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October 2012
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK In the Shadow of Seabiscuit: Racing’s Greatest Day
Horse racing’s biggest weekend happens November 2-3 at the storied Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. There, in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains race fans will gather at The Derby, a legendary steak house founded by Seabiscuit jockey George Wolfe, and talk about the great moments By Steven Long of racing, both past and present. Just down the street at the track, owners, jockeys, and trainers will be sweating bullets in the crisp California air as they ready for what amounts to the Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA playoffs of horse racing, the Breeder’s Cup. And there is a lot to talk about for Derby patrons this year. For the first time in seemingly almost a decade of following horse racing stats, we are seeing an upswing. During that period we have seen high profile deaths on the track and off (think Barbaro), a monumental horse starvation scandal involving a prominent New York owner, the race day drug controversy, more than one nationally known trainer barred from racing, and the list goes on and on almost endlessly. It’s a wonder horse racing has survived at all But for the first time in ages we are seeing signs of life in the beloved old sport. Purses are up at tracks across the continent, and with that attendance is up as well. Racing, admittedly your publisher and editor’s favorite equestrian pastime off a saddle, may well be on the rebound. We darned sure hope so. The concept of combining the sport of kings with casino gambling has proven a success across the board. Only a handful of states backward in their thinking (such as our own Texas) have locked the door on this winning combination. Hopefully that Neanderthal position will change soon and horse racing will return to the robust health it deserves. We won’t be at Santa Anita on race day where a life size statue of Seabiscuit was erected shortly after the legend’s 1948 death. It remains there today as a reminder of what true greatness on the track can be. But we already have our reservations for the Breeder’s Cup simulcast for a comfortable day of handicapping wagers that will likely lose, and watching a sport that may, just may, be on the way back.
On the Cover:
Carson Kressley on his Saddlebred Show Horse, Photo courtesy Carson Kressley.
8 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
10 Horse Bites 14 Parelli 16 Dream BIG & Believe - Kelly Kaminski 38 Whole Horsemansip - Dianne Lindig 40 TACK TALK - Lew Pewterbaugh 46 On The English Front - Cathy Strobel 48 Horse Sense - Dr. Jessica Jahiel 52 The Cowboy Way- Corey Johnson 54 COWBOY CORNER - Jim Hubbard Cover Story:
20 Carson Kressley, The Flip Side - Steven Long
Lifestyle:
30 Food & Beverage - Battle of the Ribs 35 Salado Uncorked - Margaret Pirtle 36 Hats On this Fall - D&Y
Special Sections: 32 Made in USA
ADVERTISING OFFICES
Staff
PUBLISHER Vicki Long
CORPORATE OFFICE 281-447-0772 281-591-1519 Fax Advertising@horsebackmagazine.com
EDITOR Steven Long NORTH TEXAS Mari Crabtree NATIONAL NEWS EDITOR 216-702-4520 Carrie Gobernatz Mari@horsebackmagazine.com LIFESTYLE EDITOR Margaret Pirtle NEW MEXICO BUREAU GULF COAST BUREAU 832-349-1427 Carol Holloway Laurie Hammer Horsebackmag@gmail.com 832-607-8264 Cell 505-315-7842 EVENTS EDITOR Carol@horsebackmagazine.com Goldenhorses7@hotmail.com Leslie Greco Crystal Shell 832-602-7929 Horsebackmag@gmail.com BRAZOS VALUE BUREAU Diane Holt 936-878-2678 Ranch 713-408-8114 Cell Diane@horsebackmagazine.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jim Hubbard, Steven Long, Vicki Long, Dianne Lindig, Roni Norquist, Pat Parelli, Lew Pewterbaugh, Cothy Strobel, Dr. Jessica Jahiel, Cory Johnson, Margaret Pirtle Volume 20, No. 10 Horseback Magazine, P.O. Box 681397, Houston, TX 77268-1397, (281) 447-0772. The entire contents of the magazine are copyrighted October 2012 by Horseback Magazine. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Horseback Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other material unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. Horseback Magazine is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or management. Subscription rate is $25.00 for one year.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Horseback Magazine, P.O. Box 681397, Houston, TX 77268-1397. Fax: (281) 893-1029 Email: news@horsebackmagazine.com
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D&D Grand Re-Opening Event In its decades of service to the people of Texas, D&D has earned its reputation as the “Official Outfitters of the West.” Yet over the past year the superstore has undergone a complete renovation to better serve its loyal patrons. September 13-15, D&D showcased its improved look with a three-day Grand Re-Opening event. The event featured unbelievable giveaways, tons of in-store savings, extended hours, horse and canine clinics, live music and a whole lot more.
During the event, customers were brands to cater to every style imaginable. invited to enter drawings which The store now carries such internationally included a $50 gift card as well as recognized names as Hurley, Roxy, multiple merchandise giveaways, every Billabong, DC Shoes, Fox Head, GoPro, hour, from 8amO’Neill, Oakley, 8pm Thursday Ray-Ban, Costa, “Horse Bites is compiled from through Saturday. Quiksilver, RVCA, There were also Press Releases sent to Horseback Sanuk, Sperry, Magazine. Original reporting is grand prize Skullcandy, Volcom done as circumstances warrant. drawings on Content is edited for length & style.” and many more. Saturday for Plus D&D is now a $500 D&D offering a wide gift card, utility selection of Purina trailer and cattle chute. canine, equine and livestock feed in its brand new, state of the art feed store. Do Thursday night opened the weekend not forget to spoil your furry friends as events with a store blessing & ribbon the store has boosted the inventory of its cutting during VIP night, with live music pet department. D&D also continues to performed by Willy Sparks. Friday and carry an enormous selection of saddles, Saturday, former American Idol and local tack, animal health, western wear, country music superstar John Wayne outdoor and fencing supplies, jewelry, Schulz joined the stage. Children were gifts and home décor as well as horse, entertained with face painting, a duck stock and utility trailers. pond full of in-store savings and stick horse races as the adults were able to Even with all of the improvements, D&D attend equine and pet seminars, visit with remains true to its original credo. It is at its heart a family run company that vendors and browse the store. believes in loyalty, family, faith and the While continuing to carry the brands true spirit of the Lone Star State. D&D that have made D&D a must stop for also remains devoted to serving the hard those traveling the state of Texas, D&D working and dedicated people of Texas, has added countless additional name which make it the greatest state in the
Grand Re-Opening Celebration at D&D Feed
10 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
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Horse Bites - Con’t. on pg. 28
Union. The “Official Outfitters of the West” has grown to become “D&D, The Store of Texas” and its family wants everyone to experience all that this one of a kind store has to offer. Congress Passes Six Month Funding Bill On September 22, Congress passed, and the President is expected to sign, a six month Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through March of 2013. This bill ensures government agencies and programs will continue to
operate for the next six months including those important to the horse industry like the U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA) that plays an important roll in combating contagious equine disease. The CR also prohibits the Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing a new H-2B wage rule opposed by the AHC. Additionally, the CR would continue to fund USDA inspections at horse slaughter facilities if any were to open in the next six months. Normally, Congress debates and approves several separate appropriation bills for each federal agency. This
year, Congress failed to pass a single appropriations bill. The FY 2012 appropriations bills that currently fund government agencies and programs will expire at the end of September. The CR will continue funding for almost all programs and agencies slightly above FY 2012 spending levels. The CR will continue to prohibit the DOL from implementing a new wage rule for the H-2B program. The new wage rule is opposed by the American Horse Council (AHC) and other H-2B users because it would significantly increase the cost of using the program.
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“The Question of the Right Bit” By Pat Parelli with Steven Long HORSEBACK MAGAZINE: Over the years I’ve seen you ride with a variety of bits, but some folks are confused when it comes to the right kind of bit to use on their horse. We have “O” and “D” ring bits, long shanked bits, short shanked bits, and all sorts of things in between. Please explain the distinction and purpose of these bits to these folks who just don’t understand what they are doing to the detriment, sometimes, of their horse. PAT PARELLI: Most of us have seen people who have been a bit foolish. We’ve seen people who use bigger bits thinking they are solving a problem, but what I’d like to do is see people have a little knowledge. HORSEBACK: with theAM basics. HorseBack_0912_7.5Let’s x 4.88start 9/19/12 10:32 Page 1
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PARELLI: First of all, there are two kinds of bits. There are bits that are made for communication, and there are bits that are made for torture. Unfortunately, several people have designed bits, or used bits, that are made for torture. HORSEBACK: We’ve all seen them. Some of those things look like cast off parts from a hot rod that have been chromed, and others are thin wire almost as cutting as a razor blade. PARELLI: When it comes to communication there are two types. HORSEBACK: Only two? PARELLI: Yes, there is the snaffle, which means no
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shanks but not necessarily broken in the middle -meaning they don’t have shanks or levers, and then there are bits or bridles that have shanks. HORSEBACK: So we are talking about structure here, how the hardware is built, and how it fits in the horse’s mouth. PARELLI: What is important to understand is that the snaffle is made for disengaging the hind quarters and for helping horses learn basic concepts. The idea is that we want to start in the snaffle and use the horse’s long neck for disengagement, to have the ability to bend his neck in order to cause him to yield his hind quarters to disengage his power. HORSEBACK: I see. Then this is a very fundamental bit that accomplishes some very important things with the horse. PARELLI: Right. Bits and bridles that are made for communication such as shanked bits are designed to elevate the front end and engage the hind quarters. Unfortunately, a lot of people think that if a horse won’t slow down or stop then you need a bigger bit. What you really need is knowledge, and a whole lot more psychology. The real secret to horses is facts, and willpower. Learn more about the Parelli method! Visit: www.parelli.com www.horsebackmagazine.com
October 2012 - HORSEBACK MAGAZINE
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“Rocky” Part 5
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hose that have a gray horse understand how hard it is to keep them clean. I mean let’s face it, how many times have you been somewhere and seen one that has a little green spot or my personal favorite, the big red spots from them rolling in a clay based soil or pen and they look like a faded sorrel paint horse? Gray horses are born one color and then start turning gray each year.
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Some are completely white by age 6, where others seem to hang on to that pretty dapple color with the black points for a while. That is my favorite. Of course I will always be a sucker for a pretty gray, unless it’s a pretty buckskin, or a sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail, or a palomino. Oh forget it, I love a pretty horse! Who doesn’t? Anyway, Rocky being gray was bathed a lot since he was in public competition. I did take the occasional trip to the vet with the big green spots on him, hoping no one would recognize me, or him! It was kind of like running to the grocery store without having your hair done and
your make-up on. You just hope you wouldn’t run into anyone. Of course I always do. The purple shampoo that has the bluing in it seemed to forever have my fingers and arms stained purple. I wanted Rocky to look beautiful all the time. Of course he had the thickest tail that the folks competing in the Western Pleasure classes would have loved to have owned. The first year we made the NFR it was cold for about a month leading up to leaving. We hadn’t yet built the big barn so we didn’t have a wash stall with warm water to bath him. No matter how many lights or blankets we tried to use, he would hair up starting in October, like a big cotton ball. I wasn’t going to have him
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freeze so I called a friend in Arizona that I trusted totally with Rocky’s care. and asked if we could stop on our way She had never been to Vegas and had a and bathe Rocky. I know it’s kind of suitcase full of pretty dresses and outfits a weird request, as one friend pointed to wear. It was kind of funny because she out and was a little snarky about it, but never really went anywhere except back remember we were going to be on TV and forth between the hotel and the in front of an audience of millions! I barn. She was the best dressed groom didn’t want to look unprofessional out there! I’d come out to get ready each and have a green and white horse of the ten nights of competition and competing at the NFR while I had there would be Tae all dressed up fancy, all my fancy shirts I’d be dressed in! I in a pretty dress and dress boots, while wanted us to look our best. brushing and saddling Rocky. She was We did stop and bathe Rocky, but meticulous about keeping him clean it was getting late and starting to and taking great care of him. get dark so we had to pull out three Around the fourth or fifth day, hair dryers and proceed to fluff and it was warm enough to give him a bath dry him. By his expression and body since he was starting to get that tinge language, he was a little confused of yellow again. She took great pride as to why we had these loud things in how he looked. I had come out early pointing at him and blowing hot air to beat the traffic and hang out in the all over him. I wish we had a video of living quarters of the trailer for a bit this. If I wasn’t so nervous about where to “decompress” from all the hype that we were headed, I would have had a surrounds the NFR. good laugh. Holding little human hair I stepped out of the trailer just dryers in one hand, fluffing with the as Tae was leading Rocky toward me. other and having someone behind in She proceeded to proudly tell me what charge of making sure we didn’t end great care she was taking of him with his up getting tangled in the electric cord therapies and stretching, and how she and dying was quite a feat after driving had bathed him earlier in the day. She the several hundred miles from home walked him around in a little circle for that evening. We finally got him dry me to admire with a big smile on her and put his slinky, blanket and hood face, expecting me to ooooh and ahhhh to keep him clean and warm. over how good he looked. Instead she We arrived in Las Vegas the got a shriek and an “Oh NO!” from me. next afternoon with a few days before She looked puzzled and then stopped the competition was to start to let the Rocky, and walked around to look at the horses settle and to get us settled as side I was seeing. well, since we were going to be there He was green, and red with for almost three weeks. shavings stuck dried and stuck to him My friend, Tae was in charge all down his body! It was a site to see, ofFFtaking care of the horses that year. like HorsebackAd_Layout 1 9/20/12 12:14 PM Page 1 two horses. One side was beautiful She is one of the few people in my life and clean, the other a total mess!
Apparently he untied himself in the stall and obviously rolled. Tae didn’t see the awful mess until I pointed it out. We only had a little time to get him presentable. I looked for the green spot remover I carry and used it with baby wipes to get some of the stains out and we used a curry brush to get the crusty parts off. While she hurriedly worked to get the side cleaned I rushed in the bathroom and found baby powder in the medicine cabinet. We had baby powder everywhere and all over us trying to cover up the stains we could not get out. Later, as we were warming up to make our run that night, I forgot about the baby powder and absent mindedly patted Rocky on his neck. A big fluff of powder seemed to explode from my hand. Whoops. No one seemed to notice that night when we ran, if you look closely in the pictures from that run, you might see a cloud of baby powder following us as we turned the barrels. I still love a pretty gray! I miss you Rocky! I can’t believe it’s been a year since I had to say good bye to you! Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for putting you in my life! hB
Kelly Kaminski has twice won the WPRA World Barrel Racing Championship, and has also won the Reserve Championship twice at the National Finals Rodeo. This great American horsewoman continues to compete, hold clinics, and train worthy horses. She is currently accepting a limited number of horses for training. www.Kellykaminski.com
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CARSON MR. Kressley the
flip
Side
He may be the most beloved gay man in America. At 42, Carson Kressley has endeared himself to the nation through his successful Queer Eyes program, and on “Dancing With The Stars,” recently voted the most popular reality show of all time by ABC viewers and People Magazine readers. A career that began as a fashion consultant in New York is now exploding to astronomical heights with guest appearances on “Good Morning America” and “DWTS”, a possible show of his own, and even a flirtation with Broadway. But what we didn’t know is that Carson is a longtime competitor in the Saddlebred arena. We enthusiastically spoke with Mr. Carson Kressley, Horseman to Horseman. a HOrseback Magazine Exclusive by Steven Long
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HORSEBACK MAGAZINE: How often do your ride? CARSON KRESSLEY: It really depends on my work schedule. I was super busy this spring and summer, and it’s show season then for us in the Saddlebred world, so I missed a lot and I didn’t ride at all. And then I showed at the world championships in Louisville in August and did really well. HORSEBACK: How well did you do? CARSON: I was third in both of my classes. They have an Amateur Gentlemen’s Division for three gaited, five gaited and harness – I usually show a different horse in each of those classes. I was third in two of the three. Our breed world championship is held in Louisville, Kentucky during the Kentucky State Fair. HORSEBACK: I believe you have seven horses. Is that still the case? CARSON: I think I have around seven, it always changes. I breed a couple of mares every year, so I have some young stock that is either at home or out with a trainer, and then my harness horse that I sent to the world championship, we just sold, so it’s always kind of in flux, but we usually have around that many.” HORSEBACK: About your personal relationship with the horse. It goes really way far back to your childhood, doesn’t it? CARSON: It does. I was really lucky to grow up around horses. My grandparents had a big pony farm when I was growing up literally next door. There were about 100 ponies that I could go out into the field and jump on and ride. HORSEBACK: For a boy, it couldn’t get better than that. CARSON: No, it was fantastic. Of course, when you grow up with 100 ponies at your disposal, the one thing you want is a horse. A horse always seems cooler than just a pony, so in my teens we got involved in the Saddlebred breed, and I always was fascinated with them and wanted to have one, and of course there were some misconceptions about them being high strung, or expensive to shoe, or such things. I think every breed is affordable in its own way. We started out, me and my sister in our www.horsebackmagazine.com
“...of course when you grow up with 100 ponies at your disposal, the one thing you want is a horse.” October 2012 - HORSEBACK MAGAZINE
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“...everybody in horse sports needs to share the gospel about how great horses are and how riding is a great experience for children and families. “ - Carson Kressley
Carson presenting the flag aboard Saddlebred gelding, “A Magic Surprise”, at Washington National Horse Show ©Diana De Rosa Photography
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teens, and we’ve been competing ever since for 25 or 30 years. HORSEBACK: Does your sister still compete? CARSON:She does, and her daughter, my niece at 14 was just Reserve World Champion in her division at the world championships. So we all enjoy it together. It’s really fun. HORSEBACK: It’s a real family affair then. I see you’ve done the Devon Horse Show for something like 25 years. How have the big shows changed, or have they? CARSON: I know in our breed, the Saddlebreds and saddle seat breeds, things have contracted. When I first started 30 years ago there were still a lot of people doing things on their own. They had a horse or two that they kept at home in the back yard, and now I feel like it’s gotten smaller but there are very, very, nice horses, but we don’t have as much depth of competition anymore. It’s something that we hear about across all aspects of society, the middle class, and I feel like it’s happening in our breed’s competition. We’ve lost some of the competitors who have very nice horses. Now it’s people who are professionals and work with trainers. We have smaller numbers because of it. We have wonderful horses, but we don’t have the numbers that we used to see. HORSEBACK: There is a wonderful photograph of you at the Washington International Horse Show where Horseback is a sponsor. It looks like you cowboyed up for that. You have on a retro outfit. CARSON:I did! HORSEBACK: It looked like the type of clothes that the old country singer, Ray Price, used to wear. CARSON: Right. That was actually a Nudie Suit (Nudie Cohn was a Ukraine-born American tailor who designed decorative rhinestone-covered suits, known popularly as “Nudie Suits”, and other elaborate outfits for some of the most famous celebrities of his era), and that outfit was, I believe, from the ‘60s or ‘70s. A friend of mine named Chris Miramar has a big Saddlebred ranch in California. He does the Rose Parade every year. I actually borrowed that parade outfit. It was perfect for me to present the flag at Washington International. The horse is a Saddlebred gelding “A Magic Surprise” and he’s been such a great ambassador of the breed. I had never ridden him before. He was such a gentleman and did his job so beautifully. HORSEBACK: Carrying a flag is no easy task. CARSON: No, no, if it blows the wrong way and wraps around your face and you can’t see where you’re going, and that gets a little tricky. HORSEBACK: What is your next horse show? www.horsebackmagazine.com
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CARSON: The next show I go to is Kansas City, matter what discipline or breed you are involved in, The American Royal, in November. you can always learn from these masters. HORSEBACK: You seem to like to wear hats. Do HORSEBACK: One of our columnists is two time you wear a cowboy hat? WPRA World Barrel Racing Champion Kelly Kaminski. CARSON: I do, I do. It’s a great American icon She has two great ambitions. One is to win another and a great accessory. And whenever I ride a world championship at the NFR, and the other is to western horse I always have a hat on. compete on “Dancing With the Stars.” Do you think HORSEBACK: Do you ever do anything outside there is room for another rodeo person (besides TY the practice or show ring? Do you ever trail Murray) on DWTS? ride? CARSON: Yeah, I think that would be amazing. They CARSON: Yeah. Our family still has our original want to have a very wide and diverse cast every farm that they’ve season with pro had for generations. athletes, actors, We have a couple other media hundred acres figures; it would in Pennsylvania. be great to have We trail ride our a horse person Saddlebred, our on there. I would Quarter Horses, and love that. it’s just great. It’s so HORSEBACK: relaxing. She’s a great HORSEBACK: You champion. have Quarter Horses CARSON: Oh as well, huh? wow! CARSON: We do, HORSEBACK: yeah. That’s the Did anybody breed we started out else on your cast with, and they are ride? just a great thinking CARSON: No. horse, you can bring HORSEBACK: your friends to the Well that’s a farm and put them shame. on them, they are C ARSON:I just a great breed to know, I know. have at home. Carson’s fashion sense, charisma, wit as well as his We’ve got to HORSEBACK: Do spread the word. endearing personality have made him a fan you follow any of HORSEBACK: favorite from production stage to horse show pen. the great clinicians; Do you enjoy Parelli, Clinton other equestrian Anderson, Monty Roberts? sports, for example horse racing? CARSON:I know all those names, and of course CARSON: I do. I go to the Derby almost every year I’ve seen “The Horse Whisperer.” But I haven’t because the Saddlebred world is really centered in ever gone to the John Lyons clinic or Pat Kentucky so the racing and Thoroughbred world Parelli, or any of those Natural Horsemanship kind of co-mingle down there. I’ve been fortunate ones. I need to go. I think that would be to go to many Derbies and to visit many race tracks. really educational. The more I’m around great I’ve been to the Melbourne Cup in Australia, which horsemen, whether they are hunter jumper I highly recommend for your readers. It’s like the trainers, or saddle horse trainers, or dressage Derby, and they really know how to throw a great trainers, you really come to realize that great event. I love a great horse, no matter what breed or horsemanship speaks a common language. No what it does. A great horse is a great horse, whether
24 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
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it is a rodeo horse, or a show jumper, I just really appreciate the athleticism. HORSEBACK: Do you believe equestrian sports are on the upswing, or the downturn? CARSON: I think that unfortunately some people don’t really understand horse sports, even though they get a lot of exposure on TV, everybody in horse sports needs to share the gospel about how great they are and how riding is a great experience for children and families. We need to get that word out there because there is so much competition nowadays – there’s soccer, video games, kids have so much to do and farms, horses, and livestock are so far out of their realm of what most kids encounter that we really need to be promoting it out there. HORSEBACK: What’s next for Carson Kressley? CARSON: I might do a Broadway show, I’m working on a pilot for a show for ABC, I’ll be doing some cameo reporting for “Dancing With The Stars” and “Good Morning America,” a lot of stuff. HORSEBACK: How old are you? CARSON:I’M 42. HORSEBACK: You don’t look it. CARSON: Thank you, and my surgeon thanks you.
“The more I’m around great horsemen, whether they’re hunter-jumper trainers, saddle horse trainers, or dressage trainers, you really come to realize that great horsemanship speaks a common language.”
hB
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Pamela & Rick Taking it to the Next Level
D
o you yearn to be a better rider, to compete in hunter jumper competition, but just don’t seem to have the time in a busy world or the unlimited funds that usually accompanies such dreams? A lot of us want to sail over jumps in competition or to feel totally comfortable in the saddle. Some just wish we could take our riding ability to a higher level. After all, riding, like swimming, is a total, body-immersing activity that takes training and repetition to get it right. With tight schedules, and limited resources, we tend to put those dreams on hold. But, shake off those cobwebs and realize that none of the usual arguments we use to tamper our wants actually are valid. Pam Hunt and her husband Rick, own Hunt Farms near Hempstead Texas and they are experts in helping those people who want to head to the next level
of riding expertise. From training horses, to breeding, they can take novice riders and help them excel in Hunter-Jumper competitions. “We work with people and their limited time and resources,” Pam told me. “Some people only have an hour a week, but that’s okay. We can do a lot with that hour.” While Pam works with riders, Rick works with training young horses. Together they make an unstoppable team. They take riders or horses, who are not making the most of their ability and train them to succeed. For more than twenty years, this pair has worked in harmony
doing the almost impossible task of making what began as a novice rider or an untrained horse and with patience and skill, showing them how to progress. Hunt Farms is a haven for riders by providing an excellent opportunity for challenging themselves and their riding abilities on a grander scale. No matter whether your riding goal includes enjoying a comfortable hobby or competing across the country, Pam and Rick are the enthusiastic pair to help you with your equestrian sport dreams.
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Horse Bites - Con’t. on pg. 42
Horse Bites - Con’t. from pg. 11
More information on the wage rule can be found on the AHC website.
HSUS Pats Gov. Christi on the Back for Sighing Slaughter Legislation In a statement from its Washington headquarters, the Humane Society of the United States lauded New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christi for signing a bill that will outlaw the slaughter of horses or the transport of slaughter horses in his state. The statement read: The Humane Society of the United States applauds New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for signing A.2023, a bill that prohibits the slaughter of horses and sale of horse flesh for human consumption, bans the sale of horse meat or products derived from slaughtered horses and bans the transport of horse meat or live horses for the purpose of slaughter. “The Humane Society of the United States is delighted that Governor Christie protected New Jersey horses by signing A.2023 into
law,” said Kathleen Schatzmann, The HSUS’ New Jersey state director. “The horse is New Jersey’s state animal and an American icon. We are grateful that Governor Christie agrees with 80 percent of Americans that slaughtering horses for human consumption is cruel, inhumane and plain wrong.” A.2023 was championed by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, R-Cream Ridge and Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak, D-Union. “New Jersey is taking the lead on this issue to make sure horses aren’t taken from the pasture to the plate,” Assemblyman Dancer said in a press release. “Slaughtering horses for food is just not right,” said Sen. Lesniak. “This legislation will stop the trafficking of horses from New Jersey to inhumane slaughterhouses.” In 2005, Congress temporarily ended the domestic slaughter of American horses by voting to stop funding inspections of horse slaughter plants. However, Congress omitted this defunding language from last year’s Department of Agriculture spending bill, thereby opening the
door for horse slaughter to return to the U.S. Once this funding was reinstated, pro-slaughter advocates began attempting to bring this brutal and unnecessary industry back to U.S. soil. Currently, the U.S. Congress is considering the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S. 1176/H.R. 2966, which would ban the slaughter of horses (including export for slaughter in other countries). The bill currently has 165 cosponsors in the U.S. House and 26 in the U.S. Senate.
Purina Helps Bring NRHA Ride a Reiner to the PBR World Finals The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), in partnership with Purina, will be bringing the sport of Reining to the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough World Finals (October 23 – 27 in Las Vegas, Nev.). NRHA Ride a Reiner presented by Purina will give select riders the 4212 Red Bluff Road 880 Freeway Blvd. S. Pasadena, TX 77503 Rose City, TX 77662 713.920.1000 409.769.7992 2059 CR 3210, Exit 165 on I30 Mt. Plesant, TX 75455 866.769.7992 better by design...the Cimarron Way
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has been said that brisket is the bread and butter of barbecue. If that is so, then ribs are the cream de resistance. This messy slab of meat has a certain mystique and has become one of life’s challenges to prepare it correctly. Expert cooks say that it is all in the seasoning and the grill or smoker used. If that is true, then William “Wild Bill” Powell has mastered the art of the rib and his selection as one of the six pit masters from across the nation to compete in the very first “Quest for the Perfect Rib” Challenge has proven he is among one of the few “masters of ribs”. Over nine thousand hungry folks waited in the heat and humidity of Stafford, Texas at the
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Houston Hot Sauce Festival for a taste of ribs, and when the dust settled, Bill’s Texas Select Seasonings walked away with nine total awards. “My #1 selling BBQ rub called the Juicy Pig™ is always a crowd favorite in addition to our really spicy blends like Rattlesnake Dust and also our salsas and pepper jelly” stated Powell. However, the best award was
not from the judges, but from the festival goers as Bill won the People’s Choice Award voted on by visitors who sampled his ribs. “It was great to win on both sides of this contest but the people’s choice is very special to us because these are folks that love the rub they tasted and we are excited now to have them as Texas Select Seasonings™ customers. I pulled out my oldest recipe called Sticky Rub to use during this event and I’m here to tell ya the old dog still hunts!” When Domino sugar started making a “free flow” brown sugar, Sticky Rub was formulated into the Juicy Pig™ that quickly put TSS on the map across the country with numerous awards for BBQ teams, chefs and used by home chefs. Wild Bill smoked his ribs
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at 200° on a new Cookshack FEC- 120 that he only had a few weeks to get familiar with which uses wood pellets. Texas Select BBQ smoked 2 racks for the main competition, 6 racks for people’s choice samples and 6 racks to feed the festival vendors on Saturday night at the awards dinner. Team members included chief cook Wild Bill, Robert Cantu and David Alcala. It wasn’t only the ribs that had the crowd’s attention. Bill’s Tomatillo Avocado salsa is now a 3 year reining first place champion along with their first place winning Apple Strawberry Habanero jelly. Other winning products included the Juicy Pig™, Rattlesnake Dust, Southwest Poblano salsa and Southwest Habanero salsa.
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Tips for making your next slab of ribs irresistible! Dry rub within an hour of placing ribs on the grill Smoke ribs until the desired outside color is achieved and the internal temperature reaches between 165 -170 degrees. Then wrap in foil to raise the internal temperature to between 185 and 190 degrees When choosing a slab of ribs, try and find a good fat to meat ratio and very thick center ribs. Spritz with Apple Juice every 45 minutes while ribs are cooking. This keeps the ribs moist without losing the seasoned rub on the meat. To learn more about “Wild Bill’s” seasonings & grills visit www.texasselectseasonings.com or www.wildbillsstore.com or call the retail store at
(409) 392-8199
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Does the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master! -Thomas Jefferson 32 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
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Made in USA! I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam, The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work, The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands, The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown, The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing, Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else, The day what belongs to the day¬at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly, Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
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Salado Uncorked! By: Margaret Pirtle
As
fall days tamper the heat of summer, enjoying a trip to a winery becomes more inviting especially if you linger around until the day becomes a cool dusky night and the sounds of music blend melodiously with the blush of the wine. The hidden gem of the wine country of Texas is in the small town of Salado. That is where you’ll find Salado Creek Winery and Vineyard. Within walking distance of Salado’s best shopping and fine collection of bed and breakfast hotels, Salado Winery is a delight to the senses and the taste buds. Winning a total of eleven medals in international wine
competitions, in 2010 and seven in 2011, they are also the recipient of the “Best Icewine in Texas” award. Their central location, near the Town of Austin, and just off Interstate 35, allows them to bring in musicians for weekends of sparkly wine and song. Their atmosphere of laid back music, wine, appetizers and a good cigar is offered every Saturday evening from 6 to 9 pm. If your weekends are full, you may still enjoy their tasting room which is open daily from noon until 5pm and enjoy your wine by the glass or bottle. If you enjoy Texas wines and friendly, inviting little towns, take the exit to Salado and visit Salado Creek Winery & Vineyard.
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Hat’s Off-Err, On! Fashion Forward Men’s & Women’s Accessories David & Young began in 1977 as a husband and wife operation that supplied fashion accessories to the independent shops in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Soho and downtown Manhattan areas. Having assembled a great product, team and vision, David & Christine Yoo (‘D’ and ‘Y’) knew that they were onto something when the shop owners on the legendary St. Marks Street - in it’s rock-n-roll hey-day - began to come to them with interesting and exciting feedback. Their vendors would share stories about how a certain local up and coming underground artist, Madonna Louise Ciccone (aka “Madonna”), was constantly buying a specific pair of their sunglasses or how members of Duran Duran were often seen purchasing their products in Soho. With an awareness of style coming from the street level, and the advent of MTV, D&Y’s recognition of the emerging and influential styles of alternative and hip hop artists; it became a recipe for the perfect storm. D&Y’s presence at these trade shows helped independent boutiques across the country feed the need of their new found customers: a drastically evolving and starving pop culture scene. As the youth culture at the time turned its eye away from the major department stores that did not cater to their wants and needs, smaller boutiques across America took heed. D&Y saw this and their growth allowed them to supply these mom and pop stores with on-trend goods while simultaneously earning a reputation for themselves as carrying the bestselling trend accessories from sunglasses, hats, scarves and gloves. Always on trend, D&Y
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continues to carry out the core mission that the founders started, which is to supply the world with the best quality accessories at a great value. Catering to both men and women, D&Y has an extensive line of chic fedoras, caps and cabbies in a wide variety of colors, prints, fabrics and styles. Working in tandem
with that, the collection also offers colorful, lightweight cotton and ‘soft as cashmere’ scarves for all seasons, cool and sexy sunglasses and the ever stylish and classic wide brimmed floppy hats. There are even vintage inspired bucket and on spot cloche hats that Caroline Reboux, (the hat’s original inventor) would be very proud of. D&Y products can regularly be seen in magazines such as In Style, Us Weekly, People Style Watch and Glamour and can also be seen regularly on the hit show “Gossip Girls” worn by Leighton Meester. Hollywood trendsetters such as Kellan Lutz, Shay Mitchell, Miley Cyrus, Anna Lynne McCord, as well as Grammy winner Taylor Swift among others are fans of the popular line. Visit their site www.shopdavidandyoung.com to view the entire collection. www.horsebackmagazine.com
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If You Keep Doing What You’re Doing, You’ll Keep Getting What You’re Getting!
Part 2
“If
you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” Last month’s Whole Horsemanship article discussed this expression in the context of the riding teacher and student, and its flip-side question, “If you don’t want to keep getting what you’re getting, how do you change what you’re doing?” It discussed how teachers can re-pattern undesired responses into desired results, by interrupting and not repeating subconsciously established “bad habits”, and by creatively adapting teaching methods to individual students. Likewise, effective rider-trainers must adapt their methods to the individual abilities and responses of each horse that they ride. A tried and true exercise for teaching a particular skill to one horse, may simply not work well for another. Furthermore, doing an exercise repeatedly, with an unsuccessful result, will simply ingrain an undesired response,
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creating a “bad habit” that’s hard to break. Instead, one must creatively adapt an exercise, or try a different one, until the desired response is achieved. I kept this in mind as I worked with Nellie this past week. She has progressively learned the fundamentals of a balanced walk, trot, and canter in straight, diagonal, and bending lines. She collects, transitions, stops, and rolls back well, takes both leads consistently from lower gaits, and does simple changes. So, I’m thinking, she’s ready for flying changes. I start with my tried and true exercise illustrated in the Original Lead Change Exercise diagram, minus the ground poles. - I canter down the long side on the inside lead. - As I leave the corner on the short side of the arena, I continue bending in a semi-circle, - then leg yield, back toward the long side, in the canter, keeping my leg nearest the inside of the arena back and on, until two
strides before the fence, - then collect Nellie, re-balance and change to my leg nearest the fence back and on, asking for the flying change, - then, on the new (inside) lead, continue down the long side. (I then mirror-image the exercise from the opposite end, in the opposite direction.) Nellie repeatedly anticipates my change of leg, tenses instead of relaxing, and tries to push through my aids. Continued repetition will only ingrain the undesired response, so I adapt, by stopping her briefly just before each change, then push her quickly into the new lead. This works, except she loves to stop well, so my next step, turning the stop into a half-halt, doesn’t work. (She stops deep every time, then changes from the stop, so I still don’t have my flying change.) I discover that I can get her to change while in motion by circling near the arena fence, then changing direction quickly into the fence, but
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anything more subtle doesn’t work, and it’s not the quiet, controlled change that I want. So, I adapt my Original Lead Change Exercise, (still without the ground poles.) Instead of leg yielding as I leave the short side, I establish a straight line at a 45 degree angle toward the fence on the long side. I keep her shoulders pointed toward the fence, and her jaw soft but straight as I ask for the change just before reaching the rail. (Everything else stays the same). This time, I get less resistance to my aids, but I get one trot step between the changes, or she bucks one time big when she changes in back! At first, I don’t correct her for the buck, as long as she comes out on the correct lead. Then, I realize she is going to think that she is doing what I want, and keep bucking once on every change! Back to the drawing board. She enjoys going over low jumps, so, I place a 12’ ground pole about 35 feet from each end of the arena, down one long side, as shown in
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the diagram for my Original Lead Change Exercise. I have the inside end of each pole elevated slightly, to encourage Nellie to lift her haunches enough to change her lead in back, and to keep her from dropping her inside shoulder. We repeat the exercise, now asking for the changes as she goes over the ground poles, and have some success. She is now changing from right to left lead over the pole at the “top” corner, but is having trouble changing from left to right over the opposite pole. After a nice right to left change, I decide to let her continue around the arena, following the rail, as in my Revised Lead Change Exercise diagram. We approach the ground pole at the opposite end as we start down the long side. To my surprise, Nellie changes to her right lead, (next to the fence), as she crosses the pole, and continues down the long side. At the next ground pole, she changes nicely right to left again. I following the rail around the arena again. This time, as Nellie sees the next ground
pole, I couple my aids with her natural reaction, and get another left to right change. Two more successful times, and I think she is now relating my aids to the desired response. The progression described in this article took about 5 sessions. I’m not sure why Nellie responded favorably to the revised pattern. Maybe the raised inside end of the ground pole encouraged her to take her outside, (right), lead, in the flying change. The important thing is that we kept adapting until we found a way of learning that was intuitive for her. The next night, 2 days of muchneeded rain began, and I haven’t been able to use the arena since. Tomorrow, we’ll see if the exercise, “stuck” with her. I’ll let you know! Till next month, happy teaching and rider-training! hB
Dianne can be reached at Hill Country Equestrian Lodge where she teaches Whole Horsemanship year-round. www.hillcountryequestlodge.com, or (830) 796-7950
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“Old Saddles”
I
had a wonderful time in East Texas last month going through old saddles. A wonderful lady whose husband had passed away invited me to look their saddle collection over and help determine their value. There were saddles from as early as the 1860s to as late as the 1960s. We spent the day cataloging the saddles, and friends came to help, and everyone enjoyed visiting and telling stories. The only unfortunate thing is, with the economy the way it is, old saddles are just not all that valuable at the moment. I mentioned not long ago in one of my columns that there are currently a number of great buys on eBay. If I had any money, I’d sure be buying up vintage saddles. Of course you have to be careful. There are lots of
40 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
Horseback Magazine’s Saddle & Tack Editor
old saddles that are just old saddles. You want a good old saddle. Most good saddle makers were proud to put their name or company name on their work. This is usually in some kind of circle, oval, square or other form called a “cartouche”. Think of a cartoon with the words in a bubble. The cartouche is usually in several prominent places, one of the most popular being right behind the
handhold behind the gullet. Many makers put their cartouche on the “frog”, the piece of leather on the back jockey that joins the right and left side of the jockey. Most older saddles had a frog, but a lot of newer saddles are laced right there. Another popular place is on the fenders. Almost all newer saddles have the name stamped on the latigo carrier, which is the strap holder on the left front of the saddle where you can put the loose end of your latigo tie strap after you’ve cinched up your saddle. The only bad thing about looking for a maker’s mark on the latigo carrier is that this is the most easily changed piece on the saddle. Many times during repair that will be replaced with a new one with the name of the person or shop doing the repair, and that will lead to confusion when you’re trying to identify an old saddle. The really old saddles were seldom stamped on the latigo carrier, if they even had one. The big name saddle makers
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that were really good were names like Hamley, Heiser, Keyston, Frazier, Meanea, Mueller, and Myres. This is certainly not all inclusive. Also, these are 20th century companies, not 19th. For this article, I’m really concentrating on the vintage rather than the true antique saddles. Mass producers of saddles were companies like Texas Tanning and Manufacturing (which was shortened to Tex Tan in 1948) Bona Allen, Schoelkopf, Simco, and Saddle King of Texas. Again, certainly not inclusive. The main difference in the two categories is that the former types of companies all made good saddles, the second category made a lot of really cheap saddles as well as some good ones. As a general rule, the mass produced saddles will not hold their value or be usable after a long time. The leather in the mass produced saddles, while often well tanned, was almost always thinner and poorer quality than the saddles made by the western companies. I guess that brings up another interesting point. The better saddle companies were almost all in the west. The mass produced saddles were often in the south. As many of you know, Texas may be the center of the universe, but it’s not actually in the west. Don’t shoot me, please. I’ve always said, and I’m often wrong, the farther north and west you go, the better the saddles were made. There are always exceptions. There are certainly some good saddle makers in Texas, especially in the Panhandle area. Think Oliver Brothers, Bob Marrs, Pottsingerton, (bet you hadn’t heard of that one!), and of course many others. If you are looking for a saddle to use, try to find one that has a well known maker’s name that has not been worn out, or badly repaired. If you want a saddle to use that will still hold its value, you want it to be as original as possible. More old saddles are ruined being re-fleeced that any other repair. Most people won’t take the time to handpick all the old stitches and carefully go back through the same stitch holes. Nothing takes the value www.horsebackmagazine.com
down like new fleece with a ragged line of stitching next to the original one. New strings, if nicely done, don’t hurt too bad, same with stirrup leathers, but if your saddle was originally lace up leathers, keep it that way. There is a Texas Tanning and Mfg. saddle on eBay, has been there several times. It has to be about 1948, right about the time they changed to Tex Tan. It is really beautiful. I believe it has a small seat, but the saddle was listed several times with an opening bid of $600.00, with no takers. Now it’s dropped to $475.00, which I would gladly pay if someone would just send me some money! A word of caution, actually a few words of caution. A saddle can look really good in a picture and still be dry rotted. Make sure you deal with a seller that will let you return your purchase if it’s not right. Also, check the shipping before you bid. One saddle I looked at was priced real reasonably, but the shipping was $95.00. There are a lot of sellers that don’t know what they are selling. You’ll see a number of trashy Mexican saddles that are advertised as antique and vintage and they are crap. Sometimes you’ll find a good old Mexican made saddle from Reynosa or Monterey, but it’s unusual. Oh, the saddles that I mentioned at the start of this article? There were a couple of really good saddles, probably from the 40’s. A lot of “catalog” saddles, characterized by the thin cantle riser with a seam in the middle. These saddles are a good, affordable piece for a decorator or beginning collector. They clean up really nice and look good on a balcony rail. There is one older one with a sheepskin covered seat, I believe the seat is original to the saddle, but the fenders are missing. I’m still doing research on that one, especially. I don’t know why I love old things, even if they’re a wreck. Old saddles believe in reincarnation. hB 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. October 2012 - HORSEBACK MAGAZINE
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Horse Bites - Con’t. on pg. 44
Horse Bites - Con’t. from pg. 28
Riding times are available as follows with multiple opportunities during each session: October 23: 1:30 p.m. – Reining Demonstration with Mack Weaver 2:30 p.m. – Ride a Reiner with Mack Weaver 3:30 p.m. – Ride a Reiner with Aaron Ralston October 24-27: 11 a.m. – Reining Demonstration with Aaron Ralston and Mack Weaver Noon – Ride a Reiner with Aaron Ralston and Mack Weaver
ability to test drive a reining horse with top-notch instruction from NRHA Professionals. For those who have some riding experience, NRHA Ride a Reiner provides the opportunity to enjoy a dizzying spin or even a sliding stop on a well-trained reining horse. NRHA appreciates Corporate Partner Purina for their assistance in bringing the Ride a Reiner event to the PBR World Finals and fans in Las Vegas. NRHA would also like to thank NRHA Professionals Aaron Ralston and Mack Weaver for lending their expertise to the demonstrations and riding sessions. “I’ve experienced the thrill of riding a reining horse first-hand and there are few things that compare to their athleticism, power and grace,” said Purina’s Kimberly James. “Purina couldn’t be more pleased to collaborate with NRHA to produce the Ride a Reiner event during the PBR World Finals. It’s an adventure you don’t want to miss!”
42 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
MORE DETAILS ON NRHA RIDE A REINER PRESENTED BY PURINA Unlike anything else held in conjunction with the popular PBR World Finals, NRHA Ride a Reiner presented by Purina, gives frenetic crowds the chance to experience the thrills and excitement of the sport of Reining at the PBR Fan Zone and Marketplace at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The arena also will play host to demonstrations from NRHA Professionals on worldcaliber reining horses. APPLICATIONS & TIMES The application for the NRHA Ride a Reiner presented by Purina can be downloaded (bit. ly/NRHARideaReinerPBR) or picked up at the NRHA Booth in the Fan Zone. NRHA recommends that applicants return completed applications to the NRHA Booth the no later than one hour prior to his/her preferred riding time.
SESSION LEADERS Riders and spectators will have the pleasure of working with two NRHA Professionals Aaron Ralston and Mack Weaver. Aaron Ralston, host of “The Ride” on RFD-TV, is well known for his ability to take riders from the ranch to the show arena to demonstrate how ranch work translates into the competition world. Mack Weaver, an NRHA Judge, hails from Morgan, Utah and specializes in preparing non pro competitors for NRHA and breed association classes. His program emphasizes good-spirited fun for any age or level of reining competitor. PURINA Purina is proud to be the exclusive United States Feed Partner of NRHA. As a leader in horse research and equine feed development, Purina knows that different horses, different lifestyles and different circumstances call for different feeds. So whether you’re feeding an elite equine athlete, or a geriatric horse, or you need an all-round formula like Strategy for an entire herd, Purina makes a formula just right for you. They develop, manufacture and market quality feeds that bring out the best in animals while exceeding the needs of their customers. Visit their website to www.horsebackmagazine.com
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October 2012 - HORSEBACK MAGAZINE
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Horse Bites - Con’t. from pg. 42
locate a Purina dealer nearest you. NRHA Incorporated in 1966, the National Reining Horse Association is the standard-setting body for the sport of Reining. NRHA, with their International Headquarters in Oklahoma City, is responsible for promoting the sport of Reining and working to ensure the highest standards of competition. For more information, visit www.nrha.com or visit NRHA on Facebook. PBR BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD FINALS The PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals is the culmination of a year long quest by the Top 35 bull riders in the world to be named the PBR World Champion and claim a One Million Dollar Bonus. The event runs Oct. 2428 in Las Vegas, Nev. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets can be purchased for all at unlvtickets.com.
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Nevada’s Vanishing Mustangs Story and Photo By Cathy Scott On a recent Friday, a van headed up a rural road in the center of a herd management area toward Southern Nevada’s Wheeler Pass. When a young red-and-white horse was spotted on the right, the driver stopped the van so everyone could step out and take a closer look. The horse wasn’t alone. Soon, a red mare approached and stopped just short of the onlookers. For many on the trek to Wheeler Pass, it was an extraordinary view and undeniable evidence that wild horses are fending on their own with no help from humans. As the van continued up the rural road toward the tiny town of Cold Creek, at the base of the Spring Mountains, nine wild horse bands were seen at both a distance and at close range grazing on the desert floor. Once the van arrived at three ponds near Cold Creek, the VIPs gathered near the largest pond where
the family bands of wild horses make their way across desert scrub and Joshua trees several times a day to drink from and play in the water. After a 20-minute wait, a band of about 15 horses, including two or three foals, trotted when they approached the water’s edge. A black stallion pranced and splashed as he made his way across the length of the pond. Another bowed down and submerged all but his head and neck. By all counts, 300 horses and roughly 500 wild burros live on this land north of Mt. Charleston just 45 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. “They have water at low elevations and they have feed,” said Arlene Gawne, who helped organize the field trip to Wheeler Pass for attendees of the recent International Equine Conference. As the van slowly traveled down the hill back to Las Vegas, a band of horses was, far from the road, grazing. This particular management area, one of the last in Southern Nevada, is a mix of desert
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and mountain habitats located on the northeastern flanks of the Spring Mountains. There, the herd lives in harmony among people, deer and elk. For those on the field trip, the sight of these animals living well was not lost on them. These horses are not dying of thirst or starvation as the BLM has said in the past. A New Yorker on the tour said she had always hoped to see wild horses in their native habitat. And Virginia resident Jo-Claire Corcoran described the scene as “remarkable.” If you want to see these wild horses living off the land in the high desert, as they have done since before people inhabited Southern Nevada, you’ll have to hurry. They may very well become creatures of the past if the federal government has its way. Today, one horse or burro lives on roughly 1,600 football fields, yet the Bureau of Land Management’s plan to commandeer helicopter round-ups of these horses and burros, proposed to take place
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in 2012 and 2013, will leave just one horse or burro per 10,000 acres. That means the horses roaming free will be moved to small stalls and held indefinitely, with their fates unknown. Gawne, however, says there is a possible ray of hope. The Spring Mountain Alliance – a volunteer non-profit group of concerned citizens, businesses and professionals -- has proposed to the BLM a 3-year hold be put on its wild horse and burro removals in the Spring Mountains so the alliance can develop programs, at little or no cost to the government, including: wild horse and burrow tours on public lands that would boost Las Vegas tourism; contraceptives for old and young mares and jennies on the range’ and adding fences and viewing hides to protect ecologically sensitive areas. The alliance is a branch of America’s Wild Horse Alliance Rhea Little has observed the horses for years. “Seeing these animals run free is natural,” said
Little, a wild horse advocate who lives in Cold Creek, which lies at the edge of the Wheeler Pass Herd Management Area. “They’re not hurting anyone.” Most of all, another Cold Creek resident said, “The horses are happy.” If you’d like to help, join the Spring Mountain Alliance: SpringMountainAlliance.org, 702216-2920. Cathy Scott is the bestselling author of The Millionaire’s Wife and a close friend of Horseback Magazine
Wheeler Pass Mustangs Grazing photo by Cathy Scott
October 2012 - HORSEBACK MAGAZINE
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E
very sport is faced with safety issues. When you ride, there are plenty of ways to injure yourself due to the athleticism involved. Along with that risk is the fact that you are dealing with animals who react to their surroundings. These are big, emotional animals that can respond quickly to external influences without much warning. When frightened, they rarely stop to notice that a person might be in the way. Newcomers to equestrian sports should always be taught how to work safely around horses. Fortunately, most newcomers are cautious, recognizing the need for educating themselves and will seek help from someone more experienced than themselves. Experience can be invaluable for thwarting off dangerous situations. On the other hand, familiarity breeds contentment. Sometimes experienced horsemen who know what to watch for get hurt because they feel comfortable with horses and let their guard down. Everyone needs to be reminded from time to time that safety procedures should be observed and practiced on a regular basis. So whether you are new to horses or know them like family, take a
“Safe from the Ground Up”
few minutes to review some of the primary issues that might get you into trouble as you go from taking your horse out of the stall to preparing for a ride. To begin with, there are a few basic rules that need to be followed in everything you do with a horse. When approaching a horse, always use caution and speak to him. Watch for his ears to acknowledge you
before you touch him so you don’t startle him. Horses sometimes kick out when startled. Watch the horse’s body language. Read his ears, body positioning, and general demeanor. Approach the horse near the shoulder whenever possible. Approaching from the rear could surprise him and from the front could make him defensive. The shoulder is best as it is more lateral. When leading your horse, make sure you have control of him with a leadline that is held near his halter. Be careful to coil up any extra line in your left hand so that it doesn’t drag. Make him walk with his shoulder next to yours and never let a horse follow behind you. He might run over you if he becomes frightened. Pay attention to your surroundings. Distractions come in multitudes of forms. There may be a horse next to you that your horse intensely dislikes and he may forget his manners and try to kick or bite while you are between them. He could step sideways and get his leg caught in a stool that was innocently left next to him where you are tacking. He could even suddenly become frightened and try to sit back or run when his nose knocks over a broom that is next to him while you are grooming him. Panic situations can become extremely volatile.
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Being aware of your surroundings can help prevent accidents. When you tie a horse, make sure it is tied to something strong enough to hold a panicked horse. If he breaks what he is tied to and starts to run, he might be dragging the object behind him making the situation even more dangerous. Learn to tie a slipknot and use it whenever you tie a horse. Safety latches which can be released with a firm pull for emergencies are always a good idea. They should be attached to the end of the rope that connects to a solid object for tying. If you need to release it, you don’t want to get closer than necessary to the frightened horse. Cross ties are useful and particularly good for a horse that tends to sit back. Make sure the area used for the crossties is narrow enough to prevent the horse from turning around and never leave a horse unattended while in crossties. Always make sure there are no objects for the horse to step on, get tangled in or knock over when he is tied. If he is tied up with other horses, make sure there is ample space between them so that no one gets kicked. Grooming horses is generally safe, but some horses will crowd you. Pay attention to your personal space and move
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him over by pushing on his side if he moves toward you. Be careful not to put your face down by the hooves when you pick the feet. Lift his foot up so you can have good leverage. Horses have been known to accidentally kick people in the face with a knee or hoof when they stomp at bighting flies. Longing should be done in an area that has good footing to protect the horse. Always wear gloves when longing. Rope burn is painful and takes a long time to heal. Never let the longe line drag on the ground. I heard of a trainer once who got caught in a longe line, was dragged and killed. Always check your tack when you put it on your horse. Look for cracked leather, worn out or loose stitching, thinly worn stirrup leathers or worn out stirrup pads. Replace any worn out tack before it breaks during a ride. Suddenly steering with only one rein or riding with only one stirrup can be tricky! Make sure your tack is properly adjusted. A girth that is too loose can cause the saddle to slip too far back or slide off to the side in the middle of a ride and frighten your horse. Mounting can be a bit difficult with
a loose girth also. If it is too tight, the horse may not be able to breathe properly and will undoubtedly offer resistance when you try to ride. Improper saddle fit can cause problems ranging from sore backs to throwing riders off balance. If you don’t know how to check the saddle fit, seek the help of a tack specialist. Sometimes the problems can be corrected with special padding. Martingales that are too tight will make it difficult for the horse to use his neck for balance, while too loose could cause a leg to get hung up. Splint boots that are too large can slip off and loosely wrapped polo wraps can unravel during a ride. Always try to troubleshoot for potential safety issues. They can be many and varied. We all know the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With a little awareness and deliberate safety habits, horses can provide years of safe recreational fun for equestrians at all levels. hB
Cathy Strobel has over 30 years of experience as a trainer, judge and clinician she can be reached at Southern Breeze Eq. Ctr. at (281) 431-4868 or www.sbreeze.com
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Q&A
“Will Trail Riding Ruin my Arena Work?”
Q:
I come from a long line of arena riders, but I always thought I might take up trail riding if I ever lived somewhere there were interesting trails. Now it looks like we’re retiring to a place just like that, but I’m older now (we are both retired) and I don’t know if I’m ready to give up ring work. I’m real comfortable in the arena and don’t know if I am ready to go out on God knows what kind of terrain. My husband bought us two real nice trail horses, they are pretty experienced. Don’t worry, we have a very good friend who lives out here and has been trail riding forever. He will take us out with him until he figures we know enough to go on our own, so I figure he will be our “trail guide” for at least six months. What I want to know is some reasons that will help me get “psyched up” to stop worrying about precision and style (arena) and just get out there and learn to “hang loose” and be sloppy and happy. The problem is I can’t help thinking that this is really going to mess up my arena work and what if I want to get back to that later on?
Lew explaining how to do a set of templates of your horses back to take saddle shopping. Lew Pewterbaugh • Bandera, TX (830) 328 0321 • (830) 522 6613 saddlerlew@ gmail.com • Available for individual or group saddle tting & clinics. Will gladly work with trainers, stables & other clinicians to help with saddle tting issues.
48 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
A
: I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised when you discover the wonderful world of trail riding. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be sloppy to relax and enjoy yourself on the trail. In fact, you will probably be safer and happier if you allow yourself to go right on thinking about precision and style. Getting out on the trails does not have to mean changing your riding style or your whole way of thinking about your time in the saddle, with one exception: If you’ve been grim and tense about arena riding, completely focused on precision, dictating each step to your horse, then it will do you good to learn to enjoy the trails with your horse as a full partner. Here are just a few improvements that trail riding can bring to your arena work: As you and your horse get to know the area trails, you’ll also get to know each other better and learn to understand and predict one another’s reactions. As your horse learns to trust your judgment, you will learn to trust his as well. You’ll want to give your trail horse his head most of the time, but that’s because the changing terrain you mentioned will require him to use his head and neck for balance. When he asks to put his nose down low to check out the trail, you have to trust that he’s not thinking about bucking. You and your horse might have occasional disagreements (“Go to the right, not to the left, of that tree” or “Yes, I really do want you to cross that stream”); this will allow you to practice offering calm, determined encouragement (“Fine, stop and look around, we’ll stand here until you feel comfortable moving forward www.horsebackmagazine.com
saddle, even on easy trails, will help you improve your balance; trail time will also challenge and strengthen your muscles. Even if you think that you’re just sitting comfortably in your saddle, enjoying the scenery and your horse’s smooth gaits, there may well come a time – probably that very evening – when you will appreciate a hot bath with Epsom salts. I think that there are going to be a lot of happy surprises waiting for you out on the trails. And later on, if you want to get back to arena work, you’ll be a better rider because of your increased awareness, fitness, and balance. Trail riding and ring work are compatible, and the partnership that you and your horse can develop on the trails can make your ring work more productive and more fun for both of you.
again”). Sometimes when riders are of his concern (Is he frightened, in the arena – especially in a show surprised, or just attentive?); you’ll arena, where they tend to feel a soon learn when to push him forward bit pushed themselves – they tend and when to give him a moment to push their horses harder and to inspect something more closely. announce to them “You WILL do Your new, experienced trail horse has what I told you to do, and you will probably already mastered the art do it RIGHT NOW!” This may jolt of traveling over changing terrain, a horse into obedience but it doesn’t choosing the best place to step over help instill or increase its trust in the a fallen tree, and evaluating the rider. Trails are great for instilling most likely location for a safe water trust – you can learn to trust your crossing. You and he can introduce horse’s perceptions when you feel it each other to the sounds and sights stiffen and startle at something you of trail riding. He will protect you by can’t see (“Yikes, there’s something remaining relaxed around sights that over there behind that rock, I can are familiar to him but not to you; in smell it!”) and your horse can learn return, you can protect him by calling to believe your reassuring posture, out to quiet and/or camouflaged breathing, and voice saying “It’s okay, hikers and hunters “Hey there, how that’s just a deer, it isn’t coming after are you doing, would you please say something so that my horse knows us, it won’t hurt you.” Trail riding can help increase you aren’t scary?” You’ll find that there are your sensitivity and alertness. By reassuring your horse when he needs physical benefits to trail riding. it, you will increase his confidence Trail riding over changing terrain and trust in you and your leadership. places a variety of demands on your body. It places demands on 4 9/21/12 PM Learn toDetering1-2Page.pdf interpret your horse’s posture2:02 horse’s and recognize the type and degree your own body as well. Hours in the
hB
Dr. Jessica Jahiel is the best selling author of Riding For The Rest Of Us.
FOUNDATION GROUNDWORK WITH
herman detering W W W .H E R M A N D E T E R I N G . C O M
FOR OVER TEN YEARS, I have been demonstrating, teaching, and writing about non-coercive methods of handling horses and cattle at my ranch near Bellville, Texas.
C
M
Y
CY
CMY
K
RM
text of my Published Articles, visit my
PI N
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My work follows in the low-stress tradition of natural horsemanship established by Tom Dorrance and spread to the world by Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman, and Pat Parelli. Currently, I am influenced by the work of Ron Wall of Australia and Frederic and Jean-Francoise Pignon of France. CRE EK F Y E For more information and to see the complete
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50 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
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“Teenage Ben Hur”
My
Dad, Jere Johnson, is a Natural Horsemanship Clinician in the Central Hill Country of Texas. When he was young, he did things the old way of “make” and “force“, just like everyone else he knew. Now he has a whole different way of looking at things, and the horse always comes first, with dignity and respect. This is the story (as he told it) of his mule driving days, when he was twelve years old. When I was growing up, Sundays were always family days. On this particular Sunday all my uncles, brothers, and my dad, were talking about breaking mules to drive and pull. I sat there and listened, as that was my job. By that I mean children were expected to be seen and not heard. As I listened to them, I got to thinking, this doesn’t sound so tough, especially for a pretty salty hand of twelve. I need to mention that my
52 HORSEBACK MAGAZINE - October 2012
Dad was a horse trader, so we were always blessed with a variety of equine livestock. I asked my dad if I could have a go at breaking one of these mules to drive. He told me that the only mule we had wasn’t even halter broke but to go ahead. So, the next morning right after chores, I brought the herd in and sorted the mule off. The next problem was to catch her. You sure couldn’t walk up to her, so I had the brain storm to rope her. After several rope burns on my hands, I decided that wasn’t the best idea I ever had. But, I finally got her snubbed to a post without too much trouble. The next step was to get the harness on her, but there was one small detail. No one had shown me how to put it on. After several exciting moments, I finally got close enough to pet her and convince her she wasn’t going to die. I got the harness on her and about that time my Dad came over
to see how things were going. He just laughed and said we needed to re-adjust the harness. I had all of the parts in the wrong places and none of the straps were hooked right. I messed with her for about a week and got things going pretty good in the corral and could drive her, turn her and stop her. On a good day I could back her up. One day Dad stopped to watch me and he told me he would recommend something heavy for that mule to drag. Right then, I should have had a clue. If youth has nothing else, it has ingenuity, so I went off to find something heavy to pull. After several hours of searching, I found the perfect thing. I found a ten foot cross tie that must have weighed hundreds of pounds. I knew there was no way I could get it to where I needed to hook it up, so I went and got my horse and got a rope on it. Now you might think that it would
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have been quite a wrestling match getting that mule hooked to that tie, but surprisingly, it went off without a hitch. I spent the next 3 or 4 days dragging that tie all over that corral. If I accomplished nothing else, I did a pretty fair job of cleaning and leveling the corral. Never one to let a good thing alone, I got to thinking that I needed something that I could stand on, so my little mind went to work. My dad had recently replaced a barn door. This was no little door. It must have been four feet wide and six feet long. Off to the shop I went, where I installed chains. My Dad had instilled safety in me, so I used all the proper things to make it safe. I drilled holes and ran the chain thru and found some number nine wire to fasten it all together. Now in my mind I was safe, but just to be on
the safer side, I double wrapped it. After I got it hooked to my mule I stepped on my drag (door) and off we went. This is where things got kind of western. My Dad had always told me that you could ride them as fast as they run, so I figured that ought to be true for driving. Looking back now the decision I made then was a bit rash, but at the time it sure seemed like a good idea. I opened the gate and off we went. Everything was going smooth. I knew I needed to keep going slow. We were walking and I was standing on the back of my drag, keeping the front end up so it wouldn’t catch on the dirt. To this day I have no idea what spooked that mule, but all of the sudden, we left out of there like a shot. I soon found out I couldn’t hold her, and I couldn’t turn her much, so I just
pointed her. This field I was in had irrigation ditches in it. We made the first ditch just fine and I was congratulating myself and thinking this wasn’t so bad, when the second ditch became my undoing. As we came up to it, I stepped forward to get a better hold and that was when the door caught the edge of the ditch. Me and the mule parted company, and I found myself going faster than the mule. I passed her like she was standing still. My only saving grace was that the sled hit the ditch and saved me some broken bones. But it still didn’t save me any road rash. The moral of this story is God watches over idiots, and fools, and teenage boys.
hB
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Elk PreHunt!
H
owdy, welcome to Cowboy Corner. Well, time is near for the 2012 Elk Hunt. Hopefully, as you read these humble words in mid October, yours truly will be in southern Colorado along the Chama river looking for ole’ bugle. The plan is to scout for five days before the season, set up a hunt camp the day before the season, and hunt the five day season or until the hunter tags are filled. Worked in 2010, so let’s keep our fingers crossed. After the bull elk permits were drawn in Colorado the first of June, I visited the hunting area to check on some logistics issues. The permit area is just over the Colorado/New Mexico line in the wilderness area within the Rio Grande National Forest. Learned
years ago that the wilderness areas are the best for hunting horseback, no wheels allowed. Wheels are allowed in the National Forest, but not the wilderness areas. The Chama river headwaters are in the wilderness area and the river flows to and past Chama, New Mexico. Chama is the nearest town about fifteen miles from the National Forest. Found a good place for a base camp along the river that was accessible by truck and my cattle trailer. Lots of places in this area where our “Texas size” gooseneck trailers are a tight fit, and signs are posted on the National Forest roads about trailer parking and turnarounds. Well, got to the place saying, “yep gonna’ be just right,” and looked up the canyon to the northwest with the clear, cool Chama river running over the rocks and said “if there is an Elk in Colorado he’s in that canyon.” Guess you’ll have to wait until next month to know if I found him. Tough job, but somebody has to find him! Ole’ sayin’ is that the good Lord takes care of fools, drunks, and cowboys. Well, may be a fool, am not a drunk, and am a cowboy, and will welcome the good Lord as my saddle pal on this trip. At this campsite in mid June there were several living quarters horse trailers parked along the river bank. Trees along the river were sparse, and shade for the horses was important
during 90 degree days. Was impressed with one horse holding pen. The pen started with six 10 foot light weight panels, made into two connected horse stalls. The pen measures 10 foot wide and 20 feet long. Over the pen a 10 foot by 20 foot car canopy was erected, makes the pen totally shaded. The things I liked about this shaded pen are, first, strength. The canopy is, say, seven feet high at the side wall and supporting frame legs are on 10 foot centers. So, the canopy legs can be supported by the five foot or so high corral panels. The ol’ standby baling wire works great. Second, due to the roof height and no side walls, ventilation is great, and in bad weather a 5 foot or so by 20 foot tarp can be attached to the pen long side as a wind break. Hay string makes good tarp to panel connectors. Third, this pen is totally portable. Cattle panels, if not too heavy are easily carried on the side of livestock trailers, and the canopy disassembles and folds up. With this rig I would suggest including some extra rope, and pieces of steel rod, like rebar about 18 inches long for stakes. If the ground is rocky use 1/2 “ rebar and weld a washer on the top to hold the rope. Fourth, this covered pen meets the ranch test of durable, available, and affordable. hB
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