AQHA Professional Horseman Al Dunning offers tips for “sitting deep” on your cutting horse.

Question:

I just started cutting and have a great older and finished cutter who’s been there, done that.  I have a terrible problem leaning forward in my saddle instead of “sitting deep.”  What does sitting deep mean?  What is the “cutter’s slump?”  Every time I try to mimic what I see, I’m all over in the saddle.  It frustrates me so, and I’ve tried rolling my pelvis, etc., but it doesn’t seem to work.  Pushing on the horn to press my butt back in the seat seems to be a disaster, and relaxing my shoulders makes me look like a sack of potatoes. Can you help me out?

-Kelly

Answer:

Hi Kelly,

This problem is not uncommon.  Riding a cutting horse’s dynamic moves is even challenging for the top riders. Here are a few suggestions:

• Be sure your horse is completely stopping before turning or dropping down on the cow.
• Keep your horse collected when practicing.  Experienced horses will try to overwork and not keep in proper form if allowed to work without being in frame.
• It is better to work a mechanical cow than sour cattle that cause your horse to lose his crisp stops.
• Sit near the front of the saddle, shorten your stirrups, toes out and never take your eye off the cow.
• Hold the horn relaxed, then cock your wrist when the horse stops or moves hard.
• Remember: “One muscle tight, all tight!”

Oh, and did I say “Never take your eye off the cow?!”  That will help you keep your balance and stay in sync with your horse.

Ride well and be happy!

-Al

Learn more about Al Dunning and his horse-training programs.

A horse with problematic front feet needs special attention paid to hoof wall separation.

Question:

I have a huge Quarter Horse gelding with small front feet. He had shoes on when I bought him, but had numerous cracks and two quarter cracks on each front. He can not keep a shoe on because of flare and separation of hoof wall. I pulled his shoes and have been on a two-year rehabilitation program. The quarter cracks grew out and he now has better looking hooves. He was very sore when shoes were pulled but now is able to walk around on grass, dirt, or pavement and even small limestone. I use hoof boots when I ride, just on the front. I have been very pleased with them. I am sure that using shoes caused an excessive force on his front feet causing them to break out in quarter cracks. I think some horses can wear shoes and some can’t. This horse can’t and barefoot was the only option I had. He is better off and hopefully I can keep him sound. I soak him in White Lightening solution every now and then, to keep out any bacteria due to any wall separation. Seems to work for him. Hopefully the flare will eventually grow out with proper trimming. I get him trimmed every six weeks and in between trims, I rasp out the rough edges. Read the rest of this entry »

Just because your lactating mare has a grass belly doesn’t mean that she’s fat — check your mare’s body condition score to avoid future troubles.

Question:

I have a 9-year-old lactating mare, whose foal is 9 weeks old. The mare is thinning on her back bone and ribs area but her abdomen is large. She is fed grain twice a day and is on pasture 24/7. Does this sound like a grass belly to you, or is it normal for her to be big because of her milk production? I just don’t want her to become an overweight horse.

Read the rest of this entry »

There are a multitude of reasons why your horse might be experiencing diarrhea and several options to cure it.

Question:

My 27-year-old Quarter horse gelding seems to have chronic diarrhea. The amount varies but he always has manure stains and some amount of buildup on his buttocks and fetlock. I am concerned they may be an indicator of something other than “old age.” My vet thinks it’s just an aging digestive tract that isn’t as efficient as it was. I try to control it by adding beet pulp to his senior feed as suggested by the vet, but it still occurs. Is this something I should be concerned about or could this be an indicator of something more serious than “old age”?

Answer:

Aging in horses brings many changes, and without the benefit that your regular veterinarian has in knowing you and your horse’s history, care and living conditions, diet, current physical condition and your geographic location, I can only speak in generalities. Chronic diarrhea is an increase in the fluid volume of feces that lasts longer than three weeks, which creates a manure that looks more like that of cattle than the typical “road apples” that horses produce. This can leave the buildup on buttocks, legs, and tail, as you have stated is happening.
Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA Professional Horsewoman Carla Wennberg helps a frustrated horse owner solve her horse’s biting and poor stall manners.

Question:

I have an 8-year-old gelding that is causing my husband and I considerable concern. All of a sudden he has starting pinning his ears back and biting, and I’m afraid that he’ll cause serious damage to the unsuspecting person.

He recently bit my sister in-law on the back when she wasn’t aware that he was behind her. She bent over to pick up something she dropped, and he didn’t break the skin, but left a large bruise.

He shares a pasture with two mares and they tend to boss, bite and put him in his place. He’s very submissive to both mares – I would say that he’s the low man on the totem pole.

Read the rest of this entry »

A newcomer to the horse showing scene seeks hat fashion advice.

Question:

My husband bought me a beautiful sparking hat band for my western show hat. It is narrow and just adds a hint of sparkle to my hat. He had it sewn in for me as well, as a surpise. Is the hat band allowed in my AQHA show classes? Right now, I am doing small shows. Please let me know.

Thank you so much,

Lori Lowery

Answer:

Dear Lori,

What a nice husband you have. Your new hat band is legal and sounds like it adds a hint of understated sparkle.

The American Quarter Horse is steeped in western tradition and, while you will see a lot of sparkling show apparel, it is important to keep a little “cowboy” in mind when putting together your show outfit. Adding some personal style is what makes distinguishing yourself from others fun. Your hat band can be just that piece.

Thank you for your question, and congratulations to a husband who knows how to support his wife’s habit! Have a great show season and wear your new hat band with pride.

– AQHA Professional Horsewoman and AQHA judge Stephanie Lynn

Stephanie is a contributor to AQHA’s “Borrow a Trainer” report. Get top training advice from her and several other AQHA Professional Horsemen instantly by downloading this amazing report!

AQHA Corporate Partner Smartpak eases a horse owner’s mind about a smaller-than-average young horse.

I bought a 10-month-old American Quarter Horse filly a couple weeks ago. When I went to pick her up, she was much smaller then I thought - about the size of a 4-month-old Quarter Horse. I’m 5′4″, and her back is right below my chest. Should I be worried about how small she is? She has some great bloodlines and that’s why I bought her. Both of her parents are around 14.2/14.3 hands. My filly is not unhealthy, just very small. I started giving her grain. Should I be feeding her other supplements? I’m also feeding alfalfa-timothy grass hay.

Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam offers advice on how to prevent and treat thrush.

Question:

I haven’t been able to clean my horse’s hooves for quite a while, and I now think my horse might have thrush. Do you have a suggestion on how to treat the thrush?

Answer:

Thrush is a well-known hoof disease representative of decay of the frog with thick, black, foul-smelling discharge.  Thrush is an anaerobic bacterium (lives without oxygen) that thrives in Read the rest of this entry »

Horses are capable of adjusting to blindness caused by a detached retina.

Question:

Five days ago, my mare was diagnosed with having a detached retina. Is there anything we can do for her, and how best can we manage this condition and her safety? What might her future be?

Answer:

Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA Professional Horsewoman Carla Wennberg explains how to slow your horse and keep him going.

Question:

My horse has a quick and bouncy jog, but after you get her going, she dies on you.  How do I get her to slow down and keep going?

Judy

Answer:

Dear Judy,

A quick and bouncy jog can slow her down, but it won’t help the bouncy. Quick rhythm can mean she is out of balance, anxious, pushed too fast with aids or many other things.

I would slow the trot rhythm with your own posting. If you slow the action of your posting trot, the horse will match you.

When the horse gets too slow, first, push her forward with leg aids, and then use artificial aids such as a spur or whip.

Establish one-two rhythm with yourself, and match it with your horse. Start with an up-down slow rhythm, and then move it up, and slow it back down. This establishes pace, too.

– Carla Wennberg, AQHA Professional Horsewoman, contributor to AQHA’s Borrow a Trainer series

Research is making it easier to find a marker linked to the gene and develop tests to identify this disease in carrier horses.

Question:

Could you provide an update on anterior segment dysgenesis? Is it carried with the silver gene, and are all homozygous ASD horses also homozygous for silver?

Answer:

Your question is very timely, as more and more information is being discovered about Read the rest of this entry »

Research is ongoing to learn more about this frustrating cause of blindness in horses.

Question:

I would like to know what research and/or advances are being made in treating/preventing Equine Recurrent Uveitis.

Answer:

Equine Recurrent Uveitis is the most common cause of blindness in horses and one of the most frustrating eye conditions to treat. ERU is believed to be an auto-immune Read the rest of this entry »