Reins are your connection to the horse, so choose them wisely.

Dennis demonstrates breaking in your leather reins.

By expert tack maker Dennis Moreland

When you’re riding, many of your signals to your horse go through the bridle reins.

You want that to be a clear channel of communication.

If the bridle reins are so lightweight that they feel like a dish rag, your horse may have trouble knowing what you want.

You want those reins to have some body, some “feel” to them.

You want a dense piece of leather with tight fibers.

Aside from the quality of the leather, you’ve got a lot of other choices when it comes to reins on a western bridle.

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1. Split reins come in a variety of widths, usually 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch and 1 inch, and it boils down to personal preference. The 1/2-inch reins might be perfect for someone with small hands, while someone with larger hands might want the 3/4-inch reins. The 5/8-inch reins are probably the most popular ones, since they’re middle of the road. For most people, 1-inch reins are too much to hold in one hand. They might be just right if you’re riding with a snaffle bit, using two hands.
2. Roping reins are one continuous piece of tack, and they’re typically used by ropers or people racing in speed events. They’re also good for kids so they don’t drop a rein. Roping reins are usually either ½- or 5/8-inch wide, and they frequently have snaps on the ends that allow you to hook and unhook them to the bit easily. Some may have buckles that let you adjust the length.
3. A lot of times, when you get a brand-new pair of reins, they’ll be stiffer than you want to ride with. But that’s easy to fix. Spray them down with liquid saddle soap, and then wrap them around a round piece of pipe (avoid angle iron with sharp corners). Pull the reins back and forth around the pipe, and that will help break the reins in and get them to where they’re comfortable in your hands.

Ready to improve your relationship with your horse? Let Curt Pate be your guide. Get your copy of the Training Your Horse for a Better Relationship, with Curt Pate report today!

Pointers on transferring your American Quarter Horse.

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By AQHA Executive Director of Registration Gary Griffith

The first thing professional tie-down roper Stran Smith asks when purchasing a horse is if the horse has AQHA papers.

“The papers help me verify the bloodlines because a horse’s pedigree is one of the things I value,” he says. “I have American Quarter Horses, and I have the papers to prove it!”

That testimonial was part of a promotion that we ran a few years ago to encourage horse owners to transfer a horse’s registration into the new owner’s name when the horse is sold. Read the rest of this entry »

An AAEP vet explains this permanent identification for your horse.

After the area has been shaved and cleaned and the freeze-branding iron placed into liquid nitrogen, the iron is pressed firmly onto the horse for about 10 seconds.

A horse owner posed the following question to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, an AQHA alliance partner.

Question:

I am interested in freeze branding my horses. What is involved in the process? Can I do this myself, or do I need help?

Answer:

Freeze branding is a method of permanently identifying your horse. It is aesthetically appealing and is less painful than hot-iron branding. Horses generally tolerate it with minimal restraint. We recommend you contact someone who frequently does this procedure to ensure good results. Inexperience can lead to an inadequate amount of white hair in an indistinct pattern or an unsightly hairless scar.

Give your horse the best shot at a healthy life. Get AQHA’s Common Horse Health Issues report today.

The most important piece of equipment is a quality branding iron. It is recommended that the iron be made of brass, as the steel iron used in hot branding does not hold the cold temperature adequately. Contact a metal fabricating company to have the brand made in your design. There are commercial manufacturers that will do this.

Freeze branding is usually done in one of three places: The hip, the shoulder or the crest of the neck. The area is clipped with a #40 blade, cleaned and degreased with alcohol. The iron is submerged in liquid nitrogen to reach the temperature of minus -320º F; usually this takes about five minutes in the nitrogen. The iron is placed on the skin for approximately 45 to 60 seconds, depending on hair color (chestnuts generally require less time). Initially, the frozen skin is indented, then thaws to leave a welt. The welt lasts 15 to 30 minutes. Over the next few weeks, the branded skin will dry and scurf up. White hair will replace the original color as the new coat grows in. A good brand is bright white and crisp against the coat background.

Some states have branding laws, and it is advisable to check with your state’s branding board to make sure you are not using someone else’s registered brand.

– Eric Peterson, DVM

Learn more about the most threatening illnesses and diseases that horses face. AQHA’s Common Horse Health Issues report features top industry experts explaining causes, treatments and much more.

What’s Right for My Horse?

Should your horse be permanently identified? Our friends at Thehorse.com offer compelling reasons to consider the different methods, including branding, tattoos and microchips. Check out the story.

Environmentally friend practices to make your horses healthier and the environment cleaner.

Buy this photo and more at AQHA's Photo Store.

There’s a lot of buzz about “going green” these days.

From installing energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs to carrying reusable grocery bags, we’ve made steps in our households toward impacting the environment less and improving the global climate.

Managing horses is generally not forgiving to the environment (visualize brownish streams coming down the hillside from the manure pile in the rain, and fly-spray chemicals running down the wash-stall drain).

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Keep your horse safe from injury with this handy free report.

As much as we love them, our horses have a way of finding trouble.

An accident can happen in the most unlikely of situations.

So it’s important to use good judgement around horses to keep them safe and out of harm’s way.

One simple thing any horse person can do: learn how to properly tie a hay net.

We use hay nets all the time, in our horses’ stalls and trailers. And, if they’re tied incorrectly or too low, we’re setting our horses up for potentially serious injury.

AQHA wants to help you keep your horse safe. Get AQHA’s FREE report: Tie It Right. This full-color, downloadable report shows you exactly how to tie a hay net correctly and safely. Horseman Dennis Moreland takes you step-by-step through the process with easy-to-follow directions.

Also in the Tie It Right report, Dennis shows you how to safely tie your horse’s buckets. It’s easy to do, but it’s often overlooked.

So do your horse a favor and download the Tie It Right report today. And share this FREE resource with all your friends who care about their horses’ safety!

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A certified journeyman farrier helps a reader whose young horse is nervous about parts of the shoeing process.

John Suttle is an American Farrier’s Association certified journeyman farrier, and he serves as the liaison between the AFA and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (both AQHA partners).

Here, he offers some advice for helping horses who are unsure about having their feet shod or trimmed.

Question:

I’m wondering if you have any information about working with a young horse to make the shoeing process easier. My 4-year-old horse stands quietly for all the shoeing process except the nailing on of the shoes. He has never been hurt by the nailing process, so that is not the problem. Any suggestions?

Alisa Richey

Read the rest of this entry »

Your first showing wardrobe should revolve around the most versatile color.

Black chaps and hat give you lots of options.

No woman’s closet is complete without the essential black cocktail dress. It’s easy to accessorize, matches everything and is appropriate for any occasion.

Think of that cocktail dress when shopping for your first horse show ensemble, say Kay Mortensen and Penny Young, owners of Showtime Show Clothing in Purcell, Oklahoma. The core of the outfit should match anything you throw on top of it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hobbling is a good way to get your horse to accept restraint.

By horse trainer Mehl Lawson

On the ranch, when cowboys need to dismount and leave their horses for a while, they hobble their mounts. Hobbling is a practical, handy piece of training that any horse can benefit from.

Hobbling is a good mental tonic for a horse - it teaches him to accept confinement and control, and not panic with things around his feet. In the process of going through being hobble-broke, a horse gets to where he accepts being roped and having his feet picked up with a rope. He learns to accept restraint of any type and finds out it isn’t going to hurt him.

When I was showing, I had a few horses that would stand at the horse trailer and dig. Hobbling a horse that digs really cuts that nervous habit way down - they might still dig a little bit, but not nearly as bad. The hobbling discourages them enough that eventually they just give it up.

When hobble training a horse, I keep safety first. Take your time and be patient with your horse because too many things can go south in a hurry.

Better understand your horse! Get AQHA’s Fundamentals of Horsemanship educational materials today!

I hobble train a young horse before I introduce the saddle for the first time. I like it when a young horse accepts something new - he never fights much of anything at that young age. Hobbling also teaches him to stand a little quieter when you put that saddle on the first time.

1. I like to start hobble training in a round pen because if he gets scared and tries to run off, he’s not going to go very far. If it’s a 2-year-old colt that isn’t broke to ride, I longe him and get him pretty tired so he doesn’t have any excuse to play. With an older horse, I go ahead and school him under saddle, then move to the hobble training.
2. Before I put the hobbles on, I put a rope around one foot. I do this with all four feet, then I start tightening that rope and pulling up until he lifts his foot. Normally, a horse will fuss around a little bit with a rope on his foot … the main thing is to be careful with him and the rope and take your time with him. He might run with it a little bit so keep a little tension on the rope so he doesn’t get tangled up. It won’t be long before he settles down.
3. Then I loosely tie him to the fence - just wrap the lead rope around a post and not tie him real hard, in case he gets scared and pulls back.
4. Put the hobbles on the horse’s front legs (scroll down to learn how). Once I get them on, I’ll push the horse over a little bit so he has to take a step and so he’ll feel that there is something on his legs. Again, the horse might balk at the hobbles, but take your time with him, and he should settle down pretty quickly.
5. Then I start rubbing my coiled lariat all over him. It’s kind of combining sacking out and the hobble breaking. Then, I uncoil my rope and rub a loop or two all over the horse, then just throw it over his back and shake it a little bit. From there, I’ll start swinging a loop and toss across his back. Eventually, I’ll toss it around his head.
6. After just one or two days, I’ll go into the round pen, hobble him and let him stand out in the middle of the pen. At this point, he can’t walk off.
7. I get my rope and start throwing big loops on him, always being careful not to hit him someplace that scares him.
8. The third day, I hobble the horse in the middle of the round pen and remove his bridle or halter. I want to see if he’ll just stand there. I rub around on him a little bit with my rope and then start tossing some loops around him.

Once my horse is good with the hobbles, I’ll back off and not hobble him after every ride. Then, it’s just a matter of giving him a refresher course every now and then.

AQHA’s Fundamentals of Horsemanship helps you build a better relationship with your horse. These valuable educational materials are the perfect addition to any horse enthusiast’s library.

Hobbling 101

Expert tack maker Dennis Moreland tells you how to put hobbles on your horse.

I prefer a Figure 8 hobble - that’s the shape it makes when it’s on a horse’s legs. It’s made of real soft 1-inch latigo leather and has two stainless steel rings. I like the 1-inch rather than the 1½-inch hobbles because the buckle gets too big on the wider hobbles. On hobbles that are narrower, the buckle is too small.

Don’t buy nylon hobbles. The nylon is very abrasive and will cut a horse’s legs. Also, look for hobbles on which the leather strap is short - 6 inches or less - between the two rings. If the leather strap is too long, a horse can actually walk with the hobbles, and you are defeating your purpose.

I also like a set of hobbles that has a long tail. Sure, when it’s on the horse, you’re going to have a lot of tail hanging, but if you have a colt that is squirming, you can buckle one of the first holes and gradually tighten it as the colt settles down.

Putting a set of hobbles on a horse is fairly simple:

1. Starting with the right front leg, wrap the end of the hobble strap clockwise around the leg and lace it through the first metal ring.
2. Lace the strap through the second ring.
3. Run the strap behind the left front leg.
4. Buckle the strap.