Better Horses Network - Vol 4, Number 17

I hope all of you are doing fine. We decided to for-go sending this newsletter out last week due to the Holiday. If you have not yet received our Better Horses Network Fall Edition, you should receive it soon. The Fall Edition is the largest edition we have put together since we started nine years ago. It covers this year’s American Royal, including our Unbelievable Horse Happening which runs Oct.23rd thru Oct.25th. You can get a subscription to our Better Horses Network printed edition by going on line at www.betterhorsesnetwork.com.

Our Unbelievable Horse Happening although we have several specific 4-H classes, it is basically a huge Open Horse Show, open to all ages. Along with clinics going on across the hall from the show in the Trade Show, we will have educational clinics during the show also. The support has been great and we will have all kinds of prizes to give away, along with the opportunity to win an American Royal Rosette. You can go to our website at www.betterhorsesnetwork.com or www.americanroyal.com and find out more about this great event. With all of these activities going on, they will surround the American Royal PRCA Pro Rodeo which will be happening at the same time. You won’t want to miss the PRCA Praire Circuit Finals on Friday night and Saturday night, Oct.24 & 25. It will prove to be a great ticket to have!

Congratulations to Bill Hull, manager of the Saddle & Sirloin Club in Kansas City, for putting on the WRCA Ranch Rodeo last weekend. It might have been a little damp, but was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

We still have a few spots open for our 9th Annual Dream Ride In The Flint Hills at the Flying W Ranch. The ride is Sept. 26, 27, & 28 and is always a great time. This year we plan to have an extended ride on Saturday, stopping at the headquarters for a Big E’s Brisket lunch. It is a great time and we hope you can join us. Call Suzan Barnes at the Grand Central Hotel in Cottonwood Falls and make your reservations at 620/273-6763.

Make sure you check out our Rancher’s Road Trip on Nov.14 through Nov.16th. We have chartered a bus and our traveling to Amarillo, Texas to the WRCA’s World Championship Ranch Rodeo. We will be departing on Friday morning from Reyers Country Store in Strong City, Kansas. Our $300 package for two includes, two nights stay in Amarillo; 3 Ranch Rodeo performances; brisket reception at hotel; and bus trip. We are going down to support the Buck Creek/Lonesome Pine Ranch Rodeo Team from Chase County, Kansas that has qualified. We have only a few spots on the bus left so call Lana at Reyers Country Store in Strong City, Kansas at 620/273-6229. More information is inside this newsletter.

Are you looking for a good broke gelding? Bud Higgs who own and runs the Lonesome Pine Ranch near Cedar Point, Kansas has a couple of good ones for sale. They have been and are being used on the ranch and according to Bud anyone can ride them. If interested call Bud at either 620/340-5420(cell) or 620/274-4218. I would bet that these horses have had a lot of wet saddle blankets and are broke.

We have several Horse Health Fairs coming up and I hope to see you there. Don’t forget the Horse Health Fair that Y Bar H Outpost in Olathe will be hosting at the American Royal on Sept. 20th. This is one of the last opportunities for area 4-H'ers to get qualified for the Unbelievable Horse Happening. Information is inside.

I really am looking forward to traveling to Twenty-Nine Palms, California and welcoming my son, 1st Lieutenant Luke Rodina, back from his second tour in Iraq as a Marine, on September 20th. I am real proud of him as well as all of our men and women in the Armed Forces.

êêê PURINA-FED WINNERS!!! êêê

ê "Stolis Winner" Wins the $1.9 Million all American Futurity. Congratuations to another Purina-fed winner! To view more details on this win, Click Here.

ê Congratulations on WINNING GOLD! Our congratulations also go to Purina Mills Ambassadors Laura Kraut (riding "Cedric"
by Happy Hill Farm) and Beezie Madden (riding "Authentic" by Abigail S. Wexner) for winning the Gold at the Olympics. To view our congratulatory ad, Click Here.

ê Congratulations to Shawn Flarida who scored a big splash in the Open Futurity. Riding "Whizs Chic A Dee," he scored a big 229.5, quite an accomplishment this early
in the fall futurity season. For more details on this exciting win, Click Here.

September 11-14 12^th ANNUAL AQHA TRAIL RIDE, Rainer Ranch, Huntsville, MO (Rainer Ranch is located 10 mi. west of Moberly, MO). Visit online at www.charitonvet.com and follow the Trail Ride Link or contact Trail Ride Staff at (660) 263-8898. For more detailed information, Click Here.
September 13 THE KAW NATION ENDURANCE RIDE AERC/MOTDRA sanctioned; 50 miles; Ride Manager, Rob Phillips (785) 218-3265
September 13 LONESTAR RANCH PRE-ROYAL WARM UP SHOW; 10:00 am, Kansas City, MO. For directions, check www.lonestarranchkcmo.com. For questions or more information, call (816) 682-6004. For detailed schedule, Click Here.
September 13-14 1ST ANNUAL MIDWEST ROPER SUPPLY "CLASSIC" SHOOTOUT; Frick Park Arena, Oak Grove, MO. Saturday, 11:00 am; Sunday Cowboy Church 8:30 am, Jackpot Runs 11:00 am. For more detailed information, Click Here.
September 20 KFQHRA SHOW, Dodge City. For more information, call Von Miller (620) 635-2547.
September 20 PURINA MILLS HORSE OWNER'S WORKSHOP, 11:30-1:30 pm. American Royal Governors Room, 1701 American Royal Court, Kansas City, MO. After attending Horse Health Meeting, you can enjoy the American Royal Youth Show or go to Kemper Arena and enjoy the Parelli Clinic. For more details, contact Y-Bar-H Outpost & Pet (913) 764-4626. For more detailed information, Click Here.
September 26-28 9^th ANNUAL FALL DREAM RIDE IN THE FLINT HILLS, Flying W Ranch, Clements, KS. Still have room in this ride. $135/rider; $70/non-rider. (Flying W Ranch is located 13.8 miles west of Strong City, KS on Hwy. 50 and 1 mi. south at Clements, KS near mile marker 314. Camp Headquarters is approx. 4 mi. south. Purina signs will mark the trail) For more information, contact Suzan Barnes (620) 273-6763 at The Grand Central Hotel to make your reservations. Also, check for more information on our website: www.betterhorsesnetwork.com. To view/print detailed flyer, Click Here.

October

October 3-4 HORSES & HOGS WEEKEND; Dinner, Dancing, Live Auction, Style Show, Charity Run and Horse Show & More! For details on this fun weekend, Click Here.
For more details on Saturday's event at the Lone Star Ranch in Kansas City, MO, Click Here.
October 4 OKTOBERFEST AT DONEGAL RANCH QUARTER HORSES, 803 Cloud Road, Williamsburg, KS; 1:00 pm. For more information, call (785) 746-5594 or Ray at (620) 340-3936 For more detailed information, Click Here.

November

November 8 AN EVENING WITH DR. TEMPLE GRANDIN; 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Helping Hands Thereapeutic Riding Center. For more information, contact Janellen Cappo at (816) 697-5400 or Click Here for event details.
November 14-16 RANCHER'S ROAD TRIP TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RANCH RODEO, Amarillo Civic Center. Join us on a bus trip to the WRCA's 13th Working Ranch Rodeo world Championship in Amarillo, TX. For more information, call Kim or Lana at Reyer's Country Store (620) 273-6229. For more detailed information, Click Here.

KSHSC 2008 Show Dates Schedule:

Click to view show date schedule for 2008 Kansas State Horse Show Circuit..
Or visit www.kshsc.org for more information..

KBRA 2008 Schedule:

To view schedule for KBRA for 2008, Click Here.

D-N Productions - Summer Barrel Racing Jackpots (June-July-August):

To view schedule for the summer series of Barrel Racing Jackpots, Click Here.

Sullivan Saddle & Harness Club 2008 Events Schedule:

To view schedule for Sullivan Saddle & Harness Club's 2008 events, Click Here.
Call Mary Loomis (573) 732-4757 or visit www.sullivansaddleclubsite.com for more information.

EKTEC 2008 Events Schedule:

            To view Eastern Kansas Timed Events Circuit information, Click Here.
            To view schedule of these events, Click Here.   For Order of Events & Price Sheet, Click Here.
            Or visit ektec.tripod.com for more information

Jugtown Colt 4-H Club 2008 Open Fun Show Schedule:

To view Open Fun Show event schedule information, Click Here.
For more information or pre-registration, contact Shirley Cardwell (660) 694-0178.

Listen for our Better Horses Radio Show airing Sunday mornings at 5:05am on KMA am (960 am) and fm (99.3 fm).

Listen for our Better Horses
Radio Show airing Sunday
mornings at 5:00am on Bass
Country, KOMG fm (92.9 fm).

The Better Horses Radio Show

            Tune in to one of the stations airing our show:

                Saturday    9:00am - 10:00am         KMDO 1600 am - Fort Scott, KS
                Saturday    4:00pm - 5:00pm          KFRM   550 am - Clay Center/Salina/Wichita, KS
                Sunday      5:05am - 6:00pm           KMA    960 am / 99.3 fm
                Sunday      5:00am - 6:00am           KOMG 92.9 fm - Bass Country, Ozark, MO
                Sunday      6:00am - 7:00am           KTPK   106.9 am - (Country Legends) Topeka, KS
                Sunday      6:30am - 7:30am           KFEQ   680 am - St. Joe, MO
                Sunday      9:00am - 10:00am         KDKD 95.3 fm - Clinton, MO
                Sunday      4:00pm - 5:00pm          KOFO  1220 am - Ottawa, KS
                Sunday      4:00pm - 5:00pm           KTJJ     98.5 fm - Farmington, MO

PLUS . . . we've gone cross-country with the Better Horses Network!
WOCA - Ocala, FL WLEG - Lexington, KY

LISTING EVENTS IN OUR NEWSLETTER -- If you are an organization or business who would like to list your event in our Calendar Section, click on the Event Listings box above for rates. Then contact Jo Ann Riggs at e-mail address listed with your request.

CLASSIFIED AD LISTING -- If you are interested in a Classified Ad listing, click on the Classified Ad box above. Rates and placement information is located directly below the box. Simply click on "please click here." Be sure to check our Classifieds each newsletter as ads are changing all the time.

NEW CATEGORY FOR WEBSITES -- Due to many requests for website listings, we have a new section in our Classified Ads called WEB LINKS. Check this section from time to time as we add website links that may be of interest to you. Enter our Classified Ads and click on Web Links, then click on the name listed and you will be taken directly to that party's website.

Our subscriber list has grown to over 8,600+ recipients -- almost entirely horse-owning households!
Our ad and event services are a great way to reach those people!

Consistency. Is this important component something we often overlook? Whether we use our horses for pleasure or performance, consistency is extremely important in and out of the arena. According to the dictionary, consistency is defined as a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts. Take a minute to ask yourself; are you “consistent” with your horse?

Whether it’s in practice, training or performance…consistency that is an integral part of everything surrounding the horse. When we are training, success comes from a consistent method or presentation of maneuvers. This also holds true for the rider in preparation for a competition. For example, if you do not already have a consistent routine I would suggest developing one. The first step is to saddle your horse the same way each time. Practice with the same pad, bridle, leg gear and etc. that you are going to use in the performance. Make sure the horse is comfortable with his equipment and how it is put on. The next step is to physically warm up our horse in a consistent manner. And lastly, we need to prepare ourselves mentally the same way each time, whether it’s through visualization or another method make it part of your routine. Both you and your horse will build confidence in a consistent pattern and as I result over time, it should it yield a consistent, successful performance.

If we take it a step further, we can also say that our horses require consistent feeding times, as well as consistency in what and how much they are fed. Uniform feeding times allow for better feed utilization and absorption. The quality and quantity are also key components. It is important to understand that the hay quality is as important as the type of grain that we feed. Drastic changes in a horses forage and/or grain can result in serious health complications including colic. Therefore, it is critical as we travel or make changes at home that we remain consistent. If change is necessary, we should always do it slowly over 7-10 days. In addition, feed a consistent amount. It is critical that we take the time to weigh our feed scoop and split the pounds we feed into equal serving sizes two or even three times per day. The quality of the feed is also critical and that’s why I would not trust my horse’s feed to anything but Purina. For over a century, Purina has been researching and producing the highest quality, most consistent feeds on the market. I would encourage you to learn more about Purina’s Feed Guard technology, by visiting: www.horse.purinamills.com/products/feedguard.asp.

I believe if we remember and incorporate consistency into our program, it will result in “harmonious uniformity and agreement among all parts”. Good luck, be safe and enjoy every minute!

A special Fall surprise for your favorite horse . . .

Home On The Range Horse Cookies

1 cup oats (or barley)
1 cup cracked corn
1 cup bran (or wheat germ)
1 cup corn meal
2 cups molasses
1/3 cup apple juice (or water)
1 diced carrot
1 diced apple

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Mix first 5 ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes. Then mix in the rest. Pour the whole sticky mess into a pan and bake for
20-30 minutes. Consistency will be sticky, but your horse will love it!

Ideas

"I have a lot of big ideas, they just don't seem to work out.
There must be a bit of college professor in me somewhere."
- Will Rogers

I'm like a lot of folks as I always seem to have something (ideas) cooking on the stove. The problem is some of us won't quit stirring the pot when it's time to get them off the stove and onto the table. It's a matter of taking those ideas from the thinking-and-talking stage to the action-and-doing phase.

- Charley Green

To read a little more about Charley, Click Here. To go to Charley's website, Click Here.

If you have any horses with any special needs issue, Purina’s NEW WellSolve™ Diets are now available.

As always, let me know if we can be of any help to you and your horse operation. When it comes to Equine Research, Purina Mills is the company that can say . . .

“WE FEED OUR FEED TO OUR HORSES, BEFORE WE ASK YOU TO FEED IT TO YOURS!”

We at Better Horses Network would love to hear any questions, comments or suggestions you might have, and we are always looking for items to add to this publication. To contact us, please send an e-mail to Ernie.Rodina@agbusinessmail.net.

For placement of stallions in the Stallion Corral section, please contact Connie at the following e-mail address: Connie.Rodina@agbusinessmail.net. For Classified Ad placement, please send an e-mail to JoAnn at JoAnn.Riggs@agbusinessmail.net .

Be sure that you don't miss a single issue of the Better Horses Network E-Newsletter! Please add Ernie.Rodina@agbusinessmail.net to your address book, especially if you are an America Online or Hotmail user. This will help ensure you'll receive all deliveries from us in a timely and consistent manner.

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