Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine February 2018 Vol 3 Issue 1

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

Being raised by an Avid Outdoor Sports Writer, it was only natural for me to start our Magazine, Everything Horses and Livestock ®.

In my youth, I talked with my father about writing some small books on living off the land in our area and caring for animals. Out of high school, I gave riding lessons, trained horses, boarded, produced a variety of events and sold items from my own retail business, while also working for others. I wrote articles on proper feeding and horse management for magazines, websites and newsletters. It was very enjoyable to listen to my father edit them for me. He said, “It’s good to write how you feel, what you believe, just get rid of the extra words!” My father and I never got around to writing our booklets before he passed away November 1, 2009. I have many fond memories of my father and our time together. He worked at the same publishing company for 62 years. My passion is proper care and feeding of all animals and helping others enjoy their ride. Our family loves to hunt, ride and team rope. Flip through our pages. Enjoy articles, photographs, cartoons, word search, & fun news! This magazine is dedicated to my dad, mom, sisters, husband, son, family, friends, and everyone out there enjoying the ride! ~Jana T. Harrington Barcus

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A Ride Down Memory Lane Total Feeds, Inc. Show Pig Project Let’s Go Trail Riding Chad Mathes Roping Flynt Hylls Gypsy Horses

Jana Barcus

Dr. Harry Anderson

Eric Castle

10 12 16 18 20 22 24 34 38 42 46 50 52 56

Brandy Von Holten

Chad Mathes Tracy Halget

Chewing the Cud

Alan Eggenberger

Golden Spur Ministries The Training Corner

Cory Young

Matthew Jobe Kyla Henninger Lindsay Keller Landen James Jo Lene Thoele & Wendy Wiseman Melissa Cowan Delana “Dee” Hay

Inside ASHA

Short Go Makes the NFR

Tricking Riding

Equine Energy Balancing

Living Life Ranch Wood Floor Rides Mounted Shooting The Art of Blacksmith

Editor/Publisher; Jana Barcus Editing/Setup; Desiree Garcia Call Us to Advertise: Bill Barcus 913-238-3139 Jana Barcus 913-731-2509 Desiree Garcia 785-430-8408

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Everything Horses and Livestock is distributed across the US and on the world wide web. No material from this publication may be copied or in any way reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Neither the advertisers nor Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine, nor staff are responsible for any errors in the editorial copy. This magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertising which we deem unsuitable for our publication. No liability is assumed for errors in or omissions of advertisers in this publication. Opinions and views expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or employees, nor does publication of any opinion or statement in Everything Horses and Livestock constitute an endorsement of the views, opinions, goods or services contained in any advertisement. Visit our website at www.EHALmagazine.com and Like us on Facebook. Copyright 2017 Everything Horse and Livestock ® All Rights Reserved The Publication office is located at 29545 Pleasant Valley Rd., Paola, Kansas 66071

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trained another Arabian mare by the name of Phoenix. In 2005, Whitney graduated from Johnson County Community College with an Associate of Fine Arts degree. She moved to Wisconsin with her mom and stepdad, Dennis Labus, owner of Labus Christmas trees and DD Arabians. After graduating with an Associate of Applied Science: Occupational Therapy Assistant degree from Western Wisconsin Technical College in 2008, Whitney moved back to Kansas taking a job opportunity in occupational therapy. During a visit with her parents in Wisconsin, Whitney’s eyes met a young two-year-old gelding named DD Nizons Amigo but known only as "Slick". You see, Dennis has raised Arabians for over thirty years, but “Slick” didn’t fit the stereotypical image of a compact Arabian. He was long-legged, awkward, and a little goofy. He seemed to be seeking attention from Whitney. When she left the farm, “Slick's” image was forever etched in her mind. As Slick continued to move around in Whitney’s mind, it sparked a new dream, a dream of endurance – distance riding. She recalled a book she had read called "And Miles to Go". It’s a story of the survival of an Arabian Stallion, Witez ll, who was rescued during WWII and escaped Poland and the Nazis. As a matter of fact, all of Dennis’s horses went back to

Miles and Miles

You might think they are an unlikely match, considering it was a young girl's dream of owning a 16+ hand warmblood or thoroughbred. Whitney Lowe started her riding career taking lessons from Bev Chester when she was 5 years old. Her first lesson and riding horse was a leopard POA mare, Suzi that she received for her 4th birthday. Whitney dreamed of riding the cross-country courses, flying over the jumps on a big horse.

cross-country together through Pony Club and riding lessons. Fathom's nickname was "Iron Jaws". He was quite a strong horse for a small eight-year-old girl, but Whitney could handle him very well. As high school age came around, Whitney’s dream was side-tracked, but her dreaming continued in her mind. Lloyd Janssen raised Arabians and delighted in giving a passionate young person a horse to train. She was not sold on the Arabian breed, but under Mr. Janssen's supervision and assistance, Whitney learned to break and train her mare, Jasmine. Together she and Jasmine enjoyed trail riding and learning tricks. After Jasmine, Whitney

At the age of eight, Whitney moved up to Fathom. Fathom was a 15.3 hand buckskin Quarter Horse that loved to jump. They trained and showed in hunter/jumper classes and

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Witez II several times! Years passed and on Whitney’s

thirtieth birthday, Dennis surprised her with “Slick”. The Journey begins

“As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.”

researching the best trainer for Miles. There are a lot of trainers to choose from, but she wanted the perfect trainer for her high energy horse. She chose Ashley Purdin from Louisburg, Kansas. What a perfect choice she made in Ashley! Ashley proved to be an amazing person and trainer. She worked so well with both Miles and Whitney. For two months, Ashley devoted her amazing knowledge and time to this team. She was the right

choice, a match that was meant to be. During his time at the trainer, Whitney spent countless hours researching and planning. She planned everything from a special feeding protocol with a customized diet, special shoes, tack, along with an exercise and training program to help them reach their goal. It was the beginning of September 2015 when Miles came home from the trainer. The pair eagerly started their endurance training program and by the end of October, they headed for their first American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) ride at Hillsdale Lake, Hillsdale, Kansas. Over a year ago, Whitney had made a goal to be ready for this ride. Excited to be there but concerned after heavy rain left the trails slick and muddy, Whitney decided to test him and Continued on Page 40

Whitney’s dream started materializing as “Slick”, affectionately renamed “Miles”, began his journey from Wisconsin to Kansas. The young colt was worn out when he arrived. She immediately began their bonding and making him comfortable in his new home. A four-year-old gelding, not broke to ride and barely halter broke, was going to take some time. Day after day, the two spent quality time together. She groomed, led him around, put the saddle and bridle on him, and did groundwork with him daily to gain his trust in her. Some nights she was still in the barn with him at midnight and many hours were spent just sitting on him in his stall. As Whitney thought ahead, she began to spend time

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This carbohydrate is only digested in the cecum and colon of the horse and is still the preferred and main source of energy of all equine, bovine

NSC. If released in the small intestine it can be digested and absorbed in the area of the digestive tract. Grass hay contains the lowest percent of the common forages and good quality alfalfa contains the most. However, grass contains very high levels when is first begins growing and before the structural stalks are present. NSC levels are the highest in the seeds of the plant in the form of starch and that is why grain levels in the feeding program is important to know. If NSC does get to the cecum and colon, it is fermented very rapidly by the bacteria and can produce excess gas and acid and cause founder and/or colic. WSC or water-soluble

CARBOHYDRATE CONFUSION There is some confusion

and other like species. This is the part of the diet that we work the hardest on to improve the digestion of it. This is why we formulate to feed the bacteria, which do the heavy work of digesting this fiber and provide energy to the animal. Proper nutrition formulations can improve the growth rate of the bacteria, which accelerates the rate and extent of the fiber and provides more energy to the animal per lb. of fiber consumed NSC or non-structural

among horse owners about the meaning of various terms used for the carbohydrate fraction of horse feed and what levels should be. In this article I am not going to make recommendations on what the levels should be but would like to list what they are so people can ask the right questions. First, carbohydrates make up the majority of all plant material, but is in various chemical forms depending on the plant and stage of growth. The following is a description of the common terms most often referenced. Plants must contain structural carbohydrates, or they would not be able to stand upright. This type of carbohydrate is called fiber and is made of sugar molecules in specific formations the give it the structure. However, carbohydrate of this type is difficult at best and often nearly impossible to digest even by bacteria. The fiber found in plants such as grass and alfalfa as well as some byproducts found in horse feed is digestible to various degrees and is referred to as NDF (neutral detergent fiber).

carbohydrate is that fraction of the carbohydrate fraction of the plant that can be digested by enzymes in the small intestine of the horse and absorbed directly from the small intestine as sugar and is the most commonly referenced fraction when there is concern about metabolic problem horses. This fraction is that carbohydrate that is part of soluble fiber and all plant material contains some

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carbohydrate. ESC or ethanol soluble carbohydrate are those monosaccharides and

the processing form of the supplemental products have an important effect on the safety. If a feed contains a high level of NSC, WSC or ESC and is not dissolved in the small intestine and enters the cecum or colon, it can be very problematic when these fractions are rapidly fermented. If the feed product is extruded and it dissolves, and these fractions are digested and absorbed in the small intestine, there is very little possibility of a problem. R. Harry Anderson, PhD Total Feeds, Inc. Harry@TotalFeeds.com 620-272-1065

carbohydrate is a part of the NSC and is even more digestible in the small intestine. It is composed of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, which are only slightly more complex that simple sugars or disaccharides. In horse feeds most of the WSC are supplied by very young, tender grass, young alfalfa, grains, many byproducts. The level in horse feed is of concern because of the rapidity that they can be digested and absorbed in the small intestine causing spikes in blood sugar levels. This fraction is a small percentage of the total

disaccharides and compose a very small percent of most horse feed unless the feed contains high levels of certain processed grain of molasses. Why is this of concern? The soluble forms of carbohydrate are of most danger of causing digestive and metabolic problems when fed or consumed at too large of quantities at one time and this can be managed by the owner and not the type of feed. Also,

Help Blue the Steer Find His Feed Bunk

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I t’s about to be our favorite time of the year, pig sale season. We love visiting with new and old customers here at the farm and at sales. It’s time to start thinking about your show pig project. Before you select your pig this spring you will need to make sure you have a pen set up. You can have your pigs on dirt, sand, or concrete. I prefer to have our show pigs on concrete with shavings about 4-6 inches

deep. If you have them outside on dirt or sand make sure you have shelter for them to get out of the weather. You will need to have a clean supply of fresh water and feed. When you start feeding your pigs you can have them on a self-feeder or clip on feeder that hooks to the fence. If you do use a clip on feeder make sure you feed your animal a couple times daily. Be sure to raise the feeder throughout their growing cycle. This will help

train your pig to keep its head held high during the show.

There are several great feed companies out there. I would recommend finding a brand of feed you like and stick with it year round. Normally when we get baby pigs home we start them on an 18-20% protein depending on their nutritional needs. When it gets closer to fair drop them down on protein to a 16% feed. You can also

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add supplements along the way. Feed rations can change on a weekly basis for each pig depending on what the pig needs to make them look their best. When you are ready to start looking for your project pick out breeders and sales you want to visit. I would say find yourself a breeder that you have built a relationship with. Typically they will tell you about their genetics and show you the sows behind the babies. When we start picking out pigs, we determine what our target show is. Ideally the pig should be six months old around the time of the show. Once you start looking for your pigs this spring, build them from the ground up. What I mean by this is make sure that they are square at the ground and that the base width matches the topside of their skeleton. Additionally, make sure they have some muscle shape, however not too extreme. When looking from the side profile, you want to ensure that they are balanced. Finally, make sure the pig is structurally sound. Keep in mind If they are not sound as babies they will not be sound at market weight. Once you get your pig home begin interacting with the pig. Start walking your pig and brushing their hair coat. When

you are in the championship drive a good skin and hair coat can make or break you in class. You can buy swine conditioner from your local show supply company. When you start walking your pig, start at about 15 minutes a day working your way up to an hour a day. When you are walking your pig, imagine you are in the show ring the moment you open the gate. A week from show day, start clipping the hogs. Before you start clipping see if the show you are attending has any rules for the length of hair. You will also want to start making a check list of supplies you will need at the show. Many items you will want to take with you are as follows:

operate Castle Farms. We run a 17 head sow and small boar stud operation. We sell semen and show pigs across the United States. We raise Yorkshire, Spots, Crosses, and we have just started raising Durocs for Bristol. We sell off

the farm private treaty and a few select sales.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Feed

Clip on feeders

Shavings Buckets Show stick

This year’s sales are March 24th at 1pm at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Mound City, KS and March 25th at the fairgrounds in Alma, KS at 3pm. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at (913) 259-0128 or castlefarms11@ gmail.com. We wish you the best of luck with your next pig project.

Water pipe with nipple

Brush Soap

Water hose Spray Nozzle Conditioner Spray bottle

Towels

Show clothes My name is Eric Castle along with my wife April and our daughter Bristol. We own and

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The Difference Between Training A Mule And Training A Horse By: Brandy Von Holten

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horse a basic maneuver such as when to depart at a walk during groundwork a horse will pick this up pretty quickly. The mule takes a little longer to fully understand what you are asking, but then once he has it, he has it for forever. If a mule doesn’t see the point in doing something, then he won’t. I ask JoJo to go over a narrow obstacle bridge. He wasn’t afraid of it, but he decided to just go around it. I stopped him, backed him up, and then ask again and he went over it perfectly. Typically my horses will just immediately go over any bridge I ask of them. The reactions seem to be a little Continued on Page 44

For the largest part, there is absolutely no difference in training a mule than training a horse. I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing mule trainers, and I have yet to have one say anything differently. However, some will openly say this statement and some will only say it behind closed doors. I kind of have mixed feelings about training a mule and a horse the same. I would say that a solid 90% is exactly the same. Every equine learns from the release of pressure. But that other 10% does take some time to get accustomed to if you have always rode a horse. Here is what I have noticed with my journey of my first mule, JoJo. Please understand, I

am typically a clinician that trains people. I have started two horses and for some reason I keep buying horses that have sat for a while in a pasture. This was also the case with my mule. However, our horses and mule have all won buckles, saddles, and/or titles in divisions from Novice to Open in disciplines from obstacles, dressage, mounted archery and as of last year, the mule and I even won a rodeo queen title. Our herd is also able to be rented to trail guest with vast amounts of experience ranging from showing up with high heels on the ride, to trainers. One main difference I have noticed is the amount of time. In general, if I am teaching a

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Visit our Website for Videos & More!

ChadMathesRoping.com

We've had some rough weather this year to say the least. Even with a nice insulated indoor like we are fortunate enough to lease, keeping it warm enough to work has been a challenge. But for myself, I can only rest for so long. I always feel like there are things I can be doing to improve our business or my roping. Some time off due to cold weather has given me the opportunity to study some videos that people are sending me to evaluate and coach them. There's a million things we could talk about in this insert, but I want to touch on something that I think everyone could improve on. When someone comes to a clinic or a private lesson, there are 3 things that need to be evaluated and discussed. #1-At what level are you performing currently? #2-What level do you want to be performing at? #3- What do we need to change for you to reach your desired level of performance? This is the thought process I go through with every single individual that comes to me for help. The same subject comes up over and over in these sessions, do you "own the whole arena"? What does

that mean, you ask? Being a consistent roper has everything to do with fundamentals, both with a rope and horsemanship. The more control we have over both elements, the easier it is to adjust for different set-ups

ability to control your rope, left hand, and footwork is a must if we want to transfer good habits when we mount up. Most people that come to see me for the first session struggle with understanding the mechanics of how the rope works and the

and uneven cattle. When we get stuck in a pattern, anything outside that pattern becomes difficult to say the least. Let's talk about what it means as well as the components of "owning the arena". Of course, most of you that read this on a consistent basis know me well enough by now to guess that this all starts on the ground dummy. Having the

physics behind a successful catch. Once we evaluate what we need to change, and we understand why we need to change it, we can then take control over the situation and decide how we want to rope. If we have the proper practice habits and can control mentally and physically when we want to make our catch, we are well on our way to overcoming any

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the situation requires. I do the same thing when I use my Hot Heels, mix it up to the point that the horse must respond to my commands because he can’t anticipate too much. One of my favorite drills is the “countdown drill” on the heel side. This drill helps with position and timing. I make a series of 6 runs in a row. The first run I must rope the machine on the 5th hop after the corner and only the 5th hop. The next run is the 4th hop, 3rd hop, you get the point. Ending the series on a crossfire. This drill requires my horse to maintain position and forces me to be in time with the machine jump for jump. I must count my hops to play the game correctly. Stepping up your game means stepping up your practice habits. Hope to see you all at a clinic, jackpot, or rodeo sometime this year! Thanks as always for taking the time to listen to me ramble. God Bless and remember, PRACTICE

situation. For example, can I take as many, or few swings as I want and throw the same loop every time? Or am I a two swings and out type of roper. Although the two swings and out is going to be fast, most of these ropers can’t catch enough steers in a row to make it through a 4-head average. Remember, I must catch all four steers if I want to place. So, evaluate your ground practice, can you successfully navigate different scenarios with success? If not, time to change it and work on our weak spots. Going hand in hand with groundwork comes basic horsemanship. I see this time and time again across the country. People don’t have enough control over their horses to get position and maintain that position. It starts with the basics, will my horse stop when I pull on the reins? Will he move forward when I squeeze? Will he move instantly off my legs on either side when I apply pressure? Will he move only his front or hind when asked? These are things your horse should do before you get out of a walk. I can promise you if your horse won’t do these things at a walk, they definitely won’t at a dead run chasing a

steer. Moving on with this, will my horse kick into the left lead from a standstill? Will he flex at the poll? Can I hold his shoulder up in the corner, or does he take it from me and cause a bad handle or bad position? Will my horse obey me enough to let me rope as I get position on one run and then on the next let me track as far as I need? These questions are all part of evaluating ourselves and being honest about what we need to work on. There are no shortcuts or band aids for these questions that yield consistency. We must have control and discipline with our rope and horsemanship to “own the arena”. I will end this article by describing a typical practice session with one or all my partners. Everyone is under the impression that we only practice going fast because that’s how we must rope. We do practice fast on some runs, but we also work on “owning the arena”. Usually a session starts out going full contact and making some aggressive runs. Somewhere in the middle of those runs, however, we randomly pick a steer and see if we can go make a 10 second run. This ensures that our horses are ready for whatever

HARDER! God bless, Chad Mathes

Call to Schedule: 816-820-0560 Email: mathes58@icloud.com www.ChadMathesRoping.com

www.Facebook.com/ ChadMathesRoping

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Curiosity Corner Does anyone know the name of this and what it was used for? First one to send us the answer Receives a

We have a WINNER!

In our last issue we posted; Does anyone know the name of this this tool and what it is used for? WE HAVE A

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Gray MasterHand Milling Ball Cap! A $20.00 Value from our sponsors Pick Your Prize up at; Better Equine 29545 Pleasant Valley Rd., Paola, Ks. Send us your answer to ehalmagazine@gmail.com

Another Amazing Transformation

“One of our problems with Miles was adding and keeping weight on him. When Miles came home as a gangly, skinny 4-year-old, he was a very hard keeper. He also was an extremely finicky eater. I tried various combinations of feeds to try to put weight on him and he did gain a little but just didn’t have much muscle and despite the large volume of feed, he was still on the thin side with no fat reserves to get him through an illness or extreme weather. When he was in training, he was getting 12+ pounds of feed per day and still was on the ribby side. Since switching to Total Equine in March of 2016, Miles has turned into a different horse. He continues to gain lean muscle and the quality of his coat has improved dramatically. When trying to get weight on him and during ride season when he is working harder, he gets 6 pounds per day. During times when he isn’t working as much, he gets 4 pounds per day and still looks great. I believe the feed has also contributed a great deal to his wonderful hoof quality. He only wears hoof protection at the rockiest of rides, otherwise he stays totally barefoot. He did a 50-mile endurance ride barefoot last fall without any difficulty and his hooves still looked amazing at the end. He also has gotten much better about eating, even when he is nervous or distracted. It used to be a nightmare to try to entice him to eat when away from home and now he eats far more reliably. Our new feeding program has completely changed Miles’ appearance and has made both of our lives simpler, less stressful and is giving me a healthier, happier horse”. Whitney Lowe, Rantoul, Kansas

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FLYNT HYLLS GYPSY HORSES

Flynt Hylls Gypsy Horses was established in2006 innortheast Kansas. We started with one stallion and a few mares. Today we offer three stallions for breeding and a dozen good, big mares. We also have a couple of geldings for just fun use. We don’t produce a large number of foals each year, but we do strive to produce the best quality foals possible. Flynt Hylls Gypsies is focused on preserving the traditional proper cob originally imported into the USA. While others are promoting the latest fad colors, we work to maintain the big boned, stocky conformation of the first gypsy horse we fell in

love with, Flynn. We are slowly putting our horses through the GHRA evaluation process to be sure we keep our focus where we want it; the best quality you can find on American soil. Most of our horses are between 14 and 15 hands. We like a big horse that can do it all. And we breed for horses that can do a day’s work, then come back and do it again tomorrow. Many have met our horses at shows and know how much we expect of them. And they never let us down. Temperament and personality are just as important in our horses. Every foal on our farm is

raised with lots of human contact and interaction. They learn to respect and to love people. This creates a solid foundation to build on for a long-term performance future. We know the Gypsy Horse is one of the most versatile breeds around. Many can excel in more than one discipline. The Gypsy has such heart and soul. We have taken ours in a very different direction, and they have met the challenge. Jousting and medieval war games. We challenge their minds and their bodies. The games require athleticism and courage. The horse must be able to go from 0 to 20 in 2.5 seconds (Okay,

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

maybe that’s an exaggeration). They must be able to spin on a dime, and they must trust their riders; all while looking amazing doing it! The gypsy is a fun and amazing horse. They are ideal as a family companion, a trusted trail mount, or a brave and bold war horse. And we at Flynt Hylls Gypsy Horses LOVE helping others realize their dream of having their very own fairy tale horse. Please visit our website at www. flynthyllsgypsy.net. Or, make plans to attend our fall open house and meet our horses for yourself.

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number feed source for the cow will make this number vary some. Total maternal (TM) is measured in pounds of calf weaned by an animal’s daughters. They account for average differences that can be expected from both weaning weights, as well as from milk, and measure a sire’s ability to transmit milk production and growth rate through his daughters. It is calculated by adding an animal’s Milk EPD to one-half of its weaning weight EPD. Calving Ease Maternal (CEM) predict the average ease with which a sire’s daughters will calve as first-calf heifers when compared to the daughters of another sire in the same evaluation. Expressed as percentage of unassisted births. In addition, there is (SC) which is scrotal size, which directly effects how many cows a bull may be able to successfully cover in a herd. This number also has an effect on pelvic measurements in your replacement heifers. This is all tied to the time, which the animal reaches puberty. Because we like to breed heifers to calve at about two years of age early puberty is important. Each of our replacement heifers are pelvic measured at a year to insure the best chance of a first calf with no problems. For my program, nothing is kept with a score/measurement less than a160, higher than some farms. Stay ability (SA) is the age of how long the cow or bull will be active in your herd. This

Understanding EPDs Ge-EPDs on Bulls By Alan Eggenberger

If you have picked up any farm or livestock magazines lately, you have probably seen a bull sale advertised. Late winter and early spring is the most common time for bull sales. Most cattle operations are calving now and will want/ need a good bull to put in with their cows in the spring. Ge- EPDs or even EPDs (I personal will never buy another bull without Ge-EPDS) on cattle help us understand the bull’s or cow’s “genetics” and how he/ she probably will produce in the future from data collected. A short explanation EDPs in general are as follows. There are 15 collected points where this EPDs data comes from. This helps cattlemen improve their calf crop and guide them in the right direction. By looking at the charts, I will explain briefly, what they stand for. Reported data starts at birth, was there a problem? Did we need to pull the calf or was the birth totally unassisted. (What we all hope for) Then the calf is weighed to get the actual birth weight. Calving Ease Direct or CED is the ease of birth and the actual birth

weight is (BW). A bull that is used on heifers should be high in CED and have a low if not a negative number BW. The bull I use in my Limousin herd has a birth weight of -2.9, which is in the top two percent of the Limousin breed. This will help the heifer with her first calf. Next at weaning time, the calves are weighed. The weight is calculated for a 205-day weaning period. For myself I like big weaning weights (WW) as the majority of my caves are sold after thirty days after weaning and that helps with a bigger check. Heifers and bulls that have no visible conformation or EPDs issues are kept as replacements, while the others are sold. We also reevaluate as yearlings to make sure we only have kept the best. Our replacements heifer or bulls, or ones I’m going to sale as replacements are then weighed again at a year old, for the yearling weight (Y. A 365- day formula is used at this point. From there we go to milk production (MK) where weaning weights can help give us an idea on how well the cow milked, how nutritional her milk was in helping her calf to grow. Remember with this

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number comes from how long before their older relatives were culled. I still have a cow that was born in 2003 in my herd. She has had a spring calf for fourteen years in a row. Wish they all could do that! DOC stands for docility, self- explanatory; how easy the bull/ cow is to work with and safe to be around. This number though does (in my opinion) have an environmental and or human side to it. We all know there is more than one-way to move and work cattle. This is why it is also nice, if possible to visit or if not at least gather some information about the farm from where the bull is coming from. BQA (Beef Quality Assurance) is a nice course offered to help

understand some of the things we can do to make the animals remain quiet while we are working with them. These first ten make up the “Growth and Maternal” part of the EPDs. The last five are the carcass numbers; these are helpful when larger calf crops are sold. Also, if you can retain ownership through a feedlot and then sale your calves on the rail or as hanging weights. Yield Grade (YG) how many lbs. of packaged meat really comes from the hanging side of beef after all the excess fat has been trimmed. I raise Limousin and Lmi-Flex (Angus, Limousin cross) and normally get an YG in the low sixty percent. If you by sides of beef remember,

you are paying for the hanging weight. Hanging weight is the CW (carcass weight); this is the weight before any processing has been done. So if two comparable sides of beef weigh 300lbs and you can get a sixty percent YG from one and a fifty percent from the other, which is the better buy? REA or the Ribeye area is expressed in square inches is a predictor of the difference in ribeye area of a sire's progeny compared to progeny of other sires. The bigger the better here, I love prime rib! MB marbling accounts for marbling and fat in the meat. Limousin are known for a leaner meat Continued on Page 58

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)” From this passage we learn several things. The first is that Timothy was a man who had a great knowledgeof theScriptures (even greater than that of his peers because of the ministry of his mother and grandmother) and that knowledge made him wise to the point where he received salvation through faith in Christ. This goes right along with what Paul taught in Romans 10:17 where he said, “...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ (NIV).” Lesson #1: The Word Must Be Preached and Taught So That We Can Come to Faith! The second thing we see from this passage is that all Scripture is God-breathed. Paul’s use of the term breath is no mistake. It is the same picture that we see in Genesis 2:7 where the Lord breathed the “breath of life” into the dust of the earth that became Adam. The Apostle Peter emphasized a similar concept by teaching that “prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke

from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:21 NIV).” The Word of God, both the Old and New Testaments, while written by human authors were given life by the Lord. Lesson #2: The Holy Bible Comes From the Lord and Not From Man! The third thing we see is that the Word of God is useful for four things: 1. The Word is Useful for Teaching . This is a pretty simple concept to apply. Based on its authority and exclusivity, as being divinely inspired, it is the first and last book that we should look to for guidance in our walk with the Lord and in our daily life. That does not mean that we should not seek other resources (like the many great books available at a Christian bookstore or the ever- growing websites that help us grow in our faith) but we should be always on our guard against spiritual junk food. Spiritual junk food is something that you rwead or hear that sounds good, and might even sound like it honors the Lord, but when you compare it with the Bible you see contradictions. Just like our NFR cowboys don’t get there eating Cheetos and Big Macs (at least not exclusively)... don’t settle for spiritual junk food! Study the Bible! 2. The Word is Useful for Rebuking . Rebuking in the arena is where you are confronted with something you are doing wrong. For me, it usually sounds like: “Dude, what are you thinking?” It is

J anuary 23, 2018 Gearing Up for the Finals – 2 Timothy 3:14-17 While winter time causes complications outside…this is the prime time of the year when it comes to the sport of rodeo. We obviously have ProRodeo’s National Finals Rodeo in Vegas in December. As I write this article, I have quite a few friends that are heading to Oklahoma City for the International Finals Rodeo. By the time we go to print, most of us will be waiting with anticipation for 2018’s version of “The American.” One of the great things about the rodeo arena is that it is often a picture, in the physical, of what should be happening in our relationships with Christ in the spiritual. After we place our faith in Christ and as the Holy Spirit continues to sanctify and teach us we should be constantly striving toward having a closer walk with Jesus. Paul, in his final charge to his young protégé Timothy, encouraged him with what I believe is the best outline for growing in your walk with the Lord. In 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Paul wrote:

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

# 3: If Applied to Your Life, the Bible Gives Us Everything We Need to Live for Jesus! My prayer, as you continue to study 2 Timothy 3 and the rest of the Scriptures you will realize, if you haven’t already, that the study and application of the Word of God is the most basic element of becoming a “NFR caliber Christian”. Study the Word daily; find a local church that lifts up the Word; and encourage your friends and family with the Word and you’ll see your relationship with Jesus grow exponentially! Be Blessed! Cory Young www.GoldenSpur.Org Cory@GoldenSpur.Org 816-260-8583

the same with our study of the Word...we need to be taught what we are doing wrong and the Word is our basis for this. It usually comes in the form of a friend, spouse, pastor or, ultimately, the Holy Spirit’s conviction. Without a Biblical rebuke we will never grow in our relationship with the Lord. Receive a Godly rebuke! 3. The Word is Useful for Correcting. Correction is essentially taking a rebuke and changing the problem based on the teaching of the Bible. Biblical correction is essential for a right relationship with Christ. Correct your mistakes! 4. The Word is Useful for Training in Righteousness. Training in righteousness is taking the teaching of the Bible (in light of Godly rebuke and Biblical correction) and making

it a habit. Forming a habit is what training is all about. My father, who was a police officer in Kansas City, constantly trained with his firearm. The point was so that when he needed his sidearm he could unholster, ready the weapon, and take aim all without thinking about it. He had done it so much it was just habit. The point...create Godly habits! Paul closes this passage by saying that should you apply the God-breathed Word to your life in these four areas you might be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That’s a pretty bold statement. Do you want to be equipped for everything that the Lord wants for your life and relationship with him? If so, you need to study the Word, receive tough rebuke, change your behavior, and train to build Godly habits. In short, Lesson

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THE POWER OF RELEASE by Matthew Jobe

What is the most important thing to our horse? Is it Food? Maybe, water? If a mountain lion was chasing our horse through the woods, neither one of these important items would even be a thought. The only thing on his mind at that moment is how to get rid of all this pressure, how to get a release from the mountain lion. Think about a mother telling her child to “go clean your room”. Mom will get as “big” as it takes to get the job done. She may raise her voice; threaten to take toys away, perhaps a spanking. She will add pressure until the child is cleaning the bedroom. On the flip side, does Mom keep yelling “go clean your room” while the child is in there cleaning it? Of course not, it’s already being done. Yet how many times are we still nagging our horse when it is trying to do the right thing? A horse does not learn from us kicking, whipping, smooching etc. Those are all aids we use

to apply pressure. Horses learn when we stop that pressure. Our horse will try several different attempts to evade it. Often, they will be the wrong answer. The horse only knows he wants the pressure to stop. When we take that pressure away is when we are giving them the answer, we are basically saying “Good job! Atta boy!” The crucial point here is the timing of our release of

the pressure. When our horse ignores us, goes the wrong way, maybe just stops, says no? If we quit at those moments we are still saying “Good job, Atta boy!” even though it obviously wasn’t. We can teach our horse to do anything by releasing at the correct time. I like to show folks how I teach horses the “come over cue” it is very visual and

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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

easy to see how when applying pressure it motivates the horse to move away first. We continue to apply pressure as this was the wrong answer, shortly the horse will move into the pressure (correct answer) and we stop/release the pressure (Atta boy, good job!) the faster we release pressure at the correct time the faster our horse learns the task at hand. Typically, we can teach a horse to come over to the mounting block in under 15 minutes. The same principle applies in all aspects of training. Teaching sliding stops, side passing, collection etc. all happens by applying pressure then releasing when the horse does the correct thing. The faster we release the faster our horse learns! Keep in mind we can just as quickly teach bad things by releasing at the wrong time. Often time’s people spend more time caring for their horse than actually riding them, feeding, mucking stalls or leading our horses to turn out, we are still teaching them. Every single time we are near our horse we are adding pressure/releasing pressure. If a horse crowds our space, do we make them move or do we move out of their way? While leading, do we have to drag them, or do we insist they walk softly at the position we asked them? Are we teaching them good things? Giving the Atta boy at the correct time? Maybe for a while every time we move out of our horse’ way or release the pressure we should say out loud “Good job, Atta boy!”. We may get some strange looks, but it would really

help us see that we are often releasing at the wrong time! The timing of our release is everything! Release is powerful! You and I can teach our horses anything desired when we focus on the release.

MATTHEW JOBE C BAR J RANCH WINDSOR, MO 660-537-9542 WWW.CBARJ.COM LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

23 Everything Horses and Livestock® | February 2018 | EHALmagazine.com

Inside ASHA American Stock Horse Association

A re you looking for something fun, friendly and exciting to experience with your horse? You may be an entry-level rider, someone who has ridden your entire life, or a professional in the horse industry looking to to improve. The American Stock Horse Association is dedicated to preserving western traditions and offers an atmosphere that is not typical of horse shows. The Board of Directors are devoted to creating a venue that is out of the horse show box. WHAT IS ASHA? ASHA is an International Horse Association, with affiliates in North America and Europe, that takes great CARE in their membership.

C - Clinics At Each Event A - All Breeds are Welcome R - Rewarding through Positive Scoring System E - Educational

The versatility based show concept promotes the Stock Horse. You may be asking yourself what is a stock horse? ASHA defines the stock horse as a working and usable horse designed and trained to perform a job. This horse is a jack of all trades and is not limited to one breed. ASHA is open to ALL breeds, including mules, gated horses and ponies.

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ASHA’s philosophy and rules. With more than one clinician, the exhibitor will be exposed to different techniques and teaching styles. This gives the participant the option to pick and choose what fits them and their horse. Through the clinics, participants build camaraderie and friendship with the clinicians and other exhibitors. This raises each riders comfort level and eliminates the stigma of horse shows. Learning in a fun and supportive environment creates a platform for exhibitors to have a strong foundation in the rules, training practices, how to get a horse shown, exposure to information that judges are being taught, and in seeing it through the judges eyes. This brings back a level of social camaraderie that has disappeared from horse shows, and with this comes fun and enjoyment. Affordability is encouraged by ASHA to show producers and affiliates. Keeping clinics and show fees affordable is an opportunity to bring the entire family to show. Four Classes listed below are offered by ASHA and act as a leveling agent for exhibitors: Stock Horse Pleasure is the cornerstone class of ASHA and has distinct differences from other associations. First, this class runs one horse at a time with signs in the arena to represent the vicinity of where the transition should take

The Versatile Stock Horse Concept is an All-Around horse format that puts an emphasis on competing in all four classes vs other show formats that just focus on one single class. An ASHA hero horse is consistent, agreeable and uses its natural abilities when competing in all four classes. This format opens the door to many participants with diverse backgrounds i.e. entry level exhibitors that have never shown, pleasure and trail riders, and those who have competed competitively in reining and cow horse events. Each of these different competitors can come show, while one discipline does not have an advantage over another. To promote versatility, ASHA stands behind their Mission

to “Help People Ride A Better Horse”, through clinics at each event. This in part drives ASHA’s dedication to enhancing the pleasure of owning and riding horses through creating better horses and horsemen. ASHA Conviction - that any age horse can be ridden in a snaffle bit, hackamore or bit. This rule is very unique and beneficial in achieving the ASHA Mission. Education and Clinics creates a supportive learning environment, in addition to our respectfully competitive shows. Overall the event is focused on improving each participants horsemanship skills. With multiple local clinicians working together during the event, the Clinician Team helps to demonstrate and promote

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