Trevor Brazile might be the greatest all-around cowboy of our generation, but he's known far and wide as a great horseman, too. And it's because of his top horsemanship he's had some of the greatest rope horses the sport of rodeo has ever seen. Here, he talks about some of his greatest rope horses of all time.

Last fall I wrote on “Vegas,” Turtle Powell’s standout head horse, and his medical problems, including laminitis. This column is an update on Vegas, courtesy of Turtle and Vegas’ farrier, Blaine Chapman, with some general comments along the way on laminitis in horses, aka “founder.”

Vegas’ problems started last summer with a respiratory infection that had as a consequence a vascular disease (purpura hemorrhagica) and ultimately resulted in significant laminitis. General comment number one: Laminitis can result from a variety of causes. Laminitis literally means inflammation of the lamina. The lamina are the interlocking structures that form the weight-bearing bridge between the inside of the hoof capsule and the corium (covering) of the coffin bone. These cause symptoms of laminitis, which I'll discuss below.

When these structures become inflamed they swell, exude serum and functionally the connecting bond gives way to the stress of weight-bearing and they fail. Efforts to minimize the damage become the objective in dealing with this condition. These efforts include systemic medications, local treatment (such as soaking the feet) and supportive measures to try and stabilize the anatomical structures of the foot. General comment number two: It takes a dedicated team of owner and specialists in the field to have a chance for success in significantly impacted horses with this condition.

Turtle related that the most discouraging days were right before he left to go to the NFR (Wrangler National Finals Rodeo) last December. Vegas had basically been lying down for two weeks. He was eating and drinking well, but would not get up. Turtle called in Blaine Chapman, a horseshoer he knew who has had a lot of experience in dealing with this condition. Blaine encouraged Turtle to wait out the bad spell because, considering the severity of Vegas’ founder, his state was to be expected.

In this horse’s specific condition, it was decided to resect (remove) the anterior hoof wall, which was known per radiographs to have already separated from the coffin bone, plus using special supportive shoeing as the basics of treatment. General comment number three: This example pertains to the circumstances of this specific case. There is no “one size fits all” or singular approach to treating this condition.

This photo shows the anterior hoof wall having been resected. The bottom of the shoe is specially designed to support the coffin bone during the healing process. (It takes six months to a year for the hoof wall to grow from the hairline to the ground.)

Photo courtesy Turtle Powell

Laminitis has received a good deal of attention and study in the last few decades. To this point, there has not evolved any “silver bullet” treatment regimen for the problem. It should be treated as an emergency, but unfortunately, by the time one notices symptoms of painful feet there is already the start of degenerative changes in the critical areas of the foot. We continue to wish Vegas the best possible progress, and will keep tracking his condition as he is no doubt one of the great ones.

Shane Hanchey has made a name as one of rodeo’s young-gun tie-down ropers, and he’s known for his fast hands and love of, ehem, purple. The Louisiana State University die-hard was the 2009 tie-down roping rookie of the year, and he’s fighting his way into the top 15 again in 2012. We caught up with Hanchey and asked him questions that were on the minds of Spin To Win Rodeo’s readers. If you’d like to have a pro answer your question next month, visit facebook.com/spintowinrodeo and join in the discussion.

Laura Holm Honn: What age were you when you got serious about roping?
I’d say it hit me probably when I was 15 that I wanted to rodeo for a living and I wanted to make the Finals. That was the first time I got to ride Reata. That had a lot of influence on it. I knew that not everybody would have a horse like that and I really needed to take advantage of it.

Jay Vincient Crawler: What do you look for in a good calf horse, and what’s a good age?
One that can score good. Being on the barrier is the most important part of your run. One that can run, we don’t need one that will be as hard stopping as we used to, but it’s good to have one that can make people go wow.

Leighton Berry: What’s a good way to stay up out of your saddle?
Knowing that you’ve got to have good balance, and if you’re off balance and your left foot isn’t in your left stirrup your shoulders twist and you can’t stay up.

Brett Schewe: What are some of the key things roping calves in the practice pen that will benefit you in the long run?
I try to breakaway quite a bit at the house to keep my loop sharp because I know when I leave for the summer that I won’t be getting many opportunities to tune myself up. I really emphasize roping the dummy and breakawaying quite a bit but I tie down quite a bit too to stay in good rhythm and timing.

Thayne Winterton: What do you do while you’re on the road to keep your horses tuned up and fit?
I’m always messing with my horses one way or other. There’s not really many places to keep them tuned up but I like to keep them fit up as much as I can. I always ride them and fiddle with them.

Peggy Garman: What is it like to have young kids looking up to you?
It’s unexplainable to be honest. It’s what I’ve looked forward to ever since I was a kid. Really that’s what it’s all about in the long run is being a good role model for the next generation. And in order to do that we’ve got to be real outgoing and real positive and real faithful.

Joshua Pool: What advice would you give to young kids about what it takes to go down the road like you do?
There’s so much. But the main thing is to keep your priorities in line and have a good work ethic, and last but not least staying in the bible and keeping the word close.

Jade Schmidt: Did you think when you were younger that you’d be where you are now?
I always dreamed of it and imagined in but when me and Tuf got to be about 16 or 17, we were almost going to be disappointed if we weren’t at this level because of how much work we put into it. When I was 12 or 13 if you’d have said I’d have made the Finals twice I’d have said I sure wouldn’t mind it but I didn’t think it would be in my future. But when we were 16 or 17 there was no denying it because we’d worked so hard

Everything we do goes back to horsemanship and keeping your horse really broke, and the start is no exception.

My secret to a great start in breakaway roping (and any kind of roping, for that matter) is training my horses to really score and react off my hand. Very generally, you let the calf make the first move, then you and your horse move. Because the length of the score and your timing leaving the box varies from situation to situation, your horse has to be on the bridle and listening to your hand and feet to know when to leave.

If your horse isn't responding properly to your hand, i.e. when you pull he pops up or tosses his head, you aren't going to get a good start. Your horse has to be responsive to the bridle, otherwise he'll pop up when you pull on him. That will take away that good, flat start you need.

Teaching your horse to leave flat off of your hand is key. In the practice pen, hold your horse still. Hold him with tension on the reins so he's on the bridle. Then, drop your hand really quick and squeeze with your legs, teaching him to move forward off of those two important cues. If you'd like, you can do this exercise in a corner to simulate the feeling of being in a box, but anywhere will do. When your horse is really listening to those two cues, take that work into the box and do the same thing.

Sometimes in the practice pen I like to let my horses start to walk forward slowly out of the box, then as the calf leaves I drop my hand and squeeze my legs, cuing my horse that he can then leave hard. That forward momentum you get from allowing your horse to start walking in the box keeps him leaving flat and moving forward.

For more with Lari Dee Guy, visit LariDeeGuyRoping.com and read:

Ideal Characteristics in a Breakaway Horse with Lari Dee Guy

Keeping Your Rope Horse Fit and Fresh

Big Stops for Your Breakaway Horse

Accuracy in Breakaway Roping: Horsemanship is Key

Breakaway Roping Loop Mechanics

It’s been my observation over the last 20 years or so that a lot of horse owners request to have their horses’ hocks injected whenever a hind leg problem is suspected to be impacting performance. With some horses this procedure is very productive, but I think a more open mind relating to the source of the problem is in order.

The stifle joint, which is analogous to our knee joint, is a complex and challenging joint to evaluate. Its location and size has made it a deep, dark structure to analyze. Subtle distentions or thickening of the joint capsule are not nearly so evident as the joints of the more distal limb such as the hock and fetlock. The stifle is difficult to evaluate radiographically because of its mass, surrounding tissue and critical soft-tissue structures. Flexion of the hind leg has been historically referred to as a “spavin test” denoting a problem of the hock, but horses with stifle problems certainly can be positive to this test.

So, how does one go about evaluating the stifle? I believe it takes a series of diagnostic approaches. Careful palpation of the anterior, more accessible part of the joint can reveal suspicious thickening or distention of the joint. Diagnostic blocking of the joint by injecting local anesthetics can identify it as the source of pain. Studying the soft tissue structures such as the cruciate ligaments and menisci with ultrasound imaging can be helpful.

Advanced radiographic techniques can show things such as bone remodeling, osteochondral chips or bone cysts. The ultimate diagnostic procedure sometimes resorted to is arthroscopic visualization of the joint interior. Many of these procedures are specialized and require expensive technological aids to achieve, but are essential if you are to make an accurate diagnosis. Without an accurate diagnosis, any attempt at treatment is arbitrary and less likely to succeed.

The stifle is a common source of lameness in Western performance horse endeavors such as roping, cutting, reining and barrel racing.

I think the stresses of making sharp turns while “getting in the ground” generate a lot of torque that can be damaging. These horses are the football players of the equine world, and we’re all aware of how many football players have stifle problems.

There are lots of old sayings or rules that were passed down through the generations concerning roping. One of those that I hear a lot is that you should stand up to rope. I see some students that were taught that, and they literally try to stand up out of the seat of their saddle to ride and rope. The majority of the time doing that leads to a balance problem with heeling, because of the turn you have to make (the corner) and the stop.

The balance problem in the majority of people I see who stand up to rope is a back and forth, teeter-tottering with their upper body. When the horse starts to stop, it tends to throw them forward, because it’s hard to stabilize their upper body from a standing position. The reason I notice that is because when I was a little kid I started roping without the use of stirrups. My feet rested on top of the stirrups, with the calves of my legs between the stirrup leathers. So I was sat down and locked in. I sat right down on my butt for the first six years I roped. I was 12 years old before I ever rode a saddle that fit.

Because of the corner and because the majority of heel horses are looking for your throw and wanting to stop, to be able to sit straight up and down and ride your horse into position is an important part of getting a good throw every time. Plus, if your body is in a straight up-and-down position you can get a proper angle on your swing, which leads to the proper angle on your delivery.

From how I learned to ride as a kid, I learned to balance my upper body through the contact I had with the seat of my saddle. I like to be in the front of my saddle, with my legs and thighs against the swells, as opposed to the back of my saddle. Having some weight in the seat of my saddle and that contact through my legs is what I use to stabilize my upper body.

I use my thighs down to my knees (that’s the part of the leg in contact with the saddle) to balance my upper body. That lets me use the lower parts of my legs to ride my horse and kick. Guys who stand up use their knees down for gripping their horse, standing and supporting their upper body, so it’s hard for them to kick. They tend to lean forward to ask their horse to keep moving, but when you do that and your horse gets short it tends to throw you down in your upper body when you throw.

Stirrup length is important, and the size of your seat affects that length. The longer the seat of the saddle, the shorter your stirrups should be. Your stirrups should be adjusted to bend your leg and bring it up to the swell of your saddle. If you have a saddle that fits you better and tighter you can get away with a longer stirrup length, because you’re already up close to your swells.

I ride a 14.5-inch seat. When I stand up, I like to just barely clear the seat by about an inch or so. I ride with my knees bent and probably 40-50 percent of my weight in the seat of my saddle, but still keeping contact with the seat and swells of the saddle for my balance support and stability.