Training your foal to accept a halter doesn’t have to be a struggle.

Training your own foal is a truly special experience, but not one to be taken lightly. His first experiences will affect the way he looks at the world for the rest of his life. Halter breaking a foal will be his first experience learning to respect you, to give to pressure and to handle new experiences. You need to make sure it is done right the first time. Thankfully, the AQHA’s Halter Breaking Your Foal report will guide you through the process.

Learn how siblings Tom, Wayne and Margo Ball of Ball’s Quarter Horses use old fashion horsemanship in their halter breaking: approaching it with patience, an earned trust and the belief that every foal is an individual.

Tom and Margo say their halter breaking program might take one day or three weeks, and they might spend more time on different steps with different foals. They might start a foal at 30 days old, or they might wait longer; it all depends on the personality and needs of each foal.

In this program you will learn the essential steps to train a sane, well-mannered horse.

In Step 1, you will learn how to tell when your foal is ready for halter breaking.

“We wait until our babies are ready to break,” said Wayne. “We don’t want to fight with them.”

Trying to halter break a foal before he is ready can traumatize him and make training more difficult down the road. So make sure your foal is prepared.

The Halter Breaking Your Foal report also discusses:

• The best way to fit a halter for your foal.

• Strategies for your foal’s first time wearing the halter.

• How to introduce the lead rope.

• Techniques for leading your foal.

• Sacking out your foal for the first time.

Finally, Tom and Margo will guide you through teaching your foal to stand tied. This process can be very scary and dangerous for your foal if not done properly, so make sure that you have the advice of these experts.

The Halter Breaking Your Foal report is essential for all breeders, foal owners, 4-H groups and anyone else who is interested in training young horses. Download it today!

2007 Galbreath Award winner R. D. Hubbard discusses his successes in the horse industry and beyond.

R.D. Hubbard has contributed much to the Quarter Horse racing world, and now you can learn about his success. His career as an entrepreneur, both within the equine industry and in other industries, has been remarkable for its achievements.

During the 2008 Bank of America Challenge Championships in Lafayette, Louisiana, Rich Wilcke, director of University of Louisiana’s Equine Industry Program, spoke with Dee Hubbard about his perspectives on entrepreneurship and his own career.

The Hubbard: Success in Business, Horses and Horse Racing report summarizes the conversation between Rich and Dee.

Dee attributes much of his success to three main factors: the people in his life, his willingness to take risks Read the rest of this entry »

How to get your bosal out of the tack trunk and into use.

If you’re like many horsemen, you have a bosal in the tack room but made the mistake of untying the mecate line while adjusting it to your horse. Now, the bosal is lying there, useless, because you don’t know how to tie the mecate safely and correctly.

AQHA is here to the rescue with our free Tying the Mecate report. In this handy, downloadable report, you’ll get easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions from AQHA Professional Horseman Patrick Hooks.

Patrick gives you some funny anecdotal advice on why people struggle with the process of tying the mecate. Then he dives into a nine-step process that he learned years ago from a 90-year-old man who definitely remembered how to do it right.

Steps for Tying a Mecate

1. Begin by turning your bosal just as though you were looking up at your horse. The hanger will be turned down, and the hanger tie will be to your right.
2. Place the tail of your mecate up through the cheeks of the bosal and leave a short tail hanging just over the heel knot of the bosal.

Get the rest of the steps in AQHA’s Tying the Mecate FREE report! Colorful photos will guide you each step of the way.

Once you know how to correctly tie the mecate, you can start using your bosal for all kinds of horse riding and training endeavors. Good luck, and leave us comments about your success tying a mecate on your own!

The wooden rocking horseshoe is helping many horses survive laminitis.

Laminitis is a medical emergency that, unfortunately, many horses are subjected to.

What is laminitis, exactly?

According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, laminitis results from the disruption (constant, intermittent or short-term) of blood flow to the sensitive and insensitive laminae. These laminae structures within the foot secure the coffin bone (the wedge-shaped bone within the foot) to the hoof wall. Inflammation often permanently weakens the laminae and interferes with the wall/bone bond. In severe cases, the bone and the hoof wall can separate. In these situations, the coffin bone may rotate within the foot, be displaced downward, “sink” and eventually penetrate the sole. Laminitis can affect one or all feet, but it is most often seen in the front feet concurrently.

The terms “laminitis” and “founder” are used interchangeably. However, founder usually refers to a chronic (long-term) condition associated with rotation of the coffin bone. Acute laminitis refers to symptoms associated with a sudden initial attack, including pain and inflammation of the laminae.

Luckily, there are a few options to help ease the suffering for horses with laminitis. Learn about one, the wooden rocking horseshoe, in AQHA’s FREE report, Laminitis Treatment.

In Laminitis Treatment, Dr. Micheal Steward, a veterinarian in Shawnee, Oklahoma, explains how he finds success with placing wooden shoes on laminitic horses. The shoes, he says, help support the hoof and help it heal.

You’ll also get a detailed explanation, including diagrams, of exactly how laminitis affects a horse’s foot and leg.

In Laminitis Treatment, you’ll hear a first-hand story about how Dr. Steward’s technique took a critically ill horse and gave him renewed life:

When ‘Tooter’ Kiser took his good ranch horse, Pepperoani Wolf, to Dr. Steward, the little red roan gelding could barely walk off the trailer. But by the time Dr. Steward and a farrier finished with him, “I led that horse out of that X-ray room and he hit that concrete and gravel, and he just gave a little. It was like he was already 95-percent better,” Tooter says.

Get the full details on how Pepperoani went from almost being euthanized to returning to the ranch as a full-time helper.

Plus, get other tips for keeping horses with laminitis comfortable and happy.

Download your free copy of Laminitis Treatment today, and share it with your friends!

Get the full story on this all-around hand with a passion for Quarter Horses.

Stan Immenschuh knew his own mind, but his favorite thing was working on the minds of horses.

“The thing that I got the most kick out of, and gave me the most satisfaction, was working with the cutting horses,” he says. “You get them broke and everything, and when you first start working them on cattle and they first start watching, putting their ears on them and making the moves, that’s more fun than anything, more than showing or anything else.”

Get the full, colorful story of Stan and his adventures with Quarter Horses in AQHA’s FREE report, Stan Immenschuh: All-Around Hand. Download your copy today!

Stan has a number of stories of working cattle a-horseback.

Here’s one:

“Jimmy Williams was a real good friend of mine,” he says. “I learned a lot from him. Jimmy was a great horse show guy. He had a stable in San Diego County and was training cutting horses. . . . Jimmy and I used to trade out: He’d come out and work cattle on the ranch I was on, the Ivanhoe Ranch in El Cajon, and I’d haul down to his stable.

“He taught me most of the stuff that I learned back then – how to use the war bridle and a bunch of different things. And just being around him, I picked up all kinds of little things, like you’ve got to give a horse time. I was real lucky to get hooked up with Jimmy, because he eventually ended up with hunters and jumpers in at a riding stable in Pasadena, but he couldn’t keep cattle there. He had some good horses and he sent them down to me to work cows on.

“Some of his owners were big in Hollywood, like Larry Lansburgh, the guy that made movies – I broke a Driftwood filly for him, and I rode some other horses for him and other people who were Jimmy’s customers. In those days, a bunch of Hollywood people had horses.

Get even more stories about racing, roping, rodeo, western pleasure, wartime hardships and more in AQHA’s FREE Stan Immenschuh: All-Around Hand report!

“One of the horses that Larry Lansburgh owned and Jimmy sent to me was going to be used in a movie that they made about a cow horse that became a jumping horse, ‘The Horse With The Flying Tail’ (Disney, 1960),” Stan recalls. “Larry Lansburgh owned the horse and Jimmy trained him in a crash course in jumping.

“Larry was interested in cow horses, too, so he sent him down to me to work cattle on. The horse was a double in the movie. They didn’t really want me to make a cutting horse, but just wanted me to get him to where he would work a cow. I was just getting him started working cows a little bit. I had an arena with a hogwire fence with a couple of rails of old boards, one old board on top and one in the middle.

“I was going across the arena on the horse, and something clicked in that horse’s mind when he got to that fence – that he’d better jump it – and he went up, went right down and smashed everything down, hung me over the post like a wet rag. He wasn’t hurt but I was, broke some ribs and got banged up pretty good.”

Get “roped in” with these tips from Pat Hooks.

AQHA’s Versatility Ranch Horse competition is attracting more and more people to the show ring. But for many of them, there’s just one catch: the roping. One of the VRH classes is working ranch horse, in which riders are required to rope a cow or else lose points.

But AQHA Professional Horseman Patrick Hooks of Texhoma, Oklahoma, says that roping shouldn’t be a deterrent to anyone – it doesn’t take magic, just knowledge and lots of practice. You’ll have to provide the desire and the practice time … but Pat is offering to provide the knowledge, through the Roping Basics FREE report.

He’ll start by introducing you to the terminology (what is a “spoke,” anyway?) and the types of ropes that are available. (Does “60-foot 5/16-inch XXX soft nylon with a swivel honda” make sense to you? It will, after reading this report!)

With plenty of step-by-step photos, Pat shows you how to build a loop and swing a rope. And he even injects a little humor along the way, by quoting Will Rogers as saying that as someone was learning how to rope, there would be times he would call his rope anything but a rope.

“If you’re just starting out, be patient,” Pat says. “Roping will eventually become very rewarding and enjoyable as you progress. But know that some shots take years to learn. So please be patient with yourself as you learn the basics and about the many different shots that can be thrown. Recognize your accomplishments as you begin and realize there will be a building-block learning process.”

Start that process now by downloading Pat’s FREE report, Roping Basics.

This insect-borne equine disease is a late-summer danger across North America.

Can you spot the signs of Potomac horse fever? Do you know how this devastating disease is contracted? Learn everything you need to do about Potomac horse fever in AQHA’s FREE report, Potomac Horse Fever.

Potomac horse fever gained notoriety when an outbreak shook the Potomac River region of Maryland in 1979. Transmitted by an insect fector, Potomac horse fever results in intestinal distress that can lead to death in up to 30 percent of cases. Potomac horse fever has been identified in 43 states, three Canadian provinces, South America and Europe.

What can you do to help your horse avoid this dangerous and uncomfortable disease?

Download your copy of Potomac Horse Fever today and arm yourself with knowledge that will help your horse stay healthy.

Many horses suffer fever at some point in their lives. But did you know that the first indicator of Potomac horse fever is a fever ranging from 102 to 107 that comes and goes? There are many other symptoms you can watch out for, including dehydration, depression and swelling of certain body parts.

If left untreated, Potomac horse fever can send a horse into shock and ultimately death. Other ailments caused by Potomac horse fever are laminitis and abortion in pregnant mares.

In the FREE Potomac Horse Fever report, you’ll learn:

• Exactly what Potomac horse fever is

• How horses contract it

• Symptoms to look for

• Treatment options

• Prevention tips

• And more

This five-page, full-color report also contains a personal story of one family who fought to save their beloved  horse that was infected with Potomac horse fever while on a trail ride.

Fast facts about Potomac horse fever:

• Caused by the bacteria Neorickettsia risticci
• Most commonly occurs from July through October
• Treatments include antibiotics, fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy and NSAIDs for pain relief
• A vaccine is available
• The greatest cause of death associated with PHF is secondary laminitis and subsequent complications

Get your free copy of Potomac Horse Fever for the full story.

Keeping your horse from being fat will help her avoid a number of problems.

We hear everyday about ways to tweak our diet and exercise programs to combat human obesity. But did you know that studies are beginning to show that obesity is becoming a growing problem with horses as well? AQHA’s FREE Chubby Horses report examines some of the findings of a study done by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

“This study documented that this is an extremely important problem in horses that is has been under-reported,” says Dr. Craig Thatcher, a professor who was involved in the study.

Not surprisingly, the No. 1 recommendation is diet and exercise.

Other topics included in this report are:

• Equine metabolic syndrome
• Conditions resulting from EMS
• EMS and Cushing’s connection
• How to manage EMS
• Possible management procedures and medications for EMS

University of Tennessee equine metabolic syndrome researcher Dr. Nicholas Frank breaks down three different components that horses can suffer from as a result from EMS: obesity, laminitis and insulin resistance. Of these three, laminitis can prove to be fatal in horses as it has delivered the final blow for greats like Secretariat and, more recently, Barbero. Find out how these three conditions can impact your horse in the Chubby Horses report.

Dr. Dianne McFarlane of Oklahoma State University also weights in on equine Cushing’s disease. Chubby Horses goes in depth on some of the first signs of Cushing’s disease, so you will be able to spot it quickly and be able to control the onset of this disease, which is comparable to Parkinson’s disease in humans.

“Horses with EMS appear to be predisposed to equine Cushing’s disease,” says Dr. Frank. “The key thing is, because it seems these horses (EMS horses) do transition into Cushing’s, is to be ready to recognize the clinical signs of Cushing’s. And this is going to be potentially at an earlier age than we traditionally think about looking of the disorder.”

The Chubby Horses report lays out three different management plans to combat EMS as prescribed by Dr. Frank. Whether you have an obese horse with insulin resistance, a nonobese horse with fatty deposits or a severely affected horse of either category experiencing laminitis, find out how to get your horse back on the right track. Dr. Frank further explains how you can expand upon a good management system with supplements to bring your horse to a healthy weight and away from any further complications that can come from obesity.

Osteochondritis Dissecans affects young, growing horses and causes joint pain.

AQHA’s FREE Young Horse Joint Health report explains why a condition called Osteochondritis Dissecans causes more than just normal “growth pains” in young horses. This condition actually occurs when the bone and cartilage in the joints of a young horse form incorrectly, causing the cartilage at the end of the bone to separate. This leads to an unneeded cartilage flap and inflammation of the joint. The joints that OCD most frequently affects are the hock, stifle, fetlock and shoulder.

Within this report you will learn about all the aspects of this common horse condition, including:

• How OCD occurs

• Signs of OCD

• Causes of OCD

• How OCD is diagnosed

• Treatment of OCD

• Prevention of OCD

• Purchasing advice

Read expert insights on OCD, such as Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith, the Barbara Cox Anthony University chair in orthopedics at Colorado State University, the leading researcher in equine joint problems.

Although severe cases cause obvious lameness, other minor cases can be hard to detect.

“In less severe cases, horses may go on to have an athletic career and only develop clinical signs when they’re 3, 4 or 5,” McIlwraith says.

Protect your horse and pocketbook with the FREE Young Horse Joint Health report. It will help you understand this condition so you can spot it before it becomes an issue. Treatment for OCD typically requires arthroscopic surgery. If left untreated, OCD can end a horse’s athletic career.

Dr. Paul Edmonds of Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery of Weatherford, Texas, says one of the earliest signs of OCD to watch for in young horses is joint swelling, caused by increased synovial fluid.

Young Horse Joint Health explains different factors that can cause this crippling condition, including:

• genetic predisposition

• fast growth and body size

• nutritional imbalances

• mechanical stress or trauma.

In this report, you’ll learn about the studies pin-pointing these different causes.

McIlwraith breaks down OCD into understandable terms.

“I liken OCD to human heart disease. We all have various levels of genetic tendency toward heart disease. If we’ve got good genes, we can afford to be fat and lazy and not exercise. If we’ve got bad genes, even all the exercise and perfect diet in the world might not protect us,” McIlwraith says.

The No. 1 prevention method is to make good use of a pre-purchase exam, including radiographs and X-rays of a horse’s joints, before you buy him and bring him home.

“It’s not in every horse, but I think it’s out there enough that if I were a buyer and putting a lot of money into a horse, spending some money on taking the X-rays would be warranted,” Edmond says.

AQHA Professional Horseman Richard Shrake helps you develop a better relationship with your horse in this four-part series.

We all want to become better riders, improving our rhythm, form, confidence and so much more. AQHA Professional Horseman Richard Shrake gets you started in the right direction toward a better relationship with your horse in AQHA’s FREE Riding Lessons with Richard Shrake report.

In this amazing free report, Richard explains how riding a horse uses skills you already know, citing examples from golf, tennis and more.

Richard explains:

• The importance of rhythm
• Why timing is crucial to good riding
• How precision and form work together to create a well-rounded rider
• Confidence-building techniques
• Breathing exercises
• Plus all kinds of great drills and courses to help solidify your newfound techniques

Richard offers lots of rich, heartwarming examples within the Riding Lessons with Richard Shrake report.

“Megan has a brand-new horse, and she’s having trouble bonding with him. She’s starting to lose interest in riding,” Richard says. “Megan needs to realize that this horse needs to be like a best friend. She can’t blame him for his reactionary, sensitive attitude. She needs to find a way to make him a good friend – someone she’d like to be around all the time.”

Richard suggests a steady routine to help Megan with her situation:

• Catch your horse’s eye
• Release endorphins – the “feel good” hormones in every animal; in a horse, you can rub his ears, poll and cheeks
• Halter your horse
• Get your horse in “herd mode”

Learn more about these techniques now by downloading your FREE copy of Riding Lessons with Richard Shrake.

Do you know what it means when your horse lifts his head, hollows his back and gets stiff? Richard explains, “This means your horse is protectign himself, the same as  you would if someone walked up and hit you with a hard punch. Your horse is saying, ‘Whoops, you just smacked me before you told me what you were going to do.’ ” In this report, Richard shows you how to watch for signs from  your horse that you’re moving too fast for him. He shows you how to slow down your hands and rhythm to make your horse more comfortable and less sensitive.

In his section explaining the importance of rhythm, Richard says, “If you stand relaxed with one arm in the air and stomp your foot, you can feel the energy flow all the way from your foot to your fingertips. But if you stand with your jaw clenched and stomp your foot, the vibration ends at your tight jaw. If you have that same rigidity in your body, you’ll interrupt the rhythm from your horse’s gaits.”

Download Riding Lessons with Richard Shrake to learn the next step in improving your rhythm.

Ease aboard your horse with a homemade mounting block.

It’s always nice to have a leg up when you’re ready to get in the saddle. But there are many times when an able-bodied, strong-backed volunteer just isn’t available to give you a boost onto your horse.

AQHA consulted the expert woodworking skills of American Quarter Horse Foundation employee Ross Middleton for a homemade mounting block that can become a staple of your barn aisle or arena for years to come.

Download the easy directions in our FREE How to Build a Mounting Block report!

This homemade mounting block has a simple supply list and is the perfect project for beginners.

Make this mounting block your next 4-H project, or give the plans to the teenagers at your barn to keep them busy! Best of all, this mounting block is easily personalized with paint and decorations. What better gift to give your horse-loving friends than a homemade mounting block embellished with their name, horse brand, favorite horse club, equestrian team, whatever!

“As the director of a therapeutic riding center, we find our ramp and also a mounting block to be very necessary items. Even my able riders are asked to use the mounting block, as it is easier on our horses’ backs. I can’t imagine living without these very effective tools!”

Leslie

We know you’ll enjoy making this mounting block. Be sure to share your stories of how your new mounting block made your life a little easier and your ride a little more enjoyable!

First-aid tips to ensure your horse heals as fast as possible.

Cuts and wounds are inevitably going to happen to your horse. Are you prepared? Download AQHA’s FREE Horse Wound Care report so you will be able to properly treat your horse in the event of an injury.

Within this report you will find:

• Components of a first-aid kit
• How to care for a horse’s wound
• When to call the vet
• How to prepare for the vet’s visit
• A five-step picture guide on how to properly bandage a minor leg wound
• And more!

Educate yourself on when it is imperative that you contact the vet and when you can take care of the injury at home.

“Many of the cases that veterinarians deal with, and that I dealt with through my career through referral, are ones that were managed in most cases initially by the horse owners,” says Dr. Ted Stashak, a professor emeritus at Colorado State University. “Unfortunately, because of lack of recognition of how serious an injury it was, it then became serious because if became infected.”

Dr. Stashak wrote “Equine Wound Management,” was the editor for “Adams’ Lameness in Horses” and was the main author and editor for “The Horse Owner’s Guide to Lameness.”

There are some areas on the horse that can appear to be minor injuries but can actually cause more damage than what can be seen on the exterior. These “danger zones” are highlighted for you in the FREE Horse Wound Care report so you won’t make the mistake of classifying a more serious wound for a minor cut. Most of the danger zones lie over synovial structures that are at risk for infection when injured or damaged. These synovial structures are found mainly in the joints and are protective sheaths for tendons. If the wound starts discharging a yellowish fluid around one of these areas, it is most likely the synovial protective fluid and requires immediate care from a veterinarian.

Don’t grab for that hydrogen peroxide and nitrofurazone product too quickly when it comes to your horse’s wound first-aid. The Horse Wound Care report explains why these commonly used first-aid products might not be the best choice for your horse to heal the fastest. This report instead will tell you the best cleaning methods, including which cleaners to use, the dilutions to use them at and the correct cleaning procedures.

Do you know the ideal pressure to wash out a wound with? Did you know that you are supposed to wash out the wound at an angle? The Horse Wound Care report will make you a more prepared horse owner by explaining these tips and much more for you next horse injury.