Chris and Melissa Jones – A Lifelong Passion for Horses
September 25, 2020 Comments Off on Chris and Melissa Jones – A Lifelong Passion for Horses
Chris Jones was just seven years old when a horse first entered his life thanks to his older sister’s insistent pestering of their parents. A couple of years later, after getting enough of a taste of horses to spark a flame inside his own heart, Chris received a two-year-old Quarter Horse named Joe Leo’s Babe to call his own. The family participated in local open and 4-H shows, and the hobby occupied most of their summers.
Continue reading …Foal Preschool • Early Education For Show Babies
August 27, 2020 Comments Off on Foal Preschool • Early Education For Show Babies
With all those babies filling up the pastures, it’s time to take a look at how breeders and trainers shape young minds to prepare them for their future in the show pen. Like any aspect of training, there are numerous theories and differing practices regarding the raising of foals. The paths to success may differ, but the commonality is being horseman enough to recognize the needs of their individual horses and develop a program that is right for them.
Continue reading …Discounted Breedings – Do They Help or Hurt?
August 25, 2020 Comments Off on Discounted Breedings – Do They Help or Hurt?
Everyone likes a deal and mare owners are no exception. Stud fees are steep for proven sires. That drives hopeful breeders to seek discounted fees, and there are many ways to find them. Some stallion owners offer “free” breedings to attract more mares. Some farms have two-for-one specials offering customers who breed to one of their premium sires the option to breed another mare to a junior stallion at half price, or even for free, just to get a foal crop out there. To build a reputation and attract higher quality crosses, stud owners may offer substantial discounts for World Champion or Reserve World Champion mares. Stallions are also entered in charity or futurity auctions where mare owners may be lucky enough to secure the winning bid at a much lower than market price.
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Disputes sometimes occur between boarding stables and horse owners. Occasionally, they become lawsuits. From the standpoint of a lawyer who has served boarding and training stables as well as horse owners in these disputes for decades, here are two common disputes and ways that each party can protect themselves.
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It is no stretch to say that COVID-19 has changed the way the world works, and, in many cases, performance horses have felt the effects, too. With states shutting down, many boarding facilities closed or limited access to their customers. In some cases, trainers had to pull back from how they could provide training and lesson services, and shows were cancelled left and right. Some state breed associations cancelled their entire seasons citing state mandates or insurability concerns.
Continue reading …Proper Head and Neck Position for the Western Pleasure Horse
August 19, 2020 Comments Off on Proper Head and Neck Position for the Western Pleasure Horse
Click here to read the complete article 140 – August/September, 2020 By Megan Sacia Ulrich Over the years, the Western Pleasure pen has seen head and neck position span the spectrum. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Western Pleasure horses carried their heads high, moving around the pen with their backs hollowed. Within a […]
Continue reading …Restricted Registry Proposal Aims to Promote Inclusivity and Protect Paint Horse Breed
August 17, 2020 Comments Off on Restricted Registry Proposal Aims to Promote Inclusivity and Protect Paint Horse Breed
Earlier this year, a unique proposal came out of APHA’s Breed Integrity Committee that has since been deemed the “Restricted Registry Proposal.” It has been discussed widely in the industry, presented to the Board of Directors, and is now waiting to be under further exploration by a Presidential Commission.
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Nineteen-year-old Kayla Budine is a star on the rise in the show world. She is an accomplished athlete and a third-generation horsewoman, following in her mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps. Growing up in Oakdale, California, Kayla tagged along to shows with her mom, Marcie, while learning to ride on her own pony. She says, “My mom has been showing with her mom since I was little, and I guess you can say she carried over the tradition to me. My mom and I have always bonded while we showed. She’s the main reason why I started showing, and I’m so glad she shared the love of riding with me.” Marcie McClenon set the bar high for the women in her family when she won at her first World Championship show, the 2015 AQHA Select World Show with her four-year-old stallion, What Matters Most. Kayla followed up with her own success in youth competition.
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Monroe, Washington is a slice of paradise at the fork of the Skykomish, Snohomish, and Snoqualmie rivers. To the west, it’s a 30-minute commute to the bustling cities of Everett, Seattle, or Bellevue, and to the east lies the rugged terrain of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the magnificent Cascade Mountain Range. Mike and May Edwards settled on their beautiful facility built in 1999, and together they have created a thriving business on their 8½ acre farm that’s surrounded by the best nature has to offer. In this bucolic setting, they are developing some of the country’s most accomplished competitors in Youth, Amateur, and Select divisions. The depth of their knowledge is impressive. Mike is a carded judge with AQHA, NSBA, NRCHA, and ABRA and May often judges locally.
Continue reading …Dealing With Hoof Cracks: Managing the Feet for Health and Strength
July 30, 2020 Comments Off on Dealing With Hoof Cracks: Managing the Feet for Health and Strength
Pat Burton, a farrier in Texas, has developed effective ways to rehabilitate feet that suffer from cracking, using management rather than bar shoes or other types of special shoeing. “Every day, the hoof grows and changes. My philosophy is to try to encourage good hoof growth and try to minimize anything that would inhibit that growth or put pressure on the affected site,” he says.
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