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:

Balance

As people age, when they return to riding from time off or after suffering injuries, their balance is often the first thing they lose. Kristie says what many people say: Relax – which is inevitably easier said than done.

“If you don’t relax and go with the stride, especially in the turn, it’s really stressful on your back,” Kristie says. “Relax your rear end in the saddle; it’s much easier on your body and easier on your horse.”

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.

Her suggestion is to get “butt heavy” in the saddle and relax your whole body starting from the shoulders down. Working on relaxation starts at home but should carry over into competition. However, Kristie says, it’s an active form of relaxation. You have to visualize it and practice it for it to work.

“It’s a mental thing; we all know that,” she says.

Adding Speed

Kristie doesn’t buy into fads, gimmicks or tricks. She keeps her training simple and her advice just as straightforward. Adding speed between barrels, according to Kristie, is all about confidence – confidence in yourself as a rider and confidence in your horse.

Roll It!

Dan and Vin Fisher introduce us to “Woody,” the AQHA-Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year.

“It usually just happens. Your horse gets to where he understands it’s a game and he starts enjoying himself,” Kristie says. “Your confidence and your horse’s confidence improve, and with that, the speed just comes. Your body gets more aggressive with that confidence.”

Kristie points out that it’s important to keep your preparation in place for the turn. Sitting and relaxing into the turn brings your horse’s hind end under him and allows him to leave the turn faster and harder. But you still have to set him for that turn, Kristie warns.

“Start your turn, then you are going to sit and relax, which is what I do when I ask a horse to stop anyway,” she says. “The horse prepares to get under himself to make that turn. Ride two-handed to the barrel. Five feet from the barrel, drop a hand and sit, and that’s his cue to get in the ground and turn. Get this consistent, even at the high lope.”

Mental Competitiveness

Confidence and being prepared for your runs is what gives you a mental edge, Kristie says.

“When you get to the rodeo, get off your horse and on your feet and walk the alley. Get a mental picture. Don’t be rushed, don’t have any excuses, and visualize yourself in the arena making your run.”

Not only that, Kristie says, but you need to know who ran before you and how they did. Did they turn out? If so, you need to know so that you don’t miss your turn or get rushed. Routine and confidence are the keys to having an edge over your competition.

AQHA Professional Horseman Richard Shrake explains the importance of rhythm and why timing is crucial to good riding in AQHA’s FREE Riding Lessons With Richard Shrake report.

“Be confident and don’t look for excuses,” Kristie says. “And don’t second guess yourself after you are done. When you are there, relax. Go in with a confident, clear mind.”

Kristie loves the mental games she plays with herself.

“You’ve already paid the money, so learn from mistakes and don’t be mad about them. That way, next time, you can visualize a different outcome.”

Bonus Tips

• When you go buy a horse, make the owner show you how the horse works. Many times, when you ride him and he bucks you off, they say he’s never done that before.
• If a horse will push you around when he’s on a halter, chances are good he will push you around when you are in the saddle. Get respect everywhere. When you are handling your horse, you are always teaching him something.

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.

When you back a horse in circles, you have him step back with his inside front leg and lift his shoulders up and over. You want him to move his hind end just enough to where he takes his inside hind leg, picks it up and moves it in position to pivot off of it. When he is set up, you easily let him turn out of it.

You back around in a circle three or four strides and then just let the horse turn out of it like he was making a move with a cow. The move doesn’t have to be a big leap as if there was really a cow there. It can be very soft.

So what you want to do is just back, back, back, release.

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Using a Flag

Another thing I do a lot is use a flag, but I don’t have my horse jumping around with it.

Instead, I want him to see the flag, chase it down the fence, stop, rock back maybe two or three strides and turn out like he does when he is backing in a circle. I use the flag as a confidence builder.

I think that the flag is really, really great for footwork but not good for making a horse cowy, because a flag can’t show expression.

Working a Person

To make a horse cowy, I use a person on foot because he can show some expression like a cow. This is a tremendous advantage, especially if the person on the ground knows what you’re trying to accomplish.

The thing about working a person on the ground is that person can do whatever it is that you want them to do. If there is something your horse needs to work on, you can have that person do the thing your horse has a problem with over and over again.

For example, you can have the person go off on one end and stop so your horse has to wait on that end. Or if your horse is blowing through big turns and losing contact with the cow, you can have the person start turning and then make one step back so the horse leans to stay hooked up.

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If the horse wants to leap ahead a little bit when working a cow, the person on the ground can step toward the horse to help drive the horse back on its hocks. This is kind of a footwork exercise because it’s the same as you’re doing when backing in circles. You’re moving the horse’s hips just a little bit to where he’s giving ground and turning.

To make a horse sharper and a little cowier, you can have the person on the ground fake some of his moves instead of taking one step back like he’s turning and then turn back into the horse.

Another good thing is to work a person on the ground right before you show. I try not to ever make somebody work on the ground more than just a couple of minutes.

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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.”

Although riders can develop feel for their horse in one event, Jackie says the bond can be stronger in all-around competition. “They have so much one-on-one contact in a variety of events that they know that horse in and out. If you’ve got four events to prepare for, you spend a little bit more time with your horse than if you’re preparing for one event.”

Getting Started

Rather than bombarding yourself with new classes, Jackie suggests a gradual in increase in classes.

For an all-around competitor, riding ability and a commitment to success are paramount.

“I have students who have all the try in the world, but they don’t have the natural talent, and it’s a long process,” Jackie says. “I’m not saying it can’t be done – you can do anything if you work hard enough. But someone with a lot of natural feel can go really fast.”

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Progressing

Whether you are beginning in western or English events, you can best develop your skills by following a progression of classes.

To Jackie, horsemanship serves as a good foundation in western competition. Riders learn basic maneuvers like spins and lead changes. In addition, they are judged on seat, balance and riding form, thus reinforcing basic riding skills.

In western riding, multiple lead changes further test a rider’s ability and quick thinking. Jackie says reining is the next logical step, as the maneuvers are performed faster and at a higher skill level.

In English events, hunter under saddle competition develops fundamental English skills. Equitation, like horsemanship, develops riding skills for flat work. “A rider has to have the basics before going over a jump,” Jackie says.

Jackie believes good equitation riders make good western event competitors, as they have good control of their legs and body. “They have proper feel and leg contact and know how to utilize that in making their horse perform,” she says.

Moving from western to English competition can take more discipline, she notes. “Western riders are very often not required to have as much feel with their legs,” she says. “It’s hard, a lot of times, for a (rider) to move from western into equitation.”

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The Right Horse

It’s important to match the skills of the horse and rider. “You don’t match a laid-back horse that needs a little aggression with a shy, timid rider. You will have nothing,” Jackie says. “Nor do you put a hyperactive, quick-handed rider with an oversensitive horse.”

She is also careful not to put a beginning rider on a green horse. “I never, ever do that. In fact, I don’t really like putting an experienced rider with a green horse unless they’re willing to go through the trials and tribulations.”

To be competitive in all-around competition, a rider needs an athletic horse, Jackie notes. The horse also must be good-minded to withstand the constant stress.

“They’ve got to be able to take the pressure of learning a lot of new things,” she says. “They must withstand the day-long process of a show. They’re not going to be prepped one time – they’re going to be prepped four or five different times, so they’ve got to be willing and kind and good minded.”

A horse that is not mentally up for all-around competition might not show the wear and tear in the beginning. But after a year or two, frustration will be evident in the horse’s expression, ears and tail, Jackie says.

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Time is also a consideration. Determine how quickly you would like to be an all-around competitor. If you have developed the talents to immediately compete in a variety of events, then a horse specialized in one event isn’t your best choice. However, if you’re not in a rush, a specialized horse could work for you.

Expanding a horse into other events can bring out new talents.

“We buy horses that have been very competitive in pleasure, and they’ve lost their peak of competitiveness,” Jackie explains. “I give them another job and teach them something else. It’s the rebirth of a whole new horse. They’re bright, and they’re fresh. They’ve got something new to do.”

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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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• Veterinarian services: These will either be added to your bill, or you will be billed directly by the veterinarian. Again, some trainers might include a “holding fee” to the bill if they had to help the veterinarian restrain the horse. Any special services, like acupuncture and chiropractic treatments, will be charged separately on the training bill or will be billed directly to the client.
• Laundry services: Many trainers ask clients to provide their own horse blankets for their horses. Some trainers charge an extra fee for cleaning blankets.
• Special feed and supplements: If clients request feed or supplements for their horse that would normally not be given by the trainer, then they will be charged for the costs.
• Grooming: Some trainers charge extra for pulling manes, clipping and braiding and banding of manes. These fees range from $20 for mane pulling to $50 for a pre-show prep to $100 for a body clip.
• Cattle charge: Cattle can be included in a monthly training fee. However, some trainers charge extra for the use of cattle.

Show Expenses

Here are some of the expenses that might be charged when a horse is shown:

• Day fees: Trainers charge $35 to $60 a day, which covers the cost of supplies, such as rubber bands and hoof black. Hotel and meal costs could also be included in the day fee, or they might be billed separately. Some trainers will also charge higher day fees, such as $200 a day, if it is a special show with only one client horse being shown.
• Lodging and meal costs: If the hotel and meal costs are not included in the day fee, trainers put this on the bill as a separate expense. It could either be a flat charge or actual costs while at the show. Some trainers will include the hotel and meal expenses of their grooms and assistants to the bill, which is also split equally among the horses.
• Transportation: All trainers charge a per-mile fee for transporting your horse. On average, the charge is 50 to 55 cents per mile, and some trainers might require a minimum fee of $100. The mileage expense is charged per horse and is not split among clients. Any expenses on the road such as toll fees are split among clients, however.
• Show entry fees: All show entry fees are the responsibility of the client. Many trainers will pay the show entry fee and bill the client, unless it’s something like a large futurity entry fee, and then the client usually pays it up front.
• Stall and tack stall: Stall fees are billed to the client. However, tack stalls are split among all customer horses at the show. Shavings are also charged to the client.
• Braiding and banding: Some trainers charge extra for braiding and banding, and also charge extra for keeping the horse groomed while at a show. This is usually $25 to $30 a day extra.
• Amateur and youth show assistance: This is included in the day fee for some trainers. However, other trainers will charge extra for rail assistance or coaching amateur and youth riders. This can be as much as $35 to $50 more a day.
• Miscellaneous show expenses: It’s not unusual for trainers to divide golf cart rental fees among their clients. Also, any extra fees such as cattle charges or paid warm-ups are also billed to the client.
• Advance payment: If a trainer is going to a large show where he will be away from home for a few weeks, he might pre-bill for the show by charging the client a large lump sum, sometimes around $1,000. Some trainers will also ask for a “show deposit” of $100 to $1,000, which will be applied toward future show charges.

Miscellaneous Items

These are a few other things that should be considered when hiring a trainer:

• Shared purse: This depends on the trainer. A trainer might take 25 percent of the prize money, after show expenses, but he might also split the winnings 50-50 before expenses are taken out. Some trainers will also stipulate for futurities that their minimum charge is $200 or a percentage of the prize money, whichever is greater.
• Commission: If a horse sells while at a trainer’s, and sometimes even up to six months to a year after leaving a trainer, a 10 percent or higher commission from the sale price is due to the trainer. Many trainers will request this commission even if the owner locates the buyer. Trainers usually want at least a 10 percent commission, as well, if a client purchases a horse with their help.
• Discounts: Some trainers offer a discount for multiple horses.
• Laid-up horse: Many trainers will discount their monthly fee if a horse is laid up or if the trainer is unable to work it because he is away at a show.
• Riding lesson: Lessons for amateurs are usually on top of the monthly training fee, but some trainers include two or more lessons in their monthly fee. Also, some trainers will charge extra if they have to tack and untack the horse for a lesson.

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Don’t Be Surprised

These are just a few of the items trainers might charge for training and showing a horse. But not every trainer charges for these expenses nor are the items listed here every expense that might show up on a bill.

Sit down with your trainer before he begins working with your horse to go over all possible charges and get an estimate on how much those expenses will be. You should get this information put in writing to avoid any surprises or discrepancies.

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.

Step No. 4: Taking the First Steps

• Start with give and release on the head. Standing to the side, pull on the foal’s head and release it, trying not to move her feet.
• Next, pull a little harder. The logic of going sideways is that you’re pulling her off balance, and she’s almost forced to cross a leg over. That’s the “first step.” When she does that, you release.

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• Then switch to the other side and pull in the other direction.
• Don’t stand out in front where she can brace against you. A baby will pull back and can flip over backward. Of course, when she starts to pull back, you don’t let her go, but you let the rope slip through your hand so there’s just enough resistance that she doesn’t pull real hard and you let go and she drops to the ground.
• When you take off the pressure and put it back on slowly and gently, the foal’s more likely to give to you. If you put on a lot of pressure, you make a foal fight you.

Step No. 5: Moving Alongside You

• Once the foal is going sideways, then ask her to go forward, alongside you. You could use a rump rope, or, if it’s a small foal, just put one hand on the rump and ask her to move along beside you. Either way, stay at the side and keep the baby’s neck out in front.
• By the time you get a foal leading well from one side, chances are she’ll lead from the other side just as good, because she’s used to going with you.
• This is the foal’s first education in body language. You move forward, the horse moves forward at your side, not dragging along behind you. That body language works throughout life, in halter classes, showmanship classes and so on.
• Anything you do at this point is going to affect what you do with that horse five years from now. You need to avoid wrecks or any disobedience on either your part or the foal’s part; it will all come back to haunt you down the road. Do it right the first time.

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Parting Words

• The best time to “sack out” a horse is when you’re halter breaking her. You can do this with a lead rope: Drag it all over her body, between the ears, over the rump, on her legs. Again, all slow motions, no quickness. When you’re just standing there with the foal, not doing anything with her, mess with your lead rope.
• Halter breaking is a short process. It doesn’t take months or weeks. It just takes a few hours: 15 minutes today, 15 minutes tomorrow and the next day and so on.
• Remember: It pays to halter break when your foal is small.

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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.

Step No. 1: Wait Until They’re Ready

• Most foals are a little hesitant to come to you. As they get used to you being around, then they will start coming up, and they’ll get curious. And as you pet or scratch them, they become more “humanized.”
• Work around your foals on a daily basis, such as cleaning stalls.
• The key word is trust. When a foal comes up and starts nosing around you, that means he trusts that you’re not going to do something to him that will hurt. So when you do introduce him to something new, like the halter, he trusts that it’s not going to be anything bad.

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• If you take a foal and try to put a halter on him and start pulling him around, you’re going to spook him. Then he’ll lose trust in the halter, lose trust in you, and you end up with a horse that’s going to fight you, and maybe one that will get hurt.

Step No. 2: Putting On and Wearing the Halter

• Practice patience before you start. It takes a lot of patience and slow movements. Try to use little resistance with the foal, so you don’t spook him in any way.
• When it comes time to put on the halter, it’s often better to have two people or a box corner to do it in.
• The trick, when you use two people, is for the rump person to just stand there, letting the foal brace against the back person. You don’t want to apply pressure or grab the rump. You want just enough pressure that the foal stands still. The back person just gives support.
• If you’re up against the foal, he’s not going to kick you, other than with his hock. You’re better off touching the foal than standing back two feet, where you can get hurt.
• Stand back and watch and just let the foal wear the halter a while. Foals are individuals; they’re all going to have a little different temperament. Disposition is the key factor in that. Depending on the individual, the foal might just wear the halter for a few days, and you do nothing else with it.

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• A leather halter is the safest for a foal. If the foal does get into a bind and gets really caught on something, the leather will break.
• The halter needs to fit the foal. If you have one too big, and the foal reaches up to scratch, the foal could get into a real wreck.
• Don’t leave the halter on the foal at night. You don’t have to stand there and watch the foal the entire time, but on the other hand, you do need to be around in close proximity so that if the foal does get into some kind of bind, you’re there.

Stay tuned for the second part of this series.

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.”

In today’s performance world, make sure your horse’s teeth are well-maintained and free of any sharp corners or imbalances that could cause pain. It’s especially important in young horses and new horses. Don suggests feeling in the side of the horse’s mouth. Using two fingers, gauge the width of his mouth, the depth and sharpness of his bars, and the thickness of the horse’s tongue. If you’ve never done it, ask an experienced horseman to help you.

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All of those features can give you an indication of where to start finding the right bit for your horse. For instance, a thick-tongued horse with flat bars might need a heavier bit with more tongue relief, while a horse whose thin tongue lies flat between the bars might need a lighter bit.

Don also evaluates the horse’s conformation to see how he naturally moves and carries his head. While the current style in the show ring might tend toward lower-headed horses, don’t expect to be able to manufacture that look through bitting alone. In other words, if your horse’s neck comes out high from his withers and he naturally carries his head higher, forcing him to carry his head lower will result in a manufactured look and, ultimately, isn’t good for your horse’s performance or value.

Checking Up

After evaluating the horse’s mouth, start with a basic bit that is relatively straight and fits the amount of tongue relief you expect for that horse, depending on if his tongue fits in the space between the bars or sits above them.

According to National Reined Cow Horse Association rules, Don uses a leather curb strap on his high-ported bits. Regardless of the height of the bit’s port, the curb strap dictates the amount of movement the port moves within the horse’s mouth. Don begins with the curb strap fairly tight with just a finger’s width between the strap and the horse’s chin. When the reins are pulled back, the curb strap applies pressure to the horse’s chin before the port hits the top of the horse’s mouth. However, the signal from the port, coupled with the pressure on the horse’s chin, should be enough to get the horse to flex his poll and give to the bit.

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In the round pen, Don checks the horse by running the reins back to the saddle. He starts with a small amount of pressure from the reins to allow the horse to find the place where he can find release from the pressure. For reiners, he runs the reins lower, through the D-rings of the saddle so that the horse learns to give farther back toward his withers. For cow horses that need to carry their heads higher to balance themselves through turns on the fence, he runs the reins through the pommel of the saddle.

From the ground, Don lopes the horse in both directions around the round pen until the horse gives softly to the bit and accepts it. However, he rarely lets the horse stay checked up for more than seven or eight minutes. And he constantly watches the horse for fatigue or excessive irritation with the bit.

If your horse continues to toss his head or doesn’t seem to accept the bit you’ve chosen, experiment with bits with different tongue pressure, port height and weight.

Final Selection

Finding the right bit for your horse might require perseverance. Spade and cathedral bits might look like medieval torture devices at first, but they’re designed for communication instead of intimidation.

“All bits are good tools, if you use them right and they fit your horse,” Don says. “If a horse gets real nervous in the mouth, a lot of times it’s because something else is wrong. Your training program is too severe or too quick.”

To prolong your horse’s competitive life, it’s never too late to go back to the basics and find a bit that improves your reiner’s or cow horse’s performance. By making a willing partner, you’ll find yourself scoring winning runs more often.

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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.

Getting Started

When Don gets ready to start his 2-year-olds in preparation for the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity or the National Reining Horse Association Futurity, he starts their training by letting them carry a lightweight snaffle bit. For seven to 10 days before they’re started under saddle, the young horses wear a snaffle bit tied loosely to a halter with worn strands of twine that break easily if snagged. Wearing the snaffle helps teach the 2-year-olds how to carry the bit and prepare them for the next step in the training process.

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As Don introduces a saddle, he also begins to bit the horses by teaching them to give to lateral pressure from the bit and to give at the poll. Teaching them to give to the snaffle and not fight it lays the foundation for the rest of the horse’s training and enables him to be more responsive when he’s introduced to a shanked bit.

“If you have them soft in the sides and the poll – soft both ways – then you have control of your horse,” Don says. “If they are stiff in one spot, you don’t have control of your horse.”

Roll It!

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Don’s program revolves around building longevity in the horse. Taking the time to build the foundation in your horse’s training can save time in the long run by keeping you from having to repeat as many steps.

“Don Dodge once told me that if your horse changes 1 percent a day, then in 100 days, you have a 100 percent better horse,” Don says. By making the changes easy for your horse, you can have a willing partner that won’t let you down when you’re taking a hard-charging cow down the fence. Skip a step, and your horse might skip out on you when the win is on the line.

Stay tuned for the second part of this series.

In AQHA’s FREE report, The Gospel According to Peter, read the tale of Peter McCue, a stallion that 5.1 million of today’s 5.3 million registered Quarter Horses trace their heritage to. Download your copy today!

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.

Have you ever watched young kids out riding? They don’t have to be roping to be happy. They’ll get on and lope anybody’s horse because they like to ride. Then they wind up being good ropers because they were good riders first.

Loop 6: Avoid Bad Habits

One of our first responsibilities as trainers is to keep the horses and amateurs safe. So one of the bad habits we try to keep our amateurs from developing in the heading or tie-down is realizing that they’re leaving the box too early and then pulling on the horse.

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For a horse that we’re also showing in the open, when you pull, it means “stop.” And if you pull too hard, it could cause the horse to come off its front end.

We teach the horses to run free, put you in position to rope and dally and then get in the ground. Some amateurs want to move their rein hand to the left to get their dally, which can make the horse turn too early. Then the amateur might not get his dally or could lose a thumb.

In the heeling, amateurs have a tendency to cut the corner and come in right beside the steer. If that steer falls or decides to drag, the horse could hit him and fall down. At worst, someone could get hurt. At best, your horse is going to be boogered for several runs before he stops being scared.

One of the first things you should learn and practice is keeping the right position and staying safe.

Roll It!

Meet “Woody,” the 2009 AQHA-Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association 2009 Steer Roping Horse of the Year.

Loop 7: Ask for Help

I’ve never been ashamed to ask for help. My dad taught me everything he knew and more. I had a lot of great friends who let me stay at their places, ride their horses and helped me with my riding. If I have a problem with a horse, I go to some of those people I respect and ask for their help. The minute you quit learning in this industry, there is going to be someone ready to beat you every time.

I want everyone to feel like they are welcome to come and ask me for help. Of course, I might not be the one who can answer the question, but I can find someone who can.

Loop 8: Develop Your Own Style

I don’t have a scientific way to teach roping. When I have someone who is just getting started, I start by watching them rope. Then I am going to see what we can improve with the style that they already have to make them winners.

When you put on clinics or ride with someone else, one misconception is that the people who attend the clinic will come out roping like you. That is never going to happen. It’s true for me, too. As much as I would like to ride like some of the trainers who compete in other events, in that field, I am never going to be able to ride as good as they do. Develop your own style and then work to improve.

At a horse show, I can pretty much tell who won throughout the day, because I am constantly watching all of those guys to see if someone has picked up on something new or something I can put on one of my horses to make it better. When you get tunnel vision and think you’ve got everything figured out, there is going to be somebody who is going to beat you. You aren’t keeping that competitive spirit if you’re not learning.

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Loop 9: Keep It Fun

I’m lucky in that I have a lot of amateurs who do really well. The guys who rope with us have a lot of fun and try to help each other. They work together and have fun together. From a trainer’s perspective, when it stops being fun, it takes money out of my pocket and points out of our shows because those owners and amateurs will go find some other hobby.

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.

After nearly 30 years riding and showing horses, Bret Parrish, western pleasure trainer and 2006 All American Quarter Horse Congress Masters 2-year-old western pleasure reserve champion, knows just how stressful competition can be.

“The actual showing of the horse is the easiest part; it’s the hauling and preparation that are toughest for the horse,” says Bret, who owns Parrish Quarter Horses in Pavo, Georgia. “That’s why we try not to stress the horses too much at one time. We take things slowly and spread out the preparation time throughout the day, and even sometimes the night before, so we’re not putting added pressure on the horse.”

Whatever the problem between horse and rider, Martin Black has practical solutions that he shares in AQHA’s Horse Training Techniques With Martin Black downloadable report.

In addition to keeping a regular competition routine to keep his horses relaxed, Bret also uses Ulcergard (omeprazole) to help prevent stomach ulcers before they become a problem.

“UlcerGard is a great tool for us because if a horse isn’t eating well and feeling good, he’s definitely not going to perform well for us,” Bret says. “We’ve gotten to where we’ll give our horses a dose of UlcerGard before we leave and then keep them on it until we come home. We try to guard against stomach ulcers before we ever leave home.”

Bret says it’s a priority to give his horses products that are thoroughly tested and FDA-approved. A competition is no place to encounter surprises; everything from his horse’s tack to health-care products must work consistently.

“We have always had a really great response with UlcerGard,” Bret says. In addition, Bret says learning each horse’s tendencies and personality can sometimes make training and showing challenging, but using UlcerGard to help prevent stomach ulcers makes it easier to keep each horse feeling good and ready to work.

Roll It!

Learn three tips for starting young horses from AQHA QuarterFest clinician Ken McNabb. Plus, find out if you’re making a common mistake with your horse.

Bret knows competitors at all levels can relate to the stress of competitions, even if they don’t spend weeks on the road. In fact, stomach ulcers can occur in as many as 63 percent of competitive horses not involved in racing.

“A horse’s stomach can produce up to 16 gallons of acid each day,” says Dr. April Knudson, manager of Merial Veterinary Services. “In a natural grazing environment, forage in the stomach helps create a buffer for the stomach acid. But when we take horses out of the pasture and into a stall or show, with limited grazing opportunities or little free-choice hay, coupled with the stress of the show, acid can build up in the horse’s stomach and lead to stomach ulcers.”

Dr. Knudson adds that horses are extremely sensitive to stress. Even events that many horse owners consider to be routine, including training, traveling, competition and stall confinement, can be stressful enough to contribute to stomach ulcer development, sometimes in as little as five days.

“Horses that show competitively, whether year-round or once a summer, can develop stomach ulcers,” Dr. Knudson says. “But owners can help keep their horses performing at their best just by using UlcerGard to help prevent stomach ulcers before they become a problem.”

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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.

Loop 1: Get Prepared

Roping is a difficult event to master. It takes a lot of work, a lot of time and a lot of facilities to practice and make yourself and your horse better. Ride a lot. If you can develop consistency and get in a rhythm with your horse, everything seems to work better.

If you want to learn to rope later in life, then spend a lot of time riding and developing your balance. Some of our amateur competitors come to the house, and we gather cattle in the mountains or take them to brandings. We ride up and down hills and through the rocks. It makes them better riders because they are in balance. Then roping is easy.

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Loop 2: Compete Against Yourself

Your biggest competitor is yourself. If you’re worried about beating someone else’s score, you’re probably not going to do well. Go do your job: Rope, set your steer, turn it and then face your horse. If you do all of that, then you’re going to get a score, and everyone else will have to try to beat you. Regardless of how you show your horse, if you don’t catch, it doesn’t matter.

With 90 percent of amateurs, you can hardly get them to do anything wrong at the house. For most people, the problems don’t begin until they rope in competition. Until you get away from the practice pen and experience competition, you won’t know how you’re progressing. We can teach you to get out of the box good and rope good at home, but it doesn’t matter until you’re in that arena and the almighty dollar, a class win or a world championship is on the line. It all comes down to how much pressure you put on yourself.

A great amateur is someone who can consistently contend with the pressure he puts on himself and does not worry about the competition.

I constantly tell my amateurs to give the judges something to mark, and then we can work on the things to improve that mark.

Roll It!

Lainie DeBoer and J.D. Yates trade places/saddles to learn about each others discipline.

Loop 3: Find the Right Partner

The hardest thing in the world to do is to match a roper to a horse. If you put a novice roper on a powerful horse, it defeats the purpose and puts them both in a wreck. I recommend getting a horse that can help teach you, then work up to different levels of competition. Then, if you want to upgrade horses, there is always someone waiting to buy that beginner horse.

As a whole, I see a lot more riders who are overmatched than undermatched, and that’s difficult for a trainer. We want to be able to show those horses in the open classes, but if someone has a really nice horse, it’s hard to explain to them that the horse is not fitting them as a rider.

I believe in being honest right off the bat. If you can be honest with the owner and have him respect your thoughts, I feel like things will always work out.

Of course, most of our Quarter Horses are exceptional horses, and as the horse gets older and the owner gets more experienced, the horse can show in open and amateur. You just don’t want to create bad habits by mixing a horse and rider before they’re ready for each other.

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Loop 4: Learn to Ride Better

When people come to my house to practice, I have a lot of different levels of horses that I let people ride and rope on. I might have them rope 10 head on one of our practice horses. I also let some of my amateurs ride each other’s horses to get a feel for a different horse, because no two horses are exactly alike.

You can’t imagine how many people in this world can rope. There are a lot of really, really great ropers. And there are just as many who are really, really bad with their horses. For some people, the reason they’re not making it to the next level isn’t because of their roping, it’s because of their horsemanship. They don’t understand how to keep a horse working or practice with their horse during the week. There’s a process of keeping your horse’s mind fresh and ready to go.

Stay tuned for the last half of this list.

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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.

I usually get on about the fourth day. The gentler ones I go ahead and ride myself. If one seems a little goosey, I’ll have somebody longe me on him, or I’ll longe someone else on him. Just to get him used to the rider’s weight. This keeps the colts focused longer, and he will be less likely to get scared and buck. The rider just sits there and keeps the reins loose.

The neat thing about longeing another rider on them is that these colts are already comfortable with the walk, trot and lope, and they already know “whoa.” When we reverse, the rider starts putting a little leg on them to push them back toward the rail. I’ll stand back and let the rider say, “Whoa,” and push on the stirrups without pulling on the horse’s face.

The rider can also ask these colts to stop and take a few steps backward. When the colts take a step back, the rider will release the pressure on the reins. These colts learn everything from release.

With tougher colts, I just wait until they’re quiet. I’ll take a little more time until I get an improvement somewhere. I wait until they’re nice and quiet and soft and supple before I get on them. They’re not on a time schedule, and neither am I. I have colts from 90 days to six or eight months. I don’t take anything (to start) for less than 90 days any more.

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Lope a Lot of Circles

When I get them out of the round pen, which is as soon as possible, I start loping circles. I start every day by truing to eliminate any lean in these colts. If they lean to the outside, then I will rein them across the center of the circle and then turn them loose until they are hunting the circle.

If they lean to the inside of the circle, then I will pick them up and get them square before I turn them loose again. This has been an easy way for me to explain to novice riders how to get a horse to lope a nice circle.

I gradually go after their face a little at a time. Many of the horses that come to me with problems are usually because people have asked for too much, too soon. We are all after the same result, but I just take a little more time.

At any point in their training, if they get excited about something, we lope circles. That becomes a happy, good place for them. I get them relaxed and then try again.

I want them comfortable loping, and I want them to go loose. If you hold them all the time, you’re always going to have to hold them.

Roll It!

Watch highlights from the open classes at the 2008 Fort Dodge Versatility Ranch Horse World Show in Denver, Colorado.

Get Miles on Them

I think all of us, even trainers, we don’t take enough time to get these horses out. Mr. Pat Patterson, when I was a kid, he used to say, “The best thing you can do with these horses is get them out and get miles on them.” We don’t always have time to do that.

I feel that, once I get these colts gentle in the round pen and loping circles in the arena and fit, one three- or four-hour ride in the mountains is better than two weeks in that pen. They see so much: wild animals, cattle crossing creeks, brush rubbing up against them.

I have two friends who run cattle on Forest Service permits in these mountains, and when we have time, we take a trailerload of colts up and help them gather cattle in the fall. It’s an all-day deal, but it sure gets these colts broke.

With plenty of step-by-step photos, the Roping Basics FREE report shows you how to build a loop and swing a rope. Download it today.