Use these expert tips to calm your young show horse at home and at the show.

Question:

I don’t show personally, but I know a couple of people who show 2-year-olds in halter classes. One particular colt, new to the game, has a really annoying habit of getting hyped up before entering the show ring, and he tries to go into a trot when his handler walks him around. If the handler manages to keep him in a walk, he tosses his head about and tries to pull his head up, trying to get away so he can go gallop around.

How can he be kept calm before his class, and how do we deal with him if he gets jumpy in the show ring? Read the rest of this entry »

These exercises from Lainie DeBoer will perfect your flat work before taking your horse over fences.

Flat work including circles, figure 8s, serpentines and spirals get riders ready for technical horse jumping courses. Journal image.

By AQHA Professional Horseworman Lainie DeBoer in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Balance is important when you’re asking a horse to leave the ground and jump successfully across an obstacle. To jump well, he needs to be straight and in balance from the hind end up to the front end, with enough push from behind to complete the jump.

Your “track” gets you to the jump and prepares you for that take-off. Track work sets up the horse’s balance; it’s what gets him straight and gives him the right approach. And it gives you a destination on the back side of the jump.

Balance and track work enable you to negotiate a course. When they come together as one, the ride over the course should look effortless. To the judge, the transitions over the jumps, stride lengthening and collection, those all become invisible when the balance and track work are on target. Your goal is for your ride to be so smooth it looks like the jumps are just getting in the way as you flow around the ring in a smooth, consistent pace.

Looking for a new hunter under saddle horse? Selecting and Showing Hunter Under Saddle Horses DVD teaches you what to look for in jumping horse prospects. Read the rest of this entry »

Believe it or not, the riders weaving full-tilt through a herd of cattle use extremely technical strategies to slice every second possible off the clock.

Successful team penners need a good horse, good understanding of cattle and a great strategy. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

When Randy Haile was studying at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, he was first and foremost a student of team penning. His research paid off. By his senior year in college, Haile had been the Professional Team Penning Association high-point champion four times in five years.

“I think this game is more mental than physical,” says the team penning guru. “Communication is the key to the whole thing.”

Communication extends beyond getting along with your human partners. You also have to communicate with you horse and an entire group of cattle.

“The best way to learn to read cattle is to work them on foot,” Randy says. “If you’ve got to run 500 yards to get back a mistake, you won’t make that mistake very often.” No matter how well you ride, or how good a horse you have, you are at a distinct disadvantage if you don’t know cattle.

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Randy’s other important strategy gives him a competitive edge.

“We video all our runs, and watch and watch and watch,” he says. “We tape the runs of other people who are winning, and try to figure out why they’re winning. There was a time when I’d watch team penning videos four or five nights a week, two or three hours at a time. It really helped me.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tips for keeping your cow horse honest on the fence.

Todd suggests not always letting your horse turn the cow. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

If you’ve ever competed in working cow horse or reined cow horse events, you know firsthand the excitement of taking a cow to the fence.

It’s even more fun with an experienced horse that knows exactly how to get fence work done correctly. But some older horses need a little schooling to make them more honest when they go down the fence. After working numerous cattle, veteran cow horses often get hooked on the cow and forget about the rider. Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA Professional Horsewoman and National Cowgirl Hall of Famer Sharon Camarillo offers barrel-racing advice.

The cone system for visualizing rate. Journal illustration.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

If you have the basics of barrel racing under your belt, you can pick up the pace and figure out how to rate your horse’s speed as you move into the turn.

The “rate” is your horse’s ability to shorten his stride and prepare for the turn. It is also the most misunderstood part of barrel racing. You are basically asking your horse to lengthen, then shorten a stride, while maintaining collection to create an efficient, powerful turn, all within a second or two. Read the rest of this entry »

You have to know when to use them.

Taking your time is the most important training device there is. Journal photo.

A pleasure horse, either under English or western tack, is supposed to be a pleasure to ride. He’s soft at the trot, flexed at the poll, responsive to the rider, looks straight through the bridle and moves with collection.

A horse that roots his nose, moves trashy, fights the bit, throws his head and is rough in a gait is not a pleasure to ride. Read the rest of this entry »

How the King Ranch trained its foals in the 1950s.

Gentling horses at a young age can greatly increase their likelihood of becoming good riding horses. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal 

Editor’s Note: This article, reprinted from the April 1950 edition of The American Quarter Horse Journal, was originally excerpted from the booklet “Training Riding Horses,” published by the Horse Association of America.  

Training a young foal requires careful handling and skillful training if the animal is to develop into a horse for ranch work. Robert J. Kleberg Jr., manager of the King Ranch says, “It costs less in time, labor and money to train riding horses by starting their handling at an early age and proceeding. Colts handled in this manner make safer and, on the average, more satisfactory mounts. Read the rest of this entry »

Handling a horse scarred by fear and pain.

Dealing with a horse with mental wounds can be stressful and dangerous. Journal photo.

By Dr. Jim and Lynda McCall in The American Quarter Horse Journal

The Problem:
Three weeks ago, I purchased a 5-year-old gelding through an auction. He is very frightened and spooky at any odd noise or object and shows signs of being barn sour. I haven’t taken him more than 200 yards from the barn because he gets very agitated. He once started to rear with someone in the saddle. Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA Professional Horseman Matt Mills walks you through AQHA reining Pattern 11.

AQHA Professional Horseman Matt Mills recommends really pushing down on your heels and keeping your legs out of the horse’s side during your stops. Journal photo.

By AQHA Professional Horseman Matt Mills in The American Quarter Horse Journal

In AQHA reining Pattern 11, which is only for novice amateurs, novice youth and youth 13 and under, you will walk to the center of the arena, similar to some of the other patterns. Read the rest of this entry »

Five basic steps for better barrels and poles.

As seasoned competitors know, a good barrel or pole run is about more than just bursts of speed. It takes a combination of speed and control. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

To the untrained eye, barrel racing and pole bending might look pretty easy.

You just go out there and have your horse run around the obstacles as fast as he can, right?

Well, not really. Read the rest of this entry »

How one trainer teaches young horses to react and move with cattle.

The rider’s body position is extremely important when it comes to critical timing in cutting. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

The ideal picture of a cutting horse is one of polished concentration and split-second response to the action of the cow.

The ability to excel in cutting depends on breeding, training and an individual’s desire. Read the rest of this entry »

Barrel horse trainer Dena Kirkpatrick diagrams her methods of patterning a barrel horse.

This diagram shows the patterning Dena uses in her three-quarters place. Journal illustration.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

World champion barrel horse trainer Dena Kirkpatrick demonstrates specific patterns she uses on the barrel course.

Dena’s patterning method is the acid test of a horse’s barrel-racing basics. Read the rest of this entry »