The differences between pioneer products, generics, medical devices and compounded products.

There are some important facts to consider when choosing a joint health option. Get the facts at nogenericadequan.com.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Adequan

When a horse or companion animal becomes sick or lame, you turn to your veterinarian for a diagnosis and the best, proven treatment to make your animal better.

But, just because a product is available for purchase doesn’t make it a proven product or the right product to treat the problem. So, do you treat with an FDA-approved innovator drug, an FDA-approved generic drug, a medical device or a compounded product?

In considering this question, Dr. Jeffrey Berk, a veterinarian at Equine Medical Associates in Lexington, Kentucky, says horse owners need to consider two things very carefully.

“When considering an alternative treatment, veterinarians and horse owners need to understand they are not guaranteed the same level of safety or quality — i.e. potency and purity — as you would with an FDA-approved product,” says Dr. Berk, who is a member of the executive committee of the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

FDA-approved products

Some experts estimate that it takes four to six years and millions of dollars to get an FDA-approved animal drug from the laboratory to the marketplace. Most of the money is spent on conducting studies that prove the drug’s effectiveness in a form acceptable to the Food and Drug Administration, the governing body over both human and animal drug approval. The FDA approval process is the most extensive law of its kind in any country. All regulations are focused on protecting the end user and providing a safe, effective product. In short, the FDA will not allow a company to market a drug as FDA-approved if it has not proven its effectiveness in multiple scientific studies.

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The FDA reviews marketing claims and labeling for approved drugs, so the consumer has a clear understanding of what to expect. Check the medication administered to your horse. If it’s FDA-approved, it will have a package insert that explains specifically where the drug should be administered, what the dosage should be for a specific species and what condition or disease the drug is supposed to treat.

FDA approval doesn’t end when the product is released to the market. Companies granted FDA approval for their drugs must continually demonstrate consistency, efficacy and good manufacturing processes, which includes plant inspections conducted by the FDA. Also, it’s mandatory for manufacturers of FDA-approved products to record and notify the FDA of any adverse reactions to their drug.

The price for an innovator drug can be high, and you may want to find a cheaper treatment, but Dr. Berk says it’s usually a lack of understanding that prompts this response.

“If you discuss the options with your veterinarian, and he recommends an FDA-approved drug instead of a device or compounded product, you should really consider his recommendation,” says Dr. Berk, who has practiced in Ohio, Florida and Kentucky. “I tell my clients, ‘Yes, you could use these products, but there are legal and liability issues involved, and you are not as likely to get a good outcome.’ When I discuss all the reasons for FDA-approved vs. medical devices and compounded products, very few clients want to use those other products.”

Generic drugs

According to the FDA, a generic drug is bioequivalent to the innovator drug and is also FDA-approved. The approval process is easier and faster for a generic drug than an innovator drug because the manufacturer doesn’t have to conduct preclinical or clinical studies. However, the manufacturer must scientifically prove the generic drug performs in the same manner as the innovator drug.

After a generic drug is approved, the manufacturer also must comply with the same regulations as the pioneer drug. The marketing and labeling must be reviewed and approved so it doesn’t mislead the public. Even generic products will have a product insert in every box.

Not every innovator drug has a generic brand available to the market. For example, Adequan i.m. (Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan) has no generic equivalent. Because generic drugs are FDA-approved, it is illegal to call a product the generic form of another drug when it has not been FDA-approved as such. Get the facts at nogenericadequan.com.

Medical devices

“The medical devices have slipped through the cracks because there is no stringent approval process for them as long as they are used as medical devices,” says Dr. Berk. “Polyglycan is the classic example. Here is a medical device that is being used as a drug. What it’s supposed to be used for is a post-operative joint lavage. Nobody is using it that way. Everybody is using it systemically as a substitute for Adequan i.m. (Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan) and/or Legend (Hyaluronate Sodium), which are FDA-approved drugs.”

According to the FDA, a medical device is an instrument, machine or implement that can be used to diagnose, cure or prevent a disease, which does not achieve its intended action through chemical reaction or by being metabolized by the body. Simply stated, a device is not intended to change chemically or be absorbed by the body to achieve its purpose. Syringes, lavages, prosthetics and shock-wave units are examples of medical devices.

A veterinary medical device is not approved or registered by the FDA. There are no premarket notification, premarket approval or mandatory adverse event reporting requirements. The FDA only oversees the misbranding, mislabeling and adulteration of veterinary medical devices. A medical device cannot be marketed as a drug or claim to work like one.

Compounded products

Compounded products are available to veterinarians to treat a unique disease or address a unique situation. The FDA’s position is that it is illegal to compound in bulk and sell to third parties. Compounding is reserved for when there isn’t a commercially available drug that can properly treat a specific affliction.

“The problem we are seeing with compounded products is the compounding pharmacies are expanding their product lines to compete with FDA-approved products,” says Dr. Berk. “That is wrong and illegal.  There are times when compounding is appropriate and good, and the basic criteria for compounding must always be met, i.e. the compounded product must be made for a specific patient to accommodate a specific need at a specific point in time.”

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Compounded products can vary greatly in their chemical makeup. At the 2010 AAEP convention in Baltimore, Dr. Scott D. Stanley and Dr. Heather DiMaio Knych presented a study on compounded drugs. They studied seven different liquid variations of Pergolide Mesylate, with two bottles of each used in the study. They tested each bottle immediately after receipt and found nine of the 14 bottles were lower than the FDA standard for potency. Even under proper storage, the study found that by Day 15, only three bottles contained an FDA standard equivalence for potency.

When considering a treatment option, it is important to know what the product is proven to do. Is it a drug that is proven to create a desired response, or is it a device that should be used as a final wash before closing up a wound or surgical incision? Is it a generic version of a successful product that is FDA approved, or is it a compounded product for a unique situation? Talk to your veterinarian to ensure that you are informed on the best treatment option for your horse.

The winners of the 2011 colt-starting challenge are still riding together.

Assistant trainer Clayton Anderson on Perfect Performance. Courtesy of Aaron Griffin/Chris Cox Horsemanship.

From America’s Horse

What happens when you take a kid off his remote ranch home, send him to school for a few days – taught in front of a packed crowd – then send him on out of the limelight? Does he retain that education? Is he helped or hindered by the “speed learning”?

The kid we’re talking about is the now-4-year-old colt, Perfect Performance, who was started under saddle during the 2011 Road to the Horse colt-starting competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Renowned clinician Chris Cox, who competed against Pat Parelli and Clinton Anderson, came out on top with the gray colt he later nicknamed “Tres” in honor of his three Road to the Horse wins. In early 2012, America’s Horse revisited Chris and Tres.

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Bred by the Four Sixes Ranch, Tres is getting the chance to do some ranch work at Chris’ place in Mineral Wells, Texas.

“We’re using him around the ranch, working him on cattle and just letting him be a horse,” Chris says. “He’s doing good.”

In the time since the 2011 colt-starting event, Tres – sired by Sixes Pick and out of a Special Effort mare – has filled out and turned into a beautiful dapple gray. But his basic nature hasn’t changed.

“He’s a horse that’s real sensitive,” Chris says. Horses like that tend to not be very forgiving of rider errors, but Chris says he likes that instant feedback. “He tells you right away if you’re doing right or doing wrong.”

And to answer the question posed at the beginning of this story, Chris says that Tres’ experience at Road to the Horse was a positive one.

“Everything we taught him at the competition, it stuck with him. He has a good, sound mind. … I didn’t allow the competition to blow his mind.”

Although Chris is frequently on the road doing horsemanship clinics, one of his assistant trainers, Clayton Anderson, has been working with Tres and preparing him for versatility ranch horse competition.

One of the secrets to training Tres has been to keep that good, sound mind engaged.

“One thing about these horses, you want to make sure you stick to the basics,” Chris says, “but you also have to make sure you advance them just a little bit every day. That helps the horse’s learning curve, so he doesn’t stay in his comfort zone all the time. You don’t have to overextend him mentally or physically, but keep his interest and keep him from getting complacent.”

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Chris likes to ride his horses outside, not in the same pen all the time, so that their ears are forward and both horse and rider are feeling productive.

Learn more about the 2012 Road to the Horse, held March 9-12. AQHA was proud to sponsor the remuda at Road to the Horse, another way the Association promotes ranch-raised American Quarter Horses.

Take a look at the 10 most popular FREE reports on America’s Horse Daily.

Summer is around the corner. Have you completed those spring goals you set for yourself?

America’s Horse Daily has dozens of FREE reports to help you become a better rider, trainer, competitor and horse owner.

Download as many as you want, and print copies for your barn, home and trailer. Share them with family and friends.

1. Horse Color and Marking Chart – The AQHA Horse Color and Markings Chart has a world of horse markings and color information packed into just one page.
2. Horse Trailer Loading Tips – Bill Van Norman gives tips on how to keep your temper while training a horse to load into a trailer.
3. Quarter Horse Coat Color Genetics – This 20-page free report is helpful when determining a new foal’s color.
4. HYPP Survival Guide – Learn how to prepare for and deal with a horse affected by HYPP.
5. How to Make a Rope Halter – Two experts at Columbia Basin Knot Company shared with The American Quarter Horse Journal their 34-step process for making a quality homemade rope halter.
6. How to Build a Mounting Block – AQHA consulted an expert woodworker for a homemade mounting block that can become a staple of your barn aisle or arena.
7. Showmanship Basics – Trainers Brad and Valerie Kearns give you tips and tricks about every aspect of showmanship from basic maneuvers to picking out the right show halter for your horse.
8. Trail Ride Safety Tips – This free report will keep you and your Quarter Horse out of harm’s way when you’re on the trail.
9. Cowboy Etiquette – Learn the rules of the ranch and impress your crew with your knowledge of old-time manners.
10. Halter Breaking Your Foal – Learn how siblings Tom, Wayne and Margo Ball of Balls’ Quarter Horses use old-fashioned horsemanship in their halter breaking.

Want more great information for free? America’s Horse Daily has many more FREE reports!

America’s Horse magazine is the most-popular AQHA member benefit. Are you receiving this award-winning publication 10 times a year? If not, renew your AQHA membership today! In addition to your subscription to America’s Horse, you’ll enjoy hundreds of dollars in savings each year from our generous corporate partners, as well as access to AQHA’s events and programs to help you enjoy your horse to the fullest. Join AQHA today and keep America’s Horse coming!

Top professional competitors share seven tips for riding accurately to the jumps.

In the perfect world, a horse lands 6 feet from the jump, setting up the next in a line. Illustration by Jean Abernethy.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Today’s AQHA over-fence classes include working hunter, equitation over fences, hunter hack and jumping. Each event, though unique in style and purpose, demands horse and rider athleticism, efficiency, balance and a strong understanding of distances.

Define a Distance

Hunter-jumper riders and coaches use the words “distance” and “spot” to reference the exact geography in which a horse’s legs lift from the ground in front of a jump. A good “distance” or “spot” is a safe, esthetically pleasing measurement – typically about 6 feet away from an average 3-foot jump.

Some riders seem to be born with a natural eye for a distance. They can ride nearly any horse and harmoniously soar over jumps without a misstep. Whether consciously or not, those riders accurately calibrate their current speed, rhythm and the ground stretching out in front of them as they approach the jumps. They seldom change pace.

“You’ve either got an eye, or you’re developing your eye,” says AQHA competitor, coach and restricted hunter judge Sandy Vaughn of Ocala, Florida. “For some riders, it’s like breathing – we don’t think about breathing, we just breathe.”

On the other hand, Sandy says, no one rides a perfect distance all the time.

“Everybody is going to chip in at a jump at some point, and it’s not a cardinal sin,” she says. “I assure you, it’s going to happen. The challenge is to remember that it’s not over if you have one bad fence. So what if you had a bad fence? Your competitors might have five bad fences!”

A good distance is a critical component of a beautiful, safe ride. Horse-rider miscommunication about distances leads to haphazard, even dangerous, riding.

“If you do get to a bad spot, you have to sit deep and ride what you’ve got, without panicking,” Sandy says. “If you make a big move and don’t sit and wait, there’s a good chance you’ll be kissing the earth.”

Improve Your Odds

Whether you were born with a natural eye or not, the pros say you can always improve your odds of finding consistent distances. Dozens of great books, videos and DVDs are available on the topic, with scores of tips, ideas and coaching.

For this short refresher article, the Journal talked with six successful Quarter Horse hunter-jumper pros and noted their tips for finding distances.

To compete in AQHA-approved over-fence classes, you need a current AQHA membership. Join or renew today, and enjoy the upcoming show season! Plus, take advantage of the hundreds of dollars in discounts and savings members enjoy each year!

1. Understand the 12-Foot Blueprint

Every great hunter ride follows a blueprint of specific strides, take-off and landing positions. Simple mathematics rules the ride.

Hunters are expected to maintain a 12-foot average stride throughout a course to negotiate the obstacles properly and exhibit stellar jumping form. Without that rhythm, it’s difficult to find consistent distances.

“It’s custom to set a course of 3-foot jumps off the 12-foot stride, as long as the footing is good,” says Mike Christian, course designer for the AQHA and AQHYA World Championship shows. “If the footing is too deep, we might shorten the lines a little because the horse has to work harder to get to the jumps.”

Mike, who is an “R” judge for the United States Equestrian Federation, notes that for lower, 2-foot or 2-foot, 6-inch jumps, lines are set one-half to 1 foot shorter. Likewise, the lines can be set up to 2 feet longer for courses with larger, 4-foot jumps.

Still, he said, a 12-foot stride is the average. “It’s hard to judge exactly where horses leave the ground in front of the jump, but for a 3-foot jump, it’s about 6 feet away,” Mike says. “Then they land about 6 feet on the other side of the jump.”

In a perfect world, a horse will jump the first jump from 6 feet away, form a perfect arc over the top, land 6 feet on the other side, and continue away on a 12-foot stride toward the next obstacle. If horses were computers, and riders robots, the formula would work beautifully, and every horse and rider would achieve perfect distances and gorgeous, flowing rides. Unfortunately, when humans and half-ton horses try the task, the margin of error is substantial.

2. Know Your Horse’s Stride

How long is your horse’s natural stride? How do you know when you’re galloping a 12-foot stride?

Horses that compete strictly in hunter events can quickly learn to pick up a consistent, 12-foot stride with training. However, many versatile Quarter Horse hunters also compete in other disciplines, such as horsemanship, so they must learn to be even more adjustable.

“You need to know how to feel exactly the amount of ground you are covering with every stride,” says hunter trainer Lisa Brown of Charlotte, Tennessee. To develop a feel for your horse’s stride, Lisa recommends walking your horse through exercises with poles on the ground.

3. Practice Ground Poles

“Set up four poles on the ground in a big circle,” Lisa says. “Walk through those poles until you know exactly where you are in relation to the poles. Can you feel when your horse picks up his left front leg? How about his right front leg? Can you tell when you are far from the pole, near to the pole or on top of the pole?”

These exercises, Lisa says, seem almost too simple, but they work to train your eye to look and feel for distances.

“If you can’t walk over these poles and know where you’re at, then you’re definitely not ready to look for distances at a big jump,” she says. “When you can walk great through the poles, then try a trot, and ask yourself the same questions. Later, move on to the canter.”

An assistant is helpful.

“Everyone – even professional trainers – needs a ground person to give feedback and make recommendations,” Lisa says. “If you can’t work with a trainer all the time, ask a friend to help. It’s also a good idea to have someone videotape your rides so you can see for yourself how you and your horse appear.”

Eventually, Lisa sets three poles on even ground, spaced 9 feet apart, and canters through the poles to determine her horse’s stride length.

“If your horse can casually take one stride in between the poles, increase the distances to 10 feet, and then longer,” she says. “Ask your ground person to increase the distances between the three poles until they are spaced 12 feet apart and your horse can gallop through the poles consistently, without having to make a big change in step.”

As you go, remember that a faster pace does not necessarily mean that you have accomplished a longer stride.

“Sometimes, the faster you run, the shorter your horse’s stride can become,” Lisa says. “If you chase them, they are going to run and shorten their stride.”

Instead, work to create long gallops in big, open fields. If your horse isn’t especially tall, don’t give up. Plenty of 15.3-hand horses are known to have nice, long and flowing strides.

4. Visualize

David Connors, trainer and coach of multiple world champions and AQHA Superhorses, teaches visualization as a pre-game warm-up.

“First, I tell my students to visualize the course and the approach they will take to the first jump,” says David, of Colts Neck, New Jersey. “Think about the way the course rides and the distances between the obstacles and the finish. Also, I always, always, always tell my students to look ahead to the next jump.”

Sandy agrees.

“Look beyond the jump you are approaching,” she says. “And never look down. There is no golden spot on the ground. I find that when you focus on the ground, you get a chip.”

5. Maintain Rhythm

David Warner of Alto, Michigan, stresses rhythm as the key ingredient of a successful ride.

“When people start worrying too much about seeing a distance instead of riding a rhythm, it makes things more complicated,” said he says. “If you keep your horse on the correct, 12-foot rhythm, you’re not going to get the perfect distance every time, but you ride the distance you’ve got. You might ride a little long this time or a little short, and you can change it up a little, but it’s less complicated. People find their way around courses much better when they just lock in to a rhythm.”

David Warner tends to keep his students thinking about their courses as simply as possible.

“Remember that a jump is just a canter stride,” he says. “If you ride it well and consistently, the distances will come to you.”

6. Keep Coming

Shane George, world champion rider, coach and AQHA judge of Magnolia, Texas, stresses working forward out of the turns.

“The biggest thing I can say is, make sure you have your horse in front of you through the turn,” Shane says. “Do not be taking back and backpedaling. The tighter the turn, the more leg you should hold on your horse. If you allow things to change too much, you will have more trouble seeing a distance.”

The phrase “have your horse in front of you” means, essentially, “keep the rhythm consistently motoring along.” Don’t allow your horse to slow down and change pace. Slowing to balance a bit is OK, Shane says, so long as you get your horse back in front of you again as you round your corner.

“You don’t want to fly around the turn, but you also don’t want to back-pedal,” he adds. “A lot of times, people don’t know where they are. By the time they see a distance, it’s too late. Then they make a big move or just get that bad, tight spot. If the horse is in front of your leg, then you’re not pulling back or having to move up much at the jump.”

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7. Remain the Same

Most riders see a distance about three strides in front of the jump. At that moment, their tendency is to think, “Wow! There it is! I see it!” Unfortunately, at that point, instead of staying on the same rhythm and stride, the rider makes a big move – perhaps asking the horse to go forward a bit – and consequently riding past the perfect distance.

“Instead of sticking with a rhythm, they gun it,” Sandy says. “That disrupts everything. Instead, you should stay on a rhythm and let the jump come to you.”

One of the most complicated jumps to assess is a single oxer parked way out in the middle of the arena. Because of the long approach to the jump, riders tend to make stride adjustments along the way, resulting in a choppy approach and an inconsistent ride.

“People want to gear up way too early for this,” Shane says. “If you canter around the corner, take your time and hold your pace, your eye will find a distance.” Shane notes that some riders gallop directly to the single oxer, which can be impressive. Unfortunately, if they miss, it’s a big miss.

“Just be patient until you are three-quarters of the way there, and then you can see where you need to be” he says.

The first Calgary Stampede, held in 1912, was a tribute to Western heritage and values, and that’s a tradition that remains today.

After 100 years of changes and improvements, the Calgary Stampede shows no signs of slowing down.

By Tina Zakowsky for the Calgary Stampede

For 10 days every July, the city of Calgary, Alberta, transforms into a tribute to the Wild West era.

Downtown lawyers and CEOs of multinational corporations trade their business suits for blue jeans and cowboy boots. Office buildings and retail stores are decorated with corral fence boards and straw bales. Country music can be heard on nearly every corner. Locals and tourists gather for free pancakes and coffee. Calgarians and visitors alike embrace the Calgary Stampede spirit and celebrate Western heritage and values. After 100 years, there is no end in sight for this amazing festival with humble roots.

Before there was a Calgary Stampede, the Calgary and District Agricultural Society organized an exhibition that was held in October 1886. In 1889, the Calgary and District Agricultural Society acquired 94 acres of land from the Dominion of Canada and built a racetrack, cattle sheds and an exhibition building. This land remains the site of Stampede Park today.

The Calgary Exhibition remained a modest annual event. Then in 1908, a cowboy named Guy Weadick performed in the exhibition as a trick roper. He was also a skilled promoter who wanted to create a tribute show to the Wild West. It took him four years, but he arranged $100,000 in financing from a group of influential ranchers and businessmen who came to be known as the Big Four: George Lane, Patrick Burns, A. J. McLean and A. E. Cross. With their financial support, the first Calgary Stampede took place in September 1912.

The six-day event was a success. Guy arranged for 400 head of Mexican steers and as many wild horses as he could find to be brought to the Stampede grounds from nearby ranches. The funding provided by the Big Four meant $20,000 in prize money drew top rodeo competitors from across North America, as it was nearly quadruple the prize money offered at any other North American rodeo competition.

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Nearly 2,000 First Nations people participated in the parade, which was attended by an estimated 80,000 people – an astonishing number because Calgary’s population at the time was just over 60,000. The Duke of Connaught and Princess Patricia watched the Stampede from a viewing box built especially for the royal guests.

Tom Three Persons of the Kainai First Nation won the saddle bronc championship, the most coveted prize, for riding a horse named Cyclone to a standstill. The rodeo events at the first Stampede were much different than today’s Stampede Rodeo. For example, there were no chutes. In the bucking bronco event, horses were blindfolded. The last cowboy or cowgirl who remained on horseback was declared the winner.

Most of the major events offered a first-place prize of $1,000, a saddle and a gold belt buckle. Guy encouraged people to dress western throughout the Stampede and offered cash prizes for the best-dressed cowboys, cowgirls, Indians and even store fronts.

Despite the success, the Stampede was not held again until 1919. That year’s event was the Great Victory Stampede, celebrating the end of the war.

Guy convinced working ranches to enter their authentic chuckwagons and roundup crews into the first Rangeland Derby in 1923. The winner was the first team to round a figure-8 track and light a fire in his stove. Prizes totaled $275. Bill Sommers, a stagecoach driver from the Yukon, won the first Rangeland Derby.

In 1923, the Stampede was held in conjunction with the Calgary Exhibition. The combined event was such a success that it has been held every July since then.

The first Stampede breakfast was also held in 1923. A chuckwagon driver named “Wildhorse Jack” Morton camped at the Canadian Pacific Railway station in downtown Calgary. Jack cooked his breakfast pancakes on a stove in the back of his chuckwagon and shared them with his friends. He began inviting people who were passing by to join them, giving birth to a Calgary Stampede tradition. Pancake breakfasts are held every day at various locations throughout the 10-day festival and are as integral to the Stampede as the parade, cowboy hats and roping.

The first Calgary Stampede Queen, Patsy Rodgers, was appointed in 1946. In 1947, a contest was held, adding a princess to the Stampede Royalty, and in 1948, a second princess was added. The tradition of the Calgary Stampede Queen and Princesses continues today.

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It was 1946 that also saw the debut of an internationally recognized symbol of the Calgary Stampede — the white cowboy hat. The Herron ranching/oil family wore the first white felt hats made by Smithbilt that year. In 1949, Mayor Don Mackay donned a white Smithbilt hat on a mission to promote Calgary and began handing out the white hat to visiting dignitaries. The white cowboy hat has become such a symbol of Calgary that white cowboy hats are often presented to visiting dignitaries and celebrities as a welcoming gift to Calgary.

Guy Weadick’s last appearance at the Stampede was in the parade in 1952, one year before he died. He was inducted into the Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1982.

The 1970s saw several significant developments for the Stampede. The Calgary Stampede Showband led the Stampede parade for the first time in 1971. In 1976, attendance broke 1 million for the first time. This attendance threshold has been met or exceeded at every Stampede since 1985. The first chuckwagon canvas auction, in 1979, provided businesses the chance to bid for advertisement space on the chuckwagon canvasses.

The Stampede announced the “half million dollar rodeo” in 1982. Each main rodeo event competitor vied for a $50,000 prize in the showdown, which at the time was the richest prize ever offered in the history of the sport. Today’s Stampede Rodeo is still among the world’s richest rodeos, offering over $2 million dollars in prize money.

Guy created a template for the Stampede. His vision was to have the city and First Nations people involved, to have good international ties, to invite celebrities, to have a good volunteer program and, of course, to have the ideal location. This template has been followed for 100 years.

Now, the Calgary Stampede is a non-profit organization with approximately 350 full-time staff members, 3,500 Stampede-time staff and 2,100 volunteers on 47 committees who dedicate themselves to making sure that The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth lives up to its name.

After 100 years of changes and improvements, the Calgary Stampede shows no signs of slowing down. Staff, volunteers, Calgarians and visitors are all looking forward to seeing what the next 100 years will bring to The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

The Big Four

In 1912, Guy Weadick convinced four wealthy citizens to provide funding to establish the Calgary Stampede, a tribute to the West and its cowboy heritage. The four citizens who funded Guy’s dream were George Lane, Patrick Burns, A. J. McLean and A. E. Cross.

George Lane and his partners purchased the Bar U Ranch. George was an excellent cowboy and a leader. He achieved international recognition as a center of breeding excellence for cattle and purebred Percheron horses between 1902 and 1925. His world-class Percherons were bred to meet the demand for draft horses by homestead settlers.

Patrick Burns enjoyed success in the ranching and meat packing industries. The P. Burns and Co. Ltd. meat packing company was established in Calgary in 1890. It became one of the largest businesses of its kind in the world, with branches in London, Liverpool and Yokohama. Patrick also worked as a cattle buyer. He owned large amounts of land, which he used to raise cattle.

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Archie “A. J.” McLean came to Alberta in 1886 to work with cattle. In 1887, he became manager of the CY Ranch of the Cypress Cattle Co. near the southern Alberta town of Taber. He established his own company to ship cattle to the British Isles.

Alfred Ernest “A. E.” Cross came to Calgary from Ontario in 1884 as a veterinarian and assistant manager of the British-American Horse Ranch Co. In 1885, he started his own ranch, the A7, near the southern Alberta town of Nanton, thereby becoming one of the West’s most prominent cattlemen. The A7 is still owned by the Cross family and remains one of the largest ranches in the West. Then, in 1892, Alfred founded the Calgary Brewing and Malting Co.

All four of these men were also involved in politics. A. E. Cross, George Lane and A. J. McLean were elected members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and Patrick Burns was appointed to the Senate of Canada. They were respected businessmen and great leaders.

Tina Zakowsky (née Schwartzenberger) is a member of the International Agriculture committee and editor of the Profile. She can be reached at tzakowsky@shaw.ca.

Three of the biggest ownership transfer questions answered.

Updating the ownership of an American Quarter Horse represents a vital part of AQHA’s mission statement: protecting the integrity of the American Quarter Horse breed.

As stated in my post AQHA Transfers, Cheap and Painless, it’s important to make sure the horse you’re purchasing has an updated ownership record. Even then, there are a few bumps you might hit along the way. Read on for the three most common issues we see when completing ownership transfers.

Question: Why did I get charged for a new membership? I already had one!

Answer: When filling out the buyer’s line of the AQHA transfer report, your name must read exactly as it does on your AQHA membership card. If what you wrote doesn’t match anything in our records, we think it’s a new owner and therefore create – and bill for – a new membership for that person. To correct this issue, AQHA requires a signed statement if the ID number was not included on the transfer report. When in doubt, contact AQHA Customer Service for that information.

Question: I made a mistake on my transfer, marked through it and corrected it. Why am I being asked for verification?

Answer: Information such as the date of sale and the buyer’s name can affect several things outside of the transfer. AQHA uses these dates to determine things such as stallion breeding reports, foal registration documentation and foal ownership. Alterations to the date of sale and the buyer’s name will always require verification from both the buyer and seller. This is one way AQHA prevents fraud. If I got your transfer, marked out your name and put mine in place, and AQHA didn’t check out the situation, that horse would belong to me on AQHA’s record.

Question: What’s the big deal about the date of sale?

Answer: Especially when dealing with breeding mares and stallions, the date of sale is probably the most vital piece of information on the transfer report. AQHA goes by those dates to determine the breeders and owners of those horses’ offspring. Mistakes on the date of sale can also determine the validation of points earned in the show ring. It’s important to be accurate when filling out this section of the transfer report, and to either start over if you make a mistake, or provide AQHA with the necessary verification.

Check out our transfer video tutorial for a visual walk-through of the transfer report, and of course, don’t hesitate to comment below if you have questions!

As Always, At Your Service

Kayla Randall
AQHA Assistant Internet Production Manager

Accomplished horsewoman and fitness expert Emily Harrington offers stretching advice for equestrians.

Have an equestrian fitness question? Comment below, and we'll work hard to find you an answer!

By Emily J. Harrington

Question:

Is it important for riders to stretch before or after a ride?

Answer:

How many of us have seen one of those good ol’ cowboys?

You know, a little bow-legged with posture that has hovered over horses for years and years. He (she) has probably spent more time in the saddle than on his two feet! Extreme example, I know, but it illustrates the point of how the riding position can leave you.

While on horseback, the body is out of neutral alignment to accomplish the ride. The inner thigh muscles (adductors) are stretched. Hips and outer thighs are abducted and shortened. You upper body will be stabilizing (core muscles engage in an isometric manner) just to maintain good posture. Basically, although riding seems natural, the body is compromised.

Learn more about Emily Harrington.

Stretching the whole body after every ride will help the body recover to neutral position. A gentle stretch program or even gentle yoga can be a very useful tool in you toolbox of fitness.

Look for more soon on America’s Horse Daily about what you can do to stay strong in the saddle, including great information on stretching.

– Emily J. Harrington, CPT, equestrienne fitness trainer, is a multiple AQHA world champion and top-10 World Show finisher.

For more articles on improving your riding, count on The American Quarter Horse Journal to come through every month. Subscribe or renew today!

To shoe or not to shoe? Find out at what age these AQHA Professional Horsemen prefer to shoe their halter horses.

Question:

At what age does a halter horse need to wear shoes?

For our answer, we referred to AQHA Professional Horsemen Doug Landon and Luke Castle. In the May American Quarter Horse Journal, Doug and Luke share their tips for preparing halter futurity foals.

Answer:

As a rule, I show my weanlings barefoot. I did put some small plates on one when we went to the All American Quarter Horse Congress, but we pulled them after we got done showing.

A lot of people want to put an angled shoe on a baby, and I think that just creates problems in a foal. With a baby that’s growing, if you start changing the angle of his foot, I think there will always be issues.

It’s a mistake to think you have to have a shoe on; I prefer to bring them barefoot.

– AQHA Professional Horseman Doug Landon of Clark, Missouri

People tend to want to show (foals) too early and leave shoes on too long.  A horse’s feet need to spread and naturally grow. You can’t take away from that process.

I’ll put shoes on a weanling the week before the AQHA World Championship Show, but they come off soon after.

AQHA Professional Horseman Luke Castle of Wayne, Oklahoma

To learn more from Doug and Luke about caring for preparing halter futurity foals, read “Futurity Prep” on Page 104 of the May 2012 issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal.

The American Quarter Horse Journal contains great horse health advice each month, along with event coverage, horse training tips, horse showing articles and much more. Subscribe today to keep great information coming to your mailbox every month. Your subscription to the Journal comes complete with access to the digital edition, so you can read each issue on the go.

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.

Family traditions are part of the weave of ranch life in the West, fostering the passage of knowledge between the generations who take part in this unique way of life.

Whether riding is part of your job or something you do for fun on the weekends, you can earn rewards for time spent in the saddle. Sign up for the AQHA Horseback Riding Program today and watch the rewards roll in.

So what’s it like to grow up on a big outfit where your “yard” stretches endlessly to the horizon in every direction, and you see way more horses and cattle than people? The Neubert family can shed a little light on that.

Jim Neubert, 31, makes a living these days starting colts. He and his brother, Luke, spent the past several years traveling across the country working together and even flying to Hawaii, starting batches of young Quarter Horses for various ranches.

It’s a career they came to naturally. They, along with their sister, Kate (now a professional horse trainer in Santa Maria, California), spent their younger years on the Las Aguilas Ranch in San Benito Valley, California. They are the children of Bryan and Patty Neubert.

Bryan was cow boss on one end of that ranch back then and now is a prominent horsemanship clinician. Jim was featured with his father and another celebrated horseman, Joe Wolter, in the now-classic colt-starting video “The First Week,” where the trio started 20 head of American Quarter Horses at the Four Sixes Ranch (available through Quarter Horse Outfitters).

“On that ranch, they would get in between 20,000 and 25,000 head (of cattle) a year. They come in the fall and leave in the spring,” Jim says. “My dad was in charge of the horse program there. We’d help him break them to lead when we were little.”

Jim started his first horse when he was 8. The next year, as the kids were halter-breaking nine yearling colts, an extended rainy period set in. Jim says he hardly weighed 50 pounds, and with work on the ranch temporarily at a standstill, his father suggested he play around with starting those young horses under saddle for something to do.

“I was too short to saddle them,” Jim says, “but I would get a bucket and get them saddled up, lunge them both ways and get them up to the fence and get on them. Trot them around both ways, get my rope down, I had a piece of plastic I could pack around. I put 10 rides on all of them. I probably wouldn’t have done it, but it was just kind of rainy and miserable, so we were killing time. I was pretty little. Rode them all with my pony saddle and pony bridle.”

The Neuberts moved away from the ranch the next year, and another cowboy started the colts as 2-year-olds. He couldn’t believe how easy they were to ride, and years later, Bryan told him about the early start Jim had put on them.

The Horseback Riding Program is your opportunity as an AQHA and AQHYA member to get rewarded for the hours you spend riding. Sign up today!

“He said, ‘I couldn’t figure it out, it was like they had been rode, but they were only 2. They were the best colts I ever started!’ ”

It made sense, since Jim’s life as a ranch kid revolved around horses – and renowned horsemen.

“Growing up there, we didn’t have any television. Pretty much all our heroes were either guys that worked on the ranch or friends like the Dorrances. Once in a while, Tom Dorrance would come over there, and everybody talked about how good a hands those guys were. So growing up, that was your heroes.

“I liked it. It was pretty much total freedom.”

Tom Moates is a freelance writer from Floyd, Virginia. Visit www.tommoates.com to learn more about his books.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, May 13, let’s honor some prolific mares of our industry.

Take our broodmare quiz, and find out if you're a broodmare expert! Journal photo.

Most people can agree that great mothers leave an impression that will last a lifetime and that a mother’s words of wisdom will forever play a role in your conscience. The same can be said for the broodmares in the Quarter Horse industry. We’re thankful to broodmares for creating the great breed of horses that we know today, passing on their disposition, athletic ability and talent to their offspring.

As rancher Jim Hunt has said, “A lot of old-timers, the horse breeders with wisdom, they’ll say that a mare is 75 percent of what you get as far as the offspring.”

Credit should be given where credit is due, and all American Quarter Horse broodmares deserve proper recognition.

Struggling to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift for mom this year? Shop Quarter Horse Outfitters and enjoy 30% off your online order through May 15, 2012, using Promo Code IHEARTMOM.

In honor of Mother’s Day and all the fantastic broodmares of the past and present, we created a short quiz to test your knowledge of famous broodmares! Test yourself and see if you know all about the influential broodmares of AQHA, or if you should spend a little more time reading up on bloodlines.

Good Luck! (Scroll to the bottom for the answers.)

Broodmare Quiz

1. This mare is the dam of Shiners Lena Doc, A Shiner Named Sioux and Shiney Sushi. A Shiner Named Sioux was AQHA’s 2011 junior working cow horse world champion and 2010 junior reining world champion. Shiney Sushi was the 2012 National Reined Cow Horse Association open bridle world champion.
2. This mare holds the No. 8 spot on the National Reining Horse Association dams list. Some of her successful offspring include Whizkey N Diamonds and Cromed Out Mercedes
3. This mare has proven herself in the show ring and breeding barn. She is an AQHA Superhorse and the dam of Nic It In The Bud, Dun It Big and Lights R Red, just to name a few.
4. This mystery dam holds the No. 4 spot on the National Cutting Horse Association dams list. She is the dam of Dual Smart Rey, WR This Cats Smart, One Smart Lookin Cat and Smart Lookin Hi Brow.
5. This mare holds the coveted No. 1 spot on the NRCHA dams list. She is the dam of Smart Time Tuck, Tuckers Smart Cat, Lil Time To Smoke, She Smokes Smart and Smart Tucker Smoke. (Hint: Journal Subscribers, you read about this mare in the April 2012 issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal!)

How did you fare?

1-2 correct: Maybe you should consider checking out the records section on AQHA.com or catching up with the latest American Quarter Horse Journal.
3-4 correct: Good job! You know enough to recognize some of the most influential broodmares of today.
All 5 correct: You are a complete whiz! It’s evident that you recognize the importance of these outstanding mothers in the Quarter Horse industry.

We know you’re dedicated to taking care of those special mamas in your barn. AQHA’s Mare Care: Breeding Tips free report will guide you through the processes of preparing your mare, targeting a breeding date, ordering semen, inducing a follicle to ovulate, receiving and evaluating semen and much more.

Answers:

1. Docs Sulena
2. Princess In Diamonds
3. Genuine Redbud
4. The Smart Look
5. Smoke Time Tuck

Back in the day, Old Fred sired both sprinters and working ranch horses.

Old Fred. AQHA file photo.

From a 1947 issue of Quarter Horse Magazine

Over on the western slope of the Rockies, Don De Mars was talking to Coke Roberds and a few other horsemen. Don asked Mr. Roberds which horse – of all the Quarter Horses he had ever known – he would rather have back if such a thing were possible. And Mr. Roberds (who has been watching, working, and breeding Quarter Horses since the frontier days – and who owned Peter McCue, the fastest Quarter Horse and the greatest Quarter sire ever in Colorado, during his final breeding years) replied without hesitation: “Old Fred. I would rather have Fred than any horse I’ve ever seen. There was only one Fred,” he said, “and there may never be another; for to me he is the horse of a lifetime spent with and for good horses.”

Learn everything there is to know about Peter McCue from his humble beginnings, his race career, where he lived, his owners and much more in AQHA’s FREE report, The Gospel According to Peter.

Old Fred, foaled in the last decade of the 1800s, set the family strain of a great percentage of the Quarter Horses in the Colorado region, and many good horsemen believe him to be the best palomino horse ever foaled. Not only was Old Fred responsible for some of the best Quarter Horses in that state but also most of the palomino horses bred there.

Old Fred was approximately the size of Peter McCue and was brought to Pueblo, Colorado, from Springfield, Missouri, as a 2-year-old. He, along with a palomino filly, was purchased and taken to Hayden. It was here he became known as Old Fred and the mare as Blondie.

Old Fred was by a horse called Black Ball, he by Missouri Rondo, he by Missouri Mike and he by Printer by Cold Deck. Black Ball was out of a mare called Nan, who was part Standardbred. Old Fred was out of a palomino mare by John Crowder by Old Billy. Black Ball was a black horse with white stockings and a blaze face. Nan was the same color.

Truly a great sire, Old Fred sired such notable horses as Bob H, Fred Litz, Pet, Papoose, Old Stockings and many others.

When Don De Mars asked Coke Roberds if he believed Fred to have been as much responsible for speed in his horses as was Peter McCue, the elder horseman’s answer was, “Fred sired Bob H.” Bob H still holds the Hayden track record  for a quarter in twenty-three and two-fifths. He was by Fred and out of Queen Litz, a Thoroughbred mare. When 2 years old, Bob H was purchased from Coke Roberds by Marshall Peavy and remained on the Peavy Ranch until he was accidentally killed six years later. Peavy took the Blue Mare by Bob H, and out of a roan mare by Primero, and bred her back to Bob H. The result was Papoose. Papoose was one of the fastest Quarter Horses in that region (winning 27 races before being beaten) and later produced some of the greatest Peavy horses by Ding Bob, who was by Brown Dick and out of Mary McCue.

When Papoose was quite old, Marshall Peavy gave her to Jack Casement. For him, she produced two foals by Red Dog, one of which was Cherokee Maiden.

Blondie, the mare that was purchased along with Old Fred, became the property of Charles Eckstine of Steamboat Springs. This one-time owner of the fastest relay string in the United States bred Blondie to a horse called Big Black. This mating produced a sorrel mare known as Tiny Eckstine, and she was purchased by Lawrance Peavy, who in turn bred her to Bob H. This produced the famous mare, Fleet. Fleet was a sorrel, but when bred to Ding Bob (a brownish dun-colored horse), she foaled five palominos and five sorrels.

Of the palominos, Saladin and Trudy were probably most well-known, while Mary K, Melody and Candy proved most outstanding of the sorrels. Evelyn Peavy Semotan gave Saladin to Marshall Peavy as a colt, and that young stallion sired some fine colts for him. It was said of Trudy that you could tie on to the biggest, wildest cow, and you might break the rope, but they never put Trudy off her feet. She raced well, too – showed good speed on the track. Mary K was the fastest of Fleet’s colts and certainly is a success as a broodmare.

These horses have been mentioned in an effort to show that Old Fred was a sire of sprinters, as well as producing ideal cow horses that could stand up under the hard use required of them in their native home.

What made Peter McCue such an instrumental stallion in the early 1900s? Determine for yourself in The Gospel According to Peter.

Old Fred was an outstanding sire of broodmares. Out of Primero mares, he sired Stockings and Pet for Coke Roberds. When these mares were bred to Peter McCue, they produced such notable horses as Squaw, who won 49 out of 50 races and later proved her worth as a broodmare, Buck Thomas, who did so much good in Texas, and Peter McCue II, a great sire.

Pet is most famous for her son, the Sheik, by Peter McCue. Sheik proved himself a worthy grandson of Old Fred.

The greatness of Old Fred is still very much in evidence. His blood can be found in top horses (and especially palominos) in all parts of the United States – striking evidence that the prejudiced breeders who say yellow horses are incapable of winning and unable to do the work required of the breed are not only wrong but are completely unfair in their biased opinion.

Horses may have contracted equine herpesvirus type-1 from a trail ride in Tennessee.

Information provided by Tennessee officials describe horses as presenting varying symptoms that include neurological abnormalities. (Journal photo)

From the Kentucky State Veterinarians Office

On May 9, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture alerted Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner, James Comer, and staff in the Kentucky State Veterinarians Office of Dr. Robert Stout of an illness affecting horses that had participated in the Bucksnort Trail Ride held in Tennessee in late April. Information provided by Tennessee officials describe horses as presenting varying symptoms that include neurological abnormalities. The information released on May 9 also provided that the illness has resulted in four equine deaths with four additional horses demonstrating similar symptoms. On May 10, officials learned that preliminary diagnostic testing gives evidence that one or more of the sick horses may have contracted equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1).

Management at the trail ride provided Tennessee officials with a listing of participants that included seven Kentucky residents. These individuals participated with eight horses originating from the Kentucky counties of Edmonson, Logan, Simpson, Todd and Warren. One of the horses is included as a fatality of the illness. Veterinarians and the owners of the remaining seven horses all report that the horses returned from the trail ride in good form and remain bright, alert, responsive and healthy this morning. The seven remaining horses are not known to have direct contact with any sick animal and will continue to be monitored closely. Diagnostic samples collected from the single ill horse residing in Kentucky prior to its death have been submitted for diagnostic testing. Other horses residing on this same farm are under veterinary restriction pending a determination as to what caused the horse’s illness.

Continue reading about this recent EHV-1 outbreak.