Spring 2019

Horse & Rider

The magazine for horseman who savors the western lifestyle

Horse & Rider2 min read
A Fresh Start
Spring brings with it new life, reinvigorated aspirations, and a sunnier disposition. That’s exactly how we feel about bringing you the first of the quarterly issues of Horse&Rider—new energy and bigger goals in a larger magazine. If you haven’t been
Horse & Rider3 min read
Walk. Ride. Rodeo.
“WALK. RIDE. RODEO.” That was my response when my nurse asked me what my goals were on the first day of post-accident therapy, nine years ago. Now those words are the title of a Netflix movie based on my story. When the production company first asked
Horse & Rider2 min read
You Should Know
$225,000 Grants from the ASPCA to equine rescue groups in 2018 to rehabilitate and retrain retired racehorses. We’re excited to announce our next Win-a-Day program in partnership with Absorbine. Beginning on March 1, 2019, you can enter for a chance
Horse & Rider1 min read
From You, The Reader
To participate in future polls, “like” Horse&Rider on Facebook. 80% of H&R poll respondents supplement their horses with probiotics or have done so in the past. For more information on these “good bacteria,” see page 48. 85% of H&R poll respondents o
Horse & Rider1 min read
HorseandRider.com
Heel pain can occur to any horse, but the risk is higher for Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and warmbloods, especially those over the age of 7. To lower the risk that your horse will ever develop navicular syndrome, provide all the horsekeeping stand
Horse & Rider2 min read
Probiotics, Prebiotics
Your horse’s digestive process—like yours—depends on a healthy population of beneficial microorganisms, or so-called gut bugs. Here’s how probiotics, prebiotics, and the products designed to contain them fit into the picture. Probiotics are live bact
Horse & Rider2 min readFashion
New Boots for Spring
1. Whether you’re doing chores around the barn, saddling up to ride, or getting dressed up for a fun night out, boots are part of your daily life—and your family’s. For long days at the barn, wear a lightweight boot like the PrimeTime boot (left) fro
Horse & Rider5 min read
Work the Trail Box
YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE AN ENTIRE TRAIL COURSE SETUP TO practice trail at home. In fact, there’s a lot you can do with just four poles set up as a box. While in competition you often see a 6-foot box used to turn in, but there are several ways you can
Horse & Rider3 min read
Distracted Horse
Your horse gets distracted. He perks his ears forward, directing them at the object he’s noticed or is worried about. If you’re like many riders, you respond by trying to reassure him, pushing him forward to investigate. If he sees it up close, you r
Horse & Rider3 min read
Cheer, Smile, Win!
When you feel good, it shows on your face. And when you feel good, you perform at your best—because it’s easier to access the skills you’ve practiced so hard to acquire. Best of all, when you feel good can be controlled—because you can prompt yoursel
Horse & Rider3 min read
Work the Flag
You’ve probably seen cutting and working cow horses use the flag in training practice. It helps sharpen a horse’s response to cues, focuses his attention on the flag, and helps beat cheating behaviors that can develop in a seasoned horse. While that’
Horse & Rider4 min read
Junior AQHA Mares
AS A JUDGE, understanding a horse’s balance and structure and how they relate to the horse’s performance is critical. Today we have horses that specialize in halter classes; however, the conformation ideal is supposed to maintain the breed standards.
Horse & Rider2 min read
Ride With Brad and Bud
Watch. Learn. Ride. You can do all these things with the new Horse&Rider OnDemand program. Watch a training video from our trusted Western performance experts. Further your learning by reviewing the process before you head to the arena on your phone
Horse & Rider6 min read
Is My Horse ‘Too Old’?
“Cruzer is the best horse I’ve ever had,” my client explains. “He’s sound, reliable, and still winning at every show. He’ll be 18 next year, though, so it’s time for retirement. Sure gonna miss him….” Wait, I’m thinking, what? Just because he’s getti
Horse & Rider6 min read
Are You Bugging Your Horse?
You wouldn’t dream of sabotaging your horse’s training or making his life miserable. But if you routinely make the blunders I discuss here, you’re guilty of exactly that. Your horse learns not only from the lessons you teach him on purpose, but also
Horse & Rider10 min read
Eureka Moments, Training Insights
Insight can help us understand our horses better. Where does insight come from? Typically it results from experience tempered with thought leading to some fresh realization. So even those challenging moments we struggle through with our horses (every
Horse & Rider7 min read
Ride the OLD WEST
For gorgeous trail riding in country steeped in Western history, head to southeast Arizona. This corner of the state offers a diverse landscape of golden grasslands and island mountain ranges, all waiting to be explored. Ride through pages right out
Horse & Rider1 min read
Know Before You Go
Avoid the summer. The best time of year to ride in this area is fall through spring. Avoid the summer months, which can be sweltering. Shoe your horse. Make sure your horse has good shoes or apply rugged hoof boots. Desert trails can be rocky and rou
Horse & Rider8 min read
From The Ground Up
When you work with a horse on the ground, it’s easy to underestimate the amount of communication that takes place between you and your horse. Even if you have only a half hour to work with your horse on a given day, the feedback from your horse durin
Horse & Rider7 min read
Prompting a Picky Eater
There you stand in your feed room, scratching your head and trying to concoct the perfect meal for your hard keeper. Last week he loved the bale of expensive grass hay you brought home from the feed store, but now that you’ve stacked two tons of it i
Horse & Rider3 min read
Appetite Stimulants?
Shouldn’t there be a magic pill or supplement you can give your horse to encourage him to eat? A quick Google search suggests a lot of possibilities. The real question, though, is how effective they’ll be. For insight, I ran those Google-search possi
Horse & Rider8 min read
Born In A Barn
Imagine yourself waking up on a cold or rainy morning and running downstairs or through a door to feed your horses—without even having to go outside. And how nice would it be to check your horses before bedtime without having to bundle up? Living in
Horse & Rider7 min read
In the Driver’s Seat
It’s extremely important to preserve space for your horse on the rail during Western pleasure classes. The goal is to get your horse shown as best you can. But if you’re bottled up in a jumble of horses, that’s not possible. You must be able to maneu
Horse & Rider3 min read
Helping Harry
I don’t know what first drew me to Harry. When I started volunteering at the Glen Ellen Vocational Academy (GEVA), an equine rehabilitation and retirement foundation and sanctuary in Northern California, the temperamental old racehorse certainly wasn
Horse & Rider4 min read
Coming Home
The bearded cowboy looks completely at home in these environs. At the Crossed Arrows Ranch, a small working ranch in the high desert country south of Santa Fe, rolling hills of chaparral and dirt roads extend to a horizon punctuated by the dusky, tow

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