Thomas Clover
2014 Az. Horseman’s Challenge Champion 2014 by Miriam Lucero • photography by Joyce Tanner
Many of our readers are families; some are new to horses or use to ride and now are returning to horsemanship. Any advice on new owner- ship of horses, types of horses that would best suit their needs? My biggest advice to new owners and those that are looking at becom- ing new owners is to be patient and find someone you can trust to help guide you. Don’t just buy the first horse that is in your price range. Do your research and homework on the age, ability, and discipline of your new horse. Also be honest with yourself as to your riding ability. If you do this, a person that knows horses and new riders well, should be able to help you find the type of horse you are after and that will suit your situation the best. At the end of the day all riders want an enjoyable experience and this will greatly be affected by weather or not your horse is a good fit.
On The Road
You’re the 2014 AZ. Horseman’s Challenge Champion! Would you tell our readers, your feelings on winning in 2014? What the competition consists of for those who have never attended or entered the contest? The Arizona Horseman’s Challenge can be summed up most sim- ply as competitive colt starting. A trainer is required to work with a horse for a very set amount of time (in 2014 we had 4 ses- sions of 2 hrs.) in order to teach the horse as much as they can. It is a great way to see a variety of different training techniques used in a manner to get fast quality results. In the end the trainer who has progressed their horse the furthest is the winner.
When I competed in 2014 I didn’t know what to expect going in. The event proved to be a lot of fun to participate in, and even though it was highly competitive, the contestants and judges alike were very quickly able to form good comradery. I was very excited to have won because it showed me that I have been on the right track with my training techniques. I was also very excit- ed to learn new stuff from the other contestants as well as meet a great community of horse people.
You train horses, would you share some of your tech- niques on training horses? My entire philosophy of horse training is focused on control of the mind and feet. Without one a person will always struggle with the other. Any technique that does this in a quiet simple way is great. There are so many exercises out there it is tough to think of just one or two. Generally, I will focus on lateral flexion, con- trol of forward movement, and body control. Any exercise that achieves these can and will be effective as long as a person is working towards the horse understanding what you are asking.
How and why did you start training horses? What is the best part of training horses? I was born and raised around horses in the backcountry of Wy- oming and that is what started me on this path. I didn’t start training them professionally until I got out of college. At that time I just wanted to pursue something I was passionate about. I have been blessed enough since then to find good teachers and career opportunities that allow me to continue working with horses every day. My favorite part of training is to watch the horses learn. I feel like you can quite literally see them process and learn as you teach them.
42 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 I HORSE & AG MAGAZINE
You’re returning for the 2018 AZ. Horseman’s Challenge Champi- on, the past five year champions are returning. How do you pre- pare for competing against those other Champions? I will probably not do much out of the norm to prepare for this competition. I of course will continue to work with many horses in my daily job. I also try to watch training videos somewhat often and leading up to the AzHC, I will gear these more towards colt starting and round pen work just to pick up some tips. Competing against these past champions will be very tough, so I feel like I have to stick to what has been successful for me in the past. And last but not least I will have to be certain to bring my A game.
Our theme for February/March Issue is “Heart Healthy for You and Your Horses” any healthy tips for you and your horses? For a healthy heart for both you and your horse my biggest recommen- dation to go ride together as much as possible. Whatever you love to do horseback; go do it! Physical activity is essential to a healthy heart, and working around horses will certainly do this for a human and carrying you on their back is definitely good exercise for your horse. I feel that more importantly the connection humans and horses have is very special and there is nothing like it. The bond shared and the ability to go accomplish tasks as a team with another animal is very soothing and stress relieving. No doubt this is good for all of our hearts.
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