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HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 3

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To find a Purina dealer near you, visit: horse.purinamills.com Steinhauser’s

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 5

August 2014

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

A Solution For Large Animal Rescues

ick up any paper or scan the days news and you will find some natural or man-made disaster in your community. Add in the animal component and you are likely to find an incident involving a horse. We By Jonna Johnson all pray it will never be our horse, however chances are if you are a rider, owner, facility manager, or even John Q Public, you may one day find yourself in the middle of some type of emergency involving a horse. At that point you will probably pick up the phone and call 911 or a veterinarian, depending on the situation. As the general public we all assume that the help we need will show up, and magically save the day. After all that is their job and they are trained, right? Unfortunately many fire departments, law enforcement agencies, rescue units, animal control agencies, veterinarians, industry professionals and owners do not know how to safely and successfully rescue large animals from life threatening situations. Most emergency services responders see a horse as merely personal property that is not worth risking life or limb to rescue, contrary to the majority of the horse community - who see the horse as a member of the family or a livelihood, and are willing to risk their lives to save it. As a whole, emergency services are the responders that have received specialized training in the technical aspects of incident management, rope rescue, fire suppression, vehicle extrication, crowd and traffic control, etc. in rescue operations , but are unfamiliar with horse behavior, handling, and personal safety and containment considerations when encountering a horse in an emergency incident. On the other side of the rescue effort is the equine community who may have the education, knowledge and experience in equine behavior, handling, restraint, confinement, and can adhere to personal safety considerations when dealing with a horse but are lacking in the technical rescue training. There is an inherent need for training in technical large animal emergency rescue. With an equine industry that is increasing in numbers in the more populated areas as people move closer in towards the cities, or perhaps the cities are moving closer to them, the need for cross-training between emergency services responders, veterinarians, industry professionals and private owners has become increasingly evident with increasing numbers of equine related incidents reported in the media . Some of these were spectacularly successful, others were miserable failures. Standardization of equipment and training within the fire service hopes to improve the statistics. (cont. on page 32)

On the Cover:

Where have all the Cowboys gone?

6 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

Cover Story:

20 Where have all the Cowboys Gone? - J. Bryan Wasson

Features:

28 Veteran Mentors Program - Steven Long

Lifestyle & Real Estate: 26 In the Spirit of the Cowboy - Mary Ann Golden 34 Real Estate Roundup 36 Tips for Buying Ranch Property - Sue Durio

Columns: 8 Horse Bites 14 Natural Horsemanship - Pat Parelli with Steven Long 16 Tack Talk - Lew Pewterbaugh 42 On the English Front - Cathy Strobel 44 Hooves N’ Horses - Jaime Jackson 50 Cowboy Corner - Jim Hubbard

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• HEADQUARTER OFFICE (281) 447-0772 Phone & (281) 893-1029 Fax Advertising@horsebackmagazine.com • BRAZOS VALUE BUREAU Diane Holt (936) 878-2678 Ranch & (713) 408-8114 Cell Dianeh@horsebackmagazine.com • GULF COAST BUREAU Carol Holloway - (832) 607-8264 Cell Carol@horsebackmagazine.com • NORTH TEXAS Mari Crabtree - (216) 702-4520 Mari@horsebackmagazine.com • NEW MEXICO BUREAU Laurie Hammer - (505)315-7842

Staff PUBLISHER Vicki Long

EDITOR Steven Long

NATIONAL NEWS EDITOR Carrie Gobernatz LIFESTYLE EDITOR Margaret Pirtle 832-349-1427 Horsebackmag@gmail.com EVENTS EDITOR Leslie Greco

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jim Hubbard, Steven Long, Vicki Long, Roni Norquist, Pat Parelli, Kelsey Hellmann, Lew Pewterbaugh, Cathy Strobel, Cory Johnson, Margaret Pirtle, Jaime Jackson Volume 21, No. 8 Horseback Magazine, P.O. Box 681397, Houston, TX 77268-1397, (281) 447-0772. The entire contents of the magazine are copyrighted August 2014 by Horseback Magazine. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Horseback Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other material unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. Horseback Magazine is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or management. Subscription rate is $25.00 for one year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Horseback Magazine, P.O. Box 681397, Houston, TX 77268-1397. Fax: (281) 893-1029

Email: news@horsebackmagazine.com

Phone: (281)

447-0772

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 7

Five Cowgirls to Receive Honors at the 39th Annual National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Inductions FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame – the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage in their trailblazing efforts – is pleased to announce the 2014 National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Inductees, who will be honored in the 39th annual induction ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center Round Up Inn in Fort Worth, Texas. This year’s class includes a sister-duo known for their award-winning Chuckwagon cooking; a nationally-known trick rider and cattlewoman; a celebrated Fort Worth pathologist; and a Hollywood Western screenwriter. The 2014 inductees are: Frances Kavanaugh Hecker

8 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

Hutton, Grace Kelly, just to name a few. They also had their hand in de“Horse Bites is compiled from Press Releases sent to Horseback signing the latest western fashions Magazine. Original reporting is for women by working with brands done as circumstances warrant. such as Wrangler. Jauregui was named Content is edited for length & style.” California’s Cattlewoman of the Year in 1996, and received the Tad Lucas Memorial Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Mu• Jean Cates and Sue Cunningham: seum in 2008. Tasty traditions have always been served up in Jean Cates and Sue • May Owen, M.D. (1891-1988): Dr. Cunningham’s family. Born in Tur- May Owen committed to a career in key, Texas, the sisters learned what it medicine at the age of nine when she meant to be real cowboy cooks thanks discovered her true passion was helping to their father. They began the C-Bar- others. Her first patients were animals C Chuckwagon and made history on her family’s farm in Falls County, in 1992 when they walked away with Texas. While she attended high school the winnings at the Western Heritage in Fort Worth, Texas, she remained Classic Cook-off in Abilene, Texas, as committed to helping her father on the the first women team to claim the top farm every weekend and still graduated honor. In 1996, they were awarded the at the top of her class. The first woman American Cowboy Culture Award pre- to enroll in Louisville Medical College sented by the National Cowboy Sympo- in Kentucky, she earned her medical sium and Celebration. They were also degree in 1921, and continued studies named Chuckwagon of the Year by the at Mayo Clinic and Bellevue Hospital Academy of Western Artists. in New York City. Owen contributed to the world of veterinary medicine by as• Shirley Lucas Jauregui: Shirley Lucas sisting with the development of a rabies Jauregui dreamed of owning and riding vaccine and the discovery of diabetes a horse while growing up on the edge in sheep when fed molasses cake. Her of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Jauregui and greatest contribution to the field of paher sister, Sharon, landed their first trick thology was discovering the danger of riding appearance at the 1948 Lakeside surgical glove powder. Rodeo followed by the Sheriff ’s Rodeo at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The sis- • Frances Kavanaugh Hecker (1915ter act juggled their nationally-known 2009): Known as the “Cowgirl of the act, performing at the National West- Typewriter,” Frances Kavanaugh Heckern Stock Show in Denver, the Cow er was one of the few women writing Palace, and Albuquerque, with movie western screenplays in Hollywood, contract work, doubling for movie in- a primarily male-dominated profesdustry names such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley Jones, Betty (cont. on page 40) Shirley Lucas Jauregui May Owen, M.D.

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 9

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 11

BUSINESS BIT

Need Hay This Winter? You Could Win A Winter’s Supply of Hay!*

Horse Health Products Announces its Second Annual Winter Hay Giveaway Sweepstakes

nother summer of horseback riding is upon us, but when the weather begins to cool this fall, horse owners will again face the cost of purchasing hay for the winter. For the second consecutive year, one lucky winner will get an entire winter’s supply of hay paid for by Horse Health Products – *up to $10,000 cash towards the purchase of hay payable to the winner’s hay vendor or winner, as applicable. See Official Rules for complete details. “Last year’s winner, Jolene Shermer, was so ecstatic when she won, that we decided to continue to help more horse owners and their horses by repeating the sweepstakes this year,” said Audy Baack, Director of Marketing, Horse Health Products. “Depending on the use and management, an average 1,000-pound horse will consume between 10-20 pounds of hay each day. For Jolene, the cost of hay needed to feed her 12 horses at Osceola Thoroughbred farm in Enumclaw, Washington was a big expense each year. This sweepstakes will help relieve that burden for another lucky winner by providing hay they need for the winter.” Horse owners may enter the Winter Hay Giveaway Sweepstakes in either of two simple ways: 1) Online by visiting www.horseh-

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 13

The Parelli Pop Up Program May Come to a Town Near You By Pat Parelli with Steven Long

Pat Parelli will be “popping up” around the USA with FREE Evening Seminars where you can watch Pat coach a local horse owner with their horsemanship issues.

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE: What’s new in the world of Pat and Linda these days? PAT PARELLI: Let me tell you about the Parelli Pop Ups.

Parelli fan get their name in the hopper for consideration of having this once in a lifetime experience? I imagine there are folks who would swoon at the thought of you work-

HORSEBACK: It’s kind of like toast, you pop up.

PA R E L L I : Like I said, it is kind of a way of giving back.

PARELLI: In a way. When we come to your area we’ll do what we call a Pop Up where I go meet someone and give them individual instruction with just them and their horse. It’s kind of our way of giving back. HORSEBACK: I remember that. When you last came to the Houston area you were scheduled for a clinic in Conroe when I came out to say ‘Hi” and you were out in the field somewhere working with somebody’s horse. Linda and I had a wonderful visit though. I was delighted when she told me what you were doing. PARELLI: That’s right. I think it is important to give back, and one way of doing that is giving individualized instruction to someone and their horse. HORSEBACK: So how does a

14 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

ed with requests in your Pagosa Springs headquarters. There’s nothing like one on one training, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime for the horse person you touch with your gift for teaching.

HORSEBACK: You have three more cities left on this year’s USA tour, not to mention the clinics you do abroad.

ing with their horse right in their own round corral or arena. PARELLI: They need to get in touch with us when they hear we are coming to their area by simply dropping us a note with their contact information to PO Box 3729, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. Give us a description of yourself, your level of proficiency, and your horse. HORSEBACK: That’s all there is to it? I worry that you will be flood-

PA R E L L I : H o p e f u l l y, one of those will be in a city near your readers. The remainder of our tour schedule is Ardmore, Oklahoma in October, Murfreesboro, Tennessee in November, and finally ending up the year in December in Tampa HORSEBACK: Not to worry, Horseback Magazine is seen online in its entirety throughout the nation, and individual copies are distributed throughout Texas and nearby states. www.horsebackmagazine.com

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 15

General...

National Day of the American Cowboy in Bandera

Horseback Magazine’s Saddle & Tack Editor

he Frontier Times Museum in Bandera celebrated the National Day of the American Cowboy with all kinds of fun activities, including Hall of Heroes honorees, dinner and dance on Friday night. Saturday was the day for the Fastest Horse in Texas match races, gunfight shows, and the Ranch Rodeo. On Sunday, we partnered with “Riding the River” Cowboy Church for a cowboy

breakfast, a short 20 minute service, then at 6 PM back to Mansfield Park for team sorting. I am the coordinator for the Fastest Horse in Texas match races. This is an old fashioned match race with horses going two at a time until one horse wins. Last year, we had 32 entries, so the first round eliminations consisted of 16 races, 16 winners, 16 losers. The winners stay for the next round, the losers are out. Next round is 8 heats; 8 winners, 8 losers. Third round is 4 heats, 4 winners and 4 losers. Then 2 heats, and this is a little different because it has to be timed. The winners of these 2 heats go to the final heat. In the final heat, the winner gets first place, but second and third place are determined by time, otherwise I can’t figure a fair way to determine third place. Our Fastest Horse in Texas

e k a M e W ! e n i h S u o Y

races paid out 100% of the entry money, and we also gave a really nice handmade BlueRiver Ranch Roping saddle with “The Fastest Horse in Texas, 2014” engraved on the fenders. We had some glitches in our advertising for entries in this year’s race, but still had 16 horses enter. As hot as it was, it’s just as well there weren’t more. We did fill in between races with a few grudge matches, and we had a mule match race. I even raced a horse while on foot, and I won! Pretty good for a 66 year old man. Then at 5 PM we had our Longhorn Race. Four longhorns lined up and raced down the 100 yard course. Fortunately, the guy on the last longhorn was wearing a “GoPro” camera so got all the longhorns ahead of him on video. Hopefully we will get that on YouTube. Because of the heat the longhorn owners were reluctant to run multiple races, so they just ran the

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one race, but it was really exciting. Since this is a tack column, I will mention that all the horse match racers were required to ride western saddles. Job accomplished. Our match races start by calling out the names of two riders. They line up at the finish line and walk behind three outriders to the starting line. The outriders job is to keep the racers lined up when they cross the starting line. The outriders keep going straight, and when

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the last racers tail crosses the starting line, the flagger drops the flag and the racers do a 180 degree turn and race back to the finish line. On a short race, it is often won or lost on the quality of the turn. Ed Hodges of Banderaradio. com supplied the sound system, and he announced the beginning of each race, and I announced from the finish line. It was hot but a lot of fun. Justin Brantley from Twin Elm Guest Ranch provided a water trailer and helped us keep the track damp. They were lifesavers Saturday. If anyone wants to come to Bandera for a horseback ride, I highly recommend Twin Elm Guest Ranch. It was a great day. The National Day

of the American Cowboy is the 4th Saturday in July. Next year, we intend to start soliciting entries much earlier and we need to get at least 32 entries, and we need more longhorns. There are quite a few mules and I have been asked to include mule races. Mr. Paul Garrison, local muleskinner, served as outrider, and John McNamara rode one of Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mules, also as an outrider. The races got faster as the day went on, and it came down to the final heat with a classic make-up. Black horse against white (gray) horse, pretty woman on the black, ranch rodeo cowboy on the gray. There was no stopping the gray on Saturday. He smoked everything. The black was a good horse and won every heat but the last one. All in all, The Fastest Horse in Texas, 2014, was a great day.

Banderaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lew Pewterbaugh has been called the most knowledgeable saddle and tack authority in the Southwest. For private fitting consultation call (830) 328-0321 or (830) 522-6613 or email: saddlerlew@gmail.com.

August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 17

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 19

Looking Back – The Silver Screen Cowboys By J. Bryan Wasson

Photos Courtesy of WESTERN CLIPPINGS

There are some things universal about going to the movies that we retain as never to be forgotten memories. At the top of the list is the pain of having to go to the bathroom but not daring to miss what was coming next. Another, the taste of the ever present candy, Milk Duds mixed with the aroma of popcorn. But the best memory of all for our older generations are the cowboy heroes who in their own good guy way taught us values that lasted a lifetime. Abilene’s J. Bryan Wasson takes Horseback readers on a nostalgic romp honoring those squeaky clean men in white hats who inadvertently instilled wholesome values in millions of Americans via the silver screen. We thought our younger readers would enjoy a little history as the older folks wonder where have all the cowboys gone?

there was ever a group of people that influenced my life, it was the silver screen cowboys. I suspect that it was much the same with nearly everyone who is over 50 years of age today. Every Saturday afternoon was spent at a local movie theater watching B westerns, frequently known as, “horse operas.” On some occasion it was a double feature, but that made it twice as good. I once sat through the same movie five times. I no longer remember the outcome, but I am sure I was very late getting home and I am also sure my parents were not very happy. A typical Saturday for me went much like this. I would walk or ride a city bus to the downtown central business district of Abilene, Texas. At that point there were five movie theaters in downtown, Abilene. Soon there would be a 6th. Now there is only one, The Paramount. I nearly always went to either the Queen

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Theater or to the Paramount Theater. These movies always had the same plot. A bad man was always up to some illegal scam that would cause harm to the local ranchers. The bad man was always assisted by a group of his equally bad henchmen. Then the hero, the good guy came upon the scene. He always had a side kick. In the case of the singing cowboys, there was often a group such as The Sons of the Pioneers or Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys that assisted the hero. These movies were clean, wholesome entertainment. Good always prevailed over evil. Right always superseded wrong. The good guys always won. These movies were always bloodless. Frequently, shooting from the hip, a gun was shot out of the hand of the bad guy by the good guy. People got shot, they fell, and sometimes died, but the blood and gore of modern movies was not present. In fact, it was often entertaining to watch all the gyrations a person would go through before falling. I www.horsebackmagazine.com www.horsebackmagazine.com

Roy Rogers & Trigger

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never ceased to enjoy the six shot revolvers that fired 15 or 20 times before it was necessary to reload. There were always chase scenes. I enjoyed watching to see how many times the same location appeared in a single chase. There were usually some night time scenes. These scenes were actually shot in the day time with the camera light reduced. I was just a child, but I knew horses. Many doubles were used for the horses. I enjoyed watching to see when a different horse was used to portray a specific horse. Most often this was the horse ridden by the hero. Many of the horse “stars” were extremely valuable. Doubles were used in all dangerous scenes. In fact the true equine stars were often only used in close ups. Silent movies were the only thing available during the 1900s. These first films usually lasted no more than 15 minutes. About 1913, a “Star” system was adopted which

22 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

publicized named individual actors and actresses. The term, “Movie Star” was thus born. By 1920 silent movies had become extremely popular. Sound was not added to motion pictures until 1927. Color films were available from the 1930s, but were not common until the 1950s. The first “Silver Screen Cowboy” was William S. Hart. He appeared in silent movies. This was slightly before my time. One of the most important of the early cowboy stars was Tom Mix and his horse Tony. Tony was billed as, “The Wonder Horse.” Tom Mix appeared in both silent movies as well as the early “talkies.” Tom Mix and Tony also appeared in Circuses and Wild West Shows. It has been said that Tom Mix created his own pre movie Star background. I have read and heard the claim that Tom Mix was once a Texas Ranger. I have never found any evidence that this was true. By the time I was in High School, Tom Mix was a long time deceased. The Ralston Purina Company, however, sponsored the Tom Mix Show on radio every afternoon at about 5:00PM. A radio actor played Tom Mix. Sound effects created Tony as well as all the action. Tom Mix and Tony got into and out of all kinds of complicated situations. At the time, we were living on the family farm at Potosi, south of Abilene. My father and my mother both worked in town. I had an aunt and uncle who lived a few blocks from Abilene High School. I would walk to the home of my aunt and uncle and listen to the Tom Mix Show each day after school. There

was even a theme song that started, “Shredded Ralston for your breakfast starts the day off shining bright, it’s a warm up build up breakfast, and it makes you feel just right.” It made the listeners believe that Tom Mix, even though deceased, started each day with this same breakfast. It most likely sold a lot of breakfast cereal. I can no longer name all of my cowboy heroes. One that stands out in my mind is Charles Starrett. I got to see him and his Palomino horse in person at the Linda Theater on Pine Street in Abilene. Many years later as an Abilene Police Officer, I had the occasion to be back stage in the Linda Theater. There were doors that opened into the alley and a very small room behind the stage with about three steps going up to the stage. I have no earthly idea how they got that horse up on the stage, but they did. Some of my other movie cowboy heroes were Ken Maynard, Tim Holt, Tim McCoy, Johnny Mack Brown, Don Red Berry, Buck Jones, Robert Ryan, and many more that I can no longer name. William “Bill” Boyd using the name Hopalong Cassidy or Hoppy was another extremely popular silver screen cowboy. The Hopalong name came about by a limp that was used in his first couple of movies. The story indicated the limp was due to a gunshot wound to the leg. Soon the limp faded away, but the name stayed. It has often been said concerning Western movies that, “good guys always wear white hats.” Hopalong Cassidy was an exception to this rule. He most often wore a black hat and black clothing. William Boyd had white hair and he rode a white horse. His white hair and his white horse really stood out, contrasting that black hat and black clothing. Some movie cowboys rode unusual horses. One such actor was Bob Steel. He rode a horse of a color that was sometimes called, a “black Palomino.” These horses are Palominos with so much dark dappling that it makes the coat color appear to be black or near black www.horsebackmagazine.com

Gene Autry & Champion

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HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 23

Hopalong Cassidy & Topper dependent upon the extent of dappling. In those early black and white movies, the black appearance was enhanced. This dark color enhanced the white mane and tail. There was another thing unusual about Bob Steel in that he appeared in movies as both the hero and as the villain. I guess that is one of the marks of a great actor. They can play any part. Randolph Scott was a cowboy star, but he also played in other type roles. He like Bob Steel rode an unusual horse. The horse was sorrel with a white rather than flaxen mane and tail. I often suspected the mane and tail might have achieved this lack of color by means of bleach or possibly mane and tail whitener often used on Palominos in preparation for the show ring. Randolph Scott played in both B westerns and A westerns. There was another category of movie cowboys. These were the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Singing Cowboys.â&#x20AC;? The first of these was known as Singing Sandy. He was none other than Marion Morrison who later adopted the name, John Wayne. Singing Sandy, the first singing cowboy could not sing. All the singing was dubbed in. As John Wayne he made many movies

24 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

Tom Mix & Tony

classed as A Westerns as well as a wide variety of other types of films. The second cowboy star and the first singing cowboy that I saw in person was Tex Ritter. When I was in High School I was active in vocational agriculture and the Future Farmers of America (FFA) as well as the 4H Club. The big event for FFA and 4H Club each year in Taylor County was the Spring Livestock Show at the Fair Grounds in Abilene. There is a big round building that still stands. It was used as the judging ring for livestock shows. Most of the exhibitors, including myself spent the nights at the stock show sleeping on cots near their animals. The stock show management arranged for Tex Ritter to be in the show ring building one night to entertain the exhibitors. It was just Tex and his guitar, no band. Because I am a music lover and guitar player, it was a great treat for me. An event I will never forget. About a year later, I appeared on stage in that same building with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys as part of a talent contest. Needless to say I was not the winner of this contest, but I will always

remember being on the stage with the Texas Playboys. The fact that it was in the same building where I met Tex Ritter made me enjoy it more. Another singing cowboy I saw in person was Gene Autry. I was an adult by the time I saw him in concert at Rose Field House, located on the campus of Hardin Simmons University in Abilene. Gene Autry was one of the two most popular of the singing cowboys. He joined the U.S. Army during World War II. If my memory is correct, he served in the Army Air Corps.

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Gene Autry was a telegraph operator in Oklahoma when he was discovered by Will Rogers while playing his guitar and singing. Will Rogers was also a cowboy, a trick roper, a vaudeville entertainer, and news paper writer. Will Rogers also made a number of movies. I don’t remember how many, or if any of them were westerns Gene Autry was one of the two best known and most popular of the singing cowboys. He later joined into a partnership with Everett Coburn as a Rodeo Producer. He also became the owner of a professional baseball team and established the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. One of my childhood treasures that survived into my adulthood is a photo of Gene Autry on his horse, Champion. Other singing cowboys included Johnny Bond and Jimmy Wakely. Johnny Bond sometimes played the singing sidekick. Another singing sidekick was Smiley Burnett, known as Frog due to his deep voice. Smiley “Frog” Burnett was often the sidekick of Gene Autry. The second of the two best known and most popular singing cowboys was Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers was born Leonard Sly. Roy Rogers was actually his second screen name. He was a member of the great western music band, The Sons of the Pioneers led by Bob Nolan. The Sons of the Pioneers often played supporting roles in early Gene Autry movies and later in Roy Rogers movies. Young Leonard Sly as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers was known as Dick Weston in these movies. It has often been reported that Roy Rogers founded the Sons of the Pioneers. I do not know if that is correct, but he was an extremely important member of this group. In the late 1960s, my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the Taylor County Coliseum at the West Texas Fair in Abilene, Texwww.horsebackmagazine.com

as. Roy Rogers became an honorary Texas Law Enforcement officer. A group of my peers elected me President of The Law Enforcement Officers Association of Texas for 1970 – 71. During that time period, I made Roy Rogers an honorary member of The Law Enforcement Officers Association of Texas. When Gene Autry entered military service during WWII, Roy Rogers and his Palomino horse, Trigger, moved up to fill in the gap. After the death of Roy Rogers’ wife, he married the leading lady in his movies, Dale Evans. Together they continued to make movies, television shows, personal appearances and recordings. Both Roy and Dale were prolific song writers. Gene Autry also had a regular TV show called, The Melody Ranch Show. With the advent of television, the B Westerns started to fade out of existence on the silver screen, however, some of the old B Westerns gained new life on the TV screen. Many new western shows along the line of the old B westerns were created specifically for TV. I guess my favorite was The Lone Ranger with Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger and J. Silverheels as Tonto. Another former member of The Sons of the Pioneers, Ken Curtis became the second sidekick for Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) in the long running TV series, Gunsmoke. Ken Curtis played the part of Deputy U.S. Marshal, Festus Hagan. Ken Curtis was in at least one Gunsmoke show before he assumed the role of Festus. Ken Curtis assumed the role of Festus in a few episodes before Festus became Mat Dillon’s Deputy. As Festus, his mount was a bay mule he called Ruth. I cannot remember any movie or TV cowboy sidekick other than Festus, who rode a mule. I sincerely believe that for all of us still living today who were born in the 1930s or before, our lives were a little bit richer because of the silver screen cowboys. As Roy Rogers would say, “Happy Trails.”

WESTERN CLIPPINGS was begun in September 1994 by Boyd Magers to honor and pay tribute to the western stars of yesteryear. Each issue keeps western film and TV devotees up on all the latest news and events. Articles are as diverse as fires in California damaging former film locations, exhibits and events around the country, auctions, new products released, filming locations, film festival coverage, book, film and DVD reviews, “Old Pros in New Shows”, upcoming westerns being made, notable cowboy quotes, “Western Boo Boos” (a light look at film mistakes), rare photos, “Comic Book Cowboys”, badmen profiles, an “Empty Saddles” obituary section and a regular column by Will (“Sugarfoot”) Hutchins. Magers, a former radio personality, has written eight books on western films, co-sponsors “A Gathering of Guns” at the Memphis Film Festival every June and manages his website www.westernclippings. com With well over 1,000 readers, WESTERN CLIPPINGS is now riding into our 21st year, keeping the western films we love so dearly alive and well. Subscriptions are $32 per year in the U.S., 1312 Stagecoach Rd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123, (505) 292-0049, email: vidwest@comcast.net

August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 25

Lifestyle...

Cinthia Joyce, West Coast Sculptor,

In the Spirit of the Cowboy

by Mary Anne Golden

inthia Joyce is a sculptor extraordi- coils of rope in hand, looking into a distant naire of cowfolk and their beautiful horizon, I feel the peace of the trail and sunequine counterparts. She has exhibited set settling around me. Don’t you, too? her outstanding cowboy and equine Spiritus Equinus is a sublimely sculptures in the Autry National rendered horse Center, Los Angeles, California, head. With his and other national exhibitions, inneck gracecluding the Celebration of Westfully turned ern Art, the 61st Grand National to the side in Rodeo at the Cow Palace in San a natural pose, Francisco, California, where she this amazing won first prize for sculpture. Cinsculpture was thia participated for the past three juried in the years in the California Art Club Po r t u g u e s e Gold Medal Juried Exhibitions. Bend Pony Raised in rural Malibu, Club of Palos California, Cinthia was surroundVerdes, Calied by horses and many other fornia, Spirit pets at the family home. She enof the Horse tertained herself by painting and Show, held sculpting the animals. at Cannery Contemplating SunRow Studios down, a bronze sculpture, shows in Redondo the life detail of the genuine cowBeach, Caliboy. This work reflects Cinthia’s Cin“Spiritus Equinus” fornia. talent with figures worked in clay, thia worked which are cast into bronze. The directly with by Cinthia Joyce cowboy’s distinctive cheekbones the horse in shine through the dark bronze. the sunshine, The bronze shows deep cut texturing in the feeding him carrots as she sculpted the clay. weathered hat and kerchief, and corners of That horse nibbled a chunk out of the clay his eyes, reflecting both the wisdom and for good measure! The alert ears and gentle hardness of the dusty trail. As the cowboy eyes of the bronze display the sensitivity, instands, leaning in his leather chaps with telligence and beauty of the equine spirit.

The Cowgirl shows a lovely young maid in a sundress, working boots and cowgirl hat sitting on a worn stump. She is beckoning to a baby goat. As the goats frolic, the cowgirl’s attention is devotedly resting upon them. The sculpture shows the smooth banded muscles of her arms, legs and torso in a warm bronze patina. The texturing on the ground, hat, boots and dress is covered in a matte green patina, reflecting the rite of spring and of life itself in the young maid and the earth. The Shepherdess depicts a young girl holding a baby lamb. The girl gazes down at the lamb as she sits, barefooted, on a tree trunk. Cinthia’s immense talent with anatomy shines in the tender working of The Shepherdess’ gentle face and figure placed against a rougher texture of the lamb, tree trunk and the girl’s flowing dress. The Cowboy Spirit lives on in the west, thanks to modern cowboys and cowgirls and their devotion to the land and animals, which Cinthia Joyce’s artwork captures most charmingly. More works can be viewed, including horses, bison, and sheep, on Cinthia Joyce’s website. www.CinthiaJoyce.com Mary Anne Golden, the writer, is an artist, art critic and writer who loves great Classical works, and appreciates The Cowboy Spirit.

“Cowboy” (left) “Cowgirl” (right) by Cinthia Joyce

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Mustang Heritage Foundation Veterans Mentor Program By Steven Long, Photos Courtesy of Mustang Heritage Foundation 28 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

here is little doubt t h a t horses can be the very best medicine for some people. Returning veterans are learning that through a program from the Texas based Mustang Heritage Foundation. And the North American Mustang can find peace in a domestic environment away from his natural wild habitat. Ani-

mal experts call it pair bonding. In the horse/human relationship, it is called partnership. The 100 day program is tailor made for horse and vet and is designed by experts at the foundawww.horsebackmagazine.com

tion. Called the Mustang Mentors program, it is an intense immersion into all things horse for both returning soldier or sailor with an un-tamed equine fresh from the hinterlands. At the end of the period the vet has the option of adopting a Mustang. The three month immersion is only the beginning for the formerly wild horse. In the end, the Mustang is just like any other horse in one key respect. “Any horse, no matter its breed or background, is training the rest of its life,” said Byron Hogan, foundation spokesman. To join the Mustang Heri-

tage Foundation program no special knowledge of horses is required, he said, speaking from the foundation’s headquarters east of Georgetown, Texas. “At the end of the program we host an event here where we offer them up for adoption. The adoption money goes back into the program to support another veteran and another horse What is neat about it is that the veteran can come out and participate,” he continued. “Most of our veterans don’t have a horse.” Twelve veterans have gone through the program since it began as a pilot project a year ago. “We’ve been offering as

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(Publishers cont. from page 6) Some people within emergency services and the equine industry, to include private horse owners, have adopted the mentality that “it will never happen to me”. The statistics argue that it WILL happen and DOES happen and the question is; will you or your department responders be ready for it ? For example, think about the following scenarios and ask yourself “ would you or those who respond to help you know what to do? ” • Every day horses are transported on the roadways, whether in smaller horse trailers or multiple horse transport trucks and vans • A transport vehicle blows a tire and overturns, blocking the lanes of a major highway. People and horses are injured. • A major flood occurs – and an elderly farm owner refuses to evacuate without her 15 horses. • The horse industry in many states prides itself in the availability of trails, both public and private, for recreational horseback riding purposes. Many of those accessible trails include water crossings, embankments, bridges, vehicle traffic, and other potential hazards such as quick sand. A person, riding alone, attempts to cross a river and the horse gets stuck in mud - the rider calls 911 from a cell phone. • There are large numbers of private and public horse facilities and cattle farms throughout the state. The property may contain potential hazards (sinkholes, septic tanks, swimming pools, and structures). Those owners will call 911 for assistance when they don’t have the expertise and equipment to extricate the animal • Unpredictable weather disasters have caused catastrophic damage affecting large animals and their owners. Emergency services currently is focused on the rescue training targeting human victims, but when a large animal is involved – they need expertise in dealing with the animal as well as the human victim. It all looks pretty depressing and grim, especially for those of us that have had barn fires, trailer wrecks, or horses that were drowned, or all the other things that can and do happen to them. There is light at the end of the trail, arena, obstacle course, whatever it is you ride. There is a wonderful opportunity for us ALL to make a difference for our horses. We as an equine community CAN get educated! We can educate and pass that education on to our communities and encourage those that will be answering the need of help to get educated. This September the Sam Houston Race Park will be the location for the 2014 Texas TLAER class. TLAER is one of the very few world wide providers in animal emergency rescue education. Dr Gimenez has even taught the US military. The technical large animal emergency rescue course, developed by TLAER, Inc., is aimed at educating those who may one day respond in a disaster or emergency incident, whether emergency responders or owners. The Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue course combines both categories of responders into a single location for several days of intense learning and student interaction and in turn builds relationships and mutual understanding between those belonging to the emergency services field and those within the equine community, that means US. It is time for the entire equine community to unite for a single cause that does, can and will effect each one of us and our horses. We know the day will come. Let us prepare. Together, we can make a difference that will save lives, both horse and human. For more information on the 2014 Texas TLAER class go to www.texasstatehorsecouncil.com/texastlaerevent/ Thank You to Dr Rebecca Gimenez for providing information for this article

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REALTOR Roundup TAMMY FOREMAN REALTOR Hodde Real Estate Co. 112 W. Main Street, Brenham, TX (O): (979) 836-8532 (C): (979) 451-2945

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5/20/2014 5:35:56 PM HORSEBACK M AGAZINE 35

Real Estate by Sue Durio

Do Your Research Before Buying Rural Property

place in the country, whether a sprawling ranch or a weekend retreat consisting of just a few acres, is the dream of many. But buying and financing rural property is much different than buying a home or commercial property in the city. Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you base your purchasing decision on some well-researched facts and information, not emotion. Study Your Surroundings Pay attention to the land use and restrictions, or the lack thereof, on neighboring tracts. Is there an intensive livestock operation on adjoining land? Does the property front a noisy or proposed highway? Is commercial development allowed on neighboring tracts? Before you purchase, you need to know what lies next door, or you might encounter problems selling the property later. Take Advantage of Property Tax Relief Nearly every state offers some type of agricultural property tax relief. Such provisions are geared to lowering the taxable value of agricultural production land, and reducing the property taxes on that land. Check with your local tax assessor to determine if your potential purchase may qualify for a tax credit, special appraisal or direct exemption. If it has existing tax exemptions for wildlife, timber or agricultural use, learn the steps for maintaining those exemptions. Beware that some commercial lenders require the buyer to rescind the exemption before making a rural home loan. But this is not so at Texas Farm Credit, a rural financing cooperative that serves most of north, south and east Texas. “Our lenders understand these tax advantages and want

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to make sure a new landowner takes advantage of them,” says Danny Wren, Fairfield branch manager for Texas Farm Credit. Understand the Property’s Mineral Rights Mineral interests are extremely important and a valuable asset to the property. If minerals are a part of the purchase, it is prudent to have the mineral title searched to learn the ownership of the minerals. Even if minerals do not transfer with the purchase of the property, a buyer should understand that mineral rights dominate over surface rights. This means that a mineral owner, or lessee, can enter the property to extract the minerals, without obtaining permission from the landowner. Furthermore, if the current owner has executed a lease with a producer, that lease remains in force, even if the minerals transfer with the surface. A potential buyer should not purchase property without inquiring about the possibility of mineral exploration. Know Your Groundwater Rights It is important that land buyers understand their water rights. Groundwater rights have become negotiable in property sales. With increased population and demand on groundwater, the value of this resource is escalating. It is an asset not unlike mineral interests that can be a source of revenue. When purchasing a tract of land, a buyer needs to be certain if the seller is reserving any of the groundwater rights. Use Local Experts When buying and financing rural property, go local when possible. Local Realtors know the market, comparable sales and the history of area properties. Local lenders like Texas Farm Credit understand the nuances of rural lending and offer loan programs specifically for rural property owners. In addition, many Texas Farm Credit lenders grew up in, or have lived in, the areas in which they have worked for years, and their level of local knowledge can be invaluable to a buyer. “Our cooperative structure is the key to our longstanding stability as a rural lender,” says Wren, “and our loan officers are the financing experts in their field and in their local areas. Borrowers can count on us to guide them throughout the financing process and through the life of their loan.”

This article was provided by Texas Farm Credit, which is a part of the nationwide Farm Credit System. For more tips on buying rural land, call Danny Wren at (903) 389-8738 or visit TexasFCS.com. www.horsebackmagazine.com

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(cont. from page 8)

sion. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up around ranching in Houston which gave her what she called “the feeling of Westerns.” Her credits began with the Driftin’ Kid in 1941, and over the next ten years, worked on over 30 films starring the likes of Tom Keene, Lash LaRue, Eddie Dean, Ken Maynard, Bob Steele, and Hoot Gibson. The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame selection process is rigorous and lengthy. Out of a competitive list, which consistently grows with each new nomination, only four or five successful candidates per calendar year are honored with the prestigious distinction of becoming a National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Inductee. The Hall of Fame is grouped in to five categories: artists and writers, champions and competitive performers, entertainers, ranchers (stewards of land and livestock), or trailblazers and pioneers. Since 1975, 215 women have been inducted. “We are pleased with the selection of this year’s inductees, and welcome them to the Hall of Fame family.” said Patricia Riley, Executive Director, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. “Each brings a unique cowgirl story to the Hall of Fame that will be preserved for generations to come.” The Induction luncheon and ceremony is the largest event for the Hall of Fame, and draws approximately 700-1,000 attendees each year. The event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with the opening of holiday shopping vendor booths and a champagne reception followed by the Induction luncheon and ceremony. For ticket information, please contact Emmy Lou Prescott at emmylou@cowgirl.net or call 817-5098965. For more news about the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, visit www.cowgirl.net, and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCMHOF, Twitter at www.twitter.com/ cowgirlmuseum, Instagram www.instagram.com/cowgirlmuseum, Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/cowgirlmuseum, and YouTube at: www.youtube.com/ user/cowgirlmuseum.

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HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 41

Easy Does It

the horse world, horse shows are a major avenue of presenting the results of months or even years of hard work that has gone into the training and conditioning of a horse. The end result should give the appearance that the horse is a true pleasure to ride. It should look as if the horse is so comfortable and easy that anyone could ride it and still be safely in control. The hunter should carry its rider in a bold and calm fashion with a steady, forward pace. He should maintain a balance that enables him to easily swap leads when needed and turn onto a line of jumps already lined up in the center of them. Many behaviors can influence the overall impression given while on course. One of the most important influences is associated with the pace. A horse that gets excited and rushes the jumps can become dangerous and should never be used for a novice rider. Many green horses that are learning to jump will speed up before or after the jump as a result of the adrenalin rush. It is up to the rider to train the horse to maintain an easy, steady, cadenced pace. Quiet repetition of low jumps should eventually teach the horse to learn to relax and stay calm. So, what do you do when your horse refuses to relax and insists on charging the jumps? Just say, “No!” of course! There are many ways to tell the horse to slow down. Assuming that you have good balance and position so that you are not interfering with the horse, let’s take a look at the problem from a training viewpoint.

42 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

The first and most basic way to slow him down is to train him to the aids. Make sure your horse responds well to your aids when working on the flat. Test your horse by practicing a few transitions. Can you take your horse from a canter to a walk without pulling hard on his mouth or taking more than two or three trot steps? If this is difficult for him, spend some time on a circle practicing transitions. Use the bending aids to help shift his weight back for both the up and down transitions.

leg and outside rein will help you to balance your horse and stop him from leaning against the bit. Make sure your outside leg is slightly back to complete the bend and prevent the haunches from swinging wide. Also remember to prepare your horse for any transition by giving a half-halt prior to making the transition. If he doesn’t respond well, increase the pressure on the outside rein until you feel him give to you. Then immediately release the pressure. The outside rein acts as your

For the up transition, start with a half-halt to get his attention. Then drive with your inside leg and seat bone to create the engagement of the hindquarters. Lightly hold onto the reins to prevent him from falling on the forehand as he transitions to the next gait. To practice the down transition, turn his head slightly inward with your inside rein. Then, squeeze your inside leg to move his shoulders out while you firm up the outside rein to shift his weight back. This connection between the inside

brakes. Once he responds well to the aids, try trotting into the fence and see if you can hold him at a steady pace. If he gets strong, immediately deliver a firm half-halt to steady him. Be sure to get completely out of his mouth when you release him over the jump. On landing, give him another half-halt right away while using the inside leg to outside rein connection as you did on the circle. If he still wants to drag you around, promptly come to a complete halt each time he ignores the www.horsebackmagazine.com

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aids. Then pat him and do it again. Don’t try cantering the jumps until he is looking for your aids and stays consistently soft at the trot. Sometimes it helps to gently flex the jaw and neck from side to side to soften those muscles and keep the excitable horse from bracing against the hands. The idea is to relax the horse’s muscles and to give him something else to think about other than charging. You should not try to seesaw the bit with the intent to hurt his mouth to make him back off. The horse needs to learn to trust the hands of his rider if he is expected to give to the bit. Combinations are another good way to slow your horse down and make him place his feet more carefully. You could try placing four caveletti poles at four and a half feet apart followed by a small jump nine feet later to make him pay more attention as he trots through. Another pole placed nine feet after the jump can also help to set him up for a softer landing. The www.horsebackmagazine.com

distances can be adjusted to suit the length of your horse’s stride. If he still wants to rush before or after the jump, shorten the distance of the jump or the last pole by six inches. The last pole could also be replaced by a second jump at 18 feet to create an in and out once he is going willingly through the combination. Keep the landing pole on the back side of the last jump to make him land more carefully. There are numerous gymnastic combinations that can be used, but try these for starters. If your horse still wants to charge, try going on a circle that points him at the jump each time you come around. When you can point him at the jump without him pulling on you, let him take it. If he is strong on the back side, try another circle where you use the outside rein to slow him down or take him all the way to a halt. Some horses are so resistant to the bit that it is necessary to go to a stronger bit. Only do this if

you have tried the other techniques without success first. Once you have found a bit that gets his attention, train him to the aids more thoroughly. The idea is to eventually take him to a softer bit once he gets the idea that he needs to stay soft in your hands. Regardless of which exercises or equipment you use, always remember that your most valuable asset will be your patience. Without displaying a quiet, calm and patient attitude toward your horse, he will never get the idea that he can calmly jump a course. The end result of your training should produce a horse that not only appears to be, but truly is a safe horse that is a pleasure to ride.

Cathy Strobel has over 30 years of experience as a trainer, judge and clinician and can be reached at Southern Breeze Equestrian Center at (281) 431-4868 or www.sbreeze.com August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 43

Hoof Health...

Soft Hooves Can Easily Become Strong Hooves!

is not uncommon for horse owners to think that their horse can’t go barefoot because the hooves are not hard enough. And yet, there is no good reason a horse should have to suffer from having ‘soft’ hooves! There’s an easy explanation as to why this occurs and there is also a remedy for it, but it is important for horse owners to first know a little bit about hoof structure. The very epidermal (horny) structure of the hoof is designed to express moisture from the vascular system outward, which is to say the hoof “perspires.” This constant outward flow of moisture through the hoof ’s protective armor gives the entire hoof resilience and protection from concussional trauma as the hoof strikes the ground and loads during support. At the same time, the outer epidermis or, hoof capsule, is supposed to be hard and dry in order to withstand the impact. This makes sense, since the hoof needs this hard outer shell to protect itself, and the resilience within to put the brakes on shock. You’ll notice when the practitioner trims the hoof that the parings on the ground shrink towards the sole as they dry. This reflects -- inversely -- the moisture gradients of the hoof: as moisture dries toward the inside of the paring. The area most hydrated before being trimmed away visibly shrinks in a short amount of time. But because the keritinized horn of the hoof wall – as well as the sole and frog too - is structured to release moisture, it can also absorb moisture -- and, as a result, “soften.”

This is why horses that spend a lot of time standing in mud will have softer hooves than if they were running around in the desert. It is the hoof ’s biological response to its environment. This is what happens to horses’ feet in the wild too. In my 1982 to 1986 studies of our Great Basin free-roaming wild horses, I sampled over a thousand hooves in both summer and winter seasons. While hoof size, shape and proportion did not change, I reported (in my book The Natural Horse: Lessons From The Wild) that the character of the hoof was somewhat different in the winter months. To quote myself: “The hoof wall and the entire hoof capsule are dry as a bone in summer and most of the rest of the year too. The surface has a dull, matte finish, not unlike the patina of fine grain leather. During wet spells, the wall’s ‘hard-as-plastic’ surface … and matte finish convert to a dullish, slightly softer, hard rubber finish. Yet, the horses do fine negotiating the same difficult terrain as in the drier times of the year.” [p. 72] These physiological and environmental factors must be taken into consideration if hooves can be described as being “hard”, “soft”, “too soft”, or even “brittle.” How is the horse being managed, and what are the conditions of his habitat? There is no other way for a hoof to become soft unless we are somehow obstructing its natural circulation within, or adding things to the hoof wall that preclude the release of moisture trying to perspire. Clearly, these are problems in the horse-using community, because I’ve seen them many times in my 30-plus years as a professional. And if the horse has soft hooves, he is probably going to have

44 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

Just minutes after I removed the shoes from this 5-year-old Quarter Horse, you can see he has a soft, mushy and unhealthy hoof . Although he was just a youngster, he was at risk of euthanasia at this point in his life because his feet would no longer hold a shoe!

Just six months later, readers can see that the 5-year-old’s hoof has completely changed! His new hoof reflects greater health and better structure as a result of changes to his diet, lifestyle and, of course, getting rid of the shoes and being trimmed in accordance with the wild horse model.

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August 2014 2

HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 45

Hoof Health...

Photo taken a few minutes after I removed the shoes on this 22-year-old Thoroughbred. Again - another unnecessary disaster from poor diet, unnatural boarding and unnecessary shoes. The health in this 22-year-old gelding’s beautiful and naturally shaped hoof should now be obvious to everyone.

Although there are plenty of internal changes taking place, this photo shows the hoof only 30 days later. Although much of the transformation that will come is not yet visible to the untrained eye, I can already see signs of health beginning to take place.

fungal/bacterial infections (thrush), especially if his diet is triggering laminitis due to proteolysis. This can be caused by diet, environment and even trimming or shoeing, which adversely impacts hoof structure and circulation. The best way for a horse owner to ‘deal’ with a horse with soft hooves is through prevention. Providing dry turnout 24/7 on footing

hypersensitivity issues if circulation is impaired, if hoof dressings or other substances are painted on the hoof to obstruct perspiration, or he is kept in mud or “muck” most of the time and then taken out to ride on hard ground before the hooves can dry and harden off. As likely, and assuming this is the way he is kept, he will begin to develop capsule weakness and opportunistic

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Six months after his shoes were removed, the health in this 22-year-old gelding’s beautiful and naturally shaped hoof should now be obvious to everyone.

it is okay for horses to stand in water/ mud part of the time. In the wild, they tromp around in it for weeks at a time, and during every day when they drink water and bathe. The horse’s foot is adapted to this, so it’s okay. But they aren’t amphibians! So it is not okay is if the horse lives in mud or muck most of the time. If the hooves are temporarily

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HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 47

“soft” due to weather, use boots and you can ride anywhere. My trimming recommendations (based on the wild horse model) will spare your horse any sensitivity issues since it is safe, proven and non-invasive 100% of the time. If there is any sensitivity, you must look at the diet - and this is a big issue. I am now convinced that upwards of 75% of hoof sensitivity issues are due to dietbased laminitis. I believe that horses as a species are biologically insulin resistant (IR) and must not be fed diets high in non-structured carbohydrates. Of course, traditional but unnatural boarding practices (e.g. sugar-rich,

green grass pastures) is a huge part of the diet-based problem too. Invasive or unnatural trimming is another big problem, I hate to say, and a lot of poorly trained and confused people -- albeit some quite well known -- are contributing to the problem among barefooters. Unless the trimmer is using a wild horse-based model, I would decline the service and look elsewhere. If your horse is coming up with “mushy” or sore feet after the trim, get someone else who knows what they are doing. (And of course, if the hoof wall is thinned, weakened or trimmed away completely as is too

frequently done at the toe by some barefoot methods, then that will cause soft hooves and a host of other issues!)

Jaime Jackson is the author of 5 books, a hoof care professional & natural horse care consultant. He is the founding member of the non-profit equine advocacy organization, Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices (www.aanhcp.net) & the principle instructor for the Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practices (www.isnhcp. net), which he and his business partner, Jill Willis, created in 2009. He can be contacted at jacksonaanhcp@gmail.com and his website is www.jaimejackson.com

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HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 49

General...

Summertime Reds! Howdy! Welcome to Cowboy Corner.

Remember the ol’ song “Summertime Blues”? Well we’ve got the summertime red-hot’s. Triple digit afternoon temperatures are just around the corner and the daytime triple digit heat index has been with us for a while. The sun just gets up hot and stays that way, so be careful out there. Remember the ol’ 180 rule, when the temperature and humidity add to 180, take it easy, slow down. Rest in the shade and drink plenty of water. Like the electrolyte sports drinks along with lots of water, and carry both around in the cooler in the back of my truck. When I was growing up, learned from the ol’ hands to watch the cattle, not the television. If the cattle are already lying down in the shade you are too late in the morning, or too early in the afternoon. Black cattle are walking thermometers and will let you know when it’s too hot. If you ride up to a group of black cows and they don’t get up to move, check the 180 rule and go find a shady spot to rest you and your horse. When the cattle get up and start to graze then move them, it will be a lot easier. Love the ol’ country sayin’, “One cowboy can move one cow, two cowboys two cows, and three cowboys a hundred. Like to add “when things are right”. Right isn’t in the middle of the afternoon when the heat index is over 100.

50 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE 2 August 2014

Just a couple of hot weather thoughts. Remember a lactating cow will drink up to 20 gallons of water on a hot day, so check your water supply! If using a trough and float valve, you’ve got job security, cause you better check them every day. A 100 gallon trough and float valve will water a bunch of cows if working right. Also two troughs can be plumbed together through the drain holes, usually 1 ¼” NPT, using only one float valve. If watering out of ponds or tanks better check daily to see if any cattle are stuck in the pond. Black cattle really like to wade into a pond to about belly deep in water to cool off. If the tank or pond has a deep layer of silt, then the cattle can get bogged down and die. Cowman’s worst nightmare is a dead cow in the water supply in the summer. When the drought came several years ago, and a lot of tanks and ponds went dry, cattle getting bogged down trying to get a drink was a real problem. Took the opportunity to clean the dry or almost dry tanks and ponds of silt down to the firm clay. The work paid off with no losses and now my black cows wade into the water almost covering their backs.

Another hot weather thought is to watch the livestock salt and mineral supply. The more they drink and sweat the more salt and mineral is needed. The mineral makers now have special mineral mixes for the area and time of the year. Makes sense that some minerals are going to be more needed in summer so monitor consumption and adjust supplies. Cattle will balance consumption in accordance with need, so salt and minerals should be fed free choice. Also believe that free choice salt for horses is a good thing in the summer. All prepared livestock feed contains salt, however, my horses on pasture with little or no feed in the summer like the salt lick blocks. The blocks come in 50 pounds, or the doughnut size for use in feed troughs, or brick size to be used in feeders or troughs. The words of wisdom from the Brazos bottom are “slow and easy” for the month of August, until the first cool front in September.

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