Triangulating a Championship

To make a Champion,- and we're talking specifically about the World Champion level, although it applies to all levels- takes a nothing less than a trio of special people. (and this is regardless of WHO the trainer is.. consider the trainer as the "manager" or "captain" of this ship. If there are holes in the ship, it doesn't matter how damn good the captain is, it's going to sink!)

First it takes the right owner. It takes that special owner that is willing to do what it takes to make that horse the best that horse can be. In other words they have to be willing to send it down the road to shows, (and sometimes not send it) get it the training it needs, and one that is savvy enough to shop for the best people they can find to fill the next two postions, AND THEN, when they've found their experts, be willing to listen to them.

Next it takes the right veterinarian. Without that right one to keep at fine tuned athlete in peak condition, you might as well forget the voyage before you even start. It is a differant veterinarian that keeps the show horse tickin' over properly, than the one that visit's ol' Thunder in your neighbor's pasture once or twice a year.

And third, is the right farrier. Remember the old saying "no hoof, no horse". Competitively speaking, your farrier can make or break you. They've got to know their job inside and out. They have to know what it is your horse does, and make sure they can perform to the utmost of their abilities. It's not an easy job keeping a campaigning horse sound. They must also know the horse they are working on inside and out. They have to take a personal interest.

All three of them have to be able to set a program, follow a program, and remain flexible enough to abandon that program if it isn't working.

So many people buy that future "world beater" and can't figure out why they can't make that dream a reality. Or they buy that World Champion that some other "trio" has already made, take it home, and suddenly, their great horse isn't doing so great anymore. Immediately they blame the former trainer- "It was beaten to do what it did." or "It was drugged". Never could they consider that something in the dynamic of their own "triangle" has does not work for that horse.

On Hunters and Barrel Horses

It never ceases to amaze me how much bias exists in the horse industry. Breed-bias. Gender-bias. Event-bias. Sure everyone has their favorites, but is that any reason to be derogatory?

Growing up riding AQHA hunters, the prevailing attitude was that the very worst thing you could do on horseback was run barrels. That was lower than low. Scum of the earth type thing. It was the dwelling place of the equine illiterate, who didn't know any better, and the horses, well... you felt sorry for them, crazy, ugly animals that they were. Of course we wondered why hunter riders had a reputation for snobishness..... hmm..

That couldn't have been more silly. First of all- take your pedigrees for your top hunter horses (both fences and HUS) and compare them to the pedigrees of the top barrel horses. See any similarities? (for easy research use this site: www.allbreedpedigree.com )

The primary differances are height and temperment. Those are uncontrolable variables anytime you breed a mare to a stallion. You might cross two horses with speed indexes over 100, and end up with something that would only run if you shoved a jet engine up it's butt.

Kenn and I are always fighting over horses. Why? Because we both look for the same thing in a horse. I see something that would make a great hunter, he sees something that would excell as a barrel horse. We both want flat, long-strided, efficient movers. Good hocks, nice sloping shoulders.. the list goes on.

So why the attitudes? NO IDEA. Even the training and riding aren't much differant. Barrel horses have to know all the same things a fence horse or undersaddle horse does. The main differance is the speed at which they perform.