November 19, 2020
Ruth Nicolaus
There’s a lot more to being a barrel racer than the sixteen or seventeen second runs that fans see in the arena. It takes time and patience to make a good barrel horse, and Tana Poppino knows that. The Big Cabin, Okla. cowgirl qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo three times, in 2006-07 and […]
November 3, 2020
Ruth Nicolaus
Everybody loves looking at horses for sale, and everybody loves a bargain. Combine the two, and you have stallion auctions. It’s the time of year for stallion breedings to be auctioned off, and if a person’s diligent (and lucky), they might score a thrifty breeding! Many of these auctions are set up to benefit a […]
October 13, 2020
Jan Swan Wood
I had a really good mare years ago who had been a stellar saddle horse and always sound. When she was past her mid-teens, I decided that she had earned the right to raise some colts. I found an equally good stud to breed her to and hauled her to the ranch and turned her […]
September 21, 2020
Ruth Nicolaus
Tomas Garcilazo and his wife Justine and son Louis travel the nation as the specialty act at over 120 rodeo performances and equine events a year. Tomas does the La Charreria, the traditional art of Mexican cowboying, horsemanship and rope work. But the real star of their show is Hollywood, their palomino stallion, whose registered […]
September 10, 2020
Jan Swan Wood
The trend of long, thick mane on horses is big right now, and though it seems like that couldn’t be a problem for a horse other than having the knots brushed out on occasion, I see another problem that could lead to soundness issues. Bear with me. The long, thick mane goes clear to the […]
September 3, 2020
Jan Swan Wood
I like horses with a good set of withers. Because of that, I have taken a knife to some saddle pads to accommodate those high withers and keep pressure from the top of them, but that sure is hard to do with what saddle pads cost these days. Plus, it compromises the good qualities of […]
July 20, 2020
Jolyn Young
Before I had kids, I evaluated my daily productivity by how many tasks I fully completed each day. I only felt satisfied if I loped a bunch of circles, improved my second barrel, got my horse more rounded behind the bit, or checked another similar item off my list of personal equine goals. I spent […]
June 29, 2020
Jolyn Young
When we first transitioned from living on big outfits to buying our little place a few miles from a small town, I worried a bit about the kids. Sure, expanding their opportunities was a huge factor in our decision to make the leap; we wanted them to be able to attend public school, play t-ball, […]
June 17, 2020
Lynn Kohr
It is already hot and dry here in Gillette, Wyoming. Warm summer temperatures and rain (even a little) means fly season. Our horses are kicking and running from the few flies that are out. We decided it was time to pull out the fly sheets and try to give these horses a little relief. I’m sure […]
May 31, 2020
Lynn Kohr
Building confidence in our horse is putting security into your program. Horses are all individuals and each have varying tolerance to change. Change for our horses causes them hardship. Change disrupts their daily routines and patterns. A disruption can be as slight as changing pastures, adjusting their bit, or adding a buddy to the trailer. […]