INSIDE
Little Britches Rodeo Gaines, Michigan
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The Brands You Know & Love
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Horses Calendar JULY 28-30
NMQHA HORSE SHOW
Midland County Fairgrounds, Midland, MI, www.miquarterhorse.com
Would you like your event included in the next Horses Magazine and on our web site for no charge? Just send your information to jim@ horsesmagazine.com
MEMORIAL SHOW
SEPTEMBER 14-17
AUGUST 25-27, 2017
MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI, www.miquarterhorse.com
Mason County Fairgrounds, Ludington, MI, www.miquarterhorse.com
MICHIGAN MEMORIAL
Reining Michigan Inc., Midland Fairground, Midland, Michigan www.mrha.org SEPTEMBER 1-3
JULY 29-30
HENRY COUNTY FALL SHOW & IQHA FUTURITY
IQHA TOM WILSON MEMORIAL
Rochester, Indiana, www.iqha.com
Since shedules can change, be sure to confirm the event’s date, time and location before you travel!
New Castle, Indiana, www.iqha.com
MQHA BREEDERS FUTURITY & GREAT LAKES CLASSIC
SEPTEMBER 23-24
IQHAA FALL SHOW
Henry County Saddle Club, New Castle, Indiana, www.iqha.com OCTOBER 3 - 29, 2017
ALL AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS
AUGUST 12-13
Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio www.quarterhorsecongress.com
IGHAA SUMMER FUN SHOW
OCTOBER 5-7
Rochester, Indiana, www.iqha.com
AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSE ASSOCIATION FALL CHARITY HORSE SHOW
AUGUST 23-27
LISA TERRY I’m not coming out
until you get me a
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Since shedules can change, be sure to confirm the event’s date, time and location before you travel!
Would you like your event included in the next Horses Magazine and on our web site for no charge? Just send your information to jim@ horsesmagazine.com
Horses Calendar Would you like your event included in
Michigan State University Show Pavilion Email: clscoggin525@gmail.com More Info: www.asham.org OCTOBER 27-29
ALL BREED YOUTH SHOW
MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI, www.miquarterhorse.com NOVEMBER 11-12
MQHA HARVEST CLASSIC
MSU Pavilion, East Lansing, MI, www.miquarterhorse.com
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Daniel Dauphin
Offering Confidence and Leadership to Your Horse Hi, my name is Daniel Dauphin, and I’m a “Leadership Guy”. That is simply how the world works to me. There are leaders and followers. While I want an honest and rich relationship with my horse, I am The Leader and I do not apologize for it. I am a good and benevolent Leader. Being a Leader does not mean that my horse is my slave, that he is scared of me, or that I am out to rob him of his confidence or dignity. I do not require that he must kneel before Zod. Hopefully, you agree, because in my experience, this topic being understood and acted upon is the single greatest element of being safe while around horses. Another key element of horsemanship, as I see it, is a fundamental understanding that horses are not people. You can’t merely feed them well and love them lots and expect to gain a willing partner who is prepared for the world. For that matter, raising your kids that way often doesn’t lead to whole and functioning adults either, does it? You must recognize that certain things we intended in one way, due to human social meanings, may mean something very different to a horse. This is where feeding treats becomes dangerous, and many other well meant gestures on our part. These human gestures, from the horse’s point of view, can express submission, because he’s a horse.
Photos By Freedom Ranch Photography Remember that everyone is a trainer and we are all training all the time. Also, we don’t all read horses for a living, but all horses read people for a living. This whole man/horse relationship thing is way more important to your horse than it is to you. To him, it is Life and Death. Respect that fact and be aware of it at all times. He is. So, what are some of the most common and basic things that show our leadership and confidence, or lack thereof? Leading the horse while holding the lead rope right up under the horse’s chin is a classic sign of the “leader” not being a Leader. You are communicating to the horse all of the time. Not giving him any slack is telling him that you don’t think he can manage the room to move, or, that you fear what he might do if he could move. I have handled all kinds of horses, from 17 hand warmbloods, to Thoroughbred Sallions, Gaited horses, and, of course, my beloved stockhorses. I’ve yet to meet one that
didn’t lead around just fine with 3-4 feet of lead left to his discretion. You may not be aware of how little trust you show him, but he is. I promise. Hopefully, he doesn’t take that fact under advisement and use it to begin training you! Never allow any disrespectful behaviors. It might seem cool to you that your horse wants to walk right up next to you and use you to scratch his head as he nearly lifts you off of your feet, but he’s telling me a very different story. He would not dare do that to the dominant horse in his herd. If he does this to you, you aren’t his leader. Sorry. You get respect from a horse in one of three ways. First, you move the feet. If that doesn’t work, then move the feet. If you are still having respect issues, then the best and biggest tool in the toolbox is to move the feet. You might well be surprised just how many horse owners’ feet are being moved by their horses. You should be regularly taking steps toward your horse. He should regu-
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larly be taking steps away from you. It is as simple as that. Many people who are having trouble getting their horse to move forward as they lunge are not stepping forward into the horse. This is a big deal, as simple as it sounds. Step toward him and move his feet. Never allow him to step toward you and make you step back. Never! How many of us know someone who explains everything to their horse in real time and in English? “Okay, Sugar Love, we are going to step into the trailer now. Step up. Step up Baby. Come on my darling. You can do it! Step up into the trailer.” First of all, the natural language of the horse is Portuguese, so, unless you speak Portuguese… I kiss or cluck for movement of the feet, but other than that, my day to day horse life is full of hours and hours of me not saying a word. I love it. It’s so peaceful and quiet, but then the kids get home and… Sorry. I left our conversation for a second there. When people are engaging in this talking-outloud behavior, what they are usually doing is self-soothing. They are talking to calm themselves down. It has nothing to do with helping the horse. That is the excuse. In fact, it may well be distracting to a horse who is 2017.pdf 9 1/4/17 12:26 PM trying to check out and get comfortable with the aforementioned horse eating trailer.
While the talking, in and of itself, isn’t a big deal, what frame of mind does one have to need to sooth oneself? These people are not coming to the horse with a posture and air of confidence and leadership, are they? They are conveying to the horse how unsure they really are. So, the actual behavior doesn’t bother me so much, but what it indicates does. Keep quiet and be a leader. Your body language and confident air will mean way more to that horse than all of those words in any human language. Among the bad habits that people subconsciously show while riding is pre-correcting the horse. You’ve seen it and probably done it. A rider is sitting on a horse and something potentially scary happens over to the side. The rider’s immediate reaction is to pick up the reins and grab the horse’s mouth so that he doesn’t do anything. What did you just convey to that horse though? You told him that you expected him to be scared. You told him that you are worried about what might happen. You showed poor leadership. You prepared to be a victim instead of acting like a Leader. We do not correct potential behaviors. We correct, or reward, what actually happens. Show your horse some trust. He will surprise you.
Imagine that you are flying across the country and your plane has some sort of mechanical problem causing an early landing at another airport. The captain of that flight could come on the loudspeaker and sooth everyone while relaying the pertinent information, or, he could have a shaky voice and mention that he’s about to call his family, and the entire plane would panic. People who ride up to a small ditch expecting the horse to make a big jump are doing something similar. The horse is feeling you prepare for that jump. If he’s an obedient one, he’ll likely oblige you. Be the good leader. Remember that no matter how insecure you are as a rider, or how fearful you may be about cantering/jumping/spooking, your horse still needs a leader. If you are going to play the game, you have to step up, or prepare to be stepped on. Many horses have come through my barn that arrived spoiled and I spent a month or more making life pretty hard on them while enforcing boundaries that the owners didn’t. Without fail, that horse will choose me over the owners who have spent years spoiling him. He may not like me. He may recognize that I work him much harder than they did, but he respects me and would rather be with a strong leader than someone he doesn’t
STUDENTS IN GRADES 6-12: TAKE THE REINS AND JOIN THE IEA
www.rideiea.org
“Team spirit and confidence! This has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Highly Recommended!” -Parent, Westborough, MA
“As a coach I feel incredibly lucky to work with an organization that offers young equestrians so many opportunities! Our riders have developed such a strong sense of sportsmanship and horsemanship because of the ideologies and practices of the IEA! -Coach, Chatham, VA
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Riders in grades 6-12 can compete with teams in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA). School-age equestrians, with various levels of experience, compete in Hunt Seat and Western disciplines throughout the school year. Riders not only compete for individual points, but for their team as well.
Founded in 2002, the IEA has more than 13,500 riders on over 1,500 teams competing in hundreds of shows across the United States each year. For more information, please contact Jennifer Eaton, IEA Membership Coordinator, at 877-RIDE-IEA (877-743-3432) or Jenn@rideiea.org.
It’s fun and challenging – and there is no need for any rider to own a horse! The IEA is available to public or private schools and barn teams. Horses are provided to each rider at every event. All mounts are selected by a draw. Parents like that the IEA provides an affordable format for their child as he/she builds riding skills. Many of our riders receive scholarships based on their performance throughout their IEA years.
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respect. That is what Horsemanship really means. It isn’t about how much you love your horse. It’s all about how much your horse respects you as a leader. Be Confident. If you aren’t Confident, fake it. Offer your horse Confidence and Leadership, and he’ll take you up on it.
Daniel Dauphin trains horses and offers clinics and lessons based around Lafayette, La. He uses the mastery of fundamentals, easy to understand examples, and a down to earth, humorous approach to remove the mysteries and misunderstandings from good, solid horsemanship. Find him on Facebook, Youtube, and at DauphinHorsemanship.com
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NATRCTM
Tale of Three Champions Three family members, Bill Hinkebein (grandfather) and Josie and Jessica Reeter (granddaughters) and their Missouri Fox Trotters, all won National Championships in the Open level of competition in the NATRCTM 2016 ride season.
finished the ride and, along with a friend, rode into camp cheerful and laughing. The 2016 season had begun on a happy note! Rides came and went and points mount-
The 56-year old premier longdistance competitive trail ride group in the USA invites all riders to see what they and their horses can achieve. Open to all equine breeds and disciplines, its rides cover measured and marked trails that have to be completed within defined windows of time.
The 2016 season began shortly after that in November at the Renegades Roundup ride held near Cherryvale, Kansas. All three
Kanopolis Canyon was the next ride. It was about 300 miles from Chillicothe, which meant Josie and Jessie had to miss school on Friday. Upon completing that ride, Jessie found out that her horse had made the needed points to be a National Champion! Grandpa’s horse had also made her points but still needed a second or first outside of Kansas. Josie’s horse had her placings but was three points short in total points. The three now headed on to their last ride of 2016, Cedar Creek outside Columbia, MO, trying to fulfill their goals. It was not a good ride … it was a fantastic ride! Grandpa’s horse had her placing, and Josie’s horse earned the needed three additional points. To say the trip home was joyful is an understatement.
As told by Bill and Jeanne Hinkebein, this adventure began in 2015 when granddaughters Josie (14) and Jessie (11) rode Novice and Grandpa Bill rode Competitive Pleasure. All three rode registered Missouri Fox Trotters born, raised and trained at Indian Creek Equine Center (Grandpa and Grandma’s farm) located northwest of Chillicothe, MO – Jessie on Shady Sunset WH, Josie on Country Mocha WH, and Grandpa on Roho Honoy Mocha WH. Grandma Jeanne had meals ready and helped when needed with the hauling the three horses. After finishing their last ride of the 2015 season, Josie suggested to her sister that they should ride Open the next season. Jessie looked at her and said, “Are you crazy? Do you know how long that is?” Josie quietly said “Yes, but we can ride faster, and besides we would have the opportunity to try for a National Championship which will give us a nice belt buckle to wear, and it really isn’t that much longer.” You could see how Josie’s mind was working, and before long her sister said, “Okay, we can give it a try.”
ride officially became a 1-day ride, so they only earned half the points of a 2-day ride. Nevertheless, the three persevered.
ed up. About midway through the season, Grandpa told the granddaughters that they had a good chance of reaching their goal of a National Championship. They were all disappointed with the cancellation of the Von Holten Ranch ride. They needed points and placings, and the ride was so close to home. Finally, the fall rides started, and the summer heat was not as big of a factor as it had been for two of the three horses. Another disappointment came at Indian Cave in Nebraska when Saturday night’s rains made the trails very slick resulting in dangerous areas that would be unsafe. Management cancelled Sunday’s outing, and the 2-day
Jessie’s horse received second and Josie’s third in the nation in the Open Junior Horse Division, and Josie received second and Jessie third in the Open Junior Horsemanship Division. Jessie was also awarded a ribbon and a blue jacket for the High Average Open Junior score in both horse and horsemanship. Both girls were awarded the 2-foot red, blue and yellow ribbons for their horses’ National Championships. In addition to Grandpa Bill’s National Championship, he received a signed and framed horse print from Bev Roberts for attaining 10 National Championships on 10 different horses, a feat that never before done in NATRC. He also received a blue ribbon for the Region 6 High Point Open Horse and Rider Combination. Bill ended the ride season with 14,200 miles of competition over 33 years of NATRC riding, and Jessie and Josie ended their 2 years of competition with each receiving a 500-mile chevron.
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Do You Have A Question?
Equine Law Topics Equine Contracts and Genetic Conditions: Horse Owners Beware Because some horse breeds are known to be predisposed to certain genetic conditions, mare owners typically scrutinize the risks before making breeding decisions. They evaluate stallions’ histories, offspring, conformation, health and pedigrees. As a 2016 Texas case showed, mare owners should also pay attention to the language in the breeding contracts they sign.
THE TEXAS CASE In a Texas Federal Court case, the plaintiffs owned an American Quarter Horse mare, bred for cutting, which had never before been tested for a genetic condition called HERDA (Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia). In an effort to reduce the risk of a foal affected by HERDA, the mare owners allegedly sought a stallion that was not a carrier of the HERDA gene. As the lawsuit states, one of the mare owners asked the stallion owner whether the stallion was a HERDA carrier and was told – not in writing – that the stallion had tested “N/N” (double negative). Although the stallion owner’s website said nothing about the stallion’s HERDA status, the plaintiff argued that advertisements showed the stallion not being a carrier of the HERDA gene. Later, the parties entered into a Stallion Service Contract for the breeding. Their contract, however, was silent on the stallion’s HERDA genetic status. The resulting foal turned out to be affected with HERDA, which was discovered after the horse was saddled during its training process. After that, the mare owners filed suit raising numerous legal theories that included breach of contract, fraud, negligence, violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practice Act, and more. The stallion owner sought to dismiss the breach of contract claim on the basis that the Stallion Service Contract made no statements or representations regarding the stallion’s HERDA status. A clause within the contract even stated that the written contract “contains
the entire agreement between the parties and may be amended only in writing signed by each of the parties.” Because no evidence existed as to written amendments to the breeding contract regarding the stallion’s HERDA status, the court dismissed the mare owners’ breach of contract claims. Essentially, the ruling indicated, there was no contract to breed a HERDA negative stallion. The mare owners’ other claims were allowed to proceed, however.
CONCLUSION Equine genetic conditions can have tremendous financial consequences on horse owners. If the genetic condition of a horse is important to you, whether you are planning to breed or buy a horse, make sure that the contract confirms details that are important to you. Request – and carefully review – copies of the horse’s genetic test results. Have your contract confirm in writing that the horse does not have the genetic conditions of concern to you (and consider listing the particular conditions).
Julie Fershtman is one of the nation’s most experienced Equine Law practitioners. A Shareholder with the firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, based in Michigan, she has successfully tried equine cases before juries in 4 states. She has also drafted hundreds of equine industry contracts. She is a Fellow and officer of the American College of Equine Attorneys. Her speaking engagements on Equine Law span 28 states, and she is the author of three books on equine law issues. For more information, please visit www. fershtmanlaw.com, www.equinelawblog.com, and www.equinelaw.net.
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Little Britches Rodeo Gaines, Michigan
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Little Britches Rodeo Gaines, Michigan
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Lynn Palm Trail Training
Dealing with a “Hot Horse”
We have previously discussed important steps to prepare for training on the trail, including reading the horse to recognize his Our series on “training outside the box”
continues with another training tip for dealing with common trail training issues: dealing with the horse that is “hot” while on the trail.
What is a “hot” horse? I am not referring to a horse’s body temperature; I am referring to a nervous horse. This is the horse that is tense and moves quickly. He may toss his head,
jump around, rear, and maybe even buck. To use a human description, he appears as if he could “fly off the handle” at any moment.
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When dealing with a hot horse, it is really important that the rider does warm-up exercises both on the ground and under saddle to be physically prepared for riding. It is equally important to warm up the horse by longeing to allow him to release his inner energy (please see Palm Partnership Training™ Newsletters #56-#60 for “The Art of Longeing” for specifics). Doing some in-hand groundwork exercises and under saddle maneuvers before going out on the trail will help the horse focus on the rider. Before going out on the ride, be prepared! Check the weather. Do not go out if it is windy or if a storm is approaching. These conditions will only make the nervous horse more anxious and less likely to focus on you. When tacking up for a trail ride, place a halter over the bridle and bring a soft, flat cotton longe line along on the ride. I’ll explain how and when to use these items later. When you plan the trail ride, go with ONE other horse and rider, not a group! Ask a friend who has a quiet, experienced trail horse
to accompany you. If the hot horse begins to get nervous while on the trail, the experienced horse will give him confidence and can be used to pony him. Select a trail where the terrain is simple and easy to negotiate. Let the hot horse take the lead for a while, then ask the experienced horse to ride alongside. Continue down the trail side-by-side for a while, then shift the hot horse behind the experienced partner. During the periods when the horses are traveling single file, mix in some lateral work, yielding left and right. Do simple transitions from walk to slow trot and back to walk. Stop several times. Dismount, lead the horses, and remount. The idea is to do many different things to help keep the hot horse’s focus, slow down his thinking, and direct his attention to you and not on getting nervous! Keep the trail ride short. The shorter the better so the hot horse has a chance to experience a quiet time without the chance of being disturbed. As you and your horse progress to taking longer rides, make sure to stay with the same routine.
to deal positively with a horse that gets hot, nervous, upset, or uncontrollable on the trail: #1: The best thing to do is have the friend riding the experienced horse pony you and the hot horse. Take out the longe line you have been carrying on the ride and thread it through the hot horse’s halter so it is over his nose and snapped to the opposite side of the halter. While you stay centered and relaxed on the hot horse, ask your friend to control him by ponying him from the experienced horse. Because you will not be pulling on the reins and his mouth, the hot horse will have a good chance to settle down.
Your Next Step…
#2: Get off the hot horse and attach the longe line to his halter as I described above. When a horse is nervous or upset, he will have a tendency to jump on top of you. Use the “move away” command and toss the longe line towards him so he moves away from you. Let him settle down while you stay on the ground.
Here are three ways
#3: Remain mounted, but mentally patient, relaxed, and positive. Keep your body
relaxed and as centered on the horse as possible. Continue to ride as if the horse is nice and calm. The horse should settle down in a short time. Lynn’s Training Tip… You can calm the nervous or hot horse with training, but you can never change his personality or temperament. If this type of horse frightens or worries you, or if he makes you feel less confident or nervous—this type of horse is not suited for you. Mentally anticipate your horse’s reactions to outdoor situations. The more positive and confident you are, the more confident your horse will be. Riding really is a mental sport. One of the best resources I know of to help riders conquer the mental aspects of riding is “That Winning Feeling,” a book written by my friend and Olympic Dressage rider Jane Savoie. No matter what discipline you ride, Jane’s experience and advice will help “program” your mind for peak performance. She will teach you how to banish negative thoughts, conquer self-doubt, and be the rider your horse deserves.
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Use What You G When it comes to training your horse, your imagination is your greatest tool. The more creative you can be in your lessons, the more interested your horse will be in his job. You’ve heard me say, “Consistency is your greatest ally and inconsistency is your greatest enemy.” And that’s absolutely true. It will take you a very long time to train your horse if you’re inconsistent. However, just as important as consistency is, you have to be sure to include variety. Variety means mixing it up for your horse and keeping him guessing at what you’re doing. It keeps him interested in his job and on his toes. However, you have to learn to balance the two. Too much consistency and the horse will get bored and resentful in his job. Too much variety and he will never learn anything.
by incorporating the chairs into the exercises, I’m adding variety. Always keep in mind that your imagination is your greatest tool, so use it!
I love to incorporate objects laying around the ranch into my horse’s daily training. Here I’m using two camping chairs to practice suppling exercises, but you can use any object that you have at home. Although I’m practicing exercises I normally do on a daily basis,
ingredients to collection.
If your horse is initially frightened of the new object, practice rollbacks into it. What’s the secret to controlling a horse’s mind? Moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right. Horses can only think about one thing at a time. Your horse is either thinking about how scary the object looks or is concentrating on moving his feet. Each time he rolls back, he’ll get closer and closer to the spooky object. His fear of the object will really make him pick up his front end. Rollbacks are great to do because they teach the horse to work off his hindquarters and elevate his front end – key You can also back your horse around objects. Here I’m backing my horse in a figure-8 around the two chairs. Notice how light he is? I love backing my horses in circles because it gets them really soft throughout their entire
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body. I practice backing circles a lot with my reiners because it’s a great exercise to prep them for spins and rollbacks. When you back the horse in circles, his inside front foot steps back and over – just the way it must when executing a spin or rollback. You can mix it up for the horse by backing serpentines around the chairs so that he has to constantly shape
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and bend his body in different directions. You’ll know your horse is really soft when he doesn’t lift his head or neck above his withers when he’s changing directions. Riding circles is one of the most basic ways you can teach your horse to develop rhythm and learn to relax while you’re riding him. Teaching your horse to carry himself in a
circle has endless benefits, including strengthening and stretching muscles and teaching the horse to carry himself in balance. Here I’m practicing different sized circles. Circle in tight to the object and really make your horse bend his ribcage and step up underneath himself, then make the circle larger. Test the horse to see if he’ll stay in a round circle by himself.
The object will help you gauge how round of a circle you’re doing. By the end of the session, not only did I get my horse more responsive and soft, but I desensitized him to another object. Remember, your job as a horse trainer is to desensitize your horse to as many objects as you can. The more objects your horse is desensitized to, the
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larger his Comfort Zone becomes and the more he’ll use the thinking side of his brain.
Author note: Clinton Anderson is a clinician, horse trainer and competitor. He’s dedicated his life to helping others realize their horsemanship dreams and keeping them inspired to achieve their goals. The Downunder Horsemanship Method gives horse owners the knowledge needed to become skilled horsemen and train their horses to be consistent and willing partners. Discover for yourself how Clinton and the Method can help you achieve your horsemanship dreams at www. downunderhorsemanship. com.
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