Project Igi File Horse

[Jude Petkus]

Manyhorse owners will have the opportunity at one time or another to take on a project horse. You may feel like an open space in the barn needs to be filled, or have a project horse given to you unexpectedly.

For many who do not have the financial means to buy a trained ride, buying a project horse may be a good option. If you are thinking about adding a project horse to your herd, here are some things you can do to make a responsible decision.

Project horses need time and training to reach their potential and your riding goals. Every project horse has a different history. Learning as much as possible about their training and experiences is important to know if you are up for the challenges ahead.

In some cases, project horses are very well trained at one point in their lives and have, for one reason or another, lost conditioning and muscling and need someone to refine or bring back their training. They may have become pasture pets after an injury, been neglected or abused, or just need a refresher.

A friend of mine told me about some horses she tried in Florida. I laughed nervously, which I hope she interpreted as a laugh of delight, when she told me about the one she liked: An unflappable, 17.3-hand warmblood whose price is triple my annual salary.

On the one hand, he could very well be worth it. On the other, he is as likely as any trail horse to get a double-ended snap stuck up his nose (this really happened to a horse owned by someone I know).

When I first rode her she went flying around the farm, overreacting to every touch of leg and hollowing her back at every attempt to collect her. The only time she paused was when I would point her at a little ditch or log, when she would dither and resist for 5 minutes before finally plunging over it. It was not fun in the beginning, but she was sound, and when she did relax she was actually quite cute, so I persisted.

After months of flatwork (endless bending and transitions) and jumping schools (convincing her that yes, she had to at least try to get over the jumps), we entered a schooling event. She won, finishing on her dressage score. Carina proceeded to win several more lower-level events, although pulling her off the trailer seemed to bring the equine career counselor out in people. I particularly recall one woman who looked at me with pity while I was tacking up before an event.

I put him in the mildest bit possible, a loose-ring French snaffle. I was guessing that part of his reluctance to go forward was really a reluctance to go forward into a severe bit. Besides not wanting to go forward, Comanche would also frequently swerve violently, apparently to avoid the punishment he expected after acting up. I resolved as much as possible simply not to respond to his bad behavior. It was a gamble, but I decided to focus on praising him for any positive response to my cues and to ignore everything else as much as I safely could. At times I turned him in a tight circle when he acted up, but I did not otherwise discipline him.

Gradually, however, Comanche warmed to the idea of moving forward. As the weeks went past his bucking fits subsided. He became more reliable, and I rode him outside of the round pen at the walk and trot. Canter was a different story altogether, because he resented my outside leg cue. I came to dread asking for the canter, as even a successful transition involved him kicking out, bucking, and then careening around the round pen.

Comanche is a big mover, and I sensed he needed more space than the round penprovides to find his balance at the canter, but perhaps it is understandable that I was reluctant to practice in my unfenced front field, where I normally do flatwork. Certainly the lack of a fenced arena at my farm had never seemed very significant to me before.

I rode him in the pasture where he is normally turned out, thinking that he would be more relaxed in familiar surroundings. He was an absolute brat, much worse than normal. He bucked, he shied, he planted his feet and reared. It was very discouraging. I finally managed a few canter transitions and dismounted to lead him to the gate, all the while contemplating calling his owner to tell him to come get the horse.

Once outside the pasture I remounted, intending just to walk Comanche around the farm to cool out. We arrived at the open front field and he felt good, so I tried a little trot. He did so well that I could not resist

trying a canter transition, and then another. He was clumsy but cooperative. It was amazing, completely different from just a few minutes before. Then I realized that Comanche probably did not like working in the pasture where he normally relaxes. Have I mentioned that he is very opinionated?

Still, compared to the other horses it was clear he was green. His speed varied sometimes, he looked at things outside the ring, and we do not yet have the walk-canter tran-sition down. So, for most of the show, Comanche consistently placed last behind horses with more experience. Nevertheless I was pleased, and several people commented on his good looks and movement.

As the day went on I was able to float the rein more and more to Comanche. Here in Southeastern North Carolina our local shows are heavily influenced by breed shows, and the judges prize slow gaits performed in a very long and low frame. I prefer a more forward ride with more contact, but at this stage I can also see value in Comanche being able to go quietly around the ring on a loose rein. I was riding with this thought in mind when, for his last class of the day, he got a fourth-placed ribbon in a class of eight.

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The Horsemanship Skills Program provides a planned progression of skill development to promote safety, education, and life skills of youth. The program is available to all 4-H members, regardless of their riding level, discipline, or ability to own a horse. Youth are not required to use their project animals, although this is encouraged as appropriate. Youth who do not own a horse may participate by sharing or leasing a horse. Team Horse Power is a leadership and horsemanship component of the Horsemanship Skills Program. Team Horse Power empowers teens and young adults to develop their individual skills and in turn teach horsemanship and mentor youth at county, regional, and state levels.

The act authorizes the department of agriculture (department) to create the Colorado wild horse management project (wild horse project) as a nonprofit, state-owned corporate entity that manages and operates programs benefitting wild horses and supports wild horse management. The director of the wild horse project will be selected by a committee of the governor, the commissioner of agriculture, the executive director of the department of natural resources, the majority leader of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of the senate. The wild horse project has the same powers as a nonprofit corporate entity. Until December 31, 2027, the department must annually report on the project to the governor, the joint budget committee, and the appropriate joint legislative committee at the department's "SMART Act" hearings.

Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. S. Jaquez Lewis, Sen. K. Priola

Rep. J. Amabile, Rep. S. Bird, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. M. Froelich, Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. J. McCluskie, Rep. K. McCormick, Rep. M. Soper, Rep. A. Valdez

Horse projects provide youth with an opportunity to handle, care for, ride or drive horses. There are nine horse projects. Members must have completed levels 1-3 in Horsemanship to participate in the Advanced Horse Projects. Members are eligible to participate in Horse projects according to ability and skill level. SKILL LEVELS DO NOT NECESSARILY CORRESPOND TO YEARS. It is possible to complete several levels in a year; or youth may take several years to complete one level. Assessment checklists are provided in the Horse Project Helper's Guide for leaders to determine when a member completes the levels.

Horsemanship is the basis for the horse project. All members must complete Horsemanship levels 1, 2 and 3 before entering another Horse project, with the exception of Horse Judging, Careers with Horses, Horse Showing and Packing, and Working Ranch Horse, which may be taken simultaneously with a mounted horse level. (See project descriptions for specific assessment requirements.) Horsemanship has seven levels. Depending on riding form, use the following to enroll in the appropriate level.

This level of the horseless horse project rounds your knowledge about horses and prepares you for eventual horse ownership. In this level, explore horse reproduction, diseases, health care and pasture management. Learn about appropriate shelters and financial planning, and be equipped to teach others about horses.

This project is for those who own or have available a colt or filly to care for and train. This is a five-year progressive project beginning with a yearling. The project is designed to help you select a foal and train it to maturity. In order to enroll in this project, you must be 11 on Oct. 1; have completed Horsemanship levels 1, 2 and 3; and demonstrated ability to handle the project to the county horse leader or designated person. Stallions will be allowed only in the yearling phase. Check with local county fair rules on exhibiting.

This project prepares you and your horse for general ranch work including roping, cutting, and penning. Also learn the heritage and traditions of the American cowboy. Competitions (called gatherings) may be offered at the county or regional level.

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