EquiSearch Community

Does your horse come above the bit when you make a canter transition?

Ruth Hogan Poulsen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:21:00 GMT

Does your horse come above the bit, toss his head or climb with his head and neck into every canter transition? If your answer is yes, you should ask yourself the following questions.
Picking up the canter on the bit is a big issue for a lot of riders. In this article, I'll give you some questions you should try to answer. You MAY find the ROOT of the problem!

There is a reason that your horse displays this behavior. Don’t look at the symptom. Get to the root of the problem. The SYMPTOM is that your horse comes off the bit in the transition. The CAUSE lies in one of these questions.

This list of questions deals with training and rider issues, not physical or external issues. Those questions come in the next article.

1. Is my horse forward enough before I ask for the canter?

2. Is my horse accepting a true connecting aid before I ask for the canter?

3. Is my horse truly going toward the outside rein while the flexion to the inside is maintained?

4. Am I stopping him with too much inside rein during the depart?

5. Am I following the motion of the neck into the depart with my arms during the depart?

6. Am I following with my seat from back to front during the transition?

7. Is climbing above the bit a habit now? Do I need to exaggerate any of the above things to get him over the hump of climbing.

8. Is my horse straight?

9. Is my horse leaning on my inside leg?

10. Is my horse laterally supple before you ask for the canter?

11. Is my horse under himself with the hind leg before you ask?

12. Is my horse in front of my leg?

13. Is your timing with in the stride correct for picking up the canter?

These questions and your answers may help you find the real cause of your troubles. If you are not sure of the answers, try to find a trainer or contact a reputable professional to help you! Feel free to contact me at www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com or Ruth@ruthhoganpoulsen.com

What the judges want to hear when they listen to your freestyle music.

Ruth Hogan Poulsen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:16:00 GMT

When the judges are listening to your music, what are they listening for?

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “How do the judges evaluate my music?”

I’m going to go over the guidelines that are given to the judges so you can be on the same page as they are. In last month’s newsletter, I did an audio clip on what the judges are looking for. But so many of you have asked me to put it in print so here it is.

There are four categories that the judges must consider when listening to and watching your freestyle. They are:

1. Suitability

2. Cohesiveness

3. Editing

4. Phrasing and dynamics

Let’s go over them one by one.

1. Suitability- The actual definition in the USDF rulebook says, “The music matches and expresses the horse and the gaits.”

What does this mean? “Matching the gaits” means that the music tempo or beats per minute (BPM) is the same as your horse’s down beat in the foot fall pattern of the walk, trot, and canter. (For the upper levels, it must also match piaffe and passage.)

The downbeat of the measure (the one you tap your toe to) should match the down beat of your horse’s gait. For example, in the canter the main down beat of the right lead would be the third beat, when the right front hits the ground. If the judge can tap his toe to the music and it matches when the right front foot is hitting the ground in the right lead, then the tempo matches your horse’s gait.

Matching your horse’s “expression” can be a bit more subjective although it’s very obvious when it does NOT match. If you’re riding a big springy warmblood, then cute circus music is not appropriate. On the flip side, a smaller, more average mover would look even more average if he had a large piece of music. Large music may draw wrong expectations from the judges because of the depth of the music. Bigger music is not always better.

2. Cohesiveness is defined in the rulebook as, “Music that is linked by genre, theme or orchestration.” This means that the judges should easily be able to hear the connection between the pieces of music.

The music should sound as if it were one piece for all the selected gaits. The link could be music of the same genre, like jazz or rock and roll, or the same instrument could be featured throughout the piece.

The link could also be music from TV shows, or a movie series. In any case, the connection of the music should be obvious to more than just you. You may think that the connection is apparent, but ask a few friends if they “get it” before you finalize your selection of music.

3. Editing is defined as “Music that has a smooth flow; there are no abrasive cuts, transition or fades.” If you can hear a cut or clip in a piece of music, it’s not a good edit.

Remember that music has phrases. You should never cut or edit a piece of music in the middle of a phrase. It would be like leaving off the end of a sentence. You’d leave the judges hanging.

Imperceptible edits are seamless. Elements that play an important role in a good edit are pitch, key, and where the beats are in the measure.

4. Phrasing and dynamics-Phrasing is defined as “The way sequences of notes are grouped together to form units of melody; the expression of musical sentences.”

This means that a line of notes or measures are grouped together with a clear beginning and end, like a sentence. You should almost feel like taking a breath at the end of a musical phrase much like you would at the end of a sentence.

Dynamics are the variations of the intensity of sound such as the changes in volume and intensity that would help define a change in a movement. For example, going from working trot to a lengthening, or a collected trot to half pass would be more enhanced with a clear, dynamic musical change.

The judges don’t want to guess when your lengthening was supposed to start. They want to hear a clear change in the music, volume, or intensity.

Hope this helps get you on the same “page” as the judges! Ruth

For more information or questions, you can contact me at ruth@ruthhoganpoulsen.com

Update...

VicAndChoctaw — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:47:00 GMT

Gosh! It has been a long time since I posted on here. Sorry for those interested.

I am still hanging in there. Tired and worn out, but still here.

My sister is still hanging on. She has been on the transplant list for about a year, but still no news.

Vic has managed to avoid any concussions this year. Thank God. With finishing her GED and concurrent college classes, she is very busy. She hasn't been riding as much as she was, but she seems to enjoy the rides that she does get more.

Choctaw is a tad over wieght according to the farrier. Her neck is cresty! We aren't overfeeding. We have gotten lots of rain and the pasture is just super good this year. Another blessing from God! Farrier advised working her butt off.

Mom is still sickly with bouts of weakness, but the doctors don't want to do anything; just wait. The last time we waited she had an intestinal rupture and she almost died. She is constantly stating that she doesn't want to go through that again. I can't say that I blame her. Please, pray that the doctors are more attentive to her condition this time.

Our barn is in terrible shape! We made repairs last year, but with the terrible ice storm this past winter, it is in a sorry state. I had to re-build one whole wall and am hoping that will get us through this winter. Next year, we will probably be building a new barn or at least a stable for Choctaw. What I am really wanting to build is an arena for the kids to ride in, but shelter comes first.

May God watch over keep all of us.

Newbie here and seeking advice!

simplyshayna — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:56:00 GMT

Hello,

I'm Shayna and I've eaten, slept, and breathed horses since I was five. I'm now 16 with a beautiful 5 year old OTTB gelding named Baci. We both get to enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather, as it is our home. He is a magnificent jumper and I've truly lucked out on him. I know, and this has been backed up by my trainer as well, that Baci can, with time, take me to where I want to go. And where I want to go is Grand Prix/Olympics/Rolex/all of the above. However, at this point, I'm at a loss on how to get to that point. I realize that Baci needs time and training to get to that skill level and so do I. But how do I get the exposer and training and guidance that I need to get that far? Being a working student for an experience showjumping trainer would be ideal but how do I find that? And also, what do I do with Baci in the meantime? I'd still like to show him throughout our show circuit.

Many thanks to everyone for reading and helping me out! I really appreciate it.

Racing the clock!

Jaimie Tausch — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:34:00 GMT

Winter is going to be here way before I even realize it. Kill me. Actually, I would give anything for the ground to freeze and the mud to be no more! I shouldn't say that though, because I'm really not ready for it to freeze yet. I am sitting here looking at 2 loads of limestone, and 1 load of gravel sitting outside. The limestone is for another drylot, the gravel is for the driveway. We had 5 loads of gravel brought in yesterday, and this one is the lasssst one. Since we ran the trench across the driveway for water to the barn, the driveway had turned into a muddy, bumpy mess. It's much better now, and the water in the barn is wayy worth it

The limestone loads are going to make another drylot. Right now I have enough room for my 5 horses to all be outside, but I need room for 2 more horses to come home this winter. If you can't tell by now, I am WAY anti-mud. I hate my horses standing in mud, I hate cleaning mud off, I hate being muddy, I hate walking through mud. I hate everything about mud. So, I am very proud of my drylots. If done correctly, a few loads of limestone can keep mud at a minimum all year long. If you don't put enough down right from the beginning though, the horse's foot will go right through the lime and bring mud back up, mixing in all your limestone and wasting your entire load. I put limestone down right from the very beginning, and usually I add a load per paddock once a year. Keeping manure picked up in the paddocks is important also, but really simple and quick to do if you make it part of your daily routine. The pros of a mud-free facility are sooooooo worth the small effort required. We have a box scraper, so it's very simple the spread it out as well. I love my limestone

The horses have been off the pastures for awhile now. It hasn't been dry for weeks. Ryan is out in the fields with the Combine today. It isn't dry enough, but at this point, it doesn't look like it's going to get any drier. The farmers can't wait on the weather. This is going to be a bad year for the crops. Yikes.

Pikzee and Rosie (the broodmares) are doing great. They are fat and sassy. Actually, they are almost due for their next ultrasounds. Guess I better call the vet. I adore my vet. He is a repro specialist who really knows his stuff. It is so important to have a good reproductive veterinarian when breeding, and I am very lucky to have found my guy since I moved here. I trust him completely. Both girls were a little difficult to get in foal this year for their own reasons. Plus we were racing the clock, since they didn't even arrive here in IL until June. So I was estatic when both girls checked in. Now I'm just hoping both babies are still cookin' in there!

Sully, Rico, and Daisy are just hangin out. Sully should be schooling FEI by now, Rico should be in heavy training, and so should Daisy, but right now there are other things that need my attention unfortunately! Someday their time will come! haha. I love them all, they are very important members of my family, so it's ok. Ryan and I enjoy having Rico and Daisy here to trail ride, so I guess that's their job.

Ryan and I made a checklist of things we need to accomplish before winter. It ended up being about 5,000 pages long! Hah! No, really we're getting close to being set for winter....but there are still several things left to get done. I need sliding doors on the barn. The wind out here gets strong and makes it bitter cold inside. I need to finish this new drylot, but actually, it's a better idea to wait until the ground is frozen (or at least DRY!) to spread the lime. That way the big heavy tractor won't make a mess. We did get electricity in the front part of the barn, where Sully's stall and Daisy and Rico's run-in are (YES!) but not the back yet. The back of the barn is where Rosie and Pikzee's run-in and huge drylot are. There are also 2 more stalls back there. (One is the goats' new home). The other stall needs rubber mats, then it's good to go. I wanted to clean out the hayloft and redo the floor, but I don't really know if that will happen. We were planning on cleaning it out and plowing the old straw under when Ryan plows the cornfields, but it's getting so late already and they're just starting to harvest. We'll see!

Besides the ponies, all the other critters are just dandy. The goats have totally settled in and dig it here. They are still behaving, so they still have freedom to roam where they please. They know to go into their stall once it gets dark, and if we're a little late for feeding, they've already put themselves away and are already curled up asleep by the time we get there. They are super sweet and friendly. They come right up to us for scratches and attention. We feed them black oil sunflowers as a treat, and they love them! The doggies are all curled up around me on the couch. They troop it out and stay outside with us still, but the temperature won't have to drop too many more degrees before the Italian Greyhounds demand to stay inside, warm and cozy! Ellie is the epitome of a farmdog- if we're outside, she's outside. We bought her a fabulous doggie coat for the colder weather from Foggy Mountain Dog Coats. They make AWESOME horse-style dog blankets that fit super well, are really durable, look adorable, and are affordable! We bought a coat for all 4 of our dogs. Dogcoat.com is the website. If you're looking for a coat that actually keeps the dogs warm, that's your place! Ellie really needed one though, as silly as it seems. She'll stay outside with us even in 0 degree snowstorms, shivering away but happy to be helping. And the Iggies, of course they needs coats. The Iggies are pathetic little shivering babies. Speaking of which, I just learned how to play with Imovie on the Mac, so I made a video of our doggies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AKC_e9FmR4 Check them out!

Well, I better go switch laundry around. I hate doing laundry. Then soon it will be time to go bring in and feed the horses. Ahhh....I love my life on our little farm. Halloween night will be our 1 year anniversary living here. I'm really excited for year 2.

A Good College Education and Equestrian Competition (and Fun)

Professor Mary — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:49:00 GMT

I've never blogged before - but I have so much enthusiasm for what's going on her at Ripon College (www.ripon.edu) I must give it a try! We have a new Equestrian Team at Ripon College. We are the only private college in Wisconsin to have an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Team, and we're growing fast! This year we are riding hunt seat only, because the College is covering all of our expenses, and the hunt shows are closer. But we're looking to expand into western next year.

The cool thing about IHSA shows is that anyone at any level can ride, and you don't have to bring a horse to school. In fact, you don't have to have a horse at all! Students practice on my horses, at no charge, and when we go to a host college we draw lots for horses. So it's all about horsemanship.

When we're not showing or practicing, we're liable to be trail riding at Cedar Ridge Ranch (www.cedarridgeranch.net). More later - we're going to a show in Sioux Falls this weekend.

Post #2

Jaimie Tausch — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:26:00 GMT

Sooo...lots to update on! First off, we got our goats! We chose 2 - a brother and sister. They're both dehorned already, and the boy (Harvey) is castrated. They are Nigerian Dwarfs, and they are precious. They were born in May, so they're around 5 months old or so. We've had them a week today! So far, we've been able to give them run of the farm without any mishaps yet. YET. haha. I have had plenty of warnings about how much trouble they can get into! So, I'll keep my eye on them. The first time I catch them on top of my car, thats it! haha. They are very sweet and fun though. They let us pet them and love on them, and we can put them on our laps and they fall asleep. My Thoroughbred thought they were tiny little aliens when they came home. I don't think he's ever seen goats before! It didn't take too long for them to warm up to the little critters though, and now they all graze together and are fine.

We finished another 2.5 acre pasture this week - yesss. The horses were grateful. They got to use it all week, but now it's been raining nonstop for about 24 hours, so no pasturetime for awhile I am very strict about my pasture management. I don't have enough acres to let a single blade of grass get torn up in bad weather. I think I have about 4 acres of pasture now. I have one more acre or so in front to do, then everything available here to fence in will be done. I am hoping to have it done before winter, but winter feels like it's coming quickly. Yikes!

The horses here are good. Ryan and I have been riding down the road to the pond and woods quite a bit. He rides Daisy, my 3yo buckskin QH. I put about 60 days on her this spring, so she doesn't have much under saddle time, and he has really no clue what he's doing, but she takes care of him. What a good girl she is. And the sweetest little doll ever. And pretty! Rico is my 5yo Hanoverian. He is such a clown. I wasn't sure what to expect from him out on trail, but he is soooo perfect. He really relaxes and seems to enjoy just strolling along. It's really good for him to get out and see other things besides the dressage arena. He will be a well-rounded young man!

I went to Jay Stables today, which is the Andalusian barn I work at in the mornings. I hate mud. By the time I was done turning horses out, throwing hay into the paddocks, and finished with stalls, my feet were completely soaked, and my jeans were covered in mud up to my calves. uuuuuukkkk. I don't mind the cold, or the hot. I don't mind snow. I mind rain, and I really mind mud. Oh well, tis the season! I keep a couple of my training horses over there, so once I'm done working I get to work my own critters. I rode Trinity today. She was a very good girl! She's actually learning really quickly. Trinity (Fatrinita) is a 5yo Hanoverian mare (by Walk On Top, out of a Bolero mare). She's here with me to be sold. She's cute as a button, and really fun to ride with nice, comfortable gaits. I'm liking her more and more every day. She's actually the half sister to my leased broodmare Rosie. They are out of the same mare. Their owner lives in Ohio. She only does the breeding end, and rides for pleasure. She sends me her older horses to start and sell. I bought Rico from her when he was a weanling in '04.

After I left the barn, I had to come home, take a fast shower, and then head out to the vet with Ryan and our doggies! $500 later, everyone has negative heartworm tests, rabies shots, and all their vaccinations. Ugh. These animals sure are expensive! Now, I don't want to do anything. It is cold and muddy and I don't wanna go out there again! But I have to go do my own stalls, and soon it'll be time to feed. I can see everyone through my windows right now, and nobody seems to want to be outside. Rico and Daisy are standing in the doorway to their run-out. Pikzee is outside though. She is always outside, no matter what the weather is. Weirdo. She likes the rain I guess!

Ok well I'm headed out. I'll update again soon!

Back to mule school (with a new saddle)!

Indy Carol — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:34:00 GMT

I am sad to say that I started to slide away (not purposefully) from my mule school training once I entered grad school; my mind became focused elsewhere a bit and Ruby could tell, she could read my attitude. I was drifting away from the practice of slow concentration, clarity, and steady, purposeful training (yes, my mule is my personal Yoda : ). I was more in a hurry (had tons of homework to do), more easily distracted, and less patient. Ruby could tell. One day she let me know she knew with a couple of good nips! She’s not a nipper, so this really woke me up. Ruby speaks plain ol’ English, let me tell you.

Well, after some serious thinking and soul searching, I decided to quit grad school. It was enjoyable, I loved the work, but I simply did not have the time and energy to devote to it (exhaustion was a serious problem), and I was NOT about to give up my mule time for it. (I’m also a musician, and my music life was suffering – not acceptable. I also have a significant other, and he was not getting the time he deserved.) I’m very happy with my decision, and am getting back on track with my life and with Ruby's training. Priorities!

I did a Google search for mule bits the other day (just out of curiosity, because I still use my “Indian bosal”) and apparently the typical “mule bit” at a general online store is a bicycle chain!! Yeah, put that in your mule’s mouth and see how far you get. Well, you may get far – a half mile down the road before your mule stops running because they’re in pain! Whose bright idea was that bit design? I’m happy to see, however, that Mylar makes carefully designed mule bits. The whole bicycle chain garbage goes along with the mule prejudice: the incorrect assumption that you’ll need some sort of cruel equipment in order to “control” your mule. Mules are more sensitive to bits (and other things) than horses are. And their mouths are shaped a little differently. One needs to select a bit, and all equipment, with utmost care! Bicycle chains belong on bicycles.

My Indian bosal is made of yacht rope with strategically placed knots – 2 knots over pressure points on each side of the face (made by Debbie Hanson www.crazyropes.com). I'm very light handed, and I’ve trained Ruby to respond to very light aids (leg, weight, and hand), so this bosal works very well for us. The thought of trying to be a partner with your mule by using severe tools is outrageous (and yes, even mild equipment can turn cruel in the wrong hands). Your mule will not trust you if you use that kind of equipment/treatment. Trust is everything.

I have a new saddle – and LOVE it!! I worked with Debra at Crest Ridge Saddlery to find a saddle tree that fit Ruby, and I got it. Crest Ridge’s motto is “This one fits!” and it’s true. I bought the Sonata – a lightweight leather/cordura combo – with a Guffey mule tree. The leather is of fabulous quality, it’s gorgeous, sturdy as can be, and it fits, fits, fits. A cool feature of this saddle is that the stirrups are set perfectly – I feel that my legs are instantly set correctly, and with such close contact (no bulky skirts or fenders). It’s like riding in a dressage saddle! I'm now in debt, but I really don't mind : ) This saddle was a must, no if's and's or but's.

I also bought the 5-Star pad with the spine cut out. My bridle, breechin and breast collar are from Crest Ridge as well. These folks take such good care of their customers, bending over backwards to help them and their equines, providing exceptional quality equipment for excellent prices. They specialize in gaited horses and mules and trail riding, but anyone can use their tack. They also have mules for sale : ) Please check them out! http://www.crestridgesaddlery.com/

Happy Autumn, everyone!

New and Seeking Advice on Boarding

wes dufek — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:12:00 GMT

Hello Everyone, I am a new horse owner ( 5 months) and live in Big Bear, Ca at 7,000 ft. I rescued a OTTB gelding who is 5 yrs old and lived most all his life in sunny southern calif. I brought him up to the mountains close to me and for the past 5 months he has done well adding about 200 lbs to his statue of 16.5H ( like most rescues he was underweight) Summers are nice here at 7,000 ft but now winter is approaching and i have to decide weather to keep him up here for winter ( and winters are bitter cold with extended periods of snow) or i can board him down the mountain in the high desert for winter. The facitlities are simular and prices are close. It seems like a no brainer to keep him in a winter location that is warmer and dryer ( no mud, no frozen water, etc) but the downside is a 40 mile drive each way so i see him less vs combatting the elements for him and myself for 5 months of snow, bitter cold, etc.,

Your heartfelt input and experience would be appreciated.

Thank You

froggymccoy

Anonymous — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:34:00 GMT

hi i am new and would like to say hi to all

First blog post!

Jaimie Tausch — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:03:00 GMT

So, this will be my very first actual post about life on the farm. This is my very first time going public with the thoughts and experiences that I write about, so bear with me as I learn how to do this!

Today is another cold, almost-winter feeling type day. It's only October, but it already feels like November here in northern IL. I've been tempted to blanket my wimpy Thoroughbred, Sully, the past few nights, because it's been getting down into the 40s already. Sully is the only one that needs a blanket yet. The Hanoverians and Daisy the QH have nice thick coats. Soon they'll look like wooly bears.

Ryan is at home installing a water hydrant for the barn. For the past year we've had to run a hose from the hydrant at the house, out to the barn. I am VERY excited to not have to carry buckets of water to all the horses now! I am also being spoiled with electricity. No more feeding my horses in the dark, holding a flashlight in my mouth to see! It's funny, you never think of how nice having water and eletricity is until you go a year without it. So, maybe if all goes smoothly, I will have a well-lit barn sometime next week. It will still be a big ole barn with holes in the roof that needs to be resided, but at least I'll be able to see inside!

Ryan and I are going to look at Nigerian Dwarf goats today. My boyfriend once upon a time attended University of Illinois and had big dreams of living in the city. Now, he's excited beyond belief to go meet some baby goats and pick 2 of them out to bring home. He also has been getting pretty excited every time we drive past a field of corn or beans that have already been harvested. Ryan has become a full-fledged farmer, and I think it's the most adorable thing. I think I'll bring my camera and get some pictures of the goats so I can post them up for everyone to see. I have never had any goats, so this is going to be a whole new experience. I'm a little nervous, if I'm being honest! Anyone have any goat tips for me? We have a 10x15 stall in the barn for them. I figured straw is probably the best bedding for the little critters. And Ryan has big plans to build them a sweet pen with tractor tires and picnic tables and all sorts of things for them to climb on. Yikes!

As far as my horsies go...they're pretty much just hanging out right now. Rosie and Pikzee are busy growing their babies in their bellies. Rosie is due June 29th and Pikzee is due July 30th. Rosie is a black Weltmeyer daughter out of a Bolero mare. She is bred to PRE Andalusian stallion Heroe MAC. He's a 16 hand grey stallion with fantastic gaits, conformation, and above all, the BEST personality you could ask for. I spent several months riding him. He is extremely powerful, very talented in collection work, and has very expressive natural gaits. My other Hanoverian mare, Pikzee, is a bay Palladium daughter out of a Pik Immer mare. She is also bred to Heroe MAC. These babies will be registered with IAHLA as Half-Andalusians, and will be eligible for Iberian Warmblood registration. Check Heroe MAC out at jaystables.com. I cannot give that stallion enough compliments. I was never an Andalusian person, but after working with him I had to have my own. That's why I bought Aliyana. Hopefully she has her daddy's talent for Dressage!

Ok well it's time for me to go see some goats!!! More later...

Web Design by Me

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:04:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

I like to mess around with designing websites sometimes, and I thought I would let my blog readers know what I have done.

I have designed Highland Grove Farm, a website for our farm. It has information on all of our animals and stuff. Lots of pictures too.

I also designed Performance Quarter Horses, for a horse breeder. It is completed now, but I still need to get some more pictures from him, so in some areas I have "picture comming soon" or something like that for now. I have added some huge improvements since when I first started this website, including photo slide shows and totally redesigning the site, hope you guys like this one. If you have any tips, or things you do/do not like please let me know!!!

For our farm, I made the website from scratch, for the horse breeder, I started out with a template from a page, then modified it and stuff, until I had my desired template then made all the pages from that.

For both of the websites, I used 110mb.com as the website provider, I chose them after hours of research, and trying a few. This one has good uptime ratings and was also a little bit faster than some others and had a lot of bandwith room.

So, you guys can go and look at them, and if you would tell me what you think, that would be great!

The Secret to Bridleless Riding is...

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:02:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

...there is NO secret!

I want to start off by saying there is no "secret" to bridleless riding. Anyone, with the right experience (a centered and well balanced seat, along with good leg control) and the right horse can do it. I am going to give you some general things to know, as well as a peak in on exactly what I have done for bridleless training and some problems I have encountered.

The right training as far as leg cues and taking baby steps can make a big difference difference. When you are riding with a bridle (whether bareback or saddled), it is good to think about a few things:

Can you stop your horse by just using your but/verbal/leg cues? --Not only is this important for bridleless riding, but also helps your horse to stop more rounded, because if you stop by putting pressure on the reins, horses tend to lift their heads (even if it is almost unnoticeable), hollow their backs and stop on their forehand--Another tip for rounded stops, when you stop your horse, ask for one step or a half a step back, this encourages them to shift their weight to their hind quarters, rounding their back and lifting their forehand. You should never feel like you are going to fall forward when your horse stops, this means they are stopping on their forehand which not only looks sloppy but is hard on their front legs and navicular bones!
Are you yanking/pulling your horses' head to turn, or does he move swiftly off your legs?
When you are moving with your horse, do you have a tendency to momentarily loose balance and maybe put a little extra leg on one side of the horse? When you are riding bridleless, loosing your balance feels like a cue to the horse and can cause momentary confusion. It is ok if you occasionally loose your balance, everyone does it! But if it is hard for you to sit centered, that is something to work on before you remove the bridle.
Does your horse have a willing personality or are you always fighting?

I know many of those things sound very obvious, but without being proficient in those areas, it is hard to ride bridleless successfully.

I will be honest, I only have 1 horse I ride bridlelesss. He is my 7 year old Quarter Horse, I started bridleless with him when he was 5. I quickly found that without bit interference he moved much more rounded and free. I only have two other horses of riding age, one is an Arab and she will never be able to be ridden bridleless. It is not because she is an Arabian, it has nothing to do with her breed, it has to do with her personality and the training she got as a youngster (she is now 27 years old). She is good with her leg cues, and can be ridden in a halter with no problem, neck reins and little kids ride her all the time, but she just does not have enough respect without something on her head. It is really hard to explain and I spent almost 6 years dedicated to getting her to ride bridleless and the farthest I could get was riding with a neck rope. Then there is my almost 4 year old that I started under saddle last fall when he turned 3 years old. He is just not quite ready as far as his cueing/timing/and such. I am almost confident that I will be able to ride him bridleless though, but I will not start until he is ready. It is better to avoid bad experiences. Well, I do have one more "almost riding age horse". I wait until my horses are 3 to really start riding them (for joint and muscle maturity, I like my horses to last!), but she is a 2 year old Quarter Horse and I have jumped on her for various reasons bareback and bridleless, she knows nothing of leg cues, but if I lean forward and push her neck in the direction I want, she understands. She also knows Whoa as a cue from ground work, but as a backup I can always put pressure on her chest with my hands. The reason I feel entirely comfortable doing this is, this horse would never run off with me and she seems to be scared of nothing. She is cow bred and has an amazingly sound mind, I love her, I just wish cow horse brains came with Western Pleasure horse bodies, :)!

A little bit more background information. I have never bought any trainer's movies or books on how to ride bridleless. I do not have an enclosed pen to ride bridleless in, just a huge yard, field and roads. I can ride my arab bridleless if she is in a small/medium sized enclosed area. I have wanted to ride bridleless since I found it was possible. I have done research like crazy to learn about it but found no secrets or tricks (I wanted to find some). I actually did not find much at all on riding bridleless, just pretty much people that said and all of a sudden I was riding my horse bridleless, or buy this product and then you can ride your horse bridleless... So I did what I usually have to do when it comes to horse training and I do not have a trainer to consult, I thought it through and tried to decide what is necessary for riding bridleless.

Step 1:
If you are familiar with horse training and transitioning through bits, you know: before using a curb bit, a horse should be able to do everything you want it to do in the snaffle bit, because it is the training bit. Starting a horse bridleless is like that, you do your training in the bit and then once they know how to do everything, you can take it out of their mouth. It really helps when you first start that your horse already knows how to neck rein. I also cannot stress enough the importance of your horse understanding leg cues. Not just push left to go left, but to be able to round your horse around your leg, two track, side pass, pivot on both the haunches and hindquarters. I am not saying your horse will immediately be able to do all that bridleless, but the ability to do that will make your job much easier.

Step 2:
Test your horse without the bit in their mouth, use a halter. Are you able to get the same obedience you did with the bit? If not, you are not ready to move on, you either need to work on dominance and respect or maybe your horse does not know the leg cues quite well enough. *It is safest to leave on the bridle and keep the extra set of reins there just in case you need them*

Step 3:
Now test your horse without anything on their head, use a neckrope. This does not have to be anything fancy, I have used a lead rope around their neck, a nylon rein knotted to prevent it from falling off, a twine...whatever works and I have on hand. I spend about 6 months with my Quarter Horse Gelding doing this. Do not rush your horse when training for bridleless, this is one thing that take time and going slow makes them even more sturdy in their training. *Once again, for safety's sake, keep the bridle on your horse and have your reins on hand just in case.*

Step 4:
Let the neck rope hang on your horse's neck, so you are no longer using any neck reining cues, but keep it their for correction if you need it. You should be able to move at all speeds, walk, trot, lope and turn, pivot, sidepass, stop and back at the very minimum before you ever consider taking the neck rope off.

You may find working circles at the faster gaits more difficult. I have tried 2 things once completely bridleless, reaching forward and slapping the horses' neck right behind the jaw to push them back over into the circle and sitting deeper to enforce my leg cues. What I use depends on the situation.

I have studied dressage leg and body cues and tend to use them because they require little body movement, but rather more subtle but yet obvious to the horse cues. This helps me keep centered and balanced while riding my horse, especially bareback. Like to back up, I move my body just as if I was to push a stool out from underneath my butt. I also use these cues when I show because it makes my horses look more "polished".

When training this, always keep safety a first. I am almost reluctant to write about this because I do not want people to get overly ambitious. If you feel uncomfortable, take it a step back and in each step are baby steps, so maybe even go back a few baby steps. If your horse is not ready, wait until they are. Keep working in the bridle so make them more responsive. If you have a horse that bolts with you or bucks, do not go in this direction yet! You have other training issues to work through still. (Bucking horses can be a chiropractic and/or dentist problems so be sure to check that out).

You may find that once you have enough training on your horse to be able to ride him bridleless at all gaits and do lateral movements, that you need to "teach" others how to ride your horse since they know your cues so well, they are almost over trained. If this is a show horse, you will look amazing in the show ring though! Especially in western pleasure classes because you can have the lovely drape in your rein and still look in control. Reiners also do well with this, but you almost need to be able to ride a reining horse perfectly without using reins anyways.

Now that I can ride bridleless, I use it as a training tool, just something fun to do on a relaxing day and a cool down. If he is acting restricted or behind the bit, going bridleless often loosens him up, solving our problem.

Some riders/trainers look down on bridleless riding, saying that many times people are riding their horses out of frame when they are bridleless, heads up, backs hollow.... I do not believe that is always true. With the right training a horse can move nicely without the bridle. I have a leg cue for my horses to raise their backs and hold their heads and neck level, along with doing long and low stretching. I do not do any of the high headed neck arching dressage stuff though. I have however jumped bridleless and worked through ground poles and trail obstacles.

Well, there is much more I could say about bridleless riding but this post looks like it is getting a little long. I was also considering a post on how to use bridleless riding as a training technique.
If there was something I missed, or you would like addressed or if you would like to tell me I have something wrong with my bridleless training please leave a comment. Asking questions helps us learn, not only you but me too, because often times people bring up aspects that I have never considered before, this helps me to be more aware of things. I will either answer your question as another comment, or if it is broad enough, write another post on it.

Thanks everyone, I sure hope you learned something from this post!

Throwing Out the Spurs: when my horse needed them most...

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:59:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

Lots has been happening here! I got a new paint mare. She is interested and has the funniest personality I have ever seen. I am also trying to figure out what to do with my 2 year old AQHA mare. I have done a little riding on her, almost all bareback--twice with the saddle. And now to get to the subject of my post...throwing out the spurs, when riding my 4 year old Quarter Horse gelding. He is the one I started riding last August. I started riding him in spurs for this year's show season, but I HATE using spurs on young horses, but I really seem to need them for this horse (and almost all trainers will tell you some are just like that). So here I am with my little experiment.

I show Zorro, (that is his name) in Showmanship, Hunt Seat Pleasure and Equitation, Western Pleasure and Horsemanship. I use spurs in every event but showmanship...I guess that is kind of obvious...anyways, I do not mind using spurs for making a horse/rider combo look effortless in the show ring, but I think I am too reliant on them. So I have tried going "spurless" for a week and it was interesting! All but one day I rode him in Hunt Seat style. At first I tried to just ride like normal, just minus spurs. That was not exactly effortless, when I normally would give him a tiny nudge with the spurs, I now tried to kick him. I swear they have completely different meanings! He does all the lateral movements fine without spurs, I do not use them much for that, but our forward motion was messed up. Normally I can use my spurs to lift his barrel and make him do a pretty slow movement for Western Pleasure or in English to ask him to stride out. And his lope off transition was horrible, since I normally use my spurs to set him up!

To help take a different look at collection, I pulled out the dressage whip for when riding Hunt Seat and then switched back and forth between working with and without the whip. It made a huge difference, and I think it improved his reach and authenticity of it. I know that spurs can create a slightly artificial looking movement. I would also 'feel' his forward motion more, but he was moving faster too. So when I dropped the whip he kept most of the forward motion, and let off on the speed a little bit. This is not the first time I have used a dressage whip with him, I also used it earlier in his training, but he is definantly not dull to it. I however never had him get excited or lose control, he just moved off of it very nicely.

So today I rode in our western set up, that means no dressage whip because we need to keep a definite difference between the two. It without a doubt was interesting, but he was good. Our transitions up were somewhat sloppy, but downward ones were nicer.

One thing I really noticed is without my spurs to lift him up, he could really "pull" me forward in my seat, but with the dressage whip to encourage him from behind, I got a little more lift. I think I learned a lot about my own riding and my horse by doing this. I am not sure if I will always need to use spurs to make him look "show ring ready", or if it will be something he will grow out off. I am getting him ready for district and state shows in the middle of September, so I am limiting my experiment to a week. Maybe I will pick it up again later, but that means tomorrow I will go back to my spurs and see what he is like. I really do think he will be improved. I however will agree with the fact that some horses just need spurs as he is the only one of my horses I use spurs on regularly. And I notice a HUGE difference between how he responds to cues and how the other guys do. Some of it might be age, however one of my other horses is only 2 years old, so actually younger. I guess only time will tell exactly what he will end up like!

Posture

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:58:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

I have always been the one getting compliments on my seat and riding posture. So I never have spent much time thinking about it. Well...today I heard otherwise.

Apparently I lean forward from the hips when I ride, who knew! It has become so natural for me that I have probably actually made it look "good". But today I worked with someone who in her earlier days of riding had done the same thing and worked with a riding instructor who very much so let her know. I suppose that just helps you see the problem if it was at one time a problem of your own. It was pretty funny because I would sit back--well it was actually straight but it felt like I was about to fall backwards off the horse I was leaning back so far, and then my legs would go forward...then I couldn't hold my arms where they were supposed to be because I was concentrating so much on where my back and legs where. (Thank goodness I was riding her broke seasoned western pleasure show horse, who is only 7 but won her fair share of big titles!) I think I got it now and I did not really realize how bad my riding posture was until I got home and rode my old Arab and was watching myself ride in the big mirror...I caught myself forgetting what I learned and realized it was a mess! Even though it is still a little awkward in this position, I now know what is right, and it really feels different. My horse can also tell, as it has helped to make his transitions more "balanced".

So here are a few tips if you are having this problem. Slide forward in your saddle a few inches, then roll back. This will allow you to sit straight without arching your back. You want your back straight at all times! Imagine someone holding you up by the hairs on the back of your skull, just above the neck. If you slide your legs forward, stand up in the saddle, slide your legs to what feels like way back and then sit down, and put your heels down. Once you put your heels down it will move your legs forward just a little and it should position your legs to just where they should be.

Sorry this is kind of short, it ended up so late tonight and I just want to sleep! Oh, and sometimes I cannot seem to spell as well when I am tired so I am sorry for any mistakes I made...well, I must get to sleep now! Tomorrow morning, bright and early I must be driving Josh to band practice and then later today get a picture taken for the state show stuff.

Horse Abuse

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:57:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

It seems to be that when most people think of horse abuse they think of people starving their horses or whipping them, whatever. But in my opinion over feeding your horses so that they are overweight or even obese is just as bad. Just think about it, a horse who is overweight has the same health risks as an overweight person, plus then when we go to ride them it is stressful on their joints and backs along with making it much more awkward to carry us efficiently and making collection very difficult.

I personally cannot understand why people take pride in having fat horses. I am not saying I like to see horses with their ribs sticking out, but just the fact that they are skinny shows that you really do not care to make a diet just for them that manages weight, muscle and joint health.

I have been out to a few places lately that the horses are just simply FAT and it drives me crazy. Ok, maybe I have a nicer set up than some people, I do not know, but I have a pasture that I put my younger horses and my harder keepers on that has lots of lush food to keep them looking nice. Then, I have another pasture I use that is smaller and not quite as lush for my easy keepers. They are all together in the winter time in the pasture connected to the barn so that, but everything seems to even out and they are used to eating a certain amount to hold their weight and I have never had trouble with them gaining excessive weight over winter.

Well, that is my "rant" for the day. Just think about it, over feeding your horses is just as bad as overfeeding your kids. Fat is bad, a little layer of healthy tissue is good. Excessive amounts of starches in a horse's diet is just as bad as it is in people.

Lessons Learned From an Old Horse

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:57:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

I often find myself really appreciating my 27 year old Arabian while training young horses. She teaches lessons that no human could. Sometimes it is just silly, little things but everything from how she balances herself to how she handles young kids, but other times it can mean the difference between me missing the picture all together or making a huge training breakthrough.

One problem I was having had to do with poor downward transitions, I knew my 4 year old was just loosing his balance as he transitioned down, but I could not figure out why. I routinely lunge my Arab and ride her some, and one thing I noticed is she takes and exaggerated step under herself as she transitions down, that is what keeps her butt under herself and allows her to keep balance! Why didn't I think of that...? I am always working to get my horses to work of their hind ends for collection, but for some reason was not thinking about it for transitions. Well, anyways, I have my 4 year old doing much better downward transitions, now just to make his upward trot to lope transition better...!

Well, I had just been thinking about his for a while and thought maybe the insight my Arab gives me could also helps someone else. Also, if you ever get the chance to work with a seasoned show horse, or just an older horse that knows what they are doing, do not turn the opportunity down! They can really teach you a lot.

Obviously this is not the only thing she has taught me, but that was one of the more recent things this summer. She was my first horse and at the age of 27 she is still going strong and loving live.

Winter Tail Care and Using Tail Bags

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:56:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

There are many options and products out there that can be used for tail care. I have tried a bunch of the "equine" leave in conditioners and stuff but in the end I am happiest with baby oil. I really like show shine, but it makes the tail slippery so the tail bag does not stay in as well... I have tried a bunch of the "off brand" show shine products even laser shine which many people have preached to me that it is just as good as show shine, but they are different and I like the effect of the "real" absorbine brand show shine. It only costs a few dollars more a bottle an you could be like me and just buy a gallon which will last a while and save you those few bucks you would have otherwise saved buying the less effective off brand.

I buy the gallon size and last time I filled up my quart spray bottle I spilt a little bit on the floor and even though I wiped and cleaned it up, I think that area of the laminate is doomed to being super slippery forever... :)

So my plan for this winter's tail care is baby oil like I used towards the end last year. The only thing I am going to do different is, I am going to spruce it up a bit by putting some tea tree and other hair nourishing things in it because baby oil seems so plain. It does make the hair oily, but I do not show in the winter and their hair gets so dry from the dry winter air that I do not mind.

What do you guys use for winter tail care?

Collection

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:54:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

I asked someone I know and respect for her abilites with horses, and I am amazed by how collected her horses move, well they are world and congress quality horses and many of them have competed there. So I asked her how you get a horse to move like that, and her response was...keep asking. This is so true!

So many times people get caught into theses training aids and fads which they think will make their horse collect, or in some cases simply hold their heads in the correct position, but using this one day and expecting amazing results the next day simply is not feasible. It takes months, even years to teach your horse to move in collection, depending on the horse and training situation. But to truly have your horse move in the correct frame, they must have much more than a head set, that is the other problem, many people only think they need to get their horses head in the right place and everything else will work out, were it is actually the other way around.

You have to know what you are expecting from your horse to contiunually ask for it, so if we could clear up people's misconseptions about collection, we could enhance the overall movment of horses all over.

Well, there is my little tidbit for the day. Enjoy!

New Blog for Olson Quarter Horses

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:35:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

Check out Olson Quarter Horse's new blog, it is filled with great information and tips along with updates on what is happening there and information about their horses. Olson Quarter Horses is the breeding opperation that I work for in marketing, web design and other things like that as a side job for fun. If you did not know, they breed horses specializing in racing, barrel racing and many offspring have also been sucessful in Hunt Seat, western pleasure, ect.

Click here to visit their website. You can also visit the horses they have for sale listed on eqinenow.com.

BLM Plan Would Relocate Wild Horses

dablukake — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:41:00 GMT

by: Pat Raia

October 09 2009, Article # 15061

Thousands of wild horses would be relocated from their traditional Western ranges to preserves in the East and Midwest under a proposed plan unveiled in a letter from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to congressional leaders on Wednesday.

Under the plan, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would purchase land east of the Mississippi River to develop two wild horse and burro preserves. The BLM would later work with nonprofit and private partners to create five additional preserves. The preserves would be located in areas conducive to ecotourism development. Eventually, 25,000 animals would reside on the seven sanctuaries by 2014.

The plan also proposes an aggressive fertility control strategy using sterilization and sex segregation to create nonreproducing herds. Only nonreproducing herds would reside on the proposed new preserves.

The BLM currently manages 37,000 free-roaming wild horses and burros in 10 Western states. Another 32,000 animals reside in long-term holding facilities at a cost of about $27 million annually.

The proposal is designed to reduce wild horse management costs by decreasing the number of animals in holding facilities and limiting herd population growth. The ecotourism component aims to expand public interest in wild horses beyond Western states, said BLM spokesman Tom Gorey.

However wild horse advocate Karen Sussman rejects the plan on grounds that wild horse removals disrupt herd social structure and threaten the viability existing herds. "The BLM needs to manage wild horses as wildlife," said Sussman, president of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros. "This is taking a Disneyland approach,"

Gorey is uncertain how Congress will react to the plan. "The Secretary put these ideas forward to engage Congress," he said. "If there are better ideas, we want to hear them."

Cute!

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:46:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

There was a mule at the horse show I attended this weekend, it was our state horse show. I was happy with Zorro, we got first place in one class and did pretty well in the rest of them as well. It was only his third show too!

Anyways, this really cute mule did really well! I think it was young because she still rode him in a snaffle bit for western pleasure and horsemanship. He was not in any of my classes but I think he placed in the top 10 a few times, I should have taken a picture of them! He did nice transitions, rounding his back into a collected lope looked so cute on that funny thing, I did not realize a mule could move that nicely. I decided I would not want to clip out those huge ears though :).

Lunging, a look from a different angle

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:46:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

All you need to lunge your horse for headset and body frame is 2 lunge line, saddle or caveston and a bridle, a halter could also be useful. Side Reins Use lungeline and halter to lunge, use reins on the bridle as the side reins, tie to desired length. I like to use leather reins because they are giving. You do not have the elastic inserts when using this method, but it does save you $40 since you need the reins either way. Bitting Reins I use my leather reins, run them through underneath their legs and tie on top of the back right behind the pommel of the saddle. This should not be too tight, but you also must take care not to make it too loose so that the horse will get its legs caught, but what I find is when teaching a young horse to accept bit pressure, rather than encouraging them to tuck their nose behind the vertical, it teaches them to reach their necks down and have the beautiful stretch! Butt Rope I use one of my lunge lines that I make with 5/8" rope. I attach one end to the snaffle bit, run through the stirrup around the but and through the stirrup on the other side. This encourages the horse to tuck it's butt and lower head at the same time, but must be used carefully. This has comparable results to the balance training system and can be adjusted as far as head set when using the different dee rings on the surcingle. Ground Driving This is very useful. Use 2 lunge lines, on attached to the bit and through the stirrup on the far side and one on the near side. This way you can ask for engagement while making circles and headset and everything! It is very useful, you can do almost anything you would in the saddle. I hope this is helpful. Lunging does not have to include hundreds of different gadgets, you can use everyday riding equiptment to achieve the same great results.

Rating: A useful Tool for every Discipline

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:44:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

Rating is important for not only horsemanship/equitation and rail horses but also gaming horses. Obviously to make a good turn around the barrel and to make a consistant rail horse, you must be able to control thier speed within every gait.

Here is a nice quick exercise that I was taught by a traininer who now trains mostly hunt seat and western pleasure horses, who are showing at Quarter Horse World and Congress level shows. At the trot/jog he recomended starting with 14 seconds at the canter/lope 16 seconds.

I will just use the example of the trot, starting at 14 seconds and for the lope it would work the same. Trot off, trot for 14 seconds, stop and back, then 12 seconds, then 10 seconds...all the way down to 4 seconds and repeat the exercise at 4 seconds 4 times. At this time if working in an arena or on a circle, switch directions and repeat.

So what good does this really do? Sometimes if a horse is used to going around and around they will naturally speed up and adding the variety of stopping and backing will keep them fresh and thinking about you and what cue you will give them next once you get in the show ring. The other thing is, backing every time you stop helps them to learn to stop on their butts rather than their forehand. This makes for a smoother stop. If you have ever felt as though you are getting jolted forward when your horse stops, that means they are stoping on their forehand, when they shif their weight foreward is when you feel that jolt. I think it is to commonly thought that, a jolting stop like that is good and they will usually call it a "big stop". If your horse is a little slow on his upward transitions from the halt this is also a good time to work on that.

So has you can see there are many benefits to this, but what I have just put there looks like it mostly pertains to pleasure people, so I will include a link to an article aimed more towards the gamers, rather than try to type it up in my own words, why not read it straight from a professional.

Here is the link: http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/articles/ct_barrelhorserate.html

Rating is very important, so now you have a quick way to get your horse to slow down a bit when they get racey without yanking on their mouths and getting frustrated. Another quick tip for a horse who speeds up when in a larger arena is make circles in the corners every once in a while and some on the sides when you practice. This is just another thing that keeps them thinking.

Save Money at your Favorite Registries!

Pleasure Horse Girl 16 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:40:00 GMT

This post was orriginally on my blog All Around Horses.

The American Quarter Horse Association and the American Paint Horse Association are all giving discounds on registration of older horses right now, it still may seem expensive, but if you have a horse you regret not registering, now is a great time! And the Appaloosa Horse Club has a discount too.

AQHA
$300 on horses 3+, the regular price on a 3 year old is $550 and a horse over 4 years old normally is $1000, that is a huge savings!!!

APHA
They have the best deal of all max reg price of $100 for colored and $50 for breeding stock. I used this deal with Jazz because when I purchased her, her paperwork had not been sent in, I am now simply waiting for its return...

ApHC
They have a random drawing for renewing members with prizes totaling more than $10,000 and make sure you get the Jan issue of Appaloosa Journal if you renew by Dec 1st 2009 for 2010.