Want to know how to send your children to a great college? Ask Nub and Maureen Morris of Colorado City, Texas, who are sending two daughters to college with equestrian scholarships.

Proud parents Nub and Maureen Morris support their daughters at Varsity Equestrian competitions. Maureen changes from a crimson jacket to a purple sweatshirt depending on which she needs.

On Thursday at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships, Nub and Maureen were there in support of their daughters Kelly, a junior at Texas Christian University, and Robin, an assistant coach at New Mexico State University.

Nub carefully wore a plaid shirt with neither school’s colors on it. Maureen split the difference, wearing a white shirt and then topping it as required to support her daughters.

“I have a crimson jacket and a purple TCU sweatshirt, and I put on whichever I need,” Maureen says.

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Tara Christiansen spends a day rooting for her team.

Texas A&M University rider Randi Standley slides to a stop on Whizards Old Spice, owned by the University of Georgia. "Whiz" has been to more Varsity Equestrian National Championships than any of the riders.

Texas A&M was back in black Thursday. Inspired by a combination of AC/DC’s hit song, “Back in Black,” and our new black western show shirts, our theme for the day was “Back in Black Nationals 2010.”

After an early morning arrival, we handily finished our chores in half an hour flat. The show started off with the teams ranked Nos. 5 through 12 fighting it out in the first round. The winners of the first four brackets then moved on to the second round, where they faced off against the No. 1 through 4 schools.

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Two Bits

From the circus to the big screen, horses have risen to the occasion!

Bareback riding and liberty acts have always been popular circus attractions. Both show off exceptional riding and training skills. In bareback riding, acrobats on draft horses perform somersaults, pyramids and Roman riding. In liberty acts a number of horses-as few as 6 or 8 or as many as 24-perform routines at the direction of a handler who has no physical contact with them. Often the horses are all stallions of the same breed or color.

Equine circus acts of the early 1800s were far more elaborate than they are today. Some of the more spectacular feats included a single horse leaping over the backs of three standing horses, a rider taking a jump while standing on the horse’s back, and Roman riding (standing up) on as many as 17 very loosely connected horses at once!

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Pre-breeding season care can decrease a mare’s chance of barrenness.

Additional aspects of managing barren mares involve reducing stress, preventing colic and ensuring a well-balanced diet.

By Dr. Thomas R. Lenz in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the last of a two-part series. Need to review Part 1?

The best time to work on open mares is the fall or at least the very beginning of the breeding season. Too often, owners breed their barren mare through several cycles before asking a veterinarian to examine her. Then they discover that the mare has a uterine infection or some other problem. By the time the condition is evaluated and treated, valuable time is lost and the breeding season may be over.

If a mare has a history of breeding problems, she needs a thorough examination by a veterinarian. An ultrasound can locate and identify fluid accumulation in the uterus, endometrial cysts, and uterine and ovarian tumors. The ovaries also should be examined to ensure they are functional. Read the rest of this entry »

One student shares her experiences during her third journey to the Varsity National Equestrian Championships this week in Waco, Texas.

Representing Texas A&M University at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships are, from left, Becca Murray of Burbank, California, Amanda Ryan of Ramona, California, and blogger Tara Christiansen. Becca is on Mr Nickey Step while Amanda rides McCaffrey. Both horses are American Quarter Horses finding second careers on the collegiate circuit.

By Tara Christiansen

As a member of the Texas A&M University Women’s Equestrian Team, I’ve embarked on my third journey to the Varsity Equestrian National Championships.

I’ve seen the national championships from several different views. During my freshman year, I was the reining team alternate, and I cheered the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Women’s Read the rest of this entry »

Colic and respiratory disease hit at shows.

Maintaining a horse’s routine and consistent monitoring are the keys to keeping him healthy on the road.

By Dr. Thomas R. Lenz in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the last of a two-part story. Need to review Part 1?

Colic is the second major cause of illness at horse shows. Colic is not a disease but rather a variety of abdominal pain that causes excessive gas, blockage or twisting (strangulation), and/or cramping of the intestines. In a well-managed horse on a good parasite control program, colic is most often due to inadequate water consumption, a change in feeding schedule or a change in feed.

Horses are browsers, designed to graze forage 14-18 hours a day. Their intestinal tract is designed for constant use, not high-concentrate meals once or twice a day. However, there are a number of things that can be done to prevent colic in show horses or horses that are stalled most of the time. Read the rest of this entry »

Tracy’s mare, Hot Obsession, was an all-around great American Quarter Horse.

Tracy Mills and Hot Obsession

From the archives of The American Quarter Horse Journal

Tracy Mills of Lloydminster, Alberta, enjoys showing in all-around events and wanted to get an AQHA championship title with Hot Obsession, aka “Suzy.” On July 10, 2005, she earned the last halter point required for the title.

Her next goal was to earn an amateur Supreme champion title. When she called AQHA to find out what she needed to do to complete the Supreme award, she found out she had actually earned the award the same day she earned the AQHA champion title. Read the rest of this entry »

Get the latest news, deadlines and updates from AQHA with America’s Horse News!

With the introduction of America’s Horse TV, AQHA gives you the latest information and exciting video footage. America’s Horse TV is streamed online Read the rest of this entry »

One lesson wasn’t enough.

This mare knows how to cut. It's my job to stay on and provide acceleration.

By Holly Clanahan in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Holy cow!

That’s about the best way to sum up my first cutting lesson. It came courtesy of AQHA Professional Horseman Teddy Johnson of Gainesville, Texas, as part of a shoot for “AQHA Presents,” the AQHA’s TV show, which airs on America’s Horse TV, americashorse.tv.

In the series, “What’s It Like To … ”, Team Wrangler members give a one-on-one lesson from their discipline, such as cutting or roping, to a member of the AQHA publications staff.

I much prefer to be behind the camera, but the opportunity to take a cutting lesson with Teddy, on some of his good horses, was something I couldn’t refuse. Read the rest of this entry »

Take the time to evaluate each horse race with a performance analysis.

By C. Reid McLellan

One-minute, two-minute, three-minute, four!

We’ve been discussing taking time to handicap. We started looking at the top-three trainers, jockeys and owners as good, quick handicapping aids. We added pedigree last time, looking at information about sires and dam sires of our selections. That information told us what our selection(s) should be.

This month, we’re looking at performance indicators that can give us information as to what a racehorse appears to be. As with pedigrees, you can use a small amount of performance data or you can do a least squares analysis of 15 Read the rest of this entry »

Why you should buy insurance for your horse.

AQHA Corporate Partner Markel helps you protect your most valuable assets.

You know that owning a horse is both an emotional and a financial commitment. Expenses for food, tack, boarding and vet care can really add up. But you also know they’re all essential for protecting your horse. The same is true for equine insurance. If your horse was stolen, became seriously ill or even worse, how would you handle that loss? 

You place yourself and your assets at risk every time your horse comes in contact with people or property. Equine-related lawsuits occur more frequently than one might expect, and many homeowners’ policies limit equine liability Read the rest of this entry »

Great tips for safe riding.

Christy Landwehr, master instructor with the Certified Horsemanship Association

By Christy Landwehr – Master Instructor for Certified Horsemanship Association

These are some things to think about before, during and after you ride your horse for riders of all ages.

• If you’re going to wear a safety helmet for maximum protection, make sure you have an ASTM-SEI-approved riding helmet, not a bike or ski helmet. You can learn how to fit it correctly at www.youtube.com/chainstructor or the CHA Web site to see 10 safety videos produced by CHA – one of which is how to fit a riding helmet. Read the rest of this entry »