by Cyndi Rowat

When Russian immigrant Morris Shumiatcher pioneered the Smithbilt Hat Company in Calgary in 1919 little could he have known what the world would be like in 2007.

In those early days, hats were something people needed to keep the sun off their brow and the rain off their head. Today, the cowboy hat is a symbol that affirms a tradition, a style, and a way of life.
continue reading "Smithbilt; Hat of the New West"

A British company has developed a GPS product that attaches to a horse to send essential physical, physiological, and environmental information about a training workout to the trainer, via the Internet.

Having immediate access to information detailing the work the horse is doing, its gait, temperature, breathing, and the environmental conditions means that trainers and vets will be able to optimize training regimes while at the same time ensuring its welfare, says developer Gmax Ltd.
continue reading "New GPS technology to help horse trainers"

The American Saddlebred Museum at the Kentucky Horse Park has been awarded a Silver Telly at the 28th Annual Telly Awards for its film Out of The Shadows.

The 30-minute film, which features black horsemen from the late 1800s through to the 1970s, was chosen among 15,000 entries for the highest prize offered by the Telly Awards.

The Tellys honour outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as video and film productions. Out of The Shadows competed in the Non-Broadcast category.
continue reading "Saddlebred Film Wins Award"

Every couple of years, The RCMP Foundation assists the RCMP in the auction of surplus horses.

The auction includes a mixture of foals, broodmares, stallions, and former Musical Ride horses. This year’s auction offers 22 horses for sale – all of whom present great promise in a variety of sport disciplines.

RCMP horses must be black, elegant, uniform in size, substance and temperament, stand 16 to 17 hands tall, weigh between 1,200 to 1,400 lbs, have good solid leg bone, and conformation that lends itself to health and longevity.
continue reading "An Auction of a Different Colour"

General Motors of Canada (GM) in partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) are offering a number of grants to associations and coaches. Initiated in the spring of 2007, each year the Making Dreams Possible program will award 100 grants of $2,000 to support community level sport organizations. In addition, each year until 2010, 10 grants of $10,000 will be awarded to coaches of high performance athletes.
continue reading "Deadline for ‘Making Dreams Possible’ approaches"

by Winston Hansma

Winston Hansma – one of North America’s top cutting horse trainers – was one of the renowned speakers to attend the Horse Breeders and Owners Conference that took place January 13 to 15 in Red Deer, AB.

Hansma grew up on a mixed farm at Granum, AB. He managed some of the top Quarter Horse farms in Western Canada before moving to Texas in 1987 where he was manager and trainer of Bar H Ranch for 14 years. Hansma won the NCHA Futurity in 1994 and has won the Maturity three times. He was also responsible for establishing the Hans Hansma Memorial Scholarship to encourage young riders to further their education.

The following is an excerpt from Hansma’s conference speech on the performance horse and profit potential:
continue reading "Performance and Profit Potential"

Ryan Smith of Champion Auctions and Fleetwood Farms Quarter Horses is donating a registered AQHA two-year-old filly (pictured right) to be sold at the fourth annual Western Working Horse Sale on July 28 at the Claresholm Agriplex, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the 4-H Legacy Fund.

It is with the help of donations like this from individuals, clubs, and corporate businesses that the 4-H Legacy Fund has reached $150,000.
continue reading "Filly Donation Helps 4-H Legacy Fund"