Take a look at my life as a judge.

Nancy Swarm became a judge, because she wanted to give back and share her knowledge with the horse industry.

By Nancy Swarm in The American Quarter Horse Journal

I guess horses were truly my destiny, as I was born with “horse” in my blood!

I bought my first horse when I was 9 years old for $134. A lot of care and love later, we were ready to go to our first show. We didn’t have a trailer, so my father and I walked “Goldie” 10 miles to the show grounds. My mother met us at the show. We won some ribbons, and at the end of the day, some exhibitors felt sorry for us and gave us a lift home.

John Arena, Bobby La Pergola, Kitchie Little and C.T. Fuller of Willow Brook Farms had faith in my ability and made quality horses available to me. I showed youth activity and, at 15, began training and showing horses for other people. After high school, I apprenticed with Sandra Vaughn of Westenhook Farms to learn the hunters. Then I went to work for the legendary Dale Wilkinson to learn about reining and cutting horses. It took me three years to get him to hire me. I was the first woman he hired.

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As a trainer, I believe it is important to have respect for the horse and to train it humanely. In my opinion, if a horse cannot be taught to do its job willingly, then it obviously needs another job. True horsemanship holds to this theory.

Through the years, I have shown reining, cutting and halter horses, Honor Roll hunters and jumpers, and numerous AQHA world and reserve world champions, AQHA Champions, Congress winners, and have trained and coached all-around youth and amateur champions. I have been National Snaffle Bit Association high-point western and hunter under saddle.

I became a judge because I think I have a vast store of knowledge, and I wanted to give back and share with the industry. Becoming a judge also gives you a different perspective, which has been very helpful to my showing strategy and successes. Being on the inside looking out, from a judge’s viewpoint, can teach you that things don’t always look like they feel.

It is not an easy task to get every horse placed correctly in every class, but as judges, that is our goal. I try to judge each horse on his correctness of gait, precision of patterns, consistent performance, balance, eye appeal and by the point system that AQHA has in place. Everyone should, at least one time, have the opportunity to stand in the center. You might see things differently.

I feel that the quality of our horses has improved greatly through breeding, creating a more form-to-function structured horse for its discipline. In my opinion, trainers collectively have improved their training techniques, creating better-educated, happier horses, thus making competitions much more refined and stringent. AQHA has truly helped its judges improve with further education and by creating a core-defined judging system.

In establishing a career as a trainer, I realized that in the horse business it is wise to diversify. So in addition to being a trainer, I became a consultant, coach, appraiser, broker/agent and judge. I am very proud to have earned my AQHA 20-year judging pin, and I have served the same amount of time judging for National Snaffle Bit Association.

I have served AQHA on the international committee, the show committee and the Professional Horsemen’s committee. I have judged the AQHA and the AQHYA World Championship shows, the Texas Classic and shows in Italy, Sweden, Belgium and Canada.

One day I said to my dad, “If I had devoted as much time, years and effort to another business as I did to the horse business, I would be a very wealthy person.”

He said to me, “Nancy, how many people are fortunate enough to live their life making a career out of their greatest passion? I think you are wealthy.”

For “Showing to Win: Trail,” AQHA teamed with some of the best-known and well-respected AQHA Professional Horsemen, judges and exhibitors who walk viewers through the required parts of the pattern and explain the maneuver scores, pluses and minuses. Don’t miss out on this awesome DVD!

There is more money available for representing your country.

The Games are September 25 through October 10 in Lexington, Kentucky.

By Larri Jo Starkey of The American Quarter Horse Journal

At the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, it’s all about the teams, the countries they represent and the money that can be won.

To increase reining team participation in the Games, the Federation Equestre Internationale has approved deepening the prize-money payout. This year, the team reining competition will pay a $100,000 purse to 15 places, while the individual finals will pay out to 20 places. Countries that haven’t yet met the FEI requirements for a full team can still apply for wild-card status. The Games are September 25 through October 10 in Lexington, Kentucky.

“We at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are working to have as many countries represented as possible and are committed to making it possible for anyone interested to participate,” says Brad Ettleman, reining discipline manager for the Games. “Nations that are interested in applying for wild cards should let me know right away so I can help them in the process.”

AQHA’s 2008 showmanship world champion Nicole Barnes knows how to perform a perfect showmanship pattern for the judges. Learn her secrets in AQHA’s FREE Showmanship Basics report!

Ever have a bad day in the show ring? The Second Qualifying Competition acknowledges that good horses and riders can have bad days. The top five competitors in the Second Qualifying Competition earn a berth in the individual reining finals and are guaranteed to earn at least $2,000.

“With this new, far-reaching payback system, we look forward to many competitors who might not otherwise be able to fund their trip to join us in Lexington, Kentucky, this autumn,” Brad says. “Plus, as the Games are in the United States, there are a great number of quality, show-ready and qualified horses that are available for lease, making the cost of traveling to Kentucky even more economical.”

In the individual finals, a purse of $100,000 will be paid out through 20 places.

“This new system allows for a minimum of $2,000 for 35 competitors – very deep within the field of starters,” Brad says. “We want as many full teams as possible.”

AQHA is the official breed sponsor of the reining discipline at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. To ask a question about leasing a horse or forming a team, write to Brad.Ettleman@FEIGames2010.org.

In AQHA’s Showmanship Basics, 2008 AQHA World Showmanship Champion Nicole Barnes explains why showmanship is the perfect event for people who can’t afford an expensive horse. Purchase your copy today!

Meet some Quarter Horses who compete in all-breed driving.

Debbie and Bob George of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, with Pocos Cherokee Jet. Photo by Hoofprint Images

By Holly Clanahan of America’s Horse

Recently, the American Driving Society sent out an e-mail blast to its members, asking how many of them drive their American Quarter Horses in open shows. Debbie George, the ADS and AQHA member behind that effort, was wowed by the response. “You won’t believe (or I bet you will!) the response I’m getting from that e-mail blast,” she wrote in an e-mail to AQHA. “Turns out there are a lot of us out there driving our Quarter Horses!” One woman sent in photos showing her horse turning a cow on the fence, and then pulling a cart in the next picture.

AQHA’s “Showing to Win: Western Pleasure” DVD is geared for all pleasure exhibitors, trainers and judges. This must-have DVD is a comprehensive look at the standards for the western pleasure class and will help improve your success in the show ring. Get your copy today!

The type of driving seen in ADS shows differs from the pleasure driving classes held as part of AQHA shows. Many of the ADS classes take place off-road, and they can feature a variety of vehicles, from the road cart that Debbie and her husband, Bob, use, to an antique road coach, pulled by a four-in-hand team.

Here are a few of the options available:

• Cones or obstacle classes require the driver to go through a set of markers set inches wider than the wheel width and topped with balls. There are left and right turns, combinations and sometimes obstacles like bridges. The winner is the driver who completes the course with the fewest balls knocked down in the shortest time. A variation called “gamblers choice” offers different types of obstacles, similar to a trail class, sometimes with fun themes like “a day at the beach,” which incorporates beach umbrellas, sand and water into the obstacles.
• Driven dressage is judged similarly to ridden dressage tests. The drivers must perform a set of movements including changes of gait, circles, turns and extensions. As in ridden dressage, the horse’s training shines through in his gaits, transitions and the accuracy with which he can follow the pattern.
• Marathons take the horse and driver from the ring to the countryside. These longer drives can go off-road or through town, and they are judged on both turnout and performance.
• Combined driving can be equated to three-day eventing, with a dressage component, a cross-country marathon and a fast-paced cones course.

Besides the competing, Debbie and Bob love taking their American Quarter Horse, Pocos Cherokee Jet, out on the trails for some recreational driving. Here’s what some other AQHA fans are up to with their horses:

– Colonels Caroline has competed in the hunter ring, as well as western pleasure, trail, reining – and now driving. “Caroline’s” owner hopes to compete in combined driving events this year.
– A Quarter Horse nicknamed “El Jefe” loves to drive over the U.S. Forest Service trails near Prescott, Arizona. He also has won year-end high point and reserve high point awards in his state.
– Mike and Jerry McLennan of Brenham, Texas, have taken their Quarter Horses and Quarter Horse crosses all over – even to Paris and back – to compete in four-in-hand combined driving. This year, they’re pointing to the 2010 World Equestrian Games. They performed a driving demonstration during WEG night at the 2009 AQHA World Championship Show in November.
– Starlight Dillon learned to drive over the course of six weeks last summer. He was originally a trail horse, then began competing in ranch horse competitions, and now his owner reports that they drive all over the neighborhood and through several hundred acres of wooded horse trails.
– Smooth Peppy Badger does mounted shooting, herds cattle – and even rides into Tombstone, Arizona, to get pets and treats from tourists. And yes, he also pulls a cart.
– Whistlin Dixi Time is a Palomino Horse Breeders of America pleasure driving world champion, and he also scored a top-10 finish at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Now, his owner reports, he has begun a conversion to all-breed pleasure driving.

If you’re interested in learning to drive, visit www.americandrivingsociety.com and click on “regions” to find a driving club near you.

“I’d love to encourage people to get their Quarter Horses driving,” Debbie says. “Horses that compete in other disciplines, (their owners) have all said driving improves their performance in other events. It kind of puts you in a unique position, too, where you can really watch your horse work and see how he’s using himself, how he’s using his back.”

Plus, “it’s a lot of fun.”

To learn more about Debbie, Bob and their horse, “Starbuck,” pick up the March-April issue of America’s Horse, the official membership magazine of the American Quarter Horse Association.

AQHA’s “Showing to Win: Western Pleasure” illustrates the standards and provides you with the information you need to be successful in the western pleasure class. Purchase your copy today!

Meet an all-around amateur champion.

Kaleena Weakly and A Timely Promotion are the 2007 AQHA Sooner Trailer All-Around Amateur champions.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

In February 2003, Kaleena Weakly sold her all-around horse and began searching for a new one.

Childhood friend Brynne Bassler sent her a video of A Timely Promotion, and Kaleena decided to make the drive to Iowa to check out the 2001 gelding.

“She had looked at several horses and a lot of videos,” says Kaleena’s husband, Josh. “She was definitely on a limited budget, and we knew we had to buy something that was fairly young. She, her mom, one of her mom’s friends and I went down to look at this horse and he was as green as a gourd.”But Kaleena had fallen in love with the striking bay by Promote This Chip and out of Peach Of A Time by Mr Mac Reynolds.

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“He was so pretty and such a wonderful mover, I could see he was a very good investment,” she recalls.

Kaleena and Josh bought the 2-year-old and took him to their home in Shelbyville, Illinois.

“I was going to keep him at home because I didn’t really think I was going to show that much, and I just wanted a horse to ride,” she says.

But the second day, “Peaches” got away from Kaleena and tore around the place.

“I told her, ‘That is it. We’ve got to do something with this thing,’” Josh says.

They called trainer Rusty Green and asked him to take the horse.

“He called us back after having Peaches and said, ‘He’s going to be a really cool pleasure horse,’” Kaleena says. “I’m like, ‘I just want a really nice moving all-around horse.’ I never wanted a pleasure horse.”

But that’s what Peaches became.

In September of his 2-year-old year, Kaleena showed the gelding at a Springfield, Illinois, weekend show, taking two firsts and one second and earning 10 points for his performance Registers of Merit. Rusty then took him to the 2003 AQHA World Championship Show.

“We decided to bring him home in his 3-year-old year, and he got hurt,” Josh says.

Peaches was sore, so Kaleena sent him for X-rays where it was discovered there were bone chips in one of his ankles.

“So we had those removed and the vet was like, ‘I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to show him again. We’ll have to see how he comes out of it,’” Kaleena says.

But by midsummer, Peaches was sound again, and he was sent to trainers Chris and Melissa Jones to continue his western pleasure career.

“The first show they took him to was the Reichert (Celebration) in August and then to the (All American Quarter Horse) Congress,” Kaleena said.

It was at the 2004 Congress that Peaches swept the open and limited division of the 3-year-old non-pro Western Pleasure Derby.

“For him to be hurt like he was and to come back and win as a 3-year-old at the Congress was incredible,” Kaleena says. “When I first bought him, all I wanted was for him to be broke and to have all the buttons. I just wanted to go and have a good ride on him, and then there we went and won the limited and the open non-pro.”

Kaleena continued to show Peaches in western pleasure in 2005. In 2006, she began to enter him in some all-around classes like showmanship, horsemanship and hunt seat equitation.

It was now time for Peaches to help fulfill Kaleena’s dream of being the AQHA Sooner Trailer High-Point All-Around Amateur.

Kaleena and Peaches won the 2007 all-around title with 511 points.

“What makes this win so cool is that I didn’t do it with a seasoned show horse,” she says. “We’ve been together every step of the way, and we did it together.”

Peaches’ best event is showmanship, Kaleena says. He earned 219.5 points in 2007 to take the high-point award. The gelding also excelled in performance halter and won the high-point title last year with 104.5 points.

“We conditioned him like a halter horse,” she said. “We gave him a bath and curried him three times a day. He looked really good.”

Peaches and Kaleena were also the 2007 reserve high-point champions in horsemanship and hunt seat equitation.

“It’s a lot of hard work and commitment and dedication,” she says.

Kaleena might even take up a new event: halter. And perhaps add another high-point title to her list of accomplishments.

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Two-time World Show all-around amateur horse Zippos Ace of Spades loses battle with laminitis.

Nicole and "Ace" won the all-around amateur title at the 2008 AQHA World Championship Show; they are pictured with AQHA Professional Horseman Brad Kearns and his wife, Valerie.

By Christine Hamilton of The American Quarter Horse Journal

The Barnes family of Northbrook, Illinois, said goodbye to its longtime equine family member, Zippos Ace Of Spades, on February 5. “Ace,” a two-time AQHA World Championship Show Sooner All-Around Amateur horse, was euthanized due to complications from laminitis.The laminitic episode began in late October 2009. Ace had been at Merritt and Associated Equine Hospital in Wauconda, Illinois, since mid-December.

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“It was unexplainable,” says Nicole Barnes of Glenview, Illinois, Ace’s owner, in an interview with The American Quarter Horse Journal. “We can’t pinpoint it to anything. For as much traveling up and down the road as we did with him, he always stayed very, very sound. Last week, we made the decision that it was not fair to him to be suffering any longer.”

“They tried every trick in the book,” says AQHA Professional Horseman Brad Kearns. Brad and his wife, Valerie, trained Ace and Nicole through youth and amateur competition. “The veterinarians and techs involved with Ace took care of him like he was their own. They did everything they could do and were not able to maintain him. He was getting progressively worse, and they said it was time.”

Familiar at AQHA shows across the country, the gray gelding was a once-in-a-lifetime horse for the Barnes family. Foaled in 1997 by Zippo A Ward and out of Nosilksocks by Mr High Socks, he was bred by Judith Box of Lewisville, Texas. His accomplishments included numerous all-around titles, high-points, Superior awards and more than 4,500 AQHA points in everything from showmanship to western pleasure; he even had points in reining. He earned $39,168 at the AQHA World Championship Show and $29,416 through National Snaffle Bit Association competition.

“What made (Ace) a great horse was his willingness to please, to try, to pull that extra 10 percent out and put himself ahead of the pack. Ace gave his all to whoever rode him, but I think Nicole was always his favorite.

“He was a good athlete, but he had more heart than anything.”

Since 1973, the American Quarter Horse Foundation has funded research programs at five different universities with the goal to reach a treatment or cure for laminitis in horses. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $775,000 on this research.

The most recent research project funded by the American Quarter Horse Foundation is worth $50,015. “Effects of Resting Insulin Sensitivity on the Acute Response to Endotoxin in Horses” was conducted at the University of Tennessee.

The focus of the project is on a common form of “grass founder” laminitis that occurs when a toxic bacterial byproduct is produced during digestion. Researchers think this bacteria or endotoxin causes various damaging effects. It is suggested the response by the horse’s body then inadequately processes glucose or sugar causing insulin resistance similar to what occurs in pre-diabetic patients. This reaction could alter blood flow to the hoof tissue, thus inducing laminitis. In this project, researchers will look at preexisting cases of insulin resistance and determine whether the amount of endotoxin causing laminitis can be suppressed with drugs.

The American Quarter Horse Journal brings readers the stories, articles, statistics and info they depend on for success in their horse business or hobby. Subscribe today!

The queen of bling takes a few moments to decide what to wear.

Pamela Britton-Baer goes through the process of achieving that pro look that will give you the confidence to enter the show ring.

By Pamela Britton-Baer in The American Quarter Horse Journal

I’m the queen of bling. Trust me folks, I’ve been wearing rhinestone-studded belts for nigh on 30 years, long before Kippy came along. Liberace has nothing on me. Elton John’s glasses are tame. And that guy who created the BeDazzler? He’s my hero.

So it’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that when I made the transition from the hunter world to the Quarter Horse circuit, one of the classes I most wanted to learn was showmanship. Not because I thought it looked fun – although it did. No. I wanted to do it because of the clothes.

Having previously consulted my oracle of all things Quarter Horse, (otherwise known as Google, YouTube or the forum at www.pleasurehorse.com) I’d learned that some of those outfits were pretty darn snazzy. And expensive. Ver-ry expensive. I could buy a flat-screen TV for the price of a rail shirt. Not that I’d be needing a rail shirt anytime soon, rail shirts being different than showmanship jackets (or so I learned).

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Heck, I could feed a few dozen children in Africa paying for either a rail shirt or a new jacket. Maybe even feed a whole nation. Did I really want to spend big bucks when I knew that whatever I bought would be out of fashion 10 seconds after I wore it?

No.

And this is where my experience as an Internet junky stood me in good stead. The Internet is a giant rummage sale. Seriously. I’ve gotten some of the most amazing deals off eBay. The keys are to know where to look and to be patient. Unfortunately, I was running out of time. My first official lesson with my new trainer was right around the corner and I didn’t have a thing to wear.

Here’s the deal about having a new trainer: It’s a lot like starting a new job. I knew I wasn’t going to actually wear my new showmanship outfit, but I sure wanted my trainer’s seal of approval. There’s nothing worse than walking into an arena and realizing you’ve committed a fashion faux pas. I’d rather know ahead of time that what I’d bought was wrong. The trouble was, I couldn’t decide what to buy. At least with hunt coats your choices are limited: Black, dark blue, dark green, brown; hunt coats all look the same.

Not so with showmanship jackets.

Should I get a solid color or floral pattern? Fancy trim or plain? Cuffs or no cuffs? Lots of sparkles or no sparkles? Wait. That last question I knew the answer to. I was just having a hard time finding something I liked in my size. Apparently, most people who show are the size of a praying mantis. I, however, am a roly poly. Sigh. I would have to have something custom-made. This would take time.

And so, empty-handed, I reported to my first lesson sans showmanship outfit (dagnabit!)

I was like a kid on the first day of school.

The whole way there, I was a nervous wreck. But once again, it turned out I was worried about nothing. I’d forgotten that a good trainer only wants what’s best for you. A good trainer will tell you like it is. They’ll point out your weaknesses … and your strengths.

My first lesson with Lise von Uhlit was chock full of helpful advice. I was thrilled. With my next show only a few weeks away, I was given lots of things to work on at home.

I just wish I’d had a sparkly new jacket to show her. In the end, I did manage to find something. It wasn’t custom made. It was a pre-made, one-of-a-kind and I LOVED it. I added more sparkles (of course), found matching pants at the local thrift store (yes, thrift store), and painted my boots to match the color of my pants. Cool!

But would that outfit pass muster?

I don’t mind telling you I was a nervous wreck when it came time to debut the new duds. Of course, part of my anxiety had to do with the fact that I was wearing those new clothes an hour before I was due to go into the ring. That doesn’t give you much opportunity to change into Plan B should the first outfit fail the test. Plus, I suffer from a little thing called pattern panic. That’s when you feel like you’re going to throw up right before your showmanship class. Symptoms are usually exacerbated by the knowledge that you’re going to leave out certain elements of said pattern. Yup. That’s me. The one who turns right when one’s supposed to go left. Or pivots when you’re not supposed to. Or trots when you’re supposed to walk. Sigh. But back to the outfit…

It was a hit. Sort of. The jacket received rave reviews, but the rest of me, well….

Did you know a showmanship hat should have a crease like a taco? And did you know pointy-toed boots should only be worn by elves? And did you know that the bun at the back of one’s head should be a specific type? Apparently mine was a hot dog-type when it should have been a hamburger.

I would have never known.

Thanks to my newly hired trainer, I was “in the know.” So I didn’t mind the fashion tips at all, because I’d had no clue there was a certain “look” to showmanship. Lise helped me to achieve that look. It gave me confidence to know I would enter the ring dressed like a pro. Only when I went off pattern would a judge realize I was far from proficient in the class. But, hey, looking the part has to count for something.

And so I fixed the hat. I fixed the hair, too. And the boots…well, I happen to love my boots and so — pardon the pun — I put my foot down.

Lise didn’t mind. She’s laid-back enough not to sweat the small stuff — like my feet. So we moved on from clothes to my patterns. And after two days of practice, my performance improved. I was stoked. I stayed on pattern.

I won a class.

I know. What a shocker. I was even in contention for the circuit championship for about 2.9 seconds. Un-believable. Each class was looking better and better — thanks to my new trainer. And that, my friends, was the whole point. I’d wanted to improve. My fantastic new trainer helped me to achieve that goal.

I left Reno, Nevada, proud of our performance and committed to doing better the next time out. That show’s only a few weeks away and I. Can’t. Wait. Maybe next time I’ll pull off a circuit championship. Or not.

But it sure will be fun to try!

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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.

For the backup, I close both spurs, keep the horse straight and then release to stop him.

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If he didn’t do it right, I will ask him to do it again. If he did it correctly, then I will get off of him, pat him and loosen his cinch for immediate relief. This tells him he did a good job, and we’re finished for the day.

Workout Schedule

When exercising my older, more experienced horses, I keep it pretty mixed up.

I might work on long trotting and loping squares one day and departures and transitions the next. There are even days that I might come out and just walk and stand the entire session.

I don’t want to go out every day and do the same exact thing. I will do that on a younger horse because they need to learn the rhythm, but on an older horse, I vary it up a lot.

If you take a horse out there and just run him through every day, he gets savvy to that. So there are days when I am going to surprise my horse and just take him out and walk him and let him stand and look in the pasture.

For my older horses, I will ride them two or three days a week with activity of some sort on all the other days. Those activities would include turnout or being put on the hot walker.

When it comes to preparing for shows, I want to make sure that the horse is ready to go to the horse show and be shown without straining himself. I try to make sure that athletically the horse is ready for what’s coming up. Exercise-wise, that would mean some long trotting again and doing what I call my checkups: Are you doing your transitions correctly? Are you basically moving the way I want you to move? Just kind of conditioning coupled with my turnout program.

Now if I’m getting ready for the All American Quarter Horse Congress or the AQHA World Championship Show, I’m going to be pickier about everything. At that point, my horse’s mental readiness and my requirements are going to definitely increase. I might ride two or three times a day or whatever is needed at the time to make sure that everything is in perfect working order.

If I’m going to a smaller show, I won’t be quite as critical.

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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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If the horse doesn’t do a transition correctly, I stop him, back him up and then ask again. If he does it right the next time, then I leave him alone.

At every transition, I want the shoulders up at the neck level.

In the lope departure, if the horse is broke, I leave my hand very steady. If it’s a greener horse that needs a little bit of help with lifting his shoulders, head and neck, I move my hand slightly forward and raise my wrist a bit. This is the cue that I teach my horses. When I move my hand slightly forward and bring my wrist up, this is a cue for elevation of the horse’s whole front end.

Loping Squares

In this exercise, I am basically loping a square. I lope in a straight line, stop, push the shoulder around to make the turn and then lope off again.

When I cue the horse to lope, my body is in a normal riding position with a relaxed leg. But when I go to make the turn, because I am moving the shoulders, my legs come forward, with my outside leg of the square a little more forward than the inside leg.

After I move the shoulders over, I might ask the horse in this particular exercise to lope off a little more through the shoulders and with my leg a bit more forward.

Also, I sometimes throw in turns on the hindquarter or forehand, depending on what I think the horse needs and the placement of his body.

What I am working on with this exercise is the straightness of the horse and keeping the horse from getting over canted. I want to prevent that.

Stay tuned next week for Part IV of the series.

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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 proper frame, which is a show-ring frame with the horse’s head and neck as level as possible.

Prepare for the popular AQHA class, hunter under saddle, with AQHA’s “Selecting and Showing Hunting Under Saddle Horses” DVD and develop a firm understanding of what judges base their decisions on.

One of the most important things when long trotting is that the horse is responsive to my spur, leg and seat cues. So when long trotting, I will check with the horse to see if he is listening to my cues. For example, I might vary by asking him to ease his rhythm down a bit and do a slower extension, and then ask him to speed up to a faster extension.

This exercise is a real attention-getter and helps to harness the body and the mind as one. It really emphasizes obedience in a greener horse who is not accustomed to going into a working trot without breaking into a lope or slowing down. This exercise is a way to tell him, “You go the pace I ask you to go. No more. No less.”

Shoulder and Hip

In this exercise, I focus on a shoulder or hip. I will have him either pivot around or move in any direction I ask.

For the shoulder, I will place my outside leg a little forward and ask him to move his shoulder. For the hip, my leg is behind the relaxed leg position. I usually do this exercise with two hands on the reins, and I am typically in the middle of the arena or riding across it diagonally.

The purpose of this exercise is making sure the horse is obedient to my legs and my requests. If I find an area of resistance, then I know I need to focus longer on that.

Stay tuned next week for Part 3 of the series.

From conformation to temperament, AQHA’s “Selecting and Showing Hunter Under Saddle Horses” DVD provides a wealth of information and covers a broad range of topics. Purchase yours today!

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.

What I want with my horses is that warm, soft, moldable piece of clay all the time. I don’t care how finished a horse is or how long he has done western pleasure, he’ll go back to that stiff piece of clay if he’s not worked. He needs calisthenics to keep him supple and allow him to do his job properly.

To prepare my western pleasure horses for the show ring, I use five simple exercises to enhance movement, transitions, flexibility and balance. The exercises consist of long trotting, shoulder and hip work, departures and transitions, loping squares and backing up.

Get valuable insight to the judge’s expectations and better understand how to correctly present your horse with “Showing to Win: Western Pleasure” DVD.

Warming Up

Before I move into the exercises, I warm up the horse by longeing him and riding him lightly. I want to make sure the horse is mentally with me.

When I longe, I do not take the horse out there and just crack the whip and make him run around. I take the horse out, and I try to get a feel for where he is mentally. Is he excited, or is he quiet and ready to work? I don’t want the horse to come out with his tail over his back and run around like crazy on the longe line.

If that’s the case, then I will let him work himself down and maybe tie him up for a little while and let him recoup before I ride him. I don’t like to ride right off a hard longe, because then the horse is breathing hard and is not really mentally open.

When I get on the horse, I walk him around and check his mental capacity again. If he’s pretty quiet, then I’m going to do a little lifting exercise where I see if he is attentive. I will raise the reins and ask him to lift his shoulders, head and neck.

If he answers correctly, then I will ask him to move into a jog and see if he continues to pay attention to me. I will then tap him with my leg and ask him to move his body and see if he answers my cues. I also ask him to move into a lope and check my leg and hand cues again. I will then check my brakes and maybe ask him to yield off my leg.

But if I feel he still has too much energy or isn’t paying attention to me, then I would not necessarily drill on the movements and the calisthenics. Instead, I’m going to say, “What do we need to do to get your energy level down? Do you need to get out and play? Do you need to go on the hot walker?”

If he is willing and listening to me, answering all my questions correctly, then I move into the calisthenics.

This DVD is the first in a series presenting the standards expected in AQHA’s most popular classes. Get your copy of “Showing to Win: Western Pleasure” today!

Stay tuned next week for Part II: Long Trotting and Shoulder and Hip.

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.

It’s a conformation class, and that’s what the judges are going by. It’s not how much muscle, how big or whatever; it’s correctness, balance and conformation.

Another extremely popular AQHA class is showmanship. If you’re interested in this class, you should check out our Showmanship at Halter DVD.

Unlike showmanship, in halter, you can just show from one side. But you have to make sure you get your horse set up really good, even if it takes a little longer. You want to keep his head and ears up. You’re showing your horse more than you are yourself.

Tracking

When you track your horse, the biggest thing is to keep your horse straight and at a consistent speed at the walk and the jog. You can track a sound horse and make him look sore if you’re pulling his head into you and he’s shortening on one side because you’re pulling him around.

You want to track him correctly so it compliments him. If he’s a hunt seat horse, don’t go out there and try to make him just jog beside you. Trot him out there and show his best stride.

If it’s a short-strided rope horse or a pleasure horse, you don’t want to take off with him, just let him go at his own pace beside you.

The Line-Up

When you’re lined up in the class, you’ve got to know when to present your horse and when to let him rest. Look to see where the judges are and know where everybody is in the pen.

The biggest thing is to have your horse broke and don’t do your training in the class. If you’re having a hard time setting him up and the judge doesn’t get to look at him because he has his head down while you’re placing a foot, it could really cost you.

You also don’t want to burn your horse out. You’ve got to show him to each judge and keep him fresh and get him presented to each judge. It’s hard for a horse to look really fresh if you’re calling on him the whole time you’re in there, constantly trying to get his ears up, etc.

It’s especially the case at the world shows. If you try to show your horse the whole time you’re in there, he’ll get tired and quit showing.

You also need to be aware of ways to compliment your horse. For example, if he runs downhill, you don’t want his front end pointed away from the center of the pen. From the side, it’ll create the illusion that he’s running even more downhill.

Grooming

With halter horses, you want everything clean and neat. You don’t want them greased up so much that you can’t even touch them and that they look like they’re wearing too much makeup.

Learn about grooming tips for showmanship as well with our Showmanship at Halter DVD. There’s also information about clipping, halter fit, body position, posture and more!

The hoof black should be lined just right, not up in the hair. You want the ears and the muzzle oiled where it looks clean, not greasy. You want horses clipped well with a good shine on their hair.

I think what makes a lot of the performance halter is showing the horse with a little of the characteristics of what they do. Everybody, especially a horseman, appreciates that a little more.

For example, I want rope horse manes to be just like you’d have them for the roping. I don’t band them; I just comb them really good and have them clean. On a longer-maned horse, some people do prefer to band them, but I don’t think you should pull them and change the appearance of the horse.

The pleasure horses have their manes pulled, so go ahead and band those. And for the hunt seat horses, band those the same way or leave them down. Don’t leave a hunt seat horse braided. I still think that when you go into a Quarter Horse conformation class, your horse is a representative of a stock breed.

I don’t ever use a tied-in tail; I don’t like them. But if a tail is really thin and gives the illusion of the horse being off-balance, you might need to add a bit.

Opinion Is OK

I think what’s fun about the judging in performance halter is that there are no determined guidelines. A lot of opinion goes back into it, and that’s something I like. That’s what makes horse shows, a horseman’s opinion.

If we were to put everything on a computer and say, “this is the horse, this is the winner,” then you just go out there and match up that horse and that’s the winner every time. To make people come back, you’ve got to go by what you like. What I like is not necessarily what you like, but that’s what makes the world go round.

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.

General Membership

A general membership is for members whose only interaction with the Association is for AQHA-related horse work (registrations, transfers, DNA testing, etc.) or exhibitors who are going to show in the AQHA open division. If you are going to place your membership in a joint, farm, ranch, family or business name, the general membership is the way to go. If you place your membership in a farm, ranch, family or business name, be sure to fill out an AQHA authorization form. The authorization form lets AQHA know who can sign important paperwork, such as transfers and breeders certificates. It also helps AQHA verify who can maintain addresses and phone numbers.

There are many benefits that come with being a member of the American Quarter Horse Association. Learn how you can get discounts with AQHA corporate partners, show at official AQHA events,  enroll in horseback riding programs and receive the America’s Horse magazine by becoming an AQHA member.

A general membership is $40 for one year or $80 for three years. You can buy a life membership for $500.

After the 60-day timeframe, or if horse-related work has been completed under your membership, AQHA cannot add, change, remove, transfer or cancel a membership.

Amateur Membership

An AQHA amateur membership is specifically for exhibitors 19 years of age or older who have not shown, judged, trained or assisted in training a horse for remuneration. An amateur membership card must be purchased solely in the name of the exhibitor. This rule is not limited to Quarter Horses, so if you have been paid for showing, judging or training any other breed, or even grade horses, you do not qualify to compete in the AQHA amateur division.

The other main stipulation for amateur exhibitors is that the horse exhibited by an amateur must be owned by the amateur exhibitor or someone directly related to the amateur, as specified in Rule 403(a) in the AQHA Handbook of Rules and Regulations.

AQHA does not recognize common-law marriages for amateur exhibition purposes, as a common-law marriage is different in each of the 50 states and in other countries.

An AQHA amateur membership is $45 for one year and $90 for three years. Because an amateur member must sign a statement verifying that he or she still qualifies to be an amateur at least every three years, AQHA does not offer a life amateur membership. If you would like to have a life membership, but want to exhibit in the amateur division, you may obtain a general life membership and upgrade it to amateur status either every one or three years. Amateur upgrades are $5 for one year or $10 for three years. If you have purchased a general membership but need an amateur card, an upgrade will work for you as well. An upgrade can be submitted at a show (an extra $5 charge is applied to the upgrade cost) or can be mailed or faxed to AQHA. The amateur application, completed and signed, is required with the fee.

Youth Membership

A youth membership is designed for members under age 19. Like the amateur membership, a youth membership cannot be purchased in a joint, family, farm, ranch or business name. AQHA youth members are eligible for all AQHA corporate partner discounts, except Members Plus offers. Youth memberships are not eligible for auto renewal.

Whether you’re renewing your membership or joining for the first time, being an AQHA member come with plenty of perks. You can get corporate partner discounts, receive America’s Horse magazine, show at official shows and join the horseback riding program!

A common misconception for many of my customers is that a youth member cannot have a horse transferred into his or her name. This is not true. AQHA does not have any stipulations for horse ownership that limit a member because of age. If the youth is too young to sign his name, parents and guardians can submit a statement to AQHA listing the youth’s name, birth date and information stating that they need to be able to sign for AQHA paperwork submitted under the youth’s name. AQHA does not charge a fee to list authorized persons.

A youth membership is $15 for one year, $35 for three years or $50 for a life youth membership. The life youth membership ends December 31 the year of or after the member turns 19. He or she can then graduate to an amateur or general membership. A $50 discount is given to life youth members who graduate to a general life membership.

Youth members who exhibit in the youth division also have ownership stipulations. The horse exhibited by a youth must be in the ownership of the exhibitor or someone directly related, as specified in Rule 404(a) in the AQHA Handbook of Rules and Regulations.

Now that you have a detailed description of all the memberships AQHA offers, pick the one that fits your needs, and join today!