PASO ROBLES — It had been five years since the last go of the National Stock Horse Association’s Classic in 2011, a popular aged event that returned April 22-24 to rave reviews at the Mid-State Fairgrounds.

Longtime NSHA supporters Mark and Shari Luis spearheaded the resurrection of the three-day show that was headlined by a pair of aged events — a Derby sponsored by Cactus Saddlery and a Bridle Challenge sponsored by DT Horses and Hickory Holly Time. Many other sponsors came on board to make the show’s comeback a big success.

“The response was tremendous,” said Shari, who along with Mark joined the NSHA Board this year with founding partners Russell and Tanna Dilday and Jake Gorrell. “What made this show a success, in addition to the team that does such a good job making the NSHA run, were the sponsorships. The sponsors were amazing and overwhelmed us with their generosity.”

Next month’s Western States Horse Expo June 10-12 at Cal Expo in Sacramento will offer “HorseMax: The new way to buy a horse.” For a flat $400 fee, sellers will receive a 10×10 stall for four days at the Expo (including three bags of shavings), scheduled access to arenas on-site for test rides, on-site prepurchase vet exams availability, three three-day parking passes, plus back-stage off-hour access to the Expo. All sales are private party, with no commissioned sales. Plus, HorseMax sellers get a California Horsetrader/Horsetrader.com account to place ads that appear both in print — in the California Horsetrader and the Official Horse Expo Program — as well as on Horsetrader.com. Call to sign up or get more info: 800-352-2411.

Training takes time. There is no shortcut to having an ability to accurately respond to — and correct — a horse’s behavior in a way that progresses their training. So, if it takes time for the rider, it also takes time for your horse to put together the skills you are asking him to perform.

How do you learn? By making mistakes, correcting those mistakes, and moving on. Making mistakes is the name of the game, and you will make many. Each mistake will shape you, strengthen you and teach you. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning.

A little history was made May 1 when the San Diego Arabian Horse Association held its first show, the San Diego County Arabian Community Horse Show, at Deer Springs Equestrian in San Marcos. In addition to AHA classes, all breed classes were available, too, including in both Western and English Dressage and Western and English Trail. Stick horses, too, had their special competition, which brightened an already pleasant day. The SDAHA is a union of two previous Southern California Arabian organizations, the Desert Arabian Horse Association and the Tierra Del Norte Arabian Horse Association.

MORE ONLINE: Http://bit.ly/605B_SDAHA

Lauren Crooks takes Dora to a thrilling split-second win over Rich Fellers and E Unanime de la Haie in the May 14 Interactive Mortgage Horses 10&U Futurity.

Captured Moment photo

DEL MAR — Setting an early pace in the jump-off proved to be unbeatable as Nayel Nassar and Lordan stepped up for the win May 14 in the $60,000 Grand Prix of California. It was clearly a week for the young and talented show jumpers, as Lauren Crooks took the win in the Interactive Mortgage Horses 10&U Futurity.

FEI Course Designer Oscar Soberon set the 1.50m track for the 30 grand prix competitors, focusing more on the verticals than the oxers.

First entrant Marc Grock, riding Moonlite Beach, LLC’s Little Gancho, was also the first to go clean. It took another 20 rides before Nassar went clean on Lordan, followed into the jump-off by three of the world’s top riders: Rich Fellers on Harry and Mollie Chapman’s Flexible, Richard Spooner on Cristallo and Will Simpson riding Monarch International’s E Unanime de la Haie.

Last issue, Les started Exercise 3 with highlights on the brace rein and ribcage control. Now we’ll go to work.

Exercise number three is basically sidepassing, but it will have one big difference for most of you. While most novice riders start sidepassing by moving the shoulders and catching up with the hips, I’m not going to let you do it that way. Letting a horse lead with his shoulders creates such a disaster when it comes to lead changes that we simply never let them lead with their shoulders when we use our leg in the middle, or the back, position. We are always using a light brace rein to keep their shoulders out of the way, or at least neutral.

Private carriages have been around for hundreds of years. In the beginning, they were status symbols of the times, as only the very wealthy could afford them.  The whole “turnout” was reflective of status and wealth. From the horses, their harness, the footmen and their  livery or special clothes  to the vehicle itself, it all made an impression to the average person, as if to say, “Look at ME, I’m SPECIAL!”

So what does this have to do with modern driving? It’s all about the history and traditions of the past!

A definition of turnout might be this: Harmony of detail, quietness of color and ornamentation, appropriateness of vehicle and equipment — competent for the purpose intended. Most aspects of a turnout that are not purely practical are influenced by fashion, convention, and tradition. A fashion can be fleeting, but if it sticks around long enough, it becomes convention. A fashion is a whim that is introduced by a notable person and copied by others. A fashion that lasts more than 10 years usually has a practical side and becomes a convention, which then after a long number of years (decades) becomes tradition, and is thus hallowed and zealously preserved.

HEY RAY! This is about lost trust and resentment. I was training my horse, Connor, for trailering. Whenever he stopped in front of the trailer, I would back him up forcefully—I was trying to make the choice of either going “forward” or being “backed up forcefully.” I had thought of “backing up” as punishment. At that time, I didn’t know about SWAP and didn’t reward him for successfully backing up. Not only that, I backed him up very forcefully. If I caught up to him while I was running forward, he would get a sharp tap in the chest. Now he is resentful. How do I get him back? —Evan Moser, Lancaster, Calif.

Since 1959, King Performance Horses has been a family owned and operated training and riding academy. With a history of training horses and champion riders, KPH has earned a reputation of excellence. For well over 50 years, the King family has trained horses and riders in all Western events, and have specialized in reining horses for 35 years. The King’s attribute a lot of their successful training program to their dedicated customers and irreplaceable lesson horses throughout the years. KPH’s slogan is: ‘From Beginners to Winners’. They take that very seriously, with the many champion horses and riders having the show records to prove it. King Performance Horses has shown under the American Quarter Horse Association, the National Reining Horse Association, and the Pacific Coast Horse Association. Donna King and Joline King-Pebley are both highly involved on the boards of U.S.E.F. and P.C.H.A. Western Committees.