A tool to help you evaluate a horse’s balance.

The trapezoid is shown here on the ideal American Quarter Horse and can be applied to all horses to evaluate their true balance. Journal illustration.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

There are several great tools you can use to train your eye to see a horse’s overall balance and structure. One that has been around the block with many trainers and breeders is the “trapezoid” theory.

The Journal asked three Quarter Horse industry professionals to help explain it: AQHA Professional Horsewoman June Warren of Yukon, Oklahoma; Carol McWhirter of Doniphan, Nebraska; and Philip “Vic” Clark of Shelby, Ohio. They collaborated in a lecture on the topic at the 2005 All American Quarter Horse Congress. Unfortunately, June died in 2010, but her wisdom – as well as Carol’s and Vic’s – is worth passing on. Read the rest of this entry »

How one mare beat navicular syndrome and pigeon fever to make to to the Wrangler Nationals Finals Rodeo.

Mulberry Canyon Moon came back from navicular syndrome and pigeon fever to compete in December 2011 NFR. WPRA photo by Mike Copeman.

From America’s Horse

In 2010, when Mulberry Canyon Moon won three rounds at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with barrel racer Angie Meadors, it was a triumph for the mare, who had struggled with severe heel pain, something commonly described as navicular syndrome.

She spent some time in wooden rocking horseshoes, and she ran in special shoes – eggbar wedges with aluminum pads. Now owner Matt Dunn says, “She’s really more sound than she has ever been.” Read the rest of this entry »

Horsewoman Ann Call didn’t let the challenges in her life ever slow her down.

Ann and Rodger Call never let life’s challenges slow them down or keep them from doing what they loved. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

“Well, hello!” Ann Call’s North Texas twang rang out as she rounded the corner in her wheelchair, propelled by one pink cowboy boot. “I’m so glad you stopped by.”

Well, I hadn’t actually “stopped by” Ann’s Fort Worth, Texas, home. I had scheduled this 2007 interview with Ann and her husband, Rodger, weeks earlier. But Ann couldn’t help it. She just made you feel welcome no matter if you were running into her at a horse show or “stopping by” for a visit in her home.

It was around 9 o’clock on a June morning. I’d been up for about six hours making the drive from Amarillo to Fort Worth. “I would love some coffee,” I told her.

Ann’s little pink boot scooted across the floor again, maneuvering the wheelchair back into the kitchen.

“Here, have a seat,” Rodger quietly said to me, pointing toward the large dining room table. “We can sit here and talk, if you like.”

Carrying my cup of coffee, Ann scooted back in and settled next to me at the table. Read the rest of this entry »

Attend – or host – one of these great horseback riding events.

The Trail Challenge enhances horsemanship skills riders need while encouraging education, safety and fun on the trail. Journal photo.

Attention Horseback Riding Program Participants:

AQHA is undergoing a database upgrade February 15-28. During this time, you will be unable to log your Horseback Riding Program hours via AQHA’s website. Please keep a record of the hours you log, and submit your hours in March when our system is up and running. Or, you may fax your log to (806) 349-6403. Thanks for your patience, and happy riding!

As spring approaches, AQHA’s Trail Challenge calendar is beginning to fill up for 2013. These popular events test a horse and rider’s ability to work as a team and navigate natural obstacles they might encounter on the trail. Read the rest of this entry »

Special Olympians celebrate their horseback riding victories.

Kevin Cornwell studies the trail pattern before going in. Photo by Katie Navarra.

By Katie Navarra in America’s Horse

A gray sky marks the first blustery fall day in Upstate New York. Despite the brisk breeze and bone-chilling dampness, Kevin Cornwell and Gregory Tanczos refuse the offer of jackets and gloves, instead choosing to proudly show off their western shirts. The two friends, like the other 65 riders from across the state, are anxiously waiting to ride in the 2011 New York State Special Olympics Fall Games Equestrian Event.

Clutching the top rail of the holding arena, Greg watched rider after rider mount his favorite horse, EZ Tuffs Buster, known as “Buster.”

Because the Special Olympics Fall Games are taking place within driving distance of the stable Greg rides at every Friday night, his coach, Mary Murphy, trailered in several horses for riders to use during the day. Read the rest of this entry »

Utopia, Texas, boasts small-town charm and some movie-star American Quarter Horses.

Wild Card Dun It, the stallion Robert Duvall rode in “Seven Days in Utopia,” placed third at the 2006 AQHA World Championship Show in junior heeling. Photo by K.C. Montgomery.

From America’s Horse

“Utopia, Texas, literally has 300-something people here and no stop sign. It is truly a lovely country town in the canyon.” – Wanda Waters

Wanda and her husband, Lou, have long used that idyllic setting to raise good American Quarter Horses at L.A. Waters Quarter Horses, and they also own a nine-hole golf course in Utopia.

In 2011, those things all came together when movie producers descended on the town to film “Seven Days in Utopia,” which follows the story of a talented young golfer, Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black) set on making the pro tour. He finds himself stranded in Utopia, home to eccentric rancher

Jonny Crawford (Robert Duvall), whose profound way of looking at life forces Luke to question his past and future direction. It’s an unlikely friendship that casts light on important life lessons. Read the rest of this entry »

Follow these driving safety tips so you stay safe on winter roads.

Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter traveling with your horses. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner USRider

With winter upon us, USRider – the national provider of roadside emergency assistance for equestrians – reminds those who travel with horses to be careful when traveling and invest time doing routine preventive trailer maintenance to enhance their travel safety.

It is imperative to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter driving. Be sure to maintain your vehicle according to the manufacturer’s service schedule. It’s also important to take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic.

“When it comes to vehicle maintenance, especially heavy-duty vehicles towing precious cargo, it is better to be proactive than reactive,” says Bill Riss, general manager of USRider. “If you have not already done so, establish a relationship with a trusted Automotive Service Excellence  mechanic. It is essential that you do this before your vehicle breaks down on the side of the highway while towing your horse trailer.” Read the rest of this entry »

Meet some AQHA folks who are horseback riding toward a cure.

Mary Roes isn’t letting cancer keep her from showing her American Quarter Horses. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Mary Roes, AQHA exhibitor and Region Two committee member, hasn’t let cancer keep her down.

In the midst of planning for the 2012 Region Two Championship, the show

committee was hit by an unexpected blow – two of its members were diagnosed with cancer. Mary Roes, treasurer, learned about her breast cancer early in 2012; and Todd Iszler, the show’s co-chairman, found out he faced Hodgkin’s lymphoma in early summer.

It made the committee members think of other regional exhibitors and volunteers who’d also faced cancer in some form, and they thought it was time the Region Two honored them. To that end, the show held a “Ride for the Cure” class September 22. Read the rest of this entry »

American Quarter Horses help to create a better quality of life at Skyline Therapy Services.

By Andrea Caudill

Therapist Vera Lijistrand and patient Wade West share a moment during his speech therapy session on Dooleys Blue Lake. Journal photo.

Thirty-five years ago, at the AQHA convention, a college student stood up and gave a presentation. In it, the University of New Mexico speech pathology undergraduate described how using an American Quarter Horse as a therapeutic tool had profoundly helped her disabled patient. Ruth Dismuke-Blakely was given a research grant that snowballed into the program she runs today.

Ruth, a third-generation horsewoman raised in AQHA’s programs, owns and runs Skyline Therapy Services just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. The program, the longest-running full-time therapy program in the United States, serves almost 200 patients and is entirely self-supported. It employs 21, a mix of physical, occupational and speech therapists, as well as professional horse handlers. Skyline Therapy Services was featured in the December 2012 issue of America’s Horse magazine, which goes exclusively to AQHA members. Read the rest of this entry »

Build strength and balance by horseback riding on an incline.

Jenny Lance says that while navigating small uphill or downhill slopes, the rider’s leaning should be barely perceptible. Photo courtesy of Live to Ride.

By AQHA Professional Horsewoman Angelia Ferrell and Jenny Lance in America’s Horse

The presence of hills in a horse’s life can offer major benefits. Horses raised on hilly pastures tend to have stronger hindquarters, better balance on varying terrain and a good sense of where their feet are. Angie’s horses, who live in the hills, have much more confidence on rugged trails than Jenny’s horses, who grew up completely on the flat and had to learn to carry themselves confidently on trails through experience and time.

Groundwork on hills can be beneficial for all horses. Young horses taken on “trail walks” can find confidence and balance without the added stress of balancing a rider (or, even worse, an unbalanced rider.) An unconfident horse of any age can also enjoy trail walks as a way to be exposed to varying terrain and obstacles while the handler stays safely at the end of the lead rope. Read the rest of this entry »

This Warrior Wellness program and its American Quarter Horses serve those who served their country.

Quarter Horses have brought some calm to the storm for Jacob, as well as many others. Journal photo.

From America’s Horse

Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Legendre has sacrificed much for his country. The 18-year veteran of the military has been in 52 countries and seen nearly a dozen military tours from Iraq to Bosnia to Korea to places he can’t name. When Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed his hometown of New Orleans in 2005, he unhesitatingly dove into the heart of the devastation, leading rescue missions and saving countless lives in the natural disaster that killed seven of his family members and continues to affect the region.

“Imagine yourself walking into your job, drinking coffee or whatever, thinking ‘OK, this is what I have to do today,’ ” Jacobs says. “But when I walked in, it was instantly hell. Something was going down – for 16 hours every single day.”

And a lifetime of heroism comes at a heavy price.

Jacob has undergone more than 32 surgeries to repair damage done to his body from an ambush in 2004, where he and his men were hit by a hellstorm of improvised explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and sniper fire. Struck in the head by an RPG, shot in the arm and blown out of his vehicle, he was still able to rally his men to win the skirmish. A cancer survivor, Jacob is deaf in one ear, has a spinal implant and endures chronic pain from severe lower-body damage.

And that is only the physical pain. Worse yet is the unrelenting mental burden – the deaths of men he commanded; the loss of his friends, including his best friend, who died in combat; the loss of his hometown, his family and his marriage. They result in severe flashbacks, survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving him struggling to cope while learning a whole new life. Read the rest of this entry »

Horseback riding on a ranch in Montana? Singer-songwriter Ken Overcast wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Ken Overcast is very grateful for the life he has in Montana. Photo courtesy of Ken Overcast.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

It’s a beautiful evening in North Central Montana. A rancher and his 4-year-old grandson are horseback, searching for a stray cow. Off in the distance, the Bear Paw Mountains are bathed in shades of purple as the sun sinks into the western sky.

“Kale, just look at that picture that the Lord painted us,” says the cowboy to the youngster. “Isn’t that just a perfect picture?”

The boy scans the picturesque scene as he replies, “Yeah it is, Granddad, especially with me and you in it!”

Cowboy singer-songwriter Ken Overcast is the grandpa in that true story. It’s those moments that make the hardships of the Montana ranching lifestyle all worth it.

“I actually live what I sing about,” Ken replies, when asked what sets his music apart. “My passion is the western lifestyle and trying to make people understand what that’s all about.”

Ken spreads his message in a variety of ways. He has recorded eight albums, published three books, writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column, hosts a weekly radio show carried by 65 stations and performs dozens of concerts every year. He’s also a real working rancher and runs a cow-calf operation with his wife, Dawn, outside Chinook, Montana, with the help of a few American Quarter Horses.

“We’ve had them for years,” Ken says. “This is a cow outfit, and nothing else works.” Read the rest of this entry »