10/13/08 Treat your horse like an athlete

It seems some folks forget that their roping horse is first and foremost an athlete. I am Jeff Keane, stay tuned, after the break. We're talkin horse sense on today's American Rancher. Those people who treat their competition horses like a commodity and not an athlete are typically the first to wonder why they end up with high vet bills and lame horses, isn't that right Susan? You know Jeff when you watch a weekend team roping you get to see all kinds of horsemanship, not mention a few fools. I cringe when I watch a roper hit the warm up arena at a run. It must be an image thing because without a proper warm up they could damage their horses ligaments and tendons. Stupid! Most Vets today recommend at least a 20 minute warm up for any competitive endeavor starting with the walk, long trotting and finally&. Yes, Jeff,& finally loping. My other pet peeve is the week end warrior that doesn't touch their horse until the Friday night roping and wonders why the animal is stiff and off. Again, it's recommended to ride at least 3 days a week to keep a working horse legged up, (meaning in shape.) Susan it is easy when you are tired or frustrated to want to put your horse up right after the roping but veterinarians like C. Kirk Underwood who writes for the Spin to Win Rodeo Magazine urge riders to invest in 20 minutes of cool down to keep horses from becoming stiff and sore. Treat your horse like an athlete and you'll be surprised that he'll perform like one! I'm Jeff Keane.