MIdwest Horse Digest October 2008

MMidwest idwest HHorse orse DDigest igest October 08October 08

October 08October 08 MMidwest idwest HHorse orse DDigest igest Page 3

Midwest Horse DigestRahn Greimann, Publisher,

Owner and Editor© 2008 Greimann Industries

35418 90th StreetBlue Earth, MN 56013

507-526-5943Fax 507-526-2629

Advertising ContactsMark Bahls

507-943-3355/Fax [email protected]

Peg Bahls507-943-3355/Fax 507-943-3352

[email protected]

Andrea Jo Kroening952-237-5311

[email protected]

Midwest Horse Digest is distributed FREE atequine-related businesses in Minnesota,Wisconsin, Iowa, Northern Illinois and Northand South Dakota. No material from this publi-cation may be copied or in any way reproducedwithout written permission from the publisher.Neither the advertisers nor GreimannIndustries are responsible for any errors in theeditorial copy.. Greimann Industries reservesthe right to refuse any advertising which wedeem unsuitable for our publication. No liabili-ty is assumed for errors in or omissions ofadvertisers in this publication. Opinions andviews expressed in articles and advertisementsare not necessarily those of the publisher, edi-tors or employees, nor does publication of anyopinion or statement in Midwest Horse Digestconstitute an endorsement of the views, opin-ions, goods or services mentioned. While everypossible effort is made to make our publicationaccurate and timely, Midwest Horse Digestdoes not warrant the accuracy of material con-tained in any article or the quality of goods orservices contained in any advertisement.

To all of our advertisers, distributors andreaders - we thank you!

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]

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

Page 4 MMidwest idwest HHorse orse DDigest igest October 08October 08

About our cover - Meet the Ken McNabb Family,

wife DeeDee, and sons,Kurt and Trent. Ken is a clinician

and host of one of RFD-TV’s most popular horse

training shows.

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!

Upcoming Events pages 39Advertisers Index page 38Classifieds page 41Traders Corner pages 39Thumbnail Ads page 42Real Estate page 38Press Releases, Events and New Products pages 15, 17,19, 29,

31, 32, 33, 34, 35,40Ready to Ride Guide page 24

Craig Cameron - Trailering Tips page 6Chris Cox - Value of “Soaking” During Training Sessions page 12Ken McNabb - Foundation for Collection page 14Lynn Palm - Exercises on the Longe Line - Rider Position - Part 7 page 16Dennis Auslam - Understanding the Instinctual Behavior of the Horse page 16Jennifer McCormick-Lindgren - Western Pleasure: The “Look of Success” page 8Monty Bruce - Collection: gaining control of your horse’s body page 11Bob Jeffreys/Suzanne Sheppard - The Canter: Advancing page 20Mary Hamilton - Ask Mary, Road Riding page 18Julie Goodnight - Over Reative to Leg Pressure page 21Arron Kalis, DC -- Here is Why Horse Therapy and Riding in General

is Good for Us! page 10 Betsey Berrey -- Getting More 10’s on the 6.5 Horse page 13Ask The Vet: Nutrition from the AAEP page 36

This Month in Midwest Horse Digest

We did it! Last month, in our editorial, we said we were taking that first trail ride after manymonths of horse therapy for our advertising representative, Mark Bahls. He is also my husband.We are happy to announce that the goal was accomplished. And what a success it was!

Meeting up with Dennis Auslam at the MQHA Benefit ride, September 13, at theOutback Ranch in Houston, Minnesota we proceeded to get Mark ready to mount up and headout. Despite drizzily weather it was a GREAT DAY! Mark and Rahn Greimann, the publisher ofMidwest Horse Digest rode for over an hour together. Rahn and I went out for over 2 hours afterMark’s ride, and then Rahn went back out till dark. We kind of wondered if we had lost him forawhile!

All in all it was a wonderful day and the turning corneron a new season!

Please see the follow up article in this issue on page10. It is written by Mark’s chiropractor, Arron Kalis. He hasdone some research on horse therapy and riding and it’sbenefits to the brain and the body. Seems that we shouldall be riding on a regular basis!

Take care, God Bless and see you on the Trail, Peg Bahls

With Fall, and cooler weatherrapidly approaching, more and more riders willbe hitting the road for trail rides and otherequine events. I decided to remind everyoneabout some basic trailering tips. These tipswill make things easier for you and, of course,your horse.

Give your horse a good experiencein the trailer and he won’t mind hopping in it foryou. His comfort is all-important as you haulhim down the road. Here are some tips fortraveling.

Ventilation-Horses are more hot-natured than humans and would prefer to be alittle cool, rather than too hot. They generatelots of heat in the enclosed trailer. Make sureyour trailer is properly ventilated. Open thedrop-down windows, if you have them, to let infresh air, even in cool weather. Make sureyou have window screens or face cages soyour horse cannot put his head outside thetrailer risking serious injury. We recommendtrailering with fly masks to protect your horse’seyes from debris, such as dust, shavings, hayand other flying debris and assuring yourhorse arrives with healthy, clear eyes!

Footing-Put rubber mats on the floor ofyour trailer and follow with shavings. This willhelp with road noise and heat and it will bemuch easier to clean your trailer. This willalso serve as a cushion between your horse’sfeet and the hard floorboards for your roadtrips.

Rest Stops-Unload horses every 4 or 5hours. Dealing with road vibration is a lot ofwork for a horse; allow him to rest and relax fora few minutes outside the trailer. Many reststops even have grassy areas, so let yourhorse graze a little. These short breaks aregreat for his mind.

Water-Offer water at every opportunity.Many horses won’t drink well on the road, buttry to water them anyway. Carry a wateringcontainer and bucket and offer your horsewater at rest and fueling stops

Blankets-If it’s extremely cold, considerblanketing or sheeting your horse. A lotdepends on your trailer. It it’s a stock trailer,the wind could howl through the slats and, ifyou’re traveling 65 miles an hour, a blanketmight feel good to your horse. But in a totallyenclosed trailer, he might do just fine in hisown skin.

Tying- Don’t tie too high or too long.You don’t want your horse to get his foot overthe rope, but make sure your length of ropeallows him to lower his head to a comfortablelevel. Most horses like to lower their heads to

blow accumulated dust out oftheir noses. In a slant-load orside-by-side trailer, you don’t haveto tie experienced travelers at all.It’s best to tie novice haulers,though, so they don’t cause anytrouble.

See you next time and remem-ber “Ride Smart.”- Craig Cameron

LEARN WITH CRAIG CAMERON AT THE DOUBLEHORN RANCHThere’s no better place than CCU – Craig

Cameron University – to learn about horses,horsemanship, self-confidence. responsibility,and lessons that will carry over into everyaspect of your life. To provide the level ofeducation we offer, we can only accept a verylimited number of internships.

Double Horn Ranch-The Making of GreatHorses & Horsemen • Horsemanship-Seminars--VideosP.O. Box 50, Bluff Dale, Texas 76433254-728-3082 • [email protected]

TTrailering Trailering TipsipsBYBY CRAIG CAMERONCRAIG CAMERON


You have worked countless hours inthe arena, perfecting your horse's perform-ance. You and your horse have become asmooth team. Transitions are flawless, his jogis slow and smooth, he is happy and alert andhis head never moves. You are focused, andyet the Judges continue to overlook youdespite the quality of your performance. Why,why, why, are you left out of the ribbons?

At every show, I am faced withexplaining the importance of “the look” toheartbroken competitors with excellent ridesyet flawed presentations. Competitors get frus-trated and personally hurt when you try toexplain that it is their presentation that holdsthem back. Becausecompetition is thetoughest it has everbeen, today's winningcompetitors havemore than just excel-lent horsemanshipskills and a great mov-ing horse. Their “Look”captures the Judge'sattention early in theclass and securesthem a place high onthe card. If you were ina class of 10 greatmovers mixed in with20 average per-formers, what wouldset you apart from thepack? What wouldmake you “Shine”?

“The Lookof Success” is notcreated by an expen-sive outfit or a saddledripping in silver. Itgoes way beyondwhat money can buy. Itis a confidence thatcomes from believingin yourself and yourhorse. It comes afterlong hours of practice, grooming, and dream-ing. We have all imagined ourselves winning,

the excitement of hearing our namecalled, posing for the championshippicture, and the drive home with thetrophy on the seat next to us. Nowback up into that dream and watchyourself riding into the winner's circle.That is the look I want to see when youEnter the class! I want you to “Shine”with so much pride and confidence thatyou convince me early on who thewinner is.

Develop a winning image.Judges aren't influ-enced by the shirton your back, butthey will beimpressed by theconfidence in youreyes. This look willcome after longhours groomingand conditioningboth the horse andrider. Remember,your appearance inthe show ring is thefrosting on the

cake. When youlook great, youfeel great and itshows. That iswhy your outfitmatters. Whatyou wear cangive you theextra lift that youneed to win atough class.There are foursteps to creatinga winning image

for yourself andyour horse.

First, investthe time andhonestly analyze

the appearance of yourself and your horse.What features do you want to highlight? What

faults do you want to hide? Do you have badhands or a little tummy that you would like tocamouflage?

Second, find a flattering colorscheme by testing out different colors andtaking pictures from across the ring. Choose acolor that you like and makes your horse standout.

Third, set a budget and stick to it.You don't have to spend a fortune to look good,but you do have to invest some time to createa winning look that is unique to you. (Bysticking with a basic color scheme of tan or

black for your hatand chaps, youcan reuse themfor years.)

Finally, getshopping! Youhave lots ofoptions: makeyour own shirt orjacket from apattern, buy cus-tom made appar-el, buy used out-fits, borrow from akind friend, orupdate what youalready own.

Ladies, don't fallvictim to thef a s h i o ncompetition andlose sight of what

makes you andyour horse lookbest. We have allseen lots of expen-sive outfits that just

didn't work well in the ring. It is better to err onthe tasteful side. Remember, more color is notalways better. I have seen entire outfits incanary yellow, hot pink, and lime green. Thoseriders got noticed for all the wrong reasons.Stick with high quality basics and add yourcolor and style through the shirt or jacket.

The most important investment inyour outfit is your hat. It can make or breakyour look. Have it professionally shaped andcleaned regularly. It should fit snug enough sothat you aren't distracted about losing it. A highquality hat will last for many years if youprotect it in a carrier. Your hat needs to coordi-nate with your outfit by either matching yourchaps or highlighting a color in your jacket.The shirt or jacket you choose must bepractical and comfortable. You don't want to beirritated throughout the class because yourjacket itches or be embarrassed because yourshirt accentuates your nervous perspiration.

Want to Win Western Pleasure?TThhee ““LLooookk ooff SSuucccceessss””

by Jennifer McCormick-Lindgren


Hobby Horse Clothing creates winning images at affordable prices. High quality hats and chaps in black work great as a base color and will last

through many show seasons. Photo courtesy: Hobby Horse Clothing.

Madison Henn, with Ima Radical Zipper, proudly models the jacket her Mom Stacy made

with a Suitability pattern, swimsuit fabric, and lots of hand glued crystals.

The sharp white hat finishes her custom look.

Always wear a supportive bra or undergarmentfor a smooth profile free from bouncing'assets'.

If you don't know where to start toget ideas, go through Breed magazines or trythe internet. There are lots of sites onlinethat provide advice on Western riding appar-el. The best one I have found is at HobbyHorse Clothing (www.Hobbyhorseinc.com).This site is an invalu-able tool full of infor-mation on the latesttrends and styles.Their clothes are rea-sonably priced anddesigned to overlapseasons. HobbyHorse is a great placeto start if you needideas.

There aremany other sites thatoffer custom madeclothing and sell usedcustom ridingclothes. If you chooseto use a local tailor,make sure theyunderstand theunique features ofriding clothes beforeyou order.

Gentlemen have amuch easier timedressing for perform-ance. A well starched shirt in white will alwaysget noticed for its classic, clean look. Why notraise the bar on fashion and choose a coloredshirt with a personal monogram and coordi-nate it with your saddle pad? Always makesure the shirt fits well in the shoulders, istucked in tightly and has heavy starch to deterwrinkling. Remember, if you are wearing blackchaps, black jeans underneath look better andcreate a cleaner line when viewed frombehind.

Don't forget about your horse inall the fuss for fashion. He should be groomedand styled (mane and tail) according to thedivision in which you compete. If the maneneeds to be banded, invest the time to make itperfect. If you aren't good at banding, asksomeone to teach you and practice, practice,practice. Use highlighter on your horse's faceand clean and polish your tack. At a majorshow, hooves should shine like they've neverseen dirt. Today's performance horses aregroomed as impeccably as the halter horses.

Good Luck, Ride Safe, Smile & Shine.

Jennifer Lindgren has been an All-Breed Judgesince 1985. She is an experienced competitorwho has earned Regional and National awards inHalter, Western, Equitation and Hunter. Sheloves all Breeds of horses and keeps her privatecollection in Grant Park, IL. Contact: [email protected] Copyright 2008 by Jennifer Lindgren.

Brian Scoggins shows Tamar Stravinsky

to another win in Western pleasure.

The burnt orange shirt and saddle pad highlight

the chestnut color of this Arabian stallion.

Rob Hess photo.

Perfectly groomed from head to toe, this duo shines as they enter the ring. This classic look of black and white gets noticed and will work with most

colors of horse. Photo courtesy:

Quarter Horse Journal.


I have hadthe pleas-ure of work-ing withMark andPeg Bahlsfor the pastcouple ofyears fol-l o w i n gM a r k ’ s

stroke in November of 2006. During this timetogether, I have witnessed Mark reach somepretty amazing milestones in his recovery.Many of these really became apparent whenhe began attending horse therapy.

When Mark and Peg first told methat they were doing this therapy I was verysupportive of their decision, though admittedlyquite unsure of what exactly it was and whatthe benefit could actually be. Once we beganseeing results and I started hearing thedescriptions of Mark’s experiences on thehorse I began to ask some questions about themechanisms involved with horse therapy.

I found my answers in the world ofneurology. Though this can be a very complexand confusing realm to work in, the answers towhy Mark has responded so well become veryevident with understanding of a few basicconcepts.

First we need to realize that thebrain is an integration organ, not purely astimulation organ. This means, contrary tomany beliefs, the brain cannot tell the bodywhat to do by itself. The brain takes informa-tion from the environment, interprets it, thendecides the proper course of action to take inthe body and signals it to happen. This con-cept is huge in a case like Mark’s.

We have sensors (proprioceptors)for motion, position, and load around all of ourjoints that send information to the brain to giveus awareness of where our body is in relationto our environment. Some of these sensors,for example, are active when you move yourextremities such as when you bend your fingeror wiggle your toes. This information is sent tothe brain and interpreted as the motion thatyou can feel and see when you watch thosestructures move. Some of these sensors areso sensitive, however, that we cannotnecessarily feel or see the motion or pressurethey are signaling to the brain.

These position and movementsensors are the main cause of Mark’sresponse when riding the horse and they sur-round the joints of our spine. When riding ahorse, these sensors send information to thebrain at a tremendous rate because of thesubtle motions that happen when a personneeds to maintain balance and posture on anunsteady, moving object. These spinal sensorshave direct connections to a couple of otherstructures in the brain as well.

From the spine this information travels to the cerebellum, which is the major

coordination center in your brain. Activitiessuch as motion, organ function, learning andconcentration, and more are regulated withinthe cerebellum. The cerebellum only makesup about 10% of brain mass, but contains over50% of the neurons in the entire nervous sys-tem. It is a very tightly packed area of yourbrain that has upwards of 200,000 connectionsper neuron contained within it.

Inside the cerebellum there is aspecialized area that helps interpret spinalmovements and then sends that information toother areas. It is called the vermis, and it is themajor player for a patient like Mark. The ver-mis integrates information from the sensorsthat detect and transmit the informationregarding spinal position within the environ-ment and utilizes that information to regulatemuscle tone, posture, and other spinal move-ments at individual segments along the spine.

This explains why when Mark is onthe horse, he is able to sit in a upright postureand looking at him it is hard to detect that hehas any outward effects from the stroke. Hisspinal sensors are stimulating the precise areaof his brain that regulate these functions sowith the proper information coming in from theenvironment, the proper signals are sent out tothe other parts of his body that control properposture and muscle tone. Every time he isable to ride, this pathway is strengthened andhis neurons begin to have a working “memo-ry” of the results.

The need for reinforcing this path-way is the second major principle of our nerv-ous system. This describes the idea of plastic-ity. Plasticity means the brain/nervous systemis able to make new connections between neu-rons and can learn new tasks or take in newinformation all of the time, but if those newconnections are not reinforced eventually theyfade away and the new task or new piece ofinformation is “forgotten.”

Being a chiropractor, this informa-tion has direct effect on my patients as well.Since my main focus is on the spine andensuring that all the segments are movingproperly, the result of the chiropracticadjustment is stimulation of these same path-ways. The adjustment helps reinforce thenewly formed connections and helps keep the“memory” of those pathways going strong.

In a case like Mark’s it is verydifficult, in a clinical setting, to replicate theamount of signals that are generated alongthis pathway when he rides, so horse therapyis a perfect option. Every time he is on thehorse, the signals generated between hisspine and his brain reinforce the pathways thatcontrol his balance and posture and the resultseventually begin to carry over to day-to-dayliving.

Horse therapy, and riding in general,is a great alternative for the population as awhole. Any activity that can repetitivelystimulate the spinal sensory pathway men-tioned above has wide-reaching implications.

Spinal motion and the sensory infor-mation it generates not only reinforces thetone and postural control centers of the brain,it also links to centers in our brain that controlstress and emotions, and can help to regulatehormonal control of our entire body.

When our body is under chronicstress, we produce hormones that put us in thefight-or-flight survival mode. While this is avery smart adaptation in the short-term, itcauses many problems when it becomes achronic phenomenon. Under stress our bod-ies divert the energy that would normally beused for activities such as growth, develop-ment, and immunity and uses it to producechanges that give us the best chance to sur-vive. These changes include increasing bloodpressure, increasing certain substances in theblood such as cholesterol, and slowing ourdigestive processes.

When we are able to lessen,or elim-inate, the chronic stress response, our bodiesare then able to spend our energy rebuildingand remodeling rather than gearing up for acrisis.

Exercise in general, and spinalmotion in particular, is a very effective way toreduce the chronic stress response and horsetherapy fits into this ideal seamlessly. It iseasy to see that the physical benefits of ridingare great. Factor into this the interactionbetween handler and animal, small groupdynamics, and being outdoors and you cansee it would positively impact your overallemotional state as well.

I hope this article sheds some lighton the many benefits riding horse can offer toyour readers. In a case like Mark’s it can beused as a therapy and help to specificallyrewire certain aspects of his nervous system.In the general sense, the same mechanismsare at work no matter who is in the saddle andthe results will be identical as well.

Yours in health,Arron R. Kalis, D.C.

About the author:Dr. Kalis recentlyopened his ownclinic, Innate Wellness Center LLC., in BlueEarth, MN after being in group practice for 3years. He is currently finishing a post-gradu-ate certification in Wellness through theInternational Chiropractic Association. He canbe contacted via phone at 507-526-2211 or viafax at 507-526-3003.

(Footnote: In our September editorial wewrote about lifes seasons, in it we talkedabout Mark Bahls’ stroke and the horsetherapy he takes. Mark is one of ouradvertising represtatives here at MidwestHorse Digest. He has found that horse ther-apy does some remarkable things to helpfacilitate his recovery. So we asked Arron towrite this article explaining what it does andwhy it works for all ages. We thank Arron fortaking the time to bring us this informaitonand hope you find it as encouraging as wedid.) To read the September article visit ourDigest archives at www.horsedigests.com

Here is Why Horse Therapy and Riding in General is Good for Us! by Arron Kalis, DC


Collection is something we may hear a lotabout, but what is it? What does it do and howdo we get it?There are two main parts in collection.

Most of us hear and think aboutphysical collection of a horse (which isimportant to performance and in executingmaneuvers, but we often overlook the othercrucial part of collection, mental collection(which was pointed out to me be my goodfriend Craig Johnson.

First, we will discuss physicalaspects of collection. Horses are uniquevertebrates because they possess a thoraciclumbar vertebra that acts as a hinge whichallows them to pivot the hind quarters up underthem. Other large animals, such as cattle, donot possess this trait.This trait not only givesus the ability, but is also the basis of physicalcollection.

The majority of a horse’s naturalbody weight is in his front 1/3 of his body (hishead, neck and shoulders). With a horsesnatural movement this puts the majority of theweight on the front end of a horse. The objec-tive of physical collection is to move theweight, or point of balance, from the front ofthe horse to towards the rear end of a horse.Thus, creating a more centered, balancedpoint.

Why do we want physical collection? With physical collection we obtain

more balance from the horse. Our horses aresofter and their movements are more free, byshifting the weight off a horse’s front end andmoving it to a more central point. With thehorse’s rear end up underneath them and theirweight shifted back to the center the horse canstop harder, they can start faster, turn quicker,and travel smoother.

If a horse is not collected orbalanced their weight is carried on their frontend and they are strung out with their rear endand legs out behind them.

Think of an uncollected horsemoving. It is similar to a semi tractor without

any trailer behind. If I take my trailor offmy semi tractor and drive it around it’slike an uncollected horse. All theweight is on the front end and the rearwheels are way out behind it with noweight over them. It rides terriblerough, I can’t stop fast, and I have noacceleration; because there is notraction. When I put the trailer on, thischanges the balance point and puts theweight over the rear wheels, whichcauses it to ride smoother, stop andaccelerate quicker and handle muchbetter. How do we achieve physicalcollection?

Collection is basically, gained bygaining control of the horses body and beingable to hold the front end through it’s face (pickup his back and drive his hind quarters underhim; packaging or framing him up). By timingand repetition we can teach a horse to holdthis frame longer and longer on his own.

It doesn’t matter what type of horse,whether it’s a pleasure, reining, gaming,English, or dressage horse; collection andbalance is important to performance. The nextaspect to collection is mental. We all know if

we don’t have the horses mind we have noth-ing. We can have the most athletic horse but ifwe can’t gain control of his mind we can’t getcontrol of his body.

As I have mentioned in previousarticles, a large part of our training is to teachour horses to focus and to develop thereattention span. By accomplishing this, it makesour training sessions much more productiveand intense. There are simple exercises wecan do to help teach this. For example, trottingcircles and teaching our horses to hold thecircle without any help from us, teaching themto stay hooked and focused.

Mental collection is a must indeveloping finished horses and showing/competing with our horses.

So as we are training our horseslets remember the two parts of collection wewant to achieve, and remember the only wayto get either one is Timing, Consistency, andRepetition.

Good luck and God bless,Monty BruceIf you have any questions or would like moreinformation, log onto Monty’s website atwww.montybruce.com

Collection: gaining control of your horse s body

By Monty Bruce


If you haven’t figured it out by now,horses and humans don’t naturally think alike.That’s why in order to be effective with ourhorsemanship, we need to learn how to getinto the horse’s mind and communicate inways that make sense to him.

“One of the most effective tools Iuse to help a horse learn is what I call ‘soak-ing,’” explains horseman and clinician ChrisCox. “We’ve talked about how horses seekrelief. What soaking does is allow the horse tobe left alone and enjoy that relief for a brieftime after he’s done a taskor exercise correctly.”

You might thinkthat praising and pettingyour horse after he “getsit” during a training ses-sion would be rewarding tohim. But because thehorse instinctively seeksrelief from pressure, hewill learn from soakingbecause he looks forwardto the reward of being leftalone. He can relax andabsorb what he’s just doneright. When a horse isrelaxed, he will salivateand lick his lips. His headand neck should also berelaxed and not tense, sowatch for these signs.

Let’s say youare teaching your horse tolet you open a gate fromthe saddle by sidepassingup next to it. As the horsemakes a serious effort torespond correctly to yourcues, you can reinforcethat he’s doing the rightthing by letting him soakfor a couple minutes. Then go back to work-ing on the task at hand. Or perhaps you’reworking on collection. As the horse shows thathe is softening and giving when you ask, hisreward is to soak for a brief time until you askhim for collection again.

A soaking session may last twominutes or a little bit longer, depending on thesituation. The horse will tend to learn more

from several short soakingsessions built into the train-ing period than if he’s justallowed to soak once for alonger period of time.

“If you use soak-ing sessions throughout your

training, you will find this has amuch more positive effect than ifyou just pound the horse con-stantly with schooling,” saysCox. “You might get the horse toaccept physically by continuallypounding away at him, but notmentally. Without that mentalacceptance, eventually he willstart to resist and challengeyou.”

Soaking TimeWhen the horse is

soaking, you aren’t asking himfor anything. If you’re in the sad-dle, you have a loose rein and acentered, relaxed seat with yourlegs relaxed in the stirrups. Ifyou are on the ground, yourhands should be lowered and

you shouldnever havea tight holdon the leadr o p e .W h e t h e ryou’re inthe saddleor on theg r o u n d ,your bodylanguage is not cueingthe horse in any way.

Think of howpleasurable it is whenyou’re involved in a proj-ect to just get up from thedesk and walk outside fora few minutes. Soakingis a similar reward foryour horse. It tells him ina way he clearly under-stands, “You did good,buddy! Now just relaxand take it easy for aminute. You’ve earned it

When you givea horse time to think with-out pressuring him,which is exactly what asoaking session does,

he’ll start to learn more and perform better. “We should always be teaching our

horses in increments, building on what theyalready know,” Cox notes. “By adding soakingto your training sessions, you can teach ahorse even more than you might expect.” Up Close with Chris Cox

Ranch-raised in Australia, Chris came tothe United States in 1986 to make a career

of working with horses. Years of workinghorseback on the ranch near Queenslandgave Chris a healthy respect for the horse’sability and intelligence, and helped himdevelop his own methods of individualizedtraining.

Active in the cutting horse world as botha trainer and competitor, Chris has trained a

variety of breedsfor different disci-plines. He travelsthe United States,Canada, SouthAmerica andAustralia appear-ing at expos, con-ducting clinics andh o r s e m a n s h i pdemonstrations.His “Come Ridethe Journey’ tourtakes him to citiesacross the U.S.each year. Chrisoffers week-longintensive horse-manship clinics athis Outback Ranchin Mineral Wells,Texas.

WesternHorseman recentlyreleased Ride theJourney, by ChrisCox with CynthiaMcFarland, a 225-page, full colorbook that detailsChris’ practicalmethods and train-ing techniques.

Packed with step-by-step exercises andcolor photos, the book will help you improveyour horsemanship skills, no matter whatdiscipline or breed you ride.

Visit www.chris-cox.com or call Chris CoxHorsemanship Company at 1-888-81-HORSE for information about the Ride theJourney book, upcoming course dates andappearances, equipment and trainingDVDs.

Value of “Soaking” During Training SessionsBy Cynthia McFarland with Chris Cox


You don’t have to be “doing”something with your horse

every minute. A few minutes of“soaking” time after he’s done

something right will go a long way.Photo credit; David Stoecklein

Quiet hands will allow your horse to relax and soak after he’s done something right. Being left alone for a few minutes tells him he’s

doing what he should be.Photo: David Stoecklein

Betsy Berrey, USEF Senior Judge, Member of the USDF L Program Faculty,Creator of “The Winning Edge” DVDSeries

This is a topic that has interestedme for many years. Although the quality of ourdressage horses has increased steadily overthe past decade, most riders are still on capa-ble but not spectacular horses. This is finesince many of those superstar horses are hotand more difficult to ride, even when they’vematured.WHAT IS A 6.5 HORSE?Dressage is a numbers game. Judges canonly use whole numbers, 0 to 10, when judg-ing national and international tests. The onlyexception is in freestyles. Therefore I decidedto use .5 when describing the horses we ride.In referring to our imaginary mount as the 6.5horse, I’m describing the raw material that wehave to work with and train.

The more correct and thorough thetraining is, the higher the scores can be. On agood day the 6.5 horse will get quite a few 7’sand maybe an 8 or 9. These horses are likelyto receive a 7 on Gaits and perhaps another 7or two in the Collective Marks. The greatestsuccess comes from riding the test accuratelyand precisely and showing the horse to thebest of his ability.

If you are lucky enough to have a7.5 horse that is correctly trained, you will havethe pleasure of seeing quite a few 8’s after asuccessful ride. These horses frequently earn8’s on Gaits and Impulsion, tend to be shownatural uphill balance, and are easier to put onthe bit.

On the other hand, if you have 5.5horse the process will be much more difficult.The 5.5 horse is more limited athletically andcan be more difficult and frustrating to trainand show. Perhaps he has a lateral walk or aflat canter that lacks elasticity or has little free-dom in the shoulder. Don’t be overlyimpressed by the “auction trot” since the trot isthe easiest gait to improve. Dressage horsesmust have good walks and canters to do wellin our sport.

Conformation problems can includebeing croup high, built downhill with shorterforelegs, or a thick throatlatch, which makes ithard to go on the bit. Sometimes tempera-ment, which challenges the rider to createenergy and activity or causes tension and inat

tention, is also a factor. If you have a horse like this—one

that tends to get lower marks for gaits whichthen prevent higher scores in the test— youmust accepthim as he isand under-stand his lim-itations. Ifthis is thehorse youlove and planto keep, ber e a l i s t i cabout yourhorse’s abili-ty to coverthe ground ortravel inuphill bal-ance anddon’t punishhim for whatnature hasgiven him.

I fyou want higher scores and more ribbons inaddition to moving up the levels, you may

need to find a horse that is more suitable fordressage. Basic training is beneficial to anyhorse, but most horses were bred for particu-lar jobs and can’t always cross the disciplineseasily. Would you want to ride over the desert,which is easy for an Arabian, on your DutchWarmblood? Would you want to rope cattle,for which the Quarter Horse is ideally built, ona Hanoverian or a Holsteiner?

Modern dressage and today’s ath-letic sport horses owe their origins toGermany’s history, in which horses played a

significant role. After World War Two itbecame clear that horses would nolonger be needed by the military or forother daily work. In order to maintaintheir place in German society and cul-ture, the decision was made to breedgood riding horses and to promotedressage— as well as jumping, event-ing and driving—as goals in training.

Each mark on a dressage test has aspecific meaning. Ten is Excellent, 9 isVery Good, 8 is Good, 7 is Fairly Good,6 is Satisfactory, 5 is Sufficient, 4 isInsufficient, 3 is Fairly Bad, 2 is Bad, 1is Very Bad, and 0 is Not Performed.Most judges will ring the bell and scorean error rather than giving a 0 if amovement is not visible to them.

HOW TO EARN HIGHER SCORESThere are five ways in which you canimprove your performance and raiseyour scores, at any level:

continued on page 25

Getting More 10’s

on the 6.5 Horse


Over thepast two

m o n t h ’ sarticles, you

have learnedhow to teach your horse

to soften his face and stop and back up on onerein while staying soft in the bridle. Your horseshould be doing these exercises well beforeyou move on to the foundation for collection.

First, I want to mention a few thingsthat can be applied across your training.When things are not going well and you feelstuck in an exercise, stop and ask yourself:what was the last thing your horse was doingwell? Maybe you’re stuck on the one rein backup, but he was softening his face really wellbefore you moved to the new exercise.If that’s the case, don’t get in to the mindset ofmaking your horse do something. Instead,go back to the place you know you canboth win.

Work there for a little while, andthen go back to the harder exercise. Chancesare, you will then be able to do it without the

problem you were havingbefore. Stepping back fromthe situation and focusing onwhat works, rather than whatdoesn’t, will help keep youfrom getting frustrated.

So, your horse is soften-ing, stopping and backing upon one rein. We’re goingto start the foundation forcollection by taking the onerein back up to a moreadvanced level. Begin askingyour horse to stop withoutdisengaging his hindquartersfirst. Ride him forward, gethim soft on the bridle, sit andsay whoa. If he stops, ask

him to take a few steps back on one reinand release when his nose is soft. If you don’tget a stop, disengage his hindquartersand get a few steps back before releasing.Work on this until you can get a straight stopand back up on one rein.

Now, you are ready to add thesecond rein. You are going to start by askingfor softness on two reins. What you arelooking for here is not actual collection, but justfor the horse’s nose to be soft on both reins.However, you do want to be sure you aredriving the horse forward from his hind endwhen you ask for softness on two reinsbecause that will start to build collection into the exercise. Starting at the walk, go backto the circle s’s exercise that you used whenteaching softness on one rein. Just add thesecond rein as you do it. When your horsesoftens and tucks his nose, release him. Workon changing directions smoothly, without hishead coming up. Remember to releaseregularly so your horse knows he is on theright track.

When you can get your horse to

keep soft on two reins nicely, you are ready tostart adding the stop and back up on two reins.Get him soft on two reins, then sit and ask fora stop. Don’t pull back on your reins to get thestop, just sit and ask him to stop off your seatcue. If he doesn’t stop, don’t pull back on bothreins. Hold pressure on one rein, and increasepressure on the other, bringing him to a stopwith just one rein. When he is stopping nicelywithout bracing and throwing his head in theair, you are ready to start asking for a fewsteps back. Remember, your feet move hisfeet. Don’t pull harder to get steps back, drivemore with your feet. If he is bracing againstyou and locks up, offset his head to one sideor the other. Don’t release the reins if yourhorse is pulling on you. If your horse startsbracing badly and you feel you are getting into a fight, go back to working on one rein fora while, then try two reins again. Remember,find a place where you can both win.

Each time you repeat an exercise,look for some improvement and ask for a littlemore. For example, if your horse gives youtwo nice steps back, next time ask for threesteps. Once you are getting good soft stopsand backing on two reins at the walk, moveup to the trot. First work on circle s’s, thenstops and backing. If you get stuck, go backto the walk for a while, then move back up tothe trot.

It is really important to rememberthat all you can ask of your horse is for himto try. If he has given you a good honest try,you need to give back to him with a release.Even if he’s not doing the exercise perfectly,all you can ask is that he’s trying. If he triesand tries, and never gets a release anda reward, he will stop trying because thereis no place he can win. You need to make surethat you always give him a place where he canwin so he stays motivated and keeps trying foryou. Once your horse knows that thereis a release somewhere, you will see himstart searching for it when you start a newexercise. He will try the answers that haveworked in the past, then when you don’trelease, you will see him start trying newthings, because he knows there is a releasesomewhere. Your consistency will teach yourhorse to look for the place where he wins,because he knows it is there.

When you are ready to quit for theday, wait until you feel that your horsehas given you a good, honest try. Thenrelease, pet him, and put him away. A goodtry is always a positive place to quit.

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

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


Foundation for CollectionBy Ken McNabb with Katherine Lindsey Meehan


TheDakota Classic Cutting Futurity held it’sfirst horse sale in Huron South Dakota onSeptember 12, 2008 in conjunction with theDakota Classic Cutting Futurity. A limitednumber of yearling and two-year olds of thethirty subscribed stallions were eligible to besold. The horses sold are all eligible to com-pete for $25,000 added Futurity money in2009 and 2010.

Lot # 9, Sneakin Josie consigned by theStrain Ranches, Don & Kathy Strain of WhiteRiver South Dakota captured the highest sell-ing two-year old raising $2,900. The sorrelmare was sired by Sneakin Lena out of Dam,Poppin Smart Josie will make home withShannard Husted of Fort Pierre South Dakota.

Red Hot Peppy Whitch, Lot #3 was pur-chased by Terry Correll of Tryon Nebraska asthe high selling yearling. Consigned by theWhitcher Ranches, Jim & Ethel Whitcher ofScenic South Dakota, the sorrel mare was

sired by Red Hot Quixote out of Dam, PepsChristy Bond.

Terry Correll of Tryon Nebraska was thevolume horse buyer purchasing three head.

The Dakota Classic Cutting Futurity sub-scribed stallionowners andm e m b e r swould like toextend a BigThank You toall of those thatattended andp u r c h a s e dhorses at thesale. Formore informa-tion on theFuturity and the Sale visit

High selling YearlingConsigned by Whitcher Ranches (Jim & Ethel)

Scenic SDLot #3Sired by Red Hot Quixote - DamPeps Christy Bond - $1250 - BuyerTerry Correll, Tryon NE

Top selling 2 year oldConsigned By Strain Ranches(Don & Kathy) White River, SD -Lot #9 - Sorrel Mare

Sired by Sneakin Lena - Dam Poppin SmartJosie - Sold for $2900 - Buyer ShannardHusted, Ft. Pierre SD

Dakota Classic Cutting Futurity ResultsLot #3

Lot # 9

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

classifieds, community events,training videos and more

coming all the time.....

We have many opportunities foryou to promote your

equine related business. For more information call

Mark at 507-943-3355 or email:[email protected]

Call Peg at 507-943-3355 oremail: [email protected]

Call Andrea Jo at 952-237-5311or email:

[email protected]

This article will conclude the series on exer-cises to improve the rider’s position. If youhave been practicing the exercises from theseries, your balance and relaxation, as well asconfidence while riding, should haveimproved. The exercises in this article will bedone on the longe at the canter. If you do notfeel that you are ready for them now, keeppracticing the exercises from previous articlesuntil your balance and relaxation improves.

Once again, you will need a consistent,well-schooled horse tacked up with saddle, ahalter with longe line properly attached, andleg protection. Your helper should know how tolonge a horse. Do exercises on the longe in alarge enclosed area such as a paddock,corral, or arena to give you and your horsemore security.

Remember the key words from the previouslessons: Do each exercise SLOWLY.

BREATHE because it encourages relaxation.Think “CENTER-SQUARE-BALANCED.”STOP if you experience any pain or havemedical conditions that could be complicatedby doing any of these exercises.

Warm up yourself and your horse by doingexercises at the walk, jog or trot, and extend-ed jog or trot. As before, I will explain theseexercises as if you are riding in a Westernsaddle. Your reins are knotted and the knot islooped over the saddle horn. Remember therider is responsible for keeping the horse outon the circle and for speed control through theuse of her seat, leg, and voice aids. Working atthe canter will be more challenging. At thesame time she is performing thesesexercises, the rider must effectively use heraids to keep her horse from breaking fromthe canter to the trot.

When you and your helper agree that youare prepared for longe work at the canter,

prepare your aidsand ask your horsefor an upward tran-sition from the trot.You should stayrelaxed with handsdown at your sidesas your horsestrikes off into acanter. You shouldnot hold your horsewith your knees, butrather keep yourlegs “soft.” Yourbody needs to staycentered. Do a few

circles at the canter to give yourself a feel ofriding this gait without reins before you beginthe following exercises.

Arm Extensions:While at the canter, extend one arm and

then the other so that both are straight out infront of you at should height with the palmsfacing downwards. Hold them in this positionfor several strides, and then open your armsso they are extended out to your sides. Holdthis position for a few strides. Now bring botharms back to the starting position in front ofyou. Tip: Be sure to keep your chest up, open,and shoulders back. Do not slump! Keeplooking ahead while doing this exercise.

Four-Point Arm Circles:You have done this one before at the walk

and trot. Start in the same position as in theArm Extensions with arms extended straightahead at shoulder height. As you keep the leftarm in the starting position, rotate the right armwith the palm down so it extends overhead.Rotate the shoulder so that the arm makes abig circle until the arm is behind you. Continuethe arm circle by bringing the hand down toyour side. Finish with the right arm back at thestarting position. Do the exercise with theother arm. Do these arm rotations slowly.

Behind Your Back:Place both hands behind you on the small

of your back. Do several strides of the canterin this position. Now bring your arms aboveyour head, keeping the elements of your formin proper position. Finish by bringing the armsback down to your sides. Remember tobreathe and relax!

Straight Arm Swings:Hold the left arm down at your side. Slowly

swing the right arm forward in front of you withthe palm down and elbow straight until it is atshoulder height. Next, slowly swing the armback behind you. After you do several repeti-tions, change arms.

Bent Elbow Swings:Hold the arm that is toward the inside of the

longe circle down at your side. Bend the elbowof the outside arm in a 90-degree angle.Slowly swing the bent arm forwards and back-wards. Look to the inside of the longe circle asyou do this exercise. Do several repetitions.Switch arms, and look toward the outside of


“Rider Position, Par“Rider Position, Part 7, t 7, ExerExercises on the Longe Line cises on the Longe Line


the longe circle while working the inside arm.To finish the exercises at the canter, untie

your reins without looking. If riding Western,bring both reins into the hand that you normal-ly use to hold them. By putting more weight inyour seat and using leg and voice aids, bringyour horse back to the trot. Keep your shoul-ders back and weight in your seat to make thetransition to the trot. Trot a couple of circles andask for the downward transition to the walk.Then halt.

Exercises on the longe at the walk, trot, andcanter are fun and extremely beneficial to buildrelaxation and to improve your riding form andbalance. Use these exercises as often as pos-sible in your daily schooling or in a warm-upbefore a competition. Be creative and mix andmatch the exercises to develop your personalwarm-up and flexibility routine. Remember todo them in various gaits and varying speedswithin each gait.

Note: In order to benefit from these exercis-es, you must have a horse that is quiet and reli-able. You cannot learn the exercises if youalways are worrying about your horse. Youneed to be able to concentrate on yourself. Ifyou are unsure about your horse or if he givesyou any problem while doing theses exercises,move to a more enclosed area like a roundpen.

For information about my book, Head to ToeHorsemanship and my visual series,Dressage Principles for the Western andEnglish Horse and Rider, as well as othertraining products, visit www.lynnpalm.com orcall 800-503-2824.

The Minnesota EquiFest is beingheld October 11-12, 2008 at the MinnesotaState Fairgrounds, St. Paul, MN, in the WarnerColiseum, Horse Barn, and Judging Arena.Show hours are Saturday, 9 am – 7:00 pm andSunday 9:00 am – 5:00pm. Parking is free andovernight parking is avail-able for a fee.

Plan now toattend this great fallequine get together.There will be lectures bynationally known clini-cians, equine demonstra-tions, horses, activities forthe kids, and shopping atmany different vendorbooths. New this year is atack sale for the benefit ofthe Minnesota HoovedAnimal RescueFoundation (no consign-ments).

Featured clini-cians are Richard Shrake,Dr. Tom Tweeten, DaleFroyum, Mari MondaZdunic, Tracy Porter, and TJ Clibborn.Lectures will also be presented by staff mem-bers of the Minnesota Veterinary Hospital,Rochester Community College, and the

Minnesota Farrier’s Association. Come learnabout equine training, dressage, gaited hors-es, bits and bitting, pasture and manure man-agement, grooming, hoof care, saddle fitting,braiding, lameness, and much more. There will

also be a special equine perform-ance on Saturday.

Pony rides will be avail-able for the kids, as well as ropingdemonstrations offered by the NorthCentral Little Britches RodeoAssociation. Horse stalls are beingoffered this year to showcase horsebreeds by hose associations, breed-ers or stallion owners.

Join the fun and begin afall tradition by attending theMinnesota EquiFest. Sponsors ofthe event are the Minnesota Schoolof Horseshoeing, Midwest HorseDigest, and Dahl Graphic Design.

This event is presentedby Duggan Companies of Ramsey,MN, who have been long-timesupporters and contributors to ourwonderful Minnesota horsecommunity. For show information

and information on vendor booths orvolunteering, please contact Robert orNancy Duggan, 763-421-5750 or visitwww.MinnesotaEquiFest.com.

Join us at the Minnesota EquiFest—A New Fall Tradition

Richard Shrake Headlines atMinnesota Equifest 2008


Even in rural areas there is no ques-tion traffic levels are increasing. Worse yet,people are often distracted from their drivingby cell phones, texting and a hectic lifestyle.Most motorists are not educated about horses.Driver’s have blown their horn, released theirair brakes with a loud “psssttt” and even shotmy police horse with a slingshot as they drovepast. Clearly these drivers had no idea howdangerous this was for the horse and rider.How can you increase your safety while roadriding? These three safety concepts, “beseen”, “be safe” and “be aware” help youprevent an accident.Be SeenBright reflective clothing for the rider is a mustwhen road riding. Reflective leg wraps, browbands, breast collars and stirrup bars makeyour horse visible from all four sides. I highlyrecommend attaching a LED safety light toyour saddle or person. These inexpensiveblinking red lights are designed for bicyclistsbut work well for the rider too. The intermittentflash of the light attracts a driver’s attention.These items make you more visible to drivers.

Be SafeBefore venturing out onto a roadway, ask your-self, “Am I ready?” Are you a competent ridercapable of handling a problem on the road?Evaluate your horse. “Is he reliable and roadready?” Has he been desensitized to the noiseand movement of traffic? If not, invest in hiseducation. Find the time, a trainer or a clinic tohelp prepare you both for road readiness.When riding with friends, consider the readi-ness of their horses to adapt to the challengesthat may happen on the road. Fear and nerv-ousness can be transferable from horse tohorse.When crossing a roadway select a safe spot tocross. View every bend in the road, intersec-tion, crest of a hill or construction zone as ahazard. Choose an area to cross whereapproaching cars are easily seen and heard.

Stop… before crossing the road.Get your horse’s focus and full attention beforeasking him to cross. Use all your senses. Beaware of everything going on around you. Ifyou are riding in a group, wait until everyone isready. Then cross as a unit, walking single file.Keep the “herd” intact for safety. Never try tostop traffic to cross.

Look… all ways. Check both direc-tions for oncoming traffic. Check in front towhat’s ahead and behind for any potential haz-ards. Look at the road surface to assess its

footing. Things like mailboxes, flags or garbage tossed in ditches could startle your horse. Evaluate what you see to

determine whether this is a good location foryou to cross.

Listen… for approaching cars.Engine sounds give you clues on what type ofvehicle is approaching and the speed it is trav-eling. Pay attention to where your horse is lis-tening. They use their ears to focus on soundsand may hear something before you do.Be AwareAwareness begins by knowing the laws in yourstate regarding riding on the roadway. Checkwith your state motor vehicle office for rulesregulating where you can ride and whether youride with traffic or against it. When safe to doso, I prefer riding against the flow of traffic.This gives me a better picture of oncomingtraffic. Your horse is less likely to startle if hecan see the traffic next to him as opposed tocars zipping up directly behind him.

Rider tension and nervousness istransmitted to your horse. If you anticipate aproblem and tense up every time a vehicleapproaches, your horse will too. Relax andstay cool, calm and centered for your horse’sbenefit. He looks to you for confidence andleadership.

Be aware of road surface dangers.Asphalt roads can be very slippery especiallywhen wet. Gravel roads with large stones cancause “stone bruises”, tender footedness oryour horse to stumble. Riding on these roadsurfaces require special shoeing considera-tions.

When you choose to ride along aroadway, select one with minimum traffic lev-els, lower speed limits, good solid footing anda wide shoulder. This gives you maximumresponse time and room to maneuver whenyou need to. To make your ride as safe aspossible, remember to “be seen”, “be safe”and “be aware”.Mary is a Mounted Police insturctor and a fullyinsured ARICP certified riding instructor. Shedevotes her creative energy to developing cus-tomized training programs to improve showring performance, mount obedience anddespooking trail horses utilizing training meth-ods used in training police horses.Visit her website at www.riderselite.com

Ask Mary:I ride my horsealong the road occasionally.

How do I do this safely?

Ask Mary Mary Hamilton answersyour training questions!

(Madison, WI – September2008) The Midwest Horse Fair®,one of the top three-dayhorse fairs in America,welcomes 11-timeWomen’s Professional RodeoAssociation World ChampionCharmayne James to the 2009 event. Held inMadison, Wis. at the Alliant EnergyCenter, the Midwest HorseFair® has been growingand going strong since1979. This three-dayevent featuresnumerous worldclass equine cli-nicians, pro-vides promo-tional opportu-nities forequine-relat-ed business-es, and pro-motes theimportance ofthe equineindustry in theMidwest.

Charmayne James wonher first World ChampionBarrel Racer title at the age of14. She earned National Finals Rodeoqualifications for 19 consecutive years, begin-ning in 1984. She was National Finals Rodeo

(NFR) Average Champion seventimes, and was inducted in the National

Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas in1992.

In 1990 James became the firstMillion Dollar Cowgirl, and

holds the honor of beingthe all-time leading

money earner in bar-rel racing. James

is the holder ofmore WorldChampionshipsthan any otherwoman in pro-fessional sports.In 1996, James’h o r s e"Scamper" was

inducted into theP r o f e s s i o n a l

Rodeo Hall of Famein Colorado Springs,

Colo.Since retiring from main-

stream rodeo competitions,James has been devoting her

time to riding, training and raising hors-es at her Running Bay Ranch in Athens, Texas.She also travels around the country giving clin-

ics and making appearances at equine events,and she recently finished writing a book,Charmayne James on Barrel Racing, forWestern Horseman.

James believes that having the ability to train abroke solid horse will make for a moresuccessful barrel racer on any horse. Becauseof this belief, James incorporates horseman-ship into her clinics. She shares the knowl-edge, techniques and care that helped her tobecome a champion.

The demonstration by James at the 2009Midwest Horse Fair® will focus on barrelracing. To find out more information on James’presentation, or for a listing of other cliniciansscheduled for the three-day event, visitwww.midwesthorsefair.com.

The Midwest Horse Fair® is owned by theWisconsin State Horse Council, Inc. All pro-ceeds from the Fair are returned to the WSHCand are used to represent and foster a unifiedequine industry in Wisconsin, promote theequine through leadership, education, serviceand communication, and to take a proactiverole in the future growth and development ofthe equine industry. Please contact us viaphone at (920) 623-5515 or [email protected]

MILLION DOLLAR COWGIRL to be at 2009 Midwest Horse Fair®!


Let’s start with a simple leadchange. Your horse must have been taught torecognize your cues for a leadspecific canter departurebefore beginning the next les-son. Work in an arena or con-fined area that allows room forat least two side by side 60 to70 feet circles connected by astraight line.

Simple Lead ChangeExercise

Begin riding your60’ - 70’ circle to the left on theleft lead.As you approach themiddle of the arena and thestart of the straight line, transi-tion down to the trot Trot downthe straight line Then showyour horse you’re going to cir-cle right and cue for the rightlead.

Circle around untilyou approach the straight lineagain, transition down to thetrot and then request the leftlead again as you begin a cir-cle to the left. Repeat many times until yourhorse has learned the lesson.

Some folks use a variation of this

lesson to teachthe flying change by gradually decreas-ing the allowed trot time until the trot iseliminated.

The flying lead change is somethingall horses instinctively know how to doand you can see foals change flawless-ly while at play out in the field. But theadditional weight of a rider, poor timingin the request or other rider mistakessuch as shifting or leaning can create amyriad of problems, and may even

cause our horse to resent this maneuver. Sobefore attempting theflying change yourhorses should be famil-iar with sidepassing,traveling with haunch-es in or haunches outand able to pick upspecific lead canterdeparts from the stopwith only a few walkingsteps.

Flying Lead ChangeExerciseReturn to your two cir-cles connected by astraight line. Canterleft in the left leadaround your circle. Halthalfway down yourstraight line.Immediately sidepassa couple of steps to theleft while bending yourhorse slightly to theright. He is now in a

good frame to pick up the right lead, so applyyour diagonal aids for the right lead and useyour voice (kiss) and seat to “push” him into

theright lead.

Canter around your circleto the right. Continue half way down yourstraight center line and halt. This time side-pass to the right while bending your horseslightly to the left (setting him up for your leftlead departure), etc.

After many repetitions of theexercise you can eliminate the stop and simplyask your horse for a few (somewhat sideways)steps while cantering down the center line,changing the bend in your horse with yourreins and “pushing” leg (the leg which isrequesting the somewhat sideway movement). Then apply your opposite lead diagonal aids toaccomplish the “flying” change.

As your horse becomes better andbetter you can simply brush him with your“pushing” leg (without actually goingsomewhat sideways) before applying youropposite lead diagonal cues. The brushingbecomes a precue that you want a change.Some trainers actually use it as the sole cuefor the change.

The “counter canter” refers to ahorse traveling to the right in the left lead orvisa versa. It is deliberately requested in orderto strengthen and supple horses. It is difficultfor a horse to maintain the counter canterbecause he has to work harder. Therefore itcan also be used to encourage a horse to per-form the “flying” change because he will wantto do it anyway.

When your horse is performing atthis level, speed control also becomes easier.

Speed Control in the CanterWhen requesting a fast canter lean

slightly forward from your waist moving yourhand or hands a bit forward while pushing yourseat faster. It also helps to open up your circleand make it larger (70 feet minimum diameter).When attempting to transition to a slow canteror lope sit back a little while bringing your reinhand back ever so slightly and simultaneouslyslowing down your seat; making your circlesmaller (30 or 40 feet diameter) will also help.You can also use this slow small circle to helpdevelop collection in the canter by drivingwith your seat as you bring the circle sizedown even further. You horse will have to usehis hind end more and reach further under-neath himself.

You now have some useful informa-tion and a couple of fun exercises to help youwith your canter.

Until next time…ride safe and enjoy.

© October 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.

The Canter: AdvancingBy Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard



Question:I have a 4-year-old bay breeding stockpaint gelding. He is broke for western pleasureand does really well. His only problem is thathe completely goes crazy if I put my feet onhim for any reason. If I bump him he will justtake off running. So there is no way that I canget him to move away from the pressure I puton him w/ my feet. He will trot and canter justby clucking and kissing and he does just finethis way. As soon as I even slightly touch him

w/ my feet he will just get flus-tered and is ready to go.

He is not dangerous at alljust ready to go. He has lots ofenergy too, which I like. Hewould be an excellent barrelprospect, and I have eventhought about doing barrels w/

him, but I want him to know the dif-ference between pleasure and bar-

rels. Could you please tell me a wayto get him over him going crazy when

I put my feet on him and what is the bestway to train him so that he knows the dif-

ference between western pleasure and bar-rels?? Thank you so much, DougAnswer: It sounds like you have a horse thatis very forward and sensitive in his sides.These are not necessarily bad qualities,although very forward horses don't often makegood Western Pleasure mounts. Your horsesimply needs to be desensitized to leg pres-sure and you need to use your legs moreeffectively.

To desensitize your horse to legpressure, first make sure you keep you leg incontact with the horse's barrel all of the time,

with your legsin correct posi-tion, hangingstraight downunderneath youwith your calf incontact with thehorse's sides. It is verytempting whenriding a forwardor sensitivehorse to stiffenyour leg andhold it off thehorse's sides.This will alwaysmake a sensi-t i v e - s i d e dhorse worse.Because everytime you go touse your leg, itbecomes a bigmovement andbecause thehorse is notused to the feelof your legagainst his sideso it comes asa shock to thehorse whenyour leg comesin contact. You want to

keep what is called a "warm leg," which meansthat your calf is very close to the horse's bar-rel. To desensitize your horse to leg move-ment, keep your legs very loose and relaxedand move them slowly and gently back andforth on your horse's barrel, first at a stand stilland later at a walk. If your horse tries to pick upspeed when you do this, gently sit back andpick up on the reins to let him know that youdon't want him to go faster. Once your horse isdesensitized to the leg, you'll have to improvethe technique you are using to cue him withyour legs; my guess is that you are simplyover-cueing him. You shouldn't have to bumpto make him go, you may not even need to useyour legs at all. Instead, try cueing him withyour weight aid to go and stop, which is prob-ably all you need.

There are articles on my websiteabout how to use your aids effectively and myvideos do a great job of explaining how to useyour aids correctly. I have ridden thousands ofhorses in my lifetime, many of them very sen-sitive and forward horses. I have yet toencounter one that didn't accept leg cueswhen they are applied properly. You probablyjust need to correct your leg position and light-en up on your aids.

As for your other question, it is noteasy to use a horse for both barrels andpleasure since they are such oppositedisciplines and the talent required of the horsefor each event is much different. A horse that isgood at one, would probably not be that greatat the other. However, there is no reason thatyou can't try both and there are some horsesthat can do both disciplines quite well.

When working on your barrel train-ing, make sure that you train at slow speeds alot, working on flexing and bending the horseand strategic positioning around the turn. Onlywork at speed on occasion (this is true of train-ing any barrel horse). Another good idea anytime you are training a horse for more than onething, especially when he may be expected toact very differently in the two things, is to usedifferent training context. For example, use dif-ferent bridles for the two events and also doyour training in two separate areas. That way,the horse will learn that when he has on onebridle he is expected to do one thing and whenhe goes to a certain area, he will be trainingonly in that discipline.

Good luck to you!Julie Goodnight Trainer and Clinician

Julie Goodnight Natural HorsemanshipTrainingTM Goodnight Training Stables, Inc.TM

PO Box 397, Poncha Springs, Colorado 81242Phone: 719-530-0531 • 800-225-8827 • fax:719-530-0939www.juliegoodnight.com

Issues from the Saddle

Over-reactive to leg pressure by Julie Goodnight

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Cedar Lake Ranch, LLC, Vienna, IL.; 618-695-2600, www.cedarlakeranchllc.com

Circle B Ranch HOrse Camp, Eddyville, IL.; 618-672-4748, www.circlebranch.com

Double M Campground, Junction, IL.; 618-275-4440, www.doublemcampground.com

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Overnight Stabling34 Ranch & Camp, Herod, IL.

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

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MINNESOTATrail Rides

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

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Public LandsArrow Head State Park, Tower, MN.;

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507-324-5249Maplewood State Park, Pelican Rapids, MN.;

218-863-8383North Shore State Trail, Two Harbors, MN.;

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NORTH DAKOTATrail Rides

Badlands Trail Rides, Killdeer, ND.; 701-764-8000, www.badlandstrailrides.com

Tennessee Walking Horse Associaiton of NorthDakota Trail Ride, Grassy Butte/Turtle RiverState Park, 701-947-2190

Riding VacationsKnife River Ranch Vacations, Golden Valley,

ND.; 701-983-4290, www.kniferiverranch.com

Little Knife Outfitters, Watford City, ND.; 701-973-4331, www.littleknifeoutfitters.com

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

701-973-4331

SOUTH DAKOTATrail RidesBroken Arrow Horse Camp, Custer, SD: 605-673-4471, www.brokenarrowcampground.com Hay Creek Ranch, Nemo, SD: 605-578-1142,www.haycreekranch.net Krieger Cattle Company, Burke, SD:605-775-2113

Riding VacationsBitter Sweet Ranch and Camp, HillCity, SD: 605-574-2324, wwwbitterseetranchcamp.com

Broken Arrow Horse Camp, Custer,SD: 605-673-4471,www.brokenarrowcampground.com

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

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

Salt Camp Cabins and Bed and Breakfast,Rosebud, SD: 605-747-2206,[email protected]

WISCONSINTrail RidesBremer Creek LLD, Mondovi, WI.; 608-323-3092, www.bremercreek.com

Riding VacationsBremer Creek LLD, Mondovi, WI.;608-323-3092, www.bremercreek.com

Palmquist Farm, Brantwood, WI.;715-564-2558, www.palmquistfarm.com

Spur of the Moment Ranch,LLC,Mountain,WI.;800-644-8783. www.spurofthemomentranch.org

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

Ready to Ride GuidePage 24 MMidwest idwest HHorse orse DDigest igest October 08October 08

Betsy Berrey...continued from page 13.

For example, The Purpose of Training Levelis “To confirm that the horse’s muscles aresupple and loose and that it moves freelyforward in a clear and steady rhythm, accept-ing contact with the bit.”

The Purpose of Second Level is “To con-firm that the horse, having demonstrated that ithas achieved the thrust (pushing power)required at First Level, now shows thatthrough additional training it accepts moreweight on the hindquarters (collection), showsthe uphill tendency required at the mediumgaits and is reliably on the bit. A greaterdegree of straightness, bending, suppleness,throughness, balance and self-carriage isrequired than at first Level.”

The Purpose of Fourth Level is “To con-firm that the horse has achieved the require-ments of Third Level. These are tests of medi-um difficulty designed to confirm that the horsehas acquired a high degree of suppleness,impulsion, throughness, plus a clear uphillbalance and lightness while always remainingreliably on the bit and that his movements arestraight, energetic and cadenced with thetransitions precise and smooth.”

Here is some additional reading materialthat will help to clarify issues and answer manyquestions about dressage.

The current USEF Rule Book, DressageSection , USDF Glossary of Terms, “Riding Logic” by Wilhelm Museler , “ThePrinciples of Riding” and “AdvancedTechniques of Riding” both by the GermanNational Equestrian Federation.

There are many other books out there, butI tend to prefer the classic ones that empha-size correct basic training. Although they arenow more athletic, horses are still horses andyou can’t go wrong with the time-tested tech-niques of training.

2. Learn to ride the “simple” or “non-brilliant”movements very well.

This includes halts, rein backs, turns on thehaunches, walk pirouettes and corners. Anyhorse can learn to ride these movementsaccurately. After Training Level there are 3halts in every test. Here is a great opportunityto earn 3 high marks whatever type of horseyou have. The same is true of rein backswhich begin in Second Level. When 4 stepsback are required learn to count accurately, beprecise, and be sure that your horse isstraight. Mastering turns on the haunches,with correct bend and balance, will pre-pare your horse for walk pirouettes since theonly difference between the 2 movements issize.

As you move up the levels corners becomeincreasingly important for suppling your horseand preparing for upcoming movements. FirstLevel requires 10 meter circles so use this asa guide for how deeply you ride the cornersthroughout the test. The short side of thearena, from corner to corner, is also an idealtime to show off your horse, his outline and hisbasic gaits to the judge.

3. Ride accurately from letter to letter, withcorrect geometry and clear transitions.

The judge arrives at a score by using theformula B + C +/- M = S. This means that thejudge looks at the Basics (Rhythm,Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightnessand Collection) plus the Criteria (requirementsof that particular movement) plus or minus themodifiers (including size, accuracy, geometryand corners.) Modifiers can move the scoreup or down so they are important when ridingany test.

Be sure that you ride correct geometry onall figures and that every transition is clear andwell-marked. On a circle, whether it is 20meters or 8 meters, the horse needs to be cor-rectly bent on a curved line and the circleneeds to be round and even, not square oroval. A circle should not have straightsides so if your horse is on the track for morethan a stride or two the circle will not be accu-rate.

It is also important to know the correctdistances in the arena. All of them are meas-ured in meters and this will help you in ridingaccurately. The distance between H, G and Mfrom the end of the arena is 6 meters. Thesame is true of K, D and F. All of the otherletters are 12 meters apart. Therefore whenriding a 20 meter circle at B or E you shouldcross the centerline 2 meters inside of I and L.Drawing a diagram or walking this in an arenawill help with the geometry.

The Old Masters said “Ride your horseforward and make him straight.” Since allhorses are stiffer to one side your goal intraining is to make the horse as evenly suppleto the right and to the left as possible. Thencircles in both directions, as well as turns,loops, serpentines and lateral work will besimilar if not exactly the same.

4. Diagram the tests you plan to ride.This will help you to understand where

each movement begins and ends. There areno gray areas in a test – every stride is count-ed in one movement or another. If a problemoccurs you may be able to confine it to onemovement so it doesn’t spill into the next one.

Then you need to recover and go on! Thesame is true if you go off course. It only coststwo points but you must regain your compo-sure and ride confidently for the rest of thetest.

There are several ways to diagram the tests.You can use small drawings of the arena anddo each movement in one color per level or indifferent colors for walk trot and canter. Youcan also put diagrams of the movements in thecomment boxes on a copy of the test. This willhelp you to see that some movements arequite long as in Training Level Test 2, #2 whichgoes from the right turn at C down the longside, including a 20 meter circle at B, and con-tinues all the way to K. In the same test thereare 2 separate scores for 12 short meters ofmedium walk in movements #7 and #9.

5. Compare all your tests over a season ofcompetition. Set aside the high and low scoresand look at the ones in the middle. You willthen have a clear picture of you and yourhorse’s strengths and weaknesses. Then youcan plan future training based on past results.

Today most judges have been to the “sameschool” and are looking for very similar thingson each test. However sometimes one judgeis more bothered by seeing the nose behindthe vertical or seeing extravagant front legsthan another judge. Rides can also look quitedifferent when judged from the side, at B or E,than from C. If all of the judges came up with Identical

scores we wouldn’t need to be sure thatscores for awards came from different judges.Each one of us may see movements a little dif-ferently or emphasize certain modifiers morethan others. Therefore it is best to look at thetests which are in the middle range of scoresto see how the majority of judges viewed yourhorse and your tests. There will be generalagreement about your strengths, for examplemedium paces, and weaknesses, the transi-tions into and out of those mediums. This willbe very helpful as you work to improve yourscores and the overall picture that you presentwhen riding a test. continued on page 31


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Training horses for about as manyyears as I am old, which is a subject I won’t gointo, you get to really learn how the horsebehaves and thinks. When you train for a liv-ing, and you have done it your whole life, itbecomes instinctive to notice good behaviorand reward the horse and unwanted behavior,which you react immediately to correct. Itbecomes kind of like a built in switch, but itactually comes from years of learning andwatching, not to mention making mistakes thatoften get you hurt and not wanting to repeatthose episodes again. That quick correction iswhat appears easy for us as trainers and whatis often difficult for the average horse ownerwho doesn’t spend all day, everyday, workingwith their horse.

Something I have noticed, as thehorse industry has grown and so many newhorse enthusiasts have joined the ranks of

horse ownership, isthe undesired behavioris often overlooked ornot noticed. All thisreally is, in mostinstances, is a lack ofunderstanding horsebehavior and that is

something that can be overcome with instruc-tion and study.

Learning that the horse is a preyanimal and understanding the instinctualbehavior that is built into a prey animal is yourfirst step to becoming aware of what yourhorse is doing and why it is doing it. This canbe a hard issue to grasp if you have not beenaround horses or grown up with them. But fail-ing to grasp this concept is not only going tocause you confusion and aggravation, it canendanger both you and your horse.

When a horse learns that you arenot paying attention to or correcting the behav-ior he exhibits that should be unwanted, he willsearch for or try to become the leader. Hisbehavior, left unchecked, will get worse. Smallproblems that are ignored will build into bigproblems and often grow into dangerousbehavior. This means you are going to get hurtand your horse is probably going to get hurtalso.

I love horses and always have. Or Iwould not be doing what I do. I also gain greatenjoyment and satisfaction training and teach-ing both the horse and rider. It is a passion forme! I want to see people enjoy their horsesand learn how to handle them. It always bringsa smile to my face when I see the light bulb ofunderstanding go off and a new skill learnedand developed, whether it is in the horse, therider, or both.

In our last few articles I have talkedquite a bit about respect issues and tried toteach on some techniques you can use todevelop that respect from your horse. But onething I would like to try and convey to you is the

whole issue ofthe horses’i n s t i n c t u a lb e h a v i o r .Because youare dealingwith a preyanimal you willnever take the

flight instinct out ofthem. If you, as a horse owner, can grasp thatone bit of knowledge it will open up the door tounderstanding why it is so important that yougain the respect of your horse. Once thatknowledge is gained you are on your way tohaving a trustworthy, enjoyable horse to ride.

We often help find the right horse forpeople looking for that perfect horse. Matchinga horse and rider can be quite a feat and Ialways encourage a new horse owner to let ushelp them get used to the horse with some les-sons for both horse and rider.

All horses will test you. This againgoes back to the herd instinct. They want toknow if you are going to be the herd leader orif they have to become the leader. It is onlynatural for them to do this. So even an olderhorse will test the waters, so to speak, and seewhat you know. They are trying to find out ifyou are going to be their place of safety. Youcan become that place if you gain their respectthat is why it is so important to learn how tocorrect them. Being aware of unwanted behav-ior, and correcting it when it happens, is theonly way you will gain their respect. You can-not ignore it when they walk into your space orpush you around, so if you correct it you willfind that you are going to end up with a saferhorse and a happier horse because he thenlearns that you are his place of safety.

We will be bring you more tips onhow to gain the respect of your horse in futurearticles so don’t miss an issue.Take care, God Bless and stay safe!

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 anExtreme Trail Course to his facility. You cancontact him at 507-430-0342 or visit his web-site at www.redwoodstables.com

Understanding the Instinctual Behavior of the Horse

by Dennis Auslam


Who wasSundance?

Sundance F-500 was an Appaloosa Stallion foaled inNorthern Colorado in May, 1932 about 10miles west of Estes Park. His dam, Cheecowas a small black mustang that had beencaught wild in the Four Corners Area.

In 1931, Phil Jenkins bred Cheecoto the chestnut leopard, Daylight, son ofStarbuck Leopard. A year later, Jenkins rodeup Mt. Chiquita looking for Cheeco and founda week old colt with a snow white coat cov-ered with a thousand blood red spots. Hewas named Sundance.

Sundance displayed high intelli-gence and a gentle nature. Jenkins taughthim many tricks and he also became a usingranch horse. He could race the half milein 49.7 seconds, rope a coyote, yet wasgentle enough for a child to ride. He siredmany foals but only 13 were ever registeredwith the Appaloosa Horse Club.

Sundance was sold to JohnWhisanad and was used as a remountstallion from New Mexico to Wyoming.In 1947 or 1948, P.S. “Doc” Edwards tradedsome cattle for Sundance and his son,Woodrow Sheik, F-502. Doc was convincedto register Sundance and his son with thenew Appaloosa Horse Club. The Appaloosaas a colorful, athletic breed was littleknown then.Doc and his sons used Sundance as a stockhorse, herd sire and playmate. Of course,visitors always wanted to ride him, as thisRed leopard stallion had quite a fan club.

But the story does not end, asSundance’s progeny began many outstand-ing lines in racing (Wego Melody), English(Shavano’s Pride), western (Patchy, Jr.) andhalter (Ha-Dar Shado). In 1988, SundanceF-500 was inducted into the Appaloosa Hallof Fame.

Today, whether a Sundance blood-line horse owner, breeder or friend, the spiritof this red leopard Sundance F-500 lives onwith colorful, athletic, versatile Appaloosas.The spirit lives on in the history of theAppaloosa and in the sharing of its future.What is Sundance 500 International?

Sundance 500 Internationalis a non-profit organization which celebratingits 35th anniversary in 2008. It is the oldestby bloodline registry, to our knowledge,in the United States. Sundance 500 wasestablished to provide information, topreserve the history of the Appaloosa andSundance F-500; to continually discover andexchange ideas; and to encourage good

relations among Appaloosa clubs and friendsthroughout the world whether they own anAppaloosa or just simply love the Appaloosa.

Today, it is a worldwide organiza-tion of people who own or breed not justthe Sundance bloodline but other bloodlinesas well. It is an organization of peoplewho love the Appaloosa, whether theyown one or not, whether it is SundanceAppaloosa or not—IT IS AN APPALOOSA!

Sundance 500 assists members inmarketing and promoting their Appaloosasand provides continuing education on care(i.e. West Nile Virus), training anddevelopment of the Appaloosa throughnational and international organizations.Its newsletter contains articles of interest onthe old and present day breeders, Pedigree

articles and other items. Further, it has photocontests throughout the year for theirmembers and a yearly “Foal of the Year”contest. Sundance also publishes a StallionDirectory every other year.

Sundance 500 encouragesits member breeders to improve the qualityof their stock and provides incentivesfor each member to act in the spiritof Sundance with mutual cooperation,brotherhood and good will. For additional information you can visit ourwebsite at http://sundance500.com or fora sample of our Stallion Directory, contact theSundance Secretary at 16211 WoodvilleRoad, Brandywine, MD 20613 or [email protected]

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Julie I. Fershtman, Attorney at Lawwww.equinelaw.net

Dear Ms. Fershtman:My wife and I have a riding lesson

business. Our friend recommended that weset up a Limited Liability Company. Does thismean my wife and I can't be sued anymore?– R.M. (No state specified)

Equine businesses have everyincentive to consider establishing a corpora-tion or Limited Liability Company ("LLC")because the business entity can serve as apowerful shield against personal liability of thebusiness owners. That is, when people likeR.M. and his wife properly set up and managea business entity, such as a corporation orLLC, they typically should not be personallyliable for debts or liabilities of the business.

This protection is especially desir-able if the business runs the risk of a lawsuitthat could exceed its liability insurance limits.Because R.M., and his wife are in the ridinglesson business, they unquestionably face therisk that a student could be severely injuredand later sue the business. (In a lawsuit Iworked on nearly 12 years ago, a student fellfrom a horse and suffered a severe closedhead injury; her medical bills the first year,alone, were over $500,000.)

The problem is, R.M. believes thatpeople who set up corporate entities can neverbe sued personally. Sometimes they can.This article offers some suggestions to helpavoid this problem.How Corporate Officers and ShareholdersCould Be Personally Liable

The legal phrase "piercing the cor-porate veil" means that a court might disregardyour corporation or LLC as though it neverexisted and hold its owners or shareholderspersonally liable for the business debts or obli-gations. These issues rarely arise, but theycan happen to those who fail to take their busi-ness seriously. If R.M. merely set up a corpo-ration but continued to operate, as he hasalways done, under his personal name, withno business documentation, and with no atten-tion to detail, he is at risk.

Suggestions to Avoid Personal LiabilityHere are some measures you can

take to prevent the "piercing the corporate veil"problem from happening to you:

Get a Federal EmployerIdentification Number. A Federal EmployerIdentification Number (known as a "FEIN"or"EIN") is comparable to a Social Security num-ber. Businesses need the FEIN before theyopen a bank account, file a tax return, sendinvoices, make a tax deposit, or hire employ-ees. The Internal Revenue Service offersForm SS-4, Application for an EmployerIdentification Number, online at www.irs.gov.

Separate Banking. In the eyes ofthe law, a properly established business entity,

such as a corporation or LLC, is separate fromits owners or shareholders. Consequently, ifR.M. deposits his riding stable income directlyinto his personal bank account, rather than intoa business account first, this could be trouble.The same rule applies to expenses, such aspayments to the feed or tack store. Use busi-ness funds to make these payments, Or, doc-ument that one of the owners gave the busi-ness a loan to pay its bills. This can be donethrough a contract, such as a promissory note.My book, MORE Equine Law & Horse Sense,explains elements of these agreements.

Keep the Corporation's AccountsReasonably Funded. Keep the business bankaccount funded with reasonably sufficientfunds to meet its expected debts. R.M.'s ridingstable would be suspicious if it only maintaineda constant bank balance of $100 yet paid over$2,000 a month to lease its property.

Operate the Business Under theCorporate Name (or A Properly EstablishedAssumed Name). Businesses often operateunder names that differs from the entity'sname, such as J.M., Inc., d/b/a Ride RiteFarm. "Ride Rite Farm" is called a "fictitious"or "assumed" name. If the business entitytransacts business under an assumed name, itshould find out whether the state of the incor-poration requires an assumed name filing.States often keep these records and it canhelp prevent the problem of another businessoperating under the same name.

File Annual Reports.State govern-ments typically annual reports from the corpo-ration or LLC. Those who fail to submit oneover a designated period of time risk havingtheir corporate authority revoked.

Sign Contracts Properly. Make surethat people with whom you do business knowwhom they are dealing with. Contracts canstate, for example:

XYZ, Corp., an Ohio corporation

By: _____________________________Jane Doe, President

Stay Adequately Insured. If the busi-ness has proper liability insurance with ade-quate limits, this can significantly lessen thechance that someone will bring a "piercing thecorporate veil" challenge against the businessowners in an attempt to collect money.Consequently, people like R.M. should makesure they have proper business-related liabili-ty insurance for the business activities, notmerely a policy of homeowner's insurance.Discuss your insurance carefully with a knowl-edgeable insurance agent or lawyer.

This article does not constitute legal advice.When questions arise based on specific situa-tions, direct them to a knowledgeable attorney.

About the Author

Julie Fershtman, a lawyer for nearly 22 years,is one of the nation's most experiencedEquine Law practitioners. She has achievednumerous courtroom victories, drafted hun-dreds of contracts, and has lectured at theindustry's largest conventions. For more information, visit www.equinelaw.netand www.equinelaw.info.

Julie Fershtman's books , MORE Equine Law& Horse Sense and Equine Law & HorseSense, can help you avoid disputes. They areeasy to read and are required reading at sev-eral equine studies programs across thecountry. Order both books for $42.90, first-class shipping included. For more informa-tion, or to order, call Horses & The LawPublishing at 866-5-EQUINE. Or, send checkor money order to Horses & The LawPublishing, P.O. Box 250696 Franklin, MI48025-0696.

Questions for an Equine Law Practitioner

You Have a Corporation � Can You Be Personally Liable?


Wonderful Walden, a Pan Am DressageGold Medal winner and a top finisher in GrandPrix at the 2007 USEF Festival of Championsat Gladstone, headed for the grand prix jumperring at the North Coast Jumper Classicin Cleveland, Ohio last week. Walden andhis eleven-year dressage partner, BetsyRebar Sell, rode in FEI grand prix style aroundthe grand prix jumps for a special

exhibition at the show. Walden’s musical freestyle exhibi-

tion was to provide the spectators withanother form of equine entertainmentprior to the $50,000 Grand PrixJumping Classic. Sell and her 20 year-old Hanoverian were an immediate hitas they demonstrated upper leveldressage moves around the jumps tothe music of Led Zeppelin. Theirpiaffes, pirouettes and passagesthrilled the audience as they pranced

across the course to the lively beat of themusic.

“Walden was in his glory,” said Rebar Sell.“After a summer of R & R he was all puffed upand proud to show off what a Grand Prix dres-sage horse can do. He loved being in front ofan audience again!”

Last season, Walden, who still exhibits the

light and defiant extensions of a much youngerhorse, was impressive enough to attract a feedsponsorship from Triple Crown feed. “Waldenmaintains a regimen of Triple Crown Seniorfeed and their new product, Safe StarchForage,” said Rebar Sell. “He has neverlooked or acted better and is very ready tocompete on the 2009 Florida circuit this win-ter.”

At Dressage at Devon, Rebar Sell will teamup with her “second partner” co-owner of ShowClothes, Michele Hundt, at their mobile bou-tique. This is the first year Sho Clothes hastaken the mobile boutique to Devon. “We wantto be at the shows for every riding need ourdressage clientele may have,” enthusedHundt.

In October, the Sho Clothes mobile boutique,Hundt, Rebar Sell and Walden will head south forFlorida winter circuit again in 2009. Dressageenthusiasts in Florida can also visit the ShoClothes Sho Room in Wellington, Florida, wherephotos of Wonderful Walden and other dressagegreats line their “wall of fame.” Visitwww.shoclothes.com for more details.

20 Year Old Rocks the Jumper Crowd-

Wonderful Walden Dances With Jumps

Betsy Rebar Selland her famous

FEI dressage horse, Wonderful

Walden, thrilledthe crowds

as they exhibiedt dressage moves

around the Grand Prix jumps at the

North Coast AmericanJumper Classic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Betsy Berrey.... continured from page 25Another valuable resource is “The Winning

Edge” series of DVDs which I created alongwith Pan Am Gold Medalist Christopher Hickey.Volumes 1 and 2 cover all 18 of the 2007 USEFDressage Tests. Volume 3 focuses on theYoung Horse Tests for 5 and 6 Year Olds andVolume 4 includes the Young Rider Team Test,Prix St-Georges and Intermediaire 1. They canall be ordered easily on our website www.dressagedimensions.com

I hope this information has been interest-ing and useful. As Wilhelm Museler wrote in“Riding Logic,” 1937, “The end of all schoolingand dressage is perfect harmony between manand mount – Beauty. The horse must showthat he feels comfortable and rider must notbetray how hard it is to achieve this!”

Betsy has been a USEF Licensed DressageJudge for more than 20 years and has held aSenior License for 8 years. She has owned andcompeted a variety of warmbloods through theFEI levels, earning her Bronze and Silver Medalsalong the way. She is also an active member ofthe USDF “L” Program Faculty and its StandingCommittee. Betsy judges and teaches an aver-age of 20 weekends per year both at home inWellington FL and around the country. During thewinter show season she conducts Ride-a-TestClinics for horses and riders at all levels, carryingon a tradition that was started many years ago byone of her mentors, Edgar Hotz.

In 2006, along with trainer and FEI competi-tor Christopher Hickey, she founded DressageDimensions to provide continuing education forriders and judges. The “Winning Edge” DVDseries now has 4 volumes. Volumes 1 and 2cover all 18 of the 2007 USEF Dressage Tests,Volume 3 focuses on the 5 and 6 Year Old YoungHorse Tests and Volume 4, a 2 disc set, includesthe Young Rider Team Test, Prix St. Georges andIntermediaire 1.

“Judging is an ideal way to improve andguide our sport in the 21st Century. Dressage isalways a team effort and the sport can only flour-ish when we all come together, committed to thebest interests of our horses, their training andtheir competitive careers.”


MADISON – Lasers are changing the optionsavailable to horse owners whose animals needsurgical procedures.

“Laser surgery can not only savehorse owners money for certain procedures, itcan also be more effective than traditionalsurgery, with fewer complications,” says Dr.Sabrina Brounts, a veterinary surgeon at theUniversity of Wisconsin School of VeterinaryMedicine in Madison.

The school’s Large Animal Hospitalrecently obtained both CO2 and diode lasersurgery instrumentation in order to provideclients with new options for treatment of upperrespiratory (roarers, dorsal displacement ofthe soft palate), urogenital (uterine cysts),musculoskeletal (joint fusion), and skinproblems (tumor removal, or wounds that don’twant to close).

Dr. Brounts notes that laser surgeryis minimally invasive and does not alwaysrequire general anesthesia.

Equine Laser Surgery — 2“This means a procedure can be

performed standing, which is less risk for ahorse because recovery time is quicker,” shesays. “Sometimes a procedure can even be

done as an outpatient, where the horse comesin and goes home the same day.”

She points out that lasers seal smallblood and lymph vessels, thereby decreasingedema (or swelling) after surgery. Lasers alsoseal small nerves in the tissue, whichdecreases pain after surgery and makes thepatient more comfortable more quickly.

All of these factors mean that thereis less risk of complications, so somesurgeries that are not practical with conven-tional methods can be undertaken with laser.

For example, recently a 22-year-oldPaint horse that had developed a rapidly-grow-ing squamous cell carcinoma just below itsanus was referred to the School of VeterinaryMedicine in Madison. Traditional surgery wasnot an option because removal of the growthwould have interfered with nearby sensitivetissues. But laser surgery combined withinjected-bead chemotherapy left the horsecomfortable again and able to be ridden.

The school’s surgeons used a CO2laser to provide a precise, concentrated,high-power light source with minimal thermaldamage to surrounding tissue. CO2 laser isused primarily to remove tumors and masses

associated with the skin. “Tumors are easily removed with

the CO2 laser,” Dr. Brounts points out. “TheCO2’s beam allows tumorous tissue to beshaved away with great precision, avoidingdamage to other surrounding tissue. Thismeans there is less chance of a recurrence oftumors such as sarcoids, melanomas or fibroidpapillomas.”Equine Laser Surgery — 3

A diode laser, on the other hand,has a lower wavelength than the CO2 lasers.Its beam is transmitted through a flexible fiber,which can be passed through the biopsychannel of an endoscope or used in conjunc-tion with a laparoscope or arthroscope. It isgenerally used to treat upper respiratoryconditions such as ethmoid hematomas (nasalbleeding), soft palate problems, guttural pouchconditions, or urogenital problems such asuterine cysts.

Diode lasers can also be used tohelp fuse joints (such as the lower joints in thehock) if traditional joint injections are no longerworking. Laser treatment speeds up thefusion process, allowing the patient to findrelief from pain more quickly.

Horse owners who would like toknow if laser surgery might benefit a conditionin their horse can call the school’s LargeAnimal Hospital at 608/263-7600.

Wisconsin’s Veterinary Medical School Gets Equine Laser Surgery

B e e s d , T h eNetherlands- U.S. Four-in-HandDriving Champion,

Chester Weber,hasfinished an extraordinary strong summer cam-paign in Europe by winning the dressagephase of the World Driving Championships inBeesd, The Netherlands. Witha win and a strong marathonbehind him, Weber attackedthe last phase and won theIndividual Silver Medal. Thisis the first time an Americandriver has won an IndividualMedal with a Four-in-Hand ata World Championship.

“Winning the dressage wasvery special to me as I brokea world record in Riesenbeckand then broke my own recordat the World Championship,” saida broadly smiling Weber. “It wasgreat, I am so privileged to be ableto work with such a spectacularteam of horses and people.”

His fired up team of KWPN geldings hit theirstride in the dressage performance scoring arecord breaking 32.13 penalty points. In spiteof two heart-stopping moments when a Dutchmilitary jet flew very low over the arena twice,

Weber’s team never broke concentration. “Itsurely added impulsion and engagement tothe performance,” said Weber shaking hishead. The USEF National Champion clearlyimpressed the judges and was firmly in thelead of the provisional standings after the firstdressage day.

An elated Weber signaled out two of hishorses, “Jamaica,

my lead horse,and Para, awheel horse,worked hard allthree days. My17 year-oldJamaica getsthe MVP fromme. He hasbeen in dres-sage at fourW o r l d

Champ ionsh ipsand has two wins, onesecond and one thirdto show for it. Andthere he was, freshand bucking before

the prize ceremony on Friday!”Navigators Olof Larsson and Taren Lester

were with Weber turn for turn and step for stepthroughout the entire competition. Theirdreams were on the line as they steadied the

carriage through hazard 2, the treacherous Cturn and the deep-water hazards at 3 and 7.But once again Team Weber proved itself asynergetic engine when the clock started.

Preparing for the Marathon has become amajor part of Team Weber’s training. Koos deRonde has been an invaluable source of helpin conjunction with Michael Freund’s coachingand mentoring. Weber has clear goals for thefuture;

Two gold medals in Kentucky in 2010, teamand individual. He has two strapping four yearolds ready to take over the responsibilities ofjoining the Weber Team. Will Jamaica be ableto compete at 19? “Time will tell,” Webersmiled. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

This 2008 World Four-in-Hand DrivingChampion-ship was highly significant in thehistory of the sport of combined driving.90,000 spectators surveyed the perfectlyorganized venue during the five days ofintense competition. Weber has representedthe USA in seven Word Pair and Four-in-HandChampionships enthused, “The atmosphere inBeesd was fantastic, it was like the WorldEquestrian Games or even better!”

Driving is the oldest known competitiveequestrian sport and became an FEI disci-pline in 1970. The Four-in-Hand WorldChampion-ships are held every two years,with every second edition coinciding with theFEI World Equestrian Games.

The last World Driving Champion-ship washeld in Aachen, Germany during the 2006World Equestrian Games. Beesd proved awonderful venue for the 2008 World DrivingChampion-ships, but Chester Weber isalready looking forward to the 2010 Alltech FEIWorld Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

Weber Wins the Dressage and Culminates

With a Silver Medal at the WorldChampionships

Photo: Chester Weber shows off his winning dressage form

at the World Driving Championship in Beesd, The Netherlands.

(My Elisabeth Weber)


Middleburg, VA- This season’s besthybrid product is not a car, but it packs plentyof horsepower!L’Apogee Saddleryhas introduced ani n n o v a t i v eBareback “Saddle”that is gaining pop-ularity in a numberof applications,and for goodreason. The bare-back “saddle”designed by KittyGarrity ofL’Apogee Saddlesis really a hybrid. Itfunctions like abareback pad but has the stability of a saddle.

The comfy L’Apogee BarebackSaddle is handcrafted in Austria out of premi-um medical grade lambskin. This premiumgrade sheepskin acts as a semi-electricalconductor that increases blood circulation,which is why it is used in hospitals worldwide.For equestrians, this breathable sheepskin ispopular because it maintains and regulatestemperature. It is also very durable and can behand washed. The medical grade sheepskinalso has antibacterial properties andneutralizes acids.

Created for the comfort of bothhorse and rider, the Bareback “Saddle” is usedin training sessions on an increasing basis bymany top professionals and amateur horseowners. The Bareback Saddle has quiltedfenders that are underlined with the samemedical grade sheepskin, allowing the ridermaximum contact with the horse. Itssupportive foam lined cantle offers riders aunique back support. The L’Apogee BarebackSaddle, designed to be used with a dressagegirth, adds to the saddle’s stability and thehorse’s comfort. There are also handy “D”rings for attaching stirrup leathers. The D ringsare carefully set lower on the saddle so thereis no interference with the rider’s leg contact.

As the rider sits in the BarebackSaddle the heat generated reduces themuscle tension and heat build up in thehorse’s back, thus increasing the animal’s nor-mal blood flow. The comfort level for horse andrider is maximized, enabling the horse to bemore inclined to move freely and correctly.

The L’Apogee Bareback Saddle ispopular with competitive riders who use it toimprove their core muscle strength, balanceand contact. It is equally appreciated by trailand pleasure riders. Lightweight and easilyportable, it makes tacking up quick and easy.

The Bareback Saddle is also awonderful tool for horses who have been laidup and lost their top line muscle. At this point,their own saddles will often be ill fitting anduncomfortable. The L’Apogee BarebackSaddle allows the horse to move freely anddevelop these muscles during rehabilitation.When their top line is restored they can onceagain fit comfortably in their conventionalsaddle.

The sheepskin Bareback Saddle isalso a great benefit to therapeutic riding

schools where the comfort levelof the rider is of utmostimportance. Spinal cord injuredriders experience a reducedflow of blood in their legs.Riding in a leather or vinyl sad-dle often is very abrasive ontheir sensitive skin. But thesoftness and warmth of thesheepskin is stimulating andmakes the activity pleasant forboth horse and rider.Handicapped riders canbecome effortlessly involved inthe horse’s movements throughthe intimate contact they have

with the animal.Garrity trained with Olympic

dressage riders while she earned her Bachelorof Science degree at the University of

Massachusetts in pre-vet and equine science.After 20 years of fitting saddles for topperformance horses, Garrity launchedL’Apogee Saddlery in 2003. “It is extremelyimportant that the saddle is comfortable for therider as well as the horse,” explains Garrity.“The condition of a horse’s back is extremelyimportant. Anything less than a properly fittedsaddle will remove the horse from competitionor serious work.”

Garrity returned to her drawingboard this year and developed the L’ApogeeBareback Saddle to fill the gap betweenconventional saddles and bareback pads. Theresult is an innovative hybrid that is amuch-needed addition to the equestrianmarket. It comes in fours sizes from toddler,“Shettie” Bareback, Pony Bareback, FullBareback to Adult Bareback.For more information about the L’ApogeeBareback Saddle visitwww.LapogeeSaddles.com

Revolutionary Bareback “Saddle” Gains PopularityOctober 08October 08 MMidwest idwest HHorse orse DDigest igest Page 33

Tulsa, OklahomaThe American MiniatureHorse Registry (AMHR)National Championship Showannounced the two winningyoung authors of the YouthEssay Contest inTulsa, Oklahomathis month. The2008 winners wereKatherine Richeyand Allison Payne,each of who wasawarded a miniaturehorse for theirefforts. The YouthEssay Contest wasopen to all currentJunior Members ofthe AMHR.

In the 13to 17 age groupKatherine Richey fromMeridian, MS wrote acharming piece on whyshe would be the bestperson to win theminiature-weanling buckskin colt. Richey,already well known in her community for res-cuing animals, has decided to become a vet-erinarian. She recently lost both a mare and afoal promised to her by her aunt. This unfor-tunate event led her to write a compellingessay about why she wanted to win theweanling colt, Cross Country’s Born on theBayou.

"When I win Bayou, we will train himbe a show horse at my aunt's farm.” Richeysaid with emphasis. “One day, I hope to returnwith Bayou to AMHR Nationals.”

In strong support of the Youth EssayContest, Belinda Bagby, of Cross CountryFarm and a member of the Board of Directorsfor the ASPC, donated Cross Country’s Bornon the Bayou, a smart looking buckskin-wean-ling colt for the essay contest. Babgy hasdonated several top horses to the AMHRessay program over the past few years.

In the 12 and under age group,Allison Payne from Degraff, MN, submitted aclearly defined essay on why she very muchwanted a driving horse. Tears flowed from theeyes of the announcer, Mark Bullington, as heread her essay to the audience. Little KingFarm graciously donated a trained 5-year-oldblack driving horse, COH Baccarra Grand Prix,to the Youth Essay program.

Clutching the lead shank tightly,Payne exclaimed, “When I heard I won I washappier that I ever imagined I could be. Minishave given me happiness and opportunitiesthat I might not have otherwise had.”

The two Youth Essay winners wrotewith insight about their futures and the partthey want to play in owning and showing theirsmall charges. “The Youth Essay contest hasbecome a very special part of our program,”said Zona Schneider, Operations Director forthe AMHR. “We don’t announce the winnersright away. Instead, we have the winningessays read aloud. It is marvelous to watch thefaces of our young authors as they realize theiressay is being read and they have won.”

This year the 2008 AMHR NationalChampionship was televised for futureprogramming. “As in 2007, we again take thisopportunity to show the world how versatileand fun our miniature horses are,” said JohnnyRobb, Marketing Director for ASPC/AMHR.“Our youth essay winners really tug at yourheart strings. We are so grateful to BelindaBabgy of Cross Country Miniatures andMarianne Eberth and Robin Mingione of LittleKing Farm for their generous donation of thesequality horses.”

AMHR youth information, awards,activities and youth award applications can befound www.aspcamhryouth.com. For moreinformation about the American MiniatureHorse Registry, visit www.shetlandminiature.com.

Two Miniature Horses Awarded to Youth Essay Contest Winners at the American Miniature Horse

Registry Nationals

Photo: Youth Essay Contest winners flank The AMHR National’s Princess, Kaylee Caldwell. Katherine Richey (L) holds her precious new weanling,

Cross Country’s Born on the Bayou, and Allison Payne takes charge of her beautiful trained driving horse, COH Baccarra Grand Prix.

(Washburn Photography)


Programs announced forChicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo &Holiday Market set for November 22-23 atArlington Racecourse

Dr. Randall Raub, PhD, head ofequine research at Purina Mills’ 1,100-acre75-horse research farm, will join equine indus-try leaders in presenting programs at theHorsemen’s Council of Illinois’ newChicagoland Equestrian Lifestyle Expo &Holiday Market November 22-23 at ArlingtonPark Racecourse. Purina is a sponsor of theExpo.

In addition to giving attendees theopportunity to meet with experts, the expo willpresent “everything equestrian,” for currenthorse owners and the one in three householdswanting to own or ride a horse in the future,according to Horse Industry Alliance research. Program details – topics, presenters, times –will be available at the Expo websitewww.HorsemensCouncil.org.

“Whether you’re looking for feed,tack, togs, a barn to house them – or just agood time learning more about horses andevery aspect of the equestrian lifestyle – you’llfind it at Equestrian Lifestyle Expo,” said JoyMeierhans, manager.

“There will be great shopping on themain level of the grandstand with learningopportunities and lots of fun activities in fourseminar and game areas on the upper level,”Meierhans said. “This is ‘not your father’s’horse fair; we’re including programming youjust won’t find elsewhere,” she said.

Vendors will offer English andWestern tack, clothing for all breeds and disci-plines; feed, supplements, health care prod-ucts; facilities, equipment and stable supplies(barns, stalls, fencing, generators, waterers). Holiday gift items will include jewelry, art,books, stationery, home/barn/lounge acces-sories – even chocolates in the shape of horseheads.

Justfor the fun ofit, Expo willoffer eques-trian col-l e c t i b l e sappraisals –

paintings, prints, sculpture, figurines, etc.Presentations will be given on incorporatingyour passion for horses into home décor, thehorse in art, animal communication and more.

There also will be contests testinghorse knowledge – sort of Hippology for allages – with prizes for adults and youngsters. “In addition to the nutrition, business and train-ing educational programming at Expo, therewill be a fascinating look into the psyche ofhorse and rider,” Meierhans said. Speakerswill include animal communication practitionerAsia Voight, whose uncanny insight into whata horse is thinking amazes owners; sportspsychologist Dr. Morgan Wolin, who hashelped prominent teams and players developa winning attitude, as well as helping equestri-ans deal with mental blocks; ASID designerSusan B. Behringer, who will inspire listenerswith her “how to” presentation on incorporatingyour passion for horses into your home.

Part of Expo’s programming formatwill be seminars and roundtables – literally –where attendees can spend 20 minutes at atable with an expert before moving on to thenext table, topic and expert. Think of it asspeed dating with the pros. Subjects willinclude how to buy your first horse, draftingyour own liability release to reduce legal risk inequine activities, equine mortality and medicalinsurance, current health issues, how to man-age small acreage horse pastures and pad-docks, what to do until the vet arrives, legwrapping, how to recognize quality in selectingyoung performance horses, and many more. Arlington Park is 20 minutes northwest ofChicago's O'Hare Airport and is accessiblefrom all major expressways, interstate routesand commuter trains. It has 7,814 parkingspaces.

All tickets are $6 per day, availableon the web site or at the door.

For visitors who wish to extend theirweekend, Chicagoland has lots to see and do.Expo also has arranged preferred rates forattendees at four hotels in Arlington Heightsand adjacent Palatine: $79 at the Hotel Indigo,boutique hotel opposite Arlington Park; $69 atthe Courtyard by Marriott North; $63 atJameson Suites; and $49.99 at Red Roof Inn.

For information on Expo visitwww.HorsemensCouncil.org or call toll free1-866-384-9161. For information on exhibiting,contact Joy Meierhans at (630) 557-2575 [email protected].

Horsemen’s Council of Illinois, voiceof the horse industry in Illinois, is affiliated withthe American Horse Council and is the statewideassociation of equine organizations and individu-als working to provide centralized leadership forIllinois’ 77,000 horse owners, 213,000 horsesand its $3.8 billion industry, which providesfull-time employment for more than 15,000people.

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American Association of Equine PractitionersAAEPQuestion: There are a lot of options on themarket for probiotics/prebiotics. Ratios can beas confusing as well as the ratio for propercolonies. What should we be looking for? Also,can you give any advice in how to decipher theguaranteed analysis on the labels? (Perpound, per serving?) Can there ever beenough probiotics/prebiotics that occurs natu-rally, when fed hay year round? Or with pas-ture? There is also the additive place on hay,but I'm referring to what can occur naturally.Do probiotics really have significant regulationeffects on the PH of the gut, if so how depen-dant? Is daily fed probiotics/prebiotics some-thing beneficial inresearch or theory? Is there any researchabout feeding only in stressful situations? If itis beneficial to be fed daily, are there any neg-ative effects? What if the horse is taken off thedaily ration? What other benefits or negativeeffects can daily fed probiotics/prebiotics haveon any equine?Answer:Currently, the benefits of probiotics are theo-retical, as research has not shown any benefit.They are unlikely to cause any harm, but noblinded studies are available to prove efficacy.Although they are used extensively, in a nor-mal horse, on a normal diet, the large intestin-al tract has a very stable, healthy microflora.

Question: We own a 25-year-old Quarterhorse mare that we have had for 20 years. Shehas always been as easy keeper until thissummer when she developed problems withdiarrhea. Her diet, at the time, was about one

pound of Equine Seniorfeed pellets, good quali-ty grass hay, and 4 to 6

hours of good qualitypasture each day. When we noticed a signifi-cant weight loss, we had her vet checked andhad her teeth floated, although that did notappear to be the problem. We were told toincrease her Equine Senior and try to getsome weight gain on her before winter. Wehave had to increase her feed at an extremelyslow rate as the diarrhea worsens each timewe add too much too fast. At this time we arefeeding her four pounds of Equine Senior andhave alsoadded about a pound of plain oats and a flakeof alfalfa twice a day. Her weight has picked upsome, but she still needs to gain a good 50 to75 pounds. Our vet is concerned this may be acase of chronic diarrhea and that it might be anuphill battle that we won't be able to win. Isthere anything we can give her that will give usthe nutrition she needs without causing thediarrhea to worsen?Answer: As sensitive as your horse’s digestive tractseems, I would be concerned that she mayhave some underlying intestinal problems.Has your veterinarian done any additionaltests along with her physical exam? Is yourmare’s blood work normal, especially her totalprotein/albumin? A glucose absorption test canhelp determine if her small intestinal tract isfunctioning normally.As far as nutritional modifications that mayhelp her gain weight without the diarrheabecoming worse, it will be a trial and errorprocess. Other feedstuffs that you might tryare: soaked beet pulp, soaked haypellets/cubes and some complete feeds otherthan equine senior. Also, try adding a couple of

ounces ofcorn oil toher senior aday to pro-vide morec a l o r i e s .Make anyc h a n g e sslowly andonly one ata time todetermine ifher diges-tive tract ist o l e r a t i n gthe change.

Question:My 18-month-o ldstud colthas devel-oped slob-ber due tow h i t eclover. Thisstarted thethird weeko fSeptember.He showedno sign in

spring or summer in the same pasture. Westalled for 24 hours and mowed the pastureproblem went a way for three days, now itsback. Can this be passed down geneticallyto his offspring? Is their any other healthissues this can lead too such as dehydration,stomach or breathing issues?

Answer: “Slobbers” is caused by a mold on the cloverand is unrelated to the genetics of your stal-lion. Under certain environmental conditions,usually warm and moist (lots of dew), the moldcan develop. Mowing the pasture allows thepasture to dry out and reduces the risk of themold; however, this may not be totally suc-cessful, especially if the pasture is rapidlygrowing with plenty of moisture present. If thesalivation is excessive, dehydration and elec-trolyte disturbances can occur; therefore, keepthe stallion of the pasture anytime symptomsre-appear.

Question: My horses have at least 4 hours ofgrazing, 3 to 4 flakes of hay daily and a 1/2scoop of grain. I feel the grain is over done,however, they are waiting at the barn, starv-ing...they have pasture during that time buttheystill leave the pasture to wait at the barn forgrain. Is this any indication that they need orwant the grain? My vet says they look good,says they are healthy, and that they look betterthan most around here, claiming most horsesare a little "ribby", on the thin side. I give a 12percent pellet in the summer, and during thewinter I give a 10 percent (or less) sweet feedand feed timothy hay morning. I will feed anorchard grass and grass hay during theevenings. Do you think I should cut back to aless protein percent? I am so confused as Iwas told by a trainer that my horses should notget grain at all. I ride pleasure 3 to 4 timesweekly and compete about three times amonth. When our other pasture is establishedI will let them graze more. I still feed the samegrain, but I do increase to a full scoop duringthe winter.Answer: All horse diets should be composed of asmuch roughage (hay and pasture) as possible.If you have enough roughage of adequatequality, they can eat 100 percent roughagewithout any grain. An appropriate tracemineral salt should be given free choice.However, if not enough roughage is available,or the horses are using more calories than theroughage provides, grain will be needed.Always adjust your feeding program to keepyour horse at a body condition score (BCS) ofabout 5/9 (can easily feel ribs, but not seeribs). Since it sounds like your horses aredoing fine as confirmed by your veterinarian, Iwould continue your feeding program.

Question: Have there been any studies todetermine how much an average horseconsumes on pasture in an hour. My horsesare out on pasture for about 8 hours a day andI'd like to know how many "flakes of hay"they're consuming. The pasture is about 30acres and has decent grass, so using muzzlesand monitoring safety is almost impossible.


Ask The Vet: Nutrition

If I knew a consumption rate, I could ration pas-ture time accordingly.

Answer:I’m not aware of any studies that determinehow much a horse can consume in 8 hours onpasture. Also, factors can affect the amountconsumed, such as what forages are available,and what is the maturity of the forage.Monitoring your horses’ body condition scores(BCS) is the best way to determine if your hors-es are receiving adequate pasture or if the pas-ture time should be changed.

Question: I was given a gorgeous registered19-year-old Morgan broodmare. She and her3rd (and last) foal will be weaned sometimemid-Oct. at which point she will be moved toanother location. She has a problem with herhind legs that was diagnosed as "DSLD"although she doesn't seem that uncomfortable.SinceI am a "first time owner" I want to give her thebest care I can without totally breaking thebank. She is currently on "Demand" and a vita-min supplement. What would you suggest asfeed and something to ease her discomfortwithout filling her full of alot of different supple-ments/pills, etc., for a 'retired' broodmare with acondition such as this? If I ride her at all, it willbe briefly using a bareback pad. She will havelots of pasture to walk in.

Answer:The best thing for your new mare is to keep herat a body condition score of about 5/9 whereyou can easily feel the ribs, but not see them.Just as in people, excessive weight puts exces-sive stress on joints, tendons and ligaments.Also, keep the mare’s feet trimmed to preventexcessively long feet increasing stress on herlegs. If the mare becomes uncomfortable, con-sult with your veterinarian to determine if painmedications may help relieve her discomfort.There are no supplements that will slow theprogression of the mare’s DSLD.

American Association of Equine Practitioners4075 Iron Works ParkwayLexington, KY 40511Phone: 859-233-0147 Fax: 859-233-1968 | e-mail:[email protected]

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MMidwest idwest HHorse orse DDigest igest October 08October 08R

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ADVERTISERS INDEXAgstar page 6Arena Fenceline-Service Equipment page 13Arena Trailers page 51Ark Agency page 17Black Hills Horse Properties page 38Bob Jeffreys/Suzanne Shepard page 20Cannon Falls Trailer Sales page 2Cleary Buildings page 18Dennis Auslam - Rewood Stables page 28Denny’s Trailer Sales page 9Federated Coop page 11Grassland Solutions page 33Holiday Horse Market page 15Horse Digests.com page 34, 35Horse Sense Radio page 40Horseware Ireland page 22 & 23I90 Expo Center page 19J&B Western Store page 15Julie Goodnight page 21Ken McNabb page 14Krebsbach Performance Horses page 37Lazy L Trailers page 30Lynn Palm page 16

Minnesota Equifest page 3Minnesota Horse Council page 18 & 39 MN School Of Horse Shoeing page 28More Custom Leather page 37Northland Buildings page 12Palma Feed page 37Pleasant Hills page 25, 37Rosebud Productions page 37R.T. Duggan page 37Roger Berg page 37Schatzlein Saddle Shop page 24Simon Arena/Twin Cities Horse Sale page 27Stable Pros page 37SM Iron page 37The Natural Gait page 33The Jug Waterer page 17Triple Crown Custom page 7Twin Cities Featherlite page 43United Vet Equine page 29UBRA page 26, 44Wade Scott, Farm Bureau Insurance page 38Wehr's Chevrolet page 29Westwind Shelters page 31William Woods University page 31

Place your real estate property here for as little

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10/2/08 - WI, Balsam Lake - “Barrel, GameShow “ United Barrel Racing Association -JJ Arena Fun Show & UBRA Barrel Race -(715) 857-5505 - [email protected]

10/3-10/5 - SD, Huron - “Barrel, Futurity ““Northern Region Futurities, United BarrelRacing Association “ - 10th Annual Bold HeartFuturity, Derby, Breeder’s & Open Barrel Race- (605) 543-5797 - Added Money: $15000 - [email protected]

10/4-10/5 - NE, Fremont - Barrel - Purina MillsSaddle Series - (712) 545-9152

10/5/08 - 9:00 - MN, Lindstrom - Horse Show OPEN FUN SHOW - (651) 257-4642

10/10-10/12 - CO, Loveland - “Barrel, FuturitySpin 3 A Mile Hi $5,000 Added Futurity $1,000Added Derby - (720) 530-4159 [email protected]

10/10-10/12 - MN, Verndale - “Barrel, Sales,Spectator Events” - United Barrel RacingAssoc. UBRA World Finale $5,000 AddedMin. Open, Futurity & Youth Weekend Awards.(715) 857-6343 - Added Money: $5000 [email protected]”

10/10-10/12 - NE, Lincoln - Barrel Double BProductions - Petrol Jeans Barrel Bash - (641)743-8223 - [email protected]

10/11/08 - Showtime Arena, LLC, HalloweenOpen Horse Show, Deerfield, WI 53531, 3845Oak Park Road, 608-764-5555 - [email protected]

10/11-10/12 - MN, Verndale - “Barrel, Futurity,Sales, Spectator Events “ - “Northern RegionFuturities, United Barrel Racing Association “JJ Classic Futurity and Derby w/ Breeder’sIncentive. $2,000 Added Futurity $1,000Added Derby + $7,000+ JJBI - (715) 857-6343- Added Money: $3000 - [email protected]”

10/16/08 - WI, Balsam Lake - “Barrel, GameShow United Barrel Racing Association - JJArena Fun Show & UBRA Barrel Race - (715)857-5505 - [email protected]

10/17/08 - Showtime Arena, LLC, Friday NightFun Show, Deerfield, WI 53531, 3845 OakPark Road, 608-764-5555 - [email protected]

10/17-10/19 - MN, Fergus Falls - “Barrel,Futurity “ $8000 Total added money PLUSMCA Incentive Money for eligible futurity hors-es.(701) 541-3930 - [email protected]

10/18/08 - Showtime Arena, LLC, Barrel

Racing & Pole Bending Series, Deerfield, WI 53531, 3845 Oak Park Road, 608-764-5555 - [email protected]

10/19/08 - Showtime Arena, LLC, BarrelRacing & Pole Bending Series, Deerfield, WI53531, 3845 Oak Park Road, 608-764-5555 - [email protected]

10/26/08 -Showtime Arena, LLC, Team ShowCometition, Deerfield, WI 53531, 3845 OakPark Road, 608-764-5555 - [email protected]

10/28/08 - Showtime Arena, LLC, HolloweenOpen Horse Show, Deerfield, WI 53531, 3845Oak Park Road, 608-764-5555 - [email protected]

10/18-10/19 - NE, Fremont - Barrel - PurinaMills Saddle Series - (712) 545-9152

10/18/08 - MN, Brook Park - Roping, TeamRoping /Breakaway Roping - Enter at 8:30 am,Rope at 9:00 am. Buckles will be awarded atEACH roping for the 1st place winner of theLadies Breakaway Jackpot. A saddle will bepresented to the winner of the LadiesBreakaway Series! - (763) 258-4815

10/21 - MN, Stillwater - Friesians/CrossbredsInspection - Contact: Sandra Adams, 651-491-5378

10/24-10/26 - MN, Sherburn - Barrel Double BProductions - Petrol Jeans Barrel Bash - (641)743-8223 - [email protected]

10/25-10/26 - SD, Platte - “Barrel, Futurity ““Northern Region Futurities, United BarrelRacing Association “ - Heartland Futurity &Derby $500 Added Futurity $500 Added Derby- (605) 796-4618 - [email protected]

10/25/08 - 9:45 - WI, Balsam Lake - Barrel,Game Show- United Barrel Racing AssociationJJ Arena Fun Show & UBRA Barrel Race -Always the last Saturday of the month! - (715)857-5505 - [email protected]

10/31-11/2 - MO, Carthage - Barrel - Double BProductions - Petrol Jeans Barrel Bash - (641)743-8223 - [email protected]

10/31-11/2 - MN, Fergus Falls - “Barrel,Futurity, Sales, Spectator Events” - “NorthernRegion Futurities, United Barrel RacingAssociation “ “” 2008 NRF Tour Finals.Open to ALL NRF TOUR HORSES. $$$$ &AWARDS - (715) 857-6343 - Added Money:$2500 - [email protected]

10/31-11/2- MN, Fergus Falls - Barrel, FuturityUnited Barrel Racing Association - UBRA Tour- ADDED $$$ & CLEAN SLATE WEEKENDAWARDS. Open 4Ds, Youth, 2D Futurity,PeeWee - (715) 857-6343 - [email protected]

11/1/2008 -Fergus Falls, MN - Barrel, Futurity Northern Region Futurities, United BarrelRacing Association - $6,550 Hiro EnergyChallenge SLOT RACES. $4750 Purse OPEN2D HALF SECOND. $250 ef. 25 slots. $1800Purse YOUTH 2D Half Sec. $150 ef. 15 slots.- (715) 857-6343 - [email protected]

11/1/2008 - WI,Balsam Lake-Auction, Farm &Equip Auction, Horse Sale & Auction, Sales -JJ Arena Select Horse Sale ~ Hay, New &Used Tack & Equipment Auction - (320) 237-3831 - [email protected]

11/4/2008 - IA, Greenfield - Barrel Double BProductions -EXHIBITIONS 7:30 $3 EACH OR2/$5 OPEN 3D JACKPOT 8 PM ENTRY FEE$20 AWARDS FEE 1X PER HORSE/RIDERFOR SERIES $10 AWARDS FOR 1ST AND2ND EACH DIV 1D-2D-3D POINTS 5-1 EACHDIV-(641)743-8223 - [email protected]

11/8-11/9- NE, Fremont-Barrel -Purina MillsSaddle Series - (712) 545-9152

11/11/2008 - IA, Greenfield - Barrel Double BProductions - EXHIBITIONS 7:30 $3 EACHOR 2/$5 OPEN 3D JACKPOT 8 PM ENTRYFEE $20 AWARDS FEE 1X PERHORSE/RIDER FOR SERIES $10 AWARDSFOR 1ST AND 2ND EACH DIV 1D-2D-3DPOINTS 5-1 EACH DIV - (641) 743-8223 - [email protected]

11/14-11/15 - IA, Greenfield - Barrel Double BProductions - Fall POWER BARRELS BarrelJackpot (14th exhibitions 7:15 pm Jackpot 8pm) (15th exhibitions 9:30 am Jackpot 10 am)Open $15 ef youth 3D $10 ef. Power Barrels$600 added sidepot $20 641-743-8223 call before you haul! -

(641) 743-8223 - [email protected]

11/15-11/16 - NE, Fremont- Barrel OnLine Flyer ~ Purina Mills Saddle Series -(712) 545-9152

UPCOMING EVENTS


President Bush signed into law the EconomicStimulus Act on February 13. The bill isintended to provide a jump-start to the laggingU.S. economy.

“The new law includes two tax incentivesthat would allow a much bigger write-off forhorses and other depreciable property pur-chased and placed in service during 2008,”said Jay Hickey, President of the AmericanHorse Council. “This should provide an addi-tional incentive for people to invest in morehorses for racing, showing and breeding aspart of their business activities.”

The first incentive would increase the so-called Section 179 expensing allowance forhorses purchased and placed into service in2008 from $128,000 to $250,000. Thisexpensing allowance also applies to farmequipment and most other depreciable prop-erty. Once total purchases of horses, andother eligible depreciable property, during2008 reach $800,000, the expense allowancegoes down one dollar for each dollar spent oneligible property over $800,000.

“The horse industry almost lost the Section179 expense deduction in 1996. The House ofRepresentatives passed legislation taking thisdeduction away from the horse industry,” saidHickey. “But we were able to convince theSenate to remove this restriction before pass-ing the final bill and the deduction was pre-served. It was worth $17,500 then. Over theyears it has been increased and will now goup to $250,000 for 2008. That is a real benefitto horse owners.”

To illustrate the expensing allowance,assume a horse business purchases$750,000 of depreciable property in 2008,including $650,000 for horses. That businesscan write off $250,000 on its 2008 tax returnand depreciate the balance. If instead, pur-chases were $900,000, the expenseallowance would go down by $100,000. Ineither case, the amount of the purchases notexpensed may also be eligible for bonusdepreciation, which is reinstated for 2008 inthe new tax stimulus package.

Spirit Industries, Inc. recently intro-duced HayRak™, the first fully modular haytransport and storage system. Featuresinclude powder coated all-aluminum con-struction, fully modular design, 9 sizes tochoose from utilizing aflexible telescopingdesign that fits vir-tually every makeof horse trailer fortransporting hay,generators, watertanks or any itemsneeding transport.

Founderand developer Dr.Dan Mefford said,“We found thebiggest challenge thus far not to be the devel-opment of an affordable hay rack, but ratherdesigning the components so that they couldbe easily assembled with no welding by any-one who is handy with common tools such asa drill a few wrenches and measuring tape.The second challenge was to come up with adesign that would incorporate special featuressuch as our Universal Mounting System,which will allow the HayRak™ to fit manybrands of trailers.” Some of the features wedeemed as essential to our design include thefollowing: Superior Engineering and Design - Whatmakes the storage system different is itsUniversal Mounting System design. The keycomponents are constructed of high temper,aluminum alloys. The original mounting sys-tem design provides the flexibility that allows itto telescope to fit any width trailer from 6 feetto 8 feet 2 inches (98”), and sizes in between.At the request of customers, the system cannow extend to 103” to fit the largest trailers onthe road today. All components attach to anextruded aluminum T-Slot Track system, mak-ing it easy to assemble, adjust and add onadditional components as you need them,without any welding. Today's modern trailers

are built withstrong walls, butthe roofs usuallyare not built to

withstand more than normal snow loads andlightweight people occasionally moving abouton them. The system is mounted on the sidesof the trailer, thus transferring weight-bearingloads to the sidewalls – off the roof. This

design provides the strength to safe-ly transport essential supplies andextra cargo on top of the trailer,adding much needed cargocapacity. Flexibility - HayRak’s™ goal is tomake it easy, safe and economicalto transport all essential suppliesincluding, bulky, unwieldy, ormessy items on the roof of yourtrailer , such as:Feed – transport your own feed by

storing it on top of your trailer inHayRak™, gaining you the security of knowingwhat’s in your hay and where it was grown. Generator – store your generator on top ofyour trailer and out of the way until needed.

Water – store additional water ontop of your trailer. CAUTION: we advise toalways check for trailer’s specifications andweight limitations before storing water..Uncompromising Value:- HayRak™ providesa distinct value to the customer because youselect the size you need to meet your exacttransport requirements. Every HayRak™comes with an all-aluminum fold-out ladder kit,for safety while climbing. A customized lad-der is available. Spirit Industries, Inc. is a privately held corporationthat was founded to produce the HayRak™ andother options that were envisioned by the founders.It was determined that it would be developed with val-ues determined by the Biblical principal of the“Golden Rule,” “do unto others as you would havethem do unto you” as well as “The Code of the West”.The daily operations are to be conducted accordingto these standards.For more information, call toll free: 1-866-926-1117,

email at [email protected] or visit their web site atwww.hayrak.com. Spirit Industries, PO Box 7,Pittsfield, IL 62363.

Spirit Industries, Inc. Announces Availability of HayRak™ Modular Transport System

Take advantage of theBenefits in the EconomicStimulus Act for Horse

Industry

Don’t forget to visit us online!

www.horsedigests.com


Classifieds PRODUCTSConchos - Horse Hair Tassels - Bling forShows Parades and Everyday Riding. 503-630-3744 [email protected] Designer Beaded cable showhalters XS mini - Large Horse sizes.www.picturetrail.com/qsmom 417 548 0055email [email protected]

FOR SALE08 Zippo Pine Bar X Rugged Lark, $900.00 Bay colt with a star & snip.Incentive FundEligable. Very correct conformation and adisposition that one cant beat. Saxon, WI5 4 5 5 9 - 7 1 5 - 8 9 3 - 2 3 0 1 ,[email protected]

Stunning Pinto Miniature Gelding,$2,000.00. 6yr old, Pinto (Chocolate(black)and White) even color. He is currently beingstarted in the cart, [email protected]

Sport Horse Prospect! $7,500.00. General Xenophon has fantastic movement,well bred, & willing to please. He will be per-fect as a top show competator. [email protected].

Homoz Black Appaloosa Extreme CurlyColt with Blue eyes ! WOW $2,500.00 houldget up to 15H, ties, leads, loads, ok feet, nicefellow and something your not going see justevery day. [email protected]

CC EVER DREAMIN , 99.6% Arabian, RareBlack&White Pintabian Mare. Dreamer is arare black & white Pintabian mare who hasgreat ENDURANCE/SPORT HORSE poten-tial. 701-859-3221, [email protected]

Flashy, Friesian/Thoroughbred Mare byNero - Started Riding & Driving! Nala Rox:born 9/24/02 Friesian/Thoroughbred Maresired by Nero. Solid Black - no white.320-272-4099, [email protected]

Black straight egyptian mare - $3,500.00

beautiful, 14.3h, has produce 4 black fillies ina row for me. Easy breeder, no foaling prob-lems. Thee Desperado grandaughter, withclose lines to Alidaar on sire side. Triple*Anstata Ibn Halima on dams side. 913-579-6276 email: [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]

Wonderful Brood Mare, and lightlyUndersaddle.Grey Lady is a wonderfulBroodmare, she is registered AmericanSaddlebred, who is started lightly undersad-dle, walk/trot/canter, with quick solid whoas.586-784-4368, [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]

STALLIONSCAZAR Bay PRE Andalusian 16.1 byIndiano XVIII. Cazar is Benitez/Guardiolabreeding , has many foals of all colors. Verysweet, Champion Halter & Preformance. Studfee's $2,000 andalusian $1,000 other. 360-273- 6849, [email protected]

Magnificent Friesian Stallion for Stud -Hannibal of Valhalla. Hannibal is a 2002Friesian stallion born of KFPS Dutch ApprovedStallion Sibald 380. [email protected]! Exotic, tall & stretchy, with trot!Intro stud fee for 2008. Sweepstakesnom.Spotz Sensation is a gorgeous black &white tobiano stallion. [email protected]

Homozygous! The Color of Fame son whocan trot! He is a direct son of the nationallyknown stallion, The Color of Fame. 715-210-5371 [email protected]

Dakota Gambler Rare Black and WhitePintabian At Stud: Proven 99.6% PurebredArabian. Athletic, Correct, Beauty, Elegance,Kind disposition with awesome movement.Registration Numbers: 320-283-5933, [email protected]

Classic Champagne 1/2 Friesian 1/2 ASB ,UKIAH. 2008 introductory fee is $500 toapproved mares. [email protected]

Pure Friesian "ROEK" 2nd Premie Stallion.ROEK has a great pedigree, to match hisgreat intelligence, temperament, andCHARISMA. 218-780-7064,[email protected].

WEBSITE AND GRAPIC DESIGNProfessional Website and Ad Design.Rosebud Productions. [email protected]

Visit us online at WWW.HORSEDIGESTS.COM for even more info, photo classi-fieds, community events,trainingvideos and more coming all the time.....WWee hhaavvee mmaannyy ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess ffoorr yyoouuttoo pprroommoottee yyoouurr eeqquuiinnee rreellaatteedd

bbuussiinneessss oonnlliinnee oorr iinn pprriinntt!!FFOORR MMOORREE IINNFFOORRMMAATTIIOONN CCAALLLL::Mark or Peg Bahls at 507-943-3355 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Call Andrea Jo Kroeningat 952-237-5311Email: [email protected]

In either case, the amount of the purchases notexpensed may also be eligible for bonus depre-ciation, which is reinstated for 2008 in the newtax stimulus package.

The second incentive brings back 50% first-year bonus depreciation for horses and mostother depreciable property purchased andplaced in service during 2008. “Bonus depreci-ation was first passed in 2002 as a way to stim-ulate the economy. It phased out at the end of2004,” noted Hickey. “It was a benefit for theindustry then and it should be again.” It doesnot apply to property that has a depreciationlife of over 20 years.

Also, as was the case when bonus depreci-ation was available in 2003 and 2004, the prop-erty must be new, meaning that the original useof the horse or other property must begin withthe purchaser for the property to be eligible.“Original use” means the first use to which theproperty is put, whether or not that use corre-sponds to the use of the property by the pur-chaser. “There is no limit on the amount ofbonus depreciation that can be taken, as thereis with the expense deduction,” noted Hickey.

To illustrate bonus depreciation, assume thatin 2008 a business pays $500,000 for a colt tobe used for racing and $50,000 for other depre-ciable property, bringing total purchases to$550,000. The young colt had never beenraced or used for any other purpose before thepurchase. The business would be able toexpense $250,000, deduct another $150,000of bonus depreciation (50% of the $300,000remaining balance), and take regular deprecia-tion on the $150,000 balance.

As the national association representing allsegments of the horse industry in Washington,D.C., the American Horse Council works dailyto represent equine interests and opportunities.Organized in 1969, the AHC promotes and pro-tects the industry by communicating withCongress, federal agencies, the media and theindustry on behalf of all horse related interestseach and every day.



Sport Horse Prospect! Price:$7,500.00 -General Xenophon hasfantastic movement, wellbred, & willing to please.He will be perfect as atop show [email protected].

Homoz Black Appaloosa Extreme Curly Coltwith Blue eyes ! WOW$2,500.00 Should getup to 15H, ties, leads,loads, ok feet, nice fel-low509-218-7811

[email protected]

L’Chaim Chandra - Cr Sertticied x Brandy BGoode - Bay overo pinto mare, 15.1H, 8 yrs.trained western: Arab/Paint cross, level headed,sweet dispositionsporthorse potential. 262-782-7198

L’Chaim Jabez - 2003 Bay Morab gelding13.2 H green broke, quietunder saddle: $950 OBO,imprinted, very peopleoreinted.262-782-7198

LC Seraph Danecer - Secretariat granddaughtersolid mare, 5yrs. 15.1H, by Man O’ Peace JCout of chestnut overoPaint mare: green brokegoing well under sad-dle, sporthorse poten-teal, athletic, quicklearner. $2800 262-782-7198

For Sale

Professional GraphicDesign and WebsiteDesign - Ad design,website design, cus-tome logos, brochures,newsletters, [email protected]

Equine Appraisals, Horse Show Judge,Rehabilitation TherapistQuail Ridge Equine UnlimitedLynette SchneiderP.O. Box 24367Belleville, IL 62223Phone: 618-979-3192

[email protected]

Services and Products

More Photo Classifieds online at www.horsedigests.com

For a limited time you can place youphoto classified online and receive a

free print photo classified for one month.

Nanning 374 - IALHA Stallion Auctionexquisite bloodlines and arecord of producing thehighest quality offspring.888-838-0877

[email protected] pictures online atwww.horsedigests.com

Ironman - $1,500.00 - Oldenburg One the most versatileSporthorse sires in theU.S.17 Hand Oldenburgstallion with a world classpedigree262-707-8408

[email protected]

Stallions and Stallion Auctions Visit us online for morephoto classifieds and view

our flipbook magazinearchives

We invite you to view our flipbookmagazine online. Every issue is archivedonline and you can veiw it in a flip throughmagazine format. Just go towww.horsedigests.com and click on digests.

You will find more photo classifiedsfor Horses for Sale, Stallions, EquineProducts and Services and many othercategories. Traffic is growing every day so besure to place your classified there today.

Have an event, put it online in ourevent section!

Horsedigests.com is NOW addingmore articles online and training video too!You will want to bookmark our site so youcan go back regularly to read more articlesand we will soon be offering training videosright online.

Right now you will find articles fromLynn Palm and Craig Cameron!

We are excited to be able to bringthis service to the equine community andhope you enjoy the website along with eachand every issue of the magazine, whetheryou view it online or in print.

If you are an association you willwant to check out our Breed AssoicationAfflilation Program. Just register yourassoiciation, it’s free, promote it to yourmembers to use www.horsedigests.com fortheir advertising needs and make money foryour association. For details click on AffiliateProgram and see how you can earn cash foryour association.

Bold Heart PFBaltic, SD

BoldHeartInc.com

Northern LightsFuturity & Derby

Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaNLFuturity.com

MBRA FuturityVerndal, MN

MBRA Futurity

Bold Heart FuturityHuron, SD

BoldHeartInc.com

JJ Classic Futurity & Derby

Hinckley, MNJJClassic.com

S.D. HeartlandFuturity & Derby

Platte, SDS.D. Heartland

NRF Tour FinalsFergus Falls, MN

NRFTour.com

Contact usto have your

futurity listed here!!!

Northern RegionFuturity Tour

960 Bunyan Ave. Balsam Lake, WI 54810

[email protected](715) 857-6343

Oct 31-Nov 2, 2008 Fergus Falls, MN

Join us at the 2008 Northern Region Futurity Tour Finals

Red Horse Ranch Arena Hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls will be competing for thousands of dollars

in cash and prizes. Come out and enjoy the show, festivities and vendors. Businesses are invited to advertise in the printed programs and/or set up

booths at the event. Advertising will reach millions via print, online, email and event promotions. There will be a barn (120x120) for vendors as well as a

few arena side booths. Booths may include sportsman, craft/home goods,Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware, etc. Non-profit organizations are welcomed to set up tables for bake sales, fundraising, Girl Scout cookies, etc (contact for

special rate). Please, no flea market/garage sale items. Luck Saddlery & Outfitters is the exclusive tack & western store for the event.

Friday night we will be encouraging riders to dress in Black, Purple and Orange or wear costumes. There will bea Trick or Treat line for the kids. We are looking for an organization/group to set up a “Haunted House” to be open Friday-Sunday. Other activities include kids boot races, dog races, slot races,

apple bob and more. We look forward to seeing you there! Event Contact: Jessica Beauvais [email protected] 715-857-6343

Websites: www.NRFTour.com and www.UBRA.org

Friday October 31stABSOLUTLEY NO arrivals before 1:00. There will be no open arena time. 2:00 Office Opens 3:00-5:00 pm 30 Min. Warm-Ups $10 each5:00-6:30 pm Exhibitions $4 or 3/$10 5:00-6:30 NRF Tour check in7:00 pm Youth 4D: UBRA Division & Weekend Awards Open 4D: UBRA sidepot $750 Added, Division & Weekend Awards 2D Futurity Sidepot: UBRA Division & Weekend Awards

Saturday November 1st7:00-8:00 am 30 Min. Warm-Ups $10 each 8:00-9:30 am Exhibitions $4 or 3/$10 8:00-9:00 am NRF Tour check in 10:00 NRF Tour Finals $5,000 Added Futurity 1st Go followed by $2,500 Added Derby 1st Go Noon Silent Auction Opens 12:30 (not before) PeeWee 10 & Under PrizesYouth 4D: UBRA Division & Weekend Awards 1st Open 4D: UBRA sidepot $1,000 Added, Division & Weekend Awards 2D Futurity Sidepot: UBRA Division & Weekend Awards 2nd Open 4D: UBRA sidepot $250 Added, Division & Weekend Awards 7:00 pm Hiro Energy Challenge Fun Night Youth & Open Slot Races $6,550 Purse2008 NRF Tour Awards presentation Silent Auction Closes. Kids Boot Race, Calcutta & Dog Races

Sunday November 2nd8:00-8:30 am 30 Min. Warm-Ups 9:00 NRF Tour Finals $5,000 Added Futurity 2nd Go followed by $2,500 Added Derby 2nd Go 2008 NRF Tour Finals Awards Presentation (15. min. after Derby) 11:00 (not before) Youth 4D: UBRA Division & Weekend Awards Open 4D: UBRA sidepot $500 Added, Division & Weekend Awards 2D Futurity Sidepot: UBRA Division & Weekend Awards

FRIDAY NIGHT:Wear Orange, Purple or Black or costumes. Adults - bring candy

for Trick or Treat line.

Event Contact: Jessica Beauvais [email protected] 715-857-6343 Websites: www.NRFTour.com and www.UBRA.org

MIdwest Horse Digest October 2008

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Transcript of MIdwest Horse Digest October 2008