Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Western Life Today

If you’re a Western performance horse fan that loves cutting, reining, fence work and roping, you’re in luck—the upcoming World’s Greatest Horseman gives you a chance to watch all four events in one place. This premier competition, which will be held March 1 at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, during the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions, spotlights some of the top riders and bridle horses in the industry as they vie for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles. “The World’s Greatest Horseman is a really unique competition because it takes everything you would do on the ranch every day and puts it together,” says Callie McCarthy-Boevers, NRCHA Director of Marketing. “It’s the epitome of Western culture and the cowboy…

Ariat Regal Reversible Belt Refined, tasteful, reversible belt for the equestrian life. Show off a horseshoe buckle with nails on the black or brown side. Soft and supple, it features sleek cut-outs and a the rotating horseshoe buckle can be worn on either side depending on your outfit or mood. Montana Silversmiths Quarter Horse Earrings These earrings feature a simple yet alluring design in a bright silver finish (rhodium over brass base). A sculpted Quarter Horse creates the simple post earrings that you can wear during a ride or out on the town for the horse-girl touch. Rodeo Quincy Horse Girl Squash Blossom This elegant necklace features a beautifully crafted horse and petal design. Made with intricate detail, this statement piece is perfect for any horse lover. The unique combination…

Jolyn is working on a ranch in Northern Nevada, proving herself a worthy hand when she meets Jim Young, a cowboy who soon becomes her husband. I nudged my horse into a run and started swinging my rope. Jubilee was known to buck when riders leaned out to throw a loop to catch them off balance at the exact moment they were most vulnerable. The other cowboys told me this, but today I didn’t care about the risk of personal injury. I was hot, thirsty, and determined to catch that runaway steer. I was also tired of not “necking” stuff outside. If you’re going to be a cowboy, you need to be able to rope cattle around the neck or by both hind feet as needed. Roping an animal’s feet…

Oklahoma singer-songwriter, horsewoman, and craftsman Mikayla Lane pours her heart into each of her endeavors, but music is driving force in her creative work. At 19, she has committed to pursuing traditional country music, which she has done since the age of 10, singing at local fairs and events. She counts performing at venues such as the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., and Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, as highlights. In her off time, she competes on cutting horses, rides her family’s ranch, and even creates Western-style purses, shirts, coffee mugs, and more with her mother. “I have a creative mind and I need to be busy and have outlets,” Lane says. “I was always around country music, listening to it with my dad in his pickup, and…

To compete in reining or working cow horse competitions, your horse will need to turn quickly in response to your cues. In reining, the move is a “turnaround,” or spin—the horse moves forward around a pivot foot and continues the move until directed to stop. For cow-horse classes, your horse will also need to turn with precision. However, he’ll turn with his weight shifted back so he can move on to follow the cow in any new direction. Trainer Aaron Ralston explains that all moves for reining or working cow horse events mirror—or were inspired by—horses on cattle ranches. “Historically, riders wanted to show off their best-trained, most obedient horses,” he says. “While there’s little structure to working cattle in a natural environment, training your horse to do complex maneuvers…