Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Horse & Rider

Don’t Miss This explore. Grab a swimsuit and check out 1. Sliding Rock, a 60-foot natural waterslide located in the Pisgah National Forest. If you prefer to stay dry, visit the 535-million-year-old monolith known as 2. Chimney Rock. Once you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a 75-mile panoramic view of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. eat. A good meal is only a quick walk from the show pen, with five sit-down options to choose from, plus a general store and coffee shop. For fresh sushi and noodles visit 3. Blue Ginger Sushi. Or head next door to the 4. Legends Grille to enjoy a perfectly chargrilled steak. The best part? You won’t miss a minute of competition thanks to the live feed on the TVs at the…

To ride your best, you must put mind over mechanics. By that I mean, rather than obsessing over the mechanics of cueing, use your brainpower to develop three essentials of good horsemanship: balance, decision-making, and consistency. I’ve done a little of everything, including reining, jumping, all-around, and more. Each discipline has its own way of asking a horse to do something. In reining you take your leg off to stop. In Western pleasure you put your leg on. Ultimately, you can whistle Dixie to get a horse to stop—as long as you’re consistent in doing so. Riders often confuse themselves by continually changing their mechanics based on what they most recently learned from a clinic or an article. I tell my youths and non-pros, you don’t have to ride exactly…

I was excited yet a touch anxious as I drove along the rolling hills of Renfrew County toward Horse Country Campground in Foresters Falls, a 1½ hour drive northwest of Ottawa, Ontario. It was the first time my husband, Joe, and his Belgian/Paint Horse cross gelding, Major, would be joining me on a horse-camping trip, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I chose a September weekend when the weather is typically cool in the region. We’d postponed our trip for a week after Horse Country’s official Fall-Colours (as we Canadians spell “colors”) Ride in the hope that Mother Nature would bring cooler temperatures and more vibrant color, but the area was still experiencing summer’s warmth. (For information on fall-color riding at Horse Country, see page 59.) Resort Camping Horse…

AS I scroll through years of horse memories, some shine especially bright. My (Charlene’s) first horse, an Appaloosa named Buckwheat, blazes like a meteor, easily outshining the planets of past horses. He changed my life and chartered for us an adventurous future that neither of us had envisioned. Meeting Buckwheat Before I got Buckwheat, I was riding my neighbor’s horse. One day that horse and I had a disagreement, and he reared up and went over on me. The nightmarish accident left me nervous about riding. I wanted to “cowgirl up,” but preferred to do it on a safe, calm horse—preferably of my own. We saw an ad for Buckwheat in the newspaper where he was described as “bombproof.” That’s what I needed. Buckwheat’s seller, Darcy, offered to bring him…

Hemp is part of the cannabis family, but it contains little to no THC, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. Hemp seeds are extremely nutritious, however, with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Hemp flowers, leaves, and stalks also contain cannabidiol (CBD), whose medicinal properties are now being explored. Long a staple in health food stores, hemp-seed supplements and CBD oils are now on the market for horses and other animals. Check with your veterinarian when deciding if a hemp product might benefit your horse. Not yet known is how sport and breed organizations will view CBD-containing substances. CBD Potential Benefits fighting inflammation Pain-relieving qualities, plus anecdotal data point to joint-function benefits. aiding digestion Appetizing, plus cannabidiol may positively impact horses’ digestive functions. calming In adequate dosages, cannabidiol may help…

WHEN JUDGING halter classes, it’s important to remember that conformation or physical appearance is the most important criteria. When assessing conformation, I break it down into four categories—balance, structural correctness, breed and sex characteristics, and degree of muscling. Balance is always the most important. I then look at structural correctness. After I assess balance and structure, I look at breed and sex characteristics. A horse should look like the breed he represents, showing traits the breed is known for. Finally, I compare muscling volume and tone among the horses in the class. All of these traits must be judged and interpreted, and a conclusion made from the available information. In a live class, I’d be able to walk around these horses and see them from both sides, as well as…

WE HEAR YOU Enjoying Montana Forests This is my husband, Larry Jones, on our 4-year-old Quarter Horse mare, Faith. A few years after retiring to the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in western Montana in 2009, we bought Faith as a weanling, and Larry started her under saddle this spring. His steady patience and consistency have paid off in a mare that’s confident solo or in a group on the trails. Larry and Faith truly enjoy the time they spend in the forests behind our serene ranch. Becky Laugel Jones, Montana She Could—And Still Can! I continue to hear from people who were inspired by “The Little Horse That Could” (August 2014). Reading about Singin Saddie Sue, they’re encouraged to go ahead and try competing at a higher level themselves. Now, at…

WHERE Tryon, North Carolina WHAT FEI World Equestrian Games WHEN September 11–23 This September, equestrian enthusiasts from around the world will head to Tryon, North Carolina, to watch riders compete for their home countries in eight different world championship events at the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). It’s an event that happens every four years. In previous games, 57 countries were represented at this international competition by more than 800 riders and their top-level horses. For the second time in WEG history, the games are back in the United States, this time at Tryon International Equestrian Center. This resort that has everything an equestrian fan could ask for with on-site hotels, year-round shopping, and full-service restaurants all within walking distance of the arenas. In addition to the games, there will…

Correct trimming/shoeing should be the basis of all heel-pain treatment, with any medicinal or surgical strategies considered adjuncts. A skilled farrier should first remedy any pre-existing problems, including underrun, contracted, or sheared heels; mismatched hoof angles; or a broken hoof/pastern axis. The feet must be carefully balanced, with all weight-bearing structures brought into play. Hooves must be able to expand when they make contact with the ground, plus roll forward efficiently (good “rollover” requires toes to be properly shortened and beveled). In all cases, therapeutic farriery should be based on the horse’s individual case needs rather than on a standard formula.…

The adage “no hoof, no horse” is well worn for a reason: It tells us exactly how important hoof care is. In fact, proper maintenance of your horse’s feet may be the single most crucial factor for keeping him sound. And a simple mistake can be all it takes to turn a sound horse into a lame one. As an equine veterinarian with almost 30 years in the trenches, I’ve seen certain hoof-care mistakes over and over. In this article, I’ll tell you about the seven most common blunders out there—what they are, the problems they might cause, and how to take aim against them. Blunder #1 INFREQUENT FARRIER VISITS Your farrier performs two key functions when he provides care. First, he helps to maintain the integrity and health of…

The Collector: Wes Wetherell Purcell, Oklahoma The Collection: Take one peek into Wetherell’s tack room and you’ll see two walls filled with bits and bridles, from floor to ceiling, all neatly hung up and ready to use. In his vast bit collection are a handful of bits (photographed here) that Wetherell says he’ll never part ways with, including a couple of Garcia spade bits, a few Greg Darnall bits, and a pitchfork-shank bit that Wetherell says horse trainers are constantly trying to purchase from him. “Once I stop using that bit it’ll end up on a wall in my house,” Wetherell shares with a smile. And while Wetherell doesn’t use the bits from his prized collection every day—he chooses bit by horse, not the other way around—they continue to sit…