Learn how to back your horse up and effectively plan and execute his workout schedule.

AQHA Professional Horsewoman Tina Kaven explains the difference in exercises between her younger horses and her more experienced ones.

By AQHA Professional Horsewoman Tina Kaven in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the last of the four-part series. Need to review Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3?

Backing Up

At the end of the exercise session, I always do a backup.

I don’t bring the horse to the middle, because I don’t want him to think of being at a horse show. But I also don’t do it right on the rail either.

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Mix up your horse’s calisthenics for maximum results.

Varying the types of exercises you ask your horse to do will allow you to make sure he is being obedient.

By AQHA Professional Horseman Tina Kaven in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the third in a four-part series. Click on the link to view Part I or Part II.

Departures and Transitions

In this exercise, I mix up my departures and transitions to determine what I need to work on. Sometimes I go from a lope down to a trot. Then trot to walk. Lope to walk. Walk to lope. I vary it all up to make sure the horse is obedient to my requests.

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Learn how to use the long trot and shoulder and hip exercises in your horse’s calisthenics routine.

Tina Kaven says you need to break up a horse's exercise routine. She uses five calisthenic exercises that enhance a horse's movement, balance and flexibility.

By Tina Kaven in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the second in a four-part series. Need to review Part 1?

Long Trotting

This exercise is a medium working trot with the horse using a full stride. It is more than a jog but isn’t fast.

The purpose of this exercise is to emphasize balance, strength, complete extension of the legs and use of the back while keeping it rounded. Although the horse is in a working trot, he is still expected to maintain a Read the rest of this entry »

These five simple exercises will ensure that your horse is ready for show day.

Tina Kaven says you need to break up a horse's exercise routine. She uses five calisthenic exercises that enhance a horse's movement, balance and flexibility.

By Tina Kaven in The American Quarter Horse Journal

A western pleasure horse must be in top physical shape to compete and win in today’s arenas. But when it comes to conditioning a rail horse, there’s more to it than just walking, jogging and loping.

In a way, a show horse is like clay. You keep working and working clay, and eventually it becomes very flat and moldable, and you can make anything you want out of it. But if you set the clay on the counter and let it get cold again, it’s going to get stiff and be hard to shape.

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A world champion halter trainer’s advice on showing in performance halter.

By Buddy Laney in The American Quarter Horse Journal

The biggest misperception I think people have about halter is that bigger is supposed to be better. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be, and especially not in performance halter. It’s form to function.

What I tell exhibitors in performance halter is to fit your horse for his frame.

I don’t think you need to try to make a small-framed horse look like a big halter horse. And I don’t think you need to make a heavier-muscled horse look like a hunt seat horse. The best thing you can do is take advantage of the good parts of your horse and try to work around his faults. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know which membership is right for you?

By Kayla Randall

AQHA offers three types of memberships: general, amateur and youth. What type of membership is right for you?

When applying for your AQHA membership, keep a couple things in mind: Your age and whether or not you are going to show in AQHA events. Another nice little policy I’m going to share with you is that you have 60 days from the date AQHA receives your membership to change it or change your mind, unless horse-related work was completed within that 60-day time frame. So, don’t sweat it if you think you want to change. Just call AQHA Customer Service. Read the rest of this entry »

An Internet connection should provide all the instruction anyone needs, right?

Pam and "Bippy."

By Pamela Britton-Baer in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Everything I know about Quarter Horse shows I learn on YouTube.

Seriously.

If you’ve ever posted a horse showing video on YouTube, chances are I’ve studied it. There’s a wealth of information to be found on the Internet, and I like to surf with the best of them.

But I know enough about showing to realize YouTube can’t give you polish. A trainer needs to teach you those tiny little details that can mean the difference between winning a class and leaving the arena with your tail tucked between your legs. More importantly, a trainer knows the answer to questions like: should my boots match the color of my showmanship pants? Should I go with the sand-colored chaps or the buff? Aren’t sand and buff the same color? Read the rest of this entry »

Using makeup right is the cheapest, easiest way to add to your showing style.

Using the right tones of makeup can enhance your show style.

By Christine Hamilton in The American Quarter Horse Journal

“If you’re spending $100 to $1,000 on a nice show jacket or outfit, why wouldn’t you spend $15 to $150 on your glamour look to complement that outfit?”

Amateur Lisa Mays often poses that question to her horse show friends. Based in Reno, Nevada, she has been a Mary Kay consultant for years and has easy tips on how to add no-fuss glamour to your show look without breaking your pocketbook.

“If you had to have just one item to coordinate your show outfit, lipstick is it,” she says. Here are some other tips from Lisa: Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s how to create a basic AQHA versatility ranch horse competition.

By AQHA Professional Horsewoman Gerrie Barnes

Putting on a versatility ranch horse competition can be a daunting task if you look at the complexity of the event. Two cattle classes and three drywork classes mean that in addition to cattle, the facility and judges need to accommodate a wide range of needs.

Planning and a checklist will assist you in having a smooth-running, quality competition. Here are some of the important basics to get your started:

Check the AQHA Handbook

You need AQHA’s approval for an AQHA show. There are two processes for a previously approved show and for new show approval, so make sure you read the AQHA handbook.

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A girl finds peace after saying goodbye to her best friend.

Kathryn and Country.

By Hailey Harroun

He wasn’t supposed to compete. He wasn’t even supposed to live.

Principle N Style was born with a deformed knee. Shortly after surgery, he was kicked, and the knee never healed correctly. The veterinarians told the owners to put the horse down, but Kathryn Dunham had other ideas for her colt.

“Everybody always said he shouldn’t do this and he shouldn’t do that,” said trainer Shane Young. “The only one they didn’t tell that to was the horse. His knee never got in the way of his attitude or his desire to want to come out and do his job. He never quit trying.”

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My competitive spirit drives me past superstitions to my next horse show.

By Pamela Britton-Baer for The American Quarter Horse Journal

I recently decided to show American Quarter Horses.

This was not, I should warn you, a decision I made lightly. I’d come from the open hunter-jumper circuit, and so the transition to Quarter Horse shows was difficult. But because I’m hypercompetitive, I wanted to give it a try.

That’s my downfall: that lure of winning. Let’s be honest. It’s why we all do it. We don’t enter shows thinking, “Whoo-whoo. I hope to be second today!!” No, no, no. We do it because we want the blue. It’s a sickness. We can’t resist the urge to don wool coats or heavy leather chaps in 100-degree weather, tug on boots so tight that our feet throb midway through our warm-up, and mount an animal that looks upon anything mobile as an equine-eating monster – such as children, baby strollers or that golf cart with the horse blanket on the back – all so we can win.

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Learn how you and your horse can avoid penalties in your next trail class.

2008 Junior Trail World Champion Nature Investment with rider Lisa M. Farrel.

Trail became an AQHA class in 1964, but it began as a test of a horse’s ability to perform daily ranch routines. Because there were no rules to guide course designers, some of the earlier classes included live animals, dismounts and jumps.

Today, trail has evolved into one of the most popular AQHA classes. It puts an emphasis on a horse’s manners, response to the rider and quality of movement. Like many classes, there are penalties for errors made throughout the class.

Here is a list of the point penalties:

Half Point

• Each tick of log, pole, cone, plant or any component of obstacle

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