All the ins, outs and in-betweens of naming your American Quarter Horse.

I find myself intrigued most days about some of the names owners and breeders come up with for their American Quarter Horses. I’ve seen plays on words; made-up-on-the-spot-for-the-occasion names; we-must-have-let-that-one-slip names; cliché names; and the ever-popular pedigree names. I get a chuckle each day wondering, “How in the heck did they think of that? I never, in a million years, woulda thought of that name!”

AQHA Customer Service Rep Kayla Randall

What and how an American Quarter Horse can be named is a common question. AQHA does have rules that tend to change from time to time regarding naming a horse. I’ll explain these rules, plus tell you how to change your horse’s name if you decide you don’t like it, or didn’t pick it in the first place. Check out the AQHA Rule Book for a complete look at AQHA rules and regulations. Read the rest of this entry »

Some practical advice for controlling buildup on your gelding or stallion’s sheath.

Question:

I am concerned about the abnormal smegma buildup on my 17-year-old gelding’s sheath. Since we purchased him, we have noticed that when he extends, there is crusty buildup all over him. We began cleaning him and have been doing so about once a month for the past three years because within four weeks, he is crusty and dirty again. We use a particular brand of sheath cleaner about every six months and use regular Vaseline or baby oil in between because we do not want to use harsh cleaners each time and so often.

Everything I have read says that you do not clean them this much and nothing I have read tells me why this horse has this abnormal buildup. We think he may be proud cut, but could that have anything to do with it?

There is also a raised red area on the sheath. What might this be? Could it have something to do with the buildup?

Answer:

The amount of what we call normal smegma varies greatly from horse to horse. Not only does the amount vary but the quality/texture of the smegma will vary as well. Some horses will have dry and scaly smegma residue on their penis shaft while many others will have moist and sometimes offensive-smelling smegma in their prepuce and on the penis. Read the rest of this entry »

Tips to keep your horse standing still while you get on.

Become a better horseman with "AQHA's Fundamentals of Horsemanship."

From “AQHA’s Fundamentals of Horsemanship”

Can you barely swing your leg over your horse’s side before he starts to walk off?

If you’re envious of those horses who stand still as a statue until their riders are ready, these instructions are for you.

Objectives

• To get onto your horse without his moving or becoming disturbed.

• To have your horse “await further instructions” once you have mounted.

• To ensure the mental, emotional and physical connection between you and your horse is not disrupted when you get on his back. Read the rest of this entry »

Keep yourself and your horses dry with these land and paddock drainage tips.

Keep your land dry and your appetite for other great horsemanship tips "whet" with an AQHA membership.

From America’s Horse, with contributions from Kristin Syverson

Here in Amarillo, we were recently hit with a formidable winter storm. When the sun made its reappearance the next day, most of the snow promptly melted, leaving us to slog around in its wake. There’s no time quite like spring for messy, squishy conditions, so we think it’s a good time to talk about drainage.

What can you do to deal with standing water on your property?

Before you pour on the sand and gravel, take some advice from Les Smith, a professor of landscape architecture at Ball State University who specializes in equine facility planning. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing a mare for your hunter under saddle breeding program.

From The Journal by Meghan Mackey

We talked to leading breeders of hunters under saddle Nancy Sue Ryan of Show Stop Farm in Nocona, Texas, and Robin DeGraff of DeGraff Stables in Port Clinton, Ohio, to find out what you need to consider when choosing the mare that will share her genes, carry to term and influence the first four to six months of your next hunter under saddle prospect’s life.

Conformation

• Heritability is estimated to be 30 to 50 percent

Conformation and structure are the most likely traits to be handed down to a foal by its sire and dam as opposed to trainability, talent and social traits that can be heavily influenced by environment. Read the rest of this entry »

Get the latest figures on horses exposed to contagious equine metritis.

By Kristin Syverson with information from the USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service

We recently received a report detailing the current state of the contagious equine metritis (CEM) outbreak.

As of March 10, 13 stallions have been confirmed by National Veterinary Services Laboratories as positive for Taylorella equigenitali, the organism responsible for CEM. Three mares have also been confirmed as positive.

CEM is a serious venereal disease, largely because it is highly contagious. Read the rest of this entry »

The death of Natasha Richardson last week was tragic in so many ways.

Not only was it the loss of a talented actress, but two young boys must now grow up without their mother. And what makes this death even more heartbreaking is that it was such a trivial thing: a fall while skiing on what was pretty much a bunny slope.

It reminded me of something similar that happened to me in the early ’90s. I was living in southeastern Idaho at the time, and some friends wanted go to out for a Sunday afternoon ride. I decided to take a horse we’d just bought. She was an ex-racehorse but was pretty good-minded, and I thought it would be good for her to get out and stretch her legs. So I threw on an Aussie saddle that I liked to trail ride in and took off with her.

We were up in the mountains near my home, and it was just a nice ride with nothing out of the ordinary other than the mare spooking at some llamas. We all decided to lope our horses down a part of the trail we knew was safe. I asked my horse to pick up her speed, and the next thing I remember, I was on the ground and my friends were all around me.

I’d fallen off my horse. I don’t know how or why, but I was on the ground. My friends informed me that the air had been knocked out of my lungs and I had struggled to catch my breath again. I don’t remember any of it.

I told my friends I was fine and got back on my horse, who had stopped as soon as I came off. (She was a good horse, and I still miss her today.) We rode back down to the trailhead, I loaded my horse back in the trailer and drove home. I got her unloaded, back in the pasture and as soon as I got in the house, I collapsed on the couch. That’s where my husband found me when he came home. Read the rest of this entry »

Tips for managing your pre-horse show jitters.

Tips from "America's Horse" give you a leg-up to success in the show ring despite your nerves.

From America’s Horse

The amount of pressure you perform best under varies from person to person.

When your nervousness exceeds your optimum levels, you lose focus and your skills suffer. Here are a few ways to manage that anxiety you feel before an event.

Plan Ahead

• Make lists of the things you need to do, pack or clean before you leave.

• Find necessary items ahead of time to avoid frantic last minute searches.

• Load your tack and clothes the day before so you can take a mental inventory and make sure you don’t forget anything. Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA’s new Greener Pastures program gives me some peace of mind.

I’m not what anyone would call a prolific horse breeder. In fact, the grand total is four – and of those, I still own three of them. The other one, a pretty little grulla filly that we named Loves First Stop, was born shortly before I went to college.

With the help of a neighboring horseman who started her for me, I prepared her for the International Buckskin Horse Association’s 2-year-old western pleasure futurity. “Stopper” was a fun, spunky little project. In fact, she probably had too much spunk for western pleasure, but hey, that was where we had pointed her. She went along with the plan most days. Other days, we’d gallop around the cattle pasture, which was a fun way for both of us to decompress.

But when I went off to college, work at the college newspaper beckoned, which was good because it led me into a career I love. And homework. I had coasted through my small-town high school pretty easily, so when real homework reared its head, there were days I could barely keep my head above water. Boarding a horse – besides being prohibitively expensive – just wouldn’t have worked. It wasn’t fair, either, to let her stand idle.

So, I created an ad for IBHA’s official publication and then, from my college apartment, began fielding calls about Stopper, who lived at my parents’ place about two hours away. “No,” I told one caller, “she wouldn’t be appropriate for a beginner-level child.” “No,” I told another,  who had thought I looked tall standing beside the supposedly short horse in the photo, “she’s a good size – about 15.3.”

But like Cinderella, eventually we found a good fit, with a family in Indiana. They’re still listed as her current owners, and AQHA records show that they bred her once. They got a dun filly in return and named her Loves First Design. (I “love” the fact that they kept the “Loves First” line going!) They were good people, and I have no reason to believe that Stopper isn’t still being well cared for. She now would be, amazingly, 22, and I’m sure she’s fat and happy.

But I still wonder. I hope she’s sound and healthy. I hope she’s still got that fun, sparkly personality. And I hope her future is secure.

I wonder, because I know what happens to a lot of good horses. Their owners’ circumstances change, and through no fault of the horses, they end up at an auction. From there, it’s a high-stakes game of Russian roulette. The outcome could be another quality home, or it could be a trip over the border to a slaughterhouse, or into a neglectful or abusive home.

In my job at AQHA, I get a lot of exposure to the unwanted horse issue, and the numbers are mind-boggling. There are 100,000 horses a year that become “unwanted.” And included in that number are sound, sane horses – some of them registered Quarter Horses – who have just fallen through the cracks. I certainly wouldn’t want that for Stopper, and I’m thankful that AQHA is stepping in to help shore up some of those cracks. This is when it’s really cool to work for the Association – when it comes up with programs that have the potential to help a lot of horses.

Tonight, I signed up for that program – AQHA’s Greener Pastures. It allows me to track Stopper and any other horses from my past. If her owner ever needs to find a new home for her, this program will pass along my contact information. I am volunteering to either provide her a home, or help place her in another suitable one. (It’s not guaranteeing that I’ll buy her back, because who knows what my financial situation will be when or if that time comes … it’s just giving me the opportunity to help if I can.)

Sure, there will still be unwanted horses out there. But some of them who get tagged with that label aren’t truly unwanted; their “people” just don’t realize it when the horses need help. Although I hope Stopper has a happy home for life in Indiana, she’ll never be unwanted. I’m signed up to be the safety net.

Happy riding!
Holly Clanahan
Editor, America’s Horse magazine

Don’t miss the fun, educational and heart-warming stories in the print version of America’s Horse! It goes to all members of the American Quarter Horse Association, and it’ll also keep you in the loop on Association news. We want you to belong!

The American Association of Equine Practitioners offers advice for a horse owner whose mare cut her tendon. AAEP is an AQHA educational marketing alliance partner.

Question:

My 5-year-old mare cut the tendon in the front of her hind leg. Will the tendon will ever heal, and will she ever be able to be ridden again?

Answer:

Extensor tendon lacerations in horses tend to have a good prognosis. It will depend, of course, on the severity of the laceration and the type of activity your horse performs.

There are a couple of reasons why extensor tendon lacerations are usually less serious than lacerations of the flexor tendon on the back of the limb. First of all, extensor tendon lacerations usually do not involve a tendon sheath. Tendon sheath involvement can result in serious infection and/or adhesion development. Read the rest of this entry »

Learn the fundamentals of showmanship so your next pattern is perfect.

AQHA’s 2008 showmanship world champion Nicole Barnes knows how to perform a perfect showmanship pattern for the judges. Learn her secrets in AQHA’s FREE Showmanship Basics report!

In this valuable report, Nicole’s trainers, Brad and Valerie Kearns, explain:

• The basics of the quarter system, the established method for inspecting and showing horses at halter
• How to get your horse sparkling clean and outfitted in a well-fitting leather halter
• How to attain the correct positions beside your horse
• The many maneuvers judges can call for in a showmanship pattern
• How to practice a pattern at home
• How to streamline your routine for quickness and accuracy
• And more tips for gaining an edge on other showmanship competitors

Plus, Brad and Valerie explain why showmanship is the perfect event for people who can’t afford an expensive horse.

“Showmanship is a class where you can be on a limited budget, work hard and be competitive even at the national level,” they said. “The class isn’t judged on who has the most expensive outfit or fanciest halter. The AQHA rulebook calls for you to be neatly attired and your horse to be well-groomed.”

The Showmanship Basics report offers numerous full-color photos of Nicole and her Quarter Horse, Zippos Ace Of Spades, modeling correct and incorrect showmanship positions. You’ll also get a detailed practice pattern to help you polish your skills at home.

You’ll also get a good grasp of what judges are looking for.

Showmanship is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in showing their horse in competition. And with a little guidance, you can be on your way to a blue ribbon!

“To win in showmanship requires practice at home,” the Kearns said. “You can’t win if you and your horse can’t complete every maneuver with precision. Think of the show as a job interview, where you and your horse should look your best. In the end, it isn’t the competitor with the most expensive horse or outfit who wins. The gold buckle or trophy goes to the person who was the most effectively prepared on any given day.”

“People often ask me where I learn the many tips I suggest to them. All I have to say is that I am an avid reader of Americas Horse Daily. Americas Horse Daily has proven to be a great resource for me. I especially enjoy the training and showing tips. I am one of those people who likes learning and trying new things with my horses. I love how I can print out the free reports and have a written copy to take out and use in the barn. The articles and tips are brief but detailed enough for anyone to use. This is ideal for my busy lifestyle. I often find myself sharing the free reports with my daughter and her 4-H friends at clinics and other events. The greatest reward is to place in the show ring, and I find satisfaction in knowing that I did the work all by myself, without the use of a costly professional trainer. It just goes to show that you can be successful with good information and the ambition to see it through. The difference between try and triumph is a little ‘umph!’ “

Julie Kunz
Clear Lake, MN

‘DQ’ usually stands for ‘Dressage Queen,’ but we like ‘Dressage Quarter Horse’ better.

Improve your horse with dressage principles and other tips from "The Journal."

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Dressage can benefit your American Quarter Horse.

Basic dressage principles give you tools to help you become a better rider no matter what discipline you choose. In fact, whether you ride purely for recreation or you’re hoping to be the next world champion, dressage principles can take you to the next level in your riding.

In 2005, Lynn Palm’s Palm Partnership Training had a “Quarter Horses in Dressage” class at Royal Palm Ranch in Bessemer, Michigan. Read the rest of this entry »