MIdwest Horse Digest January 2009

midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest January 09

January 09 midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest

Midwest Horse DigestRahn Greimann, Publisher,

Owner and Editor© 2008 Greimann Industries

35418 90th StreetBlue Earth, MN 56013

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Midwest Horse Digest is distributed FREE atequine-related businesses in Minnesota,Wisconsin, Iowa, Northern Illinois and Northand South Dakota. No material from this pub-lication may be copied or in any way repro-duced without written permission from thepublisher. Neither the advertisers norGreimann Industries are responsible for anyerrors in the editorial copy.. GreimannIndustries reserves the right to refuse anyadvertising which we deem unsuitable for ourpublication. No liability is assumed for errorsin or omissions of advertisers in this publica-tion. Opinions and views expressed in articlesand advertisements are not necessarily thoseof the publisher, editors or employees, nordoes publication of any opinion or statement inMidwest Horse Digest constitute an endorse-ment of the views, opinions, goods or servicesmentioned. While every possible effort ismade to make our publication accurate andtimely, Midwest Horse Digest does not warrantthe accuracy of material contained in any arti-cle or the quality of goods or services con-tained in any advertisement.

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Pick up Midwest Horse Digest every month atover 800 feed stores, tack shops, veterinari-ans, farriers and equestrian centers across theUpper Midwest. If your location does not getMidwest Horse Digest call us at 507-526-5943or email [email protected]

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About our cover - Santiago,

Andalusian stallion, ridden by Mario Contreras. Santiago is owned by

Rothrock Andalusians Cara & Rocky Rothrock

Streator, ILPhoto by Rick Osteen Photography

We hope you enjoy this issue of

Midwest Horse Digest!We are proud to be able to publish

it for you and ask that you support the

advertisers that support this magazine.

Thank you!

This Month in Midwest Horse Digest

Upcoming Events page 31Advertisers Index page 31Classifieds page 33Traders Corner page 34Thumbnail Ads page 32

Mary Hamilton - Training in the Winter page 19

Western PleasureJennifer Lindgren - Want to Win..... page 14

NEW - HORSE WORLD HEROESA Man and His Good-LookingHorse page 25

In The Sort Of Wild page 26Creating Silverado page 8Don’t Rattle Your Horse page 11Feed Labels -

What do they mean page 12

Craig Cameron - Leader of the Pack page 23

Chris Cox - The Importance of Disengaging theHindquarters page 6

Ken McNabb - Working on Whoa page 5

Lynn Palm - Communicating with Your Aids …Keys to Success, Part 3” page 10

Dennis Auslam - Respect, build-ing the foundation..... page 18

Monty Bruce - Winter Tune Ups page 16

Bob Jeffreys/Suzanne Sheppard -Is Your Horse Really Halter Broke

page 24

This month we have added a new column called Horse World Heroes, featuring astory about an individual in our industry who has overcome tremendous obstacles.Many times we are not aware of the challenges those around us may have faced toget where they are at today, nor the part the horse played in it. We hope you findthese stories both interesting and inspirational, and we are looking for more stories.So if you know someone who we can highlight in this new feature please let usknow.

We would also like to make a comment on the economy. We hear bad newseverywhere around us, but we would like to put a bit of prospective on it other thanwhat the media pumps out at us. I recently read these headlines - “Recession startstaking Toll: Will it lead to another crash?” and “Worries are building that today’ssagging economy may be on the brink of collapse.” These were in the U.S. News &World Report in November of 1974. YES - 1974!!! During the first term of Ronald Reagan, in the latter part of 1982, the unemploymentrate rose to 10.8%. Today, amazingly, 92-94% of Americans are still working. ThePoint - pay attention to what you are listening to, mainstream media is sensational-ism at an extreme. Hope this helps put things in a little different light. Be proud to be an American!

Take care, Rahn Greimann, Mark & Peg Bahls

This month, we will work onimproving your horse’s stop. “Whoa” may wellbe the most important cue you teach. It isessential for your safety that you can get yourhorse stopped when you need to.

Before you start teaching theseexercises, you should review the one rein stopand back up. Once you have your horse doingboth of these well, you are ready to move on tothe two rein stop. There are two things thatare important throughout this exercise: yourhorse must soften on the bridle, and he needsto be moving out and stepping under himself.Don’t let him shuffle along at the walk or jog.Get a nice energetic gait before you start work-ing on your stops, and keep that energythroughout the exercise. The hind end needsto be driving under your horse. If the hind endis already trailing behind when you ask for thestop, you will always get a stop on the frontend.

How you ask for the stop is veryimportant. First, think about what you want – astop. Then take your legs completely off yourhorse. Relax your seat and drop yourshoulders down into your hips. It is easy tothrow your shoulders back in this step, but thatgets in your horses way and puts you in anincorrect position. Sink down, not back. Now,exhale and say “whoa” quietly and calmly. Ifyour horse stops with his nose soft, let himstand for a few seconds, then back up a fewsteps.

You want to teach your horse thatthe bit always means think backwards. Thisgets him using his hind end. For your horse tothink this way, you need to think this way too.So when you are asking for a stop, think of aback up. If your horse is going forward, he hasto stop before he can go backwards. So if youare thinking of and asking for a back up, yourstop will be there as part of the process.Practice this at the walk until the stop is auto-matic. Only then are you ready to move up tothe trot.

When you are asking for a stop,only say whoa once. If you keep saying “whoa,whoa, whoa” as your horse is still walkingforward you are teaching him to ignore you.So, say whoa once, then when you get yourhorse stopped back him up to the place whereyou originally said whoa. Stop him there andonly then repeat “whoa” once. What you aretelling him is “this is where you should have

stopped in the first place”. If your horse stopsbut he is leaning on the bridle, use your legsand drive him backwards until he softens.After each stop, ride off and change directions.Go somewhere before asking your horse tostop again. Avoid just stopping every ten feetin a straight line again and again.

When your stop is completelyautomatic and your horse is stopping softly onthe first whoa, you are ready to move up to thetrot. You may need to review softness now thatyou are going faster. Also make sure that yourhorse is stepping under himself and movingout nicely at the new speed. Don’t stop everyfive feet. Move out between the stops, so yourhorse looks forward to the stop and thinks of itas a good place. Remember to reward yourhorse and pet him when you are resting after agood stop so he knows he is doing the rightthing.

Picture your horse’s hind feetdriving up under him all the way to his frontlegs. This won’t actually happen, but if you arepicturing this it will help you get the hind endreally driving. Use your seat and legs to driveyour horse forward.For the horse to dowhat you want, youmust know whatyou want. Makesure you have aclear picture in yourhead of what youwant each stop tolook like, and pickan exact place youwant your horse tostop each time. Youcan use sections ofthe arena wall asmarkers, or if youare outside you canuse rocks or trees

as markers. Just make sure youhave something very specific youare aiming for.

When you have anexcellent stop at the trot, you canmove up to the lope. Every time youincrease your speed, you should

review softness again and make sure yourhorse is still stepping under himself. Work onboth leads equally, and remember there is nopoint in asking for a stop if your horse is not setup correctly. If he is bracing on the bit, get himsoft before you ask for the stop. If you get acrummy stop where your horse throws hisnose out or doesn’t stop when you ask, gethim soft and then go right back to work. If youget a good stop, let him rest and reward him.Make sure you give your horse a chance tocatch his breath when he does give you agood stop. The point of this exercise is not totire him out so much that he stops, but tochange his attitude and understanding so thathe stops when you ask.

Moving from a nice stop at the walkto a nice stop at the lope will take multipletraining sessions. Take your time, go back tobasics if you are having trouble, and enjoyimproving your horse’s training. Until nexttime, may God bless the trails you ride.For more information on Ken McNabb’sprograms call us at 307-645-3149 or go towww.kenmcnabb.com.


Working On WhoaBy Ken McNabb with Katherine Lindsey Meehan

Imagine having a trainingtechnique that can teach the horse torespect your space, focus his attention on you,and give you control of both his body andmind. Once you learn how to effectively disen-gage the horse’s hindquarters, you will beamazed at how much easier it is to work withyour horse.

“Many horse owners don’t realize howimportant successful groundwork is toe v e r y t h i n gthey will bedoing withtheir horse,”explains inter-n a t i o n a l l y -r e s p e c t e dh o r s e m a nand clinicianChris Cox,whose practi-cal, step-by-step trainingmethods havemade himpopular withhorse ownersof all agesand frommany differentdisciplines.

“Disengagingthe horse’shindquarters is one of the most importantthings you will learn in basic groundwork and iscritical for maintaining control of yourhorse,” says Chris. “Once you can control thehind end, you can control the whole body andthe mind. Learn how to do this effectively andyou can easily move your horse’s body andcapture his total attention without eventouching him.”

Disengaging the hindquarters takes thepower away from the horse because the hind

end is where all the power comes from. Itteaches the horse to respect your space,loosens up his entire body, helps you regaincontrol, and puts the horse’s focus where itshould be: on you.

“Most of the problems people have,including horses running off, bucking, rearing,and being pushy, all come from those stronghindquarters,” notes Chris. “It’s the engine thatdrives the horse forward, yet most people arealways trying to control the horse by pulling onhis head. If you can learn early on how todisengage those hindquarters, you give

yourself control. Think of the front end,particularly the head, as just the

‘steering wheel’ while all thepower comes from thehindquarters. That’s the‘engine’ you want to control.

“This exercise applies toevery age horse,” adds Chris.

“You can eliminate a lot offuture problems, if you go

through this step-by-step system.”

What You’ll NeedYou will be working with your horse in

a confined space, but it doesn’t have to bea small area. Your lead rope is a vital tool forthis lesson. The horse is wearing onlya halter with a long lead; Chris uses a ropehalter and 13-foot long lead rope witha soft leather popper on the end for

b a l a n c e .He prefers therope over astick or whipbecause younever set itdown and thehorse alwaysknows this.The ropeserves as botha directionaland correction-al tool. Youshould prac-tice handlingthe lead ropebefore youactually workwith the horseso you canuse it mosteffectively.

“Alwaysmake sure your hand is on top of the rope, notunderneath it,” says Chris. “This will allow youto use it properly to get the correct responsefrom your horse. You don’t hold your reinsunderneath and you don’t hold your lead ropethat way either. If your hand is underneath asyou twirl the rope, it becomes hard to handle.”

Always twirl the rope over, not under. As youtwirl, let the rope feed through your fingers tomake it longer. Start with a little bit of rope andtwirl overhand feeding it through your hand

little by little to get it as long as you want.Switch from hand to hand as your practice soyou can use it effectively on both sides sinceyou will have to change hands depending onwhich side of the horse you are working.

Getting Down to BusinessChris mentally divides the horse’s body into

two parts. The “drive line” is the dividing pointand it falls about where the girth would be.

“If you’re in front of this imaginary line,you’re driving the horse’s front end,” heexplains. “If you’re behind this line, you’redriving his hind end. You need to know this asyou work with the horse.”

There are three important places on thehorse to remember when handling him on theground:

1. Point of hip2. Point of shoulder3. Middle or side of shoulder

Define your boundary lines and stick tothem! In order to stay safe, don’t go past themiddle of the shoulder when doing thisexercise. You will use the lead rope as anextension of your arm, if necessary.

“Ideally, you should be able to stand still anduse your expression and your lead rope tomake the horse move,” says Chris. “When youhave to move your feet a lot, the horse is‘winning.’ You want to make the horse move,rather than you do much moving.”

As you hold the lead rope, remember thatyour “driving hand” is always the hand holdingthe tail of the rope. Your “direction hand” is theone closest to the horse’s halter.

Look at your horse from the side standingstill. Imagine a line extending out several feetfrom the middle of his shoulder. Now draw amental line from his hindquarters that will comeout and intersect with the line from hisshoulder. Where these two lines cometogether is what Chris refers to as the “corner.”

The key is always to stay wide, not right nextto the horse, when “going to the corner.” Youdon’t want the horse to disengage hishindquarters and move over when you justwalk up to his side at the shoulder. You wanthim to stand still unless you are going to thecorner and actively asking him to disengage.

Step by StepFollow these steps to disengage thehindquarters:Focus on point of hip, don’t look at the horse’shead.Stay in front of the side or middle of theshoulder.Keep your driving hand still at your waist levelGo to the “corner” - ask horse to move hindend over by going to the “corner,” theimaginary line from hind end angled up to sideof shoulder, and pointing with direction hand,use expression (body language) and point atthe horse’s hip with your directional hand.Yourbody should be in a slight crouch with yourfocus on the point of hip.

Importance of Disengaging By Cynthia McFarland with Chris Cox

Chris' body posture and expression are making this horse move hishindquarters. The lead rope is completely slack.

photo: courtesy Chris Cox Horsemanship Co.


If the horse doesn’t movehis hindquarters over, twirlthe rope with your drivinghand until he moves thathind end over. Use morebody language and twirl asaggressively as needed toget the horse to move.Some horses are more laidback than others and youmay have to actually popthe hindquarters lightly withthe end of rope to get themto move the first coupletimes. After he “gets” it, let himstand still a few minutes and“soak.” Resting is his rewardfor doing something right.Licking the lips is a sign thehorse is relaxed.

Once the horse disengages, ask him todisengage from both sides.

Vary the pace and move at differentspeeds so the horse doesn’t get bored.

Remember: If your feet are moving, thehorse’s feet should be moving faster!

The horse should end up facing you with hisbody angled towards you, not away.Remember, you’re not asking him to walk off,just to disengage his hindquarters and movethem to the side. His front end shouldbasically stay in the same spot while the hindend swings over to whichever side you aredirecting him to go.

“It doesn’t really have anything to do withthe lead rope,” Chris points out. “It’s all aboutyour body language and position. Yourexpression is everything! Use your bodylanguage more than your voice.”

Hold the lead rope, but don’t pull on thehorse’s head. Think of the horse’s body as aship with his hind end being the rudder.Disengaging the hindquarters gives youcontrol of the head, front end and hind end.Because there’s more weight on the horse’sfront end than hind end, it’s actually easier forhim to move his hindquarters.

“Don’t ‘lie’ to your horse. Follow throughwhenever you ask the horse to do something,”says Chris. “If you ask your horse to dosomething, don’t quit until he responds to whatyou ask. It doesn’t have to be perfect at first.Reward the horse’s slightest try any time he istrying to give back.”

Short lessons are best, but never quit on anegative. Always end your training session ona positive note with the horse doing what youask, even if it’s a simple task.

This lesson is covered in detail onDVD/video 2 in Part I of the Chris CoxHorsemanship Instructional Program, and inhis Western Horseman book, Ride theJourney.

Up Close with Chris CoxRanch-raised in Australia, Chris came to the

United States in 1986 to make a career ofworking with horses. Years of workinghorseback on the ranch near Queenslandgave Chris a healthy respect for the horse’s

ability and intelligence, and helped himdevelop his own methods of individualizedtraining.

Active in the cutting horse world as both atrainer and competitor, Chris has trained avariety of breeds for different disciplines. Hetravels the United States, Canada, SouthAmerica and Australia appearing at expos,conducting clinics and horsemanshipdemonstrations. His “Come Ride the Journey’

tour takes him to cities across the U.S. eachyear. Chris offers week-long intensivehorsemanship clinics at his Outback Ranch inMineral Wells, Texas.

In 2008, Western Horsemanreleased Ride the Journey, by Chris Cox withCynthia McFarland, a 225-page, full color bookthat details Chris’ practical methods andtraining techniques. Packed with step-by-stepexercises and color photos, the book will helpyou improve your horsemanship skills, nomatter what discipline or breed you ride. Visit www.chris-cox.com or call Chris CoxHorsemanship Company at 1-888-81-HORSEfor information about the Ride the Journeybook, upcoming course dates andappearances, equipment and training DVDs.

the Hindquarters

Notice how Chris keeps his eye on the hip to help encourage the horse'smovement.

photo: courtesy Chris Cox Horsemanship Co.



-Reprinted with permission from author, RyanGueningsman, Delano Herald Journal

“Silverado.”The word means differ-ent things to different people.

Some people think ofpickup trucks. Some think of the1985 movie by that name. Someassociate it with a local countrymusic band, and yet others maythink of it as a destination.

For John Tackaberry ofStar West in Delano, it meansbeauty, peace, and happiness. That is why hechose the name “Silverado” for the large horserecently placed at his business on Highway 12.

“Is it not synonymous with heaven?”Tackaberry said. “The name is a westernname, and to me, it denotes awestern place – that can be any-thing you want it to be. I thinkSilverado is that – any place ofgreat beauty, and a state of com-plete happiness.”

Tackaberry has been aChevrolet dealer for 28 years, yethe did not name his horse afterthe pickup truck that has thesame name.

Instead, Tackaberryhas taken his piece of art onestep further – and placed it in hislot in memory of a close friendwho recently passed away fromcancer, and also to raise aware-ness for the Minnesota HorseCouncil, which assists with therescue, shelter, and care of hors-es.

John T. McQuay wasconsidered by Tackaberry as abrother, friend, and now, the“rider in the sky.”

McQuay and his wife,Dorothy, owned and operatedTumbleweed Boots & WesternWear in Ham Lake, and from1983 to 1999, the large horse,

known at the time as “Andy,”stood in front of their store.

“John (McQuay) wasdiagnosed with colon cancer,”Tackaberry said of his friend. “Atthe same time, a developerdecided to buy the store.”

The store was sold tothe property developer, andeverything was removed byMcQuay and his family from theproperty – including the large horse.

Tackaberry said McQuay had a pas-sion for horses, having been involved in manycapacities, including past president andcaptain, of the Zuhrah Shrine Horse Patrol.

“He was agood guy, and veryactive in the horsec o m m u n i t y , ”Tackaberry said.

John McQuaydied in February2008, andTackaberry took partin McQuay’s funeralprocession with ahorse and emptysaddle.

“ D o r o t h ydecided to sell abunch of things,”Tackaberry recalled.

He couldn’t make it to the sale himself, butthat’s when he asked Dorothy about the horse.She saved it for him, and the rest is history.

The horse was brought back to StarWest in Delano, where Tackaberry’s collision

c e n t e rs t a f f

began to re-sculpture it and prepare it to bepainted. Enter into the picture another oldfriend of Tackaberry’s – Dr. James Turner ofMound – who set to the task of creating thework of art.

Turner, who has been an anesthesi-ologist at Ridgeview Care Center for the past25 years by day, is also a watercolor artist inhis spare time.

“John and I are old friends,” Turnersaid, noting his wife had gotten to know Johnthrough his involvement with the HennepinCounty Mounted Patrol. Tackaberry knewTurner was a watercolor artist, and called onhis friend to create a vision of the horse asbeing not just a painted horse, but to gobeyond that.

Tuner said he and Tackaberry wentthrough a long process of developing sketch-es, and eventually chose the theme thatadorns the horse.

“I like the idea of Star West andstars being a part of it,” Turner said. Once adesign was in place, Turner faced his nextchallenge – making it weather-resistant andable to withstand winds and weather elementsbeing so high in the air.

Tackaberry wanted to have it lastwithout fading. With his experience in automo-biles, he felt the best way to do it was to paint

it like an automobileand clearcoat it so ithas fade resistanta-nce and longevity.

“That wasdifficult,” Turneradmitted. “Thereare very few paintsthat’ll hold up toclearcoating.”

Yet anotherchallenge with theauto paint was thatit is typically meantto be spray painted,not brushed. It’s likea glue. It dries fairlyquickly,” Turnerexplained, addingthat the paint alsohad to be tempera-t u r e - c o n t r o l l e d ,which wasn’t anissue becauseTurner has a heatedbarn that he usedfor the paintingprocess.

Creating Silverado


He began painting the horse in pieces, doingthe background first, and then progressingwith each additional layer. Each layer came abit easier to Turner, as he had a better grasp ofhow much paint to mix and about how long itwould take him.

“It was real interesting from an artstandpoint,” Tuner said. “I had about a monthto five weeks in it from beginning to end, fromthe design to painting.”

At a Star West Thanksgiving partyNov. 15, Turner had the chance to meetDorothy McQuay, and learned the history ofthe horse that he had spent the last monthpainting.

“My husband, John, and I pur-chased the rearing horse from Calamity JeansWestern Shop in, I believe, 1983, when theywanted to sell it,” Dorothy McQuay recalled.The owner of Calamity Jeans was a mannamed Andy, so therefore, Andy became thehorse’s name as well, and Andy found a newhome in Ham Lake.

“At that time, the horse was a sorrelbrown solid color, and since we were placing itin front of our Western Wear Shop,Tumbleweed Boots & Western Wear, we want-ed him to be noticed by people driving by, sowe had it painted brown and white,” McQuaysaid.

After it was painted and in front ofTumbleweed Boots & Western Wear, passers-by weren’t the only ones to notice the horseand western shop.

“Several of the neighborhoodschools in our area had a challenge to see whocould spray paint Andy around the time of theirhomecoming events, so his private parts werepainted blue, red, green and black for theschool colors,” McQuay recalled. “John wouldbe out there every year cleaning him up.Several of the kids who did this were actuallycustomers of the store, and they later told uswhat they had done. Teenage kids can dosome things which are harmful, and this couldhave been one of those things, but John wouldlaugh and go out with his cleaner and takecare of the problem.

“He said if that was the worst thingthey ever did, he was glad it was on Andy, andthe kids could have some fun without the drink-ing and drugs being part of their plan.”

Andy stood in front of theTumbleweed Western Wear building from

1983 until 1999, when the McQuays closedtheir store. Andy then went into storage in thegarage at their home, laying on a 1958 Impalauntil John passed away in February 2008.

“Now, he is gorgeous and standsproud being dedicated to my husband, John T.McQuay, and also representing donations tothe Minnesota Horse Council to help horses inneed in the state of Minnesota,” Dorothy said.And that is something Tackaberry is proud todo. Anyone who sees the horse and is interest-ed, may make a tax-deductible donation to thehorse council by placing it in a depository onTackaberry’s showroom floor.

“You have to care for animals,”Tackaberry said, adding that several hundreddollars have already been raised and given tothe horse council. “I made it a mission to do allof this. You can have all the ideas in the world,

but unless someone pushes it, nothing getsdone.”

Those who know Tackaberry knowhe is that driving force behind many things.

“That’s classic John,” Turner said.“John is continually and enthusiasticallyinvolved in the community. He’s alwaysthinking of things to do. Getting involved andgiving back to the community – that’s John.”When Turner saw the horse 23 feet off theground at Star West, he said it actuallyappeared a little smaller than he thought, butsaid it was a good feeling.

“It does my heart good every time Igo by it,” Turner said. “It’s something I’llremember forever.

For more information on theMinnesota Horse Council, visit www.horses-mn.org.


Most people who do any form of exerciseknow that it is important to warm up. Becausea horse is an athlete too, he also needs apre-exercise warm-up routine to help loosenand limber up his muscles after standing in astall or in a pasture. A warm-up also preparesthe horse’s mind, as well as his body, for thework you will be asking him to do—whether itis schooling, trail riding, pleasure riding, orshowing.

The same principle applies to the rider’smounted warm-up. The warm-up is time for therider to get into correct form and balance asshe loosens her muscles and joints. I find it isa pleasant time when I reconnect with myhorse before starting the more serious work athand.

Here are some tips for making your

warm-up time more effective. Start thewarm-up by letting your horse walk on a looserein. The warm-up patternshould include very largecircles, large turns, andstraight lines. The horseshould be moving forward,but in a relaxed manner.After warming up at thewalk, ask the horse for thetrot or jog. The trot is thebest gait to limber up thehorse.

At this point, the ridershould not be worried aboutthe horse being “on the bit.”Instead, he should beallowed to move forward on aloose rein with the rider guiding him to stay onthe circle, large turn, or the straight line.

R e m e m b e rthe rule ofthumb thatyou shouldspend equaltime going inboth direc-tions. Yous h o u l dchange direc-tions often toloosen upboth sidesand to keepthe horse’sinterest dur-ing the warm-

up.I recommend that the rider, even if using

a Western saddle, postw h e ntrotting/joggingduring thewarm-up peri-od. Doing sogives the riderthe opportunityto warm up andto use her ownmuscles. As therider begins toloosen up, she willnotice that hermuscles respondbetter and her

coordination improves while her thinkingslows. The rider begins to relax as herwarmed-up body allows her to better follow thehorse’s movement.

As part of the warm-up, the rider may trytaking her feet out of the stirrups to get down inthe saddle and closer to her horse. As herbody loosens up, she will find she is able tofollow the horse’s movement and stay in bal-ance even without stirrups.

I am often asked how much time should beallowed for a warm-up. The answer is thatthere is no set amount of time for a warm-uproutine. It depends on many factors that you,the rider, must take into account for each ride.Usually, the colder the weather is, the longerand slower the warm-up should be to loosenup cold muscles and joints. It must be longenough to physically and mentally warm upthe horse, but it is not intended to wear him outor bore him! Enough time should be spent inthe warm-up so that both sides of the horseare equally loosened up.

A good gauge for the rider of how long herwarm-up period should be is that she shouldfeel the same balance and relaxation withoutstirrups as she feels with them. She alsoshould feel her mind slow down and focus, andshe should feel positive about the upcomingriding session!

In the next article, I will cover the core of com-municating with your aids—your seat, yourlegs, and your hands. For more informationabout Palm Partnership Training™, visit ourwebsite at www.lynnpalm.com.

Communicating with Your Aids …Keys to Success, Part 3”

Written by Steven Scherer

Recently, while transporting an injuredhorse, I pulled the short straw and was relegat-ed to riding in the back of the horse trailer.Only moments in route, I noticed the floor ofthe trailer shaking underfoot. The vibrationwas, to say the least, uncomfortable. AlthoughI only had to tolerate about 30 minutes of this,I was left wondering how my horses felt after along haul.

After the eye opening ride in the horse trail-er, I decided to do some research into thecause of the vibration. As owner/operator ofTires Plus in Lakeville, MN I have over 20years of experience in the tire industry. Ibrought the trailer into my shop and quicklydiscovered flat spots on the tires. This is acommon problem with vehicles that are storedfor long periods of time and often can not beseen by visual inspection alone. Simply bal-ancing the tire would not cure the problem: theonly course of action was replacement.

Tire blow outs are the leading cause of acci-dents involving horse trailers. Sitting alongside the highway with your horse is a danger-ous place to be. Common causes of such blowouts are load, age, low air pressure or unbal-anced tires. Not always easy to identify, fre-quent visual inspections would be an advis-able safety precaution, along with periodic pro-

fessional inspections. Another contributor totire blow outs are simply using the wrong tireson your trailer, using the proper tires will domuch to keep your horse safe during transport.Tire manufactures develop a variety of trailertires to accommodate specific trailering needs,and its’ important to understand those differ-ences. ST trailer tires are designed to handleload shift, all the more reason to use the prop-er tire on a horse trailer. Avoid using LT trucktires, as they may cause excessive swayaround corners and may not be as durablewhen hitting curbs. I would never recommendusing P metric car tires.

In an effort to fine-tune which tires were bestfor my trailer, I experimented with five differenttire brands. Each was tested on a road forcebalancer. I watched for how smooth the tiresran out and also the amount of weight neededto balance them. All of the tires chosen wereST trailer tires. My personal favorite was theGoodyear Marathon Radial. One of the tireshad a perfect balance requiring absolutely nowheel weight, while the rest of them neededonly minimal weights.

Most of the time when we are trailering ourhorses, it is to some type of an event or com-petition: environments in which we need themto be relaxed and not rattled. Dr. JenniferSelvis, with Cleary Lake Equine MedicalCenter, was kind enough to take the time to

comment onthe effects ofan unbal-anced trailertire on a

horse. “A shaky floor would be similar to thehorse being at a trot,” she explained. “Not onlydoes it stress the joints, it also can make for anervous horse. This may be a factor in a horsebeing unwilling to load into your trailer.”“Horses also need to move around duringtransport,” Selvis added, “which will causeload shift.”

You don't need to be a tire expert, but anonce of prevention could eliminate a cata-strophic event. Along with educating yourselfwith basic tire maintenance considerations, Iwould advise, at a minimum, annual profes-sional inspections. Qualified shops will know ifyou are using the correct tire able to handle thetrailers GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)and can also diagnose any problems, such asa lost weight. Even though the life span of atrailer tire is 3 to 5 years, they are not designedto wear. Simply relying on tread depth as theindicator for trailer tire replacement is not thefavored method of inspection. Sticking with amajor name brand, and always maintainingmaximum air pressure in trailer tires, will notonly facilitate trailer safety, but will also aid inincreased fuel mileage. Our horses are tooimportant to trust their safety with anythingshort of the best


Don't Rattle Your Horse


Look Past the Guaranteed Analysis When we look at feed tags, many of us areover¬whelmed with information and frankly,don’t know what the information actuallymeans. In order to tell what is in your bag offeed, you have to look past the analysis. Itgives you a place to start, but here are sometools to make you an educated consumer. The guaranteed analysis will tell you the crudeper-centage or ppm (parts per million) levels ofseveral nutrients, but the ingredient listing can

tell you the real story. In order to really knowwhat you are buying, I encourage you to lookfor feeds that list their ingredients individually,not collectively. The chart below gives you a

sample of possible ingredients under eachcollective category. Next, you can consider thefat and fiber content of the feed. Look forfeeds that have aminimum of 3%fat and/or a max-imum of 10%fiber. If your feedhas less fatand/or morefiber, you are

assured that there issomething in that bag ofgrain, besides grain! Ifyou then go to the ingre-dient list, you most likelywill find terms like forageproducts or roughageproducts. Forage prod-ucts essentially are driedhay, which isn’t a badthing, but I’d rather buyhay by the bale than inmy $9 bag of grain! TheRoughage productsterm can con-tain somenot so digestible things

(see Chart below). Remember also, that thelower fat, higher fiber feeds will be less expen-sive per bag, but you’ll have to feed more ofthem to due to the “filler”, and therefore can be

more expensive at the end of the month!Making an Educated Comparison So whenlooking at one product vs. another it is impor-tant to read the tags to determine the betterbuy. Shown above are two feed tags side byside. When looking at the guaranteed analysis,they look very similar. Here are some impor-tant differences though. The tag on the left

appears to have higher mineral levels than theother, but if you look at the ingredient list, you’llnotice that the bag on the right contains“chelated” min-erals (proteinates). Thesechelated minerals are 25-55% more availablethan their “inorganic” counterparts (sulfatesand oxides). For this reason, the bag on theright has lower gross levels, but actually netshigher levels based on availability. The nextand more important thing to note, is that thetag on the right lists all of it’s ingredientsindividually. This assures you of a fixedformula and consistency from bag to bag. Thetag on the left lists ingredients collectively,which allows them to “least cost” formulate andchange the contents of your feed based oningredient pricing. In addition, it’s hard to knowthe quality of ingredients, for example, protein.Cur-rently the highest quality protein sourcefor horses being added to feed is soybeanmeal, or a soybean product. This assures youof the best growth and development vs. otherlower quality protein sources. When readingthe bag on the left, you have no idea what theyare using for a protein source because all yousee is “plant protein by-products”. Lessex-pensive, lower quality sources may be usedand you’d never know the difference. Finally,when comparing feeds, and what most of usmake buying decisions on is PRICE! Take alook at the bot-tom of both tags. The bag onthe left initially appears to be less expensive,but when you look at the feeding directions yourealize it isn’t! The bag on the right is higherquality and more fortified, therefore you canfeed less feed and actually spend less per dayor per month even though the “bag” costs afew dollars more! Read your tags and buysmart! By: Kelly Ann Graber B.S., P.A.S.Equine Nutrition Consultant for ProgressiveNutrition 888-360-2204 or [email protected]

Reading Feed Labels ~ Reading Feed Labels ~

What do they really tell you?What do they really tell you?


Dissapointed with last year's show season?Want to be the one to beat next summer?Don't waste this winter break complainingabout the weather. Use your time wisely bytransforming yourself and your horse into an

unbeatable team. As the stress andexcitement of last summer's show seasonfades into memories, many competitors get thewinter time blues. I teach my students to takeadvantage of the break by using the time to setnew goals, learn an additional skill, fine tunetheir performance, and reconnect with theirhorses.

Winner's don't take the winter off.Both horsesand riders benefit from a break intheir routine but this doesn't mean that youshould sit on the couch and leave your horsein his stall. A break after show season is notbeneficial if you both get out of shape, dis-connect, and lose sight of your goals. Now isthe time that you will either push ahead of orfall behind the competition. You might want tostay in the house under a warm blanket butyour horse does not want to be trapped insidehis stall. It is crucial to your horse's physicaland mental health to remain active. No matterhow cold it is, you must take them out of theirstalls as much as possible! Here are someideas to get you motivated during the winter.

1. Evaluate Your Horse's Health: This is extremely important! All horses are subject

to physical and mental stress during show season. Show horses areoften fed off schedule, hauled in a loud trailer,drink different water every weekend, work onless than ideal surfaces, stand tied more thannormal and have to put up with mentalpressure from us. Did your horse lose weight,become lame, or have a change in appetite atany time during the season? Did he ever seemless than enthusiastic about your plans? Usethe winter break to renew his health, ensurehis soundness, and improve his motivation. Ifyou have concerns about his weight, consultyour veterinarian about a more suitablefeeding program and be religious about

deworming every 4 to 6 weeks.Don't overfeed because a fathorse is not a fit and healthyhorse. Make sure youprovide much neededvitamins and minerals. Keephim up to date on all shotsand have his teeth checkedand floated. Ask your farrier ifhis hooves would benefitfrom going barefoot (pull hisshoes) for the winter. Makesure all hoof polishes havebeen removed thoroughly(they dry out the hoof) andapply hoof dressings whenneeded. Groom your horsedaily and keep his tailbraided and bagged.

2. Maintain a healthyenvironment for your horse. Bacteriacan still grow despite the cold.Keep the water bucket clean with ascrub brush and remove all the bits of

dirt hiding in the ice. Whenever possible,remove your horse's blanket and brush himthoroughly. Check for rub marks, and bumpson his coat. Wash the blanket every twoweeks. If your horse gets turned out, clean theice and snow out of his hooves daily.Barns that are closed up tight start tosmell quickly. This ammonia odor doesaffect your horse so be sure to provideadequate ventilation. You can cut downon the odors by super cleaning the urinespots in the stall and adding extra bed-ding.3. Review Last Season'sPerformances: Is your horse excelling inthe classes you chose for him? Did youcompete in all the divisions you plannedto? Did you place in every class youentered? Did you do better than the yearbefore? Are you frustrated with yourprogress? Look at all your pictures andvideo clips and compare them to what yousee in breed magazines and online. Remember, we all suffer from “barn blindness” and lose objectivity when critiquing ourselves and our horses.

Photos and video help us deal with reality and put our abilitiesinto a clearer perspective. If you don't hon-estly and critically assess you and your horse'sabilities against those that win in your division,you will have difficulty rising to the top. If youknow your faults, you can focus on fixing them.If you can't see or won't admit to your faults,how can you expect to improve your perform-ance? 4. Set Realistic Goals for Next Year: Atwhich level would you like to compete nextyear? If you are a beginner, it is unlikely thatyou will be competitive on a National or Worldlevel. Focus instead on winning a year endhigh point or a circuit award. However, if youare winning every class you enter at ratedshows, you are definitely ready for the bigtime. But, realize that as you rise throughthe levels of competition, the costs ofcompeting increase drastically. If you just needexperience, stick with the local and open showcircuit. These one day shows are veryeconomical, more relaxed, and a great way tolearn. Compare your goals with your budgetand create a reasonable plan to make ithappen.5. Teach Your Horse a New Skill: Thefive months until next show season is ampletime for you to review, reteach, and refreshyour horse's skills. Refresh your own knowl-edge and get new ideas before climbing intothe saddle. The internet provides easy accessto tips from many well known, experiencedtrainers. John Lyons, Julie Goodnight, TommyGarland, Cherry Hill, and Clinton Anderson allprovide free training tips through their web-sites. I highly recommend that all competitors(no matter what style they ride) learn bothshowmanship and dressage basics.Showmanship demands extensive groundworkand teamwork and can successfully be taughtin the aisle of the barn.

Want to Win?

by Jennifer Lindgren

WINTER TIME TUNE-UPS

Teaching your horse showmanship basics is a great way to be active in thewinter without working up a sweat. Carrie Huff's hard work during the win-

ter pays off in multiple wins during show season. Photo courtesy: HuffFamily.

Evaluating your performance during last year's show seasonhelps you focus on new goals and challenges. MTA

Sakhojawhea and owner Gordon Brouillettee are now readyfor new challenges after winning multiple championships atthe 2008 Pinto World. photo courtesy: Krylesa Sadowski.

On the coldest of days, you can practice yourcommunication skills along with exercisingyour horse. (Horses need to move and gettheir blood flowing to maintain good health.)Dressage techniques are followed by winningriders of every discipline because they help indeveloping clear, precise communicationbetween horse and rider. To break themonotony of winter, teach your horse sometricks like counting or bowing. Remember, nomatter which new activity you choose, make ita fun learning experience that emphasizesbonding, trust and communication. 6. Give Yourself a Tune-Up: We are allguilty of developing bad habits. Taking lessonson a different horse or in a different disciplinehelps you to break them. If you don't have awarm indoor arena, consider taking lessons ata facility that offers one. Many trainers offerwinter tune-up specials to keep their barn busyin the off season. You spent time evaluatingyour horse's health and weight, what aboutyour own? If you aren't healthy, you can'texpect to become a top class athlete.Grooming and walking your horse every daywill burn as much calories as going to the gymand its lots more fun. Do your show clothesneed updating or repair? Now is a good timeto create a very unique, eye catching rail shirt.Remember, winning at any sport requires acombination of factors; experience, training,physical ability, attitude, and luck. You havefive months to improve every one of these,except for the luck!

Stay Warm and Be Safe!Jennifer Lindgren has been an All-BreedJudge since 1985. For information on clinics orprivate coaching, [email protected]. Lessons are available atForestview Farm in Tinley Park, IL. Copyright© 2008 by Jennifer Lindgren, all rightsreserved.


Teaching your horse a new skill or trick is a great wayto improve communication during a long cold winter.

www.horsedigests.comonline photo classifieds, more

articles, video, events and more!

Our horses are getting long hairedand wooly, putting on their winter coats and I’mdigging out heavier and heavier coats,insulated riding boots, worm chaps, anddreaming about Texas this time of year.

It’s Winter Again! What do we dowith our horses? Do we put them away untilwe can ride outside again? If you do they willbe out of shape and unresponsive, and it willtake a month to get them back into shape. Ifwe have access to an indoor arena most ofthem are small. What can we get done in thatsmall of a pen?

Years ago I spent a couple ofwinters in a very small indoor and trainedseveral horses over the winter in a pen thatwas only 45 x 50. I will say, to get a lot doneyou have to be creative.

We have spent all summer trailriding, showing, competing, and having fun onour horse, now, since we can’t be out side anddo some of their events we can really concen-trate on some training over the winter.

We can work on more softness andcontrol on the body parts of our horse; gettinghis face, flexing, bending, and getting him tobrake at the pole. Sometimes I think it canhelp us if we think about just playing with ourhorses, rather than training, keep everythinglaid back and relax. Just play a game withyour horse…like, how far can I get your headdown or how responsive can I get you off myleg, or how smooth and fast can I get you toback up, by just barely picking up on the reins?

We can set up some simpleobstacles to help keep our horse’s attention. Itgives the horse a reason for doing something.For example:

A. Lay a log (or pole) on the floor and ask yourhorse to side pass directly over it, and try notto touch it with his front or rear feet. As he getsbetter increase the level of difficulty. B. Make a pole path in the shape of an L orwith a 90 degree turn in it. Now try to back yourhorse through the path without hitting his feeton either side. This increases hip control; youmust move his hip over to make the corner. C. Set several logs in a row. Trot over themand then back over it. Get creative setting up

your trail or obstaclescoarse.

All of these ‘games’ keepthe horse and us thinking.It also gives us somethingfun and specific to accom-plish and is a low stress

way to get our horse more responsive. Eachtime we ask our horse to do any of thesegames; remember to keep our hands softerand smoother.

D. You can spend a lot of time working on yourstops. Just at a trot. Trotting my horse in a cir-cle keeps him guessing and listening to me.Set down first, pick up the reins and if he does-n’t stop….send him off again. Then ask himagain; Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, untilyou get a good one.

E. Work on neck reining you horses around thepen, this way and that. Lay the rein on his neckand give him a moment to respond. If hedoesn’t pull him with the inside rein and bumphim with the outside leg.

If you are in a small pen we can keep all theseexercises very slowly, which will help keep ourhands soft and slow and make our horsesquiet and relaxed.

Even if we only have 15 min. a dayin a very small space to ride in we can do ourhorses a lot of good. Keep them thinking,responsive and progress their training if weonly get creative.

Good luck and God Bless, Monty BruceIf I can be of any help feel free to email me at

[email protected].


Winter Tune UpsBy Monty Bruce

One of the most exciting andthrilling to watch horse events is coming to the2009 Midwest Horse Fair® – and with $10,000in prizes, the competitors will be riding to win.The Nutrena Reined Cow Horse $10,000 willleave the crowd in the Veterans MemorialColiseum on their feet and shouting for more.

With the 2009 theme,“SuperHorse,” the Midwest Horse Fair® will becelebrating 30 years of bringing the very bestin premier horse fairs to the Midwest. Thisthree-day event, scheduled for April 17-19 atthe Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis.,features numerous world class equine clini-cians, provides promotional opportunities forequine-related businesses, and promotes theimportance of the equine industry in theMidwest.

The Nutrena Reined Cow Horse$10,000 Shootout is open to 15 of the verybest horse and rider teams in the nation.Competitors from South Dakota, Wyoming,Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, andother states are expected. To ensure that onlythe most elite riders and their mounts will berepresented, the riders will be pre-qualifiedand selected. This event is nationally sanc-

tioned by the National Reined Cow HorseAssociation, and organized by the NorthCentral Reined Cow Horse Association, anaffiliate of the NRCHA. “The idea behind this isto get the very best horses and riders avail-able,” said Steve Mattson, president of theNorth Central Reined Cow Horse Association.

Spectators will see each pair ofhorse and rider first work a prescribed reiningpattern. They will be judged individually on thequality of every required maneuver. After thereining pattern is complete, the rider will stophis or her horse in the center of the arena andsignal their readiness for the start of the nextstage of competition. A single cow will bereleased into the arena and the horse andrider pair works this cow one-on-one -- demon-strating cow sense, courage and communica-tion. This work with the cow also follows a pre-scribed pattern, including taking the cow downthe fence at a high rate of speed, all the whilekeeping position and control. “This is a veryexciting competition,” said Mattson. “It’s one ofthe most popular events to watch.”

During the Nutrena Reined CowHorse $10,000 Shootout, riders will competein one open class, and the best horses will

compete against each otherregardless of age or breed. Thisevent will be part of the“SuperHorse” Saturday night

show, which also includes the MidwestMustang Challenge finals.

“Come and experience the ReinedCow Horse Adventure,” said Mattson. “Seehorsemanship at its extreme and watch one ofthe fastest growing equine sports in the nation.This sport combines the precision and soft-ness of reining with the speed and unpre-dictability of the fence work to make a fun andexciting event to watch. So please come andlet us show you why we like to call this thegreatest horseshow on dirt.”

The Midwest Horse Fair® is ownedby the Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. Allproceeds from the Fair are returned to theWSHC and are used to represent and foster aunified equine industry in Wisconsin, promotethe equine through leadership, education,service and communication, and to take aproactive role in the future growth and devel-opment of the equine industry. The best wayto get a sneak peek at all of the upcomingattractions for this three-day event is to visitthe Midwest Horse Fair® website atwww.midwesthorsefair.com. Visit often as newevents and clinicians are added on a regularbasis.

Shootout Will Bring Top Horses & Riders to Compete!Nutrena Reined Cow Horse $10,000


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There is going to be an Auction onwww.horsecityauctions.com in hopes of rais-ing funds to help restore one of our HorseShowing Facilities here in MN. Ron & JudySundby have been in the horse sale businesssince 1984 and have grown with the industryin many ways. In 1994, they purchased theirexisting property in Verndale , MN and haveadded to the facility ever since. On Sunday,December 21st the Sundby family lost a greatportion of their business in a horrible fire.Some of the facilities lost include: the salesauction area, kitchen area, horse barn 1,Sundby Trailer Sales offices and A Bit Of Tack– western store, which is owned by theirdaughter Sarah (Sundby) Madsen and theirson Ryan Sundby. Central MN R&J Arena &Event Center is one of largest horse sale/show

facility in the 5 StateRegion.

We are goingto be collecting items tobe put on the auction

site for anyone to bid onvia the new wave of the internet. The itemdescriptions can be emailed [email protected]. We will listthem on the auction site and when they sellyou as the donator can ship them to the high-est bidder (buyer to pay shipping). Paymentwill be sent to a local bank in honor of theSundby family. We are trying to get as manypeople involved in doing this fundraiser aspossible and by putting an auction online weare not limiting it to a local event. Once we getitems in we will be posting them on the auctionsite. Please start watching after January 1,2009.

If there is any way possible that youwould be able to help us return their liveli-hoods to them it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You in Advance for your Support to thisWorthy Cause. MBRA Futurity: Erin & Sue/MNLakes Futurity: JessErin Bayer - [email protected]

Online Benefit Auctionfor R and J

Visit us online atwww.horsedigests.comfor even more info, photo

classifieds, communityevents, training videos andnew things coming all the

time.....

We have many opportunities for you to

promote your equine related business.

For more information callMark or Peg at 507-943-3355

email:[email protected]

or [email protected] or call Andrea Jo at 952-237-5311

or email: [email protected]

If you cannot work with your horsesafely on the ground the chances of yougetting hurt in the saddle are much morelikely.

I cannot stress this enough. I seethis so much and I see people get hurt, so I amgoing to say it again, if you cannot work withyour horse safely on the ground it is almostguaranteed that if you get in the saddle you aregoing to get hurt! If you have no respect fromthe horse on the ground you are just not goingto get the respect you need when you are inthe saddle. You need to establish rules on theground first. This is going to give you therespect you need from the horse, theconfidence you yourself need and give thehorse the confidence that he needs to have inyou.

Working withthe horse onthe ground isgoing to giveyou a betteridea of themechanics of

the horse and how the horse thinks and reacts,all things you need to know before you everget in the saddle.

Everything we do with groundworkputs a better foundation on the horse.It is thisfoundation that will keep you safe whether youare walking the horse across the yard or goingon a trail ride in new territory.

I start with lungeing and the whoa,working to achieve a smooth turn and be incontrol of the horses’ shoulder. Respect startswith getting control of the horses’ shoulder.

Starting out, we are going to ask thehorse to move forward on a line. I utilize atapping stick to help with moving out and helpkeep the horse from moving into me.Ask thehorse to move forward and go into a trot andalso make sure he keeps his attention focusedon me. This is accomplished by keeping hisnose turned into me slightly, If he turns hisnose away or takes his eye off of me I amgoing to tug the line to keep his attention,bumping that nose in.

Now, I am going to ask him to whoa.I will ask, tell and then correct. I say “Whoa,” ifhe does not stop I give him a stern “WHOA”amd of he still does not stop I correct him witha very stern “WHOA!” and a very direct andfirm tug on the line.

Next, I will ask him to changedirections and go the other way. So I am goingto switch the hands I have the line and thestick in and open up the direction I want him togo in with my arm and line and tap him to moveforward, moving the shoulder away from me. Iwant to get the respect out of his shouldersbefore I go to the next step. After I have himmoving off nicely I am again going to ask forthe whoa. In most instances this will comequicker then the first time and I will not have toget to the third whoa with correction, but some-times it can take the horse three, four or fivetimes to figure this out.The goal is to get thehorse to lunge around me and to change direc-tions on command , working off his backendand rolling that shoulder out of my space. Itusually doesn’t take very long for them to fig-ure this out and start moving off nicely whenasked and turning smoothly with just the use ofyour body langauage.

Once I have his attention and havehim moving out correctly and turning correctlyI want him to start listening to my body. When

he is doing that I know he is prepared to do tothis next step. I will test the horse by walkingoff and asking him to respect the space aroundme.

I will walk off, stop and back up.When you do this you do not want to stop andturnaround and make eye contact. I want thehorse to move off with me and stay out of myspace, stop when I stop, and back up when Iback up. If he does not stop or moves into myspace I am going to move him out of my spacewith my stick and/or the line, tapping of tuggingas forcefully as I need to to get him out of theimaginary bubble of space around me. If hedoes not back up when I back up I am going toreach around and tap him with my stick to lethim know he has to respect my space andback up.

I want the horse to pay attention tome, I do not want to have to drag him, and I donot want to have to force him to stop. When heis paying attention I have some respect andam on the road to getting the respect I need tohave.

If the horse knows his boundariesand I take the gray area out of what isexpected of him I have a happier horse and amore pleasant horse. The horse actuallyappreciatess knowing where they aresupposed to be and what they aresupposed to be doing.

Next month we are going to work at softeningthe horse and getting the horses feet exactlywhere I want them. In the meantime, practice,practice, practice.

God Bless and have a safe 2009!

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 our clin-ic schedule on the website.You can set up a clinic at your facility withDennis by contacting him at 507-430-0342 oremail him at [email protected] invite you to visit the website at www.redwoodstables.com for moreinformation.


Respect - Building the Foundation That Will Keep

You Safeby Dennis Auslam


Ask Mary:What aresome waysto keep upon horset r a i n i n g

during the cold winter months?

Winter can present many chal-lenges to riders; icy footing, sweaty horses thatneed to dry before turn out, snow balls underhooves, just bundling up to go to the barn canbe a chore. But there are also manyadvantages to riding through the winter. Itprovides you an opportunity to work on prob-lems you didn’t have time to address in the trailriding season. Think back to the balmy monthsof summer, maybe your horse did not stand formounting, maybe your horse wasn’t respectfulyour space and was crowding you, maybe heneeds work side passing or backing on cue.Any of these would be great winter trainingprojects.

Ground work training is always agood winter project. Because ground workimproves obedience and captures the atten-tion of your horse obedient, respectful horse.Ground work exercises include keeping yourhorse out of your personal space, leadingexercises and yielding to pressure.Ground Work Training

A horse that is pushy, crowds you orrubs his itchy head on you, thinks you arelower in rank on the pecking order than he is.He is showing his dominance over you by hisbehavior. The problem with this pushybehavior is you are not in charge your horse is.He may love you but he won’t listen to you.Think about the dominant horse in your pas-ture. In the world of horse, they use kicks,bites, head buts and kicks to occupy personalspace. The bottom horse in the herd would noteven think about rubbing his itchy head onalpha mare or eating her hay. She wouldchase him out of her personal space. To trainyour horse to stay out of your personal space,first decide how much space you own. Is it afoot around you? Or two feet? It is confusing toa horse if one day he can rub his head on you(no space) and the next day he getsreprimanded for it. Set your space standardsthen stick to them. If your horse comes in yourspace zone, move him back out of it using fin-gertip pressure on the violating area. If he triesto rub his head on you, use your fingers on hisjowls to push him back out of your space. Theimportant part is to be consistent with spaceeven when you aren’t training. Remember, youas the dominant partner can move into hisspace but he can’t move into yours. So youcan reach over and give him a rub on an itchyear but he can’t rub his head on you.

Another way to work on groundwork is to work on respectful leading. Your

horse shouldn’t drag you around like a waterskier nor should he lag behind you. He needsto be watching and listening to your body posi-tion. For this exercise you need a rope halter ,lead rope ( a longer one with a leather popperworks best) or use a regular lead rope in yourright hand and a crop in your left. Lead from aposition just in front of your horse’s shoulder.This way he can clearly see you and followyour movements. This side by side positionalso allows you to use your elbow to push yourhorse away if he invades your personal space.Hold the lead rope 8 – 10 inches from thesnap. Give a verbal command such as “walkon” and walk forward with authority. If yourhorse doesn’t take your cue and walk at yourshoulder, reach back with the crop or the tail ofyour lead rope and tap him on the hindquar-ters’ as a consequence. If he walks ahead ofyou, stop him with a tug with the lead rope andback him up a few steps. He will quickly learn,life is good when he is at your shoulder follow-

ing your lead. Vary this exercise by speedingup to a trot then slowing back down to a walk.You can also incorporate turns and backing.This is a great exercise to teach your horse topay attention to your personal space at alltimes.

There is nothing better then an obe-dient, well mannered horse. To establish aconfident relationship with your horse be con-sistent with personal space and proper leadingposition. Ground work training on these con-cepts is a great way to weather winter.

Mary is a Mounted Police instructor and a fullyinsured ARICP riding instructor. She devotesher creative energy to developing customizedtraining programs to improve show ringperfomance, mount obedience and despook-ing trail horses utilizing training methods usedin training police horses. Visit her website atwww.riderselite.com or email your questions toMary at: [email protected]


Renowned equine artist and anato-my expert Susan Harris and reining trainer andcompetitor Stacy Westfall in their first appear-ance at the Minnesota Horse Expo will head-line with Texas cowboy and RFDTV host CraigCameron. 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 StateFairgrounds in St. Paul. Daily PRCA rodeosfeaturing John S. Payne, the famed “One ArmBandit” specialtyact, the huge 4-Hadministered ExpoTack and ClothingSale, and free car-riage, horse andpony rides guaran-tees something ofinterest for every-one at the 2009Minnesota HorseExpo.

S u s a nE. Harris is aninternational clini-cian, equestrianauthor and artistfrom Cortland,New York. She hastaught, trained, shown, and judged in manyequestrian disciplines, including hunters,jumpers, equitation, dressage, eventing, west-ern pleasure 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 Horse

Gaits, 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 teaching

helps ridersd i s c o v e rhow to usetheir bodiesbetter fori m p r o v e dbalance andh a r m o n yb e t w e e nhorse andr i d e r .S u s a n ' sknowledgeof horsegaits andmovementand experi-ence in vari-ous breedsand disci-

plines enable her to help all kinds of riders andhorses improve their balance, comfort, move-ment and performance. Her positive teachingstyle and visual 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 and

trail obstacles. This year he plans to incorpo-rate horse-camping and back-country ridingtechniques 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 thateliminates rough handling of horses earninghim a well-deserved international following.As a rancher, working cowboy and horse train-er, Craig has just about done it all from cow-calf, stocker operations, custom hay-baling, orcapturing 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 thistalent. He wanted to give back something tothe horse. When he was ready, he beganconducting western horsemanship clinics anddemonstrations to help riders increase theirknowledge and understanding of their horseand to keep the cowboy tradition alive.

Great insight and effective teachingstyle has made Stacy Westfall one of the mostsought-after clinicians in the industry. Shedeveloped her natural horsemanship tech-niques while advancing her horses for reiningcompetition. Stacy is an AQHA and NRHAFreestyle 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 compe-tition. 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.

For all the Minnesota Horse Expo informationand updates, visit www.mnhorseexpo.orgwhere links to each speaker’s site can also befound. Reach the Expo Office at 952-356-2090 or 1-877-462-8758.

Craig Cameron, Susan Harris joinStacy Westfall at the 2009 Minnesota Horse Expo

Each year Road to the Horse chooses highlyqualified experts in the equine industry tojudge their one-of-a-kind colt starting competi-tion. During the 2009 Road to the Horse inFranklin, Tennessee on March 14-15, theevent judges will give insight into what they arelooking for by presenting a brief judging clinicon Saturday morning of the event.

Road to the Horse fans may send in

questions prior to the event and thejudges will answer a small number of

previously chosen questions. If youhave a judging question, you are invited tosubmit your inquiries atwww.roadtothehorse.com for a chance to haveyour personal questions answered by thenationally and internationally esteemed Roadto the Horse judges.

Less than 500 tickets remain for2009 Road to the Horse. Don't miss outon an event jam-packed with entertainmentand education for the whole family.To purchase your tickets online go towww.roadtothehorse.com/tickets.html or orderby calling 1-877-772-5425.Volunteer Opportunities

Road to the Horse is seeking volun-teers for the 2009 event. A small number ofapplicants will have the opportunity to join theRoad to the Horse crew. If you would like tovolunteer your time and effort please visitwww.roadtothehorse.com/volunteers.html andfill out a volunteer form today.Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse is unlike anyother event in the equine or entertainment

industry. It is "the original colt startingchallenge". The two-day sold out eventmatches the absolute best horse trainers andclinicians of today against one another as theytrain unbroken colts to ride in just a few shorthours in front of a packed live audience andtelevision cameras. By combining education,edge-of-your-seat suspense, entertainmentand the love of the horse, Road to the Horsehas been responsible for solidifying theposition of today's horsemanship heroes andlaunching the careers of tomorrow's hottestnew stars. In the process, the event itself hasbecome a shining star of horse industry.Hosted by Rick Lamb, of RFD-TV's The HorseShow with Rick Lamb, spectators areguaranteed not only to have a good time, butalso to walk away with training knowledge thatwill improve their relationship with horses.

Road to the Horse is proud to partner withmany outstanding companies including Horse& Rider, Mustang Makeover, Cinch, CruelGirl, Gist Silversmiths, ABI Equine and JohnDeere. For more information on the Road tothe Horse or to purchase your 2009 tickets,visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000.

Road to the HorseJudges Give

Insight into EventJudging


E o l u t i o n a r yS a d d l e s ™introduces theultimate saddledesigned forgaited and non-gaited horses &mules in allshapes & sizes.After thou-sands of hoursof in-saddlef i e l d - t e s t i n gand manyadvances int e c h n o l o g y,T a u e rManufacturingLLC has pro-duced exactlywhat everyserious riderdreams of — asaddle for all

horses! That’s right, one saddle that conformsto almost every back shape, allowing you touse one saddle on many horses with little moreeffort than selecting the proper girth or cinch.So adaptable, that whatever conformationissues are present; the appropriate saddlemodel (from Endurance to Dressage), correct-ly fitted should provide the answer. Whatmakes the Evolutionary Saddles™ different? Arigid tree that supports the rider; Panels com-posed of layers of delrin that, combined withthe unique mounting system, distribute therider’s weight over the entire length of thepanel, while allowing the horse’s back andshoulders complete freedom of motion. A balland socket joint inserted on a specialized sad-dletree that automatically addresses criteriasuch as gullet sizes, twist, flare, and rockerand a horse and rider satisfactionguarantee. www.EvolutionarySaddles.com.Crafted in the USA.

Evolutionary Saddles™


Ranch Rodeo coming to 2009 Illinois Horse Fair

The American Morgan HorseAssociation is pleased to announce a newlydesigned www.morganhorse.com, whichlaunched December 2.

Navigating the site will be easier fornewcomers as well as frequent visitors. Somechanges you may find:

• More subtle colors and fontsfor readability

• A slide show of larger photo-graphs, depicting "The Horse That ChoosesYou"

• User-friendly buttons, making iteasier to navigate

• A new interactive messageboard. Have you checked out "Say Hay" or"Sharing Carrots," for youth and adults thatlinks with Facebook?

More galleries and web exclusiveextras will become available in the comingmonths.

We hope our members and visitorslike the new design of our website," said EricaEulau Richard, Director of Membership/IT."You'll find more features and updates on thisnew site, and the Farm Finder will soon beenhanced with even more options."

Designed by the husband and wifeteam of Jeff and Lynn Yelton of Yelton Design,the website's interactive development wassupplied by Propeller Media Works.

We're very excited about the fresh,clean look of the site and we've incorporatedsome wonderful photos, said AMHA ExecutiveDirector, Julie Broadway. "We think it trulyreflects the 'connectivity' the Morgan has withpeople and the Morgan community has witheach other. We're inviting Morgan enthusiast toengage each other in shared learnings andexperiences."

AMHA hopes you enjoy the newlydesigned site and would love to hear what youthink. If you spot a problem, please let us knowby emailing [email protected].

Founded in 1909, the AmericanMorgan Horse Association is a non-profitorganization serving more than 50,000 Morganhorse owners, breeders, exhibitors, and enthu-siasts throughout the United States. AMHAserves as a parent organization to more than125 recognized Morgan horse clubs andnational service organizations. It also providesan important link to foreign Morgan horse reg-istries and clubs. The headquarters, located inShelburne, Vermonter, also is home to theNational Museum of the Morgan Horse and aremaintained through the generosity of theAmerican Morgan Horse Institute.

You can learn more about AMHA at www.morganhorse.com.

AMHA LaunchesRedesigned Website

An invitational Ranch Rodeo isscheduled as an added entertainment forHorsemen’s Council of Illinois’ 2009 IllinoisHorse Fair at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. While the annual all-breed three-day expo,shopping and educational Horse Fair runsFriday through Sunday March 6 – 8, theRanch Rodeo will be Saturday night only. “We’ve always wanted to provide a night-timethemed entertainment at Horse Fair, andRanch Rodeo, while requiring plenty of horse-manship, also gives the audience an excitingshow,” said Joy Meierhans, Horse Fair manag-er.

The ranch rodeo is being producedfor Horse Fair by Randy Littrell of Raymond,and Matt Branum of Taylorville. Littrell rodebulls for 13 years and now focuses on a breed-ing program, consisting of using proven blood-lines and selecting for animals that buck.Littrell’s Shop Creek Cattle Company is hometo two-time Professional Bull Riding Finals Bull#13 Iceman.

But don’t worry, Ranch Rodeo doesnot incorporate bucking bulls. It’s a team sportmore like a gymkhana of ranch skills,Meierhans said.

Aspiring team participants may con-tact Littrell [email protected] or (217)556-0551.

Illinois Horse Fair will mark its 20thanniversary in 2009, a celebration that was tohave been in March 2008 – until Horse Fairwas cancelled by the Illinois Department ofAgriculture in response to public safety con-cerns associated with high voltage electricalproblems at the Fairgrounds. (Repairs to morethan 22 miles of underground cable were com-pleted in mid-May and the Fairgrounds was re-opened to the public.)

Horse Fair annually attracts morethan 10,000 horsemen. “Considering the state

of the economy, we expect vendors to offerincentives to appeal to a winter’s pent-updemand,” Meierhans said.

Nearly all of the clinicians bookedfor 2008 have committed to return for 2009,Meierhans said, including RFD-TV’s CraigCameron along with Richard Shrake andnationally known trainers hosting riding clinicsin five disciplines.

In addition to the education offeredat Horse Fair, attendees can see 25 breed andsport demos, stallion row and parade, 75 hors-es on the HorsesForSale Aisles, the All-YouthHorse Judging Trials and more horse trailerson site than at any other show or fair in thestate.

For information on exhibiting at the2009 Illinois Horse Fair, contact JoyMeierhans at (630) 557-2575 [email protected]. Advance tickets canbe purchased online at the web site,www.HorsemensCouncil.org.

Sponsored by Purina Mills, MidwayTrailer Sales and John Deere, Illinois HorseFair is produced by Horsemen’s Council ofIllinois, the voice of the Illinois horse industry.

Horsemen’s Council of Illinois isaffiliated with the American Horse Council andis the statewide association of equine organi-zations and individuals working to provide cen-tralized leadership for Illinois’ 77,000 horseowners, 213,000 horses and its $3.8 billioni n d u s t r y ,which pro-vides full-timeemploymentfor more than15,000 peo-ple.

Leader of the Pack

by Craig Cameron

Horses are easier to teach thanpeople, because they have no ego. The horsedoesn't care if you're the dominant one. Heexpects there to

be aN u m b e rOne, aleader, ofthe herd.T h a t ' sn a t u r a lfor him.Y o uw o n ' tb r u i s ehis egoo rembar-r a s sh i m .

However, he might test you. Ifhe finds he can walk over you, run you off, getyou to yield, and then he'll do it. But if youassert yourself as the dominant one, he'llthink, "Yep, you're the leader; that suits mefine." He'll know and accept his place in thepecking order. Remember, you are eitherleading or following. You don't have to scarehim to create that respect. You just work orhandle him like another horse would, withinherd dynamics. When training, it will be withina herd of two, you and the horse.

You can't change the horse'snature. He might be naturally dominant or nat-

urally submissive.You have to workwith a horse the wayhe is. Obviously, theway you'd deal with adominant personality

is different than what you'd do with a submis-sive one. The dominant horse might requiremore firmness from you just to get his attentionand respect.

Many people have problems with"herd-bound" horses. You'll never meet ahorse that isn't herd-bound in some way.That's natural for the species. The horse is atrue herd animal. If your horse doesn't haveanother horse to bond with, he might bond toyou.

It's important when you work withyour horse that you give him a reason to findsolace and comfort with you like he would withother horses. If you don't spend enough timewith your horse and he spends too much timewith the herd or his buddies, naturally he willbond with them and that bond will be stronger

than with you. You change that by becoming the

leader when you're with your horse. Youshould recognize when your horse is incharge, when he takes over by ignoring you,by walking over you, by turning his rump toyou, or not giving you his attention. You can'ttrain a horse unless you have his attention.You'll have to earn his attention, earn hisrespect, and earn his confidence and trust.These are things you can't make happen. Youdo it by spending time with the horse andworking with him naturally and correctly. Workhard to understand the nature of the horse andthe herd mentality. Work to gain the respect ofthe horse and become the leader of the pack.

Remember: If you can’t change, then youcan’t grow. If you can’t grow, then you can’t beyour best. And if you can’t be your best, whatelse is there?

Get Graig’s book and DVD’s atwww.CraigCameron.com

Craig Cameron


Many people believe “halter breaking” meansthe physical act of placing the halter on thehorse’s head, attaching the lead rope andguiding the horse around. While this in and ofitself is certainly a good thing, it only workswhen the horse is willing to go where you ask

him to go. If your horse pulls you over to thegrass against your will, he isn’t really halterbroke. If he pulls back when tied, he is mostdefinitely not halter broke, and if he won’tmove forward, backward or sideways inresponse to light pressure from your lead rope,then he’s truly not halter broke. My definition,therefore, of a “halter broke” horse is one thatwill accept and respond to pressure applied to

thehalter. This isone of the most important lessons we willever teach our horse.

We will start by teaching our horseto accept the halter; introduce it to himgradually. In a relatively small, safe enclo-sure just face your horse and walk up tohim with the halter in your hand (don’t try tohide it). Stop about three feet in front of him

and extend your arm toward him so he maysee or sniff the halter. Don’t shove it in hisface; let him extend his nose toward it. Whenhe’s comfortable with this, step to his side andjust place the halter’s nose piece around his

nose briefly; take it off and pet you horse.Repeat many times before bringing thecrown piece over his head. Then begin tak-ing the crown piece over his poll, hold it for

a few seconds, and then remove the haltercompletely. Now you can start to buckle andunbuckle the crown piece many times until he

is totally comfortable withbeing haltered.

At this pointyou’ll be readyto attach yourlead rope to the

halter and askyour horse to walk

a circle around you.When he is circling nicely on a

slack lead rope, teach him to follow the feelwhile walking. Gently remove some but not all

of the slack, asking him to yield to the pres-sure, bend his neck, stop his feet and look atyou. If he responds correctly then release andpraise him. If not, give him 4 more chances toyield to the same amount of pressure; do notincrease the pressure unless he does notrespond to the five light requests; then take allthe slack out and pull him around to look atyou and stop his feet. Be sure that all of theslack is removed before you pull because ifslack is still in your rope when you pull you’dbe jerking on your horse, which is annoyingand teaches nothing. Remember- if at anytime during your first five requests he turnstoward you, then just stop there and pet him.In this case there would be no need to fullyremove the slack or pull, since he offered thebehavior you want. But you will probably haveto take all the slack out and pull several timesbefore he learns to respond to the lighterrequest. Teach this lesson on both sides ofyour horse, and when he’s good at it, repeat atthe trot using a longer lead rope; we prefer 12’to 14’ long. Trotting stimulates their energy andthey need to learn to be obedient even when abit excited. This will help cement the lesson.As always, keep your energy relaxed and beclear about what you are asking; do not go tothe trot if you think the horse will kick out orotherwise compromise your safety. In this caseseek professional help.

The next step is to teach your horseto follow the feel of the rope as he moves for-ward, toward you. While standing out in frontof your horse, about 10-12 feet away, slowlytake the slack out of your lead rope until hecomes forward. If you’ve taken all of the slackout and he resists moving forward, don’t addmore pressure: just maintain that which youalready have until he comes forward. If helocks up, maintain your pressure and step tothe side; this will cause him to bend and he willthen walk forward. and never jerk the leadrope.


Is Your Horse Really Halter Broke?

By Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard

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Focus on the shoulder point and maintain pressure until it moves back.

I've stepped to the left asking him to turnaway from me to the right.

Here I am placing the rope along Blackjac's right sideand around his rear end.

Release your pressure on any movementforward, no matter how slight, Eventually hewill come forward toward you on a gentle ask.

At this point we can teach him toback up. Again, stand about 3-4 feet out infront of your horse and start to walk towardhim, focusing on his left shoulder point. As youapproach the left side of his nose, grip the leadrope about one to two feet down from the clip

with your left hand and extend it towards hisleft shoulder point. As your left hand reachesthat shoulder point you should have no slackleft in the rope. Maintain pressure until hemoves backward. At this stage one step, oreven a shift of weight to the rear will do.Release the pressure and pet your horse.Practice until he will back willingly on very lightpressure, and then teach it on the right side.

Now is the time to teach your horseto yield to halter pressure from the side. Starton the left side of your horse, about five toeight feet from his shoulder. Take the slack outof your lead and ask him to turn towards you.When he does, release the pressure to rewardhim. Practice until he responds consistently.Then stay on the left side and move back, soyou are now positioned about five to eight feetfrom his barrel and ask again. When he turnstowards you, release and praise. Once heresponds consistently from there, move backso you are about five to eight feet from his hip,and ask again. Teach from both sides and besure to repeat until he’s got it.

Finally, this last exercise is sort of atest that indicates whether he is truly followingthe feel of the rope and halter, and not justyour body position. Stand on the left side ofyour horse and gently lay the lead rope aroundhis right side, bringing it around his butt. Nowbegin to back away toward the left. As you takethe slack out he should actually turn all theway around to the right before facing you,following the fee lof the rope. Repeat from theright side.

Now your halter broke horse will besafer to lead and ready for lessons in tying. Heshould also be much easier to work with in thebridle when that time comes. Until next month,have a happy new year and ride safe!

©Two as One HorsemanshipDecember 2008. For info about Bob &Suzanne’s Wind Rider Challenge, DVD’s,books, Horsemanship Ed Courses orProTrack™ Trainer Certification Program call(845) 692-7478, or visitwww.TwoasOneHorsemanship.com.

He's about to complete his 270 degree turn to faceme.


After showing halter horses for twoyears, John Warther of Vinton, Iowa had thebug. He had seen success but not on thelarger scale he was dreaming of. For 30years he served his country in the U.S. Armyand knew that goals could be accomplishedwhen he fought the good fight. But he need-ed the right army to lead in his retirement.So,His search continued for the right horse tolead to his goals. Atrainer who hadworked with Johnbefore suggestedhe look for anaged stallion topromote. For ayear John contin-ued to search forjust the right part-ner.

L i t t l edid he know thatthe solution to hisdilemma was sit-ting in a pasturejust two hoursaway, also just bid-ing time until the rightowner would comealong to let him seethe show pen again,where he could be useful and successful.

One evening in August of ‘07John’s wife, Amy, was browsing through adson the internet when she came across an adfor an aged halter stallion. She read the adand with each word her excitement grew. shecertainly liked wat she saw. As she read thwords “Superior Open Halter,” “ good-lookingtrail horse,” and the bloodline names of PickMe Please and Can Creation, her heartseemed to leap out of her chest. And as shelooked at the price of $5,500 she jumpedfrom her seat and called John out to the com-puter. She asked if he was still interested inan aged halter stud and he indeed was.

Arrangements were made to look

at the horse the next day. The Warther’s real-ly liked what they saw: a horse fresh out ofthe pasture after not being shown for sixyears, six years of getting beat up by mares,and six years of getting a thick neck. All thatdidn’t matter. The Warther’s saw what hecould be and purchased him on-the-spot.

Six months later the team startedtheir campaign and slowly started to see suc-

cess in the pen with Grands and Reserves. Ateach show the horse looked better. Finally, bylate spring the horse was qualified for theBayer Select, followed by getting qualified forthe Open and Amateur World Shows inmid-summer after trainer, John Kabeiseman,took over the training. It had been an uphillbattle for the retired Army man who wasrecovering from a major stroke and a heartattack and a beat up mine year old horse.But, by-golly, they had done it. They had wonthe battle, but not yet the war.

The war took place on November12th at the Amateur World Show. And showthey did. After fighting it out in the pen with

eleven other wonderfulStallions, the pair wasannounced as earning4th place honors. And,what an honor it was.Neither man nor horsehad shown at the WorldShow before.Undaunted by the mag-nitude of the show, theywent in and won theirprivate war.And that, as they say ishistory. A story of a manand his good-lookingtrail horse.Congratulations toJohn!

John and Amy Wartherare from Vinton, Iowa and

own J.A.W. Halter Horses.

John Warther, 60, of Vinton, Iowa, leads Oh Can I Please in amateur aged stallions in his first World Show appearance.

they finished fourth.

Horse World HeroesA Man and His Good-Looking Horse

Formore adventures by Don Tauer and his wifeCathy visit www.hillviewfarms.com

All adventures start somewhere,ours happened to start in a horse camp, at astate park somewhere in Minnesota. After agood days riding, a big meal and several cock-tails and while gathering around a campfirethis plan for a trip came about. The trip was tocross the Bob Marshall Wilderness area inMontana starting in the west crossing the con-tinental divide with three, maybe four days ofcamping, and concluding at Benchmark on theeastside. While it surely sounds simpleenough, a lot of planning is needed if we are tomake this possible. The we list changedslightly, but in theend six was thenumber ofadventures toembark thatbright sunnymorning in July.

T h ecast or crew wasas follows. WaltBenhardus, itwas his cabin wewould be leavingfrom in the west,an experiencedrider of countless50 and 100-mileendurance rides,also severalwilderness trip,some morenotable than oth-ers. He was our horse and groups leader.

Al and Nancy Salazar, a doctor andnurse team, how could we be so lucky with twowonderful people, however new to horses ingeneral and trail riding green, but still a med-ical team.

Chuck Hauser and long time friendto all and great trail rider. He would bring goodcommon sense, GPS (Global PositioningSystem) knowledge and would serve as outscout.

Cathy Tauer, my wife. Horse train-er, camper extraordinary, saddle and pack

e x p e r t .She’s seenalmost allthere is tosee inregards toc a m p i n gand horses.L a s t l y ,

myself, DonTauer, farmer,weekend horsecamper, a sort ofjack at all tradesmaster of none. Ienjoy brining upthe rear on mostrides for you getto see the mostaction usually from there.

The plan was to meet at Walt’scabin in the west, unload the horses and packgear, which were tents, sleeping bags, mealsfor us, feed for the horses, and whatever sur-vival gear and cloths thought necessary andcould carry. Then we would convoy the RV/s

and horse rigs to Benchmarkempty so at the end of our 3 to 4days we’d return to them waitingfor us. Walt’s wife Linda assistedus by bringing the return vehicleto Benchmark where she’dremain guarding our rigs, whilewe went back to the cabin andthe starting point of our adven-ture.

After a good nights sleepwe where to depart early, butplans were pushed back severalhours that morning when weneeded to acquire additionalallergy medicines for Al who’svery asthmatic. Finally the stringof riding horses, (6) and pack-horses (2) were heading up thetrail.

Walt would be onThunder, a 6-year-old Kentucky

Mt. Gelding he’s been training for enduranceriding later in the season. Accompanied byRose’ his packhorse, a good mare with a slighttemperament toward kicking.

Following Walt would be Chuck onhis trusted mare Princessa, a beautiful bayPaso Fino with countless trail experience.Next was Al on Roberto, a strong ex-endurance horse of Walt’s that sensed Al’sinexperience and took care of Al on the trip.Nancy would be riding Fantasia, a retirednational show horse of Walt’s, that likeRoberto rose to the occasion and took

supreme car of Nancy the whole way. Cathy’schoice for the trip was Lucy, a very strong-hearted 3-year-old Peruvian mare with muchdetermination. Her, and my packhorse wouldbe Charlie, also a 3-year-old Peruvian geldingwith the physical size to carry our load quietlyand steady. I would be on my 12 year oldPeruvian mare Joya, a flashy black that isalways ready to take me for a ride, if you know

what I mean. With gear packed and

GPS fired up we werefinally heading up the trailon our way. I say upbecause the first 5-6 mileswas a climb up withswitchbacks mostly beinggradual. The long gradualclimb helped settle thehorses’ into what laidahead. This climb washandled nicely by all with afew minor equipment

adjustments needed at thetop of the first ridge. At the top we soon werecrossing thru small snow banks still meltingand this was the second week in July. Theextreme snow from the past winter had ourguide Walt alter our original route due to highwater reports on several rivers we needed tocross. This change in our route would take uson less challenging trails which to inexperi-enced wilderness riders seemed like a goodplace to start. After several hours in thesaddle we made our first meal stop for bothriders and horses. While the horses munchedon cubes of different types, for us it was thebeginning or our MRE dinning experience.MRE stands for Meals Ready To Eat. Andwhile it varied from chicken and salsa, to roastbeef, after several days of them on the trail thethough of a steak or cheese burger and friesseem heavenly.

Back on the trial again we came toour fist V in the road and found our groupchasing the wrong one. We spent severalhours sawing our way through down trees andbrush popping before making it back to acrossing onto a main trail. Chuck howeversprained his knee and I found out how out ofshape I was during this mistake. Our late startand knowing this, we knew we needed tomake time, and that we did with dust flying atnear full gait we made our first scheduled stopat Parker’s Lake. Darkness was just settling inas we made camp, set up picket lines andtents hurriedly, got the horses fed, we dinedonce again on MRE and quietly settled into oursleeping bags for the night. Day two of this trek found everyone up earlyand more relaxed with having survived dayone. We enjoyed a nice fire and breakfast byParkers Lake while the horses had therecubes and grain as deer wondered throughour camp. We then packed up and were head-ed down the trail toward our next overnight


Into the Sort of Wild by Don Tauer

stop, which would be near Whitetail Creek.Our lunch break at Crow Creek was scenicwith a bright sun warming us all up. As wemounted up to leave however Chuck’s horsestepped off a small embankment sendingChuck flying to the ground. Luckily Chuck wasunhurt, except for the already sprained knee,so we helped gather up his gear and down thetrail we went. During the afternoon ride wecrossed the continental divide with breathtak-ing views in all directions and descended toWhitetail Creek site of over night camp 2, withgood access to water for us and our horsesand nice trees for shade and picketing wewere happy to be stopping early to allow need-ed rest for the horses and ourselves. Thecreek also gave me a chance to try a little fly-fishing and after several hours of this I gave upand ate my MRE. This fire felt especially invit-ing and after a cocktail and one of Walt’s finecigars off to bed we all went. That is except forAl, who chose to spend a little extra quite timealong the creek as the sun set. Then his storythe next morning is of being surprised by a hik-ing couple, male and female appearing on thefar bank of the creek where they proceeded tostrip naked and cross the icy water, swearingand to redress on the near side to meet Al.They asked him next I they could camp closeby and they were there in the morning. The second morning, as we emerged for ourtents we found our washed cloths that we hungto dry all frozen in the branches of the bushes

where we hung them. The fire again was mostinviting and along with Al’s hiker story we weresoon ready to hit the trail. All was going verywell, the horses were in good shape and eat-ing well, MRE’s were still being looked upon asa good meal alternative, simple and tasty, andthe trail scenic and interesting but not overlychallenging.

We were now on the #206, the sce-nic Continental Divide trail, a much traveledtrail which left us sure we would make it to theBench mark or our bodies easily discovered.We proceed throughout the day leisurelyenjoying the warm weather, beautiful moun-tains and streams and knowing only one morenight would be spent on the ever-hardeningground. I need to clarify that only Cathy and I,being purists, sleep directly on the ground, theothers all packed pads and while still beingsore, couldn’t be as sore as were. This day’sride was much like the past two except the val-ley we were in was burned off about 8-10years ago in a large forest fire. What a firedoes is it kills the tree by burning the bark, thenthe following year wild flowers emerge upthrough the chard ground as the burnt bark ofthe dead trees falls off, then soon after thedead tree blows down making a twistedimpassable mess filled with the most incredi-ble display of wild flowers imaginable. But thepark service keeps the service trails cleared,like #206. Our planned day was to go as far asGreen Fork, a ranger supply station and spend

the night there, but when we arrived we were

hurried off and down the trail by a young parkwoman whom we decided later must have hada secret rendezvous almost spoiled by usshowing up as we saw two horses and twosets of tack hidden off in the brush.. We con-tinued on to Elbow Creek pass junction for ourfinal night’s camp. It wasn’t to big and findingpicket line trees was a bit hard, but it served it’spurpose and we settled in and had a greatevening around the fire.

As we woke the final day we knewthe adventure was drawing to an end, our lastfeed rations were feed to the horses, last MREeaten and dirty cloths stuffed into our bags.We pack up our gear and put out the fire andheaded toward our final destination,Benchmark. It was a beautiful morning ridealong Straight Creek, with its lush green treesand mountain peaks to our left as we rode. Aswe rounded the last curve, heading on the pathto camp, our rigs came into site. What a won-derful feeling knowing that we all made it backsafely and that we had soft beds and warmshowers waiting for us. That evening Lindahad made a feast for us weary travelers and aswe sat around the campfire enjoying a cocktailwe talked about our small adventure, nowcomplete, and how or what we were going todo next year when we all hoped we’d be ableto return to the Bob. Hummm and it all startedaround a campfire. For more adventures by Don Tauer and hiswife Cathy visit www.hillviewfarms.com


The American Ranch HorseAssociation wants to know: Is your horse anall-around working horse? Based on growingnational interest, ARHA developed the newARHA Ranch Horse Versatility Program with100 percent payback for its sanctioned compe-titions in 2009.

"While many of our members aren'tdirectly involved in ranching, we've received agrowing number of requests from ARHAmembers wanting to compete in versatilityranch horse competitions," said ARHA execu-

tive secretary Erica Keeney. "We're excited togive exhibitors the opportunity to compete inthis challenging event to gain ARHA pointsand titles as well as money earned on a localand national level. As this program grows, sowill the payback."

Ranch horse versatility competitionis a five-class event that showcases the trueability of the American ranch horse as a work-ing stock horse, including sound conforma-tion, athletic ability, intelligence, calm tem-perament and a willing disposition. The fiveevents—ranch riding, ranch trail, ranch cut-ting, working ranch horse and ranch confor-mation—are held and placed individually, butoverall performance is considered in thecompetition program.

The ARHA Ranch Horse VersatilityProgram year runs January 1 through

December 31. Exhibitors will be rewarded inthree ways:1. Payback. In the ARHA program, 50 percentof the entry fees will be awarded at the localcompetitions, to be split equally among the fiveclasses. The remaining 50 percent will beawarded at the end of the year to the top-10overall national winners. Based on past partic-ipation in these classes, ARHA estimates$46,000 will be awarded in the first year of theprogram.

2. Points. Horses competing in the VersatilityProgram will continue to be eligible forARHA points in their regular ARHA classes.3. Nationally Recognized Records. Earningsreports will also be recorded by the equinestatistical service Equi-Stat and will bepromoted in industry publications to furtherpromote the American ranch horse and ARHAcompetitors.

To qualify as a competitor in theARHA Ranch Horse Versatility Program, thehorse can be ridden by multiple exhibitors andmust compete in the designated versatilityclasses running concurrently with ARHA class-es. In addition to regular show entry fees, a$100 Versatility Program entry fee will becharged to compete in all five classes at eachshow.

Formed in 2004, the American Ranch HorseAssociation promotes the abilities of theall-around versatile working horse in a positiveatmosphere where western tradition isgenuinely honored. Rapidly growing with morethan 7,000 members, ARHA hosts com-petitions, clinics and educational eventsthroughout the year.

For more information about the ARHA RanchHorse Versatility Program, visit www.ameri-canranchhorse.net or call 606-271-2963.

ARHA Unveils Versatility Ranch HorseProgram With 100% PaybackNearly $50,000 estimated for first-year earnings

Working ranch horse is one element of the ARHAVersatility RanchHorse Program.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Cool Shot!Photography


Mari Monda Zdunic, a top dressagecompetitor who has thrilled spectators fromcoast to coast with her exhibition rides, willpresent a clinic on “American Dressage” inMadison, Wisconsin on Sat. Feb. 21, 2009.

The owner of Shine-a-Bit Farm inBrighton, Michigan will share specialgymnastics techniques for the horse that shegained from her mentor, Chuck Grant, alongwith other whole horse training techniquesduring the 20th Annual Seminar for the

Serious HorseOwner. This annualprogram, sponsoredby the University ofWisconsin-Madison

School of Veterinary Medicine, will be heldfrom 9 am to 4:30 pm, at the Stock Pavilion,1675 Linden Drive, on the UW-Madison cam-pus.

Zdunic paved the way for “non-tra-ditional” horses in dressage, being the first toshow North American Arabian, Appaloosa,Connemara, and Paint dressage horses inGrand Prix. She emphasizes creating awilling partner in the horse by asking instead of

forcing. “My goal is to make your horse go

skipping down the road,” Zdunic says. Advance registration for this

seminar is $45 per person (or $39 per personfor groups of five or more) on or beforeFebruary 9, 2009. After that date, admissionbecomes $60 per person.

For further information or toregister, call Karl Olson at (608) 265-5206. Acomplete brochure, including registrationinformation, is available under the continuingeducation link on the School of VeterinaryMedicine’s website atwww.vetmed.wisc.edu/ce/horse_owner

Horse Owner Seminar to Feature Dressage Training Techniques

Imagine what would happen if yourtrailer became disconnected from your towvehicle, and your emergency breakawaybattery was fully discharged. Disaster!

However, when a breakawaysystem is working properly, it will lock thebrakes automatically if the trailer becomesdisconnected from the tow vehicle.

"Be a good steward – don't takechances with the safety and welfare of yourprecious cargo," says Mark Cole, managingmember for USRider, the nationwide roadsideassistance program for equestrians, whichprovides emergency road service to itsmembers in the Continental United States,Canada and Alaska.

To ensure your breakaway systemis in good working order, USRider offers thefollowing safety tips:

Have a qualified mechanic testthe system for proper operation annually.

· Have your battery load tested tocheck the current in the battery. A qualifiedtrailer mechanic or personnel at most autoparts stores can do this test. Replace old andweak batteries.

· Regularlyinspect the cable andswitch for the breakawaysystem. Replace thecable if it is showing signsof wear.· Keep the top of

the battery and the battery terminals clean. Asmall wire brush and dielectric grease will helpmaintain an excellent electrical connection.The battery should be removed from the trail-er when the trailer is stored or not used forextended periods. If possible, store the batteryin a warm area away from children.· Be sure that the proper battery isbeing used for your breakaway system.Consult your owner's manual, or check withthe trailer manufacturer.· If your battery has removable cellcaps, maintain acid levels by adding distilledwater. Take care when adding water. Be sureto wear protective eyewear and do not overfill.· Maintain charge – do not allow abattery to remain discharged for extendedperiods. 12 volt batteries are consideredtotally discharged below 11.9 volts. Checkvoltage with a digital voltmeter.

To help maintain a battery's charge,USRider highly recommends a built-in batterycharger. These systems can be installed onyour tow vehicle to charge your battery everytime you tow. For rigs that are used infrequent-ly, we recommend using a charging system

that provides a "float" charge for extendedtimes when your trailer is not in use.

"For frequent travelers, weespecially like breakaway battery systems withbuilt-in chargers and battery status LEDs,"added Cole.

In addition to maintaining yourbreakaway battery, be sure to keep yourtrailer's brake and electrical system in goodcondition as well.

"We have seen numerous wiringissues with horse trailers," said Cole. USRiderhas addressed this issue with a safety bulletinrecommending that all horse owners havetheir horse trailers' wiring checked by acompetent mechanic. "Regretfully, the wirehandling aspects on most horse trailers is ablack-eye in the trailer manufacturingindustry."

USRider provides roadsideassistance and towing services along withother travel-related benefits to its membersthrough the Equestrian Motor Plan. It includesstandard features such as flat-tire repair,battery assistance and lockout services, plustowing up to 100 miles and roadside repairs fortow vehicles and trailers with horses,emergency stabling, veterinary referrals andmore. For more information about the USRiderEquestrian Motor Plan, visit www.usrider.orgonline or call 1-800-844-1409. For additionaltrailer safety information, visit the EquineTravel Safety Area at www.usrider.org.

Safety BulletinUSRider Gives Tips for Proper Care of Breakaway Batteries

One of only 30 ambulancesdesigned specifically for horses will be on dis-play at the 2009 Midwest Horse Fair inMadison, Wisconsin on April 17-19, 2009.

The equine ambulance, purchasedby Morrie Waud, has special features to helpstabilize an injured patient on its way to a sur-gical facility.

One of the vehicle’s most importantfeatures is a hydraulic system designed tolower the ambulance to ground level so aninjured horse does not have to climb up ordown a ramp.

“It also has a rubber-padded wallthat can be adjusted as needed,” says Dr.Dale Bjorling, head of the University ofWisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine’s

surgeryd e p a r t -ment. “Itcan beused tog e n t l y

squeeze an injured horse to help hold up ahorse that is not able to bear weight on a leg.”

The equine ambulance will behoused at the Morrie Waud Equine Center, anequine veterinary referral hospital in Delavan,Wisconsin. The ambulance will be available toregional veterinarians on a fee basis in early2009.

According to Dr. Bjorling, the ambu-lance is ideal to have on call at events, such asGrand Prix, jumping, rodeo, or horseracing,where equine athletes are at risk of injury. Itcan also be commissioned by field practition-ers who would like to transport an injuredhorse to an equine surgery facility such as theMorrie Waud Equine Center or the UW School

of Veterinary Medicine. “The ambulance has splints on

board so the field veterinarian can protect aninjured horse’s limb in order to safely move it,”Dr. Bjorling says. “The ambulance will allowus to transport horses safely for further evalu-ation and treatment.”

The custom equine ambulance wasmanufactured by Kimzey Metal Products inWoodland, California. They are the only com-pany in the world that makes these ambu-lances, and generally don’t make more thanone a year. They cost about $80,000 each.

“We’re very pleased to have thepossibility of transporting critically injured ani-mals to a surgical facility,” says Dr. MichaelLivesey, head of large animal surgery at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison School ofVeterinary Medicine. “Transportation of thiscaliber could make a huge difference in theoutcome of surgery.”

Wisconsin’s Only Equine Ambulance to be Displayed at Midwest Horse Fair


Blankets are a necessary evil in theequine industry. They protect clipped horsesfrom the cold, increase blood flow for thestalled horses, provide warmth for inadequatecoats, and keep our equines clean(er). Manyequine practitioners would rather see theirpatients growing a natural coat, as a responseto seasonal changes. But, lack of space andshow schedules make that impractical. Horseowners and trainers are going to blanket.Unfortunately, we see the consequences ofwell meaning attempts to take care of theirequine charges.

There are consequences to blanket-ing that go beyond the sweating that occurswhen winter weight rugs are left on during thewarmth of the day, and the cooling of thatsweat when the temperature drops. There areconsequences beyond getting tangled in thestraps and injuring any number of body parts.And, there are consequences beyond the obvi-ous ill-fitting too small and too large blanket.Rubs are often the least of the problems.Correct blanketing involves putting the correctweight and size cover on. The horse must beable to move to eat, stretch, lie down and getup.

Often we walk into barns and findthe horses in two or three layers with suchrestriction that they are literally straight-jacket-ed. This results in shoulder and neck problemsthat reoccur and progress. Constriction of the

hind end results in sacroiliac issues that canaffect the stifles as well. The latter occurswhen the blankets are too small. In our experi-ence more is not better; proper is the only wayto go.

Recently we have been utilizing theStay-Put Blanket by Iron Horse Blankets.Philosophically this new style blanket makessense, and ergonomically, it allows moremotion in both the fore and hind end while pro-viding the warmth the stall-bound horses need.The fact that we can fully flex extend the frontlegs with this blanket on means that normalmotion, walk, trot and canter are possible with-out compensating for blanket wear. It is thecompensations for wearing blankets that oftenleads to biomechanical issues.

Compensations are the way ahorse, or any species, reacts to stress in anappropriate way to stay upright and functional.When alignment is disturbed the non-compen-sated animal can not function, it will “go lame”.Equine enthusiasts are familiar with the termleft front, right hind because it is so commonfor these compensations to take place. If thereis a front limb issue the horse will increaseweight bearing on the opposite back limb tostay balanced.

So…. if the blanket is constrictingthe front end, binding the chest, restricting for-ward extension of the front legs, inhibitingshoulder rotation, and if this is a day in, day outsituation then there will be adaptations tomovement with and without the blanket. Oftenthe first issues will be evident in shortened

stride length in the front,difficultly moving long andlean due to lower neckstress, and turning prob-lems. After a while therewill be a translation ofstress to the hind end andnew troubles present.

Proper blanket fit involves morethen measuring the length of the horse fromchest to tail. Breed differences, fitness of theanimal, withers and weight are just some ofthe factors that must be considered. And eventhen, they shift, slide and buckles break. Thevest fitting blankets move with, not against, thehorse’s motion. Often sursingles are used tostabilize and reduce slippage. The downside isrubbing, and if they are tight enough to stopslippage they can irritate the skin.

Our first sign that the blanket maybe the cause of a horse’s discomfort comesfrom three fairly obvious signs: loss of hair onor behind the withers and in front of the shoul-ders; equal or significantly one-sided tender-ness on palpation (light touch) of the point ofthe shoulder; tenderness on the sternum(breast bone) often on one side. The mostpathognomonic or clearly diagnostic sign iswhen the horse lays its ears back and avoidsthe blanket. It’s the same as a rider resisting ashow jacket that they can’t fit their arms into.It’s uncomfortable, it restricts movement, ithurts and they would rather NOT!

If a blanket is a must, choosemotion-enabling coverings such as theStayPut Blanket, making sure to select the cor-rect size and weather appropriate covering.And remember, check the blanket and yourhorse often.

Dr. Wendy Coren of Equalign, co author ofIllustrated Guide to Equine Chiropracticwww.Equalign.com

Blanketing Horses � What You Should Know

TheBlack HillsH o r s eE x p oreturns toRapid CityMarch 7-8,2009 fora n o t h e rgreat yearand for thebenefit ofCASA asa l w a y s .This year

we plan some old favorites and some GreatNew events as well.

Featured Clinicians are Richard Shrake,Dennis Auslam, and Mari Monda Zdunic....Laura Amandis... and from Australia, ColleenKelly...along with our regular line up of toplocal and regional speakers and educators.

We will offer tips on Health... Training...Riding... Dressage... Reining...and muchmore....

We will again feature a great eveningshow...”Night of the Horses” on Saturdaynight and invite you all to attend and be“Thrilled” on Saturday evening. We alsowill feature and Trail challenge for all toparticipate....”Search for America’sUltimate Horse Idol” contest (open toall)....and the “Trainer Challenge returns foranother big year. The “Kid’s Korral” returnsas well..

We will also have top BreedPresentations and Top Line Stallions onStallion Row....all you to see, discuss andenjoy as they perform in revue in the mainarena.

The Black Hills Horse Expo has some-thing for everyone...and it benefits a greatcause...CASA....BE THERE March 7-8, 2009

Black Hills Horse Expo


1/8/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping - RopingPractice 7-9pm - (715) 262-3898

1/11/2009 - Open Hunter/Jumper Showindoors - 100'x300' arena with heated viewingareas - Fields & Fences, Gurnee, IL - Contact:Anita Schadeck 847-244-4121or email [email protected]

1/11/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping OnLine Flyer ~ Roping Practice & Jackpot 1-5pm - (715) 262-3898

1/11/2009 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel, Futurity UBRA OnLine Flyer ~ Exhibitions at 10:30,runs at noon. Futurity sidepot, pole bending,speed dash, youth. - (218) 472-3402 - [email protected]


1/17/2009 - MN, Monticello - Barrel, Futurity UBRA - Arrowhead Arena Barrel Race. Open4D's, Youth & Futurity classes - (763) 878-1554

1/18/2008 - MN, Isanti - Barrel - Hi Circle Veeopen jackpot barrel race - Indoor and heatedarena. Open and Youth 4D Runs. - (612) 810-

4010 - [email protected]

1/18/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping - RopingPractice & Jackpot 1-5pm - (715) 262-3898


1/24/2009 -NE, Lincoln - Barrel Double B Productions - WPRA/BBR co-approved open to everyone. Lancaster EventCenter(pavilion 3) $500 added Open 4D(1sec split> $30 entry fee (1x office fee/day$5/rider) Youth 3D <1 sec split> $10 entry fee.- (641) 743-8223

1/25/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping - RopingPractice & Jackpot 1-5pm - (715) 262-3898

1/25/2009 - NE, Lincoln - Barrel - Double BProductions - WPRA/BBR co-approved opento everyone. Lancaster Event Center(pavilion3) $500 added Open 4D <1 sec split> $30entry fee (1x office fee/day $5/rider) Youth 3D<1 sec split> $10 entry fee. - (641) 743-8223

1/25/2009 - NE, Lincoln - Barrel - Double BProductions 6 PM Pick and draw team ropingjackpot. $75/roper (enter 1, Draw 2 OR Drawall 3) 3 hd prog on 1 (#13 1 sec added) (#12straight time) (#11 1 sec off) CASH ONLY -(712) 309-2971

1/25/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping Roping Practice & Jackpot 1-5pm - (715) 262-3898

1/29/2009 - WI, Prescott - Roping Roping Practice 7-9pm - (715) 262-3898

1/31/2009 - MN, Backus - Barrel UBRA - MRABarrels & Breakaway Fundraiser - (218) 368-0130

1/31/2009 - WI, Balsam Lake Barrel, GameShow UBRA “JJ Arena UBRA BarrelRace & Fun Show” FMI please visitwww.JJArena.com - (715)857-5505 [email protected]

2/1/2009 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel, Futurity NBHA, UBRA Exhibitions at 10:30, runs atnoon. Futurity sidepot, pole bending, speeddash, youth. - (218) 472-3402 - [email protected]

2/15/2009 - MN, Sebeka - Barrel, Futurity NBHA, UBRA Exhibitions at 10:30, runs atnoon. Futurity sidepot, pole bending, speeddash, youth. - (218) 472-3402 - [email protected]

April 4-5, 2009 Horse-A-Rama "The World ofHorses" Manitowoc Expo Ctr Manitowoc, WI8-5 PMwww.horse-a-rama.org or 920-682-9669

UPCOMING EVENTS

ADVERTISERS INDEXAgMax/Wade Scott page 33ANPAC/Roger Berg page 34Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada page 33Arena Fenceline-Service Equipment page 7Arena Trailers page 35Bob Jeffreys/Suzanne Shepard page 24Cannon Falls Trailer Sales page 2Dennis Auslam - Redwood Stables page 18Extreme Mustang Makeover page 19Federated Coop page 23Gateway Ranch - HiQual page 15I90 Expo Center page 21J&B Western Store page 5Ken McNabb page 14HKL Stables page 33Lynn Palm page 10Midwest Cremation page 19Midwest Horse Digest page 36Minnesota Horse Council page 7, 34 MN School Of Horse Shoeing page 15More Custom Leather page 34Northland Buildings page 23Orchard Rangers Saddle Club page 17Palma Feed page 34Pleasant Hills page 15, 34

Rosebud Productions page 34R.T. Duggan page 34 Ryan Gingerich page 3Shurshod page 17Stable Pros page 34SM Iron page 34Tires Plus - Lakeville, MN page 11The Natural Gait page 33Thumbnail Ads page 35Twin Cities Featherlite page 13United Vet Equine page 17UBRA page 29Walter’s Buildings page 9Wehr's Chevrolet page 22Westwind Shelters page 12


Arriving in 2009 BuckskinLusitano Colt - Foal Date:6/1/2009 By multi NationalChampion Bay stallion( PiriPiri and out of the 2008 Highscoring USDF dressage sporthorse Perlino mare [email protected]

Imported nine year old Grey LusitanoGelding from Brazil UgoDos Pinhais beautiful nineyear old grey (almostwhite) imported [email protected]

Beautiful 2008 pintoAzteca filly, Filly, FoalDate: 7/1/2008. Her damis a APHA, sorrel overomare who has a wonder-ful way of going and agreat disposition. Her sirePRE stallion, Espartano MF. [email protected]

Black Bay Filly ByMediteraneo V. Black Baydaughter of 2007 IALHAGrand National Champion Sr.Stallion, Mediteraneo V!Fantastic Movement.Wonderful Mind. [email protected]

Arabian Ara pinto Pintabian pendingBlack/white TobionoBLACK/WHITE Tobianostallion foaled 2008 highpercentage 90+%Arabian [email protected]

Beautifully BredLeviton/Vasallo II BredFilly!ANCCE eligible forinscription.Offered at12,5oo with/ breeding toour newly imported PRE Black (EE aa)Carthusian stallion, Costalero XV. [email protected]

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

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3x National ChampionPRE (ANCCE) RevisedStallion Spokane! Thisyoung stallion will addsize, substance ANDMovement extraordinaireto your breeding pro-gram. [email protected]

MN PINTO YOUTH TEAM STALLION SER-VICE AUCTION * 1/17/2009 -two premium Pinto stallions:TC DUNNIT (APHA & PtHA)and LA SHAWNEE RIVER(PtHA & Half Arabian)2009MN Pinto Banquet in Becker,MN. [email protected]

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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

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

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 [email protected] Websitewww.saddlersrow.com

FOR SALE13 yr old Reg Paint gelding. This horse isperfect for most any beginner rider. He hasbeen used as a western pleasure horse mostof his life, he his very well trained. more infor-mation $3,000.00 [email protected]

5 yr old gelding 15'1, sire is own son ofSpeical Effort, Dam is own daughter of EasyJet. This gelding is broke broke broke. He hasall the foundation and is stated on barrels.more information. $5,000.00 715-874-6466, [email protected]

Incredible cobra of bay Spanish/Portuguese fillies or matched driving horsesFilly, foale 3/3/08, Lela BA by Legado out ofSigneta TCV (Aureolo VII X Falicia), LezadaBA By Legado out of Zinnia BA, (Despierto XZinnia), Tresor By Legado out of Especial BA(Despierto X Furiosa A), All Bay ** All FuturityNominated **Very hard to tell apart 262-249-8870, [email protected]

Lela BA ******* 2008 Bay futurity nominatedSpanish/Portuguese Filly, By Legado (USNational Champion Third Level Dressage)andout of Signeta TCV- Olympic Dressage horseof Spain (Atlanta) Aureolo VII - out of the multiNational Champion Senior Mare Falicia, nom-inated for the IALHA National Halter futurityand is lifetime recorded with the USEF.262-249-8870, [email protected]

Friesian/Paint Gelding by Novi - StartedRiding & Driving - GREAT Temperament!Legend Woods Tovi: born 8/30/04Friesian/Paint Gelding. Solid Bay. 320-272-4099, [email protected]

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, [email protected]

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

WANTEDWilliam Woods University a private instituion,occasionally accepts show quality, trainedhorses over the age of 3. contact GaryMullen, [email protected]

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Auto | Home | Life | Business | College | RetirementWestern Agricultural Insurance Company+/West Des Moines, IA. Farm Bureau Mutual InsuranceCompany+/West Des Moines, IA. Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company +/West Des Moines,IA.‘Companies of Farm Bureau Financial Services 2007 FBL Financial Group, Inc. 146Roc

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midwest horse digestmidwest horse digest January 09T

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MIdwest Horse Digest January 2009

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