Plan your display in advance and try to group similar items together. Photo © EQUUS

Participating in a tack sale is a great way to clear out clutter and make a little extra money---either for yourself or to benefit a cause you support. You might even find a few bargains to bring home. Before you go, take some steps to make sure your day will be successful:

• Understand the terms ahead of time. Check what the table rental fees are and/or whether the organizers will be due a percentage of your proceeds. If the sale is run by a nonprofit organization, be sure you are clear on how much of your income is expected to be donated, and get a tax receipt for the amount of your contributions.

• Clean your tack and apparel. The more presentable your stuff looks, the more appealing it will be to buyers. Make sure tack is clean and in good repair and your clothes are either neatly folded or on a hanger.

• Plan your display. Find out whether tables will be provided, and if not, pack a folding table or two. Take stock of your inventory and think about how to display it to its best advantage. You might want to bring a portable clothes rack, if you have a lot of apparel to sell, or lightweight saddle racks, if you’ll need them. Don’t forget a folding chair for yourself if they’re not provided. When you’re setting up, group similar items together---for example, line up all your bits in one area, and place extra halters together---to make shopping easier.

• Take supplies and small bills. You’ll need to start the day with a pocketful of small bills so you can make change for buyers right away. A pocket calculator will come in handy as well as a pad and pencil if you’ll want to keep track of your sales. A Sharpie marker or two and some large index cards will be useful if you want to post signs announcing percentage discounts toward the end of the day. Bring a supply of (clean) used plastic grocery sacks to bag up smaller items; if you’re selling anything breakable, consider having some newspaper to wrap your goods as you sell them. A stash of snacks and drinks may be welcome if you’ll be stuck at your table for long hours.

• Price appropriately. New or very gently used tack and apparel may sell for close to their suggested retail prices, but older and more worn items go for much less. If your goal is just to get rid of stuff, be realistic about how much people will be willing to pay, and be open to lower offers. Mark your prices clearly on every item, and make sure your negotiated agreements are clear with buyers before cash changes hands.

Got leftovers? If you want to avoid carting unsold items home at the end of the day, look into places where you can donate them instead. Horse rescues and animal shelters might be happy to have your extra tack and supplies, either to use or to sell in thrift shops to benefit their animals. Finally, if you did some buying as well as selling, be sure to clean your “new to you” items so you don’t bring new germs home, too.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #429.

Prescott Frontier Days, Inc.
Prescott, Ariz., July 1–7, worldsoldestrodeo.com

Our inside guide: J.C. Trujillo was born and raised in Prescott, Ariz., where he quickly took to bareback riding. He won the Arizona Junior Rodeo Association championship and in 1968 won the intercollegiate title for Arizona State University. As a professional, he qualified for the NFR 12 times and won the world title in 1981. Now, he serves as the general manager of the Prescott Frontier Days.

3 Days in... Prescott

Day 1: “Prescott Frontier Days is one of the most traditional rodeos you’ll go to,” says Trujillo. “It’s known as the world’s oldest rodeo. It was the first rodeo that had a set of rules and charged an entry fee and an admission in 1888, and we believe that was the seed that was planted for professional rodeo.” Come in to town mid-week and on July 4th, and after checking in at your reserved room at the Hassayampa Inn (seriously, call in advance), stop in for lunch at the Gurley Street Grill before heading over to the rodeo arena for the 1:30 p.m. performance. After the last bull bucks, find your way back to the courthouse square for the arts and crafts show followed by fireworks. “Without a doubt, the rodeo and Fourth of July is the biggest event in northern Arizona,” Trujillo says. For dinner, head to Murphy’s and order the amazing prime rib.

Day 2: The next morning, eat breakfast at Arturo’s before exploring the area. “From Prescott, Grand Canyon National Park is only two hours away,” says Trujillo. “But 30 minutes in any direction from Prescott, you’re going to be out in some beautiful country.” Back in town, the Sharlot Hall Museum features seven territorial-era buildings, historic exhibits, and beautiful gardens. And the Library and Archives, open to the public, hold a vast collection of rare books, original documents, historical photographs, maps, and oral histories about  northern Arizona. If you’re up for it, the day’s second rodeo performance kicks off at 7:30 p.m. And you don’t want to leave town without eating dinner at the Office Restaurant and Bar.

Day 3: Saturday, July 6 is the big day in Prescott. After a late breakfast at the Waffle Shack, take in the parade, followed by the 1:30 p.m. rodeo perf. Escape the crowds and check out the Phippen Museum. “It’s probably one of the most well-known art museums for cowboy and Western art,” Trujillo says. “It was named after George Phippen, who was the first president of the Cowboy Artists of America. They also have an Arizona Ranch and Rodeo Hall of Fame. They’ve recognized a lot of the area’s ranch and rodeo cowboys who have helped the industry.” (Trujillo himself is among the honored.) Eat a late lunch at the Cattlemen’s Bar and Grill before a visit to the historic Elks Theatre in downtown Prescott, where great Western acts are booked during rodeo week.

California Rodeo, Salinas
Salinas, Calif., July 18–21, carodeo.com

Our inside guide: Kendra Santos, director of communications for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, has deep roots in Salinas. Her sons are the fourth generation never to miss the “Big Week.” In fact, three generations of the Santos family roped at the California Rodeo, Salinas last summer.

3 Days in... Salinas

Day 1: A lot of the cowboys bring their families to Salinas every summer, because of the cool weather—70-degree days are typical. And there are so many fun things to do in the Salinas area, like taking the kids to the beach in nearby Monterey and to the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium, only a 30-minute drive. “Salinas has been called America’s Salad Bowl, and the Salinas Contestant Hospitality Tent serves up local fresh fruits and vegetables,” says Santos. “People from other parts of the world, who’ve only known green-picked produce that had to be trucked cross-country, are amazed.” If you’re looking for a great local breakfast, try First Awakenings on Main Street in old town Salinas, which serves all varieties of what they call “crepeggs.” Then there’s the Joaquin Yahoo, a fresh-vegetable frittata.

Day 2: Salinas native John Steinbeck wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath in Salinas. Visit the town’s National Steinbeck Center to learn more. Then stop for lunch at Taquito’s, a mom-and-pop Mexican food place, with good enchiladas and tacos. Bonus for the kids: There’s a pool table in a little room off to the side of the restaurant. Famous Dave’s is a good BBQ joint across Highway 101 in the Westridge Shopping Center. They have standards like ribs and brisket, but the twist is their variety of barbecue sauces that range from tangy and sweet to so hot they might make you cry. Try specials like the Southside Rib Tips or Dave’s Sweetwater Catfish. “If you’re in the mood for a burger, head for the Toro Place Café on Highway 68 toward Monterey,” says Santos. “It used to be an old filling station and is a local favorite.”

Day 3: The Black Bear Diner at the Laurel Inn (across North Main Street from the grounds on West Laurel Drive) is the place for people with a “bulldogger’s appetite.” The Hungry Man New York Steak and Eggs is one of the popular breakfast plates. “My personal favorite there is the hot blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream,” says Santos. The Growers Pub is in an old historic building on Monterey Street famous for its prime rib and skirt steak sandwiches made with fresh sourdough bread. Of course, in addition to the PRCA rodeo, Salinas boasts the rodeo’s Heritage Museum, featuring cowboy poetry readings, mutton bustin’, and cowboy church. Finally, visit Monterey Bay Stables, and go riding on the beach.

Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo
San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Aug. 24–25, rmvrodeo.com

Our inside guide: Blaine Linaweaver has qualified for four NFRs, and has lived in Orange County, Calif., since 2003. The header has roped at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo 10 times, and while he’s never won it, he’s earned a paycheck there every year.

3 Days in... Mission Viejo

Day 1: You’re in Orange County, so treat yourself to three nights in Laguna Beach at the Montage. “It’s pretty spendy, but it’s the nicest place you can stay,” Linaweaver says. “It’s high-end and has everything you could want. Enjoy the ocean and visit the boardwalk in San Clemente and Newport Beach.” Spend the first day of your trip taking in the beaches, since Rancho Mission Viejo is only a two-day rodeo. You’re only a few hours north of the border, so make sure you indulge in some real Mexican food. Carmelita’s in Laguna Beach is known for their authentic dishes and great margaritas. Eat dinner at the Montage’s Loft restaurant, overlooking the Pacific, for a comfortable but classy dinner.

Day 2: In San Juan Capistrano, spend the day walking the streets wearing your cowboy hat. “San Juan Capistrano is a cowboy town, as far as Southern California goes,” Linaweaver says. Have breakfast at the Ramos House—they’ve got great mimosas, Linaweaver says. Rancho Mission Viejo is an actual working cattle ranch, so the town is full of cowboy culture. Shop local along Antonio Parkway then head to Bad to the Bone BBQ for the best barbecue in the state. All the cowboys look forward to eating there during the two-day rodeo. After the first performance, there’s a dance and concert; this year features Chancey Williams and The Younger Brothers Band.

Day 3: The rodeo starts earlier on Sunday, so get breakfast at the hotel then get to the arena. “You won’t want to miss either performance of the rodeo,” Linaweaver says. “It’s got the top 30 cowboys in the world competing for so much money towards the end of the season, so you’ll see the best of the best.” The cowboys will all be in good spirits, too, because the rodeo committee at San Juan Capistrano takes good care of its cowboys, with buffets of food and an open bar. “If you want to go out after the rodeo, head to The Swallow,” Linaweaver says. It’s a great local watering hole where the cowboys congregate.

Greeley Stampede
Greeley, Colo., June 27–July 7, greeleystampede.org

Our inside guide: Casey Colletti has qualified for the last two National Finals Rodeos in bareback riding. A Pueblo, Colo., native, he has made the trip north to the Greeley Stampede for the last seven years.

3 Days in... Greeley

Day 1: When you’re driving north from the Denver International Airport, stop at Johnson’s Corner directly off I-25 in Johnstown, Colo., for their famous cinnamon rolls. Then head straight to Greeley Hat Works, a Greeley staple where they’ve been making cowboy hats since 1909. “They’re the best hats you can get, and Greeley Hat Works supports so much that goes on in town,” says Colletti. “Stop and see Trent, the owner, and he’ll get you a great-fitting hat.” Then head to the rodeo grounds, where there are live bands and a full carnival going on at the fairgrounds. Take in the rows of fair concessions, and enjoy a roasted turkey leg while walking through the midway. After the rodeo, lay your head at the Currier Inn, a comfortable, country bed and breakfast.

Day 2: Head to Randy’s All-American Grill for a hearty breakfast in town. You’ll need it for the trek west up to Estes Park and a tour of Rocky Mountain National Park, less than an hour’s drive from Greeley. “Estes Park has all of the deer and elk,” says Colletti. “I’m a mountain guy—I’m in the mountains building fence right now, actually—so you’ll want to spend a day up there.” When you drive back down into Greeley, swing by the Cheba Hut for dinner, Colletti’s favorite place in town. “Where else in the country can you drink Kool-Aid with your sub?!” he raves. After the rodeo, catch a concert in the grandstands by top country and rock acts then dance to any of the live music played at the free stage behind the arena.

Day 3: Wake up and eat at the Currier Inn then drive north to Fort Collins and stroll up and down College Avenue. Shop at boutiques and eat lunch at Colorado’s famous pizza chain, Beau Jo’s, where they provide amazing honey for your crusts. Then spend some dough on the latest cowboy gear at Fort Collins’ Boot Barn. After you’re done shopping, cross I-25, and visit Bruce’s in Severence, Colo., just south of Greeley. It’s the place for Rocky Mountain Oysters. “Any day you go to the rodeo is great,” says Colletti. “Because all of the best are traveling up and down the road so much over the Fourth. I’ll be in at least eight states [over the Fourth of July weekend], I’m getting pumped up just thinking about it.”

Dodge City Roundup
Dodge City, Kans., July 31–Aug. 4, dodgecityroundup.org

Our inside guide: The 2009 World Champion header Nick Sartain has roped at the Dodge City Roundup for 13 years. As one of the biggest rodeos on the Prairie Circuit, Dodge City is a necessary stop in Sartain’s late-summer run; he’s won thousands in this arena.

3 Days in... Dodge City

Day 1: Check into the historic Dodge House Hotel, the rodeo’s host hotel. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Dodge City, and Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holliday have slept there. “Take your kids to the Boot Hill Museum so they can learn about the Old West,” Sartain says. You can easily spend a half-day at the museum, which features a dinner show, old-time photograph parlor, and general store, in addition to the museum’s 60,000-plus historical objects, photographs, and documents. Have a steak dinner at the Cowtown Club before heading over to the rodeo grounds for the night’s performance.

Day 2: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then watch a gunfight reenactment at the Boot Hill. Learn about some legendary hands at the Kansas Cowboys Hall of Fame, and take a walking tour of the Dodge City Trail of Fame to take in historic downtown Dodge. “The people in Dodge City are great farm and ranch people, so everyone will be really friendly,” Sartain says. “You’ve got to eat at El Charro’s. It’s the best food in town.” Nine miles west of town are the Santa Fe Trail Tracks, wagon ruts left by pioneers along the Santa Fe Trail. Get out of the heat and enjoy a narrated tour of Dodge City’s historical sites and Kansas’ cattle industry with an air-conditioned trolley ride with Dodge City Trolley. For evening entertainment, try your luck at the Boot Hill Casino.

Day 3: Wake up and start your day with pancakes at the Golden Pancake House on Wyatt Earp Boulevard. Then take some time to check out the Cattle Feedlot Overlook, so you can compare the cattle industry history you saw at the museum with the industry today. Grab lunch at the Dodge House restaurant, then head over to the rodeo grounds early to see the hustle and bustle of the cowboys and stock contractors getting ready for the evening’s performance. “Dodge City is a tour rodeo, so it’s one of the bigger rodeos of the summer. All the best guys who are rodeoing hard and trying to make the Finals will be there,” Sartain says.

Home of Champions Rodeo
Red Lodge, Mont., July 2–4, redlodgerodeo.com

Our inside guide: Saddle bronc rider Dan Mortensen is no stranger to the NFR. He won the world title in his signature event a record-tying six times. He also won the all-around title in 1997. Upon his retirement in 2008, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. He still hangs his hat in Billings, Mont., just 30 minutes from Red Lodge.

3 Days in... Red Lodge

Day 1: “Rodeo cowboys try to work Red Lodge, Livingston, and Cody, so those three rodeos work together on their performance times so cowboys can get to all three,” says Mortensen. At the base of the Beartooth Mountains, Red Lodge is arguably the most scenic, with Rock Creek running right through town—cold, crystal clear, and running fast—with great fishing. Rock Creek Resort, just outside of town, is the place to stay. For lunch, try Bogart’s. “They’ve got great pizza and Mexican food, especially for this part of the country, and they serve some great margaritas,” Mortensen says. After the rodeo, head 15 miles down Highway 308 to the Bear Creek Saloon and Steakhouse Pig Races. Enjoy a great steak, cold beer, and place your bets on the little porkers.

Day 2: Drive the Beartooth Highway (Hwy 212) into the mountains and Custer National Forest. “It’s got a whole bunch of switchbacks as it climbs up, then you drop over into Cooke City, and then you’re right at Yellowstone Park.” Once in Cooke City, grab a bite to eat at the Soda Butte Lodge. By then, you’ve gone about 60 miles from Red Lodge. Turn around and go back, or keep heading toward Yellowstone National Park. (The park’s Grand Loop Road is amazing.) If you veer north on Hwy 89, Livingston emerges in about an hour, then head back east along I-90 another 75 miles through Big Timber, and, at Columbus, head south on Highway 78 for another 25 miles to Roscoe and the Grizzly Bar Steakhouse. You’ve had a long day on the road, so a big steak and a fine Montana microbrew are your welcome reward.

Day 3: Start the Fourth of July off with breakfast at the Kiva Restaurant before enjoying the festivities in town. Take in the traditional Fourth of July Parade then grab some lunch at the Red Box Car. It’s Red Lodge’s most unique fast food restaurant, nestled within an actual 100-year-old boxcar. “I remember going there as a kid,” Mortensen says. “They’ve got burgers and ice cream.” You might also want to check out the Carbon County Historical Society and Museum, where the Greenough Rodeo Collection is on display. The rodeo starts early that day—at 3 p.m.—and you’ll want to be in the stands for the final performance. After it’s over, the crowds spill into the streets for a Fourth of July celebration. For a nice meal, try the Carbon County Steakhouse then the Bull and Bear Saloon for evening entertainment.

Reno Rodeo
Reno, Nev., June 20–29, renorodeo.com

Our inside guide: A native of Winnemucca, Nev., Bob Tallman has announced the Reno Rodeo since 1976 and is one of the most decorated and well-traveled rodeo announcers in the business. He’s called the action at 14 National Finals Rodeos, been the PRCA’s “announcer of the year” eight times, and was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2004. (His grandfather served as a Nevada state senator and governor in the 1940s.)

3 Days in... Reno

Day 1: The Reno Rodeo began in 1919 and won the PRCA’s award for Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year in 1997. “Reno Rodeo is one of the most progressive rodeos on the planet. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Tallman says. “If you buy a ticket, you’re going to watch a very impressive grand entry—there are 52 girls that ride in every performance—then you’ll see a great rodeo. Every world champion will be there at one point or another.” Down the interstate from the rodeo, John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel and Casino ( a long-time supporter of the rodeo) is the place to stay. After a lunch at the Little Nugget Diner downtown, head to the grounds early for the carnival. After the performance, head over to the Silver Legacy Hotel and Casino for a chance to rub shoulders with the cowboys, pull the one-armed bandit, or roll some dice.

Day 2: The next morning, grab some grub at Peg’s Glorified Ham n Eggs before heading up the mountains for a day at North Lake Tahoe. There you’ll find golf, biking, hiking, water sports, beaches, and lake and river fishing. After a late lunch at Jason’s Landing and Beachside Grille in King’s Beach, hop in the car and head back to “The Biggest Little City in the World” via Carson City. “Drive down through Washoe Valley and Carson Valley for beautiful old pristine ranching valleys,” Tallman says. “But be careful, if the speed limit is 55 and you’re going 56 you’re getting a ticket.” Then dine at 4th Street Bistro in Reno, where much of the menu is locally grown.

Day 3: “It’s an old town with a new, modern, high-tech way of life,” Tallman says. “You want to watch the sunrise one day and watch the sunset the next. You can stay up way too late and have way too much fun in Reno.” After a long night, fuel up with a big breakfast at Midtown Eats; their Bloody Mary’s will cure what ails you. Catch a Reno Aces minor league baseball game. Or if it’s too hot, Reno has world-class bowling lanes at several of the casinos, and Reno’s National Bowling Stadium is shaped like a bowling ball. The Reno Air Races (Sept. 11–15) and Hot August Nights (Aug. 6–11) classic car shows are great fun and, of course, so is the skiing around Lake Tahoe come winter.

Pendleton Round-Up
Pendleton, Ore., Sept. 11–14, pendletonroundup.com

Our inside guide: Butch Knowles grew up in nearby Hermiston, Ore., and has been entering the Pendleton Round-Up since 1974—first as a roughstock cowboy and now as a team roper. Knowles went to four NFRs and won the saddle bronc riding title in 1987. Today, he calls the NFR action for Great American Country and broadcasts other rodeos. And he still ranches with his family, including NFR steer wrestling son, Blake.

3 Days in... Pendleton

Day 1: About Pendleton’s huge grass arena, Knowles says: “As a contestant, nothing is like it anywhere else. It’s just like stepping back in time when you compete here; there’s no advertising in the arena and there’s a track around the infield. Not much has changed in 100 years at the Round-Up. The timed events are really unique, with big, long scores out on the grass. There’s no room for the faint of heart. You’ve got to cowboy up to win something here.” Stay at The Wildhorse Hotel and Casino, but make sure to book early. The rodeo grounds are within walking distance of downtown, and Main Street shuts down for rodeo week. There’s always fair fare, but the Rainbow Tavern is special, and don’t miss the infamous Let ’er Buck Room. Then visit Hamley & Co., a saddle shop full of rich history and tempting tack.

Day 2: After a breakfast at the Main Street Diner, make Friday a history day. At 10 a.m., the Westward Ho! Parade kicks off and features no mechanized entrants. “You’re either horseback, in a horse-drawn wagon, or afoot,” says Knowles. Follow many of the parade entrants over to the rodeo grounds and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Village. Check out authentic American Indian wares, and grab lunch while you’re there before the rodeo performance. Afterward, be sure to enjoy the Happy Canyon Night Show, a play that depicts the American Indian and white settler history of the area. Grab some dinner from one of the many vendors near the grounds, and end the evening at Goldie’s Bar.

Day 3: For breakfast, head back over toward the rodeo grounds for the Cowboy Breakfast. It’s held every morning just off the grounds and is open to anybody and everybody; order the big ham, egg, and pancake meal. The Round-Up Pow Wow Dance Competition is a must and so are the subterranean Pendleton Underground Tours. “In the 1800s there was a lot of Chinese labor in Pendleton working the railroads and mines,” says Knowles. “They weren’t allowed to be outside at night, so they built a complete town underneath Pendleton.” For lunch, try The Prodigal Son, a microbrewery in historic downtown. And don’t forget to swing by Roy Raley Park to check out the vendors and exhibits there before finishing the trip with more great steak at Stetson’s Steakhouse.

Days of ’76 Rodeo
Deadwood, S.D., July 23–27, daysof76.com

Our inside guide: Steve Sutton is a fourth-generation co-owner of Sutton Rodeo Co., based in Onida, S.D. He’s been an NFR pickup man for three decades and has been attending and bringing stock to the Days of ’76 Rodeo since he was 5.

3 Days in... Deadwood

Day 1: “When we’re in town for the rodeo, we always stay at Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort. They’re great supporters of the rodeo, and they’re right across the street from the rodeo grounds,” Sutton says. “The parking is tight in Deadwood, so if you stay there, you can walk everywhere all weekend.” The Days of ’76 Rodeo began in 1924 as a way to celebrate Deadwood’s pioneer history, and has since won 13 Medium Outdoor Rodeo of the Year awards, given by the PRCA at the NFR each year. “You’ll want to spend a day at the Days of ’76 Museum, which has everything from wagons and carriages used in the first rodeo parades to photos and artifacts from the rodeo’s history,” Sutton says. For dinner, don’t miss the rodeo’s concession-stand food underneath the grandstands, a summertime must in Deadwood.

Day 2: After breakfast, head south on Hwy 385 towards Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Drive through Custer State Park, where you can see American Bison roaming some of the West’s most iconic land. Loop back up through the Black Hills National Forest. “I told Trevor Brazile if he had time, Sutton Rodeo would send his family on a tour of the region so they could see everything we’ve got up here,” Sutton says. “Within an hour you can see some of the best the West has to offer.” Get back to the hotel in time to change into your pink apparel, though, because the second performance is always Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night in Deadwood. Afterwards, head to the Old #10 Saloon to have a drink with some of the best cowboys in the PRCA.

Day 3: Grab a quick breakfast in town while you wait for the Days of ’76 parade. Then spend your day in town, which is filled with boutiques that celebrate Deadwood’s cowboy heritage. And spend the cash you’ve got left at any one of the town’s casinos, like Mineral Palace or The Lodge. “It’s a mini Las Vegas,” Sutton says. “Before gambling was legal anywhere else in South Dakota, people would go to Deadwood five or six times a year.” Then head to the last performance of the rodeo. “I don’t think there’s a cowboy who’s been in the top 20 in the world who doesn’t enter Deadwood, and most of them stay in Deadwood and then go back and forth to Cheyenne with their families. It’s hot in Texas that time of year, and in Deadwood, you might even need a jacket at night.”

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo
San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 6–23, 2014, sarodeo.com

Our inside guide: Mike Piland has spent the last 50 years of his life in south Texas. In 1991, he and several other men started Cactus Ropes, now the official rope of the PRCA. Piland’s rope shop is located in Pleasanton, just 30 minutes south of the hustle and bustle of San Antonio.

3 Days in... San Antonio

Day 1: “Houston is a concert with a rodeo, whereas San Antonio is a rodeo with a concert,” quips Piland. “We win the Large Indoor Rodeo award pretty much every year. It’s definitely the best one.” Make your reservations for the historic Gunter Hotel downtown, where many of the original trail drives got organized. “It’s very interesting to go see all those old pictures on the wall,” says Piland. Learn all about south Texas culture and history at the Alamo then stroll along Riverwalk and lunch at the Zuni Grill. Take the Mission Trail Tour and learn about San Antonio’s four other Spanish missions as well. On your way out to the AT&T Center and the rodeo performance, grab a burger at Sam’s Burger Joint.

Day 2: Take a day trip south to the historic King Ranch, only 150 miles away. You’ll pass through Piland’s hometown of Pleasanton on the way, the “birthplace of the cowboy.” Consider swinging over to the calm beaches of South Padre Island before heading back to San Antonio. If you decide to head north, a 100-mile loop through the Texas Hill Country is a relaxing way to spend the day. Check out the Natural Bridge Caverns and the Bracken Bat Flight. As night falls, head into the small burgh of Gruene for a chicken-fried steak and Shiner Bock at the Gristmill River Restaurant. Across the lawn, the historic Gruene Hall showcases a different Texas country music legend or rising star nearly every night. “George Strait got his start up there at Gruene Hall,” says Piland. “It still looks like it did at the turn of the century.”

Day 3: Head over to Mi Tierra for the huevos rancheros—the place never closes and features the most unique décor in the city. Take a quick stroll through El Mercado, just around the corner from Mi Tierra, for some fun shopping. And the Alamo Quarry Market features many high-end shops, including the Lucchese Boot Company. Depending on your schedule, there’s also Six Flags, Sea World, and the Witte Museum to satisfy your entire family. Enjoy an early steak dinner back on the river at the Little Rhein before catching one last performance of the rodeo.

Ellensburg Rodeo
Ellensburg, Wash., Aug. 30–Sept. 2, ellensburgrodeo.com

Our inside guide: Brady Minor has qualified for four NFRs and calls Ellensburg home. His grandfather, Buck Minor, sat on the Ellensburg Rodeo committee for 35 years and was inducted into the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2007.

3 Days in... Ellensburg

Day 1: “The Ellensburg Rodeo is one of those historic rodeos that everyone looks forward to,” Minor says. “It’s over Labor Day Weekend, so fans come from everywhere in the country to see it. All of the cowboys need to be there, too, because it’s the Justin Boots Playoffs.” Get to Ellensburg a day before the rodeo starts so you can see the WestStar Roping, a team and calf roping that draws the country’s best. Kids will love the Frontier Village, a turn-of-the-century town where they can step back in time and pan for gold, eat penny-candy, and try sasparilla soda. Hit the Roadhouse Bar and Grill for happy hour and a steak dinner. Call it a night and check into the Holiday Inn Express, one of the rodeo’s sponsors.

Day 2: “You’ve got to eat breakfast at the Palace Café,” Minor says. “They’ve got the best eggs Benedict you’ll ever have.” Then hop in the car and spend part of the day on the Columbia River in Vantage, Wash., where lots of cowboys will be jet skiing. Make sure you bring your camera as the views are breathtaking! “When you get back to Ellensburg, go to the Starlight for a fancier dinner. My wife loves their martinis,” Minor says. Head to the rodeo grounds for the performance, where you’ll see chuckwagon races in addition to the regular rodeo events.

Day 3: Get up in time to eat a pancake breakfast downtown, then catch the timed-event slack at the rodeo grounds to get an up-close-and-personal look at events in a low-key setting. “Go to Campus U-Tote-Em, my favorite burger joint in town, for lunch,” Minor advises. “You can walk to it from the fairgrounds, and all the guys eat there.” The Saturday night of the rodeo is the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, so watch the best compete. After the rodeo, head to Bleachers Sports Pub & Grill next to the fairgrounds. “If you’ve got your kids, you can bring them, because it’s a safe place and good for the family, but it’s got great specials, too,” Minor says.

Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne, Wyo., July 19–28, cfdrodeo.com

Our inside guide: Jhett Johnson is the 2011 World Champion Heeler and has lived in Wyoming all of his life. The Casper native has roped at the Cheyenne Frontier Days for years and always brings his whole family to the show.

3 Days in... Cheyenne

Day 1: On your way into Cheyenne from the south on I-25, stop at the Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center to kick-start your stay. “If you like the timed events, get to the rodeo grounds for slack so you can see 30 to 40 of the best contestants in each event compete without a crowd or fanfare, just pure rodeo,” Johnson says. From there, head into town and grab lunch with the locals at The Albany, open since 1924. If you have time, go on a scavenger hunt for the eight-foot-tall cowboy boots located around Cheyenne. Local artists painted them with images depicting Wyoming’s history. Take a cell phone audio tour of the big boots by calling, 307-316-0067. Back at the fairgrounds, take the family to the carnival at Frontier Park before catching the 116th “Daddy of ’Em All.”

Day 2: After spending the night at the historic Plains Hotel, make your way to the Free Pancake Breakfast at Cheyenne Depot Square. “You’ll want to spend a day shopping downtown then, too. There’s a ton of stores, and of course Boot Barn, to get everything you need,” Johnson says. For everything cowboy, try Wyoming Home. Get a history lesson at the Old West Museum, which has an extensive collection of artifacts, children’s programming, and a walking trail. “You’re going to want to have rodeo tickets for every night you’re in town, because the best in the world are always at Cheyenne,” says Johnson. Watch everything from the famous Wild Horse Races to rodeo clowns. Then at Cadillac Ranch, south of town, have a cold one with some top cowboys.

Day 3: Get to the rodeo grounds early to spend the day at Wild Horse Gulch, which highlights Western merchants and artisans in an Old West-style village. Eat some kettle corn and then make your way to the Indian Village to learn the history of the American Indians from the region. Book your concert tickets in advance, and be sure to catch a show. “You’ve got to see at least one concert while you’re in Cheyenne. There’s plenty of great music you won’t want to miss,” Johnson says. This year’s concert lineup includes Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, and Toby Keith.

Not reading the labels your horse’s grooming products. Whether dilute in water before application or use gloves. Read the label and directions; it might save you hours of working up a lather … with conditioner. It takes longer to wash it all off then it did to lather.
Brooke Anderson, Texas

The biggest mistake I ever made was getting so caught up in moving up the levels and training that I forgot why I did it anyways. I lost that feeling you get when you accomplish something and the moment you cross the finish line after a clean cross-country and you feel as if you are walking in the clouds. Don’t ever lose that relationship with your horse where you are simply inspired by riding them and the partnership you have built. Because at the end of it all, whether you win or lose, you have a best friend for life who will try their heart out for you. ENJOY THE MOMENT!
Bobby Ann Christensen, via Facebook

Trusting someone else to feed my horses.
Elizabeth Brix, via Facebook

An acquaintance fed her horse’s hay on sand = sand colic.
Sally Weaver Lampson, via Facebook

Leaving my horses in someone else’s care and they ended up starving him... needless to say I care for my horses now and they never miss a meal.
Cayln Elliott, via Facebook

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
Natasha DeFeudis, via Facebook

Not having enough patience. It is easy to get frustrated on a bad day with your horse, but anger and violence never work with horses and never will. Its important to learn how to step back when you start to get angry and re-evaluate the situation and try to find a positive way to get your point across.
Maria Strong-Zupan, via Facebook

Never let anyone ride your horse! No matter how experienced they say they are!
Cheryle Klein, via Facebook

Not trusting my gut as to what was right for my horse. I am his voice, and I must speak up for him.
Trish Muskus, Florida

Having a “trainer” tell me how to ride/ fix problems on my horse when she was too afraid and inexperienced to ride her own horse. Once I saw her in action at her barn, I began to realize she had no idea what she was doing.
Dee Kellner, via Facebook

From a trainer’s point of view, I have learned to take boarders that trust in me that I have their horses and their own best interest at heart, listen to what my team (vet, farrier) says and take a consultation lesson with me before they make the move. Not everyone “meshes” and it’s a big decision.
Tulip Pond Farm, via Facebook

My biggest mistake was using a General Large Animal Veterinary Practice. Although the primary veterinarian was a well-respected horseman, his partner was not. A dog ran into the arena and started chasing my colt. He broke free and jumped out of the arena and slammed into the barn wall! He took a couple of seconds to get up. My least favorite vet that showed up. At the time I thought we did proper treatment. We did take x-rays, but he did not recommend splinting. Later he called and told me that the x-rays where okay. I did ask him to get his partner to look at them, but I didn’t hear anything. By Saturday night I was greatly concerned and I called in an Equine Specialist. Repeat digital X-rays did show a fracture! With his age, there was a decent chance with surgery. But this colt had heavy halter breeding, so his weight at that time was a concern (over 650 pounds). After a stiff splint was applied we drove him the 2 hours to the recommended University, but too much damage had been done and they we not able to approximate the fracture. Hard lesson learned, I should have immediately called the Equine Specialist when the Cow Vet showed up! To this day I only use Equine Vets and refuse to allow any vet I don’t trust on my property.
Jan Makens, via Facebook

My biggest mistake was not knowing the signs of Cushing’s disease. Neither the vet nor farrier caught the signs of foot trouble and thyroid issues (although they were separate from the Cushings). He went probably more than a year untreated. If I had known the symptoms, I would have gotten him tested. His last four years were very expensive, but I learned so much about him and diseases and ailments that I wouldn’t have given it up. He ended up passing (via euthanasia) last March because his arthritis had gotten too painful after three months of quarantine due to Strangles... But that’s another lesson.
Gina Hoeft, via Facebook

Pay the veterinarian. Other opinions are just that.
Kevin Cottrell, via Facebook

My biggest mistake in horse care when I was starting out was not finding a great coach to show me the way. If you work with the wrong people and don’t ask questions, you do yourself and all your horses a big disservice. Safety is overlooked, nutrition can be overlooked and bad habits are developed. My advice is to find a great coach or mentor who is certified or highly qualified to show you the ropes, so you don’t miss out on the right experiences.
Claire Ziff, Alberta

Read more answers to this question in the June 2013 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

PRCA members 21 years of age and older interested in applying can log on to the Pendleton Whisky website beginning Monday, May 20 at noon EST. Applicants must compete in at least two events consisting of one rough stock event and one timed event, and display Pendleton Whisky brand values including integrity and hard work. Applications will be accepted through Friday, September 20.Those selected to participate in the 2013 Pendleton Whisky Legendary Cowboy program will receive a $100 gas card and an official Pendleton Whisky Legendary Cowboy patch.

“Cowboys who compete at both ends of the arena today are rare, and we want to recognize those who are up to the challenge,” said Ron Dodge, Hood River Distillers president and CEO. “We are looking forward to the possibilities of this program and supporting those true, all-around cowboys.”

Pendleton Whisky, born of the rich tradition of one of the oldest and most prestigious rodeos in the world, was uniquely founded in history and heritage. The Pendleton Whisky Legendary Cowboy program was established to continue those rich traditions and heritage by identifying all-around cowboys to further promote the brand in the western lifestyle industry.

For more information, please visit www.pendletonwhisky.com. For more news from Pendleton Whisky, find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PendletonWhisky.

About Pendleton Whisky

Pendleton^® Whisky is imported, bottled and marketed by Hood River Distillers of Hood River, Ore., and is available nationwide. The oak barrel-aged whisky uses glacier-fed spring water from Oregon’s Mt. Hood and is known for its uncommonly smooth taste and rich, complex flavor. Pendleton Whisky is the official spirit of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and the presenting sponsor of the All American ProRodeo Series, which includes 400-plus PRCA rodeos.

About Hood River Distillers

Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Hood River, Ore., Hood River Distillers is the Northwest’s largest and oldest importer, producer, bottler, and marketer of distilled spirits. Pendleton^® Whisky, 1910 Rye Whisky, Broker’s^® London Dry Gin, SinFire^™ Cinnamon Whisky, Yazi^® Ginger Vodka, ULLR^® Nordic Libation, HRD^® Vodka, Lucid^® Absinthe Supérieure, and the complete line of Monarch^® distilled spirits are just a few of the company’s brands distributed across the country. Hood River Distillers is a member of the Century Council and promotes responsible drinking habits. For more information, visit www.hrdspirits.com.

Madison Harris is a senior at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, studying Business Management. As team member of the Berry Hunt Seat team, Madison has held the captain's position of Historian for 3 years as well. On top of team, riding her Appendix Quarter Horse mare, Sassie, and participating in the IHSA Media Internship, she also started and manages her own photography business called MHarris Photography. Photography and horses are two of her passions and she is incredibly excited to be helping out with the Practical Horseman coverage this year in Harrisburg.

Nicole Mandracchia has been riding for over 10 years and is a working student at James and Robin Fairclough’s Top Brass Farm in Newton, New Jersey. She helps tend to the farm's 25 driving and jumping horses. She grooms and shows at major horse shows on the East Coast, such as HITS Saugerties and Ocala, Garden State, the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show, the Pennsylvania National and Lake Placid. She attends Centenary College and is the senior captain of the IHSA team where she has been competing in the Open level for four years. Nicole is planning to graduate in May 2013 with an Equine Studies degree with a concentration in Communications.

For the latest results and information about the 2013 IHSA Nationals, click HERE. Watch live streaming of all the action HERE.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Nicole Mandracchia's Blog: Final Hunt Seat Day at IHSA Nationals: I heard one of my favorite songs, “Titanium” by Sia, come over the loudspeaker this morning while all our horses were out schooling. I sang along with it for a few bars and then turned to one of my teammates with a smile. “It’s going to be a good day—this is a good song.” He looked at me like I was crazy, but I was getting good vibes.

As the saying goes, it ain’t over until it’s over. It seemed as though Centenary’s luck finally turned around today. Senior Cori Reich won the coveted USEF/Cacchione Cup title, something she has been working very hard for. This is the third time in five years that a Centenary rider has claimed this title; graduate Lindsay Clark won it in 2009 and graduate Marissa Cohen won in 2011.

It was so stressful listening to the announcer list the riders’ names in reverse order of placing during the awards presentation. Our entire team was there to cheer for her when her name was called in first place—we were all in tears. After all the ribbon pictures were taken, we stormed into the arena and enveloped her in a group hug. There are so many of us that I’m sure it looked like a stampede! Cori is amazing and we are so proud of her.

Our Open Flat rider, junior Kathryn Haley, scored a win for us in Team Open Flat. The judges did not call the riders back for further testing like they did last year. Instead, they asked the riders to drop their stirrups to the right and perform flatwork without them, including a lengthening of stride at the canter. Katie rode beautifully and with the same grace and poise that she always has. I wish I could flat as well as she can!

That win brought us to a tie with Goucher College for 5^th overall in the team placings, which was the same placing we received last year. Being one of the top five teams in the country is pretty good and we’ll definitely take it! Skidmore and St. Lawrence deserved the win—their riders were exceptional all week. Stanford University jumped to the Reserve Championship, which was great for them! The Savannah College of Art and Design was third and Mount Holyoke was fourth.

The show always does three sportsmanship awards to recognize three individuals who have worked hard all week to make Nationals possible. Rebecca Folk of Lafayette College won the Rider Award, Erin Githens of Lafayette College won the Coach Award and Centenary’s very own Amy Gregonis won the Volunteer Award. Congratulations to them—all were very deserving!

There’s also a Horse of the Show award given to the horse that has been the most consistent all week and has been a favorite among riders and coaches. Centenary’s King won this award, and he proudly posed in the winner’s circle. He will receive free SmartPaks for a year and won a beautiful bridle, which we want him to wear in his lessons every day. Centenary has had King for 7 years, and he has been such a great addition to our program. He has taught countless riders how to ride and always comes to Nationals with us. He also does ANRC Nationals, IDA shows at Centenary, IHSA shows at Centenary and Hunter/Jumper team shows. He a professional and knows his job well.

After the award presentations, we packed up our equipment and horses to go home. This was the last IHSA show of my college career—I graduate from Centenary in two weeks. It’s so surreal and I do not know where the past four years have gone. IHSA has been a part of my college career from day 1; I have always been committed to our team. I have learned so many essential riding skills competing in IHSA shows in Zone 3, Region 3. As a captain, I’ve learned the value of teamwork and how to run horse shows successfully and efficiently. I have learned how to get the best out of my team and encourage them to work hard and never give up. I’ve made so many life-long friends that I will never forget and will always keep in touch with. And most importantly, I’ve learned horsemanship skills that will last a lifetime.

Ultimately, we had a great year and that’s all that really matters. We were undefeated, winning every show all semester and we claimed the Zone 3 Finals Championship. None of Centenary’s success would have been possible without the help of all 60 people on our team, and I thank each and every one of them for one of the best years our team has ever had. I can’t thank our coaches Michael Dowling and Heather Clark enough for all their support and dedication to the team. All those no-stirrup lessons and practices ultimately made us stronger riders. It has been an honor to work with each member of this team, and I hope that they will learn as much from IHSA as I did.

2013 IHSA Nationals ended in a tie this year between Skidmore and St. Lawrence. Both coaches had wonderful things to say about the other team. Mary Drueding (St. Lawrence): "I'd rather share than lose the title. I'm incredibly proud of Zone 2 in itself. We have strong riders, strong coaches, and we all fight until the 8th class on the last day." Belinda (Asst. Coach of Skidmore): "This was a really special camaraderie and we're both thrilled to share the title within Zone 2."

© Madison Harris

I have to share this photo of my own team, Berry College, who claimed 6th place today. On a personal note, we have fought the past three years of my college career to reach Nationals and haven't made it as a team past Zones. This year, after an undefeated season, my team made it to Nationals. I have never been a part of such a hard-working and supportive group of people before and I was proud to watch them accomplish this goal. This was probably the greatest present I could've received at the end of my senior year. Go Vikings!

© Madison Harris

King, the Dutch Warmblood from Centenary College, won Champion Hunt Seat Horse of 2013 Nationals. What a beautiful guy!

© Madison Harris

I had the chance for a quick word with Peter Leone after the Cacchione Cup final. He stated: "The Cacchione final testing was Maclay caliber of skill. All the coaches and teams should be incredibly proud of their riders. I was impressed."

© Madison Harris

We have some fantastic video footage provided from a number of sources this week!

© Madison Harris

Running the in-gate at a horse show, especially Nationals, takes a large amount of skill and multitasking. I caught our manager, Chris Mitchell, in the middle of a vary precarious situation involving the balance of coffee and calling riders.

© Madison Harris

Everyone has a tendency to stop and check out the coveted Hunt Seat National Champion trophy, I know I have a couple of times.

© Madison Harris

Meet Lucy! Lucy is a 12 year old, Dutch Warmblood, who is owned by the United States Military Academy. After speaking to her owners, Lucy was found by a friend of the family and shared with them her remarkable talent as a jumper. Lucy has been a show-favorite this week due to her floppy ears as she listens to her riders. As her owner said: "She's known for it, and sometimes you can't really help how big your head is!"

© Madison Harris

While we're here with our teammates cheering us on, we have a tendency to forget how proud our parents are of us. As our number one fans since we start our careers, countless hours are spent watching ringside. They stick with us through the highs and lows, the falls, the smiles, and most of all, the moments that matter most. I had the pleasure of capturing Flavia D'urso's father watching from the gate as Flavia received her Champion ribbon in Collegiate Open Equitation Over Fences for Skidmore College. Not a single person could help but smile as he pointed her out in excitement and pride.

© Madison Harris

The final 10 riders from the Cacchione Cup line up for the awards ceremony.

© Madison Harris

Peter Leone is present today at Nationals. Winning riders have been awarded his "Show Jumping Clinic" book as a prize here. All 10 of the Cacchione riders received a book as a token of competition. Peter is a Member of the United States Equestrian Team and has represented the United States on numerous occasions including in 1982 when he helped the U.S. finish fourth in the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland, and in 1996 when he and Crown Royal Legato were part of the USET's Silver Medal team at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

© Madison Harris

Cori Reich, of Centenary College, becomes emotional as she is left standing in the lineup as the winner of the 2013 Cacchione Cup. After finishing 15th last year in the Cacchione Cup, Reich was ecstatic with this accomplishment. Speaking to her after the awards, she "thanked Heather and Michael for pushing her incredibly hard and expecting a lot out of her and her teammates. That's how accomplishments are made."

© Madison Harris

The Cacchione Cup is a wrap! Final standings were: Cori Reich, from Centenary (Champion), Flavia D'Urso, from Skidmore (Reserve Champion) and Blake Roberts from Virginia Intermont (Third).

© Madison Harris

Here's the mounting arena where the riders meet their horses. Afterward they make the walk through the tunnel to the competition arena.

© Madison Harris

Carrots, apples and peppermint candies will pique the interest of most horses who like treats, but there’s no reason to stop there. Just for fun, try experimenting with other tasty tidbits your horse might like as an occasional snack.

• Fruits: bananas, watermelon rinds, mangoes without the seeds, grapes, raisins, fruit juices

• Vegetables: peas, green beans, lettuce, celery, pumpkins

• Other: bread, bagels, cake or pastries (without chocolate, cinnamon or poppy seeds); pretzels, corn chips or potato chips; pasta; eggs; dried pinto, red or fava beans (but these are better cooked); beer

To be safe, cut or break treats into pieces of two inches or less; offer no more than one or two bites of a new snack on the first try, and then never feed more than two pounds at once. Also avoid offering sweet treats to obese horses or those with insulin resistance.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #427.

This is a story of a stupid mistake---one that led to a terrifying accident that could easily have cost my horse’s life. I still get anxious thinking about what happened that day, and part of me would like to forget it entirely, but I think it’s important to share my story. My goal is to remind people not to fall into bad habits or to forget that horses---even those you know and trust---are large, powerful and unpredictable animals.

My husband, Kurt, and I own a few acres in Columbia, Missouri, that gives us just enough space to keep a small herd for our family to enjoy. Our setup isn’t fancy, but it serves us well.

For my birthday one year Kurt built me a small but cozy barn that included one very large 10- by 20-foot stall and a smaller 10- by 10-foot stall. The walls are four feet of tongue-and-groove boards topped with vertical metal bars. The gaps between the bars are small---only 2  inches---but they allow plenty of light and air to flow through.

At the time of the accident we owned three horses: Cloud, a registered Quarter Horse gelding; Britches, a 12-year-old Haflinger gelding; and Jiffy, a 3-year-old Welsh pony cross. I’d bought Cloud just a year before; I’d been looking for a smallish, well-trained, unflappable horse, and he was a perfect fit. He was years younger and only slightly taller than Britches, so I didn’t anticipate my new horse would have any problems settling in. I was right. Britches took an immediate liking to Cloud, and they became good friends.

During the day, the three horses could come and go into the barn and stalls at will. I’d often find Cloud and Britches dozing together in the larger stall. To accommodate them at feeding time, I hung grain tubs at opposite ends of the larger stall and one in the smaller stall, for Jiffy, and I’d let Cloud and Britches eat their meal together.

Occasionally, I’d lock the two of them in the stall together for short periods of time--never longer than it took to receive a hay delivery or mow the fields. Neither horse had ever shown any aggression toward the other, and the stall-sharing arrangement worked well.

Until one day, it didn’t.

One Saturday morning in September 2009 I went out to await a shipment of hay. To get the horses out of the way I dumped a handful of grain into each corner feeder. Just as he always had, Cloud walked into the large stall and went to the far corner to
eat. Britches ambled in after him and went to his own corner, while Jiffy headed into the small stall. I then closed both doors.

Moments later I heard a horrible ruckus, and I spun around just in time to see Cloud kicking out at Britches with both hind legs. The kicks were high and powerful. There was no doubt he meant business. As Cloud backed up to take aim again, the pony scooted out of his way.

Cloud’s next kick missed Britches and landed squarely on the stall bars, four feet above the floor. His left rear hoof struck the metal with such force that it bent the bars just enough to allow his foot to slip through. His leg immediately dropped to the surface of the wooden wall, leaving Cloud standing on three legs, with his left hind stretched backward and upward, his hoof trapped between two thick metal bars. It happened in a split second.

Cloud panicked. He lunged forward and back, trying to pull his hoof free. With each attempt to back up, he pushed his leg into the adjacent stall almost to his hock. Then he’d scramble forward, scraping his skin down to the fetlock. Each time he lunged, it seemed he could rip his foot right off. It was horrifying to watch, and I was sure he was going to break his leg.

Two factors probably saved Cloud that day. One was that I had my cell phone in my pocket, and the second was that Kurt was home. He came running from the house as soon as I called him. I opened the stall door to let Britches out and tried to calm Cloud from a distance, but I didn’t want to get too close. He was wild-eyed with fear and pain.

With one glance at the situation Kurt sprinted to the garage and came back with a pry bar to widen the gap for Cloud’s foot. But he couldn’t get the leverage he needed to bend the bars.

Cloud’s panicky, crazed lunging continued, and his leg was becoming a bloody, raw mess. I feared he was stripping his flesh to the bone.

Kurt then ran into the adjacent stall and grabbed Cloud’s trapped hoof. I have no idea how he managed to hold onto it as Cloud continued to struggle, but he did. Arm muscles bulging, he lifted the gelding’s hoof high enough to reach the slight gap where the bars had been bent by the impact of the kick. Lifting the leg to such a steep angle must have caused Cloud intense pain. But with a mighty shove, and aided by a final lunge forward, Kurt forced Cloud’s hoof back through the bars.

The leg had been trapped for maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

Damage done
Cloud stood alone in the large stall, holding the injured limb in the air, his blood streaming down and pooling on the stall floor. With shaking hands, I called our veterinary clinic, and within 15 minutes Tawna Purcell, DVM, arrived at the farm.

Purcell listened carefully to our account as she examined Cloud’s leg. Then she gave him an injection of a sedative, xylazine. If his leg was injured and he placed his full weight on it in a fit of panic, he could make the situation much worse.

Within a few minutes, Cloud relaxed and rested the hoof gingerly on the ground. Purcell gave him an injection of phenylbutazone to control his pain and the inflammation, then she palpated and flexed his leg, looking for any indication of fracture, such as an area of extreme swelling or tenderness. Nothing made her immediately suspect a bone or joint injury, although that didn’t mean he didn’t have one; if he did, it just wasn’t obvious.

Next she began cleaning Cloud’s wounds, which, it turned out, looked worse than they actually were. In fact, most were just superficial abrasions that hadn’t removed any more than the top layer of skin. One deeper cut midway between his hock and fetlock gaped open and bled freely, but no bones or tendons were visible.

By the time Purcell was finished, Cloud’s leg looked much better, and he was bearing weight on it, but we were not yet out of danger. Cloud showed signs of pain as his fetlock joint was flexed, which, Purcell explained, might indicate some fractures in the area. Another possibility was that he avulsed a collateral ligament of the fetlock joint---in other words, pulled the ligament free from the bone. She took a series of radiographs of his pastern, fetlock and cannon bone to view later at the office.

Purcell covered Cloud’s wounds with Thermazene, a silver sulfadiazine-based antibiotic wound cream, and wrapped his leg from hock to hoof. Then, to protect his lower leg in case he had sustained serious bone or tendon injury, she used layers and layers of padding to create a thick Robert Jones bandage. She also applied a standing wrap to support Cloud’s uninjured right rear leg--sometimes, horses who injure one leg and are forced to bear a disproportionate amount of weight on the opposite side may develop laminitis in the “good” foot. Purcell left me a tube of phenylbutazone with instructions to continue administering it over the
coming days.

Rest and recuperation
Within an hour Purcell called to say that the radiographs showed no evidence of fractures or avulsions. That was wonderful news. But she did warn me that Cloud might have strained his ligaments by pulling so hard with his leg locked in such a high position. She suggested I keep him in his stall and leave the bandage on until she returned on Monday morning. I was to remove the bandage only if I saw any swelling of the leg in the region above the wraps.

Cloud was miserable confined to his stall. I spent most of the next day with him, brushing his beautiful coat, combing his tail, feeding him carrots, and wondering whether he would recover. I examined the leg above his hock so many times, I think I burned the image into my retina. The more I looked at it, the more I imagined it was puffing up. But Kurt, who came out to check on us four or five times that day, reassured me that the leg was not swollen.

Purcell removed the thick bandage when she returned on Monday morning, which was a bit dicey because the gauze pads were stuck to the wounds, but Cloud didn’t put up much of a fuss. I then walked him carefully around the exam area. To everyone’s relief, he was reasonably sound, considering what he had been through.

After examining the leg again and watching him move, Purcell said she doubted Cloud had sustained any serious injuries to his bones, ligaments or joints. His slight lameness, she said, was most likely the result of lingering pain from sore muscles he’d sustained during his struggle against the bars.

Still, we weren’t entirely out of the woods. As Purcell rebandaged Cloud, she said that we would have to wait to see if he developed a bony sequestrum. Sometimes, she explained, significant trauma bruises and kills a portion of a bone, which separates from the parent bone. The body treats that fragment of dead bone as a foreign object and tries to get rid of it--the signs are a horribly swollen leg and lameness that develops anywhere from one to three weeks after the initial injury.

The only treatment for a sequestrum is to surgically remove the dead bone fragment. Although Purcell assured me that the procedure is fairly straightforward and usually successful, we both hoped to avoid this complication.

Full recovery
Cloud was unhappy the next day, Tuesday. He’s not accustomed to confinement, and he paced in his stall all day. I gave him all the good-quality hay he wanted, but I could see that he was already losing weight.

Purcell came back on Wednesday to change the bandage. She had offered to show me how to do it myself, but I was too afraid I’d miss something, or wrap him too loosely or too tightly. The visit went smoothly, and Purcell told me I could begin hand-walking Cloud twice a day, which would help him cope with stall confinement.

She returned again late the next day and was pleased when she removed the bandage---the abrasions were healing nicely. She rewrapped both hind legs with plain standing wraps and turned Cloud loose in the ring for the first time since his accident. He cantered and bucked and had a great time. He was still noticeably lame at the trot, but Purcell said that was not surprising. He was probably still sore.

It was now up to me to take on cleaning, medicating and rewrapping Cloud’s leg every day. His wounds continued to heal well, and he was getting sounder, although I worried he was getting depressed because he couldn’t yet join his herdmates.

Purcell returned for a follow-up check when Cloud’s injury was two weeks old. The skin was nearly healed, but he had developed a two-inch horizontal crack on the outside of his injured hoof. Purcell explained that a cut on the coronary band probably disrupted the hoof growth in that area for a short time. She told us to keep an eye on the crack, but she suspected it would grow out of his hoof without causing any real troubles.

Cloud was still slightly “off,” but Purcell suggested I start light riding so he could stretch and strengthen his sore muscles. That Saturday and Sunday, I got on Cloud bareback and ambled quietly around the ring. On Monday, I trotted him under saddle, and he was sound.

We still had a few anxious weeks ahead of us, waiting for the dreaded sequestrum to appear, but Cloud continued to stay sound. Our farrier kept a close eye on the hoof crack, but it required no special treatment as it progressed down his hoof over the
following months.

Three years later, the only tangible reminder of that terrifying day is a single, very small scar midway down Cloud’s back leg. But we cannot forget what could have happened: If Cloud had slipped and fallen while trapped, his leg could have snapped, or he could have dislocated joints, torn ligaments or stripped flesh down to the bone.

We were very lucky, and for that we remain grateful.

Why did Cloud attack Britches? We’ll never know. But one thing is for sure: I’ll never again make the mistake of putting two horses in the same stall, no matter how friendly they are.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #427.

Recently, a friend told me she was having trouble finding a trainer to start her 9-year-old horse under saddle. One refused to take on the horse without giving any reason, then another told her that horses were no longer trainable after they turned 9. This surprised us both: Neither of us considers a 9-year-old horse to be “old.”

I am well aware of the prejudice against training older horses who’ve never been ridden or those still considered “green.” However, as founder and president of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society in Waco, Texas, I have had the opportunity to work with such horses, and I can assure you that there’s no particular age at which it’s too late to start a horse. They’re all individuals---some young horses can be quite a handful, while some older ones settle right into their new jobs.

In fact, I’ve found that most older horses are more than capable of learning new skills or unlearning bad habits. Plus, they offer some important advantages that younger horses do not:

• Unless they were abused or totally neglected, older horses---even the untrained ones---often have a “been there, done that” attitude that enables them to stay calm in new situations. They’ve seen more of the world than younger horses have, and this, in many cases, allows your training to progress much more quickly.

• The personality of an older horse is already defined, so you know what you have to work with. However, this does mean that you need to carefully evaluate the personality of an older horse before committing to him, because he’s not likely to change. For
instance, work and experience may help eliminate spookiness, but an older horse who is more reactive and hotter than others will probably stay that way.

• Older horses have reached their full height, and any conformation problems will have shown up already. You won’t be left guessing what they’ll look like when they’re done maturing.

• The mental maturity of an older horse gives him a longer attention span. He’ll retain more from longer, more in-depth training sessions than a younger horse would.

• In most parts of the country you can probably acquire an untrained older horse for free or nearly nothing. Once you’ve invested your time in training, you may end up with a much nicer horse than you could normally afford.

Also remember that, thanks to improved nutrition and veterinary care, a horse in his late teens or 20s these days can still be in great physical shape. Riders who don’t mind putting in a little effort can often get a nice horse that they can enjoy for many years, for very little money.

Considering all of this, I would encourage anyone with time and training experience to take a chance on a slightly older horse, even if that horse has no or very limited experience under saddle. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure that your horse will be physically capable of participating in your chosen discipline (see “Health Check,” page 64). Then, consider whether you have the time, patience and experience you’ll need for the type of older horse you’re considering: There’s a huge difference between an older horse who has never been handled, one who has been handled badly, and one who has been handled well. Although I believe that any horse can be trained, some will take longer than others.

To help illustrate the challenges and rewards of working with older green horses, here are a few examples of some I’ve met who have gotten fresh starts later in life.

Jericho: Overcoming poor handling
Jericho was about 15 and still a stallion when he was discovered wandering back county roads. We can’t say for sure that he was abused, but it was clear that whatever handling he’d had wasn’t consistent. He had learned to get his way by pinning his ears and snapping. After he was gelded, his foster caretakers had to act as if he’d never been trained at all to relay a foundation of respect, working hard to establish good manners on the ground and to teach him that biting isn’t acceptable. Because he was so set in his ways, it took many, often trying, weeks to work through his bad habits. But once he was behaving better in hand,a trainer was able to begin preparing him for work under saddle. Jericho is ridable, and because of that it will be easier to find him a stable home, but he’s probably always going to be a handful, so he’ll need to be placed with experienced handlers.

The difficulty you’ll have training an older horse depends in large part on the handling he has previously received. Three types of handling in particular may increase the training challenge.

• Harsh discipline--immediate, forceful punishment for any misbehavior---may not necessarily be abusive, but it can produce a timid horse who is scared of making mistakes. He may be constantly waiting for you to come down hard on him, and it can take months of consistent, kind handling before he begins to trust you. This type of horse often benefits from a lot of handling on the ground before he’s started under saddle. You still need to discipline misbehavior, but you also need to give the horse a chance to do well and reward him promptly when he does the right thing.

• Inconsistent handling often results in a spoiled horse who doesn’t know how to behave. Although these horses were sometimes disciplined for poor behavior, at other times they were allowed to have their own way without consequences. These horses will try your patience with repeated attempts to test their limits. They benefit from consistent handling during groundwork to teach them that misbehavior is always disciplined but that good behavior is also rewarded.

• Abused horses are the hardest to train. Fortunately, outright abuse, where the horse has been repeatedly beaten or even tortured, is very rare. Some horses fight to save themselves in the face of abuse, and it can be hard to stop fighting. They’re the ones who become dangerous to handle: Their immediate first reaction to anything they don’t like is to kick, strike or bite. If you find yourself with a horse like this on your hands, seek professional help. It takes a lot of consistent and careful handling to help these horses overcome their past, and they can be dangerous until they learn to trust humans again. Occasionally, a horse like this has been so traumatized that he can never recover.

Other horses react to abuse by shutting down emotionally and not responding to anything. They simply stand and take whatever their abuser dishes out. One effective approach is to simply spend time near these horses without handling them, and then to work with them consistently on the ground. The length and degree of the abuse these horses endured will affect how long it takes them to begin trusting you.

Windy: An adorable blank slate
Windy, a pinto pony---probably about 10 years old---was halter broke when she arrived at our rescue, but it was clear that that was about the extent of her training. She was spoiled and pushy, and she had most likely always gotten away with her bad behavior because she was so cute and little.

Our trainer spent several sessions just teaching her ground manners, but once Windy got those down, her training went quickly. Because she had seen more of the world, she was quieter and more settled than a younger horse would have been, and she adapted quickly to work under saddle. It didn’t take many months before Windy was ready to be placed with a family, and today she’s being ridden, doted upon and loved by small children.

Mature horses with little or no prior handling can be a challenge and take quite a while to train. The tougher cases are the mustangs or other feral horses who have never seen people before. They need to be accustomed to human handling before you can begin any real training, and the longer a horse has lived on his own, the harder it will be to gentle him. His sense of self-preservation grows each year, and he is going to be likely to flee anything he deems scary.

That said, feral horses can be gentled at an older age, but I find that they often remain highly reactive for the rest of their lives, even if they’re successfully trained to ride. In the beginning, these horses are more likely to try to jump or run through a fence to get away from you. You need to keep them in an enclosure with a stout fence that’s at least six feet high and made of horse-safe panels attached to wooden posts, woven wire hung on posts, or strong boards.

Horses who have been kept around people, just never handled, can still be a challenge, but they’re far easier to train than truly feral ones. You don’t have to worry about introducing them to the sight of people before you can start working with them. However, it’s still a good idea to keep them confined to a smaller pen with six-foot fencing because they can be prone to trying to flee when you begin to put pressure on them.

Halter breaking is the first step with a horse like this before you proceed to other groundwork, and this can take much longer than it does with a younger horse. But once they’ve accepted a halter, their under-saddle training tends to advance pretty quickly.

One advantage of working with an older green horse is that you don’t have to worry about overcoming someone else’s training mistakes. He’s a blank slate, as it were, for you to make your mark on.

Hermes: Building on a solid foundation
Hermes was a neglect case. When we picked him up, the 13- to 15-year-old stallion was emaciated and needed time to recover his health, but it was obvious he had been well handled at one point in his life. He led, stood tied and knew how to longe. He behaved himself around other horses and respected his handler’s personal space. Once Hermes gained weight and was gelded, I started working with him. Because he had such a good foundation, his retraining went quickly. I taught him to carry a saddle and bridle in no time. He went to a trainer for a few weeks, and everyone who met him was amazed at his progress. But the training he had years before was so good, it only needed to be uncovered for him to excel. Hermes was quickly adopted by a family as a show horse for their daughters.

Older horses who have had positive prior experiences are the easiest ones to train, even if they haven’t been ridden or worked with in years. Since they haven’t been mishandled, there are no bad habits or associations to overcome. They’re used to people and know what to expect from them and are generally trusting. Chances are, they’re already used to the routines of domestic life: farrier visits, veterinary exams, being caught and haltered, etc.

As long as this type of horse is physically capable, you can begin working with them right away. These horses often progress quickly through the groundwork stages: learning (or relearning) to longe, carry a saddle and carry a bridle fairly quickly.
Many older horses who were handled well previously also take to a rider without much fuss. They are a delight to work with.

There is a potential pitfall to these easygoing older guys, however. They can lull you into a sense of complacency. You’ll never want to forget that this is still a green and inexperienced horse. He may still become frightened, confused or spook. It’s only fair to give him the same level of understanding when he makes a mistake that you’d give a 4-year-old. Similarly, it can be easy to push these horses too fast. Remember that’s he’s still learning skills, even if he seems to be picking them up very fast. Don’t cut corners or skip steps in his training or you may end up with a resistant, cranky horse despite his great foundation.

Ask your friends if they’d be interested in a 10-year-old green-broke horse and you’re likely to be met with a few suspiciously raised eyebrows. It’s a natural reaction to assume something must be very wrong with a horse who makes it so far in life without more than just basic training. But the harsh reality is many older horses weren’t lucky enough to have a complete or quality education in their younger years.

This doesn’t mean they can never be useful mounts. In fact, many turn out to be terrific. If you think you have the resources and patience to take on an older green horse, I’d encourage you to, creating your own success story to share.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #427.

Her base of support is OK, but she needs to be on guard against dropping back into her saddle too early. Her buttocks are very close to her saddle, and if she drops her seat at the apex of the jump, her horse’s back is punished.

Her posture—her back and shoulders—is correct, and her head is up. I think her eyes would be up, too, but the photographer seems to have caught her blinking.

I never mind seeing a rider grab mane, as that is far preferable to grabbing the horse in his mouth. However, I should not be able to see her right hand crossing over the left side of her horse’s neck. If her horse drifts right, she should use a left opening rein and right leg to correct him, rather than trying to neck-rein a correction.

This horse has an uneven front end, which is a shame because he is a round and powerful jumper. However, as this rider is much more advanced than the novices earlier in this column, she might be able to sharpen him up. She should jump him over small verticals and parallel oxers, on circles and figure eights, to get him into the habit of jerking both his front legs high. The gag bit indicates that he might be heavy in front and hard to balance, so that probably increases his tendency to land and use her hand as a fifth leg. She might experiment with different bits to help lighten him, but she should take care not to overflex him or ride him too low.

This horse is in good weight, but the turnout on him and his rider is rather rustic and without polish. They are prepared for a working session only.

This article originally appeared in the June 2008 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. Is this photo of you? Email Practical.Horseman@EquiNetwork.com, and we'll identify you!

The four exercises that comprise Gymnastic 1 will fit comfortably in a 75 x 150-foot (22.8 m x 45.7 m) arena.

After you have warmed your horse up at the walk, trot and canter, then trot into the exercise marked A in the diagram on page 19. Cavalletti set at this distance will produce a working trot for most horses. These exercises are all designed for horses with some jumping experience. If your horse is extremely green, he probably should not be attempting this exercise yet. However, if he is slightly inexperienced or is an experienced jumper but has not done much work over cavalletti, you can pull the first and third poles in towards the centerline of the arena. This will produce a 9-foot (2.7 m) distance between two poles. Horses find this exercise easier and will soon become stable and regular at the trot, which is always your goal. You can then put the four poles together as shown in the diagram and work in both directions over four of them on the ground. After you have established your horse’s balance and rhythm here, you can proceed to the curved poles in Exercise B.

At the posting trot, proceed on a circle in either direction though B. Keep your horse’s direction adjusted so that the length of his step on the curve feels the same as it did over A.

Once you and your horse have become adept at this, you can then start to enter, for example, closer to the 3-foot (90 cm) end of the poles where the distance is shorter, and then let your horse angle away from the center of the circle. This will cause him to go from a working trot to a medium trot or possibly, if your angle becomes too great, even take a couple of steps of extended trot. If your horse takes two steps between the poles or breaks into a canter, you have probably asked too much flexibility from him. Aim closer to the 3-foot (90 cm) end of the curve, and enter B again at the posting trot.

Alternatively, you can enter from the outside of B, where the rails are farther apart. This will cause your horse to take quite a large step at first. Guide your horse toward the 3-foot (90 cm) distance between the last two poles. This will bring your horse back to a working, or even a slightly collected, trot. Having worked in both directions over B, including being able to angle both ways, you can then proceed to Exercise C.

The poles positioned at C will produce the sensation of an extended trot and you may find that your horse cannot reach enough in his fourth step to get out over the last pole without “chipping in” an additional step. Simply remove the last pole and continue. You will find that, after a couple of days’ work over cavalletti, your horse gets the message and you can replace the fourth pole. You should work in both directions over the 5-foot (1.5 m) poles at C until your horse can maintain his regularity and length of step.

After a short break, proceed to Exercise D.

These four rails on the ground, set at 4 feet (1.2 m) apart, will produce a collected trot. Although this exercise can be ridden either posting or sitting, you should definitely use a rising trot until your horse becomes adjusted to them. Using rising, rather than sitting, trot encourages your horse to lift his back while he elevates his step. In addition, it will be less complicated and will allow you to work on his cadence, rather than worrying about your position. Again, work both ways through D until your horse is relaxed and steady in his balance and rhythm. He should be able to deal with the rails without any interruption in the flow of his movement, changing only the length of his step to adapt to the various distances that you have put in his path.

After another break, you can now link these four elements together in order to produce various transitions that will be of great benefit in teaching your horse to be flexible. For example, enter A on the right hand in a working trot, where the rails are 4-foot-six (1.35m) apart. As you leave A, turn right in such a fashion that you produce an arc through B that causes your horse to change the length of his step from working to collected trot. In other words, start exercise B from the outside in. This will put your horse into a slightly collected frame. Proceed directly then to C, which will produce an extended trot. After the extended trot at C, turn right and enter the shorter cavalletti at D.

If your horse has difficulty with this, you can do A, B and C as I have described and then, in a posting trot, circle (or repeat a circle until your horse has settled down to a working trot), turn and enter D, thus producing a collected trot. If you have successfully done this, walk, reward your horse and let him relax and consider his effort while you plan your next series of repetitions through these exercises. When you resume the posting trot, work in both directions and vary the relationship between the exercises to improve and confirm your horse’s flexibility.

Take a moment to remind yourself of your horse’s bad habits. If he tends to rush at the trot, he will not need too many applications of C. He should come from outside in rather from inside out at B, as this will cause him to continually rebalance and collect his step rather than rushing forward. If, on the other hand, your horse is choppy-strided or lazy, a bit more emphasis on and a few more repetitions at B, going from inside out, will teach him to lengthen his step. The total amount of exercise over these rails in any one period should not exceed 45 minutes, including the periods of rest between exercises.

Excerpted from Modern Gymnastics: Systematic Training for Jumping Horses by Jim Wofford. $24.95