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J U N E 2 0 2 6

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RIDER’S

DIGEST

T H E H O R S E L I F E M A N U A L

PATCHES

Adult female

Miniature Paint Pony

Carey, OH

Call the shelter at (419) 295-4477 for more information

All horses come up to date on shots and dewormer, farrier care and a clean coggins test

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BREED

SPOTLIGHT

11BREED OF THE MONTH

HORSE

GROOMING

DECODED

A GUIDE TO THE

PERFECT GROOM

CBD FOR

HORSES

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THE BENEFITS OF

CBD FOR YOUR

BELOVED HORSE

features

A C H I N C O T E A G U E P O N Y

T H E S T O R Y O F A B O D Y A N D H I S P O N Y

K I T S O N J A Z Y N K A

Y O U R H O R S E ’ S B R A I N

W H A T ’ S R E A L L Y G O I N G O N

K A R A L . S T E W A R T

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H O W T O L E A D A H O R S E

K E Y T O L E A D I N G Y O U R H O R S E

Y O U N G R I D E R

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T H E B E S T M E D I C I N E

T A K I N G C A R E O F Y O U R S E L F T O O

C O U R T N E Y S . D I E H L , D V M

W E S T E R N V S . E N G L I S H

A W A R D W I N N I N G S A D D L E S

B I L L S T E V E N S O N

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B R E Y E R F E S T 2 0 2 6

A L L A B O U T T H I S Y E A R ’ S F E S T I V L E


H O R S E G R O O M I N G D E C O D E D

S T E P B Y S T E P T O T H E P E R F E C T G R O O M


S H O W M A N S H I P S K I L L S

T H E N E E D T O K N O W S K I L L S

H E I D I M E L O C C O

C B D F O R Y O U R H O R S E

W H A T T H E L A T E S T T R E N D C A N O F F E R

S T A C E Y M C K E N N A

S T R E T C H I N G Y O U R H O R S E

H E A L T H B E N E F I T S O F D A I L Y S T R E T C H I N G


S H I N Y H O R S E S E C R E T S

T H E K E Y T O T H E P E R F E C T S H I N E

H O L L Y C A C C A M I S E

B R E E D S P O T L I G H T

T H I S M O N T H S F E A T U R E B R E E D

S A M A N T H A J O H N S O N

T R I C K Y T R A I L S 1 0 1

H I L L Y T R A I L T I P S


A L L A B O U T L E G C A R E

T H E S E C R E T T O T H E P E R F E C T P O L O W R A P


departments

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R I D E R S ’ D I G E S T • J U N E 2 0 2 6


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A NOTE

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sarah Clouse

Executive Editor

Bob Cohn

Editorial Director

Thomas J. Wallace

Managing Editor

Jocob Young

Story Editor

Sarah Fallon

Founding Editor

Louis Rossetto

Vice President & Publisher

Drew Schutte

Deputy Photo Editor

Carolyn Rauch

FROM THE

Senior Editors

Robert Capps

Ted Greenwald

Jennifer Hillner

Laura Moorehead

Susan Murcko

Jeffery M. O’Brien

Mark Robinson

Adam Rogers

Contributing Artist

Kenn Brown

Saiman Chow

Bryan Christie

Tristan Easton

Don Foley

Nathan Fox

Michael Guillete

Elliot Haag

Products Editor

Mark McClusky

Promotion Coordinator

Caitlin Crawford

Senior Associate Editor

Nicholas Thompson

Creative Service Director

Alice Mckown

Associate Editor

Chris Baker

Marketing Coordinator

Melissa Green

EDITOR

have always had a passion

for art since I can remember.

It started when I was young,

working side-by-side with

my father in his workshop

and escalated over the years.

Currently I am a Communication

Design Major senior at

Kutztown University. Horses

have been one of my favorite

animals; I truly admire their

magestic beauty. I decided to

mix my two loves together

and put a unique spin on your

adverage horse magazine.

While you flip through the

pages I hope you get a feel of

who I am. Taking the ordinary

Iand making in unordinary.

Assistant Editor

Brian Lam

Copy Chief

Jennifer Prior

Senior Copy Editor

Jon J. Eilenberg

Director of Photography

Brenna Britton

Photo Editor

Zena Woods

Art Director

Becky Chan

Jeremy LaCroix

Donald Ngai

Designer

Allister Fein

Associate Designer

David Sol Jacobson

Contributung Designer

Beth Brann

Carl De Torres

Nova Wangili

Associate Publisher

Jan Lauf

Advertising Director

Moira McDonald

Associate Publisher & Marketing

Jim Richardson

Consulting Editor

William O. Goggins

Senior Maverick

Kevin Kelly

Sales Development Director

Amy Stettler

Merchandising Director

Maya Draisin

Print Manager

Matt Jessell

Contributing Photographers

Michele Asselin

Richard Ballard

Danny Livia

Designer Assistant

Lee Decker

Business Manager

Nacy Wong

Contributung Editors

Brian Ashcraft

Paul Boutin

Joshua Davis

Production Director

Michael Lee

Associate Production Director

Jeff Lysgard

Associate Production Manager

Myran Chiu

Creative Services Director

Alice McKown

Acting Design Director

Bob Ciano

Sarah Clouse

Editor in Chief

Marketing Manager

James Arthur Wilson

Editorial Operations Manager

Jay Dayrit

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R I D E R S ’ D I G E S T • J U N E 2 0 2 6 R I D E R S ’ D I G E S T • J U N E 2 0 2 6

Y O U R H O R S E ’ S B R A I N

w h a t ’ s r e a l l y g o i n g o n

n e u r o s c i e n c e m e e t s p r o f e s s i o n a l h o r s e t r a i n i n g

B Y K A R A L . S T E W A R T

Thanks to recent equine neuroscience research,

we’re gaining true understanding of the connection

between equine brain function and effective

training. These takeaways from a recent groundbreaking

seminar debunk a few myths and can

help us work better with our horse’s true nature.

NEUROSCIENCE MEETS TRAINING

In July 2019, three recognized equine professionals joined together to share

and explore their perspectives of equine neuroscience and show in real time

what is going on inside the horse’s brain to create a particular action or response.

over two days, the experts shard ideas with 80 attendees at the inaugural

seminar at Happy Dog Ranch in Colorado.

Stephen Peters, PsyD, a lifelong horseman and human neuropsychologist who

specializes in brain funtion and memory, co-authored Evidence-Based Horsemanship

with Martian Black, a clinician who has worked with thousands of horses.

Their book connects equine brain function research with horsemanship methods

that mesh with the horse’s brain makeup.

“Over the years, I started to explore neurologically based horsemanship from

my work in human memory and brain health,” says Peters. Mark Rashid, author

of Finding the Missed Path: The Art of Restarting Horses, teaches clinics worldwide

based on training from the horse’s point of view.

Jim Masterson is the founder of the Masterson Method of equine bodywork

that involves the horse’s input as a vital factor of the healing process.Their

goal was to explain why horses do what they do from a neurological standpoint

and to use this to work with horses in ways that align with the true

nature of the horse rather than against it.

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Horse

Grooming

Grooming is very beneficial for horses,

not only because it cleans their coat and it adds

beauty to their appearance, but also because it can

promote healthy emotional bonding and trust between

the horse and the person. Grooming a horse

encourages healthy blood circulation and helps to

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GROOM LIKE A PRO

release natural oils into the coat that help protect

him from natural elements such as wind and rain.

Grooming also gives you the chance to check over

your horse’s body to make sure that your horse is

healthy and has no external wounds, particularly

on parts of the body that will be touched by tack.

BY BILL STEVENSON

DECODED

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Secure your horse

Keep your horse in place by

tying the lead rope above

the height of their withers.

Use a quick-release knot,

securing them to a post.

Pick your horse’s hooves

Using a hoof pick, start at the heel of

the foot and pick forward to the toe, carefully

removing all rocks, dirt and debris. Make sure

to clean the grooves on either side of the frog, the

V-shaped part of the hoof. You should

neither pick the horse’s frog or dig

deeply into the grooves.

•To pick up their foot, run your hand

down their leg and gently squeeze their

tendon. If they don’t lift their foot,

lean against their shoulder, squeeze

their leg, and use your other hand to

quickly grab your horse’s hoof.

GROOMER’S GUIDE

Use a curry comb

Rubber curry combs are made

to loosen up dirt, mud, and bits

of things caught in your horse’s coat.

Currying should always be performed before

brushing for the best results. Use the curry in

vigorous, small circular motions over the horse’s

muscles; be extremely careful

on bony areas like the

face, spine, and legs.

Clean the

horse’s face

Take a damp sponge

or washcloth, wipe

your horse’s eyes, and

clean out his nose. Use

a different sponge/cloth/

wipe for the dock area (under

the tail). Because these areas are

constantly moist, dirt and mucus build

up and need to be cleaned out. Always

remember to be gentle when doing

this; these areas are sensitive.

Use a dandy brush

A dandy brush is a hardbristled

brush used to take

off the dirt and hair brought

out by the curry comb. Brush in short,

straight, flicking motions to allow the bristles to get all

the way through the coat and whisk the dirt out. Start at

the neck and work towards the tail. It’s not recommended

to use a hard brush on the horse’s legs, as they are

much more sensitive than the body.

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SHOWMANSHIP

SKILLS

the need to know skills

BY HEIDI MELLOCCO

Showmanship at halter, one of th most popular events at all

levels of Western showing, tests a handler’s ability to fit

and show a horse in halter competition. But no matter how skilled

the exhibitor, he or she can’t do well in the class without a horse

trained to perform it required maneuvers. If you’re an aspiring

competitor wondering just how that’s done, you’ve come to the

right place, as it’s what this article is all about.

Regardless of whether your care about showing, though, basic

showmanship training offers benefits outside the show ring that

every horse owner can appreciate. It improves a horse’s ground

manners and increases his respect level for you. It also fine-tunes

your ability to control your horse’s position and pace, a skill useful

in real-life situations such as backing out of a trailer, turning in

tight quarters, even moving a hoof off the hose in the wash rack. At

its most developed, showmanship training gives you a level of body

control from the ground that can be operated with fingertip finesse.

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BD

what the latest trend can offer

FOR YOUR HORSE

what the latest trend can offer

BY STACEY MCKENNA

What Is CBD Oil For Horses?

Horses are one of the more complex pets an animal lover

CBD oil is a tincture made from the compound known Not only does CBD not have any psychoactive properties,

but if you purchase a high-quality CBD product, it

can own. They are very intelligent and have a high capacity

for emotion, along with being downright majestic.

pounds present in cannabis, and it possesses numerous will never have come into contact with THC.CBD oil is

as cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one of the active com-

Fortunately, CBD has been proven to have numerous

healing properties for both humans and animals.It’s a highly concentrated form of the compound made by

health benefits for a wide range of species. As the stigma

important to note that CBD does not have any psychoactive

effects on its users. The compound in cannabis that face of a hemp plant. This solvent then makes its way

placing a solvent (like alcohol or olive oil) on the sur-

around the compound is beginning to shrink, you might

be considering how incorporating CBD into your horse’s

gives users a high is the infamous tetrahydrocannabinol, through the plant, absorbing CBD along the way.

routine can benefit their quality of life.

or THC. THC is the compound that has made the herb

popular for recreational use.

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B R E E D

S P O T L I G H T

this month's featured breed

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON

N

orwegian Fjord Horses (pronounced fe-ord) have

several distinctive characteristics. Probably the most

obvious is their color. All Fjords are essentially one color—

dun. But even though you will never see a bay, black, or

chestnut Fjord, you can find them in several different

shades of dun. At first glance, they might seem hard to tell

apart, but each shade has a slightly different coat color

and the color of the points also varies.

There’s something special about their manes and tails,

too. The mane of a Fjord is white on either side with a

stripe of darker hair down the middle. The hair is coarse,

so it stands straight up if it’s cut to only a few inches long.

Their manes are usually kept short so this interesting

color pattern can be seen and appreciated. The dark stripe

in the mane is called a midtstol. Fjords have dark stripes in

the middle of their tails, too—these are called halefjaers.

N O R W E G I A N F J O R D

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T R A

101

I L R E V I E W S

TRICKY TRAILS

H I L L Y T R A I L T I P S


1

With your horse standing squarely while tied, begin your wraps on his left front

leg. The rolled up part of the wrap should be on the outside as you wrap.Place

the loose end in the groove on the inside of his lower leg, and wrap around the

front of the cannon bone in a counter-clockwise direction with medium tension.

(On the right legs, you’ll wrap clockwise.)Overlap the previous wrap by about

half the width, angling slightly downward as you continue down the leg.

H O R S E C A R E

Going Downhill

A horse traveling down a hill flexes his hocks more to

shift his weight back and stay balanced. By carrying

more weight on his hindquarters, the horse reduces his

risk of falling forward. To ride down a hill, loosen your

reins to give your horse freedom to move his head and

to look at the footing. Your horse will use his head and

neck for balance as he moves down a hill. You want your

horse to calmly negotiate his path and stay balanced.

Your job is to lean back slightly. Make sure to not only

lean back but to move your feet forward slightly. Don’t

overdo it! Look at the trees around you and match the

same angle with a straight line through your ear, shoulder,

hip and heel.

Going Uphill

A horse moving up a steep hill uses his hindquarters

to push his body up, while also lengthening his neck forward

and shifting his center of gravity forward. His poll

drops below the height of his withers and his front legs

reach out with each step. To give him some help, you’ll

lean slightly forward.Need a visual? Picture how trees

grow on the side of a hill. Tree trunks grow straight

toward the sky, even if they’re growing on a steep

hillside. If the trees grew at any other angle, they’d fall

over. When you’re riding on hills, keep your whole body

parallel to the trees—picture a line through your ears,

shoulders, hips and heels. Make sure to give your horse

a loose rein so that he can use his neck as a lever to help

him move up the hill. Keep just enough rein connection

that you can cue your horse if necessary. It’s OK to grab

onto your horse’s mane halfway up his neck if the hill is

steep—this will help you keep your balance.

2

3

4

When you get to the fetlock, sling the wrap underneath it with enough

tension to keep the wrap from hanging loose. When you come around to

the other side and start wrapping in an upward direction, this creates an

upside-down “V” shape at the front of the leg.

All About

The Secret to the Perfect Polo Wrap

Leg Care


Wrap a second time around the bottom of the fetlock, then continue

wrapping up the leg, decreasing the tension at this point.

If you get to the top of the leg and still have wrap left over, wrap down toward

the middle of the leg again and then close the Velcro tab so that it’s smooth and

flush. Ideally it will be on the outside of the leg, but sometimes it will fall elsewhere,

which is OK. Polos take a little extra time, but they look great for any job,

unless you are riding through wet/muddy footing or puddles. The good news is

you can throw them in the washing machine. Make sure to stick the Velcro to

itself first so you don’t wind up with a knotted mess at the end of the spin cycle!

Polo wraps are an alternative

to protective boots. They can

provide light protection for

horses with sensitive skin who

might get rubs from other

types of boot.

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