Cowboy Office Show

Bigger isn’t better when it creates barriers to entry and places the economic viability of an industry at risk. This is an interesting stance from the association that hosts the largest Arabian show in the world. Taryl O’Shea, Executive Director of the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA), joins the Cowboys to discuss responsible growth, introducing more people to the horse lifestyle, and creating paths for entry that encourage longevity.

This episode is for all horse enthusiasts regardless of your breed preference. Arabian owners will enjoy the spotlight on their breed while we learn how to work together to advance the equine industry. We’ll explore the state of the industry and how to meet the challenges we face now and in the future.

At the Cowboy Office Today:

Taryl O’Shea

The AHAA was established in 1955 with the majority of horses being imported from Poland. The AHAA now hosts the largest Arabian show in the world! To keep their association strong and nimble, the AHAA hosts not only  shows accredited by the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) and United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), but also stand alone shows that allow for more flexibility.

The Scottsdale Arabian Show is held February 16-26 and boasts the title “World’s Greatest Horse Show.” What makes the AHAA so confident in their ability to deliver? They start with over 2000 Arabian horses, offer more than 1000 classes, and add an expansive Immersive Horse Experience to the mix.

Spectators line up to go hands on with horses of all breeds. Beginners can learn to lead a horse and discover how they communicate through body language, others will be able to ride or learn about surcingle work, and then there’s the opportunity to meet the movie stars of the Arabian world through their Ambassador program.

The horse industry, like most others, is coming out of a challenging few years following the pandemic. With the help of outside forces like Yellowstone, the industry is now recovering well and excitement for the western lifestyle is building. Breedings and registrations are down across many breed associations, but the AHAA is seeing exponential growth of half Arabians thanks to their ability to cross well with other breeds.

Balance is now the name of the game and developing new and better ways to get people involved while supporting the base of the industry is vital. How do we achieve the balance of fun and affordability with the need for professionals to earn a living? How do we get more people involved when many of our events are already busting at the seams? How do we get better when simply getting bigger isn’t the best option?

RESOURCES:

Arabian Horse Association of Arizona

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Show producers and competitors will want to watch this episode of Cowboy Office to catch a glimpse of the challenges shows face now and in the future, learn how we call all remain diligent about biosecurity concerns, and see a side of venue management that you may have overlooked.

The League of Agricultural and Equine Centers promotes and supports facility management, brings people together, and offers a network of experts that bring awareness of best practices, new developments, and looks to the horizon to prepare for the future.

Cammie Pearson & Joe La Follette join the Cowboys to talk about the complexities of running an equine event facility. From horse sh….um, manure to staffing to biosecurity. We learn how the League supports the industry through education, networking, and problem solving. Their annual symposium will be hosted February 6-10, 2023 in Ocala, FL.

The League creates a family network feel to a competitive sector of the equine industry with the ultimate goal of unifying event venues in a way that leads to greater consistency in customer service and procedures across the nation. As the shutdowns from Covid proved, working together makes everyone better and aids the entire equine community by sharing knowledge rather than hoarding it.

Challenges facing the industry (and how to meet them):

Groundbreaking News:

“The footing you can’t see is what gives the horse its confidence.” Bob Kiser

Education:

Certified Managers of Equine Centers (CMEC) supports education in three core areas:

Biosecurity (a.k.a. Why Jody stopped carrying his own sprayer and disinfectant to shows)

Why all horse owners, trainers, and exhibitors should be on the EDCC email list:

RESOURCES:

Production and marketing by ConsultMent.Agency

The League of Agricultural & Equine Centers: http://www.laec.info/

Annual Symposium & Footing Academies: https://laec.info/Symposium

Equine Disease Communication Center: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/

Chris Weaver & the Cowboys talk saddles, industry growth, and what makes the Cowboy Lifestyle so special.

Parents, you’ll want to catch this one. We sometimes forget the benefits of being in the horse industry and living the cowboy lifestyle. Kids receive lasting impact including: a sense of responsibility, self-discipline and respect. Never underestimate the power of good people speaking into the lives of youth.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode:

Chris Weaver, VP at Bob’s Custom Saddles, has an extensive background as a horseman in the stock horse industry as well as years of experience in business and manufacturing. He joins Brian Dygert & Jody Brainard to share the history and vision of Bob’s Custom Saddles and discuss the growth and future of the equine industry as a whole.

Bob’s created a strong foundation based on quality materials while supporting all levels of riders and disciplines within the western working horse industry. Passion for their product and the people they serve is apparent as Chris talks about stewarding their identity and the importance of passing on the values of the cowboy lifestyle to the next generation.

About Bob’s Custom Saddles

How Does Industry Growth Occur and What Challenges Do We Face?

The Cowboys respond to a question from a listener: How does rapid growth and outside interest in our sport affect the industry?

Growth comes from many sources: product, passion, and organic growth from outside sources (think Yellowstone & The Cowboy Channel). Interest in the western lifestyle is strong and enthusiasm is at a high with more spectator-driven events being offered. But there is an inherent challenge for many of the performance horse disciplines.

Many performance events can be difficult to understand and appreciate unless you are already educated in the rules, judging practices, and understand “quality” for that specific event. Educating the audience and bringing awareness to how the event is judged is required for spectators to truly enjoy the event.

Another barrier to growth is the expense of getting started. If you already know and love the industry, have roots in it, and have the passion to compete, you don’t mind trading in a vacation home, boat, or fancy car for your horse, training fees, board, entry fees, etc. But what about those who are just getting started? They may not even be sure this “horse thing” is for them. How do they get started without investing substantial amounts of money?

And finally, why do people leave the industry? That may be a question for another time, but it’s one that is important to understand if the equine industry is going to continue to experience healthy growth.

RESOURCES:

Bob’s Custom Saddles: https://www.bobscustomsaddles.com/

Website:  CowboyOffice.com

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“The Voice of the Equine Industry” isn’t just a motto, it’s a promise. With 30% of households containing a horse enthusiast, the AHC strives to speak out for all of them on Capitol Hill.

Every horseman should actively strive to be aware of changes that have the potential to impact the equine industry. But with all the drama in our nation’s capital, how do we keep track of horse-related legislation? Owners, trainers, breeders, show producers, and hobbyists around the country can rely on the American Horse Council (AHC) to do just that. Since 1969, the AHC has been the voice of the equine industry on Capitol Hill.

In order to protect and strengthen the US equine industry, the AHC focuses on maintaining a bipartisan relationship with congressional leaders and regulatory agencies. They can confidently offer vital insights on the impact of legislation and regulatory policies because they partner not only with around 200 equine associations and business, they partner with individual horse owners from all sectors of the horse world. This reliance on group and individual feedback enables the AHC to serve the highly diverse equine industry.

American Horse Council, The Big Picture:

You can get involved by:

Looking to the Future:

COWBOY OFFICE SHOW

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[email protected]

RESOURCES:

Production and marketing by ConsultMent.Agency

American Horse Council: www.horsecouncil.org

AHC Annual Conference: https://horsecouncil.org/annual-meeting/american-horse-council-2023-conference/

AHC Recorded Webinars: https://horsecouncil.org/resources/webinars-2/

What are the components of the rollback? If you said the stop and rollback, you are wrong.  What about circles? Simple: 3 circles and a lead change. Wrong again.

The 2022 NRHA Open Reining Futurity demonstrated that rollbacks and circles incurred the highest rate of score deviation in the pattern. Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard guide us through these maneuvers and help us understand what makes them more challenging to judge.

What causes greater variances in scores among judges at all levels?  This episode dives deeper into maneuver spreads and focuses on the data and statistical deviations in the Circles and Rollbacks.  Reiners, Cow Horses & working western fans: this episode is for you.  If you are a reining exhibitor, judge, organizational leader, reining horse owner or professional trainer, this episode of the Cowboy Office Show uncovers years of judges insights into understanding of the horsemanship and judging expertise that goes into these complex maneuvers.

IN THIS EPISODE THE COWBOYS DISCUSS:

Is it time to separate maneuvers?

Does tail function (or lack thereof) affect maneuver evaluation?

How does the quality of motion affect scoring in the circles and rollbacks in reining?

Chelsea Sutton of ConsultMent Agency joins Brian & Jody as they discuss the judging system and its impact on the sport of reining and level of competition.

COWBOY OFFICE SHOW

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[email protected]

RESOURCES:

Production, marketing and moderating by ConsultMent.Agency

NATIONAL REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION: https://nrha.com

NRHA FUTURITY: https://nrhafuturity.com/

35% of the NRHA L4 Open Finals had maneuvers of 1 point or more. Seasoned exhibitors know the importance of studying their score sheets after they show. But what are they supposed to think when one judge says a maneuver was poor and another says it was good? What does this say about the judging system?  Jody Brainard & Brian Dygert examine the maneuver scores from the 2022 NRHA Futurity and share their discoveries and statistics on spread maneuver scores at even the most prestigious events with the most experienced judges.

In this episode the Cowboys tackle hard questions like:

What you’ll learn:

New trails the Cowboys explore:

Chelsea Sutton of ConsultMent Agency joins Brian & Jody as they discuss the judging system and its impact on the sport of reining and level of competition.

COWBOY OFFICE SHOW:

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[email protected]

Resources:

Production, marketing and moderating by ConsultMent.Agency

How the Kiser name became synonymous with good ground

Footing in the horse show industry has evolved as much as our horsepower.  Jim Kiser joins Brian and Jody to discuss how it all began, laugh over the bumps in the road, and discuss footing, business, and horses. What ties us all together is the love of the horse. It’s more than a cliche for true horsemen and is the foundation for the entire industry.

All great horsemen have one thing in common. They are students of the game. They study everything from training techniques to equipment to feeding programs. Knowing and understanding the footing you ride on is no exception.

Good ground is one of the pillars of a good horse show and necessary for elevating competition while keeping horses sound. Learn how Kiser Arena Specialists solve problems using innovative ideas as they continue to be change leaders in industries such as Reining, Working Cow, Cutting, at events like the NRHA Derby and Futurity, The World Equestrian Games, World’s Greatest Horseman and more.

Chelsea Sutton of ConsultMent Agency moderates this educational and enlightening discussion on the evolution of footing, competition, horses, and Kiser Arena Specialists.

COWBOY OFFICE SHOW:

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[email protected]

RESOURCES:

Kiser Arena Specialists:  kiserarenaspecialists.com

Production, marketing and moderating by ConsultMent.Agency

"A good set of horses with an incredibly experienced set of officials... made for the best futurity I've ever seen." - Jody Brainard.   Score displays, technicalities and tracing technology: a few of the new things at the 2022 Open Futurity at the National Reining Horse Association.   With over 16,240 manuever evaluation decisions made in the first go, tenured experts Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard analyze the competition and judging at the Open Futurity, visiting topics like spread scores, percent of differentials, and spreads on runs like Matt Mills and Shawn Flarida's winning run in the Level 4 Finals.   

COWBOY OFFICE SHOW:

RESOURCES REFERENCED:

"We're trying to do too much with the same people in the same day {at our horse shows} ." - Brian Dygert. The last 5 years in western horse showing has brought massive evolution from the creation of events like the Run for A Million, and American Professional Horseman from Teton Ridge, the development of new shows, the growth of shows through stalls and entries, and more.  While in some ways, we are growing, in many others, we are not.

This episode explores questions like: is horse show activity ready for modification?  Do our sports like reining, cutting, reined cow horse, ranch riding need to develop a fan?  Does subjective scoring hold our sports back? Is it time for our national organizations collaborate again?  Breed shows like the American Quarter Horse Association and Paint Horse Association, discipline specific-national shows like the NRHA Derby, Futurity, and emerging segments like ranch riding are faced with these questions and Brian and Jody will debate and share statistics that shed light on ideas and possible solutions.

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START HERE:  Get to know the stories and experiences of your show hosts - Jody Brainard and Brian Dygert.  From training horses, to a change of college plans, Brian and Jody share about the paths they walked and what they've learned along the way.  In this episode, the cowboys share about their experience as trainers, judges, teachers, monitors, venue producers and more.  They'll share what spurred the idea behind this podcast, and what you can expect from conversations and episodes moving forward.  From Reining, to quarter horses, world championships and everything in between:  moderator Chelsea Sutton, of the ConsultMent Agency, asks the questions so that you can get to know them both.

Website:  CowboyOffice.com