Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Horse & Rider

WE HEAR YOU Maintaining Our Trails I live surrounded by national forest. Along with a few friends, I’ve put in 187 hours locally since April on trails we ride; this is ongoing. Not too shabby for a few senior riders. Back Country Horsemen of America, an all-volunteer organization, puts in countless hours each year helping keep our public lands open for public use. In 2017, members put in 324,154 documented hours, equal in value to $12,987,807 in labor. Over the organization’s 20-plus-year history, dollar value for work done is more than $140 million dollars. Hundreds of hours go unreported; that adds to the total work done. Linda Meyer Editor’s Note: See page 58 for more on the efforts to keep trails open for riders. A Cowboy’s Collection This buckle collection…

Corns are bruises occurring at the angle between the hoof wall and the bars (see photo). They’re commonly caused by shoes that are too short and tight at the heels, or that have been left on too long (the shoe slips forward and the heel branches traumatize the area). Stones and hard surfaces can also be factors. Corns may be dry (mild bruising), moist (clear, watery discharge), or suppurative (infected or abscessed). Treatments include removing shoes, expert paring with a hoof knife to relieve pressure, and draining/poulticing as needed. Competent hoof care at frequent, regular intervals is the best preventive measure. Diagnosing Corns hoof testing Hoof testers will identify pain over the “seat of corn” area. digital pulse A strengthened digital pulse may also be detectable. hoof knife Initial paring…

We all want our horses to stay healthy. Toward that end, a program of ongoing protective measures (popularly known as “biosecurity”) is your first, best line of defense against infectious diseases. Here are the basics, for at home and on the road. Around the Barn • Work with your veterinarian to establish an appropriate vaccination program for all horses in your care. • Be sure all horses entering your facility (or the one where your horse is boarded) are appropriately vaccinated and free of communicable diseases. Ideally, isolate all incoming horses for up to 30 days. • Don’t share water or feed buckets; grooming equipment; or any piece of gear that may come into contact with a horse’s eyes, nose, or mouth. • When cleaning or filling water containers, don’t…

A proper introduction to cows is an important part of any Western horse’s education. Why cattle training? Because you may one day want your horse to perform in an event like ranch sorting or team penning. Or you may simply want him to be comfortable at venues where cow are present—typically in loud, noisy, smelly herds. Or you may want your trail horse to be at ease around any hooved critters you come across on the trail. If a horse has never been calmly introduced to cows, it can be scary and unsafe if you unexpectedly cross paths with one. For all these reasons, cattle training is well worth the effort. I’m going to share a method I recently used to introduce Buckley, my 4-year-old Appaloosa gelding, to cattle. He’d…

HERE WE, have a class of mares, and as such, their femininity or lack thereof will have a bearing on placing. I’m judging them based on the rule book’s criteria of balance, structural correctness, breed and sex characteristics, and muscling, and looking for the most positive combination of those components. Balance is considered the most important of those, but I want a horse that best combines the most positive characteristics from all categories. I try not to get carried away with the pieces, but to look at the big picture. I’m looking for the horse that gives me the best first impression. When I’m walking around the horses in a class, I make mental positive checks or negative checks in different categories. If my first sense is that horse has…

Has your horse suddenly started exhibiting bad behavior during training? Or maybe he’s recovering from an injury and seems depressed. Could he be in pain? If only he could talk. It turns out he can—we just need to learn how to listen. As a horseman, chances are you’ve spent a lifetime reacting to the position of your horse’s ears or the expression in his eyes. Recent research into equine facial expressions has taken that horseman’s instinct one step further with in-depth studies about precise movements of your horse’s face and what they mean. In this article, you’ll learn about the Equine Facial Action Coding System (EquiFACS) and how your horse’s facial expression might be used to help determine what he’s feeling. You’ll also learn about other facial-expression research that’s helping…

Keeping your horse healthy and happy and your facility maintained is a year-round endeavor. Fall is an especially good time of year to arrange veterinary care, assess your horse’s condition, secure winter forage, and restore your pastures in preparation for winter. As a conscientious horse owner, your to-do list can seem daunting. Take heart! With the help of our stable of experts, we’ve broken down fall horsekeeping tasks into four easy-to-tackle steps with accompanying checklists. Step 1 Provide Optimal Veterinary Care During the fall and winter, keep your horse on his regular health-maintenance program, advises Bonnie V. Beaver, DVM, a professor at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. “Prevention is the key,” agrees Cherry Hill, a Colorado-based instructor, trainer, and horsekeeping expert. “It’s much easier to keep your horses…

Open-Finals Change Professional riders who advance to the finals in the open division and in any additional lower division(s) at the 2018 Snaffle Bit Futurity will make just one run in each of the three exciting events (herd work, rein work, fence work), rather than separate runs for each of the divisions. “We care about our horses’ physical and mental wellbeing,” said Todd Crawford, president of the sponsoring National Reined Cow Horse Association. “We want them to be successful at the futurity and have long, happy, productive careers beyond their 3-year-old year.” The futurity takes place October 7–20 in Fort Worth, Texas (nrcha.com/snaffle-bit-futurity). ‘I think it’s a huge overreach.’ —Sue McDonnell, PhD, founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, on new…

Don’t Miss This explore. 1. The Forth Worth Stockyards is a National Historic District, and the Western shopping there is unparalleled. From 2. Cavender’s to 3. M.L. Leddy’s to a host of antique, boutique, and music shops, you can find everything a real cowboy needs for his horse and house within a few blocks. eat. 4. Joe T. Garcia’s has been a Northside Fort Worth staple since 1935. Authentic, time-tested Tex-Mex is on the menu with a gorgeous patio and friendly staff. At 5. Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que you walk in, pick your meat(s) straight off the pit, and get sides cafeteria-style—the way BBQ was meant to be. do. Fort Worth is bursting with cowboy culture, but add a little more refinement to the experience with a trip to…

1. 1,200-Denier Turnout This blanket is perfect for mild, damp winters and has an adjustable neck piece that allows you to customize the fit for your horse. Starting at $106.68; jtidist.com. 2. Rockin’ SP Blanket This 1,000-denier blanket is designed to fit stockier breeds with a unique cut that offers broader shoulders and a shorter drop. $209.95; smartpakequine.com. 3. ComFiTec Essential This fan-favorite blanket has a new American flag print, made with a 1,200-denier ripstop outer that’s both waterproof and breathable. $104.99; weatherbeeta.com.…

Fresh off teaching a weeklong wild horse gentling clinic at a mustang sanctuary in Colorado, Madison Shambaugh returned to cell-phone reception. For the last two-and-a-half years, the clinician has been touring North America to teach clinics with her band of well-trained mustangs—and a couple of zebras. Today, she’s taking a break at her home base in Ridgway, Colorado, and reflecting on her whirlwind journey, from Midwestern horse-crazy kid to pre-pharmacy student to becoming “Mustang Maddy.” Learning the Hard Way Born and raised in northeastern Indiana, Madison is the middle child of three sisters. Her older sister started taking riding lessons and eventually Madison was old enough to join her. Growing up, the Shambaughs split time between Indiana, where Madison’s dad, Mark, worked, and Colorado, where the family loved spending time…

You’ve watched open fields become busy suburban neighborhoods. Constant growth can limit outdoor-recreation space for all activities and potentially close access to horses on desirable trails. You’ve heard that federal budget cuts are impacting land- and wildlife-management programs, and you wonder whether your favorite trails will stay open to equestrians. Your local trails are further limited by large tracts of private property with “No Trespassing” signs. Don’t fret—take action! As an active trail rider, you’re perfectly positioned to be a strong advocate for keeping your favorite trails open, whether you ride in a city, in the suburbs, or in the backcountry. Here we’ll give you three scenarios, each describing a different type of trail at risk. For each one, we’ll explain the related pressing issue and how you can push…

The Collector: Laurel Denton Skull Valley, Arizona The Collection: “These branding irons are signs of hard work, pride, and dedication,” Denton says. “I see the brands of my sister and mine, given to us as children,” she continues. “You can see the smaller U and ‘bar’ irons that were meant for our ranch’s younger calves. The smaller irons allow the brand to grow with the animal. “The iron in the middle, which looks like a big hook, is called a running iron,” Denton explains. “It’s been many years since we used this iron, but it’s a reminder of the days with no fences. A cowboy tied this running iron on his saddle, and when he found a ‘long ear,’ he roped and branded the calf in a freehand sort of…