With a lifelong passion for horseback riding, Jim Wright spent 38 years and drove 2 million miles inspecting horses for AQHA.

Jim and Anita Wright were a part of the AQHA family for many years. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Editor’s Note: Longtime AQHA inspector Jim Wright died February 7, 2013, less than three months after the death of his wife, Anita. His impact on the Association was substantial, as recounted in this Journal story from 2006.

Jim Wright knew good people, he knew good horses, and he knew the importance that both had in his life.

Jim spent 38 years, drove roughly 2 million miles and went through nearly 30 cars as an AQHA inspector on the road.

Throw a dart at a map of the United States, and the odds are pretty good that wherever it might land, Jim could have told you all the best roads around town, a horse he saw near there or an interesting character he met along the way. Read the rest of this entry »

Trick rider and liberty trainer Niki Flundra can wow audiences with her explosive style, but she gives the credit to her rock-solid American Quarter Horses.

Trick rider and liberty trainer Niki Flundra uses her daring and explosive style to make a grand entrance. Photo by John McCaine.

By Tom Moates in America’s Horse

The rider has slid off the side of her galloping horse. Her feet are stuck somehow in the saddle, her long blond hair flows wildly around the horse’s hind legs, and her fingertips drag the ground as the horse bolts at a furious pace. As if watching that wasn’t enough to stop your heart, a wall of fire erupts across the dirt arena floor, and Niki Cammaert Flundra is dragged right through the blaze.

A completely trustworthy horse coupled with pure athletic ability are the only things keeping Niki from getting those golden locks set ablaze or becoming more intimate with how that trick-riding maneuver got the name “suicide drag.” But she never loses her smile and soon is back atop the horse … albeit upside down with legs straight up in the air.

Niki’s resume is impressive: trick rider, liberty horse trainer, stunt woman, pyrotechnics coordinator and mom.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you’re horseback riding or working from the ground, heed these safety tips to keep you and your horse out of trouble.

Dennis maneuvers his horse carefully through a gate. Note the gate’s latch, which could catch on the breast collar, stirrup or flank cinch if the horse is allowed to brush too close to it. Journal photo.

By Dennis Moreland in America’s Horse

Editor’s Note: Tack maker Dennis Moreland, who wrote the “Tack Talk” series in America’s Horse and was featured in the companion DVD sold by Quarter Horse Outfitters, knows his tack. But he has also been around the arena a time or two and has seen his share of horse wrecks – and heard of even more.

Dennis called them “storms,” and he sat down with America’s Horse to talk about some of the most common horse safety mistakes he has seen. Heed his advice, pass it on to the youngsters you know – and keep yourself safe around your horses.

Read the rest of this entry »

A look at alley trading at horse auctions.

Trading in the alley is a gamble. However, knowing the rules of the game places the odds in your favor. Journal photo.

By Brian Bendele in The American Quarter Horse Journal

You’ve hauled your good broodmare and her weanling colt to the sale. You’ve checked in with the sales company and received your order numbers. You spend the rest of your time getting the horses shined to perfection.

As the day goes by, prospective buyers stop to look at your horses and several ask to see them outside of their stall in the alley. When one of them suddenly asks, “What would you take for the mare now?” you think, “Huh? What about the sale ring? What’s the sales company going to think?” And more importantly, “When am I going to get the most money for my horses, now or in the sale ring?” Read the rest of this entry »

AQHA partners with Tractor Supply CO. to help you preserve your favorite trails for riding horses.

Trail conservation can provide you with a quality trail experience and is the right thing to do for future generations. Journal photo.

From

AQHA Corporate Partner Tractor Supply Co.

Spring weather brings warm days that are perfect for you and your horse to go trail riding. But many riders are left scratching their heads about where they can get out and ride. Maybe you are one of those riders, and maybe you know of a trail that would be perfect, given a little maintenance work. If so, check out the AQHA Stewards for Trails, Education and Partnerships (STEP) program, sponsored by Tractor Supply Co. Read the rest of this entry »

Colorado rancher Mike Major is finding success with horses bearing this unique brand.

Mike Major and Black Hope Stik work a cow. Mike and “Black Hope” won the ranch remuda contest in July 2010 at the inaugural Battle in the Saddle in Oklahoma City. Journal photo.

From America’s Horse

If it hadn’t been for a set of rank mules, a head-slinging bull, a pretty woman who showed all-around or the National Western Stock Show’s first AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse competition, Mike Major might not be where he is today.

Breaking those mules helped him to his first good mares. Colliding with the bull helped him focus on ranching for a living. The woman – now wife Holly – helped him see the finer points of the western riding class. And versatility, well, that was his kind of horse show. Read the rest of this entry »

Horseback riding in the backcountry could be just the ticket to making you and your horse better.

You can use the natural terrain to ask him for the kinds of maneuvers you’re going to ask for in the arena, almost without him realizing that you’re training him. Journal photo.

By Craig Cameron in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Everybody can use a change of scenery – even your horse.

He might be getting a little tired of doing circles waiting for you to ask correctly for that lead change, and both of you might need a chance to unwind, relax and see something other than the indoor arena or your sliding track.

It might just be time to get out on the trails, clear your minds and experience nature the way it’s intended – from the back of your good American Quarter Horse.

But before you head out into the wilderness, there are a few things you and your horse need to know to make it back alive and well. Plus, you shouldn’t leave your horsemanship behind once you’re on the trail. You might find that rocks, trees and hills could be the key to finding that perfect horsemanship position and improving your horse’s skills once you get back into the arena.

After all, what better way to get your horse to lift his feet for trail than to cross an actual log? And after getting exposed to mules, pack saddles, trees, running water, living outdoors and the occasional elk, you might be surprised at how much better your horse is with scooters, banners and buggers behind the back gate. Read the rest of this entry »

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

Tom Moorhouse is the ranch manager of Tongue River Ranch. His own ranch, Moorhouse Ranch, won the AQHA-Zoetis Best Remuda Award in 2008. Journal photo.

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 under 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.

“I didn’t choose ranch life,” reads a quote by Tom Moorhouse on the Moorhouse Ranch website (www.moorhouseranchco.com). “I inherited it. It’s probably in our blood.” Read the rest of this entry »

He has been called the John Wayne of horse training, but most know him as the man with a heart of gold.

John Hoyt (right) was a regular at the World Shows. He’s here with Harold Hudspeth at the 1994 AQHA World Championship Show. Journal Archive photo.

Editor’s Note: John Hoyt was recently awarded an AQHA Lifetime Achievement Award at 2013 AQHA Convention. John was accompanied by AQHA Professional Horseman Pete Kyle, who was stopped by two old friends wanting to congratulate John, a man they’d shared the horse show road with and looked up to: AQHA Professional Horsemen Al Dunning of Cave Creek, Arizona, and Cynthia Cantleberry of Paso Robles, California.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Sitting down for an interview with The Journal in 2007, John Hoyt removes his straw hat as he slowly walks through the door and carefully makes his way to the couch.

“About three years ago, I had my knees operated on and a nerve was cut that goes down to my foot. I’ve been grounded ever since,” the 77-year-old horseman said, adjusting his body into the couch’s soft leather upholstery.

Walking is painful, going any distance impossible. But what pains John most is the theft of his passion: riding horses. Read the rest of this entry »

He changed the face of AQHA and now has a place in the American Quarter

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Horse Hall of Fame.

Bill Brewer, the AQHA Executive Committee and the staff expanded AQHA’s business model and offered more membership-based opportunities. Photo courtesy of The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum.

From The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum

When Bill Brewer was growing up in southwestern Oklahoma, he dreamed of being a cowboy. He never dreamed he’d work his way up the ranks to become the wagon boss and a strong, confident presence at AQHA, the world’s largest equine registry.

“I’ve worked since I was 5,” Bill says of his early life with parents Billie and Aileen. “My first job at the age of 5 was to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. We did it all – repaired our fences, built new fences, built the barn, repaired the roofs, dug the hole for the storm cellar, worked our own cattle, plowed and planted the wheat, and maintained the equipment.” Read the rest of this entry »

Horseback riding in Wyoming’s back country is the best kind of R&R – even with the bears.

AQHA member Marilyn Wegweiser with Blazin Bitzy and her dog, Drum, in Wyoming’s Shoshone National forest. Journal photo.

By Holly

Clanahan in America’s Horse

“You don’t have a can of bear spray, do you?”

When that’s the conversation starter,

you know you’re in for an in interesting ride.

Marilyn Wegweiser, a friend of mine who, at the time, lived in Cody, Wyoming, was explaining what I might need to take with me on a backcountry pack trip through the nearby Shoshone National Forest. And she was right … this Oklahoma girl didn’t have any bear deterrent on hand. Read the rest of this entry »

Blair Darnell has been horseback riding from Europe to the Rio Grande.

Blair Darnell took on life and opened her heart to those around her. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Back in 1954, four young women from Middlebury College in Virginia decided to take a road trip to explore the American West. In those days, young women just didn’t do that sort of thing.

“We made a plan and figured out how much it was going to cost,” says Blair Darnell (then Blair Bunting), the ringleader. “We each put down 10 places we wanted to visit, and they correlated pretty well. We took a tour, camping out.”

They saw Jackson Hole, Wyoming, San Francisco and Gallup, New Mexico, and all points in between. They picked up a hitchhiker and dealt with bears going through camp.

And Blair was never the same. One year later, she transferred to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Read the rest of this entry »