Halter Helpers
June 1, 2009
While at the 2009 Texas Classic, I spent a good part of one day photographing halter and catching up with folks.
Michael Wayne Horace gets help from one of the boys from the Nacogdoches Boys Ranch, preparing Imobviouslynotyella for his halter class. (Journal photo)
Ted Turner was there along with Terry Bradshaw as well as Jason Smith and his family, and Gerri Leigh Pratt was sporting some “fancy” boots while chatting with Ross Roark.
There was one fella there, though, that I had seen at a few shows but had never talked to. I got his exhibitor number and went to check it against the draw sheet to see who he was. He was a muscular guy and I thought maybe he’s a friend of Terry’s or an ex-pro athlete.
I found his name, Michael Wayne Horace, on the list but what really surprised me was that the horses he was showing were from the Nacogdoches Boys Ranch. I’d noticed two boys with him but didn’t think anything about it but now my curiosity was up. (One of the best things of being a writer is you have a reason to be nosy). So I went up to ask him about his relationship with the boys and the very nice halter horses he was showing.
What I discovered was that since 2000, the Boys Ranch, which is home to about 26 boys, ages 5-14, has been using American Quarter Horses as part of its therapy program to help the boys learn responsibility and gain confidence and self-esteem.
“When they come to us, they have a lot of self-esteem issues,” Michael told me. “Horses are a good way to put a smile on their faces.”
Mucking and grooming is where it starts with the boys, though.
“You’ve got to start with the shovel and start inside the stall before you can move on to other things like showing and such,” Michael said. “But the boys love it, and they really work hard. We even have boys who have left the ranch call back and say, “I miss the horse shows.” Actually, some kids the state will let them come back and go to horse shows.”
For the ranch boys to be able to go to horse shows, they must meet certain goals each week.
“They have to make their points for the week or they can’t come,” Michael said. “That’s one of the things they strive for is to make their points so they can come to the shows. It’s the most rewarding in itself.”
The ranch started a horse program in 1988 with two donated horses, gradually trading them in for pedigreed Arabians, which they bred and showed at halter. Though the ranch was successful with the Arabians, there were few opportunities to show in the area. That’s when the ranch began to acquire Quarter Horses and concentrate on halter bloodlines and showing at halter at AQHA and Palomino Horse Breeders of America shows.
“We don’t do riding,” Michael said. “It’s just a little too difficult to do riding with it. But we do really well with the halter horses. We have gone to the World Show and Youth World a few times and even have one Palomino World champion to our credit.”
Although Michael only brought four horses to the Texas Classic, the ranch has many more at home. And many of the horses are by some of the top halter sires in the industry like Mr Yella Fella, Kids Classic Style and The Sacred Touch.
“Every horse we have is donated,” Michael said. “A lot of big showmen around donate them to this, and a lot of local people who have horses in their back yard donate horses to us. We’ve been blessed. We’re very fortunate to have people to look out for us.”
Although Michael has been around horses of his life, when he first started showing AQHA halter, it was a little different for him.
“I grew up with Tennessee Walkers, and it was kind of hairy when we first got started because we didn’t know anything about Quarter Horses,” he said. “Then a lot of people stepped up and helped us out like Ross Roark and Luke Castle. They gave me a lot confidence.”
Two of the boys from the ranch are qualified for the Ford AQHYA World Championship Show in August, and Michael hopes to return to the AQHA World Championship Show in November.
“They enjoy it. I enjoy it. It’s a passion of mine. Not very many people can say they have a job that’s part of their hobby too,” said Michael, who is the ranch’s direct care staff counselor slash horse trainer. “I’ve been with the ranch for 20 years in September. The horses are a major part of our program and as long as I can help it, it will always be around.”
I hope it’s around for a very long time, too, and we’ll be seeing Michael and his boys in the halter ring for years to come.
Tonya Ratliff-Garrison
Field Editor
American Quarter Horse Journal
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