cow horse

The cowboys have taken over Vegas again… or should we say cowgirls!? This past week, Las Vegas has been home to the National Reined Cow Horse Association Stallion Stakes. Owned by Teton Ridge, the Stallion Stakes shows off the abilities of four and five-year-old “Subscribed Stallions” to turn around, slide to a stop, and work...

Seventeen-year-old, Tylie Norcutt, led the pack of youth riders in the World’s Greatest Youth Horseman finals. After competing in four events – steer stopping, reining, cow work, herd work – nine youth horsemen went on to a “fence-only” finals. Music blared and the crowd cheered this past Saturday night. The youth competed down the fence...

Generations of cowboys and cowgirls have done it for years and years. Now it’s your turn! How exhilarating does it look to put your horse on cows?  Numerous horses are considered “cowy,” where they have a natural want and ability to move cows. It is a special moment to see a horse tune into a...

Pam McCleskey sized up the competition prior to last year’s 2017 Ranch Horse Association of America’s World Finals, studying one cowboy in particular. Each May for the past 20 years, top-level cowboys and cowgirls flock to Abilene for the RHAA World Finals—not to compete in the show ring, but to compete against other horse-and-rider pairs...

The National Reined Cow Horse Association’s World’s Greatest Horseman competition recently wrapped up, and Kelby Phillips and Hickory Holly Time were named the champions! Kelby and Hickory Holly Time had an incredible 223.5 fence run, which led to their victory. Their overall score was an 890.5 composite (220 herd/222.5 rein/224.5 steer/223.5 cow). What do you think...

If you’re running out of movies to watch on Netflix, I’ve got some good news for you. The newly released documentary Down the Fence is racking up some rave reviews, making it a great choice for your next movie night. The film revolves around several trainers who specialize in reined cow horse competition, “Down the...

Dressed in a pure beaver-felt hat, Swarovski crystals dangling from her broad-collared western shirt, custom riding boots, hand-made spurs and chaps “just so,” Marcy Ver Meer gallops her diminutive but well-muscled stock horse down the long side of a riding arena, building speed. Just as you think the pair will vaporize and be transported back...

  A storm of hoof beats and flying clods of earth erupt as a field of quarter horses explodes off the start, propelled forward by strong, stocky legs and incredibly powerful hindquarters. The high gloss of exertion defines a jumble of cut, brown shoulders and sculpted equine flanks for only a few moments, it seems,...