the american horse-november 2013

2 | The American Horse | November 2013 | TheAmericanHorseMagazine.com

TheAmericanHorseMagazine.com |November 2013 | The American Horse | 3

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THIS ISSUE:

Contributing Authors:Richard ShrakeLana GrieveRon Ford

On The Cover:Lil More Conclusive

Cover Photo: Vivian Earabino

HAVE A STORY? Tell us about it and your story could be in an upcoming issue of The American Horse! Please submit stories or story ideas to: [email protected]

Page 7: Bridlewise by Richard Shrake

Page 13: Kelsey Keathly

Page 19: Stories from Ronnie Ford

Page 67: Lil More Conclusive

Page 73: A Surprise Championship

In This Issue.....

Page 73

Page 13 Page 67


Bri d l e w i s eby richard shrake

Problem:Your horse doesn’t want to accept the bit & throws his head when ridden.

Solution #1:

In Resistance Free(TM) Training and Riding we teach the rider to listen to their horse. When they do this correctly, they are able to work out the problem before it turns into a major disaster. It is much like the fireman putting out the spark before the barn burns down.

When your horse refuses to be bridled, he is telling you very directly that he has been hurt or abused in either the bridling process or the bit itself has caused some degree of pain in the past. Before I start to correct a situation like this, I always follow this three step procedure.

1. Always check your horse’s mouth first. Make sure his wolf teeth are pulled. They are small teeth, about the size of an eraser on the end of a pencil. They have no roots and are very sensitive. The wolf teeth are normal-ly located in front of the molars. When the mouthpiece is placed in the horse’s mouth, it will cause a jarring impact with the wolf teeth, causing small shocks to go through your horse’s system and causing him great pain. This is one of the major causes for your horse not to accept the bit, so have these wolf teeth pulled. They are wisdom teeth, they serve no purpose.

2. Always check to see if your horse has

`points.’ This is a sharpened edge on your horse’s teeth. When your horse eats, he eats sideways in a grinding motion, causing this condition. Take your thumb and rub it up and down on the inside of your horse’s cheek. If they are sharp you need to imme-diately have this taken care of. You need to have your horse’s teeth floated.

3. Always check your horse’s mouth for tooth decay, cuts on his tongue and mouth sores. You do this by smelling his breath and inspection.

A qualified Equine Dentist or your veteri-narian can correct all of these conditions. He will remove the wolf teeth, `float’ your horse’s teeth and check his mouth. Have this inspection done every six months. If ev-erything looks good, my next step is to re-view my technique bridling my horse.

Solution #2:

Before bridling, have your halter and lead around your horse’s neck and make sure you do not have him tied solid or in a cross tie. Either remove or undo one side of the chin strap. Stand to the side and not in front of your horse when bridling. This allows you to put your hands up over his poll, using your hands together. Make sure your headstall fits correctly. Your bit should be wrapped in latex tape, so if it does hit a tooth, it will not cause the pain that a metal mouth piece does.

If Your Horse Won’t Accept The Bit


With your fingers, push on the corners of the inside of your horse’s lips, making him start to chew. Then with your other hand up at the poll with the top of the bridle, pull up until he picks up the bit with his tongue. The first contact to your horse’s lips is with your fingers and not the bit. Always let your horse drop the bit from his mouth when he is being unbridled. Never pull the bit out of his mouth.

Once he starts to chew and lick his lips with your finger pres-sure and accepting the wrapped bit, he will realize there is no pain involved. You have just made your first step to creating a very positive experience for him. Don’t stop now. I would then bridle and unbridle your horse at least 20 times. Make sure you are patient! Don’t let your temper take over if you experience resistance. If he does not let you touch or come near his mouth with your hand, just back up and see if he will eat a little grain out of your hand. This will start him chewing and gaining trust. If it takes several days to gain his confidence and trust, take several days. Don’t get in a hurry at this point.

When your horse continually throws his head when you are rid-ing him, you either have the wrong bit or your riding skills need to be improved. I have found that 90% of the time it is the rid-er’s hands that have no “feel.” When you are over riding your horse and your hands are too quick and heavy, it is a guaran-teed result that your horse will protect his mouth by stiffening his jaw and pulling back. Have a friend shake your hand with a soft rhythmic cadence. Then one of you start to move your hand faster and stronger. The result will be resistance. Next examine your bit. Rub your fingers all over the mouthpiece and make sure there are not any burrs or rough spots that will cause your horse to fight the bit. This would be like having a small pebble in your shoe. It is irritating and eventually feels like a large boulder which causes friction and pain. If you are using a bit that is too severe, it will also cause head throwing and nervousness. Always use a bit that complements the level of your horse’s training and your riding skills. Remember, any-time your horse feels pain it will frighten him and cause flight. Thus the fight syndrome will take over. The “red light” of head tossing needs to always be addressed.

Learn to develop feel in your hands. Hold the reins in your fin-gers, not your fist. This allows you to feel the corners of your horse’s lips and tongue and you will be able to develop the lightness needed to communicate with your horse. Keep every-thing slow and simple; walk several circles letting your hands feel the rhythm of your horses shoulders and leg cadence. Your “green light” will be a harmony of giving and gathering. It could take 60 days of this program to achieve this goal.

“Learn to develop feel

in your hands. Hold the reins in your fingers, not your fist. ”

I recommend using a snaffle and two hands. The snaffle should be as mild as possible. A large, smooth tapered mouthpiece is recommended, such as the Resistance Free(TM) bit I have designed for exactly this use. Anything used that is more severe will only keep the mental pressure of flight and pain, causing your horse to fall back in his training program. Once you feel your horse relax and start to trust your hands and the bit, only then advance to faster work at the trot and canter or lope. You should feel your horse start to trust your hands during your ride. This is your ultimate goal to a great relationship with your horse, so keep him in good health, go slow in your training program and follow a routine that gives him confidence and allows for both of you to build an ongoing trust.

May you always ride a good horse........Richard Shrake

Profile on Richard Shrake: The Master of HorsemanshipWhy do some horse people succeed, while others fail? There are a number of reasons. Among them...the presence of someone you can model yourself after...a teacher whose professional capabilities and personal qualities are worthy of respect and a teacher who has already achieved and gives people the tools to succeed themselves. Unfortunately, role models are few and far between, that’s why Richard Shrake fills all the needs of the goal oriented horse person. It is not hard to understand why Richard Shrake is such a phenomenal success. Shrake is considered by his peers as the “Trainer’s Trainer,” and shares his extensive knowledge and humane training techniques to all who know him. The Richard Shrake method of teaching allows all who follow his riding and training methods to gain the greatest possible insight into their horse’s minds and their riding ability. His gift of being able to break down each problem into a very solvable situation is what makes his teaching far above all other trainer’s methods. As you can see, if you want to excel in your riding and training skills, you’ve got to have a mastery of fundamentals and be aware of your talents and have the teacher who has the credentials to take you to the level you want to go. Richard Shrake has devoted his life to training horses and instruct people to reach their top goals, and he did this by reaching the top in the horse business himself. By using his flawless teaching techniques you can see why he has earned the title “The Master of Horsemanship.”


Kelsey Keathly

“Let their doubt fuel your fire, dream a little bigger, go for it, and prove some

people wrong!”


Kelsey KeathlyDreaming a little bigger, cherishing a little deeper

BY LANA GRIEVE

Residing in Greene, New York, 19 year-old Kelsey Keathly is a living inspiration.

Exhibiting a will stronger than her setbacks, a level of passion beyond her demons and unmatchable sheer determination, she has worked tirelessly through tragedy to reach her goals as a PtHA and APHA youth com-petitor. Born into an equestrian family on her moth-er’s side, Kelsey’s future was bound to in-clude horses, but being diagnosed with a complete heart block at 8 months-old would change the course of the Keathly family and present a detour to Kelsey’s undiscovered horsemanship dreams. In immediate need of a pace maker, baby Kelsey and her family were forced to wait until she was five years-old to proceed with surgery. Monitoring her condition closely, she endured open heart surgery success-fully and since then has had two additional surgeries in her freshman and senior years of high school to maintain her pacemaker. “I don’t really remember what life was like without a pacer, but I do need to be very careful to this day,” Kelsey explains. “Up un-til I was nine or ten, I had to ride with a pro-tective vest. I’ve never been allowed to play contact sports, and falling off a horse isn’t exactly on my to-do list because if I fall hard enough on my chest, it could cause issues. Other than that, I’m a normal 19 year-old girl, except for the bi-monthly pacer checks via phone, the yearly hospital checkups, and surgery every few years.”Once on the road to recovery, five year-old Kelsey began riding her first horse, a grey

gelding named Beau. Exhibiting a natural interest in competing, she attended her first horse show at age six showing in lead line and walk-trot classes. By age nine, Kelsey’s family purchased a stock Quarter Horse gelding named Small Town Roi that carried her to many open horse show wins and un-leashed her endless love for the horse life-style. Kelsey reminisces, “We owned him [Small Town Roi] for a while before deciding we wanted a horse that could take me a bit further in the show pen, so we started look-ing for a futurity prospect that our trainer at the time could show, and that could even-tually be handed down to me to show at Paint shows in 13 and under classes in Tex-as. That’s how we found my current show horse, Investers Norfleet, nine years ago.” Making the move to New York when she was twelve, Kelsey and Investers Norfleet made their debut on the local eastern show circuits, winning multiple highpoint titles. Due to limited finances, Kelsey’s dream of APHA level showing would have to develop slowly. Beginning a limited PtHA and APHA show schedule three years ago at age six-teen, her long awaited goal of competing at the national level would come to vali-date her continuous devotion to learning. Showing on the APHA and PtHA circuits in New York, Kelsey was ramping up for her first Color Breed Congress. Forced to have heart surgery to perform a lead change procedure on her pacemaker in September 2011, Kelsey was unable to ride her horse


until two weeks before leaving for the show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Despite the challenges of her circumstances, Kelsey and her loyal gelding earned a fourth place in Novice Youth Showmanship and a ninth place in Novice Youth Hunter Un-der Saddle. Kelsey shares her sentimen-tally to her special once-in-a-lifetime horse.

“I’ve been showing the same gelding since I was ten. Normie (Investers Norfleet) is a 2002 gelding by Mr Norfleet out of Vested Maiden (by The Invester). We purchased him as a two year-old and have showed togeth-er in the walk-trot division, rarely coming home without a high point, and have stayed together in both the 13 and under and 14-18 divisions. Normie is my best friend. I don’t know what I would do without him. I could not imagine showing another horse.” One year after Kelsey’s third success-ful heart surgery, on September 15, 2012, Kelsey was driving to the barn to prepare her previous trainer’s horses for the Color Breed Congress. It is a road she drives ev-ery day. Thinking nothing of the upcoming blind corner on the familiar country road, Kelsey suddenly encountered a car speed-ing 65 MPH that crossed over the yellow line and hit Kelsey’s vehicle head on.“The accident happened literally within a hundred yards of the barn,” Kelsey fright-fully recalls. “I was eighteen at the time and I was left with a severe head con-cussion and torn ligaments in my neck. I wasn’t able to show at the Color Breed Congress as I had planned, and I almost had to sacrifice competing at the 4-H Na-tionals for Horse Judging.”Hospital bound for one week and wearing a neck brace for nearly a month after the accident, Kelsey was required to stay on bed rest throughout the duration of her re-covery. A naturally active person, the ini-tial days after the accident introduced the onset of severe depression. “Recovery was very tough on me,” Kelsey admits. “I’m not the type of person who

likes to sit around and do nothing. Being stuck in bed for three weeks with a neck brace wasn’t really my style. I got really depressed, I hated life, and I just wanted my horse. I wasn’t able to ride for three months, and even after I could, I had to take it easy. I lost all of my strength, and all of my confidence.” Changing her perspective toward life perma-nently, Kelsey’s gratitude for simply being alive slowly overcame her dejected state. Revamping her confidence, she invested all of her energy and devotion to studying for the 4-H Nationals Horse Judging competi-tion, resulting in an unexpected first place title.

“While I couldn’t ride horses, I put all of my energy and time into studying horse judg-ing. I was just hoping to earn a Top Ten in Reasons. I never expected to win the entire contest, or to be the first from New York to do so. After that happened, I started to think I could do anything I put my mind to.”


In April 2013, Kelsey made her debut back to the show pen after her accident. Nervous to compete after only two months in the saddle, Investers Norfleet carried his long-time owner through a new point of healing within that singular experience. “It felt fantastic being back in the pen with my dream horse. It truly was an indescrib-able feeling. That horse has been there for me through everything. If I didn’t have him, I don’t think I would have made it through. From sitting in his stall crying after a long, hard day or long trotting stirrup-less to try to rebuild my strength and, in turn, my con-fidence, Normie was there for me.”Achieving her National Championship in 4-H Judging, and a Novice Reserve High Point at the ESPHC Futurity Show in September 2013, Kelsey’s fierce, determined nature was necessary, overcoming a second head concussion and living with heightened Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the

trauma of her accident.

“I’m very prone to concussions since my first one was so severe. When I was clipping Normie’s legs at a Pinto show this summer, he picked up his leg, slamming his knee into my head, causing me to nearly black out.

Since the accident, I have also developed bad PTSD. I have to drive the road my ac-cident happened on every day, so I get re-ally nervous when I’m driving there and I’m overall a more nervous person now. My memory and concentration are terrible and my headaches are constant, and I have no choice but to keep working through it. There are times I’m miserably depressed and don’t want to do anything, but I remind myself that I’m blessed to even be alive. No one re-ally wants to have severe symptoms from a concussion over a year later, but because of this, I know that I can make it through any-thing. I know a lot of people think Normie and I shouldn’t be able to make it. After all, I’m a girl with a messed up head, riding an eleven year-old, 15 hand horse, but hey, I’m in the business of proving people wrong!”Cheering her on through thick and thin, Kelsey acknowledges her profound support group responsible for keeping her motivat-ed on the days she felt weak. “My mom, my trainer, and my barn owner are the three most important people in my life. My mom is and always has been there for me. She never hesitates to push me to be the best I possibly can, and to not let the comments others say, or my own doubts, get me down. My trainer, Joan Schaefer, took a broken girl and an eleven year-old horse, and trans-formed us into a team that, I feel, is a force to be reckoned with. I recently needed to switch trainers and Joan stepped up and took us under her wing, and transformed us form slightly above-average to a team that can go to a Paint show and fit in with the big names, and Karen Myers, my barn owner, is without a doubt my biggest inspiration. She is always there with kind words, encourage-ment, and years of knowledge.”


Competing against national level competi-tion at the ESPHC Futurity Show, Kelsey took home several class wins and the newfound confidence to be ready for the 2013 Color Breed Congress. Her last year in the youth division, Kelsey and Investers Norfleet will be entering the youth all-around classes and novice youth horsemanship, trail, and equitation. Finishing two semesters at a local commu-nity college on top of her horse show sched-ule, Kelsey will be taking this college semes-ter off to focus on becoming healthy again. She plans to attend her dream college, the University of Findlay, to earn a Bachelors degree in Public Relations and hopefully earn a spot on the IHSA College riding team. She will also continue to manage her thriving graph-ic design busi-ness, Norfleet Equine Produc-tions.

“I started Nor-fleet Equine P ro d u c t i o n s about a year ago when I made a banner for my trainer at the time, then my sister wanted one, then a friend, then another friend, then someone said I should make it into a busi-ness. From there, it’s really taken off. I’ve made over 200 banners that have gone all over the US and Canada, I’ve sponsored the All American Youth Horse Show, I’ve had ads

in The American Horse, GoMag, The Paint and Quarter Horse Connection and InStride Edition. It’s crazy and keeps me busy, but I could not be any happier!” Living with messages of doubt from outsiders her entire life, Kelsey voices the importance of not allowing others to influence life direc-tion. “I have been told many times that my ambitions of showing a horse and competing were not possible and that there’s no way I can make it. My best advice to someone with hardship is to not give others the privilege of seeing you fail. Let their doubt fuel your fire, dream a little bigger, go for it, and prove some people wrong! Nothing is impossible

if you work hard for it. And never give up.” Visit Kelsey’s business page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/norfleetequineproduc-tions


Stories from

Ronnie FordRide Your Own Ride!

Last night I received a phone call from a client that was in tears. I think her pride was hurt and she was scared and felt a little somewhat like a failure because she felt she had let her riding companions down.

She had brought her horse to me a while back for me to prepare him for sale and while he was here she rediscovered what a neat little horse he really is. I remember when I originally started this horse under saddle. Everything you taught him, he picked up re-ally quick and most of the time it was like he was saying, “Ok, I got that. Lets go on to something else”! After his original start she carried him home and did most of her rid-ing in the arena and pretty soon they drifted into a relationship that was more of a com-petition and one of arguing about who was in charge, which had made it a fairly easy decision to sell him.

When she rediscovered him she started en-joying him and he started enjoying his new life being out on trail rides and getting to see different country and different horses. If anything he’s been kind of pokey and lazy and there has been more complaints about him being slow.

She called a while back and related that she had signed up to do this big trail ride. I questioned her on whether or not she really thought they were ready for that and if she really understood what she was getting her-self in to. I explained to her that she was go-ing to be putting herself in a situation where she would be riding with people of different levels of horsemanship, horses with differ-

ent levels of training and she would even see fools galloping their horses up and down the highway on the pavement. I told her, they are there to have a good time and there is nothing in the world wrong with that, but if their own safety isn’t a consideration for them then there is no way that yours will be.

Her first day on the ride went fairly well. While not perfect she was starting to under-stand a little bit of what she had let herself in for. The second day it had turned cold and of course the horses are feeling it and it was a little rougher day. The third day was an-other cold day and the horse was starting to respond to her concerns and she ended up on the ground after having some other riders run past her and something spooking the horse. The horse of course responded in a manner you’ve heard me mention before as he returned to his INSTINCTUAL DRIFT!

Now to get to what I’m actually writing this piece about. She got back on the horse and made it back to camp. The whole time peo-ple putting pressure on her to stay and finish the ride. Every now and then I have some-body come through that relates to me that they had a trainer or someone they were taking lessons from telling them that when they had a bad experience with the horse they had to get back on and work through it so the horse wouldn’t learn he was in charge or how to bully them and for them to deal with their fears.

I always ask them if they felt their life was in danger and if they were scared.


Stories from

Ronnie FordIf they tell me yes, they always seem to be relieved when I tell them they did exactly the right thing by not getting back on the horse. I tell them that as a professional trainer the very last thing I want is a scared rider on a scared horse for that is a recipe for disaster. Normally they will ask what about the horse learning the wrong thing and what I tell them is “What about it? Tomorrow is another day and as long as you and he are alive the two of you can learn how to do something DIF-FERENT tomorrow.”!

About Ronnie Ford....

Ronnie Ford is a native of Florida and spe-cializes in practical horse training and has some great stories to tell. The American Horse features one of Ronnie’s stories each month, but you can get his full collection on audio CD by visiting his website. Informa-tion about the CD is listed on the right side of the page.

When the Horse Speaks to the Heart

The first release of a heartfelt collection of stories on audio CD as told by Ronnie Ford as only he can tell them. A frank, honest and direct disclosure of how differently horse and human see their world. You will smile, laugh and tear up...but there is NO denying his uncanny ability to help the human take a good look at “self” and ultimately see the “horse” for the first time through honest eyes. Getting “self” out of the way is one of the most “key” principles in opening the eye of the wishful beholder of the ultimate in horsemanship.

Well worth the listen...if you “hear” the whispers...

http://www.ronniefordhorsemanship.com/the-tack-room-a-little-of-this-and-that.html

Stallion

StallionAlley

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CHILLEN

OBVIOUS CREATION

SPIN IT N WHIZ ITMR ICE TE

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SET FOR LIFE

Obvious Creation2010, 16.0 h., AQHA. Sired by WC Phenomenal Creation. Obvious Creation is a 10 x WC/RWC & AQHA regional cham-pion. AQHA Superior in Halter. Homozygous for Dun. $1,000 Stud Fee. Discounts Available. Rising Water Quarter Horses. www.risingwaterqh.com

Twist N Boogie2008 Black APHA Tobiano, Dou-ble Homozygous,16.2 H.HYPP N/N APHA Breeders Trust. Producing outstanding foals. Shipped Semen Only. $700 Stud Fee. Even Haven Horses(605) 270-1214www.evenhavenhorses.com

Designed by Tin Man2001, 15.2 h.h. Sired by APHA Champion Tin Man out of Mr. Small Town Jack. Unshown due to injury as a foal. Excellent personality and movement that he passes on. Negative for his 5 panel test. $500 Stud fee, discounts available. Rising Water Quarter Horseswww.risingwaterqh.com

Phenomenal Creation1998, 15.3 h., Red Dun, AQHA. Sired by WC sire The Phenomenal. WC & sire of multiple WC/RWC Halter horses. N/N for 5 panel. Rising Water Quarter Horseswww.risingwaterqh.com

In It Only To Win ItAPHA Bay Homozygous To-biano. N/N for 5 panelSire By Appointment Only2014 Stud fee is $650.00Cooled semen available. LCFG. Will be in APHA Breeders Trust for 2014.Nelson Performance Horseswww.nelsonperformancehors-es.com

Go Joe RangerHZ Black Dun Roan StallionAQHA-FQHA-APHA LISTED Stud fee is $500 (includes 150.00 booking)Mare care is $10.00 a day wet or dry. AI Fee is $300 + ship-ping. Ginger McGovern509-990-5233

Huerfano River Blue2010 Black Stallion, own son of Mecom Blue. full brother to Mbob LTE $22,519.18, and Mucho Macho Mecom LTE $91,048.62. 14.3 HH 1050 #. Gentle with lots of bone and cow sense. Currently in train-ing with Steve Lewis. $400 Stud fee. Dr. Kynan Sturgess. (806) 364-1331

FG Kids And Fellas2009 AQHA Palomino StallionHYPP N/H PSSM N/NPalomino World ChampionAQHA ROM in Open Halter with limited showing. 2014 stud fee $1500 including first shipmentAQHA Incentive Fund, Go For The Gold Futurity. Ultimate Acres561-795-7344

KIDSLOOKINTOUCHABLE Kids Classic Style x Lookin Touchable x Touchdown Kid. 2005 NH Buckskin Stallion. AQHA Top 10 Stallion; Sire of WC, RWC, Superior Halter and Futurity Champions, Nominat-ed to Multiple Futurities - BHF, MSSA IL Paint Horse, NWSSA, Go For Gold and More! $1,000 Stud fee. Rees Ranch209-327-3206


SPOOKS HIRED GUN N/N for 5 panel, LWOS N/O and tests SW2 for splash gene. 2011 bay overo stallion by SPOOKS GOTTA GUN out of Champion and champion pro-ducer MS TRIPLE SCRIBBLES.Will be accepting select mares in 2014 private treaty.Calico Quarter Horses604-746-7630

Theres No Telling Bay AQHA Stallion Sire: Coats N Tails, Congress & World Cham-pion Dam: Powered By Visa.Congress Top Ten in Hunter Un-der Saddle, Open Hunter Under Saddle ROM, and Futurity Top Five in Longe Line. First year standing in 2014. Stud Fee: $1000 Sure A Winner Farm756-414-6837

Holidocs Lil Peppy “Badger”Brown Stallion, Homozygous Black, N/N 5 panel, 15 hh. Sired by Holidoc & out of Prima Bad-gerina. Holidoc has lifetime earnings of over $120,000 with offspring earnings nearing the Million Dollar mark! His Dam is a NCHA money earning and pro-ducin g daughter of Peppy San Badger. $700 Stud fee. By Design Farm 608-606-2563

One Good Invitation15.2 hands ABRA AQHA Buck-skin. Sire: Good Version Dam: Invite Me Too/Invitation OnlyDue to demand for shipped se-men he will be standing at Se-lect Breeders Southwest for the 2014 season. NSBA AQHA If En-rolled, ABRA World Champion producer, NSBA Champion pro-ducer. $1,000 Stud fee. Ruth Angle 806-435-5571

Mr Ice Te2004 AQHA Buckskin Stallion2007 AQHA World ChampionAQHA Reserve WC, Congress Grand Champion Amt Stallion2008 Congress Res Grand Champ Open Stallion, 3x Con-gress Champion, Sire of WC/RWC, AQHA, APHA ,ApHC, ABRA , Palomino and European Champion. 16.2h 1650lbsTin Star Ranch319-350-9228

Set For Life 2005 AQHA Black Stallion by Gu-cci Only & out of a point earning and producing daughter of Snaz-zy Story. He is homozygous for black & is N/N for HYPP, HERDA, & OWLS. He offers the desirable wither high conformation. His beautiful head neck have been a stamp on his babies, as well as the awesome mind this stal-lion possesses. He is easy to be around, kind and gentle. Awe-some mind, exquisite form, with movement to match! Stud Fee $750 Shipped Semen Available, LFG. [email protected], www.enchantedoaks.com817 447-2371 or 817 832-4520Contact: Charlen McBride

Patches Lucky Straw “Lucky”Buckskin Tobiano, 14.3hh.Lucky is our beautiful APHA buck-skin tobiano stallion. He is ho-mozygous for tobiano. This guy is bred and built to be a working horse. He is well put together with a beautiful head, great con-formation, and good bone. By Design Farm608-606-2563

SLOW MOUNTN MUSIC 1992 homozygous dun AQHA stallion.This stallion has several points in multiple events,reining ,hal-ter, lungeline,trail, western and english.Sire of nearly 300 foals all dun factored! Sweet,gentle disposition that he passes onto his foals.Standing to a limited number of mares in 2014 $650.LCFG APHA approved. Calico Quarter Horses 604-746-7630


Whata Vested Asset The total package! Over 25 World & Reserve World Champion-ships including over 9800 com-bined LTP back his world class pedigree! Standing 16’1, he has the size,talent, trainablilty, disposition,beauty and color ge-netics to produce well balanced, athletic foals. Look for his first foal crop to start arriving early 2014. Five J’s Ranch 678-0406

Too Slick Two Watch1998 AQHA Buckskin, NFQHA 92%, AMRHAEarner of 56 points in three AQHA events - Heading, Heel-ing, Calf Roping. ROM Dally Team Roping in first two shows, Qualified 2002 AQHA World Show Open Jr Heading, Open Jr Heeling. Beautiful head, cor-rect conformation, high cali-ber competitor, and charming disposition. Produces color on any color mare, even sorrel or black. Approved for APHA and ApHC mares.Suzie Davis Quarter Horses574-656-3202

Truly Priceless16.3H Gray AQHA Stallion - Ho-mozygous for blackSire: Only Blue Sky, Congress Champion Dam: Slew of Grace (tb), multiple Congress Top Ten producer. Congress Top Ten in Hunter Under Saddle, Con-gress Top Five in Longe Line, multiple Circuit Champion in Hunter Under Saddle, Open and Amateur Hunter Under Saddle ROMs. Oldest foals of 2011 and already the sire of a Circuit Champion and Con-gress Top Ten. Stud Fee: $1500 Shipped Semen available. Sure A Winner Farm 756-414-6837

Zippos Gold Rolex 15.1 hand, 2000 model Stal-lion by the late Zippos Old Gold and out of Shiloh Deluxe (su-perior producing dtr of the late Dynamic Deluxe). Rolex has off-spring with multiple Superiors, an AQHA Champion, an AQHA Top 10 World Champion, multiple all around championships, mul-tiple futurity money earners and Championships (in such shows as The Tom Powers Triple Chal-lenge, The Reichert Celebration, The NSBA BCF and World Show, and many others). $750 Stud Fee. Shipped Semen Available, LFG. [email protected], www.enchantedoaks.com817 447-2371 or 817 832-4520Contact: Charlen McBride

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Featured Stallion

2004 Double Homozygous APHA Stallion


The story of how the playful double homozygous black tobiano stallion came

to stand at Lalobarun Ranch starts in 2007 when current owner, Eileen Cashman, called on an ad for a black and white stallion. After receiving photos of the advertised stallion, Eileen and her life partner, John Kellar, went to see him. As they were walking around the farm, Eileen spotted another black and white stallion on the other side of the mare pas-ture. Escorted by the seller, Eileen and John were tak-en aback when the young stallion immediately ran straight towards them. As-sured by the seller that they were alright, they waited to see what would happen. The three year old Lil More Con-clusive, affectionately called Joe, came to a stop directly in front of Eileen and pressed his forehead into her chest. That was the moment when Eileen knew she had found the stallion she had long been searching for!

The seller offered a two week trial for Joe, so Eileen and John returned with their trailer to pick him up. Despite limited handling, it was obvious from the start that Joe was a gentle horse with a wonderful disposition. He re-sponded well to John’s handling and jumped right in the trailer. He hauled well and was rewarded when John made a pit stop at a gro-cery store and filled up Joe’s feed bag with organic carrots! The Eileen and John knew that, although he was a little rough around the edges, Joe would turn into a wonderful breeding stallion for their farm.

Shortly after purchasing Joe, it was decided to take him to Equine Affaire. Upon arrival, Eileen was asked if she would be willing

to bring him to the Monty Roberts clinic at Equine Affaire for clinic participation selec-tion. John handled Joe in the crowded selec-tion pen and the stallion was well behaved, even though it was a new environment for him and there were several other stallions in the crowded pen with him. Monty spotted Joe and commented to Eileen that she had a “very unique horse” and that is when Joe

made history for Monty Roberts. It was announced that Monty would be doing something that he had never done before, he would be selecting one horse for multiple clinics. That horse was Lil More Conclusive, who was selected for two of the four clinics.

In the short time they have owned him, Joe has brought many people into Eileen and John’s lives. These opportunities and friendships, along with his wonderful disposi-tion and train ability, leave Eileen feeling truly blessed.

As a sire, Joe has already proven himself a success! He has sired a 2 x Pin-to World title winner and a 3x APHA Open Champion. His foals all receive his beautiful head and disposition.

Lil More Conclusive & Monty Roberts: Photographer Unknown

Featured Stallion

As they continue to enter the show arena in a variety of events, his success as a sire will continue. With frozen semen now available in Europe and Australia, Lil More Conclusive is a hot seller and his first inter-national foals should be on the ground in 2015.

Where Joe will be standing for the 2014 breeding season remains to be seen. Fred Tabor of Tabor Ranch has requested that Joe stand at his farm in Texas for 2014.

Lil More Conclusive’s stud fee for 2014 is $750 (international rates may vary).

Lalobarun Ranch......

Lalobarun Ranch is owned and operated by Eileen Cashman. We are located in the lovely town of Newbury Old Town, Massachusetts. We breed Registered American Paint Horses and proudly stand our 2004 APHA/PtHA “Lil More Conclu-sive” 2013 BREEDERS TRUST Gold Futu-rity Stallion, TT - Homozygous Tobiano EE - Homozygous Black Stallion-15.2 H, 1100 lbs, HYPP N/N, HERDA- N/N, GBED-N/N, PSSM 1- N/N, LCFG,TCSA, TFSA, MMD,Generations of Champions! Guaran-

tees no Reds, Sorrels or Chest-nuts...Conformation, Tempera-ment, Trainability Plus! Proven Sire of Double Ho-mozygous, Homozygous Black, Homozygous Tobiano, Heterozygous Tobiano Foals! and his foals WIN!

Breeding information for North American breeders can be obtained by contacting Eileen Cashman at [email protected] or by phone at 978-609-3999. The website for Laloba-run Ranch is: www.lalobarun.com.

Australian breeders can contact Kyla Faye at Fernleigh Paint Horse Stud, the website is: www.fernleighpaints.com.au.

Article photos by Vivian Earabino and Dusty Perin.


A Surprise ChampionshipR

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The All-American Quarter Horse Congress is a place where not only dreams come true, but where equine legends are discov-ered. Piloting many extraordinary horses at the largest single breed horse show in the world, amateur exhibitor and multiple Con-gress champion, Sharnai Thompson, admits that her 2006 bay stallion, Hot Ones Only, has obtained greatness beyond what she thought any horse could ever achieve.Little did Sharnai’s family of Taymar Ranch in Pilot Point, Texas, know buying a Thor-oughbred mare named Hot Shot Hit in foal to AQHA stallion, Invitation Only would produce a living legend. Resulting in a handsome colt with what Sharnai describes as possessing a “beautiful presence,” she named the Hunt-er Under Saddle prospect Hot Ones Only. Sharnai elaborates, “(Bruno) was born and raised at our family ranch. I started him as an early two year-old, and then we sent him to Highpoint Performance Horses in Pilot Point, Texas, for formal training. From day one, I’ve thought that Bruno had a majestic look to him, but he proved to everyone the first time he set foot in the show pen that he was a true show horse.” Prepared by AQHA Professional Horsewom-an, Beth Case, she and Sharnai prepared to debut Hot Ones Only at the 2008 All Ameri-can Quarter Horse Congress. Presenting him in the 2 Year Old Masters Hunter Under Saddle, Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and the Junior Hunter Under Saddle, the young stallion would begin his noteworthy career by setting a new record. “My personal favorite Congress of Bruno’s was his two year-old year,” Sharnai happily remembers. “He won the Masters Hunter Un-der Saddle, the Junior Hunter Under Saddle, and the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle, all as a two year-old! He is the only horse, past and present, that has ever achieved that.”Today, Hot Ones Only is a 9 time World Cham-pion, 13 time Congress Champion, and has earned over $100,000. Initially retired un-defeated in 2010 after his second Amateur Hunter Under Saddle World Championship,

the team at Highpoint Performance Horses decided to bring him out of retirement for Sharnai’s mother, Tammy Dyer, to compete in the 2013 AQHA Adequan Select World Show in Pleasure Driving. Winning the class and the first world championship for Tammy personally in August, Highpoint’s Jason Mar-tin also qualified him for the Senior Pleasure Driving at the upcoming 2013 AQHA Open and Amateur World Show.

Opting to show Hot Ones Only in November, Sharnai had no intention of hauling him to the Congress, until she got an unexpected phone call. She explains, “Bruno wasn’t originally on the list to go to Congress this year, but Highpoint had a horse back out two days before they left, so Jason called my mom and asked if Bruno could go. That way, Jason could have a practice run in the Pleasure Driving before the November World Show. My mom gave them the okay to take him, and once they arrived, Beth was riding him during the early part of Congress pre-paring him for Jason.


Christi (Highpoint’s Breeding Manager) vid-eoed him because she said he looked great! Beth showed the video to Jason and he said it was okay to enter him in the Senior Hunter Under Saddle, but only for fun with no ex-pectations since he had not been in hunt seat training for years.”

Although everyone knew about Bruno’s add-ed Congress class, Tammy managed to keep it a secret from Sharnai until the very moment the class was over. Sharnai laughs, “The only secret going on was from me! And when Beth showed him, I didn’t get the call until after he had won the class. That was when I found out that he had shown in Senior Hunter Un-der Saddle! The hardest part for me was not getting to watch him perform! I was home working and didn’t know to turn on the live feed since I didn’t know he was showing!” When Sharnai found out her legendary stal-lion had remained undefeated at the Con-gress in both of his classes, she couldn’t put her excitement into words. “We hadn’t been riding him. He pleasure drove with my mom in August at the Select World and had no training since then until he went to the Congress. It feels incredible to know that my stallion, even after years of not showing, is still at the top of his game in the hunt seat pen.”

Training with Highpoint Performances Hors-es since her childhood, Sharnai credits Jason Martin, Charlie Cole and Beth Case for their impeccable work, unwavering expertise and faithful relationship. “Jason has a brilliant mind and always sees the ‘big picture.’ He has never steered us wrong. Beth has ridden Bruno from day one and knows him better than anyone, and Charlie is the best! He and I have a lot of the same personality, so we get along great.”

Holding the highest earning Hunter Under Saddle stallion title, as a sire, Hot Ones Only has produced Congress Champions, NSBA World Champions, and multiple major futu-

rity champions with his oldest foal crop be-ing just three years-old.

Creating a legacy uniquely his, Shar-nai and her family are elated to see how Bruno’s foals will transpire the industry. “It wasn’t until his first foal crop entered the pen that we truly knew what kind of stallion we had,” Sharnai conveys. “Out of his first crop, Bruno produced a Congress Champi-on in the 2 Year Old Ltd Open Hunter Under Saddle and a 2 Year Old Hunter Under Sad-dle Open Reserve Congress Champion. Our breeding clients have had a lot of success with their foals and we have heard from nu-merous people that Bruno’s foals are really laid back and easy to break and train. That says a lot when we breed to Thoroughbred and Appendix mares in this industry. We have also bred him to some western mares and have some really cool prospects coming up. We raise a few every year ourselves and we are thrilled with the quality of his foals.” Intending to show one or two choice Hot Ones Only prospects each year, Sharnai is eager to present her latest three year-old, Hoos The Best, at the AQHA World Cham-pionship Show in November. Hot Ones Only himself will also make his final appearance at the World Show in Senior Pleasure Driving. Hot Ones Only will be standing his 2014 sea-son at Highpoint Performance Horses. To find out more information visit www.hotonesonly.com


FromThe American Horse

the american horse-november 2013

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