2012 Alltech National Horse Show Set for Oct. 31 – Nov. 4

[Lexington, KY] – Following an amazingly successful debut this year, the second edition of the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for October 31 through November 4, 2012. The show will once again be held at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.
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The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th edition, closed with great excitement, receiving unanimous approval from the horse show community. The Show was watched by thousands of attendees, in addition to nearly half a million viewers online through the Alltech Ag Network.
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More than 560 horses and 350 riders from nine countries, including nine Olympic veterans, competed this year, and according to Mason Phelps, Jr., the president of the National Horse Show Association, next year’s show will build on the excitement of the 2011 debut.

 “We couldn’t have been happier with our first year effort in Kentucky. But, that being said, we are already working on a bigger and better event for next year,” he said. “We expect bigger prize money; we’ve already added an extra competition day and the American Saddlebreds will return to the Alltech National Horse Show next year. So we are very excited about what lies ahead.”
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The Show’s debut this year will go down in the record books as one of the most successful in the history of equestrian events in the United States.
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“The Alltech Arena is an ideal location for the Alltech National Horse Show, it is perfect for all the horsemen and horses, and it really captured the feel of Madison Square Garden,” noted legendary horseman George Morris after attending this year’s show. “The Alltech National Horse Show has brought back class, something that has been lacking in horse shows today.”
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“It’s been fantastic. It’s been amazing. It’s been wonderful,” agreed Alltech president and founder Dr. Pearse Lyons. “This inaugural event was a good beginning, but it was only the beginning. This show will continue to grow and next time around the city of Lexington will embrace this show more and we, in fact, will go all out to create a super experience for all who attend.”
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“We hope that everyone will mark their calendars for next year,” added Phelps. “With what we learned during our first year, I can promise you that the Alltech National Horse Show in 2012 will prove to be an amazing event.”
-Ends-
Notes to the Editor:

About Alltech
Founded by Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech is a global animal health and nutrition company with more than 31 years’ experience in developing natural products that are scientifically proven to enhance animal health and performance. With more than 2650 employees in 128 countries, the company has developed a strong regional presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle-East, Africa and Asia.  For further information, visit www.alltech.com. For media assets, visit www.alltech.com/press.

Universities Connect Equine Industry Professionals with Resources and Opportunities

Multi-state conference will foster rural equine business development in the North Central Region

EAST LANSING, Mich – Equine business professionals in the North Central Region of the United States are invited to a dynamic, multi-state conference where they will be connected with land grant universities, industry professionals and other valuable resources.

In an effort to keep equine businesses a vital part of our rural communities, the Equine Business Conference will provide horse industry professionals with information and resources on liability, business finance, marketing and insurance for equine businesses.

Hosted by Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska and Iowa State University, this one-day conference will be offered on Saturday, February 25, 2012 in four locations – East Lansing, Michigan; St. Paul, Minnesota; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Ames, Iowa. At each location, participants will hear from a “live” industry expert and will see broadcasts of presenters from the other three locations.  Topics will include:
-Equine Insurance: Using Insurance to Protect Your Horse, Yourself, and Your Equine Business Investment
Wade Ellerbrook, Licensed Real Estate Broker, Insurance Broker and Appraiser
-Law: Legal Liability and Contracts,
Julie Fershtman, Attorney, Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C.
-Taxes and Finance: Structuring Your Horse Business to Succeed in the Future
Tina Barrett, Executive Director, Nebraska Farm Business
-Promotion, Marketing and Advertising: Tips on Social Media and Low- and No-Cost Promotion Terry Schroeder, C.O.O., Reichert Celebration, Inc.

Advance online registration is required. The registration fee is $30. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Funded in part by a grant from the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, the Equine Business Conference is a collaborative effort between My Horse University and eXtension/horses.

Equine industry professionals are also encouraged to join the Equine Business Network (EBN) community on Facebook and Twitter. Through partnerships with eXtension/horses and My Horse University, EBN offers an array of free online resources including webcasts that are based out of the participating land grand universities. The Equine Business will present a free Webcast on January 10, 2012 at 7PM ET. The Webcast, “Find Your Dream Job in the US Horse Industry,” will be presented by university equine educators from across the country and will give a broad overview of the US horse industry and the careers that support it. Registration is available online.

Those horses get just like the people what owns ‘em

By Terri Jo Bek, Professor, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Jo Bek

I grew up with a dad that thought if a child wanted a horse then he or she should have one. My grandad on mom’s side spent most Junes as I grew up hauling horses to town so everyone could ride in the local rodeo parade. My dad also arranged for kids to have horses to ride in the rodeo parade. The ironic part of the parade situation was the fact that grandad actually participated in only one parade when I was about two years-old. He drove a team of mules and a box wagon, while the neighbor did blacksmithing in the back of the wagon. My dad never rode in the parade until my daughter was 4 years old and he took her on my brother’s buckskin horse, “Bucky.” He couldn’t get over how everyone was yelling and hollering at him and taking pictures. He said, “They act like they’ve never seen me on a horse.” To which we replied, “They’ve never seen you in the rodeo parade on a horse.” Amazing what grandparents will do for the grandkids.

The parade was held in conjunction with the PRCA rodeo held each year on the first full weekend in June in Strong City, Kansas. It started at the park in Cottonwood Falls, went to Strong City and ended on the north side of Strong City at the rodeo grounds. It used to be quite large. They would have as many as 500 horses, various floats and old vehicles. Fort Riley would send its mounted color guard and we’d had the Navy and Marine bands at different times.

A couple of incidents concerning the parade stand out in my memory. Dad found out that a couple of my cousins wanted to ride the year I was an eighth-grader. He volunteered my services to supervise the entire operation. My grandad volunteered to bring more parade-broke horses to town. In the midst of all this my sister, who has Down Syndrome, decided that she also wished to participate. Every time we asked her if she was sure she was going to ride the entire distance, she assured us that she was. We gathered at the park and got everyone situated. Cousin Steve would ride a half-shetland colt we had that Dad was positive would be fine even though he’d never been in a parade. Sister Vicki would ride Grandad’s brown horse, Tick. We were pretty sure that if he was put into the parade with his reins up, he’d walk the route, turn around and return to the pick-up spot in Strong City where Grandad waited for us each year. Cousin Doug was pretty small and hadn’t had a great deal of experience riding so we put him behind me on grandad’s horse, Drifter. Grandad hung around and hung around to make sure everyone was going to be all right in the parade. He finally got into his truck and drove away. I could still see the taillights of his vehicle when my sister turned to me and said, “I don’t want to ride Tick anymore.” Those of you who have been around Downs children are laughing, because you all know that once they make up their mind there is no way to change it. You have to take a completely different route that they might find acceptable.

I took a deep breath and asked Doug if he would be willing to ride Tick. He readily agreed. The hard part came when I said a silent prayer and asked Vick if she’d be willing to ride behind me on Drifter. She looked around and I think since she couldn’t see Grandad, she decided it was going to be her best choice. She smiled at me and said, “Course I will!” I got off my horse, made the switches and had “thoughts” of my father.

I was feeling pretty smug by the time we’d made it through three quarters of the parade. We passed my grandad and came face to face with the railroad tracks in Strong City. The colt came to a screeching halt and decided that railroad tracks were not in his repertoire of things that are safe. No amount of kicking, clucking, and threatening with the reins on his behind caused him to move forward. I knew that Drifter had been used whenever we needed to physically push steers forward, so I got behind the colt. Drifter put his shoulder into the colt’s rear end and shoved him across the tracks.
Grandad was watching and he thought the whole episode was fairly humorous.
He loaded all of us up and took us home after the parade.

Later, I had a little visit with my father and “suggested” the next time he volunteered horses for people to ride in the parade, he could just supervise the operation himself.

The other parade episode involved my brother Jess. He had bone cancer when he was a senior in high school and underwent 18 months of chemotherapy. One of the chemo schedules ended on the Saturday of the rodeo parade. I went with mother to pick him up at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City. He informed me when he got into the car that I was to deliver him to the gate of the park in Cottonwood Falls in time to ride in the parade with his friend, Merl Green. It was about 160 miles to get home. My goal was to get him there without acquiring too many speeding tickets. We put mom in the back of her large Chrysler car and Jess rode shotgun. Mom’s car had a slight vibration at an accelerated speed, so every time she felt the vibration she would make comments like, “I think this car is trying to get its wings out!” and “I’m not paying any fines you all get!” I came to a rather abrupt stop in front of the park gate where Merl was grinning and waiting on one of Dad’s horses. He had Jess’s horse and Jess’s Olathe boots. Mom and I went on to the main street in Cottonwood to watch the parade.

Just as I was sitting down by my grandmother she asked, “Where is Jess?” to which I replied as I looked up the street, “There he is right there.” He and Merl waved at us as they rode by.

I’m sure that if Dad and Grandad were still around they’d be happy to provide anyone a mount if they needed one for the parade as long as neither one of them had to ride in it.

1,000 Days to Go Celebration – New Brand and Vision Unveiled for the Alltech® FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy

[Caen, FRANCE] – The new brand and vision for the Alltech® FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 was launched in the host city of Caen by the French minister for sports, Mr. David Douillet, Mrs. Marie-Jeanne Gobert, vice president of the Basse-Normandie regional council and representatives from title sponsor, Alltech. The announcement was made in the auditorium of the Beaux-Arts museum and will be marked with 1,000 days to go on Monday, November 28, 2011 to the opening ceremony of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy.

Commenting on this milestone event, president of Alltech Dr. Pearse Lyons said, “Reaching 1,000 days to go gives us an opportunity to celebrate the world championships of equestrian sport recognizing athletes performing at their peak. Alltech is a leader in animal nutrition so it’s natural for us to ally with the FEI. This sport is rooted in a long established relationship between man and nature, and mirrors our values, as well as those of our customers and partners. Over the next 1,000 days we will work closely with the organizers and are confident that the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 will be a spectacular success and will deliver a lasting legacy for the region of Normandy and for future generations. It is an exciting time for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ as eight nations recently submitted formal expressions of interest to host the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018. We are very proud to be the title sponsor of this prestigious event and to be associated with its success.”

The new brand is based on the bond between man and horse – the respectful relationship – and includes an apple blossom pattern, one of the region’s most recognized agricultural symbols, and the word ‘Normandy’ – the host region of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014.

The modern emblem showcasing the relationship between the horse and human symbolizes the energy of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014, the speed and agility experienced at the world championships and its ability to reach out and inspire people all over the world.

The core color of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 is green, a color that holds great significance in Normandy as an agricultural region and also with Alltech, a natural animal health and nutrition company who for 20 years have served the agricultural community in France and in Normandy. In addition, white is used as a key color to reinforce the freshness of the green. White also represents the values of fairness and transparency at the heart of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 and these are the core values of Alltech’s brand.

To celebrate, the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee have marked the 1,000 days to go milestone with the commissioning of a totem pole made up of three obstacle bars pointing up towards the sky. This will be erected in the stadium Michel d’Ornano and it will house a solar powered countdown clock. In addition, an equestrian themed event will take place this weekend on Caen’s Saint-Pierre main street, Rue Saint-Pierre. The street will be branded with the new identity, park benches will be turned into hurdles and the horses of the merry-go-round and lampposts will be wearing the official colors.

1,000 footprints and horseshoe prints will invite visitors and the people of Caen on a journey to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy. Free tickets for children to have a ride on the merry-go-round will be given out and origami flyers will transform into horses featuring the new logo and brand.

The new brand is the result of more than six months of collaboration between the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee, FEI, Alltech and Whitestone International.
View the brand and watch the animation by clicking here.

Building a Western Foundation

By Brian Reed

Just days after throwing my cap in the air and closing the final chapter of
my high school career, I found myself cruising down a two-lane highway bound
for a local working man’s rodeo. I was not thrilled to be spending my first
post-graduation Friday stuck on bleachers surrounded by men in tight jeans,
but I recognized my role as moral supporter for a friend who was trying to
fulfill a dream. I kept the thoughts of the lake and the ladies to myself as
the mile markers flew past.

Alone in the bleachers, surrounded by an array of low-brimmed straw hats, I
sat listening for a last name that I had known so long that it could have
been my own. Too scared to go to the concessions or bathroom for fear of
missing my friend’s star moment, I waited, becoming more irritated each time
a name was called that I did not recognize. For years my friend had been
talking about becoming a bull rider but I always blew his excessive
fantasizing off as a need to fuel his ego. Now I sat shocked, toying with
ideas of how I would break it to his family if something tragic happened
during this irrational show of bravado.

I recognized him immediately as he climbed into the shoot. Not once did his
body give the slightest hint of fear as he climbed on the back of the bull.
Only when the people around him had to show him how to tighten his cinch did
a look of defeat slide across his face. That look quickly vanished as the
ring hand pulled open the gate and the bull was free to let loose his anger.
I watched, hands clenched in prayer, as the bull twisted and jumped. My
friend slid forward and back, hand flying loosely in the air. It lasted only
a few seconds and he was thrown to the side, quick to leap up the fence. He
stood there smiling and alive. Realizing I was the only one out of my seat,
I sat back down and continued to watch him walk out of the arena. Men he did
not know shook his hand and patted his back. His pride was beaming with each
step. I saw then that I was not there to help a friend fulfill a dream; I
was there to help him secure an identity.

Looking down at my boots and belt buckle, last name inscribed, a thought
occurred to me: What gave me the right to wear the hat, boots, and belt of a
cowboy? I had always considered myself a country boy, I grew up in a small
town where my dad taught me how to hunt, fish and fix an engine. But my
family didn’t own any form of livestock. I had ridden a horse only half a
dozen times. My nearest association to being a cowboy was a family of
relative farmers (a longstanding debate itself). It occurred to me that
night that my identity had no foundation. It was at that moment I decided to
find out what gave someone the right to be called a cowboy.

As a soon-to-be freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I was free
to explore the possibilities of a new identity. In the weeks leading up to
my departure, I besieged myself with questions from the night of the rodeo.
Who do I say I am? The thought of being a small-town country boy wasn’t bad,
but I wanted more. I have always considered cowboys the greatest gesture of
American patriotism. Men and women who earn an honest living from the land,
who live up to the greatest of the Christian virtues, and who disregard mere
possessions for what is right. That’s what I wanted for the cornerstone of
my foundation, and I knew for the sake of identity that I couldn’t be a
fake.

My search led me to a club meeting of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
rodeo team. For a person consciously seeking a designation, walking into a
room of people with a clear sense of identity can be more intimidating than
speaking to a crowd of hundreds. I wandered around the room, quick to pick
up a refreshment for the sake of something to do, begging for a reason not
to leave. I found my reason in a young woman who stood alone in a corner
looking just as awkward. I stood next to her. In a full room, two awkward
people in a corner is always better than one. Still feeling the weight of
being “new” I didn’t say a word to her. After a few minutes she introduced
herself. Feeling a little ashamed in my lack of courtesy, I began asking the
regular college questions. Where are you from? What is your major? Do you
like your roommate? I tried profusely to keep the conversation as generic as
possible because I didn’t want to explain to her that I really didn’t have a
good reason to be at a college rodeo meeting. But it was from this first
awkward experience that I made a life-long friend and got my first glimpse
into the authentic cowboy culture.

This picture was snapped after the wild horse race. I'm on the right.

I learned that night, after divulging my secret to my new friend, that being
a cowboy is a lot like being rich. She explained how it’s easier for a poor
person to enter the “moneyed” class than an outsider to enter the world of
western traditions. People born in that world have their tools and pathways
already laid out. Her insight reminded me of a middle school conversation I
had with my mother about buying a horse. I’m sure you can imagine how
quickly that dream was shattered. Our conversation continued to derail my
hopes. I found out that most of the young men and women in the room came
from ranching backgrounds. They were mutton busting while learning to walk.
I left that night feeling defeated. I never went to another meeting or
attended a practice. Realizing I did not have the background to be a cowboy,
my search took a step in the wrong direction.

Since I wasn’t going to become a cowboy by buckin’ into the college rodeo
scene, I looked for another solution. I was going to become a ranch hand.
Riding the ranges, counting fence posts, alone, rounding up cattle. It was a
long shot, but divine intervention came my sophomore year from an ad in the
campus newspaper, the Daily Nebraskan. I applied for the job. Whether it was
mere luck or because I had promised to work Husker game days, I’m not sure,
but the job was mine.

A half-mile drive outside the Lincoln city limits is a dream world. Houses
with enough rooms to be apartment complexes sit on fifty or sixty-acre lots.
It is the place where church goers take their Sunday afternoon drives to see
if they can sneak a peek inside the fortified compounds.

I drove past a gate that identified the owner as a doctor. Standing at the
end of the lane was a man dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, extenuated
with cowboy boots and a hat. He offered me a cup of coffee and began
explaining that it had always been his dream to own a ranch. With his extra
acreage he was going to fulfill his dream. Being a doctor he had a work
schedule that required strenuous hours and the need to travel often, so it
was going to be my job to oversee things. At that moment two things crossed
my mind: First, whether like the doctor, I could just buy my way into being
a cowboy, and second, I had absolutely no idea how to take care of a herd of
cows.

For three months my life felt justified. Lucky for me the doctor managed the
whole operation. I just had to follow his daily orders consisting of feed
patterns, building fence, and making hay runs to a local vendor. The entire
semester I walked with my head held high in my boots and hat. Glad to tell
people that Saturday I would be on the “ranch” instead of at the game. But
the validity that I felt did not last long.

When I was a senior in high school my father told me to pick a profession
that I could be proud of because it becomes a part of how we define
ourselves.  I felt the reality of that statement the day the doctor told me
he was selling the herd because it was not what he dreamt. Standing there
shaking my head in understanding I remember wanting to yell, “Make the work
part of your dream.” That herd of cows was never officially mine. I found a
lot of purpose in building fences and giving shots, but I left my new
identity the moment I drove out of the gate.

I have written many chapters and partaken in many adventures in my search to
become western, but none of them had an impact more profound than the night
I tried to tame a wild horse. I’m not sure if my friends were looking out
for my best interests or tired of my excessive banter to become a cowboy,
but a close college friend offered me an opportunity to actually partake in
his hometown rodeo. I thought this was the answer to all my prayers.
Flashbacks of my high school friend walking out of the arena flooded my
mind. The molds of the last experiences always melted away; I hoped this
time it would finally stick.

The night plays out in my mind like a flawed circus performance. We were in
teams of three competing against the clock. The first guy, who is on a
horse, has to catch a rope connected to a wild horse, dally the rope and
hold the horse steady while guy number two saddles the horse and guy number
three rides the horse to the finish line. It seemed fairly straight forward,
which calmed my nerves just enough to not throw-up as I rode into the area.
I can tell you for sure that the scenes from movies where time slows down
can happen. Trotting through the gate, looking at the crowd‹I don’t remember
hearing a thing, or exactly what I was thinking at the moment. What I do
remember is an announcer yelling, “Let’s go!” and my world going from zero
to sixty in a split second. How the rope for the horse got in my hand, I’m
still not sure. Maybe luck, quick reflexes‹or as I like to think‹skills of
an actual cowboy, but I’m still not sure. However it happened, it was the
only good thing to come out of the experience. Within seconds of dallying
the rope things started to go wrong. My inexperience led me to only dallying
a couple of times, leaving slack in the rope for the horse to buck and jerk.
I wrestled with the horse and tried to bring it closer so I could wrap the
rope a few more times, but I wasn’t making any ground; the rope was still
too long for my partners to saddle. In a rash decision to take out slack I
drove my horse toward the unbroken. In the maneuver I gained some ground but
it also drove the other horse to run circles around my horse.

The pain was excruciating. The circling horse wrapped the rope around my
waist, squeezing me like an empty ketchup bottle. I tried turning my horse
to undo the twist, but I couldn’t get the rope over my horse’s head. In a
split second decision I undallyied the rope and watched as the horse dashed
across the arena.
In the moments riding out of the gate, seeing my friends standing holding
the saddle, my insides felt as wild as the horse I just let go. My hopes of
getting a ticket into that life were ripped out of my hands along with the
rope

Since graduating from college I have moved on from my dreams of being a
cowboy and created a strong foundation in my religion and career. A part of
me will always want to be the cowboy I dreamed of as a child. Until I’m
movin’ my own cattle or movin’ from rodeo to rodeo, l will feel like a fake
when I put on the boots, buckle, and hat, but I believe that is a testament
to the culture. It is an exclusive breed and no matter the size of your
truck, how intricate your boots, or how loud you play your music, only those
who rope, ride and live the life should call themselves cowboys.

This is a picture of my grandfather teaching me how to drive a tractor. I've never felt like my farming heritage justified my right to wear the boots and hat of a cowboy.

Omaha native Brooke Cudmore jumps her way to team bronze at the 2011 Adequan
FEI North American Junior Young Riders’ Championships

by Kim MacMillan, MacMillan Photography & Media Services

Brooke Cudmore’s first trip to the 2011 Adequan FEI North American Junior
Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC), presented by Gotham North, paid off
with a junior jumper team bronze medal. Held at the Kentucky Horse Park in
Lexington, KY, the last week of July, the championships include competition
for junior and young riders ages 14 – 21 in dressage, endurance, eventing,
reining and show jumping. Future plans are for para dressage and vaulting to
become part of the NAJYRC competition over the next few years.

Brooke Cudmore riding Ocelot in the 2011 Adequan FEI North American Junior Young Rider's Championships where they earned a team bronze medal in junior jumpers. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography

Cudmore combined with three riders from United States Equestrian Federation
(USEF) Zone 1 to form a Zone1/6 Team when she arrived at the NAJYRC and the
combination proved to be successful earning bronze for all four riders. The
sole jumper representative from USEF Zone 6 (which encompasses Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin) and the only
competitor in any discipline from Nebraska at the 2011 NAJYRC, the
17-year-old Cudmore enjoyed the experience and her first trip to Kentucky.
“Kentucky and the Horse Park were beautiful and the park was huge – much
bigger than I expected. I loved the new outdoor stadium. The arena footing
and everything was maintained very well.”

Cudmore’s partner was Ocelot, a 16-year-old bay Holsteiner stallion by Ocean
II, out of Miss Loving, bred by Joan Irvine Smith’s The Oaks farm in
California, and owned by Brooke’s mother and father, Karen and Blair
Cudmore, who own and operate Heartland Farm in Omaha, a hunter-jumper
training stable. The Cudmores also have a large farm in Iowa where they
breed and raise sport horses.

Ocelot came to Heartland Farm from California as a two-year-old and Karen
started him under saddle and competed him through the Grand Prix jumper
ranks. After Ocelot had some time off to recover from bruised heels, Brooke
took over the ride. Besides the young rider competition, she and Ocelot have
done junior jumpers and also a few Grand Prix competitions. “He’s just the
coolest horse,” said Brooke, who added that Ocelot’s favorite treat is
bananas.

With two equestrian professional parents, Brooke learned to ride at a very
young age, starting with hunter ponies and moving into the jumper ring as
she got older. She rides for her parent’s farm and plans to do some business
classes at the local community college, but ultimately wants to be a
professional rider. Currently she is actively competing with five horses.

When not riding, she enjoys hanging out with her friends. She plans to
compete again next year at the NAJYRC and hopes to recruit some other Zone 6
riders so that they can field a team exclusively from their zone.

“I learned a lot being on a Junior Team. It’s not just about you; it’s about
everyone on the team and about being consistent over the five days of
competition. It was a blast and I’m super happy I competed,” she concluded.

To see a complete list of results from all five disciplines or to learn how
to qualify to compete at the 2012 FEI North American Junior Young Riders’
Championships, go to www.youngriders.org or www.usef.org.

LIFEFORCE Supplement a Strong Force Behind the Alltech National Horse Show

Article Courtesy of Alltech

[Lexington, KY] – LIFEFORCE has been named the Official Equine Supplement of the Alltech National Horse Show coming to the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park November 2-6.
LIFEFORCE™ is a daily, natural nutritional supplement designed for all horses at every stage of life, whether they are breeding, pleasure, or performance animals. Daily supplementation helps create an ideal digestive environment to promote overall nutrient absorption, support immune function, and optimize overall performance.
“The five active ingredients in LIFEFORCE have all been demonstrated to be effective through peer-reviewed research done on horses,” said Steve Elliott, global equine director at Alltech. “Following the successful 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this past October in Kentucky, Alltech is committed to its support of the equestrian sport. We are honored to be involved in the Alltech National Horse Show with LIFEFORCE as the Official Equine Supplement.”
“LIFEFORCE is one of the great products offered by Alltech. It is a supplement that is well reviewed and well received in the equestrian community,” noted Mason Phelps, Jr., president of the Alltech National Horse Show. “We’re glad they are on board as our Official Equine Supplement. For those that don’t know about all of the good that LIFEFORCE does, the Alltech National Horse Show provides the perfect venue for an introduction to this excellent product.”?
LIFEFORCE is the first of several supplements to come from the Alltech Equine Advantage Series as Alltech becomes more aware of new challenges in the equine industry where their 31 years of research can provide natural solutions to these challenges.
LIFEFORCE is offering a promotion of 30% off all online orders from Nov 1 – 30 and all orders placed at the LIFEFORCE booth during the Alltech National Horse Show from Nov 2 – 6. Orders placed onsite at the Alltech National Horse Show will have free shipping within North America available.  To take advantage of the 30% off discount during the month of November, use the promotional code ‘ANHS’.
Tickets for the Alltech National Horse Show, ranging from $10-$30, are on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Fifty percent of each ticket sold benefits select local and national charities. Parking at the Kentucky Horse Park is free during the event. For more information about the Alltech National Horse Show, visit www.nhs2011.org.
For more information about the Alltech National Horse Show, visit www.nhs2011.org.

Youths From Nebraska “dive into” Nationals

By Sylvia Rogan

The 19th Annual Arabian Horse Association Youth Nationals took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 23-30, where several competitors from Nebraska competed; I was one of them. The theme of the National show was “under the sea,” and this theme could be seen throughout the show in multiple ways. The Youth Convention occurred on Friday morning and afternoon and all of their activities stuck with the theme. Later in the week, there was a parade of regions (There are eighteen regions in the United States and Canada that the Arabian Horse Association recognizes.) Not all of the regions participated, but the ones who did really showed their stuff. The regions that participated could decorate golf carts to the theme of “under the sea” and many golf carts stuck out. The winning golf cart was Region 12, who created a “Nessie the Sea Monster,” consisting of two golf carts, a lot of paper mache and green duct tape.

Over 1,000 competitors competed at this year’s Nationals and many were newcomers. One in particular was Natasha Arritt of Omaha, Nebraska. Natasha shows FF Azzon, a bay purebred Arabian who shows western pleasure, horsemanship and showmanship. I caught up with Natasha and asked her a couple of questions about her first Nationals experience.

Natasha Arritt and FF Azzon in Showmanship / Photo by Sylvia Rogan

Saddle Up: As it was your first year competing at the Arabian Horse Association’s Youth Nationals, what were your goals?
Natasha Arritt: My goal was to try to make every ride my best ride. I knew  that this was all new to Azzon and me, and I also wanted to have a fun and  relaxed show.

SU: What is your favorite class to compete in and why?
NA: Western Pleasure. It lets me relax as a rider and focus more on making  the horse look perfect.

SU: Were there any fun activities that you attended while you were at the National Championships?
NA: I attended the golf cart parade and I saw all of the regions present their carts that they had decorated together. They were really awesome.  Maybe in years to come I will participate in my region’s decoration process.  I also attended the ice cream social, where I had an ice cream and talked  with my friends. I mean, what is better than FREE ice cream??

SU: Finally, what advice would you give youth exhibitors competing at their  first Nationals?
NA: Prepare and practice a lot. It makes you confident in riding and helps  you relax.

Opposite of Natasha, a veteran competitor of the Youth National  Championships is Nikki Novak. Nikki is from Unadilla, Nebraska, and is a  recent graduate of high school. She has been showing against me ever since I can remember and she is also a great friend. Nikki’s main partner is MA Ice Breaker+/, a half-Arabian hunter horse that is a standout in the show ring.  This year Nikki competed with MA Ice Breaker+/ in Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure, Hunter Seat Equitation and Showmanship. In a huge class at thirty six with all sorts of hunter equitation riders, Nikki had to make it through two rounds just to make it to the final class. Out of sixteen competitors in the final round, Nikki took home a Top Ten, which believe me, is a great honor. In a different competition, Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure, Nikki competed with MA Ice Breaker+/ against fifty other horses and riders. MA Ice Breaker+/ definitely stands out in the crowd. He is a big and bold liver  chestnut who has a huge heart, and it showed. Nikki also took home a Top Ten in this class. This was Nikki’s last year as a youth rider and she will now move up to the 18-39 age division where she will be competing as an amateur.

I also competed at the 19th Annual Youth National Championships with two of  my wonderful horses, Heritage Bey Kat and CP Merritt+//. Heritage Bey Kat, or “Kat,” and I competed in a number of classes. These included Half-Arabian Country English Pleasure, Show Hack (which has similar gaits as dressage but is shown on the rail of the arena, see picture), Mounted Native Costume, and Saddle Seat Equitation. We competed against sixty other competitors in Country English Pleasure, twelve others in Mounted Native Costume, thirty seven in Show Hack, and thirty two in Saddle Seat Equitation. Let’s just say it was a bundle of fun!

Sylvia Rogan and Heritage Bey Kat in Show Hack competition

The other horse I showed was CP Merritt+//. I have been with this horse since 2004 and I know him so well, he could be called my best friend. Merritt and I competed in Show Hack and dressage. This was my first year of doing dressage with Merritt, so we were not shooting for anything more than a good score. There were thirty-five competitors in our Training Level 14-17 class and the entire class lasted for six hours, test after test. After a very monotonous time of waiting and waiting for my dressage time to arrive, it was time. Merritt and I unfortunately did not make the Top Ten, but we had a fun time and a good ride in the process! My horse “Kat” and I received two Top Tens in Half-Arabian Mounted Native Costume, and at the end of the show I was very proud of my horses.

Youth Nationals is always a fun event to attend and compete at. Whether it is your first time, last time, or somewhere in the middle, you should always be grateful for the opportunities at hand. Nebraska riders did well considering the big competition this year, and we will always be willing to represent our state any year.

Until next year, live long and prosper.

Why do they act like that?

By Jo Bek

Several years ago I was able to attend an equine seminar put on by Dr. Robert Miller.

I’ve noticed that the many clinicians that have either come to the college, been on TV or were in the various videos or books that we have used have all revolved around the ideas that Dr. Miller presented at the seminar. He ascribed to ten characteristics that are found in all equine species.

The first was that a horse’s primary defense is flight.

Unfortunately, in their attempt to get away, they may run through things or over the top of people. A horse in the open that has been spooked will bolt and run approximately 400 yards before it will stop and turn to see what it was that scared them. Therefore, equipment must be in top shape when it is used on horses.

These are prey animals and consequently very timid. Any horse is capable of becoming hysterical at any point in time, no matter how well trained it is. If the horse perceives that it is not safe or the situation they are in is not safe, self preservation takes over and everything else takes second place.

Secondly, a horse is extremely perceptive. Its sense of taste, hearing, smell and touch is keener than a human’s. Horses like things that taste either salty or sweet. For that reason, it is sometimes hard to mix medicine into their feed and get them to eat it. If you travel with horses, they sometimes don’t like the water they are offered. When I worked in the veterinary clinic in Emporia, we had owners add cherry Jell-O to get horses to drink water or take their medicine.

Horses must smell things in order to become more familiar with an object. This is why everyone that works with horses tries to let them smell anything presented as new to the horse, including letting them make the first touch of the human hand when they are first handled.

One can get a clue as to where a horse is focusing its attention by the direction the ears are pointed.  Ears can also be an indicator of a horse’s mood.

The sense of sight in a horse is of importance because of the way it relates to his surroundings and helps the horse determine whether or not he should flee an unsafe area. Horses don’t see all the colors that humans do, although it is felt they see a few colors. They have monocular and binocular vision, but they can’t have both at the same time. So, they can be looking along both sides at the same time or in front, but not both. Movement alerts them to danger, however, because they mostly see in shades of grays. Their depth perception is not good. Anything dark may be interpreted as a possible hole that they feel they shouldn’t go into or step upon.

A horses' blind spots, front and back / www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Horse360.png

A horse has to have the ability to move his head around to be able to see exactly what he is looking at because of his ramped retina and because his pupil is horizontal. His blind spots are directly in front and directly behind his tail. People need to stay out of the blind spots, so that they don’t startle a horse. If a person puts both their fists, one on top of the other on their forehead, they will understand what the blind spot on the front of the horse’s face is like. It explains why a horse will snort and turn his head sideways when they are trying to look at something they don’t trust on the ground in front of their feet. It is better to reach for a horse from the side instead of directly in front of their face, especially young horses that haven’t been desensitized.

People who ride with tiedowns in open country need to realize that they have limited their horse’s ability to see as well as balance. The touch portion of a horse’s senses makes him easy to train. We need to teach them to react to the slightest touch, so they learn to be light. If we are heavy with our touch, then they will be heavy with their response.

The third point Dr. Miller made was how fast the reaction time of a horse is. The horse’s reaction time is much faster than a human’s. It is very important that people pay attention when working with horses and try to stand in the safest areas. The more athletic the horse the less safe areas there are. One needs to either stand close enough to make three points of contact or far enough away from them that they can’t reach one. They can strike much faster with the front feet than they will kick with the back, but they  are by no means slow with the back ones. That is why the less time that you spend directly in front or directly in back of the horse, the safer you’ll be. Close to the shoulder is the best place to stand, but it is never one hundred percent safe.

The fourth characteristic of horses is their ability to desensitize very rapidly. Everyone uses this in some way in the training process. Because of this characteristic, we can teach horses to accept injections, tubings, shoeing, clipping and just about anything you can think of that might otherwise cause an issue. An approach and retreat method is best used as opposed to forcing a horse to accept something. They will be less likely to fight something if they feel as if they can drift away and have an escape option open to them. They will follow something and show curiosity, but if you take the same object and approach directly from the front, they will shy away from it.

The fifth characteristic is a horse’s use of his memory. Their memory is very long and retention is very high. They can learn and retain bad habits as well as good ones with equal ease. Although the retention of horses is very high, they really don’t have the ability to rationalize. Therefore, whatever is done on the right side, needs to be done on the left side. It is like having two different horses. All horses also have a preference of sides as well. To make them balanced the handler has to spend more time on the side that is not the preference. Most horses will put the handler on the side where the horse wants them. They will try to keep you on that side, especially when you are leading them.

The sixth characteristic of horses is their ability to categorize things as fearful, but not hurtful. However, when introducing things to a horse for the first time, it is very important not to get the horse into such a state as to cause it to become terrified. This will trigger the amygdala of the brain, which is the most primitive part of the brain, to make a permanent impression for that horse and that particular situation. We can override the reaction to that particular situation, but it can never be totally eradicated. People talk about “no dust” when handling horses, especially young ones. If a horse becomes hurt during the training process or when he is fearful of something then he becomes convinced that he should have been frightened in the first place.

The seventh characteristic is very important if anyone is going to handle a horse. Domination happens all the time in the horse’s world. The trick for the handler is to convince the horse that you are a true leader, therefore they need to do what you want. You have to take on the role of the stallion and the alpha mare. The mare keeps everyone in the herd in line and directs what everyone does; if they don’t, then the stallion comes in as the enforcer. Dominating a horse is necessary as there are pecking orders in the horse world and the handler needs to be above the horse in their “herd” of two. Handlers must learn to be assertive without being too aggressive or not being assertive enough. The handlers need to be in charge without ruling by fear and intimidation. If the handler has to physically correct a horse, the horse needs to think he did it to himself. Dominance with horses means leadership not cruelty. Handlers need to also remember that when horse’s correct each other, it matters. Most handlers cannot deal out the punishment that one horse can deal to another. The worst thing a person can do is nag a horse without any consequences.

The eighth characteristic ties in with the seventh. Horses are dominated by controlling movement. One horse dominates another by making the subordinate horse move or not allowing it to move. The easiest way to take the power away from a horse and control movement is to disengage the hind feet. True disengagement means the hind foot closest to the handler crosses the other hind foot. Sliding one hind foot towards the other is not disengagement, because the horse still has the power to run, buck or rear. If you have a group of horses that run together, the dominant one is either a grouchy old mare or a grouchy little pony. Any new horse gets chewed on until the leader can get the other one to running away. After that the leader merely has to pin its ears and look at the subordinate to get them to move away.

For safety’s sake and the handling of horses, the ninth characteristic is important for all handlers. Horses are very attuned to body language of both humans and other horses. Licking of the lips is a submissive action. Many clinicians watch for this gesture as a sign that the horse is starting to understand what they are trying to teach them. As a horse drops his head, they are usually relaxing and becoming comfortable with what is going on around them. As the head goes up, so does the adrenaline in the horse and eventually if they can’t stand it any longer, they will just plain leave. If a handler sees a horse that is bunching up with his tail in the shape of a “J”, it usually doesn’t bode well for the human. Pinned ears, swishing tails and the inability to not see the eyes of the horse when you walk toward it are not good situations as well. A stallion that is coming toward a handler with his head held low and moving back and forth in a snaking manner should tell whoever is watching that he is not happy with the handler’s presence. If a handler sees a horse cock his head sideways and get tense at something in front of the horse, be out of range of the front feet if the horse perceives the object as a threat and decides to “kill” it. Horses can tell by the way the handler moves and approaches, whether or not the handler is in a good mood or if he is frowning and walking toward them as if the handler could bite nails. I’ve noticed that a great many of the clinicians don’t really have a readable expression on their face when they are working with horses and they all have an inordinate amount of patience with horses. When they want energy in their horses, they bring theirs up and when they want the horse to relax they bring theirs down. In addition, as soon as a horse gets a concept and gives a try, they stop and let the horse “soak” so the horse finally realizes what the handler was trying to teach.

Since horses are considered a prey species, the tenth and last characteristic is the fact that they are precocial as are most of the prey species, especially large animal species. It means that once the baby is born, within a few hours it is able to get up and move with its mother. Because of this characteristic, foals will imprint to the first large moving object that they see. Dr. Miller spent decades working with horses and he found that the foals that were handled within hours after they were born, dealt more readily with humans than those that weren’t handled. He was one of the very first people to talk about how to imprint foals. I talked to him personally and at that time he was concerned that people were sending him pictures of foals they had imprinted that were exhibiting behaviors that would later grow into disrespect for humans. Handlers need to remember that whatever they allow a small foal to do when he weighs 100 pounds, he’ll remember and do it when he grows to 1000-1200 pounds. The rule at the college is the handler should be able to touch the horse anywhere, anytime they want to; however, the horse should never touch the handler. My dad always said that a pet horse would hurt the handler. I found that to be true in the veterinary clinic where I worked. The spoiled, disrespectful, pet horses were harder to handle than the ones that hadn’t been handled very much. There is a critical learning period the first few days after the foal is born. Whatever is done at that time will be retained when you start to train him when he is older. It is a good time to desensitize some areas of his body. Imprinting and early learning should always be done where the mare and foal can be nose to nose. The baby should also be desensitized to the point that it is no longer struggling before stopping the stimuli or you’ve just taught the foal to fight people.

People now use all these characteristics when training horses. People need to remember what is important to horses as well. Their number one concern is safety and self preservation, then comfort, play and food. The most important part of everyone’s training issues is that pressure is the motivator, but it is the release of pressure that teaches what the handler wants. Dr. Miller feels that horses learn in experiences of 3. Also, every clinician says to reward the slightest try.

I think that if everyone can remember the characteristics, the horses will let you know if it is working or not. It seems as though when the handlers get the correct communication going, the horse is able to do what is expected of it. Most behavior problems seem to be learned behaviors that resulted in pilot error somewhere along the way.

How to pick a horse trainer

By Terri Bergen-Smith of Good Hands Horse Training & Sales, Omaha

Driving down the road one summer day, my gaze was drawn to a saddled horse in an arena not far off. The horse was moving around a person in an awkward, hitching gait, and that’s what had caught my attention. As the horse made its way around a good-sized circle, on its lunge line, I could see that the inside front leg was tied up. The horse was being asked to move forward at a pretty good clip on three legs. I knew that it was someone who calls themselves a trainer in the arena with that horse. The point of that exercise I do not know to this very day, and in 35 years of training and learning, I have seen quite a few.

How do people become horse trainers in the first place, you might well ask. Well, one day, they wake up and decide they are. That’s it, no boards to sit for, no tests to take, no licenses for which to apply. That population includes young girls and boys who have grown up on or around horses and think they are then qualified to teach, maybe only because they can “stick” pretty good. Then there is the case of the guy I knew who, a year or two into being introduced to riding at all, was on colts and taking in other people’s horses to get them started. Think he had much success? No, not too much.

So, now, on your journey to find someone to help you with your horse problem, or as Buck Brannaman so well puts it, help your horse with its people problem, how the heck do you know who to trust? Most people who get into the business of horse training start out with large personalities and a certain amount of self-confidence or bluster that looks a lot like that. How do you know the tall, smiling, soft-spoken young man is going to ride the way he says he is, or is he the guy you heard about someone walking in on while he was punching a young horse full in the face for some kind of misdeed or other? This sounds like something out of bad novels but is all too true. How are you going to know the difference?

When I set out to write this article, I polled a group of horse people as to what they look for when seeking trainer assistance. Most of these people are not newcomers to the game, and their points are well taken. They spoke of proximity, and while it is a good thing to be close enough to make a drive to work with your trainer while the horse is away at school, I wouldn’t pick the closest trainer based on fuel savings alone.

Price was not near as much an issue as I thought it might be. Here’s a word to the wise: Price does not indicate value. There might be some very high profile people who are not as good as they think they are, and they are charging for that over-inflated opinion of themselves. Some are lesser known or may not be able to offer a lot in the way of facility and amenities, but you sure don’t want to pick the cheapest guy just because he is the cheapest guy, any more than you figure if you write a big check for a well-known name, it’s a guarantee you are going to wind up with the desired product at the end of the day.

Advertising follows along these same lines. It’s easy, these days, for most people to buy or design their own web site, pay for visibility on search engines, and while all that is pretty cool, it does not guarantee any kind of ability with a horse, just with a computer. If I knew of someone who has sent their horse out for training, and I liked what I saw when the horse came home, I’d want to know who that person was. If it didn’t work out, I’d be curious as to why not.

Some of my friends wanted contracted hours as to exactly how much the trainer was going to work with a horse. I agree with this completely. I have known way too many popular people who would saddle a horse, hang it on the wall. Should a customer happen to show up, it’s “hey, glad you are here, was going to ride yours next!” That may or may not have been the case and I know of quite a few who get most of the riding done in the last two weeks before the horse goes home. But, again, hours alone does not a quality job make! A person who has no plan might ride a horse several hours a day for months and make little to no improvement while an experienced hand might take that same horse, do an exercise or make a point in 45 minutes and put him up. The horse will have progressed further in less time with the trainer who walked in with a game plan, made a change and was then smart enough to put the horse away and leave him alone.

Discussing goals for training and how long it will take to accomplish those goals was high on their lists. Nobody, no matter how accomplished they are, can flat guarantee horse A will perform B in such and such a time. They can sure set a plan and progress toward it as best they can. The trainer needs to be willing and able to communicate to the owner up front if they don’t think the set goals are reasonable. If something happens during the course of training and the trainer doesn’t think they are going to get the job done, for whatever reason, you need to make sure that trainer discusses these events with you so you can both make decisions as to whether the horse will work out for you in the time allotted, needs more time or if you are just headed in a plain wrong direction one way or another. On the inside looking out, here’s what I would look for. First, I would want to know that the trainer is an accomplished hand at whatever it was I wanted the horse trained up to do.

It won’t do a ton of good to send a trail horse prospect to someone who will never get them out of the round pen or arena (of course I need to be prepared to leave my horse there long enough for it to safely progress to riding out of doors, but just how long will that take?) If I want to show a horse in a certain discipline, I am going to seek the aid of someone who is competent in that area. No matter what way I want to go, I can’t imagine sending a horse to a trainer without watching the person work a horse or two or three. The fellow who doesn’t want you to hang around and watch them work is probably not going to be my pick. Why not? What goes on behind closed doors?

I want to know who my guy or gal has studied. In this day and age of so many good clinicians that are deep and well versed in horsemanship, I want to know which school my prospect falls into. If they are purely self-taught, it doesn’t mean I am going to spin around and walk off, but I am going to have some questions for them about their program, what they plan to teach my horse and how they plan to go about it. If someone pitches me a name, and I am unfamiliar with that person, I am going to go bone up and then go back and ask more questions. Anyone can watch a DVD and say they follow so and so. Doesn’t mean they understand what they saw on that video and I want to see firsthand, exactly how it translates. I am not impressed with buzz words, fads or pop psychology. I want to see someone who is calm, kind, quiet, firm and can get their point across to the horse with a minimum of dust and fuss. If they are all about the old days of tie ‘em up, sack ‘em out, get on and ride, well, that might not turn you off, and it’s worked for a lot of good horses, but there are so many better ways to get that job done and I am going to find someone who knows more about those.

I want to know what tools they are going to use and what the purpose behind them is. If you are interviewing a trainer or watching them ride, and they are using a device you don’t understand the meaning of, it better be okay to ask questions and the trainer needs to have a good answer for why he uses the bits, spurs, reins, martingales or whatever. Another tip: if your fellow thinks your colt needs to be started in a leverage bit, accompanied by a tie down, you might want to find the door. If his spurs are as big as his head, again, it doesn’t mean he’s going to gouge hide out of your horse, but that kind of ego always blips my radar. There are some that can wear those spurs and big hats and fulfill the promise. Far more who cannot.

When I watch someone work a horse, regardless of the discipline they are practicing, I want to see smooth, focused concentration. I want the horse to be engaged but not afraid. The kid who says he can train a cutting horse, and has a two year old jumping back and forth between his spurs is not for me, nor the cowboy who brags about the spin he can put on a horse within three weeks of sitting in the saddle. I want to see hooves directed with purpose, not scattering wildly in little circles around the arena. If the horse’s head is in the sky, mouth open and eyes wide and white ringed, I have seen more than enough. Also, just because the person you are talking to might happen to be a woman, it’s no promise that she’s a gentle flower when it comes to a horse, I have known some pretty tough gals in my day, and I still want to visit, watch and see what they are going to do with my animal. Gentle flower, no, I don’t want one of those either, except maybe in my garden!

That said, is there never going to be an argument or disagreement between an equine and a trainer? Oh heck yes, there will be. Trainers are human and the best I know, including myself, can get angry and upset when things go poorly. It’s the trainer that can take themselves out of the picture and not take their emotions out on the horse that I want on my side of the deal. Sometimes you have to stay engaged in a situation with a horse that is very convinced that what they want to do is the very right thing for them, whether it’s running over the top of you, pushing through pressure rather than yielding respectfully and softly away. It might be spooking and leaving the country at the sight of whatever goobly ghost it thinks it’s spied under the bushes or a variety of responses natural to the horse and undesirable to the human. Is the trainer going to say, “Well, okay, sweetie, you just go right ahead with that.” Not if they are worth an ounce of their salt, they are not. Sometimes that process looks pretty western and you have to know and have faith that your trainer is going to get the horse through to the other side in a way that helps the horse to not have to repeat these behaviors. Two guys might use techniques that look very much the same; both might have to raise their level of discipline to match the horse. One has timing and feel, and in fairly short order, the horse makes a change and gets calm. The other trainer doesn’t and his horse continues to escalate and become further traumatized. Both of those fellows might advertise themselves exactly the same way. Bottom line it is going to be YOUR responsibility to  ee past the smooth talk, jargon, charming attitudes and cool looking clothes to make sure, at the end of the day, your horse is in the right place.

Be prepared to get involved, and stay on top of things at your trainers’ place. Discuss housing, feed, and all the details of your horse’s care. Your horse did not ask for his education, did not seek out a scholarship to become a champion reiner or professional western pleasure star. You are his only advocate, and as he can’t speak up for himself, you well may have to. The right trainer can put you two well on your way to many happy hours of joy and successful partnership. It’s going to be up to you to do your homework, talk to a lot of different people in the horse world and yes, some are going to have axes to grind. I don’t know anyone in business that doesn’t ruffle a feather or two, somewhere down the line, but if you get enough opinions and then spend some time with your own eyeballs, you will find yourself able to make a wise choice that will aid you and your horse in the next step of your journey.

Good luck and happy shopping!