Be Kind to Your Rodeo Secretary

As in most positions in a youth rodeo organization, generally the rodeo secretary is a volunteer.  They are there donating their time to help the kids.  It is always nice when the parents as well as the kids appreciate the efforts put forth by the volunteers at a rodeo.  Here are a few suggestions for you to help out your rodeo secretary.


1) Do your best to complete all of the paperwork.  Fill out the forms completely. 
2) Calculate your fees.  Be sure to check with the secretary if you are not sure about all of the fees.  It is easier to take care of these before you get to the rodeo.  Send your fees with your completed paperwork.
3) Turn your entries in on time.  It is difficult for the committee to schedule the right amount of stock if they do not know for sure how many contestants they have.  There may or may not be an additional bull, steer or calf for you if you don't enter on time. 


Getting the right paperwork and payment on time really helps the secretary to have everything ready when it is rodeo time.  

Finding The Right Level of Horse

It is important to get the right level of horse for your child.  As parents, we think our kids are capable of anything.  They may be good ropers, good riders and even good trainers but the right level of horse can make a huge difference.

When my daughter was 13, she wanted to start breakaway roping.  We didn't really own a breakaway horse.  But we thought that we should buy her a younger horse and train it.  Then she could grow up with it. 


She had trained horses before. She was very good with young horses.  She had even taken Reserve Champion in the state 2-handed show.  But she had never trained a rope horse.  


We bought the horse and sent it to a calf horse trainer for 3 months and brought it home.  Then, we started entering her in rodeos.  She never had a good shot in the rodeo.  She was more worried about making sure the horse was doing things right because she did not want to mess up her training.  She was just learning to rope herself.  She had to focus on what the horse was doing and what she was doing too.  Each weekend she was just more frustrated.  She wasn't learning and neither was the horse.


So we sent the horse to my brother in law to rope on for a year.  Then we went out and bought a 20 year old rope horse.  He wasn't pretty but he was solid in the box.  He gave her the same shot every time and she learned to rope.  


The point is we need to find the right level of horse for each kid.  Sometimes they are not ready for a 1D barrel horse or state champion rope horse.  They may just need a good solid seasoned horse that they are comfortable competing on.  Kids learn things about pockets, positions and roping from a horse that knows what it is doing.  Then they can apply that to a young horse.  It is really hard to train a child on an event and train a horse at the same time.  


By the way, we got that rope horse back a year later.  In that year, my daughter had learned to rope and she was ready to move on from the old horse.  Her and that horse have went on to qualify for state high school finals and National Little Britches Finals several years in a row.  They have won a lot of breakaway ropings but she need to learn on the old horse first.

Rodeo Mom Down and Out

So what happens when your son separates a shoulder in October and you take the winter off from rodeo.  Well since you don't help the kids practice or keep the horses in shape, you get out of shape.  You gain weight.  You start to hibernate.  

Winter in Utah is not friendly.  So you go out to shovel wet heavy 12 inches of snow.  What happens to your out of shape body?  Well you end up hurting yourself.  I have a twisted SI joint and a torn abdominal muscles down by my groin.  Can you say ouch?  Yeah I have not really been out for 3 weeks.  Going to work seems to be all I can manage.  Thanks to the chiropractor I am improving.

The moral to this story is you have to stay in shape even when your kids are not practicing.  Get out there and get some horses rode and keep moving.  

Volunteering

By Teresa Fackrell
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill


Although I work full time and have 2 kids to keep up with, I really enjoy contributing. I am not the type of person who can sit at a rodeo and just watch. So in addition to my full time responsibilities, I volunteer as much as possible. 

I teach 4H every Thursday, secretary for Central Utah Little Britches, jackpot secretary for Central Utah Junior Rodeo and put together the program for the Juab High School Rodeo team. The best part is knowing that what I do benefits the kids who are working, riding, roping and practicing hard each day.

For some moms, they may feel a little out of place at a rodeo. They may not know how to help. When I first started volunteering, I really had no idea how to do a rodeo payback. Someone knew that I worked with computers and was good at math. So they said can you help do our jackpots. Of course I said yes. But I still had to learn how to calculate the number of kids, the entry fee and the percentage to pay back. Now, I organize an entire rodeo.

Junior rodeos especially are made up solely of volunteers. The people timing, helping push cows, opening and closing the gate, and being the secretary are doing it to help the kids.

If you are at a junior rodeo and want to, just ask what you can do. Normally, all committees would really appreciate any additional help. Even if you don’t know what to do ask and someone will teach you. It really is a learn as you go thing. Even if you just help open and close a gate that frees someone else up to move cows or set up the barrels. So don’t be afraid to jump in. It will be greatly appreciated.

I also want to send many thanks to the volunteers. I am always amazed at the amount of time and dedication that people volunteer for junior rodeos. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

Competition and Nutrition

by Teresa Fackrell


Most of the time we may not see our kids as the athletes that they are.  We might make sure that our horses have the best nutrition including supplements but do we do the same for our kids.  Several of you may answer yes.  But I have been to too many rodeos to see the snacks and foods most parents are handing their kids.


Most parents are handing their kids sodas, crackers, cookies, candy, rodeo burgers, nachos and a myriad of other junk.  These are all empty calories and doing nothing to build the body of an athlete.  They may provide a temporary energy boost but there is always the sugar crash.  On top of the overload of sugar in soda, it also reduces your endurance and strips vital nutrients from your body.  Crackers, cookies and chips do not provide any of the essential nutrients your body needs to get stronger.  


In order to be in top athletic shape our kids needs to eat like an athlete.  It is important that they get the proper nutrition to focus and perform.  They need lean protein for sustainable energy and to build muscle.  They need fruits and vegetables to get all of the essential nutrients. Adding in nuts, seeds or the good oils like olive, coconut and flaxseed will give them the Omega 3s they need for their brain to be functioning optimally.  


Yes it will take some time to plan meals, cook the right things and pack nutritious food.  It is time well spent when your kids bodies are performing well.  Plan to give them what they need and not what they want. 


You can follow a few simple rules to make sure they are getting the nutrition they need.
1) Make sure they are getting 3 servings of lean protein everyday.  Eggs, whey protein shakes, turkey, chicken or beef are good choices.  Lean means not breaded or deep fried.
2) Try to get in 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables.  Add a banana to a breakfast smoothie, make a veggie omelette, replace the potato chips with some raw veggies as a snack, give them an apple instead of a cookie,  or choose a salad instead of a potato for dinner.  A good rule for veggies and fruits is to eat a rainbow everyday.  The different colors provide different nutrients.
3) Add in some healthy oils.  Get a bag of raw nuts for traveling or make your own trail mix without all the sugar.  Cook with healthy oils like olive or coconut.  Make your own salad dressing with olive oil and spices.  


It may take some planning and work but your kids are worth it!

Getting It All Done

by Teresa Fackrell

As you look at each week, you may feel overwhelmed with so many things to get done. As a rodeo mom, you have daily mom duties but you also have to make sure that your chores are done, your kids get to school, you go to work and you get your kids to practice. This week for example, not only do I have to work a full time work schedule but we have a rodeo to put on for High School Rodeo that is Friday and Saturday.

In addition to working, I need to get the all the laundry done, go to the grocery store, pack the trailer and get my kids to practice at least 3 days this week. Plus finish the program for the rodeo and enter all the jackpot information.  Here are some tips to help get you through it and get motivated to do more.

First, congratulate yourself. Women are amazing. We are great at multi-tasking. Although I may be stressed about it today, by Friday I know I will have everything ready and we will have a great weekend at the rodeo.

Second, can I mention lists? The best way to get things done is to know exactly what you need to do. So today before I leave work, I will make a list of all the things that need to happen by Friday. Also when, I clean and go through the trailer we are staying in, I will make a list of things that need to be bought before we go. You should also prioritize the list. There is always too much to do. So make sure you only do what is important. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you get mark things off of the list.

Third, put your priorities on a schedule. Most people waste a lot of time because things are not scheduled. If you break your tasks up into manageable pieces of time, you will get a lot more done. Also, you need to learn to set time limits for things. For example, tonight we only have 2 hours for practice because we need to get home and start cleaning the trailer. So only practice for 2 hours. It is way too easy to let things go beyond schedule but if you stick to it, I promise you will get more done. 

Fourth, reward yourself. One of my favorite rewards is to do absolutely nothing Sunday morning when we get home from a rodeo. Really. I make some coffee in the morning, grab a blanket and watch HGTV for a couple of hours. Yes I don’t watch anything horse related. Or I pop in a movie usually a chick flick. Then when I have chilled for a little while I will get my children back to work, clean the trailer and deal with everything else left over after a rodeo weekend.

Vet Box for Tack Room and Trailer

A good rule of thumb for a rodeo mom is to have a vet kit on hand. You never know when you are going to have to clean, dress and administer a little helping hand to your best ride or someone else in the rodeo family.

First of all a prayer in your heart that you will be able to fix what’s broken – that’s instinct really for all mom's I know. These are items that I have on hand for all types of mom – vet work!

1. Tool box or box to hold supplies and equipment
2. Vet Wrap – doubles for Halloween costumes or compression
3. Gauze – good to put with vet wrap or bandages
4. Diapers – these are great to bandage with, soak up fluid or blood
5. Beta dine – great for hoof abscess, cleaning wounds
6. Bantamine – muscle relaxer, must have a scribe to get, critical if your horse starts to colic
7. Ace – depressant – must have a scribe to get
8. Syringe – good for water fights on a hot day or administering medicine
9. Needles
10. Penicillin – cure all
11. Furazene or ointment to help with infections I really like Neosporin
Which is a human product but works great.
12. Hoof Freeze – made by Hawthorne Product
13. Ice O Gel or FreezeEx – good for muscle strains or wind puffs
14. Leg wraps – good for wrapping muscle strains 
15. Quilted wraps- good for heat wraps
16. Equine boot – lost shoes – hoof abscess
17. Ice packs - strained muscles
18. Ice boot – strained muscles
19. Scissors – hair cuts?
20. Duck tape – mouthy rodeo kids after a slow run? Hoof abscess,
21. Saran wrap – heat wraps
22. Dish soap – cleaning of wounds
23. Clean dry towels – water fights - compression bandage if nothing else
24. Alcohol – sterilize
25. Holy water – not a blessing from a father but a great rub made here in Utah

These are items that I seem to use year around. There are some great websites that go along with these products, and all of these you can purchase at a feed store or the vet.

First Aid for Sprains and Strains

Sometimes in rodeo injuries happen. We hate to see an injury to any kid but especially to our own.  Today’s article is how to make them go away as fast as possible.

Sometimes what we do for them often makes them worse. That’s particularly true of sprains and strains. The problem is everyone thinks they already know what to do.

How often have you received a ton of advice on how to treat it?  Like you should put heat on it or you should ice it or hold it above your head.  Almost everyone has the idea.  But the details are important.

Sprain vs. Strain: Do You Know the Difference?

What’s the difference between a sprain and a strain?

A sprain is a ligament injury. Ligaments are the tough, fibrous tissues that connect bone to bone. They literally hold your joints together. When they are damaged, we call that a sprain.

In contrast, a strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. You already know what muscles are. Tendons are the tough, fibrous tissues that connect muscle to bone. When either a muscle or a tendon is damaged, that is a strain.

There are three different classifications for sprains and strains:

·         Grade 1. This kind of injury happens when the fiber (ligament, muscle, or tendon) is stretched a bit beyond its normal limits and sustains some minor damage.

·         Grade 2. This kind of sprain involves a partial tear of the fiber.

·         Grade 3. This kind of sprain involves a complete rupture or tear of the fiber. Severe damage may require surgical repair.

All sprains and strains recover best when treated immediately.  You also need to be able to distinguish between those you can treat yourself and those that will need medical attention.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of sprains and strains overlap significantly.

Common signs of a sprain include swelling, bruising, and decreased joint mobility. If the ligament ruptures, you may actually hear a “popping” sound. Symptoms of a sprain include pain and difficulty using the affected extremity.

The signs of a strain are very similar. They include discoloration and bruising. Generally strains are accompanied by less swelling than sprains, but that obviously depends more on the severity of the injury than on the type. Symptoms include local pain and stiffness.

If you suspect that you have suffered a sprain or a strain and you are experiencing severe pain or functional impairment, you should probably consult a doctor.  If, on the other hand, your injury is not severe, you can treat it yourself by remembering the following simple mnemonic.

The RICE Method

RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. It is the best form of treatment for most sprains and strains. Though it may sound like common sense, you need to make sure that you are doing each step correctly.  That will ensure your child is healed quickly and ready to go to the next rodeo.

1. Rest

The biggest mistake that most people make with sprains or strains is to try to “walk them off.” That’s fine for cramps. For sprains and strains, however, additional force usually means additional injury. Buts lots of us continue hobbling through our activities and then apply ice only much later that night, if at all.

Then it is too late. The first 24-48 hours after an injury are when ice, compression, and elevation will make the most difference. If you don’t start resting immediately, not only do you run the risk of hurting yourself even more.

The other mistake that people make is resting too much or too long after an injury. Prolonged immobilization causes joints to stiffen up and muscles to waste away. That means you can’t “baby” an injury, either.

Instead, you should rest only until you are pain-free -- within one to three days for most injuries. Then try to ease back into your normal routine. Listen to your body. Stop if it hurts, but do as much as you can handle. Strength and flexibility fall into the use-it-or-lose-it category. Appropriate rest will speed your recovery.

 2. Ice

As funny as it may sound, most people also ice incorrectly. You should ice immediately after an injury to minimize swelling and ease pain. Swelling is the real problem. Ice keeps swelling down because cold constricts blood vessels, which slows the arrival of inflammatory molecules. It also numbs the nerves at the site of injury to reduce pain.

Don’t wait. Ice right away.

You should never apply ice directly to the skin for an extended period of time. There are two better options. You can place a thin layer like a towel between the ice and your skin. Or you can perform an “ice massage.” To do that, just move the ice over the injured area as if you were rubbing it. Either way, don’t leave the ice in place without a barrier.

You also shouldn’t ice for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Though your injury may still hurt at the end of that time, further icing won’t do any good. In fact, it may hurt.  Instead, wait an hour or so. Then check the area again. If it feels warm to the touch, you can ice it for another 15-20 minutes. You can then repeat that process as many times as you like.

The ideal ice pack is a Ziploc bag filled about three-quarters full with ice and a little bit of water. The water helps the ice pack conform to your body. You can also use packages of frozen vegetables.

For those who prefer hot to cold, heating does have its place. It is a great way to loosen up stiff muscles and joints. It relaxes tissues and stimulates blood flow. You can use heat before exercising (also for 15-20 minutes at a time), but you should never heat after an injury, as it will exacerbate swelling. (You should also never heat while you sleep.) A simple rule of thumb is to heat before, ice after.

3. Compression

The mistake that most people make with compression is one of omission. Compression helps to immobilize an injury and provide support. When combined with ice, it also helps to minimize swelling and pain.

To compress an injury, wrap an Ace bandage around the site. Try to overlap about half the width of the bandage on each pass until you completely cover the injury. You want it to be snug, but make sure that you don’t cut off circulation. If you start to get cold, blue, tingly, or numb, it’s too tight. Undo the bandage and rewrap it a bit looser.

You should use compression bandages at least as long as you are icing the injury. (You don’t have to take it off every 15-20 minutes, though.) Even after you stop icing, you can continue to use compression for support. Just don’t let the bandage keep you inactive for too long. Remember to rest only as long as you need to.

4. Elevation

Finally, elevate the site of your injury above the level of your heart. Just like cold compression, elevation works to decrease swelling. Elevation also prevents fluid from pooling. Keep the injury elevated at least as long as you are icing it.

The RICE method is the most effective possible treatment for most sprains and strains. As you can see, all four steps work in concert to treat sprains and strains.

Injuries happen, even to professional athletes and often at the most unfortunate times. If your child suffers from a sprain or strain, just remember to rest, ice, compress, and elevate.

The Day of the Rodeo

by Lisa Woodland


The day of the rodeo is here! As a mom, secretary, and often times a rodeo timer I have observed so many things that caused stress and a poor performance. These could have been avoided with a few simple things. So here are some things to help make your rodeo less stressful.


• First, take the time to plan. How are you going to get there? When are you going to leave? What do you need to take with you? A little bit of planning will relieve a lot of unnecessary stress.


• Second make sure you load your trailer properly. Is this a one day rodeo? Then all you need is the gear or equipment for each event. If you are staying overnight make sure you have cloths, a place to stay, food, money, etc.


• Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to the rodeo. Rodeos generally require you to check in.


• Schedule of events and Draws are usually posted prior to the rodeo. It is a good idea to be there at least an hour before this gives you and your horses plenty of time to relax and prepare for the rodeo. If you are up in a later event and can’t be there when the rodeo starts it is still a good idea to call and make sure that the order of events is correct and find out what your draw is.


• Checking the draw can be an important step in making a game plan. You want to know how the animal bucks if you are a rough stock rider or how the cattle run if you are a roper. It is always a good idea to look at the previous times or scores of your draw. This can give you some information on how they did. You can always talk to those in charge to see what information they can give you about your draw.


• Another important step in a successful performance is looking at the arena setup. You need to look at the score in the roping events, checkout the chutes, or look over the ground conditions. All of these things give you valuable information needed to put together a winning performance.


• It can beneficial to watch the competition that goes before you. It may give you times you need to beat or mistakes made that you can avoid to give you the upper edge.

These are just some simple tips and ideas to help you get up and down the rodeo trail

Good luck and may all your belt buckles be big and your saddles be trophies.

Practicing in the Winter

by Teresa Fackrell


Practicing during the winter time can be tough.  It is cold.  It gets dark early.  I would rather stay home and hibernate.  But my kids want to be ready for a 4 day rodeo in February.  


We work really hard to get get to practice about 4 days a week.  Monday and Wednesday are rodeo club night.  Thursday we teach a 4H group.  But our favorite day is Sunday.  


We rent the indoor barn and invite the family.  We do it when it is warmer and make a day of it.  My sister in law brings water and hot chocolate mix.  We always have treats.  Then we all get together for lunch/dinner when we are done.  The kids enjoy practice when there are more kids to do it with. 


So here are our tips for your kids to survive the cold practices:
1) Toastie Toes - These are a must. Once your kids feet get cold they are done.  Cowboy boots are not the warmest but are the safest to ride in.  
2) Gloves - We all like the cheap magic stretch gloves because they cover your hands well but you can still feel and grip your reins well.
3) Portable Heater - The little propane heaters or we actually have a big 3 burner work great for getting their little hands warm.  It also keeps the younger children warm while the big kids practice.  
4) Layers - I love the silk thermals from Land's End.  My son loves Under Armour.  But this year I found something that really help with that cold leather saddle fleece lined Wranglers.  Your butt does not freeze when you sit in the saddle.  I am buying more pairs next winter.  
5) Time Limits - Set a time limit.  I have noticed on nights when we tell the kids we need to be done at a certain time, we get done by that time.  Then they are not as frozen when we leave the arena.  


Remember your horses too:
1) Warm them up careful.  Their muscles take a little bit longer to warm up in the bitter cold.  We have our kids do extra trotting when it is really cold.  Some days when we are just building endurance all we have them do it trot.
2) Cool them out really well.  It is important before you take them back out that they have had time to cool down properly.  Kids can walk all of the speed events.  This helps the horses to be calmer during those events anyway. 
2) Try to get their back dry.  We let our horses roll in the dry dirt of the covered arena after they are cool.  Then we usually let them stand in the barn for a little bit while we haul cattle and other equipment home. 


Hopefully some of this helps you survive until the sun comes out and we can enjoy riding outside again.

January Motivation and Goals

So here it is half way through January and we all need a little motivation. The hustle and bustle of the Holidays is gone. The lights have been turned off. It is cold and gloomy outside and we are half way into January. It’s not too late! So I have found 9 ways to get motivated and some simple things to keep us motivated.


1. WHEN YOU MAKE A PLAN ANTICIPATE BUMPS. When I read this I thought about it and went yeah. That is perhaps the biggest reason none of us make goals and resolutions because we never keep them. Why do we not keep them? Because “Life” happens. So if you plan and prepare for bumps and Life then when it happens you won’t be as apt to give up. You will deal with it and then when life lets you, go back to your plan.

2. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF If you think you can then you will have better luck at succeeding. For me as a mom this can be hard. I am so use to buoying everyone else up I forget to buoy myself up.

3. SET REALISTIC GOALS If not it is to easy to burn out, backfire and this can actually demotivate you because you see no success. If it is a large goal break it down into smaller bite size pieces. By breaking it down you can have sooner success and it will actually increase motivation.

4. GO PULBIC WITH YOUR GOALS There are several ways to do this. Share them with a friend or loved one. Blogging has turned into a great way for people to go public with their goals. It makes them accountable and gives people a way to give support and encouragement.

5. LEAN ON A POSITIVE SUPPORT GROUP Staying positive and surrounding yourself with positive people is essential. You want to lean on people who want to see you succeed. Who have stood beside you through other struggles? All of us will go through periods of depression and disappointment that crush our motivation. This goes back to those bumps discussed in #1, so we need people who can help us through those times and get us back on track.

6. MAKE YOURSELF A PRIORITY Whoa! This is a hard one for moms. We tend to put our needs, wants, and desires, last. Then when we do put them first we have quit? Even though this seems so selfish if we don’t put ourselves first we will fail. For example you have decided no treats, but a co-worker has made some treats for everyone at the office. You don’t want to offend her but in taking the treat you have sacrificed your goals for someone else. A simple explanation of I am trying to avoid treats for health reason so even though they look delicious I am going to refrain. Same goes with your family. It is not being selfish to accomplish something for yourself it is actually a benefit to those around you.

7. MAKE IT CHALLENGING AND CHANGE IT UP Be creative on how to accomplish your goals. The old saying, “there are many ways to skin a cat,” applies here. To keep the fire going you need to change things up so it doesn’t get boring. Think of new ways to do it. When it comes to rodeo there are so many aspects to practice that you can practice different things everyday and still accomplish the end goal. Doing housework is the same thing. Change it up make it fun!

8. KEEP ON LEARNING There are so many resources to learn from the internet, libraries, school, workshop, ect. Having as mush knowledge as you can about your specific goal gives you more tools to complete it. You can never learn enough. This helps expand your mind and broaden your thinking.

9. MAKE SURE YOU GOALS HAVE A DEEP MEANING Sometimes in order to reach a goal there are great sacrifices made. If those sacrifices are tied to a deeper meaning they are easier to make and the outcome is worth it. For example, Sue wanted to get her masters degree. This meant many hours spent studying. There would be little or no time for family or friends. Sue was the first member of her family to receive an education so achieving her masters was important. The deeper meaning was a sense of accomplishment and rising above her circumstances. Maybe the goal is to better a relationship but in order to do so sacrifices and learning must come first. Make sure that your goal is for the right reasons and you will have better success in accomplishing them.

Goals can be made on many different levels, as individuals, as spouses, as families, and even as friends. The steps are still the same but everyone must put forth the same effort. It is never too late to start goals or even finish them. Some take a lifetime to accomplish. Most important is that we are ever growing and learning. Baby steps are how we all started.

When it comes to rodeo I think we have to make goals as a family but more importantly we have to let our kids make their own goals. Dan recently had a conversation with a dad who said, “if your son wants help and he want to learn from me and my son he will call us. We don’t work with parents.” Dan was offended by this and when we were discussing it I said, “he is right!” We can do everything, buy the horses, feed the horses, ride the horses, pay for the entries, and drive them to the rodeos, but if our kids don’t have goals and ambition on their own, nothing we do or say will help them win. They might get lucky once in a while but ultimately we cannot reach “our” goals for them. As parents we have to give them the tools to set and accomplish their own goals. Then be the support they can lean on. So here is to 2010 make it your best ever!

New Year's Clean Up

By Terrie Vickers

Now that the New Year is beckoning we should take time to do one of what I call life’s necessary evils.

1. Go to your tack room and trailer. Gather up all your bridles and halters and let's begin.
2. Gather up some leather cleaner and conditioner, old rags, and a little brush(I like old tooth brushes because they can get in little places.)
3. Also grab a screwdriver and some pliers you will need these to take your bridles and halters apart.
4. And the most important a good movie and some chocolate. This make the job go faster.

Now let’s get started:
1. I like to start by taking the bridle apart and then cleaning them.
2. Then you want to inspect and check for any thing that should be fixed or replaced take care of this now. Don't forget the bit! It is so important check it for any damage that could hurt your horse.
3. Condition your leather and put the headstall back together and if you chose not to take them apart be sure to tighten all the screws.
4. Check your chin strap for wear.
5. Check your reins for any weak places & if you have buckles check them. Also, I like to spray mine with a little W-D 40 to keep from sticking.
6. Try to involve the kids. It’s good for them and won't kill them
7. Now pat yourself on the back.

Rodeo Road Recipes

by Kristie Binder


101 Rodeo Road Recipes: From our trailer to yours....is a selection of our family's favorite recipes while on the road. 

We are a rodeo family in Colorado.  While traveling, my family and I became tired of eating out or dining at the concession stand. Neither choice is healthy, weekend after weekend.

We enjoy visiting in the evening and sharing a good meal with friends.  This is how the book came to be.  My family and I knew there was a need for nutritious recipes, while on the rodeo road. Being on the road leaves little time to plan great meals for your family. 

With this recipe book, the planning is done for you!  All you have to do is shop, fill your trailer, and head out.   So Moms pack the trailer, dads load your gas grills, and invite friends to your trailer this weekend to create great memories!

Get your copy here:

www.rodeoroadrecipes.com

Recommendation

By Lisa Woodland

Fels- Naptha is a bar of wonder. You buy it in the grocery store in the Laundry section.

I get the bar wet and then rub it right on the green and brown stains on our Levi's and shirts. This gets all those Cowboy stains out. So no need to fret anymore when your kids go to practice in their nice school cloths.

Easy Dinners for Practice Nights 3

Cowboy Spaghetti

Ingredients
Spaghetti Noodles (enough for a family of 5-6)
1 lb hamburger
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbls chili powder
Other seasonings of your liking

Directions
1. Cook bacon & hamburger before hand (this just saves time)
2. Boil water and add noodles and cook until done. Drain noodles
3. Cook hamburger and add Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic, onion, other seasoning. Add tomato sauce according to your liking. When heated add to noodles
4. Top spaghetti with cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and onions.
5. Serve with garlic bread texas toast.

Have fun with this recipe it is very flexible and about your taste and liking. I have used a bunch of fresh tomatoes instead of sauce.

Easy Dinners for Practice Nights 2

by Lisa Woodland


Here is another easy dinner recipe:


BBQ Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 lb Beef & Pork

1 Large Onion

Montreal Steak Seasoning

Salt and Pepper

16 oz Dr Pepper (Put half the bottle in with the roast.)

BBQ Sauce (Your Choice)

Directions

1. Cook roast with 1/2 Dr Pepper, onion, and seasonings in crock pot or Dutch oven for 6 hours. (Perhaps while you are at work)

2. Take roast out and shred it back into the crock pot or Dutch oven.

3. Add BBQ Sauce and the rest of the Dr Pepper. (Keep on a low temperature)

3. Go out and practice.

4. Come in and serve on a Hamburger bun, on top of a salad, or in a tortilla.

Easy Dinner for Practice Nights

One of the hardest things for me as a rodeo mom is dinner time. What usually happens is the kids get home from school and have a snack and then we are rushing to get home work done so we can practice.  At 8:00 or later we are rushing to get home to put away horses eat dinner and get in bed just so we can do it all over again.  Here is an easy meal that can be prepared ahead and then thrown together in the end.

Dutch Oven Pizza

Ingredients

Rhodes bread dough (1 loaf per Dutch oven)

Pizza sauce (1 can per pizza)

Toppings of your choice

Mozzarella cheese

Charcoal briquettes

12-14 in Dutch oven

                   

Directions

1. Line Dutch oven with tin foil. Spray with a thin layer of cooking spray. Spread 1 loaf of dough in bottom of Dutch oven. Add sauce and toppings your choice. Put lid on Dutch oven.

2. Start charcoal and then go saddle horses. The coals are ready when they turn grey. Line 15-20 coals evenly in a circle and set Dutch oven on top then add 20-25 coals on the top of the Dutch oven. More coals on top then on bottom.

3.  Bake 25-45 minutes to cook depending on how hot your coals are.  Check every 10 minutes to avoid burning. If you see a hot spot redistribute the coals.

This can be cooking while you are practicing.  The arena works great because of the sand and coals. Clean up is easy!

Horses and Salt

By Kendra Sagers

Do you ever worry about your horse drinking enough when you are on the road? How about if he is getting enough salt from the salt block at home? I always wondered this as well.

So, what is the solution? I found it is really easy, especially if you are feeding your horse any type of grain and/or supplement. The answer is to actually feed your horse salt. I offer my horses at home a salt block and add loose salt to their feed ration. However, on the road I only take the loose salt. I feed about 1-2 tablespoons of salt each feeding. This amount depends on the size of the horse, how much they are sweating, and how much they are drinking. You can ask your veterinarian for a recommendation.

The salt I use is labeled for livestock and can be purchased quite inexpensively. This picture is of the salt I am currently feeding. It is a natural mineral salt, so it also supplies trace minerals. Plain table salt can also be used (I suggest the salt that is not iodized).

If my horse is not drinking enough on the road I will often add a bit of salt to the ration. The amount of water a horse drinks is directly related to the amount of salt a horse eats. I have found adding salt to the grain has been a great way to keep my horses healthier on the road and at home. This loose salt is convenient to haul. I put it in a small tupperware like container with a measuring spoon. If you are like me anything that will help keep my horse healthy and help prevent colic is a great investment. I hope this tip will help you out on the rodeo road.

Football Rodeo Lesson

By Edna Hancock

The other day I was sitting at a football game. Our team intercepted a pass and made a run for the end zone. He almost made a touchdown. The thing that stopped him was he looked back to see if there was someone trying to tackle him. When he looked back he slowed down and sure enough the guy that was on his heels was given the opportunity to tackle him.

As I sat in the stands and reflected on it. I realized that looking back in any sport will slow you down. DON'T LOOK BACK!!

If you are running poles, barrels, football touchdowns...what ever it is. DON'T LOOK BACK. Just the act of turning your head (and consequently your shoulders) slows you down. I have seen girls running poles look back to see if they knocked one over and slow down and then loose the coveted first place finish. DON'T LOOK BACK. It is alot easier to say then to implement, but if you practice that way it will be easier to do at the rodeo or football game or in life.

Rodeo Mom Weekend

by Lisa Woodland

This is an example of rodeo being a lifestyle not just a sport.

My husband left town for the weekend and left me and boys home to care for our small farm. He hadn't been gone more than 6 hours when everything started to fall apart. The boys had some friends over and they were roping and tying goats and being boys. Pretty soon I hear a huge commotion outside and went to see that my husbands big rope horse was out tromping on my grass and through my garden. This was an even bigger problem since it had just rained making the ground really soft now I have big hoof prints in my grass and through my garden. I think most of the vegetables survived however, the carrots did not. After getting the horse put away and things taken care of I went in to fix dinner.

The boys were feeding animals and playing. I fed the kids and then went out to check on the animals and make sure everything was OK only to find that the steers and the appaloosa pony had changed corrals and the pony was cleaning up the grain from the show steer. Huge problem and this is where if you are a new rodeo mom you need to pay close attention. There are ingredients in the show steer grain that can be very harmful to horses. So I panic start yelling for help and moving animals. The other problem that can be very deadly for the show steers is they were cleaning up the horses hay. Too much leafy alfa will make steers bloat.

Lesson number one is to make sure you know what feed goes to which animals. This can save you more heart ache down the road The small bales stacked to the ceiling are horse hay they are grass alfalfa the large bales on the sides in front are oat hay for the show steers. This is very important to know because the hay for the show steers is not good for the horses and the other way around.

This photo is the show steer grain if you look closely it has a lot to it. The photo on the right is just oats for horses. Even though both grains are similar it is very important to make sure you are feeding the right grain to the right animals. This can be a little overwhelming but just make sure everything has a place and container and then label them if you need to. This will help everyone stay on the same page you can even label the containers with the names of which animals they go to and on that label list how much they get how many times per day. Some older horses get joint supplement and conditioners where the younger horses get different supplements. What ever it is make sure things are labeled and safe for which horse or animal you are feeding.

The rest of the evening was uneventful how ever the next day turned out to be as eventful I will save that story for another post but concluded with the next night before going to bed, I made the rounds and found all of the animals properly fed and safely tucked in. The kids were bathing and getting ready for bed when we discovered the basement had flooded. With all of the rains from the week the floor drains in my basement back filled leaving me a mess. So lesson number two as much as you love to have a break from those rodeo dads it really isn’t worth it if you are the one staying home. So next time I am leaving and my husband is staying home.