Most horsemen define a club foot as hoof and pastern angle of more than 60 degrees, making the foot more upright than normal. The affected hoof is usually stumpy with a short toe and long, upright heel. Contracture of the flexor muscles and deep digital flexor back tendon (which attaches to the coffin bone inside the hoof) results in the horse walking on the toe—and the heel area doesn’t get much wear. The hoof may have a steeper angle than the pastern; the hoof/pastern axis is often broken forward rather than straight.
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After more than 15 years out of the show pen, I can’t tell you how nervous I was. It was one of my first Showmanship classes at a big show, Sun & Surf. My knees were shaking so visibly that I’m sure all the judges could tell, reminisces Larisa Affeldt, an AQHA amateur from Spokane, Washington.
Continue reading …The Inside Scoop on Microchipping Your Horse
July 2, 2015 Comments Off on The Inside Scoop on Microchipping Your Horse
On September 26, 1997, Debi Metcalfe made the shocking discovery that her horse, Idaho, had been stolen from her North Carolina home. The event rocked her family to the core. She recalls, “People think this can’t happen to them. The truth is, it can happen to anyone. Idaho’s theft affected every member of my family. I realized just how deeply it impacted our whole life when I was riding in the car with my nine-year-old son and he asked if people who steal horses steal children, too.”
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A new Tax Court case involved several million dollars of losses from 2004-2009 in an Arabian horse farm owned by Henry and Christie Metz. [Metz v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2015-54.]
Continue reading …EC Spotlight on Youth – Ansley Pritchett
June 30, 2015 Comments Off on EC Spotlight on Youth – Ansley Pritchett
“I am attending Abraham Balwin Agriculture College as a freshman in the fall. I am interested in studying Animal Science and possibly livestock production. Next summer I will be looking to assist one of the top trainers and maybe have my own training business one day.”
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The AQHA has spoken, and on January 1, 2016, the organization will be instituting a ban on the use of lip chains in the Halter pen. This is just one of a number of changes made to the AQHA rulebook at the 2015 meeting of the Executive Committee. Others include the institution of more stringent penalties for violations regarding animal welfare. While many of the changes, especially those holding people accountable for violations of animal welfare regulations, have been met with support, the ban on the use of lip chains has sparked debate. Many people are cautious about sharing their opinions on this topic, but those who have spoken out have widely different viewpoints.
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The human eye is slow and, on top of that, it often conveys only the data the brain thinks it wants to see. It can’t resolve the details of fast motion, like the motion of a horse and rider.
Continue reading …Breathing New Life into Youth Halter
June 27, 2015 Comments Off on Breathing New Life into Youth Halter
The current state of affairs was obvious to Judy Ford and a group of her horse show friends. They were at a horse show in 2013 when they realized that of the 10 APHA Youth Halter classes at the World Championship Show, there were only 30 participants. Their beloved discipline was fading away, desperately losing interest from the next generation. They had to do something.
Continue reading …Sister Act – The Stopperich Sisters
June 26, 2015 Comments Off on Sister Act – The Stopperich Sisters
It’s not very common to come across two siblings who are equally unstoppable in the show pen. Meet Paige and Jillian, aka the Stopperich Sister Act.
Continue reading …Ranch Horse Riding Fundamentals – Part 1
June 25, 2015 Comments Off on Ranch Horse Riding Fundamentals – Part 1
At Paint and Quarter Horse shows across the country, it’s hard to miss the fact that Ranch Riding classes, formerly known as Ranch Horse Pleasure, are drawing huge numbers. During its initial rollout, the class was disparaged by some as being “a water-downed version of Reining.” Others saw it as an injection of renewed vitality. Clearly, the explosive growth is fueled by one simple fact: exhibitors find it fun. Yet, there are still numerous misconceptions about Ranch Riding, leaving many exhibitors wondering how the class can be incorporated into their show schedule. To find out the what’s, why’s and how’s, The Equine Chronicle sought out a professional who’s right in the middle of all the excitement.
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