SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – You expect things to begin heating up in the desert this time of year, but the warming trend at the 2015 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show extended beyond climate. With almost 2,400 horses, the 60th Annual Scottsdale event, put on by the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona, was booming — an indicator that both the event and breed are, well, on fire.

And Californians were part of the heat source. Several barns from the Golden State returned with Scottsdale Championships and Top Tens. And, a former California barn that moved to Cave Creek, Ariz., the Burkman Centre, racked up several tri-colors by loyal California exhibitors who continue to ride under Cynthia Burkman.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Most people know San Juan Capistrano for its swallows, tenacious little songbirds that return to the picturesque Southern California town every spring. But San Juan Capistrano is more than just a place for migrating birds. The city is also home to a vast number of people and their horses.

The history of horses in San Juan Capistrano goes back to the city’s beginnings in the 1700s, when Father Junipero Serra first founded the mission. By placing the flag of Spain on a plot of land just five miles from the ocean, halfway between what would become the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Father Serra laid down the roots of a town that would come to be known for its historic architecture and equestrian lifestyle.

THERMAL — Lane Clarke and Semira De Saulieu, owned by Charlotte Gadbois, topped the $50,000 CardFlex Grand Prix at HITS Desert Horse Park March 8, trumping a field of 52 competitors, with a clear round in the jump-off and a time of 39.309 seconds.

Karl Cook, winner of the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix a day earlier, placed second, this time on Tembla, owned by Signe Ostby. Cook finished double-clear in a time of 39.361. Jaime Azcarraga on his Anton Radio Formula rounded out the top three in a clear 40.120 seconds.

Thirteen riders made it into the jump-off, and the top six went double-clear, with a tight spread in their finishing times of less than three seconds. Cook, who went sixth in the jump-off had the fastest time until Clark’s turn in the ring. The stage had been set for Clarke, with a total of five double-clears before him, amping up the pressure to complete the shortened course even faster, and without faults.

THERMAL — As equestrians were preparing for the March 15 AIG $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS Thermal (coverage in the April 5 Horsetrader), Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson claimed his ninth Grand Prix victory at HITS Desert Horse Park this season. His last Thermal win in 2015 came on Katie Riddle, owned by Monarch International, in the $25,000 SmartPak Wild Card Grand Prix on March 13.

“It’s out of control,” said Simpson, after trumping a field of 38 riders. Simpson rode S.F. Ariantha, owned by Olivia Cox-Fill, in Sunday’s big event and finished ninth.

No rider made it double-clear in Friday’s class. Simpson and Katie Riddle were first to go and were very fast, in a time of 32.641, but had the “A” element of the combination down. The combination proved to be almost every riders’ nemesis in the jump-off, and it became the focus of the remaining riders’ warm-up preparation.

In prior articles I’ve discussed many preliminary steps needed to prepare your equine for pulling a vehicle, cart or carriage. Before advancing to the first hitch, the driver needs to review these steps and have full confidence — in both their own and in the equine’s abilities. Your equine should have a WHOA/STAND, both verbally and with the lines, as WHOA is the single, most important word a driving equine must know! It must be confidently long-lining while walking and trotting with simulated shafts (long poles); dragging weight of some sort; be tolerant of various noises; and wearing blinders. The horse should also be comfortably wearing a bit, as it is NEVER advisable to drive an equine without a bridle and bit.

Anthropomorphism is a term used to describe people attaching human emotions to animals. It’s something commonly found in the horse world, and it often creates stumbling blocks in training programs.

For example, an owner may interpret a horse’s habit of crowding their space as a way of showing affection, but if the owner understood the nature of horses, they’d recognize that the horse is attempting to establish dominance. In this case, as the pecking order goes, the owner is on the bottom and the horse on top. By not setting clear boundaries and correcting disrespectful behavior for fear of not being liked, you are on the way to creating a dangerous scenario because the severity of this behavior will increase over time if left unchecked. It’s important to be a leader that your horse will respect.

The tradition continues! The 45th Annual Norco Horseweek is just around the corner, scheduled for April 17-26 in “Horsetown USA”/ This 10-day extravaganza of everything horses is conducted by an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that is dedicated to celebrating and maintaining Norco’s horse-centered, rural lifestyle. Once again, the group has put together an amazing line-up of family-oriented events, with something fun and exciting for everyone, including the Extreme Ranch Rodeo, Horseweek Parade, lawnmower races, Challenged Children’s Rodeo, bull riding, the food truck festival, chili cook-off, obstacle course and so much more! Visit www.NorcoHorseweek.com for a more info and full schedule of events!