Twenty-one year old Courtney Grider of Conifer and her American Paint horse, Seemy Sacred Style aka “Vegas” (by Sacred Indian), have risen to the top 100 out of thousands of finalists across the United States to be featured in America’s Favorite Trail Horse competition program put on by the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA).  Read on to see how we can all help Courtney and Vegas reach that title!

About seven years ago while showing in Colorado Hunter Jumper Association (CHJA) shows, Courtney realized that her “ranch type” Quarter Horse mare, Jazzy, had hit a plateau that Courtney wanted to go beyond.  Local family friend, Laurie Quercioli, (see The Colorado Corral article titled “Blue Ribbon Heart” from 2010 - @ blog.coloradocorral.com), helped Courtney find Vegas to move up the ranks with. 

But when Courtney bought Vegas seven years ago as a jumper, he was far from being a good trail horse.  Up until then, his first nine years consisted of going between his paddock and the arena.  He was an excellent jumper and perfect for what she bought him for, but had no experience outside of that.  Courtney recalls, “He was crazy when we got him.  He was high strung and spooky – He didn’t know what to do with himself - he was scared of his shadow.  If he was outside of the arena, he was out of his comfort zone.”

So Courtney started taking him on trail rides and exposing him to the outdoors.  With Courtney’s persistence and patience, Vegas went from the scared and spooky horse on the trail to the horse he is today - confident, comfortable and now one of the finalists for America’s Favorite Trail Horse!  So how did she end up in a trail horse competition?  Facebook!  Late one night a friend on Facebook had posted information about the competition; Courtney told her mom about it and they decided it would be something different to experience. 

She sent in her entry fee and became one of over two thousand horse and rider teams across the country that were divided into 25 locations.  Leading up to the audition, Courtney watched videos on YouTube.com of other ACTHA rides to learn the kinds of obstacles they would need to complete and then worked on those skills with Vegas.  Courtney was assigned to take Vegas to Keenesburg in April for the first stage of the competition.  From there they were chosen to be one of the 100 national finalists!  Courtney and her mom hauled Vegas nearly 30 hours to meet the 99 other finalists at the Franklin Family Ranch near Austin, Texas May 8-12^th.   

During the three days at the Franklin Family ranch, finalists were coached by national horse training celebrities like Aaron Ralston, Lynn Palm and Linda Parelli.  For the America’s Favorite Trail Horse program, the finalists competed over a six mile trail course with six obstacles.  Three of the obstacles were filmed and the trainers were there to coach each team to show their best for the viewers and voters.  The three obstacles filmed were a crossing water, jumping a log and crossing a rock slab. 

The “America’s Favorite Trail Horse” program will be aired weekly starting Tuesday September 13^th at 6pm MST for 13 episodes on HRTV (Dish channel 404) or it will be available online at www.ACTHA.TV/www.HRTVLive.com during the complete airtime.  Episodes 2-11 are the voting episodes each showcasing 10 of the competitors – Courtney and Vegas are in the 8^th episode on November 1st.  The team with the most votes from each episode will receive $5,000.  In the 12^th episode November 29th, the top ten finalists will be shown again and viewer votes will determine the top 3 teams who then receive $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000!  Go to www.actha.us for all of the details. 

 By putting on this “American Idol” for horses, ACTHA is hoping to bring attention to America’s trail horses and as a result inspire people to get back in the saddle and rescue horses in need of a home.    The cause of ACTHA is “full equine employment to help ease the suffering of horses in need.”  They accomplish this through sponsored rides, donations, fundraising, and supporting organizations like the Mustang Heritage Foundation – anything that benefits horses.  

So mark your calendars and VOTE to help our own Courtney and Vegas become the “America’s Favorite Trail Horse” winner.  If you cannot watch on DishNetwork, fire up your computer and head to the link given above.  Be inspired to get out there on the trails and ride! 

Questions or Comments?  Let me hear from you!  Do you know someone or something in our horse community you want to know more about?  Give me your suggestions at heather@coloradocorral.com.  To learn more about our local horse community go to www.coloradocorral.com.  Looking for a way to commemorate an accomplishment or share a horse moment?  Send me your pictures to be featured on the website! Copyright 2011 Heather McWilliams. 

Writing an article a few weeks before it comes out really makes you wonder what could have transpired in the weeks between when this it written and when you are reading it.  With that in mind, I hope as you read this a gentle, soaking rain is falling, your barn/horse area is mitigated for fire, your defensible space wraps snugly around your home and barn areas and the last fire seen was in April. 

A couple months ago wildfires were at the front of the horse community’s mind – and of course they still are!  The Intermountain Horse Association (IMHA) packed out the Beau Jo’s Pizza’s meeting room with standing room only on April 19^th when they addressed the issue of horses and wildfire evacuations.  Fortunately, our area has one of the best response systems for evacuating large animals in wildfires.  Because of the local fires of 2000 and 2002, the procedures set up to coordinate numerous professional agencies under the authority of Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Section have become a model for other Colorado counties and states across the country.

If you wonder what the procedure is for wildfires, each fire protection district has an extensive Community Wildfire Protection Plan or CWPP, usually available on their website.  This plan is always evolving and modified as situations are examined.  When it comes to evacuation during a wildfire, many factors dictate when evacuation is encouraged or becomes mandatory - at the top of the list are fuel availability and wind.  Because the wind and lack of moisture are out of our control, being prepared for fires of course begins with you or your facility removing fuel from the property like dead trees, pine needles, dead vegetation and creating a defensible space around the buildings and corrals. 

The majority of the horse properties in the Colorado Serenity readership lie in Jefferson County, so when it comes to animal evacuation here, Jefferson County Animal Control oversees efforts by agencies like the Jeffco Horse Council and the Horse Evacuation Assistance Team (HEAT).  These organizations take care of the transport, care and housing of evacuated animals.  They are staffed mainly by volunteers who supply their own equipment and go through extensive and specific training.  HEAT is not county specific and many fire protection districts cross over county lines, therefore contact your fire department to learn who services your property.

If the wildfire is too fast or too close and you cannot evacuate your own horses because of a lack of equipment or because you are not allowed in, animal control and/or HEAT will evacuate your animals for you if at all possible.  Call the Sheriff’s dispatch or if you arrive at a road block and cannot go through, let the deputy know where you live and what animals are there; they will contact animal control to rescue your large and small animals.  Giving them your contact information is important because the people evacuating the animals may contact an owner while at their property to get tips on how to better handle them.  From your property the animals are taken to a designated facility like Jefferson County Fairgrounds that has 300-500 stalls available, if not hosting a large event - El Pinal Rodeo Grounds is another possibility. Once on site, Jeffco Horse Council takes over the feeding, care and shelter of the horses.

That said, the chances are good that you will have some early warning and therefore a little time when a wildfire starts in your area.  If you don’t have a plan in place, now is the time to create one!  The two major themes to remember are:  Be PRO-ACTIVE and BE PREPARED. 

If a fire is in the area near your horses, be PRO-ACTIVE and move them before you have to until the danger is gone.  They are one of the harder things to move and having them safe and taken care of leaves you the time to focus on the rest of your family and friends.

Most importantly, BE PREPARED!  Identify a friend on the other side of town who has space and arrange to have a reciprocal agreement with them in the event of a possible evacuation.  Make sure your animals are up to date on their vaccinations in case they have to be housed with other horses.  Consider microchipping your horses – IMHA offered this service this spring.  If you have had a recent brand inspection, the brand inspectors have taken a GPS location which creates a COIN (Colorado Identification Number) for your facility.  Your horse’s microchip number is matched with the COIN and your information is added to the state database.  In an emergency, the state can use this information to know what animals are at what locations, in addition to the owner’s information. 

If you do not have a “land line” home phone or if your horses are at a small facility where people are not always around, you can register any address for a reverse 911 call to your cell phone.  If you work down the hill or a distance from your horses, have someone close to them identified as an emergency contact.  Let people know where your truck keys are or provide your boarding facility with access to your truck and/or trailer.  Have an evacuation kit made up and readily available in your barn.  Leave all of your contact information visible in your barn with descriptions of animals and idiosyncrasies about them.  For example, always load the bay horse first and then everyone else will follow.  Regarding trailer loading, make sure your horse will lead and load in a trailer.   If you don’t normally go anywhere and/or don’t own a trailer, borrow or rent one to practice loading a couple times a year – especially before fire season. 

A few informal area groups have created a “buddy system” by using an internet-based map application to map out each other’s properties.   They determined an evacuation plan, have each other’s contact information, number and kinds of animals, typical daily schedule information (i.e. work in Denver and gone during the weekdays), where to evacuate their animals to and any other pertinent information. 

Additionally, when it comes to your property or facility, know two routes out by road and by horseback.  There are some old trails, roads and paths around that were made as ingress and egress fire roads, jeep trails or access roads used for construction that can connect you to other areas and neighborhoods.  As a last resort, if a fire is coming through your area too fast to evacuate, spray paint your phone number on your horses and set them loose to get away from the fire (without a halter that could get caught on something).  This can be controversial in theory, but may be the only option.

In the mountain communities we have very few natural disasters to be concerned with, but a wildfire is very real when it hits.  Whatever lengths you might go to now in advanced planning, you will be glad you were prepared when the time comes.  See below for a list of resources mentioned above.

EVACUATION KIT LIST: 

Minimally:  Halter, lead rope, vaccination records, pictures of horses, medications, buckets, first aid kit, copies of registration papers, brand inspection card, list of emergency contacts.  Other things to think about:  set aside a supply of hay and grain to last a few days at least, tack and grooming supplies, muck bucket, shovel, fork, bedding, duct tape. Note:  Keep a copy of registration papers, pictures, brand inspections, and microchip information off location or in a fireproof safe with all of your other important documents.

RESOURCES:  www.jeffcoheat.com; www.evergreenfirerescue.com; www.elkcreekfire.com; Jeffco Animal Control 303-271-5070, Jeffco Dispatch 303-277-2011; for the most up-to-date information during a fire - jeffcosheriff1.blogspot.com; FEMA - www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html; to register your cell phone for reverse 911 in Jeffco - www.your911.net – or contact your county to see what reverse 911 service they use .

Copyright 2011 Heather McWilliams.  Thank you to IHA, Dr. Shane Baird and Jefferson County Animal Control for your assistance with this article!  If you have any tips, problems or ideas to share, please email them to me at heather@coloradocorral.com.

If Katie White defines what a Rodeo Princess is, we should all want to be one.  Words that start to describe her are warm, friendly, genuine, smart, passionate, hard-working and wise beyond her years.  I met Katie when she saved me from my own social awkwardness at my first Evergreen Rodeo Association meeting.   It is likely she sensed my human need to belong and walked right up to me to introduce herself.  My respect and admiration of her multiplies the more I get to know her.  As our lives become more urban and commercialized, knowing Katie reminds me of why we need to preserve our connection to agriculture, horses and all things rural.

Katie White grew up in the Evergreen / Conifer area and splits her time as a high school senior between Conifer High School and Red Rocks Community College.  She will attend Northeastern Junior College in Sterling in the fall, double majoring in Equine Management and Equine Industrial Science.  

Her journey with horses began when she was in seventh grade and her parents took the family for a week-long dude ranch vacation.  She cried when she left her horse for the week, “Flash”.  She started taking lessons from Julie Phillips at Bobkat Ranch and leased a horse there for a year.  Her parents gave her permission to get her own horse if she paid for it herself.  A year later, Katie had saved up enough and her parents moved the family to a local horse property.  Knowing the potential hazards of buying at an auction, Katie went to the 2007 National Western Select Horse Sale that takes place during the Stock Show.  At the sale, she rode “Zip” and knew he was the one. 

Over two years later, her belief hasn’t changed.   Katie states, “He is one of those special horses that you have that special bond with.  You can ride a million horses, but you know that one was meant to be for you.  My horse has always been there for me.  Whenever I have trouble or anything, I just go down to the barn and I’m with him.  I really think that he was a gift from God and the biggest blessing of my life.  All I have to do is see his cute face and it turns my day around no matter what.  He has pulled through for me every time.”

In the beginning, Katie’s parents did not feel the same.  They felt that Zip was a little big and young for her first horse.   “My parents love my horse now.  My parents always joke around with me saying my horse is my boyfriend.  He is the guy I spend the most time with.  He is the only guy I’m giving kisses to.”  She continues, “Horses have brought my family a little bit closer together.  Now, we can just go on rides.  My parents didn’t think that horseback riding was a sport, which was a really trying time for me when I first got into it.  They thought you just sit on the horse and go around.  But then my dad finally got a horse and realized that it takes a lot more practice and skill.  It is a lot more work and training to get the horse to do exactly what you want it to do.  You get a lot of rewards out of it.”  Those rewards and skills from training horses are what prompted her to pursue her degrees in Sterling.

While showing and finishing work are Katie’s favorite parts of training, part of the equine program at Northeastern Junior College will be starting a new colt every semester.  Katie’s horse training philosophy is to, “keep an open mind and give and take from every trainer.  I think that is what you need to do if you are going to become a horse trainer.  Not every method works for the same horse.”  Buying Zip really helped her begin that dream.  “Getting a young and green horse, he taught me and I taught him.  I put some errors on him that I had to go back and erase, but that horse has taught me more than any trainer about how to train a horse.  They are a one-of-a-kind animal and they are the best.  You can’t do this with any other kind of animal.  Unlike any other sport, all ages can ride.  There are so many different disciplines that, even if you tried to conquer all of them, you’re never going to.  You can keep on learning, so it’s never boring.”

Being a part of the process to become the 2010 Evergreen Rodeo Princess has also been a significant learning experience for her.  The process involves study and preparation for a number of judged events including a horsemanship pattern, flag run, written test, luncheon, speech and a personal interview.  Looking back, Katie says, “I learned more than I prepared for it.  Even if I didn’t win ‘Evergreen Rodeo Princess’ for 2010, I could not get this experience of what I learned anywhere else.  You meet a lot of people, you learn how to do a lot of things and I would never take it back.”  Since that time she has been the youngest member to want to join the Evergreen Rodeo Association.  She continues to be very involved with service projects and recently spent over sixty hours at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo representing our Evergreen Rodeo.  You can see that when Katie does something, she does it one hundred percent.

Because of her own journey to get her horse, Katie found great value in that process.  She shares, “I would like people to know that even if you think you can’t afford a horse, there is always a way to.  If you really want to, there are jobs out there that you can get… I think that more kids and teenagers should have to work for their horses because it teaches them a lot more discipline, responsibility, and time management.  Once you get that horse, it is the most amazing feeling.  You know that it’s all yours.  My parents say, ‘that’s her horse, she bought it, she trained it, she did everything with it.  No one else is allowed to touch it.’”

One part that was missing for Katie in our community was an agricultural outlet in our schools.  Extra-curricular agricultural type activities to add to her college application were not available when she was busy working and training her horse.  “It’s a shame that our schools up here don’t have any agricultural stuff for us to do.  There’s no FFA within our schools, there’s nothing for the agricultural kids.  We do have 4-H up here, but if they could somehow apply 4-H within our school, that would be great.  That would inspire people who are interested.  A lot of people don’t know where to go or how to get started.”    

Katie is bringing back Zip from an injury he incurred early in the winter and is looking forward to the coming horse show season.  This summer, besides her favorite habit of sleeping in the barn, she and Zip will be going to local shows and striving to make it to Fort Worth, Texas next summer to show with the best of the best in the Paint World.

As they say in the horse world, “Pretty is as pretty does.”

Have you ever wondered why rodeo horses buck?  Do they hate people?  Is the flank strap in some unforeseen area?  Are they wild and straight off the boat?  Well, no.  The truth is, rodeo stock horses and bulls have been bred for decades to do just that – BUCK!  Not a quality that we look for in our riding horses by any means, but these sturdy, high buckers are worth a pretty penny.  A good bucking horse can run around twenty five thousand dollars and the bulls reach prices in the hundreds of thousands.

The Cervi Rodeo Company will haul a set of stock in from one of their grass covered, expansive Colorado locations, where the horses and bulls spend the majority of their time roaming the hills, getting fat and sleeping under the stars.  Not too bad…  Bucking horses in particular spend the first seven years of their life preparing and practicing to buck off their cowboy athlete counterparts.  While in the rodeo arena with a cowboy hanging on for dear life, these horses may not look like any horse that you would want to be anywhere near, but one important quality that they are bred for along with a love to buck and athleticism, is that they must be good to handle and work with for their own safety as well as that of the handlers.

These high dollar animals receive care much like that of our best show horses and like us, the stock contractors have a personal attachment to them.  Many stock contractors like Cervi Rodeo Company are a family oriented business.  The care of the animals is not only important to their livelihood, but it is a part of who they are to take care of the animals and the land that they live on.  Just go to the Cervi website and look though their horses and bulls - It is like going to any other horse website bragging on their animals.  One of my favorite parts is their names:  Street Smart, Party Shop, Grit Your Teeth, Pinball Wizard, Hostage, Amy’s Pet, Texas Cocktail and Little Bo Peep. 

The Cervi Rodeo Company brings the horses and bulls in daily for the Evergreen Rodeo and stays with them to handle and work with them during the rodeo.   Not only do they personally ensure that their animals are well cared for, but about forty five years ago, the Evergreen Rodeo went through an approval process to become a PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association) sanctioned rodeo.

To be a PRCA rodeo, you must abide by the rules and regulations set up by the organization - Sixty of those rules alone deal with the treatment and handling of the animals.  The rules cover details like the equipment used by the cowboys, stock contractors and handlers – such as spurs, flank straps, and rigging; the specific size of the animals for certain events and the protective gear used on the horns of the cattle in roping events. 

One example is the flank strap used in the bucking events.  Flank straps only touch the belly and flanks of the horses and bulls (no private parts!) and must be lined with fleece or neoprene for horses, or a soft five-eighths cotton rope for the bulls – both with a quick release fastener.  As the horse or bull leaves the gate, the flank strap is fit like a snug belt.  In addition, animals can only be used one time during a rodeo (all events are less than one minute long) and there must be a veterinarian on site at all PRCA rodeos. 

Dr. Shane Baird of Mobile Veterinary Services has been the Evergreen Rodeo Veterinarian since 2004.  The number of stock injured at the Evergreen Rodeo during his tenure is zero, not much different than the statistic for all PRCA rodeos, which averages only five-hundredth’s of one percent.   Dr. Baird evaluates each animal as they are unloaded at the grounds; as they eat, sleep and drink in their pens; as they are loaded into the chutes and as they return to their pens.

Dr. Baird serves on the Evergreen Rodeo Committee, overseers of a grand association of volunteers that are passionate about animals, rodeo, tradition and the crazy fun weekend that the rodeo brings to Evergreen.  Animal welfare is of the highest importance to not only the PRCA and the Evergreen Rodeo Association; it is of the utmost importance to all of us who love our four legged friends, large and small.  So, slather on the sunscreen, hat and boots and come out to enjoy all of the festivities during this Father’s Day Weekend in Evergreen.  Don’t forget to root on your favorite athletes like Hot Head, Rose Puff and Mighty Mary!  For the full schedule and to buy tickets, go to one of the finest websites around at www.evergreenrodeo.com.  For more about PRCA rodeo, go to www.prorodeo.com.

 Heather McWilliams Copyright 2011

If you keep your own horses at home in our mountain area, you know that we don’t fit into the average book on “horsekeeping on small acreages”.  Of course even from property to property the technicalities can vary greatly because of geography, covenants, flora and fauna.  This is the first installment in a series of what to consider while you enjoy having your horses at home.

Fencing and Pasture

Fencing is a very broad topic and varies from neighborhood to neighborhood with what the covenants dictate, what the ground will allow and of course what you can afford.  Whatever you do, consider the wildlife that we enjoy and share the mountains with along with your horses.  The Division of Wildlife has a “must read”, excellent brochure on many types of fencing and specifications that work for wildlife and livestock – go to www.wildlife.state.co.us and find “Fencing with Wildlife in Mind”.   In general, elk and deer need to be able to safely jump the fences and calves and fawns need to be able to safely crawl under.

With our arid climate and in order to protect your land from erosion and being picked down to dirt fairly quickly, it is always important to have a sacrifice area, lot or runs to keep your horses off of a larger turn- out area for periods of time.  Maybe you only have enough for a small lot, but if you have an area that is larger, it is worth some cross fencing to allow a little grass to grow for your horse to enjoy and feel like a horse.  The fencing on your lot or runs should be made of very safe, secure and sturdy materials since the horses will be in there for longer periods of time and will likely be using it for itching, leaning, and reaching.  Other things to consider are the level and space between the fence to prevent a leg, head or other body part from being stuck or rubbing their mane out.  The Colorado State Extension Service at www.ext.colostate.edu has great resources for managing local small acreages and they would welcome your call or email. 

For fencing materials, there are many options that can be aesthetically pleasing and fairly inexpensive to obtain.  Look for local resources that are readily available to save money on the freight and materials.  Beetle kill wood is one example of this in Colorado, whereas in Texas it may be pipe and cable.   One application is “Zig Zag” or “Worm” Fencing that uses long straight trees, is attractive, requires no post holes, is relatively easy to install and if you or someone you know is mitigating Lodgepole Pine off of their property, it can be quite inexpensive or even free. 

For the majority of the properties up here, there is just not any way to get around feeding horses some amount of hay year round.  Our grass just does not get enough moisture to recover that quickly.  There are a few properties that can and the rest of us suffer from pasture envy.  The stocking rates are around one 1,000 pound horse per 30 acres of dry pasture, but a water source can improve that number.   Using rotational grazing by cross fencing sections or cells of your pasture will increase the grass production and pasture health, but not your stocking rates.  The principle used on this land is called “take half, leave half”- Your horses eat down half of the forage and then you remove them from that portion for about 30 days to let it recover.   Many people in our area limit the pasture turn-out time of their horses to a number of hours that works for them, their land and grasses.  One disadvantage of this is that the horses may only eat one type, their favorite type of grass during that period, making the recovery for that grass difficult.  It is important to mention that when your pasture or lot has trees in it, it critical for the horses safety to trim any dead branches off from ground level to a couple feet above their eye level to keep them from poking eyes, legs and other body parts.

Hay Storage

Hay Storage and fencing can be related if you don’t have a place in your barn or a hay barn to keep it from other hungry hooved animals.  If elk and deer get into your hay, it is not only costly to you, it is not good for them.   Refer again to the above DOW brochure on “Fencing with Wildlife in Mind” for great hay storage solutions.  Some options include fencing in a storage area that must be 7-8 feet high to keep elk and deer from jumping in.  Panels, similar to large wooden pallets, are also functional and can be moved around to different locations.  While in use, the slats on the panels should be vertical to prevent them from being climbed and also secured together to create a complete barrier.   Of course, hay should be kept securely tarped (remember the wind!) and off of the ground.

Copyright 2011 Heather McWilliams.  In July, look for Part Two of Horsekeeping – Mountain Style!  If you have any tips, problems or ideas to share, please email them to me at heather@coloradocorral.com and I will incorporate them into the July article.

Questions or Comments?  Let me hear from you!  Do you know someone or something in our horse community you want to know more about?  Give me your suggestions at heather@coloradocorral.com.  To learn more about our local horse community go to www.coloradocorral.com.  Looking for a way to commemorate an accomplishment or share a horse moment?  Send me your pictures to be featured on the website!