Ranch kids get well acquainted with hard work, traditions – and a whole lot of freedom and fun.

Luke, Kate and Jim Neubert in 1987. Courtesy of the Neubert family.

By Tom Moates in America’s Horse

The cattle are gathered up. About 200 head are moving across open land at a steady pace. A dust cloud wafts up into the blue sky as the herd passes. An American Quarter Horse at the back of the bunch coaxes the cows onward. The horse is barely visible, as is the silhouette of the rider’s hat with big brims upturned on the sides.

You squint to see the rider under that big hat – he must be there somewhere – and there he is, all 3 feet 10 inches of the little squirt. He’s just a kid who lives on the ranch, loves horses and knows for a fact that his heroes are cowboys, especially his dad who’s riding nearby.

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Feedyard horses encounter conditions, commotion and cattle.

Rain, snow, sleet or hail, the cattle's needs always prevail. Journal photo.

From America’s Horse

Feedyard horses are like mailmen – nothing keeps them from making their appointed rounds.

At any given moment, there are around 11 million cattle on feed nationwide being pampered so they’ll make consumers the tastiest hamburgers, roasts and steaks. Feedyard horses spend most of their time patrolling pens while their Wrangler-clad riders scout for and doctor sick or injured cattle. The rest of the time, they’re moving critters from one pen to another. Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night keeps these sentries from taking care of cattle.

Working here is anything but glamorous. It’s a mundane, routine chore. Besides that, there’s a lot of commotion – slamming gates on semi-trucks, the grinding gears of feed trucks and that annoying “beep-beep-beep” of backing trucks and tractors. The horses become acclimated to the noise and extremes.

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Caton Parelli achieves show-ring success and helps his dad become a better teacher.

Caton and Pat Parelli meet and greet fans at the AQHA booth at the 2012 Road to the Horse colt-starting challenge. Journal photo

From America’s Horse

AQHA Professional Horseman Pat Parelli has traveled around the world, teaching others about horsemanship. But how did he hone those teaching skills? Find out in this story, adapted from the March-April issue of America’s Horse magazine, which goes to AQHA members as a member benefit.

Pat’s son with his first wife, Karen, was born with a condition known as hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. At 3 months old, Caton Ryder Parelli went into a coma, and doctors warned his parents that if he lived, he’d likely never walk or talk and would need to be institutionalized.

Twenty-eight years later, Caton is a regular fixture on the show scene, participating in AQHA, National Reining Horse Association, National Reined Cow Horse Association and National Cutting Horse Association competitions, as well as some ranch horse events. The gregarious young man was featured on the cover of the March-April America’s Horse, and he made a few appearances at the AQHA booth at the Road to the Horse colt-starting challenge, posing for photos with fans and signing autographs.

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Grandparents have a tremendous influence on their grandkids’ love of horses.

Little Connor getting his horse experience. Photo courtesy of Don Treadway Jr.

By AQHA Executive Vice President Don Treadway Jr. in America’s Horse

My paternal grandfather, who died when I was very young, was a horseman who did construction-type work with teams of horses. My maternal grandfather was a breeder of Polled Hereford cattle. Both men furthered my love of the western lifestyle and my love of animals.

As a grandparent, I have charged myself with making sure my grandchildren – I now have two, including a newborn granddaughter – have access to horses if their parents are OK with the idea.

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Tack safety tips from an expert tack maker.

Expert tack maker Dennis Moreland says to check your leather straps often. Journal photo.

By Dennis Moreland in America’s Horse

Accidents can happen around horses, no matter how careful you are. But being careful is the first step toward preventing disaster, and that includes making sure your tack is in good repair. A few minutes checking your equipment before you ride is an investment in safety.

1. Check your equipment every time you ride. Glance over your equipment as you put it on your horse to make sure it isn’t too worn or cracked. A periodic cleaning with saddle soap, followed by a good leather conditioner, will keep your tack supple. Dry leather is more likely to break when sudden pressure is put against it. This includes reins, latigos, headstalls and tie strings. If adjustment holes are worn, that means the equipment needs to be replaced because they can tear out easily, usually at the wrong time.

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Let hooves and imagination fly at a horsey fun show.

Riders enjoying horse activities at Drowsy Water Ranch. Journal photo.

From America’s Horse

Everybody loves a party, and what’s a party without party games?

Fun shows and playdays make for some of the best times you’ll ever have horseback. We all have favorite games we remember from childhood, and at the AQHA headquarters, we recently got together to compare notes and brainstorm. Here are some of the games we came up with. Maybe you’ll want to adopt some of them for your next horsey get-together.

Egg and Spoon Horsemanship – This is a spin on the traditional egg and spoon race, which has participants zooming from a starting point to a finish line, balancing an egg on a spoon. In horsemanship, riders are asked to perform a pattern. The one who completes the greatest portion of the pattern before dropping the egg wins. It’s a good test of horsemanship, because if you don’t have a steady seat and good balance, your egg will soon wobble off the spoon.

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AQHA Director-At-Large Homer Stude receives the 2011 Merle Wood Humanitarian award.

AQHA Director-At-Large Homer Stude.

Homer Stude of Wright City, Missouri, was introduced to American Quarter Horses at a young age when his father bought their first horse in the 1950s. They worked hard preparing Homer for his first show. It created a strong connection with horses that would eventually cross many generations.

On June 11, 1961, Homer married the love of his life, Cookie. Together, they later introduced their passion for horses to their children, Michael and Lesa. Traveling many a mile to show after show, they began picking up other children with whom to share their family’s love, generosity and knowledge of horses.

As the years went by, Homer’s activities to benefit youth increased. He wore many hats, including 4-H horsemanship leader, show manager and ring steward. Homer has served both the Missouri Quarter Horse Association and AQHYA in many roles.

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Giving kids in British Columbia the chance to fall in love with horses.

Kids were given the opportunity to gain knowledge about horses. Photo courtesy of Glenwood Elementary.

From America’s Horse

Langley, British Columbia, is considered the horse capital of the province, and it’s home to more than 6,000 horses and thousands of horse industry professionals. But it’s a mix of rural and urban areas, and many children there grow up without any knowledge of horses.

The Langley Horse Federation’s education committee aimed to change that through the “A Pony Comes to School” program, intended to teach elementary school-age children about safety, fun horse facts and general information about the agricultural community.

When Sandra Verda, chairwoman of the education committee, told AQHA member Haidee Landry about the project last year, Haidee immediately knew she had the perfect “pony.”

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Use these tips to get your tack in tip-top shape.

Keep your saddle and tack in good shape. AQHA file photo.

Rainy days present the perfect opportunity to clean your saddle. You’ll need saddle soap, neatsfoot oil, several rags and sponges, and lots of elbow grease. Because it’s a messy chore, it’s best to put down a sheet of plastic and get to work in the garage or barn aisle.

Here Are a Few Tips:

•    Remove all saddle parts: latigo, cinch, back cinch, stirrups, conchos and other silver pieces.

•    Scrub the entire saddle – all but the sheepskin on the flipside – under the fenders and in all the nooks and crannies with saddle soap.

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Go back to the fundamentals to get your horse mentally and physically ready for trail riding.

Get your horse ready for trail riding. AQHA file photo.

By AQHA Professional Horseman Mike Kinsey in America’s Horse

There’s a whiff of spring in the air, the pasture is greening up, you’re having more short-sleeve than long-sleeve days, and judging by the amount of hair that’s coming off your horse, you’re a little nervous that he’ll be naked by June. Spring has sprung, and you’re itching to hit the trail.

Not so fast, buckaroo.

There’s a good chance that your pasture potato isn’t ready for a five-mile hike. It’s no different from the condition you’d be in if you sat in a La-Z-Boy from November to March, eating Nacho Doritos and watching “American Idol.”

The amount of work it takes to get a horse ready for trail ride season all depends on the age of the horse, whether the horse has been in a stall and is overly fat or whether he has been in a pasture and is in a little better condition.

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AQHA members are invited to give back to those who serve our country.

Flying S Ranch in Luling, Texas. Photo courtesy of Operation Free Ride.

The Armed Forces Foundation and Horses4Heroes Inc., is inviting all AQHA members, instructors and facility owners, to participate in an unprecedented collaboration between breed associations and equestrian organizations, united for one important mission: to give our active-duty military personnel, returning combat veterans, wounded warriors and their families the opportunity to ride a horse for free!

Launching this spring, Operation Free Ride will be an important opportunity for participating facilities to show your support for the soldiers and veterans and their families who have sacrificed for us to keep us safe and free, participate in a nationwide community service project and attract new customers to your facilities.

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Dude ranches make the perfect vacation for horse lovers.

Parents can relax on their own trail rides.Journal photo.

By Holly Clanahan for America’s Horse

I admit it. I’m a dude.

Not in the cool sense of the teenage vernacular. Nope, we’re talking old-fashioned dude here. As in dude ranch. And it’s a good thing.

Randy Sue Fosha, Dude Ranchers’ Association member and owner of Drowsy Water Ranch with her husband, Ken, invited me and my husband, Chad Hendrix, out to see what dude ranching is all about.

When we arrive, Ken promises us a couple of things. First, he says, the guests will come from a variety of backgrounds, but “everybody here’s going to be just one thing this week, and that’s a cowboy – or a cowgirl.” And second, he predicts that lasting friendships will be made. Read the rest of this entry »