For most people who take a hiatus from showing horses, there’s a bit of a learning curve. A period of adjustment is often needed for the changes that may have occurred in each discipline. But that’s not the case for amateur competitor Tom Clopp, of Charlotte, North Carolina. Clopp, who enjoyed a successful youth and […]
When Sydney Swallom was just 8 years old, her grandmother gave her the opportunity to show her Quarter Horse show mare, A Certain Melody, in Walk-Trot classes and the Washington native says she never looked back. “Nothing makes me happier than my horses,” she said. “The barn is my happy place and I can’t imagine […]
The Berrien Springs Fairgrounds will once again be the backdrop for National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) classes when a brand-new futurity welcomes competitors to the southwestern corner of Michigan in June.The facility was home to the Tom Powers Futurity from 1985 until 2020 when it was announced that the futurity would be moved to Wilmington, […]
When you start with a big, strong, beautiful and correct prospect with solid conformation and a great mind, success follows.That is exactly the case with AQHA and NSBA World Champion Outlaw Enterprise, a 2017 bay stallion, sired by Iron Enterprise and out of Lastminuteinvestment. Bred by Marcie McClenon, of Dunnellon, Florida, Outlaw Enterprise (Cosmo) was purchased […]
He was born in Oregon and grew up on a ranch where ponies then horses were a way of life. She was born in Connecticut and took her first riding lesson at age 7. But in 2017 Duke Williams and Alyssa Casa met through mutual friends at a horse show (of course) and hit if […]
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Carol Harris, 98, died Aug. 7, in Florida. Noted for her legendary American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame stallion Rugged Lark, Harris grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. Her first horse was a Standardbred – a pacer that she turned into a trotter. She exhibited Hackney ponies, Arabians, Saddlebreds […]
Every single time 16-year-old Evie Doles steps into the show pen she remembers some important advice that her trainer gave her. “Ride what you have today and don’t focus on perfection. Instead, focus on riding your horse, on being a horsewoman. “Those words of wisdom from Melissa Jones have served Evie well as she works […]
Tanya Relander’s mom had to beg her parents to ride. So as soon as Tanya and her sisters could sit up her mom had them on the back of a horse. “She made sure we had horses to ride and show,” Tanya said. “We rode before we did our school work each day.” Tanya got […]
When it comes to young futurity prospects, the opportunity to “go in” on a horse with your trainer can sometimes present itself. The idea is promising. You may be able to purchase the young prospect at a reasonable price and have your trainer put in training hours to bring the horse along in order to sell it […]
Nothing is cuter in the spring than Facebook feeds filled by foals. They’re just simply adorable and they carry the hope and promise of a bright future. From the moment a foal arrives, every experience contributes to their outlook on life and eventual trainability. Every breeder has a different approach, one works for their program […]
Horses in Ryan Cottingham’s Indiana training barn follow the same dental routine as most people – the horses receive an oral exam twice a year. That allows Cottingham and the equine dentist to enable horses to be comfortable so they can perform their best without the distraction of a problem in their mouth. The preventative […]
The constant pull, achy arm muscles and red blisters that appear on fingers after riding a hard, dull mouthed horse isn’t something any rider wants to experience. When it comes to communicating simple demands like steering and speed control with horses to even more advance training with a young prospect, they all must learn how to […]
