Exercising whether you’re a horse or a kid is important! Play this game and learn more about exercising horses.

Two Bits

When a horse is routinely exercised, his or her disposition (attitude) can improve. They also may perform or work with less injury. But best of all, routine exercising can help a horse live an overall healthier, longer life. In the following activity, basic horse movements will be used in fun ways to play and exercise.

No materials are needed, but Two Bits suggests you have a good open space to exercise. Two Bits likes to play this game outside!

This is Two Bits version of Simon Says, play this in an open area where everyone can move about and exercise. Before beginning the game, practice these basic horse movements.

Walk – Natural, slow, even pace (or speed)

Trot – Faster than walking. It is a quick and bouncy, two-beat gait.

Canter- Faster than a trot and slower than a run. This is a smooth gait. It is almost like skipping! The front lead leg and same side back leg move together when you’re on a horse. Western riders call the “canter” gait a lope. When a horse lopes, it should carry its head low and relaxed.

Gallop- Fastest gait.

Stop- Sudden or slow complete stop.

Back up- A slow backward walk after a full stop.

Reverse Direction- keep same speed but reverse direction in a large circle. Always making initial turn towards the center of the circle. It’s a turn around!

360 – Full circle turn in place. Based on the 360 degrees of a circle.

180- Same as 360, but only one-half of a circle. So you’ll be facing the opposite direction as when you started.

Sidepass- From stop position, face forward. Move left or right (“sidepass to the left” or “sidepass to the right”). Important!! If you’re moving to the left, right leg crosses in front of the left, followed by left leg moving in the same direction; this is usually done five times. When doing right sidepass, cross over with the left leg first.

Buck- Down on all fours, make a short forward hop on arms before kicking legs high in the air, extending legs as they are kicked out.

Crowhop- A short buck without kicking out your legs.

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

Now to play Two Bits says:

Choose the first person to be Two Bits; this person will give the commands to the group by saying: “Two Bits says back up.”

The group will listen carefully to each basic horse movement command. When the signal is given, check to see that each horseman is correctly doing the movements.

If there is no “Two Bits says…”  before the command, the group should not respond.

The winner will be the Two Bits for the next game!

Is your horse a bit pleasantly plump?

Two Bits wants all his horse friends to be healthy. A good diet (no extra servings of carrot pie!), exercise and proper vaccinations all play a role in a good equine health program. But when it gets cold, we tend to stay inside where it’s warm and let our four-legged pals get a little too “pleasantly plump.”

Two Bits

How do you know if your horse needs to work on her “mare-ish” figure?  Well, there’s a great way to assess a horse’s body condition (too skinny, too fat or just right).  It’s called body condition scoring. Body condition scoring compares the energy your horse eats and the energy she expends working, playing or strutting around the pasture.

Get the “skinny” from Two Bits:

Body condition scoring can be affected by these factors:

• Food availability
• Reproductive activity
• Weather changes
• Performance and working activity
• Parasite control
• Dental problems
• Feeding practices

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

To assess body condition, examine your horse’s body fat in relation to body muscle:
Score-Description

1. Poor- Extremely thin; ribs and tail head project prominently; bone structure of withers is visible; shoulders and neck easily noticeable; no fatty tissue can be felt.
2. Very Thin- Slight fat covering over base of spine; ribs and tail head prominent; withers, shoulders and neck structure faintly visible
3. Thin- Fat buildup about halfway on spine; slight fat cover over ribs; spine and ribs easily visible; withers, shoulders and neck accentuated.
4. Moderately Thin- Slight ridge along back; faint outline of ribs visible; tail head prominence depends on conformation, fat can be felt around it; withers, shoulders and neck not easily visible.
5. Moderate- Back is flat (no crease or ridge); ribs not visually distinguishable but easily felt; fat around tail head beginning to feel spongy; withers appear rounded over spine; shoulder and neck blend smoothly into body.
6. Moderately Fleshy- May have crease down back; fat over ribs spongy; fat over tail head soft; fat beginning to deposit along the side of the withers, behind the shoulders and along sides of neck..
7. Fleshy- May have crease down back; individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between the ribs with fat; fat around tail head soft; fat deposited around withers, behind shoulders and along neck.
8. Fat- Crease down back; difficult to feel ribs; fat around tail head very soft; area along withers filled with fat; area behind shoulder filled with fat; noticeable thickening of neck; fat deposited along inner thighs.
9. Extremely Fat- Obvious crease down back; patchy fat appearing over ribs; bulging fat around tail head, along withers, behind shoulders and along neck; fat along inner thighs may rub together; flank filled with fat.

A note from Jocelyn Tanner about her experiences with the Y.E.S. Conference.

Jocelyn Tanner

My experience with the Youth Excellence Seminar and AQHYA Convention began seven years ago when I made my first trip to Amarillo, Texas for the 2003 Y.E.S. conference as one of my state’s affiliate AQHYA delegates.

I was in awe. All I could think was, wow, this is so exciting, and I am so happy to be part of this awesome organization. I have returned every year since. Unfortunately 2010 will be my last Y.E.S experience, but I want to continue to spread the word of the Read the rest of this entry »

Two Bits is ready for the spotlight tonight at Nights at the Museums!

This is the moment Two Bits has been waiting for all week!  He is all geared up and ready to roll tonight at the Nights at the Museums hosted by the American Quarter

Two Bits

Horse Hall of Fame & Museum.  He has been so excited that he’s running around like a pony with his tail cut off this morning, but don’t think just because Two Bits is busy that he forgot about you! Here’s the note he left!

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

Hey Kids! There’s been lots of planning for tonight and I’m extremely excited to meet some new faces and hang out with a few old friends! There are a ton of activities planned and I promise there won’t be a dull moment all night! To tell you the truth, tonight is going to be so perfect that I’m just a little bit nervous! Before I make my appearance tonight I’ll go through my usual routine.  That is I’ll curry comb my mane and tail, drink 2 huge energy drinks, polish my hooves, put on some brand new horse shoes and do my pre-game dance to calm the nerves!
Hate to run y’all but there are still a ton of things to do!
See ya at the Museum!

P.S.
Parents- if you missed this month’s activities look for the Parent’s Night Out- Nights at the Museums again in October!

Two Bits and the Winter Olympics.

Two Bits has been watching the Winter Olympics all week and has enjoyed every minute of it!

He loves the thought of athletes from all over the world competing in events together. Of course, we know how competitive Two Bits is, so this isn’t too surprising.

Skijoring

To horse enthusiasts like you and Two Bits, the Winter Olympics aren’t exactly the best time to find a horse on TV, but that hasn’t always been the case.

The Winter Olympics used to include equestrian events. (Though he hasn’t turned his head from the TV yet, you can tell this is intriguing to Two Bits by the way his ears just perked up.) In 1928, two events were demonstrated at the Winter Olympic Games in Switzerland.

Flat racing, one of the events, was a horse race. In 1928, the track was set up on a frozen lake. (Now, we definitely have Two Bits’ attention!) Flat racing was a timed race, and horses are still raced on snow even today, just not at the Winter Olympics.

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

Also in 1928, Skijoring was demonstrated.  Skijoring is an event still seen all over the world. Typically, there will be one person on horseback with a harness and ropes pulling another person on skis behind them.  Some courses will have jumps and other obstacles, and some will be a straight shot all the way to the finish line. In France, skijoring will often be done with no rider. The horse is controlled completely by the skier. Either way, the horse must be very well trained.

In 1948 in Switzerland, another event called the pentathlon took place. This event is actually five events combined.  Cross-country skiing, shooting, downhill skiing, fencing and horseback riding. Talk about a long busy day! (Two Bits looks tired just imagining it!)

Since then, equestrian events have been mostly reserved for the Summer Olympics. So, horse lovers, be sure to tune in for those next time!

Nights at the Museums is hosted by Panhandle Plains Historical Museum this week!

Two Bits is tired of hearing kids say how boring history is. So he has taken it upon himself to change a few minds. The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum is hosting Parents Night Out’s Nights at the Museums this week. If your kids aren’t enrolled for any of the events in February yet, time is running out!

Nights at the Museums Hosted by Panhandle Plains Museum this week!

Cost is $20 for the first child, and $15 for additional children. Limited spaces are available. Advance registration is required! For more information, contact Ande at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, (806) 378-4392.

February Lineup:

February 19 – Panhandle Plains Historical Museum

February 26 – American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum

Two Bits would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few of his important historical friends. Dash For Cash, Joe Hancock and a few others. Also some pretty important people like Quanah Parker and the people of the 6666 Ranch. Check out the presentation Two Bits made for you!

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

As you can see, the 6666 Ranch and its families go way back! People’s family trees are very important, and sometime it’s interesting what you can find out about your own! Horses have pedigrees, which are a lot like family trees. This activity will explain a little more about pedigrees and even help you make your own family tree!

Parents Night Out

Two-Bits is excited to tell you about the Parent Night Out activity at the Amarillo Museum of Art!

Have you enrolled?  Spaces are filling up fast!
Cost is $20 per night for first child; $15 for additional children. Limited spaces available. Advance registration required.

Just contact Ande at (806) 378-4392 at the American Quarter Horse Association for more information!

February Lineup

February 12 — Amarillo Museum of Art
February 19 — Panhandle Plains Museum
February 26 — American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame

Space in Art

Two Bits made a worksheet on space in art. You should start by checking it out. It will explain a lot of the things that are coming up next.

Now that you understand background, middle ground and foreground, you can create an art piece incorporating space into a composition.

On a large piece of paper in watercolor, make the environment that an American Quarter Horse would live in. Some examples are a race track, a barn, a pasture, etc.

When that has dried you can design the middle ground.  From some sort of paper, cut out objects that will be glued onto the background. For example, a fence or a tree.

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

Now for the foreground, with crayons, markers or colored pencils, color an American Quarter Horse that Two Bits has provided. Cut this out and it can be glued to your paper as well. Don’t be afraid to overlap your middle ground somewhat. As a matter of fact, you should! This will provide your picture with space.

Now you can sit back and admire your new piece of artwork!

Don’t forget to register for Nights at the Museums soon!  There will be tons of fun activities just like this one!

Two Bits is enjoying seeing how many people are fans of AQHYA. But he’s asking for more!

Meghan Collier and "Joni"

Do you remember your first horse show?  How about your first ride or even your first rodeo?  Share the experience with us by visiting our Facebook fan page! Spread the word!

Here’s a story from Meghan Collier, who lives in White Deer, Texas, about her first horse show:

“When I was 4 years old, my mom loaded our two-horse trailer with my gray Quarter Horse mare, Joni.

“We were headed for Amarillo, where there was an open show going on. The only class I was in was lead-line, but I thought that was boring, so my mom let me enter in the pee wee walk trot class.

“I was so excited, because I loved riding my horse, I could hardly contain myself.”

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

“When I went into the arena, there were eleven other horses in there, all with older riders, and I got kind of scared. But Joni didn’t notice, because she was ready to do her job. She took every cue I gave her, and she carried me through my very first competitive class.

“When we lined up in the center of the arena, they placed six kids. I wasn’t worried I wouldn’t hear my name called, but when I heard my name for sixth place, I felt as if it were first.

“When we got back to the trailer, I gave Joni a huge pile of hay to munch on, since she obviously didn’t want the ribbon. It almost seemed like she knew she was perfect.”

Does Meghan’s story remind you of your first ride?  Tell us!  Just become a fan of our Facebook page to join in the discussion and share you story with other fans of AQHYA.

Two Bits wants to run for office!

But before he goes and jumps in head first, he realizes there is a lot of preparation that goes into running for such a prestigious office.  So Two Bits is going to start with a little research.  First things first, though. Let’s meet a few of the youth members in office now.

AQHYA officers 2009-2010

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Three days of fun, friends and finding your way as a leader.

Two Bits wants you there!  The Youth Excellence Seminar will be held June 24-26, 2010, in Amarillo.

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Nights at the Museums!

Sign your kids up for AQHA’s Nights at the Museums on February 26, 2010.

This week Nights at the Museums will be hosted by our great friends at the Don Harrington Discovery Center.

They have tons of fun activities planned and in honor of the great people at the Discovery Center in Amarillo, Two Bits has decided to help his friends learn something scientific!

Don’t Forget! The local museums have  a fun night out for the kids planned every week this month. You don’t want to miss out, so be sure to register early!

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What’s the next best thing to an American Quarter Horse? Building your own mop pony to ride!

Mop Pony Trail Rides offered at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum

On your mark, get set … GO!

Want to feel the excitement of winning your very own mock horse race? Then you’re going to need a mop pony.

Some of Two Bits’ best friends are mop ponies down at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum.

Some, such as Hind Sitz 2020, are best racing barrels at local rodeos, while others, like Peachio, rule the ring at slower-paced western pleasure classes.

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