Coffee Creek Ranch
Trinity Center, Calif.
(800) 624-4480
coffeecreekranch.com
This 367-acre guest ranch is nestled in the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area of Northern California. Coffee Creek, an excellent fly-fishing stream, runs wild year-round for a half-mile through the ranch where you can pan for gold, tube and fish. Planned activities include horseback riding, bonfires, trapshooting, bingo, volleyball, line dancing and archery, to name a few. The outdoor pool and creekside Jacuzzi spa are perfect places to watch the stars while your mind and body soothe back-to-nature from the stress of the outside world.

Hearty breakfasts are served in the ranch house or out on the trail, as well as poolside lunches and western barbecues under the stars! Coffee Creek’s professional chefs prepare all your meals from garden-to-table, using the freshest herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Special diets can be accommodated.

Specially-designed Summer Youth Programs are offered from June 9 to August 24, with great savings at the beginning and end of summer. Programs include Bronc Busters teens 13-17; Junior Wranglers 6-12; Cowboys & Cowgirls 3-5 have special pony rides, and a Kiddie Korral for those under 3 is FREE. Wilderness Pack Trips to one of the 42 sparkling alpine lakes (summer through fall) are also offered.

WASHINGTON, D.C.– When is a commercial driver’s license required for transporting horses? What should you do or say if you are hauling your horses to a show and stopped by a federal safety official?

Those are the types of questions that the American Horse Council wanted answered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) after a recent meeting in response to the AHC request for clarification. On Feb. 26, the FMCSA published two documents to promote understanding of the regulations and also how to discern whether or not a carrier can be excluding from the commercial driver’s license requirement.

The Norco Horsemen’s Association 21st Annual Wild West Casino Night is dealing out winners on Saturday, March 10. Benefitting the Norco High School FFA Scholarship Fund, this event is reminiscent of the wild west saloon of days gone by with gun-slingers, dance hall girls, cowboys, great laughs, good company, food and entertainment. Enjoy the taco bar, music and place your bids in the silent auction with great items. There are hourly $100 “Pot of Gold” drawings and a $500 Grand Prize Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall giveaway. Casino Night is held at Nellie Weaver Hall at George Ingalls Park, 3737 Crestview Dr. in Norco. The event goes from 6 p.m. until midnight, and you must be 21 years or older to attend. Advance tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at Keller Williams Realty, 3646 Hamner Ave., in Norco. At the door, tickets are $25 per person. Visit www.NHA-Norco.org for more information or call Bonnie Slager at (714) 585-9528.

BURBANK—A little love— the love of reining, that is—was spread around the Los Angeles Equestrian Center last month.

The California Reining Horse Association opened their 2018 show season on Feb 2-4 with its new Sweetheart Reining Show. There was a lot of excitement building up to the event with the addition of Ranch Riding classes to the 2018 schedule. CRHA also celebrated the successes of their members with a a year end awards party during the show.

Along with CRHA jackpot classes, AQHA, APHA and PCHA classes, the sweetheart reining show was held in collaboration with 2 slates of NRHA affiliate qualifying classes. The high point CRHA riders from the combined shows in each category were awarded Circuit Champion and Reserve Champion; with the champions receiving embroidered day sheets from Professional Choice and the Reserve Champions going home with CRHA emblazoned barn chairs. Along with jackpot money earned, CRHA individual class awards included leg boots, duffle bags, groom bags, lunge lines, hoof picks and vet wrap.

Kelby Phillips and Hickory Holly Time

Primo photo

FORT WORTH, Texas — After trading spots back-and-forth atop the National Reined Cow Horse Association World’s Greatest Horseman competition, Kelby Phillips and Hickory Holly Time (One Time Pepto x Hickorys Holly Cee) edged Phillip Ralls and Call Me Mitch (Metallic Cat x Miss Hickory Hill) for the prestigious title during the NRCHA’s Celebration of Champions Feb. 9-17 at the Will Rogers Coliseum.

Both entries in the bridle horse competition finished top three of each of the four phases — herd, rein and cow work plus steer-stopping — with Phillips, from Bend, Ore., coming out in the final composite, 890.5 to 888.0. Phillips and Hickory Holly Time, owned by DT Horses, LLC, earned top prize of $40,000. The duo won the herd work (220.0) and steer work (224.5) while taking second in the reining (222.5) and third in cow work (223.5).

Last column, I introduced you to an entire stopping program that began with “whoa” and proceeded to the next phase, the “signal stop.”

Random Stop
So, when he has learned the signal stop, we go into the next phase, which is going to be random stops. We take what he knows now, and we teach him that he is going to gallop or trot around the arena. As with the other steps, this one has to be in all of his gears or gaits as well. He has to graduate up to the gallop. Now, at this stage in the game, the walk probably is not going to count, but he has to master the trot and the gallop for sure, and he has to be perfect in both.

Joint supplements are always a hot topic. Most people are concerned about the athletic performance of their horses and anything they can do to keep them going at their maximum performance level. This month I am going to discuss the most common ingredients, how they are given, and what we think they do.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA). HA is found naturally throughout the body. It is used to improve the lubricity (viscosity) of the joint fluid and to reduce inflammation. Cartilage in the joint is like a sponge. The joint fluid fills it up and pressure from weight on the joint expels the fluid. If the fluid is more viscous or thicker, it is harder to expel from the cartilage, and therefore absorbs more concussion. Inflammation makes the joint fluid more watery or less viscous. HA aims to combat that. It is commonly given intravenously (IV), intraarticularly (IA, or in the joint), and orally.

Are you noticing changes in your horse’s attitude when he is being handled or under saddle that is causing you to be concerned? Is he more attentive to pasture mates and other horses when out on the trail than he is on you? Do you feel “out-of-your-depth” when you try to safely identify and resolve the unwanted behaviors?  Well, he could be challenging your position in the pecking order. It’s possible you have been fired!