advertising rates sept 08.pdf · 2020-01-17 · advertising rates effective january 1, 2008 member...

Advertising RatesEffective January 1, 2008

Member Rate Non-Member RateFront Cover $250 $300Back Cover $200 $250Inside Front/Back Cover $200 $250Full Page $45 $60Half Page $25 $401/4 Page $15 $30Breeder’s Directory (per yr) $50 $75Classified Listing $10 $25Classified w/photo $20 $40

ADVERTISEMENT GUIDELINES:If you need help with your ad please contact Desirai Schild 208-237-6413. Ads will be accepted inthe following formats: Quark Xpress, .tif, .jpg. Text files can be sent as either .doc or .rtf. Photosshould be at 300 dpi. All ad requests must be submitted to Desirai Schild at 208-237-6413 [email protected]. All ad payments should be made out to FOSH and mailed to: DesiraiSchild, P. O. Box 5429, Chubbuck, ID 83202. Templates available upon request. YEARLY RATES NOWAVAILABLE! All advertisements must be paid in advance by check, money order, credit card.

The Sound Advocate is published bi-monthly by Friends of Sound Horses, Inc. 6614 Clayton Road#105; St. Louis, MO 63117. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any mechani-cal, photographic or electronic means witout written permission of FOSH. FOSH reserves the rightto edit submissions for content, style, and space. All show results and suspensions lists are print-ed as they are received from the reporting agencies. FOSH is unable to verify that each adver-tiser is a sound horse resource whether farm, breeder, or trainer. Please research thoroughlyand always ask for references before going forward with any transaction.

POSTMASTER:Send address corrections to: Friends of Sound Horses, Inc 6614 Clayton Rd #105; St. Louis, MO 63117.

SUBSCRIBERS:The postal service does not forward magazines. If you move and do not inform us, you willnot get your magazine. Always call the office if you do not receive your magazine. Please sendany change of address to the FOSH office.

SEND YOUR ARTICLES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TO:Sandy McCart: [email protected] Schild: [email protected] Bippen: [email protected]

Friends of Sound Horses, Inc.MAILING ADDRESS:

6614 Clayton Rd #105 • St. Louis, MO 63117CONTACT INFORMATION:

800-651-7993 • [email protected] • www.fosh.info

Board of DirectorsPresident (2009) Director of Versatility & High Point (2008)Lori Northrup Sally Frones - VPEllicottvile, New York Carlton, [email protected] [email protected]

Director of Sanctioned Shows (2008) Director of Judges (2008)Desirai Schild, SA Editor (2008) Dianne Little - VPChubbuck, Idaho Calgary, Alberta, Canadadesiraischild@yahoo,com [email protected]

Public Relations; Editor (2009) Inspection Program Administration (2008)Teresa Bippen - VP Bob Blackwell - VPSt. Louis, Missouri Niangua, Missouri [email protected] [email protected]

Treasurer (2009) Secretary (2008)Rachel Hughes Maggie MacAllisterVerona, Virginia Staunton, [email protected] [email protected]

Director At Large (2007) Director At Large (2007)Bill Coon Nancy HardingHerriman, Utah Savannah, [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Advisory Committee

Karen Clark (2008) Elizabeth Jones, Editor (2007)Burley, Idaho St. Louis, [email protected] mo_writer@yahoo,com

Ann Loveless (2007) Jim Russell (2008)Middletown, Pennsylvania Tampa, [email protected] [email protected]

Fields Richardson (2008) Jim Scullin (2007)Arlington, Texas Verona, [email protected] [email protected]

Julia Tarnawski, Shows/events committee;SA ads & photos (2008)Sunland, [email protected]

Our Mission Statement

To promote “sound,” naturally gaited horses, with a specific empha-sis on Tennessee Waking Horses. (“Sound” means not sored.)

Importance is placed on education regarding the humane care,training, and treatment of all gaited horses. FOSH will only supportflat shod or barefoot horses, and will never endorse any event thatuses stacks and/or chains as action devices, nor any mechanical,chemical or artificial means to modify the natural gaits of the horse.

FOSH focuses on three areas for gaited horses:1. Educating people on sound training principles

2. Sanctioning sound shows and events3. Working to end soring

Lifetime Members

Sarah Bushong-Weeks Denver, CO

Julie Church Pagosa Springs, CO

Mary & William Church Pagosa Springs, CO

Jane Howlett Pocatella, ID

Anne Northrup Ellicottville, NY

Bucky Sparks Cortez, CO

Nancy Sparks Cortez, CO

Laura Wyant Cheshire, OR

Marcy Wadlington Canon City, CO

Leslie Weiler Pagosa Springs, CO

Anonymous Donor

Sound Advocate page 2


President’s Korner

Positive public coverage of the walking horse soringissue has been at a good roar this season. Several of theFOSH press releases recapping the statistics on the

issue have raised hackles from the Celebration, TWHBEAand the Trainers. Our latest research shows that the fivejudges chosen for the 2008 Celebration share a total of atleast 18 Horse Protection Act suspensions, and that 73% of

the 1st place winners at the 2007 Celebrations share an aver-age of 5.1 HPA suspensions. The year before it was even

higher at 85% of the 1st place winners. The AAEP equine veterinarians Tennessee Walking

Horse working group didn’t suffer any fools, and recentlypublished their strongly-worded white paper on how theindustry should clean up soring. Their strongly publicizedsupport of the horse slams the door shut on yet one moredoorway where the opposed groups thought they had coop-eration and understanding.

The Equus July issue, with a large national circulation,had a great article on soring and the Sound HorseConference, as did the American Farriers’ Journal.

We’ve had many inquiries and communications fromjournalists who are actively covering the subject this year, somore articles should be forth-coming.

FOSH has officially pressed the USDA to disallow thenewly announced Walking Horse Trainers’ Association planto create their own penalty schedule for pain reactions tohoof testers at inspections, which FOSH found to be weak-ening the penalties already prescribed in the Operating Planfor pain defined as pressure shoeing. We have also initiateda joint letter from the sound HIOs pressing the USDA toplan for adequate enforcement to stop trailers for inspectionbefore they are allowed to leave show grounds upon thearrival of the government inspectors. We continue to keepthe pressure up on key issues pushing for more effectiveUSDA enforcement.

FOSH’s involvement in sound, gaited shows, clinics,demos and events has totaled a record number of over 60events so far for 2008. Our team has done a superb joborganizing sanctioning, affiliating and supporting theseevents: Bravo!

Plans are coming together for the 2nd Sound HorseConference, to be held March 20 and 21, 2009 in Gainesville,Florida. Please mark these two days on your calendar so youcan plan to join us. Volunteers, and suggestions for the pro-gram, are readily welcomed. Feel free to e-mail me at anytime at [email protected]. After 10 days of internationaltravel in Asia, I’m happy to be heading home to ride somehorses.

– Lori Northrup, President

FOSHFriends Yahoo GroupHas Been QuietDo you belong to the FOSHFriends Yahoo Group? If not,

please consider joining. This Internet Yahoo Group is adiscussion group for all who are supportive of FOSH, itsprinciples, goals and ideals. As a forum for the sharing ofideas on FOSH and the sound walking horse community,and a vehicle for the communication of FOSH activities, it isopen to all sound horse people.

So what goes on? Actually, it depends. Sometimes it isvery active when a question or comment touches a “hot”button and other times, especially during the busy Show sea-son, it is slower. As a member of a Yahoo group, one canrequest how one wants to receive communications. Becausethis is not an active group with hundreds of emails everymonth, I find it easier to choose the “Individual Emails”option for receiving an email of each post.

And, if you truly want to help the sound horse, a goodreason for joining FOSHFriends is because if FOSH learnsof any hot issues and big items hitting the USDA that needa quick turnaround and strong letter writing campaign, wenotify you so that you can quickly respond. We implement-ed such a campaign the second week of August to requestthe USDA to strongly enforce the Horse Protection Act dur-ing the heavy big lick show season and Celebration.

To join, visit www.yahoo.com, click on “Groups” in theleft column. Search for “FOSHFriends” and you will thenneed to subscribe by clicking on “Join this Group” in thelower right corner. From that point forward, just follow thedirections. We welcome your support and look forward toyou joining FOSHFriends.

The first everFOSHIndependent

Judges Associationclinic was held inGermany July 30-31.Dianne Little, IJADirector of Judging,Calgary, Canada, andBill Coon, Harriman,Utah, IJA judge andFOSH board member, spent six days imparting informationand instruction on the judging and training of sound horses.

The clinic came at the request of the EuropeanTennessee Walking HorseAssociation. Dianne and Bill metwith the ETWHA board and theirrules committee to discuss rules andthe impact they have on competition.

Prior to the EuropeanChampionship held in Kreuth,Germany, the ETWHA had puttogether rules for sound horses.

“In their desire for fair competi-tion, they had spent months lookingat what they didn’t like and whatthey did,” said Dianne. “They haddetermined that FOSH-IJA was agood philosophical fit for attainingtheir goal.”

Dianne said the primary chal-lenge was communication. “Most ofthe people with whom we met spokeEnglish but we didn’t speak German,”she said. “The translation from German to English was noteasy. However, through the entire process they respectedour inability to speak German and to wait for the transla-

tion.”The Europeans

were surprised byIJA judging stan-dards and thetype of horsefavored by IJA.“We were lookingat the wholehorse-mentally,physically, emo-

tionally,” Dianne said. “We were looking for horses thatwere forward moving and free-flowing. That was not the

stereotypicalvisions they hadthere of the showstyle walkinghorse.’

She said the11 participants inthe clinic weredelighted to seethe more free-flowing horsesrewarded.

She and Billworked hard to help the students understand the impor-tance of establishing very basic rules and standards for anycompetition. “If the rules are not specific enough, too muchis left to individual interpretation,” Dianne said. “Then, noone is happy with the result.”

Following the clinic, Dianne, Bill and Sandra ven derHof, Hechtel, Belguim, an IJA apprentice judge, officiatedover the Tennessee Walker segments of the two and one halfday European Championships. There were 37 walking hors-

es showing in Western, English, trail,gymkhana and halter classes. The showalso included a large number ofPeruvian Paso and Paso Fino champi-onship classes.The Europeans particularly enjoy

Western style classes, Dianne said. Theyheld an English, Western and youthchampionship. Dianne said she wasvery impressed by the youth participa-tion.“The entire experience was wonder-

ful,” she said. “Before we left, they werealready talking about when we couldreturn for another clinic in 2009.”Dianne said she has high hopes for the

horses and judging over there becausethe people have a strong commitment todeveloping an ethical and humane pro-gram.

“Horses are an international form of communication,”Dianne said. “People who respect horses and who look totreat them respectfully transcend language barriers.”


First Ever IJA Judge’sClinic Held in Germany

This Month’s Feature Story

photos courtesy Bill Coon


The FOSH Region II Championships on October 11 and12 in Columbia, Missouri being held at the Boone CountyFairgrounds is becoming “the show” event for all soundhorse exhibitors in the Midwest. Let’s explain . ..

✵ Did we mention money is involved? There is now$200 being awarded for two high point awards as aresult of a generous donation by the Peruvian HorseClub of Missouri. Here’s how it works:

$100.00 prize to the High Point OGB Horse and Rider$100.00 prize to the Most Blue Ribbon OGB Horse and Rider

✵ Did we mention more money is involved?EquiTheater with paybacks of $100, $75 and $50should pull in some great entries. If you are compet-ing in EquiTheater, don’t forget to bring along a CD(and a backup) of your music for your act.

✵ Did we mention partying is involved? Yes, a pizzaparty is planned for Saturday evening for a nominalfee so exhibitors can visit and relax and get to knoweach other again.

✵ Did we mention a silent auction? Yes, a silent auc-tion is in the works. All the details have not beenworked out, but there are high hopes this popularevent will return because it always has exhibitors inan excited state.

✵ Did we mention points? If you are a point chaser,the Regional Championship show offers doubleFOSH points (see the article in this issue on the2007 FOSH Horse of the Year) which can beapplied to being named 2008 FOSH Horse of theYear. Exhibitors will also earn points from the PonyExpress Horse Show Commission and MissouriHorse Show Association.

One class that is much anticipated is the “Heritage TWH”class which is designed to reward the truly natural TennesseeWalking Horse in all aspects—the horse that gaits with natu-ral angles and without long toes or the addition of weight.This is the horse that exemplifies the historical backgroundof the breed and horses will be evaluated on quality of gait,pleasure horse qualities, stamina and ground covering abilityregardless of style, frame or animation. Shoeing is limited tokeg shoes without trailers or caulks and barefoot horses. TheHeritage class is fairly new to the IJA Rulebook, and theRegional Championship may be the first show where thisclass has ever been offered. (This class is open to all TWHs;however, we hope you read the interesting article in this issueon the Tennessee Walking Horse Heritage Society as theywere persuasive in having this class added to the IJARulebook.)

Update on Midwest FOSH RegionalChampionship

IJA Judge Gail Stevens will be the presiding judge overthe fifty-one classes for Tennessee Walking Horses, SpottedSaddle Horses and Open Gaited Breeds with qualifying andVersatility classes on Saturday and additional Versatilityclasses (including dressage) and Championships on Sunday.

The Boone County location is a new location for a FOSHshow and costs are reasonable: $30 stall fees for the weekendwith $20 for a tack stall while RV hookups are $10 a day. Forthose of you unfamiliar with Missouri, Columbia is midwaybetween St. Louis and Kansas City with Columbia about 2 to2 ? hours west of St. Louis.

If you feel those prices are reasonable, wait until you seethe cost to sponsor a class! Only $10 to sponsor a class; $20for championship classes. The sponsorship form can bedownloaded at www.gwha.org . This is a great way to recog-nize you or your club during the Regional Championshipshow.

As predicted in the last issue, fuel prices are dropping sothere is no reason to not head to the Show Me state to catchup on some good times and show off those sound WalkingHorses!

• All Breeds welcome to compete.

• All entries must have the same horse andrider to qualify.

• Exhibitors must declare intention to com-pete by turning in official entry form, atthe PHCM prize booth (before class 10).

• Exhibitors may enter or add as manyOGB classes as they wish (3 classes prior),throughout the show.

• There is no minimum class entry require-ment.

• Best 5 classes will be used to calculatepoints.

• Ties will be broken by “next most classpoints” or “next most reds, yellows”,etc...

• Prize points will be calculated by PHCM.

OGB HIGH PONT RULES


FOSH, Friends of Sound Horses, one of the leadinghumane groups in the fight to end the illegal and cruelpractice of soring, announced an analysis of recent showring winners that provides new data to answer the ques-tion of whether soring is required to win in the WalkingHorse industry show ring.

The 1st place winners for the Tennessee WalkingHorse National Celebration Show were reviewed andanalyzed. In 2007, 73% of these individuals winning hada history of Horse Protection Act (HPA) violations, aver-aging 5.1 violations each. In 2006, 85% of these winnershad violations, averaging again 5.2 violations each.

Not only does soring appear to be commonly accept-ed, it could even be considered a “badge of honor” in thisindustry. Why else would the Walking Horse industryinvite individuals with HPA violations to serve as judges

Soring to winThe following press release was issued by FOSH on July 22, 2008. Several equine publications carried our story.

for the 2008 Celebration, the industry’s most prestigiousshow? An analysis of the violation records of this year’sjudges reveals that of the five individuals selected tojudge the 2008 Celebration, there are 18 HPA violationsshared among them.

Individuals that amass numerous HPA violationswithin a certain timeframe are subject to lengthy suspen-sions; however, that did not deter one exhibitor at the2007 Celebration from showing. While on a five yearHPA suspension, he showed and placed well enough tobe awarded a ribbon.

FOSH is a national leader in the promotion of natu-ral, sound gaited horses and in the fight against abuseand soring of Tennessee Walking Horses. For more infor-mation about FOSH, or to become a member, please visitwww.fosh.info or call 800-651-7993.

FOSH has announced the recent results of an analysis of soring violations occurring under the Horse ProtectionAct (HPA). The analysis reveals that self-regulation is not working in the Walking Horse Industry for most HorseIndustry Organizations (HIOs) and that the budget for enforcement of the HPA is not adequate.

Ineffective Self-RegulationDuring 2007, USDA officers attended only 7% of the Tennessee Walking Horse Shows

On average, the HPA violation rate for all HIOs was 15 times higher when the USDA was present

Specific HIOs’ Data During 2007 Over 5 YearsHeart of America 69 x higher rate 34 x higher rateKentucky Walking Horse Assoc. 90 x higher rate 22 x higher rateNational Horse Show Comm. 7 x higher rate 9 x higher rateSpotted Saddle Horse Assoc. 6 x higher rate

If the USDA had the resources to attend 100% of these HIOs’ horse shows, the number of HPA suspension tick-ets could reach as high as 4,000 per year, instead of the present 600-800. If exhibitors and trainers were notallowed to exit the show grounds without inspection, there is no estimate of the number of violations that wouldoccur.

The HIOs that inspect stacked performance horses share 67 HPA suspensions among 107 Board members andofficers. The HIOs that do not inspect stacked performance horses have no Board members with suspensions. Ofthe Board members of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders & Exhibitors Association, the main breed registry,28 of the current Directors share 43 HPA suspensions.

SORING STATISTICS ANALYZED


Calling it one of the mostsignificant welfare issuesaffecting any equinebreed or discipline, theAmerican Association of

Equine Practitioners today issuedrecommendations for eliminating theabusive practice within theTennessee Walking Horse industryknown as soring. Soring is theinfliction of pain to create an extrav-agant or exaggerated gait in horsesfor training or show purposes.

Even though soring is prohibitedby the federal Horse Protection Actof 1970, some within the industrystill abuse horses. Its continuedpractice is documented by the U.S.Department of Agriculture’sissuance of 103 competitor violationsduring the 2007 Tennessee WalkingHorse Celebration, the industry’schampionship event.

“As an organization with the pri-mary mission of protecting thehealth and welfare of the horse, theAAEP is strongly opposed to soring,”said AAEP President Dr. EleanorGreen. “This wonderful breed mustbe preserved and protected in a cli-mate in which its future is not chal-lenged by the practice of soring.The true measure of success will bethat soring no longer exists becausethe Tennessee Walking Horse indus-try itself brought it to an abruptend.”

Key points in the white paper,“Putting the Horse First: VeterinaryRecommendations for Ending theSoring of Tennessee WalkingHorses,” include:

• Immediate institution ofdrug testing at every compe-tition.

• The abolishment of theDesignated QualifiedPersons (DQP) Program andthe establishment of a corpsof independent veterinari-ans to conduct horse inspec-tions and impose sanctionsfor violations of the HorseProtection Act.

• The development of objec-tive methods to detect soringin order to eliminate the cur-rent practice of conditioninghorses to tolerate pressureapplied to the limbs.

• Establishment of a singleindustry organization thathas governance responsibili-ties and sets and enforcesuniform standards and regu-lations.

• Reevaluation of judgingstandards so that the innategrace and beauty of thebreed are valued instead ofrewarding the currentlymanufactured exaggeratedgait.

The recommendations in the whitepaper were developed by the AAEP’sTennessee Walking Horse TaskForce, a group with specific knowl-edge of the Tennessee WalkingHorse industry and equine welfareissues. Dr. Midge Leitch ofCochranville, Pa chaired the TaskForce.

“The white paper is not intend-ed to be a revision of the HorseProtection Act,” explained Dr.Leitch. “We know we are suggest-ing radical changes to current prac-tices within the industry, but ifindustry leaders are intent on solv-ing this issue, they will give serious

thought to the recommendationsthat have been made.”

The AAEP recognizes that it hasno regulatory authority over theTennessee Walking Horse industrybut intends its white paper to provideguidance and support to those withinthe industry who are working to per-manently end the soring of horses.

“On behalf of the AAEP, Iexpress gratitude to Dr. Leitch, whochaired the task force, and the otherdedicated AAEP members whoaccepted the charge of this task forceand were so thoughtful in the devel-opment of the white paper,” addedDr. Green. “I also want to thank themembers of the various TennesseeWalking Horse industry organiza-tions (HIOs) who came last year tothe first Tennessee Walking HorseSummit in Lexington . These groupsencouraged the AAEP to developthis white paper and they have aunique opportunity to eliminate thepractice of soring.” The white paperis available at:http://www.aaep.org/images/files/AAEP%20White%20Paper%20on%20TWH%20Soring.pdf

For more information, contactSally Baker, AAEP director of mar-keting and public relations, at (859)233-0147 or [email protected].

The American Association ofEquine Practitioners, headquarteredin Lexington, Ky, was founded in1954 as a non-profit organizationdedicated to the health and welfareof the horse. Currently, the AAEPreaches more than 5 million horseowners through its nearly 10,000members worldwide and is activelyinvolved in ethics issues, practicemanagement, research and continu-ing education in the equine veteri-nary profession and horse industry.

AAEP Issues White Paper on Ending theSoring of Tennessee Walking Horses August 07, 2008

continued on page <None>Sound Advocate page 8

Bob Blackwell is FOSH VicePresident of DQP Admin-istra-tion and Inspections. He lives in

southwest Missouri and claims to be169 years old.

As director of inspections, it fallsto Bob to attend annual DQP and HIOtraining sessions, to schedule FOSHDQPs for inspections at various showsand to inspect at shows himself.

DQP stands for designated, quali-fied person. They are mandated,through the Horse Protection Act, toinspect horses to make sure they havenot been chemically or mechanicallyaltered for the show ring.

“My grandpa, Tom Blackwell, wasa farrier,” Bob said. “I shod my firstmule by myself when I was five. I wishnow I had paid more attention to themaking of tools and other parts of thetrade, rather than just shoeing.”

Bob and his wife, Charlotte, a pri-vate music teacher, have been marriedsince 1976. They have five MissouriFoxtrotters and three dogs. Daughter,

Melissa, lives in England. “I’ve been afarrier and a musician all my life,” Bobsaid. “I played the guitar and banjo foryears. Now, I play the upright bassbecause my fingers are so stiff.”

He also trained dogs and horses. “Igot the horses that people were havingproblems with,” he said. “Of course, italways turned out that the problemwas with the person and not thehorse.”

FOSH was an easy fit for Bob. Hehas been the DQP Inspection Directorsince 2005. “I’ve been involved inhorse protection since 1969,” he said.“I was attracted to FOSH for it’s stanceon soring.”

Things have changed since theHorse Protection Act was instituted.“The sorers have gotten better at notgetting caught,” Bob said. “When Ifirst got involved, the horses were rawmeat from their pastern to the coronetband. They had them wear bell bootsto keep the blood from flying too far upthe walls.”

The situation has improved some.“I had really high hopes when Dr.Todd Behr was working with us in theUSDA,” Bob said. “It saddened mewhen he left last year. He made moreprogress in two years than had beenmade since the Horse Protection Actwas started.”

However, Bob hasn’t given up onputting an end to soring. “We need tobe organized for letter-writing andtelephone campaigns,” he said. “TheInternet, magazines and other infor-mation programs are putting soringback in the public eye. People think,‘Oh, this ended years ago.” We have toremind them that it’s still going on andit will continue as long as there are biglick horses.”

Bob said he hopes to see soringended in his lifetime. “Soring won’t beended by legislation,” he said. “It willhave to be ended by education. That’swhy I’ll be out there for the horses’sake for as long as I can.

Getting to Know FOSH Board Director, Bob Blackwell

Last year we began correspon-ding with a lady from Europewho liked our TWH Heritage

stallion. She came to visit and tospend some time riding and searchingfor a nice Walking Horse mare to pur-chase and put in foal to our stallion.We spent 2 weeks looking at many

mares but she had not yetfound the ‘horse of herdreams.’

While she was here, shespent some time withWindwalker’s Backdraft(Legs) and fell in love withhim because she felt thatthis colt was very much likehis sire. His sire, Go Boy’sWindwalker, is a NPWHAChampion winning Halter,Model, Plantation, Lite

Shod and Western divisions and hasbeen an excellent trail, lesson andpleasure horse and is a certified TWHHeritage horse.

Legs is out of Rock N RollHallalujah who was a wonderful trailpleasure mount as well as a great lessonhorse for beginner and youth riders

before she was lost to colic last year.We expect that Windwalker’s

Backdraft will carry on the old timewalking horse characteristics of a nat-ural running walk, a quiet and sensi-ble temperament and gentle disposi-tion indicative of this breed.

Sandrina is a knowledgeablehorsewoman who has long admiredthe sensible mind, gentle temperamentand natural barefoot gaits of the TWHbreed. She is a trail and pleasurerider. His new owner intends on even-tually standing Legs at stud inLuxemburg.

Next month: an update on Legs and hisnew experiences in Luxemburg

Bates Gaited Horses Colt Off To Europe!— Nya Bates


Noted gaited horse expert, Barbara Weatherwax has been a soundgaited horse enthusiast since her first gaited horse, a Midnight Sundaughter, in 1947. She is the author of three books about gaited hors-es and is working on a new one about the purchase, maintenance andwinterizing of horses. She has been an examiner for several breedsincluding the Mountain Horses, Racking horses and Tiger horses. As alicensed judge for the Missouri Fox Trotter. Barbara judged many all-breed gaited horse shows, and is constantly keen about promoting thegaited breeds and educating horse lovers to the joys of sound horseswherever she goes.

be a lifetime process developingcommunication between these dif-ferent prospectives. Ah, but what ajoyful process it can be.

Our soft-gaited horses are sopersonable and willing to partici-pate with their humans that theyhave attracted many folks new tohorses in general. Answering ques-tions about gaiting is complicatedwhen I’m talking to inexperiencedhorsemen. A person must develophorsemanship instincts and ridingskills before they can ever be suc-cessful asking for correct gait. Allof these areas are addressed in clin-ics. Every one attended will give usone more piece of the puzzle.

The second major plus with thisprocess is allowing us to watch oth-ers with their horses. Sometimesit’s easier to get the whole perspec-tive when you aren’t personallyinvolved. For that reason, youmight consider attending withoutyour horse every once in a while.

Attending a clinic is particular-ly helpful when you’re workingwith a new horse or youngster. Idragged my young stallion to anumber of clinics to primarilyexpose him to as many situationsas possible. There is no way torecreate the energies and dynamicsof a clinic when you are workingin the quiet safety of your ownback yard - or that familiar stable.

Don’t limit yourself to attend-ing only clinics where you knowyou will be in full agreement withthe teacher. Sometimes my mostimportant lessons come fromsomeone on an entirely differentpage. Developing your skills shouldbecome the very fabric of our horsekeeping life. Enjoy the process.

Why Clinics?Great Gaitsby

Barbara Weatherwax

There are multiple reasons tomake use of the information foundon the clinic circuit. You canalways learn something; even ifyou only decide the informationdoesn’t resonate with you andyour horse. Pack it away in yourmental bag of tricks for that daywhen you might meet the perfectequine candidate that will respondto the technique.The very process of bringing your

horse to a clinic is the first plus.Being with your horse in a learn-ing atmosphere gives you a chanceto bond in a special way. For one ortwo days, your total focus is yourhorse, and you are the one safeplace for your horse.

There are as many different clin-ics as there are clinicians. Once thesearch for information begins, itbecomes obvious that the processof gathering knowledge abouthorses and horsemanship is limit-less.

Granted that knowing how toask for, and then maintain gait, is apriority for those new to our gaitedhorses. But it is no less importantto understand all we can about ourown horse as a horse. Rememberhorses are prey animals. They are“hard-wired” to realize they couldbe something’s dinner. Humans, ashunters, look at life and survival ina completely different way. It can

Wouldn’t it be nice if wecould read a book andlearn everything there is

to know about horses and horse-manship? Well, speaking formyself, I enjoy the experience oflearning something new every timeI am with a horse. The learningnever stops. The information pack-et is never completed. Each horsenew to me, is a whole new story.When I went outside my breed andfell in love with, and bought aPeruvian Paso mare, I was nevermore aware of this phenomenon.Each horse, as each human, is itsown story. Since there are no twoalike, there is no method that willaccommodate all of them.

Parents develop their parentingas they face the events of day today living with their children. So itis with our horses. Our knowledgeis accumulative. There are no shortcuts; there aren’t even any sureways to achieve desired results. Iknow there are those “horse train-er icons” out there who promiserecipe-type solutions for “everyhorse.” For the most part, they aregifted trainers who could train anyhorse with ease. But there is trulyno way they can pass on theirinstincts and talent simply for theprice of admission. We each haveto earn that. So, do I recommendclinics? Absolutely!

Barbara Weatherwax & General Jackson

www.BarbaraWeatherwax.com • www.GreatGaits.comwww.TheFabulousFloatingHorses.com • [email protected]


There has been a question in theminds of some humans that tak-ing the gaited horse barefoot

takes too much time, ruins the gait,and the results are, at best, mediocre.“Boots are too hard to put on and ittakes time away from the ride!” “Onecannot ride the horse in the rocks bare-foot!” Well, let’s see if we can separatefact from fiction.

The real question here is “how canhumans help with the health of theirhorses in a very positive manner?”

We have five barefoot TennesseeWalking Horses ranging from 9 to 27years of age, plus our adult daughterowns two barefoot walkers – one doesdressage and the other is entered inopen jumping classes. See picturebelow – practicing online:

months to grow a new well connectedhoof wall. That’s what we were plan-ning on for the length of time requiredto properly trim hooves to get to thepoint of not having to use boots. Thisis the transition period to go fromsteel shoes to no steel shoes. We stillhad not attended, at this point in time,any clinic or seminar on barefoot hors-es. We read everything we could getour hands on to read to get started.

We found through experimentingwith boots that EasyCare Epics workedwell for our use in the mountains.Boots are the one requirement duringthe transition period. We attended abarefoot clinic with Pete Ramey inSeptember of 2006 and another in Mayof 2007. We continue to read every-thing that we can get our hands on in

respect to barefoot trimming. Wetrim all five of our horses our-selves. We have an AHA trimmerlook over our work to be sure weare doing the best we can do forour horse’s health. We’ve calledon our AHA professional trim-mer twice in the last 3 years.Boots were no longer necessaryin the fall of 2007.

The results are quite striking.The horses seem, to us, to be happierand healthier (this is a subjective obser-vation). The first thing noticed was thatall of the horses ceased toe first land-ings and are all now landing heel first.The second thing that we noticed, espe-cially in one of our horses, is the lengthof stride. The horse is a stepping pacehorse and his over-stride has gone from18” to 24”. The horse has gained theheel first landing, which adds length tothe stride, and his hind quarter reachhas increased since the diffusion of heelpain. All of our horses have increasedtheir stride, some more than others.Our horses had the usual oblong shapeto their hooves because of steel shoes.By bringing the toe back to a naturalposition the hooves are more round inshape.

barefoot andthe gaited horse

– Bill Coon

Our horses are used primarily as trailhorses in the mountains of Utah. Ourhorse’s shoes were pulled in Novemberof 2005. We started barefoot trimmingwith help from an AANHCP profes-sional in April of 2006. We learnedthat one cannot pull shoes and go rip-ping up through the mountains. Whenthe shoes were pulled we found thatthe sole is quite sensitive to theground, thus we started using our col-lection of hoof boots on a regular basis.We started with the regular EasyBoot.The EasyBoots came in handy forthrown steel shoes. As we all know,they are difficult to get on the hoof andwill pull off the hoof for no particularreason. What we learned from study-ing with Pete Ramey is that the hoofrequires from nine months to 12

continued pg 12

To answer the “can’t ride inrocks” question, we live in Utah,where the entire state is nothing butone big rock pile. The horses have noissue with rocks (see accompanyingpictures). As we said before, we tookthe boots off in the fall of 2007 andhave not used them since. One of thebest advantages with barefoot trim-ming is that the human is proactivewith the horses conditioning, trim-ming and nutrition. Nutrition comesalong with the barefoot regimen. Thehuman still needs to pay attention tothe three essential pieces of going bare-foot – trimming, nutrition, and envi-ronment. Our environment in Utah isdry and hard packed ground. We feed amixture of grass and alfalfa. The onething that seems to take a while toachieve is the natural concavity of thehoof. Exercise is essential to the healthof the foot. Our horses are ridden fiveto seven times a week.

There are those who think thatTennessee Walking Horses need longtoes and other unnatural gimmicks toget the horse to gait. We find this kindof thinking to be erroneous. We rideour horses over some of the nastiestground around, mostly in halters, andoccasionally with a snaffle or mildcurb bit. The horses gait better if wehumans can get them into the mostnatural conditions possible.

The previous picture is an example of aback-country road that we have in ourlocal area. The gravel roads that wemay travel on horseback through thestate of Utah are very much similar.

Another thing I would like to point out that most of thetrails we ride are not flat. Most are in the mountains, some,like the above, which undulate, and others are very steep.

This particular trail is above where we live, so it was thetrail most often in use during our transition period and weused boots. After we pulled the boots the trail seemed intim-idating to both of us, but the horses did very well.

The question may arise of “what happens during thewinter?” “Do the hooves soften up so that boots must be usedat winters end?” We are in the process as I write this articleof riding the above trail for an after winter break-in. We havenot had to use boots at all. What winter provides are hoovesthat can be trimmed easier than in spring, summer, and fall.It has taken about two weeks of dry warmer (50° degree)weather and the hooves are back to being hard and strong.

Due to ourenthusiasm aboutgoing barefoot, wehave been joined byseveral other gaitedhorse owners thatopted to go bare-foot. Not all ofthese horses areTWH’s, but the gaitdid not change. Ifanything happened, the gaits of the horses improved.


These are two of ourhorses (right picture)–the horse in the back-ground is a seventeenyear old TWH marethat was our first offive to successfully gobarefoot. The horse inthe foreground is anine year old marethat had about thesame amount of time needed to go to a barefoot regime.

The next picture is an example of a trail that we use on adaily basis, weather permitting, and this includes winter. We

average about threefeet of snow in thisarea which we rideon to pack thesnow into a usabletrail for horses.Some-times anoccasional snowmobile will handlethe packing job forus.

barefoot and gaitedfrom pg 11


continued pg 23

Just this year, I attended a show where several exhibitorshad arrived with recently trimmed/shod horses. Theywere concerned because their horses had been trimmed

very short, in their estimation. I said hello and compliment-ed them on how nice their horses looked, some of whichappeared to me to be traveling better.

I heard a comment that it was abnormal to have such ashort foot on a walking horse. As I listened, I rememberedthat some individuals believe that it takes at least a year tobring a horse with a long toe down to a shorter foot. Mythoughts quickly moved from what kinds of communicationdid these folks have with their farrier and were they presentduring the trimming? I finally asked some of these con-cerned individuals why they would have their horsetrimmed/shod immediately before a horse show?

Even when people have had horses for many years, theconcept of “let the farrier do his thing. After all, that’s whatI’m paying him for”, is still prevalent and never ceases toamaze me. Of course, that is a true concept, up to a point.

Whether people show their horses or not, the way ahorse is trimmed determines the horse’s balance of hiswhole body for that 6-8 week period or longer, betweentrims/shoeing.

With the cost of everything HORSE being sky high anymore, including shoeing, why wouldn’t every horse ownerbe talking to the farrier about what is happening with theirhorse(s)?

I just paid $140.00 for a shoeing and you better believeI’m out there each and every time! (That’s just for a kegshod shoeing for trail riding, some arena work, every 8weeks...)

Even with the farrier I had for 20 years, I was there eachtime. Maybe because I danced professionally for six years, Iknow that even a little hang nail could affect balance, gait,and performance, depending on the pain and/or discomfortlevels. Why not also with our horses?

The old saying...no foot/leg, no horse.... makes we won-der why, with what we are paying a farrier these days,wouldn’t a person be there having his/her horse measuredbefore and after shoeing each time, making notes, keepingrecords, and asking questions about the health of the hoof?

Yes, I know, some of us have had the same farrier for yearsand he knows what he is doing...”haven’t had a lame step

No Foot...No Horse yet”...however, checking every now and then, being there to

chat every once in awhile, lets the farrier know that you stillwant to know your horses are being cared for properly.

If a person shows, the following must be a consideration:

According to the rules Heel/toe measurement:The toe length must exceed the height of the heel by one

inch or more. The length of the toe shall be measured from thecoronet band at the center of the front pastern along the front ofthe hoof wall to the ground, including the shoe.

The heel shall be measured from the coronet band at themost lateral portion of the rear pastern at a 90 degree angle tothe ground, including the shoe but not including the normalcaulks at the rear of the horseshoe that do not exceed 3/4 of aninch in length. That portion of caulk at the rear of a horseshoein excess of 3/4 of an inch shall be added to the height of the heelin determining the heel-to-toe ratio.

Some of us who abhor caulks and the use of caulks...exceptin extreme cases...wonder how can a “caulk” be considerednormal in any way shape or form? And many of us havebarefoot horses....so a lot of the above is not applicable. Thisis why keg shod horses (no caulks) going to flat shod horseshows don’t usually have any problems. The “caulk thing”is a hang over from the stacked/chained shows.

If one shows, knowing about and discussing the ruleswith a farrier are a MUST! Even giving your farrier a copyof the shoeing requirements would be a good idea.

When I brought my horses home form the varioustraining barns, my farrier of 20 years would just look attheir feet, shake his head, and laugh. He was considered theprimo farrier for the AERC endurance horses which com-peted yearly in the TEVIS CUP RIDE and he not only keptthem sound but had to make sure they didn’t lose shoes dur-ing the competitions. He was a strong believer in heel forconcussion and became very grumpy when having to dealwith race horses off the tracks (Thoroughbred & Quarterwith their sheared heels.)

When he first asked me what I was doing with all ofthat DEAD FOOT on there, the extra heel and toe length, Iwas very offended. THIS was how TWH/MFTs were sup-posed to be shod! He picked up a foot and said, so what’swith these contracted heels? What do you suppose causesthat? I remember squinting my eyes at him, thinking, uhoh! I’ve got a lot to learn here!

You see, up to that point, I had just let the trainers andtheir relationship with the farriers determine how my hors-es were balanced...or not!

....As I see It....Julie Tarnawski


News and NotesDeadline for Applying forFOSH EAC Position isOctober 1!

FOSH is interested in hearing from members who wouldlike to add some volunteer hours to their life by applyingfor a one-year term position on the Executive AdvisoryCommittee (EAC). EAC members who enjoy their timeon the Committee and want to dedicate more time areeligible for a position on the FOSH Board of Directors.Good EAC candidates should be interested in assistingwith one or more of the following: recordkeeping andadministration activities, writing, public relations, mar-keting and promotion and most importantly, fund rais-ing. Skills that would assist FOSH include horse showmanagement and exhibiting, graphic design and layout,media and audiovisual, technology and website develop-ment, editing and proofing. Candidates must have fre-quent access to email as the Board and EAC communi-cate extensively throughout the year via email in addi-tion to about half a dozen teleconferences a year.

Please send your background information or aresume and your name to Teresa Bippen, tbippen1957 atyahoo.com, with a subject line of “FOSH EAC Position”no later than October 1. To discuss your interest andqualifications in more detail, please send an email toTeresa and she will contact you to provide more in-depthinformation.

Wide Variety of FOSHMerchandise Availablefor Your Events

Friend Of Sound Horses has a wide variety of productsavailable to support and to help show support for non-sored horses.

The products range from educational DVDs, musicCDs and books to high quality sweat shirts, tee shirts,mugs, posters, bumper stickers, greeting cards and totebags.

They all make great prizes at FOSH-related eventsand good gifts for horse lovers. They also make a state-ment in support of sound horses.

The products can be viewed on the FOSH websiteby clicking on FOSH Products picture in the lower rightcorner of the home page.

All the proceeds over the cost of the items goes tohelp FOSH support the sound, natural gaited horse own-ers with clinics, shows and expo events. Proceeds also gotoward the fight to end the cruel and illegal process ofsoring.

Proposed IJA RulebookChanges Due No Laterthan October 15

If you would like to request any IJA Rule Book changes,now is the time to submit your proposal. The form forsubmitting proposed rule changes is in the IJA Rule Bookon page 104 and can be downloaded from the FOSH web-site. The Rulebook is located at the “Shows and Events”tab, IJA Rules and Judges option. The mailing address andinstructions for submission are on page 103 of theRulebook. Your request should be postmarked no laterthan October 15 to allow sufficient time for the Board toconsider and research the request before its annual meet-ing. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate tocontact the Director of Judges, Dianne Little, at [email protected]

Save the Date for 2009 SoundHorse Conference! March 20& March 21, 2009

The 2009 Sound Horse Conference will be held on Fridayand Saturday, March 20 & 21, 2009 at the lovelyParamount Plaza & Conference Center in Gainesville, FL.(The hotel website is www.paramountplaza.com). TheConference is being hosted by the University of Florida’sCollege of Veterinary Science.

We are excited to announce that a tentative gaitedtrail ride in the famous Florida Plantation region onThursday, March 19 is being planned. A very special ses-sion is being held that will feature world-renown naturalhorsemanship clinicians, Pat and Linda Parelli.

If you or your organization have any suggestions orideas for presentation topics, please send them our way.Also, if you or your organization are interested in helpingto sponsor the 2009 event, we have sponsorships availableranging from the $1,000 level to the $5,000 level. Formore information contact Lori, [email protected].


The Tennessee Walking Horse HeritageSociety was formed in 2003 to honor thetrue, old time walking horse. The showring judges have hijacked this breed byrewarding swing gaited horses, horses that

are not performing a true running walk. The foundersrealized that people were complaining they could notfind a true running walk horse and the horses theyfound had no minds. They came to the realization thatthese people complaining had no idea that there werebreeders who do indeed try to breed for the runningwalk gait and sound minds.

The horse originally bred in Middle Tennessee wasa blending of southern smooth gaited horses and north-ern horses brought back by the cavalrymen from theCivil War. They were a utility animal, used to work thefarm, pull the buggy and be an all-round service creature.

The horses all shared a quiet, willing disposition,smooth gait, sturdy bone structure and enormous

endurance.The horse

traveled at 3-4mph with a headnod and distinc-tive overstride atthe flatwalk. Therunning walk wasan acceleratedversion of theflatwalk, with the

same smooth cadence. The canter was a three-beat gaitreminiscent of a rocking chair.

Unfortunately, desire for more flash in the showring started changing the breed standard in the 1950s.Many of the old Tennessee Walker lines died out asexhibitors bred for the favored colors of black and bayand a lateral pace instead of a four-beat gait.

The members of the Heritage Society realized thevalue of bloodlines that had never been used for stackedand sored horses. Heritage horses all trace back to hors-es noted for their smooth gait, sweet dispositions andfor being user-friendly.

The TWH heritagehorses offer genes con-sidered quite rare inthe overall TWH breed.Horses descended fromsored or stacked after1976 are not allowed tobe certified.

This selectivebreeding also led topeople-oriented horsesthat imprint easily and seem to crave human attention.The horses are generally willing, sensible and very easyto train, according to the Heritage Society website.

“The vintage bloodlines produce intelligence, struc-ture and mental stability not always found in modernbloodlines,” the website states. “They also come in allcolors. Horses within the groups are found in the basic

black, bay, chestnut and sor-rel. But, also in the moreexotic shades of gray, palomi-no, buckskin and sabino.Horses from these variousshades can trace their colorheritage back to the colors oftheir ancestors as noted in

the TWHBEA studbooks published in the 30s and 40s.”Further information on the society and contact

phone numbers can be found at www.walking-horse.com/twhheritagesociety.

Foundation Bloodlines Cherishedby Tennessee Walking HorseHeritage Society


We’d like to introduce ourselves as the PositivePromotion Committee, which was developed afterthe Sound Horse Conference held last April. Many

ideas were expressed to help end the practice of soring, soafter the Conference, several committees formed to furtherdevelop these ideas. We have chosen to tackle the goal ofusing positive promotion for the Walking Horse. The ideasfor this topic were awesome and wide ranging; however, asthe committee members met, we realized that we needed tostart small and work our way up. Since we’re all members ofFOSH, we decided to start with positive promotion of ourown show ring, even if it is a rather ordinary sounding goal.A fun positive exhibiting experience is likely to attract indi-viduals that decide to join FOSH, and consequently, thesepeople will help spread the word about sound horses. In otherwords, let’s make sure the sound Walking Horse show ring isproviding a positive place to exhibit.

Let’s address “fair” first. To a major extent, the IJAjudges and rulebook and FOSH DQP program ensure there isa level playing field in the exhibition ring. This consistent for-mat for judging and inspecting horses gives us an automaticfair playing field in the show ring—we know our horses aregoing to be judged on the same basis time and time again.

However, we cannot regulate exhibitor behavior by therulebook, judges, DQP or show managers. If an exhibitor’sactions are negative, then suddenly the show does not seem“fair” any longer. If another exhibitor or spectator witnessesnegative behavior, then suddenly the FOSH show ring is nolonger appealing.

Some exhibitors believe if actions are not prohibited bythe rulebook or Horse Protection Act, then it’s okay to act onthem. They justify their actions, such as saying, “The judgewon’t penalize me for this and I just might have a better shotat the ribbon,” or, “At least Bob Jones will be less likely toplace ahead of me.” Even if said under a person’s breath, ifthis is overheard it can be very disconcerting to a potentialfuture exhibitor. It also can cause a future exhibitor to believethey must also perform such actions in order to win.

To provide a fair show experience, exhibitors and FOSHspectators have personal responsibility for their own behav-ior and must think before speaking or acting on a negativeexperience. Why? Because if a venue is not fair, it’s not fun,and the show and FOSH can lose exhibitors. Eventually,FOSH members who put winning above fairness could lose ashow ring for them and their horses as the number ofexhibitors declines and shows lose money.

Showing occurs in waves; waves come in and waves goout with how many exhibitors come to the shows. However,a bad experience can quickly change the course of a wave andthe newbies will go home, never to show again. Poor sports-manship and a “win at all cost” attitude has proven to drive-sexhibitors away. The economics of showing have made thisa tough season for many show managers and organizations,

Positive Promotion of Walking Horsesand FOSH

so we really can’t add another excuse for staying away.Further, many baby boomers are enjoying their first horseand show ring experience, and a positive experience for themis in everyone’s best interest.

The following are issues we have come up with that webelieve are important for positive promotion of the soundWalking Horse.

• The FOSH show ring is our home—we must preserveand grow it or it will not be here for us in the long run!• All Walking Horses should be appreciated for whatthey bring to the show ring, especially the CountryPleasure horses who may not exhibit perfect gaits.• All exhibitors can be put off by unsportsmanlike behav-ior and comments from exhibitors and spectators alike,i.e, opinions on the judging, rumor mongering, “back-stabbing,” and verbal attacks on individuals awarded rib-bons. New, nervous or non-confident exhibitors can behurt by negative attitudes towards them and their horses,especially when a rider and horse are not as talented noras well-trained.• Some show management practices cause exhibitors tofeel like they don’t even have a chance in the show ring.• Experienced exhibitors should take newbies undertheir wing to kindly explain divisions, protocol, etc.

To address these concerns, we decided that a series of articlesin the Sound Advocate might raise the level of awareness ofhow exhibitor attitudes and behavior are critical to attractingand keeping sound horse exhibitors. At this time, plannedarticles include:

• In-depth discussion of the value and importance ofCountry Pleasure horses and their classes.• Tips for show managers for attracting and keepingexhibitors (not allowing cross entries in championshipclasses, promotion of schooling shows, etc.).• Discussion on determining the correct division in ashow and why divisions are important; personal respon-sibility for understanding rules on tack and equipment.• Discussion on educating newbies on how to show, suchas clinics or instructional videos. • A final article on ethics, exhibitor behavior, etc, vs. justfollowing the rules.

If you have tips on managing successful shows and attractingexhibitors and spectators, please share your ideas. What wasthe most fun show you ever attended? Was it the ribbons,awards, or the atmosphere, or the other exhibitors. If readersever have any questions about handling certain circum-stances or events that we may not cover here, please emailTeresa Bippen at [email protected].

We hope you will find these articles educational and some-thing you can apply to the show venue in your community

This is the first of a series of articles about promoting sound Walking Horses in the show ring. Our goal is to gain interestin new exhibitors and members for exhibiting Walking Horses. Please feel free to write us if you would like particular con-cerns addressed. While we can’t necessarily address all issues, we will give serious consideration to all ideas.


continued pg 18

move into the outside track and headfor the lead. He will have to speed uphis horse, still in the chosen gait, (nogalloping to the front of the line) whilethose in the line maintain a slowersteady speed in the same gait. As theprevious horse reaches the front of theline, the end horse starts for the front.Continue swapping positions back tofront as long as the open area willallow. This exercise works because bythe time a horse gets anxious about hisposition, it has already changed.

Be careful not to get too close to thehorses as you come up from behind toavoid getting kicked. If the trail closesto single file, go back to changing lead-ers with the bolder horses every 10minutes. If your horse gets upset wait-ing in a large group to get his turn atthe front, practice the exercise firstwith three or four until he gets com-fortable, then increase the number ofhorses in the group gradually. If youhave several riders in your group whoinsist their horse has to lead, break thetrail ride down into several smallergroups, each containing one horse whoinsists on being out in front. Be sure toget enough distance between groups toconvince the horse that he is actuallyleading the second group and not fol-lowing the first. Three to 5 minutesbetween groups is usually adequate. 2. SPEED DEMONS VS. POKEYJOES: With our gaited horses we also

Too often people don’tselect horses specificallyfor trail riding. We have allheard the comments,“He’s not good enough for

the show ring but he’ll make a goodtrail horse,” or “I don’t want to paymuch for a horse, I just want him fortrail riding.” If you want to trail ride,buy a horse that is quiet and workswell on the trail, not one who can’t doanything else.

There is also an attitude that over-looks the importance of training fortrail riding. Horses are trained for veryspecific show ring situations, but weexpect our horses to just automaticallyknow how to handle the trail. If theydon’t, we get frustrated and disappoint-ed with them. Our horses need to betaught trail riding skills just as they aretrained for the show ring.

Trail riding exposes our horses topowerful instinctive stimuli that tellthem to avoid danger and preservetheir ranking in the herd. We can neverentirely overcome the horse’s instinc-tive behavior, but through training andexperience, we can teach our horses totolerate unfamiliar objects, listen toour aids instead of their own urges andrelax into the task of covering groundsafely and efficiently.

A great day of trail riding in abeautiful location can easily be ruinedby any one of these five problems, butall of these situations can be avoided bya little preparation and communication

Five things that

can spoil your

day on the

trails by Julie Moore

This article first appeared in the MFTHBA Journal August 2008 edition,and has been reprinted with their permission

before you start out on the trail.1. LEADERSHIP ANXIETY: (onthe part of both horse and rider)Whenever riders in large groups disre-gard the temperaments of their horsesand put the timid horses out in frontand hold the bold ones back, theresults, at the very least, are frayednerves, multiple spooks and increasingirritability within the group. Holding afrustrated leader back in the middle ofa mass of other horses is asking for apotential disaster. There are also someriders who do not like to be in theback. They get out in front as often asthey can, and soon their horses expectto be the leader

The best fix for this problem iscommunication and compromisebefore you head out on the trail.Decide among the group which horsesneed to be in the lead and the ones whoare more content to follow. There isusually someone who hosts or is incharge of the ride and knows the trails;this person would obviously need to benear the lead. Start the ride with thehorse you agree most needs to lead.After 10 minutes or so, let the nextrider take over the lead and continue toswitch leaders about every 10 minutes.If you are in an open area and can safe-ly ride two abreast, try the followingexercise to train the horses to acceptany position. Start with everyone rid-ing the same gait in a single file; thenbegin a continual rotation in the lineby having the last rider in the line

A horse who wants to be the leaderon a trail ride will not be happy

if he is forced to lag behind.


have the problem of mixing slowerhorses with those that can gait atWARP speed. We have all been on trailrides that have been ruined by either aleader who goes at a speed that mostriders can’t keep up with or a leaderwho gives new meaning to the term“slow poke.”

Again, communication and com-promise are important to solving thisproblem. Before the start of a ride, theleader (host) should determine thecapabilities of the various riders andthe comfortable speed of their mounts.Although we can understand the frus-tration felt by capable riders who haveunknowingly joined a ride that isruined by a novice and an untrailwor-thy horse; it is the responsibility of theexperienced riders to make sure that

there are no riders left behind withfrantic horses. If you and your horseare not seasoned trail riders, please behonest with the group and ask for someassistance. If you and your horse getfrustrated because you cannot race offinto the wild blue yonder and refuse tobe slowed down by inexperienced rid-ers, find other riders in the group withyour level of experience. You shouldeither take a pre-trail ride to satisfyboth you and your horse’s need forspeed or split the ride into smallergroups according to the abilities anddesires of the riders. Obviously eachgroup will need a leader who knowsthe trails.

The best trail rides happen when

you have a leader who will vary thespeeds ridden and give ample noticebefore increasing speed to avoidleaving the rest of the riders behind.The group may walk for a while,then the leader will say, “Let’s gait,”at which time the other riders havethe opportunity to prepare theirhorses for the faster gait. The leaderhas the responsibility of makingsure that no one is being left behind.Under no circumstances should anyrider or riders take off in a canter orgallop, leaving the rest of the ridersto fend for themselves. If you have aneed to canter, wait until you getinto an open area and canter a circlearound the field (be careful thatthere are no holes for your horse tofall into). On a group trail ride, you

should not deny the horses’herd instinct or have the attitudethat it is “every man for himself.”3. SPOOKING: The startle reflexis a finely honed equine self-preservation mechanism. Theurge of a horse to turn tail and runin each spooky situation can bevery unnerving for his rider andthe rest of the group. Green horsesusually spook out of genuine fearof the unfamiliar. Horses who con-sistently spook at the same objectsmay have learned the fearfulbehavior in response to the rider’s

previous overreaction. Then there aresome horses who spook on the trail asa form of play. Give a horse thatbecomes progressively worse at spook-ing the benefit of doubt and have hiseyes checked as he may be sufferingfrom vision impairment. Not beingable to see clearly can be very unnerv-ing for a horse.

Enjoy your trail ride, but be alertand aware of potential problems. Payattention to what is ahead on the trailand stay aware of your horse’s bodylanguage. If you notice your horseprick his ears, raise his head, pick upspeed, slow down suddenly or start tomove sideways, you can get his atten-tion and compliance before the spook

Stan Sullivan and Gunner’s Gold Gamblertackle the trails at Caprock Canyon, Texas.

gets out of control. It is important forthe rider to learn to ride with an inde-pendent deep seat and a secure butnon-gripping leg position so that hemay follow the horse’s unexpectedmoves and not make the spook worseby snatching the horse in the mouth orclamping his legs around the horse. If

your horse spooks and the first thingyou do is grab the reins and tightenyour legs in a death grip, he is going tothink “Oh no, even my human thinkswe’re going to die, I’d better get out ofhere!” The safest thing to do at the firsthint of anxiety, fear or willfulness is toput your horse to work by picking up arein and asking the horse to soften tothe rein and/or leg yield. After youhave been able to assess the situationand your horse is responding to yourrequests for his attention, relax andallow him to move forward quietly. Ifhis anxiety reappears, allow him tostop and let him relax before askinghim to continue down the trail. Repeatthe process until the fear of the objectis relieved. Often the horse just needsanother look to satisfy himself that it issafe to pass.

When you’re able, it is helpful toallow the horse to pass the object atwhat he feels is a safe distance and rideback and forth (always turning thehorse toward the object) getting closerto the object until the horse relaxes andsees there is no threat. It is neither nec-essary nor helpful to stop and makeyour horse put his nose on the scaryobject. You could easily train yourhorse to spook at every new object so

Five things that can spoil

your day... continued from pg 17

A good trail boss will be aware of the abilities ofthe group and not lead riders into something

they can’t handle. The Utah Fox Trotting Horse Association sponsors this ride each

February at Valley of Fire near Mesquite, Nev.


he can get a chance to rest. A“spooky” horse needs a lot of exposureto new things in the company of sea-soned, secure horses. No matter howunnerving his spooking is, you mustmaintain a completely calm attitudewith no emotional reaction. Do notoverreact and punish your horse forspooking; this will only cause largerproblems. If you maintain a noncha-lant attitude and quietly urge yourhorse past scary objects, your horsewill eventually take his cues from youand calmly pass objects that were onceterrifying.4. RUSHING ON THE TRAIL/RUSHING TO GET HOME:Champing at the bit to go faster is acompulsive activity that serves as anoutlet for anxiety and nervousness.Some horses rush and dance as soonas they are outside their familiar sur-roundings, some when they are turnedin the direction of the trailer or barn,some when they are held back fromtheir preferred lead position and somein response to fatigue or back painassociated with a poorly fitting saddle.The first step is to be sure that thebehavior is not a response to physicaldiscomfort.

You are not going to be able toreform anxious behavior on one trailride. The first thing you need to knowis that it does no good to fight with thehorse. You must reduce the tensionthat feeds the behavior. Do not tightenup on the reins and tense your body inresponse to his actions; this onlymakes his behavior worse. I know itwill not be easy, but someone has to

relax first, and it is not going to beyour horse. You need to relax yourbody, take a deep breath and relaxyour hands on the reins. Once youhave let up on the rein pressure andrelaxed a bit, take back the reinsslowly until the horse slows just abit. Immediately release the pres-sure on the reins, then take it backslowly until he slows again, imme-diately releasing once again.Initially the horse will slow for onlya step or two before increasingspeed again. If you are consistentwith relaxing the rein every time heresponds by slowing down, eventu-ally he will slow for longer periods

until he remains calm most of the time. Try not to put your horse into sit-

uations that seem to make him nerv-ous, such as forcing him to maintain aslower gait than he is comfortable with,keeping him in the back when heprefers to lead or keeping him nearanother horse that intimidates him. Bewilling to change whatever you can tosolve the immediate problem. You cansometimes calm a fidgety horse by put-ting him to work; ask him to give to thebit, yield to the leg, or if you have room,ask the group to gait for awhile to allowhim to let off steam.

For the horse who rushes to gethome, the fix takes a little more timeand patience. You will have to practiceat home. Every time your horse startsto rush back to the barn, turn himaround and walk the other directionuntil he relaxes. Turn him back towardhome, but the first step that he starts tospeed up, turn him around againuntil he relaxes. Repeat this exerciseuntil he continues toward home at aslow relaxed gait. When you getclose to the barn, ride him aroundthe barn area for another 10 or 15minutes before getting off. It is alsoa good idea to make your horsework in circles around the horsetrailer when returning from a trailride. These exercises take a lot oftime and patience, but they willwork and you will have a muchsafer and more enjoyable ride. 5. HORSES THAT KICK: Anyhorse that feels threatened may kickto protect himself. A horse who is atthe low end of the pecking order at

home is the horse most likely to kickother horses on a trail ride. He feelsthreatened by the other horses and useskicking to warn them to stay out of hisspace. If your horse seems to have ahabit of kicking out when he feelsthreatened, teach him to yield hishindquarters to leg pressure. If you canget control of your horse’s hindquar-ters, you can keep him from kicking.Your horse cannot kick and move hishindquarters away from your leg at thesame time. Trail riders should assumethat every horse is a kicker. We all tendto blame the horse that kicks in thesesituations, but the person who rides upbehind close enough to get kicked isjust as much at fault. Never crowd thehorse in front of you.SPOUSES TRAIL RIDINGTOGETHER: A final note for hus-bands and wives who trail ride togeth-er. You are very fortunate to have yourspouse share your love of horses andtrail riding. I have seen many peopleruin the spouse’s trail riding experienceby constantly telling them how to ridetheir horse. Unless your spouse is inimminent danger of dying, do not offeradvice. Also please try to be sensitive iftheir level of experience is not as greatas yours and do not put them in situa-tions in which they are uncomfortable.If you feel your spouse is unsafe on thetrail, suggest that they seek out a train-er to help them learn to control theirhorse better rather than trying toinstruct them yourself. Everyone willhave a more relaxed and pleasant expe-rience on the trail.

Rod Thompson and Bill Koester prepare for abeautiful day on the trail at Targhe Creek inIdaho Idaho near the Montana border.

From left, Suzanne Schmidt on Traveler’sWhiskey Flash, Jean McLane onGunsmoke’s Delta Dawn and Sue McLaneon Lad’s Midnoc Sensation enjoy ridingtheir foxtrotters at Canyon Lake, Texas.


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When I was told that I needed to write an article forwinning horse of the year I asked myself what is themost important thing that I wanted you all to know.

The answer to that is family. Danny aka Bum’s Threat’s Supreme is part of our family.

He was just a year and a half old when I purchased him. I brokeDanny to ride and have done all my own training so earningthis title is truly an accomplishment that I will treasure forev-er. With Danny being a stallion, you promote him and breedmares to help pay for himself. But it’s not about just promotinghim and getting breeding fees, its about the wonderful horsethat he is and he is such a pleasure to have around that he willbe with me until he passes away.

I am also a 4-H Leader and take Danny on all our groupactivities including trail rides and camping trips, the kids justlove him and he has taught all who meet him that stallions canbe respectable horses and what a terrific ambassador to our

FOSH Horse of the Year 2007 By Cristy Artman;Eagle Point, OR

Bum’s Threat’s Supreme

The FOSH Horse of the Year is the horse accumulating the most points in FOSH sanc-tioned shows during a calendar year. FOSH members track their points in a FOSHpoint book and submit to FOSH at year end for tallying. FOSH point books are mailedto Show Managers at the time sanctioning paperwork is submitted. More informationabout points is available in the IJA Rulebook, Appendix I, page 98. The IJA Rulebook isavailable online at www.fosh.info, “Shows and Events” tab, “”IJA Judges and Rules tab.

breed he is. We, Danny and I, have been showing for a num-ber of years now and have won Regional FOSH Hi-PointChampionships in 2005 In Hand, English Pleasure, WesternPleasure, 2004 Model, Western Pleasure, Trail Pleasure, and2001 Halter and now to win the horse of the year leaves mespeechless.

Another part of this award that I am so excited about is Ihad this goal from the minute his full brother, Bum’s FinalThreat, won the 1999 FOSH Horse of the Year, owned byTommy & Phyllis Parker. I wanted Danny to follow in hisbrother’s footsteps. I became friends with Phyllis after I pur-chased Danny, and she believed in me and told me that I hada horse that could do this. I just don’t think she thought wecould do it without a trainer!

When you see us at the shows it isn’t just my horse andme— it’s the whole family. My husband, Al and our twodaughters, Kayla age 13 and Rachel, 5. My family, including


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THE ETERNAL FLAMETWH Stallion • Winner of 2007 NAC Western Pleasure GrandChampion; Shown barefoot. Excells in dressage and trail obstacle.Athletic, willing dispositions. Proven sire. Shipped semen available.$500 stud fee-plus shipping.Standing at Walking The Dog RanchOwners: Bucky and Nancy Sparks18173 C.R. 22 • Cortez, Co. 81321Email: [email protected]: 970-882-4520Website: www.blessyourhorse.com

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Nov/Dec IssueOctober 15, 2008

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my parents, have supported us and attended showstogether. To participate in the FOSH Shows we have todrive a minimum of 3 1/2 hours to get to the closest show.

I am dedicating this award to my mom, RamonaKiser. My parents went with us to the FOSH RegionalShow held during Oregon State Fair on August 27. OnSeptember 15th my mother fell and broke her neck and isnow paralyzed and on a ventilator, the last hug I ever gotfrom her was at that horse show. My mother is thebravest woman I have ever known.

So what goals do we have now? Hopefully you willsee us in 2009 for the North America Championship andhe’s training for a Grand Champion Title. Danny is real-ly enjoying those speed events!! We also have two off-spring getting ready for the show ring. Thank you FOSHfor your high point program that acknowledges horsesand riders. Also, thank you for supporting horseshowsthat allow us to show our horses sound, fair and barefootif we choose.

Horse of the Year continued from previous pg


OctoberNPWHA Futurity (Affiliated)October 3-5, 2008Location: Los Angeles Equestrian Center (LAEC), Burbank, CAContact: Janie RobertsTelephone: 951-471-3426, email: [email protected]

FOSH Region 2 Championship Show(Sanctioned and Affiliated) (AA+)October 11 & 12, 2008Location: Boone County Fairgrounds, Columbia, MOHosted by: Gaitway Walking Horse AssociationIJA Judge: Gail Stevens • Classes for: TWH, SSH and OGBContact: Sally Naumann, [email protected], 636-528-6059Website: www.gwha.org

KMSHA Championships (Affiliated)October 14-18, 2008Location: Lexington, KYHosted by: Gaitway Walking Horse AssociationClasses for: KMSHContact: Chastity Adkins, 606-255-0197

Florida RMHA Gaited Clinic w/Liz GravesOctober 17 & 18, 2008Location: Inverness, FLOpen to all soft gaited breeds – limit is 12 horses/ridersContact: Kathy Parrish, 352-394-6411Website: http://fl.rmha.net

Gait Through Balance Clinic w/Diane SeptOctober 24 & 25, 2008Location: Stars and Stripes Farm, Fincastle, VAOpen to all gaited breeds and auditors, space is limitedContact: Marianne Jolley, 540-473-1659 • email: [email protected]: www.gaitedjubilee.com

NovemberFall Gaited ClassicNovember 1, 2008Location: Tampa, FLSponsored by: FL Rocky Mountain Horse AssociationContact: Kathy Parrish, 352-394-6411

SeptemberEastern Idaho Gaited Horse Assoc.Championship ShowSeptember 1, 2008Location: Eastern Idaho State Fairgrounds, Blackfoot, ID 83221Judge: Susan MosesContact: Jane Howlett, 208-235-1879 • Email: [email protected]

*GWHA Lincoln Co Fairgrounds Show SeriesSeptember 6, 2008Location: 6:00 p.m., Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Troy, MOHosted by: Gaitway Walking Horse AssociationClasses for: Gaited and Stock Horse BreedsContact: Sally Naumann, 636-528-6059 • [email protected]: www.gwha.org

C&M Farm Cool Down Dressage ShowSeptember 13 & 14, 2008Location: C&M Farm, Pocatello, IDContact: Christy Taylor, 208-637-2855

RMHA International (Affiliated)September 16-20, 2008Location: Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KYHosted by: Rocky Mountain Horse Association • Classes for: RMH

Ridge Riders’ RendezvousSeptember 20, 2008Ten Mile Judged Trail RideLocation: IdahoContact: Jolynn Angle, 208-604-2302

*GWHA Lincoln Co Fairgrounds Show SeriesSeptember 20, 2008Location: 6:00 p.m., Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Troy, MOHosted by: Gaitway Walking Horse AssociationClasses for: Gaited and Stock Horse BreedsContact: Sally Naumann, 636-528-6059, [email protected]: www.gwha.org

B.L.E.S.S. Your Walking Horse Clinic (Auditors Welcome)September 27 & 28, 2008Clinicians: Bucky and Nancy SparksLocation: Williams Lake B.C. CanadaContact: Donna Marie Cyr 250-392-5531

2008 FOSH Sanctioned/Affiliated* Shows & Events“Sanctioned” A show which uses the FOSH guiding principles regarding humane exhibiting of gaited horses. Show will be designated as an A, AA, AA+ or AAA. “Affiliated” A show orevent which uses FOSH DQPs for inspection. Show will state “Affiliated.” Listing includes equine expos and events where FOSH and sound horse supporters will be distributing soundhorse literature. *The shows and events marked by * have been reported to FOSH to be sound and to embrace the FOSH Principles of Sound Horsemanship. Many of the shows listedbelow use a FOSH IJA judge and/or the FOSH IJA Rulebook, yet the show has not applied for FOSH sanctioning nor applied to use a FOSH DQP. Some shows may use rules more restric-tive than FOSH.


My farrier talked a great deal about shoulder angle,hoof/pastern angle being most important, and what a truenatural toe length is for the horse. His taking geometry inhigh school and all of his drafting classes contributed great-ly to his understanding of how to best help keep a horsesound and balanced while supporting its body and that of itsrider’s.

Did you know that there is no licensing required any-where in the United States for farriers? There are no shoe-ing schools required so anyone can call him/herself a farri-er/horse shoer. When a farrier brings along an apprentice toyour place to help him, do you know which one is reallyshoeing your horse(s)? The only way you can know is bybeing there.

The American Farrier’s Association tests for thoseinterested in becoming Certified Journeymen as Farriers.And what is their message? According to my new farrier ofthe last two years, who is finishing up his, the message is,“stick to the basics”.

When my old farrier retired and moved to St. George toplay golf, I seriously contemplated wrapping one of his golfclubs around his head! Instead, I thought about my lessonslearned from his wisdom and set out to find a new one. Fiveshoers later, I found one! And, I talked to at least 15.

Since it’s my hard earned dollar, I don’t hesitate to ask ifthey took geometry in high school, any drafting classes?How about shop and/or art classes? If it is NO to all of theabove, I move on. If it is YES, I want to know if they do hotor cold shoeing, how much they charge, and do they consid-er they are charging at or above the going rate, and why? Ohyes, be sure and ask under whom they have apprenticed andhow long they were with them.

When the farrier comes and sets up, do they want you towalk the horse to and away from them to see how the horsemoves? Some do and some don’t. Ask why they do or don’t.

Do they start with front feet or rear first? Why? Whenthey start, I will ask, “So how does he look back there? (upthere). Any thrush? How long are those toes? Would youmeasure them for me, please? Is the growth pattern the sameas last time? How’s the frog look, any change in the laminae?Are the hooves too dry, need more moisture? When theshoes are set up front, would you please measure the toelength again for me?”

Have you asked your farrier what he considers a naturaltoe length for a 16 hand horse? A 14 hand horse? When youare at a horse show/event and see a farrier working on ahorse do you ever go up and ask what he considers a normaltoe length for that horse? Have you checked out toe lengthson draft horses? Very interesting!

Now, if you are curious and want to ask questions, you

have to be patient and wait for an appropriate opening in thefarrier’s concentration. Getting information doesn’t meanbeing rude just to satisfy your own curiosities. Most are veryhappy to answer because most of your questions are the veryones they have to ask themselves when shoeing each horse.Oh, another thing, while being curious out and about, don’tmention you have TWH/MFTs. Just ask your questionsgenerically, especially about the 16/17 hand horses.

Gathering general information about other breeds canbe a strong determinate in understanding why theTWH/MFT/SSH/RACKING HORSES have taken so longto become “just like a regular horse, achieving what it doesbest through DNA rather than what is tacked on to the bot-tom of its foot”.

– JMHO...As I see it...Julie T.

No Foot... No Horsecontinued from pg 13

Angles have everything to do with correctly trimming feet.

The angle of the pastern and the angle of the scapula are

the same on all horses.

Pictures taken from the Equine Research, Inc. books; section:

Equine Lameness.

Friends of Sound Horses, Inc6614 Clayton Road #105; St. Louis, MO 63117

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