The Friesian Horse Club of Southern California conducted its Friesian Inspection Spectacular 2010 Oct. 1-2 at the Southern California Equestrian Center in Temecula (formerly Galway Downs). Judges Sjouke DeGroot and Wil Thijssen of the Netherlands, each with more than a decade of experience as Inspector on the jury, evaluated 65 horses over the two days, which included a Friday night awards dinner and fund-raiser plus a line-up of 18 vendors. Show Director Sonja Zinke said the inspection represents the diligent measures outlined by the FPS (Friesch Paarden Stamboek) and upheld by the Friesian Horse Association of North America to maintain integrity of the Friesian breed.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – It’s funny how things work out. If reiner Tanya Jenkins had had a Derby horse in last year’s High Roller Reining Classic, she wouldn’t have this year’s Open Futurity reserve champion, Spooks Gotta Whiz.

It was a year ago when the Temecula trainer, on a whim with client Michelle Kimball, hopped on a plane from Las Vegas to Dallas for a day trip so they could look at 2-year olds.

“It wasn’t a planned thing except for the fact I wasn’t in the Derby, so we made a quick flight up there and had a ball doing it,” said Jenkins, enjoying one of her best years in competition.

HEY RAY: I own a big 3-year-old Friesian colt that will not trot next to me when asked. He either drags behind me at the walk or when pushed will erupt into a dead-run — kicking, rearing and playing while dragging me. I’d like to show him in halter, but I’m afraid he’ll get away and hurt himself or someone.
— Jacquelyn Anderson, Fresno

HEY JACQUELYN: The challenge that you are up against is very common. Once your horse is clear about what is expected and sees the value in it, it won’t matter whether he’s a big colt or an old pony.

The first thing we need to do is break your question down into the six individual issues in hand:

1) Your horse is big and lazy.
2) He would prefer to run away from you, than to follow and stay with you.
3) He doesn’t know how to give to the pressure of the line.
4) He doesn’t know how to lead well.
5) He needs to recognize that rearing, kicking and playing — although normal and natural for a horse — is absolutely unacceptable around you.
6) Lastly, your horse needs to focus on committing to the gaits (walk and trot, without breaking).
All of these challenges need to be addressed before we can expect your Friesian to perform at halter safely and correctly at the show.

I suggest you start by turning your horse loose into a small pen or arena. The shape is not as important as the size. You should be able to chase him off and keep moving without exhausting yourself. Use whatever aids you feel appropriate. You won’t want to use scary sounds like rocks in a can or cracking of the whip because he would eventually become desensitized. At the show, the adrenaline produced from those aids will work in your favor, creating a bigger trot. This is a good time to introduce your clucks and kisses to the mix. This will help your horse visualize what’s expected if distracted.

Secondly, as soon as your horse begins to look spent, offer him to stop and face you. If he does, let him catch his breath. If not, move him around some more then try again. Once he begins to face you, move laterally from him and see if he’ll follow you first with his head and later with his feet. If he chooses to turn and run, chase him and then try again. Once he begins to follow you around, you can attach a line to your halter.

Thirdly, pull on your line laterally and don’t release until he steps sideways — then immediately release and praise him. It’s important to “keep it tight until it’s right before going light.” If you find that he is being strong with you and not giving to the pressure, getting his hind quarters to move away from you will get his face light.

Next, we test him under pressure. Unsettle him and see if he gives easily. If control is difficult for you, use a tie ring on the fence with a long line — let the fence do the holding! Unsettle him from behind so that he moves side to side (roll-backs) on the fence. Do not tie him solid for this exercise. Pay close attention to the give to the line on the part of your horse before moving on.

Fourth, set up poles and cones around the arena in order to challenge your horse’s accelerator, brakes and steering around and through the props. He should be able to move forward, sideways and backward with ease before working around the obstacles. Previous Hey Ray! columns have touched on these points. Use an insulated wand instead of a sharp whip to help get your point across without insulting your horse and creating resentment. Once he understands, your horse will be more accepting of the whip. If your horse becomes “mulely” when asked to walk or trot while leading, keep the line tight while pulling over to the side and move his hindquarters until he gives his face and moves around the forehand. Practice this until he’s timely and light.

Finally, since your Friesian would rather run, buck and play than trot, it’s important to make a clear impression that it is not a good idea while on the line. This step and the last step, committing to the gait, needs to happen while lunging. Ask your horse to trot, and if he stays in the trot allow him to go at whatever speed he chooses. Make no attempt to speed up or slow down the gate. Allow him to go around until he idles at the trot (trotting as slow as he can without breaking). If he breaks down to the walk, simply jumpstart him back to the trot. If he breaks into a canter, bucks or kicks, reverse him (go back the other way) at the walk. If he trots instead of walks after the reverse, continue to reverse him until he walks. Offer your horse to trot again until he locks into the gate. Now challenge him to lengthen the trot. If he breaks, simply reverse him and try again. You will be surprised how pretty he will move when all of his efforts are willingly applied to the trot.

Jacquelyn, now that your horse has been better prepared to understand what you want, the chances of success go up. You should walk and halt repeatedly while keeping your horse between you and the rail. Practice until your Friesian is calm, straight and consistent. Later you can work on your walk-trot-walk transitions before adding energy into it. It won’t be long before you’ll be able to show off your horse in the middle of the ring, proudly.

As always, and above all, trust your instincts and think safe,

Ray

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Adequan U.S. Reining Team kicked off the opening week for the United States with a spectacular performance at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games for the Team Gold medal. Tim McQuay/Hollywoodstinseltown, Craig Schmersal/Mister Montana Nic, Tom McCutcheon/Gunners Special Nite, and Shawn Flarida/RC Fancy Step all gave electric rides to take the U.S. to a large winning margin.

After McQuay and Schmersal started things out convincingly Sept. 26, the final two U.S. reiners had to keep up the high scoring to ensure a Gold medal podium finish.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The brilliant United States dressage duo, Steffen Peters of San Diego, and Ravel, owned by Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki, won the bronze medal at the FEI World Dressage Championship in the Grand Prix Special by virtue of the pair’s Grand Prix Special score ever — 78.542 percent.
It was quite an accomplishment for Peters – no American rider had won an individual medal since the World Equestrian Games began in 1990.

FORT WORTH, Texas – The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) announced at the APHA Annual Convention and Membership Meeting that the format of the World Championship Paint Horse Shows will change starting in 2011. The two-show format will remain intact, but the line dividing the two shows will be much more clear.
The summer show will now be the AjPHA Youth World Championship Show featuring the complete lineup of youth division classes and activities, and will no longer contain any open or amateur classes. The fall show will be called the APHA World Championship Show and will feature all of the open, amateur, slot, Breeders’ Futurity and other specialty classes. Both shows will remain at the Will Rogers Equestrian Complex located in Fort Worth, Texas.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase our vibrant youth members and youth program by holding strictly a Youth World Championship Show separate from the other divisions,” said Lex Smurthwaite, Executive Director of APHA. “And this will allow the organization to have two World Championship Shows, each with a strong focus.”
Additional info can be obtained about the APHA World Show events at APHAWorldShow.com or by calling (817) 834-APHA (2742).

AURSBURG, Germany — Jimmy Flores flew halfway around the globe to ride Hotroddersidquixote to the European Reined Cow Horse Association Open Futurity Championship at the 2010 Americana, held Sept. 8-12.
Flores, of Perris, thrilled the crowd of almost 5,000 at the cow work final with a score of 145 that pushed Hotroddersidquixote’s aggregate to total to 430 for all three events.
The 4-year-old Palomino stallion by Pablo Quixote out of Little Klassy Jewel is owned by Marita Larsson of Sweden.
Two other horses managed to get a 145 in the cow work, and both were ridden by Italy’s Markus Schöpfer: Remedy The Roan and MA Starfighter. This meant a total of 426 for Remedy The Roan (Very Smart Remedy x Evita Thereon), a 4-year-old mare owned by Dominique Reynaud of France.
It was another success for multiple ERCHA Futurity Champion Markus Schöpfer, who managed to ride three horses into the final. With Shine Like A Babe, a 4-year-old mare owned by Quarter Dream (Italy) Markus placed third with a total score of 425.5. With his third horse, the 3-year-old Appaloosa stallion MA Starfighter, he placed fifth.

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. Two-time US Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y., and his majestic, “million-dollar” mare, Sapphire, owned by McLain Ward and Blue Chip Bloodstock, won the inaugural Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on Sunday, Sept 12 at HITS-on-the-Hudson. in Saugerties, New York.
The legendary duo of Ward and Sapphire proudly added their names to the show jumping history books once more when they bested a field of 43 high-performance riders before an energetic and enthusiastic crowd of thousands that lined all four berms surrounding the Strongid Stadium. Sunday’s line-up featured some of the best and most promising athletes and horses in the sport, including some of America’s brightest up-and-coming stars and several American and International Olympians.
Olympic Course Designer Steve Stephens of Palmetto, Fla., set a challenging and technical course that was decorated to the hilt by Olympic Course Decorator Flora Baptiston of Brazil.
“The course was brilliant,” explained Ward. “Today was a great balance of tests.”
After a successful week of show jumping, the Strongid Stadium was transformed into a field of dreams, as custom jumps, exclusive to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, including a fence from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, set the stage for the biggest event of the year.