Equine
A Horse for Every Hero- Part 2
By contributing writer Martin Aldridge
Over the years Morgan helped out any way she could, helping start the Peer 2 Peer support group at SpiritHorse and with special events at the Ballpark in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium, numerous barbeques, and face paintings and piñatas for any event involving kids, says Wayne. But veterans sometimes need to help themselves, so when Morgan called and said, “I need to ride” after having a particularly bad day, Wayne went and asked the owner if she could.
Usually a volunteer is not allowed to ride until they receive proper training, but all the owner said when Wayne explained the situation to him was, “Go saddle up Zen.”
The big Friesian was the horse Merissa had bonded with most. “Zen would just drop his head and pull you in,” says Wayne. “(Horses) can sense your feelings and they just have such a wonderful way of calming you down.”
SpiritHorse was founded in Corinth over a decade ago by Charles Fletcher with the goal to provide therapeutic riding for individuals with special needs, all at no cost. Fletcher, a lifelong horseman who has over 50-years’ experience in training and showing a variety of horses in a variety of events, is a big believer in the ability of horses to change people’s lives. There are now about 80 SpiritHorse facilities located in North America, Europe, South America, and Africa.
Fletcher, who founded the Center after he retired, also specializes in rehabilitating abused horses. Such was the case with two Hanoverians from Germany, the aforementioned Rossini and a mare called Zoe. Both horses would have a profound impact on Wayne. To read more pick up the July 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
By Krista Lucas Wynn
The American Western Weekend on March 8-9 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, was a weekend full of rodeo competition that fans looked forward to for the past 10 years. The night of the American rodeo is something cowboys and cowgirls have worked hard for, in order to have a chance to win a $1,000,000 prize.
The top five from the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo were invited to compete alongside five contenders. The invitees were vying for a $100,000 paycheck for first place, and if a qualifier won their event and was the only qualifier to do so, he or she walked away with $1,000,000.
In the bareback riding, Kade Sonnier, Keenan Hayes, Jess Pope, and Tilden Hooper made it out of the long round of 10 to advance to the final four-shootout round. WNFR qualifier, Sonnier, made a 90.5-point ride on Agent Lynx to win the $100,000.
To read more, pick up a copy of the May issue of NTFR. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
The mystique and imagined glory of the rodeo road call many young people’s names. As they grow up, they watch the greats of the sport run from rodeo to rodeo and occasionally land on the television giving the perception of the rockstar lifestyle.
No, the glory of the rodeo road is not as grand as, say, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, but being an athlete competing in front of the yellow chutes of Vegas is just as big a deal, and in every way, can be compared to competing in a Super Bowl.
However, things sure are different in the rodeo world. Let us take a minute and talk about what seem to be simple things in life that impact rodeo and rodeo athletes that in no way would make a difference to the big-money sports.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Garrett Metcalf, DVM
It is common for horse owners to have a horse with a wound or laceration at some point in their life. Sometimes small lacerations can be perceived as benign, inconsequential problems that do not need immediate veterinary attention and are managed by the owners or trainers initially. Unfortunately, these simple-looking wounds can involve very important anatomical structures that can lead to serious infections that can be life-threatening or, at best career-limiting, for the horse.
Large wounds tend to get all the attention from owners or trainers because when they occur they are so obvious and visually appalling that medical attention is sought almost immediately. Those types of large wounds can be devastating, but they often involve the upper body regions of the horse, which heal better and often don’t involve structures such as joints or tendons.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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