A note from Jocelyn Tanner about her experiences with the Y.E.S. Conference.

Jocelyn Tanner

My experience with the Youth Excellence Seminar and AQHYA Convention began seven years ago when I made my first trip to Amarillo, Texas for the 2003 Y.E.S. conference as one of my state’s affiliate AQHYA delegates.

I was in awe. All I could think was, wow, this is so exciting, and I am so happy to be part of this awesome organization. I have returned every year since. Unfortunately 2010 will be my last Y.E.S experience, but I want to continue to spread the word of the Read the rest of this entry »

Two Bits is ready for the spotlight tonight at Nights at the Museums!

This is the moment Two Bits has been waiting for all week!  He is all geared up and ready to roll tonight at the Nights at the Museums hosted by the American Quarter

Two Bits

Horse Hall of Fame & Museum.  He has been so excited that he’s running around like a pony with his tail cut off this morning, but don’t think just because Two Bits is busy that he forgot about you! Here’s the note he left!

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

Hey Kids! There’s been lots of planning for tonight and I’m extremely excited to meet some new faces and hang out with a few old friends! There are a ton of activities planned and I promise there won’t be a dull moment all night! To tell you the truth, tonight is going to be so perfect that I’m just a little bit nervous! Before I make my appearance tonight I’ll go through my usual routine.  That is I’ll curry comb my mane and tail, drink 2 huge energy drinks, polish my hooves, put on some brand new horse shoes and do my pre-game dance to calm the nerves!
Hate to run y’all but there are still a ton of things to do!
See ya at the Museum!

P.S.
Parents- if you missed this month’s activities look for the Parent’s Night Out- Nights at the Museums again in October!

Learn how to tie your horse safely with AQHA’s Free Report.

Tie your horse’s lead rope too high, and you’re asking for trouble. Tie it too low, and your horse could end up in a big wreck.

Tie an incorrect knot, and you won’t be able to release it in an emergency.

A correctly tied lead rope is extremely important, whether you’re tying your horse in a trailer, to a stall wall, to a picket line or to a fence.

Get AQHA’s FREE report: How to Tie a Lead Rope.

In this valuable report, Dennis Moreland explains the bowline knot, which you can untie easily in an emergency. Dennis shows you step-by-step how to create a bowline knot and how to keep your tied horse safe.

He also points out things to look for in a good lead rope.

Download the How to Tie a Lead Rope report for FREE!

Just enter your name and email address below.

Name:

E-mail:

“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

He was a Blue-Ribbon stallion with a heart of gold.

After Greg and Page Impressive won at the Cow Palace, Page Impressive was retired to stud.

By Honi Roberts in The American Quarter Horse Journal

When Greg and Mary Whalen sold their pretty sorrel mare Page Boys Pearl to Duane “Dude” Noble, they retained the first right of refusal on the mare’s first colt.

It proved to be stellar foresight after Dude’s daughter and their farm manager, Tommy Ryan, guided the fancy mare to three AQHA world championships, earning performance and halter points in a show career that included 60 grand and 14 reserve grand championships. The Whalens weren’t disappointed, either, when Dude bred her to Pretty Impressive. Read the rest of this entry »

The great American western showdown begins July 6, 2010, in Oklahoma City.

Stay up to date with the latest information on one of the most exciting new horse events we’ve ever offered!

State Fair Park in Oklahoma City and AQHA have teamed up to present Battle in the Saddle.

On July 6-10, 2010, in Oklahoma City,  the world’s most talented horses and cowboys take center stage to battle for top honors at the first Battle in the Saddle competition.

Read the rest of this entry »

Know what to do if your foal doesn’t breathe after birth.

Foals that survive after emergency birth resuscitation procedures are at risk of medical problems early in life.

By Patrick M. McCue in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Most newborn foals start breathing immediately after passage through the birth canal of the mare. However, some foals do not, and emergency resuscitation procedures might be needed.

Everyone involved in pregnant mare care and foaling should get annual training in normal foaling, obstetrical intervention, routine care of the newborn foal and birth resuscitation procedures. A foaling kit, resuscitation equipment, emergency procedure codes and phone numbers should be available. Read the rest of this entry »

Meet an all-around amateur champion.

Kaleena Weakly and A Timely Promotion are the 2007 AQHA Sooner Trailer All-Around Amateur champions.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

In February 2003, Kaleena Weakly sold her all-around horse and began searching for a new one.

Childhood friend Brynne Bassler sent her a video of A Timely Promotion, and Kaleena decided to make the drive to Iowa to check out the 2001 gelding.

“She had looked at several horses and a lot of videos,” says Kaleena’s husband, Josh. “She was definitely on a limited budget, and we knew we had to buy something that was fairly young. She, her mom, one of her mom’s friends and I went down to look at this horse and he was as green as a gourd.” Read the rest of this entry »

Part 1 in a bimonthly feature of AQHA’s corporate partners.

One of AQHA’s biggest FAQs is, “What comes with my AQHA membership?”

AQHA's Kayla Randall

AQHA’s corporate partners provide many discounts and awesome freebies, such as America’s Horse magazine, plus support for some of AQHA’s most popular programs and events.

I’ve listed the discounts AQHA members receive.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cowboy, clinician and horseman Bryan Neubert shares his insight into starting ranch colts.

Use Bryan Neubert's colt-starting techniques to get your ranch colt ready for the range.

By Bryan Neubert with Jim Bret Campbell in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the first part in a two-part series.

Bryan Neubert of Alturas, California, introduced his methods for starting ranch horses when he was 50. Neubert’s experience, gained through a lifetime of starting colts and honed by learning from such horsemen as Tom and Bill Dorrance and Ray Hunt, can help you get your horses better, faster.

Now, he tells how to make your colt’s first saddling and ride much less traumatic for both of you. Neubert says that depending on your horse, you could get to bridling and saddling in minutes, while other horses might take days. Read the rest of this entry »

How to make the best artificial insemination choices to make sure your older mare gets pregnant.

Question:

I have a breeding for an older mare (18 years old), who has previously taken successfully with frozen and fresh semen. With this breeding, we can choose fresh, cooled or frozen. Do you think her age will matter and, if so, which should we choose?

Answer:

The American Association of Equine Practitioners provides a practical answer:

It has been proven many, many times that older mares ovulate far inferior oocytes and develop much less viable embryos than they did when they were younger.

So, if you are starting with an 18-year-old mare, she is remarkable in that she is past what one would consider her Read the rest of this entry »

Even so, a visit to a guest ranch can still feed your horse “fix.”

Most ranches offer more than just head-to-tail trail rides for those that want it. Riders at Lost Valley Ranch lope across a meadow overlooked by the Sheep Rock Dome.

By Christine Hamilton in The American Quarter Horse Journal

What could be finer than a morning like this? Start with a breakfast of homemade pancakes, strong coffee and bacon. Then head down to the corral to saddle up a slick-haired ranch horse: sorrel, bay or buckskin, your pick. Set out on a trail loping across a meadow, splashing through a stream, climbing slopes of pine and aspen to catch a view of the backside of a 14,000-foot peak. Perfect.

That’s been part of what has attracted vacationers to guest “dude” ranches for decades now. In the last few years, however, ranches across the West have found their guests asking for more: They want a better communion with that sorrel, bay or buckskin carrying them through that scenery. Read the rest of this entry »

Two Bits and the Winter Olympics.

Two Bits has been watching the Winter Olympics all week and has enjoyed every minute of it!

He loves the thought of athletes from all over the world competing in events together. Of course, we know how competitive Two Bits is, so this isn’t too surprising.

Skijoring

To horse enthusiasts like you and Two Bits, the Winter Olympics aren’t exactly the best time to find a horse on TV, but that hasn’t always been the case.

The Winter Olympics used to include equestrian events. (Though he hasn’t turned his head from the TV yet, you can tell this is intriguing to Two Bits by the way his ears just perked up.) In 1928, two events were demonstrated at the Winter Olympic Games in Switzerland.

Flat racing, one of the events, was a horse race. In 1928, the track was set up on a frozen lake. (Now, we definitely have Two Bits’ attention!) Flat racing was a timed race, and horses are still raced on snow even today, just not at the Winter Olympics.

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

Also in 1928, Skijoring was demonstrated.  Skijoring is an event still seen all over the world. Typically, there will be one person on horseback with a harness and ropes pulling another person on skis behind them.  Some courses will have jumps and other obstacles, and some will be a straight shot all the way to the finish line. In France, skijoring will often be done with no rider. The horse is controlled completely by the skier. Either way, the horse must be very well trained.

In 1948 in Switzerland, another event called the pentathlon took place. This event is actually five events combined.  Cross-country skiing, shooting, downhill skiing, fencing and horseback riding. Talk about a long busy day! (Two Bits looks tired just imagining it!)

Since then, equestrian events have been mostly reserved for the Summer Olympics. So, horse lovers, be sure to tune in for those next time!