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Your Sneak Peek at April 2010's H&R

The April issue of Horse&Rider will be out in just a few days, with Team H&R's Clinton Anderson on the cover.

Among the highlights of the issue:

* We cover the latest findings on the subject of deworming, and explain why most of the 'standard strategies' (such as deworming every 6-8 weeks) are no longer considered the optimal way to go. We give you the new protocol recommended by the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

* Winning competitors divulge some of the key strategies that make them successful in the show ring. Some great tips in this one!

* Clinton, the awesome Aussie so popular with our readers, begins a new series focused on  real-life lessons he's learned from and about horses. This month, his topic is on keeping your emotions out of your training, and why it's so important to overall results.

* In our Buywise feature, we demystify the process of buying a pair of Western spurs, telling you what to look for in the ideal pair of spurs for YOU.

And, as an overall bonus, the issue is about 20 percent larger than ones you've been seeing lately.  More to read, more to look at, more gotta-get-it info!

Want to Be a Blog-o-Spondent at WEG?

This September, the World Equestrian Games (WEG) come to the U.S. for the first time, with Lexington, Kentucky, as the venue. Reining, show jumping, dressage, and other events will be showcased to a worldwide audience of equine enthusiasts.

And, in the new Live From Lexington sweepstakes sponsored by Purina, two winning entrants will get awesome access to the Games (and some cool prizes!) in order to cover them as special blog-o-spondents in the company of journalists from around the world.

For details, go to LiveFromLexington.com. And good luck!

Another New Chapter for Horse&Rider

Since it's probably safe to assume that most in my blog audience don't keep close tabs on horse-mag business news, I'm letting you know that our good ol' mag pony, Horse&Rider, is moving to a new owner's barn.

In a nutshell, H&R and her sister entities (including EQUUS, Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, Arabian Horse World, Equine.com, EquiSearch.com, and EquiShopper.com) have been acquired by Active Interest Media, publisher of American Cowboy and other special-interest publications.

AIM has also acquired another company's equine media, which you can read about at the first link above.

I'll remain as H&R's editor, a position I've held on behalf of three previous owners. Looking forward to the next chapter in the magazine's history...2011 will be H&R's 50th-anniversary year, and that's a party I don't want to miss!

60 Degrees

My area's been blessed with some unseasonably gorgeous weather of late, and I spent the weekend doing outside tasks that usually have to wait until April to get accomplished. Such as....

* Harrowing and breaking up all the old poop piles in the pasture.

* Washing the truck and trailer.

* Loading/unloading Smitty about 20 gazillion times, just to confirm that trailer-loading is something he's readily willing to do. (He doesn't know it yet, but he's on his way to his first schooling show next weekend.)

* Creating wall-to-wall bird nest carpets with a rubber curry.

* Burning up yard debris.

* Washing horse blankets and hanging them out to dry.

It's 60 degrees here again today, so I'll be right back out there as soon as my regular work day ends. Gotta grab the weather gift when it's offered!

A Few More Photos From the Scottsdale Arabian Show

In my previous post, I made mention of the lavish ribbons and garlands given to winning competitors at the Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show. Some of these shots will give you a closer look at those (and at my raingear! Yes, it does sometimes rain in Arizona).

I'm also including a closeup of Tommy Garland and Dancin To Victory, after their victory in the junior Western pleasure championship; a shot of Tommy giving me a few instructions before letting me take the new champ for a ride; one of the bulletin board in Tommy's barn with "advice of the day"; a fun photo of Mom, Tommy and me on the golf cart; one of Tommy introducing me to trainer Josh Quintus; and a railside shot of Tommy and me talkin' horses.

Public thanks to Tommy, not just for making good on his promise to let me ride an Arabian pleasure horse, but also for his gracious hospitality to both my mom and to me. Tommy invited us to his barn-aisle barbecue, introduced us to his family and customers, drove us around on his golf cart to meet other top Arabian trainers, and even participated in a training-article photo shoot with Dancin To Victory on the same morning as his championship class (something that few competitors would agree to do, considering what was at stake).

My mother summed it up well when she declared Tommy to be a pro with class. (I wonder if he's ever thought about giving lessons in that, too.)

Photos by Charles Brooks.

More on the Scottsdale Arabian Show

I was able to visit the 2010 Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show for two days toward the end of the show's two-week run.

I spent the first day getting acquainted with some of the Arabian trainers who'll have articles in future issues of Horse & Rider, and getting set up to photograph them the second day. I also got a general feel for the lay of the land, checked out lots of barns, horses and shopping opps, and soaked up some of that famous Arizona sunshine.

My mom accompanied me on Day 1. She is spending the winter in Arizona, and after hauling four kids to horse shows with my dad for years, she was eager to go to the Arabian show and just enjoy herself. That's her in the vest with the saddle motifs on it.

It was also the first time she had gotten an opportunity to see exactly what it is that I do for a living when out and about at an event. (She's seen me chained to my desk at home for days on end when visiting us in Idaho, but that's not quite the same as the public side of my gig.)

If you're flying in for the show, as I did, the experience starts right at the airport. Show ads appear throughout the facility, including at the baggage pickup where I waited for my luggage. You also see show ads on buses, billboards, and on TV. The public presence helps make the show a popular activity for locals; something like 200,000 people come through the gates just to watch the show and take in all its atmosphere.

There is plenty of atmosphere to take in. The horses themselves are all just breathtaking, and some of the barn setups really have to be seen to be believed. There's more temporary landscaping here than there is PERMANENT landscaping at my barn at home, that's for sure!

One of the many things I appreciate about this show is the lavish RIBBONS (and other prizes). The Arizona Arabian Association puts the show on, and spares no expense when it comes to this element. It's a big deal just to finish in the top ten, and anyone who does so is presented with a gorgeous rosette and streamers. The champion and reserve champion in each class receive additional keepsake ribbons.

Not only that, but every winner from the top ten on up gets to make a pass in front of the crowd ("victory lane") and have a photo taken. There is no "hustle 'em out of here and get the next class moved in" mentality that deprives competitors of their bit of earned glory. Each champion and reserve champion is photographed in the arena, receiving their honors to the applause of the crowd.

The extra effort put forth to put MEANING into winning has to be one reason why people get excited about participating in this great show.