this will get you get started,

achieving the proper finish to com-

pete at high levels takes a lot more

polish than can be discussed in one

sitting. Your goals will be easily

achieved with consistency, persis-

tence and dedication. Good luck, until

next time!

MApHA Banquet January 25 & 26, 2014

Association Members, the time has arrived to celebrate 2013 show season achievements! The banquet provides

an opportunity to visit with friends and plan for the next show season. It will be here before you know it. We are

looking forward to another year at the University Quality Inn. The WMAR will host its banquet on Sunday at the

hotel. We hope you will join us in the fun.

LOCATION: University Quality Inn, 3121 East Grand River, Lansing MI 48912.

ROOM RESERVATIONS: Call the University Quality Inn at (517) 351-1440, to receive our group discount rate of

$85.00 per night. Please reserve your room no later than January 13, 2014. This rate includes a complimentary hot

breakfast for all guests and two complimentary beverages in the Hotel Lounge (per room, per evening). Cancella-

tions require 48 hour notice or a one night stay will be billed.

MEAL RESERVATIONS: Banquet meals must be reserved and paid for by January 13, 2014. NO banquet meals will

be available for purchase at the banquet. Meal tickets will be distributed and table seating information available

on Saturday at the hospitality table. The meals will be provided by VG’s Kitchen.

QUESTIONS: Please call Kay Bowen at 989-382-8952.

AUCTIONS: For questions and item donation, please call Joanne Raver at 586-914-5505.