Monday, March 18, 2024

Desensitizing Horses or letting them Learn


If you asked a dozen people about desensitizing a horse, their description would be alot closer to each other than if you asked the same people how does a horse learn. I realized this as I had a fairly long phone conversation with a lady named Marti about desensitization. She contacted me on email then we had a phone conversation discussing desensitization as she said she was (in my words) casting about to get many opinions on desensitization as someone advised her that desensitization would make a dull and unresponsive horse. I told Marti I would followup our phone call with some written comments about what we talked about, so here it is.

Desensitization, certainly had a bad name in some circles, but it is much like riding with a leverage bit (or any bit for that matter) - it's all about how you use it. And when I use the term desensitization, I am meaning getting a horse not to be scared, to accept a situation or stimulus. Much like using pressure and release to get a horse to understand what we are asking with cues, be it using the reins, our seat or legs, or really any kind of pressure, and providing a release of that pressure when the horse responds even just a bit - then building on that. We also come to understand that the horse needs time to process his response to the pressure that gains a release in order to figure out what he did that gained that release. The time or pause after the release is kind of understood by the handler, but to be clear about it I tell riders in clinics that we use 'pressure, release and pause' so it is understood that the horse needs that time after the release to understand. People will sometimes ask "How much time? How long should the pause be?" Well, I don't know,......more than a couple seconds, usually less than a minute, but the horse's posture and body language, head and ears, and position should give you an idea when he is ready again.

So, in being redundant (I'm not to insult anyone's intelligence) but we use pressure, release and pause when exposing the horse to a stimuli such as a flag, tarp or an obstacle. So, the most common error is to take the stimulus away or to take the horse away from an obstacle when the horse gets scared. Then he learns that he was justified in being scared of that object. I suppose we can expose a horse to a stimuli, an example would again be a flag, where we overuse the flag - don't use it in a meaningful or accurate way - and the it becomes not much of a signal anymore. I just don't think that happens much, at least not what I've seen. What I think is more likely is confusing a horse with a lack of use of cues and a lack of accurate timing of the release.

What Craig Cameron said over 20 years ago was one of our major responsibilities was to create a brave horse. I think about this practically daily. I try to apply the concept of letting a horse figure out the situation when he shows anxiety or fear. The latest example is that I had a horse tied to a trailer and I pulled out a metal tape measure to measure the length of a rear cinch I need to replace. My horse did not like the noise the tape measure made being extended or the crinkling sound that the metal tape made when bending. He did not pull back, just stepped back a couple steps as was very alert on the tape measure. So I extended the tape measure and laid it on the trailer fender. He was not about to approach it anytime soon. So I just left the tape measure there on the trailer fender, brushed him, got the saddle and bridle ready and let the horse generally get used to the tape measure being there. A few minutes later, I asked him to take a step forward and he did. I let him settle for a bit then asked him again to step forward. I finished saddling, got his snaffle bit in place and rode off. Coming back, we did it all over again. I also sat on the step to my trailer, held the extended tape measure in my hand and asked my horse to step forward to me. Soon I was touching him with the tape measure then using it to measure the circumference of his nose when a bosal would go - I really didn't need to do that, just wanted him to accept what he was skeptical of earlier. This is simply giving the horse think to think without alot of pressure. I can't tell you how a horse reasons, but it is obvious that they can learn to accept things as a non threat given adequate time. This is desensitization and learning at it's root.

When we are riding or even leading a horse in hand we have all experienced a horse stopping and tensing up, alert to some item or obstacle be it a trash can, a bucket or whatever. We have also all experienced the same when we have rode or led a horse to or through an area time and time again only for the horse to stop because there is something new. There is actually a term for this - coherant change detection - it comes from the military comparing imagery of terrain and things over a period of time to detect, even minutely, what has changed which could indicate enemy preparations of capabiities. In fact, this is what the horse looks at too.....what is changed and what threat does it present. So if we give the horse some time on such an obstacle, are we desensitizing him or giving him time to think and learn to figure things out?

I think we have all been successful at some point, whether intentional or not, when the horse stops at some perceived threat, and we don't get all worked up about it and give him some time, he'll move forward again towards that object. If we force him to move forward too soon then we build on that anxiety.  Just keep him straight. Give him some time and we're usually talking about a minute or two, the horse will figure it out and we now have a braver horse.                      


Monday, March 4, 2024

Texas Wildfires devasting Families, Ranches and Livestock - How you can help


The largest wildfire in Texas state history has scorched close to one million acres of land, burned hundreds of homes, barns and other buildings as well as killing tens of thousands head of cattle. To date, at least two Texans have lost their lives. All this on top of hundreds of people and families trying to find a path to recovery after losing everything. Texans and people throughout the United States are coming together to help but much is needed. If you are of a mind to help there are many avenues to do so.

Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund. You can mail a check to the Amarillo Area Foundation administering the fund to Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, 919 S. Polk, Amarillo, TX 79101. Or you can donate online at this link Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund.

Texas A&M University Agrilife Extension is working the Disaster Assessment & Recovery Unit and County Extension Agents to help the residents of the Texas Panhandle who sustained wildfire related losses and has an online page devoted to Panhandle Wildfire Relief Resources listing livestock supply collection points and information on monetary donations.

The Working Ranch Cowboys Association are collecting donations for the WRCA Foundation Natural Disaster Relief Fund, which will help livestock producers who have been devasted by these historic wildfires. Donations can be made at this link WRCA Foundation Natural Disaster Relief Fund.



Thursday, January 25, 2024

Leadership and Horsemanship


A friend of mine, retired Army Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb, who had a distinguished career with what the public know as Delta Force, wrote a book called "Leadership in the Shadows". I couldn't reading that book in the lens of what I wish I knew 30 and 40 years ago, and, also through the backdrop lens relationships with all the horses I have had since then. Kyle makes several great points in his book which directly relates to the successful horseman or horsewoman.

I have often been asked by my former bosses (in a Federal Law Enforcement Agency) how to develop subordinates, and what a unit leadership course would look like. Right off the bat, defining Leadership is much like trying to define Soft Feel in handling and riding horses...you can spend decades pondering both, and both will mean different things to most people, but when we see good leadership or someone riding with Soft Feel, we know it. So, most often my replies were the leadership (of people) were likely best drawn from experience and developing job related competencies, studying the best traits of your most respected leaders, and recognizing the worst traits in your bad leaders. Kyle points out something similar when he wrote "Believe it or not, I learned almost as much from those weak leaders as I did from the great leaders." I think this relates to what several horsemanship clinicians likely mean when they say they can learn something from anyone. Circling back, it does seem like leadership has a lot to do with horsemanship.

One of Kyle's points is you may be a bad leader and still enjoy some success by having some really good people underneath you performing inspite of you. This reminds me that many horses fill in for a lack of guidance, bad handling or just a lack of fair leadership from their handler or rider. It's not wise to count on the horse doing so, but it happens, as we all kmow that when faced without guidance the horse will go his own way as this is survial instinct.

Another point in the book relates to truly great leaders not having to elevate their own importance but instead rely on the performance or the product of their endeavors. To me this relates to not putting much stock in what others say about you, but instead take guidance of those you respect and have the knowledge and experience to give you help and guidance, and, this point also directly points to the old horsemanship adage about "show me the horse and I'll tell you about the owner."

Kyle has a Chapter early in the book, titled "What is your word?" which basically becomes an exercise in self introspection about what is the most important leadershp trait to you. Exchange the word "leadership" with "horsemanship" and now you could cast about trying on different words. In fact, you really don't need to exchange leadership with horsemanship, since what we are trying to achieve with the horse cannot be accomplished unless the horse sees the handler/rider as the leader, and more specific, see's the rider as a fair leader. The true searching comes from defining what each trait means to you. Likely some of the best horsemen would decide on 'patience' as the most important trait. To me patience means several things.....'recognizing the smallest change in the horse'; 'waiting on the horse to understand what you asking of him - that means giving the horse time to understand'; and, having the patience to understand that it takes years to build the horse you want.

What may be useful about thinking about these traits is to see for yourself how you incorporate or perform the most important trait or traits, and maybe even more important is to recognize how or what you need to do to improve. And I just don't think it's a one time process. It's sometime we should likely revisit on a near constant basis.

By the way, Kyle points out how he pondered his word (his most important leadership trait) for a long time until he decided that his word was "credibility". He points out that you are not born with credibiity,....you must earn it by performing on a daily basis. That the leader builds credibility by being accountable to his/her people......just as how we are accountable to our horses, or should be. I have been told by military and law enforcement leraders that one'ssubordinates all need to be treated the same. I always disagreed. People (and horses) are different. You would not violate anything by treating them all different as a situation dictates, as long as that treatment was fair.

My word was "balance". I tried on different words identifying leadership traits, and that word - balance - seemed to fit best, although many other words describing traits were importqnt as well. To me Balance it means balancing or understanding the many needs, among them the needs of the horse to feel secure, treated fair, given time to understand what we are asking, and the needs of the rider to establish effective communications in order to accomplish the things he or she want to do on horseback.

Despite doing our best to utilize clear and fair communications through signals such as body language, feel on the lead rope or reins, cues with our seat and legs, if we are not the leader the horse needs we are being unfair to the horse and us both. One of the things humans do that I believe pushes them away from being a more effective leader, is assigning human nature to the horse. Ths puts artifical limitations on us and the horse, and often leads to creating excuses for both of us to justify behavior. I am planning on addressing that later as it was a big topic at a recent clinic.

I hope I'm making sense here. I sometimes use this forum to juggle my thoughts and practices, and put them in more a useable form. Sometimes it is not apparent that we could do better as leaders because the horse just fills in for us. That leads me to believe that the horse's leadership word is patience.



Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Anxious Horse - Looking to Spook


I received this question via e-mail and it is something that everyone of us has likely experienced. "Hello, I am riding a 6 year old mare, she is supposedly half Quarterhorse and half Tennesse Walker. She was someone's trail horse and ridden for a couple years before I bought her. She is very gentle and comfortable to ride, but she has a habit where  she looks left then right seemingly waiting for something to scare her. When there is a noise or something that does  scare her, she will flinch or take a quick step away, never jumping or really spooking but these rides are becoming tedious where I don't enjoy them. I thought if I rode her enough, the "wet saddle blankets make good horses theroy" she would come around but it isn't getting any better. Do you have any insight on this problem or what is going on? Thank you in advance, Blessings, Myra."

Momentarily, or for longer than a moment, a horse's fear or anxiety can take over where their mind is away from the rider. This is not an intentional deal of ignoring the rider,    it is just a simple instinctive reaction by the horse. You have to get back into their mind and you do so by directing them. Directing the horse, or what some would call putting them to work or moving their feet, usually brings them mentally back to the rider. You could think of it as distracting the horse from the fear stimulus by asking them to do something.

When faced with anxiety or fear, a horse's head will come up so they get elevation for sight and can look directly out the center of the eye. One of things I do when my horses mentally stray from me is to ask them to soften at the poll (the portion of the neck just behind the ears where the Atlas and Axis vertebrae are). 

 Notes on softness: I begin to build this softness in my horses from the first handling where I can use my hand on the poll to ask them to drop their head and I use a verbal command of 'drop your head', and getting the same with a hand on their halter or bridle, or even a loose lead line. I look to get their poll on or close to a level equal to the withers with their nose vertical. This is referred to as vertical flexion. In the beginning, you'll have to apply some pressure, not a lot of pressure but really a sugestion, but soon just a touch (think an ounce of pressure) will do it and even the voice command will usually work if the horse isn't distracted. You are going to need this good on a horse in order to get him collected and better balanced later on. IA lack of balance is really apparent when backing a horse if the horse's head is up, his back is hollowed out, so when the horse moves back he is pushing and falling with the front end. It's an ugly back to be frank. When the horse is soft, head down, his back is more rounded where he can back with the back end engaged and with the some of the weight taken off the front end, he can step with the front feet as opposed to pushing and dragging them.

Back to ready to spook question,...when in the saddle and my horse starts to tune me out, I can use alternating pressure (sometimes very slight and sometimes more of a short bumping) on the reins to signal an ask for softness. Depending on how far along the horse is, the dropping of the head and the nose going more vertical, may last just a second. Or if the horse is well along in training he may hold that for several strides, in any case once you release and his head comes back up you can ask him for softness again. This works pretty well to get the horse mentally back to you.

Yet another way I would approach getting the horse back to me with his mind is to move the feet. I generally don't back a horse when he is looking for sonething to spook on, like Myra describes in her question. But I have before, and when I do I ask for a halt followed by a step backwards. Then I ask for a step forward and a halt, then before the horse can mentally disengage, ask for two steps forward. However, usually I try to get his mind back when moving the feet by asking for a short leg yield to one side then the other, or if the horse is further along, maybe a shoulder in movement followed by a reach with his inside front foot to get back straight on the line of travel.

Sometimes a horse can be distracted by things that normally don't bring up his anxiety like when he is looking to spook. This could be other horses in a distant pen, human activity, or whatever. So another thing I do is to stop my horse, bring the front end over 45 to 90 degrees then jump out to a trot or canter so a few strides, then stop, back several steps, bring the front end over in the oppisite direction and jump out to a trot or canter and repeat. This serves pretty well to get a horse mind back to you. In any event, when the horse begins to get nervous, looking for a threat and looks like they are about to spook, that fear is coming between you as a the leader and the horse. You have to get their mind back to you.



Saturday, December 30, 2023

Horse Abuse and Rescue


Not really what I wanted to write ending this year and going into the promise of the next, but the inhumanity that humans do to horses is not confined by the calendar. The good people at Perfect Harmony Horse Rescue & Sanctuary in Chaparral, New Mexico took in three (3) severely neglected horses on 29 December, confiscated by the New Mexico Livestock Board. Their New Years and the weeks and months following will be spent checking on these horses and providing small amounts at feed at 2-3 hour intervals round the clock. 

 This Rescue, chaired by Marianne Bailey and staffed with her husband Dan and daughter Jessica as well as several volunteers, see the worst in humans and the poorest horses. They never say no, even though it is usually a costly endeavor in funds, labor and the emotional toll, to provide neglected horses with sometimes just days of relief.

To the readers - I'm sorry to ruin your day by displaying pictures of these three horses below, but this is what Marianne and crew deal with on a routine basis. Perfect Harmony is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit and can surely use financial help. No donation is too small as they face a mounting feed, Veterinarian and Farrier bill to care for these horses. 

 If anyone can donate, these are the modes they can accept: 

PayPal at their e-mail, perfectharmony1@aol.com

Venmo at Marianne-Bailey-8

Cash App at $Perfect HarmonyRescue

Checks sent to Perfect Harmony Rescue, 636 Palmas, Chaparral, New Mexico 88081







Monday, December 25, 2023

Monday, December 18, 2023

Horses should be soft in the tail


A couple months back I was lifting the tail of my horse Hays,   and a clinic participant asked me why I was doing it. I replied I was just getting him soft in the tail and it was helpful for several reasons. The participant asked what getting a horse soft in the  tail would be good for. Not exactly my reply, but I told him and the group that you should be able to touch a horse all over including lifting his tail without troubling the horse. As far as practicality, you may have to take the horse's temperature with a thermometer (use one with a string!) without the horse clamping his tail down and not letting you have access to insert or remove the thermometer. 



And being able to brush out the horse's tail without having to fight for control is another good reason as well as holding the tail out of the way when a horseshoer is trimming the back feet. Few things aggravate a farrier more than to get slapped in the face by a horse's tail.

You should strive to be able to lift the horse's tail without resistance. Whether it is lifting the tail up or letting it down.     



Getting my horses sorted out with flag work, where the flag doesn't mean anything to them without directing them, I'll slide the end of the flag up underneath the tail as the horse is walking then trotting around me on a lead rope.

If you have thrown enough loops with a lariat, especially in the early days of roping off horseback, you have invariably rim fired a horse. That is where the rope gets up underneath the horse's tail and he claps down his tail, like Scrooge with his wallet, and gets the horse troubled. Sometimes goes off bucking. Once I get a horse decent about lifting his tail, and moving it from side to side, I'll start on the ground using the lead rope to rub around the tail and underneath it. Don't be in a hurry to get a rope up underneath the tail, as standing back where you can handle the tail, it is easy to get kicked. So, I wouldn't even start this until the horse is good at combing out his tail and letting you lift the tail.  



Once I am pretty sure this doesn't mean anything to them, then I can start dragging logs and such, as I need to be sure that when I turn away from the lariat that if it gets up underneath his tail, he won't be troubled. The photo above, while stagged, shows what that may look like if you turn the horse's hip into the rope. 

What's odd about Hays, the Dun horse in the photographs above, is that he has been the most difficult horse I've had when getting him soft in the tail, but the quickest and least troubled about having a rope or flag shaft clamped underneath his tail, whether it's standing or trotting out dragging anything. That's kind of underscores that horses have different personalities. The horse's I still have with me that I have sorted out on getting soft in their tails, are still soft even after years of not having their tails routinely handled. And while I was reflecting on writing this, I remember Craig Cameron saying words to the effect that 'he works to get a horse soft from the whiskers on his muzzle to the very end of their tail.'  Why wouldn't we all want to do this for our horses?



Saturday, November 25, 2023

Comfort for Horses with Hoof or Tendon Problems on the Shoeing Stand


In a previous article I wrote about our 35 years old horse Charlie and his feed program due to age related problems not limited to his teeth and I briefly mentioned Charlie bowing both tendons on his front legs. g stout Quarterhorse who unfortunantly bowed both his tendons on his front legs a few years back. We have him on Equioxx pain meds daily and also gave him Devils Claw supplement which is a granular product containing Yucca, Devils Claw Root, Turmeric, Grape Seed extract and other ingredients. In the last six months I switched him over to Platinum Performance CJ (Complete Joint) which is really a great product and I have other horses on it as well. Charlie now moves pretty good, crossing over and under with the outside foot without giving. However, when on the shoeing stand for his trims every eight weeks or the ocassional grooming session, and the stand has hard rubber mats but he was still uncomfortably when a front foot or both front feet have to bear more weight. He trys to pull a foot away from time to time which is not helpful for horse and farrier relations and can even hurt my shoer. But it's understandable as Charlie has to deal with injury and age related pain. But we found a good solution.

So, after talking to a friend of mine who does equine therapy, and on her recommendation, I bought Physiopads from Wendy Murdoch. Wendy was known to me through articles in Eclectic Horseman magazine and she developed a system she calls the Sure Foot Equine Stability Program using a series of foam pads for horses to stand on. Readers will have to go to her website to understand what she is doing with this program. For my purposes I was mostly interested in Charlie's comfort and bought the Full Physiopads that my friend recommended.

When shoeing day came about we tried them on Charlie. I lifted each front foot and placed a pad underneath that foot then the other front foot. I envisioned a process of constant repositioning the pads but once I place his foot on the pad there it stayed. Charlie stayed on the pads and did not move or try to reposition his feet. Even when one of his front feet was off the ground where he had to bear additional weight on the other foot, he stayed rock solid still. I was impressed as was my shoer, who has probably seen every gimmick offered. And when Charlie was finished and asked to move off the shoeing stand, he did not exhibit any discomfort usually noticed on him giving a bit when a front foot was placed on the ground and weight transferred to that foot. 

If anyone has a similar problem, then I suggest checking Wendy Murdoch's products out.  





Thursday, November 16, 2023

Care of Feeding of Older Horse - Charlie's example


Recently we had a couple dozen people over for the annual Arena Challenge, some whom we have known for decades. They saw my wife's horse Charlie, a big (15.2 HH) stout sorrel Quarterhorse gelding with 3 white socks and a white stocking. That's him in the picture at right. 

Some of our friends have been seeing him for years and years as my wife rode him in competitions, trail rides and even doing some western dressage. Invariably we were asked "Good Lord, Charlie's been around forever. Just how old is he now?" Well, Charlie is 35 years old. And despite bowing both front tendons a couple years ago, he is doing well. His teeth are all worn down and he is missing a molar or two, but he maintains his weight, and you can even call him heavy, as you can tell from the photo.

Due to his inability to chew long stem hay, it's a colic risk for him to swallow hay that hasn't been chewed fully, Charlie's main diet consists of pellets and alfalfa leaves. He gets fed five times a day and always has fresh, clean water, as should all horses. We really don't turn him out with other horses anymore as we don't want him to get ran around and stress him mentally and to limit stress on his already degraded front end.   So anyway, this is his feeding program, and it has been working well for several years now. The pellets are measured dry prior to soaking.

Morning: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets and 16 ounces of Standlee Alfalfa pellets, soaked in water. Some days he'll get an apple or carrot diced up small and mixed in.

Mid Morning: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets soaked in water and about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of alfalfa leaves. We spread these around several feeders so he keeps busy walking around to find the alfalfa leaves. If the alfalfa has small short stems, we'll feed that but try to limit his consumption of stems.

Mid Day: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets soaked in water.

Mid Afternoon: Another 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of alfalfa leaves.

Evening: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets and 16 ounces of Standlee Alfalfa pellets, soaked in water.



Supplements: About a year ago, I stopped giving him Devils Claw powder and started putting Charlie on a half daily dose of Platinum Performance Complete Joint (CJ) since I use this on a couple other using horses and have had great results.



Medications: For the last two years we have had Carlie on Equioxx daily pain and anti-inflammatory medications - just a small tablet dropper into his pellets which dissolves when the pellets are soaked.  Lately, we have been giving him just a half of an Equioxx tablet on most days as we have concerns over years long use of pain meds. He also receives a dose of Pro-Bios once a week and additionally when the weather changes significantly.

Charlie is an intelligence horse, as most are, but he is special. He has learned to open gates that we have never seen other escape artist horses do, and when he escapes, he runs around our property like mountain lions are chasing him. We have took to chaining up his gates, but sometimes forget........as we do with leaving water hoses on. Sound familiar? We always cringe when he runs around at a full gallop as he'll be lame the next few days, but since we started him on Platinum Performance CJ, he doesn't get lame when he escapes, or when he throws a bucking fit in his paddock, nor does he show chronic front end lameness when he turns in a short radius. The only issue he has is with comfort is when standing for a period on time on the hard rubber padded shoeing or wash stand when being washed, groomed or trimmed. But we solved that problem using Wendy Murdoch's Sure Foot pads. I'll write a product review about those in the near future. We don't know just how long Charlie will be with us, but we do know that he'll be with us for the rest of his natural life. He has paid his dues to us, especially my wife, and we'll do what we can to help him be as mentally and physically sound as he can be.



Saturday, November 4, 2023

More on Horsemanship Knots - Practical use


In this year's annual Functional Horsemanship Arena Challenge for the first time I included the requirement to tie several knots for the Stockhorse division. I felt that anyone aspiring to be a good hand should know some useful basic knots. Thinking that most people can tie a square knot, I settled on the clove hitch, bowline and sheet bend. I didn't ambush competitors with these knots to tie as I view the annual challenge as more of a learning tool then some sort of test, so I sent out an e-mail a month before the Event letting competitors know they would be required to tie the three knots; wrote an article on this site with photos and a video to help them practice; and, I included knot tying practice in the couple of clinics I did prior to the Challenge. Feedback was positive on including knot tying with the exception of one rider who commented that he would have liked to see a hangman's knot, so they could hang me for making them tie knots.

During the clinics I did get asked on what use these knots were for. So, I went over common uses mainly for the clove hitch and the bowline. I believe that when teaching someone a skills, minor or major, it really helps to impart the how and why of the usefulness of those skills. However, for the purposes of the Challenge I pretty much concentrated on just how to tie the knots as opposed to why they are important and how they are used. I did do a couple of earlier videos prior to the Challenge, that I did not publish prior to the Challenge but which I am posting below, to help better explain the usefulness of the clove hitch and bowline knots.

The Bowline knot. In the video below I have tied a bowline in the end of a short piece of rope and dressed that knot down (tightened it up) so it was about the size and resemblance to a honda on a lariat. About 18-20 inches down the rope from the bowline (honda) I made an overhand knot in the rope so when I fed the other end of the rope through the bowline that overhand knot becomes a stop from the loop closes down - so it's a simple knotted neck rope much like you would do with a lariat if you were roping unhandled or green colts for the first time.




The Clove Hitch. In the video below I show how I secure the lead end of a mecate to the saddle horn using a clove hitch. It is useful when I am on the ground and not using the lead portion of the mecate such as free lunging my horse, putting him a pen or trailer for a short period of time. Anyway, I hope that these two functional uses of basic knots begin to illustrate the benefits of knowing how to tie these knots.




Sunday, October 22, 2023

2023 9th Annual Functional Horsemanship Arena Challenge Results


We concluded the 9th Annual Functional Horsemanship Arena Challenge with the smallest number of riders to date with 17 Entries across the four competitive divisions of Stockhorse, Open, Intermediate and Novice. Four people pulled prior   to the competition due to injuries/sickness and five riders did not show. Despite the small turnout, the day went on without a hitch, the higher than normal temperatures for this time of year and solar eclipse weren't much of a factor. When it was all said and done the division winners were: Stockhorse - Debby Hale (pictured above right); Open - LuAnne Benally; Intermediate - Gena Blankenship; and Novice - Mark Schleicher. The Horsemanship Award, which I think is the highest award, voted on by competitors and judges, went to Mikayla Loveland, a first time competitor at this event. That's Mikayla below backing straight through an open gate, and yes, her horse is that big, over 17 hands.



Final placement and scores in each division were:

Stockhorse: Debby Hale 620; Don Carpenter 577; LuAnne Benally 567; Jessica Bailey 537; Mark Schleicher (riding two different horses) scored 463 and 445

Open: LuAnne Benally 601; Erin Weich 587

Intermediate: Gena Blankenship 534; Marianne Bailey 525; and Nikol Endres 446

Novice: Mark Schleicher 277; Dan Bailey 240; Mikalya Loveland 223; Jessica Bailey 219; Edith Deleski 196; and Shelly Clark 161

To keep tasking the riders with new skills, several new requirements were added for this year's challenge in the Stockhorse division including a hip shot, scoop loop and tying knots requirements. The Stockhorse division is heavy with rope skills as the riders also had to throw a head shot, trap shot, rope a barrel and trot around it stacking coils, and trot off pulling a heavy log. The three knots each rider had to tie were a clove hitch with one piece of rope, a bowline with a second piece of rope, then tie both ropes together with a double sheet bend. Jessica Bailey was the only rider to tie all three knots correctly. LuAnne Benally is shown below tying her knots.



The Open division harder tasks were riding the trot in tight circles and a 50 foot serpentine backup. Open, Intermediate and Novice were also tasked with a dismount and remaining in a box while backing their horse up with a soft feel. L shaped and straight side passing, 360 and 180 degree turn on the hocks, navigating a cowboy (rope) curtin, opening and closing gates were some of the other tasks riders and their horses had to perform. Mark Schleicher shown below negotiating the gate.



After the conclusion of the competition, a lunch of street tacos, rice, corn, beans and peach cobbler was served then the awards ceremony. In addition to a plaque and ribbon for each division winner, as well as a trip to the well stocked prize table, the Stockhorse winner received $200 in Starr Western Wear gift cards; the Open winner received a $100 Boot Barn gift card and a sterling silver ribbon pendent with turqiouse and silver necklace made and donated by jewrely maker Tami Rafoul of San Antonio. The Intermediate division winner received a $100 Boot Barn gift card. The Horsemanship Award winner received a Painted Pony statute as well as a $100 Starr Western Wear and $100 Boot Barn gift card. This year we gave Vicky Maly of VCM Equine Services a sterling silver horse head pendant and silver chain, also made and donated by Tami Rafoul, for her lifelong commitment to the greater El Paso horse community.



Saturday, September 23, 2023

Good to know knots - for the Arena Challenge


I used to tell people that when I was growing up, as a condition of being fed supper, my Pa would make me tie knots. The truth is that yes, I often had to tie knots before supper, but he never withheld the evening meal. If he did, I would look like an Ethiopian refugee, so poor I was in the early days of tying knots. I am glad that later on I learned the value of knowing how to tie a few knots and I am truly amazed that many people can only tie 'granny' knots.

We face situations several times a week where building good knots would come in handy. Whether it's tying up boxes or hay bales; anchoring a guideline for a tarp; tying open a gate or tying it closed due to a broken latch; tying two different diameter ropes together to make the length of rope you need; or securing reins to the saddle horn to name a few.  I'm sure each of you could think of several other things right off where a good knot would be useful.    

In this year's Arena Challenge Stockhorse Division, competitors will have to tie several knots. I usually do several clinics leading up the challenge, but in case some can't make it or want a guide to practice, I'm including a couple of those knots below. And I'm not above also having a surprise knot for competitor to tie. I'm also putting a video at the bottom on what Stockhorse competitors will likely see at the Challenge.  

Sheet Bend

This knot is commonly used to connect two different diameter ropes, usually in order to make a longer rope when needed. It can be used on ropes of the same diameter as well.





Bowline

This non slip knot can be used at the end of a rope, or in the middle, but for horsemanship purposes the end of the line bowline is more common. Among the many uses are to tie at the end of a rope and create a honda for an expedient lariat or to fashion a halter. I have used this many times for a catch rope or what some call a neck rope, to bring horses in from a pasture, or even to pony a horse when the rider couldn't ride or walk the horse in and I didn't want to pony that horse using reins connect to a bit.




 

Clove Hitch

I ride pretty much exclusively in mecate's so when I free lunge horse or put him into a pen to rest a bit when saddled, I'll used the close hitch to tie up the lead part of the mecate to the saddle horn. The Clove Hitch is a common way to secure an end of a tarp to an anchor stake so that it can be easily tightened or released. And one great way to have fun with the clove hitch is to set the knot up and loop it over an unsuspecting person's feet then clang some pots together or otherwise make a racket and watch them standup in a panic and try to move.

















Friday, September 15, 2023

National Day of the Cowgirl - September 15th



The National Day of the Cowgirl was created in November 2021 by Durango Boot Company, according to the National Day Archives, to take place every September 15th. Created to celebrate to the spirit, wisdom, strength and resiliency of the American Cowgirl, these are the women, known and unknown, who raise and tend livestock (and families for that matter), rodeo for a living or just for fun, or those who simply live the Western life of self responsibility, independence, integrity and will.

If a woman was writing this she would likely include those women who clean up the messes and fix the mistakes that men make - that would be true and accurate. And would probably agree that raising girls on horseback, respecting people and animals alike, and teaching them to rely on themselves and not be dependent upon men, is the best way to ensure the American Cowgirl continues to exist.  So let people know about this day so it can continue to grow in popularity. 


Wednesday, September 6, 2023

2023 9th Annual Functional Horsemanship Arena Challenge


Our annual Arena Challenge, the 9th year in a row, will be held 14 October 2023. This event is a little unique in horse competition for non-Pro riders as       we try to blend different facets of multiple disciplines into an event where all riders can ride   and compete be they Cowboys, Dressage riders, Eventers, Team Ropers, Trail riders, and yes even Barrel Racers can compete on an even of a playing field as I can make it. Although the former has to keep their yippy dogs home. Sorry, I kind of always make the joke.  No offense to Barrel Racers!



My objective in this annual event, other than for competitors to have a safe and fun event, is to promote horsemanship and the desire to increase knowledge and abilities. The focus on horsemanship is paramount. I try to design each competitive division (Stockhorse, Open, Intermediate and Novice) course as a safe but doable challenge the horse and rider. Each course is a combination of basic, intermediate or advanced maneuvers and obstacles as appropriate to the competitive division. Common maneuvers and obstacles that have been used in the past and may be used this year include: turn on the hocks; turn on the forehand; backing straight; backing in a serpentine; backing in an L shape; backing in a circle; trot through serpentine cones, move bending through switchback vertical poles; crossing a bridge; trot around a short circle using the Garrocha pole; trotting tight figures 8's; go through a cowboy curtain; retrieve ball from bucket and place on cone; open/close a gate; cross a tarp; retrieve and put on a slicker; dismount/remount; ground tying; backing a horse in hand; trailer loading; crossing ground poles; leg yield; shoulders in; transition from slow walk to fast walk; transition from slow trot to faster trot; canter departures on designated lead; simple lead changes; walk to trot transitions; trot departure to a canter transition; side passing straight; side passing in L shape; and side passing with front feet on platform; and blind folding a horse and leading on ground are just representative of some of the tasks that a competitor may see.


I use some the same tasks over several years in a row to stress certain performance. One year the riders were required to dismount, stand in a box and back their horses using just a feel on their reins or get  down rope, then drop their reins/lead and walk away to demonstrate their horse ground tying. The next  year the same was required and an observer could   see who worked on it and who did not. Another task was draping a towel over their horse's head and leading their horse blindfolded, such as bringing a horse through the smoke of a fire or out of a burning barn.  

Photo at above right is Paola Talamas, who won the Horsemanship Award in the 2022 Challenge trotting her horse over the cloverleaf obstacles on a nice loose rein.  
It can be challenging for a working cowboy to have to cross an arena on a leg yield or a shoulder's in maneuver. Likewise, when a Dressage competitor has to draw a   slicker off the fence and put in on, or, open and close a gate, may be challenging as well. Some may find an 8 foot turn around box hard to do on their horse with forward momentum, and yet others crossing a long narrow bridge difficult. A canter departure on a given lead will be easy for some, while others may find backing their horse in a circle or a serpentine is something they may need to practice.  Photo above is Celeste Hudgens who ran away with the Open division honors.  

In the Stockhorse division rider’s will be required to throw several loops on roping dummies and perform other roping and ranch horse related tasks. Most rider's in this division can throw head shots and heel trap loops - it's their stock in trade for Cowboys and Team Ropers. But I'll ask them to something different like throwing a loop to their off side and pivot their horse underneath the loop facing up on the roping dummy. Stockhorse competitors may al.so have work their horses on a Pro Cutter flag.  Other tasks may include dragging a heavy log; throw a loop around a barrel and trot around the barrel feeding out their slack and wrapping it around the barrel; and, trailer load their horse. Photo above is Don Carpenter, a retired rancher from Arizona and competitive team roper, who has previously won Stockhorse Division in past years.


We like to stress that the rider is really evaluating 
him or herself and not competing. In fact, it's nice 
to see someone complete their run and tell tips to others yet to compete. And in the lead up to the 
Arena Challenge, I'll out on several weekend clinics for registered competitors. These clinics are not practice for the Challenge, but are really problem solving sessions, working on getting horses softer 
and handier. I try to limit entries to this Challenge 
to 28 and usualy have 8-10 people on a list in case 
a competitor drops out at the last moment to open 
up a slot.


We are thankful for the great support in the past from many companies. Notable supporters for past Arena Challenges include the Cashel Company, Covenant Special Projects, Tractor Supply Company, Animal Health International, VCM Equine Management, Starr Western Wear, The Edge Equine Co., Camel-Bak and Hoof Wraps. When the awards ceremony has ended and everyone has been fed lunch and collected awards and prizes, I'd like to think that each and every competitor believes they value for themself and their horse when competing this event. 


Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Riding Good Circles


One of the things I work with my horses is trying to ride good circles. Its tougher than it sounds but getting better at  it also helps with straightness. In clinics and the annual Arena Challenge I put on, there is almost always riding in    a circle as a task. This year's challenge will likely be no different - there will be a circle to trot. 

Riding circles is such a good exercise as so many things need to come together in order to ride that near perfect circle. If there was an actual circle on the ground the horse's head would be directly over that line and the rider would be able to see the corner of the horse's inside eye, while the horse's tail does the same at the back end. The rider needs   to use his/her legs judiciously to keep the horse's barrel  over the line of the circle.

I like to use both a circle to ride around so you have a visual of a circle, which will be to your inside, as well as ride inside a circle as in a round pen, where the circle will be to your outside. Out in the desert circles can be ridden around large mesquite mounds or smaller Yucca bushes. They all help. I'm pretty sure I haven't ever ridden a perfect circle, but it doesn't keep me from trying.

And when trying to get that perfect circle there are several rider caused problems. Using the reins too much or with too much pressure causing the horse to bend his nose too much to the inside or outside, and slowing momentum especially when too much pressure on the reins is used. What works best for me and my horses are to use the inside rein, slightly higher than the outside rein, to tip the horse's nose inside enough so I can see the corner of his eye. I set it up so the inside rein is loose once the horse achieves this. If his nose moves to the outside of the circle he bumps into the rein. The idea is to get him to seek the loose rein which is when his nose is tipped inside.

The outside rein is used in case he tips his head too much inside, but that is not really common. I mostly use the outside rein to signal for softness when I get when the horse's poll to bend and his nose gets more vertical. I like to have his poll even with his withers or close to that, but I have been guilty until fairly recently for asking for too much of a lower head set. I suggest not making my mistake and accepting the level of softness that the horse will give you.      

Less likely, at least for me, but still a fairly common problem is too much pressure with the inside or outside leg pushing the barrel or backend of the horse off the line of the circle. I try to ride with my inside calf so it is used to bend the horse around the circle, but it is very light, touching his side really, while the outside leg is just a bit further back and used when necessary to keep forward momentum and the horse's barrel from swinging too much to the outside - we are talking a difference of inches, but in the beginning you may have to exaggerate this for the horse to understand your leg pressure. What helps with the control of the back end before trying to trot perfect circles, is the doing those exercises in controlling the back end when in the saddle when you can ask for just a shift in the balance on the hind end to asking for and getting a complete turn on the front end.

Anyway, I hopes this helps someone reflect on any issues they may be having riding circles. One more thing that helps me is when I having a little problem keeping the center of the horse's head over the line of the circle (where I can see the corner of his inside eye), is that I'll trot smaller circles until the horse will feel more comfortable on his own with the proper head position. This is useful for the rider to feel how the horse is balanced and try to carry that forward into larger circles.