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Home » Downunder Horsemanship

Michael Canfield Lucky Star Horsemanship

January 3, 2023 by John Leave a Comment

Michael CanfieldMichael Canfield Lucky Star Horsemanship

I met Michael Canfield while learning Clinton Anderson’s Downunder Horsemanship Method. Before the podcast, when I was studying videos from Downunder Horsemanship, I joined the No Worries Club in 2007. Back then, the Club had various groups of NWC members around the country. We would get together and practice our horsemanship skills. Michael Canfield formed the NorCal Brumbies and we held several events practicing together. We had a few grand adventures at the Bar SZ Ranch working our horses together. Michael and I stayed friends although we lost contact when he moved to the east coast.

We still connect on social media and I noticed Michael re-activated his Lucky Star Horsemanship (New York) company. Michael holds clinics, gives demonstrations at horse expos like Equine Affaire, and even hosts his own horse expo.

It’s fun and inspirational to see Michael Canfield pursue his passion for horses and teaching people. We talked about his history with horses and his horsemanship philosophy. along the way we hear stories that formed Michael’s approach to horses.

Links Heard on the Show

 

L.S.H. Website: www.luckystarhorsemanshipny.com
Equus Fest East Website: www.equusfesteast.com
L.S.H Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/luckystarhorsemanshipnewyork/
KENNA “Born of Fire” Blog: https://adventureswithhorsemanship.blogspot.com/

 

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk on Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

Episode #208

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https://chtbl.com/track/F6B1G5/traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/Ep_208_Lucky_Star_Horsemanship.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Downunder Horsemanship, Education, Fun Stuff, horse tips, Horsemanship, Inspiration, Training

Competitive Trail Riding with NATRC

July 27, 2021 by John Leave a Comment

Competitive Trail Riding with North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC)

competitive trail ridingAre you looking for a little adventure? Give competitive trail riding a try. The North American Trail Ride Conference is a governing body over competitive trail riding (CTR). In this episode, I talk to Sarah Rinne, NATRC’s Executive Director about the sport. Involved with the organization since 1988, Sarah is a wealth of knowledge.

The NATRC sets rules and has guidelines for trail rides. Sanctioned NATRC rides judge riders on horsemanship and horse care. Their competitions place an emphasis on rider and horse safety. The conference establishes levels so riders can compete with others of similar ability. All horses, including mules, are eligible to take part in every ride. A competitive trail ride is not a speed event. Riders have to manage the course and speed to arrive at checkpoints within a certain time frame. Horses have mandatory breaks and veterinary checks to insure they are fit to continue. Riders can also expect to be judged negotiating natural trail obstacles during a ride.

Links to Competitive Trail Riding Heard in this Episode

NATRC Event Calendar

Public Facebook Page for the NATRC

NATRC YouTube Page with lots of good information

Email for more information on the Old West CTR in Tehachapi September 4 & 5

OldwestCTR@gmail.com

Competitive Trail Riding

 

 

 

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk on Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

Episode #189

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https://chtbl.com/track/F6B1G5/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/duhpodcast/Ep_189_NATRC_Sarah_Rinne_and_Dixon_mixdown.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: adventure, competing, Downunder Horsemanship, Education, horseback riding, Horsemanship, trail riding, Travel

Horse Resource – Build Your Horsemanship Library

August 24, 2020 by John Leave a Comment

Build Your Horse Resource

horse resourceSometimes horse training can seem like a lonely undertaking.  That’s why I think it is important to build a “horse resource”.  I can’t run out to a trainer every time a problem pops up with my horse.  I wouldn’t want to, anyway.  But I need to have some place to get a solution.

It is a library of horse training books, dvds, cds, along with a journal I keep about my horse’s health and training.  I collected the foundation of the library as a member of the Downunder Horsemanship No Worries Club.  The first month the Club opened, I joined.  My membership lasted for 7 or 8 years.  Then I added the Clinton Anderson Gaining Respect and Control  on the Ground and Riding with Confidence Series. I also picked up DVDs from Julie Goodnight (Balance & Rhythm, Communication & Control), Richard Winters, Jerry Tindell (Groundwork), and Dr. Robert Miller.  To round out my collection, I have a few dvds from the Horseman’s Gazette, one called Tapadero about the Californio Vaquero.  And, I have some fun ones too, like the Buckaroos of Northern Nevada.  You need to have some practical knowledge about equipment. One dvd is all about caring for tack .

Broaden Your Horizons

I didn’t want my horse resource library to be just one trainer or one philosophy.  That’s why I went for variety.  After studying a variety of trainers, I chose Clinton.  I believe it’s important to have one philosophy forming the foundation of your interaction with your horse.  While I could have chosen Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, Parelli, or any of the others, I related to Downunder Horsemanship the easiest.

Why have a Library?

With the increasing popularity of YouTube, you might think a library isn’t important.  There’s something about having my collection that offers a little security.  Maybe it’s the countless hours I’ve spent watching, I don’t know.  But. almost every time I watch a video, or read an article again, I pick up something new or see something old in a new light.

 

Thanks for joining me on my horse channel!

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Filed Under: Helpful Horse Tips, Video Post Tagged With: Books, Downunder Horsemanship, Education, horse tips, Horsemanship

Lameness and My Mare Jessie

May 7, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Lameness and My Mare Jessie

The topic is:  How do YOU decide medical issues involving your horse.  How much weight do you place on quality of life issues?  How much do you place on usability of your horse?  And, finally, how much weight do you place on the cost of evaluation and treatment?

I want you to tell me about your stories and situations, so here is my story.  My Foundation Quarter Horse mare Jessie means everything.  I got her in 2007, when I was 53.  She was 7 years old, had 90 days of professional training put on her, and had had 2 foals.  She was and is a perfect fit.

My Learning Curve

We spent our first 3 years working through the Downunder Horsemanship Beginner and Intermediate Series (Riding with Confidence and Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground back then).  With Clinton’s help, I learned most of what I know about horsemanship on Jessie.  We competed in  trail classes and team sorting.  We rode everywhere, and she was a rock star.  She is strong-willed, but I always felt safe on her.  One key moment with Jessie I remember happened in the saddle.  We were loping over some uneven ground and I lost my balance and was way off to one side.  I felt her kind of dip down and move underneath me to keep the situation from getting worse.  She picked me up, and it’s a moment in horsemanship I will not forget.

Medical Issues

lameness

My logbook entry.

On one of our rides she stepped into a gopher hole and bumped her shoulder.  She limped for about a month, but finally improved and we were riding again.  I keep a diary or logbook of sorts for the horses and there is an entry in March 2014 of a “sign of limp @ trot in right front.  Not severe.”  In April I noted a right rear lameness, and by May there were no more notations.

My next entry (for lameness) was in February 2016.  On one of our regular rides on the Kern River we stopped at a local bar for a beer and burger.  It was about a 3-mile ride out.  After standing tied while we ate, we got mounted for the ride home and Jessie was noticeably limping.  The limp got worse, and I gave her Bute as an anti-inflammatory.  After talking with the farrier, we thought she might have a sole bruise.  I applied a sole toughener product to her hooves.

While things improved, she continued with occasional lameness.  In April 2016,  a vet evaluated her situation.   Ultrasound, nerve blocking, and x-rays offered no definitive diagnosis.  The next level of testing was an MRI at a cost of about $2,000.  There was no guarantee it would determine exactly what was going on either.  I declined the additional testing.  The vet recommended modified shoes, Prevocox, and stall rest.  Jessie has never worn shoes and I didn’t take the shoeing recommendation either.  The cost of this exam was around $500.

Swim Therapy

There is a place here in Bakersfield, Equine Spa & Wellness Center, that uses swim therapy.  I had tried to do a podcast with Mia the owner, but I botched the audio and we never got back together.  Then, she sent me a promotional email about a summer special – a month of swimming for $700.  We had two trips planned for late June and early July.  This would be the perfect time to send Jessie to therapy.

They started her off with one minute walking on the first day.  By the end of the month she was trotting underwater for 15 minutes.  She also was on the hot-walker and another device, the Equi-vibe (I think).

Anyway, by the time we got back, she was in great shape.  There was no noticeable limp or any sign of lameness.  I took her on a trail ride in the nearby mountains and she went up and down the grades like a billy goat.

Lameness Returns

After a wet winter, a friend invited us to ride the foothills near her home.  It was January 2019, and a group of us set off and rode for about 2 hours.  It was the first ride Jessie had had in at least a month.  Problems showed up after the first hour and got worse on our way back to the ranch.  She was quite sore the next day.

Over the next few months she would get better, then relapse.  We walked on most of our rides and never far at that.  The limp continued.  Sometimes I saw it on the right.  Sometimes I saw it on the left.  Finally, realizing it wasn’t getting better, I tried another vet.

Another Evaluation

It was a carbon copy of the what the first vet had done 3 years earlier.  First, try to identify the lameness.  Then, block the spot he thinks was lame.  Here, it was the left front.  Once numb, Jessie showed lameness in her right front.  Then there were x-rays that showed healthy navicular bones.  After two hours of examination, The vet said the same as the first.  It looked like navicular, but wasn’t.  However, he would treat it like it was.  We would use the egg-butt shoes, and Bute.  Only instead of stall rest, his suggestion was to work her.

This made sense.  When I looked back over my notes, I noticed all of her lameness episodes showed up early in the year after a layoff.  The work Jessie did at Equine Spa was low-impact but intense.  She got conditioned and improved.

Results

So far it is too early to tell.  The special shoes with the gel insoles were $165.  I purchased 200 grams of Bute for about $100.  The second vet exam was $1,000, but included vaccinations for all of our horses.

The Bute has made her visibly more comfortable and I am happy about that.  We get to ride at least 4 times a week.  Jessie was clumsy on the new shoes at first.  They really change the angle of her feet.  She’s getting better.  More importantly, I am doing something instead of nothing, and I am getting to ride her again.  And I get comfort in both of those things.

Join Us on this Journey

I’m not the best community builder.  I will need your help for that.  I’m not the best at conversation. Let’s change it up together.  I hope you will join me.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show.  You can email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #141

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/Ep_141_Jessie_history.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Downunder Horsemanship, Education, Horse care, Horse-keeping, Horsemanship, Training Jessie

Adriane DeWolfe Horsewoman EXCA Racer

September 25, 2018 by John Leave a Comment

Adriane DeWolfe Horsewoman Extreme Cowboy Racer

Adriane Dewolfe and Toaster

Adriane DeWolfe and Toaster

We first met Adriane DeWolfe at a playday with fellow Downunder Horsemanship friends.  it was great getting together with like-minded people to work on our collective horsemanship skills.  Adriane was there with her horse Toaster, a mustang.  Ranae had brought Dusty and I was working with Scratch.  It was clear that Adriane was a serious horsewoman.   She worked equally hard on both technique and philosophy.  Toaster responded well.  Later, we learned it was her first time out with Toaster.  

While we continued to follow each other on Facebook, it would be some months before we saw Adriane DeWolfe again.  Ranae and I thought we would try our hand at Extreme Cowboy Racing.  There was a race being held about a 90-minute drive away at Shades of Gold Ranch.  Adriane and Toaster were entered in the novice division.  When they took the course we saw they had come a long way in a very short time.

Adriane kept challenging herself and her horsemanship to get better.  It was always a smooth trail.  There were many ups and downs.  In 2018, she continued Extreme Cowboy Racing and qualified for the National Competition in Glen Rose, Texas.  She and Toaster will compete in November of 2018.

Adriane DeWolfe

On the course with Toaster.

Adriane DeWolfe bid and won Toaster at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center Wild Horse Training Facility auction.  And, her journey to Glen Rose when she pulls into the arena for the EXCA National Finals, has been a long one.  It’s an inspiration to all recreational horsemen and women.  With a little dedication, a lot of hard work, and the love of a good horse, you can reach your goals.

 

Contact Us

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You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show.  You can email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #136

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/Adriane_Dewolfe_Podcast.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: adventure, competing, Downunder Horsemanship, EXCA, Extreme Cowboy, Fun Stuff, horseback riding, Horsemanship, Inspiration, Training

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