Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2021 i Horse & Rider

TRAVEL Montana WHERE Philipsburg WHAT The Ranch at Rock Creek WHEN Year-Round Winter Wonderland Some prefer to escape cold temperatures by traveling south for the winter, while others embrace the cold weather and find joy being surrounded by mountains in the middle of their own cowboy-themed snow globe. At The Ranch at Rock Creek (theranchatrockcreek.com), you can experience a true Western winter wonderland, with plenty of horse activities for the whole family. TRAVEL Montana Cruise through the mountain valley from the back of a horse-drawn sleigh, enjoy a snow-covered trail ride with your horse-loving family, or get some hands-on ranching experience by helping wranglers tend to their daily ranch tasks when you immerse yourself in the Western way of life at this luxurious Montana guest ranch. When it’s time to…

When you’re riding at home, you want to focus more on your horse’s overall riding foundation and fundamentals, and less on putting the whole package together, like you might do at a horse show. By limiting the amount of information you’re giving your horse each session and focusing on fundamentals, you’re going to keep your horse fresh, happy, and liking his job. I’m going to walk you through the steps I go through to warm up one of my cow horses at home and why it’s important that I reinforce those riding fundamentals before trying to work a live cow. Warm Up Right When it comes time to ride, you don’t just cinch up your horse, get on, and go to work. There’s some prep that needs to take place,…

Loping a correct, smooth circle may seem like an obvious element of horsemanship, but for many youth, and even more advanced riders, reinforcing control in this area is worth the time spent. Attention Spans Kids have limited attention spans—that’s a fundamental element of working with most youth. So the limited time you spend in the arena working has to be efficient and it has to be fun. There’s so much work and precision that goes into every discipline, but if you harp on kids too much, they won’t have fun and they’ll lose interest. So that’s why we work on circles—it’s an exercise you can do to hit plenty of areas of horsemanship all at once to shorten up the lessons. Don’t Forget While this article focuses on loping a…

What began as a publicity stunt to promote the world-famous Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo and Happy Canyon evening show has taken on a life of its own. Riders from around the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and even Thailand, now participate in the Pendleton Wagon Train, which consists of 19 wagons drawn by mules or horses and 100 outriders accompanying them. History of the Wagon Train The moving wagon train functions as a temporary doorway into the past, where lessons in courage, patience, and self-reliance are taught on hard, jostling wagon seats and slow-moving horses. We experienced a sense of awe for the pioneers who ventured west—imagine, crossing rivers, deserts, and mountains with covered wagons pulled by horses, mules, or oxen. According to Vickie Leonard, President of the Pendleton Wagon Train…

PROVIDED BY A HOME FOR EVERY HORSE, AN EQUINE NETWORK PROJECT Have you met your soulmate? I have. Twice actually. Some horse people call them a soulmate, others prefer “heart horse”. Twice in my life, I had the extraordinary good fortune to find my four-legged, swishy-tailed soulmate. The first, I cannot take credit for. My dad heard about a horse that everyone thought was something special. I was 6, he was a 3-year-old Lippitt Morgan/Arabian cross named North Star’s Pride. Pride and I grew up together. We had the most amazing relationship I have ever had the honor of experiencing. We eventually trained through the uppermost echelons of equestrian sports. I have ridden, trained, and schooled more horses than I can count, and Pride taught me more than all of…

What is Ringbone? Ringbone is the bony overgrowth that develops on or around the pastern bones, generally fueled by an initial injury or inflammation. The overgrowth can be articular—affecting the joint—or develop on the side of a pastern bone, often where the ligaments attach. Low ringbone develops around the joint between the coffin bone and the short pastern bone, just within the top of the hoof wall, and tends to be painful. High ringbone develops around the joint between the short pastern bone and the long pastern bone. Bony growths on the outside of the pastern can be a dead giveaway for ringbone, but by the time they’re visible, it can be harder to treat. Products That Help X-rays are usually the best way to identify ringbone, and the sooner…

Best in Boots 1. You can never go wrong with having a new pair of boots under your tree, Macie Bean’s Top Hand caiman belly boots (left) are the perfect gift for someone who loves exotic leather. Plus, its classic look and leather-stacked heels make it a great boot for the show pen ($419; maciebean.com). For someone who prefers to have a little fun with their boots, check out Macie Bean’s floral embroidered boot (right). This boot is great for the rider who loves to tuck her jeans into her boots, as the top of the boot features vibrant floral stitching. The matching kids’ boot (middle) is also bound to be a hit for those mother-daughter duos ($219 and $139.99). A Gift for Everyone 2. A Gift for Your Horse…

AS A JUDGE, I try to reward the horse with the most positive and the fewest negative characteristics. In the show pen, I must see the big picture first, and trust my eye to find the most attractive horses. I then assess the details that make those horses the most appealing. It usually holds true that the most attractive horse at first impression is also the horse with the best combination of positive components. Those positive components fall under the categories set out by stock breed association rulebooks of balance, structural correctness, breed and sex quality, and muscling. With that foundation for judging all horses, I will assess this class of three performance horse mares. Performance horses must have the basics of balance, structural correctness, and muscling to perform well…

Horse shopping ranks as one of the most exciting parts of horse ownership. It’s easy to get caught up in your own whirlwind of emotions and the excitement of your journey, completely forgetting that the person on the other end—the seller—wants you to find the perfect ride, but also needs to turn a profit and keep up a business in the process. We spoke with three equine professionals from diverse backgrounds to find out what buyer-etiquette guidelines they wish horse buyers would follow as they search for, try, and buy new horses. Some of their answers might surprise you, while others will be gentle reminders to mind your Ps and Qs, because the seller’s time and effort are just as valuable as the cash you bring to the table. TIP…

During the winter months, finding a good day to ride can be hard. You’re constantly dealing with frigid temperatures, snow-covered outdoor arenas, and wind so cold that it takes your breath away. When you’re stuck at home in your small indoor arena for months at a time, it can take the fun out of riding or even keep you from spending time in the saddle with your horse all together. But you don’t have to let cold days keep you from enjoying your horse. Here I’m going to share a few things you can do on the ground and in the saddle to keep things exciting and help your horse avoid getting bored doing the same thing over and over. GROUNDWORK RESPECT Groundwork is always beneficial to your horse and…

The Heavy-Duty Blanket 1. For horses that must withstand frigid temperatures and snowy days during the winter months, find a blanket that’s going to provide maximum protection but still be lightweight enough to comfortably move around. Horseware’s Supreme blanket ($449; horseware.com) layers its thermobond fiber to gain maximum heat retention without the heaviness of standard fill. Plus, this blanket is made with 1,680-denier ballistic nylon 66 fabric and is designed to stand up to horses that are rough on their gear. More Options! 2. The Comfortable One This Weatherbeeta Comfitec Plus Dynamic II blanket was designed with comfort in mind. Between the memory foam wither-relief pad, which contours to your horse’s shape and lifts the blankets off his withers, the adjustable front clip, and the extra-large tail flap, your horse…

Loping is one of the hardest gaits for riders to master, and if you’re practicing without balance or control, it can become very overwhelming and put you in a dangerous situation. It might even create fear around loping your horse. When you aren’t in control of your speed, your horse will continue to get faster, and things might begin to spiral out of control. Rather than throwing yourself into a lope and hoping everything goes smoothly, use this exercise to gain confidence at the lope while keeping your horse at the pace you choose. Disengage the Lope The purpose of this exercise is to take the fear out of the word lope and allow you to be comfortable as you increase your speed. It’ll help you and your horse learn…

Have you ever walked into the show pen and felt like you were on a completely different horse from the one that you were riding in the warmup? And felt that within minutes you went from show-ring ready, to dancing around in the center of the arena before the start of your pattern? Your horse doesn’t know the stakes are higher when he steps into the show pen, so why does he drastically change once all eyes are on you? If your mindset changes when it comes time to show, chances are, the energy you’re creating with your body changes, too. These changes will translate to your horse, and he’ll start to change his game plan to reflect what your body is telling him to do. The easiest way to…

‘You have to have that driving factor to make you keep pushing through. That’s one thing I’ve always been is self-driven, it’s always been my mentality. I think you have to be a little stubborn minded to keep pushing through. Horse training is tough, but I don’t think you can be successful at it without having to go through the struggles of it.’—NRHA Professional and winner of The Run For a Million Kole Price on The Ride, a podcast by Horse&Rider, available to stream or download wherever you listen to podcasts.…