Practice the Bridge Obstacle for Ranch Horse Trail
August 3, 2026
Ranch horse trail classes show off the skills a horse must have to work anywhere around the ranch, including across bridges. In American Quarter Horse Association ranch shows, bridges are optional, but they are common in show patterns. Trainer Nancy Nemmers says horses are often worried when they first approach...
Maneuvering Poles in Ranch Horse Classes
April 10, 2026
A variety of ranch horse classes continue to gain popularity in American Quarter Horse Association shows. One of these is ranch trail, where horse and rider maneuver through six to nine obstacles simulating everyday riding on a ranch. Riding over logs, through a gate, and over a bridge are some...
Ranch Riding Trail Warmup for Any Horse
July 31, 2025
Knowing how to warm up your horse is the key to a great performance. If you have a slow horse, you’ll want to make sure he’s listening but not tired out. For horses with lots of speed and energy, it’s important to get their bodies and minds working so they...
The American Performance Horseman Announces Dickies Arena as the New Venue for 2025 Competition
September 19, 2024
Fort Worth, Texas — Teton Ridge, the premier western sports, entertainment and lifestyle brand, announced top-ranked professionals in the western equine sports of cutting, reining, and reined cow horse are set to ride in the highly anticipated third edition of The American Performance Horseman on Saturday, July 19, 2025. The...
The Quarter Horse’s Ranch Roots
September 18, 2024
The western performance horse industry is growing like wildfire, with new followers not only zeroing in on their favorite rodeo, cow horse, reining or cutting rider, but also the horses helping those riders to some of the highest-earning purses the equine industry has ever seen awarded. Most of those riders...
Teach Your Horse to Cross a Ditch
September 9, 2024
Crossing ditches is a must when you’re working around a ranch; the move can also be part of ranch riding competitions set up to mimic real working conditions. While some horses will walk, trot, or jump over any ditch, others—especially those not raised on pasture—may balk at a ditch. Here,...
Master Your Reining Spins
July 5, 2024
The spin is the maneuver specific to reining. The stylized movement shows your horse’s willingness to move on cue with speed and agility. It’s also the move most associated with riders’ concerns. Will I stop on time? Will I get too dizzy? Will I lose count? Trainer Cody Crow rides...
Cattle Work 101
April 16, 2024
Whether you’re new to cattle work or want to improve your cattle-driving skills, you’ll need to learn how to influence a cow’s movements. How you and your horse approach, track, and drive a cow influences where it will go next. To master driving and turning a cow in the arena,...
Antsy Horse? Here’s How to Avoid Anticipation in Pattern Classes
January 29, 2024
Whether it’s showmanship, horsemanship, trail, western riding or ranch classes, pattern competition helps show a judge the skills you and your horse have mastered through precision and correctness. If your horse acts antsy in the pattern class, dancing in place with anticipation for your next move, chances of a blue...
The Difference in Reining and Cow Horse Stops
December 27, 2023
A fast-stopping horse sliding into a cloud of dust is an icon for western riding. Horses in reining classes stop with sliders on their back hooves to accentuate downward transitions. In cow horse classes, the horse’s stop blocks the cow’s motion—compounding the action as arena dirt flies. Here, trainer Aaron...
