Over Looking The Bucking Chute

By Terrie Vickers

A view from the top. This is a different way for me to observe the rodeo because I am usually down in the arena swinging gates, pulling ropes and any thing else that keeps me moving. I just cant sit still very long.

I guess you could say every thing happens for a reason. I had a horse accident recently. So I was unable to do my regular assignment. This gave me a chance to to do other jobs and then you observe some things I haven't seen for awhile.

This time my hat goes off to the all the help that it takes to get those young boys & girls on those calves, steers and bulls. I don't know why anyone would want to ride some thing that wants to pound you in the ground and stomp all over you. However, what impressed me the most was that each rider had so many helpers and others riders working together to get every thing just right for each rider. At that moment it is all for one.Thanks to all of you. Keep up the good work because we are one big rodeo family that wants the best for everyone.

Pigeon Fever

By Lisa Woodland

It’s that time of year again when flies are getting thick. Flies are not only a pest for humans they can cause a serious illness in horses called Pigeon Fever. This is a nasty disease that is passed from horse to horse by flies. Once this disease gets in you heard it can and usually spread through the entire heard.

Last year we were lucky and we new the signs and what to watch for. We were able to catch it in the very early stages and treat it in time to keep is from spreading to the rest of our heard. We saw the inflammation in his chest and rushed him right to the vet. We put him on a high dose of penicillin prescribed by our local veterinarian. Within a week the swelling was gone and we never had to deal with an external abscess.

Early signs can include lameness, fever, lethargy, depression, weight loss and a profound abcess usually on the chest. Infections can vary from mild small abscesses to severe disease with multiple massive abscesses, swelling, and multiple sores that generally develops along the chest, midline and groin area. Occasionally they are found on the back. The disease is passed by flies getting in the open would and then taking it to another horse.

Treatment: This is there is no vaccine. You just treat the symptoms. Hot packs or poultices should be applied to the abscesses to encourage opening. Once they are opened, they should be drained regularly flushed with saline. If the abscess is deep and thick, it will require a surgical or deep lancing done by a veterinarian.

External abscesses can be cleaned with a .1% povidone-iodine solution. Antiseptic soaked gauze may be packed into the open wound. A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as phenylbutazone can be used to control swelling and pain. Antibiotics are controversial. Their use in these cases has sometimes been associated with chronic abscessation and, if inadequately used, may contribute to abscesses, according to one study. The most commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of this condition is procaine penicillin G administered intramuscularly, or trimethoprim-sulfa. In the case of internal abscesses, prolonged penicillin therapy is necessary.

Care required: Buckets or other containers should be used to collect pus from draining abscesses and this infectious material should be disposed of properly. Consistent and careful disposal of infected bedding, hay straw or other material used in the stall is vitally important. Thoroughly clean and disinfect stalls, paddocks, all utensils and tack.

From our experience preventing this disease is the best thing. Wipe your horses down with fly spray once a day. We also used the Victor® Fly Magnet® Trap. There are many pest control products I recommend shopping online at www.horse.com or www.countrysupply.com, make sure to enter the code CULBR at checkout.

Goat Tying Clinic Idaho

Bailey Guthrie

Goat Tying Clinic

August 8, 2009

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Location: Broken Bit Arena, Idaho Falls ID

brokenbitarena.com 208-589-5484 (Tennie Hansen)

Cost: $100.00 (lunch will be provided, bring drinks/snacks)

Deposit: $50.00 non-refundable deposit mail to:

Bailey Guthrie

10968 E 145 N

Rigby ID 83442

208-403-7990

Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Limited entries so reserve your spot early.

Ground work before lunch, will work with horses after lunch. (bringing a horse is not required, but suggested)

Bailey finished 1^st in Goat Tying at the Idaho State High School Rodeo Finals in 2008, 9^th at Nationals and was Reserve All-Around at Nationals in 2008. She has qualified 4 years for National’s in High School Rodeo, 2 times in Goat Tying, 4 times in Barrel Racing, 3 times in Pole Bending, and 1 time in Breakaway. Bailey finished 4^th overall in Goat Tying in her region while attending college in 2009 at Western Texas College in Synder, Texas. Bailey is a tough competitor in all events. She can teach skills as well as help you to mentally prepare yourself for competition.

Pole Bending - Picture of the Week

It is always so amazing to see such small kids handle such large animals!

Saddle Fit - Quick Tip

A good way to check to see if your saddle fits is if after you ride there are dry places on your horse’s back. If so the saddle might be too tight to sweat. A good way to check is put a clean white pad on before riding. After riding, it should be uniformly wet/dirty everywhere under the saddle. Your horse will be greatful.

Saving Money While Traveling Part 2

by Teresa Fackrell

As summer arrives, so does high fuel costs. There are several ways to save money when buying fuel.

1) Flying J has a rewards card. They normally have the best price on diesel in our area. So you may as well get the lowest price for fuel and earn rewards.

2) Smith's Fuel Centers If you purchase groceries at Smith's, you can earn a discount of up to $.15 per gallon. So combine your groceries for the rodeo with your fuel purchases and save some money.

3) Sinclair Credit Card With their card you can get a $.10 a gallon discount. Of course you only save money if you pay your card off every month.

4) The best way to save on fuel is to try to get together with your partner or rodeo friends and haul together as much as possible.

If you have other ideas for fuel savings, please share them with.

Team Roping - Picture of the Week

Gotta love team roping at a high school rodeo.

Barrel Tip - Keeping Your Stirrups

If you keep loosing your stirrups while running barrels and poles, you can use rubber bands to help hold your feet in the stirrup. Rubber bands will break if you need to get out of the stirrup quickly but they are strong enough to help keep your feet in the stirrup while you are running. You can see the bands across the top of the boot. It goes around the back and on top of the spur.

Saving Money While Traveling Part 1

by Lisa Woodland

One of your biggest expenses when traveling is food. In order to spend less, you just need to take a little time to prepare ahead. It is cheaper to buy and make your own food and bring it with you.

Sandwiches you can pre-make them at home then the kids just have to grab one between events. Fruits and veggies can just be put in Tupperware containers. Have them pre-washed and cut up for easy access.

Salads if you buy the rubbermaid containers and have salads your family likes individually made in container where all you need is a spoon or fork is a healthy easy meal. Then take the empty containers home and re-use them. (Salads can have cooked meats in them and if kept cold in a cooler or fridge will stay good.)

One of the most important things to save money on while traveling is taking your own drinks. Keep water and drinks in the cooler. Chill or freeze milk and water before putting in cooler this helps with less ice and keeping things cold longer. Chill pop and energy drinks before putting them in the cooler.

Bagels with cream cheese, muffins made ahead of time, go-gurts, and fruits make easy breakfast that doesn’t take any preparation. A gallon of milk and cold cereal are easy to haul. If you don’t want to worry about bowls buy the individual cereal boxes and pour the milk right in the box the plastic liner keeps it from leaking.

Trail mix or granola for snacks are healthy and easy to haul. Cheese, crackers, and lunch meat are cheaper than lunchables.

These are just some suggestions to make it a little less expensive to travel.

Worth Quoting

Believe in the best. Think your best. Act your best. Do your best & never ever settle for less than your best.

Stay Up Over Your Goat

by Teresa Fackrell

To tie faster, it is important to stay up over your goat. So when you are tying stay up like this.

You will have better control of the legs. You will tie faster and tighter.

Dont sit back like this.

Bull Riding Mental Preparation

by Wendy Winn

As a bull riding mother you must be able to help your son mentally prepare not only at the rodeo. Practice, the bull pen, and after the ride, how often do we help our children prepare? Prepare for the wins, the losses, the slumps, the highs, practicing?

Together as a family we devote time to mental preparation, by watching videos. Videos that are instructional, past NFR bull riding champions, World Champions Videos. It is important to find someone who rides in the same style as you. He may be your size, your frame, and then you can mentally take from him some of his skills that work and try to apply them to your style.

Second we take time before the rodeo to talk about what we have drawn. If we know the bull or if someone else has drawn him before. It’s important to ride jump for jump and only let the bull tell you what he is going to do. Too often we let other bull riders tell us what the bull did with them. Then it usually ends up, you in the dirt and the bull bucking just the opposite of what they said.

Third we video the ride, both at the rodeo and practice, it is imperative to see what your doing right and wrong. After viewing the video we take time to evaluate. If we buck off, did we get bucked off or fall off? Big difference in champions!!! Every time we slide up on our rope we are going for first place, we want to be at the pay window.

Fourth if we buck off a rank one, the schooling starts by going over the bull’s moves and our moves. Did we make our moves to fast? How did the bull out think us? If we fall off???? It’s the school of butt kicking and then practice harder. Even the best fall off every once in a while. This is not a good habit to get into, if you do go rope calves!!!!

Last as a mother I try to send positive quotes in his bag if I can’t make it. Sending a picture of a great ride and a little positive influence can help in a lot of ways. Bull riding is a mental game as well as a physical game. A favor quote to end on is this: Be specific in what you want; and use specific words. Empower yourself, and become the person you dream about.

We practice getting horizontal, taking time with our eyes shut, meditation, picturing you making a perfect ride, with perfect moves, jump for jump. Practice make perfect, so be mental, physical, and find some good practice, then put your money up and head to the rodeo.

Hanging Out At The Rodeo - Picture of the Week

The great thing about rodeo is all the kids treat each other as equals and hang out as friends. These boys range in age from 6 to 13 but they are all rodeo cowboys!

Barrel Racing Question

How does the 4-D barrel racing format work?

All riders, regardless of ability, run in the same barrel race. The four divisions are then determined by time brackets. With the 4-D format, the OVERALL fastest time of the race is used to set the time brackets for the 4 divisions.

1st Division or 1D: These are the competitors with the fastest time.
2nd Division or 2D: These are the competitors who ran 1/2 second slower than the fastest.
3rd Division or 3D: These are the competitors who ran 1 second slower than the overall fastest time.

4th Division or 4D: These are the competitors who ran 2 seconds slower than the overall fastest.

This allows the beginner to compete with a more experienced racer and still have a chance to win.

Being a Rodeo Mom

by Teresa Fackrell

As a rodeo mom, your job is never done.  We not only work, cook, clean and do laundry but almost every night I am setting up barrels or poles, pushing cows up or opening the gates for roping or holding the goat for goat tying. I am also helping the kids saddle and unsaddle their horse, trying to help exercise and cool out horses, and helping with chores. 

The reward is rodeo is really a family sport.  We get to spend every weekend together as a family.

Also, we really consider the people we rodeo with family.  We can walk in to the house of the people that we spend time with each weekend and make ourselves at home.  They are the people who are always there for you no matter what your needs are.   This is why I love being a rodeo mom. 

Concentration - Picture of the Week

Getting ready to tie down rope!  Total and complete concentration!

Horse Quick Tip

If you have a horse that tends to be a bit spooky,dabbing a little lavender oil in his nostrils before riding will help mask 'frightening' smells. Vicks vapor rub applyed to the nostrils will also mask the smell of mares if you are riding a stallion.