G’day and Welcome to Downunder Horsemanship with Clinton Anderson.  I attended the Clinton Anderson Walkabout Tour at the South Point Equestrian Center June 12 and 13.  Clinton Anderson Australian Horse Trainer and Clinician brought his method to Las Vegas, and showed us the partnership that can be formed between a rider and their horse.

Clinton moved from Australia to the United States in 1997.  Clinton’s accomplishments include winning the Australian National Reining Futurity in 1997, and winning the Road to the Horse Colt Starting Challenge in 2003 and 2005.

Clinton apprenticed under Gordon McKinlay and Ian Francis in Australia, and started over six hundred horses.  In 1996 Clinton came to the United States to train and learn from Al Dunning who has won numerous American Quarter Horse Association World Championships.

The South Point was set up differently than when other horse events have been held there.  There were almost no vendors on the concourse, which meant there wasn’t mobs of people standing in the way to the arena and the event could be comfortably viewed from the concourse.

The arena was split one-third for Downunder Horsemanship merchandise and autograph booth, and the other two-thirds was arena with a round pen.  At least fifteen hundred people attended the clinic, which is a great turn out.

The lights were dimmed when Clinton was working with a horse, with overhead track lighting providing focus on Clinton and the horse he was working with. Clinton would talk to the horse’s owner to let the audience know why the horse was brought to him.  From there Clinton would work with the horse for about an hour and an half, depending on the horse and their needs.

Clinton has three main tools for working with a horse in the round pen.  The first tool is the halter.  Clinton’s halter of choice is a rope halter because it is more uncomfortable for the horse to lean on the halter when compared to a web halter, and it also helps teach the horse to give to pressure.  The second tool is a lead rope that is fourteen feet in length.  At that length you are able to do all the groundwork with your horse, and if you encounter a disrespectful horse you can still get out of their way.  The end of the rope is weighted allowing the rope to be twirled or thrown easily.  The rope is designed in a way that allows the slightest wiggle to cue your horse, as it travels from you to your horse.  The third and finally tool is a stick and a string, officially known as a Downunder Handy-Stick with String.  The stick and a string could be considered an extension of your arm, and a reinforcer of cues that you give your horse.

Throughout the clinic Clinton would reinforce the importance of working safely around your horse, and gaining the horse’s respect.  When you are working with your horse you always want to have ‘two eyes,’ towards you rather than ‘two heels.’

Clinton talked throughout clinic explaining why he was doing something or what he was looking for in the horse.  Clinton explained what he would do with the horse if he was at home, and why he does what he does.  Clinton worked very well with the horses, and never raised his voice and remained calm.  Focusing on keeping the horse and helping them understand what he wanted.

Ground work is a very important element in getting respect in your horse; if they don’t respect you on the ground they won’t respect you in the saddle.  Clinton worked with the stick and the string to encourage the horse to move away from him.  He would start by pointing in the direction the horse was to go, clucking if the horse didn’t follow through, smacking the ground by the horse was the third step, and the fourth was to smack the horse on the butt.  And as Clinton pointed out, he wasn’t beating on the horse merely enforcing his previous requests.

Clinton also worked on getting the horse used to the lead rope being tossed around them, around their legs, head, neck, back.  A horse that is more used to these movements will less likely to over react in a similar situation. Clinton also talked about psychology, and how as a trainer and rider once you understand how the horse thinks you can improve your horse’s confidence and mutual respect towards you.

This was a great clinic for anyone who wanted to improve not only their skills as a Horseman, but their partnership with their horse.  Thank you Clinton Anderson for bringing his methods to Las Vegas.

KJ Anthony

Equestrian Moments

This twelve year old mare is special, not only was The Arabian Breeders World Cup her first show, but, even more amazing she was rescued from a home of neglect. Eight months ago she was only skin and bones, to see her before and after photos and to see her transformation is amazing.

I had a chance to visit with her Owner and listen as he explained how far she had come, in those eight months.  From being haltered to having her feet picked up, this mare had to learn to trust humans all over again.  As a statement to the Arabian Focus Princess showed what love, kindness, and a good home can achieve.

For one mare and one Owner, miracles do happen.  Focus Princess I look forward to seeing you again next year.  Thank you to your Owner and Handler for sharing your amazing story with me.

Following is a little more information on the Arabian Breeders World Cup… The Arabian Breeders World Cup was held in Las Vegas at the South Point Hotel and Casino from April 15 to 18, 2010.  The Arabian Horse Breeders Alliance or “AHBA” was the sponsor of the fourth annual Arabian Breeders World Cup.  The AHBA is a non-profit organization, whose goal is to promote the Arabian horse.

The Arabian Breeders World Cup strives to introduce people to the beauty and majesty of the Arabian horse.  The Arabian Breeders World Cup brings the finest purebred Arabian breeding horses to Las Vegas from around the world.

The Arabian Breeders World Cup is based on shows from Europe.  This show format allows the horses to be presented more naturally, further highlighting their inherit beauty and spirit. There were five International judges from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, South Africa, Morocco, and Brazil. Five International Judges score the horse on the following six areas; on a scoring system of ten to twenty points per area:  Arabian Type, Head and Neck, Shoulder, Body and Topline, Feet and Legs, and Movement.  The total possible number of points awarded to each horse was one hundred and twenty.  Horses were judged standing, walking, and trotting.

I would like to thank the Arabian Horse Breeders for bringing these beautiful horses to Las Vegas, and to the South Point for providing the venue.  I look forward to seeing everyone next year.

KJ Anthony

Equestrian Moments

I know there are a lot of horse people in Las Vegas and probably a lot of little events, groups, meetings, meet-ups, etc that other people would love to know about.  Let’s find them and post them for all to see.

As we rebuild the site, your input is valuable to us.  So if there is something you would like to see here, feel free to hit the contact button and tell us what it is.  The more information we have the better.

If you like to write about the Vegas Horse scene, let us know that as well. Always looking for people to write about the events, the clubs the news and reviews of The Vegas Horse.

If you know of any horse related event in the Las Vegas area, please send us the details. The description of the event, location, costs (if any), website, etc… So we can post them.  With your help we could make this one of the best in the west for contacts, connections and resources..

Multiple Events??
If you are the organizer of an event, club or group with multiple events or dates, contact us so we can give you posting privileges and you can do the updates yourself.

This is FREE publicity for your group, organization or event.

Many of us are busy and use those smart phones.  Many of those are powered by Google Apps.  Lucky for you we are using Google Calendars for this.  So if you use Google on your smart phone or home computer, each event has a link to load it that information right onto your Google calendar.  (gotta love technology!)

So let us know what’s happening and help us spread the message!

Mark Anthony

The mystique of the Purebred Arabian can be answered this weekend at the SouthPoint Equestrian Center.   Or at least it can be further explained for those of us who have never seen this breed up close and in all its glory.

That is one of the goals of the Arabian Breeders World Cup, is to help promote the Arabian horse. The nice thing is that you can do it for free this weekend as the event is open to the public.

This will be the fourth annual and our second time attending.  This event has become one of the premier purebred Arabian horse shows in the world.  We went last year and found out it really is an “International horse show”.  We met Arabian breeders and enthusiasts from around the world who came just for this event.

Of course, what Arabian event in Las Vegas would be complete without Mr Las Vegas, Wayne Newton.  He seems to be the Vegas ambassador to the Arabian horse world by the way he was treated and the way they swooned over him.

It will be interesting to see if his recent troubles with the process server will make him a no show or not, but we will wait and see.

I do have to agree with the website, it does showcase the natural beauty, nobility, excitement and unique characteristics of the Arabian horse breed and provides a lively and entertaining experience for existing breeders and those new to Arabian horses.

These are some beautiful creatures to see up close and in the ring.  Although they do have a weird way of showing them off.  Using plastic bags and other tools to make noise and get them to perk up and prance.  Hard to explain.  However the crowd goes wild once they are in the gate and moving like gentle giants.

More from the website:
The Arabian Breeders World Cup is a horse event like no other in the U.S. To begin with, it features a showcase competition for purebred Arabian breeding classes. These breeding classes are conducted in the European style using the World Cup Scoring System, similar to the All Nation’s Cup in Aachen, Germany and the World Championships at the Salon du Cheval in Paris, France. Through the use of the European style of showing, the show emphasizes a more natural way of preparing, presenting, and showing the horses so that their true Arabian spirit shines.

In addition, the European judging system is more transparent since each judge is required to display the scoring results to the audience after each horse is judged. As a result, the spectator can be more involved and can better understand and appreciate the attributes that the judges are appreciating and those that they are not. The show features 5 International judges, a true mix of the best from America, Europe and South America, with the goal of achieving the highest possible standards of judging.

Where: South Point Casino Equestrian Center

Tickets: Free to the Public

Time:
12:30pm Thursday
10:00am Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Wild Mustangs of Southern Nevada

Editors Note: This email came from a concerned wild horse lover and friend in Minnesota.  She also owns a part Mustang and is very active in saving our wild horses.  Your help and support in saving these beautiful animals is desperately needed.  Mustangs may not be an ‘endangered species,’ yet but, it is only a matter of time.  Lets work together to stop that from happening, and save the mustangs.

I am sending this to EVERYONE on my email list. For those of you who are not aware of the plight of America’s wild horses, below is a very brief history and overview of what is going on. I recently had an amazing opportunity to see some of these horses in their wild state, and to actually walk among the bands.

The plight of the wild horses has been close to my heart for many years, but never more so than now that I have actually touched some of these wonderful animals and spent time in their world. Also I have continually sought information about their history and what is currently happening to the herds.

I am asking you to write to your Congressmen, Senators, the President, other elected officials and any other prominent people. Tell anyone you can. Pass this along to those on you email list. OUR wild horses-yours and mine, are in jeopardy!

WILD HORSES

True. Wild horses of America are not truly wild. They are feral. They were brought here by the Spaniards. These were fine Andalusian’s and Spanish Barbs. War horses for the conquistadors. (there were no horses here at that time, all of Americas horses had already become extinct in the ice age previously) Over time some of those horses got loose, were set free, stolen, etc and some started living free on their own. These free roaming horses became the foundation on which America was built.

In almost ever aspect of the building of this fine country, the Mustang (as they became known) was a vital part. Over time only the hardiest of these horses survived on their own, meaning each generation became tougher, smarter and stronger. These horses were the ponies Native Americans used to hunt buffalo. They were used by the cowboys and vaqueros to herd cattle. They were used to pull stagecoaches across harsh lands. They WERE the Pony Express. Prospectors occasionally used them to haul equipment. The US Cavalry used them to breed with Thoroughbreds to raise faster, tougher remounts for their troops. Three different American horse breeds were created from them (American Quarter Horse, Appaloosa and American Paint Horse-in fact the renowned King Ranch of Texas used them to build the first Quarter Horses to help run their famous cattle ranch).

They traveled this new land with explorers (it has been noted that the Lewis and Clark expedition had at least one Appaloosa colored horse with them and in that era, the only Appaloosa spotted horses in America were either Mustangs or Mustang offspring bred by the Nez Perce Indian tribe) They pulled carriages with families to church on Sundays and plowed in the fields next to the oxen during the week on settlers’ farms. They ARE America. The very heart of the heritage and freedom and ingenuity we all love in our country.  THIS should be reason enough to allow their descendants to roam free on OUR ranges.

Certainly over hundreds of years their fine Spanish blood has been diluted by ranch horses intermingled with them along the way, but it has not been diminished. They are still the descendants of the horses who MADE America. Even more than the American Bald Eagle, the American Mustang is a symbol of this great country.

Now that I’ve given you reason that the “wild” horses deserve to have their freedom on public land, I will address any concerns for wildlife and wild land.

Unless a horse is confined to a small space where it does beat down a tiny area until no grass can grow, it is not a problem. By comparison, ranch cattle allowed to graze our public lands will overgraze one area, particularly around water holes until it is barren and nothing grows there. Mustangs move to a waterhole, drink there (not for too long, not milling in it or muddying it like herds of cattle are known to do). Then they move on, continually grazing as they continually move. Therefore, no one area is over grazed.

As for their movements harming the land, I have seen deer trails that are as worn and beaten down as any horse trail. Also, their manure carries and redistributes plant seeds to replenish the land they live on. I watched bands of Mustangs come to water and move on. Not all of the bands use the same route, so they were not creating any “highway” through the land.  Also, horses eat different types of greens than deer and bighorn sheep and elk, etc. They have coexisted for hundreds of years along with wildlife. Ever since those first Spaniards’ horses got their first taste of freedom in America.

At one time hundreds of thousands of wild horses lived in harmony with the wildlife. It has been man and his cattle and sheep herds that deplete the lands and take resources from the deer, elk, mountain goats AND the Mustangs. Ranchers are using OUR public land to graze their cattle for their own benefit and profit. What’s more, they are able to lease it at ridiculously low rates. Then in their greed to make a few more dollars off of OUR land, they campaign to have Americas’ wild horses removed and their numbers depleted to dangerously low amounts.

In turn, the Bureau of Land Management, the very organization entrusted with the protection and management of the Mustangs, holds dangerous and sometimes deadly roundups by helicopter. (At the same time, wildlife organizations like the Forest Service also target the Mustangs for removal, claiming that because the horses are not truly wild, they do not belong on public lands and that they compete with the wildlife for grass, which I’ve already addressed as untrue)

These roundups chase and terrorize the horses into running over many miles of rugged land until they are captured. Some horses are injured in these runs, some so badly they must be euthanize at the end.  (A recent roundup in Nevada-Calico Hills-resulted in approximately 39 horses dying or needing euthanasia due to the roundup conditions and many mares spontaneously aborting their foals) If this was not bad enough, those horses who do not find good homes in the BLM Adoption program (often older horses who have spent many years as free creatures) are then sent to permanent holding pens to live out the rest of their lives.

What these holding pens amount to, are feedlots. Corrals too small to retain grass, with large numbers of horses grouped together. This is like prison to an innocent man. The horses will languish there imprisoned until their life ends. Stallions who were once kings of their domain, mares who used to move freely across the land, they will all stand and mill about in these small, bare lots that become their final home.

At this time it is estimated that over 30,000 Mustangs are being held in these pens. That is more wild horses than exist in the wild. The BLM addresses any public opposition to rounding up so many wild horses by saying they are overpopulating the land and many are in danger of starving. I have heard some of these gatherings referred to as emergency roundups. That may occasionally be the case. However, I have walked among some of these bands (and seen photos of others) and they are doing quite well on their own, without our mismanagement.

These are not poor starving creatures that we must save. They are beautiful, in their own way, each one exuding a sense of quiet pride. They do not receive a feeding of grain and hay, no stall to sleep in, no daily grooming. Yet, they do very well on their own. Their hooves are in good condition, and while some may show some ribs, none that I saw in several bands, looked in any way emaciated or in poor health. Nature has fine tuned these horses to live in harsh conditions, partly due to the fact that man has pushed them farther and farther into the back country of this nation.

While it may be okay for some amounts of ranch cattle to graze public lands, this should be managed in a better manner. The cattle and sheep ranchers should not be allowed to take control of such large amounts of public, wild land and water resources. Their numbers should be more closely monitored to protect the resources of these lands from damage and overuse and to ensure that the lands can provide for the wildlife, including Mustangs that make this land their home.

These horses belong on the American range lands much more than the ranchers’ cattle do and just as much as the elk, deer and other wildlife do. And, what’s more, they’ve EARNED the right to be there.***

Veleda

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An inside look at the underbelly of the horse slaughter industry. Copyright / Voluntary Instinct Productions. Reproduction or unauthorized use of the video is not permitted.

Did you know there are only two groups of wild horses or horses that have never been domesticated?  The first group is the Tarpan Wild Horse is from Europe and Asia, and the second group is the Przewalski’s Horse also known as the Mongolian Wild Horse from Central Asia and the Gobi Desert.

“Wild Horses” as the term is used today is in reference to herds of horses that roam freely, including the Mustang in the United States and the Brumby in Australia.  These horses are feral horses, who are descendants of horses that arrived in America with the Spanish Conquistadors in the 15th century.

The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 recognized Mustangs as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, which continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people.”

During my travels around Southern Nevada, I have come across a small band of wild horses also known as mustangs.  I have been around horses all my life and was very excited to have found a symbol of the American West… a mystery never full explained and only seen in my mind or on the Hollywood big screen.

Not sure what to expect I watched these beautiful creatures from a safe distance, but curiosity got the better of me.  How would they react to me and would they accept me as a non-threat, someone who only wanted to admire and love them for them.

My first encounter was with a bay stallion, who nickered at me and seemed to connect with me.  The bay came towards me and I towards him, he blew softly at me, and I blew back on his muzzle.  Time seemed to pause and it was only him and I, I was able to stroke this wild creature, and I was not afraid nor was he.  I know then as I know now, it is my purpose in life to protect these wild creatures from the world that does not know of them or the plight.

I have been out to the wild horses many times now, and try to go on a regular basis.  Every time is a magical experience; I have been embraced by the wild horses, and accepted by them.

On occasion I see new mares that a stallion has acquired, I see the bachelor stallion bands grow as the young stallions are driven from their original bands, and other time I see my old friends.  On occasion I can connect with a horse that was unsure of me at first, but patience and quiet moments have paid off.  One stallion has even returned with his band to greet me, and has stayed with me for some time.

In closing I would like to stress that I do not encourage anyone to approach or interact with the wild horses as I do.  (I have taken a few people out to see the wild horses, but only after explaining how to interact with the wild horses.  Ensuring their safety and that of the wild horses is very important to me.)  I have over twenty years experience with horses and I am confident around them.  When I am with the wild horses I do not force them to do anything they do not already do naturally, what you see here is what I have seen after hours of patient observation.  (You can meet the here: Friends of the Wild Horses of Southern Nevada)

What follows are the photos of the wild horses I have come to know and love.  I have chosen to share them with you, in the hopes that you will come to see their beauty, elegance, and grace as I have.  I will continue to visit the wild horses, and I encourage you to keep an eye out for the horses as I expand on my photos of these beautiful creatures. (You can see the Wild Horses here: Wild Horses of Southern Nevada)

It is my hope that you will help me protect and save the wild horses from their biggest predator… humans.  Wild horses are wild and it is this freedom that is threatened, but with your help we can keep them free for generations to enjoy.

KJ Anthony
Equestrian Moments

The P.A. and I got into a discussion about the recent Knight Rider Festival 2010.  Yeah, the show that launched a 1000 heartaches over some former soap star turned prime time hunk – mixed with enough geek stuff to get us guys away from the Pong games.  Ooops… showing my age a bit too much.

The event started with a character playing the Lone Ranger riding down the Fremont Street Experience.  He was riding a Palomino horse that wasn’t too cool about media cameras getting into his face.  This Lone Ranger to Michael Knight was a bit of a stretch, but I can understand the symbolism, she could not. That wasn’t the argument.

The argument was on the horse.  For whatever reason, I thought he rode a Palomino.  She said he rode a white horse.  Surprising enough…. The P.A. knew the correct answer to a TV trivia question…  A first I am sure..  The Lone Ranger rode a white horse.  Tonto rode a paint palomino named Scout.

What was interesting was the trip down memory lane in researching the answer.  I never knew how the whole story started and found it a bit interesting.  Including the part about how they financed themselves.  How many shows reveal that little piece of information??

According to Wiki Entertainment:

Though there have been several variations of the Lone Ranger’s origin over the years, the basic story has remained the same.

Six Texas Rangers, including brothers Dan and John Reid, were tracking a gang of desperadoes led by the notorious Butch Cavendish. Led by a tracker named Collins, who was actually a member of the Cavendish gang, the Rangers were lured into a canyon called Bryant’s Gap, and ambushed. Except for young John Reid, they were all slaughtered.

Reid managed to crawl to safety near a water hole where he was later found and nursed back to health by a friendly Indian named Tonto. Tonto remembered Reid, who had once saved Tonto himself. “You Kemosabe,” said Tonto; “it mean ‘trusty scout.’” Tonto now vowed to stay with him as the “lone” Ranger vowed to avenge the deaths of his brother and their comrades.

Six graves were left to hide the fact that one man lived to fight. Realizing that if his identity were known, he would be a marked man, Reid had Tonto make a mask from the vest of his dead bother. The Lone Ranger now needed a mount. Remembering a magnificent wild white stallion he had once seen, the Lone Ranger and Tonto set off for the Valley of Horses. They found the stallion wounded and about to be gored to death by a wild buffalo and the Lone Ranger was forced to kill the buffalo. Tonto and the Lone Ranger nurse the horse back to health. Time goes by and the horse is up and running around. “It’s a magnificent animal,” the Ranger tells Tonto. “It reflects like silver from the sun” Tonto says. “Silver” says the Ranger, “that’s what we’ll call him. Silver. Here Silver, come here big fellow.” The horse starts to run away but there’s something in the Lone Ranger’s voice that draws him back and to the ranger’s side. The Lone Ranger then begins the training process and soon, he’s riding Silver while Tonto rides his horse, Scout.

After this has been accomplished, the Ranger tells Tonto it’s time to see an old friend of his named Jim, a retired Texas Ranger, who knows about a silver mine that the Reid brothers owned and operated. The Lone Ranger, Tonto and Jim ride to the old silver mine. There the Lone Ranger asks Jim to work the mine for him so he and Tonto will have spending money and then asks Jim for something unusual. “Jim, I want you to make for me silver bullets” the Ranger says. “Silver?” Jim asks. “Why in the world would you want silver bullets?” The Ranger explains that the silver bullets will be a symbol of justice. “Say, that’s a great idea” Jim says. “I can make them right here in this mine.”

And for you Hoff Fans,… Here is a picture of the modern day Lone Ranger…

Madeline Pickens and others argue the merits of having a wild mustang sanctuary that creates tours for educational purposes.  I always questioned that idea.  Education?  Who would benefit from seeing the wild mustangs on an “educational tour”?  And wouldn’t that exploit them even more?

My argument always has been that the Wild Mustangs are a symbol of the American spirit, if not the American west.  Who needs educating on that??  Why exploit the horses more than they already are??

Well, as fate should have it, a reality check hit me square in the eyes last month.  I can now say “I See The Light!!”

First was at the Armargosa Opera House in Death Valley.  There, they are known to make friends with the wild mustangs.  Inviting friends and visitors out to see them, pet them and get friendly with them….

Richard, the caretaker of the Opera House, explained that the wild horses around their place are people friendly and that the friendliness helps with the horses chances for a successful adoption.  It also gives the visitor an idea of what we are really fighting for.  All in real living color and in the horse’s natural environment.

A second encounter was with a tour group.  This time, it was literally face to face with the symbol of the American west.  Most of the guests had already heard the media and government’s side of the story.  From what they thought they knew to what they saw, is a story all by itself.

Some felt that it’s just a horse.  Wild or otherwise, we can see them in almost any state at any time of the year.  What’s so special about these??  I can now honestly say they found their answer looking them in the face.

As they watched the horses slowly walk past them, on their route to water, the guests felt a special bond with the animals that they could not explain.  A couple of the horses stopped to investigate the two-legged creatures and wondering what they wanted.  Posing for pictures before moving on.

My guests expressed a unique sense of honor to be able to walk amongst them, in their natural environment and to see the hierarchy and the heard instinct in play.  Not to mention their ability to survive in this rough, unforgiving terrain.

The herd instinct happened when one of the mustangs tried to separate a female from our “herd” and make her part of his own herd.  She got a quick education in Wild Mustang 101.

They also saw that these are not skinny, malnourished, near-death creatures in need of help or disposal.  Yes, some are bruised and battered from territorial fights.  But they were all very healthy horses.

Many now understood that these creatures are more than just a horse.  That they may not be native to this land (neither are we), yet they are an important part of it.  The wild mustang does belong here.  They do not belong in holding pens and definitely not in some midwestern state grazing field.

Most of the questions were from the guests trying to reconcile what they were told to what they were seeing and experiencing.  They talked about how they grew up to stories of the west and in their mind saw the mustangs.  Now, here they are standing next to one.  They were awed by the whole experience…

So maybe Madeline and the others have a valid point that needs to be explored.  That people are really hungry to see what they imagined growing up.  To let people see the symbol that has inspired so many books, movies and lives.  See them in person and in their natural environment.

A sanctuary for the Wild Mustangs.  A place that inspires the soul and feeds the imagination.  What a wonderful place that would be!

Madeleine Pickens talks about her love for animals, including dogs (her 18-year-old ‘Oliver Pickens’) and horses alike, and explains how America can save and protect our wild horses by supporting the Wild Horse Sanctuary.