Horseback Magazine September 2016 by Horseback Magazine

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

93388.V2.2.2016

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Do what you love!

his month we are fortunate to have our second cover done by the Iconic Peter Max. He is scheduled to appear at Houston’s Off the Wall Gallery, on Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25. If you are in the Houston area I By: Vicki Long urge you to go to the gallery to see his wonderful work in person. And, if you are old like me, it will take you back and you will feel a little younger, a little nostalgic, and wonder (for me at least) where did the 60’s go? There, now I have told you my age darn it! If you are young, don’t stay away. Peter has never stopped painting all these years and he has painted many of your icons, as well. You can’t come away from one of his shows without feeling happy and inspired. I ran across this quote the other day: “A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe How true are these words today in this fractured world we find ourselves? I got to thinking, I don’t listen to enough music, and instead I work with the television on news networks, or talk radio in the background. I don’t know why, music has always soothed my soul. When I was younger I played guitar for hours. I can’t remember the last time I picked it up. As I child I always wanted a horse, but my parents said no, so I drew them all the time. I can’t remember the last time I drew a picture. In college I wrote a lot of poetry. I can’t remember the last time I wrote a poem. No wonder I’ve felt out of sorts. I quit doing all the things that soothed my soul! Jane Meggitt, who interviewed Peter Max for us told me how often he used the words “I love it.” Of course he loves it! He has spent his whole life creating art that makes people happy. I’m going to turn off the news, listen to music, draw a horse, and maybe write a poem or two. I urge you to spend time pursuing whatever it is that you love, too!

On the Cover:

Felicia & Lacey, Original Cover by Peter Max from original photo by Cheryl Stephens

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Cover Story:

24 The Iconic Peter Max - Jane Meggitt

Lifestyle: 10 Pet Care Feature - Pet Burns - Texas A&M 16 Pasture Management - Jennifer Roberts 30 Rider Fitness - Cathy Strobel

Product Highlights: 13 Kalglo 14 A&B Associates 22 Making of a Hoof Boot

Columns: 6 Horse Bites 28 Ride-N-Sync™ - Terry Myers 34 Tack Talk - Lew Pewterbaugh 44 Trail Tips - Tom Seay 46 Cowboy Corner - Jim Hubbard

ADVERTISING OFFICES

• HEADQUARTER OFFICE (281) 447-0772 Phone & (281) 893-1029 Fax Advertising@horsebackmagazine.com

Staff PUBLISHER Vicki Long

EDITOR Steven Long

NATIONAL NEWS EDITOR Carrie Gobernatz

• BRAZOS VALLEY BUREAU Diane Holt (936) 878-2678 Ranch & (713) 408-8114 Cell Dianeh@horsebackmagazine.com

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jim Hubbard, Steven Long, Vicki Long, Roni Norquist, Lew Pewterbaugh, Cathy Strobel, Margaret Pirtle Volume 23, No. 9 Horseback Magazine, P.O. Box 681397, Houston, TX 77268-1397, (281) 447-0772. The entire contents of the magazine are copyrighted September 2016 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: vicki@horsebackmagazine.com

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PESTA JOINS PURINA ANIMAL NUTRITION EQUINE TEAM Purina Animal Nutrition announces the hiring of Anna Pesta, Ph.D., as an equine nutritionist on the technical services team. “Anna has been a horse person throughout her life and is equally skilled across multiple disciplines in the horse industry,” says Karen Davison, Ph.D., equine technical service leader for Purina Animal Nutrition. “Her passion for horses and strong academic background will be a great asset to our team.” Earning her Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition from the University of Nebraska, Pesta’s research focused on nutritional strategies to reduce methane production in growing and finishing. In 2001 she received her master’s degree in ruminant nutrition from the University of Nebraska studying the use of byproduct feeds in high-fat finishing diets. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Kansas State University. While at the University of Nebraska, Pesta coached the horse judging team and taught junior and senior level courses on the principles of horse evaluation. She also assisted in producing training videos on horse safety for feedlot pen riders and presenting oral reasons for youth horse judging teams. “I am looking forward to being part of such a strong team and using my knowledge of nutrition to directly impact the day-to-day lives of horse owners,” says Pesta. “Purina Animal Nutrition’s focus on research and using only proven ingredients in their feed formulations and recommendations to horse owners is what excites me.”

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safety. Some were successful and some were not. “Horse Bites is compiled from Texas has a very limited amount Press Releases sent to Horseback Magazine. Original reporting is of education that includes instruction on done as circumstances warrant. how to deal with large animals in flood Content is edited for length & style.” waters. Brazos Valley Equine Hospital had clients that had horses in the floods. To help responders get educa A state-of-the-art research facility tion on dealing with horses in floods they allows Purina Animal Nutrition to consponsored a Basic Operations Surface tinue to be the industry leader in equine Water Rescue in Texas on August 16, 17, nutrition. This 60-acre facility is the and 18 instructed by Eric Thompson of only one of its kind in the industry and Emergency Equine Response Unit. research specific to equine nutrition has This class was the first of its kind in the been conducted for more than 87 years. United States. Students attended from Originally from North Carolina, Pesta grew up showing and judging horses other states, such as Florida and California. and livestock through her local 4-H club. What did the class teach reShe continued judging during college, sponders? This class covered criteria joining the Kansas State University judgfor Animal Search and Rescue (ASAR) ing team and coaching the team at the team training guidelines referenced in the University of Nebraska during her Ph.D. National Alliance of State Animal and studies. Pesta also has experience as a Agricultural Emergency Programs (NAthree-day event competitor as well as ridSAAEP), ASAR best practice work group ing and judging western discipline shows. white paper; and the Southern Agricul For more information, call (800) ture and Animal Disaster Response Alli227-8941 or go to: www.purinamills.com/ ance (SAADRA) ASAR Resource Typing. horse-feed. Basic swift water concepts were taught, along with ropes, boat operaBRAZOS VALLEY EQUINE HOSPITAL SPONSORED tions and safety, animal behavior, animal floatation devices, approaching the animal BASIC OPERATIONS SURFACE WATER RESCUE in flood waters, harnesses, quick release halters, and how to handle animals in the In 2015 and 2016 as Texas Horse owners water. experienced floods that most have never For more information on Techseen before in their lifetime, they also nical Large Animal Emergency Rescue or found their horses in a variety of trouto schedule an event go to: http://tlaer. bling issues as water was rising. org/ For more information on ASAR Some rescuers had no idea on Flood water classes go to: http://eerular. how to rescue horses in flood waters. org/ For more information on upcoming Rescuers and the public tried to help get seminars at Brazos Valley Equine Hospimany horses out of the flood water to tal go to: http://bveh.com/seminars.htm

GUESS WHAT? BARBECUE BEEF REALLY IS GOOD FOR YOU - A&M SCIENTIST SAYS

Anna Pesta, Ph.D. joins the Purina Animal Nutrition Team.

Texas barbecue is famous for beef brisket and as a bonus for barbecue fans, it has many healthful traits, said Dr. Stephen Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist. Ground beef produced from the brisket contains high levels of oleic acid, which increases levels of HDL or good cholesterol in humans, Smith told beef producers at the recent 62nd Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course held at Texas (Horsebites cont. on pg 20) www.horsebackmagazine.com

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Pet Care...

Pet Burns

ccidents happen, and pets can get burned for one reason or another just like their owners can. When this happens, it is best to have a hands-off policy and leave the treatments to the professionals. “The best thing an owner can do in the case of a burn is get the animal to a veterinarian as soon as possible; burns are considered to be emergencies in just about all situations, and the sooner they are brought in, the better,” says Dr. Alison Diesel, lecturer specializing in dermatology, at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Sometimes pet owners will not notice the burned area for days or even weeks after the burn has occurred. One thing to keep in mind with burns is that sometimes what is seen initially is only the tip of the iceberg. “What may look like only a red spot of skin on a pet’s side following a burn incident can quickly become devitalized, dead tissue, which is not only painful but also more at risk for infections over the next couple of days,” explains Diesel. Infection in the animal is a big concern when dealing with burns, especially if the burn goes deeper into the lower layers of the skin. “If the skin barrier is not intact and normal, bacteria can quickly enter the wound causing not only local infection but also potentially it can get into

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the blood stream. This puts the animal at risk for serious illness and potentially death,” says Diesel. Diesel explains that very serious burns require hospitalization and care for several days to weeks at a time to monitor and control for any side effects of the burn. Cars are often one of the causes for accidents resulting in pet burns. On a hot day, the shade underneath a car or truck might seem very appealing to an animal outside. Even on a cold day, the heat of a car engine can be comforting for a kitty out in the cold. If the animal comes in contact with a hot muffler or catalytic converter even for a split second, a serious burn can occur. There are many other scenarios as well that could be the cause of pet burns, such as: barbeque

grills, space heaters, spilling hot liquids or food when cooking, objects laying in the yard that conduct heat such as hoses or tools, or puppies or cats chewing on plugged in electrical cords. “Different types of burns require a bit different treatments,” explains Diesel,

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Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed online at vetmed.tamu.edu/pet-talk.

“Chemical burns for example, might become much worse when water is applied to them, so the nature of the burn helps the veterinarian know how best to treat it.” Sometimes owners do not witness the animal getting burned, so it is important to be able to try and distinguish if a mark that is found on a pet is actually a burn. “Burns have a variable appearance based on the extent and severity on an animal,” says Diesel, “Initially, it may start as the skin itself just looks a little red or inflamed, while more severe burns can cause burning or singeing of the coat.” Diesel explains that the pet’s hair may become dry, brittle, curled, or even lost completely. “Severe burns may show up as large areas of exposed deeper skin; this would look like a scraped knee for example, which could be moist, oozing, and often very painful,” says Diesel. Even what looks like only a mild burn can become much worse over time. This is particularly true for thermal burns, which may be caused by heat lamps, water blankets, or even hot water from a garden hose that was used for bathing. “The skin may look red initially, but then may turn black, crusty, and become quite painful with these burns,” says Diesel. (Pet Talk - Con’t. on pg. 12)

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(Pet Talk - Con’t. from pg. 11)

It is natural for an owner who witnesses a pet getting burned to want to try to help the animal and ease their pain, but again, the best thing to do is to get the animal to a veterinarian as soon as possible. “If it is not a chemical burn, removing some of the burning material can be helpful,” explains Diesel, “For example, if the owner trips over a dog or cat and ends up spilling a hot casserole on the pet, or spills candle wax on the pet, then removing the hot material would be good in that case.” This is the extent to which an owner should try to help a pet with a burn. A veterinarian will be best able to provide and recommend pain control given the pet’s other medical conditions and extent of injuries. Owners can sometimes unintentionally burn a pet when drying them off with a hair dryer after a bath. Hair dryers can be helpful for drying off a pet, however owners need to be careful so as the hair dryer does not get too hot. “If the owner wants to use a hair dryer, it should be done on a cool setting ONLY,” says Diesel. Less harmful ways of drying off a pet would include thorough towel drying or allow-

ing the animal to dry outside in the sun when the weather is not too warm. Diesel recommends this as a good option to consider, especially during the milder seasons such as fall. Long hours in the sun however can be too much for some animals, particularly when it is still rather hot outside. Sometimes more serious situations can occur such as house or barn fires. In this case, the owner should closely monitor the pet not only for burns but also for signs of smoke inhalation. “Smoke inhalation can be a big problem for dogs and cats, especially if that animal already has any sort of respiratory condition such as asthma,” says Diesel. Signs of smoke inhalation can include coughing, sneezing, or even turning blue, gasping for air, or losing consciousness. “Smoke inhalation is often treated with oxygen and possibly fluid supportive care,” says Diesel, “Radiographs (x-rays) of the chest may also be helpful to evaluate the lungs.” When it comes to pet burns, time becomes crucial. The best thing an owner can do for their pet is to get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible to be evaluated and monitored. This is the best way to ensure getting fluffy friends back to their playful and loving selves!

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Horse Stall Heaters

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alglo Electronics Co., Inc. manufactures electric radiant infrared heaters which are widely used in horse stalls, foaling stalls, and wash stalls. This type of overhead spot heating is ideal for the animals. The radiant heaters primarily heat the animals, not the air. The heaters are all aluminum and stainless steel construction with no glass tubes or bulbs to break. The metal heating elements are backed by a five year limited warranty. The models typically used are 65 inches long and are available in 120 or 240 volts. They are pre-wired ready to use and come complete with the necessary hanging hardware. Kalglo has been making electric radiant heaters and electronic controls in the USA since 1969. Kalglo Electronics Co., Inc. 5911 Colony Drive | Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-837-0700 | www.kalglo.com/horsehtr

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Meet the Company

the early 1990’s Bill Gale opened Arena & Barn Associates. A business specializing in the planning, design, and construction of equestrian facilities in the Northwest. Most customers wanted their riding arena to have a view of the surrounding countryside. They didn’t want to be closed into a “box”. This required at least one or more walls remain open above the short perimeter rub wall. They readily found having a roof over their arena did not prevent rain, wind, snow, sleet and hot, drying sun from interrupting their riding/training pleasure. The adverse weather affected both rider and horse. Wide areas of the footing would become soaked or dried by hot sun. The problem – How to limit the evasive weather conditions and preserve the view. Bill quickly found there weren’t any quality products of this type available. He began a planning and design project. A process of trial and error consumed the better part of a year finding suitable materials. He began a

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A&B Associates testing process to determine the optimum material that would best curtail weather elements – while providing “see-through” abilities. It was determined a vinyl coated poly mesh of a particular weave pattern solved that requirement. This would produce a long life, durable product that would restrain weather, provide a view, and would withstand the detrimental exterior elements for many years of reliable service. That solved the screen material problem. But, what about installation hardware for the various construction framing methods and materials (wood and all-steel). We felt it best to offer a complete Weather Screen Kit including all hardware. That led to developing several Screen Kit Models. Stationary, Slide-Up (for entrances), Roll-N-Vent (for additional ventilation), and Cable Mount (for all-steel structures with wide bays). Each Kit is designed for ease of installation using only common hand tools. GaleShield Weather Screen Kits became a reality. Our goal is to supply quality screen kits that are easily installed,

durable, and provide adequate protection from adverse weather conditions while retaining a view of the surrounding countryside. GaleShield Screens add an attractive and functional element to the over-all facility value. For the past 20+ years we have supplied GaleShield Screen Kits to satisfied customers throughout the United States. All screen kits are protected with our 10 Year Pro-Rated Warranty. The GaleShield website (www. galeshield.com) includes a GALLERY with numerous examples of installations showing exterior and interior views and CUSTOMER COMMENTS with several customer testimonial videos. Check out all of the information provided and contact us for your personal FREE Weather Condition Consultation. We will evaluate the particular adverse conditions you are experiencing, review your arena/barn structure, provide weather control recommendations including GaleShield Screen Kit specifications, and a personalized Quote. Contact A & B Associates at Ph: 360.573.1088 OR email: screeninfo@galeshield.com.

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

The Grass is Always Greener A Quick Look at Pasture Management By Jennifer Roberts

summer marches on, watching your horses graze out on the pasture in the early morning is one of the most amazing simple pleasures. In order to have this picture continue throughout the season, it is imperative that your pastures are well managed and well taken care of. Basic pasture management is relatively simple, but requires a diligence on the part of the horse owner. In giving you an overview, it’s important to mention that if you have any questions, your country cooperative extension agency is a wonderful resource that is familiar with the area and the grasses that you are working with. Pasture rotation is the best and most effective pasture management tech-

nique. By not allowing your horses to graze down the grass to the root, you maintain a healthy root system in the grasses. This helps to avoid bare patches and will allow the grass to spring back more quickly. According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, “Add and remove animals at the correct times to obtain optimum nutrition, rapid forage re-growth, and stand persistence.” Consider the creation of a “sacrifice space” for when all of the pastures are currently overgrazed and back in the growing phase. This area can be smaller than the other pastures and will end up with large bare patches and poorer quality grass. You may find that this sacrificial pasture is also a great place to keep your horses throughout the winter

months in order to let your larger pastures go completely dormant throughout the winter. In order to control the weeds, mowing your pasture periodically is also encouraged. While this may seem counter-intuitive, the mowing knocks down the plants that your horses have decided to avoid and allows the tender shoots of forage that your horse prefers to snack on. If it’s a particularly large weed, pull it! Removing manure will help the grass grow more evenly and not create the “dead” patches in the grass. When you remove manure, treat the area with Sweet PDZ Horse Stall Refresher to neutralize the ammonia. The lack of ammonia will help maintain the grass, as ammonia tends to kill off those tender grasses. When the grazing season is complete, consult with a local agency to see about fertilizing requirements for your area. This will vary depending on location. Pasture management does not require fancy equipment, but it does require a well-thought out plan. By utilizing these quick tips, you can help prolong the grazing season and watch your horses graze in the early morning to your hearts content. Sweet PDZ has been keeping stalls healthy for over 32 years and continues to be the leading horse stall freshener on the market. This organic (OMRI Listed), non-toxic compound captures, neutralizes and eliminates harmful levels of ammonia and odors. Sweet PDZ is a far superior alternative to lime products for ammonia removal and moisture absorption. For more information, as well as a dealer locator, visit SweetPDZ.com.

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¹Offer valid on new 3032E Compact Tractor purchases made between 8/3/2016 and 10/28/2016. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Up to a 20% down payment may be required. Example: based on a purchase of $14,200 with $2,840 down payment, monthly payment of $135 at 0% APR for 84 months. Taxes, freight, set up and delivery charges could increase the monthly payment. Price and model availability vary by dealer. Valid only at participating US dealers. ²Beginning 1/1/2016 all Compact Utility Tractors purchased new from an authorized John Deere Dealer come standard with a 6 year/2000 hour (whichever comes first) Powertrain Warranty. See the Limited Warranty for New John Deere Turf & Utility Equipment at dealer for details. ³Offer valid from August 3, 2016 through October 28, 2016. Subject to approved credit on revolving plan, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b For consumer use only. No down payment required. 3.9% for 72 months only. Other special rates and terms may be available, including installment financing and financing for commercial use. Prices and models may vary be dealer. Available at participating dealers. *Manufacturer’s estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/EC.

Keeps water & feed from sloshing out of buckets, even when trailering down the road! Soft & st stretchy enough for your horse to reach feed & water at the bottom of the bucket. Soft sides protect and cushion horse’s face. Fits flat-backed or round buckets, available in two sizes.

www.horsebackmagazine.com

September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Meet Our Research Team

A Stable of Knowledge. They don’t have Ph.D.s after their names, but they’re valuable partners in every aspect of Purina equine research. From palatability studies to growth and development analysis and exercise physiology, our carefully tended horses faithfully support our nutritionists and veterinarians. Thanks to Mick, Flash, PJ, Teddy and 68 other loyal equine coworkers, we develop the world’s leading feeds for horses of all ages and lifestyles. At Purina Equine Research Farm, our horses make a difference for your horse.

18 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

September 2016

See it at horse.purinamills.com

www.horsebackmagazine.com

NEW MEXICO Circle S Feed Carlsbad, NM 575-885-8369

Davis Feed & Fertilizer, Inc Buffalo, TX 903-322-4316

Bunks Feed Barn Hobbs, NM 575-397-1228

Bernardo Farm & Ranch Supply Cat Spring, TX 979-732-5161

OKLAHOMA Agriproducts Ardmore, OK 580-223-7355 TEXAS Alice Feeders Supply Alice, TX 361-664-3404 Johnson Feed and Western Wear Alpine, TX 432-837-5792 Angleton Fd and Supply Co, LLC Angleton, TX 979-849-6661 Arcola Feed & Hardware Arcola, TX 281-431-1014 Lab Supply dba Argyle Feed Store Argyle, TX 800-262-5258 Bandera Ranch Store Bandera, TX 830-796-3342 Bastrop Feed and Supply Bastrop, TX 512-321-3700 Bay City Feed Bay City, TX 979-245-2712 Sam’s Western Store Inc. Beaumont, TX 409-842-2625 Bear Creek Bells Bells, TX 903-587-0385

D&L Farm & Home - Celina Celina, TX 972-382-1197 Wise Feed Chico, TX 940-644-2100 Silver’s Pet and Feed Cibolo, TX 210-566-8020 Lonestar Ranch & Outdoors Cleburne, TX 817-645-4325 Close Quarters Feed & Pet Supply College Station, TX 979-690-3333 Conroe Feeders Supply, Inc Conroe, TX 936-756-5549 J&D Country Store Conroe, TX 936-756-7667 Smith General Store Corsicana, TX 903-874-1372 Lone Star Country Store Corpus Christi, TX 361-387-2668 Crane County Feed and Supply Crane, TX 432-558-2225

horse.purinamills.com Del Rio Feed and Supply Del Rio, TX 830-775-5090

Goliad Feed Goliad, TX 361-645-3266

D&L Denton Denton, TX 940-891-0100

E-Barr Feeds Gonzales, TX 830-672-6515

Duncanville Feed Duncanville, TX 972-283-3404

J&N Feed Graham, TX 940-549-4631

United Agricultural Coop El Campo, TX 979-543-7756

Arrow Feed & Ranch Supply Granbury, TX 817-573-8808

Elgin General Store Elgin , TX 512-285-3210 Potts Feed Store, Inc Emory, TX 903-473-2249 Capps True Value Hardware & Ag Fairfield, TX 903-389-4505 Farmersville Feed and Hardware Farmersville, TX 972-782-7241 Pecos County Feed and Supply Fort Stockton, TX 432-336-6877 Marshall Grain Company Fort Worth, TX 817-536-5636 Rendon Hardware and Feed Fort Worth , TX 817-561-1935

Linseisen’s Feed & Supply of Bellville, LP Bellville, TX 979-865-3602

Crockett Farm & Fuel Center, Inc Crockett, TX 936-544-3855

M & M Farm Supply, Inc. Franklin, TX 979-828-3516

Dewitt Producers Cuero, TX 361-275-3441

Lochte Storage Fredericksburg, TX 830-997-2256

Belton Feed and Supply Belton, TX 254-939-3636

Feeders Supply Co Dallas, TX 214-371-9413

Howard County Feed and Supply Big Spring, TX 432-267-6411

Feeders Supply 2 Dallas, TX 972-224-5559

Gulf Coast Equine and Pet Center Friendswood, TX 281-482-7186

Wheeler’s Feed and Outfitters Boerne, TX 830-249-2656 Berend Bros Bowie Bowie, TX 940-872-5131 Brenham Produce Co. Brenham, TX 979-836-3523 Producers Cooperative Association Bryan, TX 979-778-6000 Brazos Feed & Supply, Inc. Bryan, TX 979-779-1776

Pasturas Los Alazanes Dallas, TX 469-386-9360 Aggie Feed Store Dallas, TX 214-391-3595 Damon Farm & Ranch (Tx) (Main) Damon, TX 979-742-3317 Chachere Feed Store, Inc. Dayton, TX 936-258-2670 Stockman’s Seed & Fertilizer De Leon, TX 254-445-3337

NRS Feed Store Decatur, TX 940-627-3949 www.horsebackmagazine.com

Williams Gin and Grain, Inc Frost , TX 903-682-2611 D&L Farm & Home Gainesville Gainesville, TX 940-612-1210 Ganado Feed & More Ganado, TX 361-771-2401 Coryell Feed and Supply Gatesville, TX 254-865-6315 Giddings Ranch and Pet Center Giddings, TX 979-542-3188 Butler Feeds Glen Rose, TX 254-897-2696

Steinhauser’s Greater Houston Area, TX 979-885-2967 S and S Ag Center Groesbeck, TX 254-729-8008 Maci Feed Hardin, TX 936-298-9404 Lab Supply Highland Village, TX 800-262-5258 Mumme’s Inc Hondo, TX 830-426-3313 Hieden Feed and Supply, Inc Houston, TX 281-444-1010 Sam Houston Feed & Supply II Houston, TX 281-591-2443 Cypress Ace Hardware and Feed Houston, TX 281-469-8020 Huntsville Farm Supply, LLC Huntsville, TX 936-295-3961 Lindemann Store Industry, TX 979-357-2121 C and T Auto and Feed Iraan, TX 432-639-2189 Odiorne Feed & Ranch Johnson City, TX 830-868-4579 Junction Warehouse Junction, TX 325-446-2537 Cordell Farm and Ranch Store Kaufman, TX 972-932-2164 T Bar T Farm Supply Kaufman, TX 972-962-7677 McDonnell Building Supply Keller, TX 817-431-3551

Kerrville Ranch and Pet Center Kerrvile, TX 830-895-5800 Lavernia Country Store La Vernia, TX 830-779-2600 Hoffpauir’s Ranch & Supply Lampasas, TX 512-556-5444 Bear Creek Leonard, TX 903-587-0385 Lexington Feed and Farm Lexington, TX 979-773-2782 Chachere Feed Liberty, TX 936-336-5273 Livingston Feed & Farm Supply Livingston, TX 936-327-8853 Llano Feed & Supply Llano, TX 325-247-4126 Smith Supply, Lockhart Lockhart, TX 512-398-3785 Mabank Feed Mabank, TX 903-887-1771 Standley Feed & Seed, Inc Madisonville, TX 936-348-2235 Spring Creek Feed Center Magnolia, TX 281-252-5400 Mansfield Feed Mansfield, TX 817-473-1137 Watsons Feed Store Mart, TX 254-876-2501 McGregor General Store, LLC McGregor, TX 254-840-3224 D&L Agmart McKinney, TX 972-562-9995 Ark Country Store/ Midlothian Midlothian, TX 469-612-5050 Walden Farm & Ranch Supply - Millsap Millsap, TX 940-682-4667 C and S Feed and Farm Supply Montgomery, TX 936-597-4050 Needville Feed and Supply Needville, TX 979-793-6146

New Braunfels Feed and Supply New Braunfels, TX 830-625-7250

Springtown Feed & Fertilizer Springtown, TX 817-220-7656

Berend Bros Olney Olney, TX 940-564-5671

Taylor Feed and Supply Taylor, TX 512-365-9436

Engledow Farm & Ranch Supply Palestine, TX 903-723-3210

Temple Feed and Supply, Inc Temple , TX 254-778-7975

Reeves County Feed Pecos, TX 432-447-2149

Three Rivers Farm and Ranch Three Rivers, TX 361-786-3242

D&L Farm & Home - Aubrey Pilot Point, TX 940-365-3129

Free Flo Feeds Tilden, TX 361-274-3232

Wells Brothers Farm Store Plano, TX 972-424-8516

D&D Feed & Supply Tomball, TX 281-351-7144

Bayou Feed Barn Port Lavaca, TX 361-552-9894

Texas Farm Store Uvalde, TX 830-278-3713

Anderson Ag Refugio, TX 361-526-5018

Northside Ranch Victoria, TX 361-573-5000

Rockdale General Store Rockdale , TX 512-446-6100

B and S Farm and Ranch Center Waco, TX 254-752-0777

Round Top Farm and Ranch Round Top, TX 979-249-5666

Bar None Country Store Waco, TX 254-848-9112

Eagle Hardware Farm and Ranch Royse City, TX 972-632-7878

Waco Brazos Feed and Supply, Inc Waco, TX 254-756-6687

Holt Ranch and Feed Royse City, TX 469-723-3230

Haney Feed & Farm Supply Waller, TX 936-372-3652

Sabinal Grain Sabinal, TX 830-988-2215 Lubianski’s Grain Saint Hedwig, TX 210-667-1145 Grogan’s Farm & Ranch San Angelo, TX 325-227-6870 Mumme’s, Inc San Antonio, TX 830-980-4924 Mini Ranch San Antonio, TX 210-628-1535 D&L Farm & Home - Sanger Sanger, TX 940-458-0111 Tibaldo’s Feed & Supply Santa Fe, TX 409-925-2735 D&D/Luling Feed & Supply Seguin, TX 830-379-7340 Producer’s Cooperative Seguin, TX 830-379-1750 Beran’s Agri-Center Shiner, TX 361-594-3395

Ark Country Store Waxahachie, TX 972-937-8860 Walden Farm & Ranch Supply - Weatherford Weatherford, TX 817-594-0480 Walden Farm & Ranch Supply - Brock Weatherford, TX Wharton Feed & Supply Wharton, TX 979-532-8533 Berend Bros Jacksboro Hwy Wichita Falls, TX 940-723-2736 Walkers Feed and Farm Supply Willis, TX 936-856-6446 King Feed and Hardware Wimberly, TX 512-847-2618 Berend Bros Windthorst Windthorst, TX 940-423-6223 Poole Feed Supply Wylie, TX 972-442-4844

Somerville Farm and Ranch Somerville, TX 979-596-2224 September 2016 H ORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Horsebites... Oﬀering an artisan approach to furniture making. With the rise of globalization, most local furniture manufacturing jobs in the past 50 years were sent overseas for the nearly non-existent environmental laws and inexpensive labor. Robert Evina, President of Woodland Creek Furniture, ha been quietly working to bring some of has those jobs back home.

THE WOODS: Reclaimed Wood + Sustainable Wood = Eco Friendly Furniture

Every piece manufactured is beautifully crafted from reclaimed woods or responsibly harvested materials.

231.668.9125

woodlandcreekfurniture.com (Horsebites cont. from pg 6)

A&M University in College Station. That’s good news as the popularity of Texas barbecue as well as overall ground beef consumption continues to increase annually. “Brisket has higher oleic acid than the flank or plate, which are the trims typically used to produce ground beef,” he said. “The fat in brisket also has a low melting point, that’s why the brisket is so juicy. That’s also why we like it so much here in Texas, and it’s by far the

most popular choice for Texas barbecue. Dr. Stephen Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist in College Station, discusses the healthful benefits of beef, including brisket, at the recent 62nd Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin) “The brisket has become one of the preferred trims to produce ground beef,” said Smith, a professor in the department of animal science at Texas

BBQ Is Good For You according to Texas A&M Study

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September 2016

A&M. “Americans consume over 50 percent of their beef as ground beef. They use it in many recipes, not just to make hamburgers. Also, more than 25 percent of the beef carcass is used to produce ground beef, which improves the sustainability of beef production.” A series of studies summarizing Smith’s work will soon be submitted to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. It encompasses research looking at ground beef intake and plasma risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes in men and women. Recently, he coauthored a research article on marbling for the association, available at http://bit. ly/1EwH8x6. “The primary goal of my research program is to evaluate methods to increase the marbling and healthfulness of beef,” Smith said. “My universe evolves around oleic acid. It’s the most abundant fatty acid in beef. It’s also most abundant in canola oil and olive oil. When cattle are fed high-concentrated diets for a long period, the meat becomes high in oleic acid and other monounsaturated fats. “Oleic acid is very high in Japanese Black cattle such as American Wagyu beef.” Smith said Wagyu beef is known for its high marbling and monounsaturated fat. They produce a highly marbled product and the more marbling, the healthier its fat composition, Smith said. “Also, if you are producing ground beef from grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef, the grass-fed beef will have distinctly different flavors.” In studies conducted at Texas A&M, Smith said results have shown that good cholesterol, HDL, always increases in men and women fed ground beef high in oleic acid, such as grain-fed beef from Angus, Wagyu or Akaushi cattle. In the tests conducted at Texas A&M, Smith said participants consumed five beef patties a week for five or six weeks. “Ground beef is not going to kill you,” he said. “When you take the beef out of fat, it reduces LDL, but also reduces HDL,” he said. “Our studies have shown that fat is a very important component of beef.”

IDAHO, LEGEND HORSE DIES AT AGE 31 www.horsebackmagazine.com

Horsebites...

How Form Affects Function Cause Lack of regular scheduled trimming and misconception of what the bars do. Effect Without properly placed bars, the back half of the foot is not supported resulting in corns, abscess and pinched heels. Solution Trim the bars to their point of origin.

Vettec • Orange, California • 1.800.483.8832 • www.vettec.com Utrecht, The Netherlands • +(31) 30 241 1823 • www.vettec.net

Stolen Horse International, Inc. aka NetPosse.com™ is sad to announce that on August 11, 2016, Idaho, the horse that started an International Quest to help find missing, lost, and stolen horses was helped over the Rainbow Bridge by her beloved family. At 31 years old and battling cancer, the Metcalfes knew it was time to let go of this special mare. However, her legacy will live on! Idaho was stolen on September 26, 1997 from Harold and Debi Metcalfe’s pasture in Shelby, NC. Over the next year, Debi spent every free moment sending e-mails, posting flyers, and talking to strangers. Traveling hundreds of miles that year to visit horse auctions or speak to people who might have encountered Idaho, the Metcalfes persisted in the search when friends and family members told them to give up. Fifty-one weeks later they found her and brought her home on September 17, 1998. Debi’s unexpected quest for Idaho resulted in breaking the silence about horse theft and tearing down barriers so more horses could be recovered. Debi quit her job and established Stolen Horse International – all because of one horse. While the Metcalfes know it was Idaho’s www.horsebackmagazine.com

VA.0716.HBMBARS

Result A healthier foot that functions normally.

brave spirit that brought her through the yearlong ordeal and called to them over the miles and days of their search for her, they also knew that time would take its toll. Finally, on August 11, 2016, Idaho was assisted in crossing the Rainbow Bridge. Here she is reunited with all those that have gone before her … the stolen and missing horses that never made it home. “We all have a “moment” in life where we realize something important for the first time, an epiphany of sorts. Mine came when I was speaking in New York in 2014. I turned around to look at the screen and saw this image. It was then that I realized for the first time that what I do, what we do through this organization, touches many lives in a good way. I had to pause for a moment as it hit me, you can never underestimate the power of one. This was my moment in time when I knew that I had “done good”, and that what I do matters.” - Debi Metcalfe Debi and Harold Metcalfe of Shelby, North Carolina established the nonprofit Stolen Horse International, Inc.™ after the theft and recovery of Harold’s horse, Idaho, in 1998. Known as NetPosse™, the organization is the equine commu-

nity’s renowned source on horse theft education. Through its volunteer network, NetPosse™ assists those with stolen and missing horses, tack, trailers and other farm equipment and livestock. http:// www.netposse.com The Metcalfes couldn’t give up on Idaho because to them she wasn’t just a horse. Idaho is a symbol of hope for every stolen or missing horse that has yet to be recovered. Rest in peace, Idaho. Your journey will not be in vain. Your purpose will not be forgotten. Your legend will live on. Your spirit will be forever with us. It’s not often that a simple trail horse can inspire an international quest, but Idaho did. Run Free Idaho! Written By: Angela (Kirby) Beck NetPosse Executive Consultant Never underestimate the power of one. Whether it be one person reporting a stolen or missing horse, or that one person who does the right thing and helps locate a stolen animal. APHA.COM DEBUTS FRESH NEW LOOK FOR THE AMERICAN PAINT HORSE ASSOCIATION

(Horsebites cont. on pg 39)

September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

The Making of a Hoof Boot

the President of Cavallo Horse and Rider, one of the most important aspects of my job is overseeing product development. Creating cutting edge, market-changing equestrian products is what has brought Cavallo to the forefront of the hoof boot industry – an industry that is constantly evolving and redefining itself. When we first tackled the challenge of making the best hoof boot on the market, we actually began with the END result as our starting point. We asked horse owners, ranging from beginners to professional riders, what they would want and expect from a hoof boot. Our first step was to do an informed study of our target market. I started Cavallo in 1993, making rider garments and saddle pads, so we had an extensive database of market savvy customers, knowledgeable people who we could trust for quality feedback and market research. The one constant was the great love these people have for their horses. The comfort and well-being of their horse was paramount. After that, it came down to a handful of essential requirements: functionality, safety, ease of use, and economy. Not one of these points could be overlooked - a boot would have to encompass each feature in order to become the very best. Our customers wanted a powerhouse of a boot that could tackle any rideable terrain on this continent and around the world. Lightweight, comfortable, simple to use, long lasting with built-in drainage – a boot that would stay on the hoof through the worst of conditions without fail. A stylish appearance certainly never hurts, either! With this composite profile of a hoof boot; we rose to the challenge of making it a reality. Although the materials I’d used in garment design were different than the materials needed to

22 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

September 2016

produce a hoof boot, I knew how to source them and put them together, at a cost that would work for everyone. I was also aware of the role of quality control and rigid product testing, which are crucial in shaping a product that is absolutely fit for purpose. Cavallo’s CEO, Greg Giles, entered the picture in 2004, at a time in his career when he specialized in the development of safety footwear. Greg provided another important addition to our team, as he was the Managing Director for Old Macs from Australia. Greg knows what it takes to make hoof boots a reality. The products he oversaw were created for industrial use, regulated by strict material specifications and performance capacity. Greg’s relevant skills and business knowledge in this area meshed perfectly with my own. We were ready to make the best boot, at the best price, with the best possible delivery time – So our customers would get it when they needed it, use it easily and pay a comfortable price. Uniting our respective backgrounds with the desires of our customers was like cooking a well-balanced gourmet meal, combine just the right ingredients and viola the ideal hoof boot is born. In 2006 we created the boot we’d envisioned. The funny thing was that after testing, trialing, and making all of the improvements we could ever foresee our customers wanting, our new hoof boot was still unnamed! We were about to attend the WESA trade show in Denver (the largest Western and English equestrian trade show in the world) and a name was needed - and FAST. Much like naming a long awaited puppy, it had to be right, had to describe what the boot really was, had to capture its essence. At home at our ranch, Greg and I we were playfully tossing our new,

nameless hoof boot back and forth to each other across the room, trying to brainstorm by calling out its features. The thing that kept escaping our mouths, again and again was how refreshingly simple it was – and it occurred to us - why would we need any other name than that? Hence the name “Simple Boot”…… and we never looked back. Last year we launched our new Cavallo Trek Boot. As in this case, new development can be brought on by external factors. Trek’s conception was fueled by an introduction to “Pro Mesh”; a technically advanced material. The developer of this new and technically advanced material suggested that TPU Pro Mesh would translate to a perfect hoof boot upper. We liked the idea right away. We already knew what our TPU soles were capable of and were excited that this strength could be extended to a boot upper. When we fully investigated the material, we found it to be durable, lightweight, flexible and incredibly hardy – taking the existing benefits our boots already offered to an even greater level. We successfully forged an agreement for Pro Mesh to be used exclusively, worldwide, for Cavallo Hoof Boots. For a product to truly succeed around the world, strong relationships must be cultivated. Greg always says there is a new invention under every rock – but how do you extract it, produce it, and make it readily available? It requires knowledge, expertise, AND financing – a perfect storm, where all factors must come together at just the right time, and in just the right way to produce dynamic results. A company must also have total confidence in their product to be able to offer a solid warranty to inspire trust and confidence for the customer. Only this can create a relationship that lasts many years. www.horsebackmagazine.com

Cavallo offers the Best Boot Warranty on all of our hoof boots, taking the stress and uncertainty out of a purchase. There are many products on the market that don’t meet the criteria of what a horse owner needs in a hoof boot, and in the end the consumer (and their horse!) pay the price. They end up stuck, unhappy, with their money invested in a product that is not fit for purpose. With Cavallo, we’re not just fulfilling the consumer’s need for a product; we are committed to education that highlights the health and financial benefits of keeping horses natural and barefoot. And, as all we do is in constant effort to grow, expand, develop and improve; we now announce the new ELB (Entry Level Boot). An exciting, game-changer: ELB is perfect for those still “nervous” about making the shift to becoming ‘barefoot and booted’. We wanted to offer easy access for riders to get into boots without a huge financial commitment. Make no mistake; the ELB remains Cavallo consistent - uncompromising in quality and specification. The ELB upper material is our 1680 count Denier industrial grade nylon – the same material used on Cavallo Sport style hoof boots, which have been ‘tried and tested’ in all terrains since 2008. The replaceable Velcro closure extends the working life of the ELB in the event of Velcro fatigue. Easily fastened by 8 and 80 year-olds alike, the strap does not require any tools or extra physical strength. The ELB is offered on both Cavallo soles – Regular Sole, (hoof length and width are equal) and Slim Sole (hoof width is ¼” (5mm) narrower than length). Both soles incorporate the unique Cavallo patented front closure system and built in side drainage slots – which drain mud, water and sand effortlessly. Available in 7 sizes (0 – 6 ) and sold individually, the ELB is available now at favorite tack stores or equine catalogues in the USA only, at the special launch price of ONLY $49.95 per boot. As testimowww.horsebackmagazine.com

Build Your Perfect Hoof Boot

Cavallo’s

NEW Entry Level Boot

duty industrial grade • Heavy 1680 Denier Nylon Upper replaceable • Reﬂective Velcro closure signature built in side • Cavallo drainage slots allows water to

enter and exit and air to circulate

The World’s Most Affordable Hoof Boot

49.95

ONLY

USD Per Boot

SIMPLE

• Replaceable Velcro closure ﬂexible Pro Mesh moulded • Ultra TPU Upper Available individually, can be right or left hoof •

Unique post peg side closure with • industrial elastic for adjustability • Reﬂective piping for night riding • 1680 Denier nylon Upper is ULTRA tough

Simple front fastening with industrial grade • Velcro closures and moulded rubber keepers Genuine leather Upper for strength, • comfort and ﬂexibility

CHOOSE from four hoof boot styles and two sole choices SLIM: REGULAR to make a custom • • combination just for you and your horse Sole width is ¼” (5mm) narrower than sole length

www.cavallo-inc.com www.cavallo-inc.com Call Toll Free 1 877 818-0037

Also available at your favorite Tack Store or Equine Catalogue.

ny to quality, the ELB is included in Cavallo’s Best Boot Warranty coverage - 180 day ‘repair or replace’. Carole Herder

has been involved in horse health since 1994. Carole is the author of the #1 International Bestseller “There Are No Horseshoes in Heaven”. Her Company Cavallo Horse & Rider Inc. develops, manufactures and distributes horse products in 26 countries worldwide. Carole and her partner Greg Giles designed and patented Cavallo Simple, Sport, Trek and ELB Hoof Boots.

Sole width same as sole length

Simple... Life LifeisisSimple... Ride Just JustRide

Carole developed the Total Comfort System Saddle Pads to address the other ‘hot spot’ for horses ridden under saddle – their sore backs. Providing comfort for horses is Carole’s passion. She presents educational trainings on the benefits of keeping horses barefoot and in their natural state around the world. Ms Herder is the proud recipient of the Royal Bank of Canada Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award as a Trail Blazer in the western region and a member of the Women’s Presidents Orga-

nization, supporting women entrepreneurs around the globe. September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Peter Max Americas Favorite Living Artist By Jane Meggitt

a ‘60s icon, Peter Max is right up there with Woodstock, the Summer of Love and bell bottoms. He palled around with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and helped introduce the now ubiquitous concept of poster art for the masses. This legendary artist is scheduled to appear at Houston’s Off the Wall Gallery, 5015 Westheimer, on Saturday, September 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. He’ll display recent paintings and speak with fans.

24 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

September 2016

Born Peter Max Finkelstein in Berlin, his family fled the Nazis when he was just a year old. Max spent his first ten years in Shanghai, entranced and greatly influenced by the color and culture of the city. The family then moved on to Tibet, Israel, Paris and New York City. He studied at the Art Students League of New York. Even today, at 78, his voice retains a trace of a European accent. In the early 1960s, he and friends opened an arts studio, and Max was soon acclaimed for the psychedelic imagery in his work. Since the 1976 Bicenten-

nial, Max has annually painted an image of the Statute of Liberty. He has been the official artist of countless sporting events, including the Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, the New York City Marathon, the World Cup, the U.S. team 2006 Winter Olympics and five Super Bowls. He has painted for the last six U.S. presidents. Max has also served as the official artist for the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Awards. Max lives in New York City with his wife, Mary – who serves on the board of directors of the Humane Society of the United www.horsebackmagazine.com

“Better World” by Peter Max

www.horsebackmagazine.com

September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

States – and their five rescue likes painting horses. He esticats. As he has for most of his mates he’s made about a dozen life, Max diligently continues to equine-themed paintings in his create at his career. Othstudio five days er creatures a week, working “When speaking with abound in his in multiple mework. In 2002, Max, you quickly dia. “I love being Max donatcreative,” Max $180,000 notice that “love” is ed says. “I wake up worth of his every morning artwork to his favorite word. eager to crehelp a cow He loves animals, ate art.” He that escaped and Mary travel from a slaughhe loves art, and he each weekend terhouse live to different citthe rest of her loves life.” ies to promote life at Farm his artwork. Sanctuary in While Max admits he Watkins Glen, New York. He has little horse experience, he doesn’t know whether the cow,

26 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

September 2016

dubbed “Cinci Freedom,” is still alive. He is a total vegan, eating no animal products whatsoever. When asked if any of his art supplies contained animal products, Max replied, “Not to my knowledge.” A longtime yoga practitioner, Max credits the discipline with giving him calmness and inner peace. He says his mind is in a yoga state all of the time. When speaking with Max, you quickly notice that “love” is his favorite word. He loves animals, he loves art, and he loves life. We are honored and proud to feature a Peter Max work created especially for Horseback Magazine. www.horsebackmagazine.com

PETER MAX:

THE RETROSPECTIVE: 1960 - 2016 A newly-curated collection of artist legend, Peter Max’s exquisite paintings will be on exhibition and available for acquisition in a presentation at Off the Wall Gallery, Houston’s premier fine art gallery. Peter Max will make two very special appearances at the gallery and all appearances are complimentary and open to the public with RSVP’s required. Previews begin Saturday, September 17 with a Preview Event that evening from 6-8 pm. There are two scheduled Meet the Artist receptions: Saturday, September 24, from 6-8 pm and Sunday, September 25 from 1-4 pm. All artworks are on exhibition and available for acquisition. RSVP’s are required at 866900-6699 or houston@roadshowcompany.com. Visit www.offthewallgallery.com for more info.

Houston Texan’s Helmet

Peter Max with one of his biggest fans, Felicia Ford, who is also the model on this month’s special Horseback Magazine Cover, along with her childhood horse “Lacey”. Felicia had the honor of meeting Peter and having him sign a print of the cover image at a recent gallery showing in Austin prior to publication.

“Cosmic Texas”

“Houston Skyline”

View these and other pieces at Houston’s Off The Wall Gallery this month. For more info visit: www.offthewallgallery.com

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Training Tips..

The Role of the Outside Rein.

nyone who has ever ridden with me knows that I preach the importance of the outside rein to the point where my wife says when I die she is going to put on my tombstone “MORE OUTSIDE REIN”. You hear and read about the importance of getting a horse soft in the bridle and giving to the bit laterally. Most people focus on this so much, that they actually get the horse forehand heavy because they never take their training to the next step. Don’t get me wrong, getting a horse that will give to the bit is a very important step in training a horse. Once a horse is soft in their neck and their body (gives the ribcage and you can push the hip to the inside), it’s time to go to the next step… the outside rein. First let me explain the function of the outside rein. The outside rein squares the horse’s shoulders (they actually elevate their shoulders), puts the horse in the middle of the bridle and, since horses are bilateral, they will move the hip slightly to the inside. A horse in this position will push themselves with their back end rather than pull themselves with their front end. If you watch a horse canter in the pasture, their shoulders are elevated and they actually track their outside hind leg between their front legs, taking a deeper stride that has more drive. This natural stride allows

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their hock joints to move back and forth, as they are designed to do. When we force a horse to move in a manner that is forehand heavy, they take short, choppy steps with their back legs, creating an up/down pounding on their hocks. This is one reason hock injections have become so common place. I know a horse is ready for the outside rein when I have them very soft to my inside rein and yielding to inside leg pressure. When I pick up my inside rein, the horse will yield to light pressure. When I add my inside leg, the horse will give their ribcage and give me a bend, without pulling. The name for the inside rein in dressage is direct, leading or softening. If you look up these three words in the dictionary, you will not see the word pull. The inside rein is a directional rein and is not a pulling rein. You can take more hold on the outside rein to support the horse, but never the inside rein. How do we use the outside rein to create a balanced natural stride? Here’s how to start… Pick up on the inside rein without pulling. Then take a hold of the outside rein and apply pressure. If you feel a change in your horse’s stride, the speed or cadence of their feet, reward your horse by releasing all rein pressure. The timing of the reward is important and must be immediate to allow the horse to recognize and learn what you want.

You can add pressure with your outside leg when you take a hold of the outside rein. To do this, you must move your outside leg back and add light pressure. If no response, try lightly bumping your outside leg with the rhythm of the horse. Once your horse will give you a change, when adding outside rein and leg pressure, ask for two or three strides before you release. Eventually your horse will learn to hold the position. The important part, you cannot pull with your inside rein. If you pull on the inside rein, your horse will start leaning into the bit and pull back. This is not a quick process but is necessary to the goal of creating a “finished” horse, one which can travel in a collected manner. In our quick, hurried society, there is no gimmick or quick fix to producing a properly moving, well framed horse (contrary to a promo training video clip I saw online, you cannot create a perfectly collected horse in an hour!). The rider body position is critical to this process. I could write a book on this subject. Western pleasure people, this applies to you too! A good moving horse, one who drives from behind and is in frame, is not discipline specific. It applies to all horses and all riders. Until you correctly use the outside rein, you will never get close to having a “finished” horse. Like the old saying goes; “you break them on the inside www.horsebackmagazine.com

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rein and finish them on the outside rein.” It is well worth the time to understand what this means and more importantly, what a collected horse feels like. Remember…horses don’t make mistakes, people do. If you try to keep this philosophy in the forefront of your mind when working with your horse, you will be a more effective partner. Questions about this or any of our articles can be emailed to us at myers5000@aol.com. Terry Myers is a national clinician and champion horse trainer with a depth of knowledge developed from over 45 years in the horse industry. Myers has been a popular clinician at multiple expos in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about Myers’ Ride-In-Sync methods as well as clinic and training services available, visit Myers at www.tmtrainingcenter.com or on Facebook. www.horsebackmagazine.com

September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

hen you view horseback riding as anything more than an activity, you need a fitness plan. Riding recreationally requires strength and stamina. Riding competitively in any equestrian discipline is even more physically demanding. Horses are big strong animals that generate a lot of force. As riders, we need to be strong enough and have enough stamina to stay with the horse and control it from the ground and in the saddle. Your fitness level has a lot to do with how tough or easy your horse’s job is. If you are overweight, you are top-heavy. If you jump your horse and lose your balance, you’ll fall on its neck or hit hard on the back of the saddle. If your sport is cutting, barrel racing, dressage or any other sport that requires speed or agility, your extra weight compromises the balance of both of you. It makes you and your horse each carry excess baggage and is more than a matter of comfort. It’s also a matter of safety. Any shifting of your balance will cause your horse to shift his balance too. You can actually make a horse stumble and fall down if you lose your balance badly enough. When you carry extra weight, your mount also has to push harder in the hind end, causing excess wear and tear on all of his joints. If you are carrying more

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Rider Fitness by Cathy Strobel weight than you should, start by examining your eating habits. Stop making excuses for yourself, like how it’s a genetic problem or diets just don’t work for you. Try writing down every little morsel of food you eat in a day including snacks, drinks and leftover crumbs. View your food as fuel and plan your meals so you are getting plenty of protein and vegetables. Pay attention to your diet and make sure you are drinking plenty of water while you limit your sugars, fats and starches. I am not a doctor or nutritionist, but there are hundreds of books out there about how to eat right if you need help. Riding at gaits faster than a walk requires a certain degree of stamina that comes from your cardiovascular fitness. If you are one of those riders who doesn’t have several extra hours a week to spend in the gym working out, start looking around for ways you can challenge yourself to raise your heart rate one or more times a day for several minutes. It’s best if you can raise your heart rate

for 20 minutes or more at least once a day. Interval training, where you work with intensity for several minutes and alternate with lowering the intensity for a couple of minutes, has been proven to help burn calories efficiently and improve your heart health. While you can do this on your horse to help condition both of you, on days when you can’t ride, you can find any number of ways to raise your heart rate. Try jogging, swimming, rowing, biking, jumping rope, running in place, jumping on a trampoline, power walking, dancing, use a treadmill or elliptical machine, or anything else that sounds fun to you. Use your imagination and get your body moving. When you think about how strong a horse is and look at his muscle mass compared to yours, it’s quite obvious that strength training should be a part of your regimen. Think about the muscle groups that you use when you ride and try to target each one of them in your workouts. A proper workout is best where you have time to stretch and warm up your muscles www.horsebackmagazine.com

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before you get serious but if you are short on time, you can still do something. If you don’t have time for a full blown workout at the gym, look around you and get creative with a few 5 minute mini-workouts each day. Make each one target a specific area. Arms and shoulders – you need to be able to pull when you ride. Try a heavy duty workout band or bungee cords anchored to a stationary object and pull from the backs of your arms. Begin grasping the band with arms extended and chest lifted. Then pull your elbows back under your shoulders using your triceps (backs of your arms). Repeat several times, resting as needed. To balance the pulling muscles, try pushups. If that’s too hard for you, modify them by pushing up with your body on an incline. You can use a heavy, stationary object such as your vanity, desk or kitchen table. Place your palms on the edge of the object with your legs behind you so you are leaning laterally against the object and push www.horsebackmagazine.com

your chest up as many times as you can tolerate. The steeper the angle, the more difficult the exercise will be. Core and abdominal muscles – These muscles are needed for stability and for leverage against a strong horse. Crunches (mini sit-ups) are always good! Legs – You need a lot of strength in your legs when you are

riding. Try mini squats, bending your knees to fold your joints and then straightening them. It’s very similar to 2-point, used for jumping. Make sure your feet, knees and shoulders line up and don’t dip down all the way to prevent straining your joints. To make it harder, do single squats using one leg at a time. You don’t have to squat (Rider Fitness - Con’t. on pg. 32)

September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

(Rider Fitness - Con’t. from pg. 31)

very low to get results and your knees will appreciate it. For quadriceps and abdominals – (You simply can’t function over jumps without these muscles!) Sitting on the edge of a chair, lean back slightly, lift your feet off the ground and make a pedaling motion while keeping your stomach muscles tight. Rest and repeat. This exercise can also be done sitting on the floor and leaning back on your elbows to “pedal”. The farther you extend your legs, the harder this exercise is. There are hundreds of exercises you can do to keep yourself fit for riding. These are only a few suggestions to get you thinking about what

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will work for you. Keep in mind that if something hurts (and I’m not talking about muscles getting tired) you should stop doing it. If you need more help with developing a fitness routine that works for you, consider hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions. Try to think about ways to help yourself such as improving your posture or burning a few extra calories by taking a flight of stairs or walking faster and don’t forget to stretch before riding or exercising. Keep in mind your goal of riding better. If you are fit, you will be able to help your horse more by keeping your own balance and not forcing him to drag you around. If you are going to ride, you

are going to fall at some point and the better your fitness level, the better your chances of falling safely. Take yourself seriously. Get rid of the excuses. Be realistic about what you are eating and make it your goal to improve your balance, flexibility, strength, stamina and body awareness. Use your common sense to develop a routine that works for you and get help from a professional nutritionist or personal trainer if you need it. Take responsibility for your fitness and get started today. Your horse will appreciate it! 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

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Tack Care...

Saddle Fitting Article Number 237 or So! Horseback Magazine’s Saddle & Tack Editor

ad a very pleasant surprise visit from some very nice folks last Sunday, so I thought, okay, one more time, I’ll do this as thoroughly as I can. If you are going to buy a saddle on eBay, based solely on price or how fancy it looks, you can skip this article. This is for the person who seriously wants to find a good fitting saddle for their four legged companion. If you are frustrated trying to find a good fitting saddle, read on. The things you will need are a 60 cent piece of poster board, an 18 inch piece of wire (I use a piece of 12/2 electrical wire), and a pencil, pen, or Sharpie. Take them out to the stable where you keep your horse, and find a good place to set the poster board. I use the tailgate of my pickup. Mark the wire at the halfway point. Please make sure the wire is exactly 18 inches long. Now, place your hand right behind the horse’s shoulder blade with your first two fingers alongside the back edge of the shoulder blade. This is where you want to shape the wire the first time. Take your

time and shape it very carefully, with no gaps, so that when you pick it up and drop it, it fits perfectly right there two fingers behind the shoulder blade. Now pick up the wire and place it on the poster board, and trace it with your writing instrument. Next, straighten the wire, and move back 10 inches, and repeat the above process. This will be much flatter, and probably just a mild arc. Move back another 10 inches and repeat again. This one will be flatter still. Now, take a good heavy duty pair of scissors, and cut out the templates. Take these with you when you go to see your saddle shop, or go look at a used saddle. Turn the saddle upside down, and set your template on the bottom of the saddle in the appropriate location, and see how it fits. If the template doesn’t fit the saddle, the saddle will not fit your horse. There are more ways to really refine the fit, but if you get these three fits pretty close, you will be pretty good. There are ways to measure the “rock” or the curvature of the back from front to back, but this is a much more difficult measurement to make. I always do it, and I try to evaluate the rider’s skill level, as that makes a difference in how much bridging you need to build in so the horse can round up into the

saddle. That is for much more advanced riders who are really concerned about collection, such as reiners and dressage riders. Trying to explain the difference between different tree configurations is so confusing that its best, if you are looking for a good fit, just do the above, and forget about semi-quarter horse, quarter horse, and full quarter horse. Many people mistake one for another, not knowing the difference, so it can confuse the buyer when the seller doesn’t know the difference. I looked at a saddle on eBay that was described as SQHB (semi-quarter horse bars). Knowing that line of saddles, I checked the manufacturer’s website, and sure enough, the saddle had full quarter horse bars as I expected. Point being, you can’t trust the description given by resellers. Adding to the confusion, many saddle makers don’t know the type of tree they are using. Most order their trees from a tree maker, and every tree maker has their own idea of what the different trees should fit like. Billy Cook, an iconic saddle maker, told me years ago, that he used regular quarter horse bars on all his saddles. I did a saddle fitting a few months ago where the customer had two Billy Cook saddles, both “The Original Billy Cook, Sulfur, OK.” 0 YEARS

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Both saddles were well made, higher end saddles, and both were an entirely different fit. One I would consider regular quarter horse bars, and one I would consider full quarter horse bars. You just can’t expect the fit to be the same without measuring. Speaking of measuring, you can’t accurately measure the gullet width and bar angle when the saddle is together. The measurements are made on the bare tree before the leather is added. Most of the pictures I see on ads, with a tape across the front of a saddle, are so worthless, they would be better off not showing it. I will once again list some averages

on tree configurations. KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE AVERAGES. If you have one foot frozen in a block of ice, and one foot in a bucket of boiling water, on the average, you’re comfortable. Semi quarter horse trees have a narrower gullet and steeper angle to the bars, typically, about a 6&1/4” gullet, with about an 87 degree angle. Quarter horse trees are usually 6&1/2” gullet with a 90 degree angle, and full quarter horse trees have a wider gullet, usually 7”, with a 92 to 93 degree angle. To confuse the issue, you spread the gullet out or move it in to balance the saddle on the horses back. If the bar angle fits, but the

“Sam”

saddle runs downhill from back to front, if you move the bars in for a narrower gullet, it will raise the front of the saddle to balance the rider, and vice versa. It all gets very complicated, but unless you have a weird shaped horse, do the steps above, and find a saddle that fits close, put on a good pad, I like a 1” solid wool pad, and go enjoy your ride. Bandera’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.

“Piper”

Left Image: This horse was so wide we had to do a custom tree. This regular quarter horse bar tree wouldn’t begin to sit down on the horse’s back. Middle & Right Image: The one marked Sam is almost a perfect fit. The one marked Piper shows that the regular quarter horse bars would be too wide. This would have dry spots up near the withers, and may let the gullet ride right on the withers. www.horsebackmagazine.com

September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

DIGESTION & COLIC

by: Horse Sense Solutions Understand how the digestion works and why treatment used over the last 50 years is not working.

have a better understanding of horse’s digestion, I have simplified each phase of the digestive system. This will give you a better understanding how each section works and why horses colic.

cause of the angle that it attaches to the stomach and the fact that But, then.... there was this horse in this muscle is very strong this explains why it’s almost imposyour memory that almost died. sible for a horse to vomit.

You Say – Not My Horse!!

‘Wake Up Horse Owners’! IT CAN and WILL happen to you!

Stomach: The stomach of the is small in relation to the (or someone you know) horse horses’ large body. This limits the amount of feed a horse can take Part 2 in at one time. The natural feedDigestion System and Why Horses ing habit of the horse is to graze on small amounts of roughages are at Risk of Impaction Colic often. The average sized horse by Reba Martinez Mouth: Feeds are mixed with (800 to 1200 lbs.) has a stomach saliva in the mouth to make a with a capacity of only four galmoist bolus that can be easlons. In the stomach breakdown ily swallowed. Three pairs of glands of feed stuffs are accomplished by produce saliva. Horses will produce bacteria that produce lactic acid, other up to 10 gallons (85 lb.) of saliva per acids and the enzyme pepsin. The day. No wonder horses need water at end product is food broken down into all times to keep hydrated. Dependchyme (The term used to refer to paring on the weather, horses will drink tially digested food as it moves through from 10 to 20 gallons of water a day. the digestive tract). Drinking adequate amounts For full digestion to take place, of water will lessen the risk of having feed may stay in the stomach for up impaction colic. Check waters daily. to 24 hours before it moves on. The I think dehydration is the number stomach works best when it contains 2 one cause of impaction colic. gallons of feed for full digestion to occur. The fact is that the stomach empTeeth: Horses need to chew their feed ties when it becomes 2/3 full, whether for better digestion to occur. By breaking down the feed stomach enzymes have completed their processing of the stuffs, it allows the enzymatic and microbial action to food or not. Because of the way a horses’ digestive system penetrate the plant cell walls and digest feed more effiis designed, it runs more efficiently to feed horses small ciently. The horse needs healthy teeth to grind feed. Teeth meals often. should be examined during the annual health check to However, horses are now housed in stalls or pens ensure that they are wearing normally. The horse’s upwhich do not allow grasses to grow. Horse owners ration per jaw is wider than the lower jaw, so sharp points often the feed. Horses are now expected to eat large amounts develop on the molar teeth. of concentrate once or twice a day. If you feed a large If your horse is dropping feed out of their amount of concentrated grains and hay at one time and mouths, this may be an indication that points have the stomach becomes more than 2/3 full it may only formed on the teeth and they are cutting the inside of stay in the stomach for as little as 15 minutes before it is their mouth as they chew. These points may prevent norpassed on. This means the feed stuffs are not fully digestmal chewing which reduces the food value received from ed and may predispose your horse to impaction colic. the feed and may predispose a horse to colic. Filing (or To avoid this potential problem continuous foragfloating) the teeth will remove the points. ing or several small feedings per day are preferable to one or two large ones. The rate of passage of food through the Esophagus: The esophagus is a simple muscular tube that stomach is highly variable, depending on how the horse is takes food from the mouth to the stomach and is about fed. 4-5 feet in length. A muscular ring, called the cardiac It then leaves the stomach through the pyloric sphincter, connects the stomach to the esophagus. Bevalve, which controls the flow of food out of stomach and

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In our experience here at Monty Robert's Flag Is Up Farms we had 100% success with using SayWhoa!. We had several wild mustangs that we adopted from the BLM and three of them colic in the span of Horses may become “Impacted” Severe Weather Changes two weeks. We used your product and saved all three Abrupt Feed Change including one that was severe and thought to not survive. I Too Much Dry Feed highly recommend this product and would always keep a Simply Not Drinking Enough few bottles around for safeties sake. Kind regards, Laurel Roberts (Monty Roberts’ Daughter) 800-448-8180 www.HorseSenseSolutions.com See Website for Store Near You. Over 700 Stores

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into the small intestine. Small Intestine (Upper Gut): The horse’s small intestine is 50 to 70 feet long and holds 10 to 12 gallons. This is the major digestive organ. After the food has been digested, it is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and carried off by the blood stream to whatever cells need the nutrients. Nearly 70% of carbohydrate digestion and absorption and almost all amino acid absorption occur in the small intestine. It can take as little as 30 to 60 minutes for food to pass through the small intestine. Most food is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, including proteins, simple carbohydrate, fats, and vitamins A, D, and E. Any remaining liquids and roughage move into the large intestine. The small intestine contains three sections; the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Duodenum: The majority of digestion occurs in the duodenum as bile from the liver aids in digesting. Horses do not have a gall bladder, so bile flows constantly. Jejunum: The Jejunum is important in re-absorption process of bile salts and absorption of nutrients during digestion and is the part of the small intestine where the majority of nutrient absorption occurs. Ilium: This part of the upper gut is primarily a transition area between large and small intestines. Cecum: The cecum is the first section of the large intestine; a pouch, about 4 feet long that holds 7 to 8 gallons of digestive chyme. It is a microbial fermentation vat, similar to the rumen in a cow. These microbes produce specialized enzymes which ferment and break down the cellulosic structures of fibrous feeds like hay or any material that was not digested in the small intestine. These bacteria feed upon the chyme, which will www.horsebackmagazine.com

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remain in the cecum for about seven hours, allowing bacteria time to start breaking it down. The microbes will produce vitamin K, B-complex vitamins, proteins, and fatty acids. The vitamins and fatty acids will be absorbed. A potential problem is because of the unique design of the cecum. Its entrance and exit are both at the top of the organ. This means that the feed enters at the top, mixes throughout, and is then expelled up at the top. This design is the cause of problems if an animal eats a lot of dry feeds without adequate water or if a rapid change of diet occurs. The reason horses must have their diets changed slowly is that the microbial population in a cecum is somewhat specific as to what feedstuffs it can digest. The bacteria in the cecum are slow to modify and adapt to the different chemical structure of new feeds. Too abrupt a change in diet can cause colic, as the new food is not properly digested. Both of these reasons may cause an impaction in the lower end of the cecum. A good formula to follow with is a concentrated grain based feed or new type hay: Avoid Sudden Feed Changes: If a change of feed occurs, it takes about three weeks to develop a microbial population that can digest a new feed and maintain a normal flow through the cecum. A general rule for safely changing feeds: Week 1: Feed a mix of three-fourths of the old ration and one-fourth of the new feed. Week 2: Feed a mix of one-half of the old ration and one-half of the new feed. Week 3: Feed a mix of one-fourth of the old ration and three-fourths of the new feed. Week 4: Feed all new feed. Digestion & Colic - Con’t. on pg. 34 September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

Digestion & Colic - Con’t. from pg. 33

Colon: The large colon, small colon, and rectum make up the remainder of the large intestine. Microbial digestion continues, and most of the nutrients made through microbial digestion are absorbed here. Water is also absorbed, resulting into the formation of fecal balls. These fecal balls, which are the undigested roughage and mostly indigestible portion of what was fed, are then passed from the rectum. Large Colon: The large colon is 10-12 feet long and holds up to 20 gallons of semi-liquid matter. It is made up of the right lower (ventral) colon, the left lower (ventral) colon, the left upper (dorsal) colon, the right upper (dorsal) colon, and the transverse colon, in that order. The main purpose of the large colon is to absorb carbohydrates, which were broken down from cellulose in the cecum. Due to its many twists and turns, it is a common place for a type of horse colic called an impaction. Three tight bends in the large colon arise where these

segments meet each other, and these are termed the sterna, diaphragmatic and pelvic flexures. Small Colon: The small colon is 10-12 feet in length and holds only 5 gallons of material. It is the area where the majority of water in the horse’s diet is absorbed, and is the place where fecal balls are formed. Rectum: The rectum is about one foot long, and acts as a holding chamber for waste matter, which is then expelled from the body via the anus. Contributed by Reba Martinez from Horse Sense Solutions – Different Products For Different Digestive Needs Part 3 to be continued in next month’s issue.

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Horsebites...

(Horsebites cont. from pg 21)

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APHA.com received a facelift, and it’s hard not to notice. Now smartphone friendly and designed for simple navigation, the new site makes it easier than ever to find the information you’re seeking, no matter your device. Take it for a spin and see what you discover; in addition to quick-link program tabs at the top of the page, you can find any page you’re seeking simply by scrolling to the bottom of the site. With more than half of the world’s web traffic taking place over mobile devices, the update simply makes sense as an extension of APHA’s mission to provide a top-quality membership experience. “We’re excited to debut this new and improved, mobile-friendly version of apha.com to our members and Paint Horse enthusiasts worldwide,” APHA Senior Director of Marketing and Membership Cristin Conner said. “It’s just the first chapter of a fresh, new brand for the association, so stay tuned as we roll out this distinctive new look across our many segments.” Perhaps more noticeable than website bells and whistles is the unveiling of APHA’s new branding. Colored in rich brown tones inspired by real Paint coat colors, the new look and logo give APHA a fresh start while celebrating the association’s commitment to the Western lifestyle, its unique and beautiful breed, and its efforts toward a new and prosperous future. The new, simplified logo puts the emphasis on “Paint Horse,” turning the spotlight on the breed instead of the association and setting Paints apart in the horse industry’s herd of similar logos. The brand-style logo also firmly plants APHA’s boots in the Western heritage that is at the heart of the 54-year-old organization. Discover the full story behind APHA’s new look in the Winter 2016 issue of Horsebites- Con’t. on pg. 40 www.horsebackmagazine.com

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Horsebites... Chrome, APHA’s multiple-award winning member magazine. Not a member? Join now at apha.com/join to be welcomed into the APHA family. Courtesy Paint Horse Journal

USA PARA REINING EVENT AT THE 2016 50TH ANNUAL ALL AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS SEEKS PARTICIPANTS BY: LINDSAY Y. MCCALL USA Para Reining event is looking for Para-Equestrians to participate in the USA Para Reining show at the 2016 All American Quarter Horse Congress October 9. In particular, the Para Reining event is looking for Grade Ia and Grade Ib Para Dressage riders who want to try their hand at reining, but if you are interested and are of any Grade please contact Frederick Win at attorneywin@ gmail.com or call 609-992-5283. The horses are provided to participants along with coaches and support. The 2016 All American Quarter Horse Congress is scheduled for October 6-30, at Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. Para Reining will include four classes held in the Celeste center

USA PARA REINING SEEKS PARTICIPANTS

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starting at 7 AM, October 9. The 50th Annual All American Quarter Horse Congress is run by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association. For more information please visit http://www.quarterhorsecongress.com or visit the Ohio Quarter Horse Association at oqha.com. Para Reining made its debut during the 2013 AQHA World Championship Show, and interest in the sport continues to grow, including a class at the 2014 World Show, a class at the Kentucky Reining Cup and the one at the NRHA Futurity. For 2014, AQHA adopted parareining rules in collaboration with USA Reining and NRHA. Those rules will be revised with the goal of making para-reining a nationally recognized sport in the future. REINING HORSE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW SCHOLARSHIP FOR NHSFR High school rodeo and the reined cow horse competition can lead to a college scholarship thanks to a new partnership benefiting competitors at the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR). The Reining Horse Foundation has joined with the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) to provide a $2,500 scholarship to the student athlete marking the highest score in the reining during the NHSFR, held July 17-23 in Gillette, WY. Winner of the inaugural scholarship is Jayde Atkins of Broken Bow, Neb., who scored a 146.5 in the rein work and a 150.5 in the cow work in the short go, the high score for both events. Atkins also received a Morrison bronze courtesy of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). She was riding Sonitas Last Dual (Dualin Jewels x Sonitas Ann x Sonitas Last), a 2003 gelding nicknamed “Harry.” In a field of 112 reined cow horse contestants, Atkins achieved a total score of 884.5 (two go-rounds plus the short go) to win the national championship. In late 2014, the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) began offering reined cow horse as an optional event. It joined a lineup of bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, tiedown roping, steer wrestling, team roping, and cutting for boys; and breakaway roping, barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, cutting, team roping, and the queen contest for girls. “While reined cow horse might not be a traditional rodeo event, we believe

(Horsebites cont. from pg 39)

it fits nicely with our ultimate mission of preserving the western heritage and providing opportunities for our youth members,” said NHSRA Executive Director James Higginbotham. NHSRA, NRCHA and NRHA all acknowledge that reined cow horse can elevate the riding ability of NHSRA members who choose to learn and take part in the event. As part of the reined cow horse competition, contestants must complete a reining pattern, commonly referred to as dry work. “Providing youth scholarships is a core program of the Reining Horse Foundation,” said Mandy McCutcheon, a $2 million NRHA rider and secretary of the Foundation Board. “Reaching out to the youth contestants of high school rodeo who are competing in this event makes perfect sense. Our hope is that more students will be introduced to reining and reined cow horse and ensure these sports grow and succeed for generations to come.” Based in Oklahoma City, Okla., the Reining Horse Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the National Reining Horse Association. Core programs for the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization include youth scholarships, the Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund and the NRHA Hall of Fame. The Foundation is celebrating its 15th anniversary. NRHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONCLUDES AUGUST MEETING The National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) Board of Directors met on August 16, 2016 to continue guiding the future of the sport of reining as the association looks toward its next fifty years. Conducting a very successful and productive meeting, they discussed numerous items including event conditions, eligibility, budget, and the IT project. Below is a summary on the action taken at this year’s August Board of Directors Meeting. • Adding additional money in the 2016 Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship classes in Oklahoma City was approved. A final class allocation will be made in the coming weeks. Check back at nrha.com for an update. • Hosts for the 2017 Affiliate Regional Championships that were open for bid were approved. These include: Northeast (Horsebites cont. on pg 42) www.horsebackmagazine.com

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Horsebites... • With the design phase for the IT project complete, the Board approved to enter the programming and development phase. Be sure to attend the 2017 NRHA Winter Meeting so you can catch a sneak peek! • New NRHA Bylaws were unanimously voted into place. The bylaws will be available in the Members Only section of nrha.com and will be effective immediately. In a related action, the 2017 NRHA Handbook will only contain the rules most relevant to showing and the bylaws and other non-competition policies and procedures will be available online for members. • The Board also discussed several potential 2018 rule change proposals.

– Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association, Southeast – Heart of Dixie Reining Horse Association, Southwest – Arizona Reining Horse Association, and Western Canada – Central Canada Reining Horse Association. • 2017 Adequan North American Affiliate Program conditions were approved. • A new initiative for the NRHA Professionals was approved. In the coming year, NRHA Professionals will receive three publications with articles, tips and how-to’s all targeted to help support their role in the industry. • Spain is now an approved NRHA Affiliate. • 2017 NRHA Futurity & Derby conditions were approved. • 2017 NRHA Nomination Conditions were approved. • The presented budget for 2016 - 2017 was approved. • The fees policy for 2017 was also approved. Gelding status updates and name change fees were added. There were no increases to any existing fees. • 2017 eligibility policy was approved and will be made available online in the coming weeks.

The deadline for member submissions is December 15, 2016. NRHA President, Rick Clark, shared his thoughts on the meeting: “I left the meeting extremely happy about what we had achieved. I’m proud of the NRHA Board of Directors for approving new bylaws that will support the governance structure that was approved earlier this year. This gives us a more modern and efficient structure to serve our mem-

bers and the sport of reining.” “Another big step for us was approving to add more money to the Adequan North American Affiliate Championships. We will announce the specifics in the next week, but this year’s contestants will be running at approximately $40,000 in added money this year. That’s about a $15,000 increase over the last year. We’ve had to make some tough decisions to stay on budget this year, and we are thrilled to be able to allocate more funds to such a vital part of our industry,” stated Clark. The board’s next face-to-face meeting will be held during the 2017 NRHA Winter Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas. The meeting is scheduled for February 8-12, 2017 at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. It will include the Hall of Fame Inductions, Annual Awards Banquet, NRHA Executive Committee meeting, NRHA Board of Directors meeting, RHF Board meeting, Professionals Summit, Annual General Membership Meeting and several NRHA Committee meetings.

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Trail Riding...

Historical Trail Rides by Tom Say, Host of Best of America by Horseback

his is the time of year that we organize the ride locations to make new Best of America by Horseback television show locations. More and more, we are adding locations that have not only beautiful scenery, but historical significance. One of those locations is in Oklahoma. There is a small town north of Oklahoma City that is famous for the Chisolm Trail. There is a museum

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September 2016

there and the home of the Governor of Oklahoma during the early days. His name happened to be Abraham Jefferson Seay. Yep, Mom used to tell us stories about that branch of the family and I would always want to ride my pony there to visit this place and ride the famous Chisolm Trail. The trail was the route of millions of cattle in the 1867-time frame. It basically followed the present US Route 81. It is one of the best known cattle drive trails in the world. You hear about it in western music and countless movies. It is appropriate for us to create a show on the history of the trail, the cattle drives and host a trail ride there. When we rode our horses from Mexico to Canada, we followed many of the cattle drive trails. You can actually still see the cuts in the land from wagon wheels along the way. With incredible landscapes, you can almost envision riding with the cattle as if they were still there. A trail ride along the Chisolm trail may give you the opportunity to see and feel that part of American history. Although the details of this historic re-tracing of history with our horses and friends is not complete, I wanted you to know about this, especially if you have had the same wish to ride on this famous trail. Somehow, it brings out something good that is buried deep down inside of us. Maybe it is the wish to explore, maybe it is to expand places to ride out horses or to experience history. Whatever it is, I assure you it is good. As I am working hard on this ride, let me know your thoughts and wishes so maybe you can join us. This is the kind of thing that refreshes your soul and you and I need to ride these places while we still can. Think about joining us for an upcoming episode of Best of America by Horseback and appear on that trail riding with me this coming year. To find out about this ride or other upcoming rides, contact us on our website, www.bestofamericabyhorseback. com, on Facebook, Best of America by Horseback, call our office and talk to Lisa at 540-829-9555 or write me directly at tseay10@aol.com www.horsebackmagazine.com

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September 2016 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE

General...

Signals. Howdy!

Welcome to Cowboy Corner.

ave written here many times that an electric fence or float valve on a water trough is job security on a ranch. Better check them every day to avoid surprises, which always happen at the most inconvenient time. For years have tried to find the right float for the water troughs. Found the right float valve several years ago, and as mentioned here before the troughs and float valves made by Rubbermaid work best for us. The float valve is made for the trough, bolts to the trough, and is secure. Secure means withstands curious livestock that likes to play with the water source. Each of our water troughs has a float to indicate the water level in the trough from a distance. If you can see the float, the tank has plenty of water and the float valve is working. Saves a lot of time if the float can be seen from a good distance away, like the road. Over the years have tried about everything that will float as a signal float in the water troughs. Have a long list of things that don’t work primarily because of durability. All the plastic jugs that have been tried can’t stand the Texas sun and sooner or later crack, fill with water, and sink. Filling the jugs with styrofoam peanuts used in the packing business really didn’t help, just gave us a job of cleaning up the peanuts from the

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cracked jugs. The jugs do have a handle allowing easy attachment of an anchor. The anchor keeps the float in the tank, and holds the jug upright, not on its side, making the signal easier to see from a distance. Also tried basket balls, soccer balls, volley balls and footballs with no success. The balls are tough enough, but won’t stay in the tank. Yearling calves love to play with these signal floats and soon they are on the ground. After lots of time and tries, think have found the right signal float for my water troughs, boat fenders. The boat fenders I am using are made by Atwood Corp., a well-known marine equipment maker and supplier. The fenders are round, 5 inches diameter by 22 inches long, tough, and have a ring molded on each end. The fenders are guaranteed for life and available at Walmart for less than ten dollars. To rig the signal floats, like to use a brick, large and heavy enough that the float can’t float. The brick needs to anchor the signal float to the bottom of the tank. Attach the brick to the float with an adjustable piece of rope or hay string. Make the attachment short

enough for the float to lay on its side when the water level is low then rise as the water level rises. When my tanks are full the boat fender float is standing on end and easy to see from a long way off. Takes a pretty good anchor for this signal to work, but a good anchor also keeps the float in the tank when the float becomes a toy. To aid in visibility attached some fluorescent surveyor’s flagging to the top molded ring on the fender. The fenders are white and really easy to see, but the flagging adds visibility, especially with a wind. Been using this boat fender signal float for about a month with good results. The fender standing on end with fluorescent tape on the top is really easy to see and stays in the trough. Fits our affordable, available, and easy, ranch plan.

Happy Trails...

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SHARON CHONEY

(at age 19) Equine Consultant, Texas Nutrena

YOU’LL FIND “MUCKING STALLS” ON MOST OF OUR RESUMÉS. Horses run in our family

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Call for product information or for a store near you. Available at your local tack and feed store, your favorite catalog, or online store. Visit us on the web for other unique products. www.horsebackmagazine.com