The Norco Colt Starting Challenge is set for Friday, Feb. 24 from 6-9 p.m. and will continue on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 6-10 p.m. at Ingalls Park in Norco. Tickets are just $15 to attend the Colt Starting Challenge, which focuses on Natural Horsemanship and utilizes a horse’s natural instincts. The techniques used are a far cry from what was done a generation ago and what many have seen regarding breaking horses on TV and in the movies. The competitions are the brainchild of trainer and horseman Russell Beatty. In the two-day challenges, trainers are matched via random draw to horses that have had limited handling — no saddle nor bridle ever on the animal. To close out the challenge, trainers take their horse through a variety of obstacles in order to show how far their animals have come in a short amount of time. Mark your calendars and enjoy this competition. If you would like to enter a horse or purchase tickets, contact Colt Starting Challenge USA at ColtStartingChallengeUSA.com or call (808) 269-3408.

Star Milling Co. has announced that beginning this month, its facility will manufacture all feeds without the inclusion of antibiotics or medications. This change applies to all products produced at their California facility in Perris, including the brands Integrity, Ace Hi, Kelley’s, Star Milling Co. and Ultra Balance. William Cramer Jr., President of Star Milling, said, “We’re excited to be one of the few feed producers of our size in the U.S. to manufacturer without the use antibiotics or medications. There have been increasing concerns regarding these drugs. We feel this is the right thing to do to mitigate microbial antibiotic resistance.”

He added that customers of Star Milling Co. and its brands can be assured their animals are consuming safe and wholesome feeds, and that Star Milling Co. will continue to use ingredients that are scientifically proven to improve animal health and productivity. The transition has begun on all its tags, bags, labels, and literature to include the logo and statements – “Star Milling Co. is solely a Non-Medicated Feed Manufacturer” and “Star Milling is a medication/drug free facility that does not blend antibiotics, anthelmintics, ionophores or coccidiostats into any of the feeds it produces.” The company’s family of feeds are available in feed stores throughout California, Arizona, and Hawaii. To find a store near you, call Star Milling at (800) 733-6455 or go to starmilling.com/dealer.php.

Do you want to make money with your horse? Alpha & Omega Mounted Patrol, North America’s oldest and largest private mounted patrol, has announced plans to expand its ranks in California. The opening of new mounted security positions is in anticipation of the Coachella Valley’s Desert Trip Music Festival, featuring rock and roll legends The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Who, Bob Dylan, Roger Waters, and Neil Young. The two back-to-back weekends of Desert Trip are a testimony to Alpha & Omega’s growing reach in California music festivals, with a client list that already includes Coachella, Stagecoach, Outside Lands, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. All horse and rider candidates must pass a rigorous interview process before being selected for duty.

This year’s first round of evaluations will take place Feb. 18-19 near Palm Springs. The second round will take place on Sept. 11, in Winchester, and on Sept. 18, in Vacaville. Horse and rider are hired as a pair, and all interviews will occur in the saddle. Interviews are open to invited applicants only. Horses may come from any background, breed or discipline, but must be tolerant of intense visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Geldings and mares (no stallions) must be at least 15 hands, in good health and shod to A&O standards. A full job description and application, can be found at mountedpatrol.com/employment.

Modesto Milling spent 2015 researching and developing organic horse feeds with its consulting equine nutritionist. Now, the company is making available California’s first certified organic “ration balancer” called the Horse Supplement Pellet. Specifically formulated to have a low recommended feeding rate, when fed with forage it will meet the horse’s needs for protein, vitamins and minerals but add very few additional calories. It can be an excellent addition to a forage only diet or it combines well with organic oats or barley to make a balanced feed for horses that need more calories than a forage only diet can supply. Modesto Milling’s Horse Supplement Pellet is organic and contains no GMOs. Likewise, organic cultural practices prohibit the use of herbicides, pesticides and commercial fertilizers.

Using only the highest quality ingredients in its horse feeds, Modesto Milling’s Horse Supplement Pellet has organic oats and alfalfa, as well as organic coconut meal that is high in digestible fiber and healthy fats that promote healthy coats. It uses organic peas for high quality protein that promotes muscular strength, flax seeds and sunflower seeds for the omega 3 and omega 6 fats, and it also adds organic stabilized rice bran for its fat and low starch content. Plus, we add supplements like natural vitamin E and biotin for healthy coats and hooves. Additional quality ingredients include diatomaceous earth, zeolite, yeast and sea kelp, as well as other essential nutrients. Furthermore, it is formulated without any sources from corn, soy, wheat, or molasses and is ideal for horses with sensitivities or allergies to these ingredients, as well as those that just want to avoid them. For additional information, visit http://modestomilling.com/horse/.