The Wild West had Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Hollywood has Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Now, the horse world has its own wildly popular “bromance” between the newly crowned Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and his best pal, Smokey. While American Pharoah is certainly the glory boy of the duo, having become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed in 1978, it’s his best bud, Smokey, who’s gaining quite a bit of attention.
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Every month seems to mark the passing of another icon in the horse industry. Each of these people were amazing in their own way and they cannot be replaced. The industry that we all enjoy was built on the shoulders of individuals who became horse-household names. They all had faults, they all made mistakes, and they all made the organizations they were involved with better.
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Amidst the rocky hills of Eastland County hidden within a deep cover of mesquite and Texas live oak sits a 3,200-acre trophy deer hunting and equine breeding facility known as Three Nails Ranch. In addition to supplying some of the highest quality whitetail deer on the market, owners Billy and Suzonne Franks have gathered a selection of superb stallions to complement the equine portion of their operation.
Continue reading …CHANGE is COMING – APHA World Show Moves to September
July 8, 2015 Comments Off on CHANGE is COMING – APHA World Show Moves to September
Chocolate or vanilla? Republican or Democrat? Fort Worth or Oklahoma City? It’s a debate that’s been going on for nearly six years now. Since the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) separated the Open/Amateur World Championship Show from the Youth World Championship Show and moved it to November, exhibitors, trainers, and judges alike have had to make the decision between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City for the AQHA World Championship Show. Starting in 2017, there will no longer be a debate.
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The term “family” means different things to different people. The nuclear family, which consists of a pair of adults and their biological offspring, is no longer the social norm in our society. In the horse world, it’s no different. This new type of family, the “blended” family, brings together people from different backgrounds and bloodlines to form an entirely unique family unit. Their paths might cross later in life, in some cases, but their love for one another is strong, despite lacking a biological connection. For families in the horse industry, taking care of horses and traveling to horse shows helps develop a sense of unity. Through these activities, families are united by their mutual love of horses.
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If you were to see Cathy Corrigan Frank’s stallion, Living Large, aka “Shaq,” at an American Quarter Horse Association show, you might be surprised. After all, the horse is a loud-colored overo, and he’s not just double-registered with the AQHA and the American Paint Horse Association, he’s also registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America.
Continue reading …Our State Has No Equine Activity Liability Act
July 5, 2015 Comments Off on Our State Has No Equine Activity Liability Act
46 states across the country have some form of an Equine Activity Liability Act. Are people in the four states without such a law – California, Maryland, Nevada and New York – worse off? If two recent California cases are any indication, courts have shown a willingness to dismiss lawsuits involving people who died in horse-related activities, even without an equine activity liability act.
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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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