by Charlene Strickland

For many riders, performing a flying change of lead is complicated, almost mystical. But professional horse trainer Art Gaytan has simplified the movement, defining the flying change as a “sidepass in flight.”

Gaytan has developed a sequence of exercises – a methodical approach – to obtaining a perfect change every time. The horse moves off the rider’s leg to perform the change on command, whether it’s travelling on a circle or on the straight. It changes leads in the hind legs an instant before the forelegs giving a clean, smooth change in both pairs during the stride.
continue reading "The ABCs of a Flying Change of Lead"

Recent amendments to Alberta’s Animal Protection Act offer more protection for horses.

According to the new act (changes highlighted in bold), an animal is in distress if it is:
a) deprived of adequate shelter, ventilation, space, food, water or veterinary care, or reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold,
b) injured, sick, in pain or suffering, or
c) abused or subjected to undue hardship, privation or neglect.

In other words, don’t turn your horses out onto a barren field with no shelter during the winter and, during the summer, your horse must have some source of shade, whether it’s a tree or a lean-to.
continue reading "New SPCA amendments put horses first"

On April 1, the Cochrane Agricultural Society held their final show of their spring Hunter Schooling Series. It was a very successful day with over 90 entries in six divisions.

Divisions started at X-rail and went up to 2′6″ to 2′9″. Series champions in each division received a beautiful cooler.

The Agricultural Society is just putting the finishing touches on their new barn (that will accommodate 150 horses) making planning for next year’s series really exciting.

by Darren Baumgardner and Nancy Critchley

I’m not sure if my father was the artist responsible for the carefully stenciled letters of the name of our stables on the side of our “horse-van,” but I do know that he was the carpenter of the contraption.

It was the end of June 1967 and we were on our way to Houston, Texas, hauling two horses in the back of a 1965 GMC truck complete with a home-made plywood – yes, plywood – horse-van securely fastened to the truck box.
continue reading "Hauling Horrors … and other Trailer Tales"

by Garry Allison, The Horses, Rocky Mountain Turf Club

March 1 marked the 10th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain Turf Club’s (RMTC) take-over of horse racing at Whoop-Up Downs in Lethbridge, AB, and it couldn’t have been a more successful move.

A decade ago, horse racing was down to a handful of days a year with the largest purse at $800 and total stake purse money less than $80,000. Now, with the opening of the 2006 season, RMTC offers a minimum purse of $4,300 a race, with more than $800,000 in stake purse money. As well, the once empty grandstand is now home to the bustling Bully’s Sports and Entertainment Centre.

“There’s a reason we call ourselves the ‘Best Little Horse House in the West,’ ” says RMTC/Bullys CEO Max Gibb, “so come on down and see for yourself!”
continue reading "Lethbridge Races off to a Fast Start"

by Roxanne Sapergia

Ecstatic was the word used by Greg and Lois Gartner of Sherwood Park, AB, as they described their feelings about their little gelding, Smart Sassy Date, and his accomplishments at the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) World Show in Stephenville, Texas in February.

In an impressive display of grit and determination, his trainer, Cody McArthur of Fort Saskatchewan, AB, piloted this young horse to an impressive Reserve Championship, placing in the Circle Y Derby, held in conjunction with the World Show. The Circle Y Derby attracts the toughest hackamore horses from across the country and McArthur and “Jazz” proved to the world that they were serious about taking home some of the prizes this year.
continue reading "‘Snow horses’ take Texas"