A Dad’s Advice

What does a trainer/dad of a young rider have to say about your child’s first competitive mount? Here’s CJ Shopbell’s advice.

“You need to mount your kid on something halfway decent,” he shares. “You can’t put him or her on something that’ll scare them or take advantage. But, on the other hand, the kid has to be willing to put in the effort. He or she has to learn to ride. A challenging first horse can make it easier for young riders as they progress. The ultimate decision depends on how hard the child wants to ride. If it’s only once a week, they’ll have trouble with a more competitive horse and should probably look for something different. Baily has stepped right into it. But with my son— he’s on a pony and does the walk-trot. That’s the intensity he’s ready for right now.” competitive realm. The Shopbells’ veterinarian keeps a close eye on Hank’s overall health, paying particular attention to his joints and any other senior concerns. But CJ says Hank is an easy keeper.

“I might get on him twice a week to school on him, but Hank’s pretty self-sufficient,” he shares. “We take it easy on him—I don’t want him to hurt himself.”

Nelle adds that, as the owner, she’s closely involved in Hank’s care.

“I wouldn’t let just anyone do this with my horse,” she says. “I still own him, so I have responsibility for his well-being. They lease him so Baily can show him in AQHA events, but I’m completely involved. They take as good care of Hank as I ever did. Plus now he gets ridden every day and stays

legged-up, which helps keep him happy and healthy.”

“You know what they say,” Nelle says with a smile on the way to watch Baily ride. “‘All horses deserve to be loved by a little girl.’ Hank’s getting that right now from Baily, and he deserves it. I got him when I was 22, and I spoiled him, but not like Baily can.”

Baily, quick to say she’s been loping since she was 6, has become pretty possessive of her companion. Nelle let little-brother Brent ride Hank around the show grounds once—not even in a class—and Nelle laughs, “I thought she was going to have a heart attack!”

With their show-pen success, it’s not surprising that Baily doesn’t want to share Hank. First of all, she’s just starting to realize that her horse is famous. When people first recognized Hank at competitions, she didn’t quite know

Bald N Shiney. Details: 1994 sorrel gelding by Shining Spark and out of Leos Raffle Lady.

• 1997 NRCHA Amateur Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion with Nelle Murphy. • 1998 AQHA World Champion Amateur Working Cow Horse with Nelle Murphy. 1998 AQHA Reserve World Champion Junior Working Cow Horse with Don Murphy. 1999 AQHA Reserve World Champion Amateur Working Cow Horse with Nelle Murphy. 2000 AQHA World Champion Senior Heeling with Todd Hampton. • 2000 AQHA World Champion

Amateur Heading with CJ Murphy. • 2001 AQHA World Champion Senior Working Cow Horse with Don Murphy. 2002 AQHA World Champion Amateur Heeling with CJ Murphy. • 2004 NRCHA World Champion Non- Pro Bridle with Nelle Murphy. 2005 AQHA World Champion Amateur Heading with CJ Murphy. 2005 AQHA Reserve World Champion Amateur Tie- Down Roping with CJ Murphy. 2005 AQHA All-Around Amateur with CJ Murphy. 2005 AQHA High- Point Amateur Working Cow Horse with Nelle Murphy. 2007 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman high-score fence work and finalist with Don Murphy. 2011 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman high-score fence work, high-score steer stopping, and finalist with JD Yates. Other Notes: Hank has $118,926 in lifetime earnings and has accrued 960.5 AQHA points, combining all divisions.

what to think of it. But now it’s sinking in. What little girl doesn’t want to ride a famous horse?

In their first show in April, the pair won the Little Big Shots class both days and qualified for the boxing class for the 2016 AQHYA World Show, taking place next month in Oklahoma City. Baily was on cloud nine.

But how do you prepare a 9-year-old girl to show a horse that’s a already a world champion? Or to compete against riders who are up to twice her age?

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on her,” Nelle says. “For now, we’re focusing on the fun little shows and making clean runs at those. If she can make clean runs in the reined work, Hank will take care of the rest. And the more aggressive she gets on a cow, the better he gets. So as she gains confidence and gets used to kicking him to the cow, she gets better.”

CJ’s focus lies in helping Baily learn to show her horse.

“We spent last year just riding the pattern,” he says. “She’s really learning how to show now, because the horse knows how to do that. That’s the biggest thing at the AQHA Youth World: Those kids know how to show. So she’s getting lots of practice at smaller shows and building her confidence along the way.”

Not to mention, she’s on her way to earning her first buckle from a local series of shows.

The prospect of this horse of a lifetime being a world champion at all levels of competition—open, amateur, and possibly youth—isn’t lost on Nelle.

“It’d be awesome for a horse that’s 22 years old and has been shown that many times to possibly win another world championship,” she says. “People have commented that he’s been shown a lot and is still winning against some tough youth horses. It’s a testimony to my dad’s training program that a horse with Hank’s record (see “Dossier” on page 70) can still show and win.”

There’s no doubt that Baily has a chance to win a world champion trophy with Hank. She has the horsepower to do it. But Nelle’s goal for the year is smaller.

“I just want her to have fun and make clean runs,” Nelle shares. “And I’d really like her to win her first buckle with Hank.”

AJANE HUFFMAN, Colorado

Monotony can kill your fun in the saddle, not to mention make your horse resent the work. That’s why I like to use patterns to keep myself and my horse engaged with the job at hand. Otherwise, we both just start going through the motions.

I like to use this bowtie pattern, pictured on page 74. It requires four cones and one barrel. You can use other types of markers, but be sure that they’re safe and will stay in position. Place the markers 50 feet apart around the square, with the barrel in the middle. You can increase the degree of difficulty by reducing that distance by 10 feet, all the way down to 30 feet between the cones. Outfit your horse in the bit he responds best to, and ride with two hands to start for optimal guide and direct reining. If you’re a beginner rider, start at a walk and progress to a working trot. If you’re more advanced, begin at the working trot and advance to a lope around the outside of the pattern and a trot around the barrel.

Step-by-Step

Start at Cone A, and ride to the right of the barrel that’s centered within the four cones. Pick up your horse’s left shoulder with your left hand by raising that hand higher than your right. Support your horse’s right shoulder by keeping soft pressure on that rein in a lower position. Use your inside leg, placed near the cinch, and your outside leg, behind the cinch, to arc your horse’s body around the barrel. Continue circling the barrel until you get a soft arc in

Step 1:

This requires focus on the job at hand, rather than outside distractions.

Second, you must challenge yourself to improve. If you leave the markers too far apart as you get familiar with the pattern, you won’t increase your skill level. It’s important to shrink the pattern’s scale as you both improve so you can keep refining your skills.

Finally, the point of this exercise is to elevate your horse’s shoulders. If you fail to do that in the turns and circles, then the drill is worthless. If you have trouble telling if you’re achieving the correct arc, ask a rider friend to watch you and give their feedback. Better yet: Have him or her video your ride so you can evaluate your progress.

The End Result

I find that pattern work helps focus both the rider’s and the horse’s minds. It’s hard to think about what you need to get at the grocery store or what a pasture buddy is doing when you have cones and barrels coming up in your path. Keeping both minds working and engaged helps the learning process and accelerates progress, too.

Once you’ve worked on this pattern a few times, you’ll be able to pick up your horse’s shoulders off the pattern—whether that’s on the rail or on the trail. You’ll have better control of your horse’s body, increasing your own confidence and your horse’s response to your cues.

Sophie Ellison, New Jersey P osting trot is my go-to gear after walking. I can get my mare really going and loosened up while minimizing the concussion on her back. (Plus it warms me up, as well.)

Bethany Mahon, California