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The Horse

2012-04-24T14:53:23Z

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." This famous quote by Winston Churchill, touches upon that mysterious something that draws people to the horse in ways words cannot explain.

What is it about the horse that effects people so profoundly? I have yet to hear anyone say that they do not like horses – dogs and cats, maybe, but not horses. They always have a story to tell about something that happened to them that involved a horse. Most children pass through a “horse crazy” stage and some never get out.

My father-in-law grew up farming with the cheapest horses his dad could find. “Cheap” because through mistreatment by past owners, they had figured out how to protest work by lying down in the field and not getting back up… None of this he blamed on the horses and he carries a lasting love and respect for them. Today, there is nothing he seems to enjoy more than being with our horses.

The Transition – Work Horses to Play Horses

Wild horses died out in North America 10,000 years ago. They thrived in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where it is believed horses were first looked at less as dinner and more as a tool and partner. It is thought that horses arrived back into North America through the Spanish coming from the south. The Native American Indians are thought to have acquired them before the revolt against the Spanish in New Mexico in 1680. Because of their versatility and usefulness, horses were greatly desired and spread quickly through the United States and Canada. Horses made it much easier for the Plains Indians to hunt and follow buffalo. Before horses, moving with the buffalo was limited as they originally traveled by human and dog power.

Travel, trade, play, work and wars have all been profoundly shaped by our use of horses. It opened up much of the American West by making it possible to travel vast distances and pull loads. Horses brought goods to areas normally hard to reach geographically. They have allowed us to farm larger areas and provide food for more people and animals. In war, the addition of horses changed the balance of power between civilizations. When both sides had horses, tactics and strength, played the major part in battles. Many of the movements we see the Spanish Riding Schools Lipizzaner horses perform today are derived from war maneuvers.

Over the last Century, people transitioned away from using horses mainly for work, which caused a sharp decline in their numbers. Today the number of horses in the world has climbed to 58 million and many of them are now used for more recreational purposes. Although, many people still find using horses for ranching, farming, logging, and transportation to be rewarding, versatile and less invasive in many ways. Cultures in other parts of the world still rely heavily on horses for all parts of their lives.

The Horse Designed

The qualities that make horses and humans work well together, the wild horse already possessed. They are herd animals and desire to live in groups. They are receptive to people becoming part of their herd and letting them be their leaders.

Mentally, their brains work in a way that they desire to learn and obey subtle commands from us. In order to be a good trainer and leader of a horse, we learn to understand and work with their natural instincts, not against them. A good leader is honest, self- confident, respectful, fair, clear and concise and a horse’s herd behavior paves the way for us to be their leader to train and guide them.

Physically, horses are designed to use their powerful bodies to carry a person or to pull a heavy load. Unlike ruminants, who must stop and rest to digest their food, horses can graze and work all day. Horses have a natural gap between their teeth to accept a bit for guiding. Where the nose goes, the body will follow. Additionally, horses can also thrive on a wide variety of climates and feed sources, which makes them able to live most places people do.

But there is something more transcendent than just their physical and mental attributes. Well known Hunter/Jumper trainer, Frank Madden, said recently of the horse, "They are mystical animals and they become so adaptive to whatever situation you put them in. They spoil us and they allow us to become victims of their nobility - to the point where we take them for granted." One way we take them for granted is that those who are around them all the time may not always be aware of what they do to the inside of us. Just share your horse with some friends or family and watch them be transformed. How very blessed we are to share their world.

Therapeutic riding and equine assisted psychotherapy and learning are some of the programs that are tapping into this complex well of self-discovery and healing waters. In our penitentiary in Canon City, prisoners have a program to start Mustangs under saddle to later be sold. The addition of horses to prison settings appears improve behavior of inmates and help reduce recidivism when they leave. Recently, new studies using heart monitors are even showing that the heart beat of a human around a horse, will align with that of the horse.

Measureable and immeasurable, horses have a profound effect on us. Unexplainable by words, but known by those whose lives have been touched by the horse. Even Jesus is coming back riding a horse - He is definitely a horse nut too! Come back every month to meet more of your local horsey folks -

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.
- Arabian proverb

Our New Neighbors at Squair Deal Riding Center! David and Kelly Bane

2012-03-23T04:12:47Z

New management has picked up the reins at Squair Deal Riding Center (SDRC) in Aspen Park! At the corner of Pleasant Park Road and Oehlmann Park Road, the boarding facility takes its name from its owner, Roz Squair of California. In 2007, Roz purchased the ideally located, but in need of attention facility. Roz and the first farm manager poured themselves into the facility to create an up to date, safe facility for the horses and their riders. Starting in October 2011, David Bane, with the help of his wife Kelly, are thrilled to be the new management at SDRC and to become a part of their local community. As they continue to improve the facility and take care of the daily farm duties, David and Kelly seek to set the framework for excellent horse care, education and a family atmosphere.

David started working with horses when he was ten at his Uncle’s ranch in Deckers. Since that time, David spent much of his working life on ranches and feedlots caring for horses and cattle. He holds an Animal Science degree from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling and is a trained farrier with a year apprenticeship in his background. Most recently David managed a cutting horse and Angus operation near Elbert. With all of his experience, David brings a solid foundation in farm management, horse care and natural horsemanship and applies that to the daily care of the horses. Daily pasture for all boarding horses has always been included in the board at SDRC, which is not only great for the well-being of the horses, but it also gives David an opportunity to daily address each horse as an individual. While their general health is always assessed, David makes sure that the horse is leading and being released correctly and safely. Being intentional with the horses is a part of the environment of education at SDRC.

Education is a keystone to David at SDRC for the benefit of the horses and their riders. Several casual educational seminars will be a part of the schedule at SDRC, addressing topics such as bits and hoof function, as well as guest speakers from the local veterinary community. Boarders are always welcome to use their own trainers at SDRC and riding instructors such as Kelly Hendricks, Tucker Black, Liz Olde and Carly Davis, will be scheduling some clinics this spring and summer. Already on the schedule are two Sunday clinics on April 15^th and 29^th from 11am to 2pm with Kelly Hendricks and Tucker Black. These clinics are a drop in format for all levels of riders - $25 for a half hour lesson. They will donate half of the proceeds on the 15^th to the Horse Protection League and on the 29^th half will go to the Colorado Horsecare Foodbank.

With four children of their own, creating a family friendly and safe atmosphere is a passion for David and Kelly. Their desire is mirrored by Roz, who calls SDRC her home about four times a year and cares for her clients like family. David, Kelly and Roz want SDRC to be the safe and comfortable boarding place for people and families to enjoy their horses, while providing excellent horse care and creating and allowing for educational outlets for riders and horses alike.

In addition to daily turnout with free choice hay, SDRC amenities include a variety of stall and run options, indoor and outdoor arenas and trail riding access to two open space parks. SDRC also offers Open Riding to outside horses and riders, Monday-Friday from 10am to 2:30pm for a $20 trailer-in fee. Check the website for the latest events and clinics at sdridingcenter.com. Address/Phone: 23615 Oehlmann Park Road, 303-697-1808.

Let me know your suggestions for future articles and events in our local horse community - heather@coloradocorral.com. Go to www.coloradocorral.com for all kinds of local horse information and to blog.coloradocorral.com for past articles.

Katie White - In Dreams Awake

2012-02-22T06:30:50Z

Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake. - Henry David Thoreau

Katie White is well into her journey as she lives out her dream to reach the top of the equine world. You may remember Katie from the feature article in Colorado Serenity March 2010 titled, Not Your Average Princess. At the time, Katie was the 2010 Evergreen Rodeo Princess and a senior at Conifer High School. In addition to her studies, Katie worked hard for the income to be able to afford her horse. Her family also did everything they could to help their horse crazy and very driven daughter pursue her dreams.

Almost two years have gone by and Katie is finishing her second year of college in Sterling, Colorado, in the equine program at Northeastern Junior College. Alongside her academic work, Katie’s proficiency with horses continues to grow and flourish. Working with her college horse training instructors like Cole Briggs or with the instructors at the stable where she keeps her horse Zip, Katie has learned that everyone has something to teach you. We all use our minds and bodies differently and have different strengths and gifts, so emulating a certain person exactly, or expecting to have the same specific results that they achieve is often unrealistic. But learning to discern and incorporate certain parts or techniques of training programs that she appreciates in others into her own training program is what works the best for Katie.

Chris Anderson and Sarah Boon at CA Performance Horses, where Katie keeps Zip while at college, have been influential in Katie’s horse training development and have helped her to really learn how to truly “finish” Zip. A “finished” horse can be defined in more than one way, but basically “finishing” is to refine and complete a solid, polished horse that is reliable and steady in most any situation. Katie’s college instructor Cole Briggs introduced her to the depth of the Reining discipline which has led her to pursue an internship this summer at a top Reining training facility. Where would you go if you wanted to be with the best of the best in the Quarter Horse and Paint Horse industry? Texas of course! Katie has just accepted an internship at Visser Reining Horses in Whitesboro, Texas – horse country central!

Heading to Texas is a leg of the journey that Katie knew she would need to make in order to improve herself and to obtain a greater perspective in the equine world. What better place to immerse herself than in an area where the equine industry thrives and the people and the horses are the elite of the equine training, showing and breeding world. Then, at the end of her internship, Katie will continue south to College Station, Texas where she will begin her third year of college at Texas A & M University.

Last month while on her winter break from college, Katie was near her home in Conifer, but spent the majority of her time showing Zip at the National Western Events Center. Forget taking it easy, Katie turned her break into more learning and practical experience in the horse world.

Katie cannot recall the number of classes they entered during the National Western with the disciplines ranging from Jumping to Western Trail to English Pleasure. In the Paint classes, Katie and Zip were 1^st in Trail, 3^rd in Novice Amateur Western Pleasure, 3rd in Novice Horsemanship and placed in seven other classes. In the Open show they earned 1^st in English Pleasure, Hunter Pleasure, Horsemanship and Western Pleasure. Overall, they were Reserve Champions in Amateur Western Pleasure, Open Western Pleasure and they won the Paint Horse Novice Amateur High Point for Zone 3. Always looking for learning opportunities to stretch herself, Katie finds that showing gives her an accurate gauge of where she and her horse are in their development and where they need to improvement. It also reaffirms the areas where they are stable.

Congratulations to Katie on your accomplishments at the National Western Stock Show, but also on stepping out into the larger equine world, seeking out the best as well as reaching and pursuing your greatest dreams!

Riding Instruction with Perspective - Kelly Hendricks

2012-01-18T16:06:01Z

Corporate America, sustainable leadership, team building and…horses – sound like an interesting combination? Local horse riding instructor and trainer Kelly Hendricks has been co-facilitating corporate workshops with Christina Haxton, MA, LMFT (www.sustainable-leaders.com), for over eight years. Marilyn McDermond and I were asked to assist Kelly with the horses for a workshop of managers of a Colorado based bank at the end of this past November. Five horses were needed for this exceptionally large group of over forty participants.

Horses are utilized in these leadership training workshops to help illustrate, experience and reflect feedback from an animal whose response is always honest and forthright. Through activities done on the ground, by people who most likely have little to no horse knowledge, participants learn through experience about leadership, communication, teamwork. It is truly fascinating to see Christina orchestrate such valid, immediate, cutting edge and important principles in corporate settings while standing in the dirt with horses. Participants find that the training they receive is not only refreshing, fun and memorable, but it stays with them for years to come in the workplace and in themselves personally.

The impression that horses make on people in this setting is what keeps Kelly Hendricks coming back to facilitate the horses for Christina. Kelly states, “Everybody looks at a horse in a different way. It represents something different to everyone. For some people it is a vehicle to show or gain respect. For some people it is a fear to overcome. Horses symbolize something for people whether they are conscious of that or not. It is fun to see in the corporate group and then to take that experience back to a kid having their lesson. It brings me back to the beginning and that is invaluable.”

As a riding instructor of mainly children, beginners and people getting back into horses, Kelly finds that being in a group of people who are just experiencing horses for the first time helps her to keep her perspective of what it is like to be around horses and what horses and people need to know to understand and communicate with each other. As someone who has been professionally teaching and training for over fourteen years, Kelly explains, “I can’t possibly know what somebody feels like as a student the first few times they come to ride unless I keep putting myself back in that situation all of the time. I appreciate that which is why I keep doing it. If I ever lose sight of what that feels like – whether it’s excited or happy or scared out of your mind – if I lose that, I have no business teaching beginners.”

This perspective is taken sincerely by Kelly as well as her desire to continually improve her own riding, teaching and communication methods with her students. In the years she has been a riding instructor; about every two months she has sought out some type of educational experience to improve herself and her teaching.

Most recently, Kelly has joined the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA). In May, she will take her Master Trainer Certification tests, practical and written, for English, Western, Trail Riding and Jumping. She had been looking for an organization that fit her beliefs of good horsemanship and horse care, no matter what tack you use, and found that in CHA. Not only will it offer her accountability and a standard to hold herself to with other top instructors and trainers, but it will add tremendous value for her students. Students (and parents of the kids) will have a concrete system to follow as they progress in their riding abilities and they will have set goals to achieve as they move through the levels.

Kelly teaches and trains out of her and husband Jeremy’s Pikes View Ranch at 25778 Richmond Hill Road in Conifer. They have two boys, Tristan and Laird and a menagerie of animals including sheep, goats and chickens. She not only teaches children, beginners and those coming back to horses, but she also has several more advanced riders who come for lessons and help with their training. She offers individual and group lessons and puts on clinics in conjunction with other trainers like Tucker Black.

On March 18^th and April 1^st, Kelly will be putting on two women’s clinics with Tucker Black. The clinics will be $60 for 2 hours and limited to 6 riders. You can bring your own horse or for an additional fee, use one of Kelly’s. Topics include advanced groundwork and a riding video evaluation of the participants to improve their seat. Reach Horsin’ Around with Kelly Hendricks at 303-918-9570, kellyfay2000@yahoo.com and kellyshorsinaround.com.

Do you know someone or something in our horse community you want to know more about? Email me your suggestions - heather@coloradocorral.com. To learn more about our local horse community, go to www.coloradocorral.com. Copyright 2012 Heather McWilliams

Horses are a Gift

2011-12-19T17:53:31Z

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a young child courage, if he chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily; we know we've made the right choice. Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it. Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.

If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car or tractor in "drive." In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he's fed up with how slowly you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about. -Author Unknown

Cherish the gifts you have been given in life. We all have such precious blessings. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all of the best in 2012!

Tucker Black & Lakota - Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover

2011-11-16T05:18:22Z

It has always been Tucker Black’s dream to train an untouched Mustang. Curiosity led him to research the Extreme Mustang Makeover events held across the country. Specifically, the “Supreme” Fort Worth competition caught his eye for two reasons. The first was the challenge of competing against the best in the country and the second was the fact that participants were required to personally adopt the horses with whom they would compete on. Tucker knew that he wouldn’t be able to let go of his first Mustang.

Tucker bought 5-year-old “Lakota” for $500 on April 16th through an auction that was broadcast on RFD-TV. This auction sold a total of 200 Mustangs. Only horses bought at this auction were eligible to be used in the Fort Worth Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover taking place September 15-17, 2011. One hundred and thirteen riders entered the competition and the competitors were divided up into three divisions: “Legends” (professional trainers) - $100,000 purse, “Idols” (amateur trainers) - $50,000 purse and the “Stars” division for horses shown only “in-hand” for a $20,000 purse. The horses were about 3 ½ when they were rounded up and had been at a holding facility for over a year. This choice was intentionally made to demonstrate that horses from holding facilities could still become great riding partners.

Prior to the auction, a fifteen second video was available online for each of the sale horses. It was Lakota’s build, movement and kind eye that made him Tucker’s first choice. Lakota was from the Callahan Nevada herd, which has strong Quarter Horse characteristics and some Spanish influence. After the sale, Lakota was transported from his holding facility in Carson City, Nevada to Cañon City, Colorado. Tucker and Lakota met for the first time on May 13^th.

From the time that he picked Lakota up, Tucker immediately noticed the beginning of a bond between horse and human. Lakota quickly began to trust Tucker to care for him. Tucker let Lakota set the pace, and once Lakota learned that people could be trusted, his progress accelerated. Tucker found Lakota to be a very fast learner, and after their first weekend together, he could be tied and groomed. At the end of that week, Lakota was ready to ride. The main difference Tucker found with Lakota, in comparison to domestic horses, was that Lakota was a blank slate. He didn’t have any of the problems sometimes created in horses raised by people.

After four months of training and experience, Tucker, his wife Holly, and Lakota arrived at Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth, Texas on September 14^th. Over the next few days of competition, riders had the option of choosing to compete in Western or English tack. Tucker had chosen Western and was entered in the Legends division. Therefore his three classes, Trail, Pattern and Trainer’s Choice, included reining maneuvers like circles, spins and rollbacks, plus cow work. The cow work consisted of boxing at one end, turning the cattle back on the fence both ways and driving them through cones. For the Trainer’s Choice portion, Tucker chose some of Lakota’s stronger areas; transitions, lead changes, loping small collected circles and sliding stops.

In the competition, against some of the top trainers in the country and from all riding disciplines, Tucker and Lakota ended up in thirty-fourth place out of sixty-nine horse and rider teams. They also earned a Top Ten placement in the Trail class. This is an amazing accomplishment for anyone — especially at such a demanding event in one of the biggest venues in the United States. From his perspective, Tucker felt the competition itself was very well done and really helped to promote and bring awareness to the plight of American Mustangs. Go to the “xtrememustang” youtube.com account for video highlights from Fort Worth 2011 – they are amazing!

Perhaps you have considered providing a home for a Mustang, but you are intimidated by the process and training. Tucker would love to assist folks with Mustang training, and even with showing their Mustang in an Extreme Mustang Makeover event. Tucker is currently planning on competing in the upcoming Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2012. Tucker Black Horsemanship professionally trains all types of horses at Pikes View Ranch in Conifer, Colorado. Reach him at 303-870-8389 or at tucker_black@hotmail.com.

Questions or Comments? Let me hear from you! Do you know someone or something in our horse community you want to know more about? Email me your suggestions - heather@coloradocorral.com. To learn more about our local horse community, go to www.coloradocorral.com. Copyright 2011 Heather McWilliams.

The 3rd Colorado Corral Ranch Race - September 17 & 18, 2011

2011-09-27T00:40:19Z

Pictures on the website!!!

It was a perfect September weekend for The Colorado Corral Ranch Race Clinic on Saturday the 17th and the competition on Sunday the 18th. Thank you again to the sponsors! Canyon Tack and Feed in Kittredge and Pine Country Feed in Pine offered amazing awards for participants; Mobile Veterinary Services sponsored the cattle and trainers Kelly Hendricks and Tucker Black at Pikes View Ranch in Conifer helped cover some of the other expenses.

This year’s course obstacles included a pattern, dragging a bag of boxes, rocker bridge, outhouse/ground tie/chickens, barrel maze, take out the trash, cattle push, “S” poles, calf rope, figure eight back and trailer load. The results were as follows - Youth 13-18: 1^st - Megan Schweitz on Biz; 2^nd - Cat Moss on Copper; 3^rd - Madison Schweitz on Dexter; 4^th - Sage Lochhead on Dandy. Youth 12 & Under: 1^st – Riley Smith on Navajo; 2^nd – Alexis Hall on Llotto Luck. Amateur: 1^st – Kim Meyer on Danny; 2^nd – Tony Shepperdson on Maybe; 3^rd – Barry Wilkins on Catmandu; 4^th – Monica Wheeler on All Day & Night; 5^th – Kristen O’Connell on Chicklet. Green Horse: 1^st – Darin Smith on Mathew; 2^nd – Amber Hall on Grady Grayson. Open: 1^st - Kim Meyer on Danny; 2^nd – Tony Shepperdson on Maybe; 3^rd - Megan Schweitz on Biz; 4^th - Madison Schweitz on Dexter. Jackpot: 1^st - Kim Meyer on Danny; 2^nd – Tony Shepperdson on Maybe; 3^rd - Megan Schweitz on Biz; 4^th - Madison Schweitz on Dexter; 5^th - Monica Wheeler on All Day & Night. Congratulations to all participants – results aside, everyone had a great time and the horses and riders learned and mastered some new skills.

Thank you as well to Bruce McReynolds who brought all kinds of goodies to rope at the clinic, Tony Shepperdson who built an awesome bridge and Andrew McWilliams who built a perfect outhouse (and had all of the neighbors and the UPS guy very curious).

Vote for Courtney and Vegas! America's Favorite Trail Horse on HRTV

2011-09-16T03:52:53Z

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.

Intermountain Horse Association and the 2011 Poker Ride 9/10

2011-08-16T04:27:25Z

It is time to sign up for the Intermountain Horse Association’s Poker Ride this September 10th in Alderfer Three Sisters Park. My son Asher and I have fond memories of the Poker Ride last year, as we were the winners of close to $500! Amazingly, we had the two best hands - not bad for a seven year old and his mom who had never played poker before! Knowledge of poker is obviously not required for this fundraiser, just the desire to get out with your horses and ride (or lead) in one of our beautiful parks. The entry fee is put in the pot which is split between the winning hand and three local non-profits – the Evergreen Parks and Recreation District’s (ERPD) Special Needs Program, Harmony HorseWorks Equine Sanctuary and Jeffco HEAT (Horse Evacuation Assistance Team). The more entries, the more we win and support these important organizations!

Overall, IHA seeks to represent our local horse community. They sponsor monthly meetings every third Tuesday at the Evergreen Beau Joes relating to the latest local horse issues and information. Plus, IHA members socialize and network with other horse people through a trail ride, clinic and two other gatherings during the year. In addition to the Poker Ride in September, IHA was involved with two other fundraising events this year.

In May, IHA and the Colorado State Department of Agriculture co-sponsored a microchipping event allowing local horse owners to get their horse’s microchipped for identification purposes and to help in times of evacuation. Microchipping, fairly routine in small animals, is now gaining ground in horse identification. This event accepted $750 dollars in donations for HEAT – our nationally known Horse Evacuation Assistance Team. On June 24th, IHA also co-sponsored the “Horse Art Show” with Evergreen Fine Arts at the Evergreen Fine Art Gallery. The proceeds were donated to our local Colorado Horse Care Food Bank (horsefoodbank.org), Harmony HorseWorks (harmonyhorseworks.com) and HEAT (jeffcoheat.org).

ERPD co-sponsors the Poker Ride with IHA and generously provides the grounds, insurance and permit. Members register early for $25 or non-members for $30 – add an extra $5 if you wait until after September 4th. The Poker Ride is taken completely at each rider or groups own pace. Riders leave as they wish around 9 a.m. and return in time to turn in their hand by noon. Asher and I sauntered along at a walk, enjoying the view and time to get out and ride together. Five stations are set up along the route where you draw one card per station. Members of IHA record each pick on your own card received at registration. When you return, your hand is tallied and the winner is determined. While the horses rest at the trailers happily munching on hay, IHA serves participants a great lunch where the winner is announced at 12:30pm. Sign up today for a fun ride to support local organizations and meet new horse folks!

Get all of the information for the Poker Ride at intermountainhorse.com or contact Carolyn Knapp-Nelson at 720-985-7107 / equinehands@comcast.net. To join the Intermountain Horse Association, find more information on the website or just attend a monthly meeting September through May, 6:30pm in the Beau Joes meeting room. Membership fees are $25 for individuals or $35 for a family. Join them for the first fall meeting Tuesday September 20th, where Dr. Amy Norton will be presenting about her trip to Mongolia with Veterinarians Without Borders.

Horses and Wildfires - Horsekeeping Mountain Style Part 2

2011-07-19T13:34:13Z

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.

Not Your Average Princess

2011-07-01T13:43:00Z

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.”

Born To Buck - You Off!

2011-06-17T03:27:25Z

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.

Horsekeeping - Mountain Style! Part I

2011-05-19T02:45:00Z

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.

Two for Trails

2011-04-18T17:05:00Z

Trail riding season is upon us and what better place to live than Jefferson County with our vast Open Space Park system! Of our thirty two Open Space parks, thirty of them include horseback riding as part of their multi-use standard, while White Ranch and Reynolds Park has even provided equestrian friendly campsites. Jefferson County’s website offers detailed information about each park including maps, history, use schedules, planning tips and other important information. With hikers, bikers and equestrians all enjoying our trail systems, two groups have come out of the desire to take care of our parks and to serve as representatives for different trail uses; The Jefferson County Volunteer Patrollers and the Jeffco Trail Users Forum.

The Jefferson County Volunteer Patrollers serve as ambassadors within the Jeffco Open Space Parks. Of the over one hundred and fifty patrollers, about fifteen of these are equestrian patrollers, fifty are bikers and the remaining are hikers or seasonally cross country skiers. As with each patroller group, equestrian patrollers provide services to park visitors and look to add more each year to serve in their group. The patrollers utilize their training to alleviate park visitor conflicts through patrol and peer education. They do this by using their training to work independently with first aid, emergency response, education, and resource protection. This training includes CPR, dog on leash education (our number one park issue), flora and fauna identification and care, fire awareness, and equestrian (or otherwise) specific skills. While the volunteer patrollers directly serve the visitors and parks; the Trail Users Forum works as a liaison with the county and other users.

The Trail Users Forum was originally created in 1995 to facilitate the increased park attendance and different types of trail users. The forum is made up of volunteer citizens from the majority user groups – equestrians, hikers and mountain bikers, as well as Open Space Advisory Committee representatives and Open Space Staff representatives. The purpose of the forum is to take ideas, compliments and concerns from the different user groups and then make recommendations to improve trail use experience for all users to enjoy a safe, quality experience while they also consider the protection of the natural resource. There are eight Equestrian and Hiking Representatives and seven Biking Representatives.

The Trail Users Forum improved the horse trailer parking at Centennial Cone as well as implemented the alternating use schedule for hikers and bikers. The schedule is as follows: equestrian use is allowed everyday; weekdays are multi-use and weekends allow bikers on even days and hikers on odd days. This way, equestrians that do not wish to encounter bikes can plan accordingly. In March 2010, the forum implemented changes at Apex Park once it was learned that equestrians had nearly stopped using the trail because the speed of bikers was a safety issue with the horses. Now the park strictly enforces that on odd days, bikes are only allowed to travel one way to allow a safer speed for bikes and horses to interact.

Get out and enjoy the many trails in our Jefferson County Open Space Parks this summer with your friends and horses! Remember the folks who volunteer to protect the trails, users and our natural resources and maybe even consider serving along with them as a patroller or on the forum. If you are looking to trail ride with local horse people, email me to be added to The Colorado Corral trail ride list or Buffalo Bill Saddle Club at bbscgolden.org is another active local trail riding group. Happy Trails!

For more information on these two groups go to co.jefferson.co.us/openspace and search for the group name. The Trail Users Forum Equestrian Representatives have a FaceBook page at “Jeffco Colorado Open Space Equestrians”.

Heather McWilliams 2011 Copyright.

Horse Economics

2011-03-21T03:33:00Z

Typically this column is written with the horse and non-horse person in mind. I try to make it interesting for both and give some explanation for things that may be known only to horsey types. The reason for this is that as far as I know, my friends and family may be my only readers and they are not all horse folks. When I added my blog to the coloradocorral.com website last year my late step-dad, Perry said, “Why would you start a blog? Who is going to read it except for maybe your mom and I?” Point taken. But I do have one blog reader I met through THE COLORADO CORRAL that is not a family member and I know she reads it sometimes because she casually comments on it now and then – so there. I will take a little validation when I can.

I have also run into a new phenomenon lately - I will call them “guilt-feeling column-missers”. For instance, just last week I individually ran into two associates from my husband’s office at the Lake Concert. Instead of stopping to chat as they normally would, they both uncomfortably mumbled an apology about not reading my current column and continued to follow their feet in the other direction. Like I was going to ask them about it or pull out a pop-quiz. Hey folks – no need to feel this way - you are not the only ones.

For the non-horse type readers, you may find this month to be a window into the minds of your horse friends and family. I was in the Evergreen public school system sometime in the seventies when they decided teach us a new method for math called “Touch Math”. Each number has invisible dots on it that corresponds to the value of that number. So if one was adding two and four, one would count the invisible dots on the two and then the four to come up with six. I have decided it has ruined me for math for life. Fortunately, Horse people know a much more interesting form of math called “HORSE MATH”.

VALUE S AND UNITS

Horse Math is where everything in the world that does not have anything to do with horses, corresponds with a value in the horse world. For example, as much as I may need a nice pair of pants for work, I cannot bring myself to buy them because they hold the same value as the new bridle that I would like to buy. Not that I will buy the bridle either, but closing the door on that possibility is too hard to do. Now, my husband and mother would strongly agree that I really need that new pair of pants and I do have plenty of bridles that I can use in the meantime, but this bridle is the latest in pressure points and all of the reviews say their horse was like a different animal… I know the horse types are tracking right along with me and the non-horse types are starting to get an explanation for strange responses in their relationships with their horsey friends.

Another example of a Horse Math unit of value is hay and grain. A bag of grain is a unit of about $15 and a bale of hay equivalent to around $8. When you figure out how items affect your feed supplies, you may decide against them. Dinner out = three bags of grain. Movie = two bales of hay. Set of new socks = bag of grain. New tires = two tons of hay – that could last you a while!

ESSENTIAL ITEMS

Horse Math corresponds to different categories of horse items. First, Essential horse supplies are a no brainer. These items around fifty dollars or less and cancel out or disappear in the budget. Essential item costs, if kept to a manageable level*, are easily made up by cutting your own hair or watering plants, letting dogs out or feeding horses for someone. Essential items might be a saddle pad, barefoot boot, the latest curry, fly spray, or mane and tail detangler. If you forgo any luxuries that your non-horse friends indulge in like manicures, pedicures, expensive hairdos, vacations, or any other sport like skiing or biking (also requires equipment), this savings can count toward Essential items as well.

FOUNDATION ITEMS

These are the big ticket items that last a lifetime, but you really need one to get serious. Assuming you have the horse, saddles are the core of Foundation items. These may require saving money through odd jobs, asking for money for birthdays and Christmas, putting aside a little windfall here and there, until the day comes that you have enough. This is a significant day to have a piece of equipment that holds its value, gets better with age and something to pass down to the kids. See, what better investment! As much as I hate to admit it, horse trailers are not Foundation items. Depending on your horse activities, you can do without one most of the time and horse-pool, borrow or rent one when you have to. Rodeo queens and princesses and anyone else who hauls constantly are exempt to this rule and really do need a trailer because the money you would pay renting one or the time you would spend trying to ride to Elizabeth for the rodeo, would not be economically sound.

NECESSARY ITEMS

Now I have a birthday coming up. What do I want? Jewelry, clothes, day spa trip? Are you crazy? Birthdays and Christmas are the time to get what horse supplies you really want, but it did not fit into the Essential or Foundation category. This is the Necessary category. These may be a new headstall, bridle, show coat, chaps, boots or show shirt. Something you figured out it would be nice to have at your last show, trail ride, competition, etc. Keep a list ready, so if anyone asks you what you want, you are ready. One tip is to use the wish lists on your favorite horse gear websites. Here is a sample from my list - de-wormer, fly-spray, a new fly sheet , stirrup pads, Rambo Micklem Bridle, Green Saddle pad (to match my green breast girth for cross country of course) – see, both practical and fun!

If you haven’t noticed yet, just the words “Essential “, “Necessary” and “Foundation” items are all things that one really cannot do without. I know, it may seem like a sickness to some of you. But now you know what to really get us horse people for our birthday. By the way, for you “guilt-feeling column-missers”, the answer to the pop quiz for next time is “HORSE MATH”.

Horse Travel

2011-03-19T22:45:00Z

Most of the travelling in my adult life has been thanks to horses. I spent three summers working in Kentucky at three different Thoroughbred breeding farms and the Keeneland Sales. A plane flew me and a few other folks with forty one horses from Louisville, Kentucky to Dublin, Ireland to work on a stud farm for six months starting Thoroughbreds for racing. Then to the very small town of Amherst, South Dakota to work at an Angus cattle operation that also bred Quarter Horses and Miniature Horses. Another horse job pulled me south to Quarter Horse country in Whitesboro, Texas for almost four years. About a month ago, a friend invited me along to go horse shopping in Holland – How could I say no?!

When people would ask me where and why I was going, the response was always, “don’t we have horses here?” Of course we do! The horse we were searching for was an upper level Dressage horse. While America has caught up in many ways with the European breeders of warmbloods, the pool of horses to look at, I learned, is much greater across the Atlantic. I realize I may have lost a few readers in that last sentence with the word “warmblood” - here is the definition: Warmbloods are a group of middle weight horses that originated primarily in Europe when draft type or “cold blood” horses (i.e. Percheron, Clydesdale) were crossed with light saddle horses or “hot bloods” (i.e. Thoroughbred, Arabian). Warmbloods excel in disciplines like Dressage, Jumping and Eventing.

A couple trips within the United States resulted in only a couple horses to look at and nothing that was “the one”. So off to Holland where their specialty is the Dutch Warmblood. Horse shopping overseas is somewhat familiar to my friend, so we had connections and over thirty horses, in about ten different locations to look at across Holland, in just five days. The main horse broker that we were working with was very familiar with foreign buyers. She has a website full of pictures and videos of her own horses as well as any other horse she knows of that may fit her clientele. She has sold horses to some of the top Olympic riders and was entertaining clients from Russia, Spain and Denmark at the same time we were there.

We arrived in Amsterdam in the morning, picked up our rental car and were met at the airport by one of our hosts. He handed us a list of about ten horses that we were to look at that day. We followed him to the first stable, changed into our riding clothes in the bathroom, just in case we might hop on one, and I started my education of buying horses in Holland. At each place, the horses were braided, groomed, warmed up and ready when we arrived.

More prominent than I have seen before when looking at horses is that horses of a certain age are expected to be at a certain level of training and to have been to several shows with an expected level of success. There is not a lot of room for error when you are comparing so many horses in a short period of time. The horses that were not up to the level of their peers, were easy to pass over.

For the most part, each horse we rode I could get a feel for all of their gaits, training and disposition. We did go to one barn that specialized in high volume auction sales. These lovely horses had the pedigree and looked fine going around with the auction riders, but once we rode them, the holes in their training were evident. In other words, they were held together by the riders to look good, but did not have the training to go with it.

We also had the chance to stop by a Dressage show for an afternoon. It was a one day show and I was impressed with the number and level of riders. Shows around Holland are often and very high quality. Dressage is a national sport here with many fans of riders and non-riders alike. The top Dressage riders in Holland are celebrities like American football and basketball players. The many large shows draw thousands of spectators to a festival-like production. At this regional show, the riders comfort and familiarity with showing was evident as they casually showed up in time to warm up, ride their test, hung around for the awards and then headed home. From what we could see as we drove around Holland, horses are commonplace in backyards with a Dressage arena to go with them. Every now and then there was a jump or two, but the jumps were always accompanied by the Dressage letters around the perimeter of the arena.

The countryside was strikingly clean and beautiful with rows of manicured trees and grassy fields. The pastures were divided up into smaller sections by ditches for rotational grazing with an odd gate here and there. Without seeing the ditches of water, the gates appeared to be serving little purpose. Each village we passed through consisted of lovely stone, brick or stucco homes and barns with wood accents. The yards were meticulously groomed and tended. We were fascinated by almost every window we passed having two of something – two plants, two vases, two flowers, two baskets and we couldn’t find an explanation from any of our Dutch hosts.

And the horse trailers… Granted they don’t have the hills that we have, but I saw only fiberglass trailers, many of them one horse, pulled by a menagerie of economical small cars. I also renewed my love from Ireland of the horse lorry - truck and trailer all in one. We even toured some lorry’s with living quarters. Why don’t we have them over here? Someone should really start a dealership!

The Dutch were friendly, brilliant hosts and I decided to put my phrasebook away because they spoke such excellent English. As an added bonus, I sat next to an outdoor gear designer on the plane who was designing a new horse blanket that is more fitted, comfortable and horse friendly – Look for this innovative new blanket design – you will know it when you see it!

Healing From Horses - Therapeutic Riding

2011-02-15T23:39:00Z

Healing From Horses

Frank Madden said recently of the horse, "They are mystical animals and they become so adaptive to whatever situation you put them in. They spoil us and they allow us to become victims of their nobility - to the point where we take them for granted." For me, being around horses daily for most of my life, they are a part of who I am like my hand or my face. Sometimes it takes seeing them through someone else’s eyes to step back and see how they affect and transform me and others.

I was blessed to see horses anew once again through a young man named Kaiden who just turned thirteen January 27th. Riding horses is one of Kaiden’s favorite pastimes and what propels him out of bed on Saturday mornings. He started riding in Michigan years ago and has been able to start up again recently with Christina Mowry at Richmond Hill Farm in Conifer. Christina holds two Bachelor Degrees in Equine Science and Agricultural Business from Colorado State University. Her love for Therapeutic Riding began in 2000 when her and her mom Sharon heard about the Easter Seals Camp Horse Program in Empire needing some care. Her mom used her fundraising know how and they raised the money to get the program into shape. Once the horse program was set up, Christina worked as a volunteer for four years. She then moved into the position of horse program director for four more years while in college. Today Christina works for a local program that works with at risk kids, while she is building her own program for Therapeutic Riding in the mountain area called Trail Creek Ranch. While some of her clients are private individuals, others are part of the Evergreen Park and Recreation District program.

Christina is a Certified Instructor with NARHA, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association which is the main governing body for Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies, EAAT. EAAT includes Therapeutic Riding, Therapeutic Carriage Driving, Interactive Vaulting, Equine Facilitated Learning and Mental Health, Ground Work, Stable Management and NARHA Horses for Heroes (specifically to help war veterans and military personnel). Christina’s favorite part of teaching is “the smile. Once I was with the kids and I saw how the horses made their day - that is what I do it for. I just love to make them smile. That means a lot to me.”

Kaiden’s lesson on this day was taken on Diamond, an eighteen year old Quarter Horse. The lesson was made up of an hour of exercises and games from horseback, which included a maze, weaving through cones, roping, carrying rings to other parts of the arena on Diamond’s ears or Kaiden’s toes, playing some ball, walking, trotting, and backing. Kaiden’s smile and enjoyment was absolutely infectious and I can see why that smile can make Christina’s job so rewarding. Being around horses and riding has so many benefits for people with or without special needs. Some of those benefits include improving balance, core strength, relaxation, muscle strength, flexibility, non-verbal communication, self-esteem and self-confidence. One client of Christina’s with muscle tension and tightness caused by Cerebral Palsy said she had never been so loose than after being on a horse. The rhythm of the horse also gives people who are not able to be out of a wheelchair the opportunity to feel what it is like to have legs and to feel a rhythmic gate similar to that of a person.

In 2009, NARHA had 782 center members, 3,516 Certified Instructors and 6,305 equines that serve over 40,300 children and adults. A sample of the special needs served include Autism, learning disabilities, Down’s Syndrome, brain injury, Multiple Sclerosis, ADD, amputee, spinal cord injury, weight disorders, emotional or behavioral Disorders, substance abuse, etc. Health Professionals that work with NARHA Centers include Social Workers, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Medical Doctors and Registered Nurses.

Therapeutic Riding is just one type of Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy that is tapping into the horses complex well of healing waters. In our penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, prisoners have a program to start Mustangs under saddle to later be sold to adoptive homes. The addition of horses to prison settings appears to improve behavior of inmates and help reduce recidivism after they leave. Interestingly, recent studies using heart monitors show that the heart beat of a human around a horse, will align with that of the horse.

We all have our own ‘special needs’ and if we allow, can be transformed for the better by becoming ‘victims’ of the horses nobility.

“The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.”
- Arabian proverb

For more information go to www.narha.org or contact Christina at 720-289-6026 or trailkreekranch@gmail.com.

Copyright 2011 Heather McWilliams. 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.

The Colorado Corral in Print and Online

2011-01-16T04:44:00Z

No matter when you started reading this column, which could be today or maybe you read The Colorado Corral monthly, the New Year is a great time to refresh what we are here for. YOU!

The Article: Every month The Colorado Corral in print intends to help you get to know your local horse community a little better. It matters not if you have your own horse, or ever want to. The articles seek to entertain, educate and maybe even challenge horse lovers of all kinds. Do you know someone or something in our horse community you want to know more about? Send your suggestions to heather@coloradocorral.com.

The Calendar: Throughout the year, the bottom of the facing page keeps a monthly schedule of events. Local events dominate the calendar in the busy months, while the winter months hold all sorts of thrilling events going on nationally. Perhaps an idea for a horsey road trip? Absolutely! This month don’t forget about THE NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW RODEO AND HORSE SHOW – there is something for everyone with all shapes and sizes of the horse family – see the full schedule at www.nationalwestern.com. If you are involved in a horse event, let us put it on the calendar! We want it to be a success by reaching all of the interested horse people. Just contact me or Kathryn Hoffman at Pine Country Feed at www.pinecountryfeed.com.

The Events: The Colorado Corral has a variety of things to do for riders... Trail Rides - Come join other local horse people for a trail ride every two weeks during the prime riding months at a variety of our local parks. The Colorado Corral Ranch Race – This has become a very popular fun local event. With detailed information on the website, this is an entertaining, educational time for all levels of horses and riders. We always welcome sponsors and hosts!

The Website: The Colorado Corral has an online sister that is updated daily in the busy months. The website is the place to go for the latest calendar; pictures of our events like trail rides and the Ranch Race; open riding information; resources; book lists; facts; tips; detailed information about The Colorado Corral Ranch Race or events that locals may be attending together like Pair Paces and trail rides. Contact me if you would like to be added to an email list for trail rides, the ranch race or pair paces – go to www.coloradocorral.com.

Enjoy these pictures of your neighbors enjoying events put on by The Colorado Corral! Keep in touch and help us to serve you and your local horse community! See you at the Stock Show - Heather McWilliams © 2011. heather@coloradocorral.com.

Horse Mart This Weekend / National Western Horse Show

2011-01-16T02:37:00Z

The Horse Mart is at the Denver Merchandise Mart on 58th and I-25. See all of the companies and products for horses out for 2011! I have been a couple times to the Stock Show just to walk around and see what is going on that day. There is a full schedule at nationalwestern.com under "Horse Show". We did go to the Gambler's Choice last night which was a lot of fun. Riders choose from a number of fences assigned a point value and take as many as they can in 60 seconds to rack up points. The at the end of their ride they have the option of taking the Joker at 5'1" for 200 extra points. Karen Cudmore of Kansas, a Stock Show regular, was first and second. Stay warm!

Lifetime of Learning - Horse Clinics

2010-12-15T23:44:00Z

In our everyday interactions, horses always have something new to teach us. If we are actively seeking to further our knowledge of a particular horse discipline, riding in or auditing a clinic is an excellent way to do so. Clinics are usually individual events that last anywhere from one day up to several days and feature a nationally or even internationally known expert in a specific field of riding. Some examples of types of clinics are Cutting, Dressage, Jumping, Driving, De-Spooking, Eventing, Reining, Horsemanship and Trail.

The High Plains Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society brought Dressage trainer, breeder and judge, Hilda Gurney, to 8^th Heaven Farms in Castle Rock for a Symposium November 6^th and 7^th. Hilda breeds, rides, and trains out of her Keen Ridge Farm in Moorpark, California and has a long list of achievements, including the an Olympic team bronze medal, and individual gold and silver, and three team gold medals at the Pan American Games, 6 USET National Grand Prix Championships, and 15 USDF Horse of the Year titles. In this recent clinic with Hilda, horse and rider teams were selected from a number of applicants to ride at each of the nine Dressage levels: Training through Grand Prix. The clinic was designed to have Hilda work with each horse and rider team and also include the auditors in the education process.

Evergreen resident, Deborah Carter, and her fabulous seventeen-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, La Vie Nouveaux, were selected to ride at the Prix St. Georges level. La Vie, by the celebrated Dutch stallion Voltaire, was imported by Deborah from Holland in 2002. La Vie is not only an amazing athlete, with an elegant style all his own, but also a perfect gentleman to be around. Deborah is an accomplished Dressage rider, earning many awards throughout the last 25 years in the sport. She has worked with such top clinicians as Steffen Peters, Debbie McDonald, Axel Steiner, Jan Ebeling, and Peter Borggreve. In 2009, after showing successfully in Prix St. Georges, Deborah and La Vie were schooling Intermediare-1 in preparation for the 2010 show season; however, a tendon injury temporarily sidelined La Vie for the first six months of this year. This clinic with Hilda Gurney was a great way for the pair to get back on track for 2011. In this article, Deborah will help us to look at the benefits of attending clinics, as well as how to choose a clinician.

Clinic Benefits

With horses, no matter your length of experience, education or knowledge, there is something new to learn every day. Regarding the riding aspect, Deborah states, “any sport, especially a horse sport, if you are going to be serious and competitive about it, requires that you pursue your education.” That education is really multi-faceted. You have the work and the relationship you build on a daily basis with your horse at home, the foundation that you learn and build upon with your regular trainer, and the specialized knowledge you gain from participation in clinics.

By auditing and attending clinics, “you have the opportunity to work with someone who has extensive experience and specific expertise, either as a successful international competitor, a member of the U.S Equestrian or Olympic Teams, or a Dressage judge. Such individuals have learned, seen, and experienced so much and they have brought so many horses along themselves. Often they have increased their skills and education though successful breeding operations, judges programs and improving their own skills at riding and training. It is somewhat like going to a brain surgeon instead of a general practitioner.”

Another benefit of going to a clinic is that it helps you and your horse get over ‘stage fright’. Deborah states, “preparation for, and participation in, a clinic setting elevates all of the nerves and performance anxieties of both athletes, so it is almost like going to a show. You have a bigger crowd watching you. More is riding on your performance. It helps you get better at overcoming ‘show nerves’, so your horse doesn’t feel you tensing up when you enter a show ring.” In addition, your horse becomes more accustomed to being in a different environment with new objects, loud speakers, other horses, activity and spectators.

Deborah considers working with a local trainer on a consistent basis to be an imperative aspect of an individual’s training program. However, in our region, clinics can be a great complement. Deborah explains, “Colorado is an interesting place because we don’t have an abundance of local trainers with national or international experience. We have some excellent trainers, and you can get a solid foundation of the basics and what you need to move up the levels with your equine partner if you work with someone with whom you get along and knows your style of riding, your horse’s capabilities, the goals to which you aspire to. But we Dressage riders her in Colorado are blessed with many top visiting clinicians and if you budget for this enhanced learning opportunity, you can increase your education. You can take certain revelations or exercises away from what you learn at a clinic that you then can plug into your work at home and your work with your local trainer. It is really a whole different aspect of your and your horses continuing education.” The key to getting the most benefit out of a clinic is choosing the right clinician for you and your horse.

Choosing a Clinician

Even though there is something to learn from everyone, it is important to choose a clinician thoughtfully. For Deborah, she seeks out “clinicians that have the qualities I would want to have as a rider and a trainer: understanding the horse, being kind and fair to the horse, but being precise and clear in my communication. You must strive to be very specific about body position and movement and the way you educate and correct mistakes.” In order to make her selection, she may first go watch a potential clinician compete and ride or watch them in videos. She has often had the opportunity to be riding with these same individuals in the same show warm-up ring prior to a test. This way she can see what parts of their program apply to her and appear to be qualities that she wants to assimilate. People who are good clinician candidates inspire her to say, “I want to look like that, I want to ride like that. I want my horse to go that way.” Deborah adds, “I (like to) see the horses that they ride in their barns so I can see if they are happy or stressed. That is a big thing for me. I don’t want to force a horse through all of this and have an unhappy, stressed horse. I have a partner. That means something, and I want to develop that partnership over the years.“

Also consider finding clinicians who come yearly or regularly so they become familiar with you and your horse. They then can develop and understanding of where you are at, how you have progressed, and where you need to go from here. On the other hand, avoid clinicians who ride differently or treat their horses differently than you would want to. Or people who ride or train in a way that you wouldn’t or couldn’t, perhaps because of their physical attributes alone. These less well-suited clinicians, while still potentially very successful, talented, or helpful for some, are not going to be the right fit to help you take the pieces and plug them into your own training program. Plus, if you choose to go to several different clinicians, pick those with a similar training approach and ethic. Going to many clinicians with different styles may give conflicting messages to you and your horse. Instead, find programs that can build upon each other, one to the next.

No matter who you are, one sign of a true horse person is the humility they possess toward the horses and all that goes with them. Challenge yourself to continue to learn and become a better rider and caretaker of our magnificent horses. In closing, Deborah states, “These horses are a gift. Having them in our lives is a privilege that we need to safeguard and take care of them. They give us so much.”

Copyright 2010 Heather McWilliams. 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.