Champion barrel racer Kristie Peterson offers some advice on what it takes to win consistently.

Sitting and relaxing into the turn brings your horse’s hind end under him and allows him to leave the turn faster and harder.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Kristie Peterson is a four-time Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world champion barrel racer, originally from Colorado but now living in Chilton, Texas. Kristie is the owner of the famous barrel horse French Flash Hawk, aka “Bozo,” and together they were as competitive and fierce as any barrel racing team out there.

But that was then and this is now, and, as a grandmother, she has transitioned into a different phase of her life that she loves and enjoys just as much as she loved and enjoyed the rodeo road. Today, she trains horses with her daughter, Jordon, for themselves and clients.

Here are Kristie’s tips on how to get the most out of your barrel runs:

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There are other ways to work a horse when cattle aren’t available.

To make a horse cowy, AQHA Professional Horseman Dan Roeser works a person on foot because he can show some expression like a cow.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

No cow? No problem, says AQHA Professional Horseman Dan Roeser. The Marsing, Idaho, trainer has methods that don’t use cattle when working his cow horses, whether he’s training a green youngster or maintaining a seasoned pro. He told the Journal how riders can incorporate these techniques into their programs.

Circling Backwards

Even when I have cattle, I still back my horse in circles to prepare him to work a cow. By doing this, you can pick the horse’s shoulders up and have him step the way that you want.

I’m a big believer in making a horse’s footwork really solid, and this really helps with that. It teaches the horse to move his front end over and shift his hind end just a little bit so he is ready to turn off of it. The more a horse knows where he is going to put his feet, the more confident he is.

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All-around competition can be the key to expanding a rider’s skills.

Daughter of AQHA Professional Horsewoman Jackie Krshka, Katie Krshka is a prime example of how all-around competition can take a rider to new heights.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

AQHA Professional Horsewoman Jackie Krshka says expanding your events could be the ticket to rejuvenating your excitement for competition and testing the boundaries of your talent. Jackie offers advice to help you take the leap and find the right horse for the job.

Jackie says that an all-around competitor will become a better rider by spending more time horseback – both on the road and at home.

“There is no question – it’s been proven time and again,” Jackie says. “It takes riders to a more advanced level and prepares them for moving up. They learn feel and timing, and have a better sense of their horse.”

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Your training bill can contain other expenses besides the monthly fee.

Some trainers charge a day fee at horse shows, which covers the cost of supplies, such as rubber bands and hoof black.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Before you budget monthly horse expenses, you need to know that your training bill could come in a bit higher.

There’s more to training a horse than just the trainer’s fee. There are normal upkeep expenses, such as farrier care and deworming. And if the trainer shows your horse, you can expect items like transportation costs and day fees to show up on your monthly invoice.

Maintenance Expenses

Here are some of the horse upkeep charges that are charged to clients:

• Farrier care: The farrier care will either be included on your trainer’s bill or billed separately from the farrier. Some trainers tack on a “holding fee” if someone has to hold the horse while he’s being shod or trimmed.
• Vaccinations: Your charges for these expenses will depend on whether the veterinarian provides the vaccinations or the trainer administers them. If the veterinarian provides the vaccinations, he might bill you directly.
• Deworming: Most trainers do their own deworming of client horses, and all horses are put on the trainer’s deworming schedule. The type of deworming that’s done – daily or tube deworming – will determine your fees.

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Tom and Margo Ball share their method of halter breaking, based on good, old-fashioned horsemanship.

Remember: It pays to halter break when your foal is small.

By Christine Hamilton in The American Quarter Horse Journal

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

Step No. 3: Introducing the Lead Rope

• Clip a lead rope onto the halter and let the foal drag it. Play it by ear, and see what the foal does with it. Put a little pressure on it: Slide your hand on the rope so she feels the tension on it, but it’s not a pull.
• The foal’s going to walk with that rope dragging on the ground, and she’s going to step on it, and it will jerk her head down. That is her first “Whoa,” as far as a “Whoa” command on a halter. After a few times of that, as soon as she steps on the rope and feels that pull, she will just stop and put her head down. She’ll carry her head to one side or the other. The foals learn not to step on the rope.
• Use a rope that’s short enough to only reach to the back feet. If the mare’s around, she’s likely to step on it, too.

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Tom and Margo Ball share their method of halter breaking, based on good, old-fashioned horsemanship.

Most foals are a little hesitant to come to you. If you work around your foals on a daily basis, such as cleaning stalls, they'll start coming to you.

By Christine Hamilton in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Tom and Margo Ball use old-fashioned horsemanship in their halter breaking, approaching it with patience, an earned trust and the belief that every foal is an individual. The steps Tom and Margo go through might take one day or three weeks, and they might spend longer on different steps with different foals. The Balls might start a foal at 30 days of age, or they might wait longer. It all depends on the personality and needs of each foals.

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

The Balls like to start working with the foal in a roomy run, with the foal’s mother close by.

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Find the right bit to make your horse a willing partner with AQHA Professional Horseman Don Murphy.

AQHA Professional Horseman Don Murphy likes to lightly check his horses up when he's experimenting with new bits.

By Jim Bret Campbell in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the second of a two-part series. Need to review Part 1?

Making the Right Choice

Many horse owners simply hang whatever bit they happen to own in the horse’s mouth and expect the horse to accept it. If the horse doesn’t respond to that bit, then the tendency is to buy heavier and harsher bits until the horse is forced into submission. While it might be effective short term, using a harsher bit might not be the best for your horse’s longevity.

Ultimately, your horse tells you – by his body language, eyes and responsiveness – when you’ve made the right bit decision.

“We want our horse to be happy,” says AQHA Professional Horseman Don Murphy of Marietta, Oklahoma. “He’s our partner in getting something done.”

Learn to read your horse’s response to a particular bit.

“I’ve had bits that only worked on one horse,” Don says. “And I’ve had horses that will go in just about anything.”

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Find the right bit to make your horse a willing partner with AQHA Professional Horseman Don Murphy.

AQHA Professional Horseman Don Murphy believes in a teaching a young horse to give to the snaffle before he introduces it to a shanked bit.

By Jim Bret Campbell in The American Quarter Horse Journal

In the California vaquero tradition, horses were started later and the training evolved through a horse’s lifetime until he was a finished bridle horse at 7 or 8 years old. Today’s performance demands and emphasis on 3-year-old reining and reined cow horse futurities speed up the need to bit a horse. Horses are started sooner and introduced to shanked bits earlier in the training process.

But how do you select the right bit for your horse? Especially in National Reined Cow Horse Association events, where many competitors still use traditional spade and cathedral bits, finding the right bit that keeps your horse happy and productive in the show ring can be daunting.

The Journal turned to AQHA Professional Horseman Don Murphy of Marietta, Oklahoma, who grew up using traditional California methods for bitting horses, to get you started with the right bit for your horse.

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Nine ways to improve your roping.

AQHA Professional Horseman J.D. Yates encourages all riders to ask for help, especially in roping.

By J.D. Yates with Jim Bret Campbell in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the last of a two-part series. Need to review Part 1?

Loop 5: Don’t Just Go Rope

If every day you take your horse into that arena to rope, it would be like me having to sit in an office every day at 8 in the morning – that’s not what I enjoy. I think that a lot of the guys that you see winning are just riding a lot.

Saddle up for 30 minutes and just go lope around without worrying about roping. Take a rope and carry it with you and swing it and play with it. The more you are on your horse and the rope is in your hand, the more natural it becomes.

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It’s not just horse owners who feel the pressure of training and competition; horses feel it, too.

Routine events such as training and competition can be stressful enough to contribute to equine stomach ulcer development.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial

Horse shows can be a stressful endeavor. However, exhibitors aren’t the only ones who deal with the pressure of competition. Whether horses travel the country attending shows week after week or are out once a year to win a ribbon at the county show, they can feel the stress of competition, too.

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Nine loops to improve your roping with AQHA Professional Horseman J.D. Yates.

AQHA Professional Horseman J.D. Yates encourages all ropers to ride frequently in order to develop balance and consistency.

By J.D. Yates with Jim Bret Campbell in The American Quarter Horse Journal

J.D. Yates carries a rope like it’s an extension of his hand. Once he backs into the roping box, he’s one of the fiercest competitors on the AQHA circuit or in pro rodeo. After almost three decades atop the sport, he still burns with the desire to win, even if it means asking someone for help.

With an innate ability to rope, J.D. is also respected as a teacher who gives roping clinics around the world. Between ropings and shows, J.D. sat down with the Journal to talk about how to improve your roping and, maybe more importantly, how much fun you can have at it.

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Horseman and trainer Jeff Avaritte takes his time starting colts.

Jeff Avaritte and Jacks Quick Colonel stop for a drink; Jeff likes to introduce his young horses to new experiences, like crossing a stream.

By Jeff Avaritte with Christine Hamilton in The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is last half of a two-part series. Need to review Part 1?

I work in the round pen first. They’re all free-longed until their whole focus is on me and they know “whoa.” I then hobble, sack out and saddle them. I also bridle them with either a smooth snaffle and a cavesson or a side pull.

After I saddle them, I drive them one or two days. I wait until they’re soft and giving to the bridle before I ever get on them.

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