I’ve been meaning to share a few photos I took while I was covering events at the All American Quarter Horse Congress for the American Quarter Horse Journal. I picked a fun day to go, as it definitely showed the versatility of the Quarter Horse–from hunter under saddle, to pole bending, Western pleasure, and barrel racing.
Growing up riding horses, I never really put myself in the category of one type of rider versus another. I always would say that I was like a Quarter Horse–versatile and open to trying new things. I showed halter/showmanship, Western pleasure, trail, hunt seat, barrel racing, goat tying, roping, even started jumping in college. I knew that trying new things would be good for my horses, too, because it gave our riding sessions a fresh perspective when we’d work on one thing one day and something different the next.
Much like how I’d use extended trotting, leg yielding, side passing, etc., to warm up my horses, many trainers borrow movements that might not be the norm for their discipline to help improve their horses’ overall movement. The most popular is dressage…which shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, since dressage is simply the art of riding your horse.
It is with this in mind that I wrote “A Little of This, A Little of That” for the Equine Chronicle earlier this summer. Download the PDF and read the article in its entirety: A Little of This, A Little of That
How do you use movements from a different discipline to help with your discipline?
When you’re watching greatness like Peyton Manning last night (yes, I am a Colts fan, but also a Manning fan), or even some of the top horses competing at the All American Quarter Horse Congress this month, it’s hard to imagine that at one point, everyone had to start somewhere. Peyton had to start in the pee-wee football leagues. Harley D Zip had to start out with a trainer to figure out the right buttons.
Here are a few quotes and tidbits about some of the horse industry’s top performers and how they were before they were legends:
Harley D Zip, ridden by then-owner Brian Ale, and trainer Doug Pratt at the 1998 Tom Powers. Photo courtesy Doug Pratt
Read more about these legends and their younger years on GoHorseShow.com: Before They Were Legends: A Look Back at their Younger Years
The Western world is notorious for bling–watch any Western pleasure class and you’ll see silver-encrusted saddles and crystal-laden shirts and jackets. Some think they have to spend more money on show clothes than some do for school wardrobes. But is that always the case?
GoHorseShow.com had me talk to some AQHA/APHA judges to get their opinion on how they feel about Western show clothes and how you can dress for success in the show pen.
Here are some quick tips:
Want more? Check out the article on GoHorseShow.com: Judges Discuss the Dos and Don’ts of Western Fashion.
I’ve been lucky to be able to talk with some great trainers and learned a lot about how they work with their horses. In this article for the Paint Horse Journal, I learned from Heather Thompson how to teach “guide” to your horse for silent communication.
You’ve seen it in the show ring: a horse-and-rider team moving flawlessly through the motions, making square corners and round circles, changing direction with what looks to be no real effort at all. You can barely see the guidance the rider gives the horse through her hands, and yet he responds effortlessly.
That silent communication is the basis of what American Paint Horse Association Professional Horseman Heather Thompson calls “guide,” and it’s something she teaches all of her horses and clients.
“When I work with my horses, I don’t like to pull them. I like to push them,” she explained. “If I’m going left, I put that right rein into the horse’s neck and they know that means to ten left. I’m using rein pressure first.”
“Guide” refers to a horse’s willingness to respond to slight pressure fro his rider. The better your horse guides, the easier he’ll be to ride.
Download the entire article here: A Soft Touch
